as descended from that fleshly birth-priviledged Seed of Abraham Therefore saith he If any man be in Christ he is a New Creature the Seed of Abraham according to the Faith of Abraham either Jews or Gentiles In like manner as there was a time when Christ was esteemed and known upon the account or because of his being born of the Tribe of Judah and of the birth-priviledged Seed of Abraham yet now henceforth saith the Apostle know we him so no more that is as to esteem him upon that account or for that reason meritoriously the Saviour of the world but rather upon the account of his coming down from Heaven his being the Son of God reconciling the world unto himself in the body of his flesh through death Object The first man Adam was made a living Soul the last Adam was made a quickning Spirit Answ True it is that the Apostle thus speaketh but consider how he is or can be called the last Adam or the second Man as afterwards he is called if Christ be so a quickning Spirit considered as he was before the world was for if the Spirit as Spirit be the last or second Adam then it follows that the first man Adam who was of the earth earthy was first and before the Eternal quickning Spirit which were very absurd to think and therefore Christ of necessity must be understood to be the last Adam upon the account of his being become visible man a condition that he was not alwayes in but since the creation and fall of the first man Adam and so is truly and very properly the last or second man made a quickning Spirit yet not so a spirit in the Apostles sence but that he is also spiritual ver 46. and also the man by whom came the Resurrection from the dead ver 21. and also the Christ that died was buried and rose again ver 3 4. and therefore not so a quickning Spirit as in the Quakers sence for the Spirit considered as from Eternity was not man and so was never dead and so not buried and so not raised again all which Paul testifies in that very Chapter concerning him whom he calls a quickning Spirit in reference to his now being a spiritual glorified man which considered it remains that all the House of Israel know assuredly that God hath made that same Jesus whom the Jews Crucified both Lord and Christ Moreover as the Quaker holds That the Spirit which was in the visible man and not the man was the Christ So also he holds and indeed it leads him to hold that the second coming of Christ is in men and not otherwise and therefore Humphrey Smith in his Book entituled A true and everlasting Rule pag. 19 20. compares such who look after the body of Christ to those young men that sought in vain the body of Elijah and plainly saith that such whom he calls wandring stars shall never find the body they look so much after he also speaking of Christ pag. 30. saith That he is come whom we long waited for and we do not look for any other who now saith he appears the second time without sin to the saving that which was lost and so saith he we confess Christ come in the flesh and do not look for another pag. 32. Now as their perswasions concerning Christ being a Spirit and not man leads them to expect the coming of Christ in them so contrariwise our Faith and full perswasions that Christ is a visible glorified man leads us to expect his second coming as a distinct appearance from and not in his People whereupon I forbear to urge those many Scripture-grounds which with all plainness ane loudness of voice reproves these mens swelling words of vanity and shall onely speak something touching those Scriptures which speaks of Christs being in his People whereat some for want of understanding may possibly stumble True it is That the Apostle tells the Church of the Colossians that Crist was in them the hope of Glory Col. 1.27 Yet not so in them but that he could also say and that at the same time to the same Church that when Christ who is our Life shall appear then ye shall appear with him in Glory even in the possession of that Glory which then they had hopes of ver 3 4. The Apostle also declares Christ to be in the Corinthians except they were Reprobates Yet not so in them but that they were also waiting for the coming of Christ 1 Cor. 1.7 Yea at that time when they were sanctified in Christ ver 2. and in every thing enriched by him coming behind in no gift ver 5 7. Paul also testifies concerning himself That Christ lived in him yet not so but that he looked also for the appearing of Christ Tit. 2.13 Yea and at that time when he had finished his course and the time of his departure at hand he speaks to Timothy of a Crown of Righteousness which the Righteous Judge saith he shall give me at that day even at his appearing 2 Tim. 4.1,6,7,8 The Apostle John saith Christ is come that is the first time which John might well say for he had seen him with his eyes and handled him with his hands 1 John 1.1 But Christ afterwards ascended from whom John received great things yea much of the special presence of Gods Spirit mightily working with him yet did he not say that Christ was come the second time for himself after those many Visions and Revelations we read of was discovered to him readily prayed even so come Lord Iesus Rev. 22.20 Stephen a man full of the Spirit yet looking up into Heaven testified that he saw in Heaven Jesus Christ standing at the right hand of God and the truth of this he sealed with his blood Act. 7.55,56,58 Moreover as Paul bears witness of Christs dwelling in the Saints so also he declares that the Saints were in him even as it is meet saith he for me to think this of you all because I have you in my heart Phil. 1.7 And elsewhere saith that you are in our hearts to dye and live with you 2 Cor. 7.3 Now 't is out of question that the several persons of the Churches were not in the Apostles heart but onely they were deep in his affections and much in the Thoughts and Meditations of his heart even so as to dye and live with them he believing them to be the beloved of God So the Saints having Christ deep in their affections much and often in their Thoughts and Meditations believing him to be their most precious Redeemer Who is gone into Heaven to prepare a place for them John 14.2 So I say Christ dwelleth in his People or in the hearts of his People by Faith And this kind of Language is both proper and common to this day for persons that are deep in each others affections in their personal absence one from another to say that such are in their hearts or that such are often
