Their great Blunderer Humphry Norton he deals as plainly and roundly as G. Fox his aemulous Corrival falsly and fraudulently when that holy Scripture If in this Life only we have Hope c. was here objected to Humphry Norton he clapt his hand on his Breast saying He had it there already that is opposing it to and denying the Hope in the Life to come especially as to their Bodies which are not raised up they say Spiritual Bodies being though of late more subtly and hipocritically all one with those deceived Souls that said the Resurrection was past already It is true they will pretend to owne the Scriptures Christs humane Nature the Resurrection and Judgement and Faith and Hope ahd Repentance c. as true and sound as any Protestant but still it is no otherwise but as G. Fox and Ed. Burroughs say in this Book that is as I have and shall open in a most Iugling and deceitful Sense and meaning It is reported that some of them at their Death have used those words Lord Iesus receive my Spirit some have Charitably thought that they intend thereby their going presently into the presence of Christ Jesus but as the Truth and bottom however they blind the world and the weakest of their Followers until they be fit to wean and fall to strong meat others of them Covertly say write and others of them more plainly say viz. That they believe no more Rising of their Bodies then the rising of a Dog and as to their Spirits they believe Souls are 122 patts of God and go unto God and into God and therefore their saying Lord Iesus receive my Spirit is no more then Lord Jesus receive thy self according to some of their plain Expressions To whom should I pray my self to whom should I give Thanks my self wherein their woful black and filthy Spirit Contradicteth it self amongst themselves though they agree in the Devils Bait which Catcht himself and with which he Catcht our first Patents and all his Posterity viz. Ye shall be as Gods live as God know as God be Gods and Christs for Evermore I shall now crave the Readers patience to hear some few Quotations out of G. Fox which my quarter of an hour would not then permit declaring thâ—ir Apostacie and Heresie in the matters of Repentance Faith c. In Pag. 127. he brings in Iohn Bunyan saying It is a Counterfietlng of the New Birth for men to follow the Light wherewith men coming into the World are enlightned G. Fox Answereth which none comes to the New Birth but who comes to the Light wherewith every man c. which believing in is a Child of the Light believing and receiving comes to receive power to be the Sons of God I Reply none are truly Converted born again c. but in a true Sense they come to Christ Jesus For the Scripture saith he gives Repentance to Israel He is the Author and Finisher of our Faith But that Jesus Christ as God so the Quakers owne him and as man for so they also owne him should be in every man and Woman and Child in the World I have proved and shall prove it to be a blockish and Devilish Fancy 2. If this Light this Christ the Mediator between God and man be only a Spirit and not man why do the Scriptnre why do the Quakere madly say there was such a man though they cannot tell now what is become of him except he be as they say within c. 3. If this Light this Christ this Mediator be in every man what should be the Reason that so many Thousands and Ten Thousand of Millions see him not Only a few persons Cursing and Reviling all the rest and that say all but the Quakers are deceived Can the Sun be in a Chamber and persons not blind but 123 seeing and awake and using his Light and yet not see it Certainly it is but a painted Sun that doth not shine equally on all it is but a painted Fire that doth not burn and the Quakers are but Pictures of Christians and pictures of men to argue aftet such a Rate that Christ not only as God and Creatour should be in every man but also as the Mediator as the Spirit and yet not operate according to the Nature of the Sun and Fire It is true the Lord Jesus came into the dark world and their darkness comprehended him not to be He that was to come the true Messiah but when Christ Jesus as Mediator the true or only Light shall dwell in the Understanding and Will and Memory and Affections of a man or Woman and those persons be savingly inlightened by him as you write and yet not Converted and saved by him it can be the Language of none but those that peep and mutter Isai. 8. but have no true Light but a false and painted Light within them Lastly saith Fox this turning to the Light within is the New Birth But the Holy Record saith that till the preaching of the Word or Gospel or glad News come to the mind of a man ordinarily by the Ear and hearing and preaching Rom. 10. there is no Faith nor Covenant nor Christ nor God in the Soul Ephes. 2. and we are not only in darkness but darkness it self Ephes. 5. and only by the holy Word and Spirit preached the blessing Isai. 59. God shineth in our hearts and not by any such Immediate Fantastick Faith or Spirit as the Anti Christian Quakers dream of yea against the Light of a twofold Experience in their own Souls 1. That many of them being enlightened and formerly Convicted by the reading or preaching of the Doctrine Word or Will of God revealed in the holy Scripture 2. That of their new Light as they falsly and foolishly prate pretended to be brought unto their Ears and knowledge by the means of these new Apostles Preachers and Ministers so pretended of Christ Jesus When God hides that is by Spiritual Iudgements the Light of Scripture of the Spirit of Reason and of Experience c. who can find it out No man no nor Devil can subsist one minute without the power of Christs Eternal Power and God-head 124 but when Christ Jesus comes into the Soul as Mediator of the new Covenant and be thus idle and not operative in all mankinde in the World and not to Convert and work belief in them which must be either because he cannot or because he will not as the Leaper said is as black and blasphemous a Fancy as any Atheistical or AntiChristian Soul can harbour He brings in George Willington saying He is Iustified by Faith alone without good works He Answers What without Faith that works by Love I Reply In this passage and in many others this subtle man clearly discovers what he makes true Justifying Faith to be viz. not one hair breadth more then the Faith that may be to God in the first Covenant the Covenant of
that the Protestants may do the Papists work and save labour and Charges and so the Pope and his bloudy Whore of Rome may march away securely by the Light of the Protestants fires So deals the Devil the old Serpent with Christ Jesus and the holy Scripture or Records which are but One in a Sense as the Sun and the Sun-dial His end is to tear down the Sun dial the Scriptures under pretence that the Sun is within them and they need no Dials and Clocks no visible thing that are temporal c. and so to destroy the person and Commands of the Lord Jesus as visible and sleshly pretending all to be Light and Spirit 2. The words in the Hebrew Aamar and Dabar as also the Greek Logos and Rema signifie a word and divers other matters as I told my Antagonists in the dispute 1. In both these Languages and divers other Languages it signifies the will and pleasure of the Mind given forth by Command or Decres or Proclamation made by word or writing from Kings and States and Commanders of Armies Navies c. 2. In a Metaphor or Figure it is attributed to God though he have no word properly having no mouth no Tongue no Braine c. but as Nurses he deals with us poor Infants and sucklings c. 3. It is another Metaphor or Figure to say God is the word for God is no more a word then he is a Man or a Spirit or a Sun or Shield or a House or a Fountain or a Shepard litterally c. For as a word or Expression proceeds from the mind thoughts within so are the Thoughts and mind of God declared many wayes but chiefly by that man Christ Jesus called the Word 3. The Inconceivable Godhead being pleased to vouch-safe in Infinite Goodness some back parts and glimpses of his Infinite glori 81 rious Majesty in the Framing of this world and in the restoring of this world by making a Marriage between his Son and mankind all his words and Expressions tend mightily to advance this marriage and great manifestation or Word of God 4. I was once asked by a poor Foxian whether God had any more words but one I Answered and do now that God hath a great many words or Expressions of his mind and Counsels unto Men and Angels and so G. Fox and all the Foxians Confess the Scriptures to be the Words of God and therein Confess that all and every word of Scripture is a word of God The Truth is when God gives forth a word or Command by Angels by Men and by other of his Armies wherein his Infinite Power and Providence daily appeareth his word runneth very swiftly as we see when the word is given in a Kingdome Navy or Army as in Ahashueros his one hundred and twenty seven Provinces c. He sends out his word that is his mind or pleasure and melteth them Psal. 147. 5. So that I Affirm that the two great Lights of Heaven the Sun and Moon and all the lesser Lights the Stars are Words and Preachings and preachers of God to us Every wind and Cloud and drop of Rain and Hail every Flake of Snow every Leaf every Grass every drop of water in the Ocean and Rivers yea every Grain of Corn and Sand on the Shore is a Voice or word and witness of God unto us 6. Hence as in that Admirable 107 Psalm c. Every Turn of the holy hand of God in Ruling and Over-ruling all things in the world upon the two great Hinges of Mercy and Iudgement Psal 110. are but so many Voices or words of God God speaks once and twice Job 33. but man hears it not in Visions in Dreams in Health and Sickness in Ease and pain in wants in plenty in dangers and Deliverances Crosses Losses c. 7. That the Hebrew is most full viz. that God spake by his Prophets or Preachers or declarers of his will divers wayes and divers times but now he hath spoken by his Son From the beginning of the world Luke 1. he hath spoken of the coming of this Son by the mouths of all his Prophets even from the beginning of the World Therefore though God have many Sons yet Christ Jesus that man Christ Jesus among the many millions of 82 Sons is stiled the only Begotten Son of God the Head of all the Elect purchased to God out of every Nation by his Blood c. so by the same excellency and eminency above all the manifestations and appearances of God to the World no word or appearances of God is comparable to that appearance of God in Christ Jesus and therefore called the Word of God as the greatest appearance of the eternal Power and Godhead 8. Hence it follows that these poor Foxians are so much the more shameless and monstrous not only in robbing the Scriptures of their most Heavenly and common Title of the Word of God common to all Gods appearances but also in turning this Word of God Christ Jesus into a Spirit without any body but what is gone for ever from us and by their parting him his God-head from his Man-hood into a Fancie a Dream a meer Whimsie and Devellish Imagination 9 When we deal with Indians about Religion our work is to prove unto them by Reason that the Bible is Gods Word for by Nature they are much affected with a kind of Deity to be in Writing That all their Revelations and Visions and Dreams in which the Devil wonderfully abuseth them are False and Cheating That this Scripture or Writing we pretend to is from God by their own experience because it agrees with their own Consciences reproving them for those sins their Souls say they are guilty of That the terrible Majesty of Gods Justice in punishing Sinners so shines in it and also his infinite goodness and mercy in finding out such a way of Mediation and such a Mediator that their Souls cannot but adore Infinite Justice and Mercy in it That the Holy power of God so appears in it in working upon the Souls of Millions turning them from Dogs and Swine and Wolves and Lions and Sheep and Lambs and Doves c. in Love Meekness Patience c. That it could be none but an Omnipotent Arm that hath preserved the Holy Scripture so many thousand years some part of it through so many wonderful changes through so many Bloody Huntings of Kings Emperours Popes and this more subtile Hunting of these Foxians to run it out of this World and by seeming to embrace it to destroy and kill it 83 The 41. Instance is in Page 228. Where G. Fox brings in Thomas Weld saying There lies a Mystery of Iniquity for to say the World calls them so by such and such Names or gives them their Christian Name He Answers There are Names given by the Heathen the Heathen outward which men are called There is a new Name which the
Ministeryes or Offices 3. Operations Works or Successes all wrought in the Saints by the holy Spirit for the Glory of the same Father Lord and Spirit the mutual comfort and edifing of the Saints yea and for the Convicting and drawing of other poor Sinners out of the World to God The Lord mercifully awaken your Souls to the Love of God and the Love of his holy Truth for the not beleiving of which but the profane playing with it the most high and righteous Judge of the whole world in a way of Iudicial Sentence delivers up poor Souls to believe Lyes and that so strongly as to give their bodyes to be burned for them The Papists catch hold upon a Letter This is my body You as simply as doe the Generalists catch hold upon the Letter All every man that comes into the world .c. whereas the Scope and Connection in all writings and in all matters in the world are rationally to be minded The Sence and Meaning is in all Speech and Writing in our own and other Languages the very Speech or Writing it self These Words All and every one in our own and other Tongues 9 are often used figuratively it is so all the Scripture over and thrice in one verse Colloss 1. 28. where Reason cannot imagine that Paul did literally and individually admonish every man teach every man and present every man that comes into the world perfect in Christ Jesus which could not cannot possibly be true without another Sence and Exposition then the words literally hold out 4 Again you are dangerously bold to say that you write from the Spirit of Truth wherein you Father these your childish Irrationalityes your profaning of the holy Majesty of God his holy Scriptures and writings and your rash Judging and Examining of others upon the holy Spirit of God But I do humbly hope to evince that the Spirit you boast of is so far from the Spirit of God that it falls beneath the foot of a sober and well grounded Humanity At present I only Instance in that whorish and monstrous act of your Women and Maidens stripping themselves stark naked by your Spirit and with a face of brass coming into the open streets and publick Congregations of Men and Youths This Spirit though defended by G. Fox and others is such a piece of unnaturall and bruitish Impudence that I cannot hear of the like amongst Jews or Gentiles yea not amongst the most Savage Base and Barbarous of them all all Circumstances considered 5. In the last place I observe your Fickleness and Inconstancy what and how often have I heard you speak of the Chief of the Quakers now at Newport How lately and how much have you uttered of John Crosman his Cross and froward spirit even since he pretended the Spirit yea how inhumane and injurious to your self in the way of his Calling now all on a sudden for I heard but little untill I saw your Lines you are got up into the lofty Chair of Judging and ready to say God I thank thee I am not as this Publican I beseech the Lord to make you savingly to remember that Word God resisteth that is sets himself in Hostility against the Proud but he giveth Grace unto the Lowly so prayes your old unworthy Friend R. W. Providence 18th 5th 72. I had hoped that I had Conjur'd down at least for the present that Waspish spirit but he flyes out against me within a few dayes in this second Letter following 10 Providence 23. 5. 