cleanseth from Sin and that this was not to be resolved into the Light within nor to be spiritualiz'd away from the Letter Re. Let us be excused if we cannot take that Text 1 John 1. 7. altogether literally if cleansing from all Sin be a spiritul and inward Work or Act as no doubt it is there 's as much ascribed to the Spirit as to the Blood in respect to the Work of Sanctification Washing and Cleansing from Sin And therefore the Blood of Christ may be both taken spiritually and literally and this is not to spiritualize away the Letter relating to the outward Blood and Sacrifice of Christ seeing we have always believed both in the Letter and receive the Fruit thereof in the Spirit Sn. p. 148. Sect. 11. These Men whose chief Principle is to decry and damn the Letter Re. This is a most gross and foul Calumny Our preferring the Spirit to the Letter as the Apostles did is no decrying nor damning the Letter nor so intended by us but to bring People to the Life and Substance and real fulfilling of Scripture To what he saith in distinction between Christ the Word of God and the Book of Scriptures p. 151 152. this makes for us and against them who have often affirmed that Book to be the Word in opposition to our owning Christ to be the Word of whom the Scriptures testifie And this on our part is no Contempt of the Holy Scriptures nor in their place any deifying of our own Spirit and our own Scriptures as this Adversary most falsly accuseth us p. 152. His most seeming pretence for Proof against us of Contempt of Holy Scripture is in p. 142. Sect. 11. where he quotes a Passage out of a Book Entituled The Quaker's Refuge c. thus viz. Whether the first Pen-man of the Scriptures was Moses or Hermes Or whether both these are not one Or whether there are not many Words contained in the Scriptures which were not spoken by Inspiration of the Holy Spirit Whether some Words were not spoken by the grand Impostor some by wicked Men some by wise Men ill applied some by good Men ill express'd some by false Prophets and yet true some by true Prophets and yet false And here the Accuser breaks off in his Citation like as F. Bugg used to deal by us who has the same Passage to defame us as he hath done Whereas next after the Words And yet false these follow viz. Is not the Subject of my Argument at this time Here 't is plain the Author R. R. has cited these Questions about the Scriptures not as the Subject of his own Argument but of some others he would not then be concerned to dispute those Questions or Doubts For the said Author farther confesseth That such Scriptures and Prophesies as have been written and prophesied by the Holy Men of God as they were moved by his Spirit treating of the Mystery of God in the Redemption and Salvation of Mankind by Jesus Christ and the Duty of Man in his Obedience to and Worship of the same God as his reasonable Service for the Gift of so great Salvation are the great Concerns now under our most serious Consideration From hence it 's clear the Author was no Contemner of Holy Scripture and 't is clear the Subject of his Argument was for the Authority of the Holy Spirit in judging or discerning the Mind of God in the Holy Scriptures as truly own'd by the Quakers thus in the said Book Quaker's Refuge p. 17. which could not intend any Contempt of the Holy Scriptures much less a deifying either of our own Spirit i. e. the Spirit of Man or our own Writings in their place We have rarely ever met with more mad unlikely and improbable Aspersions than these from our most outragious Adversaries To what is objected p. 155. Sect. 11. viz. That they i. e. the Quakers cannot be bound by any Command in the Scriptures unless their Spirit anew require the same This is falsly stated 't is not our own Spirit i. e. the Spirit of Man abstractly that we profess to be under the Conduct of but the same Spirit which gave forth the Holy Scriptures And is not awanting to require of us the performance of its own necessary Commands and Doctrins contained in the Scriptures seeing 't is the same Spirit which leads it's sincere Followers into all Truth consequently not to undervalue any of those blessed Truths recorded in the Holy Scriptures And therefore this Adversary's Consequence intended against us viz. That the Scripture remains of no Authority with us p. 155. is very unjust being deduced from his own false Suggestions supposing us to set the Spirit in opposition to the Scriptures of Truth whereas we plead for the divine Authority of the Holy Scriptures in so much preferring the Holy Spirit from whence they proceeded and derive their Authority and not from Human Tradition And this is far from spiritualizing away all the Letter of the Scripture or Christ's Humanity as in p. 166. as we are often unjustly aspersed To what he saith p. 168. That Enthusiasts have no Principles they have no Rule but their own Fancy which is strongest in mad Men and this they mistake for Inspiration and then their Madness is at the height We say take Enthusiasm in the truest and best Sense and then such are inspired of God and by his Inspiration have a true Understanding and right Principles given them both Divine and Moral and do not mistake Fancy for Divine Inspiration But to whom does the Man apply this Enthusiasm which he renders Fancy more strong in mad Men and height of Madness In his next Page 't is to the Quakers He says No Quaker can deny but that the Principle of the Quakers is all Enthusiasm There never was any Enthusiasm in the World that exceeded it p. 169. Sect. 11. Here he seems to take Enthusiasm in the Quaker's Sense which is Divine Inspiration or inspired of God which sure cannot be meer Fancy much less the height of Madness as before The Quakers certainly deny this of themselves Thus the Man's confused in 's injurious Attempts to defame us with the height of Madness His Objection against the Quaker's Enthusiasm as he calls it That none that ever called themselves Christians have advanced themselves so high to have the same infallible Spirit and immediate Revelation as the Prophets and Apostles or as Christ himself c. p. 169. Herein he 's greatly out All true Christians are Partakers of the Spirit of Christ in some degree or measure for he that hath not the Spirit of Christ is none of his and his Spirit is infallible and a Manifestation of the same Spirit is given to every Man to profit withal and the Effusion of this Spirit upon all Flesh was promised and we believe the Promises of God which are all Yea and Amen in Christ Jesus Therefore this our Adversary who is so much averse to having the same infallible
