a Persecuter but as he received the Commandment within by the Spirit and Power of God or his Light within he saw sin exceeding sinful But further in flat contradiction to his opposing the Light within or the Quakers Christ as he scornfully stiles it he confesseth That the Grace of God received in the work of Regeneration and Reconciliation doth so principle the heart with an enmity to sin and begets an hatred to it and love to Righteousness 1 Thess. 1.5 6 7. so that it is from the Principle within together with the observation of the Rule without that the soul is made to gather Sanctity and Holiness he saith Answ. Then the Grace within which works such a good effect in the soul must needs be saving for that it removes the sin which is the cause of condemnation and works sanctity and holiness through which is acceptance with the Lord and why then is the Quakers Christ within so much despised and scorned in many places throughout his Book And as for the Word together with the Spirit cleansing and sanctifying The Word and Spirit are one and he that hath the Word of God abiding in him hath the Spirit of God in him and this with its blessed effects we certainly know and therefore cannot slight the Scriptures of Truth or Words of God therein which he calls the written Words because they proceeded from the Spirit And whereas he would not give any ground of jealousie that he should judge that the written word and spirit in any man as abstracted from Christ in the titest and most uniform obedience doth cleanse or that our obedience is any cause either of Justification or Sanctification Answ. If this our Opposer deems that the Spirit in any is abstracted from Christ and that any obey the Spirit without Christ It 's none of our belief for they are not divided and we know that there is no condemnation to them that walk after the Spirit for they are in Christ and have life in the Son of God 2. Whereas our obedience to the Spirit is denyed as being any cause either of our Justification or Sanctification This is a denying of the Apostles Doctrine and is repugnant to the spiritual-obedience which is both acceptable to God and through the Spirit and the obedience of the Spirit the true Believers mortified the deeds of the flesh and purified their souls Rom. 8.13 1 Pet. 1.22 Besides the obedience and works of the living Faith which is not a self-righteousness are attended with Justification and some cause thereof for was not Abraham justified by works when he offered up Isaac Jam. 2.21 And the Saints were sanctified and justified by the Spirit of God 1 Cor. 6.11 But then if our obedience in this case must be wholly excluded as not any cause either of Justification or Sanctification how comes the suffering and Blood of Christ so often to be tendred and applied upon believing Is believing no part of the creatures obedience What ignorance and contradiction is in this W. Burnet's Religion what sayes he to this see how he comes off in the following words Bapt. I do believe that our Justification comes in by no other way or means or name under Heaven but by Jesus Christ which is so far true But further he adds and that by shedding of that Blood and offering of that Sacrifice upon the Cross Heb. 9.22 1 Pet. 1.19 and that our Justification is the real cause of our Sanctification Answ. If so and that our obedience be not any cause thereof as before then are all men in a justified state for whom he died and he was offered and dyed for all as is confessed by this our Opposer and others of them from which state men's not obeying or disobeying can be no hindrance if their obedience contribute nothing to it or be no cause of either Justification or Sanctification so their believing or not believing can neither further nor hinder by this account But then if it should be denyed that all men are justified by the sufferings and blood of Christ without I ask Why are not all It 's answered readily Because all do not believe Then it 's because they do not obey But what if they do not if their obedience of the Spirit or Light within be no cause of their Sanctification or Justification are they not therefore justified but then whence is this power of believing and obedience derived if not from the Light and Spirit of Christ within but as to Justification being laid one while upon the name of Jesus another while upon the shedding of that Blood without another while by the Offering or Sacrifice upon the Cross What confusion is here and how is this man put to it to patch up his own principles Christ's name is Everlasting it is called The Word of God who by one Offering hath for ever perfected them that are sanctified Where doth the Scripture say that Justification is the real cause of Sanctification or that men are justified in an unsanctified or disobedient state and if some be justified in that state only by the Offering and Blood of Christ without as is supposed and not all that are in the same state does not this render God partial and unjust if he withhold that from men which is both merited and purchased for them as these our Opposers affirm whilst their obedience is so little set by or esteemed that it 's deemed no cause of either Justification or Sanctification But then as to the shedding of Christ's Blood without which so much stress is laid upon whose work was that but a wicked mans after he was put to death and where is that Blood is it in being yea or nay or did it sink into the ground and corrupt as some of you have confessed and in P. 40. that Blood that was shed is not in being saith W. B. How then does it cleanse sanctifie justifie redeem save c. as he would have us beleive whereas in that 1 Pet. 1. cited by this our opposer it s said we are not redeemed by corruptible things but by the precious Blood of Christ Therefore that Blood which redeems is in being and not corruptible no more then his Flesh that saw no corruption but bears record with the Spirit But this is a mystery vailed from all such carnal contenders as carnally look upon things according to the outward appearance and no further Nor can they in that state see thorow the Vail unto the heavenly things themselves nor unto the perfect Tabernacle which Jesus Christ is the High-Priest and Minister of And another Testimony upon which W. Burnet scoffs and carps against the Light within is Humph. Smiths viz. That there is no other rule or means or name by which a man shall ever come to walk with God but that which is manifest of God even the Light of the Son of God the Light of him who saith I am the Light c. But how does W. B. assay to confute
THE Light and Life OF Christ within AND The Extent and Efficacy thereof DEMONSTRATED AND The Quakers Principles Justified by the Scriptures of Truth the Doctrine of Christ and his Apostles from the false and Blasphemous Constructions put upon them by WILLIAM BURNET in his Book stiled The Capital Principles of the people called Quakers Herein the rest of the Baptists that own him may see His Antichristian spirit and doctrines detected By a Servant of Christ G. WHITEHEAD His Doctrinal and self contradictions compared By a Servant of Christ G. WHITEHEAD His Ignorance and Errours discovered By a Servant of Christ G. WHITEHEAD His Envy and Feign edness reproved By a Servant of Christ G. WHITEHEAD Professing themselves to be wise they became fools Rom. 1.22 London Printed in the Year 1668. The PREFACE I Should very willingly have forborn to appear thus publick in such Controversies at this time if the Truth might have been otherwise cleared for I have a life in peace more than in contests and a tender respect to the more Conscientious of all sorts professing Religion that have a tenderness and sincerity in them but I am necessitated thus to appear because of the hardness and perversness of some Baptists and their publick reproaching and scandalizing the Truth professed by us called Quakers both in words preaching and print and their clamouring up and down the Countries against us both in Buckinghamshire Surrey Sussex and other parts in which thing Matthew Caffin their great Agent and Contender and W. Burnet of Chertsey are chiefly concerned against us whereby they have to their power supplied the Persecuters place now in this little time of liberty like persons implacable envying our liberty and prosperity William Burnets personal reflections in his Book against some amongst us which he has gathered from Reports as the former persecuting Priests were wont to do I could more easily have passed by than his wronging perverting opposing the truth of our Principles though several of his Reflections are false and slanderous for that any particular fall or failings of persons cannot rationally be alleaged to destroy principles fallen from But considering the divisions that are amongst Baptists even the Leaders as to their Principles it might have been some stop to W. B. his outrage in this matter and they should have agreed among themselves before they had thus appeared against us some being for a particular Election of persons and both denying saving Grace to be free to all and Christ's dying for all Others being for Christ's death for all and General Redemption and some pleading for Free-will Several of their Teachers and some Hearers are for and observe the Seventh-day-Sabbath imposed on the Jews and have preached writ and printed for the imposing of it on Christians many others of them are against it And why doth not our Opposer plead for his Water-Baptism and Seventh-day-Sabbath here against us but therein he would not be popular enough Many affirm Christ to have done and compleated all for Man on the Cross without But some that the Offering was not compleated nor the Type under the Law fully Answered till he was entered into Heaven or the