manifest which are to be reproved this being the true and reâ—â— meaning how doth it prove the thing designed sc That the light within thee 〈◊〉 the true not the false Christ I hope thou art not such a Bullâ—ck as to think it the tâ—ue Christ Now foraâ—much as that I have the advantage of more liberty without interruptioâ— to enlarge I will shew thee 〈◊〉 B. two things from the Light in the Text recited by thâ—e as above First That the Light of Scripture doth make some of a Quakers evils manifest Secondly That it doth reprove those their evils For the first sc That the Light of Scripture doth manifest some of a Quakers evils â— As 1. The evil of Antichristianisme 2 Joh. ver 7. For many Deceivers are entred into the World who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh this is a deceiver and an Antichrist Observe by the way when ever this Text of Scripture is mentioned against the Quakers they presently frame a pretence whereby they would seem to go off with some credit telling us that we make a man of straw and then knock him down for who is it say they of us that doth deny Jesus Christ is come in the flesh we do say they confess that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh that he suffered and died in the flesh Answ This is such a pitiful shift nay such a deceitful covering that the weakest eye may look through it they well knâ—w how unable they are to deal with the Arguments which are in the inspired Scriptures of God against the feigned light Christ within them have therefore made the hole above to creep out at but this their juggle is no other then what hath been a ready discovered namely That it was not the visible body of Christs flesh which was or is Christ the Saviour but the Christ in that appearing body of his flesh and as the Christ was in this his flesh so he is in every mans flesh that comes into the World And hence it is that a Teaching Quaker when he is pratâ—ng of the Idol-light within he laye â—his hand upon his breast saying Jesus Christ is manifest in this flesh meaning in his real flesh but Christs flesh was only in shew and appearance Tâ—is their â—olly brings to mind what Mr. Haworth a converted Quaker doth asseâ—t in his Epistle to John Crook a Teaching Quaker Being saith he lately in discourse with some Quakers who held that it was the Light within that was crucified without the Gates of Jerusalem Anâ— in the same Epistle he further saith I can never forget James Nâ—yler whom I saw suffer and what was the fruit of that Spirit bâ— which he was â—cted was he not strangeâ—y lifted up in Pride to make 〈◊〉 the Mâ—ssiâ—r and take divine Worship to hâ—mself For saith he 〈…〉 tolâ— me that he stood by and saw three Women 〈…〉 and worship him and one of them in her bowings 〈…〉 to wit Thy Name is no more Iames bâ—t I Am And 〈◊〉 Nayler told Iohn Bolton that if he worshipped his body he shoulâ— resuâ—e it but if that within him he would â—ccept it Hereunto agrees 〈…〉 Dâ—ctrine at the time oâ— the Disputatiâ—n we do quoth he 〈◊〉 the out side Christ to be the â—rue Christ and Saviour so then accordiâ—g to this Doctors Divinity there is another Christ namely an inside Christ which he doth worship and believe in for his Salvation from 〈…〉 wrath â—ut I shall tell him more of my mind in its due place I now return to some further consideration of what they have above affirmed which is that they do not deny but confess that Jesus Christ is coâ—sidered as distinct from the flesh and therefore according to a Quaker Faith the true Christ and Saviour is within the flesh that is as to their sense in thâ— flesh of every man that comes into the World and therefore as they say they are neither Deceivers nor Antichrists To â—ear this Smoaâ—y cost I Answer These words In the flesh though they are frequently inserted in the Scriptures of Truth y◠〈◊〉 never sign fie a thing distinct from the flesh but alwayes the flesh it self as it may appear by maniâ—old instance reâ—erring to man kind flesh consisting of Soul and Body the true or whole man Gen. 17. 34. â—5 Abraham aâ—d Ishmael circumcised in the flesh i e. the flesh it self was circumciseâ— Rom. 2. 28. outward in the flesh i. e. the outside flesh 1 Cor. 7. 28. Such shall have trouble in the flesh i. e. their boâ—ies of flesh shall have trouble furthermore the Apostle puts this matter 〈◊〉 â—ll Dispute Phil. 1. 