from the Life in the Eternal Word In him was Life and the Life was the Light of men § 3. Pr. Ibid. W. P's best Reason assisted with his Light within is Fondly at work to prove that the Light and Spirit and not the Scriptures were the Rule of their Faith that gave forth the Scriptures Answ Seeing he deridingly opposeth this we must take him as believing or speaking the contrary viz. That not the Light and Spirit of Truth within but the Scriptures were the Rule of their Faith that gave them forth Gross Ignorance as if the Scriptures were the Primary Dictater and Revealer of Scriptures and not the Light and Spirit of God within Contrary to plain Scripture Holy Men of God spake as they were moved by the Spirit of God Surely the Scriptures could not be the Rule before they were but the Holy Spirit was both the Mover Rule and Guide in giving them forth Pr. Ibid. Its matter of Lamentation that the Quakers false Light and their lying Spirit do counterfeit the true Light and holy Spirit to decry the Scriptures from being the Rule of Faith and Life Answ It s matter of Lamentation that such blind Guides as this should keep People in Darkness from the true Light and holy Spirit under pretence of the Scriptures being the Rule of Faith and Life Which though this be a main Article of his Faith yet for this very Point he has not produc'd any plain Scripture that saith the Scriptures are the Rule of Faith and Life Which if he cannot produce such proof for they are not that only Rule but rather a Rule or Instruction subordinate to the true Light and holy Spirit as directing to it Pr. p. 8. Surely this Quakers Light within burnt dim in his Socket the Light within is no such Infallible Teacher as the Quakers brag of like the Papists infallible Judge it s not without its gross Mistakes Answ See how again he blasphemously scoffs against the Light within in his Comparing it with the Papists pretended Infallible Judge wherein he is grosly mistaken but so is not that Divine Light of Christ within which we profess believe and own In him was Life and that Life was the Light of men Though men may Err yet this Light cannot § 4. Pr. Ibid. The real Quaker is for Go teach baptizing with the holy Ghost and with Fire If this be not to turn People from Light to Darkness from God to the Power of Satan let the sober-minded Reader judge Answ The true Ministry and Preaching of the Gospel in Spirit and Power wherewith Christs Ministers were and are endued was for the Conversion and turning People from Darkness to Light and from Satans Power to the Power of God which does no whit fall short of a Spiritual Baptism or dipping into the Name Power and Life of the Father Son and Holy Spirit Go teach baptizing them into the Name c. was a Commission by divine Power and Authority and in the same was fulfilled by Christs presence with his Ministers Lo I am with you alway even unto the End said he and therefore it was by virtue of Christ's Presence with them that they were made Instrumental in baptizing with the Spirit And this was not to turn them from Light to Darkness as most ignorantly is alledged by this Priest Pr. Pag. 9. Surely W. Penn was as Oxford to Lick Glass-Windows Answ A scornful Detraction which shews the Pride of the Priest's Heart Pr. Ibid. It is the Judgment of a real Quaker that Water-Baptism is none of Christ's Institutions and that Paul was of the same mind which is a most gross mistake Answ No Mistake at all that Christ sent not Paul to Baptize but to Preach the Gospel as he himself expresly saith 1 Cor. 1. And this he gave as his most general Reason why he Baptized no more of them than he did And surely his Commission was not short of the rest of the Apostles Wherefore Water-Baptism was not included in it § V. Pr Ibid. That the real Quaker confesseth himself guilty of a base Doctrine viz. That â—ustification by that Righteousness which Christ fulfilled WHOLLY without us is a Sin pleasing Notion Answ No such Confession of Guilt by the Real Quaker who confesseth to Christ's Righteousness both without and within as 't is received by Faith unto Justification or making men Righteous for he cannot own that men can truly be reckoned Righteous or Just while they have none of Christ's Righteousness within them or while his Image is not at all renewed in them nor they in any Degree sanctified None are justified without living Faith in Christ Jesus Therefore none are justified in an unsanctified State so not wholly without them especially if Christ's living Faith be the instrumental Cause of our Justification or Causa sine qua non without which there 's no real Justification he that believes not is condemned already though Christ who is the Author of Faith be the Principal Cause of Good to us Pr. Ibid. The Papists call it a Putative Righteousness This Justification by Christ's Righteousness imputed by Faith which is a comfortable Doctrine is basely murthered betwixt these two Thieves Answ He has here maliciously as well as basely slandered us called Quakers in his Comparison for we never denyed Christ's Righteousness as imputed or reckoned to us by Faith taken in the Real Scripture Sense But some Professors reckoning of it to men in an Unbelieving Unconverted and Unsanctified State or when no Good is wrought in them in which State I suppose he dare not directly say Men are justified for without Faith its impossible to please God and yet he says little or no less if he tell us that men are justified and acquitted before God by a Righteousness of Câ—aist WHOLLY without them for that leaves no room for Christ's Righteousness to have any place within them for their Justification And is not this a Sin-pleasing Notion I would ask what that Righteousness that Christ fulfilled wholly without them was Did it not consist in his Obedience to the Father and fulfilled in his Sufferings and Death If this then has compleated Justification wholly without men then it must be compleated for all Mankind for whom he dyed And he dyed for all men tasted Death for every man for the whole World What then are all men yea the whole World that lies in Sin compleatly justified by this Priest's Doctrine they must if it be effected wholly without them See now what Sin-pleasing Work our Adversary's run into whereas Christ dyed for our Sins and rose again for our Justification Therefore 't was not wholly accomplished by his Death Pr. pag. 10. We are accounted Righteous before God ONLY for the Merit of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ by Faith That we are JUSTIFIED by Faith only is a most wholsome Doctrine Answ Here he joyns Faith to the Merit of our Lord in the Matter of Imputation but then says We are justified by Faith
have been of the same Judgment Vide Prest Life Eternal pag. 44 45. see what D. Jo. Preston saith in this very point viz. How should we conceive of God in Prayer seeing he is a Spirit and a Spirit we never saw What conceit and Apprehension of God should we have then when we come to call upon his Name We may not conceive him under any Corporal Shape for he is a Spirit and therefore they that think they may Worship the Humanity of Christ dis-joyned are deceived We are not to Worship it as separated from his Diety Thus far Preston Pr. Ibid. To call Mary the Mother of God is a Popish saying not Scripture-Language In this Quaking Discourse the Learned may observe many old Heresies revived This Quaker's ugly Doctrine Answ This is the man that has been upbrading the Quakers so much with Popery who himself now so much embraces their Language and Doctrine that he is offended at me for saying It is not Scripture-Language But instead of proving that it is the man belches and rages and scoffs against me and takes it heinously that I should Oppose or Question such a saying as Mary the Mother of God He has it over and over as if it stuck upon his Stomach He has it up as an Article of the Quakers unsound Faith to say That Mary is not the Mother of God and that 't is Popery to call Mary the Mother of God in his Art 10. p. 147. and counts the Quakers Light within to be very DVLL-SIGHTED that it cannot discern Mary to be the MOTHER OF GOD p. 26. But whence has he this Saying or Article of his Faith Surely the Scripture is not his Rule for it but 't is probable he believes herein as the Church believes That 't is a frequent phrase among the Papists to call Mary the Mother of God we need not search Authors to prove it And the English Colledge of Doway in their Annot. on Prov. 31. ca◠her The most Excellent and Immaculate Virgin Mother of God That Mary is called The Mother of my Lord by Elizabeth and the Young Child Jesus his Mother or the Mother of Jesus in Scripture which relates to him as man I deny not but no where in Scripture can I find that she is called the Mother of God Let him produce plain Scripture for it and ends the Controversie Pr. p. 27. It s against his Light within it must be in his Eye Popery to call Christ the Son of Mary and Mary the Mother of God Nay 't is Popery which is commonly counted Anti-christianism to call Mary the Mother of God Deluded Quakers The Papists not so grosly deceived Answ The first part of this Passage is a frequent reiterated Falshood to say 'T is against my Light within or in my Eye Popery to call Jesus Christ the Son of Mary according to the Flesh for he was Miraculously conceived by the holy Ghost overshadowing her and born of her But I must confess I like not the phrase Mary the Mother of God nor do I think it would be seasonable or effectual so to preach the Eternal God that made all Things to Indians and Heathens under such a Character as having a Woman whom he made to be his Mother How many Turks or Infidels will they convince or convert to Christianity by telling them of the Mother of God Nay do they not hereby rather lay a stumbling-block in their way I do not think that the Papists themselves would have more reviled and ranted against us than this Priest has done for but saying to be sure it is not Scripture-Language to call Mary the MOTHER of God crying out Deluded Quakers the Papists not so grosly deceived Now he is wheel'd about to the Papists other while Ranting and Tearing against them like a Whifling Brash and Boaster Before he would beat us down as no better then rank Papists for holding something determined in the Council of Tront about Justification and Renovation of the inner man as if he needed no other Argument to knock us down but the Council of Trent holds it viz. The New Birth Sanctification Renewing the inner man by Grace received as necessary to our Justification or constituting of us truly Righteous in Christ And why may not this Priest rather be deem'd a Papist or one as ready for their Ave-Maria as he was for the Common Prayer when he turn'd his Coat whilst he is so fiercely contending for their Unscriptural Phrase before-cited But then to mend the matter he limits Mary's being the Mother of God to the Son according to his Man-hood pag. 26. We may see here that there was need of this Amendment * If he would impose upon us 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from some Fathers by a Communication of properties because Mary was the Mother of him that was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 God-man Then it follows That it is not a proper Expression however whereas the Man-hood was not God he was inferior to God the Father touching his Man-hood as in their Quicunque vult c. To his concluding this Passage with this scornful flout viz. Tremulus naviget ad Anticyras This pitiful Quaker wants a Doss for his Pericranium I may rather conclude this Priest is hastening towards Rome He wants some Preferment Power and Aid from the Pope to condemn Conscientious dissenting Protestants to Fire and Faggot for he appears offended at the King's Indulgence he counts him too slow for his turn or not severe enough Such Temporizing Persecuting Priests are ready for Rome to have the Miter set above the Crown and the Temporal Magistrates subject to them to do their Drudgery of Cruel Persecution would be very grateful to them for whatsoever they may pretend against Popery they are fitted for it the very Spirit of it i. e. of Envy Persecution and Pride has deep Root in their Hearts they smell very strong of the Old Whores Cup which they have deeply drunk of 'T is not their Pretences against the Word Popery that will excuse them whilst they are in the very Spirit and Life of the thing Popery Persecution Pride of Heart seeking Dominion over mens Faith and Properties also striving to be Lord's over God's Heritage who in his own Time will without doubt Debase their Pride their Lofty and Revengeful Spirits § XIV The Priest's next Quarrel is against a little Book call'd A Primmer by S. Crisp and George Fox the Younger in which he proceeds as followeth Pr. p. 28. The Mischievous Design of this pitiful Primmer is to Poyson them with Quakerism in their Minority Answ A false Insinuation no such Design in it as to Poyson any but to direct them to the Light of Christ within Pr. To diffuse Quakerism throughout the whole Body of the Nation a Mischievous Design if not timely prevented by his Sacred Majesty Answ He would employ the King in his Drudgery still but what way the King should prevent the spreading of that he calls Quakerism he
there should be one Head Christ one Teacher one Lord one Lawgiver one Faith one Baptism one Light one Life one Way one Shepherd and one Sheep-fold one Priest over the Houshold of God one Hope one Family one God and Father of all in this true Church This is not strange to the Church of Christ which is Constituted of true and living Members of one Body who live by the Faith of the Son of God and are new Creatures in Christ Jesus who are gathered and baptized by one Spirit into one Light Life and Power and so into one Body according to Scripture seeing the Priest is so ignorant of these things I desire him to read these Scriptures at leisure Isa 33.22 Jer. 31.31 32 33 34. Heb. 8.8 9 10 11. John 6.45 Isa 54.13 1 Cor. 12.13 see also Ephes 4.3 4 5 6. which is directly to our purpose for this Unity and Perfection in the true Church so much condemned and derided by our Unchristian and Atheistical Adversary § XXXI Pr. Ibid. The true Church is now only to be found among the Poor Deluded Qrs. Most of these Vnities heaped together by this Qr. must be understood according to the Notorious false Principles of all Qrs. A Quakerized Vnity Answ We do not say this true Church is only to be found amongst the Poor Quakers or this Unity as relating only to a Visible Society among us 't is of more Universal extent than any Visible Society of Persons but that there is an Invisible and Spiritual Union known to all the faithful among us and that as we are a People gathered by the Power and Spirit of Christ we are Members of that Church which he is Head of and that his Power has more manifestly appeared with us in our Testimony for him and in upholding us chearfully to suffer for the same than with other Societies in our Day as also to keep a Conscience void of Offence towards God and Man this we are satisfied in and that the Lord's Power has more Eminently appeared among us in our Societies and Assemblies than among other Professions Societies or Assemblies in our day else we should not keep together in a Society we should not be a Church nor in such an Union nor Assemble together if we did not really believe and were satiâ—fied that the Lord owns us and is with us as we are a People And let this Caution be taken by the way That whoever go out from us separate themselves and turn into Emnity Malice or Wickedness after they have seen and tasted of the great Power and Work of the Lord among us they fall into a worse and more dangerous state than thousands are in who never had this Knowledge Wilfully to sin against such Knowledge is far worse than to be in the time of Ignorance wherein God winked their latter End is worse with them than the beginning it had been better for them not to have known the Way of Righteâ—usness than after they have known it to turn aside from the holy Commandment Turks and Indians who confess and adore an Eternal Deity and live honestly according to what they believe and know are more acceptable to God yea and the most ignorant among them shall sooner find Mercy and Salvation with him than either the Rebellious Back-slider the Hypocrite Careless and Unfaithful under the Profession of Christianity among what People soever And though we do not Exclude all who are not yet gathered into an outward Society with us from having any share in that inward and invisible Life Spirit Faith Union or Salvation which we are made partakers of For there are those that Wish well to Zion that have a love to her and a drawing towards her that God hath regard to them and will prosper in their honest Desires And there are those that are Not against us that are for us Luke 9.50 And God hath a regard to Inward Sincerity and honesty of Heart though clouded under various Forms and Professions There are those that have a Simplicity and Innocence in their Heart towards God and are free from Enmity against his People that yet are not come to have their Understandings so clear as to come into an outward Society and compliance in all things with the gathered and chosen of the Lord that yet have a secret breathing unto him in Spirit whom he will in his own time gather unto himself as Christ saith Other Sheep I have which are not of this Fold them also I must bring and they shall hear my Voice and there shall be one Fold and one Shepherd John 10.16 However I would not be mistaken though all are not come to that visible Society and open Testimony which God hath gathered us into and brought forth publickly among us through many deep Sufferings and Reproaches yet I do not own nor believe Salvation by any other Christ Gospel Light Spirit or Power than that which we have received from God and â—eat Witness unto through his Son Christ Jesus The Way of Life and Salvation is but one Truth is but one the Light of the Lord of the Lamb and of his holy City is but one wherein the Nations of them that are saved shall walk and the holy fear of God and working Righteousness which in every Nation they that experience are accepted springs from this one Divine Principle of Life Light and Truth in the inward parts which God hath given to mankind wherein Christ is spiritually and effectually received to Salvation which is but one in all though different in degrees of Discoveries and Knowledge thereof among the Sons of men Howbeit thus far there is an Universal Union among all People saved of the Lord when in the way of Salvation that there is not an Envy nor an evil mind in one against another but a certain degree of Innocency Love and good Will all which springs from that one universal and divine Principle of Life Light and Grace in the Hearts which we testifie of Pr. p. 118. This Quaking Vnity belonging to the true Church of God hath no Scripture-bottome to stand on no Christian Writers of any Century did ever describe the true Church of God after this Canting rate Answ The Unity belonging to the true Church and the description thereof I have sufficiently proved by H. Scripture and according to true Christian Experience Testimony and therefore this Adversary may be ashamed of his scornful Taunting and Idle Atheistical and Impious Triffling Reflections on these serious Occasions and remember the Proverb cited by himself Piet as non patitur ludum he will find one day that he has an heavy Account to give for his acting the part of a Mountebank and Stage-player Gamer and Sporter about Pious and Religious matters his casting his Scurrilous terms upon us and calling that Canting which hee 's not able to Confute This will not excuse his Prophaneness Levity Scorn and Contempt which God will rebuke As for his slighty Reflection upon
same as to Miracles or to equalize themselves therein with the Apostles though God hath wrought Wonders and Miracles among them and by some as Instruments in his hand Art 78. That to redeem and make free from Sin is done with the Body of Christ which we have told you is the Church A Perversion still as if the Church only did redeem and free it self whereas 't is Christ in and with his own Body that redeems his Church which is that Body of his whereof he is Head Though he has an intire peculiar and glorious Body yet the Church as united to him and Members of his Body comprehensively make up one Indivisible Body in the compleat and mysterious Union and Fulness of himself § 32. Art 81. That that man looks upon Christ with a Carnal Eye that looks upon him to have a true Body Which is a lying Forgery still Christ hath a true and Spiritual glorious Body whereof the Saints are Members in the spiritual and mysterious union wiâ—h himself § 32. Art 83. That Fellowship at the Lords Table is very wicked Is also a perverse falshood for ye cannot eat at the Table of the Lord and the Table of Devils Covetous Priests and Wicked People though they have the Sign or Shadow yet are short of the Lord's Table and partake not of the Flesh and Blood of Christ nor of his Supper while they shut him out of their Hearts § 16. 25. Art 89. That Vnquakeriz'd Christians do worship an unknown God A Forgery still none of our Terms or Creed but false and fleshly Christians do so Worship § 31. There are divers more Forgeries Perversions and Falshoods in the Priests Articles which for brevity's sake I omit and shall now give the Reader an Account according to my second Proposition before stated of some Truths set down in the Priests Articles which are not according to his Faith he having given them all the Title of the Quakers Vnsound Faith And thus I proceed viz. Pr. Art 2 3. Now we Quakers do believe that the Spirit alone doth give true discerning that the Light within ought to be the Rule of our Faith and Practice Answ We do believe that the Spirit of Truth is all-sufficient for those Ends 't is given for and leadeth into all Truth that true discerning of Spirits is a Gift of this Spirit and that we ought to walk in the Light of Christ Jesus and his Spirit as the chief Rule of our Faith and Practice which things it seems this Priest does not believe he believes not that the Spirit alone doth give true Discerning or that the Divine Light thereof ought to be his Rule He believes the Scripture to be the Rule of Life without the Light within as he has told us p. 120. § 14 15. Pr. Art 21. We Q. believe that we are to mind the Spirit alone in all things Answ We do believe we ought to mind the Spirit of Truth in all things both in reading Scripture for a true understanding thereof and in our Words and Actions but this Priest does not believe he ought to be so mindful of the Spirit his mind is more upon Flesh than Spirit § 14 15 23. Pr. Art 34. We Q. do believe that the Name Sunday is Heathenish that every day is the Lord's day Answ Then this Priest does not believe the Name Sunday is Heathenish or proceeded