Holy-Place Many of them are for paying Priests Tythes rather than suffer others have writ against it as Antichristian and yet few stand out of it Some of their Teachers have contended and printed for taking the Oath several gratifying the Persecuters and swearing themselves out of Prison by which others have suffered the more which hath been a grief to some who were more Consciencious many of them running into holes and corners not daring to meet publickly if but a little storm break forth And has not W. B. heard how Thomas Tillam their great Seventh-day-Sabbath man and his fellow-prisoner deceitfully made escape out of Ipswich Prison which was no small blot upon them And have not some of them gotten into the Priests places Pulpits preached for Hire Tythes c. as Tombs and others when permitted As also two of their eminent Leaders viz. Robert Everard and Jo. Attaway of Brantree in Essex turned Papists and become great Contenders for the Church of Rome These things I mention as having been most obvious and publick besides gross corruptions both as to principle and practice might be further manifest against some of their Chieftains which at present I shall forbear to mention here And now though this W. B hath shewed his envious and persecuting spirit which hath put forth its sting against us We do in the Elect Seed tread upon its head and are not pierced thereby And that spirit shall be crushed and the Elect shall reign over it in the power of Christ and I have as much satisfaction in appearing against the persecuting spirit in W. B. as against it in other open Opposers and Persecutors For what could we reasonably expect from him and such as he is if they had power but they would be as great Persecutors as any that we have suffered under whilst they shew such enmity and implacableness at this time a day against us And whereas W.B. in his Epistle sayes he shall leave it the Cause is God's and whatever reproach he undergoes therein he hopes he shal quietly bear c. By which he seems as if he would be quiet now when he has done his worst against us But 't is probable he would have had more quietness and peace if he had never appeared thus against the Upright as he hath done in his confused Book Now Reader take a view of some of his Doctrines and apparent Contradictions hereafter whereby he hath given a deadly blow to his own Cause which is proved none of God's VV. Burnet his Contradictions HEre are several of William Burnets Contradictions collected in his own words out of his Book and compared as followeth W.B. in pag. 3. of his Book saith Paul preached a Christ made of a woman and not a Christ in them that God will redeem the world by But in contradiction he saith I do not deny that the fruits and effects of our Justification doth shew it self both within and without Pag. 4. Paul's knowledge of sin came by the Law and not by the Light within Contradiction The Grace of God received and the Love of Christ revealed in the work of Regeneration doth principle the heart with an enmity to sin and the Grace received in the work of Reconciliation begets a hatred to it so that it is from the principle within Pag. 5. I would not give any one ground of jealousie that I should judge that our obedience is any cause either of our Justification or Sanctification And p. 10. The spirit in man and obedience to that spirit is not the cause of mans union with God But in contradiction pag. 35. We are sealed by an obedience to the Gospel And Pag. 8. The Spirit is alive because of Righteousness Paul's knowledge of sin came by the Law not the Light within Contradiction P. 8. That Light is
be good sense but that a Body was prepared him and Christ came in the flesh and was put to death as concerning the flesh but quickned by the Spirit is Scripture-language Bapt. The Galatians did crucifie to themselves Christ afresh by looking back from Christ to be justified by their own merits Gal. 3. Answ. They did crucifie Christ by disobeying the Truth and turning from the Spirit or Light within wherein they once begun well wherefore it was said to them Are ye so foolish having begun in the Spirit are ye now made perfect in the flesh Gal. 3.1 3. so they that oppose the Light within and deny the Spirit within to save are but still in the flesh partaking of the same foolishness and therefore there must be a travel known before Christ be formed in them And whereas we are accused with denying that Blood let out to be any way meritorious to Salvation p. 37. I ask Whether any thing is of eternal merit and worth that is not everlasting and where do the Scriptures use those expressions and so much vary about the Blood of Christ as one while to say that the shedding that Blood outwardly was the meritorious Cause of Salvation another while the word shedding to be left out and the stress laid only upon that Blood it self which the Souldier shed or let out