the dead for us and ascended up into heaven for us and before either which must be implied lived and died for us But he that believes not the Descention and the Ascention of the Lord Jesus Christ for him but seeketh Justification by the works of the Law he doth in effect deny the Resurrection and Ascention of Jesus Christ which to do were as much as in him lies to bring Christ down from above and likewise to bring him up again from the deep Now tell me Frances whither these verses sc the 6th and 7th so triumphingly repeated by thee do not plainly prove the true Christ and our only Saviour to be in heaven above us surely nothing can be more clearly proved and consequently by the Scriptures alledged by thee A Quakers pretended Saviour within him is not the true but the false Christ 2. As the righteousness of Faith is certain from the 6th and 7th Verses so it is possible from the 8th verse which comes now in like manner under consideration Ver. 8. But what saith It meaning the righteousness of Faith the Word is nigh thee even in they mouth and in thy heart that is the Word of Faith which we Preach Ver. 9. That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead thou shalt be saved Answ Touching the 8th verse there are some Queries which require Solutions Qu. 1 What is meant by Righteousness of Faith Sol. 1. By Righteousness is meant that righteousness which obtains acceptance justification and salvation with God which is the righteousness alone of the Lord Jesus of Nazareth which he wrought out in his own personal-Obedience and Sufferings 1600 years since upon the Cross 2. By the Righteousness of Faith is meant a right believing in the alone righteousness of this Jesus of Nazareth for acceptance justification and salvation with God Qu. 2. What by the word Faith Sol. We are to understand an Evangelical not legal word for it is a word of Faith the same with the righteousness of Faith above defined and which agrees with the Apostles Explication ver 8. That is saith he the Word of Faith which we Preach now the Apostles Preached no other word of Faith then the righteousness of Faith afore expressed and confirmed by the four Arguments besides there are other Scriptures of infallible truth evidencing the same as Rom. 1. ver 1. Separate unto the Gospel of Christ ver 3. Concerning his Son Jesus Christ our Lord ver 4. Declared to be the Son of God with power according to the spirit of holiness by the resurrection from the dead Likewise in Chap. 4. 25. Who was delivered i. e. to death for our offences and was raised up again for our Justification And in 1 Cor. 15. 1. I declare unto you the Gospel which I Preached unto you What was that Gospel the Apostle tells us ver 3. how that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures ver 4. And that he was buried and that he rose again the third day according to the Scriptures the last mentioned Scriptures do illustrate the righteousness of Faith and word of Faith preached in the abovesaid verses 6. 8. and therefore cannot possibly be understood for a Quakers pretended Saviour within him as this Disputant F. E. would make us believe Qu. 3. How is this Preached Word or righteousness of Faith said to be night even in the mouth and in the heart Sol. It s resolved by the Apostle in ver 9 10. That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead thou shalt be saved That is to say the Word of Faith preached is nigh in our mouths when we confess before men sc That we believe that that righteousness whereby we are accepted of God justified and saved is the only righteousness of Jesus Christ of Nazareth which he wrought out in his personal Obedience and sufferings upon the Cross without us for us And it is nigh in our hearts when this confession proceeds from a right perswasion ingrafted an planted in our hearts by the spirit of Faith as it s testified by Paul ver 10. For saith he with the heart man believeth unto righteousness i. e. unto the righteousness of Faith in Jesus Christ of Nazareth ver 6. And with the mouth Confession sc of the same righteousness is made unto Salvation Thus according to the command of Jesus Christ of Nazareth Iohn 5. 39. I have as ye may see searched the Scriptures of God for the Solution here asserted but where do ye Teaching Quakers search son your Gospel word of Faith surely not in thâ— Scriptures of Truth without but at your Oracle that Idol-Light tender part within which ye falsly call the Everlasting Gospel and Eternal Word which as ye affirm was never made flesh contrary to Ioh. 1. ver 14. O thou Idol light within let me tell thee though many Antichrists have done villanously yet thou in villanies surmount them all For as Jerusalem once justified Sodom so thou Light within dost justifie the vilest Antichrists that are this day in the World for where doth that Teaching Quaker dwell what is his Name who doth in his heart believe and with his mouth confess that the righteousness whereby he is accepted of God justified in his sight and saved is the righteousness alone of Iesus Christ of Nazareth which he wrought out in his own and only personal obedience and sufferings in the World sixteen hundred years ago or that doth believe and confess that God of his free Grace and Mercy giveth Faith in this righteousness of Jesus Christ which is by his Father imputed or reckoned to Believers for their justification before God or do believe and confess that in this reckoning or imputation there is a reality undoubtedly there 's nothing more inconsistent with the Faith and Confession of Teaching Quakers then these most evident Gospel Principles of infallible Truth and therefore they are as I may safely avouch the greatest Antichrists of this age on Earth and ordained to the greatest condemnation Jude ver 3 4. I do now proceed to consider his fifth Scripture alledged to prove a Quakers pretended â—aviour within him to be the true not the false Christ Text 5. 2 Cor. 13. 5. Know ye not your own selves how that Jesus Christ is in you except ye be Reprobates Ans 1. By the way This Text of Scripture layes the Axe to the root of your new coined Religion and wounds it to death which may be thus argued If the light which is by natural Generation in Reprobates coming into the World be not the true Christ then the light that is in every man which comes into the World by natural Generation is not the true Christ But the light which is by natural Generation in Reprobates is not the true Christ as above Ergo the light that is in
false Christ we are to understand the Devil is plainly proved by comparing Mat. 24. ver 24. with Rev. 12 9. in the first Text the true Christ calls the false Christ a Deceiver if it were possible shall deceive the very Elect implying that the false Christ is the greatest Deceiver And in the other Text this great Deceiver which aâ—ceives the whole world is called the old Serpent the Devil and Satan Here hence this Argument arose so he that is the great and principal Deceiver is the Devil Rev. 12. 