they ever see feel or know but within for it is the Spirit that searcheth and reveals all things even the deep things of God now is there any man that knows any thing as he ought to know but by Christ enlightening his understanding within that work thou opposing shews thy blindness and opposition to Scripture as may be seen Many more such like errors hast thou which are directly opposite to the Spirit of God and plain Scripture such as indeed give Christ a name to have lived and died in his own person at Jerusalem but doth wholly strike at his eternal life and the everlasting offering his long suffering his death and the fellowship of it and his resurrection his enlightening leading and salvation in Spirit within without which no man can be saved nor know Christ but as the Devil may know him and in plain truth strikes at his everlasting Name as he is an everlasting King and Saviourin his people to wash to order to judge to give laws and statutes to save and redeem from every particular sin in every one of his from one generation to another by his present in-dwelling who is the same yesterday to day and for ever where he is marifest inflesh to take away sin And by talking of his bloud at Jerusalem makes his bloud of none effect as he is an everlasting Priest by an everlasting Priesthood not as in one generation but for ever stands offered up to the Father with his bloud in the everlasting Covenant an atonement making and besprinkling the hearts and consciences of every one of his by the bloud of his everla sting Covenant which not being done by faith within makes that at Jerusalem of none effect as to that person And this is the same Spirit that in the Law cryed the Temple the Temple but to withstand him who was the everlasting Temple and substance of the visible which now cries the body and bloud at Jerusalem but to withstand the end of that blood which is to wash and cleanse from all sin and to purge every Conscience from dead works without which that at Jerusalem is made void and without its effect and as the Devil could keep then them blind in the Temple worship but he in their hearts and they doing his work so doth he now by crying the death at Jerusalem and keeping from the fellowship of it within he keeps sin alive and the creature captivated therein at his will and makes them believe they were cleansed before they were born but still in the same iniquity the Jews was in if not worse and cries up a great benefit they have by Christs coming and that they are under grace but still in the power of Satan and his works done in the body where Christ should dwell so that in truth this is all the benefit that is found in such more than the Jews had but a talk of Christ at Jerusalem as the other did of the Temple at Jerusalem but both without that in them which is the life of all visibles and invisibles even the in-dwelling of Christ to redeem them from the power of sin and the world but these cry we are redeemed by the bloud of Christ before we were though we commit sin that cannot hinder our redemption we are delivered though we be inclosed up in a body of sin yet are we in Christ at the very same time in the heavenly Righteousness far above all sin as thou sayes which indeed is no more but an imagined freedom and a lie and is found no more in substance nor before God is there any differenceat all between a servant of sin the Jews time and a servant of sin now but onely that you cause the Name of Jesus to be evil spoken on through the world and sin against his light and grace more than they did and make the sufferings of Christ at Jerusalem a cloak for the Devil to carry his works under and bring them forth Neither did ever any Child of light profess such a faith to wit that they were washed and justified when they were not which is a meer fixion of the brain and no faith but a peice of non-sense to say we were justified sanctified and washed before we were as though that which is filthy may be made clean by washing a thing that is not and by justifying a thing that is not you are just before God in all manner of filthiness and so in an airy conceit of justifying of nought you imagine you are saved Neither did ever any of the children of light say that they was justified before faith as thou dost produce thy brother amongst all the Saints that was of this faith thou talks of Papists and false Opinions I say none like this not a Ranter in England hath a larger faith nor hath the Devil such a way in all the works to keep people out of the fear of God repentance for sin or being guided by the Light and Spirit of Christ out of the Devils work and so redeemed out of condemnation Was there ever such a deceit as the Devil hath blinded you withal to live in your sin and bondage to Satan denying the Light of Christ in you and when he lets you see your bondage and his enemy and what way you should escape the pollutions of the world and his wrath that is against you by his light in your consciences Then you call that a spirit of bondage and say you are not under that you are redeemed from minding any thing within in the conscience and thus at once make shipwrack of a pure conscience and the mystery of faith therein and run in hand with the Devil to believelies That you was clean before you was born shall be clean when you are dead and your sins now cannot change Gods purpose nor make his love more or less to you and so with a brazened face setup a way and faith and preach it that though you be closed up in sin and wicked in your life soul and body and all