they can serve him no longer Pr. They may mean and understand that the perfect holiness of both Soul and Body is not to be till the Resurrestion which is nothing differing from that which I say I do not say that the Body in the grave is capable of holiness till it be raised Answ. If this doth nothing differ from what thou sayest it s very strange didest not say a little before upon his dying What 's done upon his dying Is he made wholy free from Sin yea or nay If thou meanest onely the Soul that that 's onely freed from Sin at death or upon dying and not the Body till it be raised as thou sayest Then what becomes of the Sins and impurity of the Body in the mean time or the defilments and pollutions thereof Doth it dye with the Body seeing the Soul is pure when it ascends to God Or if the Body be not capable of Sin in the grave Then where is the being of unholiness and corruption to be done away so long after death as is imagined Or to say that perfect holyness of both Soul and Body is not till the Resurrection how long after death you know not Doth not this make for the Papists imagination of a Purgatory For if the being throughly purged from all unholiness be not till after death it must be some where but this your Doctrine is contâ—ary to the Apostles who said How can we that are dead unto sin live any longer therein And being made free from sin c. He hath washed us from our sins in his own blood c. Pr. From Pro. 24 16 It cannot be so properly said The godly fall seven times into trouble and riâ—e again Answ. Yes The godly falls into many troubles and afflictions but God delivereth them out of them all And he is with them in six troubles and in seven he will not forsake them And its plain from that of Pro. 24.15 16. that the just mans falling sevâ—n times and rising again is of another nature then the wickeds falling into mischief for in verse 15 16. its said Lay not wait O wicked man against the dwelling of the righteous spoyl not his resting place For a just man falleth seven times and riseth up again but the wicked fall into mischief It is not said as many of you have wronged the Scripture that the Righteous man sins seven times a day yea some of the Priests and Professors have not onely said so but have also said that the most Righteous man that is or ever was sins seven times a day which is a deceit and corruption put upon Scripture Pr. As for my saying a day it was a mistake of the citation of the place though it s not contrary to sence for Christ saith to Peter that he should forgive his Brother seventy times seven times which implyeth that a Brother may offend in the day time A. If he who is a Brother may offend in the day time Doth it therefore follow that all the godly or brethren do fall into sin seven times a day And wilt thou to serve thy perverse and corrupt end say in that a Brother may offend seventy times seven therefore he Sinneth seven times every day all his time Surely thy implicite consequence is a mistake and error and thou hast wronged the Scriptures as well as thy citation of the place mentioned But we see thou wilt stand by the Devils Cause though thou comest never so feebly off yea and fall with it Pr. I grant that the Child of God cannot Sin totally and finally and whoso doth it is of the Devil Answ. Herein again thou hast wrested and added to the Scripture as often before Totally and Finally are thy own words and not the words of John who affirmed That he that 's born of God sinneth not neither can he To say he that commits Sin Totally and Finally is of the Devil Is this all the distinction of the Devils Servants and Children from the Children of God How miserably hast thou pleaded Gods Childrens cause Surely they have no Reason to be beholding to thâ—e but may justly exclude thee for wronging of them Pr. In the sence ye imply it that he who Sinneth at all or in whom their 's any defect thus none living then ever knew or saw him Those who are commended for knowing him Sinned Secondly Job cursed his day David what sad falls he had is known Jeremiah the Apostles all of them Answ. That he that Sinneth and is of the Devil and that he that Sinneth not who is of God are two contrary births and that which is born of the spirit is spirit as that which is born of the flesh is flesh which if thou knewest the difference of and were seperated from the evil and joyned to the good thou wouldest not go about to confound them nor grosly to pervert the Scriptures and to accuse Gods Birth or Child as thou hast done Secondly And why doest thou not tell us of their deliverances as well as their falls and of their conquest which by dâ—grees they obtained in their Life time But this would make against thee and thy ill cause for Sin and Sathan whose work thou art in Pr You say a Believer is free from all Sin which we suppose you meant of a Believer from the very