perceive saith Peter Act. 10. 34. 35. and he who is not blinded may perceive it also that God is now no respecter of Nations one above another nor of persons in the Nations so as to give his Statutes Judgements Laws Rule and saving means of Life if the Letter were so to one Nation or Person and not in any measure to another but in every Nation he that feareth God whose fear is to depart from what evil his Light in the conscience makes manifest and worketh righteousness which none do who live not by that and all do who live by it for sin is no other then the transgression of that Law which is the Light is accepted with him Arg. 14. Again let me argue with thee I. O. out of thy own words if others will not answer affirmatively and assent to this as truth yet thou I. O. must who asserts it for truth thy self for this Argument in â—oâ—idem verbis is no other then thine own for with reference to Ioh. 1.9 the very place that we argue the self-same from thou thy self though intentionally against us yet unawares really arguest for us on this wife viz. The Light and Illumination mentioned in this place Ioh. 1.9 are Spiritual without all controversie and pertaining to the Regeneration by Grace not Natural and so pertaining to the Creation for in the same sense in which men are said to be darkness are they said to be enlightned else the Apostles speech would be aequivocal but men are not said onely Spiritually but universally also to be darkness therefore are they by Christ not spiritually only but universally also enlightned And as Contrariorum eadem est ratio so Contrariorum contraria est ratio not only in the same sense in some respects but also in other respects in the very contrary sense to that wherein men are darkned by the Devil are they enlightned by Christ but All mankind is not only spiritually and universally but also damnably darkned by the Devil therefore mankind is not only spiritually and universally but also savingly enlightned by Christ. From what hath been said and shewed above then I affirm that the Grace and Light in the conscience which in some measure or other is from God and Christ given in common to All men is not only universal but saving and though most are by it no more then accused reproved condemned and left without excuse and not â—astified nor saved yet there wants not sufficiency in it to save and that men are not saved but mostly condemned by it 't is only because they answer not the Mind of God revealed in it but love the darkness more then it which they hate to come to as Christ saves because their deeds are evill whereas did they but glorifie him answerably to what he requires of them who noâ— exacts nor expects from any the doing more of his Mind and Will then what he one time or other manifesteth to them to be his Will concerning them in their own consciences they should not be without excuse nor stand condemned in Gods sight but be accepted justified and saved from the wrath which comes only on the Children of disobedience it being the Power of God as sufficient to the excuse and Salvation of those from sin and wrath that obey the measure of it in themselves as to subject those to accusation rejection judgement wrath and condemnation that rebel against it To all the abovesaid Arguments therefore I shall subject this one after the prosecution of which in proof of the sufficiency of that Light to save which is given in common to All men I shall take some notice of R. Bs. and I. Ts. arguings to the contrary Arg. 15. That Light which rebel'd against 〈◊〉 sufficient to accuse and condemn and render a man guilty reprobate or reproved is if obeyed sufficient to excuse clear justifie save from condemnation and render approved But the Light in all is sufficient to condemn all that rebell against it therefore to save as abovesaid such as obey it The Minor is your own the Major I shall proceed in proof of And here since I am so neer it I shall take occasion to refell that foolish conceit and dream of our Divines in which both thou T. D. I. O. I. T. R. B. are all Four found for in most of this main matter of the light ye run parallel and are coincident except now and then a crosse whet each to other concerning the non-sufficiency of the Light to save however improved though yielded to be sufficient to leave excuselesse and condemn for here ye dance between these two Stages still in your stickles with the Qua. against the Light cutting capers to and fro with your legs acrosse and sliding out of one fâ—orry shift into another when they tell you the true Light of God which is but one and that not natural but supernatural though in never so many different degrees in mens hearts is common to All ye yield for ye cannot stand against it that it is so but then it is not saving when they prove it saving ye yield it is saving but then not common which that it is both I have shewed above against you All some words only here as to that absurdity it is sufficient to leave man inexcusable if not obeyed and to condemn him but not to save justifie or render him accepted if obeyed That the whole body of the Gentiles are enlightened and that by Christ thou T. D. dost sometimes confess in Terminis as I have shewed above though at other times thou denyest it but thou addest p. 3. 1 Pamp. not by Christ with the knowledge of salvation alias secundaunte with a light sufficient to save Salvation is of the Iews i.e. among such as have the letter only and by the law of the letter without I speak but thy sense p. 3. 1 Pamp. I. O. also denies this same light however attended to to be sufficient to bring to justification of life or salvation that still he ascribes to his only all sufficient Greek and Hebrew Text and outward Scriptures Ex. 4. S. 17. Lumen hoc utcunque ei attendatur non est ullo respectu salutare sed in rebus omnbius divinis finem ultimum quod attinet mera tenebra caeâ—itas So S. 20. Sufficientiam quidem habet ad Antapologesian ad salutem non-item This Light indeed is sufficient to accuse and condemn but not so to save So T. D. again p. 40.1 Pamp. natural light so ye call it still is to this purpose to leave men without excuse Rom. 1.20 so that they cannot say as we suppose the Heathens might Had we known of a remedy for our misery we would have used it But as for salvation many Ages and Generations neuer had one offer of it and among those who hear the Gospel it is offered to more then it is intended R. B. and I. T. say the same p. 40. The Gentiles light by Nature so
or accuse according as the Consâ—ience thereby enlightned bears inward witness both of the Ius and the fact and that the moral instinct of good and evil that is within by that is seconded by a self-judgement i. e. an inward justifying clearing and acquitting as it s answered or else a terrifying and condemning as it s transgrest This therefore is another argument of the common Lights sufficiency to save from condemnation such as walk by it from which I may conclude it Arg. 16. That which can and doth excuse its observers does not only serve to restrain sin and to leave he transgressors of it without excuse but also save from condemnation but the Law in the heats of Heathens excuses it observers witness Rom. 2.15 from which place ye are fain all to confess the same where it s said That by the work of the Law which the Heathen shewed written in their hearts their inward thoughts not only accuse but excuse yea very Ethnicks are not left without Plea or excuse by it if it be not sufficient to save as is shewed above asd as T. D. confesses page 40. 1 Pamp. We may suppose quoth he the Heathen might say had we known of a remedy we would have made use of it therefore it not only leaves without excuse when men violate it but saves from condemnation such as obey it That 's a strange unheard of kind of Law that kills as well its keepers as its breakers or that takes vengeance on the violaters of it and cannot keep the keepers of it from the vengeance of it neither yet T. D. sayes page 5. 2 Pamp. The Light condemns the Heathen when they disâ—bâ—y it but cannot save them though they do obey it indeed he adds without Christ and so say I too but that Light is in them from Christ and so if it save them as it does if they obey it it saves them not without him for it s he that saves them by it but our Diviners Divine enough to the contrary to the utter confutation of themselves in this when by their own confession the common Light in the Conscience they more commonly then properly call Natural doth not only accuse such as go from it but also excuse such as keep to and walk by it within themselves for is not Iustification non-condemnation absolution and consequently Salvation from guilt and wrath where excusation is as well as guilt wrath and condemnation where accusation and no excuse Is it possible there should be any condemnation where no transgression but an answering to the Law lent men to live by for sin as before is but the transgression of the Law or Light that every one hath and as where no Law is so where no breach is of the Law where it is there 's no transgression and where the Conscience gives a good answer and the heart by the Light in it that shews Ius and Factum condemns not doth God condemn is there not acceptance boldness and confidence toward him as there is fear terrour wrath and condemnation from God where it doth condemn yea your selves confess it yet the Law in the heart the Light is sufficient to accuse yea and excuse well and ill doing respectively but not to save justifie or give life say our light treacherous Prophets dark Divines and lifeless Leaders Ob. The Letter kills cannot give life Rep. True but why is it but because it s desobeyed and cannot give ability to any to do what it requires The Law or Light and Gospel and All kills such as transgress it I say the Gospel it self condemns but whom is it none but such as hate and take not heed to it that thereby they may come from under the curse and death into the life it calls for else it being the power of God to the Salvation of such as believe in it Life should be by the Light one way more then it could come by by the Letter for the Letter could keep them that keep it from the Curse denounced in it to the breakers of it yet cannot give any an ability to keep it But the light is not only able to acquit justifie clear absolve secure and save from wrath all such as believe in and obey it but al o to enable such as look to it and impower them more and more to obey and walk by it and consequently by the letter which cannot be transgressed by such as abide in the light all such as singly come to it and continue waiting on the Lord in it Object The Law cannot give life if it could righteousness should be by the Law Gal. 5.21 Rep. True the Law in the letter the Old Testament which he there speaks of as in opposition to the New which is the Gospel the Light and Spirit cannot in regard of the weakness of flesh to fulfil it and its weakness to enable any to the fulfilling of it for the Righteousness declared and required therein must be performed or else it utters nothing but accusation and cursing and yet to perform that Righteousness the letter can no wise impower But the Law which is the light in the Spirit that is and comes from Christ into the Conscience is the Law of Life forasmuch as howbeit it taketh vengeance en mens inventions and ministers first judgement and condemnation to the transgressors for transgression and wrath on the evil doer and his evil deeds yet when it hath condemned sin in the flesh wherein it is committed so long till it hath condemned it out of the flesh and brought forth judgement in thâ—se that wait on it unto victory over the sin that is judged it ministers the righteousness and the peace and the liberty from the sin and the Life of God it self it requires calls for and through the Judgement leads too and then justifies those whom it hath this way enabled to perform it In both which respects though the Law of the letter is not so yet the Law of the Spirit of Life which is the Light in Christ and in us from him sith it both 1. enables the followers of it to fulfil it and 2. secures from wrath and condemnation the fulfillers of it who e're they are Iew or Geâ—tile such as have the letter without or have it not that obey it it is not sufficient only to accuse the rebels against it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and condemn them within themselves but also as utterly insufficient to save and bring to life utcunque ei attendentes such as never so punctually observe and perform it as our Preachers prate it is altogether even every way sufficient to save to the utmost all such as come to God by Christ from whom it comes and to Christ in it According to Rom. 8.1,2,3,4 There is now therefore no condemnation to them which are in Christ Iesus who walk not after the flesh but after the Spirit For thâ— Law of the Spirit of life in Christ Iesus hath made me free from the
they hold that as the Sun is appointed in nature to be the light of every man that cometh into the World though shutting our eyes may exclude it So Christ is by office the Sun in the world of grace giving men actually all the gracious light they have being sufficient himself to enlighten all and giving them an illuminating word which is sufficient in its own kind to do its own part though many are blind and for their sin are deprived of the communication of this light why all this we maintain as well as they do they say that all this light within us and without us is to be hearkened to and obeyed why what man did they ever speak with that 's a Christian no Christians indeed say I but too many Antichristians that denyeth it See what a deal of the Quakers doctrine concerning learning only at Christs light is here uttered by these men R.B. I.T. who yet hate the self same doctrine at their hearts when the Quakers teach it also in many other places they teach much more to the same purpose putting men on to attendance to the light yea even the light within every man as p. 40 41. This light usefull for two ends First To restrain men from excesse of sin c. As he gave a Law to the Iewes because of transgression to restrain them or abate punishments so to other people he gave a law in themselves to prevent the extirpation of the Nations by bridling them in their lusts thorow conscience of sin and fear of punishment Secondly Besides this God hath another end that they might be inexcusable who sinned against the light in them and God justified in his Sentence and judgment upon them Observe how this light within is owned by them as the Law of God which T.D. affirming the work of the Law only to be there yet denyes to be in the heathens hearts to the contradiction of these men and of himself also in that other plaee p. 16.2 pamp Where to go round again he confesses much of the holy matter of the Scripture to be written upon the hearts of the heathens and that to be their Rule I say as the Law of God which is spirituall holy just and good and to be obeyed for else transgression of it could not be sin deserving judgment for sin is no other then the transgression of the Law So p. 82.83 they go on thus If the light shine into thy soul from Christ so as any convictions or discoveryes of truth from Christ get into thee and some convictions they confesse all havâ— by the light within take heed thou hold it not in unrighteousnesse nor seek to quench it Rom. 1.18 Wrath to all that hold truth in unrighteousnesse when lust imprisons light no entrance for the light of Christ into that soul there must be a love of the light It s the greatest sign of a man willfully evill when he hates the light and it s a good sign of a man truly good when he can delight in that light mork which discovers his own euills What light is that which discovers a mans own evills but the light within the letter without doth de jure only the light within doth de facto discover mens own evill Christ hath determined this to be the great condemnation that men love darknesse rather then light or else the Heathen could not be condemned say I who have and yet hate the light within for they have no letter without for that 's the sign they side with the Prince of darknesse and men that do truth come to the light that their deeds may be manifest c. The more light is rejected the more purely voluntary any sin is when men are willingly ignorant they are incurably evill c. Each person is to make their use of the light within him so far as it is light and usefull Certainly it concerns every man so far as to look to the light within him mark that he do not as t is said of some Job 24.13 Rebell against the Light which Text in Iob I. O. interprets of the letter but I. T. to the confutation of I. O. truly with us of the Common light within men A mens conscience is so far a law to him that though it cannot of it self justifie which is contrary to Rom. 2. which sayes their inward thought as well excuses the Heathen when they do well as accuses when they do ill and excusation and justification or to excuse clear justifie are all one yet it may condemn him So p 37. they go on thus God hath imprinted in all even the most Barbarous people some relique of light though in some it is so small that may be say we for all have not the same but all some measure of Gods light which these men somtimes call darknesse delusive and dangerous and degrees vary not the nature of the case that it can hardly be perceived whether there be any sense of sin or wrath of duty or reward of God or Devill Heaven or Hell Secondly Some people that never had the Gospell nor the Law made known to them as the Jewes and Christians have had yet have attained to so much knowledge and practice of morall duties Mark morall duties are the main things of the Law and required in the morall Law viz. To do as we would be done by which faith Christ is the Law and Prophets Math. 7. The sum substance and upshot of all and more then all offering and sacrifice so that the Iews failing in these weightiar matters viz. Iudgment mercy faith c. all outward oblations and observations were abhorred that in some acts of righteousnesse temperance chastity fidelity and such vertues they have equallized at least in respect of their outward demeanour toward men if not exceeded not only Iewes who had the Scripture as our Scribes have and search as much in it but also the more shame for the most of you filthy fruitlesse faithlesse Christians the while whom very heathens will therefore judge the most Christians Thirdly And in the knowledge of God though therein they were most defective yet they attained to so much knowledge and right apprehension of him as enabled them to correct the Vulgar errours concerning God See how far beyond our vulgar Christians and very Christian Clergy men that have the letter to boast talk trade on the light within hath led the very Ethnicks that have heeded it by these mens own confession But they go on yet further preaching up the light with the Qua thus p. 84. It will concern those who own Christ as their light to judge themselves and their wayes by his light This act of self judgment is within faith I.O. Seconding that morall instinct of good and evill that is imprinted by God on the Conscience from the innate light therein It is the great benefit of the light that it doth make manifest Eph. 5.13 Thus by the light of Christ the evill
come from the lusts that War in their Members Iam. 4.1 and cannot with good Conscience to God as to Military matters appear in Arms againâ—t any Therefore are we prejudged as not submitting to nor owning Magistracy as we say we do Whereas we do truly own and are subject thereunto Witnesse the Tenour of a Paper given out from among us under many hands some while since in that particular A true Copy whereof is here Printed in the Margent And because we cannot Swear at all but forbear it in obedience to Christ's and his Apostles words who intimating Math. 5. a permission under the Law to Swear so be men did not forswear but perform to the Lord their then lawful Oaths for to Swear by any but God or to Swear by God in ordinary Communications was as unlawful then as now sayes unto us Swear not at all i.e. in such cases wherein men might Swear in old time who then might not in common Communication and above all things Swear not no not by any Oath but let your Communication i. e the whole of it before Rulers as well as others be Yea Yea Nay Nay least ye fall into Condemnation for whatsoever is more than that commeth of evil Mat. 5.33 34 35 36. Iam. 5.12 Therefore are we in some places by well-nigh Scores at once put in prison as persons suspitious of Treachery and unfaithfulness to the present Powers Whereas howbeit we decline all Oaths for the Reasons aforesaid yet as it hath been own'd by the King himself as satisfactory to him as if we did Swear if we can say we are or promise to be Innocent as towards him so we both do and can declare our Present and Promise Future Integrity to Him and the present Government reserving our Consciences to the Lord alone in Spiritualls in all cases of civil Concernment And As our Promise binds us more than their Oaths do them whoâ—make as little Conscience to keep the Oaths they take as they do to take whatever is imposed and for Fear Swear themselves To and Fro into the Favour of every Form of Government as it stands its time upon the Stage So our Practice will Preach out our Performance of what we Promiâ—e and that performance prove our words once passed to be of as much worth and weight to us before the Lord as their Swearings by his Name are who are found utterly out of his Nature And because we talk of an universal Redemption by Christ's coming intentionally to save All men though through their own default All are not but few only actually saved They pittyfuâ—â—y propound us as denying Gods Eternall unchangeable Decree and his Praedestination Election Reprobation and such like Whereas how the universality of his grace appearing and bringing Salvation truly and intentionally to All but that most put it from themselves as the Iews did Act. 13. is no way inconsistent with but rather stablishing Gods everlasting immutable Councell concerning men as to Salvation and Condemnation it 's most clearly demonstrated in the Fourth Exercitation from p. 87. to p. 152. And because we call All men to look to the Light within their own consciences and to take heed to that as ever they intend to enter into Life assuring them that by the leadings of that Light if they will they may come to God and work out their Salvation and escape the Condemnation that is to come They make people believe as if we held that all men in the Fall had of themselves a Free will and a Power of their own without God to save themselves and without any speciall spirituall or supernaturall grace or gift of God even by their own Naturall Light which flowes from the Principles of meer Nature to help deliver and Redeem themselves and as if we did destroy all that free grace great goodness and rich mercy of God of whose mercy and grace only it is and not of themselves that they can be saved Whereas we ascribe all the glory of our own and every mans Salvation to God alone and his meer mercy and free grace which is and alone is sufficient thereunto and not to any man nor any thing at all in man that is of man and not rather the free gift of God to him saying that 't is not in man without the gift and grace of God either to guide or to bring himselfe to Salvation nor in him that wills nor in him that runs but in God only that shewes the mercy And That Light of his in every mans conscience even in the heathens which these men in the cloudiness of their own consciences which come not to the Light that 's in themselves call naturall we say is that speciall gift of Gods own grace every degree of which is sufficient to help heal and save him that takes good heed to it and to lead him forth that follows it as it increases on him that does so to the Light of Life Yea 't is a measure of that Spirit of his a manifestation of which is given to every man to profit withall of that Spirit that strives with all men but that most resist it in their stiff necks and uncircumcised hearts that convinces the whole world of Sin Righteousness and Judgment though all are not thereupon converted by it same measure at least one Talent of which is given to the most unprofitable Servant till â—for not trading therewith it be taken from him 't is somthing of that goodness of God which though men will not know it and few are led by or follow it while it drawes them yet does lead them and though they refuse to return and so fare the worse for it does its own part so far as to draw them to Repentance Yea 't is though in men yet of God and no less then his own Law in their own hearts of which Law the Letter sayes though men till spiritualized by it are carnall and sold under sin yet is spiritual holy just and good whereby every man is a Law to himself before God who wit Judge him and either accuse or excuse acquit absolve clear justify or condemn him in the day when he judges the secrets of men by Christ out of the book of their own consciences once to be opened in which thereby both Jus and Factum Right and Fact is manifeâ—t according to the Gospel that 's preached in it and by it in every creature under heaven as well as to somely mans ministry to all by some outward ministry or other also and is not any meer Naturall Faculty as our Naturalists call it that is as Naturall to men as his mind it self is as J.O. mindlessely asserts it to be for then it must be de Esâ—e homini so Essentiall to a man that he neither is nor can be truly call'd A man without it whereas though Man in the Fall is in indeed so short of the man made at first after Gods Image or of Man restored back again
is not possible to attain to such a purging as this in the body no not by the very All-healing herb of grace it self His Antidote to preserve the Saints from too deep a sense of their sins is this whereas the Qua tell them that if the light in their own consciences accuse and condemn them from the face of God for sinning there 's no God nor Christ that holds them guiltlesse sith that of God within is his witnesse and vicegerent that what it sayes and judges in them is as the voice of God himselfe and if that create trouble man cannot create solid Peace Tush quoth T. D for to the same purpose he talkes though not in totidem verbis p. 19. what tell you us of Conscience conscience is often erroneous and not rightly guided in the very Saint Talk of conscience to the wicked its office is to be a witnesse against them for their sins which if it do not check them but tell them God loves justifies and accepts them when they sin it s defiled 1 Tit. 15. and leads them into a wrong opinion of their estates in that it testifies that their estate is good when it s nothing lesse for to the impure is nothing pure but unto the pure all things are pure and when the Saints sin and are defiled thereby the office of conscience as a witnesse in them if it do its office is to cleare and comfort and speak peace and if it offer to trouble them when they fall throw infirmity into fowl enormity and dare be so bold as to darken their evidence of Gods love and of their justification in his sight when they are guilty as David was once of things not fit to be named among Saints yet I dare be so bold as to say it is defiled in the Saints and testifies falshood to them also in saying that their estate is bad when for all their sins it is good no lesse then it tells lyes to the wicked that their estate is good when it s nothing lesse Thus we have the unconquerable and that uncontrolable comfort which T. D. Administers to the Saints when they become sinners and fall into the same folly and filth with other wicked men who is very a Boanerges or Son of thunder as he is in a few slight words more thâ—n the same solid power with Peter and Iohn to the wicked yet to the Saints of his own coyning is he another Barrabas or Son of Consolation I mean not another of the same with him who confirmed the Saints in their goodnesse and grace but another of another kind that comforts confirmes and chears up his sinfull Saints in their sins and dawbs them over who are dirty enough already if such he Saints as he sayes are with his own more dirty doings who would have them live as justified in Gods sight and as uncondemned in themselves as Saints whilst ore head and eares in their sins But will all this hold T.D. little did I once think ever to have seen such a dish of doctrine drawn by a divine from Tit. 1. 15. though unto the pure all things are pure was wont the same way to be wrested by the Ranters and for my own part had I been minded to look for such a licentiâ—us piece of Libertinisme as he would learn men from thence as I am far from it knowing that in maxima libertate there 's minima licentia yet I should sooner have lookt for a needle in a bottle of hey as they say then have lookt for the like from thence or have scrap't in that Scripture to find it if T.D. had not told me it had been there where yet for all his telling me of a justification of a Saint in his sins I cannot yet find or see such a thing nor any else I beleeve but such as are as blind as himselfe for the light in the conscience of both good and bad doth tell them infallibly what they are and testifie to the face of the best man in the world that God doth not justifie him while he sins which witnesse of God within their own hearts is greater then the witnesse of man and will have audience at last when it begins to speake out when such a one as I may easily be slighted who witnesse onely for God from it and therefore I shall say but little more to this matter neverthelesse when T.D. and his unâ—ust justified ones come once to feel it stand upon its feet which like an innocent just hâ—ly Lamb hath been hitherto slain by the beast within them because it torments them with telling too much truth great fear will then fall on such as see it and have made merry over it in its captivity and at the same time there will be a great Earthquake and lightnings and voices and terrible thunderings and great hail out of heaven the Plague whereof shall be exceeding great every stone perhaps about the weight of a Talent Rev. II. Rev. 16. the storm of which shall overthrow their open hiding places and sweep away their refuge of lyes and disanull the Covenant which these D unkards of Ephraim have made with death and hell and passe over them like an overflowing scourge so that they shall be all troden down by it Iudgement also shall be laid unto the line and righteousnesse to the plummet Isa. 28. To take a more exact account of them before God then they are willing to give of themselves who now not knowing the goodnesse and grace of God within them which in his love as a light is given to teach and to lead them unto Repentance Tit. 3. 13. Rom. 2. 4. to 13. Are in the hardnesse and impenitency of their hearts treasuring up wrath to themselves against the day of wrath and the Revelation of the righteous Iudgment of God whâ— in the day when he shall judge the secrets of men by Christ Iesus the Light according to the Gospell that Paul himself preached will mark in his righteous Iudgment Render to every man according to his deeds viz. to them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory honour and immortality eternall life Yea glory honour and peace to every soul of man mark that worketh good But unto them that are contentious and do not obey the truth but obey unrighteousness indignation and wrath tribulation and anguish upon every one that doth evill without respect of persons yet the Iew first who say they are Jewes and are not but do lye and are the Synagogue of Satan and also to the Gentile then shall they know that such as sin whether without the law or in the Law in the Letter shall be judged respectively by that letter such as have it and all by that light in the conscience by which all are a Law to themselves and that it is not the Hearers and Preachers and Praters against the Laws justifying but the doers of the Law onely by the power of Christ which onely does it
