deeds of the flesh which breaks the Law by his powerful Spirit that you may follow it and your fruits may be unto Righteousness and you dead to the fruits of the flesh which is sin all your belief will avail you no more than the Jews unbelief did them which rather added to their condemnation than otherwise Therefore all come down to that of God made manifest in you and receive it with a willing mind and then you will feel it giving you that power which by all your own willing and striving out of it you could never obtain even to become the Sons of God and to know his Seed brought forth in dominion in you to abide and then you will come to know what that state was in which they were that could not sin 1 John 3.9 because they were born of God and his Seed remains in them by which they were kept so that the wicked one toucheth them not because greater was he that was in them than he that was in the world So unless you feel this wrought in you by him all your talk of him and his Righteousness will do you no good for as long as you commit sin the filth will follow it and the condemning of that which condemns sin in the flesh will follow you to the end of your race by which a fire will be kindled where the worm will never die neither goes it out and the Law against sin you will find to have its full force then because you rejected the Light through disobedience which would have destroyed for you that which transgressed the Law in you and as you had yeelded in obedience to it it would have fulfilled the Law in you by bringing forth fruits of holiness which the Law requireth and all your thoughts of being from under the Law will prove vain for it is said to be a Schoolmaster to bring unto Christ the Light and Lamb of God who takes away sin the which Gal. 3.24 except you are brought to and by him cleansed you will find the Law to stand in full force over you you being out of him who ends that which transgresseth it Jam. 2.10 even by slaying it upon the Cross which is the Power of God which over-comes or rather comes over and so brings under the power of the Devil which keeps man in bondage in sin so when you come to know this you will cease remembring his death at Jerusalem and will come to see how he hath been crucified in you and what it is that hath crucified him Rom. 6.10 and not onely so but will know a dying with him to the flesh and the fruits thereof and then shall you be quickened with him in the Spirit of Life in which you will live unto God which you will truly know when he comes to arise from the dead in you and to lead that captive which hath held him in captivity and oppressed him as a cart with sheaves who while you go astray bears the iniquity of you all and is crucified in that place which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt reade within and feel what I say then will you come to mourn over him whom you have pierced Rev. 1.7 And this verily I say unto you except you know his Crucifixion and Resurrection nearer you than Jerusalem even in you and arising with him out of the grave of sin and death and a living to God in the Spirit of Holiness which sets free from sin all your talking of his dying for your sin and arising for your justification while you have lived in sinning against his Light in your Consciences will never profit you any thing Ephes 5.14 Therefore arise thou that sleepest in sin and stand up to Judgment and hearken to that which calls out of sin which is the Spirit of Truth and it will give thee life if through death thou wilt follow it for no other way is there to come to life but thorow death to that which leads thee from God Gal. 3.19 therefore take up the Cross and kiss the Rod and it will whip thee out of sin and a new work in thee will begin Those that know this death are not under the Law but under Grace for the Law was added because of transgression in which if a man live and it live in him then is he under the Law for it takes hold on a man so long as he lives in sin which is the transgression thereof Tit. 2.11 but he that is dead to sin is not under it but is come to the Grace of God which leads him out of sin and teacheth him to live godly and righteously in this present evil world so then by Grace sin is done away and the Law fulfilled which requires a holy life which is brought forth in and through all that receive the Power of God which in Christ the Light is offered freely to all that he might be all in all both to will and to do that which man of himself could in no wayes do he having lost his first estate in which he had power over all things being fain into the bondage of the Devil and captivated by him at his will therefore God in his endless Love to lost man Rom. 8.3 4. sent his Son a Light into the world who for sin condemneth sin in the flesh which the Law without was too weak to do that the Righteousness of it might be fulfilled in all that obey and follow him Now such can truly witness he comes not to destroy the Law but to fulfil it in and for them which Law requires Perfection and Holiness without which a man shall never see God But saith the World Object Yea perfect in part so are accepted aâ— wholly perfect through Christ Nay Answ not in part say I but wholly even entire wanting nothing for