Seed of God should be sown in one condition and raised in another seeing the Apostles words are plain to that effect for that which thou sowest is not quickened except it die and doth not that Seed suffer in man by corruption before it be raised in incorruption and is it not the Seed of God that is sown in weakness and raised in Power and every Seed shall have its own Body and what is it God gives a Body to as it pleaseth him but the Seed And what Seed is that is raised in incorruption Glory and Power but the Seed of God before which state of the Seed be attained to the Seed is known in suffering in death and in corruption though in it self it be incorruptible for it could not be said it shall be quickened unless after it be sown it dye and in respect of its being sown in weakness and dying as to them in whom it is sown who are not redeemed into the state of the second Adam it s said to be sown a Natural Body as also there is a Natural Seed or Seed of Abraham according to the flesh that this Seed of God takes hold on or takes upon it but in respect of its being raised in Power and Glory it is Spiritual and Immortal as being beyond that state in which it is sown in weakness which states none comes truly to know but as they come into death with the Seed and to be raised up by the Spirit that raised up Jesus from the dead which spirit where it dwells doth quicken the mortal bodies and doth bring into the likeness of Christs Glorious Body and as many as are dead with Christ shall live and appear with him in Glory and witness the Body of their lowness made like unto his Glorious Body whose they are and such who come to the Resurrection of the Just and to see the mortal Body which was dead because of sin quickened by the Spirit of Christ dwelling in them shall come to witness that of Hosea 13 14. fulfilled for they shall come to be ransomed from the Power of the Grave and redeemed from death as the Seed comes to live and reign which cannot be holden of death nor kept in the Grave but is the destruction of the Grave and this the Prophet witnessed when he was delivered from the power of the Grave and his soul brought out of the Pit by the sides whereof the Graves were set And why saith J. W. in page 60. as that arising which Christ through the Faith of the Operation of God is not the Resurrection from the dead nor the state of perfection which the Faithful unto death shall obtain c. What do not they that rise with Christ rise from the dead And was not that the Resurrection from the dead that Saint Paul desired to attain to Phil. 3.11 Are not all men in sin dead And do not they that rise with Christ rise out of sin seeing the Saints that had been dead in trespasses and sins when they were quickened and raised in Christ they were come to live in him with whom they shall live who first knew what it was to die with him or to be baptized into his death for the dead in Christ shall rise first and is not that a state of perfection where there is a Resurrection in Christ from sin and the death which came in by it For is it not sin that caused the imperfection And that the Resurrection from the dead is a raising of man from the dead in every part wherein he is dead by reason of sin and to live in every part wherein he lived before he sinned to wit to be alive in Spirit Soul and Body as in page 66. Who denies that For because of sin death hath come over man in every part both over spirit soul and body so that where man is raised out of sin by Christ who is the Resurrection and the Life his Spirit is quickened that it can rejoyce in God and his soul is raised up out of death that it can magnifie him who is the Saviour and if Christ be in you the Body iâ— dead because of sin and the same spirit that raised up Jesus from the dead shall quicken the mortal Body and the Creature it self thereby comes to be delivered into the Glorious liberty of the Sons of God so that the Resurrection of the whole man and of every man in his own order 1 Cor. 15 23 over whom death and the Grave had dominion we own and do not take a part of it for the whole as falsly J. W. accuseth us But whereas J. VV. imagineth that the Redemption of the Body spoken of in Rom. 8. Which the Saints groaned travelled and waited for is not to be enjoyed till the Natural and visible bodies of men shall be raised out of the Graves as in page 65. and 53. and 55. This is like the rest of his vain Imaginations and foolish dreams about the Resurrection and other things for this would suppose that that Redemption of the Body from the bondage of Corruption which Saint Paul and other Saints so many hundred years agoe did travel and wait and hope for in their suffering state is not yet attained which would render their Faith Hope and Travel ineffectual and what then was that bondage of corruption and that suffering under which the body suffered and from which they waited for redemption is it some bondage or suffering that the Saints so long deceased both were in their dayes and are yet in suffering under if they be not yet attained to the redemption of the body which so long since