it self while they fit under the shadow of your Ministry whilest thousands in this Nation that have been turned to the light and the Truth within by means of the Quakers Ministry which a taking heed to within is the end of are come to witnesse the Word of Christ which your letter is but a witnesse of dweling Richly in themselves and with the Spouse Cant. 3.2 3 4. that sought her Beloved in your broad wayes once wherein she never found him being passed away from you Watchmen who beat and smite and wound them for so doing Cant. 5.7 have in the narrow way which ye have no mind to walk in found him whom their souls loved Ye often tell such as Relinquish your Ministeries that ye have been a means of opening their eyes and think strange that they cannot abide under your Teachings as well as heretofore but were it as true as ye do but deem it so to be that your pains had prov'd so profitable as to open the eyes that now see ye could not but see of your selves that while they abode in blindnesse they abode quietly under you blind guides but when once they came to see they saw they were to abide there no longer Ye call your Universities the eyes and the Wel springs heads fountains mothers and nurseries of Learning and True Religion but the Lord is judging those filthy Fountains and the Rivers that run out of them and turning their waters into blood and giving them blood to drink of which also they are worthy yea and righteous is the Lord in judging for they have ever shed the blood of Saints and Prophets and strove to root out the True Religion that is Pure and undefiled from off the earth and have nourisht up Illiteracy it self if that onely be learning as in Scripture sence it is 2 Pet. 3.1 Cor. 2.1 2. to know Christ and the Scripture by the Spirit and have headed all men in their hatred of the Truth and been mothers of most of that mischief that is now befalling all Nations where they are and the Wells from whence those Legions of learned unlearned ones to whom the vision of all is as a Book sealed have sprang and to whom all people have leaned as their Leaders till they have utterly lost the way to life and the Right eyes of those Idol-shepherds which the sword of the Lord now comes upon till it be night unto them that they shall not divine and till they sha'l be utterly darkned And this I declare not as one that am utterly against that outward Inferiour furniture or lower sort of literature whereon ye live and feed till ye surfet and for having but a little of which for some that pretend to very much have not overmuch of that and as much abuse that little they have more in defiance then in defence of Truth ye Reckon on your selves as exceedingly inriched nay if most of you had more of it then you have it were not much the worse would you use it better then you do and were ye as Rich and learned as ye are in that in the best kind of learning which the light within leads to and ye fight against and the measure of Gods gift of grace in your own hearts that brings Salvation with it to all that submit to be taught by it teaches viz. to deny ungodlinesse and worldly lusts and to liue godly righteously and soberly in this present world as little of which learning and life is to be found among young Academical self Admirers as among any people upon earth among whom there is whether magna or parva cura linguarum major or minor Artium I will not say nor is it much material so long as what is of the Lord most expected lies most neglected but I may safely say not maxima but minima pietatis But I speak it as one not a little lamenting over our Nurseries of learning and Religion and not a little grieved to see how little of God and godlinesse in the power of it is either seen or sought after by those Seers and formal Seekers but those of outward letters and writings whereof some are as bad rotten poysonsome false and foolish as othersome are good wholsome true sound and solid in the best of which yet without the Light which universally they hate and look askew at the life of God can never be found and to see how little yet our Nations supposedly learned leaders have learn'd of that Mistery Christ Iesus within themselves whereby to become any other then Ignes fatui or false Leaders to the whole Land which hath been wholly caused to erre by them and hath been led of them to its own destruction Yea this lamentable and shall be for a lamentation of lamentations with which I must make a little out here to lament against you O ye nursing Mothers so called to the Church of God both in this Nation and throughout Christendom that there is none among all the sons which to the vast expending and exhausting of her earthly treasure and the very Quintessence of all her carnal things upon them both in her Vniversities and in all her Parishes when remov'd from thence she hath nourished and that is found able by the Spirit which onely does it to minister spiritual things truly to her or in requital of her who hath so inriched them for it the other way to enrich her with any true lasting heavenly treasure or to measure and tale back again to her even as well in her Protestant and more reformed as in her Popish and more deformed States any other then such Trash Wood Hay and Stubble as is now falling before the fire And that by all the most Learned labours of her most Learned Rabbies Doctors and Students in Theology and Clergy of what sort soever the rest of her children call'd Christians have not learn'd so much as to know Christ and themselves much lesse Christ in themselves so far as make them honest true holy just sober meek pure loving gentle merciful pitiful peaceable patient temperate and after his own Image which is the end of all Learning Ministries Ministrations and doings that pertain ad intra and ad extra too to Christian Religion which Christ or Image of God ad intra and ad extra also who are not come to witnesse in and on themselves know not yet Christ the Mystery the hope of Glory and cannot prove themselves upon due examination to be in the faith or any other in the sight of God then Reprobates And that by and from her Priests and her Prophets whose own eyes are not yet annointed with eye-salve that they may see that have took upon them to be her Supream Guides into goodnesse and took many millions of money for many Ages and generations upwards to make other men learned in the Truth to direct them into Righteousnesse and Holinesse the hands of evil dâ—ers have been strengthened so that none hath returned perfectly from
that beleeves not both beleeves neither But what of that what follows hence this quoth I O. for that is the very end hee infers this Text for and the very conclusion he infers from it viz. that Moses writings of Christ are more sure and of greater certainty as to the Churches use then Christs own words from his own mouth or then Christs Revelations of Gods minds to men as revealed to him from the mouth of God from the very bosome of the Father Siccine Itane is it so I O. indeed what the ouâ—â—ard remotely transcribed Copies of the writings of the Old servant that put a vail over his face too and spake so darkly in types and figures and shews and shadows that 't was hard to behold stedfastly to what end he spake more plain and stedfast and sure and certain then the immediate Voice Words Revelations of the Son himself whom Moses called to hear as coming and speaking more distinctly out of the very bosome of the Father O the dotage of our Vniversity Doctors the dimness of our Divines who profess to dive daily and deeply into the Scriptures that make the dark Writings and dead Letter and servant more clear and worthy and useful to the Church then the express Voice and Words of the Son which are Spirit and life it self I shall set but one Scripture to face this fancy of I.O. and so leave and let it stand to the shame of it self and its Father Heb. 3. vers 1. to the 8. See and read it Thus of the first The words of the second are these Be not soon shaken in minde nor troubled neither by spirit nor by word nor by letter as from us as that the day of the Lord is at hand Rep. The business I.O. cites this in proof of is for this and that next before are of those that are subscribed to that purpose that the certainty of the Scripture is preferred before the certainty of true Revelations and Miracles but which way so much can be drawn unless it be as I.O. draws iniquity with cords of vanity and sin as it were with Cart Ropes from that Text is more then I can tell Paul Silas and Timothy had told them it seems of the coming of the day of God both by Spirit Word and Letter they whose great hope lay in the comming of that day like such as look and long for what they love and are apt to thinke and hope it to be as they would have it did hope it to be nearer hand then it was and fearing left finding it further off then they thought they might bee troubled and shaken in minde and failing in their faith of it he gives them to understand the worst of it that the best might the better help it self that they should not mistake them in their Doctrine about that day as if they had said it was immediately to shine out upon them and so waver in their mindes flag in their faith and be troubled with doubts as if it would never come to them because not so soon as they wisht it might for there was a long night to interpose it self first he wills them withall to remember v. 5. that he told them no less in the Spirit by Word of his mouth as now he doth over again by Letter or Writing when was present with them howbeit as that 's never long that comes at last so that day would come at last to their salvation and destruction of the man of sin who caused the night with the brightness of it Here 's the short and the long of the business of that verse and those about it from which I who can see the Sun can see no such Doctrine follow as I.O. dreamingly draws from it nor one dram of Reason nor the least grain of Assent to his Asasâ—inated Assertion that the Scripture is of more certitude as to the Churches use then any true Revelations Other Arguments I.O. urges why the Light and Spirit cannot bee the Rule c. Therefore the Scripture must be it J.O. That to which we are never no where sent of God that we might learn the knowledge of himself and his will and take direction in our duty that cannot be the Rule Canon Principle or directory of our Faith Learning Knowledge and obedience But we are never no wheresent of God to any inward Light or internal Private spirit c. Therefore c. Les the Fanaticks produce but one place of Scripture wherein we or any are sent to their Rules or directions of faith and obedience and we will not say but they have cause to triumph in earnest but if they speak of their own they are Lyars they bear witness to themselves and their witness is not true Reply As for thy word Private Spirit we deny all leading by any Private Light and Spirit It is the Common Light and Publick Spirit of God which is one and the same in all though not in the same measure and not any thing of our own that we testifie to and profess to follow as our guide It is the gift of Gods grace in us that appears to all bringing salvation which teaches all that are led by it and learn at it to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts and live godly righteously and soberly here that we intend nor do we so much as pretend to any other inwardlight but that of God in the conscience which though thou foolishly stile it Natural yet thy self be â—rest such an ample testimony to sometimes that we need use no other then thy own words to prove it to be infallibly of God and from him an infallible guide and that we are sent of God to this inward Light Word or Spirit in answer to thy challenge to produce one Scripture I say what need wee produce one Thy own pen if thou l't beleeve it points out almost iâ—numerable places yea all in which the Word of God is said to be preacht publisht multiplied received where the Word nigh in the heart is meant and the outward Scripture that is the declaration of it considered formaliter or as written not at all intended yet for fear thou shouldest not beleeve thy own pen when such Truths drop from it as make against thee and indeed it hath let fall so many untruths pro and cons and fellaries from it that it little deserves to be beleeved by thy self but rather suspected when it writes the truth I am free here to produce some out of many more that might bee produced wherein men are sent in the Scripture if that be of God by whom thou sâ—yest they nunquam nusquam never no where are so sent to the rules and directions we call to which are not any mans own private spirit or fained light or Enthusiasms or dreams as thou dreamest and to the abusing of us to the world out of thy own narrow private light-loathing spirit divinest they are but the Word Light and Spirit of God which is
Peter Paul and the holy men of old wherein is written and transcribed their Witness or Testimony for Iesus which they were moved by his holy Spirit to give out and hold forth whether by word of mouth or writing but the Epistle of Christ written not with inke but with the Spirit of the living God not in tables of stone but in fleshly tables of the heart yea the testimony of Jesus is no less than the Spirit of Prophesie it self Rev. 19.10 and not the writing thou so writest for in which men do but write it and write of it as is shewed above This verbum lumen internum the Word and Light within is that which those that reject it are in that place of Iob 24.13 hinted at by thee called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Lights Rebels men resisting the Authority which they cannot but be convinced of and not the present letter or letters of the Scripture as thou dotest p. 74. before the writing of one letter or tittle of which outward letter this inward light was though he that lives not by the light lives not by the letter neither which came from it and excepting where men have sould it with the dirt of their mis-transcriptions and mis-translations agrees with it I wonder how much of that Scripture thou so super-eminently adorest and wouldest have the preheminence in prating for it was written when that in Iob was wâ—iâ—ing against which men could be said to Rebel tell me if thou canst and in so doing thou perhaps mâ—yest tell thy self that that was a light within and not a letter without which they then were said to rebel against which letter without as much as thou seemest to wonder at the Qua. for holding the light within in authority equal to it they are not ashamed to set the light above and to say that it is non ejusdem Authoritatis cum Scriptura sea majoris Authoritatis quam Scriptura not in as much but in more Authority then the Scripture neither will all thy Scripture-admiring scrape adde so many cubits to the statute of it as among any but such stocks as stick at nothing but without streining swallow all down for truth that thou tellst them is so to state it in any equality with the light it came from And that the Word we are sent to in Isa. 8. is the living Word and not the dead letter nor mens dead senses thereon interpreting it according to their own private familiar spirits muttering out their own meanings and imposing on people their own cloudy cogitations thereon as Cogent Canons is evident for he calls them off from the dead to the living when they say unto you Seek to them that have familiar spirits and Wizards that peep and mutter should not A people seek to their God for the living to the dead to the Law to the Testimony if they speak not according to this word it is because the morning light is not to him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so it s more truly rendred then thus there 's no lightin them which mis-translation many not knowing the Hebrew and many knowing it not heeding make no little ado against the lights being in all men and to as little purpose for it s no light to him and not no light in him and we know a light may be in a room under a bushel and so not shine out unto it And that by Moses and the Prophets to which Christ directs as the most effectual means of bringing men to repentance and that all faith and repentance is immediately to be grounded on is not meant their meer outward writing it evident for all men that need repentance have not that yea if the Scripture it seâ—f and that alone be that men are sent to by which the Doctrines to beleeved must be tried whether they be truths of God or fables and upon which all faith and repentance must be grounded what must become of those twenties to one in the world to whom God never vouchsafed so much as a sight of those their Writings if thy Divination from hence I.O. be as true as 't is sure enough to some its but a dream one of these things must be true as concerning such viz. either I. They need no faith nor repentance as they do or 2. They must be accepted with God and saved without either faith or repentance as they cannot or 3. Both beleeve and repent without any ground at all for the doing of either and so build a castle in the aire without any foundation or bottome which how impossible it is or how well it would stand if it were possible so to build it an Idiot may imagine or 4 perish and be damned for ever by and from the living God for not doing that which they had never any ground at all given them from God whereupon to do it and so absit blasphemia be cursed for ever for not acting what they were never put into any capacity to act and absit tibi Domine ne tale quippiam facias exercendo Pharonis tyrannidem absit tibi an non Iudex totiusterrae exerceresjus be sorely beaten for not making as great a tale of brick without any straw at all as would have been expected from them if they had had straw enough and be punisht for not effecting impossibilities But thy faith about that Scripture being but the festisious fruit of thy own fancy and thy Divination from it but the divinity of a divine that dreameth we need not in the dark iun upon any of these ragged Rocks having a more sure way then any of these in the light made so plain before us that unless we chuse so to do as some do we cannot split our selves upon them for as all men having sinned need faith and repentance so they have a more effectual means of bringing them to repentance and a more immediate ground to build their faith and repentance on then the naked outward Writings of Moses and the Prophets which thou here makest the ground of all faith and repentance not mentioning the Apostles as if thou hadst forgot them whose writings thou makest a joynt peece of the foundation in other places p. 33 34. or then the meer outward writings of the Apostles either together with them and that ground is no other but the self-same which the writings of all these bear one joint Testimony unto viz. the measure of Gods grace in every ones heart that teacheth to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts such as will learn of it and io live soberly justly and godly in this present world appearing to all men to that end bringing salvation along with it to such as submit to be taught by it 2 Tit. 1.17.14 called the riches of Gods goodness Rom. 2. which such as thou art despise to their own ruine not knowing it s given to lead to repentance the Law Light Doctrine Truth Spirit Word Writing and Testimony of God himself in the heart and conscience
