not under the Law but under Grace Q. How cometh the Apostle then to cry out and complain of Sin saying Who shall deliver me from the Body of this Death Doth he speak that as a Condition always permanent to him and other Saints or only that which he had passed through What saith he afterwards A. There is therefore now no Condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus Rom. 8.1 2 3 5 36 37 38 39. who walk not after the Flesh but after the Spirit for the Law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the Law of Sin and Death Who shall separate us from the Love of Christ Shall Tribulation or Distress or Persecution or Sword as it is written For thy sake we are killed all the Day long we are accounted as Sheep for the Slaughter Nay in all these things we are more than Conquerors through him that loved us For I am perswaded that neither Death nor Life nor Angels nor Principalities nor Powers nor things present nor things to come nor Height nor Depth nor any other Creature shall be able to separate us from the Love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Q. What saith that Apostle then unto such who taking Occasion from his words should plead for Continuance in Sin for Term of Life and think to be saved by the Imputative Righteousness of Christ as being under Grace A. What shall we say then shall we continue in Sin Rom. 6.1 2. that Grace may abound God forbid What then shall we sin because we are not under the Law but under Grace God forbid Q. Is not the Apostle then so far from supposing that Condition of being always under Sin to be his own Constant Condition Freedom from Sin or that of all the Saints that he even supposes many of the then Church of Rome to whom he wrote to be free of it How bespeaketh he then as in relation to this matter A. How shall we that are Dead to Sin Rom. 6.2 7 11 12 13 16 23. live any longer therein Know ye not that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his Death Therefore we are Buried with him by Baptism into Death that like as Christ was raised up from the Dead by the Glory of the Father even so we also should walk in Newness of Life For if we have been planted together in the Likeness of his Death we shall be also in the Likeness of his Resurrection knowing this that our Old Man is crucified with him that the Body of Sin might be destroyed that henceforth we should not serve Sin for he that is dead is free from Sin Likewise reckon ye also your selves to be dead indeed unto Sin but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. Let not Sin therefore reign in your mortal Body that ye should obey it in the Lusts thereof Neither yield ye your Members as Instruments of Unrighteousness unto Sin but yield yourselves unto God as those that are alive from the Dead and your Members as Instruments of Righteousness unto God Know ye not that to whom ye yield your selves Servants to obey his servants ye are to whom ye obey whether of Sin unto Death or of Obedience unto Righteousness But God be thanked that ye were the Servants of Sin but ye have Obeyed from the Heart that form of Doctrine which was delivered unto you Being then made free from Sin ye became the Servants of Righteousness I speak after the manner of Men because of the Infirmity of your Flesh for as ye have yielded your Members Servants to Uncleanness and to Iniquity even so now yield your Members Servants to Righteousness unto Holiness For when ye were the Servants of Sin ye were free from Righteousness What Fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed for the End of those things is Death But now being made free from Sin and become Servants to God ye have your Fruit unto Holiness and the End Everlasting Life For the Wages of Sin is Death but the Gift of God is Eternal Life through Jesus Christ our Lord. Q It would appear then that God requires of us to be Perfect A. Be ye therefore Perfect even as your Father which is in Heaven Matt. 5.48 is Perfect Q. Is it then possible to keep the Commandments A. My Yoke is easie and my Burden is light For this is the Law of God Matt. 11.30 that we keep his Commandments and his Commandments are not grievous 1 John 5.3 Q. Is it necessary then for Salvation to keep the Commandments A. Blessed are they that do his Commandments that they may have Right to the Tree of Life Rev. 22.14 and may enter in through the Gates into the City Q. Do you understand by this Perfection that any have so kept the Commandments as never to have sinned 1 John 1.10 A. If we say that we have not sinned we make him a Liar and his Word is not in us Q Do you understand that those who are Perfect may say they have no Sin or only that having sinned and so having Sin in respect they once sinned as the Apostle in the Passage cited mentions May they notwithstanding thereof come to know Forgiveness for the Guilt but also Cleansing from the Filth A. If we say we have no Sin we deceive our selves and the Truth is not in us 1 John 1.8 If we confess our Sins he is Faithful and Just to forgive us our Sins and to cleanse us from all Unrighteousness Q. This Scripture seems to be very plain being compared with the other before mentioned But because some are apt to mistake and wrest the Words of that Apostle What saith he else-where Did he judge any could know God or be True Christians who kept not the Commandments A. My little Children these things write I unto you that ye Sin not 1 John 2.1 3 4 5 6 3.2 10. and if any Man sin we have an Advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the Righteous And hereby do we know that we know him if we keep his Commandments He that saith I know him and keepeth not his Commandments is a Liar and the Truth is not in him But who so keepeth his Word in him verily is the Love of God perfected Hereby know we that we are in him He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also to walk even as he walked Beloved now are we the Sons of God and it doth not yet appear what we shall be but we know that when we shall appear we shall be like him for we shall see him as he is And every Man that hath this Hope in him purifieth himself even as he is pure Whosoever committeth Sin transgresseth also the Law for Sin is the Transgression of the Law And ye know that he was manifested to take away our Sins and in him is no Sin Whosoever abideth in
Advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the Righteous and he is the Propitiation for our Sins and not for ours only but also for the Sins of the whole World q 1 Joh 2.1 2. For by the Grace of God he hath tasted Death for every Man r Hebr 2.9 And gave himself a Ransom for all to be testified in due Time s 1 Tim. 2.6 Willing all Men to be saved and to come to the Knowledge of the Truth t 1 Tim. 2.4 Not willing that any should perish but that all should come to Repentance u 2 Pet. 3.9 For God sent not his Son into the World to Condemn the World but that the World through him might be saved x John 3 17. And Christ came a Light into the World that whosoever believeth in him should not abide in Darkness y John 12.46 Therefore as by the Offence of One Judgment came upon All Men to Condemnation even so by the Righteousness of One the free Gift came upon all Men to Justification of Life z Rom. 5.18 ARTICLE XI Concerning the Light that enlightneth every Man THe Gospel was preached to every Creature under Heaven a Col. 1.23 which Gospel is the Power of God unto Salvation to them that believe b Rom. 1.16 And if it be hid it is hid to them that are lost in whom the God of this World hath blinded the Minds of them which believe not lest the Light of the glorious Gospel of Christ should shine into them c 2 Cor. 4.3 4. And this is the Condemnation that Light is come into the World and Men love Darkness rather than Light because their Deeds are Evil d John 3.19 And this was the true Light which lightneth every Man that cometh into the World e John 1.9 By which all things that are reproveable are made manifest for whatsoever maketh manifest is Light f Ephes. 5.11 Every one that doth Evil hateth the Light neither cometh to the Light lest his Deeds should be reproved but he that doth Truth cometh to to the Light that his Deeds may be made manifest that they are wrought in God g Joh. 3 20 21. And they that walk in the Light as Christ is in the Light have Fellowship one with another and the Blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth them from all Sin h 1 John 1. Therefore ought we to believe in the Light while we have the Light that we may be the Children of the Light i John 12.36 Therefore to Day if we will hear his Voice let us not harden our Hearts k Hebr. 4 7. For Christ wept over Jerusalem saying If thou hadst known even thou at least in this thy Day the Things which belong unto thy Peace But now they are hid from thine Eyes l Luke 19.42 And he would often have gathered her Children as a Hen gathereth her Chickens but they would not m Matth. 23.37 for the stiff-necked and uncircumcised in Heart and Ears do always Resist the Holy Ghost n Acts 7.51 And are of those that Rebel against the Light o Job 24.13 Therefore God's Spirit will not always strive with Man p Gen. 7.3 For the Wrath of God is revealed from Heaven against all Vngodliness and Vnrighteousness of Men who hold the Truth in Unrighteousness q Rom. 1.18 Because what is to be known of God is manifest in them for God hath shewed it unto them r Rom. 1.19 And a Manifestation of the Spirit is given to every Man to profit withal s 1 Cor. 12.7 For the Grace of God that brings Salvation hath appeared to all Men teaching us that denying Ungodliness and Worldly Lusts we should live Soberly Righteously and Godly in this present World t Tit. 2.11 12. And this Word of this Grace is able to build up and give an Inheritance among all those that are Sanctified u Acts 20.32 For the Word of God is quick and powerful and sharper than any two-edged Sword piercing even to the dividing asunder of the Soul and Spirit and of the Joints and Marrow and is a Discerner of the Thoughts and Intents of the Heart x Hebr. 4.12 Is that more sure Word of Prophesy whereunto we do well that we take heed as unto a Light that shineth in a dark place until the Day dawn and the Day-Star arise in the Heart y 2 Pet. 1. â—9 And this is the Word of Faith which the Apostles Preached which is nigh in the Mouth and in the Heart z Rom. 10.8 For God who commanded Light to shine out of Darkness hath shined in our Hearts to give the Light of the Knowledge of the Glory of God in the Face of Jesus Christ a 2 Cor. 4.6 But we have this Treasure in Earthen Vessels that the Excellency of the Power may be of God b 2 Cor. 4.7 and not of us for the Kingdom of God cometh not by Observation but is within us ARTICLE XII Concerning Faith and Justification FAith is the Substance of things hoped for and the Evidence of things not seen d Hebr. 11.1 Without which it is impossible to please God e Hebr. 11.6 Therefore we are justified by Faith which worketh by Love f Gal. 5.6 For Faith without Works being dead is by Works made perfect g Jam. 2.23 26. By the Deeds of the Law there shall no Flesh be justified h Rom. 3.20 Nor yet by the Works of Righteousness which we have done but according to his Mercy we are saved by the Washing of Regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost i 1 Tit. 3.5 For we are both washed sanctified and justified in the Name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God k 1 Cor. 6.11 ARTICLE XIII Concerning Good Works IF we live after the Flesh we shall die but if we through the Spirit do mortifie the Deeds of the Body we shall live l Rom. 8.13 For they which believe in God must be careful to maintain good Works m T it 3.8 For God will render to every Man according to his Deeds according to his Righteous Judgment to them who by patient Continuance in well-doing seek for Glory Honour and Immortality Eternal Life n Rom. 2.6 7. For such are counted worthy of the Kingdom of God o 2 Thess. 1.5 and cast not away their Confidence which hath great Recompence of Reward p Hebr. 10.35 Blessed then are they that do his Commandments that they may have Right to the Tree of Life and may enter in through the Gates into the City q Rev. 22.14 ARTICLE XIV Concerning Perfection SIn shall not have Dominion over such as are not under the Law but under Grace r Rom. 6.14 For there is no Condemnation to those that are in Christ Jesus who walk not after the Flesh but after the Spirit for the Law of the
wholly bound up to these things already delivered in the Scriptures as if God had spoke his last words there to his People * So saith James Durham a noted Man among the Presbyterians in his Exposition upon the Revelations we are put with our own natural Understandings to Debate about the Meanings of it and forced to Interpret them not as they plainly speak but according to the Analogy of a certain Faith made by Men not so much contrived to answer the Scriptures as the Scriptures are strained to vindicate it which to doubt of is also counted Heresy deserving no less than Ejection out of our Native Country and to be Robbed of the Common Aid our Nativity entitles us to And on this hand we may boldly say both Papists and Protestants have greatly gone aside On the other hand some are so great Pretenders to inward Motions and Revelations of the Spirit that there are no Extravagancies so wild which they will not cloak with it and so much are they for every ones following their own Mind as can admit of no Christian Fellowship and Community nor of that good Order and Discipline which the Church of Christ never was nor can be without This gives an open Door to all Libertinism and brings great Reproach to the Christian Faith And on this hand have foully fall'n the German Anabaptists so call'd John of Leyden Knipperdolling c. in case these monstrous things committed by them be such as they are related and some more moderate of that kind have been found among the People in England called Ranters as it is true the People called Quakers have been branded with both of these Extreams it is as true it hath been and is their Work to Avoid them and to be found in that even and good Path of the Primitive Church where all were no doubt led and acted by the Holy Spirit and might all have prophesied one by one and yet there was a Subjection of the Prophets to the Spirits of the Prophets There was an Authority some had in the Church yet it was for Edification and not for Destruction there was an Obedience in the Lord to such as were set over and a being taught by such and yet a knowing of the Inward Anointing by which each Individual was to be led into all Truth The Work and Testimony the Lord hath given us is to Restore this again and to set both these in their right place without causing them to destroy one another To manifest how this is Accomplished and Accomplishing among us is the Business of this Treatise which I hope will give some Satisfaction to Men of sober Judgments and impartial and unprejudicate Spirits and may be made useful in the good Hand of the Lord to Confirm and Establish Friends against their present Opposers Which is mainly intended and earnestly prayed for By The 17th of the 8th Month 1674. Robert Barclay THE CONTENTS Section I. THe Introduction and Method of this Treatise Section II. Concerning the Ground and Cause of this Controversie Section III. Whether there be any Order or Government in the Church of Christ. Section IV. Of the Order and Government we plead for Section V. In what Cases and how far this Government extends Section VI. How far this Government extends in Matters Spiritual and purely Conscientious Section VII Concerning the Power of Decision Section VIII How this Government altogether differeth from the Oppressing and Persecuting Principality of the Church of Rome and other Antichristian Assemblies The Conclusion THE Anarchy of the Ranters c. year 1674 SECTION I. The Introduction and Method of this Treatise AFter that the Lord God in his own appointed time had seen meet to put an End to the Dispensation of the Law The End of the Law and Beginning of the Gospel-Dispensation recited which was delivered to the Children of Israel by the Ministry of Moses through and by whom he did Communicate unto them in the Wilderness from Mount Sinai divers Commandments Ordinances Appointments and Observations according as they are testified in the Writings of the Law it pleased him to send his own Son the Lord Jesus Christ in the fulness of Time who having perfectly fulfilled the Law and the Righteousness thereof gave Witness to the Dispensation of the Gospel And having Approved himself and the Excellency of his Doctrine by many Great and Wonderful Signs and Miracles he sealed it with his Blood and Triumphing over Death of which it was impossible for him to be held he cherished and encouraged his despised Witnesses who had believed in him in that he Appeared to them after he was raised from the Dead comforting them with the Hope and Assurance of the pouring forth of his Spirit by which they were to be led and ordered in all things in and by which he was to be with them to the End of the World not suffering the Gates of Hell to prevail against them By which Spirit come upon them they being filled were emboldned to preach the Gospel without Fear and in a short time Thousands were added to the Church and the Multitude of them that believed were of One Heart and of One Soul and great Love and Zeal prevailed and there was nothing lacking for a season But all that was Caught in the Net did not prove Good and Wholsom Fish some were again to be Cast in that Ocean from whence they were Drawn of those many that were Called The Divers Sorts of them that were called in the Apostles days all proved not Chosen Vessels fit for the Master's Use and of all that were brought into the great Supper and Marriage of the King's Son there were that were found without the Wedding-Garment Some made a Shew for a Season and afterwards fell away there were that drew back there were that made Shipwrack of Faith and of a Good Conscience there were not only such as did backslide themselves but sought to draw others into the same Perdition with themselves seeking to overturn their Faith also yea there were that brought in Damnable Heresies even denying the Lord that bought them And also of those Members that became not wholly Corrupt for some were never again Restored by Repentance there were that were weak and sickly and young some were to be fed with Milk and not with strong Meat some were to be purged when the Old Leaven received any place and some to be Cut off for a season to be shut out as it were of the Camp for a time until their Leprosy were healed and then to be received in again Moreover as to Outwards there was the Care of the Poor of the Widow The Order in the Church of God in the Outward of the Fatherless of the Strangers c. Therefore the Lord Jesus Christ who is the Head of the Body the Church for the Church is the Body of Christ and the Saints are the several Members of that Body knowing in his infinite Wisdom what was
hereunto we stand there for this Word always proceedeth and doth Eternally proceed from God in and by which the Vnsearchable Wisdom of God and Vnsearchable Counsel and Will Conceived in the Heart of God is Revealed unto us That then the Scripture is not the Principal Ground of Faith and Knowledge as it appears by what is above spoken so it is provided in the latter part of the Proposition which being Reduced to an Argument runs thus That the Certainty and Authority whereof depends upon another and which is received as Truth because of its proceeding from another is not to be accounted the Principal Ground and Origin of all Truth and Knowledge But The Scriptures Authority and Certainty depends upon the Spirit by which they were dictated and the Reason why they were received as Truth is because they proceeded from the Spirit Therefore They are not the Principal Ground of Truth To Confirm this Argument I added the School-Maxime Propter quod unumquodque est tale illud ipsum est magis tale Which Maxime though I Confess it doth not hold Vniversally in all things yet in this it both doth and will very well hold as by Applying it as we have above Intimated will appear Neither are they the Primary Rule of Faith and Manners The same Argument will hold as to the other Branch of the Proposition That it is not the Primary Adequate Rule of Faith and Manners thus That which is not the Rule of my Faith in believing the Scriptures themselves is not the Primary Adequate Rule of Faith and Manners But The Scripture is not nor can it be the Rule of that Faith by which I believe them c. Therefore c. But as to this part we shall produce divers Arguments hereafter As to what is Affirmed That the Spirit and not the Scriptures is the Rule it is largely handled in the former Proposition the Sum whereof I shall Subsume in one Argument thus That the Spirit is the Rule If by the Spirit we can only come to the True Knowledge of God If by the Spirit we be to be led into all Truth and so be Taught of all things Then the Spirit and not the Scriptures is the Foundation and Ground of all Truth and Knowledge and the Primary Rule of Faith and Manners But the First is True Therefore also the Last Next The very Nature of the Gospel it self declareth that the Scriptures cannot be the Only and Chief Rule of Christians else there should be no Difference betwixt the Law and the Gospel As from the Nature of the New Covenant by divers Scriptures described in the former Proposition is proved Wherein the Law and Gospel differ But besides these which are before-mentioned herein doth the Law and the Gospel differ In that the Law being outwardly written brings under Condemnation but hath not Life in it to save whereas the Gospel as it declares and makes manifest the Evil so it being an Inward Powerful thing also gives Power to Obey and delivers from the Evil Hence it is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is Glad Tidings The Law or Letter which is without us kills but the Gospel which is the Inward Spiritual Law gives Life for it consists not so much in Words as in Vertue Wherefore such as come to know it and be acquainted with it come to feel greater Power over their Iniquities than all Outward Laws or Rules can give them Hence the Apostle concludes Rom. 6.14 Sin shall not have dominion over you for ye are not under the Law but under Grace This Grace then that is inward and not an outward Law is to be the Rule of Christians Hereunto the Apostle Commends the Elders of the Church saying Acts 20.32 And now Brethren I commend you to God and to the Word of his Grace which is able to build you up and to give you an Inheritance among all those that are sanctified He doth not commend them here to Outward Laws or Writings but to the Word of Grace which is Inward even the Spiritual Law which makes free as he elsewhere Affirms Rom. 8.2 The Law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the Law of Sin and Death This Spiritual Law is that which the Apostle declares he preached and directed People unto which was not Outward as Rom. 10.8 is manifest where distinguishing it from the Law he saith The Word is nigh thee in thy heart and in thy mouth and this is the Word of Faith which we preach From what is above said I argue thus The Principal Rule of Christians under the Gospel is not an Outward Letter nor Law outwardly written and delivered but an Inward Spiritual Law ingraven in the heart the Law of the Spirit of Life the Word that is nigh in the heart and in the mouth But The Letter of the Scripture is Outward of it self a dead thing a meer Declaration of good things but not the Things themselves Therefore it nor is nor can be the Chief or Principal Rule of Christians § III. Thirdly That which is given to Christians for a Rule and Guide The Scripture not the Rule must needs be so full as it may clearly and distinctly Guide and Order them in all things and occurrences that may fall out But in that there are many hundred of things with a regard to their Circumstances particular Christians may be concerned in for which there can be no particular Rule had in the Scriptures Therefore the Scriptures cannot be a Rule to them I shall give an Instance in two or three Particulars for to prove this Proposition It is not to be doubted but some men are particularly called to some particular services their being not found in which though the Act be no general positive Duty yet in so far as it may be Required of them is a great Sin to Omit forasmuch as God is zealous of his Glory and every Act of Disobedience to his Will Manifested is enough not only to hinder one greatly from that Comfort and Inward Grace which otherwise they might have but also bringeth Condemnation As for Instance Some are Called to the Ministry of the Word Paul saith There was a Necessity upon him to preach the Gospel Wo unto me if I preach not If it be Necessary that there be now Ministers of the Church as well as then then there is the same Necessity upon some more than upon others to occupy this place which Necessity as it may be Incumbent upon particular persons the Scripture neither doth nor can declare If it be said Object That the Qualifications of a Minister are found in the Scripture and by applying these Qualifications to my self I may know whether I be fit for such a place or no. I Answer The Qualifications of a Bishop or Minister Answ. as they are mentioned both in the Epistle to Timothy and Titus are such as may be found in a private Christian yea which ought in
he was Separated to be an Apostle Capable to impart to the Romans Spiritual gifts and Chapter 8. vers 2. That the Law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus had made him free from the Law of sin and death so then he was not Carnal And seeing there are Spiritual men in this life as our Adversaries will not deny and is intimated through this whole 8 Chapter to the Romans it will not be denied but the Apostle was one of them So then as his calling himself Carnal in Chap. 7. cannot be understood of his own proper state neither can the rest of what he speaks there of that kind be so understood yea after verse 24. where he makes that Exclamation he adds in the next verse I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord signifying that by him he witnessed deliverance and so goeth on shewing how he had obtained it in the next Chapter viz. 8. v. 35. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ and vers 37. But in all these things we are more than Conquerors And in the last verse Nothing shall be able to separate us c. But wherever there is a Continuing in sin there is a separation in some degree seeing every Sin is contrary to God and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. Trangression of the Law I Joh. 3.4 and whoever committeth the least Sin is overcome of it and so in that respect is not a Conqueror * Whom sin has Conquer'd is no Conqueror but Conquered This Condition then which the Apostle plainly testified he with Some others had obtained could not consist with Continual Remaining and Abiding in Sin †Obj. IV. Fourthly They object the Faults and Sins of several Eminent Saints as Noah David c. I Answer That doth not at all prove the Case For the question is not Whether good men may not fall into sin which is not denied Answ. but Whether it be not possible for them not to sin It will not follow because these men sinned that therefore they were never free of sin but always sinned For at this rate of arguing it might be urged according to this Rule Contrariorum par ratio i. e. The reason of Contraries is alike That if because a Good man hath sinned once or twice he can never be free from sin Can they that sin be never freed from sin but must always be daily and continually a sinner all his life long then by the Rule of Contraries If a Wicked man have done good once or twice he can never be free from Righteousness but must always be a Righteous man all his life time which as it is most Absurd in it self so it is Contrary to the plain Testimony of the Scripture Ezech. 33.12 to the 18 th Lastly they Object That if Perfection or Freedom from sin be Attainable Object V this will render Mortification of Sin useless and make the Blood of Christ of no service to us neither need we any more pray for forgiveness of sins I Answer I had almost omitted this Objection Answ. because of the manifest Absurdity of it For can Mortification of sin be useless where the End of it is obtained seeing there is no attaining of this perfection but by mortification Doth the hope and belief of Overcoming render the Fight unnecessary Let rational men judge which hath most sense in it to say as our Adversaries do It is necessary that we fight and wrestle Who fights and not in hopes to Overcome his Foe but we must never think of overcoming We must resolve still to be overcome Or to say Let us fight because we may overcome Whether do such as believe they may be Cleansed by it or those that believe they can never be Cleansed by it render the Blood of Christ most effectual If Two Men were both grievously diseased and applied themselves to a Physician for Remedy which of those do most Commend the Physician and his Cure he that believeth he may be Cured by him and as he feels himself Cured confesseth that he is so and so can say This is a skilful Physician This is good Medicine behold I am made whole by it or he that never is Cured nor ever believes that he can so long as he lives As for praying for forgiveness we deny it not Praying for Forgiveness of Sin for that all have sinned and therefore all need to pray that their sins past may be blotted out and that they may be daily preserved from sinning And if hoping or believing to be made free from sin hinders praying for forgiveness of sin it would follow by the same Inference that men ought not to forsake Murder Adultery or any of these gross Evils seeing the more men are sinful the more plentiful occasion there would be of asking forgiveness of sin and the more work for Mortification But the Apostle hath sufficiently refuted such sin-pleasing Cavils in these words Rom. 6.1 2. Shall we continue in sin that Grace may abound God forbid But Lastly It may be easily answered by a Retortion to those that press this from the words of the Lord's Prayer Forgive us our debts that this militates no less against perfect Justification than against perfect Sanctification For if all the Saints the least as well as the greatest be perfectly Justified in that very hour wherein they are Converted as our Adversaries will have it then they have Remission of sins long before they die May it not then be said to them What need have ye to pray for Remission of Sin who are already Justified whose sins are long ago forgiven both past and Prop. 9 to come § X. But this may suffice Concerning this Possibility Jerom speaks clearly enough Testimonies of the Fathers concerning Perfection or Freedom from Sin lib. 3. adver Pelagium This we also say that a man may not sin if he will for a time and place according to his bodily weakness so long as his mind is Intent so long as the Cords of the Cythar relax not by any Vice And again in the same Book Which is that that I said that it is put in our power to wit being helped by the Grace of God either to sin Jerom. or not to sin For this was the Error of Pelagius which we indeed reject and abhor and which the Fathers deservedly withstood that man by his natural strength without the help of God's Grace could attain to that state Augustine so as not to sin And Augustine himself a great Opposer of the Pelagian Heresy did dot deny this possibility as Attainable by the help of God's Grace as in his Book de Spiritu Literâ cap. 2. and his Book de Naturâ Gratiâ against Pelagius cap. 42 50 60 63. de Gestis Concilii Palaestini Gelasius cap. 7. II. and de Peccatô Originali lib. 2. cap. II. Gelasius also in his Disputation against Pelagius saith But if any affirm that this may be
visible and invisible whether they be Thrones or Dominions or Principalities or Powers All things were created by him and for him God hath in these last Days spoken unto us by his Son whom he hath appointed Heir of all things Hebr. 1.2 by whom also he made the Worlds Q. These are very clear that even the World was Created by Christ But what Scriptures prove the Divinity of Christ against such as falsly deny the same A. And the Word was God John 1 1. Rom. 9.5 Whose are the Fathers and of whom as concerning the Flesh Christ came who is over all God blessed for ever Amen Who being in the Form of God thought it no Robbery to be Equal with God Phil 2.6 And we know that the Son of God is come and hath given us an Understanding 1 John 5.20 that we may know him that is true and we are in him that is true even in his Son Jesus Christ This is the true God and Eternal Life Q. What are the Glorious Names the Scripture gives unto Jesus Christ the Eternal Son of God A And his Name shall be called Wonderful Counsellor The Mighty God Isai. 9.5 The Everlasting Father The Prince of Peace Who is the Image of the Invisible God the First-born of every Creature Col. 1.15 Who being the Brightness of his Glory and the Express Image of his Person or more properly Hebr. 1.3 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 according to the Greek of his Substance Rev. 19.13 And he was cloathed with a Vesture dipt in Blood and his Name is called The Word of God Q. After what manner was the Birth of Christ Matth. 1.18 A. Now the Birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise When as his Mother Mary was espoused to Joseph before they came together she was found with Child of the Holy Ghost And the Angel said unto her Fear not Mary for thou hast found Favour with God And behold thou shalt conceive in thy Womb and bring forth a Son and shalt call his Name Jesus He shall be Great and shall be called The Son of the Highest The Birth of Christ. and the Lord God shall give unto him the Throne of his Father David Then said Mary unto the Angel How shall this be seeing I know not a Man Luke 1.30 31 32 34 35. And the Angel answered and said unto her The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee and the Power of the Highest shall over-shadow thee Therefore also that Holy Thing that shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God Q. Was Jesus Christ who was born of the Virgin Mary and supposed to be the Son of Joseph a True and Real Man A. Forasmuch as the Children are Partakers of Flesh and Blood Hebr. 2.14 he also himself took part of the same that through Death he might destroy him that had the Power of Death that is the Devil For verily he took not on him the Nature of Angels Hebr. 2.16 17. but He took on him the Seed of Abraham wherefore in all things it behoved him To be made like unto his Brethren that he might be a Merciful and Faithful High-Priest c. For we have not an High-Priest Hebr. 4.15 which cannot be Touched with the feeling of our Infirmities but was in all Points tempted as we are yet without Sin And the Gift by Grace which is by one Man Jesus Christ Hebr. 5.15 hath abounded unto many But now is Christ risen from the Dead 1 Cor. 15.20 21. and become the First-Fruits of them that slept for since by Man came Death by Man came also the Resurrection of the Dead Q. After what manner doth the Scripture assert the Conjunction and Unity of the Eternal Son of God in and with the Man Christ Jesus A. And the Word was made Flesh John 1.14 and dwelt among us and we beheld his Glory the Glory as of the Only Begotten of the Father full of Grace and Truth For he whom God hath sent speaketh the Words of God John 3.34 for God giveth not the Spirit by Measure unto him Now God Anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost Acts 10 38. and with Power who went about doing good and healing all that were oppressed of the Devil for God was with him For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell Col. 1.19 For in him dwelleth all the Fulness of the God-head bodily Col. 2.9 In him are hid all the Treasures of Wisdom and Knowledge Col. 2.3 Q. For what End did Christ appear in the World A. For what the Law could not do Rom. 8.3 in that it was weak through the Flesh God sending his Son in the likeness of sinful Flesh and for Sin condemned Sin in the Flesh. For this Purpose the Son of God was manifested 1 John 3.8 9. That he might destroy the Works of the Devil And ye know that he was manifested To take away our Sins Q. Was Jesus Christ really Crucified and Raised again A. For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received 1 Cor. 15.3 4. how that Christ died for our Sins according to the Scriptures And that he was buried and that he rose again the third day according to the Scriptures Q. What End do the Scriptures ascribe unto the Coming Death and Sufferings of Christ. Luke 2.30 31 32. A. For mine Eyes have seen thy Salvation which thou hast prepared before the Face of all People A Light to lighten the Gentiles and the Glory of thy People Israel Rom. 3.25 Whom God hath set forth to be a Propitiation through Faith in his Blood to declare his Righteousness for the Remission of Sins that are past through the forbearance of God And walk in Love as Christ also hath loved us and hath given himself for us an Offering Ephes. 5.2 and a Sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling Savour And having made Peace through the Blood of his Cross by him To Reconcile all things unto himself by him I say whether they be things in Earth or things in Heaven And you that were sometimes alienated and Enemies in your minds by wicked Works yet now hath he reconciled in the Body of his Flesh through Death Col. 1.20 21 22. to present you Holy Vnblamable and Vnreprovable in his Sight Hebr. 9.12 14. Neither by the Blood of Goats and Calves but by his own Blood he entered-in once into the Holy Place having obtained Eternal Redemption for us How much more shall the Blood of Christ who through the Eternal Spirit offer'd himself without Spot to God purge your Consciences from dead Works to serve the Living God 1 Pet. 3.18 For Christ also hath once suffered for Sins the Just for the Unjust that he might bring us to God being put to Death in the Flesh but quickned by the Spirit 1 John 3 16. Hereby perceive we