0. but the false Christ is this Deceiver Mat. 24 24. Ergo the false Christ is the Devil The Conclusion ought not to be denied to deny it here were to deny the Scriptures of God from whence it is plainly collected as above Having thus proved the first Part I proceeded to the second Part of the charge To wit That the main end of the Quakers Meetings in these Islands is to make the Lords Christ his holy Spirit his Angels and Apostles all lyars and false Witnesses of God Being about to prove this as I had done the former part of the charge F. Eastlack interrupted me pretending to make some Answer to the foregoing Arguments I told him that by mutual consent as in the Preface is Declared the whole charge against them was first to be proved by me before any Answer should be returned by him or any othâ—r of his Friends Therefore I requested him that as he had any regard either to Truth or Honesty that he would forbear his interruptions that I might proceed according agreement as above to prove the second part of the charge but his Sepulchre being opened he refused to shut it whereupon I spake to the Assembly saying I must let him take his own way to prevent greater confusion howbeit instead of Answering as he pretended the above-mentioned Arguments or any of them He first impertinently runs out into a bare Repetition of some words in the former part of the first Chapter of the Evangelist John sc from the 1st verse to the end of the 12th verse which shall be mentioned and considered in their due places let me note by the way his after stragling inferences from those verses To wit That God the Word took Flesh of the Virgin Mary and in that Flesh suffered Death for all men which he put a special Remark upon by repeating it twice it was well observed that he made no mention of Christs Resurrection but further said sc The Word which is God is Christ the true Light which was manifest in the flesh and as in him so in every man that comes into the World as manifest in them which quoth he it witnessed by John and withal added whosoever shall Preach any other Gospèlis accursed and after he had multiplied words to the same end and purpose alone as above the ingenious Auditors began to mutter at his impertinences and jumbled confusions Thereupon I called to him and said Master Islay so he is commonly called as afore noteh viz. Islay either answer the Arguments which have proved the first part of the charge as you pretended to Mask your interrupting of me or take some Answer to what you have said His first Reply was the Scripture saith Call no man Master I told him the Scripture saith sc Mat. 23. 10 Neither be ye called Masters for one is your Master even Christ which is not to be understood in your unmannerly sense likewise I told him that he had no cause to quarrel the word Master for you affirm the Master even Christ is within you Quakers making your selves the greatest Masters so that herein are fulfilled among you the word of our Lord concerning Deceivers namely that false Christs shall arise and many shall say I am Christ and shall deceive many Mat. 24. 5. Further more I said unto him sc Thou art the Master of an Assembly to wit of the Synagogue of Libertines which opposed and persecuted the faith of Blessed Stephen for believing in Jesus Christ of Nazareth to be the true Christ and only Saviour Act. 6 8 9 14 59. At this be grew impaâ—ient rebuking me saying Thou didst promise not to interrupt me I replied that I did not interrupt but help him sc to remember that my promise was not to interrupt him or any of his party whilest he or any of them were answering the Arguments urged by me as it may appear in the prefixed Preface But hâ— said that he did not value the Arguments for they proved nothing thus he thaâ— was a party made himself the determinating Judge and then with a throat stretched voice returned to his former discourse That the word is Christ the true Light in the Flesh sent to save men from sin and death whose death and sufferings with the effect thereof we do own and witness according to the Scriptures as inwardly received within us yet speaking other whiles of the death satisfaction and sufferings of Christ the true Light as done within us for us to which said he the Scripture testifies repeating these words But the righteousness which is of Faith speaketh on this wise say not in thy heart who shall ascend into Heaven that is to bring Christ down from above or who shall descend into the deep that is to bring up Christ again from the dead But what saith it the word is nigh thee even in thy mouth and in thy heart that is the word of faith which we Preach After he had rehearsed these or most of these words he forthwith inferrd that the word of Faith was Christ the true light within and then confidently affirmed that to preach any other Gospel sc then Christ within to be the Saviour is to be accursed which invited him to reflect on me declaring that I had not in any thing which was by 〈…〉 meaning in the Arguments above made any mention of Christ as God and with that saying he ended as it 's call'd his preseâ—t Dispute Forthwith I made some returnes which I have now put into some better method which was then much hindred by their confused interruptions But before I lay down those more orderly returnes let me request the Reader to understand that I have filed off much of the Rust and Ruggedness of his expressions which often wearied the Christian Hearers For it was not only his but also his Fellow Disputants course all along here and there to steal and strangely to disorder nay to dismember Scripture words out of the Evangelist and the Apostles thereby endeavouring to cover themselves from being discovered not plâ—inly nor hoâ— estly mentioning either Chapters or Verses William Bullock once excepted though often called upon but all in vain they would speak Scripture words after their usual manner darkly and confusedly thereby the more easily to deceive those with whom the Scriptures have any credit I shall at present decline any further observation of this their dangerous and designful practice and proceed to the above signified Method
our Lord and only Saviour Jesus Christ the Son of God affirms that the VVord of God is the Scripture and that the Scripture is the VVord of God as being convertible terms that is what is truely and properly spoken of the one is also spoken of the other for so it is with all propositions convertible Moreover 2 Tim. 3. 16. All Scripture is given by Inspiration of God and is profitable for Doctrine for Reproof for Correction for Instruction in Righteousness that is in the Righteousness both of Faith and Life And therefore as the Scripture is the VVord of God so likewise it is the infallible standing Rule of Faith and Life It being evidently so I need not stay to shew you the excellency of any part of the Scripture having pointed you at such an original of the whole which adviseth you seriously to consider what the Lord speaks to all such as they are we read Numb 15. 30. The Soul that doth ought presumptuously whether he be born in the Land or a stranger the same reproacheth the Lord O how highly do you Teaching Quakers reproach the Lord when you deny the Scriptures to be the Word of God that Soul shall be cut off from the peeple but mark the ground and reason of it Because he hath despised the Word of God ver 31. and hath broken his Commandments Note here that the Lord concludes his word and written Commandments to be one and the same thing and thereupon the Lord passeth this heavy Sentence That Soul shall be utterly cut off his iniquity shall be upon him i. e. It shall never be forgiven him except God in mercy grant repentance for and from these dead works O ye Quakers are you not herein worse then the Egyptian Heathens for they believed the Word spoken to them by Moses to be the Word of God Exod. 9. 20. He that feared the Word of the Lord amongst the Servants of Pharaoh made his Servants and his Cattle to flie into the Houses howbeit they will think themselves either wronged or feared if their Arguments be not considered 1. Argument That which is the Word of God dwells within Col. 3. 16. Let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdome whereas that which you meaning Christians call the word is the Scripture without Reply 1. Is there any word asserted to be the word of Christ but the written word of Truth whereof Christ is both the Author and Subject if there be when it shall be shewen it will be considered 2 The very phrase Let the Word of Christ dwell in you denotes that the Apostles words are an Exhortation to get the Matter contained in the very Letter of the word of Christ that it might dwell richly in them getting heart acquaintance with the matter contained in the letter of the word of Christ and that richly sc still increasing therein that they might thereby be the better enabled in the use of the duties of Teaching Admonishing and Singing of Psalms in heart and voice as it s expressed and implied in the same 16th verse 3. Those duties and services of Teaching Admonishing and Singing of Psalms which are Spiritual Hymns or Songs were to be done to the Lord as in the same 16th verse that is to the glory of the Lord Now there are no Duties and holy Services done thus to the Lord which are not done in obedience to his Will but the Lord hath no other will as a Rule of obedience then his Will revealed in the written Scriptures There is nothing that doth please God in any act of Worship unless he sees himself obeyed hence I may safely infer that the Quakers Worship cannot be accepted of God because it is not only without but against the revealed Will and Rule of Obedience This cannot with any Truth be gainsayed or denied 1. Arg. The Written Scripture cannot be the Word of God because it consists of Words Reply 1. This Argument proves fully that the Quakers are under the power of Satan Act. 26. 