[Page 3] RELIGION, Although there can be nothing of greater concernment, nor which doth more essencially import the immortal happiness of men; yet such is the calamity of the Age, that there is not any thing they are less solicitous about, or serious in the prosecution of, vainly ima­gining it to consist in the impli­cite subscription and verbal con­fession of mens invented Traditi­ons and Precepts, whilst they neg­lect that more Orthodox definition of the Apostle James, (viz.) Pure Religion and undefiled before God is, Jam. 1. 27. to visit the Fatherless, and to keep himself unspotted from the World; and instead thereof, believe they are performing the best of Services, in sacrificing the Reputation, Li­berty, [Page 4] Estate, if not Life it self of others to their own tenatious con­ceptions; because perhaps though Persons of more vertue, they can­not in all punctillioes correspond therewith; how much I have been made an instance must needs be too notorious to any that hold the least intelligence with common fame, that scarce ever took more pains to make the Proverb good, by proving her self a Lyar, then in my concern; having been most egregiously slander'd, revil'd and defam'd by Pulpit, Press and Talk, tearming me a Blasphemer, Sedu­cer, Socinian, denying the Divinity of Christ the Saviour, and what not? And all this about my late Answer to a Disputation with some Presbyterians: but how unjustly; it is the business of this short Apo­logy to shew, which had not been thus long retorted, if an expecta­tion [Page 5] first to have been brought up­on my examination had not requi­red a suspence; and if I shall ac­quit my self from the injurious imputations of my Adversaries, I hope the cry will have an end; to which purpose, let but my innocen­cy have your hearing in her own defence, who as she never can de­tract from her intentions in what she really hath done; so will she as easily disprove her Enemies, in manifesting their Accusations to be fictitious: judge not before you read, neither believe any further then you see.

I. That which I am credibly in­form'd to be the greatest reason for my Imprisonment, and that noise of Bl [...]sphemy, which hath pierced so many Ears of late, is, my denying the Divinity of Christ, and divesting him of his Eternal Godhead, which most busily hath [Page 6] been suggested as well to those in Authority, as maliciously insinu­ated amongst the People; where­fore let me beseech you to be im­partial, and considerate in the peru­sal of my Vindication, which be­ing in the fear of the Almigh­ty God, and the simplicity of Scripture dialect presented to you, I hope my Innocency will appear beyond a scruple. The Proverbs which most agree, intend Christ the Saviour, speak in this manner; By me Kings reign, and Princes de­cree Prov. 8. 12, 15, 20, 23. justice; I (Wisdom) lead in the midst of the Paths of Judgment: I was set up from Everlasting; to which Paul's words allude, unto them which are called (we preach) 1 Cor. 1. 24. Christ the Power of God, and the Wis­dom of God; from whence I con­clude Christ the Saviour to be God; for otherwise God would not be him­self; since if Christ be distinct [Page 7] from God, and yet Gods Power and Wisdom, God would be without his own Power and Wisdom; but inasmuch as it is impossible Gods Power and Wisdom should be di­stinct or divided from himself, it reasonably follows, that Christ, who is that Power and Wisdom is not distinct from God, but intire­ly that very same God.

Next, the Prophets, David and Isaiah speak thus, The Lord is my Psal. 27. 1. Isa. 49. 6. and chap. 60. 20. Light and my Salvation; I will give thee for a Light unto the Gen­tiles; and speaking to the Church, for the Lord shall be thine Everlasting Light; to which the Evangelist adds, concerning Christ, That was the true Light which lighteth every Joh. 1. 9. 1 Joh. 1. 5. man that cometh into the World; God is Light, and in him is no darkness at all; from whence I as­sert the unity of God and Christ, because though nominally distin­guished, [Page 8] yet essentially the same Divine Light; for if Christ be that Light, and that Light be God, then is Christ God; or if God be that Light, and that Light be Christ, then is God Christ. Again, And the City had no need of the Sun, for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Rev. 21. 23. Lamb (Christ) is the Light thereof, by which the oneness of the na­ture of these Lights plainly ap­pears; for since God is not God without his own glory, and that his glory lightens, (which it could never do if it were not Light) and that the Lamb; or Christ is that very same Light, what can follow, but that Christ the Light, and God the Light are ONE pure and eternal Light?