the Love of God because He laid down his Life for us Hebr. 9.15 And for this Cause he is the Mediator of the New Testament that by means of the Redemption of Transgressions that were under the first Testament They which are called might receive the Promise of the Eternal Inheritance Q. Is Christ then the Mediator 1 Tim. 2.5 A For there is One God and One Mediator between God and Man the Man Christ Jesus who gave himself a Ransom for all to be testified in due time Q. Was not Christ the Mediator until he appeared and was Crucified in the Flesh Rev. 5.12 and 13.8 A He is the Lamb that was slain from the Foundation of the World Q. Is it then needful to believe that the Saints of old did partake of Christ as then present with and nourishing them 1 Cor. 10.1 2 3 4. A. Moreover Brethren I would not that ye should be ignorant how that all our Fathers were under the Cloud and all passed through the Sea and were all baptized unto Moses in the Cloud and in the Sea and did all eat the same spiritual Meat and did all drink the same spiritual Drink for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them and that Rock was Christ. Q. But whereas most of these Scriptures before-mentioned do hold forth that the Death and Sufferings of Christ were appointed for the destroying removing and remitting of Sin Did he so do it while he was outwardly upon Earth as not to leave any thing for himself to do in us nor for us to do in and by his Strength A. For even hereunto were ye called 1 Pet. 2.21 because Christ also suffered for us leaving us an Example that ye should follow his Steps Whereof I Paul am made a Minister Col. 1.23 24. who now rejoice in my Sufferings for you and fill up that which is behind of the Afflictions of Christ in my Flesh for his Body's sake which is the Church Always bearing about in the Body the Dying of the Lord Jesus 2 Cor. 4.10 11. that the Life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our Body For we which live are alway delivered unto Death for Jesus 's sake that the Life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our Mortal Flesh. And that he died for all that they which live 2 Cor. 5.15 should not henceforth live unto themselves but unto him that died for them and also rose again That I may know him and the Power of his Resurrection Phil. 3.10 and the Fellowship of his Sufferings being made conformable to his Death CHAP. IV. Of the New Birth the Inward Appearance of Christ in Spirit and the Vnity of the Saints with him Question DOth Christ promise then to Come again to his Disciples Answer I will not leave you Comfortless I Come unto you John 14.18 Q. Was this only a Special Promise to these Disciples Or is it not the Common Priviledge of the Saints A. For thus saith the High and Lofty One that inhabits Eternity whose Name is Holy I dwell in the High and Holy Place Isa. 57.15 with him also that is of a Contrite and Humble Spirit c. For ye are the Temple of the Living God as God hath said 2 Cor. 6.16 I will dwell in them and walk in them Behold I stand at the Door and knock if any man hear my voice Rev. 3.20 and open the Door I will come in to him and sup with him and he with me Q Doth the Apostle Paul speak of the Son of God's being Revealed in him A. But when it pleased God Gal. 1.15 16. who separated me from my Mother's Womb and called me by his Grace To Reveal his Son in me that I might preach him among the Heathen Q. Is it needful then to know Christ within A. Examine your selves whether ye be in the Faith 2 Cor. 13.5 prove your own selves Know ye not your own selves how that Jesus Christ is in you except ye be Reprobates Q. Was the Apostle Earnest that this Inward Birth of Christ should be brought forth in any A. * Gal. 41.9 My little Children of whom I travel in Birth again until Christ be formed in you Q What saith the same Apostle of the Necessity of this Inward Knowledge of Christ and of the New Creature beyond the Outward A. Wherefore henceforth know we no Man after the Flesh yea though we have known Christ after the Flesh yet now henceforth know we him no more 2 Cor. 5.16 17 Therefore if any Man be in Christ he is a New Creature Old things are passed away behold all things are become New But ye have not so learned Christ if so be that ye have heard him Ephes. 4.21 22 23 24. and have been taught by him as the Truth is in Jesus That ye put off concerning the former Conversation the Old Man which is corrupt according to the deceitful Lusts and to be Renewed in the Spirit of your Mind and that ye Put on the New Man which after God is Created in Righteousness and true Holiness Q. Is this Christ-within the Mystery of God and Hope of Glory which the Apostle Preached Col. 1.27 28. A. To whom God would make known what are the Riches of the Glory of this Mystery among the Gentiles which is Christ in you the Hope of Glory whom ye preach Q. Doth the Apostle any where else press the putting on of this New Birth A. Put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ and make not Provision for the Flesh to fulfil the Lusts thereof Rom. 13.14 Q. Doth he write to any of the Saints as having put off the Old and on the New Man A. For as many of you as have been Baptized into Christ have put on Christ. Gal. 3 27. Seeing that ye have put off the Old Man with his Deeds and have put on the New Man Col. 3.9 10. which is renew'd in Knowledge after the Image of him that created him Q. What speaketh Christ himself of the Necessity of this New Birth John 3.3 A. Jesus answered and said unto him Verily verily I say unto thee Except a Man be born again he cannot see the Kingdom of God Q Of what Seed cometh this Birth 1 Pet. 1.23 A. Being born again not of Corruptible Seed but of Incorruptible by the Word of God which liveth and abideth for ever Q. What doth the Apostle Paul witness of himself concerning this New Life A. I am Crucified with Christ nevertheless I live yet not I but Christ liveth in me Gal. 2.20 Q. What is the Preaching of the Cross of Christ 1 Cor. 1.18 A. For the Preaching of the Cross is to them that perish Foolishness but unto us that are saved it is the Power of God Q. What Effect had this Cross in the Apostle and how much preferreth he the New Creature to all outward and visible Ordinances
is profitable for Doctrine for Reproof for Instruction in Righteousness that the Man of God may be perfect throughly furnished unto all Good Works p 2 Tim. 3.15 16 17. No Prophecy of the Scripture is of any private Interpretation for the Prophecy came not in old time by the Will of Man but Holy Men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost q 2 Pet. 1.20 21. ARTICLE IV. Concerning the Divinity of Christ and his Being from the Beginning IN the Beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God and the same was in the Beginning with God All things were made by him and without him was not any thing made that was made r John 1.1 2 3. Whose Goings forth have been from of Old from Everlasting s Mich. 5.2 For God created all by Jesus Christ t Eph 3.9 Who being in the Form of God thought it no Robbery to be equal with God u Phil. 2.6 And his Name is called Wonderful Counsellor the Mighty God the Everlasting Father the Prince of Peace x Isa. 9.6 Who is the Image of the Invisible God the First-born of every Creature y Col. 1.15 The Brightness of the Father's Glory and the Express Image of his Substance z Hebr. 1.3 Who was cloathed with a Vesture dipt in Blood and his Name is called the Word of God a Rev. 19.13 In him dwelleth all the Fulness of the God-head bodily b Col. 2.9 And in him are hid all the Treasures of Wisdom and Knowledge c Col. 2.3 ARTICLE V. Concerning his Appearance in the Flesh. THe Word was made Flesh d John 14. For he took not on him the Nature of Angels but he took on him the Seed of Abraham being in all things made like unto his Brethren e Hebr. 2.16 17. Touched with a feeling of our Infirmities and in all things tempted like as we are yet without Sin f Hebr. 4.15 He died for our Sins according to the Scriptures and he was Buried and he Rose again the Third Day according to the Scriptures g 1 Cor. 15.3 4. ARTICLE VI. Concerning the End and Use of that Appearance GOD sent his own Son in the Likeness of sinful Flesh and for Sin condemned Sin in the Flesh h Rom. 8.3 For this purpose the Son of God was manifested that he might destroy the Works of the Devil i 1 John 3. Being manifested to take away our Sins k 1 John 3.5 For he gave himself for us an Offering and a Sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling Savour l Eph. 5.2 Having obtained Eternal Redemption for us m Hebr. 9.12 And through the Eternal Spirit offered up himself without Spot unto God to purge our Consciences from dead Works to serve the Living God n Hebr. 9.14 He was the Lamb that was slain from the Foundation of the World o Rev. 5.1 12 13. Of whom the Fathers did all drink of that spiritual Rock that followed them and that Rock was Christ p 1 Cor. 10.1 2 3 4. Christ also suffered for us leaving us an Example that we should follow his Steps q 1 Pet. 2.21 For we are to bear about in the Body the dying of the Lord Jesus that the Life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our Body being alway delivered unto Death for Jesus sake that the Life also of Jesus may be made manifest in our Flesh r 2 Cor. 4.10 11. That we may know him and the Power of his Resurrection and the Fellowship of his Sufferings being made conformable to his Death s Phil. 3.10 ARTICLE VII Concerning the Inward Manifestation of Christ. GOD dwelleth with the Contrite and Humble in Spirit t Isa. 57.15 For he said he will dwell in them and walk in them u 2 Cor. 6.16 And Christ standeth at the Door and knocketh if any Man hear his Voice and open the Door he will come unto him and Sup with him and he with him x Rev. 3.20 And therefore ought we to Examine our own selves and prove our own selves knowing how that Christ is in us except we be Reprobates y 2 Col. 13.5 For this is the Riches of the Glory of the Mystery which God would make known among or rather IN the Gentiles CHRIST WITHIN the Hope of Glory z Col. 1.27 ARTICLE VIII Concerning the New Birth EXcept a Man be born again he cannot see the Kingdom of God a John 3.3 Therefore ought we to put off the Old Man with his Deeds and put on the New Man which is renewed in Knowledge after the Image of him that Created him and which after God is created in Righteousness and true Holiness b Ephes. 9.21 22. Col. 3.10 For henceforth know we no Man after the Flesh yea though we have known Christ after the Flesh yet now henceforth know we him no more c 2 Cor. 5.16 For if any Man be in Christ he is a new Creature old things are past away behold all things are become new d 2 Cor. 5 17. For such have put on the Lord Jesus Christ e Rom. 13.14 and are renewed in the Spirit of their Minds f Ephes. 4.28 Sith as many as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ g Gal 3 27. Being born again not of corruptible Seed but of incorruptible by the Word of God which liveth and abideth for ever h 1 Pet. 1.23 And glory in nothing save in the Cross of the Lord Jesus Christ by whom the World is crucified unto them and they unto the World i Gal. 6.14 For in Christ Jesus neither Circumcision availeth any thing nor Vncircumcision but a New Creature k Gal. 6.5 ARTICLE IX Concerning the Unity of the Saints with Christ. HE that sanctifieth and they who are sanctified are all of One l Hebr. 2.11 For by the exceeding great and pretious Promises that are given them they are made Partakers of the Divine Nature (m) 2 Pet. 1.4 Because for this End prayed Christ that all might be one as the Father is in him and he in the Father that they also might be one in them and the Glory which he had gotten from the Father he gave them that they might be one even as the Father and he is one Christ in the Saints and the Father in Christ that they might be made perfect in one (n) John 17.21 22 23. ARTICLE X. Concerning the Universal Love and Grace of God to all GOD so loved the World that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have Everlasting Life o John 3.16 And in this was manifested the Love of God towards us because that God sent his only begotten Son that we might live through him p 1 John 4.9 So that if any Man sin we have an
Spirit of Life maketh free from the Law of Sin and Death s Rom. 8 1 2. For such are become dead unto Sin and alive unto Righteousness and being made free from Sin are become Servants of Righteousness t Rom. 6 2.18 Therefore ought we to be perfect as our Heavenly Father is perfect u Matth. 5.48 For the Yoke of Christ is easie and his Burthen is light x Matt. 11.30 And his Commandments are not grievous y 1 John 5.3 And whosoever will enter into Life must keep the Commandments z Matth. 19.17 Hereby do we know that we know God if we keep his Commandments a 1 John 2.3 He that saith I know him and keepeth not his Commandments is a Liar and the Truth is not in him b 1 John 2.4 Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not whosoever sinneth hath not seen him neither known him c John 3.6 Let no Man deceive us he that doth Righteousness is Righteous even as he is Righteous He that committeth Sin is of the Devil whosoever is born of God doth not commit Sin for his Seed remaineth in him and he cannot sin because he is born of God d 1 John 3.7 8 9. For not every one that saith Lord Lord shall enter into the Kingdom of Heaven but he that doth the will of the Father which is in Heaven e Matth. 7.21 Circumcision is nothing and Vncircumcision is nothing but the keeping of the Commandments of God f 1 Cor. 7.19 ARTICLE XV. Concerning Perseverance and Falling from Grace WE ought to give Diligence to make our Calling and Election sure which things if we do we shall never fall g 2 Pet. 1.10 For even Paul kept under his Body and brought it into Subjection lest by any Means when he preached to others he himself became a Cast-away h 1 Cor. 9.27 Let us therefore take heed lest there be in any of us an evil Heart of Vnbelief in departing from the Living God i Hebr. 3.12 Likewise let us labour to enter into that Rest lest any Man fall after the same Example of Vnbelief k Hebr. 4.11 For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened and have tasted of the Heavenly Gift and were made Partakers of the Holy Ghost and have tasted of the good Word of God and the Powers of the World to come if they shall fall away to renew them again unto Repentance l Hebr. 6.4 5 6. For he that abideth not in Christ is cast forth and is withered m John 15.16 Yet such as overcome he will make as Pillars in the Temple of his God and they shall go no more out n Rev. 3.12 And these are perswaded that nothing shall be able to separate them from the Love of God which is in Christ Jesus o Rom. 8.38 ARTICLE XVI Concerning the Church and Ministry THe Church of God is the Pillar and Ground of Truth p 1 Tim. 3.15 Whereof the Dear Son of God is the Head q Col. 1.18 From which all the Body by Joints and Bands having Nourishment Ministred and knit together increaseth with the Increase of God r Col. 2.19 Which Church of God are they that are sanctified in Christ Jesus s 1 Cor. 1.2 Who when he ascended up on high gave Gifts unto Men And he gave some Apostles some Prophets some Evangelists some Pastors and Teachers for the perfecting of the Saints for the Work of the Ministry t Ephes. 4.9 11. Who ought to be blameless vigilant sober of good Behaviour given to Hospitality apt to teach not given to Wine no Strikers not greedy of filthy Lucre but patient not Brawlers not Covetous u 1 Tim. 3.2 3. but Lovers of good Men sober just holy temperate holding fast the Faith as they have been taught that they may be able by sound Doctrine both to Exhort and to Convince Gain-sayers x T it 1.8 9. Taking heed to themselves and to the Flock over which the Holy Ghost hath made them Overseers to feed the Church of God y Acts 20.28 Taking the Oversight thereof not by Constraint but willingly not for filthy Lucre but of a ready Mind neither as being Lords over God's Heritage but as being Ensamples to the Flock z 1 Pet. 5.2 3. And such Elders as rule well are to be counted worthy of double Honour especially they who labour in the Word and Doctrine a 1 Tim. 5.17 And to be esteemed very highly in Love for their Works sake b 1 Thess. 5.5 12. As every Man hath received the Gift so ought the same to be Ministred If any Man speak let him speak as the Oracles of God if any Man minister let him do it as of the Ability which God giveth c 1 Pet. 4.10 11. Preaching the Gospel not with the Wisdom of Words lest the Cross of Christ be made of none effect d 1 Cor. 1.17 Nor yet with enticing Words of Man's Wisdom but in Demonstration of the Spirit and of Power that the Faith may not stand in the Wisdom of Men but in the Power of God e 1 Cor. 2.4 5. Howbeit such spake Wisdom among them that are Perfect yet not the Wisdom of this World not of the Princes of this World which cometh to nought but they speak the Wisdom of God in a Mystery even the hidden Wisdom which God ordained before the World to their Glory f 1 Cor. 2.6 7. Which things they also speak not in the Words which Man's Wisdom teacheth but which the Holy Ghost teacheth g 1 Cor. 2.13 For it is not they that speak but the Holy Ghost or Spirit of the Father that speaketh in them h Matth. 10.20 Who if they sow spiritual things ought to reap carnal things for so the Lord hath ordained that they which preach the Gospel should live of the Gospel for the Scripture saith Thou shalt not muzzle the Mouth of the Ox that treadeth out the Corn and the Labourer is worthy of his Reward i 1 Cor. 9.11 14 Yet a necessity is laid upon them yea Wo is unto them if they preach not the Gospel and their Reward is that when they preach the Gospel they make the Gospel of Christ without Charge k 1 Cor. 9 15 17 18. Not coveting any Man's Silver or Gold or Apparel but their Hands ministring to their Necessities that so labouring they may support the Weak remembring the Words of the Lord Jesus how he said It 's more blessed to give than to receive l Acts 20 33 34. For they are not of the greedy Dogs that can never have enough m Isa. 56.11 Nor of the Shepherds that look to their own Way every one for his Gain from his Quarter n Ibidem That Feed themselves and not the Flock o Ezek. 34.8 That make the People Err biting with their Teeth and crying Peace and
observation is reserved for the Arising of the Sun and its shining in full brightness And we can from a certain Experience boldly affirm that the not waiting for this but building among yea and with the Old Popish Rubbish and setting up before a full purgation hath been to most Protestants the foundation of many a Mistake and an occasion of unspeakable Hurt Therefore the Lord God who as he seeth meet doth communicate and make known to man the more full The more full Discovery of the Gospel reserved to this our Age. evident and perfect Knowledge of his Everlasting Truth hath been pleased to Reserve the more full Discovery of this Glorious and Evangelical Disensation to this our Age albeit divers Testimonies have thereunto been born by some noted Men in several Ages as shall hereafter appear And for the greater augmentation of the Glory of his Grace that no man might have whereof to boast he hath raised up a few Despicable and Illiterate Men and for the most part Mechanicks to be the Dispensators of it by which Gospel all the Scruples Doubts Hesitations and Objections above-mentioned are easily and evidently answered and the Justice as well as Mercy of God according to their Divine and heavenly Harmony Exhibited Established and Confirmed According to which certain Light and Gospel as the knowledge thereof hath been manifested to us by the Revelation of Jesus Christ in us fortified by our own sensible Experience and sealed by the Testimony of the Spirit in our hearts we can confidently Affirm and clearly Evince according to the Testimony of the Holy Scriptures the following Points § XI First That GOD who out of his Infinite Love sent his Son the Prop. I Lord Jesus Christ into the World who tasted Death for every man hath given to every man whether Jew or Gentile Turk or Scythian Indian or Barbarian A Day of Visitation to all of whatsoever Nation Country or Place a Certain Day or Time of Visitation during which Day or Time it is possible for them to be Saved and to partake of the Fruit of Christ's Death Prop. II Secondly That for this end God hath Communicated and given unto every man a Measure of the Light of his own Son a Measure of Grace or a Measure of the Spirit A Measure of Light in all which the Scripture expresseth by several names as sometimes of the Seed of the Kingdom Matth. 13.18 19. The Light that makes all things manifest Eph. 5.13 The Word of God Rom. 10.18 or Manifestation of the Spirit given to profit withal 1 Cor. 12.7 A Talent Matth. 25.15 A little Leaven The Gospel preached in every Creature Col. 1.23 Thirdly That God in and by this Light and Seed invites calls exhorts and strives with every man in order to save them which as it is received and not resisted works the Salvation of all even of those who Prop. III are ignorant of the Death and Sufferings of Christ and of Adam's Fall God's Sâ—lvatation wrought by the Light in all both by bringing them to a sense of their own Misery and to be sharers in the Sufferings of Christ inwardly and by making them partakers of his Resurrection in becoming holy pure and righteous and recovered out of their sins By which also are saved they that have the Knowledge of Christ outwardly in that it opens their Understanding rightly to use and apply the things delivered in the Scriptures and to receive the Saving Vse of them But that this may be Resisted and Rejected in both in which then God is said to be Resisted and Pressed down and Christ to be again Crucified and put to open shame in and among men And to those as thus Resist and Refuse him he becomes their Condemnation First then According to this Doctrine the Mercy of God is excellently Consequences 1 well exhibited in that none are necessarily shut out from Salvation and his Justice is demonstrated in that he Condemns none but such to whom he really made Offer of Salvation affording them the Means sufficient thereunto Secondly This Doctrine if well weighed will be found to be the Cons. 2 Foundation of Christianity Salvation and Assurance Thirdly It agrees and answers with the Whole Tenor of the Gospel-Promises Cons. 3 and Threats and with the nature of the Ministry of Christ according to which the Gospel Salvation Repentance is commanded to be preached to Every Creature without respect of Nations Kindreds Families or Tongues Fourthly It magnifies and commends the Merits and Death of Christ in Cons. 4 that it not only accounts them sufficient to save all but declares them to be brought so nigh unto all as thereby to be put into the nearest Capacity of Salvation Fifthly It Exalts above all the Grace of God to which it attributeth Cons. 5 all good even the least and smallest Actions that are so ascribing thereunto not only the first beginnings and motions of good but also the whole Conversion and Salvation of the Soul Sixthly It Contradicts Overturns and Enervates the false Doctrine Cons. 6 of the Pelagians Semi-Pelagians Socinians and others who exalt the Light of Nature the Liberty of Man's Will in that it wholly excludes the natural man from having any place or portion in his own Salvation by any acting moving or working of his own until he be first quickned raised up and acted by God's Spirit Seventhly As it Makes the whole Salvation of Man solely and alone to Cons. 7 depend upon God so it makes his Condemnation wholly and in every respect to be of himself in that he refused and resisted somewhat that from God wrestled and strove in his heart and forces him to acknowledge God's just Judgment in rejecting him and forsaking of him Eighthly It takes away all ground of Despair in that it gives every Cons. 8 one ground of Hope and certain Assurance that they may be saved neither doth feed any in Security in that none are certain how soon their Day may Expire and therefore it is a constant Incitement and Provocation and lively Incouragement to every man to forsake evil and close with that which is good Ninthly It wonderfully commends as well the Certainty of the Christian Religion among Infidels as it manifests its own Verity to all in that it 's confirmed and established by the Experiences of all men seeing there was never yet a man found in any place of the Earth however barbarous Cons. 9 and wild but hath acknowledged that at some time or other less or more he hath found somewhat in his heart reproving him for some things Evil which he hath done threatning a certain horror if he continued in them as also promising and communicating a certain peace and sweetness as he hath given way to it and not resisted it Cons. 10 Tenthly It wonderfully sheweth the excellent Wisdom of God by which he hath made the means of Salvation so Vniversal and Comprehensive that it is not needful to recur to those miraculous and
neither doth his Worship consist in it or need either the Wisdom Glory Riches or Splendor of this World to beautify or adorn it nor yet the outward Power or Arm of flesh to maintain uphold or protect it but it is and may be performed by those that are spiritually minded notwithstanding all Opposition Violence and Malice of men because it being purely Spiritual it is out of the reach of Natural men to interrupt or molest it Even as Jesus Christ the Author thereof did enjoy and possess his Spiritual Kingdom while oppressed persecuted and rejected of men and as in despite of the Malice and Rage of the Devil he spoiled principalities and powers Triumphing over them and through death destroyed him that had the power of death that is the Devil so also all his Followers both can and do Worship him Col. 2.15 not only without the Arm of flesh to protect them but even when oppressed For their Worship being Spiritual is by the Power of the Spirit defended and maintained but such Worships as are carnal and consist in carnal and outward Ceremonies and Observations Carnal Worships cannot stand without the Arm of Flesh. need a Carnal and outward Arm to protect them and defend them else they cannot stand and subsist And therefore it appears that the several Worships of our Opposers both Papists and Protestants are of this kind and not the true Spiritual and New Covenant-worship of Christ because as hath been observed they cannot stand without the Protection or Countenance of the outward Magistrate neither can be performed if there be the least Opposition For they are not in the Patience of Jesus to serve and worship him with sufferings ignominies calumnies and reproaches And from hence have sprung all those Wars Fightings and Blood-shed among Christians while each by the Arm of flesh endeavoured to defend and protect their own Way and Worship and from this also sprung up that Monstrous Opinion of Persecution of which we shall speak more at length hereafter § XV. But Fourthly The Nature of this Worship IV. True Worship in Spirit Establisht by Christ. which is performed by the Operation of the Spirit the Natural man being silent doth appear from these words of Christ Joh. 4.23 24. But the hour cometh and now is when the true Worshippers shall Worship the Father in Spirit and in Truth for the Father seeketh such to Worship him God is a Spirit and they that Worship him must Worship him in Spirit and in Truth This Testimony is the more specially to be observed for that it is both the first chiefest and most ample Testimony which Christ gives us of his Christian Worship as different and contradistinguished from that under the Law For first he sheweth that the Season is now come wherein the Worship must be in Spirit and in Truth for the Father seeketh such to Worship him so then it is no more a Worship consisting in outward Observations to be performed by man at set Times or Opportunities which he can do in his own will and by his own natural strength for else it would not differ in Matter but only in some Circumstances from that under the Law Next as for a Reason of this Worship we need not to give any other and indeed none can give a better than that which Christ giveth The Reason Christ gives for a Worship in Spirit which I think should be sufficient to satisfy every Christian to wit GOD is a SPIRIT and they that Worship him must Worship him in Spirit and in Truth As this ought to be received because it is the words of Christ so also it is founded upon so clear a Demonstration of Reason as sufficiently evidenceth its Verity For Christ excellently argues from the Analogy that ought to be betwixt the Object and the Worship directed thereunto God is a Spirit Arg. Therefore he must be worshipped in Spirit This is so certain that it can suffer no Contradiction yea and this Analogy is so necessary to be minded that under the Law when God instituted and appointed that Ceremonial Worship to the Jews because that Worship was Outward that there might be an Analogy he saw it necessary to Condescend to them as in a special manner to dwell betwixt the Cherubims within the Tabernacle and afterwards to make the Temple of Jerusalem in a sort his habitation and cause something of an outward Glory and Majesty to appear by causing Fire from Heaven to consume the Sacrifices The Glory of the Outward Temple and filling the Temple with a Cloud Through and by which Mediums Visible to the outward Eye he manifested himself proportionably to that outward Worship which he had Commanded them to perform So now under the New Covenant he seeing meet in his heavenly Wisdom to lead his Children in a path more Heavenly and Spiritual and in a Way both more easie and familiar and also purposing to disappoint Carnal and Outward Observations that his may have an Eye more to an Inward Glory and Kingdom than to an Outward he hath given us for an Example hereof the Appearance of his Beloved Son the Lord Jesus Christ who instead that Moses delivered the Israelites out of their outward Bondage Like Moses did from Outward so Christ delivers his from Inward Slavery and by outwardly destroying their Enemies hath delivered and doth deliver us by suffering and dying by the hands of his Enemies thereby Triumphing over the Devil and his and our inward Enemies and delivering us therefrom He hath also instituted an Inward and Spiritual Worship so that God now tieth not his people to the Temple of Jerusalem nor yet unto outward Ceremonies and Observations but taketh the Heart of every Christian for a Temple to dwell-in and there immediately appeareth and giveth him directions how to serve him in any outward Acts Since as Christ argueth God is a Spirit he will now be Worshipped in the Spirit where he reveals himself and dwelleth with the Contrite in heart Now since it is the Heart of Man that now is become the Temple of God in which he will be Worshipped and no more in particular Outward Temples since as blessed Stephen said out of the Prophet to the professing Jews of old The Most High dwelleth not in Temples made with hands as before the Glory of the Lord descended to fill the outward Temple it behoved to be purified and cleansed and all polluted stuff removed out of it yea and the place for the Tabernacle was overlaid with Gold the most precious clean and clearest of Metals so also before God be Worshipped in the Inward Temple of the Heart it must also be purged of its own filth and all its own Thoughts and Imaginations that so it may be fit to receive the Spirit of God and to be acted by it and doth not this directly lead us to that Inward Silence of which we have spoken and exactly pointed out And further This Worship must be in
Head is that which God requires of us in our worshipping of him 1 Cor. 11. But if we make our Address to men in the same manner where lyeth the difference Not in the outward signification but meerly in the intention which opens a door for the Popish veneration of Images which hereby is necessarily excluded Secondly Men being alike by Creation though their being stated under their several Relations requires from them mutual Services according to those respective Relations owe not worship to one another but all equally are to return it to God because it is to him and his Name alone that every knee must bow and before whose Throne the four and twenty Elders prostrate themselves Therefore for men to take this one from another is to rob God of his Glory Since all the duties of Relations may be performed one to another without these kinds of Bowings which therefore are no essential part of our duty to man but to God All men by an inward instinct in all Nations have been led to prostrate and bow themselves to God And it is plain that this bowing to men took place from a slavish fear possessing some which led them to set up others as Gods when also an ambitious proud spirit got up in those others to usurp the place of God over their Brethren Thirdly We see that Peter refused it from Cornelius saying he was a man Are then the Popes more or more excellent than Peter who suffer men daily to fall down at their feet and kiss them Peter and the Angel refused Bowing This Reproof of Peter to Cornelius doth abundantly shew that such Manners were not to be admitted among Christians Yea we see that the Angel twice refused this kind of bowing from John Rev. 19.10.22.9 for this reason because I am thy Fellow-Servant and of thy Brethren abundantly intimating that it is not lawful for Fellow-Servants thus to prostrate themselves one to another And in this respect all men are Fellow-Servants Object If it be said John intended here a Religious Worship and not a Civil I answer that is to say not to prove Neither can we suppose John at that time of the day so ill instructed Answ. as not to know it was unlawful to worship Angels only it should seem because of these great and mysterious things revealed to him by that Angel he was willing to signifie some more than ordinary Testimony of Respect for which he was Reproved These things being thus considered it is remitted to the judgment of such as are desirous to be found Christians indeed whether we be found worthy of blame for waving it to men To forbear Bowing to man is no Uncivility nor Pride nor Rudeness Let those then that will blame us consider whether they might not as well accuse Mordecai of Vncivility who was no less singular than we in this matter And forasmuch as they accuse us herein of Rudeness and Pride though the testimony of our Consciences in the sight of God be a sufficient guard against such calumnys yet there are of us known to be Men of such Education as forbear not these things for want of that they call good Breeding and we should be very void of reason to purchase that Pride at so dear a rate as many have done the exercise of their Conscience in this matter many of us having been sorely beaten and buffeted yea and several months imprisoned for no other reason but because we could not so satisfy the proud unreasonable humours of proud Men as to uncover our Heads and bow our Bodies Nor doth our innocent practice in standing still though upright not putting off our Hats any more than our Shoos the one being the covering of our Heads as well as the other of our Feet shew so much rudeness as their beating or knocking us c. because we cannot bow to them contrary to our Consciences Which certainly shews less meekness and humility upon their part than it doth of rudeness or pride upon ours Now suppose it were our weakness and we really under a mistake in this thing since it is not alledged to be the breach of any Christian precept are we not to be Indulged as the Apostle commanded should be done to such as scrupled to eat flesh And doth not persecuting us and reviling us upon this account shew them to be more like unto proud Haman than the Disciples or followers of the meek self-denying Jesus And this I can say boldly in the sight of God from my own experience and that of many thousands more that however small or foolish this may seem yet we behoved to chuse death rather than do it and that for Conscience sake And that in its being so contrary to our natural Spirits there are many of us to whom the forsaking of these Bowings and Ceremonies was as death it self Which we could never have left if we could have enjoyed our peace with God in the use of them Though it be far from us to judge all those to whom God hath not shewn the evil of them under the like hazzard yet nevertheless we doubt not but to such as will prove faithful Witnesses to Christ's Divine Light in their Consciences God will also shew the evil of these things § VII The Third thing to be treated of APPAREL in its Vanity and Superfluities dissallowed is the Vanity and Superfluity of Apparel In which first two things are to be considered the Condition of the Person and the Country he lives in We shall not say that all Persons are to be cloathed alike because it will perhaps neither sute their Bodies nor their Estates And if a man be cloathed soberly and without superfluity though they may be finer than that which his servant is cloathed with we shall not blame him for it The abstaining from superfluities which his condition and education hath accustomed him to may be in him a greater act of Mortification than the abstaining from finer Cloaths in the servant who never was accustomed to them As to the Country what it naturally produces may be no Vanity to the Inhabitants to use or what is commonly imparted to them by way of Exchange seeing it is without doubt that the Creation is for the use of man So where Silk abounds it may be worn as well as Wool and were we in those Countrys or near unto them where Gold or Silver were as common as Iron or Brass the one might be used as well as the other The iniquity lies then here First When from a lust of vanity and desire to adorn themselves men and women not content with what their condition can bear or their Country easily affords do stretch to have things that from their rarity and the price that 's put upon them seem to be pretious and so feed their lust the more And this all sober men of all sorts will readily grant to be Evil. Secondly When men are not content to make a true use