they travelled for as this J. VV. ignorantly seems to imply which his reason is like his saying that God is declared to be the God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob because their bodies which are dead shall live again when as he was their God because they lived with him and were in him and were in the bosom of the Father who is not the God of the dead but of the living And as for that of Job 19.25 26 27. Which he mentions where Job knew his Redeemer living and that he should stand upon the Earth and that in his flesh he should see God whom said he I shall see for my self and mine eyes shall behold c. After this Job knew his hope herein fulfilled when he said to the Lord Chap. 42. I have heard of thee by the Hearing of the Ear but now mine eyes seeth thee Now it is not to be supposed that Job did either see or expect to see God with bodily or carnal eyes for who so imagines they must suppose God to be visible like themselves and not a Spirit nor an immortal invisible being who is to be seen spiritually and not carnally who is in that immortality and Glory with no man as mortal can approach to or behold with that which is mortal and what silly reasoning is it for J W. from that of Rev.
charges against us hath he dealt deceitfully like him who is the Father of lyes and lyars who when he speaketh a lye he speaketh of himself and not as a rational man and in very many things he hath absolutely wronged our Principles and Practises and charged as apparent falshoods upon us as ever was as hereafter is made manifest to the shame of him that was the Authour of the said lying Book called A Testimony for the Son of man c. and the shame of all such false Spirits as own him in his work We see that God hath appeared in Judgement against you and your way and a line of confusion is come over you since that so many of you especially of your Leaders have set themselves in their envy and malice against us who are in the Power of Truth what do you think that spreading your railing and false Books against us will gain you favour from the prophane world and be any means to rescue you from persecution or suffering under the powers of the earth Do you think to save your selves by reviling the Innocent as some of the Leaders in your way have gotten themselves out of Prison by swearing contrary to Christs Doctrine after they have been imprisoned for denying to swear when so many of our friends were in prisons for refusing to swear for Conscience sake to Christ And not onely so but several of them who have long been reputed eminent in your way have like Men-pleasers written to vindicate swearing and oaths as treacherous men both to God to their own Consciences and to his Innocent and Conscientious people such as you have reviled and bespattered with reproaches in the Book here answered who would be loath to be so treacherous to God and their own Consciences as many in your way have been whatever we suffer either from you or from the persecuters in the same envious spirit which is among you And yet this know that we had not publisht this against any of you had we not had that great occasion given us by this piece of wicked work which Joseph Wright your Defender hath brought forth wherein we who preach the Light of Christ within are not onely slandered and bespattered with his lyes and calumnies as men but also the Truth of God which we are in and suffer for is blasphemed belyed and perverted even in the sight of our enemies in vindication whereof we were necessitated to give this forth and to deal thus plainly with your Principles which are published by your pretended Defender otherwise we could have been silent as from medling with you in this kind for it is no pleasure to us to bestow so much labour upon such a heap of confusion and absurdities as I. VV. his work is nor to upbraid you with your confusion and weaknesse in what you professe especially since you are as in a suffering state and like to suffer as we are if you be true to your Principles and conscientious towards God in what you know or professe but you may see the urgent occasion given against us and the Truth for what we do in this thing And though I.VV. does not name the word Quakers by name yet it is all one as if he had done it whilst he so often in general words upbraids such as preach the Light within for we called Quakers are known to be the people he all along so peevishly smites against seeing that we are known so generally to own and preach the Light within as the Saints of old did and in that Light of Christ in us we see Light and therein are as a City set upon a Hill which cannot be hid and are in that Truth and Life which will out-live our opposers and persecuters and do know that power manifest in us which out-shines all the dead and empty forms professions and traditions of all who are out of the life and power of godlinesse and in that hath the Lord given us strength and the spirit of understanding to see beyond and to stand over our opposers and the envy and subtilty of the Serpent in such as rise up in Judgment against us Glory to