that may be seen and is more excellent and higher then any Angel Ergo he is not in Heaven that cannot be seen with the bodily eye because of its distance from us Are you not convinced mightily with such strong Argumentations In Eph. 1.20 21. He is said to be set far above every name that is named not only in this World but that which is to come Ergo Christ is above the Father this is the same way of Reasoning That Christ as to his Manhood hath been upon Earth and is upon Earth at least as to his Soul since his Ascension they attempt to prove here Pag. 9. from the Scriptures that speaks of his coming to his Disciples since that time John 14.2 If I go and prepare a place for you I will come again and receive you vers 18. I will not leave you comfortless I will come unto you Answ The first place speaks of his coming at the day of Judgment when he will instate his Saints in their full Glory and Happiness in body as well as soul this is the secónd Personal appearance of Jesus Christ which is not yet but will be at the times of the restitution of all things as the Scripture speaks The other Scripture speaks of his coming in the power of the Spirit to their hearts to comfort them in the evil days wherein they should be cast then they are nothing at all to their purpose to prove Christ personal Descension upon Earth either as to his Soul or Body since his Ascension into Heaven Another Objection is drawn from John 3.13 No man hath ascended up to Heaven Pag. ibid. but he that came down from Heaven even the Son of Man which is in Heaven Here is a third of the Objections which they say is of my own framing and it 's brought here against Christ being now in Heaven as to his Manhood I have in my last answered it fully to which you may have recourse as to what they beg here I can grant them the whole without any loss to my cause or gain to theirs Christ was spiritually in Heaven with his Saints when on Earth and is spiritually on Earth with them now he is in Heaven The Reader knoweth what we mean by the spiritual presence of Christ with his Saints They say Pag. ibid that of his coming the Apostles had signs and evidences who by him wrought Miracles Acts 4.10 i. e. the Miracles that the Apostles wrought were signs of his Personal coming that he hath been upon Earth since his Ascension as to his Manhood Answ There were Miracles wrought by Moses and Eliah and Elisha and what they did they did by the power of Christ who is God blessed for ever Therefore Christ Jesus did Personally appear upon Earth and came again from Heaven in his Manhood before ever he had a Manhood or ever did ascend into Heaven risum teneatis Amici Miracles wrought by the Apostles were only Signs of the coming of Christ in Power and Spirit Here now comes their exceptions against four of the Properties of the Manhood of Christ as they stated by me what pity is it that they should take so much pains to oppose themselves in their own confession The Manhood of Christ since the Ascension is the Object of Sense is hath been seen with the bodily eye and may be seen Stephen saw him thus in my last To this they Object Pag. 10. but before I name their Arguments I here cry out of open and manifest wrong in that they Quakers have twice or thrice endeavoured to make the Reader believe that I asserted there was no more in Stephen 's seeing the glory of God and the Son of Man in Heaven than what was natural that he had no extraordinary assistance and strengh from God in it Pag. 11. but to place all this sight upon carnal and bodily eyes these are their words whereas they had writ my own words before viz. Stephens sight was strengthened after a wonderful miraculous way so that he pierced to the Heavenly glory with his eye this was more than what was natural no doubt mark that whether this be not wilful forging judge ye But to their Arguments against Stephen's seeing Christ in Heaven with his bodily eye it being strenghthened by the Lord. 1. According to my own confession Christ was passed into the invisible Heavens Ergo he could not be seen Pag. 10. Answ Their Argument is only a Childish quible about the word invisible if I had but in the stead of it said unseen there would not have been any ground for this cavil but I did indeed think I should be taken in that sense and I believe was by all but the Quakers Should I say many of the Stars are invisible will any understand me that they are not capable of being seen by any Teliscope or Prospective glasses or that they are not ordinarily seen because of their great distance and the weakness of our sight Children will play with Rattles Arg. 2. Pag. 11. The ground of Stephen 's seeing the Heavens opened and Jesus on the right band of God was on his being full of the Holy Ghost Answ If meerly being full of the Holy Ghost be the ground Then Moses and all the Prophets-saw