Reader how they offer violence to him by their suspitious expressions sometimes concerning his Divinity sometimes his Humanity sc the truth of his humane nature calling him the Man of God urging the words as of the Article whereas they say God and Man as in the 8. Article following where thou shalt have them timely exprest But I am not willing to deal upon suspitions although there be ground enough to charge them And I profess I am weary with raking in the stinking puddle of their blasphemous writings Only I desire thee Reader to remind one blasphemous position of these men exprest in the last mentioned peece viz. The sword drawn In the answer to the 7. Principle the Quaker says that whereas they in the Article say that Christ the man of God is God and man in one person it is says the Quaker a lye And I cannot omit what I had almost forgot to tell thee what account they make of Jesus Christ by an expression of one of their eminent Proselytes given out to an Inhabitant of this City one of credit who will make it good upon oath at any time when lawfully required Art thou such a fool said he as to hope to be saved by that Jesus Christ that died at Jerusalem sixteen hundred years ago And to contract that they do deny salvation by that Jesus Christ for they cant they juggle and equivocate when they speak of Christ I say that they do deny salvation by that Jesus Christ that died at Jerusalem in that way and whole manner and progress as is and hath been taught and professed in England ever since the Reformation from Popery is most manifest not only by what I have here declared but also by shuffling avoiding and not answering those plain questions in these things by several who well know their opinions proposed unto them And by quarrelling with and snarling at those solid Principles of Christian religion set forth by these godly learned and able Divines Dr. Goodwin Mr. Nye and Mr. Sidrach Simpson Yea and which doth most manifestly discover them to be wicked and ungodly liars and impostors by their mangling of their words and rendring them falsly as thou maist Reader perceive by comparing them when I shall presently give them unto thee And not only so but leaving out whole Articles of most eminent concernment and not so much as mentioning them because they durst not answer them for fear of being discovered 1. THat the holy Scripture is that rule of knowing God and living unto him which whoso doth not believe but betakes himself to any other way of discovering truth and the mind of God in stead thereof cannot be saved 2. That there is a God who is the Creator Governor and Judge of the world which is to be received by faith and every other way of the knowledge of him is insufficient Heb. 11. 3. 3. That this God who is the Creator is eternally distinct from all the creatures in his being and blessedness 4. That this God is one in three persons or subsistences 5. That Jesus Christ is the onely Mediator between God and man without the knowledg of whom there is no salvation 6. That this Jesus Christ is the true God 7. That this Jesus Christ is also true man 8. That this Jesus Christ is God and man in one person 9. That this Jesus Christ is our Redeemer who by paying a ransom and bearing our sins hath made satisfaction for them 10. That this same Lord Jesus Christ is he that was crucified at Jerusalem and rose again and ascended into heaven 11. That this same Jesus Christ being the onely God and man in one person remains for ever a distinct Person from all Saints and Angels notwithstanding their union and communion with him 12. That all men by nature are dead in trespasses and sins and no man can be saved unless he be born again repent and believe 13. That we are justified and saved by grace and faith in Jesus Christ and not by works 14. That to continue in any known sin upon what pretence or principle soever is damnable 15. That God is to be worshipped according to his own will and whosoever shall forsake and despise all the duties of his worship cannot be saved 16. That the dead shall rise and that there is a day of Judgment wherein all shall appear some to go into everlasting life and some into everlasting condemnation And now Reader observe besides as I said the mangling of their words and so perverting the sense as I could clearly make appear but that I dare not thrust my dull sickle into the harvest of those worthy and expert Labourers whose names shall live when their opposers shall rot in oblivion Observe that this Wretch besides his not answering to any one but evading and railing hath wholly left out the tenth and two last Look upon them again Reader and seriously consider them and then tell me what religion these men are of are they Christians And that thou maist not think this the judgment of this wretch alone thou shalt observe such dealings from his fellows when they come to questions of the like nature say nothing or evade them Good Reader I must again intreat thee to read those three omitted Articles and satisfie me or thy self why they are left out but that they are not willing to own and witness that the same Lord Jesus Christ God and man in one person which as thou hast seen before they said was a lier is he that was crucified at Jerusalem and rose again and ascended into heaven as the â—rticle expresses it and so of the other two And to add a little to this do but take notice of thâ—â—â— judgement