A Bermudas Preacher Proved A PERSECUTOR Being a JUST TRYAL OF Sampson Bond 's Book ENTITULED A Publick Tryal of the QUAKERS c. Fraught with Fallacies False Doctrine Slanders Railings Aspersions Perversions and other Abuses herein Detected Disproved and Wiped off And that the True Christ is Owned by the People called QUAKERS plainly Made Manifest By those that have been more particularly concerned and Eye and Ear-Witnesses in the Dispute at Bermudas and those that have had the perusal of his Book which manifests it self The Wicked has digged a Pit for others and is fallen into it himself Psal 7.15 A Lying Tongue is but for a Moment Prov. 12.19 LONDON Printed by John Bringhurst at the Sign of the Book in Grace-Church-street 1683. To the Inhabitants of these Islands BERMUDUS A Testimony for the Truth and People of God called Quakers against the Reproaches Scandals and Slanders of Sampson Bond Who calls himself a Minister or Preacher of the Everlasting Gospel in the said Islands Friends and People all COnsider seriously your condition for it is exceeding Dangerous at present for the Everlasting state of your Souls is herein nearly concerned for he only that believeth shall be saved but he that believeth not shall be damned according to the Scripture Therefore Friends and People all be advised by him who is your Friend and take the Counsel of the Apostle in the 2 Cor. 13.5 Examin your selves whether you be in the Faith c. For through Faith alone you come to have an Interest in the Salvation purchased by Christ Jesus the Eternal Son of the Father who was in the Beginning with the Father as it is in Prov. 8. from 22 to 31. read them Verses and consider and weigh them well for this is he in whom your Faith must stand and not in another this is he whose delight is with the Children of Men and through whom the Wonderful love of God came to be made manifest unto the Sons and Daughters of Men in the Restoration after Man had run into Rebellion against God and lost that glorious Likeness or Image that he had at the first when God Breathed into him the Breath of Life through which he became a living Soul and so long as he kept in faithfulness to the Lord he kept his Dominion over the Creatures and his Habitation as in the Garden of God the Garden of his delight where the Trees of God did flourish and the Tree of Life in the midst thereof The Lamb was not slain then But when Man turned aside from following the Lord and hearkened to the voice of the Serpent then Death was known then was the Lamb slain when this World of Wickedness the Foundation thereof was laid by the Enemy then was Man cast out of the Paradise of God into the Earth which was cursed for his sake where the Thornes and Thistles is brought forth and the way to the Tree of Life stopped up for the Cherubim and the flaming-Sword was there which turneth every way that Man in the old Adams state cannot come neer to Eat or Tast of the Tree of Life Oh People Behold here is your state every one in Old Adam all separate from God from the Covenant of Life without God in the World even in the World of Wickedness in Death in the Curse this is your state and condition whilest you remain here untill you come to know a coming forth till you come to witness the Seed of the Woman to Bruise the Head of the Serpent to overthrow his Power who is the Prince of Darkness and is the chief Ruler in Man in the state of Disobedience So Friends it is high time for you to return to the Lord and consider even in this your Day the things that belong to your Peace before they be hidden from your Eyes for such a time will assuredly come to pass as ever it did upon the Old World they had a day when the Lord strove with them but they would not hearken but turned aside into the Evil Imaginations then their day passed over and the Spirit of the Lord ceast striving and the Flood came and destroyed them all except eight Persons so mind your time lest it pass over your Head ere you are aware and the Flood of Gods Wrath come and sweep you all away as it did them So all People come unto Christ Jesus the Gift of God and believe in him that through him you may come to witness Salvation For as the Servant of the Lord did testifie in Ages by past so do we witness the same there is no other Name given under Heaven whereby we may be saved but by Jesus Christ alone which is not the bare Outward Visible Appearance or Body only but as he was testified of by Gods faithful Witnesses even in that Age who although they did bear witness to the Outward Man or Body yet they did not exclude the Godhead when they said Act 2. Jesus of Nazareth a Man approved of God by Miracles and Wonders c. The same Jesus which ye Crucified hath he made both Lord and Christ Friends consider well this matter for this Scripture was brought by your own Minister against us and the Truth which we profess thereby to prove if he had been able that the Body without the Godhead or Jesus of Nazareth 〈◊〉 Humane Nâ—ture as he called it without the Spirit was the only Maâ—â—◠〈…〉 To which I answer It was the chief work of that day or time to bear witness to him who had been set at nought by the Chief Priests and Rulers and by the generality of the People whom they also put to Death even to the shameful Death of the Cross as it was written by the Prophet long before He was numbred with Transgressors c. For notwithstanding all the Miracles which he had wrought among them they would not believe that this was he that should come no more then People now adays can believe in his Spiritual Appearance but they were looking out in the Carnality of their Minds for another to appear according to their Imaginations as People are in this Age and Generation and will not receive the true Christ within them therefore the Witnesses of God in that day were the more engaged to bear so strict a testimony to his Bodily Appearance that this was he that was to come and they were not to look for another And so gives them plainly to understand that the Lord had exalted him into his Kingdom for he had made him both Lord and Christ whose Kingdom was not Carnal but Spiritual as he himself said my Kingdom is not of this World But did this Testimony deny the Godhead for consider by what Power were these Miracles done was it as he was meerly Man or by a higher Power See John 14.10 The Father that dwelleth in me he doth the works saith Jesus himself he there bearing witness to the Eternal power that dwelt in him And verily People if Mans
by 4 Apostolical Arguments First Because Jesus Christ of Nazareth a Man approved of God among the People was and is the true Christ and our only Saviour for to prove which he notes many Scriptures Acts 2.21 22 23 24. Acts 4.10 11 12. Acts 10.38 39 40 42 43. From these Scriptures mentioned S. B. draws this Argument If Jesus Christ of Nazareth a man approved of God among the People of Israel be the true Christ and only Saviour then a Quakers pretended Saviour within him is not the true Christ But Jesus Christ of Nazareth a Man approved of God among the People was and is the true Christ and our only Saviour therâ—fore a Quakers pretended Saviour within him is not the true but the false Christ Reply The Apostles Testimony we believe that this Jesus of Nazareth was he that was to come of whom Moses and the Prophets wrote and of whom the Apostles bore so strict a testimony especially before the Jews under the Name of Jesus of Nazareth Because they having read of the glory of this Saviour did expect it to be outward and visible and that he should have come with the Pomp and Glory of this World and that the Redemption which should have been wrought by him should have been outward and that he should have sat upon the Throne of David as an outward and visible King and when contrary to this their expectation he was raised up of so mean a place as Galilee and Nazareth and of so mean Parentage they slighted him saying Is not this the Carpenter the Son of Joseph His Father we kâ—ow and his Brethren are with us we know whence he is But when Christ cometh wâ— know not whence he is search and see say they for out of Gallilee ariseth no Prophet So they slighted and scorned him and put him to Death therefore the Apostle did bear so strict a Testimony to this Man and we do believe that this vvas he that was to come and we look not for another But that the Apostle by this Testimony did deny the Godhead or Invisible Power that dwelt in Jesus of Nazareth by which he became a Saviour we do not believe Neither do we believe that the Man Jesus of Nazareth only as Man was the Saviour of the World For in him dwells the fullness of the God-head Bodily Coll. â— 9 And Christ himself testifies that he was in the Father and the Father in him John 14.10 11. And in the same place he testifies That the Words he spake and the Works he did were done by the Father that dwelt in Him Now if the whole work of Mans Salvation had been wrought by the Body or visible Man only then must our Faith and Hope have stood there but the same Apostle saith 1 Pet. 1.21 Our Faith and Hope must stand in God By which Scripture with many more that might be named it appears that the Salvation of Mankind was wrought by the vvhole entire Christ of God vvho vvas truly God and Man And the Apostle saith That God was in Christ reconciling the World unto himself 2 Cor. 5.19 So that it was the Word the invisible Power that dwelt and wrought in the Body that gave the value of the worâ— done in and by the Man by which the work of Mans Salvation was effectually wrought So after the work was performed in by the Body in order to Mans Redemption yet there remains a large work to be performed in such as believe For there is a power of Darkness in Man to be overcome the Antichristian Spirit â—s to be cast out the Body of Sin and Death is to be destroyed the captivating Spirit that captivates the Members and keeps the Members in subjection to the Law of Sin and Deaâ—h to be redeemed from yea the Regeneration is to be witnessed that begets again unto God and the new-born â—abe must be known which is born of God that cannot Sin which only is Heir to the Kingdom which is brought forth in the Image and Likeness of the Invisible God which Image stands in Holiness and Righteousness And all this is formed in the Saints through the powerful working of Jesus Christ the Lamb of God that taketh away the Sins of the World and destroys the work of the Devil in us and for us and so becomes a perfect Saviour saving to the uttermost those that come unto God by him and all this is purchased through the one offering even perfect Salvation for his People even for all those that do truly and effectually believe in him who through faith lay hold on the invisible Power so that they thereby feel the inward operation or the working of the Spirit within to wash and cleanse the Heart not only from the Guilt or Condemnation as ye say but also from the defilement of Sin So is Christ Jesus become the Author of Eternal Salvation to all that through Faith are brought into obedience unto him But these things I judge are a mystery to S. B. who is ignorant of the work of Salvation of the Grace Hope and Faith within by Christ for if he had been acquainted with the inward forming of Christ he could never have formed such an Argument as this That because Jesus Christ of Nazareth a Man approved of God among the People in whom dwelt the fulness of the God-head which was the Creator of all things was the true Christ and only Saviour that therefore the Saviour cannot be within although the Saints did witness that Christ in them was their Hope of glory But to leave this and to take a view of his 2d Argument as laid down in the second Page of his Book which is grounded upon this Because the Saints of God by the direction of his Spirit have alwayes acknowledged the Man Jesus Christ to be the true and only Saviour Upon which ground he brings forth the same conclusion viz That Christ within Man which he calls the Quakers pretended Saviour within is not the true but the false Christ Reply This Argument is also false being one with the other grounded upon a foundation as to me it appears hid in his own Breast not truly laid down in express Words yet truly intended by him which is this that Christ Jesus only as Man without the Godhead was by the direction of the Spirit always acknowledged to be their true and only Saviour if this be not the ground of his Aâ—gument then could he not have formed such an Argument as this because Christ as God is a Spirit and so within as well as without Now for the proof of his Argument he brings the words of Simeon Luke 2. from Verse 25 to Verse 31. by which words it doth not at all appear that the Man or visible Body only of it self is the only Saviour for he declares of him as a Light to go before the face of all People a Light to lighten the Gentiles and John bore witness to him and saith John 1.9
from the Law of Sin and Death he saith that the Apostle doth not mean that the Spirit did so free him from Sin and Death as that he was simply delivered from either but so that it should not Dominere over us nor Damn us Suppose it were so that we could grant him this yet still the Scripture stands on the Spirits side and so consequently on our side against this Priest for if he doth save but from the Dominion of sin that is no small degree of Salvation so by Right and good Reason the Spirit was in Paul as a Saviour and made him free which if this could be proved that the Spirit of Christ was ever in any Man as a Saviour thou saidst thou wouldst give up the Cudgels But it is plain that Paul became Dead with Christ Crucified to the World Dead to Sin and Alive to Righteousness and all this through the inward working of the Spirit of Christ Jesus Farther he Ignorantly affirms that the Death Paul was Delivered from was nothing else but the Power of a Natural Death here People may behold the Ignorance of the Man was it a Natural Death that Paul so much complained of Rom. 7.24 Was it not the Body of Death the Old corrupt Nature which was not yet quite overcome yet the Law or Power of this Body of Death was strong in his Members and this was it that he cryed for deliverance from and that was it from which that Law of the Spirit of life set him free In Page 34. S. B. saith F. E. stept again and said I in thee and thou in me I Answer The end for which I made use of the Scripture was to Testifie to the indwelling of Christ in the Saints against his wicked charge that the Quakers Saviour within was the false Christ which perhaps the word might be mistaken in uttering yet it stands firm in the Record of the Scripture for Truths advantage in plain Scripture Words I in them and thou in me and is part of Christ Prayer to the Father who heard him always although S. B. by his Interpretation seeks to hide the true sence thereof and to give a meaning that may answer his own End In pag 36. S. B. saith Mrs. Bullock asked him whether he did make our Christ within us to be the Devil to whom he saith he made answer viz. That he did Solemnly with much Reverence in the presence of God to whom I must shortly be accountable for my Words declare that I do most assuredly know that a Quakers pretended Christ within him Mark who Sam. Bond said that was page 29. The Graces effects and opperations of the Spirit within them whom here he calleth the false Christ the Devil with whom he saith We shall be Damned in Hell if we Repent not Damnable Doctrine indeed no wonder he put such a Blasphemous question to Will. Wilkinson viz. Whether our God were in Hell Sav'd or Damn'd such abominacle vapours assends out of his Bottomless Pit many times But of this foregoing answer his own Pen hath accused him for had not he accused himself I know not any that could but as Christ said Nothing is Hid that shaâ—l not be uncovered And for his Warrant to confirm this Sentence he urgeth Joh. 8.24 I said therefore ye shaâ—l die in your Sins which Scripture with the 21st verse to which it relates I turn back again upon himself as his own Portion for it is the Doctrine that he Preaches to the People that they cannot be free from sin while they live who can otherwise Judge if so but that both he and all that Dies in the Faith of his Lies can escape Damnation except with the Papist thou canst find a Purgatory for into the Holy City nothing must Enter that defileth or worketh abomination Rev. 21.27 Farther this Bond after his usual manner of wresting the Scripture goes on to comment upon another Scripture alledged by one of the Friends Eph. 5.13 But all things that are Reproved are made manifest by the Light c. Which by Light he saith we are to understand a sin Reproving Light which he farther saith is the Light of the Scripture But where dost thou find the Scripture called a sin reproving Light we read indeed in Timothy that it is profitable for Reproof and Instruction to make the Man of God perfect and to Furnish him throughly to every good work but though it be serviceable to reprove the Actual Sinner what is this to the manifestation of sin in the Heart before it breaks forth into Action which only is made manifest by the Light or Spirit of Christ as in Joh. 16.8 and whereas he saith the Scripture is frequently described by Light alledging for proof Psal 119.105 Thy Word is a Light unto my Steps To this I answer that Scripture is not there mentioned If he say it is the Word to this I farther give answer that the Scripture in no place calls it self the Word though S. B. without any Scripture ground calls it the Written Word but it saith God is the Word and Christ is the Word and Ezekiel saith often The Word of the Lord came unto me saying so that it notes the Word and the sayings which sayings are many of them Recorded in the Scriptures of Truth and are properly the true sayings of God who is the Word Joh. 1.1 He farther to confirm the Scripture to be the Light doth Note Joh. 3.16 Every one that doeth Evil hateth the Light But experience tells us that every Evil Man doth not hate the Scripture but delight many of them to Read it and Teach it their Children but their Enmity is against the Light that makes manifest sin and Iniquity in the Heart which is the Righteous Principle of God in the Heart the sure Word of Prophesie to which the Saints of Old did take heed which is prefer'd before the sound of Words without for the Words without may be falsly Translated and the true sense of them may be changed and falsly Interpreted or written in another Tongue or the Scripture being made up of several Creaters it is possible it may be destroyed but the Invisible Word the Light Christ Jesus could no Man destroy whom the Apostle Paul saith speaketh from Heaven Gods beloved Son whom we are to hear not rejecting the Scripture as it is truly Read for it bears witness to the Light Christ Jesus Several more Lies and false accusations I meet with in his Book as page 38. he saith the Teaching Quakers saith Christ is manifest in their real Flesh but the Flesh of Christ was only in shew and appearance And in page 38. he charges William Harriot for saying he denyed their out-side Christ which words I do not remember in the least neither do any Friend or other People that I have spoke withal witness any such word spoken by him And in page 40. he Proceeds farther with his false charges saying The Quakers deny that Christ was true Man consisting of
