Circumference to the Center they all meet and center in Christ Anâ— indeed it is as the Navel of Christianity anâ— Characteristick of that Religion 〈◊〉 would intreat Him again to reflect well 〈◊〉 his own Acknowledgment and Comâ—endation of our Belief concerning the End 〈◊〉 Benefit of Christ to Mankind and he 〈◊〉 not think us so deficient much less unâ—â— such strong and dangerous Delusions as he 〈◊〉 been pleased to represent us His Third Paragraph will not suffer us 〈◊〉 be Christians notwithstanding what 〈◊〉 have said of our Belief in Christ in our Paper called Gospel-Truths In one sence I shall easily agree with him for I think nothing makes any Man a True Christian but Regeneration the Power of the Son of God Revealed in the Soul Converting 〈◊〉 to God For the Devils Believe and Tremble too and yet are Devils still they Believe what is True but they do not Truly Believe in him that is True They know and assent to the Propositions of Truth or Articles of Faith and knew Him to be Christ too when He came of old and called him by His Name but this did not make True Christians Then of them Nor yet does an Assent Now to all the Truths of the Gospel Truly Qualifie Men Christians unless they feel the Power of them upon their Hearts And I would have my Reader reflect well upon rhis Great â—nd Essential Truth tho' he were as Big as a Bishop For a new Creature is the Bâ—siness an Orthodox Life the Cross of Chriâ—â— which is the Narrow way of Self-denial 〈◊〉 I must say That whoever declares he believes in Christ as his Sacrifice and Sanctifâ—â—â— which is to save both from the Guilt 〈◊〉 Pollution of Sin is a Professor of Christianâ—â—â— and may reasonably be allowed to beâ—â— Christian at large And that what we haâ—â— declared in our Third Fourth Fifth aâ—â— Sixth Gospel-Truth comprehends the Beâ—â— before-mentioned my Just and Sober Râ—â—der may satisfie himself in the peruâ—â— thereof His Fourth Paragraph faults our first Article as he is pleased to call it with greâ—â— Shortness and Imperfection concerning our Belief of God for tho' he says we own his Prâ—vidence as to the other Life yet we say nâ—thing as to the Creation of this present Work and Providence over it But with the Bishop leave He that believes in God believes 〈◊〉 all that 's necessary to the Supreme Being 'T is what he and all Christians take foâ— granted and allow as often as they heaâ— any one say He believes in God For noâ— to believe Him Omnipotent Omnissieâ—t and Omnipresent is not to believe him to beâ—â— God being inseparable from the Divineâ— Nature I must appeal to the Bishop wheâ—â—er a small Grain of Charity would not have excused us from his Reflection upon this Head We have said more then Moses â—â—d to Pharaoh For besides that I am is â—o more then He is We have added that He is the Rewarder of all Men according to â—heir Works We gave the Text as it is â—nd the very Text seems exprest for a Declaâ—â—tion of Faith in God viz. He that will come to God must believe that He is and that He is a Rewarder of them that seek Him â—he Text does not Enumerate and require â—he belief of all the Divine Attributes and Properties that are in God but the bare â—elief of his Being and what He is to Mankind that fear him And whatever the Bishop says this is enough for a Man to come to God tho' not enough it seems to come â—â—o the Bishop in the Quality of a Believer He must help the Holy Ghost to speak Properly or we that speak after him must be deficient in our Expressions if not our Belief But when any one affirms that Man was created by God is he Short Fallacious or Equivocal because he does not say how God made Man or what he made him â—â—is not his Body Soul and Spirit his Will Understanding Memory and Affections comprized and meant under that word Man Besides could the Bishop think that while we owned God's greater Providence his lesser could be disbelieved by us He that has the alone Power of Rewarding Men in the other World according to their Works in this must certainly be the Sovereign of Both and his Providence in Justice is to be so understood And as it is most certain that we believe of God all that the Holy Scriptures declare of him and whatsoever is proper to that Great and Glorious Being so had we not thought it unnecessary to be more particular from the Common Notion all Men have of the Deity the Bishop could have had no room left for the Exercise of his Charity In his fifth Paragraph he Blames us of being Defective in our Confession of the Holy Trinity Tho' we give it in the very Terms of the Holy Ghost 1 John 15. 7. If this is not a sufficient Text to prove the Trinity that Antiquity Urges and also Modern Writers of the Church of England to prove it I know not where to find one in the Scripture It is Generally believed the Apostle John gave this Declaration to the first Christians to prevent their being deluded by Cerinthius How come the Bishop then to render it but 〈◊〉 by passage and otherwise intended by the Apostle than for an Article of Faith about the Trinity Is there a plainer or a fuller any where in the Writings of the New Testament Three and yet One is the Doctrine of the Trinity And no other Apostle has gone so far or been so Express Insomuch that the Text has been doubted and render'd Apocryphal by such as do not believe the Common Doctrine of the Trinity and Foisted in to serve the turn of Trinitarians So plain it has been thought to their purpose even by the Anti-Trinitarians How then is the Text defective with the Bishop But he says the Apostle writ it upon occasion Doubtless he did so But what other Occasion I pray than that of the Holy Trinity He adds and it was to the Apostles purpose touching the Father Son and Holy Ghost But what purpose could the Apostle have but that of Declaring the Trinity and yet Unity What other Use does be make of it The Bishop must be very hard put to it certainly to shift off and lessen our Confession in this Point and Rather then fail render the Text it self short which with submission I think is a bold Attempt in one of his Station if he Believes the Thirty Nine Articles The next and sixth Paragraph relating to our third Gospel-Truth is large and consists of divers Branches and therefore I shall Consider them distinctly and apart In the third Article You acknowledge indeed the Son of God to have been made Flesh but neither Conceived by the Holy Ghost nor Born of the Virgin Mary So that it does not appear by this your Confession but that he was at first anâ— Ordinary Corrupt and Sinful Person I think it is
