Antichrist in Spirit unmasked OR Quakerism a great Delusion Being an Answer to a Pamphlet lately published and dispersed in and about Deptford in Kent intituled The Christianity of the People commonly called QUAKERS Which they say is asserted against the unjust Charge of their being no Christians upon several Questions relating to those Matters wherein their Christian Belief is questioned By which Pamphlet they would perswade the World that the QUAKERS are Christians In which ANSWER you have their Deceit detected their pretended Faith examined and proved a Counterfeit And no marvel for Satan himself is transformed into an Angel of Light 2 Cor. 11. 14. If that Light that is in them be Darkness how great is that Darkness Mat. 6. 23. They are of those that rebel against the Light they know not the Ways thereof nor abide in the Paths thereof Job 24. 13. And for this cause shall God send them strong Delusions that they should believe a Lie 2 Thess 2. 11. By Edw. Paye a Servant of Christ London Printed in the Year 1692. A Commendatory Epistle to the READER Impartial Reader THOV art here presented with an Examination of the pretended Faith professed by the Quakers lately published and dispersed in Deptford It appeared to the World with a fair Aspect and the Ignorant and Easy were ready to take their Words that they so believed But the Author to unfold their Riddles hath made use of their own Construing Books to get at their Meanings and it fully appears to be nothing so believed by them as pretended in their Pamphlet We believe neither Ambition Self-Interest or Prejudice moved the Author to this Work but purely the Honour of God Defence of Truth and Good of Souls We also hope and believe that he hath been careful truly to cite the Quakers own Authors and we believe if any Error therein be as to Page or the like it may be justly imputed as an over-sight Reader thou art foretold by our Lord That in the last Days many false Prophets shall arise and deceive many And the Apostle informs of some that with feigned Words and fair Speeches shall deceive the Hearts of the Simple And of others That shall privily bring in damnable Heresies even denying the Lord that bought them c. and that many shall follow their pernicious Ways c. So that as was said in another Case we may say in this Is there not a Cause The Holy Scriptures which this Generation of Men contemn and vilify as will appear in this Discourse go very nigh to us we always having had and hope ever shall have a venerable esteem for them And thus we commend the ensuing Discourse to the Judgment of the unbiassed Reader hoping Error may be detected and the Truth preserved from Seducers who would introduce their corrupt Notions in the room thereof And we shall rest with these Desires true Friends to all that love Truth and Peace Hen. Loader William Allcot Quakerism a great Delusion THE Substance of their pretended Faith may be reduced into these six general Heads I. In the first and last Articles professed they say they believe according to holy Scripture-Testimony in the Trinity or those three Divine Witnesses that bear Record in Heaven c. and that they believe and own the holy Scriptures contained in the Books of the Old and New Testament and to be given by Divine Inspiration and to contain all matters of Doctrine and Testimony c. necessary to be believed and practised in order to Salvation and Peace with God c. II. They say their Belief is that in the Unity of the God head there is Father Son and Holy Ghost being those three Divine Witnesses that bear Record in Heaven the Father the Word and the holy Spirit and that these three are one c. III. They profess to believe the Divinity and Humanity of Christ the Eternal Son of God c. and that he is the one Mediator betwixt God and Man the Man Christ Jesus c. IV. They profess to believe and expect Remission of Sins Justification Redemption and Salvation through the Sufferings Death and Blood of Christ and not by their own Works Righteousness or Merits this is professed in their third and fourth Articles specified in their Pamphlet V. They profess to believe and own the Divine Offices of Christ as King Priest and Prophet over his own Church and People VI. They evade and deny Baptism in Water and the Supper of the Lord instituted in Bread and Wine to be now in force as standing Ordinances in the Church of Christ They say nothing of those two great Articles of the Christian Faith the Resurrection of the Bodies from the Graves of the Earth and the eternal Judgment tho they are not ignorant that their Faith hath been questioned herein Before I proceed to examine their pretended Faith professed in their Pamphlet I shall take notice of its Title it is called The Christianity of the People commonly called Quakers and could we take them at their words their Profession looks like good and Orthodox But as the Apostle saith 2 Cor. 11. 