And 1. As touching the first Chapter of the Evangelist John with which he began as above It treats of the God head of the Son alone the eternal-Word from the first verse to the end of the fifth verse and then of the person of Christ God-man from thence to the end of the Chapter some of these verses for satisfaction sake I shall touch a little in their order First Of the Eternal Word the Godhead of the Son as in ver 1 2 3 In the Beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God the same was in the beginning with God all things were made by him and without him was not any thing made that was made These verses denote to us that its only the Godhead of the Son that did Create ver 14. The Word was made flesh and dwelt among us i. e. whole Christ God man in one person as such he created nothing only as God so he created all things As the Evangelist here so doth Paul to the Colâ—ssians chap. 1. 16. speak distinctly of the God head of the Son alone and also distinctly of him as personal Christ viz. By him were all things created that are in Heaven and that are in Earth visible and invisible whether they be Thrones or Dominions or Principalilitiâ—s or Powers all things were created by him and for him and he is before all things and by him all things consist ver 17 So he is the Creator Again ver 18 19. Paul speaks distinctly also of Christ as Christ for so as noted before he is no Creator because so considered he is in part a Creature hoâ— beit as Christ he is the Head and Saviour Ephes 5. 23. of the Body the Church Who is the beginning and first born from the dead that in all things he Christ God-man might have preheminence for it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell and ver 20 Having made peace through the blood of his cross and in the body of his flâ—sh through Death to present you holy and unblameable and unreprovable in his fight ver 22. If ye continue in the Faith that is in the Faith of the peace made through the blood of his Cross and body of his flesh through death Grounded and Rooted c. This Distribution both by the Evangelist and Apostle was not understood by this Disputant Eastlâ—ck for in all his foregoing Discourse his design was to mâ—ke the Hearers believe that the Eternal Word the Godhead of the Son â—s distinct from the Manhood of Christ is the true Christ and only Saviour and consequently a Quakers pretended Saviour within him is the true not the false Christ And hereunto agrees his words so frequently repeated by him viz. God was manifest in the flesh that is as to their darkened understanding in all man kind of flesh which gross Error shall be in its proper place considered in the next place this Disputants more lax and general expressions shall receive some Answers 1. I do acknowledge with him that the Word took flesh of the Virgin and that he suffered without the Gates of Jerusalem howbeit as it comes from a Teaching Quaker it is undoubtedly no other then a deceitful shifting of the matter in question yet I am ready to grant that F. E. and his Partners may believe that there was such a man who as Histories mention took flesh and was born of the Virgin Mary and suffered death without the Gates of Jerusalem about sixteen hundred years ago Alas how many Turks and Jews are there that know and believe all this yet they do no more believe Jesus of Nazereth to be the true Christ and only Saviour then a Teaching Seducing Quaker doth Nay such a Quaker attributes no more soul saving Merit to the holy Body of Jesus Christ then to the body of a Turk or a Jew Therefore it s not safe to put any other construction upon his acknowledgement above then a deceitful shifting the business in hand that he might thereby the more easily hoodwink the Hearer for his Discourse had no other tendency then to make us believe that the true Christ and Saviour was only in not at all of the body of Christs flesh 2. I do again acknowledge with him sc That the effects of Christs death and sufferings are to be inwardly witnessed as received within us And if so then there must be a cause of these effects inwardly received as previous and anticedent to them to wit The death and sufferings of the one Man Jesus Christ as in the third Argument which is therefore necessarily finished and perfected already by the one crucified body of Jesus of Nazareth upon the Cross without us for us which in right reason must needs be before the effects thereof could be revealed in us and so inwardly witnessed though this were the thing I argued for yet it was strongly opposed by them all as may afterwards appear making those effects within them the true Christ and their only Saviour Now I proceed to the Texts of Scripture repeated by F. E. which shall be considered in order as he uttered them John 1. 9. That was the true Light which lighteneth every man that cometh into the World This Scripture he more especially insisted on to prove Christ to be that true Light and that Light to be the only Saviour which as he said is in every man that cometh into the world whence he Argued that a Quakers pretended Saviour within him is the true and not the false Christ Answ It s true that by Light in that place of Scripture the true Christ and our only Saviour is meant Iohn 1. 29. and although it be likewise true in a true sence that every man that cometh into the world is enlightened by Christ i. e. with reason the Son of God as he is the Eternal Word that made the World yet the Evangilist hath not in that Text asserted that there is a Light or enlightening in every Man as he cometh into the World which is the true Christ and our only Saviour so that thou hast plainly and openly belied that holy Man Ioâ—r in saying of him as above that he so witnessed Namely that the Light or inlighting in every Man as he comes into the World is the true Christ and Mans only Saviour for this Evangelist witnesseth otherwisâ— as in ver 30 29. he evidently affirms the Light in ver 9. to be the Man Jesus and as such he never was nor can be in any man so witnesseth the Witness bearer whom we are to believe before a Seducing Quaker 2. Thou F. E. didst in thy Discourse effectually affirm Christ to be the Light and the Light in every Man to be the Christ implying thereby sc what might be truly spoken of the one might be also so spoken of the other here hence then it must follow that the Light within a Quaker was born in Bethlehem laid in a Manger hanged upon a Tree and
manifest which are to be reproved this being the true and reâ—â— meaning how doth it prove the thing designed sc That the light within thee 〈◊〉 the true not the false Christ I hope thou art not such a Bullâ—ck as to think it the tâ—ue Christ Now foraâ—much as that I have the advantage of more liberty without interruptioâ— to enlarge I will shew thee 〈◊〉 B. two things from the Light in the Text recited by thâ—e as above First That the Light of Scripture doth make some of a Quakers evils manifest Secondly That it doth reprove those their evils For the first sc That the Light of Scripture doth manifest some of a Quakers evils â— As 1. The evil of Antichristianisme 2 Joh. ver 7. For many Deceivers are entred into the World who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh this is a deceiver and an Antichrist Observe by the way when ever this Text of Scripture is mentioned against the Quakers they presently frame a pretence whereby they would seem to go off with some credit telling us that we make a man of straw and then knock him down for who is it say they of us that doth deny Jesus Christ is come in the flesh we do say they confess that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh that he suffered and died in the flesh Answ This is such a pitiful shift nay such a deceitful covering that the weakest eye may look through it they well knâ—w how unable they are to deal with the Arguments which are in the inspired Scriptures of God against the feigned light Christ within them have therefore made the hole above to creep out at but this their juggle is no other then what hath been a ready discovered namely That it was not the visible body of Christs flesh which was or is Christ the Saviour but the Christ in that appearing body of his flesh and as the Christ was in this his flesh so he is in every mans flesh that comes into the World And hence it is