instant that he begins to be a Believer as ye said that the Spirit cannot be united unto Sin Answ. Nay It is not our Principle that a Believer from the very instant that he begins to be a Believer is free from all Sin thy supposition herein and much of thy matter grounded upon it is false thou hast gone about to overthrow our Principles when thou art yet to learn what we hold in this matter For a man is a Believer whilst in the faith he is warâ—ing against Sin and waiting to obtaine victory over it and to come into the glorious liberty of the Sons of God The victory is not obtained at the very first beginning of Gods work in a Soul but by degrees through Faith which purifies the hearts of them that believe and receive power in the Light of Christ and Spirit of Life to become the Children of God and of the Light which hath no unity with Sin nor can have with persons but as they forsake Sin and come out of it Pr. As you contradict your self so you do the Truth For can Sin be in any man and the actions flowing and the man not be Sinful If Sin be in a man doth it not defile him Answ. If the actions of Sin be flowing from a man he is sinful but there is a time when the Beleiver warreth against Sin and can say as Paul did It s not I that Sins but Sin that dwelleth in me And there 's a time wherein there be Sins that do easily beset and when Sin is presented in the Temptation when it is not yeilded unto but withstood and by degrees overcome by Faith in the power
who plead for continuance of sin and lusts in them which if they alwayes be to continue here and cannot be abstained from as thou intimatest then to what purpose was it for Peter to exhort them to abstain from them especially if he had been of thy faith that they could not or had not power to abstain from lust c. But herein thou hast sufficiently discovered whose servant thou art Pr. When they are Believers and begotten they are so freed that the evil one cannot touch them Answ. Much less lead them into Sin or keeps up the reigning power of it in them so long as they live This contradicts all thy corrupt Pleas and Arguments for Sin Pr. They do not fulfil its Lusts as to continue in Sin wilfully and deliberately without repentance yet they are not freed from Sin wholly Answ. Yes wholly when the wicked one hath not power to touch them But thy saying they do not fulfil its Lusts as to continue in Sin wilfully without repentance now may not this be taken that they do continue in Sin Lusts but not wilfully without repentance But do they Sin wilfully with repentance Hast thou cleared Gods Children herein Whereas such as walk after the spirit shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh but are in that which mortifyes the vile affections and desires and subjects the whole man to the will of God Viz. to Righteousness and Holyness Pr. In many things we offend all Answ. But not in Christ the one thing for he that abides in him sinneth not Pr. To be unblamable Is that Grace Is universal in all parts of the renewed man though not absolute c. to be unblameable and unreproveable may stand with Sins of infirmity Answ. To be unblameable is to Live as the Grace teacheth namely To deny ungodliness and worldly lusts and to live godly and soberly in this present world For Sin and Ungodliness is blameable and reproveable wherever it is it being contrary to the Grace and its teaching which is absolute as well as universal in the renewed man and is not consistent with Sin nor imperfect as you Priests of Scotland have rendered Grace Faith c. as they among you formerly that cursed every one that saith Faith is without Sin and would have all the people to say Amen to it wherein your blind zeal out-runs your understandings and made you discover your folly and madness to set people on cursing yea to curse such as held the Truth contrary to that Doctrine bless and curse not Pr. In the Book of Common Prayer there is a promise To forsake the Devil and all his Works the vain Pomp and Glory of the world and Sinful Lusts of the flesh and be led by Gods Spirit to keep his Commandments Many of those who promise may do this and keep it in the sence the Scripture holds that is that they shall disallow purpose and endeavour against those ills Answ. So Here thou hast justified these promises and many of those who promise as keeping it that is sayest thou they shall disallow purpose and endeavour against those ills as if that purpose were a forsaking the Devil and all his Works c. the Sinful Lusts of the flesh a keeping Gods Commandments c. when as thou hast denyed that any may attaine to such a state but they must purpose and endeavour after it when as the promise is absolute to forsake all sin Viz. all the Works of the Devil and to walk in the Commandments of God all their life What a medly hast thou made here like the time-serving Priests