A key, opening the way to every capacity how to distinguish the religion professed by the people called Quakers

Front matter

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Chap.

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Introduction

Reader, Observing the prevailing power of prejudice, and the too great easiness of mankind to be imposed upon by designing persons, and especially on the side of incharitableness, so depraved is the nature of man, ana considering also what mischievous effects that evil hath produced among all sorts of people, to the hurt of civil as well as religious society, by the coldness, jealousy, uncharitableness and animosity, even to hatred and persecution, the very contraries of the true Christian religion, that have thereby abounded, we have the less wondered at the hard treatment which we, as a people, have suffered from other persuasions ; almost all of them having in their turn, some, I hope, ignorantly, others, I fear, wilfully, misrepresented our principles, misgiven our plain meanings, and called their own strained interpretations and downright perversions, our faith and religion. Thus dressing us in the bear's skin, the credulous have been excited to look upon and treat us as heretics, seducers, blasphemers, and what not, while, blessed be God, our aim and bent have been the very power and work of religion upon our souls, that we might be God's workmanship through Christ Jesus, his blessed Son and heavenly agent ;

A KEY J ETC, taking this to be tlie very life and soul of true religion , the effect and fruit of the Divine nature, which makes us Christians indeed here, and fits us for glory hereafter. And because we have chosen retirement, moderation and self-denial, which to be sure are the solids and inwards, the spirit and substance of religion, and have therefore sequestered ourselves from more outward and pompous communions, offence has been taken at us, and we have been disingenuously represented to the world. On which account I have published this little treatise, for the sake of others, as well as in our owm vindication, but theirs especially, that are under prejudices from vulgar abuses. I would entreat such to consider, that if it be an evil to judge rashly or untruly of any single man, how much greater sin it is to condemn a whole people. And if the matter about which the judgment is made, renders it more or less evil, certainly to condemn the religion of a whole people in the lump, which comprehends their faith, w^orship and morals also, must be, if false or mistaken, as <5reat an injustice as can well be committed, and the Almighty will not hold them guiltless who have been BO uncharitable and injurious to their neighbours. This we have frequently lamented as our great unhappiness, above all that our enemies have been able argumentatively to urge against, us, that we are yet unknown of those that stick not to condemn us. But they must certainly be inexcusable w^ith just minds, who will take our belief at the hands of our enemies rather than at our own, who best ought to know what we believe. It will be the business of this little key to explain the pretended obscurity, and show the difference between

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our principles and the vulgar account and apprehensions, and thereby open a way to so clear and plain an understanding of our true principles, distinguished from our enemies' perversions, that we hope, with God's blessing, all impartial inquirers will be satisfied of our holy and Christian profession. This we also earnestly desire for their good, that as we have been called of God, out of the evil of the world, to be a people to his praise, through his grace, so none may stumble or be offended at the truth we testify of; but seeing the excellency of it, by the peace and purity it leads into, they may embrace it and walk in it ; which is the best way to end controversy and obtain the great and true end of religion, the salvation of the soul.

Section I. Of the Light within^ what it iSy and the virtue and benefit of it to man

Perversion 1. The Quakers hold, That the natural light in the conscience of every man in the world, is sufficient to save all that follow it; and so they overthrow salvation by Christ.

A mighty error indeed, if it were true.

Principle. But it is at best a great mistake. For their belief and assertion is. That Christ, who is the Word that was with God, and was God, and is so for ever, hath enlightened every man that cometh into the world, with his own light, as ht is that true light, or such a light, as there is no other to be compared with him ; w^hich is the meaning of the emphasis true in the text, John i. 9. And that such as follow the reproofs, convictions and leadings of that light, with which he 1* t> A KEY, ETC.

enlightens the understandings and consciences ol men shall not walk in darkness, that is, in evil and igno« ranee of God, but shall have the light of life ; that is, be in a holy and living state or condition towards God ; a state of acceptance and salvation, which is from sin here, as well as from wrath hereafter, for w^hich end Christ was given of God. So that they assert the light of Christ, to be sufficient to save, that is, to convince of sin, lead out of it and quicken the soul in the ways of holiness, and not to be a natural light ; but as all men, born into the world, have a measure of Christ's light, so it may, in a sense, be said to be natural to all men, because all men who come into the world have it. This light is something else than the bare understanding man hath as a rational creature ; since, as such, man cannot be a light to himself; but has only a capacity of seeing, by means of the light with w^iich Christ, the Word, enlighteneth him. For we can no more be a mental or intellectual light to ourselves, than we are an external and corporeal light to ourselves. But as the sun in the firmament is the light of our bodies, so the light of the Divine Word is the sun of our souls; the glorious luminary of the intellectual world, and they that walk in it, will by it be led to blessedness.

