judgest the Deportment and Carriage of all the Godly in the Nation to be Light Vain Confident and Lofty because they are not found in those mimied punctilio's of denying the Hat in Salutation and giving the Hand which the Quakers use if this Turkish mode which you have taken up of late in not stirring the Turbant be the thing and that affected demureness I am then Guilty my Light being not for it Be not angry John if Christ having made me free and restoring Comfort to my Spirit more of late theâ— formerly the Spirit of Adoption enlarging my Soul I express it in my Carriage in a more chearful Gravity walking as one that doth Believe in Christ whom be hath delivered from Mount Sinai to Mount Zion We are not Children of Hagar the Bondwoman but of Sarah not Ishmaels but Isaac's whose name is laughter I am to manifest my rejoycing in Christ and that I have received not the Spirit of Fear and Bondage but of power Love and a sound mind And this is for the honour of my Lord and his Doctrine Thou dost but bewray in this the same Spirit of the Pharisees who were angry with Christ that be kept Company with Publicans and Sinners and because he came eating and drinking they called him a â—lutton and Wine-Bibber I place not my Christian Religion John in denying the Civil salute of the Hat or any Courteous behaviour towards my Neighbour whereby I exprâ—ss my Love and Friendship as you do making if essential to your way and a signal Character of your Proselytes as appears by thy Brother Baylies Answer But I have well nigh done rejoycing that the little Book we writ hath extâ—rted from thee some good words of Confession which how thou understandest them shall be scanned afterwards and how thou agrees with thy Brethren thou shalt see whâ—n things are compared It 's well if the Body at Devonshire-House and your Metropolitan George Fox approve of this Confession Though thou art infallible John yet thy infallibility must vail and strike Sail to the infallibilty of the Body If thou Believest as thou speakest in some things why didst thou rent from Christians if thou wouldest return John it would be better with thee than it is now If thou understandest some Truths as thou writest them and all of you assent never were people Guilty of such uncharitableness as you in your Railings against all other sorts of separation and division in keeping your Meetings distinct not in the least owning our Worship as appears by your irreverent Behaviours when you come into our Meetings But I am greatly jealous of thee and not without ground having conversed with you so long and knowing how frequently you are found in Jesuitical equivocations and mental reservations that thou hast but covered Poison in guilded words and wrapt thy self in a Cloud False Prophets must come in Sheeps Cloathing else no deceiving It was a Golden Cup that Antichrists Poison was in I pray God I may find it otherwise Thy Brother Penn is plain and honest down-right in his assertions against Christ and the Scriptures and satisfaction by the Death of Christ c. In the close let me say that I am thoroughly satisfyed that I am defending the noblest Cause under Heaven and call God Men and Angels to Witness That if I were convinced you were in the Truth I would not for a Million of Worlds in the least oppose you Lately at Hartford Bigg and Martin confessed that our Principles were directly contrary Let it then be tried who is in the Truth by the Holy Scriptures and the Lord be Judg betwixt you and us in this Matter I can heartily say appealing to him that searcheth the hearts and tryeth the Reins that as you are my Country-Men you are dear to me and I could wish my self deprived for some time of the Love of the Saints which is highly valued by me and no pains or travel of Body or Soul Night or Day should seem great to me to reduce any of you from that dreadful â—postacy which you are fallen into through the cunning Craftiness of some Deceivers There is a Woe upon you I am satisfied because that Offences have been given by some Carnal Gospellers and Libertines in our day that have turned God's blessed Grace into wantonness and have not walked worthy of this Glorious Doctrine I have heard some of your way that lately have acknowledged this viz no reason in Doctrine but in Practice for your departure Now blessed are those that are not offended in Christ A 〈◊〉 to them that stumble 〈◊〉 this stumbling stone I my self through weakness have been â—ear to this but his Grace hath kept me and the Truth is dear to me still and Jesus Christ though many that professeth the Faith adorn it not in their Conversation And now you are multiplied me see you are a people of the like infirmities and passions therefore may you that are tender 〈◊〉 in again to the Truth by the same Reasonings But oh how strong is interest and faction when once ingaged Well my Prayer to the Lord hath been and yet is that those among you that have not sinned unto death by a wilful opposing in hatred and emnity the Glorious person of the Mediator may be brought back that whoever of you belongs to the Election of Grace may be undeceived as this young Man was My labour in this kind in other places hath not been in vain and I will not cease but hold on Believing firmly that I do service to Jesus Christ therein And I am the holdâ—r 〈◊〉 this work in that I can say the Lord knows I have been an hundred times hurried into your way and Opinions like a Child tossed to and fro with every Wind of Doctrine but I am brought now into a consistency and fixedness through electing Love influencing of me and have my senses exercised 〈◊〉 discerne of things and Persons and in Christ's strength fear not the Gates of Hell Oh that this contention and Tryal of Truth might by the effectual working of the Holy Ghost upon thy mind beget some thoughts of returning to thy first Husband the God-Man Christ Thou art the Dearer to us John in that thou hast been a Stone once in Christ's Buildings and Oh that the calls of God's people to thee from thy Apostacy might be blessed to thee that thou mayst Blaspheme no more All knowledge that Men are apt to be puffed up withal and soaring into is but Air Wind and Fancy but the knowledge of Christ Take heed of that Spirit in the false Apostles that disdained Pauls Doctrine as low and Carnal so hath Henry Nicholas Swenkfeldius and Beheman and surely you do and your People speak it Believing that you come forth with a new Prophecy as some of old pretended they were sent to Preach the everlasting Gospel in opposition to the old Gospel In the Revelation some are spoke of that talked of the depths which John adds Satan to This
not my Judgment He can speak any thing with his mouth to the people and believe the Contrary thing in his Judgment at the same time But to the matter Thou askest me where I find such a word in Scripture as Contrived as if I err from the from of sound words Now John I could be heartily glad if I had never heard a more unsound word from the in thy preaching thou might well have joyned that to it which I have writ in the 6th Head viz. in infinite Wisdom contrived This makes it sound a little better I confess I might have said appointed and that had been the very Scripture-word But this is such another mighty Stone as J. B. threw at me at Hartford when he told me humane Nature of Christ was a word I must not use because not in the Scripture But John is the import of this word any more than appointed ordained willed purposed and are not all these in Scripture Rom. 3. he 〈◊〉 set forth 1 Pet. 1.20 who was fore-ordained But I begin to be 〈◊〉 of playing thus at Pash-pin with thee J. C. Parag. ibid. Sometimes calling Faith our own Righteousness and again without Faith it is impossible to please God as if a Man could please God by Mans Righteousness Answ We have not yet done Who but thee John sees any Contradiction in this Faith as a Habit or Act in us is our own Righteousness I have all along distinguished between Chri'sts Righteousness and Faith in the Epistle this may be seen that upon that Scripture 〈◊〉 4. Abraham believed and is was 〈◊〉 to him for Righteousness I say not the action of Believing but that which he rested upon justified yet this is true likewise that without Faith it is impossible to please God because Faith doth trust to those Sufferings that did pacify please God yet Faith did not dye on the Cross So that we please God by Faith not as being an Habit or Act in us barely so considered but as it doth relate to its Object and takes hold of the Object God is pleased not for Faiths sake but for Christ's sake that Faith Receives I query John whether it be the hand that receiveth the mony or the mony that enricheth yet the mony without the hand is not received whether was it the Eye or Serpent that healed yet not without seeing Did Abel's Faith without Christ make his Sacrifice acceptable or please or pacify God or was it the Sacrifice of Christ that which his Faith respeâ—ed But if you will in this matter hear Fox speak more plainly for John will not pull his Mask off yet Fox's great Mystery pag. 49. This Justification is by the Faith of Christ within for all the Holy Men of God were Justifyed by their Faith and that Faith is in their Heart So this is that the Quakers with their Brethren the Romanists contend for viz. Justifying Righteousness to be within because Faith is within in opposition to which we say Faith is taken Relatively with its Object Christ and so Justifyeth even as David also describeth the Blessedness of the Man unto whom the Lord imputeth Righteousness without Works 〈◊〉 Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven c. J. C. pag. ibid. Thou sayest the young Man may now engage without any Peril any Quaker in England This is like Goliahs Boast but let 〈◊〉 him that putteth on the Harness boast as he that putteth it off I suppose 〈◊〉 if not thy self will be of another mind when you have impartially 〈◊〉 the Reply to the young Mans Book to which I refer the Reader to Judg of his great ability or rather his confused indigested thoughts concerning the Mysteries of God and Christ Answ I know the Quakers so well John that they are to me a very inconsiderable Enemy insomuch that any one that hath but by the Holy Ghost been taught the Principles of the Christian Religion may encounter with them and that with little difficulty or danger and when I cast my Eye abroad who they are that you have prevailed with to fall in with you see some you fell upon as Simeon and Levi did upon the Shechemites when they were sore under troubles of Conscience from awakings by the Law before any healings came by the Gospel and picked up them others were straglers from the Camp either that have been cast out of Churches or never setled in any way some that have taken up some prejudices against Christians or through some 〈◊〉 and Ambition highly discontent a sound humble Christian is out of your reach I have talked with many and could not find any of this people that could even give any telerable account of the Christian Religion And how many turn Quakers whose hearts are not turned to God a change in their Carriage and Garb but not in their Soul the same Passions and Pride 〈◊〉 Now Glory if you can in such a Regiment The young Man I confess is no Goliah but more like a Stripling and to take off from the Credit of the story hath been reported by you to be but a meer Boy but in God's strength both he and I have put on our Harness and will not put them off as long as you fight against the Truth and may and will boast in Jesus Christ and in his Truth and Love towards his Elect as the Captain of our Salvation J. C. Pag. ibid. Whereas thou sayest the Quakers keep people in perfect Popish Slavery the Quakers knew no Bondage and Slavery like the â—â—â—dage and Slavery of Sin which you believe all Men must continue in 〈◊〉 of Life and so thou refers us to thy Brother Baylies Book Answ I never saw a people in more perfect Bondage There is nothing more plainly appears than Bondage upon them it is written upon all their Words and Carriages the Principle of the Quakers tends to perfect Bondage viz. That they are to give heed to something within as to an Oracle which hath put many on to hard and difficult tasks going beyond Seas going naked long fastings going three Miles upon their Knees c. and no resistings is not this Bondage and is not this in your Religion viz. That it is to be Obeyed as Fox saith for Life and Salvation and that to perfection That your people sit Brooding upon this Principle in expectation of a Chimaera perfection in this Life must not this be Bondage to the uttermost Now what if they dye before With what fears must they needs depart Only you have got the Popish knack to tell your people that Concupiscence is no sin i. e. evil motions arising not consented to are not sin And here I will take leave in a Digression to propound some Arguments against that error of the Quakers viz. That first Risings to evil in the heart if not consented to are not sin desiring J. C. to give a fair Answer to them 1. That which the Apostle of Christ Paul calleth by the name of 〈◊〉 surely is
