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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
death_n	jesus_n	law_n	spirit_n	7,842	5	6.0757	4	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A65867	The glory of Christ's light within expelling darkness being the sum of the controversie between the people called Quakers, and some of the non-conformist priests, as manifest at two publick disputes in Essex : between George Whitehead (called a Quaker) and Stephen Scandret (Presbyter) being at the latter dispute assisted with five more of his brethren, the priests, to wit, Nathaniel Barnard, Henry Havers, Henry Coleman, Nath. Ball, and Robert Billoes : wherein are several.	Whitehead, George, 1636?-1723.	1669 (1669)	Wing W1930; ESTC R39125	35,191	47

life but in another life when we come to the spirits of Just men made Perfect and to God the Judge of all c. Ans. Here he hath spoken both like a Stranger from God and Just men and hath taken Sathan's part in pleading for his work which is Sin denying the end of Christ's coming and manifestation and the work and effect of the true Ministry which was given for the Perfecting of the Saints Ephes. 4. And Christ was manifest to destroy the work of the Devil which was Sin and he that abideth in him sinneth not see 1 John 3. and when and where are Believers perfectly freed or clensed from sin in the life to come is not this like the Pope's Doctrine for a Purgatory but how long it is between death and this time of clensing or whether the Saints deceased are yet clensed yes or nay and the place where S. S. could not tell But further how gross and absurd is it for him to suppose Believers not come to the Spirits of Just men made Perfect or to God the Judge of all till after their decease for were the Hebrews not alive nor upon Earth when they were writ to in these words Ye are come unto Mount Sion to God the Judge of all c. Hebr. 12. 22. surely they were then living upon Earth S. S. They were come that is spiritually but not corporally to the Spirits of Just men c. Reply What a strange shuffle is this where do the Scriptures speak of a corporal Perfection or a joyning to God corporally but must not the Body be subject to the Spirit seeing Believers are to be sanctified throughout in Body Soul and Spirit and if that which is born of the Spirit which is Spirit have the Rule then the Body is brought into subjection and that which is born of God overcomes the World 1 John 5. 4. Upon Psalm 119. 1 2 3. S. Scandret gave his meaning thus They do no iniquity that is so far as they are regenerated c. To this we say This is his corruption and perversion put upon plain Scripture his meaning implying only thus much They do no iniquity that is so far as they do no iniquity and so according to his meaning the words are to be read thus Blessed are the undefiled in the way so far as they are undefiled in the way and blessed are they that keep his Testimonies so far as they keep them c. whereas the words are plain and positive without any such exception Blessed are the undefiled in the way who walk in the Law of the Lord c. as his instance of Paul in Rom. 7. 17. he should also as well have instanced Paul's deliverance and being made free by the Law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus from the Law of sin and death and his being made more then a Conqueror S. S. The state of Perfection is not attainable in this life because whilst men are in the Body vain thoughts lodge within them and Job saith If I say I were perfect I should not know my own Soul Reply First Victory over vain thoughts through Faith in the Power of Christ is attainable the thoughts of the righteous are right Prov. 12. 5. David waited and travelled that vain thoughts might not lodge within him and also he said I hate vain thoughts Psalm 119. 113. And let the wicked forsake his way and the unrighteous man his thoughts and let him return unto the Lord and he will have mercy upon him c. Isa. 55. 7. and it was the rebellious that walked after their own thoughts Chap. 65. 2. And oh Jerusalem wash thine heart from wickedness that thou mayst be saved how long shall thy vain thoughts lodge within thee Jer. 4. 14. So that it is evident victory over them is attainable First because a forsaking of them is required Secondly because Believers waited and prayed for such a victory Thirdly because it was attained by those whose thoughts were right and those under the Gospel whose thoughts were brought into subjection to Christ And as for Job however he debased himself under his great Affliction and Trial yet at that time of temptation the testimony given of him was That he was a perfect and upright man one that feared God and eschewed evil Job 1. 