without the Gates of Jerusalem that died was buried and rose again Luke 24. 39. saith Christ It is I my self Behold my Hands and my Feet handle and see for a Spirit hath not Flesh and Bones as you see me have This I say is the Christ of God as Peter testifies Acts 2. 36. Therefore let all the House of Israel know assuredly that God hath made the same Jesus whom ye crucified both Lord and Christ I pass this and leave what hath been said and the Opinion of the Quakers about the Humanity of Christ to impartial Consideration But lest any should suppose the Quakers do not own such blasphemous condemning and railing Answers as Edw. Burroughs gave to the twenty Questions before hinted at some of which being about the Person or Humanity of Christ and Place of his Residence you have Mr. Penn warranting this Answer from God and by the sense of the Eternal Spirit for he declares It was the Portion and only fit Answer to be given to those trapanning Questions and saith he had Edw. Burroughs gone into a familiar opening unto his vulterous unclean serpertine Eye all the deep Things of the Spirit of God and Mysteries of Holy Kingdom who was in that nature that crucified the Lord of them Edw. Burroughs had brought the Wrath of the Eternal God upon himself instead of the Priest Will. Penn's Reas against Railing p. 164. IV. They profess in their Pamphlet That they believe and expect Salvation and Justification by the Righteousness and Merits of Christ and not by their own Righteousness or Works and that they believe Remission of Sins and Redemption through the Death Sufferings and Bloodshed of Christ This they make a plenary profession of in their Answer to their third and fourth Questions propounded I must now examine whether they believe what they have here so plausibly professed And there are three things to be enquired into which together with the circumstances and Concomitants will unfold their meaning in what they have here professed 1. What do the Quakers intend by the Death and Blood of Christ They do not believe in that Blood that was shed upon the Cross for Robert Ruckhill a Quaker saith in his Paper sent to Tho. Grantham That the Blood of Christ or Blood of Sprinkling never mortal Eye beheld And in pag. 11. of the same Paper he condemns all Professors that know no other Blood of Sprinkling than that which the Jews saw So that the Blood that our dear Lord shed upon the Cross they do not intend for John 19. 34. the Souldier pierced his Side and Water and Blood came out of his Wounds in the piercing of his Hands and Feet this the Souldiers and his Crucifiers saw But this is not the Blood intended see Tho. Lawson's Book pag. 18. I suppose they will not deny him to be a thorow-paced Quaker he saith The offering of Christ's Body to be broken and his Blood to be shed avails not so as through Faith therein to set free from Sin but Blood in a Mystery and a Body in a Mystery which we know not what it is saith Lawson But saith Pennington's Questions pag. 33. this we certainly know and can never call the bodily Garment Christ That is in plain English that Body of Flesh that they can never call Christ Pennington in another Page of the same Book asks Can outward Blood cleanse the Conscience we witness the same Christ that ever was now manifest in the Flesh This Isaac Pennington was an approved Quaker Now if this be not the Mystery of Iniquity I know not what may be called so and it this be not to bring in those damnable Heresies denying the Lord that bought them 2 Pet. 2. 1. prophesied of by Peter what is for the Blood shed upon the Cross is not available say they Now why should these Impostors talk of the Blood of Christ and labour to perswade the World that they expect Justification Redemption and Salvation and the blessed Effects of his Suffering and Dying even Salvation See Pennington's Questions pag. 25. Can outward Blood cleanse the Conscience can outward Water wash the Soul clean What plainer denial can there be of the Efficacy of the Blood of Christ shed on the Cross E. Burrough's Trumpet c. p. 17. All the Presbyterians and Independants with their feeding upon the Report of a thing done many hundred Years ago Thus they deridingly speak of such as believe in the Death and Sufferings of Christ upon the Cross I shall conclude this Confutation of their pretended Profession of Faith in the Blood of Christ Now if the Quakers will assign some other Blood of Christ besides the Blood of the Man Christ Jesus crucified on the Cross that is of this redeeming Nature and Efficacy then I shall be inclined to turn Quaker and not before But let Christians believe in Christ's Death and Blood-shed upon the Cross for Justification Sanctification and Redemption and let the Word of God be true and these Men Liars Rom. 3. 25. Rev. 1. 5. It was this Christ Jesus that was crucified upon the Cross that loved us and washed us from our Sins in his own Blood Heb. 9. 