THE NATURE OF CHRISTIANITY IN THE True Light ASSERTED In opposition to Antichristianism Darkness Confusion Sin-pleasing Doctrines BEING A Looking-Glass For Sin-pleasâ—ng Professors of all Sorts Written upon particular occasion herein signified By a Servant of Christ G. Whitehead If we say that we have fellâ—wship with him and walk in darkness we lie and do not the Truth 1 Joh. 1.6 Printed in the Year 1671. AN Epistle Explanatory To the Unprejudiced READER· COntention especially with perverse spirits that desire it and seek occasion for it is not a thing desireable to me howbeit for the living and precious Truth 's sake and that living effectual faith which was once deliver'd to the Saints I am one necessitated earnestly to contend being brought forth and rais'd up by the Power of the Living God for that end against perverse Gainsayers and peevish Opposers One of whom I find one ROBERT GORDON in a second piece of Antichristianism stuft with Confusion Perversion of Scriptures Abusing and Belying the People call'd Quakers though he hath given it the Title of Christianity Vindicated but therein hath discover'd a great deal of his own and of his Tutor's Ignorance of the very Nature of Christianity as concerning those weighty matters of Salvation to wit Reconciliation Justification and Redemption which in the true nature and sense thereof are in this Treatise unfolded according to the holy Scriptures although this man hath grosly wronged divers of us by accusing us as if we did oppose and seek to overthrow the plain Testimonies and Voices of all the Prophets and Apostles concerning the True Saviour or the Man Christ Jesus whom we have frequently confessed both as to his Divinity and as to his taking upon him the Body prepar'd for him to do the Will of God in according to the Scriptures of Truth yea both his outward and inward Appearance his Suffering Nature and Glorified State and his Divinity in both we have always truly believ'd and confess'd even his Dignity Spiritual Out-goings from of old from everlasting as also his outward Birth and coming in the fulness of time in that Body wherein he shew'd forth Innocency Preacht Righteousness wrought Miracles suffered Contradictions Crucifying and Death by wicked hands together with his Glory Dignity Resurrection and glorious Triumph as a Captain as a Conqueror Leader and Example through all These things have a Spiritual and Divine Impression upon us and a place in our hearts through that eternal Spirit by which Christ offered up himself a Lamb without Spot and a Sacrifice of a sweet smelling Savour to God which things being so openly and frequently own'd by us according to the Scriptures of Truth We cannot but look upon it as a wilful Perversion and wicked Abuse in this R. G. or any others contrariwise to represent us when as to him we have only oppos'd his confus'd dark Testimony which is without Life and much of it without Sense or Reason although pervertedly he hath interwoven some Scriptures abus'd by him in it Howbeit he saith He hath testified to what he received of the Lord and witnessed through and under the Ministry of those I caâ—l Presbyterians and Iâ—dependants Now seeing he hath learn'd his Testimony or Religion of such and yet hath pirked up as if he were â—ome-body or could do more against us then his Tutors or Fraternity although he falls short of many of them in the manageâ—ent of their Cause I should think it were more Prudence in the Presbyterians and Indepenâ—ants to stop such shallow Cavellers and forward Novices as can scarce write three Pages without manifestly contradicting themselvâ—s as this their Disciple R. G. hath done who will never bring any Honour to the Cause of Presbyterians and Independants He should have let us known whether they do approve of this his work against us yea or nay which it he write again we desire him to signifie whether he is own'd and his work approv'd of by the Presbyterians and Independants yea or nay Some suppose it probable that what he hath writ against the Innocent and Suffering People of God in this nature hath some Self-interest and End as either of some Preferment or Applause at least who though he be dismounted with the Times from his former Place and Preferment yet is not content to live quietly in that obscurity he is in but he must Villifie Reproach and Slander an Innocent People who have appear'd and do stand up for God and the Testimony of Jesus in his Divine Power where such peevish pittiful underly Cavellers as R. G. dare not shew their Faces for Christ nor yet for their own Directory and Church-Faith for all their pretended Zeal for him though he and they can carp and quarrel against us who are under Sufferings And he having shown himself