make the Quakers Blood to be the Blood of Christ by which we are saved To which false and scandalous Charge the Man himself Thomas Speed who writ that Book being yet Living he answers for Himself and Us as follows For the satisfaction of all Persons whom it may concern I do make this my following Solemn Declaration viz. 1. I never knew nor ever heard of any Person or People of what Perswasion in Religion soever that were of so sordid nonsensical and sottish an Opinion that the Blood of any tho' the most righteous of Mortals was the Blood of Christ the Son of God by which Men are saved 2. I do and ever did with utter detestation abhor any such blasphemous Principle as to assert that the Blood of the Quakers or any other sort of Men is the Blood of Christ by which we are saved Which in the Power of Truth I do openly and boldly assert to confront the Snake in the Grass who herein appears to to be the Child of the Father of Lies who was a Murtherer from the Beginning Bristol the 10th Month 1698. Thomas Speed The next and last Quotation which the Snake makes Ibid. p. 120. in this Section is from p. 22. of the Book last mentioned of T. Speed's which is a Reproof and Testimony against false and flattering Titles given to men Upon which the Snake bids See what Tender Consciences are here who at the same time wipe their Mouths and excuse all the bloody Blasphemies before-mentioned And I Reader may here in fit place desire thee to see and consider not how Tender but how hardned and feared is the Conscience of this our Adversary who hath against knowledge and against the true and plain meaning of our words and upon bare hearsay frequently in this as also his other Sections accused us falsly of matters which we never did spake or intended which will also be further manifested in the ensuing Sections to which I now proceed SECT VIII Concerning Our Belief in the Holy Three that bear Record in Heaven IT hath been an Objection often made sometimes foolishly sometimes enviously but always falsly That we deny The Holy Three mentioned 1 John 5.7 which bear Record in Heaven Because we cannot but think the word Person too gross to express them We own their Distinction in all the Instances of it recorded in Holy Writ and have a thousand times declared our sincere Belief in Almighty God the Creator of all things and in Jesus Christ his Eternal Son by whom all things were made and in the Holy Spirit proceeding from the Father and the Son Yet this because it is not given in the Terms of Athanasius or the Nicene Council has been unreasonably refused as insufficient This refusal were the less strange and unreasonable were it not in Persons who pretend the Scriptures to be their only Rule of Faith c. But as it is the refusal of such Persons it is certainly a violent contradiction in them to damn as Heretical an Article of Faith deliver'd in the very words of that Rule But be their Fault in this matter what it will we are not therefore to be moved from believing That the Holy Spirit by which it was dictated as is acknowledged did and does know all the weaknesses of men and the Designs of Satan and has accordingly fenced the Article from his Subtilty and explained it to our Capacities And I take it to be a great aggravation of the former contradiction in this Adversary and our other Opposers herein that they would upon less Evidence of Truth and a Determination not Infallible which they will not affirm either that of Athanasius or the Nicene Council to be infallibly press their Exemplifications made to the Article That such Practices are wrong all Parties in their turns as their several Interests and Necessities have pressed them have declared and many excellent Arguments by divers Men have been urged against it I shall content my self only with some part of what Jeremy Taylor late Bishop of Down and Connor in Ireland hath said on this Subject in that excellent Treatise of his Intituled Liberty of Prophecying p. 47. For it is says he most considerable that altho' in reason every clause in the Creed should be clear and so inopportune and unapt to variety of Interpretation that there might be no place left for several Senses or Variety of Expositions Yet when they thought fit to insert some Mysteries into the Creed that called the Apostles which in Scripture were expressed in so Mysterious Words that the last and most explicit sense would still be latent yet they who if ever any did understood all the Senses and Secrets of it thought it not fit to use any Words but the Words of Scripture particularly in the Articles of Christ descending into Hell and sitting at the right Hand of God to shew us that those Creeds are best which keep the very words of Scripture and that Faith is best which hath greatest Simplicity and that it is better in all cases humbly to Submit than curiously to inquire and prey into the Mystery hid under the Cloud and to Hazzard our Faith by improving our Knowledge If the Nicene Fathers had done so too possibly the Church would not have repented it And indeed the experience the Church had afterwards shew'd that the Bishops and Priests were not satisfied in all circumstances nor the Schism of Arius appeased nor the Persons agreed nor the Cannons accepted nor the Article understood nor any thing right But when they were over-born with Authority which Authority when the Scales turned did the same Service and Promotion to the contrary Thus he and as I doubt not but the Truth and Reason of his words will weigh with the Impartial Reader so his Character of Bishop ought to be of some weight with the Snake Snake p. 121. The Quakers and Socinians acknowledge a Three but deny a Trinity which is to confess the same thing in English and to deny it in Latin For Trinitas is only Latin for Three But the meaning is they would not have the Three in Heaven to be Three Persons Though they cannot make sense of what Three they are if not Three Persons What the Socinians acknowledge is not my business to inquire But for our selves We acknowledge the Three mentioned in Holy Writ which bear Record in Heaven and we need not the Pedantry of the Snake to Translate the word into Latin And the sence we make of the Three so bearing Record is the same which is declared by the Holy Ghost and when the Snake shall shew that the Holy Ghost hath declared them Three Persons We will not fail so to express them Ibid. p. 121 122. And the Quakers who own the Divinity of Christ are under greater difficulties than the Socinians who deny the Divinity of Christ. For if Christ be God and that there is but one Person in the Godhead it must necessarily follow that God the Father
attributed unto the Blood of that very Body of Christ to wit that it did propitiate For however it might draw stupendious Judgments upon the Heads of those who were Authors of that Dismal Tragedy and died impenitent yet doubtless it thus far turn'd to very great account in that it was a most precious Offering in the sight of the Lord and drew God's Love the more eminently to mankind at least such as should believe in his Name as his solemn Prayer to his Father at his leaving the World given us by his beloved Disciple doth plainly witness Thus W. P. Wherein I take it to be as plain as can be that he does declare and confess that the true Christ was Man And when he speaks of the Spirit of Christ in its appearance in Man under the Name or Epithet Principle he sufficiently shews that he intends more thereby than any Moral Virtue For in p. 100. speaking of the Spirit of God under this Epithet of Inward Principle he saith And as in Wicked Men God's Holy Light and Spirit or that Principle which is so called hath been deeply wounded yea as one slain so in Good Men that have had a sense of the Worlds Abominations hath it also born many Burdens and Weights for the Light and Life is one in all Now Reader what clearer Testimony can there be that W. P. does under the name Principle understand the Holy Spirit of God and not any Moral Virtue as the Snake would basely and falsly insinuate And for this his manner of expressing the Holy Spirit there are plenty of Examples in the Scriptures of Truth where under the Principle of Wisdom Isaiah speaking of Christ and his Dispensation in the Gospel-times Chap. 33.6 saith Wisdom shall be the stability of thy times And our Saviour saith Mat. 11.19 Wisdom is justified of her Children And the Evangelist speaking of the growth of the Child Jesus saith Luke 2.40 And the Child grew and waxed strong in Spirit filled with Wisdom c. These with abundance more of like import the observing Reader may easily find in Holy Writ Ibid. p. 131. The Snake makes a Quotation from W. P's part of Serious Apology c. p. 146. But that the outward Person which suffered was properly the Son of God we utterly deny And perversely would draw W. P's words to say or mean that the Body which Christ assum'd was but as a Cloak or a Vail like the Body in which Angels appear for a time and throw them off again Against this false and unjust Imputation I shall first give W. P's words in the page quoted from whence the impartial Reader may be able to take W. P's meaning from himself and then observe somewhat upon the Snake's perversion To the first Jenner W. P's Opponent had said We deny that Person the Son of God that died at Jerusalem to be our Redeemer To which W. P. replys Which most horrid Imputation has been answer'd more I believe than a Thousand times that is that he that laid down his Life and suffer'd his Body to be crucify'd by the Jews without the Gates of Jerusalem is Christ the only Son of the Most High God But that the outward Person which suffer'd was properly the Son of God we utterly deny and it is a perfect contradiction to their own Principles A Body hast thou prepared me said the Son then the Son was not the Body though the Body was the Son's This brings him more under the charge of making him but a meer Man than us who acknowledge him to be one with the Father and of a Nature Eternal and Immortal for he was glorified with the Father before the World began Thus W. Penn whose plain meaning is no other than that the Outward Person that Body which our Lord did take of the Virgin was not properly the Son of God by Eternal Generation and was not Glorified with the Father before the World began He is here distinguishing between the Divinity and Manhood of our Saviour and that according to Scripture The Divinity was from Everlasting the Manhood not so that was taken up in the fulness of time appointed by God born of Mary nourished and encreased in Stature Strength c. according to Nature's Law and Course This Body Christ laid it down for the Sins of the World he did thereby consecrate for us a new and living way Through the Vail that is to say his Flesh Heb. 10.20 and here the Flesh or Body of Christ is called a Vail by allusion to the Vail mentioned Exod. 26.33 which did divide between the Holy Place and the Most Holy and this the Apostle shews Heb. 9.24 For Christ is not entred into the Holy Places made with hands which are the figures of the true but into Heaven it self now to appear in the presence of God for us And in this sense and no other have we ever used the words Vail or Garment in this case and not as is falsly alledged by the Snake to signifie a Body Ibid. p. 130. in which Angels appear for a time and throw them off again In like manner the Snake p. 131. curtails and perverts a Quotation from a Book of ours Entituled some Principles c. from which he quotes p. 126. thus The Scriptures do expresly distinguish between Christ and the Garment which he wore And we can never call the Bodily Garment Christ. If the Scriptures do so expresly distinguish Of which Instances are given why did the Snake injuriously make a Break in the Quotation instead of giving those instances For upon the Authority of Holy Writ it is that we do thus distinguish and if our Distinction be bad or weak he should have given us a better Exposition of the Scriptures therein brought for that purpose That he may not omit it in his next I here give some of the Instances from that Book wherein the Scriptures do expresly so distinguish Ibid. p. 131. I come now to a Quotation made from Isaac Pennington in his Question to the Professors p. 25. which the Snake does not only break to pieces but also to the several pieces joins some words of his own that they may like his Brethen of the Inquisition by them be forced to sound as he would have them It is in the manner following Isaac Pennington p. 25. Denies that it was the Flesh and Blood of the Veil of the outward Earthly Nature as he calls the Body of Christ by which we are cleansed for says he Can outward Blood cleanse the Conscience Thus the Snake gives it and makes nonsense of it for by the Pieces of the Quotation as he has placed them he says that I. P. calls the Body of Christ the Flesh and Blood the Vail of the Flesh and Blood or the Outward and Earthly Nature Thus making the Body a Vail to it self But Reader I will shew thee from the Book it self that I. P. is neither Nonsensical in his Expression nor Heretical in his Meaning but Scriptural