11. grosly blind in and ignorant of the inspired word of Christ for in Scripture Language Word and Words are of the same signification as for instance Jer. 15. 16. thy Words were sound and thy Word was unto me Jer. 36. 1 2. This Word came write the Words Amos 8. 11 12. hearing the Words seek the Word Numb 15. 30. the Spirit calls the Commandments of God consisting of many Words the Word of God and the many Words which God Commanded Moses to speak to the Egyptians Exod. 9. 20. is there called the Word of the Lord Likewise our Saviour Ioh. 2. 22. calls the Scripture coâ—taining many Words and so also in Ioh. 10. 35. to these places of Scripture many more might were there any need be added shewing that Word in the singular and Words in the plural are synonimous and of the same import in the Holy Scriptures and therefore the cavil is idle and vain I pass to the second part of this Principle viz. That the written Scriptures are not the infallible standing Rule of Faith and Life 2. Reply This plainly argues an Evil and Vnbelieving heart in the revealed Truths of God and distructive as much as in them lies to the great end of Divine Inspirations For God purposely inspired holy men not so much for their own sakes as for this end that what they writ and spake from Gods inspiration in the Scripture might be the standing and infallible Rule for Faith and holiness of Life in all succeeding Ages and Generations and for this cause hath Paul recorded Rom. 15. 4. For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our Learning that we through patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope Note That we the Apostle Paul includes himself for one that did learn of the Scriptures written afore-time as the only infallible Rule And thus was it also taken by our Lord Jesus Christ Luk. 16. 29 31. Chap. 24. 44 to 47. more especially in the hour of his Temptations he kept his mind close to the written Word of God the Scriptures penned by Moses Danâ—st 16. to repel the Devil saying It is written Mat. 4. ver 4 ver 7 ver 10. with this sword of the Spirit three times as you see the Lord Jesus Christ wounds the Devil now doth the Lords Christ thus honour the written Scriptures who are ye then that dishonour the same Notwithstanding we will hear what they have by way of Argument to say for themselves concerning this matter Their 1. Argument The Scripture it self sends us to the Spirit for our Rule Gal. 5. 16. Therefore the written Scripture is not our rule of Faith and Life Reply The Apostle in this Text exhorts the Galatians to walk in the Spirit sc of Faith I have not as if Paul should have said forget my former discourse concerning Faith ver 5. nor do I declare it in perswading you to mutual love ver 14. and that he might be understood aright he
and he said unto me I am Jesus of Nazareth not the Godhead only in Jesus of Nazareth whom thou Persecutest Furthermore at ver 14. And he Ananias said the God of our Fathers hath chosen thee Paul that thou shouldest know his will and see that just one and shouldest hear the voice of his mouth ver 15. For thou shalt be a witness unto all men of what thou hast seen and heard And accordingly the Apostle did bear open and abundant witness to that just one even Jesus of Nazareth to be the true Christ and our only Saviour This great Tâ—uth is yet further evident in the 13th Chapter of the Acts ver 23. Of this Mans Davids Seed hath God according to his promise raised unto Israel a Saviour Jesus him ver 27. They sc The Rulers in Ierusalem condemned ver 28. and slew and took him down from the tree and ver 29 laid him in a Sepulchre But ver 30. God raised him from the dead and he was ver 31. seen many dayes of them that came up with him from Galilee to Ierusalem who are his witnesses to the People That through this Man not the Godhead only in the Man is preached unto you the forgiveness oâ— sins and by him this Man all that Believe are justified from all things ver 38. 39. Against the blessed Doctrine of the Gospel the unbelieving Iews were as ye Teaching Quakers are filled with envy and spake against those things which were spoken by Paul contradicting and Blaspheming ver 45. hereupon ver 46. Paul and Barnabas waxed bold and said Seeing ye put It sc Faith in the Man Jesus Christ of Nazareth slain and raised from the dead from you and judge O Seducing Quakers read and tremble your selves unworthy of everlasting life Here hence it is most plain that the Apostles Preached Faith in Jesus of Nazareth a Man not the Godhead only in the Man approved of God among the People to be the true Christ and our only Saviour But never did they nor any of the Apostles of God Preach Faith only in the Godhead distinct from Christs Manhood to be the true Christ and only Saviour against this New coined Doctrine noâ— only the Apostles but the Holy Ghost himself bears express witness as in Act. 5. 30 31 32. The God of our Fathers raised up Iesus whom ye slew and hanged upon a tree him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour for to give repentance and forgiveness of Sins and we the Apostles are his witnesses of these things and so is also the Holy Ghost The whole is If any Man Preach any other Gospel then what the Apostle Preached he is accursed But ye Teaching and Seducing Quakers do plainly Preach another Gospel therefore ye that Preach it and they that receive it are accursed by the Testimony of Gods own Spirit Gal. 1. 8 9. And consequently thou F. E. hast wrested that as other Text of Scripture which without Repentance will be to thy destruction 2 Pet. 3. 16. The words of the fourth Scripture which he repeated with more then ordinary state and confidence comes next to be considered 4th Text. Rom. 10. 6 7 8. But the righteousness which is of Faith speaketh on this wife say not in thy heart who shall ascend into Heaven that is to bring Christ down from above or who shall descend into the deep that is to bring up Christ again from the 〈◊〉 But what saith it The Word is nigh thee even in thy mouth and in thy hearâ— that it the word of Faith which we Preach Answ 1. Though the fifth and ninth verses doth essentially appertain to the verses above yet he made no mention of either of them their omission being for his turn 2. I do not apprehend how those verses do answer the Arguments or any one of them which proved a Quakers pretended Saviour within him to be the false Christ the Devil nor how they prove their preterded Saviour within to be the true Christ 3. For the right understanding of the above repeated 6 7 8 verses we must first of all take in the 5th verse for Moses describeth the righteousness which is of the Lâ—w that the man that doth these things shall live by them Lev. 1â— 5. so that in these Verses the Apostle Paul compare the righteousness of the Law and the righteousness of Faith together and thereby shews that the righteousness of the Law is not only uncertain but also Rom. 8. 3 impossible but the righteousness of Faith is both certain and possible For 1. It doth forbid all doubting about eternal life because Christ is ascended up into Heaven for us in our room and stead 2. It forbids all fear of being tormented in Hell because Christ being risen from the dead hath overcome eternal death for us in our place and stead being our surety which is as much as if Paul had said The righteousness of Faith fetcheth a remedy against doubts of Salvation for that Christ is personally ascended up into Heaven and hath taken possession of it in our Names and there he maketh intercession for us Heb. 6. 