14. Col. 1. 14. We have Redemption through his Blood Heb. 13. 12. Wherefore Jesus also that he may sanctify the People with his own Blood suffered without the Gate c. See Rom. 5. 9 10. Col. 1. 20. Let us believe that Christ's Blood shed upon the Cross was to reconcile us to God Let us for ever admire God for this unspeakable Gift of his Son to die for us that he by the Grace of God should taste Death for every Man Heb. 2. 9. Again Let us believe love and obey so dear a Lord that so freely gave his Body to be broken pierced and mangled in that shameful manner to redeem sanctify and justify such that lay hold upon him Let the Love of Christ constrain us to be followers of God as dear Children and walk in Love as Christ hath loved us 2. Under this fourth Head they pretend to believe and expect Justification and Remission of Sins by the Righteousness and Merits of Christ and Redemption by him I shall now examine whether they do believe and expect Justification and Remission of Sins by the Righteousness and Merits of Christ Now if you will believe their Writings you will see this their Profession to be but a painted and deceitful Flourish for Justification and Remission of Sins by the Righteousness of another is not by them believed See Edw Burrough's Works in Answer to the 14th Query p. 33. God doth not accept any where there is any failing or who do not fulfil the Law and answer every Demand of Justice This were there no other Instance confutes their plausible pretence to Justification and Remission by the Righteousness and Merits of Christ But see Will. Pen's Sandy Foundat p. 25 c. Justification is not from the Imputation of another's Righteousness but from the actual performing and
keeping God's righteous Statutes How is there Remission and Justification by the Merits of Christ according to their Profession in their Pamphlet when it must be by the perfect and exact Performance of the Law of God in the Creature Lawson's Book p. 18. affirms That the offering of Christ's Body to be broken and his Blood to be shed avails not so as through Faith therein to set free from Sin What is this but a plain denying Remission of Sins by the Blood of Christ And seeing we have Instances enow or too many why should we spare them Will. Pen speaks out See Apolog. p. 148. Justification by the Righteousness of another or which Christ fulfilled for us in his own Person wholly without us we boldly affirm to be a Doctrine of Devils and an Arm of the Sea of Corruption which doth now deluge the World See also Mr. Pen's Sandy Foundation p. 25 30. It is a great Abomination to say God should condemn and punish his Innocent Son that he having satisfied for our Sins we may be justified by the Imputation of his perfect Righteousness O why should this horrible thing be contended for by Christians O and why should the Quakers be such grand Deluders as so plainly pretend to believe it and say he died for your Sins and rose again for your Justification when ibid. p. 16. Mr. Pen saith That the Consequences of such a Doctrine is both irreligious and irrational And why should they believe Justification by Christ's Righteousness since Tho. Lucock affimed That he was as perfect without Sin as God is and blames others because they say with the Apostle In many things we offend all and this Doctrine of Perfection that is a Sinless living is the known Doctrine of the Quakers But let not Christians say they are without Sin lest they deceive themselves as the Quakers do 1 John 1. 8. And let us believe that the Lord laid upon Christ our Redeemer the Iniquities of us all Isa 53. 6. And as by one Man's Disobedience many were made Sinners so by the Obedience of one shall many be made righteous Rom. 5. 18. 3. They profess to believe Redemption and Salvation by Christ Let us examine what they intend by Redemption First Not Redemption of their Bodies from the Graves of the Earth for this is positively denied by them tho all Christians own it as a great Article of the Christian Faith Secondly Then what is to be redeemed and saved not the Soul for George Fox saith that is part of God without Beginning or End surely then it needs no Redemption and God did not send his Son to redeem himself Take the natural sense of what is exprest Great Mystery p. 29 and p. 90. See further what George Keith saith Christ came to save that which was lost and that which was lost is still in Man's Heart and there it must be sought for it remains still in the House that is Man's Heart this is the thing to be sought for this Christ came to seek and to save and all his Ministers preached People to this the Lost in Man that it may be found a lost God a lost Christ this was the sum and substance of their Doctrine G. Keith Immediat Inspirat p 75 76. May we not think G. K. to be inspired by the Prince of Darkness