[Page] THE True Copy of a Paper Given in to the YEARLY MEETING OF THE People called Quakers, At their Meeting-Place in Grace-Church-street, London, 15 day of the 3d. Month 1695. By George Keith, which was read by him in the said Meeting, by their al­lowance.

With a brief Narrative of the most material passages of Dis­course betwixt George White-head, Charles Marshal, and George Keith, the said day, and the day following, betwixt George White-head, William Penn, and Francis Canfield on the one side, and George Keith on the other; wherein is laid open their most Unfair, Unjust and Unchristian Method of Procedure against him, contrary to the Doctrine of Christ, and all true Gospel Order.

TOGETHER With a short List of some of the vile and gross Errors of George Whitehead, John Whitehead, William Penn, their chief Ministers, and now having the greatest sway among them (being of the same sort and nature with the gross Errors charged on some in Pensilvania) most apparently oppsiote to the Fundamental Doctrines of the Christian Religion, asserted and maintained by them in their Printed Books, and some scandalous passa­ges out of Stephen Crisp's Collection, approved by them, concerning Christ's Generation in Time, and Blood of his Humanity; faithfully tran­scribed by George Keith.

And a Proposition to VVilliam Penn, to prove his charge, That G. K. is an Apostate.

Isaiah 29 13 11. [...]5. Forasmuch as this People dram, &c.
2 Per. 2. 1 But there were fals [...] prophets also among the People, even as there shall be fals Teachers among you, who privily shall bring in dam­nable Here [...]ie even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves shift destruction; and many shall follow their pernicious ways, by reason of whom the may of Truth shall be evil spoken of.

London, Printed for R. Levis, 1695.

To the Yearly Meeting of the People called Quakers, met at London, the 15th, 3d Month, 1695.

I Come here before you in a Spirit of Love, to acquaint you with divers things relating to my present Case; chusing rather to com­mit what I had to say, into writing, then by word of mouth; well knowing that words spoken, either may not be so well remem­bred by them that hear them, or may be liable to be misconstru­ed by some that may be prejudiced.

In the first place, I lay my Complaint before you, against divers per­sons owned by you, as Members of your Society, for their publick defamation of me, and grosly and unchristianly representing me in some late printed books; as particularly Thomas Ellwood in his two Printed Books against me, and John Pennington in his printed Book. And I de­sire that Justice of you, that ye may hear what I have to offer to you as sufficient proof and evidence, that they have grosly defamed me, and falsely accused me, and misrepresented me; and also I laying Complaint against the second days Meeting, or that party of them, who have either approved or permitted such scandalous Books to come forth against me; and also for their approving or permitting Sam. Jennings his scandalous Book fill'd with many Falshoods and Defamations, to come out against me, as I have made sufficiently to appear in my late Answer to the same, and offer more to make appear, if ye give me a hearing.

Secondly, I lay my Complaint before you, against divers persons who have publickly Interrupted me in my publick Testimony, and exercise of my Ministry in Meetings, particularly Daniel Whirlley at two several times in the Meeting at Whitehart-Court; the last time being the last first Day; and W. Penn, some Weeks ago, at Ratcliff Meeting, not only in­terrupted me in my publick Testimony, but called me Apostate, and an open Enemy to Truth and Friends, doing what in me lay to pluck up the Testimony of Truth and Friends by the Roots, with divers others false Speeches and Defamations; but instead of proving his charge a­gainst [Page 4] me, he went away in hast. Now his Charge against me, That I was an Apostate, and did what in me lay to pluck up the Testimony of Truth and Friends by the Roots, doth plainly enough imply his offence at the Doctrine asserted by me, as being opposite to the principal Testi­mony of Truth asserted by faithful Friends, and striking at the very Root and Foundation of Friends Testimony. Now I desire this Justice of you, That W. Penn be required to make good his Charge against me, and prove me guilty of the same, or that he be brought to acknowledg his Error; and also I desire to know what any of you have against me, in matter of Doctrine, or Life and Conversation, that maketh some so unfriendly and unbrotherly towards me; and whatever my Offences may be, whether supposed or real, that it may appear that ye are for doing Justice impar­tially, without favour or respect of persons; I judg ye ought to be con­cerned, equally to hear my Complaints, and do me Justice against such owned by you, as have wronged me, as to hear their Complaints against me, and do them Justice against me; if it appeareth that I have wrong­ed them, yea, suppose I were as bad as some represent me, or worse, sup­pose I were Turk or Jew, ye ought to do me Justice against them that have defamed me, and falsly accused me; and in order to do me Justice, to hear the Evidences and Proofs that I have to bring forth against them.

Thirdly, Whereas they that gave forth that Paper, called, A true account of the Proceedings at the last yearly Meeting in this place, gave it as their Advice, That Friends should be tender and kind to me; as I should ap­prove my self to be a Man of Peace and Charity towards all, and An­swer your Christian Advice therein, and to avoid all publick and appa­rent reflections on both sides. Now that it may appear ye are for doing Justice impartially, let it be impartially examined by you, as well whe­ther they of the one side have not kept to that Advice given in that Pa­per, as whether I have kept to it on the other side, and let it be duely weighed in the Ballance of Truth, which of us are more or less guilty, or whether they or I be most, or altogether Innocent; but if it be said, there is no time for such an Examination or enquiry, I say, if sufficient time be not allowed for such an Examination, no due Judgment can be given in the Case against me; for whatever pretences some make to Judg me to be wrong, and of a wrong Spirit, from their inward Sence and discerning, without outward Proofs and Evidence in matter of Fact a­gainst me, will bear weight with none of a sound Judgment, and who have a due regard to Christ's Doctrine, which is to Judg the Tree by its Fruits, and these Fruits must be made appear in some matter of Doctin or Faith, and the Scriptures forbid to receive an Accusation against an Elder, but before two or three Witnesses.

Fourthly, I lay my Complaint before you against Will. Bingely, John Vaughton and others, who have manifestly, to the observation of the Meeting, endeavoured to hinder my speaking in Meetings, so closly speaking one after another, and sometimes making signs, and pulling by [Page 5] the Coat to stand up and speak, on purpose to prevent my speaking; and on a First Day, at Whitchart-Court Meeting, W. Bingely and Sam. Wall­denfield, broke up the Meeting before its usual time, as is well known VV. Bingely, or some other crying out, pass away Friends, after I began to speak, which occasioned a great disorder and confusion in the Meeting. And is it not a great shame and scandal that it should come under pub­lick observations, to makes signs one to another, by pulling him by the Coat, or Sleve, to stand up and speak, which occasions many to say, The Quakers can transgress their Principle when they have a mind, by speak­ing whithout a motion of the Spirit, when they obey the outward Sign and Motion of another to speak, as if the Spirits inward motion did an­sver to the beck of their outward Motion; and have we not blamed it in other Professions, for one to say to another, Brother do ye Pray, as be­ing an Argument such did not attend to the motions of the Spirit of God in themselves, and to be sure no more do they among us, who give signs one to another, to speak in Meetings.

Fifthly, Whereas it is said by some, and particularly by John Vaughton and Iohn Field, which I think they will not deny; and can be proved, That those who denied me in Pensilvania, their denying me and disown­ing my Ministry, was enough for Friends to deny me here, and that there need no more for Friends to deny me here; for friends here, and they who denied me in Pensilvania are one, and they own their Judgment in disowning me, to be a true Judgment and effectual. Now if this be so, and that it be your Sence, how is it that this was not expressed in that Paper, called, A true Account given out at the last Yearly Meeting, and that Friends generally Joyned with me in Prayer, about the time of the last Yearly Meeting, and were uncovered when I Prayed, and that they recommended it to Friends, to be Tender and Kind to me, and to avoid all public and apparent Reflections on both sides. But if it had been their Judgment, that I ought not speak in Meetings, it had been impro­per to adv [...]e me to avoid all Publick and apparent Reflections, for he that sayeth nothing in Publick, cannot be said to Reflect.

Sixthly, seeing divers owned by you, as Members of your Society, both in City and Country, do still own me, as a Friend of Truth, and my Ministry and Testimony; and others disown me, and a third sort are in suspence and doubt concerning me; I desire you to be plain and express in giving your unanimous Sense and Judgment concerning me, either to own or disow me, in such plain and express Terms, as may leave no room for any doubt of your meaning; and what paper ye give out concerning me, let it be signed with all your Hands, that give Judgment in the Case, and not laid on the Clark, that it may appear all present are Unanimous in the said Judgment. But ye cannot give out any Paper of Judgment against me, for any new matter since the last yearly Meeting, until after ye have given me a fair oportunity to answer to all that my Ac­cusers bring against me: Nor can ye in Justice permit such who have suf­ficiently [Page 6] Discovered themselves to be prejudiced against me, either to be Witnesses against me, or to sit among you and give Judgment in the Case, nor can it be reckoned a duely Constitute Meeting, if any owned by you to be Friends, be kept out, and Excluded from hearing and seeing, and giving Judgment in the case, and the Meeting consined to a select num­ber of Ministers, and two sent from every County, this cannot be owned to be any True, Free and Duely Constitute Meeting, where all, or any that desire to be present, and give their Judgment are Excluded, and is plainly contrary to the Doctrine delivered by R. B. in his Annarchy, and generally approved by Friends. Now the persons I do particularly ex­cept against, either to be Evidences against me, or Judges in my Case, being manifestly prejudiced, are Will. Penn, Will. Bingely, George Whit­head, John Vaughton, John Field, Sam. Waldenfield.

