needs be in the World not before they come into it And as in the 14th verse Death reigning from Adam to Moses even over them who had not sinned after the Similitude of Adam's Transgression c. This thou wilt needs have to be Infants in the Womb what gross Darkness is this How can Death reign over any until they come under the Dominion and Government of it and so be Transgressors of a known Law either in Thought Word or Deed It is Non sense and Ridiculous But Death hath reigned over many who have not sinned after the Similitude of Adam's Transgression for Death reigned over Drunkards Swearers Lyars Sodomites the Old Wicked World Whoremongers and many who are called by other Names which was not all a sinning after the Similitude of Adam's Transgression for he was no Sodomite Drunkard nor Swearer Whoremonger nor Adulterer that we read of And so Death reigns over all Sinners be the Similitude of sinning what it will but answer me after what Similitude is the Child's sinning Is it after the Similitude or Likeness of Adam's sinning or the Similitude of any other And whereas thou queriest how it comes to pass that Death is inflicted upon Infants if they have no Sin I answer It cannot be for their Sin because they have none and the Reason why they dye is because they are Mortal and must dye sooner or later even Mankind as well as other living things on Earth but to the Innocent and True Believers in Christ Jesus this is no Sign of God's Displeasure but rather a Translation into a better State except thou reckons the State and Being in this Life to the Innocent and Regenerate better then that which is to come and many holy men have had great Joy at their Departure So that the Cause of the natural death cannot be as is foolishly imagined because Adam sinned for if he had not sinned he might have dyed as to his natural Life being of the Earth made of the Dust and it was said to him In the Day thou eatest thereof thou shalt dye mark in that Day yet he lived after his Fall many Years as to his natural Life but he dyed spiritually instantly upon his sinning even in that Day and at that time And as for those other Scriptures thou bringest Ephes 2.3 And were by Nature Children of Wrath as well as others Gal. 2.15 We who are Jews by Nature and not Sinners of the Gentiles these Scriptures speak of Children of Wrath and Jews by Nature and not Sinners of the Gentiles what is this to Infants in the Womb who are no Sinners neither can be Children of Wrath These Scriptures relate to a sinful state before Conversion whether young or old so that herein thou wrests and abusest the Scriptures and this is plain for me to see with that blessed Light of Christ Jesus thou art an Enemy to As I did so I do affirm Jesus Christ to be the true Light and Saviour who enlightneth every man that cometh into the World with a Measure of his own Light but W. H. is one that cannot endure this Light or the Reproof of it upon his Conscience but still would call it something otherwise then what it is and quotes Rom. 2.15 which speaks no such thing as that the Light within every man is nothing but the Law of Moses written in the Heart or another while No more then Nature as he calls it p. 17. whereas the Inward Law or Light within in all its Manifestations and Appearances alwayes came by Jesus Christ and contains in it not only the Substance of Moses's Law but Gospel-Virtue and Power the true Light that enlightneth every Man that cometh into the World by Virtue of which Divine Light and Power within the Gentiles obeyed the Lord spiritually and were accepted in so doing though they had not the Outward Law in the Letter and set the Letter aside What Law is that that is written in the hearts of People must it not needs be the Law of Christ inward in the Heart and Conscience and so of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus that makes free from the Law of Sin and Death and it was alwayes so that the Doers of this Law or Light within in the Heart and Conscience were justified Rom. 2.13 and thus was Abraham justified by Works James 2.21 when he had faithfully offered up his Isaac upon the Altar in Obedience to God it was a Good Work by which he was justified in the Sight of God who commanded and he believed and it was imputed to him for Righteousness the Word of his Faith by which he believed and knew the Will of God was the Light within we bear Testimony unto which was before Moses was or Abraham was he that hath an Ear to hear let him hear but this Man's Understanding is shallow sure who one while saith This Light in Man is nothing but the Law of Moses written in the Heart another while It is no more then Nature and what Nature But a Guilty Defiled Nature p. 17. Oh sad Confusion And must the Work of this Inward Light and Power of God be no more then Legal Righteousness and Regeneration Legal Righteousness and a man 's own Righteousness which is as great an Error as a man can utter It is true that by the bare Works of that Law of Moses never man was justified before the Lord or