the Law requires not a part but the whole and it is not a Perfection inferiour to what the Law requires but even the same if not a better that we are to be brought to by the power of the Lamb of God who takes away the imperfection of all that walk in his Light or else it cannot be said he fulfills it but leaves it unfulfilled and hath made a way by which man shal escape the condemnation of it though he live in transgression thereof which was not the end of his coming in the flesh that man should be accepted perfect because he lived in perfection but that the same perfect innocent harmless life might be brought forth by the operation of his Life which is the Light of men in our mortal bodies herein lies the acceptance if he come thus to live in us to make our sinful bodies conformable to that Body of his 2 Cor. 5.17 which was the perfect pattern then are we in him according as it is said He that is in Christ is a non creature old things are passed away and all is become new and all things
for ever except you turn at my reproof that I may pour out my self upon you to cleanse you from all pollutions of flesh and spirit and so bring you into a godly life in perfectness and true holiness before you go hence and be no more seen for as Death leaves you so will Judgment find you Isa 38.18 for in the grave there is no cleansing So whilst you have time take this for a warning for you will find no mercy with God after death if you reject me the Light whom my Father hath in his mercy sent into the dark world that all that receive me should be led out of sin and darkness into the Light of Everlasting Life If any ask for a proof of these words let them turn within and search the Book of Conscience and look truly therein and there they shall find it We hope we shall finde mercy hereafter World for God is a merciful God The mercy of God is not as many think it is Answ nor to be found where many hope for it which is to say in the life to come after death of the outward man but it is to be found in this life whilst thou hast a being in this earthly tabernacle or else all thy hope in thy dead mind will be in vain for except thou know a cleansing by the Light which is the mercy of God from sin when you shall come to receive a just recompence of reward for all your deeds done in the body Rev. 20 13. then shall your dead minds be awakened and the mercy which you have dreamed of therein be turned into fear wrath and anger wherein the Lord will reveal himself to take Vengeance upon all that knew him not to live in them and they to live in him whose Life raiseth out of Death and all dead works Revel 20.6 into the Life of Righteousness which is free from sin which is the first Resurrection of which whosoever partakes not the second Death will have power over Therefore more plainly to all understandings this I say is the mercy of the compassion at God to all mankind who have lost their spiritual life through falling into sin by which came death over all insomuch that man became more sensless than the Ox Isa 1.3 which knew his owner or the Ass which knew his Master's crib I say his mercy is to offer him Life freely in the Light of his Son which he had fully lost and of himself could in no wayes gain it again John 1.3 therefore God so loved the world that he sent his Son a Light into it in whom was and is Life whose Life is the Light of men shining in dark hearts to which they in taking heed and obeying it in its movings leadings and workings will thereby be led out of sin which it bears Testimony against to take up a Cross to the carnal mind and lusts of the flesh which in them is all enmity against God on which Cross the evil seed will be crucified and the enmity slain and so comes of twain one new man to be made in whom the Image and Life of God is restored again by the second Adam in whom all are made alive 1 Cor. 15.22 who receives him who is the quickening Spirit from that death which entred them by the first Adam who was an earthly man and so all that receive Christ the Light receive the Mercy of God and come to know the Seed of the Kingdom which is like a little leaven which as it comes to have its way to work and operate in the heart it makes all things new by working out the evil seed and killing the old man with his deeds and so makes a new lump Joh. 3.3 5. this is the work of Restoration in the washing of Regeneration through which the new birth is brought forth of which except a man be born he must not inherit the Kingdom of God So this is the Mercy of God Joh. 15.24 to give every one a measure of the Light of his Son to work this Work in and for them which they of themselves could not work which must be wrought in this life or never But yet I feel there are some in the world who are ready to say thus Oh this perfect life that we could attain it Object Oh how willing could we be to be rid of all sin if it be possible for we feel something in us crying as it were for deliverance which is grieved and burthened with the heavy load of sin and indeed notwithstanding all our Observations wherein we have been seeking life and peace yet are we unsatisfied and which way to be we know not Well my Friends Answ in the remembrance of you is my soul refreshed and what if I say I have been