you are yet you are righteous before God and that which you now love and live in must not be charged upon you And when the enemy hath got you into this deceit and thereby slain the witness of God in you which should reprove you of sin and keep you in his fear and your hearts tender then are you fit instruments for his work to withstand the spiritual appearance of the Lord Jesus Christ in his Saints and for that purpose hath he fill'd your hearts with lies and deceits to cast in the way of the truth and upon them that profess it as thou hast done in this thy book slandering us to deny the Person of Christ for no other thing but because we witness the end of his appearance in person which is his indwelling for ever in our hearts by faith there to sit as King and Priest to all generations taking dominion over whatever in the heart is contrary to
him which is his Seat and Kingdom in this world wherein alone he is known onely in the hearts of his people without which none knows him nor are reconciled to God by him and this is not to deny his Person but to exalt him as King in the heart and conscience for ever for he is worthy whose Kindom is righteousness I know what Christ did in his own person and do own and believe it and that righteousness he therein wrought and how therein he became the onely way to the Father the Truth and the Life and the Light of all the world set up for ever to lead to God and that therein he is the first and the last and there is none besides him with the Father an Advocate Mediator and Intercessor given of the Father into the world to that end that all men through him might be believe and be saved this I own and know and much more But that any can be saved by him without faith and obedience to him and walking in him who is the Way Light and Life onely by thinking they believed what he did at Jerusalem that I deny and that faith which is without works is no more than what the Devils hath which will not save them nor any else but in him is the Redemption not in a talk of him and he that is in sin is not in him for he that abides in him sins not nor hath any the benefit of what he is to a believer but as they receive his light that shews them sin and so turn to him by repentance till then what he is in his own person or hath done is so far from saving any that it is their condemnation that he is come a light into the world and they still walk in darkness and not in him And also whatever the Scripture doth declare of him I own and so do all who in the light dwell from which the letter was given forth and therefore be ashamed of thy lies that thou hast cast upon us in this part of thy book also which are not worth answering being most of them answered and denied in my answer to the other part of thy book to which also thou hast added in this such things as never entred into our hearts to do nor speak which thou most falsly accusest us withal as that we say That the Light which enlightens every man accusing of sin is Christ and God the Eternal and Just One and so the Redeemer and Saviour and the all to be known and believed That the returning into the Light again Man is restored and redeemed as at the beginning When we say It s the Light that leads to the bloud of cleansing c. 1 John 1. 6 7. That this Light as condemning of sin is the bloud and death of the cross the resurrection and second coming of the Son of God That the Law and Gospel Faith and Obedience Death Resurrection Redemption Justification and Sanctification are not things distinct but one and the same within us That we deny the Person of Christ as the object of Faith That we deny Faith it self as the evidence of things not seen That we affirm in effect that Christ is divided That we affirm that Paul and every Christian are crucified and made an offering for himself That we say the Light in every man is Christ the Redeemer That the Law from which Christ came to deliver us is called and worshipped by us as the Redeemer and Spirit That the Quakers say that Christ took on him our nature but not our judgment and sin That Christ died at Jerusalem but as an example but not as a Sacrifice That he did not the work by himself at once but onely shewed the way That we reckon Christ to be such a one as was the Priest and Levite that passed by the wounded man That we deny the dead body and flesh of Christ to be the onely way into the inward life That nothing will serve us but to tear out of your faith and knowledge and profession the bloud of atonement redemption and reconciliation by that our sacrifice once for ever That we deny that Christ in the body of his flesh through that obedience to death be crucified our old man purged away sin made reconciliation for iniquity and perfected for ever all that are sanctified Which thing we do not deny to all that are sanctified but to you who are yet in your sins we do else we should lie as you do That we agree with the Papists in this that works or obedience to some Law or Rule is the way to redemption perfection and God That we deny the Jesus that died and therein by bloud and spirit perfected us for ever by himself That we affirm that God requires the same obedience of our selves as he did of Christ and so we conclude we must be justified by the works of the Law slandering us that we teach Christ onely as an Allegory That we make faith void and the bloud of Christ of none effect And divers more deceits out of thy own blind heart hast thou made up into lies and laid upon us as though we said them when they are but thy own blindness of heart