same i. e. our effectual Cleansing and actual Deliverance from Sin and Satan c. which he has obtained for us and for Mankind by his Sufferings and Mediation 2. We never ascribed to our selves a Power sufficient to work out our own Salvation that 's notoriously known to be expresly contrary to our professed Principle We ascribe our sufficiency to be in Christ by his own Power Grace and Light in us to work out our Salvation it being by Grace through Faith in Christ that we are saved not of our selves 't is the Gift of God and without him we can do nothing And this Heavenly Treasure though we have it in our earthen Vessels the excellency of the Power is of God and not of us After his many Scoffs at our Doctrin of Infallibility which he knows not what to make of he has at length stumbl'd upon an Instance of those he esteems will be found to have the best Title to it p. 85. where it is written Prov. 16. 10. A divine Sentence is in the Lips of the King and his Mouth transgresseth not in Judgment We would ask him If none are indued with a divine Sentence and unerring Judgment but Kings Or if none are Saints and Partakers of the Spirit of Truth or divine Wisdom but Kings What kind of Kings he means that are thus infallible he does not distinguish sure they must be just and good Kings indued with divine Wisdom But are none else so but Kings Do not all that truly fear God partake of the same Spirit and Wisdom Is God any respecter of Persons What does he think of those very Elect whom Christ implies 't is impossible to deceive Mat. 24. 24. Are they fallible or deceivable Or of them in whose Mouths was found no Guile Or of them who have put away all Guile and all Malice and all Lying and all Hypocrisie c. 1 Pet. 2. 1. Are such led by an infallible Spirit or no But to proceed he has some very scurrilous and abusive Flings at G. W. to prove him not led by an infallible Spirit of discerning or true Judgment p. 87. He quotes G. W.'s Charitable Essay in Answer to Fr. Bugg p. 6. his objecting against G. F. That they the Quakers could discern who were Saints and who Apostates without speaking ever a Word And says that he G. W. puts it off ingeniously thus That they could discern it by their lofty Looks wanton and scornful Eyes envious and fallen Countenances and so without speaking ever a Word p. 87. And then among divers other Scoffs and Flouts goes on Is not this very hard Fishing for Infallibility Adding Alas poor George Is the infallible Quaker dwindled down to a meer Gypsie or paltry Fortune-teller to nothing but a little Skill in Physiognomy Ah! George what a blessed Spirit would'st thee have thought Satan if thee hadst seen him when he was transform'd into an Angel of Light p. 88. 89. in Sect. 10. To all which it may be safely answer'd This Scorner's Abuse and Perversion is herein very evident for that we do not place our Infallibility of discerning of Spirits only upon those outward Signs in the Countenances of wicked Men or Women as their lofty Looks scornful Eyes envious fallen Countenances though these were in part instanced in Answer to the great wonderment made of knowing wicked Hearts when silent to shew there are other outward Signs and Tokens to manifest them by than their wicked Words or prophane Talk and even such Signs as Scripture takes notice of And seeing this Scorner has unjustly perverted and minced the Passage quoted Char. Essay p. 5 6. 't is meet to recite it more fully for the Quakers having a Spirit given to them beyond all the Fore-fathers in the Apostacy c. viz. That the very intent and meaning of G. F.'s Words herein was not beyond all the Fore-fathers without exception but beyond all in the Apostacy And further and they can discern who are Saints and who are Devils and who are Apostates without speaking ever a word that is they that be in the Power and Life of Truth as G. F. there saith can so discern between Saints and Devils and that 's possible as 't is for humble Men to discern wicked Persons even by their proud and lofty Looks wanton and scornful Eyes envious and fallen Countenances the shew of whose Counteannces testifing against them And more especially by the Gift of discerning of Spirits given to some in the Church of Christ Apostates and wicked Spirits are discernible from Saints and that a Spirit of Vnderstanding and Discerning is given among us c. concluding with the Saints Right of discerning by the Power and Life of Truth between Saints and Devils From all which pray observe how plain it is that discerning of Spirits which we assert is principally placed on and springs from the Power and Life of Truth that is from Christ and the Gift of discerning of Spirits given to some Members especially and still is continued in the true Church and from which discerning Satan cannot be hid however he transform himself altho' proud and lofty Looks wanton and scornful Eyes envious and fallen Countenances are rendred in Scripture as outward Signs or Marks of such wicked Hearts which also the Gift and Spirit of discerning perceiveth and gives to see many times through such outward Mediums And therefore the true discerning of Spirits which we plead for is neither dwindled down to a meer Gypsie nor paltry Fortune-teller nor to nothing but a little Jugler's Skill in Physiognomy as this scornful Adversary reflects And to reprehend his Reproach and Blasphemy herein and shew him that both God and good Men divinely inspired have also taken notice of such Signs Marks and Tokens in wicked Men's Looks and Countenances as before mentioned Let him read and consider these places of Scripture Gen. 4. 