that a Teaching Quaker when he is pratâ—ng of the Idol-light within he laye â—his hand upon his breast saying Jesus Christ is manifest in this flesh meaning in his real flesh but Christs flesh was only in shew and appearance Tâ—is their â—olly brings to mind what Mr. Haworth a converted Quaker doth asseâ—t in his Epistle to John Crook a Teaching Quaker Being saith he lately in discourse with some Quakers who held that it was the Light within that was crucified without the Gates of Jerusalem Anâ— in the same Epistle he further saith I can never forget James Nâ—yler whom I saw suffer and what was the fruit of that Spirit bâ— which he was â—cted was he not strangeâ—y lifted up in Pride to make 〈◊〉 the Mâ—ssiâ—r and take divine Worship to hâ—mself For saith he 〈…〉 tolâ— me that he stood by and saw three Women 〈…〉 and worship him and one of them in her bowings 〈…〉 to wit Thy Name is no more Iames bâ—t I Am And 〈◊〉 Nayler told Iohn Bolton that if he worshipped his body he shoulâ— resuâ—e it but if that within him he would â—ccept it Hereunto agrees 〈…〉 Dâ—ctrine at the time oâ— the Disputatiâ—n we do quoth he 〈◊〉 the out side Christ to be the â—rue Christ and Saviour so then accordiâ—g to this Doctors Divinity there is another Christ namely an inside Christ which he doth worship and believe in for his Salvation from 〈…〉 wrath â—ut I shall tell him more of my mind in its due place I now return to some further consideration of what they have above affirmed which is that they do not deny but confess that Jesus Christ is coâ—sidered as distinct from the flesh and therefore according to a Quaker Faith the true Christ and Saviour is within the flesh that is as to their sense in thâ— flesh of every man that comes into the World and therefore as they say they are neither Deceivers nor Antichrists To â—ear this Smoaâ—y cost I Answer These words In the flesh though they are frequently inserted in the Scriptures of Truth y◠〈◊〉 never sign fie a thing distinct from the flesh but alwayes the flesh it self as it may appear by maniâ—old instance reâ—erring to man kind flesh consisting of Soul and Body the true or whole man Gen. 17. 34. â—5 Abraham aâ—d Ishmael circumcised in the flesh i e. the flesh it self was circumciseâ— Rom. 2. 28. outward in the flesh i. e. the outside flesh 1 Cor. 7. 28. Such shall have trouble in the flesh i. e. their boâ—ies of flesh shall have trouble furthermore the Apostle puts this matter 〈◊〉 â—ll Dispute Phil. 1. 22. But if I live in the flesh i. e. to abide in the flesh ver 24. which he explains in ver 25. I know that I shall abide and continue with you all i. e. I Paul true man consisting of Soul and body know 〈◊〉 I shall abide with you wherein it is most plain that his 〈◊〉 in the flesh doth not denote a thing distinct from the flesh but the very mankind flesh it self For here by Paul's being in the flesh he unâ—er anâ—s his whole man Howbeit let me improve these last verses a little more by propounding thence a Question Quest What is it to confess that Paul is come in the flesh Answ It is to confess that Paul is come true man consisting of Soul and body as above ver 25. And consequently not to confess that Paul is come true man is to deny him come in the flesh But to say that Paul is come in the flesh doth signifie sc Paul is to be considered as distinct from his body of Flesh And so to be in the flesh of every man that comes into the world would be an interpretation not only contrary to the Scripture above but so absurd and irrational as becoming none but seduced seducing Quakers from whence I may safely infer That whosoever doth not confess that Jesus Christ is come true man consisting of Soul and Body doth deny that Jesus Christ is come in the Flesh But Teaching Seducing Quakers do not confess that Jesus Christ is come true man consisting of Soul and Body Ergo they do deny that Jefus Christ is come in the Flesh And by good consequence from the whole they cannot deny unless they will deny truth in God themselves to be Deceivers and Antichrists Moreover the same Apostle John puts a Question 1 Joh 2. 22. Who is a lyar and then Answers it But he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ and forthwith adds he is Antichrist well then according to the Scripture of truth he that denieth that Iesus is the Christ is a lyar and an Antichrist But a Teaching Quaker doth deny Jesus to be the Christ Ergo a Teaching Quaker is by the spirits Testimony a Lyar and an Antichrist The Proposition being the words of that Scripture ver 22. may not be gain-said the Assumption I do prove thus The Iesus intended by the
were perfect from all sin in this life would be a miserable perverâ—ing of the places of Scripture they being only perfect comparatively i. e. in comparison of all other men which lived in their Ages and Generations And as for the 22d verse In all this Iob sinned not Reply These words are not to be taken in a Quakers sense as if Iob had been at any time without sin in this world for in the 11th verse he Iob will curse thee to thy face Satan was confident that Iob would Blaspheme by cursing God to his face this Satan did promise to himself and did undertake with God which plainly interprets the words sc In all this Iob sinned not that is such a sin in thought or word as to Curse God he was not transported by passion or impatiency to Reproach or Curse the Living God but gave him Glory saying ver 21. The Lord gave and the Lord hath taken away blessed be the Name of the Lord As to the phrase perfect above Obj. If any of you say as some Teaching Quakers have said sc That it was in the time of Iobs affliction when he said If I say that I am perfect it will prove me perverse but after his deliverance he was perfect without sin Ans This is wholly false for the character given of Iob viz. a perfect man was before his affliction for Gods commending of him as perfect and upright was the occasion of the Devils desiring leave of God to afflict him and of Gods grant ver 12. that his Word might be found true upon the whole observe in Iob Chap. 25. ver 4. How then can Man be justified with God or can he be clean that is born of a Woman This Question carrieth a strong denial viz. it cannot possibly be or it is impossible to be as if Iob had said do but acknowâ—edge 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 Second Scripture Psal 37. ver 37. Mark the perfect man and behold the upright Rep. Vpright in the latter clause doth interpret perfect in the former so then the perfect man is the upright or sincere hearted man we read in Iacobs character Gen. 25. 27. and Iacob was a plain man this phrase plain man here is the same wite perfect man in the Text above a plain man and a perfect man in a Scriptural account are convertible terms 1 Chron 29. 9 27. and do signifie a man that hath not a heart and a â—cart or a double minded man Jam. 1. 8. not a compound man speaking one thing and meaning another It is also the same word that is given to Noah Gen. 6. 9. He was perfect in his Generation or he was sound upright plain hearted with God And it is that God spake to Abraham Gen. 17. 1. Walk before me and be thou perfect or sound upright plain in thy walking before me now though Job Noah Jacob Abraham are said to be perfect yet it is not to be found in the Scriptures that God ever said of all or any one of them or of any other meer Saint they were perfect without sin in this world but the contrary is as may afterwards appear often found in Holy Writ forasmuch as it is sincerity or the Law written in the heart Psal 40. 8. which is the only Gospel Perfection Third Scripture Psal 39. 1. I said I will take heed to my wayes that I sin not with my tongue compare with Jam. 3. 2. If any man effend not in word the same is a perfect man Reply Though David heedfully endeavoured circumspection not to offend with his tongue yet he sinned with it Psal 116. 11 I said in my haste all men are Lyars yea frequently did he offend with his tongue in and about the matter of Vriah the Hittite 2. Might it be supposed that David sinned not with his tongue yet he might sin in thought although it be most true which the Apostle James speaks above sc If any man offend not in word the same is a perfect man Reply 1. These words Jam. 3. 