to see the Bishop's Evidence for this Knowledge For in the Conclusion of this Paragraph he turns us to the Scriptures who in the beginning of it makes us Unintelligible and Banterers in Religion for Expressing Ours in the Terms of It which may well merit the Bishop's Serious Reflexion His Ninth Paragraph refers to our Eighth Article as he calls it of which he cites these Eight Words only Worship under the Gospel is Inward and Spiritual upon which he says If you mean that Outward Worship ought to be accompanied with Inward and Spiritual Worship 't is what we Preach Press and Practice but if as it would seem you mean that all the Worship God now requires is from the Inward Man or from the Spirit this is abominably false for our Bodies are God's Handy-work and God by the Apostle commands Glorifie God in your Body and in your Spirit which are God's Not to tell you that you your selves now a-days perform somewhat of Bodily Worship Indeed we do and Ever did and Ever shall I hope while we have Bodies to Worship God in We are so â—ar from denying the Body what share is â—ue to it that with the Apostle 1 Cor. 6. â—9 we say What know ye not that your Boâ—ies is the Temple of the Holy Ghost which is â—n you which ye have of God and you are not â—our own Of which I would have the Biâ—hop well Consider For if our very Bodies are under the Influence of the Holy Ghost how much more reasonable is it to believe that It dwells in our Souls and that our Hearts must be Prepared and Animated by the Holy Spirit in all our Devoâ—ion towards God But two things I must Remark to the Bishop First That we did not give him the least Occasion to suspect we deny'd Bodily Worship as appears by the Gospel-Truth now in question For 't is plain there by these words Worship in this Day is Inward and Spiritual That we only distinguish'd between Gospel Worship and the Ceremonial and Pompous Worship of the Law and that by Spiritual Woship we understand Praying Praising and Preaching by the Preparation and Sanctification of the Spirit of God which the Bishop does not and I hope dares not Deny Yet Unkindly and I think Unjustly brings in His as it would seem to make us by an Uncharitable Innuendo look to his Reader as if we denied Bodily Worship And yet to avoid so hard a Chapter as Maintaining this Aspersion would prove to the Bishop he is forced to confess that now a-days we perform some-what of Bodily Worship as if we did not perform any formerly and but a little now Which shews not that Candor that his Character ows us and but too plainly tells every Impartial Reader how muck more mind he has that we should be in the Wrong than in the Right I must Confess we have leâ— Pomp and Gaudiness in our Worship as welâ— as in our Cloaths than is the Custom oâ— some other Churches and think it our Happiness that we are freed from such an Unprofitable as well as Unsuitable Incumberance Whatever It be 't is such as we believe God by his Holy Spirit hath led us into And tho' it be not so Entertaining to those who are Govern'd more by their outward Senses than their Souls yet I hope it will be allowed us to be Grave Solemn and Fervent The other Remark I make upon the Bishop's Exceptions is this That the Spiritual Worship he there allows of seems to be but the Worship of Man's Spirit and not of the Spirit of God working upon the Spirit of Man I would not Imitate him lest I â—â—ould be Uncharitable too For if my â—eader can make more of it he has my â—onsent but that seems to me to be the â—ishop's Interpretation upon Christ's words â—ted by us on this Occasion viz. God will 〈◊〉 worshipped in Spirit and in Truth Tho' â—ere is a Truth in that also yet this nor â—eing so peculiar to the Gospel Dispensaâ—on could not be the Extent of Christ's â—ords whose Drift certainly was to draw Mens Minds to a more Inward and Spiriâ—ual Worship Not only to have less Cereâ—ony than was Practis'd among the Jews â—ut to feel more of the Power and Spirit of God in our Adoration and Praises than beâ—ong'd to the Former Dispensation and with which I heartily wish the Bishop a â—etter Acquaintance Upon the whole Matâ—er I am apt to think my Reader believes with me he might as well have spared his Pains upon us about the first Part of this Gospel-Truth as he is Silent of the latter viz. That we may Preach in Power as well as Words and as God Promised and Christ Ordained without Money and without Price The Bishop in his Tenth Paragraph is pleased to Endeavour to lessen the Authority and Credit of our Ninth Gospel-Truth relating to the vain Fashions and Customs oâ— the World His words are these You teâ— us of denying all the vain Customs and Fashion of the World as also Excess in all things 〈◊〉 know no sort of Christians who teach otherwiseâ— I wish I knew none even of your selves thaâ— practis'd otherwise it is one part of our Câ—techism we teach our Children He first Concurs with our Doctrine for he says 〈◊〉 knows none that Preaches otherwise and thâ— they do the like in their Catechism Sâ— far then he allows us to be sound But hâ— wishes he knew none even of Us that Practice otherwise This is a sort of Charge and being not Prov'd looks like a Calumnyâ— Some perhaps do not walk quite so strictly as becomes them to their Profession but are they own'd by us therein Or Indulged it self If not what are we to Concludeâ— but that the Bishop's Insinuation is to Ballance Accounts with us for the failures of his own People But pray are our Excesses equal or the Numbers that in Proportion do transgress I would not have him Comfort himself with his Uncharitableness to his honest and friendly Neighbours As it will not Excuse his less exact Friends that any of ours live larger than they profess so it cannot justly affect our Body â—here so few are faulty when 't is so well â—nown that such are sure to meet with due â—eproof But he adds that There are many Innocent â—nd Laudable Customs We call vain This 〈◊〉 all in a Heap and a Reflection by Wholeâ—ale I can truly tell him I know of none â—nd if he had been more particular so would too Perhaps he thought Generals bes◠〈◊〉 make his Reflection Safe But if it were â—y place to be Plaintiff I could treat the â—ishop with a large Catalogue of very Ofâ—ensive Customs that would concern him â—o think upon However he is pleased to â—e particular upon us in one of them which â—lmost turns his Stomach he says to think of viz. Would it not make a Man's Stomach â—urn to hear one forbear in point of Conscience saying you to a single Person because â—t is Improper
known to deny and others of you only say It may be so And Lastly Tho' you acknowledge Everlasting Rewards for them that fear GOD yet nothing of the Everlasting Punishment of Wicked Men You mention Hell indeed in a very unnatural place viz. in your first Article of â—he Being of GOD but whether you mean thereby the Grave as most commonly in â—cripture is meant or a place of Temporal Punishment after this Life as some have â—one or a State of total Destruction and Annihilation as many now a days do no one knows Upon the whole As to the Sum of the Christian Faith which you have been pleased to set down there is not any one Article of our common Twelve that you have own'd intirely and Eight at least if not more of them that you have here totally suppressed or waved And how influential to a holy Life those which you have waved are and therefore how necessary to Salvation I must require and conjure you on your own Eternal Account to consider I will only mind you of two passages out of the Scriptures of Truth 1 Cor XV. 16 17. If the Dead rise not that is if there be no Resurrection of the Flesh then is not Christ Raised And if Christ is not raised your Faith is vain you are yet in your Sins Hence it appears All other points of Faith are in vain if this be not true The other is Rom. X. 9. If thou shalt confess with thy Mouth the Lord Jesus and shalt believe