any Creature but it 's manifest in his sight and he is in the Saints and they eat his Flesh and sit with him in heavenly places This Reader is so plain Scripture that it would raise an inquiry how envy it self cloaked with pretences to Christianity should carp at it The Snake's next Quotation p. 14. is from Great Mystery p. 88. Christ is the Elect. The Reader may easily suppose G. Fox said more but the Snake thinking from these to draw some unsound sense left the rest behind him In which he being abundantly mistaken I shall not trouble the Reader with a larger Quotation but only observe that the Evangelical Prophet Isaiah 42.1 saith of Christ Behold my Servant whom I uphold mine Elect in whom my Soul delighteth And the Holy Apostle speaking of Christ saith 1 Pet. 2.6 Wherefore it is contained in the Scripture behold I lay in Zion a Chief Corner Stone Elect and Precious The Snake's next Quotation in p. 14. is from Great Mystery p. 310. That they who are of the Faith are the Flesh of Christ the Flesh of him who suffered Here he has false quoted G. Fox's words which are these No Man knows that is savingly the seed Christ that was offered the Sacrifice of the whole World but as he knows it within through the Faith and who are of the Faith they are of Abraham They are of the Flesh of Christ the Flesh of him that suffered The Apostle says as much and says true Eph. 5.30 I have now done with all the Snake's Quotations in his second Section in which Reader I doubt not but thou wilt observe the great injustice of the Snake in several kinds as first in false quoting G. Fox's words which is a practice so base that it is impossible it can consist with a fair pretence of being herein concerned in Love to the Souls of those he would pretend to preserve or reduce No it is a practice directly opposite to all pretences of Humane Justice and it cannot be less but rather more to pretend to do it for God's sake Next his Injustice is not less in perverting the sense and meaning of the places which he truly quotes by cavilling at and giving expositions quite contrary to the plain sense of the Writer For it is very plain that the whole scope of all the Passages hitherto quoted are such as have relation to the Spiritual Vnion and Oneness of Christ with his People Which both Christ himself and his Holy Apostles have very frequently held forth to us by Similies which fall under the notice of sense that thereby mankind might more readily come to apprehend them Thus Christ said I am the Vine I am the Door and except ye eat my Flesh and drink my Blood c. And the Apostle we are of his Flesh and of his Bone with abundance more such like expressions which if in a litteral sense were to be expounded Such exposition would be plain perversion and against it our Saviour hath given a Caution The words that I speak they are Spirit and they are life John 6.63 Snake p. 15. I will tell you before I go Mr. Penn's excuse for G. Fox in all these particulars He lays it upon George 's extream Ignorance For Proof of this the Snake quotes W. Penn's invalidity of J. Faldo's Vindication p. 353. where W. Penn's words are only these He G. F. observes no nicety of expression in his Writings and it is therefore disingenuously done of any to make this ill use of his plain and vulgar phrases See Reader how apt this Man is to tell lies for W. Penn lays it not on nor does not say it was his extream Innorance But W. Penn lays the fault upon J. Faldo's extream disingenuity as I now do upon the Snake's Snake p. 15. An indifferent Man would rather have said Ne Sutor ultra crepidam That this Fox should rather have kept to his original Trade Here Reader see this Man's contempt by a Profane Jest upon the meanness of G. Fox's Calling What would he have said to Amos the Herdsman Peter James and John Fishermen and the rest of those Holy Men whose mechanick Occupations were no hinderance to the High Offices in the Church to which God called them It is not unlikely that from men Spirited as this Snake their Entertainment was Ne Sutor c. But this need not trouble us since we find that G. Fox where he speaks of the Soul as in the places before severally quoted doth speak so distinctly of it as that he neither declares it to be God or Christ nor doth he confound the Being of Man with the Infinite Being of his Creator as is falsly charged by this Adversary G. Fox hath frequently said to this purpose and it is very true that the Spirit of Man is illuminated with a divine Light from God through the mediation of Jesus Christ But he hath never said that the Spirit of Man was God No he could not so say but by wilful perversion this Adversary as some former ones perverts as well as mis-quotes him and will not have him to mean as his words plainly speak For when he speaks of the Soul of Man both with respect to its original Life as breathed from God and degenerated through disobedience and also with respect to his spiritual Restoration by the Power and Spirit of his Creator and hath thereupon shewn how that the Soul through disobedience to the Power that Created it became estranged and at enmity to it and that this enmity and wall of Separation could not be broken down and the Soul brought into the Love and Favour of God but by Christ who in Holy Writ is declared the Bishop and Shepherd Our Adversaries have then often perverted his words and would have them to mean which they cannot That the Infinite Essence and Being with other the like terms of the Life of God or Christ were the Soul of Man But these perversions are our Adversaries and as of G. Fox So of all owned by us it never was believed by us that the Soul of Man was the same Person and Substance with God as is most falsly charged by this Snake I come now to the Snake's third Section Of the Quakers aspiring c. which he says p. 17. is in effect proved already but yet he bestows nine pages upon it of which great part is taken up in Quotations which I shall consider in their order The first in p. 17. is from Great Mystery p. 282. For Christ says he makes no distinction in his words but saith Be ye perfect as your Heavenly Father is And as he is so are we and that which is perfect as he is perfect is in equality the same In this Quotation that the Snake might bring the parts of it together as near as well he could he hath made a break for another Text which G. Fox used viz. And be ye merciful as he is And after all his carping it is the Doctrine preached
Life is thus prefer'd Reader I cannot here omit by a serious Appeal to thy self on the great Injustice and Falsehood of this Adversary And if thou art one who by Conversation with us or our Books hast any knowledge of us thou dost know the Charge of this Adversary is false And I do truly declare that our Value and Esteem for the Books of the Old and New Testament is much greater than for any other Book exstant in the World and this G. W. doth freely own and hath declared as much So also in this particular I will shew his falshood and perversion of G. W's words in the place quoted which the Snake has injuriously curtail'd They are these That which was spoken from the Spirit of Truth in any is of as great Authority as the Scriptures or Chapters are and greater intending as received and proceeding immediately from that Spirit and spoken in the sense thereof as Christ's words were of greater Authority when he spake than the Pharisees reading the Letter and they in whom that Spirit speaketh not and their speaking we deny So that according to G. W's words that speaking or reading of the Scriptures which is deny'd to be of Authority is when spoken or read by such in whom that Spirit speaketh not that gave forth the Scriptures and we have good Authority for this for thus our Saviour Mat. 22.24 denyed the Sadduces when they spoke and repeated the Law mentioned Deuteronomy 25.5 and thus he also denyed the Devil Mat. 4.6 when the Devil repeated the Prophesy of the Psalmist 91.11 and thus also he deny'd the Pharisees of which are divers Instances Ibid. p. 110 111. Mary Tucker a Quaker Servant to W. Reyman a Barber now living in Queen-street Cheapside but formerly in Bread-street where this Mary then his Servant took the Bible and in the open Day publickly burnt it against the Church in Bread-street to shew her Zeal About 40. Years since one Mary Tucker then Servant to W. Reyman not in Zeal but discomposure of Mind did one Morning early before her Master or Mistriss were stirring burn the Bible For which act she was not only reproved by them but also by sundry of our Friends and disowned and among others concerned herein to reprove and disown this Mary Tucker E. B. as W. Reyman does testify was one which by the way Reader is another Evidence that E. B. had the Scripture in great Authority and Esteem As it is also no small mark of the Snake's Injustice to relate a Lye and say that no Censure was passed upon this Mary Tucker when he might have been informed to the contrary by W. Reyman the place of whose aboad he knew so well But we find he is rather willing to relate a Lye than either know or knowing speak the Truth not only in this Instance of Mary Tucker And the Censure past upon her which he might with little trouble have been informed of so much as this Snake hids in the City And in the Instance of Solomon Eccles p. 124 125. foregoing but also in divers other before and hereafter to be given wherein he hath affirm'd egregious falshoods not from any necessity he was under to depend upon false reports but from a base Inclination in him to shun the Truth and to hate Justice For had not this been his hinderance he might with the trouble of a few Lines and the small additional Charge of the Penny-Post to W. Reyman of Queen-street N. Marks of Cheapside R. Scoryer of Wansworth hereafter to be spoken c. have discharged these out of his Libel and by such other not chargable nor troublesome further than it is so to him that we should be in the right means he might have spared the rest Ibid. p. 111. Pursuant to this their Principle in their Disputes among themselves they appeal to their own Writings instead of the Holy Scriptures Pursuant to this Snake's Practice he hath affirmed a notorious Lye I dare him to give any Proof that may be allowed by Impartial Men that ever we did so appeal It can be no more Proof to quote a Book wherein G. Keith hath said so of us than it is for the Snake to quote Julian Porphery or Celsus for Proof that the Primitive Christians were in the wrong or to quote his own Opinion for Proof that the present Government is so But if the Snake will confute the Answer made to that Book of G. K's which he quotes that may be considered and reply'd to SECT VII His Charge of Idolatry refuted and the Quotations restor'd from his Perversions THat our Belief concerning the Light or Holy Spirit of Jesus Christ in Man is according to Scripture I have before shewn and how that by a sincere Obedience to it it will lead to God and Christ whence it comes and to have true Agreement and Unity with the Declarations from the same Holy Spirit which are recorded in the Scriptures of Truth and also with all the Manifestations of the same Holy Spirit wheresoever and in whomsoever appearing For as God is one so the Holy Spirit leads all that obey it into Unity and Oneness and to account worthy of double Honour the Elders that rule well especially they who labour in the Word and Doctrine 1 Tim. 5.17 And in this Section I shall shew that what is by this Adversary called The Quakers Idolatry is not so but only owing to his perversion for as Truth leads to give Honour to whom Honour is due So it also leads to account of no Man above what we ought Ibid. p. 112. They think it not Honour enough to stand before the Throne of God But G. Fox places them upon the Throne p. 31. I suppose Great Mystery for he mentions not the Book The Quakers are in the Power of God and in the Authority of the Lamb above all Houses and are upon the Throne I shall first here detect the Snake's Evil Practice in mangling this Quotation by giving it as it is in the page quoted and afterwards speak to the Doctrine of it To the first The Priest G. Fox's Opponent had said That the Quakers scorns to creep into Houses meaning when persecuted To which G. F. replies This doth not agree with the rest of his Company who say they do Creep into Houses The Quakers are in the Power of God and in the Authority of the Lamb and into Houses creep not but are upon the Throne but you that be in the Form that Deny the Power creep into Houses These Reader are his words and their sense is as plain and nothing but Envy and Ignorance I suppose the first in the Snake could cavil at them or it For who knows not that the word Throne in Religious Matters is a metaphorical expression denoting Spiritual Power and Dominion Christ promised Mat. 19.28 That they who followed him in the Regeneration should sit upon Thrones And to him that overcometh will I grant says he to sit with me in my
Hymeneus and Philetus in this Article of the Resurrection were direct Quakers These were they who as St. Paul tells of them 2 Tim. 2.18 Concerning the Truth have erred saying that the Resurrection is past already That is they Spiritualiz'd it away from the Letter and meant it only of the Spiritual rising of Christ in our Hearts which having obtain'd as their Light within did assure them their Resurrection they supposed was past already and they expected no other The Snake does in p. 161. Charge W. P. with making Arbitrary Interpretations on 1 Cor. 15. but proves it not But I do here charge and shall shew that this Interpretation of the Snake's is Arbitrary and against the sense of the place The Holy Apostle speaking of these Men 1 Tim. 1.19 20. adviseth Timothy to hold the Faith and a good Conscience And he adds Which some having put away concerning Faith have made Shipwrack of whom is Hymeneus and Alexander whom I have delivered unto Satan that they may learn not to Blaspheme And 2 Tim. 2.16 17 18. But shun Profane and Vain Bablings for they will increase to more Vngodliness and their word will eat as doth a Canker of whom is Hymeneus and Philetus who concerning the Truth have erred saying that the Resurrection is past already and overthrow the Faith of some From all this I would desire to know how the Snake does prove that Hymeneus Alexander and Philetus did Spiritualize the Resurrection from the Letter By the Character the Apostle gives them they do not seem to be such Spiritual Men for he says they had made Shipwrack of Faith and a good Conscience and were Profane and Vain Bablers For Blaspheming Profane and Vain Baâ—â—ing they could have no assurance from the Light 〈◊〉 which they departed from when they made Shiâ—â—rack of Faith and a good Conscience And the â—nake by his Blasphemous Profane and Vain Floâ—â—â— at the Light within Christ in Men shews himâ—â—lf to have Shipwrack'd Faith as by his notoriouâ—â—alshoods he has Shipwrack'd a good Conscience Ibid. p. 163. And as they deny any outward Resurrection so consequentially they deny any outward Heaven But as we own as is plentifully before shewn what the Snake calls an Outward Resurrection so consequentially we own an Outward Heaven Ibid. p. 164. Where repeating the above quoted words in his G. F 's way that is never exactly seldom truly though they complain grieviously if but a Comma be mis-placed in quoting any of their Words c. That G. Fox hath truly if not exactly which I cannot say not having those Books which he answered to compare with quoted his Adversaries Books I take for granted in the Snake's Instance For if otherwise why did he not detect it And a Quotation may be be said to be truly made if it contains the whole meaning of the Writer in that place though it may not be exactly in the words of the Writer But the grievous Complaint which we have made against former Adversaries as now against this Snake is not for simple Comma's but for cutting assunder and sometimes leaving out Sentences for making breaks that break the sense of the Writer But if they happen to escape in all this which the Snake has hitherto seldom done then they pervert our words and will have them to speak their sense not