22. But if I live in the flesh i. e. to abide in the flesh ver 24. which he explains in ver 25. I know that I shall abide and continue with you all i. e. I Paul true man consisting of Soul and body know 〈◊〉 I shall abide with you wherein it is most plain that his 〈◊〉 in the flesh doth not denote a thing distinct from the flesh but the very mankind flesh it self For here by Paul's being in the flesh he unâ—er anâ—s his whole man Howbeit let me improve these last verses a little more by propounding thence a Question Quest What is it to confess that Paul is come in the flesh Answ It is to confess that Paul is come true man consisting of Soul and body as above ver 25. And consequently not to confess that Paul is come true man is to deny him come in the flesh But to say that Paul is come in the flesh doth signifie sc Paul is to be considered as distinct from his body of Flesh And so to be in the flesh of every man that comes into the world would be an interpretation not only contrary to the Scripture above but so absurd and irrational as becoming none but seduced seducing Quakers from whence I may safely infer That whosoever doth not confess that Jesus Christ is come true man consisting of Soul and Body doth deny that Jesus Christ is come in the Flesh But Teaching Seducing Quakers do not confess that Jesus Christ is come true man consisting of Soul and Body Ergo they do deny that Jefus Christ is come in the Flesh And by good consequence from the whole they cannot deny unless they will deny truth in God themselves to be Deceivers and Antichrists Moreover the same Apostle John puts a Question 1 Joh 2. 22. Who is a lyar and then Answers it But he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ and forthwith adds he is Antichrist well then according to the Scripture of truth he that denieth that Iesus is the Christ is a lyar and an Antichrist But a Teaching Quaker doth deny Jesus to be the Christ Ergo a Teaching Quaker is by the spirits Testimony a Lyar and an Antichrist The Proposition being the words of that Scripture ver 22. may not be gain-said the Assumption I do prove thus The Iesus intended by the
the ungodly Abraham was justified in the righteousness of Christs person when he had some ungodliness in his own person a Believer is compleat in Christ bodily Col. 2. 8 9 10. when he hath some incompleatness in his own body In a word these things do clear this Truth Namely To be cleansed from all sin by the blood of Jesus Christ is to be understood for a cleansing from all the guilt and passive fruits and effects of sin but not for a cleansing as in your sense from all the movings and actings of sin in or by us while in this World which the following verses make most plain for even they which are by the blood of Jesus Christ cleansed from all sin ver 7 8. They have sin and in ver 9. ought to confess their sin Now Francis upon the whole it doth appear that the Patterns cut out by thee do still come short of the measure which plainly argues thou art not as yet thy Crafts-master yea this was manifested by thy Answer to this Question to wit Quest Whether the Saints was cleansed from all sin by the water of regeneration or by the blood of justification Thy Answer was by the Water which gave occasion to sundry persons to laugh at him But he endeavoured to compose them saying it is no laughing matter but indeed matter of melting pity that thy seduced Synagogue of Libertines should be led by so blind a Seducer The next after F. E. was William Bullock again alledging But a Body hast thou prepared me which he repeated again and again and then most earnestly called upon me tell me what is meant by Me for whom that body was prepared and what that body prepared was the same was as eagerly required by Francis Eastlack and William Harriot The place of Scripture intended by them was Heb. 10. 5. But a Body hast thou prepared me I Answered By Thou God the Father is meant by Me the Godhead of the Son by a Body prepared the Man hood united to the God-head of the Son And hereunto agrees the â—ormer part of the 5th verse Wherefore when he Christ God-man cometh into the world he saith Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not or didst not desire and therefore were refused by God it being impossible that they should purge sin ver 4. For it is impossible that the blood of Bulls and of Goats should take away sin But a body hast thou prepared me meaning to receive and do his Fathers will in taking sin away Joh. 1. 20. Goâ— the Son having now taken and put on the body oâ— flesh prepared for â—im as above he now undertakes the great work of satisfying Goâ—s Justice for sin and so to take away sin saying ver 7. Lâ— I come to do thy Will O God And why he tells us In the volume of the Book it is written of me i. e. in the Record of thy Decree from everlasting is clear for it that I am he whom thou O Father hast instituted and ordained to do thy will for the taking away of sin For ver 10. By the which will we are sanctified or saved through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all So then the body offered in the 10th verse was the body prepared in the 5th verse But the body of Jesus Christ offered was a real man-kind body as the Spirit of Truth witnesseth Ver. 12. But this Man after he had offered one Sacrifice for sin for ever sat down on the right hand of God here hence it is manifest that the very offering of the body of Jesus Christ could not have saved us but by the will and ordination of the Father who prepared that body for Christs hanging and dying on the Crosse had not delivered us from the pains of the eternal death unless it had been written in the volume of the book It s most sure all that our Lord Christ did or suffered in his Soul and Body for us had not satisfied the justice of God for sin if God had not appointed that Christ his Son made of a Woman Gal. 4. 