is to but one and 999 are peremptorily personally possitively ordained to dye Yet to go round again If ye all beleeve his love to you ye shall All live if any dye 't is his own fault because he beleeves not the Kings love to him and comes not away out of his Fetters and nothing else and though he can't come out of his Fetters yet let him know its but just that I should leave him there because his father offended the King before he was born it s enough for them that he is so rich in mercy to the whole thousand as to save one and proclaim salvation to All with no intent of pardon that he may take the more advantage on the rest by their refusal to come when they cannot to do execution on them with ten fold more wrath rigour and severity then if the pardon never had been proclaimed to them at all In much what such a rambling confused self-contradictory manner do our Nationall-Messengers and Ministers of Gods grace Consideratis considerâ—ndis hold out their Gospell to All men as Embassadours from God to them All. One while extolling extending it over all Gods works to All men and otherwhiles when they have carryed it about long in a vast circuit and circumference of Commendatory conference To go round again in their niggardly News-books they wind it about and wrap it all up within the narrow corner of their conceited wheel within a wheel or little world of a few Elect ones only extenuating it till they allmost quite extinguish it in their talk preach it welnigh into nothing Witnesse I.O. as is shewed more at large in the book aforesaid and T.D. also telling us indeed that God offers Salvation to All men but intends it only to a few Contradictions Confusions and Rounds about the doctrine of perfect freedom from sin attainable in this life V. As to Salvation from sin in this life which Christ gives to all that follow him in his light One while they teach it to us themselves as attainable here by the grace of God as the Qua do in these or the like deliveryes of themselves in their preachings and writings according to the Scriptures People ye must deny all ungodlinesse and worldly lusts and live Godly righteously and soberly mark in this present world The grace of God that bringeth salvatioe to such as take heed to it and receive it not in vain appears to All men and teaches them so to live but that they turn from it and turn it into wantonnesse and if we walk in the Light as God is in the Light we then have fellowship with him who hath none with sin and sinners and not only so but also the blood of Iesus Christ his son cleanseth us from All sin and though we cannot say we have no sin since we and all men have sinned yet if we confess our sins God is faithful not only to forgive us our sins past but which is a further matter to cleanse us from All unrighteousnesle Having therefore such promises let us cleanse our selves from mark All filthiness of flesh and spirit who knows any more then all perfecting holiness in Gods fear The blessed men Psal. 119.3 are the Saints or Holy Ones that do no iniquity but walk in Gods way and though ye think well of your selves because your sins are little yet no sin is so little but if liv'd died in its damning therefore take heed of the least iniquityes while ye have time and space given you to repent from them in leave forsake foregoe them live according to the Scripture which allows of no sin which is written that men might not sin which is able through faith to make a man of God perfect and wife to salvation from sin which is perfect to its own end which is Salvation which end it attains not hereafter for its of no use then and therefore must do it here or no where so that if you dye in the least of your sins unrepented from better ye had never been born for there 's no Purgatory in the world to come as the Pope sains but as the Tree falls it lyes as death leaves you judgement finds you if ye lye down in your Graves in your sins you will rise out of them full of sorrowes Listen unto Christs Ministers who are given for the work of the Ministry for the perfecting of the Saints the edifying of the body till we all come to a Perfect man to the measure of the stature of the fullnesse of Christ himselfe so as to be as he is in this world and whoever saith he abides in him ought so to walk as himselfe walked in whom was no sin and who hath true hope in him purifieth himselfe as he also is pure and a multitude more sayings of like sort we may hear them utter Otherwhiles that is when the Qua call men to the same living without sin telling them these things are possible to be done by Gods grace who of his good pleasure hath wrought in men to will and to do so that by the power and sufficiency of that they may now work out their own salvation if they neglect not this day of Gods long suffering and salvation wherein God would succour them if they will and that God requires not by either his Ministers or their Scriptures Impossibilities from his creatures under such paenalty as eternall damnation if not performed then to go round again they tell us other matters which as contradictory as they are to those above-said we must notwithstanding or else be held for Hereticks believe from them to be the truth viz. That t is most false to affirm that the Scripture the perfection whereof they plead to lye in nullâ aliâ re in no other thing then its sufficiency to its end which it can't attain hereafter if not here sith there it ceases as to all its uses either doth or can obtain its end which end they say also is salvation from the sin that destroyes the soul dum in hoc mundo haremus so sayes I. O. Ex. 3. while we have a being in this World Then they make as if the Ministry of them who wrote the Scriptures were such as their own is viz. a meer Antick mockage of men a conclave of contradictions confusions absurdities and Rounds a Ministry of flat falsities not to say fooleries a mad-message of impossibilities wherein they stand all their dayes calling upon all men for money as Homines Domini in Nomine Domini in the name of God on pain of his eternall displeasure and their demnation to do what they are to believe to as an Article of their Faith on pain of the Hereticks condemnation All men can never possibly do God empowering but very few by true grace to do ought at all of what he requires nay not empowering any one at all to do all that viz. to cease from all sinning against him in the time of this life
the world by some measure of Light at least shining from himself enlightening as it 's said every man that comes into the world shining in darkness in the dark consciences of men though the darkness comprehend it not holding by the hand also as it were leading by the hand those that being in nared in chains of darkness thrust down into the Pit do not winke with their eyes to the further blinding of them but according to the councel of Christ himself believe in the Light whilst they have it that they may become children of the Light for I am the Light of the world saith Christ He that followeth me shall not walk in darkness but shall have the Light of Life also I am come a Light into the world that whosoever believeth in me may not remain in darkness I came not to damn the world but to save the world 8. In this manner therefore is Christ the Salvation of the world as he is the Light of the world destroying the works of the Devil who hath wrought in the darkness to the setting up of a Principality and a Kingdom to himself in the hearts of men and redeeming men from the power of the Prince of the darkness of this world unto God who is Light and to see Light even the Light of life in his Light 9. In like manner doth the Prophet Isaiah affirm Christ to be given of God for a Covenant to the people for a light to the Nations to open the blind eyes and to bring out of Prison them that sit in darkness even the blind which have eyes and see not and after him Paul testifieth that Christ was set as a Light to the Nations that he might be the Lords Salvation to the ends of the earth Simeon also speaking by the holy Spirit of the child Iesus calls him that Salvation of his which the Lord had prepared before the face of all people to be a Light to lighten the Nations and the glory of his people Israel 10. In as much therefore as Christ is the light of the world he is the Saviour of the world and so far only are men saved by him as they believe in him who is the Light and in that Light wherewith he doth enlighten every man in his own conscience and set themselves to walk after it which leads no man into iniquity and so far forth are all men liable to condemnation before God as they walk not in this which is in them howbeit not consenting to any but testifying against all iniquiry even the least and also reproving and condemning it even in them who are not in it but walking contrary to it in the darkness 11. For although God in his great love gave his Son for a Light not that he might damn the world but that the world through him might be saved and be that believeth in him is not condemned yet he that believeth 〈◊〉 is condemned already and this is the condemnation that Light is come into the world into the inmost consciences of men there manifesting good and evill but men love the darkness rather then the Light because their deeds are evill for he that doth evill harsth the Light neither cometh to the Light â—ast his deeds should be reproved but who so doth truth he cometh to the Light what his deeds may be made manifest that they are wrought in God 12. And al though all that obtain justification are justified freely by the grace of the Lord through the Redemption that is made in Iesus Christ alone Yea cursed be he and cursed will he be that seeks for justification any other way for he who is the Light of the world is also that Corner stone which however it be set at nought by a thousand and thousand of the 〈◊〉 is yet made the head of the corner neither is there salvation in any other nor is there any other name save that of Christ the Light under heaven given among men whereby they must be saved Nevertheless no further is any man accepted of God or justified by Christ or the grace of God in Christ then as he is directed by Christ the Light and is by the grace of God by that inward with 〈◊〉 of God by the light of God and Christ in his conscience which is given of God for this very end that it may teach and lead taught and led unto repentance from the unfruitfull works of darkness 13. For this Light shewes the riches of the goodness and long suffering and forbearance of him who is long suffering to-us-ward not will that any should perish but that all should come to us by repentance is that very grace of God bringing Salvation that hath appeared to all men teaching all that will learn what it teacheth that denying ungodlyness and worldly lusts they should live soberlys righteously and godly in this 〈◊〉 world which kind of life will otherwise be to late to begin to live in the world to come which grace being received in vain how much more being despised by the hardness of the heart refusing to repent wrath is treasured up against the day of wrath and the revelation of the righteous judgement of God who will render unto every one according to his works to them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and immortality eternall life but unto them that are contentious and obey not the truth but obey unrighteousnes indignation and wrath For tribulation and anguish is to come upon every soul of man that worketh evill but glory honour and peace to every one that worketh good hath to the Jew and also to the Greek for there is no respect of persons with God but in every Nation he that â—eaâ—eth him and manketh righteousness is accepted with him but the wicked and him that loveth violence his soul rateth 14. And howsoever the world which is call'd Christian together with the manifold Sects Professors and meerly nominal Christians and Ministers thereof may dream that they have Christ their Redeemer very often calling him Lord Iesus continuing in the mean time in all disobedience to his Light yet the foundation of the Lord standeth sure having this Seal the Lord knoweth who are his and let every one that nameth the of Christ depart from iniquity 15. For the day of the Lord draweth nigh wherein both every man and his deeds shall be made manifest for the day which is the Light shall declare them for they shall be revealed by fire and the fire shall try every mans works of what sort they are and in that day all those Dâ—eamers shall be awakened and shall know that as concerning the truth they have erred far from the mark and that not every one that saith unto Christ Lord Lord shall enter into the Kingdome of Heaven but he that doth what Christ saith and what the will is of his Father whâ—ch is in heaven and though they have prophecyed
come from the lusts that War in their Members Iam. 4.1 and cannot with good Conscience to God as to Military matters appear in Arms againâ—t any Therefore are we prejudged as not submitting to nor owning Magistracy as we say we do Whereas we do truly own and are subject thereunto Witnesse the Tenour of a Paper given out from among us under many hands some while since in that particular A true Copy whereof is here Printed in the Margent And because we cannot Swear at all but forbear it in obedience to Christ's and his Apostles words who intimating Math. 5. a permission under the Law to Swear so be men did not forswear but perform to the Lord their then lawful Oaths for to Swear by any but God or to Swear by God in ordinary Communications was as unlawful then as now sayes unto us Swear not at all i.e. in such cases wherein men might Swear in old time who then might not in common Communication and above all things Swear not no not by any Oath but let your Communication i. e the whole of it before Rulers as well as others be Yea Yea Nay Nay least ye fall into Condemnation for whatsoever is more than that commeth of evil Mat. 5.33 34 35 36. Iam. 5.12 Therefore are we in some places by well-nigh Scores at once put in prison as persons suspitious of Treachery and unfaithfulness to the present Powers Whereas howbeit we decline all Oaths for the Reasons aforesaid yet as it hath been own'd by the King himself as satisfactory to him as if we did Swear if we can say we are or promise to be Innocent as towards him so we both do and can declare our Present and Promise Future Integrity to Him and the present Government reserving our Consciences to the Lord alone in Spiritualls in all cases of civil Concernment And As our Promise binds us more than their Oaths do them whoâ—make as little Conscience to keep the Oaths they take as they do to take whatever is imposed and for Fear Swear themselves To and Fro into the Favour of every Form of Government as it stands its time upon the Stage So our Practice will Preach out our Performance of what we Promiâ—e and that performance prove our words once passed to be of as much worth and weight to us before the Lord as their Swearings by his Name are who are found utterly out of his Nature And because we talk of an universal Redemption by Christ's coming intentionally to save All men though through their own default All are not but few only actually saved They pittyfuâ—â—y propound us as denying Gods Eternall unchangeable Decree and his Praedestination Election Reprobation and such like Whereas how the universality of his grace appearing and bringing Salvation truly and intentionally to All but that most put it from themselves as the Iews did Act. 13. is no way inconsistent with but rather stablishing Gods everlasting immutable Councell concerning men as to Salvation and Condemnation it 's most clearly demonstrated in the Fourth Exercitation from p. 87. to p. 152. And because we call All men to look to the Light within their own consciences and to take heed to that as ever they