striving all this while that I might make a way to come plainly to your understandings to speak a little in the Bowels of Love that these good desires in you may be strengthened and the eye of your understandings opened to see the good day that is broken forth unto many who sate in darkness and under the shadow of death hoping for life and breathing for power to come up out of the pit where there is no water where their tongues clave to the roof of their mouthes in which their hearts were ready to faint and were almost giving up to conclude that there we must remain notwithstanding something breathed to come forth but being in bondage in the Prison-house the keeper thereof said its impossible and while we hearkened unto him we saw no hope of attaining our desires but turning away from him and standing a little still we heard a Voice that spake unto us comfortably Joh. 13. and with it was a Light that shone out of darkness by the which we saw marvellous things wherein our souls were greatly revived and as we hearkned diligently and gave up to the call of the same it brought us by a way that we thought not of out of the depth of the dungeon of death where we were held in bondage and slavery by the King of the bottomless pit who seemed so strong as if he could never be overcome but he that spake unto us in the Light Matth. 12.29 hath proved too strong for him for he hath broken the bars of brass by the might of his power and unlocked the doors of steel and by the Sword of his Spirit hath he cut our bands assunder even the chains wherewith we were held And therefore I as one that have been in the deep even in bondage under the prince of that world which lies in wickedness do hold forth and testifie unto you that a stronger than he is come Matth. 12.29 who is able to bind the strong-man and spoil all his goods and behold he is nigh unto you who breathes from deliverance from sin for it is he that hath begotten that desire in you and not only so but
Faith and in times past and doubtless now also hath raised as it were things that are not to bring to nought those things which are contrary to him that he may have the Glory to Himself alone But however it may be received or rejected I shall rest in patience being content in that I feel am Acceptance with God in this my Obedience to him which is a sufficient Reward unto me who am known to the World by the name of John Whithouse The Doctrine of Perfection vindicated c. The Worlds Question VVHether is Perfection or freedom from all sin Quest to be attained in this life or no Yea Answ or else to no purpose was Christ made manifest in the flesh as may hereafter appear for in the lowest distance or alienation in the fall from God we are but the servants of sin and if by him we are not set free from the service thereof then what are we saved from or what are we the better by him for without him we are but so and if he leave us where he finds us which is to say in sin what then is he a Saviour from or how doth he effect that which is said of him For Sin and Imperfection is of the Devil 1 John 3.8 for the destroying of which he the Lamb of God that taketh away the sins of all that believe in his Light and Son of the world was manifested and if this work be not effected by him then may we say he is insufficient and comes short of the end for which he was given for a Light to the Gentiles Isa 42.6 7. and to be Gods Salvation to the ends of the Earth who is the second Covenant which is not sound faulty as was the first which made nothing perfect Therefore was it taken away that the second Heb. 7.19 which is the better hope by which we draw nearer to God might be established so then shall I conclude with the world that the first made none of the comers thereto perfect nor the second neither God forbid For they who do believe and receive him who is the new and second Covenant Christ Jesus the true Light who enlightneth every man that cometh into the world to them as the Scripture saith he gives power to become the sons of God who are not born of flesh and blood neither of the will of man Joh. 1.12 13. but of God and who is so born sinneth not because God's Seed Christ Jesus abideth in him 1 John 3.9 Mal. 1.21 who is a Saviour thar saves his People from their sin and not in it they who know this know the Scripture to be true because it is fulfilled in them and can truly call Christ Lord because they do his Will and not their own but are dead thereto and are only alive to God bringing forth fruits of Righteousness the end of which is Life and Peace Rom. 8.3 13. All which is fulfilled in them who walk not after the flesh but through the Spirit of Life in Christ which makes free from sin and death and doth mortifie the deeds of the same These are they who through the washing of Regeneration in the work of mortification come to know and witness a cleansing from all sin and to have their Robes made white in the blood of the Lamb Heb. 9.26 who was made manifest to put away and make an end of all sin and to perfect for ever those that through the Spirit are thus sanctified Yea Object but saith the world Our Teachers * Rich. Baxter for one who are learned and wise tell us this Doctrine of Perfection is a dangerous tenent and the Doctrine