the Truth they shall believe Lyes What Difference shall we think is there between these Men The Quakers sin is like the great sin of the hardened Jews the Teachers among the Quakers who have delivered these Damnable Doctrines afore-mentioned being the Doctrines of Devils and still maintain them What difference I say between them and those Jews who Blaspemed the Holy Ghost and ran into that sin unto death Those Jews Rejected Christ his sayings and Doctrine which he Taught among them and they told him that he had a Devil Christ tells them then after that he had often spoken unto them and Taught them and they would not hear him nor regard his sayings he then Declares unto them their dreadful state And surely the sin of these Men looks so like unto the sin of those Jews that I think it 's hard for any Man to distinguish them otherwise than by saying That the sin of these Teachers does Exceed the sin of those Jews The sin of these Men seems to be much Aggravated in that they have not onely heard all those Sayings and Doctrines of Christ which he Preached among the Jews but they have had the Truths of God Offered and tendred to them by others also the Apostles Evangelists and Disciples of Christ have spoken to them in the Scriptures which those Jews never had And also many of the Ministers Messengers and Ambassadors of Christ have spoken to them and tendred the very Truths of the Gospel to them yea many others of his Faithful Saints and Servants have from time to time spoken to them and Advised Counselled and Admonished them and yet all in vain they have Rejected all and despised all and have as Swine Trampled Pearls under their Feet and turned again and Rent those that brought them they have Reviled them and Reproached them for so doing so that to what purpose should any Man go about to Teach these Teachers who are not capable to Learn as being Blinded and Hardned and Sealed up as is feaâ—ed even to destruction having their Consciences seared with an hot Iron Men of Corrupt Minds Reprobate to every good work without Judgment unfit either to Teach or Learn For we know there have been many such in former days who were guilty of this great sin some such were contemporaries with the Prophet Isaiah Chap. 6.10 Make the Heart of this People fat and make their Ears heavy and shut their Eyes c So also many such were in the Time of our Lord and Saviour Mat. 13.15 This Peoples Heart is waxed gross and their Ears are dull of Hearing and their Eyes they have closed lest at any time they should See with their Eyes and Hear with their Ears and should Vnderstand with their Heart and should 〈◊〉 Converted and I should heal them In this Generation there are just such a People even those of whom we speak they shut their Ears and their Eyes and their Hearts against Christ and the Truths of the Gospel All the Advice and Councels of Men which are according to the Truth all are Rejected and Despised The Inspirations of the spirit of God are refused but the Inspirations of the spirit of Delusion are readily Received and Embraced My Judgment is therefore let them be Rejected as Hereticks having been so often Admonished as Men that are hardned to Destruction And for the Hearers among the Quakers Advice to the Hearers among the Quakers my Councel unto you is Separate your selves from the Congregations and Meetings of these ungodly Men lest ye be Consumed in all their sin Be as much afraid of them and of their Poysonous Doctrines as ye would be afraid to eat of a dish of Meat before you on the Table that had rank Poyson in it of which ye were told and fully assured of it Would ye eat of such a Dish I know ye would not Remember and consider Eternity it will be well or ill with you for ever according as ye Receive or Refuse the Truths of the Gospel now Beware of False Prophets which come to you in Sheeps clothing but inwardly they are Ravening Wolves if ye be the Sheep of Christ follow him and know his Voice in the Scriptures in your hearts and amongst his own People and follow not Strangers that bring strange false Doctrines about the Light within and in many other things which have been mentioned contrary to the Mind of Christ Revealed in the Scriptures These People the Quakers The Quakers great Idol near falling have forsaken the Fountain of Living Waters and have run to broken Cisterns And seeing they have forsaken the Living and true God the Glory of his People and set up an Idol a false Christ the Light in every Man and Woman that cometh into the World I shall therefore bring against this their false Doctrine several Arguments from Scripture to prove the Vanity and falshood of it as so many Pieces of Ordnance Planted against this great Idol which the Quakers have set up and Worship that so it may fall as Dagon before the Ark of the Lord. Whereas they say That Christ the true Light is in every Man and Woman that cometh into the World This is not a Truth because in whomsoever Christ is and dwells he does enlighten that Soul with true Light saving Light supernatural Light even by himself by his Spirit and by the Scriptures It 's true all wicked Men that come into the World have Lights of Christ's making he Created