5 6. Psal. 10. 4. Isa. 3. 9 16. 2. 11. 5. 15. Psal. 131. 1. Prov. 30. 13. 6. 17. 21. 4. And he may see that both God Himself and his Prophets and Servants took notice of wicked Men's Countenances proud and lofty Looks and wanton Eyes c. and did not therefore deserve to be numbred among Gypsies and Juglers Behold the Levity and Ignorance of this prophane Scoffer of the Spirit of discerning and Scripture Who further in 's scoffing Humour proceeds against G. W. notoriously to detect his Infallibility by Signs and Faces as well as G. Fox 's without speaking ever a word as he pretends His Story is about one Chr. Athinson 's miscarriage at Norwich in the Year 1655. from Richard Hubberthorn's writing That in the wisdom of God we were searching it out and in his Will waiting for his Counsel The Scoffer reflects That notwithstanding all this neither G. Fox G. Whitehead nor any other of the infallible Gang could find it out till Chr. Atkinson prickt with the stings of his own Conscience did freely and of his own accord confess
all Quakers throughout the World is their supream Law p. 18. is false again we know no such Epistle that is so esteem'd our supream Law but rather Epistles proceeding from our supream Law of Love 30. That 't is only for placing their Faith in the outward Jesus that the Quakers have so condemned them i.e. the Priests p. 19. This is not true again 't is not for placing their Faith if it were really so in an outward Jesus or rather Jesus without them but for their dead Faith without Christ and without Works and Fruit and their many Corruptions as Pride Covetousness Persecution c. as justly Chargeable on many of them His story about one Archer in Wilts questioning whether he was not among the Quaker-Bishops who compos'd this last general Council p. 19. is very scurrilous and false as it is turned to affect the Quakers We don't understand he was here at London the last Yearly Meeting The other story thereupon concerning the said Archer That the Knaves of that Country after his Wickedness forced him to shift his Quarters and that then he came up to London to which the other Quakers gave the right hand of Fellowship and that there he Preach'd and exercised his Talent with great Approbation p. 19 20. Though we have heard of such an one's miscarriage yet I have enquir'd and am perswaded the latter part of the story is a great Forgery to scandalize the Quakers that either they gave him the right hand of Fellowship or that he preached at London with great Approbation after he fled upon discovery this is a very unlikely story basely designed to cast Dirt upon us for the World well knows our Christian care to expunge such from our Society upon the knowledge of their Enormities but whether there be the like care and practice in this Authors Church he may consider if he will Reader I Have in this precedent Examination passed by a great many more false Aspersions Calumnies and Perversions cast upon my self and divers others in the said Book Satan Disrob'd being not willing to undertake a full Answer to it nor to spend more time in raking in such dirty Kennels of Lyes and Abuses as the Books of the said Author are stuff'd withal against us c. There are also many Falshoods foul Perversions Charges and Reflections in The Snake in the Grass not particularly Remarked in the foregoing Antidote and in particular divers Passages relating to the Revolution of Governments in the Nation the substance whereof I long since fully Answer'd to John Pennyman's Invectives My Answer is Intitul'd Christ's Lambs defended from Satan's Rage Printed for Tho. Northcott in George-Yard in Lumbard-street London 'T is observable that the said Author of The Snake in the Grass values himself much upon that Title to several of his Books against us but upon the Readers perusal of these already Answered it will appear that Title will be his great Disgrace and Infamy seeing that he has merited the Character of a Hatcher of Cockatrice Eggs as well as the Author of The Snake in the Grass Which Title he may be as horribly asham'd of as afraid to expose his real name and place Some notice taken of the said Author's Discourse for Water Baptism HAving lately seen and received a Book stiled A Discourse proving the divine Institution of Water-Baptism c. By the Author of The Snake in the Grass and finding these Passages after the Contents viz. That there will be published a Discourse by the same Author shewing whom Christ hath ordain'd to Administer the Sacraments in his Church And another wherein is proved that the chief of the Quakers Heresies were broached and condemn'd in the days of the Apostles and in the first 150 Years after Christ. To the latter part whereof I must tell him and Advertise the Reader that this officious Author should have spared his other Discourse thus Charging the Quakers with Heresies so long since broached and condemned until he had seen an Answer to his Snake in the Grass wherein he hath most unjustly and falsly Charged the Quakers with numerous Heresies and Errors as also he hath in divers things very falsly