our God for ever and ever And now we come to some of the heads of Joseph Wrights matter in charge against such as preach the Law and Light within CHAP. I. Concerning the Light within and Christs coming in the flesh and dying for all men J.W. his first charge is in these words viz. The first thing I lay to thy charge whosoever thou art that preachest up the Light within men requiring all People to mind the light which is within them is this That thou dost deny that Christ which dyed at Jerusalem and denyest Jesus Christ come in the flesh and thy spirit is the spirit of Antichrist c. And the first proof for his charge is in these words viz. 1. Because in all thy preaching teaching and declaring thou never makes mention of Christs dying for the sins of the world nor that he tasted death for every man thou art altogether silent in this Doctrine of Christs dying for man in the body of his flesh c. And his second proof is in these words viz. 2. Because as is thy word of mouth even so is thy writings for amongst them all and in them all there is not one line which teacheth that Christ did dye for the sins of the world and freely laid down his life as a ransome for sinners c. Answer As his charge is universal against all that preach up the light within it is both false and slanderous as also all his proofs for it so that he might as well have said that the light of Christ in all men and the Doctrine of Christ which directs to it doth deny Christ and his coming in the flesh when as on the contrary all who truly own and believe in the light of Christ-in them by it they come to be led to the knowledge of Christ from whence it comes and to the power of his death and the vertue of his life which none can truly know but as they are led by the light of Christ within which giveth the Knowledge of the Glory of God and of those things that are freely given to us of God and Christ said believe in the 〈…〉 t that you may be children of the light John 12.36 Did Christ herein deny himself or his coming in the flesh as falsly J. VV. accuseth all that preach the light within and in that we are included in his proofs as never mentioning Christs tasting death for every man either in our Preaching or writings in this he hath notoriously belyed us as thousands may witness against him who have heard us both Preach up and contend for the free Grace of God to all men and thereby that Christ tasted death for every man and dyed for all men and gave him self a ransom for all to be testified of in due time Heb. 2.9 1 Tim. 2.6
2 Cor. 5.14 1 John 2.2 Which also as a testimony against J. W. in many of our Books vindicate the free Grace of God in Christ to all men and his dying for all as in a Book Intituled The Voice of Wisdom by G. W. page 12. and at large in a Book Intituled Rusticus ad Accademicos by S. F. in both which Priest Danson is answered and his pleading against Christs death for all men and his free Grace to all confuted as also in a Book called A brief Discovery by G.W. as in many more Books of ours the free Grace of God to all and Christs dying for all men is declared Also J. W. his third Proof for his said charge against all that Preach the light within is as false as his former where he laies down these words to wit Thou dost not gather men and women into Communion with Christ by Faith teaching them to believe in Jesus Christ c. Which thing he himself who hath openly opposed the light of Christ in all and counted the Doctrine of it a stratagem of Satan is guilty of and not we that own the light for it is the light that brings into communion with God and his Son Jesus Christ for they that say they have fellowship with him and walk in Darkness they lye and do not the truth but they that walk in the Light are in the true fellowship and faith and know the Blood of Christ to cleanse them from all sin Also J. VV. his charging us with gathering by works and not by Faith in warning all people to look to the light within and such as receive this Doctrine with being as ignorant as heathens and absolute infidels in this hath he slandered us and shewed himself to be an Infidel who sees not the light within 〈◊〉 owns it for the Infidels were such as in whom the God of the World did blind their minds from seeing the light of the Glorious Gospel which shineth in the heart and giveth the knowledge of the Glory of God to them that believe in it and so works without Faith we deny but the works that are wrought in the Faith and in the light we own and though J. W. hath so much warned people from looking to the light within as that which must bring them to reconciliation and justification yet in pages 124. and 125. he hath contradicted his matter against the light within for there he speaks of being set free and justified by performing the condition of the second Covenant as Repentance Faith and Gospel Obedience which those that have sined may perform through the assistance of Gods Spirit c. as also he saith so far forth as Persons come to be in Covenant with Christ and are enabled by him to walk according to his direction so far are these said to have