75. ANcient Friend and Acquaintance I read thy Note four dayes after the subscribing it that so thy Councellors might throughly be informed of thy continued Zeal in a dangerous Case What I write to thee in Love hath a contrary effect in thy Spirit being so prejudiced against us according to the Proverb Nothing is well spoken that is not well taken Upon Discourse thou didst say the Quakers could not be believed on their Words or Writings having a secret Reservation within them which gives me to conclude that wee are Iudged before wee Speak For my charging upon thee Slanders and Lyes Examine but thy Positions which will make manifest what I say As for the Terror which thou speakest of c. I leave it to thee to consider what thou art about least thou be called to Account for it before thou art ready As for charging me with Irrationality for not alleadging Scripture for what I write yet I alleadged three Scriptures one of which thou wrestest adding what I wrote not so that if I had urged more I should have had the like Catching But we both must come to give an Account of what is done in the Body In this my Letter thou mayest see my witnessing against most of thy Slanderous Propositions Concerning the Spirits manifestations 1 Cor. 12. 13. I freely consent that they were the Saints by Calling who are there Considered As thou alleadgest the Papists Catch at a word This is my body so we catch at a word All and misapply Scripture so that I perceive thou hast not a Guide to thy mind but utterest thine own Conceivings John 3. 16. The Promise is to them that Believe and not to All. Again Thou findest fault with my rash judging thee and abusing Scripture Take it to thy self for the word Damning thou foistest in thy self neither dare I pass Sentence of Damnation upon any For Iudgment belongeth to the Lord and we must stand or fall to our own Master As for my Fickleness and Inconstancy Lay thy hand upon thy mouth and Consider thy Windings and Turnings in thy Iudgment and Practice how thankfull thou wast to J. Burnet whome thou highly commendest after thou camest home and now reproachest the Truth which then thou assentest to and in thy 14 Positions thou hintest by thy wicked Surmises what the sudden spirit of the Quakers is to take away the Lives of Kings .c. but I told thee in my first Letter thou art a stranger to that holy Spirit we act by But further thy Malice appeareth in going to one thou saidst that 11 if the spirit of the Governour were to cut of his head he must doe it Call to mind what thou didst to thy peaceable Neighbours seeking their Blood crying out Treason when the Court discerned thy Blood-thirsty spirit which thy friends at Newport were ashamed of and thy Accusations proved Invalid How childish didst thou act to swear against One when another told thee of somewhat spoken to allay thy fury against William Harris Call to mind thy Books written and see thy Fickleness wanting a Guid to thy mind being for and against Persecution Thou chargest me to have gotten into the Chair of Iudging thy two Scripts I return upon thy self Physitian heal thy self The Wisdom of man puffeth up but the Wisdom of God humbleth that God may be all in all I desire thee to look back to thy Lines and where thou mentionest the Satisfaction of infinite
G. Fox Answers Though the Scripture saith the Spirit dwells in the Saints 1 Cor. 6. And he that is joyned to the Lord is one Spirit 1 Joh. 1. As though the Saints had not Union with God which the Scripture say they have I Reply concerning the Essence or Being of the Immortal Invisible Infinite Eternal Omnipotent and Omniscient and only Wise we know no more then a Fly knows what a King is and therefore 1 Tim. 9. He dwells in the Light that no man can approach to how fully doth the Holy Spirit in the Book of Iob and especially in that dreadful Word or Voice of God in a Whirlwind knock out the brains of all these proud Fancies let this proud Fox or any of the stoutest Lions or Lionesses amongst them look but a few minutes upon the glorious Sun in the Heavens and then tell us how their eyes do and yet thus like proud and pratling Children do they make a noise about their Bibs and Aprons and Muckingers and how they are one with God his Being and Essence c. Is it not enough for Sun Moon and Stars and Men to be enlightned by his Infinity but they must be God himself and Light it self in the highest sence because God is Light c. What impudence would it be in a Wife because she is one with her Husband in Relation to say She is the Husband himself and not to keep her just distinction and distance or in a Subject because the Subjects and the King are Relatives and in a sence one 189 therefore to say that they are the King himself Again we know that the word Spirit is taken in Holy Scripture for a Spiritual Nature Hence it is said that God is a Spirit not that God is properly a Spirit no more then he is Light though my Opposites in our Dispute affirmed he was but of such a Heavenly and Spiritual Nature For the Devils also are Spirits though defiled with sin and wickedness thus Ioh. 3. That which is born of the Spirit is Spirit not that Spirits beget Spirits and that a new Creature is a young holy Spirit or God himself as I told one of the chief of the Quakers at Newport And that 1. Cor. 6. shews us in what respect he that is joyned to the Lord is one Spirit For know you not saith Paul that your Bodies are the Temples of the Holy Spirit and Ephes. 2. For an Habitation of God through the Spirit Thus God dwelt in his Temple of old as a Man in his House and a King in his Palace not that a Mans House or the Kings Palace is of his Substance or Essence no more then an house is of the Suns Essence c. and no more was Gods Temple of old nor his Temples his Saints now after the blockish and blasphemous nonsence of the Quaker In Page 2. He brings in Sam Eaton saying The Scripture is to be judge of Doctrines and Manners G. Fox Answers The Iews had not the infallible Iudgement that had Scripture but stood against Christ the Light and judged him to be a Devil that judgement was not infallible and that Doctrine and Manners of theirs was not right which goes against Christ the Light I Reply as the Sun in the Heavens is the Epitomy or Center of all Natural Light though some eyes are sore look a squint or are stark blinde And as the Rule or Canon though Fox simply bogles at that as not a Scripture word is the same for it is in the Greek though millions know it not and millions as the Pharises pervert and misapply it The Holy Scripture is granted by G. Fox to be Gods Words though in a subtle fancie not his Word but if it be every word of their Gods then is every Word as Dâ—vid saith a Light to our feet and a Lanthorn to our Paths though we despise it and wilfully refuse it as some sometimes do Lanthorns and wilfully stumble 190 into the Ditch Eternal and other poor Souls after us Thus the Heavenly Sun-Dial is one and constant in its guidance and direction to us poor Travellers though we neglect to look on it or be ignorant of the figures and lines of it and be willingly ignorant c. We are not only commanded to read and meditate in the Holy Scriptures and to search them as the Bereans did but we are commanded to try all things to try the very Spirits The Papists slap us in the mouth with the infallible Spirit of the Pope and that he is not to be judged the Quakers say the same of themselves which is no more then as I said in the Dispute when W Edmund interrupted me crying out Blasphemy for a Man to go for Counsel to an arrant Cheater and Jugler then cheating most when he calls all others Cheaters In Page 3. He brings in the same Author saying That God did not intend immediate Teaching nor to give out an immediate voice in after ages which should direct and guid men in the way of Salvation He Answers which is contrary to the Scripture which saith All the people of the Lord shall be taught of the Lord and he that is of God heareth Gods word and that is immediate and living and doth endure for ever there is no fallibility nor delusion in the Revelation of God but all fallibility and delusion is out of it I Reply it is granted that God speaks mediately unto us by the light of Nature within us doth not nature teach you that it is a shame for a man to have long hair c. 2. By his works of Creation 3. His Providence without us in his mercies and judgements so that every drop of Rain and crumb of Bread and grain of Corn is Gods word and witness And 4. The pains of the Body and Dreams in the night have much of Gods word and voice in them Iob 33. God speaks once and twice but man hears it not and is not Gods speaking his Word And 5 All grant that the words of Scripture are the words of God And 6. The teachings of men Ephes. 4. are granted to be means c. both for the gathering of the Church as Apostles and for the Governing of the Flocks as Pastors and Shepherds c. 191 7. The Water the Bread the Wine c. are appointed by Christ Jesus to be means while profession of Christ Jesus is made on earth to hold forth a remembrance of him until his second coming 8. The private Prayers and Fastings and Meditations of the Saints day and night are holy Meanes in and by which the Eternal God speaks Peace Instruction Reproof and Comfort to to them that fear him 9. Sometimes it pleaseth God by the Ministration of his Ministring Spirits the invisible Angels to work by unknown and unseen wayes to us thus in Pauls Light and Voice and Blindness and the Iailors Earthquake but afterward in Ananias his sending
ever the Servants of God when they inveighed against the Customariness the Carelessness the pictures and the meer 13 Formality of the Worshippers Jews or Christians inveigh against the worship it self and the Appointments of God and of his Son Christ Jesus 3. Did the Servants of God ever labour to bring and hale off Gods people from the worship it self but only from the dead and meerly formal using of them until the time appointed by God himself for their withdrawings disappearing and abrogation What a shameless falshood is it that any of Gods Messengers brought Gods people off from those heavenly Fabricks which God erected by their Ministry or Service all the World over 4. May not Gods Messengers now Cry out against the apish Imitations Formalities of the Papists so horribly and bloodily abusing Prayer preaching Baptisme the Lords Supper Excommunication c. but like the Assyrians or Babilonians Psal. 74. All these Christian Appointments must be broken and tumbled down with Axes and Hammers c. 5. This is Treason and Rebellion in any Atheists or whomsoever but more abominable Hipocritical in these Pharisaical Foxians who Cry out against the apish Imitators and yet themselves practice preaching praying Congregations or Churches singings Conventings and implicite though real Addings to Castings out c Full well as the Lord Iesus speaks abrogating the word and Appointments of God that they may set up and establish their own Traditions c. 6. T is true the Protestants have made separation from the Church of Rome as whorish and Bloody in order to the Return to the first Primitive purity from which the whore of Rome hath departed 7. G. Fox Cries out against all Scripture and Common Sense against all Forms that is wayes and manners of Gods Worship Cries up a Christ within Scripture within Church within Ministers within Baptisme and Supper within yet practice they most of these so many as their Idol requires and will serve his turn as outwardly and visibly as any in the world 8. I know it is the observation of one of G. Fox his Opposites a man of excellent knowledge piety industry M Baxter viz. that the Churches of the Independents Baptists have been the source and Spring whence have flown the Generation of the Quakers For my self I have observed the contrary in these parts 14 and that although some rotten Professors or weak Souls though true have been bewitched by those Soul-witches yet generally where they have any Liberty the National Church fills up their nuâ—bers My Reason I gave them in publick when W. Edm. Boasted of their Numbers viz. their Religion is so easie never coming near the Roots of rotten Nature but so wonderfully agreeing with it and changing one Devil for another as I have before instanced so that I told them I adored the Infinite Power wisdome and goodness of God that they were not ten thousand fold more and I say Millions more then they are For I can demonstrate that if G Fox for all their hypocritical prating against Carnal Weapons get a Sword as Mahomet did most of the Popish and Protestant and pagan World will easily be brought to dance after him 9. As to the point of Separation I pray Mr. Baxter and others of G. Foxes learned and godly opposites who are yet in their Judgement and Conscience perswaded to the National Worships to hear me patiently four words 1. I pray them to remember what the word Nazarite is in English The word Nazareth and the word Iesus of Nazareth and in plain English 2. Was there ever Child of God in this world but he was a Nazarate separate from worldly persons worldly practice and worldly worships as he comes to see them c. and endureth not that the evil one should touch him 3. Is not Gods name Iealous in this end of the World not the west-world as well as since he first proclaimed it in the East 4. Hath not his Jealousie raged against the Iewish whoremongers who defiled his first Bed and will he wink at the Christian Adulterers and Adulteresses either in Worship or Conversation 5. With what good Conscience can I a national Protestant separate from my Father the Pope and my mother the Church of Rome and my Brethren and Sisters the Papists and yet it must not be Christian for other Souls to see further degrees of that Separation necessary and I must bring up the foot of every mans Light and Sight and Conscience to my Laste 6. This is the main ground of my Controversy with the proud Quakers they stir up in their Illuminations in themselves and 15 Condemnations against others but they magnify with the Papists and Arminians Cursed rotten Nature their Converts and Proselites have but a painted formal Repentance Faith c. Only if they can come to their Church c. and Thou and thee and disrespâ—ct all Superiours then are they high Saints cannot Sin c. 7. This as before I hinted was the heavenly Principle of those many precious and gallant Worthies the Leaders and Corner Stones of these New-England Colonies viz. they desired to worship God in purity according to those perswasions in their Consciences which they believed God had lighted up 8. They desired such for their Fellow Worshippers as they upon a Christian account could have evidence that to be true and real Worshippers of God in Spirit and Truth also But I forget this is but an Appendix and therefore I return to another Instance of G. Fox his poor and lame and naked Answers c. A 9th Instance is pag. 32. where G. Fox brings in Ellis Bradshaw saying The Spirit of God doth not teach to judge before the time and he adds that others of them say The Saints shall not Iudge while they be upon the Earth To which he Answers But the Spirit did teach the Apostle to judge and his Time was come And he tells some that they were of old ordained for Condemnation and their Damnation slumbred not and they went on to Eternal Judgement and it is high Time not to judge I Reply Some of this his Answer is some of his wonted Nonsence or the Printers oversight c. But to the point the great Jugler hath taught G. Fox and his Foxians a trick to outface Death and Indgement They now keep the great Sessions and call all the world to their Bar and Judgement Thus did the poor cheated Souls in London lately Reeves and Mugleton thunder out their eternal Sentence of Damnation upon the Souls and bodies of their Oppoâ—ites that with such Seriousness Confidence Majesty that I have known sollid Christians put into a fright by them It is true there is a lawful judging not according to rashness or pride as the Quakers is but according to righteous Judgement It is true the spiritual man judgeth and discerneth all things that is looks into the Causes and Natures of things