that vindicate the Common prayer and Episcopacy after they have denyed it and many of them covenanted against it We thought that the Priests and Kirk of Scotland had been more zealous and sincere in their way against the Episcopal Traditions then thou hast here appeared Will the rest of thy Brethren of the Kirk of Scotland own thee in this matter Or art thou their mouth that thou takest upon thee to be such a contender for the pure Protestant Religion as thou callest it But is that any part of your Religion to tell of God-fathers and God-mothers And to cause tâ—em to promise and vow in the Infants name and for the Iâ—faâ—t as its surety to forsake the Devil and all his Worâ—s c. all â—he Sinful Lusts and desires of the flesh and to keep Gâ—ds holy Will and Commandments when you do not believe it possible so to do in this Life Pr. As many who are commended for keeping his Commands their Sins and Failings are not-with-standing recorded Answ. Sins and Failings are not consistent with keeping Gods Commandments Sin being a transgression of the Law which when transgressed and failed of keeping it is not kept then nor the blameless state stood in Pr. You with gross subtilty bear out this sence That he who at his death is made holy is made holy somtimes before his death Ans. He is sometime a dying before dead if at their death be upon their death or dying as thou sayest yea some are many houres having the symptomes and pangs of death upon them before they are dead and in this sence I supposed thou intendest by saying at their death they are freed c. that it was upon their dying when the throws or pangs of death are upon them or when we commonly say a person is a dying when he breathes very weakly faintly and sometimes with short breathings a little before breath is quite gone and then there must needs be a little space in this Life before the person is quite dead Pr. You might as well infer if one should say that at his death his Soul aod Body are separate that he said they are separate sometime before his death at his death is meant immediatly upon his dying Ans. A false inference put upon my words which doth not at all follow for when the Soul and Body are separate or the Soul is gone out of the Body this is after death now upon dying is not after death for when the Body is without the Spirit it is dead so if thou wilt have it that when the Soul and Body are separate the Beleiver is then free from sin t is not in this Life and then Where 's the Popes Purgatory And who is now guilty of damnable Popery Is this your pure Protestant Religion Pr. I never found but that they Viz. our Brethren said Beleivers Souls either at their death which is immediately upon their death or after death are made perfectly holy and received into glory Answ. Upon dying and after death are two things so it appears still you are devided somewhat in this point sâ—me of you saying upon their dying Beleivers are made perfectly holy others say after death however by this we may observe that your Doctrine tends to make people serve the Devil by living in sin so long as they have any time and strâ—ngth to do any service for him that is till
That good that I would do I do not if he had spoken to their capacity as weak he would have told them he had been under such a condition but he was delivered from it When Paul speaks of a condition wherein he was he does not say I am c. Ans. Paul did speak unto the Romans after the manner of men because of the infirmity of their flesh Rom. 6. He did also signify the several states which he had passed thorow as how it was with him before the Law came and how when it came and his warfare as also his deliverance so that I say again and still affirm that Paul could not be in all those states he mentions or represents to the Romans at one and the same time when he so writ as in the present time as thou very blindly hast asserted argued from hence and caviled against the truth of what I said and the most stress of what thou sayest for reason or proof against me is as much as a Child might say that has learned his Accidence Viz. that the present Tense is not the preterperfect Tense whereas if it must be taken for granted from thy feeble reason that Paul was in all those states at one and the same time then he was both carnal sold under sin and yet spiritual a faithful Apostle that could preach in the fullness of the Gospel as if carnal sold under sin and spiritual made free from the Law of sin and death by the Law of the Spirit of Life were both one but to be carnal sold under sin was miserable bondage not consistent with his Saintship and Spirituallity And when he said With me to will is present but how to perform that which is good I know not if that was his present condition then as thou arguest because spoke as in the present Tense Then what did Paul at that time in writing