I say That as to us they cannot be separated Then all must be Redeemed the one way who are Redeemed the other and that then every Man must be Redeemed from the power of Corruption and saved But here according to his Custom he cites not my words justly which are That they are both perfect in their own Nature albeit in their Application to us-ward they cannot be separated that is he that comes Effectually to Enjoy the Benefit of the one must Enjoy the other he that Receives the second partakes of the first also he that really receives the first receives the second also but that hinders not but many may be offered the Benefit of the first and by rejecting and resisting it lose the Benefit both of first and second and he that rejecteth it at any time albeit he receive it for a season as by his falling he loses what of the second is wrought in him to wit of Purification so he doth also lose the first which was Remission of Sin His last Cavil at this is very Impertinent which is by way of Question That if this second Redemption be necessary to Salvation as indeed it is what shall become of the Child of God that hath no Light What shall become of them J. B's Absurdities that Saints may be Vnited to Christ and not see it that have true Grace uniting them to Christ c. and yet through darkness can see and acknowledge no such thing For to pass-by the Absurdities here supposed that Saints can be said to have no Light or have Grace and be Vnited to Christ yet neither be able to see it nor acknowledge it and that not during their life-time here for unless this be also supposed he cannot Conclude what he will for that a Saint may be clouded at a time is not denied yet this maketh nothing for his purpose Will it follow because they see it not that it therefore is not needful to their Salvation His own words Imply a Contradiction to this And thus the Man Confutes that by which he would urge another in the very words by which he expresses it For is not Grace to unite the heart to Christ necessary to Salvation He will surely say Yes If then the acknowledgment of that and seeing of it which is needful to Salvation be not needful then the not-seeing or not acknowledging of a thing makes it not a thing unnecessary to Salvation which is the Absurdity he would Insinuate ¶ 3. Thus having removed out of the way his most obvious Perversions and Abuses I come to Treat of the main matter which all depends upon this one Question What is that whereby a Man is Justified so as to appear truly Just in the sight of God This he supposes to be done by the Righteousness and Death of Christ without even before any work of Righteousness be wrought in Man even as a Cautioner to whom he Compares Christ in this case frees him whose Debt he pays I on the contrary affirm By the Death of Christ no Man can be said to be Justified until Christ received in the heart there Renew and make him Just. That albeit Reconciliation and Remission of Sins be by the Death of Christ without and the door opened so that all may be at Peace by the Offer of Grace made in Christ if they reject it not yet hereby no Man can be said to be Justified or appear Just properly until Christ be received in his heart there to renew and purify him and make him Just so that however Justification may be distinguished from Sanctification yet not divided nor yet so distinguished that a Man can be truly said to be Justified who is Vnholy and Vnsanctified And therefore upon the Examining of what he urges against this and for his Position as also what he answers to my Probations for it depends the whole matter But before I enter particularly upon this and that there may no Interruption meet me when entred in it I will first take notice and remove his Mistakes and Misapplied Proofs thereupon both in what he Opposes me and Affirms for himself as also here take notice of his meer Assertions And first then pag. 299. he supposes There can be no Reconciliation by the Blood of Christ's Cross c. unless for such in whose Room Christ died as a Cautioner and Surety and so made Satisfaction that they should be Redeemed and Delivered But albeit upon this Notion and Affirmation all depends yet I miss the Proof of it if his After-Proofs say any thing to it I shall Examin them That which he mentions here written Rom. 8.3 4. is so far from doing it that it proves the Contrary For albeit the Death of Christ was that the Righteousness of the Law might be fulfilled in us yet it follows not that the Righteousness of the Law must be fulfilled in all for whom he died yea the following words who walk not after the Flesh but after the Spirit shew The Benefit of Christ's Death is to them that Walk after the Spirit this to be the Condition Requisite on our part that we may partake of the Benefit of his Death If to prove that Man should be Reconciled Redeemed and Delivered by the Death of Christ he bring the Instances of the Righteousness of the Law to be fulfilled in us then Men cannot be said to be Reconciled Redeemed and Delivered until this Righteousness of the Law be fulfilled in them What he addeth to this That we cannot be said to be accounted Righteous and absolved from Accusation upon the account of our works of Righteousness I say no such thing freely confessing that not only pardoning of Sin but removing of the Filth as well as of the Guilt is the Act of God's Mercy and Grace as saith the Apostle Tit. 3.5 6. And yet we are saved The removing both Filth and Guilt of Sin is the Act of God's Grace and Mercy and consequently Justified according to his Mercy by the washing of Regeneration since this is the Fruit of the Grace and Spirit of God freely given us And therefore it is not enough for him pag. 203. to affirm That I pervert the Apostle's words 2 Cor. 5.19 20. God was in Christ reconciling the World unto himself upon this bare supposition That this World is only understood of the Elect for if this Reconciliation had been Absolute and not in part only that is a Readiness on God's part to be Reconciled with them if they Repent which I affirm to what purpose should the Apostle as an Embassador Intreat them to be Reconciled there needed no Intreaty to that which was already done neither are his meer Assertions to this p. 303. any Answer It is strange that to prove That all for whom Christ died are certainly made alive one time or other he brings these words And that he died for all that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves but unto him which died for them
Sincere Love in the Lord which we had to our Dear Brother Robert Barclay and Christian Respect which lives in us to his Blessed Memory and our Real Esteem and Value of his Faithful Testimony great Industry and Labour of Love for promoting the Ever-living Truth as it is in Christ in his Day and Time We whose Names are underwritten do sincerely Own and have Satisfaction and Vnity in Truth with this fore-going Preface and Relation in the behalf of him the said Robert Barclay and his Great and Memorable Service Labours and Travels in the Gospel of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ To whom be the Glory and Dominion for ever London the 15. of the 7th Month 1691. George Whitehead Patrick Livingston Alexander Seton Benjamin Antrobus Francis Stamper Iohn Vaughton and Iohn Field GEORGE FOX HIS TESTIMONY CONCERNING Robert Barclay A Testimony concerning our Dear Brother in the Lord Robert Barclay who was a Wise and Faithful Minister of Christ and Writ many Precious Books in the Defence of the Truth in English and Latine and after Translated into French and Dutch He was a Scholar and a Man of Great Parts and underwent many Calumnies Slanders and Reproaches and Sufferings for the Name of Christ but the Lord gave him Power over them all He Travelled often up and down Scotland and in England and in Holland and Germany and did good Service for the Lord and was a Man of Repute among Men and Preacht the Everlasting Gospel of Christ Freely turning People from Darkness to Light and from the Power of Satan to God And his Father was a Noble Man for the Lord and his Truth and died in the Lord And after when his Son Robert had fulfilled his Ministry and finished his Testimony he also died in the Lord and is Blessed and at Rest and Ceased from his Labours and his Works follow him Much more might be Written concerning this Faithful Brother in the Lord and Pillar in the Church of Christ who was a Man I very much loved for his Labour in the Truth but I shall leave the Rest to his Country-men And the Lord Raise up more Faithful Labourers in Christ Jesus to stand in his Place and preserve his Tender Wife and Children in the Truth Amen! The 13th 9th Mo. 1690. G. F. A TESTIMONY to the Memory of ROBERT BARCLAY By his Faithful Friend William Penn. SUrprizing was the News of the Death of Dear Robert Barclay to me particularly from the Share I claimed in him and the Esteem I had for him But that which gave Weight to my Sorrow was the Loss that thereby comes to the Church of God and especially in Scotland For his Many and Excellent Gifts by Nature Acquisition and Grace his Zeal and Integrity his Labour and Love so effectually shewn in the time he lived both in his Ministry Writings and other Services and that he lived no longer who was so well fitted to live for the Service and Honour of the Truth and the good of God's People must render his Death more Afflicting to all those that desire to be reckoned of that Number It was a Complaint of Old that the Righteous were taken away and none layed it to heart I pray God that the Taking away of this Accomplished Minister of Christ in the Prime of his Age with other Precious and Honourable Brethren of late may be laid close to heart by the Friends of God especially where his and their Service lay and he and they have been most Conversant The Overcasting of so many bright Stars almost together and of the First Magnitude in our Horizon from our Bodily View is not the least Simptome or Token to me of an Approaching Storm and perhaps so dreadful that we may have fresh cause to think them Happy that are delivered from the Evils and Miseries that may ensue But this also calls every one home to his own Dwelling and Tent to find and feel him that Repairs all Losses and Supplys all Wants and is All to a Faithful People that they can need or desire This Worthy Young Man of God whose Character I write as well for their Example and Encouragement that have or hereafter may receive the Eternal Truth in which he lived and died and lives forever as for a Testimony to the Power and Goodness of God in raising him up to his Church and to his lasting Memorial in the Churches of Christ which is blessed for ever was the Son of Collonel David Barclay descended of the Barclays of Mathers in the Kingdom of Scotland an Ancient and Honourable Family among Men and of Katherine Gourdon from the Gourdons of the House of the Duke of Gourdon He was born at Edinburgh in the year 1648. Educated in France had the advantage of that Tongue as well as the Latine He returned to Scotland about 1664 being 16 years of Age where by the Example and Instruction of his Honest and Worthy Father that in his Absence had Received the Everlasting Truth and his Converse with other Servants of God he came to See and Tast an Excellency in it and was Convinced about the year 1667. and Publickly owned the Testimony of the true Light enlightning every Man and came Early forth a Zealous and Fervent Witness for it enduring the Cross and despising the Shame that attended his Discipleship and received the Gift of the Ministry as his greatest Honour in which he laboured to bring others to God and his Labour was not in vain in the Lord. He was much exercised in Controversy from the many Contradictions that fell upon the Truth and upon him for its sake in his own Country chiefly in which he ever acquitted himself with Honour to the Truth particularly by his Apology for the Christian Divinity Professed by the People called Quakers which contains a Collection of our Principles our Enemies Objections and our Answers Augmented and Illustrated closely and amply with many Authorities for Confirmation Also his Book of Church-Government distinguishing between Tyranny and Anarchy Imposition and Lawlessness occasioned by the Scruples of some and Partialities of others that had a tendency to a Division among us They are standing Books of sound Judgment and good Service to the Truth and Church of God Nor must his Scripture-Catechism be forgotten in that it opens the Mind of Truth upon points of Doctrine in the words of the Holy Ghost excluding all Humane Glosses or Interpretation which is an easie safe and peaceable Method the tendency of it being to Silence and Commend the Curiosity of Man to the Text which all own and there leave Controversy as the best Method to Vnity and Peace next that of the Spirit it self And indeed it was exactly suitable to his own Disposition that preferred Truth before Victory and Peace and Vnity before Nicities and a good Life before Worldly Learning We sometimes Travelled together both in this Kingdom and in Holland and some parts of Germany and were Inward in divers Services from first to last
them Gal. 4.19 and they might know him to live in them and his Life to rule in them which is more then to know him as outwardly crucified And indeed none know the weight and greatness of what he suffered outwardly but who know him first as he hath suffered in them and suffer and become crucified with him so as to have a sympathy and Fellow-feeling with him even as the Members suffer and are pained when any thing hurts the Head or Heart And whereas thou sayst You see the Apostle judges the knowledge of Christ crucified to be that one thing necessary We deny that the knowledge of his being outwardly crucified is that one thing necessary for People must know him in them Know ye not that Christ is in you unless ye be Reprobates 1 Cor. 13.5 As for thy Charge upon the Quaker saying With what face can you blame me for being in Darkness seeing your Opinion is that all men have sufficient Light in them it is frivolous for though the Light which is sufficient be in thee thy opposition to the Light blinds thee and hinders thee from seeing Light A man may have a Candle burning in his House but if he put it under a Bushel it will not give him the sight of things in the House That there is no other Name under Heaven whereby any can be saved but the Name of Jesus Christ is granted but that Name is another thing than the bare expression or declaration and knowledge of words or things as without Because his Name is said to be a strong Tower whereunto the righteous fly and are safe which is another thing than the bare naming of his Death and Cross without for many Unrighteous plead a right to that and can fly unto it as we see by the example of the Papists to whom it seems ye will needs join your selves in this matter who say That the onward naming of Christ and signing with the Cross puts away Devils And that we are of another mind then you in this matter is much to our advantage because we know the inward is the main thing and where it is enjoyed the efficacy and benefit of the outward cannot be wanting though the distinct knowledge of it be not had The knowledge of Christ's Cross within which is his Power that crucifies unto the World is more than the knowledge of the outward and to know Christ after the Spirit is more than to know him after the Flesh as is clear from the words of Paul Though I have known Christ after the Flesh yet henceforth know I him so no more The Apostle Peter knew well that God was not so narrow-hearted as ye would have him to be therefore he said That he had seen that with God there was no respect of Persons but in every Nation he that loveth Righteousness and feareth God is accepted of him You your selves dare not deny but that some Infants and deaf Persons are saved by Christ without the External Knowledge If you say they are not in a Capacity to know these things I answer so neither are many of the Gentiles who never had these things revealed unto them But if the External Knowledge be necessary to the one why not to the other And if thou sayst that some Infants are in the Decree of Election I ask at thee or any of you who of you has seen the Decrees of God and how knowest thou that none of the Heathen are inrolled into them And whereas thou sayst Is not the Application of Christ's Blood and Sufferings necessary to them that would profit and get good thereby For though the Blood of Christ be a healing Plaister yet the Plaister must be applied e're the Sore can be healed Now what Application can the Soul make of Christ's Blood who knows no such thing The Blood of Christ is applyed by Faith but true Faith is not a blind Faith Answer It is granted But this Blood is known and felt within to wash and purge the Conscience for Christ as he is within is not without his Blood which is spiritual even the pure blood of the Vine and is that Wine of the Kingdom which is inwardly felt to wash and to refresh which he gives to them who know not distinctly the outward shedding of the Blood as it was many hundred years ago and which many are ignorant of who have heard much of the outward shedding of his Blood but know not the Blood as shed and poured forth in them to sprinkle their Consciences from dead Works for it is a Mystery sealed up from all who stand in opposition to his Light within But there mark thy own words The Plaister must be applied e're the Sore can be healed Must not then saving Grace be applied e're the Soul be converted or healed Contrary to thy other Assertion Page 7. That having of saving Light and Grace presupposeth Conversion that is Healing As for thy deceitful Insinuation to render us odious That if our Principles were generally owned the Nations in one Age or two would be overspread with as palpable Darkness as the Heathen-Nations at this day are Seeing it has no just ground we return it upon thee as false and malitious For it is the owning the Light and other Principles held by us therein which will make these Nations and all others who own it and them to overflow with the true and saving Knowledge of God and Christ but so long as they follow such blind Guides as thy self who oppose the Light Darkness will cover them as at this day notwithstanding all their Professions and Confessions of him while in Works they deny him and remain estranged from his Light in them The Reason thou addest is blind and unreasonable For according to you thou sayst the Light within us is a sufficient Teacher take heed to this and there needs no more For we say the Light within must not only be taken heed unto but believed and obeyed and walked in which who do it will lead them to read and make use of the Scriptures and will lead them to the Assemblies of God's People and to hear and receive the Ministry of those whom God sends yea to love and esteem them greatly for their Works sake and it will lead them to own Christ and the benefits of his Death and Sufferings in the outward and give them an understanding how to conceive and use aright those things as opportunity is given them Page 10. Thou sayst Christ is a Light who communicateth Light to all Men but where find you that the Light communicated to all Men is Christ himself we must not confound the Light-giver with the Light or Enlightening given Answ. We do not confound them but we must not divide or separate them as thou and you do for where the Light or Enlightening from Christ is there is Christ himself he is not separated from it but is in it and with it We must not be so gross as to conceive
pure Spirit of Christ doth never join in working with it but judgeth and reproveth it and therefore in so far as the unclean part worketh in any that man in whom it worketh is not throughly justified and approved by the Lord but there are who witness the cleansing from all the uncleanness and so as clean Vessels and Instruments throughout bring forth clean things clean works Thy Example how that Clean water passing through an unclean Pipe receives a tincture of uncleanness hits not the case The spiritual Water is undefilable For the spiritual Water is not like the common gross outward Water which an unclean Pipe can defile but like the fire and the Light which though it touch unclean things cannot be defiled by them Every thing of the Spirit is undefilable as the Spirit is which no unclean thing can defile And if thou wert well skilled in the outward Creation thou might'st find an outward Water so pure that passing through an unclean Pipe shall not be defiled with it But if thou knowest not these earthly things and believest them not as Christ said John 3.12 How shalt thou believe if we tell thee heavenly things Page 25. Thou chargest us with Erring grievously in confounding Justification and Sanctification Answ. Justification is either taken for God his adjudging a man unto Eternal Life A twofold Justification and in that sense it is not to be confounded with Sanctification yet it is not to be separated there-from for God adjudgeth no man but the sanctified unto Eternal Life or Happiness Or it is taken for the making a man righteous and then it is all one with Sanctification And that thou say'st The word is most frequently used in Scripture in that sense of adjudging being opposed to condemnation Doth imply thou hast not the confidence to assert that it is always so used as indeed it is not And whereas thou citest Philip. 3.9 to prove That the choicest Saints upon Earth have disclaimed all Righteousness wrought in them by which they could be justified I say that Scripture proves no such thing and thy Observation to prove it is insufficient to wit that the Apostle doth not speak of his Righteousness whilest he was a Pharisee for that he disowned vers 6 7. for admitting it yet he was still to deny and disown the Work and Righteousness which could proceed from his own Will and Spirit even all the willings and runnings which can arise from a man's self though he be a Saint Self-righteousness to be watched against without the immediate operation of the Spirit of Christ the Saints have this to watch against to keep down the active and working self-will and stop it from working the Self-righteousness which if it be not watched against and stood against will fall a working its Righteousness which God accepts not as being but the bare Righteousness of man And this is that Righteousness which Paul denied to have which he even calleth the Righteousness of the Law but this which is of the Law thou cunningly omittest because it made against thee it seems Now what that Righteousness of God through Faith was which he desires to have he plainly expresseth verse 10. That he might know him and the power of his Resurrection and the fellowship of his Sufferings in being made conform unto his death Now is not the knowledge of him and the power of his Resurrection a work of the Spirit of Christ in the Saints by which they are justified according to that By his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many And is not the fellowship of his suffering or the suffering with him a work of his Spirit And Lastly is not the Conformity unto his Death a work of his Spirit in the Saints comprehending the whole work of Mortification Page 26. Thy last Argument from 2 Cor. 5.21 is most absurd and impious for accordingly it would follow that as Christ was made sin for us or suffered for our sins who himself had no sin no not in the least So we may be made righteous before God though we have no righteousness no holiness no faith no repentance no mortification no good thing wrought in us Christ's Righteousness made by the Priest a strengthning of the wicked And doth not this strengthen the wicked ungodly and profane in their Presumption to have title to Christ his Righteousness And so to return thy mis-applied Instance in another case Suppose some of the profane who plead a right to Christ's Righteousness having lost some of their number should happen to hear thee disputing against all Good Works as being profitable to Justification might they not say concerning thee and thy Brethren who teach such Doctrine We have not only got the lost sheep but the lost shepheards and the chiefest of them too on our side let us rejoice we have found them We find the Apostle makes a far better Inference from Christ his dying for us 2 Cor. 6.15 He died for all that they who live might not any longer live to themselves but to God yea and every where he holdeth forth Inward holiness and righteousness as that without which no man can lay claim to Christ If any man be in Christ he is a New Creature but he doth not say God reputes him a New Creature though he be not really renewed And though it be said that we are made righteous in him This hinders not as thou vainly inferrest That we are not made righteous by an inward righteousness for he is in the Saints and fulfils the righteousness of the Law in them that the righteousness of the Law might be fulfilled in us The righteousness of the Law fulfilling in us Rom. 8.4 Therefore that 2 Cor. 5.21 is thus to be understood that Jesus Christ who knew no sin was made to be sin for us that is suffered for our sins that we who had really sinned and so deserved wrath might partake of the Love and Grace by him and through the workings thereof be made the Righteousness of God in him For that the Apostle understood here a really being made righteous and not a being esteemed or held as righteous while indeed impure is very evident by the whole following Chapter but especially towards the end What fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness Wherefore come out from among them touch not the unclean thing be ye separate and I will receive you and ye shall be unto me for sons and daughters Now to be Received of the Lord is to be justified of him and here we see plainly that in order thereunto there is required a Righteousness by which they must be separated from the evil and unclean and must not touch it And whereas thou say'st That the holiest Actions of the Saints because of the sinfulness of these Actions deserve Condemnation I ask thee Whether did the Apostles sin in writing the Scriptures Then writing the Scriptures was Sin in the holy men of God according to
Bread Is it the Outward or is it the Inward and Spiritual The one Bread not many If it be the Outward then there is no Inward and Spiritual Bread Or if it be the Inward and Spiritual which is that one Bread then that Outward Bread as being but a Figure is ceased from being of use as to any necessity And this he spoke unto the Wise who saw beyond the Shadow and Figure unto the Substance the end of it which was that Heavenly Bread and Refreshment which Christ himself giveth unto those Souls to feed upon who know the Mystery of his Indwelling in them which Bread is indeed his Body So that now the Bread being one which is the Body of Christ the Outward Bread hath no place in the Supper of the Lord for then there should be not one Bread but two for the Outward Bread and the Inward are two and not one Bread And if any say The outward Bread though it be not properly the Body of Christ and thing signified yet it may be said to be one with it because of that Agreement betwixt the sign and the thing signified I Answer That is not sufficient why the outward Bread should be called the one Bread or one with the thing signified otherwise by the same evasion one might plead for the Continuance of all the Sacrifices and Offerings of Rams and Bulls and Goats and say they are one with that one Offering of Christ mentioned Hebr. 10.14 because they signified that one Offering Now were not this an abominable wresting of the Apostle's words to say All these outward Offerings were the one Offering because they did signify it For indeed he does contra-distinguish them from this one Offering that because of its being come he infers they were to pass away And so it is as plain that the Apostle contra-distinguished betwixt that one Bread and the outward Bread together with the other Figures and Shadows according to which writing to the Colossians he saith Coloss. 2.16 17. Let no man condemn you in Meat or Drink or Holy Day or New Moon or Sabbath-days which are a Shadow of things to come but the Body is of Christ. And he bids them seek the things above and not the things which the Apostle said did perish in the using saying Touch not taste not handle not Coloss. 2.10 21 22. compared with Coloss. 3.1 2. which he spoke because they began to lay too great a weight upon these things and to hold them up as perpetual which were to pass away For a Sixth Reason thou say'st The Apostles and Primitive Christians who did partake of the Spirit in a large measure did use it Answ. That they used it for some time is granted but that they used it as of Necessity or Command is denied nor did they use it for themselves but for the sake of the weak who could not be suddenly weaned from it Thy Seventh Reason is That it is the Mind and Will of God that this Ordinance should be continued in his Church until the Second Coming of Christ to Judgment Christ's Second Coming is spiritual By which Second Coming thou and you understand his Outward Coming for which you have no ground to say that he bid them Observe it till his outward Coming so many hundred years after for the Scripture speaks nothing so but thus Ye shew forth my Death till I come Now we say he did Come according to his Promise in a Spiritual and Inward way of Appearance in their Hearts feeding them with the heavenly Food and Refreshment of his own Life and Spirit which is the Substance And concerning this Coming he spake unto them in many places particularly John 14.18 I will not leave you Fatherless I will come unto you Yet a little while and the World seeth me not but ye shall see me And Verse 23. If any Man love me he will keep my Word and my Father will love him and we will come unto him and make our Abode with him Which Coming was inward according to Verse 20. You in me and I in you And those that witnessed him thus Come needed not outward Bread and Wine to remember them of him for his own Spirit would bring all things to their remembrance they need not look upon the Figure and Shadow who have the Substance Paul said We look not upon things which are visible neither will God's Condescendence to their Weakness God's Condescension to the Weak who were but newly Redeemed from out of a mass of Heathenish Superstitions prove a Command or a Rule to the whole Church or a Warrant for any now to be found in the Administration thereof and to hold up the outward Figure do cloak themselves by shutting out and denying the Spiritual Appearance of Christ as he doth immediately Reveal himself in his Children in whom he has made manifest the Substance which ends the Shadow For an Eighth Reason thou say'st That Persons who cast off this Ordinance are their Soul 's great Enemies for they stand in the way of their Soul 's Spiritual good in that this is a Spiritual Nourishing strengthening Ordinance where Spiritual Food is offered and delicate Meat and Drink for strengthening Believers in their Journey to Heaven To which I Answer That those who neglect and despise having Fellowship and Communion with God and laugh and scoff at the useful and necessary Duty of Waiting upon the Lord in silence wherein his Children feel their Souls nourished with the Body and Blood of Christ The â—â—ue Nourishment of the Soul and with Spiritual Manna which descends from Heaven and is distilled into their Souls not only once or twice a year which are the Seasons wherein that which thou termest Spiritual Food is ministred among you but daily and hourly by the fresh Incoms of Life such indeed are to their Souls great Enemies though they be sticking to the performance of some External Ceremonies wherein in former times God in Condescendence to some because of the simplicity of their hearts appeared and yet even then frequently and as much and more at other times But now the Sun is set upon those who will needs be upholding the Shadow in opposition to the Substance therefore their Table is become polluted The polluted Table and may more truly be termed the Table of Devils than the Communion of the Body of Christ where a mixt Multitude of all sorts of Wicked Persons living out of God's fear sit down together being seemingly in words Excommunicated from Approaching by the Preacher and yet presently Admitted to it by the same And to turn away from such an Ordinance so called is no sin nor hurt but all who become obedient to the Light of Christ in them will find in their place to forsake it as being such an Ordinance which the Apostle said Touch not taste not handle not which is all to perish with the using In the fourth place Page 41. thou wilt prove That the Ministry of the
which is to deny God a part of that Worship which is due to him 1 Tim. 4.4 5. Answ. To receive the Gifts and Benefits of God with Thanksgiving and to witnese it blessed and sanctified to us by the Word and Prayer is owned by us and to know this so without taking off the Hat or using of formal speaking of words though it be a thing frequently used by us also tends to no Irreligiousness For it is a thing usual amongst us when we sit down to Eat to wait upon the Lord for some time that we may feel his presence and know our selves stated in his fear to which the blessing is and as we there stand if any outward Expressions be required of any then in God's fear they may utter them and this is to know the blessing indeed and to be in the place that is blessed But for People that are conversing out of God's fear stated in a light airy Spirit not only many times laughing and scoffing but some times even blaspheming presently so soon as the Meat cometh to clap off their Hats and speak a few words in a custom and so soon as they have done fall to their former work again is not this Atheism and Irreligiousness For if such did think of God aright and knew what it were to fear him they would be far from addressing themselves in such Postures unto him neither could they be so impudent as to expect a blessing from him while they stand in that condition to which the Curse is annexed In the second place Page 51. thou say'st Doth not the taking men off from Prayer tend to Irreligiousness and Atheism Now you teach we must not pray in private nor in families without an impulse Therefore Answ. This is no sound Argument To take men off from prayer tends to irreligiousness is granted but to say That a man cannot or ought not to pray without the Spirit 's drawing and motion which you commonly name by Impulse a word which common People do not understand hath no such tendency Hypocritical Prayers an Abomination or that it takes any off from prayer truly so called is denied For hath that a bad tendency which takes men off from such Prayers as are abomination and are not true Prayers but hypocritical and deceitful As all such Prayers are that are performed without the help of the Spirit We say whosoever can pray to the Lord indeed let them pray we are not to forbid them but that any can pray without the Spirit that we deny according to 1 Cor. 14.15 I will pray with the Spirit c. And Rom. 8.26 Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities for we know not what we should pray for as we ought Now if we know not what to pray for without the Spirit how can we pray without it Paul durst not adventure upon this duty without the assistance of the Spirit yea he said no man could say that Jesus is the Lord but by the Holy Ghost but here an arrogant Generation will needs be praying without it which yet is not Prayer and such Families where this only is used cannot be truly said to call upon God while such truly may be said so to do that wait upon the Lord and stand in his fear and bring forth the fruits of Righteousness though they be not so much in the external signification of words which also at times is found in our Families as the Lord requireth it and giveth utterance And whereas thou say'st That thou believest it will be found that some of us for the space of a whole Year have not so much as once bowed a Knee to call upon God in their Families What ground hast thou for this thy belief May they not bow their knees in their Families though it be hid from the observation of malicious eyes who may so asperse them May they not pray in secret Prayers in secret with out words and be seen of the Father to pray according to Matth. 6.6 Though they cannot be seen by the eyes of malicious Spies And where a publick Testimony in words is required it is also given nor do we know any Friends of Truth who have any whom they can joyn with in Prayer in the Family but do meet together in the Family and wait together breath together and pray together and that much oftener than thou insinuates sometimes without and sometimes with the outward signification of words so that we return this thy Charge as false and malicious Thou say'st If this Impulse be denied for years men all that while according to us must not pray But here thou speakest as one wholly unacquainted with the ways and motions of the Spirit to suppose such a case which cannot be Breathings of the Spirit frequent for the breathings and motions of the Spirit and especially unto Prayer are very frequent unto those who wait for them and are as necessary unto the Children of God as their daily bread yea and more which the Father with-holdeth not but giveth in due season But many times the Spirit of Prayer is felt to move and is answered when there is no liberty given to speak words in the hearing of others Nor is thy other Supposition less vain and foolish That if a man were at the Gates of Death and in danger of present drowning yet without an Impulse as thou callest it he must not adventure to cry to God for Mercy and Help For suppose he did Cry without all help of the Spirit Prayer without the Spirit avails not what would it avail him would it have any acceptance with God Shew us where-ever a spiritless Prayer was accepted of God or required Nay it is a vain Oblation which is expresly forbidden and it is expresly commanded that praying be always in the Spirit Eph. 6.18 And as for the Saints when they are dying or in any difficulty we know the Spirit of Prayer will never be wanting to breath through them at such Occasions and to give words as there is a service for them But further thou alledgest That this Principle of ours leadeth to woful security for what need you be disquieted for refraining Prayer before God thou say'st or any other piece of Service seeing you have salve at hand to heal this sore and that is the want of an Impulse Answ. If any fall into security and refrain Prayer it is not that our Principle leadeth into it for our Principle leadeth out of all security into continual watching unto Prayer and waiting upon the motions of the Spirit of God now if any feel not these motions they are nothing the less guilty because by their neglect they provoke the Lord to with-hold them and render themselves out of frame to feel or entertain them and thus who neglect the Worship of God are justly under Condemnation and if they have Peace it is but a false Peace which will fail them And as for our Peace we have found it to