of the Devil and not of Christ nor his Apostles but is a blasphemous Principle contrary to the Scriptures Now to this Answ I say You are not to believe all that your Teachers tell you but come down to the Light of Christ and hear these things tryed by it and the Scriptures also and hold fast that which is good Now this is the Record that God gave of his Son by his Servant Moses who prophesied saying Acts 3.22 A Prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you like unto me Him shall you hear in all things whatsoever he saith And it shall come to pass That whosoever will not hear and obey him shall be cut off from the Land of the Living And in like manner Mal. 3.3 to Him gave all the Prophets witness saying He shall come as a Refiners fire and as Fullers sope and shall thorowly purge the sons of Levi that they might offer an Offering to the Lord in Righteousness Mat. 3.12 Also John Baptist bare witness of him saying His Fan is in his hand and he will thorowly purge his Floor Mark that not in part he doth not say but thorowly And now he the Eternal and Everlasting true Light the chief and High-Priest over the Houshold of God the pure Purger Perfecter Cleanser and Fulfiller of all the Law and the Prophets Behold this is his Doctrine preached by him in the dayes of his flesh Be ye perfect Matth. 9.48 as your heavenly Father is perfect And now behold he is arisen in many sons and daughters by his quickening Spirit which hath raised them out of Sin and Death and through them is he preaching by Life and Doctrine the same as he lived in who is the same yesterday to day and for ever who is the perfect Pattern and finished his course in Perfection leaving it an Example for all that believe in him to follow So this is none of the Devil's Doctrine neither his Command but the Doctrine and Command of the Son of God who is not a hard nor an unjust master requiring that of his servants which he gives them not power to do but it is the slothful servant that makes not use of his talent but buries it in the Earth and then complains for want of power but they who receive the gift of God God giveth them power to do whatsoever he commandeth whose Commandments 1 Joh. 2 3.1.7 to them that follow him in faithfulness were not greivous but joyful who were washed and cleansed but not by themselves but by walking in the Light as God was in the Light so came they to witness the Blood of his Son to cleanse them not from some sin but all and so were made Ministers not of the Letter which killeth but of the Spirit which giveth Life and quickeneth unto Perfection and laboured to bring men thereto that they might present every man perfect in Christ in whom there is no sin for he was not sent to be a cloak to cover sin under his righteous garment but to destroy it and take it away slaying the carnal or fleshly mind which warreth against the soul working sin in the members upon the Cross which is spiritual or all spirit which Cross worketh inwardly bringing into subjection every vain thought and imagination
Christ So it 's certain we must be of the one for we cannot be of both And now also who is it that be ever learning and never comes to know the Truth but those that never knew a freedom from sin neither do believe they ever shall in this life for Christ said if you continue in my Doctrine then shall you know the Truth Joh. 8.31 32 33 34. and the Truth shall make you free But the Jews replied saying We were never in bondage to any man But said Christ He that commits sin is the servant of sin So it appears that they who are overcome with sin and led away with divers lusts are not come to know Christ the Truth who sets free from sin and they are the creepers into houses who lead silly people in blindness laden with sin and tells them they can never be eased of the burden thereof in this life yet promises them liberty and freedom in the life to come whilst they are the servants of corruption in this life Are not these the filthy dreamers that defile the flesh who are sensual and devilish Jude 10 11. knowing nothing but what they know naturally in which they corrupt themselves which is to say in their outward learning which though it be Hebrew Greek and Latine yet it is all but natural even as English is which a child may learn of its parents so likewise all other tongues are learned of men but the true knowledge of God is onely learned in and by the Spirit Are not these also those who with fair words and smooth speeches deceive the hearts of the simple by their great swelling words of vanity which they invent to please such who have itching ears that cannot away with sound Doctrine but love to be daubed up slightly who cannot endure to hear of coming out of sin in this life and yet would have Heaven in that which is to come I say such Teachers as these are of Antichrist whom Jude saith were clouds without water Jude 12. which is to have a shew of Godliness but have not his Life abiding in them but their hearts are exercised with covetous practices and for self-ends admire some mens persons for their own advantage who themselves could not cease from sin these are the murmurers and complainers Phil. 3.19 who walk after their own ungodly lusts minding earthly things whose god is their