that Epistle Did he perform that which is good yea or nay If he did Then knew he what he did Or did he do he knew not what in it Surely thy Doctrine doth strangly misrepresent and wrong Paul that Servant of Christ and the Lords-Freeman who knew the Mysteries of Christ though sometimes he became as weak to the weak c. But if it should be objected as some vainly have done that there was an unregenerate part in Paul of which he speaks in those cases then this would make much of his Epistles to proced from an unregenerate or carnal part which were gross and contrary to their own Doctrine And to that saying if he had spoke to them as weak he would have told them he had bin under such a state but he was delivered from it to the very same purpose he did speak to them Rom. 7.5 For when we were in the flesh the motions of the sins which were by the Law did work in our members to bring forth fruit unto death but now we are delivered from the law that being dead wherein we were held that we should serve in newness of spirit and not in the oldness of the letter So that its plain he told them both of his captivity and of his deliverance speaking in the fore-part of the chapter plainly in several things with relation to what he was in the flesh in the time past and also how he was delivered and so both the body of sin and death and the law of sin he came to be delivered from by the law of the spirit of life in Christ through whom also he was more then a Conqueror Pr. How bold are you charging the present time for the by-past for which you have neither passage in that nor any other Scriptures the sence of the words being all along in the present time c. Answ. This is but like the former from ignorance both of the Scriptures and the Apostles states concluding them in all those staâ—es wherein they personated themselves either to represent what they had gone thorow or the condition of others to whom they wrot or spoke but from this mans Argument where Paul said Christ came into the world to save sinners of whom I am chiefest and the Apostle James with the same tongue bless we God curse we men these things ought not to be this being spoken in the present time when they writ from this mans Argument Paul was then the chiefest or greatest of sinners How was he then counted faithful and put into the Ministery Or was he the greatest or chiefest of sinners when faithful Then who are the least of sinners if the faithful such as are saved by Christ be the chief And was the Apostle James one that did curse men when he exhorted against it or what he said had relation to them or some of them to whom he writ And Pauls being the chiefest of sinners to his being injurious and a persecutor before converted or if the chiefest of sinners after conversion and counted faithful What was he before conversion Or if it was before Then did he not amend and become better when he came to be converted to receive Grace and Apostleship Pr. As for that by gone state before he was begotten Was he groaning under a body of death Was he giving thanks for victory through Jesus Christ Yet all these are knit together Secondly If ye say it was a state after he was begotten of God ye grant all that we affirm that a Believer ever after he is begotten of God is not free from Sin Answ. This still depends on thy former errors and absurdities against Paul for groaning under a body of death for deliverance or victory and giving thanks for victory through Jesus Christ are two differing states and not knit together as if they were one and the same condition How blindly and sottishly hast thou reasoned herein Secondly If we say it was a state after he was begotten Viz. that he was groaning for deliverance we do not grant therefore that a Believer ever after is not free from Sin as falsly and absurdly thou infeâ—rest upon us as if a Believer had no growth nor encrease in faith and victory after begotten of God which if it be thy belief according as thy words imply it is not ours for we know and believe a growing from strength to strength and a revelation of Gods Righteousness from Faith to Faith in the true Beleivers and that by Faith victory is obtained by degrees with such as are begotten and born of God whom the wicked one cannot touch and through Faith in the Power of God Everlasting Salvation comes to be attained to by them such as keep the Faith and hold fast the profession of it without wavering Pr. They do not so perfectly mortify as that there are no lusts in them otherwise it were to no purpose for Peter to exhort the believing Hebrews to abstain from their lusts Answ. Nay Herein thou hast erred and perverted and wronged Peters end and intention which is clearly against such as thou art
