The Snake in the Grass Further Discovered, Part 1 · Chapter 1
THE Snake in the Graſs Further Diſcovered: OR, THE QUAKERS No Chriſtians.
Proving out of their own WRITINGS, that they Deny,
I. The Scriptures to be the Word of God.
II. Baptiſm, and the Lord's Supper.
III. The Manhood of Chriſt, &c.
With an Account of their Canons, Conſtitutions, Eccleſiaſtical Order and Diſcipline.
LONDON, Printed for J. F. and are to be Sold by A. Baldwin in Warwick-lane. 1698.
TO THE READER.
THE Proofs I have given (in this Book) of the Quakers Principles, being taken out of divers particular Authors of theirs; it may be objected, That it is not reaſonable, that what is Aſſerted by any one particular, or private Perſon, ſhould be imputed to a whole Party of Men, who go under the ſame Name.
To which I anſwer, That if we take not the Writings of particular Quakers for the Quakers Principles in general, we muſt be altogether uncapable of finding them. The Quakers pretending all their Miniſtry to be Infallible, they themſelves own as well as their Writings and Declarations to be infallibly true. Yea, they affirm them to speak and write by Divine Inſpiration, as the Prophets and Apoſtles in the Old and New Teſtament. Whatever is in their Writings and Declarings, (though they may deny our Sence of them) they own the Words as from the Lord.
J. F.
QƲAKERISM NO CHRISTIANITY.
PART I.
CHAP. I.
The Explanation of the Title.
SECT. I THat I may inform my Reader of the true ſtate of the Controverſie agitated in the enſuing Treatiſe; I hold my ſelf bound as a rational man, and as a Chriſtian, (the Controverſie being of a Religious Concern) both to ſtate the main Queſtion; to which I ſhall endeavour, that all thoſe which are ſubordinate, or by me pretended to be ſo, may be plainly reducible; and alſo to open the terms, that I may neither write, nor my Reader be led into a thicket of impertinencies: but as it may be clear and conſpicuous, whereof I affirm; ſo alſo, the Reader may be able to judge, how much what is offered is to the purpoſe.
I need not trouble the Reader with any further § 2 account of the Queſtion then the Title; wherein I affirm, that Quakeriſm is no Chriſtianity, which if it be not only ſufficiently proved, and clearly, but alſo abundantly, I ſhall not doubt but all honeſt hearts who ſhall peruſe this Diſcourſe, will be irreconcileably alienated from all appearances of ſo horrid an Impoſture. And I am not altogether out of hope, that many of thoſe who have inclined, or adhered to thoſe woful Tenets, or perſons here diſcovered, with a deſign to elevate their Chriſtianity to a higher Standard of Purity, will be convinced, that inſtead thereof they have but plunged themſelves into the ditch of the groſſeſt deluſions, and made work for Repentance.
For the term Chriſtianity, we are not to underſtand SECT. II by it all thoſe matters of faith and practice, which Chriſtianity doth oblige us unto; for Chriſtianity is a large and noble thing, which is not only a curious Garden, which hath in it that which common Fields, yea and common Incloſures are not furniſhed withal, but alſo doth take in, (beſide what is peculiar to its ſelf) all that is worthy in thoſe Religions which it hath ſuperſeded and outſtript; yea, whatever is good and commendable among the very Heathen, according to that of the Apoſtle, Finally, Brethren, whatſoever things are true, whatſoever things are honeſt, whatſoever things are juſt, whatſoever things are pure, whatſoever things are lovely, whatſoever things are of good report, if there be any virtue, if there be any praiſe, think on theſe things.
Chriſtianity (in a full ſenſe) conſiſts of thoſe principles of Faith and Life; that Worſhip, Order, and thoſe Ordinances; which have not only a reſpect to Jeſus Chriſt the Mediator between God and Man, in his lapſed ſtate: but alſo that frame of them which is proper to the Goſpel or New Teſtament-Adminiſtration; which was conſtituted by Chriſt while he was manifeſt in the fleſh,, and after he had actually finiſhed the meritorious part of our Reconciliation and Salvation, and as God-Man united in one Perſon, was inveſted with all Power both in Heaven and Earth, according to that Scripture, All Power is given unto me in Heaven Mat. 28. 18and in Earth; and that full Text to this purpoſe, And being found in faſhion as a man, he humbled PhIl. 2. 10, 11.himſelf, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the Croſs: wherefore God alſo hath highly exalted him, and given him a Name which is above every Name, &c. A Chriſtian in the narroweſt ſenſe, is one that owns the only true God, and Jeſus Chriſt whom he hath ſent, to be the Lord and Saviour.
That this account of Chriſtianity may be underſtood § 2 aright, I ſhall ſpend a few lines (and as few as I can) to inform of the difference, between Chriſtianity as ſuch, and thoſe other things which Chriſtianity obliges to; which yet may be where there is not any the leaſt footſteps of Chriſtianity.
To know and acknowledge (in ſome way) the § 3 one and only true God, Creator of all things, or dependance on, and ſubjection to him; the love of God, our Neighbour, and our ſelves; Juſtice, Temperance, and all other duties, which by the Light and Law of Nature we may be convinced of, theſe a man may be exerciſed in, and yet be nothing of a Chriſtian, and ſo were ſome of the Heathens, who not only were altogether ignorant of Chriſt, but alſo oppoſed him and the Chriſtian name.