13. there were deceitful Workers transforming themselves into the Apostles of Christ using feigned words and fair Speeches was the old way of deceiving the Hearts of the simple As our Enemies at Sea either to defend themselves from our Stroak or to draw us into their Snare will put up the English Flag So the Quakers see it necessary upon this occasion to make a very plausible Profession The gilded Pill is not so irksome to the Palat but if we are cautions in taking Money and if a Piece be fair and large yet if the Metal be suspicious we bring it to the Touch-stone 1. Christianity is a very high holy and honourable Profession which hath caused many to lay claim to it without a just Title who will needs have the Name tho strangers to the Nature of Christianity many have no better a Title to this Name than their being born in a Nation called a Christian Nation Others depend upon Morality alone and bless God they are not so bad as some other Men. Christianity is to lay hold upon Christ by a true and Evangelical Faith in his Death Sufferings and Merits for Redemption and Justification to believe him in all his Offices and obey him in all his Ordinances Christians are Disciples or Scholars of Christ Acts 11. 26. The Disciples were first called Christians at Antioch A true Gospel-Profession from a real and Evangelical Faith attended with a pious Life for Morality is included where there is true Christianity 2. Quakerism with respect to the Name is not derived from a Person so called but from a Gesture used much amongst them formerly in their Meetings as was manifest by what was alledged against them by the Westmoreland Petitioners viz. That their Practice did exceedingly savour of Saucery because of the Swellings Quakings Roarings and Foamings that were amongst them at their Meetings And
in the Quakers Answer to this Petition they deny not swelling foaming and quaking See their Book p. 35. But they deny Saucery and Blasphemy They justify quaking and trembling as being used by the Saints of old Heb. 12. 21. Jer. 33. 9. Acts 9. 6. Ezek. 12. 18. These Texts are urged by Ja. Nailor p. 16 17. of his Book called The Power and Glory of the Lord shining out of the North He takes pains to prove their Name and justify their Practice for saith he search the Scriptures and holy Men of God do witness Quaking and Trembling This is true and the same may be said of wicked Men and Devils Acts 24. 25. James 2. 19. and Luke 9. 39. we read of him that was possessed that he foamed when the Diabolical Spirit did tear him I shall say no more of their Name it is of their own procuring and defending tho no discriminating Character of Christianity or Saintship 2dly As to their Profession for ought that ever I could gather from their own Tongues or Pens is a Labyrinth of Confusion or a great heap of Contradictions tending to the Subversion both of the Foundation and Fabrick of Christianity being a Compound of Heresies having Affinity with the Sadduces as Mr. Brown notes in the discovery of the Leaven of the Sadduces hid among the Quakers p. 5. which Sect was divided into two Branches Epicures and Stoicks these encounter'd St. Paul Acts 17. 18. calling him Spermologus which our Translation renders a Babler because he preached Jesus and the Resurrection and with the Heresy of Hymeneus and Philetus 1 Tim. 2. 18. who said the Resurrection was past already and had overthrown the Faith of some and they have Affinity with the Gnosticks who say that Christ did not take Flesh really but in a Figure so have the Quakers said as will appear See Saul's Errand to Damascus compare Epiphanius Heres 26. And they have Affinity with Seleucus a great Heretick who denied the Humanity of Christ and Water-Baptism he lived in the time of Theodosius Magnus See August lib. de Heres Both which Errors are maintained by the Quakers repugnant to the holy Scriptures Testimony Again They have Affinity with the Papists in their Master-veins of Popery for as the Papists do introduce all their vain Conceits by this Maxim That the Church cannot err So the Quakers usher in their Dreams that they are perfect and so cannot err And as the Papists make the Writings of their General Councils equal with the Scriptures so do the Quakers their lying Pamphlets nay prefer them above the Scriptures as will appear And they have Affinity with the Muggletonians who utter their execrable Imprecations Curses and Sentences against their Opposites And I must leave them in this Deluge of Errors and Heresy and proceed to examine their Pamplet in its respective parts 1. In the first Head being part of the first and last Articles professed in their Pamphlet they profess to believe holy Scripture-Testimony and that the holy Scriptures contained in the Books of the Old and New Testament do contain all matters of Doctrine and Testimony necessary to be believed and practised in order to Salvation and Peace with God and that they desire to live in the Faith Knowledg and Practice of them c. in all things appertaining to Life and Godliness Holy Scripture