of his side with a spear which was after he was put to death Joh. 19.33 34. But then of what effect were the drops of Blood that fell from him in his Agony Another while it is the Body that was crucified and not the Spirit within that saveth for the Spirit Light and Word within is denyed to be the Saviour by this our Adversary who does not know how to state his own Faith and Principles who in page 39 accuseth us with gross mistake meer fables and vain titulations for saying that the Blood that sprinkles the conscience cleanseth from sin sanctifieth c. is the Life or is of the Spirit and that it is the Blood of the Covenant c. Answ. Here is no mistake nor fables proved against us for the Spirit the Water and the Blood agree in one and by walking in the Light is the Blood of Christ known to cleanse from all sin Now the Blood that sprinkles the conscience clenseth c. is as truly spiritual as the Water is which Christ giveth and by which he washeth his Church through the Word for we are not to suppose two kinds of Saviours and Sanctifiers that is both a natural which is not in being as is said of the blood that was shed and the Spirit which still liveth And though Christ that he might sanctifie the people with his own blood suffered without the gates Heb. 13. I hope it will not be denyed but this work of Sanctification is wrought and fulfilled within by the Spirit and that sprinkling and purging the conscience is inward and then where the Blood is said to do it that must needs be spiritual for surely the Blood shed outwardly must needs have a spiritual signification as well as the Water and the Cross had and the Apostle attributes washing or sanctifying to Water as well as Blood Again it is confessed pa. 35. that God by his own Blood purchased to himself a Church Act. 20.28 Now the Blood of God or that Blood that relates to God must needs be spiritual he being a Spirit and the Covenant of God is inward and spiritual and so is the Blood of it But our opposer confesseth he is as ignorant of any such Blood as may be pag. 42. And indeed so is he like to be whilst he sets himself to contend against the very Mystery of God and against plain Scripture telling us that God hath not Blood pag. 35. contrary to Act. 20.28 Zech. 9.11 And now to his 40. pag. I query 1. Whether Christ abolishing and destroying the powers of Satan and bringing in everlasting Righteousness as is said be not a work to be fulfilled within where Satan has ruled 2. Whether man be discharged of his debt whilst he lives in disobedience to the Light or Spirit of Christ within 3. Whether Christ's obedience on the Cross will exempt man from his obedience to Christ or doth acquit him in the sight of God without having the Righteousness of the Law fulfilled within him 4. Whether God be satisfied that the many offences should remain and yet take the one Offering for a full discharge from the Penalty If you say he is then 1. Whether any mans Offences can deprive him of his discharge 2. Or whether it is but only a selected and chosen number that the Debt is payed for and Salvation merited 3. And then how did Christ die for all But if the benefit accrue to man only upon condition of believing 4. Then how is mans obedience excluded as not any cause of Sanctification Justification or Salvation but an effect only And then can there be any true believing without obedience And further I find contradictions about the same matter pag. 40. for one while the stress is laid upon Christ the one Offering which is still in being and his Flesh and Blood pertaken of eat and drunk of by the true Believers another while upon the Blood that was shed Touching which the Baptist saith Though that blood shed be not in being yet the efficacy of that blood is still in being Rep. What efficacy is it Natural or Spiritual If Natural then how is the Blood lost or not in being and then where is the Spirits work If the Virtue be Spiritual that saves and sanctifies c. it never dies nor perisheth neither was it derived from that which is not in being nor was any corruptible thing its original Again If the Blood shed cry afresh and sound in God's ears for mercy for sinners as he saith How is God fully satisfied and mans Debt discharged or his disobedience wrought off as before Is Mercy still to cry afresh for where Wrath is appeased and satisfaction made as is supposed This is strange confusion And can that which is of such infinite worth as to purchase man's eternal Salvation be corrupted or lost so as not to be in being As absurdly he brings a Comparison of a purchase among men and that which bought the purchase being lost or given away As if God should set such a small value of that which purchaseth man to himself Oh! gross ignorance and error And yet it 's confessed That Christ is the Purchaser and sinners or salvation the Purchase and the price his life pag. 40. Whereas before pag. 39. he has contended against that of the Blood that sanctifieth being the Life of Christ but now the price is his Life and is not that price which purchaseth and redeems sinners that precious Blood of the Lamb which is not corruptible no more than his flesh was But if W. B. intends that the blood outwardly shed by wicked hands was the price and life of Christ