belly This was the fruit of the spirit of Antichrist that the Apostles said should come and was come in their dayes by which we know that those who bring forth such fruits are of the same spirit in these our dayes the consideration of which I shall leave to the Witness of God in all people that they thereby might come to see whether those that deny the Doctrine of Perfection and plead for sin term of life do not in all or many of these things agree with the Antichrists and false Prophets that are mentioned in Scriptures and so the conclusion unavoidably will be this They are not of God but of the world which lieth in wickedness and therefore the world heareth and followeth them Yea Object but saith the world though we do not believe we can be perfectly freed from all sin in this life yet we do not believe that we must or may live in sin wilfully neither do our Teachers tell us we shall be saved if we do but they tell us we must strive against it what we can and then we shall be accepted through Christ for he hath tasted death for us and so hath made a way for all that can believe he died for their sin and rose again for their Justification to be accepted through his Righteousness which shall be imputed for ours and though we live in some sin which is condemned by the Law yet hath he by his Death delivered us from the condemning power of sin and the Law the force of which he hath taken away for we are not under the Law but under Grace To this I answer Answ Although they teach you to abstain from wilful sinning yet in teaching that you can never be free from all causeth many to give up to temptations and to give place to the Devil and then if the Witness of God reprove them for so doing they flie back in their minds from it and strengthen themselves in their unclean faith against it and so reject the Light and Power of God which is it onely that saves from sin and so though you strive against it what you can in this state all your striving is in vain being onely in your own wills and altogether of your selves having rejected through disobedience the Power of God which in his mercy is freely offered unto all in the Light of his Son to redeem them from that wherein they are held in bondage which is sin I say denying it and counting it an uncertain and insufficient thing you are never able to overcome the Enemy in your own striving for if you could then you had no need of a Saviour to destroy the works of the Devil for you which is sin and to save you therefrom which was and is the end of his coming in the flesh even in the hearts of all people to condemn sin there and also for this end he died to the flesh once and was made an Offering to put an end to all the Types Rom. 3.25 Sacrifices and Shadows of the first Law and Priesthood and so took away all the hand writing of Ordinances making an Atonement for sins past that forgiveness might be preached to and in all that receive him and walk in his Light which was not to be found in nor by the outward Law for it being once transgressed there remains nothing but condemnation So mercy and forgiveness came by Jesus the Saviour and not by the Law without whom none could be saved because all had and have transgressed and come short of fulfilling the Law therefore all your striving whilst you reject Christ the Light which makes sin manifest in whom the Law of the Spirit of Life is witnessed which sets free the soul through the administring of death unto and condemning that in man which warreth against it by bringing it into captivity unto sin through which comes death I say though you may strive with all your might which indeed is but weakness you will never get dominion over sin because you in denying the Light miss of the Power which only redeems out of the bondage thereof which Power doth accompany that which reproves for and condemns sin in the flesh to which except you become subjects unto neither freedom from sin nor the righteousness of the Law which is Perfection you will never come to witness and so though you believe he died for your sin yet unless you come to know him to arise in you to destroy it and take it away inwardly and thereby to fulfil the Law of Righteousness in you and so to mortifie the
satisfie your thirsty souls but to the Fountain of living Waters all come and drink freely then shall you never thirst again then shall you know what it is to drink new Wine with Christ in the Kingdom of Heaven and to sup with him then will you never go more to seek him in the dead letter and other dead creatures but will come to know him and his Life made manifest in you this is the sum and substance of all even to know the Bread of Life in your own houses and your own Fig-tree that you may sit under it where none can make you afraid then will you know the Mystery of Godliness which is very great even God manifest in the flesh But now I feel some weak understandings will be ready to say You seem here to deny the Ordinances of the Lord's Supper Object which we believe are to stand for ever and other outward means and speak as if we must come to live above Ordinances To which I have these words to signifie Although Christ took the Cup saying This is my Blood Answ and likewise the Bread saying This is my Body this do in