in thy Heart that GOD hath raised Him from the Dead thou shalt be saved This Article alone is of such force and influence on Mensâ—Hearts that if believed as it should be such belief will save Men. But both Christ's Resurrection and Our own are by You in this Paper left out of your Faith I judge You not but judge Your selves lest you be condemned of the LORD Your V VI and VII Articles treat of what you call The Light of Christ within Man This You have never been able yet that I could find to make out what You mean by For You will not allow it to be either the Natural Rational Faculty or common innate Notions or Natural Conscience or Conscience Illuminated by the Preaching of the Gospel and the Operation of the Holy Ghost thereby Till You can make us understand your meaning or indeed till You understand it Your Selves that is till you are less confused in this the very Fundamental Principle or Rule of what you profess You must not think of Declaring or Publishing an Account of your Faith See you understand it first There are some Men who have a Faculty to speak things seemingly profound but in the End neither themselves nor others can make any distinct sense of what they have said This we usually call Banter And I must acknowledge as far as I can see your Discourse of his Light within is perfectly such Take notice We in our Preaching require People to look within as much as You do We strictly charge all to walk according to the Convictions and Light they have received We daily appeal unto Conscience but then we teach that Conscience opened by the Holy Spirit under the Ministry of the Word Acts XVI 14. does and must take in its Light from Holy Scripture The Commandment of the Lord is pure inlightning the Eyes Ps XIX 8. viz. of the Mind Ephes I. 18. Thy Word is a Lamp to my Feet and a Light to my Path. Ps CXIX 105. To the Law and to the Testimony If they even Men in their Consciences speak not according to this Word it is because there is NO LIGHT in them Isai VIII 20. Now these things are intelligible This Rule is fixt and certain nothing of which can be said of Your Light within In Your VIII Article You tell us Worship under the Gospel is Inward and Spiritual If You mean hereby that all Outward and Bodily Worship ought to be accompanied with an Inward and Spiritual Worship it is what we daily Preach and Practice and even in private press But if as it would seem You mean all the Worship GOD now requires is from the Inward Man or from the Spirit this is abominably false For Our Bodies are GOD's handy-work and Christ's Purchase as well as Our Souls on which reason GOD by His Apostle commands Glorifie â—OD in Your Body and in Your Spirit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which in the Plural Number that is both which are GOD's Not to tell You that You your selve now a days perform somewhat of Bodily Worship And indeed if there be not a worship of the Body as well as of the Spirit there can be no Publick Worship This Article therefore must also be mended to make it Christian In your IX Article You tell us of youâ— Denying all the vain Customs and Fashions of the World as also Excess in all things I know no sort of Christians who teach otherwise I wish I could say I knew none even of your selves that practice otherwise It is one part of the Catechism We teach our Children to renounce all these But there are many Innocent and laudable Customs which You call vain Would it not almost make a Mans Stomach turn to hear one forbear in point of Conscience â—â—ying You to a single Person because it 〈◊〉 improper and at the same time while â—e is speaking to his Superiour because Thou doest sounds a little rudely to soften the Thou and say Thee doest which is commonly Your Peoples Practice and much more improper Will You ever be able to prove the Primitive Christians â—sed a Dialect or Dress different from others of their Nation and Qualities and placed Religion in it Does not Christ require Saluting even those who salute not us And no doubt his and his Apostles Salutations were in the common form In a word There is more Vanity in Singularity and Affectation than in moderate following a common innocent Phrase Garb or Custome In your X Article you believe you say a Spiritual Baptism and a Spiritual Supper and Communion but acknowledge you Disuse the Outwards Signs by us commonly called Sacraments Now did not Christ command Water-Baptism Go ye and Baptise all Nations Matth. XXVIII 19 20. The Baptism here commanded was Water-Baptism For Baptising with the Spirit was GOD's work not the Apostles and tho the Baptism of the Spirit commonly accompanied Baptism with Water yet not always as in the Case of Simon Magus and many others Yet did not Christ promise to be with them Preaching to all Nations and Baptising to the End of the World Further Did not the Apostles in Obediencâ— to Christs Command both constantly practice and also require Water-Baptism to all Initiated Christians Can any Man forbiâ— Water that these should not be Baptised which have received the Holy Ghost as well as we And he Peter commanded they should bâ— Baptised Acts X. 47 48. Then as to the Outward use of Bread and Wine for the Lord's
Paragraph seems so much to Respect His first Exception in this Paragraph iâ— at our Incapacity For he says we have never been able yet that he could find to make out what we mean by the Light of Christ within Perhaps the Bishop has never sought or has sought amiss which as great and learned Men as himself have done before â—ow and so mist what they have sought â—or And then it cannot be a wonder that he has not found out what we mean by the Light of Christ in Man But that a Bishop â—hould represent this an unintelligible doctrine after reading so distinct and plain an account of it in R. B's Apology not to mention divers other Books and which is of â—reater Authority the Scriptures of Truth â—s no ordinary Surprise to me Has the Bishop forgot the first of John and the 4th â—th and 16th Verses where speaking of â—he Word-God he says in him was Life and the Life was the Light of Men. This is that Light of Christ the Quakers Assert and desire to turn the Minds of all People too For all must have it if it be the Light of all as the Text plainly tells us it is The Ninth Verse is yet more express viz. That was the True Light which lighteth Every Man that cometh into the World then which nothing can be more Express to our purpose And that the Bishop should feel no share in this Glorious Light of Men renders him very unfit methinks for an Overâ—seer of them I know some read this Text otherwise aâ— indeed he did to me in Cork viz. That waâ— the true Light That Coming into the World lighteth all Men referring the word Coming to Christ and not to Man But all thâ— Versions I ever met with and I have seeâ— more than twenty render the verse as itâ— in our English Translations And all Câ—â—ticks and Commentators except the followers of Socinus Read and Render it as â—word do And while we have so much Company and so great Authority I think we neeâ— not be solliscitous about the success of thiâ— point But besides that the foregoing veriâ—â— tells us that the Divine Life of the Word God is the Light of Men which shews all Mankind have it in them for it is the Light of their Minds and not of their Bodies it is impossible that Interpretation should be true in a strict Sense For the Coming of Christ in that Blessed manifestation was to the Jews only He says it himself he was not sent but to the lost Sheep of the House of Israel Matth. 