or that he had lost the very Light of Nature to talk of a lost God and a lost Christ to be sought and saved O were ever God and Christ in a lost Condition But poor Man was and we believe he came to seek and save Sinners who had lost the Image and Favour of God You may see more to this purpose Fox's Great Mystery p. 100. at large Neither do they believe any other Salvation than what they are in the Enjoyment of already see Lawson's Book p. 9 19. see two Passages in Nailor's Book Love to the Lost p. 47 48 30. There is a Seed to which the Promise of Redemption is which Seed is that which only wants Redemption p. 30. he saith Christ is the Election and Elect Seed Fox's Great Mystery p. 224. tells us The Seed to which the Promise is is that which hath been laden as a Cart with Sheaves by Sinners which Seed is the hope Christ The natural Consequence of this Doctrine is that Christ came to redeem Christ a lost God and a lost Christ as before said Might not the Heavens blush and the Earth tremble at such blasphemous Absurdities But I shall not in this short Discourse trace them in their gross Contradictions of Truth and each other about the Light within the Seed Christ and the Word But let this suffice to confute and unmask their pretended Belief aforesaid V. They profess to own and believe the Divine Offices of Christ in his Church that he is both King Priest and Prophet to and over his Church and People I shall proceed to examine the Truth of this Profession which if it were true were very comprehensive of a great part of the Christian Religion But what hath been made appear already shews us that by no means their word must be taken First How do they believe the Kingly Office of Christ are they not mistaken Let us examine some Appellations that they have taken from Christ and given to Geo. Fox senior See a Book entituled Tyranny and Hypocrisy detected p. 18 19. Sol. Eckles celebrates Geo. Fox thus Blessed be the Man that came out of the North blessed be the Womb that bear him and the Breasts that gave him Suck and ibid. p. 19. a Letter written by Josias Coal a Quaker from Barbadoes to G. Fox 21 day 12th Month 1658. Dear George Fox who art the Father of many Nations whose Life hath reached through us thy Children even to the Isles afar off to the begetting of many again to a lively hope for which Generations to come shall call thee Blessed whose Being and Habitation is in the Power of the Highest in which thou rulest and governest in Righteousness and thy Kingdom is established in Peace and the Increase thereof is without end Now what is more apparent than that by these Appellations the Scepter is wrested out of Christ's Hands and given to G. Fox Now this Letter was not judged by the infallible Spirit of the inspired Elders to be a transported Flash of a misguided Zeal For G. Fox and his Peers ordered it to be recorded amongst things worthy to be register'd tho the Contents of it would make a modest Heathen blush and tremble Take the Contents particularly 1. He doth expresly ascribe to him a Kingdom Thy Kingdom c. and thou rulest and governest Now he that rules and governs in his own Kingdom must of necessity be an actual King 2. He describes to us the Subjects of this Kingdom who next to himself are Josiah Coal and the Elders or Peers whom he calls us thy Children and remotely those to whom the Life of G. Fox hath reached through the Elders
bid People believe in him as he is in Heaven above but they that are true preach Christ within It seems by the Quakers it is false Doctrine to teach People as Paul taught the Hebrews namely that their Mediator is in Heaven that their High-Priest is there They that are false Ministers preach Christ without your Carnal Christ is utterly denied by the Light your imagined God beyond the Stars But none can witness this whose Eye is outward looking at a Redeemer afar off c. Smith's Primmer p. 9. Sword of the Lord p. 24. Shield of Truth p. 30. But there hath been enough of this before They deny any other Heaven than what is within them as hath manifestly appeared Arg. Those that deny Christ to be entred into the glorious Heavens above deny the Priestly Office of Christ But the Quakers deny Christ to be entered into the glorious Heavens above Ergo they deny the Priestly Office of Christ The Minor hath been before proved namely that the Quakers deny Christ to be in the glorious Heavens above The Major is evident from Scripture Heb. 4. 14. Seeing then that we have a great High-Priest that is passed into the Heavens Jesus the Son of God Heb. 8. 