and wilful wickedness in all which it is clearly seen that thou dost not mind any thing of God in thee to guide thy tongue or to lead thee to do as thou wouldest be done by And therefore because thou hast rejected the light of Christ and set thy self by thy lies to oppose it therefore art thou given over to blindness of heart and to make lies thy covering and as thou hast chosen them against the light so shalt thou be filled therewith and covered with thick darkness so into thy bowels be they returned and the truth cleared And as for thy whole work it is judged by all who have the knowledge of the life of God and its workings in them and who hath a love to Righteousness such as know his work and who it is as works it will not change that faith that reveals the workings of redemption and freedom from every particular sin in their measures daily and peace thereby from condemnation by the presence of him that works all their works in them such will not change their faith for a fancy of what thou imagines was done for thee thou knows not when where nor doth the effects thereof appear further than a talk with all the world Onely thy doctrine will be acceptable to such as would be saved but the way of God is too strait who likes not to bear the Cross by which living Redemption is now wrought a Redemption in a talk is very pleasing to such that they may live with the world while they live and be separated from them when they die Also such as have got a wound from the Lord in their hearts and consciences for their selfish wicked wayes to such thy salve of justification from sin before they commit it
spirit to seek Christ the Lord who is that Spirit 2 Cor. 3. 17 18. and would lead without to seek him whom none of you can find but within Concerning Light and Life ANd this also thou dare not enter on as it stands but that thou may be seen to say somewhat as though thou opposed me Thou makes a lie of thy own saying that I say that the light shining in every man is Christ a thing never written nor intended by me And when thou hast set up this lie thou fals in hand to confute it to make people believe thou was confuting my words when thou art but declaring in print what deceit hath long been hid in thy own bosome and that the lyar and deceiver is one in thee so having laid thee open I have no more to do in that quarrel having denied the lie and its founder what I have writ stands as it was Onely another error I shall reprove thee of that is thou sayes That all false Religions and errors are bottomed upon the law in the Conscience And this is false and contrary to Scripture for the great mystery of faith that discovers all errors and false Religions is held in the Conscience 1 Tim. 3. 9. And the Apostles rejoycing was the testimony of their Conscience and they did not rejoyce in the ground of errors and by the answer of a good Conscience the Saints are saved by the resurrection of Jesus 1 Pet. 3. 21. and they are not saved by the ground of errors And the law that is written in the Conscience is that which God hath written and the law of the new Covenant of life and light which discovers all errors and which leads to know God as is plain Heb. 8. 10 11. And thou that teaches people that the Law which God hath written within man is the ground of errors teachest blasphemy And this law in spirit is that perfect law of liberty that whosoever looks unto and continueth therein he being a doer of the work that man shall be blessed in his deed Jam. 1. 25. And by this spiritual law of life was the Saints made free from the law of sin and death and the righteousness of this law it was that Christ fulfilled in the Saints who walked after the law of the Spirit and not after the letter of the Law Rom. 8. 1 2 3 4. And this Righteousness which the Saints beleived and waited for to be fulfilled in them is that which thou art preaching against and would have all to shut it out and then the devil might dwell safe within and they that did wait for this righteousness of the law fulfilling in them did not deny the bloud of Christ as thou falsly would accuse us who witness the same Righteousness of saith within and not of the letter without for we know and so did they that none can have this righteousness of faith fulfilled in them but who beleives that one offering once for all and by his blood we have access to that faith by which is declared that everlasting Righteousness of God for Justification to which till then we was strangers and could not come but now have an inheritance therein And as we know that none can come to have this Righteousness wrought in them unless they beleive in his bloud and sacrisice once offered so also we know That none by taking of what was done at Jerusalem and say they beleive in it without this work can be saved as the Scripture saith in plain words James 2. 14. to the end of the chapter which Scriptures may serve to shew thy spirit and what nature thy work is of and thy faith that denies Gods righteousness within to be meer imagination and such a faith none of Gods people ever preached or professed Another peice of confusion I shall mind thee on here in this thou confesseth Christ to be the same word as the Spirit of revelation in us and that so he is the light within us And in thy last thou denyed any to look to the glory of the Godhead shinng forth on man but they must look off from every thing in man so by thy own doctrine we must not look to the glory of the God head shining forth on us nor to the Spirit of revelation nor to Christ the light within us these thou hast forbidden and yet thou would make people beleive thou was a Minister for God and Christ A blind way hast thou made for such as will follow thee who must neither look to glory of the Godhead shining on them nor to Christ in them but they that are wise may compare thy doctrine with Christs and his Apostles in these Scriptures Luke 17. 