Next, from the word Saviour its manifest, I even I am the Lord, Isa. 43. 11. and besides me there is no Saviour: And thou shalt know no God but me, Hos. 13. 4. [Page 9] for there is no Saviour besides Me. And Mary said, my spirit hath re­joyced Luke 1 47. in God my Saviour: And the Samaritans said unto the Woman, Now we know that this is indeed the Joh. 4. 42. Christ the Saviour of the World: according to his grace made manifest 2 Tim. 1. 9. 10. by the appearing of our Saviour Je­sus Christ. Simon Peter to them that have obtained like precious Faith 2 Pet 1. 1. with us, through the Righteousness of God, and our Saviour Jesus Christ. For therefore we suffer reproach be­cause we trust in the Living God, 1 Tim. 4. 10. the Saviour of all men: To the on­ly wise God our Saviour be glory, &c. Jud. v. 25. From which I conclude Christ to be God; for if none can save, or be stiled properly a Saviour but God, and yet that Christ is said to save, and properly called a Sa­viour, it must needs follow, that Christ the Saviour is God.

Lastly, In the beginning was Joh. 1. 1. 3. [Page 10] the ( [...]) Word, (which the Greeks sometimes understood for Wisdom and divine Reason) and the Word was with God, and the Word was God: all things were made by him, and without him was not any thing made that was made; for by him Col 1. 16, 17. were all things created that are in Heaven, and that are in Earth: He is before all things, and by him all Hebr. 1. 3. 10. things consist, upholding all things by the Word of his Power, &c. wherefore I am still confirmed in the belief of Christ the Saviours Divinity; for he that made all things, and by whom they consist and are upheld, because before all things; he was not made nor up­held by another, and consequent­ly is God: now that this [...] or Word that was made Flesh, or Christ Joh. 1, 24. the Light, Power and wisdom of God, and Saviour of men, hath made all things, and is him by whom [Page 11] they onely consist and are upheld, be­cause before them, is most evident from the recited passages of Scrip­ture; therefore he was not made, nor is he upheld by any other power then his own, and consequently is truly God: In short, this conclusive Argument for the proof of Christ the Saviours being God, should cer­tainly perswade all sober persons of my Innocency, and my Ad­versaries Malice, He that is the Everlasting Wisdom, the Divine Power, the true Light, the onely Sa­viour, the creating Word of all things, (whether visible or invisi­ble) and their Upholder by his own Power, is without contradiction God; but all these qualifications and di­vine properties are by the concur­rant testimonies of Scripture ascri­bed to the Lord Jesus Christ; there­fore, without a scruple, I call and believe him really to be the Migh­ty [Page 12] God. And for a more ample satisfaction, let but the 28th page Guide Mista­ken, p. 28. con. 9. Clap. of my Reply to J. Clapham be perused, in which Christ's Divinity and Eternity is very fully asserted.

Judge then impartial Readers, (to whom I appeal in this: concern) whether my Christian Reputation hath not been unworthily tra­duc'd; and that those several Per­sons who have been posting out their Books against me (whilst a close Prisoner) have not been beat­ing the Air, and fighting with their own Shadows, in supposing what I never thought, much less writ of, to be the intendment of my Book; and then as furiously have fastned on their own conceits, expecting I should feel the smart of every blow, who thus far am no ways interressed in their heat.

As for my being a Socinian, I must confess I have read of one [Page 13] Socinus, of (that they call) a noble Family in Sene in Italy, who about the year 1574, being a young man, voluntarily did abandon the glo­ries, pleasures and honours of the great Duke of Tuskany's Court at Florence, (that noted place for all wordly delicacies) and became a perpetual Exile for his Conscience, whose parts, wisdom, gravity and just behaviour made him the most famous with the Polonian and Transilvanian Churches; but I was never baptized into his name, and therefore deny that reproachfull Epithite; and if in any thing I ac­knowledge the verity of his Do­ctrine, it is for the Truth's sake, of which, in many things, he had a clearer prospect then most of his Contempories; but not there­fore a Socinian, any more then a Son of the English-Church, whilst esteemed a Quaker, because I justi­fie [Page 14] many of her Principles, since the Reformation, against the Roman Church.