made Righteous for if that could have made the Comers thereunto perfect there had been no need of Faith in Christ the Light to have received Power but that could not do though great Strictness might be used in the outward Observance of those outward things and Shadows and through such outward Conformity they might appear Righteous before man yet this was but that outward Righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees in like manner as now W. H. and such as he who seem to be very zealous for the Gospel and the Body of Jesus yet deny his Light and Power of God within with as much Violence as ever the Pharisees denyed Christ Jesu at Jerusalem to be the Son of God and they are in the Steps of the Pharisees in their own self Righteousness and Profession of the Gospel without the true Power of Godliness let the Heavenly Light which they so wickedly blaspheme be Judge in the Case even in their own Consciences and yet they will Hypocritically acknowledge Christ is All in all and all Power and Judgment is committed to the Son Christ Jesus and then they cry this down again and call it A natural Light and Darkness which judgeth mens Thoughts and Deeds of Darkness and thus would rob Christ both of his Authority and Judgment to escape Judgment for Sin Whilest they imagine this Light within to be a natural Light or Ignis fatuus or what they please a devilish wicked Project for if so then what need they care what they do when there is nothing to judge them but an Ignit fatuus or
plainly affirmed the thing viz. That God ordained People to be wicked before they were born And whereas he daringly saith If I dare come to the Tryal he offers two Substantial Witnesses to prove that I said The Doctrine of Election was a Devilish Damnable and Blasphemous Doctrine and also to prove that No such thing was said by him as that God ordained People to be wicked before they were born and if I please he will enter the Lists with me and the like I answer That my God is the Living God above all the false Gods whom I serve and reverence in his Name and Power he hath kept me hitherto over the Heads of such Gilded Hypocrites as thou art and I fear not to meet thee nor thy Master's Strength and thy witnesses in the Name of my God in any convenient Place equally agreed on to manifest the Truth of my Cause and to try thy Power and I deny thy Spirit who denies the Power and Heavenly Light of the true God and Christ and callst his Blessed Image and Saving Health the Work of Regeneration Legal Righteousness and a man 's own Righteousness I tell thee I deny thy Spirit and Work and stand up for the true God and his Christ whom thou knowest not but by Imagination nor where he is but by Imagination Thou Dreamer hast thou not lost the Sight of the true Saviour and now thou imagines the Place of his Residence thou knowst not where nor what thou sayest nor whereof thou affirmest a Cloud hath received him out of thy Sight and you are parted if ever thou hadst any Acquaintance with him in any Measure and where he is thou canst not see him with thy blind Eye nor come unto him for indeed the Heavens have received him and the Heavenly Host see him but thou shalt never see him to thy Comfort but Condemnation in that Dark and Wicked Mind thou livest in profess what thou wilt and babble what thou canst in a vain Mind Thou wouldst be disputing about the Body of Jesus where it is and what it is but thou canst not find it out no more then the Devil could in disputing with the Angel about the Body of Moses and thou art sufficiently answered elsewhere as to that Surely the Apppearance Sight of Christ will be to their Condemnation who believe in thy Doctrine of Antichristianism in denying the Light within to be Spiritual and Christian for as the Devils saw him and knew him and were tormented by him in the Dayes of his Flesh as accounting his Coming then a Torment tormenting them before the time so shalt thou and those of thy Spirit except ye repent for your Torments are begun already and your Gnashing of Teeth because he is come to reign and he must reign who is our Joy and your Sorrow must encrease and have no End who are wilful and mad in your opposing of him in this Day of his spiritual Appearance The Substance of his Answer to my Postscript is this First Concerning Personal Reprobation he affirmeth That God willeth to permit Evil by denying Grace which would prevent it As much as to say God having fore-ordained the greatest part of the World to be Reprobated and Damned therefore to bring about his End he denies the Means of their Salvation that is Grace to the End that they may be damned for they must be damned there is no Remedy why Because God hath so decreed before they be born and this Purpose and Decree of his must stand and it cannot be otherwise because the Lord denieth them the Benefit of his Saving Grace If Ely was punished with Death because he restrained not his Sons Wickedness and had not that Indignation against it as it deserved what would they make God to be who as they say