21. 2 Cor. 4. 6 7. Rom. 8. 9 10 11 12 14. where you may see to what the Saints looked and when it was and where their hope and faith was and whether without or within Col. 1. 27. and where their faith and hope was there was their righteousness wherein they walked and to which they became servants and whereby they became free from sin Rom. 4 but Gods righteousness in man the devil likes not but to talk on and let him keep possession that likes him well and his servants for he that serves Gods Righteousness in his heart can be no servant of sin for his servants you are to whom you obey whether of sin unto death or of obedience unto righteousness Rom 6. 16. And as out of the heart of the wicked proceeds that which defiles because of the blindess of their hearts Ephes 4. So he that keeps his heart with all diligence from thence are the issues of life Prov. 4. 23. and he that hath not righteousness in his heart hath none at all but where the word of faith is known in the heart that mans righteousness is not at a distance nor his salvation to seek for with the heart man beleives unto righteousness but is not that a blind doctrine which preaches God and Christ within but that Righteousness that justifies not in them It seems thou imagines that God when he comes to dwell in man leaves his Righteousness behind him or that righteousness that then is in him is not able to justifie him but the Saints that knew justification knew the gift of righteousness for it Rom. 5. And justification by the Spirit 1 Cor. 6. 11. And everlasting Righteousness brought in whereby transgression is finished Dan. 9. 24. but a generation there is who turn judgement into gall and the fruit of righteousness into bemlock Amos 6. 12. Hearken you stout hearted who are far from righteousness I will bring neer my righteousness and it shall not be far off Isai 46. 12 13. And what I have said may answer to the next also Concerning Righteousness ANd in this like the rest thou first makes a lie of thy own to confute but my words thou canst not enter Thou sayes the sum of our faith is that the imputed Righteousness that justifies is the
Is not that like to be a blind salvation which is within and must not be looked at But it seems thou hast followed thy doctrine in thy practise for hadest thou looked to any thing of God in thy heart or to the answer of a good Conscience it would have put a stop to the numberless number of thy lies and confusion in thy book but a large liberty the Devil hath when nothing must be looked too in the heart or conscience either good or bad to beleive in or follow for salvation out of sin and yet thou sayes We must be saved according to the inward man which inward man must onely be for you to talk on but must not be looked at Thou further sayes That to know Christ onely as within is an error Yet doth not shew how a man might know him otherwise than he is revealed within nor is he known as he ought to be since his Ascention any other way but onely as he revealeth himself in Spirit within onely you imagine you know him who never saw him heard him felt him or understood him otherwise than by his Spirit within and what a knowledge that is which is void of all these is easily seen to them where he is revealed though hear-say Teachers with their litteral knowledge was ever blind But seeing thou sayest It is an error to know him onely within What sayest thou of the A postle doctrine who exhorts to know Christ no more after the flesh 2 Cor. 5. 16 Must not their knowledge then be onely after the Spirit which must be no more after the flesh But however he be known thou hast denied him if he be light either within or without who sayes To abide in any light what soever either from within or without and to be exercised therein as to be perfected thereby or redeemed from sin is to worship God in the flesh Concerning Love ANd thy Charge in this is that I say It is the love of God to the world whereby he hath given every man a light to condemn sin in the flesh and take it away through walking after the Spirit and that this love of God in the creature doth not flatter sin in others c. This Charge is not altogether so false as the rest though not wholly true For I do not say That the light in every man is Gods Son though I own it to be the light of the Son that lighteth every man that comes into the world therefore my words are That God so loved the world that he gave his Son into the world a light to condemn sin in the flesh that the righteousness of God might be fulfilled in the creature and my witness for this is Christ and his Apostles John 3 16. to the 22. Rom. 8. 1 2 3 4 and this thou seems to oppose but dare not plainly deny it onely thou hast power over that of the Charge as far as thy own lie reacheth and no further And to that thou sayes was this great and abounding love in sending his Son no more but God giving a light in all men as though I had said so which is but thine own deceit to set up a lie of thy own to fight with But I say Gods great love is more than the light for he hath given his Son who is not onely that light but to all that beleive therein and follow it he leads them out of darkness thereby and gives them the light of life John 8. 