1. We have such an High-Priest who is set on the Right-hand of the Throne of the Majesty in the Heavens Burrough's Works p. 127. They that deny Christ to be the Light in every Man are Antichrists Smith's Primmer p. 8 9. The false Ministers preach Christ in Heaven saith Smith the Quaker and the true preach Christ within and these have no more Fellowship together than the East and West So that there is just so much difference betwixt the Doctrine of the Apostles and Quakers as there is between East and West 3. They deny the Blood of the Sacrifice Christ our High-Priest offered upon the Cross This I have before proved and shewed the scornful Contempt they have cast upon it at large And much more might be said if need were what else means their dropping such words as these Says Edw. Billing The Mystery of Iniquity lies in the Blood of Christ And say they Dost look at Christ's Death afar off What will that Blood avail didst ever see any of it that carnal Blood Can outward Blood cleanse if thou hadst a great deal of it would it do thee any good How apparently do they scorn that Blood of Christ shed upon the Cross But it 's most evident they deny Christ's Priestly Office 4. The Quakers cannot believe the Priestly or Mediatory Office of Christ because they have no need of a Mediator For if they are as perfect without Sin as God is says Leucock and are come to the end of Faith as saith Lawson's Book p. 10. And if Burrough's Works p. 33. say true That God doth not accept any where there is any failing or who doth not fulfil the Law and answer every Demand of Justice and this they say they do and are perfect then what need have they of the Mediatory Office of Christ It is certain Christians own a Perfection according to Gen. 17. 1. to be sincere and as our Saviour saith Be ye perfect Secondly We believe a Perfection through the Merits and Intercession of Christ Philip. 3. 12. Not as tho I were already perfect For if we say we have no Sin we should deceive our selves as the Quakers do But 1 John 2. 1. If any Man sin we have an Advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the Righteous In and through him the Saints expected Perfection But Christians also expect compleat Perfection when they come to Glory on the other side of the Grave even when Mortality is swallowed up of Life But the Quakers believe they have the Kingdom of Christ and are in the glorious Possession of it already But that they are not I prove thus Arg. Those that are in the Possession of that Kingdom neither marry nor are given in Marriage c. But the Quakers do marry and are given in Marriage Ergo the Quakers are not in the Possession of that Kingdom The Minor is self-evident that they do marry c. The Major is proved from our Lord's words But let what hath been said suffice to make it appear that the Quakers deny the Priestly Office of Christ 3dly I shall proceed to examine how they own his Prophetick Office which they say yes verily we believe and own c. Now how can it be since they have so plainly denied Christ's Human Body as hath been shewed And Deut. 18. 15. The Lord thy God will raise up unto thee a Prophet from the midst of thee of thy Brethren like unto me i. e. a Man unto him shall ye hearken he shall be according as you desired of the Lord in Horeb v. 16. You were afraid of God's speaking to you he shall raise you up a Prophet a Man the Man Christ Jesus of your Brethren like to me you shall not be terrified with the immediate Voice of God Exod. 20. 19. Now this is Christ whom Peter shews and declares Acts 3. 22. Him shall ye hear in all things whatsoever he shall say unto you And it shall come to pass that every Soul that will not hear that Prophet shall be destroyed from among the People This is he that God the Father from Heaven testified of Mat. 17. 5. saying This is my beloved Son hear ye him This is he that was crucified and put to Death on the Cross and that rose from the Dead in his Body of Flesh and Bones Luke 24. 39. This is he that told Mary Joh. 20. 19. I go to my Father and to your Father and to my God and your God The Disciples did not expect this Christ to come into them But as I promised before my Death and Passion so I will send you the Comforter This is he that declares he hath all Power both in Heaven and in Earth and that gives his Commission to his Disciples Mat. 28. 19. injoyning them to teach and publish all his Commands and he saith He that heareth you heareth me and he that heareth me heareth him that sent me c. This is the Person denied by the Quakers to be this great Prophet as hath been shewed 2. They deny the Method used by this Prophet namely preaching from the Scriptures which he frequently did Mat. 21. 42. saith he Did ye never read in the Scriptures The Stone that was set at naught by you Builders the same is become the Head of the Corner Mat. 22. 29. Ye do err not knowing the Scriptures John 5. 39. Search the Scriptures c. What was more frequent than for Christ to preach from the Scriptures and to convince his Opposers by them But the Quakers deny this Method for saith Lawson's Book p. 14. The Scriptures are not a Touch-stone to try Spirits withal And p. 15. he saith The written Law doth not convince Men of Sin And in his Book called The untaught Teacher p. 2 3. he denies that