from Heathens or that every day is the Lords thus ignorant he has shewn himself § 20. Pr. Art 35. We Q. believe that they are no truly faithful Christians who deny that there is a perfect freedom from all manner of Sin to be had in this Life that their Faith is not the true Faith if it doth not cleanse them from all their Sins Answ This Priest therefore believes that they are truly faithful Christians and in the true Faith who deny a Perfect freedom from Sin in this Life and whose Faith does not cleanse them from their Sins which is contrary to the Belief and Faith of truly faithful Christians who know the Heart-purifying Faith and the Blood of Christ to cleanse them from all Sin and such could say He hath washed us from our Sins in his own Blood But 't is not done in this Life saith the Priest When then In the Life to come it must be But Where must it be in a Purgatory between Heaven and Hell That 's Popish Doctrine § 21. and 28. Pr. Art 36. We Q. do believe that the Scripture is not the Light nor the Word nor the Life nor the Judge nor the Rule nor the Guide nor the Tryer of Spirits Answ This being also included in the Qrs. unsound Faith by the Priest we must take it for granted that he believes the Scripture is the Light the Life the Judge †Contrary to Psal 50.6 Isa 33 22. Acts 10.42 Heb. 12.23 James 5.9 the Rule the Guide the Tryer of Spirits which Terms by way of Eminency most properly belonging to God to Christ to the holy Spirit to the divine Light * John 1 c 11.25 c. 14.6 might not the Priest as well have told us that the Scripture is God and Christ § 22 23 § 14 15. Pr. Art 37. We Q. do believe that the People and Teachers are Ignorant of Christ who seek Life in the Scripture where it is not to be found Answ So then this Priest therefore believes that Eternal Life is to be sound in the Scriptures and they who seek it in the Scripture do know and find Christ the Light and Life Eternal therein which is contrary to Christs own Testimony John 5.39 Search the Scriptures for in them ye THINK ye have Eternal Life and they are they which testifie of me but ye will not come to me that ye might have Life § 22 23. § 14 15. Pr. Art 50. We Q. do believe That they are all Heathens and no Christians who are so baptiz'd i. e. with Water and cannot witness the other Baptism i. e. the Baptism of Christ Answ This Priest then believes that they all are no Heathens but Christians who are Baptized or Sprinkled with Water when Infants though they cannot witness the Baptism of Christ at such an easie rate can he make Christians contrary to Christs own Testimony If I do not wash thee thou hast no part in me and except a man be born of Water and of the Spirit he cannot enter the Kingdom of God § 16. 25. 29. Pr. Art 51. We Q. do believe that Sacramental Bread so called is Natural that the Cup is such like and that which they call the Lords Supper is a Shadow Answ This being also included in the Qrs. Vnsound Faith we may take it for granted that the Priest does not believe that the Bread and the Cup which they call Sacramental and the Lords Supper are Natural Carnal or Shadow What then that they are Supernatural Spiritual the Substance the Body and Blood of Christ yea That the Bread broken
is with us manifested in the Flesh Answ But this the Priest believes not either of us or any people else for he counts it a high base Doctrine intolerable Blasphemy an abominable Quaking Assertion and all one as to say that they are no less God than himself is Godded with God and Christed with Christ Thus he has exploded such a Doctrine as the Saints partaking of the Divine Nature of Christ as an Abominable Quaking Assertion as his words are more at large aggravated in his 116th page whereby he hath discovered his gross Darkness Blasphemy and Ignorance of the Scripture and Testimony of holy Apostles see 2 Pet 1.3 4. According as his Divine Power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto Life and Godliness through the Knowledge of him that hath called us to Glory and Virtue whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious Promises that by these ye might be PARTAKERS OF THE DIVINE NATURE having escaped the Corruption that is in the World through Lust But this partaking of the Divine Nature the Priest counts an Abominable Quaking Assertion Quaking Blasphemy c. see now what an Ignorant Blasphemous Person he hath shewn himself one that neither knoweth the Scriptures nor the Power of God See § 30. Pr. Art 63. We Q. do believe that the true Church is where there is one Lord one Light one Life one Priest over the Houshold of God one Hope one Baptism one God and Father of all § 30. Answ Yes we must believe this whether the Priest will believe it or no and if he will not believe it he will not believe as the Scripture faith There should be One Shepherd and One Sheep fold there is One Body and One Spirit even as ye are called by One Hope of your Calling One Lord One Faith One Baptism all which the true Chutch partaketh of Pr. Art 64. We Q. do believe as G. F. writes that the Priests of England are going mad in preaching for Rewards and Gifts in Cursing Excommunicating and Imprisoning so that Balaam 's Ass may reprove them all Answ And we have no Cause to believe that the Priests of England are going Wise in Preaching for Rewards and Gifts in Cursing Excommunicating and Imprisoning such as do not put into their Mouthes But it seems this Priest believes they are Wise Priests that preach for Rewards and take these harsh and severe Courses of Cursing Excommunicating and Imprisoning them that cannot put into their Mouthes But did not Paul confess he was Exceeding Mad when he persecuted For he counts what G. F. has written in this Case one of the Articles of the Qrs. Unsound Faith Pr. Art 75. We Q. do believe that there is a Way to go through Moses and through the Prophets and through John to come to Christ that when a man hath gone this strange Way then he may see that the Light is but one Answ This is a Strange Way to our Adversary the Priest and to all that are alive without the Law but 't was not a Strange Way to the Apostle Paul nor to any true Christian who have traversed those steps of Judgments and through Death and Condemnation under the spiritual Administration of the Law under which the Offenders Mouth is stopt and all the World become guilty before God and the Righteousness of God is witnessed by the Law and the Prophets Rom. 3. And I had not known Sin but by the Law saith Paul Chap. 7.7 And we know that the Law is Spiritual Vers 14. And saith Paul I through the Law am dead to the Law that I might live unto God I am crucified with Christ nevertheless I live yet not I but Christ liveth in me and the Life which I now live in the Flesh I live by the Faith of the Son of God Gal. 2.19 20. And therefore he did spiritually pass through the Law And see what Christ saith Matth. 5.17 Think not that I am come to destroy the Law or the Prophets I am not come to destroy but to fulfil Again he saith Therefore all things whatsoever you would that men should do to you do even so to them for this is the Law and the Prophets Matth. 7.12 Luke 6.31 And this is no strange Way to any true Christian Pr. Art 77. We Q. do believe that Jesus Christ remains in Heaven that the same that did descend did ascend Answ This is also rank't in among his Articles of the Quakers Unsound Faith which plainly reflects upon the Apostle Paul's Testimony Ephes 4.10 He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all Heavens that he might fill all things Pr. Art 79. We Q. do believe that Christ lives in that Body which is the Church Answ And must this needs be an Unsound Faith too Does not Christ live in his Church To deny this how contrary is it to Christ's and his Apostles Testimonies see John 17.23 I in them and thou in me that they may be made perfect in one And did not he walk in the midst of the seven Golden Candlesticks which were the seven Churches of Asia Rev. 1.13 20. And his being in the Heavens and living in his Church are not inconsistent Hebr. 8.1 2. We have an High Priest who is set on the Right Hand of the Throne of the Majesty in the Heavens a Minister of the Sanctuary and of the true Tabernacle which the Lord pitched and not man And where was this Sanctuary and true Tabernacle but in his Church where he lives and ministers to the Edification of all those in whose Hearts Christ dwells by Faith Pr. Art 97. We Q. do believe that all the Teachers of England who are not sent who have no Commission from God who go forth only in the Will of Man that they are no Ministers of Christ that their Doctrine is not from Heaven but men below they teach for Doctrine the Traditions of Men. Answ And how should we believe otherwise of them who have no Commission from God but go forth in the Will of Man how should we believe that they are Ministers of Christ or that they receive their Doctrine or Commission from Heaven * §. 15. If our Adversary will still believe that such unsent Teachers as have no Divine Commission from Heaven are Christ's Ministers he may believe so long enough before the QVAKERS will be of his Faith There are several more things in his Ninety Eight Articles wherein his Ignorance as well as his Falshood appears But I think I have given Instances sufficient to evince both to any impartial and unbyassed Readers as also to Vindicate Truth from his Malicious Perverse and Knavish Attempts for which I leave him to the Just God to Reckon with Judge and Reward him according to his Works
'T is high time for the King's Majesty the Defender of the Faith to gird on his Sword comparing the Quakers to stinging Snakes in the Bosom of Indulgence calling the Quakers Meeting or Church an Unlawful Conventicle the Congregation of Evil-doers pag. 43. and not only accusing the Quaker with being no Loyal Subject but also with Treason and Rebellion His Out rage being chiefly because Hat and Knee Honour and such Worldly Out-side Complements and Earthly Honour cannot be complyed with by the Plain Simple-hearted Impartial Quaker who being in the Faith of our Lord Jesus Christ has an Eye to that Honour which comes from God only and not that which is from below earthly and must all be laid in the Dust Thus this Adversary has not only reflected on the King's Indulgence and sought to instigate him against his Peaceable Protestant Subjects but also like a Popish Incendiary to divide and weaken the real Protestant Interest and animate the Papists and introduce Popery and Arbitrary Government in Church State which with Persecution and Coertion to uphold it is Popery in the highest and therefore whilst this Clergy-man makes a great Noise against Papists and Popery he is but under a Disguise to cover his own Popish Rigid Persecuting Arbitrary Self-Willed Spirit and therein carrying on the Design of Popery and not only in this of Persecution but also in his very Language Doctrine and manner of Arguing where instead of Rationally Confuting the Quaker he cryes up the Faith and Authority of the Church as having the King and Bishops or outward Powers on his side therein like as if he should impose upon us that we must be of the Faith of that Church that has a Coercive Power to maintain her and what Interest will not this serve And where he frequently calls the Virgin Mary the Mother of God he shews himself greatly offended at the Quaker for deeming the Phrase Popish and Unscriptural pag. 26 27. As also his saying that the Bread broken that is in the Sacrament