4. should be sent forth to come into the World to do and suffer those things for the satisfying his juctice to the taking away of sin upon the whole I did inter that the true Christ and our only Saviour must necessarily 〈◊〉 both without and above us Here I made some pause to invite a Reply but they were silent at which I much marvelled inasmuch as sundry of the â—â—â—ding Quakers had imprinted so many corrupt glosses on those words it may be 't was forgotten as the Preface notes But a body hast thou prepared me As thus The Body prepared say they was prepared in Heaven and broughâ— by Christ into the Virgins Womb which body they call a Mystical Invisible Spiritual Heavenly body of Flesh and Blood and withal that the Mystical Invisible Body still the Idol light Christ within is the â—rue and only Saviour whose Birth Death Resurrection and Glorification is only Mystical and Invisible Hence as I suppose it is that George Fox in his Folio Book intituled the Great Mystery page 71. asserts That Christs Nature is not humane which saith he is earthly the nature of the first Adam Answ I would gladly knâ—w of this Fox whether Humane doth not rather signifie a Man-kind nature consisting of Soul and Body It s true we read 1 Cor. 15. 47. compare Gen. 2. 7. the first Adam was of the earth earthly in regard of his body not his soul which God formed out of the Earth But the word humane comprehends both Soul and Body which is much more then Earthly or Earth Simply litteral-material Earth Again whereas he adds the second man is from Heaven To which I Answer The second Adam or Man is the Lord from heaven as above 1. Because Christs Man kind nature was conceived in Mary by the power of the Highest overshadowing her Luk. 1. 35. 2. The true Christ is stiled the Secona Man because the first Man was his figure Rom. 5. 14. likewise in the Geneologie Mat. 1. Christ is said also to be partaker of the same flesh blood that the children were partakers of Heb. 2. 14 but the flesh and blood which the Children were partakers of were real visible humane or man kind flesh and blood not Mystical Ivisible flesh and blood Besides this Title sc Th. Son of Man is frequently attributed to Jesus Christ in the New-Testament as in Mat. 8. 20. The Foxes have holes but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head also in Mat. 10. 23. 11. 19. 12. 8. c. The Lords Christ is called the Son of Man which is to shew the truth of his humane mankind Nature it being lineally descended from David according to the flesh and therefore Christ is stiled the Son of David Luk. 20. 41. Moreover he hath the appellation of the Son of Man in reference to his participation with our humane Nature in all
manifested himself to Cain by his word three times Gen. 3. 8 9. and afterward that the Word of God came to Noah and so to Abraham and others Now O ye Teaching Seducing Quakers I would ask you this Question sc Could your Light within tell you ought of all this if the written Scriptures had not told it first And yet you would fain make us believe that your Light within is the true Scripture and Word of God even the everlasting Word so that this most notorious lie the whimsie called Light within is the new devised ground of your Faith and Religious Worship Oh ye poor Soul deluded and Soul-deluding ones know assuredly that this Doctrine of your beloved Idol-light in your own addle brains is directly contrary to what the Lord Christ said to his Father concerning his Apostles Joh. 17. 8. I have given them thy words word ver 14. which thou gavest me and they have received them and have known surely that I came out from thee and they have believed that thou didst send mâ— Note here that the words which the Father gave to Christ and Christ to his Apostles they believed and so believing Preached them to the World the Substance whereof is in their written Gospel and Epistles which is to true Christians the Word of God and the ground of their Faith but ye Soul-deceivers labour to dissolve this ground of our Christian Faith because ye would lay a Foundation of your own humane Invention sc an un bloody Light within which Idolized Light hath no more real blood in it then there is in the Transubstantiated Bread of your Popish Brethren wherein both ye and they do exactly agree in one feigned blood-less Sacrifice for sin which is evidently another Gospel which stands under the doubled Curse of God Gal. 1. 