intend to enter into Life assuring them that by the leadings of that Light if they will they may come to God and work out their Salvation and escape the Condemnation that is to come They make people believe as if we held that all men in the Fall had of themselves a Free will and a Power of their own without God to save themselves and without any speciall spirituall or supernaturall grace or gift of God even by their own Naturall Light which flowes from the Principles of meer Nature to help deliver and Redeem themselves and as if we did destroy all that free grace great goodness and rich mercy of God of whose mercy and grace only it is and not of themselves that they can be saved Whereas we ascribe all the glory of our own and every mans Salvation to God alone and his meer mercy and free grace which is and alone is sufficient thereunto and not to any man nor any thing at all in man that is of man and not rather the free gift of God to him saying that 't is not in man without the gift and grace of God either to guide or to bring himselfe to Salvation nor in him that wills nor in him that runs but in God only that shewes the mercy And That Light of his in every mans conscience even in the heathens which these men in the cloudiness of their own consciences which come not to the Light that 's in themselves call naturall we say is that speciall gift of Gods own grace every degree of which is sufficient to help heal and save him that takes good heed to it and to lead him forth that follows it as it increases on him that does so to the Light of Life Yea 't is a measure of that Spirit of his a manifestation of which is given to every man to profit withall of that Spirit that strives with all men but that most resist it in their stiff necks and uncircumcised hearts that convinces the whole world of Sin Righteousness and Judgment though all are not thereupon converted by it same measure at least one Talent of which is given to the most unprofitable Servant till â—for not trading therewith it be taken from him 't is somthing of that goodness of God which though men will not know it and few are led by or follow it while it drawes them yet does lead them and though they refuse to return and so fare the worse for it does its own part so far as to draw them to Repentance Yea 't is though in men yet of God and no less then his own Law in their own hearts of which Law the Letter sayes though men till spiritualized by it are carnall and sold under sin yet is spiritual holy just and good whereby every man is a Law to himself before God who wit Judge him and either accuse or excuse acquit absolve clear justify or condemn him in the day when he judges the secrets of men by Christ out of the book of their own consciences once to be opened in which thereby both Jus and Factum Right and Fact is manifeâ—t according to the Gospel that 's preached in it and by it in every creature under heaven as well as to somely mans ministry to all by some outward ministry or other also and is not any meer Naturall Faculty as our Naturalists call it that is as Naturall to men as his mind it self is as J.O. mindlessely asserts it to be for then it must be de Esâ—e homini so Essentiall to a man that he neither is nor can be truly call'd A man without it whereas though Man in the Fall is in indeed so short of the man made at first after Gods Image or of Man restored back again
thereunto that he is comparatively to such â— one but as the â—east of the field that perisheth yet in the Fall he hath all that is Essential to him as a man and flowing ex principirs naturae But and this may be an Addition to the other Arguments in the Book if it be not touch't upon therein already Gods Law or Light in the consciences of all men which we call them to though given of God in some not the same measure at first to All so that universally every Individual or hath or hath had somthing of it yet through mans not using it well may he yet remaining Essentially a man be totally taken from him as the Talent from the sâ—othfull and darkness come upon him and be left to walk in utter darkness and to stumble in that dismall night of which its said then and of that time he that walketh in it knows not whether he goes and to stumble not only because he hates the Light as he did before while yet he had it but because now he hath it 〈◊〉 and because now there is no light left in him Of which Light and of its universality and sufficiency to save such as seek God in it and how it 's a supernatural spirituall gift and grace of God to all men where it is and not the naturall faculty of mans understanding only as our Opponents pittifulâ—y praâ—â—e to prove it is is most plainâ—y proved in the 4th Exeâ—citation from p. 49 to p. 194. and made more apparent in the Appendix also And when we assert the Ministry of Christ to be an infallible Ministry and the Spirit of God by which his Ministers are ever guided in the work of his Ministry for they are out of his Ministry or Service and in the Devils at that time who ever are at any time guided by any other is an infallible Spirit for God hath no fallible Spirit that we know of and that all the directions leadings and guidances of that Spirit are infallible which Spirit hath no fallible guidance as J. O. little lesse then seems to intimate he has that we know of and consequently that All who are led by that Light or Spirit are so far infallibly led and that all and only they are the Sons of God that are led by that Spirit of God and that God hath Children at this day in the world and so consequently that at this day his Ministers and Children who are all â—aught of God are infallibly taught as they attend to that Anointing that 's given to be their Teacher that leads into all truth which Spirit of Christ also whoever hath not as his teacher is none of Christ's Then they bely us as saying of our selves that we as of our selves as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as J.O. flouts are infallible Whereas we say no such thing at all of our selves nor of any men but that All men as in themselves and in the Fall are no more then fallible But because men in the Fall are fallible liable of themselves to erre still as they are erred already to their own ruine Therefore God in his love hath sent his Son a Light into the Nations So to be his Salvation to the ends of the earth to lighten them that sit in darkness and to guide their feet in the way of peace out of the crooked paths they are in in which who walks can never know peace and that the Light and Spirit of him who is the Light of the world the Lord that Spirit which is Truth it self and no Lye is lent as the Letter speaks of it to every man even that True Light that enlightneth every man that comes into the world given to lead him back infallibly unto God from whom it comes who can be known out of that no more then the Sun can be seen by any other Light then what shines from it self in which Light wherein he looks after the Lost whoever look after him are not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and shall find that Salvation of which he says Look ye unto me and be ye saved All ye ends of the earth Of the Infallibility of which Light and Spirit and of its guidance of all Christ's Ministers and Children and of all men also so far only and no further then as they are led by it as of old so at this day there is much said in answer to those Ignes fatuos that fain the contrary in the 4 Exercitation from p. 1. to p. 47. And because we call on men as the Scripture does to perfect holiness in Gods fear and to cleanse themselves from all uncleannesse of Flesh and Spirit then which there is no more as a thing attainable by Christs grace and Power only improved as a thing not only Possible to be done here as God requires who calls not for Impossibilities from his People on pain of Eternall Punishment if they Perform it not but also needfull and necessary to be done here if they mean to do it at all sith as Themselves say with Vs against the Pope there 's no Purgatory in the World to come They commonly accuse Vs of saying in A Self-Vaunting Proud Disdainfull Vain-glorious Boasting Way over all other men of our selves that we are perfect and as J. O. impudently intimates that we impudently Glory in it that we are free from not only Hypocrisyes Fraud Wickedness Lyes which it seems he can't Glory yet that by the Grace of God he is yet free from but even from all other even the very least evils and so would have us have Punitiones Incarrationes Punishments Prisons c. for so saying Whereas we use not to bear Testimony to our selves but to the Truth of Carist and though by the Grace of God only We are what We are and His Grace to whom alone therefore We give the Glory and not to our selves who have nothing but what we have received and Glory not as some do in Sin and Shame nor boast as they do in evill doing of anything that 's Good As if we had not received it is not in vain so but that our walking is such that they can't accuse some of us Justly of the least Evills yet we Testify the Truth rather as a Doctrine to all Teaching not what our selves are what ere we are so much as what both We and All men should be and also may be by the Grace of God who is not wanting to us if we be not wanting to our selves and must be also viz. Deniers of all Ungodliness and worldly Lusts and Godly Righteous Sober Livers in this present world or else it had been better men had never been born seeing for them that loose their day for it here it 's too late to begin that life in the world to come where there is no Purgatory nor place for Repentance though it shall be then sought carefully with Teares Pro. 1. Math. 25. Luke 13. In this Doctrine
filthy rags but that is thy Blasphemy who so rendredst it but we know no such rotten stinking filthy righteousness that Christ hath either in himself or in his Saints Also thou falsly construest and misrepresentest both G.W. and all of us as if we asserted all men to have the knowledge of the Mysteries of the Kingdome of God for we say not that all know them and we know that thou know'st them not but that the Kingdome or Light that only shews them is in all men so that thereby they may know the mysteries of it though they do not Also thou most miserably misrepresentest my saying there are degrees among Believer p. 18. as if I had meant by it according to thy own muddy misty manner of meaning and supposing in that and many other matters that Believers have a mixture of sin with their grace and so ex falso suppositis proceedest to make another meaning of thine own which is none of mine that some persons be justified which never did fulfill the Law personally and rakest up an absurdity and fatherest it on me when 't is thine own for I deny thy imagined mixture of sin with the Saints Graces as a meer non-sensical saying of thy own for Grace and Sin can no more mix together then iron and miry clay then light and darkness then Christs true righteousness and the dung and filthy rags which thou supposest to be his also which can have no communion together 2 Cor. 6. And I deny any men to be justified or any of thy uncessantly ever-sinning Saints in whose persons the Law is not fulfill'd by the Power of Christ. Also how guilty or not guilty thou art found of laying down things in our names which were never spoken by us in such wise as thou ventest them and so of wronging us by adding to our words to be-speak thee in thy own words of thy Epist. to the second Pamphlet let any understanding man peruse thy first which occasioned G.Ws. Reply and he will find viz. that thou art charged not in falshood but truly and justly by G.W. charged of falshood in such passages as have many and credible Witnesses if thou count thy own Witnesses credible attesting them for I shall bring them against thee even as thou thy self hast ranked them in thy own book and stand to that very testimony they therein give as to the tryal of this matter between thy self and me which if it may be heeded more then thy own single testimony against both thy self and all them also I shall do well enough as to one of the Archest Accusations thou makest against me To this purpose consider all people that T.D. on his bare head accuses me S.F. p. 14. 15. of his first Pamp. of affirming and disputing it against him that OVR good works viz. OVR own righteousnesses of which it was of old said and we say the same now not intending by that term OVRS any that Christ works in us as T.D. does but those we have wrought out of him that they are filthy rags are the meritorious cause of our Iustification And in the same place asserts the third Question to be stated affirmed and prosecuted by me in thoâ—e very terms viz. that OVR good works are the meritorious cause c. nevertheless the self-fame T.D. if it be one and the same T.D. who wrote the Trifle call'd A True Relation of the Disputes and that Remarkable Narrative at the end thereof in p. 58. of the same foresaid Pamphlet to the Confutation of himself and in Proof of his falsification of things in that other place not only affirms it himself but also proves it by his many credible Witnesses of whom he sayes in his Epistle to his second Toy they attest the truth and in the Epistle to his first thus viz. The Gentlemen Ministers and others in the Margin are a few of very many Witnesses of the terms of the Questions agreed to by the Qua. and of other remarkable passages and matters of fact who will free me from the suspition of a partial Relator that the terms of the third Question were these viz. Whether good works be the meritorious cause of our Iustification which quoth T.D. was expresly affirmed by them witness in the Margin Hen. Oxenden Iob. Boys Esq Nath. Barry Tho. Seyliard Ch. Nichols Ministers which terms say I are quite diffeferent from the other Good works which are only Christs without that term of OVR added to them being one thing and OVR good works clearly another especially OVRS that are filthy Raggs So what need further witness to prove T.D. to have added to and altered our termes and wronged us by misconstructions for the world has it under his own hand which evinces him to have done so yet he sayes to his Reader T. D. As to false construction of their words If thou thinkest it worth while to compare my false and this mans G.W. true construction either thou seest not with mine eyes or thou wilt see they have no occasion to complaine Rep. To which say I If he see with thy eyes indeed then its like he may see no cause we have to complain of thee for thy eyes are set the wrong way to see any evill in thy self while they are not Zach. 9 as all Israells as one man are towards the Lord in his light which only shews to the evill doer his evil Deeds but are set rather to watch against the Children of it for evill thy eyes are in tuts talpae in alienis linces blind at home and quicksighted the contrary way abroad if they were not thou could'st never spie so many spots among them that walk in the Spirit and so few of those foul faults that are found among thy fellow walkers after the Flesh but if any Readers be minded to see with their own eyes and not thine they 'l quickly see thee to be what thou art with whose weak sore and sorry eyes some of Sandwich whose Seer thou art do see more then with their own so that if thou once say'st thou seest what thou but surmisest and supposest they as I.Os. Juniors are respectively to himward are Extempore stupified into a Satisfaction that they â—ee the same whether they see it yea or nay so as to become Iurats into thy Rasn Iudgment and to sit down with no more then nil ultra quaero plebejus our Minister Teacher or Doctor sayes so or so But indeed as the Papists have been long accustomed to drink all the Wine they drink in their Sacrament with their Priests mouths who impropriate that Element wholly to themselves so that when Christ said drink ye all of this they drink it all off giving the poor people none so our Protestants have been so long accustomed to see with their Priests eyes that they have well nigh utterly lost their own or at least the true fight and right use of their own and T. D. I perceive takes it for granted or else why saies he thou