restrains his Grace because he hath ordained them to Damnation and also Christ did not dye for them and so it is impossible for those for whom Christ did not dye that they should be saved this is the natural Consequence of such a Doctrine and so it is of the Devil and to make the Lord the hardest of Masters and greatest of Tyrants to require that of man which he hath decreed aforehand it shall be impossible for him to do and yet he must for not doing it be condemned as much as if a Tyrant should first command a man's Legs to be cut off and then command him to go and kill him for not going or put out a man's Eyes and then command him to see and for disobeying such a Command he must be slain In like manner the Lord requires Faith and Repentance where aforehand he hath deprived him of Power to do either on purpose to destroy him because he hath decreed him before he was born to such an End and therefore denyeth him Grace Now William Haworth dost thou believe we can believe this to be Christian Doctrine which hath so much Contradiction and Confusion in it for the Grace of God hath certainly appeared to all men according to Scripture and the Invitation is unto all to believe in Christ that they may be saved without Respect of Persons Thus in short I leave this and pass on to detect the rest of thy Non-sense and Confusion because much hath been writ in this particular by other Hands c. Secondly Concerning Original Sin I said The Devil was the Original of Sin in Mankind and that I understood not how Infents could be guilty of Sin in the Womb c. To this W. H. answers thus That the Devil is the Original of Sin in Mankind i. e. The first Tempter to Sin is a Doctrine we learned from Moses not from the Quakers but what is this ad rem Ergo there is no Original Sin except it be the Devil Astrange Argument saith he Now Reader mark this man's Logick because I said that the Devil alwayes was and is the Original of Sin in Mankind who obey him he makes this Ergo or Conclusion There is no Original Sin except it be the Devil and so the Argument must stand thus The Devil alwayes was and is the Original of Sin in Mankind who obey him Ergo The Devil is Original Sin What abusive Non-sense and Perversion is this But however we say the Devil is the Original of Sin and now I shall look into the Scriptures he brings to prove the Sin of Infants in the Womb. First Rom. 5.12 Wherefore as by one man Sin entered into the World and Death by Sin and so Death passed upon all men for that all have sinned Mark Reader what is this to Infants in the Womb who have not yet sinned read the next verse following the latter part of it viz. Sin is not imputed where there is no Law but where is the Law to Infants in the Womb before they come into the World surely there is none therefore no Sin nor Condemnation it must needs be an Innocent Sinless State so that the state of sinning must
heavenly things themselves is this thy Fixedness and Consistency that they must be something but what thou dost not know and yet sayest I must understand what they are but surely it must not be by thy doubtful Teaching But tell me what purisying needed either Christ himself or Heaven it self and by what better Sacrifices Heb. 9.23 we read Ver. 9. 14. that the Conscience was to be purged by the Blood of Christ and this must needs be known in the Church and People of God whom thou confesseth are the heavenly Jerusalem which is the City of the living God where both God and Jesus the Mediator and the Blood of Sprinkling c. are come to by the Saints viz. Heb. 12.22,23,24 Haworth I ask now whether the Scriptures or our Imaginations and Thoughts be the Rule whereby we are to measure God and true Righteousness p. 21. c. Crook Is thy Memory so bad or thy Ignorance so great to ask such a Question which thy self resolvest in the same Page or art thou still in thy skiptical Mind as thou speakest of thy self seeing thou sayd'st but just before that it must be by the same Spirit that gave forth the Scripture that we can understand them and not without have thy Thoughts and Imaginations so great and the Spirit of God so little a Share in what thou dost which makes thee so soon forget its Usefulness to measure divine Things but I even tremble at thy ignorant Confidence to talk at this rate of measuring the unmeasurable God and that by the Scriptures or our own Thoughts without naming his Spirit Haworth The Scripture no where condemns Man's Conceivings of God by the Scripture and according to them p. 22. c. Crook Thou art condemned here out of thy own Mouth who sayest it must be Man enlightned by the same Spirit that gave them forth and not otherwise Haworth If John Crook consents to the Truth of this Principle viz. That such is the Purity of God that nothing is accepted by him but what is every Way or entirely compleat and perfect if so p. 23. c. Crook I grant this as also himself hath done in p. 26. Haworth Then he believes that the Righteousness within which consists in the Vertues and Gifts of the Spirit in every Quaker is