1 8. this was God's own Testimony of him to Satan to which Satan answered the Lord and said Doth Job fear God for nought hast not thou made an Hedge about him c Now mark here Satan did more confess to the truth that God said of Job then these Priests do who plead for sin and imperfection term of life so that they are more ignorant and blind then Satan they shew themselves to be his Agents in pleading for his work who notwithstanding sought to make Job curse God and so to decline from his perfection In that of Job 9. 20 21. If I justifie my self my mouth shall condemn me though I were perfect yet would I not know my Soul c. Self-Justification we do not own but yet Perfection is attainable see Job 23. 10 11. But he knoweth the way that I take when he hath tried me I shall come forth as Gold my Foot hath held his Steps his Way have I kept and not declined So here is Perfection whatever the Devil and his Instruments either work or say to the contrary S. S. That God saw it not good to abolish sin in this life Answ. A strange Doctrine contrary to both God's Commands Promises and Works viz. Sin not I will make an end of sin for this purpose is the Son of God made manifest to the destroy the works of the Devil can God see the continuance of evil to be good or that his Commands should be made void surely no. S. S. Arg. That God is continually purging every Branch in Christ therefore there is something to be purged out Reply There is a time of purging and a time of being purged in this life He hath washed us from our sins in his own Blood c. and because every Branch in Christ is of the Heavenly Father's purging therefore it must be perfectly purged and fitted to bring forth much fruit for God's work is perfect it is not an imperfect work of mans and we ask whether every Branch that bringeth forth fruit in the Vine be not of the nature of the Vine in which it grows and hath its vertue SECT IV. S. S. We are all lost in Adam we have all sinned and come short of the glory of God and we could not redeem our selves it is only the Blood of Christ answers for us at the Bar of Gods Justice c. Answ. You that plead and contend forsin term of life are but yet in Adam in your sins short of the glory of God not redeemed by the Blood of Christ while in your polluted state you are not acquited neither will God's Justice pass you by if you continue without repentance rejecting

and that Christ died and satisfied only for that select number according to their Principle and that Justification by Christ's Righteousness imputed is only designed for that select number the rest that they reckon God with-holdeth mercy from passeth by as having ordained them to Everlasting death and wrath he withholdeth both saving Light and Grace from them so that they cannot avoid Hell and Damnation what ever they do according to this their Principle Answ. The Consequences and effects of this Doctrine have been very sad first in rendring God the Decreer and Designer of the Destruction of the greater part of Man-kind Secondly It renders him the Author of Sin and Iniquity which is the cause of Destruction in that they here accuse him as ordaining what ever comes to pass Thirdly it renders him both partial and cruel unto his own workmanship Fourthly it makes void the free extent of God's Love and Grace to Man-kind and his sending his Son into the World as also renders the preaching of the Gospel to every Creature to be of no use nor real intent for the good of the greater part of Man-kind so that Priests of this Perswasion might stop their mouthes and people never spend their money for their preaching any more Fifthly This their narrow and partial Opinion hath been an engine for Satan to work upon to the causing many poor Souls to dispair of ever having the benefit of Saving-Grace or Light when they have believed Death and Damnation to be unalterably designed for them Sixthly It hath pufft up a few conceited Professors as Presbyterians Independants and others in secret pride and self-confidence as being more regarded of God then all others supposing themselves from Eternity to be Elected and Grace and Salvation or the benefits of Christ's Sufferings and Death only to be free for them when their states and conditions are as sinfull corrupt and bad with pride and covetousness as others and therefore against them their narrow spirit Principle and partial Opinion in this matter we do in general lay down a few plain Scriptures which with many more might be produced for the same purpose on the behalf of God and his goodness to man and how equal his wayes are and how mans own iniquity and sin being continued in without repentance is his ruin As first Genesis chap. 2. vers 16 17. and the Lord God Commanded the man saying of every tree of the Garden thou mayst eat but of the Tree of the Knowledge of good and evil thou shalt not eat of it for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die c. where note that God was neither the Ordainer nor Author of mans Transgression which brought death and occasioned his being driven out of Paradice chap. 3. ver 23 24. but God gave man a plain Prohibition Command and Warning to the contrary so that God did not secretly design or decree touching man contrary to his own pure and equal Law given to man Gen. 4. 