parties and though it do not actually convince the stubborn yet there is enough in it to satisfy any Inquisitive Adversary Answ. And is not that Spirit sufficient to satisfie any Inquisitive Adversary that 's willing to be undeceived which searcheth all things even the deep things of God There is no inconvenience can be pressed from making the Spirit a Rule or Guide but the same recurs by making the Scripture one Men of different Judgments claiming the Scriptures without the Spirit falsly For is it not laid claim unto by Persons quite different in Judgment yea both some times to one verse and will have it speak opposite to the other If it be said That Scripture being compared explains it self Has not such as have so compared been found incessantly to jangle even in their comparing of it And this W. M. cannot deny but this hath been because one or both Parties have been estranged from the true Testimony of the Spirit What is then the Vltimate Recourse that can only resolve all Doubts even concerning the meaning of the Scripture but the certain Testimony of the Spirit For if the Scriptures be only certain because they came from the Spirit of God then the Testimony of the Spirit must be more certain than they The certainty of the Testimony of the Spirit according to the received Maxim of the Schools Propter quod unumquodque est tale id ipsum magis est tale That which makes a thing certain must be more certain than it And this arguing against the Certainty of the Spirit checks not only at the certainty of the Saints Faith now from the Light within and the assurance of Knowledge but at the Faith and Knowledge which all the Saints and holy Prophets had not only before the Scripture was writ but even in their writing of them We are in no greater hazzard to be deceived now than they were then therefore the Apostle notably reproves such Pratlers against this Certainty 1 Joh. 4.6 We are of God he that knoweth God heareth us he that is not of God heareth not us hereby know we the Spirit of Truth and the Spirit of Error Page 48. He asks Why I complain for his improving Isai. 59.21 but mentions not one word of that part of page 32. of mine wherein I shew him how this Scripture made against him as holding forth God's putting words in mens mouths which they deny as a thing ceased This the Reader by looking to the place may observe that the Lord there Promises his Spirit and Word shall continue to direct his People is not denied In his Dialogue page 16. he says That the Scriptures cannot be said to be a dead Letter because they are called killing and whereas I told him page 31. of my Answer That as dead things do kill if fed upon so if men feed upon the Letter of the Scripture without the Spirit which is the Life How the Letter killeth they will kill He shifts a Reply to this telling me The Scripture is called killing as being the Ministration of the Law which threatens Death against the sinner What then doth it therefore follow that they are not dead and deadly to such as feed upon them without the Spirit which giveth Life It is an apparent Malitious Passion to add That the drinking in of the Lifeless Poisonous Opinions of the Quakers will prove hurtful to the Soul seeing he bringeth not the least shadow of proof for it I observe that he â—ntitleth this Section The Quakers way Ineffectual to Convince an Opposer And yet how is it that he and his Brethren are so afraid that it spread and are daily so much crying out and clamouring against it as dangerous Priests call for the Magistrates Sword to defend their Doctrine against the Quakers intreating and beseeching People to beware of us and comparing our Words and Writings to Poison as that which is so ready to gain ground I say how comes it that they are so pressing in their importunate and often reiterate Pulpit-Exhortations to the Magistrates to Suppress Imprison us and break up our Meetings as such against whom their Labours will prove altogether fruitless and ineffectual if not assisted by the external Sword Sect. 5. Page 49. He undertakes to compare us with Papists as having learned our Language about Scripture from them But herein he hath notably manifested both his Self-contradiction and Ignorance He alledgeth We agree with Papists in that we say If the delusion be strong in the Heart it will twine the Scriptures to make them seem for it and in that we say They are dead and occasion Sects and Janglings whereunto we always add because the Spirit is wanting And yet in this sense he fully grants it himself page 43. saying It is granted that deluded Souls do wrest the Scriptures c. He concludes us one with Papists for saying There was a Rule before the Scriptures And yet grants it himself page 46. in confessing The Scripture was not a Rule to such Saints as lived The Saints had a Rule before the Scriptures was writ before it was writ Such then had some Rule before the Scriptures Thus far as to his Self-contradictions As to his Ignorance Can there be any thing more sottish to compare us with Papists for our preferring and calling the Light within as that which only makes the outward dispensation of the Gospel profitable and for our saying that the Spirit is both our Teacher and our Copy according to which if we walk we may profit without going forth for a Copy seeing it is known none to be more Enemies to these Doctrines than Papists And if we deny the Scripture to be the principal and compleat Rule of Faith that proves us no ways to agree with Papists except we all agreed with them concerning what is the Rule of Faith wherein we differ wider from Papists than our Opposers Therefore that sentence of Tertullian viz. That Christ is always Crucified betwixt two Thieves is impertinently objected by W M. against us and if the Lord will it may in due time be made appear to publick view that it far better suits our Adversaries He looks upon it as a great Absurdity page 51. To deny the more sure Word of Prophecy The more sure Word of Prophecy is not the Scripture but the Spirit mentioned 2 Pet. 1.19 to be the Scripture alledging I should have confuted the Apostle who expounds it so vers 20. But before he had been so peremptory in his Conclusion he should have first proved that the Apostle mentions these words by way of Exposition to the former Seeing he thinks himself so secure here why did he omit to answer that part of page 31. of mine where I told him That seeing the Scriptures have all their Sureness from the Spirit they cannot be more sure than it For to say that Scripture is more sure as to us being a standing Record than a Transient Voice from Heaven which
are seen to be in one Spirit with those who spat in the face of the LORD JESVS and buffeting him bid him prophesie who smote him Therefore consider O ye Inhabitants and be serious standing in fear Where are ye who are called Christians Among whom it is become a Wonder A Stone of Stumbling or Matter of Mockery or a Ground of Reproach for one in the Name of the LORD to invite you to Repentance in Sack-cloth and Ashes Would not the Heathen condemn you in this thing And will not Ninive stand up in judgment against you How is it that ye that are called Christians can willingly give room to every idle Mountebank and can suffer your minds to be drawn out to behold these sinful Divertisments which indeed divert the Mind from the serious sense of God's fear The People can be gathered there and neither the Magistrates complain of Tumult nor yet Preachers nor Professors cry out against it as Delusion or Madness O my Friends consider Can there be any more strongly Deluded than for People daily to Acknowledge and Confess they are Sinners and sinning in words and to startle at that which did so lively Represent unto them what they own to be their Condition Were it in good Earnest or were it from a true sense of your Sins that ye so frequently seem to acknowledge them ye would not despise nor overlook that which calleth you to Repentance for it How is it that you can so confidently Array your selves in all manner of gaudy and superfluous Apparel and exceed in lustful pouderings and perfumes and yet are ashamed and amazed at Sack-cloth and Ashes which according to your own acknowledgment is so sutable to your states Is not this to glory in your shame and to be ashamed of that which ought to be and would be your greatest glory to wit true and unfeigned Repentance I shall add that which upon this occasion I declared unto you I was for a Sign from the Lord unto you I desire ye may not be among those that wonder and perish but rather Repent and be Saved And this is my Testimony unto you whether you will hear or forbear I have peace with my God in what I have done and am satisfied that his Requirings I have answered in this thing I have not sought yours but you I have not coveted your gold or silver or any thing else nor do I retain or entertain the least Hatred Grudge or Evil Will towards any within or without your Gates but continue in pure and unfeigned Love towards all and every one of you even those who do most despise or reject me and my Testimony being ready to bless those that curse and to do good to those that despitefully use me and to be spent in the will of the Lord for your sakes that your Souls may be saved and God over all may be glorified For which I travel and cry before the Throne of Grace as becometh This came before me to signifie unto you by Writing at Urie the 12 th of the first Month 1672. A Servant of the Lord Jesus Christ ROBERT BARCLAY After this Paper was committed to the Press some Queries concerning this Matter were sent to a Friend in Aberdeen by One who in the Inscription styles himself a Sober Inquirer which Mask he quickly pulled off either for want of Wit or from too much Malice against the Truth by spreading these Queries at the same time among several Hands which no truly Sober Inquirer would have done until he had first received or been refused Satisfaction from him to whom he particularly directed them In order therefore to dispel such Cloudy Mists as the Enemy seeks to raise for darkning the Day of God's Appearance through his Children These Answers are judged fit to be here anexed The Premisses and Queries following upon them being all one on the matter the first being Positions in general and the other the particular Application of them hereto they need not different Answers both of them are herein comprehended and implied as any that will be at the pains to look after the Queries and Compare them may Observe To the first is therefore Answered 1. R. B. denies his Message to have proceeded from any Light or Illumination in him as a man but from the Immediate Testimony of the Spirit of God in his heart A Manifestation of which Spirit is given to every man to profit withal according to the plain Testimony of the Scriptures 1 Cor. 12.7 1 John 2.20 27. Hebr. 8.10 11 12. The which Spirit and Anointing teaches all the Saints under the New Covenant whereunto an Audible voice is not required For this is said to be within them and not without them Nor can it be proved that God spake always to the Prophets by an Audible Voice or that such a thing is requisite to every true Revelation received from the Spirit else none could be truly certain that the Scriptures came from the Spirit of God until they received an Audible Voice by the outward Ear confirming them of it nor could any have the Assurance of Salvation without the same both which the generality of Protestants hold needful to Believers and Calv. Inst. lib. 1. cap. 7. sect 4. cap. 8 sect 1. lib. 3. cap. 1. sect 4. cap. 3. sect 39. That by the inward secret Testimony of the Spirit without an Audible Voice Nor was John Huss his Prophecy of Luther or George Wishart's of the Cardinal's Death alledged to have proceeded from an outward audible voice and yet proved both True As likewise several others of latter years which might be mentioned 2. A Message thus delivered from the Testimony of the Spirit of God in the heart reaches to the Manifestation of the same Spirit in the hearts of those to whom it is delivered if they wilfully do not resist and shut it out Thus the Ninivites were reached at the Call of Jonah and those who heard Peter were pricked in their hearts yet neither the one or the other had such an immediate particular Call as Jonah and Peter had but the Testimony of the Spirit through these two touched reached and raised that of God in their hearts and made it applicable unto them Yet those that despise this Light and Manifestation of God in themselves may come to jeer and mock at a Message proceeding from it through another even as the Scribes and Pharisees did at Christ and therefore were worthy of Condemnation and judged by the Heathen such as Tyre and Sidon and Ninive Even as it is with those of the same Spirit at this day who while they cry up the Writings of the Prophets and other Scriptures as did the Pharisees are despising Prophesying or the teaching or leadings of the Spirit which the Apostle declared to be the nature of the New Covenant-Dispensation and therefore no wonder if according to the Scripture Prov. 28.18 Where there is no Vision the People perish 3. The Assisters to this Action having
and Observances A. * Gal. 6.14 15. But God forbid that I should Glory save in the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ by whom the World is Crucified unto me and I unto the World For in Jesus Christ neither Circumcision availeth any thing nor Uncircumcision but a New Creature Q. What speaketh Christ of the Unity of the Saints with him A. At that Day ye shall know that I am in my Father John 14.20 and ye in me and I in you Abide in me and I in you John 15.4 5. As the Branch cannot bear Fruit of it self except it abide in the Vine no more can ye except ye abide in me I am the Vine ye are the Branches He that abideth in me and I in him the same bringeth forth much Fruit for without me ye can do nothing Neither pray I for these alone but for them also John 17.20 21 22 23. which shall believe in me through their Word That they all may be One as thou Father art in me and I in thee that they also may be one in Vs that the World may believe it that thou hast sent me And the Glory which thou gavest me I have given them that they may be One even as we are One I in them and thou in me that they may be made perfect in One and that the World may know that thou hast sent me and hast loved them as thou hast loved me Q. What saith the Apostle Paul to this purpose A. For both he that Sanctifies and they that are Sanctified Hebr. 2.11 are all of One for which Cause he is not ashamed to call them Brethren Q. What saith the Apostle Peter A. Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and pretious Promises 2 Pet. 1.4 that by these you might be Partakers of the Divine Nature having escaped the Corruption that is in the World through Lust. CHAP. V. Concerning the Light wherewith Jesus Christ hath enlightned every Man The Vniversality and Sufficiency of God's Grace to all the World made manifest therein Question WHerein consists the Love of God towards Fallen and Lost Man Answer For God so loved the World John 3.16 that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in him should not Perish but have Everlasting Life In this was manifested the Love of God towards us because that God sent his only begotten Son into the World 1 John 4.9 that we might live through him Q. What is intended here by the World all and every Man or only a few A. But we see Jesus who was made a little lower than the Angels for the suffering of Death crowned with Glory and Honour Hebr. 2.9 that he by the Grace of God Should taste Death for every Man 1 John 2.1 2. And if any Man sin we have an Advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the Righteous and he is the Propitiation for our Sins and not for ours only but also for the Sins of the whole World Q. Methinks the Apostle John is very plain there in mentioning the whole World which must be not only the Saints but all others seeing he distinguisheth the World from himself and all the Saints to whom he then wrote What saith Paul elsewhere in this matter A. Christ in you the Hope of Glory whom we Preach warning every Man Col. 1.27 28. and teaching every Man in all Wisdom That we may present every Man perfect in Christ Jesus 1 Tim. 2.3 4 6. I Exhort therefore that first of all Supplications Prayers Intercessions and Giving of Thanks be made for All Men for this is good and acceptable in the Sight of God our Saviour who will have All Men to be saved and to come to the Knowledge of the Truth who gave himself a Ransom for all to be testified in due time Q. What is the Apostle Peter 's Testimony in this A. The Lord is not slack concerning his Promise as some Men count slackness but is long-suffering to us-ward 2 Pet. 3.9 Not willing that any should Perish but that All should come to Repentance Q. Are there any more Scripture-Passages that prove this thing A. Say unto them As I live saith the Lord God I have no Pleasure in the Death of the Wicked Ezek. 33.11 but that the Wicked turn from his Way and Live The Lord is Gracious and full of Compassion slow to Anger and of great Mercy Psal. 145.8 9. The Lord is good to all and his tender Mercies are over all his Works To wit That God was in Christ Reconciling the World unto him self 2 Cor. 5.19 Q. Seeing then by these Scriptures it appears that the Love of God is held out to all that all might have been or may be saved by Christ What is to be judged of those who assert that God nor Christ never purposed Love nor Salvation to a great part of Mankind and that the Coming and Sufferings of Christ never was intended nor could be useful to their Justification but will and must be effectual for their Condemnation even according to God's Purpose who from their very Infancy to their Grave with-held from them all means of Salvation What saith the Scripture to such A. For God sent not his Son into the World to Condemn the World but that the World through him might be saved John 3 17. I am come a Light into the World that Whosoever believeth in me John 12.46 47. should not abide in Darkness And if any Man hear my Words and believe not I judge him not for I came not to judge the World but to save the World Q. From what Scripture then came these Men to wrest an Opinion so contrary to Truth A. For the Children being not yet born neither have done any Good or Evil Rom. 9 11 12 13. that the Purpose of God according to Election might stand it was said unto her The Elder shall serve the Younger as it is written Jacob have I loved but Esau have I hated Q. I perceive in that Scripture it was only said before the Children were born The Elder shall serve the Younger These other Words Jacob have I loved Esau have I hated are mention'd out of the Prophet Malachy who wrote them many hundred Years after both were Dead Doth not the Scripture mention any other Cause of God's hating Esau than meerly his Decree What saith the same Apostle elsewhere A. Lest there be any Fornication or Prophane Person as Esau Hebr. 12.16 17. who for one Morsel of Meat sold his Birth-right for ye know how that afterward when he would have inherited the Blessing he was rejected Q. But seeing that such alledge that it is because of Adam 's Sin that many even Children are Damned Doth not the Scripture aver that the Death of Christ was as large to Heal as Adam 's Sin could Condemn A. For if through the Offence of one many be Dead Rom. 5.15 18. much more the Grace of God
and the Gift by Grace which is by one Man Jesus Christ. Therefore as by the Offence of one Judgment came upon all Men to Condemnation even so by the Righteousness of one the free Gift came upon all Men unto Justification of Life Q. That proves abundantly that Christ's Death is of sufficient Extent to make up any Hurt Adam 's Sin brought upon Mankind What is then the cause of Condemnation A. He that believeth on him is not Condemned but he that believeth not is Condemned already 1 John 3 18. because he hath not believed in the Name of the Only Begotten Son of God And with all Deceivableness of Unrighteousness in them that Perish because they received not the Love of the Truth 2 Thess 2 10 11 12. that they might be saved And for this Cause God shall send them strong Delusions that they should believe a Lie that they all might be damned who believe not the Truth but had Pleasure in Unrighteousness Q. Seeing it is so of a Truth according to the Scriptures Testimony that God has purposed Love and Mercy to all in the appearance of his Son Jesus Christ Is the Gospel or Glad Tidings of this Salvation brought nigh unto all by which they are put into a Capacity of receiving the Grace and being saved by it A. If ye continue in the Faith grounded and setled Col. 1.23 and be not moved away from the Hope of the Gospel which ye have heard and which was preached to every Creature which is under Heaven whereof I Paul am made a Minister Q. What is the Gospel A. I am not ashamed of the Gospel for It is the Power of God unto Salvation Rom. 1.16 unto every one that believeth Q. Is this Gospel hid 2 Cor. 4.3 4. A. If our Gospel be hid It is hid to them that are Lost in whom the God of this World hath blinded the Minds of them which believe not lest the Light of the Glorious Gospel of Christ should shine unto them Q. Is this Light then come into the World And are not Men condemned because they love it not and not because it is hid from them John 3.19 A. And this is the Condemnation that Light is come into the World and Men love Darkness rather than Light Q. Why do they so A. Because their Deeds are Evil. Q. Is every Man enlightened by this Light John 1.8 9. A. He was not that Light but was sent to bear witness of that Light that was the True Light which enlighteneth every Man that cometh into the World Q. Doth this Light discover all things A. All things that are reproved are made manifest by the Light for whatsoever doth make manifest Ephes. 5.13 is Light Q. Do Evil Men preach up this Light or mind it John 3 20. A. Every one that doth Evil hateth the Light neither cometh to the Light lest his Deeds should be reproved Job 24.13 They are of those that Rebel against the Light Q. Do good Men love it and follow it John 3.21 A. He that doth Truth comes to the Light that his Deeds may be made manifest that they are wrought in God Q What Benefit doth redound to such as love the Light and walk in it 1 John 1.7 A. If we walk in the Light as he is in the Light we have Fellowship one with another and the Blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanses us from all Sin Q. Doth Christ command to take heed to the Light A. While ye have the Light believe in the Light that ye may be the Children of the Light John 12.36 Q. Were the Apostles Commanded to turn People to the Light Acts 26.17 18. A. Delivering thee from the People and from the Gentiles unto whom now I send thee to open their Eyes and to turn them from Darkness unto Light and from the Power of Satan unto God that they may receive Forgiveness of Sins and Inheritance among them which are sanctified through Faith that is in me Q. Doth this Light abide with every man all his Life time in order to save or only during the Day of his Visitation John 12.25 A. Yet a little while is the Light with you walk while ye have the Light lest Darkness come upon you Again He limiteth a certain Day saying in David To day after so long time Hebr. 4.7 as it is said To day if ye will hear his Voice harden not your Hearts Q. How can it be proved that there is a Day wherein People may know things concerning their Peace which afterwards may be hid from them A. And when he was come near he beheld the City Luke 19.41 42. and wept over it saying If thou hadst known even thou at least in this thy Day the things which belong unto thy Peace but now they are hid from thine Eyes Q. Is there any further Scripture-Proof of the Lord's willingness to gather a People who would not and therefore were Condemned A. Oh Jerusalem Jerusalem thou that killest the Prophets Matth. 23.37 Luke 13.34 and stonest them which are sent unto thee How oft would I have gathered thy Children together even as a Hen gathereth her Chickens under her Wings and ye would not Then his Lord after that he had called him said unto him Matth. 18.32 33 34. O thou wicked Servant I forgave thee all the Debt because thou desiredst me shouldst not thou also have had Compassion on thy Fellow-Servant even as I had Pity on thee And his Lord was wroth and delivered him to the Tormentors till he should pay all that was due unto him Then Paul and Barnabas waxed bold and said It was necessary Acts 13.46 that the Word of God should first have been spoken to you but seeing ye put it from you and judge your selves unworthy of Everlasting Life lo we turn to the Gentiles Because I have called and ye refused Prov. 1.24 25 26. I have stretched out my Hand and no man regarded But ye have set at nought all my Counsel and would none of my Reproof I also will laugh at your Calamity Jer. 18.9 10. I will mock when your Fear cometh And at what Instance I shall speak concerning a Nation and concerning a Kingdom to build and to plant it If it do Evil in my Sight that it obey not my Voice then will I Repent of the Good wherewith I said I would benefit them Q. Doth God's Spirit strive then for a season and afterwards forbear A. And the Lord said Gen. 3.9 My Spirit shall not always strive with man Q. May it then be resisted A. Ye Stiff-necked and Uncircumcised in Heart and Ears ye do always Resist the Holy Ghost as your Fathers did so do ye Acts 7.51 For the Wrath of God is Revealed from Heaven against all Ungodliness and Unrighteousness of man Rom. 1.18 who hold the Truth in Vnrighteousness Q. Hath God manifested to Man
regard it He that eateth eateth to the Lord for he giveth God thanks and he that eateth not to the Lord he eateth not and giveth God Thanks Q. But is it not convenient and necessary that there be a Day set a part to Meet and Worship God in Did not the Apostles and Primitive Christians use to meet upon the First Day of the Week to make their Collections and to Worship A. Now concerning the Collection for the Saints as I have given Order to the Churches of Galatia 1 Cor. 16.1 even so do ye upon the First Day of the Week Let every one of you lay by him in store as God hath prosper'd him that there be no Gatherings when I come CHAP. XI Concerning Baptism and Bread and Wine Question HOw many BAPTISMS are there Answer One Lord One Faith One Baptism Q. What is this Baptism A. The like Figure whereunto even Baptism doth now save us Ephes. 4.5 not the putting away the Filth of the Flesh but The Answer of a good Conscience towards God by the Resurrection of Jesus Christ 1 Pet. 3.21 22. who is gone into Heaven and is on the Right Hand of God Angels and Authorities and Powers being made subject unto him Q. What saith John the Baptist of Christ's Baptism how distinguisheth he it from his A. I indeed baptize you with Water unto Repentance but he that cometh after me is Mightier than I whose Shoes I am not worthy to bear Matth. 3.11 he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with Fire Q. Doth not Christ so distinguish it also A. And being assembled together with them commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem Acts 1.4 5. but wait for the promise of the Father which saith he ye have heard of me For John truly baptized with Water but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence Q. Doth not the Apostle Peter observe this A. And as I began to speak the Holy Ghost fell on them Acts 11.15 16. as on us at the Beginning Then remembred I the Word of the Lord how that he said John indeed Baptized with Water but ye shall be Baptized with the Holy Ghost Q. Then it seems John's Baptism must pass away John's Baptism that Christ's may take place because John must decrease that Christ may increase A. He must increase but I must decrease John 30.30 Q. I perceive then many may be sprinkled with and dipped and baptized in Water Christ's Baptism and yet not truly baptized with the Baptism of Christ What are the real Effects in such as are truly baptized with the Baptism of Christ A. Know ye not that so many of us Rom. 6.3 4. as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his Death Therefore we are buried with him by Baptism into Death that like as Christ was raised up from the Dead by the Glory of the Father even so we also should walk in Newness of Life For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ Gal. 2.27 have put on Christ. Buried with him in Baptism wherein also ye are risen with him Col. 2.12 through the Faith of the Operation of God who hath raised him from the Dead Q. I perceive there was a Baptism of Water which was John's Baptism and is therefore by John himself contra-distinguished from Christ's was there not likewise something of the like nature appointed by Christ to his Disciples Bread and Wine of eating Bread and drinking Wine in Remembrance of him 1 Cor. 11.23 24 25. A. For I have received of the Lord that which also I have delivered unto you that the Lord Jesus the same Night in which he was betrayed took Bread and when he had given thanks he brake it and said Take eat this is my Body which is broken for you this do in Remembrance of me After the same manner also he took the Cup when he had supped saying This Cup is the New Testament in my Blood This do ye as oft as ye drink it in Remembrance of me discontinued Q. How long was this to continue 1 Cor. 11 26. A. For as often as ye eat this Bread and drink this Cup ye do shew the Lord's Death till he come Christ's coming John 14.18 23. Q Did Christ promise to come again to his Disciples A. I will not leave you Comfortless I will come to you Jesus answered and said unto him If a man love me he will keep my Words and my Father will love him and We will come unto him and make our Abode with him Inward Q. Was this an Inward Coming John 14.20 A. At that Day ye shall know that I am in my Father and ye in me and I in you Q. But it would seem this was even practised by the Church of Corinth after Christ was come inwardly was it so that there were certain Appointments positively commanded yea and Zealously and Conscientiously practised by the Saints of Old As Certain Appointments not perpetual which were not of perpetual Continuance nor yet now needful to be practised in the Church John 13.14 15. A. If I then your Lord and Master have washed your Feet ye also ought to wash one another's Feet For I have given you an Example that ye should do as I have done to you Acts 15.28 91. For it seemed good to the Holy Ghost and to us to lay upon you no greater Burden than these necessary things That ye abstain from Meats offered to Idols and from Blood and from things strangled and from Fornication from which if ye keep your selves ye shall do well Fare-wel Jam. 5.14 Is any man sick among you let him call for the Elders of the Church and let them pray over him Anointing him with Oil in the Name of the Lord. Q. These Commands are no less positive than the other yea some of them are asserted as the very Sense of the Holy Ghost as no less necessary so Bread and Wine than abstaining from Fornication and yet the generality of Protestants have laid them aside as not of perpetual Continuance But what other Scriptures are there to shew that it is not Necessary that of Bread and Wine to Continue Rom. 14.17 A. For the Kingdom of God is not Meat and Drink but Righteousness and Peace and Joy in the Holy Ghost Let no man therefore judge you in Meat or in Drink or in respect of an Holy Day Col. 2.16 20 21 22. or of the New-Moon or of the Sabbath-Days Wherefore if ye be dead with Christ from the Rudiments of the World why as though living in the World are ye subject to Ordinances touch not taste not handle not which all are to perish with the Using after the Commandments and Doctrines of Man Q. These Scriptures are very plain The Spiritual Bread and say as much for the Abolishing of this as to any Necessity
preparing War against all such as put not in their Mouths teaching for Hire and divining for Money p Mich. 3.5 11. Nor yet of those which teach things which they ought not for filthy Lucre's sake q Tit. 1.11 That run greedily after the Error of Balaam for Reward loving the Wages of Vnrighteousness r 2 Pet. 2.15 And through Covetousness with feigned Words making Merchandise of Souls s 2 Pet. 2.3 Men of corrupt Minds destitute of the Truth supposing that Gain is Godliness t 1 Tim. 6.5 but they know that Godliness with Contentment is great Gain u 1 Tim 6 6. and having Food and Raiment they are therewith content x 1 Tim. 6.8 ARTICLE XVII Concerning Worship THe Hour cometh and now is when the true Worshippers shall worship the Father in Spirit and in Truth for the Father seeketh such to worship him y John 4.23 God is a Spirit and they which worship must worship him in Spirit and in Truth z John 4 24. For the Lord is nigh to all them that call upon him to all that call upon him in Truth a Psal. 145.18 He is far from the wicked but he heareth the Prayer of the Righteous b Prov. 15.29 And this is the Confidence that we have in him that if we ask any thing according to his Will he heareth us c 1 John 5.14 What is it then We must pray with the Spirit and with the Vnderstanding also d 1 Cor. 14.15 Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our Infirmities for we know not what we should pray for as we ought but the Spirit it self maketh Intercession for us with Groanings which cannot be uttered And he that searcheth the Heart knoweth what is the Mind of the Spirit because he maketh Intercession for the Saints according to the Will of God e Rom. 8.26 27. ARTICLE XVIII Concerning Baptism AS there is One Lord One Faith so there is One Baptism f Ephes. 4.5 which doth also now save us not the putting away of the Filth of the Flesh but the Answer of a Good Conscience towards God by the Resurrection of Jesus Christ g 1 Pet. 3.21 22. For John indeed baptized with Water but Christ with the Holy Ghost and with Fire h Matth. 3.1 Therefore as many as are baptized into Jesus Christ are baptized into his Death and are buried with him by Baptism into Death that like as Christ was raised up from the Dead by the Glory of the Father even so they also should walk in Newness of Life i Rom. 6.34 having put on Christ k Gal. 3.27 ARTICLE XIX Concerning Eating of Bread and Wine Washing of one anothers Feet Abstaining from things Strangled and from Blood and Anointing of the Sick with Oil. THe Lord Jesus the same Night in which he was betrayed took Bread and when he had given Thanks he brake it and said Take eat this is my Body which is broken for you this do in Remembrance of me After the same manner also he took the Cup when he had supped saying This Cup is the New Testament in my Blood this do ye as oft as ye drink it in Remembrance of me For as oft as ye do eat this Bread and drink this Cup ye do shew forth the Lord's Death till he come l Cor. 11.23 24 25. Jesus knowing that the Father had given all things into his Hands and that he was come from God and went to God he raiseth from Supper and laid aside his Garments and took a Towel and girded himself after that he poured Water into a Bason and began to wash the Disciples Feet and to wipe them with the Towel wherewith he was girded So after he had washed their Feet and had taken his Garments and set down again he said unto them Know ye what I have done unto you Ye call me Master and Lord and ye say well for so I am If I then your Lord and Master have washed your Feet ye also ought to wash one anothers Feet For I have given you an Example that ye should do as I have done unto you m John 13 2 3 4 12 13 14 15. For it seemed good to the Holy Ghost and to us to lay upon you no greater Burden than these Necessary Things That ye abstain from Meats offered to Idols from Blood and from things Strangled and from Fornication from which if ye keep your selves ye do well n Acts 15.28 29. Is any man sick among you let him call for the Elders of the Church and let them Pray over him Anointing him with Oil o James 5.14 ARTICLE XX. Concerning the Liberty of such Christians as are come to know the Substance as to the Vsing or not Vsing of these Rites and of the Observation of Days THe Kingdom of God is not Meat and Drink but Righteousness and Peace and Joy in the Holy Ghost p Rom. 14 17. Let no man therefore judge us in Meat or Drink or in Respect of an Holy-Day or of the New-Moon or the Sabbath-Days q Col. 2.16 For if we be dead with Christ from the Rudiments of the World why as though living in the World are We subject to Ordinances Let us not touch or taste or handle which all are to perish with the Using after the Commandments and Doctrines of Men r Col. 2.20 21 22. For now after we have known God or rather are known of him why should we turn again unto the Weak and Beggarly Elements or desire again to be in Bondage to observe Dayes and Months and Times and Years lest Labour have been bestowed on us in vain s Gal. 4.9 10 11. If one man esteem a Day above another another esteemeth every day alike let every man be fully perswaded in his own Mind He that regardeth a Day regardeth it unto the Lord and he that regardeth not the Day to the Lord he doth not regard it t Rom. 14.5 6. ARTICLE XXI Concerning Swearing Fighting and Persecution IT hath been said by them of Old Thou shalt not Forswear thy self but shalt perform unto the Lord thine Oaths But Christ says unto us Swear not at all neither by Heaven for it is God's Throne nor by the Earth for it is his Foot-stool neither by Jerusalem for it is the City of the great King neither shalt thou swear by thy Head because thou canst not make one Hair white or black But let your Communication be Yea Yea Nay Nay for whatsoever is more than these cometh of Evil u Mat. 5 33 34 35 36 37. And James chargeth us Above all things not to swear neither by Heaven neither by the Earth neither by any other Oath but let your Yea be Yea and your Nay Nay lest ye fall into Condemnation x Jam. 5.12 Though we walk in the Flesh we are not to War after the Flesh for the Weapons of our Warfare are not to be