confident ones in that day That will say We have prophecyed in Name and Christ will say I know ye not Therefore take heed 〈◊〉 your Faith be the same with that which Peter professed which 〈◊〉 this of the Person of Jesus Thou art that Christ the Son of the Liâ—â—â— God Against which all the power of Hell shall not prevail But 〈◊〉 profession is that not Jesus of Nazareth but the Light within eveâ—â— is the Christ And against this Faith you may be sure it being 〈◊〉 the Gates of Hell will never prevail for Satan will never fight against it Mary And this is my Testimony for the Lord to thee and all who 〈◊〉 with thee in this Work Answ This Lord thou testifiest for is only the Light of Nature 〈◊〉 thy Testimony therefore is not the Testimony of the Saints in the Revelations viz. The Testimony of Jesus For thou art not in the Faith 〈◊〉 Jesus of Nazareth Mary Cease striving against the Lord in his people Answ Our striving is for the Lord Jesus and that the Light of Nature is not the Lord in his people as you say And so you Rob Christ of his Glory Cease you from opposing the Lord Jesus whose Person is without his people Calling him the great Idol Mary And Repent of your Evil else you and your work will fall together Answ Do thou Repent poor Woman and do thy first works Go to God as a poor sinner in Confession of thy sin as thou hast somtime been taught neither say nor think as I fear thou dost through Pride that thou art Rich increased in Goods standâ—st in 〈◊〉 of nothing When-as thou art blind and miserable and wretched 〈◊〉 naked We see this to be thy state and Counsel thee to buy Eye salve to see thy Poverty and thy nakedness Rayment which is imputed Righteousness here despised by you that thou mayest be cloathed and thâ— thou be not found naked in the day of Christ I Counsel thee with Mary Love the Lord Jesus his Person despise him not fit at his feet and learn the sound Knowledg of him Crucified This is the one thing needful Knowing this assuredly that if you do not Repent and turn from your Errors that though you in confidence say as that Lucifer King of Babylon Isa 14. We will ascend into Heaven We will Exalt our Throne above the Stars of God we will ascend above the heights of the Clouds We will be like the most high yet shall ye be brought down to Hell to the sides of the Pit Luke 19.27 But those mine Enemies which would not that I should reign over them bring them hither and slay them before me 1 Cor. 16.22 If any Man love not the Lord Jesus Christ let him 〈◊〉 Anathema Maranatha Isa 50.11 Behold all ye that kindle a fire that compass your selves about with sparks Walk in the Light of your fire and in the Sparks thâ— you have kindled This shall ye have of mine hand ye shall ly down in sâ—â—row John 8.24 For if ye believe not that I am he ye shall dy in your 〈◊〉 Here followeth the Titles Phrases Epithets given to and used of the Light that every Man hath by W. Baily in his Pamphlet PAg. 24. Stone of Stumbling Rock of Offence Pag. 30. The Tree of Life The Light of Christ Jesus Spirit of Truth Leads into all Truth The Comforter ibid. The Grace of God which Paul declared of Titus 2. which taught them to deny all ungodliness and Worldly Lusts and to live Soberly Righteously Godly c. The Name given under Heaven by which and by no other Men are to be saved The Deliverer Counseller that brings forth all Goodness Righteousness and Truth Pag. 32. That which casts out Devils a Consuming Fire Obedience Service and Worship required of the Lord to it This is all implyed in that pag. I would not in the least wrong thee Let the Reader Judg. Pag. 33. Parag. 2. The Fruit of this Tree heals the Nations and stills the raging Sea of folly and wickedness ibid. Christs Glorious Kingdom brought to pass this way by attendance to this Light Pag. 34. Parag. 3. Christ Jesus the Son of God manifested to destroy the works of the Devil All power in Heaven and Earth given to it The Deliverer that comes out of Zion to turn Iniquity from Jacob. Parag. 3. Christ in them to whom all Angels must bow Pag. 40. The right way of the Lord. Pag. 41. The true Light All other Lights being false Lights ibid. The Instructions of the Lord the Yoke of Christ Pag. 42. The Day Star arising in the heart the bright and Morning-Star The Light which is to be believed in Pag. 43. The Blood that cleanseth and purgeth all evil that which redeemeth the Cup of blessing God that walks and dwells in us the Spirit that speaks to the Churches Pag. 44. The Armour of Light He that sits upon the Throne And the Lamb who is getting the Victory over the Beast and Image c. Pag. 45. The strong Lord that Judgeth The New Jerusalem that 〈◊〉 down from above the Holy City Parag. 2. Whose Light is like a Jasper clear as Christal The Glory of God that shakes the Earth Parag. 3. Heavenly places in Christ Jesus The Power of God The Dominion of it is witnessed over Death Hell and the Gates of it Dreadful presence He prays to it at length and gives praises to it in this pag. 45. Parag. 4. WILL. HAWORTH A farther faithful and sober Account of the Experiences of William Dimsdel now dwelling at Ware in Hartford-Shire The Person whose heart God eminently turned from the Principles of the Quakers to embrace the Christian-Religion Being a Defence of his present Faith and Principles against the Railings and false Accusations of his Adversaries W. Baily and S. Crisp Quakers Wherein you may see the Distinct clear sound Knowledg that the Spirit of God hath taught him in the Doctrine of Imputed Righteousness for Justification With many profitable Answers to Objections And what the several gross Errors of the Quakers are wherein he was once Captivated but Christ delivered him HAving viewed the Book entituled Rebellion Rebuked and that part chiefly relating to me written by Wills Baily and S. Crisâ— I could not but think it reasonable that I should write something in my own defence Seeing there are so many things contrary to my Spirit not only concerning my Faith but Life and Conversation also Seeing I find these words as a Caution to the World pag. 50. viz. Had not Men need to take heed how they believe him in his words how they must him in his Actions or how they have to do with him It 's but reasonable I say that I should write something for the â—â—â—ing of my self and I will do it in as plain and meek a manner as I can according to the ability God hath given me I cannot Sir forget the words of your Friend which tarried with me after your Departure whose
THE Quaker Converted to Christianity RE-ESTABLISHED Upon the same sure safe and only Foundation Jesus Christ crucified and his Righteousness imputed for Justification Having yet no mind to change the sweet and easie Yoke of CHRIST's GOSPEL for the Old Covenant-Yoke of QUAKERISM which he found so burdensome and intolerable OR A full REPLY to a Book entituled Rebellion rebuked written by John Crook and William Baily both in the Ministry among the QUAKERS Written by WILLIAM HAWORTH a Contender for the Faith once delivered to the Saints With an Account from WILLIAM DIMSDALE the Person so frequently mentioned in this Treatise Acts 13.8 But Elymas the Sorcerer withstood them seeking to turn away the Deputy from the Faith Mat. 23.13 But wo unto you Scribes and Pharisees hypocrites for you shut up the Kingdom of Heaven against men for ye neither go in your selves neither suffer ye them that are entring to go in LONDON Printed for Jonathan Robinson at the Golden-Lion in Pauls Church-yard Anno Dom. 1674. AN EPISTLE TO JOHN CROOKE Wherein his EPISTLE is Answered JOHN CROOKE MY first coming to Hartford was soon after some sharp and long Buffetings that I had been exercised withal as my Christian Friends know The Lord was but then rebuking Satan taking the Lyon off me and delivering me and restoring Comfort to me there did remain many impressions of those Buffetings upon my Spirit which the Lord in rich Mercy hath since healed and taken away the smart and pain by giving me Faith in the Blood of sprinkling much Guilt and Filth was left upon my Conscience contracted by that long Combate Satan finding so much in me to work upon but there hath been a washing and pardoning and reconciling and Sanctifying since that time Coming to Hartford I found many of the People called Quakers Inhabiting there was glad in this respect that I might thereby have occasion to try their Spirit Way and Doctrine farther which at London and elsewhere I had been frequently searching into Hereupon I refused no Converse or Society with them and my behaviour towards them was with Love and sweetness insomuch that I have in my publick Preaching given offence to some of â—r bearers in that what was commendable in the Quakers practice I have reckoned up and praised at such times as I have Preached Truths against their Opinions My carriage was such towards you that it was frequently reported that I was not far from you that I was coming to you I was very willing to entertain discourse with any of you and with thee when it was desired by some which was effected it appears thou hast not forgotten it in that thou mentionest it in this Epistle that it was in some freedom from Heat and Passion That Meeting was beneficial to us by reason of a Concession from thee at that time viz. That the New Creature was an higher thing than the Light within and that you did but point out people to the Light in order to the New Creature Remember this John of which there are many Witnesses Within two days I had another discourse with thee in the Town and I dare appeal to all the Light thou hast in thy Conscience if there were not much extravagant Heat that day in thy self and Friends Thou may'st John to this day hear it that some of thy own party said that John Crooke was not in a right Spirit that day Pray forget not John what a good and wholesome Truth thou opposedst that day viz. the everlastingness of the Covenant of Grace saying that David was out of Covenant when under his Temptation This thou knowest Arminius is for and all the Jesuits viz. a Total falling from Grace In that dispute I dare not say I had no itch after applause or vain Glory stirring in me nor any anger but I can say through Grace my main design was for the defence of the Truth for the prevention of errours Not long after this God's providence ordered a Prison for me where there were many of thy Brethren forty or fifty some of them were Teachers and had been for some considerable time Here I had a fair opportunity of making inquiry and informing my self whether the things I had heard reported of this people were true as to their Opinions whether I had such cause to be so jealous of them as I was having discoursed them before the Lord keeping up this Principle still in me that I would follow Truth in whomsoever I found it Here many days did I engage in debates with them touching many great things in Religion viz. Touching Original Sin against this that any such thing was upon Children when they come into the World they did contend viz. Christopher Taylor Lewis Lacondy with others of them The last named asserted that a Child when born is as innocent as Adam in Paradise was before he sinned Christopher Taylor disputed very much against the Resurrection of the Body with me This same Christopher called the Doctrine of Election a Devilish damnable and Blasphemous Doctrine How often did I beâ— this Man repeat this in his Preachings do this and Live which is the voit of the Law in opposition to the Gospel Rom. 10. Thomas Bur of Ware did at that time acknowledge in my Chamber that be apprehended nothing in the point of Justification that we talked of These are Teachers in your Israel And how many times have I heard this Man run in his speaking among the people into most strange uncouth dark unintelligible nonsensical Allegories upon the Scriptures The Lord lay not this to some of your Charge that are greatly guilty of a dreadful abuse of the Holy Scripture this way and you do still up and down the Countries confound the poor people that must stand and wonder at that which neither they nor the Teachers themselves understand Thomas Moss of Balwick did argue this with me so long that I durst talk no longer lest I should have been an occasion of his Blaspheming viz. That Christ could not be born of the Virgin Mary in case she was a Sinner without sin Thus was I trained up with them eleven Months heard their Prayers made many a time and was glad to hear them in the seeming fervency and Zeal but these Prayers were not to me like the Prayers of the Holy Men of God Ezra Daniel c. Not with Confessions neither did I ever â—ear such an expression as this which Daniel bad viz. For the Lord's sake I could not discern that any use of Faith was made of Jesus as a Mediator now without while the Spirit did seem to stir up sighs within I understand withal this to be one of the first-born of your errours which Thomas Bur would not deny viz. that every one of your Teachers is equal to the Prophets and Apostles and so their writings equal with the Scripture I told Christopher Taylor what William Penn said to a friend of mine viz. that George Fox was as good a Prophet as