6 7. And the Lord said unto Cain why art thou wroth and why is thy Countenance faln if thou do well shalt thou not be accepted and if thou do not well sin lieth at thy door So that it is evident here that God did not particularly design either that Cain should do evil nor yet decree his eternal death from Eternity seeing that in well doing he might have had acceptance but his evil doing was the cause of his misery Deut. 30. 15 16 17 18 19 20. See I have set before thee this day Life and Good I call Heaven and Earth this day to witness against you that I have set before you Life and Death Blessing and Cursing therefore chuse Life c And see vers 17 18. But if thy Heart turn away I denounce unto you this day that you shall surely perish c. Where mark that Life and Death was set before them that they might chuse Life and refuse death but if God had particularly decreed them for death and destruction it had been a mockery to bid them chuse life if they could never have it and if he had absolutely elected them from Eternity for Life Eternal why should it be denounced against them that they should surely perish if their hearts turned away from the Lord were it not an impertinent vain thing to warn persons of such a danger if they were absolutely secured from being liable to any such danger Nehem. 9. 20 26. Thou gavest also thy good Spirit to instruct them and with-heldest not thy Manna from their mouth nevertheless they were disobedient and rebelled against thee and cast thy Law behind their backs and slew thy Prophets c. where note that God gave his good Spirit unto them who rebelled the Persecutors of his Prophets and if such had the good Spirit given them surely none are excepted but all have so much of the true Light or Spirit of God given them as shall leave them without excuse Psal. 81. 11 12. But my people would not hearken to my voice nor Israel would none of me so I gave them up to their own hearts lust and they walked in their own counsels See here they refusing to hearken to the voice of God and their refusing him was the cause of his giving them up to their own lusts and evil counsels and not any partial secret decree concerning them Isa. 63. 10. But they rebelled and vexed his holy Spirit therefore he was turned to be their Enemy and he fought against them Here their rebelling and vexing the holy Spirit of God was the cause of his turning to be their enemy and warring against them surely then God was their Friend before he turned to be their Enemy in that he had befriended them with his own Spirit 2 Chron. 15. 15. Then the Spirit of God came upon Azariah the Son of Obed and he went out to meet Asa and said unto him O Asa and all Judah and Benjamin hear ye me The Lord is with you while ye be with him if ye seek him he will be found of you but if ye forsake him he will forsake you So that it is mens forsaking of God first for which cause he forsakes them and man forsakes the Lord before the Lord forsake him and is not this a falling from Grace to forsake the Lord. Isa. 1. 19 20. If you be willing and obedient ye shall eat the good of the Land but if you refuse and rebel ye shall be devoured with the sword and ver 28. The destruction of the Transgressors and of the Sinners shall be together and they that forsake the Lord shall be consumed Where mark upon what terms God promised good unto them and what was the cause of destruction but rebellion and forsaking the Lord See likewise Jer. 12. 17. Ezek. 18. 20. The Soul that sinneth it shall die verse 23. Have I any pleasure at all that the Wicked should die saith the Lord God c. verse 25. Hear O House of Israel

Is not my Way equal are not your wayes unequal and see verses 26 27 28 29. Again vers 30. Repent and turn your selves from all your Trangressions so Iniquity shall not be your ruin And verse 32. For I have no pleasure in the death of him that dieth saith the Lord God wherefore turn your selves and live ye and Hosea 13. 9. Oh Israel thou hast destroyed thy self but in me is thy help See how evidently in these passage God is cleared both in warning them and in that he willeth not nor hath pleasure in their destruction and how Iniquity is the ruin of them that continue in it and not any secret design or decree of God contrary to his own Testimony given by his holy Prophets concerning his good will for the Recovery of man out of Iniquity as also see Ezek. 33. 