Confutation of the Quakers, Section 4
SECT. IV. The Quakers hold they are equal with God, and that the ſoul is one being with God.
THere is nothing may more plainly evidence to the weakeſt and moſt ignorant that this wicked Sect is of the Devil the Prince of darkneſſe, what ever they boaſt of the light of Chriſt, then this wicked Tenet, that they dare maintain equality with God, and the ſoul to be one being with God, or a part of God, as the Manichees of old, and Familiſts have done; This doctrine the Devil ſought to inſtil into our firſt parents at the beginning, ye ſhall be as Gods, knowing good and evil, Gen 3.5. What Chriſtian ſpirit that apprehends the infinite Majeſty and holineſſe of God, and its own baſeneſſe and vileſſe, but will abhor the very mention of this opinion? yet is this maintained and defended by this generation of men.
In their book called, Sauls errand to Damaſcus, is mention made that it was atteſted at a quarter Seſſions at Lancaſter, that ſome of them affirmed themſelves to be equal with God, and that afterwards the ſame thing was acknowledged before many witneſſe; nor do they deny this publick evidence was given againſt them, though they would ſhuffle about it, while they covertly plead for the ſame thing, p. 2, 5, 6. 10. Hubberthorn in his book againſt Sherlock, p. 30. doth moſt ignorantly and blaſphemouſly alledge that place for this, Phil. 2.5, 6. Let this minde be in you which alſo was in Chriſt, who being in the forme of God, thought it no robery to be equal with God; where the Reader may ſee how he imitates Satan in corrupting the Scriptures, both by leaving out the following words; which muſt neceſſarily be known before the minde of the Apoſtle be underſtood, viz. but made himſelf of no reputation, took on him the forme of a ſervant, humbled himſelf, &c. the ſentence is not compleat without taking in theſe words, and alſo perverting the ſcope and drift of the Apoſtle in that place, who is preſſing humility, ver. 3. and urging it from Chriſts example, who though equal with God, yet humbled himſelf; it is far of from the Apoſtles mind there to perſwade us to beleeve we are equal with God, he is preſſing humility; they that deſire to ſee fuller evidence for their holding equality with God may ſee Sword drawn, p. 3 and alſo the many teſtimonies which the Miniſters of New-caſtle bring for it in their firſt book, p. 3, 4.
That they hold the ſoule to be one being with God, or a part of God. See alſo teſtimony for it in the book laſt cited, p. 6. and Sword drawn, p. 3, 4. Hubberthorne in the book before named, p. 29. ſaith, there's no Scripture which ſpeaks of an humane ſoul; then it ſeems the ſoul or ſpirit in man which the Scripture ſpeaks ſo much of, muſt either be God himſelf or the Devil. One of them living in theſe parts, did in diſcourſe with my ſelf argue (as ſtrongly as he could) for the ſoul to be one being with God; and though he did afterward give me the lie, in the publick Aſſembly, for reporting it of him yet I have now eight ſeveral witneſſes of credit to prove the ſame thing, and manifeſt him to be the liar; beſides what arguments paſſed betwixt us which clearly evidenc he pleaded for it. Another of them argued with me, that the ſoul after its departure out of the body (which ſay they, rots in the grave and never riſes again) is taken up into God, and is one being with him, urging that Scripture for it, God ſhall be all in all.
For confutation of theſe things, I need not ſay much, they are ſo groſſe and horrible; Concerning the firſt, Equality with God; let but the Reader peruſe theſe Scriptures, Iſa. 40. v. 12, almoſt to the end of the chapter, where the Lord makes a challenge twice repeated, v. 18 25. To whom will ye liken me, or ſhall I be equal, ſaith the holy one? and in the other verſes ſets forth his Greatneſſe and Majeſty, he meaſured the waters in the hollow of his hand, and meateth out heaven with a ſpan, and comprehended the duſt of the earth in a meaſure, and weighed the mountains in a ballance, &c. The Nations are as the drop of a bucket to him, &c. All Nations are before him as nothing, yea, leſſe then nothing and vanity. He ſitteth upon the circle of the earth, and the inhabitants thereof are as graſſe-hoppers; He bringeth Princes to nothing, &c. See much more to the ſame purpoſe there. Read alſo Job 38.39.40. all the three chapters, and this opinion will be ſufficiently confuted: Oh what arrogance is this for poor wormes to make compariſon with the Infinite, Eternal, Almighty, Glorious God? But perhaps they will ſay they equal not ſelf, nor the fleſh unto God, that is to periſh; but the ſpirit or ſoul which is one being with, or a part of the divine eſſence (like ſome in theſe times which have made reaſon to be God) I ſhall ſpeak ſomething therefore for the confutation of this.