he says Christ's Nature is not Humane which is Earthly for that is the first Adam But this looks too bare-fac'd not the Conclusion drawn from some prepared Premises See immediately before Where doth the Scripture speak of Humane now we do not deny that Christ according to the Flesh was of Abraham but deny the word Human to be Scripture-Phrase He would by this shift perswade the World that he doth not deny that Christ's Body is constituted of Human Nature being of Abraham but he will not allow the word Humane Why then do they in their Pamphlet speak of the Humanity of Christ But one may discern without Spectacles that his End is to deny Christ's Body of Flesh But one would have thought that great George who pretends to translate the Greek into English in his Book called The Mystery of the Great Whore should now have found as much as Humane in the Greek though not in the English it being several times used in the Epistles which in the Latin is more Hominum Humanorum after the manner of Humane and Christ's Human Nature is no more than his Man's Nature Smiths's Primmer p. 9. Sword of the Lord p. 24. They that are false Ministers preach Christ without your Carnal Christ is utterly denied by the Light What can be meant here but the fleshly Body of Christ or his Humanity this is denied by the Light that in their sense is the same to say That the Divinity denies the Humanity of Christ most horrid Confusion But would you have it in plainer Terms from their own Pens then see Pennington's Questions an eminent Quaker p. 33. who speaks with an Infallible Spirit This we certainly know and can never call the bodily Garment Christ but that which appeared and dwelt in the Body c. They own that there was such a Man as Jesus who was the Son of Mary and that God was in him But this is no more than what they say of themselves but the Man Christ he calls here the bodily Garment and saith they can never call that Christ So that if this be not fully to deny the Humanity of Christ I know not what is But see what is asserted in Mr. Hicks's Dialogue pag. 44 45. When Mr. Hicks hath professed his Faith in the Humanity of Christ namely That he was the Word made Flesh and God manifest in the Flesh called also Immanuel or God with us not the meer Godhead of the Son nor the meer Manhood but God and Man united in one Person that is the Christ To which one Stephen Crisp a leading Quaker answered Then I know the Beginning and Date of thy Christ Mr. Hicks asked him Whether he considered what he said He answered I say again I know the Beginning and Date of thy Christ I query whether the plain meaning be not I know the Beginning and Date i. e. The End of thy Christ And whether this be not a total denying of the Divinity as well as the Humanity of Christ Now what is this but another Christ and Gospel than that which Paul preach'd Gal. 1. 8 9. which he pronounceth accursed Another Passage pag. 45. of Dialogue c. Richard Stubs a Quaker asking Elizabeth Weatherby How she expected to be saved She answered By that Jesus who was born of the Virgin and died at Jerusalem Stubs told her That was the false Christ and an Antichrist Horrid Blasphemy against the Son of God! But see what George Fox saith in his Mystery pag. 206. If there be any other Christ but he that was crucified within he is a false Christ or the false Christ and he that hath not this Christ that was crucified within is a Reprobate And pag. 207. he says God's Christ is not distinct from the Saints I think here is a bare-faced piece of Blasphemy and down-right denying the Lord Christ What was that the false Christ that died at Jerusalem without the Gates of Jerusalem Ay saith George Fox if there be any other Christ than he that was crucified within he is the false Christ By being crucified within is meant within that Man the Son of Mary not the Man that was crucified was Christ he was but the outward Garment that is he that was born of the Virgin that lived in the World in Fastings Weakness and Temptations Hunger Thirst and Weariness that was in an Agony and sweat great Drops or Clods of Blood that was crowned with Thorns and crucified upon the Cross without the Gates of Jerusalem that was in all Points tempted like as we are yet without Sin This they will not allow to be the true Christ or God's Christ Is not this plain denying of the Lord that bought them Surely their gross Blindness and thick Darkness is to be lamented and that especially since they labour to keep a Christian Mask over their Antichristian Face One Wolrich a Quaker in his Declaration to the Baptists pag. 13. says That Christ was never seen with any carnal Eyes nor his Voice heard with any carnal Ears No were not the Eyes of the Multitude fastned upon him Did not the Jews that crucified him