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A65863 The divinity of Christ and unity of the three that bear record in heaven with the blessed end and effects of Christ's appearance, coming in the flesh, suffering and sacrifice for sinners, confessed and vindicated, by his followers, called Quakers : and the principal matters in controversie, between them, and their present opposers (as Presbyterians, Independants, &c.) considered and resolved, according to the scriptures of truth, and more particularly to remove the aspersions ... cast upon the ... Quakers ... in several books, written by Tho. Vincent, Will. Madox, their railing book, stil'd The foundation, &c, Tho. Danson, his Synopsis, John Owen, his Declaration / which are here examin'd and compared by G.W. ... ; as also, a short review of several passages of Edward Stillingfleet's ... in his discourse of the sufferings of Christ's and sermon preached before the King, wherein he flatly contradicts the said opposers. Whitehead, George, 1636?-1723. 1669 (1669) Wing W1925; ESTC R19836 166,703 202

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get some gain if you had Bawdy-houses but if you go to the People of God's Meetings then you will get no gain Well might William Pen say the Priest prayed whiningly and looked pale when you had lost your Easter-Reckonings and Midsummer-Dues Is not the Great Bason holden at Door What this is a new way Is it Whether brings in more profit to the Priests mouths Tythes and Easter-Reckonings and Midsummer-Dues or the Great Platter Now do you not cry up Bawdy-houses or any way so that you can get gain I wonder for all this idle time you have had that you could not Answer Samuel Fisher's Book amongst you for it stands upon your heads he hath Answered all your Principles and more then you have questioned Have you forgot your Regiment of Fighting Priests and how the Presbyterians and Priests beat the Quakers Read the Book of Fighting Priests how they tore the Cloaths off Lasses and young Men and drew their Rapiers upon them and broke their heads and shed their blood and yet you must have the Title of Gospelers but more like unto raging Heathens who imagine vain things against God and Christ and his People but the Lord hath broken your horn the wild beast and put him under a chain So we looked you would have given out a Book of Repentance for all your wicked Actions in the other Powers dayes and shewed forth a work of Reformation Do you not remember how you came with your Drums and Fiddles Independants and Presbyterians Is it not clear here to all People That you deny God and Christ and the Doctrine of the Prophets and Apostles in your saying That God hath ordained some Persons to be damned when God saith Ezek. 18.32 He desires not the death of him that dieth And in Isa. 1.18 it 's said Come let us reason together saith the Lord though your sins be as scarlet they shall be as white as snow and though they be red like crimson they shall be like wooll And vers 16. Wash ye make ye clean put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes cease to do evil learn to do well And the Apostle saith in 1 Tim. 2.4 God would have all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the Truth And Christ hath given himself a Ransom for all to be testified in due time And Christ tasted death for every man and is a Propitiation for the sins of the whole world And his Blood was shed for all men And the Gospel is to be Preached to every Creature And Go and teach all Nations Matth. 28. Now is it not clear That these Presbyterians and Independants who say That Christ died but for some and offered but for some Have they not denied Christ's Blood for all men and his Propitiation for all men And in doing this they deny God's Will who would have all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the Truth And would they not lay the fault in God when the fault is in man by not believing And do they not make Sects here in saying he died but for some and would have but some to be saved and he shed his Blood but for some And the Scripture saith That all are gone astray both Jew and Gentile that he might have mercy upon All See Rom. 11.32 And they say That he will not have mercy upon all and do not you say That he will have mercy upon some contradicting the Apostle and the Rule For the Scripture saith Christ enlighteneth every man that cometh into the World and you say that he enlighteneth but some And the Scripture saith That the grace of God that bringeth Salvation hath appeared to all men and you say The Grace of God that brings Salvation hath appeared but to some and all have not received Grace And the Scripture saith God so loved the World that he gave his only begotten Son into the World that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life And do not you say he gave him but for a few and loved some of the World And do not you Contradict Scripture and God and Christ and the Prophets and Apostles words and so are found in an Erronicus Principled Spirit And so is it not clear that you deny Christ who died without the Gates at Jerusalem whose Blood was shed for all men and denies the Propitiation and Attonement for all men and denies Jacob's Prophecy who prophesied That the gathering of all Nations shall be to Shilo And you say That some of the Nations shall be saved not all and here do you not deny the very Scripture it self and God and Christ and the Prophets and Apostles words and denies their Doctrine And also Is it not clear that you deny the true Faith of God's Elect that the Just lives by And is not Faith the Gift of God And do you not say That Faith is not perfect Do not you hold Justification without and that it is without Man and Woman And doth not Faith heal See Matth. Mark Luke and the Acts. And was not the Church Established in the Faith Acts 