Sacrifices and sprinkling the blood thereof that Jesus Christ should be slain and his blood shed as the glorious substance thereof all which part of the Fathers Law was and is of no effect God thereby bearing false witness to the world if the Eternal Spirt which dwelt in the visible Man and which the Apostles afterwards received in them be the Christ which Spirit never was slain nor never had blood to shed but let God be true and all these men lyars Fifthly Because he most plainly is said to be the Christ Ordained of God to be Judge of quick and dead to whom all the Prophets gave witness he I say with whom the Apostles did eat and drink and that after his Resurrection from the dead Act. 10.38,41,42,43 which must needs respect the visible Man Sixthly Because the true Christ blamed his Disciples when they supposed him to be a Spirit saying to them Handle me and see for a spirit hath not flesh and bones as ye see me have Luke 24.37,38,39 Seventhly Because the true Christ was seen with visible and carnal that is fleshly eyes for 't is written the eyes of all them that were in the Synagogue were fastned on him to wit Christ and sure I am that the Quaker cannot imagine from any show in the Scriptures that these had any other eyes as invisible and spiritual eyes because 't is said also that all they in the Synagogue were filled with wrath and thrust him out of the City Luke 4.20,28,29 Eightly Because he is declared in the Holy Scriptures to be Jesus Christ who was Circumcised which were also a false account if the Quakers opinion were true namely That the Eternal Spirit in the Man and not the Man was the Christ Ninthly Because the Eternal Spirit which dwelt in the Man Christ which afterwards the Apostles received in them is called another Comforter and that by Christ himself which would not come unto the Apostles unless he the true Christ went away John 14.16,17 16.7 Tenthly Because 't is said Jesus Christ lift up his eyes to Heaven and Prayed to God his Father John 17. Both the action and the manner thereof shewing that the visible Man is the Christ And besides if the Quaker shall suppose that 't was the Eternal Spirit in the visible Man Christ that prayed and that the same Eternal Spirit is one essence or being with God the Father and Christ his Son without distinctions I then would demand of them two things first Who it was that the Spirit Prayed unto And secondly For what he prayed or what he stood in need of Elevently The Eternal Spirit which was given to and received by the visible man cannot be the Christ that is in English Anointed because he is said by the Apostle to be the Anointing with which the Saviour was anointed as 't is written how God anointed Jesus that is the Saviour of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit Act. 10.38 If the Eternal Spirit as Spirit was anointed I would know with what and wherefore Twelfthly Because the true Christ even Sions King is said to come sitting and riding upon an Ass meek and lowly who also in lowliness washed the Disciples feet all which proves that the visible man is the true Christ Zecha 9.9 Mat. 21.5 John 13.14 Object Henceforth know we no man after the flesh yea though we have known Christ after the flesh yet now henceforth know we him so no more Answ What Paul intends by these words I verily believe but that Christ is departed from and without that outward body of flesh which once was visible on Earth and so not to be known after the flesh that is not now having that body of flesh this indeed I believe not First Because that then and upon the very same ground we are to know henceforth none amongst men to be the Children of God but such onely as are departed from and without their outward bodies of flesh and where those men are or what kind of men they are I verily know not I thus speak because in like manner as the Apostle saith Henceforth we know Christ no more after the flesh so also he saith even in the same words that henceforth know we no man after the flesh if true in one then in both but that it is untrue in one you have hereby a weight of reason forbidding that the other is also untrue consider the Scriptures forbidding it As Secondly Because those that were of the number of Gods Elect in Ages past Waited for the Son of God from Heaven who was raised from the dead 1 Thes 1.4,10 Now sure I am that 't was the visible body of flesh which was dead and so raised from the dead that which was raised from the dead the Saints of God waited for and therefore they ceased not to know Christ as having the body of flesh which once he had though both they and we believe that 't is glorified Thirdly Because the same Apostle that speaks these words is so far from such an opinion of undervaluing the fleshly body of Christ as that he tells the Church they were reconciled to God in the body of his flesh through death Col. 1.21,22 And surely neither Paul nor the Church was at any time to cease knowing or honouring that through which they were reconciled to God His flesh is meat indeed and his blood drink indeed and although in one sence it profited nothing yet such is it in another sence as that whosoever eateth and drinketh the same that is believeth in the Lord John 6.35 shall never hunger nor thirst And therefore for the constant remembrance thereof we have that Ordinance of Breaking Bread which surely was never instituted to hold forth an unprofitable thing But true it is That neither Christ nor men are to be known after the flesh and how once men were known after the flesh is plain from the same Apostles words as thus We are the Circumcision which worship God in Spirit and have no confidence in the flesh wherein if any might trust I more saith Paul Now what he means by this is manifest to wit being Circumcised of the Stock of Israel of the Tribe of Benjamin an Hebrew of the Hebrews c. Phil. 3.3,4,5 But he well knowing that the Ministration of the Law under which persons were thus known after the flesh then done away and a more glorious Ministration in being which forbids men to plead we have Abraham to our Father we are his Children after the flesh of the Stock of Israel of this or that Tribe and therefore let us be Baptized and known among you according as you may read the Pharisees did Mat. 3.7,8,9 Paul I say well knowing this declared that he had no confidence in the flesh as in reference to himself neither henceforth would he know any other man after the flesh as once during the time of the Law men were known and accounted even the Children of Promise in respect of temporal enjoyments being such