willing I would produce some Instances I took up the Book and read in the 3d. page where he brings in his Opposite Samuel Eaton saying The Saints have not Christ in the Flesh G. F. his Answer is Contrary to Christ and the Apostles Doctrine who said they were of his Flesh and of his Bone and should eat his Flesh and they that eat his Flesh have it in them Whence I affirmed that Christ Jesus had such a Body as might be really and materially in the Saints and ii was clear that they were one with the Papists in their Sayings and Doctrines denying the Flesh Body and Person of Christ Jesus For as the Papists in stead of a Spritual feeding upon his bloud and Merits they substitute and bring in a Real Material and Carnal in their horrible and fantastical Transubstantiation so do the Quakers professing to eat Christ spiritually wholy destroy his material and fleshly being I proceeded saying in the 4th Page G. Fox brings in the same Opposite saying The Saints do not see Christ the Heavens contain him And G. F. Answers And the Apostle saith they sate with Christ in heavenly places so he is contrary to the Apostle and Christ was in them and walked in them and God dwelt in them and Christ in you except you be Reprobates I said that as the Papists were up ridiculously odiously with Hoc est Corpus meum This is my Body c. so they with The Light within you the Light that enlightens every man Christ within you except you be Reprobates c. 48 For if the Heavens do contain that Man Christ Jesus bodily as they grant in word saying They believed he dyed rose and ascended then in that same sence and respect the Saints cannot now sit bodily with Christ in heavenly places and therefore to alledge Christ within and their sitting with Christ in heavenly places was but irrational Nonsence and Jesuitical Equivocation The truth is they were gravel'd with these Considerations and they were willing that G Fox his book and his Answers should answer for them and although the oppositions of G. Fox his Opposites were mighty and G Foxes were meer simple barkings of dogs or foxes compar'd with the rational and prudential Answers of a man yet when I began to open and compare the Assertions of the Opposite and Fox his answer they would cry out especially W E. like a galled horse winching Why dost thou make thy Observations upon G. Fox his words G. Fox his words need not thy Expositions let G. Fox his words alone they are able to speak for themselves I told them it was a senceless business for me to alleadge and they to be willing I should G. Fox his sayings and his Answers and we should not debate and discuss the Sence and I make out my Proof out of G. Fox his words and his Adversaryes compar'd together when they had spoken they knew their liberty to take of my Answers with their own and leave what was spoke to every ones Conscience in the sight of God They were Obstinately that is in Greek Heretically resolved to avoid this Course therefore I was glad to hale my Tacks Bolings close home and make my best of a bare Wind and now and then loof up into the wind and get liberty to say something and omit abundance of my Thoughts Once I was forced to say to W. Edmondson Friend yesterday you quoted the 9 of Nehem. how it pleased God to send them his good Spirit to guide them I pray remember now a word in the 8 of Nehem. They read and gave the Sence and caused the People to understand the Reading Without this searching for the Sence and meaning the Pith and Marrow of the holy Scriptures or any other Scriptures or Writings we make use of what are our Readings but the Papists Latine the reading Ministers the pratling of Children and Parrets yet notwithstanding all that I could say and urge it is known to all the Audience the Song was let G. Fox words alone to speak for themselves if thou hast any 49 more to bring forth let us have them so that as before I was forced to wave my Observations and Intentions and pass on to new Allegations Though now I shall crave liberty to touch and point at as with the finger the Opposites Assertions of Truth and G. Fox his unsavoury and rotten Answers In Page 8. He brings in Iohn Bunyan c. saying The Lord Iesus Christ is afar in his bodily presence and G. Fox answers And yet he saith the Lord is at hand and the Apostle said he was in them and Christ said he would dwell with them I here observe and reply the holy Scripture abundantly tells us of a twofold presence of Christ 1. His bodily visible Presence which Iohn Bunyan speaks of and the Quakers in words grant The 2. His Spirituall invisible Presence of which many Scriptures speak and that most clearly Eph. 3. 10. That Christ may dwell in your hearts by believing c. Concerning this visible bodily presence of which the Question is First G. Fox his impertinent and silly Answer is not to the Point no more then the East and the West is to one point of the Compass 2. He fallaciously most unchristianly and impiously denyes the body of Christ Iesus to be any where and as Conjurers do Hocas Pocas that which all now see is gone vanished so that with the ancient enemies of Christ Humane Nature the Manicheans they say and unsay and at last affirm a Christ only God and Spirit dwelling in them and in all mankind also About this time these subtle Foxes minded to spin out Time and wave the close Fight of examining Particulars concerning Christs humanity G. Fox his Book was brought forth the same with mine Iohn Burinat took it and went along with me in the Quotations I read and alwayes endeavoured to make my proof out of the Allegation But W. Edmundson kept strict watch and stood Centinel that no Observations of Sences or Meanings should pass resolving to keep out the Fire and Light of Christ Jesus with Stand or I le let fly a Fire from Hell upon you Well I knew what froward Children and bruitish Spirits I dealt with resolved to go softly and to speak softly and as I could gain ground by inches at least for liberty to give my witness for the Lord Iesus In Page 9. He brings in Iohn Bunyan c. affirming that the Son of Mary God-Man is absent from his Church G. Fox answers but never touching Scripture about it contrary to 50 Christs words I in them and they in me and I will be with you to the ends and Christ the Head of the Church where two or three are gathered c. and the Saints are bone of his bone and flesh of his slesh I Reply here half an eye may see as before how he gives
no other Presence or Absence of a Christ but invisible and Spiritual and subtilly affirms that Christ Iesus hath no bodily Presence at all in the sence which all Christians of what sort or Sect soever but these Iuglers and themselves also in word and horrible hypocrisie do acknowledg and profess In Page 10 He brings in the same Author saying Christ was not in his Disciples when he said I am the Light of the world G Fox answers And so corrected by Christ I in you and you in me Pag. 12. He brings in the same Author saying The Body of Christ is out of the sight of all his Saints G. Fox Answers they sat with Christ in Heavenly places the Saints are Flesh of his Flesh and Bone of his Bone were the Church which he is head of his Body In which I Answer and all his Book over though he own a Christ without and that died at Ierusalem in word yet he allows in effect no other Body to Christ Iesus but what is Mistical and Spiritual so that with notorious Iugling and Iesuitical Impudence they would make their simple Followers believe that they own such a Christ as shed his Blood at Ierusalem and yet leave him in his Body no more Blood to shed then is in a Spirit which hath no Bones Flesh nor Blood to shed at all Pag. 17. He brings in Enoch Howet Affirming That it is Blasphemy to say that Christ is in Man as God Man G. Fox Answers still like the Cuckow in one silly Note How are they of his Flesh and of his Bones And doth not the Scripture say Christ in you and God will dwell in you and walk in you and are not his Saints of his Flesh and of his Bones and there is one sentence added are they not partakers of the Divine Nature I Reply this Participation of the Divine Nature is saith Peter in the Saints by those precious Promises that is by receiving Christ Jesus by believing in him according to that Ephes. 3. 10. That Christ may dwell in your hearts by Believing not that the Divine Being or Essence and Nature or Godhead is communicable to a finite Creature from hence these proud Simpletons fancie and some have been such bold Bayards as to say they are Christ and God as much as he that died at Ierusalem Christed with Christ and Godded with God 51 It is remarkable that Nicholas the Deacon was the Father as I believed of the old Nicholaitans and Henery Nichols in King Iames his time the Father of the new Nicholaitans in London and other places crying up their perfection their Spirituality and Godhead all leading from the purity of Gods Worship and Authority of the Holy Scripture and at last to carnal Filthiness as the Daughters of these the Ranters declare evidently This Humane Nature humane Soul and Body of Christ Jesus is so cross opposite and contrary to their new whimsical Christ Jesus the Light within them that G. Fox in all this Book cannot endure to hear of the word Humane as being a new Name and never heard of in the Scriptures As to the word Humane such an odious Word and Bugbear to G. Fox in all this Book I said in publick many Words truely and properly English were well and commendably used that were not in the Scripture in English it is true the word Humane comes from the word in Latin Humanus signifying partaining or belonging to Man so a Humane Soul or Body is no more but such a Soul or Body as all Mankinde have Hence I told them that the word Anthropinos peirasmos 1. Cor. 10. I presumed Iohn Stubs knew might have been turned Humane but is truely turned no Temptation or Trial but such as is common to Men. This Fox knows that if Christ Jesus be granted to have had such a Soul and Body as is Humane or Common to Men down falls their Dagon before the Chest or Ark of God viz. their Horrible Monstrous Idol of a Christ called Light within them We went on thus in alleadging Quotations though not in a close Examination of them which they endured not though ever and anon I made some sallies out upon them and had some Skirmishings and sometimes sharp Disputes before I would retreat from the Quotation In Pag. 282. He brings in Daniel Gaudry saying We shall not see Christ as he is until he comes to Iudgement and then and not before we shall see him G. Fox Answers You where you are see him not nor know him as he is we do believe you but the Saints the true Church whom he is the Head of in whom he is in the midst and in whom he is c. I was not desirous to trouble the Audience with more Quotations but they still urged haste thou any more hast thou any more c. upon their provocation I Quoted many more to 52 make up an overwhelming Cloud of Witnesses against these Protestant Iesuites and Iudasites Betrayers of the Son of God the true Lord Jesus Christ. In Foxes Answer to his Opposite Daniel Caudry it is clear that he affirms the contrary to his Opposite to wit that Christ Jesus is as much now seen visibly as ever he shall be seen in which I believe he speaks the heart of all the Antichristian Wolves and Foxes who quake and tremble at the thought of Christs return again to judgment and therefore these deluded and deluding Souls in their dark Prisons of willing Blindness and the hellish Chaines of the pride and hardness and security of their hearts they dream they sit in Robes of Glory themselves now keep open the high Court of eternal Iudgment and pass Sentence upon this Christ without as a poor Outside Christ and all that worship him 2. I observe in Fox his answer that he can not keep out of his Burrow of confounding a visible eye and a Spiritual a visible and invisible seing you see him not saith he where you are that is you that look upon such a real person indeed such an one born living and dying as the History sets forth you cannot see him as he is but we that look at Christ Iesus and the history of him as Mystical immediate invisible though we use to please you children and fools with the words of Christ dying at Ierusalem we see him he is in the midest of us and he is the invisible Head of the Church in God while you talk of Visibles and seing him as Visible c. In Page 276. he brings in Richard Meyo saying that he did believe in a Christ that dyed at Ierusalem and that he doth not believe in a Christ within and preach Christ within is a Reprobate Colloss 2. 2. Cor. 13. And he is not in a true Belief of Christ without that doth not believe in a Christ within but is in the Devils Belief and believes as the Devils do In this his answer an
it saying G. Foxes Words were plain concerning the true Christ And so indeed I say they are to any penitent Soul truly like Paul unbottom'd from weak and filthy self and his own Dunghil Righteousness and burning with sincere Affection to the true Lord Iesus For these subtle Foxes and their Words discover as the Sun at noon day that as plainly as ever Absalom Achitophel Shimei Sheba rose up in conspiracy and Rebellion against David c. as plainly as ever Iudas and Peter for a time and Alexander the Copper-smith and Hymeneus and Iulian the Apostate denied Davids Antitype the true Lord Iesus so under the Cloak and Colour of Christ Crucified within do their Rebellious Traitors bear Arms against the Mediator between God and Man the Man Christ Jesus For although it be Scripture Phrase that we are Crucified Dead and Buried and Risen with Christ yet what a poor proof is this that Christ was Born and Crucified c. yesterday and to day within us and there is no other Birth nor Life nor Death nor Grave but what is within us and all are Reprobates and Devils that bow not down to this painted devouring Monster Still my Opposites were catcht in their own Craftiness they seemed well pleased that G. Fox should be heard in his Answers to his Adversaries and I restrain'd and stopt from making out my Proofs from the Sense and Scope and Meaning I was yet glad that so much was discovered that I had by Catches liberty to give fire sometimes and intended to make use of this present Advantage which I from the first intended when I saw I should be stopt and they would not afford me the liberty I gave to them without the least Interruption as Iohn Stubs confessed Page 135. He brings in Thomas Moor saying Christ is absent from us while we are in this Mortal Body He Answers contrary to the Apostle who saith the Life of Christ is manifested in their mortal Flesh. And Page 136. The same Author saith Christ is distinct from every one of us and without us in our particular persons He An 59 swers The Apostle said Christ was in them except thed were Reprobates and they were of his Flesh and of his Bone and they eat his Flesh and drank his Blood then it was in them and he is distinct from none but Reprobates who hates the Light Reply I wondred not so much at this Thunder and Fire and stinking Brimstone from this Foxes mouth and that all are Reprobates with him that bow not down to his Carved Image but I wondred at my Opposites who declared publickly as before that they would not follow G. Fox but in the Truth c. and yet when I read all their plain Evidences to them of Foxes denying the true Lord Iesus God and Man and making only a Spiritual Christ a Mystical Inviâ—ible Iesus c. that yet they should be so blinded and hardened as to cover excuse and plead for G. Fox in all particulars and stop me from drawing the Curtain and letting in the Light by Opening and Arguing from the Sence and Meaning I do not remember that any one of my three Opposites gave any positive answer to any of my Observations on Foxes Principles Answers and Evasions All their work was to keep themselves within their Trenches or Burroughs and to cry out Thou must keep to Foxes Words or Wilt thou go on to another In Page 71. He brings in Frances Higginson saying Christs Humane Nature He Answers Where doth the Scripture speak of Humane the Word Humane where is it written that we may search for it Now we do not deny that Christ according to the Flesh was of Abraham but not the word Humane And Christs Nature is not Humane which is Earthly for that is the first Adam Reply This ignorant and simple Cavil as I have before proved it to be from 1 Cor. 10. is often brought by G. Fox in this Book in an horrible equivocation to overthrow and destroy that Humane Nature that Flesh and Body of the Lord Jesus who yet had such a Body they say that died at Ierusalem These Traiterous Jesuits or Iudasites tell us Humane is of the Earth or Earthly and that is the first Adam but Christ Jesus is of the Seed of Abraham according to the slesh that is in their mental Reservation according to their slesh God in their flesh Christ in their flesh suffering at a Mystical Ierusalem within them They are Abrahams Seed Isaaks Seed in whom all Nations by this Christ the Light within them must be blessed And all that are not this Seed this Flesh 60 this Christ which they are are in the Serpents Nature and Reprobates But amongst all the most full and heavenly Scriptures for the Humane Nature of the Lord Jesus I shall touch but one at present Act. 13. at Antioch Barnabas and Paul in a Synagogue of the Iews made the Humane Nature of the Lord Jesus as also in other places the great Subject of their Discourse and Preaching and concludes ver 38. Be it known unto you therefore Men Brethren that through this Man is Preached unto you the Forgiveness of sins and by Him all that Believe are Iustified from all things from which you could not be justified by the Law of Moses By the meritorious Sufferings Death and Blood-shedding of this Jesus literally in the History born at Bethlehem as the Quakers say c. is only forgiveness of sin and justification c. and not by a Chimical and Diabolical Christ and Fancy within us begot by the Devil on a proud and lazie Ignorance Let therefore as it follows the Proud Despisers wonder and perish believing not in him the true Light of the World the true Brazen Serpent to all that look up unto him In Page 37. He brings in Thomas Collier saying If the very Christ God Man be within those called Quakers he cannot come down from Heaven He Answers Here he stands against the promise of Christ that he shall come and dwell in you and walk in you I will come again unto you And he hath revealed his Son in me saith the Apostle and know you not that Christ is in you except you be Reprobates and the Spirit of the Father speaks in you and see how contrary thou art to the Prophets Christ and the Apostles I urged that here G. Fox did plainly deny the expected personal coming of the Lord Iesus but they charged me to give none of my Sences and Meanings to G. Fox his words but now I have leave by Gods merciful hand here to say that their Hypocrisie and Deceit whereby they cheat themselves and others is so much the more gross and abominable because they pretend in words to own Christ Jesus Humane descending or Ascending as a Man into Heaven and Christs there abiding until the time of the Restitution and Christs return the second time They know also that all those
the Scriptures within their Teacher within They stil say The Scripture was not the Word of God the Scripture is but a dead Letter they have no need of Paper-Teachers having the spirit that gave it forth Yea as the Papists say if the Scriptures were lost and burnt out of the world the spirit within them could give new Scriptures T is true the Quakers in this Dispute professed to be tryed by the Scriptures which the first Quakers among us wholly denied but only by the Spirit within them But what avails this Confession Is it not but a subtle trick of Equivocation when stil they profess to owne G. Fox all along and he professeth the Soules of all men to be a part of God and the divine Essence and that their is no distinction between God Christ and Spirit and themselves what should hinder but that the Scripture is but a dead Letter and compared with their spirit a weak and needless Paper unto them that hath such a light and Spirit within to guide them I told them before and now that there was an Irish Papist in the late warrs that spoke the very heart and soul of Iews Papists and Common Protestants and the Quakers themselves as to the holy Scriptures In plundering and rifling a Protestants house he found a Bible and flung it in the Kennel and kickt and trod upon it saying The plague of God take this Book it is the cause of all these Quarrels My Opposite said they owned the Scriptures in their place as a Declaration of the Saints Conditions Iohn Burnet took a Bible and read publickly that Passage in Luke 1. where Luke calls his Writing a Declaration I urged that this will of God for this Declaration of what Christ said and did and of all the rest of the Scripture was a Declaration and Revelation of Gods Will to his People and to the whole World this written and revealed 90 will of God I said was the Judge and Decider of all Questions the tryer of all Spirits all Religions all Churches all Doctrines all Opinions all Actions They answered they did owne the Scriptures and would be tryed by the Scriptures which is a new trick meaning according to their own not to be questioned Interpretations I urged that they set up their Spirit above the Scriptures fathering all their Revilings Cursings and Abominations upon the holy Spirit I asked whether they owned the Scripture as the square Rule or Guide according to whose sentence all the Knowledge of God and of our selves the Knowledge of Gods Worship and Service and our own Blessedness and Salvation was to be determined yea and the Spirit within them to be tryed determined approved and condemned also They still fled to this Burrough the Spirit that gave forth Scripture is greater then the Scripture the spirit is in us that Spirit only opens the Scripture the Spirit is immediate and infallible and they only who have this Spirit know the Scriptures I answered that I maintained the inward breathing of the holy Spirit more than themselves for I quoted before Luke 11. viz. that we ought in all our Preachings Hearings Readings Prayings c. to beg the help of the Spirit called the Finger and Power of God and yet I also maintained that this Record this Word Will or Mind of God written and pen'd by chosen Pen-men as Pens in the hand of his holy Spirit and so miraculously preserved from the Rage of the Devils fiery Instruments Babilonian Assyrian Romane and Popish Tyrants and that much among the Jewes and Papists and much by their meanes also though they hate it I say this Record is the outward and external Light Lanthorn Iudge Guide Rule by which God witnesseth himself and his Truth in the World comforteth and feedeth his saints in their Dispersions discovers and reforms the defects and wanderings of his People as in Iosiah his finding this Record and Ezekiel Iohn eating the Book out of which the holy Spirit inspired them to prophesie to Kings and Peoples c. T is true who doubts it but that God and the Spirit were before the Scriptures and so he was before the Creation before Christ Jesus was born and his Redemption actually accomplished are the works of God therefore and the several Dispensations and Institutions and Instruments of God in their several times and 91 places of any whit less power or esteem because the most holy God and his most holy Spirit were before them Iohn the Baptist saith that Christ Jesus was preferred before him for he was before him and he was not worthy to unloose the Shoe-latchet of Jesus the Lamb of God and yet for the fulfilling of all Righteousness the Lord Iesus must come to Iohn to be baptized of him and the holy Spirit of Light will declare himself to be true by the holy Scriptures and discover all other Spirits to be spurious false and Bastards and notwithstanding their cracking and prating of Light if they slight this outward standing Record and Witness of God in the World it is because there is no light in them One of these two must be done either we must subscribe to the Papists and by their pretended Spirit and Church find out and authorize the Scriptures just as the Foxians say or else we must with Luther and his Associates Calvin and his followers maintain Learning study the Scriptures search the Originals Copyes and Translations and vindicate their Purity and Perfection their Authority and sole external Direction how to judge of all pretending Christs and Prophets and Doctrines Churches and Spirits While we were thus discoursing W. Edmundson propounded this Similitude if I should write a letter to a friend and subscribe my name W. Edmundson doth it follow therefore that the Letter is W. Edmundsons I answer that the Quakers do affirm that the Scripture is within them what is the english of that but that the Light which they and every man in the World hath within them the Christ the Spirit which every one hath is Scripture and in a sence I said it was a Truth that W. E. his letter to his friend was W. Edm. not only a Declaration of his word mind or will to his Friend but in a respect his mind and will it self that he sent in Writing to his Friend and so the Scripture in a Sence is Gods mind and Will to us Upon this occasion I told them that the Scriptures were the Love Letters of Christ Iesus to his Church as the Love-Letters of some mighty Monarch to his Betrothed Queen or Empress they are dear not as common Paper and Ink but as the Good-Will the dearest Love and heart of the King and Emperour himself and thus are holy Scriptures highly prized and embraced and laid up in the heart and bosome of the true Children of God 92 believed listned to and followed as the voice of Christ Iesus to his true sheep and Spouse the Bastard Children and
case being my self then in London whatever Fox the Quakers impudently affirm to the contrary 95 It is true that Iames Parnel and Fox and all of them sometimes miserably and after the Devils Method make use of Scripture as a Shield or Buckler to fence themselves against the Scripture and as a Sword to run through the Heart and Bowels of the Scripture the Saints and Christ and God himself they make use of it as Stirrops and Ladders and Scaffolds for their counterfeit Christ in pretence but in reallity themselves to mount up into their Saddles and Thrones of the Eternal power and Godhead that so the Earth may be theirs by Authority So that as the Lord speaks of the Iews Sacrifices that they were not his and of Iehoiakim that he did not know the Lord Jer. 22. and of the Corinthians 1 Cor. 11. that they did not eat the Lords Supper though they did eat it so I affirm from all the premises alleadged the Quakers do not own that is truely and Christianly as they say Bonâ fide and in reality but slight and villifie and abominate and nullifie the holy Scripture that their unwritten Lies and lying Spirits may be exalted We have a great word in use amongst Merchants and others to wit the word Effects they desire to see effects of money or Goods for want of a real and effectual prizing and loving obeying and magnifying the holy Scriptures The Iewes Pharises the Papists and Quakers do not owne the perfection Authority of the holy Scriptures but set up their Traditions and Popes Councils Spirits above them and therefore the Iewes Papists and Quakers do not owne the holy Scriptures I freely acknowledge that many of these Particulars I could not then express because of my Confinement to a quarter of an hour and sometimes the Interposure of my Opposites I remember I urged that dead and rotten esteem that both Papists and Quakers fling as dirt in the face of the holy Scriptures calling it a dead Letter a Nose of wax a leaden Rule which may be pincht and bow'd to every mans Opinion But First They horribly bow and pinch that holy Scripture 2. Cor. 3. which meddles not with all the Scripture but with the Covenant of the Law and Iustice opposite to the Covenant of Grace Mercy calls the Law a killing Letter compar'd with the Grace Mercy of an offended God now reconciled by Christ Iesus But Secondly These poor Foxes fly to their Burroughs and confound the matter of the Scripture or Writing being Paper 96 and ink c. with the contents the purport and as I may say the matter contained in the matter we use to say what have you to shew for it what evidences have you what Records and sometimes when no Witnesses are living or can be had an old poor Record is produced which proves the life and spirit of the business what Simpletons do these only wise ones shew themselves in affairs of men that know not that as Solomon sayes of the Tongue Life and Death is in the power of the Tongue so Life and Death is in the power of a piece of Paper what hath an Executor yea many thousand Executors to shew for their Estates sometimes of hundreds yea thousands years but a little paper and ink and wax from the Testators what gives life to a condemned soul but a Pardon or Reprieve in a piece of Paper who knowes not that a Writ or Paper signed by his Majesty the Lord Chancellour the Lord ceief Iustice hath Death in it and fetcheth off the heads of many yea the highest Offenders The Quotations out of G. Fox which then I could not insist on I shall present a few and then pass on to the fifth Position In the 47th Pag. G. Fox brings in Ios. Miller saying It is an Errour if not damnable to say Christ is the meanes and that there is no other meanes of Salvation He Answers And Christ saith no man comes unto the Father but by me and he is able to the uttermost to save and he shall be my Salvation to the end of the Earth saith the Lord and saith the Apostle God is in Christ reconciling the World to himself and he that hath the Son hath Life and the Father and the Son are one and there is no salvation in any other I reply I shall now freely declare to the Sence of this Allegation though in the Dispute my Adversaryes would not suffer me to meddle with the Sence of G. Fox his words contrary to our Covenant in my Writing viz. that each Party should speak as long as they pleased which Liberty they enjoyed without my Interruption and first I doe not think that Ios. Millers words run so loosely in his own Book I do not think that a man of Wisdom would call it an error to say that Christ is the meanes of Salvation But to the second part to which G. Fox opposeth I believe it is an Error and a damnable Error and a Doctrine of Devils to say there is no other meanes of Salvation for this wretched Iugler subtilly confounds the Instrumental Causes of Salvation with 97 the Efficient in God the Father and Meritorious in God the Son Christ Jesus 'T is true there is no Redemption and Forgiveness of sin but in his Blood Ephes. 1. though I know this Iugler as before means not a Christ nor his Blood nor Death as we do mean but Imaginary within c. And yet as Means and Instruments Christs Messengers are said to save themselves and others The holy Scriptures are said to make wise to Salvation A man may be Gods means or Hand to save his Wife and the Wife her Husband We are saved by hope saith Paul and saved by Baptisme saith Peter yea Women are saved by Child-bearing as God blesseth those painful Curses to be blessed means of bringing to or growing up in Christ the Saviour All these subtly and wickedly G. Fox sets at variance with the Meritorious Salvation by Christ Jesus between which there is an Heavenly Union and Concord as between a man saving his Brother by throwing a Rope or Oar or Board unto him c. or a Midwife saving both Woman and her Birth in Child-bearing by the Means of Women and Helps which her Skil and Labour administreth to her To talk of this Immediate Christ and Spirit without Scriptures without Preaching and other holy means is as silly as Impious as Blockish as Blasphemous and as Bedlam and Frantick as wicked and Anti-Christian Would not every body laugh at G. Fox if he should say that because the Kings Majesty graciously pardons Condemned Rebels at the Mediation of the Prince his Son therefore the Composing the writing the proclaiming of the pardon the bring of it to the Rebels hands written and sealed with the Kings broad Seal are no means of their Salvation and Deliverance In Pap. 221.