hath been my temptation and I am confident is thins now Oh! be sober-minded and be not ashamed of the Cross of Christ him I mean Crucified in sinners room and stead The Spirit of Wisdom and Revelation be upon thee while thou are reading these following Lines that thou mayest see the mystery and cleave to the singleness of Christ Thy Friend to reduce Thee from thy Apostacy WILL. HAWORTH THE The Quaker Converted to Christianity RE-ESTABLISHED A full ANSWER to John Crook's Reply to the EPISTLE J. C. P. 5. What thou meanest by the Church of Christ at Hartford whom thou caâ—lest well-Beloved in the Lord I know not except those the young Man pag. 6 of his Book calls most of them a loose wanton and proud people that adorn the Bodies more than their Souls Answ I mean a sew Believers that have in obedience to Christ their Lord given their names up to Christ and to one another to walk according to the Order of the Gospel continuing in the Doctrine of the Apostles in Fellowship Breaking of Bread and Prayer These 〈◊〉 more dear to me than others in that I stand in a nearer Relation to them than I do to others Thou mightest have guessed by reading over the Epistle if thou hadst not heard that it was a select company I writ to and not the whole Body of the people that comes into our Meeting-House when as I spake of his making Confession of his Faith tâ—ong us which is not a Custom kept up in pâ—blick Meetings I spake of the eating of the Flesh of Christ and drinking his Blood by Faith in the Supper of the Lord speaking of his Institution before which you that are a dark people despise I spake in the Epistle of God's adding to us such as should be saved which is spoken of that Church at Jerâ—salem Surely John if thou hadst read the Epifâ—le before thou writst this thou couldest not be ignorant 〈◊〉 but it is your way to 〈◊〉 on all people thus besides your selves and the same thoughts I doubt hast thou and all of you of all the Churches of the Saints viz. That they are but a loose wanton and proud people Thou are full of love John thou mightest have seen by the series and Order of the story that the young Man spake this first of the generality of the people that met what his thoughts were of them when he first came amongst them Are all of you perfect John that comes into your Meetings Are there no loose wanton proud ones there These were his thoughts before his Conversion to the Gospel when he stood halting betwixt two long before we had a Church in that place I challenge thee and all of you at Hartford to accuse any Member of this Church there with wantonness loosness or that which may justly be called Pride in Apparel though not dressed it may be altorge ther in your mode And I question not but the Grace of Christ will enable them to walk inoffensively and 〈◊〉 though you may watch for their haltings J.C. pag. ibid. In the very entrance thou discoverest thy self and Spirit to be filled with the sowre Leaven of the Pharisees saying in this Relation which follows you may see some of the Quakers Rotten Opinions c. W. H. The Leaven of the Pharisees was chiesty the Doctrine Mat. 6.11 Beware of the Leaven of the Phorises and of the Sadducees v. 12 the Doctrine of the Pharisees and Sadducees Now whether I or thou have most of that let discerning ones judge The Pharisees made void the Scriptures by their Traditions Thou and thy Brethren by your Light within not vouchsafing to call it the Rule but denying it so to be as Pen in his late Writing The Pharisees placed much of their Religion in outward things washing of hands c. You very much in Harts Ribbonds and Laces c. The Pharisees had an affected carriage singular in their Garbs so be you They did justify themselves that they were Righteous and thought to be accepted of God by that which was within them so it it is with you Luke 18. I thank God I am not c. see John he gives the Glory of it to God and attributes it not to his own power free-will Reason yet was Proud and unjustisyed the Pharisees were Enemies to the person of Christ and despised him in the Builders refused him which is understood of them and surely thou and thy people are of the same Spirit white you pretend to speak of Jesus it is but the light in every Man you would advance and refuses him the Pharifees were such as pretended to give a more sublime mystical interpretation of Scriptures than others so thou John by thy Allegory the Pharisees looked upon Christ as vain Light confident in his Cartiage in that he would keep Company with Publicans and Sinners so thou judgest of me and others because we walk not with a Nabal-like sowre deportment The Sadducees denyed the Resurrection So thou John and thy Brethren Take care John left the Leaven of false Doctrine do not Leaven the whole Lump lest thou and thy people be nothing else but a sowre Lump of error Thou art mistaken in applying this to me through the Grace of God I have a little of that Unleavened Sincerity and wait for more from Christ which the Apostle speaks of himself and others We can do nothing against the Truth but for the Truth 2 Cor. 13.8 Thou goest on pag. 5. Rotten Opinions in Common understanding then their Opinions must once have been sound but now are decayed Answ Be not offended John many that read these lines and words will think that thou hast not Common Understanding and that thy Intellcctuals are not sound but decayed As for your Opinions viz. The Light in every Man to be Christ that we are justifyed by inherent Righteousness that Christ hath not now a Manhood c. I account them gross damnable errors Now errors were always rotten never sound to give this Epithet to error would be a Contradiction Moreover who sees not but this is spoke in a moral sence I spake of Moral-Rottenness not Natural Rottenness not of the Rottenness of Wood and Apples but of Doctrine Rotten Doctrine was always so That Opinion that was Morally evil was ever so I ask when the Apostle speaks of Men of corrupt minds which were the false Apostles must it necessarily follow that their minds were once sound When the Apostle saith Ephes 4. v. 20. Let no corrupt Communication c. Was that Communication once sound It will as well follow that when Paul speaks to Timothy of sound words that therefore they were once Rotten Nay there is the Fruit of some Trees that were never good but bitter poysonous Rotten Deut. 32. 32. There is mention made of the Wine of Sodom Their vine is of the Vine of Sodom their Grapes of Gall their Clusters are bitter their Poyson is the Poyson of Dragons By these Moses understood saith
by it and though the Spirit should â—ver make use of it yet it would be Holy and Spiritual it being 〈◊〉 which discovers the Holy Nature of God who was the Author of it J. C. pag. 8. Thou either ignorantly or enviously if not both affirmed that whoever hath tasted that the Lord is gracious never takes up with the Quakers Christ Answ What I say I say upon my Knowledg and experience having conversed with the Quakers so frequently and read many of their Books and know that this was the reason viz. my tasting of the Grace of Jesus Christ why I did not in the midst of the Scepticalness of my mind take up with the Quakers Christ finding so much sweetness and comfort in the Knowledg of him Crucified and so abhorring to believe in the Light within as the Christ of God J. C. pag. 16. The Quakers Christ is the Lords Christ Answ Now let this John be fairly tryed whether the Quakers Christ be that Christ of Jehovah which is spoke of here Lâ—k â— 26. which Simeon was to see before he died according to the revelation he had This was the Child Jesus which was born of Mary the Virgin of the 〈◊〉 of David according to the flesh whom Simeon took up in his bodily arms vers 28. that Messiah whom the Prophets spoke of vers 31 32. Now how wilt thou be tryed in this matter I know no better way than by thy Peers and Equals in the Ministry while you be all guided by the self-same infallible Spirit and do own them for Quakers whâ— shall mention Mr. Faldo hath impannelled a sufficient number in this Case and I desire the Reader of these lines to look into that part of his Book which treats of this thing viz. the Quakers deny the Christ of God he hath there to good purpose saved me a labour in transcribing out of the Quakers own books many of their sentiments touching these things And though thou hast been so shy John as not to open thy self in thy wiltings in this matter yet thou darest not deny these men to be Quakers I will but transcribe a few of the lines of the greatest Rabbies and leave the rest to be read in the Book with those Judicious detectings of them by our said worthy Brother Let us hear George Fox speak first as it is most meet in his Book called the Mystery pag. 71. And Christ's nature is not humane which is â—thly for it is the first Adam's Now John what is in this plainly but that Christ that Simeon had in his arms is not the Lord 's Christ for he had a nature humane which was earthly of the first Adam for he was made of a woman in Gal. 4. and the Son of Adam in his genealogy which nature is now in Heaven glorified according to the Scriptures We believe that Christ had a Soul too and hath still as well as a Body and a Divine Nature as well as Humane which word though you quarrel with it is no more but what belongs to man or mans nature and the Scripture in Hebrews saith He was like us in all things sin excepted Let 〈◊〉 come next in his book pag. 20. What saith he for that which be took upon him was our garment even the Flesh and Blood of our nature so far is good But hear again which is of an earthly perishing nature yet it saw no Corruption according to the Scripture in the Acts. But let us have the rest but he is of an Heavenly nature Jesus then that Simeon took iâ— not the Christ but only a garment the perishing flesh and bloud of our nature â—cording to this Doctor Hear again a Mystery And his Flesh and Blood and Bones of his nature i. e. Heavenly This is the Quakers Christ Heavenly Flesh and Blood and Bones which came down from Heaven as they suppose and did tabernacle in the carnal body and flesh and bones for a while which is in every Quaker now This is the Quakers Christ not that which Simeon had in his arms and is now in glory The next is 〈◊〉 his Princip pag. 9. They are false ministers that preach Christ without Then Simeon had him only within Sword of the Lord a Treatise of Smiths pag. 24. Your imagined God beyond the stars For again in his Book called the Great Mystery pag. 286. the man 〈◊〉 speak Christ in the Male and in the Female He is giving an account why a woman may teach Now John the Quakers Christ is the man in every Man that is a Quaker and every Woman I will likewise set down here what I had from Christopher Taylor a Teacher among you he confessed to me when I asked if the whole Christ was within him and so if the Man Christ That the Man Christ was within him where is the Mediators Intercession then art thou not ashamed of such a People as this Come out from among them and own the Christ of God If ye believe not that I am be saith Christ ye shall dye in your Sins John 8.24 By these Testimonies Jesus of Nazareth is not the Quakers Christ What is then the Christ it is that Light that is in every one that reproveth for some Immoralities which every Drunkard and Unclean Person hath in his Conscience Here now one for all speaking plainly FOX the younger a great Author pag 49 50. 〈◊〉 scorn me the Light in you they have disobeyed it and called it a nature Light and ye have said that I the Light am not able to save those that believe in me Mark this is the Quakers Christ but further pag 54. that if you would believe and wait in me the Light I will purge out all your Iniquities and forgive all your Trespasses none forgiveth sins but God and I will change your natures and will make you new Creatures therefore it is very God if you harken to me and obey me the Light within it should be a Person by this for actions are ascribed to it Now how often have I heard this spoke by your Teachers God manifested in the Flesh clapping their Hands upon their Breast this Flesh Here Major Corbet once a Quaker in his Book against you on this Subject Well now let these stand together and John do thou speak for thy self Either these are no Quakers and thou disowneth them and their Writings or the Light not Jesus of Nazareth is the Quakers Christ so not the Lord 's Christ Therefore John thou dost but Juggle in thy words like the Men on the Thames Roweth one way and looks another pretends to the Lords Christ and it is nothing but the Light within every Man By this you may know what he means by his Testimony to Jesus in the latter end of his Book J. C. The same that delivered Paul from his wretched state Answer That Christ that delivered Paul from the guilt of Sin and Punishment while Sin dwelt in him was Jesus of Nazareth not the Quakers Christ the Light