1. The Scriptures ſpeak of the ſoul or ſpirit of man to be a created thing made in time, Iſa. 57.16. Zach. 12.1. Pſal. 33.15. and can this be one being with the eternal uncreated God?
2. Many Scriptures ſpeak of the ſinfulneſſe of the ſoul, Micah 6.9. Lev. 4.2. Ezek. 18.20. James 4.5. 2 Cor. 7.1. and can a ſinful polluted creature be one being with the holy God?
3. Many Scriptures ſpeak of the deſtruction and death of the ſoul its periſhing in hell, Mar. 10.28. Mat. 16.26. Prov. 4 32. and can that ſoule that periſhes in hell be a part of the being of God?
4. The Scripture diſtinguiſhes betwixt Gods Spirit and ours, Rom. 8.16. 1 Cor. 3.11. Zach 11.8. and affirms that ſome have not the Spirit of God in them, Rom. 8.9) John 14.17. 1 Cor. 2.14 therefore if they have no humane ſoul in them, (as Hubberthorn teaches in ſaying, the Scriptures ſpeak not of an humane ſoul) they muſt have no ſoul at all, for they have not the Spirit of God in them, but enough for the confutation of this wretched doctrine.
It hath been objected to me by theſe people, pleading for this abominable Tenet, that Gen. 2.7. God is ſaid to breath into man the breath of life, and ſo man become a living ſoul, whence they would infer the ſoul to be a part of the being of God infuſed into man.
Anſw. The Scripture holds forth no more but this, that the ſoul was not created with the body of the earth (as the ſouls of beaſts were) and ſo to periſh with the body; but that it was created by God a ſpiritual ſubſtance and ſo infuſed into the body, it was of a more excellent and ſpiritual extract then the body was, and therefore the original of mans ſpirit is ſet forth otherwiſe, then the original of the ſouls of beaſts, it came indeed from God, but was not of the being of God, which is ſpiritual and indiviſible, this were to make men to be gods. This was the hereſie of the wicked Manichees, whom Auguſtine ſometimes confuted and vindicated this place which they had perverted.
Object. But they argue much from theſe Scriptures that ſpeak of the oneneſſe of beleevers with Chriſt, and Gods dwelling in them, and they in him; for this thing,
Anſw. I ſhall therefore for the benefit of the weak open the manner of Chriſts in-being or in-dwelling in beleevers, leſt they not underſtanding it, ſhould ſtumble at theſe Scriptures. This in-dwelling or in-being of Chriſt and oneneſſe with him is held forth in many Scriptures, John 6 56. Gal. 2.20. Col. 1.29. 2 Cor. 13.5, &c. John 17.21. now, how ſhould we underſtand this? what! God to dwell in his Saints, Chriſt to be and inhabit in beleevers, how can this be? the heaven of heavens cannot containe him, how much leſſe the ſtrait heart of man? Know,
Firſt, Negatively, you muſt not underſtand this in-being or in-dwelling of Chriſt to be either,
1. A corporeal inhabitation, as if the body of Chriſt or his humane nature dwelt in us, which was the groſſe conceit of the Capernaites, John 6. and is to this day the opinion of Papiſts and Ʋbiquitaries, who imagine Chriſts body to have the properties of the divine nature communicated to it, to be immenſe, and to be in many places at once, (and this muſt be the conceit of the Quakers if they hold any man Chriſt at all, for they deny any Man Chriſt but in us men) This is a groſſe miſtake, it overthrows the truth of Chriſts Man-hood; and the Scriptures expreſly ſay, The heavens muſt containe him; and this man Chriſt comes not till he deſcends to judge the world; beſides, the Scriptures teach that Chriſts being in us is ſpiritual, not bodily, Rom. 8.9, 10.