is the Body of Christ pag. 78. Thus this pretended Anti-papist hath his Work intermixed with such Popish Language and Stuff and yet he would be thought a Real Protestant while he is unjustly branding the Quaker with Popery There are two sorts of Clergy-men whereof this seems to be one that are very liable and fit to introduce Popery at unawares even under Pretence of the Church of England among the Simple and Ignorant People in this Nation to the vitiating and corrupting of their Minds and that is the Temporizing Clergy-men and the Debauched Drunken Clergy men which our Nation is too much filled with God knows for neither of them are either Tender or Conscientious about Religion but so corrupted hardened and debauched in their Consciences that they have lost their Zeal for the Protestant Cause Religion and Interest only fit to comply with such Interests as may most serve their own Ends and Turns which is the very way to introduce Popery Idolatry and Arbitrary Rule and Imposition both in Affairs Ecclesiastical and Civil 't is apparent that as Hypocrisie Loosness and Debauchery do harden and sear Peoples Consciences and make them Irreligious and Atheistical so these things are not only privious to Popery but In lets and Incouragements thereto for what Religion can be more grateful to the Flesh than that which is most Indulgent to it in its corrupt Wayes as for men daily to commit Sin and then believe that Priests have a Dispensation from the Pope or Sea of Rome to indulge and pardon them and that though they live in many gross Sins and Enormities all their dayes as they that plead for Sin and Imperfection to continue all their Life time yet the worst and final Punishment for them is but a Purgatory hereafter for some term of Years as their Priests for their own Ends make them believe What can be more easie and grateful to Fleshly Minds than such a Religion as this and how near a kin to this is our present Adversary's pleading and contending for Sin term of Life and which is worse charging the best of men with sinning daily so long as they live let the serious Reader Judge when he reads the Controversie hereafter And though this our Adversary has conceal'd his Name and would go Hood-winked I have some Account out of the County of Durham who he is and what he is as to his Conversation among his Neighbours in these words viz. There being a Pamphlet lately put forth against Friends entituled The Papists Younger Brother or the Vileness of Quakerism Detected by Misoplanes and Philalethes in which Gotation out of Friends Books are taken and Wickedly and Enviously paraphrased upon to render Truth Odious and Friends Obnoxious to expose them to Persecution Friends here about Darlington can give a sufficient Account of him as being a very great Persecutor by whom our Friends of Darlington Meeting have suffered very much His Name is Leonard Wastall Priest at a Town called Harworth about two Miles from Darlington where he has been Priest both in Oliver 's dayes and in these his Envy and Wicked Carriage is sufficiently known his Name is in the Record of the Sufferings of Darlington with many Circumstances of his many inhumane and wicked Actings against Friends if thou or any other may see any service of having an Account of him or his Conversation or Carriage Envy and Wicked Proceedings against Truth Friends here at Darlington can return you it with many Remarkable Circumstance Thus far the Account from a Person of Credit bearing date the 7th of the 3d Moneth 1679. For a more evident Discovery of our Antagonist the Reader is desired by the way to observe this Certificate which lately came to hand viz. These are to certifie that whereas there is an Abusive Book put forth against the People of God in Scorn called Quakers entituled The Papists Younger Brother c. and no real Name at it but instead thereof two Fained Names viz. Misoplanes and Philalerhes which Book was believ'd to be put forth by Leonard Wastall Priest of Harworth a Man well known in this Country to be Maliciously bent against the same People and a great Persecutor of the same yet for certain satisfaction hereof I did ask the same Leonard Wastal if he owned himself to be the Author of that Book entituled The Papists Younger Brother c. and subscribed by Misoplanes and Philalethes and he did own himself to be the Author of that Book so entituled in the Presence of Richard Scaife Merchant of Darlington Robert Johnson of Bernard-Castle Attourney Robert Lin of Blackwell Yeoman Men of good Credit Edward Tonstall 'T is also very remarkable what a great height the Priest's Envy and Malice is gotten to in his falsly representing the Quaker as being the Papists Younger Brother both contrary to the general sense of all moderate true English Men and Protestants and the publick Resentment and Cognizance that both the Commons
and none need to think themselves obliged to do it which is that Christ paid a Proper and Ridgid Satisfaction * Let my Adversar reconcile his Doctrine to this of Christs Satisfaction as held by the Presbyterians where he sayes That Satisfastion made by Christ God-Man to God the rathers Justice is a precious Gospel-Truth Is not this such a Notion as Edw. Stillingfleet here opposeth for the Sins of Men considered under the Notion of Debt and that he paid the very same which we ought to have done c. And further saith If the very same had been paid in the strict sense Ibid. p. 271. there would have followed a Deliverance Ipso Facto for the Release immediately follows the Payment of the same c. But we see that Faith and Repentance and the Consequences of those two are made Conditions on our parts in order to the enjoying the Benefit of what Christ hath procured And he further argues and saith We are to consider that these very Persons assert that Christ Paid all for us Ibid. p. 272. and in our Name and stead c. But above all things it is impossible to reconcile the Freeness of Remission with the full Payment of the very same It is impossible the same Debt should be fully paid and freely forgiven And he counts that they give the Church's Adversaries too great Advantage who hold this Opinion built upon a Mistake that Satisfaction must be such a strict Payment However let it be noted That seeing Faith and Repentance and the Consequences of both are made Conditions on our parts in order to the enjoying the Benefit of what Christ hath procured It follows that Justification and Redemption are not compleated wholly without us or that men are justified and redeemed while no Good no Qualification is wrought in them by the Spirit and Light of Christ for Faith and Repentance are some Good wrought in us thereby Pr. Ibid. No such thing discoverable by the Light within any Quaker as that the Godhead and Manhood were joyned in one Person who suffered was dead and buried to reconcile his Father to us and to be a Sacrifice not only for Original Guilt but also for all Actual Sins of Men. Ibid. The Quakers deny Christ to be God-Man in one Person Answ 'T was discoverable by the Spirit of Christ in the Prophets that Christ should be called the Wonderful Counsellor the Mighty God the Everlasting Father the Prince of Peace Isa 9.6 as also by the same Spirit and â—ight of it they did soresee his Sufferings as Man and the Glory that should follow and that thereby as a Sacrifice he should make a Reconciliation for Iniquity and also that he should bring in Everlasting Righteousness Dan. 9. And accordingly God was in Christ reconciling the World to himself and it is as in Christ who is truly God and truly Man inseparable that God and Men are reconciled and in Union but not so out of Christ in their Unbelief Sin and Transgressions § X. Pr. Ibid. If this with his Fellow-Quakers were enjoyned by the King's Majesty the Defender of the true Faith to subscribe to the Thirty Nine Articles then by their declaring their unfeigned Assent and Consent but to the two first Articles thereof their False Christian Paint would soon fall off these Saints Seed People Answ This man 's Hypocritical Paint is greatly defaced by his Scoffing and Flouting and shamefully Belying us therewith We hope to approve our selves True Christians Saints and People of God when he and such Temporizing Hypocrites and Scorners shall be had in universal Contempt for their Wickedness As to the two first Articles if that will either quiet him or he thinks it may make for him I can assent and subscribe to the substance of the two first that is To the One Living and True God infinite in Power Wisdom and Goodness the Maker and Preserver of all things and the Father Son and Holy Ghost as of one Substance Power and Eternity And to the Son his being the Word the very Eternal God of One Substance and that he took Man's Nature in the Virgin Mary and that so he is one Christ perfect God and Man who as Man truly suffered was crucified dead and buried and so became a Sacrifice for Reconciliation between the Father and us This without any Equivocal or Reserved Sense I can freely consent to let my Adversary make what he can of it Qr. G.W. Now if Professors come not to feel and experience these Things or Works of Christ viz. Reconciliation Redemption Salvation Justification fulfilled within them they are but meer empty Professors and Talkers of them without the true Life and Power of Christianity and true Religion Priest answers p. 16. They are Quakers in Heart ill principled in Christianity who do not see plainly how this Quaker 's Spirit hath put him upon playing the Sophister as well as an Ignoramus in it Answ Here he counts us Ill principl'd in Christianity Sophisters and Ignoramus's for asserting that Reconciliation Redemption Salvation Justification must be fulfilled within as much as to tell us that Professors possess the true Life and Power of Christianity without having these Works of Christ fulfilled within them as if they were all wholly compleated without them without respect to the Work of Christ within them This is still his old Antinomian Notion which he would father upon the Church of England but how contrary not only to Scripture but also to the Seventeenth Article of the Bishops concerning those who are Chosen in Christ let the serious Reader judge The words in the said Article are these viz. Wherefore they which be endued with so excellent a Benefit of God be called according to God's Purpose by his Spirit working in due season they through Grace obey the Calling they be justified freely they be made Sons of God by Adoption they be made like the Image of his Only Begotten Son Jesus Christ they walk Religiously in good Works and at length by God's Mercy they attain to Everlasting Felicity Here is as much said for me as I can desire to this Adversary's Confutation discovering not only his Abuse of the Quakers but of his own Church in his pleading for a Justification of men wholly without them so wholly excluding the Works of Christ from within leaving them under the Dominion of Sin and Satan But this is not all but also in the said 17th Article there are these words viz. And such as feel in themselves the working of the Spirit of Christ mortifying the Works of the Flesh and their Earthly Members and drawing up their Minds to High and Heavenly Things fervently kindle their Love towards God How plain is it that here is Confession to the working of God's Spirit even to the feeling if it within Obedience to his Calling being made Sons of God conformable to the Image of his Son c. included in the State of Justification contrary to our Adversary's