Pervers, 2. The Quakers hold, That the light within them is God, Christ and the holy Spirit ; so that every Quaker has whole God, Christ and holy Spirit in him which is gross blasphemy.

Princ. This is also a mistake of their belief. The) never said that every Divine illumination or manifestation of Christ, in the hearts of men, was whole God,

Christ or the Spirit, which might render them guilty of that gross and blasphemous absurdity some would fasten upon them. But that God, who is light, or the Word Christ, w^ho is light, styled the second Adam, the Lord from heaven, and the quickening Spirit, who is God over all, blessed for ever, hath enlightened mankind with a measure of saving light; who said, I am the Light of the world, and they that follow me, shall not abide in darkness, but have the light of life. So that the illumination is from God, or Christ, the Divine Word ; but not therefore that w^hole God or Christ is in every man, any more than the whole sun or air is in every house or chamber. There are no such harsh and unscriptural w^ords in their WTitings. It is only a frightful perversion by some of their enemies, to bring an odium upon their holy faith.

Yet in a sense the Scriptures say it, and that is their sense, in which only, they say the same thing. I will walk in them and dw^ell in them. He that dwelleth with you, shall be in you : I will not leave you comfortless, I will come to you : I in them and they in me : Christ in us, the hope of glory. Unless Christ be in you, ye are reprobates. Little children, of whom I travail again in birth, until Christ be formed in you. Now if they who denied his coming in the flesh, though highly professing Jews, were to be accounted anti-christs, because enemies to that appearance and dispensation of God to men ; what must they be reputed, who as stiffly disown his inward, nearer and more spiritual coming, formation and dominion in the soul; which is, to be sure, the higher and nobler knowledge of Christ.'^ Yea, the mystery hid from ages and now revealed to God's people; the riches of the glory ol the mystery which God reserved to be made known tc the Gentiles, of whose stock we are. Certainly, though they are called Christians, they must be no whit less anti-christs than those obstinate Jews of old, who opposed his more visible and bodily appearance.

Pervers. 3. By the Quakers' doctrine, every man must be saved ; for every man, they say, is savingly enlightened.

Princ, Not so either: for though the light or grace of God hath and doth more or less appear to all men, and brings salvation to as many as are taught by it to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts, and to live soberly, and righteously, and godly in this present world, as the Scripture teacheth ; yet it no way follows that men must obey and learn so to do, whether they will or not- God tenders saving light or grace to all, and by it calls all, and strives and pleads with all, according to the measure and manifestation of it ; but if they will not hearken to it, he is clear of their blood. His light is saving that lighteth them, but it cannot be said to save them, while they rebel against it. In short, though men are enlightened or visited with a saving light or grace, yet the Quakers never concluded, nor can it rightly be concluded from their testimony, that such men must necessarily and absolutely be saved, whether they obey or rebel.

Pervers, 4. By the Quakers' Light or Spirit, they may be moved to murder, treason, theft, or any such like wickedness, because they say that such as are so led, have the light within them.

PHnc. This never was their doctrine, nor is it consequent of it. For though they hold that all have lii^ht. they never said that all obeyed it, or that evii men, as such J or in such things, were led by it. Much less could the light be chargeable with the sins of those who refused to be led by it. For herein they know the spirit of God and the motions of it, from the spirit of this world and its fruits, that the spirit of God condemns all ungodliness, and moves and inclines to purity, mercy, and righteousness, which are of God.

They deny and abominate that loose and ranting mind, which would charge the spirit of God with their unholy liberty. God's spirit makes people free from sin, and not to commit sin. Neither do they distinguish, as such loose people wickedly do, between the act and the evil of it. Wherefore they say, that as the tree is known and denominated by its fruits, so spirits are by their influences, motions, and inclinations; and the spirit of God never did incline any one to evil. For that cause they renounce this construction of the Ranters, that evil is no evil when they are led to it by God's spirit ; for that grossly implies, as if the spirit of God led man at any time to that which is evil in itself, or that it were possible to be sinless in the commission of sin, as murder, theft, revenge, &c. For that never w^as or can be the way and method of God's spirit^ which is pure and holy for ever ; and brings all who regard the convictions and motions of it, into a sense and sorrow for sin, and so leads them into a state of reformation, w^ithout which, all profession of religion is mere formality, and hypocrisy. So that man's sin and destruction are of himself, but his help is in God alone, th/ough Jesus Christ, our blessed sacrifice and sanctifier.