that hath two wills within himself whereof one is contradictory to the other that reveals his will to be this that he 's no â—â—specter of persons but all men as they do shall have that the soul that sins shall die but that that turns and does righteousnesse shall live that men die at their own wills and choice not his and yet hath a secret will within himself which as secret as they call it yet our Priests will be twatling of it openly ever and anon as if they knew it as well as the other wherein he wills and chuses that a few only shall live and irresistably by them or ought they shall ever do a thousand to one shall die that sends out his Son as a mocker of most men by calling them all to believe every one that he is his and is come to be his Saviour when yet he died not for every individual but contrary to his Revelation in the Scripture gave himself a Ransom not for all but only for a few that makes an ofâ—er of Salvation to all by Christ but intends it only to some few that sends out his Ministers with a lye in their mouths for a truth it is not say our Mâ—nisters yet they will preach it viz that Gâ—ds love and good will is truly towards them all and every one may lay claim to it as well as any one when yet according to their doctrine at other times there 's no such matter as this but his love is only to some certain ones which he secretly Selects and yet he can't do it so secretly neither but they must tell on 't to as many as they tell the other that sends his Ministers to make every man believe that Christ died for him in particular which if every man should believe according to their other will of God which but that they are Tel-tales should be called his secret will which is that he gave not Christ to Tast of death for every man but for very few most men must believe a very lye and yet if every man believe it not for himself he must be damned too for not believing of that which according to themselves still is no Truth but a very notoriouslyâ— that condemns the world of Sin Iohn 16. because they believe not in Christ as their Saviour and yet leaves the world which say our preachers Christ died not to save for he died only for such as are not of it without any Saviour that is theirs to believe in that on pain and peril of his eternal displeasure Requires men like Pharoah whom he plagu'd for his cruelty in the self same case to make such a Talâ— of Bâ—ick and yet yeelds them no straw wherewithal to do it but leaves them to go look it where they can He that doth thus and much more of the like nature which the doctrine of such as deny the Vniversal grace of God doth in effect Represent their God as doing may be own'd as a God by such as make him one and by the Ministers of his own making yet is not owned by me to be the true God of Gods but a God of his own Ministers own making to themselves after the Image of their own vain Imaginations yet such a God as this are I. O. T. D. I. Tombs R. Baxter and the whole Diacony of Dâ—vines that deny the death of Christ for all men devising and Imagining to themselves of whom till they come to know and own the true God which is mine in his mercy truth and faithfulnesse a little better then they do or can by that dark lantern of their own understandings in which they are poring after him in the Letter only besides his own light and spirit in which only he is seen as he is I must say so much and of my self together with them that whosoever is the father of myself or of them we are not yet one and the same Fathers Children 10 Our Doctrine about good works and our Preaching and Maintaining and pleading for good works as necessary for many good uses against T. D. or any other this is no fair In-let to the Pâ—pish Bag and Baggage for all good works as are so indeed and not only so suppoâ—ed by such as call good evil and evil good are of God and Christ Jesus the truth and none of the Pope nor of his Priests nor any other meer man that I know of neither are there any that can truly be so called for what thou or the Pope or any Papists or Protestants falsly call good works is another case not at all pertaining to our purpose to be found for ought I see in his whole Budget of Religious Implements nor in the whole Masse or Magazine of his Massy matters and 't is more then I shall see while I see you but besides much more against that light in which only that is done which goes for good in the account of God if there be any good works truly good to be found yet among the best of your own I know you have a whole warehouse of Religious works such as they are which you are accustomd to call good as they do theirs but what your good works are in your own sight is one and what they are in the sight of God is another Question there is a Generation wo to them that are wise in their own eyes prudent in their own sight yet very fools in the sight of God there is a Generation wo to them also that call evil good and good evil put darknesse for light and light for darknesse bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter there is a Generation O how lofâ—y are their eyes and their eye-lids lifted up wo to them also for they are a stink in his nostrills and as smoak in his nose before the Lord that are pure in their own eyes and yet are not nor ever mean to be while they live fully washed from their filthynesse I have read of a Generation that had more good works as they count them to count upon then all the National Churches of either Protestants or Papists and works more good as to the matter of them if what matter God requires may be counted better then what is required by meerly man all whose whole Treasury of Solemn Services out of which they offer'd to him was yet in the fight of God esteemed but Trash so long as t was the sinner only that so served and sacrificed and no other then Cain the evil doer still that did that good such were all the haughty Mincing Daughters of Zion that walk't with stretcht out necks and bosted in the Bravery of their Tinkling Ornaments their New-moons Sabbaths burnt Offerings Prayings Prayses Fasts and Feasts in which when they drew near to God they did no more then what he by Moses had appointed as ye do for which you have your labour for your paines who worship not after his own praecepts and doctrines in outwards but after the
and perfected as he shall be by him who is said to perfect for ever all such as are so far as they are for ever Sanctified by him nor yet but that thy senses are sodden so as to Take or rather Rake or Scrape things for granted to thee before they are so given did or do I grant as thou there tatlest sâ—me persons to be justified who never did fulfil the Law personally for though I told thee indeed as thou truly tel'st it again to the world there are but two Estates Iustification and Condemdation and now I tell thee over again that there is no medium between these for every one stands either Iustified or Condemned Guilâ—y or not Guilty before God as his Law which is the Light is broken or fulfil'd by him and he that stands by the Light in his own Conscience by which God Judges him in any Particular Cleared or Iustified stands before God so far uncondemned how ever Judged by man therefore wherein David was clear in himself though clouded with mens false accusations of him he could and did with boldness appeal to God to Iudge and Reward him in that case still according to the integrity of his heart and innocency of his hands in Gods sight and so Abimelech and others see Psal. 25.21 26.1 6.11 18.26 Gen. 20.5 1 Kings 9.4 But he that by the same Light which is no lye in the Conscience of ether Godly or Wicked as T.D. little less then perswades men it often is in both p 19. stands Condemned within himself and so consequently before God whose witness that in him is let him flatter himself as he will let T.D. and all men sing Lullaby and Prophecy as smooth things to him as they can so far as in any Case or Cases he Rebels against the Light is so far inexcusably till he repents and returns to it in such wise condemned by it in the sight of God whereupon even David himself where his heart smote him for iniquity regarded in it and he that does it let him dote the contrary if he dare does I say assuredly so far regard it could stand in no more boldness and guiltlesness in his sight then Adam could after he had fed on the forbidden fruit for which he fled Gods face and where he fell short of that uprightness he sometime stood Iustified in and by before and fail'd so fowly as that flawes fainirgs and falshood were found in him as if ever there were in all his dayes it was in that unjust matter of Vâ—iah and his Wife in which yet even while he was guilty thereby T. D. most impudently affirms he stood with God not in a condemned but in a justified estate there let T. D. lye as he lifts yet David declares when he had done that wickedness in his sight God did not onely speak in wrath and judge him but was worthy to be though himself was justly condemned by it to be justified and cleared in so doing Psal. 51.4 I ay though I said there were but two states in one of which every man is as he does good which since the fall he cannot do but by the Power of Christ or evil at the suggestion of the Dâ—vil viz. Iustification or Condemnation yet I deny any person to be justified in whom the Law which can't be by the weakness of the flesh is not by the Power and Spirit of Christ fulfilled neither do I Imagine as thou imaginest I did a mixture of sin with Believers Grace for though they that drink of the Whores Cup of abomination and fornication which is full of such kind of trashy doctrines and mixtures and medleys which they ministes and measure out to one another supposing I see with such eyes as themselves suppose such a mixâ—ure and suppose I suppose it too yet I neither suppose nor own such mingled messes of doctrine but know that no more then Iron is truly mixed or can cleave into one compositum with miâ—y clay and no more then God and Idols light and darkness Christ and Belial can be mingled into agreement no more mixture is there of the sinners sin which is of the Devil with the Saint's Grace which is of God and so whereas thou thoughtest thou hadst caught me as thou there sayest in a manifest contradiction thou hast but according to thy common custom in that kind caught thy self instead of winding my self out of which contradiction of thy meer coining though thou sayest I replyed not but saâ—e down on the Top of a Seat like a man astonisht and under the Hereticks Iudgement i e. self-condemned yet thou feest I have here so well wound my self out of it as to manifest it to all men that I were never in it and to leave thee in the lurch under the Hereticks Iudgement of self-condemnation for thy folly and fictions about it which are hereby also manifest to all for verily if I were at all astonished at any of the three dayes Disputes thou miserably mistook'st the manner of it it being not at all as the Iewes were at the Wisdom of Christs but as oft as it was at the stupidity of thy understanding and answers Thirdly and lastly From thy foregoing Grant to us which is more then we say and would have thee say That the Gospel gives life upon imperfect obedience let it be well remembred by thee sith it s agreed on all hands that all the obedience that Christ yielded to the Law in that person called Christ without us was perfect and in no wise imperfect that then that imperfect obedience as thou call'st it which the Gospel gives life upon as thou sayest can be no other then that which is inherent in us in ourpersons onely and not his in whom all that is inherent thou darest not on pain of Blaspemy deny but that it was perfect and if so then see how with thy wining to and fro and running up and down round about thou hast at last brought thy Hogs as they say to a fair Mâ—rkâ—â— even till thou hast drawn the dirt of thy fal'd charge of Popery as thou callest that Doctrine of Life upon our imperfect works which thou threw'st at me who never held it by anâ— but Christs perfect obedience upon thy Own indirectly-driving-self so that if any man enquire who is it that holds that Popery of Life Iustification upon Our imperfect obedience T. D. tells it that himself is the man in whose Book p. 45. it is written as legibly to all as if it were branded upon his Bâ—ow as his own Doctrine That the Gospel gives Life upon imperfect obedience â— and if he will take his Term of imperfect and Translate it better by the Term of perfect obedience wrought by Christ in his Saints I 'le give him his word again with all my heart and can afford it for if so he gives me no less then the Question it self which is affirmed by us and not denied if so by himself concerning lifes coming upon
continually excluded and the glory of all to be given still to God and not flesh man and selfe so that while Iudas could blame none but himselfe for being damned so Paul and the rest though they wrought out their own Salvation yet could blesse none but God who wrought in them of his good pleasure 〈◊〉 to work will and dâ— for their being saved by his grace 1 Cor. 4.7 1 Cor. 15.10 Eph. 2.8 3.8 Phil. 2.12.13 So that all along the gift of both faith and good works are both called grace yea grace is no grace yet to Salvation from sin while men remain in their sins and unsaved by it and while the grace or gift of Gods righteousnesse remaines onely in Christ without them save onely that they are in a possibility to be saved and while they yet witnesse not him and it by him within themselves to the destroying of the works and Image of the Devill which when they do then and not before let them praâ—e of â—â—ace as they will they know the grace of God in Christ Iesus and then all 's grace and by grace and not of works or themselves or any righteousnesse of their own that they can thank for it whatever they work in the light and leadings of it in Preaching Praying Service Worship and what ere they have are enjoy act beleive endure or suffer for his name And so grace and works grace and the righteousnesse of Christ within us when mans own which ye yet are onely in and establishing your selves by who hate the light and are out of it is denyed as Rags as it is by us do not destruere but ponere se invicem so well stand together in the matter of our justification that indeed neither of them can stand in it without the other Neither is grace at all excluded as T. D. injudiciously judges from any hand in iustification by our asserting it to be of works of this nature and establishing this inhaerent righteousnesse of Christ in us thereunto but by this alone is grace perfectly ectablished Neither are these in opposition each to other as T. D. sayes they are as immediate contraryes as mens evill works and these good works of Christ in man were by me affirmed to be but rather individually the same and whereas T.D. saith our justification cannot be a debt and a free gift both in respect of us to what was said above which might serve to answer this I adde my denyall of that position of his with my grounds thereof for howbeit in respect of the same time it cannot be a debt and a free gift too yet in respect of the same persâ—ns with reference to dâ—fferent times and seasons it may for as it was nothing but meer mercy to lost man and free grace gift and goodnesse to man on Gods part and not any debt or desert from God on maâ—s part that 1 st engag'd or mov'd God to give his Son and to make promises in the Gospell to give his free gift of life eternall and to make Christ the Author of it to all them that obey him and the meer grace of Christ to us to come into the world a Light and give himselfe a Ransom for all and to promise to give life to all that come unto him and to God by him that they might have Life and Salvation to the utmost yet seeing as I may say so God and Christ have by free grace that moved them to make it thus put themselves freely into mans debt on Terms of their obedience they are man performing the conditions on his part since then in justice bound to perform it and so to the same Subject mankind from whom God at 1 st was altogether free and to whom he was rich in mercy and infinitely free in giving Christ and making promises he is since on account of his truth engaged if man be not waâ—nting to him selfe to make it good and as it is in the like caâ—es among men that promise which pitty meer mercy moves to make piety and equity require its making good so 't is here and it s no such newes but to such as are novices in the faith to understand that which to the same persons was grace and free gift at 1 st becomming a matter of desert and due debt at last So that though glory be to the grace and mercy of God which onely moved him to say when the wicked turnes from his wickednesse and does what is lawfull and right he shall not dye his iniquity shall not at all be mentioned to him yet the wicked turning Gods wayes are not so equall as he pleads they are Ezek. 18. Against man whose wayes and thoughts are all crooked and unequall if he do not now justify and forgive the reforming evill doer and having in his free favour said it that he that confesseth and forsaketh his siSs shall find mercy Iohn saith 1 Iob. 1.8 If we now confesse our sins not God is gracious and mercyfull though that be Originally the ground of all and to be magnified over all his works and is oft exprest to the wicked repenting as the grand cause of Gods remitting 55. Isa. Let him forsake his way and thoughts and turn to the Lord for he is gracious but saith Iohn God is faâ—thfull and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness So having refuted T. D's irrefragable Argument as he stiles it from that Scripture Rom. 11. Which I confesse is irrefragable in truth but that T. D. wrests it being one of those unlearned and unstable ones in the truth that Peter saith 2 Pet. 3. Wrest Pauls Epistles and other Scriptures to their own destruction I return to proceed in that which I went away from by this profitable Parenthesis viz. to shew how the Scripture ascribes the inheritaâ—ce as not onely meet for them that are meet for it but their due de jure that do his Commandements Râ—v 22.14 Blessed are they that do his Commandements that they may have right to eat of the tree of life and to enter throw the Gates into the Citty but without are Dogs c. 1. without the Citty and without Right to it as well as without meeâ—nesse for it who if they were other 1. doing the Commands they should have both meeâ—nesse worthynesse and right and jure hereditario by right of heirship according to the promises made in that behalf should both duly and keeping the condition no otherwise then deservedly inherit it as he that having a promise of the inheritance of a Citty in case he will adventure to storme and overcome and win it fighting and overcoming accordingly though the promise of it at 1 st on such Termes was a gift may then claim it for his inheritance as of debt and desert which it is not onely fit and meet he should have as on terms of promise on anothers part performance of the Terms required on his own who ever helpt him in