II. As for the business of satis­faction, I am prevented by a Per­son whose reputation is generally great amongst the Protestants of these Nations; for since the Do­ctrine against which I mostly le­velled my Arguments, was, the impossibility of Gods forgiving sin upon repentance, without Christ's pay­ing his Justice, by suffering Infinite Vengeance and Eternal Death for Sins past, present, and to come, he plainly in his late Discourse about Christs Sufferings, against Crellius, acknowledges me no less by grant­ing, upon a new state of the contro­versie, both the possibility of Gods par­doning sins, as debts, without such a rigid satisfaction, and the impossibi­lity of Christs so suffering for the World; reflecting closely upon those [Page 15] persons, as giving so just an occasion Stil. con. Cr [...]ll. pag. 269, 270, 271. 272, 273, 274. to the Churches Adversaries to think they triumph over her Faith, whilst it is only over their Mistakes, who argue with more zeal then judgment: Nay, one of the main ends which first induced me to that Discourse, I find thus deliver'd by him, name­ly; If they did believe Christ came into the World to reform it, p. 160. ‘ That the Wrath of God is now re­vealed from Heaven against all un­righteousness, that his Love which is shown to the World, is to deli­ver them from the hand of their Enemies, that they might serve him in righteousness and holiness all the dayes of their lives, they could never imagine that Salvati­on is entailed by the Gospel upon a mighty confidence, or vehement per­swasion of what Christ hath done and suffered for them;’ thus doth he confess upon my Hipothesis, [Page 16] or Proposition what I mainly con­tend for; and however, positively I may reject or deny my Adversa­ries unscriptural and imaginary Satisfaction; let all know this, that I pretend to know no other name by which Remission, Attone­ment and Salvation can be obtained, but Jesus Christ the Saviour, who is the Power and Wisdom of God, what apprehensions soever people may have entertained concerning me.

III. As for Justification by an imputed righteousness, I still say, that whosoever believes in Christ shall have Remission and Justificati­on; but then it must be such a Faith as can no more live without Works, then a Body without a Spi­rit; wherefore I conclude, that Jam. 2. 26. true Faith comprehends Evangelical Obedience; and here the same Dr Stillingflees comes into my relief [Page 17] (though its not wanting) by a plain Assertion of the necessity of obe­dience (viz.) such who make no other condition of the Gospel but be­lieving, Id. pag. 164, 165, 166. ought to have a great care to keep their hearts sounder then their heads; thereby intimating the grand imperfection and danger of such a notion; and therefore (God Almighty bears me record) my design was nothing less, or more, then to wrest those beloved and sin-pleasing Principles out of the hands, heads and hearts of people, that by the fond perswasion of being justified from the personal righteousness of another, without relation to their own obedience, they might not sin on upon trust, till the Arrest of Eternal Venge­ance should irrecoverably overtake them, that all might be induced to an earnest persuit after holiness by a circumspect observance to [Page 18] Gods holy Spirit, As without which none shall ever see the Lord. And (to shut up my Apology for re­ligious matters) that all may see the simplicity, Scripture Doctrine, and phraise of my Faith, in the most important matters of Eter­nal Life, I shall here subjoyn a short Confession.

