not planted a Light in man that opposeth the Covenant of Grace nor is the Light of Câ—…rist repugnant to 〈◊〉 Christianity neither can the least degree oppâ—…se the greater Thou proceeds thus T. H. How comes it to pass that Jesus Christ as to the great end of coming into the World is so much neglected and the Stress of many men's Hopes laid upon something in themselves Hence the Hope of the Hypocrite is compared to the Spiders Web being spun out of their own Bowels Do you not see this in your selves who are the greatest Admirers of the Light within p. 38. Answ. Still thou runs upon thy gross mistake of the Light within whereby thou falsely reflects upon us for relying on it for First Our Hope and Dependance upon the least degree of the Light of Christ in us which is the divine Life of him as the Eternal Word this can neither oppose nor neglect the great ends of Christ's coming into the World in the Flesh any more then John's bearing witness to the Life of the Word being the Light of men could oppose the Word becoming or taking Flesh. 2ly What were those great ends of Christ's so coming into the World but evidently to shew forth and exalt that divine Light and Salvation in a greater Fulness and Manifestation which in some degree did before universally shine throughout all Ages or otherwayes how could Christ be the Rock of Ages or his Outgoings from of old from everlasting And whence in the dayes of his Flesh shewed he Light through his innocent Life Ministry and Miracles but from that divine Power and Glory of the Father in him for God did work them by him 3ly After it s testified concerning God the Eternal Word that in him or in it was Life and the Life was the Light of men Joh. 1. 4. It s said that the Word was made Flesh and dwelt amongst us or tabernacled in us and we beheld his Glory as of the only begotten of the Father full of Grace and Truth ver 14. and of his Fulness have all we received Grace for Grace ver 16. Now mark this discovery of his Glory Grace and Fulness was a divine discovery being as of the only begotten of the Father of whom John said he that cometh after me is preferred before me for he was before me verse 15. The divine Light of the Word was that by which they had this discovery of Christ which was beyond that of the outward or fleshly Appearance which might be seen with a visible Eye but the other only seen by the Eye invisible and Spiritual So that this coming of Jesus Christ into the World was so far from lessening or destroying his spiritual Light of him as the eternal Word in men that it was to increase the Knowledge of it and in order to bring it forth in its Brightness and Glory for the Revelation of the perfect Day of Salvation And herein he came to render the Appearance and Testimony of his Light within the more valid and effectual men having erred and been estranged from it Now is it consistent with the Hope of the Hypocrite to obey the measure of the Light of Christ within in order to receive more Is it not rather consistent with the Hope of the Hypocrite to hope that their Sins are pardoned and they justified by the Righteousness and Obedience of Christ wholely without them while they are rebelling against sliting and rejecting his Light within them and so living in their Sins and Impurity And this is thy State and Hope as will further appear for who have received Power to become the Sons of God whom the World knoweth not because it knew not him they have that Hope and Expectation of being made like unto Christ through his Appearance and every man that hath this Hope in him purifieth himself even as he is pure 1 Joh. 3. therefore this Hope which they have in them is both living and effectual and to be fore it is not placed upon Darkness but upon the Light For it is the Inlightening of the Eyes of the Understanding whereby a Soul is capable of seeing what is the Hope of his calling and the Power that wrought in Christ when God raised him up from the dead Therefore thou who rejects the Light within thy Eye is blind thy Hope is the Hope of the Hypocrite thou neglects the great ends of Christ's coming into the World which was not only to condemn Sin in the Flesh as his Light within effectually doth but also to shew and increase Light and to manifest the day of God's Salvation by his divine Power in delivering man from Sin and Wrath. Sect. XVII His Slander about the Person Offices Sufferings and Blood of Christ and continued Abuse of the Light within T. H. WHat contemptible Thoughts you have of the Person Offices and Sufferings of Jesus Christ that you account his Blood no more than you do the Blood of a common Thief p. 38. Answ. 