12. who doth not onely condemn sin in the flesh but fulfils the righteousness of the Law in them who walk after the Spirit and this is my restimony of the love of God which was Christs testimony and his A postles and so thy lie be upon thy own head and what I have written stands still unshaken onely thou mutters that any body should be told of their sin and would have us tell people their sins are forgiven and that they are justified and saved and that Christ is come down in your flesh and therein hath quenched anger enmity sin and death with all things that may separate from God And this we may tell to such as thee who openly denies Christ in thy flesh yea and in all other row to do any such thing for salvation from sin so how can we say that Christ is come in your flesh and therein through death hath done all this and not lie especially seeing that you do not onely deny him within you in words but also see the anger enmity sin and death unquenched which hath so far separated thee from God that thou denies God Christ and his Righteousness and all that may be called light in thee for salvation should not we be abominable liars like thee if we should say Christ had done all this in thy flesh thou thy self would prove us liars who denies it both in word and practise And when thou hast thus been teaching us to cry peace even whilest sin is in them to confound thy self in this as in the rest thou sayest There is a generation that flatters and spares in sin them whom the Lord condemns this thou sayes is to justifie the wicked To which I say were thou not heart blind and so knows not what thou speaks thou would never set us on crying peace where God cries wo in the Conscience for living in sin least we justifie the wicked and be guilty of that abomination thoutels of Concerning Judgement THy Charge in this is That my words summoned up are that the light in every man condemning sin is the ministration of judgement and condemnation and as it is received is salvation and redemption from all uncleanness c. To which I answer Deceit hath summed them up and hath thrust in it self amongst them as in the rest Have I said That the light in every man is salvation and redemption Let them that reads what I have said judge of thy dealing herein for my words are That true judgement as it is known to men is a gift from the Spirit of God set in the heart of every one that dwels in the light of Christ and this is far from thy sayings who would make people beleive that I say That the light as it is in every man is salvation and redemption for there be many that will not be led to the Redeemer therewith nor to the Spirit of judgment but deny all light within and without as thou doest and to these it is condemnation and not salvation but to all that own the Spirit of judgment which passeth upon that which is contrary to the Life of God such come to be redeemed with judgment and to such as abide therein doth light and salvation spring up to the redeeming the heart from all uncleanness as I have writ in my Book which thou canst not contradict And in thy doctrine thou sayest That as Christ in every age hath come forth more or less so in this age he will come forth in righteousness
and salvation and that he will judge the works of the Law as well as the lusts of the flesh and that the spirit of Christ in his people shall judge both Angels and mens spiritual and fleshly wickness To which I say Some of this is truth and we shall try the rest First What work of the Law is it that God will judge doest thou intend that law by which thou confessed before all that believe are justified from that from which they could not be justified by the Law of Moses If thou intend that Law I deny thy doctrine for the works of that Law of the Spirit of life by which we are justified are the works of Christ where with he fulfils the Law in his Saints and so are works of the Spirit and shall never come into judgement and if thou mean not that Law to me it matters not I shall not contend with thee about any other of thy imaginations And whereas thou tels of Christs coming forth in this age in righteousness and salvation and to judge and that it is the Spirit of Christ in his People that must be the Judge both of Angels and men in this his appearance Hast not thou in the rest of thy Book as much as in thee lies done what thou canst to oppose this his appearance who hast all along denied any thing within to be looked unto for righteousness salvation and judgement yea and ere thou get out of the same thing thou art contradicting it again and sayes Law or form or light within are the principles of judgment with most But sayest thou It is a small thing for the spiritual man to be judged by any of these What confusion is this of thine thou bringest forth in opposition to the light Must the Spirit of Christ in his people judge both Angels and men spiritual and fleshly and yet thou speaks scornfully of the light within and thrusts it in with law and form to make it odious It seems thou canst not endure that the Spirit of Christ should be called light in his people it must be darkness there it seems or else not owned by thee Another lie thoutels of John saying That he did not call to the light within every man and sayest no Prophet spake of him by the light c. But it seems thou hast not much read the Prophets or else art wickedly ignorant for all that read them may find them prophesying of a Covenant of light and John saith who saw him this is the true light that lighteth every man