of Conscience and so consequently from Wrath which thou art yet highly guilty of and from which thy Water-Baptism has not washt thee T. H. You express your selves with great Varity sometimes you say 't is Christ another time its only a Measure of Christ anon its only of the Divine Essence this is a very uncertain Sound p. 3. Answ. Thou shewest thy self a dull cavilling Baptist must we be tied up to one Word to express a Principle by when the Scriptures allow of Varieties for Demonstration to divers Capacities which doth not alter the Matter This divine Light in man is exprest in the Scripture with as much Variety of Words as we do As it s called the Life the Light a Gift Manifestation Seed Kingdom of Heaven within a measure of the Gift of Christ the Grace of God c. yet one and the same spiritual and divine Life or Light T. H. Notwithstanding thy most diligent Attendance to the Light in thee that which thou callst the Light in thee hath in many things mis-guided thee p. 3. Answ. Now thou beginnest to be mad again the Light within that which I call the Light within is the very same that Christ and his Witnesses did witness to to wit In him was Life and the Life was the Light of men therefore thou hast blasphemously accounted this a misguiding Light And in thy 7th pag. hast plainly contradicted thy self herein where thou appealest to the Light in me and grantest it ought to be obeyed See how thou hast broke the neck of thy corrupt cause if it were a mis-guiding Light how dost thou for Proof appeal to it as Rule and grantest it ought to be obeyed ought that which is mis-guiding to be obeyed But the Light within ought therefore it will not mis-guide T. H. saith G. W. in his Discourse upon it urged that text Joh. 1. 4. In him was Life and the Life was the Light of men If the Life said he be the divine Essence my Words were If that Life be of the divine Being the Light must be so also Answ. This Argument thou didst never answer to purpose yet but cavillest and draws what Absurdities thou pleasest upon thy own Forgeries as will further appear only sillily thou argued against it thus viz. T. H. That the Life or Light spoken of Joh. 1. 4 9. is not supernatural because it is the Light of the Word as a Creator Answ. To which was answered that its false and inconsistent Doctrine For the Light of the Eternal Word is supernatural because the Light of the Eternal Word the Creator See here the Reason thou rendrest for its not being supernatural proves it super-natural for because it s of this divine Relation it must be divine And thou shifts but very sorrily to come off here when thou tellest me that the Life and Light commnuicated to every man from that Eternal Word is not supernatural Eternal and Divine But for this we have only thy Say-so contrary to what thou hast granted before to wit as being the Light of the Eternal Word Neither could thy other Shift serve thy turn viz. T. H. That the Life which is in God which is the Light of Men Joh. 1. 4. is divine as it is in God but natural as it is in man Answ. The Conclusion of this is Blasphemy for that divine Life is Immutable because divine it did not loose his Divinity by being given to man for being divine 't is no more subject to mutation than God is Remember here how thou wast nonplust and how thou art in a Laborinth and of this thou dost not clear thy self in all thy perverse cavilling against us Sect. II. The Life which is the Light of Men not a Creature or meer Effect c. WHereas on the Behalf of God's immediate Illumination or Shining in man's Heart for the Divinity thereof I alledged that the Cause thereof being divine this Effect thereof must needs be divine and supernatural as in my Narrative But instead of taking notice of the Words his Immediate Illumination or Shining thou art pleased to quarrel upon the Words such as is the Cause such the Effect must be and thus thou proceedest upon it viz. T. H. From this kind of Reasoning we may conclude not only the Light within but every Creature both Beasts and Trees are God these being the Effects of Infinite Wisdom dost thou not tremble at this Consequence p. 4. Answ. How causlesly dost thou quarrel Are both Beasts and Trees Immediate Effects of God's Power Did he not cause both Plants and Trees to grow out of the Earth 2ly Were these Immediate To be sure I never affirmed so many Gods as there are Effects of Infinite Wisdom But be it remembred that I never called the divine Life which is the Light of men a meer Effect but admitted of the Word Effect with reference to the Immediate Illumination or Shining of God in the Heart as being of a divine Nature because God is the Enlightener and Shiner And thou denying the Light to be of the divine Essence because communicated I urged this Argument That if the Life be divine or of the divine Being then the Light in man must be divine because the Life that was in God was that Light and such as is the Cause such is the Effect in some sence holds true in all the Effects of Infinite Wisdom true in all Creatures as they were made good God the Cause being the chiefest Good who beheld all that he had made that it was very good And God who is Light is the Fountain of Life and Light whose divine Life or Light it self which is the Light of men I never intended to be a meer Effect strictly taken as an Act of Power or thing made or created but as the Illumination or Immediate Shining in man immediately and naturally flowing from God the Fountain of Light its Envy makes thee carp and cavil and was not the Effect of the Law written in the Gentiles Hearts of the Nature of the Law Canst think thou art Ingenuous Dost think that I do not own Varieties of Effects from the Infinite Wisdom and Power of God as not only supernatural but natural both mediate providential and immediate Effects as well as Increated Immediate Products of Life Light and Vertue flowing naturally from him Yet though divine Illumination as manifested in man be an Immediate Act or Effect the Light or Life which doth illuminate is greater for it is the Cause which is more then the Effect though this Illumination hath a Living Vertue and Resemblance of the Cause in it and they are inseparable So that the Life which is the Light of Men Joh. 〈◊〉 4. being divine and of the Being of God himself who is Light it is not proper to call it a meer Effect as a thing made or a Creature as thou blindly calls it and would have it wherein thou dost meerly beg the Question and builds a false Structure thereupon Again thou
THE Christian-Quaker AND HIS DIVINE TESTIMONY VINDICATED BY Scripture Reason and Authorities AGAINST The Injurious Attempts that have been lately made by several Adversaries with Manifest Design to render HIM Odiously Inconsistent with CHRISTIANITY and Civil Society In II. Parts The FIRST more General by William Penn. The SECOND more Particular by George Whitehead Veritas fatigari potest vinci non potest Ether Beat. lib. 1. Thus saith thy Lord the LORD and thy God that pleadeth the Cause of his People Behold I have taken out of thy Hand the Cup of Trembling even the Dregs of the Cup of my Fury thou shalt no more drink it again But I will put it into the Hand of them that Afflict thee Isaiah 51. 22 23. Printed in the Year 1674. TO THE Noble Bereans Of THIS AGE WHen our dear Lord Jesus Christ the Blessed Author of the Christian-Religion first sent forth his Disciples to proclaim the Happy Approach of the Heavenly Kingdom among several other Things that he gave them in Charge it pleas'd him to make this One of their Instructions Into whatsoever City or Town ye shall enter enquire who in it is Worthy fore-seeing the ill Use Unworthy Persons would make of that Message and with what Unweariedness the implacable Pharisee and subtil Scribe would endeavour to Pervert the Right Way of the Lord and thereby prejudice the Simple against the Reception of that Excellent Testimony This being our Case who above every Tribe of Men are most Maliciously Represented Bitterly Envied and Furiously Oppugn'd by many of the Scribes and Pharisees of our Time for as Impious Wretches as Those of that reputed our Blessed Saviour and his Constant Followers it becometh us in a Condition so desperate to provide our selves with some Worthy Readers Men that dare trust their Reason above Reports and be Impartial in an Age as byass'd as this we live in whose Determinations shall not wait upon the Sentence of Ignorance nor Interest but a Sincere and Punctual Examen of the Matter And since there are None recorded in Sacred Writ on whom the Holy Ghost conferr'd so Honourable a Character as the Bereans of that Age for that they both searched after Truth impartially and when they found it imbraced it readily for which they were entituled Noble Therefore it is that to you the Progeny of that Worthy Stock and Noble Bereans of our Age We the so much Calumniated Abettors of the Cause of Truth choose to dedicate this Defence of our Holy Profession from the Injurious Practices of a fort of Men who not unlike to the Jews of Thessalonica that Envying the Prosperity of the Gospel among your Ancestors made it their Business to stir up the Multitude against the Zealous Promoters of it And no Matter what it be provided they can but Obtain their End of fixing an Odium upon the Quakers They do not only boldly condemn what they esteem Worst in us how deservedly we will not now say but slyly insinuate what is Best to be Criminal The Sobriety of our Lives they call a Cheat for Custom and our Incessant Preachings and Holy Living a Decoy to Advance our Party if we say Nothing to them when they interrogate us 't is Sullenness or Inability if we say Something to them it is Impertinency or Equivocation We must not believe as we do believe but as they would have us believe which they are sure to make obnoxious enough that they may the more securely bait us for it Nor must our Writings mean what we say we mean by them but what they will have them to mean lest they should