by the Light and it doth justifie of which afterwards J. C. As if the Quakers were against that Confession of sin c. Ans Shall we not judg of your Opinions by your practices you Pray I know having heard you frequently without the least Confession of any sin Thus it may be the Quakers are not against the Confession of sin viz. they apprehend that others that are not Quakers being sinners ought to confess their sins But as for them they are not sinners I have lately tryed them in a discourse not a word can I draw out of them that they are sinners Wo unto them Pharisees Hypocrites Humphery Smith being asked at Hartford why he did not confess sin to God in Prayer answered he had none to confess as being no drunkard c. I can prove this by witness J. C. pag. ibid. We own the Holy Scriptures Answ Are not the Scriptures and Christ mightily obliged to you infallible Doctors that will condign to own such fragments and a Book patched up of so many scraps to help a little when the Church had lost the life of the Spirit One now living in Hartford about ten years since heard John Crook at Hartford in George Westwares house in a discourse amongst the people invalidating the Holy Scriptures as not being the Rule and that people should turn to the Light and therefore had words to this purpose as near as can be remembred viz. That at first the Saints lived by the life of the Spirit and were guided thereby and had none of those Books which they call meaning Professors the Scriptures which Scripture so called in the primitive times after they were written some part of them was at Corinth some at Colosse others at Rome c. now when the Churches had lost the life of the Spirit they called a Council and sent to those places and gathered those fragments and packed or patched them together and called them the Scriptures and he said fâ—rther That we had no more than the Rhemists who were Papists would let us have and that there was a Gospel written by some one of the Apostles and a Revelation by another which we had not when J. C. was charged with this at Hartford he replyed to the same person that had heard him that if these were his words it was not his Judgment J. C. pag. ibid. We say that if we confess our sins he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness 1 Joh. 1.9 But confession of sin ought to be performed from the sense of evil of sin upon the Conscience and not out of formality and custom only as most do Ans We say the same here we agree but this phrase as most do I suppose are all of what sort soever that are not Quakers for Quakers do not at all confess sin therefore all are but in a senseless formal state besides them and what they do it is but out of custom Pag. ibid. Yet we say now this is spoke from an infallible oracle in the name of all the Quakers where the heart is sprinkled with the blood of Christ from an evil Conscience at that time and while remaining so thanksgiving is proper to be given to God for praise is comely for the upright and such Know c. Answ So may there not be a sense of the desert of the evil of sin though not anguish and trouble upon the Conscience for it at the same time that the Conscience is sprinkled with the blood of Christ and so there may be and should be Confession of sin and Praise together Supplication and Thanksgiving the Scripture speaks of and so in many of the Psalms there are Confessions and Thanksgiving together so there is a Rejoicing with Trembling I query whether the Quakers ever had a true sense of sin because they never do confess sin whether they are not much more perfect than Isaiah Job and John yet these Saints Consciences at that very time were sprinkled with the blood of Christ and so Isaiah when he said I am a man of unclean lips Paul had the sence of sin Rom. 7. yet at the same time gives thanks I query again whether any that have it sprinkled ever have it unsprinkled though they may lose the sense of it so indeed Praise not to exclude Confession is comely for the upright J. C. And such know the Blood of sprinkling to be a speaking blood it speaketh with the Apostle causing that soul that is washed with it alwayes to be mindful of it and truly to prize it Answ This true if rightly understood but by the Blood look in o Mr. Faldo's Key is to be meant the power of the light within not the sufferings of Christ according to the Quakers sense Remember what Pennington saith that external blood cannot cleanse the conscience the blood of Bulls and Goats could not do it no more can this there is no more worth in this than in other common blood in your account although thou dost afterwards seem to confess otherwise Pennington saith heavenly blood which Christ brought with him from Heaven and dwelt in the garment of the body a while and now is in every Quaker This is the blood thou meanest still thou art at Legerdemain Where doth this blood speak why we believe according to the Scriptures That as the high Priest entred into the Holy-place with the blood of the sacrifice so Christ by his own blood entred in once into the holy place Heb. 9.12 24. into heaven it self now to appear in the presence of God for us Now according to your Allegorists this Heaven it self is within man so was Christ in the Saints before he came in the flesh and his blood the Light within before any of his sufferings in the flesh But we now will declare our sound Scripture-sense as followeth Christ is our Advocate with the Father and his Blood the infinite worth of it the value of all his sufferings speaks to the Father John 1.2 he is an Advocate by vertue of his being a Propitiation as there it s spoken now he was not a propitiation within us therefore he is not an Advocate within that is the Spirits work enabling us to go to God in prayer through his Name yet we say that faith that looks to this and trusts to this is wrought within us by the Spirit and so know that the blood speaks the sufferings without and thus we have peace of Conscience J. C. pag. 9. Thou sayst Jesus Christ of Nazareth c. brought this Righteousness if thou believest that none were really saved or made righteous by that Righteousness of Christ till or after that time thy faith is contrary to the Scripture which calls Christs Righteousness an everlasting Righteousness Dan. 9.24 Isa 45.17 Micah 5. Answ Yea and again I say Jesus of Nazareth brought this Righteousness and he only and it was not actually brought in before according to that in Dan.
with such Blasphemies viz. Given forth by the Spirit through the Trunk of the Body of FOX or such a one Horrible Pride And therefore do your Disciples at this day account their Writings of equal Authority with the Writings of the Apostles nay beyond them because a newer Revelation of a later Date you be advanced to a good Degree but to the thing now what is this instance of an extraordinary Power of the Spirit to the ordinary working of Gifts in Sanctification which thou art treating of There are 7 Lines follows that are but Queries to the same purpose as before which I have Answered fully to viz. I have said in My Answer that we are for acting and doing and by the Holy Ghost yet dares not trust to it but to Christ In the End of this Paragraph you have this Neither is it we that speak as we are kept truly â—lent out of all our own thoughts but the Holy Ghost in us Mark 13.11 Answ Here is speaking and yet silence Reconcile contraries as you can that place in Mark speaks of the Holy Ghost being promised to the Disciples in times of Persecution to assist them in their Confessions of this Faith I am pleading for viz. Salvation by a Crucified Jesus as their Righteousness when they should be called to an account before Tribunals as if we could not have the Assistance of the Holy Ghost to enable before Magistrates or Quakers to confess the Faith but we must of necessity make this assistance our very Righteousness that Justifies us what weakness is this J. C. Pag. 15. Thou sayest our Righteousness is but the Righteousness of mere Man c. And yet before saith it consists in the Gifts and Vertues thâ— the Holy Ghost works in our minds See thy Confusion from thy 〈◊〉 words Answ I can see none and let the Reader Judg Thy Soul 〈◊〉 is the Soul of a meer Man yet the parts of it consist in Understanding and Will which God hath created and given the Light within is the Light of a meer Man yet it consists in a Faculty which God hath given of discerning Moral good and evil and a reflex Act of Coâ—science in accusing or excusing according to a Mans Actings thereunto So here when I say the Spirit works these there is the efficient cause when I say of meer Man there is the Subject in which it is wrought still to distinguish it from that Righteousness that Justifies that is the Righteousness of one who is God and Man Colâ—ss 2.9 This Scripture proves Christ to be God and Man for in him dwelleth All the fulness of the Godhead Bodily What is that Him and what that Fulness of the Godhead Where is now Confusion Reader J. C. pag. ibid. One Righteousness is perfect and compleat the other 〈◊〉 faulty imperfect and incompleat thou wouldest make them two in nature and kind the one from Heaven the other on Earth the one Christ's the other ours and yet saith it is incompleat as to Degree then they must be one in kind for Degrees varie not kind or Nature Answ That thy heart smote thee a little when thou was writing this John appears to me by thy way of expressing they self Thou sayest I would make them two in Nature and Kind c. Why then there was something spoken that made it evident as that the one was Christ's the other ours That an Adversary could not but take notice of it Degrees thou sayest varie not kind which is true in things of the same Nature But here I have plainly by thy own Confession made them of various Natures then this Sentence viz. faulty imperfect incompleat as to Degree must necessarily be restrained as to those things of their own Nature of which I am speaking viz. our own Righteousness and no more is in it than this viz. That the Spirit in working it in our Souls doth not work it up to that height as that 〈◊〉 thing of sin remains in us but as to the other Righteousness there was no spot in Christ Remember the Proverb Rather than Satan will 〈◊〉 he will play at a small Game Rather than thou willt not manifest thy enmity against Imputed Righteousness and be a Patron of our own to Justify us to take off from Christ thou wilt play a small low Game J. C. Pag. ibid. So it is manifest that thou knowest not what thou sayest such is thy confusion no marvel while thou errest from the form of sound words calling it a Righteousness contrived where findest thou such a word iâ— Scripture Answ Let the Reader judg if I know not what I say thou art a â—â—â—ty and not sit to judg in the Case now by saying the Form of 〈◊〉 words and then mentioning the Scriptures who would think 〈◊〉 J. C. began to be ashamed of the Quakers Principles and to own the Scriptures for the Rule which his Brother Bayly disowns and that 〈◊〉 was again returned to his old Christianity from which he had Apostatized and grew weary of those many uncouth strange words and Gibberish Language that Fox brought out of the North resolving to fashion all his words in his Prayers hereafter according to the Dialect of the Scriptures Oh that it might prove true Yet how can I but say this that an Ape that is most like a Man and yet of another kind is one of the most ill-favouredst of the Bruits so it rendereth thee most ridiculous in our eye when we see thee here Ape it so like a Christian and yet knoweth that thou art of a different Species Speak and write like a Quaker or else utterly forsake them my eye hath been deceived sometimes by the Art of Limning in thinking I have seen Living Creatures Men and Women Lions Bulls c. and yet turn but the other side and nothing but a thin painted Past-Board So here I fear many be deceived with thy expressions in thy lines wherein thou appears to a weak eye a Living real sound substantial Christian but I hope I have turned the other side and now it appears thou art but still a thin dead liveless rotten Apostate and Quaker only painted over with better Colours and a little more Art Thou hast got the Art that Gaptains have at Sea that they may have the greater advantage and thou thinkest it Lawful as they do thou comest up to us thinking to board us presently with an English 〈◊〉 and Colours when as thou art absolutely a French Man I have heard lately from one that hath read J. C's Books that in one of his Books he expresses himself to be for this viz. a Liberty for Quakers to admit themselves into all Churches of what Judgment soever This is the Man that is for overcoming not by force of Argument but 〈◊〉 Stratagems This is Romes way at this day And remember that 〈◊〉 writ before an Answer which J. C. gave to one that charged him with what he had said viz. If they were my Words that was