both an Antinomian a shatter'd Presbyterian and Independant he is the more fit man to insinuate into such especially the more ignorant sort of them for some Applause or Name to himself like many of his selfish Teachers before who being dismounted from their parochial Bishopricks Pulpits Tythes are now for the rattling of the Platters which have been vâ—ry beneficial to many such fain'd Preachers and Temporizers who can make a florish in fair Weather but eiâ—her â—lee Sculk or Comply when a Storm or a Pinch comes or otherwise drive a Trade more privately and have the Platters rattle more secrâ—tly with their Watchers and Spies at eaâ—h Corner to give them warning lest they should be surpriz'd for driving a Trade unlicens'd that they may escape out at Back-doors â—or By-wayes which hath been the manner and practice of such as R. G's Tutors notwithstanding their severely pressing their Hearers to Faithfulnâ—ss and to Stand fast c. when they are no Example thereof themselves but on slite Occasions ready to flee like Hirelings and ready to give their â—locks the â—â—ip And now as to the Doctrinal part of his Book he having affirm'd a Justification aâ—d Redemption of men even while no good is wrought in them by any Light or Spirit whatsoever and when no qualificatâ—on is wrought in man by any Spirit whatsoever to mend the matter he adds in order to the perfecting the Purchase of Redemption c. Which word purchase he thus explains in an Unscriptural and Nonsensical stile viz. That God man purchased and compleated Reconciliation Justification c. with God at once without us which is as good sense as to say God Purchas'd them of God and for Proof thereof he very many times over repeats that Scripture Rom. 5.10 If when we were Enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son not so much minding the following words much more being reconciled we shall be sav'd by his Life And verse 11. We have now received the Attonement c. This he hath made a Cloak for his justification of men even while no good is wrought in them one while saying they are reconcil'd to God another while God
to be saved within whereas my words were thus Yet the Soul yea and the whole man is to be saved with in and through the Seed whoever believe in Christ and are joyned to him The Error in Printing is that within was put for with in and upon thy own Mistake and Abusing me thou raisest a Callumny as if I held That the full Salvation was only from sin within whereas I said The whole man was to be sav'd and I say still not only the Soul but the whole Man is to be sav'd both from sin and all the effects and consequences of it whether inward or outward And the Redemption of the Body and the Resurrection I do believe according to Scripture contrary to what thou falsly insinuatest against me And whereas thou queriest By what Scripture can I prove that Christ died for a Seed in man that needed Redemption which Seed is Christ in every man Answer Thou abusest our words herein which are not that Christ needed Redemption but that he redeems his Seed which he taketh upon him but Christ died for men that men who were dead might become alive and no other way can men live but by having Christ to live in them Gal. 2.20 And the Life of Christ in the Saints is in a rais'd Seed he who was crucified in them who could not be crucified in them but as in the Seed coming to live in them but if thou wert not ignorant of this Birth thou wouldst not propound such an ignorant Question and the Scripture speaketh expresly of Christ as having been crucified in some as Gal. 3.1 crucified in you and 1 Cor. 2.2 crucified in you for so are both places in the Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And said Christ Joh. 6 39. This is the Fathers Will which hath sent me that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing but should raise it up again at the Last Day Now what it is that whereof he should lose nothing but should raise it up at the Last Day That I slight the Work of Man's Redemption or what Christ did or suffer'd in order thereunto is falsly charg'd upon me nor dost thou produce the least ground for it Did I slight his Redemption because I said in Contradiction to wâ—at thou didst alledge on us That it was not without respect to Christ as outwardly Born and Crucified I said also more and could say more but what was said was enough to clear us of thy false Accusation Pag. 10. Thou alledgest I did not in my first tell what further tendency the Sufferings Testimony and Example of Christ had unto our Reconciliation then that of Paul 's or any other Martyr's Answ. That is false both G.W. and I expresly affirm'd That he was a Sacrifice most acceptable and satisfactory so said G.W. yea and W.P. in