carnal but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong Holds casting down Imaginations and every High Thing that exalteth itself against the Knowledge of God and bringing into Captivity every Thought to the Obedience of Christ y 2 Cor. 10 3.4 5. For Wars and Fightings come of the Lusts that war in the Members z Jam. 4.1 2. Therefore Christ commands not to resist Evil but whosoever will smite on the right Cheek to turn the other also a Mat. 5.39 Because Christians are Lambs among Wolves b Luke 10.3 Therefore are they hated of all Men for Christ's sake c Mat. 10.22 And all that will live Godly in Christ Jesus must suffer Persecution d 2 Tim. 3.12 Such are Blessed for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven e Mat. 5 10. For though they have lost their Lives yet shall they save them f Mat. 16.25 And because they have confessed Christ before Men he will also confess them before the Angels of God g Luke 12.8 9. We ought not then to fear them which kill the Body but are not able to kill the Soul but rather him which is able to destroy both Soul and Body in Hell h Mat. 10.28 ARTICLE XXII Concerning Magistracy LEt every Soul be subject to the Higher Powers for there is no Power but of God the Powers that be are ordained of God Whosoever therefore resists the Power resists the Ordinance of God and they that resist shall receive to themselves Damnation For Rulers are not a Terror to Good Works but to the Evil wilt thou then not be afraid of the Power do that which is good and thou shalt have Praise of the same for he is the Minister of God to thee for good But if thou do that which is Evil be afraid for he beareth not the Sword in vain for he is the Minister of God a Revenger to execute Wrath upon him that doth Evil. Wherefore we must needs be subject not only for Wrath but also for Conscience sake For for this Cause pay we also Tribute for they are God's Ministers attending continually upon this very thing Render therefore to all their Dues Tribute to whom Tribute is due Custom to whom Custom Fear to whom Fear Honour to whom Honour i Rom. 13.1 2 7. Therefore are we to submit ourselves to every Ordinance of Man for the Lord's sake whether it be to the King as Supream or unto Governours as unto them that are sent by him for the Punishment of Evil-Doers and for the Praise of them that do Well for so is the Will of God that with well-doing we may put to Silence the Ignorance of Foolish Men k 1 Pet. 2.13 14 15. Yet it is right in the Spirit of God to hearken unto him more than unto them l Acts 4.19 And though they straightly Command us not to teach in Christ's Name we ought to obey God rather than Men m Acts 5.28 29. ARTICLE XXIII Concerning the Resurrection THere shall be a Resurrection of the Dead both of the Just and Vnjust n Acts 24.15 They that have done Good unto the Resurrection of Life and they that have done Evil unto the Resurrection of Damnation o John 5.29 Flesh and Blood cannot inherit the Kingdom of God neither doth Corruption inherit Incorruption p 1 Cor. 15.50 Nor is that Body sown that shall be but God gives it a Body as it has pleased him and to every Seed his own Body It is sown in Corruption it is raised in Incorruption It is sown in Dishonour it is raised in Glory It is sown in Weakness it is raised in Power It is sown a Natural Body it is raised a Spiritual Body q 1 Cor. 15.37 38 42 43 44. CHAP. XVII A short Expostulation with and APPEAL to all other Professors COme let us reason with you all ye Professors of Christianity of what sort or kind soever and bring forth your Catechisms and Confessions of FAITH to that which by most of your selves is accounted the Touch-Stone or Rule And suffer your selves no more to be blinded and to Err through your Ignorance of the Scriptures and of the Power of God but freely acknowledge and confess to that Glorious Gospel and Light which the Scriptures so clearly witness to and your Experience must needs answer as also to these other Doctrines The Noble Principle of Truth all are Invited unto which consequentially depend upon the behalf of that Noble and truly Catholick Principle wherein the Love of God is so mercifully exhibited to all Men and his Justice and Mercy do like Twins so Harmoniously Concord his Mercy in the oft tendering of his Love through the Strivings and Wrestlings of his Light during the day of every man's Visitation and his Justice both in the destroying and cutting away of the Wicked Nature and Spirit in those that suffer themselves to be Redeemed through his Judgments and in the utter Overthrow of such who rebelling against the Light and doing Despight to the Spirit of Grace hate to be Reformed Now not only this Fundamental Principle is clearly held forth in this Treatise but all these that depend upon it as the real and inward Justification of the Saints through the Power and Life of Jesus Revealed in them their full and perfect Redemption from the Body of Death and Sin as they grow up by the Workings and Prevalency of his Grace And yet lest Security should enter there is great need of Watchfulness in that they may even depart after they have really witnessed a good Condition and make Ship-wrack of the Faith and of a good Conscience with all the parts of the Doctrine of Christ as they lie linked together like a Golden Chain which doth very much evidence the Certainty and Vertue of Truth above all Heresies Error and Deceit however so cunningly gilded with the specious Pretences thereof For Truth is intire in all its parts and consonant to it self without the least Jar having a wonderful Coherence and notable Harmony The Harmony of Truth as of a well-tuned Instrument answering together like the Strings of a well-tuned Instrument whereas the Principles of all other Professors though in some things most of them come near and divers acknowledge that which is Truth yet in most things they stray from it so that their Principles greatly contradict and Jar one against another And though they may alledge Scriptures for some of their Principles yet they are put strangely to wrest it and to deny it for others My Appeal then to and Expostulation with all sorts of Professors is not to prove some one or two Points by the Scriptures for there be some general Notions of Truth which most if not all agree to but the whole Body of our Principles as they stand in relation to each other which none of them all is able to do For among the many Professors their Catechisms and Confessions of Faith I
find none save the Dispensation of Truth now again revealed but such as in most of their substantial Principles differ greatly and in many Contradict grosly the plain Text and Tenour of the Scripture I confess there be certain Men in this Age who with some plausible Appearance of Reality undertake this Task These are they that join with and own not wholly any Imbodied People but while they pretend a general Love to all yet find fault with some part of every Sort while in the mean time they scarce can give any Account of their own Religion and most of them prove at bottom to have none at all These Men I say may perhaps acknowledge some general Truths and also hold to the Letter of the Scripture in some other things so as thereby to take Occasion largely to judge others while themselves offer not to bring these good things to practice they blame others for the Want or Neglect of But such an Enterprize from these Men will not when weighed prove a fulfilling of this Matter Seeing it is not enough to acknowledge many Truths but also to deny and witness against all Error and likewise not to fall short of any Truth which ought to be acknowledged Whereas these sort of Men for the most part cannot give account of their Faith in many things needful to be believed and whatever things they may acknowledge to be true they Err most grievously and Contradict a Truth most needful to be minded and answered as is proved hereto in that they stand not forth to appear for any of these Discoveries they pretend they have but make a shift to hide their Heads in Times of Trial Pretenders hide their Heads in time of Trial. so as not to suffer for nor with any And through these fine Pretences above-mentioned through their Scruples of joining with any they can cunningly shun the Difficulties of Persecutions that attend the particular Sects of Christians yet by their general Charity and Love to all claim a share in any Benefits or Advantages that accrew to one and all Such then cannot honestly lay claim to justifie their Principles and Practices from the Scriptures But I leave these Straglers in Religion and come again to the divers Sects To begin with these that are most numerous I think I need not say much to the Papists in this Case for they do not so much as pretend to prove all their Dogma's by the Scriptures sith it is one of their chief Doctrines That Tradition may Authorize Doctrines without any Authority of Scriptures Papistical Dogma's Traditions and Councils Yea the Council of Constance hath made bold to Command things to be believed Non obstante Scripturâ i. e. Though the Scriptures say the contrary And indeed it were their great Folly to pretend to prove their Doctrines by Scripture seeing the Adoration of Saints and Images Purgatory and Prayer for the Dead the Precedency of the Bishop of Rome the Matter of Indulgencies with much more Stuff of that kind hath not the least Shadow of Scripture for it Socinians Pretences contrary to Scriptures Among Protestants I know the Socinians are great Pretenders to the Scriptures and in Words as much exalt them as any other People and yet its strange to see how that not only in many things they are not agreeable to them but in some of their chief Principles quite contrary unto it as in their Denying the Divinity of Christ which is as expresly mentioned as any thing can be And the Word was God John 1. As also in Denying his Being from the Beginning against the very Tenour of that of John 1. and divers others as at large is shewn in the Third Chapter of this Treatise Divers other things as to them might be mentioned but this may suffice to stop their Boasting in this Matter The Arminians are not more successful in their Denying the Doctrine of Absolute Reprobation Arminians Denials do center amiss and in Asserting the Vniversal Extent of Christ's Death for all than they are short in not placing this Salvation in that Spiritual Light wherewith Man is enlightned by Christ but wrongously ascribing a part of that to the Natural Will and Capacity which is due alone to the Grace and Power of God by which the Work is both begun carried on and accomplished And herein they Pelagians the like as well as both the Socinians and Pelagians though they do well in Condemning their Errors yet they miss in setting up another and not the Truth in place thereof and in that respect are justly proved by such Scriptures as their Adversaries who otherwise are as far wrong as they bring against them in shewing the Depravity of Man's Will by Nature and his Incapacity to do any Good but as assisted by the Grace of God so to do On the other hand its strange to observe how many Protestants the first Article of whose Confession of Faith is to assert the Scripture to be the Only Rule should deny the Vniversal Extent of Christ's Death contrary to the express words of Scripture which saith He tasted Death for every man or the Vniversality of Grace and a sufficient Principle which the Scriptures assert in as many positive Words as except we may suppose the Pen-men intended another thing than they spake it was possible to do viz A Manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal The Grace of God that brings Salvation hath appeared unto all men and many more before-mentioned The like may be said of their denying the Perfection of the Saints and asserting the Impossibility of any falling away from real Beginnings of true and saving Grace contrary to so many express Scriptures as are heretofore adduced in their proper place But to give all that desire to be undeceived a more full Opportunity to observe how the Devil has abused many pretending to be Wise in making them cloak with a Pretence of Scripture false and pernicious Doctrines I shall take a few of many Instances out of the Confession of Faith and Catechism made by the Divines at Westminster so called because the same is not only most universally received and believed by the People of Britain and Ireland but also containeth upon the Matter the Faith of the French Churches and of most others both in the Nether-lands and elsewhere that it may appear what wild Consequences these Men have sought both contrary to the naked Import of the Words and to all Common Sense and Reason to cover some of their Erroneous Principles CHAP. XVIII A Short Examination of some of the Scripture-Proofs alledged by the Divines at Westminster to prove divers Articles in their Confession of Faith and Catechism IT is not in the least my Design in this Chapter to offer so large and Examination of any of their Articles as might be done nor yet of so many as are very obvious but only of two or three to give the Reader a Taste of them
Imaginations are evil perpetually in the sight of God as proceeding from this depraved and wicked Seed Man therefore as he is in this State can know nothing aright yea his Thoughts and Conceptions concerning God and things spiritual until he be dis-joined from this Evil Seed and united to the Divine Light are unprofitable both to himself and others Hence are rejected the Socinian and Pelagian Errors in exalting a Natural Light as also the Papists and most of Protestants who affirm Eph 2.1 That Man without the true Grace of God may be a true Minister of the Gospel Nevertheless this Seed is not imputed to Infants until by Transgression they actually join themselves therewith for they are by Nature the Children of Wrath who walk according to the Power of the Prince of the Air. The Fifth and Sixth Propositions Concerning the Universal Redemption by Christ and also the Saving and Spiritual Light wherewith every Man is enlightened The Fifth Proposition Ezek. 18.23 Isai 49.6 John 3.16 and 1 9. T it 2.11 Eph. 5 13. Hebr. 2 9. God out of his Infinite Love who delighteth not in the death of a Sinner but that all should live and be saved hath so loved the World that he hath given his Only Son a Light that whosoever believeth in him should be saved Who enlighteneth every Man that cometh into the World and maketh manifest all things that are reproveable and teacheth all Temperance Righteousness and Godliness And this Light enlighteneth the Hearts of all in a Day in order to Salvation if not Resisted Nor is it lessVniversal than the Seed of Sin being the purchase of his Death 1 Cor. 15.22 who tasted death for every Man For as in Adam all die even so in Christ all shall be made alive The Sixth Proposition According to which Principle or Hypothesis all the Objections against the Vniversality of Christ's Death are easily solved Neither is it needful to recur to the Ministry of Angels and those other Miraculous Means which they say God makes use of to manifest the Doctrine and History of Christ's Passion unto such who living in those places of the World where the outward preaching of the Gospel is unknown have well improved the first and Common Grace For hence it well follows that as some of the Old Philosophers might have been Saved so also may now some who by Providence are cast into those Remote parts of the World where the Knowledge of the History is wanting be made partakers of the Divine Mystery if they receive and resist not that Grace 1 Cor. 12.7 A manifestation whereof is given to every Man to profit withal This certain Doctrine then being received to wit that there is an Evangelical and Saving Light and Grace in all the Vniversality of the Love and Mercy of God towards Mankind both in the Death of his beloved Son the Lord Jesus Christ and in the manifestation of the Light in the heart is established and confirmed against all the Objections of such as deny it Therefore Christ hath tasted death for every Man Hebr. 2 9. not only for all kinds of Men as some vainly talk but for every one of all kinds the Benefit of whose Offering is not only extended to such who have the distinct outward Knowledge of his Death and Suffering as the same is declared in the Scriptures but even unto those who are necessarily excluded from the Benefit of this Knowledge by some inevitable accident Which Knowledge we willingly Confess to be very Profitable and Comfortable but not absolutely Needful unto such from whom God himself hath with-held it yet they may be made partakers of the Mystery of his Death though ignorant of the History if they suffer his Seed and Light enlightning their hearts to take place in which Light Communion with the Father and the Son is enjoied so as of wicked men to become holy and lovers of that Power by whose inward and secret Touches they feel themselves turned from the Evil to the Good and learn To do to others as they would be done by in which Christ himself affirms all to be included As they have then falsly and erroneously taught who have denied Christ to have died for all men so neither have they sufficiently taught the Truth who affirming him to have died for all have added the absolute necessity of the outward Knowledge thereof in order to the obtaining its saving Effect Among whom the Remonstrants of Holland have been chiefly wanting and many other Asserters of Vniversal Redemption in that they have not placed the Extent of this Salvation in that Divine and Evangelical Principle of Light and Life wherewith Christ hath enlightned every one that comes into the World which is excellently and evidently held forth in these Scriptures Gen. 6.3 Deut. 30.14 John 1.7 8 9. Rom. 10.8 Tit. 2.11 The Seventh Proposition Concerning Justification As many as resist not this Light but receive the same in them is produced a holy pure and spiritual Birth bringing forth Holiness Righteousness Purity and all these other blessed Fruits which are acceptable to God by which holy Birth to wit Jesus Christ formed within us and working his work in us as we are Sanctified so are we Justified in the Sight of God according to the Apostle's words But ye are washed but ye are sanctified but ye are justified in the Name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God Therefore it is not by our Works wrought in our Will nor yet by good Works considered as of themselves but by Christ who is both the Gift and the Giver and the Cause producing the Effects in us who as he hath Reconciled us while we were Enemies doth also in his Wisdom save us and justify us after this manner as saith the same Apostle elsewhere According to his Mercy he hath saved us by the washing of Regeneration Titus 3.5 and the renewing of the Holy Ghost The Eighth Proposition Concerning Perfection In whom this holy and pure Birth is fully brought forth Rom. 6.14 Id. 8.13 Id. 6.2 18. 1 John 3.6 the body of Death and Sin comes to be Crucified and removed and their hearts united and subjected unto the Truth so as not to obey any Suggestion or Temptation of the Evil one but to be Free from actual Sinning and Transgressing of the Law of God and in that respect Perfect Yet doth this Perfection still admit of a Growth there remaineth a possibility of sinning where the Mind doth not most diligently and watchfully attend unto the Lord. The Ninth Proposition Concerning Perseverance and the possibility of Falling from Grace Although this Gift and inward Grace of God be sufficient to work out Salvation yet in those in whom it is Resisted it both may and doth become their Condemnation Moreover in whom it hath wrought in part to purify and sanctify them in order to their further Perfection 1 Tim. 1.6 Hebr. 6.4 5 6. by disobedience such may fall
Inspires power against Death and shews himself unto every one 6. Gregory the Great upon these words He shall teach you all things saith That unless the same Spirit sit upon the heart of the Hearer Greg. Mag. Hom. 30. upon the Gospel in vain is the Discourse of the Doctor Let no man then ascribe unto the man that teacheth what he understands from the mouth of him that speaketh for unless he that teacheth be within the Tongue of the Doctor that 's without laboureth in vain 7. Cyrillus Alexandrinus plainly Affirmeth That men know Cyril Alex. In Thesauro Lib. 13. Cap. 3 that Jesus is the Lord by the Holy Ghost no otherwise than they who taste Honey know that it is sweet even by its proper Quality 8. Therefore saith Bernard we daily exhort you Brethren by speech Bernard in Psal. 84. that ye walk the ways of the heart and that your Soul be always in your hands that ye may hear what the Lord saith in you And again upon these words of the Apostle Let him that glorieth glory in the Lord with which Threefold Vice saith he all sorts of Religious men are less or more dangerously affected because they do not so diligently Attend with the Ears of the Heart to what the Spirit of Truth which flatters none inwardly speaks This was the very Basis and main Foundation upon which the Primitive Reformers walked Luther in his Book to the Nobility of Germany saith This is certain Lutherus that no man can make himself a Doctor of the holy Scripture but the holy Spirit alone And upon the Magnificat he saith No man can rightly understand God or the Word of God unless he immediately receive it from the Holy Spirit neither can any one Receive it from the Holy Spirit except he find it by Experience in himself and in this Experience the Holy Ghost teacheth as in his proper School out of which School nothing is taught but meer Talk Philip Melanchthon in his Annotations upon John 6. Who hear only an outward and bodily Voice Phil. Melanchthon hear the Creature but God is a Spirit and is neither discerned By the Spirit alone God is known nor known nor heard but by the Spirit and therefore to hear the Voice of God to see God is to know and hear the Spirit By the Spirit alone God is known and perceived Which also the more Serious to this day do acknowledge even all such who satisfy themselves not with the Superfice of Religion and use it not as a Cover or Art Yea all those who apply themselves effectually to Christianity and are not satisfied until they have found its Effectual Work upon their hearts redeeming them from sin do feel that no knowledge effectually prevails to the producing of this but that which proceeds from the warm Influence of God's Spirit upon the heart and from the comfortable shinings of his Light upon their Vnderstanding And therefore to this purpose a late Modern Author saith well videlicet Dr. Smith of Cambridge concerning Book-Divinity Dr. Smith of Cambridge in his Select Discourses To seek our Divinity meerly in Books and Writings is to seek the Living among the Dead We do but in vain many times seek God in these where his Truth is too often not so much Enshrined as Entombed Intra te quaere Deum Seek God within thine own Soul he is best discerned 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Plotinus phraseth it by an Intellectual Touch of him We must see with our Eyes and hear with our Eears and our hands must handle the Word of Life to express it in S. John 's words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. The Soul it self hath its Sense as well as the Body And therefore David when he would teach us to know what the Divine Goodness is calls not for Speculation but Sensation Taste and see how good the Lord is That is not the best and truest Knowledge of God which is wrought out by the labour and sweat of the brain but that which is kindled within us by an heavenly Warmth in our hearts And again There is a knowing of the Truth as it is in Jesus as it is in a Christ-like nature as it is in that sweet mild humble and loving Spirit of Jesus which spreads it self like a Morning-star upon the Spirits of good men full of Light and Life It profits little to know Christ himself after the flesh but he gives his Spirit to good men that searcheth the deep things of God And again It is but thin airy Knowledge that is got by meer Speculation which is usher'd in by Syllogisms and Demonstrations but that which springs forth from true Goodness is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Origen speaketh It brings such a Divine Light to the Soul as is more clear and convincing than any Demonstration § III. That this certain and undoubted Method of the true Knowledge of God hath been brought out of Use hath been none of the least Devices of the Devil to secure Mankind to his Kingdom Apostacy and a false Knowledge Introduced For after the Light and Glory of the Christian Religion had prevailed over a good part of the World and dispelled the thick Mists of the Heathenish Doctrine of the plurality of Gods he that knew there was no probability of deluding the World any longer that way did then puff man up with a false Knowledge of the true God setting him on work to seek God the wrong Way and perswading him to be content with such a Knowledge as was of his own Acquiring and not of God's Teaching And this Device hath proved the more successful because accommodated to the Natural and Corrupt spirit and temper of man who above all things affects to Exalt himself In which Self-Exaltation as God is most greatly dishonoured so therein the Devil hath his end who is not anxious how much God be acknowledged in Words provided himself be but always served he matters not how great and high Speculations the Natural man Entertains of God so long as he serves his Lusts and Passions and is obedient to his Evil Suggestions and Temptations â—â—ristianity is become an Art acquired by human Science and Industry Thus Christianity is become an Art Acquired by Human Science and Industry as any other Art or Science is and men have not only assumed unto themselves the Name of Christians but even have procured to be esteemed as Masters of Christianity by certain Artificial Tricks though altogether Strangers to the Spirit and Life of Jesus But if we shall make a right Definition of a Christian according to the Scripture videlicet That he is one that hath the Spirit of Christ and is led by it How many Christians yea and of these great Masters and Doctors of Christianity so accounted shall we justly Divest of that Noble Title If then such as have all the other Means of Knowledge and are sufficiently Learned therein whether it be
Authentick that it ought to be Received First If he should say Because it Contradicts not the Rest besides that there is no mention made of it in any of the Rest perhaps these men think it doth Contradict Paul in relation to Faith and Works Whether the Epistle of James be Authentick and how to know it But if that should be granted it would as well follow that Every Writer that Contradicts not the Scripture should be put into the Canon and by this means these men fall into a greater Absurdity than they fix upon us For thus they would Equal every one the Writings of their own Sect with the Scriptures for I suppose they judge their own Confession of Faith doth not Contradict the Scriptures Will it therefore follow that it should be bound up with the Bible And yet it seems impossible according to their Principles to bring any better Aagument to prove the Epistle of James to be Authentick There is then this Vnavoidable Necessity to say We know it by the same Spirit from which it was written or otherwise to step back to Rome and say We know by Tradition that the Church hath declared it to be Canonical and the Church is Infallible Let them find a Mids if they can So that out of this Objection we shall draw an Vnanswerable Argument ad hominem to our purpose That which cannot Assure me concerning an Article of Faith necessary to be believed is not the Primary Adequate Only Rule of Faith But The Scripture cannot thus Assure me Therefore c. I prove the Assumption thus That which cannot Assure me concerning the Canon of the Scripture to wit that such Books are only to be Admitted and the Apocrypha to be Excluded Cannot Assure me of this Therefore c And lastly As to these words Rev. 22.18 that If any man shall add Object 3 unto these things God shall add unto him the Plagues that are written in this Book I desire they will shew me Answ. how it relates to any thing else than to that Particular Prophecy It saith not Now the Canon of the Scripture is filled up no man is to write more from that Spirit Yea do not all Confess What it means to Add to the Scriptures that there have been Prophecies and true Prophets since The Papists deny it not And do not the Protestants affirm that John Huss prophesied of the Reformation Was he therefore Cursed or did he therein Evil I could give many other Examples Confessed by themselves But moreover the same was in Effect Commanded long before Prov. 30.6 Add thou not unto his words lest he reprove thee and thou be found a liar Yet how many Books of the Prophets were written after And the same was said by Moses Deut. 4.2 Ye shall not Add unto the Word which I command you neither shall ye Diminish ought from it So that though we should extend that of the Revelations beyond the particular Prophecy of that Book it cannot be understood but of a New Gospel or New Doctrines or of Restraining Prop. 4 man's Spirit that he mix not his Humane Words with the Divine and not of a New Revelation of the Old as we have said before PROPOSITION IV. Concerning the Condition of Man in the Fall All Adam's Posterity or Mankind both Jews and Gentiles as to the first Adam or Earthly Man is fallen degenerated and dead deprived of the sensation or feeling of this Inward Testimony Rom. 5.12 15. or Seed of God and is subject unto the Power Nature and Seed of the Serpent which he soweth in mens hearts while they abide in this Natural and Corrupted Estate from whence it comes that not only their Words and Deeds but all their Imaginations are Evil perpetually in the sight of God as proceeding from this depraved and wicked Seed Man therefore as he is in this State can know nothing aright yea his Thoughts and Conceptions concerning God and things Spiritual until he be dis-joined from this Evil Seed and united to the Divine Light are Unprofitable both to himself and others Hence are Rejected the Socinian and Pelagian Errors in the Exalting a Natural Light as also the Papists and most of Protestants who Affirm That man without the true Grace of God may be a True Minister of the Gospel Nevertheless this Seed is not imputed to Infants until by Transgression they actually join themselves therewith for they are by Nature the Children of Wrath who walk according to the Power of the Prince of the Air Ephes. 2. and the Spirit that now worketh in the Children of Disobedience having their Conversation in the Lusts of the Flesh fulfilling the desires of the Flesh and of the Mind § I. HItherto we have Discoursed how the True Knowledge of God is Attained and Preserved also of what Vse and Service the Holy Scripture is to the Saints We come now to Examine The State and Condition of Man as he stands in the Fall what his Capacity and Power is and how far he is able as of himself to Advance in relation to the things of God Of this we touch'd a little in the beginning of the Second Proposition but the full right and through Understanding of it is of great Vse and Service because from the Ignorance and Altercations that have been about it there have arisen great and dangerous Errors both on the one hand and the other While some do so far Exalt the Light of Nature or the Faculty of the Natural man as Capable of himself by vertue of the Inward Will Faculty Light or Power that pertains to his Nature to follow that which is good and make real progress towards Heaven And of these are the Pelagians and Semi-Pelagians of old and of late the Socinians and divers others among the Papists Others again will needs run into another Extream to whom Augustine among the Ancients first made way in his Declining Age Augustine 's Zeal against Pelagius through the heat of his zeal against Pelagius not only Confessing men Vncapable of themselves to do good and prone to evil but that in his very Mother's Womb and before he Commits any Actual Transgression he is Contaminate with a Real Guilt whereby he deserves Eternal Death in which respect they are not afraid to Affirm That many poor Infants are Eternally Damned and for ever endure the Torments of Hell Therefore the God of Truth having now again Revealed his Truth that good and even Way by his own Spirit hath taught us to avoid both these Extreams That then which our Proposition leads to Treat of is Part I First What the Condition of Man is in the Fall and how far Vncapable to meddle in the Things of God And Secondly That God doth not impute this Evil to Infants until Part II they Actually join with it That so by Establishing the Truth we may overturn the Errors on both parts And as for that Third thing Included in the Proposition it self concerning Part III
Adam's Sin is Confessed but that that infers necessarily a Guilt in all others that are Subject to them is denied For though the whole outward Creation suffered a Decay by Adam's Fall Death the Wages of Sin Answer'd which groans under Vanity according to which it is said in Job That the Heavens are not clean in the sight of God yet will it not from thence follow that the Herbs Earth and Trees are Sinners Next Death though a Consequent of the Fall incident to man's Earthly Nature is not the Wages of Sin in the Saints but rather a Sleep by which they pass from Death to Life which is so far from being Troublesom and Painful to them as all real punishments for sin are that Prop. 5 6 the Apostle counts it Gain To me saith he to die is Gain Phil. 1.21 Some are so foolish as to make an Objection further saying Object That if Adam's sin be not imputed to those who actually have not sinned then it would follow that all Infants are saved But we are willing Answ. that this supposed Absurdity should be the Consequence of our Doctrine rather than that which it seems our Adversaries reckon not Absurd though the undoubted and unavoidable consequence of theirs viz. that Many Infants Eternally perish not for any sin of their own but only for Adam 's Iniquity where we are willing to let the Controversy â—ist commending both to the Illuminated Vnderstanding of the Christian Reader This Error of our Adversaries is both Denied and Refuted by Zwinglius that Eminent Founder of the Protestant Churches of Switzerland in his Book De Baptismo for which he is Anathematized by the Council of Trent in the fifth Session We shall only add this Information That we Confess then that a Seed of Sin is Transmitted to all men from Adam although Imputed to none Original Sin no Scripture-Phrase until by sinning they actually join with it in which Seed he gave occasion to all to sin and it is the Origin of all Evil Actions and Thoughts in mens hearts 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to wit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as it is in Romans 5. i. e. in which death all have sinned For this Seed of Sin is frequently called Death in the Scriptures and The body of death seeing indeed it is a Death to the Life of Righteousness and Holiness Therefore its Seed and its Product is called the Old Man the Old Adam in which all Sin is for which cause we use this name to express this sin and not that of Original sin of which phrase the Scripture makes no mention and under which Invented and Vnscriptural Barbarism this Notion of Imputed Sin to Infants took place among Christians PROPOSITIONS V. VI. Concerning the Universal Redemption by Christ and also the Saving and Spiritual Light wherewith every Man is Inlightened PROPOSITION V. GOD out of his Infinite Love Ezech. 18.32 and 33 11. who delighteth not in the death of a sinner but that all should live and be saved hath so loved the World that he hath given his Only Son a LIGHT that whosoever believeth in him should be saved Joh. 3.16 who enlighteneth EVERY man that cometh into the world Joh. 1.9 and maketh manifest all things that are Reprovable Eph. 5.13 and teacheth all Temperance Righteousness and Godliness And this Light lighteneth the hearts of all in a Day in order to Salvation and this is it which Reproves the sin of all Individuals and would work out the Salvation of all if not Resisted Nor is it less Universal than the Seed of Sin being the purchase of his Death who tasted Death for every Man For as in Adam all die even so in Christ all shall be made alive 1 Cor. 15.22 PROPOSITION VI. According to which Principle or Hypothesis all the Objections against the Universality of Christ's Death are easily solved neither is it needful to recur to the Ministry of Angels and those other Miraculous Means which they say God useth to manifest the Doctrine and History of Christ's Passion unto such who living in the places of the World where the outward preaching of the Gospel is unknown have well improved the first and common Grace For as hence it well follows that some of the Old Philosophers might have been Saved so also may some who by Providence are cast into those Remote Parts of the World where the knowledge of the History is wanting be made partakers of the Divine Mystery if they Receive and Resist not that Grace 1 Cor. 12.7 A Manifestation whereof is given to every Man to profit withal This most certain Doctrine being then received that there is an Evangelical and Saving Light and Grace in all the Universality of the Love and Mercy of God towards Mankind both in the Death of his Beloved Son the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Manifestation of the Light in the heart is established and confirmed against all the Objections of such as deny it Therefore Christ hath tasted Death for every Man Hebr. 2.9 not only for all kind of men as some vainly talk but for every man of all kinds the benefit of whose Offering is not only extended to such who have the distinct outward Knowledge of his Death and Sufferings as the same is declared in the Scriptures but even unto those who are necessarily Excluded from the benefit of this Knowledge by some Inevitable Accident Which Knowledge we willingly Confess to be very Profitable and Comfortable but not absolutely Needful unto such from whom God himself hath with-held it yet they may be made partakers of the Mystery of his Death though ignorant of the History if they suffer his Seed and Light enlightening their hearts to take place in which Light Communion with the Father and the Son is enjoyed so as of wicked men to become holy and lovers of that Power by whose inward and secret Touches they feel themselves turned from the Evil to the Good and learn to do to others as they would be done by in which Christ himself affirms all to be Included As They have then falsly and erroneously Taught who have denied Christ to have died for all men so neither have They sufficiently Taught the Truth who affirming him to have died for all have added the Absolute Necessity of the outward Knowledge thereof in order to obtain its Saving Effect Among whom the Remonstrants of Holland have been chiefly wanting and many other Assertors of Universal Redemption in that they have not placed the Extent of his Salvation in that Divine and Evangelical Principle of Light and Life wherewith Christ hath enlightened Every man that cometh into the World which is excellently and evidently held forth in these Scriptures Gen. 6.3 Deut. 30.14 John 1.7 8 9 16. Rom. 10.8 Tit. 2.11 HItherto we have Considered Man 's fall'n lost corrupted and degenerated Condition Now is it fit to Inquire How and by what means he may come to be Freed out of this miserable