16.5 Is it not called the Righteousness of Faith Rom. 4.13 And how that the Saints are Heirs by Faith and it is called the Word of Faith Rom. 10. And it is called the Spirit of Faith 2 Cor. 4.13 Gal 5.6 and Faith that works by Love So it 's clear that you are out of this Faith that lives in malice and hatred And the Scripture speaks of one Faith one Baptism Eph. 4. and the Unity is in the Faith and Faith gives Victory over that which hath separated from God And Faith is the Shield And the Saints was to strive together for the Faith of the Gospel 1 Thes. 3. Remember your work of Faith and put on the brestplate of Faith 1 Thes. 5.8 The work of Faith with Power and holding Faith and a good Conscience 1 Tim. 5.19 And have not you made shipwrack of this Faith in Christ Jesus and God to say Christ's Blood was not shed for all men and God would not have all men to be saved and hath ordained some to damnation Is not Faith called a Mystery 1 Tim. 3.9 Were not the Saints to fight the good Fight of Faith 1 Tim. 6.12 Are not you among them that have erred concerning the Faith and have overthrown the Faith of some in not believing the one Offering once for all his Blood for all his Death for all and so are become Reprobates concerning the Common Faith Tit. 1.4 And without Faith it is impossible to please God who is the Author and Finisher of our Faith which you made yours at Savoy in eleven dayes time in Oliver's dayes And the Just shall live by his Faith Heb. 2. and hearts purified by Faith Acts 15. and Sanctified by Faith Acts 26. Rom. 3. a man is Justified by Faith So it 's clear Reader that Faith Justifies Sanctifies and Faith purifies rhe heart and so this
extends whether to enjoyn to the perfect obedience of Faith yea or nay seeing sin and corruption is so prevalent amongst you and so contended for surely where the excercise of the true and living Faith is experienced there is obedience to the Law of it or else what doth it signifie whilst persons remain in disobedience Further T. D. confesseth that we have an immediate dependancy upon God in our operations John 15.5 without me ye can do nothing Siorsima me separate or apart from me It s well he hath at some time assented to the Truth but how doth this contradict the greatest part of his own and his Brethrens work elsewhere in their pleading for imperfect obedience and their imagined imputation of Righteousness and Justification to the unrighteous and unjust for those operations which have a relation to an immediate dependence upon God which he that is in Christ doth experience and bring forth do accord with the mind and will of God which is the Sanctification of those that believe and with that most holy Faith which purifies the heart and these are not imperfect nor to be slighted as undeserving according to the vain notions of Priests concerning Faith its works and inherent Righteousness as they term it Pag. 47. T. D.. Their dependancy upon Christ in all the good they do is as near and intimate as the Branches upon the Vine by vertue of their natural union in bearing Fruit. Answ. This is also a Truth that grants a perfect obedience in them that have such a near intimate dependency upon Christ as the Branch hath that grows upon the Vine by vertue of the natural Union thereof this also contradicts their pleading for imperfection and sin in all obedience and works which also shews that they do not flow nor spring from Christ the true Vine as also that they have not union with him nor are Branches of him and indeed how they have not immediate dependency upon God in Christ whilst they deny Immediate Teaching Revelation and Divine Inspiration to be attainable in those dayes But seeing without or apart or separate from Christ men can do nothing how then can they be any thing without him as righteous or acceptable or justified For men must be something in that Relation before they can do any thing acceptable and it is the Spirit and Power of Christ which sanctifieth and maketh just and bringeth into the true Obedience Works and Righteousness of Faith and to live by Faith as the Just doth Pag. 48. But Faith as a work is not opposed to nor excludes it self as T. D. saith because in one sence it is opposed to the deeds of the Law for true Faith as a Work is the Work of God which is not opposed to it self besides it being the work of God to believe in Christ this hath not relation to those deeds of the Law that the Jews wrought out of him and out of or besides that Faith wherein they fell short of the Righteousness of the true and living Faith and of the perfect Obedience or Righteousness of the Law Now seeing he confesseth pag. 49. to a righteousness bestowed upon men by Faith I ask if that man is not a partaker and enjoyer of that righteousness by Faith Surely Faith and its Righteousness are not separate nor divided Also he confesseth Faith in God through the Messias is called a walking humbly with God Micah 6.8 To this I say whilst he thus considereth Faith as such a walking were it not very gross nonsence and contradiction to say that it excludes it self as before or that those works or effects of Faith viz. Walking humbly with God were opposed to the Faith it self which is the Root thereof But this is even like T. Vincent's affirming Faith to be opposite not only to the works of the Law but to its own Works Pag. 51. I find T. D. upon James 2.24 doth not distinguish betwixt the Works of Faith and the Works of the Law and so talks like an ignorant blind Guide with his vain babling and perverting of the Scripture to exclude perfect Obedience and Perfection from the Believers And seeing he granteth that Justification imports the Absolution of Sinners and the Approbation of a Believer which he distinguisheth betwixt Then it is to be minded that a Believer that is approved of is absolved being Justified and what