The Snake in the Grass Further Discovered, Part 2 · Chapter 17
CHAP. XVII.
The Quakers deny the Reſurrection of the Dead.
I Doubt not but all who are not infatuated with the SECT. I Quakers Spirit, to a perverting the genuine ſenſe of almoſt all the expreſſions of Principles of Faith, will underſtand by the Reſurrection of the Dead, the raiſing again to life, and from the duſt and corruption, the bodies of men and women, however diſpoſed of after their natural death or diſſolution. The Quakers will deny their guilt of this Charge, and come off with an Allegorical evaſion. They will tell you… that they believe and own the Reſurrection of the Dead, yea, of the dead body: whereas in truth their opinion and meaning is quite another thing than the ordinary acceptation of that Doctrine, as will appear by the inſtances following.
And hath no will, nor wiſdom, nor reaſon left in him, Smith Cat. p. 31. §. 2.but all baptized down into the ſufferings of Chriſt—and there the power kills him, and gives him life again, and ſo man lays down his own life, and takes up life in Chriſt, in which life he comes to be raiſed in the Reſurrection of Chriſt. I muſt confeſs this account is like his, who though he may have too much Will, is utterly void of Reaſon: But he that ſhall own no other Reſurrection of the Body, than what Smith expreſſes, comes under that ſevere rebuke of the Apoſtle; Who concerning the Faith have erred, ſaying, that the Reſurrection is paſt already, and have deſtroyed the faith of ſome. The foreſaid Author ſaith farther.
Queſt. But muſt man paſs through death, and riſep. 29. again while he is in the Body? Anſw. Yes, for except he be regenerated, and born again, he cannot enter into the Kingdom of God: And therefore he muſt die to the firſt Adams fleſh, and be quickned and raiſed again in the ſecond Adams Spirit: And ſo in the Reſurrection and life, enter the Kingdom as a little Child. You ſee here plainly, that their Reſurrection of the Body is but their Regeneration, and this is fulfilled while they are in the body.
But above all that I have read of the Quakers, § 3 Velata quaedam revelata.Fiſher is the beſt skilled in the allegorizing of the Reſurrection. But if you will not be admoniſhed, nor perſwaded by Moſes and the Prophets; [within you] neither will you be perſwaded by ſuch of us, who were once dead in Sin with you; but are now riſen to life, by the Power of God, which is his light, and in the ſame ſent to ſpeak unto you from the dead. I know not how they can deny his words to be his gloſs on 16 Luke 31. If they will not hear Moſes and the Prophets, neither wil… they be perſwaded if one ſhould riſe from the dead. If Chriſt had intended Converſion or Regeneration there by riſing from the Dead, it were no rare thing to have ſuch Preachers ſent to them; for all the Saints of God are ſuch as are Regenerated; and ſuch Preachers they had many at that time: we may conclude, that the Reſurrection ſpoken of by Chriſt, was of ſome one in the ſtate of the Dead, to have his body raiſed to life, and with that advantage of experience to preach to them.
Whereby the heart is free from corruption, and § 4 Naylor Love to the Loſt, p. 3.made able to eſcape the pollutions of the World, and to run in the pure ways with delight; which is the gl…rious liberty of the Sons of God, the Reſurrection from the Dead.
I have ſaid enough of what abundantly implies their denial of this great and fundamental truth, I do not at all expect, nor can I (with any reaſon) that they ſhould in their writings, in ſo many words, deny the Reſurrection of the Dead, becauſe ſo open and plain dealing in this great point would render them intolerable, and ſhut the door againſt Proſelites; but yet in verbal and private converſe they ſtick not to deny the Reſurrection of the ſame bodies, which ordinarily when dead are put into a hole in the ground, and covered with earth. I have examined many of their Books that pretend to give a full account of their Tenets and Belief, but in all of them their Reſurrection is no other than I have already expreſſed.
Take an Account of one or two in their Syſtems, of their Doctrine of the Reſurrection of the Dead.
We ſay that Chriſt is the Reſurrection and the Life, to § 5 Iſaac Pennington, Some principles of the Elect, called Quakers p. 34.raiſe up that which Adam loſt,—and to deſtroy him who deceived him (viz Adam) ſo Chriſt is the Reſurrection unto Life, of Body, Soul and Spirit, and ſo renews man, &c.
What is this Reſurrection, but what they call Regeneration? and the Reſurrection of the Body, is but in the ſame ſenſe as the Soul and Spirit is raiſed; which is not from a natural death or diſſolution of their eſſential form, but from their depravation and defection to a ſenſual and ſinful diſpoſition, and their averſation from God.