Glory of God in the Face of Jesus Christ 2 Cor. 4. And truly Priest Bonds Book is such a pack of Nonsence and Contradictions and Tautologies that it is loathsome and noisome to the Reader and in it there is more malice than matter as any rational man may see by the foulness of his Spirit and Tongue and his filthy Language and ungracious and filthy words that his ungodly Book is stuft withal Priest Bond I would have thee to prove that the Holy-Ghost is a Person which proceeded from the Father and the Son and leads into all Truth And when the Holy-Ghost fell upon the Disciples in the time of Pentecost did it fall upon them as a Person And when it fell upon Cornelius's Family did it fall upon them as a Person And Christ tells the Disciples that the Holy-Ghost the Comforter dwells with you and shall be in you John 14. And was this a Person Acts 11. Acts 19. The Holy-Ghost fell upon c. So where ever did Christ or the Apostles call the Holy-Ghost a Person S. B. is to prove this Word by Scripture which he saith is his Rule Now concerning the Scriptures which Priest Bond calls the Word of God first doth not the Scripture signify Writings And do not you teach your Children so that Scripture signifies Writings in your Catichisme and Matthew the Book of the Generation of Jesus Christ and Christ read in the Book of the Prophet Isaiah and in the Book of the Words of Isaiah the Prophet Luke 3 and 4. and Luk. 4.17 Written in the Book of the Law Gal. 3.10 and Written in the Book of the Psalms Acts 1.20 And doth not Luke set forth a Declaration Luke 1. And so doth he not call that a Declaration which he set forth and so Daniel calls them the Scriptures of Truth Daniel 10.21 And Mark calls them the Scriptures Mark 12.10 and Luke 4.21 Christ calls them Scriptures and John 2.22 and in Acts 1.16 The Apostle calls them Scriptures Rom. 10.11 and 11.2 The Apostle calls them Scriptures 2 Tim. 3.16 James 2.8 2 Peter 1.20 Acts 17.2.11 Rom. 15.4 1 Cor. 15.3 Here in all these places and many more Christ and the Apostles calls them Scriptures which signifies Writings Now Scriptures of truth which signifies Writings they are called the Words of God God spake all these Words Exod. 20. And Christ saith John 3.34 The Words of God And John 5.47 John 6.62 And John 8.20.47 John 10.121 John 12.47 48. John 14.10.23.17.8 All these are concerning the Words And Acts 2.14.5.20 1 Tim. 4.6.6.3 The words in all these places and many more Revelations 1.3 that hear the words of this prophecy and until the Words of God shall be fulfilled Revel 17.17 These Words are true Revel 21.5 Testifie saith John to every Man the words of the Prophecy of this Book if any Man shall take away from the words of the Prophecy of this Book c. So here you may see the Scriptures are called Words Books Declarations and the Writings and Scripture and are called the Words of God and the Words of Christ but Christs Name is called the Word of God John 1.8 And again Christs Name is called the Word of God Revelations 19.13 So here the Quakers own the Scriptures as they have been called by Christ and his Apostles and the Prophets S. Bond saith The written Word of God the Scriptures are an infallible Rule of Faith and Life Page 88. The matter contained in Scriptures is the only Infallible Rule of Faith and Life Page 91. See here how Priest Bond contradicts himself Let the Word of Christ dwell in your hearts in all Wisdom Coloss 3. And what Priest Bond is this the Letter Priest Bond saith The Quakers worship cannot be acceptable to God Page 89. These are Priest Bonds Lyes for Quakers worship God in the Spirit and the Truth as Christ commanded and hath taught us John 4. And Priest Bond saith The Quakers reproach the Lord when they deny the Scriptures to be the Word of God Page 88. And yet Priest Bond contradicts himself in Page 87. and saith We do not affirm the Scriptures to be the Word of God but as the written Scriptures do declare the Mind of God to us So here Priest Bond is made to confess the Quakers principles but presently after he confounds it again and saith The Scripture is the Word of God And then contradicts himself again and saith The matter therein contained is the declaritive Word of God Page 87. Priest Bond saith the Quakers are apt to say there is no sin Charged upon Zachariahs Wife who was Righteous and blameless but saith Priest Bond Death took hold as well of her as of him which is the wages of sin Rom. 6. So what must we understand from Priest Bonds words Here they that put off the Earthen Tabernacle and dye in the Lord that natural death is the Wages of Sin Rom. 6.23 But let the Reader see how he abuses the Scripture for the Wages of sin is death But saith the Apostle Now being made free from sin and become the Servants of God This is while they were upon the Earth alive and is it not a denying of Christ that dyed for Sin to say that Death took hold of Elizabeth as well as Zachariah and so upon all other People to wit a natural death and that natural death which is the wages of sin as in Page 86. where he perverts Rom. 6. But the Saints and we tell Priest Bond Christ dyed for our Sins and is risen for our Justification and so whether we live or dye we are the Lords and if we dye we dye in the Lord and Blessed are they that dye in the Lord. Priest Bond They have a Light of direction from the Law of the Creation and this Light is clear and full enough to make them Guilty in Page 82. But Priest Bond dost not thou call this Light within an Idol Light Page 90 And where doth the Scripture call the Light of Christ a Law of the Creation or a natural Light And Priest Bond thou saist in Page 81. The Gentiles which have not the Law do by nature the things contained in the Law There is naturally in all Men as such a Light of direction or natural Light And Priest Bond dost not thou call this a Natural Light or by Generation this Law written in the Gentiles hearts as thou saist in Page 81. But who writ the Law in the Gentiles hearts and how doth this Light come by nature or generation prove this by express words in Scripture which thou callest thy rule Noah was a just and a perfect man c. Job was a good and perfect man And Priest Bond saith to infer and say that Noah or Job were perfect from all Sin in this Life would be a miserable perverting of other places of Scripture c. Page 78. And in Page 87. There is in all true believers a Cursed Root of bitterness not cast out Death only
World and upholds it by the same Word of Power who after he had purged our sins said the Apostle sat down on the Right Hand of the Majesty on High Ephes 4.6 And this is he who fills all things and is above all and in us all So all those that desire to know their Sin purged must know Christ not at a distance only but nigh even dwelling in them else they are Reprobates which all the obedient in Heart do Witness according to his promise If a Man love me he will keep my Words and my Father will love him and we will come unto him and make our abode with him So he that believeth in Christ at a distance only never knows a fulfilling of Christs Words in them who said He and his Father would make their abode with them For it was revealed by the Holy Ghost to Old Simeon before he had seen the Lords Christ and Simeon came by the Spirit into the Temple c. And the Angel of the Lord told Ioseph that which was conceived in Maâ—y is of the Holy Ghost Now Simeon by the Spirit and Holy Ghost did see the Lords Christ which was conceived by the Holy Ghost who was revealed to him by the Holy Ghost So this was a Spiritual Sight not Natural For the Natural Man receives not the things of God they are foolishness unto him neither can he know them bâ—cause they are Spiritually discerned Mat. 1.20 Luke 2.26 27. 1 Cor. 2.14 And the Angel said to Mary that Holy Thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God And doth not Christ say That none knowes the Father nor the Son but by Revelation 3. S. B. saith farther we make the Angels Lyars who said he bore witness only to the Body or Man Luke 2.11 To which I Answer I deny that the Angels there do bear Witness meerly to the Body for in their Testimony they testifie to this Saviour as a King For unto you is Born said they in the City of David a Saviour which is Christ the Lord. Which Word Christ relates to his Kingly Power which was Spiritual as he saith My Kingdom is not of this World And the Testimony or Message the Angel brought to Mary as concerning the Son of God who was now coming to be made manifest in the Flesh said He should Reign forever and his Kingdom should have no End Luke 1.33 For the Angel said Behold a Virgin shall be with Child and shall bring forth a Son and they shall call his Name Emanuel which being Interpreted is God with us So here you may see that the Angels bore Witness more then only to the Body or Man Mat. 1.23 as Sampson Bond doth assert which he has not proved So Mary believed God and did not ascribe the Work of Salvation to him meerly as Man but to God saying My Spirit hath rejoyced in God my Saviour Vers 47. I would not have any one to think because I plead so much for the Spirit that I deny the Body of Christ but do own it in all points as the Scripture doth declare of it and so give the Honour due unto it Though I cannot believe the things declared by S. B. in his Nonscriptural expressions The last thing which is the Apostles Testimony of Christ I have sufficiently spoke to already and so shall wave it here So People may see how far short of his promise he came in proving his Three Accusations with the greatest clearness from the Holy Scripture so hath little cause to boast or glory of his Victory for the Truth stands over his Head and will do for ever The Third and last Accusation is That the prime Principles of a Quaker is the same that was held and professed by the Beasts which Paul fought with at Ephesus And to prove this he first doth endeavour to prove that those Beasts did deny the Resurrection and said so do we I answer The first was never truly proved and the second is absolutely false his Scripture to prove the first 1 Cor. 15.32 where the Apostle saith If after the manner of Men I have fought with Beasts at Ephesus what doth it avail if the Dead rise not Doth this at all argue that this was the Ephesians profest Principles or doth it not rather argue that the Saints loses their reward for all their labour if the Dead rise not as he saith in the 19th Vers If in this Life only we have hope in Christ we are of all Men most Miserable So that he hath fallen short of his proof and so his Accusation is truly overthrown But inasmuch as he did go on to charge the thing upon us viz That we do deny the Resurrection I do here testifie that it is none of our Principles to deny the Resurrertion for we own it as the Apostles own'd it Not the same Body not a Corruptible Body not a Natural Body a Natural Body hath Flesh Blood and Bones but a Spiritual Body as the Apostle saith And a Spirit hath not Flesh and Bones said Christ which before he can prove he must be fain to get new Scripture for the Old will maintain no such Doctrines So though he did stop and hinder me that time by his Mocks and Scoffs and deriding Speeches and clamorous Noise altogether unlike a Preacher of the Everlasting Gospel as he saith in his Paper be is yet now through mercy I trust as the Truth will stand over your Heads so I shall be clear of your Blood whether you will hear or forbear I am a Friend to the Seed and a Lover of your Souls The 11th of the 3d Month 1678. Francis Estlacke Some few Lines briefly Answering some Part of SAMPSON BOND 's Book Entituled The Quakers in BERMUDAS Tryed c. THat part in his Book which I find my self chiefly concerned to make Answer to is where he makes mention of my Name viz. William Wilkinson As for my part I do not know that I should have set Pen to Paper to have made him any Answer had he laid down the Matter concerning me every way Fairly and truly without Abusing me or the Truth but I finding in several places of his Book Words printed that I cannot own to be Truth besides his reviling Speeches which he hath cast at me As Prater a Baffling Quaker and one that never had the Spirit of God in me All which things in the sense he brings them if true were a great Reproach But I knowing it is too hard a thing for him to prove or plainly to make appear do find my self justly concerned to make some reply or answers both to these and several other things for the vindicating of the Truth and my self also from him whom I find in his Book hath very much strove to make his own case appear strong and ours weak c. But according to that saying in Prov. 18.17 He that is first in his own cause seemeth just but his Neighbour cometh and searcheth