13. 24. Again he came unto his own and his own received him not John 1. 11. And within that narrow â—ompass he could not be said to be the Light of all Mankind that had did and â—hould come into the World for so both the â—th and 9th Verse plainly import viz. The Light of Mankind without restriction to This or That Manifestation of God to Men. But the Bishop is still at a loss what to â—ake of this Light and what we would be â—t for says he You will not allow it to be â—ither the natural Rational Faculty or common â—nnate Notions or natural Conscience or Conscience Illuminated by the preaching of the Gospel and the Operation of the Holy Ghost â—hereby We say we would have it to be what the Scriptures say it to be viz. The Light of Christ the Son of God who called himself John 8. 12. the Light of the World and if so then Every Mans Light the Light of every Mind and Understanding and consequently the Light of Christ within too hard it seems for the Bishop to comprehend and yet so very easie to the meanest Capacity that observes the Discoveries and Convictions of it in their own Hearts But since it is as he rightly terms it a Fundamental with us we will follow the Bishop in his Inquiries a little further We say first then It is not the Natural Rational Faculty of Man for then It would be Man or a part of his Composition meerly as Man But that It is not but a Manifestation in the Soul of Man of Christ the Word-God the Light of the World the Second Adam the Lord from Heaven the Quickning Spirit who was full of Grace and Truth and of whom Man hath received Grace for Grace To wit a Tallent a Proportion suited to his Want and Capacity to Convince and Convert him to Renew and Restore him froâ— his great Lapse unto God his blessed Maker again In short our Natural Rationaâ— Faculty is our Sight but not our Lightâ— That by which we descern and judge whaâ— the Divine Light shews us viz. Good from Evil and Error from Truth But as the Eyâ— of the Body is the Sensible Faculty of seeing External Objects through the Discovery that an External Light as the Sun in the Firmament makes to the Eye but is not That Light it self so does the Rational Faculty of the Soul see Spiritual or Immaterial Objects through the Illumination of the Light of Christ within but is by no means That Light it self any more than the Eye is the Sun or John the Baptist was our blessed Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ that was but Servant and Fore-runner of his blessed Manifestation in the Flesh As for the Bishop's Innate Notions and Natural Conscience if by them he means Impressions or Principles wich are born And come with us into the World viz. the Law of God in the Heart of Man I must tell him first that this is not the Language of the Law and Testimony he referrs us to in the same Paragraph And next that as the Work is not the Workman so They are not properly the Light of Christ but the blessed Fruit and Effect of the Light of Christ the Word-God in Man which shines in the Heart and gives him the Knowledge of God and of his Duty to Him So that the Innate Notions or Inward Knowledge we have of God is from This true Light that lighteth every Man coming into the World but is not that Light it self Just so the Bishop's Natural Conscience must only mean a Capacity that Man has by Nature that is in his Creation of making Judgment of himself his Duty and Actions according to the Judgment of God manifested to him by the Light of Christ within Not that such a Capacity is That Light but that It sees or understands by the Inshining of the Divine Light the things that belong to Man's Duty and Peace Nor is it Conscience Illuminated by the preaching of the Gospel and the Operation of the Holy Ghost thereon which is the last of the Bishop's Constructions but That very Principle of Life Light which Illuminates the Conscience and was the very Spring and Force of the Apostolical Ministry and of the Conviction and Conversion of their Hearers and which Opened their Hearts to receive the Gospel when preach'd unto them In short this Excellent Principle is in Man but not of Man but of
Ministration certainly which he calls Earthly in Comparison of Christ's So that the Baptist in his Watery Dispensation did but Fore-run Christ in reference to the Kingdom that he was to set up in Men. He pointed to Christ and shewed what Christ was to do viz. to Wash Fan and Throughly Purge his Floor that is His People and Sanctifie them throughout by his Spiritual Baptism according to the Apostle in Body Soul and Spirit 1. Thess 5. 23. So that in short Practice Properly can be no Institution where the thing Practic'd has no Commission which I suppose the Bishop will not think fit to deny But says he It has a Commission Mat. 28. 19. which is under favour bur his say so and that I think it is no more I do with all Humility and Submission say First I cannot tell how to reconcile it to Good Sense or Common Usage in Sacred or Civil Matters that any thing should be in force by a Commission that is not so much as once named in the Commission I say to me it does not appear Congruous any more than Cogent or obliging And this is the Cause in hand For there is not a word of Water in the Text alledged for Water nor yet in the Context And unless there were no other Baptism than that of Water as there are several it must at least be allowed to be a Question what Baptism Christ meant in that Commission when he sayd Go ye therefore and Teach all Nations Baptizing them in the Name of the Father Son and Holy Ghost But it may be returned upon me nor does the Text say it is the Baptism of the Holy Ghost and so the Bishop is upon equal Terms with me Grant it that the word Holy Ghost is not litterally joined to Baptizing any more than the word Water in that part But if I am able to shew that the thing is there and that the Baptism of the Holy Ghost was the Subject of Christ's Discourse when he gave that Commission at his Farewell I presume it will be granted me that Christ intended a Spiritual and not a Water Baptism and that is what I shall do I hope with much Clearness First the Fact and then my Arguments Matthew the Evangelist large in his History upon other Points seems short and abrupt in the Context of this Commission as the Reader may observe And as it is usual for one Evangelist to explain another which was the great Wisdom as well as Goodness of God that those Christian Memorials might come with less Suspition to the World of any Humane Contrivance So Luke supplies the shortness of the other Evangelist in his Context to this Commission Luke 24. 