Seventhly, What Sentence ye pass concerning me, I desire you to make it Publick, and let me have a true copy of it, with your particular Ra­sons of your censure, what it is either in matter of Doctrine or matte of Life and Conversation, that moveth you to pass any Hard or severe cen­sure against me, if so ye do, and not to give such bare general Reasons as some use against me, without all Proof or Evidence, in mattr of Fact against me, as that I am of a wrong Spirit, Contentious, se [...]king to break the Peace of the Church, &c.

And lastly, I desire to know your sence of these words, in the Pa­per called, A true Account of the Proceedings, given out about the time of the last yearly Meeting, wherein they advise me to clear the Body of the People called Quakers, and their Ministers from these gros Errors, charged on some few in America. If ye mean by the Body, only the Faithful, I have done it formerly in my Printed Books, declaring I never charged the Body of Faithful Friends; but if ye mean by the Body, the generality, and such generally who are under the same Prosession, and not denied by them, I tell you plainly it is a most unjust and unfair thing to require it of me, because, as I know not one of many hundeds of that People, in many places, whether they be sound in the Faith of these Doctrines, or guilty of these gross Errors charged on some in America, so to my certain knowledg, some here, even in England, are guilty of divers of these gross Errors, which I offer to prove out of their Printed Books; and suppose any of them have corrected their Judgment, since their Printed Books, yet until they correct their Books by as publick a Testimony, as they have published their Errors, they are liable to be blamed for these Errors.

And seeing I know not any thing that any have against me, of Just Occasion, why I should be disowned by you, or my ministry, but that the great occasion many take against me, is my zealous and conscienti­ous Opposition to vile Errors, opposite to Fundamental Doctrines and Principles of Christianity; which I have sufficiently proved divers guilty of in America; and of which I offer to prove some sufficiently guilty of [Page 7] here among you, and owned by you; and for my conscientious refusing to hearken to the Advice, or suppose, command of them that would injoyn me to clear the Guilty, which neither God nor any good man will do, without Repentance, and disowning their Errors; and my conscientious discharge of that part of a Gospel-Ministry, in reproving vile and gross Errors in Publick Meetings; and rescuing many places of Scripture from the Perverse Glosses that some put upon them in Publick Meetings. If for this my conscientious performance of my Duty both to God, and also to the Souls of People, I shall be disowned by any Party among you, or among that People called in scorn, Quakers (for I believe I shall never be disowned by the most Faithful and Conscientious of that People, for my Faithful and Zealous Testimony to the Truth, against vile Er­rors; and that I shall never, by the Grace of God, give any Just Oc­casion to any against me); though I cannot but be very sorry on their Account, who shall so unjustly judge me, and cast me out; yet I shall rejoyce, and have great Cause so to do, that it hath pleased God to give me a Lot amongst others his dear Servants, who have suffered the like Evil Treatment by men of high Pretences, and I rely upon God's Faithful Promises, who hath promised a great Reward to such in Heaven, who suffer for his Name's sake on Earth; an Earnest of which I now enjoy by his blessed Spirit in my heart, John 16. 1, 2, 3. Isa. 66. 5. Job 31. 34, 36.

George Keith.

A Brief Narrative of the most Material Passages, &c

ON the 14th of this Iustant the 3d month, 1695. I came to the Meeting-house Door, at Grace-Chureh-street, where the Yearly Meeting was sitting, which was carefully kept shut by Three or Four Persons, they refusing to let in but Friends of the Ministry, and others Commission'd from the several Counties and Meetings, or any other persons whom they thought fit; and I offering to enter in, was stopt by the Keepers; I enquiring their reason, they told me I was not in Unity with Friends. I replied, I know no Meeting, as yet in England that hath disowned me. But one of the Keepers proffered to go in, and acquaint the Meeting, that I desired to have entrance, which he did; and a little after some came out, and told me, I was not to have entrance, but if I had any Paper, they would carry it in to the Meeting; I told them I had a Paper, but not having a Copy of it, I would not give it out of my Hand, and though I had an­other Copy, yet I was resolved to give no Paper to them, to be read in their Meeting, unless I were present, so that Evening two of the Meet­ing came to my House, and told me the Yearly Meeting agreed I should come next day, about the sixth hour, in the Evening, and have entrance to read my Papers, or hear it read, providing I would withdraw when dersied, which I promised; so at the time appointed I came, and was al­lowed to sit at the great square Table, among the Ministers and Commis­sioners, that can hold about it, either fully or near double, to the num­ber 24, whether by allusion to the 24 Seats and Elders mentioned, Rev. 4. But doubling the Numbers, I do not determine, only I think it suits not with their crying out so much as they were wont against chief Seats in the Synagogues, to erect such a stately Fabrick, in their Meeting-House at that time, it little differing from the manner of a Throne, but that it is low upon the Floor, covered with green Cloath, yet few take liberty to sit there, but the chiefest in respect among them. After some time of Universal silence, I stood up, and declared that I had brought a Paper, which I desired they might suffer to be read among them; Jasper Batt [Page 9] much opposed its Reading, but George Whitehead stood up, and made a Speech, the substance of which was, That I had the Advice of the last Yearly Meeting given me, but instead of hearkening to it; I Printed a Paper reflecting on the Yearly Meeting the last year, and no wise answer­ing the mind of the Meeting; and though I mention not the Yearly Mee­ting in that Printed Paper, called, The Causless Ground, yet it is apparent I meant them; for I recite some of their words; and by that which Robert Hannay, that came over with me, and owned our Proceedings in America, had Printed of Vile Reflections against the Last Yearly Meeting, it is evi­dent I did mean the Yearly Meeting; for his Printed Paper is a Com­mentary upon mine. ‘And now (said G. W.) if thou hast any Paper to offer to this Yearly Meeting, to give Friends satisfaction, that thou will hearken to the Advice of the Last Yearly Meeting, and disown what thou Printed in that called, The Causless Ground, Reflecting on Friends; the Meeting will hear rhy Paper: Otherwise I think it ought not to be heard.’ To which I replied: As in that Printed Paper I men­tioned not the Yearly Meeting, so there are no words in that Paper an­swered by me, but were spoke by other Persons before and after the Yearly Meeting; therefore ye cannot prove that I Reflected on the Yearly meeting. Beside, I do not own, that that Paper, called, A True Account of the Pro­ceedings, &c. was the Yearly Meetings Act, but of a Prevailing Party or Faction in it; and I do not own Robert Hannay's Paper to be any Com­mentary upon mine; he is of Age to answer for himself. I desired him he would not Print it; and had no hand in Printing it, as I have oft for­merly declared; which Th. Elwood wrests, as if my Sence were, I did not work it at the Press. But this is one of his many other gross Perversions of my words. And as to my Paper giving satisfaction to the Meeting, I cannot say whether it will actually satisfie the Meeting; but I judge there is enough in it to be just Cause of Satisfaction to them; but whether it will satisfie I know not; the Event will best prove that; therefore I desire ye will permit it to be read, I claiming their Promise (without any condi­tion) to suffer it to be read: so, after some time, they allowed me to read it.

After I had read it, and some time of silence interveened, Charles Mar­shal (one that abounds with his Prophecies and Predictions; but I know not if ever any of them came to pass; but surely many have failed ap­parently) stood up, and said, He had some few words of Exhortation to me, from God; and they were so weighty on his mind, that he was min­ded to come to my House, and deliver them; but finding me there, he would communicate them; which was, To exhort me to come down to the Witness of God in my Heart, and return to that which convinced me at first, and gathered me out from among the Professors, and leave all these Imaginations, and bury them, and be reconciled to Friends. After he had ended, I stood up to reply, but there was a great Opposition in divers, to hinder me, they saying, There was no need of a Reply to a [Page 10] few words of Exhortation. I answered, I hoped I might have the like Liberty to Exhort him, as he had to exhort me; so way being made, I replyed, That I was come down to the Witness of God in my Heart, and was not departed from that which convinced me, and was in Unity with Faithful Friends; but it was my desire, that both I and all of us, might more come down to God's Witness in our Hearts, and if they did so, they would do Justice impartially; and to be sure he needed very much to come down out of his Height; And for his saying, he had a mind to come to my house and deliver his Message, he had time enough, for a Year past, to have once visited me; but he never did; and if he hapned to pass by me, in the street, scarce to look to me, (though his former Ac­quaintance) but with scorn and disdain; so that I looked on his present Exhortation very unseasonable, especially after his many Curses and False Prophecies poured out against me in divers Publick Meetings, since the last Yearly Meeting, as is known to many; And a little after, the Meeting de­sired me to withdraw, which I did.