him The first thing I find in his Book where he takes occasion to mention me is my calling of him Friend To which he answers himseâ—f saying I am none of thy Friend Answer In so saying I have now cause to believe he spoke truth though I had Charity and Friendship towards him as his following words in the same page partly makes appear by his reckoning up a Report of me which was by me many years before in Word Writing and Practice condemned and declared against as also that very time in the Presence of all the People there which were many when the Dispute was he himself being also present who could not but hear I being so near where he was all which a man would think might have been sufficient to have satisfied any Christian-hearted Man But it seems it would not satisfie him But according to that in Prov. 28.13 Whoso confesseth his Sins and forsakes them shall have mercy which was fulfilled as we may read both by and David and Peter after they knew the Truth and they both came again do find acceptance both with God and Man and that it was the practice of the Christians in days past to upbraid any with their Transgression or Sin after truly repented of I do not read so that for his so doing it appears Unnatural and not like a Christian But to proceed to the next thing where he says the next Prater was William Wilkinson in Page 61. where he says I repeated some of the Apostles words in Col. 1.27 Christ in you the hope of Glory Now it is worth the noting here how barely he hath brought this Scripture without laying here down the reason why it was brought which had but been fair and reasonable so to have done but as I before have said so here it doth appear how he strives to make his own cause strong and ours weak but it is not like to pass so For this I know and heard him say If you said he can prove that Christ was ever in any Man as a Saviour I will lay down the Cudgels or words to this very purpose which greatly occasioned me to bring them words of the Apostle which were before mentioned saying Christ in you the hope of Glory which was pretty partenent to that purpose to prove that Christ was in Man as a Saviour seeing the Apostle said Christ in you the hope of Glory Col. 1.27 But here methinks he struggles greatly to have another meaning for the Apostles words then what the Apostle himself said who spoke plainly But he saith This is an inforced sense and destroys the true nature of the word HOPE Now here I would have it well considered by the Reader who is most fitting to be believed the Apostle or Sampson Bond And the Apostle in Rom. 8.24 saith We are saved by Hope And in Gal. 2.20 he saith 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 So that it is plain that Christ is in his People both their Hope and Faith too let this Man say what he will Again he saith in Page 63. That I interrupted him saying We owned Gods Presence in Heaven and in Hell Answ This I disown to be either fairly or truly laid down for I did not bring them Words by way of interruption but what I said tending to that matter was by way of Answer to one of his Questions which was to me thus Quest Is God in Heaven or in Hell Answ To which I Answered him with some of the Words of the Psalms Psal 139.7 8. Whither shall we flee from thy Presence if I ascend up into Heaven thou art there or go down to Hell thou art there To this my Answer he said I said well for so said he he is every where Quest But speedily after he asked me again whether God was in Hell saved or damned To this Question he saith I Answered I will not tell thee these Words I utterly disown as being then spoken by me But it seemes it is little to him to cause such Words to be Printed as were not then spoken and send about the World for People to read as Truth But I hearing him ask this last Question it appeared to me so rediculous as amongst Men and so improper to be asked concerning the Lord who is God over all Blessed for Ever that I Answered I leave it to thee This Answer he saith was no other then a silly shift Now it is worth the Noting how he hath shifted concerning his own Words Where he saith he asked him meaning me Whether his God whose presence he owned to be in Hell was there saved or damned This Word his I disown to be therein mentioned and his own foregoing Words in answer to me helpeth greatly to make appear as may be seen where I answered him to that Question Whether God was in Heaven or in Hell with some of the words of the Psalms he said I said well for said he he is every where Now here his Words did not relate to that sense he hath shifted them where he says his God but his words related to the same God the Psalmist spoke of else why did he say I said well But it is like he hath considered since he asked that Unreverent Question that it was too gross and Improper to go forth so as it was at first stated therefore he would see to help it a little But seeing that I did not Answer this Question according to his expectation I have looked that he should have answered it himself for the satisfaction of the People that heard him But as to that I find him silent and the People left in as much Darkness about it as they were before for what I see or know So that I may say if it were by him accounted Inconsiderable to be answered it was much more Inconsiderable to have been asked But in that 63 Page I find because I did not answer to that foul impertinent Question before mentioned as he would have had me He saith I was one of their Baffling Prating Quakers Answ Methinks it would more a becomed him before he had charged me so high to have had a more sufficient ground for his charge then that was But it seems it is little to him to give bad names and cause to be Printed though upon too sleight a ground for the reason why I did no other wayes answer him I have before given as may be seen in my answer to that unsavoury Question of his The next thing I find he notes concerning me is That I repeated that place of Scripture in the 2 Cor. 5.16 where it is said Though we have known Christ after the Flesh yet now henceforth know we him no more Answ This doing is like some of his former as I have already mentioned to insert the place of Scripture without laying down with it the reason or occasion why
perish but he that hath the true living hope in him which the Apostle speaks of in John 2.3 purifieth himself even as he is pure And again Rom. 8.11 If the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the Dead dwell in you he shall also quicken your Mortal Bodies Many other places of Scripture might be brought tending to the proof of what I have before asserted but these I judge might be sufficient The last thing I find my self concerned with him in his Book is in Page 69. Where he saith I called on him to make good the third part of the Charge viz That the prime Principles of a Quaker are the same which were held and professed by the Beasts that Paul fought with at Ephesus This I own indeed that I did call upon him to make good or prove as in his paper sent to us he said he would do with the greatest plainness and clearness out of the Holy Scriptures a copy of which paper I have still by me these words to wit with the greatest plainness and clearness I find he has left out and saith in his Book from the Holy Scriptures I note it because there is a great deal of difference between proving a matter with the greatest plainness and clearnness out of Holy Scriptures and proving of it by his pretended Logical Arguments and Cousequences Because the one makes a thing perfectly appear as it is but the other as ill managed and misapplyed darkens Peoples minds as his Ergo's it is so or consequently it must be or may be so in which manner of proving a matter may be gross erring as I have already shewed where he said of me That I never had the Spirit of God in me His first Argument to prove that was thus formed Using the Apostles Words in the 1 John 5.8 where he saith There are three that bear witness in Earth the Spirit and the Water and the Blood and these three agree in me meaning himself But the Spirit that is in thee doth not agree with the Water of Baptism nor Blood of the Supper for thou hast renounced both the Sacraments therâ—fore the Spirit of God is not in thee Why should the Spirit that is in me agree with such a Popish Phrase as Blood of the Supper any moâ—e than with Sacrament of the Altar will this prove that I never had the Spirit of God in me or that the Spirit of God is not in me The like I never read in all the Scriptures of Truth that ever any of the true Ministers of Christ used thus to censure others on such occasion and terms But this was the way that this Man used to prove several of his charges against us But I minding this third Part of his Charge which was as beforemention'd That the prime Principles of a Qâ—ak r are the same which were held and professed by the Beasts Paul fought with at Ephesus And knowing it was too hard a thing for him to prove against all such as are call'd Quakers or any one as I know of I urged him to prove it if he could by plain Scripture but no such place of Scripture did he bring that could prove that charge for that the Principles of the People of God called Quakâ—rs and them Men called Beasts at Ephesus are far enough differing if they were Men the Apostle means as in point of Worship is well known to the Nation As in this particular that the People called Quakers do not Worship an Image an Idol God the Workmanship of Mans Hands which the Men at Ephesus called Beasts did as we may read in Acts 19.26 This Paul hath perswaded and turned away much People saying that they be not Gods which are made by Mens Hands and in Vers 27. So that not only our Craft is in danger to be set at nought but also that the Temple of the great Goddess Diana should be despised and her magnificence should be destroyed whom all Asia and the World Worshippeth and in the 28 Verse And when they heard these sayings they where full of Wrath and cryed out saying great is Diana of the Ephesians and in the 35 Vers Ye Men of Ephâ—sus what Man is there that knoweth not how that the City of the Ephesians is a Worshipper of the great Goddess Diana and of tht Image which fell from Jupiter But the Principles of the People called Quakers in point of Worship is to Worship the true God in Spirit and in Truth and such Worshippers Christ himself saith the Father seeketh And their prime Principle is Christ Jesus the Power of God the Light that inlightneth every Man that cometh into the World And what other erronious Principles them Beasts at Ephâ—sus held I know the People called Quakers disown sufficiently but what need have I to make that my business to search for them now this Man viz Sampson Bond having charged us so grosly and falsly as he hath and saying He would prove with the greatâ—st in plâ—inâ—â—ss and clearness out of the Holy Scriptures it was his place if he could have done it to have brought forth the Scripture to have proved both the Principles of the one and the other and so have made them appear to be as one and the same as he in his Paper to us said he would But here I have answered that false Charge of his and made it appear by plain Scripture that their Principles or at least some of their Pâ—incipâ—es was to Worship a visible Image And no such thing can be proved against he People called Quakers Now where does it appear that the Principles of the Beasts at Ephesus these being some of theirs and the Pâ—inciples of the People called Quakers agree Surely the Principles of those called Beasts at Ephesus and the Principles of the People called Quaâ—ers are far enough from agreeing as one and the same But I find in his Book that he alleadges their Principles were First That the Body of Christ was not raisâ—d from the Dead Secondâ—y That no Mans Body shall be raisâ—d from the Dead Noâ— that these â—here the Principâ—es of these Feasts that Paul fought with at Ephesus I do not find the Scripture plain for it But that their Pâ—inciples were as I have befâ—râ—mentioned the Scripture is very plain clear for that if the Apostle speak figuratively But that it was part of the Apostles Testimony to preach unto People Jesus and the Resurrection I own and truly believe as may be plainâ—y seen both to the Aâ—henians and Corinthians and it is like to many moâ—e both Jews and Greeks and that it was strange Doctrine as we may read in Acts 17. It was to the Athâ—nians to whom Paul preached at Mars-hill â—ut what is this to prove that it was the Principles of the Beasts that Paul fought with at Ephâ—sus or of the Qâ—â—kâ—rs either This Man having given fâ—om under his Haâ—d that he would prove his charge with the greâ—test plaiâ—n ss clearness from the Holy
and time to stop his boasting over them in some things wherein they are not versed Wherein he shews both his Arrogance and Deceit pretending an Aristotelian Schooll-form before and against Men that are not skilled at that Weapon forsaking the plain Spiritual Weapons inclosed in plain words and methods which the true Preachers used Some of the Schooll-Men themselves say Baconthorp prol 4 sen q 8 Beware of Subtil Sophisters in the Doctrine of the Church The nature of Sophisms is to bring in all errors and Heresyes Wherein he shews himself unskilful as well as deceitful J. Bale as in saying The Conclusion ought not to be denyed And in proving but one part of the reason in all his four Arguments Begging the former part in all unproved The Consequence is Ungranted Ungrounded and Unproved which is in question the second part unquestioned by all is all he proves For he proves Jesus of Nazareth to be Christ by the Scriptures he brings but no where pâ—oves by the Scriptures that we own him not as Christ Onely as the Professers then saying He had an unclean Spirit a Devil So S. B. c. now saying His Spirit is an Vnclean Spirit the Devil Because they have said it it must be taken as an axiom a Maxim needing no proof because they have said it their authority is sufficient because they are Infallible their Positions are Principles Authentic Self-proof And so great is his Authority he thinks that he makes himself determinating Judge in the Schoolls Magisterially For as I remember I have read in the Master of the Sentences upon occasion of a dispute between a Presbyterian and a Baptist almost forty Years ago on that Question that several of the Fathers held That the Spirit was in Men not only efficiently or Vertually So no new Doctrine And they being in all Mens esteem greater then we how comes it that we in his esteem and not they are then the greatest Antichrists But it happens to us as Erasmus said it did to Luther when the Priests accounted that Heresy in him which they accounted Orthodox in the Fathers And as it happened to Erasmus himself Apolog. when he said to the Popish Doctors of Paris Why blame ye me for denying swearing to be lawful blame the Fathers for denying it whose Authority I bring But S. B. seperates as well as distinguishes Personal Mystical Operative but no where proves it but only by his mighty Greek Word Metonymy which he brags that F. E. understands not which he could if he had not hid himself in Greek as their manner is but call'd it in plain English as the word signifies Misnaming which he no ways proves only says it As if God were not in us of a Truth in whom we live move and have our being and not afar off as the Heathen acknowledged but only operatively working by a Metonymy a misnaming improper speaking as the Sun is at a distance and so fills not all things nor Christ where his Spirit is nor the Father where the Son Works and both where the Spirit contrary to the Schools also which say that the works of those three are indivisible ad extra Nor that Christ is not really where he is mystically so not in his Body Christ not in Christ nor the Father in the Son nor he in him Cyril on John l. 10 c. 13. nor they in the Saints nor that they dwell in them but only by a Metonymy not really and properly only by works at a distance I do not read that ever the Lutherans called Vbiquitarians were by their adversarys called for that the vilest Antichrist or other his vilest terms he bestows on us but allowed honourable Names as Zanchy called the judicious Zanchy of Ch. Relig. of true disp p. 6. 7. c. who said The Humane nature of Christ might extend from Heaven to Earth c. But to omit him and others to avoid that Name Vbiquitarian Chytraeus approved as aforesaid handling those Controversies professedly of the Son in the Articles of the Creed and opposing the prodigious Vbiquity as he calls it yet saith in the close all The Divinity of the Word which only of it self is Quickening Omnipotent and Omniscient yet shines in the whole Humane nature assumed and in it and by it is freely effectual as hot Iron possesses heat and the force of shining and burning truly and in very deed communicated in it self but not of it self For we know that all Orthodox Antiquity unanimously used this similitude And as for Ubiquity our Lord and Redeemer Jesus Christ Immanuel not only by his Divinity but also according to his Humane Nature to be truly present wheresoever he hath promised by his Word that he will be present we doubt not nor take away the glory of his Truth and Omnipotency due to Christ So he who would in these Controversies also have the plain words in Scriptures kept to as they sound simply properly p. 201. But S. B. also Magesterially invents a lowing new term viz. Humane p. 50. as easily found in Authours as Humane in Scriptures Also he declares without proof that in Rom. 1.19 is not meant Christ by whom the World was made p. 25. 38. though by Christ he understands God-man And that to them is not in them but without them I would have him shew how the God-head can be shewn to the outward Eye the inward being blind by the monstrous Syllogism or reasonless reason to speak plain English of this blind Sampson the Phiilstines having put out his Eyes The Psalm the Apostle grounds it on shews the inward Preacher as well as the outward declaring God as the fear of the Lord and the Words and Expressions of like signification after the Hebrews manner of speech And what Light can the Scriptures which he calls the Light give to them that have no Light in them Even as much as the Sun can give to a blind Man They would have the course of the Word to begin from externals says Oecolampadius Eze. 3.10 a chief Protestant Reformer but without ears it is in vain that the sound is inculcated so it s begun in the Spirit Abraham believed God not the Word Preached for where then were the Preachers or the Law Then it would follow that justification we e by the Works of our Hands Man should lay the first Stone so he and much more And now on mention of Justification I shall bring another Protestant chief Reformer to obviate his calling the â—uaker's Light within but the Pope without viz. to omit the rest I have largely cited elsewhere Melancton They say not well says he that by justify understand to be made just and obedient apud Pezâ—l de sign justif Aâ—g 5. and do not also therewith comprise the acceptation of the person So he contrary to S. B. his justification onely without with others his like ... And the Fathers of the first 300 Years after Christ were