perfect voluntary cause nothing but what is perfect is to be expected for nothing could hinder God being willing to reveal his will from revealing it perfectly but either because he could not which is not consistent with his infinite Wisdome and Omnipotency or because he would not which in no wise agrees with his goodness and grace therefore he hath given out a perfect Revelation of his will Reply This is the first medium whereby thou seem'st to thy self Artificially to have proved the minor of thy first Arâ—eficial Argument for the Scriptures being such an onely absolutely perfect Rule and Revelation of God and his Will that there 's now no need of any other way of Revelation either of him or it but all else whatsoever by his Spirit and Light within as in order to the knowing of God his Will and our duty to him and our obtaining eternal life beside the Scriptures are superfluous uselesse needlesse unprofitable fictitious and to be rejected as such with abhorrency and detestation And this minor of thy Prosyllogism should haue been thy expresse Conclusion in thy last Argument instead whereof being likely ashamed to infer it in its proper terms they are so fordid fottish false foolish blinde brutish beastly blasphemous grosly detestable and abominable thou entailest a conclusion at the tail of it which is not contradicted by any but aliud a negato quite another thing then that which is denyed yea even the same that we and all other men own viz. That God hath given out a perfect Revelation of his Will Which who doubts of Who denies but that God gives out his will certainly sufficiently to all men But whether that Revelation of his will be made to all men by a meer Letter without so certainly perfectly at this day that in order to knowing and doing it by every man savingly his Light and Spirit within is superfluous needlesse unnecessary uncertain and no less then fictitious and odious to assert needful which is the lye thou labourest to defend or by his Light Word and Spirit within certainly and perfectly sufficiently to every individual in order to his doing his own duty without an outward Letter or Writing as it was before any Writing was and is still where no such Writing is and no less so where such Writing is also which is the truth the Qua. maintain against thee this is the Question between thee I.O. and the Qua. which thou rovest and ramblest from making Premises which pretend to have Promises in them of proving thy absurd Opinion and then concluding at Random that which iâ— nihil ad Rhombum just nothing at all to thy purpose insomuch that as an old Cardinal that had been long absent from Rome going once to the Election of a Pope and seeing such shuffling and patching and and shifting and canvâ—sing ' and daubing doings in a business of such moment as the choice of the infallible Chair-man for the whole Church said no more but Siccine eliguntur Pontifices Romani and so took his horse and rode away turning his back upon Rome resolving never to see it more So seeing how little Logical the Theological Disputations of our Vniversity Doctors in Divinity are and what pinching and cutting and curtailing and serpentine twining and turning things upside down and shifting and shuffling to shut out the plain truth as held out to them by honest Country Qua. and to escape the force of the two edged sword of the Spirit or Word of God from wounding their hairy Scalp what moping and mincing and mangonizing there is among them who having left off to walk by Gods right Rules cannot walk well nor keep close to their own wrong Rules neither is it enough to make any well-meaning honest-hearted Countrified Schollars that have long discontinued from the Vniversities ashamed and sorry and sick to see such sorry doings at the Nursing Mothers and to say Siccine disputant Academici nostrates Do our Modern Doctors dispute thus at the Vniversities surely wee 'l never look after them more nor send our Sons thither to learn Logick or train them up there to know honestly and uprightly and rightly how to reason much less to make them Ministers of the Gospel But to let the illegitimacy of the conclusion pass and suppose it to have been expressed in its own due Terms let 's see how it will follow from those premises he infers it from that the Letter without the Light and Spirit within Memorandum still that he stiles those most blasphemously uncertain perillous unprofitable and in no wise necessary means of knowing Gods will and our duty and of coming to life and such as are to be rejected and detested as fictitious and counterfeit is the onely perfect Rule of Revelation of Gods will any more then from the self same premises it will follow contrarily to him that the Light and Spirit within are the only perfect certain sufficient Rule of Revealing Gods will without the Letter or Scripture without Surely had I.O. been Magister Avtis his Arts-master in this his Arteficial Argument he would have left it out altogether and not have urged it as he doth to the prejudice of his cause for it doth him ten times more detriment then advantage For whereas it is generally concluded among you all and by you two I.O. and T.D. my present Antagonists in particular as much by any thougâ— yet you both vilifie the the said inward Light what ye are able under the names of natural obscure darks dim low and to salvation insufficient principles and means of the Revelation of his will imagination figment Nescio quid nihil meer dictates of our own conscience blinde and corrupt that God declares and reveals himself his Soveraign Power Authority Righteousness Holiness good and evil many sins and duties and several divine Attributes and that indispensible moral obedience which he requireth of us as his creatures subject to his Law by some Light from himself and principles of conscience and his own voyce therein and those motions that are inlaid by his own hand in mens mindes and that they make a Revelation of him as to the purposes mentioned and shew the work of his own Law written in mens hearts and are able to plead their own divine original and discover their Author from whom they are and in whose name they speak even Gods without any other witnesses further evidence or reasoning without the advantage of any considerations but what are by themselves supplied without the least contribution or assistance from without Whereas I say all this is granted by you of the inward Light we plead for to be a â—erâ—ain profitable perfect sufficient Rule of knowing God and means of revealing of his will to us and our duty to him in order to life without a Letter against you who plead the Scripture and Letter only to be so without the inner Spirit and Light to say nothing how in effect the cause is little less than wholly
of our wayes is reproved the wayes of God approved Now this is no small benefit to have the light to discern our errors which without light from Christ we should never have understood A wise Christian will be often judging himself by the light of the Law discovering his Transgressions That mâ—st needs be the Law in the Conscience which de facto shewes every mans own sins to himselfe It will be needfull not only to use the light of Christ to judge our selves by but also to order our actions by I am the light of the World saith Christ he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness There cannot be unsafe walking by Christs light there is no danger when Christ our light goes before walk in the light saith Christ while ye have the light lest darknesse come upon you how many millions are there of souls perplexed and tortured all their life with fears and doubts for want of walking by the light of Christ in Scripture which say I is that in the conscience which the Scripture mainly calls to and chusing rather to walk by a light and sparks of their own kindling alias their own wisdome conceits sences and meanings on the Scripture traditions in worship and such like which they call light which in the end either goes quite out or burns so dim as to leave them in darknesse of spirit and horror of conscience and no marveile since such as neglect the word preached which is that word of faith i.e. which men are to beleeve in unto life which the Scripture testifies and the Apostles preached to be nigh in mens hearts to heave and do it should follow the mares of humane reason the examples customes and dictates of men and in conclusion ly down in sorrow Isa. 40.11 Such foolish fires will lead to nothing but bogs and precipices but Christ the true light when his Gospell is followed which is the light in the heart 2 Cor 4.5 6. guides the feet of men into the way of peace The light of Christ is to be used as our weapons or Tools to defend ourselves or to work with let us put off the works of darknesse and put on the armour of light the truth is light is the chiefest instrument for safety and worke if a man be without light he can neither defend himself nor offend an enemy he that would make use of Christs light must be armed with his doctrine he that would improve the light must be a doing the businesse which the word of Christ directs him to and to that end it mark must dwell richly in him Make use of the light of Christ for thy comfort and rejoycing it is it which removes doubts griefs fears despair in life or death Oh how sweetly might men live how comfortably might they dye if they did make use of it Thus highly do these two men R.B. I.T. speake of the light of Christ within which the Qua preach yea that in the very Heathen though they oft call it naturall yet they recommend it as that which told the truth to the heathen which they holding in unrighteousnesse were under wrath and without excuse before God because they glorified him not as God but were fill'd with unrighteousnesse and did the things which by that of God in them they knew judgment was due to and that they were worthy of wrath Ignorance of the Law being not to be pleaded by them say they who sin against the innate light of their own spirits for as much as that fact must needs be voluntary which is done against the knowledge and judgment of a mans own conscience And yet somtimes to go round again they tell us that when their Saints sin through infirmity only as T. D. judges David did when he was guilty of murder and adultery which when they doe they act against the knowledge and judgment of their own consciences their facts are not voluntary but altogether yea utterly against their wills Yea p. 41. They seem to judge themselves much belyed by the Qua. for denying the light within and set themselves to vindicate themselves from that as a false aspersion as if they were men that do truly own the light within as much as any yea they there make a use of Application of their Doctrine about the Light that enlightneth every man that cometh into the World to justifie themselves against the Qua as owners and honourers of the light within and to warn men that they act not against their Light within to this purpose we may infer say they a plea for our selves against the unjust accusations of the Qua who use to charge publick preachers with denying the light within each man whereas such light is not at all denyed by them each person is to make use of the light within that he do not rebell against the light a mans own conscience is a Law to him c. This and much more do these men when they are pleased to begin of themselves confesse to the excellent usefullnesse and sing out to the praise of the light of God within each man but if the Qua fall in with them in the same work and commend the same light for t is no other but that of Christ the Qua cry up in the same words with the Priests then in enmity against the Qua they set themselves to cry it down with as much indignation and detestation as they cryed it up with approbation and high commendation before Then to go round again they sing a new song in contempt of it to the Time that hereunder followeth inveighing most heavily and bitterly against the Quak for this businesse of warning men to take heed to the Light within to that of God in their consciences calling both it and them no lesse then all to nought witnesse their clamours against the Qua for this very thing in Baxt. Epist. p. 7. Their i.e. the Quâ— great pretence when they dishonour the Scripture and the Ministry is to lead men to a light within them and this is their cry in our Assemblies and our streets hearken to the light and word within you and the sufficiency of this they clamourously defend So p. 6. They i.e. the Quakers assert that there is a light in every man sufficient to guide him to God of it self that it is a Rule to shew duty and sin that there 's no need of other teaching of man that this is one in all that it is the Gospell this is the main prop of the new Anti-christian Religion or frenzy of the Quak and leads them into pernitious courses So p. 41. A mans own light cry they speaking of that of God in the Conscience of all men which somtimes themselves call no lesse then Gods Law in them which is in them but not of them nor naturall but spirituall holy just and good cannot warrant of it self without the Scripture a mans actions to be lawfull which he doth according to that light And
D. makes no better then dung loss and filthy rags to both the Justification Sanctification and Salvation of sinful men from All their sins then the Quakers do who are by the Parish peoples Blind Leaders most abominably belyeâ— to them as denyers of it And because we do not with the misty Ministers 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the meer Letter which the Apostles were not Ministers of but of the Mystery of the New Testament or the Spirit 2 Cor. 3 own the bare External Text of Scripture which themselves confesse to be corrupted vitiated altered and adulterated in all Translations to be at leaâ—t in their Heb. and Greek Transcripts of it entire in every Tittle Letter Vowel Syllable and Jota the self same without any losse as it was at the first giving out but say it hath suffer'd much losse of more then Vowells single letters and single lines also yea even of whole Epistles and Prophecies of inspired men the Copies of which are not by the Clergy Canoniz'd nor by the Bible-sellers bound up in the Bulk and compasse of their modern Bibles and specially because we own not the said alterable and much altered outward Text and Letter or Scripture but the Holy Truth and inward Light and Spirit which the Scripture it self testifyes to which at times that Text and Letter came from to be as to Name and Thing and that properly the Word of God which is Living the only firm infallible Foundation of all Saving Faith and invariable Right Rule of holy Life the most sure sound Balis stable Standard True Touchstone for the due Tryal determination and discerning of all true Doctrines of Christ from mens Tradition and cunningly devised Fables Therefore they cry out against us as Siders with Jews Papists Athiests and All Scripture haters as decrying the due Authority of the Scriâ—tures as such by whom Satan assaults the sacred Truth of the Word of God in its Authority Purity Integrity and Perfection and as Opposers of the Scripture and the Word of God as to both Name and Thing witnesse J. O's Epiâ—t Dedicatory of his doings againâ—t the Quakers to all young Divinity Students p. 28.30 and elsewhere as is seen hereafter Whereas how though Christ and his living Word in the heart which the Scriâ—ture exalts also is Exalted onely on the Throne yet the Scriptures are owned by us in their due place and how though Christs Light and Spirit alone in the Conscience is according to the Scripture asserted to be the only most perfect Rule Foundation c. and not the â—etter as they darkly Divine yet the Letter is acknowledged by us full as much as it is by it self to have been written by men moved of Gods Spirit and to be useful profitable servicable c. to be read and heeded and how all-J O's lying Calumnies against the Quakers as concerning their carriage to the Scriptures and the Word of God and the Foundation and Rule c. are clearly wiped away and cashiered as well as T. D's foul false Aspersions of them in his Narratives as to matters of Fact are in the 1st part of my 1st Exer from p. 18. to p. 38. is to be read at large throwout the 2 d. and 3 d. Exercitations which consist well nigh wholly in vindication of the Truth against their cloudy conceits about the Scriptures And Moreover because we as the Spirit also in the Scripture bids us Jam. 2.1 c. have not the Faith of God with respect of persons as they are high in this world in the Church where Christ is the one Master and all the rest are Brethren Therefore they misrender us as proud obstinate uncivil churlish discourteous disrespecting contemning all mens persons Whereas we truly honour all men in the Lord and what we do in denying those vain Complemental Customs of the Nations as vailing the Bonnet or putting off the Hat which is part of the outward habit and bowing cringing to the ground when we come before men and in our keeping to that plain yet not True Antient and proper English Language of Thee and Thou which is used to God himself to each single person great or small when we haue to do with them who have no law of man neither whereupon to imprison and punish any for doing herein as we do we do it God is witness and will once Iudg between us and them not in a Spirit of Pride Arrogance Disrespect Disdain or Contempt towards any man but in Conscience to the Lord that we may stand clear before him who forbids us to bow to the likeneâ—â—e of any thing in Heaven Earth or under the Earth and in humility onely and that fear of the Lord whereby we are bound to depart from all conformity to all such fond foolish fashioning of our selves according to our former Lusts in our ignorance and to This World which we are chosen out of A more clear discovery of the unsuitablenesse of which Ceremonious services of men to the Saints of God is made as in the Scripture it self so in the 1st of the ensuing Exercitations from page 40. to page 47. And because Christs Headship Kingship and Supremacy alone we together with the True Church which is in God the Father and in Christ Iesus the Light can own in the Court of Conscience and in matters purely Spiritual and of meer Religious and Soul concernment and not any meer mans much lesse the Popes or any Priests in such Sacred Secrets therefore are we mistaken and misranked among such as are utter enemies to the present Kings Supremacy in these Dominions Whereas we do according to what the Spirit requires of us in all civil causes and cases between Man and man submit our selves to every Ordinance of man himself I say in such cases even for the Lords sake whether unto the King as Supream or to such as are sent of him to be a Terrour to evil doers and a Praise to them that do well And if those who have the Sword in hand shall turn it against us for well doing and so act against the good will of God or impose by Gods permission upon us contrary to our Conscience even there where we cannot obey actively we are willing to bear patiently without violent Resistance what God will leave us to suffer from the hands of such as should protect us not reviling nor threatning nor cursing but committing our case in quietness to him that Judgeth Righteously and our Souls to him in well doing And that Passive deportment must be and is judged by All to be Aequivolent to that Active obedience which others yeild for fear to what lawes soever are made among men And because we are no Strikers or Fighters as some men called Christs Minister's alias Servants are though no such should be 1 Tim. 3.3 1 Tit. 7. with Carnal Weapons the Weapons of our War-fare being not Carnall but Spirituall nor such as theirs among whom are found Warrs and Fightings which
thereunto that he is comparatively to such â— one but as the â—east of the field that perisheth yet in the Fall he hath all that is Essential to him as a man and flowing ex principirs naturae But and this may be an Addition to the other Arguments in the Book if it be not touch't upon therein already Gods Law or Light in the consciences of all men which we call them to though given of God in some not the same measure at first to All so that universally every Individual or hath or hath had somthing of it yet through mans not using it well may he yet remaining Essentially a man be totally taken from him as the Talent from the sâ—othfull and darkness come upon him and be left to walk in utter darkness and to stumble in that dismall night of which its said then and of that time he that walketh in it knows not whether he goes and to stumble not only because he hates the Light as he did before while yet he had it but because now he hath it 〈◊〉 and because now there is no light left in him Of which Light and of its universality and sufficiency to save such as seek God in it and how it 's a supernatural spirituall gift and grace of God to all men where it is and not the naturall faculty of mans understanding only as our Opponents pittifulâ—y praâ—â—e to prove it is is most plainâ—y proved in the 4th Exeâ—citation from p. 49 to p. 194. and made more apparent in the Appendix also And when we assert the Ministry of Christ to be an infallible Ministry and the Spirit of God by which his Ministers are ever guided in the work of his Ministry for they are out of his Ministry or Service and in the Devils at that time who ever are at any time guided by any other is an infallible Spirit for God hath no fallible Spirit that we know of and that all the directions leadings and guidances of that Spirit are infallible which Spirit hath no fallible guidance as J. O. little lesse then seems to intimate he has that we know of and consequently that All who are led by that Light or Spirit are so far infallibly led and that all and only they are the Sons of God that are led by that Spirit of God and that God hath Children at this day in the world and so consequently that at this day his Ministers and Children who are all â—aught of God are infallibly taught as they attend to that Anointing that 's given to be their Teacher that leads into all truth which Spirit of Christ also whoever hath not as his teacher is none of Christ's Then they bely us as saying of our selves that we as of our selves as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as J.O. flouts are infallible Whereas we say no such thing at all of our selves nor of any men but that All men as in themselves and in the Fall are no more then fallible But because men in the Fall are fallible liable of themselves to erre still as they are erred already to their own ruine Therefore God in his love hath sent his Son a Light into the Nations So to be his Salvation to the ends of the earth to lighten them that sit in darkness and to guide their feet in the way of peace out of the crooked paths they are in in which who walks can never know peace and that the Light and Spirit of him who is the Light of the world the Lord that Spirit which is Truth it self and no Lye is lent as the Letter speaks of it to every man even that True Light that enlightneth every man that comes into the world given to lead him back infallibly unto God from whom it comes who can be known out of that no more then the Sun can be seen by any other Light then what shines from it self in which Light wherein he looks after the Lost whoever look after him are not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and shall find that Salvation of which he says Look ye unto me and be ye saved All ye ends of the earth Of the Infallibility of which Light and Spirit and of its guidance of all Christ's Ministers and Children and of all men also so far only and no further then as they are led by it as of old so at this day there is much said in answer to those Ignes fatuos that fain the contrary in the 4 Exercitation from p. 1. to p. 47. And because we call on men as the Scripture does to perfect holiness in Gods fear and to cleanse themselves from all uncleannesse of Flesh and Spirit then which there is no more as a thing attainable by Christs grace and Power only improved as a thing not only Possible to be done here as God requires who calls not for Impossibilities from his People on pain of Eternall Punishment if they Perform it not but also needfull and necessary to be done here if they mean to do it at all sith as Themselves say with Vs against the Pope there 's no Purgatory in the World to come They commonly accuse Vs of saying in A Self-Vaunting Proud Disdainfull Vain-glorious Boasting Way over all other men of our selves that we are perfect and as J. O. impudently intimates that we impudently Glory in it that we are free from not only Hypocrisyes Fraud Wickedness Lyes which it seems he can't Glory yet that by the Grace of God he is yet free from but even from all other even the very least evils and so would have us have Punitiones Incarrationes Punishments Prisons c. for so saying Whereas we use not to bear Testimony to our selves but to the Truth of Carist and though by the Grace of God only We are what We are and His Grace to whom alone therefore We give the Glory and not to our selves who have nothing but what we have received and Glory not as some do in Sin and Shame nor boast as they do in evill doing of anything that 's Good As if we had not received it is not in vain so but that our walking is such that they can't accuse some of us Justly of the least Evills yet we Testify the Truth rather as a Doctrine to all Teaching not what our selves are what ere we are so much as what both We and All men should be and also may be by the Grace of God who is not wanting to us if we be not wanting to our selves and must be also viz. Deniers of all Ungodliness and worldly Lusts and Godly Righteous Sober Livers in this present world or else it had been better men had never been born seeing for them that loose their day for it here it 's too late to begin that life in the world to come where there is no Purgatory nor place for Repentance though it shall be then sought carefully with Teares Pro. 1. Math. 25. Luke 13. In this Doctrine