concerning this Christ for they have another 〈…〉 hemselves take notice I say what they are charged with in that notable piece before quoted viz. The Perfect Pharisee Their seventh position there charged is That Christ in the flesh with all he did and suffered therein was but a figure and nothing but an example Which the Authors of that book thus assert by way of proof this meaning the last mentioned position is expresly found in their book called Sauls Errand to Damascus also this was written in that Letter which Naylor wrote to one in Lancashire which was objected against him by Dâ— Marshal upon account of another principle in it viz. That he that expected to be saved by him that died at Jerusalem should be deceived And this Mr. Jaques Minister at Bolton in Lancashire sent his testimony under his hand that he would make appear when sent for And they may well be thus bold with him that is a meer nullity a nothing if their opinion of him were true for they question if not deny and destroy his natures both divine and humane for which I will appeal to their expressions For as for his divine nature his absolute Godhead when as the eight Article proposed as before by Mr. Goodwin c. saies
great God not willing that all men should perish according to the good pleasure of his will which he had purposed in himself from all eternity unaskt unsought unto for who or which of all men or Angels with all their light or knowledge could have once imagined such a thing which was not fully made known to any either in heaven or earth till the time of full accomplishment designed and appointed the eternal word that enlighteneth all men that come into the world with the common light of all nature to come himself into the world to enlighten his people with the special light of grace And passing by the Angels that fell and reserving them in chains of darknesse to the judgement of the great day to take on him the seed of Abraham and to partake with us in our nature flesh and blood and to become man like unto us in all things sin only excepted That so participating of both natures divine and humane he might become a middle man a fit Mediator between God by sin offended and Man by sin offending and also that knowing our infirmities whereof he was to have experience by those tryalls and temptations which he should suffer in our nature whilst on earth he might be the more compassionate towards us and to succour us when we are tempted and to perform the office of a merciful and faithful high Priest for us in things pertaining to God and our salvation in making reconciliation for the sins of his people And here Oh depths of the love of God how unsearchable how unfathomable as 1. That a Father such a Father the Father of love yea love it self for God is love That such a Father should give such a Son the Son of his love his loving and beloved his own and only begotten Son not having such another That he should give him to and for man Man a worm nay worse a sinner a sinful man an enemy a rebel to God whom he might have justly destroyed and yet have bin in himself as before blessed and glorious for ever Man by whose goodnesse God is not made better nor by whose badnesse he is never the worse O here is misericordia in excelsis mercy in its heights in its exaltation love without parallel herein God commended his love to the purpose which made the multitude of the heavenly Host sing gloria in excelsis glory to that God in the Heavens that had such respect to men on Earth who for their sin deserved to be in hell That when man who by sin had departed from God the spring and fountain of his happinesse and glory and thereby justly deserved to be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and the glory of his power And being cast out to the loathing of his soul had he but eyes to see his own corruption and wretchednesse and no eye pittying him much lesse able to help him That then even then when man was ready to perish should be the time of love and the Lord should passe by or rather stand still and pitty and cast his skirt of compassion over him and say unto him again and again and again live Oh ye Heavens stand amazed and oh thou earth flesh and blood rejoyce and tremble Especially considering that when there was none to help the arm of the Lord alone should bring deliverance unto man by raising up a mighty salvation for him out of the house of his Servant David even Christ the Lord the wonderful counsellor the mighty God mighty to save the everlasting Father the Prince of peace who becoming man came under the same Law and obligation to obedience with us And not only so but also became our sponsor surety and undertaker for us to do suffer and fulfil that for us which we were no way able to do for our selves For whereas we stood bound to fulfil and keep the whole Law for life under a penalty of the curse and death for non-observance Man losing his strength which he should have had by his keeping close to God in obedience I say man losing his power to keep the Law the Law lost its power to acquite man And of a Law and ministration of life became a Law and Ministration of death And the higher and more powerfully it wrought before by mans obedience to it for comfort and salvation so the higher and more powerfully it works now by its convincing light in the conscience the more dreadful it is by reason of mans disobedience to