8 9. which is further confirmed Heb. 9. 22. Without shedding of Blood is no remission O read and tremble before the iâ—raversible decree of wrath and vengeance go forth for without shedding of blood sc true humane blood there is no remission as above and consequently the unavoidable curse of hell and damnation doth attend a non remission which leads me to the Quakers third Principle The third Principle That the Soul of Man is God in part and therefore infallible Reply This titular Principle consists of two parts which shall be dealt with distinctly 1. That the Soul of Man is God in part Thus James Nayler â—n his Book Love to the Lost page 58. teaching fulness of light or soul within in which fulness is meaning the fulness of God in part and John Tayne in his Book of ten Epistles page 71. saith the soul of man is God in part who in page 3. renders this reason for it because the Soul is no created substance and John Lilborn a laâ—e grand leading Quaker in his Book of six particulars page 16. he affirms That the Light in man was the Light in God himself in whom is no darkness at all referring to 1 Tim. 6. 16. Who only hath immortality dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto which no man hath seen or can see to him be honour and power everlasting Reply Although these words do most plainly exclude any meer man from possessing God in his essential nature yet in page 15. he inferrs That the Light which is the infinite essence of God is the living or quickening holy tender part of man the everlasting Word of God by whom all tâ—ings were made And in page 19. further saith It is the very Principle of true Religion consider now if it be so then it must be such a Principle to the Devils and all damned creatures for as creatures the everlasting word made them and their Being Life and Motion is in him becâ—usâ— he that is Being it self is the bottom of the being of all created Natures and consequently according to John Lilbourn the Light in man which he calls the Everlasting Word by whom all things are made muâ—â— be the principle of true Religion in the Devils and damned O helâ—ish Divinity Doctrine for even they sc the Devils damned live and move and have their dependance upon the divine nature or infinite essence of the Godhead otherwise they would all fall to nothing by an annihilation Nevertheless this is in a special manner to be noted viz. It s one thing that the infinite essence thus possesseth men devils and all things else and another thing for man or any other creature to possess the 〈◊〉 Essence of God to his happiness and blessedness for so man only possesseth God according to his revealed will but through the wâ—nt of a right understanding of this special difference above stated it comes to pass that this untoward Generation Dream the Light within them to be God in part and hence inferr that the Soul is God in part here and full in God hereafter for which they do pretend especially four Texts of Scripture to wit Gen â— 7. Eccles 12. 7. Act. 17. 27. 28. 2 Pet. 1. 4. Reply To the first Scripture Gen. 2. 7. And the Lord God formed Man of the dust of the ground and breathed into his Nosthrils the breath of life and Man became a living Soul hence they argue that the Soul in this life is God in part Reply 1. It is to be noted That in the former part of the verse we have the Creation of Adams body The Lord God formed Man that is he fashioâ—ed the outward and inward part of Adam straight and upright with all his outward limbs and lineaments in their due places without and Veins Arteries Venticles and Bowels in their due places within 2. The Creation of Mans Soul is described i. e. breathed into his nosthrils which Synâ—cdochically denotes the whole Man the breath of life Goâ—s order herein is very observable sc after the Lord had formed his body he gives in not himself in but from himself the Soul here 's the nature of Gods act Breathed it is spoken after the manner of men for as God hath no hands to form so nor mouth to breathe so that hereby must be meant Gods powerful Creation of his Body and infusion of his Soul which God doth as easily as man breathes But to the matter in hand 1. The Divine Being is infinite and indivisible therefore the Soul of man cannot be God either in whole or in part 2. The words being spoken after the manner of men that is to say as the breath of Man is not man in whole or in part but only from him so the Soul being breathed is only from God by infusion 3. The Soul of Man was made after Gods Image Gen. 1. 26. And God said let Us make man in our sc the Father through the Son by the Spirit Image after our likeness i. e. in our Image most like to not the same with us It is an Hebraisme noting a superlative Image most like the Trinity in Vnity This image or likeness
