A Synopsis of Quakerism, Title page – To the reader
A SYNOPSIS OF QUAKERISM: OR, A Collection of the Fundamental ERROURS of the QUAKERS: Whereof theſe are a Taſte, Viz.
1. That there are not Three Perſons in the God-Head.
2. That Chriſt did not make Satisfaction for the Sin of Man.
3. That Juſtification is not by imputed Righteouſneſs.
4. That our good Works, are the Meritorious Cauſe of our Juſtification.
5. That a State of Freedom from Sin, is attainable in this Life.
6. That there is a Light in every Man, ſufficient to guide him to Salvation.
7. That the Scripture is not the Word of God, nor a ſtanding Rule of Faith and Life.
8. That there is no Reſurrection of the Body.
9. That there's no need nor uſe of Ordinances, Baptiſme, Lords Supper, &c.
Collected out of their Printed Books. With a Brief Refutation of their moſt material Arguments, (and particularly, W. Pens, in his late Sandy Foundation Shaken) and an Eſſay towards the Eſtabliſhment of private Chriſtians, in the Truths oppoſed by thoſe Errours. By Tho. Danſon, ſometime Miniſter of the Goſpel at Sandwich in Kent.
LONDON, Printed in the Year, 1668.
To the Reader.
Reader,
THe late daring Pamphlet of W. P…n, Intituled, The Sandy Foundation Shaken, wherein he hath attempted (but with too Feeble an hand) to ſhake the Rock, Chriſt Jeſus in his God-Head, and Offices, hath occaſioned this Ʋndertakement. Seeing God had left him to himſelf ſo farr, as openly to vilifie Three Grand Truths, I judge it not amiſs, to take this opportunity to mind the World, how well he hath Imitated the Leaders of his Party, in their reſpects to other like Truths, that ſo the Chriſtians of theſe Parts, may no longer be Impoſed upon by the Quakers ſeeming Innocence. The moſt referd civil Heathens were given over to the moſt Fond and Beaſtly Errours, about the Nature of God. It was obſerved of many of our Engliſh Hereticks in Queen Elizabeth's dayes, that they were Charitably Devout: And you know many that look well in the Face, have their Inwards Tainted and Decayed. I preſume Reader, thou haſt Read over the Frontiſpiece of this Book, and then tell me what you think; Do thoſe Principles ſound like Chriſtian Doctrine? Do you not think your Heart would give your Tongue the Lye, if (for fear of ſeeming riged) you ſhould venture to ſa… of the Teachers of thoſe Doctrines; Theſe are the Servants of the moſt High God, who ſhew unto us the way of Salvation, Acts 16. 17. Why then take heed how thou harkenest unto them, unleſs thou art unconcerned in thy ſelf, and art indifferent whither Salvation or Damnation fall to thy ſhare. I am prevented in a ſerious Repreſentation, of the danger of theſe Errours, by the Pains of my Worthy Friend, Mr. Tho. Vincent. The mention of whoſe name, puts me in mind of a Query, thou mayſt make about my Anſwer to Pens Arguments, why I do actum agere? The Anſwer is, I was Ingaged in a little Conference with the ſaid Pen, and he hath made ſome Reflections upon me, in the ſame Piece, which are not to be wholly neglected: Again, Experience hath ſhewn, that there is a great difference in Intellectval Guſts.
The Method, Phrafe, Notions of ſcarce any one man, are acceptable to all.
And a Preſident is at hand. Biddles 12. Arguments againſt the Holy Ghoſt's Deity, were firſt anſwered by the Learned Eſtwick and then by the Learned Pool, and both to good purpoſe, & I hope not without ſucceſs.
And if any Quaker ſhall demand, why I do not anſwer Sam. Fiſhers Book, againſt me, inſtead of Writing againſt a new Man; I anſwer, that I am guided in my Neglect by the Judgment of ubler Perſons than my ſelf, that that Book is but a bundle of Impertinent Cavils, and none of my Arguments is ſhaken by his Batteries and that to anſwer it, were but Horas bonas male collocare, to ſpend time with Domitian, in catching of Flies. I ſhall only leave two words of Advice with thee, and ſo we will part.