terror and wrath and condemnation Now when we were thus without strength all of us being thus ungodly Christ God-man for his great love wherewith he loved us undertook the mannagement of our quarrel and became the Captain of our salvation to bring us to God and glory For if there had been any Law way or means that could have restored man to life and happinesse could man by performing and keeping the Law have procured his own freedom and stood just and upright before the barre of Gods justice then Christ had come and undertaken the work in vain which once so much as to imagine were the highest blasphemy against the wisdom and goodnesse of God that ever was conceived True it is could man have as I may say justified the Law by keeping it the Law would have justified him in and by that obedience to it but now the Law is become weak and unable to justifie any man though powerful and strong enough to condemn every man having lost its strength to saving purposes not through any defect or inability of its own for it is holy just and good but through the weaknesse of the flesh that is â—ans corrupt nature who is not now able to fulfil it And now behold the Lamb of God which taketh away the sins of the world For now God for the accomplishment of that design of free grace and love which he had laid before he laid the foundation of the world when the fulnesse of time by him appointed was come sent his Son him that is the eternal word by whom he created all things that essential word which really fully substantially knows and makes known and fulfills his Fathers will him that is God over all blessed for ever equal with the Father in being Majesty and glory him in whom his Father delighted from all eternity his own and his only begotten Son promised before to Adam preach'd to Abraham the Patriarks typified in the legal sacrifices and prophecied of by Moses and all the Prophets pointed at by John he sends him this Son in the likenesse of sinful flesh for sin to condemn sin in flesh that the righteousnesse of the Law might be fulfilled in the Saints who
and is not that every way answerable to the justice of God but such polluted filthy beasts as thou would have another righteousness as thou speaks plainly in thy ninth query but all thy righteousness we deny and the righteousness of Jesus Christ we own and witness whose righteousness shall be revealed upon thee in flames of fire 14 Quer. Whether none be accounted righteous in Gods sight in whom there is any corruption or failing or who do not fulfil the Law and answer every demand of Justice Answ Here thou polluted beast hath made it manifest what thou hast been driving at all this while in thy queries which is that thou would have corruption and filthiness to be accounted righteous in Gods sight that so thou might lie and wallow in thy sins and filthiness but John saith that he that commits sin is of the Devil for the devil sinneth from the beginning and for this purpose the son of God was made manifest that he might destroy the works of the Devil and thou man of sin would have it to stand but those that loves God keeps his Commandments and they are not grievous and God doth not accept any where there is any failing or who do not fulfil the Law and answer every demand of Justice and he doth reserve the unjust unto the day of Judgement to be punished 2 Pet. 2. 9. and chiefly them that walk after the flesh in the lust of uncleanness and there thou art 15 Quer. Whether a soul be justifyed before God by the non-imputation of sin and the imputation of the righteousness of the person of Christ to his Faith or by a righteousness wrought by Christ in the person justified or to be justified Answ Here stop thy mouth thou sorcerer which art gathering up a heap of confusion which is fit for nothing but to be turned with thee into the bottomless pit from whence it comes wherein thou talks of imputation and non-imputation and of a person justified and to be justified thy language is of Egypt and in the mysterie of iniquity thou speaks it which is condemned into the lake of perdition by the light of Christ and in the light thou and it are seen and comprehended and as I told thee before I own no righteousness but what is of Christ and wrought by thee which righteousness shall confound thee and all thy unrighteousness and conjuration and the same that justifies us shall condemn thee eternally 16 Quaer Whether Christ be in his Saints in respect of that nature wherein he suffered at Jerusalem Answ Here thou Enemy of Christ would know how the Saints enjoy Christ here the Scripture is fulfilled in thee The light shines in darkness and darkness comprehends it not When thou comes to own thy condemnation the light in thy conscience it will let thee see thy evil deeds it will lead thee up to Christ from whence it comes and then thou wilt know that nature that he suffered in but now thou art in that nature that Judas was in that betrayed him and that they were in that crucified him 17 Quaer How and after what manner Christ who in respect of his divine nature is infinite and in all places may be said to be in a Saint and not in a Reprobate Answ What hast thou to do to querie after the divine nature who art the natural man that knows nothing of God bâ—t what thou knows naturally as a bruit beast and knows not the things that be of God because they are spiritually discerned and the manner of