want Proofs for their Charges It was our very Case that put David upon that sad Complaint Every day they Wrest my Words all their Thoughts are against me for Evil But to David's God we commit our Slander'd Cause and to you the Bereans of our Age. Degenerate not from the Example of your Progenitors if you do you are no longer True Bereans and to such only we inscribe this Work if you do not we may assure our selves of the Justice of a Fair Enquiâ—…y and an Equal Judgment The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ augment your Desire after Truth give you clearer Discerning of the Truth and enable you both more readily to receive and with greater Resolution to maintain the Truth We are Rickmersworth the 16th of the 10th Month 1674. Your greatly Traduc'd but truly Christian Friends William Penn George Whitehead THE PREFACE THe Insatiable Thirst of Men after Religious or Civil Empire has filled almost every Age with Contest But for Pure Religion scarcely has any one contended To mention the Disorders within the first Six hundred Years from Christ who have been by far worse succeeded were to write the Ecclesiastical History But such as are not ignorant in it must needs know that Religion so early became a Cloak for Dominion and Truth a Pretence for Revenge What better has happen'd since Modern Stories tell us Certainly the Separation of most Parties from former Institutions however rightly begun have basely degenerated into Self-Promotion and when there to the Exercise of that Power over Consciences which when it was their own Case â—…o suffer from others they esteem'd most Cruel I well know that there is something in Man that prompts to Religion and such as stands not in the Traditions of Men nor any meer Formality But Man that he may not wholy lose the Honour of a share or be reputed sloathful with an unwarrantable Activity so adulterates and by an Intermixture of his own Conceptions with those Divine Dictates and purer Discoveries so sophisticates that they last become more his own Workmanship then the Truth 's And so fond is he of this Child of his Brain that like some ancient Tyrants he will rather cut his way to the Throne by a Violence upon all other Consciences then not put an Earthly Crown upon its Head They that know not the Truth of this have scarcely look'd back to their Great-Grand-Father's time Two Centuries have not past as yet since Bold and Honorable Attempts were made against that Apostate Church of Rome which prov'd so Successful as to win many Kingdoms from her Tyranny God certainly blest the Endeavours of those Consciencious Persons who spent their Estate Time and Blood in that truly Holy but Passive War But this hath been the Misery that they being intercepted by Death their Successors who acted not in the same Simplicity and upon like Convictions as they did began to think it no small Testimony of their regard to their martyr'd Ancestors to invest what they call'd their Religion with Worldly Majesty and then make use of the temporal Sword to establish it with their own Additioâ—…s as the most true certain and infallible Way Employing that Force those Mulcts and cruel Penalties to extort Conformity or else perish who dissented which rendred Rome's Actions so detestable to the very Martyrs and indeed
their Weakness that he might both keep them from gadding after the Pompous Invention and Idolatrous Worship of other Nations and point out unto them under their great Carnality that more Hidden Glory and Spiritual Dispensation which should-afterwards be revealed to wit The Compleat Redemption of the Soul and Raign of the Holy Seed from the Child born and the Son given to the Wonderful Counsellor the Mighty God the Everlasting Father and Prince of Peace of the Increase of whose Government there shall be no End So that then we ought and we do by absolute Force of Truth conclude 1. That the Seed which Seed is Christ was in all Ages with Abraham with the Israelites with the Prophets Therefore he was as well before he came in that prepared Body as then and since 2. Yet it is confest That He was not so clearly revealed perfectly brought forth and generally known before his so Coming as then and since but more darkly figured out by Types and Shaddowy Services which though they Cleans'd not Sav'd not Redeem'd not yet did show forth a more Hidden and Spiritual Substance that was able to Cleanse Save and Redeem and did all that received it and were truly subject to it 3. That it therefore is not at all Absurd that the more Excellent Manifestation of Truth should he Typified and Prophesied of under the Enjoyment of the Lesser since the Reason of the Thing and the Testimonies of the Scripture are so express for it which ends our Answer to this Particular CHAP. XX. The Fourth Part of the Objection stated and considered Christ's Death and Sufferings confessed to and respected they were beneficial The Light of Christ within is the Efficient Cause to Salvation HAving thus considered the Third Part of this great Objection I am now come to what chiefly stumbles People with respect to the Light within at least as I apprehend and that is this Fourth and Last Particular viz. But if the Light in every Man be Christ how doth it bear our Sins and are our Iniquities laid upon it and how can we be said to be Justified Redeemed or Saved by its Blood since all these things are spoken by the Holy Pen-men of the Man Christ or Jesus born at Nazareth Surely you wholy invalidate his Life Death Resurrection Ascension and Mediation by this Belief in the Light This I take to be the very Stress of the Matter collected out of the most Forceable Writings of our Adversaries To which I Answer and let him that reads understand It must be considered in this Last Part of the Objection how those Questions can be applicable to the Light and yet be reconciliable with those Scriptures that seem to attribute all to his Bodily Sufferings I hope to make appear that as we exalt the First so we dare not by any means to slight the Last The Light or rather He that is Light in Man for I have alwayes desired so to be understood Light being a Metaphor or word taken from the outward Day and chiefly so term'd because of Man's Darkness which is thereby discovered hath been as a Lamb slain since the Foundation of the World that is the World had not been long created before the good Order of it and every thing therein being envied by the Fallen Angels that Spirit of Iniquity betrayed Man of his Innocency and Sin by Disobedience prevailing the Light or Principle of Life under whose Holy Leadings Man was placed became Resisted Grieved and as it were Slain which word Slain is also Metaphorical that is to say the Innocent Pure Life was as Wounded unto Death through Man's Disobedience and Lamb-like Image in which Adam was created by him through Rebellion lost Thus that Holy Principle which God placed in the Heart of Adam in which was true Light Life and Power bore the Sin was prest under it as a Cart under Sheaves grieved exceedingly and as it were quencht with Iniquity This hath been the Condition of that Precious and Elect Seed Spirit Light Life Truth or whatever Name equivalent any may please to give it ever since that first Rebellion to this very Day And as in Wicked Men God's Holy Light and Spirit or that Principle which is so called hath been deeply Wounded yea as one Slain so in Good Men that have had a Sence of the World's Abomination hath it also born many Burdens and Weights for the Light and Life is One in All. And those who have been reformed by it and joyned to it have been as One Spirit and have not been without their Share of their Lord 's heavy Sufferings from the Ungodly World which was as well a filling up of Christ's Sufferings that were before his Outward Coming as what to this Generation are behind And as at any time Disobedient Men have harkened to the still Voice of the WORD that Messenger of God in their Hearts to be affected and convinced by it as it brings Reproof for Sin which is but a Fatherly Chastizement â—…o upon true Brokenness of Soul and Contrition of Spirit that very same Principle and Word of Life in Man has mediated and attoned and God has been propitious lifting up the Light of his Countenance and replenishing such humble 〈◊〉 with Divine Consolations So that still the same Christ Word-God who has enlightned all Men by Sin is grieved bearing the Iniquities of such as so sin and reject his Benefits but as any hear his Knocks and let him in he first Wounds and then Heals afterwards he attones mediates and re-instates in the holy Image Behold this is the State of Restitution And this in some Measure was witnessed by the Holy Patriarchs Prophets and Servants of God in old time to whom Christ was substantially the same Saviour and Seed bruising the Serpent's Head that he is now to us what Difference sâ—…ever there may be in Point oâ—… Manifestation But notwithstanding the same Light and Life with that which afterwards clothed it it self with that outward Body did in measure inwardly appear for the Salvation of the Souls of Men yet as have often said never did that Liâ—…â—…eminently put â—…orth it self for that End as in that 〈◊〉 and prepared Body so that what he then suffered and did in that transcendent Manisestation may by way of Eminency assume the whole Work unto it self that he ever did before or might do afterwards For doubtless that very Light Life and Power which dwelt in that Fleshâ—…y Tabernacle eminently was the Convincer Condemner Saviour and Redeemer yet not only as confined to that Body but as revealed in the Hearts of Men as he was in Paul who not consulting with Flesh and Blood against the Lord of Glory willingly receive him in to bind the strong Man spoil his Goods and cast him out that He might Reign And that the Divine Life Light Spirit Nature of Principle which resided in that Body was the efficient Cause of Salvation observe the Title that is given from the great Work he was to