Sins neither was he so passionate in that kind as to plâ—ad and contend for Sin as you do More-over where it s said that Paul and Barnabas said unto them that would have done sacrifice to them We are men of like passions with you Act. 14. they could not intend by passions that they were men of like Sins and Transgressions with those heathens as being such Idolaters or subject to cry up and worship men as Gods or to sacrifice unto them as they did to Paul and Barnabas whom they termed Mercurius and Jupiter so in this thy error is sufficiently detected who upon such a false ground rathâ—r then be silent hast plâ—aded for the work of the Devil Pr. Here is another Arminian and Popish error that Believers fall away from Grace totally An. Thou mightest as well have charged the Apostles with an Arminian and Popish error who held the same that we 〈◊〉 touching falling away from Grace which many have been 〈…〉 though not all Believers and therefore both Peter and Paul and others did warn them in their Epistles to the same purpose as we do and both Paul to the Corinthians and Peter in his second Epistle Chap. 2. as also that Epistle to the Hebrews do largely prove our Doctrine in this matter Pr. Evil Works come not from Faith in the Believer An. If evil Works come not from Faith then Peter and David stood not in the Faith whâ—n they fell and this proves what I said of them which thou hast reviled me for Pr. Christ said to Peter when thou art converted where you say that Peter was never converted before his repentance but onely convinced which contradicts that you said he erred from the Faith It s against Christs prayer saying I have prayed for thee that thy faith may not fail if he had not Faith when Christ spake these words to him When thou art converted strengthen thy Brethren onely do signify when he should be fully recovered An. Here thou fightest with thy own shadow for it doth not follow that Peter had no Faith when he was convinced before fully converted and the words When thou art converted strengthen thy Brethren are Christs own words to Peter about which thou hast thus wrangled against me which plain enough imply that there was somthing which was not of Faith that Peter was to be converted from and Faith is given in measure in the convincâ—ment in order to a through conversion as also thou grants that these words When thou art converted do signify when he should be fully recovered from the sad breach his fall made on his Soul what a full recovery and yet the Devils work remaining all his time what confusion's this And is the full recovery called conversion as thou sayst Then you that contend for sins remaining all your Life time remain all your time in the unconverted state and that the Desciples had som Faith bâ—fore they weâ—e thus fully converted is the thing which I have confessed which still makes for what I say that there is a possibility of falling from the Faith before this work of conversion is fully wrought and therefore the more need of being watchful and exercising that little Faith recieved so that I do not maintain Satans work or say that he overthrew Peters Faith â—s falsly I am accused Pr. It is not sad Doctrine as you say but comfortable that a Believer may fall as David and Peter whereas he doth not fall wholly away An. Is this Doctrine counted Authentick or Orthodox in the Kirk of Scotland that it is not sad Doctrine but comfortable that a Believer may fall as David and Peter did And do you propose this to your Auditors as matter of comfort Surely if you do you are misserable comforters for to be comforted with telling them they may fall as David and Peter did is to be comforted with denying Christ and commiting adultery as it may be probable too to many of your Kirk take comfort in such things which whilst they do your Stool of Repentance will not obsolve them nor prove them to be in the Faith how-be-it a few lineâ— before in contradiction to thy self thou confessest that Peters fall did weaken his Graces and cloud his comforts very much and surely it was matter of Sorrow and bitter Lamentation to him as also was Davids fall to him for which he suffered the Terrors of the Lord and great Sorrow and Tribulation as at large in his complaints and prayers may be proved Pr. What a brave Patron of your Cause are you when in defence of this that a Believer may not Sin ye say he may fall wholly away from Grace An. Here thou hast grosly perverted and wronged my words for that some Believers may fall is not my defence to prove that they may be fully restored and perfected so as not to sin but that there is a state in which t is possible for some to fall away from Gâ—ace whâ—ch is before they come to that perfection and safety that answers the end of their Faith and Praying c. This cuts off much of thy cavilling frothy false accusation Pr. Ye ask if I can instance in Peter or David any thing Viz. Sin before their death which they were not freed from before their decease Answ. Though I could not instance