them which Enlighten all Mankind and that both Outwardly and Inwardly 1. They are Enlightned Outwardly by Lights that God hath Created and set in the Heavens the Sun and the Moon by which all are Enlightened 2. And then Secondly All Men and Women that come into the World are Enlightned with Inward Light also Reason and Natural Conscience So Christ the true Light Enlightneth all that come into the World which is all that is Intended and meant by that place John 1.9 But Christ himself is the true Light the Light of Lights who inlightneth his own People immediately by himself and by his Spirit which the wicked of the World are not Partakers of they have onely those common Lights afore-mentioned As is fully and plainly Proved by these Scripture Arguments Ten Propositions Proved by Scripture Those in whom Christ is and and dwells First Argument Prop. 1. he Inlightens them with spiritual Light But wicked Men and women are not Inlightned with spiritual Light therefore Christ is not in wicked Men and women For Proof of these Propositions both Major and Minor then the Conclusion drawn from them must needs be granted by all Rational Men See Eph. 5.8 Ye sometimes were Darkness but now are ye Light in the Lord walk as Children of Light And Paul was sent to turn Men from Darkness to Light Acts 26.18 And we see the Corinthians who sometimes were Darkness and afterwards Converted Paul says 2 Cor. 4.6 God who commanded the 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 But as for others who were Carnal and Unregenerate he tells us they were in Darkness and Darkness in them v. 4. And the God of this World had blinded the minds of those that believe not lest the Light of the glorious Gospel of Christ who is the Image of God should shine unto them In whomsoever Christ is The Second Argument Prop. 2. and dwells he quickens them and makes them spiritually Alive But unregenerate Men and Women are not Spiritually Alive but Dead Therefore Christ is not in unregenerate Men and Women Proof Eph. 2.1 You hath he quickned who were Dead in Trespasses and sins And Christ complaineth of the Jews That they would not come unto him that they might have Life John 5.40 plainly implying that they were Dead and that they might have Life if they had come unto him Christ is not in those who are not in him The Third Argument Prop. 3. But the Unregenerate World are not in Christ Therefore Christ is not in the Unregenerate World For Proof hereof see Col. 1.21 You that were sometimes alienated and Enemies in your mind by wicked works yet now hath he Reconciled 2 Cor. 5.17 If any Man be in Christ he is a New Creature Now no Vnregenerate Persons are New Creatures therefore not in Christ And Christ says plainly that he is In his People which implies as we may perceive if we Observe the context that he is not in the Vnregenerate World John 17.23 I in them and thou in me And again ver 26. I in them Those that Christ means by Them are in Opposition to the World for he hath chosen them out of the world v. 16. the words I in them are very Emphatical and full with this sence clearly implying that he is not in the world of Vnregenerate persons even as the words before v. 9. do plainly express that he prays not for the world but for them his people so these words do as plainly imply that he is in them and not in the world John 15.4 5. we see there at large That such as abide in Christ he also is in them and not otherwise Christ is not in those for whom he Prays not The Fourth Proposition Prop. 4. But Christ Prays not for the unbelieving World Ergo. Christ is not in the unbelieving World Our Saviour tells us several times that he is not of the world v. 14. they are not of the world even as I am not of the world And again v. 16. They are not of the world even as I am not of the world as if he had said I am none of their Company I am not of them nor in them I have no such Fellowship or Familiarity with them as to Live in them I am not of the world nor in the world I am in my People even in those which thou Father hast given me I in them and thou in me And ver 9. He positively and plainly tells us That he Prays not for the world the wicked unbelieving unregenerate world he neither Prays for them nor is in them 5. Fifthly Another Proposition or Syllogism proving that Christ is not in all Men and women as the Quakers assert is this They to whom Christ doth not Manifest himself by Teaching them his Mind and Will Prop. 5. Christ is not in them But Christ doth not manifest himself to wicked and ungodly Men and Women Therefore Christ is not in wicked and ungodly Men and Women For Proof of this Proposition in both parts consider Wicked and ungodly Men and Women are destitute of true saving Knowledge and Wisdom they know not the things that belong to their Peace and are destroy'd for lack of Knowledge 2 Cor. 4.4 The Devil the god of this unbelieving World hath blinded their Minds lest the Gospel of Christ should shine unto them Christ Discovers himself his Mind and Will in and by the Gospel his Spirit opening Mens Minds and Understandings to receive it but Christ suffers this blindness of Mind to rest upon some Persons and does not Manifest himself