20. Chap. 7. 25. and if so as truly so it is we must then deny Christs Ascention which is to bring him down from above if we doubt or question in our hearts how to be saved And as the righteousness of Faith is a remedy against Doubts of Salvation so is it also against fears of Condemnation For if Christ have dyed and be raised from the deep the Grave then hath he thereby gotten the Victory over Sâ—n Death Hell and Satan therefore to â—ear condemnation what is it else but to deny Christs death or descertion into the Deep and so to bring him back again to the Cross and Grave Moreover the Apostle Paul in these verses gives us a plain Interpretation of what Moses had elegantly propounded by a figure in Deut. 30. 11 12 13 14. from whence we are taught that both Moses and Paul presupposed a twofold pressure upon the Spirits of sinners as 1. How they may enter into Heaven And 2. How they may avoid Hell these two Moses and Paul inspired of God do shew to be taken away by the righteousness of Faith the first is removed because we believe the Ascertion of Christ is to Heaven for us and the second also because we believe Christs Resurrection from the dead for us whereby the Lord Christ demonstrated his victory over hell death c. in our room and names It may hence be safely argued that both Moses and Paul do conclude that if any man seeks justification by the righteousness of the Law as most Quakers do he must needs be in continual fear of Hell and despair of Heaven But he that through Free grace believeth that the Lord Christ is risen from the dead ascended up into heaven for him in his place and stead is freed from both The sum of all is this Namely That Jesus Christ rose from
every man which comes into the world is not according to your selves the true Christ 2. I Answered That this Text of Scripture understand not the person of Christ as such he is the true Christ and our only Saviour but the work of the Spirit of Faith whereof personal Christ is the Author for here the Apostle frames an Argument to prove the mighty work or effect of the Spirit in his Corinthians as he had before affirmed to be in them ver 3. Since ye seek a proof of Christ speaking in me which to you-ward is not weak i. e. in operation but is Mighty in you Now in what sense Christ was in Paul speaking in that same sense was Christ in the Corinthians But Christ spake in Paul only by the might or power of his Spirit is mighty in you sc Christs speaking in Paul to the Corinthians was Mighty an effect of the Spirit in them This matter may appear somewhat clearer if we consider the same Apostle to the Gâ—latians Gal. 2. 8. For he the Holy Ghost that wrought effectually in Peter to the Apostleship of the Circumcision the same was mighty in me towards the Gentiles such were the Corinthians The phrases of effectual working in Peter and was mighty in Paul do only signifie the effectual operation of Christs Spirit in both the Apostles so that Paul affirming as in ver 3. above that Christ was mighty in the Corinthians it s as much as if he had said Christ hath effectually wrought by his Spirit the mighty work of Faith in you Corinthians by my Ministry which the Apostles makes to be the proof of Christ speaking in him which in the 5th verse above he refers as it were to their own experience saying Examine your selves prove your own selves whether ye be in the Faith that is believing in Christ the object apprehended by Faith Know ye not your own selves how that Iesus Christ is in you except ye be Reprobates Qu. How is that Iesus Christ in you Answ To wit by Faith as in the former part of the same verse which is a clear Interpretation of the latter part sc Christ in you again it s not rational to imagine that Christ in the 5th verse could be otherwise in the Corinthians then he was in the foregoing 3d. verse by reason of their dependance each on the other now in the 3d. verse Christ was in the Corinthians only by the mighty work of the Spirit of Faith for even so the word Mighty doth furthermore import as in Eph. 1. 19. Who believe according to the working of his Mighty power but no work or effect of the Spirit how Mighty or powerful soever in us either is or can be Christ personal the true and only Saviour To explain these Words Christ in you a little more we must take good notice that there are three things expressed by the Name of Jesus Christ 1. Christ personal Col. 2. 8 9. Not after Christ for in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily or personally 2 Cor. 2. 10. In the person of Christ and Mat. 27. 24. I am innocent of the blood of this just Person so the Man Jesus Christ who spake by the inspiration of God 2 Tim 3. 16. 2. Christs Mystical 1 Cor. 12. 12. So also is Christ i. e. the Church call'd the body of Christ ver 27. which body of Christ is the Church Col. 1. 24. Which is Christ Mystical as above 3. Christ Operative Col. 2. 12. compared with Eph. 3. 17. Through the Faith of the operation of God That Christ may dwell in your hearts by Faith Forasmuch as Faith is the operation of God in Christ it s therefore called Christ operative in which sense only Christ is said to be in uâ— As the Sun is in the eye by its beams so Iesus Christ as the author or fiâ—st efficient is in us by the operated Graces of his Spirit hence it necessarily follows that Christ personal the only Saviour is not in us nor Christ mystical the Church is in us this is so plain that there is no need of evidence for as Christ personal is the Head saving so Christ Mystical is the Body-saved Eph. 5. 23. therefore neither the one nor the other can be said to be in us Then 3. It s Christ Operative only that is in the Saints t is true that Christ personal in the first efficiency of gracious operations in the heart which in Scripture are sometime called Christ in you the cause being put for the effect by a Metonimy a word as I said to F. E. which thou understandest no more then the hour-glass that 's before me to which he readily replied saying we abhor Hour-glasses Pulpits and Cushens I told him that Preaching in a Pulpit was a warranted practice Neh. 8. 4. And Ezra the Scribe stood upon a Pulpit of wood which they had made for the purpose But quoth he Ezra had not a Cushen I askt him how he knew that to which he made no answer but whither the holy Scribe had or had not a Cushen his Familiar the glo worme Light within bid him to say conâ—idently though blindly that Ezra had no Cushen I shall here take up an expression which I had almost forgotten which this Disputant F. E. doubted in his discourse namely that the Word took flesh of the Virgin and in that flesh died for all men though this Notion pleased him so well as to make a deliberate repetition of it yea he did not pretend Scripture for its confirmation and therefore I could not assuredly know whether he said it as an Arminian or as a Quaker But I am apt to think that he spake it in imitation of his Friends because of the word In. And In that flesh died for all men in that flesh runs Quaker-like this being some part of their New-Divinity That God sent Christ to save all men from sin and death as he F. E. said whose Sufferings Sacrifice Mediation Intercession and Offices or words to this effect we do own witness as inwardly wrought and performed in us and for us And there is as they further aver a Divine Elect Seed in the Saints which is the true Christ still the Idol-light within and suffers under sin in them and is to be raised of a justification and righteousness of the Elect Seed within so that according to their Divinity Christs bodily sufferings in and by the flesh which he took of the Virgin signifies nothing for our Justification in the sight of God whereas these are new self-devised imaginations whereof no mention is made in the inspired Scriptures of Truth I grant that some Scriptures are by them pretended for evidence which perhaps are some of the things as in the Preface said by them to have been forgotten sc Amos 2. 1â— Behold I am pressed under you as a cart is pressed and in Gen. 6. ver 6. It repented the Lord that he made Man on the earth and it grieved