works and a looking to be Justified and saved be God for a mans own Abilities performances and Righteousness far from the Faith of the Gospel which though good works in Love follow it yet not one good work in the world goes before it Nor one good work in the world goes with it in the point of Justification or pardon of our Transgressions and therefore G. Fox hath not only George Willington his Opposite but the express word and Declaration of the Spirit of God saying Rom. 3. Therefore we Conclude that a man is Iustified by Faith and not by the works of the Law Alas porr Bankrupts who owe more Infinitely to God then we are worth who are over head and Ears in Debt to God to our own Souls to Men and Angels and the whole Creation having sinned against Heaven c. that have not one farthing toward the discharge of so many Infinite Millions of Talents God of his rich Infinite mercy convinceth some of the proud Sons and Daughters of men of their deplorable Condition makes them cry for mercy and for Christ Jesus sake and Mediation he freely Iustifies and forgives them Thus saith the Scripture all along and that our Faith our believing or receiving of this grace though it be followed with Mary Magdalens Love contributes not one farthing toward the payment of our Infinite Millions no not so much as one good Thought He brings in Ioseph Miller saying It is an Errour to say we are Iustified by that which Christ doth in us He Answers Contrary to the Apostle who saith We are Iustified by Faith in his Blood 125 And the Faith is in the Heart and the Blood is in the Heart that purifies it and held in a pure Conscience And the Word of Faith is within Rom. 10. And Faith gives Victory over the World and that which gives Victory Justifies And Christ is within you who is Iustification Sanctificotion and Redemption either of them is found within and thou art in the Errour and not fit to talk of these things thou understandest not I Reply Grant that in a true Respect and Sense Faith is within and the Blood within and the Word of Faith within and Christ within and Iustification and Sanctification within will it therefore follow I say will it therefore follow with any Colour of Common Reason that therefore in one and the same Sense they are all within and they are all one and they were not without before they were within I know this subtle Fox and he that helps his deluded pate to bind up such a Bundle of wrested Scriptures would have it so that he may jumble and blend all together in a Babilonish Mystery and subtly deny the Truth of the holy Scriptures History It is true Cheist dwels in our Hearts by believing Ephes. 3. and Consequently his Cross yea his Manger yea his Blood yea his Grave are within c. But that Christ Literally shed his Blood within us as a Ransome to his Eather for the sins of the whole world is as Fine and bruitish a Fancy as that the Cross the Spear the Soulders the High Priests Scribes and Pharisees and People Pilate the Romans Ierusalem Iude the whole world as some of them have idly ofteuprated are Literally within us It is true in a Sense the King and his pardon and Counsellours and Scribes and writings and Seals c. are all in a Rebels heart as he believes and applies all these within him and his belief works by love But if they be within otherwise then we Affirm c. and as G. Fox would have it then they are not withont also which is the mark all these Arrows from Hell fly at and Consequently Christ Jesus and his Blood shedding and a Literal Ierusalem and a true and real man Christ Jesus and the holy real Literal Scriptures are blown up and vanished altogether Pag. 10. He brings in Iohn Bunyar saying It is not Faith and works that justifies a man before God but it is Faith and good works which justifie in the sight of men only and such works will not 126 justifie in the sight of God and he saith that works is only to justifie their Faith to be true before men G. Fox Answers Abraham was not Justified only to men by his Obedience but to God And where there is Faith there is Iustification which works by Love And the Saints Faith and works were not only to Justifie them in the sight of men For the work of God is to do what he saith the will which who doth not is not Justified by so doing but to be beaten with stripes who seek to be Justified by their Faith and works in the sight of men are dead Faith and works both I Reply He that reads this passage may without doubting Conclude that G. Fox and his Foxians are as perfect Pharisees Iewish and Popish as ever burroughed in Rome or Ierusalem maintaining a Covenant of works Justification by works and renouncing Christ Jesus his Blood and merits For if Abraham was Justified and received his pardon by his Obedience to God what need was there for him and us to look out for a Surety a Redeemer a Mediator to pay his Blood for our Ransome and to fetch us out of the miserable state of Sin Death and Hell c. 2. Whereas G. Fox asketh what is the work of God but to do what he saith I Reply 1. The work of God according to Christs Doctrine is to believe on him whom God sent It is true it is the Command of God to keep his Commands but since the deadly Fall of man none not one being able Rom. 3. though Fox deny it it is the work the great work of God to fly to that blessed Propitiation for poor sinners throughout the world But G. Fox cannot distinguish between the Covenant of works of Iustice and of Debt and that of mercy and of receiving all as a Beggar and Condemned Rebels poor proud Souls they know not any difference between the Blood of Christ Iesus and their own Blood as we shall see afterward 3. Whereas he saith that they do not Gods will are not justified in so doing I Answer therefore it follows ronndly as his Conclusion that they that do Gods will are justified in so doing that is their sins are pardoned as David and Paul by pardon of Sin describe justification 127 Who sees not the subtlety of this Fox cheating himself and others with the divers signification of this Latin word Iustification It is true a man can not be justified or defended for Thieving Whoring Murthering c. Doth it follow therefore that they that do not Steal whore murther c. by this abstaining from Sin and by this their work they obtein the pardon and stand by this their work legally right and justified in the Court of Heaven I Conclude that by these hints a broken hearted sinner
word in Gen. 2. might be viewed which he turned to and read viz. God breathed into him the breath of life and man became a living Soul About this time Sam. Gorton sen. desired to speak and said If it be affirmed that God can be divided that man was a Part of God the God-head was destroyed and the Soul of man and upon this Basis all the rest would follow which was asserted in this Position And whereas Iohn Stubs read it as it is in our Translation viz. God breathed into him the breath of life Mr. Gorton said it was Lives in the Margin the breath of Lives which Iohn Stubs acknowledged It is frequent in their Books when they will speak plainly for them to confess that God breathed forth himself into Adam and that ther fore mans Soul or Spirit is a part of the Divine Essence that the Soul is an increated substance that as for the Body it comes from the Earth and returns to the Earth and dust and rottenness and however they sometimes preach and print hat the Body shall rise again yet others again of them speak plainly that as the body of a dog or beast so it vanisheth But as for the Spirit they say that returns to God that is into God And although they talk to blind our eyes of a Resurrection and Iudgment and of Souls being punished with the Devil and his Angels yet others of them affirm that all Souls return into God and that the soul of Iudas is now as happy in God as the Soul of Peter yea others of 146 them speak plainly that they are Christ God therefore one of them being desired to give thanks at dinner asked roundly to whome should I give thanks to my self and Calvin relates how long ago one Quinitinus in his time a Leader this way being demanded how he did resolutely answered How can Christ doe but well and yet at that time he was very sick About this time W. E. said what dost thou tel us of storyes what this man said and that man said we will not believe thee But just here rose up a neighbour Ioseph Iinks who said he had no prejudice against the Quakers yet he could witness to the truth of these speeches of the Quakers for one of them had spoke as much to his face lately at Newport on Rhode-Island but I still laboured to keep down heat and therefore I told them I would not trouble them with Proofs from elsewhere but from their own writings and from that of G. Fox there present and therfore I prayed them to turn to Pag. 39. where G. Fox brings in Magnus Bine saying The Saints are neither in the fulness of the God-head nor part away with this Blasphemy which saith this is c. Fox answereth The work of the Ministry was to bring People to the Knowledg of the Son of God to a perfect man to the unity of the Faith to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ and Christ will dwell in the Saints and God will dwell in them and thou sayest they have no part of the Fulness of the Godhead and Iohn saith of his fulness have we all received in whome dwels the Godhead bodily and ye be all in the Blasphemy that be out of this part of the Fulness I said that G. Fox rose up contrary to what Magnus Bine affirmed to wit That the Saints are not in the fulness of the Godhead But W. E. bid me let G. F. his words alone his meaning alone and keep to the words I told them the substance of my proof lay there in the substance of G. Fox his answer to his Adversaryes I took Fox his own word for the Quotation out of his Adversary which may be thought to be taken with as much Favor and advantage to himself as may be and therefore if they stopt me from opening and comparing the words in a rational and just way they stopt me in the bringing forth of my Proofs and Arguments I think here it was that W. E. said further If thou goest on to make out G. Fox his Sence and meaning we tell thee that we will stop thee c. 147 But since our business is with G. Fox as well if not more than with W. E. especially because of his Book we shall now more freely inlarge upon the words c. and Sence and Meaning also For the Fulness of the Godhead is one thing and another thing our and all his works and Creatures partaking of that Fulness in some mercifull likeness and coformity as Moses and we behold his Back or dark Resemblance and by Reâ—lection as we behold the Sun take in some weak low thoughts and conceits of the Eternal and Invisible incomprehensible and inconceivable Power and Godhead Thus to partake of some drops of the Ocean of his Wisdom Power Goodness Holiness c. is not to become an Ocean of Power Wisdom Goodness Holiness yea Wisdom it self Power it self Goodness it self Holiness it self as God is This devilish Pride was the Sin of the Devils or wicked spirits this was the Sin of our first Parents unto which the Devil beguiled them and this is Sathans bait still to catch all Wise Rich High and especially Holy People with viz. to be as God to be in the fulness of the Godhead to be God himself 2. However this Iugler speaks here of the Fulness of the Godhead bodily in Christ yet if he be examined and searched it is clear that by Christ he meanes the Body the Quakers and every one of their Bodyes is Christ in whome the Godhead dwels bodily and the great Mystery of which the Holy Scripture speaketh 1 Tim. 3. Is God manifest in their flesh and therefore Sam. Fisher useth in his Writing Christ Iesus as Peter did in his denying of him saying that Person whome you call God-Man is as high Treason against the King of kings and King of Saints as hath ordinarily been acted since God most wonderfully gave life to a lump of Clay which now perks up to the eternal Power and Godhead Pag. 90. G. Fox brings in the same Author saying There is a kind of Infiniteness in the Soul and it cannot be Infiniteness it self He answers Is not the Soul without beginning comeing from God and returning into God again which hath it in his hand which hand goes against him that doth evill which throws down that which warrs against it and Christ the Power of God the Bishop of the Soul which brings it up into God which comes out from God hath this a beginning and ending and is not this infinite in it self and more than all the World 148 I Reply in these few lines let him that hath his sences make common sence and English of some of them However this is express that the Soul is without beginning or ending coming out of God and returning into God Hath this saith Fox a