Christs divine nature which is infinite is hid from thy eyes for of that eye which thou shouldst see that with thou art blind and his manner of being in a Saint thou knows not who art a Reprobate and thou shalt find him to be thine eternal condemnation 18 Quaer Whether doth Christ now in these dayes assume or take upon him the form of a servant and the seed of Abraham that is our flesh And whether doth not this assumption cause such a perfection of the Godhead and the manhood as that both of them are united together into one person Answ Oh thou dark beast and Conjurer who art querying with thy conjured words that which thou knows nothing of and which is out of thy reach and comprehension Thou blasphemer dost thou limit Christ to daies in taking upon him the form of a servant and the seed of Abraham Is not he the same now as ever he was And for the Union of the Godhead and the Manhood as thou calls it let thy mouth be stopt for with the God nor none of his children hath any union for God hath put an utter enmity betwixt thy seed thou Serpent and the seed of the woman and the perfect union with Christ we witness who is the same to day yesterday and for ever and therefore are we separate from thee and thy generation 19. Quaer Whether is Christ now conversant upon earth amongst men since his ascension as he was before and in those times wherein the Apostles lived Answ In thy Queries thy speech bewrays thee thy language is the language of Egypt for in it thou makes it clearly manifest that thou knows not Christ at all not in the least measure for where the first Principle of truth is made manifest it is the same that ever was and never changes And thou asks whether Christ be now conversant upon earth amongst men since his ascension as he was in the Apostles time Dost thou know what thou askes Did he not appear to the Apostles since his ascension in the most glorious manner that ever thou read and is he not the same now as he was then What would thou make of him thou dark sottish beast such a one as thy self who would be pleading for darkness and ignorance of God but praise and glory to him who hath discovered thee and all such deceivers as thou art 20. Quaer Whether did not Christ dwell among his Saints after another and more visible manner than now he dwels in his Saints Answ There again thou hast shewed thy ignorance of the Scripture and for thy word Visible he is not nor never was visible to thee nor to thy generation for those that did profess the Scriptures as thou and thy generation doth crucified him and said he was of the Devil and thou and such as thou art doth now Thou blasphemer where hast thou a Scripture that saith that Christ would dwell in his Saints after anothere manner Did he not say It is expedient for you that I goe away and I go and prepare a place for you and I will come again and receive you unto my self and where I am there you may be also and ye have heard how I have said I go away and that where I am there you may be also and that I have said I go away and come again unto you and if ye loved me ye would rejoice because I go unto the Father And Christ Iesus
to overturn all their rotten and ungodly and ungospel-like opinions But now Reader that these Quakers are acted by the same cursed ungodly ungospel-like principles of the Rantors before opened I shall prove from their own writings and expressions And first as the Rantors offer violence to the Majestie of God himself as you have seen by making themselves equal with and not distinct from the Majestie and glory of God himself which I suppose thou wilt grant is high blasphemy and the sin the principal and capital sin of the devil so do these Quakers For it is their down-right and plain expression That they are equal with God as Fox said the words expresly I am equal with God And Naylor being speaking upon the point of perfection being asked whether he did believe that any could be as holy just and good as God himself answered That he did witness that he himself was as holy just and good as God All which you may find in a Book called the Perfect Pharisee written by some Ministers of Newcastle And they also affirm that the nature and glory of the elect mark the nature as well as the glory differs not from the nature and glory of the Creator These are the words of Howgill and Burrough in answer to certain queries put by one Reeve and which are printed together with their Answers to Bennets Queries here before inserted and which I had a purpose to print also but that I was unwilling to make my book swell too much in bulk and so discourage the Reader in regard of the price and the rather I omitted it because in it the answers are longer by much then those to Mr. Bennet and full of impertinences which I feared would tire and discourage the Reader in that regard also But Reeve having proposed this Query which is his second Whether is not this an infallible demonstration to all men that a man is sent forth by the eternal Spirit if he have received a gift from the holy Ghost to demonstrate what the true Creator was in his own distinct essence nature and glory from all eternity in time and to all eternity and wherein elect men and Angels differ in their natures and glory distinct from their Creator in their persons They after some revilings and judging the Querist say as before That the nature and glory of the Elect differs not from the