e. by being ashamed of the true Christ and turning away from him as ye are and do This Oh this is to put the blessed Son of God to an open shame and even this is to do despight to the spirit of Grace and shall they who despite the spirit of Grace ever find the benefâ— of Gospel Grace The 〈…〉 this That the Scriptures of Truth do plainly charge the generality of Quakers with the guilt of the sin against the holy Ghost because they have sinned wilâ—â—lly after a profession openly made 〈…〉 in the Lord Christ 〈◊〉 of the Virgin Mary in the City of Daâ—◠〈…〉 2. 11. to be the true Christ and their only Saviour and therefore 〈…〉 so do ye now crucifie not in but to your 〈…〉 Son of God aâ—resh and put him to an open shame Oh that 〈◊〉 I do heardly wish it would bring these repeated plain dealings effectually home to your hearts remembring from whence ye are fallen and 〈◊〉 and do the first works Rev. 2 5. 9. Lastly As it is above noted in what sense this Disputant F. E. intended the fore-asserted Notions sc that the Word took flesh and in that flesh dyed for all men I could not certainly determine nor could as I am perswaded he himself as it may appear by the Answer he then made to a Question which I put unto him â—o wit Quest Whether he F. E. did believe that Jesus Christ of Nazareth the Man approved of God among the People and whom the Jews slew and God raised from the dead and also received up into Heaven were the true Christ and his only Saviour He forthwiâ—h Answered That be did believe it Capt. Bascomb then called to him saying Thou wilt deny 〈…〉 tomorrow and withal I likewise told him that by this his open confession of the true Faith he had openly declared himself to be a Christian and no Quaker and I furthermore said to him that he had by that Gospel confession of Faith manifestly contradicted what he had contended for in his present Discourse called Disputation and that he had also thereby confirmed the first part of the charge against them namely That a Quakers pretended Saviour within him was not the true Christ but the false Christ And at the same time Nathaniel Bethel spake to him saying Francis you were not long since of another Faith or of another Opinion for you told my Wife That if she did believe in any other Christ then in that Christ which was within her she would be damneâ— But Francis Jesuite-like openly denied that he had spoken any such Words to his Wise thereupon Nathaniel Bethel replied to him in the face of the Congregation that he would depose what he had declared to be a truth Since that time I have been informed of the occasion which invited these words from the sad-Quaker it was thus discoursing of the old Brigham a man of the fifth-Monarchy perswasion who said he hoped to live to see Jesus Christ on the Earth and to shake him by the hand then F. E. said But he sc Brigham should be first sure that Jesus Christ had a hand Bethels Wife then told him that Christ had now a hand for I do said she Believe that Christ hath now the same body in Heaven which he had when he was upon the Earth at this expression of her Faith this frank-Quaker was offended and could not forbear but in plain terms told her that she was a Blasphemer or had spoken Blasphemy and withal he further said unto her as above To wit That if she believed in any other Christ then in that Christ which was within her she would be damned O most horrid Quakerisme dig'd out of the bottomless Pit from whence thou hast received thy Ordination to be a Teaching Seducing and Lying Quaker For Francis thou knowest both this Man and his Wife to be persons of good Name credit and of honest reputation in this Country and therefore worthy to be believed before thy self Oh that the Lord would give thee grace to repent of thy evident wickedness and grievous God provoking Blasphemy proceeding from the false Christ within thee which undoubtedly thou hast wretchedly aggravated by making as much as in thee lay this faithful witness an open lyar and that as most of the Christian Hearers jâ—dged contrary to the Testimony of the render part thy Light-Christ-Conseâ—â—nce within Oh that I could prevailingly advise thee to think how deservedly the dreadful words of the holy Apostle Act. 13. 45. may be charged on thee viz. They the Jews were filled with envy and spake against those things which were spoken by Paul contradicting and blaspheming For 1. The manner of thy words as above plainly declare that thou were filled with envy 2. The matter of her words was the same with the thing spoken by Paul not only in ver 37 38. but also in chap. 3. 13. 21. The God of our Fathers hath glorified his Son Jesus whom the Heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things so that thou wert not only filled with envy but with blasâ—hemous contradictions now Francis this being thy case truly stated hast thou not indeed cause to repent over thy false-Christ that hath as above filled thy heart with envy and thy tongue with Blaspâ—â—my against the the truth of God believed and confesseâ— by that good Woman above By the way I may not omit Capt Bascombes mâ—tion maâ—e unto me upon the confession of F. E. his Faith above c. That Jesus of Nazareth was received up into Heaven to ask him where Heaven was it seems the Captain knew that the Teaching Quakers had Jesuitical-equivocations and mental reserves accordingly I askt him where Heaven was but he made me no Answer thereupon his tender headed-iniquity-Brother William Harriot said Heaven was where it should be I demanded of him where that was he replied like himself Heaven was there where God would have it to be by these impertinent silly shifts the intelligent Hearers perceived that they were basely afraid to stand to their Quakerisme Principles it s well known that at other times they have confidently avouched as their Scripture-wresting-Guids teach that Heaven as well as Hell is within them for which that Text especially is pretended Luk. 17. 21. For behold the Kingdome of God is within you sc the Pharisees ver 20. whereas by Kingdome of God in that place our Saviour understands the Gospel of God Preached as Mark 1. 14. Jesus came into Galilee Preaching the Gospel of the Kingdome of God and in Luk. 10. 11. Be ye sure of this that the Kingdome of God is come nigh unto you likewise Mat. 21. 43. Therefore said Iesus unto the Pharisees the Kingdome of God shall be taken from you and given to a Nation bringing forth the fruits thereof and ver 45. When the chief Priests and Pharisees had heard his Parables they perceived that he spake of them These Scriptures do plainly shew that by kingdome of God
will rather believe the Elect Angels of God then Apostate men or Angels 4. They do in their meetings and aimes make the Apostles of Christ Lyars and false witnesses of God for the Apostles have with one mind and mouth often witnessed this truth to wit That Iesus the Son of Man is the Christ the Son of the living God Mat. 16. from ver 13. to ver 18. as above particularly ver 17. Blessed art thou Simon Bar-jona flesh and blood that is meer man hath not revealed this to thee but my Father which is in Heaven as if the Lord Christ had said all men are flesh and blood so dull sighted and blind that they could never have perceived this truth by any study or observation it comes only by gift and revelation and in Ioh. 6. 69. we the Apostles that then lookt upon the person of Christ conversing with him Believe and are sure that thou art that Christ the Son of the living God and of whom the Apostles further testifie 1 Ioh. 4. 14. And we have seen and do testifie that the Father sent his Son to be the Saviour of the World Furthermore We are say they witnesses of these things Namely That the God of our Fathers raised up Iesus from the dead and exalted him to be a Saviour Act. 5. 