I sincerely own, and unfeignedly believe (by vertue of the sound knowledge and experience received from the gift of that holy Unction, and divine Grace inspired from on 1 Cor. 8. 5. 6. high) in one holy, just, mercifull, almighty and eternal God, who is the Father of all things; that ap­peared Hebr. 1. 1. to the holy Patriarchs and Prophets of old, at sundry times, and in divers manners; And in ONE Lord Jesus Christ, the ever­lasting Wisdom, divine Power, 1 Cor. 8. 6. true Light, only Saviour and pre­server of all, the same one holy, [Page 19] just, mercifull, almighty and eter­nal God, who in the fulness of time took, and was manifested in the Flesh, at which time he preached (and his Disciples after him) the Joh. 1. 14. Everlasting Gospel of Repentance, and Promise of Remission of Sins, 1 Tim. 3. 16. and Eternal Life to all that heard and obeyed; who said, he that is Mat. 4. 17. with you (in the Flesh) shall be in Luk. 24. 47. you, (by the Spirit) and though he left them, (as to the Flesh) yet not comfortless, for he would Joh. 14. 17, 3, 18. come to them again, (in the Spirit) for a little while and they should Ch. 16. 16. not see him (as to the Flesh;) again, a little while and they should see him (in the Spirit,) for the Lord (Jesus Christ) is that Spirit, a Ma­nifestation whereof is given to 2 Cor. 3. 17. every one to profit withal, In which holy Spirit I believe, as the 1 Cor. 1 [...]. 7. same Almighty and Eternal God, who, as in those times ended all sha­dows Rom. 8. 14. 17. [Page 20] and became the infallible Guide to them that walked therein, by which they were adopted Heirs and Co-heirs of Glory; so am I a li­ving witness, that the same holy, just, mercifull, almighty and eter­nal God, is now, as then, (after this tedious night of Idolatry, Su­perstition and humane inventions that hath overspread the World) gloriously manifested to discover and save from all iniquity, and to con­duct unto the Holy Land of pure and Rev. 21. 3 Prov. 28. 13. endless Peace; in a word, to taber­nacle in men: and I also firmly be­lieve, that without repenting and Luke. 14. [...]. forsaking of past sins, and walking in obedience to this heavenly voice, [...] which would guide into all Truth, and establish there, Remission and Eter­nal Life can never be obtained, [...]. but unto them that fear his Name and keep his Commandments, they, and they only shall have [Page 21] right unto the Tree of Life, for whose Name sakes I have been made willing to relinquish and forsake all the vain fashions, enticing pleasures; Mat. 10. 37, 38, 39. alluring honours and glittering glo­glories of this transitory World, and readily to accept the portion of a Luke 18. 32. and Fool from this deriding Generation, and become a man of sorrows, and of Ch. 23. 36. perpetual reproach to my Familiars; yea, and with the greatest chearful­ness can obsignate and confirm, (with no less seal, then the loss of whatsoever this doting World ac­counts dear) this faithfull Confessi­on, 1 Pet. 4. 14. having my eye fixt upon a more enduring Substance, and lasting In­heritance; and being most infalli­bly assured, that when time shall be no more. I shall (if faithfull here un­to) possess the Mansions of Eternal Life, and be received into his E­verlasting Habitations of Rest and Glory.