our own and we must not be allow'd to mean by them what we have always declared we did and do mean but their Comment and Glossings they will have pass for our Text and that shall be either Blasphemous Impertinent or Ridiculous according to the several appearances in which they will draw us forth either of Monstrous Insignificant or Foolish according to their several Aims in which they would make us Obnoxious This is what I now complain grievously of in this Snake as others my Friends have grievously complained of former Adversaries Ibid. p. 164. Quoted from Great Mystery p. 214 There 's none have a Glory and a Heaven but within them which was before Man had a being And if the Snake had taken the pains to have consulted his Bible he might have found our Saviour testifying Luke 17.21 Behold the Kingdom of God and which is frequently called the Kingdom of Heaven is within you And this Kingdom ' tho it be in Man yet it was before Man had being and will always endure and whosoever are made partakers of this Kingdom of God in Men and continue obedient Subjects in this Kingdom that is in the Power and Spirit of Christ they shall surely have their Lot and Eternal Inheritance in the Father's House in which there is many Mansions Thus Reader having followed this Snake in his Entwinings and Foldings and in good degree I hope detected his ill practices and rescu'd ouâ— sincere Belief from his perversions in his several Instances hitherto I now proceed SECT XII Concerning Baptism and the Supper commonly called Sacraments WE have not in this Section of the Snake Entituled Of the Holy Sacraments any Quotations as in all the foregoing Sections That was not now necessary because of our known disuse of them But here what he gives is a continued Declamation against our disuse of them This Declamation he hath intersperst with some false reasonings to prove their continuance But he has not as it might have been expected he should examined and refuted those very many Reasons and Scripture Defences which we have frequently published for this our disuse But in Magisterial and Despotick Manner would obtrude his Arbitrary Interpretation and Additions to the Text of Scripture which he would have to pass and we must ask no Reasons Wherefore I might justly pass by without further notice taken of this his idle and false Declamation or at most only refer to those our Reasons and Scripture Defences which have been so often given till he should have shewn their Invalidity and have established what he proposes beyond the strength of those Arguments which we have offered And this I might likely have done but for the sake of those into whose hands this may come who possibly may not have seen them our Reasons and Defences Chiefly for the sake of such it is that I am content to follow him through this his Section to detect his false Reasoning and also to shew that by our Practice herein we are not unagreeable to the Scriptures though we are so to him The Snake in his first Paragraph as is his custom hath taken care to prepossess his Reader with a false comparison concerning us by joyning to our Description Hymeneus and Philetus That they did err we have Apostolical Warrant and the Snake the more easily to beguile his Reader would explain their error by a that is and then does boldly assert that what the Apostle did condemn them for is what this Snake does now condemn us for But upon Examination it will appear that his abitrary Interpretation or Explanation of their Error has in it much confidence but no certainty of which
wrought by them nay expresly the contrary not by Sword nor by Spear And God as he pleases can overturn without the Sword as well as with the Sword And the overturn here threatned is not by Sword-men but of Sword-men Ibid. p. 212. The Snake hath here injuriously made a Quotation from A Declaration of the People called Quakers c. by leaving out the intermediate lines which are expressive of the sense of his whole Quotation and which are as opposite to the Gloss the Snake puts on them as can be After his Quotation from the Tract above-mentioned he saith This is plain Language they will not yet take Arms nor for the present not till they see their time But they have entered a Caveat to secure their Right and Title to it till they think sit to set up their Claim That Edward Burroughs Language in this place is plain Language is very true and therefore so much the greater is the fault of the Snake in perverting to a wrong sense what E. B. has delivered so plainly as these his words which the Snake hath left out in the Quotation does shew p. 9. But yet his Kingdom is not of this World neither is his Warfare with Carnal Weapons neither is his Victory by the Murdering and Killing of Mens Persons neither hath he Chosen us for that end neither can we yet believe he will make use of us in that Way c. This is indeed such plain Language that nothing but plain Malice could have perverted And tho' the Snake pleases himself by playing upon the words yet and for the present and would basely insinuate them to be a Caveat entered c. they are no such thing For First the word yet is not always an Adverb of time as in the words above it appears it is not for so would they absolutely destroy each other and the Snake don't seem inclin'd that the last words should for if they be then his pretence of their being a Caveat will necessarily vanish and yet before His Kingdom c. cannot possibly relate to Time because our Saviour hath assured us without all bound of Time My Kingdom is not of this World And by the way it is worth observing that our Saviour gives that as the reason why his Servants could not Fight John 18.36 now this reason must always continue and the Kingdom of God in the sense which our Saviour speaks it can never be of this World for that as the Apostle says It is Enmity with God therefore can his Servants not Fight and E. B. hath said expresly Neither hath he chosen us for that end Secondly Those words for the Present on which the Snake does with equal Malice and Falshood insult have no Relation to Fighting but to Suffering under which many of our Friends then were and as the words immediately following those quoted by the Snake do shew they are these P. 9. But for the present we are given up to Bear and Suffer all things for his name sake and our present glory and renown therein stands till the appointed time of our Deliverance without the Arm of Flesh or any Multitude of an Host of Men this we declare c. What more notorious and wilful Perversion could an Adversary be guilty of than to suggest and pervert the meaning of these words to be the Entering a Caveat to secure a Right and Title to take Arms What follows p. 213 214. Is already reply'd to and therefore shall not repeat the Answer tho' the Snake does the Objection It is with him an easie way of making a great Bulk of Charge and Slander but tho repeated a Thousand times over it is of no weight when refuted in the first Instances as these have been and now the Snake labouring in that Mine of Lyes his Brain has met with something which in p. 215. he calls a Material Discovery He expresseth it thus Because the Quakers since 1660. would make us believe that they had been Loyal in the Rebellion of 41. and the Reason they give is their Sufferings under those Vsurpers But here it is plain that their Sufferings were not for their Loyalty to the King but for their Principles destructive to all Government Here Reader is to use the Snake's expression a Material Discovery of the Snake's Lying Contradiction for in p. 329. foregoing I have observed him saying that we joyned with all the Vsurpations c. And here he gives as a reason for our Sufferings under them that our Principles are destructive to all Government How then could we Joyn with them that we were destructive too Or if we were not destructive to them How could we Joyn with them at the same time when we suffered under them all No it was impossible it could not be nor did we ever so Joyn with them For evidence of this take E. B's own words in the Declaration c. fore-quoted where he saith p. 8. Neither are we for one Party or another nor do we side with one sort and rebel against another neither do we joyn our selves to this sort or the other nor do we War against any by Carnal Weapons neither shall we ever provoke the Nation against us otherwise than by our Righteous and Holy Walking c. This our Testimony published 1659. had it been false could then have been easily detected and refuted but no such thing we ever heard of then But this Snake now will have that the Quakers did Rebel did Joyn with Vsurpers and Fight against the King tho' the contrary is most true as is above testified by E. B. We have for the present done with Edward Burroughs and now the Snake turns to Francis Howgill in a Book of his called An Information and also Advice to the Army c. printed 1659. from p. 7. of which Book the Snake in p. 216. quotes Them who were your real Friends called Quakers who gave you and the Army Intelligence about the late Insurrection c. This the Snake gives for proof that They the Quakers held out against the King to the very last and that not only in Talking Writing and Fighting but in Watching Discovering and Betraying And if this be proof sufficient for all this then it may be also proof sufficient that the Priests did to the last hold out against the King c. because that some of them did upon that Insurrection come up and acquaint the House with the same thing and declared they had not engaged with the rest of their Brethren Priests in Cheshire and Lancashire and they had thanks con'd them for their pains But this tho' mentioned in the same page from which he takes the foregoing Quotation the Snake takes no notice but when the Quakers gave Information to the House as F. H. says that they were Spoiled of their Goods and Horses to a great Value Oh! This is a great Crime this is Watching Discovering and Betraying Ibid. p. 217. And as the King deviated so says he the
altho' the Snake hath to excuse this made an Advertisement p. 346 347 348. yet he hath not clear'd himself of it in that by a most wilful perversion he saith p. 347. It lies still against Mr. Penn and the other Foxonian Quakers But besides Perversions of this Sort his Curtailing Quotations his Changing and Placing of Words and Sentences so that they might speak his Sense not ours is most notorious and such as does at once destroy both the Charity of a Christian and the Honour of a Man Thus making a Quotation from G. F's Answer to the Westmerland Petition he pretends to take these words You will own Our Writings when in that place as I have shewn p. 83. the words are You will own Them so that the words Our Writings are his Addition Thus also he makes a Quotation from Edw. Burroughs's Works p. 862. Every True Member of the Church here he gives a Dash and then goes on and leaves out these words which next follow hath its particular Measure of the Infallible Spirit of Christ c. as I have shewn in p. 93. and thus he hath done by G. Whitehead W. Penn T. Ellwood F. Howgill and others whose Writings he mentions which I have detected as I have met with them And besides this his base Practice of Clipping our Words and Coining and passing upon his Reader his own words for ours in pretended Quotations which are herein detected He also in Relations of Fact hath been equally injurious to Truth and Us. Thus in p. 148. He pretends to give an account of the Practice of one of our Schools to tell what they do and what they do not read and says Never a Chapter out of the Bible that is Beastly Ware with them Dust and Death and Serpents Meat Yet this is false as I have shewn by Certificates under the hands of Persons who well know the Practice of that School and have testified p. 225 226 227. That the Scriptures are in that School daily read by the Scholars and that there hath not been the least appearance of Slight or Disesteem shew'd to them either by the Master or any other belonging to the said School And to what I have thus prov'd notoriously false he had the Face to call upon the Publick to take some care in it which if himself had done he could not have told that Untruth Thus in p. 110. He does in the last degree of Confidence say We never heard of any Censure they have pass'd upon those many much grosser Contempts of Scripture which daily are found among them particularly of Mary Tucker c. When on the contrary his general Slander Contempts of Scripture which are daily found among them c. is no other than a general Falshood and the particular Story I have shewn p. 171 172. to be as falsly cast on us For that there was Censure past upon Mary Tucker for her gross Contempt of the Holy Scripture both by her then Master for it is now near 40 Years since W. Reyman And also by Edw. Burroughs and other of our Friends who did then deny her for that Action And of this he might easily have heard who did so well know the place of W. Reyman's abode But the meanness of his Soul follows that of his Fortune to supply his Teeth he turns Broker or Pedlar to Renegades and licks up their Spittle to use his own Phrase only that he may have the Pleasure of throwing it at us having added to its Filthiness from his own foul Mouth Thus by a strange Contradiction he can receive Information from T. C. against J. Naylor who yet hath professed so much respect to that deceased as to conclude to be buried by him which shews that while they are lashing of J. N's Memory or the faults of such as have been long since deny'd by us it 's only with design that they might reach our Backs This is the Aim and great Design in order to which the Charges which we have heretofore Answer'd over and over are now new vamp'd and chang'd by this Snake in a fresh Dress and given forth as a new discovery which tho' it be a plain proof of his Disingenuity yet is there little New in it for that Charges of these sorts have been made by our Adversaries in their Books Printed against us as well during the Days of the Common-wealth as since And though there hath been hardly any in their Writings against us but have shewn themselves to have some Rancour and Enmity Yet I think none have gone the length of this Snake herein as well in his Prophane Jesting and playing the Buffoon on the Subject of Religion some Instances of which I have Collected p. 19 20. whereby he hath shewn himself fitter for a Stage-Play than a serious Controversie as in the management of it he hath discover'd nothing more than a Persecuting Spirit by ill and false Practices endeavouring to expose us for our Christian Principles while himself for his own Principle or rather Humour is Incognito I say Humour because he was formerly as much the other way towards the late King even to Rudeness and Sedition as he hath since manifested himself to be against the Present Government Insomuch that if we fetch his Parallel from Scripture it must be Ishmael both in Scoffing and having his Hand against every Man by which his ill Practices and Un-Christian Attempts and Designs he hath given true Evidence and Reason to conclude concerning him in the Words of the Prophet Isa. 57.20 But the wicked are like the troubled Sea when it cannot rest whose Waters cast up mire and dirt Reader I shall not be so tedious in the Preface as here to touch upon the several kinds of Ills he hath done towards us they being somewhat spoken to in the Introduction What remains is That I account it in some sort an Act of Supererogation to consider him at all after the Answer which hath been already given by G. W. to the first Edition and what hath been occasionally Answer'd in former times The Substance of his whole Book being no other than a Repetition of former Calumnies from several Adversaries which as he has collected or epitomiz'd into one Volume so if thou herein finds fit Collective Answer it may in some degree ease thee of the trouble of an exact and distinct Inquiry into all our particular Answers If herein it be serviceable in that the Calumnies of the Adversary are wip'd away his Falsities refuted and Truth set in it's Native Light so far God shall hereby be Glorify'd and both my trouble in Writing and thine in Reading of it will be answer'd J. W. THE CONTENTS Sect. I. INtroduction Wherein also the Preface and Introduction of the Snake are considered p. 1. Sect. II. Shewing that we do not make our Souls of the same Person and Substance with God nor Aspire to an Equality with him p. 49. Sect. III. Concerning Perfection p. 69. Sect. IV. Concerning Immediate