from if not from Sin and Transgression Otherwise Faith that stands but in a bare profession without a living work of purifying the heart overcoming the World c. is but a dead Faith as T. D. in fine confesseth And we are Justified by works as our Faith is made perfect by works James 2.22 but these are not the works of the Law but the Works of the Living Faith which manifesteth Fruit to God and demonstrates the nature of the Living Faith But his telling of a Sinner being Justified in the sight of God where doth the Scripture say so he quotes Rom 3.23 to prove it but it doth not but only that a man by Faith is Justified without the deeds of the Law which deeds of the Law a man may be Justified without and yet not a Sinner nor without the Obedience Works or Righteousness of the True and Living Faith which Purifieth the heart and Justifieth from all those things from which they could not be Justified by the Law of Moses And as to his saying That we are made free meritoriously by the Law of the Spirit in us from the Law of Sin and Death The word meritoriously he addeth But the freedom of the Law of the Spirit in us from the Law of Sin and Death we do confess and that it is the same Law of the Spirit of Life that is in Christ and the Saints according to the Apostles Doctrine the Freedom of which we testifie is of Everlasting worth for that it is not wrought by our selves but by Christ and his Law and Spirit Pag. 52. T. D. saith That we observe that the righteousness of the Law is fulfilled in the Persons of the Saints Indeed we do observe it believe it and experience it and do not wholy put it off from us to be fulfilled in the Person of Christ as T. D. and some of his Brethren have corruptly done though we do confess that the Righteousness of the Law was fulfilled in Christ's Person but not therefore to exclude it out of us since that he was a faithfull Example to be followed as well as a Captain and Leader to guide in all the Wayes of Peace and true Holiness Pag. 52. And as we do observe that the Righteousness of the Law is fulfilled in the Persons of the Saints contrary to T. D. and his Brethrens observation and thereupon not only suppose but really assert a state of Freedom from Sin attainable in this life we do not place the Merit of Justification upon the Creatures imperfect obedience or works but origionally on the Spirit of Truth and its perfect work in which
Children of the Light as in Joh. 14. And deny that which should give People the Knowledge of the Light that is in their hearts the Light of Jesus 2 Cor. 4. And so People see what these men can Preach that deny true Faith true Belief true Apostles and Scripture and the Blood of Christ and the Offering and so denies God and Christ and his Commands and Preach up Sin and Imperfection and the Bawdy-houses and would have his Hearers rather go to a Bawdy-house than to go among the People called Quakers that Preaches up Perfection and the Blood of Jesus the One Offering that makes People perfect and Sanctifies them and must not People have Faith in them and Christ in them and the Blood in them sprinkling their Hearts and Consciences Reader I pray thee read the Scriptures for they were given forth to be read and believed and not for Presbyterians and Independants to make a Trade of them and keep People alwayes to be hearing them and paying of them the Holy Men of God did not give forth the Scriptures for that end that suffered many of them to death for giving them forth And so I pray thee Reader do not fell thy Wit and Reason any longer for they will put it up all in their Pokes and Bags and then lead them into a ditch and barren Mountain and so feed themselves of you and not feed you But the Lord is come to gather his People from off the barren Mountains and from their mouths that have fed themselves and not the Flock and sought themselves and not the Flock and made a Prey upon you and sought for your wooll hath bit you when you put not into their mouths and have sought for handfuls of Barley and a piece of Bread and hath born rule amongst you by their means and hath been the greedy dumb Dogs that could never have enough who have been slumbering Read Jer. 5. Isa. 56. Mic. 3. Ezek. 14. and so read how Christ marks out those false Teachers Mat. 23. And the Apostle to Timothy and Titus So no more but my Love that you may all come to know the Freedom in Christ from all the blind Guides G. F. Jo. Stubbs If that the Father Son and Holy Ghost be three distinct separate Persons not simply One or agreeing simply as the Priest saith then how far distance are they from one another shew us Chapter and Verse for this and make it good by Scriptures And let us see through all the Scriptures where ever the Holy Men of God did give such Titles or Names to God and Christ and the Holy Ghost as the Presbyterians and Independants have done as may be seen in this Book The Scripture saith That God and Christ and the Holy Ghost will dwell in Man then you Independant Presbyterian Priests Whether then that there is not three Persons in a Man dwelling in him that is a Person for the Apostle saith That your Bodies are the Temples of the Holy Ghost and that your Bodies are the Temples of God and that Christ is in you except ye are Reprobates The DIVINITY of CHRIST Confessed by us called Quakers And What we own touching the Deity or God-head according to the Scriptures THat there is but one God the Father of whom are all things and we in him and our Lord Jesus Christ by whom are all things and we by him That there are Three that bear Record in Heaven the Father the Word and the Spirit and that these three are One both in Divinity Divine Substance and Essence not three Gods nor separate Beings That they are called by several Names in Scripture as manifest to and in the Saints for whatsoever may be known of God is manifest in man