WHOLLY WITHOUT By which 't is still evident how he has contradicted the Church of England in this Point Pr. There is not one Syllable of Redemption by Purchase to be found in it p. 16. Answ He intends this of my sense of certain Scripture-terms relating to Christ and his Work pag. 8 9. of my Book Nature of Christianity but herein he has shamefully belyed me For Redemption is found and thus explained in it viz. A Ransoming Buying again a Rescuing or Recovering such as were under Bondage c. Pr. p. 17. Not only ignorantly but basely explain'd they must be all felt and experimentally fulfill'd within Professors Answ No base Explanation to feel and Experience Justification Salvation c. the Works of Christ fulfilled within But this man shews his Baseness in contemning this and his Contrapiction to the Bishops Article before cited else what mean those words therein viz. Such as feel in themselves the working of the Spirit of Christ mortifying the Works of the Flesh c. Pr. Ibid. Justification is altogether Popishly explained a plain Instance that the Quakers Light within is from Rome below and not from Heaven above This is an Abuse again 't is not Popishly explain'd by us For though the Papists place the first Justification of men through the Means and Merits of Christ to be when God finds no good Works to Reward but Sins to Pardon unto such as have Faith in him yet they hold a second Justification and Salvation through the Merits of their own Works by the Assistance and Co-operation of God's Spirit * Vide Rhemists Annot. in Nov. Test on Rom. 2 3 4 9 10. Chapters and on 2 Tim. 4. Chap. Vers 8. where they say That all good Works done by God's Grace after the first Justification be truly and properly Meritorious and fully worthy of Everlasting Life and that thereupon Heaven is the due and just Stipend Crown or Recompence which God by his Justice oweth to the Persons so working by his Grace by which Merit or Meritoriousness of their own Works they do not mean in a mild sence an obtaining acceptance with God as by doing their Duty but in a strict sence that they have so deserved their Hire or Reward at God's hand as that they reckon God as a Debtor to them Whereas we place the Merit Deserving or Dignity wholly upon Christ both in his obtaining Redemption for us and his working in us that which is well-pleasing to the Father and his enabling us to do those things that please him wherein our Acceptance is wholly in him both with respect to his Suffering for us and his working in us and his working by us and what good we do by his Assistance 't is but our Duty not our Merit 't is that wherein we obtain Acceptance through the Assistance of his free Grace and not that whereby we can be said strictly to merit buy or purchase Salvation to our selves For what 's of Grace is not of Debt as from God to us we are Debtors to him for Christ's sake but he is no Debtor to us in his Gracious Rewards For we have all that 's good Root and Branch from him who hath ordain'd Peace for us having wrought all our works in us and we are bound to give thanks to God always for what we have and are even by his Grace and Goodness in Christ to us § XI Pr. Pag. 19. To believe and wait for the Life Everlasting after Death is no Article of this Quakers Faith this is a putting Salvation at a great Distance Answ This is a foul Perversion as if I did not believe Life Everlasting after Death whereas I only detected R. G. his Mistake on Heb. 9.28 his making the Believers looking for Christ and his Appearance the second time without Sin to Salvation to be a hoping and waiting for Salvation after the Bodily Death whereas I intended a Salvation from Sin and consequently from Wrath that this Salvation ought not to be put off till the Life to come For all that truly know this Appearance of Christ for this end experience him to save them from Sin and can truly say Now is come Salvation and Strength and the Kingdom of our God and the Power of his Christ Rev. 12. Pr. p. 20. To affirm that the Salvation of Sinners yea of the whole World should be compleatly finished by Christ's Death upon the Cross above Sixteen Hundred Years since this is strange Doctrine to this Ill principl'd Quaker Answ If the Salvation of the whole World was compleatly finished by Christ's Death on the Cross so long since what should hinder any man of Salvation And if so compleatly finish't there is none like to miss of it let them be as Corrupt as they will in themselves there is no exception of Condition on Man's part But if Salvation was so long since compleatly finished for Sinners yea for the whole World why does this Priest so Rail against me and the Quakers He should think by his own Rule that we are compleatly saved as well as he But if he says that we want Faith Christianity and sound Principles and therefore are not saved this still confutes himself and grants an inward work of Christ to produce Faith Christianity c. for the compleating our Salvation although Christ dyed for all men Pr. Ibid. You see clearly it s no part of this Quakers Faith to believe that Christ is the Son of the Virgin Mary Answ This is an apparent Lye and gross Perversion we have alwayes believed the Scriptures even in this very matter of Christs being born of the Virgin Pr. Ibid. This Quaker is bold to say to this Purpose If any man believes that Christ shall come at the last day to judge the quick and the dead to adjudge the Righteous to Heaven to condemn the Wicked to Hell then he may look till his Eyes drop out c. Answ A Notorious Perversion again I said nothing to this purpose against Christ's coming to judge the quick and dead at the Last Day but against my Opposer's putting off Salvation till after the Bodily Death in reference to that Appearance of Christ without Sin to Salvation to them that look for him and this on Heb. 9.28 Upon which I said 'T is strange that Salvation of Sinners yea of the whole World should be compleated at once above sixteen hundred Years since and yet to be so long after Death look't for how long is not known to thee c. Nat. Christ p. 29. Here is not one word in opposition to Christ's coming to Judgment But what was argued by me in this Case was in respect to the Salvation of Sinners and Christ's Appearance to save from Sin For but in page before I mentioned his Saving us by the Washing of Regeneration and Renewing of the holy Ghost on Tit. 3.4 5 6. Pr. p. 21. As for Christ's Righteousness without us made ours by Faith this is the Doctrine which is disowned by
And also see 1 Cor. 6.11 where both Washing Sanctification and Justification are said to be in the Name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God And even Erasmus in his Paraphrase on Acts 13.38 39. saith expresly Through this same Jesus each man without respect of any Person or else offence hath Righteousness or Justification and Innocency profferred unto him so that he believe the Promises of the Gospel Note Surely then these are profferred to be received Therefore this Adversary's saying That the Quakers have a Pâ—pe in their Bellies and that the Quaker his Lines are hammered out upon his Popish Anvil as in pag. 22 24. These are some of his Abominable Scurrilous Slanders such Temporizers as he are more like to have a Pope in their Bellies that for their Bellies can Temporize Change and Turn their Coat in Religious matters And how like a Popish Incendiary has he acted in rendring the People called Quakers so guilty of Popery as if he had a Design to carry on for the Popish Interest either by endeavouring the Quakers Destruction because of their opposition to Popery or else by encreasing the Number of Papists by adding the Quakers thereto or rather falsly rendring the Popish Interest far bigger than it is Besides he grosly mistakes as well as shallowly argues about Popery in his rendring some Truths which the Council of Trent held to be Popery whereas Popery is the Gross Erronious Idolatrous and Superstitious part of their Doctrine and Religion and not any Scripture-Truths that they hold But this man it seems where they hold the New Birth and the Renovation of the inner man c. as necessary to our Justification this he 'll deem Popery because held by the Council of Trent But further Though Christ dyed for all all are not Partakers of the blessed Ends and Benefit thereof but those to whom it is communicated for unless in Adam they were faln and degenerate so as to dye in their own Injustice unto Righteousness they should not be unjust so unless they be regenerate in Christ they should never be justified and live to him Council of Trent chap. 3. Sess 6. Vnless they were born again in Christ they should never be justified Then it follows because that Regeneration is given to them by the Merit of his Suffering by Grace received whereby they are made Righteous What Protestant ever denyed this that only the Regenerate had the Benefit of Christ's Sufferings and that Regeneration was given freely and that thereby they were made Righte ous or Sanctified or Repentance wrought in them and Newnes of Life By Grace we are saved saith Paul through Faith and that not of our selves it is the Gift of God This Man appears in this Point an Adversary to the Papists and Protestants that are not Libertines And the Charge is true against him that the Papists untruly bring against the Protestants viz. of Libertinism And at this rate he may as well invalidate much of the Doctrine of the Church of England so much applauded by him for that she holds the same Truths which in divers things the Church of Rome holds and both have recourse in many things to the same Authors and Fathers for their Assertions And in this very Case of Justification inwardly the Rhemists in their Annot. on Rom. 3.22 cite St. Augustine speaking thus The Grace of Christ doth work our Illumination and Justification inwardly also De Pec. Mer. l. 1. c. 9 10. And again He giveth to the Faithful the most secret Grace of his Spirit which secretly he poureth into Infants also And again They are justiâ—â—ed in Christ that believe in him through the secret Communication and Inspiration of spiritual Grace whereby every one leaneth to our Lord. And again He maketh just renewing by the Spirit and Regeneration by Grace And also a Person of note who lately wrote the Book entituled The Middle Way of Perfection with indifferency between the Orthodox and the Quaker he vindicates us in this very Point of Justification as it is from the Charge of the Law and the Charge of the Gospel confessing That our Faith and Repentance is our Righteousness in regard to the Gospel but Pardon of Sin together with this Righteousness so both into universal Justification p. 5. And also pleads for God's justifying us by this Righteousness that is by Faith and Evangelical Obedience And farther saith he I do not find that the Scripture doth denominate or pronounce any one Righteous or a Just Man from one end to another upon any other account then his doing Righteousness As also saith That calm Protestants grant the Constitution of a real true Righteousness according to the Covenant of Grace pag. 15 16. And grants A having the Righteousness of a perfect Heart for Justification and yet no man justified but by the Grace of God through the Redemption which we have in Christ Jesus pag. 26. And also consesseth That we have their Divines on the blind side and that the Orthodox are quite out that will have any justified without a Righteousness that is