and Substance with God as the Snake suggests But to proceed We have found the Snake biting off the Beginning and End of G. Fox's words in the former Quotation in the next place we shall find him false quoting him But here he is pleased to give the Priest's words truly as they stand p. 13. thus There is a kind of infiniteness in the Soul but it cannot be infiniteness in it self Against this G. Fox disputes And no kind of infiniteness will serve his turn but infiniteness in himself which is the Infiniteness of God alone For he only has Infinity in himself as not being given by any other Thus the Snake's Remark and now his Quotation Is not the Soul says G. Fox without Beginning Hath this a Beginning or Ending And is it not infinite in it self and more than all the World This the Snake gives for a Quotation from G. Fox's Great Mystery p. 90. when as by the following will appear they are only Sentences standing at considerable distance in that Book and packt together in his and being so packt by him are urged to prove what G. Fox never said The place in Great Mystery is thus Is not the Soul without Beginning coming from God returning unto God again who hath it in his hand Which hand goes against him that does evil which throws down that which wars against it And Christ the Power of God the Bishop of the Soul which brings it up into God which came out from him Hath this viz. the Power he means a Beginning or Ending And is not this viz. the Power as before infinite 〈◊〉 it self and more than all the World Thus G. Fox the meaning of whose words is no other than thus Christ the Power of God and Bishop of the Soul who can only bring the Soul into acceptance with God is infinite in his Power and greater than all the World which plain sense of the place is vastly different from the perversion of this Nibler The Snake's next Quotation in p. 14. He makes from Great Mystery p. 91. and gives it thus Christ brings the Soul up into God from whence it came whereby they come to be one Soul This like the Last is miserably false quoted The place in Great Mystery standing thus So every one being turned to the Light which Christ the Second Adam hath enlightned them withal they shall see Christ the Bishop of their Souls the Power of God which is immortal and brings the Immortal Soul in to the Immortal God Christ the Sanctification who sanctifies their Bodies and Spirits and brings the Soul up into from whence it came whereby they become one Soul Thus G. Fox who herein is very plain shewing how the Work of Regeneration is began and carried on till the Soul arrive at that Spiritual Marriage-Union and Oneness for which our Saviour prayed that the Saints might witness The Snake's next Quotation p. 14. is from Great Mystery p. 229. Thus Who are come up into the Bishop Christ are one Soul To which he goes on and adds tho' cut off by this Snake They know the hand of God which the Soul lives in And it is doubtless very true for whosoever through obedience to the Holy Spirit comes to be one in Christ do certainly know his Power by which that Work is wrought and in which they live The Snake's next Quotation in p. 14. is from Great Mystery p. 273. thus It is not horrid Blasphemy to say the Soul is a part of God for it came out of him and that which came out of him is of him Of this the Snake says Fox does not say that the Soul came from God that is God Created it But that it came of God as a part of God his Substance Person and Essence But it is very false for G. Fox does not so say nor does his words import more than that it is created by God and the Last words which next follow and which the Snake hath bit off do shew as much For G. Fox saith it rejoyceth in him and so certainly every regenerated Soul does But for further proof that G. Fox did not mean more or other than that the Soul was created and that such was his belief see in the same Book p. 337. where speaking of the Soul his words are these God breathed into Man the Breath of Life and he became a living Soul who hath all Souls in his hand and the Soul is Immortal and Christ the Bishop of it is Immortal and God hath it in his hand which goeth against him that doth evil whose hand is Immortal But Man transgressing the Command of God the Soul lies in Death So Christ is the Bishop of the Souls and they that come to know Christ their Souls rejoice in God their Saviour Luke 1. Here G. Fox hath very fully and expresly declared his Judgment in words unexceptionable to the Cavils of the Snake and contrary to his false insinuations Now in that I have brought another Quotation in the same Book to put out of doubt G. Fox's meaning in the former I have herein used a rule which the Snake lays down p. 195. viz. To hear G. Fox explain himself in other places of the same Book The Snake's next Quotation p. 14. is from Great Mystery p. 100. where he hath only taken these words which I take to be wrong printed of a passage Is not this of God's Being when in the Book it self it is thus And is not that which came out from God which God hath in his hand taken up into God again which Christ the Power of God is the Bishop of is not this Divine Life of the Soul of God's being By the context of which words it is plain G. Fox means no more than as is above observed from p. 337. The Snake's next Quotation p. 14. is from Great Mystery p. 248. Whence the Snake does but not fully give the Priest's words which in that Book are these Priest It is a false thing to say Christ's Person is in Man To which the following answer at which the Snake cavils is made by G. Fox which is as much as to say None are of his Flesh or of his Bone nor eat it nor had his Substance From which words I think nothing is plainer than that the Answer is Scriptural and the sense of it Spiritual as see Ephes. 5.30 32. John 6.63 The Snake's next Quotation in p. 14. is from Great Mystery p. 207. in which he hath not given the Priest's Words nor but part of G. Fox's Answer but I shall give both for the greater evidence of Truth Priest God hath a Christ distinct from all other beings whatsoever whether they be Spirits or Bodies G. Fox God's Christ is not distinct from his Saints nor their Bodies for he is within them nor distinct from their Spirits for their Spirits witness him And God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself who is the head of every Creature and there is not
he makes Choise of to send forth and imploy in the work of the Ministry So they who are so sent forth have or may have if they diligently attend to the Voice of this Infallible Holy Spirit speaking in them a certain Infallible Knowledge and Assurance of the Truth of what they so deliver And they who hear have or may have if they duly attend to that measure or manifestation of this Infallible Holy Spirit which they have received a like certain Infallible Knowledge and Assurance of the Truth of what they hear But tho' they who so minister and they who so hear have or may have this Infallible Assistance Yet this Assistance continues no longer with any than they to whom it is so given do continue faithful to it and herein is one remarkable difference between the Law and the Gospel the Law in its Offices went by Succession to the several Ages of the People of the Jews and was not alienable from them but fulfill'd and so ended by Christ Thus the Office of the Priesthood descended in that Tribe in which it was appointed at the giving of the Law so that in the execution of their Office they had the benefit of the promises made to the Priesthood at that time tho' some of them were wicked Men an Instance whereof is John 11.51 in Caiphas of whom it is there said He spake not of himself but being High Priest that Year he prophesied But in the Gospel Dispensation it is not so the Gifts of the Holy Spirit not being limited either to Person or Office in the Church nor can Man witness any Union with it or infallible Assistance from it but through obedience to and perseverance both in the Principles which it teacheth and that Holiness of Life which it leads into This thus briefly stated will plainly and truly shew the Inquiring Reader the great difference between us and the Romanists in this great Article of Infallibility Ibid. p. 32. But the Simplicity of our Quakers has deprived them of every one of these helps The Quakers as I have now shewn have no need of those helps because their Simplicity is Godly Sincerity which had the Snake had he would not have bely'd us as he does in the following words Ibid. p. 32. For as they place Infallibility in every single Quaker so they confine it not to matters of Faith but extend it to all Persons and Things To know all Mens Hearts and all things in the World by their Inward Light without being told by any Which are Abominable Lyes and Slanders as will be further manifested in detecting his Perversions and other Abuses of those quotations which he makes from our Friends Books to prove this Assertion Under the second head the Snake makes divers quotations Ibid. p. 33. he quotes from Great Mystery this Objection of the Priest's That is another Error of the Quakers that say he who is not Infallible in his Judgment when he gives Counsel and Advice is no Minister of Christ. The Snake has fairly as above put the Objection but hath falsly quoted G. F's Answer which is truly thus Now he that is not Infallible in his Counsel and Judgment and Advice is not he in Error And are not the Ministers of Christ the Ministers of the Spirit And is not that out of the Error which is Infallible in Counsel and Judgment And are they Ministers of Christ that are fallible And is not the Power the Gospel Infallible Which is briefly thus The Ministers of Christ ministring from the Gospel the Power of God which is Infallible are in such their Ministry Infallible This every Eye not blinded with Prejudice and Envy may by the context perceive to be the sense of the place But this Adversary hath here given a fair mark of his Prejudice and Envy in that he would rather false quote G. F's words by leaving out sentences in the middle of the Quotation than by setting it fairly down let it speak for it self Which practice of the Snake is base and cowardly as well as unchristian He hath posted himself Knight Errant like to Demand Reparation in the name of the Church of England And from this assumed Post he descends to call G. F. Valpoon one of poor Vnderstanding c. yet meanly and in very poor Manner false quotes his Books that he may be sure of a Triumph plainly enough intimating that G. F's words are sound till he has mangled them and which being restored do plainly shew that the Infallibility of which G. F. speaks is that of the Holy Spirit from which Holy Spirit so far as any do Minister so far and no farther are they Infallible in their Ministry Ibid. p. 33. quoted from Great Mystery p. 89. They can discern who are Saints who are Devils and who Apostates without speaking ever a word Tho' the Snake injuriously stop here G. F. goes on and in his next words shews who they be that can do so They that be in the Power and the Life of Truth Which does very plainly shew that G. F. did not attribute this Knowledge or Discerning to the Quakers or any Man but to the Power and Life of Truth where it is manifested And if the Snake will take upon him in his own name or others to deny and disown that any of the Church of England have the word of God or Christ in their Hearts or will say that Christ is not Eternal Infallible and Able to Judge of Persons or things which is the Doctrine that he opposes let him do it in plain terms Ibid. p. 33. quoted from Great Mystery p. 96. Thou not being Infallible thou art not in the Spirit and so art not a Minister and art not able to Judge of Powers that is not Infallible nor Magistrates nor Kingdoms nor Churches Here as I have just now observed the Snake breaks off too soon having purposely left out the very next following words which are these For who is in the Infallible Spirit is in the Spirit that Christ was in c. which words do very fully shew wherein the Infallibility of the true Ministry does stand And do as fully shew the injustice of this Adversary in the curtailing of them Ibid. p. 34. Quoted from p. 7. of E. B's Preface to Great Mystery The Snake says That E. B. says this Infallible Spirit was given to every one and then thus quotes him To us says he every one of us in particular And this Light gave us between Truth and Error and between every false and right way and it perfectly discover'd to us the true state of all things The Snake in this Quotation has treacherously abused and mangled E. B's Words and perverted his Sense I will desire the Reader 's patience to read what I have transcribed from E. B. his clear sense and true Gospel Doctrine will I hope answer the pains thou shalt be at in doing it And for the detection of the Snake in this his nibling practice I will