a Witnessing of a measure of the same Light Spirit and Power to appear for Redemption in each particular VIII That Justification came by Faith in his Blood is clear in a Sense for by the Law could no Flesh be justified That is the Law being added because of Transgression certainly the Transgressor could not be justified whilst such by that Law which condemned him for being such Which puts me upon Distinguishing betwixt Justification as it is sometimes taken viz. for Remission Pardon or Forgiveness of Sin past upon Repentance and that Justification which implies an Acceptance with and an Access to God as a Keeper of the Law of the Spirit of Life which is to be made Inherently Just. In the first Sense Since all have sinned no Man can be justified by the Law he has transgress'd Therefore that great Favour and Mercy of Remission Pardon and Forgiveness was only then generally preacht in the Name of Jesus that such as believed in his Message should obtain Thus by the Works of the Law shall no Flesh be justified because all the Righteousness Man is capable of caâ—…ot make Satisfaction for any Unrighteousness he has committed since what he daily doth is but what he daily ows But still such as keep the Law are justified for that a Man should be condemned both for Transgressing Keeping the Law too would be very hard What shall we say then but that Justification in the first Sense since Adam's Day to this hath been God's Free Love upon Repentance and above all that by Christ's visible Appearance and in his Name was Remission Pardon or Forgiveness preacht or held forth to the whole World upon their believing therein more eminently then ever But in the last Sense No Man can be justified but as he is made Just and is found actually Doing of the Will of God That justifies that is it gives Acceptance with and Access to God In this Sense it was that the Apostle said Such as are the DOERS of the Law shall be justified and not from the Guilt of what they formerly did against it by then keeping it for that is the free Love of God alone upon the Repentance of the Creature which hath been in all former Ages but never so eminently held forth to the World as by the Coming of Jesus Christ in the Flesh. So that thus far we can approach the Honester Sort of Professors of Religion or rather we never were at a Distance from them viz. That Men may be reconciled and in a Sense justified while Sin may not be totally destroyed That is God upon their Repenting of past Sins whilst not then clearly purged from the Ground of Evil may and we believe doth remit pardon or forgive former Offences and is thus far reconciled that is hâ—… ceaseth to be Wrath or at a Distance from them as whilst they went on in a State of Disobedience to the Light Yet forever we affirm that no Man or Woman can be â—…ade a Child of God but as the New Birth Regeneratâ—… and the iâ—…vine and Heavenly Image comes to be witnessed through the putting off the Old Man and his Deeds and being baptized by the Holy Ghost and Fire into the one Holy Body of which Christ the â—…maculate Lamb of God is Head and Lord. So that all those who apply to themselves or others the â—…romises due to this State unto that before-mentioned heal themselves or other deceitfuly and God will judge for those things So let all People coâ—…sider with Sobriety and Moderation iâ—… the thiâ—…gs we aâ—…ert are not most agreeable with Scripture and that Light of Truth which is in their own Consciences unto which we most of all desire to be made maniâ—…est IX Nor is this all the Good the Life and Sufferings of that Blessed Manhood brought unto the World For having been enabled so effectually to perform the Will of God Living anâ—… so patiently suffered the Will of Wicked Men Dying therein freely offering up his â—…ost Innocent Life for the World He certainly obtained exceeatâ—…g great and pretious Gifts which as every Man comes to believe in the â—…ight wherewith Christ 〈◊〉 hath enlightned him and to be lead by it he shall assuredly fâ—…el a particular Benefit to him accruing from that general one procured by him who so laid down his Life for the World In short As we cannot but acknowledge him a Saviour in That very Manifestation or Coming in that prepared Boâ—…y who appeared so extraordinarily to visit the World with hâ—…s marvelous Light and Truth to turn their Minds from Error and Darkness and actually converted and reclaimed many and endued his Followers with his own Heavenly Light Life and Power whereby to supply his exteriour Absence with a most lively piercing and effectual Ministry for the compleating the rest from Generation to Generation so must we needs attribute this chiefly to the Divine Light Life and Power that through the Manhood of both Lord and Servants put forth and revealed It self to the Salvation of the World Nor are we yet as hath been often hinted to speak strictly to asscribe the particular Salvation of every Man's Soul to the Appearance of that same Light in Nature in either Lord or Servant albeit many were reacht into their very Hearts and Consciences at that time and great and mighty things were generally procured and Christ in that Manifestation became the Author of Salvation unto many but rather as he is the Light of Men Individually both then did and now doth appear in the Hearts and Consciences of Men unto the awakening of whom and turning their Minds from that Darkness of Tradition Formality and Sin which had and doth overcast the Soul unto that blessed Light in the particular that thereby as to them suffer'd and doth yet suffer so great and tedious an Ecclips â—…say this is the Efficient of Salvation and all other Exteriour Visitations Ministries or Assistants though from the same Light are in respect of the Light in every single Man or Woman but Instrumeâ—…al In this Sense then Man is only a Saviour Instrumenâ—…ly but Christ both whether with reference to his own Bodily Appearance or in the Ministry of his Servants he is the most excellent Instrument and the only Efficient Cause of Salvation as revealed and obeyed in the Consciences of Men. So that it is not the Question Whether do the Quakers deny any Benefit to redound by Christ s Bodily Sufferingsâ—… but Whether the Professors allow and acknowledge the Main of the Work to the Divine Life and Light In short He was the General Saviour in that eminent Appearance at Jerusalem in which he did so many great and good things for Mankind a Particular Saviour as we find him in our Hearts an holy Light shewing Sin reproving for and converting from it into the Holy Nature of the Light to be Flesh of his Flesh and Bone of his Bone Thus have I declared according to my Understanding grounded on Experience and
that Illumination God has given me in Moderation the very Truth Weight and Tendency of the Outward Coming of Christ and his deep Sufferings by and for the World And also the Nature of his Inward Coming into the Souls of Men to expel the Darkness that lodgeth there In both which respects I confess him to be the Saviour of the World in general and the Saviour of each Man in particular But that the Benefit accruing to Men from Him as the general Saviour is known and received only where he is witnessed a particular Saviour and that I will abide by For Christ in Man becoming the Hope of Glory and Man's being changed into the same Image from Glory to Glory even as by the Spirit of the Lord is the Salvation and Perfection of every True Christian. CHAP. XXII That Christ is the Light or the Light is Christ. proved from Scripture and so concluded notwithstanding two Objections which are fully answered THat which remains to compleat our Scriptural Discourse of the Light is to pronounce it that which H. H. J. Faldo Tho. Hicks and a Multitude of other Barkers at it despise to call it and don 't a little undervalue both us and It because we do I mean CHRIST Not that the Manifestation of Light in every Conscience is the Intire Christ but that Christ the Word-God is that Light of Righteousness which inlightens all Men for which the Scripture is most express in that so well known but little believed Passage delivered to us by that beloved â—…isciple who best knew what his Lord was and stood in no need of any of their Information how to denominate or rightly character him although they and others implicitely accuse him of Weakness Obscurity nay Error if not Blasphemy too who make it all this and if it were possible more in a poor Quaker for only Believing on pure Gonviction this one weighty Passage THAT WAS THE TRUE LIGHT WHICH INLIGHTENS ALL MANKIND COMING INTO THE WORLD I have so throughly handled this Matter in a late Book intituled the Spirit of Truth Vindicated that I need the less to enlarge at this time to which I refer the Reader for Satisfaction concerning some Objections raised against the place However I will briefly consider it here that our Believing Christ to be an Universal and Sufficient Light and that to be Christ may stand in the View of the World upon so good Foundation as the Testimony of that Divine and well-beloved Apostle Two things are commonly urg'd against our Understanding of the first Nine Verses of John as they respect the Light 1. Some say that the Light here spoken of is not a Super natural and consequently no Saving Light but the Light of common Reason Others call it of Nature decay'd by the Fall and what Conviction ariseth thence is only the Imperfect Remains of that Natural Light which these Men who thus speak grant all to have as well before as after Christ's coming in the Flesh. 