A winding-sheet for controversie ended

Sect. VII. Of the Scriptures pretendedly Perverted by G. F.

§. 1. AS these Scriptures about Fifty in number, most of them consisting in, them for him, with for among, in for within, &c. and G. F. have been irrefutably defended in my Spir. of Tr. Vind. from his utmost reflection, nor does he say any thing in his Controversie Ended, more Forceable, if any thing at all; so truly have we got * 1.1 thus far the Weather of him, that in Answering the Scriptures Socinianiz'd, and his Account of the Unitarians, alias Socinians Faith, he has fully declared himself Socinian; for he calleth it perverse Doctrine, to call God the Word, though if the Word be God, it is most reasonable: Also, that Christ should be named Father, though the Prophet stile him, the Mighty God, and everlasting Father; but we will be more perverse in his sense: he boldly affirms that he Glory Christ pray'd for, was a Glory in Decree, for which he quotes Grot. and Aug. they meant, with respect to Christ's Manhood, as having a rational Soul, like other Men; not that he, Christ, who took that Manhood, had not actual Glory before the World began, he who was before Abraham. In short, who ascended, first descended, and who was to be glorified, first humbled himself; which I prest, and aptly proved, but he meddl'd not with it, nor the main strength of my Book at all. Let it suffice, that his sense of these words, makes Christ more equi∣vocating, then he has represented any Quaker.

Pag. 45. §. 2. Of the word Humane, he is very cheary, and derides G. F's refusal of it; making us to deny Christ's Manhood, which never entred into our Hearts to do; vindicating J. New∣man's Book against us, and endeavouring to prove, that we deny the Flesh, Blood and Bones to be the Christ: quoting G. Whiteheads Book, call'd Christ Ascended; and J. Penington's Question to Professors &c. But does not this man walk self condemn'd, who himself believes no such thing, and equivocates about the word humane: for whilst the Independants and Anabaptist's understand a rational Soul in a Body of Flesh, Blood and Bones, H. Hedworth means, a rational Soul in a spiritual glorified Body, void of Flesh, Blood and Bones, which gives the Socinians such advantage over the Papist's about transubstan∣tiation; or else he varys from his Brethren. Is he not then detestably unjust, who would render the Quakers odious, for not believing that common Doctrine, which he himself by his principle rejects?

Pag. 62. §. 3. About Swearing he thinks he has caught me fast. G. F. sayes there is no∣thing

for I protest 1 Cor. 15. 31. and I say that 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 is used sometimes to express an Oath. O poor shift! is thy Game come so low? Yes, and it must come lower yet: But I say, there is nothing in that place respecting the Sense, for I protest; therefore G. F. said right.

§. 4. Again, he is Angry that I say, Oaths were made from a Dis-Trust of Honesty in the Takers, to give true Evidence without them; and answers, As if God had distrusted his own Honesty in Swear∣ing unto Christ, &c. But what is this to my Confutation? I say again, That God therefore Swore as Distrusting their Faith, and as being privy to their Weakness, that all Doubt might be removed out of their Minds. Oaths, therefore came through Weakness, not in God, but Men, which is removed by the Evangelical Righteousness, that says, SWEAR NOT AT ALL.

Pag. 65. §. 5. About Womens Speaking he tosses me off, for an Equivocator. Behold his Answer; this ends the Controversie in this Point.

§. 6. Of my Argument against Titles, he asks Questions, Why main't I do this, and that, and t'other? he may answer them if he please. Let him Enervate what I have * 1.2 said, and say something he has not said, If Contr. End. will permit, and I am for him. However, he will supply his want of Reason with Lyes gross enough, to prove we Receive and Give Divine Honor to Persons among us, That a Man should come many miles to see M. Fell, fall down on his Knees, his Hat in his Hand before her, making his Humble Address, and by the Compellation of My Dear Mother, and Beseecht her to Pray for him. It is either True or False; if True, he should have done the World Right in proving it, for fear it should be taken for a Lye in the Crowd of those which many Professors tell of us: and if False, Let the Heavens and the Earth, and his own Book bear wit∣ness against him in the Terrible Day of God. But we know of no such thing.

That John Stubs did so, calling M. Fell Everlasting Mother, is a Down-right Falshood; but being to go beyond the Seas, He, and she, with many more, fell down upon their Knees to Pray to Almighty God, that his Presence might accompany him. What an Infamous Construction has this Ishmaelite put upon a Most Holy Duty?

§. 7. What Judas soever H. Hedworth associates with, or holds in hand, that informs him a∣gainst us, I neither know, nor care: but let it not be Criminal, that I should say, Every Chaste Marriage or Coupling with Fear, as saith the Apostle Peter, is an Emblem of the Holy Covenant, and Marriage relation betwixt Christ and his Church. Shall that which Professors often illustrate Christ's Oneness with his People by, and think it no small Piece of Eloquence too, be reputed Pride or Blas∣phemy in G. Fox? O partial Man!

§. 8. But G. Fox absolves Men, they kneeling; and many in the Ministry were wont to pull off his Shoes aboard of Ship. Prove the first if thou canst: and for being assisted, if so it was, to help a Man of a gross Body, full of Aches, through many tedious, and uncomfortable Imprisonments, where he has seen no Fire in the couldest Seasons, but been wetted in his very Bed, and his Chamber a small kind of a Pond, with the like Severities, cannot be esteem'd Pride, much less receiving Divine Honour in the Judgment of any, but one as Malicious as H. Hedworth, bent implacably, to seek our Ruin, by all the Slanders he can collect from Men or Devils.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Pag. 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43.
• * 1.2

  Pag. 63, 64, 65