the disingenious Snake both to laugh Scornfully Lye and Flatter because he acknowledges not for his Guide the Holy and Infallible Spirit of God But that W. P. laughs not as is falsly said we will now see Ibid. p. 37. W. P. in a sheet of his Entituled A Winding Sheet for Controversie ended catches up Hen. Hedworth for saying he had been mistaken in the good Opinion he had before of Mr. Penn 's Judgment and Conscience How can he chuse says Mr. Penn who denys Infallibility But if mistaken before why not in the Quakers now And so ad infinitum being fallible Judgment and Conscience in respect of Matters Spiritual in Articles of Faith can only be certainly and knowingly judged of by the Spirit of God and what Man soever shall judge of these things without the assistance thereof must of necessity be mistaken for the reason which the Apostle has given 1 Cor. 2.11 For the things of God knoweth no Man but the Spirit of God And if Hen. Hedworth did by Opinion not the assistance of the Spirit of God judge of W. Penn's Judgment and Conscience no marvel if he were mistaken and if by the same medium he would Judge of the Quakers he was equally lyable to be also mistaken in them and so ad infinitum in all his natural Guessings about Spiritual Things and so must this Snake also Ibid. p. 38. Quoted from p. 3. Sect. 2. of W. P's Winding Sheet c. He vindicates what G. F. had asserted of the Quakers Infallibility for having repeated these words of G. F. which were put as an Objection against him How can ye be Ministers of the Spirit and not be infallible And how can they but delude the People who are not infallible He makes this reply I Answer says he G. F's words stand immoveable for ever And he gives this strange reason to support himself and G. F. For says he He that is a Minister of the Spirit is Infallibly so and in that Ministry is Infallible otherwise the Spirit 's Ministry is Fallible I have here been large in transcribing the whole Quotation that the Reader may see whether the Wild Consequences which the Snake does falsly suggest can naturally follow from the Doctrine aforesaid His Consequences are these Ibid. p. 38. That if any Man who is Lighted by the Sun stumble or miss his way the fault is in the Sun which shewed him a false Light what else can be the meaning of that saying If a Minister be not infallible then the Ministry of the Spirit is fallible To make God himself Fallible rather than we should be Infallible O wretched false and perverse consequence of this Snake But truly and easily following is this Consequence If a Man who is Lighted by the Sun stumble or miss his way the fault is not in the Sun that shewed him a true Light but the fault is in his neglecting of it And according to this the meaning of that saying If a Minister of the here the Snake has basely and falsly left out the word Spirit be not infallible then the Spirits Ministry is Fallible The meaning is this God the Holy Spirit is Infallible and those whom he qualifies fits and prepares for his Ministry such are Infallibly assisted to be Ministers of the Spirit But if any who have been so assisted depart from the assistance of the Holy Spirit such in their Ministry are not Infallible tho' the Spirit is Ibid. p. 38. Quoted from Winding Sheet p. 4. Sect. 3. He roundly checks his Opponent H. Hedworth saying I bestowed 32 pages to prove G. F's Spirit to be Infallible for that belongs simply to God alone and then those that are Led by it which was my Question in which sense he is and all such persons are Infallible as he himself confesseth c. Here says the Snake H. Hedworth is made Infallible too But that is false for the words are plain that those that are Led by the Holy Spirit are infallibly Led By this G. F. might be infallibly Led by this any other may be infallibly Led This Hen. Hedworth hath confessed this is what W. P. saith but he could not say H. H. was infallible Because he had quoted him in p. 37. denying of infallibility Ibid. p. 39. Nay the Devil himself is infallible at this rate for he has his Knowledge as well as Being from God Knowledge is Light And if that Knowledge which comes from God be infallible then while the Devil follows that Light or Knowledge he must be infallible And if this be all the Infallibility which the Quakers ascribe to themselves it distinguishes them not from Wicked Men or Devils Profane perversion The Almighty God by his Almighty Fiat did create the several Species of Beings and Creatures and furnished each according to the order in which he placed them To Angels and Men he gives Knowledge and Understanding in their several Degrees by which they might answer the end of their Creation But some Angels and all Men have fallen yet have not thereby lost all that Knowledge which by the Degree of their Beings they had But in their fallen estate employ what Knowledge they have to other purposes than those for which it was given Hence the Devil goes about seeking whom he may Devour 1 Pet. 5.8 And the Devil did follow his Knowledge when in Mat. 4.5 8. he tempted our Saviour And did know that had our Saviour worshipped him he had been conquered Yet the Devil was not herein infallible Nay the Devils believe and tremble from the Knowledge which they have of the Eternal God and their own Eternal Damnation How profane Reader must it be to suppose that this their Knowledge makes them infallible that is guided by the Holy Spirit of God Which none can be unless obedient to it But the Infallibility which does distinguish us from Wicked Men and Devils and which we say is possessed by us Is no other than this That whereas all Men are fallen short of God's Glory and are by Nature Children of Wrath. Man cannot be restored out of this estate but by the benefits of the Propitiatory Sacrifice of Christ outwardly slain by which Sacrifice our High-Priest who was touched with the feeling of our Infirmities hath put Man into a capacity of accepting his Mediation And in order to our reconciliation with God hath given to every one a manifestation of the Infallible Holy Spirit in which he did the Will of the Father To this manifestation such as are obedient are infallibly led in all things that concern Salvation Redemption and Eternal Life which neither Devils nor Wicked Men can be because disobedient to it See Reader how much the Jugler this Snake plays in endeavouring to obtrude under a shew of reason a most dangerous notion and directly contrary to all Revealed Religion which doth agree that the Light and Holy Spirit proceeding from the Father and the Son is able as our Saviour saith to lead into all Truth
Excuse and Justifie Josiah Cole in that Letter but has taken no pains to refute the Arguments nor any notice at all of the Book last named in which W. P. does justifie it but only Serpent-like would deceive his Reader by giving the Words in old Black English Letters as if that was Argument sufficient to shew that the sense of the Words were Black and Idolatrous But that they are not I shall Reader entreat thy patience to weigh and consider the five following Paragraphs which are the words of that Letter together with W. P's Defence and Explanation of them as they are in his Book Invalidity c. p. 354 355. First That he should call G. Fox the Father of many Nations but what is this more than to say that Men of several Nations have been begat unto Christ through him Thus Paul was a Father to the Romans Corinthians c. 1 Cor. 4.15 For though ye have ten thousand Instructors yet ye have not many Fathers for in Christ have I begotten you Secondly That his Life hath reached through his Children to the Isles afar off to the begetting of many again unto a lively Hope But what of all this The Life of God is one in all Paul lived by the Life of Christ and so did Peter Paul was present in Spirit though absent in Body 1 Cor. 5.3 4. Thirdly That Generations to come should call him blessed But is not the Memory of the Just blessed Prov. 10.7 and did not God by Isaiah promise concerning Israel I will make thee an Eternal Excellency and the Joy of many Generations Isai. 60.57 This belongs to G. Fox J. Cole and every Child of God yea and J. Faldo too if he were so good as he should be Fourthly That his Being and Habitation was in the Power of the Highest And so it should be for that is the Habitation of every Child of God for others dwell in the Power of the World In short we are exhorted to stand fast in the Power of Godliness and we read that it was the End of the Evangelical Ministry to turn People from the Power of Satan unto the Power of God which is the Power of the Highest Fifthly That he Ruled and Governed in Righteousness This is but what Paul exhorts Timothy to do in the Church of Christ as both his Epistles inform us at large Every Elder Overseer or Pastor in the Church of Christ is bound to do so If J. F. can prove he doth otherwise he may then charge him with uncomely walking but not J. Cole with Blasphemy for saying that a good Man governs in Righteousness The Snake's next Instance are some pieces of a Letter p. 115. which he says was writ by John Audland these I shall dismiss at present because at the end of his Libel he pretends to give it entire Spelt and Pointed according to the Original And I rather chuse to consider what he calls the entire Letter than these parts of it and therefore proceed to his next Instance p. 116. which is a Quotation from a Sheet Entituled The Quakers Challenge p. 6. wherein the Snake says Solomon Eccles says these words of G. Fox It was said of Christ that he was in the World and the World was made by him and the Word knew him not So it may be said of this true Prophet George Fox whom John said he was not Here the Snake takes some pains to wrest pervert and misconstrue these words of Solomon Eccles contrary to a Sober Explanation given of them by G. Whitehead in his Book Serious Search p. 58. But has knowingly omitted to accept or refute Solomon Eccles his own explanation of them words Contrary to what he hath in the like case p. 195. said concerning G. F. viz. You will best know his meaning from himself Which if true why did not this Snake either accept or refute Solomon Eccles his meaning which is given from himself and mentioned in p. 59. of Serious Search above-named and also in p. 75. of Judas and the Jews likewise before-named and which for the Readers satisfaction I here subjoin I did not say Nor did I ever believe that the World was made by G. F. but by Christ who was in the World and the World knew him not So that I say it may be said of G. F. the World knows him not though he be in the World as was said of Christ He was in the World though not of the World and the World knew him not And he said of his Followers Ye are not of the world as I am not of the world and I have chosen you out of the world John 17.16 and 15.19 Now Reader what Faith or Honesty can we expect to find in an Adversary who with deep Hypocrisie and Injustice shall thus wilfully pass over and not accept or refute a Man's own explanation of his words What is become of his Great Charity Real Kindness and Good Wishes which in p. 2. he pretended to have We may safely conclude they have no more reality than the Tears of a Crocodile which Naturalists speak of We come now to Hearsay Stories p. 117 118. wherein he says He hath it from Eye-witnesses who have seen them fall down to him and saying to him Thou art the Son of the Ever-living God the King of Israel all Nations shall worship thee c. And kneeling to his Wife Margaret gave her an Ora pro Nobis in these words O thou my Heavenly Mother Pray to my Heavenly Father for me These Adorations were common to G. F. and that Blasphemous Valpoon took it Gravely without any Reprehension I do here charge the Snake with a Notorious Lie in saying that G. Fox did with Delectation ever accept of any Adoration or to be stiled King of Israel c. or that his Wife accepted of any such Ora pro nobis as above or that it was given by any in true unity with us Ibid. p. 118. At another time a She Preacher arose c. To this Story thus boldly asserted the Snake offers no proof and I do deny that any She Preacher as the Snake floutingly speaks owned by us did so accost G. F. in any Publick Meeting of ours Snake p. 119. Let me here only observe what an uncouth and preposterous piece of Humility it is to deny the Title or Civility of Master or the Hat while at the same time they worship one another with Divine Honour Let me Reader here only observe the Profaneness and Falshood of this Adversary in urging for Truth false and hearsay Stories against us and at the same time decry as preposterous and uncouth the Precept of our Saviour Mat. 23.8 The Snake's next Instance p. 120. is a Quotation from a peice Entituled The Guilty Clergy-man Vnvail'd writ by Thomas Speed and Printed 1657. from which he picks these two Lines in p. 17. That you will by no means be thence cleansed but by the same Blood which you so cruelly shed And says They