stands in representing God three wayes 1. It is a made Image 2. It is a true Image 3. It is very near and likely Image which appears not only in the spiritual and immortal nature of it but in rectitude of Mind Will Affections Members all pure and righteous conformed to Gods will Eph. 4. 24. which evidently proves that the Soul cannot be God the Creator it being made as above it must be a Creature and consequently a created substance and therefore not after a Quakers gross and absurd manner of speaking God in whole or in part Again When God breathed into Adams liveless body he breathed not himself because he was there before for God is in every thing excluded out of nothing as before evidenced whence it undeniably follows that into Adam's liveless body God breathed not himself but mans reasonable Soul which is mans proper form and without it Man is not a Man So much for the first Scripture The second Scripture Eccles 12. 7. Then shall the dust return to the Earth as it was and the Spirit shall return to God who gave it Herehence they argue The Soul of Man is God in part for God is a Spirit Reply 1. Though God be a Spirit yet every Spirit is not God An Angel is a Spirit Heb. 2. 14 but not God so though the Soul be a Spirit yet it is a made Spirit as afore observed likewise hereunto agrees Isai 57. 16. For the Spirit should fail before me and the Souls which I have made Souls are of Gods making and therefore a created not uncreated substance besides to say that God is a Spirit and the Soul of Man is a Spirit therefore the Soul is part of Gods essence is not only false but a most silly inference for there is multiplicity of signâ—fication in words and here lies the fallacy Spirit sometimes signifie God Joh. 4. 24. and sometimes the wind Ionah 3. 8. Now it s no good inference thence therefore God and the Wind are the same howbeit here is some of a Quakers Divinity 2. The scope and import of the Text it self above excludes this their Interpretation For. 1. When it s said the Spirit shall return it notes a passing from one place to another which cannot be said of the Essence of God for that being infinite filleth all places at once 2. To God that gave it Now according to the Rules of right reason the Giver and the Gift are distinct 3 When the Dust the body returns to the Earth then the Spirit the Soul shall return to God that is to Gods only and alone disposing either to Weal or to Woe for Eternity according to what it hath done in the body whether it be good or evil 2 Cor. 5 10. in this sense it is that the Soul returns to God which Truth the Scripture points us unto as with the finger in the examples of Dives and Lazarus Luk. 16. and therefore to affirm the Soul returns to God as a part of God is absurd and sinful with a witness for it renders God defective till the Soul returns making him a finite not an infinite God The third Scripture Act. 17. 27 28. Though he be not far from every one of us for in him we live and move and have our being Reply I have already and fully granted that the Essential presence of God is in Heaven and Earth and all created natures yet I do herewithal say though all created Natures are in his and his in theirs but yet his uncreated nature and their created natures are ever distinct and different theirs finite and bounded his infinite and boundless not included in nor excluded out of any thing for God is infinitely beyond their beings lives and motions where never any created nature was nor ever shall be otherwise he is not God infinite furthermore the very Text of Scripture above alledged confutes their inference for it expresly saith God is near to everyone of us and gives this Reason for it because in him we live move and have our being so then this very expression sc That God is but near to us plainly shews that he is not us nor we him The fourth Scripture 2 Pet. 1. 4. Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises that by these you might be partakers of the divine Nature whence the Teaching Quaker doth conclude that the infinite and indivisible Godhead is divided into parts thus senseless are they of the grossest absurdities Reply 1. This place of Scripture doth only signifie that the participation of the divine Nature is by a reception of the promised multiplication of grace and peâ—ce ver 2. so that the Text asserts no more but this namely that they partake of the divine Nature who are partakers of the grace and peace promised these being divine qualities are of a divine Nature called the Communion of the Holy Ghost 2 Cor. 13. 14. If this be the genuine and proper sense of the Text how far is it from proving the Soul of man to be part of God To clear this matter yet a little more Consider 2. The Divine Nature may be taken in a twofold sense as 1. For the essential nature of God which is Rom. 1. 