the Son of Man standing at the right band of God before he was the Son of Man or ever did ascend thither for they were all filled by the Holy Ghost And then Barnabas and all the Disciples in the second Chapter of the Acts saw the Son of Man in Heaven and then this that is related of Stephen in this History that we took to be a singular remarkable thing is but what is common to all Saints filled with the Spirit besides how can this meerly as such be the ground of Stephens sight of Christ in Heaven when the wicked shall see Christ coming in power and great glory Rev. 1.7 Every eye shall see him it cannot be meant of a spiritual sight for every one hath not a spiritual eye For ought I can learn these men understand nothing more nothing besides some spiritual sight that Stephen had of Jesus Christ on Earth in his own heart else why do they mention the vision that John had as a parallel instance Pag. ibid. John saw the golden Candlesticks and in the midst thereof one like-the-Son of Man Now those Churches that were represented by the seven Candlesticks were then upon Earth stay and hear the conclusion Ergo when Stephen looked up stedfastly into Heaven and saw the glory of God and the Son of Man at the right hand of God the Heavens being opened All this was no more then seeing Christ on Earth the light in his own Heart and Conscience O for a little plain heartedness and honesty The instance is not parallel John's we say and believe were only Spiritual Revelations in extasies and trances Stephen's was an Ocular Vision Let me add this to these poor unbelieving Creatures why should it seem a thing
thus to work because Christ died for us John 16.17 If I go not away the Comforter will not come it is given by vertue of Christs entring with his Blood into Heaven by this time the things I have written the Reader will see consist well together There remains nothing now but some bitter scornful Reflexions let us patiently hear them with my Answers Pag. 15. This man say they can cast the Law of the Spirit behind his back and yet plead he is justified by the Imputation of Christs Personal Righteousness O gross Hypocrisy Answ Could the Quakers at Hartford prove against me the wilful breach of the Law of God that I did indulge my self in or that I had preched or written only for the Imputation of Christs Personal Righteousness for Justification and not for Holiness of Life and Sanctification they might then indeed speak at this rate but if they cannot it is no less than a notorious slander I can say through Grace as the Apostle I know nothing by my self as to any known sin I live in with him will I say again yet am not I hereby justified but be that judgeth me is the Lord 1 Cor. 4.4 I live in the observance of the Moral Law but yet I dare not plead this for acceptance with God knowing I come not up to perfection but my prayer to God shall be that of Davids Psal 143.2 Enter not into judgment with thy servant for in thy sight shall no man living be justified I will take up that of Job Job 9.15 Whom though I were righteous yet would I not answer but I would make supplication to my Judge Vers 21. Though I were perfect yet would I not know my soul believing with that perfect and upright man of whom God gave this Testimony There was none like him on Earth one that feared God and escewed evil Job 1.8 believing what he said would prove true Job 9.30 31. If I wash my self with snow water and make my hands never so clean yet shalt thou plunge me in the ditch and mine own cloaths shall make me to be abhorred and is this a crime must this be censured for gross Hypocrisy was David Job Paul or the Pharisee the Hypocrite The Pharisee justified himself and despised the Cross of Christ and went about to make his own righteousness to stand Job and David confessed their sins and so did Paul Phil. 3.9 Counting all dung for Christ not having his own Righteousness which was of the Law but was very much for Imputation he names it ten times at least in the fourth of the Romans have the Quakers at Hartford attained to such a perfection in Holiness by the Law of the Spirit and is it discernable in their Converse and Trading that they have no need of the Imputation of Christs Righteousness but deride it and make a scoff at it The Lord have mercy on them They jeer me for any Apology to Sir John Hartop Pag. 16. in case that I had not worded things in my Book so congruously as I might that he would bear with me they say this is a Salve for all my distracted and incongruous works Answ Had I been one of these infallible Doctors I need not to have apologized but I pretend not to Infallibility especially in words I am not ashamed to speak in humility of my self and of my own labours and to think what I say not to pretend only as they suggest remembring what the great Apostle said of himself 1 Cor. 