that think in these thoughts of Foolâ—â—ess Satan is frequently exciting and suggesting its true but yet 〈◊〉 experienced Christian may discern those Temptations that arise from 〈◊〉 in his Heart from those Temptations of Satan I grant that in 〈◊〉 we yield not to Satan we are not guilty His Temptations not 〈◊〉 to are our Afflictions not our Sins and likewise it 's true of Christ notwithstanding the Devil's Assaults yet was he without sin But then as I have said these Motions and Desires arise not from Satan 〈◊〉 our own Lust and the very presence of them in the Soul is sinful 〈◊〉 been proved Withal may not I say it 's easier to resist the Temptâ—â— than these in that they are so near close and continued and who is there that though he give not a formal express yet a virtual inâ—eâ—â—â—etative consequential consent he doth many a time unawares when he doth but in the least admit of that which is an occasion of sin Again there is sin habitually in the Will of every Man though at present his Will consents not actually to these Motions These Desires arise from a Will that is corrupted As to that of Christ we say he had no Lust 〈◊〉 his case was different he saith of the Tempter John 14.30 〈◊〉 cometh and findeth nothing in me So that his Temptations were only external and there was no mixture of Evil in them you see it 's nothing to the purpose then to instance in him Now John Crook Who are for Holiness more you Quakers or we who pleads for sin most you or we You say we plead for sin when we deny Perfection in this Life we say you plead for sin in saying 〈◊〉 the Motions to Evil in the Heart if not consented to are not sin we 〈◊〉 this now that your Perfection boasted of is no other than that which every Babe in Christ hath viz. Not to consent to these evil Moâ—â—â—â—â— who now hath most tenderness of Conscience you or we you 〈◊〉 that a motion to Adulteries Murthers Incests are not sin if not 〈◊〉 to therefore need not concern your selves about them groan 〈◊〉 them cry out of them be troubled for them but we say they are sins and their being in us is â—â—â—som and burdensom we 〈◊〉 against them the new Creature in 〈◊〉 is contrary to them and 〈◊〉 with them hates them and cannot bear them therefore we 〈◊〉 the the utter extirpation of them and again no wonder you your 〈◊〉 and your followers prize not Christs Sufferings and Atonemâ—nt but 〈◊〉 Proud Pharisaical resting in Moralities and legal Righteousness 〈◊〉 as you believe this and teach it the people that if no consent 〈…〉 Will to covetous and unclean thoughts there is no sin in them 〈◊〉 Blood is therefore despised by you Paul did despise it in Româ— 7. and was alive self-Righteousness led some to know this by understanding the spirituality of the Law Rom. 7. I was alive without the La◠〈◊〉 c. But to return from whence we came Their slavery appears greatly in this thing in that they adhere 〈◊〉 their Teachers as infallible so that whatsoever they say or write they dare not but believe it as Gospel now is not this Bondage and 〈◊〉 Popish Bondage Yea they are brought into Bondage to every 〈◊〉 Voice any thing they fancy to be but a Vision Revelation 〈◊〉 Oh poor deceived people Yea what Bondage ere long will you 〈…〉 to the Presbytery at Devonshire-House no marrying without their 〈◊〉 judging of matters of fact by their pretended Revelations G. 〈◊〉 solving at his Knees whom he will sending out to the Ministery 〈◊〉 he will You may see this in the little Book called the Spirit of the 〈◊〉 and the other stiled Tyranny and Hypocrisie of the Quakers detected Theâ—e is certainly a great Bondage and slavery to be in Bondage to sin and Lusts and not only the Quakers as thou writest think thus 〈◊〉 others But there is another Bondage i. e. to the Law which 〈◊〉 sore Bondage and that I see the Quakers are in viz. to the Law 〈◊〉 Covenant of works You have tempted God and displeased him 〈◊〉 putting this Yoke upon the necks of the poor people and galled 〈◊〉 necks with it and neither they nor any of you are able to bear 〈…〉 to go about to keep the Law so that in case they keep it not to the height they are damned Cursed is every one c. Gal. 3. J. C. Which you believe all Men must continue in term of Life Answ We say and believe that sin will continue in us for 〈◊〉 Life but that Phrase thou makest use of speaks more viz. our â—â—luntary activity in sin which thou knowest we are against we say 〈◊〉 know that the power of sin is broke by the Spirit in us Rom. 6. 〈◊〉 shall not have Dominion c. But yet it doth dwell in us the Leprosie of Original sin will eleave to us till the House of our Bodies be 〈◊〉 down But John if thou beest for absolute Perfection in this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sayest thou not so in this place but thou art for lying hid 〈◊〉 J. C. Parag. ibid. As high as Heaven is above the Earth so far is that 〈◊〉 â—f the Faith of Jesus in you above the Spirit of Antichrist that 〈◊〉 them viz. the Quakers How now is your own Righteousness grown 〈◊〉 haft thou forgotten that thou callest the Gifts and Vertues that 〈◊〉 of God works in your minds but your own Righteousness Answ I am still of the same mind what ever is wrought by the 〈◊〉 is but the Righteousness of the Law i. e. what that Law doth 〈◊〉 in us and of us and that Paul calls his own Phil. 3.9 and 〈◊〉 Righteousness doth grow in us stronger and stronger as we hold 〈◊〉 Communion with Christ but my Confidence which I express in 〈◊〉 words doth not arise from my own Righteousness as thou 〈◊〉 left have it but still from Jesus whom I mention in these words 〈◊〉 height and strength of Faith doth not arise from it self as an Habit 〈◊〉 or Act of ours but from its Object Jesus Christ as before Beâ—â—â—â—â— I say the Spirit of Faith viz. That Spirit that is the efficient 〈◊〉 of Faith in Jesus opposing this to a contrary Spirit of Antichrist Now I have said the Spirit it self was not our own Righteousness but 〈◊〉 it in us and is not the Spirit of God above the Spirit of the 〈◊〉 and smaller Antichrists I believe it therefore speak it and I 〈◊〉 it still and affirm it J. C. Pag. ibid. But take heed of the Blasphemy of the Holy Ghost 〈◊〉 Francis Spira's condition be thine or madness and distraction befal 〈◊〉 Answ To the making up of that sin there must certainly be this 〈◊〉 viz. an Acting against high Conviction certain knowledge and perswasion now I ask my self am I convinced and perswaded that the Spirit of Jesus is in the Quakers I Answer my self 〈◊〉 certainly
then speak the same things with the Spirit in the Scriptures which it doth not and agree with it self in others of God's people in the Nation and it is directly contrary 1 Cor. 12.3 Wherefore I give you to understand that no Man speaking by the Spirit of 〈◊〉 calleth Jesus Anathema Now I have heard Jesus slighted by you 〈◊〉 one will aver it that Naylor said Mary was a Whore and her Christ 〈◊〉 a Bastard Now John I am not perswaded that it is the Spirit of Christ a Spirit there is if not of the same Christ it 's against Christ and in the Room it 's exalted by you above all that is called God and worshipped Fox the younger pag. 53. saith I will make them know that I the Light am the true eternal God that Created all things it sits in the Temple of God shewing it self that it is God i. e. you 〈◊〉 called it God you and your people believe it is God your people 〈◊〉 worshipped it as God attributed that to it that is not to be given to any but God is not this the spirit of Antichrist Let the Reader 〈◊〉 Faldoes Book and turn to that part called the Quakers Idolatry How plain now is it that it is the Spirit of Antichrist that deniâ—h Jesus to be come in the Flesh 1. John 4. Now the known Comment of the Quakers is in the Flesh i. e. the present Flesh the Light being in them the Offices of Christ have been denyed his Prophetical in that they deny the Scriptures to be the Rule and all Ministry but their own 2. The Priestly in that they say he was and is crucifyed 〈◊〉 offered in them Kingly in that they deny all the Government and Discipline of Christ and Ordinances that he hath set up and have 〈◊〉 up a Monarchy at Devonshire-House is not this their Spirit of Antichrist The Parallel will run better betwixt Francia Spira and thy self in that thou hast forsaken and denyed that way thou once was of in London and those that once thou prayedst with and had Communion with It is the Grace of God I acknowledge that hath kept me from 〈◊〉 hitherto and from his condition whom yet many in Charity apprehend was saved As for thy last words of Madness and Distraction I know that the Lord might in Righteousness send it upon me when 〈◊〉 pleaseth and if he do he is just he may do with me as he will but 〈◊〉 recoils of Conscience for writing that Epistle will not occasion it for there are none I can say John that if God turn thee presently into Bedlam nay if with Nebuchadnezzar for seven years together among the Beasts of the Field to converse with them and eat Grass among them till thou hast Hairs like Feathers and nayls like Claws till thou shouldest be like a Vultur or some Ravenous Bird God would he Righteous because thou hast been exalted and lifted up and hath not given neither yet doth give that Glory to Jesus Christ of Nazareth which is due to his Name Dan. 4. Those that walk in Pride he is able to 〈◊〉 J. C. Par. ibid. My Soul could even pitty thee because if thou 〈◊〉 not of these and the like Passages viz. That the Quakers Spirit is a Spirit of delusion and their Doctrine Antichristian Gods displeasure will break out as fire c. Answ What I write I write deliberately I have known the Quakers these twenty years and have Conversed with them and tryed them and believe that if Paul and Peter Moses and David Luther and Calvin had been on Earth they would have said the same and the Generation of the Godly throughout the Nation say the same and therefore in threatening me with God's displeasure thou threatnest all the people of 〈◊〉 in the Nation calling us all but so many Bryars and Thorns â—it 〈◊〉 nothing but to be burned As for thy Pitty Oh that thou wouldâ—◠〈◊〉 thy self and thy followers who ere long will be summoned 〈◊〉 appear before the Tribunal seat of Jesus Christ of Nazareth to give 〈◊〉 account of all your slighting thoughts and hard Speeches of him 〈◊〉 hath been and is the great stumbling stone and Rock of offence among you to this day against which you shall all be broken if you 〈◊〉 not from your errors and one day he will griâ—d you to poude◠〈◊〉 know that this our High Priest pittieth us and hath compassion 〈◊〉 wherein we go out of the way through ignorance he will give Repentance unto Life J. C. To burn thee up among the Bryers and Thorns that muster up 〈◊〉 in Battel against him and his ever blessed appearance in Spirit 〈◊〉 power in the hearts of that poor despised people Answ We do wait for and love Christ's glorious Appearance and â—â—cond Coming in Person and detest that wicked error of yours in preâ—â—ding to the Appearance of the Light in you for the overturning of 〈◊〉 his blessed personal Appearance Oh how will you be ashamed then 〈◊〉 cover your Faces because you have changed the Christ of God into Robbers Light that goeth down to Hell with him in a word none 〈◊〉 despise the Quakers for their Poverty as thou seemest to intimate 〈◊〉 for their desperate Pride Scornfulness Stiffness and Hardness in 〈◊〉 strange Opinions It 's well if we could see them coming out of 〈◊〉 errors as fast as out of their Poverty John thou art worse than â—am the conjurer for he did but endeavour but thou hast actually â—ed all the Israel of God Your Religion will turn at length into â—letons Religion I fear several of you do center there that is a curâ—â—â— Religion let your inchantments fall upon Babylon and Hell from â—nce they came there is one cursing them whom God hath blessed 〈◊〉 blessing of Abraham is upon us through Jesus Christ who will one â—judg betwixt you and us J. C. Pag. 16. God hath and doth always bless the Faithful among 〈◊〉 and they shall be blessed Answ This is John Crooks Testimony in the end of his Book We 〈◊〉 like wise that God doth bless the Quakers and that very much 〈◊〉 alas it is with Esan's Blessings and Ishmael's Blessings left-hand Blefâ—ings those that are faithful as thou sayest i.e. industrious and honest in their callings with the Riches of this World the highest Blessings we 〈◊〉 see is only this that being faithful to the Light within they continue in Morality but they live not at all in the knowledg of 〈◊〉 Christ but the God of this World doth strangely blind them 〈◊〉 Now if the Gospel be â—id it 's â—id to them that are lost 2 Cor. 4 3.â— what an efficacy of error do we see upon this people presently to believe so many â—ies what a fore heavy hand of God is against you in that they are left to such scattered naked bewildred Judgments in the things of the Gospel that we can conclude no other and have every day more ground for it than other that as