20. his eternal power and God head in this sense the divine nature is infinite and indivisible and as such no man can partake of it 2. The Divine Nature may be taken for the gifts graces and comforts of spirit flowing from Christ man in whom they are without measure Ioh. 3. 34 being daily given from him to his Members now it is in this last sense that the Apostle Peter speaks of the Divine Nature above and therefore not to be understood in a Quakers sense for the Deity or Godhead this twofold signification of the Divine Nature being hid from the lost ones causeth them to call the Soul still the Idol-light the Deity in part no created substance not discerâ—â—ngâ—h bidâ—ous Blasphemies which attends this their Principle for if the Soul of man be God in part then the essence of God would be subject to change anâ— passion yea which is worse to sin for so the Soul of man is in this 〈◊〉 thâ—se Blasphemiâ—s are the unavoidable consequences of the Souls being God in pâ—rt I pass this and proceed to the second part of the Principle to wit a Quakers infallibility Reply To the second part a Quakers infallible Spirit within him their spirit of infallibility or infallible spirit is grounded upon the Souls being God in part but this hath been proved to be erroneous and highly Blasphemous the other is therefore of the same nature Chips of the same block yea this their Principle of inâ—allibility shews us the rise and original of their Religion I have long bought their infallible light within to be no other then the Pope without we may not think it s for nought that there are so mâ—ny exact resemblances between the Idol light and the Idolatrâ—us Pope I shall give you
latter part of the verse is both a verification and explication of the former part sc It is the spirit that quickeneth Thiâ— is likewise conâ—irmed by the Apostle Paul Gal. 3. 11. and long before by the Prophet Habakkuk Chap. 2. 4. the just shall live by faith Faith 〈◊〉 the vital principal and fountain of life in the Soul it is the uniting grace it knits us to personal Christ glorified in Heaven above from whose fulness Joh. 1. 16. we receive grace for grace i. e. Grace for graces sake And therefore his flesh profiteth right Believers the whole as to this particular is though the spirit be a dead-souls quickener yet it is not the quickened souls Saviour But this Disputant still avers that the Scripture saith Christs flâ—sh pâ—ofiteth nothing Therefore for further satisfaction touching these words sc Christs flesh profiteth nothing let this Question be propounded Quest In what sense way Christs flesh be said not to profit or profiteth nothing Sol. 1. Christs flesh profiteth an unbeliever nothing as it is noted by our Saviour in the very next verse ver 64. But there are saith he some of you that believed not intending such of them as did not by Faith the believing souls-mouth eat his flesh and drink his blood which in ver 55 Christ saith is meat indeed and drink indeed also in Heb. 4. 2. For unto us was the Gospel Preached as well as unto them but the Word preached did not profit them not being mixâ—d with Faith in them that heard it what the Gospel preached was hath been before frequently declared more especially from Act. 5. 30 31. That the same Jesus whom the Iews slew and hanged on a Tree this was the body of Christs flesh God raised up from the dead and exalted to be a Prince and a Saviour to give repentance and remission of sins This was the Gospel word that was preached which profited not either Iews or Gentiles that did not by the mouth of Faith eat the flesh and drink the blood of Jesus Christ the only Saviour Hence I did infer That the Quakers being such non eating non drinking Unbelievers Christs flesh profiteth them nothing therefore fit to be insiâ—â—ed on by this Disputant 2. Christs flesh profiteth nothing If it be taken in that sense in which the Iews apprehended the eating of it and thaâ— was with their natural mouths as it appears from ver 52. They the Jews strove amongst themselves saying how can this man give us his flesh to eat for they knew of no eating but as they did eat their bodily food yea Christs Disciples such as for the present followed him said ver 63. this is a hard saying who can hear it Hereupon Christ doth explain himself to them all in these words The flesh profiteth nothing ver 63. above thereby giving them to understand that he meant not of eating his flesh with their natural mouthes as they did eat their daily bread for as if Christ had said should ye so eat some of my natural flesh or so drink some of my blood it would profit you nothing the reason of it is assigned by the Apostle Paul because Christs flesh and blood is New-Testament Blood 1 Cor. 11. 25. in which all the promises of God are 2 Cor. 1. 