that cometh into the world Concerning Perfection ANd after thy usual manner thy first work is a lie saying That my principal matter is that perfection is that gift or light in every man Another lie is that I say Imperfection came in by the ministry of Antichrist When the matter of my words are That God and Christ is perfection and doth not say the gift is perfection yet I own that every gift of God is perfect yet God himself the perfection of all I also say that imperfection came in by the Devil and maintained by his Ministers who uses all means to supplant truth where it is and to keep up imperfection in the world And thy lies being taken away the truth stands untouched though many words thou usest yet dare not deny what I have written in the least particular Onely thou asks some questions which thou hast raised out of thy own brain not at all what I say Thy Questions are first Was Christ in the flesh no more than a Preacher or example of perfection 2. Was that fulness of the Godhead in him no more than such a light as God hath set up in every man 3. Or was his bearing of our sins and the wounds for our iniquities no more but to shew how we should bear them in our selves I say Yes He was more than all these three for he in himself alone wrought redemption broke through all difficulties opened the way of life for all Creatures became a Sacrifice acceptable to the Father and triumphed openly over death the grave and hell and much more that may be spoken of him which he did in his own person and not onely so but is now an everlasting offering from generation to generation an everlasting light preached in every Creature whereby they may receive the faith which without it they cannot whereby to see him in themselves appearing from heaven in Spirit as Leader and Teacher Judge and Law-giver and in his light to lead and his life to strengthen all that beleive in the same way wherein he walked in his own person who left an example when he ascended for all to follow which will be saved which none can follow nor be saved but who are led by his light and quickened by his Spirit within them though they talk never so much of him at Jerusalem without them And this is that which the Devil is an enemy to to wit that Christ should be owned in the hearts of any as Leader Teacher King and Law-giver and with his light to enlighten every dark part thereof so that every motion of God is seen and received and every motion of the Devil is seen and resisted even unto blood here is little hope for the Devils Kingdom where this light is received and followed there the soul is redeemed from the deeds of the devils darkness therefore he sets on work all his instruments wherein he hath any interest to cry out against this light within for if this light shine in the heart then his seat must be discovered and the knowledge of God seen in the face of Jesus and as any come to know God in the light they will be led out of his service so you stand up from all Quarters who wear his dark livory crying out against the light of Christ within charging all not to hearken to any voice within nor mind any thing there good nor bad that he may keep that place for his kingdom And to him you are faithful to the uttermost of your power who are all gathered together in this day of battel to fight against the Light of which thou art not the least who cryest out against all light whatsoever either from within or without for any to be exercised in for freedom from sin But are you not blind above all that ever was before you who have so many Scriptures declaring the Lambs war against all sorts of Spirits yet never find them warring against the Spirit of light but with that Spirit of light in them did they make warr against the Prince of darkness and all his dark principles in his children Foolish men how long will it be before you look at your feet and what way you are going and try your selves whose message you carry who are preaching that which none of you have seen for salvation The Saints message was the light both for fellowship and to lead to the bloud of cleansing John 1. 6 7.
should be loath to have to do with any one of thy opinion I am sure no Ranter hath a larger Thou tels a story of being dead in Christ unto the first Adam with all his deeds and all the evils that came in by him And as thou beholds Christ thou art changed into the same Image from glory to glory I say if lying and deceit be a deed of the first Adam then I say thou art alive to that and it raigns in thee And whereas thou sayes As thou beholds him thou art changed into his Image c. I say even so for thou who hast denied him in thee never beheld him and so art the same thou wast and deceit is thy glory and from one deceit to another is thy charge And thou that was pure before thou wast born and sayes that is thy state thou stands in what needs thou any more changing Another way thou would take to defraud the Scripture that thereby thou mayest keep any from looking for washing or justifying now sayes thou When it is said we are justified by God and by Grace by the name of Christ by the Spirit of our God we are to understand that these went out against our sins in the bloud of Christ and so would make all these of no use now in our age as to sanctifie now but who reads the Saints testimony 1 Cor. 6. 