as his words import Then it follows from his other words that the life of Christ is not in being and this would render him a dead Christ whereas the life that he laid down he had power to take up again and he said I lay it down of my self and no man taketh it from me and he gave himself a ransome for all And now whereas S. Eccles in pag. 41. is accused of little less than blasphemy about a Letter chiefly of a passage concerning the blood in these words viz. The Blood that was forced out of him by the Souldiers after he was dead who before that bowed his head to the Father and gave up the Ghost I did say that was no more than the blood of another Saint c. Thus far S. E. Now to these words viz. No more than the blood of another Saint his intent was as to Papists and you whose minds are carnal who oppose the Light within and also simply as to the essence of the Blood which you dare not say is still in being but not as to the spiritual virtue and testimony which is still in being This S. E. owned to be his intention And in his Letter in the preceding words did highly speak in esteem of the Blood of Christ and New Covenant as more excellent and living and holy and precious than is able to be uttered c. which might have satisfied any spiritual or unbyassed mind And what difference is there between VV. B. his saying that the blood that was shed is not in being or comparing it with a price that is lost pag. 40. and S. E. his saying then It was no more than the blood of another Saint the one being not of continuance no more than the other By this may not VV. B. as well be thought guilty of little less than blasphemy as S. E. though I do not so judge either therein And seeing that the Children had flâ—sh and blood and Christ took part of the same if the same how was it more or another simply as to the matter of blood And if the Jews had drunk the blood that was shed on the Cross do you Baptists think it would have cleansed them from sin And yet I do not make S. E. his expressions therein especially as construed by our Adversaries to be an Article of our Faith for I own that in one sence the blood shed was more than that of another Saint though not in the matter of it as to the visible more in that it had a peculiar signification and Christ the one offering was the man peculiarly ordained or appointed of God both to bear the sins of many to end the many offerings under the Law and in all his example and sufferings that were permitted to be laid on him he both answered fulfilled and ended the outward part and administration of the Law and Shadows and performed the Father's Will therein and was particularly eyed and prophesied of accordingly by the Holy Prophets and through all his sufferings in the flesh he gave an universal testimony and consecrated a new and living way even through the Vail that is to say his flesh that the way into the most Holy might be manifest Bapt. Neither did I ever read that it was the blood or life in Christ or the life of Christ in his People that we are justified by c. page 42. Answ. The Spirit of Christ which is Life doth both quicken sanctifie and justifie the true Believers John 6.63 1 Cor. 6. and that Blood and Water that 's said to cleanse is not of another kind but agrees in one with the Spirit all which is known within and the effects thereof Bapt. All things under the Law in the Type was purged with blood and this blood was material blood and not mystical And that blood that Christ shed in order to the effecting the Salvation of man must needs be visible and material blood Answ. Do but mark here what a sad consequence he has drawn as if one should reason that because the Type was material visible and not mystical therefore the antitype or substance must needs be material and not mystical by this all Mysteries or Divine things are excluded from being either Spiritual Antitype or Substance whereas it was the Heavenly things themselves that are in Christ in which consists the substance and end of Types and Shadows But to say that material blood was a Type of that which was material this is to give the substance no preheminence above the Type especially if neither of them be mystical nor in being or like as if one should say one Type was a Type of another as to say because Circumcision which was a Type was material or outward therefore the Circumcision of the Spirit which is the Antitype of it must needs be outward too and not mystical which would be sad Doctrine and thus he might as well reason touching all other Types and