When I came before them the next day, after some silence, Geo. White­head began, and made a long Speech, repeating what he had said the day before, and adding new matter, he said, He was not forward to be the Speaker, but it being laid upon him by the Meeting, he was willing: He said, I had not only given great dissatisfaction by my Printed Paper, call­ed, The Causless Ground, and by my Reflecting on Friends Testimonies in Publick Meetings, and refusing to hearken to Friends Advice, to clear the Body of the People called Quakers, and their Ministers, from those gross Errors, &c. but by the Paper I had given in Yesterday, I had greatly in­creased the dissatisfaction in Friends against me, I charging Ancient Friends in the said Paper, and who have been always owned by Friends, as Faith­ful Ministers, with high Charges; and not them only, but the Second Days Meeting also, and had taken upon me to Judge Ancient Friends and Brethren, and the Second Days Meeting; yea, and all Friends that will not say as I say: And for me to oppose my self thus generally to Friends, and judge them all, as I had done, was a great dissatisfaction, and did be­speak, or prove me very far declined from Friends, and from a true in­ward sense of Truth. After he had spoke a great while, to the same purpose, but chiefly finding fault, that I had excepted against some of the most Antient, and most approved Friends of the Ministry, as not being worthy either to be my Judges, or so much as Evidences against me; after some time of silence, in great coolness I replied to him: It cannot be expect­ed, That I can Reply to every thing particularly in this long Discourse of G. W. It were better to speak but to one thing at once; I cannot remem­ber all the particulars, but so far as my Memory serves me, I shall en­deavour, by God's assistance to answer to some of the chief things. I de­ny that I have as yet judged all Friends, I reserve to my self a Judgment of Discretion, as a private person, the due priviledg of every true Chri­stian; but why is it thought such a crime in me, to lay my Complaint [Page 11] before this Meeting, against some particular persons, who have greatly in­jured me, and abused me; and why ought not my Complaint to be heard against them, as theirs is heard against me. The Advice of that, called the Paper of the last Yearly Meeting, was that Friends should be tender and kind to me, and to avoid Reflexions on both sides. It will appear to be great partiality, only to examine, whether I have kept to this advise, or transgrest it; and not also to examin impartially, whether these that have reflected on me in Publick Meetings, and have interrupted me in my Testimony in Meetings, and falsly accused me, as VVilliam Penn some Weeks ago, did at Ratcliff Meeting, calling me, in the open Meeting, Apostate, and an Enemy to Truth and Friends. Have I not just cause to except against such, as being either Judges, or Evidences against me, and particularly against thee George VVhitehead, whom I can sufficiently prove greatly prejudiced against me? And as for that other part of the Advice, said to be given by the last Yearly Meeting, viz. That I should clear the Body of the People called Quakers, and their Ministers, charged on some in America; to this I have some things to say; and first I would have you to consider, that Advice is one thing, and Command is another, even as Paul distinguisheth in the case of single Life, when he giveth his Advice or Judgment, but no command in that Case, 1 Cor. 7. 25, 40. And surely Paul was not so severe, to disown them that gave not obedi­ence to his Advice; and I know no Church, nay, not the Church of Rome, that is so severe as to disown them that will not hearken to her Advice simply, if they obey her Commands. I find not that the Yearly Meeting Paper, so called, gave me any Command in this case, and there­fore no Transgression. But again, as I have declared in my late Paper to you, I want to know what ye mean by the Body of the People called Quakers, and their Ministers; if only the Faithful, I never charged them, and have again, and again cleared them in print; but if ye mean all that go under the same profession, of Quakers, not di [...]owned by you, I say, that is a most unfair, and unjust thing to require of me; for as I know not one of many hundreds of that People in divers Places, nor their Faith, whether it be sound or unsound in these matters, so to my certain knowledg, some of great note among you, yea here sitting before me (pointing to W. Penn, George Whitehead, and John Whitehe [...] but not men­tioning their Names) are guilty of some of those gross Errors charged on some in America; and how can I clear them that are thus guilty, until they Correct these gross Errors in their Printed Books, that are standing Evidences against them; and what Justice could I expect, that these be­ing the leading men at the last Yearly Meeting, should fairly or suffici­ently Condemn these mens gross Errors in Pensilvania, charged on them, when they themselves are guilty of the same, as I offer to prove out of their Printed Books, never retracted by them. But by this my free Dis­course, many in the Meeting began to be very uneasy. After I had end­ed, George Whitehead began again, and resumed some Heads of my Dis­course; [Page 12] he told the Meeting the word Advise had a twofold signification, one when it was relating to an indifferent matter, another when it re­lated to that which was a Command of God, to wit, to keep in Unity with Friends, and in Charity and Peace, and not to break the Peace of the Church by contentions, and exposing Friends to the World. Next, as to my Question about what they meant by the Body of the People called Quakers, he wondred I could pretend ignorance in that, seeing I had Printed divers Books, in defence of the Body of that People, and had answered the Books of Adversaries against them, which Friends well received and encouraged me therein; and yet after all this, to pretend to be Ignorant, what was meant by the Body of the People called Qua­kers, was to him very strange. But however, he would tell me what they meant by the Body; First, they meant none who had broke them­selves off from Friends by their evil Contentions and Strivings, and walk­ed not in Charity and Peace with Friends; But by the Body they meant all who walked in Unity with Friends, in the same Profession with them, and were Charitable and Peaceable; and here he spake much in Praise of their Unity, that had been preserved among them, notwithstanding of the endeavours of many to break it.

To this I replyed, thou mistakes the Case, George Whitehead, I refused not to hearken to the Advice of Friends, so far as it was a Command of God, but so far as it advised me to do what is contrary to God's Com­mand. I own I ought to Live in Unity, Charity, and Peace with sound and Faithful Friends, but it is no breach of that Unity to reprove Errors publickly Preached in our Meetings, and to rescue many places of Scrip­ture from the Perverse and Corrupt Glosses of Ignorant Men, and if con­tending for Truth, and hard words be an Argument of want of Charity, none have been greater contenders, than many of the People called Qua­kers, not only amongst other Professions, but even among themselves, before they disowned one another.

The Advice given me, to clear the Body of that People of all gross Errors, when I know so many guilty, even such among you, as are owned most to be in Unity, is a most unjust thing to require of me, and if for this I must be disowned, I shall rest well satisfied. Next, as to the sense of the Word, Body of the People called Quakers, I have been a Preacher and Writer among that People, and a Labourer among them, these thirty years past, and I never understood, that all deserved to be called the Body, that did but outwardly profess Unity with Friends; I am not such a Novice, as not to know that it was the Sense of many Friends, as well as my sense, that many Professed Truth with us, and made a Profession of Unity, that were not in it, and were not in the Possession of the Life and Power of Truth, whereof they made an outward Profession. And as for the Unity of them here away, that some so much boast of, there is no such great cause, so to glory and boast of Unity.

[Page 13] One thing G. VVhitehead much insisted upon of my being changed, or at least so appearing, since the last Yearly Meeting, for then I seemed to be very much concerned, and desirous not to be broken off, and dis­joynted from Friends, but now it appeareth to him, and others, that it is a very indifferent thing with me, to be disowned by Friends; To this I replied, That he did in that, as in other things, mis-represent the Case; it is no matter of indifferency to me now, but of great weight and mo­ment, both with respect to you, and me; first, with respect to you, if God should permit you to be so blinded, as to disown me, without any just cause on my part, but simply my bearing my Faithful Testimony to the Doctrine of Christ, and against the gross Errors of some among you; this to me is no indifferent thing, on your Account; next, as to me, That is no matter of indifferency, for if I be disowned by you, for well doing, as I shall be very sorry for you, so I shall greatly rejoyce on my Account, because of the Spiritual Advantage I hope to receive thereby, relying on the Faithful Promise of Christ, Matth. 5. 11, 12. About this time, there being a great Commotion in the Meeting, by reason of my free and bold Speech (which some are pleased to call Passion, and Rail­ing) VVilliam Penn stood up, desiring Friends to keep down to the Sense, for by that they were to judg of this Disorderly Spirit, or Person, who had accused George Fox, and other Antient Friends Writings, and may be (said he) he may pick up some things here and there in them, to Criti­cise upon.