every way perfect and compleat c. Crook Let the Reader judge if the latter be a necessary Consequence from the former but because some whole pages following in his Book are stuffed with Arguments and Consequents of the like nature about the same Subject to prevent his Boasting if possible I shall here once for all return a sober Answer viz. I believe that the Holiness and Righteousness in the Hearts of God's people which purely consists in the Virtues and Gifts of the Spirit which is one with the Father and the Son it is intirely compleat and perfect as to Nature and Kind which is sufficiently demonstrated by those worthy men Dr. Preston and Dr. Sibbs See Preston's Title Man's Vprightness pag. 214. Because the New Adam otherwise should not be so effectual as the old the new Adam should not be so powerful to communicate Grace and Life as the old Adam is to instill Corruption and Sin for this Sin that hath been conveyed to us by the first Adam hath an Integrity in it it hath gone over the whole Soul there is a whole Body of Death that hath possessed us now should there not be in those redeeming Actions by Christ a contrary Integrity and Perfection a throughout Holiness as I may call it the Plaister then should be narrower then the Sore the Remedy should be inferiour to the Disease Beloved you know a Leprosie is gone all over except the Holiness went all over too from top to toe I say there would not be an Answerableness in the second Adam he should not be able to do as much Good as the first was able to do Hurt 2 dly The Work of Redemption should be done but by halves if the Lord should dispense with imperfect Holiness The Works of Creation you know were perfect God looked upon all his Works and saw that they were very Good Beloved Do you think the Works of Redemption should come short of the Works of Creation Are not they likewise Perfect When the Lord shall look on that Work shall he not say likewise It is very good Pag. 216. If the Heart of Man be not intire if the Work of Grace be not throughout if there be a Defect in the Principle and Constitution of it there should be a defect in the Work of Redemption that cannot be c. Pag. 219. Blessed are the Pure in Heart Now what is it to be pure That is pure which is full of it self and hath no other heteregenial thing mingled with it so that heart is pure which hath no Sin in it which is holy which hath a renewed quality of Grace which hath an inward regenerate Man that will mingle with no Sin that is full of it self and admits not the mixture of any Sin c. Pag 221. When thou hadst the Prophet that would have separated the Precious from the Vile in thy heart as well as to do it in the Companies of men c. Pag. 222. So my Beloved it is not the having of Impurities in the Heart that makes the Heart imperfect but it is the suffering of them to be mingled even with the inward Frame of the Heart The Doctor also affirms That without this Holiness and Righteousness none can be saved c. See Dr. Preston ibid. p. 243. I say Let any Man's Heart be of this Constitution that he neglects the smallest Commandment that he hath not a special Eye to the Observance of them a special Care to keep them he is unsound and rotten at the Heart he shall never be saved continuing such Prov. 19.16 He that keeps the Commandments keeps his own Soul but he that despiseth his Way shall dye for it Thus far Dr. Preston Now Dr. Sibbs's Soul-Conflicts pag. 224. The Happiness of Man consists chiefly in a gracious Frame of Spirit and Actions sutable sweetly ssuing therefrom Ibid. pag. 156. Christ will never give over till by his Spirit he hath made our Nature Holy and Pure as his own till he hath taken away not only the Reign but the very Life and Being of Sin out of our Hearts that to this End he leaves his Spirit and Truth in the Church to the End of the World that the Seed of the Spirit may subdue the seed of the Serpent in us and that the Spirit may be a never failing Spring of all Holy Thoughts Desires and Endeavours in us and dry up the contrary Issue and Spring of Corrupt Nature Grace is nothing else but that blessed Power whereby as spiritual we gain upon our selves as carnal pag. ibid. It is a good Tryal of a Man's Condition to know what he esteems to be himself A godly Man counts the inward man the
