latter part of the verse is both a verification and explication of the former part sc It is the spirit that quickeneth Thiâ— is likewise conâ—irmed by the Apostle Paul Gal. 3. 11. and long before by the Prophet Habakkuk Chap. 2. 4. the just shall live by faith Faith 〈◊〉 the vital principal and fountain of life in the Soul it is the uniting grace it knits us to personal Christ glorified in Heaven above from whose fulness Joh. 1. 16. we receive grace for grace i. e. Grace for graces sake And therefore his flesh profiteth right Believers the whole as to this particular is though the spirit be a dead-souls quickener yet it is not the quickened souls Saviour But this Disputant still avers that the Scripture saith Christs flâ—sh pâ—ofiteth nothing Therefore for further satisfaction touching these words sc Christs flesh profiteth nothing let this Question be propounded Quest In what sense way Christs flesh be said not to profit or profiteth nothing Sol. 1. Christs flesh profiteth an unbeliever nothing as it is noted by our Saviour in the very next verse ver 64. But there are saith he some of you that believed not intending such of them as did not by Faith the believing souls-mouth eat his flesh and drink his blood which in ver 55 Christ saith is meat indeed and drink indeed also in Heb. 4. 2. For unto us was the Gospel Preached as well as unto them but the Word preached did not profit them not being mixâ—d with Faith in them that heard it what the Gospel preached was hath been before frequently declared more especially from Act. 5. 30 31. That the same Jesus whom the Iews slew and hanged on a Tree this was the body of Christs flesh God raised up from the dead and exalted to be a Prince and a Saviour to give repentance and remission of sins This was the Gospel word that was preached which profited not either Iews or Gentiles that did not by the mouth of Faith eat the flesh and drink the blood of Jesus Christ the only Saviour Hence I did infer That the Quakers being such non eating non drinking Unbelievers Christs flesh profiteth them nothing therefore fit to be insiâ—â—ed on by this Disputant 2. Christs flesh profiteth nothing If it be taken in that sense in which the Iews apprehended the eating of it and thaâ— was with their natural mouths as it appears from ver 52. They the Jews strove amongst themselves saying how can this man give us his flesh to eat for they knew of no eating but as they did eat their bodily food yea Christs Disciples such as for the present followed him said ver 63. this is a hard saying who can hear it Hereupon Christ doth explain himself to them all in these words The flesh profiteth nothing ver 63. above thereby giving them to understand that he meant not of eating his flesh with their natural mouthes as they did eat their daily bread for as if Christ had said should ye so eat some of my natural flesh or so drink some of my blood it would profit you nothing the reason of it is assigned by the Apostle Paul because Christs flesh and blood is New-Testament Blood 1 Cor. 11. 25. in which all the promises of God are 2 Cor. 1. 20 here hence it is safely inferr'd That the true Object of Faith is the Nâ—w-Testament promises in Christ bodily in which respect Christs flesh is profitable to all right Believers on him for their Justification Resurrection and Glorification as in ver 54 Whoso eateth with a Soul-believing Mouth my flesh and drinketh my blood hath eternal life and I will raise him up at the last day But if we separate the promises of God from Christs flesh or his flesh from the promises then his flesh profiteth no more then if it were eaten with a mans natural Mouth which according â—o our blessed Saviour profiteth nothing or would not profit the Soul at all Upon the whole it was concluded that W. Bullocks second as his first Scripture fell short of the mark that is of proving a Quakers pretenâ—ed Saviâ—ur within him to be the true not the false Christ The next Speaker was Patience Bullock 1. She propounded a Question to me Quest Whether Christ could have saved us without his being God I Answered Though Christ could not save us unless he were God as well as Man yet the Godhead of the Soâ— onâ—y as such doth not save us from the curse of the Law because the Godhead alone could not fulfill that righteousness active and passive which the Law required 't is true we read oâ— the righâ—eousness of God 2 Cor. 5 21. yet it is not to be undersâ—â—od for the essential righteousness of God but for a righteousness â—nswerabâ—e unto the Law performed by the manhood of Christ to which the Godhead gavâ— both efficacy and excellency Heb. 9. 14. and thereby the righteousness answerable to the holiness and justice of the Law performed by the Man hood soul and body of Jesus Christ was made Meritorious and Satisfactory for sin as the Apostle sign fies Heb. 9. 