Shadows under the Law and the Heavenly or good things to come prefigured or shadowed by them That because the Priests under the Law at the outward Tabernacle and Temple were Ministers of outward or temporal things carnal Ordinances Shadows c. therefore those good things to come those Heavenly things which Christ was said to be the High Priest of must needs be temporal and not mystical which were absurd to assert whereas both the Heavenly and more perfect Tabernacle and Altar with the Heavenly things are all a Mystery and Spiritual the offering and living Sacrifices are Spiritual the Passeover Spiritual the Seed Spiritual the Bread the Fruit of the Vine the Oyl the Flesh and the Blood which give life to the Soul yea the Water and Blood which washeth and sprinkleth the Conscience are all Spiritual and Mysterious as the New Covenant it self is which they belong to and these things known in and this is the new and living Way which Christ set open through the Vail of his Flesh Heb. 10. Let them receive this who can And this may answer that Question Where ever did God attribute the name of Blood to a Spirit Whereupon I may ask as well if the name of Water was never attributed to the Spirit see John 7.38 39. And whether the Blood of God and of the New Covenant be not Spiritual If not How is it called his own Blood Acts 20.28 And is not the New Covenant Spiritual viz. the Law written in the Heart and the Spirit in the inward parts If it be surely the Blood of it must be spiritual too Again compare the Articles of W. B. his Faith about the Blood shed without the Gates c. pag. 42. By which he saith we are justified Another while It is the means or cause of Justification and yet 't is neither Spirit nor the Life by his own confession nor is it in being but lost pag. 40. whereas we are justified by the Spirit and saved by his Life 1 Cor. 6.11 Rom. 5.10 chap. 4.25 And yet In
the true Christ was before Abraham but the Body was not before Abraham was therefore not the true Christ. To this I say and add That he has minced our words Howbeit the Scripture distinguisheth in several places touching Christ and the Body of Christ of Jesus and the Body of Jesus Mat. 27.58 Heb. 10.5 10. But this Argument W. B. omits to answer in this place he saith 2. Argument from John 6.41 I am the Bread that came down from Heaven Now saith the Quaker If Christ be Bread and this Bread came down from Heaven then the Body could not be Christ because that came not down from Heaven I add He was truly Christ as he came down from Heaven and proceeded from the Father for he was his only begotten Son and not divided from his Body 3. Argument From Ephes. 4.10 Now he that is ascended is also the same that descended Now say they If he that ascended be the same that descended and he that descended be the Christ then the Body could not be the Christ because that did not descend but was taken in the Womb of the Virgin I add If he means by Body that which consists of flesh and blood and bones such a one was prepared for him Heb. 10. But that he viz. Christ did not consist of that which was mortal neither did his flesh which is the Bread from above see corruption 4. Argument From John 17.5 And now O Father glorifie me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before â—he World was Then the Body could not be the Christ because that was not till many hundred years after the World was The Body which he saith was taken in the Womb of the Virgin Was it in that capacity before the World was And was not he the true Christ the Son of God that so prayed unto the Father Now I do grant that the Scriptures mentioned in these Arguments we have urged and argued from them against Baptists though not altogether in those expressions against all which W. B. gives his judgment in these words viz. These with many other such like Arguments they use to blind the eyes of the simple Which indeed is a very easie way of answering thus to condemn them all by the lump for I do not find any particular answer or confutation in the following matter to any one of those Arguments before recited but rather a confirmation where he goes on in these words viz. The Scripture giveth this Character of Jesus Christ that he should be called Immanuel Mat. 1.23 that is to say God with us or God in flesh And in Isa. 9.6 He is called the Mighty God And so John 1.1 He is called the Word which was with God and was God and that he was the Root and Creator of Man and that Word or Eternal Spirit took flesh c. But he further adds as followeth Bapt. Now as he was God he was Co-Creator with the Father and so was before Abraham and had glory with God before the World was and in this sence came down from Heaven Rep. What nonsence and unscripture-like Language is this to tell of God being Co-Creator with the Father or that God had glory with God Does not this imply two Gods and that God had a Father let