1. Be at ſome pains, to underſtand the poſitive Grounds, of the great Truths, oppoſed by the Quakers. Remember that Wiſdom is Silver, and a Treaſure; not only for its Excellency, but alſo for the difficulty of Attainment, Prov. 2. 4. It was the Obſervation of Min. Fel. Multi ob…aedium inveſtigandae veritatis, divert…nt in proximos Errores, i. e. Many men, through Impatience of the Pains they muſt be at, to find out the Truth, turn into the Errours next at hand. As a weary Traveller takes up his Lodging, not at the beſt but at the neareſt Inn. Be not thou a new Inſtance, to confirm that unhappy Obſervation. For want of ſome pains, many Chriſtians are ſtrangely Ignorant, and through Ignorance, uncertain like Glaſſes, which may be blown into any ſhape you pleaſe; or Weather-Cocks, that are indifferent to any Point of the Heavens. To leſſen thy pains ſomewhat, I have endeavoured to give thee the moſt material Arguments, by which thoſe Truths are ſupported, in as plain and familiar a way as I could, and as the Nature of the ſubjects would bear. Particularly, be at ſome pains, to underſtand the right uſe of Reaſon, about theſe ſacred Myſteries. Namely, that it is not to judge of the Truth of the Propoſitions, contained in the Scriptures, but of their Connexion: Take an Inſtance, 1 Cor. 15. 13. If there be no Reſurrection from the Dead, then is Chriſt not riſen. The Propoſitions, that the dead ſhall be raiſed, and that Chriſt is raiſed from the dead, are de fide, or matters of Faith: but the Connexion, o… Conſequence of the Apoſtle, is evident to reaſon, as depending upon that Maxime of Reaſon, Sublato effect… tollicur cauſa; Deny the effect, and deny the cauſe, if it be neceſſary, and not an accidential Cauſe, and like this, if it be not day, tis not Sun-riſe.
And therefore … Socinians, who pretend, that we are not to believe any thing to be of Divine Revelation, which is not evident to our reaſon, do diſcover but little of that reaſon, which they would be thought to have Ingroſſed to themſelves: For, does not Reaſon tell us, that the Nature and Works of God are above our reach? And that God were not God, if he could be comprehended by a Creature; nor are the Creatures ad aequate effects of God their cauſe.
And indeed their Principle takes away the difference between Divine Knowledge and Faith. Where is there any room for an aſſent to Truth, Propter authoritatem revelantis, upon the credit of Gods word, if we are to believe nothing, but what antecedently to Divine Revelation, is evident to reaſon in its next cauſes, or proper Effects. Nor can I ſee what uſe Miracles can be of to a Socinian; the Intendment of which, is to inforce a belief of thoſe Doctrines, which are inevident to Reaſon: It being a Principle, which no man will contradict, that God will not put the Seal of his Immediate Power to a Falſehood.
2. Improve the Knowledge which you have: I have often thought it a wiſe & ſober ſpeech of Card. Pool, that when one asked him how be ſhould do to underſtand the former part of Pauls Epiſtle to the Romans, Replied, by practiſing the latter, [the former part being Doctrinical and hard, the latter Practical and plain] In vita Card. Poli. The neglect of ſuch Advice, hath provoked God to give men over to ſtrong Deluſions, to believe Lies, groſs Figments, ſuch as I have here preſented thee with. Reader, I ſhall not detain thee any longer, but recommend thee and this ſmall Piece to the Bleſſing of God; by which, if thou art preferved from being led away with the Errours of the Wicked, and falling from thy own ſtedfaſtneſs, I have obtained my end, and ſhall therein rejoyce for e…er,
Thy Servant in the Goſpel, Tho. Danſon. London. Decemb. 13. 1668.