14. How much more shall the blood i. e. Sufferings of Christ who or which suffering Christ through the eternal Spirit i. e. Godhead of the Son offered himself sc a Sacrifice without spot to God the Father hence I did affirm that Jesus Christ as maâ— is our only Material Saviour 〈…〉 if he may be â—…lieved 〈◊〉 us â—rom the 〈◊〉 of Gods Spiri◠〈…〉 the Man 〈◊〉 Lord Christ then bâ—rn of the Virgin Mary whom 〈…〉 took up iâ—â—o his arms was the Salvation of God i e. whom God had exalted to be â—hâ— only Saviour Act. 5 〈◊〉 and the holy Apostles preached as aâ—ore noted the Man Iesus Christ of Nazareth to be beâ—ieved in remission of sins herewithal named that Text of Scripture in the 1 Tâ—m 2. 5. 6 There is one Mediator between God and Man the Man Christ Jesus who gavâ— himself a ransom for all to be testified in due time The Apostle doth not as I said here assert the Man Jâ—sus Christ to exclude the God head or divine nature from him the Medâ—ator and Ransomâ—r but emphatically to demonstrate that nature in which he meditates and gave himself a ransome for though the ransome was paid by him who wâ—s and is God or had a divine Nature yet it was paid in the Man hood oâ— humane nature only that is to say Christs humane Nature gave worth and value to it whence I did infer but wâ—th much reverence that the Manhood of the Son of God is the only mâ—terial cause of our Salvation and by necessary consequence the Man hood or Humane Nature of Christ was and is our only material Saviour which I had no sooner said But F. E. called on the people to take notice That I had declared the Man hood of Christ to be the only Saviour to which some of the Hearers forthwiâ—h replied that I did say to wit that the Manhood
in Luke 17. 21. Christ doth not mean the Kingdome of glory in Heaven but the Kingdome of the Gospel Preached by himself and his Apostles on Earth to which he answered nothing In the next place F. E. doth as I suppose expect some Answer to his reflection on me at the end of his tedious Discourse afore signified sc That I had not in any thing which was said by me he meant in the four Arguments proving the first part of the charge made any mention of Christ as God to be the Saviour Answ Bold Man who art thou that â—â—achest the Apostles of Jesus Christ yea the Holy-Ghost himself how to speak who were the faâ—thful Witnesses that proved all which was said by me in those four Arguments and that I might prevent which I foresaw such carpings I barely repeated the Apostles express words mentioning in a manner no more then what is plainly asserted by them what dost thou then but under colour of reflecting on me reflect upon the holy Apostles themselves Alas poor Man had it not been more honesty in thee to have thus charged the Apostles then me who wrested not but only repeated the Apostles words for the confirmation of the alledged Arguments thou shouldest have clamoured against the Apostles thus there is not a word by them mentioned of Christ as God to be the Saviour and wouldest thou not hadst thou thus done have been as bold as blind Bayard It s most evident that the Apostles preached Christ as Man Not but that he was and is also God to be believed in for the remâ—ssiâ—n of sins both to the Jews and to the Gentiles so that thy quarrelsome reflection on me is in effect a manifest denying the Testimony of the Apostles joyntly testifying of the Man Jesus Christ of Nazareth to be the only Lamb of God that takes away the sins of the World reconciledworld 2 Cor. 5. 19. for there is no other Man Name or Thing ever in Scripture called the Lamb of God which takes away sin but the one Man Jesus Christ and so it is Recorded by Christs witness bearer Joh. 1. 29. 30. One would now think that the very mentioning of these things were enough to refute them with whom the Scriptures of God have any credit But what shall I say unto thee Francis I would in true love only to thy distressed Soul advise thee to search as in Iohn 5. 39. the Scriptures for I find thee very ignorant of the truth as testified in them and hence asserting new notions which thou hast received from other men which tend to the darkening and denying of the unanimous Testimony of all the holy Men of old to the true Saviour Jesus of Nazareth and to Salvation through Faith in him and that thou mayest be delivered from the dangerous snare of the false Christ the Idol-light within is the hearty desire of him whom for his Faith in and to the truth thou hast opposed William Bullock was the next Disputant to prove That a Quakers pretended Saviour within him is not the false but the true Christ And thus he Argued saying That which may be known of God is manifest in them and tâ—en stâ—pt Therefore I prayed him to tell us were thoâ—e words repeated above were to be found he readily told me sc in Rom. chap. 1. ver 19. Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them for God hath shewed it unto them 〈◊〉 was the only Proof named by them I further demanded of him what he inferred from this Text of Scripture but because he lookt as if he understood not what was meant by that demand I requested him to frame some Argument from the Text alledged by him to prove the matter in hand but all in vain a Syllogisme being as great a Monster to him as Jesus Christ of Nazareth Thereupon I did declare That the Apostle did not there understand the word God to signifie Christ God Man and as for the phrase in them it is interpreted to them as in the very next words in the same verse sc For God hath shewed it to them likewise Paul doth tell us both how and where God shew'd them this as in ver 20. For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen being understood by the things that are made even his eternal power and godhead which Godhead alone is not to be understood for God-man Christ the only Saviour in a word The mind of the Spirit in these two 19 20. verses sc is no more but this namely that the eternal power and Godhead was manifested in i. e. shewn to the Gentiles unconverted by the things that are made or created from the creation of the World this being the true state of the Text above how they could prove the thing to wit That a Quakers pretended Saviour within him is the true not the false Christ for which they were brought surely none but young and old Bullocks or such as are of that kind can understand I expected some reply from this Disputant to the substance above asserted but instead of a reply he urged another Prool this was their manner even all along that thereby they might â—loaâ— their weakness and insufficienâ—â—â— for returns saying The flesh profiteth nothing it is the Spirit that quickeneth Upon his inversion of the order of the words I desired him to name the Chapter and verse where the words as he had spoken them might be found but he did it not I then named both viz. Joh. chap. 6. ver 63. It is the spirit that quickeneth the flesh profiteth nothing He again refusing to frame an Argument Therefore to the Text. 1 Answered 1. If these words were to be understood in this sence sc That the Lord Christ on the account of his body of flesh profiteth nothing to Salvation but it s the quickning spirit within that is the only Saviour Then what interpretation wouldst thou put upon Christs words in the same Chapter ver 53. foregoing Then Jesus said unto them verily verily I say unto you except ye eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood ye have no life i. e. Spirit ver 63. ult in you or wilt thou make Christ who is the wisdome of God 1 Cor. 1. 30. guilty of contradiction and so a Lyar to which he replied nothing save that he had spoken Scripture which necessarily engaged me to reconcile those Scriptures to the understanding of the hearers which I endeavoured thus Joh. 6. 63. It is the spirit that quickeneth i. e. the soul of man naturally dead in sins Eph. 2. 1 5. the words exclude all endowments qualifications or excellencies in the natural man from this soul quickening work hereunto agrees the words of our Saviour in the end of the 63d verse above The words that I spake unto you they are spirit and they are life that is to say the spirit of faith is the souls life or special quickening so that the
pretended by thâ—e falls short of maintaining your cause as it respects the first part of the charge which â—id appear on a due examination of the Text it self in this man 〈◊〉 to wit Exam. By the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus we are to understand the Spirit which the Father gave him as the Son of Man without measure Ioh. 3. â—4 Ioh. 1. 6. Now from this fulness of Spiritual Life in Christ Paul received such a degree of it as made him free from the Law i. e. from the reign and demâ—nion of sin and from Death Rom. 6. 12. 14 i. e. from the power of natural death Note that the Spirit in the Text above is seâ—â—own two wayes 1. By the Subject in whom it is that is in the Manhood of Christs Person 2. By the Effect it is a spirit of life if this life be not from Christs fulness conveyed into us we are but dead men spiritually dead in sins Eph 2. 