20 here hence it is safely inferr'd That the true Object of Faith is the Nâ—w-Testament promises in Christ bodily in which respect Christs flesh is profitable to all right Believers on him for their Justification Resurrection and Glorification as in ver 54 Whoso eateth with a Soul-believing Mouth my flesh and drinketh my blood hath eternal life and I will raise him up at the last day But if we separate the promises of God from Christs flesh or his flesh from the promises then his flesh profiteth no more then if it were eaten with a mans natural Mouth which according â—o our blessed Saviour profiteth nothing or would not profit the Soul at all Upon the whole it was concluded that W. Bullocks second as his first Scripture fell short of the mark that is of proving a Quakers pretenâ—ed Saviâ—ur within him to be the true not the false Christ The next Speaker was Patience Bullock 1. She propounded a Question to me Quest Whether Christ could have saved us without his being God I Answered Though Christ could not save us unless he were God as well as Man yet the Godhead of the Soâ— onâ—y as such doth not save us from the curse of the Law because the Godhead alone could not fulfill that righteousness active and passive which the Law required 't is true we read oâ— the righâ—eousness of God 2 Cor. 5 21. yet it is not to be undersâ—â—od for the essential righteousness of God but for a righteousness â—nswerabâ—e unto the Law performed by the manhood of Christ to which the Godhead gavâ— both efficacy and excellency Heb. 9. 14. and thereby the righteousness answerable to the holiness and justice of the Law performed by the Man hood soul and body of Jesus Christ was made Meritorious and Satisfactory for sin as the Apostle sign fies Heb. 9. 14. How much more shall the blood i. e. Sufferings of Christ who or which suffering Christ through the eternal Spirit i. e. Godhead of the Son offered himself sc a Sacrifice without spot to God the Father hence I did affirm that Jesus Christ as maâ— is our only Material Saviour 〈…〉 if he may be â—…lieved 〈◊〉 us â—rom the 〈◊〉 of Gods Spiri◠〈…〉 the Man 〈◊〉 Lord Christ then bâ—rn of the Virgin Mary whom 〈…〉 took up iâ—â—o his arms was the Salvation of God i e. whom God had exalted to be â—hâ— only Saviour Act. 5 〈◊〉 and the holy Apostles preached as aâ—ore noted the Man Iesus Christ of Nazareth to be beâ—ieved in remission of sins herewithal named that Text of Scripture in the 1 Tâ—m 2. 5. 6 There is one Mediator between God and Man the Man Christ Jesus who gavâ— himself a ransom for all to be testified in due time The Apostle doth not as I said here assert the Man Jâ—sus Christ to exclude the God head or divine nature from him the Medâ—ator and Ransomâ—r but emphatically to demonstrate that nature in which he meditates and gave himself a ransome for though the ransome was paid by him who wâ—s and is God or had a divine Nature yet it was paid in the Man hood oâ— humane nature only that is to say Christs humane Nature gave worth and value to it whence I did infer but wâ—th much reverence that the Manhood of the Son of God is the only mâ—terial cause of our Salvation and by necessary consequence the Man hood or Humane Nature of Christ was and is our only material Saviour which I had no sooner said But F. E. called on the people to take notice That I had declared the Man hood of Christ to be the only Saviour to which some of the Hearers forthwiâ—h replied that I did say to wit that the Manhood
in the same Book Page 25. What nature sayes he must these Sacrifices be of which cleanse heavenly things sc Souls whither of necessity they must be heavenly if so then whither it was the flesh and blood of the vail or the flesh and blood within the vail whither it was the flesh and blood of the outward earthly nature or the flesh and blood of the inward spiritual nature whither it was the flesh and blood which Christ took of the first Adams nature or that of the second Adams nature Ans In the three-fold Querie above two things are asserted neither of them are mentioned in the Scripture of truth 1. That the Lord Christ had a two fold Body of flesh and blood the one internal and invisible the other external and visible and thenâ—e concludes that it is not the external visible earthly body but the internal invisible heavenly body which cleanseth Souls which he names heavenly things 2. That there is an inward spiritual nature still the Idol light within which hath mystical flesh and blood besides the outward earthly nature the one he calls the flesh and blood of the vail the other the flesh and blood within the vail All which he seems to ground upon the Apostles words Heb. 10. 