above us then a Quakers Pretended Saviour within him is not the true Christ But the true Christ and our only Saviour is in Heaven above us therefore a Quakers pretended Saviour within him is not the true but the false Christ Reply This Argument is founded upon the same Foundation as the other viz That Christ as Man without the God-head is the only material Saviour which if he could prove that Mans only Saviour were a meer Man as S. B. foollishly and carnally seems to imagin then it were easy to limit the Saviour of the World to one place and then it were easy for him to make good his Charge against us but that is too hard for him to prove for the Scripture saith of him that he is God blessed for ever Rom. 9.5 and in Hos 13.4 the Lord himself declares there is no Saviour beside him and Mary of whom Christ was Born according to the Flesh ascribes Salvation to God Luke 1.47 My Spirit hath rejoyced in God my Saviour and another Scripture saith That Christ was the same Yesterday to Day and forever What shall I say the Scripture is plain as it is written God was in Christ reconciling the World unto himself And God was manifest in the Flesh But this is a mystery above the comprehending Wisdom in and about which the Wise-men of the World are Confounded And those and only those that live in the Wisdom which is from above can behold and understand the Jews that saw his Body understood not nor be ieved in the Invisible Power for they saw it not and their Eyes wâ—re shot that they could not behold it neither did Flesh and Blood reveal him 〈◊〉 Disâ—â—ples but the Father So that as none can know the Father but the Son and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal him so none can know the Son by reading of Letter or by Fleshly-wisdom but as the Father reveals him in them and is only seen and known in the Light though he be in Heaven and such as believe not in the Light wherewith they are Enlightned and which doth Enlighten every Man that cometh into the World have not known him nor seen him although the Jews saw the Body yet they saw not him that dwelt in the Body that was before Abraham who was the Saviour of the World and was one with the Father So that whosoever saw him saw the Father also John 14.9 And whereas S. B. brings the Scripture to prove his Argument or rather Imagination That the Saviour of the World the Christ of God is only limitted to one place called Heaven above at a distance from the Saints it s more then any Scripture doth say for the Scripture saith He is God as I noted before as well as Man and so cannot be limitted to any one perticular place and the Apostle Rom. 10.6 7 8. Verses speaks thus The Righteousness which is of Faith speaketh on this wise Say not in thy Heart who shall ascend into Heaven that is to bring Christ down from above or who shall descend into the Deep that is to bring Christ again from the Dead But what saith it The Word is nigh even in the Mouth and in the Heart that is the Word of Faith which we Preach So this Holy Apostle did not Preach Christ at a distance only but Nigh in the Mouth and in the Heart and such as did not so know 〈…〉 him the same Apostle deemed them as Reprobates 2 Cor. 13.5 This is no other Doctrine then what Christ himself declared to his Disciples while he was with them in the Body John 14.20 and it was part of Christs Prayer to his Father viz that he might be in them John 17.23 So that you may see by plain Scripture it is no new thing to acknowledge Christ in Man or the Saviour within for Christ is the Saviour who is God and cannot be limitted to one place so that he cannot be elsewhere for that were to limit the Holy One of Israel Thus having gone through his four Arguments which he calls Apostolical and having tryed them by the Scripture of Truth and finding them falsly grounded they are by plain Scripture truly overthrown His next Argument in Page fourth which S. B. brings to prove The false Christ to be the Devil is no whit material to his Work sith he cannot make good his Charge against us Now this being the manner of his work on that Day Friends met him expecting a regular Dispute he having gone through the four Arguments as laid down in his Book to prove the first part of his Charge he sought to proceed to his next Question or second part of his Charge against us But I stopt him being willing to answer each Question in its order though the said Bond did appear very unwilling whereupon I did then Declare my Faith as concerning Christ Jesus the Saviour of the World Contrary to his many lyes against us and how he is to be acknowledged and believed in before he took the Body Even as the Scripture doth declare of him John 1.1.2 3. and likewise as the Scripture doth declare of him when he took the Body how he took flesh of the Virgin and was born and had his Conversation among men and how at length he was Crucified without the Gates of Jerusalem performing the work of mans Redemption paying the prece So obtaining Remission of Sins through his Blood and being dead and buried how on the third day he rose again from the Dead aad also asended into Heaven as also I did declare my Faith as concerning his Spiritual appearanc afterward according to his promise to his Disciples I will not leave you Cemfortless I will come again John 14.17 Which promise he did perform unto them and also now to as many as do believe and truly wait upon him as Inward in the heart according to his word he dwelleth with you and shall be in you ver 17. This S. B. calls a Bare repetition of words Impertinent to the matter and saith Page 5 I made no mention of Christs Resurrestion which I noat as a Lye but before I had done he Interrupted me calling me Mr. which title I denyed saying that I was none of his Master He said I was Master of an Assembly not naming what Assembly here he takes upon him to judg me and saith that I grew Impertinent which I note again as false all though I did lay upon him something of Unfaithfulness who had promised that I should have liberty to say what I had to say without Interruption Now in his Book he goes on so confusedly that it is a hard matter to trace him to and fro in his several windings Therefore my intents are chiefly to note the Lies Slanders and Blasphemies and things of the like nature cast upon the Truth and People of the Lord and where I see occasion a little to inlarge that the Truth may be cleared and stumbling Blocks may be taken out of the
way of such as desire to know the Truth In Page 6. I take notice how Deceitfully S. B. casts a slander upon us pretending how he hath fil'd off the Rust and Ruggedness of our Expressions yet charging us with disorder dismembring the Scripture which happily we might not speak every Word yet certain I am although many things were then cast in yet I did not violate or pervert the sense of any one Scripture Again he chargeth us with Dishonesty in not Noting Chapter and Verse in which he did greatly boast To which I then answered the Words we speak were Scripture Words and he had no great cause to boast For the Scripture was not given forth in Chapter and Verse neither did the Apostles ever so declare but when they speak Scripture Words they said as it is written naming only the Prophet or writer of the same and here People may take notice of a manifest Slander viz That it is Friends usual manner to speak Scripture darkly and confusedly thereby the more easily to deceive those with whom the Scripture hath any Credit Page 6. Page 7. He goes on with his Lies and Slanders saying My design was to make the Hearers believe that the Eternal Word as distinct from the Manhood of Christ is the true Christ and only Saviour As if I had gone about directly to deny the Body which is like many more of his Charges in his Book which are absolute Lies and Slanders which I shall note hereafter as they fall in my way Neither did I ever use any such Expression for if I had said He were the true and only Saviour that is to say according to S. B's sense every way sufficient to perform the whole Office of a Saviour as distiâ—guished from the Manhood then was that work in vain viz Christ taking upon him a Body of Flesh and all his Sufferings Death and Resurrection in vain If Christ as God only did perform and perfect the work of Mans Salvation without it Presently he contradicts himself saying Hereunto agrees his Words meaning mine so often repeated by him God was manifest in the Flesh which he saith we mean all Mankind Flesh which he calls an Error Which although it is my belief that God is manifest in his glorious Light in every Man according to his measure according to John 1.9 He Enlightneth every Man that cometh into the World yet my Words chiefly had Reference to that prepared Body in which the Invisible Power did so gloriously appear to those whose Eyes was open to behold it but this his Lie and Slander I shall leave upon his own Head Another Lie or Slander is in Page 8. where he saith A Teaching Quaker whom he calls a Seducing Quaker such a Quaker saith he attributes no more Soul-saving merit to the Body of Christ then to the Body of a Turk or a Jew All that have heard or read the Declarations of Friends concerning the Manhood of Christ can do no less then Judge him to be a Slanderer and a Liar Farther S. B. saith That I insisting upon John 1.9 concluded the Light in every Man to be Christ and that Christ to be the only Saviour I confess I have said That that Light in every Man iâ— given by Christ to believe in that he may be saved from Sin But rhe word only was never used by me so as to deny the Body of Christ in which he performed the will of God upon the account of Mans Salvation yet he confesseth its true that Light in that Scripture signifieth Christ and that Christ in a sense but it must be his own sense doth Enlighten every Man that cometh into the World that is said he with reason So here he adds to the Scripture whereby he doth confound or pervert the true sense of the same by his Addition concluding that Christ the true Light that Enlightneth every Man that cometh into the World doth Enlighten Man with no other Light then the Light of Reason according to the sense of that Scripture but we believe that the Light with which Christ doth Enlighten Mankind is that Light that shineth in Darkness and the Darkness cannot comprehend and also doth detect discover and make manifest the works of Darkness and doth lead those that believe in it out of the same and this Light is manifested in some measure in every Mans Conscience as they are exercised in the affairs of this World as they heed it But a little to go back to the 2d Confession in Page 82. S. B. calls the work of the Spirit within no other but the effects of the thing done by the Man Christ without us as if to be Sanctified Washed and Purged from Sin could not possibly be wrought except first the Man Christ must have suffered without us as the Anticedent cause of those effects Whereas it is certain that many of the Prophets and Righteous Men that lived before the Appearance of Christ in the Body did Witness these things wrought within them through the effectual working of the Spirit of God in their Hearts So that it is plain that Christ was manifest to them before he took the Body as well as when he took the Body according to the Scripture Christ the same Yesterday to Day and forever So having finished this digression I go forward again In the last line of the 8th Page he saith I belie the Holy Man John that the Enlightning in every Man is Christ which I again testifie that it is a measure of the Light of the true Christ who is God blessed for ever and to prove this aâ— Error he saith That this Evangelist doth evidently affirm that the Light he â—pake of in the 9th Vers was the Man Jesus which he saith never was nor â—an be in any Man for this he brings the 29 and 30 verses of the same Chapter I Answer The Evangelist in them words cannot be so understood as a Man only for he testifies of him as a whole or perfect Saviour and if so then God for if he were Man only he could not sanctifie and cleanse the Soul from Sin and how then is he the Lamb of God that taketh away the Sins of the World or how is the Sin taken away if it still remains â—n the Heart But peradventure he will say He takes away the guilt of Sin through his Sufferings and to be Cleansed from the Defilement doth follow as the effects I Answer If it be so then it appears that the whole work of Mans Salvation and so not the whole office of a Saviour was not performed at once without us as Sampson Bond affirmeth in his 3d Argument for there is something to be effected within still and if so who as it that works those effects within if it be not the Spirit In Page Nine He goes on to prove the Light within not to be the true Christ by my Words for he saith My Words Imply That thy Light in every Man is Christ therefore
School-Learning and Fleshly Wisdom are able to attain to the knowledge of the Invisible God as it is written 1 Cor. 1.21 The World by Wisdom knew not God but this Apostle witnesseth that they viz. that wicked Generation had known God but did not like to Retain him in their knowledge vers 28. So then if the true knowledge of God cannot be Attained too by the Wisdome of this World which is not able to search into the Misteries of the Visible things as is plain by the Apostles words in the forenamed 1 Cor. 1.17 The World by Wisdom knew not God then its clear that they had another Teacher that Informed them in the knowledge of God besides the Visible Creation The next Scripture this said Priest undertakes to open is in Page 25. John 6.63 The Flesh profiteth nothing it is the Spirit that quickeneth About the Interpretation of which he seems to be greatly confounded not knowing what Flesh that is that profiteth nothing and what Flesh that is that is the Souls Food that came down from Heaven of which if any Man cat he shall live for ever So having opposed the pure Heavenly Light who is the Saints Teacher he himself is left in the Dark with which his own deceived Heart is Darkned So though he said these Scriptures did not appear to Answer the matter in Hand yet they are of good service to make manifest the Darkness of the Man And whereas Christ saith It is the Spirit that quickeneth after S. B. in his ordinary manner of turning and winding of that word at length brings forth this conclusion viz. though the Spirit be the Dead Souls quickner yet it is not the quickned Souls Saviour Rep. To me this seems as strange and as Dark and as confused a Sentence as ever I heard expressed by one that pretended himself a Wise-Man But herein is the Scripture fulfilled Job 5.13 He taketh the Wise in their own Craftiness For it seems very strange to me that any Man should be so Dark as to conclude that that Spirit that giveth Life doth not save from Death Now Man naturally is Dead according to the Word of God In the Day thou Eatest thereof thou shalt surely Dye and Death having got an Entrance into the World through Sin it passed over all Men because all have Sinned now Death got Entrance through the First Man Adams offence and Man now being under the Power of Death by what means doth Man come to Witness Salvation or Deliverance from Death but by Christ who is a Quickening Spirit which giveth Life to the Soul thus Captivated under the Power of Death which is Christ Jesus the Quickening Spirit which makes the Dead to Live and sets free from the power thereof as is Witnessed Rom. 8 2. So this is my Testimony for Christ Jesus who is the Lord from Heaven the Quickning Spirit who is the Resurrection and the Life and raises such to Life who are Dead and Buried in the pit of Death and Darkness and makes them to sit together in Heavenly places in Christ Jesus so I say it is he and he alone who is the Saviour of Mankind to S. B. might see if the God of this World had not Blinded his Eye that the True Christ the Quickening Spirit saves as well within as without so that this Scripture was not mentioned in vain but plainly proves the Spirit of Christ Jesus in the Saints to be their Saviour both by delivering them from the Captivity of Sin and being delivered to preserve them from the Power thereof The next Speaker he saith was Patience Bullock who he said propounded a question to him Whether Christ could have saved us without his being God His answer he grants it and saith the Godhead gave the Efficacy and excellency to the Manhood and in the 28th Page he tells us that the humane Nature of Christ was the only matter of our