his Book said as â—uch whom thou falsly hast accus'd and a Ransom a Propitiation and Offering for the sins of the whole World but not that men should be justified while in their sins but in having forsaken them yea in the very next two pages thou confessest That we have mention'd him an Attonement a Sacrifice a Propitiation for Mankind in his Sufferings and Death in the outward and this is more then Paul or any or of all the other Martyrs were and had a greater and more weighty service and tendency then the Sufferings of all others for of none else can it be said that is true of him who is the universal Offering Attonement Propitiation How â— art thou not asham'd thus falsly to charge us and yet a few Lines after in contradiction to thy self to clear us again Pag. 13. Thou accusest me as unfaithfully repeating thy words to make them speak what thou intend'st not but thou dost not mention one particular wherein I have so done nor canst thou only thou tell'st mâ— That I leave out that part of the Sentence in the Apostle's words that is most weighty against me viz. Being Reconciled In Answer to which I say That I did not leave out these words as making against me and that I mention'd them not was not on any such design but that the mentioning or not mentioning of them was not material to the thing in hand nor dost thou gain the least by these words being reconciled for he doth not say so of any while remaining Enemies as being reconcil'd And for a confirmation of thy false and confus'd doctrine as that Men while yet enemies and so remaining before and without respect to any inward Operations of the Spirit of Holiness are reconcil'd to God and God to them Thou abusest that Scripture Rom. 5.10 both corrupting it as it s in the English and wresting it to a wrong sense 1st in that thou addest the word yet as importing A remaining Enemies which yet is not in that verse Rom. 5.10 2d that thou draw'st from this place That God is fully reconcil'd to them while yet remaining Enemies Whereas the Scripture saith not When we were Enemies God was reconcil'd to us but thus as it is in the English When we were Enemies we were reconiled to God And that the Apostle cannot understand that they were reconcil'd to God while remaining Enemies is manifest because he inviteth Enemies to be reconcil'd to him which imports they were not already reconcil'd to him Yea thou grantest That it is a Qualification on our part as to receiving the Attonement that we be reconcil'd to God But because the English Translation at first view seemeth to favour thee I shall therefore refer thee and others who have any skill in the Greek to the Greek Text and you will find the words run thus If we being Enemies Graece 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 were reconcil'd to God c. this doth not import that they were both Enemies and reconconcil'd at one and the same time more then it imports that where it is said Eph. 2.1 And you being dead in your sins c. hath he quickned for so it is in the Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that they were dead and quickned at one and the same time both Expressions importing not a remaining Enemies dead but a passing from being Enemies and dead to be quickned and reconcil'd And that it is said We were reconcil'd by his Death implyeth that his Death had an influence in order thereunto but not that we were then at his Death fully and perfectly reconcil'd as R.G. affirmeth for we are said to be sanctified through the offering of the Body of Jesus c. Yet who will say we were then sanctified Pag. 15. Thou desir'st me to ask the Boyes in the Grammar School whether was reconciling and hath reconciled do not both denote a time past Saying that I am very hard put to it Ans. If thou not I hadst not been put hard to it thou wouldst not have fled to such a weak Refuge and seeing thou appeal'st to the Boyes of the Grammar School let them determine whether was reconciling
which saves the soul and it is the soul as in the Power that is unchangable And God is not to be divided into parts and particulars he is not divisable nor separable It was the Priests words That the soul is a part of the Divine Essence 〈◊〉 in the said Book pag. 227. And one of them confessed That there was a kind of Infiniteness in the soul pag. 90. And in p. 68. it is said God breathed into man the Breath of Life and he became a Living Soul for that which came out from God is the Cause that man became a Living Soul And is not this of God c Now Infinite Divine c. is no otherwise intended to the soul then as relating to the Breath of Life which immediately came from God by which the soul lives and subsists in its Beeing which figuratively some have put for or called the Soul