ISection II. Of Infallibility and Perfection.

Pervers, 5. The Quakers must all be infallible and perfect, if they have such an infallible Light in them.

Princ. No such matter: this is also a great abuse of their true meaning. They say, the spirit of Truth is pure, perfect, unerrable in itself, or else it were very unfit to lead men out of error and impurity. But they never did assert themselves such, merely because it was within them : by no means. But that all who are led by it, and live according to its manifestation, are so far perfect, and so far infallible in the right way, as they are led by it, and not a jot farther. For it is not opinion, or speculation, or notions of what is true ; oi assent to, or the subscription of articles, or propositions, though never so soundly worded, which, according to their sense, makes a man a true believer, or a true Christian. But it is a conformity of mind and practice to the will of God, in all holiness of conversation, according to the dictates of this holy Spirit of light and life in the soul, which denotes a person truly a child of God. For the children of God are led by the spirit of God, but if any man have not the spirit of Christ, he is none of his. And let it be noted, that though this spirit be in man, yet it is not of man, but of God, through Jesus Christ. Who can lay down a more independent doctrine upon self, and a more depending one upon the grace or gift of God ? Let us not, I pray, be mistaken, nor suffer for such misapprehensions, nor be made to hold what we do not, on purpose to disrepute us with sober people, or to suppor*

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the mistaken charges of our enemies. Yet to show that a state of perfection from sin (though not in fulness of wisdom and glory) is attainable in this life, they, among others^» refer to these Scriptures, which for brevity's sake, are not set down at large, but the reader is desired to turn to them :

Section III. Of the Scnptures^ their truth, authority

and service.

Pervers. 6. The Quakers deny the Scriptures, for they deny them to be the Word of God.

Princ. They own and style the Scriptures, as they own and style themselves ; viz., a declaration of those things most truly believed, given forth in former ages, by the inspiration of the holy Spirit ; consequently that they are profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works. They are the form of sound words. We profess to believe them, and read them; and say it is the work we have to do in this world, and the earnest desire of our souls to Almighty God, that we may feel and witness the fulfilling of them in and upon ourselves; that so God's will may be done in earth, as it is in heaven. But to call them the Word of God, th# ground of the charge, which they never call themselves, but by which they peculiarly denominate and call Christ; in reverence to Christ, and in no slight to them (which we believe to be of Divine authority, and embrace as the best of books, and allow to be as much the word of God, as a book can be), they do, as in duty and reason bound, attribute that title to Christ only.

And yet as the word of God may, in some sense, signify the command of God, referring to the thing or matter commanded, as the mind of God, it may be called the word of the Lord, or w^ord of God : as, on particular occasions, the prophets had the word of the Lord to persons and places ; that is to say, the mind or will of God, or that which was commanded them of the Lord to declare or do. So Christ uses it, when he tells the Pharisees, that they had made the word (or command) of God of none effect, by their traditions. But because people are so apt to think, if they have the Scriptures they have all (for that they account them the only word of God, and so look no farther ; that is, to no other Word, from whence those good w^ords came), therefore this people have been constrained, and they believe, by God's good spirit, once and again to point them to the great Word of w^ords, Christ Jesus, in w^hom is life, and that life the light of men ; that they might feel something nearer to them than the Scriptures, to wit, the W^ord in the heart, from whence all holy Scripture came, which is Christ within them, the hope of their glory. And to be sure he /s the only right expounder as w^ell as the author of kolj Scripture,

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without whose light, spirit, or grace, they canm t be savingly read by those that read them.

Pervers. 7. They deny them to be any means whereby to resist temptation.

Princ, This is a very uncharitable aspersion. True it is, that they deny the Scriptures merely, or of themselves, to be sufficient to resist temptations ; for then all that have them and read them, would be sure to be preserved by them against temptations. But that they should deny them to be any means or instrument in God's hand, is either great ignorance or injustice in their adversaries. God hath made use of the Scriptures, and daily doth and will make use of them, for instruction, reproof, comfort, and edification, through the Spirit, to those that read them as they ought to do. Thus they say they have felt them, and so they have been and are made unto them, through the good Spirit of God, coming in upon their spirits, in the reading and considering of them; and wish heartily they were more in request with the professors of Christianity.