gross falls of such a foul nature yet they have their failings Esiah an old Prophet subject to like passions that we are Peter walked not with a streight foot David saith if thou enter into Judgement c. An. Here thou hast gone about to accuse David and Elias and Peter with failings till their death but in proving thy charge comâ—s very faintly off for that of passions is answered before and what thou sayest of Peters not walking with a streight foot Was that till death Or did he so walk all his Life time Surely thou hast herein greatly wronged Peter and the rest of them and though there be a time and a state wherein if God enter into Judgment who can be justified yet there is a state wherein his people are Redeemed through Judgment and purged by the spirit of judgement and burning Pr. You maintain that a Believer from the first Sinneth not An. Thy accusing of me with maintaining that a Believer is freed from all Sin from the first time he is a Believer is a falshood and an abuse put upon me for he is a Believer before he obtain victory and is taught to believe in the Light that he may be a Child of the Light and so become born of God Pr. You do symbolize with the Papists saying Believers are freed from all Sin which yet they do not hold of all Believers but of some of their Perfectionaries Ye say ye do not hold Merit or Purgatory An. Nay Thou hast symbolized with the Papists who hast pleaded for sin till death and said also that perfect holiness both of Soul and Body is not to be till the Resurrection when that shall be
c. were not Scripture but he falsly went about to have backed them with Scriptures contrary to the end and intent of the Scriptures Pr. You answer blasphemously that they thought to have Eternal Life in the Scriptures as if our Lord Jesus Christ was fomenting them in a deceit of their own hearts in bidding them search the Scriptures for to find him in them and so Eternal Life An. Thy charge against my answer is false and I vallue it not that Christ should bid them search the Scriptures to find him in them this is a strange Doctrine and worse then the former to lay that upon Christ which he never intended nor spake his words were not that they might find Christ in the Scriptures nor Eternal Life but in them ye think to have eternal life whereas they would not come to him that they might have Life and so Doest thou think that Christ that dyed at Jerusalem was to be found in the Scriptures Pr. That Christ has paid a ransome for those that wilfully trample under foot the blood of the Son of God those places are understood by you of every individual person in the world that he tasted death for them is false contrary to the Scriptures and maketh the death of Christ to be vain and exalteth free will An. what we understand of those places of Scripture is neither false nor contrary to the Scriptures as falsly and erroniously thou hast accused us for that Christ died for all that were dead in sins tasted deaâ—h for every man gave himsâ—lf a Ransom for all is the propitiation not for our sins onely but for the sins of the whole world is plain in the Scriptures which ignorantly thou quarrels against Pr. If Christ did pay a Ransom for the Soul of Judas he hath Redeemed him those for whom he hath given himself he Redeemed from all iniquity but the damned and reprobates are not Redeemed Those for whom Christ came he is a Saviour unto and saveth them from their sins How are they lost if he came to save them But this argueth either defect of wisdom that he did not foresee such an intention of his death would prove frustrations or else want of power to effectuate his intention of saving them An. Christs absolute intention and will is not made voyd nor wants he power to effect it but such an intention we did not lay upon his death to save all And as for the death of Christ and his intention of saving being made vain and frustrations either from defect of wisdom or want of power these are both false for his intention therein consists with his good will and freeness towards all for I did not say that his intention was absolute to save all but I do say it was an intention of good to all according to the good will of God towards all who willeth not the death of sinners but rather that they may return and live But Christ in his suffering and death was passive and the putting forth of his power to save such as are saved stood not barely therein though his good will therein appeared but we are saved by his life But are the damned and reprobates such because ordained of God so to be or because Christ died not for them according to thy Doctrine And so Must the cause of their destruction be laid upon God and Christ or upon them for rejâ—cting free Grace resisting the councel of the Lord not liking to retain God in their knowledg and trampling under foot the blood of the Son of