Glory to GOD on high, Peace on Earth, and Goodwill to Men.

der,

Laftly, may it please my Friendly Reaer, to favour me with that common Juftice due to all, and efpecially Religious Controverfies; first read and then com+ Against folm pare before Judgment, and take of Ferufalem, the Advice of Jerom, That thou favoureft neither me, nor my Adverfary, that thou regardeft not the Pervi Sons but the Cause only. For Matt. vii. 2. with what Judgment ye judge, ye fhall be judged, and with what Measure yemete, it shall be measured to you again.

Matt

13

SOME

9

QUERIES

24

Offered to the Confideration of the People called

QUAKERS:

K

Particularly of thofe in the Queen's County,

Q

SECTION I.

UERY I. Since all the Chriftian Churches in
the Eaft, and all the Western Churches, both
Popish and Proteftant, whatever o-

ther differences they have, do yet all agree (a)
in the Articles of the Creed, commonly called
the Apoftles Creed, and own them as undoubted Prin
ciples of the Chriftian Religion; Query, Whether the
People called Quakers own them or not? If
they do not, what pretence have they to the (b)
name of Chriftians? If they do, why are
they guilty of fo monftrous Uncharitableness as to con-
fine Chriftianity to their own narrow Sect?

Nay, why do they give all Chriftians fo great oc-
cafion to fufpect that they do not, by denying
fuch Articles of that Creed, as Chrift's Af-
cenfion and fitting at the right hand of (c)
God, and coming thence to judge the (d)
Quick and the Dead, and the Refurrec
tion of the Body, in that fenfe in which
all Chriftians in every Age have understood them?
(of which more afterwards.)

(e)

RE

REPLY

THE vaft Variety of Creeds, and great Difputes about fundry Controverted Articles, plainly indicate the Folly and Danger of leaving the Phrafe of the Holy Text; and tho' the Bible, which is of Divine (a) Infpiration and Authority be the QUAKERS CREED left they should believe Human Authority instead of Divine; yet of all old Creeds of Human Invention, they prefer that commonly call'd the Apoftles to any other, as being very Comprehen five, Antient and Nearest to the Words and Stile of the Inspired Writers. 17932

Acts x. 34 35

ica

Nor do they confine Christianity to themfelves, but (b) believe and affert in the Words of the Bleffed Apostle Peter, of a Truth, I perceive that GOD is no respecter of Perfous, but in every Nation, he that feareth Him, and worketh Righteousness is accepted with Him.

Nor are they firmer in the Faith of any Article of the Creed aforefaid, than in the Afcenfion of (c. d.e.) CHRIST and his Sitting at the Right Hand of GOD, and coming to judge both the Quick and the Dead, as alfo the Refurrection of the Body, all which they confirm by the following

SCRIP

A

SCRIPTUE

PROOFS.

·ND when he had spoken thefe Things, while they beheld he was taken up, and a Cloud received him out of their Sight, and while they looked Stedfaftly towards Heaven as he went up : be

bold two Men stood by them in white Apparel; which (c) Acts 1. 9. alfo faid ye Men of Galilee, why ftand ye gazing up into 18. 11. Heaven: this fame JESUS which is taken up from you

into Heaven fhall fo come in like manner, as ye have feen him go into Heaven. According to the Working of his mighty Power which

he wrought in CHRIST, when be rais'd him from the Eph. I Dead, and fet him at his own Right Hand in the Heavenly 20. 21. places, far above all Principality and Power, and Might,

19∶ཤུ

and Dominion, and every Name that is Named, not only in this World, but alfo in that which is to come.

Looking unto JESUS, the Author and Finisher of

our Faith, who for the Foy that was fet before him en Heb. xii. 2. dured the Crofs, defpifing the fhame, and is fet down at the Right Hand of the Throne of GOD.

9%81

Because he has appointed a Day, in the which he will judge

the World in Righteousness, by that Man whom he or Acts xvii.31) dained, whereof he hath given affurance unto all Men,

in that he bath raised bim from the Dead.

Rev.xx,11.to16.

And I faw a great white Throne, and Him that fat on it; from whose Face the Earth and the Heaven fled away, and there was found no place for them; and I faw the Dead small and great stand before GOD, and the Books were opened, and another Book was open'd, which is the Book of Life, and the Dead were judged out of these Things which were Written in the Books according to their Works, and Death and Hell deliver'd up the Dead which were in them, and they were judg'd every Man according to their Works, and Death and Hell pere caft into the Lake of Fire. this is the fecond Death, and whosoever was not found Written in the Book of Life was caft into the Lake of Fire.

Behold Ifhew you a Mystery: we shall not all fleep,

but we fhall all be changed, in a moment. in the twink 1 Cor. xv. $1. ling of an Eye. at the laft Trump (for the Trumpet fhall to 55. found, and the Dead fhall be raised incorruptible, and we'

Thall be changed for this Corruptible must put on Incorruption, and this Mortal must put on Immortality; fo when this Corruptible fhall have put on Incorruption and this Mortal fhall have put on Immortality, then shall be brought to pafs the faying that is written; Death is fwallow'd up in Victory.

For our Converfation is in Heaven from whence alfo we

look for the SAVIOUR, the LORD JESUS Phil iii.20,21. CHRIST who fhall change our vile Body. that it may

be fashion'd like unto his glorious Body; according to the Working whereby he is able even to fubdue all Things to himself.

Autho

W

(a)

Tilliam Penn writing concerning the Holy Scripture, he begins thus; Thanks be to GOD, That only is our Creed, and with good reafon too, fince 'tis fit, That fhould only conclude and be the Creed of Christians, which the Holy Ghost could only propofe and require us to believe; for if the Comment is made the Creed instead of the Text, from that Time we believe not in GOD, but in Man.

W. Penn's Anfwer to the Bishop of Cork, p. 46.

Ditto. p. 107.

J. Wyeth's
Switch, Int. p.34.
Benjamin Coole,
against Keith.
Honesty the trueft
Policy, p. 106.

We plainly and entirely believe the Truths contained in the Creed that is commonly called the Apostles, which is very Comprehenfive. as well as Antient.

We own the Matter contained in the Creed, called the Apoftles.

It is not only all that we fuppofe Truths in the Apoftles Creed that we believe, bur even all that is contained in what is called the Apoftles Creed, allowing us but a juft and reasonable Explanation in Three Particulars, that feem to us not fafely worded.

Firft. He defcended into Hell. Now, if by Hell be understood, as Dr. Wallis faith, no more than that he was in the State of the Dead, we fubfcribe to it.

Secondly, From thence be fhall come to judge both Quick and Dead. From thence he hall come. implies, that he fhall leave that Glory, with which he is glorified with the Father. Now, if it be intended only that there is a Day appointed wherein he fhall come in Power and great Glory to judge both Quick and Dead. we fubfcribe to that alfo; it being more confonant to the Holy Scripture-Teftimony fo to believe and fay.

Thirdly, The Refurrection of the Body. If by Body is meant a Spiritual Body, then we fubfcribe to that alfo, as well as to all the reft, it being as much our Faith and Perfuafion as any. Mans.

(e)

The