After he had done, I said to him, William Penn, Thou may be ashamed so falsely to Accuse me, in the face of the Meeting. I said nothing of George Fox, nor had I him at present in my Remotest Thoughts, I only mentioned some here present; but George Fox is not here, at least, visibly present; and for your pretending to Judg me by your sense, without giving me any fair Tryal, or bringing any New matter against me, either in Doctrine or Practise, to prove a­gainst me Face to Face, by plain external Evidence, in you so do­ing ye will make your selves Ridiculous in the face of the World; we are here set, as upon a Stage before God, Angels and Men; and if ye pass any Judgment against me, by your pretended inward Sence, ye will be sufficiently discovered, what unjust men ye are. And I say to thee William Penn, it became thee not, so to abuse me in an open Meeting at Ratcliffe, calling me an Apostate, and an open Ad­versary to Truth and Friends. I am thy Elder Brother, and was a Preacher among the Quakers before thou was a Quaker; though thou, and some others, of latter years, have lifted up the Heel against me. William Penn replied, Thou boastest of thy Antiquity, which I should not do, were I in thy case. I Answered, I boast not of my Antiqui­ty, but by thy own words, and the words of G. W. Antient Brethren should be Regarded, and not run down by others of latter years, as thou and others seek to do, though ye have nothing justly against me,

[Page 14] I intend not to let it pass, thy publickly accusing me to be an A­postate, but to put thee to make it good, in the Face of the Nation, [that is his own Character, not mine, for I can prove him in the A­postacy from some of the chief Fundamentals of the Christian Doct­rine.] VVilliam Penn Replied, He would Answer me in the Face of the Nation. [So let this his promise be remembred, the event, I hope, will prove it, how badly he will acquit himself]. I told him he had sufficiently shown his prejudice against me, and how unsit he was to be my Judg.

Then he began to tell in great heat, what he had born of me, even more than what he might have born of Fifty Persons, of my great­ness. [But I contend not with him in Greatness, but in the cause of Truth, which is greater than all his Greatness, not only Fifty Fold, but Infinitely] and how much he had Laboured to qualify Friends towards me, in order to a Reconciliation, and how he had Writ in my Favour, to them in Pensilvania. This last I acknowledged to be True, but how real he was in his favour, either then or since, time has sufficiently discovered, having Opposed me, and Accused me in several Private Meetings, as well as of late Publickly at Rat­cliffe, and Haranging against me, as I was told, in my Absence, at the last Yearly Meeting, which some present greatly blamed. And some putting VVilliam Penn in mind, to give an Account to the Meeting, of his manner of Opposition, to me at Ratcliffe Meeting, and what just cause he had so to Treat me; He began, and told the Meeting what he spoke, by way of Opposition to me at Ratcliffe, was not till after I have abused, not only him, and Friends there present, but had abused Friends in general, and had distinguished my self from them, by saying of them, they did put such a gloss on that place of Scripture, 1 John 1. 7. The Blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleans­eth us from all sin, and by charging Friends in general, and saying, he would prove it out of their Books, that they denied, That the Blood of Christ's Humanity did with God Expiate for Sin, and said VVilliam Penn, though I was much spent in the Meeting by my former Testimony, yet after he had so abused Friends in general, I was raised up in such a Transport, so that I was carried beyond my self, not knowing whether I was sitting, standing or kneeling; but I was in no Passion, the glorious Power of God, which I felt, did so Transport me, that I confess I gave Judgment against him, and saw no need of staying, till a Quarterly or Yearly Meeting should Judg him, seeing he had Judged us all, and plainly distinguished himself from us; at which I confess I was much moved, and had scarce patience to hear him assert such gross Falshoods, and to father his Transport of sinful Passion upon the Spirit of God, which God for­bid I should ever do.

[Page 15] And after William Penn had done, I replied, That was most abominable in him, and blaspheming (though not against the Holy Ghost, I hope) to father his most sinful Passion (calling it a Transport) upon the Glorious Power and Spirit of God, a thing but too familiar with him, and many others of his Associates. It could be no Divine Transport falsly to accuse me, of that whereof I was not guilty. But he gives you a most false Relation in matter of Fact; He saith, he did not oppose me, and judg me, until after I had not only abused him, and Friends there present, but had abused Friends in general, and had distinguished my self from them, by saying of them, They did put such a Gloss on that place, 1 John 1. 7. The Blood is the Life, and that Life is the Light within. But I neither charged him, nor any called a Quaker, at that time, for putting such a Gloss upon that place, though I can sufficiently prove, That both he and others have put that Gloss on it at other times.

And though I said, I could prove, out of some of their printed books, That they did not own, That the Blood of Christ's Humanity was that which did with God expiate for sin; yet I charged only some particular persons called Quakers, but not the people in general; therefore his Infor­mation was false in the main.

In the Conclusion of my Discourse with them, among others, Francis Camfield pressed much, That silence should be made, and let any who were dissatisfied with the Last Years Judgment, declare their dissatisfacti­on; and if they did not, they were not honest men. To which I repli­ed, Although it passeth for a Proverb, Silence is Consent, yet ye know it is not always true: How oft in Meetings, when things are carried by a prevailing Faction, or Party, against Truth, Right and Justice, Persons will be silent, through fear of displeasing, yet are not satisfied, but go a­way grieved and wounded; and this ye are not ignorant of? what sayest thou to it, Francis Camfield, knowest thou not that it is so?

FINIS.

A Short List of the Vile and Gross Errors of Geo. Whitehead, John Whitehead, and William Penn, &c.

Friendly Reader,

I Design only to give thee at present, this short List of these mens gross and vile Errors, opposite to some of the Fundamental Do­ctrines of Christianity, reserving a more full Account of both their Errors, and some others in high esteem with them, to an­other Opportunity, with a due and impartial Correction of them; wherein I purpose also, God willing, (if he shall be plea­sed to prolong my Life and Health, and afford me his Gracious Assistance) impartially to publish, together with the said Correction, some short Ex­plications, and also Emendations, where I see need, of some Words and Passages in my former Books; for upon a Review of my former books as the Book of Immed. Revel. the Book of Universal grace, the Rector cor­rected, and Truth defended, I freely acknowledge. I have found some Passages and Words, that not only need some further Explanation. but e­ven in some part an Emendation and Correction. And I thank Almigh­ty God, that has not only given me to see them, but has given me that humility of heart, and Love to Truth, and Regard to the Salvation of Souls, that I can freely both acknowledge and correct my former mistakes, after the Example of some Worthy Ancients. And had these men, that are turn'd my so implacable Enemies, for my zealous and free opposing such gross Errors that I found them here, as well as others in America, guilty of, and which those in America had suckt in out of their Books, had but had the l [...]e Huminity, and Love to Truth, and Regard to the Honour of God, and Salvation of Souls, instead of hating and excom­municating me, for my Opposition to those Errors, they would have lo­ved, and embraced, and encouraged me, and gone before me in their good Example, to have openly corrected them; But Old Self prevailing [Page 18] in them, would not permit them to do any such thing; a plain Evidence they Love the Praise of men more than the Honour of God and Salvati­on of Souls; and the Conceit that they had begot the People generally into, that all what they preached and printed was from the infallible Spi­rit; and that they were altogether of a sound Mind and Judgment in all parts of Christian Doctrine, tending so much to support their Praise and high Esteem and Admiration, among their too credulous Followers, be­ing to be contradicted, if they should acknowledge their former Errors, and unsoundness of Faith in these great matters; This is the Pinch and Difficulty at present, and rather than acknowledge their Fallibility and gross Mistakes, and pernicious Errors touching Fundamental Doctrines, they resolved to cloak and cover all these gross Errors, both of them in America, as well as their own, and the more safely to hide themselves, they now begin to Preach contradictory to their former books, in divers things, but will not own any self-contradiction, pretending there is none. But withal, they mightily charge me with my Contradictions to my for­mer Books; To which I can, and do thus answer: 1. If in any things or words, I do contradict what I have formerly Printed, I am willing most freely and cordially to correct my former mistakes; for I never judged my self absolutely infallible; but as my own former books have plainly declared, I did judge both my self, and all others now Living, liable to mistakes; and I far rather, upon Divine Illumination, and sound Con­viction, contradict my former books, than persist in any known Error.

But, 2dly, Upon the most impartial search that I have made, I find not any cause to correct either my Judgment or Books, as touching any of the great Doctrines and Principles of the Christian Religion; nor do I know that I am of another Faith in any One Principle of Christian Doctrine, contrary to what I believed, ever since I went under the Profession of a Quaker, so called. The Words and Passages generally, if not universal­ly, that I find cause to correct, not being so much relating to the Truth of Principles of Christian Doctrine, as to some places of Scripture unduly applied, to prove, or defend things that were Truths, but did not really prove these Truths, either by express words, or yet by any real, and true and proper consequence, or Relative to some other Lesser and more Cir­cumstantial Matters. But as to the Fundamental, and otherwise great Articles of the Christian Faith, I think my gracious God, that I have been well preserved, and have not found any thing, in any of my former or latter books, contradictory to any One Fundamental Doctrine of the Christian Faith; and I wish I had not found too much just Cause to blame others, for their great Errors in Fundamental Doctrines; and had they been so humble as to have Corrected their own Errors, I had not thus exposed them; and if any shall judg it to be an Act of Prejudice, or Malice in me, thus to Expose them, after due warning given in pri­vate to most of them, and after they have thus publickly disowned me, I have this comfort, that they judg a miss of me, and that nothing of [Page 19] Prejudice or Malice hath moved me to this undertaking, but love to Truth, and Men, and next to the Honour of God, the regard to my Christian Name and Reputation, which these men have sought to slay, and by so doing, to expose me, and my Family to outward want, and necessity; but I trust in God's Mercy, their design will be disappointed, and God will in due time, clear me of that cloud of unjust Infamy, they all seek to cover me with, and that he will plead my righteous Cause, for to him I do commit it.