perfect according to the Law that justifies him i. e. the Law of Grace pag. 26. And confesseth also on St. Augustine Aug de Spir. et Lit. That 't is possible for a Man to attainto such a perfection as to live without Sin by Grace or the special Assistance of God's Spirit granting it also to be our Duty But our Adversary tells us That it is an old Popish Trick to assert Justification by Works of the Spirit p. 23. Thus he still persists in his Antinomian Libertine Sin-pleasing Principle to shut out the Work of the Spirit from Justification that Impure and Poluted Persons may be deemed Just and Righteous under the Notion of Imputation contrary to the most Moderate and Learned of all sorts both Protestants and others and contrary to what 's before-cited out of their 17th Article for the Spirit 's working in due season and mortifying the Works of the Flesh And I would know where ever any Protestant Writers of note did charge the Council of Trent with Popery on the two Passages before cited out of the said Council against us As also contrary to many Passages in the Common-Prayer or Service Book as in their Absolution to be pronounced by the Priest viz. That Almighty God hath given Power to his Ministers to declare and pronounce to his People being penitent the Absolution and Remission of their Sius he pardons and absolves all them which truly repent and unfeignedly believe c. Wherefore we beseech him to grant us true Repentance and his Holy Spirit that those things may please him which we do at this present and that the rest of our Life hereafter may be Holy But with what Heart or Faith can our Adversary thus pronounce or pray when he neither believes a Pureness of Life nor grants Repentance and such unfeigned Belief to concern our Justification while he shuts out the Works
to the Light viz. That no Priests of the Church of England or else-where did ever deny that God might not be known by the Light of Nature within them pag. 120. See how manifestly the Priest has Contradicted himself here Did ye ever read that God might be known by a False Christ or by an Idol or by an ELF before as he calls the Light within †Whether by Elf he means a Fairy Nymph or Dwarf his Term is very Irreverent and Blasphemous Pr. pag. 68. It is a confessed Truth among us that all those do hold the Truth in Vnrighteousness that do not live according to it Answ Many such Professors there are among you that do not live according to Truth we wish your Repentance and Amendment of Life that you may through the Grace of God live answerable to Scripture Pr. Ibid. But 't is no false Light in any of us to profess the Scripture to be our Rule By God's own appointment the Scripture is the Rule of Faith and Life Answ The cripture is not your Rule if you walk contrary and hold Truth in Unrighteousness and live a sinful Life the Scripture is not the Rule of such a Life to be sure And if ye know it to be a Rule and profitable to you it must be through God's Assistance and his divine Illumination else ye cannot understand it But where by Gods own appointment the Scripture is called the Rule of Faith and â—ife he shews us not by Scripture Pr. Ibid. It 's folly to think that the sinfulness of any man's Life can make the Scripture to cease to be the Rule of Life as God hath declared it to be Answ He shews us not where God hath declared the Scripture or Writing to be the Rule of Life or the Rule of Faith and Life we have only his Say-so for it no Scripture-proof for this Article of his Faith And then where is the Foundation of his Faith which he pretends the Scripture to be the Rule of he is not content with its being a Rule Subordinate to the holy Spirits Guidance and Illumination of the understanding but by way of Emphasis he must have these Epithetes placed upon the Scripture which signifies Writing viz. The Rule of Faith and Life which yet he brings us no Scripture-proof for that ever God hath declared it so to be much less the Word of Life the Judge the Tryer of Spirits those streams which make glad the City of God Wherein he might as well plainly have told us that the Scripture is God Christ the Spirit the Life the Light and what not § XXIII Pr. Ibid. Without doubt it is a false Light in any Quaker which guides him to say that the Scripture is not the Rule of Life without the Light within to guide him Answ Here the Priest renders the Scripture the Rule of Life without the Light within to guide as if Men could know the benefit of the Scripture while in their Darkness without the Guidance of the Light The man is quite out here How should any rightly understand use or improve the Scripture without divine Illumination or Inspiration to open their Understandings seeing that there is a Spirit in Man but the Inspiration of the Almighty gives him understanding The Spirit of God is sufficient to instruct men in those Nations where they have not or cannot read Scripture But the Scripture of it self cannot guide any men nor be of any real profit to them so much as a Rule of Life without the Spirit and its inward divine Illumination For what can dark minds and Earthly Corrupt Hearts or Natural men by their own Wisdom truly understand of holy Scripture 't is as a seal'd Book unto them And therefore the Psalmist applied himself to the Lord in Prayer in this wise Teach me thy Statutes make me to understand the Way of thy Precepts so shall I talk of thy wondrous Works Remove from me the way of Lying and grant me thy Law graciously I will run the way of thy Commandments when thou shalt enlarge my Heart Teach me O Lord the Way of thy Statutes and I shall keep it unto the End Give me Vnderstanding and I shall keep thy Law yea I shall observe it with my whole Heart With many more such passages in Psal 119. Of whom did he seek this Teaching Understanding and Help but of the Lord Could then the Scripture of it self do all this no sure Consider of it and let all serious Readers take notice how blind Opposers of the Light of Christ within stumble and fall in the dark § XXIV In the next place the Priest appears greatly vex't at James Parnel's Book called The Trumpet of the Lord blown or A Blast against Pride and Oppression About which the Priest greatly abuses the Author and the people called Qrs. most shamefully perverting his Testimony against Pride and Oppression as may plainly appear in a few Instances As Whereas James Parnel saith Wo unto you that are called Lords and Ladies Knights c. in respect to your Persons who are Exalted in the Earth who are Proud High and Lofty c. With other passages Threatning and Warning of them for their Pride Wantonness Voluptuousness c. instancing Dives Haman Pharaoh c. Pr. Hereupon the Priest saith According to this Qr. the last End of all the aforesaid Persons without exception is to be destroyed p. 70. And that according to this Quaking Scrible all that are called Lords Ladies Knights Gentlemen and Gentlewomen Master Mistress Madam shall every one of them unless they turn Quakers be damn'd forever they shall without any Exception be cast into Hell p. 71. Answ The Priests horrid and gross Abuse in these Passages in saying that without any Exception they shall be all cast into Hell Here he makes the Threat Absolute as if because they are called Lords and Ladies c. they must all be damned in the Qrs. sence which is a most Sordid Perversion and Knavery leaving out much that concerns their Destructive Ways and States and the very Principal Condition or Matter which J. P. inserted in those Threats and Warnings of his and yet for all this the Priest puts in or Forges a Condition or Exception in his own Terms That unless they turn Qrs. they shall be damned forever These are none of J. P's words and yet a forged Exception enough to render the Priest Contradictory to himself And it is to be noted that this Priest in his Citation pag. 71. out of James Parnel's Book pag. 31 32 33. which he takes together he hath left out the most Materal Passages both relating to those Ways and States that are Destructive and to those Conditions that tend to Salvation As for Instance After the Words Rising up to Play the Priest leaves out and live in Pride and Covetousness And after the words The blind eads the blind into the Ditch he leaves out and so you lead your Lives and spend your Time here and
Believer in Christ can witness that Christ is come to destroy the Works of the Devil and to redeem him from under his Power before this saving Work of Christ be effected or compleated from the very first appearance of Christ and work of his Grace in the Heart through Faith which he is the Author of there is a real Belief Sense Expectation and Hope that he who has begun a good Work will perfect it in his own due time he that hath begun to Cleanse to Purifie to work out Sin to engage the Soul in a Spiritual Warfare against it will in his own time even in this Life perfect this Work of Cleansing and Redeeming the Creature from all Sin so that he is known to be a Redeemer by that effectual Progress which he makes in his Work in Man in the gradual carrying on of it unto Perfection there is a time of Washing and Cleansing and a time of being Washed and Cleansed from Sin there is a time of Warring and a time of Conquering as also a being made more then Conquerors through him that loved us Pr. pag. 103. It s no marvail that the Qrs. do ignorantly plead for a perfect Freedom from all Sin in this Life for this is their Top-gallant Error which makes them reign like Kings above the World Death Hell and the Devil Answ See here how mad against Perfection this Priest is he likes not to hear of perfect Freedom from all Sin in this Life he calls it The Quakers Top-gallant Error his Clamour against us on this occasion he reiterates over and over and therefore I recite his words that the Reader may see how earnest he is for Satan's Kingdom he has done no less herein than Blasphem'd the Work and Doctrine of Christ and his Apostles which was against all Sin and for a perfect Freedom from it in this Life as being a Top-gallant Error thus he has shewn himself an Industrious Agent for Satan's Kingdom Pr. Ibid. By this Quaking Doctrine of Perfection this Quaker saith that the Children of God and the Children of the Devil are made manifest Behold in this Qrs. account they are manifestly the Children of the Devil who do not hold a perfect Freedom from Sin on Earth Answ That which here he scornfully calls Quaking Doctrine is according to plain Scripture which he has flatly opposed see 1 John 3.9 10. 