Salvation contradicting the latter by granting the first Now S. B. what will the result of all this be unto thee will not all thy wicked Blasphemies against the Lord and thy revilings of the pure Light and the Dirt and Mire cast upon the Throne of God in Man now return upon thine own Head thy wickedness may be seen in this particular in many Pages of thy Book sometimes calling the Light a Glow-worm sometimes a cursed Gospel within Page 20. and frequently the Idol Light within but especially in Page 15. there thou art found to joyn both the Light which we know and is sure is a Measure of Gods Spirit in Man and the Conscience made tender by it which is his Throne in which he doeth chiefly manifest himself I say thou hast Joyned both together under a reproachful Term that Idol Light tender part within so casting Infamy and reproach at it So that which thou said of me in Page 5. viz. is truly come upon thy self for thy Throat is an open Sepulchre casting out abominable Stinck and Noisome unsavory scents in the Nostrils of God and all Godly Men. So with most reviling Speeches thou goest on charging the Light with Antichristianisme and Villany beyond all the Antichrists that yet hath appeared which ungodly charge is Recorded against thee in Eternal Record which thou shalt as surely feel the waight of it upon thine own Head as ever thou spoke it and so I leave thee to the farther Judgment of the mighty God whose Spirit thou hast Villified But to proceed to thy Inferrences upon Patience Bullocks question Page 29. Let me ask you this question Art not thou one of those Carnal Gospelers thou speaks of that rests in a bare Historical Assent that the Man Christ Jesus of Nazareth is the true and only Saviour while sayest thou they are in no degree partaker of the Divine Nature for certainly if thou wert in that Nature it would manifest it self otherwise then it hath done of Instance thy mocking Friends in thy House of worship in Devonshire Tribe calling one of the Friends Checker-work and when I reproved thee for it as a thing unbeseeming thy profession thou answeredst wantonly saying why is not his Name White and his Hatt Black is not that Checkerwork This is no Fruit of the Divine Nature which is that which is Heir to the Kingdome but on the contrary it is a manifest Fruit of Ishmaels Nature scoffing thee at Isaac's Son and the Bond Woman which is to have no part of the Heavenly Inheritance several other things I might Alledge as truly gathered out of thy Book which I forbear here to mention and only content my self with some of those particulars Noted by thine own self as Signs or Fruits of the Divine Nature which are a Lively Faith and a Lively hope which both these do Manifest themselves where-ever they are by Holiness and Purity as we may Read in Acts 15.9 How that the Gentiles who Lived in the Heathenish Nature when they come to Receive the true and Living Faith it manifested it self by Purifying
Name or Book whereby it might have been made manifest but in as much as he hath done neither I return it back upon him again as an Imagination forced upon his own Heart And as for that of George Fox concerning the Nature of Christ that it was not humane but Divine I have bore my Testimony agreeable thereto before and so leave S. B. to prove it by the Scripture which lies upon him as a necessity in as much as he hath laid it down as a necessary point of Faith One thing more of which he chargeth the Faithful Servant of the Lord G. F. is that he hath abused the Scripture 2 Cor. 5.11 For we which live are always delivered unto Death for Jesus sake that the Life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our Mortal Bodies Now the abuse charged on G. F. is that he reads it thus the Life of Jesus is manifest in our Mortal Bodies thereby making that present which the Apostle makes future at the Resurrection Answ The words might be doth not so much note the time as the end wherefore the Saints were always delivered up to Death even for that very end that the Life of Christ might be Manifest in their Mortal Bodies all that might Dye to the Flesh and to the World and Sin might no longer Live in them but that the Life of Jesus might be Manifest in their Mortal Bodies Now if G. Fox witnessing the fulfilling of this and did Testifie to the same how did he abuse the Scripture or belye the Apostles words as thou hast falsly charged him but it is plain thou hast wrested the Scripture in that thou say'st it is only at the Resurrection when Paul himself witnessed the same thing before he went out of the Body Gal. 2.20 And yet in contradiction Priest Bond saith in pag. 72. that the Body shall be raised Spiritual as Christs Body of Flesh and Bones after the Resurrection was Spiritual our Bodies shall not be raised Natural corruptible Bodies but Spiritual Incorruptible Bodies though the Body of Man be not Natural corruptible or Mortal Flesh and Blood and as saith unfit for the Kingdom of God but in the Resurrection the Body will not be so for it will then be Spiritual incorruptable immortal Flesh and Blood Priest Bond in this hath contradicted himself and is made to confess the Quakers Principles And for what thou hast to charge Isaac Pennington withal I believe he was a Spiritual Man and was better acquainted with Heavenly things then Sampson Bond and so could speak as he had known felt and received them in Spirit which is a Mystery to every Natural Man for the Wisdom of this World with all the acquired parts that it can Furnish the Natural Man withal cannot know or Receive the things of God because they are only known and received in the Spirit But it had been a great point of Wisdom in this Priest to have been still and quiet and not to speak Evil of the things he knew not neither understood but he that thus will rail against the Light of Christ which the Saints believe in will not spare his Disciples Thus have I searched over the first part of his Book which concerns his first charge wherein I have noted some of the abuses Slanders Blasphemies Confusions and soft contradictions of S. B. and according to the Measure of Light I have Received briefly answered the same I shall now pass on to the Second charge viz. that the main end of the Quakers Meeting in these Islands is to make the Lords Christ his Holy Spirit his Angels and Apostles all Lyers and false Witnesses of God And to make good this his Ungodly false charge against us he lays down this for his Foundation viz. That we are G. Fs. Disciples and therefore that this is our Principal that the Light is in us which he calls pretended Light is our true Christ Teacher Rule and Guide to be heard believed in walked unto and obeyed as the only Saviour to give Remission of Sins and Salvation with God to which he said we consented from whence he draws down this conclusion viz. That we did thereby Grant that the end of our Meetings is to Teach a denial of Jesus Christ of Nazareth the Man approved of God to be our true and only Saviour which Teaching said he is to make the Lords Christ his Holy Spirit his Angels and Apostles all Lyers and False Witnesses of God Reply The Ground of this his charge is of the same Nature with the former because we confess to the Spirit within which is Light and therefore he concludes that it must needs follow that we do deny the true Christ which he concludes to be the Man Jesus without without having any respect to any thing that dwelt within or at least without any Respect to the Spirit of Christ whose Office it is to cleanse the Soul from Sin and so consequently doth save and Redeem from under the power of Death Reply This his charge is absolutely false for our Hearts viz. The Hearts of the Faithful amongst us is truly set to serve the Lord and our main end is truly to Worship him in Spirit and in Truth and if in the Indeavours of our Hearts to bring this our end to pass and for want of a true understanding in the Scripture we had mist of the thing must it needs be charged on us that it was our main end so to do I believe few that have any tenderness in them will believe thee But on the other Hand it is Manifest that the Man Jesus did declare himself the Light of the World Joh. 8.12 and so to be believed in Chap. 12 46. now as Man barely understood how could he be the Light of the World which Light is a Heart searching Light Rev. 2.23 therefore it must be understood in the Spirit and he declares himself one with the Father Joh 10.30 in whom dwelt the fulness of the Godhead bodyly who was before Abraham John 8. and it was the Godhead the Invisible power for which the Body was prepared and this power dwelling and acting in the Body was that which unheld it in this great work of Mans Salvation and it was through the excellency worth and power of the Indwelling Spirit which was one with the Father which the Invisible Eye only could behold by which the satisfaction was made and the purchase of the Heavenly Inheritance obtained by whom Remission of Sins Justification Sanctification and Everlasting Redemption is obtained this is he in whom we confess to be our true and only Saviour in whom we believe And in as much as he did direct his Disciples that after his departure they should wait for his Spirit which the World could not receive then no more then they can do now which saith he dwelleth with you and shall be in you and this Spirit was to be waited for even by his Disciples that had been taught by him and he was
B's Book Entituled The Quakers in Burmondas Tryed c. In vvhich Book I have noted some of the many Lies Slanders Blasphemies c. and have openly detected them that Truth may be cleared from the many Slanders cast upon it and the Professors thereof that such as are not vvilfully blind may see but the rest shall be hardened Fran. Eastlack A Postscript HAving gone through that part of Sampson Bonds Book which concerned the Dispute upon the first day of the third Month 1678. and answered the matter chiefly as I found his words laid down by himself I shall now shew how that many things were spoken by him in his house of Worship in the Audience of all the People in Devon-shire Tribe so called on the dry above mentioned which words I writ while they were fresh in memory and divers Friends signified Truth of the same The first thing that I noted which he spoke in plain Words was this That Jesus of Nazareth as man barely considered is the only material Saviour grounded upon the Words of Simeon Luk. 2. and the Testimony of the Apostle Acts 2. c. Secondly That the Spirit of Christ was never in any man as a Saviour Thirdly That Sin doth live in all Men while they are in the Body Fourthly The Priest after an ugodly manner demanded in what part of our Guts Christ was For saiad he If he be in you he must be in your Legs Brains or Guts and if he were in your Brains he would teach you more wit Fifthly That Christ was not the Son of God but as he is Man grounded upon Christ his Words to the Blind Man when he demanded of Christ who the Son of God was Jesus answered I that speak unto thee am he which this Priest said was only the Man Sixthly That in the Resurrection vve shall rise again the same Body for substance Flesh Blood and Bones But the Quallities shall be Changed so that he that dyes a Fool shall rise a Wise Man and he that dyes Crooked shall be raised Straight This was an Imagination of his own Brain For there is no Scripture for it And Lastly He Demanded after an ungodly manner of Will. Wilkinson if God vvere in Hell vvhether he vvas their Saved or Damned These Wicked Erroneous and Ungodly Expressions were uttered by him that day by which the Wise in Heart may Judge what Spirit this Priest is of who is also a Teacher of others in Burmudus Fran. Eastlack Appendix SAmpson Bond thou saist in Page 14. That if any Man seek to be Justified by the righteousness of the Law as most of the Quakers do c. This horrid Lye and Forgery S. B. hath not proved as in Page 14. for we being Justified freely by his Grace through Redemption that is in Christ Jesus who dyed for our Sins and is risen for our Justification Rom. 3. and we are Justified by Faith in his Blood And as by the offence of one judgement came upon all men to condemnation even so by the righteousness of one to wit Christ the free gift came upon all men to the justification of life Rom. 5.18 and a great rabble of this he hath pack'd together in three or four Pages as though We should deny Jesus Christ of Nazareth his Death and Resurrection because we are Witnesses to the Apostles Doctrine who saith That Christ is in you except ye be reprobates 2 Cor. 13. And again the Apostle saith That Christ may dwell in your hearts by Faith and as you have received Christ Jesus the Lord so walk in him Col. 2.6 And again the Apostle saith Christ in you the hope of glory whom we preach c. Col. 1.27 Now this is the true Christ Jesus which we own which the Apostle Preach't IN people as well as WITHOUT and Christ Jesus who came according to the Promise and Prophets of God and how he died for our sins according to the Scripture and that he was buried and rose again the third day according to the Scripture and is ascended at the right hand of God and manifest and dwells in the hearts of his people and he that hath the Son of God hath Life and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life 1 John 5.12 And thus we and the Apostles do own Christ within and we do abhor that lying poysonous Tongue of S. B. who saith We deny Jesus of Nazareth who was crucified dead and buried and rose again and sitteth at the right hand of God and yet dwells in his people by Faith and if Priest Bond do not know Christ in him then he is a reprobate and then let him consider who dwells in him if it be not the Devil and Satan whom he hath so often in his mouth And was not Saul persecuting Jesus of Nazareth in his Members when he said Saul Saul why persecutest thou me as in Acts 9.4 and Saul said who art thou Lord and he said I am Jesus of Nazareth whom thou persecutest Acts 9.5 and Acts 22.8 Priest Bond could Saul get into Heaven to persecute Jesus of Nazareth but in his Members as thou dost now in us and callest him a false Christ and a Devil as he is in us And Priest Bond all those Scriptures that thou hast brought or perverted and misapplied in thy 1 2 3 4 Pages which we say he hath brought to prove his false Charge against us That Jesus Christ of Nazareth a Man approved of God c. who is the true Christ and Saviour who died for our Sins and is risen again for our Justification who is at the right hand of God and is the one Mediator betwixt God and Man even the Man Christ Jesus we say this true Lord Jesus Christ who is revealed in us as he was in the Apostles and Saints he hath not proved to be a false Christ a Deceiver the Devil and an Antichrist as he wickedly and blaphemously saith who hath sold himself to work wickedness and made lies his refuge to corrupt and defile peoples minds withal and all these Scriptures Acts 2. and 4 and 10. Chap. Luke 2. John 4. Heb. 10.1.2 Chap. Col. 1. Ephes 2. 1 Pet. 2. Heb. 9. Luke 24. Mark 6. Acts 1.3.7 chap. and many other Scriptures may be brought to witness against his false slanderous Charge and his second Charge and all the rest is as false and stuft full with a rabble of Lies as the first So Priest Bond hath brought all these Scriptures to prove Jesus Christ the true Saviour which no Quaker doth deny But how doth S.B. own the true Lord Jesus Christ without if he doth not own the true Lord Jesus Christ revealed within who is the Saviour As the Apostles and the true Christians in scorn called Quakers do For doth not Antichrist and Deceivers confess Christ without as S. Bond doth and call the true Christ within Antichrist a Deceiver and a Devil within his people and so persecutes Christ in his Members like Saul So Priest