'T is no new thing for thee to slander us while by opposing and rejecting the Light within thou art become hardned and seared in Conscience These are such notorious Slanders that thousands can witness against thee therein When did ever any of us express such contemptible Thoughts of Christ his Offices or Sufferings If we had never exprest any such thing how comest thou to judge our Thoughts to be such And where did ever any of us express such an Account of his Blood that was shed as no more then that of a common â—…hief The Lord rebuke thee for this thy abominable Slander as I doubt not but he will T. H. And esteem Justification by that Righteousness which Christ wholy fulfilled in his own Person without us to be a Doctrine of Devils p. 38. Answ. Though these are not our Words we do not own the Doctrine viz. That men are justified wholy without them by what Christ fulfilled in his own Person only for this is not the Language of the Scriptures which thou pretendest to be thy Rule Christ fulfilled the Righteousness of the Law in his Person but here thou makest no Exception but that Justification is by that Righteousness which Christ wholy fulfilled in his own Person without us men will only believe this when they reject the Light within as thou hast taught them But we are not justified by the Righteousness of the Law nor by any Act of Christ meerly as done in his Person but by the Righteousness of Faith in which we are interested in Christ as we are Partakers of living Faith which are inseparable But what is this Justification thou wouldst advance as wholy wrought without thee Is it either in Reallity a making men just or an accepting of them as Just and Righteous who are so in Reallity or is it a reckoning of them so who are actually sinful If the former then 't is not wholy wrought without but the inward Effect of the Blood of Christ in cleansing from Sin is
doth plainly witness For how can it otherwise be but that it should render God most propitious to all such as believe in Christ the Light of the World when it was but a lettiâ—…g of his only begotten Son's Sufferings turn to their account that should ever believe in him Yet doubtless greatly did it influence to some singular Tenderness and peculiar lâ—…egard unto all such who should believe in his Name among other of his weighty Performances for the sake of that last and greatest of all his External Acts the resisting unto Blood for the Spiritual Good of the World thereby offering up his Liâ—…e upon the Cross through the Power of the Eternal Spirit that Remission of Sin God's Bounty to the World might be preacht in his Name and in his very Blood too as that which was the most ratifying of all his Bodily Sufferings And indeed therefore might it seem meet to the Holy Ghost that Redemption Propitiation and Remission should be declared and held forth in the Blood of Christ unto all that have right Faith therein as saith the Apostle to the Romans Whom God hath set forth to be a Propitiation through Faith in his Blood and to the Ephesians In whom we have Redemption through his Blood the Forgiveness of Sins c. because it implies a firm Belief that Christ was come in the Flesh and that none could then have him as their Propitiation or Redemption who withstood the Acknowledgement of and Belief in his Viâ—…ible Appearance which John tells us some denyed and withstood 2. That he came in order to the Remission Redemption and Salvation of the World 3. That his so Dying was both an evident Token of his Love and strong Argument of Confirmation of his Message and Work 4. That it might the better end the Jews Services by an Allusion to the Way of their Temporary and Shadowy Sacrifices as the whole Epistle to the Hebrews showeth 5. And that by bringing through the holy Light in the Particâ—…lar iâ—…to the Acknowledgment of and Belief in the Blood which was ratifying of that whole Appearance Men might be brought unto the knowing Christ after a more Inward and Spiritual Manner suitable to Christ's own Words It is the Spirit that quickens and the Apostle avers that the Lord from Heaven is that quickning Spirit by which Eternal Spirit he offered up himself without Spot Nor can any reasonably suppose that when Christ so spoak to his Disciples explanatorily of what he had obscurely and in Parables said to the Jews that he meant not something more hidden and Divine then what they and the Jews saw Yet that which hindred those Jews from the Knowledge or Benefit thereof was their Stumbling at him without a Confession unto whom they coâ—…ld never come into the Beholding or Experiencing of his Divine Life in them To conclude That Body was the Divine Lifes a Body hast thou prepared me therefore all that was done by that Body towards the Redemption of Man-kind was eminently the Divine Lifes yet because many times Actions are denominated from or appropriated to the Instrument as the next Cause though not the Efficient or most Eminent Cause therefore the Scripture speaks forth as indeed is the Propriety of both the Hebrew and Greek Tongues Parabol cally Hyberbolically Metaphorically the inward Substance and hidden Life of things by things more Exteriour and Obvious to the Sense to the End that such Mysteries might be the better accommodated to Vulgar Capacities Consider what I say with this Qualification that ultimately and chiefly not wholy and exclusively the Divine Life in that Body was the Redeemer For the Sufferings of that Holy Body of Jesus had an engaging and procuring Virtue in thâ—…m though the Divine Life was that Fountain from whence originally it came And as the Life declared and preached forth it self through that Holy Body so who did then come to the Benefit procured by the Divine Life could only do it through an Hearty Confession to it as appearing in that Body and that from a Sence first begotten by a Measure of the same in themselves This is the main Import of those Places Whom God hath set forth to be a Propitiation and in whom we