nature and glory of the Creator And add thus For the Elect are one with the Creator in his nature enjoying his glory which was from eternity unto eternity He that reads say they let him understand And then further add Thy word Distinct essence I deny For the Elect is not distinct from the Creator but lives by the dwelling of the Son in him and with the Son the Father dwels also if thou hast an ear thou maist hear And in their Answer to the first Query which I had omitted where the Question was thus Whether these men meaning the Quakers were sent forth by the eternal Spirit to Preach which in the least cannot demonstrate what the only true God is in himself and how he is a distinct being from all living creatures and how he reigns in the elect by a created word voice or spiritual motion only They give this Answer God is a Spirit and he is not distinct from living creatures for in him living creatures lives moves and hath their beings and he is not far from them nor distinct from them Which minds me of one Sebastian Frank a man of this gang in Germany who hath this blasphemous expression In trunco Deum esse truncum in porco porcum in diabolo diabolum In English thus which I do with abhorrency and trembling In a log God is a log in a swine he is a swine in a devil a devil And whether these men be not of the same mind who say That God is not distinct from the creature let any man judge And for their equality with God it s their common judgement as may be seen in a discourse called A brief Relation of the Irreligion of the Northern Quakers Sold at the three Pigeons in Pauls Church-yard And also in a Book Entituled The perfect Pharisee under Monkish holiness opposing the Fundamental Principles of the Doctrine of the Gospel A Book pen'd with much judgement by five Ministers living in Newcastle Mr Weld Mr. Prideaux Mr. Hammond Mr. Cole and my reverend friend Mr William Durant Printed for Richard Tomlins at the Sun and Bible near Pye-Corner 1654. To which Books for brevity sake I refer the Reader and close this Head with what I find written by the Quaker Atkinson in his Book called The Sword of the Lord c. herewith before printed where thou shalt find this solid principle of truth laid down by those reverend men That God who is the Creator is eternally distinct from all other creatures So the se Quakers languages it as if God were a creature too whereas those worthy men say in their Proposals thus That he is eternally distinct from all the creatures not using the word other they say according to the truth That he is distinct in his being and blessedness after some revilings charging them upon this Principle of truth with Heathenish inventions as thou maist see there have said That the being of God is not distinct from them that are begotten by him And further add That as the Father and the Son are one without distinction so are they that are begotten by him Now ye know that the Father and the Son are one eternally both in essence and all glorious excellencies And these blasphemers say That as they are one without distinction so are they that are begotten by him Reader I took not upon me to confute or answer them in this or any of that which follows for recitasse est confutasse but to let thee see what bold impudent audacious blasphemous wretches these Quakers are and that they build upon that rotten foundation that mystery of ungodliness formerly represented to thee and that they offer violence to the Majestie of God himself as God levelling him with the creatures which is the head and the first principle of this man of sin and the first thing propounded And unto this we may add their denial direct denial of God as he hath revealed himself in the Scriptures and that is that he is three in one which for brevities sake supposing our meaning to be understood by our people who are instructed in this principle we express by the word Trinity And for the better apprehension as the creature now is able to apprehend of God we express by three subsistances or persons Whereas I say we are taught in the word That God is three in one Atkinson in his Sword drawn before printed saith that this is one of their lies and saies that God is but one in all though ten thousand times ten thousand make out what they can So that
That Jesus Christ is God and man in one person which as before most blasphemously they answer was a lie What doth he mean to alter their words and to call him only the man of God not God and man as they express it Whereas you say in the eight saith he that this Christ the man of God is God and man in one person it is a lye If he did believe him to be God and man would he have altered their words and given him such a diminishing appellation as the man of God a title given to meer creatures And as for the humane nature of Christ his distinct particular and proper body do they not deny it For a query being put to George Fox Whether Jesus Christ have a body in heaven and whether it be the same that appeared among men in the flesh c. Thou shalt find him answering That Christ hath but one body which is saith he the Church and he saies he remains in the heavens but he will not say he hath a humane body there And being asked as before Whether it be the same that appeared amongst men He answers It is the same that did descend the same did ascend not acknowledging any other body than what did descend And in the