saith I say unto you the hour is coming and now is Mark now is when the dead shall hear the voyce of the Son of God and they that hear shall live c. Marvel not at this for the hour is comming 〈◊〉 which all that are in the Grave shall hear his voyce and shall come forth thâ—â— which have done good unto the resurrection of Life and they that have 〈◊〉 evil unto the resurrection of damnation Here as Christ in John 5. and the Apostle in 1 Cor. 15. this Resurrection the Quakers do believe and own as Christ and his Apostles have declared it and yet S.B. wickedly saith The Principles of a Quaker are the same which are held and profest by the Beasts that Paul fought with at Ephesus that denyed the Resurrection that the Body of Christ was not raised from the dead These are all Priest Bonds horrid Lies and he hath contradicted and confounded himself and saith That Christs Body of flesh and bones after the Resurrection was spiritual and the Body to wit of the Saints 1 Cor. shall be raised spiritual and saith that F. E. the Quaker did confess that the Word took Flesh and in that Flesh died for all men and that Jesus of Nazareth was received up into Heaven Page 22 23. And Priest Bond brings Caril's saying When the Body shall be raised again it shall have many beautiful and glorious additions so the Body laid down in the Grave is raised not the same in all things Page 73. And Priest Bond saith If the same Body that dies be not raised up but another kind of Body it cannot be Resurrection Then he cries out Blasphemy and saith Flesh and Blood doth signifie not natural flesh and blood of which the Body is now composed and made up as such it is corruptible and cannot enter into the Kingdom of Heaven But what must we understand from S. B That natural flesh and blood enters into the Kingdom of Heaven Page 74. And doth not Priest Bond contradict himself and Priest Caril also Page 72. and 73. who saith The Body is raised a spiritual Body And Caril saith It is not the same in all things Page 52. the visible material Body of Jesus Christ and yet a spiritual Body Page 72. And Page 75. In the Resurrection the Body c. it will be spiritual incorruptible immortal flesh and blood fit to enter the Kingdom of God Our Bodies from their natural state were spiritual Again Our Bodies shall not be raised natural corruptible bodies but spiritual incorruptible bodies and as such they will be fit for Glory in the Kingdom of Heaven Page 17. Here Priest Bond is made to confess at last fully the Quakers Principle concerning the Resurrection and yet he contradicts himself and saith Stephen saw Christs humane Body in Heaven above after he was risen page 69. And Priest Bond saith If it be another Body that was raised from the dead then it is not the same Body that died page 71. Yea Priest Bond confesses in Page 72. It is raised a spiritual Body But S. B. is like one of those Fools spoken of which Paul had to deal withal for that which thou sowest thou sowest not that Body that shall be but God gives it a Body c. as it pleaseth him Priest Bond in Page 77. saith That he hath been requested by some c. In these Islands to make some Replyes to three or four Erroneous Principles held and professed by most Quakers First That there is a State of perfect freedom from Sin in this Life Priest Bond saith for any man to infer that either Noah or Job were perfect from all Sin in this Life would be a miserable perverting of Scriptures Page 78. But God said Job was a perfect and upright man one that feared God and esâ—â—ewed Evil And again the Lord said There is none like unto Job in the â—â—â—le Earth a Perfect and upright Man one that feared God and eschewed Evil. And Job did not sin with his Lips Job the 2d And did he not eschew Sin if he eschewed Evil And in what Life was his perfect State And the Lord said Noah was a just Man and perfect in his Generation Gen. 9. And Priest Bond tells of a Legal Perfection as Adam 's before the Fall and a Comparative Perfection of Job 's being only Perfect Comparatively in Comparison of all other Men c. But he has not proved his Legal Perfection and his Comparitively Perfect in Scripture Words So he adds to the Scriptures and doth not believe what God and Christ and the Apostles have said concerning Perfection Or where did ever the Prophets or God or his Son Christ Jesus declare that Men and Women should not be perfect from Sin in this Life Priest Bond should have brought the Scripture and Chapter and Verse for it God said Job was a perfect and upright Man But Priest Bond saith Not from Sin in this Life David saith Mark the perfect and upright Man Psalm 37. But Priest Bond saith There 's no perfect and upright Man from Sin in this Life But Priest Bond brings Job the Five and Twentieth Bildad the Shuhite who said to Job How can a Man be justifyed with God Or how can a Man be Clean that is Born of a Woman And Priest Bond says This Question carries a strong Denial It cannot Possible be or it is Impossible viz. To be perfect from sin c. And Priest Bond saith As if Job had said do but acknowledge that any one is born ordinarily of a Woman and we may conclude him to be sinful and unclean with or in the Sight of God so far Priest Bond Page 78. But Reader did not God say Job was a perfect and upright Man And again Reader read the 25th of Job and thou wilt see that it was Bildad the Shuhite that contended with Job who said How can a Man be justifyed with God Or how can a Man be Clean that is born of a Woman So these were not Job's words as Priest Bond basely would Father upon Job for they were Bildad's Words who contended with Job and it is like all the rest of his Pleading against Perfection and Pleading for Sin and the Devil his Father the Author of it And God bid Araham walk before him and be Perfect And Priest Bond saith though Job Noah Jacob Abraham are said to be Perfect yet it is not to be found in the Scripture that God ever said of all or any one of them they were Perfect without sin in the World Now is not this Doctrine of S. B's contrary to Scripture For what Sin did God Charge Job and Abraham withal Or old Jacob Abel or Enoch withal And Christ said Be you Perfect as your Heavenly Father is Perfect But Priest Bond saith 'T is an erroneous Principle that there is an Estate of Perfection and freedom from sin in this Life And yet Priest Bond contradicts himself and saith The meâ—â—â—st Saint upon the Earth is
like his Heavenly Father in Heaven And the Aâ—â—â—â—le saith in Rom. 6. Being made free from sin are become Servants to God Ye have your fruits unto Holiness and the end Everlasting Life Priest Bond tells the Apostle that 't is an erroneous Principle to be Perfect and made free from Sin in this Life And when will Priest Bond be made free from his Sins if not in this Life What will he be made free in the Papist's Purgatory Where did ever the Apostles Preach such a Doctrine that the Saints should not be made free from Sin in this Life And the Apostle tells him He that is Dead is free from Sin Rom. 6. And now if we be dead with Christ we believe that we shall Live with him yet as Priest Bond saâ—th Deduction of freedom from sin in the Saints in this Life cannot from hence be drawn Priest Bond saith Now the State which accompanies the Resurrection of the Dead excludes all Sin The Saints shall then be Legally Perfect But S. Bond has not proved his Doctrine by Scriptures and what must we understand by S. Bonds Words That the Saints which are Sanctified and made Holy while they be upon the Earth must have Sin which is of the Devil and be Imperfect in this Life Yet the Apostle says to the Philippians 3. 1 Cor. Let as many as be Perfect c. Read 1 Cor. 2.6 Then S. B. falls upon his foul Language seducing Quakers Heretical Catharishes and saith Solomon makes a Challenge to all the World Pro. 20.9 Who can say I have made my Heart Clean I am pure from my Sin But Solomon tells Bond in the same Chapter The just man that walks in his integrity his Children are blessed after him and it is the Blood of Christ that Cleanseth us from all Sin without him we can do nothing Again John 1.1.8 This Proclamature is beyond Solomon's If we say that we have not sinned we make Christ a Lyar. And Priest Bond saith We that are of the new birth say If we say we have not Sin we deceive our selves and the Truth is not in us But this Priest Bond abuses John's Words and John says 1.3 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 Now I Querie of Priest Bond Whether there are any born of God whilst they are upon the Earth and if so whether they must believe John's Doctrine And Priest Bond falls a Railing If the Quakers should be so stark mad as to affirm all the Saints to be free from Sin which Priest Bond saith Cannot be meant a freedom from Sin but only of the Trade and Custom of Sinning I charge Priest Bond to bring forth the Chapter and Verse that says For his Trade and Custom of Sinning But the Apostle saith If we say we have no sin we deceive our selves c. And if we Confess our Sin he is faithful and just to forgive us our Sins and to cleanse us from all mark all Unrighteousness If we say we have not Sinned we make him a Lyar c. So here is a time for people to see they have Sinned and to confess their Sins and the Blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanses from all Sin mark from all Sin Joh. 1. Priest Bond makes a great Pudder about Paul who saith O wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from this body of Death Paul tells thee in Rom. the 7th and the 8th He thanks God through Jesus Christ and saith there 's no Condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus who walk not after the Flesh but after the Spirit for the Law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the Law of Sin and Death And he hath not seen iniquity in Jacob. Now Priest Bond Confounds himself and grants That believers may walk in the Commandments and Ordinances of the Lord blameless that is to say Rebukeless in regard of Men. We speak Wisdom among them which are perfect meaning however imperfect Weaklings Doth not S. Bond abuse the Apostles words here and add to the Scripture Page 85. And again That you may be blameless and harmless the Sons of God without Rebuke in the midst of a crooked and perverse Nation amongst whom they shine as Lights in the World mark that And Priest Bond saith and Confounds himself The Phrase Blameless Simply in its own nature will be so far from proving perfection of Grace that it will not prove any truth of Grace it will not therefore follow that Elizabeth was Perfect without Sin though Priest Bond Confesses she was blameless and hath not charged her with what Sin she committed Dost not thou confess she was Blameless and Righteous c. And did not Elizabeth Believe Did not she say to Mary Blessed is he that Believes So Elizabeth was a Believer as well as her walking blameless in all the Commandments and Ordinances of the Lord. But Saul who was a Blasphemer and Persecutor was no Believer therefore there 's no Comparison with Saul and Elizabeth But Priest Bond saith In the Day of Christs coming in Glory the Saints shall be found of God in Peace without Spot and Blameless But not thus in this Life p. 85. The Apostle saith 1 Cor. 1.8 Who shall also confirm you unto the end that you may be blameless in the Day of our Lord Jesus Christ howbeit we speak Wisdom among them that are Perfect for I Brethren could not speak unto you as unto Spiritual but as unto Carnal even as unto Babes in Christ 1 Cor. 3. Where has Priest Bond learned this Lesson that the Saints shall not be freed from Sin in this Life Then how can they be kept blameless unto the Day of Christ and not to be kept free from Sin which is of the Devil But as Bond saith page 86. There is not a just Man upon the Earth Solomon saith in the same Chapter Be not righteous overmuch be not overmuch wicked So in a Man 's own Righteousness and Justice he may Sin But Christ Cleanses from all Sin and doth that which the Law could not do but Priest Bond saith page 87. There is in all true Believers a cursed Root of bitterness which God doth mortifie but not nullifie in this World 't is subdued but not removed 't is cast down but not cast out though Grace makes the Combate yet Death only makes the Conquest over Sin We charge Priest Bond to prove this Doctrine by Scripture his cursed Root of Bitterness in all true Believers and that they shall never Conquer it till they Dye and to prove that this was in Abraham Isaac and Jacob Abel and Enoch and in them that the Apostle said We speak Wisdom among them that are Perfect And has not Priest Bond given John the Lye who says whosoever is born of God doth not commit Sin
for his Seed remains in him and he cannot Sin because he is born of God 1 John 3.9 Now let Priest Bond prove where ever the Apostle Preached such a Doctrine as in all true Believers there is a cursed Root of Bitterness mortified and not nullified in this World Death only makes the Conquest over Sin So we must understand we must have this cursed Root of Bitterness as long as the Believers live according to Priest Bond 's Doctrine though he has not proved it by Scripture and then how can they be kept blameless to the Day of the Lord as in page 85 Priest Bond saith 't is an erroneous Principle for the Quakers to say that the Scriptures are not the word of God in page 77. and page 87. he brings many Scriptures and makes a great pudder and abuses them to prove it but to no purpose his declarative word of God but he hath not proved such a word in Scripture all Scripture is given forth by Inspiration of God c. 1 Tim. 3. Therefore saith Priest Bond the Scriptures is the word of God but that Scripture doth not say so 2 Tim. 3. And in page 88. Priest Bond falls a Railing against Quakers and saith Is there any word asserted to be the word of Christ but the written word of Truth Doth not the Apostle say that the Word of Faith is nigh in the heart let the word of Christ dwell in you c. Being born again not of corruptible Seed but of Incorruptible by the word of God the word of God endures for ever and are these Writings of the Letter And Priest Bond saith page 88. The Lord hath no other will as a Rule of Obedience than his will revealed in the written Scriptures had the Lord no other will or Rule of Obedience before the Scripture was written Prove that by Scripture Priest Bond runs into Lies and foul words the Quakers worship cannot be accepted of God Quakers are under the power of Satan gross blind and ignorant the Cavil is idle and vain These Lyes Priest Bond may apply to himself but where doth the Scripture say of themselves in so many words as S. B. doth that the Scripiures are the infallible standing Rule of his Faith and Life and yet acts contrary to them for the Scripture saith The Holy-Ghost shall lead you into all Truth and no Man knows the things of God But the Spirit of God and Holy Men spake forth Scripture as they were moved by the holy Ghost And Priest Bond falls a railing against Quakers Spirit and calls it their Idol light within seducing Quakers is blind These filthy ungodly words he had better apply to himself Priest Bond saith Because the Spirit is antecedent to the Scriptures therefore none can walk in the Scriptures till they walk in the Spirit This consequence is lame saith Bond Page 90. Howbeit the Scriptures are before the Spirit in respect of aid and assistance The Apostle doth not say so in 1 Pet. 1. The Apostle tells you The natural man receives not the things of the Spirit of God for they are foolishness to him neither can he know them because they are spiritually discerned So it is the Spirit of God that brings people both to discern the Scriptures and to walk according to them which Spirit of God or Holy-Ghost was before they were written which moved the holy men to give them forth And Bond saith To the Law and the Testimony the Written Word he adds Written Word and yet he saith Scripture is his Rule And Bond saith When the Spirit of Truth is come it shall guide you into all truth of the Scriptures And yet he saith The Written Scriptures are the Infallible standing Rule of Faith and Life page 89. 91. And how can the Scriptures be the Rule and the Spirit of Truth must be the guide into all the truth of the Scriptures And again Priest Bond contradicts himself and saith He affirms that the matter contained in the Scriptures is the only infallible standing rule of Faith and Life Page 91. So then the Scriptures are not the only rule but that which is contained in them And what is that which is contained in them which is thy Rule seeing the Holy-Ghost was in them which moved them to speak them forth and in them that leads them into all the truth of them But Priest Bond is all the Scriptures from Genesis to Revelations thy Rule and all that is contained in them For the Scripture speaks of the Devils words and bad men's words as well as the good Priest Bond saith The People of God had no Word Written from Adam to Moses and yet they had a Word given from God to be the rule else their worship would have been like the Quakers Will-worship If Priest Bond have not the same Word and Holy-Ghost as they had he cannot Worship God in Spirit and Truth neither can he be born again of the incorruptible seed but by that Word which lives and abides and endures for ever And Will-worship is not the Quakers who worship God in Spirit and Truth but his own In Page 92. Priest Bond is full of railing against Quakers their Idol light within craftily thrown down the Scriptures this Plot cannot be from the Spirit of Christ blind rotten and wicked spirit your Light that false Christ within See how wickedly Bond torments himself and blasphemes against the true Christ and the Light in his people Priest Bond saith Where is that place of Scripture to be found which saith the Scriptures are to be tryed by the Spirit the Spirits are to be tryed by the Scripture and not the Scripture by the Spirit Then Priest Bond what Scripture had they to try withal from Adam to Moses before the Scripture was written And Priest Bond saith It is the Holy-Ghost that leads into all truth of the Scriptures Then it must try the truth of them whether they be rightly translated or no And the Spirit of God will not deny its own Words And again Priest Bond saith The Spirit witnesses in the Scripture But where doth the Scripture say such words That the Spirit witnesses in the Scripture Priest Bond saith The Spirit witnesses in the Scripture that he is a righteous man who walks in all the Commandments or Ordinances of the Lord page 99. And page 87. Thou saith in contradiction There is in all true Believeâ—â— a cursed root of bitterness and death makes only the conquest over sin But we tell thee That Christ through death destroys Death and the Devil the Power of Death and makes an end of Sin Then Priest Bond falls a railing Quakers damnable delusion hellish Impostor that Idol light for if they might herein prevail and withal get into the Saddle they would undoubtedly soon arreign try and condemn the inspired Bible of God to the Fire and Fagot These are horrid malicious Lies Blasphemed from Priest Bonds evil Tongue For we have esteemed and do own the Scriptures more