have Redemption through Faith in his Blood For who is this H E whom God hath set forth and in whom is Redemption Certainly the same H E that was before Abraham the Rock of the Fathers that cryed Lo I come to do thy Will O God a Body hast thou prepared me which was long before the Body was conceived and born But may some say How is it then his Blood Why just as the Body is his Body Those who had Faith in that Blood believed his Visible Appearance inasmuch as they acknowledged that great Seal and Ratification of it to wit the Shedding of the Blood of His Body who came to save the World and who alone is the Propitiation Redemption and Salvation of all who had right Faith in that Appearance and Message so confirmed and therefore so often exprest by it as inclusive of all his whole Life and Sufferings beside And this is my Reason for it that it was impossible for any Man in that Day to confess to and believe in that Divine Light and Life which appeared in that prepared Body but from the Inward Discoveries and Operations of that Light with which Christ the Word-God who took Flesh had enlightened him However though the Apostles might then so express themselves thereby to assert and recommend unto the Faith of all that most Heavenly Manifestation and the great Love of Christ therein as the Visitation of the Heavenly Life through that prepared Body and the deep Sufferings of both for the World being True and Spiritual Witnesses thereof yet it was never intended that any should barely rest in that but press after the Knowledge of Christ by Faith in something farther and beyond that Body in which he appeared not excluding our Belief in that too They who knew Christ after the Flesh were to press after some more Spiritual Discovery of Him and who almost doted on his outward Manifestation it was expedient that they should be weaned from it to the End his more interiour and indeed beneficial Revelation of himfelf might be witnessed Faith in his Blood was requisite that they might confess him whose Body and Blood it was to be Christ who is God over all blessed for ever The great Question with the Jews Whether God was truly manifested in that Body of Flesh which they saw So that the Stress lyes in Confessing to the Divinity come in the Flesh otherwise they would have rejected not only the most signal Suffering of the whole Manifestation but consequently that It self To conclude we confess HE who then appeared was and is the Propitiation c. and in Him was Redemption obtained by all those who had such true Faith in his Blood But still it is to be understood that there must be
his Covenant that was made to Adam Gen. 1. 28. Chap. 9. 7 9. and there were Righteous Generations after the Destruction of the UNGODLY WORLD by the Flood though many turned to Iniquity again But all Men are accountable for their own It will not be either their crying out of Adam's sole Offence or their pleading Christ's intire Obedience that will excuse them in the Day of the Lord wherein every man shall give an Account of himself to â—…od and be rewarded according to his own Deeds done in the Body whether they be Good or Evil. S. S. God doth not punish that Person in whom he doth not first see a Transgression p. 96. Answ. True But how agrees this with his Sense of Imputation Let the competent Reader judge hence it â—…ollows and that by his own Rule of Contraries that A S God doth not punish a Person in whom he doth not first see a Transgression SO God doth not justifie a Person or repute him Righteous in whom he doth not first see a real Righteousness and that through Faith and Sanctification And this plainly overthrows his Notion of Imputation before S. S. We are made Righteous not by Conversion only as G. W. would have it p. 96. Answ. However this Not only grants thus far that we are not made Righteous without Conversion and then we are justified made Righteous or declared just in the true Sense of Imputation when converted in which State we are inherently or inwardly Partakers of Christ's Righteousness and not in the unconverted So that S. S. his reiterated contradictory Opinion as stated by him viz. AS the Disobedience Adam wrought in his own Person on Earth makes us Sinners SO The Obedience Christ wrought in his own Person on the Earth makes us Righteous p. 96. is still opposed by the Light of Truth which manifests how far Men are Partakers of the Nature and Disobedience of the first Adam and how they come really to partake of the second Adam in themselves without which God doth neither justifie nor reckon them just It being also confest That God doth not punish that Person in whom he doth not first see a Transgression and then it follows No more doth he justifie that Person in whom he doth not see his own Image His Phrase Christ's Sufferings imputed is not a Scripture-Phrase though much of his Work hangs upon it yet his being made a Curse for us was not in vain being to remove the Curse of the Law as generally pronounc'd for not continuing in all that 's written c. to abolish the Shadows of the first Covenant and to establish the second that both Jew and Gentile might be reconciled in one Covenant wherein Christ is the Blessing to all having been both a perfect Example and Sacrifice who travilled that he might see his Seed and suffered that he might reign