Section IV. Of the holy Spirit of God^ and its officey with respect to man^ and of ministry^ 8fc,

Pervers, 8. The Quakers assert the Spirit of God to be the immediate teacher, and that there is no other means now to be used, as ministry, ordinances, &c.

Princ. They never spoke such language, and their daily practice confutes the reflection. But here n we perceive the great subtilty of satan, as well as in other things, to darken the appearance of the Truth, and prepossess people's minds against it. For since he 2

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cannot hinder the exaltation of the Spirit above al visible instruments, nor the necessity of its manifestations, (convictions, motions, and operations, to be known in the hearts of men, and the great suitableness thereof to the Gospel administration, he would spoil all by overdoing the matter, and carrying our assertions beyond bounds. They never denied the use of means, but to this day, from the beginning, they have been in the practice of them. But then they are such means as are used in the life and power of God, and not in and from man's mere wit, will, or carnal invention or imitation ; the only thing they strike at. For instance, they cannot ow^n that to be a Gospel ministry, that is without a Gospel Spirit, or that such can be sent of God who are not taught of God, or that they are fit to teach others what regeneration and the way to heaven are, w^ho have never been born again themselves ; or that such can bring souls to God, who are themselves strangers (like those in the Acts xix. 21) to the baptism of fire and the Holy Ghost ; never having been circumcised with the circumcision of the heart in the Spirit, Rom. ii. 29 : which is so absolutely necessary to make a true Jew, or a real Christian, and consequently the requisite qualification of a Gospel ministry.

This unexperienced and lifeless ministry, is the only ministry, and such the only ministers, that the people called Quakers cannot own and receive, and therefore cannot maintain. For the ministry and the ministers that are according to Scripture, they both own. respect, and delight in, and ^re ready to assist and support in their service for God.

It is strange, because they deny all false means, oi

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means not sanctified, or used in the openings and leadings of God's power and Spirit, that therefore they must deny all means, however rightly used or employed. This is an injustice to their profession and practice. Wherefore all are desired to take notice, that evangelical means and order they love and desire to keep : for they diligently assemble themselves together to wait upon God, to enable them to worship him ; where they both pray and prophesy, one by one, as prepared and moved in their hearts by his Spirit, and as any thing is revealed to them, according to primitive practice ; otherwise they are silent before the Lord. Nor are they without spiritual songs, making melody in their hearts to God their Redeemer, by the same Holy Ghost, as often as they are comforted and moved by it, as was the primitive practice.

Section V. Of the Holy Threey or Scripture Trinity

Pervers. 9. The Quakers deny the Trinity.

Princ, Nothing less : they believe in the holy three, or Trinity of Father, Word, and Spirit, according to Scripture. And that these three are truly and properly one ; of one nature as well as will. But they are very tender of quitting Scripture terms and phrases, for schoolmen's, such as distinct and separate persons and subsistences, &c., are ; from whence people are apt to entertain gross ideas and notions of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. And they judge, that a curious inquiry into those high and Divine revelations, or into speculative subjects, though never so great truths in themselves, tend little to godliness, and less to peace which should be the chief aim of true Christiana Therefore they cannot gratify that curiosity in them* selves, or others: speculative truths are, in their judgment, to be sparingly and tenderly declared, and never to be made the measure and condition of Christian communion. For besides that Christ Jesus hath taught them other things, the sad consequence, in all times, of superfining upon Scripture texts, do sufficiently caution and forbid them. Men are too apt to let their heads outrun their hearts, and their notion exceed their obedience, and their passion support their conceits ; instead of a daily cross, a constant watch, and an holy practice. The despised Quakers desire this may be their care, and the text their creed in this, as in all other points; preferring self-denial to opinion, and charity to knowledge, according to that great Christian doctrine, 1 Cor. xiii.

Section VI. Of the Divinity of Christ

Pervers. 10. The Quakers deny Christ to be God» Princ, A most untrue and unreasonable censure : for their great and characteristic principle being this, that Christ, as the Divine Word, lighteth the souls of all men that come into the world, with a spiritual and saving light, according to John i. 9 ; viii. 12 ; which nothing but the Creator of souls can do, it sufficientl} shows that they believe him to oe God, for they trulj and expressly own him to be so, according to Scrip* ture; viz.. In him was Life, and that Life the light of men ; and he is God over all, blessed for ever.

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Section VII. Of the Manhood of Christ

Pervers, 11. The Quakers deny the human nature df Christ.

Princ. We never taught, said, or held so gross a thing, if by human nature be understood the manhood-* of Christ Jesus. For as we believe him to be God over all, blessed for ever, so we do as truly believe him to be of the seed of Abraham and David after the flesh, and therefore truly and properly man, like us in all things, and once subject to all things for our sakes, sin only excepted.