19 20. Having therefore Brethren boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Iesus by a new and living way which he hath consecrated for us through the vail that is to say his flesh Note here The Apostle doth not make any mention of two distinct natures nor of two sorts of flesh and blood sc visible and invisible â—or in the least of two distinct vails Now that his jugling cheat may be discovered let the Apostles miâ—d be duely considered whose meaning is to wit That Believers may draw near to God through the vail of Christs personal flesh and blood for we Christians believe according to the Scriptures of God that as the High Priest entred into the holy place with the blood of the Sacrifice so the true Christ by his own blood entred in once into the holy place into heaven it self now to appear in the presence of God for us Heb. 9. 12. 24. the whole is That the body of Christs flesh and blood entring into Heaven the holiest is that new and living way consecrated for right Believers to draw near to God for justification through Faith in the one only vail of Christs flesh glorified in Heaven above which precious Truths are worth nothing in the account of a Quaker Furtheamore let it be noted that the word Vail in an allusion to the Temple where the vail hid the glory of the Sanctâ—m Sanctorum and gave entrance to it even so Christs incarnation did as it were rebate the edge of the divine glory and brightness that Believers may come and converse with it without terror for some further illustration I shall here add sc That Christ is the true Jacobs Ladder Joh. 1. 51. the bottom of which toucheth Earth there is his Humanity or vail of flesh and blood and the top reacheth Heaven there is his Divinity so that we may climb this Ladder and have communion with God i. e. climbing up in hope by the Man-hood or vail of Christ we have social access to the God-head By the way observe That this Foxt Penington doth not alleadge any of the holy men of old that ever preached or writ such kind of Divinity as he hath done in his leger demain above whereby sundry unstable Consciences have been deceived I have often heard some of them to affirm That the Quakers do believe in Christs body of flesh and blood and that he died for sin and rose again and that he is Mans only Saviour howbeit they do but wickedly equivocate for they do not mean that the body of flesh and blood life and death c. of Jesus of Nazareth conceived in and born of the blessed Virgin Mary hath purchased justification in the sight of God and Salvation from sin but they deceitfully mean sc the new â—oined invisible flesh and blood of the heavenly Mystical Christ still the Iâ—ol-light within that died within and there rose to a righteousness and justification which is a brat hatcht only in their addle brains from whence also it is they teach a Mystical Bethlehem within where Châ—ist was born that he suffered and died without Ierusalem that is say they Mystical Jerusalem within O ye Quakers judge whither these are not strong and damnable delusions So much also for some further satisfaction to William Bullock F. E. and W. H. concerning those words But a body thou hast prepared me Heb. 10. 5. which was the last Text of Scripture proposed by them in reference to the first part of the Charge as above I now proceed to the Second part To wit That the main end of the Quakars Meetings in these Islands is to make the Lord Christ his Holy Spirit his Angels and Apostles all Lyars and false Witnesses of God As I was about to prove the second part of the Charge against them Francis Eastlack interrupted me saying Thou never wert in our Meetings how then canst thou know what we teach in them I Replied T is true I bless the Lord I never were nor as I hope through the mercy of God never shall be as one of you in any of your Meetings notwithstanding I know what you Teach and mainly aim at in your Meetings for ye are G. Foxes Disciples and ye have learned his Doctrine and as I was about to read some of it they grew impatient and by no means would have it read thereupon I did forbear but I have here inserted it to wit G. Fox in his Book intituled the Mystery Page 49 50. hath these words Ye scorn me the light in you they have disobeyed it and called it a natural light and ye have said that I the light am not able to save those that believe in me Furthermore Page 54. That if ye would believe and wait on me the light I will purge out all your iniquity and forgive all your Trespasses and I shall change your natures if you hearken to me and obey the light within These are the words I would have read but being hindred I told them what they taught in their Meetings to wit That the pretended Light in them is their true Christ Teacher Rule and Guid to be heard believed in walked up unto and obeyed as the only Saviour to give remission of sins and Salvation with God to which F. E. forth with replied That he would for this lay down his life and to confirm him therein W. Harriot then said we deny the out side Christ to be our Saviour Then I requested the Hearers to take good notice sc they have plainly granted that the end of their Meeting to be for to Teach a denial of Jesus of Nazareth the Man approved of God Act. 2 22 to be the true Christ and our only Saviour which Teaching