to Paul as Peter to Cornelius and Paul to the Iailor it pleased God to use his holy means and instruments of Men to men Gods sweet and familiar way to men the immediate Teachings of God by Dreams by Vision by Voices by Motion the Holy Scripture mentions many before and since the coming of the Lord Jesus the Question is not whether it may not please the most Holy and infinite Prerogative of the most High so to teach where and when and whom he please But whether it be Christian obedience or Diabolical laziness to fling off all means as Fox all along teacheth to sit still and listen to immediate Teachings that is say I to the Devils whisperings I believe the Papists and Quakers would give much to be rid of the Scriptures I know also that notwithstanding their pretence of Spirit yet both of them are forced to use means Praying Preaching Congregating and in stead of the holy means by Gods Spirit have appointed many Inventions and Superstitions from a Satanical Spirit G. Fox saith there is no Fallacy in the Revelation of God Ans. True but will he say these seven things 1. That all the pretended Revelations are the Revelations of God 2. That Revelations may not pretend Angelical Light and yet be Diabolical Darkness 3. That we may receive any Revelations and Teachings as Children and Mad Folks do without chewing and rational weighing consideration 4. That God hath not appointed his old Scripture and Writing 192 new since Christs coming as a Standard Rule or Touch stone to try all our own and others Inspirations by 5. That Mahomets Inspirations are not one of the most prevailing Snares Traps and Engines whereby he hath catcht whole Nations and Kingdomes and the greatest part of this poor world at this day 6. That when God reveals his word or will in writing which G. Fox grants to be the words of God and they are slighted it is not common and most righteous with God to deliver up proud lazy Souls to strong Delusions to believe Lyes as at this day it is most wonderfull 7. Whether there be any way in this world to escape the snares of Sathans Whisperings but by humble attending to the search and Meditation of the heavenly Records by humble cryes to the Father of Spirits for his holy Spirit and help in all the Meanes by himself appointed in Love and Pitty to the Souls of men A 4th Instance of G Fox his lame stuff is in Pag. 4. Where he brings in the same Author Sam Eaton saying The Gospel is the Letter c. He Answers And the Apostle saith it is the power of God c. and the Letter kills and many may have the Form but deny the Power and so stand against the Gospel which is the Power of God I reply we all know that the word Gsopel from the old Saxon is as strange to us English as the word Evangelium or Euangelion the Latine and Greek are but we all agree that it may be turned according to its meaning Glad Newes This wise cunning man tels us the Glad Newes is not the Glad Newes ' Why so Because it is the Power of God who sees not here the simple subtelty of this Deceiver The Gospel or Glad Newes preached is the power of God unto Salvation to every one that believeth c. Rom. 1. Therefore this Glad Newes told written printed preached is not the Glad Newes would he now perswade himself and us that Moses and the Prophets that wrote of this Glad Newes and those four heavenly Pen-men or Pens which by the finger of God his immediate Spirit wrote the History of the Life and Death of the Lord Jesus c. wrote nothing of the Gospel or glad news for the glad news is the power of God 2. I know the trick of these old Cheaters and Juglers to hide 193 themselves and their cheating in the Bushes and Thickets of words of diverse Significations or figurative Speeches which all honest Reason teacheth carefully to distinguish I know it is Fox his trick and all their tricks in his and their Writing to make God and Christ and Spirit Gospel Covenant Iustification as before I proved to be all that one cheating Fancy called Light in them and in every one that cometh into the World These bewitched souls will not owne a figurative speech when it makes not for their Idols 3. Is it not that the Lord calls the preaching of the Glad Newes the Power of God because of the wonderfull effect of it to him that believeth this Glad Newes which few or none believe as being a foolish thing to believe as the Iews and thousands others say to believe in a beggars brat laid in a Manager and a Gallowes-Bird c. 4. Paul calls this Glad news his Gospel or Glad news Rom. 2. Will the Foxians therefore say that either Paul lyed or else it is not Gods Gospel nor Christs but Pauls although it is most true that as Paul had charge of it as a Shepheard of another mans Flock or a Mariner of an other mans Ship it may be common Phrase of Speech though not literal but figurative be called Pauls or any other Messengers of Christ Glad news or Gospel 5. There is a wild beast called a Fox a subtle and pernicious creature there was a famous heavenly Man a famous writer of the Book of Martyrs Iohn Fox and there is this poor deluded deluding Soul G. Fox to whome I am now replying ought not these to be distinguished Is there not such a mischievous subtle Beast called the Fox because G. Fox bears and that most justly and by a finger of Gods providence bears it the wild Beasts name or was not such a learned heavenly wonderfully deligent zealous man as I. Fox because G. Fox bears that name also 6. But further If the Glad news may not be called the Glad news when t is Scripture that is written or preached then not Glad news when spoken 7. The Law denounceth Sentence of Death against a Traitor c. this Sentence is written in a Sence may be called a Killing Letter the King pardons this Traitor and this Sentence of Pardon is written this gracious word of a King is not less his Word because it is Written then it was when first spoken by him and this word or pleasure of the King written may be called Gospel or Glad news the Glad news or Gospel of his Temporal Salvation will any sober man say as G. Fox impiously and frantickly that the writing of the Pardon and the Broad-Seal is a Dead letter a Killing letter c. because Paper Parchment c. If G. Fox from hunting after Souls by Sea and Land arrive at 194 any Port in England and send a Letter Post to his Wife Friends containing his many Deliverances many Experiences his safe Arrivail and his Purpose
subordinate Causes Did Moses throw out God because he took the Rod in his hand when he wrought all those Wonders Did Solomon 10 throw out God because he used as Moses about the Tabernacle so many means in rearing that Wondrous and Glorious Temple Or did Samson throw out God when he made use of the Jaw-bone of an Asse c. Or Christ Iesus throw out his Father when he made use of Clay and Spittle O what a throwing Spirit is this wild Fox and his wild Foxians of who toss and throw the Eternal Immortal and Invisible God and his only begotten Son in their wild Fancies as if they were the Wool and Feathers of Lambs and Chickens which these Foxians have devoured Secondly How is it that G. Fox here saith That the Scripture is but a Declaration of the Saints Faith For is it not a Writing or Record of Heaven 1. Of the Being and Names of the Eternal Power and Godhead 2. Of his Glorious and Incomprehensible Works Creating and Forming the Heavens and all that is in them the Earth and all that is therein the Sea and all that is therein out of nothing which Mystery the Quakers have only from the Scripture 3 Of the special and more particular framing of Men and Women above all his visible Creatures 4. Of the Fall of Mankinde from their glorious and first Making and Creation which some talk idly to be every day 5. Of the gracious Promise of the Father of Mercies of a Redeemer and Restorer of undone mankinde 1. By his Threatning to the Devil and promise to the Woman of a Saviour to be born in time of a Woman 2 By Erecting such a state of Israel prevailers with God with all their Typical Lands Governours Worships Wars Captivities Deliverances c. 3. Fulfilling of that Promise in the Wonderful Birth Life Doctrine Miracles Death Burial Resurrection and Assention of the Son of God the Man Christ Jesus c. 4. The Estate of the Believers in him after his Assention called the Primitive Church 6 Of the great change since his coming in the rising of his many Enemies or Antichrists especially of one with seven heads and ten Horns and of another with two horns c. 7 Of the Protestant rising and witnessing against these Devilish Heads and Horns of which the Revelations speak and of 11 the burning up of the Whore and of all Christs Enemies and Antichrists 8. Of the never-ending Joyes of the Righteous after this life and the everlasting Worm and Fire of the ungodly which shall never dye nor be quenched until the Eternal Power and Godhead revealed in the Holy Scriptures come to a Period and Dissolution It may be G. Fox will say we Quakers grant all this I Answer I question whether you speak bona fide and in Truth without I suitical or Foxian Equivocations For 1. What means this But The Scripture is But a Declaration of the Saints Faith O blinde Guids that undertake as in Lincolnshire c. to guide men through the Washes upon Life and Death where K. Iohn of Englands Treasure and Supply perished to guid Souls through Hells Eternal Washes what is your But but the Iews and Papists and Quakers cry Crucifie him Hang up Christ Jesus burn up the Scriptures and all Bibles Old and New-Tements c 2. What is this Saints Faith You acknowledge none but the Faith of the wild Souls called Quakers or Foxians we poor Iews and Papists and Protestants though we own the Scriptures some a part and the rest all yet we are all but Infidels Devils c. 3. What is this Faith this Saints Faith this Foxes and the Quakers Faith is it any thing else but as before I have said but a meer Babel or Confusion of God and Faith Christ and Faith Spirit and Faith Light and Faith Iustification and Faith Sanctification and Faith Salvation and Faith c. and this in every one of Mankinde in the World if they will believe it c. The third Branch of G. Fox his Answer is Men had Faith before the Scriptures were I Answer Neither Abraham nor ever any Man had Faith before it pleased the Eternal and Invisible Deity to disclose himself by Word or Sight or Dream or Motion or Writing as Heb. 1. at several times and wayes it pleased him to speak and last of all by the best and clearest of all his only Begotten Christ Jesus 2. When it hath pleased the incomprehensible Majesty to Command his Appearances by Words Visions Dreams c. 12 to be written to stand upon File and Record for all Generations shall we be such Fools and Franticks as to say it was his Word when God spake it to and in his Prophets but now it is written it is but pen ink and paper it is but a dead Letter it is not Gods word God hath but One Word Christ. The Scripture is his Words c. Oh the audacious brockishness of the foul Spirit in these wild Foxians They dare not though what dares not their hellish Spirit against the K. of Heaven yet they dare not they do not deny but predicate that the Kings Letters from Breda are the Kings Word that the Kings Speeches and Declarations are his royal Word shall a Bargain a Covenant a marriage a Last Will be our mind our will our Word when it is spoken But when it is written fairly drawn and engrossed subscribed and sealed unto before many Witnesses attesting then it is not our word mind or will but words c The bottom and Truth is The Spirit by which the Quakers are acted would be glad that there were not such a person called the Word of God nor such a writing declaring so sweetly so plainly so fully and so heavenly of him 8. Instance In the 25. pag. G. Fox brings in the same Author saying that the Power which justles out the Form is an Error He Answ. which was the Apostles work to bring of the Form into the Power the substance Christ which was not an Error but you bring in the Error keep people in the Form out of the Power and not in the Apostles work I Reply G. Fox is in his Burrough of the various Sense of the word Form It hath respect to Nature to Art to Civil Natural and Divine matters Shall I now like a Fool and a mad man Cry down all Natural Civil and Divine Beings Are not all the internal and external Forms shapes or Beings of the Creatures in Heaven Earth and Sea of Angels Sun Moon c. Men Birds Beasts Fishes admirably glorious and stupendious G. Fox runs to the Picture or Forms of these Forms and saith childishly that the Form or picture without the Life is nothing who knows not that that as to Life it is good as nothing 1. But to come to worship was there not a Form or manner of Circumsion the Passover the Tabernacle the Temple c. 2. Did
of Life of Peace who was glorified with the Father before the World began which is beyond the first Adam and hath shut himself forth not to be as high as his heathen Philosophers And many witness Christ in them in this Age as in the dayes of the Apostles which is above the heathen Philosophers I Reply 1. I know it pleased God in all Ages to stir up the Spirits of some Men as the Philosophers amongst the Greeks 22 Socrates Plato Aristotle to improve that excellent Light of Reason which he had given them as Men and in so great a measure above other men 2. This wily Fox he runs to his hole and Confounds this Common Light of Reason with Christ and God himself who also are called Light by Similies from the Creature 3. The Question then follows If this Light of Knowledge were Christ as God and King and Mediatour why is it that none of these excellent Men knew nothing of God nor Christ nor Spirit Name nor Thing but only of the first Creation Can such a Court be kept a Palace furnished and such Royal and heavenly Guests be entertaind and no Body know any thing of it nor themselves neither when Christ Jesus came into Ierusalem though but in a poor Contemptible way all Iorusalem was moved at his coming and shall this most glorious King now Infininitely more glorious make his Ingress into the Souls of such wise and Excellent Men and neither they nor others hear of it until just now twenty years since Some cheated Souls dream of it 4. The utmost of Reason in these Excellent Men it is known I say that the Activity of the highest Reason in this World falls short in two grand particulars 1. As to the Creatures For some of them must needs fall short when Plato granted a Creation and a kind of Father Son and Holy Spirit in the Creation of it Aristotle pretends to see further then his Mr. Plato and all his Arguments and asserts the World to have no Beginning nor Ending c. Some of them maintaind the Soul of man to be procreated by the Parents others as the Quakers that it was part of the Divine Essence others that it is created and infused by God c. Some that the Center of the World is the Terrestrial Globe and that the Sun and heavenly Bodies move about it others that the Ceuter of the world is the Sun and that this Terrestrial Globe moves about the Sun and many other such natural Mysteries 2. However that Paul tells us Rom 1. That by the Creation some come to know there is an Eternal Power and Godhead yet 1 Cor. 1. he tells us that the World by wisdome knew not God which must be expounded or else swallow a Contradiction as the Quakers guise is viz. that by the highth of their wisdome 23 they could not see God so as to make him alone their Summum bonum and Blessedness so as to glorify him as God So as the holy Scriptures and the most holy Son of God from his Bosome hath revealed him so that in the highth of Reasons Reasonings the Spirit of God concludes that the natural man can not reach or perceive the things of God and yet this foolish Man makes every mans heart in the World the Court of Heaven a thing which every Kingdom and all men may abhor to think of but men are vain in all their Reasonings and their foolish heart is darkned yea