2. in their litteral sense denote a supposition If any man offend not in word that is as Dr. Manton in loc saith If there be such a man who never spake a word untruly nor unseasonably nor uncharitably a man whose words were alwayes without vanity and folly without obsenity rash Oathes and Passion speaking only known truths if these be such a man who at all times avoids the evils of the tongue I will as if the Apostle should say make bold to call him a perfect man such another as is not to be found among Mortals And thus Moses by way of supposition said unto the Children of Israel Lev. 18 5. Which If a man do he shall live in them here Moses proposeth an unlikely yea an impossible practice under the word If which if a man 〈◊〉 But where is the Man that can do the law of God as exactly as he commands it to be done implying there 's not such a man to be found in the World so here If a Man offend not in word the same is a perfect man but such a non offender is not to be found and consequently not a Man of a perfect tongue 2. Some take the word Perfect for Upright Sincere that is to say if a man offend not in word he is perfect or upright sincere without guile those that are so are expressed by the Term perfect as in Psal 37. â—7 afore noted so in 1 Chron. 29. 9. With a perfect heart they offered willingly to the Lord compare ver 17. In the uprightness of my heart I have willingly offered Again we read in 1 Chron. 12. 38. All these sc an hundred and twenty thousand ver 37. men of War came with a pâ—rfect heart to Hebron surely he must have a Legion within him that would interpret perfect here referring to the hundred and twenty thousand men of War above for a perfect freedome from sin 4th Scripture Psal 119. 1. Blessed are the undefiled in the way ver 3. they do no Iniquity Reply The sixth verse following explains the two foregoing verses sc 1 3. above Then shall I not be ashamed when I have respect to all thy Commandments hence ver 5. The Prophet Wishes O that my wayes were directed to keep thy Statutes furthermore he strongly affirms Psal 39. 5. Verely verely Man at his best estate is altogether vanity Therefore he cries out Psal 143. 2. Enter not into judgement with thy Servant for in thy sight shall no man living be justified Now if to be undefiled and to do no iniquity be to be understood in a Quakers sense that is to say strictly for an absolute freedome from all sin in heart and life then David had excluded himself out of a blessed estate 5th Scripture Mat. 5. 48. Be ye therefore perfect even as your Father which is in Heaven is perfect
Apostle is Iesus born of Mary who is called Christ Mat. 1. 16. the Iesus of Nazareth a man approved of God among the Iews Act. 2. 23. But a Teaching Quaker doth deny Jesus of Nazareth born of Mary a man approved of God among the Iews to be the Christ and therefore the Conclusion is undeniable sc That a Teaching Quaker doth deny that Jesus is the Christ And as this is undeniable so is the other namely That a Teaching Quaker is a Lyar and an Antichrist which is further evidenced 1 Ioh 4. 3. And every Spirit that confesseth not that Iesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God and this is that spirit of Antichrist in the fleâ—â— here is put for the flesh it self as in Scriptures aforementioned now to deny Christs Manhood to be a Saviour is to deny Iesus to be the Christ Secondly As the Light of Scripture doth manifest Teaching Quakers especially to be Liars Deceivers and Antichrists yea the Spirit of Antichrist so it doth also reprove them 1. Because as such they are of the Dragon and Beast making War with the Lamb â—ev 13. 9 10 The Man Iesus Ioh. 1. 29 30. and the faith delivered to the Saints 2. As such they are Contradicters and Blasphemers of the Truth which the holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost 2 Pet. 1. 21. For instance Ioh. 1. 14. And the Word God ver 1. was made flesh Flesh i. e. true man for he dwelt among us the Iews and we beheld the Glory of him this dweller among us concerning whom the Witness-bearer sent of God ver 6 hare Record that he was a true man ver 30. there by witnessing That â—esus Christ was true Man as well as true God and both in his one person which Article of our Christian Faith is deried by most Teaching Quakers Another Instance we have â— Tim 3. 16. God was manifest in the flesh i. e. Mankind flesh or true and whole Man for so the Phrase in the Flesh canâ—otates as it hath been already cleared from the Scriptures of God so that God was manifest in the flesh doth not teach us that God is to be considered as distinct from the flesh but that God was manifest flesh real man-kind flesh and thereby the Godhead and the Mâ—nhood were united in the one person of Christ and made manifest to the Apostles bodily senses of seeing hearing and â—eeling 1 Ioh. chap. 1. ver 1. 2. Likewise Paul Act 63. 38. Through this Man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins through or by ver 39. This Man viz. The man Iesus of Nazareth who by the wicked hands of the Iews was slain and hanged on a tree and then by God the Father raised from the dead the third day and exalted to be a Saviour to give remission of sins Act. 2. 22. Chap. 5. 29 30. through This Man is preached the forgiveness of sins as above For so hath the Lord commanded us ver 47. at which commanded Preaching the wicked Iewâ— were filled with envy and spake as Teaching Quakers do against those things spoken by Paul as above contradicting and blaspheming ver 45. So much for your first evil manifested and reproved by the Light of divine Scripture though there are many professed evils amoâ—g Quakers which the Light of holy Scripture doth manifest and reprove yet I shall now make men â—on but of one more because I would not be too voluminous The Second Evil is The professâ—a perfection of a Quakers seeming Sanctity consisting in Thou and Thee thereby denying all reverential respects to any sort of men of what rank or quality soever For method sake we will in the first place â—ear what they have to say for themselves touching this matter 1. They are apt to say because they have often said it that Thou and You are of distinct significations in Scripture and likewise Thee and You the one signifying a Singular the other a Plural Answ These terms of thou thee and you are to alwayes in Scripture of distinct significations as it appears Lev. 19. 12. Ye or you shall not Swear by my Name falsly neither shalt thou prophane the Name of thy God In this Scripture Ye or You and Thou are of the same signification and in Ier. 3. 12. Return thou backsliding Israel and I will not cause my anger to fall upon you here likewise thou and you are of the same signification again in Luk. 17. 21. the Kingdome of God is within you you here doth in your sense signifie each particular Quaker 2. Nor are these words sc thee and you alwayes in Scripture of dictinct significations as in Deut. 28. 9. herein thee a singular and holy People a plural are of the same signification so in Isai 26. 20. here People and thou are of the same import To these Scriptures would it not render me tedious to the Reader I might add many more to gainsay this their trifling Assertion for you and thou are oft in Scripture and reason convertitable terms for instance thou in the Decalogue is indefinitely understood 2. They are ready to affirm sc To salute a single person under the notion You is both improper and irrational for it were to confound singular and plural in point of right reason Answ It s neither for it s not impropâ—r nor irrational to say to a single man This Youth is your Son for you aâ—e his Father which to 〈…〉 is as proper and rational as to say thou art is Father and the reason is because you and your are of the same nature unasmuch as the one is derived from the other Now as Your is applieable to one as to many so is You likewise Again it is both proper and rational to â—ell a single person This house is your house for you have a good â—itle to it which is as proper and rational as to say thou hast a good â—itle to tâ—o houâ—e and consequently it is not only irrational to affirm that this dot 〈…〉 confound the terms of thou and you â—ts Diabolical to 〈◊〉 a the Quakers do thou and thee making it the daily 〈◊〉 for your levilling inflamed-pride 3. They say for themselves That holy men in the Scriptures did use the words thou and thee not only one to another but to God himself Answ This is granted howbeit I pray can any of you Quakers produce me one holy Man in Scripture expressed which used these words thou and thee that he might thereby take occasion to deny as ye wickedly do all reverential respects to any sort of men of what rank or quality soever sure I am ye cannot produce me one such man for this bruitish kind of practice is contrary to the manifold Precepts and Presidents also in the Scriptures of truth as afterwards shall plainly appear Indeed we Christians do acknowledge that holy men in Scripture did use the words thou and thee not only one to another but to God himself for two