God as thou hast confessed before to thy own contradiction who so much hast cavilled against us for confessing to the free Grace of God and Christs dying for all or every man But this is like your pitiful narrow and partial Presbiterian Spirit and Principle that would so limmit God in the dispensation of his Grace and tye it up in such a narâ—ow compass and What was the cause of Judas his fall And Who was the Authour of his Transgression Was God or he to be blamed therein And Had not he Grace given him before seeing that by Transgression he fell Will thy telling us so often of Judas clear thee or confute us How silly aâ—d weak hast thou shewed thy self in this matter Pr. Those all for whom he dyed cannot be meant of every individual person for they live to him and not to themselves but the wicked that perish live not to Christ. Secondly Neither would Christ evâ—r give himself his blood a Ransom for them for whom he would not pray but he saith he prayeth not for the world Joh. 17. An. Thou hast herein wronged the Scripture and erred for it is not all for whom Christ died that live to him for 2 Cor. 5. chap. ver 14 15. If one died for all then were all dead and that he died for all that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves but unto him which died for them and rose again Now they which live unto him are not those all for whom he died And Christ praying not for the world at that time 2. John 17. is no argument that he did not give himself a Ransom for all for though at that time he prayed not for the world but for the disciples or such as were chosen out of the world who were in the world before they were chosen out of it yet at other times he did pray for his persecutors and such as were of the world as also exhorted his to pray for their enemies and persecutors c. Pr. Judas never got saving Grace nor that same Grace that Peter got and therefore could not reject it An. Judas had part of the Ministry that the other Apostles had and Did not that proceed from saving Grace Or What Grace How blind art thou And wherefore was Judas condemned then Was it because God refused to give him saving Grace or for his own transgression Pr. The Scriptures import that Christ is a propitiation for all the Elect which are called all the world An. John said He is the propitiation for our sins and were not they the Elect and not for ours onely but for the sins of the whole world Must we believe thy meaning contrary to the very words of Scripture or were the whole world all the Elect How hast thou wrested plain Scripture herein Pr. Who is it that hath put the difference betwixt Peters believing from Judas mis-believing Whether it be Gods Grace to Peter denied to Judas An. Where provest thou it was denied to Judas or that Judas had no part of the same Grace For before thou sayest wicked men have the common work of the Spirit but in contradiction sayest which is not supernatural from Rom. 2.14 Were thâ—y then wicked men spoken of there Which did by nature those things contained in the law and shewed the work or effect of the law written in their hearts What then are they that Rebel against the law if they that
Supernatural Knowledg and Faith of Christ before the Scriptuâ—es be truely known or believed I deny any immediate teaching by God Christs immediate teaching will no wayes follow Christs opening the understanding to know the Scriptures for he doth by the same Supernatural Influence shine on the understanding and Scriptures Luke 24.22 Christs opening and shining by a Supernatural Influence plainly proves immediate teaching as we called Quakers do hold and against the Priests of Scotlands denying it who thus confute themselves If there be any Pryority or Posteriority of Christ in the Soul the Scriptures hath it in the order of nature The Lord in the comunicating of the knowledg of them he is in his being first the cause must be before the effect so the giver of knowledg before the knowledg given So that he that is the first and cause of true knowledg hath the Priority and Preheminence in all things without whom the Scriptures are not known and if it be a Priority of Christ as is said then Christ hath it Without the Sanctifying knowledg of Christ one may understand the Scriptures without error and jangling None can know the Truths of the Scriptures without the Sanctifying Knowledg of Christ. So then without that Sanctifying Knowledg none can understand them without error We may find Eternal Life by searching Scriptures they thought to have Eternal Life in the Scriptures this thought could not be a delusion He that hath heard and learned of the Father cometh to him Viz. to Christ he to wit the Spirit of Truth shall lead believers into all Truth So then the Father is to be heard and learned of that the Son may be come to and the Spirit to be followed to lead into all Truth and