the Reader judge Bapt. Which Word was God yet he was not a Saviour as he was the Word or Creator of the World any otherwise than he was held forth in the Promise Rep. How then doth he say I am God a Saviour besides me there 's none other And what is his saving his People from but from sin And was not this Gods real work throughout all the Generations of the Righteous And did not God say Surely they are my People Children that will not lie and so was he their Saviour Isa. 63.8 And did not God say Look unto me all ye ends of the Earth and be ye saved for I am God And was it not God that in Christ was reconciling the World and that established them in Christ and anointed them 2 Cor. 1.21 ch 5.19 What confusion and huddle-muddle has this our Opposer made about Salvation who further adds Bâ—pt He was not a Saviour as the Root and Creator of Man but as he was to be the Off-spring of man for as he from the dayes of Eternity was with the Father and was his delight he most properly derived that title of being the Son of God pag. 34. Answ. Do but mark the confusion and darkness of this man who hath denyed that God the Word or Creator of Man is a Saviour and Christ as he was the Root and Creator of Man and as he was the Eternal Son of God or from the dayes of Eternity he hath denyed to be a Saviour but as he was the Off-spring of Man Do but eye the tendency of this Doctrine thus to deny the Son of God to be a Saviour and how blind and ignorant this man is of the true Christ and Saviour and what has he done less than set the Flesh above the Spirit for he grants that the Word or Eternal Spirit took Flesh but denies that he was a Saviour as he was the Word or the Son of God whereas it is through the Son of God that Eternal Life is received John 3.16 and Gods love was manifest in sending his onely begotten Son into the World that whosoever believes on him might not perish but have everlasting Life and the ingrafted Word is able to save the Soul the Word of Grace is able to build up and to give an inheritance among them that are sanctified So here the efficacy of the Son of God and the Eternal Word is proved against the Baptists false and unscripture-like distinction And touching those Scriptures That God by his own Blood purchased to himself a Church Acts 20.28 Now God hath neither Blood nor suffered saith VV. B. Which chargeth the Apostle with untruths and that of John 3. No man hath ascended up to Heaven but he which come down from Heaven even the Son of Man which is in Heaven VV. B. saith pag. 35. Now according to his Manhood or Flesh he was not in Heaven By which he hath rather justified the former four Arguments than otherwise But his telling As he was very God-man so the Manhood suffered and the act was ascribed to the God-head This is confusion and contradiction to the former that God did not suffer but such kind of muddlement our Opposer is willing to please himself with And then he adds That he giveth that to the one which belongeth to the other the same is spoken of our Salvation sometimes it 's attributed to one thing and sometimes to another sometimes it is imputed to the act of Christs Suffering another while the very effects of our Salvation is put for the cause Where do the Scriptures make such distinctions or such Rhetorick And where proves he that Faith and Obedience to the Gospel is no
cause of Salvation but the effects And by what rule doth W. B. thus essay to correct the Scriptures which he counts his rule or thus detect the sayings of Chiist as being so improper as giving that to one thing which belongs to another in such a high concernment And has not he herein in effect accused the Scriptures and God with the same thing or as great offence as he has accused us withal as giving that to one thing which belongs to another as our attributing Salvation and Justification to God or Christ as the Eternal Word which he would lay all upon the Off-spring of man or upon the Body of Christ that suffered death upon the Cross and sometimes upon the shedding the Blood out of it denying Christ as the Word and Son of God to be the Saviour contrary to plain Scriptures as before is shewn Bapt. Christs ascribing and attributing that to the God-head that properly refers to the manhood is a stumbling-stone to this poor people pag. 35. Answ. What is this but to charge Christ with improper Doctrine or impertinent speaking wherein W. B. makes himself wiser than Christ and a Corrector of Christ's sayings 'T is no marvel that he hath so much accused us feignedly calling us poor People when he hath done no less to Christ as one not consenting to the wholesom words or sayings of Christ but in effect denies them improper in the case mentioned and then makes that the cause of our stumbling both which are false and wherein we are either accused for saying That God saveth Justifieth or the Eternal Word Redeems Saves c. and that