unto them therefore he is not in them One asketh Christ a Question John 14.22 about this very thing Lord how is it that thou wilt Manifest thy self unto Vs and not unto the World He had heard Christ make such a distinction between them and the World in being in them and not in the World and in Praying for them and not for the World that now he asketh Christ a Reason of this Difference and Distinction between them and the World which is sufficient for the Proof of the Proposition And else-where telling his Disciples That God had hid those things from the Wise and Prudent of the World and Revealed them unto Babes Sixthly Another Argument Prop. 6. Christ is in none but those who dwell in Love But wicked Men and Women do not dwell in Love Therefore Christ is not in Wicked Men and Women For Proof of this Proposition see 1 John 4.12 If we Love one another God dwelleth in us and his Love is perfected in us And ver 16. God is Love and he that dwelleth in Love dwelleth in God and God in him Now we know all wicked Men and women in the world they dwell not in Love but in Enmity and Hatred and Enmity and Hatred dwells in them They Love not God but Hate God Psal 27. They Hated me without a Cause They have Enmity in their minds against God his word his ways Ordinances and People Therefore Christ is not in them 7. The seventh Proposition Proving that Christ is not in all Men and women that come into the world as the Quakers assert is this Christ is not in those Persons where the Devil is Prop. 7. and dwells Rules and Reigns But the Devil is Rules and Reigns in the Wicked unregenerate World Therefore Christ is not in the wicked unregerate world For Proof hereof See Eph. 2.2 In time past ye walked according to the course of this world according to the Prince of the power of the Air the Spirit that now worketh in the Children of Disobedience And 2 Tim. 2.26 And that they may recover themselves out of the Snare of the Devil who are taken Captive by him at his will This is also Manifest by that Comparison that our Lord Christ makes to Answer the Blasphemous Jews who charged him that he cast out Devils by the power of the Devil Luke 11.21 when the strong Man Armed keeps the House all is in quiet he Rules but when a stronger than he cometh he casts him out and Divides the Spoyls v 24. The unclean Spirit keeps House and after a time goes out for a Season and then Returns again into his House and takes seven other spirits as bad or worse than himself and they enter in and dwell there and the last state of that Man is worse
People fat and blind their Eyes that seeing they may see and not perceive Not that God put in any more blindness into Mens minds but withholds his Grace and denies his Spirit but permits the Evil Spirit the god of this unregenerate World to blind the Minds of them that believe not lest the Light of the Glorious Gospel of Christ should shine unto them And seeing that the Light of the Gospel does shine so Gloriously in this Day and ye Reject it and Despise it we have cause to be perswaded you have in you this double Darkness and Blindness notwithstanding all your Pleading for the Light within Ye know not what ye say nor whereof ye Affirm Thou and thy Friends as thou callest them do quite mistake that Scripture This Scripture John 1.9 grossely Mistaken whereupon ye ground your Opinion and Perswasion concerning the Light within John 1.9 This is the true Light that Lighteth every Man that cometh into the World Thou and they put a meaning and sence upon it though in other Scriptures brought against you ye disown all meanings yet here ye make use of a meaning but it is a false one For it is not said that Christ the true Light is in every one that cometh into the World but that he Lighteth every one that cometh into the World Take then the very words and the genuine sence is plainly this That Christ the true Light doth Light every one that cometh into the World and That in two Respects First by an Outward Light and Secondly by an Inward Light The Outward Light is by the Sun in the Firmament with the Moon and the Stars this Outward Light all Men and Women have that come into the World in all Nations Tongues and People Secondly Christ enlightneth them by an Inward light also by the Light of Reason Humane Vnderstanding and Natural Conscience by these Lights also he Lighteth every one that cometh into the World according to that Scripture aforementioned And so much and no more is intended by it as it concerns every one that cometh into the World He is called the Father of Lights having Created divers Lights of several kinds But now as it concerns Believers the peculiar People of God the true Light Jesus Christ enlightneth them with another Light besides the former which none but they onely are partakers of The other Lights are but Darkness to this Light yea the Scripture calls them Darkness in Comparison of this true Light Jesus Christ himself the Son of Righteousness when he arises upon the Soul he makes things manifest and clear which before were hid in Darkness 2 Cor. 4.6 God who Commanded the 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 But as for the Wicked and Vngodly all Vnbelievers