11. may find that they was washed sanctified and justified after they had sinned and not before as thou imagins thou wast before thou was born and so thy washing so far before hand leaves thee filthy still but they was washed from their filthiness and knew no liar nor false accuser must enter into the Kingdom of Heaven how clear soever they was before they was born and before they were a washing and justification thou so much boasts on but its clear they and thou art not of one justification for theirs was present thine before thou wast their 's by faith thine before faith their 's by the spirit thine by imaginations without either spirit faith or knowledge Concerning Christ Jesus THis is the first Charge that is made up of truth And thou sayes my faith is That Christ humbled himself and became obedient unto death that he might become a living example c. And this thou opposes as an error which are the words of Scripture And though thou have said true in thy first charge yet it must not pass without a lie in thy answer that is as though I had said That the mystery of faith is become no more with us than a lofty imagination of reason when there is not one word by me to that purpose but thy own vomit cast out upon us to make the truth odious which thou canst not otherwise disprove So thou adds a confusion or two and leaves what I have said as it was First thou sayes Not the light within is that which leads to Christ Jesus and so would make Christ a liar like thy self John 8. 12 And then thou sayes It must be known by the Spirit and so makes thy self a liar if the Spirit be light within which none that ever knew it will say otherwise of it Thou sayes also That the Scriptures are the Image of Christ A thing they may beleive that will for ought thou proves of it Thou asks Would the light within have shewed you the Atonement c I say the true Atonement it will and no other thing can shew it to every particular person but thy atonement that was before thou was born and is yet in thy sin it will not it shews no such lies but blind man may not all that have any experience of atonement see what thy atonement is that is not seen within hadst thou been reconciled to God in thy heart and spirit the liars mouth had been stopt but if thou should own such an atonement thou would lose thy Masters service But didst thou know what atonement or unity with God is thou could not feed thy self with lies taking conceits for atonement while that of God within in thy Conscience condemns thee but thy atonement would be to see the light of his countenance shining in thy heart in the face of Jesus and see him speak peace who wounds Concerning the Ministry of Christ THis Charge is true also That I say The Ministers of Christ have the word in them that they preach not for hire that they are persecuted c. and this thou likes not for truth And to oppose it thou sayes first I say rightly but Ministers of Righteousnesness are of Satan or of Christ zealously to affect to preach frecly suffer labour stripes imprisonments c. I say Are Ministers of Righteousness of Satan and do the Ministers of Satan preach freely c Then take notice that thou liar and hireling never yet came so far as a Minister of Satan in thy own account and thus instead of weighing us thou hast weighed thy self and all thy brethren the Parish Masters with thee and art found wanting of Ministers of Satan for shame now cease calling your selves Ministers of Christ if by your fruits you may be known and Christ hath said you must Math. 7. 16 20. but this thou denies and sayes Nay by their spirits they must be judged and their spirit by their words So the Devil would come in for a Minister who can get words enough but fruits he cannot therefore he loves not that trial Thou further sayes Thou art jealous that we are Ministers of darkness Yet not so dark but we can through the light of Christ see the Devils deceits and that 's thy punishment at present Concerning Free-Will THis Charge is falsly made up not as I have spoken all the words in it yet somewhat of truth there is in it First The light within which reproves the evill deeds is the will of God by which will we are sanctified That in every man which shews sin and reproves for it is free grace This light in every man is Free Will Which is utterly false for I have not said that every man that sees this light hath Free-will but with the light he may see the will of God which is free from his own will but none hath Free-will but who denies their own wils Thy answer is That if the first be so then is the death of Christ of none effect So that by thy doctrine if it be the will of God that men should be reproved of sin by the light of Christ and if it be by the will of God that we are sanctified and saved for that is the thing I affirm then Christ died in vain this is thy consequence so I shall prove what I affirm and then see all men what thy doctrine of consequence is That it is the will of God that all men should be reproved for their evil deeds by the light read Ephesians 5. 13. John 16. 8. And that by the will of God we are sanctified and saved Hebrews 10.