aspers'd them in this Discourse And if he repeat the same again upon us as it may be suspected to prove them so long since broached and condemned this will add nothing of proof that we the People called Quakers are guilty thereof but only serve to shew his own Malice and Impertinency and gross Calumnies already confuted Upon the viewing his said Discourse for Water-Baptism I find nothing material but what is mostly answer'd in the foregoing Antidote and Book therein referred unto in page 126. Besides I find him very much imposing and begging the Question in his said Discourse 1st Pleading for Infant Baptism in his Preface as being the outward Seal of Christ's Covenant but without Scripture proof and then flees to the Baptists Arguments for Baptizing Believers or People Docible from Mat. 28. and other Scriptures which they use to urge in opposition to sprinkling Infants He miserably imposes in placing upon outward Baptism all these Priviledges viz. Regeneration or being Born into the Church Baptizing into the Christian Faith p. 9 10. The Promise of the Inward Baptism of the Holy Ghost p. 12. Calling the outward The means whereby we are made partakers of the inward and whereby the inward Baptizm of the Holy Ghost is given p. 34 60. All this he places upon outward Baptism with Water But then it must be upon the duly receiving thereof p. 12. wherein he hath before included Infants as well as others but all this without Scripture Proof Now if all those Infants that are Sprinkled or Baptized be Regenerated and Born again and Baptized into the Faith and partakers of the Holy Ghost and the Baptism thereof How will this agree or consist with their Preaching the necessity of Regeneration and the new Birth to such when docible seeing he saith a Man can be but once Regenerated p. 9. I find that when he pleads for Baptizing Believers p. 23. he cannot escape the Baptist's Arguments altho' he hath reviled them as badly in a manner as he hath done us as is before shewed I find that Text 1 Cor. 1. 17. doth Puzzle him esteeming it an obscure Text p. 22. Which is Christ sent me not to Baptize c. and he is very impertinent and begging the Question in his Answer to it But while he Argues with the Baptists Arguments for Believers Baptizm I take it for granted that he Argues for that which he and his Brethren the Clergy are out of the practice of and therefore insincere and consequently his Works deserves to be rejected whilst Infants are the Subjects chiefly intended He bitterly exclaims against both Presbyterians Independents Anabaptists Quakers Socinians Vnitarians Latitudinarians and Deists c. in his Preface as being the Spawn of Rebellion and multifarious Schism and especially against the Presbytery in Scotland either for their
to the bare reading the Letter as the Pharisees did which was not at all to lessen the Authority of Holy Scripture Sn. p. 343. To prove gross Contempts of Scripture daily found among them i. e. the Quakers he gives us another particular Instance of a Quaker-Servant that took the Bible and in the open Day publickly burnt it against the Church in Bread-street to shew her Zeal Re. Upon a late Enquiry we understand That there was such a Servant-Maid who under some Discomposure and Temptation attempted such an evil and mad Action but was severely rebuked and testified against by our Friends who came to understand that Attempt or Action which we utterly abhor and therefore not justly chargeable upon us as a People any more than all the mad Actions of the People in Bedlam who belong to the Church of England Wherefore the great Envy and Injustice of this Defamer is very remarkable in this Passage as 't is extended against the Quakers to prove gross Contempts of Scripture daily found among them which is as bad as to say They daily burn their Bibles Oh sad and sordid Stuff Sn. p. 346. I assure thee Reader that there is no mixture of any personal Prejudice in this Vndertaking for I do freely own that I have a real Kindness and good Wishes for every one of the Quakers that I have hitherto been acquainted with and I never received any sort of Disobligation from any of them in my whole Life Re. 1. We have no reason to believe this Person has no personal Prejudice in this his reproachful Undertaking being against a whole People where every Person of their Society is concerned and shamefully defamed by him under as gross Terms and Characters as the Devil and Malice could invent and produce through a poor dissembling Hypocrite as thus pretends such real Kindness and good Wishes for every one the Quakers of his Acquaintance while at the same time he 's endeavouring to murther their Reputations both as Men and Christians 2. And yet he has received no sort of Wrong from any of them to disoblige him in his whole Life More shame for him then thus sordidly to abuse the whole People as he hath done Sn. p. 348. As to the Nature of Christ they can subscribe the whole Creed and yet not mean one word of it of a personal Christ existing now in Heaven in his own true human Nature without all other Men or that he is now any otherwise a Man than as existing in his Saints But that they mean ALL they say of their own Light within ONLY which they call a spiritual Christ and shedding spiritual Blood c. within them Re. Here are several Things very perversly and falsly insinuated in these Passages 1. As if we did not believe the Man Christ Jesus to be now in Heaven without us as well as spiritually within us which is not true 2. As if we did not own Christ Jesus to be intire and perfect Man in himself or in his own proper Being or Existence without us as well as he is by his Spirit in us which also is not true for we really own him in both And though Christ being the spiritual Rock and as he