sayest it is a working Faith and if it were not so it must needs be a dead Faith And the Apostle Paul speaks not of a bare believing excluding its operative Nature no more then the Apostle James doth of Works excluding believing but both agree that Justification is by a living working Faith When the Apostle excludeth Works from Justification he excludeth them only under the Notion or Conceit of Merit in which Sense the Jews urged the Necessity of them in that Business There is no Opposition between Grace and Works but a clear Consistency except or unless by Works we understand Merit And to say it receives no Efficacy from its being accompanied with Works is little less in plain English then to say if it did not work it would be as efficacious to Justification which is both contrary to Scripture and this received Doctrine viz. Where Christ removes the Guilt of Sin he also removes the Filth of Sin Justification and Sanctification being inseparable Companions and Justification is never without Sanctification for no Persons are the Subjects of Gospel Justification as ungodly or as in their sins but as being sanctified and the Filth of Sin removed so then justified not in Sin but in the Truth and Righteousness of Christ they being washed c. according to 1 Cor. 6.11 And such were some of you but ye are washed but ye are sanctified but ye are justified in the Name of the Lord Jesus and BY THE SPIRIT of our God according to this Maxim that without Likeness of Disposition there can be no Likeing of each other Haworth Enough if thou wast real in thy Expressions p. 29. c. Crook That the Reader may bear witness to W. H's Acknowledgment that what I have said is enough I shall set down my Words and abide by them to save further dispute about this Point viz. I know and believe Salvation by the imputed reckoned and real everlasting Righteousness of Jesus Christ brought nigh Which Confession of mine he acknowledgeth to be enough if real c. Haworth I had thought that Faith had been the Substance of things hoped for that by Faith Christ dwelt in our Hearts p. 30. c. Crook This he speaks of the imputed Righteousness of Christ brought nigh which is a large Confession to the Inherentness or Indwelling of Christ and consequently his Righteousness in the Hearts of true Believers and that which he calls the Substance of things hoped for he saith is in their Hearts also Now if all these things be so nigh what is the Cause that W. H. and I are so far assunder Haworth This is true plainly understood as spoken pag. 31. c. Crook These are my Words he confesseth unto speaking of the Imputed Righteousness of Christ which in the Fulness of time was manifest in and by him and in due time made mine by the Work and Application of his Spirit in my Inward Parts This is true saith W. H. So that I need take no further Notice of his Cavils against it seeing he hath so fully confessed to the Truth of it Haworth If this Him was to be understood of the true Christ we need not one Word further p. 32. c. Crook My Words are viz And God is well pleased or satisfied in and with Him in whom I am accepted c. Now I do declare it is the true Christ that I intended by Him so that it is needless for me to reply one Word further as himself confesseth Haworth Christ of himself and his Merit is not sufficient unless something wrought by the Light in us doth joyn its Merit with him pag. 33. c. Crook This is scoffingly spoken in Contempt not only of what I have said but also of the Works of the Spirit as appears by his own Words viz. Thou wouldst have the Works that are wrought by the Spirit have some Share in Acceptation What would this man say if he durst speak plainly as if the Spirit in its working did lessen the worth and sufficiency of Christ or as if W. H. contemned that Ancient Orthodox Saying viz. It is not propter but secundum i. e. We are accepted not for nor yet without where there is a Capacity but according to GOOD WORKS But this man would make the works of the Spirit and the work of Christ to be like Israel and Amalek No Acceptation of an Israelite by the Merit of Christ unless the Works of the Spirit like the Name of Amalek be quite blotted out from having any thing to do with it Haworth What the Lord doth is really done c. Crook I Oppose Reallity to thy Imagination not to any Act of God for in the New Creation as well as the Old God saith Let it be so and it is so But I am jealous thou and others imagine that to be so which is not so in this great Case Therefore do not deceive thy self and others by calling the strength of Imagination Reality and a confident Presumption a Living Faith Haworth But indeed this Righteousness is not at a Distance from us but put upon us by the Father's Gift Ye have put on Christ Gal. 3.27 It is the best Robe put upon us c. And all that Righteousness that is within us of Sanctification is but the Fruit of this it was merited and purchased for us by this p. 34 c. Crook I have spoken to this Subject under Title Contradiction and Confusion The Words he so wars against are these viz. Thou believest to be saved by a Righteousness wholely without thee Reckoned but not Real which Righteousness Christ wrought One Thousand Six Hundred Years since not that we undervalue that Righteousness nay cursed is he that so doth really no nearer to thee then the Place where he personally lived and dyed Now I desire the Reader to consider if his Proof consutes this viz. Gal. 3.27 For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ this is that Righteousness that is imputed to us and procures the Discharge from our Sins or Debts by W. Haworth's own Acknowledgement This being Baptized into Christ is explained by the same Apostle Rom. 6.3,4,5,6 Know ye not that so many of us as were baptized into Christ were baptized into his Death therefore we are buryed with him by baptism into Death that like as Christ was raised from the Dead by the Glory of the Father even so we also should walk in Newness of Life for if we have been planted together in the Likeness of his Death we shall be also in the Likeness of his Resurrection knowing this that our Old Man is crucified with him that the Body of Sin might be destroyed that henceforth we should not serve Sin And this Phrase We have put on Christ is also expounded by the same Apostle Rom. 13.12,13,14 And let us put on the Armour of Light so that we walk honestly as in the Day time not in Gluttonny and Drunkenness neither in