as being the Soul or Life of it by which it lives and is upholden whether under a sense of Anguish or Peace And this hath no accord with Rantism but is a Testimony against it and thee too And it had been well for thee to have cleared thy self of Rantism ere thou hadst charged it on others for indeed thy doctrine hath a direct tendency to it as That men are perfectly justified and reconciled in the sight of God Gâ—d with them and they with him while Whoring Killing Stealing Cursing Roaring Ranting yea that Raâ—ters if all while Enâ—mies wicked no good wrought in them c. are perfectly justified reconciled with God and Gâ—d with them Doth not this tend directly to strengthen the Ranters in their Rantism And as touching G. F's words the places have been look'd and it s found that thou hast disorder'd them and left out what was necessary â—o clear their sense and his Intent R. G. If their Consciences accuse them not neither have I who have not so much as mention'd them Answ. Our Consciences do not accuse us but thou hast covertly and deceitfully when thou didst not mention us by name and now hast openly revil'd us and wrong'd our Principles contrary to that love so much pretended by thee So now thou appearest in thy own shape and for all thy shuffling and shifting in this matter I appeal to thy own Conscience if thou didst not chiefly mean the Quakers in thy other Pamphlet more than Turks or Jews Arians Papists Socinians or Ranters Will these Pretences excuse thee And as to thy not finding a plain consistency in our Principles nor a unanimous reception of them by every Person among us no doubt but thou hadst us'd thy skill to make an inconsistency in our Principles but art disappointed and to stumble the weak by thy undeâ—ly Insinuations against us But I ask What persons among us are so far from the reception of our Principles as to receive thine or own thy spirit R. G. What an inconsistency is there between thy words and this work published by you four against my Testimony and that not by the youngest among you Answ. Thou knowest in thy own Conscience that it was G. K. that chiefly answer'd thy Book A. R. and G. L. were little concern'd in it and it was thy irreconcilable Contradictions that I chiefly took notice of What a silly ambitious Boaster art thou then to seek to make the World believe that four of us were so deeply engag'd against thee and thy self to be such an eminent Champion against us Thy Testimony is so much of it false and confus'd that many more then us four would have testified agâ—inst it and what we did it was not so much to wage War with thee as to answer the Truth in our selves and clear it in general However through thy Ambition thou shewest thy Vapouring spirit and Ostentation against four oâ— us the least of which yea the youngest Child of Truth may see thy weakness Whereas G. K. said Though Redemption is wrought within by the Spirit of Christ. To which thou sayst Here I take notice of thy slighting that great Work of man's Redemption as already purchas'd by Christ for Sinners by that one Sacrifice of his crucified Body Answ. We do not slight that one Sacrifice nor the Dignity thereof by confessing to Redemption as wrought within by the Spirit of Christ if thou wilt own Redemption in the true sense thereof as Christ gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all Iniquity whiâ—h is not remov'd without his spiritual Operation within But thou contradictest thy Tutors thâ— Presbyterians and Independants in saying That man's Redemption is purchas'd by his Crucified Body for they say He did not satisfie as Man simply but as God and Man or as God Man which is all one as to say that God satisfied and paid God or that God purchased Redemption of himself for they say That his Suffering being finite could not purchase an infinite Reward for nothing but an infinite Price could procure that there must be an equivâ—lency between the Price and the thing purchas'd c. Whereas it was the Love and Good-will of God to send his Son into the World to redeem man from Sin and Corruption which is a work inwardly effected and Christ giving himself a Ransom for all was for a Testimony of Gods Love to all R. G. The Operations of the Spirit of Holiness being necessary for bringing the Believer into Vnion and Friendship with God c. p. 8. Answ. This confuteth much of thy work for then men are not in a reconcil'd state while out of that Friendship for where the mind is reconciled to God it is brought out of the enmity and evil works into union with God and so there is mutual union between him and the Creature R. G. He slew the Enmity in himself God reconcil'd us to himself through the Death of his Son while we were yet Enemies so no qualification wrought