The answer to William Penn Quaker, his book, entituled, The new witnesses proved old hereticks Wherein he is proved to be an ignotant [sic] spater-brain'd Quaker, who knows no more what the true God is, nor his secret decrees, then one of his coach-horses doth, nor so much; for the oxe knoweth his owner, and the ass his masters scrip, but Penn doth not know his maker, as is manifest by the Scriptures, which may inform the reader, if he mind the interpretation of Scripture in the discourse following. I. That God was in the forme, image and likeness of mans bodily shape, as well as his soul from eternity. ... VIII. What is meant by the armour of God, the wilderness, and the wilde beasts I fought with in the wilderness. / By Lodowick Muggleton.

CHAP. IV. (Book 4)

3. PEnns third Proof of Scripture, Psal. 40.12. Who hath measu ed the waters in the hollow of his hand, and meted out the heaven with his span▪ and comprehended the dust of the earth in a measu••e, and weighed the mountains in scales, and the hills in a b••lance.

Penns words to this; He that cannot measure the waters in the hollow of his hand, and mete out the heaven with his span, and com∣prehend the dust of the earth in a measure, and weigh the mountains in scales, and the hills in a balance, is not the true God: But a God of mans stature can never do that, therefore the true God is not such a one, neither can such a one be the true God.

Answer. Penn thinks he hath drawn a strong Argument from this Scripture, to prove, that God is not in the form of a man, nor of the stature of a man. This is right Antichristian-Quaker-like, which will give no m••anings nor interpretation of Sc••ip∣ture: for an Interpreter must give meanings of words, else how shall men understand one anothers meanings. We see here in this world how necessary an Interpreter is where a man comes in a strange land, that the people of that land may know his meaning, and what he would have them to do for him. So likewise a l those people that are travelling to Heaven, seeking eternal life by searching the Scriptures, for in them people think to find eternal life; there is great need of an Interpreter to give them the meanings of the Scriptures, else they will be in the same condition as the Eunuch was in his Charet: The place of Scripture he read was this; He was lead as a sheep to the slaughter, and like a lamb dumb before the shearer, so opened he not his mouth, Acts 8.32. So Philip ran to the Charet, and said

unto the Eunuch, Ʋnderstandest thou what thou readest? and he said, How can I except some man should guide me. That is, except some man interpret the Prophets words, and give me the mean∣ing whether the Prophet meant himself, or some other; how should he understand Scriptures except some man do interpret them, and give meanings to them. But Penn hath given no in∣terp••etation nor meanings of any of those Scriptures he hath alledg••d against God being in the form of man; and if I should do as he doth, give no meanings nor interpretation of Scrip∣tures, what would my writings signifie; the Professors of the Scriptures would not be so offended at me as they are, for I could alledg seven places of Scripture to one of them Penn doth quote, that doth contradict those places he doth alledg, to prove his assertions he draweth from those Texts; but he gives no meaning nor interpretation, which is the cause they are so un∣profitable to all people, which doth neither offend the minds of people that are not of their belief, nor comfort those that do believe them, as experience hath shewed abundantly, as many can witness. But I know the gift of Interpretation and mean∣ings of Scripture words are profitable to all other men but to blind Anti-Christian Quakers, I know it is of no profit to them; therefore I do not interpret Scriptures, and give meanings for their sakes, but for those who shall come to understand interpre∣tation and meanings of Scripture words, therefore I shall inter∣pret the meaning of those words of the Prophet Isaiah as fol∣loweth.

Let the Reader mind, that the Prophet in the Chapter before did prophesie to Hezekiah King of Judah, That Jerusalem should be destroyed, and carried captive unto Babylon. And in this 40th Chapter he prophesieth of their deliverance out of captivity again. Also he prophesieth in this Chapter of John Baptist, and of the preaching of Christ by the Apostle••. But the Jews not understand∣ing the Scriptures, thought these Prophesies i••••redible, because they thought the time long before t••ese things would ••ome to pass. So that the Prophet doth persw••••e them to be comforted, and to trust in Gods omnipotent Po••er, even Judah's God. There∣fore say unto the cities of Judah, behold your God▪ he sh••ll feed his flock like a shepheard, he shall gather the lambs wit•• ••is ar••s, ••••d carry them in his bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young.

This Prophecy was fulfilled when Christ began to Preach, and John Baptist began to baptise the Children of Judah and Israel, at Jordan near Jerusalem, where the Sadduces and Pha∣risees, that generation of Vipers, came to John's Baptism. Like∣wise the Prophet Isaiah in his Prophecy incourageth every man that believeth in the God of Israel, the mighty God of Jacob, to put their trust in him, and in no other God whatsoever, be∣cause no other God is so Omnipotent and Powerful as the God of Israel; who by his Wisdom, Power, and Knowledg, mea∣sureth the waters in the hollow of his hand, and meted out heaven with the span, and comprehended the dust of the earth in a measure, and weighed the mountains in scales, and the hills in a balance. Now if this Scripture must have no interpretation nor meaning given of it, What gross absurdities will follow, viz. that the very palm or hollow of Gods hand is so big that it doth hold the great Seas, and great Rivers of waters in the hollow of his hand. By this Rule a man may inferr, that Gods hand is the Vessel or foundation to bear up the waters of the Sea; which indeed is nothing but the very Earth under the Waters, which Penn calls the hollow of Gods hand. Likewise Penn doth imagine, that Gods hand is so big that he can span from one end of Heaven to the other, and that Gods Comprehension and Understanding is so big and large a measure to hold all the dust of the earth in it, and that God is so big, even as a pair of Scales or Balance in which he hath weighed the great Mountains and the Hills in.