32. We also read in Acts 10. from ver 38. to ver 43. That God anointed Iesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power whom they slew and hanged on a tree him God raised up the third day and shewed him openly even to us who did eat and drink with him after he rose from the Dead and we the Apostlss are witnesses of these things and he commanded us to Preach unto the people and to Testifie that it is he which is ordained of God to be judge of quick and Dead When I had thus proved the second part of the charge also I then called to the Disputants for their Answer or Assent But they betook themselves to their former practice of repeating some Texts of Scripture to beget Believers in their new invented-Mystical Invisible Christ their Spiritual heavenly Man of internal and eternal Flesh Blood and Bones their everlasting Gospel their tender part that Idol light within William Harriot was as to the second part of the Charge the first Champion that stood up in defence of their meetings above saying That Paul travelled in birth till Christ was formed in the Gallatians I demanded of him where those words might be found he told me they were in the Bible his Answer being like himself an impertinent Simpleton inforced me as at other times to name this place of Scripture intended by him sc Gal. 4. 19. My little Children of whom I travel in birth again until Christ be formed in you To which I Answered 1. If when Paul writ to the Galatians Christ was to be formed in them then the light that is in every man a Quakers rotten Principle by natural Generation is not the true Christ but according to this Disputant when Paul was travelling in birth for the Galatians Christ was not formed in them Therefore the Light that is in every man that comes into the World is not the true Christ Though this poor deluded soft and fair had so deeply lasht himself yet he felt it not 2. That Christ formed in a Saint is Christ framed and wrought in him by the spirit of Faith as the same Apostle explains it to the Galatians Chap. 5. ver 5. For we through the Spirit wait for the hope of righteousness by Faith so that a work of the Spirit of Grace in the heart is Christ operated and formed in the heart as afore illustrated 3. The Apostle his trauelling in birth c. is an Allegory for the Apostles were instead of Fathers As the natural Father begets the bodily form so the Apostles begot the spiritual form of the mind which is Faith or confidence of heart laying hold upon the righteousness of that one man Jesus Christ alone Rom. 5. 15. above to be made righteous in the sight of God ver 19. For as by one mans Disobedience many were made sinners so by the obedience of one sc the one Man Jesus Christ ver 15. shall many be made righteous sc in the sight of God ver 21. here William Harriot interrupted me saying we are not come here to hear thee Preach As I was about to take up his Bolt I was hindred by William Wilkinson who called to me Friend hear Friend I replied I am none of thy Friend for I am an Enemy to the Devil and all his Works Christ quoth he called him Friend who was without the Wedding Garment I then asked him who made his Wedding Garments Now that which invited this Queston was a confident report that he had at once two Wives and in the time of his pretended distraction he called the one his Spiritual Wife and the other his Fleshly Wife Surely had this felonious Quaker been really but half so Lunatick as he feigned himself it would have rendred him uncapable of receiving this crafty and knave like distinction from the Master of his Religion and Maker of his Wedding Clothes face't with dissembling Madness but letting this pass I shall add a little more to the alledged Text above Gal. 4. 19. herein Paul doth reprove the false Apostles who had abolished the professed form of Christ in the Galatians and withal devised another form Gal. 6. 13. But they desire to have Circumcised that they may glory in your flesh thus the Seducing Teaching Quakers have learnt their ignorant Disciples to glory in their own flesh whereas the blessed Apostle like a true Gospel Father travelled in birth i. e. spiritually pained and troubled till Christ was formed namely by a through work of Faith in their hearts that they might truly believe in the righteousness of the Law fulfilled by Jesus Christ of Nazareth alone without Circumcision or any other work of the Law wrought in or by themselves as causal of justification in the sight of God this being the true mind of the holy Spirit It cannot therefore be any advantage to their cause nor doth it in the least justifie the bold and open wickedness of thee O William Harriet who didst reflâ—ct Blasphemous contempt upon the glorified Manhood of the just and holy one existing in Heaven above calling him the outside Christ When Jesus Christ of Nazareth was in this World he was as Man so far approved of God that he commanded all the Elect Angels to worship him Heb. 1. 6. but with condemned thee W. H. a contemned out side Christ no Saviour no true Christ W. Harriot I will ask one Question of thee which if thou canst soberly Answer I do assure thee it shall be seriously considered the Queston is this to wit Why shouldest thou not be whipt by the Christian Magistrate for this thy notorious and open Blasphemy viz. For Nick-naming the Lords Christ and our only
inherit the Kingdom of God how can it be affirmed that the same true flesh shall be raised to enter upon that inheritance perhaps this improvement he had forgot 2. These inferences are not only defective but contrary to the true Nature of a Resurrection which denotes a taking up of that which was laid down It must hence follow sc If the same body that dies be not raised up but another kind of body it cannot be a Resurrection as above Moreover If aâ— the Resurrection it be not the same but another body then that body which actively and passively honoured God in this world shall not according to Divine Promise Col. 3. 4. be glorified with Christ in the World to come but another body shall be there glorified which never did or suffered any thing for God's honour and to which God never made any Promise yea that body which wickedly sinned lived and dyedin finall impenitency and unbelief Shall not according to Divine threatning Matt. 25. 41. be for ever tormented but another body shall which never sinned nor was ever threatned be eternally dammed in hell with the Devil and his Angels These inavoidable consequents are no less than high blasphemies against the Justice Truth and Righteousness of God Himself especially in that Scripture of sacred truth 2 Cor. 5. 10 We must all appear before the Judgment seat of Christ that every one sc the same whole man may receive the things done in his body according to that he hath done whether good or bad And the Lord Christ assures us John 5. 28 29. The hour is coming in the which all that are in the Graves Are there any other bodies in the Graves then the same bodies which were put into them shall hear His voice And shall come forth they that have done good unto the Resurrection of Life and they that have done evil unto the Resurrection of Damnation thus in Matt. 25. 46. also Proved 3. That by Flesh and Blood in that place of Scripture above is not meant the substance of Flesh and Blood the parts of a Man's body as now it is But it is to be understood of the sinfull qualities of Man's Nature that are to be done away as in other places Rom. 7. 18 24. Chap. 8. 