in us by any spirit whatsoever in order to the perfecting of the Purchase and paying the Ransom for Sinners pag. 8. Answ. Here is still thy old Story with thy additional Excuse of purchasing and payment to lessen the dignity and worth of the Spirit of God and its Qualification and Work within â—s as if God did not value the same Spirit of his and its work in his People now as formerly in Christ and his Followers whenas it is the same Spirit by which Jesus Christ offered up himself a Lamb without Spot to God and that rais'd him up from the dead which also quickeneth true Believers But thou preferest the Suffering of the Body before the Spirit and layest all the stress upon it as the only cause of Redemption Justification c. and the Works of the Spirit but as the Effect thereof How darkly hast thou herein consulted and set the Flesh above that Spirit which is the cause of Spiritual Effects for without the eternal Spirit his Body could not be offer'd nor rais'd nor the Saints quickened And concerning his Slaying the enmity
1st God had never any such Wrath nor Revenge against his Innocent Son to execute upon him nor will he so clear the Guilty in their Sins 2d It pleasing the Lord to bruise him was neither in Wrath nor to take Vengeance on him nor yet actually or immediately by himself to bruise him but permissively for though he was deliver'd by the determinate Council of God yet he suffer'd wicked hands to afflict and put Christ to death who did bear and suffer under the Load and Oppression of the Sins and Iniquities of the World yea he hath born our Griefs and Sorrows the Iniquity of all being so made to meet upon him But a gross sense hast thou given to the Prophet's words for neither were these Sufferings of Christ that the Guilty might go free for that divine Justice admits not of as to condemn the Righteous and justifie the Wicked that 's an abomination neither are God's Chastizements by way of Revenge nor a taking Vengeance on his Innocent Son who is the Delight of his Soul the Son of his Love Chastizement and Revenge are two differing things and so are Forgiveness and the Rigour of the Law R. G. Jesus Christ is a Propitiation for the Sins of the whole World may I not thence in truth assert him to have been a Propitiation for all Sins past present and to come pag. 15. Answ. That Christ is the Propitiation for the Sins of the whole World I own and that his Blood that cleanseth from all Sin bears record in the Earth but thy words for all Sin past present and to come are added to the Scripture by thy Teachers the Presbyterians and Independants and have given much liberty to sin contrary to the Apostles words who saith of Christ Whom God hath set forth to be a Propitiation through Faith in his Blood to declare his Righteousness foâ— the Remission of Sins that are past through the Forbearance of God Rom. 3. He does not say for the remission of sins past present and to come nor that men are perfectly justified and redeem'd by the Sacrifice of Christ who commit sin all their dayes which is imply'd in thesâ— words for all sins past presâ—nt and to come whereas his bâ—ing a Sacrifice for the sins of the whole World is intended for the sins past of every man committed before Believing or Conversion or otherwise through Weakness after Conviction not for wilful sins against Knowledge if we sin wilfully after that we have receiv'd the Knowledge of the Truth there remains no more a Sacrifice for sin but a certain fearful looking for of Judgment and fiery Indignation which shall devour the Adversaries Heb. 10.26 27. R. G. But that these Works of the Spirit wrought in us are the Attonement the Propitiatory Sacrifice or any part of it or the Ground and Cause of our being Redeem'd that I deny pag. 17. Answ. What 's Attoneing but making Peace and Quietness and Redeeming but a delivering from Sin and Bondage or rescuing from the Enemâ— And must the Spirit of God have no Hand or part in this Or he in his working within be no cause hereof strange doctrine Mayst thou not herein as well exclude Christ as his Spirit who are One Whereas the work of Righteousness shall be Peace and the effect of Righteousness Quietness and Assurance forever Isa. 32.17 And the Fruit of the Spirit is Love Joy Peace c. Gal. 5.22 It is the Spirit that both quickens sanctifies and justifies and leads the true Believer into all Truth And what 's this short of Redemption I pray you if it be a freeing from Iniquity But these inward works of the Spirit we dare not call the Propitiatory Sacrifice as falsly thou imply'st but he Christ the Worker who is made unto us Wisdom Righteousness Sanctification and Redemption and is not this spiritually oâ— by his Spirit And are not his Works in his People