without more mention or finding fault with it from my self and others yet if my self or any shall henceforth write or cause himself by Pen or Press to be inscribed either M.A. or D.D. or B.D. and any Reader in his ignorance not knowing well how to Cypher or cast Account shall happen to Read Mr. Ass or Dr. Dunce or Blind Divine the Affecter of those Trifling Titles of Mr. of Arts Doctor in Divinity Batchelour in Divinity who is not more Baccalaureus then Laurus sine baccis shall in no wise be Laughed at and as little Lamented at all by me And since I am thus casually fallen upon this Theam about Respect to mens Persons and using Titles of Honour to them It s not much amiss I minding Gods matters more then Mens manners and plain-ness more then that our Masters of Art call Method before I proceed in Examination of T. D's false charge of me as to matter of Popery left I find no fitter Place for it in the after part of this Book to take notice here of another inordinate Charge of T.D. in which it concerning all the Qua. my self also am not a little concern'd which in p. 47. of his first Pamph. upon occasion of R.H. his calling Thomas Rumsey by his own name is on this wise T. D. You Qua. are an unmannerly Generation you might have given a Magistrate the Title of Master Rep. How Contrary are these Teachers Ministers alias Servants of our times who with the rest of their fellow Rabbies painted Sepulchres whited Walls out-side cleansers Scribes Pharisees Hypocrites blind Guides strainers at Gnats and swallowers of Camels Love uppermost Rooms at Feasts Chief Seats in Synagogues greetings in Markets and affect to have men called and to be called of men Rabbi Rabbi Master Master Reverend Sir and such like to the only One Master Christ who condemns all this and cryes Wo against those that are found in it Mat. 23. â—râ—t otum How contrary are they to his Apostles who forbade this respect to mens Persons which these Master Ministers are ever and anon pleading for against the Qua. as a clownish unmannerly Generation for not giving it Iames sayes Iames 2.1 to 10. My Brethren have not the faith of our Lord Iesus with respect of Persons telling the Saints that if they have respect to Rich men that wear gold Rings and goodly Apparrell and set them up on high and despise the Poor in vile Rayment setting them at their heels and putting them under feet as the footstool they are Partial within themselves Commit sin and are Convinced of the Law as Transgressors Elihu when he was to speak for God to Iob and his great Friends sayd Job 32.21 22. Let me not accept any mans Person neither let me give flaâ—tering Tâ—tlâ—s unto man for I know not to give flaâ—tering Titles in so doing my Maker would soon take me away and so goes on using no other Titles to him beside his Name and that plain but now disdained Thee and 〈◊〉 as his words are most truly and properly Translated out of the Oâ—igâ—â—al into Right English thus did the Saints and Ministers of God of old even like to Christ himself of whom t was said by the Pharisees Mat. 22.16 17. that took notice of it and perhaps disgusted it as much as our Modern Ministers now do some of which though they say little yet think the more Master we know thou art true and Teachest the way of God in truth neither carest thou for any man for thou regaâ—dâ—st not the Person of men even Caesars meer Person more then anothers yet he gave Caesar his due too and though he was free gave him Tribute Mat. 17.24 25 26 27. and so did his Saints then and we now give Tribute to whom Tribute custom to whom custom honour to whom honour fear to whom fear obedience to whâ—m obedience is due and with that honour of yielding Tribute and Subjection to as we have the due Benefit of Protection by their Laws while Just and Enacted according to the Law and Light of Christ in Every Conscience which is holy just and good and while as justly executed by Rulers do we honour them yet then only are their Laws justly Enacted and Executed nevertheless when these outward Sword-bearers and their Laws are a Terror to Evil Works and a Praise Encouragement to the good and to them that do well for else they act more Might then Right and as the Devil does who is the Prince of the Power of the air the God of this world and Ruler of the darkness of it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 according to meer will and lust not according to Law itself by permission for a time but not by any true Commission from God himself by whom the Law which we own in its place was added because of transgression and is not for the righteous but for the unrighteous for murderers theeves and whatever is contrary to sound Doctrine and Godliness And this truly divine Honour of subjection and obedience to Magistrates just Laws as justly Executed as Enacted is it and not the meer Humane Hâ—mage of high flattering Titles as You and Sir and complements and cringings and outward worships and genu-flexions and bodily Bowings to mens persons which in the second Commandment by whom ever used as in the Typical shadoâ—y time they were by Iacob to Esau himself by â— David and others whose practice is not our Rule but Gods praecept are prohibited to be given to the Image or likeness of any thing in heaven earth or under the earth is that God cals for and we give for conscience sake And thus we honour all men owing nothing to any but love which works no ill to the neighbour and fulfils the Law and so children are bid by Paul to obey their Parents as 't is fit in the Lord in which obedience though they make not Idols of them kneel not down and ask them blessing as in Popish days they foolishly did to their Godfathers and Godmothers when they meet them they are said according to that Commandment to Honour the Father and the Mother Ehh. 6.1 2. And so Servants in their Relation honour their own Masters when not with eye-service as men-pleasers but in singleness of heart as fearing God the great Master in heaven they are faithful in the business they are entrusted with by them though they never stand cap in hand to them and should never call them by that name of Master which yet we allow as the Scripture it self does as well that of Father Mother King Ruler Magistrate when used not as a flattering Title but as a Note or Term of distinction between the Relatum and the Correlatum in that Relation that is between Princes and Subjects Parents and Children Masters and the Servants that have hired themselves to them and thus only ought things to-be among the Saints Howbeit such a Generation of Parasites are all sorts of Professors now become that without
and perfected as he shall be by him who is said to perfect for ever all such as are so far as they are for ever Sanctified by him nor yet but that thy senses are sodden so as to Take or rather Rake or Scrape things for granted to thee before they are so given did or do I grant as thou there tatlest sâ—me persons to be justified who never did fulfil the Law personally for though I told thee indeed as thou truly tel'st it again to the world there are but two Estates Iustification and Condemdation and now I tell thee over again that there is no medium between these for every one stands either Iustified or Condemned Guilâ—y or not Guilty before God as his Law which is the Light is broken or fulfil'd by him and he that stands by the Light in his own Conscience by which God Judges him in any Particular Cleared or Iustified stands before God so far uncondemned how ever Judged by man therefore wherein David was clear in himself though clouded with mens false accusations of him he could and did with boldness appeal to God to Iudge and Reward him in that case still according to the integrity of his heart and innocency of his hands in Gods sight and so Abimelech and others see Psal. 25.21 26.1 6.11 18.26 Gen. 20.5 1 Kings 9.4 But he that by the same Light which is no lye in the Conscience of ether Godly or Wicked as T.D. little less then perswades men it often is in both p 19. stands Condemned within himself and so consequently before God whose witness that in him is let him flatter himself as he will let T.D. and all men sing Lullaby and Prophecy as smooth things to him as they can so far as in any Case or Cases he Rebels against the Light is so far inexcusably till he repents and returns to it in such wise condemned by it in the sight of God whereupon even David himself where his heart smote him for iniquity regarded in it and he that does it let him dote the contrary if he dare does I say assuredly so far regard it could stand in no more boldness and guiltlesness in his sight then Adam could after he had fed on the forbidden fruit for which he fled Gods face and where he fell short of that uprightness he sometime stood Iustified in and by before and fail'd so fowly as that flawes fainirgs and falshood were found in him as if ever there were in all his dayes it was in that unjust matter of Vâ—iah and his Wife in which yet even while he was guilty thereby T. D. most impudently affirms he stood with God not in a condemned but in a justified estate there let T. D. lye as he lifts yet David declares when he had done that wickedness in his sight God did not onely speak in wrath and judge him but was worthy to be though himself was justly condemned by it to be justified and cleared in so doing Psal. 51.4 I ay though I said there were but two states in one of which every man is as he does good which since the fall he cannot do but by the Power of Christ or evil at the suggestion of the Dâ—vil viz. Iustification or Condemnation yet I deny any person to be justified in whom the Law which can't be by the weakness of the flesh is not by the Power and Spirit of Christ fulfilled neither do I Imagine as thou imaginest I did a mixture of sin with Believers Grace for though they that drink of the Whores Cup of abomination and fornication which is full of such kind of trashy doctrines and mixtures and medleys which they ministes and measure out to one another supposing I see with such eyes as themselves suppose such a mixâ—ure and suppose I suppose it too yet I neither suppose nor own such mingled messes of doctrine but know that no more then Iron is truly mixed or can cleave into one compositum with miâ—y clay and no more then God and Idols light and darkness Christ and Belial can be mingled into agreement no more mixture is there of the sinners sin which is of the Devil with the Saint's Grace which is of God and so whereas thou thoughtest thou hadst caught me as thou there sayest in a manifest contradiction thou hast but according to thy common custom in that kind caught thy self instead of winding my self out of which contradiction of thy meer coining though thou sayest I replyed not but saâ—e down on the Top of a Seat like a man astonisht and under the Hereticks Iudgement i e. self-condemned yet thou feest I have here so well wound my self out of it as to manifest it to all men that I were never in it and to leave thee in the lurch under the Hereticks Iudgement of self-condemnation for thy folly and fictions about it which are hereby also manifest to all for verily if I were at all astonished at any of the three dayes Disputes thou miserably mistook'st the manner of it it being not at all as the Iewes were at the Wisdom of Christs but as oft as it was at the stupidity of thy understanding and answers Thirdly and lastly From thy foregoing Grant to us which is more then we say and would have thee say That the Gospel gives life upon imperfect obedience let it be well remembred by thee sith it s agreed on all hands that all the obedience that Christ yielded to the Law in that person called Christ without us was perfect and in no wise imperfect that then that imperfect obedience as thou call'st it which the Gospel gives life upon as thou sayest can be no other then that which is inherent in us in ourpersons onely and not his in whom all that is inherent thou darest not on pain of Blaspemy deny but that it was perfect and if so then see how with thy wining to and fro and running up and down round about thou hast at last brought thy Hogs as they say to a fair Mâ—rkâ—â— even till thou hast drawn the dirt of thy fal'd charge of Popery as thou callest that Doctrine of Life upon our imperfect works which thou threw'st at me who never held it by anâ— but Christs perfect obedience upon thy Own indirectly-driving-self so that if any man enquire who is it that holds that Popery of Life Iustification upon Our imperfect obedience T. D. tells it that himself is the man in whose Book p. 45. it is written as legibly to all as if it were branded upon his Bâ—ow as his own Doctrine That the Gospel gives Life upon imperfect obedience â— and if he will take his Term of imperfect and Translate it better by the Term of perfect obedience wrought by Christ in his Saints I 'le give him his word again with all my heart and can afford it for if so he gives me no less then the Question it self which is affirmed by us and not denied if so by himself concerning lifes coming upon
goes before â—ustification as that by which we are and without and before which we cannot be accounted â—ust in the sight of God yet by and by again they tell us that justification which is by faith and so not before but after it goes before Sanctification whereof faith they say is a part and that the leadings of the Spirit and its fruits among which justifying faith is reckoned up as one 5. Gal. Aâ—ea fâ—uit and effect of our bâ—ing not under the Lawes penalty that is of our justification from the guilt of sin so T.D. p. 16. Sometimes to escape and slip away from the shame of this absurdiâ—â— and contraction they tell us or at least some of them that Iustification of Saints or sinners for I am to seek still what to call the Creatures they call Saints for if I call them Saints it loaths me to call such sinners Saints as they Term so yea If they be Saints which some so call Then guilty sinners are Saints al And if I call them that commit sin the Servants of sin as Christ did Iohn 8. and not Saints and Children of God they will be ready to loath me I say then they tell us that Iustification of sinning-Saints painted and Saint-like sinners in the sight of God is without and before Faith or any thing else even before sin was or men either from all Eternity and from all sins pastnor present I can't say here because the sinning Subjects of this Iustification are not yet extant in the world but from all that ever is to come and Faith by which the Iustification comes is but an Instrument whereby the Evidence of this long-since Iustification in Gods eye comes in to men and manifests it to their eye whereby the sinners themselves know it and as for other fruits of the Spirit which are all the fruits of Faith too which I confess to be the first in being of all work truly good so that without it 't is impossible to please God and whatsoever is not of it and in it but out of it and out of the Light in which it is if true is but sin these are onely as Evidences to us and to others that the Faith we have is justifying and true c. and not dead and fained and fit for nothing So say they In Gods sight we are justified freely from of Old without Faith or good works that follow and flow from it either this we know and are assured of that Faith is oppâ—sed to it self as a work in the business of Iustification and that Faith is imputed to us as being in stead of a perfect personal righteousnese or that 't is the meritorious cause of our Iustification I utterly deny quoth T. D. p. 24 25. but Faith without works is that by which we are formally justified but the other that is good works that by which we are declaratively justified in Pauls sense who Rom. 3.28 sayes We are justified by Faith onely without the works of the Law a sinner is absolved I wot he means in his own Conscience for I know not when T.D. reckons or whether at all God holds an Elected Saint guilty if not David while he was guilty of Adultery and Murder In Iames's sense Iam. 2.14 who sayes By works a man is justified and not by Faith onely a Bâ—liever is approved ' quoth T.D. p. 8. out of Diodat whose words he useth which approbation of a Believer in his Faith as true is both in himself and before men so as they usually say by good works a mans Faith is evidenced to himself within and others without to be a true living Faith and so consequently his Iustification with God to be surely known which was but could not be seen or known to be before Rep. Now therefore a word or two to the grant of our Antagonists that Iustification is before in Gods sight but it can't be known to be by us or others nor evidenced to us so that we can stand as justified ones or approved in our own sight and other mens till we be sanctified and have both Faith which is a fruit of the Spirit and other fruits of the Spirit which if true that Faith works by as love a pure heart victory over the world temperance peaceableness gentleness and such like Is it so Friends that no man can appear to himself to be approved and justified in Gods sight nor to himself or others be known that he is so till he comes to believe and do other good works of Righteousness which first declare the thing so to be I wonder then how ye dare talk and affirm that to be before good works which before good works ye confess cannot be known so to be will ye ever be in your wills thoughts inventions and traditions intruding your selves into that ye have not seen and confess cannot be seen to be as you say it is vainly puft up in your fleshly minds and entring into and venturing to reveal and vent out Gods secrets which ye say are secret and hidden to man saying they are so and so before the time you say they are first revealed to you in And telling men they are justified before God and loved before they do any good and bidding them believe this for true Doctrine from you that 't is so till they come to do good works and that that 's the onely Evidence whereby you can discern that thing so to be which yet you say is so before either by you or them it is discerned In his own secret thoughts say you and bosome Councels the thing stands so that we are justified but it s not revealed to us to be so neither can we know it to be so that we are justified but from the time of our bringing forth fruits of Righteousness Do not secret things belong to God onely and things that he reveals when he reveals them and not before to you and your children to talk of Are ye not like natural bruit beasts in this that you oft speak evil of that truth ye know not and oft tell that for truth which is not so when ye know it not and even confess it cannot be known to be till evidenced by good works and yet you will say 't is of a truth before any of those good works by which onely the Evidence of it comes to you be brought forth in you 'T is true there be many things in esse Reaâ—â— before they be in esse cognâ—scibili Real before they be visible though this Iustification of yours before Sanctification in Gods sight which ye yield is before Sanctification but Sanctification before it in your own sight and in the sight of all men is not one of those invisible Realities but if may so say an apparent Real visible non entity rather and fancy of your own brain but what things soever are in truth to us they are not so as that we in truth and of a truth can say so or so they are
present Seers gain-getting Priests false Prophets and foolish People But alas poor man thou art far enough from the New Testament or Covenant yet which is a Gospel a Covenant of Light which thou art so far from that thou fightest against it thou thinkest thy Judgement is over past and the Old Testament a thing that thou hast learned long ago but thou art not come so near to the sharp Paedagogy of it yet as thou must do so far art thou from the glorious Liberties of the New Thy words are true enough the Word under the New comes in a way of more Liberty and Glory but it s no newes to hear High Priests speak Truths which themselves know not thou art at best but an Old Testament Talker of the New and one that 's come truly yet under the Tuition of neither As for the New the Word comes under it in Liberty and Glory but not to Old Testament Spirits Doctors Scribes and Pharisees they see not clearly so much as Moses face much lesse the Glory of God in the face of Iesus Condemnation is yet to come from Christ himself first to such as these as well as from Moses Iohn yea Christ himsâ—lf whose friendliness to Publicans and Sinners as a Physitian was found fault with by such Friday fasting Pharisees as this Age is filled with as much as Iohns Austerenesse was found in Iohns rough Spirit Camels hair Garment and astonishing Appearance to them that went about to Murder him in his inward Ministry and Testimony within themselves and then they said of him too as of Iohn Thou hast a Devil Ioh 8. Ah poor Nursing Fathers and Mothers Vniversally Erring Vniversity Seducers poor seducing Priests and seduced People notwithstanding the Glorious Liberty and Gloriousnesse of the Gospel Times that ye are glorying in in a Dream that ye live under ye must most assuredly find a Condemning Iudging Terrifying fiery flaming Law laying hold on your Consciences and finding you out and the Sword of the Lord entering into your Souls and the Wrath of the Lord rending your very heart-strings a sunder and dread terrour and trembling surprizing you Hypocritical sinners in Sion before ever ye shall come to know the true Liberty or Glory of the Gospel which is the Image and Glory of God brought forth among you yea judgement is already laid to the line and Rigeteousnesse to the Plummet and the Hail is falling that will sweep away your Refuges of Lyes and the storm that will overflow your hiding places and break and disinable your supposed Covenant and Agreement with Death and Hell as if your judgement were passed over by the Lord and none of that could come near you and your Bed will be found too short for you to rest on and your Covering too narrow to wrap your selves in from the Wrath of God the power of whose wrathful displeasure shall make your Mount Sier shake like Sinai before ever ye come near to the sight of that glorious Rest that the Saints ly down in on Mount Sion Now as to that other new found Phrase of Fanaticks These Fanaticks the Fanaticks of this time our Fanaticks Fanatical Quakers Fanatical Souls Fanatical Enthusiasts Fanatical Knaves Fanatical Anti-scripturists and under which ever and anon yea so oft that I may say Ferè numquam non thou soamest out as thy fellows do that froth filth and falshood which floats about in thy foolish vain Spirit against the Quakers in gross as against a furious distracted mad crack-brain'd kind of men that for so those Terms signifie as used by thee pretend to Visions Revelations Illuminations Inspirations the Spirit of Prophesie and such like but are Reapse stark besides themselves and bereft of their very wits and senses As new a nick-Name as 't is to this Age this is no other then what all the Prophets of God were entertained with in the several seasons wherein God sent them out by the many false Prophets that were Coaetaneous with them and therefore nibil novi no new business to such as are not blind He is but meanly skill'd in the Scriptures who hath not yet learn'd from thence That the Prophets by whom God spake and by whose Ministry be muâ—tiplied Visions and used Similitudes as Hos. 12.10 were ever counted Deceivers as the snare of a Fowler in all their wayes that the true Prophet was a fool and the spiritual man or man of the spirit Mad Hos. 9.7 8. and hatred alwayes in the House of his God And that Gods People by meer profession rose up against them as against an Enemy and as now the same Generation of Holy Hypocrites do both in Old England and in New pull'd off their Robes and their Garments from them to whip and scourge them sometimes as Seditious and Disturbers that passe by securely as men most averse from War and streitned the spirit of the Lord saying Prophesie not so such as Prophesied in his Name and Power and putting them to shame if they did when if a man would walk in the wind of his own Invention and Lye falsly and Prophesie to them of â—elly Ohear of Wine and of strong Drink even he should be own'd a Prophet by that People Mic 2.8 9 10 11. And that Ioshua the true High Priest and his fellows even Christ and the Children that God had given him were as men wondred at were set as signes to be spoken against even to the house of Jacob from whom he hid his face and their peepers and mutterers out of their own familiar spirits to the unbelieving Despisers that wonder and perish for signes and for wonders from the Lord of Host that dwelleth in Mount Sion Isa. 8.17 18. Zach. 3.8 Luke 2.34 Act. 13.40 41. Yea I. O. hath read his own Book ore but by the halves if he do not learn this Lesson out of it himself pag. 58 59 61 62. that the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or divinely inspired men whose Doctrine was to have been received as from God who sent them and in whose Name they spake though but Herdsmen and of mean Occupation were yet generally rejected upon innumerable prejudices that attended the Truth they spake arising from the personal infirmities and supposed Interests of them that delivered it as Amos 7. Ier. 43.2 3. Ioh 9.29 Act. 24.5 and that what with these things and chiefly the Peoples being so eminently perplexed with false Prophets both as to their number and subtilty that they could not well discern aright between Gods Word and that which was only pretended so to be and so became guilty of unbelief and rebellion against God not submitting to what they spake in his Name it alwayes so sell out that scarce any Prophet that spake in the Name of God had any Approbation from the Church of dead stones in whose dayes he spake Matth. 5.12.21.33 to 38 Act. 7.52 Thus much I.O. may learn from these words which are mostly his own that it was alwayes so heretofore and
1. c. 2. s. 3. opened the manner of the Words coming forth from God to prove the Scriptures of the old and new Testament to be the VVord of God much of which makes against himself at large in a long Train of perplexive prittle prattle throughout his whole second third and fourth Chapters from the self-evidencing property and efficacy of the Scriptures which aforehand still he calls the VVord of God but to shut it all up together in short to this purpose viz. That which evidenceth it self to be the Word of God that is and is known assuredly to be the Word of God But the Word of God doth evidence it self unto us to be the Word of God therefore the Word of God is and is known assuredly to be the Word of God The minor in this Syllogisme none denieth it being true in those termes it here stands in◠yet it is false and sophistical as falling from him who by that term the Word of God in the sore part of the Proposition means the Scriptures the utter falshood of which minor and so consequently of the conclusion which is now true but aliud a negato would have too plainly appeared if he had not sophistically placed that subject i.e. the Word of God as it stand formost in both in the room of the right subject i.e. the Scriptures or if he had not changed his minor term but exprest himself thus viz. But the Scriptures do evidence themselves to be the Word of God therefore the Scriptures are and are known assuredly to be the Word of God And to prove that minor J.O. useth another medium viz. Gods magnifying his Word above all his Name by which à minore ad majus i.e. from the self-evidencing power of smaller matters as he counts them i.e. the Works of God and the Light in the conscience the Law written in the heart and the notions inlaid there with his own finger which he calls the voice of God in nature for these are low ◠darke obscure principles and means of revealing God and his will with J.O. in comparison of the writings and letters that are inlayed in parchment and paper with the finger of meer man which low principles yet are able to plead their own divine original and evince them to be of God he argues at large that the Word of God Scripture again he should have said doth much more evidence it self to be his Word and to put his lax and loose words into a narrower room and into a more Argumentative or Syllogistical posture thus viz. If those inferiour Names of God whereby he makes himself known even his works without and his Light his Law written in the heart and conscience to which there need be no other Witness that when they testifie God's Righteousness or Holynesse and call for moral obedience which is eternally and indispensably due to him they speak from God do evidence themselves to be what they are and to be of him then much more his Word the Scripture he should have said which God magnifies over all his Name must evidence it self to be his Word But those inferionr Names do evidence themselves and therefore much more doth the Word of God the Scriptures again he should have said evidence it self to be the Word of God Rep. What a strange story is here as if a man should tell a tale of two things a Cock and a Bull metamorphos'd into one whereof the one having been as confidently as untruly avowed to be assuredly known to be the other viz. The Cock to be a Bull is being denied as Ridiculously as Reasonlesly profer'd to be proved in this illegal and illogical way of Argumentation viz. That which evidenceth it self to be a Bull both is and is assuredly known to be a Bull but the Bull alias the Cock for so he means should say evidenceth himself to be a Bull Therefore the Bull or the Cock both is and is assuredly known to be a Bull. In this shameful manner and sorry sort doth I.O. having once audaciously avouch 't it go about to prove the Scriptures to be and to be assuredly known to be the VVord of God by Anticipation sophistically substituting that subject the Word of God in his disputation for it in the room of the legal subject i.e. the Scriptures taking it perforce from such as give it not for granted that it is so while to them-ward it s yet no more but the thing in Question and utterly unproved so to be which question I.O. not onely begs but also begs so unworthily and basely that I never saw the like to it but once before in all my life and the like to it can't likely be seen again unless a man should beg it on his knees little less then plainly confessing that unless it be aforehand granted him that the Scripture is the Word of God he cannot possibly prove it so to be What wise man that is as willing to do the Truth Right as thee I.O. no wrong can make any better construction of thy own words as they are to be read in the ◠sect of the 4. chap. of thy first Treatise where professing that in the remainder of thy Discourse thorowout that Treatise which is all in proof of the Scriptures being assuredly the word of God thou shalt endeavour to clear and vindicate the self evidencing efficacy of the Scripture and the grounds thereof by such common Mediums as shall as well reach the Reasons of such men as acknowledge not the Scripture to be the Word of God as of such as do thou desirest in effect onely to have thus much first granted thee that thou mayest have leave the Scripture being that out of which thy proofs for and grounds of this self-evidencing efficacy of the Scripture to be the Word of God are to be taken to consider the Scripture as 't is the written word of God or else all thy proofs will be weak and able to prove just nothing This onely quoth I.O. to recite his own words I shall desire to promise that whereas some grounds of this efficacy seem to be placed in the things themselves contained in the Scripture I shall not consider them abstractedly as such but under their formality of being the Scripture or written Word of God without which consideration and resolution the things mentioned would be left naked and utterly divested of their Authority and Efficacy pleaded for and be of no other nature and importance then the same things found in other Books Which is as much as to say Being by the Scripture to prove the Scripture or writing both to be and to evidence it self to be the Word written or the written Word of God let such as deny it deny that their denial of it and but first own it with me that the Scripture or writing formaliter is the written Word of God and let us but under that name nature notion and formality consider it and then let