1 6 7. Gal 5 17 19 24. Flesh doth signifie or of naturall Flesh and Blood of which the body is now composed and made up as such it is corruptable and cannot enter into the Kingdome of Heaven and thus Paul expounds it as in the latter clause of the same 50. verse Neither doth corruption inherit incorruption That is corruptable Flesh and blood or flesh and blood that hath the Seed and Principles of Corruption shall never enter into the Kingdome of Heaven such flesh and blood is unfit to wear the Crown of Glory as our Souls must be changed before they can be fit for Glory so also must our Bodies from their natural estate to a spiritual for at the Resurrection our bodies shall not be raised natural corruptable bodies but spiritual incorruptable bodies and as such they will be fit for Glory in the Kingdome of Heaven as it s illustrated ver 52. And the Dead shall be raised incorruptable and we shall be changed but how the next verse sc 53. tells us This corruptable must put on incorruption Note This Mortal must put on immortality well then though the body of Man be now natural corruptable and mortal flesh and blood and as such unfit for the Kingdome of Heaven But in the Resurrection the body will not be so for it will then be spiritual incorruptable immortal flesh and blood and being so qualified it will be fit to inherit the Kingdome of God Having thus Answered I expected some return but they were all silent Thereupon Capt. John Hubbart Sherrif with the Iustices of Peace as Representees of the Christian part of the Assembly came forth towards me and openly declared That they were fully satisfied with my Proofs and Answers The Quakers being thus regularly found Guilty of the whole charge the vast Assembly was forthwith peaceably dismissed READER I Have been earnestly Requested by some of the Lords People in these Islands to make some Replies to three or four Erroneous Principles not Discussed in the Disputation Held and Professed by most Quakers To wit 1. That there is a state of perfect freedome from sin in this Life 2. That the matter contained in the Scriptures is not 1. The Word of God 2. Nor the infallible standing Rule of Faith and Life 3. That the Soul in Man is God in part and so Infallible 4. The denying of the Trinity sc three persons in one Deity These corrupt Principles maintained by most Teaching Quakers I have on Request as above considered and made some Replies to each particular distinctly as in their order afore expressed 1. Principle That there is a state of perfect freedome from sin in this Life Alledging that the Scriptures do testifie the same as Job 1. ver 1 8. 22 Psal 37. ver 37. 39. 1. 119. 5. Mat. 5. 48. Rom. 6. 18. 8. 4. 2. 15. Phil. 3. 15. Eph. 3. 19. Luk. 1. 6. That I might herein give some satisfaction I have considered the above-mentioned Scriptures one after another in their asserted Order The first Scripture Job 1. ver 1 8 22. There was a Man whose Name was Job and that man was perfect Reply to the 1st verse By Perfect here we are not to understand a Legal perfection such as Adams before the Fall though it be contended for by the Teaching Quakers and affirmed by them as possibly attainable yea actually attained by many of their Friends in this Life but the Spirit doth not in any one of these verses express no nor in end Iobs perfection from all sin in this life nor did Iob so understand it witness his own confessions Chap. 9. 20. If I justifie my self my own mouth shall condemn me if I say I am perfect it shall aâ—so prove me perverse That is to say if I justifie my self by the actings and expressions of my life my Mouth would condemn me so if I say I am perfect in the thinkings and sâ—cret motions of my heart it would prove me perverse Caril in locum and in Chap. 10. 6. Thou enquirest after my Iniquity and searcheâ—t after my sin likewise in Chap. 42. 6. Wherefore I abhor my self and repent in dust and ashes but to put the word Perfect in ver 1. out of all doubt it is explained in the 8th vese above There was none like him in the Earth a perfect and an upright man which referred to that Generation in which Iob lived So we read of Noah Gen. 6. 9. That he was a just man and perfect in his Generations in like manner consider Iob in the time and age wherein he lived there was none like him in the Earth for Godliness and uprightness hence for any man to infer that either Noah or Iob were
were perfect from all sin in this life would be a miserable perverâ—ing of the places of Scripture they being only perfect comparatively i. e. in comparison of all other men which lived in their Ages and Generations And as for the 22d verse In all this Iob sinned not Reply These words are not to be taken in a Quakers sense as if Iob had been at any time without sin in this world for in the 11th verse he Iob will curse thee to thy face Satan was confident that Iob would Blaspheme by cursing God to his face this Satan did promise to himself and did undertake with God which plainly interprets the words sc In all this Iob sinned not that is such a sin in thought or word as to Curse God he was not transported by passion or impatiency to Reproach or Curse the Living God but gave him Glory saying ver 21. The Lord gave and the Lord hath taken away blessed be the Name of the Lord As to the phrase perfect above Obj. If any of you say as some Teaching Quakers have said sc That it was in the time of Iobs affliction when he said If I say that I am perfect it will prove me perverse but after his deliverance he was perfect without sin Ans This is wholly false for the character given of Iob viz. a perfect man was before his affliction for Gods commending of him as perfect and upright was the occasion of the Devils desiring leave of God to afflict him and of Gods grant ver 12. that his Word might be found true upon the whole observe in Iob Chap. 25. ver 4. How then can Man be justified with God or can he be clean that is born of a Woman This Question carrieth a strong denial viz. it cannot possibly be or it is impossible to be as if Iob had said do but acknowâ—edge that any one is born ordinarily of a Woman and we may conclude him to be sinful and unclean with or in the sight of God Second Scripture Psal 37. ver 37. Mark the perfect man and behold the upright Rep. Vpright in the latter clause doth interpret perfect in the former so then the perfect man is the upright or sincere hearted man we read in Iacobs character Gen. 25. 27. and Iacob was a plain man this phrase plain man here is the same wite perfect man in the Text above a plain man and a perfect man in a Scriptural account are convertible terms 1 Chron 29. 9 27. and do signifie a man that hath not a heart and a â—cart or a double minded man Jam. 1. 8. not a compound man speaking one thing and meaning another It is also the same word that is given to Noah Gen. 6. 9. He was perfect in his Generation or he was sound upright plain hearted with God And it is that God spake to Abraham Gen. 17. 1. Walk before me and be thou perfect or sound upright plain in thy walking before me now though Job Noah Jacob Abraham are said to be perfect yet it is not to be found in the Scriptures that God ever said of all or any one of them or of any other meer Saint they were perfect without sin in this world but the contrary is as may afterwards appear often found in Holy Writ forasmuch as it is sincerity or the Law written in the heart Psal 40. 8. which is the only Gospel Perfection Third Scripture Psal 39. 1. I said I will take heed to my wayes that I sin not with my tongue compare with Jam. 3. 2. If any man effend not in word the same is a perfect man Reply Though David heedfully endeavoured circumspection not to offend with his tongue yet he sinned with it Psal 116. 11 I said in my haste all men are Lyars yea frequently did he offend with his tongue in and about the matter of Vriah the Hittite 2. Might it be supposed that David sinned not with his tongue yet he might sin in thought although it be most true which the Apostle James speaks above sc If any man offend not in word the same is a perfect man Reply 1. These words Jam. 3. 2. in their litteral sense denote a supposition If any man offend not in word that is as Dr. Manton in loc saith If there be such a man who never spake a word untruly nor unseasonably nor uncharitably a man whose words were alwayes without vanity and folly without obsenity rash Oathes and Passion speaking only known truths if these be such a man who at all times avoids the evils of the tongue I will as if the Apostle should say make bold to call him a perfect man such another as is not to be found among Mortals And thus Moses by way of supposition said unto the Children of Israel Lev. 18 5. Which If a man do he shall live in them here Moses proposeth an unlikely yea an impossible practice under the word If which if a man 〈◊〉 But where is the Man that can do the law of God as exactly as he commands it to be done implying there 's not such a man to be found in the World so here If a Man offend not in word the same is a perfect man but such a non offender is not to be found and consequently not a Man of a perfect tongue 2. Some take the word Perfect for Upright Sincere that is to say if a man offend not in word he is perfect or upright sincere without guile those that are so are expressed by the Term perfect as in Psal 37. â—7 afore noted so in 1 Chron. 