false Christ we are to understand the Devil is plainly proved by comparing Mat. 24. ver 24. with Rev. 12 9. in the first Text the true Christ calls the false Christ a Deceiver if it were possible shall deceive the very Elect implying that the false Christ is the greatest Deceiver And in the other Text this great Deceiver which aâ—ceives the whole world is called the old Serpent the Devil and Satan Here hence this Argument arose so he that is the great and principal Deceiver is the Devil Rev. 12. 0. but the false Christ is this Deceiver Mat. 24 24. Ergo the false Christ is the Devil The Conclusion ought not to be denied to deny it here were to deny the Scriptures of God from whence it is plainly collected as above Having thus proved the first Part I proceeded to the second Part of the charge To wit That the main end of the Quakers Meetings in these Islands is to make the Lords Christ his holy Spirit his Angels and Apostles all lyars and false Witnesses of God Being about to prove this as I had done the former part of the charge F. Eastlack interrupted me pretending to make some Answer to the foregoing Arguments I told him that by mutual consent as in the Preface is Declared the whole charge against them was first to be proved by me before any Answer should be returned by him or any othâ—r of his Friends Therefore I requested him that as he had any regard either to Truth or Honesty that he would forbear his interruptions that I might proceed according agreement as above to prove the second part of the charge but his Sepulchre being opened he refused to shut it whereupon I spake to the Assembly saying I must let him take his own way to prevent greater confusion howbeit instead of Answering as he pretended the above-mentioned Arguments or any of them He first impertinently runs out into a bare Repetition of some words in the former part of the first Chapter of the Evangelist John sc from the 1st verse to the end of the 12th verse which shall be mentioned and considered in their due places let me note by the way his after stragling inferences from those verses To wit That God the Word took Flesh of the Virgin Mary and in that Flesh suffered Death for all men which he put a special Remark upon by repeating it twice it was well observed that he made no mention of Christs Resurrection but further said sc The Word which is God is Christ the true Light which was manifest in the flesh and as in him so in every man that comes into the World as manifest in them which quoth he it witnessed by John and withal added whosoever shall Preach any other Gospèlis accursed and after he had multiplied words to the same end and purpose alone as above the ingenious Auditors began to mutter at his impertinences and jumbled confusions Thereupon I called to him and said Master Islay so he is commonly called as afore noteh viz. Islay either answer the Arguments which have proved the first part of the charge as you pretended to Mask your interrupting of me or take some Answer to what you have said His first Reply was the Scripture saith Call no man Master I told him the Scripture saith sc Mat. 23. 10 Neither be ye called Masters for one is your Master even Christ which is not to be understood in your unmannerly sense likewise I told him that he had no cause to quarrel the word Master for you affirm the Master even Christ is within you Quakers making your selves the greatest Masters so that herein are fulfilled among you the word of our Lord concerning Deceivers namely that false Christs shall arise and many shall say I am Christ and shall deceive many Mat. 24. 5. Further more I said unto him sc Thou art the Master of an Assembly to wit of the Synagogue of Libertines which opposed and persecuted the faith of Blessed Stephen for believing in Jesus Christ of Nazareth to be the true Christ and only Saviour Act. 6 8 9 14 59. At this be grew impaâ—ient rebuking me saying Thou didst promise not to interrupt me I replied that I did not interrupt but help him sc to remember that my promise was not to interrupt him or any of his party whilest he or any of them were answering the Arguments urged by me as it may appear in the prefixed Preface But hâ— said that he did not value the Arguments for they proved nothing thus he thaâ— was a party made himself the determinating Judge and then with a throat stretched voice returned to his former discourse That the word is Christ the true Light in the Flesh sent to save men from sin and death whose death and sufferings with the effect thereof we do own and witness according to the Scriptures as inwardly received within us yet speaking other whiles of the death satisfaction and sufferings of Christ the true Light as done within us for us to which said he the Scripture testifies repeating these words But 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 up Christ again from the dead But what saith it the word is nigh thee even in thy mouth and in thy heart that is the word of faith which we Preach After he had rehearsed these or most of these words he forthwith inferrd that the word of Faith was Christ the true light within and then confidently affirmed that to preach any other Gospel sc then Christ within to be the Saviour is to be accursed which invited him to reflect on me declaring that I had not in any thing which was by 〈…〉 meaning in the Arguments above made any mention of Christ as God and with that saying he ended as it 's call'd his preseâ—t Dispute Forthwith I made some returnes which I have now put into some better method which was then much hindred by their confused interruptions But before I lay down those more orderly returnes let me request the Reader to understand that I have filed off much of the Rust and Ruggedness of his expressions which often wearied the Christian Hearers For it was not only his but also his Fellow Disputants course all along here and there to steal and strangely to disorder nay to dismember Scripture words out of the Evangelist and the Apostles thereby endeavouring to cover themselves from being discovered not plâ—inly nor hoâ— estly mentioning either Chapters or Verses William Bullock once excepted though often called upon but all in vain they would speak Scripture words after their usual manner darkly and confusedly thereby the more easily to deceive those with whom the Scriptures have any credit I shall at present decline any further observation of this their dangerous and designful practice and proceed to the above signified Method