2. Others say that this is indeed an Universal and Saving Light but they restrain it to that Visible Appearance and make the ALL to be all those that will believe and the World to be that New Spiritual World Christ came to create by Saving Knowledge which Believers come into I will briefly answer both and therein as well all the pretended Anti-Socinians viz J. Owen R. Baxter T. Danson J. Clapham J. Bunnion S. Eaton J. Grig T. Imner T. Hicks and abundance more who hold the former as those who are reputed Socinians who hold the latter It is agreed by the First in the beginning of this Chapter that Christ's Eternal Divinity is declared by the Evangelist since some of them and particularly J. Owen tells us out of Eusebius that it was written on that very Occasion one Cerinthus then denying any such thing This Word which was with God and was and is God This God the same Person tells us in his first Epistle is Light By Him all things were made among the rest Mankind He then tells us that This Word had Life and from thence descends to inform us what the Word was with respect to Man In Him the Word was Life and the Life the Light of Men as such He was that True Light and not John who only came to bear Witness of that True Light which inlightens all Mankind coming into the World That this Light is Divine and no otherwise Natural then as it is Christ's Nature or Natural to the Word I shall thus prove Man is here supposed to be before he was inlightened therefore what ever was proper and connatural to Man as Man he had before he was inlightened that is he had a reasonable Soul indued with intelligent Faculties and that clothed with a Body fitted with sensible Organs The Latter differ'd him from Inanimate the Former from Irrational Creatures But still the Light with which this Soul is enlightened in reference to God and things appertaining to its Eternal Well being belongs not to Man as Man Surely then this Light must be superadded that is over and above Man's Composition as a meer Understanding Creature and consequently it must descend from above and in this Sense be Supernatural Thus the Word created all things and among them made Man enlightened Man with a Supernatural Light That this Light was not only over and above Man's Nature but is also of a Divine and Saving One in it self 〈◊〉 prove from its being the Life of the Word for if the Life of the Word be the Light of Men here is no such thing as descending to an Effect to prove the Light Divine a that the Life should bring forth a Light and therefore this Light is Divine because the Life of the Word that Product it is so I say without going to an Effect for a Proof of the Light 's Divinity I thus Undeniably prove it from the Life it self for that very Divine LIFE is the LIGHT not that it createth or brings forth a Light as a Cause doth an Effect but is that very Light it self so that unless they will make that Life Natural I mean as they do Created though very improperly for a Divine Life is Natural to Christ they cannot conclude the Light which is not the Product but that very same Life it felf to be a meer Natural Light If then the very LIFE of the Word be the LIGHT of Men unless the LIFE of the Word be NATURAL the LIGHT of Men must be SUPERNATURAL DIVINE and INFINITE as it becomes the LIFE of the WORD which is GOD to be And this roundly checks the dull Ignorance or base Malice of Tho. Hicks who either could not or would not understand G. Whitehead when he said The Light must needs be Divine because the Life from whence it came is so and the Effect is alwayes of the same Nature with the Cause in any other sense then this That because saith Tho. Hicks God is the Cause of Beasts
in Fundamentals Answ. First we thought that Water-Baptism had been a fundamental Point with the Baptists and do they and Presbyterians agree therein 2. Have not the Baptists whom Presbyterians call Anabaptists been accounted Hereticks by the Presbyterians Why do they now joyn against the Quakers so called 3. Dare he say there are no good People among the Quakers that he makes good People's being among Presbyterians a Reason of his joyning with them against us Is it not easy to see a manifest Dissimulation and feigned Confederacy therein among these our Opposers If our Opposer saith we have not inserted his Explications upon his Assertions Answ. That 's his Work he hath Liberty to do it himself But he hath not done it nor vindicated these his Assertions in his Pamphlet Christ's Light within asserted as it is Divine and therefore a sufficient Rule of Life unto Salvation to all that truely obey it and vindicated from Tho. Hicks his dark Exceptions fallasious and impious Arguments consisting of manifest Ignorance Confusion and Ranterism which are here inserted as they were exhibited in a Paper afterwards owned and signed by him HIs harge against G.W. That George Whitehead affirmed that there was that Light in every Man if followed that was sufficient to Salvation T. Hick's Assertions against this 1. In Answer to which it is asserted that the Light in every Man could not understand the Doctrine of Instituted Worship 2. That the Light in every Man could not understand the Doctrine of Jesus Christ concerning his coming to save Sinners 3. The Light in every Man could not bring him to the Understanding how Sin came into the World 4. The Light in every Man cannot acquaint him with the Knowledge of the Doctrine of the Resurrection of the Dead Reply G. Whitehead still affirms that God hath gratiously afforded that Light to every Man which he ought to follow and is sufficient to guide him to Salvation To his four first Assertions I query Is that Life which is the Light of Men John 1. 4. divine in it self the Light of Jesus Christ as the Eternal Word able to apprehend and bring Man clearly to see the Invisible things of God even his Eternal Power and Godhead as confessed from Rom 1. 19 20. And yet is this Light neither able to understand the Worship that 's due to him the Doctrine of Christ Jesus concerning his coming to save Sinners how Sin came into the World nor yet to acquaint Man with the Knowledge of the Resurrection can the Light apprehend or bring men to see God's Eternal Power and yet neither bring them to understand the Cause of Man's Separation and Death from God nor his Duty or Restoration to God again How manifestly in consistent and contradictory are these and how plainly doth he charge men's Ignorance and Defects for want of Obedience upon the Light within And then what is it given for and what can it do But these Assertions are grounded upon his taking it for granted that it is not a Light of Grace but of Nature when that Life which is the Light of Men is granted to be divine in its own being able to discover the Eternal Power and Godhead then which there is not a higher Power but how this divine Light should become Natural as a Creature we are still to enquire as that which neither T. H. â—…or his Brethren have ever yet proved That the Light within every Man could not be a Rule for it must be a Light of Nature or of Grace This Light cannot be understood the Light of Grace because the Scripture doth suppose a time when Men are without it It is said after those Dayes I will put my Laws in their Hearts and they shall know me that must be the Light of Grace Answ. Where doth the Scripture say that the Life of Christ which was with and in the Father which is the Light of men is the Light of Nature and not a Light of Grace The man in taking this for granted most filthily begs the Question and that contrary to his own Concession before neither doth the Scripture suppose a time wherein Men have no Light of Grace in them as he insinuates but a time when they are out of the New-Covenant and Strangers in their Minds to it as not being come into that Agreement with God or Union with his Light which this Covenant doth import And because the State and Tenour of it is both the having God's Laws written in his People's Hearts and Minds their knowing him to be their God and they to be his People and it s a Covenant of Mercy and Forgiveness of Sins past It doth not therefore follow that none of his Law is in them before they come to this Holy Attainment and Blessed Agreement though his Laws are not so universally written or deeply engraven in their Hearts before for it s now granted by divers of our Opposers who are of the more moderate 1. That the pure or holy Law which God placed in man's Hearts before Transgression was never wholy abliterated though much clouded by man's Disobedience 2. Some of these Anabaptists do confess to a Light in man which reproves for Evil and excites to good which they say is the Substance of the morral â—…aw or first Covenant which enjoyns Man truely to love and worship God and to love our Neighbours equally with our selves to do justly c. That this the very Heathens or Gentiles have in them And then I ask if this Law doth not appertain to the New-Covenant as one principle Law thereof also and never intended to be destroyed by Christ but fulfilled and renewed in his Followers who have Union with it as having a more deep impression and being more fully discovered in the Hearts of Men when become Children of this Covenant then before Was not Love the fulfilling of the Law and was not this preached by Christ's Ministers and was not love one to another both the Old and New Commandment yea the Old Commandment renewed and established If not a Light of Grace in every Man then it must be the Light of Nature but the Light in every Man cannot be sufficient to Salvation Acts 11. 18. When they heard these things they held their Peace and glorifyed God saying then hath God also to the Gentiles granted Repentance to Life then they had it not before Answ. His Argument still depends upon his former Fallacy that 't is not a Light of Grace but a Light of Nature that is in every Man as also in putting Repentance for the Light of Grace he puts the Effect for the Cause as if no man had saving Grace or a Light thereof before Repentance or Conversion whereas his Argument doth not at all prove that those Gentiles who received the Word of God had not a Light of Grace but only of Nature in them before Peter preached Jesus Christ to them but rather the contrary that it was a Light of Grace a