are these Light and Life c. p. 59. I do not make S. E's Expression therein especially as construed by our Adversaries an Article of our Faith And G. W. for himself does there declare He did own the Blood shed to be more than the Blood of another Saint Thus saith not only G. W. but thus also say the Quakers who at all times since a People have readily declared their true and scriptural Sense of it But with respect to S. E's words having first inform'd my Reader that no Quaker did ever approve much less justifie them and therefore surely not make them an Article of our Faith either of which if the Snake can prove he is required to do it I say having first acquainted my Reader thus much it will not I hope be expounded a defending of them words of S. E's if I do briefly shew that had this Snake had in himself any of that great Charity for others which he says p. 10. is more apt to have a good opinion of others than of our selves and which he makes one of the Marks of Divine Enthusiasm or Inspiration He would have looked to see whether S. E's words would not have born Sano sensu some honest and innocent Construction and accordingly have judged rather than put a bad Construction on words which if not safely exprest were however so intended That S. E. did so safely and scripturally intend them is I think plain in that he declares He had no light esteem of the Blood of Christ it self as it was made by Christ a part of that blessed Offering for Man and that what he spake of that part of the Blood which was let out by the Spear and which is that the Snake now makes his advantage of was with respect to the Soldiers Act and the time of doing it which was after his Death So that I think it may in truth appear That that upon which Solomon Eccles did ground the difference he put between the Blood of Christ in one respect and in another was that in the one it was a voluntary Offering of Christ himself in and by the Eternal Spirit before his Death In the other it was the forcible act of a Soldier after he was Dead and the Sacrifice compleated And this with much more our Friend Tho. Ellwood had heretofore said Truth Defended p. 111 112. in reply to G. Keith upon the same Charge and which the Snake might have reply'd to if he could before he had renew'd it Ibid. p. 140. They have evaded the most express Texts for Christ's Humanity even that Gen. 3.15 his being the Seed of the Woman They allegorize that too into a Spiritual Sense quite away from the Letter and to mean nothing else in the World but their Light within We have not evaded any Text of Scripture for Christ's Humanity therefore not that of Gen. 3.15 wherein he is testified of as The Seed of the Woman Nor have we allegoriz'd it into a Spiritual Sense beyond the Authority of express Texts of Scripture much less quite away from the Letter but as we now do so we always since a People have owned that it did mean something more than the manifestation of the Spirit or Light of Christ in Man But the Snake for Proof of this Charge makes a Quotation from W. P's part of The Christiâ—n Quaker p. 97 98. The Serpent says he is a Spirit Now nothing can bruise the Head of the Serpent but something that is Internal and the Snake has left out Spiritual as the Serpent is But if that Body of Christ were the Seed then could he not bruise the Serpent's Head in all because the Body of Christ is not so much as in any one And consequently the Seed of the Promise is an Holy and Spiritual the Snake has left out Principle of Light and Life and Power the Snake has left out that being received into the Heart bruiseth the Serpent's Head And because the Seed which cannot be that Body is Christ as testify the Scriptures the Seed is one and the Seed is Christ and which the Snake has cut off as not to his purpose and Christ God over all blessed for ever We do conclude and that most truly that Christ was and is the Divine Word of Light and Life that was in the beginning with God and was and is God over all blessed for ever Thus W. P. From which the Snake says p. 140. His consequence is that the promised Seed was not any Person but a Principle Which consequence is falsly drawn by the Snake from W. Penn's words the consequence of them being more truly that the Promised Seed was not only that but also a Principle of Light Life and Power which I shall now further shew as it is also declared by T. E. Truth Defended p. 113 114. that The Scope and design of W. P. in those words was to prove against his Opponents that the Son of God who in the fulness of time took upon him a Body of Flesh in which he suffered on the Cross was and was properly called Christ before he appeared in that outward Body which his Opponents denied not owning Christ as Christ to have any existence before that Body which was Born of the Virgin but confining Christ to that Body And because all acknowledge the Promised Seed to be Christ W. P. used that as a Medium to prove that Christ was before that outward Appearance Now this affirming Christ to be the Seed and that Seed to be Inward and Spiritual is not a denial of Christ having a bodily existence without us for he may have and hath a bodily existence without us and yet may be and is spiritually within us 'T is true he denied that that Body which Christ had from the Virgin Strictly considered as such was the Seed and he gave divers reasons for it And which are mentioned from p. 94. to p. 99. of his Christian Quaker From the consequence which the Snake hath falsly drawn from W. P's words viz. That the Seed is not a Person but a Principle He goes on p. 141. fighting against the Bugbear which himself hath conjured up and declares it to be A Supposition of so pernicious a nature that it Vn-christians any who holds it For the Faith of Christians is built upon that Man Jesus Christ as The Seed Promised to bruise the Serpent's Head His Supposition so far as respecting us the Quakers and W. P. in particular is false For we believe the Manhood of Christ gloriously united with the Godhead to be the Seed Promised Gen. 3.15 and also that that Seed being of a Divine and Spiritual Nature did inwardly work against the Serpent and did bruise his Head and break his Strength and Power in some measure in the Holy Men and Women in all Generations T. E. Truth Defended p. 114. and by this their inward experience of his Spirit and Power he was the object of their Faith to be made manifest in God's
due time And he is now the object of the Faith of all true Christians not only as born of the Virgin c. but also as known and witnessed in his Inward and Spiritual Appearance in Man to bruise the Serpent's Head Power and Strength which has had Dominion and Rule in Man To this sense our Saviour himself does also explain the Spiritual Nature of the Seed the Word of God Luke 8.11 Ibid. p. 143. The Snake brings from Christian Quaker another Argument to the purpose foregoing which is this One Outward thing cannot be the proper Figure or Representation of another nor is it the way of Scripture so to Teach us c. To which the Snake says All the outward Sacrifices under the Law were Types or Figures of the Sacrifice of Christ the Outward Christ upon the Cross c. The whole Legal Dispensation of the First Covenant was a Figure of Christ and of that Dispensation of the New Covenant Grace and Truth which came by him But that it was not only a Type or Figure of Christ upon the Cross I shall shew in several Instances The Serpent which Moses made Numb 21.9 Our Saviour declares John 3.14 that as that was lifted up in the Wilderness so must the Son of Man be lifted up And this in a sense may be understood to have respect to our Saviour's being lifted up on the Cross but not only that for our Saviour carries the Type further and shews that it did respect that Spiritual Obedience and Faith in him which gives Eternal Life For as the Sting of the Serpents in the Wilderness were cured by looking to the Brazen Serpent So by coming through Faith and Obedience to look to Christ the Sting of Sin and Death are taken away by him Wherefore he saith v. 20.21 For every one that doth Evil hateth the Light neither cometh to the Light lest his deeds should be reproved But he that doth Truth cometh to the Light that his deeds may be made manifest that they are wrought in God In like manner the Apostle 1 Cor. 5.7 Christ our passover is crucified for us may have respect to Paschal Land as Type and to Christ crucified as typified but not altogether that for he carries it further and shews that whereas vers 1. It was reported there was Fornication among them And vers 6. That they gloried in what was not good He adviseth them to purge out the old Leaven and from the advantages of Power from Christ received he presseth them to keep the Feast not with old Leaven neither with the Leaven of Malice and Wickedness but with the unleavened Bread of Sincerity and Truth The same Apostle to the Colossians 11.16 17. Let no Man therefore judge you in Meat or in Drink or in respect of an Holy-Day or of the New Moon or of the Sabbath Day which are a Shaddow of things to come but the Body is of Christ And that they were Shadows of the Spiritual Appearance of Christ whose Dispensation to Mankind was introduced by his outward Appearance the Apostle to the Hebrews shews chap. 9. that the Service which stood in Meats and Drinks and divers Washing and carnal Ordinances did not make perfect as pertaining to the Conscience but was a Figure of good things to come even the purging the Conscience from dead works to serve the living God by the spotless Offering of the Blood of Christ through the Eternal Spirit Thus the benefit of that Offering cannot be witnessed by Man but through the inward Operation of the Eternal Spirit whereby the Conscience can be purged from Dead Works And thus the Scripture plainly teaches That the Types and Shadows of the Law and the Ministry of it are the Figure of the Covenant promised Jer. 31.33 which is also plentifully shewn by the Apostle to the Hebrews throughout that admirable Epistle And agreeable herewith is W. P. in the place last quoted by the Snake for those words of his One Outward thing cannot be the proper Figure or Representation of another c. had relation to his foregoing words which the Snake hath cut off and are these As Abraham Outward and Natural was the Great Father of the Iews outward and natural whose Seed God promised to bless with Earthly Blessings as Canaan c. And that they were figurative of the one Seed Christ and such as he should beget into a lively hope through the Power of his Spiritual Resurrection c. Thus W. P. And as the Snake cannot deny that Abraham was figurative of Christ and that to his Seed as they continued in his Faith the Oath of God was to them in that outward Covenant So it must of necessity follow that this Great Father of the Jews Outward and Natural doth not herein otherwise Typify Christ than as Christ is the Spiritual Father of all the Nations of them that are saved through Faith and Obedience in and to his Spirit in their Hearts Ibid. p. 143. They can upon a pinch subscribe the whole Creed and yet not mean one word of it of God or Christ at all that is of any God or Christ without Men. Reader is not this a fair mark of what kind that great Charity and real kindness must be which in p. 23. foregoing he pretends to have for the Generality of us Or is it not rather a mark of that Flaming Charity which himself declares to have for the Church But Charity and Truth are at an equal distance from him who can thus notoriously belie us by charging such Dissimulation on us as is his own practice That we can subscribe not upon a pinch but heartily and readily all the Testimonies of Holy Writ and the Articles of Faith therein contained is True but that we do not mean one of them Testimonies of God or Christ without Men is as great a falshood as the Devil can utter And if Preaching if Writing if constant Profession in Words together with Practice agreeable from a People can be a sufficient evidence that they do so own and mean I defy the Snake with all his Confederacy to give better and greater evidence that they acknowledge any of the Truths therein contain'd The Snake next repeats a Quotation from Saul's Errand p. 8. which is answered before in p. 59. and another from the Sword of the Lord drawn c. p. 5. which is also answered p. 204. foregoing and therefore need not be here repeated Ibid. p. 145. The Snake speaking of W. Smith's Primmer says Here is an Admirable Cue given to Young Children to prevent their ever receiving the least tincture of Christianity that if they should at any time hear of a Christ in Heaven they might immediately stop their Ears and believe all who spoke of it to be false Ministers That this Snake is a false Accuser and has not the least tincture of Christian Charity there needs little more trouble to prove than barely to give truly which the Snake has not but curtail'd those Questions
the Papists print her answers and particularly Her Apology which was published 1617. From which it will be necessary to give briefly as I can her Answers to some of the Papists Charges afore-mentioned For it would take me up too much room and time to transcribe the Answers to them all tho' they are all well worth reading The Apology is writ in Latin and divided into 61 several Articles or Answers I shall give it as it is in the Book it self and then render it in English In doing of which if I hurt not the sense I desire of my Reader that less faults may be overlook'd The first Answer that I shall transcribe is to that Charge and Objection of the Romanists that they had Contention and Division among themselves And is in these words Eant ergo sane pacem potiùs inter suos domi sanciant Vnitas quidem consensio maximè convenit Religioni Non tamen est ea propria nota Ecclesiae Dei. Summa Enim erat consentio inter eos qui adorabant Aureum vitulum inter eos qui conjunctis vocibus in Servatorem Nostrum Jesum Christum clamabant crucifige Neque quia Corinthii Dissensionibus inter se laborabant aut quia Paulus à Petro aut Barnabas â Paulo aut Christiani Statim sub ipsis initiis Evangelii aliqua de re à se mutuò dissidebant idcirco nulla erat inter eos Ecclesia Dei Illi quidem quos isti contumeliae causà appellant Zuinglianos Lutheranos re autem verâ sunt utrique Christiani inter se amici ac fratres Non de principiis aut fundamentis Religionis nostrae non de Deo non de Christo non de Spiritu Sancto non de ratione Justificationis non de aeterna vita tantum de una nec ea ita gravi aut magna quaestione inter se dissentiunt Nec desperamus vel potiùs non dubitamus brevi fore concordiam et si qui sunt qui aliter sentiant quam par est positis aliquando affectionibus nominibus Deum id illis esse Patefacturum ut re melius animadversâ atque exploratâ quod olim in Calcedonensi Concilio factum est omnes dissentionum causae fibrae ab ipsis radicibus extirpentur 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sepeliantur Sempiterna Amen Let them rather therefore go and establish Peace among themselves For in the forgoing Article is objected the variety of Dissentions amongst the Papists in their several orders Unity and Agreement is indeed most seemly in Religion yet it is not a certain and proper Mark of the Church of God For among those who worshipped the Golden Calf and among those who with conjoined Voices cried out against our Saviour Jesus Christ Crucifie him there was greatest agreement and accord Neither because the Corinthians laboured under Dissentions among themselves or because Paul from Peter or Barnabas from Paul or that under the very beginnings of the Gospel the Christians did in some things differ among themselves Was there therefore among them no Church of God Truly those who they in reproach and taunt call Zuinglians and Lutherans are really both Christians and among themselves Friends and Brethren For not concerning Principles or the Fundamentals of our Religion not concerning God or Jesus Christ or the Holy Spirit not concerning the reason of Justification and Eternal Life Only concerning one and that not weighty or great Question Do they differ among themselves Neither do we despair but rather doubt not that that