is the Word of God the immortal Seed and a quickning Spirit he is in us and livingly felt and known in all true Believers yet not to lessen his intire Existence or limit him the Holy One as if he were no where or otherwise in Being than within us Such limitation we disown as well as wholly to exclude Christ out of his Saints as some have done under those unscriptural Expressions of a personal Christ existing in Heaven wholly without us which Terms some of us have questioned chiefly because imposed by some to oppose the Light Life and Spirit of Christ within whereby we can only truly know the Lord Jesus Christ to our eternal Salvation and Peace 3. That Christ is truly spiritual and glorious we confess and shall never deny and that he has spiritual Blood too spiritual Water Wine and spiritual Drink to sanctifie refresh and comfort our Souls we must confess as that we daily experience as well as he had natural and outward Blood to offer and shed on the Cross for the sins of the World Sn. p. 350. That the Quakers general Answer to the seven Queries of the 15th of May 1695. was a Trick and Deceit of theirs to hide and cover their monstrous Heresies Re. This is a very severe and high Charge especially from one pretending real Kindness for us and as false as any of the rest of his Railery against us But what Proof is offered of these monstrous Heresies or covering them viz. Sn. They tell of Christ born of the Virgin Mary who suffered under Pontius Pilate c. but they keep off the whole stress of the Queries viz. Whether they believe in such a Christ as without them And that he is now this day a Man without all other Men No not a word of this this pinches too close And I think this a full Confession of their Heresie Re. Our Adversary appears very much out here For suppose we did not answer expresly in all the Terms of the said Queries being indirect and confusedly stated seeing we gave a scriptural intire substantial and comprehensive Answer which he is not able to confute This could not amount to any confession of Heresie on our parts neither does his thinking so prove any such thing He judges with very dark and evil Thoughts in this Matter Where did we ever say That Christ being born of the Virgin Mary and suffering under Pilate were not without us Or that Christ is not a Man without all other Men as well as spiritually in them We are to seek for such a Confession by us for we know none such but the contrary we are bound to believe in Christ intirely in all respects as he is both as he is within us and as he is without us both as he is God and as he is Man according to Holy Scripture-Testimony of him and 't is not uncharitable or envious thinking the contrary of us that can be any valid Argument to convict us to the contrary or of any Heresies whatsoever Sn. p. 351. Out of some of their i. e. the Quakers Books George Keith has collected their true and genuine Answers to each of the said Queries c. under this HOLY Title Gross Error and Hypocrisie detected c. Re. The first part is false For G. K. did partially and perversly collect divers Passages which could be no proper nor direct Answers to those Queries nor so intended nor by us adapted to any such Queries therefore the greater Abuse in him to collect and place them for Answers thereto 2. His Title and Charge of Gross Error and Hypocrisie is blasphemously termed HOLY for 't is altogether Unholy as well as Malicious and G. Keith is accountable to the just God for scandalizing and defaming us not only
and blessed yet say 't is Dust and Death the Serpent's Meat c. Apol. Introd p. 18. to his New Rome We do not believe any of these Quakers ever so said of the Precepts and Doctrin nor do they own any such Saying I wholly disown it But then to beg the Question What was it you called Dust and Serpent's Meat Was it nothing else but the Ink and Paper Did any Body ever say That these were not Dust Or Is that any part of the Controversie betwixt us Snake p. 249. Here he yields the Point he grants the Ink and Paper to be Dust. I said Will decay and turn to Dust but so will not the Word the Gospel nor the Holy Doctrin contain'd in Scripture And it has been confess'd by F. B. and others That Holiness is not ascrib'd to the Paper and Ink or Inky Characters that will decay but to the Holy Doctrin and Precepts which will not decay but be permanent and endure and therefore called the Holy Scriptures with respect to the Holy Matters therein contained That the Books and Writings in Ink and Paper will wear out so will not the Word is evident Jehoiakim King of Judah could burn Jeremiah the Prophet's Roll or Book writ with Ink by Barach but not the Word of the Lord nor properly the Words thereof for the same Word caused all the former Words to be written again after the Roll was burnt Jer. 36. If then the Books the Paper and Ink be combustible or will decay and turn to Dust but not the Word nor the Doctrin where 's then the Controversie indeed when the same thing is granted on both sides He quotes Gr. Myst. p. 302. Sect. 11. p. 146 147. as saying Paper and Ink is not infallible that will come to Dust unto which the Word Christ and the Spirit is preferred in the same place quoted And in the said Gr. Myst. p. 78. by Letter he there means Paper and Ink but the Scripture the thing it speaks of is spiritual the Word is Spirit And further p. 127. the Scripture or Writing it self without the Spirit that gave it forth is a dead Letter in it self The Spirit is that that gave forth the Scriptures For my part as I am not in the least conscious to my self of the least Contempt of Holy Scripture nor yet of the Bible for I have always preferr'd it to all other Books extant in the World and more affected Reading therein than any other Book even from my Childhood and often bless divine Providence for preserving to us the Scriptures So I know of none among us guilty of contemning them Neither is what 's said from any Contempt of Scripture no more than it is of the Earth and the Heavens to say They shall wax old and perish but the Word that made them endureth Psal. 102. 