Ineffectual to bring them the least step towards Salvation and do only Contribute to render their Condemnation the greater and their Torments the more Violent and Intolerable Having thus briefly Removed this false Doctrine which stood in my way because they that are desirous may see it both learnedly and piously Refuted by many others I come to the Matter of our Proposition which is That God out of his Infinite Love who delighteth not in the death of a sinner but that all should live and be saved hath sent his Only-begotten Son into the World that whosoever believeth in him might be Saved Christ tasted Death for every man Which also is again affirmed in the sixth Proposition in these words Christ then tasted death for every man of all kinds Such is the Evidence of this Truth delivered almost wholly in the Express words of Scripture that it will not need much probation also because our Assertion herein is Common with many others who have both earnestly and soundly according to the Scripture pleaded for this Vniversal Redemption I shall be the more brief in it that I may come to that which may seem more singularly and peculiarly ours § VI. This Doctrine of Vniversal Redemption Christ's Redemption is Vniversal contrary to the Doctrine of Absolute REPROBATION or Christ's dying for all men is of it self so Evident from the Scripture-Testimony that there is scarce found any other Article of the Christian Faith so frequently so plainly and so positively Asserted It is that which maketh the preaching of Christ to be truly termed the Gospel or an Annunciation of glad Tidings to all Thus the Angel declared the Birth and Coming of Christ to the Shepherds to be Luke 2.10 Behold I bring you good Tidings of great Joy which shall be to all people He saith not to a few people Now if this Coming of Christ had not brought a possibility of Salvation to all it should rather have been accounted Bad Tidings of great sorrow to most people neither should the Angel have had reason to have sung Peace on Earth and good Will towards men if the greatest part of Mankind had been necessarily shut out from receiving any Benefit by it How should Christ have sent out His to Preach the Gospel to every Creature Mark 16.15 a very Comprehensive Commission that is To every son and daughter of Mankind without all Exception He Commands them to Preach Salvation to all Repentance and Remission of sins to all Warning every one and Exhorting every one as Paul did Col. 1.28 Now how couldd they have preached the Gospel to every man The Gospel is preached to Every man as became the Ministers of Jesus Christ in much Assurance if Salvation by that Gospel had not been possible for all What! If some of those had asked them or should now ask any of these Doctors who deny the Vniversality of Christ's Death and yet preach it to all promiscuously Hath Christ died sor me How can they with confidence give a certain Answer to this Question If they give a Conditional Answer as their Principle obligeth them to do and say If thou Repent Christ hath died for thee doth not the same Question still Recur Hath Christ died for me so as to make Repentance possible for me To this they can Answer nothing unless they run in a Circle whereas the Feet of those that bring the glad Tidings of the Gospel of Peace are said to be beautiful for that they preach the Common Salvation Repentance unto all offering a door of Mercy and Hope to all through Jesus Christ who gave himself a Ransom for all The Gospel Invites all and certainly by the Gospel Christ intended not to deceive and delude the greater part of Mankind when he Inviteth and Crieth saying Come unto me all ye that are weary and heavy laden and ' I will give you Rest. If All then ought to seek after him and to look for Salvation by him he must needs have made Salvation possible to all for who is bound to seek after that which is Impossible Certainly it were a mocking of men to bid them do so And such as deny that by the Death of Christ Salvation is made possible to all men do most blasphemously make God mock the World in giving his Servants a Commission to preach the Gospel of Salvation unto ALL while he hath before decreed The Absurdity of that Doctrine of Absolute Reprobation that it shall not be possible for them to Receive it Would not this make the Lord to send forth his Servants with a Lie in their mouths which were blasphemous to think commanding them to bid all and every one to believe that Christ died for them and had purchased life and Salvation whereas it is no such thing according to the fore-mentioned Doctrine But seeing Christ after he Arose and perfected the work of our Redemption gave a Commission to preach Repentance Remission of Sins and Salvation to all it is manifest that he died for all For he that hath Commissionated his Servants thus to preach is a God of Truth and no mocker of poor Mankind neither doth he require of any man that which is simply Impossible for him to do for that No man is bound to do that which is Impossible is a principle of Truth ingraven in every man's mind And seeing he is both a most Righteous and Merciful God it cannot at all stand neither with his Justice nor Mercy to bid such men Repent or Believe to whom it is Impossible § VII Moreover if we Regard the Testimony of the Scripture in this matter where there is not one Scripture which I know of that affirmeth To Pray for all for Christ died for all Christ not to die for ALL there are divers that positively and expresly Assert he did as 1 Tim. 2.1 3 4 6. I exhort therefore that first of all Supplications Prayers Intercessions and giving of Thanks be made for all men c. for this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour who will have All men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the Truth who gave himself a Ransom for all to be testified in due time Except we will have the Apostle here to Assert quite another thing than he intended there can be nothing more plain to Confirm what we have Asserted And this Scripture doth well answer to that manner of Arguing which we have hitherto used For first the Apostle here Recommends them to Pray for all men And to obviate such an Objection as if he had said with our Adversaries Christ prayed not for the World neither willeth he us to pray for All because he willeth not that All should be saved but hath ordained many to be damned that he might shew forth his Justice in them He obviates I say such an Objection telling them That it is good and acceptable in the sight of God who will have all men to be saved I desire
to know what can be more Expresly Affirmed And will have all men to be saved or can any Two Propositions be stated in Terms more Contradictory than these Two God willeth not some to be saved and God willeth all men to be saved or God will have no man perish If we believe the last as the Apostle hath Affirmed the first must be destroyed seeing of Contradictory Propositions the one being placed the other is destroyed Whence to Conclude he gives us a Reason of his Willingness that All men should be saved in these words Who gave himself a Ransom for all as if he would have said since Christ died for all since he gave himself a Ransom for all therefore he will have all men to be saved This Christ himself gives as the Reason of God's Love to the World in these words Joh. 3.16 God so loved the world that he gave his Only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have Everlasting life Compared with 1 Joh. 4.9 This whosoever is an Indefinite Term from which no man is Excluded From all which then I thus Argue * Arg. 1. For whomsoever it is lawful to pray to them Salvation is possible But It 's lawful to pray for every Individual man in the whole World Therefore Salvation is possible unto them I prove the Major Proposition thus No man is bound to pray for that which is impossible to be attained Arg. 2 But Every man is bound and commanded to pray for all men Therefore It is not impossible to be obtained I prove also this Proposition further thus No man is bound to pray but in Faith Arg. 3 But He that prayeth for that which he judges simply Impossible to be obtained cannot pray in Faith Therefore c. Again That which God willeth is not Impossible Arg. 4 But God willeth all men to be saved Therefore It is not Impossible And lastly These for whom our Saviour gave himself a Ransom Arg. 5 to such Salvation is possible But Our Saviour gave himself a Ransom for all Therefore Salvation is possible unto them § VIII This is very positively Affirmed Hebr. 2.9 in these words Proof 1 But we see Jesus who was made a little lower than the Angels for the suffering of Death Crowned with Glory and Honour that he by the Grace of God might taste death for every man He that will but open his Eyes may see this Truth here Asserted If he tasted Death for Every man then certainly there is no man for whom he did not taste Death then there is no man who may not be made a Sharer of the Benefit of it For he came not to Condemn the World but that the World through him might be Saved Joh. 3.17 He came not to Judge the World but to Save the World Joh. 12.47 whereas according to the Doctrine of our Adversaries he behoved to come to Condemn the World and Judge it Our Adversaries false Doctrine of a great part of Mankind being pre-ordained for Damnation Refuted and not that it might be Saved by him or to save it For if he never came to bring Salvation to a great part of Mankind but that his Coming though it could never do them good yet shall augment their Condemnation from thence it necessarily follows that he came not of Intention to Save but to Judge and Condemn the greater part of the World contrary to his own Express Testimony And as the Apostle Paul in the words above-cited doth Assert Affirmatively That God willeth the Salvation of all so doth the Apostle Peter Assert Negatively That he Proof 2 willeth not the perishing of any 2 Pet. 3.9 The Lord is not slack concerning his Promise as some men count slackness but is long-suffering to us-ward not willing that any should perish but that all should come to Repentance And this is Correspondent to that of the Prophet Ezechiel 33.11 As I live saith the Lord I have no pleasure in the death of the Wicked but that the Wicked turn from his way and live If it be safe to believe God and trust in him we must not think that he intends to Cheat us by all these Expressions through his Servants but that he was in good Earnest And that this Will and Desire of his hath not taken Effect the Blame is on our parts as shall be after spoken of which could not be if so be we never were in any Capacity of Salvation or that Christ had never died for us but left us under an Impossibility of Salvation what means all those Earnest Invitations all those Serious Expostulations all those Regretting Contemplations wherewith the Holy Scriptures are full As Why will ye die 0 house of Israel why will ye not come to me that ye might have life I have waited to be gracious unto you I have sought to gather you I have knocked at the door of your hearts Is not your destruction of your selves I have called all the day long If Men who are so Invited be under no Capacity of being Saved if Salvation be Impossible unto them shall we suppose God in this to be no other but like the Author of a Romance or the Master of a Comedy who amuses and raises the various Affections and Passions of his Spectators by divers and strange Accidents sometimes leading them into hope and sometimes into despair all those Actions in Effect being but a pure Illusion while he hath appointed what the Conclusion of all shall be Proof 3 Thirdly This Doctrine is abundantly Confirmed by that of the Apostle 1 Joh. 2.1 2. And if any man sin we have an Advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the Righteous And he is the Propitiation for our sins and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole World The way Adversaries Comment upon the Word the Whole World which our Adversaries take to Evite this Testimony is most foolish and ridiculous The World here say they is the World of Believers For this Commentary we have nothing but their own Assertion and so while it manifestly destroys the Text may be justly Rejected For First let them shew me if they can in all the Scripture where the Whole world is taken for Believers only I shall shew them where it is many times taken for the quite Contrary as The World knows me not The World receives me not I am not of this World Besides all these Scriptures Psal. 17.14 Isa. 13.11 Matth. 18.7 Joh. 7.7 8.26 12 19. 14 17. 15 18,19 17 14,18,20 1 Cor. 1.21 2 12. 6 2. Gal. 6.14 James 1.27 2 Pet. 2.20 1 Joh. 2.15 3 1. and 4.4 5. and many more Secondly The Apostle in this very place Contra-distinguisheth the World from the Saints thus And not for ours only but for the sins of the whole World What means the Apostle by ours here is not that the sins of Believers was not he one of those Believers and was not this an Vniversal Epistle written
us § III. First then as by the Explanation of the former Thesis appears Expl. 1 we Renounce all Natural Power and Ability in our selves in order to bring us out of our lost and fallâ—n Condition and first Nature Justification springs of and from the Love of God and Confess that as of our selves we are able to do nothing that is good so neither can we procure Remission of Sins or Justification by any Act of our own so as to merit it or draw it as a Debt from God due unto us but we acknowledge all to be of and from his Love which is the Original and Fundamental Cause of our Acceptance Secondly God manifested this love towards us in the sending of his Expl. 2 Beloved Son the Lord Jesus Christ into the World who gave himself for us an Offering and a Sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling Savour Christ giveing himself a Sacrifice for us and having made peace through the blood of his Cross that he might Reconcile us unto himself and by the Eternal Spirit offered himself without spot unto God and suffered for our Sins the just for the unjust that he might bring us unto God Thirdly then Forasmuch as all men who have come to man's Estate the Man Jesus only Excepted have sinned therefore all have need of Expl. 3 this Saviour to remove the Wrath of God from them due to their Offences in this respect he is truly said to have born the Iniquities of us all in his Body on the Tree and therefore is the Only Mediator having qualified the Wrath of God towards us so that our former sins stand not in our way being by virtue of his most satisfactory Sacrifice Removed and pardoned To Remission of Sins Neither do we think that Remission of Sins is to be expected sought or obtained any other way or by any Works or Sacrifice whatsoever though as has been said formerly they may come to partake of this Remission that are Ignorant of the History So then Christ by his Death and Sufferings hath Reconciled us to God The only Mediator betwixt God and Man even while we are Enemies that is he offers Reconciliation unto us we are put into a Capacity of being Reconciled God is willing to forgive us our Iniquities and to accept us as is well expressed by the Apostle 2 Cor. 5.19 God was in Christ reconciling the World unto himself not imputing their Trespasses unto them and hath put in us the Word of Reconciliation And therefore the Apostle in the next verses intreats them in Christ's stead to be Reconciled to God intimating that the Wrath of God being removed by the Obedience of Christ Jesus he is willing to be Reconciled unto them and ready to Remit the sins that are past if they Repent A Twofold Redemption We Consider then our Redemption in a twofold Respect or State both which in their own nature are perfect though in their Application to us the one is not nor cannot be without respect to the other I. The Redemption of Christ without us The first is the Redemption performed and accomplished by Christ for us in his Crucified Body without us The other is the Redemption wrought by Christ in us which no less properly is called and accounted a Redemption than the former The first then is that whereby man as he stands in the Fall is put into a Capacity of Salvation and hath conveyed unto him a measure of that Power Virtue Spirit Life and Grace that was in Christ Jesus which as the Free Gift of God is able to Counter-ballance Overcome and Root-out the Evil Seed wherewith we are naturally as in the Fall leavened II. The Redemption wrought by Christ in us The second is that whereby we Witness and Know this pure and perfect Redemption in our selves purifying cleansing and redeeming us from the power of Corruption and bringing us into Vnity Favour and Friendship with God By the first of these two we that were lost in Adam plunged in the bitter and Corrupt Seed unable of our selves to do any good thing but naturally joined and united to Evil forward and propense to all Iniquity Servants and Slaves to the power and spirit of Darkness are notwithstanding all this so far Reconciled to God by the death of his Son while Enemies that we are put into a Capacity of Salvation having the glad Tidings of the Gospel of Peace offered unto us and God is Reconciled unto us in Christ calls and invites us to himself in which respect we understand these Scriptures * Eph. 2.15 1 John 4.10 Ezech. 16.6 1 Pet. 2.22 24. and 3.18 He slew the Enmity in himself He loved us first seeing us in our blood he said unto us live he who did not sin his own self bare our sins in his own body on the Tree and he died for our sins the Just for the Vnjust By the second we witness this Capacity brought into Act whereby receiving and not resisting the purchase of his death to wit the Light Spirit and Grace of Christ Revealed to us we witness and possess a real true and inward Redemption from the power and prevalency of sin and so come to be truly and really Redeemed Justified and made Righteous and to a sensible Union and Friendship with God Thus he died * Tit. 2.14 Phil. 3.10 for us that he might Redeem us from all Iniquity and thus we know him and the Power of his Resurrection and the fellowship of his Sufferings being made conformable to us This last follows the first in order and is a Consequence of it proceeding from it as an Effect from its Cause So as none could have enjoyed the last without the first had been such being the Will of God so also can none now partake of the first but as he witnesseth the last Wherefore as to us they are both Causes of our Justification The first the Procuring Efficient the other the Formal Cause Fourthly We understand not by this Justification by Christ barely the Expl. 4 good works even as wrought by the Spirit of Christ for they as Protestants truly affirm are rather an Effect of Justification than the Cause of it The Formation of Christ in us begets Good Works But we understand the Formation of Christ in us Christ born and brought forth in us from which good Works as naturally proceed as Fruit from a fruitful Tree It is this Inward Birth in us bringing forth Righteousness and Holiness in us that doth Justify us which having removed and done away the Contrary Nature and Spirit that did bear Rule and bring Condemnation now is in Dominion over all in our hearts Those then that come to know Christ thus formed in them do enjoy him wholly and undivided who is the LORD our RIGHTEOVSNESS Jer. 23.6 This is to be Cloathed with Christ and to have put him on whom God therefore truly accounteth Righteous and Just. This is so far from being the
Legal Acceptation As first in that of 1 Cor. 6.11 But ye are washed but ye are sanctified but ye are justified as I before have proved which also many Protestants are forced to acknowledge Neither diffide we saith Thysius because of the most great and strict Connexion Thysius Disp. de Just. Thes. 3. that Justification doth sometimes seem also to Comprehend Sanctification as a Consequence as in Rom. 8.30 Tit. 3.7 1 Cor. 6.11 And such sometimes were ye Zanchius in cap. 2. ad Eph. ver 4. loc de Just. but ye are washed c. Zanchius having spoken concerning this sense of Justification adds saying There is another signification of the word viz. for a man from Unjust to be made Just even as sanctified signifies from unholy to be made holy In which signification the Apostle said in the place above-cited And such were some of you c. that is of unclean ye are made holy and of unjust ye are made just by the Holy Spirit for Christ's sake in whom ye have believed Of this signification is that Rev. 22.11 Let him that is just be just still that is really from just become more just even as from unjust he became just And according to this signification the Fathers and especially Augustine have Interpreted this word H. Bullinger Thus far he H. Bullinger on the same place 1 Cor. 6. speaketh thus By divers words saith he the Apostle signifies the same thing when he saith ye are washed ye are sanctified ye are justified Proof II Secondly In that Excellent Saying of the Apostle so much observed Rom. 8.30 Whom he called them he also justified and whom he justified them he also glorified This is commonly called the Golden Chain as being acknowledged to Comprehend the Method and Order of Salvation And therefore if Justified were not understood here in its proper signification of being made just Sanctification would be excluded out of this Chain Righteousness the only Medium by which from our Calling we pass to Glorification And truly it is very worthy of observation that the Apostle in this succinct and compendious Account makes the word Justified to comprehend all betwixt Calling and Glorifying thereby clearly insinuating that the being really Righteous is that only Medium by which from our Calling we pass to Glorification All for the most part do acknowledge the word to be so taken in this place and not only so but most of those who oppose are forced to acknowledge that as this is the most proper so the most common Signification of it thus divers famous Protestants do acknowledge We are not saith D. Chamierus such Impertinent Esteemers of words as to be ignorant nor yet such importunate Sophists as to deny that the words of Justification and Sanctification do infer one another yea we know that the Saints are chiefly for this Reason so called D. Chamier Tom. 3. de Sanct. l. 10. c. 1. because that in Christ they have received Remission of Sins and we read in the Revelation Let him that is just be just still which cannot be understood except of the fruit of Inherent Righteousness Nor do we deny but perhaps in other places they may be promiscuously taken especially by the Father I take saith Beza the name of Justification largely Beza in cap. 3. ad Tit. vers 7. so as it comprehends whatsoever we acquire from Christ as well by Imputation as by the Efficacy of the Spirit in sanctifying us So likewise is the word of Justification taken Rom. 8.30 Melanchthon saith Melancht in Apol. Confes. Aug. that to be justified by Faith signifies in Scripture not only to be pronounced Just but also of Unrighteous to be made Righteous Also some Chief Protestants though not so clearly yet in part hinted at our Doctrine whereby we ascribe unto the Death of Christ Remission of Sins and the work of Justification unto the Grace of the Spirit acquired by his Death Boraeus in Gen. c. 15. ad verb Credidit Abraham Deo pag. 161. Martinus Boraeus explaining that place of the Apostle Rom. 4.25 Who was given for our sins and rose again for our Justification saith There are two things beheld in Christ which are necessary to our Justification the one is his Death the other is his Arising from the dead By his Death the sins of this World behoved to be Expiated By his Rising from the dead it pleased the same goodness of God to give the Holy Spirit whereby both the Gospel is believed and the Righteousness lost by the fault of the first Adam is restored And afterwards he saith The Apostle expresseth both parts in these words Who was given for our sins c. In his Death is beheld the Satisfaction for sin in his Resurrection the Gift of the Holy Spirit by which our Justification is perfected And again the same man saith elsewhere Idem lib. 3. Reg. cap. 9. v. 4. pag. 681. Both these kinds of Righteousness are therefore contained in Justification neither can the one be separate from the other So that in the Definition of Justification the Merit of the Blood of Christ is included both with the Remission of sins and with the gift of the Holy Spirit of Justification and Regeneration Martinus Bucerus saith Seeing by one sin of Adam the world was lost Bucerus in Rom. 4. ad ver 16. the Grace of Christ hath not only abolished that one sin and death which came by it but hath together taken away those infinite sins and also led into full Justification as many as are of Christ so that God now not only Remits unto them Adam 's sin and their own but also gives them therewith the Spirit of a solid and perfect Righteousness Righteousness a Conformity to the Image of the First-begotten which renders us Conform unto the Image of the First-Begotten And upon these words by Jesus Christ he saith We always judge that the whole benefit of Christ tends to this that we might be strong through the Gift of Righteousness being rightly and orderly adorned with all virtue that is restored to the Image of God And lastly William Forbes our Country-man W. Forbes in Considerat Modest. de Just. lib. 2. Sect 8. Bishop of Edinburgh saith Whensoever the Scripture makes mention of the Justification before God as speaketh Paul and from him besides others Augustin it appears that the word Justify necessarily signifies not only to pronounce Just in a Law sense but also really and inherently to make Just because that God doth otherways justify a wicked man than Earthly Judges For he when he Justifies a wicked or unjust man How God justifies the Wicked doth indeed pronounce him as these also do but by pronouncing him Just because his Judgment is according to Truth he also makes him really of Unjust to become Just. And again the same man upon the same occasion answering the more rigid Protestants who say That God first justifies and
then makes just he adds But let them have a care lest by too great and empty subtilty unknown both to the Scriptures and the Fathers they lessen and diminish the weight and dignity of so great and Divine a Benefit so much celebrated in the Scripture to wit Justification of the Wicked For if to the formal Reason of Justification of the Ungodly doth not at all belong his Justification so to speak i. e. his being made Righteous then in the Justification of a sinner although he be justified yet the stain of sin is not taken away but remains the same in his Soul as before Justification And so notwithstanding the benefit of Justification he remains as before Unjust and a Sinner and nothing is taken away but the Guilt and obligation to Pain and the Offence and Enmity of God through non-Imputation But both the Scriptures and Fathers do affirm that in the Justification of a sinner their sins are not only remitted forgiven covered not imputed but also taken away blotted out cleansed washed purged and very far removed from us as appears from many places of the Holy Scriptures The same Forbes shews us at length in the following Chapter that this was the Confessed Judgment of the Fathers out of the Writings of those who hold the contrary Opinion some whereof out of him I shall note Calvin Inst. l. 3. c. 11. § 15. As First Calvin saith That the Judgment of Augustine or at lest his manner of speaking is not throughout to be received who although he took from man all praise of Righteousness and ascribed all to the Grace of God yet he refers Grace to Sanctification by which we are Regenerate through the Spirit unto newness of life Chemnitius saith That they do not deny but that the Fathers take the word Justify for Renewing Chemnitius in Exam. Concil Trid. de Just. p. 129. by which works of Righteousness are wrooght in us by the Spirit And p. 130. I am not ignorant that the Fathers indeed often use the word Justify in this signification to wit of making just Zanchius saith That the Fathers and chiefly Augustine interpret the word Justify according to this signification Zanchius in cap. 2. ad Eph. ver 4. loc de Just. Thes. 1.5 to wit of making Just so that according to them to be Justified was no other than of Unjust to be made Just through the Grace of God for Christ. He mentioneth more but this may suffice to our purpose Assert I § VIII Having thus sufficently proved that by Justification is to be understood a really being made Righteous I do boldly affirm and that not only from a Notional Knowledge Christ revealed and formed in the Soul of a man is the formal Cause of man's Justification but from a real inward experimental Feeling of the thing that the Immediate Nearest or Formal Cause if we must in Condescendence to some use this word of a man's Justification in the sight of God is the Revelation of Jesus Christ in the Soul changing altering and renewing the mind by whom even the Author of this inward Work thus formed and revealed we are truly justified and accepted Proof I in the sight of God For it is as we are thus covered and cloathed with him in whom the Father is always well-pleased that we may draw near to God and stand with Confidence before his Throne being purged by the blood of Jesus inwardly poured into our Souls and cloathed with his life and righteousness therein revealed And this is that Order and Method of Salvation held forth by the Apostle in that Divine saying Rom. 5.10 For if when we were Enemies we were reconciled to God by the Death of his Son much more being Reconciled we shall be saved by his Life For the Apostle first holding forth the Reconciliation wrought by the Death of Christ wherein God is near to receive and redeem man holds forth his Salvation and Justification to be by the Life of Jesus Now that this Life is an Inward Spiritual thing revealed in the Soul whereby it is renewed and brought forth out of Death where it naturally has been by the Fall and so quickned and made alive unto God the same Apostle shews Eph. 2.5 Even when we were dead in Sins and Trespasses he hath quickned us together in Christ by whose Grace ye are saved and hath raised us up together Now this none will deny to be the Inward Work of Renovation and therefore the Apostle gives that Reason of their being saved by Grace which is the inward Vertue and Power of Christ in the Soul but of this place more hereafter Of the Revelation of this Inward Life the Apostle also speaketh 2 Cor. 4.10 That the Life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our bodies and v. 11. That the Life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh Now this inward Life of Jesus is that whereby as is before observed he saith We are saved Secondly That it is by this Revelation of Jesus Christ and the New Proof II Creation in Vs that we are Justified doth evidently appear from that Excellent Saying of the Apostle included in the Proposition it self Tit. 3.5 According to his mercy he hath saved us by the washing of Regeneration and Renewing of the Holy Ghost c. Now that whereby we are saved that we are also no doubt Justified by which words are in this respect Synonymous The Immediate Cause of Justification is the inward Work of Regeneration Here the Apostle clearly ascribes the Immediate Cause of Justification to this inward work of Regeneration which is Jesus Christ Revealed in the Soul as being that which formally states us in a capacity of being Reconciled with God the Washing or Regeneration being that inward Power and Vertue whereby the Soul is cleansed and cloathed with the Righteousness of Christ so as to be made fit to appear before God Thirdly This Doctrine is manifest from 2 Cor. 13.5 Examine your own Proof III selves whether ye be in the faith prove your own selves know ye not your own selves how that Jesus Christ is in you except ye be Reprobates First It appears here how earnest the Apostle was that they should know Christ in them so that he presses this Exhortation upon them and inculcates it three times Secondly The Cause of Reprobation is Christ not known by Inward Revelation he makes the Cause of Reprobation or Not-justification the Want of Christ thus Revealed and known in the Soul whereby it necessarily follows by the Rule of Contraries where the parity is alike as in this case it is evident that Where Christ is inwardly known there the persons subjected to him are Approved and Justified For there can be nothing more plain than this that if we must know Christ in us except we be Reprobates or Vnjustified persons that if we do know him in us we are not Reprobates and consequently Justified ones Like unto