1. But when the spirit of 〈◊〉 from Christs unmeasurable fulness is derived to us tâ—en we feel its law or power weakening and abolishing the Law i. e. the strength and Authority of sin in us and thereby sin hath now no reigning domineering power in or over us nor can it condemn our persons and thus we are â—reed from the Law of sin death Note Not so â—reed as if we were simply delivered from both or either of these as that we cannot afterwards sin and die but the meaning is sin cannot rulâ— or exercise a command now over us nâ—r can it damn â—s nor can the natural death hurt us now tell me William whether there be ought in this third Text of Scripture alledged by thee that doth in the least though never so much strained prove this first part of the charge against you to be false for the mind of the Apostle therein is plain and evident viz. that the law of the Spirit of life inherent in us hath only a virtue to eat down the Law or commanding power of present sins and to destroy the power of our natural death what I pray thee is in all this to prove a Quakers pretended Saviour within him c. surely William either thou art very silly thy self or thou didst think thy hearers to be so After him steps F. E. again and said the Scripture saith of Christ I in thee and thou in me but he could not tell us where to find the Scripture that said those words of Christ Answ That I did not remember any such Scripture for manner and foâ—m as spoken by him to wit I in theâ— and thou in me but this Parret must prate as he hath been taught howbeit if it might be supposed not granted that Christ had said to any particular person I in thee and thou in me It must needs follow that the person of Christ wâ—s without not within him to whom he then spake and the person of Christ being the Believers only Saviour this allegation could not concern the charge before us T is true we read in Joh 17 23 I in them and thou in we that they may be made perfect in me i e. in oneness of affection for so it is interpreted in the last clause of the same verse sc and hast loved them as thou hast loved me also in Joh. 14. 20. and you in me and I in you these words do only signifie the reciprocal love that shall be fully experienced between Christ and his members at the glorious resurrection of the just as it is implied in the former part of that verse At that day namely of Christs second comming in glory ver 18. ye shall sc at that day know that I am in my Father i. e. in his love and you in me i. e. in my love and I in you i. e. in your love ver 21. Now Francis if thou dost mean either of these Scriptures thou wilt be still at a loss for it was the man Jesus Christ which spake to his Disciples and it is very strange that thou wilt produce a Christ for evidence in whom you do not believe it s a sign that thou art almost spent I do not remember that he made any reply to ought said by me as above but as a mask for their nakedness he urged another Scripture not naming where as to the chapter or verse to wit Christ saith of hâ—mself I am Alpha and Omega Rev 1. 1. I am Alpha and Omega the beginning and the ending saith the Lord which is and which was and which is to come The Almighty after the reciting of this Scripture I expected an Argument to be drawn from thence by the Disputant to prove the thing for whâ—ch he brought it But it seems Franks Seducers could never make him capable of formal Argumentations which defect constrained me to insist upon the explication herein more fully and distinctly enlarged of those Texts of Scripture which for the most part were only repeated by the titular Disputants and that many times after their own most presumptuous mode and manner adding or diminishing contrary to Gods command Deut. 4. 2. But I proceed to the Text it self Ans The place of Scripture above sc Rev. 1. 8. consists of three parts First part I am Alpha and Omega in these words Christs creating power is Metaphorically expressed being the first and last letters in the Greek Alphabet which by a figurative speech are applied to any beginning and end and are here interpreted by the next words namely the Beginning and the Ending which Phrases do signifie unto us Christs divine Nature eternal Power and Godhead as in Joh. 1. ver 1. In the beginning was the Word and the Word was God sc God the Son and in Col. 1. 16. All things were created by him his dear Son ver 13. and for him sc for his glory as the ultimate end Rom. 11. 36. this therefore is the meaning of I am Alpha and Omega that is Christ is the efficient cause of all things and the end also whâ—ther all things are referred that he hath at first created all things and that for his own glory alone Second part Saith the Lord which words denote Christ the faithful promiser for all the promises of God are in him 2 Cor. 1 20. in him i. e. in the man hood of Christs person Col. 2 9. hereunto agrees the title Lord. which is mostly appropriated to Christs humaâ—e nature as before his Birth Luk. 1 43. And whence is this to me that the Mother of my Lord should come to me and on the day of his birth Chap 2. ver 11. For to you is born this day a Saviour which is Christ the Lord and afterwards Joh. 13. ver 13 14. Ye call me Master and Lord for so I am If I thou your Lord and Master have washed your feet Also after his resurrection Luk. 24. 34 saying The Lord hath risen indeed and hath oppeared to Simon ver 39. Behold my hands and my feet that