Rom. 1. and their Record received as the full testimony of three by such as truly know and own the Record of the three in Earth and yet they are Eternally One in Nature and Being One infinite Wisdom One Power One Love One Light and Life c. We never denyed the Divinity of Christ as most injuriously we have been accused by some prejudiced spirits who prejudicially in their perverse Contests have sought occasion against us As chiefly because when some of us were in Dispute with some Presbyterians we could not own their unscriptural distinctions and terms touching the Father the Word and the Holy Spirit to wit Of their being incommunicable distinct separate persons or subsistences whereas the Father the Word and Spirit are One not to be compared to corruptible men nor to finite Creatures or Persons which are limitable and separable For the only Wise God the Creator of all who is One and his Name One is infinite and inseparable Deut. 6.4 Zec. 14.9 And the Father's begetting the Son and the Spirit 's being sent we witness to and own as He said Thou art my Son this day I have begotten thee Psal. 2.7 Heb. 1.5 And he hath sent his Spirit into our hearts Gal. 4.6 And that the Father is in the Son and the Son in the Father yea in the bosome of the Father Joh. 1.18 chap. 17.21 23. so that they are neither divided nor separate being One and of One infinite Nature and Substance Christ being the Image of the invisible God the first born of every Creature by whom all things were Created both in Heaven and in Earth Col. 1. Yea the Son of God is the brightness of his glory and the express Image of his substance Heb. 1.3 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And that it was in due time God was manifest in Flesh 1 Tim. 3.16 As in the fulness of time God sent his Son Gal. 4. And the Son of God was made manifest to destroy sin 1 Joh. 3.8 And a manifestation of the Spirit is given to every Man to profit withal 1 Cor. 12. So the manifestation of the Father of the Son and Holy Spirit we confess to and own to be in Unity and so the only true God according to the Scriptures And that Jesus Christ being in the Form of God thought it no robbery to be Equal with God and yet as a Son in the fulness of time was sent of the Father and took on him the form of a servant Phil. 2.6 7. in which state he said My Father is greater than I 1 Joh. 14.28 And he learned Obedience through Suffering and was made perfect and is become an everlasting High Priest after the Order of Melchisedeck and is the Author of Eternal Salvation unto all them that Obey him Heb. 5. And God hath given us Eternal Life in his Son And unto us a Child is born and a Son is given to Govern whose Name is Wonderful Counsellor The Mighty God The Everlasting Father The Prince of Peace Isa. 9.6 And he is over all God blessed for ever Rom. 9.5 Even the true God and Eternal Life 1 Joh. 5. So that the Deity or Divinity of Christ in his Eternal Infinite Glorious State we really confess and
used for Substance as before in Heb. 1.3 and not Person It would not be proper to say Faith is the Person of things hoped for but the Substance Also the same word is in 2 Cor. 9.4 where we have it Constant or Confident In Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Latine Substantiâ Substance not Person And so the Son of God is the express Image or Character of his Substance which cannot be severed as a distinct Person from his Substance he being also the brightness of the glory of God which expresseth or sheweth the transcendent Glory of his Divine Substance beyond all visible Appearances Faces or Persons and is only seen and revealed in the Light and Life of God and his Son within revealed only to such in whom the Image of God is renewed whose minds and eyes are so spiritual as to look and see beyond all the fallen Inventions and Imaginations of corrupt ignorant men who are groaping in the dark and vainly imagining to know comprehend and declare the Immortal Invisible God in such invented Names and Terms as they have but meerly by Tradition from men without which do most suite their dark thoughts and carnal conceptions whereby they can never know God nor perceive Divine or Spiritual things but thereby have greatly darkned both themselves and others CHAP. I. Of the Answer wherein Thomas Vincent's railing and sinful Doctrines for Sin and Imperfection are Refuted and his Contradictions discovered IN Tho. Vincent his Title Page and Introduction a storm of bitter railing aspersing and slandering the Innocent People of God called Quakers hath proceeded from him as Black-mouths most hideous Blasphemies Socinian and damnable Heretical opinious Doctrines and the like with several false accusations and slanders cast upon G.F. I.N. and others which hath been long since Answered and Refuted both in verbal Testimonies and in Print And the envious ridged Spirit of several Presbyterians against us therein plainly discovered And let the impartial Reader judge Whether such-like railing Language against us as T. V. hath vented doth become one pretending to be Christ's Minister or one that would have People believe he hath built upon the Rock or hath Christ Jesus for his Foundation whereas they that learn of Christ learn meekness lowliness humility and not railing reviling and slandering which proceeds from bitter envy in the heart which where it is there is confusion c. as plainly appears in T. Vincent and his Brethren's Work which proceeds not from the Wisdom which is from above which is pure and peaceable but from that which is earthly sensual devillish So let the unbyassed judge whether T. V. be a competent man to write about such high Mysteries about God and Christ which are concern'd in our Controversie yea or nay when he hath shewed himself to be in a contrary Spirit to that of Christ and his Ministers And whereas T. V. scornfully