Christ formed in them that is to be brought into a blessed destate of freedom from the guilt of sin of freedom from the power and dominion of sin of assurance of redemption from the first death and of deliverance from the second and so by Christ to be Intituled to Eternal Life c. Now how should those who have sinned perform the condition of the second Covenant through the assistance of Gods Spirit or come into the True Faith and Gospel obedience and to know Christ formed in them unless that Gods Spirit or Light be known or owned within and if those that have sinned may come to this state of Faith and Obedience and freedom from the guilt and power of sin by the Spirit of God then a measure of this Spirit or light is given to all men without exception seeing that the sinners themselves are not exempted from it according to J. W. his own words and thus hath he grosly confounded himself in his own while rayling against the Preaching up of the light within and another while confessing to the Spirit of God or light even in the wicked J. W. his fourth Charge is thus viz. Thou which Preachest that all men should mind the light which is within them dost deny the Christ of God which dyed at Jerusalem because thou hast said to me when I have made as large a confession of Christ as I now have done that I am ignorant of Christ c. Answer What a silly Reason is this against those that Preach that all should mind the light within as if he had said that because he has made a large confession of Christ therefore he is not ignorant of him when as the Devil who favours not the things of God hath been made to confesse Christ and many do confess Christ in words as largly as J. W. and yet are ignorant of him and of the Power of his death and Sufferings as J. W. is whilest he shews him self an enemy to the Light of Christ which we own and we do not deny either the coming of Christ or his suffering in the flesh as we are falsly accused by this reviler neither do we deny Christs reconciling of the world nor teach any thing contrary to that of Rom. 5.10 2 Cor. 5.19 as J. W. hath implicitely accused us for we know and Preach reconciliation through Christs death and Salvation through his life whose life is the light of men and this is not any establishing of our own Righteousnesse as falsly we are accused neither are we strangers unto the Doctrine of Justification by the Grace of God through the redemption that is in Christ whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood but how are any justified by the Grace of God whilst they deny the light within for is not the light of Christ within the free gift of his Grace which hath appeared to all men and which by his Righteousness hath come upon all men Rom. 5.18 Titus 2.11 Which Righteousness is received where the light of Christ within is obeyed and he thereby made known to be a propitiation through Faith in his blood and we who are come to own this in the true Faith are come to self-denyal and to deny self-righteousness contrary to J. W. his false accusations against us who Preach the light within Who also saith in his twelfth page But self must be denyed and self righteousness which is of the Law yea when men have done all whatsoever they are commanded they are to say with humble hearts they have done but what was their duty c. Answer What an Ignoramus is this man who puts no difference betwixt Self-righteousness which is to be denyed and the doing whatsoever we are commanded which is our duty as if he had said in denying self-righteousness you must deny your duty or that self-righteousness is mens duty when as that which brings men to do their duty to God in obeying his commands is of God and though man as in the Servants state may abase and humble himself yet that Principle of Faith which brings him to do his duty is to be esteemed
20.4 to Query What part of man is it which is capable of being beheaded Is it not the Body Therefore the bodies lived c. When as that of Rev. 20.4 speaketh onely of the Souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus and the Word of God so that his reason is as if he had said that because the souls of them that were beheaded lived therefore their Bodies when they were beheaded lived when as the souls and that which was beheaded are spoken of as distinct things viz. the Souls of them that were beheaded so that where the Scripture mentions the souls as including the whole man or men as Gen. 46.27 which J. W. cites this will not prove his absurdity and the like reason for his dream about the bodies hath he in page 70. from Luke 16. of the rich mans being tormented which torment he saith is to be vnderstood to be upon the body of the rich man from his desire that Lazarus might be sent to dip his finger in Water to cool his tongue a part of his Body c. Wherein I.W. sheweth himself both ignorant of Parables and mysteries wherein he hath implyed as if the rich mans body was then in hell when he was so tormented when as Christ saith The rich man dyed and was buried and speaks that of Lazarus the rich man as in the time past then where was that