2 3 4 5 6 7 8. what is the cause of peoples destruction and how their blood shall be upon their own heads that do not take warning and now lets a little take notice of the Testimony of Christ and his Ministers As first John 3. 16 17. For God so loved the World that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believe in him should not perish but have Everlasting Life For God sent not his Son into the World to condemn the World but that the World through him might be saved Surely then God did not from Eternity design or decree the destruction of the greater part of the World for that had contradicted the end of sending his Son John 12. 46. I am come a Light into the World that whosoever believe on me should not abide in darkness So here it is manifest that Christ is freely given a Light to those that are in darkness that whosoever believeth on him it is not that a designed or select number of persons only should not abide in darkness but whosoever believeth c. And see the Testimony given of him John 1. 9 That was the the true Light that lighteth every man that cometh into the World It is not said which lighteth only a select small number 2 Cor. 5 14 15. For the Love of Christ constraineth us because we thus judge that if one died for all then were all dead and that he died for all that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves but unto him which died for them and rose again 1 Tim. 2. 5 6. 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 of in due time Hebr. 2. 9. But we see Jesus who is made a little lower then the Angels for the suffering which death crowned with glory and honour that he by the Grace of God should taste death for every man 1 John 2. And he is the Propitiation for our sins and not for ours only but for the sins of the whole World In all which passages observe that the free and universal Love Grace and Good-will of God in Christ is testified in the Suffering Death or Sacrifice of Christ for all that were dead for every man for the sins of the whole World it is not said that he died only for a few or for a small number Elected from Eternity but for all men and gave himself a Ransom for all for a Testimony in due time And therefore away with such Doctrines and Opinions as oppose the free extent of the Grace of God and Light of Christ which universally is given to all Man-kind and do not blame or lay the fault upon God any longer as either decreeing mans destruction or the cause of it but lay it in the right place upon the Rebellious and Transgressors who hate the Light and love Darkness rather see John 3. 19 20. Object But some object That God loved Jacob and hated Esau before they were born or had done good or evil Reply What then did he hate Esau for for any to suppose he hated him for nothing or without cause is to render God cruel and unequal in his wayes but those that thus object do both grosly mistake and misplace the words For that which was said before the Children were born was The elder shall serve the younger the mystery whereof is only known where the two Seeds or two Births are known Rom. 9. 12. and then follows as it is written Jacob have I loved and Esau have I hated but where was it written before Paul mentioned it it was not written or spoken to either Isaac or Rebekah but it was written many hundred years after concerning their Successors to wit those of Israel and Edom by the Prophet Malachi chap. 1. and those whom God hated were the same people that was called The Border of Wickedness the people against whom the Lord had Indignation for ever so that it was because of their Wickedness that the Indignation of God was against them Object Again some object That God hath Mercy on whom he will and whom he will be hardneth Hath not the Potter power over the Clay c. Reply God hath concluded them all in unbelief that he might shew mercy upon all it is his universal Love and good will in the first place to tender and shew Mercy in his own Son unto all both Jews and Gentiles but it is his Justice to give them up to hardness and unbelief who reject and oppose his free Love and tenders of Mercy for what can be the reason of hardning some seeing this hardning is a Judgment upon them in time not particularly or partially design'd from Eternity as to particular persons simply for it s no reason for any to say that he will harden some because he will hearden them but because its just for him so to do they having provoked him and grieved his holy Spirit in them see Zachariah 7. 