their God and they shall be my people And we have the comfort of the Scripture 2 Cor. 6. And if this Christ which we own be not in Priest Bond then he is a Reprobate Priest Bond saith In all Places and Countries the generality of Quakers do purposely use these words THEE and THOU and deny all reverential respect to all sorts of men these things the unmannerly Quakers will do but the Scriptures do command all men to pray for Rulers and to submit unto them and to give the honour that 's due unto them And therefore saith Priest Bond over and over The Light of the Scriptures doth reprove them Page 41. 42 43 44 45. He makes a great pudder about THOU and THEE but to no purpose Doth THOU and THEE dishonour Magistrates and to say YOU to them is that the true honour and reverence that belongs to them If so let Priest Bond prove it by Scripture which thou saist is thy Rule And thou saist The Quakers seeming Sanctity consists in thee and thou That is false for Christ is our Sanctification and thee and thou is according to the Scripture c. And three times over in the fortieth Page Priest Bond saith That we deny Jesus Christ of Nazereth born of the Virgin Mary which are all horrid lies in Page 40. and 41. For we own Christ Jesus more than he Priest Bond saith that John Crook said it was the Light within that was Crucified without the Gates of Jerusalem These are more Lies for Christ suffered in the Flesh without the Gates of Jerusalem who enlightens every Man that comes into the World and was quickned by the Spirit Bond runs into his wicked words and tells of an Inside Christ but he hath not proved such a word in Scripture Page 39. And Priest Bond saith The inspired Scriptures of God are against the feigned Light of Christ within them But Priest Bond hath brought no Scripture against the Light of Chirst shining in our Hearts which gives us the knowledge of the Glory of God in the Face of Christ our Saviour And so it was the Apostles Doctrine and reaching to bring People to the Light of Chirst which shined in their Hearts which Light of Christ thou callest an Idol and a feigned Light Christ within Page 38. which thou hast not proved by Scripture which thou callest thy Rule and by it thou art reproved And Christ is manifest in us by his Spirit Priest Bond But all things reproved are made manifest by the Light of the Scripture Scripture Light Then how chanced it the Jews were not reporved by Scripture Light And what reproved before Scripture was written or them that have not nor had not the Scripture Had people no Light to reprove before the Scripture was written And Priest Bond saith Every one that doth evil hates the Light c. By the Light Christ Understand the Doctrinal Light contained in the written Scripture of the New-Testament But Priest Bond prove that the New-Testament was written when Christ Preacht that Doctrine in John 3. And every one that doth evil hates the Light and will not come to it Hath every one the Scriptures that doth evil in the World Prove that Priest Bond who saist that Scripture is the Light for do not the Scriptures declare that Christ enlightens every one that comes into the World Priest Bond saith That the True Christ hath stopped F. E's Mouth and yet F. E. and he disputes over and over in his Book afterwards And then Priest Bond goes to his Lies and Blasphemous Language False Christ the Devil Christ within is the false Christ the Devil Page 36. And yet Priest Bond is made to confess in Page 21. 23. that F. E. the Quaker did confess the word took Flesh and in that Flesh dyed for all Men and further F. E. did believe that Jesus Christ of Nazareth a Man approved of God amongst the People whom the Jews hanged and slew and God raised from the dead and also received up into Heaven was the true Christ and only Saviour And yet Priest Bond saith in the same 21. Page That the Scriptures of Truth doth plainly charge the generality of Quakers with the guilt of the Sin against the Holy-Ghost because they have sinned willfully after a Profession openly made of Faith in the Lord Christ born of the Virgin Mary c. See the Priests contradictions here in F. E's confession as Priest Bond prints them But these are all horrid Lies for we are in the same Faith which Christ Jesus is the Author and Finisher of and the Scripture charges us with no such thing which he falsly perverts and misapplies they are better applied to himself in sinning against the Holy-Ghost who calls Christ within a Devil and an Idol-Light which will be his own Condemnation Then he is making a pudder about Christs humane nature and yet cannot give a Scripture to prove it as in Page 55. And yet he saith Christs Body of flesh and bones after the Resurrection was spiritual Page 72. And in Page 69. He saith Stephen saw Christs Humane Body above Are not these contradictions And the Apostle saith All things were made by Jesus Christ and all things were made by the Word and Christs Name is called the Word of God Priest Bond saith to F. E. It is strange that thou wilt produce a Christ for Evidence in whom thou dost not believe Page 34. And in Page 40. They deny that Jesus Christ was come into the Flesh And in Page 21. 23. They confess Christs coming into the Flesh Thou saist and here thou contradicts thy self and saith and unsaith and belies the Quakers Priest Bond thou brings Christs Words I in them and thou in me that they may be perfect in me to wit Christ i. e. that is in oneness of Affections but affections he hath added and what Affections them are he hath not declared Page 34. Yet thou saist The Saints must have sin in them as long as they live and shall not be made free from Sin in this Life and there is a Cursed Root of Bitterness in all true Believers and not Cast out Death only makes Conquest over Sin Page 87. So it is not Christ that makes an end of Sin and his Blood that cleanseth from Sin and make their Garments white and gives Victory and Conquest but it is death according to Priest Bonds Doctrine that Conquers Sin And thou saist If the Man Christ Jesus had not first given himself a Ransome for our Sins c. Page 32. And then thou saist You must not be free from Sin in this Life What contradictions are here And how art thou reconciled to God and pleads thou shalt not be made free from Sin in this Life which is of the Devil And Christ enlightens every Man that comes into the World who is the Redeemer which Light thou callest an Idol Light within The Quakers say thou that hates the Light of Christ and calls it an Idol thou hates
thy Redeemer and Christ from whence it comes who Redeems Sanctifies Washes and Justifies Priest Bond saith Page 31. That F. E. saith He was Washed and Justified from Sin in some measure Is any man Justified but according to the measure of Faith And thou finds fault with measure or degrees and yet thou usest the same word degrees Page 31. And thou saist That our Justification from Sin was once finished and perfected without us on the Cross with the Offering of the Body of Christ Jesus once for all and Christ gave himself a Ransome for all c. This the Quakers believe But did Christ give himself a Ransome for all And was he an Offering for all Men And how can Priest Bond say Christ hath Justified him from his Sin or Washt him from his Sin when he saith He shall not be free from Sin which is of the Devil in this Life And yet he finds fault with F. E. who said He was Washed and Justified from his Sin in some Measure and calls it a dangerous Doctrine and saith Jesus Christ of Nazareth hath once by his own Crucified Body without us on the Cross finished Transgression and made an end of Sin Mark made an end of Sin And Priest Bond saith again They shall not be made free from Sin in this Life and there is in all true Believers a Cursed Root of bitterness not cast out death only mark only makes the Conquest over Sin and yet Christ hath made an end of Sin Then how can Priest Bond say Christs Death makes an end of Sin as in Page 31. When they cannot be made free from it in this Life it must be Death that must end it So you may see what conrtadiction he makes and what confusion he is in Priest Bond grants that we could not he saved without the operation of his Spirit in us and yet Christ within is a Devil and his Light is an Idol Light he saith And the Quakers own no other Christ within but what the Apostles Preacht both without and within Priest Bond saith It is the Spirit that quickens John 6.63 But Priest Bond hath not proved this Is not Christ who is the Saviour of the Soul a quickning Spirit as it is written the first Adam was made a Living Soul The second Adam was made a quickning Spirit 1 Cor. 15.47 But Priest Bond saith Though the Spirit be a dead Souls quickner yet it is not the quickned Souls Saviour Page 26. So then Christ the second Adam who is a quickning Spirit is not the Souls Saviour according to Priest Bonds Doctrine And Priest Bond makes a great deal of pudder in several Pages concerning eating Christs Flesh and drinking his Blood who saith Except ye eat the Flesh of the Son of Man and drink his Blood yee have no Life in you Now we that eat the Flesh of Christ and drink his Blood by Faith and have Life and Christ in us this Christ Priest Bond saith is a Devil and his Light is an Idol And Priest Bond falls a Railing against the Quakers in Page 20. and saith Crucifying of the Son of God Crucifying of him again c. And have trod under foot the Blood of the Son of God But Priest Bond is not this thy own condition and not the Quakers who calls Christ and his Light within his people an Idol the Devil And saist The Saints shall not he made free from Sin in this Life and the Apostle said That the Blood of Christ Jesus the Son of God cleanseth from all Sin And Priest Bond makes a great deal of Pudder in three or four Pages concerning the Seed in Page 19. Christ we say is the Seed of the Woman which bruises the Serpents Head and Christ is the Seed of Abraham in which seed all Nations are blest and if ye be Christs then are yee Abrahams Seed and heirs according to the promise and are the Children of God by Faith in Christ Jesus And we tell Priest Bond Christ is the Seeds-man And he may read in the Scriptures what Christ calls the Seed that he sows and the good Seed are the Children of the Kingdom Priest Bond thou saist Christ in you the cause being put for the effect by a Metonyma but he hath not proved the word Metonyma by Scripture that he hath added in Page 18. And Priest Bond makes a great stur Page 17. Of Christ being in his People but why cannot he own the Apostles words as they speak plainly which are better than his meanings as in 2 Cor. 13. Coloss 1.27 and Amos 2.13 Genesis 6.6 And there he is giving his meanings upon those Scriptures which are plain enough without his meanings and dark imaginations who pretends Scripture to be his Rule and the people must take his meanings to be the Rule And Priest Bond saith The Light within doth Justify the vilest Antichrists that are this day in the World The Light within which is by natural Generation in Reprobates is not the true Christ Page 16. saith Priest Bond. Answer These are Priest Bonds horrid Lies and Blasphemies Christ who enlightens every man that comes into the World Condemns the Antichrists and the wicked and the Reprobates that hate it and do not believe in it And this Light doth not come by natural Generation as Priest Bond scoffingly saith but the Light is called the Life in Christ the Word by which all things were made John 1. Page 16. And yet Priest Bond confesses in contradiction to himself and saith It is true by Light To wit Christ which enlightens every man that comes into the World is meant the true Christ and only Saviour Page 8. And Priest Bond goes over and over and scoffingly and Blasphemously saith Christ within is a Devil which he might as well have reflected on the Apostles as on the Quakers for the Quakers own the true Saviour manifest in them as he was in the Apostles and Saints in their days And it is false to say That we make no distinction betwixt Christs Godhead and Christs Manhood as in Page 12. Priest Bond thou saist Page 10. But as for your Idol Light Christ it was never visible but ever invisible So here Priest Bond hath set up an Invisible Idol of his own making in Page 10. And yet in Page 8. S. Bond saith It is true that by Light in that place of Scripture the true Christ and our only Saviour is meant John 1. And in Page 10. An Invisible Idol Priest Bond saith Page 8. A Quaker attributes no more Soul-saving Merit to the Body of Jesus than to the Body of a Turk or a Jew These horrid Lyes Priest Bond hath Forged which Lyes of his was never the Quakers thoughts For God prepared Christ a Body to do his Will and to fulfill his Will c. who was a sacrifice for the Sins of the whole World and dyed and rose again and sits at the Right Hand of God and yet Priest Bond made to confess that the Quakers
SB How foolishly thou strains at Gnats and swallows Camels for G. F. when he saith their he means the Apostles and the Church and thou saist not is but dost not thou contadict the Apostle who said The Son of God was reyealed in him c. So we say theirs to wit the Apostles and the Church in their days and we say ours in our days to wit for we which Live are always delivered unto Death for Jesus sake that the Life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal Bodies And so here it is plain in their mortal Flesh and in our mortal Flesh And doth S. B. say that the Life of Jesus was not manifest in the Apostles mortal Flesh and the Churches and them that hear it too and will not S. B. have the Life of Christ to be made manifest in our mortal Flesh because he makes such a pudder about our c. And because G. F. saith the Life of Christ is manifest in their mortal Bodies And doth not S. B. when he writes of others say theirs But the Apostles writes of themselves and the Church when they said ours But S. B. Thou hast wrong quoted the Scripture 2 Cor. 5.11 And there is no such saying in that Text of Scripture That the Life of Jesus might be made manifest in their mortal Flesh I query of S. Bond whether this was not while they were upon the Earth that thou makâ—s such a pudder about And whether the Apostles were not made partakers of the Glory while they were upon the Earth And is not the Light called the Life John 1. in Christs Word And doth not the Light shine in our Hearts 2 Cor. 4.6 And thou saist Page 51. That Fox endeavours as much as in him lies to choak the Lamb of God But Priest Bond Can Christ the Lamb of God which hath all power in Heaven and Earth given to him be Choaked Dost not thou herein shew thy Foolishness and Silliness And as for his railing against J. Pennington he hath not Quoted the Page where to find what he saith against him neither hath he named John Chanlers Book which he rails at against him And therefore it is like he hath belied them as he hath done G. F. and others And therefore Priest Bond had better Repent if he can find a place of Repentance for all his Lying Blasphemies and studdy to be quiet for he hath given forth his Book to his Shame And S. Bond to bring in with the rest of your cruelty and inhumane Practises I query of thee Wast not thou the man who instigated and stur'd up the Magistrates in Burmudus to take up John Tysoe with a Warrant and carried him from Constable to Constable through great part of the Island to your Town-Prison where he was kept till Banished off your Island a Man whom you had nothing to lay to his charge worthy of Bonds but for coming upon your Island to visit his Friends and people of the Lord who were gathred from your persecuting Spirit and thy Idolatrous Worships to wait upon the Lord in the Spirit of Truth and Righteousness at which Cain like you were angry and thou in thy malice wast stirr'd up to cry out against this Inocent man like thy Brethren of old Help men of Israel the turners of