Though he suffered and tasted Death for every Man as an universal Offering for Sin yet Men are neither acquitted thereby in their Sins nor interested in the second Covenant which he dyed to establish unless they come under the Condition and State thereof namely an Agreement and Friendship with God for Men will be condemned for disobeying the Gospel though there be a Relaxation and Change of the Law touching the Curse thereof as 't is threaten'd on those general Terms for not keeping all But what the Law saith it is to them that are under it It was the outward Jews that it was imposed upon in the Letter of it though it be universally to be fulfilled in Spirit in the true Christians or Jews inward And though God hath shewn a Mitigation of the Severity which hath been incurred by Sin and a Pacification and coming nigh to Mankind with Kindness in his Son Christ Jesus yet still if men reject the Love of the Truth the Terms of Friendship and Agreement with God and obey not the Gospel they miss and fall short of the Benefit of Christ and his Sufferings and the blessed End for which God sent his Son And though the Curse of the Law doth not rest upon men for not continuing in all the Letter of it or shadowy Part including both Circumcision divers Washings c. yet if their Hearts be not circumcised to the Lord nor they inwardly washed or sprinkled from an evil Conscience they have no Part with Christ as he said If I do not wash thee thou hast no Part with me Except ye be born again ye cannot enter into the Kingdom of God Notwithstanding God doth greatly shew himself propitious and kind in his Son to Mankind in that upon any Condition viz. his own Terms he will admit Man to approach unto him or come into actual Friendship with himself Argum. What was typified in the Ceremonial Law is certainly accomplished but the Imputation of Christ's Sufferings was typified Exod. 24. 8. Heb. 9. What did this Sprinkling typifie but the Imputation or Application of Christ's Sufferings to us Answ. He varies uncertainly in his Words Imputation or Application which are different the Imputation being supposed to be God's the Application Man's And Mâ—…ses's taking the Blood and sprinkling it on the People Exod. 24. 8. was neither a Type of this Man's Imputation nor his Application of Christ's Sufferings unto unsanctified Persons for their Justification but a real Type of Sanctification and Remission by the Blood of Christ sprinkled upon the Conscience for that End which is more then unsanctified Persons Application thereof and thence imagining their Justification The Scriptures cited by himself prove what I say against him 1 Joh. 1. 7. But if we walk in the Light as he is in the Light we have Fellowship one with another and the Blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all Sin And Hebr. 9. 14. How much more shall the Blood of Christ who offered himself without Spot to God purge your Consciences from dead Works to serve the Living God And Hebr. 12. 24. And ye are come to the Blood of sprinkling From whence Mark that this cleansing purging sprinkling the Conscience c. was a real Act or Effect of the Blood of the Covenant unto the Sanctification of them who walked in the Light and not a meer Imputation or Application of Christ's Sufferings for the Justification of Impure and Unsanctified Persons Moreover it was when the People said ALL that the Lord hath said will we do and be Obedient that Moses took the Blood and sprinkled it on the People and said Behold the Blood of the Covenant c. Exod. 24. 7 8. To which Type answereth what the Apostle Peter saith Elect according to the fore-Knowledge of God through Sanctification of the Spirit â—…to OBEDIENCE and SPRINKLING of the Blood of Jesus 1 Pet. 1. 2. And he hath washed us from our Sins in his own Blood This is the Blood of the Covenant that doth sanctifie Heb. 10. 29. And he shall sprinkle many Nations Isa. 52. 15. Where Christ is known to sprinkle
Lord and because thereof to be written in the Earth therefore it follows that if People abide with the Lord he will both abide with them and their Names shall not be blotted out of the Book of Life nor shall they be written in the Earth And this also evinceth that they are not by Name as particular Persons either absolutely elected to Salvation nor reprobated to Damnation but on Condition of abiding with or forsaking the Lord. Arg. 4. All that are chosen do infallibly believe in time and partake of Christ's Righteousness Acts 13. 48. As many as were ordeined to Eternal Life believed Rom. 11 7. The Elect have obtained it therefore some particular Persons were elecâ—…ed for if all were Elected all would infallibly believe c. Answ. This is also a very frivolous dull and impertinent Argument and wholy misseth the State of his Proposition and the Controversies between us In the first place he begs the Question while he intends it to particular Persons as eyed and absolutely designed particularly from all Eternity to Salvation c. whenas the Question is not Whether those that are chosen through Sanctification do infallibly believe nor Whether Election which iâ—… in the Seed doth not in due time extend to particular Persons For those Persons or People who are true Believers are come into the Elect Seed being ingrafted into the trâ—…e Root are in the Election which obtains the Inheritance And as true Belief Faith and Obedience are the Terms upon which Life Eternal is promised and received so on the same Conditions Life is freely teâ—…dered in the Son of God to all Man-Kind yea to the whole World God so loved the World that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting Liâ—…e for God sent not his Son into the World to condemn the World but that the World through him might be saved Joh. 3. 