which are the greatest part of the World they have not this Light in them as thou James Jackson and the Teachers among the Quakers do affirm and contend earnestly for But they are of the Number of those which the Holy Ghost saith by the Mouth of his Servant Paul in 2 Cor. 4.4 The god of this World hath blinded the Minds of them that believe not lest the Light of the Glorious Gospel of Christ who is the Image of God should shine unto them Look well unto it that ye be not of the Number of these blind ones blinded by the Seducing Spirit which is got into your own blind Minds and which ye call and Blasphemously say is Christ the true Light in every Man And verily this is one sad Sign that ye are indeed of that very Number even because ye disown the Gospel of Christ the Scriptures of Truth spoken by Christ himself and by the Holy Ghost Saying and Affirming they are not the Rule to Christians in Faith and Obedience neither do ye submit to have your Spirits Tryed by them but trust to the Light within which is but Darkness as to Seeing and Discerning of Spiritual things For Spiritual things are Spiritually Discerned And know and consider this That if the Gospel of Christ be not Received and submitted unto but Neglected or Rejected then it is hid from such And in such a Case the Apostle Paul saith 2 Cor. 4.3 If our Gospel be hid it is hid from them that are lost whom Satan hath blinded lest it should shine unto them Thou The Quakers Doctrine is directly contrary to the Scriptures James Jackson and other Teaching Quakers teach that Christ the true Light is in every Man and Woman in the World But this is directly contrary to plain and positive Scripture For before Conversion and Regeneration all Men and Women are in Darkness and Darkness in them yea are Darkness it self in the Abstract Eph. 5.8 Ye sometimes were Darkness but now are ye Light in the Lord Walk as Children of Light And 1 John 2.8 Darkness is past and the true Light now shineth Heb. 10.32 After ye were Illuminated ye endured a great Fight of Afflictions Paul knew that all Men were in Darkness and Darkness in them And therefore his Preaching was to turn them from Darkness to Light and from the power of Satan the Prince of Darkness to the Living God Yea our Lord Christ himself the true Light saith John 1.46 I am come a Light into the World that whosoever believeth in me should not abide in Darkness plainly implying that before Men Believe they abide in Darkness And again he saith John 12.35 Yet a little while is the Light with you Walk while ye have the Light Now if Christ had been the Light still remaining in them in every one as the Quakers Teach Christ would not have used these words Yet a little while is the Light with you walk while they have the Light It 's like these Quakers would have Answered him boldly and Ignorantly enough We have the Light within us it is always in us and with us and abides in us and in all Men and Women in the World Go whither thou wilt for we have the Light within us still continually For certainly these Men would no more have owned him nor his Doctrine had they been contemporaries with him than they own him now in these Days And we know they have Denyed him both in his Person and in his Doctrlne as appears Manifestly in their Books and Writings besides Denying of him in Denying his Members It is Evident then That the Teaching Quakers do Deceive the Poor Ignorant Simple People their Hearers with this Doctrine about the light within and speak concerning it directly contrary to the Doctrine of the Scriptures And these poor simple People silly Women as the Apostle calls them 2 Tim. 3.6 finding and perceiving there is some Light within that Discerns some things to be good and moves unto it and on the contrary denies some evil things and will not consent to known Evils They do hereupon conclude that this
things and his Creatures distinct Beings Why dost thou Confound them together and make them all one Let Christ be the true Light and Conscience his Created Light as the Sun and the Moon in the Firmament are also his Created Lights Let these and other Lights be distinct and known one from another and not confounded together any more For this Light of Natural Conscience which is in every Man and Woman as it does now in this World Reprove for many gross sins and move unto many Moral Vertues and Duties Excusing for the one The Light within shall be in Hell for ever Accusing for the other as we see it is plainly Asserted by the Apostle Paul Rom. 1. This Light I say will Remain and Abide in Reprobates and Vnbelievers for ever in the next World as well as in this and will be there a Tormentor to them World without end Wilt thou and thy Followers then call it Christ and the true Light Take heed then James Jackson and all those of thy Mind and Repent of your Errors lest this Light shine clearly and in the midst of that outer Darkness and be as the Worm that never dyes and a Light and Fire that shall never go out or be Extinguished to all Eternity This Doctrine of the Light within takes Men off from Christ The Quakers draw People to Idolatry and Directs them to look after and follow an Idol and this is so great an