not sufficient for Salvation without the Truth be inwardly taught by the Spirit yet how often hath this man affirmed That whatever the Spirit works in us is but our own Righteousness yet here to the Confutation of all his former Affirmations saith That without the inward Teachings of the Spirit there is no Salvation no not by Jesus of Nazareth c. so big is this man with the prodigious Monsters not only of dividing the Holy Ghost from Christ but of horrible Confusion Ignorance Unbelief and Blasphemy 1st Confusion in that he is so Contradictory to himself 2. Ignorance because it implies a Distrusting of Christ even while we are acted by the Holy Ghost which is impossible 3. Vnbelief because he saith he dares not trust to the Holy Ghost and yet saith we cannot be saved except we be inwardly taught by the Holy Ghost 4. Blasphemy because he supposes it is possible for the Holy Ghost to deceive us else why doth he say that he dares not trust to the Holy Ghost but to Christ c Neither will it at all help him for to say He intends only as to Justification because he acknowledgeth there can be no Salvation by Jesus of Nazareth and consequently no Justification by Christ without the inward Teachings of the Spirit for saith he historical Knowledge cannot do it but the inward Knowledge which the Spirit gives doth do it so that what he hath said though against his Will amounts to this viz. That true experimental Justification by Christ cannot be savingly known without it be inwardly taught by the Spirit by which Grant he hath renounced these two Erroneous Opinions viz. 1st That what the Holy Ghost works in us is our own Righteousness and 2dly That he was deceived and mistaken when he said he durst not trust to the Holy Ghost but to Christ and hath confirmed the Truth to be on my side viz. That we are justified in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God 1 Cor. 6.11 Haworth Faith as a Habit or Act in us is our own Righteousness p. 54. Crook He hath conveyed all his right to this by his former Grant only he hath that left which still renders him more suspitious viz. That his Claim is nought because it will not indure Scripture-Terms but no marvel seeing he dares not trust to the Holy Ghost But let his late Recantation include his uncouth word Habie amongst his other Mistakes of Unscund Expressions c. for the Scripture no where calls that Faith which is wrought by the exceeding Greatness of that Power which raised up Christ from the Dead Eph. 1.19,20 our own Righ cousness which is as absurd an Affimation as to say the Apostle intended viz. by not having on our own Righteousness c. not having Faith c. Haworth That Error of the Quakers viz. that first Risings to Evil in the Heart if not consented to are not Sin and here in a Digression I will take Leave to propound some Arguments against that Error of the Quakers desiring J. C. to give a fair Answer to them p. 56. Arg. 1. Haworth That which the Apostle calleth Sin we ought to call it so but the Apostle giveth this Name to those Metions to Evil Ergo. Crook The Apostle Rom. 7.5 distinguisheth between Motion and Sin Ergo Motion in some Sense is not Sin 2. He distinguisheth between his former State in the Flesh when Motions brought forth Sin unto Death and his present Condition which implies unconsented to Motions do not 3. Though Motions in a strict Sense may be called Sin yet not unto Death or damning because as it is subjected in Vn-consenting Persons it looseth its own Natural Venome and Relation to Guilt Vid. Dr. Taylor upon Original Sin Chapter 6. Arg. 2. Haworth That which is a Transgression of the Law of God delivered by Moses is a Sin but a Motion tâ—… Evil though not consented to is so Ergo. Crook To this thou hast answered thy self in confessing all the Commandments save the last forbid consent to evil Thoughts arising in the Heart according to Christ's Interpretation of them Mat. 5. so that if there be not consent there is no Transgression and consequently not Sin but thou would'st have the 10th Commandment as it were to be different in Nature from all the rest and to forbid more as if to covet my Neighbour's House were worse then to kill my Neighbour and to covet my Neighbour's Ox were worse then to steal it Arg. 3. Haworth That which is to be mortified and crucified must needs be Evil c. I ask from wherce they arise c Crook