11 12. But they refuse to hearken and pull'd away the Shoulder and stopped their Ears that they should not hear yea they made their hearts as an Adamant-stone c. Therefore came a great Wrath from the Lord of Hosts And as for his having power over the works of his hands as the Potter hath over the Clay who questions that but though he made or formed man as man or as his Creature he did not make him nor ordain him to be a sinfull Rebellious man God is not his Potter or Former into Sin but the Devil which if man continue in against his Maker without repentance then his end which is destruction is determined For Wo unto him that striveth with his Maker let the Potsherd strive with the Potsherds of the Earth shall the Clay say to him that fashioneth it what makest thou Wo unto him that sayeth unto his Father what begettest thou c Isa. 45. 9 10. Surely God did not make man to strive against himself nor yet to question or suppose evil against his Workmanship for he is not the Author of Sin and it is because of Iniquity that God hides his Face and consumes people who are the Clay and he the Potter Isa. 64. 7 8. Now to be sure God doth not find fault with any thing that is proper to his own Workmanship nor doth he consume any meerly as his own Workmanship but because of Iniquity see also Jer. 18. 6 7 8 9 10 11 12. by which these partial opinionated Professors are absolutely confuted besides it is such as like not to retain God in their knowledge whom he gives over to a reprobate mind Rom. 1. 21 28. Wherefore we advise all who tender their own Salvation not to be byassed or prejudiced with private and corrupt opinions of men of corrupt minds nor yet to reject or dispise the Free Grace or Light of Jesus which is freely tendred and given unto all but every one wait in it and mind its appearance in your hearts that thereby your understandings may be opened that you may come to know the Election in Christ as chosen in him to be holy and without blame this Election we own and be conformed unto his Image even the Image of the Son of God and know him as the First-born among many Brethren as those that are chosen in him through the Sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the Truth to be holy and without blame before him which is a high and precious state that many are short of who conceit and pretend themselves to be Elect Persons when yet they are polluted unsanctified unregenerate unholy impure unfaithfull to God rejecting the elect Seed the elect and precious Stone therefore their Foundation is Sandy their Building shattered and the Lord our God is risen to stain their glory and the pride of all Flesh and yet more to confound all empty and Babilonish Professions that are set in opposition to his Glorious Appearance in this his day G. W. The moderate Reader is desired to Correct some Errors that have escaped the Press whether they be Words Letters or Points and not impute them to the Authors PAge 11. l. 8. read of these p. 12. l. 37. for affirmed r. answered p. 18. l. 12. for no wit r. now it p. 21. l. 11. r. as for l. 34. dele yet p. 22. l. 17. for to the dele the. p. 23. l. 33. for bare r. bear p. 26. l. 1. blot out them p. 31. l. 11. r. trees p. 34. l. 18. r. Chap. 1. p. 39. understand or add to the names subscribed viz. Witnesses that these are the Priests Contradictions p. 44. l. 4. r. passages l. 37. for which r. and. THE END Priest Note Observation Rom. 11. 32.

he saw himself and sin to be exceeding sinfull and it was the Law of the Spirit of Life in Christ that was inward and spiritual that made him free and this was his Rule in the converted state when he was come to serve the Lord not in the oldness of the Letter but in the newness of the Spirit But again how did this S. S. contradict himself in granting that the Spirit was to give the understanding of Scripture and did as certainly reveal the Mind and will of God as the Scriptures but then again in contradiction to himself asserted that the Spirit of God must be tried by the Scriptures whereby he still hath ascribed the Supremacy to the Scriptures and not the Spirit absurdly preferring the effect before the cause as if the Spirit of God were not sufficient to manifest it self to them that believe in it and yet be sufficient to lead into all Truth what gross ignorance and apparent contradiction is this our Opposer involved in certainly the Spirit of Truth is all-sufficient and must have the preferment among all that are spiritually minded And seeing it was granted by S. S. That where the Scriptures did not come the Light within was to be their Rule and the Spirit of God listned unto and obeyed but the Scriptures must be our only Rule who have them c. Upon this we query whether yet he will own the Spirit of Light within to be greater and preferr'd before Scripture as doubtless the Spirit of Truth that gave them forth is the greater and then we ask if the Heathen or Gentiles that shewed the work of the Law written in their hearts were led or guided by that which is greater then the Guide which the Christians now are to rely upon or whether or no professed Christians in England must be inferiour to the Gentiles or Heathen Let these things be seriously considered for Christ is given for a Light unto the Gentiles to be Salvation to the ends of the Earth and he said Believe in the Light that you may be Children of the Light and he that doth Truth cometh to the Light that his deeds may be manifest that they are wrought in God John 3. 