their wisdome is Enmity hating God himself as the Scripture concludes c. It is true We re read of Noah Ark of Moses his Tabernacle Solomon his Temple and we see many glorious Fabricks and Works of the Sons of men in his world which argue excellent Gifts of God to them both of wisdome Prudence Fortitude Patience Temperance c. but do they all amount in the Total to more then Natural parts good Education and Industrious diligence can reach too What are all these to the enlightning of my Soul with my natural undone and damned Condition to a sight of Sin as Sin to a sight of my utter Inability to pay or all the whole Creation for me one farthing to Gods Justice or to work my desire to have any thing to do with him What are these to the changing of and a total turning of my whole Soul unto God to an humble sight of my Infinite necessity of the alone Sufficiency and Excellency of the Lord Jesus the great and only Mediatour and of my becoming one with him in Loves Eternal Beside what a single Consequence doth this high Illuminiated Doctor give to his Opposite viz. that because I magnify the Gifts of God to many yea thousands of Excellent Men whom I nor G. Fox are worthy to hold the Candle to therefore I shut my self out from Christ and those wise men too It may be his Opposite had somewhat more in his Assertion but this is all this high wise man in his own eyes prints and Answers to Who knows not how full the World is of admirable Men and Women that are not Christians And yet what a base esteem hath this proud Spirit of all men yea of all Christians too that dance not after his foolish pipe c. A 13th Instance I mention though Instances are as Leprosie spread over his whole Book is in pag. 48. where he brings in the 24 same Ioseph Miller saying The Prophets are more certain then any other Revelation He Answers was not the Son of God revealed the end of the Prophets Did not God reveal him which came in the Volume of the Book to do the will of God And so the Prophets and the Law and Types and shadows which they that had the Law and Types and shadows knew not the Son of God that was revealed that was their End spoken of in the Prophets end Epistles who is now revealed I Reply G. Fox to pass by his un-English Nonsence obvious to any that understand publick writings I say G. Fox either ignorantly or willingly knows not that the Question is not here whether Christ be the End of the Law and the Prophets in a true sense or whether Christ was not more revealed at his coming in the Flesh then before in the Prophecies c. But whether the written word of the Prophets of which Peter speaks and I have spoke before be not a more sure word of Command and Comfort to us then any now to be expected yea then that Revelation which we have upon that holy Testimony of Peter and Iohn themselves As it is with an Anchor strong enough to ride a Ship in most weathers yet some are as the Seamen spake second and third Bowers and one the best and Sheet Anchor and as it is in Witnesses some speak the Truth and Substance of the matter and yet others speak more plainly and fully c. So speaks Gods Spirit in Peter of the Infinite Fulness of the
yea in present joy unutterable and glorious Sometimes the Lambs Wife is visibly asleep though her heart wakes sometimes she is Alarmed by his knocking and is sluggishly unwilling to open to him sometimes she rises and opens but he is gone and she seeks for him by day and night and cannot find him 9. There is also a false feeling of Christ Jesus as I spake before of a false Conception in a Woman How many are bold to cry Lord Lord open for we have prophesied in thy Name c and yet I will not say as G. Fox here saith of his Feeling that all that have not my feeling or working of Christ are Reprobates yet 57 this I say as Solomon A Whore is Loud and Clamorous not so the Chaste and Sober and Modest Women and the Devil spake as Holy and Heavenly words as Angels could have spoken yet it was but the Divil in Samuels Mantle The 29th Instance is in pag. 117. where he brings in Giles Fermin saying Paul Swore after Christ and the Angels Swore I wonder Paul should so forget himself and sin so fearfully in Swearing so the Quakers Light that denies Swearing is of Satan and not the Light of Christ. He Answers Christ the Light which Satan is out of which is the Oath of God ends all Oathes Sworn by Prophets or Angels whatsoever and who Swares be fallen into the Condemnation of the Devil And it is no where said that the Apostle Swore but such as thou art matters not what thou speak so that Spirit that Preacheth for Swearing is not the Spirit of Christ but is the Spirit of Anti-Christ c. I Reply first G. Fox dares not deny but that the Angel and Paul Swore after Christ only he keeps his old Song viz That Christ put an end to Swearing and that it is not said that Paul Swore But 1. He waves that Sweareng of the Angel or Christ himself Rev. 10. for there he knows the very term of Swearing is used 2. As to Paul if the attestation of the Name of God be the formality of an Oath then if ever any Man Swore in this World Paul did saying to the Corinthians I call God to Record on my Soul that to spare you I came not as yet to Corinth c. Secondly It is true that all Nations have used to Swear by or Appeal to the Gods they owned and worshipped It is true also that they have used to put Creatures into the room of God and Swear by them as the Iews did and som write out of a Superstitious Reverence in forbearing the Name of God and indeed the Reasons Christ Jesus gives Mat. 5. look that way Thirdly It is true also that for abuse of Swearing by and Prophaning the Holy Name of God a whole Land may mourn as Ieremiah speaketh Fourthly There seems to be a very fair colour put on a universal Prohibition of Swearing by Christ Jesus and by his Apostle Iames Swear not c. 58 This Conjuror hath taken with many precious Servants of God former and latter even with many of those called the Fathers and with those Famous Protesters against the whore of Rome the Waldenses and with Famous Usher who doth more then seem to vindicate their not Swearing when Convented and Examined by the Popish Inquiâ—itors 5. Notwithstanding this and more which may be granted and though I should humbly motion to all higher Powers for Christian tenderness as to the holy Majesty of Heaven his Name and to the Souls of any making Scruple yet I must proclaim against G. Fox his lame and simple Return to the Objection of his Opposite concerning Paul and the Angel For why may not Paul and all the Apostles and Christ and all the Angels of Heaven and all the Saints of God upon the Earth in the words of Paul call God to Record upon their Souls that this or this was the Cause and Truth c. Considering 1. That neither the most holy God nor the Lord Jesus who I think is the Swearing Angel Rev. 10. nor the heavenly Spirits the Angels nor Paul nor any of Christs Apostles or Messeâ—gers would have practiced a Ceremony or a Shadow like Circumcision or the Passover at the time of the Day c. 2. Swearing or appealing unto God immediately in Oaths or Vows or Lots or Fastings though higher and above the practice of ordinary Invocations Supplications Thanksgivings c. were never accounted Ceremonies or Types of Substances to come but Real and Substantial Services and Addresses unto the most holy and most high Creatour written in the hearts of all mankind before ever Ceremony or Moses was born and therefore as the fear of God is put for the whole worship of God so also is swearing in the holy Scripture and we may as well deny all worship and Service visible and all External Acts of Homage and Devotion of the Body unto God yea and all the fear of God is there in the mind Soul and Spirit or in any External Obeysance or Reverence as this Service and worship of calling upon God and appealing to his holy Majesty as Witness and Iudge in some Cases c 3. Whereupon it follows that this high point of Gods worship is as real as moral as holy and perpetual as Prayer it self as preaching yea as Baptisme and the Lords Supper and no more Ceremonial though I know the Foxians make Baptisme and the 59 Lords Supper but Ceremonies for a time and ere long if they continue to hearken to Samuel within them they will account Prayer and Preaching whether Apostolical or Pastoral but Types and Shadows also 4. It is a most simple and un-Christian and Atheistical whimsie that Christ was the end of Oaths the end of the Prophets the end of the Scripture the end of Reghteousness in their Sense though as Mediatour he was the End or Perfection of and fulfilling of the Law of God which never Soul beside the Lord Jesus ever kept in thought word and deed what ever the proud Pharisees and Papists and Foxians prate c. 5. It is a gross Fancy to imagine that the Lord Jesus in the 5 of Math. gave new Commands or Contradicted the holy pleasure of his Father concerning Revenge Adultery Oaths Prayers Fastings but opened his Fathers Law in the purity and Spirituality of it against the rotten Expositions Traditions and practices of the Pharisees 6. In particular let all the Reasons be expended and carefully weighed which the Lord Jesus so wonderfully exactly gives why they should not swear by Ierusalem nor the Temple nor their Head nor any Oath to wit of such a Nature and half a sober eye may see that the Lord Jesus intends only to reduce them to an holy Swearing only by God in Gods way c. and in their Common Converse to use yea and nay c. 7. I have read a sober and man like Answer of F. H. called
Court must all the Generations of the World receive their Eternal Doom and Sentence I know they know this is the bottom 1. But stay this Fox is in his Burrough of Equivocation for Iudgement is twofold First Iudgement Righteous Secondly According to Appearance as the Lord Jesus distinguisheth How many are declared by Appearances to their Eyes Clouded pride malice Envy Lasciviousness Covetousness Ambition c. And therefore away with the Son of God hang him and give us Barrabas though a Boutefeau and Murtherer c. 2. It is not true that all that is not perfect in the Foxians Sense is not Righteous For 1. as hath been before observed the words Tam and Tomjin in Hebrew and Telos and Teleios and Teleion in the Greek have divers significations and accordingly must be and are translated and expounded Contrary to the proud Ignorance of these Cheators 2. The Generation of all Gods Children in all the holy Scrip 72 ture have ever acknowledged their weakness folly pride and many Transgressions with true Quaking and brokenness and bitter weeping c 3. In a true Sense that which is Righteous is perfect Iustification or Remission of Sin for Christ Jesus sake is perfect it admits as they say of no magis minus more or less the truely humble Ethiopian is as truly and perfectly pardoned and Iustified as David himself and the blessed Mother of the Lord Jesus the Virgin Mary 4. We maintain though pardon of Sin and Justification and Acceptation with God before Angels Men and Devils be perfect and though a poor Child of God be born of God be past from Death to Life can not Sin in a Sense nor suffer the Devil to touch him yet there remains till Death a Combate to be fought between the Law of the Spirit and Law of the members the old Man and the new Man the Flesh and the Spirit c. 5. Hence in an holy Sense Paul saith it is not I but Sin that dwels in me that is in my Flesh wherein dwels no good thing So that David might say in one Sense It was not I that committed Adultery and Murther and Peter say It was not I that denied my Master with Swearing and Cursing c. but the rotten old man and Sin dwelling in me He that knows not to untie these Knots and yet prates of Righteousness and perfection He is proud and foolish and ignorant and he will proudly and foolishly sooner or later commit these five great evils 1. He will not discern what the Generation of the Righteous is 2. He will say Sin is nothing but Imagination 3. He will cast wickedness upon God and say God doth all and what God doth that is good therefore no Sin 4. He must call David and Peter fools for Confessing their Guilt and weeping bitterly c. 5. That it is in vain to watch against Sin and to cry Lord lead us not into Temptation c. In the last place I Affirm and have made it good that the Generation of the Papists and Quakers though so pure in their own eyes yet they are not cleansed from their filthiness The Papists are justly charged with Superstition and Idolatry with drinking the Blood of Saints And have not the Generation of the Quakers 73 their Images and Idols also as I have manifested their pride and Ignorance Idleness in not using means and their passionate Railings and Cursings and I believe if their Spirit get a Sword what ere they ignorantly prate they will drink the Blood of all their Enemies as Hereticks Idolaters Reprobates and Devils The 37th Instance is in Pag. 220. wherein G. Fox brings in the Author of Hosanna to the Son of David saying Man is not able to discern the things of God till he be born again He Answers the Scripture speaks of discerning the Eternal Power and Godhead and that was a thing of the Spirit of God and the Apostle saith not that they were born again And yet I say that none knows the things of God but the Spirit of God and that which may be known of God is manifest in them for God hath shewd it to them For that of God in them was of the Spirit who is the God of the Spirits of all Flesh which brings them to discern the Eternal Power and Godhead 1 Reply 1. With Amazement at the dreadful Justice of God hardening this daring Soul for playing away his own Light and the Name of God and the Light which the Lord hath sent him from so many Excellent pens out of which he hath raked nothing but handfuls of Reproaches to fling in the Faces of his best Friends and turned Truth into Lyes and poyson to murther himself and others 2. It is clear that as in all Answers to the Quotations of his Opposites which he picks out that he holds the Contrary to his Opposite so here viz. That a man may be able to discern the things of God before he be born again 3. He proves his point from two Scriptures Rom. 1. Cor. 2. As to the first I will not repeat what I have before written as to the Nature of the holy Spirit his Godhead his Operations seven Eyes seven Horns and seven Lamps his Common workings in all men his special working in the Elect Regenerating Iustifying Sanctifying quickning Comforting c. Nor will I repeat matters concerning the power of Nature in the Philosophers and all mankinde Only from this Rom. 1. I observe 1. That the Eternal Power and Godhead cannot be seen by mortal Eyes 2. We may reach some mental Light of this Eternal Power 74 and Godhead by a serious pondering of his works 3. All mankinde are bound by the Law of their Nature to put forth their utmost in searching after God 4. We may gain a great sight of the Godhead and yet not see him nor glorifie him that is love him as Paul 1 Cor. 8. 5. Natural men until changed and born again of Gods power and Spirit doe but prate as the Devils do and tremble their imaginations are vain and their foolish hearts are darkened 6. Yet this sight of God which men and Devils may get of God by their own Remainders of natural Abilities will leave them without excuse whatever Papists Arminians and Quakers talk of Gods requiring no more then he gives for in Justice God is not bound to give Sampson his Locks or his Eyes when he hath willingly suffered Dalilah and by her the Philistims to cut them off and pluck them out 2. Beside our wils and wisdome are now become Enmity against God and no man spends equal Care and pains for God until Gods Spirit in free grace châ—nge and quicken him with what he does for these temporary Dreams and Shadows The second Scripture is 1 Cor. 2. viz. But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit For the Spirit searcheth all things yea the deep things
