Twenty-One Divines Cleared, Treatise · Vindication 2 – Accusation 6
John Faldo's Vindication.
FIrst of all, I must tell you, that you abuse me, by making me to affirm that to be said of the Scriptures only, which I said was spoken of the Scriptures, and the Doctrines from thence received: And my words were these; Of vilifying and reproach to the Scriptures, and the Doctrines from Quaker. no Chr. p. 119.thence received.
You may remember, that in my VINDICATION, &c. to which you rejoyned, I told you Vindicat. of Quak. no Chri. p. 45.concerning this very Accusation, That if Penn dare give me a meeting with impartial Judges, I will (if God permit) produce the Book, and prove it to his face. But this offer you never yet accepted.
Yet, for my Readers satisfaction, I shall give him this large account in the words of the Quaker-Author whom you would vindicate. But who …orning…atch, …. 16.knows not him to be come that is true, they are not in the Saints life: So runs into their words, and gets their words, and sows them together, and makes themselves coverings; but abides in the Darkness, and brings forth that which is false, then searches the Scripture for words to prove their Image a lawful Son: And this is the bottom and foundation of all Religions this day, centring in the Letter, and running thither for shelter; but are all from the Life, &c.
And knows not the Life of Moses, the Prophets, and the Apostles; but stands clothed and decked with their words, and there seem to be something, and to stand above others in their shew of godliness, and willworship, but knows not the Life revealed: So their Id. p 21.strength lies in the Letter, and what the Saints have declared, who were in the Power of God redeemed.—And this is but the same which all will acknowledg in words, and differs nothing in the ground from the Faith of those they are separated from; but branches forth of the same root, and all their practice springs out of the same ground, and is the Harlots Child, though dressed with a fairer covering.
And what was by the Saints given forth, and appears in Writing without them, that their life is in, and that they contend about: And all strives to set Id. p. 22, 23up their own Conceivings, and teach for Doctrines mens Traditions; and mind not the measure of God in themselves, but stretch beyond it in the Comprehension, and run into other mens lines and labours, and are all upon the earthly root, and in Darkness and Confusion in their Practice and Worship.
To this is added in the same page, and applied, all those execrable Names which I repeated in QƲAKERISM NO CHRISTIANITY.
His Conclusion of this part of his Book begins thus: So all watch to the morning, that the day may Ib. p. 24.break upon you, and the Light shine out of Darkness in you, that your eye may look into the glass of Righteousness, the pure Light of Christ in your own Consciences. I shall add but one instance more out of the same Book, which will render my Vindication down-weight.
So amongst the words you find how the Saints in some things walked, and what they practised; and then you strive to make that thing to your selves, and to observe it, and do it, as near as you can. And Morning-Watch, p. 45.here you are found Transgressors of the just Law of God, which saith, Thou shalt not make to thy self any graven Image, nor the likeness of any thing. Now what difference is there in the ground betwixt you and the Pope, though in the appearance there seem so great a space?
By these Citations you may observe, that his scope is to decry the Scriptures as our Rule, and what Doctrines have their foundation in them. Charging those with Idolatry, who set up the Scriptures as their Rule; pretending that it is a placing them in the room of the Light within: And although he allows a great difference between us and the Pope, yet we come all under the same Condemnation, because we are the same in the ground of our Profession (as he speaks) which is, a not-being-guided by the Inspirations of the Light within, but pretending (at least) to the Scriptures.
William Penn's Accusation. 3.
THat the Quakers understand by knowledg according to the flesh, the use of the understanding, …uaker. no …hri. p. 41.though sanctified, which is also a gross abuse both of our words and sense.
John Faldo's Vindication.
ONe would think that so thundering a Charge as W. P's, would have produced out of so many thousand passages as were in my Book, far greater crimes than these ten you have pitched on; some of which are about your meanings of words. And no man will doubt, but that you were resolved (in such a Piece as yours) to detect the worst of mine. Herein you highly commend my Book, whose Reports of my travels into your so unknown a Land, shall be guilty of no greater mistakes. Yet those you pretend to be such gross ones, will be proved none at all.
You your self call the understanding of such who are unregenerate (in your sense) a ravening Comprehending P's Sp. of Tru. p. 23.Brain—fleshly Comprehensions. But who are your unregenerate persons? Verily all such as give not themselves up to the conduct of the Light within; or in your words, who do not come into the daily obedience of the Light, and there rest contented to know only as they experience. Now unless you can prove, that no man's understanding, except a Quakers or Enthusiasts, is sanctified, you intend their understandings to be fleshly understandings, which yet are really sanctified: For many have their understandings sanctified, who are neither Quakers nor Enthusiasts.
William Penn's Accusation. 4.
THat 1. Pennington should call visible Worship, Vindic: p. 50.as such, the City of Abomination. This is a down-right Forgery, and your praise of his proofs makes you Accessaries, look on it as you will.
John Faldo's Vindication.
LEt those worthy Divines look on it as they ought, and will; that is, compare your Accusation with the Book and page you quote, and they will find you the Forger, even in those words wherein you pretend me to be guilty of Forgery. If you can find the words Visible Worship, as such, among my words, I will never trust my eyes more. There are indeed those words in the next page, but they are your words which I cited out of your answer, and not mine. But if I were to make proof that you hold visible Worship (as such) to be an error, your admired George Fox would bring me off clear; for Fox. Myst… &c. p. 65.he saith, Paul brought the Saints off from the things that are seen, and Water is seen and its Baptism. Now if things that are seen, are not visible, I have fail'd; if they are, Fox saith, that Paul brought the Saints off from them, and by Consequence from Baptism by water.
Indeed such virulent fashoods, and confident slanders being made apparent, will very much praise the Book, but much more dispraise you. Look on it how you will, God and good men will abhor your doings.
William Penn's Accusation. 5.
THat by Traditions of men, we understand the Scriptures, or written Word; a base abuse of our …aker. Christ. …rt 3. p.words!
John Faldo's Vindication.
WHat I said, I will prove out of the Writings of W. Smith: Have you felt his Power (saith he) to take away your sin? If yea, then why do you …orning-…atch, p. …teach for Doctrines mens Traditions? and build upon other mens Labours, and stretch your selves beyond your own Measures, running into the Lines of what others have written?
Although all that are acquainted with the Quakers phrasifying, will no more question the words Traditions of men, in this place, to be understood of the Writings of the Pen-men of the Scripture, than that two and two make four: Yet I shall give farther evidence of it, out of your own words; viz. Whereas J. F. runs back two or three thousand years … 's Re…ynder to …aldo, p. …65.a pilferring for his Hackney Sermons, out of them [the Prophets words] which are so well known to be other mens lines and labours. Smith explains mens Traditions, by other mens Labours, and Lines, and Writings: And you tell us, that the Prophets words (and a little after the Bible) are other mens Lines, and Labours. But if we consider this passage of mens Traditions, &c. to be out of the same Book and Author, from whom I quoted such contemptuous passages against the written Word upon my Second Vindication a little before, there will be no room left for doubting to the Intelligent, though they are unlearned in the Quakers double Tongue.
William Penn's Accusation. 6.
THat the Quakers mean by the Veil that is over Quaker. Chr. p. 8…people, their belief of the man Christ Jesus, born of the Virgin Mary, to be now existing in Heaven. An Impiety of his own inventing, and your approving!