To deny resist and refuse to consent to Motions to Evil is a mortifying and crucifying of them And for thy further Information they arise a naturae vitio i. e. from a Defection of Nature and inclines to Sin c. Arg. 4. Haworth If they are such as are a Burden to one that is made Partaker of the new Nature then they must be evil and sinful c. Crook This is as true of Outward Afflictions and Punishments as of Inward Motions and Risings and no man will say that these are sinful in themselves and yet they are burdensome to such as are made Partakers of the New Nature c. Arg. 5. Haworth If these Motions bring so much Guilt upon a man that there is need of the Attonement of Christ and if it were not for the Grace of God in Christ we should be condemned for them c. then they are Evil but c. Crook It is the Grace of God in Christ that enables a man to wrestle with and deny to consent unto these Motions and therefore these Motions unconsented to are not his Sin and consequently bring neither Guilt nor Condemnation Arg. 6. Haworth That which flows from an Evil Fonntain must needs be Evil but c. Crook By thy own Confession in pag. 59. thou sayest That in Case we yield not to Satan's Temptations we are not guilty so that thou hast answered thy self For either those Temptations which come from Satan come not from an Evil Fountain or else there is no Necessity that that which flows from an Evil Fountain must needs be the Evil of Unconsenting Persons Arg. 7. Haworth That which is a Privation of that Righteousness and Image that was at first in man and should be now in man and the Law requires it should be in everyone of us that must needs be Evil but c. Crook I deny that Evil Risings or Motions to Evil have made such a Privation of that first Image of God in man that there is not so much of it remaining in man as to resist or shew a dislike to them for the Heathen Poet proves the contrary Video meliora proboque tamen deteriora sequor i.e. I see the best things and approve them to be so yet I follow the worst Arg. 8. Haworth These Motions must be either Good Evil or Indifferent
the Sentence of Eternal Judgment and Condemnation and this is spoken to thee in Love to thy Soul if thou canst receive it but however I am clear of thy Blood if thou perish as sure thou wilt except thou Repent speedily Written the 24th of the 4th Moneth 1676. by a Lover of Truth C. Taylor A Postscript Reader BY this time thou mayest be sensible not only of the dirty Puddle of abusive Language and ilfavoured Names which my Adversary hath cast upon me through his whole Book but also of his own Confusions and Contradictions to himself so that thou need not ask the Reason why I answered his Book no sooner the Proverb being at hand to inform thee viz. That no man makes haste to that Market where nothing is to be bought but Blows It hath been said He that will make a good Souldier of Jesus Christ against Errors c. must first conscientiously study the Christian Art and Method of this Warfare otherwise they may easily build up what they go about to throw down and make Balaam 's haste who was sent to curse and yet in Conclusion blessed altogether Numb 24.10 Like Effects have still attended such malicious and unexperienced Undertakers being too much of Jehu's Temper to be good Souldiers under Christ's Conduct for that Spirit cannot endure to march against his Enemy with a Sober Pace but had rather be tossing Fire-Balls and Granadoes then gently perswading from Sound Judgment and Good Experience in the Spirit of Meekness For Few men's Errors or Mistakes saith one find Access to their Judgments but by the Way of their Affections nor will it be easie for men to come at Errors c. to disthrone them but by making their Approaches the same Way I mean by making Friends of their Affections that they may not side with their Judgments against them There is an Art saith the same Author as well of Composing Differences of Judgments as far as Composure in this Kind may with the Honour of Truth be admitted as of Opposing that which is not meet to be admitted to Composition But my Antagonist is not like to attain this Art while he goes about to convince men by False Accusations and Bad Language I know no Reason why he should so account me his Enemy and such a one as he can scarce invent Names odious enough to call me by but also represents me not fit to be conversed or eat and drunk withal except it is because I have told him the Truth without Flattery and then it may be true according to the Latine Proverb Obsequium amicos veritas odiu on parit i.e. Flattery gains Friends Truth makes Foes I have not knowingly wronged him in any thing and if it be thought I have dealt too sharply I desire the Reader to consider my Provocation My Inclination Temper is as much as may be to live in Peace and Love with all men and therefore had not my Adversary's often boasting and daring Invocations for my Answer as I hinted to the Reader before necessitated me to the Publication thereof I should have born all his Abuses if God had