reflects upon the People called Quakers touching W. P. saying He being counted among them one of their chief this is false because of some smattering of Learning which they conceit he hath This is also both false and scornful for we lay not such a stress upon smattering of Learning nor on natural Learning it self as to make that the supereminent virtue to make men chief amongst us our esteem does depend upon that which is of a higher nature than either mens Natural parts Arts or Learning even upon the Spirit and Power of God which gives the right understanding and is not limited or tyed to mens Traditional Learning and Knowledge but gives Understanding and Wisedom unto the simple to see beyond all their corrupt Knowledge and beggarly scraps of Learning and Inventions of men wherein they are puft up But so far as W. P. hath a discovery both of the envious Spirit and Babylonish Confusion and dark un-scriptural Doctrines of T.V. and others of his ridged fraternity I am confident he doth not impute that discovery to his Natural Learning nor Parts but to the gift of God's Power and Spirit and desires to magnifie that over all the other And as for T. V. his going to shelter himself with a pretence of those Doctrines which Protestants generally believe to be essential this will neither cover his weakness and confusion nor hide the envy of his heart that hath vented its self in his Pamphlet against an innocent People Neither do I believe That any of the unbyassed Protestants that are accounted competent in these matters will either own many of T. V. his Principles or his shallow way of managing those that are owned amongst them And as to his accusing us of more grossely erring in the Fundamentals of Religion than the Papists themselves It may be justly charged upon himself as in divers things hereafter will appear and T. V. hath more absurdly than the Papists argued for Three distinct separate Persons subsistents or subsistences or rather subsistants saith T.D. in one single divine Essence but more of this hereafter One of T. V. his main Accusations against our Doctrine is That two Quakers asserted the Perfection of Saints in this Life and that the proof was 1 Joh. 3.9 Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin To which T.V. answered That the words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifie He doth not make it his business to sin whereas it is onely He doth not do or commit sin But he should have read a little further 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he cannot sin The meaning saith he was that such as are born again did not make a trade of sin did not go on in a course of sin did not commit sin with the full bent of the will as the wicked do but that it could not be understood of not committing sin at all from ch 1.8 If we say we have no sin c. there he speaketh of himself and others that were born again c. Reply Let every impartial Reader judge whether T. V. his meaning contrary to the plain words of the Apostle Joh. 3.9 be any sufficient proof to evince that our Doctrine of the Perfection of Saints in this Life is either damnable or heretical 1. For first whereas John saith Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin for his seed remaineth in him and he cannot sin because he is born of God Now T. V. his Doctrine and meaning speakes as much as that he that is born of God doth commit sin shall we believe John or him but not so as to make a trade of sin not go on in a course of sin with the full bent of his will as the wicked doth How hath he herein accused the Child of God whom John saith cannot sin because he is born of God his being born of God and so being related to God in his Spirit Nature and Image is made the reason that he commits not sin but if a man should say He commits sin but not to make it his business or to go on in a course of sin
Heavens and is thereby become a most compleat Captain and perfect Example Obs. Here Christ is confest to as the Gift of God's Eternal Love for the Life and Salvation of men that come to receive him and his Appearance to destroy the works of the Devil which his own Light and Grace maketh manifest as it is believed and waited in and so Christ is the Leader and Captain of such and is made unto us Wisdom Righteousness Sanctification and Redemption And I ask who are those T.V. saith That the Lord extendeth his special Mercies to And whether is Mercy extended to All in sending his Son into the World and what more special Mercies can there be than the only begotten Son of God who is given for a Light for a Leader for a Covenant for Life and Salvation that whosoever receives and believes in him might receive the blessed End and Priviledge of his Coming and Manifestation to wit Life and Salvation in him from Sin Death and Destruction And whereas T.V. in pag. 65. brings an Instance That the Soul cannot see without the Body for want of an Organ and that therefore tho God separately cannot satisfie because he cannot suffer and man separately cannot satisfie because the satisfaction would not be of infinite value yet as God-Man he satisfied c. Reply Do but mark what an Instance and Comparison he has here brought in Competition with the Infinite Omnipotent God to shew us that God separately cannot satisfie any more then the Soul can see without an Organ And who is it that God cannot satisfie Is it himself Can he not satisfie or please himself Is he ever divided or displeased with himself What gross darkness appears in this Comparison Instance and Assertion to say God cannot satisfie c. and thus to bring the Infinite God and his Infinite Power under the Limitations of finite Creatures Is this any less then Blasphemy let but the indifferent judge in this case Have not these our Oppossers been ready to call us Blasphemers but for bringing an Instance to shew the