being given by Divine Inspiration is profitable for Doctrine Correction Instruction that the Man of God may be perfect throughly furnished unto every good Work able to make the Man of God wise unto Salvation through Faith in Christ Jesus Indeed there is a present occasion for this plausible-Profession for the Promoters of it have now set up a Meeting in Deptford a place where their corrupt Notions have had but little footing and it is also a place where the Word of God hath for many Years been faithfully and powerfully preached so that except they appear in Sheeps Clothing they cannot draw Disciples after them It is said of the Oracles of the Heathens that they were made to look with two Faces that they may the better effect their Deceits It is not easy to conceive the many Meanings and Reserves that lie couched in this Paragraph But not to trace them into all their equivocal Reserves I conceive the best way to understand the Quakers Sentiments about the Scriptures is to have recourse to their own Construing Books And I shall begin with Humphrey Smith a forward Asserter of Quakerism see his Book called A true and everlasting Rule p. 29. he affirmeth in the Face of Men and Devils That there are no other Rules Ways or Means by which Men shall ever come to walk with God but by that which is manifest of God in him and that it is sufficient to guide in all the Ways of God without Scripture or any other outward Rule Doth not this tend to make null what is before professed If that in Humphrey Smith be a sure Guide and his Book be a true and everlasting Rule how then are the Scriptures necessary and wherein are they profitable for Doctrine Instruction c. since all things necessary may be taught without them See also James Nailor's Answer to the Jews p. 4 22 25. It 's Blasphemy for any to say the Letter is the Word of God it is the Devil that contends for the Scriptures to be the Word of God c. Here you have the Sentence of one of their great Prophets passed against the Scriptures George Whitehead being asked Whether they esteem their Speakings to be of as great Authority as any Chapter in the Bible He affirms in his Apology p. 49. That which is spoken by the Spirit of Truth in any is of as great Authority as the Scripture yea and greater What can appear more clear than that the Quakers Inspirations are of as great if not greater But why do I mince it ay and greater Authority than the Scriptures Let us add to this James Parnell's Testimony Shield of the Truth p. 19. he also that saith The Letter is the Rule and Guide of the People of God is without feeding upon Husks and is ignorant of the true Light c. By this Man's Verdict the Scriptures are condemned as Husks or a false Light Could either Papist or Atheist more plainly oppose the Holy Scriptures But since we want no Evidence to detect these Impostors let us add a few more from their own Pens see James Naylor's Light of Christ p. 19. God is at liberty to speak to his People by the Scriptures if he please and where they are given by Inspiration doth so and he is also at liberty to speak by any other created thing as to Balaam by his Ass I think I do not wrong them if I infer from hence that the Sons of Men may as well expect Teachings and Rebukes from an Ass as from the Scriptures one hath as much Authority essentially in it self as the other one hath in it self as much Authority to
the Ministers of Christ endowed with the Spirit ought to minister or preach from the Scriptures O blind Stupidity Do they deny the Apostles to be Christ's Ministers endowed with the Spirit And did not they preach from the Scriptures Acts 3. 22. Peter proves Christ to be this Prophet from Deut. 18. 15. And Acts 8. 26 c. did not Philip preach Jesus to the Eunuch out of the Prophet Isaiah Acts 18. 28. Apollos mightily convinc'd the Jews of the Truth of Jesus being the Christ out of the Scriptures Acts 17. 11. the Bereans searched the Scriptures to prove Paul's Doctrine and Paul adviseth Timothy to study rightly to divide the Word Surely these were Ministers endowed with the Spirit But 3. As the Quakers do not own the Person nor Method used and appointed by Christ the great Prophet so they disown the Doctrine taught by him and his Apostles and like not those Directions given for Doctrine for say they ' All things are to be taught and ' learned by and from the Light within all they direct to is that No see Zech. 7. 2 3 7. Sherezer and Regem-melech were sent by the Children of Israel to enquire of the Priests and Prophets Whether they should weep in the fifth Month separating themselves as they had done many Years before Turn to the Light within saith the Quaker but the Lord speaks by the Prophet saying Should you not hear the words which the Lord hath cried by the former Prophets c. John Baptist who was a burning and shining Light sent two Disciples to Jesus saying Art thou he that should come or look do we for another Turn to the Light within saith the Quaker But saith Christ Go and tell John the things ye have both seen and heard c. Such outward Means were returned by Christ the true Prophet and Light of the World for John's Satisfaction Luke 7. 