WILLIAM BURNET'S FALSE ASPERSIONS.

HERE follows some of William Burnet's aspersions, falsehoods and slanders, cast upon the Quakers, which are rejected and returned to that envious spirit from whence they came.

As first, in his epistle, which hath relation to his dark confused bundle, which is void of both spirit, life and light. After he pretends great respect to many of us for our honest lives, whose meaning he judges good; yet he falsely says, "they are ensuared by their teachers, whose hearts Satan hath greatly deceived;" which is also false and incongruous. And,

It is false" that our teachers study twenty shuffles rather than discover their principles when closely beset."

It is false, and a slander, that "there is none more unwilling to come to the Light to be proved, than we."

It is false that the Quakers slight Scriptures."

It is a lying story, page 23, that the last summer the Quakers at London were startled, and went from one to another to ask counsel to know what to do, upon one's coming out of the country and telling that the remaining part of the city should be burnt, and that the fire should begin the next day, &c." Whereas there was no such thing, or occasion given, by any Quaker— But I am informed that a distempered bad man (no Quaker, nor yet out of the country) and two women, who were so far from being Quakers, that they were wont to oppose us, and rail against us openly, did declare of the destruction of the remaining part shortly, and thereupon the women left the city.

And that young Bolton the goldsmith should look like ashes for fear. This has come from some false tale-bearer like himself. And as for the story he says he was told, of one of our teachers, by R. Cox, "about his false prediction of being taken at a meeting in Middlesex," why did he not name this pretended teacher? If he had, we should have appeared the more to be clear of this; however the person intended is not one of our teachers, neither was he ever much owned amongst us.

It is false, that "the Quakers raised and blew about that report, that the Baptists were played away with fiddlers from a dispute in Chertsey; and that it was so reported from one Ball in Amersham Parish," is also false; and he denies that ever he reported it, but only asked the question of one of Amersham concerning the report; and he of whom he asked the question, clears him in this particular.

It is false, that the Quakers' Christ is not God's Christ, or that they deny the man Christ, or the Christ that is in the Hea

vens." Did not William Burnet learn this distinction of the Quakers' Christ from Matthew Caffin?

It is false, that "we uncrown the Lord, or put the honour due to Christ to a Light of Nature." And,

It is a slander, that our principles are poisonous."

It is false, that we hold Christ fulfilled not any type or part of the Law, by his suffering on the cross

A malicious slander, that "our principles are hell-hatched errors, fomented by Satan."

A slander also, that we trample under foot the blood of the Covenant, and make the offering of the cross a mere fiction of the brain;" for we have a reverent esteem of both. Also we do not deny the resurrection, as falsely we are accused. There are many more falsehoods in his book, which are too tedious to repeat; but the falseness of these charges against us, will more appear in the sequel.

B

THE LIGHT OF CHRIST WITHIN,

AND ITS SUFFICIENCY.

THE Light within which we the suffering, despised people of God called Quakers, do bear witness to, is that principle of life and righteousness in man, to which the Scriptures of truth do amply testify. And it has proved as a burthensome stone to all such empty and carnal professors of the times as have set themselves against it, and opposed it; and many have been confounded and broken to pieces by it, who have made war with it; for it is the Light of Christ, that comes from the eternal Word, that we own and testify of; and that life that was in Him was the Light of man. And this we do own and confess to, as a fundamental principle of our faith, and the binding, uniting principle, or the thing upon which all the rest hang, and even this Light within, as William Burnet the Baptist says, who has undertaken to discover and overthrow this principle, as held by the Quakers, which is a task too hard for him, and that which none of his brethren, nor others far wiser than himself, could ever do. But herein his ignorance of the true Christ and his Light in man, and his gross errors and contradictions, as also his peevishness and envy against an innocent people, to render them odious, will evidently appear to the impartial and unbiassed reader.— And now our principle of the Light within being true, the rest must needs be true that depend upon it, and this will be proved and appear in the following answer to this our antagonist, who often has in scorn and derision against our principle of the Light within, called it the Quakers' Christ-whereas it is the Light of the true Christ, and no other, that we own and profess. And first, he accuses George Fox the younger, for being the mouth of his Saviour, or his representative, in his first and second page, in these words, viz. "You have in your imaginations put me afar off, and will not own me the Light, the Life in youbecause my appearance is and hath been to make manifest sin and evil, and to check and reprove for it, and to call you out of it ;-I the Light will overturn kingdoms, nations, and gathered churches, which will not own me the Light in them, to guide and lead them-I will make you know that I the Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world, that all through me should believe, am the true eternal God." Thus far George Fox. Now William Burnet bids George give him leave to tell him he is not bound to believe what he has written, either to

come from God, or to be agreeable to the Word or will of God, but the contrary, a mere delusion of Satan, and a stratagem of the enemy of mankind, fomented to draw away the hearts of the simple from the simplicity of the Gospel; for this is a Gospel that neither the Prophets, nor the Apostles, nor Christ ever preached, and a pathway they were strangers to."