this T. D. confesses it p. 17. ' t is true quoth he that the same Spirit is in Christ and in his Saints but then he hath a double bolt for all this wherewith to shut us out from justification by that Spirit in Christ as in us 1. The Spirit in us doth not conform us to the Law fully quoth he notwitstanding your vain assertion of perfection Rep. I never said that the Spirit of Christ in you did conform you fully to the Law if when thou sayst conform us thou meanst your selves for ye are farenough from perfection to whom it seemes A vainâ—assertion A Doctrine of Devils to talk of or reach it and how should the Spirit conform you to the Law who though you have it striving in you and reproving you of sin yet do in the stiffnesse and uncircumcis'dnesse of your hearts and eares alwayes quench grieve resist it refuse to be led by it and will not walk after it but after the flesh But the Saints and such onely are all those that walk after it and not after the flesh it eitheir conforms them to the Law and that fully too or else what doth it conform them to Partly the Law and partly the Lust Partly to it selfe and partly to the flesh Doth it lead any into any sin which is transgression of the Law Or onely out of all sin all such as give up to be guided by it If any be at all deform'd it is because they conform to the flesh and follow it and stop the Spirit but if any conform to the Spirit and follow it it will conform them fully to the Law and not to the forms fashions foolish fellowships and lusts of the world but transform them from all these by the renewing of their minds and lead them to perfect holynesse in the fear of God thy vain assertion to the contrary in any wise norwithstanding Thus the 1 st bolt is broken but 2ly quoth he if the Spirit did conform us to the Law fully yet were not that conformity the merit of justification Rep. Oh strange that T.D. should deem there 's strength in this to stand out against us by which is far weaker then the former Doth the Spirit working holinesse in our natures and persons not merit justification which is non-condemnation are Christ and his Spirits works of lesse or worse merit in one time place and person then another I judg'd they had been every where and alwayes alike and of like good desert from the dignity of the person doing them or else T.D. lyes p. 15. of his 1. Pamp and especially that their good works which are the fulfilling of the Law deserve non-condemnation 1 justification or else T.D. lyes again in that same page but sith the Spirit of life and works of holinesse in our nature and persons conforming them fully to the Law do not as T.D. p. 15. said before they did from the dignity of Christs person deserve non-condemnation for their conformity to it or transgression of it merits one thing or other good or evill and we use to say no truly good work deserves evill more then an evill work merits good we will take it for granted that T.D. thinks the Spirits conforming us to the Law deserves condemnation and so let it stand that all people may understand the Blasphemy and Folly of it Thus T.D. pulls hard to have his own again but what he can't win by force of false position hee l see if he can beg it back from us in these following fawning Questions I would fain know what or whether precedent holynesse in the Saints merits subsequent holynesse or whether the exercise of what they have is the meritorious cause of what they have not or of perfection especially if the Law of sin intends the corruption of nature as the Law of the spirit of the life does holynesse of nature I would be instructed how a nature in part corrupted can deserve totall freedome and I am sure the first work of the Spirit renewes our nature but in part Rep. If I should grant T.D. in the negative all he asks as he thinks I will my negative or denying or saying Nâ— were such answer to his Questions as he desires but if I should say yea to all his Queâ—yes it dashes him down and denyes all he would have and yet I must say yea to most of them if I say the truth Therefore T.D. I say yea to some and nay to some To the 1st I answer yea that precedent holynesse in the Saints merits subsequent holynesse and to the ad I answer yea the exercise of what the Saints have is a meritorious cause of what yet they have not And sith thou askest what precedent holynesse the Saints exercising of when they have it deserves subsequent holynesse or what they have not I answer all that is the fruit of the Spirit in them and the gift of God to them whether Active or Passive if to merit be to be worthy of a thing by right of promise at least 'T was given to the Saints both to believe and suffer Phil. 1. Yet they were worthy of the Kingdome for which they suffered by beleiving the Testimony of it and suffering for it 2 Thess. 2. 'T was the gift of God by promise to such as fight and ouercome to walk with Christ in white and the gift of God to the Saints that they could sight and by his strength overcome yet they shall walk with me in white faith Christ for they are worthy 'T was Gods gift to do his Commandements yet for all that the doing thereof deserves that they yet have not and without the doing of which they should not enter by Right gives right to enter the Citty and eat of the Tree of life Rev. 22.14 Five Talents and two and one were Gods gift yet as he that did not encrease and improve what he had merited at least the losse of it so they that exercised the 2 and the 5 merited the doubling of theirs and by promise had Right using what they had and being faithfull in few littles to many and to more abundance and to the joy of the Lord Much more I might say but T.D. denyes in this the Doctrine of his fellow Divines who tell that the improvement of 〈◊〉 grace as they call it deserves not the gift of speciall but the improvement of special grace deserves more of that still So that though they deny a meritorious transition a genere ad genus from exercising of one kind of grace say they men deserve not another kind as he that improves riches deserves not righteousnesse Yet a desert say they there is by the exercise of some grace of one kind of more of the same kind as he that is holy deserves more holynesse and he that sowes to the Spirit of life shall have life everlasting as he that sowes to the flesh reaps a crop as all persons are to do suitable to their seed of more
the remaining of so many Relikes of the Romish Whoâ—e among our English Clergy that they are still living in and loving the Skirts of that great Whores Scoâ—tations Indeed to say as T.D. doth of S.F. He hath been at Rome He had great Bills of Exchange from Constantinople thither He witnest against the Pope and Cardinal there yet was not medled with He saith he is above Ordinances He saith Iesuits and Friars are sounder in doctrine then those call'd the Reformed Churches He made light on 't when he was charg'd with Popery before 100ds of peâ—ple He affirm'd justification by our good works and such as doctrines are a fair inlet to the Papists Bag and Baggage therefore probably he complyes with the Pope and Cardinals hath a Pension from him and is manifestly a rank Papist These 7 or 8 piball'd Magpie premises and Humbâ—â— Bee propositions whereof some are true and some false may like so many Roaring Megs and Thundring Canons make such a hideous Rumbling noyse in a Country Church as they use to say as to frighten poor Folck out of their senses and force all Priest-bewitcht people whether they will or no into the faith of what followes at their heels as the conclusion they serve to usher in viz that S.F. is a fer-vent Factor for the Sea of Rome Neverthelesse there is no more Consequence in them though less Truth then if a man should argue thus where the Antecedent and Subsequent are both true though the one very untruly deduced from the other viz. The Wheelbarrow runs Rumble to Rumble Therefore the Clergy will never leave climbing up by lyes till down they Tumble The Second Apologetical and Expostulatory Exercitation CHAP. I. NOw I Return again to thee Iohn Owen whom excepting here and there with a word or two as occasion was I have not visited of a long time being by T. D. his interposings in this Question about Iustification which is excentrick from all the points in which thou encountrest the Quakers so totally taken off for many pages together from any steady discourse or any but meer cursory conference with thee that some men who measure others by themselves and take an account of the Quakers conjunctions with them in contending for truth by the cowardly spirits they carry in their own brests may Term it little lesse then shameful or total Tergiversation in me to tarry so long from thee and not so much as face thee all this while And now I am come to deal with thee I shall freely allow thee the advantage of the utmost assistance that T.Ds. Book against the Quakers and that of I. T. or R. B. also affords thee to help thee if need be at any dead list where thou art a stand in the Doctrines about which I have to do with thee which though some are more eminently to be canvased between us two then the rest which are but transiently toucht on by thee yet are no less then the five aforesaid viz. 1. The Letter 2. The Light 3. The Infallible Spirits present infallible guidance 4. The Universality or particularity of the grace of God to the Sons of men 5. Perfection of holinesse and cleansing from sin in this life In all which five whether in the selfe same order as they are here laid down in or no I cannot say nor is it much matter for that as I am first or last to speak on or to joyne issue in against thee So more or lesse T.D. falls in and joyns issue with thee in them against the Quakers so directly that I see not how I can meddle with one and let the other wholly alone but must unavoidably hold an entercourse briefly or largely as occasion happens either simul or successivè with you both and with I. Tombes and R. Baxt. also who whether they meddle in their last book with them all or not so as to prosecute them yet intimate themselves both in that and other of their labours to be of the same minde with you as also most of the Divines so called are throughout this Nation Now concerning these which are the grand Subjects in reference to which all that is said of any of them by either of us in our Disputation about them is but the Praedicate so contrary are we as the Case yet stands between Thy self and me to each other in our Assertions that very much if not most of that which is denominated of them respectively by either of us is as absolutely gain-said by the other So as whatsoever is as most that thou sayest at all of it is falsly Affirmed by thee of the Scripture the Subject which in a shallow sound of words thou seem'st to stand for but art seen in truth to stand against is utterly denyed by me and most of that which is most truly Asserted by me and the Quakers of the Light and all the rest of fore-named Doctrines is as positively denyed by thy self though in thy denying thereof thou dost not more evidently contradict both the Truth and us then thy silly self who art yet so sensless as not to see it What Testimony it is that we bear of the grace of God the Spirits guidance Perfection and true Light the Subjects which we plead for and thou impleadest will be seen when I come in all plainness to give it out with the good grounds thereof as at last I shall God willing howbeit not till toward the last for as much as in the last place thy false witnesse comes out against it and in the mean while betake my self to the intended Tryal of those things which are as blindly as boldly bolted out by thee about the Scriptures and to declare wherein we do and wherein we do not and also why it is where-ever we do not that we neither do nor may nor can accord at all with thee about the Scripture for not Assenting to whose meer fancies about which as infallible and undoubted Truths having hung up thy Flag of Defiance against Atheists Anti-scriptural Iewes and Papists and sought up thy foolish fight also with sundry of thy fellow Protestant Divines for not dancing after thy unharmonious Pipe nor singing to the same Truthlesse tune with thee about the Scriptures Thou beatest up the Quarters of the Quakers and unjustly Quarrelâ—st against them slandering them as fowlely as falsly in a long Latine Piece of Scholastical scrible as slanderers of the Scripture whom yet thou neither dost nor canst evince to be such unless that be to slander the Scripture to say no more of it then matter of truth Now for as much as my Businesse with I. O. principally and in part also with T.D. as to the Scriptures will lie mainly these two wayes viz. First to clear the Quakers from those clouds of ignominy wherewith they as all their fellow Clergy-men commonly do seek to cover them by their lyes of them as a people that deserve to be held accursed among
let it stand and pass on about my business concluding against thee I.O. in thy own words for the Light and Spirit to be that Rule thou sayest the Letter is from its perfection ab Authore A causa perfecta c. From a perfect voluntary cause nothing but what is perfect can be expected for nothing can hinder God being willing to reveal his will from revealing it perfectly as before the Letter was so now where the Letter is not among heathens by his Light and Spirit by which thou confessest he reveals it very far in the words forecited but either because he cannot which denies his infinite Wisdome and Omnipotency or because he will not which agrees not with his goodness and grace Therefore God hath and doth give out by his Light and Spirit within a perfect Revelation of his will so that they consequently must be secundum te by thy own Argument J.O. the only perfect standing Rule for there are not two so far is the Letter that came from them from being so as thy fancy fancies it to be alone and exclusively of them as uncertain useless needless perillous and detestable The second medium by which thou goest about to prove the foresaid conclusion viz. That the Letter or Scriptures are the only perfect Rule Revelation of God his will and our duty that gives to know him to eternal life and not the Spirit and light which as Enthusiasm dubious useless figment c. are with thee to be detested is A naturâ librorum sacrae Scripturae c. from the nature of the books of the holy Scripture which are sayest thou those of the Old and New Testament so sayest thou the Apostle clearly dilates of the Old Testament 2 Cor. 3.14 in the reading of the Old Testament of the New there 's the same reason vers 6. Now every Testament sayest thou alluding to but not quoting Gal. 3.15 though but a mans is perfect and being once confirmed no man disanulleth or superaddeth thereunto Reply Never did I discern such absolute self-overturnings proceed from a professed Doctor as do from J.O. thick and threefold in the very cause he prosecutes whose proofs of his own producing do as frequently confound him and as fully foil him as to the matter he would prove thereby as any that can likely be produced against him by those he opposes and yet I verily beleeve he speaks the sense wellnigh of the whole Vniversity it self in which he hath in the late clawing cringing corresponding and climing times atchieved to become a Chieftane And that it may appear le ts reason J.O. hereabout a little with thee let me ask thee Is the Gospel is the New Testament Letter Scripture external Text and outward Writing as the Old Testament is Is it such a passing perishing dark low obscure thing as writing or graving of Points Tittles and Iotaes in Tables of stone though with the singer of God himself much more it such a mouldring matter for so thy self callest the most Original Copies of the external Text of the holy Scripture that ever was in the world p. 167.164 and therefore well may I so call thy best bare transcribed copies of it as Writings with inke and stamping with Lamb-black in Roles and Books and Papers and Parchments with press hands and tools which cannot be preserved so long as from Ezra till now from mouldring without a Miracle Is the Gospel the New Testament no more than such as thou talkest of Is it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Typography which meer men can take and turn and translate and tumble to and fro and transcribe and tear and dash out and do what they will with Is it outward writings of Epistles and Recommendations and Histories and Letters as that of Paul to Philemon about private personal and domestick affairs and such like Is it not an Epistle of Christ in the table of the heart though ministred sometimes by man at the motion of his Spirit or if a Writing yet not with Inke but with the Spirit of the living God in fleshly Tables of the heart 2 Cor. 3. Is is as the Old Testament as all meer writing ad extra only is whether of old or since Christ and all outward 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Letter only that cannot quicken nor cure but killeth such as serve as thou yet doest in the oldness of it Is it not Spirit Light and Life Is it not the Words of Christ spoken by the Lord himself alone which are Spirit and Life in newness of which the true children of the New Covenant that are more then Bastards that pretend to it do serve and not in the oldness of a letter or that old way of the old Scribes that came no nearer to Christ the Life then the outside of the outward Scripture which was wrote of him Is it any of these things are not these the best Instruments of the Old Testament foolish Shepherds wherewith for a time they were suffered to feed who made the poor of the flock the flock of the slaughter taken up again since Christ directly beside the intent of Christ and such as wrote the later Scriptures by our Idol Shepherds that leave the flock to starve so they can be better fed themselves who are not behinde those of old in feeding with Gall and Wormwood the flock of the slaughter in not pitying but slaying them and yet holding themselves not guilty for which the sword of the Lord is now upon their arm and upon their right eye so that their Arm or Power is now to be clean dryed up and their right eye utterly darkned Ah poor be-wildred be-nighted blind-guides of your blindly-guided people that by custome and tradition from your mouths who take it so to be by tradition from your Fore-fathers are now naturallized into a naming the naked dead letter by the name of the living Word of the living God and the four mis-transcribed and mis-translated Copies of Matthew Mark Luke and Iohns Manuscript of what Christ did in that body wherein he was born at Bethlehem and dyed at Ierusalem by the name of the Gospel and those four bare Books with the rest of those few that follow fardelled together with them in what fashion men most fancy and bound up as the Bible sellers please by the name of the New Testament So thou talkest I.O. telling the world of the nature of the Books of the Scripture as ye now have it is this they are the Old Testament and the New so thou intendest in thy saying Sunt autem veteris novi Testamenti 1. Citing Paul who calls the Books of Moses the Old Testament 2 Cor. 3.14 as â—â—ll well he might for the Old Testament was indeed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Letter or Writing writen with Inke and Pen or ingraven outwardly on Tables of stone and not Spirit or writing with the Spirit of the living God in the fleshly Tables of the heart as the New is which the