2.3 I was with you in weakness and in fear and in much trembling and that he with others of his fellow Apostles and Labourers in the Ministry did but know in part and prophesie in part Eph. 6.19 20. He was not too proud to desire the Christians prayers for a door of utterance that he might open his mouth and speak the Mystery of the Gospel boldly as he ought to speak But the People of Hartford are to perswade me to be quiet among my neighbours and the Quakers would have them give me no more money for keeping Christ and them at a distance The present Incendiaries need no more they had done their work could they by any means take off the Watch from their duty the King of France had done his work could any perswade the Dutch to be quiet and to give their Souldiers no more pay could the Wolf prevail with the Sheep that the Spepherd might stay at home it would make well for him The false Apostles did all they could to exclude the true Apostles that they themselves might be affected Gal. 4.17 I would if possible live peaceably with all men but is it possible while there is another Jesus and another Gospel set up at Hartford Paul and Luther would have turned the world upside down had they dwelt there it was a great man that said let Heaven and Earth be in confusion rather then one dram of Truth be lost what peace as long as the whoredomes continue but you must give me no Money Simon Magus thought all things in Christs kingdom was carried on by Money therefore he thought to tempt the Apostle with Money Doth not this saying argue the same Spirit its well if their Religion be not propagated that same way we know in a great part it is let me now speak this plain word to you Christians at Hartford the Quakers having administred this occasion to me take heed lest they insnare you by the gain and trade of the world they know they have a hank upon you this way already some of the Town they have won to them by this means others have abated in their zeal for Christ fearing to lose their worldly interest among the Quakers But they say I keep Christ and you at a distance therefore you must give me no Money Answ They acknowledge in many places in their Book that I own Christ to be present by his Spirit in his Saints and do not the People at Hartford witness that I preach this Doctrine among them how then do I keep Christ and you at a distance are not we united to him by the Spirit it is I suppose because I have not yet taught you the Hartford Quakers new notion viz. That the soul of Christs Manhood is in every one of you and in every Saint throughout the world thus they have brought Christ and their Hearers together and deserves Money for their new invention of an Immense Infinite Invisible Inform Spirituous Manhood that can pierce doors and then be sure come into your bodies a Manhood turned all into Soul or an Angel or into Wind Fancy Nothing Last of all They tell me I boast in saying my Book is unanswered by them they say it is not strictly true for an answer hath been written a long time but not published Answ If I say the Sun was not risen at four of the Clock this morning it is not may these men say strictly true in that it was shining at that hour
ANIMADVERSIONS Upon a late Quibling LIBEL From the Hartford Quakers STILED A Testimony for the Man Christ Jesus Demonstrating That it is not the same true and real Man Christ Jesus that they give Testimony unto but another false and feigned Jesus Or A fresh and fuller draught of the same Antidote against the Poyson presented in the Whores Golden cup. By WILL. HAWORTH Rev. 2.2 Thou hast tryed them that say they are Apostles and are not and hast found them lyars Mat. 7.15 Beware of false Prophets that come unto you in sheeps cloathing 2 Cor. 11.13 14. For such are false Apostles deceitful workers transforming themselves into the Apostles of Christ For no marvel for Satan himself is transformed into an Angel of light Rom. 16.18 And by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple Printed in the seventh Month. 1676. Animadversions Upon a late Quibling Libel from the Hartford Quakers THere is a Book come to my hand with this Title viz. A Testimony for the Man Christ Jesus a Title never before as I know prefixed to any of the Quakers Books by whom it appears this was written By that time I had read it over I found that to be true which I suspected viz. That the Wine did not answer the Bush the Matter the Title They have only dealt herein as the Enemy at Sea which sets up the English Flag thereby to deceive and take advantage I looked for some particular name but found none who the proper Father of the Child should be who can tell We are left to guess who the Father is by the double tongue Quibling Language Critical Wit in catching his Adversary in seeming contradictions and inconsistencies They say Pag. 3. In the