45 to 50. particularly the 47 48 49. verses And â—hat Repentance and Remission of Sins should be Preached in his Name among all Nations beginning at Jerusalem And ye are Witnesses of these things And behold I send the Promise of my Father upon you But tarry ye in the Ciâ—y of Jerusalem until ye be endued with power from on High Where as it is plain that this Evangelist in his Account of Christ's Commission to wit the Work Christ gave his Disciples to do Names no Baptizing at all tho' that which it Implies in my Sense of the Word is there viz. the Promise of the Father which is the Power from on High They were to tarry at Jerusalem for So is there not one Word of Water here mentioned to induce us to think that Christ intended to give it any Place in his Commission In short it appears that the Disciples were to be Qualified before they were to go forth as His Witnesses and that this Qualification is the Promise of the Father that he would quickly send them Now I must desire my Reader to turn to the Acts of this Evangelist Chap. 1. 4 5. where he further opens the Manner and matter of Christ's Discourse and Farewell to his Disciples And Christ being Assembled with them commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem but Wait for the Promise of the Father which saith He ye have learnt of me For John truly Baptized with Water but ye shall be Baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence It can be me-thinks no longer a doubt what Baptism it is that Christ's words Mat. 28. 19. refers to since we see not only that Christ distinguishes betwen John's Baptism and His own and between Water and Holy Ghost but also He assigns Water Baptism to John as his Baptism and not Christ's and thereby declares the Holy Ghost to be his own Baptism and none of John's and which yet is no more than what John had said before So that Comparing both Texts together Mat. 28. 19. with Acts 1. 4 5. we may see if we please that the Commission in the one is to be explained by the Qualifications in the other which was omitted by the first Evangelist There They are bid to Go here They are bid to Stay That is to say Stay before you Go and receive your Qualification before you go to Qualify viz. the Promise of the Father that is the Baptism of the Holy Ghost which is followed by the Power from On High verse 8. And indeed had we not this express force on our side from the Text it self the Word Therefore in the Commission referring plainly to the foregoing Verse as the Reason of what follows justifies our sense For whereas the Bishop has objected against our Assertion that it must not be a Spiritual Baptism because that was the work of God and not of the Apostles It is plain that our Lord takes off the force of his exception since the Reason why he bid them Go c. is because says he all Power in Heaven and in Earth is given unto me Verse 18. As much as if he had said Go do all that I have said unto you and be not Doubting or Fearful about the performance of It for All Power in Heaven and Earth is given unto me that bids you Go and Lo I am with you alway even unto the end of the World Which need not have been said as an Encouragement to them in reference to Water Baptism since that was practised by them as well as by John's Disciples long before Nor is this all for the very Text duely considered will not have It to be Water since that could Baptize none Into the Name of the Father Son and Holy Ghost and so the Bishop knows the Greek Text runs 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for they that are Baptized Into the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost must be baptized with the Baptism of the Holy Ghost Since it is to become their Likeness and bear their Image which is Holiness And had not the Apostles understood their Commission as I render it when they had Baptized with Water they would certainly have used the Terms that bore the Force of their Commission viz. In the Name of the Father
and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost of which there is not one Instance in all the Scripture But that which further shews that Water cannot be understood to be meant in the Apostolical Commission is that one of the Greatest of the Apostles He that came behind and was added to by none of them denys It 1 Cor. 1. 17. to be any Part of his Commission for says he Christ sent me not to Baptize but to preach the Gospel And thanks God for that reason in the foregoing Verses that he had Baptized so few Which to be sure he ought not to have done but on the Contrary to have been sorry he had Baptized no more had Water-Baptism been Part of the Apostolical Commission Mat. 28. 19. Again this Eminent Apostle the Great Grand Father not to say God-Father of Gentile Christians delivered to them for Doctrine Eph. 4. 5. that there was but One Lord One Faith and One Baptism And if so That must be the Baptism of Fire and the Holy Ghost which is Christ's Baptism and Proper to the Gospel Dispensation Now could any other make a Man a True Christian or a Child of God then nor can any be so now without It. That Baptism therefore without which a Man cannot be a True Jew or Christian or of the Circumcision made without hands that Worship God in the Spirit and hath no Confidence in the Flesh must needs be the One Baptism but such is the Baptism of the Holy Ghost Therefore the Spiritual Baptism is the Apostles One Baptism Rom. 2. 28 29. Phil. 3. 3. Again the One Baptism must be Christ's Baptism but Christ is the Baptism of the Spirit therefore That and not Water Baptism must be the One Baptism that 's in force according to the Apostle As John was the Fore-runner of Christ so was Water of the Holy Ghost But that which Fore-runs in Nature Ceases and that which succeeds of course Remains Therefore the Baptism of the Spirit is the One Needful and Permanent Baptism Yet further If it be Gospel That he is not a Jew that is one Outward nor that Circumcision that is Outward in the Flesh but that he is a Jew that is one Inward and that is Circumcision that is of the Heart in the Spirit and not in the Letter whose Praise is not of Men but of God as Rom. 2. 28 29. Then unanswerably He is not a Christian that is one Outward nor is that Baptism that is of the Flesh But he is a Christian that is one Inwardly and that is Baptism that is of the Heart in the Spirit whose Praise is not of Men but of God For indeed in all Ages Men cry him down as a Slighter of God's Ordinances but his Praise however is of God let Men say what they will and this is the Inward Christians Comfort in all Undervaluings and Reflexions he meets with from Outside Christians For it 's not to be thought that the Apostle meant or designed to undervalue one Observation as that of Circumcision because it is Outward and set up another Outward Observation instead of it viz. Water-Baptism Again If in Christ Jesus neither Circumcision availeth any thing nor Uncircumcision but a New Creature as saith the same Apostle Gal. 6. 