remembrance of me c. I say this being all the Command you have for it is not sufficient to prove it to remain an Ordinance for ever for he did not say 1 Cor. 11.26 you shall alwayes do this but Do this which signifieth only at that time to keep them in remembrance of him till he came to them again And if after he was come they did use it because of the weakness of some yet that is not sufficient for you to rely upon and so to rest only in the shadows denying the substance as ye do which is to say the Power of God which sets free from sin in this life which indeed is the sum of all John 6.33 35 48 50 51 53 54 55 56. even the Life and Blood of the Lamb of God except which a man partakes of he hath no life in him to which I testifie a man may attain to and not use those things and then what need is there of them the substance being enjoyed And now to speak more plainer to the matter this I say Even as Paul by the Spirit of God cryed down that which God himself commanded Gal. 6.15 which is to say Circumcision saying it availed nothing but only the new creature which was not wrought in any measure by that outward act but by the Circumcision of the heart in and by the Spirit which was the substance of that outward type for the attaining of which he did not preach the outward Gal. 5.6 to be used for the means to bring to the inward but saw plainly that the use of the outward drawed their minds therein to rest Rom. 2.29 Gal. 5.2 short of the thing it self therefore he said If they were circumcised Christ the true Circumcision should profit them nothing And had he any proof for this but onely the Spirit in himself and therefore by the Spirit in the Fear and Authority of God this I say unto you all Bread and Wine Joh. 6.53 54 55. or no Bread and Wine availeth nothing but onely the Body and Blood of the Lamb which is spiritual or all spirit is the main thing even the very substance it self which only is felt and enjoyed by staying the mind inwardly in the Light and Spirit of God and not by eating and drinking in the remembrance thereof and never coming to witness the thing remembred which if you say Yea we do by Faith I tell ye Nay not by the true Faith while you witness not freedom from all sin in this life 1 Joh. 3.3 5.18 neither believe you shall do for they who had the living Faith it purifies them even as Christ was pure who came not to this pure cleansing by such outward things and means as you plead for but they said it was by walking in the Light 1 John 1.7 as God was in the Light that they had their fellowship with him and the Blood of his Son to cleanse them from all sin Jam. 2.20 so there your Faith without these fruits is but a dead faith And now let me appeal to the Witness of God in those who have done it in the most sincerest abundance to God and in so doing it have felt something as ye have thought of the Love of God Yet I say it hath been because your minds were at such times in consideration of the weight of the matter circumspectly stayed upon God in the Spirit and not because you ate the Bread and Wine So then cease making an Idol of it as thinking you cannot enjoy God without it or that the dead creature conveyes any thing of him into you and come down into the Spirit and in it dwell continually which is that that only can and doth do it and so when you come truly in this condition and in it do abide Joh. 14.23 which is to say not only to sup with Christ sometimes but alwayes in the Spirit to make your abode with him and he with you you will then say with me that all these outward things are nothing but the Spirit is all in this matter which whosoever denies Col. 2.21 22. resisteth the everlasting Ordinance of God wherefore touch not taste not handle not any thing that perisheth with the using after the doctrine and commandments of men nor make to your selves the likeness of any earthly thing of the invisible Body and Blood of the heavenly Son of God for if ye do may I not say Oh! miserable is your condition and little are your hearts affected with him who cannot keep in the living remembrance of him without eating and drinking in remembrance of his Death Wherefore O come down to that which crosseth the carnal mind to take up the Cross that it may be crucified thereon then shall you know a dying with him and be made partakers of his Resurrection wherein the sting of Death and the victory of the Grave will be remembred no more And yet further May I not say unto you that the Papists whom you condemn as Idolaters may plead for their using of Images in like manner as you do for your Bread and Wine for they say they worship them not as gods but look upon them in their worshipping of God that so thereby their minds may be fervently fixed upon him having conceived in their hearts that they cannot be so fervent with him without them as with them But Object you say they are deceived for they may draw nearer to God without them Even so say I Answ But mind a little how you in condemning them herein condemn your selves also who have conceived in your selves that you cannot so well keep in the remembrance of Christ and have such communion with the invisible God without the exercise of some visible outward things in the likeness of him as with them Wherefore I