of the Old Testament must be also affirmed of the New with this addition of advantage and preheminenâ—â— that it received its beginning of being spoken by the Lord himself 6. Seeing it is so as is abovesaid that all was not written by the hands of the inspired Authors themselves at the very first but much by such Scribes only as wrote from them as dictated to by them to whom God gave out this minde and so wrote not so immediately from God as thou dreamest but that they might mispell or mistake in more than Titles and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 most good men being but bad Schollers and Scribes as to inch more humane earthly skill as your Schollership lyes in how absolutely doth this overturn that other utter untruths that thou tellest twice over to the manifesting of thine own folly more fully in uttering twice such falshood not so much as once observing it viz. pag. 10 11. that the Word which with thee still is the Scripture is come forth unto us mark unto us from God without the least mixture or interveniency of any Medium obnoxious to fallibility as is the wisdome truth integrity knowledge and memory of the best of all men But if what I have shewed above did not contradict and give check to this saying of thine about the Scriptures coming out immediately from God unto us who live so many ages from the last person who received any part of it immediately from God thou whose great Masterpiece of business it is throughout thy whole book to say and unsay and contradict thy self and run in Rounds overturnest and statly contradictest it thy self saying pag. 30. that we have not the Scripture from God immediately our selves in which self-confutation and contradiction of pag. 10. by pag. 30. thou canst not to continue long neither but as one delighting to dance round and shew how well skill'd thou art in tracing to and fro about the Scripture thou to go round again returnest and reiteratest pag. 153. that falsity uttered by thee pag. 10. in this wise over again viz. The Scriptures of the Old and New Testament were immediately and entirely given out by God himself mark as if God himself had wrote it every tittle with his own finger whereas how little God himself wrote I have shewed above and how such as were immediately inspired the mediation of whose hand writing in what they also wrote comes between God and us did not write it all immediately with their own hands but men that took what they said from them in writing by the active improvement of their knowledge wisdome skill in writing memory and other rational faculties so far is the Text from coming immediately from God to the men of those Cities and places that lived where and when it was written but how much farther from being immediately and entirely without any medium obnoxious to fallibility from God to us who live so many Ages off unto whom that Text J.O. talks of is descended perhaps at the hundreth hand through the hands of who knows what unskilful careless forgetful Scribes or Transcribers the very best of which J.O. at best confesses to be but fallible and that it was possible they might and also did mistake so as that failings fell out among them p. 167. nevertheless on he goes thus concerning that Scripture or writings viz. That Gods minde is in them represented unto us without the least interveniency of such mediums and wayes as were capable of giving change or alteration to the least 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or syllable 7. Whereas thou sayest there was onely a passive concurrence of the rational faculties of the Writers without any such active obedience as by any Law they might be obliged to though I have shewed thee that all the first Writers were not inspired but some wrote from their lips that were so and so were though never so skilful obnoxious to fallibility yet as thou intendest it of such Prophets Apostles Evangelists as wrote their own Prophesies Epistles Histories Proverbs Psalms c. with their own hands as they were moved by the Spirit it s utterly untrue that thou affirmest for the holy men of God who either wrote their Scripture with their own hands or dictated to such as they required to pen it from their mouthes as themselves spake from the mouth of God out of which came all that wisdome knowledge and understanding that is thereby uttered forth were such as were not so meerly pasive as thou praiest in the reception of what they wrote without any active concurrence of their rational faculties but in order to their receiving the word and manifestation of the minde and will of God to them which was written had both then and long before also an active concurrence thereof and such an active obedience to God as all men are by the Law of God i.e. the light in the conscience obliged to whereby they were made and became first holy men before they were used by God in such an holy work as preaching and wrriting out his minde to others and were brought into the thing or life it self they spake and wrote of and were purged from lusts and defilements and iniquities and foolish and unlearned questions and such prophane and vain bablings as ye are yet exercised in at your Vniversities about the Bible as well as about other books of humane businesses that in comparison of that holy truth that is in the Bible handled are but meer Baubles which a man being purged from 2 Tim. 2.16 19 20 21 22 23. he shall be a vessel of honour sanctified and meet for the Masters use and prepared unto every good work Yea their Prophets that spake out that holy Doctrine and soul-saving truth that is declared in the Scriptures what ever some of them might be that were exercised in the copying out of sundry of those to us more unnecessary and unprofitable parts thereof viz. the endless Legal Genealogical Chronological Catalogues of mens names not so needful to us to know were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 holy men of God 2 Pet. 1. ult and such to whose souls knowledge and wisdome and the fear of God was pleasant who cried after it and lifted up their voices to God for it and were in such love with it as to wait on God for it out of whose mouth it comes and daily at the posts of wisdomes house which your Vniversities are not yet acquainted with and sought it as silver and searched for it as for hid treasure and though to Prophesie was a gift of God and such as have it are so passive as to receive it from the giver and none can receive any thing of it except it be given him from above Joh. 3. and though it is in no wise to be purchased by mens mony at Schools and Colledges as our Accademical Simon Magus's suppose who to obtain and buy all the gifts whereby they Prophesie to men for mony and sell them for mony
that shall say the Horn-book is per saltum perfect to this end that without need of reading or learning any other books a person may by it alone become capable immediately of Commenâ—ing Dr. in Divinity shall by my consent be counted as ridiculous silly and senseless as such as side with J. O s. sayings are who say of the Scripture or Letter alone exclusively of the Spirit and Light within it calls to walk in that by it men may have the Life it gives the Life it is the only most perfect standing Rule of faith and life yea is so perfect and absoluâ—â— in all respects that there is no need of any other Revelation by the Spirit or Light within to instruct us in the knowledge of God and our duty to this end that we may obtaine eternal life yea all these means of knewing God and his will are uncertain dangerous unprofitable in no wise necessary and therefore to be rejected and detested as Fanatick figment For the foresaid honâ—urer of the Horn-book in his Hyperbolical adoration of it would be as contrary to common sense and reason as I.O. and T.D. in their absolute admirations of the Scripture and abominations of the Spirit and Light within for its sake are both to sense and reason and the common Testimony of the Scripture it self also which testifies every where concerning the Old Testament or Letter which I confess to be profitable perfect and absolutely able to the ends and uses of Gods appointment as a Typical testimony of those things which were to be spoken after that is weake imperfect and unprofitable as to that end for which I O. asserts it per salium to be so absolutely able powerful and perfect to that is to say to salvation and eternal life for it faith that it is the Light and Spirit that give the life and the liberty from the lust and sin to which the mother that is under the Old Testament or Letter of the Law is yet in bondage with her children and that the Old Testament or Letter lyes only in eatings and drinkings and diverse Baptisms and carnal Ordinance imposed only till the time of Reformation Heb. 9 10 in weakè and beggerly rudiments or elements of the world unto which who having once begun in the Spirit are tuâ—ned aside to are foolish and bewitched and disobedient to the Truth and do but think in vain to be made perfect by the flesh and desire again to be in bondage and know not yet Christ formed in them but know him only outwardly and after the flesh Gal. 1.3.4.9 19. 2 Cor. 5.16 18. are Iews outwardly only not truly nor inwardly nor circumcised with the Circumcision made without hands which is that of the heart in the Spirit not of letter whose praise is not of men but of God but Concis'd and conformâ—d according to the outward bodily exercises found in the letter loving the praise of men more than the praise of God and according to the law of a carnal Commandement not the inward worship of God in Spirit nor after the power of that endless life the light leads to That the law of the Letter which had but the shadow of good things and not the very image of the things themselves could never make the corners thereunto perfâ—ct as pertaining to the conscience Heb 9.9.10.11 That the Old Testament was faulty and failing and defective whereupon Gâ—d made a new one that could bring to life as it could not for if there had been a Law which could have given life verily righteousness should have come by it Gal. 3.21 for if it had been faultless or perfect or could have made perfect or given life there had been no occasion for the second Heb. 8.7 8. That there is a disanulling of the Commandement going before which was attendance to an outward letter because of the weakness and unprofitablness thereof because it could make nothing perfect but only was the ushering in of a better Hope even of the Light and Spirit by which we may draw nigh to God who is Light Heb. 7.16 18 19. and with whom no Letter lauder that lives beside the light the mystery of the Letter also can have any fellowship at al. And lastly as to thy saying that every Testament if it be but mans is perfect so that when once confirmed none may disanul or addâ— to it I answer no perfect Testament is to be dianulled when confirmed and in full force as it is only by the death of the Testator but that shews thy assertion to be false who sayeâ— that every Testament is perfect inasmuch as the Old Testament or Letter was disanulled which secundum te could not have been if it had been perfect and so omnibus numeris absolute as thou sayest in regard of the weakness unprofitableness of it to bring to life and for the the faultiness and imperfection of the first God himself whose Testament it was dedicated with the blood of Bulls Goats Lambs and Calves for the time then being only 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as intended for a while only 't was called a Ceremony takes it away that he might establish the second Heb. 7.18 19.8 7 8 9. that is perfect to the giving of the life which is ignorantly asserted by thee of the Letter for the Letter that was perfect to its own end as a shadow was altogether imperfect thereunto And that nothing is to be added to any Testament once come in full force and vertue by the death of the Testator as all Testaments do then and never till then for Heb. 9.16 17. where a Testament is there must of necessity also be the death of the Testator for a Testament is of force after men be dead otherwise it is of no strength at all whilst the Testator liveth This I freely grant as a truth but utterly overturns all thou contendest for which that is the Books of the Apostles and Evangelists which were all written after Christ the Testators death ' are the New Testament which how they can possibly be if thy own Position be true as it is that to a Testament if but mans when confirmed as it only and alwayes is by the Testators death much more God's New Testament after once confirmed by the Death of Christ the Testator as it was before one letter of that Scripture thou callest the New Testament as written nothing must be added thereto let all who are not void of judgement judge For if the writings of the Apostles and Evangelâ—sts which were all added and penned after Christs death the Testator of it by whose death it came into full force and strength be the New Testament an outward literal Declaration of which New Testament I know it is as the Writings of Moses and the Prophets also are both which are but the Letter 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Old Testament that in an external way declares the New with this difference only that the writing before Christ declared
it self and the very Devil for he that owns the Letter aright must own come to beleeve in follow the Light that shines from Christ and shews the good and the evil in his own by the fall darkned heart defiled blinded and benighted conscience sith the Letter testistes of and calleth men to this Light As he cannot be said to fulfill and live according to the Letter that lives besides the Light it calls to so cannot he be said not to fulfill or to live beside the Letter who lives according to the Light it came from But not upon this account can he bee said to rebel against the Light who rejects the Letter because the letter and light are one and the self-same thing viz the Letter the light and the Light the letter as I.O. dreams for howbeit that be his sense yet assuredly neither is the Letter the light nor the Light the letter but they are two distinct things that are no more Synonamous or one in name then they are in their essential properties and proper natures and that however in some generals they may be one and so omnia ' quia entia sunt quid unum is in reality not at all And lastly in what sense soever such as reject the Letter may be called Lights Rebels which is in no wise in respect of the letter and lights being individually the same yet as is said above they are in no wise so called in that of Job and if the Light had been as much heeded by I.O. as the Letter is lookt in by him without the Light which only leads into the true meaning of it yea if common reason had but ruled him hee would have seen by the word Light the Letter is not intended for to let pass other considerations that might be as cogent in this case when ever or by whomsoever that History or Book of Job was written whether in his dayes or after by himself or any other yet that Chapter being a part of Jobs speech to his friends it must be spoken in his dayes whom Jerom on Genesis Augustine Ambrose Philo Plato and most antient Fathers and Writers Luther on Gen. 36. observe to have lived long before Moses whom ye judge the first Scripture-writer carried Israel out of Egypt and so consequently before any of your Scripture or Letter which ye now call the Light was written and that Job should denominate the wicked of his dayes under the name of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Lights Rebels rebellious against the letter long before any letter was written unless his own book which yet if in his days must be written after that was spoken is such a trim peece of Teachment and credible conceit as I could say more to had I to do with another man but to him I shall say no more but that which is his usual saying of what is at no hand to be beleeved p. 244. Credat Apella Thus much of the first of I.Os. Texts Now as to the next that follow viz. Psal. 19.8 Psal. 119.105.130 Prov 6.23 I have said so much to some of them already above as may stand as a sufficient answer to the rest viz. that by Word Words Law Commandements Statutes Iudgements Testimonies Precepts c. In all those Scriptuâ—es is intended not the Scriptures themselves in which these things are declared of but the Word Law Commandement written in the heart and the Iudgements ministred by the light on the evil deeds in the conscience declaâ—ed of only in the letter which letter bears no other respect or proportion toward that Word or Law which is the light then the lantborn doth to the light that is contained in it and displayes it self somwhat diaily thorow it or the Glas-window doth to the Sun that shines shews it self throw it yet more obscurely then when it s immediately lookt upon in its native luâ—â—re for there 's a time wherein we see the Sun through a glass darkly and Christ through the vail that is to say his fleâ—h and the light and things of the Spirit in the shadow of the Scripture or letter wherewith it is overcast where the Sun shines more immediately to the eye and the vail of his flesh and letter and carnal Ordinance is rent a more new and living way is consecrated thereby into the Holy of holies it self where more immediately or face to face then before whilst in a Glass beholding the glory of God there is a more perfect transformation into the image of his glory which is fulness of grace and truth a glory that the world owns not but the Saints saw in Christ Joh. â— 14. even by the Spirit of the Lord or the Lord that Spirit 2 Cor. 3. ult so I shall need to say no more to to those Texts in this place nor yet to that Psal. 43.3 which is of the same nature whereby the Light and Truth that David if it were his Psalm desires God to send out could not be intended the Letter and Text for so much of that as he made use of for his own condition was sent out before which was but little more then the five books of Moses perhaps Joshua Judges Ruth and Job and t is but folly to fancy that he prayed that more Letter might be given out to guide him who had so much of the light and spirit that by it hee wrote much of the Letter himself or if he did pray for more letter to guide him then was I know no more was granted him unless what Psalms hee wrote himself which the Spirit mov'd him to write for the good of others for that of Samuel the Seer is mostly of him and those of Nathan and Gad were so also See 1 Chron. 29.29 And if Nathan and Gad wrote any to bee Davids guide they are none nor of yours being not in you Bibles and so that light and letter he prayed for is not the letter yee have and talk for nor doth the Letter and Text lead any to the holy hill of God and his Tabernacle but to the light and truth it came from which is it only and not the letter as ye have it that came immediately from God so only leads immedlately unto him As to Isa. 9 2. to which though thou writing them in the rank wherein they stand in thy Concordance severest them by the interposition of a text in Hosea between them yet I must joyn Mat. 4.16 sith they both in the self-same termes relate to the self-same thing and time I marvel not a little but that God is now proceeding according to his promise Isa. 2.9 to do that marvellous thing even that marvellous work wonder and turning the wisdom of the wise into foolishness and bringing to naught the understanding of the prudent I should much more marvel then I do to see a professed Doctor in Divinity residing at the well head of learning and Religion dwell so deeply in the darkness and in the Region and shadow of death as to
Peter Paul and the holy men of old wherein is written and transcribed their Witness or Testimony for Iesus which they were moved by his holy Spirit to give out and hold forth whether by word of mouth or writing but the Epistle of Christ written not with inke but with the Spirit of the living God not in tables of stone but in fleshly tables of the heart yea the testimony of Jesus is no less than the Spirit of Prophesie it self Rev. 19.10 and not the writing thou so writest for in which men do but write it and write of it as is shewed above This verbum lumen internum the Word and Light within is that which those that reject it are in that place of Iob 24.13 hinted at by thee called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Lights Rebels men resisting the Authority which they cannot but be convinced of and not the present letter or letters of the Scripture as thou dotest p. 74. before the writing of one letter or tittle of which outward letter this inward light was though he that lives not by the light lives not by the letter neither which came from it and excepting where men have sould it with the dirt of their mis-transcriptions and mis-translations agrees with it I wonder how much of that Scripture thou so super-eminently adorest and wouldest have the preheminence in prating for it was written when that in Iob was wâ—iâ—ing against which men could be said to Rebel tell me if thou canst and in so doing thou perhaps mâ—yest tell thy self that that was a light within and not a letter without which they then were said to rebel against which letter without as much as thou seemest to wonder at the Qua. for holding the light within in authority equal to it they are not ashamed to set the light above and to say that it is non ejusdem Authoritatis cum Scriptura sea majoris Authoritatis quam Scriptura not in as much but in more Authority then the Scripture neither will all thy Scripture-admiring scrape adde so many cubits to the statute of it as among any but such stocks as stick at nothing but without streining swallow all down for truth that thou tellst them is so to state it in any equality with the light it came from And that the Word we are sent to in Isa. 8. is the living Word and not the dead letter nor mens dead senses thereon interpreting it according to their own private familiar spirits muttering out their own meanings and imposing on people their own cloudy cogitations thereon as Cogent Canons is evident for he calls them off from the dead to the living when they say unto you Seek to them that have familiar spirits and Wizards that peep and mutter should not A people seek to their God for the living to the dead to the Law to the Testimony if they speak not according to this word it is because the morning light is not to him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so it s more truly rendred then thus there 's no lightin them which mis-translation many not knowing the Hebrew and many knowing it not heeding make no little ado against the lights being in all men and to as little purpose for it s no light to him and not no light in him and we know a light may be in a room under a bushel and so not shine out unto it And that by Moses and the Prophets to which Christ directs as the most effectual means of bringing men to repentance and that all faith and repentance is immediately to be grounded on is not meant their meer outward writing it evident for all men that need repentance have not that yea if the Scripture it seâ—f and that alone be that men are sent to by which the Doctrines to beleeved must be tried whether they be truths of God or fables and upon which all faith and repentance must be grounded what must become of those twenties to one in the world to whom God never vouchsafed so much as a sight of those their Writings if thy Divination from hence I.O. be as true as 't is sure enough to some its but a dream one of these things must be true as concerning such viz. either I. They need no faith nor repentance as they do or 2. They must be accepted with God and saved without either faith or repentance as they cannot or 3. Both beleeve and repent without any ground at all for the doing of either and so build a castle in the aire without any foundation or bottome which how impossible it is or how well it would stand if it were possible so to build it an Idiot may imagine or 4 perish and be damned for ever by and from the living God for not doing that which they had never any ground at all given them from God whereupon to do it and so absit blasphemia be cursed for ever for not acting what they were never put into any capacity to act and absit tibi Domine ne tale quippiam facias exercendo Pharonis tyrannidem absit tibi an non Iudex totiusterrae exerceresjus be sorely beaten for not making as great a tale of brick without any straw at all as would have been expected from them if they had had straw enough and be punisht for not effecting impossibilities But thy faith about that Scripture being but the festisious fruit of thy own fancy and thy Divination from it but the divinity of a divine that dreameth we need not in the dark iun upon any of these ragged Rocks having a more sure way then any of these in the light made so plain before us that unless we chuse so to do as some do we cannot split our selves upon them for as all men having sinned need faith and repentance so they have a more effectual means of bringing them to repentance and a more immediate ground to build their faith and repentance on then the naked outward Writings of Moses and the Prophets which thou here makest the ground of all faith and repentance not mentioning the Apostles as if thou hadst forgot them whose writings thou makest a joynt peece of the foundation in other places p. 33 34. or then the meer outward writings of the Apostles either together with them and that ground is no other but the self-same which the writings of all these bear one joint Testimony unto viz. the measure of Gods grace in every ones heart that teacheth to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts such as will learn of it and io live soberly justly and godly in this present world appearing to all men to that end bringing salvation along with it to such as submit to be taught by it 2 Tit. 1.17.14 called the riches of Gods goodness Rom. 2. which such as thou art despise to their own ruine not knowing it s given to lead to repentance the Law Light Doctrine Truth Spirit Word Writing and Testimony of God himself in the heart and conscience