Section VIII. Of Christ Jesus , his Death and Suf

ferings.

Pervers, 12. The Quakers expect to be justified and saved by the Light within them, and not by the death and sufferings of Christ.

Prlnc, This is both unfairly and untruly stated and charged upon us. But the various senses of the word justification, oblige me here to distinguish the use of it ; for in the natural and proper sense, it plainly implies, making men just, who were unjust; godly, that were ungodly ; upright, that were depraved ; as the Apostle expresseth himself, 1 Cor. vi. 11. "And such were some of you, but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of our Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God." In the other use of the word, which some call a law-sense, it refers to Christ, as a sacrifice and propitiation for sin, as in Rom. 2*

V. 9. "Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him :" and 1 John ii. 1,2. "If any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous ; and he is the propitiation for our sins ; and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world." Which, though a great truth and most firmly believed by us, yet no man can be entitled to the benefit thereof, but as he comes to believe and repent of the evil of his ways ; and then it may be truly said, that God justifieth even the ungodly, and looks upon them through Christ, as if they had never sinned ; because their sins are forgiven them for his beloved Son's sake.

Not that God looks on people to be in Christ, who are not in Christ ; that is, who are not in the faith, obedience and self-denial of Christ ; nor sanctified, nor led by his Spirit, but rebel against it ; and instead of dying to sin, through a true and unfeigned repentance, live and indulge themselves daily in it; for they that are in Christ, become new creatures ; old things are passed away, and all things, with them, become new. Wherefore we say, that whatever Christ then did, both living and dying, was of great benefit to the salvation of all who have believed, and now do, and who hereafter shall believe in him unto justification and acceptance with God ; but the way to come to that faith, is to receive and obey the manifestation of his Divine light and grace in their consciences, which leads men to believe and value, and not to disown or undervalue Christ, as the common sacrifice and mediator. For we do affirm, that to follow this holy Light in the conscience, and to turn our minds, ind bring all our deeds and thoughts to it, is the readiest, nay, the only right way to have true living and sanctifying faith in Christ, as he appeared in the flesh, and to discern the Lord's body, coming and sufferings aright, and to receive any real benefit by him, as their only sacrifice and mediator: according to the beloved disciple's emphatical passages, "If -we walk in the light, as (God) is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin."

And because this people say, that Christ's outward coming and sufferings profit not to their salvation who live in sin and rebel against this Divine light, some have untruly and uncharitably concluded, that they deny the virtue and benefit of Christ's coming and sufferings in the flesh, as a sacrifice for sin. Whereas we only deny and oppose a false and dangerous application of them in and to a disobedient state. For we believe Christ came not to save men in their sins, but from their sins ; and that those that open the door of their hearts at his inward and spiritual knocks [to wit, the reproofs and convictions of his light and grace], have their consciences sprinkled with his blood (that is, discharged from the guilt of them) from dead works, to serve the living God. And so far only as men come by faith, repentance and amendment, to be Christ's, Christ is theirs, and as he has an interest in their hearts, they have an interest in his love and salvation : that is, so far as they are obedient to his grace, and take up his cross, and follow him in the ways of meekness, holiness, and self-denial, so far they have an interest in Christ, and no farther. And here there is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus, because such walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirii: fc; we have seen a shoal or sand here, upon which we fear many thousands have split, and which we desire to avoid, and are earnest that others may beware of it also; viz., that because Christ died a sacrifice for the sins of the whole world, by which he put mankind into a capacity of salvation, and has given every one a talent of grace to work it out by ; they presume upon that sacrifice, and sin on, without a thorough repentance, reformation and conversion to God, not dying with Christ to the world, but living in it, according to the lusts and spirit of it. Such as these may be assured, that where Christ is gone they shall never come : for says the blessed Apostle, God sent his Son to bless us, by turning every one of us from the evil of our way. So that the contrite, humble, meek, and self-denying people, are those that have the true and full benefit of Christ's coming, suflTerings, and mediation, and of all those holy ends for which God his Father anointed and gave Him to the world ; viz., to be the Way, Truth, and Life, Light, Leader, and Saviour, to be a King, Priest, Prophet, Sacrifice, Sanctifier, and Mediator ; being sensibly felt of all such to reign over their hearts, to teach them God's royal law, to give them, saving knowledge, and to mediate, atone for, sanctify and justify them in the sight of God his Father, for ever.