this way was before the Scriptures Sin is remaining in part in all the faculties of Gods Children Viz. in the Will Mind and Affections Cleanse thou me from my secret sins Peter exhorted the believing Hebrewes to abstain from their lusts Then let not sin nor sinful lusts allwayes remain in believers If you find out any other faculty of the Soul which can be a seat for sin to dwell in then the Schooles will be beholding to you for your new Phylosophie When they are believers and begotten they are so freed that the evill one cannot touch them many are commended for keeping his Commandments If the evil one cannot touch them much less hath he power to lead them into sin all their time or to uphold sin in all their faculties and the Schools that would have more place for sin allow Christ no place Believers are not freed from sin wholy till death To be unblamable is that Grace which is universal in all parts of the renewed man Unblameable is inconsistant with sin for sin is blameable where ever it is A believer ever after he is begotten of God is not free of sin they do not perfectly mortify lusts in them In the Book of Common Prayer there is a promise to forsake the Devil and all his Works the vain Pompe and Glory of the world and sinful lusts of the flesh and be led by Gods Spirit to keep his Commands many of those who promise may do this and keep it What greater promise can there be of freedom from sin then to forsake the Devil and all his works to be led by Gods Spirit to keep his Commands Your new Light you pretend is nothing but old Damnable Popery The Spirit of truth will lead believers into all truth He that hath heard and learned of the Father cometh to him Viz. to Christ. Our Light is the Light of the Spirit of Truth which cometh from Christ and guides both to hear and learn of the Father and this Light was before the Scriptures were and its blasphemy to call it Damnable Popery In the present time I am sold under sin that good I would do I do not Groaning under a body of death It was not a by-gone state Paul speakes of in the present time I am Paul was giving thanks for victory through Jesus Christ yet all these are knit together Victory and being sold under sin are two differing states as warring and being more then a Conqueror are Paul spake to the Romans after the manner of men because of the infirmity of their flesh and therein condescended to their capacities below his own present state and injoyment Perfect holiness of both Soul and Body is not to be till the Resurrection Viz. after death Believers at their death which is upon their dying are made perfectly holy Perfect holiness ought not to be put off neither so long after death nor till death for what time do you allow Christ to reign in man and to serve him if all your life time sin must remain and so long the Devil be served The Godly falleth into sin seven times a day Christ saith to Peter that he should forgive his brother seventy times seven which implyeth that a brother may offend often in the day time As for my saying a day it was a mistake of the citation of the place That of the Spirit is most prevailing with Gods Children as unto which they do adhere the flesh they renounce and resist and which by little and little they overcome It had been well thou hadst confest thy mistakes as ingenuously in other things the controversie had been the less but Do the Brethren sin all their dayes When then do they overcome What gross confusion art thou in While we live we must put on the armour of God and war against sin which is not to be ended till we lay down this Tabernacle We are cleansed from all sin by the Blood of Christ in Justification when we do believe If believers be cleansed from all sin when they do believe How have they it to war against till they lay down this Tabernacle Surely they believe before Our peace stands in our Justification by Faith and yet there are remains of sin in us which we are to mourn for There is a perfect cleansing from the guilt of sin What a cleansing from the guilt of sin and not from the sin it self this is quite contrary to Scriptures Christ was given for an advocate for the sins of those whom John calls little Children and his own which therefore were to be That of 1 Joh. 1.12 I write unto you that you may not sin Page 30. Christ Redeemeth from all iniquity is a Saviour and saveth them from their sins Math. 1.21 Luke 19.10 Christ being thus a Redeemer a Saviour an Advocate therefore sins are not to be and there was young Men and Fathers as well as little Children The Devils work remains unsubdued in the Child of God appeares by that Paul saith to the Romans The God of peace c. The God of peace shall tread down Satan under your feet shortly Rom. 16 20. And sure when Satan is thus trodden down under foot his work cannot remain unsubdued for both his power and possession is