In reply to which, I shall take leave to tell William Burnet that his unbelief touching the Light within, and his charge of mere delusion of Satan, against what is written for it before, is no ground for us to believe him, nor any reason or proof to confute us, or our principle of the Light within, but also a wrong to the Prophets, Apostles, and Christ, to say they never preached it, or that it is a pathway they were strangers to; for darkness was not their way. And George Fox has truly represented and testified to the Light and Life in men, which is Christ's Light and Life; and that this true Light lighteth every man that cometh into the world. This is Scripture language (John i. 4.9.) which is so ignorantly opposed and cavilled at by an unbeliever. And this Life, which is the Light of men, or Light of Christ in every man, doth truly represent and manifest Christ the giver of it, (and he speaks and operates by it), to them that believe in it, as he exhorted; in this they receive him, and so power to become the sons of God. But then, instead of a proof further to confute us, William Burnet gives us a challenge in these words: "I would challenge any one of them to show me that text in Scripture where any of God's worthies directed people to turn to a Light within, and obey the Light within, to expect salvation. This is altogether contrary to the doctrine of Christ and his Apostles. John exhorts his followers to believe in him that should come after him, and not a Christ that should come into them. The Apostle preached Christ to the Jews, whom they by wicked hands had crucified and slain. Paul preached a Christ made of a woman, and not a Christ in them, that God will redeem the world by."

Reply. Because this our opposer is so ignorant of the Scriptures, and of the Light and power of God which saves, I may answer his challenge, and inform him, that the tendency and drift of all the preaching and directions of the holy men of God, Christ and the Apostles, was to turn people from darkness to the Light, to the knowledge of God and Christ; which is spiritual, and therefore inwardly and spiritually to be received and revealed for that which may be known of God, who is Light, is manifest within. Rom. i. And Paul said, God who commanded the Light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the Light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. 2 Cor. iv. And Christ exhorted to believe

in the Light, that they might be the children of the Light. And was not that in them which did beget them to God, and bring them to be his children? And did not Christ say, He that is with you shall be in you? and I in them and they in me. John xvii. And this appearance without in the flesh, and coming after John Baptist, and being slain by wicked hands, as touching the flesh, does not destroy nor make void the doctrine of his spiritual appearance in his people, no more than his coming after John did his being before him in Spirit; for John said, He that cometh after me is preferred before me, for he was before me: mark, he was before John, (1 John i. 13.) though not in the flesh, or body in which he was crucified; but being quickened by the Spirit, thereby he went and preached unto the spirits in prison. And was not this preaching spiritual, and directed to the Spirit, Life, and Light within, which opened the eyes of the understanding to see the power of God in Christ the Light, even the same power that raised up Jesus? And was not the Word within a Light which both Moses and the Apostles directed to, and the spirit or anointing within to teach, lead into all truth, and save from sin and death, which has reigned in people? And what is redemption but a freeing from the servitude of sin? and it is fulfilled in every true believer by Christ, who is the power of God, who is made unto us wisdom, righteousness, sanctification and redemption; and all these are inwardly experienced by such as know that God hath wrought all their works in them. And therefore for William Burnet to deny a Christ in them to redeem, is his gross error and ignorance, and contradiction to the Apostle's doctrine; as also how apparently does he contradict himself, when he grants that the fruits and effects of our justification doth show itself within and without. And surely then the cause thereof must be known within-Christ within-the Spirit that sanctifies and justifies within-God who works all our works in us, (Isa. xxvi. 12) dwells in his people. 2 Cor. vi. Now if Christ is to be known within, then that which reveals him, and may be known of God, is within; there must be an eye, or else no seeing; and if it be blind or veiled, it must be opened by that which makes manifest things that are reproved, which is Light. But now as to Christ's being in every man, (page 4,) that is not our affirmation nor words, but that there is a Light of Christ in every man, even in the rebellious, to leave them without excuse. And what T. Tayler has said in that case, is true, and will stand over the head of this our ignorant opposer, who has carped at this expression of the word in the heart, and the Light shining in man, yea, in every man, as being a present help against sin, which is neither a marring of his work, nor any extenuation of the glory of the true Christ, nor