beginning my Pamphlet consists of matter of charge aggravated with reviling and Answers to Objections of my own framing to render the Quakers infamous Answ If I cannot prove the charge true x I confess I have wronged them in saying that they are no Christians Seducers but if it be true that they deny Jesus of Nazareth having heard it out of the mouth of a Prophet of their own with three witnesses to the same and have read it in their own Books and you shall have further proof of it before we have finished this and indeed there is enough in this late Book that speaks the same thing as will appear anon then I have said too little of them and need not fear the threatnings they produce that Revilers shall not inherit the Kingdom of Heaven as being no way guilty If they will see their errour and Recant I will take off my Charge and my Reviling as they call it otherwise it is but what the Apostle Paul's example against Seducers and false Teachers doth warrant me in As to the Objections that they say are of my framing I find all of them save one in this their own Book brought in against this Truth as stated by me concerning the Manhood of Christ in Heaven which shall be notified to you in the progress that one which is not there produced by them viz. Flesh and blood cannot enter into the Kingdom of Heaven not any that ever reasoned with the Quakers about this subject or the resurrection of the same body but hath heard it from them see then the ingenuity of these People in the entrance saying that I have framed Objections of my own to render the Quakers odious But the great and material thing which I hasten to is that I charge the Quakers with denying the same numerical true and real Manhood of Jesus to be now in Heaven a place remote from the Earth I do I confess thus charge them now mark it diligently and bear it in your minds as you read along Pag. 3. l. 12. They utterly deny the matter charged Let us examine what the matter is contained in these words and phrases taken in their true Grammatical sense and construction viz. The same numerical true and real Manhood of Jesus Christ in Heaven a place remote from the Earth 1. That Jesus Christ hath now a true and real Manhood consisting of two Essential distinct parts a Humane Soul and Body 2. That it is the same Numerical Manhood not only the same in kind and nature but the very self same one in number that was born of the Virgin crucified on the Cross laid in the Sepulcher raised again 3. That this self same true Manhood is now in Heaven a place remote from the Earth so circumscribed there that it is not here upon Earth We heartily without any equivocation consent to these three Heads contained in those words The Hartford Quakers in their late Book seem to own the same and would not be accounted guilty of the charge but how shall they be tryed no otherwise then by their confession under their own hand in that Book 1. That Jesus Christ hath now a true and real Manhood These Hartford Quakers deny while in words they own it 1. That cannot be a true and real Manhood that hath not a true and real Humane soul but according to the Hartford Quakers Jesus Christ hath not a Humane soul that soul that is in a thousand distinct several places at one and the same time cannot be a Humane soul for so it is immense and infinite but according to these Quakers the soul of Christ is in innumerable places at once for that say it is in every Saint on Earth Pag. 6. 2. That cannot be a true and real Manhood that is not the object of Sense that can no way be seen by the bodily eye but these Hartford Quakers affirm Pag. 10. 11. That the body of Christ now in Heaven is not the object of sense now what a body must that be that cannot by any means be either seen felt or heard 3. That cannot be a true and real Manhood that can penetrate Wooden doors and Stone walls This is to make it so rare thin subtile and spirituous that the very Essence and nature of a body is destroyed Air and Light that are the most subtile of bodies cannot pierce doors and walls but must enter by some crannyes or pores but the Quakers at Hartford do suppose that the body of Christ was so changed that it came into the Disciples through the doors or walls else why bring they that Scripture against me John 10.19 4. That cannot be a true and real Manhood that hath not a Humane shape figure and from but the Hartford Quakers deny this and dispute against it Pag. 11 12. 2. The second thing that is matter of the charge viz. That they deny the self same Numerical Manhood Thus I prove it If Christs Manhood as they say in the late Book cannot be seen with the bodily eye though God do never so strengthen it if so immense that part of it can be in every Saint so subtile and spirituous that it can penetrate doors and Stone walls of an house it cannot be the same for kind and