shortly will be agreed And if there are who think otherwise than is equal which sometimes hath its foundation in Names and Affections God will make it manifest to them that the thing may be better considered and more certainly known which was sometime done in the Council of Calcedon where were extirpated all Dissentions from their roots and causes and buried in a perpetual Oblivion Amen Upon which it may not be amiss to ask the Snake what certain proofs he can give that the Divisions since such there were or to use his own words the various Sects which were sown and set up about the middle of the last Century were not sown and set up by Rome And that these about the middle of this Century were It also will be proper for him to shew why the Church's Answer concerning Dissension does not suit us in answer to him as it did Her in answer to Rome For it is no proof barely to affirm as he does p. 187. Of this many Instances may be given and Proofs undeniable I say this is no Proof and any further he does not offer for he hath not given one of the many Instances of which he with great assurance says they are Proofs undeniable He expected surely that his Reader should take his Ipse dixit and ask no further Proof But that knowing it as I do in this as in many other particulars to be false and Scandalous I do therefore so far as his Assertion relates to us viz. That the Quakers were sown and set up by Rome deny his Charge and require him to prove it by the best Instances which he can which when he shall offer if we cannot disprove them I shall be content to say with him That Romish Emissaries did set up Quakerism in England But till then it must be accounted for one of his Falshoods Ibid. p. 187. Enthusiasm when it is a Delusion or falsly pretended is the surest means to overthrow all Church-Government and Order and all Sobriety of Religion for it is no less than Blasphemy falsly to pretend to extraordinary Inspirations from God Enthusiasm or Inspiration falsly pretended is all this But what is that to the purpose The Question is not now what Enthusiasm falsly pretended is But whether that Enthusiasm or Divine Inspiration of which we speak be false If the Snake prove not that which he can never he does but Plough the Air or strive to make Ropes of Sand. His attempts are foolish as well as false because that whatsoever Enthusiasm falsly pretended may be yet the Inspirations of the Holy Spirit of God which is the Enthusiasm that we own and profess does at this day as in all the Ages of the World first beget a People to be the Church of God and having so begotten them does lead them into such Order and Sobriety as does become that Holy Religion which it teaches Ibid. p. 188. And this Doctrine of Enthusiasm came chiefly from the Church of Rome Labade a Jesuit set it up in Holland and Robert Barclay the Quaker was tinctured with it in his younger Years in the Stotch Convent at Paris and John Vaughton was a Roman Catholick who is now a great Preacher among the Quakers in London and William Southby a Preacher now among them in Pensilvania As particular and positive as the Snake here is concerning the place from whence Enthusiasm came and who set it up in Holland
what we assert and vindicate in each particular Snake p. 175. My Accuser presently shews his Prejudice and Enmity against me without cause As with a new Confession of Faith in such dubious and general Terms as may at first sight deceive the unwary Reader tho' I gave it in as plain and as much in scriptural Terms as I could and as the Matters concerned would admit of And I know my own Sincerity therein better than my Accuser who insincerely calls me Honest George whilst he is aspersing me and casting Dirt at me as Deceiving keeping off contradicting the Heart of the Heresie still preserving it safe and untouch'd and not only so but often with a slily insinuated Excuse and Defence of it So that my confessing Jesus to be the Christ and both his coming in the Flesh and in the Spirit according to holy Scripture-Testimony and also to the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testament namely the Holy Doctrine and Divine Precept therein as given by Divine Inspiration on which much of my said Confession against F. Bugg depends this hath no beter Acceptance or Resentment with my Accuser than as no Contradiction to the Heart of Heresie but as still preserving it safe and untouched and which is worse a slily insinuated Excuse and Defence of it Oh sad Stuff Whither will not Pride and Envy precipate some Men What scripturally to confess Jesus Christ and the holy Scriptures as above is this no Contradiction to Heresie But to preserve excuse or defend it What 's Heresie then pray Is it to confess Jesus Christ come in the Flesh c. according to holy Scripture-Testimony of him Oh! For shame leave off such blind Envy and blasphemous Abuse And now to come to the Point How or wherein have I slily insinuated Excuse and Defence of it i. e. of the Heart of Heresie as before p. 175. Thus saith my Accuser in his first Article he confesses Jesus to be the Christ even the same Jesus Christ who was born of the Virgin Mary at Bethlehem c. I confess this is part of my Confession but cannot believe this is either not contradictory to the Heart of Heresie or that it is any Excuse or Defence of it Nor that our confessing God or Christ to be our Light can be any such Excuse or Defence Neither do we attribute the Name Christ to any much less to every one of our selves as we are often falsly accused as here whence he also most unjustly infers That then this will appear that this Confession of Whitehead 's is a meer Fallacy while it attributes no more to Jesus Christ than to G. W. Which is a very foul and absurd Falshood and notorious Lie in Fact and contradiction to my said Confession even so far as it is cited by himself as before which is 1. We sincerely own profess and confess Jesus to be the Christ even the same Jesus Christ who was born of the Virgin Mary at Bethlehem in Judea Mat. 2. suffered Death upon the Cross without the Gates of Jerusalem was quickened and raised again by the Power of God and ascended into Heaven and Glory according to the Scriptures Now have I herein attributed no more to Jesus Christ than to my self as he saith Where did I ever attribute this to my self Where is the meer Fallacy Not in my Confession to Jesus Christ but in this Horrid Abuse and Gross Perversion thereof Did I ever say that I am Jesus Christ Or that I was born of the Virgin Mary Or that I suffered Death upon the Cross at Jerusalem c. Oh! For Shame who cannot see such Malice and Madness as my Adversary has vented against me in this Matter Again I find no Fallacy in my Confession to Christ as without nor is there any unless I had denied the Virgin Mary of whom Christ was born to be without or Bethlehem and Judea and Jerusalem to be without us nor doth Christ being without prove him not to be our Light within for the same Christ said I am the Light of the World therefore he is our Light yea the Quakers Light as he calls it they being included in the World Does not the Sun shine in our Houses because the Body and Fulness of it is without them My Accuser Quibbles and Quarrels with Art 10. of my Confession viz. Our Ministers do not Teach that the Name of Jesus and Christ belong to every Member in the Body or Church as amply as to Christ the Head And here he leaves out all the following explanatory part of the Article as he calls it and Scornfully descants upon the Word amply being in a different Black Character lest quoth he Ibid. you should mistake and think that George was Christ as amply as Jesus And then goes on scoffing That was modest indeed but then George thou art Christ as well as Jesus though not so amply Which is both a false Implication and foreign to my Intention The word amply in that place was only used and intended in direct opposition to F. Bugg's falsly saying The Quakers Teach That the Name Jesus and Christ belong to every Member in the Body as amply as to Christ the Head New Rome Arraign'd p. 47. But even in the same 10 Art quoted against me I do not allow any Member to be called Christ but expresly disallow it though I confess how Christians have some Interest in his Name but not to be called Jesus but Christians The explanatory part of my Confession in the said 10th Article disingenuously left out by this Scoffer is in these Words viz. But that the Divine Anointing to which Name Christ hath relation virtually is in some measure or degree afforded to every Member of his Body but not so amply as to him the Head nor for any Member to be called Christ but a Christian because Christ received the Anointing the Holy Spirit not by measure but in fulness and because he is the Head of the Body the Church And this very Matter is more fully explained in my Charitable Essay in Answer to F. Bugg p. 4. as before It was far from my Thoughts or Intention to imply any such thing as That I am Christ as well as Jesus for I have often written my self A Servant of Christ and so I am I Humbly Bless his Name that is above every Name Therefore I am still very unjustly accused Ibid. with Rank Sophistry Doging and Deluding and casting a Mist before the Eyes of Poor Deluded People or Leading them into the Mystery of Iniquity or of any Equivocation or Jesuitical Confession of Faith I have a Conscience towards God in what I confess and in good Conscience testifie That thou my scornful lurking Adversary hast cast manifold false and gross Defamations upon me and many others of my Christian Persuasion And in the true Sense of Scripture I have both confessed Christ's coming in the Flesh and as he the Word was made or took Flesh John 1.14 And more than
Christ Jesus a Type or Figure of their Light within p. 183. I know no such Books of the Quakers that so call Christ Jesus A Type of our Light within but that he is our Light which hath inlighten'd us among the rest of Mankind It 's implied by way of Question That Christ clothed himself in Flesh and Blood and that he took Flesh c. for so quoth he it may be said that our Soul is clothed with our Body as with a Garment or Veil It is not Words but the meaning that we contend about saith he p. 180. We know best our own Meaning being well satisfied that 't is according to Holy Scripture Where 's then the defference he then quarrels with our Meaning not with the Words here but elsewhere he doth as his Author F. Bugg has done with the words Veil and Garment in J. P's Question to Professors But this Author yields the Point he assents to both As our Soul is clothed with our Body as with a Garment or Veil and so of Christ. Which warrants J. P's Question against his Author F. B. and himself at least so far as not to make a Subject of any further Contention against us Again my Accuser brings a heavy black Charge upon me in these Words Ibid. p. 180. viz. In this same 11 th Article we are now upon after your full and Affirmative Declaration before he would have it Negative you sâ—bborn Two Texts as Favourers of your damnable Heresie before-told yet say you slily his Flesh was called the Veil Heb. 10. And he took upon him the form of a Servant and was made like unto Men and was found in the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Shape or Figure of a Man Phil. 2.6 7. And then exclaims Ah George George I could forgive thee any thing but this What! put upon us at this rate It seems my citing those Two Texts and alledging them to prove that the word Veil was applied to Christ's Flesh which he took upon him and the Word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Shape or Figure of a Man to the form of his Manhood or outward Man tho' I intended no other than that without the least Contempt to Christ Such Words might be used as they had been by some of our Friends For this it seems I have committed such a heinous and unpardonable Crime or Sin as this my Severe Judge cannot forgive This is represented as my highest Offence and truly I shall not need seek to him for Absolution or Pardon nor to be my Confessor I have a merciful and faithful High Priest to apply and appeal to I need not go to unmerciful and implacable Ones for Pardon especially such a one as has so shamefully calumniz'd me with subborning Two Texts as Favourers of damnable Heresie How comes this Accuser in his Fallibility or Uncertainty thus severely to condemn me when he cannot refute Matter of Fact about the Two said Texts being alledged in behalf of my Friend's meaning and not at all with the least Intention to lessen the Dignity or Glory of the Son of God No far be it from me And where 's my unpardonable Sin in the Application of the Text Phil. 2 Why he saith George Whitehead brings in the word Figure which is not in the English Translation And what then But let him have it he himself makes it synâ—â—nimous to Shape p. 183. And he is forced to let me have it because he cannot well deny it without disparagement to himself But herein he would place on me a Mis-application of the Words Who being found in the Shape or Figure of a Man c. And therefore saith what relation has this to the calling Christ Jesus a Type or Figure of their Light within which I have shewn 〈◊〉 â—ut of the Quakeâ—s Books And I have denied this as a â—alshood before and now declare against 〈◊〉 manifest Perversion and Injury to me and mâ— Words herein For as I sincerely disown the Wordâ— charged Ibid. viz. The calling Christ Jesus a Type or Figure of our Light within so I could not apply the Words before in the Text Phil. 2. to have any relation thereto and much less as proof of that which I never held And I know none of us that doth so call Jesus Christ A Type of our Light within he being the Fountain thereof Nor that Christ is Only a Figure as falsly charged by F. Bugg Which Perversion so far as I can find was first forged from these Words in the Book Saul's Errand viz. Christ in the Flesh without them is their Example or Figure which is both one For his being their Example 1 Pet. 2.21 and 4.1 and 1.15 and John 13.15 are quoted See also Luke 2.31 he was called a Sign Now hence to say he was Only a Sign were a Gross Perversion Christ was our Example Now hence to say he is nothing else but an Example were an Abuse and to lessen his Dignity and a variation from the Sense as our Adversary has done upon Trusâ— of his Author F. Bugg upon his False Report which is besides all Justice Morality and 〈◊〉 Proceedings Now the Question is Whether Figure may be made synonimous to Example for the words Example or Figure as before I conceive it may For Type or Figure sometimes points a thing to come as in Rom. 5.14 who was the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Figure of him that was to come And sometimes Type or Figure denotes a present Example or Pattern as in Phil. 3.17 Mark them which walk so as ye have us for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Example And the same word is used in 2 Thes. 3.9 and 1 Tim. 4.12 and Titus 2.7 and 1 Cor. 10.11 only in different Cases or Terminations And the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an Example or Type John 13.15 Heb. 9.23 Thus Example or Type are made synonimous in T. C's Lexicon and the like in Crit. Sacr. but more fully explain'd for there 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e Exemplum Exemplar Triplicem habet in Scriptura significatum 1. Significat Typum seu Figuram rerum vel praeteritarum Heb. 8.5 vel futurarum Heb. 9.23 2. Exemplum imitationis John 13.15 1 Tim. 4.12 Titus 4.7 3. Exemplum Monitionis sive Cautelae ut 2 Pet. 2.6 i. e. Exemplum Exemplar hath a threefold Signification in Scripture 1. It signifies a Type or Figure of Things either past or to come 2. An Example of Imitation 3. An Example of Warning or Caution Now see how synonimously the Terms Type Figure Pattern and Example are rendred in Scripture and of what extent not only in relation to the Types under the Law but in some respect to Christ and his Ministers tho' he be also confessed to be the Antitype Substance and End of all Legal Shadows Types and Figures But I have not called Christ himself a Type of our Light within nor justified the same As to my Accuser's Offence at my saying Christ's Flesh is called a Veil Heb. 10.20 it