15. Then by the same Reason neither being baptized with Water availeth any thing not being unbaptized with Water but a New Creature I will repeat the Apostles Discourse at large upon this Subject in the same Chapter because it is very Instructing and seems Discissive in this Case As many says he as desire to make a fair shew in the flesh they constrain you to be Circumcised only least they should suffer Persecution for the Cross of Christ It seems they were Outside People that laid stress upon Outside things or something else instead of the Cross of Christ for they Temporized in this matter to shun the Shame and Persecution that then attended the Christians Cross Which stood partly in laying down of outward Observations and which they that desire to make a fair shew in the Flesh stand most for But the Apostle goes on For says he neither they themselves who are Circumcised keep the Law but desire to have you Circumcised that they may Glory in your Flesh They were not exact in the other parts of the Law it seems as strict as they seemed to be for this Sacramental Practice which is the Case of too many now Yet they prest it that they might glory and value themselves upon gaining others to be conformable to them whether to excuse their Compliance with Custom that they might avoid Persecution or out of love to Ceremonial Religion But says that clear-sighted and plain-dealing Apostle God forbid that I should glory save in the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ whereby the World is Crucified unto me and I unto the World If he rejoyced in nothing but in the Cross of Christ then in no other Elementary Rite Service or Ordinance any more than in Circumcision But he proceeds For in Christ Jesus neither Circumcision availeth any thing nor Uncircumcision but a New Creature That is to say for according to Christ Jesus or in the Religion of Christ Jesus neither Circumcision nor Uncircumcision availeth but a New Creature a regenerate Soul One born again by the Spirit of God For the Apostle in these excellent Words not only strikes at Circumcision but all Outward and Elementary Observations Neither This nor That Outward thing availeth in the Christian Religion or according to Christ Jesus but a New Creature He does not say but Water Baptism as some would have it who tell us that It succeeds Circumcision by Divine Institution by no means But that which availeth with Christ and in the Relâ—gion of Christ Jesus is a New Creature a â—ew Man one Changed Regenerated or Born gain by the Word and Baptism of the Holy Ghost And says the Apostle to confirm â—hem in this Doctrine of Inward Circumciâ—ion that is of the Heart in the Spirit which â—s the same thing with the Baptism of the Spirit As many as walk according to this Rule Peace shall be upon them So that We the â—oor despised Quakers take Comfort in this Apostolical Benediction and can say to God's Glory his Peace has been upon Us in our Belief and Confession of this blessed Docâ—rine of the New Creature It is what we have Aimed at and has been the great Drift of our Testimony since we were a People and in order to it have directed all to the Gift of God's Grace in themselves that by believing in it and resigning up their Wills and Affections and whole Man to the Teaching and Conduct of it they may be leavened and sanctified by it throughout by which the State of the New Creature which is Christianity indeed will be Experienced though It was and is a Mystery to the World As for the Apostle Peter's Question Acts 10. 47 48. Can any Man forbid Water that These should not
in or that at least they needed a Sign or Token as that of the Supper to Commemorate Him But this Reason which is yet true does not Credit its Continuation for when the Spirit was come or Christ in his Spiritual Appearance their Eyes were opened and they saw then it was the Spirit that Quickens the Flesh profiteth nothing John 6. 63. 5thly Most certainly Christ meant no less when he Preach'd himself the Bread that came down from Heaven John 6. 31 to 52 and that they that would have Life Eternal must eat his Flesh and drink his Blood That is they must feed upon Spiritual Food Not the Outward but Inward Supper the thing signified and Substance it self For Christ opposes Himself who is the Bread of God to the Bread their Fathers eat in the Wilderness who were Dead which was of an Elementary Nature therefore it can never be that such Bread as perisheth should be the Bread of the Evangelical Supper when Christ by Companion undervalues it to the Bread he had to give them 6thly Our blessed Lord Mark 7. 18. taught That it was not that which went into the Man that defileth the Man because it went but into his Body and not into his Heart and if so the Argument is undeniable that it is not that wich goeth into the Man that is into his Body and not into his Heart that Sanctifieth the Man But Material Bread and Wine goeth only into the Body and not into the Heart therefore they cannot Sanctifie The Import of Christ's words is plainly this Meats and Drinks neither Defile nor Sanctifie they neither Benefit nor Harm any one upon a Spiritual Account Consequently Elementary Bread and Wine cannot be the Evangelical Supper but a Figure of It which is ended in Christ the Bread of God that cometh down from Heaven John 6. 31 32 48 49 50. That a Man may eat of and not dye The Substance of all Shadows for saith the Apostle the Body is of Christ and where that is our Lord tells us Luke 13. 37. the Engles are gathered together Where the Apostles Wise Men 1 Cor. 10. 15. seek for the true Supper which nourishes their Souls unto Eternal Life 7thly But the Bishop will have this Supper four times repeated in the Scripture of the New Testament besides that of the Apostle Paul which must be his mistake since there is no Command to practice it beyond that very Time but in Luke 22. 19. If there it self For tho' his Eating of the Passover is there related as also in Mark and Luke It was but once done and the Command this do in Remembrance of me is only Once Related among the Evangelists as well as it is but Once Commanded And would we be strict with the Bishop we need not allow him that Command to reach further than the present Time in which it was Given for This Do or Take Eat are Equally in the present Tence for thereby you shew forth my Death And the following words viz. I will Drink no more of This Fruit of the Vine until that Day when I Drink it New with you in my Father's Kingdom Mat. 26. 29. further explains it Thus Mark has it 14. 25. Verily I say unto you I will Drink no more of the Fruit of the Vine until that Day that I Drink it New in the Kingdom of God Luke 22. 18. gives it thus I say unto you I will not Drink of the Fruit of the Vine till the Kingdom of God shall come Now it is plain that Christ refers them to the Spiritual Supper which we Prefer and Practice and which is the Supper Signified by That of outward Bread and Wine that was to serve till the Kingdom of God came and then he would Communicate with them in a way Suitable to the Kingdome which Kingdom as before said is not Meat and Drink but Righteousness Peace and Joy in the Holy Ghost And as the same Apostle has it 1 Cor. 4. 20. The Kingdom of God is not in Word but in Power of which Power and its coming from on High upon the Apostles Read Acts 1. 