But now to proceed to give the short List I promised.

All sincere Christians believe that by that bloody Sacrifice of Christ upon the Cross, through Faith in him, they are cleansed from their sins, and that by the Blood of Christ, by which true Believers are said both to be Justified, and Sanctified, is to be understood the real and true Blood of Christ's Body that suffered on the Cross, which George Whitehead call­eth Visible and Material Blood, and positively denieth that the Saints are cleansed by that Blood, and giveth divers Reasons of his positive denial, (all which are most false and absurd).

First, because that Blood is not in being, giving for his Authority W. Burnet, pag. 40. of his Book.

2dly. Because the Blood that came out of Christ's Side, when peirced by the Spear, was not shed by Christ, the shedding of it was no Act of Christ, but of a wicked Soldier, and therefore not Efficacious, or Merito­rious, for remission of Sin, or cleansing from Sin.

3. Because, as the New Covenant is inward and Spiritual, so is the Blood of the New Covenant, but so was not that Material Blood, and the material Blood of the Beasts that were Offered in Sacrifice under the Law, was not a Type of that material Blood that was shed upon the Cross, for that were to say, one Type was a Type of another, See G. VV. his Book called, The Light and Life of Christ within, in Answer to W. Burnet, a Baptist Teacher; And this Antichristian and wretched Doctrine, he giv­eth out, as the Quakers Principles; withal, telling the Quakers, see no need of Directing men to the Type, for the antitype, viz. Neither to the outward Temple, nor yet to Jerusalem, either to Jesus Christ, or his Blood, knowing that neither the Righteousness of Faith, nor the word of it doth so direct, Rom. 10. And a little after he saith, And where do the Scriptures say, the Blood was there (viz. at Jerusalem) shed for Justifica­tion, and that men must be directed to Jerusalem to it? See his pag. 38. 39, 59, 60. Agreeable to this is that Doctrine published by W. Penn in his Part of the Christian Quaker, p. 97. This Seed (said he) viz. the one Seed Christ (as he calleth him there) must be Inward and Spiritual, since one outward thing cannot be the proper Figure or Representation of another; nor is it the way of Holy Scripture so to teach w [...] the outward Lamb shows forth the inward Lamb, the Jew outward, the Jew inward. If this be not as plain a denial of Christ to be any outward Being, having any bodily Ex­istance without us, I know no English. He goes on, at a most Antichristian [Page 20] rate, to prove that this Seed of the Woman that bruiseth the Serpent's Head, was not Christ's Body, or what he had from the Virgin, strictly considered as such.

‘2dly, (Saith he) It is clear from hence, the Serpent is a Spirit; now nothing can bruise the Head of the Serpent but something that is also Internal and Spiritual, as the Serpent is. But if that Body of Christ were the Seed, then could he not bruise the Serpents Head in all, be­cause the Body of Christ, is not so much as in any one, and consequent­ly, the Seed of the Promise is an Holy and Spiritual Principle of Light, Life and Power, that being received into the Heart, bruiseth the Ser­pents Head, and because the Seed, which cannot be that body, is Christ, as testify the Scriptures; the Seed is one, and that Seed Christ, and Christ God over all Blessed for ever; we do con­clude, and that most truly, that Christ was, and is the Divine word of Light and Life, that was in the beginning with God, and was and is God over all, blessed for ever.’ But as it is readily granted by all true Christians, that Christ is God, so by Christ, as he is called the Seed of the Woman, and the Seed of Abraham, in whom all Nations of the Earth are blessed, is understood, Christ not as he is God only, or the word only; for it is wonderful blindess, or inconsiderateness to say, God is the Seed of the Woman, or the Seed of Abraham, without any respect to the word becoming Flesh, or taking Flesh; But it is neither the Body of Christ, strictly considered, nor the Soul of Christ, strictly considered, without the Godhead, nor the Godhead strictly considered, without the Soul and Body of the Manhood of Christ, that is the Seed of the Woman, or Seed of Abraham, but the Godhead and Manhood joyntly considered, and most gloriously united.

And his third Argument is as unchristian as the other two, viz. because the Seed bruised in good measure, the Serpents Head, in the Holy Men and Women of all Generations, before that outward appearance, this is a Truth, but the Consequence he draws from it, is a notorious Falshood, and a most Antichristian Doctrine, viz. That therefore the Seed of the Woman, and the promised Seed of Abraham, figured by the Types and Figures of the Law, as the Pascal Lamb, &c. was not any outward thing,; or person, but an Holy and Spiritual Principle of light, Life and Power and at this rate Christ was not a Lamb without, nor a Man without, but a Lamb within, and Man within. And though he pretendeth to overthrow his Adversaries Opinion, viz. Some called Baptists and others, yet he Fighteth against his shadow, by limiting the question, by the phrase strictly considered, for I know no Baptist that ever said, the Body strict­ly considered, i. e. without the Soul of the Man Christ, and without the Godhead, is Christ, or that promised Seed of Abraham, and Seed of the Woman. And though Christ did not become the Seed of the Woman. according to the sense of that place of Scripture, Gen. 3. until the fulness of time, that he was made of a Woman, yet seeing that Di­vine [Page 21] Power, that inwardly did destroy the Power of Sin, and Sathan in true Believers, in him that was promised to come, was the real Power of him, that was to come, and the gift of it, was the real purchase of his most Holy and Perfect Obedience unto Death; when he came; it is truly said, That he bruised the Serpents Head in all true believers in all Ages. And thus having shewed the Antichristian Doctrine of these 2 great Cham­pions, that have appeared against me, to give out this Nameless Bull of Ex­communication, in some Particulars, that are Fundamental Articles of the Christian Faith, I shall in short present to the Reader's View, the Anti­christian Doctrine of the Third Champion, John Whitehead, not only contradicting the plain Doctrine of the Holy Scripture, in a Fundamen­tal Article of Faith, but also contradicting his Brother William Penn; for William Penn saith, the Body of Christ is not so much as in any One; but John Whitehead saith indeed, That Christ hath a Body, or is in a Body suitable to his Spirit, consisting of heavenly flesh and bone; and doth not deny, that Christ has any Body now beside his Church; but he con­fesseth he hath several times denied, that Christ hath now a body of flesh and bones circumscript or limited in that Heaven which is above, and out of every man on Earth. See pag. 40, 41. of that book called, The Qua­kers Refuge; the Postscript of which is here cited: And he saith plainly, Wheresoever the Spirit and Life of Christ is, that is in the body of Christ; and thus, as he owneth that Christ has a body that is not the Church, yet he owneth no other body (beside his Church) that is circumscript, and out of every man on Earth; And yet not only W. P. saith, The body of Christ is not so much as in any One: a plain contradiction to John Whitehead. But George Whitehead, in his Printed Postscript, in answer to W. H. queries, in the book called, The Malice of the Independent Agent Rebuked, saith, concerning the flesh (of Christ) that was raised from the Dead, it is so far circumscribed, or incompassed in the Heavens, as it's capable of, and as is proper to it; and though it be spiritual, and glorious, yet a body; and therefore not in every place where God is. To be Omnipresent is only proper to God, and not to bodies: See how like Sampson's Foxes, though tied by the Tail, their Faces look contrary.

Again, In the Collection of Stephen Crisp's Treatises, commended and signed by George VVhitehead, John Whitehead, Francis Camfield, John Vaughton, VV. Bingley, John Field, my chief opposers and adversaries, and others, ye have these following gross and absurd passages, most offensive to Christian Ears, concerning Christ's Generation in time, and expiation of sin by his Blood.

In his Treatise called, The Backslider Reproved, being a Reply to one Robert Cobbet, he blameth the said R. C. for affirming (pag. 194.) that to be the Seed of Promise, which came by Generation, of and from the Pro­perties of Mary. He further adds, Is not that the Seed of Promise men­tioned in Isaiah 9. 6. who is called the mighty God, the everlasting Fa­ther, the Prince of Peace. And what is Mary, the Mother of God; this [Page 22] will please the Papists well; and where is thy Scripture to prove that Jesus the Saviour was Created.

And pag. 197. he saith, But indeed we never believed him to be pro­duced by Coagulation, as R. C. doth, nor by the Generation of and from the Properties of Man in Mary, for then some might have declared his Generation, which the Scripture saith, who can do.

Obs. 1. It is denied here by S. C. That that was the Seed of Promise, which came by Generation, &c. This is plain contrary to Matt. 1. 1. The Book of the Generation of Jesus Christ the Son of David, the Son of Abraham.

2. As it is Evident from Scripture, so it is the consent of all sound Christians, That Christ was the Son of God by an eternal Generation, be­fore the World began, and the Son of Abraham and David, by Generati­on in the fulness of time, and though this Generation was Miraculous, yet it was of and from Mary; therefore he is said to be made of a Wo­man.