there was of old Elymas the Sorcerer and Simon Magus that bewitched the people of Samaria and 〈◊〉 there are now some such among the Papists so among you some thâ— be witch the poor Country people with Sorceries For one to be humble in his Carriage among his Neighbours to day surly dogged and proud to morrow courteous in his Salutes to day Bruitish and unmannerly to morrow affable and discoursing now presently 〈◊〉 silent morose to day speaking honourably of Christ Scripture Loâ— Supper to morrow either contemning of them oâ— quarrelling with them or else down-right speaking against them When as this day he came among God's people to morrow he will not come near them nor pray with them to day he prays with his Family next day noâ— now he is sedate and quiet in his Spirit within a while trembling restless raging to day love to his Relations next day runs away from them or little regards them if not Quakers in one day his whole Garb Carriage Love Words Gestures will be changed and which is remarkable they shall all agree to speak against the old substantial fundamental comfortable Truths of the Gospel yea the neaâ— the Truth is concerning Christ Jesus his Person Natures or Officer the more against it withal every one of them endowed presently with a sly cunning jugling Jesuitical temper for equivocations mental 〈◊〉 servations waiting to catch at words that are spoke to them all plain-heartedness and ingenuity is gon And again how worldly stingy reserved all freeness right generosity and nobility is all departed now is this the blessing Who can think but that another Spirit that is not Christ doth enter O Lord arise and let thine Enemies be scattered It 's very manifest now the Lord remedy it and deliver this poor blind people from these Regions of Darkness wherein they sit to the sweet Light of the Gospel which begetteth the quite contrary effâ— in the Saints What if a Spirit should possess any fill him toss him tumble him up and down throw him into Trances act him to pray yea to speak like an Angel and enable him to endure sufferings yea and in some measure he is at peace and in comfort yet loves not Christ Jesus nor his Gospel what would this avail was it not a Spirit of deâ—on and would not that person be in a deplorable Condition J. C's POSTSCRIPT OH that these smitings may be as Balm for they are the words of a Friend to thy poor lost Soul as at present thou art oh feel them feel them and be not wroth because of them lest the gate of Mercy be shut against thee Answ In Luke 18.23 If I have spoken evil hear Witness of the 〈◊〉 saith the Lord Christ but if well why smitest thou me so if I live writ any thing false confute it plainly if not why dost thou rail at me how then can I receive those smitings for bearing witness to the Truth as Balm when-as it is not the Balm of Gospel-Love but like the Vinegar and Gall they gave to Christ and the words of this Friend but like the kisses of such a Friend as Judas was that would betray 〈◊〉 redeemed Soul into the hand of damnable errors that would â—roy it thou bid'st me feel them I have felt them and perceive from what Spirit they proceed by the sharpness of them and cannot but be grieved that there should still remain in thee such a keen bitter proud Pharisaical Socinian Spirit against such a good ancient wholsom sound comfortable saving holy Truth as the Imputed Righteousness of Christ to poor fallen lost undone sinners without strength to keep the Law and save themselves and a Spirit of Hell and Satan directly contrary to the blessed Angelical Spirit the Angels rejoyce when a Sinner is converted but thou and thy Brethren are very angry at this young Man's Conversion Now I am not wroth as thou thinkest because of thy smitings but they have stirred my Zeal against erâ— for the Truth the more which shall by the Grace of God be improved to the utmost in preachings and writings against your ways â—ycing that the Keys are in Davids hand Jesus Christ's not thine for then the Gates of Mercy would be shut against all such as we are but they stand open and for such Rebels as thou art to the Grace of Christ Jesus and such Apostates from the Truth if peradventure God will give thee Repentance to the acknowledging of the Truth that thou mayest be recovered out of the snare of the Devil that art taken Captive by him at his Will 2 Tim. 2.25 26. An Answer to the Aditional POSTSCRIPT THe Christian Judicious Reader having passed the foregoing lines by this time seeth that what followeth in this Postscript Pag. 18. is but a meer fallacious harangueof words purposely stitched together to deceive some weak ones this Testimony of thine is indeed like the Apples of Sodom touch them and they immediately moulder into dust let them be examined and they are found to be hollow rotten shouking but I have done it already and therefore need not do it over again And now that all may know thou art a dissembler I challenâ—e thee to Answer to these following Queries in thy next Book to which if thou Answerest me plainly briefly cordially properly to the truth of them thou wilt discover thy self that one of these two things will follow Either that thou art a perfect Cheat in these lines thou haft writ and so gross a Heretick that thou art not worthy that a Chrissâ—an should eat or drink with thee Or Secondly that thou hast presently renounced Quakerism and if so why then we desire thee to publish thy Repentance withal promising to Answer any Question thou wilt put to me to try the Principles of my Religion by and in thy Answer let me have I pray thee a solemn appeal unto God that thou speakest according to the bare literal ordinary meaning of the Words and Phrases which hath been received among the serious Professors of the Christian Religion this may do much to put an end to the controversie and satisfie many 1. Dost not thou know that the Independent Presbyterian and Anabaptist party are both in their Preachings and Writings for an Experimental spiritual knowledg of Christ and that they do generally assert that a bare Dogmatical and Historical knowledg of Jesus of Nazareth is not sufficient for Salvation without the Truths be inwardly taught by the Spirit because thou dost insinuate so much in the 8. P. as if they were only for an Historical and against an Experimental Knowledg 2. Dost not thou believe that some may know the Mystery and so be 〈◊〉 without ever hearing of or knowing the History of Jesus of Nazareth 3. Whether is Jesus Christ now a Person out of Man or only a Principle or Quality in Man 4. Dost thou believe that Man that was born of Mary the Virgin at Bethlehem in Judea to be the Messiah the Christ of
a sort of Papists said that every intellectual Being hath enough within it self to make it happy 8. That Man is justified by something within him 8. Bellarmine and others that Man is justified by Inherent Righteousness 9. That the Righteousness that is wrought by the Light which they call Spirit in obedience thereunto is the Righteousness of God and so Justifies 9. The Papists say that the Righteousness which the Spirit works is the Righteousness of God and therefore Justifies 10. The Quaker that Works done in the Light are of value worth and accepted 10. The Papist That Christ Merited that our good works might Merit 11. These say that if we obey and follow the Light that every Man hath the New Creature and Salvation and all Good will come 11. These that there is the Merit of Congruity i. e. a worth in some good works we do before Conversion for the sake of which God gives saving Grace the Spirit 12. The Quakers against the lawfulness of taking an Oath 12. Stilling Idolat page 290. The Spiritual Brethren of the Franciscan Order were against the takeing an Oath 13. The Quaker saith as John 〈◊〉 in his last Book that Law and Gospel are one 13. Bellarmine the Jesuit in his writings saith the same 14. The Quaker speaks of Forgreâ—ess of sins past i. e. till Conversion upon turning to the Light 14. The Papists you may see in their Writings speak of this very much which is called the first Institution 15. The Quakers in scorn as J.C. in his late Book speaks of 〈◊〉 Belief that we their Adversaâ—â—â—â— seek to be saved by calling our 〈◊〉 a fancy and imagination 15. The Papist calls Protestants Solifidians in a jeere as thinking to be justifyed by Faith alone and they frequently call the Faith of Protestants after the same rate viz. a Fancy c. 16. The Quakers write and 〈◊〉 as if they did think that 〈◊〉 will be saved but themselves 16. The Papists say none will be saved out of the Church of Rome 17. The Quakers deny the Saluâ—â—â—â—â— of the Hat to his Neighbour 〈◊〉 to give any Titles to any Men. 17. See Stilling Idolat pag. 314. Ignatius Loyola the first founder of the Order of the Jesuites was in this very mind viz. denied to put off the Hat to any and to give any Titles to Men giving this Reason that it proceeded from too great fear of Men. 18. The Quakers are for silent Meetings making it essential to 〈◊〉 way 18. Stilling Idolat page 332. There is an account of some of the Papist's ways of Devotion some of them were for abstractedness of Life Mental Prayer Passive Unions with God in the Deiform fund of the Soul a state of introversion and for attendance upon God alone in the depths of the Spirit for pure actuations in the Spirit these are their own words out of their own Books see Stillingfleet they are for the vacuity of the Soul and 〈◊〉 solitude c. Stilling Idol 322. 19. They are against making use of our Reason and understandings in Divine matters as in Crooks you may see and in Faldoes Key 19. The Papist speaks of an intire Union with God whereby the Soul is Deified that it is to be attained by self-annihilation the 〈◊〉 of nothingness the Union of nothing with nothing Now 〈…〉 compare Penningtons and 〈◊〉 Canting Language with this see 〈◊〉 they be not akin Stilling Idol 〈◊〉 20. The Quakers do speak of the everlasting Gospel they are come out withal a new Prophecy despiseing the Scripture talking much of the Spirit in opposition to the Scriptures that when this People began then the day came Christ's Light came the pouring out of the Spirit came looking upon themselves as having a greater measure than any fort of people before them owning it in Writing that there is no use of any Gospel-Ordinances as breaking Bread c. calling them shadows that are done away by the substances see an account of Penn by Mr. Hicks Dial. 20. In the same Book pag. 47 some of the Papists were for 〈◊〉 Kingdom of the Spirit and 〈◊〉 everlasting Gospel as a higher 〈◊〉 than Christ's Gospel that the 〈◊〉 of the Father they said contiâ—â—â—â—â— till Christ the Law of the Son 〈◊〉 their time and then the time of 〈◊〉 Holy Ghost was to come in which Sacraments were to cease and 〈◊〉 Administrations and every 〈◊〉 was to be saved by the inspiration of the Holy Ghost without any external Actions WILL. HAYWORTH 〈◊〉 Reply to William Baylies pretended Answer to the Pamphlet as he calls it entituled the Quaker Converted written 〈◊〉 Southwark the 17th of the 11th Month called February 1673. IOB 11.2 3. Should not the Multitude of words be Answered and should a Man of lips be justified Should thy lies make Men hold their peace and when thou mockest shall no Man make thee ashamed 〈◊〉 Bayly Thou Quarrellest with me for asserting that the young 〈◊〉 Willam Dinsdel was once fully of the Way Faith Spirit Princiâ—â—â— of the Quakers and that he went farther than most of them toâ—â—â—â— that which they call Perfection there be four things thou pitchâ—â—â—on to enervate and weaken my Testimony viz. 1. 〈◊〉 Pag. 23. Because he had no ground in himself to go to silent 〈◊〉 upon which thou queriest whether it be the Quakers Way 〈◊〉 Faith and Principle to dislike silent Meetings c. Reply I can if thou wilt put me upon it produce several owned 〈◊〉 you that are constantly among you that are not for silent Meetâ—â—â—â— 2. The young Man said he had not ground for it in himself yet followed be Light it seems thou wouldest have every one be like unto thy self 〈◊〉 other Quakers viz. For silent Meetings whether he hath ground 〈◊〉 it in himself or no otherwise no Quaker thou art in this a Papist 〈◊〉 for implicite Faith 3. It appears that an assent to this practice of yours and the practiâ—â—ng of it though no example for it or command in Scriptures is esâ—ential to Quakerism I suppose this practice must be founded upon 〈◊〉 private Inspiration 4. I challenge thee and any of you to give me any Instance in the â—cripture where the people of God did professedly meet together at 〈◊〉 times as you do sitting together in silence without any prayâ—â—ng or speaking by way of Exhortation or Doctrine thou mayest see 〈◊〉 that it was the practice of some of the Papists that they were 〈◊〉 Mental Prayer and profound silence Pag. 72. 2. Because he had no Grounds in himself to deny the puâ—ing of the Hat when he met a Friend not knowing that he offended God 〈◊〉 Now thou askest whether this be the Quakers way Reply as before I know two at this day that are Quakers and owned by many of you and yet use the Salute of the Hat and if thou wilt call me to it I will find thee several more 2. Thou makest this which is but a Mahumetan Instance an essential thing to Quakerism if