this is that other saying of the same Apostle Gal. 4.19 My little Children of whom I travel in Birth again until Christ be formed in you and therefore the Apostle terms this Christ within the Hope of Glory Col. 1.27 28. Now that which is the hope of glory can be no other than that which we immediately and most nearly Rely upon for our Justification and that whereby we are really and truly made Just. And as we do not hereby deny but the Original and Fundamental Cause of our Justification is the love of God manifested in the Appearance of Jesus Christ in the flesh who by his life death Christ by his Death and Sufferings has open'd a way for our Reconciliation sufferings and obedience made a way for our Reconciliation and became a Sacrifice for the Remission of sins that are past and purchased unto us this Seed and Grace from which this Birth arises and in which Jesus Christ is inwardly Received formed and brought forth in us in his own pure and holy Image of Righteousness by which our Souls live unto God and are cloathed with him and have put him on even as the Scripture speaks Eph. 4.23 24 Gal. 3.27 We stand Justified and Saved in and by him and by his Spirit and Grace Rom. 3.24 1 Cor. 6.11 Tit. 3.7 So again reciprocally we are hereby made partakers of the fulness of his Merits and his cleansing Blood is near to wash away every Sin and Infirmity and to heal all our back-slidings as often as we turn towards him by unfeigned Repentance and become Renewed by his Spirit Those then that find him thus Raised and Ruling in them have a true ground of Hope to believe that they are Justified by his Blood But let not any deceive themselves so as to foster themselves in a vain Hope and Confidence that by the Death and Sufferings of Christ they are Justified so long as sin lies at their door Gen. 4.7 Iniquity prevails and they remain yet Vnrenewed and Vnregenerate lest it be said unto them I know you not Let that saying of Christ be remembred Not every one that saith Lord Lord shall enter but he that doth the Will of my Father Matth. 7.21 To which let these excellent sayings of the beloved Disciple be added Little Children let no man deceive you he that doth righteousness is righteous even as he is righteous He that committeth sin is of the Devil because if our heart condemn us God is greater than our heart and knoweth all things 1 John 3.7 and 20. Many famous Protestants bear witness to this inward Justification by Christ inwardly Revealed and Formed in man Borhaeus in Gen. pag. 162. As 1. M. Borhaeus In the Imputation saith he wherein Christ is Ascribed and Imputed to believers for Righteousness the Merit of his Blood and the Holy Ghost given unto us by virtue of his Merits are equally Included And so it shall be Confessed The Testimonies of Famous Protestants of Inward Justification that Christ is our Righteousness as well from his Merit Satisfaction and Remission of sins obtained by him as from the Gifts of the Spirit of Righteousness And if we do this we shall consider the whole Christ proposed to us for our Salvation and not any single part of him The same man p. 169. In our Justification then Christ is considered who breaths and lives in us to wit by his Spirit put-on by us concerning which putting-on the Apostle saith Ye have put on Christ. And again p. 171. We endeavour to Treat in Justification not of part of Christ but him wholly in so far as he is our Righteousness every way And a little after As then blessed Paul in our Justification when he saith Whom he Justified them he Glorified comprehends all things which pertain to our being Reconciled to God the Father and our Renewing which fits us for attaining unto Glory such as Faith Righteousness Christ and the Gift of Righteousness exhibited by him whereby we are Regenerated to the fulfilling of the Justification which the Law requires so we also will have all things comprehended in this cause which are contained in the Recovery of Righteousness and and Innocency And p. 181. The Form saith he of our Justification is the Divine Righteousness it self by which we are formed just and good This is Jesus Christ who is esteemed our Righteousness partly from the Forgiveness of sins and partly from the Renewing and the Restoring of that Integrity which was lost by the fault of the first Adam so that this New and Heavenly Adam being put-on by us of which the Apostle saith Ye have put on Christ ye have put him on I say as the Form so the Righteousness Wisdom and Life of God So also affirmeth Claudius Alberius Inuncunanus Inuncunanus see his Orat. Apodict Lausaniae Excus 1587. Orat. 2. p. 86 87. Zuinglius also in his Epistle to the Princes of Germany as cited by Himmelius Zuinglius c. 7. p. 60. saith That the Sanctification of the Spirit is true Justification Essius which alone suffices to Justify Essius upon 1 Cor. 6.11 saith Lest Christian Righteousness should be thought to consist in the Washing alone that is in the Remission of Sins he addeth the other Degree or part but ye are sanctified that is Ye have attain'd to Purity so that ye are now truly holy before God Lastly expressing the sum of the Benefit received in one word which includes both the parts But ye are Justified the Apostle adds in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ that is by his Merits and in the Spirit of our God that is the Holy Spirit proceeding from God and communicated to us by Christ. And lastly R. Baxter R. Baxter a famous English Preacher who yet liveth in his Book called Aphorisms of Justification p. 80. saith That some ignorant Wretches gnash their Teeth at this Doctrine as if it were flat Popery not understanding the nature of the Righteousness of the New Covenant which is all out of Christ in our selves thô wrought by the Power of the Spirit of Christ in us § IX The Third thing proposed to be considered is Concerning Good Position III Works their necessity to Justification I suppose there is enough said before to clear us from any Imputation of being Popish in this matter Good Works But if it be queried Whether we have not said or will not affirm Quest. that a man is Justified by Works I answer I hope none need neither ought to take Offence Answ. if in this matter we use the plain language of the Holy Scripture which saith expresly in Answer hereunto James 2.24 Ye see then That Works are necessary to Justification how that by Works a man is Justified and not by Faith only I shall not offer to prove the Truth of this saying since what is said in this Chapter by the Apostle is sufficient to Convince any man that will read and
and is one great reason why a dry dead barren lifeless spiritless Ministry which leavens the people into the same death doth so much abound and is so much over-spreading even the Protestant Nations that their Preachings and Worships as well as whole Conversation is not to be discerned from Popish by any fresh living zeal or lively Power of the Spirit accompanying it but meerly by the difference of some Notions and Opinions Object § XII Some unwise and unwary Protestants do sometimes Object to us That if we have such an immediate Call as we lay claim to we ought to Confirm it by Miracles Answ. But this being an Objection once and again objected to the primitive Protestants by the Papists we need but in short return the Answer to it that they did to the Papists Whether Miracles be now necessary to Confirm the Gospel John Baptist and divers Prophets did none to wit That we need not Miracles because we preach no new Gospel but that which is already Confirmed by all the Miracles of Christ and his Apostles and that we offer nothing but that which we are ready and able to Confirm by the Testimony of the Scriptures which both already acknowledge to be true And that John the Baptist and divers of the Prophets did none that we hear of and yet were both immediately and extraordinarily sent This is the Common Protestant Answer therefore may suffice in this place though if need were I could say more to this purpose but that I study Brevity § XIII There is also another sort of Protestants to wit The English Independents The Constitution of the Independent Church who differing from the Calvinistical Presbyterians and denying the Necessity of this Succession or the Authority of any National Church take another way affirming That such as have the benefit of the Scriptures any Company of People agreeing in the Principles of Truth as they find them there declared may Constitute among themselves a Church without the Authority of any other and may Chuse to themselves a Pastor who by the Church thus Constitute and Consenting is Authorized requiring only the Assistance and Concurrence of the Pastors of the Neighbouring Churches if any be not so much as absolutely Necessary to Authorize as Decent for Order's sake Also they go so far as to affirm That in a Church so Constitute Gifted Brethren any gifted Brother as they call them if he find himself qualified thereto may Instruct Exhort and Preach in the Church though as not having the Pastoral Office he cannot Administer that they Call their Sacraments To this I Answer That this was a good step out of the Babylonish Darkness and no doubt did proceed from a Real Discovery of the Truth and from the sense of a great Abuse of the promiscuous National gatherings Also this Preaching of the Gifted Brethren as they called them did proceed at first from certain Their Loss and Decay lively Touches and Movings of the Spirit of God upon many But alas because they went not forward that is much decayed among them and the Motions of God's Spirit begin to be denied and rejected among them now as much as by others The Scripture gives no Call to persons Individual But as to their pretended Call from the Scripture I Answer The Scripture gives a meer declaration of true things but no Call to particular Persons so that though I believe the things there written to be true and deny the Errors which I find there Testified against yet as to these things which may be my particular duty I am still to seek And therefore I can never be Resolved in the Scripture whether I such a one by name ought to be a Minister And for the Resolving this doubt I must needs recur to the Inward and Immediate Testimony of the Spirit as in the Proposition concerning the Scriptures more at large is shewen § XIV From all this then we do firmly Conclude that not only in a general Apostasy it is needful men be extraordinarily Called and Raised up by the Spirit of God but that even when several Assemblies or Churches are gathered by the Power of God not only into the belief of the Principles of Truth so as to deny Errors and Heresies but also into the Life Spirit and Power of Christianity so as to be the Body and House of Christ indeed and a fit Spouse for him that he who gathers them doth also for the preserving them in a lively fresh and powerful Condition raise up and move among them by the inward immediate Operation of his own Spirit Ministers and Teachers to Instruct and Teach and Watch over them True Ministers Qualifications Call and Title who being thus Called are Manifest in the hearts of their Brethren and their Call is thus verified in them who by the feeling of that life and power that passeth through them being inwardly built up by them daily in the most holy Faith become the Seals of their Apostleship And this is answerable to another saying of the same Apostle Paul 2 Cor. 13.3 Since ye seek a proof of Christ speaking in me which to you wards is not weak but is mighty in you So this is that which gives a true substantial Call and Title to a Minister whereby he is a Real Successor of the Virtue Life and Power that was in the Apostles and not of the bare Name Their Laying on of hands a Mock of God and Man a Keeping up the Shadow whilst Substance is a-wanting and to such Ministers we think the outward Ceremony or Ordination or laying on of hands not necessary neither can we see the Vse of it seeing our Adversaries who use it acknowledge that the Virtue and Power of Communicating the Holy Ghost by it is Ceased among them And is it not then foolish and ridiculous for them by an Apish Imitation to keep up the Shadow where the Substance is wanting And may not they by the same Rule where they see blind and lame men in Imitation of Christ and his Apostles bid them see and walk yea is it not in them a mocking of God and Men to put-on their hands and bid men Receive the Holy Ghost while they believe the thing Impossible and Confess that that Ceremony hath no real Effect Having thus far spoken of the Call I shall proceed next to treat of the Qualifications and Work of a true Minister § XV. As I have placed the True Call of a Minister in the Motion of Quest. II this Holy Spirit so is the power life and virtue thereof The Quâ—lifications of a Minister and the pure Grace of God that comes therefrom the Chief and most Necessary Qualification without which he can no ways perform his Duty neither acceptably to God nor beneficially to men Our Adversaries in this case affirm that three things go to the making up of a Minister viz. 1. Natural Parts § I. Philosophy and School-Divinity will never
he that is to be a Minister Merchandizing with the Scriptures What it is must learn this Art or Trade of Merchandizing with the Scriptures and be that which the Apostle would not be to wit a Trader with them 2 Cor. 2.17 * See also 2 Pet. 2.3 That he may acquire a Trick from a Verse of Scripture by adding his own barren Notions and Conceptions to it and his uncertain Conjectures and what he hath stoll'n out of Books for which end he must have of necessity a good many by him and may each Sabbath-day as they call it or oftner make a Discourse for an Hour long And this is called the Preaching of the Word whereas the Gift Grace and Spirit of God to teach And this they call the Preaching of the Word open and instruct and to preach a word in season is neglected and so man's Arts and Parts and Knowledge and Wisdom which is from below set up * Thus Anti-Christ is Established above the Seed of the Kingdom and established in the Temple of God yea and above the little Seed which in effect is Anti-Christ working in the Mystery And so the Devil †How the Devil may be a Minister of the Priest's Gospel may be as good and able a Minister as the best of them for he has better skill of Languages and more Logick Philosophy and School-Divinity than any of them and knows the Truth in the Notion better than they all and can talk more Eloquently than all those Preachers But what availeth all this Is it not all but as Death as a Painted Sepulchre and dead Carcase without the Power Life and Spirit of Christianity which is the marrow and substance of a Christian Ministry And he that hath this and can speak from it though he be a poor Shepherd or a Fisher-man and Ignorant of all that Learning and of all those Questions and Notions yet speaking from the Spirit his Ministry will have more Influence towards the Converting of a Sinner unto God than all of them Learned after the flesh as in that Example of the Old Man at the Council of Nice did appear The Power of God by weak Instruments restoring the Simplicity of Truth § XXIII And if in any Age since the Apostles days God hath purposed to shew his Power by Weak Instruments for the battering down of that Carnal and Heathenish Wisdom and restoring again the Ancient Simplicity of Truth this is it For in our Day God hath raised up Witnesses for himself as he did Fisher-men of Old many yea most of whom are Labouring and Mechanick men who altogether without that Learning have by the Power and Spirit of God struck at the very Root and Ground of Babylon and in the Strength and Might of this Power have gathered Thousands by reaching their Consciences into the same Power and Life who as to the outward part have been far more knowing than they yet not able to Resist the Vertue that proceeded from them Of which I my self am a true Witness and can declare from a certain Experience because my heart hath been often greatly broken and tendered by that vertuous Life that hath proceeded from the powerful Ministry of those Illiterate men The Powerful Ministry of Illiterate Men. so that by their very Countenance as well as Words I have felt the Evil in me often Chained down and the good Reached to and Raised What shall I then say to you who are Lovers of Learning and Admirers of Knowledge Was not I also a Lover and Admirer of it who also sought after it according to my Age and Capacity But it pleased God in his unutterable Love early to withstand my vain Endeavours while I was yet but Eighteen years of Age The Time of the Author's first Convincement and made me seriously to consider which I wish also may befall others That without Holiness * Job 28.28 and Regeneration no man can see God and that the Fear of the Lord is the beginning of Wisdom and to depart from Iniquity a good Vnderstanding and how much Knowledge puffeth up and leadeth away from that Inward Quietness Stilness and Humility of Mind where the Lord appears and his heavenly Wisdom is Revealed If ye consider these things then will ye say with me that all this Learning Wisdom and Knowledge gathered in this fall'n Nature is but as Dross and Dung in comparison of the Cross of Christ especially being destitute of that Power Life and Vertue which I perceived these Excellent though despised because Illiterate Witnesses of God to be filled with and therefore seeing that in and among them I with many others have found the heavenly Food that gives Contentment let my Soul seek after this Learning and Wait for it for ever § XXIV Having thus spoken of the Call and Qualifications of a Gospel Minister that which comes next to be considered is What his proper Work is How and by what Rule he is to be Ordered Our Adversaries Quest. III do all along go upon Outwards The Work of a Minister and therefore have Certain prescribed Rules and Methods contrived according to their humane and earthly Wisdom We on the contrary walk still upon the same Foundation and lean always upon the Immediate Assistance and Influence of that * The Holy Spirit a Spirit of Order and not of Confusion Holy Spirit which God hath given his Children to teach them all things and lead them in all things which Spirit being the Spirit of Order and not of Confusion leads us and as many as follow it into such a Comely and Decent Order as becometh the Church of God But our Adversaries having shut themselves out from this Immediate Counsel and Influence of the Spirit have run themselves into many Confusions and Disorders seeking to establish an Order in this matter For some will have first a Chief Bishop or Pope to Rule and be Prince over all and under him by degrees Cardinals Patriarchs Arch-Bishops Priests Deacons Sub-deacons Popish Orders and Offices c. and besides these Acoluthi Tonsorati Ostiarii c. And in their Theology as they call it Professors Batchelors Doctors c. And others are to have every Nation Independent of another having its own Metropolitan or Patriarch and the rest in order Subject to him as before Others again are against all Precedency among Pastors and constitute their Subordination not of persons but of powers as first the Consistory or Session then the Class or Presbytery then the Provincial and then the National Synod or Assembly Thus do they Tear one another and Contend among themselves concerning the Ordering Distinguishing and making their several Orders and Offices concerning which there hath been no less Contest not only by way of Verbal Dispute but even by Fighting Tumults Wars Wars and Bloodshed about Church Government Vastations and Blood-shed than about the Conquering Overturning and Establishing of Kingdoms And the Histories of late
readily to Wait that he might Answer the King when he speaks and have his Eye upon him to observe the least Motions and Inclinations of his Will and to do accordingly would be still deafening him with Discourse though it were in praises of him and running to and fro without any particular and immediate Order to do things that perhaps might be good in themselves or might have been Commanded at other times to others Would the Kings of the Earth accept of such Servants or Service Since then we are Commanded to Wait upon God diligently and in so doing it is promised that our Strength shall be renewed this Waiting cannot be performed but by a Silence To Wait in Silence or Cessation of the natural part on our side since God manifests himself not to the outward man or senses so much as to the inward to wit to the Soul and Spirit If the Soul be still thinking and working in her own Will The thinking busie Soul excludes the Voice of God and busily exercised in her own Imaginations though the matters as in themselves may be good concerning God yet thereby she incapacitates her self from discerning the still small Voice of the Spirit and so hurts her self greatly in that she neglects her Chief Business of Waiting upon the Lord. Nothing less than if I should busie my self crying out and speaking of a Business while in the mean time I neglect to hear one who is quietly Whispering into my Ear and informing me in these things which are most needful for me to hear and know concerning that Business And since it is the Chief Work of a Christian to know the natural Will in its own proper motions Crucified that God may both move in the Act and in the Will the Lord chiefly regards this profound Subjection and Self-denial For some men please themselves as much and gratify their own sensual Wills and Humours in high and curious Speculations of Religion Religious Speculations affecting a Name and Reputation that way or because those things by Custom or other ways are become pleasant and habitual to them though not a whit more Regenerated or inwardly Sanctified in their Spirits Sensual Recreations as others gratify their Lusts in Actions of Sensuality and therefore both are alike hurtful to men and sinful in the sight of God it being nothing but the meer Fruit and Effect of man's natural and unrenewed Will and Spirit Yea should one as many no doubt do from a sense of sin and fear of punishment seek to terrify themselves from Sin by multiplying thoughts of Death Hell and Judgment and by presenting to their Imaginations the Happiness and Joys of Heaven The Thoughts of Death and Hell to keep out sin are Fig-leaves and also by multiplying Prayers and other Religious Performances as these things could never deliver him from one Iniquity without the secret and inward Power of God's Spirit and Grace so would they signifie no more than the Fig-leaves wherewith Adam thought to cover his Nakedness And seeing it is only the Product of man's own natural Will proceeding from a Self-Love and seeking to save himself and not arising purely from that Divine Seed of Righteousness which is given of God to all for Grace and Salvation it is Rejected of God and no ways acceptable unto him since the natural man as natural while he stands in that State is with all his Arts Parts and Actings Reprobated by him This great Duty then of Waiting upon God must needs be exercised in man's denying self both inwardly and outwardly Denial of ones self in a still and meer dependence upon God in abstracting from all the Workings Imaginations and Speculations of his own mind that being emptied as it were of himself and so throughly Crucified to the natural products thereof he may be fit to Receive the Lord who will have no Copartner nor Corrival of his Glory and Power And man being thus stated the little Seed of Righteousness which God hath planted in his Soul and Christ hath purchased for him even the measure of Grace and Life which is burthened and crucified by man's natural thoughts and imaginations receives a place to arise and becometh a holy Birth and geniture in man The Holy Birth and is that Divine Air in and by which man's Soul and Spirit comes to be leavened And by Waiting therein he comes to be accepted in the sight of God to stand in his presence hear his Voice and observe the Motions of his Holy Spirit And so man's place is to Wait in this and as hereby there are any Objects presented to his mind concerning God or things relating to Religion his Soul may be exercised in them without hurt and to the great profit both of himself and others because those things have their rise not from his own Will but from God's Spirit And therefore as in the arisings and movings of this his mind is still to be exercised in thinking and meditating so also in the more obvious acts of preaching and praying No Quakers are against a Meditating Mind From Nature's Thoughts all Errors rise we find And so it may hence appear we are not against Meditation as some have sought falsly to infer from our Doctrine but we are against the thoughts and imaginations of the natural man in his own Will from which all Errors and Heresies concerning the Christian Religion in the whole World have proceeded But if it please God at any time when one or more are Waiting upon him not to present such Objects as gives them occasion to exercise their Minds in Thoughts and Imaginations but purely to keep them in this holy Dependence and as they persist therein to cause his secret Refreshment and the pure Incomes of his holy Life to flow in upon them then they have good reason to be Content because by this as we know by good and blessed Experience the Soul is more strengthened renewed and confirmed in the love of God and armed against the Power of sin than any ways else The Soul Renew'd by what the holy Life of God this being a Foretaste of that real and sensible Enjoyment of God which the Saints in Heaven daily possess which God frequently affords to his Children here for their Comfort and Encouragement especially when they are Assembled together to Wait upon him § XI For there are Two contrary Powers or Spirits to wit Whatever Man does Act without the power of God is not Accepted the Power and Spirit of this World in which the Prince of Darkness bears rule and over as many as are acted by it and work from it and the Power or Spirit of God in which God worketh and beareth rule and over as many as Act in and from it So whatever be the things that a man thinketh of or acteth in however Spiritual or Religious as to the notion or form of them so long as he acteth and moveth in the natural and corrupt
figured whereas it is usually translated as if the like Figure did now save us thereby insinuating that as they were Saved by Water in the Ark so are we now by Water-baptism But this Interpretation crosseth his sense he presently after declaring the Contrary as hath above been observed and likewise it would Contradict the Opinion of all our Opposers * The Protestants deny Water-baptism its absolute necessity to mens Salvation Altho' the Papists say none can be Sav'd without it yet grant Exceptions For Protestants deny it to be absolutly necessary to Salvation And though Papists say None are saved without it yet in this they admit an Exception as of Martyrs c. and they will not say that all that have it are Saved by Water-baptism which they ought to say if they will understand by Baptism by which the Apostle saith we are Saved Water-baptism for seeing we are saved by this Baptism as those that were in the Ark were Saved by Water that all those that were in the Ark were Saved by Water it would then follow that all those that have this Baptism are Saved by it Now this Consequence would be false if it were understood of Water-baptism because many by the Confession of all are baptized with Water that are not saved but this Consequence holds most true if it be understood as we do of the Baptism of the Spirit since none can have this Answer of a good Conscience and abiding in it not be Saved by it Fifthly That the One Baptism of Christ is not a Washing with Water as Proof V it hath been proved by the Definition of the One Baptism The Effects and Fruits of the Baptism of Christ. so it is also manifest from the Necessary Fruits and Effects of it which are three-times particularly expressed by the Apostle Paul As first Rom. 6.3 4. where he saith That so many of them as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his Death buried with him by Baptism into death that they should walk in Newness of Life Secondly to the Gal. 3.27 he saith positively For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ and Thirdly to the Col. 2.12 he saith That they were Buried with him in Baptism and Risen with him through the Faith of the operation of God It is to be observed here that the Apostle speaks generally without any Exclusive Term but Comprehensive of all he saith not Some of you that were baptized into Christ have put on Christ but As many of you which is as much as if he had said Every one of you that hath been baptized into Christ hath put on Christ. Whereby it is evident that this is not meant of Water-baptism but of the Baptism of the Spirit because else it would follow that Which Efects Water-Baptism wants whosoever had been baptized with Water-baptism had put on Christ and were Risen with him which all acknowledge to be most Absurd Now supposing all the Visible Members of the Churches of Rome Galatia and Coloss had been outwardly baptized with Water I do not say they were but our Adversaries will not only readily grant it but also contend for it suppose I say the Case so they will not say they had all put on Christ since divers Expressions in these Epistles to them shew the contrary So that the Apostle cannot mean Baptism with Water and yet that he meaneth the Baptism of Christ i. e. of the Spirit cannot be denied or that the Baptism wherewith these were baptized of whom the Apostle here testifies that they had put on Christ was the One Baptism I think none will call in question Now admit as our Adversaries Contend that many in these Churches who had been baptized with Water had not put on Christ it will follow that notwithstanding that Water-baptism they were not baptized into Christ or with the Baptism of Christ seeing as many of them as were baptized into Christ had put on Christ c. From all which I thus Argue If the Baptism with Water were the One Baptism i. e. the Baptism of Arg. 1 Christ as many as were baptized with Water would have put on Christ. But the last is false Therefore also the first And again Since as many as are baptized into Christ i. e. with the One Baptism which is the Baptism of Christ have put on Christ Then Water-Baptism is not the One Baptism viz. the Baptism of Christ. But the first is true Arg. 2 Therefore also the last Prop. III § V. Thirdly Since John's Baptism was a Figure and seeing the Figure gives way to the Substance Proved albeit the thing figured remain to wit the One Baptism of Christ yet the other ceaseth which was the Baptism of John I. John's Baptism was of Christ's a Figure That John's Baptism was a Figure of Christ's Baptism I judge will not readily be denied but in case it should it can easily be proved from the Nature of it John's Baptism was a being baptized with Water but Christ's is a baptising with the Spirit Therefore John's Baptism must have been a Figure of Christ's But further that Water-baptism was John's Baptism will not be denied That Water-baptism is not Christ's Baptism is already proved From which doth arise the Confirmation of our Proposition thus Arg. There is no Baptism to continue now but the One Baptism of Christ. Therefore Water-baptism is not to continue now because it is not the Baptism of Christ. II. John's Baptism is Ceas'd our Opposers confess That John's Baptism is Ceased many of our Adversaries confess but if any should alledge it otherwise it may be easily proved by the express words of John not only as being insinuated there where he Contradistinguisheth his Baptism from that of Christ but particularly where he saith Joh. 3.30 He Christ must Increase but I John must Decrease From whence it clearly follows that the Increasing or taking place of Christ's Baptism is the Decreasing or abolishing of John's Baptism so that if Water-baptism was a particular part of John's Ministry and is no part of Christ's Baptism as we have already proved it will necessarily follow that it is not to Continue Arg. If Water-baptism had been to continue a Perpetual Ordinance of Christ in his Church he would either have practised it himself or Commanded his Apostles so to do But that he Practised it not the Scripture plainly affirms John 4.2 And that he Commanded his Disciples to baptize with Water I could never yet read As for what is alledged that Matth. 28.19 c. where he bids them baptize is to be understood of Water-baptism that is but to beg the Question and the grounds for that shall be hereafter examined Therefore to baptize with Water is no Perpetual Ordinance of Christ to his Church This hath had the more Weight with me because I find not any standing Ordinance or Appointment of Christ necessary to Christians for which we have not either
that Ceremony For having in the beginning of it shewen them how the Jews of Old were made partakers of the Spiritual Food and Water which was Christ and how several of them through Disobedience and Idolatry fell from that good Condition he exhorts them by the Example of those Jews whom God destroyed of Old to flee those Evils shewing them that they to wit the Corinthians are likewise partakers of the body and blood of Christ of which Communion they would Rob themselves if they did Evil because they could not drink of the Cup of the Lord and the Cup of Devils and partake of the Lord's Table and of the Table of Devils ver 21. Which shews that he understands not here the using of outward Bread and Wine because those that do Drink the Cup of Devils and Eat of the Table of Devils yea The Wickedest may take the outward Bread and Wine the Wickedest of Men may partake of the outward Bread and outward Wine For there the Apostle calls the bread One ver 17. and he saith We being many are One bread and one body for we are all partakers of that One bread Now if the bread be One it cannot be the Outward or the Inward would be excluded whereas it cannot be denied but that it 's the partaking of the Inward bread and not the Outward that makes the Saints truly One body and One bread And whereas they say that the One bread here comprehendeth both the Outward and Inward by vertue of the Sacramental Vnion The Sacramental Vnion pretended is a Figment that indeed is to affirm but not to prove As for that Figment of a Sacramental Vnion I find not such a thing in all the Scripture especially in the New Testament nor is there any thing can give a rise for such a thing in this Chapter where the Apostle as is above observed is not at all treating of that Ceremony but only from the Excellency of that Priviledge which the Corinthians had as believing Christians To partake of the flesh and blood of Christ dehorts them from Idolatry partaking of the Sacrifices offered to Idols so as thereby to offend or hurt their weak brethren Object But that which they most of all Cry out for in this matter and are always Noising is from 1 Cor. 11. where the Apostle is particularly treating of this matter and therefore from some words here they have the greatest Appearance of Truth for their Assertion As ver 27. where he calls the Cup the Cup of the Lord and saith That they who eat of it and drink it unworthily are guilty of the body and blood of the Lord and ver 26. Eat and drink their own Damnation intimating hence that this hath an immediate or necessary relation to the body flesh and blood of Christ. Answ. Thô this at first View may catch the Vnwary Reader yet being well considered it doth no ways Evince the matter in Controversy As for the Corinthians being in the Vse of this Ceremony why they were so and how that obliges not Christians now to the same shall be spoken of hereafter it suffices at this time to consider that they were in the Vse of it Secondly That in the Vse of it they were guilty of and committed divers Abuses Thirdly That the Apostle here is giving them Directions how they may do it aright in shewing them the right and proper Vse and End of it These things being premised let it be observed that the very express and particular Vse of it according to the Apostle is To shew forth the Lord's Death c. But to shew forth the Lord's Death and partake of the flesh and blood of Christ are different things He saith not As often as ye eat this Bread and drink this Cup ye partake of the Body and Blood of Christ but Ye shew forth the Lord's Death So I acknowledge that this Ceremony by those that practise it hath an Immediate Relation to the outward Body Death of Christ upon the Cross as being properly a Memorial of it but it doth not thence follow that it hath any inward or immediate Relation to Believers communicating or partaking of the Spiritual Body and Blood of Christ or that Spiritual Supper spoken of Rev. 3.20 For though in a general way as every Religious Action in some respect hath a common relation to the Spiritual Communion of the Saints with God so we shall not deny but this hath a relation to others Now for his calling the Cup the Cup of the Lord and saying They are guilty of the Body and Blood of Christ and eat their own Damnation in not discerning the Lord's Body c. I answer that this infers no more Necessary Relation than any other Religious Act and amounts to no more than this that since the Corinthians were in the Vse of this Ceremony Christ's Act of Bread and Wine is not Obliging others and so performed it as a Religious Act they ought to do it Worthily else they should bring Condemnation upon themselves Now this will not more infer the thing so practised by them to be a necessary Religious Act obligatory upon others than when Rom. 14.6 the Apostle saith He that regardeth the Day regardeth it unto the Lord it can be thence inferred that the Days that some esteemed and observed did lay an obligation upon others to do the same But yet as he that Esteemed a Day and placed Conscience in keeping it was to Regard it to the Lord and so it was to him in so far as he dedicated it unto the Lord the Lord's Day he was to do it Worthily and if he did it Vnworthily he would be guilty of the Lord's Day and so keep it to his own Damnation so also such as observe this Ceremony of Bread and Wine it is to them the Bread of the Lord and the Cup of the Lord because they Vse it as a Religious Act and forasmuch as their End therein is To shew forth the Lord's Death and to Remember his Body that was Crucified for them and his Blood that was shed for them If notwithstanding they believe it is their Duty to do it and make it a matter of Conscience to forbear if hey do it without that due Preparation and Examination which every Religious Act ought to be performed in then instead of truly Remembring the Lord's Death and his Body and his Blood they render themselves Guilty of it as being in one Spirit with those that Crucified him and shed his Blood The Pharisees Guilt of the Blood of the Prophets though pretending with Thanksgiving and Joy to Remember it Thus the Scribes and Pharisees of Old though in Memory of the Prophets they garnished their Sepulchres yet are said by Christ to be Guilty of their Blood And that no more can be hence inferred appears from another saying of the same Apostle Rom. 14.23 He that doubteth is damned if he eat c. where he speaking of those that