as acceptable to God as ever being true in him and in us from the dignity of him that worketh them R. G. God hath purchas'd his Church by his own Blood G. W. his confus'd doctrine renders this Purchase as a work daily doing in every Generation in many Bodies as every man comes to be renew'd by the Spirit a fine dress of new coyn'd words pag. 17. Answ. Whoever comes to be a Member of the true Church as he doth experience the Work of God and his Will fulfilling in him must feel and witness even in the Body a saving purchasing redeeming and cleansing c. from Iniquity and Bondage by the Blood of God And as it s written After that the Kindness and Love of God our Saviour toward man appear'd not by works of Righteousness which we have done but according to his Mercy he sav'd us by the washing of Regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost Tit. 3.4 5. See now how contrary to plain Scripture and Saints Experience this R. G. hath argu'd and how the work of the Spirit or inward Renewing and Washing by it which saveth is slighted by him and such as he who never knew what it is to be purchas'd unto God nor to be of his purchas'd Church And they who are not yet come to be Mâ—mbers of that Church to know his Blood or Life both to sprinkle sanctifie and redeem them from sin and iniquity in their Bodies which have been defiled or else they are never like to be a true Church nor to inherit God's Kingdom And herein I do not bring a Sacrifice without Blood nor without Spirit nor like that of Rome as blasphemously R. G. reproach'd me for the Spirit and the Water and the Blood do bear record in the Earth and except ye eat the Flesh and drink the Blood of Christ ye have no Life in you and Jesus Christ the Righteous is the Propitiation c. Mark is in the time present he â—eâ—ains a Sacrifice his Soul being made an Offering for all that have not wilfully sinned against Knowledge or that have not rejected Christ and sinned out their day R. G. Christ as form'd within thâ— Hope of Glory dwelling in us by Faith is manifest within us this Manifestation of him as in us thou calls the true Christ our only Saviour which the Apostles never did pag. 19. Answ. Strange Dâ—ctrine Did the Apostles preach a false Christ or another then the true Was not Christ within the Mystery And was not the ingrafted Word that which sav'd the Soul And he that hath not the Son hath not Life How amply hath both Christ and his Apostles testified of his being in his chosen Ones And hast thou not in pag. 22. granted to his appearance in Believers through Faith by his Spirit for Salvation Will this man never leave his Confuâ—ion and self-Contradiction R. G. From Acts 2.36 God hath made that same Jesus adding not him that was manifest in that Body of Flesh but the same Jesus whom ye have crucified both Lord and Christ pa. 19. Answ. What a
Thou mightest have taken warning from them to have kept back and sav'd thy self from this cumber which by thy Perversness and busie meddling in thy false spirit thou hast brought upon thee had not Conceitedness Pride and Presumption blinded thee and seeing thou hast been but a Pedant under the Tutoring and Ministry of Presbyterians and Independants What Conquest think'st thou now to gain And what Name or Title dost thou go under Art thou a Presbyterian or a Presbyterian-Independant or both May we not rather look upon thee to be an Antinomian Presbyterian and Independant But indeed thy spirit appears to be that of a ridged reviling Presbyter However thou should'st in Policy and Prudence have sit in silence to have seen what success and end thy Tutors or Masters would have had in their warring against us before thou hadst thus busied thy self or taken upon thee thus severely to judge us and Me in particular that I am not in any measure a Partaker of that Living Faith the Holy Men lived and died in Which Judgment I value not but trample upon it in the Power of the true Light and am over all thy Confusion and Nonsensical Scribbling or what thou canst scribble against me or the Truth testified by me which stands over thy head and the heads of all such peevish perverse and pittiful Gainsayers as thou art who hast sufficiently manifested whose off-spring thou arâ— and whose work thou arâ— in and accordingly shall be rewarded I pass by much of thy fruitless stuff and impertinent Tautologies whereof a Vollumn might be made as not worth repetition or divulging G. W. A Postscript IF Râ—bert Gordoâ— will devise and frame any thing for Râ—ply to what is here written I only desire this Civility and Reasonâ—ble thing of him That he wouâ—d be pleâ—sed not to inter-line nor mistake my words nor â—y down things in my Name which I never writ nor iâ—tended as he hâ—th done in divers