eighty page being asked with what bodies the Saints shall arise and dwell and live in for ever And whether every particular Saint shall have a particular body He answers The Saints shall arise in that body which Christ doth live in for saith he he is the Saviour of the body he is the head of the body and the resurrection and the life of the body and his body is but one So that here thou seest that Christ and the Saints have no distinct bodies of their own and but one common body all blended together And as they thus offer violence to Jesus Christ in his nature and person so do they also to him in his death bloudshed and merits This in part appears by what hath been shewed already in their scoffing at our hopes of being saved by that Jesus Christ that died at Jerusalem and in saying that they are redeemed by the blood of Christ but not at Jerusalem onely but say they made manifest in us So that there is something in themselves whereby they are redeemed Truths Defence pag. 95. and in the 86. page of the same Book they say There is that light and power in every man which if he take heed to it and wait within there he shall find his Saviour Mark there within he shall find his Saviour And affirming the elect were never defiled c. But it appears further in that they hold the sufferings of Christ now in the Saints to be satisfactory for sins past present and to come For Howgill and Borr. as thou maist see in their Answer herewith printed before to the seven Queries say thus Thou blasphemer askes thou knows not what is not Christ the same now as ever and is not the sufferings of Christ satisfactory wherever Nay which is more horrid if we take the question and answer together do they not in effest say for they will not yet speak out all their mind that the sufferings of Christ now in the Saints is all the satisfaction to or which the Justice of God looks for for sins past present and to come For that as thou maist see was the question and they answer as thou seest Are not these men their own saviours and as they make satisfaction for their sin by their own sufferings so they hold they are justified by their own righteousness This also shalt thou find in the last quoted book in their answer to the 9 query where they rail upon the querist for asking Whether there be not another righteousness by which the Saints are justified meaning the righteousness of Christ as in the former query then that righteousness which Christ works in them and by them viz. the saints For this they most wretchedly revile and rail upon the querist because he would have another righteousness then the righteousness of Christ which he works in the Saints and by them Reader if thou be a Christian and knowst any thing of Christ and the Gospel tell me woulst not thou have another righteousness than that righteousness of Christ which he works in thee and by thee I know thou wouldst have and shalt and must have if ever thou be saved the righteousness of Christ wrought in thee and by thee for thy sanctification But dost thou not look for and rely upon another righteousness for thy justification viz. the righteousness of Christ wrought in his own person and made thine by faith and imputation Reader as I told thee before so I tell thee again I am weary with raking in the filthy puddle of their blasphemous opinions and I will follow them no further here If thou wouldst be confirmed in this that these are their received opinions and more of the same nature I refer thee to two Books written by those who dwell amongst them and have most to do with them and have known them longest viz. The perfect Pharisee and The brief relation of the Irreligion of the Northern Quakers both before mentioned But as for these men and their opinions and particularly as to the last mentioned I profess in the presence of the great God were I to chuse my Religion I would rather be a Papist then of these Quakers perswasion for the Papist though he bring in inherent righteousness and righteousness wrought in us and by us as the matter of justification yet he grants and owns another righteousness as necessary yea as most necessary viz. the righteousness of Christ wrought in his own person which these Quakers deny as thou hast seen Nay further in express English they deny it In their answer to the 15 Query I own no righteousness but what is of Christ and wrought by thee Oh fearful blasphemy against the Gospel Thus they offer violence to Jesus Christ And lastly which naturally and must necessarily follow they offer violence to all the ordinances of the Gospel As they deny an outward Christ or a Christ without as they call him so do they deny all outward ordinances So Fox and Nailor in their book A word from the Lord We deny them whose law is without their law without their Church without their baptism prayers and singing without their Christ without their righteousness without c. If they had denied that which is only without they had said somthing but thou seest it is otherwise here 's all outward ordinances worship and Christ and righteousness without struck off at one blow And those Quakers before mentioned in their Answer to the seven Priests say that who are of the Lord are freed from the ordinances of men so they call Gospel-ordinances and outward means and for it most wratchedly abuse these words For where the Spirit of the Lord is there is liberty And Truths Defence says