given out of his own mouth written with his own finger therein not consenting to any but condemning all evil and calling to repentance all other good reaching men even thiâ— good lesson Quod sibine vis fieri alteri ne feceris è contra Whatsoever ye would that others should do unto you the same do you unto them and this is that Law and the Prophets that Moses and the Prophets which Christ ever sends to Matth. 5.12 And they that heed beleeve in and walk according to this whereby they are a Law to themselves though heathen shall come to the life of God it leads to sooner then the Letterlanding Jew or Christian that boasts of the Letter yet through breaking it in the Morals of it dishonours God Yea such are the true beleevers unto life as beleeve in that inward-light and they unbeleevers who beleeve the history of the Letter despise this and thus it oft falls out that even Ethnici non credendo credunt when Christiani credendo non credunt and he that will not hear this Moses and the Prophets that i so nigh him that is within him will never be profited or perswaded by any mans Writings nor any preachings that are further off him and without him though one do arise to him from the dead And this even this very thing viz. your vilifying undervaluing hating resisting smoothering turning from not coming to that light of Christ in your consciences but closing your eies against it stopping your ears at the voice of Christ who from heaven speaks to you by it hardening your hearts striving like the old stiff-necked and in heart and ears uncircumcised Jew against the strivings of the Spirit of God in you by it which by it convinceth the whole world both of sin and of righteousness and of judgement your receiving the grace of God in vain even the light that will not let you run to ruine without check reproof and controle which is that mercy that shews his long-suffering to men-ward and that he is not willing any should perish but that all should come to repentance and be saved in the acknowledgement of the truth and your turning it into wantonness also your despising the riches of this grace of God the Light in your taunting terms of I know not what imagined Christ or figment of the Qua. I know not what Word or Light within an infallible Doctor I know not what God or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Cornu-copia horn of plentiful salvation better then any God Every thing Nothing and the riches also of his long suffering and forbearnce towards you in your deep defiance and derisory Deifiance of his light and grace not knowing that this goodness of God who gives you and others this is that grand ground that true Moses and the Prophets and not thy differently transcribed Copies of their outward writings which are long since worn out and worm eaten and could not by thy own confession continue to this day uncorrupted and from mouldring without a miracle that should least you to repentance and is the most effectual means of bringing men thereunto and the firmest foundation and practice for all faith but such as yours which is false and fallible to fasten it self upon I say this very thing and sin of yours in setting so light by the Light of God is the great if not the sole reason why faith and repentance that are so much preached are so little practised so abundantly called for in a form and found of words yet little or nothing but infidelity impenitency and iniquity diminished into the name of infirmity to be found abounding as well among the most professing as among the most prophane Preachers and their respective peoples who all continue in the same sins that both the Scriptures and themselves too cry out against ad Ravim usque sudorem to very heat and hoarsness Sacerdotibus pluteum caedentibus sedentibus in plureis fudantibus laboring and laying on till ye Preachers sweat in your Pulpits and people in their Pews against pride and fantasticalness in apparel against foolish talking and jesting and idle words in your speeches against unsavoury laughter and merry tales and such like frothiness in your communications against vain thoughts lust luxury rioting drunkenness chambering wantonness voluptuosness covetousness greediness of gain couzening chearing defrauding overreaething in bargaining buying and selling against all unrighteous dealing headiness high-mindedness fierceness frowaâ—dness anger passion impatience discontent backbiting whispering slandering hatred malice contention suing at law strife envying quarrelling rayling reviling self-avenging against preaching for hire divining for money against biting and crying peace and preparing war against such as put not into your mouths against spoiling of mens goods persecuting and imprisoning their persons for their conscience sakes cum multis aliis quae nunc c. and yet more or less from the least to the greatest Prophets Priests Princes Preachers Prayers Professors People of all forms living stil for all this because unturn'd to that light which would shew every one of you his shameful sinful self without much condemnation for or repentance from these evills some in one of them some in another all in some one or other and every one in his own that likes him best and beleeving it will be spared and be excused thâ—ugh it live in him or he in it even till hee dyes so that the best of the Parish are yet but as the Beasts that perish being all lovers of pleasures more then lovers of God having all this while a form of godliness but denying the power thereof for which therefore having as eye witnesses born and in this Nation well nigh finisht their Testimony against you that ye may remember ye were warned in time and be excuseless and speechless when God himself comes as a swise witness against you for your adulteries against him and comes nigh unto you even in your own consciences unto judgement Christ own Disciples Gods own hidden ones who suffer from you for it are now utter'y and eternally turning from you And as there is no thriving in any thing but an empty outside profession of Truth without the possession of it and no profiting appears in ought but the prophanenes aforesaid among the vain Truth-hating Teachers and vain Talkers of these times i.e. the Doctors and their Disciples whose Religion runs all up into straw and brings forth no fruit to perfection because they are all out of that light which is in them preaching and hearing one another preach the good words they have stollen out of Moses the Prophets and Apostles Writings but not heeding the Law and the Prophets and the light of the Gospel within them God himself also according to what hee said of old blasting their Ministry so that they cannot profit people at all and cursing all their blessings though they seldome send their hearers away without their Blessed are all they that hear the Word of God and keep it So
because men began to dote one upon another and to set up Idols and Images in their minds of good writings that were written for another end by the Spirits motion Histories Letters Epistles and instead of the Law of the Spirit of Life and Light which is by Christ Iesus to magnifie the outward Letter and make it Honourable which is but mens wiâ—nesse for God and to run a whoring after it from Gods own Witnesse even his Light and Spirit in the Conscience Must the Spirit be bound now by thee to read his minde to men in a book of mens writing at first by his own Guidance and of fallible mens mistanscribing from the hands one of another through so many ages or else he must be silent not manifest his mind at all He must read his old Sermons it seems but he must not preach new ones he may read in the Letter what he did reveale but must come forth in no new Revelations now of the old thing nor preach immediately in mens minds any more as he had done from the beginning of the world to that time and inspired immediately whom he pleased Is not this to muzle him up as the Bâ—shops were wont to doe the Parish Curates lest too much Truth should come forth and as they do where the Pope hath most to do at this day so that they may read not too much Scripture neither for therein I confesse the case is a little altered for the better in England but old mouldy Mass books and Forms of Service in Latine of their own setting out in which there is here a little and there a little sprinkling of some Scriptures mostly out of the Psalms which they most corrupt and make certain Sing songs out of or if there be any Homilies read it s a mighty matter but as those the Friars make are worth little and some of them worse then naught so as bad as they be there is few Sermons to be heard throughout the Popedome and as they allow men to read Writings of their own setting out but not preach nor speak in any other order method manner or form of words then as they find there so thou wilt allow the Spirit to speak to men in and by that letter he caused once to be written he may read his mind in mens hearts by that or have it read by mens mouths one to another if he will but no preaching now by himself within or by his immediate inspiration by men without nor writing neither but it must come to the touchstone of what he bade Paul Peter or others to write before which whoso shall presume to say it is of God or from God immediatly at all though it do agree never so much with that as all that is of God and from him doth and cursed be he that speaks contrary to what was of old written rightly understood or shall say 't is Truth before our time-serving Tryers have tryed it by that who understand it not themselves much lesse are fit to try Doctrines by it let him be dealt with according to the foresaid provision against Delusion made of old in the night time while men slept in that behalf But is God and Christ and the Spirit so sparing towards his people and so niggardly in dispensing Truth in revealing his Righteousnesse which he is now bringing neere and in shewing his Salvation which now is not to tarry to them that long for it and have long lookt for it according to his promise as those narrow headed niggardly hearted Nothings and Novices are whose work is all along as dumb as they are from opening their mouths otherwise to bark and bite them back again that having left off to linger any longer at their lips and as well to feed from their mouthes as to feed or put into them make more hast then they would have them from the depths of Hell and Darknesse towards Heaven Gods high and holy Hill Nay verily he sayes to his servants Open thy mouth wide and I will fill it and stands ready to make good that blessing he hath pronounced to such as hunger and thirst after righteousnesse viz. that they shall be from himself who only reveales it no lesse then filled with it Thus liberal the Lord and his Spirit is Yet these are the doings of the Churle whose instruments are evil and of the vile person who yeâ— would fain be lookt upon as liberall too as he hath been by such as saw him not in darker times nor discerned how he fed himself and not the flock and minded his own matters even to make meat for his own belly of them more then to make meat enough for the sheep in that dark and cloudy day Ezek. 24.8 9 10 11 12 c. But the hour cometh and now is wherein a Man even a shepheard whom he knows not shall reign in righteousnesse and be as Rivers of waters in a dry place and as the shadow of a great rock in a weaâ—y land wherein the deaf shall hear the words of the book which are sealed from the back-side Admirer the eyes of the blinde shall see out of obscurity and out of darknesse the eyes of such as seeing will see shall be no more so dimme as they have been and the eares of such as hear must hearken unto him the heart also of the rash or hasty that without heed have run they know not whether shall understand knowledge and the tongue of the stammerers be ready to speak plainly they also that erred in spirit shall come to understanding and they that murmured shall learne Doctrine Then the vile person shall no more be called liberall nor the Churle said to be bountiful for the vile person will work villany and his heart will work iniquity to practise hypocrisie and to utter errour against the Lord to make empty the soul of the hungry and to cause the drink of the thirsty to faile the instruments also of the Churl are evil he deviseth wicked devices to destroy the poore with lying words even when the needy steaketh right things but the liberall deviseth liberall things and by liberall things shall he stand In that day the burden of the insolent Antichristian Assyrian that hath so straightly besieged the people of God that dwell in Sion and cut off from them so far as God would suffer him he stay the staft the whole stay of bread and the whole stay of water shall remove from off Sions shoulders and his yoke from off her neck yea that yoke shall be destroyed because of the anoynting Isa. 10.27 for the spirit shall be poured out upon them that wait for it from on high and the liberall soul shall be made faâ— and he that watereth shall be watered also himself and the wildernesse shall be a fruitfull field in which judgement and righteousnesse shall remain and the works of righteousnesse shall be peace and the effect of righteousnesse quietnesse and assurance for ever and
rest is the spirituall light and that but naturall which comes from Gods own Light into all mens Consciences which Light they will by no meanes allow to be called spirituall but 〈◊〉 naturall I affirm that to be but the naturall knowledge of the meer Annuall naturall man that is scrued out by the improvement of their naturall faculties of reading remembring c. in their Academicall Arteficiall Scrutinies into the Scripture which naturall knowledge though theirs who wrote the Scriptures to be by immediate spirituall Revelation I deny not abounded among the Iewish Doctors Scribes and meer naturall Rabbies that stole the true Prophets words yet knew not God spiritually by hearing his words which are Spirit nor by that spirituall Revelation or inward immediate reception of ought from his own Councell Light and Mouth from which only comes the true spirituall understanding little lesse then it doth among our modern Ministers of the Letter who not coming to the Light know as little of the Spirit of God who is a Spirit though they read and preach he is a Spirits from the Letter and as little of the Mystery of the Gospell spiritually as they Though then I. O. and T. D. both call the common Light in mens Consciences whereby they know much of God of his Will as to marter of sin and duty and of his divine Attributes Iudgements c. and all the knowledge that comes thereby but naturall and call the Letter and all the knowledge that comes now by reading of that only spirituall see T.D. p. 1 2 3 5. of his 1. Pamph. p. 1. 3. of his second by the Statutes and Iudgements given to Israel which with T. D. is the outward Letter of the Old Testament are meant the supernaturall light or knowledge of the Gospell but Rom. 2.15 which speaks of the Light or Law in the Conscience is spoken quoth he of naturall light opposed to the knowledge of the Iews And I. O. p. 77. The Scripture is a morall and spirituall not a naturall light But that in all mens consciences he calls p. 42. the light of Nature and p. 47. where he calls that from the light a naturall Knowledge arising from the innate Principles of Reasâ—n and that which is from the reading of the Letter a supernaturall Revelation Ex. 4. where how to the contradiction of himself he also calls it spirituall and not naturall may appear anon S. 15. speaking of the Qua. negant lumen hoc naturale esse aut itadici debere sed a Christo Spiritu Christi esse they deny this light to be naturall on that it ought to be so called saying it s from Christ and the Spirit of Christ S. 17. Lumen internum omnibus commune naturale est The Light within common to all is naturall and so proceeds in suo genere to prove it Likewise I. T. and R. B. say the same p. 33. it is yielded that there is naturall light from Christ given every man Such light as Christ as Mediator conferrs not on every person but all sorts of men is termed supernaturall So p. 40. and elsewhere they call it light by nature and humane light Yet I say the quite contrary the Letter and the knowledge it gives is the naturall as I have shewed above by which wicked men that corrupt themselves also in those things come to know naturally and not spiritually nor savingly the mind and will of God ex principiis naturae by custome often use and memory c. as brute beasts may by outward observance and custome know somewhat of the mind and will of man Iude 10 but the light in the Conscience some of which all have and the knowledge that comes thereby is the spirituall supernaturall and not the naturall light and knowledge 〈◊〉 this in the Power of God I trust in brief to make good against you all though enough hath been said afore to any but such as you that will look for more proof of it then wise men would do One Argument by which its evident to all that are not blind as ye are that the Law in the Heart or Light in all mens Consciences is not naturall and so consequently is spirituall is even this from whence T.B. concludes it naturall viz. because opposed to the knowledge of the Iewâ— of the Iews knowledge by the Letter was but naturall The light within and knowledge by that being opposed to it must be not naturall and so consequently spirituall but that was but naturall for they were mostly but naturall men and worse as they are at this day persecuting and opposing ever the things of God Christ the Gospel and the Spirit and all that are born after it and have the spirituall knowledge of the mystery by it as the naturall knowers by the Letter do at this day and that the natur all man discernes not any otherwise then naturally and not savingly and so not spiritually the things of God and the Spirit Paul tells us 1 Cor. 2.14 and T.D. also tells us p. 3. of his 2. Pamph. from that very Text of Paul where he gives this irresistatâ—e Reason for it also Because they are spiritually discerned Whence I take occasion to argue further thus viz. Argum. 2. That Light which gives to discern savingly as heeded the deep things of God and the Spirit which none but the Spirit of God and Christ searches out knows and savingly reveals and which as to salvation are not by the naturall man but spiritually and by the spirituall man only discerned who hath the mind and Spirit of Christ must be not a naturall but a spiritual and supernaturall light and the knowledge that comes by it is not natural but supernatural and spirituall But the light in the Consciences of all gives to discern the deep thing of God the Spirit in some i.e. in such a measure as it s heeded which none but the Spirit of God searches c. Therefore it and the knowledge that is by it is not naturall but supernatural and spiritual The Mino which our sore-named Divines do deny is as evident to such as live in the light as the light it self is and not a little of it evidenced by their own handy-works who oppose it Two Particulars there are in it to be proved 1. That the Light in all manifests or gives as heeded to discern in some measure the things of God and the Spirit 2. That as heeded it manifests them savingly As to the first I need go no further then your selves for witness we have it under your own hands T D p 1 Pamph. confesses of that light of which all men have some that thereby all discern not may sins only which are the works of the flesh which the letter sayes are manifest not by it self but by the light Christ gives Gal 5 compared with Eph. 5â— 13 14 but also many duties and severall divine Attributes Now mens duties to God in matter of declining sin eschewing evill and doing
good and Gods divine Attributes are things of God and the Spirit or else neither I nor those who wrote the Scripture neither know what the things of God and the Spirit are for they tell us that our duties of Love Ioy Peace Meekness Long suffering Temperance Patience and such like are the fruits of the Spirit and that not fulfilling the lusts of the flesh in the sins of adultery fornication uncleanness lasciviousness hatred wrath strife envy drunkenness revellings and such like works of it is the fruit effect and issue of walking in the Spirit and if these Love c. be not things of the Spirit excuse me if I say the Spirit which moved them to write that Gal. 5. knew not his own things himself and if ye say that Gods Divine Attributes Mercy Iustice Iudgements Truth Holiness are none of his things excuse me also if I favour not foolish fancies so far as to spend time pains and paper to prove they are to them which is so clear that 't were as idle a thing to make clearer then it is as 't were to light a candle to shew a blind man qui ad sâ—lem caecutire vult that the Sun shines And that the light doth manifest not only sins and duties but the said Divine Attributes also as we have had T.Ds. witness against him so let us take I. Os. testimony against himself too and then we shall be pretty well as to that Which I.O. preaches it out in print in two Tongues lest one should not be loud enough in English thus p. 42.43.45.46.47 by the innate light of Nature so he calls it and principles of the Consciences of men that indispensible moral obedience which he requireth of us his creatures subject to his Law is made known by the Light that God hath indelibly implanted in the minds of men accompanied with a moral instinct of good and evil seconded by that self-judgement which he hath placed in us in reference to his own over us doth he reveal himself to the sons of men the Voice of God in Nature so he calls it declares it self to be from God by its own Light and Authority there 's no need to convince a man by substantial witnesses that what his conscience speaks it speaks from God whether it bear testimony to the Being Righteousness Power Omniscience or Holiness of God himself or whether it call for that moral obedience which is eternally and indispensably due to him and so shews forth the work of the Law in the heart c. Those common notions are in laid in the natures of men by the hand of God to this end that they may make a Revelation of him as to the purposes mentioned and are able to plead their own Divine Original Mark of Divine Original here in-laid by Gods hand yet anon flowing ex principis naturae without the least strength or assistance from without and in Latine Ex. 4. S. 14. Non tantum multae Coinat Ennâ—iai c. Englished thus Not only many common notions and principles of Truth abide fixed in the understanding by the efficacie of which men may discern some divine things and discern between good and evil but also by the help of the Conscience take heed to themselves as concerning many duties with respect had to the Iudgement of God which they know they are liable to Moreover this Light in all at years of understanding by the consideration of the works of God Creation and Providence manifesting his Eternal Power and Godhead and in some by the Word preached may be improved and confirmed but how far this Light can direct stir up and provoke mens minds to yield obedience to God and they by it be left without excuse it pertains not to this place more precisely to discuss One of the main things pertaining to this point about the Light to be discussed among the rest yet I. O. I believe was afraid to thrust his fingers too far into the fire here for fear lest prâ—ying too narrowly how far the efficacy of this Light extends he should being forced to see somwhat that he is loath to see both looâ—e his cause and open his conscience too wide and therefore would wade no further there I need not open it to him that is not defective in his naturals how in all this as if not more abundantly then T. D. in that above I. O. confesses and witnesses to the truth of the first part of my minor Proposition viz. that the Light in the Conscience of all as heeded gives the knowledge of those things of God and his Spirit which the Spirit of God only knows searches and shews and reveals to such as wait in his Light to have the mind of Christ manifested in them therein which the natural man by a natural light cannot so know and diâ—cern Only Ob. If it be objected those are the deep things of God there spoken of 1 Cor. 2. which your Light in the Conscience of all is too shallow to search out yea the glorious things of the Gospel it self the mystery of which T.D. who knows it not yet himself for want of turning to it sayes by that Light within All know not and the natural man discerns not Answ. That the natural man which is he that leans to the Letter and his own understanding and looks not to the Lord in his own Light and Spirit in the heart as spiritual men do and in the doing of which men of natural become more and more spiritual de facto discerns no otherwise then naturally not savingly and spiritually I still grant but a non esse ad non posse still nil valet Our question is how far that Light heeded avails that way which I affirm is so far that according to the measure of it in men and their attendance to it it leads gradually as the Light and Spirit and anointing of God is said to do such as abide in it as it in them into all truth the knowledge of the very deep things of God and the Gospel a dim shallow sight of which it gives to such as turn to the least beam of it in them E. G. the Iudgements of God are one of the deep things of God thy Iudgements are a great deep Rom. 11.33 His Judgements and the wayes of it and Wisdome of God therein are a depth O the depthâ—hewr unsâ—archable his Iudgements his wayes past finding out No natural man by the improvement of his natural understanding in reading the Letter can know them Israel did not who had the Iudgements and the Statutes in the Letter for want of looking to the Light and Spirit any more excepting the few spiritual ones and children of the Light that were ever hated among them nay nor so much as many Heathens that had and heeded the Law or Light in the Conscience yet had no Law in the Letter but were more sottish stupid fearless of God ignorant and prophane then the Heathen among whom the
Name of God was blasphemed for their sakes insomuch that Paul saith Rom. 2. the very uncircumcision as to the Flesh and Letter doing in the Light by which they were made a Law to themselves by nature not corrupt nature as T. D. thinks nor by the pure nature in a measure restored without or abstract from the Light the things of the Law were better to God then the literal professing Iew and more just and justified to the very judging of them who by boasting of the Letter and Circumcision without broke the Law in the heart and less lyable to wrath then the other which shews how God counts more on obedience in Morals Spirituals Evangelicals without the Letter and literals then on all Burnt-offering and Sacrifice and lifeless conformity to the Letter Yet the Heathen themselves by the Light in the Conscience though videntes meliorae by it they did mostly deteriwa sequi see much and do little at least came to know in a measure within themselves the very righteous Iudgments of God that thâ—se that did such things as they did are worthy of death Rm. 1.32 And thou I.O. confessest the same in thy words above-recited Iudicio Dei se subesse cogu scunt and the Light within and moral instinct of good and evil by it seconded by a self-iudgement placed in us Yea Ioh. 16. The Light and Spirit of Christ the Saints Comforter that walk in it is in the Office of a Convincer to the world of Sin and Iudgement the Law which is the Light in all is spiritual Rom. 7.14 Ob. And if ye say we grant that but what of the Gospel of the Righteousness of God and the riches of his Grace in Christ and what of Christ can be known in that Light Answ. If ye will needs count the Iudgement and wrath of God which is a depth unsearchable by any that look only in the Letter which only tells of his wrath or by any save such as living in the Light have come to feel it within themselves for who knows the power of thy wrath saith the Psalmist none say I but such as waiting in the Light have felt the weight of his hand while Judgement and Condemnation passed on their evil deeds I say if ye will reckon Wrath Iudgement and the Ministration of Condemnation none of the things of God none of his deep things nor the things of his Spirit and Gospel because your eyes are out but reckon it to the Law or Old Testament only and not to the Gospel to which yet it truly belongs or New which is the ministration of righteousnesse and mercy Yet I answer further that not only Iudgement and Wrath but the Righteousness Salvation Mercy and Grace of God in Christ and Christ himself is preached and revealed in the same Light in which the Iudgement and Wrath is revealed as it is the effectual work of the Law in the hâ—aâ—t to accuse reprove and condemn him that doth evil so Vâ—sinet Apello I appeal to your selves who assert it is is it not its work to excuse acquit justifie him within himself who declines the evil and does the contraâ—y Good Is there true righteous Iudgement done where as well mercy comfort peace and acceptation with God is not ministred to the innocent though Abimelech the Heathen when they are found in integrity of heart to Gentile as well as Iew as terrour râ—proof rejection and wrath to every soul that doth evil Iew or Gentile Beside say not the Texts afore-cited that the Spirit convinces the world of Righteousness as well as of sin and Iudgement and that in the same Light which is indeed the Gospel and call'd by Paul so and the Power of God unto Salvation in which the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men that withhold the truth told them by God himself and his Light in them in unrighteousness the Righteousness of God also is even therein revealed from faith to faith among the Iust that turn to and own the Light and live by faith in it Rom. 1 I know and see how page 3. 1 Pamp. T D would make a difference if he could tell how that he might maintain his natural or rather suâ—te natural diâ—course about the meer naturalness of that Light that shews Sins Duties Divine Attributes between that one Light say I in which the wrath is revealed and in which the righteousness is revealed where in answer to that unanswerable saying of Paul about the To Gnoston Tou Theou when G.W. used it against him thus Thou sayest 't is meant of a Natural Light whereas 't is said to be the knowledge of whatsoever is to be known of God Rom. 1.19 T.D. replyes thns sillily the Apostle intends that what might be known of God without the preaching of the Gospel was known to the Gentiles verse 16.17 'T is by the Gospel that the righteousness of God is revealed Rep. As if we must think the Apostle in that phrase Whatever is to be known of God is manifest in men excluded and excepted the Light of the Gospel and inward Word of which he talks elswhere Rom. 10. That it s nigh to men in their hearts And Col. 1.23 is preached viz. in every creature under heaven and meant only some nescio quid I know not what kind of manifestation that hath nihil commune cum Scripturis holds no Analogy with the Scripture because T.D. makes his shallow sensless say-so on the place whose Reply but 't is his usual way when he has nought else to say to make what additions to and alterations of a Text he pleases and then to say when there 's no such matter either expressed or implyed it intends so and so or it intends not so though so said God indeed in many Texts makes offer of Salvation to all but intends it only to a few by All is meant Some by in us in Christ and many of the like sort is not worth any other Reply then to tell him it 's not worth a Rush and G. Ws. saying to him out of Paul stands o're T. Ds. head still for To Gnoston what is to be known of God is any thing that tends to mans Salvation without such an exception as T.D. adds to the making of Paul there as he does God and the Penmen in many more Texts dissemble like to T.D. himself so as to speak one thing and intend another that destroyes the very sense of his own words But saving T Ds mis-meaning of that matter assuredly enough the same that reveals the wrath reveals the righteousness retro and that that reveals the righteousness is a measure of the light of the Gospel of Gods rich Grace and Goodness that is given to Impenitents to lead them to repentance if they obey it and so to forgiveness and life or otherwise to leave them without excuse when having trifled away the time of Gods long-suffering and forbearance in rebellion against the light