darkness which is most evident from a due consideration of the foregoing truths Oh how suitable is the Prophets Vision to a Quakers condition Obad. 1. ver 1 2. Behold I have made thee small thou art greatly despised the pride of thy heart hath deceived thee c. From the whole be ye advised 1. To cease from making your Idolized Thou and Thee the spring of your scurvy and surly deportment with their mask to wit that holy men in Scriptur recorded did oft use thou and thee one to another and to God himself Now what is your design herein can it be ought else then to put a cheat on the judgements of some ignorant creatures as thus Oh surely say they the Quakers do make Conscience of the Scripture for their warrant and authority thus poor ignorant ones are deluded by your equivocations though its most certain that the Scripture no here commands a Quaker to thou or thee any man much less Christian Rulers Governours and Magistrates yet thâ—se things the unmannerly Quakers will do But the Scripture doth command all men to pray for Rulers Governours and Magistrates to submit unto them and to give the honour which is due to them as Fathers of the Country 1 Tim 2. 1 2. 1 Pet. 2. 13. Isai 49. 23 yet these things they will not do so that in a word of truth the professâ—d perfection of a seemingly sanctified Quaker is a conscience of obeying his proud lusts and disobeying Gods inspired Laws 2. Cease from calling the reverential Presidenâ—s above the corruptions that are in the World through Lust for this is to make the fore expressed precepts of God and the Practises of his eminent Sainâ—s guilty of these corruptions but it s no new thing for a Quaker boldly to Blaspheme 3. Cease from wresting the Holy Scriptures especially that of Christ himself John 5. 44. How can ye believe which receive honour one of another The other part of the verse giving light to these words is usually omitted by them sc and seek not the honour that cometh from God only Quest What is that Honour which cometh from God only Answ The 23d verse tells us All men should honour the Son even as they honour the Father he that honoureth not the Son honoureth not the Father which hath sent him meaning to fulfill all righteousness Mat. 3. 15. It s then clear that the Son of God is the honour intended above if any ask who is this Son of God the good Angel tells us Luk. 1. 35. That holy thing which shall be born of thee Mary ver 34. shall be called the Son of God so then the Man Jesus Christ is the honour that cometh from God only which honour the Jews like the Quakers received not as this Son of God told them ver 43. I am come in my Fathers Name and ye receive me not sc by Faith hence Christ infers ver 44. above How can ye believe which receive Honour one of another and seek not the Honour which cometh from God only Now the Honour which the Pharisees received one of another was the Doctrine of Justification and Eternal Life by the works and righteousness of the Law fulfilled in and by the Son of God alone which righteousness of the Son is the justifying and saving honour that cometh from God only to right Believers will it hence follow because the proud Pharisees took divine honour to themselves and thereby received honour one of another therefore civil honour ought not to be given one to another let me tell you ye Quakers could not have brought a Scripture more full against your selves for under Heaven there are not a People to be found that receive more honour one of another then the men of your Sect do For ye affirm and boldly teach That he who made Heaven and Eearth Angels Principalities and Powers that hath a Name above every Name that is named King of Kings and Lord of Lords the Prince and only Saviour that gives repentance and remission of fins is in each of your vile bodies It s not to be wondred at that ye are so possessed with the infernal Spirit of superlative pride against Jesus of Nazareth the man approved of God and all true Believers on and lovers of him So much for some further satisfaction to William Bullock and his Light making manifest The next to him was F. E. He makes another motion on the behalf of his Cliant the false Christ and pretended Saviour within him to wit The blood of Jesus Christ cleanseth us from all sin The Text intended by him is in the 1 Joh. 1. 7. And the Blood of Jesus Christ his Son His Son he left out cleanseth us from all sin Answ Nor doth this Text of Scripture prove the thing for which it is brought For 1. Jesus Christ the Son of God in this 7th verse is that Word of Life which the Apostles ve 1 2. had heard and seen with their eyes and looked upon and with their hands had handled who could be no other than the Man Iesus Christ which to prove they bring in the operations of three of their five senses Now this Man Jesus Christ the Son of God as such he cannot be in a Quaker 2. By the Blood of this Son of God is meant the grievous sufferings pains and tortures which he endured on the Cross to the death and therefore called the blood of the Cross Col. 1. 