evil and sin as that it is not to be endured nor spoken of without great Indignation against it and in Zeal for our precious Lord Jesus Christ who is certainly greatly provoked by it which will appear when he begins to Execute his Wrath and Indignation against his Enemies We may see how he stands affected towards such Persons as seek to draw away the Hearts of the People from him after other gods See Deut. 13. the whole Chapter If there arise a Prophet or any other Persons and seek to draw away the hearts of the People from the Lord unto Idols they were not to be spared but should certainly be put to Death no not the nearest Friend or Relation whatsoever Ver. 6. If thy Brother the Son of thy Mother or thy Son or thy Daughter or the Wife of thy Bosom or thy Friend which is as thine own soul shall entice thee secretly saying let us go and serve other gods Thou shalt not consent unto him nor hearken unto him neither shall thine Eye pity him neither shalt thou spare neither shalt thou conceal him Ver. 9. But thou shalt surely kill him thine hand shall be first upon him to put him to Death and afterwards the hand of all the People And if any City should be known to Depart from God and go after Idols it was to be Burnt with Fire and all that was in it We see how Jealous God is of his Glory His Glory he will not give to another The Quakers under Spiritual Judgments nor his praise to Graven Images surely he is God and Changeth not as he hath Discovered his Displeasure against his Enemies so he doth and will do still Therefore take Notice of these things ye Seducers among the Quakers for although God doth not deal with Men now in these Gospel-days to punish them with Corporal or Temporal punishments as in former times under the Old Administration yet as sure as God is true he will deal with his Enemies severely at last and his Judgments in these Days of the Gospel are more spiritual than formerly Spiritual Judgments are greater than Corporal Punishments Hardness of Heart Blindness of mind a Reprobate Sense a Seared Conscience these are Dreadful Judgments And surely these Judgments and tokens of Gods Anger are upon the very Men that we are speaking of the false Prophets and Teachers among the Quakers as is plainly to be seen and their Sin is seen in their Punishments They seek to draw away the Hearts of People from the Lord from our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ from his Word and Gospel unto an Idol of their own setting up and would have all People to bow unto it and Worship it and trust in it and Obey it and therefore God hath justly with-drawn himself from them He denies them his Grace his Spirit yea in a great Measure the very Light of Nature which is common to other Men as is seen by their Doctrines Tenets and Principles and by their Foolish Irrational Arguing in maintaining their Idle Fancies which have neither Scripture nor any solid Reason to uphold them And as is seen also by their Rage and Anger against any that do oppose their Errors seeking to turn them to the Truth they find hard and bitter speeches and Railing Accusations against them for so doing And as the heart of God is against them so also are the hearts of his People for Their heart goes where the heart of God goes And this also Declares their sin as it is likewise a punishment due to them So that these Judgments are not small that are upon them even in this Life though they may yet escape other external punishments Obj. What does it avail them to say They do not seek to draw away Peoples Hearts from Christ but rather to Direct their Minds to Christ they teach them to take heed to the Light within every Man and Woman which is Christ Answ It is Answered This is false ye do not seek to Direct Peoples Minds to Christ but to an Idol Natural Conscience as hath been proved here and by many others formerly Be not deceived Christ is not Mocked it is not Christ because ye give it the Name of Christ He is the more provoked by your making use of his Name and denying him his Worship that Love and Obedience that is due unto him that trust and confidence that ought to be put in him that Glory and Praise that ought to be given unto him all is taken away from Christ and given to this Idol Ye do also exceedingly Dishonour him and Blaspheme him by Entituling him to false Doctrines and Erroneous Opinions saying it is from or by the Light within and in the External Light ye see and speak these and these things yea many times when ye utter Railing speeches Lies and false Accusations against his People in seeking to do you good O dreadful Blindness and Hardness of Heart Does Christ within deny Christ without Does the Light within deny the Person of Christ as ye do in your Pamphlets his being in Heaven and his Coming from thence in Glory to Judge the World in Righteousness even by that Man whom God the Father hath appointed Had you not a double or treble vail of Darkness upon your Minds you would never speak after this sort Ye say The Quakers Perfection In Sin ye Witness Perfection Indeed so ye do Ye prove it to all against your selves And we Witness your Perfection also all that know your Principles and Ways do Witness that ye