Concerning the Reſurrection of the Dead.
In the Chapter intituled, 'as above, he hath theſeNaylor love to the loſt. p. 78. words: But to ſuch buſie minds who are ſaying, how are the dead raiſed? and with what bodies do they come? I ſay to ſuch, the Apoſtles words are very ſuitable; Thou fool, that which thou ſoweſt is not quickned except it die,—but the myſtery is ſealed with the Sons of God; nor can any ever know with what bodies they ſhall ariſe, but who comes to the Fleſh of Chriſt, and diſcerns his Body; the ſight whereof in the life ſlays the Serpent, and opens the Myſtery: Till then, curſed is he that reveals that which God hath ſealed, and hidden from the Serpents Wiſdom, &c.
Naylor, before and after, quotes many Scripturephraſes, which abundantly prove the Reſurrection of the Body after diſſolution or natural death; but when all is done, there is a Myſtery, a ſealed Myſtery in his meaning, and a curſe laid on thoſe who reveal their Tenet: No wonder then, that they ſpeak not out to any other but themſelves, whom he dare truſt with the greateſt abominations in their deluſions; but notwithſtanding his inhibition, divers of them have to me acknowledged, that they believe not that the body, which when dead, is ordinarily put into a hole in the ground, and covered with earth, and turns to duſt, ſhall ever be made alive again.
And that which may put you out of doubt, that this is their Tenet, I can prove by many Witneſſes, that George Whitehead, one of their chief Miſleaders, (after much importunity to ſpeak his mind plainly in this matter) did affirm, That he did not believe that his body ſhould riſe again after its Death.
I never knew any of them affirm the Reſurrection § 2 of the Body, intending thereby the Body which is ſuch in a proper ſenſe and common acceptation: I have often diſcourſed them about it; and when I have propoſed the queſtion ſo plainly, that they had no room to evade by their Allegories, their Anſwers have been, Thou art upon the Catch, we ſhall not anſwer thee, Or, Fleſh and Blood cannot inherit the Kingdom of God. Sometimes with that in Job, If a man die, ſhall he live again? and as the Beaſt dieth, ſo dieth Man. But when all their Arguments are anſwered, which they think are lodged in their Scriptures; their laſt refuge is their falſe interpretation of 15 Cor. 38. God giveth it a Body as it pleaſeth him. Who will doubt, but that ſuch who will not give a plain anſwer yea or nay, when queſtioned about the Reſurrection of the Dead; but inſtead thereof, produce all thoſe Texts which to them ſeem to deny the Reſurrection; I ſay who will doubt that ſuch do deny the Reſurrection of the Dead? before I diſcharge this ſubject, I ſhall anſwer their Cavils about this point, prove the truth▪ and give ſome inferences from their corrupt wicked Religion, and ſoul-deſtroying Tenet.
Firſt, their Cavil from that Scripture 1 Cor, 15. 50. Fleſh and Blood cannot inherit the Kingdome of God. By § 3 Fleſh and Blood here, is to be underſtood Corruptible fleſh and blood, which is clear from the conſideration of the following words, neither doth corruption inherit incorruption; compare this with ver 42. it is ſ…wn in corruption, it is raiſed in incorruption, and ver. 49. and as we have born the Image of the Earthly, ſo alſo we ſhall bear the Image of the Heavenly. So that it is ſtill the ſame body, only with the Change to ſpiritual and incorruptible.
For that in Job, if a Man die ſhall he live again? the meaning can be no more than this, (if Job underſtood himſelf) he ſhall not live again in this world, and in that ſtate in which he liveth before death; which is plain from what he moſt confidently affirms, Job 19. 26, 27. And though after my skin Worms deſtroy this body, yet in my fleſh ſhall I ſee God: whom I ſhall ſee for my ſelf and mine eyes ſhall behold and not another, though my Reins be conſumed within me. And it is remarkable, that God whom he here ſpeaks of ſeeing, is intended by him Chriſt the Redeemer who ſhall ſtand at the latter day upon the Earth verſe 25: for that in Fccleſiaſtes 3. 19. As the one dieth ſo dieth the other. It is expounded in the next verſe, all go unto one place, all are of the duſt, and all turn to duſt again. But this doth not at all oppoſe Mans Reſurrection out of his duſt again.
But that ſilly evaſion which is very frequent with § 4 them, but God giveth it a Body as pleaſeth him; It doth no way deny the reſurrection of the Body, or condemn thoſe that enquire into the manner of its being after the Reſurrection. For if God be pleaſed to acquaint us in his word, that there ſhall be ſuch a reſurrection, and that it ſhall be then ſpiritual and incorruptible; it is our duty to take his word, and to underſtand what he is pleaſed to manifeſt to us of this great truth. Another text they frame an objection out of is 1 Cor. 19. 36, 37. Thou fool, that which thou ſoweſt is not quickned except it die; and that which thou ſoweſt, thou ſoweſt not that body that ſhall be. I anſwer, that the Apoſtle doth not call him a Fool, who enquires concerning the reſurrection (which is the common charge of the Quakers from this Text) but him that doubts of the reſurrection, from its ſeeming impoſſibility, and for the ſameneſs of the body though not in all circumſtances, yet that it ſhall be the ſame eſſence, is plain from the relative it all along, which hath for its antecedent the body of fleſh and blood, wherein we now live and are viſible to the bodily eyes of one another, and ver. 38. to every ſeed its own body.
I have met with ſome of them, who could not, or would not underſtand it of the ſame body, becauſe the § 5 Apoſtle ſaith, verſ. 51. We ſhall all be changed: From whence they conclude, it cannot be the ſame body. I would ask ſuch, if they would be content to be refuſed their debt owing to them when young being demanded when old; or owing when well, if demanded when ſick; or contracted when they were not Quakers, and demanded when Quakers? for as to the latter, they will affirm they are changed, and that from natural to ſpiritual. But, I ſuppoſe, in ſuch caſes, they will ſhew more ſagacity, and be content to believe that a change in a perſon is not the change of a perſon; and for all thoſe changes, they are the ſame perſons ſtill, to whom the money both was and is due.
I might ſay moreover, that if it be another, and not the ſame body that ſhall be raiſed again, it is a § 6 contradiction, for then it muſt not be a reſurrection, but a creation; and who will gueſs ſo wide of the mark, that God ſhould create another body, which was never in this world, and did either good or evil, to be rewarded or puniſhed, in ſtead of the body concerned in thoſe actions, which in the mean time ſhall be free among the dead, and buried in everlaſting forgetfulneſs? Some of them have denyed the reſurrection of the body of Chriſt, and ſtood by their error, upon the account of his entering the room when the coors were ſhut, and his appearing in ſuch forms, that his Diſciples did not know him. To which I ſhall ſay only this, that Chriſt, as God, could convey himſelf how and where he pleaſed, and that the Diſciples not knowing him, was not becauſe he was not in the ſame form as before, but becauſe their eyes were withholden, that they ſhould not know him, Luk 24. 16.
The woful companions and conſequences of the error SECT. III here charged on the Quakers, and proved to be theirs, take a few of; which are enough and great enough, to make any who are not reſolved to be Atheiſts or Infidels, to tremble at the firſt motions to ſuch a deluſion.
Firſt, This tenet of the Quakers doth naturally eat out the heart and vitals of all Religion, if the dead riſe not, Let us eat and drink for to morrow we ſhall die. All Religion obliges with a reſpect to the life to come. The opinion of no reſurrection lets looſe the reins to the moſt extream ſenſuality, an Epicure is then the wiſeſt Man.
Secondly, this errour renders it a meer humour, § 2 and a peice of fooliſh obſtinacy to perſiſt in the profeſſion and practice of any thing Religious, when indangering our temporal concernments: If the dead riſe not at all—and why ſtand we in jeopardy every hour? 1 Cor. 15. 29. 30.
Thirdly, it utterly ſubverts and makes Shipwrack § 3 of the faith of the Goſpel, that looking at a prize and reward on the other ſide the Grave. But if there be no reſurrection of the dead, then Chriſt is not riſen, and if Chriſt be not riſen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith alſo in vain. 1 Cor 15, 13, 14. For if the dead riſe not, then is not Chriſt raiſed; and if Chriſt be not raiſed, your faith is vain, ye are yet in your ſins. 1 Cor. 15, 16, 17. So that there is a Chain of the moſt woful conſequences that this wicked error draws after it.
Fourthly, Then the Goſpel is a meer fallacy and § 4 deluſion, which promiſes a reward to men, whoſe perſons are conſtituted of a body as well as a ſoul.
Many more might be inferred of ſo grand an import, as would render this Doctrine the moſt pernicious that was ever hatched among pretended Chriſtians.