e. by being ashamed of the true Christ and turning away from him as ye are and do This Oh this is to put the blessed Son of God to an open shame and even this is to do despight to the spirit of Grace and shall they who despite the spirit of Grace ever find the benefâ— of Gospel Grace The 〈…〉 this That the Scriptures of Truth do plainly charge the generality of Quakers with the guilt of the sin against the holy Ghost because they have sinned wilâ—â—lly after a profession openly made 〈…〉 in the Lord Christ 〈◊〉 of the Virgin Mary in the City of Daâ—◠〈…〉 2. 11. to be the true Christ and their only Saviour and therefore 〈…〉 so do ye now crucifie not in but to your 〈…〉 Son of God aâ—resh and put him to an open shame Oh that 〈◊〉 I do heardly wish it would bring these repeated plain dealings effectually home to your hearts remembring from whence ye are fallen and 〈◊〉 and do the first works Rev. 2 5. 9. Lastly As it is above noted in what sense this Disputant F. E. intended the fore-asserted Notions sc that the Word took flesh and in that flesh dyed for all men I could not certainly determine nor could as I am perswaded he himself as it may appear by the Answer he then made to a Question which I put unto him â—o wit Quest Whether he F. E. did believe that Jesus Christ of Nazareth the Man approved of God among the People and whom the Jews slew and God raised from the dead and also received up into Heaven were the true Christ and his only Saviour He forthwiâ—h Answered That be did believe it Capt. Bascomb then called to him saying Thou wilt deny 〈…〉 tomorrow and withal I likewise told him that by this his open confession of the true Faith he had openly declared himself to be a Christian and no Quaker and I furthermore said to him that he had by that Gospel confession of Faith manifestly contradicted what he had contended for in his present Discourse called Disputation and that he had also thereby confirmed the first part of the charge against them namely That a Quakers pretended Saviour within him was not the true Christ but the false Christ And at the same time Nathaniel Bethel spake to him saying Francis you were not long since of another Faith or of another Opinion for you told my Wife That if she did believe in any other Christ then in that Christ which was within her she would be damneâ— But Francis Jesuite-like openly denied that he had spoken any such Words to his Wise thereupon Nathaniel Bethel replied to him in the face of the Congregation that he would depose what he had declared to be a truth Since that time I have been informed of the occasion which invited these words from the sad-Quaker it was thus discoursing of the old Brigham a man of the fifth-Monarchy perswasion who said he hoped to live to see Jesus Christ on the Earth and to shake him by the hand then F. E. said But he sc Brigham should be first sure that Jesus Christ had a hand Bethels Wife then told him that Christ had now a hand for I do said she Believe that Christ hath now the same body in Heaven which he had when he was upon the Earth at this expression of her Faith this frank-Quaker was offended and could not forbear but in plain terms told her that she was a Blasphemer or had spoken Blasphemy and withal he further said unto her as above To wit That if she believed in any other Christ then in that Christ which was within her she would be damned O most horrid Quakerisme dig'd out of the bottomless Pit from whence thou hast received thy Ordination to be a Teaching Seducing and Lying Quaker For Francis thou knowest both this Man and his Wife to be persons of good Name credit and of honest reputation in this Country and therefore worthy to be believed before thy self Oh that the Lord would give thee grace to repent of thy evident wickedness and grievous God provoking Blasphemy proceeding from the false Christ within thee which undoubtedly thou hast wretchedly aggravated by making as much as in thee lay this faithful witness an open lyar and that as most of the Christian Hearers jâ—dged contrary to the Testimony of the render part thy Light-Christ-Conseâ—â—nce within Oh that I could prevailingly advise thee to think how deservedly the dreadful words of the holy Apostle Act. 13. 45. may be charged on thee viz. They the Jews were filled with envy and spake against those things which were spoken by Paul contradicting and blaspheming For 1. The manner of thy words as above plainly declare that thou were filled with envy 2. The matter of her words was the same with the thing spoken by Paul not only in ver 37 38. but also in chap. 3. 13. 21. The God of our Fathers hath glorified his Son Jesus whom the Heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things so that thou wert not only filled with envy but with blasâ—hemous contradictions now Francis this being thy case truly stated hast thou not indeed cause to repent over thy false-Christ that hath as above filled thy heart with envy and thy tongue with Blaspâ—â—my against the the truth of God believed and confesseâ— by that good Woman above By the way I may not omit Capt Bascombes mâ—tion maâ—e unto me upon the confession of F. E. his Faith above c. That Jesus of Nazareth was received up into Heaven to ask him where Heaven was it seems the Captain knew that the Teaching Quakers had Jesuitical-equivocations and mental reserves accordingly I askt him where Heaven was but he made me no Answer thereupon his tender headed-iniquity-Brother William Harriot said Heaven was where it should be I demanded of him where that was he replied like himself Heaven was there where God would have it to be by these impertinent silly shifts the intelligent Hearers perceived that they were basely afraid to stand to their Quakerisme Principles it s well known that at other times they have confidently avouched as their Scripture-wresting-Guids teach that Heaven as well as Hell is within them for which that Text especially is pretended Luk. 17. 21. For behold the Kingdome of God is within you sc the Pharisees ver 20. whereas by Kingdome of God in that place our Saviour understands the Gospel of God Preached as Mark 1. 14. Jesus came into Galilee Preaching the Gospel of the Kingdome of God and in Luk. 10. 11. Be ye sure of this that the Kingdome of God is come nigh unto you likewise Mat. 21. 43. Therefore said Iesus unto the Pharisees the Kingdome of God shall be taken from you and given to a Nation bringing forth the fruits thereof and ver 45. When the chief Priests and Pharisees had heard his Parables they perceived that he spake of them These Scriptures do plainly shew that by kingdome of God
in Luke 17. 21. Christ doth not mean the Kingdome of glory in Heaven but the Kingdome of the Gospel Preached by himself and his Apostles on Earth to which he answered nothing In the next place F. E. doth as I suppose expect some Answer to his reflection on me at the end of his tedious Discourse afore signified sc That I had not in any thing which was said by me he meant in the four Arguments proving the first part of the charge made any mention of Christ as God to be the Saviour Answ Bold Man who art thou that â—â—achest the Apostles of Jesus Christ yea the Holy-Ghost himself how to speak who were the faâ—thful Witnesses that proved all which was said by me in those four Arguments and that I might prevent which I foresaw such carpings I barely repeated the Apostles express words mentioning in a manner no more then what is plainly asserted by them what dost thou then but under colour of reflecting on me reflect upon the holy Apostles themselves Alas poor Man had it not been more honesty in thee to have thus charged the Apostles then me who wrested not but only repeated the Apostles words for the confirmation of the alledged Arguments thou shouldest have clamoured against the Apostles thus there is not a word by them mentioned of Christ as God to be the Saviour and wouldest thou not hadst thou thus done have been as bold as blind Bayard It s most evident that the Apostles preached Christ as Man Not but that he was and is also God to be believed in for the remâ—ssiâ—n of sins both to the Jews and to the Gentiles so that thy quarrelsome reflection on me is in effect a manifest denying the Testimony of the Apostles joyntly testifying of the Man Jesus Christ of Nazareth to be the only Lamb of God that takes away the sins of the World reconciledworld 2 Cor. 5. 19. for there is no other Man Name or Thing ever in Scripture called the Lamb of God which takes away sin but the one Man Jesus Christ and so it is Recorded by Christs witness bearer Joh. 1. 29. 30. One would now think that the very mentioning of these things were enough to refute them with whom the Scriptures of God have any credit But what shall I say unto thee Francis I would in true love only to thy distressed Soul advise thee to search as in Iohn 5. 39. the Scriptures for I find thee very ignorant of the truth as testified in them and hence asserting new notions which thou hast received from other men which tend to the darkening and denying of the unanimous Testimony of all the holy Men of old to the true Saviour Jesus of Nazareth and to Salvation through Faith in him and that thou mayest be delivered from the dangerous snare of the false Christ the Idol-light within is the hearty desire of him whom for his Faith in and to the truth thou hast opposed William Bullock was the next Disputant to prove That a Quakers pretended Saviour within him is not the false but the true Christ And thus he Argued saying That which may be known of God is manifest in them and tâ—en stâ—pt Therefore I prayed him to tell us were thoâ—e words repeated above were to be found he readily told me sc in Rom. chap. 1. ver 19. Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them for God hath shewed it unto them 〈◊〉 was the only Proof named by them I further demanded of him what he inferred from this Text of Scripture but because he lookt as if he understood not what was meant by that demand I requested him to frame some Argument from the Text alledged by him to prove the matter in hand but all in vain a Syllogisme being as great a Monster to him as Jesus Christ of Nazareth Thereupon I did declare That the Apostle did not there understand the word God to signifie Christ God Man and as for the phrase in them it is interpreted to them as in the very next words in the same verse sc For God hath shewed it to them likewise Paul doth tell us both how and where God shew'd them this as in ver 20. For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen being understood by the things that are made even his eternal power and godhead which Godhead alone is not to be understood for God-man Christ the only Saviour in a word The mind of the Spirit in these two 19 20. verses sc is no more but this namely that the eternal power and Godhead was manifested in i. e. shewn to the Gentiles unconverted by the things that are made or created from the creation of the World this being the true state of the Text above how they could prove the thing to wit That a Quakers pretended Saviour within him is the true not the false Christ for which they were brought surely none but young and old Bullocks or such as are of that kind can understand I expected some reply from this Disputant to the substance above asserted but instead of a reply he urged another Prool this was their manner even all along that thereby they might â—loaâ— their weakness and insufficienâ—â—â— for returns saying The flesh profiteth nothing it is the Spirit that quickeneth Upon his inversion of the order of the words I desired him to name the Chapter and verse where the words as he had spoken them might be found but he did it not I then named both viz. Joh. chap. 6. ver 63. It is the spirit that quickeneth the flesh profiteth nothing He again refusing to frame an Argument Therefore to the Text. 1 Answered 1. If these words were to be understood in this sence sc That the Lord Christ on the account of his body of flesh profiteth nothing to Salvation but it s the quickning spirit within that is the only Saviour Then what interpretation wouldst thou put upon Christs words in the same Chapter ver 53. foregoing Then Jesus said unto them verily verily I say unto you except ye eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood ye have no life i. e. Spirit ver 63. ult in you or wilt thou make Christ who is the wisdome of God 1 Cor. 1. 30. guilty of contradiction and so a Lyar to which he replied nothing save that he had spoken Scripture which necessarily engaged me to reconcile those Scriptures to the understanding of the hearers which I endeavoured thus Joh. 6. 63. It is the spirit that quickeneth i. e. the soul of man naturally dead in sins Eph. 2. 1 5. the words exclude all endowments qualifications or excellencies in the natural man from this soul quickening work hereunto agrees the words of our Saviour in the end of the 63d verse above The words that I spake unto you they are spirit and they are life that is to say the spirit of faith is the souls life or special quickening so that the
eminent Reasons 1. That they might thereby be kept to the unity of the Godhead for although Jehovah is Father Son and Holy Ghost yet he is not three Gods but one therefore holy men holding their minds to the unity of the essence Thou and Thee were and are most proper and necessary to preserve their minds from a plurality of Gods But this ground cannot be pleaded by a Quaker who denieth a Trinity in Unity and so he denies the only true God 2. Reas Holy men used these words thou and thee to God and one to another as occasionally they were by Holy Spirit drawn out to either of these words sc thou or thee for all Scripture is given by inspiration of God â— Tim. 3. 16. and in 2 Pet. 1. 21. Holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost so then its plain that Holy men in Scripture spake these words thou and thee to God and one to another but it was then when they were moved thereunto by the Holy Ghost but I pray do ye Quakers never use those words thou and thee but then when ye are occasionally drawn out or moved by the Holy Ghost to either if any of you should be so notoriouslyvile as to father the use of those words thou and thee upon the Spirit would not the Holy Ghost tell thee that thou art of thy Father the Devil who is a lyar from the beginning Again Although holy men frequently used those words as above yet they never thereby took occasion to deny but ever used reverential respects to all sorts of persons according to their rank and quality as for instance Abraham Gen. 18. 1 2 3. as he sat in the Tent-door he lift up his eyes and looked and lo three men Angels unawares stood by him and when he saw them he ran to meet them from the Tent-door and bowed himself to the ground and said my Lord And David 1 Sam. 20. 41. rose out of his place and fell on his face to the ground and bowed himself three times to Jonathan Again in the 1 Sam. 25. 23 25. Abigail saw David and fell before him on her face and bowed her self to the ground and called him Lord Likewise Ruth Chap. 2. 10. She fell on her face and bowed her self to the ground to Boaz And in ver 4. Boaz courteously said to the Reapers the Lord be with you and they in reverential respects to him Answered the Lord bless thee Furthermore we read of reverential respects between Abraham and his Idolatrous Neighbours Gen. 23. 7. Abraham stood up and bowed himself to the People of the Lana even to the children of Heth and ver 8. he communed with them saying if it be your mind And ver 5. the children of Heth answered Abraham saying hear us my Lord thou art a Prince of God amongst us And Solomon also 1 King 2. 10. arose from his Throne and bowed himself to his Mother and Joseph Gen. 28. 12. bowed himself to his Father Jacob with his face towards the ground And in the 2 Pet. 3. 6. Sarah obeyed Abraham and called him Lord unto these Presidents many more might be alledged Thus we see though these holy persons often used thou and thee yet they ever used reverential respects to all sorts of men and that according to Gods express command as Lev 9. 32. Thou shalt rise up before the hoary head and honour the face of the old man and fear thy God I am the Lord. Thus Moses by Gods own inspiration but this ye Quakers do not therefore the Light of this Scripture reproves you as no Fearers of God And Exod. 20. 12. Honour thy Father and thy Mother which is also recited by the Apostle Eph. 6. 2. Honour thy Father and thy Mother which is the first Commandment with promise Note this Commandment comprehends not only Natural Parents Heb. 12. 9. the Fathers of our flesh but the Fathers of our Country as civil Magistrates and Rulers Isai 49. 23. yea likewise Spiritual Fathers as Gospel Ministers are phrased by Paul 1 Cor. 4. 15. we read that in our Saviours time there were some proud Professors who inclined much towards this Principle and practice of a Quaker but not in so bad a sense Mark 7. 10. ye saith Christ suffer him no more to do ought for his Father and Mother making the Word of God the commandment above of none effect and indeed as much more do the Quakers Paul also by the same inspiration of God Rom. 13. 7. Render therefore to all meaning higher Powers and Rulers ver 1 2. their dues honour to whom honour and the Apostle 1 Pet. 2. 17. Honour all men especially in places of honour fear God honour the King as Supream and Governour sent by him Moreover 1 Tim. 5 3. Honour Widows that are Widows indeed and in ver 17. Let the Elders that Rule well be counted worthy of double honour especially they that labour in the Word and Doctrine These Precepts are given by the inspiration of God and consequently are obligatory on Conscience to be performed in that useful commendable and necessary duty of reverential respects afore declared and which hath been in conscience of Gods strict and indispensible command obeyed by the holy Presidents above Secondly As the light of Scripture hath manifested this your second evil also even so likewise the Light of Scripture doth reprove it 1. It reproves you as such who want the fear of God as above Lev. 19. 