[Page 22] IV. Lastly, It may not be un­reasonable to obse ve, that (how­ever industrious some (and those Dissenters too) have been to re­present me as a person disturbing the Civil Peace) I have not viola­ced any truly Fundamental Law which relates to external property and good behaviour, and not to religious apprehensions, it being the constant Principle of my self and Friends, to maintain good works, and keep our Consciences void of of­fence, paying active or passive obe­dience, suitable to the meek Ex­ample of our Lord Jesus Christ; nor would I have any ignorant, how forward I was by Messages, Letters and Visits, to have deter­mined this debate in a sober and select Assembly, notwithstanding the rude entertainment we had met with before; but contrary to their own appointments our Adversa­ries [Page 23] fail'd us, which necessitated me to that defence; and finding the Truth so prest with slander, I cannot but say I saw my just call to her relief: but, alas! how hath those two or three extempory sheets been tost, tumbled, and torn on all hands, yea aggrevated to a monstrous design, even the sub­version of the Christian Religion, then which there could be no­thing more repugnant to my Prin­ciple and purpose; wherefore how very intemperate as well as un­just have all my Adversaries been in their revilings, slanders and de­famations? using the most appro­brious tearms of Seducer, Heretick, See Tho. Vincent's late railing piece a­gainst the Quakers, also Tho. Danson's and Dr Owen's. Blasphemer, Deceiver, Socinian, Pe­lagian, Simon Magus, Impiously rob­bing Christ of his Divinity, for whom the Vengeance of the Great Day is reserved, &c. nor have these things [Page 24] been whispered, but in one Book and Pulpit after another, have more or less been thundred out against me, as if some Bull had lately been arrived from Rome; and all this acted under the foul pretence of zeal and love to Jesus Christ, whose meek and gentle Mat. 5. 39. 39. 40. Example alwayes taught it for a principle mark of true Christiani­ty, to suffer the most outragious injuries, but never to return any; nay, if my Adversaries would but be just and constant to themselves, how can they offer to conspire my destruction upon a Religious ground, who either are themselves under a present limitation, or have been formerly by the Papists: Coun. Trent. p. 14. Tell me, I pray, did Luther, that grand Reformer, whom you so much reverence justly demand from the Emperor at the Dyet of [Page 25] Worms (where he was summon'd to appear) that none should sit judge upon his Doctrines but the Scripture, and in case they should be cast, that no other Sentence should be past upon him, then what Gamaliel offered to the Jewish Council, If it were not of God it would not stand? and if you will not censure him who first of all arraigned the Christian World (so called) at the Bar of his private judgment, (that had so many hundred years soundly slept, with­out so much as giving one conside­rable shrug or turn, during that te­dious winter night of dark Aposta­cy, but justifie his proceedings) can you so furiously assault others? but above all, you who refuse con­formity to others, and that have been writing these eight years for Liberty of Conscience, and take [Page 26] it at this very season by an in­dulgent connivance; what preg­nant testimonies do you give of your unwillingness to grant that to others you so earnestly beg for your selves? Doth it not dis­cover your injustice, and plainly express what only want of power hinders you to act? But of all Protestants in general I demand, Do you believe that Persecution to be Christian in your selves, that you condemned for Antichristian in the Papists? you judg'd it a weakness in their Religion, and is it a cogent Argument in your? nay, is it not the readiest way to en­hance and propagate the reputati­on of what you would depress? If you were displeased at their assu­ming an infallibility, will you be­lieve it impossible in your selves to err? Have Whitker, Rynolds, Laud, [Page 27] Owen, Baxter, Stillingfleet, Poole, &c. disarm'd the Romanists of these inhumane Weapons, that you might imply them against your in­offensive Country-men? let the Example & holy Precepts of Christ disswade you, who came not to de­stroy, but save; and soberly reflect upon his equal Law of doing as you would be done unto. Remem­ber I have not dethron'd a Diviny, subverted Faith, made void obedi­ence, nor frustrated the hope of an Eternal Recompence; much less have I injured your persons, or in any thing deviated from that [...] and [...], or holy Princi­ple, so much insisted on by Philo­sophers and Lawyers as the Origi­nal of good Laws, and Life: No, your own Consciences shall advo­cate on my behalf. Let it suffice then, that we who are Nick-nam'd [Page 28] Quakers have under every revolu­tion of Power and Religion been the most reviled, contemned and persecuted, as if God indeed had set us forth in these last dayes as a 1 Cor 21. 9. Spectacle to the World, to Angels and to Men; and treat us not as if by being what we are, our common right and interest in humane Soci­eties were forfeited; neither accept that for a true Measure of our Life and Doctrines, which hath been taken by the ill-will or igno­rance of others; but rather make an impartial examination, that what you judge may be from what you know, and not from what you hear at second hand; and then we shall as little question your just opinion of our innocency, as we have too much been made sensible of the sad effects that follow an ignorant and unadvised zeal; for [Page 29] so monstrously fond are some of their perswasions, and doting on the Patrons of them, that sel­dom they have discretion, much less religious desires to consider how true or false an other Religi­on is, or what may be the conse­quence of its tolleration; but with a fury, not inferior to their igno­rance, cry, Crucifie, crucifie; and Pharisee-like, out of pretence of honour and service done to God Almighty, and the memory of his holy Prophets, not stick to per­secute his beloved Son, and righ­teouss Servants, so Cruel, Blind, and Obstinate is Persecution: Be therefore advised in the words of that meek Example Jesus Christ, Call not for fire any more; let the Tares grow with the wheat; neither imploy that Sword any more, which was commanded to be sheathed so [Page 30] many hundred years ago (suppose we were Enemies to the true Reli­gion; but have a care you are not upon one of Sauls errands to Damascus, and helping the mighty against God and his Anointed;) and rather chuse by fair and moderate debates (not penalties ratified by Imperial Decrees) to determine religious differences; so will you at least obtain Tranquility which may be called a Civil-Unity. But if you are resolved severity shall take its course, in this; our case can never change, nor happiness abate, that no humane Edict can possibly deprive us of his glori­ous Presence, who is able to make the dismal'st Prison so many receptacles of Pleasure, and whose Heavenly Fellowship doth un­speakably replenish our solitary Souls with Divine Consolation; [Page 21] by whose Holy, Meek and Harm­less Spirit I have been taught most freely to forgive, and not less earnestly to solicite the Temporal and Eternal good of all my Ad­versaries: Farewel.