21. So that here the Light is the Rule to manifest and try mens actions whether they are wrought in God yes or nay SECT II. S. Scandret confest That it was a spiritual Light and that it was the Light of Christ that every one was inlightned with G. W. asked him what Spirit it related to or was the Light of for the word that is the primative of the derivative SPIRITUAL is SPIRIT to this S. S. answered that it was the Spirit of God which it was a Light of c. Reply A plain confession no wit is the Light of the Spirit of God that is in every man enough to overthrow all our Opposers work to the contrary and his reason from his own and the Creatures darkness and mistakes against the sufficiency of the Light of the Spirit of God this is the Stone and Rock that breaks and will break him and such Opposers to pieces S. S. Objection The Light within doth not change all mens hearts all do not obey God it brings not all to God all heard not the joyfull sound all had not satisfaction in God therefore the Light within is not saving Reply The same he might as well object against the Spirit of God as against the Light of it which he hath confest to before for many had the good Spirit given to them who rebelled against God and grieved his holy Spirit therefore their hearts were not truly changed by it because of their Rebellion and they that rebel against the Light know not its ways because they abide not in its Paths Job 24. 13. and there are many who resist the Spirit of God and reject his Counsel until they are given over to hardness and unbelief Now what doth S. S. think that the Spirit or Light of the Lord will inevitable or irresistably inforce a change and Salvation upon rebellious gainsaying Persons who hate his Light and reject his Counsel if he suppose this why is it not inforc'd upon all in the same capacity what doth he render man like a Block or a Beast not to go or act in obedience or subjection but as he is forc'd or driven surely man hath a better capacity given him of God then so and seeing S. S. did confess That the Light in its common operations was in the unbelievers upon which we ask what those common operations are and what do they tend to and what is the good end of God in affording this Light of his Spirit to all and such operations in unbelievers surely if it be to their conviction and reproof for sin and evil God's good end and Will therein is that they may come to see and hate sin and evil and so be by degrees drawn out of it and find mercy peace and satisfaction with the Lord in forsaking sin and embracing righteousness surely the universal Love of God in giving Light to all is of this tendance and effect to all that really accept of his Love and good will S. S. The common Light may misguide a man for it may become darkness if the Light that is in you be darkness c. Answ. The Light of the Spirit of God is infallibly true and cannot misguide any neither is it proper or true to call this darkness for the Light in every man is confessed to be the Light of the Spirit of God however S. S. and such Blind-Guides to their own confusion may put light for darkness and darkness for Light as such whose minds and eyes are evil do and it was such that Christ spoke of who if they put darkness for light then how great was their darkness for to be sure no light in it self or in its own being can properly be called darkness S. S. Object Deut. 29. 4. Yet the Lord hath not given you a heart to perceive and eyes to see and ears to hear unto this day therefore c. Reply There were those who closed their eyes and stopped their ears as did the rebellious Jews Zach. 7. 11 12. Matth. 13. 15. and though these whom Moses reproved did not continue in the tenderness of heart and true Light unto that day yet it is evident verse 2. they had seen all that the Lord did before their eyes in the Land of Egypt and the signs and miracles verse 3. as also of the same people an ample testimony is given in Nehem. 9. what great things the Lord had done for them and how he gave also of his good Spirit to instruct them verse 20. SECT III. UPon the Question about Perfection S. S. affirmed That Perfection that is a state free from all Sin is not attainable in this Life but God would take his own time to do it in the other World after Death Sin shall never be wholly taken away in this