is the Rod of power which God promiâ—ed to send out of Sion even the Rod and sharp Sword of his mouâ—h and breath of his lips wherewith he will now smite the Nations and slay the wicked and reprove with equity on the behalf of the meek of the earth whom the proud oppress even the word of his mouth which he will put into the mouths of his sucklings and their seed and seeds seed out of which he ordains strength to the perfecting his own praise against the persecutor This and not the weak dead letter Bible or Scripture thou so labourest bablest and scriblest for is that Power and Authority of God Able as the outward Writing is not to make it self known so to be for the letter is as lifeless helpless powerless as any other Book Writing or dumb Idols that men adore and receive aâ— ye with the Iews of whom thou speak'st p. 237. do the Bible at this day with the honour and veneration due to God that cannot stir from the place where it s set as neither can the Scripture from where it s laid no more than the Turkish Alcoran yeâ— as Jeremiah in his Epistle saiâ—h of the weakness and vanity of all the Idols of the heathen whom they make powerful Gods of Thâ—se Gods quoth he cannot save themselves from rust and moths though they be covered with purple they wipe them because of the dust of the Temple when there is much upon them men put the Scepter in their hands as if they were the Iudge of the Country and Daggers and Axes but they cannot deliver themselves from Theeves nor of themselves put to death one that offends them as a useless vessel worth nothing when broken so it is with their Gods they are as the beams of their Temples upon their bodies and heads Strâ—Bats Swallows Birds and Cats they are things in which is no breath yet they set and sell and buy them at a high price they are carried having no feet â—o walk with if they fall to the ground they cannot rise up again of themselves the same together with what follows caeteris paribus Baruch 6. may be said of the adored Best Copies of the Great Bibles that lye in the great old mouldy Popish Parish Mass-houses now called the Protestant Churches where the Bells hang the Ministers of the Letter not the Spirit the elder sort of which are Priests by Ordinatioâ—â— fit in their Temples and roar and cry the Word of God the Law the Light the way to life the Gospel the power of God to salvation as the Iews do when their Copy is carried about but these Gods of those Idol Shepherds that leave their poor flock at any time for another that hath a better fleece can do nothing at all cannot withstand any King or enemies are not able to escape either from Theeves or Robbers nor when fire falleth on the houses where they are to help or save themselves or flye away how then shall we think they the Books called Bibles the Scriptures are so powerful and effectual not only in themselves but also in respect of us as without any other helps or advantages to shew themselves to be the great Authority and Power of God vis virtus Dei to our salvation as I.O. dreams If he say he means not the Text but the Word it talks on let him say so then when he writes again and then we will take it for granted he gives the cause in question to the Qua. whom he quarrels with for denying the Bible Letter Scripture outward Writing to be the living effectual able powerful word of God that gives life and saves and such like and so we shall meddle no more with him as to that matter but so long as he will needs damn down the Qua. as denyers of Scriptures and the Word of God too because they deny the Letter or Text to be properly the truth or Word of God it doth but declare and talk on we must thereby understand him to intend the Letter which he talks for Moreover as to the Light of God and Word nigh in the heart which the Apostles preached to turn men to and taught them as the Scripture also doth in its Testimony there to to attend to as the Rule of faith and life this is that Word of the truth of the Gospel which is V is virtus Dei the Power of God by the vertue of which Power it brought forth fruit in the Collossians and in all the World where it so came when it came unto them in the Ministry thereof which was the means by which they heard of it first and then came themselves to hear it and to know the grace of God in truth even that grace that bringeth the salvation and appeareth to all men effectually instructing as well without as with the outward Letter of it all that leâ—rn at it to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts and to live soberly righteously and godly in this present world which is the Light of God in the conscience called the goodness of God or grace given to lead them to repentance who despising the riches of it are not led by it to repent and so treasure up wrath to themselves c. Tit. 2 11 12. Rom. 2.4 5. This is it which brought forth fruit in the world without Sword Miracles humane wisdome oratory or any inducements or motives but what are meerly and solely taken from it self consisting in things which eye hath not seen ear heard nor the heart of the animal natural man or of any but the spiritual man that by the Spirit which only searcheth and revealeth them discerneth the deep things of God can discern or conceive This is that that hath exerted its power and efficacy to the conquest of the world so far as it hath been capâ—ivated in the high proud thoughts of it to the true obedience of Christ causing men of all sorts times and places so to fall down before its Divine Authority as to renounce all that its dear undergâ—â— all that it dreadful and destructive to nature in its dearest concernment As for the Letter the Scripture which thou speakest of in a sense abstract from all other helps and advantages as that which without need of any other Revelation by the spirit and light within for these thou call'st superfluous mediums doth plead for reception not onely in comparison with but also opposition to all other wayes of coming to the knowledge of God his mind and will founded thereon and calls for attendance and submission with supreme and uncontroulable Authority 57 58. as that which hath brought forth so much fruit and exerted so much power What power hath it put forth to conquer the world into such submission to the truth as it is in Iesus as Christ requires or as the Letter it self either calls for what fruits of righteousnesse hath it brought forth in the world cal'd Christian to the glory of God for all its being
matter quoth T.D. I make not the Apostle a Lyar for the indefinite phrase hath a restrained sense as elsewhere in the Scripture Christ tasted death for every man Heb. 2.9 when as he died but for a certain number And as for I. Tom and R. Baxt. which two heads that knock so hard against each other about Baptisme make but one hasty head to push against the Qua. and the true Light in that Book of I.T. publish't by R. Bax. â—â—il'd True Old Light Exalted c. many blind passages whereof are here animadverted in which piece of work of theirs there is as there is in I.Os. not only Light but more or less in one place or other all sorts of Light treated and tasted of yet little or no Light at all found but rather a meer mist of darkness these two I say are neither less bold nor less blind then the other two in their confused opposition of this eminent Truth viz. the universality and sufficiency of Light or Grace from Christ in men to save them if they take heed to it from both transgression and condemnation about which I shall â—et down so much of that their book as whereby it may appear how far they are contradictory to the Qua. and then shew how all of them who yet speak out no other then the sense of the whole Brotherhood of the personal particular Electionists that deny the general love of God and his gift of Saving Grace to all men are therein no less contradictory to the Truth And for as much as R. Baxt. is found justifying of what ever is said by I.T. falsly in that foresaid book I do R.B. no wrong in my judging them both for it in my Reply if R.B. had not as he hath vented out his vehemency of blind zeal in his Epistle so ridiculously as to excuse such as accuse him of ignorance and errour in words enough of his own for which I.T. not only mutually justifies him but All-to-be-reverences him also as R.B. does him and most Divines do each other mutually when they joyntly roar out their rude reasons against the Truth though they rather tear and rend then reciprocally reverence one another when they open at each other about their own Opinions To let pass then their unanimous impatient prittle-prattle against the Qua. as Popish and promoting the Papists Interest as savouring of Popery Polagianism Arminianism Socinianism page 36. and such like stuff and strange out-cryes with which the Clergy ever fills poor peoples minds to the rendring of them ill-affected to Friends of Truth as Anti-Scripturisme Enthusiasm Fanaticism c. having dealt with I.O. and T.D. already about that trish-trash of our being Iesuits Papists to which I refer them all who eodem cum idis herentes luto found it out to the same tune against us in that and the rest Arminiana sunt omnia jamdudum profligata they are all Arminius his matters quoth I.O. Arminiaâ— points quoth T.D. thus they stun mens minds not knowing that Arminius though deemâ—d and doom'd an Heretick by that Divine and domineering denunciation of the Divines at Dâ—rt was as no less learned so full as holy and honest as themselves Letting pass also abundance of other lyes and abuses of the Qua. sundry of which call aloud for a Rod of as rough reproof as the rest have had for the backs of both Tombs and Baxter among which I shall here hint at no more then that of R. B. in his Epistle concerning Iame Nayler which as he sayes is regardable and so say I to R. Bs. shame who so basely belyes Iames Nayler therein representing those words at large wherein I.N. renounces those unclean Spirits that are gone out to the dishonour of God by many wild actions from the unity of the Truth and Light into which the Qua. are called gathered and in which they abide as if therein I. N. had written a Recantation of all that ever he wrote against R. Baxter and others for the Truth held out by the Qua. and as if I. N. had for ever renounced the Qua. as unclean spirits and Ranters and such like when as its most evident to any but the blind that as I. N. still iustifies the Truth and Light and all the Qua. that abide in it and to which by the Grace of God he now stands a true and faithful servant so that his Recantation and Renunciation is of no other then of that old Spirit of the Ranters which makes head against the Light of Christ condemning filthiness in every conscience and Life of the Cross which however many may turn away from as they did of old yet many thousands of Qua. continue walking in to this day But I say passing by all I T and R B gross abusiveness of this sort against the Qua of that Vniversal Light and sufficient or saving Grace of God to all which the Qua testifie to they assert thus Bax Ep p 7 Their great pretence when they dishonour the Scripture and the Ministry is to lead men to a Light or Word of God within themâ— and this is their cry in our Assemblies and our streets Hearken to the Light and Word within you and the sufficiency of this they clamorously defend and accuseâ—us grievously for contradicting them c. So p 34 Out of the Principles of those men viz Pelagians Arminians c. these People meaning the Qua have drawn their Tenet of an Vniversal Light in every man that cometh into the world without Bibles Preachers Church-Communion Christian Ordinances to know his duty so as that he may be perfect which is indeed the reviving of old Pelagianism or worse and tends to the making of Christian Religion if not all Religion whatsoever unnecessary Sol 35 36 by way of complaint against the Qua they say This is their conceit that every man that cometh into the world even the Gentiles that have not the Letter yet have from Christ a Spiritual Light c. That every one hath a Light within him or there is such Revelation imparted to every man in the world that if he would use it he might come to saving knowledge This Vniversal Light is so magnified by G. Fox that he tells us it shews all the ungodly wayes that ever a man hath acted in with it a person will come to see Christ the Saviour of his Soul from whence the Light comes to save him from his sin it brings to Christ to confess him gives the knowledge of the God of the world that rules in them that are disobedient this Light gives the knowledge of the Glory of God the true knowledge of the Scriptures its one in all they that come to and love it come into fellowship one with another out of this they are in jarrs and confusions it lets see Sin that hath separated from God and the Mediator and the Kingdome of heaven and lets men see they must be meek and humble keeps from errour guile all distraction
them yet which is more light in them to guide them to please God de Iure and to tell them when they displease him de facto as the Letter does not which shews men what they have done should de and be but no men as the Light does what they have done do and are but the Children of the Light are not all that have the Light in them for all men have it though ill men hate it and because it condemns the evil deeds they love and are loath to leave condemn it love the darkness more then it whereupon it is though as from God intentionally their Salvation yet actually their condemnation Iohn 3.16.17.18.19.20.21 c. but all and only those who are actually led and guided by it who are and walk in it as it is in them and as God is in it guiding them into the way that 's well-pleasing in his sight and into fellowship and acquaintance with himself 1 Ioh. 1.7.8 These I say are the Children of the Light who are justified by it by whom also it is justified while the world condemn it who are condemned by it as Wisdome is justified of her own Children Therefore God hath undoubtedly vouchsafed some measure of sufficient Light or Saving Grace to All men Arg. 5. If any have not some measure at least of this saving Light it must be either the Reprobates that are rebellious against it or the Heathen as ye call them who are in name Christian in nature as Heathenish as they which have not any Letter without nor knowledge of Christ Iesus after the flesh for yourselves who name the Name of Christ and so think ye are Christians would deem your selves disparaged if we should say they have that Light ye have not and ye cannot deny but true Christians that obey it and depart from the iniquity it condemns must much more have the gift of 〈◊〉 saving Light and Grace if the Rebellious have it But the very Rebellious though they improve it not and so dwell in a dry land and find not the green pastures the Sheep of Christ feed on who hear his Voice yet have this gift of saving Grace by Christ the Mediator received for them and vouchsafed to them by the leadings of which if they follow it they may come to witness the Lord God dwelling in them Psal. 68.18 Yea Iob 24.13 If the Rebels against the Light had it not shining in them in that time in which that was spoken which as is generally judged was before any of your Scripture was written they could not be said to rebell against it And beside to the rebellious and gainsaying people in Israel God says what should or could I have done more for them that I have not done which he could not have said in the iudgment of Reason it self as much as he had done for them in giving them an outward Scripture if he had not vouchsafed them withall some measure of that Light and Grace which is only able to guide men that improve it to Salvation for less then so much could not put them into so much as possibility