25 26. Heb. 1. 11 12. But say what we can in this Case to clear our selves of any Contempt to the Holy Scripture this our uncharitable Judge and Accuser will not believe us He 's bent to asperse he has swallow'd down so much of the soure Leaven of the Malice of a few false Brethren Persecutors and Apostates from whom he derives much of his Authority and thus scurrilously and most falsly imposes upon me viz. And therefore George notwithstanding all thy meally Modesty it is it is indeed George it is the very Doctrin of the Scriptures which you blaspheme as Dust and Death and Serpent's Meat on purpose to bring Men off from trying your pernicious Heresies by those saecred Oracles p. 250. This is a pernicious Abuse and Calumny against my self and others of us to out-face us against our very Sense and Consciences and in good Conscience I testifie against it it never entred into my Intention or Thoughts so to blaspheme the Doctrin of the Scriptures as to term or deem it Dust Death or Serpent's Meat The Lord rebuke this lying envious Spirit Neither do I vilifie the written Doctrin and Precepts of God in comparison of our New Light as he falsly calls it p. 250 251. but reverently esteem them The Man makes no Conscience of defaming us Neither do we quarrel with the Law and the Testimony nor yet with Writing or Scripture as 't is in Ink or Paper but distinguish between the Writing and the Things written which is no Contempt to either We are thankful to Divine Providence for both the Scripture or Writing and the Holy Doctrin and Divine Precepts therein written for they testifie unto Christ our Light and our â—ight to the Truth of them And to what he saith If any do not teach the same i. e. according to the Law and the Testimony or written Word it is because there is no Light in them Isa. 8. 20. And then puts this Emphasis upon it No Light George Mark that Your false Pretences to the Light within are here over-rul'd p. 251. I deny that our Pretences to the Light within is either false or here over-rul'd if they speak not according to this Word it is because there is no Morning to them If he 'll see the Note from the Hebrew in some Bibles he may see no Morning in the Margin over against no Light Then let him Mark that But is there no Light in the Creation before Morning either inward or outward pray Did not the Light shine in Darkness before it shined out of Darkness And had not the Believers a more sure Word of Prophecy whereunto they did well to take heed as unto a Light shining in a dark Place until the Day dawned and the Day-star arose in their Hearts 2 Pet. 1. 19. And are not many reproved by the Light them in for telling Lies and speaking contrary to the Word c. And therefore there was some true Light in them before the Morning appeared to them And tho' my Accuser says These and such-like Texts detect and explode the miserable Ignorance and Blasphemy of these Pretenders to Light For which we have his own ipse dixit and much such Raillery but know no plain Texts of Scripture yet produced by him that so detects us but his own Falshood and great Ignorance about the Light is very apparent Again he falsly defames and reprobaches me from p. 28. Of Innocency Triumphant with excusing and justifying Diabolical Suggestions in the Quaker-Refuge he saith against the Authority of the sacred Scripture by saying That it questioned but some not all p. 252. This Accuser has a most odious injurious course of defaming and perverting as well as curtalizing our Words wherein he has taken part with his famous Author F. Bugg to whom the Answer was given on which he grounds his black Charge against me Of justifying Diabolical Suggestions c. In which Answer I expresly declare thus viz. His Accusation that the Quakers insinuate in a Book called The Quakers Refuge That What the true Prophets spake was false and What the false Prophets spoke was true p. 47. New Rome Vnm. p. 23. We
our Body as with a Garment or Veil and so of Christ. Which warrants J. P.'s Question against his Author F. B. and himself at least so far as not to make it a Subject of any further Contention against us Again my Accuser brings a heavy black Charge upon me in these Words viz. In this same 11th Article we are now upon after your full and Affirmative Declaration before he would have it Negative you subborn Two Texts as Favourers of your damnable Heresie before-told yet say you slily his Flesh was called the Veil Heb. 10. And he took upon him the form of a Servant and was made like unto Men and was found in the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Shape or Figure of a Man Phil. 2. 