absurdity of their Doctrine whereas this is an Instance from a finite to an infinite tending to lessen the infinite Power of God And as to his telling That the Soul cannot see without an Organ in one sense that 's not true though he meant outwardly yet it hath a spiritual sight As to his saying That God cannot suffer is in one sense not true though he intended as to Death yet the Spirit of God hath suffered and hath been grieved by man's Transgressions The Rebellious Jews grieved and vexed his Holy Spirit until he became their Enemy and fought against them Isa. 63.10 And did not the Lord say Behold I am pressed under you as a cart is pressed that is full of sheaves Amos 2.13 So did not he suffer in being pressed by them then and did not he say My heart is turned within me my repentings are kindled together I will not execute the fierceness of mine anger I will not return to destroy Ephraim for I am God and not man the Holy One in the midst of thee Hos. 11.8 9. Did not herein his Suffering and Forbearance declare him to be God the Holy One and not man rather then the Execution of the fierceness of his Anger And was not God's being grieved by the rebellious Jews a Suffering when they hardened their hearts and provoked him in the Wilderness for he said Forty years long was I grieved with this generation Psal. 95. therefore to day if ye will hear his voice harden not your heart And did not God suffer long by the old World before he destroyed them seeing when he saw their wickedness it grieved him at his heart Gen. 6.6 Also he said His Spirit should not alwayes strive with them vers 3. So that his Spirit did suffer and was grieved by them before they were destroyed Again How oft did they provoke him and grieve him in the Desart Psal. 78.40 And did not he Complain against the People when they were Rebellious and Polluted saying Your new Moons and your appointed Feasts my Soul hateth they are a trouble to me I am weary to bear them Was not this trouble and being weary with them matter of Suffering and was not this his Suffering for some time before he did ease himself of his Adversaries and avenge him of his Enemies See Isa. 1. And also it 's said Chap. 7.13 Hear ye now ye House of David is it a small thing to weary men but will ye weary my God also And Chap. 43.24 25. Neither hast thou filled me with the Fat of thy Sacrifices but thou hast made me to serve with thy sins thou hast wearied me with thy iniquities I even I am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for my own sake and will not remember thy sins Mark for my own sake So then surely God could satisfie himself seeing it was for his own sake that he blotted out Transgressions and here the infinite Value Ransom and Satisfaction was in himself and what Patience Forbearance Long-Suffering and Forgiveness as was signified by Christ and testified of by his outward Suffering and Death was really in being in God before and in the fullness of time a signal testimony thereof given to man 〈◊〉 induce him to receive the free Love and Grace of God and Life and Salvation in the Son of his Love T.V. Who do ascribe more Grace and Mercy to God than we who do apprehend it in his Son pag. 65. Reply Indeed your apprehensions in that matter are sufficiently manifest before had T.V. added Who do apprehend more Grace and Mercy in God then we that say he cannot Satisfie himself and Christ as man could not satisfie him by finite Suffering and the Grace we ascribe we apprehend it only to extend to a few a select number c. Had T.V. spoke this plainly together People might the more easily have judged whether he has truly ascribed or apprehended concerning the Grace of God and whether many thousands do not ascribe more Grace and Mercy to God that own it in the free and general Extent of it to all men than he hath done Again his confessing That God doth execute his Justice freely as he doth love his Image in his People freely yet both are necessary because Natural and neither forced nor compelled by any External Agent Reply So here 's a better Confession then much of his Work before and it contradict much of it For 1st If his Love be as free as his Justice and neither compelled neither fotced by any External Agent how then is he obliged to take vengeance upon all that have transgressed when upon Repentance he readily pardoneth and passeth by former offences and how then is it impossible for God freely to Pardon 2dly What is that Image in his People he loves freely is it perfect or imperfect if perfect then how do they deny the perfection of any thing within or that 's inherent in the
but they that come to witness a part in Christ Jesus the Light of Life they in his Light may come to perceive the Mystestery of the Resurrection but if Truth can be received and understood then it will appear that I do not deny the Resurrection for I do verily believe that the Hour is coming in which all that are in the Graves shall bear the voice of the Son of God and shall come forth they that have done good unto the Resurrection of Life and they that have done evil unto the Resurrection of Condemnation but to Fools that say that this Body of natural Flesh and Bones shall be raised I say that body which is sown is not that body that shall be but God giveth a body as it pleaseth him yet to every Seed it s own body Thus far G. F. junior by all which T. D. his slander is detected and his false spirit discovered as not fit to meddle with the Mysteries of God which are out of his sight and reach God will sweep away the refuge of Lyes and Lyars Some Observations upon John Owen's Book Entituled A Declaration c. including a brief Answer and Reply to the same AS We the People of God called Quakers are but little concerned in John Owen's Declaration we need concern our selves the less and let them that are chiefly concerned in his Accusations