Sincere and Upright accompanied with an earnest reaching after Perfection as Paul did p. 51. Answ. What ever Perfection with respect to a full Apprehension or Knowledge was prest after by Paul as Phil. 3. 12 13. yet this his Perfection granted of Sincerity and Uprightness was sinless it was pure in Nature wherein he was capable of attaining a perfect Growth in spiritual Understanding And this is implyed in his pressing after Perfection while he was perfect as appears in his own Words But if in this Sence sincere and upright Men do earnestly reach after a sinless Perfection and that Paul did so then it is attainable otherwise both Paul and the rest did â—…rnestly strive after an Impossibility and this renders both their Praying Striving and Preaching in valid as yours is who put on People earnestly to reach after Perâ—…ction and yet tell them it is not attainable Upon Mat. 5. 〈◊〉 Be ye perfect as your Heavenly Father is perfect thou presumest We intend not that we should be perfectly powerful wise and good as God is Answ. 1st We do not intend that we should be God but holy just and good men renewed after his own Image which is perfect 2ly Though not so perfectly powerful and wise as God is yet while thou withal excludes being good as God is thou art contradictory in saying the meaning of the Text is Be Merciful as your Heavenly Father is Merciful that is Love your Enemies do good to them that hate you p. 51. these are not intelligibly consistent That we must not be good as God is and yet Merciful as he is that is love our Enemies c. I would know if that Soul is not endued with the Goodness of God that is endued with his Mercy and Love so as to do good to enemies Was it not a plain Caracter of being his Children when they did so love their Enemies and do good to them that did hate them See Math. 5. 44 45. But this perfect Resemblance of the Heavenly Father such Sin-pleasers and pleaders as T. H. will not admit of in this Life who is so far from this Love and Goodness towards Enemies that his Enmity leads him to abuse bespaâ—…ter and defame such of us who never owed him or his Friends ever any ill-will in the World But when doth he expect this divine Resemblance of God or sinless Perfection to be brought forth It doth appear in Answer to the Question stated by him thus viz. Where wouldst thou be perfectly free from Sin if not in this Life His Answer is in Heaven p. 50. Reply He would be perfectly free from Sin in Heaven as he pretends but opposeth Perfection being attainable in this Life accounting that it causeth much Pride Presumption hinders all holy Fear Humility Watchfulness and industrious Endeavours to Persons in a holy Course whereas this all tends to a perfect Life But sufficiently hath he contradicted this his sinful Doctrine against a perfect Freedom where he confesses p. 24 That Christ came to carry on in the World the Design of insinite Grace and Love in being a Saviour of Sâ—…ers from Sin Death and Hell Note here he hath given a deadly Blow to his own Imperfect lame and Sinfull Cause for if Christ came into the World to save Sinners from Sin and to redeem us from all Iniquity then to be so saved is attainable in this Life for Christ is able perfectly to do the Work which he came for that is to save from Sin and to redeem from all Iniquity Again T. H. in his Forgery deals very corruptly according to his â—…onted manner in stating the Christian and the Quaker thus speaking viz. Chr. If thou canst prove a perfect Freedom from Sin 's Inherency c. remember thou must prove it by Scriptures or Instances Qua. I will prove it by both First By Scriptures Phil. 3. 15. Math. 5. 48. Secondly By Instances Many of our Friends do witness it p. 50 51. Reply Herein most falsly and abusively he hath acted the Quakers speaking his own Notorious Forgery as Prooâ—… They have no Reason to chuse him for their mouth for what needed they bring any Instances of themselves for any Proof when they are left to prove Perfection by Scriptures or Instances while the Scriptures plainly prove it And let me tell him it is not our manner of arguing with our Opposers to tell them that many of our Friends do witness Perfection knowing not only that to be the thing which they seek to reproach us by but also that to plead the Verity of Principles from the meer Credit of Persons asserting them to be no prevalent Proof nor Effect any Conviction while the Persons themselves are slited and abused But our Adversary having thus falsly acted the Quaker as before as saying many of our Friends witness Perfection he declines the Scriptures for it and falls upon personal reviling and to express to the World some wrong Expressions and Mistakes of Persons If he rightly state them which I much question because his many notorious Abuses Sect. XXII Tho. Hicks his groundless Calumny and malitious Railing against G. Whitehead NOw we come to his Railing and Slaâ—…der against G. Whitehead viz. That he is guilty of Deceit and Falshood in matter of Fact and that he told him he was a Knave that is he was a false deceitful man p. 53. Answ. Here I shall take leave to answer for my self therefore understand Reader what he pretends as his Reason for this abusive Language to me I find two things he pretends for it First He accuseth me with denying mine Opinions when charged with them 2ly He that shall give a false Relation of what another man asserts and does it wifully is false and Deceitful But thâ—…s he accuseth me and why so But because I acknowledged Explicatioâ—…s to be given to his Propositions yet gives not the least him what tâ—…ose Explications were p. 53. Reply To the first what I did deny I still do deny as none of my Opinions as stated by T. H. in his accusing the Quakers That they deny the Person of Christ his Offices Satiâ—…action and the Râ—…surrection of the Body I do recharge these upon him as his Lyes and Slanders forged and brought forth in Envy and Darkness as I did in the Paper and publick Debate between us and in so doing I do not deny any Opinion or Tenent of mine or my Friends And he dealt most dis-ingenuously in not laying down my own Words to prove that I denyed the Person of Christ or his Offices Satisfaction and the Resurrection But instead thereof was it either ingenuous or honest to bring my â—…dversary T. D. his Pamphlet stiled a Sinopsis which falsly accuseth me with saying there is no Resurrection from the Dead for Proof Most falsly instancing my Answer to W. Burnet in which Answer quite contrary to what I am accused oâ—… I have given a plain Confession to the man Christ his Offices Satisfaction and the Resurrection
that are not written Joh. 20. 30. and Joh. 21. 25. To this I say It s an easie matter for Intruders to ask unlearned and unnecessary Questions whereof this is one of those many other Signs and Things that Jesus did it s said If they should be written every one I suppose that even the World it self could not contain the Books Joh. 20. 25. how then should this Querist be capable to contain them I suppose he doth not think himself able to contain more then the World it self If he saith it is an hiperbolical Expression then is his Question hiperbolical to be sure And if we cannot give him Account of all those Signs and things in particular while we are not sollicitous to know them nor do we think it needful is that any valid Plea or Proof against the Sufficiency of the Light within or Spirits Teaching Would such an Argument against the Scriptures being the Rule please him because they contain not all that was done God gives us to know what 's sufficient and necessary for Life and Salvation by his Light within But if the Word contain 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 be taken for to understand as Mat. 19. 11. to comprehend Job 21 25. Then in that Sence there 's far more written in the Scriptures already then either our Opposer or his Brethren can either comprehend or understand and therefore it s a busie Intrusion and Cavil in them to query for more while they oppose the true Light within and will not believe in it nor depend upon the Immediate Teachings of the Spirit of Truth from whence the holy Scriptures proceeded but dark they are and more grosly dark and confused they are like to be who persist in that gain-saying Spirit of Prejudice and Enmity against the Light of Truth which I desire the Lord to give them a Sight and Sence of unto Repentance rather then they should perish in their perverse Gain-sayings THE Angry Anabaptist Proved BABYLONISH IN Answer to Henry Grigg's Pamphlet stiled The Baptist not Babylonish Wherein Whilst he endeavours to reconcile his Contradictions in his Book Entituled Light from the Sun c. Charged upon him in a Paper Entituled The Babylonish Baptist He is run into more Contradictions Absurdities and false Accusations against the People of God called Quakers and their Principles By G. W. Ex ore tuo te judicabo Printed in the Year 1673. The Heads of the following Treatise I. OF the Light of the Eternal Word in Man and the Anabaptist confounded about it II. The Sufficiency of the Light within to reveal God Christ c. III. The Effect of Christ's Sufferings only known in his Light within IV. The saving Work of the Spirit V. How the Light in Man is a Gift and H. G' s Distinction between the Meritorious and Instrumental Cause of Salvation examined VI. The Lord's Supper in the Type and in the Anti-Type the Shadow and Substance distinguished VII The Anabaptist's Imposition about their Shadowy Baptism VIII Their Definition of the true Saviour and his Being IX The Hypostatical Union X. His Charge against the Quakers Principles and Doctrines of the Light within proved impure vile and ignorant and the Spirituality Divinity and Sufficiency of the Light within further asserted XI His sad and impious Prayer against the Light in all which Light is proved of the same Nature or kind with the Witness in Believers XII His groundless Comparison and Distinction between the Light of God in man and the Light of Christ or Gospel further refuted XIII His belying us with denying the Man Christ Jesus to â—…loak his own Absurdity and Ignorance of Christ and his Being XIV That scriptural Distinction between the Eternal Son of God and the Body prepared for him further maintained and the Anabaptist's persecuting Spirit reviling and traducing the Inocent reproved XV. A Warning and Reproof to Hen. Grigg c. XVI The Baptist's nine Questions answered THE Angry Anabaptist Proved BABYLONISH IN Answer to H. G's Pamphlet stiled The Baptist not Babylonish WHereas H. G. pretends he hath set down my Animadversions upon his Contradictions in order exactly after my own Fashion pag. 1. I say this is not true he hath left out the latter part of five of them which it appears did pinch him Therefore I shall represent to the Reader his Contradictions with my Animadversions and the Stress of his Exceptions whereby he would endeavour to make People believe he hath not contradicted himself but that we must refer to the Impartial Readers to judge of in the Light of Truth I. Of the Light of the Eternal Word in Man and the Anabaptist confounded about it HEnry Grigg saith viz. I utterly deny that this Light which all Men have from the Glorious Creator is a saving Light pag. 8. of his Book called Light from the Sun of Righteousness H. G. in Contradiction saith I really believe that the Lord Jesus Christ AS the Eternal Word hath given Light or enlightneth all Men and Women that come into the World p. 8. G. W. his Animadversion The Light or Life of the Eternal Word which is the Light of Men Joh. 1. 4. is spiritual and divine as is that Word and therefore saving to all that truly obey it H. G. replyes It seems to me as if this Man had lost his Common Reason because I deny that the Light which is in all Men is a saving Light and yet say I really believe all have a Light in them from Christ considered as Creator This cannot be a Contradiction unless he can prove there is no Light proceeding from the Eternal Word as Creator but what is saving p. 2. G. W. answereth Whilst he would insinuate that the Light in every Man is created or a Creature he meerly beggs the Question and still remains in his self-Contradiction for he dare not say That AS the Eternal Word Jesus Christ is a Creature Neither is his Light that proceedeth from him as that Word created any more then that Life which was in him which Life was the Light of Men will they say this is either created or natural As the Eternal Word is divine so is the Light or immediate Shining thereof in Man's Conscience H. G. What though it be granted that the Light which all Men that come into the World are lighted which flows from the Eternal Word and so is spiritual must it needs therefore be a saving Light Was not the Law given forth on Mount Sinai a Light of or come from the Eternal Word and doth not Paul say that the Law is spiritual Rom. 7. 14. and yet a Ministration of Death 2 Cor. 3. 7. and that killed and in other places that there was no Justification by it G. W. Answer 1. If it be a spiritual Light in Man proceeding and flowing from the Eternal Word it must therefore be the Eternal Word that immediately shineth in Man's Heart which is not created nor natural for all have not
is this to shew thy Humility and self-Abasement thou hadst shown more of that in Silence a Fool is sometimes counted a prudent Man by keeping silent who otherwise bewrayes his Folly in uttering words as some men shew their Pride and Hypocrisie by endeavouring to appear humble 6thly Nothing Creature Should another tell thee so in earnest in shewing the Nothingness of thy Work thou hast produced â—…t is probable thou wouldst not take it well Some while they discommend themselves would have others commend them and their Work But to thee nothing creature and thy Brethren that have assisted and encouraged thee in thy Work against the Light within and against us who believe in and confess to it we may say Produce your Cause bring forth your strong Reasons behold ye are of nothing and your Works of nought and Abomination is he that chuâ—…eth you Isa. 41. 21 24. Lay aside your Envy Pride Hypocrisie vain Imaginations and Conceits and come down and stoop to this Light within which at times convinceth and reproves you of your Iniquities that you may be Reformed and the Reproofs of Instructions may be the way of Life unto you Otherwise the Light within will pursue you to your Condemnation XVI The Baptist's nine Questions Answered THat the Reader may perceive the man is uncertain and argues Doubtâ—…ulness in his severe Charge before of horrible Heresies Delusions vile Impostures ravening Wolves c. against the Quakers note that at last he puts Questions to us about the same Things whereoâ—… he hath accused us which he needed not have done had he either been certain or had any such plain or real Advantage against us as he hath pretended His Questions to which he desires direct and distinct Answers are as followeth First Was he the Christ and true Saviour that was born of the Virgin yea or nay Answ. Yes he was the true Christ the Son of God both then and before he took on him that Body or was so born 2dly If you say he Was I query whether that same Christ be in the Heart of every Man and Woman Answ. The same Christ is spiritually in yea revealed and dwelling in the Hearts of true Believers and Saints and they in him but not so in every man though he enlightens every Man and in his Light he is to be revealed and known 3dly Whether he that you own to be the Christ and true Saviour was put to death or Crucified on the Cross Answ. As concerning the Flesh he was 4thy Whether you believe there is any other Christ then what is in the heart of man yea or nay Answ. The true Christ is but one and the same forever though variously manifested as both in the Flesh and in the Spirit both In his Flesh or Body Intirely wherein he came unto his own the Jews who received him not and spiritually in his followers who have received him for he said to his Disciples he that is with you shall be in you and to his Father I in them and thou in me c. that the Love wherewith thou hast loved me may be in them and I in them but thus not universally In Man though in some Degree and Sence he appears universally in man 5thly If that Body that was nailed to the Cross was but as a Garment which the true Christ did wear or as a House in which he did dwell why may not any other Man in whose Flesh Christ is manifested and doth dwell be called the Christ as well as Jesus of Nazareth Answ. There 's not the same Reason for any other man to be Called the Christ. 1st Because of his divine Pre-existence both before he took upon him that Body or Flesh and before man or other things were made which God created by Jesus Christ. 2dly Because of his Miraculous Conception as Concerning that Body 3dly Because he was anointed with the Oyl of Gladness above his Fellows Lastly He that compared that Body or Flesh which he took upon him to a Garment or House intended no Detraction from the Honour or Dignity of the true Christ for his Flesh was called the Vail his Body the Body of Jesus this Temple the Form of a Servant and his Saints are his Members 6thly If you own the man Christ why do you affirm it a Contradiction to say he is God of the Substance of the Father and yet truly man made like unto us in all things sin only excepted For either he must be meer Man or 〈◊〉 or else it cannot be any Contradiction And if you say 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Man then you seem to side with those Jews that 〈◊〉 Saviour for Blasphemy in that being a Man he made 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Joh. â—…0 33. and if you say he is meer God doth it not then clearly follow you deny the man Christ Answ. Thou hast herein Queried like a disingenious Shuffler to obscure thy own self-Contradiction and to reproach us whereas thy Contradiction was not between Jesus Christ's being of the Substance of the Father and yet truly Man in time but between his being from everlasting the Son of God by eternal generation or of the substance of the Father and thy asserting that Jesus Christ consisteth of human Flesh and Bone which to be sure the Substance of the Father doth not consist of But Let H. G. and his Assistants Shuffle off this Contradiction if they can But 't is no Contradiction to say that the Son of God in his divine being is God and that he took upon him the pure being of Man and a body prepared for him and is the heavenly Man the Anointed of God 7thly I query whether you own any other Resurrection then what you say you experience within Answ. We believe and own a farther Attainment of the Resurrection which with respect to a future State in Glory may be called another then what we yet experience though we have attained to a good Degree and Experience of our rising in and with Christ who is the Resurrection and the Life and in him is the Saints everlasting Rest and Glory 8thly Whether you believe that that body of Flesh and Bone which is laid in the Grave respecting the Matter or Substance of it shall by the mighty Power of God be raised from the dead at thelast day Answ. As Flesh and Blood shall not inherit the Kingdome of God so I query how the same Flesh and Bone 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 â—…lood should inherit the Kingdome of God or how 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 be the same Flesh Blood and Bones after 〈◊〉 to dust without any new Creation as some Baptists affirm 9thly Whether that man whosoever he be doth not deny the Refurrection of the dead who doth deny the same IT which is sown and shall rise mentioned 1 Cor. 5. 38. 〈◊〉 Intend the same Body respecting the Matter or Substance of it which was buried and laid in the Grave Answer plainly without Equivocation Answ. There is an Ambiguity and Fallacy in this Question for in some Sence a