compares this blessed Light which hath done all this 〈◊〉 for him to the Egyptians which grievously and wickedly oppressed 〈◊〉 afflicted the people of Israel on whom the Lord sent his Plagues because of their Cruelty which they exercised upon his people as may be seen in pag. 18. And yet confessed he had Joy and Peace and Comfort and 〈◊〉 in Spirit under these Taskmasters which the poor Israelites had 〈◊〉 but cryed to the Lord as may be read in Exod. 3. and so no fit but a wicked and unrighteous comparison which the Lord will one day judg him 〈◊〉 Reply Thou and thy Brother Crisp are very Angry with the young Man I perceive for making use of this Comparison in pag. 18. of the little Book Crisps piece is nothing but a meer paraphrase upon this Comparison which will be Answered here besides what the young Man hath written concerning it to vindicate himself How easily be ye stirred if any reflection be but seemingly cast upon the Light more Zealous you be here than if any should reproach the person of Christ for many of us are perswaded and upon good Grounds that you Believe there is no such person as Jesus Christ God and Man But why so moved ye be jealous for your God the Light there being no just ground given you might as well be angry with the Apostle for comparing the Covenant of works to Agar saying it gendreth to Bondage Gal. 4.24 and all that are under this Covenant to Ishmaels Children of the Bond woman to be cast out thou mightest as well say that the Apostle here in this place compares the Light within to Agar and it's Children to Ishmael and call this a wicked unrighteous comparison that God will Judg Paul for one day as to speak this of the young Man who only sets out by this Comparison that estate and condition that he was in before Christ did savingly reveal himself to him by his Spirit when he followed the Quakers Light within as his Guide which led to the way of the Covenant of works to obtain Life by his own doings wherein he had some Carnal false Peace and satisfaction as the Israelites had in Egypt upon performing their tasks not being beaten when they did that which was required but had Garlick and Onions and Meat to the full in remembrance of which they had frequent longing desires to return there was something then desireable to their Carnal Appetite so it was with this young Man and with every one under the Covenant of works they have Peace in their Consciences as long as they are toiling for Life and Salvation in some external things but no Peace arising any other way whereas afterwards when in Canâ—an the Israelites had not these Tasks imposed on them neither were they beaten for the neglect of them but were free from this Bondage and had an inheritance given them of God and were to serve Christ in the improvement of these good things he had given them Thus the young Man upon the Faith of the Gospel was set free by Christ If the Son shall make you free ye shall be free indeed John 6 36. He saw now a better and more compleat Righteousness in Christ his Head without him than that which was wrought in him hereupon he had a better Peace drawn from a surer ground that would endure Being justified by Faith we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ Rom. 5.1 and so there must needs be sweet and steady Peace of Conscience for who can lay any thing to the charge of God's Elect God Justifieth who can Condemn Rom. 8. he now continueth in his Duty but from another principle to another end than when a Quaker viz. The Life of Faith doing what he doth not for fear of a whip like an Egyptian oâ— Turkish Slave for fear of Hell-fire and the Wrath of God but what he doth he doth it now with delight and sweetness it 's pleasant this is Love that we keep his Commandements and his Commandements are not grievous 1 John 5.3 now he aims not only at himself in his obedience which one under the Covenant of works doth and therefore his Righteousness is nothing worth it is but Hypocrisie but he aims now 〈◊〉 Glory of Christ and would not leave Holiness in case his hapness was not concerned in it So that this Canaan is not as thy Brother 〈◊〉 weakly insinuates a Canaan of Loosness but Godliness where the 〈◊〉 of God is there is Liberty the Christian walks in the Royal 〈◊〉 of Liberty not fearing the loss of Salvation because it is sure 〈◊〉 Election and Purchase and Christ hath taken possession of it for 〈◊〉 already although he comes not up to that height that the Law â—â—â—ires and do not they Love God more and obey better that apprehend the Love of God in Christ unchangeable towards them than those that after all their toil fear they may fall short The Pharisees fasted oftner than Christ's Disciples but were not so really Godly as they what is all Obedience without Love and how can there be Love but by apprehension of God's Love to use I find nothing in Pag. 32 but vain Repetition till I come to that Paragraph that begins thus viz. Take heed of the Sin against the Holy Ghost for it is near when that which casts out Devils is called Beelzebub 〈◊〉 how you sport your selves with a consuming Fire Reply Is it not Blasphemy to say that the Light that every Man hath all the Heathens have that worships Devils every unclean Adulterer every Murtheren Thief and Robber hath is Common and â—ssential to Man as his Soul Conscience Reason in a word is Nature That this is the Holy Ghost who is God of the same Nature and Essence with the Father 2. To say that the Light within every one hath power to cast out Devils 3. That it is a consuming Fire which here thou dost Observe this is the third time of Baylies Blasphemy making the 〈◊〉 to be the very omnipotency and Justice of God which are himself Bayly in the fourth Paragraph Whether the Lord requireth Obedience and Service and Worship to any other Light or Spirit of Christians but 〈◊〉 own Reply The Lord requireth Obedience of Christians to the Magistrate yet the Magistrate is not the Spirit of Christ to the Moral Law yet 〈◊〉 not the Spirit to Officers in Churches to the Light of Nature and Conscience yet are they not the Spirit of Regeneration Worship to any other Light thou sayestâ— Here thou dost plainly imply that the Light within may be Worshipped for thou surely speakest of Divine Worship as it was in Naylor this is the fourth time of thy absâ—â—â— Blasphemies yet in the next breath saith It is but a Plant of the 〈◊〉 â—thers Planting yet such a Plant as it is a Tree of Life and a conâ—â—â—ming Fire and that which casts out Devils and to be Worshipâ— Those Plants spoke of in Matth. 15. which
3. B. The Papists would Condemn and Judge thee to be an envious Hypoâ—â—â— should these Lines come to their hands who are as opposite to us in 〈◊〉 Religious ways of Worship as Darkness to Light Reply Let the Reader take notice that here Bayly hath shewn as 〈◊〉 ingenuity as in any part of his Book in that he doth tacitly imply 〈◊〉 the Papists and Quakers agree in Doctrine It 's only in Worship that they are Opposits And what agreement there is may be seen in 〈◊〉 Parallel Baily And are wholly without with thee in their dark imagination Reply Thou mayest see that many of the Papists are for Mental Prayer Passive Unions a State of introversion attendance upon God in the depths of the Spirit internal Solitude Thou art mistaâ— here thou mayest learn many brave mystical words from Mr. 〈◊〉 that speaks frequently of the Deiform fund of the Soul B. And again sayest thou If ever Satan was transformed into an Anâ— of Light It is in this People and sayest they swarm like Locusts and 〈…〉 have an Impudent Enemie to deal withal Reply There is not any thing said by thee to take off this Charge 〈◊〉 only thou askest what evil the Quakers have done me how they 〈◊〉 to be my Enemies promisest that if they have wronged me that they will right me I know what I have said is true and withal that 〈…〉 and wrong that the Quakers have done me in their Railings 〈◊〉 Language to my Face behind my Back the false Reports they 〈◊〉 raised of me may easily be passed over in that I see it is their 〈◊〉 way to deal so with all their Adversaries but their greatest 〈◊〉 is in Adulterating the Gospel perverting Scriptures Their 〈◊〉 fulsome loathsome Errors whereby they offend the Ears and 〈◊〉 the hearts of all the Godly in the Nation And if you should right me and others herein it would be well if thou and John Crook and George Whitehead and William Penn would write Books of Retractation in unfeigned Repentance B. For it is Christ in them the Hope of Glory which thou hast blâ—sphmed who is the true Light that lighted every Man that cometh into the World to whom all the Angels must bow Reyly Now I thank thee for this plain Testimony If you would always thus plainly speak out then would the people loath you and spew you out but thou wilt deny thy words again Here Reader thou seest the Light within which every Heathen hath and every Man living that cometh into the World is according to Baily a person and the very Christ He that was Preached of among the Gentiles that hath Riches of Glory treasured up in him that is both the ground and cause of all the hope of Salvation that any hath That all the good Angels must Worship and do Worship And all the Devils are subject to him No wonder a few Quakers Worshipped the Light in Nailor For all the Angels ought to Worship it No wonder thou chargest me with Blasphemy for saying that the Light in every Man was not the Christ of God when-as thou hast made it thy God and Worshipt it if this be true thou hast said here I am justly Charged by thee But art not thou Baily guilty of gross Idolatry and wouldest make all the elect Angels Idolaters with thee I charge thee with Idolatry and it will lie at thy Door and thou canst not extricate thy self B. As for their Swarming which thou enviest it 's not like Locusts the is thy mistake But as the Stars of Heaven and as the Sand upon the Sea-Shoar shall the Seed of Abraham be who rejoyced to see Christ day Reply I envy you not for your Multitudes neither writ I that â—â— Envy For I have said it to several Quakers that no other is to be expected but that this Gangrene Leprosie Plague will spread apaâ—â— Error runs like Wild-fire Christ's Flock is but a little Flock Truâ—h prevails but slowly If there be ten yea a hundred turn Quakers for one Christian it 's no more than what I look for But W. B. If I had used such a Phrase as thou usest here thou thy self would have laughed at me and the Reader may well smile at it viz. That the Quakers swarm like Stars and swarm like the Sinâ— udon the Sea-Shoar Swarm surely is a word properly used to Verminâ— not inanimate Creatures and so better to Locusts than Stars Locuâ— are living Creatures gendred of Corruption and who are they thâ— are made up of all the Corrupt Errors that have been these many years Revel 9.3 It 's said of the Locusts there that they came out of the smoke that arose out of the Bottomless Pit Which Pit is surely Hell â—ll Error ariseth from hell and is as smoke stinking offensive darkning Now what a smoke of Error has been in this Nation for a long while and who are they that have come out of the Smoke like Locusts for number v. 7. It 's said That they were like Horses prepared for the Battel What Boldness what Courage what Rushings into Sufferings and Dangers and Oppositions hath there been in this people wherein they vainly Glory V. 10. They had Tailes like Scorpions What a fawning flattering insinuating way have they in their proselyting people to them But there were Stings in their Tailes O what Venome Poyson Wounding and Death to the Soul is there in their Errors And hath it not been so As in this place of the Revelations it 's said that the Grass the green thing the Tree i. e. the Living Fruitful Established Christian have not been hurt by them They have wounded none of them Only those that had not the Seal of God upon their Foreheads If it were possible the Scripture saith they would deceive the very Elect but it is not possible B. And as the Sand upon the Sea-Shore so shall the Seed of Abraham be Reply Whoever have not the Faith of Abraham cannot be the Seed of Abraham B. Who rejoyced to see Christ's day the true Light c. Reply Abraham had that which thou callest the true Light when he was an Idolater and therefore this rejoycing to see Christ's day was hâ—s seeing by Faith that a certain time would come of the Messia's being born of his Seed Abraham's Seed according to the Flesh it being so promised by God viz. In thy Seed shall all the Nations of the Earth be blessed Not W. B. as thou thinkest to see the Day of George Foxes â—roaching this Error of Quakerism in the North B. Pag. 40. Now to return to some more of the young Mans Words Pag. 17. Where he speaks of another Light which every Man hath not by which he saw Salvation by a person wholly without him whose Righteousness being imputed to him Is this like Scripture-Language which ye call your Rule See more of your Confusion and blindness Did the Apostles of Christ Preach a Light that every Man hath not Reply There be two or three