6 7 8. For when they asked Christ Lord wilt thou at this time Restore the Kingdom again to Israel and that he told them 't was not for them to know the Times or the Seasons which the Father had put in his own Power He also adds But ye shall receive Power after the Holy Ghost is come upon you and ye shall be Witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem and Judea and in Samaria and in the uttermost Parts of the Earth This Power was the Kingdom of God for it stands in Power says the Apostle but it seems he thought fit to wave their Question as to a direct Answer and left it a Secret to be revealed unto them when the Holy ghost should Come and the Power from on High should fall upon them And thus he takes his leave of them and is Immediately received by a Cloud out of their Sight Before I conclude with this Paragraph I would observe First that it was the Passover and Custom of the Jews which properly speaking we conceive hath no just plea to continue as a Gospel Ordinance or Institution since it was a Type of Him to come therefore ended as to Institution by his coming Secondly That the Evangelist John the Beloved Disciple that lay in the Bosom of Christ does not so much as mention It or Water Baptism as left by Christ to be continued by his Followers Concerning the Spirit 's Baptism tho' he uses not the word Baptism yet he is very full John 14 16 17. Chapters where he tells them that he would send them the Comforter the Spirit of Truth to lead them into all Truth and that he would dwell with them for ever I say It seems very Improbable if not Incredible that what the Bishop stiles the Badges of Christianity in his 17th Paragraph should be wholly forgotten by so great an Apostle of Christianity 3dly And as the Beloved Disciple says nothing of these visible Signs which the Bishop calls the Badges of Christianity so neither are they made an Article of any of the Ancient Creeds Extant which certainly does not make for their Credit or Authority Since had they then been of that Importance they are now by some esteemed we cannot think they would have been forgot by the Compilers of those Creeds 4ly The Apostle Paul though he repeats the Tradition he received of the Lord's Supper that night he was betrayed does not Injoyn it but as often as the Corinthians did it he tells them they should do it in remembrance of Christ Which is far from commanding it as it would be for the Bishop if he should say to his Friend as often as he comes to Cork he should come and Eat with him obliges that Person to come often to Cork So that tho' the Apostle bids them that as often as they did it they should do it in Remembrance of Christ
that had commanded It for their benefit stirred up Hezekiah to Destroy it 11ly Besides these things are become matter of Gain and made a Sacerdotal Revenue not to say Merchandize which has also helpt to Scandalize People to Tender Consciences who think it a Prophanation of Religion to suffer any part of it to be Excised to the People that ought to be Free 12ly But passing that by at present and supposing Water Baptism and the Supper were not Antiquated but still in Force Who is there Qualified to Administer them Who has received a Commission or the Mind of the Holy Ghost and Power from on High to perform these things For if those that hold they are in Force have no Divine Force or Authority to qualifie them to Administer them there will be but a Lifeless Imitation instead of an Edifying Reality Which â—eads me to what I promised long since That I would at the Close of this Discourse â—ay something of the True Ground of our Difference and Dissent I say then that where we are supposed to â—iffer most we differ least and where we â—re believed to differ least we most of all differ Which I explain thus It 's generally thought that we do not hold the Common Doctrines of Christianity but have Introduced New and Erroneous Ones in lieu thereof Whereas we plainly and entirely Believe the Truths contained in the Creed that is commonly called the Apostles which is very Comprehensive as well as Ancient But that which hath affected our Minds most and engaged us in this Separation was the great Carnality and Emptiness both of Ministers and People under their Profession of Religion They having hardly the Form of Godliness but generally speaking denying the Power thereof from whom the Scripture warns Believers to turn away Next Ministers being made such and preaching and the People worshipping without the Spirit confining the Operations of it to the First or Apostolical Times as if these did not want them as much or that Christ would be less Propitious where his Gifts were not less needful I say an Humane and Lifeless Ministry and Worship together with the great Wordliness of Professors have occasioned our Separation and the Persecution that has commonly followed it hath abundantly confirmed our Judgment In that Matter Hence it was we Retired our selves to wait upon God together according to the Gift of his Holy Spirit and as the Apostle Paul exhorted the Athenians Acts 17. We felt after him with our Souls if by any means we might find him and hear what God the Lord would say unto us who speaks Peace unto his People and his Saints but let them never turn to folly any more We could not I say tell how to think that such as God had never sent but run of themselves and were made Ministers by Humane Learning and Authority not knowing the Work of the Spirit to their own Regeneration could possibly Profit or Edifie the People unto their Regeneration And yet that is the very Work and End of the true Gospel Ministry for no Man can guide another in the way he never trod Besides we apprehended the Ministry was â—ery much a Temporal Preferment and thereâ—ore few were to be found among them that â—â—d not court the Better Places I mean those â—â—at gave the Greatest Pay and by those â—ethods mounted to Worldly Wealth and â—onour as the rest of the World did Turnâ—â—g Alms into Dues and by Law making â—ifts Rents and vexing those extreamly â—â—at for Conscience sake could not uphold â—â—em Which we thought very Foreign to Primitive and an Apostolical Spirit and â—ort of a True and Through Reformation This is not said with any disrespect to their â—ersons or yet Calling simply Considered for â—e that desires the Office of a Bishop certainly â—esires a good thing but the Holy Ghost in â—hose days had the Making of them and the â—ood thing then was their Service and not â—evenue or Worldly Dignity They were then â—ot only no Lords one being their Lord â—ut they lorded it not over God's Clergy or Heâ—itage which was the People in those days â—or â—o the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies tho' it is now â—â—scribed only to the Ministry Then the Ground of Prophesie or Ministry was the Revelation of the Spirit in those ancient Assemblies as may be read 1 Cor. 14. 