of Salvation for all their Letter and in all Reason he should have put them at least into a possibility of it by a Grace sufficient if improved to bring them to it or else all he did for them beside was little worth or worse then nothing to them and he had not done enough on his own part toward their deliverance from damnation let them have put forth themselves never so far but rather that which according to your principles must unavoidably tend to their sorer condemnation but doing that and putting them by the gift of his own Light Grace and Power into a capacity to work out their own Salvation whether they would walk in that Light or not walk in it improve that Power gift of Grace or not improve it he would be clear of their blood and their miscarriage on their own part and they perish on the score of their own putting the Salvation of God far from them when he brought it nigh them and as he might truly say what could I have done more then I have done for them unless I shall force them to live whether they will or no and so change my Decree unchangeable which is to put men again by my Grace by my Son whom I give to be my Light to the Nations and my Salvation to the ends of the 〈◊〉 into a posse peccare and posse non at least a liberty and power to abuse life or death when I set the way of both before them and then leave them ad libitum to imbrace which they please so they in all reason could expect no more it being pitty enough to provide meat and set it before poor perishing men though one do not put it per force into their mouths when they are capable to feed themselves and if any when they are made videre meliora will deteriora sequi and needs take the wrong way which they know to be the worst and its end to be death when not only the Right is shewed them but they will'd and wish't and enabled to walk in it that they may live thereby as to be in Potentia ad actum to have from Free-grace the power to chuse life or death is grace enough to condemned men so to them that chuse to die no wrong is done fith Volenti non sit injuria Besides the Wisdome of God it self is said Prov. 1.21 c. to call very Scorners that delight in scorning fools that hate knowledge and love folly to turn at her reproof promising more and more to poure out her spirit on them and make known her words to them they hearkening to her reproofs who talks with them in their beds when they awake and by the way c. otherwise 't is the turning away of the simple from her teachings not being without her teachings that slayes them And as for the Heathen how they have that which is to be known of God even enough as to their Salvation manifest by God himself within them and not only the Wrath of God against all their ungodliness but also the Righteousness of God revealed from heaven even by him that speaks from heaven in their own hearts so that they both know God in some measure though not liking to retain the knowledge of him in them nor glorifying him as God answerably to what they know of him their foolish hearts are darkned and they given over to vileness but also know the Iudgements of God that the things they do are worthy of death as also that Life and Peace from God should be to them in the contrary and so are condemned accused and without excuse when they sin as well as cleared accepted justified before God within themselves when they do well by the work of the Law of God written in their hearts by which though they have not the Law in Letter or a literal
did not chuse the fear of the Lord would none of my counsel set at naught all my reproof which otherwise you should have found to have been the way of life I am in Christ reconciling the world to my self not imputing trespasses and I have sent out a Ministry to declare this my Reconciliation to the world as concerning all that 's past if they now do not 〈…〉 and abide in enmity I am friends unless they will needs fight on and fight it out with me to the last and then they will have the worst 〈◊〉 I have made him sin that knew none that they might be righteousness who are yet in their sins I have given him a Ransome for All and he hath offered himself and died for All that were dead in their sins and tasted death for every man Now then hear my Embassadors that pray you without as in my Sons stead who also himself by his Spirit strives with you to the same end within that ye would be reconciled to God and having those promises and received so much Grace as brings Salvation with it to such as despise it not receive not this precious Grace of God in vain but â—korse your selves from all uncleanness of 〈◊〉 spirit perfecting Holiness in the fear of God I have draâ—n you with the cords of my love ye will perish if ye refuse to return I say are ye not ashamed to go out as from God in whose name yet I am sure ye never went with the Doctrines that here under follow to publish to all people as Ambassadors from him his so large love and the great and wonderful things that he doth for the whole Creation of mankind saying What can he do more for you People the he doth unless you will have him violate his own unchangeable will for your sakes and save sinners in sin which he hath decreed never to do as irrevocably as he hath never to refuse such as come to him when he calls and hath enabled them thereunto And yet after all this good news glad tidings to the whole world offers of a Gospel of Salvation to all people as far as ye are able to proclaim them then to come in with such cold comfort again upon them as this and put such a Bit into peoples Iaws and bridle on their mouths â—â—nsing them to erre so as to go Round and tell them that of a truth and for truth they must take it from them and believe it as an Article of their Faith as Oâ—bâ—dox Doctrine that they are Heretical if they deny it viz. that though ye thus largely tender and offer Salvation from God to them All without exception on condition they come and so that if they come they shall be accepted and there 's Grace Mercy a Saviour and Salvation for them in Christ in whom they are All to believe even every mothers child of them for himself that it s there for him that he died for him and is his Saviour which is the only good news to individuals and to the universal world of mankind also for it s no glad tidings to a thousand to one in the World to hear that Christ will save some one of a thousand among them and damn All the rest or All the rest he is preached to doubly by his coming into it because they believe not in him who yet was never given for them and this on pain of double condemnation And though ye reveal this to them as the Will of God yet there 's no such matter of Vniversal Love or Salvation intended to them All as ye tender extend talk of proclaim and offer from God to them All but his Will in secret is otherwise then ye say these proffers are to another purpose then to this intent that they All or half of them either or any but a very few of them should have it even but to leave men the more in sorer condemnation though ye bid All come and welcome yet All can't come nay none without God who calls give his Saving Grace that 's true enough and most can never come for want of that Saving Grace for want of a sufficient Light to lead them which Grace and Light they want also upon no other account then because God never did nor never intends to vouchsafe it them and that he hath a reserve in his mind a certain secret will within himself not known to man which runs otherwise then his revealed wil does that ye declare even a secret purpos which yet as secret as 't is ye it seems pretend to know it and must be babling about it to the shaming and contradicting your selves i th' t'other even to give this Salvation but to a certain small number in comparison of the rest whom from Eternity he hath Reprobated and purposed personally upon Adams score shall go without it which sin of that single man shall so remain on the score with him for ever that upon the account thereof a thousand to one of mankind his posterity though yet he would in words shew himself more rich in mercy to them All then severe to take advantage against any â—o as to have it told thus in universal terms that his Son died for them All for every man the whole world c. should be left without any interest or share in it or potential title thereunto and howbeit he will have them all call'd to come and lay hold on it and promises made of Life to them on condition they come and believe in his Son and his love to them in him yet he so hates them personally before ever born or doing good or evil that they shall never from him be sufficiently impowered to come or believe as he could impower them if he so pleased nor be put into any capacity by him to châ—se the Life though set before them as well as the death with a chuse life that ye may live but be left for want of a will set at any liberty to chuse the good under a necessity of having the evil and to chuse either that or none and yet if they do not chuse the good too that advantage shall be taken the more against them to double vengeance on their heads for that helpless unavoidable fault of refusing the good and a quarrel picâ—t against them upon the account of the old intended praeterition and so double execution be done upon them now as rebellious against the Gospel of Gods Grace whereby he would in words alias seemingly though secretly he never would nor intended it have saved them and for not believing in his Son as theirs when yet he left them lockt up when he call'd on them to believe so fast that he knew they could not answer and would not so much as unâ—o se them neither to see if they would accept his love believe repent and make use of the remedy yea or nay in whom also if they had All believed most of them had as the case
therefore they have no Light in them but an Argument it is rather that these Pastors are like those Ier. 10.14.21 who are become bruitish and have not sought the Lord in his Light in that they argue so bruitishly not only besides the Spiritual Light of the Lord which would lead them to a right understanding of the truth but also below that common sense and reason that naturally belongs to man for which therefore woe unto them they shall not prosper and all their flocks shall be scattered for which a great commotion is already come out of the North to make their Cities their Assemblies defolate as a Den of Dragons Thus far as to R.B. and I.Ts. first Argument by which men may judge of the constitution of the rest which are all of the same complexion The second is drawn from Act. 17.22.23 Rom. 1.21.22.23 the sum of which in short is this The most improved Gentiles for all that Light which was in them were in all things too superstitious were carried about to dumb Idols as they were led had their foolish hearts darkned about their thoughts of God worshipped him ignorantly and such like therefore they much less the most barbarous and consequently none of the Gentiles who had not the Scripture nor such other teaching as Gods people were taught by had not a Light in them that was sufficient without the Scripture to guide them to God c. Rep. That the Gentiles were generally superstitious foolâ—sh dark blind idolatrous and ignorant in their worshippings of God I deny not howbeit I close not cordially with that clause the most improved in the Antecedent for 't was through non-improvement of the Light they had and because at the best they were ill improved in it that they became so for had they heeded the Light they had been led out of Idols to the knowledge of God by it for what is to be known of God is by it manifest in them Rom. 1.19 But what if the best improved Gentiles were so as ye say vain in their thoughts c. they might have better improved the Light then they did and the Reason why they were so fortishly superstitious was not because they had not sufficient Light to lead them in the true knowledge of God and his Worship and direct them to discern the truth but because they look't not to the Light because they went out from the Light they had by which they had some measure of the knowledge of God into their own wisdome leaning to their own understanding and so became vain therefore is it said They were without excuse because when they knew God they glorified him not as God neither were thankful but became vain in their imaginations and their foolish heart was darkned and professing themselves to be wise they became fools and changed the glory of God into an Image and changed the truth of God into a lye and worshipped and served the creature more then the Creator not liking to retain him and that true worship of him which the Light would have led them to in their knowledge and the Gentiles there were not so vain and foolish ignorant of God and superstitious for want of Light to guide them as R. B. T. D. dote they were to Gods true worship but for want of being guided by the Light they had So what 's this to their purpose Who sees not the blindness weakness folly nakedness and falsity of this argument one absurdity in which also more notable in it then the rest is this viz. that in the conclusion is inferred aliud a negaro another thing then that which is denied by the Qua. and undertaken to be proved against them by themselves for therefore say they the Gentiles who had not the Scripture nor such other teaching as Gods people are taught by had not a Light sufficient c. the words in which conclusion are true though nihil ad Rhombum if there be any such Gentiles that have neither Scripture nor such other teaching Mark that phrase foisted in by them whereby they conclude another matter then is denied by us in the Question in hand for the Gentiles that have not the other teaching i. e. that of the Light within have not the Light within that 's true who doubts it but none such are to be found that have not that Light and Grace in some measure by which God teaches his and Alâ— people though most Gentiles are found destitute of an outward Letter as God teaches his People by which other teaching is that of the Light within which is that other yea that chief teaching God teaches his and All people by whether they learn by it yea or nay I shall say more to them when I see them but at present I know none such nor ever have done Before I pass to the third Argument of R. B. I. T. from this second I shall consider their tenth and thirteenth Arguments which are co-inciden and in effect the same with this second by which three Arguments which yet in substance are but one I. O. and T. D. both are found fencing in their foolâ—sh minds together with them against All mens having a sufficient Light to guide them into the true saving knowledge of God his worship and the mystery of his Kingdome about which I have dealt with T. D. already in p. of my first Exercitation who All urge peoples ignorance of the things of God his Worship and mystery of his Gospel and Kingdome in proof of their want of a Light whereby they might know them which is such an idotish ignorant piece of arguing as he makes who argues a non actu ad non potentiam a non esse ad non posse which is as silly as to conclude that becauâ—e a man sits still therefore he cannot go or he hath no power to walk because when he shuts his eyes and neither will nor does see the Sun therefore he never could see it for which a man would be hissed out of the Schools by very Boyes As for R. B. and I. T. they are so enamoured with the Eminency and and strength of this their argument the childishness and weakness of which is evident to any save such whose own it is so that being blind at home they will not own the blindness and absurdness of it that they seem to put more stress upon it then on all the rest beside Hereupon it hath more then one or two or three places in their book viz. not only in the 43 page forecited but also page 28. and page 29. where they conclude that because men stumble and their imaginations are evil their hearts deceitful and wicked therefore they want light to direct them and to rectifie their thoughts if men stumble and fall it s an Argument say they they want Light of such corruption want of Light to guide us in the way to happiness oh gross is a chief part Ieremies sayings Every man is bruitâ—sh c. the