29. 9. With a perfect heart they offered willingly to the Lord compare ver 17. In the uprightness of my heart I have willingly offered Again we read in 1 Chron. 12. 38. All these sc an hundred and twenty thousand ver 37. men of War came with a pâ—rfect heart to Hebron surely he must have a Legion within him that would interpret perfect here referring to the hundred and twenty thousand men of War above for a perfect freedome from sin 4th Scripture Psal 119. 1. Blessed are the undefiled in the way ver 3. they do no Iniquity Reply The sixth verse following explains the two foregoing verses sc 1 3. above Then shall I not be ashamed when I have respect to all thy Commandments hence ver 5. The Prophet Wishes O that my wayes were directed to keep thy Statutes furthermore he strongly affirms Psal 39. 5. Verely verely Man at his best estate is altogether vanity Therefore he cries out Psal 143. 2. Enter not into judgement with thy Servant for in thy sight shall no man living be justified Now if to be undefiled and to do no iniquity be to be understood in a Quakers sense that is to say strictly for an absolute freedome from all sin in heart and life then David had excluded himself out of a blessed estate 5th Scripture Mat. 5. 48. Be ye therefore perfect even as your Father which is in Heaven is perfect
gifts whether they are of God And how did the noble Elders at Berea try the Spirit by which Paul Preached The 11th verse tells us It was by their searching of the Scriptures daily whether these things were so it being an Article of Faith with them that the written Scriptures were the Churches standing Rule for Faith and Life and therefore ver 12. Many of them believed sc That Jesus of Nazareth was the true Christ and their only Saviour surely the Elders above trying the spirit by the search of the Scriptures doth sufficiently prove that the spirits are to be tried by the Scripture and not the Scripture by the spirit the end of Gods inspiring the Scripture was that it might thereby be enabled to try the spirit the spirit is so far from questioning or trying the Scripture that it ever witnesseth for or against as the Scripture witnesseth being indited by the Holy Ghost 2 Pet. 1 21. for that end should the spirit of truth witness otherwise then according to the inspired Scripture that is to say if the spirit should witness one thing to be a truth in the Scripture and another thing contrary to it in a mans Conscience the spirit should be divided against it self it should be spirit of contradiction for instance the spirit witnesseth in the Scripture That the true Christ and our only Saviour was and is Jesus Christ of Nazareth a man approved of God who was taken by the Jews slain and hanged upon a Tree whom God raised from the dead the third day and exalted to be a Prince and Saviour Thus the spirit witnesseth in the Scriptures Act. 2. 22 23. Chap. 5. 30 31 34. But a Quaker pretends that the spirit witnesseth in his Conscience that there is a light within him which is the true Christ and only Saviour which is not the Man Jesus of Nazareth which the Jews never slew nor hanged upon a tree nor was ever raised by God from a bodily death Again The spirit witnesseth in the Scripture That he is a Righteous man who walketh in all the Commandments and Ordinances of the Lord Luk. 1. 16. But a Quaker pretends that the spirit witnesseth in his Conscience that he is a righteous man who forsakes all the commanded Ordinances of the Lord. Now should we Christians be so weak and wicked as to believe a Quakers pretended spirit in him to be the spirit of God and not of the Devil should we not then be guilty of this dreadful Blasphemy namely of makiâ—g the spirit of God a spirit divided against it self a spirit of contradiction teaching lies in the Scripture by witnessing therein the things abâ—ve touching Jesus Christ and his Ordinances to be the truths and other things contrary to them for truths in a Quakers Conscience or as he calls it in his tender part this were to take strong damnable delusions for sacred and scriptural inspirations that inspiration which is either without the wriâ—ten word or against it is an hellish imposture indeed it s no marvel that the Teaching Quakers would have their spirit within that Idolized light to try the Scriptures not to be tried by them for if they mighâ— herein prevail and withal get into the sadâ—le they would undoubtedly soon Arraign Try and Condemn the inspired Bible of God to Fire and Faggot this conclusion may without breach of charity be grounded upon the scurrilous pens of some sâ—ducing Teaching Quakers whom Inâ—ight herein with their bold expressions have declared havâ—ng them by me but I feared the swelling of these confutations and the discouragement that might thereby be given to the Reader By the way I lay down this Caution to wiâ— though the holy and blessed spirit of God be above all tryal yet the â—are spirits even the spirits i. e. the spiritual gifts of all mâ—n which must be submitted to tryal whether they are of God i. e. of the Book of God 2 Cor. 34. 14. wherein there is not any speech or passage but the infinite wisdome of God hath thought fit to be recorded as that which hath in it somewhat for our instruction even the Blasphemy of the Fool which contradicts not only the truth but the very being of God which teacheth us this divine truth That there are seven that is all manner of Abominations in the heart of Man yea we may draw useful instructions from the words of Judas the Traitor after Satan had entred into him and filled his heart not only so but from the words of Satan in his temptations and proposals unto Christ much more may we from the sayings of Holy men which are all material truths from the inspiration of God and therefore fit to try the Spirits or gifts of all men as above which must be submitted to the tryal of the Scripture touch stone In the last place perhaps some Teaching Quakers may say sc We own the written Scripture as a witness-bearer or declarer of that light which is in Man Reply We deny the written Scripture to be a witness bearer to your Light within for if the Scriptures of God should bear witness to that gross piece of foolery call'd Light within it should witness it self to be no word of God For 1. Your Idol Light within saith that the Soul of a Man is part of God and no created substance This will be debated in the next Head 2. That the Light that is in every man by natural generation is the true Christ and only Saviour 3. That the Sacred Oracles of God the Scriptures of truth are not the standing Rule for Faith and Life but your unwritten Scriptures that whimsical Light within you 4. That this Light within will bring men to an absolute perfection a freedome from all sin in this life and to Heaven also 5. That the Lord Jesus Christ though God-man blessed for ever is not the Son of God the Saviour of the World 6. That the person of Christ is not in Heaven above that it is Blasphemy to affirm that he is there 7. That the Light within Man is the true Scripture and Word of God even the everlasting Word and therefore long before the written Scriptures To this last I will make some Reply Reply Let this be granted sc That the Light in Man was long before the written Scriptures yet the written Scriptures do declare a truth to us more ancient then the oldest Quaker or his Idol light within him namely what the Elâ—hims spake each to other saying Let us make Man in our own Image Gen 1. 26. And having made man it tells us what God said sc Be fruitful and multiply ver 28. And behold I have given you of every Tree bearing fruit ver 29. And God commanded the man saying of every Tree of the Garden c. Gen. 2. 16. Moreover the Scriptures tells us of divers things long before themselves were written to wit that after the Fall the Word of God was manifested to Adam and his wise and likewise that God