coin to your selves in your own conceits I care not for knowing for more then a good many ye have but this I know that if the Scriptures be true as I know they are which ye profess to be your Rule of Tryal for all things there is noe true way of coming to the true knowledge of God so much as a Iudge much less as a Father but one and that is neither the Scripture itself which tells of that way nor any thing else but Christ himself and his Light to whom God hath committed all Iudgement which Iudgement he administers by his Light before any see his face as a Father in righteousness and live He hath given forth a Light to the world whereby to know himself but this Light is in his Son he that hath the Son and believeth on the Son in whom is the Life and his Life is the Light of men hath everlasting Life he that hath not and believeth not in the Son hath not life though he is capable of it but by the Light in which he stands condemned the wrath of God yet abideth on him So that whereas ye say there 's knowledge of God but not of Christ by that universal internal light there is in truth no knowledge of God at all but in the Light of Christ who bears his Image who gives forth the Light of the knowledge of his own glory in the face of Iesus Christ I am the way saith he John 14.6 the Truth and Life no man cometh to the Father but by me The Father reveals the Son in men by his Light before he reveals himself Gal. 1.16 So that as no man knows the Son but he in whom the Father reveals him so no man knoweth the Father but the Son and he to whom the Son will reveal him as he will to all that wait and walk on in his Light let him search ne're so long after or in the Letter Mat. 11.27 Ioh. 6.45.46 till he feel after him in the Light within himself in which only God who is not far from every man though most men are far from him is to be found Act. 17. No man hath seen God at any time the only begotten Son who is in the bosome of the Father whose out-goings from thence have been from of old Mic. 5.2 as well in a way of manifestation of the Fathers mind to men from the beginning of the world as in way of Eternal Generation before the world began Prov. 8.20 to 32. though T.D. not knowing the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world knows not how to say Amen to this See page 4. of his 2. Pamp. he it is that by his Spirit and Light within which the Letter only relates of doth reveal him Ioh. 1.18 Men must know Christ i. e. in his Light which Cornelius was in which is his day that Abraham saw whether they ever see his fleshly person yea or nay before they can know God who is known in nothing but his own Light the Son who is known in nothing but his own Light the Spirit that comes from and leads to him so that to say as a Professor of note said in a publike Assembly in Ireland of a Friend of Truth call'd a Qua. whom I know having heard him speak This man knows much of God but little of Christ is little less then a Bull that favours for all the natural literal knowledge of both of little less then a spiritual ignorance in the mystery of both God and Christ. And this gives me the hint to make mention of another Argument That this Light is not natural which is in all viz. because it comes from God and Christ into every creature not by Creation as the rational Soul and its faculties of understanding will mind memory conscience it self do and such properties as are de esse hominis whether constitutive or consecutive so that a man is no man at all or hath not the essential form of a man as distinct from the outward Brutum or Beast of the Field for a man may remain Phusicos a natural man or rather Psuchicos as the word is in many places where rendred natural as well as where sensual 1 Cor. 2. 1 Cor. 15. Iam. 3. Iude 15. a true animal soul-ly man a man that hath a Soul rational and sensitive though in its faculties defaced clouded darkned benighted and lost from the Lord and his Light now withdrawn from him even after the Light is kid from his eyes as it was ever at last from such as to any life by it who would not be led to life by it while they had it witness the Pharisees and Ierusalem and after he remains now irrecoverable for want of Light to the primitive pure nature which only loveth and obeyeth the Law and delighteth truly in the Light The Light then I say comes from God and Christ into the mind and Conscience not as the Soul and its essential faculties of understanding will c. do which with the Organical body make that one compositum call'd man that may be either in unity and communion with God and Christ or in onmity and separation from them according as he walks or walks not in the Light that shines from them but by way of immediate infusion from them into the mind and conscience which of itself is a dark place 2 Pet. 1.19 and destitute as to the knowledge of God without a measure of it as a thing distinct and separable from the man in whom it is and a witness against him when he runs from the Will of God revealed to him in it though eternally one with God and Christ from whom it shines and flows and not ex principiiis natura as I. O. sayes with whom it ever sides let the man go whether he will never consenting to any but condemning all iniquity committed by him and counselling continually whether heeded or no before hand against it And lastly from whom it is as unchangeably inseparable as the light beams and rayes of the Sun are from the Sun it self from whence they shine with which they are in conjunction still whether this or that part of the world be actually enlightned by it or by the Moons interposing eclipsed from it yea or no. So that upon these considerations it can't be natural as I.O.T.D. I.T. R.B. deems it but do nothing at all to the purpose in proof of it so to be So that in further proof of it to be spiritual and supernatural and disproof of their proof-lesse position that its natural to save the pains and charge of laying them out at length I lay down these following proofs which wise men may argue out more at large to their fuller satisfaction within themselves Argum. The Light in all Consciences shines thereinto from God Christ and his Spirit therefore 't is not natural but supernatural and spiritual for these two viz. natural and spiritual natural and supernatural do tollere se invicem are inconsistently
Copy of it as Professors have whom they will Iudge and be justified before for all the Professors boasting if they do the things contained in the Law as it s written in their consciences and much more to this purpose is so clear to them that in the Light with any solid understanding and not in their own benighted minds and prejudiced spirits against the true Light which the Letter points to read the first and second Chap. of Paul to the Romans thoroughout that all the Objections to the contradicting of this Truth we even thence plead against them made by our hasty opposers will appear to be but Obulaty sticks and straws reeds and rushes when as anon we must we come to examine them Therefore the premises well considered it will plainly appear that some measure at least of that saving Light and Grace which is sufficient to lead such as follow it unto Life is vouchsafed to all and every man Arg. 6. If Christ the Saviour and the Salvation of God it self be a Common Salvation given in Common to All and every man without exception so that All that will may have it then that sufficient saving Light that leads to it and the gift of that Grace of God that puts men into a power and possibility to work it out to themselves brings it to them and being not neglected but improved brings them to it must be given also in Common to All and every man else it cannot be said properly they are in posse to it or so much as that they may have it But the Salvation of God is freely given in common to All men so that every man who will may have it else God who means as he sayes and mocks not most men in such cruelty as to say to them whom he knows are lockt up so that they cannot come at it unless loosed by him who yet never intends to loose them here 's Salvation here 's plenteous Redemption for All you sinners which I would you should All have without respect of persons Take it who will freely as 't is freely tender'd else far greater vengeance shall fall on you then if I had never been gracious to you for refusing my rich Grace and Goodness which I would have had you enjoyed but you would not would not utter his mind with so many strong and serious Asseverations Complaints Commands and seemingly compassionate Câ—mpellations by which to take all scruples away and put his great and true love to them out of doubt as he does saying Look ye unto me and be ye saved all ye ends of the earth Behold my Servant I gâ—ve hâ—m a Light to the Nations to be my Salvation to the ends of the earth Ho every one that thirsteth come ye unto the waters and he that hath no money come yea come and buy wine and milk without money and price Hearken unto me and let your souls delight in farness hear and your souls shall live Why will ye die turn and live Chuse life that ye may live The Spirit aâ—d the Bride say come and let him that is athirst come and whoever will let him câ—me and take of the water â—f life freely The Son of man is câ—me to seekout aâ—d save that is lost I am came that they might have life abundantly Ye will not come to me that ye might have life He hath laid help on One that is mighty who is able to save to the utmost all that come to God by him Him that cometh unto me will I in no wise cast out In the Lord is compassion and with him is plâ—nteous Redemption Let the wicked forsake his way the unrighteous his thoughts and turn to the Lord for he is gracious and to our God for he will abundantly pardon he is long suffering not willing any should perish but that All should come to repentance wills that All should be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son that whoever believeth in him may not perish but have everlasting life for he sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world but that the world through him might be saved He that believeth shall not be condemned but he that believeth not is condemned already because he believeth not on the only begotten Son of God This is the gift that he hath given us eternal Life and this Life is in his Son the Light He that believeth not makes God a lyar because he believeth not the testimony God gives of his Son In him is life and his life is the light of men and the light shineth in the darkness but the darkness comprehends it not He came A Light into the world and the world knew him not This is the true Light which enlighteneth every man that comes into the world Glory be to Gâ—d on high on Earth peace good will towards Men. Glad tydings of great joy which shall be unto All People to you is born a Saviour which is Christ the Lord the One Mediator between God and Men Iesus who gave himself a Ransome for All who died for All by the Grace of God tasted death for every man God commendeth his love to us in that when we were sinners Christ dyed for us dyed for the ungodly justifieth the ungodly i.e. from not in sin the Saviour of the world given as Gods witnesse to people a Leader and Commander to people if any man sin A Propitiation for our sins and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole World in whom God was reconciling the world his enemies by his blood to himself not imputing trespasses to them that will not persist in their enmity giving out a Ministry of this reconciliation by whom as by Embassadors for God men are besought in Christs stead to be reconciled to God who made him sin who knew no sin that we might be made the Righteousness of God in Him The Wisdome of God that cryes out How long ye scorners will ye delight in scorning simple ones love simplicity fools hate knowledge Turn at my reproof I will pour out my Spirit upon you make known my words unto you Wherefore is a prize put into the hand of a fool seeing he hath not a heart to make use of it Because I call and ye refuse stretch out my hands to a rebellious and gain-saying people and no man regardeth but ye set at naught all my counsel will none of my reproof I also will laugh at your caâ—amity and mock when your fear cometh when your fear cometh as desolation and your destruction as a whirle-wind when distresse and anguish cometh upon you because ye hated knowledge and did not chuse the fear of the Lord for the turning away only of the simple slayes him And this is the condemation nothing else irrecoverably that light is come into the world and men love darkness more than Light which is come into them to save and
the universal Grace of God who in his love freely to all men sends his Son a Light into the world and by him puts all as well as some into a capacity to live if they list and if any die then Gods Grace and Love is nere the less for all that and though secondarily and immediately the case be left by the Lord to depend on mans choice as it was in the first Adam though yet I know such as are perfectly restored by the second stand a little surer then he did I say when perfected in his life yet if man chuse life and live when life and death are set before him as they are God is no more rob'd of the glory of his goodness then he would have been by Adams standing if he had stood when God set him in aequi librio to stand or fall and made him upright as he has done 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not him only but mankind till they go out from him after their own inventions Eccl. 7.29 and that was not one jot at all for though the shame of Adams sinning fell justly on himself yet the glory of his standing would have been to God who made him able to stand had he stood neither would Adam had he stood have plaid the fool so as to fall a praising and thanking himself for the life and happiness he would have had but God who in his love and bounty originally stated him in it though for his misery he may as all men also most justly thank none but himself and the Devil E.G. If I should see two men ready to starve for want of money to trade with and out of true equal bowels of pity to them both should freely bestow an equal stock of money on them or if not equal yet so much to each at least that each using and improving well what he hath may come to live like a man one of them plays the good Husband with what he has and thrives whom shall he thank when unavoidably else he had perisht for the money he had given him and now hath Would you not think him a fool to fall a thanking himself never thinking on the man that first set him up of whom unless besides his wits he would say I am bound to thank not my self that I now live when my fellow starves but that honest man that took pity on me and him too if he he had but used what he had â— T'other spends all his portion in riotous living and is as likely to starve as ere he was for want of improving what I gave him whom shall this man thank for his present poverty me that gave him whereon to live or himself who lavish't it every wise man will see my love was nere the less and though he perish yet the thank that he might have liv'd belongs to anothers bounty and the thank shame sorrow of his own woe to himself alone O Israel thy destruction is of thy self but in me is thy help Hos. 13.9 That Iudas is damn'd he may thank himself who sold his Master as Esau his birth-right and blessing that Peter and Iacob live for ever the thank of this belongs only unto the Grace of God Moreover if Christ who is often either expresly or implicitly so call'd be not a Saving Light to the whole world the Leader and Commander and Witness for and from God to All people without exception of any individuals among any people or in any Nations I would fain know of any one of these 1. How it can be truth which themselves are fain to confess That God will and doth in all Nations out of every Tongue Kindred and People effectually save some And 2. In what manner or by what way means Light or Leader he leads them few of all Families of the Earth to Life whom he doth save if it be not by that Light Law and Spirit of Life that is from Christ some of which is in every as well as any conscience sith its evident that neither All nor half those Nations in each of which some are saved have not the Scripture or Letter which they call the only Saving Light the Way the Rule Foundation the most effectual means c. and in a manner every thing which the Letter it self sayes Christ only is Indeed I find I. O. telling us such a tale of the outward Text as if in respect of the giving out of that only by the motion of his Spirit through some Holy Penmen Christ were the Saviour and Light of the world and of All men in it that are at all savingly enlightned and saved We confess quoth he Christ is the Light of the World and so of All men in it because that Light shining in the holy Scripture is sufficient savingly to enlighten All men to whomsoever by the Providence of God it shall come But to bespeak him in his own Language to us more proper to himself and his Followers then to us Quod hoc ad Fanaticorum delirium 〈…〉 What 's this to that piece of dotage of himself and his Fellow Doctors who deny the vouchsafing of any saving Illumination to most men yea to very many to one in the world scilicet a little deeper discovery of their dotage Scriptura nempe 〈…〉 omnia belike I. O. deems All the ends of the earth to be so fully filled with his adored Transcripts and Texts of Scripture that by them Christ saves and enlightens All he saves which are say they in every Nation some whereas Ridiculum Caput who knows not that the Scripture or writing is so saâ— from appearing in every dark corner of the earth where I affirm the true Light shines in every conscience so that there 's nor Speech nor Language where it shines not and the Voice of Christ the Light may not 〈◊〉 heard that the Text hath scarce been heard or 〈◊〉 of buâ—in some few corners of this so call'd Christian world which yet more idoliâ—ing 〈◊〉 only loving the Letter and hating the Light are for all their Letter as much as any in the unfruitful deeds of darkness also even until now Oh the Inanity of these men call'd Divines in the matters of God and the Gospel as if the Letter only were that Voice of Christ which is every where heard by some that Light which in every Nation savingly enlightens some that Rule which All the World is required to walk by in order to peace and on pain of damnation which Letter yet was never read or seen perhaps not so much as heard of in half the world the only rule of the whole whereof it is to be say they and not the Light of Christ in the Conscience at any hand the Expansion Beams and Rays of which but that few heed it and the darkness comprehends it not reach into the darkest inmost corners of each 〈◊〉 Conscience throughout each corner of the whole Creation The Letter is not in every Nation to save some
Law of sin and death For what the Law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin condemned sin in the flesh That the righteousness of the Law might be fulfilled in us who walk not after the flesh but after the Spirit Thus then it is evident that the Law of God which is not the letter of it but the light is powerfull and sufficient to save save only that men turn from and transgresse it and that it is universal and in all men is as evident out of Rom. 2.13 14. where it is said that those ye call Heathen who have not the outward literal copy of it do shew the work of the Law written in their hearts which wâ—rk of the Law T. D. who yet grants the Law it self to be spiritual in his meer natural understanding calls natural as if the work of the Law of God which is Spiritual and perfect were not spiritual as the Law it self is which work or effect of the Law Psalm 19.7 8 9. is said to be the conversion of the sâ—ul rejoycing the heart enlightning the eyes cleansing purifying c. and not only the shewing of sin and good and censuring for the obedience oâ— disobedience as T. D. dotes who undertaking to teach G. W. what the work of the Law is and how it differs from the Law it self p. 3.2 Pamp. understands neither what he himself sayes nor whereof he affirms which works of the Law the Scripture there mentions which diâ—covers T. Ds. ignorance of the works or effects of the Law if they be natural I know not what â—s spiritual and yet to get out of that absurdity in proof of it he runs into another saying in the next clause thus viz. the Heathen do by nature the things contained in the Law as if that were corrupt nature in the Heathen that did conform them to the Law when as the nature there spoken of by which they are said to do the things of the Law is that rature after which God at first made man upright and after his own Image in righteousness and holiness of truth before they sinned and run out into their own inventions and so fell short thereof which nature and image is in it self â—are divine perfect in reason and understanding and doing thâ— Mind and Will of God though men mostly become degenerated from that into another swinish brutish nature even the nature and image of the Serpent the subtillest of beasts of the Devil and Satan himself and so of men as they were made become beasts of the field and of noble Vines of Gods planting in his Garden at first and wholly a right seed turning from the light into the darkness of their own vain thoughts and imaginations became a seed of evil doers and a degenerate plant of a strange Vine unto the Lord in which staâ—u corrupto and by which contrary nature not created by God but contracted to themselves the other nature image and glory of God which when man sinned crept inward lies hid and covered in them till by the Light of God which is given to that end they are as by a line or clew led down into themselves and through the laborynth of their own learning and lusts which lies a top of it to find it out again and till by the said light the house be swept and the lost money seen and that swinish nature destroyed and the lost sheep sought out and saved and till the works and image of the Serpent who hath in the dark stampt his own likeness on them be again defaced and till the tares which he hath sowed in the night while men slept in the field or inner world of the heart and that earth which hath overgrown the other and brought forth briaâ—s and thornes weeds neetles thistles c. which is accursed be burnt up and consumed from above that which brings forth herbs meet for the Masters use to which the blessing is by the spirit of judgement and of burning in which selfish nature which is that of Cain and Ishmael and Esau the three Elder that have no acceptance men will be sacrificing serving and glorying in Righteousnesses and Church-works of their own devising which All are abomination with God because done in that same nature still in which they are disobedient sinning and serving divers lusts and so by that nature become as well in their very righteousness as in their wickedness children of Gods wrath Ephes. 2.2 Tit. 3.2 incurring his displeasure by their doing of such things as are not only besides but against the Law or Light of God in the Conscience and contrary to that pure primitive nature by which only as men by the light come back to it as many do without the letter the things contained in the holy Law can be done And this contradicts that grosly absurd sottish false blind and ignorant Assertion of T. D. which as A. Parker related to me he uttered in a discourse with him at Sandwich before many people since those three more publick disputes held by R. H. G. W. and my self with him and his Confederates and Associates against us who yet are at odds amongst themselves some Prclatick some Presbyterian some Independent viz. that it is the corrupt nature by which the Nations are said Rom. 2. to do the things contained in the Law Which is I say the grossest absurdity false doctrine and contradiction to the Scripture that can well-nigh possibly be given for by that corrupt sinning nature by the yet T. D. is not ashamed and blushes not to say men do the things câ—ntained in Gods Law alias keep obey observe conform to Gods Law which is the pure light shining in the Conscience that is spiritual holy just and good that never did nor can pâ—ssibly consent to the least sin or do other then reprove and condemn it in the heart I say by that corrupt nature which men have by the fall from God who made them upright contracted to themselves which is the very enmity it self against God and all good men do and can do no other then sin against God and do the things that are not contained or commanded in but are contrary to the Law and walk in the trespasses and sins in which they lie dead according to the common course and custome of the World while it lies in the wickedness not minding the light according to the Prince of the power of the Air the Spirit that worketh in the children of disobedience and have their conversation in the lusts of the flesh fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind drinking in iniquity as naturally as the beast drinks in water without satisfaction working uncleanness with greediness 1 Iohn 2.1 2 3 14 18 19. and so are by that nature children of wrath But in respect of which said pure primitive nature some Gentiles that have not the letter but the Light
of God and Christ within leading them back into it out of that corrupt one by which Light they are a law to themselves before God are said to perform by nature what things are required in the Law which are as ye say moral duties indeed yet such as saving your ignorance in that are truly righteous and acceptable with God and evangelical being done in Christ though they know not his person whilst done in his light for men may do much by the light that comes from the Sun while they see not the body of the Sun it self and be guided and strengthened to do much by the Light of God and Christ that is his Will and acceptable and good though yet they have not heard of nor known him so much as some that hear and read of such things by the letter as to his appearance in that body of flesh or meer external incarnation Witness Cornelius whose Prayers and Almes were heard and accepted being done by one that feared God and eschewed the evil which by the light he had discovered whilst as yet he had not heard of Christs personal Birth Life Death or Resurrection Acts 10.1.2 c. Yea every moral duty that is done in some obedience to the light that is in the Conscience and not for base ends and glory of men which ends have been and are found more among many Literarists Iews and Christians too then among many that by them have been lighted as Heathens are Evangelical also yea whatever is done from an honest and not selfish principle in the Light or Law in the heart is of the same nature as that both Moral and Evangelical Law is even spiritual and holy and iust and good and all transgression that is acted against the Law is not only against the Light of God and Christ whose Commandment that is and against the Gospel or free Promise of life held forth also therein but also against nature not that corrupt naâ—uâ—e into which men are run for the sin is committed in that but that divine nature or similitude of God or right Reason in which men stood at first til they ran out into a reasonless kind of Reason of their own which is not after God a remnant of whose nature is in man still and his light in the Conscience which is right Reason it sâ—lf leads to itâ— and therefore all sinners who are in the deeds of darkness and out of the true faith of Christ which is in his light are said to do things contrary to nature though pleasing and answerable to the viperous nature they are gone out into Rom. 1. 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32. and to be without natural affection or against nature unnatural and unreasonable 2 Tim. 3.3 2 Thes. 3.2 and wicked for all men that have the true Light in them have not Faith in it I say then the Heathen who have not the letter by the Light of God which is saving are a law unto themselves and do shew the work of the Law written in their hearts their Conscience also by the Law inlightned bearing witness within them and their thoughts thereby accusing and excusing one another so that the Law is not only a light and saving but universal also and common in some measure to all men To which may be added as an Argument Ad hominem at least to the stopping of their mouth in proof of the universality of Christs enlightning All men another consideration out of R. B. and I. T. his own Book and that is the need that all men that come into the world have of Light from Christ and the universal necessity of Christs enlightning them all because of that universal corruption and blindness which is asserted by them to be in all men at birth P. 24 25. John 1.9 Where it is said of man coming iâ—to the world must be meant say they of humane birth and accordingly this point is thence say they deducible That every one that comes into the world needs light from Christ which Position say they is true 1. Because every man is boâ—n destitute of spiritual light in the things of God concerning his duty and the way of salvation 2. Because every man is liable to death and trouble and wrath and evil from God as he is born into the world and Christ came into the world to remove both these sorts of darkness and none else can do it These are the express words of these two men R. B. I. T. from which howbeit they most unreasonably conclude against our doctrine saying The former of these overthrows the main Position of the Qua. That every man hath a light within him sufficient to guide him so as that following it he may please God and be saved without the light of Scriptures or preaching of publick Teachers Yet I do and may most truly argue and conclude to the fuller establishing of the said Position from their own words on this wise Arg. 17. If every man that comes into the world needs light from Christ and there be a necessity of Christs enlightning in regard that every man is irrecoverably lost else and not some only then Christ doth enlighten so far at least as to a possibility for salvation every man and not few men only otherwise God were as is abovesaid a most apparent respecter of mens persons as he is not and his wayes were not equal as they are and his words were not true as they are when he sayes he would have all men to be saved unless they will die and to come to the knowledge of the truth and such like nor were his clearing himself and charging of men that perish right as it is when he sayes their destruction is of themselves but in him is their help nor were his Iudgements iust and righteous as they are in condemning men for not believing in the light while they had it when they never had it nor were his pretended great Love rich Grace matchless Mercy to All peâ—ple in Christs birth Luke 2. â— Iohn 3.16 17 18. so sincere as it is but raâ—hâ—r feigned sith else he did not so much as put them all into a possibility of coming out of their mâ—sery but rather left a thousand to one to perish in it unavoidably without remedy nor were his fairest offers of salvation and life to all if they will walkin his light so fair as they are but meer mockage since else he had not given them any measure of any such light as could lead them to it nor were his saying What could I have done more for them that I have not done any other then a lye as it is not since else he had not done so much as was needful yea so absolutely necessary towards their living that it was not possible they should live without it when he both could should and ought in equity by some measure of true light to have made them capable to come to life and see their