make him answer But in that he hath in some few places hinted and falsly insinuated against us as being one with the Socinians as he calls them or seduced into Socinianism Lest any should give credit to these and such like insinuations and thereby be prejudiced against us or the Truth professed by us meerly upon John Owen's overly Reports I judge it meet a little to appear in Truth 's Vindication and our clearness in answer to some particulars in his Book As first where in his Preface Pag. 6. he saith There is now a visible accession made by that sort of People whom men will call Quakers from their department from the first erection of their Way long since desertted by them Answ. We have not made any accession contrary to the Truth first received by us nor have we deserted its Way which so long since the Lord God by his Power gathered us into out of the corrupt Wayes Inventions Traditions and false Worships of the World to worship him in the Spirit and in the Truth wherein we have been gathered to be a peculiar people to God being delivered from the many Sects Wayes and Professions set up since the dayes of the Apostles AS to Socinianism as he calls it we are neither Discipled in it nor Baptized into Socinus his name neither do we own him for our Author or Patern in those things which we Believe and Testifie nor yet do we own several Principles which John Owen relates as being from Socinus and principally that of Christ's being God but not the Most High God pag. 54 55. It was never our Principle for though we do confess to his condescention humility and Suffering in the dayes of his Flesh wherein he appeared in the form of a Servant being made in fashion as a man but his being in the form of God in the Divine Nature of God wherein he was equal with God and being glorified with the same glory he had with the Father before the World began and his being God over all blessed for ever these things we professed and believed in the beginning and do the same still it never being in our hearts in the least to oppose or desert them therefore as to the Conjunction J. O. ●ell of betwixt both these sorts of men in opposition to the holy Trinity with the Person and Grace of Christ. Herein he hath charged a double falshood upon us first such a Conjunction and Opposition either to the Person or Grace of Christ which we absolutely deny neither is our opposing of mens corrupt meanings of Scripture and invented names and terms put upon the Deity any opposition either against God Christ or Spirit nor yet against the Grace or Love of either J. O. Pag. 6. However they may seem in sundry things as yet to look divers wayes yet like Sampson 's Foxes they are knit together by the tayl in these firebrand Opinions and joyntly endeavour to consume the standing Corn of the Church of God and their joynt management of their business of late c. Answ. I suppose he intends Quakers and Socinians wherein both his Accusation and Comparison are false and scornfull for there 's no such conjunction nor joynt endeavours between them neither ever was it the Quakers intent or principle in the least to endeavour to consume the standing Corn of God's Church as we injuriously are accused but such vain and false imaginations corruptions and perverting Scripture as J. O. and his Brethren are guilty of which have no growth nor reception in the Church of God for his Church is in him and led by his Spirit into all Truth which no Lye nor Deceit have any part in Besides as for Sampson's Foxes they were not set to destroy the Corn of the Church or Israel but of the Philistines neither can we believe that the Presbyterians and Independants are the true Church till we see better Fruit appear among them then is yet for look into their Assemblies and see what pride and vanity they are gotten into in their apparel behold also how gaudy in their habits their women are and what an example of pride and pomp they shew to the profane to the shame of their profession certainly God hath yet Viols of Wrath unemptied to pour down upon that proud and persecuting Spirit which hath so much shewed it self in many of them But what he means by those words holy Trinity he further explains in pag. 26 27. in these words viz. Now the sum of the Revelation in these terms is that God is one that this one God is Father Son and Holy Ghost that the Father is the Father of the Son and the Son the Son of the Father and the Holy Ghost the Spirt of the Father and and the Son Now had this Doctor Owen and his Brethren but kept to these and such like expressions and have left out their unscriptural scholastick terms and distinctions about Trinity distinct Subsistances and Personalities we should not need to have had such controversies with any of them about them but have taken their confession that God is one and that Father Son and holy Ghost are God and that the Father is Father of the Son and the Son the Son of the Father c. according to this great Doctors Relation who pretends very much to Scripture and makes many large Repetitions of Scripture to prove his matter counting them the Revelation but then being again not willing to keep to the terms expressions and phrases of Scripture but writes his own conceivings sences and meanings as men of his Coat and Fraternity use to do