2. Nor is it an eſſential in-dwelling of the divine nature in Gods people, as if the very being of God were communicated to us and dwelt in us; though the Apoſtle Peter ſpeaks of the divine nature being communicated to the Saints, yet he expreſſes other where what he underſtands thereby, namely the divine graces and vertues of the Spirit. Indeed how can the being of God which is infinite and boundleſſe be in one place or perſon more then in another, though his graces may?
3. Nor is it a Perſonal in-being as the ſoul lives in the body, and is one ſubſiſtence with it, thus the fulneſſe of the God-head dwelt in Chriſt by perſonal or hypoſtatical union; but thus God is not in his Saints, then they ſhould be gods, as Chriſt was God, this is the blaſphemy of Familiſts, who ſay they are godded and chriſted.
Secondly, Affirmatively, Chriſt dwelleth and is in his Saints (according to the Scriptures) two ways;
1. By his ſpecial ſpiritual preſence, he is more eſpecially preſent with and in the hearts of his Saints then with others, by his gracious manifeſtations, by his ſweet influences, and by his wonderful operatitions upon their hearts, ſo God dwelt in the Temple formerly, and ſo he dwells in heaven now; in the Temple, God ſaid, This is my reſt, here I will dwell; he manifeſted himſelf to his people there, he heard their prayers, gave forth his oracles, there they had communion with God in his Ordinances, they ſaw his face in the Sanctuary, &c. and ſo now in heaven God is ſaid to dwell there, becauſe he manifeſts his glorious preſence there eſpecially, in that place the Saints ſhall have the viſion and fruition of God eternally. Thus in the ſame manner God dwells in his people now, by ſpecial ſpiritual preſence, he makes ſuch manifeſtations of himſelf to them as none beſides have, they ſee his face, know more of his minde, have more of his love-viſits then others have, John 14.21. Rev. 3.20. he refreſhes them with his flaggons of wine and his hidden Mannah, fills them with the comfort, peace, and joy of his Spirit: He vouchſafes to them ſuch divine influences of grace as others have not; ſuch quicknings and breathings of his Spirit, as fills their hearts with ſpiritual vigour and life, becauſe he lives they live alſo. And he doth ſuch mighty works in them as in none elſe, puts forth the ſame power that was put forth in raiſing Chriſt from the dead, to mortifie corruptions in them, to ſtrengthen them to beleeve, and to do the works of God, to frame them according to the image of God, &c. Eſay 26.12. Eph. 1.21
2. By myſtical union, and this is more then the former, one may have a dwelling in an houſe but no union with it; God dwelt in the Temple, but was not one with it; he dwells in the heavens, but hath no union with them; but he ſo dwells in beleevers, as he is one with them, 1 Cor. 6.16 1 Cor. 12.12. John 17.21. This oneneſſe is ſo near, that it excels all the unions upon earth, the Scripture uſes the compariſons of husband and wife, Eph. 5. of head and members. 1 Cor. 12. of ſoul and body, Gal. 2 20. of root and branches, John 15. to ſet it forth by; and yet all theſe be too ſhort, he addes the union betwixt the Father and Son (John 17.) to commend it further; yet muſt not be ſo preſumptuouſly wreſted, as to plead for an eſſential or perſonal union to make us gods All theſe compariſons are uſed in Scripture, not becauſe they ſuit in al things, but that we may by theſe ſee what a comfortable relation we ſtand in to God, and what bleſſings we may expect to be communicated to us by vertue thereof. If any expect I ſhould give ſome name to that union to expreſſe what it is further, I ſhall preſume to ſay no more but this, it is a great myſtery, and cannot be fully comprehended by the Saints here, till God wipe away this duſt of mortality from their eyes; Its ſafeſt to profeſſe here we know but in part; if any will profeſſe to know more in theſe Myſteries, let them firſt tell the nature of the union of their own ſouls and bodies, and how a ſpiritual and corporal ſubſtance ſhould be ſo knit together, to become one man? what is the bond of this union, and how effected? when they can explicate theſe inferiour things, its more likely we ſhould liſten to them in explaining theſe higher Myſteries about the union of Chriſt and beleevers.
By this time the Reader may ſee what pride and arrogance it is in theſe people to hold equality with God, and to make the ſoule a part of God, or one being with God: is not this greater pride then was in Adam, when he fell (and perhaps in the devils themſelves,) for he aſpired to be but as God, not to be God himſelfe or one being with as theſe men do? But enough of this abominable doctrine. And thus for the fourth generall Charge.