32. and as such who harden their hearts against not only the many Precepts above to bind the Conscience but the many Presidents to evidence the practice Now as both are manifest reprovers of you so I wish they might make you not only ashamed of your sneaking surley dumb and scurvy carriage towards Christians but also convince you that this kind of Behaviour is not in the written Scripture without but from the pretended unwritten Scripture that Idol-light within proudly contemning the sacred Oracles of God above asserted And which is thus further argued what can the Saints in all places and Countries be more sensible of then that the generality of Quakers do purposely use those words thou and thee to deny all reverential respects to any sort of men of what rank and quality soever that by that means they may intrude themselves to be equal with any of what rank or sort soever nay thereby to advance themselves above all men under the notion of a seeming perfection which is a manifest product of their God and Man provoking pride according to that of the Psalmist Psal 123. 4. Our soul is exceedingly filled with the scorning and contempt of the proud and how is the Prophesie fulfilled in you Isai 3. 5. The child shall behave himself proudly against the antient and the base against the Honourable and observe ye well the words of the Lord Christ Mark 7. 22. Deceit Blasphemy Pride Foolishness of these four links hath Satan made your Chain of
Saviour an out side Christ an unscriptural phrase and no Saviour the reason of this Question is Because we read that our blessed Lord Jesus Christ whipt sundry persons honestey then thy self and for a lesser offence as in Joh. 2. 13 to 17. And Jesus went up to Jerusalem and found in the Temple those that sold Oxen and Sheep and Doves and the Changers of Money sitting And when they had made a scourge of small Cords he drove them all out of the Temple and said unto them make not my Fathers house a house of Merchandize Do thou now consider if our Lord Jesus Christ made at Jerusalem a whip of small Cords and with it did whip the people for abusing the Temple which was but a Type or Figure of the humane or mankind nature of Jesus Christ which is testified in ver 19 21. Destroy this Temple and in three Dayes I will raise it up But he spake of the Temple of his Body in which all his Fathers true Worship was to terminate as it appeareth by comparing some Scriptures the 1 Kings 8. 30 44 48. And hearken thou to the supplication of thy Servant and of thy People Israel when they shall pray towards this Temple i. e. towards the Temple in Jerusalem for the words were uttered by Solomon at the Dedication of the Temple and in the faith hereof Daniel prayed Chap. 6. 10. His Windows being open in his Chamber towards Jerusalem and thus it was in those dayes with every true Believer in all forreign parts of the world they did worship the Father in his Son with their faces towards the Temple in Iervsalem yea Ionah in the belly of the Fish Chap. 2. 4. Yet I will look again towards thy holy Temple Now if in the judgement of Jesus Christ the people deserved to be Whipt for abusing but the shadow of Christs Man-hood how much more dost thou O Will. H. deserve whipping as well as thy late Brother Iames Naylir that hast abused the Holy substance the Temple of Christs blessed body this is a far higher offence it is so Great in respect of men that it destroyes not only their peace in this World but that eternal peace for the World to come indeed ye present your selves a peaceable People calm Saints and as you stile your selves the meek Lambs of God but I can assure you that the persons which Jesus Christ whipt out of the Temple were far more praceable then your selves for they were but externally uncivil towards the Temple a shadow or figure only of the Body of Christs flesh but thou art Blasphemously rude yea ye make it your profest Religion to derogate from the true humane substance of the Lords Christ and with a brazen forehead and â—eared Conscience vilifying the holy thing born of Mary called the Son of God what greater violence can be offered to a true Christians peace Paul exhorts Christians 1 Tim. 2. 2. To pray for Kings and for all that are in Authority that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all Godliness and Honesty which Christian Prayers the Magistrates are bound in Conscience to Answer in their practice which they cannot do so long as such Peace breakers and open Transgressors 1. Of Godliness in respect of Gospel Ordinances 2. Of Honesty in respect of Allegiance are tolerated by them howbeit I do not thus speak in respect of the poor ignorant Seduced Quakers the generality of that Sect being such in these Islands but to thy self and all such Soul-Seducers Now W. Harriot if the Christian Magistrate should follow our Lord and Saviours Example herein don't thou cry out Persecution if thou dost the Scourge which Christ made of small Cords will tell thee that thou art mistaken it being a correcting of the Nocent no persecuting of the Innocent and for thy better satisfaction in this weighty matter do thou consider what he was that made that Scourge of small Cords and withal made such good use of it and thou wilt find that he was sc 1. A Prince that had Magistracy and Ministry radically resident in himself as the Son of Man 2. Though it were so yet he alwayes refused to act as a Magistrate except it were in this one particular case of whipping or scourging the abusers of the Temple in the holy City of Jerusalem Quest Why should a lawful Magistrate scruple to follow Christs Example upon such open Dâ—riders and Blasphemous Contemners of him whom God hath exalted to be a Prince and our only Saviour rendring him most vile sc An out-side Christ no Saviour to the proud and ignorant the Materials of this Synagogue yea hereby increasing the number of those which break the peace both of God and the King in regard of Godliness and Honesty as above So much for the Question propounded The next Prater was William Wilkinson he repeats some of the Apostles words Col. 1. 27. Christ in you the hope of Glory which Text they wrest by forcing this sense upon it viz. That Christ in us is our present glory and glorious Saviour I Answered 1. This enforced sense doth destroy the true nature of the Word Hope for it only quickens a Believer to the lively expectation of the promised glory Tit. 1. 2. In hope of eternal Life or glory which God hath promised Likewise Gal. 5. ver 5. For we through the Spirit wait for the hope of righteousness by Faith well then the office of hope is to look at some good to come as Rom. 8. 25. If we hope for that we see not then do we with patience wait for it which shews us that this Grace of Hope is not exercised about things present as Quakers falsely gloss but only about something future for it is a waiting Grace 2. As the forced sense above doth destroy the nature of the Word Hope so it doth the genuine nature of the phrase Glory which signifies Eternal Life Tit. 1. 2. above which is in reversion or expectation as the Apostle witnesseth 1 Pet. 5. 1. I who am a witness of the sufferings of Christ and also a partaker sc by Faith of the Glory that shall be revealed 3. If the entire Clause in the Scripture above alledged Col. 1. 27. be duely considered it will plainly shew us that the sense afore imposed by them is antiscriptural for the whole clause in the Verse runs thus which is Christ in you the hope of Glory which is they usually leave out refers to the former part of the verse namely The riches of the Glory of the Gentiles which Riches Christ in you the Hope of Glory Note that it was the person of Christ which was the Riches of the Glory of the Gentiles as well as of the people Israel Luk. 2. 32. again the Lords Christ is called the Riches of glory and the unsearchable Riches among the Gentiles who is said ver 17. to dwell in the heart by Faith so that the mind of Paul in Col. 1. 27 is explained in Eph. 3. 17.