6 7. And then exclaims Ah George George I could forgive thee any thing but this What put upon us at this rate It seems my citing those Two Texts and alledging them to prove that the word Veil was applied to Christ's Flesh which he took upon him and the Word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Shape or Figure of a Man to the form of his Manhood or outward Man tho' I intended no other than that without the least Contempt to Christ Such Words might be used as they had been by some of our Friends For this it seems I have committed such a heinous and unpardonable Crime or Sin as this my severe Judge cannot forgive This is represented as my highest Offence and truly I shall not need to seek to him for Absolution or Pardon nor to be my Confessor I have a merciful and faithful High Priest to apply and appeal to I need not go to unmerciful and implacable Ones for Pardon especially such a one as has so shamefully calumniz'd me with subborning Two Texts as Favourers of damnable Heresie How comes this Accuser in his Fallibility or Uncertainty thus severely to condemn me when he cannot refute Matter of Fact about the Two said Texts being alledged in behalf of my Friend's meaning and not at all with the least Intention to lessen the Dignity or Glory of the Son of God No far be it from me And where 's my unpardonable Sin in the Application of the Text Phil. 2 Why he saith George Whitehead brings in the word Figure which is not in the English Translation And what then But let him have it he himself makes it synonimous to Shape p. 263. And he is forced to let me have it because he cannot well deny it without Disparagement to himself But herein he would place on me a Mis-application of the Words Who being found in the Shape or Figure of a Man c. And therefore saith what relation has this to the calling Christ Jesus a Type or Figure of their Light within which I have shewn above out of the Quakers Books And I have denied this as a Falshood before and now declare against his manifest Perversion and Injury to me and my Words herein For as I sincerely disown the Words charged viz. The calling Christ Jesus a Type or Figure of our Light within I could not apply the Words before in the Text Phil. 2. to have any relation thereto much less as proof of that which I never held And I know none of us that doth so call Jesus Christ A Type of our Light within he being the Fountain thereof Nor that Christ is Only a Figure as falsly charged by F. Bugg Which Perversion so far as I can find was first forged from these Words in the Book Saul's Errand viz. Christ in the Flesh without them is their Example or Figure which is both one For his being their Example 1 Pet. 2. 21. 4. 1. 1. 15. John 13. 15. are quoted See also Luke 2. 31. he was called a Sign Now hence to say he was Only a Sign were a gross Perversion Christ was our Example Now hence to say he was nothing else but an Example were an Abuse and to lessen his Dignity and a variation from the Sense as our Adversary has done upon Trust of his Author F. Bugg upon his false Report which is besides all Justice Morality and judicial Proceedings Now the Question is Whether Figure may be made synonimous to Example for the words Example or Figure as before I conceive it may For Type or Figure sometimes points at a thing to come as in Rom. 5. 14. who was the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Figure of him that was to come And sometimes Type or Figure denotes a present Example or Pattern as in Phil. 3. 17. Mark them which walk so as ye have us for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Example And the same Word is used in 2 Thes. 3. 9. 1 Tim. 4. 12. Titus 2. 7. 1 Cor. 10. 11. only in different Cases or Terminations And the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an Example or Type John 13. 15. Heb. 9. 23. Thus Example or Type are made synonimous in T. C.'s Lexicon and the like in Crit. Sacr. but more fully explain'd for there 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. Exemplum Exemplar Triplicem habet in Scriptura significatum 1. Significat Typum seu Figuram rerum vel praeteritarum Heb. 8. 5. vel futurarum Heb. 9. 23. 2. Exemplum imitationis John 13. 15. 1 Tim. 4. 12. Titus 4. 7. 3. Exemplum Monitionis sive Cautelae ut 2 Pet. 2. 6. i. e. Exemplum Exemplar hath a threefold Signification in Scripture 1. It signifies a Type or Figure of Things either past or to come 2. An Example of Imitation 3. An Example of Warning or Caution Now see how synonimously the Terms Type Figure Patern and Example are rendered in Scripture and of what extent not only in relation to the Types under the Law but in some respect to Christ and his Ministers tho' he be also confessed to be the Antitype Substance and End of all Legal Shadows Types and Figures But I have not called Christ himself a Type of our Light within nor justified the same As to my Accuser's Offence at my saying Christ's Flesh is called the Veil Heb. 10. 20. it was to remove an Offence taken against my Friend J. P. for using the same And it would have become this Adversary to have forborn his blasphemous Scoffing at my Light as George if thy Light has hitherto forgot to tell thee c. I bless the Lord my God who is my Light Life and Salvation he has shewn me the new and living way of the New Covenant which our blessed Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ consecrated prepared or set open through the Veil that is to say his Flesh yea through his Sufferings and Death as being the Testator he hath enforced that New Testament or second Covenant he took away the first that he might establish the second and so hath open'd the Passage into eternal Life into the Hollest of Holies within the Veil and beyond all the Shadows and Veils under the Law It was in the most holy Place within the second Veil in