19 22. Luke 3. 10 14. The People came to Jesus saying What shall we do Also the Publicans saying What shall we do And the Souldiers said What shall we do Turn to the Light within saith the Quaker But saith Jesus who had another Spirit He that hath two Coats let him impart one to him that hath none Exact no more c. Do Violence to none Accuse no Man falsely Be content with your Wages Mat. 19. 16 21. a certain young Man came to Christ saying What good thing shall I do that I may inherit Eternal Life Turn to the Light within saith the Quaker But saith Christ Keep the Commandments and sell what thou hast and give to the Poor and thou shalt have Treasure in Heaven c. Joh. 6. 28 29. the Jews demanded of Christ saying What shall we do that we may work the Work of God Turn to the Light within saith the Quaker But saith Christ this is the Work of God That ye believe in his Son that is in me that talk with you that came into the World to die for you Lord what wilt thou have me to do saith Saul Turn to the Light within saith the Quaker Acts 9. 6. saith the Lord Christ Go into the City and it shall be told thee Acts 22. 10-16 Arise and go to Damascus and there it shall be told thee of all things that are appointed for thee to do And that not by a Light within for Ananias was to instruct him into the Will of Christ the great Prophet So Acts 2. 37 38. The poor Jews pricked in the Heart cried out Men and Brethren what shall we do Turn to the Light within saith the Quaker But saith Peter one that had the Holy Ghost Repent and be baptized for the Remission of Sins c. I might weary you with shewing how the Quakers oppose the Teachings of Christ's Prophetick Office And that the Quakers deny the Prophetick Office of Christ it appears by their denying his Gospel-Ordinances and this brings me to the Sixth Head as I observe in their Pamphlet VI. and Last In which they would insinuate to the World That they believe and are fully perswaded that Baptism which is essential to Salvation or Christianity or the Laver without which none can be true Christians or saved is the inward or spiritual washing of Regeneration by the Word of Life This is the saving Baptism into Christ and his Church which produceth the answer of a good Conscience towards God of which the outward was a Figure 1 Pet. 3. 21. This is that one Baptism of Christ by one Spirit into that one Body whereof Christ is Head And then that they may not appear with open Face but under a Mask in striking at Christ's Ordinance but still with the same Design they alter the stroak seemingly and go on As for Dipping or Sprinkling Infants or young Children we find no Precept or Precedent in Holy Scripture for the practice thereof and therefore we cannot think our not believing it essential or necessary to Salvation or making Christians a sufficient Argument to prove us no Christians unless it can be proved that none are saved without it and that all are saved that have it c. The scope and medium of this Article is to make null and abolish the sacred Ordinance of Water-Baptism And as to what they say that their not believing Sprinkling or Dipping of young Children to be essential to Salvation or making Christians can be no sufficient Argument to prove them no Christians No certainly I believe that no Advocate for that Cause could do it from those Premises I shall proceed to examine their Sentiments touching that Sacred Ordinance of Water-Baptism and it appears that they deny those two great Ordinances instituted by our Lord and great Prophet namely Baptism in Water and the Supper administred in Bread and Wine then one good Argument amongst many may be drawn from thence to prove the Quakers no Christians Let us therefore have recourse to their Construing Books and see what they say Pernell's Shield of the Truth p. 11. The Baptism we own is the Baptism of Christ with the Holy Ghost and with Fire but we deny all other See p. 12. Here the Quakers fully deny Water-Baptism See also James Naylor's Salutation to the Seed of God p. 33 34. where he slights and denies Baptism in Water calling it a carnal thing But Edw. Burroughs with open Face and great Confidence testifies against Christ's Ordinances being now in force I do affirm saith he that Circumcision is as much in force as Water-Baptism and the Pafchal Lamb as the Bread and Wine for the continuing of them would have been a Judaizing of the Evangelical Worship To assert their continuance would be as much as in such lies to pluck up the Gospel or Spiritual Worship by the Roots Hence that Appellation Ordinances of Christ I do renounce as unscriptural and unevangelical and can testify from the same Spirit by which Paul renounced Circumcision that they are to be rejected Burroughs's Works pag. 108 109. Here is a compound of Ignorance and