20. as the Man Jesus Christ cannot be in a Quaker so consequently his bloody sufferings cannot be in a Quaker 3. That this blood of Christ cleanseth meaning all right Believers on it from all sin i. e. from all the pains and eternal sufferings due to the nature of sin for cleansing here is the same with washing in Rom. 1. 5 And from Iesus Christ the faithful Witness that loved us and washed us from our sins in his own blood i. e. in the sufferings of the Manhood of his pâ—rson for the former part of the verse concerns Christs Propetical Office and the latter part his Priestly Office which referred to Christs humane Nature and for that reason the cleansing or washing cannot be within but without us sc in Heaven Heb. 10. 19. Having therefore Brethren boldness to enter into the Holiest by the blood of Iesus So then to be cleansed from all sin by Christs blood is to be acquitted and justified in the sight of God from all the deserved miseries of sin as Rom. 5. 8 9. But God commendeth his love towards us in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us much more then being now justified by his blood we shall be saved from wrath through him And the same Apostle tells us Col. 1. 21 22. Yet now hath be reconciled in the body of his flesh through death or through the death of his body of flesh Heb. 10. 20. To present you holy and unblamable and unreprovable in his sight not in our selves for Rom. 4. 5. He justifieth
things which concern created-nature as it s stated by the Apostle in Heb. 2. 17. and in Chap. 4 15. In all things it behoved him Christ to be made like unto his Brethren and he was tempted in all points like as we are yet without sin surely he that is in all things like man except sin is rightly called the Son of Man for sin is not at all the Form but all the Deformity of Man The issue is that the Fox hath concealed his craft putting no difference between the terms sc Humune and Humane he knew full well that the Fox's craft would be soon discovered should he admit the Lords Christ to have a humane Nature or a body as is common to Man kind and therefore in Pag. 71. above he quarrels the word Humane and querieth where doth the Scripture speak of Humane where is it written quoth he that we may search for it Rep. Though we have not the Word yet having the Thing it might satisfie all with whom the light of Reason hath any credit Once more Christ the Second Man is said to be Lord from Heaven because he is to restore the heavenly life which was lost by the first man Adam who was also said to be Earthly by reason of Transgression and Christ is also said to be from Heaven by reason of Restoration By he first mans fall all mankind were deprived of all heavenly and spiritual graces By the second Man from Heaven the Elect of God have those Graces in some measure restored As Calvin in his Exposiâ—ion on the 47th ver above Paul doth not saith he speak of the substance of the second Mâ—ns body but of the habit of Graces and heavenly gifts of the Spirit of Christ And on the same verse he affirms that the Manichies were the first knaves which invented that Heresie Namely That Christ brought from Heaven an invisible body of flesh and blood into the Womb of the Virgin And undoubtedly the Quakers have drunk this Poison originally from them by whom the Devil according to Calvin first set it abroach which as it was so still it is a design from Hell to beget not only a denial but an utter blotting out of the very Name and remembrance as before of the true Jesus Christ and to set up a Spiritual Christ a Mystical Invisible Heavenly King Jesus and all this only to advance the Idol-light within and the more easily to deceive poor ignorant and unstable persons which hath been and still is their stragling Trade I have yet one thing more to mention concerning this Fox which is in his Book above Page 135. to wit That Thomas Mâ—or had said that Christ was absent from us while we are in this mortal body which said the Fox is contrary to the Apostle who saith The life of Jesus is Mark is manifested in their Mark their mortal flesh but he Fox like quotes not any place of Scripture the Text of Scripture abused by him is in 2 Cor. 5. 