scorn and hate and fly from as the Devils did crying out What have we to do with thee Iesus thou Son of the most High God art thou come to torment us hesore the time Hence the former Arch-deacon or Arch-bishop of these parts Humphrey Norton he mocks at an outward Christ he asks what Countryman he was and shall be He reproves the Fools that have their Eyes abroad and gazing after a man into Heaven he jeers at the Crosse aud asks what manner of wood it was made of seeing we must take it up dayly And Fox saith this Jesus Christ without and within is Jesus Christ yesterday and to day and the same for ever therefore in the Logick or Reason of this Bruite Christ had no body that was born at Bethlehem or died at Ierusalem For he was born yesterday and to day and he is born forever he dyed yesterday and he dies to day and he dies forever which is a most Heavenly Truth relating to Gods purpose Christs Merit and to Forefathers our present times and such as yet must be born and follow after us But such Mystical and figurative Scriptures which are in themselves like Sampsons Lion and Riddle through Satans Policy and the proud simplicity of these simple Foxes are made the common Holes and Burroughs where you may be sure to find them just like the Iesuites whose Cosens if not Brethren of one belly of Hell 56 they are who usually confound clear Scriptures with Spiritual and Mystical Illusions and sly from Distinctions and openings necessary in places more dark figurative and allegorical In pag. 211. He brings in Iohn Burton saying That the man that was crucified his body is now in the presence of his Father absent from his People as touching his bodily presence He Answers Doth not the Apostle say he is the Head of the Church and doth not the Apostle say they are of his Flesh and Bone and sit it heavenly places with Christ and Christ saith they must eat his flesh and he is in them As I remember at the reading of this Quotation I urged that herein G. Fox did plainly deny as indeed in all the rest I have quoted Christ Jesus to have had such a body as could be born of a woman wrapped in swadling Cloathes c. as could be hungry weary sleep discourse apprehended buffeted whipped nail'd to the Gallowes die be buried arise and ascend up visibly into these visible Heavens now in the presence of his Father and absent from his People on Earth as touching his bodily presence But one of my Opposites I think two of them bid me not wronge G. Fox by my Observation for his words were not so I Answ. In effect and Substance they were for G. Fox here and in all his Answers maintains the Negative to what his Opposites Affirm And 2. As to the grounds of his deniall it is clear that sometimes they are most plain and clear and sometimes most subtle and commonly such as will bear a twofold Sence on which they commonly ground some Iesuitical equivocation In Pag. 210. He brings in Iohn Burton saying Christ went away into Heaven from his Disciples and so not within them He Answers Did not he say that he would come again to them Did he not say he was in them I in you And did not the Apostle say Christ was in them except they were Reprobates the hope of Glory was he not revealed to the Apostle and so in him and did not the Apostle Preach Christ within and you preach Christ without Again in the same Page Those Believers that are in the body at this day are absent from the Lord He Answers again Doth not the Aposte say Christ is in them except they be Reprobates and he is in them the Hope of Glory and they have fellowship with God and God will dwell in them and walk in them and he that believes believes in him and Christ and so notabsent Again in the same Page they say He is absent from them as touching his slesh He Answers Doth not the Apostle say they 57 are of his Flesh and of his Bone and he that eates not his Flesh hath no life in him and they sit in heavenly places with him and he that eates his flesh hath it in him And again in the same Page they say There is not any Heaven within into which the Man Christ is ascended or can any man contain a man four foot long He Answers Christ is a Mystery and is he not to be revealed within who is a Mystery He who did descend to be revealed and made manifest in his Saints in slesh and Spirit that did descend which is now manifested that the World wonders at that is ascended far above the Heavens who is the Saints life living Bread and Drink and where ever used the Ministers of Christ any such expression as thou doth which shews that Christ to thee is a Mystery Reply In all these four Passages G. Fox expresly denies that Christ is ascended into Heaven from his Disciples That Believers now in the Body are absent from the Lord that he is absent from Man as touching his Flesh that there is a Heaven into which Christ is ascended and that Christs Body is not containable in a place according to his stature and proportion 2. In his Answers he notoriously jugles and equivocates as if he maintained Christ in Truth he that lived and died at Ierusalem and visibly ascended into Heaven though the whole scope and the plain open faced meaning of his words with loud cries tend altogether to another business to wit to set up himself by setting up the Image and Picture this Imaginary Christ which he calls the Light within them The same Author saith Pag. 206. A false Christ hath a new false Faith to apprehend this Crucified Christ within He Answers Which is contrary to the Faith of the Apostles which Preached Christ that 's Crucified within and not another Him that was raised from the dead was risen that Lord Jesus Christ within the same yesterday to day and for ever by whom the World was made glorified with the Father before the World began it was he that was manifest in the Saints that was and is not another for the other is Antichrist Again in the same Page it is a Sceipture of the Devils making to apprehend this Christ within He Answers Now I say if there be any Christ but he that was crucified within he is a false Christ and the Scripture holds forth this and the Devil never made it but he and his Messengers are against it And he that hath not this Christ 58 that was risen and Crucified within is a Reprobate though Devills and Reprobates may talk of him without This Quotation was read again in their own Book by Iohn Burnet and they magnified the Christ within but they would not suffer me to observe the sence and argue from
though he often acknowledge that Christ is the Author and Finisher of Faith So that the Gift of God the words of God which are his Tokens Love Tokens and Love Letters they are God and Christ themselves the heavenly Father and his Son the heavenly Bridegroom John the Baptist cried out to all such proud Souls I am not He I am not worthy to untie his Shoe Latchet He it is that Baptizeth with Fire He is the Lamb of God c. He even that man upon whom he saw the Spirit descending like a Dove c. and blessed Paul with Iob abhors himself and counts his Holy Life his Prayers his Fastings his Righteousness Dung and Dirt compared with that of Christ Iesus in Opposition to that of the Law c. In which mud still the most zealous Papists and Quakers stick and talk idly of their fulfilling of the Law now by Christs Righteousness Grace and Spirit in them which they will at last find to be no more but the first Bargain or Covenant let them pride themselves never so much in their filthy menstrous Clouts and Rags of Holiness that is their Christ within them The 39th Instance is in Pag. 223. where he brings in the same Author saying The Light which discovers Sin and Iniquity 77 in Mans Heart is not Christ the dore He Answers The first Adam was the Dore whâ—reon all Sin and Transgression entred Christ the Light the second Adam which doth inlighten every man c. saith I am the Dore the Way and the Life which finish Sin and Transgression and brings in Everlasting Righteousness and the way of Dife out of Death which Light discovers Sin I Reply Edmund Burroughs in his large Epistle to G. Fox thiâ— hâ—s Book he tells us that this Light which they thus boast of shews mans threefold Estate before Transgression in Transgression and what he is by being saved out of Transgression It is true Christ Jesus doth this by many gracious means but not Immediately nor to every man that comes into the world For the World lies in wickedness and Darkness We are not only bleeding in our wounds but we are lost in the Wilderness We are stark dead in Sin and know no more that we are dead then a dead man knows of his Condition what do then these poor deluded Souls tell us of a Light and Christ within every man in the world discovering his pure Estate his foul Estate and his raised Estate which no man or woman in this world that I have read or heard of by Nature had any Spark or shine of such a Light no nor these proud Ignorants neither but they have read or heard of these things more or less from the holy Scriptures and Records 2. It is granted that Natures Light discovers a God some sins a Judgement as we see in Indians Education and preaching discovers more as in Saul Achitophel Iudas The Word and Afflictions makes Pharoah cry out I have sinned Miracles make Nebuchadnezzar and Darius cry out There is no God so great as Daniels and to make dreadful Laws against blasphemers of him though themselves continue in their old Idolatries yea doubtless Natures Light is able in self deceitfulness wonderfully to Counterfiet true heavenly Light and the Devil seem an Angel or Messenger of Light from Heaven 3. What is this to a saving Conviction which Gods Spirit worketh in those that shall be saved when they cry out as the wounded Iews what shall we do to be saved and as the Gaolour what shall I do to be saved until this saving Sense of my Condition and Gods Justice what is Christ a Physitian a Saviour a Redeemer Bread Water Wine and oil to me All is needless yea loathsome though an bony Comb to a full Soul what talk 78 you of a pardon to an honest man or if a Rope or Barr to save a secure Epicure in his downe Bed 4. Again how poor a plea is this Adam was the dore to sin therefore Christ is the dore to the discovery of sin For look upon Adam in his Fall 1. He saw his sin 2. He had horrour of Conscience 3. He run from God 4. He hides himself 5. He He fals to mincing end excusing his sin All this is revealed to us and not a word yet heard of Christ the promised Seed or a Light Christ Jesus to Convince him of sin That was another work a saving work which we may hope the Spirit of God wrought in him upon the preaching of Christ Jesus the Seedâ—nd â—nd Mediatour to come 5. I know the Song of the great deluder is Turn to the Light hearken to the Light thou seest it chides thee for thy Stealing for thy lying c. Is not this the Christ c. listen to him be still sink down obey him he will teach thee save thee c. But the Bottom is the English and meaning is hearken to Sathan the God of this world be ruled and taught and guided by him The Scripture is but a dead Letter the true Christ is within thee he will turn thee from these sins and make thee perfect as God is perfect c. Christ is come now in us the second Time without sin to Salvation He is come in us Ten thousand of his Saints to Judgement He within thee is the word of God the Christ of God the Light of God the Spirit of God God himself and He seeks Worshippers in Spirit and Truth for the visible things are temporal c 6. But what is there in all this but the noise of Fenny bitter in hollow Canes c What is here but that common Businesses may reach to 1. The Conscience of good and evil which every favage Indian in the world hath 2. The whisperings the blâ—ndings and cheatings of the Devil in Samuels mantle pretending vowing and Swearing to be the word of the Lord to be Christ Jesus yea that to your feeling c. 7. But what are these to Christ Jesus a dore of Hope to poor wounded and damned sinners God by his Law and Justice by outward hearing or reading and inward Convictions of Natural Conscience hath passed Sentence of Eternal Death and Hell on them They feel it they cry out now the Gospel or glad news of a Saviour a Jesus is Hony in the mouth c. Now Luke 4. he 80 heals the broken heart he sets free the Prisoners ho gives Light to them that see themselves blind and Cry to him as the blind man did Christ medles not with sound persons who have no need of his Bloud Righteousness and Merits c. The 40 Instance is in Pag. 224. where G. Fox brings in Ellis Bradshaw saying There is more words then one He Answers God is the word and the Scriptures are the words which Christ fulfil I Reply 1. As the designe of the bloudy Pope and Iesuits are to kindle wars between the Protestants