Light Word quoth I. O. meaning the Scripture puts forth its Power as it will do when the Book of Conscience begins to open the Seat and Residence of its effects is safe-guarded against all Power and Authority but that of God it s diving into the hearts and consciences and secret recesses of the minds of men its judging and sentencing of them in themselves its convictions terrours conquest and killing of men its converting building up making wise holy obedient its administriag consolations in every condition to which consolation belongs and the like effects of its Power and sufficiency are usual'y spoken of and appropriated to the Letter by such as are ignorant of the Light who speak what they read and hear of more then feel as death and destruction that hear the same of that which is hid from them Iâ—b 28.22 but are effectually felt and experimentally known by the children of the Light who love and live in it These are the foundations of my Answer to I. Os. T. Ds. R. Bs. and I. Ts. grand Argument above mentioned against the sufficiency of the Light to guide men into the true knowledge and life of God drawn from the non efficiency of that its end in all men The Light say we the Law of God which is the Light in All is not only testified to as saving by the Letter and as powerful and sufficient in all those fore named respects in which I. O. sayes the Letter it self is which the Letter faith not of it self for all that I. O. faith in the thirteen last Sections of the fourth Cha. of his first Tr. in whose own words I have mostly spoken by way of Answer to himself is most true if applyed to the Word of God indeed which is nigh in the heart and of the Light of Law of God in the Conscience but every â—ot of it false as applyed by him to a wrong subject viz. the outward Scripture or bare Letter and as the Letter bears testimony to the Light so the Light bears testimony enough to it self of its own sufficiency in the conscience that testimony is the Witness of God himself which who so doth not accept and believe he doth what in him lies to make God a Lym to give us an infallible assurance that in receiving this testimony we are not imposed upon by cunningly devised fables the Light the Scriptures quoth I. O. or Law in the heart hath that glory of Light and Power of God accompanying of it as wholly distinguisheth it by infallible signs and evidences from all words and writings nor divine conveying its truth and Power into the Souls and Consciences of men with such an infallible certainty that it is believed though men act contrary to it for when that within tells men what they should not do viz. not lye steal murder cozen nor do evil to others that they would not have others do to them though they do these evils yet they cannot but believe through that Light in them if they had never seen the Letter that they should not do so and that the Judgements of God are due to such as do so and when by that they are told what they are they by it believe truly what they are and cannot while they behold themselves in that glass believe themselves to be otherwise or better then they are no more then a mans natural face that is beheld in a true outward glass can seem to him or be believed by him to be fairer then it is Thus having at large answered the main argument of these four men against the universality of a sufficient Light in All men to lead to life such as follow it drawn from All mens nor actually coming to life by it which one R. B. and I. T. aiming at number more then weight make three of their thirty viz. the second tenth and thirteenth I shall run thorough the residue more briefly they being not worth any long insistance on them Their third and fourth which are but one and the same also divided needlesly into two they ground upon such Texts as directly prove the contrary against them viz. Iohn 1.5.9.10.11 Eph. 5.8 Matth. 14. where its said The Light shines in darkness and the darkness comprehends it not the true Light was in the world and the world knew him not he came to his own and his own received him not ye were sometimes darkness c. To them that fate in darkness light is sprung up Whence they argue on this wise many of the Iews and Gentiles sate in darkness did nor reciive the Light nor comprehend it and were darkness when the true Light came to and shined in them therefore they had no Light in them much less every man Rep. Whence I argue in proof of the very contrary thus The true Light came to such as received at not to such as knew it not springs up as they heed it to such as sate in death and darkness and shineth in the darkness Joh. 1.9 though the darness comprehendeth it not but All men as well as some at some time or other are found not receiving the Light not knowing it sitting in darkness and are darkness â—â— therefore All men have in some measure the true Light shining in them Besides if this would prove that the true Light is not present with All men because most neither know nor receive it but abide dwell sit still in darkness and remain darkness it self then at least it will conclude against these men another way viz. in disproof of the outward Letters being the true Light as they contend it is since the Iews and most Christians so call'd both do and ever did dwell in darkness and continue darkness notwithstanding the Scriptures abode among them Their fifth is as a very Fiddlestick as any of the former and all that follow it are no better fetch'd from Luke 16.8 in such wise as more clearly concludes that R. B. and I. T. as wise Disputers of this world as they seem to be in suo genere in their be-nighted Generation are yet but fools as to the true Faith and children of this world and darkness then that All men have not some true Light in them and it runs thus If every man had a Light within him sufficient to guide him how to please God then every man should be a Child of Light but every man is not a Child of Light therefore every man hath not a Light c. to guide him to God c. The Major of which is such a palpable inconsequence as the least Child of Light and of the day cannot but both discern and be ashamed of for however in proof of it 't is asserted by them That to be a Child of Light is all one as to be a person that hath Light in him to guide him to please God yet if they would but consult with that Light of God which is yet in themselves if they have not by fighting against it
them and also millions of men who have the Light in them that condemns and reproves them for their Rebellion against it are not conformable thereunto and therefore they both have and need such a Light within them Antecedent to that renewing and need also to be called upon to turn unto it that they may thereby see how conformable they are to this evil world and non-conformable to that Will of God that they may thereby first know the good Will of God which is manifested in that Light and secondly by obeying that Light be conformed to that Will and no more unto the world but transformed by the renewing of their minds So that whereas they conclude all men ought to be renewed after Gods Image c. therefore All have it not I contrariwise conclude All ought to be renewed according thereunto c. therefore All have a light sufficient to lead them as théy follow it into the Image of God Their ninth is a sottish shameful Tergiversation a Re substrats from the Question into another matter as clear contrary to the subject in hand as light and darkness are to each other yea instead of persevering to prosecute the proof of their Proposition concerning the non-sufficiency of the Light in All men they fall a proving the insufficiency of the darkness in All men to be a sufficient rule to life and safe guide of men unto God at the end of which they entail a most abominable lye against the Quakers saying The Qua. prescribe that unto men as their Rule which God counts their Curse and what 's that Scilicet the thing that of All things the Quak. of all men who call men to Gods Light within do call men out of viz. the counsels imaginations and lusts of their own hearts which men say the Qua. walking in and bâ—ides the Light of God and hearkening to and not to the Voice of God which I. O. confesses page 44. though in his folly he calls it Natural to be Gods Light in every conscience come under the Laws curse and make their own misery great upon them The Aâ—gument is briefly thus To leave a person to hâ—s own imagination lust to walk in his own counsel in his own way which is all one as to leave him to the Light within him is reckoned as the greatest Curse and Iudgement to a man from God for refusing to hearken to Gods Voice as the Text shews Psa. 81.11.12 Therefore the Light within each person is of it self no safe guide Rep. That the Qua. call to the Light within and to stand in the Councel of God which is the Light within which condemns all the lusts of mens hearts and their own vain counsels and imaginations is most true But if ye be not past shame be ye ashamed and blush both at your own blaspheming the Light of God and belying of the Qua. who in your blindness for which Wo is unto you except ye repent Isa. 5. cal good evil and light darkness and cannot see to put a difference between Gods Light and mans lust the Councel Law and Way of God in every conscience which leads to life blessing and peace and the vain wayes and thoughts of man and Law of sin that lusts to envy and all evil and leads to cursing and condemnation And secondly cannot understand the Qua any otherwise then as calling men to their own hearts lusts when they expresly and in Terminis ca'l Ad men to that Light of God in them which makes manifest and condemns every ones own lust in every heart Generation of Vipers where did ye ever hear or hear of any Qua. or any one that 's owned by them in their Ministry prescribe mans own counsel imagination or hearts lust to him as their Rule Do they not as Iohn Baptist did bear witness to that true Light which enlightaeÌ„th every man that cometh into the world Do they not as Christ did call men to walk and believe in the Light while they have it that they may be the children of it least utter darness come as 't is already on your selves so that ye know not whether ye go upon them Do they not with Paul whom ye wot to have received some message to turn men from it speak to men to turn from the darkness to the light from the power of Satan the Ruler of the darkness of this world unto God Do they not tell men with Peter That there 's a sure word of Prophesie for them to which they do well to take heed as to a light that shines in the dark place of their hearts till the day dawn and the day-star arise there Do they not with Iohn tell men That God is Light and in the Light and that in him is no darkness at all and that if men be their form never so fair say they have fellowship with God and walk in darkness and the lusts of the flesh as Papists Pralaticks Presbyterians Independents and other our-side Professors do they do but lye and do not the truth but if they walk in the Light as God is in it then God and they have fellowship together and there the Blood of his Son is felt clearsing from all sin which ye say men cannot be thoroughly cleansed from while they live here and so harden men in their own hearts lusts and is all this of the Qua. a prescribing to men their hearts lusts as their rule Do you understand Christ Paul Peter Iohn and All the Prophets calling to the Light Isa. 2. as Isaiah Come ye let us walk in the Light of the Lord he will teach u of his wayes we will walk in his paths so as ye do us when we restifie the same truth often in their own words as calling men to follow their own wayes thoughts counsels imaginations hearts lusts If ye take us as intending so when we call to the Light why not them If not them why us who say the same Is the word Light more offensive more unsavoury more difficult to be understood more savouring of lust more sounding like lust out of our mouths whom ye superlatively abhor then out of theirs whom ye now superstitiously adore But so it alwayes fell out as I.O. truly sayes page 59.60 61. that scarce any Prophet that spake in the Name of God had any approbation from the Church in whose dayes he spake people being so eminently perplexed with false Prophets in the latter dayes of the Iewish Church especially both as to their number and subtilty speaking lyes against the truth therefore no marvel it is so now in these last dayes of the Church of the outside Christians and as the next Age to that which flew them began still to build Sepulchres in remembrance of them so the time is neer to come wherein ye or your Successors who cast out the name of Gods People called Qua. as evil now shall what ere ye dream be forced to say there 's a Seed among them which sincerely serves
bids search and Paul 2 Tim. 3.15.16.17 sayes are useful and profitable the Qua. say no say they but look to the light within you Rep. I say though the Qua. say look to the light within as Christ and Paul did yet they no more deny the usefulness of the Scripture then either of those Scriptures ye quote proves that absolute necessity of the Scripture as to Salvation which ye seem to plead though Christ and Paul never did so nor do we any more dehort from searching the Scripture then Christ Iohn 5.39 exhorteth to search them which is not at all in that Text for howbeit Ereunate search may be rendred either Indicatively or Imperatively as to its own signification as I elsewhere shew its most evident that he speaks there by way of complaint of the Scribes for looking for life in the Scriptures without coming to him who is the Light ver 40. and not by way of command to search them ye search not search ye Their sixteenth is from Isa. 8.20 Psa. 119.105 To the Law and to the Testimony if they speak not according to this Word there is no light in them Thy Word is a light to my feet a lamp to my path whence they sillily argue or rather blindly assert the Qua. Opinion and Speech concerning a sufficient light in All men to be contrary to the Law and Testimony and Gods Word Ordinances Ministry and many other things and therefore erroneous and without light in it Rep. The Antecedent here is most false for the Law Testimony and Word there spoken of which is a Lamp and Light to the feet and path and according which who speaks not it is because the morning is not yet to him for the word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 through the mistranslation of which phrase thus there 's no light in him many not knowing the Hebrew and many that know it not heeding it make no small ado against the Lights being in All men as Vavasor Powell did once at Eltham is no other then that Light within even that word which David had and hid within him that he might not sin against God by which young men taking heed thereunto may come to cleanse their way Psa. 119.9 that Word of Faith that is nigh in the heart which the Apostles preached or witnessed to Rom. 10. that Law and Commandment which is said to be a Lamp and Light Prov. 6. that inward testimony of Iesus or Spirit of Prophesie which we with all the Prophees of old by words and Scriptures bear our outward testimony unto call'd by Peter 2 Pet. 1.19 the more sure word of Prophesie to which men do well to give heed as unto a light shining in the dark place of their heart till the day dawn and the day star arise therein This I say and not the external Text as ye all triflingly talk is that Law and Testimony and Word there spoken of even the Law and Testimony that comes and is written and is given and received immediately from and out of God and Christ's own Light Voice and mouth in the hearts minds and consciences of all people which his own people only give ear and hearken to even the Rod the Spirit the Word and Sword of his mouth which Priests and all people are summoned to seek to to stand in as Gods own Counsel and to take counsel at and be cover'd with and take heed to their way by that they may not sin against the Lord and which all the wicked that sin against must once be slain by Psa. 37.31 Isa. 51.7.30.1 Ier. 31.33.32.40 Ezek. 11.19.36.26 Zach. 2.6.7.8.9 Ier. 23.15.16.17.18.22.26.27 c. Hos. 4.6.12 2 Thes. 2.8.19 Rev. 15.28 which the Priests above all others usually depart from and forget and are partial in and cause people in stumble at and forget who therefore neither profit people nor thrive in any thing but ignorance and deceit themselves because they stand not in it from whom though their Schools are call'd Nurseries of learning Well-heads of true Religion and Divinity there goes forth no true Divination but sottishness and profaneness into all lands This is that Law and living Word and true testimony even the Light and Word of God in the heart a testimony that 's said to be bound up from the outward Israel which may have the outward Bible bound among them a Law that 's said to be sealed up among Christs Disciples from the sight of the be-nighted Seers which such as seek to seek to the Lord himself and such as forsake go from the Fountain of the living water to broken Cisteers and such as leave for an outward letter leave the living for the dead and seek for the living Lord among the dead These are the Wells of Salvation out of which Souls should draw the living Water which the Philistines in envy to the Seed of Abraham will strive alway to slop till the Lord make room for them to flow out to the full These are that Word Law and Testimony and not the most Original Copies of the Letter as I.O. and ye all with him do emptily imagine page 216. which who so deprives of the Hebrew Punctation by proving the novelty thereof do with Abimelechs servants no less then utterly stop the Wells or Fountains from whence ye should draw all your Souls refreshment These as I have shewed so abundantly above at the end of my third Exercitation in answer to I.O. that I shall need say no more here in proof thereof are the matters meant by the said Law and Testimony Isa. 8.20 which are not contrary to the writing without neither and the true outward Ministry and Ordinances but consonant thereunto which inward Law Word and Testimony your selves being contrary to and opposing are therein contrary to Gods Word and the outward Scripture of it also therefore not the Qua. who own all these but your own Opinion is erroneous and your speech is without light The seventeenth from Eph. 4.11 runs thus The Opinion and practise of the Qua. makes every man a Teacher and Teachers set by God for the work of the Ministry needless as if thâ—y were no gift but a burden to the Church cryes them down therefore it s contrary to Gods and Christs way and so Antichristian Rep. The Antecedent here is a false tale and a meer slander of the Qua. for neither do they so much as doctrinally make every man a Teacher for they deny both your selves and all that side with you to be men fit to be Teachers of others unless ye were better taught your selves or had learn't the truth of God much better then as yet ye have done and howbeit they know your Ministry who are set by men to minister for money to be not only needless but also useless fruitless unprofitable burdensome chargeable and more destructive then saving both to peoples Souls and to the Nations yet we own All Teachers set by God for the work of the Ministry which are such only
a believers person with his works are accepted with God though his works be not perfect G. W. Answering thus viz. here he would have believers like the Priests who sin in the best of their performances as they confesse but I say the believers workes are wrought in God and these works of God are perfect As for our confession quoth T. D. 't is agreeable to Scripture There 's not a man on earth that doth good and sinneth not Eccles. 7.20 i.e. That sinneth not in doing good inquity of holy things is spoken of Exod. 28.38 Duties which are holy for the matter are iniquiâ—y for the manner of performance Rep. By which it seemes T.D. judges there is such a continuall course of sinning in the Saints as that they cannot cease from it at all for if while they are doing good and performing duty they are sinning and doing iniquity then how much more while they are doing materiall evill and iniquity it self and so consequently cease not from it at all Which if they do not then how do they cease as T.D. sayes they do here 's another stabb with his own Daggeâ— which T.D. gives himself whose words are such Swords to himself and agree â—o well together by the eares among themselves that a man need but bring them out upon the open Stage where such as are minded to behold the battell may see them falling out and fencing against each other and killing both their Master and one another And now I have that passage upon this occasion under hand one word more to it aâ—oâ—e it passe for 't is not worth returning to it again if a believers works which as G. W. truly said are wrought in God and say I by God in them T. D. himselfe from Isa. 26.12 dares not deny it any more then I do deny that all maâ—s â—on righteousnesse wrought of himselfe before and out of faith in the light are dung unclean things and filthy rags from Isa. 64.6 Phil. 3.8 If I say a believers woâ—kâ— be not perfect and his doing good be sin and his duties iniquity let me ask thee T.D. doth God who works the believers works in them work works that are not perfect but imperfect and if thou say what he works at first in believers is but in part of what he will do from 1 Cor. 13. Now we know in part c. Rep. Remember what I told thee above that in part is one thing and imperfect is another grace holinesse c. in part is a perfect gift evâ—ry dram of it as well as the highest degree of it though 't is not so much in measure as every spark of fire is perfect fire though not so great a fire as the flame it comes from But what do I talking of not pâ—rfâ—ct thou countest the best performances of the best Saints evill sin iniquity does God then who works all his Saints works in and for them absit blasphemia work evill sin and ini quity 2 Thou sayst though a believers works are not perfect but the best of them sin and iniquity yet God accepts both believers and their works hath iniquity then acceptance with God t is more then I can yet receive for truth unlesse thou scratch and scrape out of the Scripture such texts as tell us he hath no pleasure in it I know he taketh pleasure in his Saints Psal 149. but that shewes that such as you who take pleasure in pleading for iniâ—uâ—â—y are none of the Saints what ere ye call your selves that he take pleasure in Ye use to say to God in your prayers O Lord thâ—u art of purer eyes then to behold the least iniquity without abhoâ—ring it and the subiects of it and such like yet to go round again behold T.D. sayes believers works are sin iniquity and yet God takes pleasure in or accepts bâ—th the believer and his works Finally I know so much of such Saints as your selves are Isa. 1.10 to 20. that 't is iniquity even your solâ—mn meetings and appointed fasts and feasts but God takes no pleasure in them yea his sâ—ul hates loathes and detests them But he hath a people and a sort of Saints ye know not whose solemn meetings and sacâ—ifices are as incense before him who are not sinners as ye confesse ye are in all they do nor are their duties and doings of good by his power sin evill and iniquity and these and their services while ye and all yours are a smoak and stink in his nose are a sweet smelling savour to â—im in all the good they do 3. As to a mans falling into sin again after he hath once ceased from it I know no necessity of that which is the matter ye have to prove or else ye prove nothing at all to your own purpose who hold that men must needs sin while they are in the body and cannot possibly do otherwise but I know a necessity let men sin as often and as long as they will of ceasing to siâ— and of leaving it off before they leave the body otherwise if they dy not to it but but live in it till they dy and dy in it as Christ threatned the Pharisees they should do 't were good for them had they never been born there being no place for repentance from or purgation from it after death and notwithstanding your pretended necessity of aâ—l mens sinning while they breath bodily here on earth yet I know not only A necessity as aforesaid unless they mean the Tree lying as it falls as ye use to preach and the eternall Judgement finding all men as death leaves them to be remedilessly miserable for ever but a possibility also by the grace vouchsafed if themselves be not wanting in its improvement of ceasing finally from sinning while in the body nor sith T. D. confesses the Saints do cease from sin and its continued couâ—se is broken off in them can any man tell me why theâ—e should be less possibility of ceasing from sin or more necessity of sinning to morrow then to day or next day then to morrow and from that time of a mans first abstaining from what evil the Light in his conscience convinces him of and condemns him for and so successively onward to his lives end the same power that kept him to day being as all-sufficiently able as he keeps to it though the Temptation daily comes to keep him from the transgression to morrow and the next day and even for ever And who can tell me why he that withstood one temptation to any transgression by the Light and Power of God may not as well if in his will he turn not from the same Power which is alwayes nigh and ready to keep him withstand another and â—o another and so all so as to escape the transgression And why he that was not drunk nor lewd nor proud nor injuriâ—us nor wâ—cked nor unrighteous nor deceitful nor abominable nor disorderly to day must needs be so another time his being