within every Man is not the Lord. I am contending as Paul in the Synagogue with the Jews that Jesus is the Christ when as this Light of yours would usurp his Throne I am fighting for our Jesus of Nazareth against the Quakers Christ and for Justification by imputed Righteousness against the old Popish Error of Justification by inherent Righteousness Mary And his Glorious Work which he hath begun in the Earth Answ Thou meanest the Work that G. Fox and J. Naylor began in the North in bewitching many people with ridiculous Errors The Work of God is the Fathers sending Christ in Man's Nature to redeem the Elect and his causing us to Believe on his Name John 6.29 This is the Work of God that ye believe on him whom he hath sent Which cannot be Understood of that Light every Man hath Mary For it is all in vain and to no purpose For it will not prosper And if thou canst stop the Sun in its Course and set bounds and limits to the Sea then mayest thou accomplish thy desire Answ I am bound to do the duty Christ requires of me whatever the success be I leave my work with Christ And though I may apprehend that your Kingdom will prosper yet am not I discouraged I know how Popery hath prospered Mahumetanism Arrianism I know how most of Poland at this day are denying Christ to be God Yet are those Errors and Delusions What if Quakerism should spread it self as here thou speakest as far as the Sun-beams or drown the World as the Deluge I should not be startled or wonder but believe it still to be an Error And though none of us can yet Christ can and at length will though it should be yet a 100 years cause this Error which thou comparest to the Sun to go backward or darken it or cause it to fall from it's Orb. Yea he can and will in due time still the râ—ing Sea divide these Waters yea utterly dry them up And soar 〈◊〉 up as high as the Clouds in vain boastings I can mount above you in this Eagle winged Spirit of Faith and Confidence I believe 〈◊〉 therefore speak Infinitely stronger is he that is with us than he that is against us Mary For the Lord hath blessed us and he will bless us and there is 〈◊〉 Inchantment against us Answ It 's well if there be no Inchantments among you ye are blessed I confess but as I have said it 's but with Ishmaels blessings to be rich in this World I desire you might have that blessing Acts 3. 〈◊〉 That Jesus Christ in his saving Knowledg may be sent to you to turn every one of you from his Iniquities and Errors Mary And thy Printing Books and spreading them and Preaching so 〈◊〉 against the Quakers and vilifying them as thou dost doth but manifest that Spirit of envy c. Answ I Appeal to Christ with what Spirit I have done it Thou 〈◊〉 too low to judg me and out of thy place My Printing Books is only writing that small Epistle As for my Preaching against the Quakers I cannot Preach the Gospel but I Preach against them Vilifyed their Persons I have not as I know I speak still against their Errors Mary For what is the Chaff to the Wheat Answ The Chaff must be burnt up I believe with unquenchable fâ—re and so must all the Hay and Stubble of Error The Chaff is nothing to the Wheat but is so light that every puff of the Wind of Error bloweth it away and separateth it from the Wheat and it is toâ—â—ed up and down Whenas the Wheat hath solidity in it and will remain upon the Barn-Floor All will be found to be Chaffy-Spirits that deny the Justification of a sinner by a Righteousness without that deny the Person of Christ and his Sacrifice without us And what are your Doctrines but such as may be like Chaff squeezed into nothing but air and fancy when you have let go all the solid Truths of the Gospel Mary And although thy understanding be darkned that thou canst not see the dawning of the Day of God Answ I am not of thy mind that the Sun did rise in the North about twenty years since And that then began the day of God when Fox came from thence which thou intimatest Through Grace I see the Light of the Gospel which came from Mount-Zion The Law shall go forth from Zion If thou meanest by the dawning of the day a further breaking out of the Light in me I can Answer I have known Conversion by the Spirit But thou mayest read in the Book that this Work is of a different kind from that which your Light effects Mary Yet it is not in thy power to shut the eyes of others from seeing the Glory of it Answ They may see the Glory of that Light of Nature and not be saved by it Mary Nor stop their Ears from hearing the true Shepherds voice Answ I cannot learn from Scripture that the Light that every Man hath is the true Shepherds voice i. e. the voice of Christ Jesus The Doctrine which the Apostles Preached being inwardly taught by the Holy Ghost is the Voice of Christ But the Light in every Man is not this Mary For the Son of God is come and hath given us an understanding to know him that is true and many are in him and do know the Elect-Seed born which cannot be deceived Answ Dost not thou here proclaim to all that thou art of the number of those Silly Women that have been ever Learning but never yet came to the Knowledg of the Truth How can we but pitty you to see you embrace a shadow and let the substance go That Naylor and Fox should so bewitch you as to cause you to daunce round about this shadow and adore it You know not what to call it but rather than miss you will call it every thing that Christ is called Answer me in thy own Conscience Is the Light within every Man the Son of God Then is it Eternal for the Father is Eternal and an Eternal Father must have an Eternal Son It is then God of the same Nature with the Father as every Son is of the same Nature with the Father Before it was but his voice now it is himself Did not the Son of God come before this Doctrine came out of the North viz. A hearkning to the Light within Or before there were any Quakers in England Thou sayest He is come Implying that there was a time when he was not come What dost thou mean this to be his first or second Coming Here thou callest Nature a Creature the Son of God Obedience to this Nature The coming of the Son of God This is the Tender Woman Elect Seed born Then every Adulterer and Murtherer hath an Elect Seed in him Only it is not born till he gives heed to it It 's dead before Can this be applyed to any but the Person of Christ or
because by obedience to it 〈◊〉 may be delivered from some sin And he is ready to say This is 〈◊〉 that loved me before I loved him Thus misapprehending those 〈◊〉 words in the Scriptures which are to be understood of the Perâ—â— of Christ as a Saviour and a Redeemer As that viz. Walk in the â—ight as he is in the Light and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth 〈◊〉 all Sin And ye shall know the Truth and the Truth shall make ye 〈◊〉 And many more which might be reckoned up are all falsly apâ—yed to the Light within and the power that doth accompany it 〈◊〉 so according to the Quaker the Saviour the Redeemer the Blood which â—lâ—anseth are all within changing renewing quickning bringing 〈◊〉 perfection Without which they say There is no Salvation so that 〈◊〉 directly runs to the Tenet of those mentioned Acts 15.1 and in the Epistle to the Galatians who said they must be Circumcised and keep the Law of Moses without which they could not be saved 〈◊〉 the contest was about Circumcision yet the Law of Moses 〈◊〉 something more than Circumcision this likewise viz. Thou shal◠〈◊〉 the Lord thy God with all thy Heart Soul and Strength and thy 〈◊〉 bour as thy self Which no Man since the Fall was ever 〈…〉 Christ excepted as appeareth Acts 15.10 the Law is called 〈◊〉 which neither we nor our Fathers were able to bear And who were 〈◊〉 Fathers but Abraham Isaac and Jacob which were saved by 〈◊〉 and not by Works Rom. 4.1 2 3. But thou sayest Baily that Moses was a leading-Quaker when trembled at Mount Sinai at the terrible appearance of the Lord in 〈◊〉 the Law Declaring that we are under the dispensation of the Coveâ—â—â— Works But was Moses saved by that terrible Appearance No 〈◊〉 looked unto Christ to come in the flesh For he had Faith it's 〈◊〉 received not the promise Heb. 11.39 i. e. They lived not in this 〈◊〉 to see the accomplishment of the Promise of Christ to come in the 〈◊〉 Wherefore it appears that ye believe that the Blood Saviour Redâ—â—â— are within That Person that was put to death at Jerusalem raised 〈◊〉 Life again whom God hath Exalted Acts 5.30 31. Which is 〈◊〉 born of Mary for the Godhead could not dy and rise again 〈◊〉 he Exalted but the Manhood And not only this Person but 〈◊〉 wise Reconciliation in that Body of his Flesh the Peace through 〈◊〉 Blood of his Cross are little worth with you Quakers And so 〈◊〉 wel Gospel But the Light the Life the Power within as you 〈◊〉 it is all your Justifying Righteousness And so the Law with 〈◊〉 become the Gospel and the Gospel the Law Moses Christ and 〈◊〉 Moses Thus the poor Soul is shut up in Prison to work for Liâ—â— Salvation as I have said according to the Quakers Doctrine 〈◊〉 there is an end of Christ and the Gospel Not that I deny good 〈◊〉 in their place So that your Condition and State which I was once in may 〈◊〉 be compared to Bondage The Lord be merciful to you Furthermore Thou sayest Baily that in my asserting the Light 〈◊〉 which I was convinced of sin and by obedience there unto thoughâ— should be brought into the Image of Christ and in that Righteoâ—ness be accepted with God and delivered from Wrath to come 〈◊〉 to be the Light of the Spirit But only the same Light by which 〈◊〉 Heathens did by Nature things contained in the Law That I am 〈◊〉 a denyer of the Scripture which Scriptures thou sayest are John 〈◊〉 and again in Tit. 2.11.9 p. 29. of thy Book Both which places 〈…〉 〈◊〉 you told me were spoken of Christ he being called in one place 〈◊〉 in another Grace 〈…〉 that lighteth every Man and appeareth unto all Men is 〈…〉 the same according to you 〈◊〉 speak a little to the first Scripture 〈…〉 thou art out for I deny not the Scripture but your sence 〈◊〉 â—â—â—uing of the Scripture And I have good ground to judg and 〈◊〉 that thou mayest with thy friends corrupt the right meaning the Scripture for your own ends as thou hast our words and Wriâ—â— notwithstanding your pure Light For in saying W. Haworth 〈◊〉 the Deity and Godhead which the Barbarous people saw by when apprehended Paul to be a Murderer in pag. 29. and saith I have â—â—â—dicted my Companion Which is a Lye with which you have 〈◊〉 the heap of Confusion For W. H. doth not say By the 〈◊〉 but In the Deity they saw it As I by my eye see a Glory in the 〈◊〉 But the Glory of the Sun is not therefore my eye by which I 〈◊〉 God hath placed an understanding faculty in the Soul of Man 〈◊〉 he comes to know something of God It doth not follow â—â—â—upon that this faculty is God 〈◊〉 thou abusest our Words in affirming the Faith that justifieth 〈◊〉 wrought out by a person wholly without Man as in pag. 35. gâ—â—â—â— to make people apprehend that we say Faith is without as well 〈◊〉 Person Jesus Christ When as I said in pag. 19. speaking of imâ—â— Righteousness It was manifested to me in the Spirit working 〈◊〉 in me So here is a plain wrong done us yet we say that Faith 〈◊〉 the matter of Justification think of us as thou wilt but the Instruâ—â—â— which we lay hold of the Matter of Justification viz. the â—â—â—â—nal Righteousness of Jesus Christ This Faith God worketh in his 〈◊〉 by his Spirit according as it is written He shall testifie of me 〈◊〉 15.16 In pag. 51. S. Crisp saith I have cast of Christs Yoke and Burden 〈◊〉 â—ot to Sieal tell lies speak evil words c. and cautioneth the 〈◊〉 therefore to take heed of me pag. 50. Whereas I said in pag. 〈◊〉 the little Book that I ought to lead a good Conversation 1. For 〈◊〉 of God 2. To manifest my Love to Jesus Christ 3. To Conâ—â—â— the World of Sin c. Pag. 16. Faith is the Spring from whence true Christian-works do 〈◊〉 Pag 19. This Faith ingageth to Love the Lord. Pag. 20. Holding Faith in a pure Conscience hoping to be found 〈◊〉 my self Thus you abuse us turning our words to your sence and meaning because we will not admit of those Works wrought in us by the Spirit to come in to Justification But dare say so to do is no other but 〈◊〉 destroying of the Gospel 〈◊〉 a despising of Christ and making Man service his Saviour Therefore you would make the people believe thaâ— we are against good-works and Sanctification Surely in this Censure you pass you did not obey your Light 〈◊〉 else your Light cannot inform you aright which sheweth it to be impure and unsound But to the Scripture thou mentionest John 1.9 That was the true Light which Lighteth every Man that cometh into the World 1. As to that Phrase True Light I believe it was Jesus Christ 〈◊〉 of the Virgin Mary God and Man united in One. As