To come yet nearer, the Church of Iſrael under § 4 Moſes's Adminiſtration; who had not only the Moral Law, or Law of Nature, given forth by God himſelf; but alſo the Promiſes, Deſcriptions, Types, and Shadows of Chriſt the Redeemer; through the faith of whom, all them that were ſaved came by their ſalvation: yet their ſtate was not (in a ſtrict ſenſe) Chriſtian, nor the Law and Adminiſtration under which they lived, and to which they ſubjected Chriſtianity: which I ſhall confirm by ſome eſſential exc…ptions.
Chriſtianity neceſſarily includes the faith and belief § 5 of Chriſt already come, a Chriſt crucified, that died, roſe again from the dead, is aſcended, &c. Without Controverſie great is the Myſtery of Godlineſs, God was manifeſt in the fleſh, juſtified in the ſpirit, believed on in the World, received up into Glory. 1 Tim. 3. 16. This was Chriſtian Godlineſs. But we preach Chriſt crucified, to the Jewes a ſtumbling bloc…; this Chriſt as come and crucified, was the main baſis of the Goſpel and Chriſtianity.
Chriſtianity neceſſarily includes the beleif of that Particular, and numerical man Chriſt Jeſus; who § 6 was born of the Virgin Mary, and was of the ſeed of Abraham according to the fleſh, to be the Chriſt of God that was promiſed to come in due time. I ſaid therefore unto you, that you ſhall die in your ſins, for if ye believe not that I am he, ye ſhall die in your ſins, John. 8. 24. Therefore let all the Houſe of Iſrael know aſſuredly, that God hath made the ſame Jeſus whom ye have crucified both Lord and Chriſt. Acts 3. 6.
Theſe were new Articles of their Creed, without the belief of which they were ſuch as had nothing to do with Chriſt, as their Mediator.
Again, the whole frame of the Adminiſtration was altered from Moſes to Chriſt, even the man Chriſt Jeſus as well as God. Hath in theſe laſt days ſpoken to us by his Son, Heb. 1. 1. And Moſes verily was faithful in all his Houſe, as a ſervant, for a Teſtimony of thoſe things which were to be ſpoken after; but Chriſt as a Son over his own Houſe, Heb. 3. 5. We have now nothing to do with Moſes Law as ſuch▪ and alſo the manner of Adminiſtration, which is not in a multitude of carnal obſervancies, types, and reſebmlances, but in that way which is more real and more purely ſpiritual. But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true Worſhippers ſhall worſhip the Father in ſpirit and in truth, John 4. 23. They were to worſhip him in ſpirit before; for where the heart was not in the …eremonial and typical worſhip they were not accepted; and God never indulged hypocriſie. The meaning muſt therefore be, That ſpirit muſt be taken in oppoſition to thoſe carnal Ordinances, and the material Temple; and Truth, in oppoſition to thofe Types, which were not a Lie, but were only the ſhadows of good things to come.
I might enlarge to the Officers, Offices, and reſtrained § 8 Extent of the Moſaical Adminiſtration; and ſhew that in all it is Alien to the Adminiſtration of Chriſt come; and that wherein Chriſtianity conſiſts. For if that [Miniſtration] which is done a way was glorious, much more that which remaineth is glorious, 2 Cor. 3. 11.
Now to reſume the intent of what I have ſaid, § 9 obſerve, that neither the natural light and practices of Heathen, nor the revealed light, law, and practices Judaical were Chriſtian (as ſuch) though the latter (a great part of them) had a reſpect to Chriſt, and the medicinal and remedying part of Religion.
And the Jews, who were immediately before the Church of God; yet when the Adminiſtration was changed, they were cut off from the Church, though they retained their Morals and thoſe Ceremonial Reſpects to an expected Meſſiah, if they did not admit into their Creed or Faith the Articles aforeſaid; viz. a Chriſt come; That Jeſus who was crucified was the Chriſt, and that he was the Supreme Head and Adminiſtrator to the Church of God; and thoſe who did ſo were tranſmitted into the Chriſtian Church, the other being diſſolved.
Having expreſſed with what brevity I could, SECT. III what Chriſtianity (as ſuch) is: I ſhall in a few lines give an Account what I intend by the term Quakeriſm.
I do not mean thereby, that all that are called and reputed Quakers, are no Chriſtians; for my charity is large enough to believe, That many of them would abhorr the Principles of their Leaders, did they but well underſtand them: for whoſe ſakes in part I have undertaken this Diſcovery.
Quakeriſm is a Heap of Tenets, with the uſurped Names of true Chriſtian Principles, which are yet really no ſuch things, but ſubverting both Foundation and Fabrick of Chriſtianity. And I call him a Quaker that profeſſes the Light within every man to be the only Lord and Saviour, and very God. So that when I ſay, Quakeriſm is no Chriſtianity, I do not ſay, that common Civility, Juſtice among men, or whatever of their principles or practices which are morally good; for theſe are generally owned as the principles of thoſe Chriſtians, whom they ſeparate from, and bitterly reproach as Antichriſtian. And it cannot be for want of Inſtructions or Examples in ſuch kind of goodneſs, that they withdraw from the ſerious Profeſſors, that are as far from their opinions as the Eaſt is from the Weſt.