11. Eor we which live are alway delivered unto death for Jesus sake that the life also of Jesus might not is but be made manifest in not their but our mortal flesh Note the Fox saith The life of Jesus is manifested making it present but Paul saith that the life of Jesus might be made manifest making it future nay he hath not only believed the Letter but the Sense also of the Text which may appear partly by the former part of this 11th verse and partly by the subsequent verses in the former part of the verse thus For we which live are alway delivered unto death for Jesus sake i. e. we have sc for the testimony of Jesus Death that is sufferings to death as in the subsequent verses 9 10. continually before our eyes that we might be prepared for the fellowship of the glorious resurrection when there will be a full manifestation made of the glorious life of Jesus in our mortal flesh this may yet further appear in ver 12. so then death worketh in us i. e. our daily sufferings from the cruel hands of unbelieving men for our Faith in and Testimony for Jesus and as it worketh in us so it sc the strokes which are deadly to our bodies works ver 17 for us And what work they the 17th verse Answereth For our light Affliction which is but for a moment worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of Glory But how do they work it Answ Not by way of merit or earning our striving to blood cannot oblige God but by way of preparation to the resurrection in ver 14. Knowing that he which raised up the Lord Jesus shall raise us up also by Jesus Then that glorious life of Jesus shall be manifest in our mortal flesh the sum oâ— all is this to wit That the Lord sends afflictions yea death it self which to the Saints is the last and greatest affliction not only to cleanse their souls but to fashion and prepare their bodies as vessels to hold the exceeding weight of glory Now let any sober Saint judge wheâ—her Thomas Moor or George Fox hath contradicted the Apostle surely that Fox which endeavours as much as in him lies to choak the Lamb of God wâ—ll be ready to wrest the mind of the Apostle This Fox is seconded by Quaker Penington sc That the body prepared Heb. 10. 5. above was a Mystical Invisible body of flesh and blood for in his Book called Mysteries of the Kingdome he saith That the external blood of Christ cannot cleanse the Conscience for the blood of Bulls and Goats could not do it no more can his blood putting no more worth or vertue in the blood of Christ than in the blood of Beasts the consideration of this insufferable Blasphemy did so provoke the Spirit of Mr. Francis Duke a Man eminent for Meekness and Modesty that in his answer to one John Chandler a Teaching Quaker for the like expressions from him Page 67. he plainly tells this Chandler That he and his fellow-leading Friends are a Pack of such Villains as base as ever the Earth borâ— as for Penington he declares in his Book above That the heavenly body of flesh and blood which Christ brought with him from heaven meaning into the Virgin and dwelt in the Garment of his body a while and now is in every Saint sc Quaker Saints his mind herein is shortly this sc That a Mans wearing Garment is not his body so the visible material body of Jesus Christ which he calls the Garment of his body is not the Saviour Christ but as the natural body of a Man is within his Garment even so the true Christ was within the Garment of his external body whence it s most evident that this Seducing Teacher doth not confess with the Apostles That Iesus Christ of Nazareth the Man approved of God and by him exalted to be a Saviour is the true Christ Act. 5. 31. Let me add a little more of Peningtons Divinity
in the same Book Page 25. What nature sayes he must these Sacrifices be of which cleanse heavenly things sc Souls whither of necessity they must be heavenly if so then whither it was the flesh and blood of the vail or the flesh and blood within the vail whither it was the flesh and blood of the outward earthly nature or the flesh and blood of the inward spiritual nature whither it was the flesh and blood which Christ took of the first Adams nature or that of the second Adams nature Ans In the three-fold Querie above two things are asserted neither of them are mentioned in the Scripture of truth 1. That the Lord Christ had a two fold Body of flesh and blood the one internal and invisible the other external and visible and thenâ—e concludes that it is not the external visible earthly body but the internal invisible heavenly body which cleanseth Souls which he names heavenly things 2. That there is an inward spiritual nature still the Idol light within which hath mystical flesh and blood besides the outward earthly nature the one he calls the flesh and blood of the vail the other the flesh and blood within the vail All which he seems to ground upon the Apostles words Heb. 10. 19 20. Having therefore Brethren boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Iesus by a new and living way which he hath consecrated for us through the vail that is to say his flesh Note here The Apostle doth not make any mention of two distinct natures nor of two sorts of flesh and blood sc visible and invisible â—or in the least of two distinct vails Now that his jugling cheat may be discovered let the Apostles miâ—d be duely considered whose meaning is to wit That Believers may draw near to God through the vail of Christs personal flesh and blood for we Christians believe according to the Scriptures of God that as the High Priest entred into the holy place with the blood of the Sacrifice so the true Christ by his own blood entred in once into the holy place into heaven it self now to appear in the presence of God for us Heb. 9. 