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 In this the Children of God are manifest and the Children of the Devil Whosoever doth not Righteousness is not of God neither he that loveth not his Brother Pr. Ibid. Thus this Idoliz'd Perfection of the Qrs. serves to Vnchristian all but themselves Answ Manifest Scorn and Falshood we do not idolize Christ's Work of Perfection nor unchristian any by vindicating of it but seek to bring them to true Christianity that they may know Christ his Image and divine Nature formed and brought forth in them by the Operation of his Spirit and Power Pr. Ibid. In vain doth this Qr. tell us that they who dwell in the Righteousness of Christ sin not for the Scripture records no such Over-holy Inhabitants Answ The Scripture doth record such Holy Inhabitants in Christ as sin not Ye know that He was manifested to take away Our Sins and in him is No Sin whosoever abideth in him sinneth not 1 John 3.5 6. But this the Priest counts Over-holy that is with him 't is Over-holy to abide in Christ and not to sin whereas Christ said Abide in me and I in you Pr. Ibid. It s true it s the Devil who pleads for Sin and let that man's Mouth be stopt forever that doth so Answ Then Priest to be sure thy Mouth ought to be stopt for much of thy work here is pleading striving and contending for Sin reiterating the same sinful Doctrine of thine against Perfection and Freedom from Sin in this Life over and over frequently and therefore thou art therein the Devil's Mouth and not the Mouth of God nor Christ The Devil pleads for Sin and so dost thou thou and the Devil are manifestly united together against Christ and all his Followers in this matter and therefore stop thy Mouth for shame thou Flattering Sin-pleasing Priest who strengthenest the hands of Evil-doers that they may not forsake their sins like the false Prophets of old promising them Life Justification Peace and Salvation in a sinful state Pr. Ibid. But to affirm the In-being and Dwelling of Sin in the best of men in this World is no siding with the Devil in the same Plea Answ Here the Priest hath accused the best of men in this World with the In-being and Dwelling of Sin and is not this a pleading for Sin and a siding with the Devil against Christ's Manifestation and Work which is to take away Sin to destroy the Work of the Devil and if to Destroy it then not to let it have a Being or Dwelling in any true Believers The best of men are free from consenting to the In-being of sin much more from pleading or contending for it for being made free from Sin and become Servants to God such have their Fruit unto Holiness and the End Everlasting Life Rom. 6.22 Pr. Ibid. Ministers of the Gospel who teach that none can be Perfectly cleansed from all Sin in this Life Answ They that teach that none can be perfectly cleansed from all Sin in this Life preach another Gospel than the holy Apostles preached whose Preaching and Work of the Ministry was to present Believers Perfect in Christ and for the Perfecting of the Saints But such Ministers as teach that none can be cleansed from all Sin in this Life are like or of kin to such as hold a Purgatory or place of Purgation to cleanse in after Death only they fall short of the Papists in this that they 'l allow none no not the best of men on Earth to be perfectly cleansed from all sin in this Life whereas the Papists do grant that their Canonized Saints and Martyrs escape Purgatory and go directly to Heaven when they dye but yet they will imagine a Purgatory for the greatest part of their People to give them ease in their Sins and get Money and Gifts of the Richer sort to mitigate and shorten their pains in Purgatory Thus Satan has divers wayes to sooth up Sinners and to maintain his own Kingdom against Christ his Work and Kingdom Pr. pag. 104. O Quaking Perfection from all Sin in this Life O Brain-sick Whimsy To what Extravigant Assertions to what Devilish Expressions hast thou transported this Poor Deluded Quaker This Quaking Error Answ Thus the Priest Hectors Rants Vapours Vilifies and Reproaches the Quaker for pleading against the Devil's Work which is Sin and for Christ's Work and Service which is Perfection and perfect Freedom But the Priest in his pleading for Sin and therein siding with the Devil Rants it
at a high Rate he thinks he has paid it off and run down the Qr. and the Doctrine of Perfection with his Hectoring Insulting Scoffing and Deriding and yet he would have People believe he does not plead for Sin for he says 'T is the Devil that pleads for Sin and let that man's Mouth be stopt forever that doth so A plain Confession which shall rise up against him to his own Condemnation that out of his own Mouth he may be judged Pr. Ibid. This Qr. was not rightly instructed to distinguish well betwixt the Being and ruling Power of Sin Answ He is here mistaken still concerning the Quakâ—r for he is so far instructed in Christ's School as to know that the same Seed which bruiseth the Serpent's Head breaks his strength and power subdues and destroyes his Kingdom doth in due time both remove and destroy the very being of Sin in all who receive believe and abide in Christ Jesus the promised Seed for granting that the ruling Power of Sin is taken away and removed by Christ what sincere Soul or upright Follower of Christ Jesus who thus far feels his Power to bruise the Serpent's Head and break his strength to the subduing of sin will yet suffer the Being and In-dwelling of Sin all his Life time to remain in him seeing he that is begotten of God keeps himself that the Wicked one toucheth him not 1 John 5.18 when he faithfully follows the Conduct of such a powerful and victorious Prince Captain and Conqueror as our Lord Jesus Christ who is able to do the Work that God has sent him to do and even to save to the uttermost all that come unto God by him who also is he that is greater in us than he that is in the World and as the Author to the Hebrews prayed Now the God of Peace that brought again from the Dead our Lord Jesus that great Shepherd of the Sheep through the Blood of the Everlasting Covenant make you PERFECT in every good Work to do his Will working IN you that which is well-pleasing in his sight through Jesus Christ te whom be Glory forever and ever Heb. 13.20 21. § XXIX Pr. pag. 108. As for Infant-Baptism used in all Ages of the Christian Church this Qr. like an Anabaptist saith there is no Scripture nor Example for it Answ That Infant-Baptism or rather Sprinkling was used in all Ages of the Christian Church I plainly deny and it remains for this Priest to prove or else confess his Ignorance or false Assertion in this point as also since he upbraids the Qr. for saying there is no Scripture Example for it why does not he produce Scripture or Example thence for it that would end the Controversie And that it was imposed or settled by any general Council in the Christian Churches before Popery entred or before there was a Pope or Universal Bishop so called at Rome it remains for him to prove And since the Church of Rome pleads for Infant-Baptism and imposeth it upon the account of Tradition and not Scripture as it s said of Claudius Espontius a Popish Bishop at a Council at Pysoy in France 1500. That he ordained that Infants Baptism should be received by Tradition because it could not be proved a Command from the Scriptures The Question hereupon is Whether this Tradition he derived from the Church of Rome and so intended or from the Primitive Church in the Apostles Dayes For its being imposed by the Church of Rome cannot be binding to us Protestants because thereof And if they pretend Authority from the Primitive Christian Church in the Apostles Dayes then they should shew us this from Scripture especially these who are our present Opposers who profess the Scripture to be their Rule and not the Church of Rome For in vain is their Worship who teach for Doctrine the Traditions of men and whose fear towards God is taught by mens Precepts Notes by another hand on this Subject 'T is recorded that about the Year 248. lived a Priest called Fidus Cyprian who willed People to Baptize Young Children according to the manner of Circumcision About which Thing Cyprian with Sixty six Bishops and Elders gathered together ordained That Children should timely be baptized as well before as after the 8th day It seems the Doctrine of Fidus concerning Dipping or Sprinkling of Children was New and seem'd strange to Cyprian seeing he would not ratifie nor confirm the same without the Sentence and Advice of Sixty Six Bishops Had it been commanded by Christ practised by the Apostles and continued in matter and manner to Cyprian's days there had not been a necessity for the Concourse of so many Bishops concerning the same And though Cyprian here enjoyned Baptizing of Children yet a few Years before he was for the Dipping or Sprinkling of aged People see his Epistle to Magnus Cassander in his Book de Infantum Baptismo saith Cassander Pado-Baptisms rise That Baptism of Infants came to be much used by the Fathers who lived some three hundred Years after the Apostles He excludes it from being Christ's Command or practised by the Apostles Johannes Bohemius saith That Baptism of old was administred to none unless upon urgent necessity but to such as were before instructed in the Faith and catechised but when it came to be judged necessary to Everlasting Life it was ordained that Infants should be baptized and that they should have God-fathers and God-mothers who should be Sureties for Infants and should renounce the Devil in their behalfs It grew to this in the Roman-Catholick-Church that at the Baptizing of a Child the Priest First Blows three times in the Infants Face Secondly He anoints his Eyes Ears and Nostrils with Earth moistned with his Spittle Thirdly He Names him and Marks him with the Sign of the Cross upon his Breast and Back with Hallowed Oyl Fourthly He dips him into the Water or pours Water upon him three times in the form of a Cross Fifthly Dipping his Thumb in the holy Chrism as they call it he signs the Childs Fore-head with the sign of the Cross Sixthly He covers him with a White Garment Seventhly He puts into his hand a burning Candle Lib. 2. de Gentium Moribus For a farther Information about Baptisms I refer the Reader to Thomas Lawson's Treatise Entituled ΒΑΠΤΙΣΜΑΛΟΓΙΑ Or a TREATISE Concerning BAPTISMS Pr. p. 113. Behold is this the Chirstian Charity that thinks no Evil Is this the Christianity that speaks Evil of no man Answ Well this shall remain as Universal a Testimony against much of this man's Malicious and Scurrilous Work in this Pamphlet of his as his confessing that its the Devil who pleads for Sin and let that Mouth be stopt forever that doth so If he had well observed That Christian Charity thinks no Evil and that Christianity speaks Evil of no man he had not brought forth this large Uncharitable Pamphlet against the People called Quakers nor yet pleaded for Sin 's Continuance in the best