3. His denying that Jesus the Saviour was Created, or calling for Scrip­ture to prove it doth sufficiently prove, that he understands Christ only to be God, and wholly excludes the Manhood of Christ, from being Christ, or any part of him.

4. That Prophecy in Isaiah 9. 6. Unto us a Child is Born, &c. which is a plain Prophecy concerning Christ's Birth in the fulness of time, he plainly denieth it to be understood of Christ as he was born of Mary.

5. I believe with all sound Christians, against Jews and all Infidels that he who was born of Mary is that Child or Son, given, who is both God and Man, and yet one Lord Jesus Christ; and though none can fully and in all respects declare either the Generation of Christ, before the time of this World was, or his Generation in the fulness of time, yet in some de­gree, and respect, it hath been declared both by the Prophets and Evan­gelists and Apostles, but none ought to declare it, but Holy Men, to whom it hath been, in some measure, Revealed.

6. I find that not only S. C. but G. W. quarrels with that Expression, calling Mary the Mother of God, as if it were Popery. But are they wiser than the Holy Ghost, who giveth these Names to the Child that was to be born according to Isaiah's Prophecy, wonderful Counseller, the mighty God, &c.

Again, in the same Treatise, (pap. 192.) concerning the Blood of Christ's Humanity, he saith.

And then again, concerning the Blood that saves and does away sin, hear what R. C. in his 11. pag. saith, My Brethren, you are bought with a price, not of blood of Bulls and Goats, nor Heifers of a year old, but by the Blood of God. But in his 13. pag. he is of another Opinion, and saith quite contrary; these are his words, viz. which blood being the Blood of his Humanity, as he was Creature, was that which did with God expi­ate for sin; so now which of these two Doctrines shall we believe, that [Page 23] we are saved by the Blood of God, or Blood of the Humanity, or shall we suppose them to be both one, and so God to be Human, and so the Doctrines indifferent. R. C. will do well to clear up these things, or own his Condemnation, upon his folly and presumption.

Obs. There needs little observation to demonstrate how unsound, and unsavory these words are; but some, to excuse them, say they are only by way of Query; but it is a plain case, he not only querieth, but posi­tively affirmeth, that to say we are bought by the Blood of God, is quite contrary to say, which Blood, being the Blood of his Humanity, as he was Creature, was that which with God did expiate for Sin, so that it is clear, as S. C. did hold them to be two Bloods; he did hold Expiation not to be by the Blood of the Humanity, whereas the Blood of the Man Christ, is called the Blood of God, because Christ, whose blood it was, was and is both God and Man.

2dly, Whereas S. C. putteth R. C. to own his Condemnation upon his folly and presumption; this is no query, but a positive affirmation. Now R. C. his supposed folly and presumption charged by S. C. was, That he said the Blood of God did expiate for sin, the which was the Blood of the Humanity of Christ: But this is a sound Assertion, and to contradict it is folly and presumption, for God hath not Blood, strictly considered, be­ing a pure Spirit; but the Blood of Christ is worthily called the Blood of God, because Christ is not only Man, but God also: And like to this is that place, 1 John 3. 16. Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his Life for us; this He is Christ, who is not only Man, but God also, and yet one Lord Jesus Christ the Immanuel.

1. An Additional List to the Former.

G. Whitehead saith in his Printed Book, the Light and Life of Christ within, &c. pag. 64. The shedding of that Blood let out by the Spear, was an act of a wicked Man, and the Spear an Instrument of Cruelty, which to lay the Meritorious Cause, or stress of Justification upon, is false Doctrine. For there is a great difference betwixt Christ's Offering up himself by the Eternal Spirit, a Lamb without spot with God, and the Acts of Wicked Men inflicted upon him, as it's said, by wicked hands they put him to Death.

Obs. Here not only he Excludes the shedding of that Blood, but the Death of Christ, and all his bodily Sufferings from being concerned in that Offering, and so chargeth false Doctrine upon the Holy Scriptures, that attributeth the making Peace betwixt God and us, to Christ by the Blood of his Cross, called so, because it was that Blood that was shed, when he suffered on the Cross; and the Scripture saith, He was wounded for our Transgressions, &c. And by his Stripes we are healed, which doubtless are to be understood of his Bodily Sufferings, as well as of the inward Grief of his Soul. And it is a great undervaluing of Christ's Sufferings and Death and Blood, that because by wicked hands men put him to Death, that [Page 24] therefore his Death, Sufferings and Blood was not Meritorious, for though the violent Death of the Martyrs was not Meritorious for Remission of our sins, yet it was precious in the sight of God, and had great acceptance with God; and at this rate of G. W's carnal Reasoning (I am sure the Light of Christ in him never taught him so to reason; but a dark carnal Spirit, more like a scossing Celsus, who wrote slightingly of Christ against the Christians) not only all the Martyrs sufferings, but all Friends suf­ferings, and his own sufferings also (who I heard was once Whipt for his Profession) was of no value, being Inflicted by Wicked Men. And tho the Blood that came out of Christ's side, when the Soldier Peirced him, was shed after he was Dead, yet that doth not hinder, but it was of the same value with that Blood of his, that was shed before his Death, and with all his other Sufferings; and when Christ said to his Disciples, be­fore his Passion, Take, eat; this is my Body, and this Cup is the New-Testa­ment in my Blood, shed for the Remission of the Sins of many, as all Protestant and sincere Christians hold, as by his Body, he meant his real Body, whereof the Bread was a Figure; so by his Blood that was shed, he meant his real Blood, whereof what was in the Cup was a Figure, and by a Figure, called, Enallage Temporis; he said of his body, This is my Body broken for you, &c. And this Cup is the New Testament in my Blood, shed, &c. Tho the thing was not then done, but soon after was done; and tho our blessed Lord in his bodily Sufferings was wholly passive, yet his obe­dience to the will of his Father, which was a most Holy and Perfect Obedience, in his most Holy and Perfect Resignation, and Patience in his exceeding Love, both to his Father, and also to Men in his most profound Humility, and all other most excellent Virtues, that God did regard in his Sufferings chiefly, and that was so highly Meritorious, yet the Blood, and the shedding of it is mentioned in Scripture, because he could not be a true and proper Sacrifice, without his Blood had been shed, for without shedding of Blood there could be no Remission; and though his Death and Sufferings and Blood were all Valuable, and pre­cious in God's Sight, yet his Obedience was chiefly considered, as it is said, because he humbled himself and became Obedient unto Death, therefore God hath highly exalted him, &c. And his Obedience, Blood, Death and Sufferings, are jointly to be considered by us in that great Work of our Redemption.

Again, In the forecited Book, pag. 58. He excuseth these most Blas­phemous words of Sol. Eccles, which were, The Blood that was forced out of him by the Soldiers, after he was Dead, who before that bowed his Head to the Father, and gave up the Ghost, I did say that was no more than the Blood of another Saint. G. Whitehead to excuse this gives three Answers.

1. He saith, now to these words, viz. No more than the blood of an­other Saint, his intent was, as to Papists, and you whose minds are carnal, who oppose the Light within.

[Page 25] Secondly, he saith, and also simply, as to the essence of the blood; which you do not say is still in being, but not as to the spiritual virtue which is still in being. And a little after he argueth thus in the same page: And seeing that the children had flesh and blood, and Christ took part of the same, if the same, how was it more; or another simply as to the matter of blood?

His third answer is, that he owns the blood shed in one sense, was more then the blood of another Saint (tho not in the matter of it as to the visi­ble) in that it had a peculiar signification, &c.