see him Yes they cannot be ignorant hereof But the meaning is that was not the Christ that the Jews saw and crucified that was but the outward Garment the true Christ was crucified within that Vail Thus the Humanity of Christ is fully denied that Man was no more Christ on their account than George Fox And Saul's Errand to Damascus pag. 9. they say That Christ hath no Body but his Church But I shall refer you to Mr. Grantham's Book Christianismus Primitivus Book 4. Treatise 11. where you have an Account of a Conference betwixt Thomas Granthan and John Whitehead a Quaker about Christ having a Body of Flesh and Bones which John Whitehead denied him to have and deridingly asked Tho. Grantham What a one that Body was and how big To which Mr. Grantham replied Such a one as mine or any other Man's Sin and Corruption only excepted Now John Whitehead falls to using that Craft without which Quakerism would soon be extinguished Well Thomas saith he I will satisfy thee if I can I say Christ's Flesh was such as Tho. Grantham ' s Flesh all Corruption excepted One would have thought J. W. had fairly owned the Humanity of Christ here But Tho. Grantham being suspicious asks him one honest Question more Dost thou not mean by all Corruption excepted my whole Body and the Flesh of all Men But now instead of answering this Question J. W. cursed T. G. in these words Thou whited Wall God shall smite thee the Plagues and Curses and Vengeance of God is thy Portion To which Thomas Grantham replied I am taught of God not to render Railing for Railing c. So that J. W. if he could would have had his counterfeit Coin have passed muster in his meaning which appeared to be this Christ had a Body like another Man all the Body and Flesh of another Man excepted then Christ
second coming of Christ as the Quakers dream for how improper were it for to celebrate an Ordinance in remembrance of him that was within them I leave to the Reader to judg 2. Christ is not come because that Kingdom is not come that Christ speaks of I will not henceforth drink of the Fruit of the Vine till I drink it new with you in my Father's Kingdom notwithstanding the Quakers do so abuse that Saying of our Lord. For it is the Duty of the Disciples of Christ to pray for the coming of that Kingdom and it is most evident that the Will of God is not done upon Earth as it is in Heaven for the greatest part of the World live in Disobedience to the Will of God neither doth Christ now drink of the Fruit of the Vine with his Disciples because he is at his Father's Right-hand in the glorious Heavens and his Disciples upon Earth are to break and eat Bread and drink of the Fruit of the Vine till he come in remembrance of his broken Body and Blood shed for their Redemption and Salvation in which Christ hath spiritual Communion with them not personal which he will have after his second Coming And 3. Paul and the Primitive Christians did not believe the givings forth of the Spirit to be the second coming of Christ because they believed and expected him to come in a personal glorious and visible manner Phil. 3. 20. We look for the Saviour who shall change our vile Bodies and make them like his own glorious Body that being one thing that will be done at Christ's second Coming And Paul and the Christians did look for Christ's second and personal Coming because they were told Acts 1. 11. That the same Jesus should come in like manner visible in his Body of Flesh and Bones as he did ascend as hath been before proved more largely and as Christ himself shewed his Disciples Mat. 24. at large that his coming should be glorious and visible Rev. 1. 7. Long after the Spirit or Comforter was come faith John Behold he cometh every Eye shall see him and they that pierced him shall mourn 1 Thess 4. 6. For the Lord himself shall descend from Heaven with a shout with the Voice of the Arch-Angel and the Trump of God c. 4. If the Quakers will need have this to be true which no Christians can allow them that Christ is come the second time as the Scriptures have foretold of him and as he himself said he would and from thence they conclude that Baptism and the Supper of the Lord are at an end I would know whether all other Gospel-Ordinances are not at an end also as Preaching Prayer Acts of Mercy and Charity and the like And if so why do the Quakers pretend to Preach and Pray for in that Kingdom there is no need to teach any to know the Lord no need of Prayer for then the Saints possess the fullest Enjoyments they can pray or wish for they shall hunger no more and so have no need of Alms and in that Kingdom they neither marry nor are given in Marriage neither can they die any more Luke 20. 35 36. But the Quakers pretend to Preach and Pray and give Alms they Marry and they Die See then what horrid Contradictions and gross Absurdities attend this Spirit of Delusion And to what End they bring 1 Cor. 10. 