us That to speak the Qrs. Mind more fully two of his Neighbour Qrs. told him That Christ's Body did vanish at his Ascension and that now he hath no other Flesh or Body but the Flesh or Body of his People p. 124. To which I answer That the first is a palpable Untruth I deny it to be the Qrs mind that Christ's Body did vanish so as to be annihilated at his Ascension 'T was chang'd and more glorified but not vanisht To the last part accusing two of his Neighbour Qrs. with telling him so this is very questionable and suspicious the man's Credit is at such a low ebb with me because of so many Lyes cast upon the Qrs. that I do greatly suspect this Story against two of his Neighbours And I am also satisfied that none in their right Understanding or Sense would give him any such mistaken Answer or Account concerning the Body of Christ that it so vanished as to become annihilated Though some Adversaries have been apt to be too Curious in their Enquiries about that Point obtruding Unlearned Questions more than are necessary to Salvation We are satisfied that the same Christ that humbled himself to the Death of the Cross is highly Exalted and hath a Name and Authority given unto him unto which every Knee must bow and every Tongue confess and the Mouthes of Gain-sayers shall be stopt in the Day of his Power which is dawned in our Age Glory to God and to the Lamb forever AN APPENDIX IN Vindication of the Soundness of the QVAKERS Faith from the said Adversary's Fictitious Creed Unsound Faith and most Knavish Forgeries and Sordid Abuses as stated by him in the Quakers Name SInce that instead of an Index our Adversary the Priest hath added an Appendix of Ninety Eight Articles in number which he would have the Reader to look upon as the Quakers Vnsound Faith and which he is bold to set down as the Quakers Belief and that with reference to what he hath in the foregoing Discourse taken out of their own Books and all which he promises to do either in their own words or according to the true Meaning of them By the Letter Q. is meant Quakers page 144 145. By all which the Reader may observe that all these Ninety Eight Articles which he has framed in the Qrs. Name he would have the Reader look upon them as the Qrs. unsound Faith Whence it follows that none of them are according to his Faith let this be remarked by the way And therefore I shall give the Reader a few Instances out of the aforesaid Articles 1st To shew that many of them are neither set down in the Quakers own words nor in the true Meaning of them and therefore that the Priest is a manifest Forger therein 2dly That there are many Truths set down in many of the Articles which are not according to this Priests Faith because he has given them all the Title of the Qrs. Vnsound Faith Which things premised to be observed I proceed Pr. Art 1. We Q. do believe as W. P. doth write that Jesus Christ is not a distinct Person without us and that there is not one place of Scripture to prove him to be so nor do we believe Christ to be God-Man for it is no Scripture-phrase Answ This is a Forgery and Perversion as from a Denyal of the Terms to a Denyal of the Thing Jesus Christ is owned to be a Distinct Intelligent Being without us but not as wholly excluded and limited only as a Circumscribed Person without us he is within us also spiritually As also to say We do not believe Christ to be God-man is a down right Slander for we have fully declared him to be both God and Man see Section 2. Pr. Art 2. We Qrs. do believe that the Scripture is not a Rule directing our Vnderstandings or Lives Answ False again we have granted the Holy Scripture to be a Rule but not the Only the Primary or Chiefest Rule The Holy Spirit and Divine Light hath the Preeminency and Preference as a higher and more universal Rule even where the Writing comes not § 2 3. Pr. Art 5. We Q. do believe that the Justification of a Sinner is not by Christ's Righteousness imputed that Justification by Christ's imputed Righteousness is a Dangerous Sin-pleasing Notion Answ False again Christ's Righteousness as imputed or reckoned by himself to true Believers we believe and never opposed it but the Imputation or Reckoning of it to Persons wholly unsanctified by Sin-pleasing Teachers we do oppose § 5 6 ◠Pr. Art 6. We Q. do believe that Christ God-Man did never purchase the Redemption of any Sinners by the Price of his own Blood Answ A gross Perversion We do believe that Christ as Mediator hath obtained Eternal Redemption for us and that by his own Blood that we might be sanctified and redeemed from all Iniquity for which End he gave himself for us But not that he as God-Man did strictly purchase or buy Redemption of God the Father in a way of rigid or strict Payment in the Offenders stead to acquit and clear the Wicked or Guilty in whom no Good is wrought that they may live and dye in Sin and yet be esteemed the Redeemed and Justified of the Lord. This is the plain Case and this we cannot believe But that Christ gave himself a Ransom for all to redeem and purchase lost Man to God out of the Fall and out of Transgression § 9 10. see also § 5 6 7. Pr. Art 7. We Q. do believe that there is no Salvation to be hoped for after this Life is ended by any faithful Christians and that there is no Resurrection of the Body from the Grave unto Life Everlasting Answ Manifest Falshoods We believe both Everlasting Salvation Resurrection and Everlasting Life from the Dead according to holy Scripture but that the Appearance of Christ unto Salvation is not to be put off nor Salvation from Sin deferred till after Death And this also answers his Forgery reiterated and enlarged in his eighth Article But only his saying That there is no Coming of Christ as Judge at the Last Day is also a forged Falshood See § 11. Pr. Art 9. We Q. do believe as the Papists do that true Justification is only by Inherent Righteousness Answ Here 's a Perversion again for we do not place a second or compleat Justification Salvation or Heaven upon the Merit or Deserving of our own Works of Charity c. as the Papists do rendring God a Debtor to them for those Works after the first Grace received Herein we manifestly differ from them And we do not place Justification wholly upon the Inherent Righteousness of Christ but also upon his Merit and Dignity in procuring or obtaining Eternal Redemption for us by his Blood Suffering and Sacrifice Yet that absolute Justification is not compleated without the Inherent or Inward Righteousness of Christ through Faith and Sanctification we must confess §
is the Body of Christ as he has plainly declared pag. 78. Which is directly according to the Popish Doctrine of Transubstantiation § 25. Pr. Art 52. We Q. do believe that the Priests of England who Trade with the Form get human Learning pretend to study Divinity get certain Wage and sell that which they have studied their Ministry only hath the Form and denyes the Power that they come by the Will of Man and not by the Will of God that their Call and Ministry is a formal Imitation of Man c. Answ Seeing the Priest does not believe this it being so repugnant to his Gain and Interest it seems he believes that these Priests are come by the Will of God and not by the Will of Man and that their Call and Ministry is not Formal nor of Man but of God and that their Ministry hath the Power with it He herein believes them to be better then the Qr doth But yet we have but his Belief that they have their Call and Ministry from God and not from Man and till he produce better proof for his Belief than yet he has done we have no Reason to believe as he does without good Evidence and Conviction Which we are the more apt to dispair of while few of them do believe or own an Immediate Call or Mission from Heaven in these Dayes § 15. Pr. Art 54. We Q. believe that the Pharaoh like Magistrate God will Plague and Confound Answ But this Temporizing Priest owns not this Belief that God will Plague and Confound the Pharaoh-like Heard-hearted Oppressing Magistrate he is rather for Flattering and Crying Peace to the Wicked contrary to the Belief and Testimony of all God's holy Prophets and Witnesses who testified against Oppressors both King 's Rulers and others § 16 24 25. Pr. Art 55. We Q. still believe that the Devil is the Head of Man who would be Honoured Answ This still thwarts the Priests Belief who it seems believes not that the Devil is the Head of Proud Man that 's ambitious or desirous of Worldly Honour Surely he cannot reasonably think that Christ is the Head of such Unbelievers as are seeking that Honour which is from beneath § 17 18. Pr. Art 58. We Q. believe that it is the Devil and his Ministers who tell men That the Righteous man sins seven times a day that to deny a sinless Perfection in this Life is that Doctrine which maintains the Devils Kingdom that Doctrine whereby the Devil carries on People in an Easie Delightsom Way to the Flesh a Doctrine which heals them up in their Sins with a feigned Faith Answ But this the Priest will not at all believe he cannot entertain such mean and hard Thoughts of that Doctrine which denyes or opposeth a Sinless Perfection in this Life He does not believe that to argue for the Being of Sin in all Men Term of Life does either maintain the Devils Kingdom or that 't is an Easie Delightsom way to the Flesh whenas it must needs be more grateful and pleasing to Corrupt Flesh to have Sin remaining all its Dayes in false hopes of Happiness hereafter than to be crucified and mortified unto sin in this Life without which I believe and testifie men cannot be Happy hereafter whatever the Priest's Belief is to please Corrupt Flesh as his belief That Believers in Christ sin daily and that the Righteous man sins seven times a day We are neither of his belief herein nor yet that any of Christ's Ministers did ever teach or perswade people into such a Faith for Sins Continuance or thus to accuse the Believers and Righteous with sinning daily and seven times a day herein he has wrong'd the Scripture For though 't is said For a Just man falleth seven times Prov. 24.16 and riseth up again yet 't is neither said that he sins seven times a day nor that he sins daily Neither does it appear that this Just Man's falling seven times is a falling into Sin but rather a falling into Affliction and Trouble as it is said He shall deliver thee in six Troubles yea in seven there shall no Evil touch thee Job 5.19 It s evident that the Just Man's falling seven times and rising up again Prov. 24.16 is opposed to the Wicked's falling into Mischief and Vers 15. it s said Lay not in wait O Wicked man against the Dwelling of the Righteous spoil not his Resting place for a Just man falleth seven times and riseth up again which makes it more clear that this intends the Just Man's falling into Trouble and Suffering by reason of the Wicked laying in wait against him And to this purpose see Psal 37.23 24. The steps of a good man are ordred by the Lord and he delights in his Way though he fall he shall not be utterly cast down for the Lord upholdeth him with his hand § 21. 28. Pr. Art eod We Q. do believe still that they who dwell in the Righteousness of Christ sin not Answ This is contrary to the Priests Faith still he believes that they who abide in the Righteousness of Christ sin daily sin seven times a day sin all their Life-time which is contrary to plain Scripture 1 John 3.6 Whosoever abideth in him that is in Christ sinneth not And see Chap. 2.1 But seeing this Priest believes not that he that abideth in Christ sinneth not but that he sins seven times a day he believes not his own Prayer in the Lyturgy viz. Vouchsafe O Lord to keep us this day without sin And a little after Minister O God make clean our Hearts within us Answ And take not thy holy Spirit from us And Almighty Father Collect. on Tu. in Easter Week which hast given thine only Son to dye for our Sins and to rise again for our Justification grant us so to put away the Leaven of Malice and Wickedness that we may alway serve thee in pureness of Living and Truth through Jesus Christ our Lord. Surely this Priest doth not present these Prayers to God either in Faith or Reality but only in pretence and shew from the Teeth outward § 28. See also § 7. 11. Pr. Art 59. We Q. do believe that they set up Infant-Baptism for which there is no Scripture That they have no Scripture for the word Sacrament Answ If this be a part of the Qrs. unsound Faith as the Priest renders it then he believes that there is Scripture for baptizing or sprinkling Infants and that they have Scripture for the word Sacrament He should do well to shew us those Scriptures for Sprinkling Insants and the word Sacrament in any of the holy mens Writings that were the Pen-men of Scripture that he might convince the Qrs. of the unsoundness of their Faith in this Point See ◠16 25. Pr. Art 62. We Q. do believe as our Friend James Parnel hath writ that we are Partakers of the Divine Nature of Christ by which we are made Christians and that God