them spiritually which is the Comforter even the Spirit of truth to guide them into all truth and this Christ holds forth as their greater power and comfort Yea and when they had received him so they said though they had known Christ after the flesh they knew him so no more how much less is a talk of him whom you never see neither with out nor within with his presence in spirit which is the main end why he came in the flesh in his own person that through faith in him who was the first begotten from the dead he might appear in spirit in all his and dwell in them guide and govern in them for ever as his dwelling place in this world from generation to generation for evermore in which body he is vailed from the worlds wisdom now as ever he was and in whom he now suffers as he hath ever done I say how much short such are of the knowledge of a living Christ his presence or redemption these times may judge and the fruits thereof for where Christ is the body is dead because of sin and the spirit is life because of righteousness but where a talk of Christ onely is the body of sin lives such would murther him where he is come under a pretence of their denying Christ at Jerusalem when they do not onely believe what he did there but also witness him in them their Saviour at present from sin and the power of Satan which is the end why he came at Jerusalem and with out which the other saves not And for this hast thou setup thy horn against it and hast brought out this heap of confusion to shew thy self blind with the rest of thy earth born brethren who are at strife one with another but now joyned together in open battel against the light of the Lamb which is risen to reveal your dark foundation and that your curious Babel may become a heap of rubbish till there be not left a way in nor our nor a place to hide you And such a heap there of is in the other part of thy book as might fill a volume to repeat and answer but the substance thereof being answered in this foregoing or in other books I shall say little onely give thee and the world a veiw of some few of thy errors and let the Scripture reprove them such as these following Errors THat there are three way to know God when as there is but one way even Christ from the beginning though in several Ministrations John 14. 6. That the knowledge of God according to the Law is Idolatry whereas God hath said I will write my Law in your hearts and you shall know me which is the new Covenant neither was it ever Idolatry to know God after the Law Heb. 8. 8 9 10 11. Jer. 31. 32 34. Jam. 1. 25. That the Doctrine of Devils doth preach a Jesus Gospel and Spirit 2 Cor. 3. 16 17. That all men know God according to his Godhead Mat. 11 27. 1 Cor. 15. 34. 2 Thes 1. 8. That a Man while enclosed enclosed up in a body of sin and death is at the same time raised up into the heavenly Righteousness Immortality and freedom above all sin or shadow of evil Math. 6. 24. Rom. 6. 16. John 8. 34 35 36. Rom. 8. 12. That Christ cannot be seen by the obedience of the Spirit within us 1 Cor. 12. 3. Rom. 8. 14. That those whose root and foundation is what Christ is and hath done in himself but the way to partake of the benefit of it is their union with him such do by lust crucifie his Spirit and Grace within John 15 4 5. That the Gospel being a Mystery of things hid in Christ is neither written nor to be seen in the heart of man 1 Tim. 3. 9. Rom. 10 8 9 10. That the Gospel as a Commandement and Peice of morality may be read and beleived by every man and yet sayes in another place the Gospel is hid from all principles of flesh 2 Cor. 4. 3 4. That the Mystery of God in Christ is not to be known by his enlightening within men 2 Cor 4. 6 7. That the Spirit set up asunder from the letter brings forth a twofold error both perilous and hurtful 2 Cor. 3. 6. Rom. 7. 6. That affirming the Light in the Conscience the way or guide to Christ is a darksom and fleshly principle wherein Christ and his Redemption is forgotten for ever 1 Tim. 1. 19. and 3. 9. That all just Laws of Nations are beams from Christ as he is the Light and Word of God to the natural man but not as he is a Redeemer John 1. 9. and 5. 33. That the Light within for matter and substance is the same with the Law of Moses and was not given for righteousness nor can reveal life Rom. 10 7 8 9 10 2 Cor. 4. 6. That Christ came to deliver us from the light within Luke 11. 34. 35 36. That Christ is no giver of Laws Isai 33. 22. 1 Cor. 9. 21. Jam 4. 12. Rom 8. 2. That Christ set forth as the Word the Light the Truth the Spirit as a Man holy spotless separate from sinners as a living example to the world of perfect obedience to the Law of the Spirit and life of God so denies and blots out the glory of his grace as being the end of the Law Rev. 19. 13. John 8. 12 John 14. 6. Heb. 7. 26. 1 Pet. 2. 21. Rom. 8. 2. That a Man may see himself dead and buried with Christ and raised up together with him and not by any obedience to Christ within 1 Pet. 1. 2. 22. That the Light within is that spirit of this world that hath formed all false resemblances of Christ Luke 11. 34 35. 36. That the true likeness and Image of Christ is not known to the light within 1 Cor. 12. 3. That the conception of Christ as a Law-giver and work is an Idol and the root of all idolatrous Religions James 4. 12. Isay 33. 22. That the Law in the conscience arose against Christ 1 Pet. 3. 21. That a Man is justified from sin while the Light within condemns of sins 1 John 3. 19 20 21. That Jesus Christ came forth and took the work of the Law out of the heart Rom. 2. 15 16. That the Light within accusing for sin pertaineth onely to the flesh John 16. 8 13. That Christ comes not down into our persons as a light accusing for sin John 16. 8 13. That Light within which leads to know God as God and glorifie him as God and returns to God obedience there to just and perfect as God is just and perfect this knows nothing of the Gospel-Ministry God manifested in flesh 2 Cor. 4. 6. That this Light was not given for righteousness which will do all this before mentioned These need no answering to any who have received and felt any thing of God they can all witness that not any thing of God did