12. 24. the whole is That the body of Christs flesh and blood entring into Heaven the holiest is that new and living way consecrated for right Believers to draw near to God for justification through Faith in the one only vail of Christs flesh glorified in Heaven above which precious Truths are worth nothing in the account of a Quaker Furtheamore let it be noted that the word Vail in an allusion to the Temple where the vail hid the glory of the Sanctâ—m Sanctorum and gave entrance to it even so Christs incarnation did as it were rebate the edge of the divine glory and brightness that Believers may come and converse with it without terror for some further illustration I shall here add sc That Christ is the true Jacobs Ladder Joh. 1. 51. the bottom of which toucheth Earth there is his Humanity or vail of flesh and blood and the top reacheth Heaven there is his Divinity so that we may climb this Ladder and have communion with God i. e. climbing up in hope by the Man-hood or vail of Christ we have social access to the God-head By the way observe That this Foxt Penington doth not alleadge any of the holy men of old that ever preached or writ such kind of Divinity as he hath done in his leger demain above whereby sundry unstable Consciences have been deceived I have often heard some of them to affirm That the Quakers do believe in Christs body of flesh and blood and that he died for sin and rose again and that he is Mans only Saviour howbeit they do but wickedly equivocate for they do not mean that the body of flesh and blood life and death c. of Jesus of Nazareth conceived in and born of the blessed Virgin Mary hath purchased justification in the sight of God and Salvation from sin but they deceitfully mean sc the new â—oined invisible flesh and blood of the heavenly Mystical Christ still the Iâ—ol-light within that died within and there rose to a righteousness and justification which is a brat hatcht only in their addle brains from whence also it is they teach a Mystical Bethlehem within where Châ—ist was born that he suffered and died without Ierusalem that is say they Mystical Jerusalem within O ye Quakers judge whither these are not strong and damnable delusions So much also for some further satisfaction to William Bullock F. E. and W. H. concerning those words But a body thou hast prepared me Heb. 10. 5. which was the last Text of Scripture proposed by them in reference to the first part of the Charge as above I now proceed to the Second part To wit That the main end of the Quakars Meetings in these Islands is to make the Lord Christ his Holy Spirit his Angels and Apostles all Lyars and false Witnesses of God As I was about to prove the second part of the Charge against them Francis Eastlack interrupted me saying Thou never wert in our Meetings how then canst thou know what we teach in them I Replied T is true I bless the Lord I never were nor as I hope through the mercy of God never shall be as one of you in any of your Meetings notwithstanding I know what you Teach and mainly aim at in your Meetings for ye are G. Foxes Disciples and ye have learned his Doctrine and as I was about to read some of it they grew impatient and by no means would have it read thereupon I did forbear but I have here inserted it to wit G. Fox in his Book intituled the Mystery Page 49 50. hath these words Ye scorn me the light in you they have disobeyed it and called it a natural light and ye have said that I the light am not able to save those that believe in me Furthermore Page 54. That if ye would believe and wait on me the light I will purge out all your iniquity and forgive all your Trespasses and I shall change your natures if you hearken to me and obey the light within These are the words I would have read but being hindred I told them what they taught in their Meetings to wit That the pretended Light in them is their true Christ Teacher Rule and Guid to be heard believed in walked up unto and obeyed as the only Saviour to give remission of sins and Salvation with God to which F. E. forth with replied That he would for this lay down his life and to confirm him therein W. Harriot then said we deny the out side Christ to be our Saviour Then I requested the Hearers to take good notice sc they have plainly granted that the end of their Meeting to be for to Teach a denial of Jesus of Nazareth the Man approved of God Act. 2 22 to be the true Christ and our only Saviour which Teaching