16 17. This plainly cuts off that Opinion of a secret Decree and absolute Design from Eternity against the greatest Part of Mankind for their Destruction for it cannot be consistent with him to have so decreed Damnation from all Eternity â—…or those he â—…roffereth in time to save by his Son upon Believing Obeying and therefore as to that of Acts 13. 48. some have it thus And they believed even as many as were ordeined or fitted for Eternal Life which may not oppose Christ's Testimony before Whosoever believeth on the Son shall have Eternal Life which is promised not as meerly respecting particular Persons but that Condition on which 't is universally tendered as namely to be accepted in a living Faith and sincere Obedience But some more Ingenuous and as much learned as this Man affirm that the Word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is translated Acts 13. 48. ordeined signifies well appointed set in good Order prepared or disposed So as many whose Hearts were prepared or well-disposed viz. in a Willingness of mind and right Order of Spirit having true Desires sor eternal Life believed as the good Ground or honest Heart that received the good Seed so as it took Root And as when Lydia heard the Aâ—…ostles God opened her Heart that she attended unto the things which were spoken of Paul Acts 16. 14. And as Barnabas exhorted the People that with Purpose of Heart they would cleave unto the Lord Acts 11. 23. Here was a true Preparation in them both for Believing and Eternal Life And further from that of Acts 13. 46. it is evident that both the Word of the Lord was preached and Life Eternal tendered to those Jews who rejected it or put the Word of God from them and judged themselves unworthy of Everlasting Life Wherefore surely God did not from all Eternity either absolutely design them as particular Persons to Damnation or to pass them by for that End for he did not pass them by without taking notice of them but gave them notice of the Way of Life and Salvation tendring it to them by his Spirit in his Messengers which had been a Contradiction to himself if he had from Eternity absolutely decreed the contrary But the envious Jews opposing and rejecting the Word of God judged themselves unworthy of Everlasting Life wherein they rejected their Hope which was of the Lord therefore their Destruction was of themselves whereupon Paul and Barnabas said Lo we turn to the Gentiles for so hath the Lord commanded us saying I have set thee for a Light of the Gentiles that thou shouldst be for Salvation unto the Ends of the Earth and thereupon the Gentiles were glad c. vers 47. So that here was universal Grace and Salvation preached and tendered to all as that which God had foretold and promised who did not exclude any from the Benefit thereof nor was any hindred from Life and Salvation but who excluded themselves being such as judged themselves unworthy of Everlasting Life Arg. 5. Jacob was a particular Person and loved before he sect 4 had done any Good according to God's Purpose of Election Answ. He hath herein wrested the Scripture for it doth not say that Jacob was then loved and Esau hated before they had done Good or Evil as he renders the Words for then it may be asked what he hated Esau for before he had done Good or Evil Did he hate him for nothing Surely no but what was said before they were born or had done Good or Evil was by Way of Prophecy The Elder shall serve the Younger what is this to their Eternal States Jacob had no need of Esau's Service in Hell And then to the following Words as it is written Jacob have I loved but Esau have I hated where was it written and how doth it relate to Jacob and Esau Doth it relate to them meerly as particular Persons under such a Limitation of Election and Reprobation from Eternity or rather to their Posterities as under such different Qualifications of Love and Hatred Could God absolutely determine to hate any particular Persons meerly as Persons without respect to either the good or evil Qualifications or Works as before they had done Good or Evil This were blasphemously to render him in Enmity against his own Works as if he had made Man or forced him into the World unavoidably to destroy aâ—…d damn him to all Eternity whereas the Mercies of God are over all his Works a great and principal Part whereof is Mankind And as for that which is written oâ—… his loving Jacob and hating Esau it is in Malchie 1. Their Posterities were called by their Names that People of the Edomites who succeded Esau who was called Edom * both in Name and Nature Gen. 36. 19. whom Men should call the Border of Wiâ—…kedness which could not be till they were wicked and haâ—… acted Wickedness These were they against whom because of tâ—…eir Wickedness God had and against such stâ—…ll 〈◊〉 Indignation forever and hereupon his Decree is abâ—…olute against the