29 30 31 32. For all might Prophecy that is Preach as the Spirit of God moved upon their Spirit and gave them utterance be it to Reproof Instruction or Consolation Now Study Collection and Memory In those Days they Preach'd their Own Experience of die Work of God upon their Hearts but most now Preach of the Experiences of Others recorded in Scriptures but according to their own and others Humane Apprehensions To be brief we Ground our Conviction Conversion Ministry Prayer and Praise upon the Light and Spirit of our Lord Jesus Christ as the Powerful and Effectual Spring of our Religious Performances and that alone which prepares the Soul and Enables it to Perform those respective Services and Duties in a Manner Acceptable to God And that Ministry and Worship which stands not in the Spirit and is not performed in the Preparation and Inspiration thereof but according to the Compilings Traditions and Precepts of Men we cannot allow to be Primitive and Evangelical and consequently cannot join in them And we are satisfied that it is the good Pleasure of God that all who profess the Name of his Dear and Only Begotten and Well-beloved Son should Acquaint themselves with the Spirit of His Son in their own Hearts in its Reproof Instruction Conviction and Consolation that they may become Spiritually Minded such as mind Spiritual Things more than Earthly Ones and that Daily sow to the Spirit that is bring forth the Fruits of the Spirit and become the Children of God who are led by the Spirit of God Now the Fruit of the Spirit is Love Joy Peace Long-suffering Gentleness Goodness Faith Meekness Temperance Against such there is no Law And they that are Christ's have Crucified the Flesh with the Affections and Lusts thereof But the Works of the Flesh are manifest which are these Adultery Fornication Uncleanness Lasciviousness Idolatry Witchcraft Hatred Variance Emulations Wrath Strife Seditions Heresies Envyings Murder Drunkenness Revilings and such like Of which I told you before as also in time past that they which do such things shall not Inherit the Kingdom of God Rom. 8. 6. 14. Gal. 5. 16. to 24. Chap. 6. 7. 8. And under these Marks and Directions all People may examine themselves and know their Birth Family and Inheritance whether they are the off-spring of God and true Christians or Children of the Evil One Those that are born of the Spirit for whom is reserved an Inheritance With the Saints in Light or the Seed of Evil Doers for whom is reserved the Blackness of Darkness for ever And truly it seems just with God that those who love Darkness
Uncircumcision but a New Creature Gal. 6. Also the Fruits of the Spirit Chap. 5. among which there is not one word about Water Baptism or the Outward Supper with many more Passages that are Close and Cogent His 18th and last Paragraph tells us He will not judge us and yet his whole Paper is but one Continued Judgment of us But from God as he says and as his Minister he bids us Judge our selves First We thank God we are before-hand with the Bishop having Judged our selves and that by the Judgment of God upon us and so have right to Judge others according to that Judgment Secondly We have no proof that the Bishop speaks from God to us Nor can I tell how he should that does not acknowledge the Inspeaking Word of God in the Soul Thirdly For his being God's Minister he has not shewn us his Commission yet and I fear it will not be from Heaven when ever he does But if my Reader will take the pains of perusing this very Paragraph he will not only see a Judging Spirit but that the Bishop holds out abusing of us to the last rendring us as bad as bad can be viz. That we Subvert the Faith once delivered to the Saints and equal our Conceits to the Divine Oracles Using and Disusing what Parts of God's Instituted Worship we please adding I will not Interpose your making Gain your Godliness But as I have already taken ample notice of this Charge so I shall say no more of his Irreligious Slant at our Sincerity than this That I cannot pretend to tell the Bishop what Tribe of Men in Christendom it is that have long made Gain their Godliness and the Pretence of it their Worldly Inheritance since he has been so much more Sensibly instructed in this Affair than my self But one thing I am sure of that if Gain and not Godliness was our Motive to be the People we are we mightily Mistook our way when we left the Bishops For Afflictions Spoiles Prisons Banishments yea and Death it self have attended us since God was pleased to manifest his Truth to us And if under all those Calamitys that have followed us since we were a People for the sake of our Unfashionable Profession the Bishop or any else is so Unnatural as to envy us the Blessing of God upon our honest Industry and to render that which is an Effect of God's Goodness the Reason and End of our Religion God forgive them I could Enlarge upon this Topick but time would fail and the Discourse swell beyond Bounds as indeed it hath already beyond my Expectation for which I should Excuse my self to my Reader but that it was not Simply from the Regard I had to the Bishop's Sheet since that could not have deserved this Notice from me but might have been answered as Concisely as that was written had I only considered his Undertaking and Treatment and not my Readers Satisfaction in the better Knowledge of our so much Misrepresented Perswasion Especially in a Nation where of late I had occasion so Generally to Travel and the Bishop's Paper hath been I suppose as Generally Disperst I owe it therefore to My Profession to My Self and to the Country to Vindicate the One and to Express my Christian Regard and Acknowledgment to the Other having received a more than common Civility from the Inhabitants in General To whom I wish as to my own Soul the Saving Knowledge of the Truth as it is in Jesus That Christians Indeed and at Heart They may be to the Glory of God their Creator and the Eternal Salvatiou of their Souls through Jesus Christ the alone Redeemer and to whom with the Father by the Holy Ghost be all Honour and Glory Thanksgiving and Praise World without End FINIS BOOKS Printed and Sold by T. Sowle next Door to the Meeting-House in White-Hart-Court in Gracious-Street And at the Bible in Leaden-Hall-Street near the Market 1698. SAmuel Fisher's Works in Folio The Works of the Long Mournful and Sorrowful Distressed Isaac Pennington's in Folio William Bayly's Works Quarto The Works of that Memorable and Ancient Servant of Christ Stephen Crisp containing also a Journal of his Life giving an Account of his Convincement Travels Labours and Sufferings in and for the Truth Price Bound 5 s. A Collection of the several Writings and Faithful Testimonies of that suffering Servant of God and patient Follower of the Lamb Humphry Smith Price Bound 2 s. 6. d. A Collection of certain Epistles and Testimonies of Divine Consolation Experience and Doctrine Written by that Faithful Patient and Long-suffering Servant of Christ William Bennit Price Bound 1 s. 8 d. The Memory of the Righteous Revived being a brief Collection of the Books and Written Epistles of John Camm and John Audland Together with several Testimonies relating to those two Faithful Labourers Price Bound 2 s. Truth Vindicated by the Faithful Testimony and Writings of the Innocent Servant and Handmaid of the Lord Elisabeth Bathurst Deceased Price Bound 1 s. Baptism and the Lord's Supper Substantially Asserted being an Apology in behalf of the People called Quakers concerning those Two Heads By Robert Barclay Price Bound 1 s. A Catechism and Confession of Faith By R. Barclay Price Bound 9 d. No Cross No Crown A Discourse shewing the Nature and Discipline of the Holy Cross of Christ By W. Penn. In Two Parts The Fifth Edition Price 3 s. An Address to Protestants of all Perswasions more especially the Magistracy and Clergy for the Promotion of Virtue and Charity In Two Parts By W. Penn a Protestant The Second Edition Corrected and Enlarged Price Bound 1 s. 6 d.