the Lord which shall be counted to him for a Generation and to confess as much as they are now a curse among men that they are the Seed whom God hath blessed Virtutem incolumem odimus Sublatam ex oculis Quaerimus invidi Their eleventh argument from Jude 19. Having not the Spirit John 14.17 The Spirit of Truth whom the world cannot receive is this Every man hath not the Spirit of God therefore every man hath not a light within sufficient to guide him to God Rep. Every man that hath not so long resisted grieved quenched the motions of the Spirit of God striving in him that it thereupon is taken from him as it was from those sensual ones Iude speaks of whom God had given over to their lusts hath the Spirit striving within him and that 's enough to our purpose who own such a state that some may be given over to for not using what they had while they had it as wherein to have wisdome at whose reproof they would not turn withdraw and leave them to the way of folly and the good Spirit depart from them as he did from Saul Iudas the Iews and others and leave the house even their hearts wholly desolate and destitute of his presence for the evil spirit that lusteth in men to envy to enter and totally to possess them and the talent or measure of Gods Light within sith they would not trade with it taken away from them that the outwaâ—d darkness might come upon them and the grace of God that brought Salvation to them which at some time or other appears to all men Tit. 2.11.12 sith they would not learn of it to to deny ungodliness but turned it into wantonness and received it in vain despising the riches of it when it would have led them to repentance leave them to the impenitency and hardness of their hearts that they might fill up their measure of sin and so wrath come upon them to the utmost but all this proves not but that once they had it or else Christ would not have said to such as yet walk't not in it Walk in the light while ye have it least darkness come upon you and ye know not whither ye go nor could your selves say rationally as ye do to wicked men often O people now while his good Spirit moves in your spirits resist not quench not his motions left like them that lay at the Pool of Bethesda not stepping in while the Angel moved on the waters you be left unhealed forever Work whilst its day left the night come on you wherein none can work his spirit will not strive alwayes c. As for the worlds not receiving the Spirit so as to walk in it it proves not that God gives it not any more then that they have no grace given them of God because they receive it in vain and ye may as well say unreasonable men have no principle of reason left in them because they live not by it as that they have not a sufficient light in them to lead them because they do not walk in it Besides it is expressly said of Christ that by the same Spirit by which himself was quickned he went and preached to the spirits in prison i. e. to their own lusts which were disobedient in the old world in the dayes of Noah which was not by his Ministry without only as the dream but within also in their own hearts Their twelfth runs thus The Son did not reveal the Father to every man nor did every man come to Christ therefore every man had not a light within him sufficient to guide him to God Rep. The consequence of this is utterly false for though the world hates Christ the Light and comes not to him yet he is come a light into the world this he that 's not willingly ignorant of it can scarcely chuse but see if he read Iohn 3.16.17.18.19.20.21 it follows not because men come not into Christs Light that therefore it is not come into them it being as is shewed above one thing for the Light to be in men another for them to be in it I am come that they might have life faith Christ of the Jews John 10. yet ye search the Scriptures and therein look for Eternal life but will not come to me that ye may have life faith he to the Scribes Iohn 5. both these comings of each to other are necessary to the life else though the Light that is able to lead to it be in men they not being led by it cannot have it Moreover Christ does by his Light reveal the Father to such as hate both him and his Father though they like not to know him thereby else he could not say truly as he does to such Iob. 22.23.24 If I had not come and spoken to them they had not had sin but now they have no cloak for their sin If I had not done in them the works which none other doth they had not had sin but now they have both seen and hated both me and my Father In what measure men see the mind and will of Christ and his Father manifested in them by the Light within Rom. 1.19 and hate that they see and hate both Christ and his Father whose Light and Mind and Will that is which appears to them Their fourteenth is urged by them from Texts of Scripture every of which most clearly prove or rather positively asserts the very thing they contend against viz. that Christ is come a Light to them that sit in darkness and so all men do a Light to the Nations a light into the world that whosoever that is in the world he is come into believeth in him should not perish nor walk nor abide in darkness but have the light of life Iohn 3.19.8.12 9.5.12.46 for not coming to which nor believing in which not loving but hating of which not living by which only the world comes to be condemned Were ever men so blinded But say they Christs coming a Light into the World would be needless if every man had a light in him before Christs coming into the World sufficient to guide him in the way to God Therefore the Quakers Opinion about the light in each person is a manifest errour Rep. Your apprehension of the Qua. Opinion is either a manifest errour or a wilful piece of ignorance or a miserable mistake or something for they hold no such thing as a light in each man sufficient to guide him without or besides that of Christ or before Christs coming into the world but that the whole world lying in wickedness and sitting in darkness Christ is sent a Light to enlighten them who without him are lost and that he who is that true Light doth more or less by his coming into the world enlighten every man that comes into it The fifteenth concludes a lye against the Qua. as denying the use of and dehorting from searching the Scriptures which while Christ Iohn 5.39
that 's a Saint is born of God and 〈◊〉 that 's ban of God doth not sâ—n neither can because so And though there be among the Sons of God degrees of growth in Grace and Faith as to the measure of it as I said degrees among believers for which T. D. sillily suppos'd I meant that some of these have a mixture of sin with their grace page 18. 1 Pamp. Yet I deny any mixture of sin and grace together which they are no more capable of then water and oyl but every Believer and Babe as so that is truly born of God is perfect after Christs own Image and in the Divine Nature though not yet grown up into the measure and fulness of Christs stature and stands justified and accepted in the sight of God and out of the condemnation while out of the transgression and every unbeliever in the Light is out of God and Christ who are Light is in the darkness and of the Devil the Prince of darkness and is in the condemnation because in the transgression and one with that Seed which is in the Reprobation and each Seed and the Son that respectively is born of it hath its own proper portion divided out unto it and that which is of the Spirit hath life together with it and who is of the Serpent and the flâ—sh sows to it and if not parted from it must perish together with it and accordingly reap nothing but corruption And as to all the rest of T. Ds. Râ—plyes to our Reasons rendred as to this point at the Dispute at Sandwich which Replyes of his having no more force of reason in them then there is strength in a rush as to their reaching to hurt the truth though I need not take any notice of them in order to the consuting of T.D. he having so fairly consured himself already as is above shewed yet for the sakes of such as are honest hearted and willing to see the truth I may run over to the rest in such wise as follows Next then in answer to G. W. who told him truly how he wrested the Scriptures to his own destruction for so by his Emphases he does indeed T.D. sayes noâ— â—â—r quoth he the New-birth agrees to all the Saints and if it excludes the being of sin here he goes off from the terms for he should have said the sinning acting or assenting to sin in some it must in all for the Seed remains in all as well as any Rep. I say so too and therefore for the reason is sufficiently rendred above it is that no Saint that 's born of God as so doth sin or can while such if he do he is no Saint 't is the sinner and not the Saint that sins which is begotten back by the Devil from that of God into his own Image Likeness and Nature and by the Serpent beguiled again as Paul was jealous the Corinthians would be and as the Galatians were bewitched form the obedience of the truth But now quoth T. D. least ye should be so mad as to assert all Saints to be free from sin from sinning still he should say for sin may be dead in a man who sins not nor lives in it pray read Joh 1 1 8 If we say that we have no sin we deceive our selves and this is spoken of such persons as of whom it is denyed that they commit sin persons that had fellowship with the Father and his Son Iesus Christ v 3. Rep. Here he hath brought more fuel for that fire that is already burning his drossy divinations The foolish Woman can do no other in the day that 's approaching but pull down her own House with her own hands And so doth folly befool the divine doers against the truth in these dayes into an utter undoing of themselves Tâ—is is spoken of such quoth he of whom it s said they commit not sin so say I and of such of whom it s said they sin not Therefore T.D. may be sure he can fetch nothing hence in proof of it that they do sin It s said of such quoth he as had fellowship with the Father and Son so say I which proves them not now to be sinners but must necessarily prove them and so indeed it does to be free from sin and the deeds of darkness not sinning not walking in the darkess or any deeds of it but in the Light now at least what ere the had done in which light who walkes as it leades him cannot sin any more then he can that walkes not after the flâ—sh but after the Spirit and is led not by the flesh but by the Spirit which Light and Spirit never led any yet into sin So the very Text and his own reaâ—on T. D. brings to conclude them Sinners excludes them utterly from being Sinners now for had they been so they could not have had that fellowship with God and Christ which T. D. said they now had For God is light in him is no darknesse at all if we say we have fellowship with him and walk in darknesse we ly and do not the truth but if we walk in the Light as he is in the light then have we fellowship and the blood of Christ cleanseth us from All Sin If we say we have no sin we deceive our selves and the truth is not in us But if we confesse our sins he faithfull and just to forgive us our Sins and cleanse us from All unrighteousness if we say we have not sinned we make him a lyar c. Who but such night Owls as can see better by night then they can by day can pick out such a thing as this from any one of these verses viz. that Iohn and the Saints he here writes to even of the least growth and lowest measure however they had been so did sin and were sinners at this presâ—nt when he wrote it That they all had sin once and had sinned its evident enough as I told T. D. then for if we say we have not sinned saith he we make God a lyar Yea had they never sinned they had needed neither that pardon nor purging and perfect cleansing from all sin all unrighteousness he there affirms they confessing their sins God was faithfull to give them as well as to forgive all what they had committed and which they then witnessed in praesenti but that at this time they were sinning and sinners not one title in all that Text doth Testifie T. D. But yea must not think to â—ut us offâ—sâ— quoth T. D. v. 8. 'T is Amartian Ouk Echomen and the other is Ouk Emartekamen suppose the latter verse to be understood of the sins which praeceded the new birth yet the former is expressely de presenti that we have not have had no sin Rep. Who doubts of this but that Eâ—h mâ—n is the present tense we know Iohn saves if we say that we have no Sin we deceive our selves But what then my friend because he sayes
I shall hereunder shew both their voluntary calls to and commendations of their unjustly occasioned cautions about condemnations of this light of Christ in the Conscience of men when the Qua commend and call to it and set the one of these immediately under the other only premising this that whether they speak of the light which themselves call Christ which the letter holds sorth and testifies to or the light wherewith God shines and shews his will and mind in some measure in the hearts and minds of all men even Heathen Philosophers or others which we call Christs light though they do not we mean however they divide these no other but that one Law of God which the Letter is the Copy of which is spirituall holy just and good which T. D. confesses to be the Heathens Rule so far as is written in their hearts Christ the Light of the World and his light in the heart which the Scripture testifies of abundantly not any such thing as mans own thoughts wisdome imaginations inventions c. Which the Heathen became vain in Rom 1. which the Qua call all men out of and the Divines that lead men by no other are themselves yet led by more then any steering by nothing but their own many minds and meanings on the Scripture c. Some few calls to and Commendations of the light with Cautions to take heed to it collected out of many more that are in R. B. and I. T. his Book P. 68. It concerns us say they to take heed how we dote on our own reason or the most exact writers of morality and neglect the light which Christ hath brought into the World Let us be wise so to use Candles as not to burn day-light that we so make use of all the reason humane wisdome and virtue we have our selves or discern in others writings or examples that yet we chiefly eye and follow the grand light the Sun of righteousness the Lord Jesus learning him by studying the great Counsell of God which he revealed and denying our selves take up our Crosse and follow him as his Disciples Christ is to be chosen and followed as our Light An Exhortation to use Christ as our Light that was the true Light which lighteth every man that cometh into the World be induced to imbrace and follow the Lord Christ as the great Light of the World besides the evidence out of Scripture to prove him to be sent from God a light into the World c. His sayings and doings do amply confirm it And p. 88. 89 they go on thus Though the Jewes contradicted and blasphemed the Romane Emperour raged Lucian jeered Libanism wrangled Iulian calumniated Papists corrupt Gnosticks Hereticks Fanaticks Quakers here they abominably bely the truth for the Quakers call all and only to the light of Christ adulterate and cloud the truth of Christ they do but pisse against the Sun the light of Christs Doctrine the truth of the Gospell doth and will shine forth nor can all the cavills say they of moderne Atheists or the dust raised by new Phantasticks take away the brightnesse of Christs light or hinder its enlightning others then themselves and shall we after all the Arguments given of Christs being the true light follow after ignes fatuos who these be but that fraternity who would have men follow their fancies and not Christs light in the Conscience which is that the Quakers call to I know not What reall comfort or spirituall help to holinesse or heavenly directions do they give to lead men to God better then Christ hath done May you not discern a vain glorious spirit a self-seeking proud carnall spirit in them what do their censures of others shew but a mind to extoll themselves their affected speech looks carriage but a desire to hide their falshood what do all the devices of Iesuits Popes and their Agents tend to but either by force or subtlety to set up the monstrous powers of the man of sin and their own domineerlng over mens consciences underhim â—aSenus recte quidem sed et etiam de te fabula O Parochialis Sacerdos What is in their conclave but pollicy in their counsell but deceit in their Iesuists and Casuists but jugglihg shall we go after such Masters and leave Christ Remember we that one is our Master even Christ when any shall sollicit us not to adhere to Christ as our Teacher reject them Christ hath warned you say they and so say I too as concerning any that lead forth from his light within therefore saith he go not forth after them nor follow them If any say low here is Christ or there and so do all Priests and Professors and their Teachers in their sundry forms and outward observations in which they look for the Kingdome which comes not in them believe it not We will not venture our lives upon Mountebanks and will we our souls upon deceivers Shall we follow our own conceits which often prove foolish and neglect Christs Doctrine which say we still is his teaching light and counsell in the Conscience which alwayes proves wise and safe no no let us answer as Peter Lord to whom shall we go thou hast the words of eternall life Alas what can we expect but if we follow blind leaders as all are that teach the things of God otherwise then Christ and his Apostles did who say I called all along to walk in the light within we should fall with them into the Ditch into everlasting perdition On the otherside there is so much plain and clear light in Christs doctrine as will guide our feet in the way of peace Away then with all such obtruded insinuating Teachers as indeavour to hide from us the light of Christ shining in his Doctrine recorded in Scripture Let 's say none but Christ none but Christ that Christ which preached dyed at Ierusalem that word of his which is written in my Bible of which the Bible testifies say I that its near in the heart to heare and do it shall be my light to the Testimony of Jesus which sayes tho Scripture is the spirit of prophecy the sure word of prophecy that as a light shineth in the dark place of the heart and is to be taken heed to to his Everlasting Gospell I stick So Bixt Ep. p. 7. speaking of the Qua Do they affirm that all men have the light of reason who denyeth it of any but Idiots and Infants Do they maintain that this light is from Iesus Christ both as the Authour and restorer of nature and by whom among us is this denyed Do they say that repaired or reprived nature may be fitly called grace about this also we have no mind to quarrell with them so they will not exclude supernaturall grace thereby as we do not but hereby conclude it Do they hold that common supernaturall light is given to many at least of the unsanctified c. and who contradicteth them in this Do