Obser. As to his first answer, that his intent was, that that blood was no more than the blood of another Saint, as to Papists, and Baptists, whose minds are carnal, who oppose the light within; here is a plain de­nyal, that Christs death, and blood shedding was of value for all men; Papists, and Baptists, and all others are excluded, whose minds are carnal, and who oppose the light within. We had wont to blame the narrow­ness of them, that said Christ dyed not for all men; and shed not his blood for all, but G. W. here excludeth Papists, and Baptists, and all others whose minds are carnal, who oppose the light within from any other benefit by Christs blood, than what they have by the blood of any other Saint; but have we not Preached and Printed that the light within is a benefit that Papists and Baptists, yea, Jews, Turks and all Mankind, have by Christ's Obedience unto Death, which we have proved from Rom. 5. 15, 18. and other places of Scripture; but this benefit all Men have not by the Death and Blood of any other Saints. To his 2d. An­swer, That that Blood of Christ was no more than the Blood of another Saint, simply as to the Essence of the Blood; by his rate of Arguing, he might excuse it, if S. E. had said, It was no more than the blood of a common Thief, (as it was reported, he or some other did say) seeing the blood of a Saint, and the blood of a common Theif, simply considered, differ not as to the visible, or matter of it. But I say, as the blood and body of a Saint differeth much from the blood and body of a wicked man, because the body and blood of a Saint is Sanctified, so is not the body and blood of a wicked man, while such, so the blood and body of Christ differeth from that of all Saints, by way of Excellency, and that in a very high degree, beyond what can be expressed or conceived, not only that it was never defiled with sin, but for other great Reasons. And tho Christ took flesh and blood, and the true nature of man, yet that prov­eth not, that as man, Christ had not that which was more excellent, even belonging to his body and blood as well as to his Soul, far above all other men, his very body being Miraculously conceived, and having no im­mediate Father, as Man, but God. As to his 3d. Answer, That is as weak and impertinent as the other two; he owns that in one sense, the blood shed was more, in that it had a peculiar signification, &c. But this is but a small preference, to say in one sense, it had a peculiar signification, the blood of the Beasts in one sense had a peculiar signification, that were Of­fered [Page 26] in Sacrifices under the Law, being Types and Typical significations of Christ's Blood. But the blood of Christ that was outwardly shed, had not a Typical Signification, as the blood of beasts had, but was a real part of the true Attonement, together with his Body and Soul; and if he had any knowledg of the great Mistery of that Blood, and any due value for it, he would not only have owned it to be more than the blood of another Saint, in one sense, but in a manifold sense, or rather every way, having the preference; the blood as well as the Body of the Saints, is corruptible, and doth corrupt; but neither the body nor blood of Christ did corrupt; and that G. W. insists so much on that Argument, that be­cause that blood is not in being, which W. B. had confest, that therefore it is not Meritorious of Justification; this is but Argumentum ad hominem at most against W. B.; but what saith G. W. to it, is that Blood in being, or did it corrupt? Let him speak out plainly, and not shift or quible, as his manner too much hath been in Controversy; and if nothing can merit, or be efficacious, which is not in being; this doth as much render Christ's Death, and bodily Sufferings ineffectual, but only for that little time that he suffered; and because Christ's Death and bodily Sufferings are now at an end; Christ having once died, dieth no more: But the Scripture saith, that Christ by one Offering hath for ever perfected them that are Sanctified, and that was the Offering his body once for all (his blood being also a part of the Offering) together with his Soul, and this Offering was effectual in all Ages before he Died, as well as it is now effectual, and will be to the Worlds end, to all that truly believe, and obey his Gospel.

But what little true knowledg, either G. W. or W. P. hath of the Mi­stery of Christ's Flesh and Blood, or of Christ without us, doth sufficiently appear from two Citations more; I shall bring one of G. W. another of W. P. in the Second Part of the Christian Qnaker, done by G. VV. pag. 243. VVe really own, (saith he) and confess to the Blood of Christ, both in the Hi­story, and in the Mystery, &c. By this it plainly appeareth, that he did not own the blood of Christ, as it was ourwardly shed, to have any mistery in it, that blood outwardly shed, was blood in the History, but the life or spirit, or Light within, that's blood in the Mistery. Next VV. P. in his Answer to John Faldo, findeth great fault with him; See his Rejoynder, p. 335. 336, 337. For his holding it to be a Truth, That Christ without is a great Mistery, who died as a Malefactor, by his Death reconciled to God, &c. Yea, and more misterious, than for Christ to be in the Gentiles (rightly understood.) But in opposition to John Faldo's Assertion, VV. P. saith, in way of reply, The History is made the greatest Mistery, and to believe the one, matter of greater difficulty, than to experience the other. And p. 336, 337. He saith further, It is strange, that should be reputed most Misterious, which was the Introduction to the Mistery, and these Transactions counted most difficult, that were by the Divine wisdom of God, Ordained as so many facile Representations, of what was to be accomplished in Man. In short (saith he) it is to lessen if not totally to exclude the true Mistery of Godliness, which is Christ manifested in his Children, their hope of Glory.

[Page 27] Obs. It is plainly evident, that they make not only Christ's Works and Sufferings without us, but History; but even Christ himself without us, is to them but History; and to believe in him without us, is but Hi­story, and an Historical Faith. But if these Men were not extreamly dark and blind, they could see and own, that as Christ within is a Miste­ry, and a great Mistery (and if John Faldo did deny it, I shall be far from Justifying or excusing him) so Christ without us is not only a Mistery, but a greater Mistery, or rather, as Christ both without us and within us, is but one Christ; so one exceeding great, and glorious Mistery; but if we may distinguish this one great Mistery, as it were in two parts, as we commonly distinguish a two fold appearance of Christ, one without us in the Flesh, another within us, by his Spirit, and yet but one Christ, so we ought to own and confess, if we have any Spiritual Sight and know­ledg of Christ, that Christ without us, as he is both God and Man, God manifest in the Flesh, in whom dwelleth all fulness of Grace and Truth, is a far greater part of the Mistery, than Christ within us, for the fulness dwelt, and still dwelleth in the Man Christ without us; but the best of the Saints that ever lived, have but their respective Measures, and the Miste­ry of Christ, his being both God and Man, his miraculous conception and Birth, his being that Universal Offering for our Sins, his Death, Resur­rection and Ascension, and continual intercession for us in Heaven, and his continually giving forth, and sending down to his Saints on Earth, new and fresh influences of Life, Light and Grace; yea, and by what he conveyeth into mens Hearts of his Power and Virtue, both to begin and carry on the work of Regeneration in men, what a complex of Misteries is here? who can sufficiently declare them? or who, that is not grosly igno­rant of the inward work of Regeneration, can prefer the inward work of Regeneration (tho a great and glorious mistery) to Christ, as he is both God and man without us, who hath the Spirit given him without mea­sure? Is not this to prefer the measure to the fulness, the stream to the Fountain, the Effect to the Cause, the Gift to the Giver, and the Life in the Hands and Feet, and other Members, to the Life in the Head, and the Sap and Vertue that is in the branches to that which is in the Tree and Root? And seeing the work of Regeneration and Sanctification in the Saints, is a great mistery; must we not own him who is the Author, and great Cause of it, to be greater? Unless VV. Penn will say, that it is not Christ without us, but only Christ within us, that is the Author and Cause of Regeneration. Indeed if he can prove that only Christ within men, is the cause of Regeneration, he hath gained his Point; but this he will never be able to do, and he may expect as soon, to perswade men of understanding, that the Sun is no cause of the Generation of Herbs, and Plants in the Earth, being without them; as that Christ with­out men, is not the Cause of the work of Regeneration within; for if we ascribe the work of Regeneration within men, to Christ, or to his Spirit, Light and Life within, as the measure that measure within, comes from [Page 28] the fulness in the Man Christ without them, yea and from the Man Christ, in whom the fulness dwelleth, and the measure acteth in the Saints, by the Power and Strength of the Fulness thereof, for and VV. P. or G. VV. to suppose the Mistery of Regeneration, can either be experienced, witnessed, or understood, without the Mistery of Christ without us, argueth as great ignorance in them, as if one should think, he can demonstrate the Gene­ration of Herbs and Plants, Springing out of the Earth without the Sun