or without but is the eternal Godhead pag. 99. Rep. However he hath sufficiently confessed that the Righteousness by which we are Justified must be put on but while he denies it either to be within or Essential he denies our Participation of the divine Nature which is essential to God himself or of Christ who is God's Righteousness who was delivered up for us all and with whom the Father will give us all things Is He then Incommunicable or not to be given whenas they that are Christ's have put on Christ Is not He the best Robe And is not He then within us And He that obeyed and suffered for us who wrought Righteousness Greater then the Act of Obedience Is not the Worker above and Greater then the Work But while this Opposer endeavours to exclude or shut Christ and his Righteousness or the Robe which the Saints put on all out of his Members and counts Christs Obedience unto Death without them this Robe and not a Robe within them because a Robe put on as he argues we are to understand that by Put on he must â—…ean Christ's Obedience without unto Death is imputed 〈◊〉 reckoned theirs when there is nothing of it in them either of the Nature Spirit Virtue or Effects of it unto the Crucifying of the Old Man or mortifying of Sin or else own that Men are not accounted Righteous nor Justified only by Christ's Dying or Obedience without them but through the Operation of his Spirit within them who dyed for our Sins but was raised for our Justification and then only they that dye and live with him are accounted Righteous and blessed with God being Partakers of the Heart-purifying Faith and not they that live to themselves without the Possession or Enjoyment of Christ's Nature and Life in them which is Divine and Increated But he tells us of a four fold Righteousness 1st The sincere Obedience of an upright man 2dly The perfect but loosable Righteousness of the first man in Innocency 3dly The perfect but confirmed Obedience of blessed Angels 4thly The perfect everlasting and Infinitely Pretious Obedience of the Lord Jesus Christ this last the best Robe the Righteousness of God himself p. 99. Rep. What is it we contend for but Man's being invested with the perfect and everlasting Righteousness of God himself his own Nature and Image And is not this in the renewed Man 1st Was not this in Man while in Innocency in the Image of God though he then not Immoveably Confirmed in it however accepted while he stood in it 2dly Doth not the fincere Obedience of an upright Man in Christ flow from his Inward Participation of the Divine Nature and Image in him and therefore accepted from the Excellency of that Divine Root and Seed from whence his Fruit Springs 3dly Are not the blessed Angels accepted in their Obedience to God which from a Sence of his divine power they are exercised in Still the everlasting Righteousness is but one and the Life and Excellency thereof is infinite both in Christ and in his Members who are of his Flesh and of his Bone as he that sanctifieth and they that are sanctified are all of one and Christ is the First and the Last and in all things must have the Preheminence 4thly The man mistakes if he suppose that we plead either the Righteousness of a Creature or man 's own Righteousness which he himself is inabled to perform as the Cause of Our Justification for Christ that strengthens us and enables us by his Power and Spirit dwelling in us to do the Fathers Will He is the Ground and Cause of our Justification and in him who is the Beloved are we accepted not meerly for our Works or Obedience but for his sake who worketh in us and enables us to do those things which are well-pleasing in his Sight That God bestows Righteousness on a returning Pâ—…odigal as the best Robe is true but to exclude this Righteousness or best Robe that God bestows as not to be within but only without because to be put on is not true for if the Mind Heart or Soul within be not cloathed therewith how is it put on or how should good or acceptable Fruits be brought forth to God if not from an inward and Everlasting Righteousness And though Man doth not partake thereof from the beginning of Life Can this Man think that Christ's Death or Obedience without doth Justifie Men or make them be deem'd Righteous from the beginning of Life to the End howbeit when Men are converted and become the Righteousness of God in Christ and come to Live and Dye or end their Dayes in him they are accepted and blessed yea blessed are the Dead which dye in the Lord for their Works follow them Mark the Perfect Man and behold the Upright for the End of that man is Peace But all this Man's Imputation of a Righteousness and best Robe which he sayes is a Righteousness wrought without us there being none wrought within us so God c. p. 99. depends upon his Doctrine for Sin and Imperfection term of Life which he his Brethren have not only concluded must continue in the best of Men and their best Actions all their Dayes but Imperfection even in Christ's Work or Righteousness wrought in his People which therefore he disclaims from being concerned in our Justification but sayes we are Justified by that Righteousness which Christ wrought without us though he cannot deny but that Christ wrought the Righteousness of the Law without us and conformed to the Law in the Dayes of His Flesh which I suppose will not be deemed our Justification But if I ask By and to Whom was this Obedience Righteousness or Satisfaction made without us to be Imputed unto us as ours or men thereby Justified while Unjust Imperfect and Sinful without the Robe of Righteousness in themselves or rather accounted Just from the beginning of Life to the End whether all or some of these for whom Christ dyed he tells us not You may take this for his Answer viz. God in our Nature obeyed God and this is Righteousness of Infinite Value the very best Robe p. 99. Rep. 1. Is this the Compensation Payment and Satisfaction in our stead to vindictive Justice so much pleaded by our Opposers Were it good Doctrine to say either that God obeyed and satisfied his own Revenge by obeying himself as if he were divided and at Variance with himself or that he was revenged on himself considered as Christ in our Nature or Flesh I cannot own this Doctrine that such a rigid Payment and Satisfaction could be required in the Nature of the great Propitiation and Sacrifice for Sin but a Pacification or Attonement and a Condescension to Forgiveness of Sin past to be receiv'd on true Faith and Repentance 2. That Christ in the Flesh did by his divine Power perfectly obey the Father agendo patiendo i. e. by doing and suffering and therein was an acceptable and satisfactory
of that which there is no Danger of or that from a Fear of Destruction they may fear him when they are from Etâ—…rnity unalterably secured from Destruction or of Salvation as is supposed What Non-sense and impertinent Preaching and Warning is this to dissemble People into a Fear and Cautiousness of that which they are out of all Danger of incurring especially if God's Purpose in the Case be so unchangeable as to particular Persons that Sin it self cannot alter it Is this Way of Presbyterians warning Men of Destruction being compared with their partial Opinion any better then frighting Children with fond Conceits and Fancies of things that are not But we are sure that the Warnings that both Moses the Prophets and Apostles gave were real and serious both as to their Tendence and Consequence and not with such partial and contradictory Reserves and Opinions as this of the Presbyterians eternal Election and Reprobation of particular Persons Object Whom he will he hardeneth Rom. 9. Peter deserved sect 9 hardening as well as Judas That God hardeneth Judas not Peter proceeds from the meer Pleasure of his Will p. 114. Rep. The Man most egregiously mistakes in this his placing such a severe Act of God's Will as hardening any that are rebellious upon meer Will and Pleasure in our Opposer's Sense as the Cause of such a Judgment whereas it cannot be the meer Will and Pleasure of God to use such Severity as to harden and destroy his Creatures for he delighteth in Mercy Micah 7. 18. and hath no â—…leasure in the Death of him that dyeth and he willeth not the Death of a Sinner but rather his Return Ezek. 18. 23. 33. 11. So that when he will harden or give Persons up to the Hardeness of their Hearts Justice as being provoked is of Necessity the Reason of his so acting and not meer Will and Pleasure neither doth he harden Men from Eternity but in Time because of their Rebellion resisting and gain-saying him in the Time of his long Suffering and Warnings to them which doubtless he fore-saw in Pharaoh who was in himself a proud imperious cruel Rebel against God and Tyrant over his People which appeared when he was warned in his saying Who is the Lord that I should obey his Voice to let Israâ—…l go I know not the Lord neither will I let Israel go * Exod. 5. 2. As also Pharaoh's Rebellion appear'd when he hardened his own Heart when he saw there was Respite Exod. 8. 