Walking sc Zecharias and Elizabeth ' his Wife ver 5. in all the Commandments and Ordinances of the Lord blameless here the Quakers think they are perfect Saints Reply The word Blameless doth not as the Quakers would have it signifie Sinless before the Lord but Rebukeless before men in this World no man can be so blameless as to be sinless in the sight of God 't is true we read Numb 23. 21. He hath not seen iniquity in Jacob that is not with an eye of revenge but pity God saw iniquity in Jacob his people but not so as to destroy them which was the unwearied design desire of Balack the Princes of Moab ver 17. in which sense the not seeing of iniquity in Jacob is only meant Indeed at the glorious second coming of the Lords Christ then the persons of the just shall be sinlesly blameless before the Lord as in 1 Cor. 1. â— That ye may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ in that day of Christs coming in glory the Saints shall be found of God in peace without spot and blameless 1 Pet. 3 4 14. but not thus in this life nevertheless I willingly grant that Believers may walk in all the Commandments and Ordinances of the Lord blameless that is to say rebukeless in regard of Men this is verified by the Apostle Phil. 2. 15. That ye may be blameless and harmless the Sons of God without rebuke in the midst of a crooked and perverse Nation among whom ye shine as lights in the World in which sense alone Zecharias and his Wiâ—e Elizabeth were blameless for Zecharias was so far from being perfect without sin that he was found at the very time that the words above were uttered of him guilty of the great sin of Vnbelief and for it was punished with dumbness Luk. 1. 20. Behold thou shalt be dumb and not able to speak until the day that these things shall be performed because thou dost not believe my words Obj. Here the Quaker will be apt to say But there is no sin charged upon Elizabeth so that she might be perfect without sin Ans 1. The phrase Blameless on which the Quaker puts his whole stress may refer to an Unbeliever yea to a persecutor of Jesus Christ of Nazareth Phil. 3. 6. Touching the righteousness which is in the Law Blameless even then when Paul was graceless he was blameless this I have only noted by way that Teaching Quakers may plainly see that the word Blameless simply in its own nature will be so far from proving perfection of Grace that it will not prove any truth of Grace 2. It will not therefore follow that Elizabeth was perfect without sin because there is no mention made of her sin let it be well observed that in the 6th verse above They are both said to be righteous and blameless even then when the best of them both was guilty of actual sin now if the expressions of Righteous and Blameless were applicable to Zecharias when he was under sin then the same expressions sc of Righteous and Blameless will not argue her to be more free from sin then her Husband there being the same reason for the one as for the other to deny this were to destroy the rules of right reasoning besides death took hold of her as well as of him which is the wages of sin Rom. 6. 23. 3. If the Term Blameless should prove Zecharias and Elizabeth in their life time sinless or perfect without sin it would prove the Scriptures of God sinful which to assert were Blasphemy for the Holy Scriptures do utterly deny such a blamelesness or freedome from sin in Mortals As in Eccless 7. 20. For there is not a just man upon the Earth that doth good and sinneth not that is that sinneth not in doing good the Spirit doth say simply that there is not a just man that sinneth not but a just man that doth good and sinneth not intimating that in our most religious Actions there is some mixture of sin hence the Prophet Isai 64. 6. That all our Righteousness is as filthy rags Noting to us that no righteous work of ours is so pure but there is some taint and filth of sin cleaving to it which without a Mediator in the rigor of the Law would be damnable so then though the action as to the matter be not sinful yet there is some sin in the Action this difference is exprest Exod. 28. 38 where the High-Priest is said to bear the iniquity of the holy things holy things in the matter of them yet iniquity in the manner of performing them Rom. 7. 18. How to perform that which is good I find not here hence it is that we read 1 King 8 46. If they sin against thee for there is no man that sinneth not and again 2 Chron. 6. 36. For there is no man that sinneth not whence the Apostle James Chap. 3. 2. For in many things we offend all he saith We including himself though an eminent Saint and an Apostle of great holiness All of us offend in many things and many of us in all things likewise our blessed Lord and only Saviour teacheth the choicest of Gods Children to pray unto their Father in Heaven for dayly and continual pardon of sin Mat. 6 12. 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 combat yet death only makes the conquest over sin I proceed to the Quakers Second Principle To wit That the written Scriptures are not 1. The Word of God 2. Nor the infallible standing Rule of Faith and Life Reply 1. VVhereas they say The written Scriptures are not the Word of God if thereby they mean the Scriptures as expressed by humane tongues or as written or printed with ink and paper by the art of the VVriter or Printer if so considered we do not affirm the Scriptures to be the VVord of God But as the Written Scriptures do declare the mind of God to us so the matter therein contained is the declarative VVord of God as in Heb. 1 2. God who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in times past unto the Fathers by the Prophets hath in these last dayes spoken to us by his Son Qu. What hath the Son of God spoken touching the Scriptures Ans He tells us that the Scripture is the VVord of God Mark 7. 13. Making the Word of God of none effect Here the Son of God calls the fifth Commandment in the written Scriptures the VVord of God and in Iohn 2. 22. They believed the Scripture the word which Jesus had said Also Ioh. 10. 34 35. And Jesus answered them It is written in your Law I said ye are Gods if he called them Gods unto whom the word of God came and the Scripture cannot be broken Note in these Texts