God was in Christ reconciling the World If our Adversary should say this is improper and that it 's an error to ascribe that to God the Eternal Word or to Christ as the Eternal Son of God that properly belongeth to his Manhood as the Son of Mary not as the Son of God c. Has not he accused Christ to the very same purpose with speaking improperly What can we expect from such a one but the like reproaches and contradictions of sinners that Christ Jesus the Captain of our Salvation underwent and yet this proud presumptuous Opposer of Truth will pretend the Scriptures or sayings of Christ to be his Rule but when they please him not hee 'l assay to correct them by his dark confused meanings and corrupt interpretations Who further adds to his corrupt Doctrine as followeth Bapt. But as he was God without being Man or the Root and not the Off-spring he could not save Man for God was the Offended and Man the Offender and it was impossible for the Offended to acquit and clear the Guilty and to discharge the Debt and to imbrace the Offender for no man out of Christ can see God's face and live Answ. Here it appears what he means by saving Man and clearing the Guilty onely a pacifying of God and an acquitting Man from the penalty as he imagines which as he sayes God could not do but something that was not God but the Off-spring of Man as he saith So by this he doth not mean Salvation to be a work wrought in man as a saving and delivering from sin or the offence within but a satisfaction made to God that he may imbrace the Offender and yet he must be in Christ that sees God's face What gross contradiction is this and what falshood blasphemy is it to say God could not save or that it was impossible for him to discharge the debt Where first observe that if Salvation consist in pacifying or satisfying God without any inward work wrought by him in man which were a gross error so to say this is all one to say God cannot please himself but some other must do it and this is to deny that God had infinite love good will and favour in himself as the real cause of his sending his Son into the World And then I ask Who is he that satisfies and appeaseth God dischargeth the Guilty and payes the Debt Bapt. It is the Man Christ Jesus Quest. Whence came he Answ. God gave him Quest. And what is this Man Christ Jesus who can satisfie pacifie an Infinite God Bapt. He is God-man born of a Virgin Rep. How then doth it hold that God could not save and how would this divide God and set him at a distance from himself if that which satisfies be of infinite worth then whence came all these distinctions tending to make a variableness in God whose love is infinite and whose wayes are wayes of Truth and Righteousness Or is it good Doctrine to say That God pacified God when he saw himself angry For sayes the Baptist It was God-man that did it Which is all one as to say God corrected himself and not Man while perfection and freedom from sin is denyed in this life by Baptists and others and then he was Mediator to himself and so a Mediator of One whereas a Mediator is not a Mediator of One but God is One Gal. 3.20 and the cause of his displeasure and of the Law and sentence of death being added was sin which Christ comes to destroy and to put an end to that the Creature may be in him in whom the Face of God is seen in whom there is no sin and in him God is well-pleased and thus we know a Mediator is not a Mediator of One but we have a Mediator betwixt God and Man even the Man Christ Jesus We have an Advocate with the Father Mark we have an Advocate and we have life through the Son of God we know that the Righteousness of the Law is fulfilled in every one that walks after the Spirit And so we can rejoyce in God our Saviour and testifie against all such antichristian spirits as deny his Power and say He could not save as God whereas his Divine Power worketh mightily in the true Believers unto their salvation for he hath wrought all our works in us and it is his Divine Power that giveth unto us all things pertaining to Life and Godliness 2 Pet. 1.2 And how is Redemption purchased by the Son of God if he doth not save as he is the Word seeing it 's confessed he most properly was the Son of God from the dayes of Eternity pag. 34. And how hath he wrought off man's disobedience by his suffering is it wrought off whilest man lives in it and denyes Perfection and Freedom from sin tearm of life and how then doth the Seed of the Woman bruise the Serpents head if the Serpent must have a place and sway in man by leading him into sin the dayes of mans life must not the Serpent's head be bruised within and the Seed be known within which bruiseth it and hath not he that is born of God the Seed in him and is not this Seed Spritual But what is the price so much talk'd on that both satisfies God and saves man Bapt. The sufferings and blood sheding of Christ had in it