given leave and in Silence have buried his whole Book notwithstanding the Answer had lain so long by me And whereas the man's Confidence in his own Abilities hath imboldned him to promise an Answer to whatever Questions I should propound unto him therefore Lest either he should think himself so perfectly instructed in all Points of Divinity that nothing can be added to him or all others so much below him that he is able to resolve all their Questions whatever may be proposed to him I have instead of his thirty Queries to me that I have answered propounded half the Number to him if he think them either worth his Answer or Consideration they are as followeth Query 1. WHether thy own Author Doctor Stillingfleet saith true in his 172d page if I mistake not of his Discourse of the Sufferings of Christ viz. But above all things it is impossible to reconcile the Freeness of Remission with the full Payment Qu. 2. Whether notwithstanding Nature and Will be two things really distinct the one from the other in the Creature yet in God by Reason of the Infinite Simplicity of his Essence or Being they are not so but one and the same Qu. 3. Whether thou dost not believe that all Contingencies and Things done or that come to pass in this World were not necessitated thereunto by an unavoidable Decree or Destiny so that no man could do more Good or less Evil then he doth If yea then why did not Saul come down to Keilah and the men of Keilah deliver David as the Lord had told him viz. 1 Sam. 23.11,12,13 and then Qu. 4. Whether Christ when he wept over Jerusalem was not either ignorant of this Decree or delusive in his Wishes when he said O that thou hadst known in this thy Day the things that belong to thy Peace c Qu. 5. Whether thou dost not believe that God hath elected and decreed such a determined Number of Persons meerly out of his own Prerogative that those and neither more nor less but those shall be saved If yea then Qu. 6. To what End is all preaching with those general and frequent Exhortations to Holiness and Conditional Promises of Reward to the Righteous and Conditional Threatnings of Eternal Damnation to the Disobedient and Rebellious Qu. 7. Whether thou dost not believe that God loved David as well or as much and that his Salvation was as sure when he was in the Act of Adultery with the Wife of Uriah as at any other time either before or after the Fact Qu. 8. Whether thou dost believe that those Sentences and Phrases in Holy Scripture viz. Christ tasting Death for every man and Dying for all and his being a Propitiation for the Sins of the whole World c. intend any more or otherwise then the determined Number expressed in the fifth Query If so then Qu. 9. Whether thereby thou dost not only make those Phrases and Sayings delusive but makest the dear Son of God to suffer and dye to secure those that his Father had secured before by an eternal and unchangeable Decree Qu. 10. Whether thou dost not believe that there are some Reprobates and those not a few towards whom God sheweth no Patience or Long suffering at all imagining that many Infants of dayes yea many immediately from the Womb are sent to the Lake that burns with Fire and Brimstone for evermore Qu. 11. Whether according to thy Belief of Personal-Election and Final-Reprobation God doth any more in the Procuring of Conversion and Salvation then in the Reprobates Impenitency Damnation Qu. 12. Whether in the Conversion and Salvation of the Elect according to thy Faith God hath not absolutely and antecedently without the Fore-sight of any Good Deeds of theirs resolved upon and by irresistable means in their several Generations draweth them to believe repent and endure to the End that so they might be saved and his absolute Decree accomplished Qu. 13. Whether on the other side it is not thy Faith that the Damnation the Sins and the Final Impenitency of Reprobates God hath of his own Will and Pleasure peremptorily decreed this his Decree he executeth in time drawing them on by his unconquerable Power and Providence from sin to sin till they have made up their Measure and in the end have inflicted on them that eternal vengeance which he had provided for them If so Qu. 14. What Difference is here in the Course which God taketh for the Conversion and Salvation of the Elect and the Abduration and Damnation of Reprobates Therefore Qu. 15. What hindereth but God according to such Principles and Grounds may as truly be stiled the prime Cause and Author of the sins of the one as of the Conversion of the other John Crook THE END ERRATA Ingenions Reader THere are a few Faults escaped the Press which thou art desired to correct some whereof are as followeth Page 10. line 35. blot out no. p. 12. l. 25. read had been p 18. l. 17. read Faldo and Hicks c. p. 44. l. 6. read Habit p 67. l. 27. for Glorified read Glorifieth p. 69. l. 23. for them any read the many p. 73. l. 24. read goings forth p. 76. l. 17. for Comforting read Converting The rest may be easily discerned and corrected from the Sense of the Matter