But it is a further instance of VV. Penn his great Ignorance in the Mi­stery of Christ, that by his words above named; he maketh Christ with­out, but the introduction to the Mistery, viz. Christ within, as to say, The Life in the Head, is but an introduction to the Life in the Members, and thus the Members shall be more valuable than the Head. And lastly, It is a most ranting strain in him, to say, That what Christ did, and suffered without Men, which he calleth Transactions, to be so many facile Repre­sentations of what was to be accomplished in Man. Thus Christ without, is made but a Type, Figure and Shell, and the inward is made the Kernel and Antitipe. But was there not more in Christ, of the inward, incom­parably, than in all men? For what of the Kernel or Substance any or all the Saints have, they have it out of him, and by and through him, even the Man Christ without them. And whereas it is plainly evident from VV. Penn his words abovementioned, That he will not have the Ma­nifestation of God in the Flesh of Christ, to be the true Mistery of God­liness; but Christ manifested in his Children,, the hope of Glory; he sets things in opposition, which ought not to be opposed, but joyned to­gether; and he perverts, most grosly, these words of the Apostle Paul, (even as some of his late Brethren have done) 1 Tim. 3. 16. without con­troversy great is the mistery of Godliness, God manifest in the Flesh, Justified in the Spirit, &c. Jumbling two places of Scripture together, and con­founding their sense, as if because that place, Colos. 1. 29. mentioneth Christ in you, the hope of Glory, that therefore by God manifest in the Flesh, &c. Of which Paul saith, without controversy, great is the mistery of God­liness; is to be understood Christ in the Saints, and not Christ without us, as he was both God and Man; whereas it is most evident, That place is to be understood of the Man Christ, in whom was and is the most Glo­rious Manifestation of God that ever was, and no otherwise of Christ, in the Saints, but by way of concomitancy or consequence, because what­ever Manifestation of the Life Virtue or Measure of the Spirit of Christ, any of the Saints have, they have it out of the fulness of the Spirit, and of Grace and Truth, that dwelleth in the Glorified Man Christ Jesus, and out of his fulness, it floweth into their, is water in the cteeks floweth into them out of the Ocean, or fulness or Water that is in the Sea; and as the outward Light we have on Earth, daily floweth from the Foun­tain and Fulness of Light, that is in the outward Sun, and this the last clause of that Verse, 1 Tim. 3. 16. plainly proveth, viz. Received up in­to Glory, manifestly pointing at Christ's Ascention into Heaven, and the [Page 29] Glory he is stated into. And let W. P. plainly Answer me, whether he Judgeth that the manifestation of God in the man W. P. or in the man G. W. or any other man whatsoever is greater, or a greater mistery, than the manifestation of God, in the man Christ Jesus, as his words plainly im­port, at least by a natural and necessary consequence, because he saith, The one is but the History, and the introduction to the Mistery; but the other, viz. God and Christ in W. P. and other Saints, is the mistery it self, and Christ without, and all that he did and suffered without men, is but so many facile Representations of what was to be accomplished in man. Thus as the Scenographical Description of an House, is far inferior to the House, being but a facile Representation of it, a mean cheap thing, that ye may have for a Penny and less, and the very making the Draught of it, a facile thing, easily made, with little, either labour or cost, whereas the House is a great work, not built but with great labour and cost, so Christ without, and those transactions of his, are but facile representations of what was to be accomplished in Man; if this be not to make the man W. P. and what is accomplished, or to be accomplished in the man W. P. and other Saints of more value and consideration, than the man Christ Jesus of Nasareah; and than all his most worthy and most highly valu­able Actions, and Sufferings, which W. P. calleth Transactions, I appeal to all sincere Christians. How much more Christian would it have been in W. P. to have said, what was done, or accomplished in the Man Christ Jesus of Nasareth, and his most Holy and Perfect Obedience, both active and passive (so far as is imitable by us, and so far as men are capable of being made conformable thereunto) is that original, and most excellent Exemplar, and archetipe patern, according to which, the Saints are made conformable, and the Virtues and Fruits of the Spirit, which are accom­plished in the Saints, and remain to be fully accomplished in them, answer to these Virtues in Christ, by way of Analogy and Similitude, so that both these in him, the Head, and in them the Members, are real and sub­stantial Virtues, but more eminently and Transcendently greater in the Man Christ, than in any other men, however so Holy, that ever were, or shall be. And as the Saints, which are Christ's Members, are to be made throughly conformable to him, both in his Virtues, and active obedience, so in his Death and Sufferings, so as to be Crucified with him, Buried with him, Risen with him, &c. Yet this is not to be so understood, as if what was accomplished in the man Christ, without us, above Sixteen hundred years ago, is but the Figure, or Type (or History and facile representati­on, as W. P. phraseth it, (more Ranter like, than a sober Christian) of what is to be accomplished in man. And tho these called Socinians do greatly Err in not owning Christ to be God, as well as Man, in the two fold Nature of his Godhead and Manhood, most wonderfully United, and so greatly derogate from his great and high Dignity, yet I know not that any of them all have such mean and low Thoughts of the Man Christ, as to hold, That the manifestation of God in the man Christ, was a less [Page 30] mistery, and of less consideration than the manifestation of God in holy men. And if W. P. thinks to evade, by answering, that tho the manifesta­tion of God, in the man Christ, is greater than the manifestation of God in the man W. P. simply as in it self considered; yet as to W. P. and as to his Spiritual Advantage, and well being, and Spiritual Blessings, the manifestation in W. P. is greater, and of greater consideration than the manifestation that was, or is in the man Christ Jesus. But if he take to this evasion, he runs himself into as great an Error as the former, and makes himself not a member of Christ the Head, but an independent man, neither having, nor needing any dependance on the Man Christ, who considered even as man, as truely as God, is the Head of all the Faithful; and if he take to this Error, he will be a compleat Deist, that professeth a dependency on God, but not on the man Christ, where­as every true Christian doth believe, and profess a dependency, both on God, and on Christ, and as God is the Head of the man Christ, so they believe that Christ is the Head of his Church, and (de jure) the Head of all men. And therefore as their Faith respects God, by which they exercise a continual dependency on him, so the same Faith respects the man Christ now glorified in Heaven, as a real object without them, as the way, and conduit of conveyance, by and through whom, they daily receive new and fresh supplies of Grace from him, who is the God of all Grace, the Father of Lights, and Father of Mercies. And whereas the Saints de­pendence on Christ is resembled in Scripture, to that of the Members on the Head, and of the Branches on the Vine, let W. P. tell me whether his Philosophy (or not to use that offensive word, which seemeth to many of his Ignorant Brethren, with whom Ignorance is the Mother of Devo­tion, as too plainly appeareth by their crying out so much against Know­ledg, without a true distinction as a sort of Witchcraft, or the forbidden Fruit) or rather his Understanding and common sense of a man, teacheth him not, that the manifestation of Life in the Head, is great, and more to the members, (as well as in it self) than what is of Life in the mem­bers, also the Life n [...] the Tree, or Root, is more to the Branches, as well as in it self, than the Life in the Branches, and water without W. P's. Belly, is more to W. P. (as well as it is in it self, in Rivers or Fountains) than as it is in W. P's. Belly, for let him have ever so much water, or o­ther refreshing Liquor, that quencheth his Thirst in his Belly, he will Thirst again, and need more from the Fountain without him, than what he hath at present in him. But if he say (as some ignorant persons have said) wresting and misapplying Christ's words, John 4. He that drinketh of the water that I shall give him, shall never thirst, but the water that I shall give him, shall be in him a well of water springing vp into everlasting Life) he has the Fountain in him, so needs not to have his Faith exercised in Christ as an object without him. I answer, as I grant all true believers have the water of Life, as a Fountain in them, but this Fountain they re­ceive it from out of the great Fountain, and fulness that is in the Man [Page 31] Christ without them, and this Fountain and Well of Living Water in them is daily encreased, and multiplied in them, by what comes into them from out of the said Fulness in the man Christ. And these words, Colos. 1. 26. Christ in you the hope of glory, perverted and misapplied by William Penn, do not prove that the Manifestation of God in his Children, is greater, or a greater Mistery, or a greater concern, and ground of Consolatiion to them, than what is in Christ without them; for if Christ in us be our hope of glory, then we have not all in us, that we hope for; hope looks beyond what is pre­sently enjoyed or possessed, to the stock and full inheritance, that is treasured up in Christ, and is not in us, but in him, and what we, or the best of Men have in them, is but the earnest and first Fruits of Glory, but not the full possession of it, and this full pos­session is laid up for us in Christ our Head, who is in Heaven, for we read in Scripture, not only of Christ in the Saints, their hope of Glory, but also of the Hope which is laid up for them in Heaven, Colos. 1. 5. And surely that Hope is laid up for us in Christ, who is in Heaven, even that Heaven into which Christ hath bodily As­cended; and this Heaven is without men, and cannot be confined to the narrow Bounds of Mens Breasts, unless William Penn will turn Ranter in this also, and not allow that Christ did Bodily Ascend into any Heavens without men; of which some of his former Books have given too great cause of Suspicion; representing a Local Hea­ven, as a Carnal Mahomotan Notion; and to deny the Locality of Heaven and Hell, that is void, of outward place, is to him no very Offen­sive Opinion. See his Rejoynder to Jo. Faldo, page 179, compared with 180.

I have divers other gross and vile Errors wherewith to charge George Whiteaead and William Penn, in reference to the Resurrection of the Body, and Christ's Satisfaction; and particularly George VVhitehead, in reference to Christ's outward coming in his Glorified Body or Person, at the general Judgment, which I can sufficiently prove in divers of his former Books he hath denied, let him quible, and shift as he will, to defend himself; and for all his confession to God Almighty in Prayer, as he was Heard lately by me, and hundreds more, at the pub­lick meeting in Grace-Church-street, in Prayer, saying, Lord thou know­est we received our gifts of Ministry in a spirit of Charity and a sound mind; yet by what I have already proved him guilty of, and others of his Brethren; and doubt not I shall yet further prove him, and them guilty; it is manifest he told to God in his Prayer a great un­truth, if not a wilful Lye; But I shall keep these others to a further re­serve.

[Page 32] And now I propose this Just Demand to VVilliam Penn, that when at Ratcliffe Meeting, some few Weeks ago, he called me an A­postate, and judged me so to be in the Name of the Lord, That he give me an opportunity, either at Ratcliff-Meeting, where he passed this Sentence in a publick Meeting against me, or at Grace-Church-Street Meeting, or any other publick Meeting of the People called Quakers, in or about London, to make good his Charge against me, and let him signify to me the time and place, where he will make it to appear, that his charge against me is true, or retract his false charge, and confess his Error; otherwise, not only I, but many others, yea, all that rightly understand the Case, will say, as VVilliam Penn, is not a sound Christian in his Doctrine, no more is he in his Morals; and the Baptists, so called, will rise in Judgment against him, who heard his com­plaint against Thomas Hicks, if he will not hear this my Just complaint a­gainst him.

26. Day of the 3d. Month, 1695.
G. Keith.
FINIS.

This keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the Text Creation Partnership. This Phase I text is available for reuse, according to the terms of Creative Commons 0 1.0 Universal. The text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission.