The Great Mysteries of Godliness and Ungodliness, Text 2 – Title page 3
To all the Churches oſ God, ſanctified in Chriſt Jeſus, called to be Saints, with all that in every place profeſſe the Name of Jeſus Chriſt our Lord, both theirs and ours.
Beloved Brethren,
HAving theſe many years through the grace and free-mercy of our God, been kept in the profeſſion of the Name of Chriſt, contained in the holy Scriptures of the Prophets and Apoſtles, and findding the exceeding benefit and comfort of walking with God, in ſome meaſure ſuitable to what he hath made known unto us, and well knowing that we are called to live in the laſt ages of the world, wherein iniquity abounds, and the love of many waxeth cold; as likewiſe conſidering thoſe peculiar times ſpoken of in 2 Tim. 3. 1. &c. are come upon us, wherein men who ſometimes have made a large profeſſion of God and godlineſs, are turned aſide to commit all manner of uncleanneſs with greedines, having turned the grace of our Lord Jeſus into laſciviouſneſs, calling darkneſs light, and light darkneſs, by meanes of whom the way of truth is evill ſpoken of, and many poor ſouls through temptations, ready to quit their profeſſions, and to be taken with their ſnares: We thought it our duty to declare our utter diſlike, abhorring and deteſtation of all ſuch evill perſons and wayes, who ſhall under pretence whatſoever plead for, or practiſe any way of ungodlineſſe.
And having been through the goodneſs of our God, inabled to diſcern the ſecret and ſubtill deſigns and ſnares of Satan, which he hath laid to entrap poor ſouls in, by carrying them from ſtep to ſtep, untill they have bin wholly captivated in his ſnares, and fitted by him to do him ſervice.
We could doe no leſſe, then according to that meaſure of light we have received from the Lord, to diſcover his wiles and ſtratagems, and to caution all that profeſſe the feare of the Lord, to watch over their own hearts and ways, and to take heed leſt they fall into the ſame condemnation.
For this we have found, that that way which God in his infinite wiſedome taketh to bring ſouls unto himſelf by, viz. the preſenting unto men his great love, in giving Jeſus Chriſt to ſuffer death, and his great ſalvation to all that believe in his name; Satan that old ſerpent, through his inſtruments, under the ſpecious pretences of beating men off from all falſe reſts, endeavours with all his ſtrength to oppoſe and make void, perſwading the ſonnes and daughters of men, that what is declared concerning the death of Chriſt at Jeruſalem, and his bearing our iniquities in his own body upon the Croſſe, is but a meer Hiſtory and ſhadow, the Scriptures are but a letter, and the Ordinances of God but fleſhly forms, thereby labouring to beget in the peoples mindes a contempt and ſleight eſteem of Chriſt, his Word and Ordinances; and that he might cheat them to purpoſe, tells them of a God within, and a Chriſt within, and a Word within, and that God and Chriſt, and they are one, without any true diſtinct knowledge of the true meaning of that which is expreſſed, whereby poor ſouls with great and ſwelling words of vanity, triumph in a great myſterie of meer nothing but emptineſs and confuſion, ſpeaking things whereof they know not, and many poor ſouls knowing ſuch expreſſions to be Scripture phraſes, do greedily embrace them, without a true, diſtinct, and clear underſtanding the ſenſe of what is ſpoken, having the perſons of thoſe who ſpeak ſuch language in great admiration, as the chief, tender, charitable, knowing, high and ſpiritual Chriſtians: Whereas indeed although the words ſpoken by them, are many of them true in themſelves, (without which Satan could not ſo effectually deceive) as that God, and Chriſt, and the Spirit dwell in us, and that God, and Chriſt, and the Saints are one: Yet are we to underſtand this union to be onelyonly in a way of relation, through participation of the ſame Spirit, and this dwelling to be onelyonly in reſpect of grace, and powerful operation and influence, working in the hearts of believers, according to the tenor of the New Covenant, in making men holy and humble, purifying their hearts, cauſing them to walk in all good conſcience towards God and man; all which by them is trampled under foot, and another kind of union, and indwelling, driving at in their diſcourſes, which although covertly expreſſed, until by craft and ſubtilty, they have prepared the hearts of ſimple and unſtable ſouls, to receive whatſoever they ſhall ſuggeſt unto them, yet then is openly diſcovered, being indeed the root of all bitterneſſe and deſperate prophaneneſſe and blaſphemy, that can be imagined in the world; for from thence they conclude, that themſelves are God, and Chriſt, and what God is, they are; and what they are, God is; for ſay they, there is no ſpirit but one, and ſo deny any created Angel or Spirit, holding upon the ſame account the living ſoul in man to be uncreated, and ſo conſequently to be God himſelf, and not created by God. Now this being the ground-work of their deluſion, the building is anſwerable.
For firſt, concluding the reaſonable ſoul to be God.
Secondly, they affirm that this ſoul being cloathed with their humane bodies, or fleſh, is Chriſt, or God in fleſh; hereupon they imagine that Jeſus Chriſt ſpoken of in the Goſpel, as being born of the Virgin Mary, accuſed by the Jews, delivered by Pilate to be crucified, dying at Ieruſalem upon the Croſſe, riſing the third day, and aſcending into Heaven, is only to be underſtood Parabolically or Figuratively, ſpeaking of one thing and intending another, pointing at and prefiguring a work only within us, conceiving the Virgin Mary, the Iewes, Pilate, Ieruſalem, the Croſſe, Chriſt riſing and aſcending, ſpoken of in the Scriptures, to be all within them, and no ſuch thing ſubſtantially or in truth without.
As they conclude all things ſpoken of Chriſt, to be but in a Typical or Figurative manner, intending and typifying out this God within, or God incarnate in their fleſh, ſtill meaning their reaſonable ſouls, conceiving this to be the ſubſtance of all thoſe ſhadows; ſo alſo upon this ground, they are forced to conclude the whole New Teſtament, with all the Doctrines, Laws, Rules, and Adminiſtrations of the ſame, to be but a ſhadow or figure, holding forth a ſubſtance within. As for inſtance, Moſes and Aaron being but figures of the ſubſtantial Saviour, and Prieſt to come; ſo the adminiſtrations of Moſes as Moſaical, were but fleſhly and carnal adminiſtrations to be aboliſhed when the ſubſtance was come, they being only ſhadows of good things to come; in like manner do they underſtand Chriſt in his Perſon, to be but a ſhadow of Chriſt within, and all his heavenly and ſpiritual Goſpel to be but a letter and carnal Hiſtory, put to an end and aboliſhed, when they once come to apprehend that the ſubſtance of all is within, they coming alſo to believe that the ſoul is God, do thence infer that they are perfect, and that they are in an happy eſtate as can be; for this they urge, 1 Cor. 15. 24. to the 28 verſe, to ſhew when the Kingdome is delivered up to the Father, and then Chriſt ceaſeth his Mediatorſhip, and conſequently all his New Teſtament ceaſeth: Now they conclude, that all this is accompliſhed, when they come to diſcern there is but one Spirit, and their ſoul, that Spirit which is God, and then they are in the poſſeſſion of all things.
And ſeeing that the Scripture declares, that before our full poſſeſſion of God and glory, there muſt be a temporal death, and reſurrection of the body, and eternal judgment, they upon the former grounds judging themſelves already glorified, do underſtand this death of the body in all ſuch Scriptures myſtically, and that the reſurrection and eternal judgement are paſſed already in the ſoul, as Hymeneus and Philetus did, 2 Tim. 2. 18. compared with▪ 1 Tim. 1. 19. Thence alſo they conclude, that faith and juſtification by Chriſt, together with all the Ordinances of Chriſt, are aboliſhed as fleſhly forms, like unto Chriſt that appointed them; above and without all which, they triumphantly (in their own fancies) live when they once have attained this ſupereminent life (as they ſp…ak) as being in the full fruition of God, comprehending that infinite being, (which they blaſphemouſly affirm themſelves to do) intruding themſelves into things they are altogether ignorant of. Hereupon it is, that they, as Peter ſaith, ſcoffe at any ſecond coming of Chriſt, 2 Pet. 3. 3, 4. and mock at the holy Scriptures, thoſe heavenly Oracles of God, denying them to be the Word of God, or that Law by which they ought to confirm their lives▪ conceiving and uttering that there is no Law nor Rule, but what is in man, his light being his only Law, that is to ſay, whatever that ſpirit that dwelleth within (which they call God within) dictates to them, that ought to be done by them, ſtrengthning themſelves with this opinion, that there is no ſin, but what contradicts a mans own light (which is a mans only Law) and ſinne is onelyonly ſin to him that thinks it ſo, and that there is no Hell, but that torment that men ſuſtain through croſſing their own light, which God knows is nothing but thick darkneſſe.
And then they proceed to diſcover the wretched effect of this damnable doctrine, in the unclean lives and converſations of the followers of them, which (by the practiſes ſpoken againſt) I apprehend to be intended againſt the Ranters (that abominable crew of Religious Villains) pardon the expreſſion. And I confeſſe theſe practiſes are the moſt natural iſſue of thoſe opinions, and doe moſt freely flow from them, eſpecially from the tail or hinder part on't. But when I had read ſome of the Quakers papers, I found them building upon the ſame foundation, and making uſe of the ſame principles and materials. And I could not but obſerve the artifice and skill of Satan, like a cunning workman, employing the ſame ſtuffe to ſeveral (outwardly ſeeming) ends, and purpoſes, but in the effect and iſſue the ſame, viz. deſtruction, which is his proper work and buſines (for the Ranters make uſe of them) to boulſter up themſelves in all manner of luſts and ſenſuality, without ſcruple of conſcience: And the Quakers improve them, to ſeeming holineſſe and mortification, to ſecure themſelves in a proud humility, (which not repented of) caſts down to Hell as readily as the former.
And here, Reader, let's make a ſtand awhile, and conſider; what ſaiſt thou, Is not here a myſterie of iniquity? Is not here the head of the Serpent, that old Serpent, that deceived our firſt Parents in Paradiſe, to the fall, and (what in him lay) utter ruine of all mankind? And is not this the tail of that great red Dragon, that draws and caſts down a third part of the ſtarres of Heaven to the Earth? Nay, is not this both head and tail, and body, and all, of that arch-enemy of Gods glory, and mans everlaſting ſalvation? Is not here a deadly blow given to the whole new Creation, head and members, Chriſt and his whole body? Nay, is not here proud Luciferian violence, and attempt made againſt the moſt high and glorious Majeſty of God himſelf? The truth is, Reader, Here is an Axe laid to the root of all Religion, Chriſtian and other, but eſpecially Chriſtian. Here's God, and Chriſt, and all his Ordinances, and holy Inſtitutions, laid level and over-turned. Conſider it a little, I ſhall obſerve it to thee, under theſe three heads. They offer violence to God himſelf, as God. Secondly, to Jeſus Chriſt. And thirdly, to all his Ordinances and Inſtitutions.
Firſt, They offer violence to God himſelf, as he is God. For whereas the Scriptures affirm, that God is not man, nor does or acts as man; which even the witch Balaam did acknowledge, Numb. 23. 19. And the Lord himſelf asks, Iſa. 40. 18. To whom will ye liken God? or what likeneſſe will you compare him to? having in the former verſe ſaid, that all Nations before him (or compared to him) are as nothing; and that they are counted to him leſſe then nothing and vanity: And whereas he ſays, Iſa. 42. 8. that he will not give his glory to any other, much leſſe his Eſſence (which indeed to be impoſſible, may be evinced by many arguments:) And to thoſe that know (or rather being no… able to know fully) do admire and adore that incomprehenſible Majeſty, it is not needful: Now theſe bold wretches, worms of Earth, Nay, in this Devils, and fiends of Hell, (for this was Satans ſin, to be like God) they affirm, themſelves are God, and what they are, God is, and what God is, they are, and that they are equall with God, and one with him in nature. And this they ſpeak in reſpect of their ſouls and ſpirits, upon this ground, ſc. That there is but one ſpirit. If this be not Devilliſh and Sataniſme, what is? Nay, is it not worſe and more horrid pride then that of Lucifer? for he did but ſay in his heart, I will aſcend into Heaven, I will exalt my ſelf above the ſtarres of God, I will aſcend above the heights of the Clouds, I will be like the moſt high. But this will not be onelyonly like, but the ſame with the moſt high God. I undertake not the confutation, and I ſuppoſe I need not, and I hope you look upon it with abomination, and deteſtation of ſpirit; Thus they offer violence to the Majeſty of God himſelf, of whom we are not to think, but with reverence and holy fear.
Secondly, they offer violence to Ieſus Chriſt, God over all bleſſed for ever, they make him, who was and is the great deſign of the Fathers glory, by whom he made the world, and through whom he redeemed mankind (as is ſet forth in the myſterie of Godlineſs) but a meere fancy, but a manifestation for a time, a Chriſt without us, and but a type of them who are Chriſt. For Chriſt is God and Man, and their ſouls (or ſpirits) are God, and their bodies are fleſh, and theſe two together is Chriſt incarnate, Chriſt in them, who are the ſubſtance, or chief thing typified and intended. And therefore when the ſubſtance comes and is, and appears in them, then the ſhadow, the Jeruſalem, Chriſt (as if both cannot ſtand together) vaniſhes and ceaſes. Do n't ye tremble Chriſtians at this horrid blaſphemie, and are not theſe accurſed?
And then thirdly and laſtly, they offer violence (and this muſt neceſſarily follow) to all the Ordinances and holy Inſtitutions of Jeſus Chriſt, and the Goſpel. For it is fit, that as Jeſus Chriſt in his own perſon, is but a ſhadow of Chriſt within, and when this Chriſt appears, that muſt give place: So all the Ordinances and ways of worſhip outwardly are but types and ſhadows of the true and ſpiritual worſhip within, (as if they neither could ſtand together) muſt ceaſe when that outward Chriſt ceaſeth.
For as Moſes and Aaron, and all their ſacrifices, were but types of that Chriſt, and ceas'd (Prieſts, and Miniſters, and Services, and all their Ceremonial Ordinances) when that Chriſt appeared, and died at Ieruſalem: So that Chriſt, and all his Inſtitutions, are types of this ſpiritual Chriſt; and when this Chriſt appears, that Ieruſalem Chriſt, and all his Miniſters, and Adminiſtrations ceaſe, and are no longer uſeful to theſe Chriſts and Gods incarnate.
Now beloved Reader, if thou be a Chriſtian, what ſaiſt thou, Is not here a Myſterie of ungodlineſſe to the purpoſe? where was it hatcht think'ſt thou? could any leſſe then all the Devils in Hell, keep a Conventicle to contrive and plot this black and Helliſh treaſon againſt the Majeſty of God, and Chriſt, and the Goſpel.
Oh ye Chriſtian Magiſtrates, who rule for Chriſt, (or ſhould do) and to whom you ſhall one day give account of your Government, how ye have ruled for him, and how tender ye are of his honour. Where is your zeal become for Chriſt and his glory, and his Goſpel? Had you but ſo much zeal and honeſty as a Jewiſh Magiſtrate, you would tear your cloaths off at theſe blaſphemies of theſe wretched ſouls, that make themſelves equal with the almighty God, and make level with themſelves, (nay below themſelves) Jeſus Chriſt and the Goſpel, He and his Ordinances being but Types and Shadows, and they the ſubſtance.
Sir, honoured Sirs, though God and Chriſt looks not that you ſhould tear off your clothes (and who can ſcarce forbear to manifeſt this indignation againſt theſe blaſphemies; certainly they expect that you manifeſt it, by ſuppreſſing and ſtopping the mouthes and pens of the blaſphemers. Good Sirs, if theſe wretched ſouls have ſuch helliſh liberty of conſcience, to think thus; let them not (upon pretence of liberty of conſcience) be ſo audaciouſly blaſphemous to write and ſpeak thus.
And O ye Servants of the Lord, my Fathers and Brethren in the Miniſtry of our dear and ever-bleſſed Jeſus; you that are the Paſtors of the Lords flock, and the Watchmen for the ſheep of his paſture, lift up your voyce and ſpare not (neither your ſelves nor others) cry aloud to all your Congregations, and fore-warn them that they be not a prey to Satans devices; let the Wolves know, that you are not dumb dogs, & cannot bark, & idol-ſhepheards that can neither hear nor ſee, nor underſtand any thing, and that at a time of need can ſay nothing. Certainly, certainly, ſuch as theſe may ill look for their gain from their quarters, they deſerve it not: who, ſo they may be fed, care not (nor care to diſcover) what devouring beaſts come to deſtroy the flock of Chriſt. But you my dear ones, who are ſet over the Lords folds, and who watch for their ſouls, as thoſe that muſt give an account, and that have a deſire to do it with joy, and for the profit of your people; read and practiſe what Saint Paul gives in charge to the Paſtors of the Church at Epheſus: aActs 20. 28, 29, 30, 31▪and let me give thee it here, in his owne words what hee gave forth to his Sonne Timothy, and then I ſhall proceed to out buſineſſe intended. I charge thee before God and the Lord Jeſus Chriſt, who ſhall judge the quick and dead at his appearing and his Kingdome, preach the Word (not immediate revelations) be inſtant, in ſeaſon, out of ſeaſon, reprove, rebuke, exhort with all long-ſuffering and Doctrine: for the time will come (and it is now) when they ſhall not endure ſound Doctrine, but after their own luſts, ſhall they heap to themſelves teachers, having itching ears, and they ſhall turn away their ears from the truth, and ſhall be turned unto fables (immediate revelations, contrary to, and divers from the Word, which he was to Preach) but watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an Evangeliſt, (or a Goſpel-Preacher) make full proof of thy Miniſtry.
And now having thus diſcovered to thee the head, body, and tail of this myſterie of ungodlineſſe, I ſhall lay the ſame part by part, member by member, and limb by limb, upon the Quakers; and make them (as the image of the firſt Beaſt) appear acting in and by the ſame power; I …peak in their own Dialect.
And to this purpoſe, I ſhall give you in two papers of the Quakers own publiſhing, which I cauſed herewith to be Printed; which I rather do, becauſe their Books do moſtly come to the hands of their own parties, and are not therefore ſo common to all, eſpecially theſe two, which I have taken moſt notice of, and would have well conſidered, that you may know theſe men and their ſpirit, when it ſhall be tried; For we will try their ſpirits, whether they will or no; And by the written word, even in the letter, which (for all their ſleightings of it) hath light enough to diſcover their darkneſſe and hypocriſie, and by it we will judge them, and they ſhall be judged; and if they repent not, (for all their pretenſions to perfection) they ſhall be condemned; for God and his Word, (his written Word) ſhall be true, when all oppoſers ſhall be found liars.
Poſſibly other of their Books are as baſe as theſe, for the truth is, I have not read many of them (as not thinking it worth the while) but one of theſe the largeſt, I took more notice of, becauſe penn'd or publiſhed in the name of two of thoſe that were here in this City, and did ſeduce the people. Theſe two which my ſelf with others of my brethren in the Miniſtry, had conference with, before the Maior and Aldermen, of which conference I hear they bray highly to their diſciples. But I find it obſerved by others, that have had to doe with theſe kind of men, that 'tis their uſual practiſe; and as holy and perfect as they ſeem to be, they can brag and lie abominably; ſay and unſay, affirm and deny, even preſently, as ſome of good credit can witneſſe. And as for that Conference, I leave it to be judged and cenſured by moſt that were preſent, and ſhall proceed to the thing intended.
But before I preſent theſe papers to thee, let me intreat thee take ſome directions, for thy more profitable reading of them.
Firſt, conſider whether the Queries oppoſed to theſe Quakers, be not of higheſt concernment in Religion; and ſo whether they deſerve not a ſober and ſerious anſwer.
Secondly, obſerve whether they be anſwered to at all, any of them, yea or no.
Thirdly, do but take notice, how in ſtead of anſwering, they doe evade and avoid anſwering; not ſo much as in ſhew doing it.
Fourthly, do but take notice of the ſpirit of the men, whether they ſpeak from the Spirit of the holy God; when in ſtead of giving a ſober and ſolid anſwer, they rail upon and revile the Queriſt with helliſh and opprobrious ſpeech.
Laſtly, do but obſerve their Heretical opinions; which for thy better and more ready obſervation, I have directed to be Printed in a differing character.
ANSWERS TO SEVERAL QVERIES Put forth to the deſpiſed People called QƲAKERS.
By Philip Bennett, who calls himſelf a Miniſter of Chriſt, but is found to be a Deceiver. Anſwered by them to whom they were directed.
ALSO ANSWERS To ſeveral other ſubtil QUERIES, &c.
Anſwered by Edward Burrough, and Francis Howgil, who are Witneſſes unto the Truth againſt this ſubtil ſerpent-like generation.
LONDON, Printed for Giles Calvert, at the black ſpread-Eagle, at the Weſt end of Pauls. 1654.