Particulars to the great â—buse both of Truth and Me as one concerned in it moâ—e thâ—n I have as yet mentioned But I request thâ—t he would state my own words as I have his both in Sentences and Clauses and not divulge Forgeries in my Name to Fight with For we perceive by his two Pamphlets and his many vain Repetitions and Iâ—pertinencies therein that he is as in a Whirle-Pool and hath already brought forth the bottom of his matter as to Doctrine and Vindication and can bring forth no profounder Opposition but a vain Repetition of the Old unless that some more Reproachful Rusty stuff remaineth behind in him and his Associate Apostates to be brought forth as further to give occasion for his and their Inveterate Revengeful spirits to be made manifest However Though 't is not my Principle to stâ—ive for Strife nor for the last Word yet I am not willing to acqâ—iess under such Abuses wherâ— TRUTH is so deeply concerned Though I thank God I can both pass by and bear many Personal Râ—flections and Injuries G. W. An Aditional Postscript BY George Keith to Robert Gordon R. G. ALthough thy Part to me be answer'd by another yet there are some things which I find fit a little to touch I had indeed much in my heart for Truth 's sake to lay open the Emptiness Weakness and Inconsistency of this thy work against us but being prevented by another concern'd with me therein much of what I have to say may remain unto a further occasion Thy way of Reasoning against me as having nothing from the Lord to answer thee or proving rebellious in not delivering it because I did not communicate it unto thee by word of Mouth or writing is vain and frivolous it was deliver'd thee in Print by one of my Friends viz. G. L. and seeing thou camest forth in Print against us though under a Cover what ground hadst thou to expect another way of answering then by Print And although I was in the same Town with thee yet I left the Town and the Nation also before it was Printed so I could not send thee it in Print and in Writing it was not convenient but I left it with Friends to be given thee in Print as was accordingly done And however thou so positively deny'st that I had any thing from the Lord to answer thee in thy presumptious carnal Confidence yet in the Day of the Lord that shall over-take thee it shall be known unto thee that I had it from the Lord in Love to thy Soul Thy alledgance that our Principles are inconsistent without further probation will have no more weight with sober men then that the Earth is inconsistent because it may seem so to a man Drunk with Wine to whom all things seem to reel and stagger so Principles never so consistent and solid may seem as inconsistent to thee and such as may be Drunk with a spirit of Giddiness and Levity whereas the inconsistency is in such men's spirits and not in our Principles What thou writest of a Fourfold Combination against thy Testimony as thou call'st it and our making such a stir about it and printing together against it as for our very lives and thy giving us names in a vain and scornful mind as if thou seem'st to glory is weak and groundless G. L. pâ—â—lish'd nothing of his in Print against thee A. R. only writ a few Lines to thee as being thy old Acquaintance rather indeed regrating thy Condition then entring into a Dispute with thee and but touching at two or three things passing by And G. W. did little more but set thy Contradictions before thee which as yet stand over thy head unanswer'd thou having not so much as assay'd any Answer unto them but telling us He or we might no less charge Contradictions upon the Apostle Paul thus fathering thy gross Confusion and Contradiction upon him So thy Book was upon the matter almost wholly left upon me that thou needest not have made such a Noise of a Fourfold Combination and there was no great stir made about it by us however thou may'st have apprehended so by the stir in thy own spirit not unlike a man diseas'd with the Megrum in his head that imagins he heareth great Noises and Stirs abroad when all is quiet because of the Distemper within himself The whole substance and strength of my Answer unto thy first remains in force against thee who hast wav'd the most material things in it only nibling at some things when thou seem'st to thy self thou wouldst get something to say for Proof of which I refer the Readers to one impartial Examination of both In thy fourth Page Part 1. to A. R. thou abusest my worde taking occasion from a small Error in the Printing which is a disingenious way of dealing and had not thy prejudice blinded thee thou might'st easily have corrected it by the sense Thy abuse of me is in these words that thou citest my words thus Yet the Soul yea and the whole man is