Hell out of which he that was in it could see Lazarus in Abrahams bosom betwixt Abraham and which Hell there was a great gulf fixed And what was it in the rich man then that let him see Abraham and Lazarus a far off Did he see them when he was in Hell with bodily eyes yea or nay And as for I. W. his Comparison page 55. of the Wheat arising out of that very Seed and that very Kernel which was sown even so saith he shall it be in the Resurrection from the Dead the Natural and Visible bodies of those that believe in Christ although they shall not be raised as they are sown yet they shall be raised out of the Grave c. This is contrary to Iob. 7.9 and 1 Cor. 15.37 and this his Comparison doth not paralel his matter intended and asserted unless he can prove that the Bodies of all that are deceased or die are so reserved and their substance remain in the Earth or Sea where they die as the Wheat that is sown which brings forth its own Body which absurdity no rational man will believe though herein he hath contradicted himself for the same grain of Wheat that is sown is not that Body or Ear that grows forth and said the Apostle 1 Cor. 15.37 Thou sowest not that Body that shall be though every Seed shall have its own Body which who knows the mystery of the differing Seeds they come to know the Body of each which are of the Nature of those Seeds they belong to and there is also a Natural Body and a Spiritual Body which are distinct things as there is a first man and a second man which differ and so there are Terrestial Bodies and Bodies Caelestial which are discerned and the state of each distinguished where that Body which is Spiritual which differs from that which was Natural is discerned and seen and this is hid from all blind and empty Professors who are in their Dreams and Imaginations imagining that they shall see God with their Carnal or Visible Eyes and by such imaginations have in the long night of Apostacy blinded the simple and begot them into a blind Faith and Hope which stands not in the Power of God nor the Seed which is Christ which is risen to destroy and to root out the evil Seed which has been sown in the night by the envious one whose work they are in that oppose the good and where proves J. W. by Scripture that man that was made of the dust of the Earth had not in his Body dyed or returned to dust had he not transgressed as in page 61. Must not all things return to their Center For shall not the Bodies of the Just return to dust who are redeemed from Transgression and washed from sin by the Blood of Christ What was that death that Adam dyed in the day he eat of the forbidden fruit seeing that his Body lived hundreds of years after that CHAP. IV. Concerning what we appeal to in men and the Subject of our Exhortations And J. W. his gross Lyes and Slanders against us about these things WHereas J. W. hath accused us of Fearful Blasphemy for speaking to the Light in the Conscience or to the Seed of God in men Which saith he supposeth that that which they call Christ hath done Iniquity else why do they say Repent repent with exhortations to depart from sin c. So that he saith They reprove Christ exhort Christ councel Christ yea they say they speak to that of God in the Conscience which shall eternally witness so that they Teach God reprove God counsel God Oh horrible blasphemy thus far J. W. page 98. c. Answer What abominable falshoods gross mistakes are these against us for as we are manifest in mens consciences in the sight of God so we appeal or speak to his Light in them as our witnesse which beareth Testimony to what we say and do not make that Light the subject of our exhortations or reproofs but the Creature that is to be turned to Christ and his light within neither is the Light ever reproveable or guilty of any evil but that which transgresseth it And this light we appeal to as our witness for the Truth even in the wicked who rebel against it and we are a good favor to God even in them that perish And so his charge against us as not Preaching to the Creature man when we appeal to the Witness of God in men is exceeding false and foolish For cannot men appeal to any thing as a witness for Truth and true Judgement but they must make it the Subject which they reprove or appeal against What gross ignorance is this J.W. is in And is not the Truth where ever it is Preached manifest to that of God in mens Consciences and in our speaking or appealing to the light of Christ in mens Consciences we do not suppose that Christ is saved by our Preaching nor that he is in a fallen condition as impudently this Baptist hath accused us in page 99. And whereas he seems so much to be offended that any Doctrine or Ministry should be directed to the Seed of God in man or that Salvation should be tendred to that he hath manifested himself wholly ignorant of the Seed of God in that state as a Seed For do not the Promises of God belong to the Seed and when the Spirit of Promise moves any true Witnesse to declare them are they not to be directed to the Seed which they belong to should the Prophets mouths have been stopt when