Justification is within and the Mystery of Faith is held in a pure Conscience and the Conscience must be within must it not Reader And so here thou mayst see how these Presbyterians and Independants have erred from the Apostles Doctrine And in Rom. 5. and being Justified by Faith by whom we have access to God by Faith and Justified by Faith in Christ Jesus Gal. 2. And the Apostle saith I live by the Faith of the Son of God and the Just lives by Faith by grace you are saved through Faith Eph. 2.8 Luk. 2.5 thy Faith hath saved thee And do not the Presbyterians and Independants deny Christ's Doctrine who deny Perfection both the Doctrine of God and the Command of Jesus Christ and the Ministry of Christ Jesus and makes void all the Apostles Exhortation For God said to Abraham Walk before me and be thou perfect Gen. 17. And do they not deny the way of God which is perfect Psal. 18.30 And the Law of the Lord is perfect and Christ saith Every one that is perfect shall be as he is And be ye perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect Mat. 5. And Noah was a perfect man Gen. 6. Thou shalt be perfect with the Lord He hath made my way perfect 2 Sam. 20. Job was a perfect man and one that feared God and eschewed evil Job 1.1 God will not cast away the perfect man Now do you not say there is no Perfection Do you not give the Scripture the lye God made my way perfect Psal. 18. Mark the perfect man Psal. 37. And the Wicked may shoot at the perfect Psal. 64. And are not you them that shoot at the perfect with your dirty Arrows And Christ prayed That they may be perfect in one Joh. 17. Is not Christ's Prayer to be fulfilled or did he pray in vain Will you deny his Prayer you vain men Is not Christ's Prayers available The Apostle said He spoke wisdom among them that were perfect ye false Ministers say there are none perfect God comforts his People and Ministers and sayes His strength is made perfect in their weakness Herein is encouragement to Perfection by God's Ministers Be perfect be of good comfort but you say none can be perfect and so you are miserable Comforters And the Work of the Ministry Eph. 4. was to bring People to the knowledge of God to a perfect man and to the measure and stature of the fulness of Christ And are not you false Ministers and evil workers who say there is no Perfection you cannot bring them it seems to a perfect man you cannot bring them to the measure of the stature of Christ but runs up and down and fetches all the weaknesses of the Saints and applies them to People to hold up Imperfection to them as Paul Peter John and some others 2 Cor. 13. We wish your Perfection and Heb. 6. let us go on to Perfection And Col. 2. the bond of Perfectness So is it not clear here whose Ministers you are neither according to God nor Christ nor according to the Scriptures nor according to the Prophets nor Apostles By one Offering he hath Perfected for ever them that are Sanctified And what Hee is this but Christ Jesus And now it 's clear That you deny this Faith that Sanctifies and that you deny this one Offering mark for ever them that are Sanctified And so it 's clear That you deny the one Offering of Christ Jesus without the Gates of Jerusalem and sayes That none are perfect and no Perfection here You may as well say there is no Faith here And you that say also there is no Overcoming here you may as well deny Belief here for he that believes is born of God and he that is born of God overcomes the World and greater is he that is in you than he that is in the World So it is manifest That you have not this greater Birth in you to overcome the World and here you stand against all the Believers and all the houshold of Faith which Faith gives Victory And you say there is no Victory here And so what can you cry up but sin and Bawdy-houses And you would rather have your People go into Bawdy-houses then to go to the houshold of Faith which preaches down Sin and Imperfection For God is perfect his Way is perfect and he bids be perfect And the Ministers was to present every man perfect in Christ Jesus see Col. And you Preach up Imperfection for term of Life so Ministers of Satan for the Devil made man imperfect Christ makes them perfect and God made them perfect and said Be perfect So are you not all the blind Guides that leads into the ditch which is a corrupted place that People are corrupted not perfect but the true Ministers presented them perfect in Christ Jesus And so is it not clear That you deny the Blood of Christ and trample it under your feet For Christ Sanctifies his People with his own Blood Heb. 10. The Blood of Christ Jesus cleanseth from all sin 1 Joh. 1. Rev. And he hath washed us from our sins in his Blood And they overcame by the Blood of the Lamb And whose Garments were made white by the Blood of Jesus And do you not give the Apostle and the Scriptures the Lye and makes Christ's Blood of none Effect And sayes They are not made white they are not cleansed from all sin and that they must have a body of sin and death as long as they live and that they are not Redeemed to God Do you not make the Blood of Christ of none effect here which is to wash and to cleanse away that which is brought into Adam by the Serpent and deny Christ's Purchase who purchased his People and Justifies by his Blood and Redeemed through his Blood And what Redemption is this and Purchase is this and Justification is this if they be not Redeemed out of sin and evil and old Adam Christ hath Redeemed us to God through his Blood Rev. 5. Eph. 1. Are not you them that have counted the Blood of the new Covenant of none effect Heb. 10. and troden it under foot wherewith he Sanctifies and so are they that have done despite against the Spirit of Grace for do you not say the Spirit of God is not given to every man to profit withal only some have the Spirit say you Who are they then that vexes it and quenches it and grieves it And were not they wicked People whom the Lord gave his good Spirit to to instruct them Nehem. 9. they were such as rebelled against Nehemiah And here it is clear That you make Sects and denies the Prophets and Apostles Doctrine And you say That Christ doth not enlighten every man that cometh into the World Do you not here deny John's Doctrine and Scriptures and Christ himself who saith He is the Light of the World And deny that which People should believe in believe in the Light that you may become