dim no light truly such is to be rejected Philosopphers light guided men well in some things yet to go round again in most did lead them into crooked and dangerous wayes Which position of these blind Guides is such an Ignis fatuus such a Will with a wish or whimsicall piece of guidance as they falsly render the light it self to be which they call so as if one and the same light of God should be a safe and sure guide at one time and such a misleading unsafe guide and foolish fire at another as p. 84. will lead into nothing but Bags Praecipices or as if the least measure of the light of God could lead any man into the least measure of iniquity Yea somtimes they call this light of God in the Conscience which is Gods own voyce in Nature at least as I.O. sayes his Law and most immediate Counsell to a man no other then mans own counsell way 〈◊〉 that leads to cursing Witnesse p. 45 40. Where they say thus To leave a person to his own imagination lust to walk in his own counsell his own way which is all one as to leave him to the light within him is the greatest curse and judgment to a man from God for refusing to hearken to Gods voyce Therefore the light within each person is of it self no safe guide and the Qua prescribe that to men as their rule which God counts their curse yet to go round again p. 55. the light within each person is by creation and inward work of the Spirit So to be left to the inward work of the Spirit is it seems with these men the greatest curse yet to go round again as before p. 41. The Qua charge publick preachers with denying the light within each man whereas such light is not at all denyed by them but is acknowledged to be a great benefit to mankind and p. 84. It concerns those who own Christ as their light to judge themselves and their wayes by his light And the light within is his light witnesse Baxt. Epist. above cited This light is from Christ both as the Authour and Restorer of nature all this light within us and without us is to be hearkened to and obeyed it s the greatest benefit of light that it doth make manifest by the light of Christ the evill of our wayes is reproved the wayes of God approved we know the righteousness of God and our own unrighteousness this is no small benefit to have light to discern our own errours which without light from Christ and his light within say I by which only every man knowes de facto what he is we should never have understood a wise Christian therefore will be often judging himselfe And self judgment saith I. O. is from the light indelebly implanted by God within each mans conscience by the light of the Law Which law is light saith the letter Prov. 6. 23. discovering his transgressions yet to go round again p. 85. Oh that all that talk of the light within them would follow the light about them Light within you whatever the Qua tell you will leave you in perplexity when you shall have most need of comfort but to go round again if you believe in the Light of Christ as it s held out to you in the Gospell That is the letter with them which letter yet testifies the light of the Gospell of Christ to be shining from God within mens hearts 2 Cor. 4. you shall see the light of life Therefore to go round again be perswaded Cry they and so they conclude their Book to disclaime the pretended new light within you as your sufficient guide to God and chuse the light of Christ from Heaven in his Gospel to walk by Which Christ say I speaks and shines from heaven to men now no where immediately but in mens hearts and consciences though men write and speak as from him here on earth whom speaking there by his spirit from heaven it 's more dangerous to turn away from then from them that speak but on earth and it say they and so say I will guide and comfort you surely and sweetly to eternall life So I have shewed how these two children of the night and darknesse R B. an I. T. who were wont to bite and tear one another about the Tradition of Infant Baptisme do both concurr in their divinity doings against the Qua and the light within to bawl out somthing uno ore against both far better then their joynt dis-joynted talk concurres together within it self and so run the Rounds and dance the Hay up and down in and out and somtimes round about that the Reader of them can hardly discern or find whether they be fuller of concessions to the Qua by their confessions to and commendations of the light within or of denyalls contemnings and condemnations of it for at severall times somtimes more Expressly somtimes more implicitly they are found in both in a most egregious manner One while as if parturirent montes mightily magnifying the light within for a great way together as if we might warrantably take them to be some trusty friends to it Another while minifying vilifying nullifying it into nothing but some blind lump of darknesse like the Lizard making many good prints upon it with their fore-feet in that sandy way wherein they passe and then dashing them all out again with a long bushy Tail or Tale of it to the contrary like the blind night Bâ—t flying and fluttering up into the Air with a mighty humming noyse of Encomiums about it and then dropping down into a piece of Cow dung As the Devill serv'd him who is the Author of it who after he had set him upon the highest pinnacle of the Temple he would fain have thrown down thence to destruction so deal these by the inward light or Word of Gods speaking in the heart which after in words they with I. O. have magnified over all Gods name they thrust it down as he does below every name yea and every thing almost that hath any name at all and as I. O. after in a sound of words they have set it out as glorious next to God as the Sun in its brightnesse render it under many reviling opprobrious Titles well nigh as odious as Satan himself in his Princely and their own Priestly blindnesse So that which side soever of those two sides and sorts of sayings or double tongu'd talk of the light the Truth stands on yet unlesse contradictories can it 's certain all cannot be true which they utter of it And if the worst should be true as absit blasphemia far be it from any good man to beleeve their blasphemies of it are then the best is false and that at best proves themselves no better then Self-confounders but if the best they say of it be true as most true it is then R. B. and I. T. till they both repent in dust and ashes before the
Lord for their sin in belying his light can expect no better from him then what is due to all blind Truth Blasphemers As for T. D. he sayes the least of all these four in contradiction to himself about the light howbeit as is above shewed not so little but that it s seen that eodem cum illis haeret luto he sticks in the same Quagmire together with them But as for I. O he is more over head and eares in it as to this poynt then all the rest I shall only take two or three more turns upon that wheel of his on which he is unwearied in running round and so make an end with them altogether at this time And first let us see what I. O saith by way of Concession to us against himself about the light in all mens consciences First Tr 1. c. 2. S. t1 he writeth thus viz. God declares his Soveraign power and Authority righteousness and holinesse by the innate or ingrafted light of nature and principles of the Consciences of men That indispensible morall obedience which he requireth of us as his creatures subject to his law is in general thus made known unto us Then citing and writing out at large that Text Rom. 2.14 15. For the Gentiles c. he goes on thus By the light which God hath indelibly implanted in the minds of men accompanyed with a morall instinct of good and evill seconded by that self judgment which he hath placed in us in reference to his own over us he doth reveale himself unto the Sons of men And that we may know and be ascertained that this thing is no deceivable pretence but that God doth so indeed reveale himself thereby he adds S. 13. The voice of God in nature is effectuall it declares it self to be from God by its own light and Authority There is no need to convince a man by substantiall witnesses that what his conscience speaks it speaks from God whether it bear testimony to the Being Righteousness Power Omniscience or Holiness of God himself or whether it call for that morall obedience which is eternally and indispensably due to him and so shewes forth the work of the Law in the heart it so speaks declares it self that without further evidence or reasoning without the advantage of any considerations but what are by it self supplyed And then without an outward Ministry letter or writing surely or if it did not yet the letter without that came from the light within is of the lights own supplying it discovers its Author from whom it is and in whose name it speaks 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 those common notions and generall presumptions of him his Authority that are inlayed in the natures of rationall creatures by the hand of God to this end that they might make a Revelation of him as to the purposes mentioned are able to plead their Divine Original without the least contribution of strength or assistance from without Thus far I.O. writes the truth of the light within saving here and there the interposition of that Epithite Naturall Thus far have I set down I. Os. words that all may see how far he accords with them in these words in the same things about which he Quarrells with the Quaâ—as not knowing what to make of their Inward word and Light they talke of which is indeed wholly though himselfe fees it not excepting in his often undervaluing of the Light within by that name of naturall as in opposition to the Qua which otherwise while he sees it serves his turn so to do against another sort of his Antagonists he magnifies in words and makes as honourable with all his might as the Qua do and together with them He grants that its the voyce of God a means of the knowledge of God and of his will of Divine Originall and Authority calls for that morall obedience A higher matter then he thinks for which is eternally and indispensably due to God speaks in the name of God and from God so infallibly in the heart that it needs no other evidence assistance advantage c. and then not the letter to witnesse that it speakes from God is his law to which his creatures are to be subject is ascertain'd to be no deceivable pretence but that indeed by which God doth reveale himself to the soul of man that light which God hath indelibly implanted in the minds of men is accompanyed with a morall instinct of good and evill seconded with a self-judgment in us in reference to Gods own over us shewes the work of the Law in the heart so as they are left wholly inexcusable who will not learn and know God from thence neverthelesse to go round again he pinches it back at first after he hath done magnifying it with the diminitive termes of the Light of nature low dark obscure â— winekling light that scarcely peeps out of the most pernitious darknesse enlightening mearly in morall matters duties morall good and evill sufficient to leave men without excuse not save nor bring them to the true knowledg of God only that which was given to man at first before he fell the state of the first man and at last a thing altogether faigned a deceivable pretence grossely imagined every ones private light making as many Rules as men That inward light the Revelation that comes from which is uncertain dangerous unprofitable no way necessary to the knowing of God and his will therefore to be rejected and detested A means of the knowledge of God and of Communion with him boasted of by the Fanaticks an addition to the written word of God which is most heavily damned by the Spirit of God among that of confabulation with Angells and others id genus furfuris of the like bran that which we are sent to that we may get the knowledge of God or any direction in our duty to him at no time and no where at all by God a principle of Revelation most uncertain fallacious both as to it self and what things it reveals a meer faculty of the understanding I know not what light of no correspondency with the Scripture and word I know not what divine soul of the world mingled in all things which is Every thing and truly Nothing a light which however attended to is in all divine things as to the utmost end meerly darknesse and blindnesse it self These and many more id genus furfuris etfarraginis are the depressive debasive denominations whereby I. O. having first advanc'd the light within and law of God in thâ— heart into its proper place prerogative Titles and Authority as Gods Vicar on earth which Office the Pope and Clergy have long usurped as a faithfull witnesse right reverend Recorder and subordinate Iudge for God and between God and man in the Conscience doth after Thrust it out again from its Throne Rob it of its Recordership detrude it from its true Title Divest it of all its Authority Digrade it from its
in his name and done great things nevertheless for as much as they departed not from iniquity they shall be doom'd from Christ with Dâ—part from me ye workers of iniquity I know you not 16. Then shall the whole multitude of Transgressors of the Law i. e. of the Light of God in the conscience by which all even those that have not the Law written in an outward letter are a Law to themselves having the work of the Law written in their hearts that the Lamb of God came not to tolerate but to take away the sin of the world and that Iesus was sent not to give liberty to sin but to set his people at liberty from their sins and that in the greatest liberty wherwith Christ freeth his people there is the least licence and that the Father having raised up his Son hath sent him to blesse men they turning away every one of them from his iniquitie that those blessed ones to whom the the Lord imputeth not sin whâ—se iniquities aâ—e forgiven whose sin is covered are such in whose Spirit there is no guile and that there is in no wise any remission of sins unto those who still accustome themselves to a dayly commission of them 17. Moreover the great and terrible day of the Lord now cometh wherein the Light which is risen in the conâ—ciences of men shall dayly more and more clearly shine forth in which also the â—he book of conscience must be opened that â—ut of it all men may be judged according to all things that are written therein where by the Light which is Gods faithfull witness all sin is written down in the sight of God as with a Pen of Iron in which day by the Light God will come night to us to judgement and then the righteousness grace and mercy of God shall be revealed towards all who standing still in his Light wait for him to come as a Redeemer to them from their impieries that they may be saved from the wrath that is to come upon all the children of disobedience by which light the wrath of God shall be manifested from Heaven in their own conâ—ciences against all ungodliness unrighteousness of men who retain the Truth in unrighteousness in which day God will reign down upon the wicked Snares Fire Brunstone and an horrible tempest all which things shall be the portion of their Cup. 18. Moreover in the hand of God there is now a cup and the Wine thereof is Red and it is full of mixture and he poureth one of the same and Iudgment is begun at the House of God and God hath begun to bring evil upon the people upon whom his Name is written and his Nature Image is imprinted they whose portion it is not in such a measure as they have drunk of the Cup of abomination and fornication have drunk also of the Cup of indignation and wrath before they could take the Cup of Salvation and praiâ—e the name of the Lord in no wise therefore shall the wicked go unpunished but the worshippers of the Beast and those that receive his image must drink also of this wine which is poured one of the mixture into the cup of his indignation and shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy Angells and of the Lamb yea the very dregs hereof the top whereof the Children of the Light and of the Day have tasted the Children of the Night and of the Darkness that is all the wicked ones of the earth shall drink and wring them out 19. Wherefore whilst in the long suffering of God opportunity is not wanting unto you whilst the day of your Visitation is neer unto you from God let my councell be accepted of you All and turn your selves to the light of Christ in your own consciences and take councell thereat for ever which seriously and sincerely minding you shall be taught by Christ himself whose Testimony to you from heaven that is to your both externall internall and eternall Peace and Salvation and shall be brought to Christ himself and to see him and his Father from both whom it comes to the saving knowledg of whom there can be no coming any other way whatsoever for as the Sun of this outward world is not seen but by that Light which flows from it self unto us so neither is the Sun of righteousnesse but by that measure of Light how little soever it be that shines from him in the heart 20. For although the Scripture which speakes of the Light and directs to the Light maketh mention of the Father and of the Son so that there ye may read of them and speak of them also according to what ye there read yet this the Scripture it self witnesseth that none can know either the Father or the Son but he to whom the Father and the Son do mutually reveal each the other whose revelation also is made within for that which may be known of God sufficient to Salvation is manifest in men saith Paul for God doth manifest it in them and the Gospell is preached in every creature which is under heaven by the Light of God in the conscience so that they are left inexcusable before God who else would be excusable blameless forasmuch as though they know God yet they glorify him not as God neither like to retain God in their knowledge but knowing the judgement of God that they which do such things as they do are worthy of death yet not onely do the same but have pleasure in those that do them 21. In the mean while we do not affirm Christ himself to be in all men who yet is known to be in all that are not Reprobates as that hope of glory nevertheless all for there is no difference but what is made by different degrees of light which do not vary the nature of the thing have some measure or other of his Light at least one Talent committed to them that they may trade therewith to profit withall which using well and doubling they have entrance into the joy of their Lord but hiding of which and not gaining therewith they shall be thrust out at last from the light they have into the utter darkness where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth This Light therefore shines in all even the heatheâ— in some measure although not in all in the same measure 22. To the measure of which Light of Christ which in you is you will do well to take heed while you have it as unto a light shining in a dark place to give you the knowledge of your Salvation and guide your feet in the way of peace and that you may find true rest to your burdened and wearied souls and lest darkness come upon you for he that walketh in darkness knoweth not whether he goeth nor at what he stumbles 23. This Light is the Law of God for the law is light saith the wise man written not
them yet which is more light in them to guide them to please God de Iure and to tell them when they displease him de facto as the Letter does not which shews men what they have done should de and be but no men as the Light does what they have done do and are but the Children of the Light are not all that have the Light in them for all men have it though ill men hate it and because it condemns the evil deeds they love and are loath to leave condemn it love the darkness more then it whereupon it is though as from God intentionally their Salvation yet actually their condemnation Iohn 3.16.17.18.19.20.21 c. but all and only those who are actually led and guided by it who are and walk in it as it is in them and as God is in it guiding them into the way that 's well-pleasing in his sight and into fellowship and acquaintance with himself 1 Ioh. 1.7.8 These I say are the Children of the Light who are justified by it by whom also it is justified while the world condemn it who are condemned by it as Wisdome is justified of her own Children Therefore God hath undoubtedly vouchsafed some measure of sufficient Light or Saving Grace to All men Arg. 5. If any have not some measure at least of this saving Light it must be either the Reprobates that are rebellious against it or the Heathen as ye call them who are in name Christian in nature as Heathenish as they which have not any Letter without nor knowledge of Christ Iesus after the flesh for yourselves who name the Name of Christ and so think ye are Christians would deem your selves disparaged if we should say they have that Light ye have not and ye cannot deny but true Christians that obey it and depart from the iniquity it condemns must much more have the gift of 〈◊〉 saving Light and Grace if the Rebellious have it But the very Rebellious though they improve it not and so dwell in a dry land and find not the green pastures the Sheep of Christ feed on who hear his Voice yet have this gift of saving Grace by Christ the Mediator received for them and vouchsafed to them by the leadings of which if they follow it they may come to witness the Lord God dwelling in them Psal. 68.18 Yea Iob 24.13 If the Rebels against the Light had it not shining in them in that time in which that was spoken which as is generally judged was before any of your Scripture was written they could not be said to rebell against it And beside to the rebellious and gainsaying people in Israel God says what should or could I have done more for them that I have not done which he could not have said in the iudgment of Reason it self as much as he had done for them in giving them an outward Scripture if he had not vouchsafed them withall some measure of that Light and Grace which is only able to guide men that improve it to Salvation for less then so much could not put them into so much as possibility of Salvation for all their Letter and in all Reason he should have put them at least into a possibility of it by a Grace sufficient if improved to bring them to it or else all he did for them beside was little worth or worse then nothing to them and he had not done enough on his own part toward their deliverance from damnation let them have put forth themselves never so far but rather that which according to your principles must unavoidably tend to their sorer condemnation but doing that and putting them by the gift of his own Light Grace and Power into a capacity to work out their own Salvation whether they would walk in that Light or not walk in it improve that Power gift of Grace or not improve it he would be clear of their blood and their miscarriage on their own part and they perish on the score of their own putting the Salvation of God far from them when he brought it nigh them and as he might truly say what could I have done more then I have done for them unless I shall force them to live whether they will or no and so change my Decree unchangeable which is to put men again by my Grace by my Son whom I give to be my Light to the Nations and my Salvation to the ends of the 〈◊〉 into a posse peccare and posse non at least a liberty and power to abuse life or death when I set the way of both before them and then leave them ad libitum to imbrace which they please so they in all reason could expect no more it being pitty enough to provide meat and set it before poor perishing men though one do not put it per force into their mouths when they are capable to feed themselves and if any when they are made videre meliora will deteriora sequi and needs take the wrong way which they know to be the worst and its end to be death when not only the Right is shewed them but they will'd and wish't and enabled to walk in it that they may live thereby as to be in Potentia ad actum to have from Free-grace the power to chuse life or death is grace enough to condemned men so to them that chuse to die no wrong is done fith Volenti non sit injuria Besides the Wisdome of God it self is said Prov. 1.21 c. to call very Scorners that delight in scorning fools that hate knowledge and love folly to turn at her reproof promising more and more to poure out her spirit on them and make known her words to them they hearkening to her reproofs who talks with them in their beds when they awake and by the way c. otherwise 't is the turning away of the simple from her teachings not being without her teachings that slayes them And as for the Heathen how they have that which is to be known of God even enough as to their Salvation manifest by God himself within them and not only the Wrath of God against all their ungodliness but also the Righteousness of God revealed from heaven even by him that speaks from heaven in their own hearts so that they both know God in some measure though not liking to retain the knowledge of him in them nor glorifying him as God answerably to what they know of him their foolish hearts are darkned and they given over to vileness but also know the Iudgements of God that the things they do are worthy of death as also that Life and Peace from God should be to them in the contrary and so are condemned accused and without excuse when they sin as well as cleared accepted justified before God within themselves when they do well by the work of the Law of God written in their hearts by which though they have not the Law in Letter or a literal
durst not presume to walk by our sense of but to take as interpreted by our Textmen and Churchmen have let us into thy joy And whereas thou swearest thou wouldst not have had us died but much rather lived if we would had we but known indeed as we never did sith we were told that was Free-will a most fearful damnable doctrine that we had had but Arbitrium Liberatum a freed will vouchsafed us from thee whereby to chuse life when life and death was set before us or but a power wrought in us from thee to have will'd and done what thou requiredst we might happily have chosen Life and have come and to turn'd thee then we had either turned to thee or else been utterly inexcusable we confess and thy wayes had been as equal as thou sayest they are and our blood had been altogether on our own heads and our destruction of our selves alone had there been but any of that sufficient help that is in thee vouchsafed to us from thee it would habe been tryed then whether we would have turned to thee or no But alas Lord thou know'st we were told and we thought it our duty on pain of damnation to take all for truth that our Church-men and School-men and learned Doctors and well read men in the Scriptures and Unviersity-made Minister told us that all men had not and that few have so much as sufficient Light or power at all to will or do or think good communicated to them from thee we know indeed that without thee nothing can be done and that all mans sufficiency to good must come from thee But now thou queriest of us why we did not do thy will and wilt judge us for the neglect of it we beseech thee Lord consider and pity us we never knew yee that we were under power and possibility form the most and best and greatest measure of ability Grance and Light given to us to know or do that will thou now art going to require with vengeance the violation of at our hands for if it were so as some said indeed viz. the Qua. seeming also to bring Scripture for it that we and all men have or had though nâ—ne of our selves yet some and so much in our selves of it as we should have stood justified accepted uncondemned in improving and not have had that sin thou sayest we have now no cloak for had we known it we hope we should have done according to it but being out of hope of having strength to overcome we sate still in diâ—couragement and despair for our Ministers told us the Qua. were lyar's and seducers not to be believed and their doctrine damuable ouâ— Ministers belyed thee to us as a hard Master reaping where thou hast not sowed and gathering where thou hast not strawed and requiring that of us even that we should turn to thee and live which thou as they say dost not enable by Light and Grace enough or suitable thereto scarce one of a thousand and so we were disheartned from trading with the talent we had and hid and laid it not out as believing we had as good do nothing at all as nothing to the purpose and upon many more such like considerations as there seeing we were but-mocked by our Ministers telling us of Life and tendring it to us yet telling us as their faith and as that which must be ours that it belongs but to few and that this was thy Secret Will whatever thy Revealed Will was they profested also to be men acquainted with thy secrets we gave our selves over to security to eat and drink and do no good and satisfie our wills in evil for let us do better or worse or the best and most which the best and most of any of us Reprobates could do we saw we could but die and if we happened not to be of the few Elected on es to life that are ordain'd to be brought to it some time or other as a thousand to one we saw we were not we must unavoidably die and perish without hope or remedy From such evil communications of our Clergy which corrupted good manners concluding that we could do no good without thee and had no grace to do good given us from thee we said Let us eat and drink for tomorrow we diâ— therefore let us be excused Lord and held guiltless the rather because we were in ignorance and unbelief of this truth that we could do ought towards our own Salvation by any power or measure of sufficient grace imparted to us from thy self or at least shew us mercy as thou didst to Paul who obtained it of thee that in him thou mightest shew forth an example of thy long-suffering goodness and patience to poor sinners in â—ime to come even to aâ—l that ever should live ungodly 1 Tim. 1. for as he so we seeing our Teachers traduced us so to think of the Qua. that now we find hold the truth suppâ—sed innocently or as least ignorantly that they were Enemies to God Christ Scriptures Word of God Righteousness of Christ Iustification by him alone seduced and seducres and the vilest persons on earth and so thought verily that we did thee service in persecuting killing stoning stocking mocking haling them out of Synagogues and into prisons little deeming what we now see that men are not accepted and condemned the more for not knowing so much as our Professors tell us of this and that notion of doctrine and point of Divinity in the head as for not doing that be it little or more that is already made known with all the heart and that had we done thy will but so far as ' â—is made known we as Christ said indeed should have known more and more of the different doctrines that were which were of God and which men for meer money and maintenance flesh and livelihoods sake taught only of themselves I say may not the Reprobates even in these Nations so plead and can the Light and Grace of God given and tendred to them leave them without excuse at all if it be not at all sufficient if never so well improved to lead them to Life and Salvation Can the Law in their hearts accuse them doing ill and not justifie them doing well Will it kill them if they break it and kill them if they obey it also but how much more excuse the poor Ethnicks as ye call them that have nothing but that Light within of Nature as ye term it which ye your selves sometimes seem to confess and say excused them as T. D. page 40. We may suppose the heathen might say had we known of a remedy we would have made use of it yea thou deniest not T. D. nor do any of you but that the work of the Law written in the hearts of All is accusing and excusing and that the said Law within is sufficient to both these I. O. page 43. owns the same saying that by the Light within the Heathens thoughts excuse