15 16 17. Rev. 3. 20. Prov. 9. 4 5. with Joh. 6. I know not except to abuse the Scriptures or confute themselves All Christians own Christ to be the Bread of Life and have spiritual Communion with him in his Ordinances which spiritual Communion they cannot have whatever they pretend who do not obey Christ in his Ordinances but flight vilify and contemn the same as the Quakers do But those that open when he knocks by the Hammer of his Word those that receive his Word Ordinances and Appointments he will come into them by his Spirit and having Communion one with another as one Bread so their Fellowship shall be with the Father and the Son spiritually and so he hath promised to be with his Church in the participation of his Ordinances to the end of the World And though we highly own and honour the Ordinances of Christ yet as we believe those that reject and despise them whatever they pretend have no spiritual Communion with Christ so also those that are not duly fitted and prepared for them may not expect any Benefit or Advantage by them In the next place they talk of the Seals of the New Covenant Which term in the plural I deny and believe that the Spirit or Holy Ghost those Measures or Gifts thereof that God bestows upon Christians is the Seal of their Acceptance with him as Ephes 1. 13. After ye believed ye were sealed with the Holy Spirit of 〈◊〉 Whoever accounts these Gospel-Ordinances the Seals of the Covenant are so far mistaken for they are part of the Covenant it self Saith Christ If ye love me keep my Commandments and I will pray the Father and he shall give you another Comforter that shall abide with you for ever even the Spirit of Truth This Spirit which is promised as a Seal is upon the Terms of keeping Christ's Commandments of which are Baptism and the Lord's Supper Acts 5. 32. He gives this Seal of the Spirit to those that obey him duly observing and obeying Christ's Ordinances and Commands from a real Faith in his Word and Promises as well as in his Death Blood and Merits and also to attend this Gospel Faith with a pious Life and so resigning up our selves to be Christ's he hath promised us the Seal of his Spirit as an earnest of our Inheritance which is hereafter to be enjoyed But vainly do the Quakers feed themselves with Wind in imagining that they have the Holy Spirit or Seal of this new Covenant who rebel against Christ the Minister of the Covenant condemn his Blood despise his Ordinances c. So that from hence it appears they have nothing to do to take his Covenant into their Mouths seeing they hate to be reformed And as for their next Impertinency in talking of one outward Type or Shadow being a Type of another outward Type I am an Advocate for no such Notion neither do I believe that Circumcision was a Type of Baptism but of the Circumcision of the Heart nor that the Passover was a Type of the Lord's Supper but of Christ the true Paschal Lamb slain for the Sins of the World And now to conclude Let all Christians admire the Grace of Christ who gave his Body to be broken and his Blood to be shed and not only so but in love to his People hath left this Ordinance of his Supper in his last Will and Testament to be celebrated he before knowing our Frailties we being subject to forget his Kindness Let us therefore observe it with the rest of his Ordinances and blessed is the Servant whom the Lord
when he cometh shall find so doing A POSTSCRIPT TO THE QUAKERS SIRS You cannot be ignorant that those two great Articles of the Christian Faith viz. The Resurrection of the dead Bodies of Men from the Graves of the Earth and Eternal Judgment are believed as two Principles of the Christian Faith wherein your Belief hath been questioned and you profess your Belief in neither of them in your Paper But the contrary hath been manifested by your own Tongues and Pens for Tho. Lawson and John Slee both Quakers gave William Jeffrey a Paper under their own Hands wherein was asserted That nothing of Man that goes into the Grave shall rise again and one of your Friends with whom I was reasoning upon this Subject asked me If I were so ignorant as to believe that Bulk pointing at my Body should rise again from the Grave But upon occasion you will say You believe the Resurrection of the Body pray then what doth your Friend Turner intend by these Arguments 1. If the Bodies of Men rise again then there is a preheminence in the Bodies of Men above the Bodies of Beasts which is to give Solomon the 〈◊〉 Eccles 3. 19. 2. If the Bodies of Men shall rise again this is to give Job the Lie who saith The Eye that sees me shall see me no more Job 7. 8. 