15. So God's giving him up to Hardeness of Heart was not upon meer Will and Pleasure for that is all the Reason that the severe Actions of such Tyrants as Pharaoh yields as namely Will and Pleasure their Will is their Law they will be cruel and oppress because they will do so But all the Judgments of the Lord are just and righteous respecting the Merit of the Fact or Cause more then meer Will and Pleasure therefore it was his Will to give Phaâ—…aoh Judas and many others up to Hardeness because it was Just so to do for that their Rebellion and Provocation was exceeding great and high against him when as rigorous and cruel Tyrants use their Power in their Cruelties and Oppressions and seek to temporize and draw out their Subjects into Irreligiousness and Debaucheries only upon Will and Pleasure which to affix upon God as the Reason of hardening any is no small Degree of Blasphemy as is this Man 's accusing God with the meer Pleasure of his Will as the Cause or Reason of hardening Judas not Peter his accusing Peter with deserving hardening as well as Judas is his manifest Error making no Difference between Judas his Offence and Peter's nor between their States and Conditions As the State of Peter who through Weakness and Fear denyed Christ which he presently repented of and that of Judas who wilfully betrayed Christ and delivered him into the Hands of Murtherers Was not here a vast Difference between Peter and Judas what say you Professors to it and a great Reason for the Judgment of God upon that Traytor Judas more then meer Will and Pleasure S. S. Arg. As there are particular Angels whom God suffered sect 10 to fall though he could as easily have preserved them as he did the rest so there are particular Men and Women whom God endures with much long Suffering to fit themselves for Destruction therefore from all Eternity did God decree thus to do concerning them in particular for known to the Lord are all his Works from the Foundation of the World p. 114 Answ. God's suffering Men and Angels to fall or to fit themselves for Destruction doth much differ from eternally decreeing them particularly for Destruction for if he had so decreed concerning them meerly as particular Persons what needed he endure tâ—…em with much long Suffering that being both a Testimony of his Grace or Favour towards them and of his Unwillingness to destroy them for his long Suffering and Goodness leadeth some to Repentance and his Judgment is according to Truth upon them that despise the Riches of his Goodness and Forbearance Rom. 2. And concerning the Fall of those Angels that fell 1st God did neither particularly design it nor was he the Author of it no more then of Men's Transgressions in general he hath ordained the Punishment of the Ungodly not their Ungodliness for in Jude 6. it is said The Angels which kept not their first Estate or Principality but left their own Habitation he hath reserved in everlasting Chains under Darkness c. To that Saying God could have preserved them I answer They provoked him which was their great Sin and Loss to themselves Therefore he saw it not meet to continue his Love and Favour to them which they had so abused Neither is it his Will or Way to detain or restrain any forceably in his Way whether they will or not nor to preserve any without their Diligence in attending upon him and keeping their Habitations 2dly So likewise concerning those that were ordained of old to this Condemnation Jude 4. or as it may be read who were of old prescribed to this Judgment of the Ungodly however they as Ungodly Men were so ordained for Condemnation not meerly as particular Persons but as such who were so far fallen from the Grace of God as to transfer his Favours unto Luxury denying the only Lord God They were also Trees whose Fruit wither d twice dead c. Jude 12. Surely they could not be twice Dead if they had never been Quickned but their Ingratitude and Abuse of the Grace of God that had quickned them caused their Condemnation as God spared not the Angels that sinned but cast them down to Hell they having left their own Habitation and spared not the old World nor the Cities of Sodom and Gomorrah whom he condemned with an Overthrow making them an Ensample unto those that after should live Ungodly 2 Pet. 2. This sufficiently declares the Reason Cause
of Condemnation both to Angels and Men to be their Sin in forsaking the Lord and living Ungodly But whereas S. S. renders God's fore-knowledge of all his Works as the Reason or Proof That he from eternity decreed particular Angels and Men for Destruction which appears Contradictory to his Masters of the Assemblies confessing viz. That God hath not decreed any thing because he foresaw it as future Confess Chap. 3 This Proof is as impertinent as the rest of his shallow Arguments for his fore-Knowledge being infinite it is no Proof that he hath absolutely decreed or ordained all things that come to pass because he foresaw all for he hath not ordained that Men should live in Sin though he hath designed their Punishment who do so live yet known unto the Lord are all his Work 's both those of his Creation which he wrought according to his absolute Pleasure both in Heaven and in Earth and in the Sea c. Psal. 135. 6. and Man was not capable of resisting his Maker in forming of him he was as the Clay in his Hand as also the Lord foreknew his work of Sanctification and saving of man from Sin and Death but this is not effected without a Subjection to his Will and a Compliance with his Spirit and Power in his Work within They are not Partakers of Salvation from Sin who wilfully gain-say the Truth resist the holy Ghost and act Despite against the Spirit of Grace But further I find S. S. so uncertain in the Management of his partial Proposition for a personal Election and Reprobation that he is made sometimes to grant and confess to Truth to his own absolute Confutation and the Break neck of his graceless Cause As by his Confessing That God hath no Pleasure in the Death of him that dieth considered barely as his Creature for he is willing to receive to Mercy every returning Sinner yet if a Person perseveres in Wickedness as such God will laugh at his Calamity c. Thus far S. S. From whence it follows 1st That God did not from Eternity decree the Damnation of particular Persons contrary to his declared Pleasure 2dly That persevering in Wickedness is the Cause of Men's Calamity 3dly Aâ—…d their Perversness and Obstinacy in rejecting Wisdom's Reproof and Counsel the Cause that God will laugh at their Calamity and mock when their Fear cometh Now the Doctrine of Election and Reprobation as universally sect 11 and equally laid down in the Scriptures of Truth and as accordingly by us asserted for that there can be no Repugnancy either in God's Actions or in his Will whether secret or revealed as some vainly imagin cannot be inconsistent with God's Prohibitions Eat not of the Tree of Knowledge His conditional Promises If thou dost well shalt thou not be accepted If you Seek the Lord he will be found of you Whosoever believeth shall not perish shall not abide in Darkness His conditional Threats If thy Heart turn away thou shalt Perish If ye for sake him he will for sake you His sending his Son into the World not to Condemn the World He should have added Christ's Dying for all Men tasting death for every Man his giving his Spirit to instruct them His Setting Life and Death before them in the Promises and in the Threats or giving Men up to their Lusts for Sin This cannot be inconsistent with God's Election or Choice of true Believers and Obedient nor with his rejecting the Rebellious unto Reprobation for they evince the Truth thereof But the Presbyters partial Doctrine of Election and Reprobation of particular Persons and certain definite number of Men and Angels and their most grosly Asserting that God from all Eternity did freely and unchangeably ordain whatsoever comes to pass This is both inconsistent with those and such his Prohibitions conditional Promises and Threats His sending his Son not to condemn the World but that the World through him might be saved his dying for all Men his giving his good Spirit to the Disobedient to instruct them his setting Life and Death before them to chuse Life or perish Deut. 30. 15. to the end but Alas if from Eternity God had reprobated them or absolutely ordained and designed their Damnation and Curse how should they Chuse Life or Blessing Or if particularly unchangeably ordained to Life and Salvation from all Eternity Could there be any such Danger of their perishing or that they should thus need to be threatned with Cursing and Perishing if their Heart turned away from the Lord For had they been unchangeably designed of God for the one End whether Life or Death were it not very inconsistent to propose both conditionally to them as namely to exhort them to chuse Life or if they refused to threaten them with perishing c. do not you partial-minded Presbyters and Calvinists by such kind of Preaching and Propositions so contrary to your partial Principle most grosly dissemble with People and mock them contrary to your own Belief whenas Moses the Prophets and Apostles in such like Conditional Promises and Threats believed what they spoak they believed and therefore spoak from the Spirit of God which cannot lie nor dissemble If you say God hath decreed particular Persons Salvation by such Warnings you thereby tell us that he hath decreed it by Threatning them with Damnation and thereby you affix your non-sense incongruous Doctrine upon God rather then you will confess your own nonsensical Contradiction therein which runs thus That God hath from all Eternity unchangeably designed some Persons eternal Salvation and yet that he warns and threatens the same Persons with eternal Damnation or Perdition if they refuse Life or to â—…earken to him and obey him or if their Hearts turn away from him pray mark how inconsistent and contradictory this is like as to say It is unchangeably designed of God that you must live for ever yet take heed you do not dye eternally And to S. S. his adding All these are subservient to the Soveraign Design of God's Decrees The Magnifying his Mercy and Grace in the Salvation of all the Elect his Justice or Wrath in the Reprobates c. pag. 115. Ans. If by the Words All these as we may take him he intends according to the Assembly's Confession That God from all Eternity did most freely and unchangeably ordain whatsoever comes to pass then it may be understood that all these things those Conditions or States both Good and Bad which he mentions before are subservient to the soveraign Design of God's Decrees as he words it But if by all these he intends all these conditional Promises and Threats are so subservient as I think he doth then God's Decrees of Men Salvation or Damnation are also conditional accordingly as first If you seek the Lord he will be found of you and then as all are called to seek the Lord he hath also given Liberty and a Capacity to all to seek him that they may