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Defence of Quakerifm,

Or an ANSWER to

Patrick Smith's Book.

The INTRODUCTIO N.
Wherein that Author's Title, Dedication,
Preface, and Manner of Writing, are
confidered.

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N his Title-Page, he calls the Quakers,
Hereticks and Schifmaticks; and Quakerifm,

a Complication of Deifm, Enthusiasm, and divers other ancient and modern Errors and Herefies: Whence 'tis evident, that he is not clear of that Bitterness and Virulence of Expreffion, which himself fays, (a) Can never ferve to clear up a Controverfy, nor be confiftent with a • Chriftian Spirit.' Harfh Terms, by raifing terrible Ideas in the Imagination, may probably prepoffefs weak Readers in Favour of one Side, and are too often us'd for that Purpose, as is obferv'd by John Hales of Eaton, who fays, (b) Herefy and Schifm, as they are in common Ufe, are two Theological Mcpu's or Scarecrows, which they who uphold a Party in Religion use,

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(a) Pref. p. 9. (b) Tract concerning Schifm, p. 191.

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ufe, to fright away fuch, as making Inquiry into it, are ready to relinquish and oppofe it, if it appear either erroneous or fufpicious.'

His Dedication, fo far as relates to the Bishop of London's favourable Opinion of fome of bis Papers, and his Commands to him to proceed in his Defign, we pass by, tho', it feems, by his begging Patronage, that he is conscious his Caufe needs it. The Manner of his Addrefs we efteem more Courtly than Chriftian, and fhall leave to the Giver and Receiver of them to reconcile the Titles of My Lord, and Right Reverend Father in God, with the plain Precept of Chrift, Be not ye called of Men Rabbi. Mat. xxiii. 8.

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In his Preface, he tells us, that he has been • at the Pains to draw up a brief Summary of ⚫ the whole Controverfy, between the Church • of England and the Quakers-without omitting any material Branch or Part thereof, that he 'knows,' But we know, and, did he defire it, could inform him, of divers fuperftitious Usages of that Church, about which the Quakers have a Controverfy with her, which he has not touch'd upon.

He goes on, p. 10. And that it might be the better fuited to the meaneft Capacity, be fays, he has put it into the Form of a plain • Conference.' Which is no good Reason for his writing in a Method most adapted for Sophiftry, whereby a Writer, in altering the Form of Men's Expreffions, may eafieft impofe on the Reader his own Senfe instead of theirs, and therefore justly held by Controverfial Writers mean and unfair.

AND indeed, he fays, it has not been the leaft Part of his Labour, very often to find

out

out what their Opinions really were-but he is fure, he has taken what Care he could to ⚫ understand them, and that he has not in any Thing wilfully misinterpreted or misreprefented them.' In his Mifreprefentations, which we find to be many, if he be not wilful, he must be at least mistaken; nor is it ftrange that he fhould miftake the Quakers, who fo far miftakes himself, as to think, that, he has fhew'd himself a fair Adverfary, in not concealing, ⚫ but fairly proposing and answering their chief Arguments. Whereas he has neither brought out their principal Arguments, nor fairly anfwered those he has pretended to produce: Nor are many of his Questions juftly deduced from the Words of the Authors he pretends to_cite. This we fhall undertake in the fubfequent Pages to demonftrate, and in fo doing, fhall follow him in his own Order of Sections.

SECT. I.

Of Chriftian Morality.

His firft Section begins with the following Question,

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Whether every Man that lives a moral good Life, and is a fober, honeft, just Man, is not a good Christian?

For this he cites William Penn's Addrefs to Proteftants, 2d. Edit. p. 18, 19. (we fuppofe. mistaken for 118, 119.) whofe Words are, Let us but foberly confider what Chrift is, and we • fhall the better know whether moral Men are to be reckon'd Chriftians. What is Chrift but Meeknefs, Justice, Mercy, Patience, Charity, ⚫ and Virtue in Perfection? Can we then deny a

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• meek Man to be a Christian, a just, merciful, patient and virtuous Man to be like Chrift'?

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HAD this Author pleas'd, he might have put down these Queries in W. P's own Terms, together with his preceding Definition of Morality. By Morality, fays he, I understand Virtuous living, Purity of Manners, that Justice, Temperance, Truth, Charity, and Blamelefnefs of Converfation, out of Confcience and Duty to God and Man, which may well denominate the Man that lives that Life, a Man juft, virtuous and pious: In fhort, one that does unto all Men, as he would have all Men do unto him.' This, fays W. P. is my Moral Man.

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THE Man thus defcribed, who fears God and works Righteousness, W. P. fays, is in fome Degree concern'd in the Character of a true Chriftian, for which he produces found Reasoning and good Authorities, all which this Author overlooks or omits.

BESIDES, W. P. is in that Place profeffedly oppofing a Set of Men guilty of fuch Extravagancy, as that, upon hearing a fober Man com

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mended, that was not of any great visible Pro• feffion, they would take upon them to caft him off with this Sentence, Tub, he is but a moral • Man, he knows nothing of Saving Grace, he may be damn'd for all his Morality. Nay, fome, fays he, have gone fo far, as to fay and preach, if not print, that there are Thousands of Moral Men in Hell.' 'Twas the making fuch a dreadful Diftinction as that between a Moral Man and a Chriftian, that W. P. elsewhere calls, a deadly Poifon, that thefe latter Ages have been infected with. We fuppofe, this Author will

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not maintain fuch an harfh and uncharitable Diftinction, fince he allows, p. 7. that the Duties of the Law of Nature are an effential Part of Chriftianity; if fo, they who live up to thofe Duties are fo far Chriftians.

HAVING faid this in Vindication of William Penn, and his moral Man, we shall next 'endeavour from the Holy Scriptures to convince our Opponent, that the Moralift, even of his own defcribing, has fome Title to the Chriftian Name: He allows him to be a Just Man. Let him then confider, that Chrift himself is eminently diftinguifhed by the Character of the Just One, Acts vii. 52. And they have flain them which fhewed before of the Coming of the Fult One, [ Amai] Acts xxii. 14. And fee that Just One, [TOV Aixarov] That the Scepter of his Kingdom is call'd a Scepter of Righteousness, or Juftice. That the Love of Righteousness or Juftice, is expreffed as the Cause of his Unition. Heb. i 9. Thou hast loved Righteoufnefs, [Sixalovn] and hated Iniquity, therefore God, even thy God hath anointed thee with the Oyl of Gladness above thy Fellows. He is the Origin and Fountain, whence all Juftice or Righteoufnefs is deriv'd, fo that no Man can properly be ftiled Juft or Righteous, but as he partakes of that Juftice or Righteousness, which flows from him, and has fuch Relation to him as the Stream has to the Fountain.

AGAIN, a Just Man is in fome Degree fanctified: Now the Author to the Hebrews fays, He that fan&tifieth, and they that are fanctified, are all of one, for which Caufe he is not ashamed to call them Brethren. Heb. ii. 11, A Just Man then has fomewhat of Union with Chrift. He is taught to live justly by Chrift, the Grace of God which brings Salvation, Tit. ii. 11. And is confequently a Partaker

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