3. Flesh and Blood shall not inherit the Kingdom of God who can suppose any other than that the import of these Arguments is to deny the Resurrection of the Body see Mr. Hicks's Dialogue p. 56. To which I answer That the Consequence of neither of these Arguments follows from the Premises for where Solomon saith that Man hath no preheminence above a Beast he shews in what respect he means vers 20. All are of the Dust and all turn to Dust again in this sense all go to one Place and so Man hath no preheminence But in Point of the Resurrection he hath for a way is devised 2 Sam. 14. 14. That Man shall not for ever be expelled from God And a Promise is made Hos 13. 14. I will ransom them from the Power of the Grave I will redeem them from Death for Death and Hell or saith your Margin the Grave shall deliver up the dead c. Rev. 20. 13. And it is true the Eye that saw Job should see him no more not in this mortal State But see Job 19. 25 26 27. For I know that my Redeemer liveth and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the Earth And altho after my Skin Worms destroy my Body yet in my Flesh shall I see God Whom I shall see for my self and not another Mine Eyes shall behold him tho my Reins be consumed within me What is more manifest than that Job did believe in the Resurrection After Worms had destroyed his Body yet in his 〈◊〉 he should see his Redeemer Where upon the Earth when at the last or latter Day 3. His Argument from 1. Cor. 15. 50. is exploded the Argument is Flesh and Blood cannot inherit the Kingdom of God To which I answer 1st Then let your Friend Tho. Lawson be ashamed of what he saith in his Book p. 9 and 19. where he affirms himself and Friends to be now in Possession of the Kingdom of God aforesaid and to have Eternal Life really in Possession Do you believe Tho. Lawson or any of you now living are not made of Flesh Blood and Bones 2dly We own that Flesh and Blood cannot inherit the Kingdom of God First Under a twofold Acceptation of the Word 1. Not carnal sensual and unregenerate Men for John 3. 3 8. Except a Man be born again he cannot see the Kingdom of God That which is born of the Flesh is Flesh c. Marvel not that I said unto thee Ye must be born again or from above saith your Margent The carnal unregenerate Man is said to be in the Flesh and not subject to the Law of God neither indeed can be in that State So that to be carnally or fleshly-minded is Death c. Know you not such unrighteous ones cannot inherit the Kingdom of God 2. Neither shall the fleshly Bodies of the Saints inherit the Kingdom of God till a change hath passed upon them 1 Cor. 15. 50. the following words give the Apostle's meaning Neither shall Corruption inherit Incorruption v. 51. this Change must be For ver 53. this Corruption must put on Incorruption and this Mortal must put on Immortality V. 54. Then will be brought to pass the saying Death is swallowed up in Victory Hosea 13. 14. Moreover it appears that Christ rose from the dead and ascended in his Body of Flesh Blood and Bones Luke 24. 39. he said to his Disciples Feel me and handle me a Spirit bath not Flesh and Bones as you see me have and he shewed them his Hands and his Feet that were nailed to the Cross c. Even so will he change our vile Bodies and make them like unto his own glorious Body Phil. 3. 20. Secondly But not to enlarge I could never yet understand by any of your Writings that you own any other Resurrection than the new Birth or Regeneration I shall cite two or three of your Authors Smith's Catechism p. 29. Quest But must Men pass through Death and rise again in this Life or whilst in this Body Answer Yes for except he be regenerated and born again he cannot enter the Kingdom of God and therefore he must die to the first Adam's Flesh and be quickened and rise again in the second Adam's Spirit and so in the Resurrection and Life enter the Kingdom c. See James Nailor's Book Love to the Lost p. 3. Whereby saith he the Heart is freed from Corruption and made able to escape the Pollutions of the World and to run in the pure ways with delight which is the glorious Liberty of the Sons of God the Resurrection from the Dead Add to this the Skill that S. Fisher useth to make null this Article of the Christian Faith in his Velata quâ—dam Revelata Thus But if you will not be admonished nor perswaded by Moses and the Prophets within you neither will ye be perswaded by such of us who were once dead in Sin with you but are now risen to Life by the Power of God which is his Light and in the same sent to speak to you from the Dead The Text he seems to allude to is Luke 16. 31. but what an horrid Abuse this is to the words of our Lord and the Scope and Design of them the Christian Reader will easily see But from what hath been said by these your Leaders and I might enumerate many more of like import thus much may be farily concluded That you believe no other Resurrection but only Regeneration or a new Birth I own that Regeneration is set forth in Scripture under the terms of a Death Burial and Resurrection according to Rom. 6. 2 3 4. Col. 3. 1 4. and