the World upside down are come hither also who as aforesaid came with the Love of God in his heart to visit his Friends and did desire the well-being of you all which is Sixteen years ago and how thou hast behaved thy self since it is known to some but now thou hast made thy self manifest in a large measure in thy ungodly Blasphemous Book which I hope will be a means to open the Eyes of some that yet see thee not And now we understanding that Sam. Bond 's Book was Printed at Boston in New-England by Sam. Green upon the Assignment of S. Sewall and we being sensible how forward the New-England Priests and Professors are to tolerate and Print such lying and slanderous Books against us the people of God in scorn called Quakers to cover their Wickedness in their persecuting of us who Hanged four of the said people called Quakers Cut of the Ears of others Branded with an Hot-Iron Banished many upon pain of Death and Imprisoned Beat and Cruelly Whipt many yea one William Brend till his body was like a Gelly and besides the spoiling of Friends Goods who promoted the Printing and tolerated Roger Williams's silthy slanderous Book of Lies against us We have brought forth and added some of R. Williams's one of their old Priests in N. E. false and Blasphemous Doctrines concerning Christs Body and Blood which he asserted and maintained openly at the dispute at Rhode-Island in N. England to the shame of true Christianity as follows These are four Pages taken out of G. F's and S. B's answer to Roger Williams Entituled A New-England Fire-Brand quenched part 2. Page 508. and seq Printed in the year 1679. And Roger Williams thou and the people know'st that thou brought'st G. F's Fol. 56. at the dispute at Nuport to prove that G. F. said The Blood of Christ was corruptable and that it was like the Blood of another Man and from thence thou didst endeavour to prove That our Christ was not the true Christ and G. F. a Blasphemer But when the place was read in G. F's Book it was found to be the Priests sayings and not G F's to wit That the Blood of Christ was corruptible and so like the Blood of another Man For G. F's answer to the Priest is That the Blood of Christ which cleanseth from all Sin is Incorruptible as the Reader may read Fol. 56. And so R. W. Seing it were the Priests words and not G. F's which he brought to Condemn G. F. and us withal in the Face of the Country and to prove that our Christ was not the true Christ he seeing it was proved to be the Priests words out of G. F's Book and not G. F's he turned about to maintain the Priests words to wit That Christs Blood was Corruptible and asserted as followeth which was taken then in Characters and we do not question but that the sober-minded unprejudic'd people then there may remember the Words Viz. 1st R. W. said I affirm that the Blood of Christ that he shed was material as another Mans and was corruptible 2d R. W. said I say that the Blood from hence he might as well argue that the Flesh of Christ being material was therefore Corruptible which is contrary to the Apostles Doctrine Acts 2.31 Neither did his Flesh see corruptiion Yet in another place in his Book R. W. doth affirm That he is Redeemed by the Blood of God which blood he saith is Corruptible of Christ was Corruptible and Corrupted With many other unsavory words John Stubs answered Take heed Roger what tâ—ou saist we do not deny but Blood came out of his Side but we say That the Blood of Christ
is Incorruptible And we say that we were never able to pay or satisfy God yet Christ leadeth his people by his Spirit and reconcileth them to his Father c. And we dare not for all the World to assert that which R. W. hath affirmed here to wit That the Flood of Christ is Corruptible and did Corrupt For we know that we are Redeemed not with corruptible things c. but with the precious Blood of Christ as of a Lamb without blemish and spot 1 Pet. 1.18 19. 3. R. W. affirmed That Salvation was by a way that was corruptible I do not say corrupted So far R. W. J. B. answered and said to this purpose I desire not to grate upon the Antient man but am sorry that he should so overshoot himself as he hath done so far to deny Christ and undervalue his appearance both inward and outward as to say That Christ within was but a fancy and a false Christ as he then affirmed and That Christ without was Corruptible contrary to the Apostle who said His Flesh saw no Corruption and also of his appearance without who then also said That his Blood was Corruptible and corrupted as I believe many of the people that was there may yet remember I shewed then how that he had brought upon himself that charge and proved himself guilty of that for which he indeavoured to condemn us And I spoke at that time of our owning of the true Lord Jesus Christ in his appearing in that Body and of his suffering and resurrection according to the Scriptures and also of his spiritual appearance in his Saints after his ascension according to the promise of Christ and the testimony of his Apostles as I then brought many testimonies â—ut of Scriptures to maintain and prove the same and so signified fully to the people of our true owning of Christ and there bore testimony against his dangerous words that he had then uttered before them in speaking contrary to what is written of Christs being corruptible and his Blood And was as I then signified truly sorry that he should so sin against God and Christ and wrong his own Soul 1. And now how could W. E. do any otherwise but charge R. W. with Blasphemy against Christ his Body and Blood for he affirms That the Light of Christ is an Idâ—l a Fancy a Frantick-light and Christ within an Imaginary Christ as you may see in many places of his Book 2. He affirms That Salvation was by a man that was corruptible and that his Blood was Corruptible and Corrupted Now we do charge R. W. and all the New-England Priests together with these Baptists that took his part against us at Rhode-Island and Providence at the Dispute to make those his assertions good by Scripture if they can which we do affirm are Blasphemies and shew us Chapter and Veâ—se which he saith is the Rule and Touch-stone and so let his Hâ—rrible Blâ—â—â—hemies be touched and tryed with Scriptures For David saith Psal â—6 My Heart is glad and my Glory rejoyceth my Flesh also rests in Hope for thou wilt not leave my Soul in Hell neither wilt thou suffer thy Holy one to see corruption And again the Apostle saith who spoke of the Resuâ—â—â—ction of Christ that his Soul was not left in Hell neither mark His Flesh did sâ—e Corruption Acts 2.27.31 And Acts. 13.34 Thou shalt not â—uffâ—â—◠〈◊〉 Holy one to see Corruption David saw corruption but he whom God raised â—gaiâ— â—â— witâ— Christ saw Mark no corruption Now if R. W. and the New-England Priests be Redeemed by Corruptible Man and a corruptible Blood that did Corrupt this is contrary to what the Apostle saith His Flesh saw no corruâ—â—â—on â—nd they were not Redeemed with Corruptible things but with the Precuâ—us woodâ—t Christ So it is clearly proved that Christ his Flesh and Blood is noâ—â—â—â—â—â—â—ptible but Incoruptible and therefore R. W's Corruptible Man and Coâ—â—uptible Blood â—â—at did Corrupt by which he pretends he is Saved is a saite Christ and not the Christ the Apostles Preached the true Lord Jesus whose Flesh and Blood did not Corrupt and if the Flesh and Blood of Christ as R. W. affirmeth be Corruptible then how is he in Heaven with Corruptible Flesh and Blood when the Apostle saith Corruption doth not inherrit Incâ—rruption 1 Cor. 15.50 Christ Sanctifieth the people with his own Blood Heb. 13. And 1 Pet. 1.2 The Saints were Sprinkled with the Blood of Jesus And 1 John 1 The Blood of Jesus Christ cleanseth from all Sin And Revel â—1 He hath washed us from our Sins and Christ hath Redeemed us to God by his Blood Rev. 5.9 And the Saints Garmets were made white in the blood of the Lamb. â—ev 7. And the Saints overcame by the Blood of the Lamb. Rev. 12.11 And Christ saith Whâ—â—â—teth my Flesh and drinketh my Blood c. And my Blood is Drink indeed Now was it Corruptile Blood or Corruptible Flesh that the â—â—ints did eat and Corruptible Blood which cleanseth from all Sins and madâ— the Saints Garments white by which they overcome O Horrid darkness for will not Corruptible stain and not fetch out the Stain and the Saints were to have Faith in Christs Blood Rom. 25. The Saints are made high to God by the Bloâ—d of Christ the Flock of God which Christ hath purchased with his own Blood Acts 20.28 Now if this be the New-England Priests prnciple Profession and Judgement that they be Redeemed by a corruptible man and the Blood of Christ Jesus was corruptible and corrupted then they that have tolerated R. W. his Blasphemous Book to be Printed that held forth those abominable things in his Dispute before a great assembly of people at Newport in Rhode Island how can we say otherwise but they are Blasphemers and own not the true Lord Christ Jesus Whose Flesh saw no corruption neither was his Blood corruptible And therefore we do conclude with the Apostle that R. W. and they that held forth this Doctrine with him are such as have trodden under Foot the Son of God and counted the Blood of the New-Covenant wherewith they were Sanctified an unholy thing and have done despite unto the Spirit of Grace and have Crucified to themselves the Son of God afresh and put him to open Shame Now see if this man R. W. that hath spoken those blaphemous Words against Christ Jesus his Body and Blood and Spirit and Light is fit to take the Name of Christ in his mouth and yet this man he brought this saying of the Priest to be G. F's to prove That our Christ was not the true Christ Which words proving to be the Priests and not G. F's he R. W. stood by them and maintained them against us and so by his own Argument and Judgement by the same rule and words that he would have disproved ours he hath proved his own Christ not to be the true Christ But should we the People of God in scorn called Quakers have come and Preached in New-England and told you That you were saved by a Man that was Corruptible and that Christ's Blood was Corruptible and Corrupted and that you were wash't and cleansed by such a Blood then ye might have said what a Hellish Doctrine is this indeed which we abhor and such Doctrines as R. W. hath Preached to us in the dispute And our desires are that the Lord God of Heaven may deliver all people from such Doctrines of all the Doctrines that ever we read we never heard the like THE END Books Printed and Sold by John Bringhurst at the Sign of the Book in Grace Church-street near Cornhill 1. 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she had not had something more than her outward eyes and ears she would not have left her Water Pots And Priest Bond goes often over in his Book telling the Quakers of the spiritual heavenly man and of eternal flesh and blood and their everlasting Gospel and this thou calls the Quakers Idol light within page 57. And in page 56. Invisible flesh and blood And again spiritual inside Christ Here the Reader may see how Priest Bond utters forth his own folly for he confesses Christ to be the heavenly spiritual man himself and immortal flesh and bone page 75. And the Apostle saith Christ is in you except you be Reprobates But it seems Priest Bond 's Gospel is not everlasting The Apostle saith it was everlasting and so do the Quakers And Priest Bond one while he saith the Flesh is Humane and another while it is spiritual but whether or no doth Priest Bond eat and drink Christs Humane Flesh and Blood as he calls it And Priest Bond saith to teach a denyal of Jesus Christ of Nazareth a man approved of God to be the true Christ and our only Saviour This the Quakers never did nor never was in their thoughts to deny the Lord knows and therefore Priest Bond cannot charge it upon the Quakers as in page 54. Priest Bond thou saist page 53. that Christ is the true Jacobs Ladder John 1.51 But let the Reader read John 1.51 there is no such saying in that Verse And thou saist the bottom of which to wit the Ladder there is his humanity or vail of flesh and blood and the top reaches to Heaven and there is his Divinity But where must we find these words of Priest Bonds in Scripture which he saith is his Rule And where doth the Scripture call the Blood of Christ a Vail which cleanseth from all sin and sprinkles the Conscience from dead works c Priest Bond saith The visible material body of Jesus Christ is not the Saviour c. page 52. This he charges upon some of the Quakers but he hath not quoted the Page where we shall find it So we believe he hath wronged their words But is the visible material Body of Christ the only Saviour without God And Priest Bond saith in page 72. Christs Flesh and Bones after the Resurrection was spiritual and immortal Flesh and Bones page 75. And he saith visible and material in page 52. And Priest Bond saith in page 53. I have often heard some of them to affirm that the Quakers do believe in Christs Body of Flesh and Blood and that he dyed for sin and rose again and that he is mans only Saviour Yes say we the Quakers never believed otherwise and can praise God through Jesus Christ who is our Saviour and way to God for the Quakers always affirm that Christ as he was Man dyed and tasted death for every Man once for all and rose again and sat down at the right hand of God And yet Priest Bond confesses That very offering of Jesus Christ could not save us but by the will and ordination of the Father Here he is made to confess the Quakers Principles according to the Scripture Priest Bond saith this Blood of Christ cleanseth all right believers from all sin and yet he saith None can be made free from sin in this Life and there is in all true Believers a cursed root of bitterness not cast out Death only makes conquest over Sin page 87. And page 47. The Blood of Christ cleanseth all right Believers from all sin What contradiction is this And again he saith And Christ c. washed us from our sin in his own Blood And Priest Bond saith again The cleansing or washing cannot be within but without us But this Priest Bond hath not proved in so many Scripture words and though Christ was a Sacrifice and his Flesh and Blood suffered without upon the Cross yet Christ tells Priest Bond If he do not eat his Flesh and drink his Blood he hath no life in him and if Christ be not in him he is a reprobate And doth Christ justify Reprobates And is not the Sin within a Man And must not the Blood sprinkle the Conscience from dead works c And Priest Bond saith to be cleansed from all sin by the Blood of Jesus Christ So here Priest Bond he hath left out his Son And in page 47. and 46. he is finding falt with F. E. for leaving out his Son But Priest Bond saith is to be understood for a cleansing from all the guilt c. But hath Priest Bond no guilt when he commits sin But where doth the Scripture say that Christ cleanseth from the guilt of sin only and that we must have sin while we be in the world and in all true Believers there is a cursed root of bitterness not cast out Death only makes a conquest over Sin And Priest Bond what doth this cursed root of bitterness bring no guilt of Sin But we say Christ who hath taken away the Curse and redeemed us from under the Curse of the Law cleanseth from all sin Priest Bond saith page 46. The Pharisees took Divine honour to themselves and thereby received honour one of another Christ said ye receive honour one of another and seek not the honour that comes from God only John 5. But thou wrongs the Scriptures for Christ doth not say the Pharisees received Divine honour to themselves thou adds that to the Scriptures But what is the honour thou would have from the Quakers thou would have them to say you to thee and put off their Hats to thee c. would thou And if so prove such a practice by Scripture which thou calls thy Rule And S. Bond saith He that made Heaven and Earth 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 sins is in each of your vile bodies to wit you Quakers Then Priest Bond falls a railing and saith Is it not to be wondred at that they are so possest with the infernal sulfer of pride against Jesus of Nazareth These base words Priest Bond may apply to himself But we are not ashamed to confess Christ Jesus who is our only Saviour who is King of Kings and Lord of Lords who rules in our hearts by Faith who is ascended above all Principalities and Powers by whom all things were made whom the Angels worships I say this Christ Jesus of Nazareth rules in our hearts and is revealed in us and the Son of God is come and we are in him as John witnessed and therefore all Priest Bonds scoffing lying words are returned back again upon himself and so we know that our Bodies are Members of Christ and Temples of the Holy-Ghost 1 Cor. 6. And the Apostle said Ye are the Temples of the living God who saith I will dwell in them and walk in them and I will be