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THE Quakers and Socinians ac∣knowledge a Three, but de∣ny a Trinity; which is to confess the same thing in English, and to deny it Latine: For Trinitas is only Latine for the Three. But the mean∣ing is, they wou'd not have the Three in Heaven to be three Persons. Tho' they cannot tell what Three
they are, if they be not three Per∣sons.
And the Quakers who own the Divinity of Christ, are under greater difficulties than the Socinians, who deny the Divinity of Christ. For if Christ be God, and that there is but one Person in the God-head, it must necessarily follow that God the Father was Incarnate and Dy'd. And that Christ was his own Father, to whom he pray'd upon the Cross. And too many the like Absurdi∣ties, which are avoided by those Socinians, who do not acknow∣ledge Christ to be God. Tho' o∣thers of them do own the Divini∣ty of Christ; but with such di∣stinctions and salvo's, as I am afraid are at the bottom of the Quaker Pretences.
G. Fox opposes Chr. Wade for saying, That the Holy Ghost was a Person, and that there was a Trini∣ty of Three Persons before Christ was born. It seems, by this, they do not acknowledge that there were Three in Heaven before Christ was born. And if so, then the Quaker Three in Heaven must be Creatures. The Scriptures (says G. Fox Ibid. to Chr. Wade) do not tell the People of a Trinity nor three Per∣sons; but the Common-Prayer—Mass-Book, speaks of three Persons, brought in by the Father the Pope; and the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit was al∣ways One. He means one Person. As Muggleton does, who says That the God-head was Incarnate and that there was no God while
Christ was upon the Earth: But that Elijah was Deputed by God, upon his Divesting himself of his God-head, to Govern as God. That Christ knew no more of himself, nor what he was, than Elijah pleas'd to let him know: That Elijah was the Father, to whom Christ Pray'd upon the Cross: That Elijah rais'd God from the Dead, carry'd him to Heaven, restor'd him to his Throne; and then he was God again. All this I have had from Muggleton's own Mouth, as well as from his Writings,
It terrifies my very Soul while I repeat such Dreadful and Senseless Blasphemy! And I wou'd not have done it, but to shew to what unimaginable Excesses Enthusi∣••sm may drive Men; and that all
shou'd beware of that desperate Shelve, upon which both our Church and State have suffered miserable Shipwreck: That we may once again (if it be the will of God) learn some Sobriety of Religion, and Modesty in our own Conceits, to di∣stinguish Fancy from Revelation, and not to think our selves Wise•• than all the World beside.
How far the Quakers differ from Muggleton, in what is here told (ex∣cepting the Deputyship of Elijah) will appear by their allowing no distinction betwixt the Father and the Son. Christ is not distinct from the Father, says G. Fox. They (the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost) are not distinct— and you Priests are not fit to judge in such things as they are; they
are too weighty and too heavy for you. This was because these Priests (as he calls them) had said, That the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, were Distinct; which Fox thus violently opposes. I hope Mr. Penn's for∣mer Excuse will not serve here too, that this must go off upon the ac∣count of G. Fox's Ignorance, and that by Distinct he did not mean Distinct, but may be (as an Inge∣nious Stickler may pretend for him) that he thought Distinct meant Separated (for there is no∣thing that can be said, for which something may not be alledg'd) but sure G. F. if he were alive, wou'd give little thanks to any who shou'd vilifie his Understand∣ing: for George here exalts his own Understanding, and reproa∣ches
that of the Priests, who, he says, were not fit to judge of such Great and Weighty things; And now for any Quaker to say that it was George himself who was not fit, wou'd be a severe Reproof, and look like playing Booty.
But secondly, these Priests of G. Fox's did not hold or alledge any Separation, but only a Distincti∣on between the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. And if you will sup∣pose G. F. so incapable as not to know any difference betwixt these two, he was a very sorrowful Beginner of a Religion; and cou'd neither be Separated nor Distinguish'd from a Tool that Knaves do work with, call'd a F—. He licks up, or stumbles upon old exploded He∣resies, and vents them for Immedi∣ate
Revelations. He falls in here with the Patripassians, so call'd, because they held that it was God the Fa∣ther who was Incarnate and Suffer'd. Which G. Fox asserts (ut supra, p. 246.) where he Disputes against Chr. Wade for saying, That God the Father never took upon him Human Nature. Which (says George) is con∣trary to the Scripture. And says, That Christ was call'd, The ever∣lasting Father. And, in his usual Stile, accuses Chr. Wade for his Ig∣norance in this Mystery, which G. Fox thought none understood but himself and Partners. Of which you will see yet greater proof in what follows.
Great Mystery, p 246.
Great Mystery, p. 142.293.