and then how would but a pure Ethereal or Heavenly Body stand or co-here which he speaks of the glorious Body of Christ. Though I have always opposed the Gross and Carnal conceirs of many about the Resurrection I do not believe that Christ's glorious Body and the Saints Resurrection Bodies which must be like unto his shall be all shut up in Invisibility so as not to be seen or known one of another But that in Christ's Kingdom of Glory hereafter they shall as truly see and know one another as the Angels of God in Heaven do to whom they shall be Equal Note That our present Adversary's granting Christ's Body to be glorified in Heaven and much changed from the condition it was in upon the Cross p. 4. And also That such a gross Notion of the Resurrection no Christian ever held as if the Body were to rise in the same Grossness and Carnality that it has in this Life And that G. K. has sufficiently explained himself and that the Body when raised shall be the same as to substance but not as to the Grossness and Carnality as now and did Illustrate it by the Chymical Extraction of Spirits out of Herbs c. p. 26. As G. K. saith How much more ought we to acknowldge the Wisdom and Power of God who not only can but will change the Bodies of the Saints from all gross and terrestrial Qualities to be Heavenly and Spiritual the Husk or drossy Part that is no more the true Body than Dross in a lump of rich Oar of Gold is Gold being excepted Gross Er. p. 13. and p. 9. We must needs think saith he That Christ's Body was really Terrestrial i.e. had Terrestrial Qualities when it was upon Earth But now it is Heavenly endued altogether with Heavenly Qualities as the Bodies of the Saints will be at the Resurrection c. But to be more full and plain observe what he saith in his Way cast up p. 131. That Body that was crucified on the Cross at Jerusalem and is now Ascended and Glorified in Heaven which remaineth the same in Substance that it was on Earth although it be wonderfully changed as to the Mode and Manner of its being It being no more a Body of Flesh Blood and Bones but a pure Ethereal or Heavenly Body like unto which the Bodies of the Saints are to be at the Resurrection Now observe this great and wonderful change of Christ's glorified Body and of the Saints Resurrection Bodies was not heretofore granted by our former Adversaries as T. Elwood truly observes though very untruly charg'd with horrid and sensless Imputation and notorious Falshood p. 4. for saying It is well known that many of the Baptists as well as others of other Professions do hold the Body of Christ now in Heaven to be as really and materially a Body of Flesh Blood and Bones as it was when it was upon the Cross. That many have so held both of Christ's glorious Body and the Resurrection Bodies hath been notoriously known to us and many others as my said Answer to the said Newman partly shews p. 17. 18. And our answers to Tho. Hickes and Mathew Caffin and T. Grantham rendred Christ's Body Heaven such a one as his Quakers Ref. p. 40 41. And Thomas Vincent and others his gross conceits may be seen in his Illustrations about the Resurrection noted in our Book entituled The Christian Quaker in folio 2d part p. 161 162 163 164 165. c. The most that ever I discoursed of those our former Adversaries have held the Resurrection in that gross sense mentioned by T. E. except Jer. Ives tho' a contentious Adversary yet in that Point more ingenuous than most of his Brethren in those Days At a publick Dispute between some of us and some Baptists at Chersey in Surry when a Question about the Body of Christ in Heaven was Ignorantly obtruded by William Burnett his Brother Jer. Ives in answer to my speaking of Christ's various appearances as in divers Forms after he rose said What change or alteration His Body might have we cannot determine nor what Glory he is in for to enquire with what Body the Dead are raised is absurd Christ Ascended p. 19 20. Now it is observable in our former controversies on this Point The Question put to us was not Whether the Saints shall come forth in the Resurrection with their Bodies of such a Spiritual Pure and Heavenly Extract as to be free from all Carnality Grossness Dross Husk and Terrestrial Qualities even so as no more to be Bodies of Flesh Blood and Bones but Pure Ethereal or Heavenly Bodies like unto Christ's glorious Body According to G. K's and his Advocates confession I say this was not the Question we controverted then But whether the same numerical Body of Flesh Blood and Bones that dies shall be raised This we have objected against and the same Substance that is the same gross Substance and Bodily Existence of Flesh Blood and Bones this we have excepted against But Resurrection Bodies of such a refined Extract and Celestial Substance as is not Flesh and Blood but free from that Dross and Husk as is now proposed was not in controversy that ever I remember between us and our former Adversaries However G. K. should be so ingenuous as to tell the People what he means by the same Body for Substance that shall rise that it is not the same Body of Flesh Blood and Bones but a pure spiritual ethereal heavenly extract Body and then see how that will take And I think he 'l gain no more popularity in that Point than those of us he Quarrels with without just Cause Otherwise 't is very disingenuous to hide himself under general and indefinite Terms by telling the People the same Bodies that dye shall arise the same in Substance and not tell them what Substance that is that is not Flesh Blood and Bones for under those general Terms they may take him to mean in the common and gross sense of the same Flesh and Blood who understand nothing of a Celestial Seed or Ethereal substance hid in these gross Bodies or in their first Elements which they are to be dissolved into whether in the Earth Fire or Water wherein many Bodies have been destroyed dissolv'd and consum'd That Scripture Jo. 14. 19. Yet a little while and the World seeth me no more which G. K. thinks he better translates as yet or not as yet Nar. p. 17. However I did not alledge it to prove that Christ has no Body at all as in Nar. p. 17. herein G. K. wrongs me but that the World should see Christ no more in that manner wherein they then saw him That which they then saw of him with their carnal Eyes they should see no more i.e. as in the Flesh. And how should they if his glorified Body be no more a Body of Flesh Blood and Bones but a pure Ethereal or Heavenly Body they must have other Eyes to see