they want of that yet such a Measure of this Light Seed Life and Word is communicated to all as is sufficient truly to Convert them from the Evil of their Ways purify and cleanse them and consequently bring them to Salvation And in the Affirming of this they do not at all Exalt Self or Nature as do the Socinians in that they freely acknowledge that Man's Nature is defiled and corrupted and unable to help him or further him one step in order to Salvation judging nothing more needful than the full and perfect Denying and Mortification of Self in order thereunto Nor do they believe this Seed Light and Grace to be any part of Man's Nature or any thing that Properly and Essentially is of Man but that it is a Free Grace and Gift of God freely given to all Men in order to bring them out of the Fall and lead them to Life Eternal Neither do they suppose this Seed Word and Grace which is sufficient to lead to Salvation to be given to Men without Christ for they believe it to be the Purchase and Benefit of Christ's Death who tasted Death for every Man So that they Confess all to be derived to them in and by Christ the Mediator to whom they Ascribe all Yea they believe this Light Grace and Seed to be no other but a measure of that Life and Spirit that was in Christ Jesus which being in Him who is the Head in the Fulness of it is from Him in whom it Resideth as He is Ascended up unto and Glorified in the Heavens Extended to all Men in order to Redeem them from sin and Convert them to God Thus according to this Principle without Attributing any thing to Self or to the Nature of Man or Claiming any thing without Christ The Vniversal Love of God to all Men is Exhibited whereby the means of Salvation by Christ and Reconciliation unto God is so Asserted that no Man is altogether Excluded from it but each so Reached as puts him in a Capacity to be Saved Such then as Believe and Preach this Doctrine must of necessity be Esteemed great Advancers and Assertors of Vniversal Love as those that truly Establish it not through any Vncertainty or Doubtfulness in themselves but upon their own firm and acknowledged Principle since that doth necessarily Extend their Charity to the not only Supposing Salvation possible to Heathens in the most Barbarous and Unciviliz'd places of the World but even Concluding Salvation possible not only to the several sorts of Christians but even to such who by the Disadvantage of Education and the Remoteness of their Habitation are Ignorant of the Name of Christ. Providing that this Seed Grace Word and Light which is in them all and the Free Gift of God to them all Receive place in their Hearts so as to work out the Fruits and Nature of Vnrighteousness and to beget them unto Righteousness Purity and Holiness which according to this Principle is believed to be very possible where the External Knowledge is thus unavoidably wanting For albeit those who hold this Principle do believe that the outward Knowledge of Christ and those other Advantages which from the Vse of the Scriptures are enjoyed among Christians are very Comfortable and conducing to facilitate Salvation yet they reckon them not absolutely Needful holding them only to be Integral and no Essential parts of Christianity For they place the Essence or Being of Christianity only in the True and Real Conversion of the Heart by vertue of the Operation of this Light Seed and Grace there Let not the Reader thinkstrange that I Assert this Principle and enter not upon the probation of it having done that largely else-where as in my Apology it not being my business here so to do but only to shew how such and such Principles do not agree with Vniversal Love As on the other hand when I make mention of other Principles I do not offer to Refute them it being enough here to demonstrate that they are Contrary to Vniversal Love Even as the Essence and Being of a Man Consists in the Vnity of Soul and Body which is enough to Denominate one a Man albeit he should want a Leg or an Arm an Eye or an Ear or have some other Defect or even should be destitute of some of the Faculties of the mind as of the Memory c. that other Men have yet such a one would still and that truly be called a Man albeit not a Compleat and Entire Man Yea those that live in the most Barbarous and Vnciviliz'd places of the World where they are destitute and ignorant of all the Liberal Arts and Sciences used among us and of all those Conveniences which so much Conduce to the facilitating of Humane Society and accommodating of Man-kind in their Living together I say those are still truly accounted Men as having that which is truly Essential or Constitutive of a Man as such In like manner this Principle supposeth the possibility of Salvation both to those commonly called Heathens and to many among the Dark and Erroneous Sects of Christianity in that this Essential Part of Christianity is Extended to them albeit they want those other Integrals and Comfortable parts which may in and with respect to the Spiritual Man be fitly Compared to these Defects that those Barbarous Nations want which we Enjoy as to the Natural Man As none can deny but this Principle is most agreeing to Vniversal Love so the Practice of all even of those that deny it doth evidence and shew how agreeable it is as well to the Love of God as to Right Reason where when ever any of the Sects come to deal with a Heathen or any such against whom they cannot urge any thing from Scripture or Tradition as being Principles not acknowledged by them then they are always forced to recur to an Inward Innate Light in the Soul to which they labour to make manifest their Principles albeit they differ about the Nature and Sufficiency of it yet they are forced to Concede that this is God's Love to Man-kind and that in this the Vniversal Love of God is extended to all So that to every one to whom they come to Preach they may find something by which they may urge or commend their Doctrine of which I shall give one singular Example out of the words of Franciscus Xaverius a Jesuit whom that Tribe for the high Esteem they have of him term the Apostle of the Indies as it is Recorded in Bernhardus Varenus his Descriptio Regni Japoniae p. 195. Cap. 8. where he puts down the words of Francis Xaviers Letter thus p. 247. The Amargurians before they received Baptism Franc. Xavier his Letter of the Conversion of the Japonians were straitned with an odious and troublesome Scruple to wit That God seemed not unto them Merciful and Benign who had Condemned all the Japonians before our Coming to Eternal Punishment especially who ever did not
therefore finding this to pinch him he brings it up again p. 126. where bringing me in saying Infants are under no Law J. B.'s proofless Assertion of Infants under a Law he answers But the Apostle saith the contrary He would have done Charitably to have told me Where that I might have observed it What he saith in this as well as the former page in answer to my Affirmation that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 may relate to Death and that it 's understood upon which occasion Man sinnedâ— urging Absurdities by the like Application of Christ's Righteousness is solved by a serious observation of the Comparison as stated by me betwixt Christ and Adam His Arguing from Childrens dying doth not Conclude until he prove Death simply considered necessarily to infer guilt in the Party dying Whether Childrens DEATH argues Guilt in them of which I have spoken before p. 126. n. 20. to my answer to Psal. 51.5 alledged by them wherein I shew that David saith not My Mother conceived me sinning and therefore it proves not his Assertion His Reply is after he has given a Scoff It quite crosseth David's design But why so because in that Psalm he expresseth his Sorrow and Humiliation for his Sins and what then might not David lament upon that occasion that he was not only a Sinner himself but also came of such as were so But when I urge this place further shewing their Interpretation would make Infants guilty of the Sin of their Immediate Parents since there is no mention here of Adam His Answer to this is a Repetition of his own Doctrine A rare Method of Debate very usual to him And then taking it for granted he asks me Whether this Originated Sin of which he supposed David spake for he never offers to prove it though it be the matter in Debate came from another Original than Adam What he affirmed here of my Insinuating Marriage-Duties to be Sin is but a false Conjecture but as to the Hurt and Loss that Man got by Adam which I ascribe to no other Original as being no Manichee I spake before But he should first prove before he Obtrude such things upon others and I desire yet to be Informed of him In what Scripture he reads of Original Sin and whether if the Scripture be the only Rule he cannot find words in it fit enough to express his Faith or must he shift for them else-where The Wages of Sin is Death proved Eternal ¶ 8. Pag. 127. n. 21. He urges Paul's saying The Wages of Sin is Death and to my saying This may be a Consequence of the Fall but that thence it cannot at all be Inferred that Iniquity is in all those that are subject to Death he saith It is in plain terms but my Modesty dare not speak it out to say the Apostle speaketh not Truth Answ. Is not this to take upon him to judge of another Man's heart which elseâ—where he accounts a great Presumption and why takes he no notice or gives he no Answer to the Absurdity I shew followed from thence since the whole Creation received a Decay by Adam's Fall and yet we say not Herbs and Trees are Sinners And while he would make-out this great Charge of my Contradicting the Apostle he forgets the half of his business which is To prove the Apostle meaned in that place Natural Death and not Eternal since the Apostle opposeth it there to Eternal Life and Eternal Death he will Confess is the Wages of Sin which the Apostle shews they shun by Jesus Christ's obtaining Eternal Life whereas Natural Death they do not avoid Likewise he should have proved that all the Scriptures mentioned by him p. 128. are meant of Natural Death which he will not find very easie As for his citing Death as mentioned by the Apostle 1 Cor. 15. the Apostle's words ver 56. Confirm what I say That Death is only a punishment to the Wicked not to the Saints for the words are The Sting of Death is Sin so where Sin is taken away there Death has no Sting and that is the Saints Victory Now he cannot Apply this to Infants without supposing that they have Sin which were to beg the Question And whereas he asks Whether Death be NO Punishment for Sin I Answer that I said not so neither is that needful for me to affirm seeing it is sufficient if it be not always a Punishment of Sin which if it be not it cannot be Concluded that because Infants die therefore they must be guilty of Sin Since then the Absurdities he after urges follow from his Supposition That Death is No Punishment for Sin which I say not they do not Touch me He judgeth p. 128. n. 22. That I run wilder than Papists in saying We will rather admit the supposed Absurdity of saying All Infants are Saved to follow from our Doctrine than with them say That Innumerable Infants perish Eternally not for their own but only for Adam's Fault This he reckons a Contradicting of my Doctrine of Christ's dying for all Infants saved without Christ J. B.'s horrible Lie saying I here grant That all Infants will be saved without Christ. What horrible Lie is this Where say I That all Infants will be saved without Christ If he say it is by Consequence that I say so which he must needs do or else be an Impudent Vnparallel'd Lyar then he Infers it either from my saying Christ died for all Therefore if all Infants are saved it must be without Christ or that If all Infants be saved Christ cannot have died for all for one of these two must be If I Contradict my self But such Consequences are only fit for such an Author as seems to have abandoned all sense of Honesty and Christian Reputation and resolves per fas aut nefas and without Rime or Reason as the Proverb is to bespatter his Adversary As for his adding They that have no Sin have no need of a Saviour to save them from Sin He Overturns it all by asking me in which also lies the pinch of his matter Since I affirm they have a Seed of Sin in them which is called Death and the Old Man how can they put-off this and sing the Song of the Redeemed which all that enter into Glory must do Infants are saved by Christ who died for them Does not this then shew I believe they have need of Christ as a Saviour who died for them to deliver them from this And is not the Contradiction his own in urging this Question which I thus answer How are those he accounts Elect Infants saved whom he affirms to be really guilty of Adam's Sin and so in a worse Condition than I affirm Infants to be for he will not say with Papists and Lutherans that the Administring of that they call the Sacrament of Baptism does it When he Answers this he will solve his own Argument To insinuate That some Infants are damned he asketh me What
being a Theam much debated and Common to us with others I might pass it by with a Reference to those Authors who largely Treat of them yet I will take notice of what he saith in direct Answer to what by me is Affirmed And first as for his Accusation of me as not being positive and punctual enough in setting down my Judgment of the Decrees of Election and Reprobation It is of no weight All do at Times Confess That it is not Safe nor Proper too curiously to Inquire into the Decrees of God though this Man dive into them and be as positive in telling the several Causes of them as if he were upon the Secret Counsel of the Almighty I judge I have said that which is needful and sufficient God calleth every Man to Repentance and Salvation who has not fore-ordained any to be Damned to wit that God calleth Every Man Every where to Repent and be Saved through Faith in Jesus Christ who tasted Death for every Every Man and is given for a Light to inlighten the Gentiles and to be God's Salvation to the Ends of the Earth And therefore that Every Man ought to Apply himself to Repent and Believe and Obey without believing That God has fore-ordained him to be Damned and therefore has with-held from him Grace and Power to do what he finds himself Commanded and Obliged to do Which if it were true as he supposeth it to be of most Men there can be no Reason Why they ought not to believe the Truth If he say they either ought or need not because they know it not Let him remember what Pains he has been at in the former Chapter to prove That Ignorance of a Truth doth not take away the Obligation of believing it So he must either overturn all or be Content this Absurdity stick to his Doctrine As for his saying That the Opposers of it do Arraign God and give a Sign of their Pride and Arrogancy because they cannot Comprehend it with their Corrupt and Blinded Vnderstandings it is but a silly begging of the Question And supposing it to be true thus every Impostor might Intrude upon Sober Christians Wild Absurd and Non-sensical Notions contrary to God's Justice and Mercy and because they would not Accept of them tell them They Arraign God are proud and arrogant and not receiving the Truth because not Comprehended by their Corrupt Vnderstandings Would not this thinks he be wisely Reasoned But pag. 135. n. 3. he thinks I run so furiously against this Doctrine that I run my self blind And why so because I say They Affirm That God did predestinate to Everlasting Damnation the most part of Men without any respect had to their Sin only to demonstrate the Glory of his Justice And upon this he Rants as a ridiculous and false Representation of their Meaning But this Storm is quickly blown away for all his great Noise For their Westminster Confession of Faith saith Ch. 3. expresly Westminster Confession falsly says That some are Ordained by God for Wrath. That GOD ordained such as are not Elected for Dishonour and Wrath to the Praise of his Glorious Justice And the same Confession saith in the same Chapter That nothing future or what was to come even as fore-seen by God was the Cause of God's Decree and this himself also affirms p. 137 138 139. What then is become of all his Boast But if he place it here and say Sin became the Cause so soon as To demonstrate the Glory of his Justice became the End and therefore they say It was for their Sin he so Decreed This may serve for a Rattle to please Fools and Children but not such as are spiritually Wise and look more narrowly unto things since they so manifestly Contradict themselves telling Sin nor any future thing is not the Cause of God's Decree and yet in a few Lines That God Ordained or Decreed Men to Wrath for their Sin to manifest the Glory of his Justice Which is as much as to say God Decreed Men to be Damned without respect to Sin and yet he decreed them to be damned for their Sin How makes he this hang together by Scripture-Proofs Besides all will Confess that the Cause of all God's Decrees is his own Glory which is exerted in his Divine Attributes whereof Justice is one so that this must be a Cause before Sin can have any Place to be a Cause since they deny it has any He tells me p. 136. n. 5. That the Orthodox have written copiously on this Subject and very far above my Reach There was the less need then for him to write so many pages upon it which must be little but a Transcribing out of their Writings unless he think he has written more accurately and copiously than any of them which I judge he will hardly affirm I might easily If I would trouble the Reader with a tedious Discourse also Transcribe an Answer out of those who write Copiously against these his supposed Orthodox but truly Heterodox men but I rather chuse to pass it by not affecting to be Admired for the Bulk of my Writings to come to what he saith directly in Answer to me which is the Business properly in hand ¶ 2. After he has premised what he thinks meet he comes p. 143. n. 12. to take notice of what I say and first wherein I misrepresent them in which he saith he has found no less than twelve Vntruths But how Vntrue this Assertion is shall shortly appear The first is that I say God for perfecting of this that is for bringing his Decree to pass did appoint that these miserable Souls should necessarily sin this he saith is a Mistake But if the Testimonies of Calvin Zanchius Piscator and others cited by me whose Testimonies must have more Weight than his to prove the Calvinists Principle in this do not prove this to be no Mistake Calvinists Principle That God Predestinates Men to Sin and to the Causes of it then I may Conclude that 2 and 3 makes not 5. Calvin saith That God not only predestinated Men to Sin but to the Causes of it which is Sin The Reader may look the other Passage of it in my Apology Several of his other Vntruths p. 144. he builds upon supposing that I Insinuate That they believe the Gospel is once preached to every person That every Reprobate had the Knowledge of Christ and that God had given to every one that heareth the Gospel sufficient Grace to embrace it But truly I was never so Mad as to Insinuate they believed these things for not believing of which I Condemn them Neither will his Pedantism upon the Word subtrahendo make it out since to Withdraw or With hold may be said of things that Man never had without any great Impropriety And yet according to him all Men had a Will and Power to obey God's Law in Adam so his Ordaining Adam should fall was even in that Sense a Withdrawing of what
there shall be no Application Whether this be Malice or Forgetfulness himself best knows But this is sad he seldom forgets to be Malitious but often to be Just yet as to the Bulk of his Reasonings of that matter perhaps he bestows them for the Confutation of those others he speaks of besides the Quakers against whom he saith he writes who if they judge it their Concern may Answer it â—et in this prolixe Disputation he has Cast-in some Arguments which seem not only to urge against this Meer Possibility as he terms it but also against Christ's dying for all in any respect such as from page 169. N. 19. to page 175. J. B.'s false Doctrine That Christ died to take away Peoples Sins with out Repentance But these are such as his usually are which only proceed upon the Question 's being begged For whereas he saith That those for whom Christ died he died to take away their Sins It is not denied provided they resist not the Grace purchased thereby so that Faith and Repentance be wrought in them But he urges this in the following page 170. That since this Non-performance of the Condition is a Sin if he died for all Sins he must have died for this also and if there be another Condition imagined for that too and so in Infinitum I Answer This Reasoning would infer those to be saved by the Death of Christ who never Repent especially with those who judge Men may sin yea must sin all their life-time and yet be saved Neither doth the Absurdity reach those who affirm Christ to have died for all as to obtain Remission of Sins that are past and Graee sufficient to work Faith and Repentance yea and Restore those that may Fall into sin after their Conversion if not Resisted and this is sufficient to Infer that Christ died for all neither can that Absurdity more reach them than the Apostle who speaks of such as Denied the Lord that bought them And since the Evangelist placeth the Benefit upon the Reception Why all are not benefitted by Christ's Death saying But unto as many as received him he gave Power to become the Sons of God all these Scriptures afterwards cited by him signifying the Efficacy of Christ's Blood is not denied they themselves Confess it was Sufficient and of Value enough to have Redeemed every Man but that doth not hinder it from proving Ineffectual to such as will not Receive it as is above shewen And therefore his Question p. 172. If Christ died for the Sins of all Persons how cometh it that they are not all actually pardoned is easily answered Because of their Non-reception of the Grace Christ dyed for all yet all are not saved and why by which his Death should be made Effectual to them And albeit this maketh Free-will Author of Condemnation as himself will acknowledge yet not of Salvation as shall after appear His next Argument p. 174. is That if Christ had died for all Men all Men should be saved because he hath purchased Faith and Salvation for all for whom he has died and this he supposeth he has shewen before But his Confidence in his own Arguments doth not Influence other Men I am yet to see where he has proved any such thing The Scriptures he brings such as Rom. 8.32 39. c. to prove this speak of those who had really received the Grace and in whom Regeneration was working by it and do indeed very well prove that Christ died for them yea what if I should say hath purchased them Grace prevalent to Salvation Yet they will not prove that he has not died for others also also that may miss of Salvation Pag. 175. N. 25. he saith It is considerable that no where in Scripture we find it expresly affirmed That Christ died for all Men Why then is all trouble made But is it not expresly said Heb. 2.9 That we see Jesus That he by the Grace of God should tast Death for every Man Let him tell us what less that Importeth yea if it be not more Emphatick to say Christ tasted Death for every Man than to say Christ died for all Men It is much the Man would so proclaim his Ignorance ¶ 6. After more of his Tedious and Superfluous Reasonings against this Meer Possibility as he calls it he comes p. 194. N. 48. to Overturn my Grounds for Vniversal Redemption and first in answer to the Angels Song Luke 2.10 urged by me wherein they hold forth the Coming of Christ The Angel's good Tidings were to all People as well in general as in particular as Tidings of great Joy to all People This he saith is to shew the Offer was to be made now to all Kindreds Nations Tongues and Languages And what then It is not said only so excluding all Particulars of these since the Word ALL in the Common Acceptation comprehends every Particular as well as all Sorts and he should have given some Reason from Scripture why he Restricts it here But in stead of that he Contradicts himself in the very following Words saying For he was to Reign over the House of Jacob Luk. 1. v. 13. for this if it Vrge any thing it will Exclude his former Concession if it be not Exclusive he can prove nothing from it Neither doth he more pertinently alledge Matth. 1.21 That he was to save his People from their Sins for that Scripture doth not say That he purchased not a Capacity for some to be his People who by their Resisting lost the Benefit offered them How often would I have gathered you and ye would not saith Christ Mat. 23.37 Luke 13.34 He saith further This would not have been glad Tidings if it had been a meer Possibility But I affirm no such thing To my urging Christ's Commission Mark 16.15 To preach the Gospel to every Creature and that of Paul Col. 1.28 he saith It will no more prove That Christ died for all Men than for Devils and Beasts for they are Creatures But how silly and perverse this Answer is is easily apparent For is it lawful to preach the Gospel to Beasts and Devils or is it as unlawful to preach the Gospel to any Men J. B.'s Perversion Christ's Commission to preach the Gospel to every Creature for Salvation as it is to do it to Beasts and Devils But on the contrary since he will not deny but it is a Duty to preach the Gospel to all Men Indefinitely yea in this Place he acknowledges it they being the proper Subjects of it so that of them must be understood every Creature here mentioned Pag. 196. N. 50. To my arguing The Gospel Inviteth all and that it would be a mocking of Men if Christ died not for all to Command them all to believe that Christ died for them He saith This is built upon an Vntruth that the Gospel doth not Command all to whom it is preached to believe that Christ died for them but only to
their fellow-servants the Hazzard of which State thou knowest and many will feel when the Lord riseth up to Prey for his Eyes are upon the Righteous and his Ears are open to their Cries Though now he be Trying the Children of Men and permitting some to Suffer and others to do hard things yet a hope lives in me the time approacheth wherein the Lord will more manifestly Appear to the Joy and Refreshment of the single in Heart who Suffer with him and patiently Wait for him and for the Shame and utter Overthrow of his malitious Opposers And so One of the Particulars I would lay before thee is a Desire Search thy own Heart in the Light of the Lord. thou would'st yet in the Lord's Light search thy own Heart more till thou findest out what secret Affinity hath remained with thee to any of the Lord's Enemies in thy own Heart for if all were brought under the Government of the Son of God inwardly I am fully perswaded thy Outward Opposition to the Lord's Work could not long stand The Outward is a true Figure of the Inward and I know by true Experience all that Despight and disdainful undervaluing Epithetes thou squeezest up thy Engine to Coin which one may feel answers not fully thy own Satisfaction for bespattering and loading that People and their Principles is but alas a Mirrour-glass set up to represent the low mean The Mean Appearance of Christ despised by the Learned Rabbies unworthy Esteem thou bearest to the Light of Christ in its Inward Appearance in thee as a Reprover for whosoever turneth universally at the Reproofs of God's Light in the Conscience shall witness the pouring forth of his Spirit in larger manifestations according to Prov. 1.23 But that Spirit speaketh in thee of which Isaiah prophesied Isa. 53.2 3 c. concerning the outward Appearance of the same Christ our Head and the Captain of our Salvation whose Sufferings Death Resurrection and Glory we dearly own and wait from Day to Day more to feel the pretious Vertue thereof although he then was and now is Rejected and Despised of Men who hide as it were their Faces from him because his Outward Appearance was as a Root out of a dry Ground in whom there was no Form nor Comeliness nor Beauty that he should be desired by that Mind which was looking after great things add expecting much outward Glory and Advantage And so Christ's Appearance was mistaken by the Learned Rabbies in that Day notwithstanding they had Moses and the Prophets Testimonies and were not wanting in Reading the Letter as others now For as it was then it is now he was and is mistaken by all who seek any thing to glory in save the Cross of Christ. For the Wisdom of the Flesh hath and doth lift fall'n Man above the innocent Seed in themselves only through which they can see the Invisible Glory of the Kingdom of God and find an abundant Entrance unto the Righteousness Peace and Joy in the Holy Ghost whereof it Consists Wherefore take heed of being lifted up above the Seed Light Life and Spirit of Christ in thee and so thou wilt see matter to Work out thy Salvation in Fear and Trembling and wilt not sit down upon former Attainments or Experiences when the Life is gone The great Danger of Sin at the Waters of Strife Another thing I would put thee in Remembrance of in these present times is The great danger of Sinning at the Waters of Strife whereof Moses his Example may be a standing Monument to all Generations of whom it was said He was the meekest Man upon the Earth yet at the Waters of Strife he spake unadvisedly with his Lips because of which he was debarred from entring into the promised Rest. And are there not some living at this Day who with sorrow of Heart have observed the Heat and Bitterness of Spirit that hath arisen because Differences and Controversy concerning Religion have eaten out the Life of that Love and Tenderness that was with many And having hurt the green thing in themselves and one another hath brought on Death Darkness Dryness and sensible Withering and cannot chuse but so to do seeing bitterness of Spirit and Prejudice and such like Frames in Man or Woman separates from God Dwell in Love while there any one abides For God is Love and he that dwells in God dwells in love and Christ hath said Vnless ye abide in me ye cannot bring forth much fruit so not abiding in that pure Love to God and his Image in his Children hath caused many fall short and hath letted their Progress and made many lose sight of their Way and the Guide of their Youth and so they have not followed the Lord fully nor followed him in the Regeneration Renewing according to the Increase of Light and the Measures of his Manifestation whereby they should know even in this Life a being Changed from Glory to Glory as by the Spirit of the Lord. Thou mentionest in thy Postscript to J. B. pag. 557. Many who may remember with Shame and Confusion of Face their Laughing at and making light of the Appearance of that Prodigy and that it may cause some go groaning to their Grave being an Evidence that ye knew not the Signs of the Time and what they called you to do To which I answer Lightness and Laughing among People that lay claim to Religion is none of the least Causes of Mourning but I also believe if the Appearance of Quakerism so called had in the beginning been looked on The Fore-runner of the Downfall of a Man-made Ministry as the Fore-runner of the down-fall of a meer Man-made Ministery in these Nations it 's like it would have moved those who laughed most to have mourned most even then and Babylon's Merchant's would have cried Alas Alas But since now thou acknowledgest in the space of a Score of Years at most Thou seest Cause to mourn for that which ye then laughed at I am very willing to admit of your own Acknowledgment for a Ground of Hope that the Single-hearted among the Non-conformists may out-live all the Clamour they are now making against us and in less than as many years more may work through the Foggs and Mists that now darken their Vnderstandings concerning the Signs of this Time and look back with Shame and Confusion on their great Darkness that would have mourned for that which was matter of Joy And this is no far-fetched Consequence for ye had then and now the same Acquaintance with the Letter of the Scriptures and as much Humane Learning and Sharpness and Natural Abilities for an Acute Examen and so it follows by the Rule of Contraries and may it not be without presumption concluded Ye needed then and do now the help of the Spirit 's immediate Teachings in your own Hearts without which ye will not yet understand the Signs of this Time aright which if ye did The Lord is Staining
Call 833. concerning Protestants 611 721. Psalms Singing of Psalms 433. as commonly used is but a mock-worship 30 Q. Quakers i. e. Tremblers and why so called 356 698. they are not contemners of the Scriptures and what they think of them 296 301 335. nor of Reason and what they think of it 337 338. they do not say that all other Secondary means of Knowledge are of no Service 274. they do not compare themselves to Jesus Christ as they are falsly accused 334. Nor do they deny those things that are written in the Holy Scriptures concerning Christ his Conception 335. they were raised up of God to shew forth the Truth 330 331 355 356 their Doctrine of Justification is not Popish 365 369 381 387. they are not against Meditation 452. their Worship cannot be interrupted 454. and what they have suffered 453. how they vindicate Liberty of Conscience 528 529. they do not persecute others 530. their Adversaries confess that they are found for the most part free from the Abominations which abound among others yet they account those things Vices in them which in themselves they extol as notable Vertues and make more Noise about the Escape of one Quaker than of an hundred among themselves 532 533. they destroy not the mutual Relation that is betwixt Prince and People Master and Servant Father and Son nor do they introduce Community of Goods 533 534. nor say that one Man may not use the Creation more or less than another 533. In the Doctrine concerning the Ministry they defend themselves by the Arguments the Primitive Protestants used against the Papists of those Times 90. a Catalogue of Lies and Calumnies falsly alledged to be the Quakers Assertions 890 891. the Quakers Adversaries fasten Contradictions upon Christ himself 666 J. B's Doubts concerning the Time of the Author 's joining with the People called Quakers resolved 869. the Author's Education 612 678. his Burthen 707. Reflections cast upon him 719 880. the Liberty which the Quakers enjoy is by mercy not of their own procuring 530. see also 48 150 185. their General Assembly 234 235. their Ministry c. 438 448 474 6â—8 678. their Sufferings 722. for not bearing Arms 562. their Adversaries Slanders and Accusations against them 566 568. J. B's Calumnies 760. ungodly Railings against them 793. 819 835 842 854 829 842 844. and false Charges 877 878. the Lord their Honour and Reward 698 R. Ranters The Blaspemy of the Ranters or Libertines saying That there is no difference betwixt Good and Evil 393 Reason What need we set up corrupt Reason 284. concerning Reason 290 337 Rebekkah 449 450 Reconciliation How Reconciliation with God is made 37O 373 Recreations see Plays Redemption is considered in a twofold respect first performed by Christ without us and secondly wrought in us 368 369. it is universal God gave his only begotten Son Jesus Christ for a Light that whosoever believeth in him may be saved 317 318 345 346. the benefit of his death is not less universal than the Seed of him 317. there is scarce found any article of the Christian Religion that is so expresly confirmed in the Holy Scriptures 321 322 323 324 325. this Doctrin was preached by the Fathers so called of the first 600. years and is proved by the sayings of some 326 327. those that since the time of the Reformation have affirmed it have not given a clear Testimony how that Benefit is communicated to all or have sufficiently taught the Truth because they have added the absolute Necessity of the outward knowledge of the History of Christ yea they have thereby given the contrary party a stronger Argument to defend their precise decree of Reprobation among whom were the Remonstrants of Holland 318 327 330. God hath now raised up a few Illiterate Men to be the dispensers of this Truth 330 331 355 356. this Doctrin sheweth forth the mercy and Justice of God 330 3341 30 341. it is the foundation of Salvation 331. it answers to the whole tenor of the Gospel-promises and threats 331. it exalts above all the Grace of God 331. it overturns the false Doctrin of the Pelagians and Semi-pelagians and others who exalt the light of nature and the freedom of Mans will 331. it makes the Salvation of Man solely to depend upon God and his Condemnation wholly and in every respect to be of himself 331. it takes away all ground of Despair and feeds none in security 331. it commends the Christian Religion among Infidels 332. it sheweth the wisdom of God 332. and it is established though not in words yet by deeds even by those Ministers that oppose this Doctrin 332. It derogates not from the Attonement and Sacrifice of Jesus Christ but doth magnify and exalt it 335. there is given to every one none excepted a certain day and time of Visitation in which it is possible for them to be saved 330 341 345. The Testimony of Cyril concerning this thing 344 345. it is explained what is understood and not understood by this Day 333. to some it may be longer to others shorter 333. many may outlive this Day of Visitation after which there is no possibility of Salvation to to them 333. Some examples are alledged the Objectionâ— and those places of Scripture which others abuse to prove that God incites Men to sin are easily solved if they be applied to these Men after the Time of their Visitation is past 333 341 342 there is given to every one a measure of the Light Seed Grace and Word of God whereby they can be saved 330 341 345 352. which is also confirmed by the Testimonies of Cyril and others 347 349 351 352. what that Light is see Light many though Ignorant of the outward History yet have been sensible of the Loss that came by Adam which is confirmed by the Testimonies of Plato and others 361 362. many have known Christ within as a Remedy to Redeem them though not under that denomination witness Seneca Cicero and others 361 362. yet all are obliged to believe the outward History of Christ to whom God bringeth the Knowledg of it 335 Reformation wherein it is not placed 408 409. mechanick men have contributed much to it 431. what hath been pernicious to it 499. Regeneration those that have attained unto a perfect Regeneration cannot miss of Salvation 42 43. Regeneration is not wrought in an Instant 821. Relation see Quakers Religion The Christian Religion see Christianity how it is made odious to Jews Turks and Heathens 498. that any Religion is established by a National Law is no Argument that it ought not to be called in Question and brought to the Test 589. Indifferency and Lukewarmness in Religious matters highly displeasing to the Lord 681 Remonstrants of Holland see Arminians Redemption They deny absolute Reprobation 290. how we differ from them 339. they exalt too much the Natural Power and Free Will of Man and what they think of the Saving Light 354 355.