was Incarnate and dyed And that Christ was his own Father to whom he prayed upon the Cross. We own Christ both as Eternal God and as the Son of Mary yet are under no such difficulties as the Snake doth falsly suggest For we cannot express the Godhead by the word Person having no such Example in Scripture and our Belief being according to that and expressed in the words of it It must necessarily follow that the Snake does account the Declaration of Holy Writ in this Article to have many Absurdities Of which let him clear himself if he can as also of inclining to Polytheism which his words do seem to favour Ibid. p. 122. G. F. opposes Christopher Wade for saying That the Holy Ghost was a Person and that there was a Trinity of three Persons before Christ was Born It seems by this they do not acknowledge that there were Three in Heaven before Christ was Born It does not only seem but plainly appear that this Snake is a Notorious Lyar Holy Writ says 1 John 5.7 There are three that bear Record in Heaven It does not express them either by the word Trinity or Persons does it therefore seem that Holy Writ does not acknowledge that there were three in Heaven before Christ was Born Or that the Three in Heaven as the Snake Blasphemously does suggest must be Three Creatures What G. F. opposed in Christopher Wade in this Case was the Unscripturalness of his Language which will best appear from G. F's one Words not curtaild as in the Snake they are these Great Mystery p. 246. Thou knowest not him that is in the Father and the Father in him Glorified with the Father before the World began And the Scriptures doth not tell people of a Trinity nor Three Persons but the Common-Prayer Mass-Book speak of Three Persons brought in by thy Father the Pope And the Father Son and Holy Spirit was always one Ibid. p. 122 123. The Snake shews as himself says what Muggleton did hold in that Blasphemous Whimsy of the Deputy-ship of Elijah c. and says of it It terrifies my very Soul while I repeat such dreadful and sensless Blasphemy But I am well assured that this Snake was under greater Terror of Soul when seized by the King's Messenger at Lidd in Kent For To repeat such dreadful and senslless Blasphemy He had no Necessity was under no Constraint but that it pleased him to think that he might slantingly throw it at us tho' both him and it we do utterly deny But it was not in his Power to avoid being seized by the Messenger though he afterwards found it in his Power to run away from him Of which in its proper place Ibid. p. 123. How far the Quakers differ from Muggleton in what is here told excepting the Deputy-ship of Elijah will appear by their allowing no distinction between the Father and the Son It is an Abominable falshood G. F. did not say there was no Distinction between the Father and the Son but deny'd such Distinction as that Priest contended for and if the Snake think good Let him openly declare whether he will stand by and own that Distinction for which the Priest did contend and which G. Fox did oppose What the Priest did affirm was this as given in Great Mystery p. 293. The Father is a Distinct Incommunicable Being from the Son and the Son a Distinct Incommunicable Being from the Father and the Holy Ghost a Distinct Incommunicable Being from the Son See Reader had not G. Fox reason to oppose this Polytheistical Doctrine of Separation and Incommunication which plainly makes a Triumvirate of the Deity and thereby destroys not only the Simplicity but the Foundation of Faith And this will happen so long as Men will Hazzard their Faith to improve their Knowledge And curiously inquire into what will still remain a Mystery and not be content with such Declaration of it as we are Infallibly assured in Holy Writ is according to the Mind of God and sufficient for the necessities of Men. But to proceed there needs not an Ingenious Stickler to shew what G. F. did oppose but there wants an Ingenious Stickler unless the Snake think himself so to reconcile the Priests words which I have above quoted to the Holy Scripture which he pretends to be his rule for at present they are as contrary to it as Light to Darkness I am not so much surprised to find this Snake p. 124. saying of George Fox He was a very Sorrowful beginner of a Religion and could neither be separated nor distinguished from a Tool which Knaves do work with call'd a F l. As to find him so cautiously clipping the word Fool Because it is greater Modesty and Caution than he uses towards him in other places where he calls him Valpoon George Magus and says he was one of poor understanding and had an Immoderate degree of Dulness But after all this his Serpentine Modesty or rather as himself expresses it p. 198 wicked and hateful Eubullition of Soul George Fox did herein justly and warrantably oppose that Distinction and Incommunication in the Deity which the Priest did as above contend for But again he is angry with G. F. in Great Mystery p. 246. Where the Snake says he disputes against Christopher Wade for saying God the Father never took upon him Humane Nature But he is so far from replying to G. F's answer to Christopher Wade that he gives but three words of it tho' the answer does consist of more than so many lines and is as follows Great Mystery p. 246. Answ. Contrary to the Scripture which saith God was in Christ reconciling the World unto himself And art Ignorant of the Great Mystery God manifest in the Flesh and his name is called the Everlasting Father As for the Word Humane which is from the Ground it comes from thy own Knowledge which is earthly and Christ took upon him the Seed of Abraham and David according to the Flesh and this is Scripture Language And if the Snake can shew that it is not so it will be better to confute the whole than to nibble Rat like at three words of it And this brings me to the end of this short Section SECT IX Concerning our Belief of the Divinity and Incarnation of Christ. ACcording to what has been already spoken in the foregoing Sections occasionally concerning the Divinity and Incarnation of Christ. I do here of set purpose declare it as a Truth which now is and always hath been since we were a People believed and declared by us That The Word which was in the Beginning with God by which all things were made did in the fulness of time according to the appointment of the Father take Flesh and was born of the Virgin Mary and that in that Body of Flesh The Fulness of the Godhead dwelt Bodily Thus in the largness of the Expression and sense of Scripture we do truly and sincerely own according to John 1.14 That
The Word was made Flesh c. dwelt on the Earth and took on him not the Nature of Angels not any Aerial or Fantastical Body But the Seed of Abraham and David and this he did for the same reason and behoof mentioned by the Apostle Heb. 2.17 18. Wherefore in all things it behoveth him to be made like unto his Brethren that he might be a Merciful and Faithful High-Priest in things pertaining to God to make reconciliation for the sins of the People For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted he is able to succour them that are tempted For which Infinite Love of Jesus Christ in being both the Saviour and Reconciler of Men to God through himself we sincerely say with the Apostle Heb. 3.3 For this Man was counted worthy of more Glory than Moses in as much as he who hath builded the House hath more Honour than the House Reader These and all other Testimonies recorded in Holy Writ testifying to the Manhood as well as the Divinity of Jesus Christ we do and always did sincerely own So that should our Books in which is treated directly on this Subject and abundantly more largely and particularly than here it can be be collected They would make many Volumes Yet such hath been and is the Inveterate Malice of our Enemies that our Writings no more than our Words must not mean what we so often and solemnly have declared we do mean by them But what our Adversaries will have them to mean that so they may not seem to want proofs for these their false and envious Charges What now remains for us to do But still to persevere in our True and Scriptural Belief and to repeat our Testimonies of it to the envious Objections of Enemies and for the satisfaction of the Sober Enquirer And this Reader thou wilt find in reply to the false and envious Suggestions and Perversions of the Snake herein in this Section Snake p. 125. The Quakers Heresie in this is taken from the Socinians they say Christ took Flesh but no otherwise as they explain it than as Angels assumed Bodies or as he Christ or the Word did Inspire or Dwell in Prophets or Holy Men of old c. What the Socinians hold herein I neither know nor is it my business to now enquire But this I know that we do believe that Christ the Word took Flesh but not as Angels assumed Bodies His Body which he took of the Virgin was really truly and properly Flesh and had the gradual and natural Growth of Mankind from Infancy to Childhood to the State of a Young Man and so to the degree of Perfect Man and being Perfect Man did Dwell Eat Drink and Converse with his Disciples and with the Multitude did Preach did work Miracles was Tempted did Hunger and Thirst was crucified and did Rise again and Ascend into Glory Thus did never Angels assume Bodies Those Ministring Spirits when they have assumed Bodies it hath been upon particular and short but special occasions at once appearing without the gradual degrees of natural Growth or subject to the Infirmities and Accidents of natural Bodies and it could not be otherwise they being only Aerial and not truly Flesh and Blood as was that Body of Jesus the Son of the Living God Ibid. p. 125. But they deny any proper Incarnation of Christ that is that he was made Flesh or that he and Jesus was one Person 'T is false we own that He the Word was made Flesh properly Incarnate and was in the form of a Servant Ibid. p. 125. Yet they allow Jesus to be called Christ from the dwelling of Christ in him And if the Snake will not allow so much he contradicts the Apostle who saith of Jesus Christ With him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead Bodily Col. 2 9. Ibid. p. 125. But for the same reason they take the name Christ to themselves and say that it belongs to them as well as to Jesus c. Jesus Christ when he ascended up on High he led Captivity Captive and did give Gifts unto Men the Gifts of his Holy Spirit of which the Apostle hath testified Ephes. 4.7 But unto every one of us is given Grace according to the Measure of the Gift of Christ. Thus much we have often declared and that truly But it is falsly said and charged that we take the Name of Christ to our selves or say it belongs to us in any other manner than in these and other Scriptures is mentioned We say that Christ by his Ascension into Glory hath given the Gift of his Spirit to Men to which as they are obedient they will witness the Power of the Spirit of Christ in them to bring every thought into subjection and when through the assistance of this Spirit they thus have got the Victory over their own Corruptions and Lusts they will truly say it is no more I but Christ in me Yet the name Christ cannot hereby be supposed to belong â—o such nor was it ever said by any of us that it did belong to us in such manner as to Jesus for to him it belongs by Origination to us only by participation through him For he by partaking of our Nature made thereby Mankind partakers of his Spirit I say this with respect to the generality of the Gospel Dispensation for there were many particular Persons not within the Covenant of the Law in the time of the Law who had manifestations of the Spirit of Christ and in no other sense have we ever taken the name of Christ to our selves Ibid. p. 125. They say that Christ did raise up the Body if Jesus from the Dead but they say not that Christ did carry it up with him into Heaven What then do we say he did with it Why that the Snake shews not and good reason there is for this his Silence But Reader I will tell thee that we do say and believe according to Acts 1.9 When he had spoken these things while they beheld he was taken up and a Clâ—ud received him out of their sight Ibid. p. 126. They say there is no other Christ but what is within them they allow him no Humans Body but their own When we say there is no other Christ than what is within us we say true because Christ as God cannot be divided and the Measure or Manifestation of the Spirit of Christ in us is not another but a Manifestation of the fame Christ which did in fulness and Bodily dwell in the Man Jesus But when the Snake says we allow him no Humane Body if he means Manhood he says false as I have before shewn and as is very often testified in many of our Books Ibid. p. 126. One of their Preachers prayed at a Solemn Meeting O God who was Crucifi'd Dy'd and Rose again in us We know very well that G. Keith did accuse Thomas Fitzwater of so praying at a Meeting in Pensilvania But unless the Snake has better proof than that