the members of the true Church so lived in the days of old and many thousands blessed be the Lord in this day are living so and coming so to live Christ being the same yesterday to day and for ever For saith the Apostle What manner of love hath the Father bestowed on us that we should be called the sons of God therefore the world knoweth us not mark the reason because it knew him not but said He was Joseph's son a sinner and hath a Devil and deceiveth the people Why hear ye him Even as Teachers and Professors generally cry out this day against his servants whom he hath sent forth to bear witness of his true Light that it is a natural Light and not sufficient to lead out of sin c. But saith John Beloved now are we the sons of God and it doth not yet appear what we shall be but we know that when he shall appear and blessed be the Lord he is appeared in his Saints 2 Cor. 13.5 Col. 1.27 Rom. 8.10 We shall be like him for we shall see him as he is And every one that hath this hope in him purifieth himself mark that even as he is pure 1 Joh. 3.1.2.3 And herein was Love made perfect and gives boldness in the day of Judgement because say they even as he is take notice of that so are we in this world 1 Joh. 4.17 He that can receive it let him for he was and is without sin and bare our sins in his body on the Tree c. Therefore saith the Apostle If we be dead with Christ we believe that we shall live â—…im Now Christ was dead to sin and the Gospel did wiâ—…s some of them dead to sin and could no longer live therein but live unto Christ in newness and righteousness of Life for a dead man that is really dead cannot move act or speak so he that is really dead to sin cannot act or commit sin and Paul did say That himself ahd others were dead to sin and free from sin Rom. 6.2.7 the old man crucified and the body of sin destroyed Therefore saith he Rom. 6.11 Ver. 14. Reckon your selves to be dead indeed unto sin but alive unto God thorough our Lord Jesus Christ for sin shall not have dominion over you for ye are not under the Law but under Grace which Crace taught them to deny all ungodliness and worldly lusts and to live truly like God in this present world Therefore saith Peter 〈◊〉 8.11,12 Forasmuch as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh arm your selves likewise with the same mind for he that hath suffered in the flesh as Old England and New-England and many other places can witness how much many of the faithful servants of the Most High God have suffered in their flesh to the loss of life and spoil of Goods for the Testimony of Jesus and the wicked actions on record will testifie to generations to come I say Pet. 4.12 He that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased mark from sin that he no longer should live to the lust of the flesh or will of man the rest of his time but to the will of God c. And saith Paul Rom. 6.17 God be thanked ye were take notice not that then they were the servants of sin but having obeyed from the heart that form of Doctrine which was delivered you mark â— 18. being made free from sin became the servants of Righteousness So here according to the holy Scripture the Apostle did testifie â—om 17. that the Romans thorough the Gospel he preached unto them had freedom and victory over sin on this side the Grave Cor. 15.54.57 And the Gospel he preached was CHRIST the LIGHT in them and to that was he sent to turn their minds for what may be known of God he told them was manifest in them Rom. 1.19 And his Doctrine was Cor. 2.4,5,6 not with enticing words of mans wisdom but in the demonstration of the spirit and power of the Lord that their Faith might not stand in the wisdom of men by which wisdom they knew not God but in the power of the Lord. Howbeit saith he We preach wisdom 〈◊〉 them that are perfect according to Christ's Doctrine wâ—…d Be ye perfect even as your heavenly Father is perfect And Paul was not ashamed of this Gospel for it was and is the Power of God to salvation to every one that believes and follows the Light of Christ â—om 1.16,17 for therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith â—oh 5.4 by which faith the faithful came to get the victory over sin and freedom from sin and became servants to God and brought forth fruits unto holiness of life Rom 6.22,23 the end of which was and is everlasting peace â—atth 25.46 but the wages of sin living and dying in it is everlasting death and punishment Obj. But did not Paul say O wretched man c. And so though a man may say some be freed from the guilt of sin yet it cannot be that men may be free from the acting or committing of sin whilst they are on earth c. but by the righteousness of Christ imputed to them they shall he saved that believe in Christ c. Answ He that acteth or committeth sin is under the guilt and condemnation for sin for he that commits sin is of the Devil and the Light wil be his condemnation and whosoever abides in him saith John sinneth not whosoever sinneth hath not seen him neither knoweth him for he dyed for sinners and ungodly ones but not to live in sin but unto himself which dyed for them 2 Cor 5 15 and the righteousness of Christ imputed to any that live in sin and daily act and commit sin that will stand them in little stead in the day of the Lords account when he shall give to every one according to the deeds done in the body And although the Scripture saith Abraham believed God and it was imputed unto him for righteousness yet it doth not say that the righteousness of Christ shall be imputed to them which daily live and abide in sin Abraham believed and also obeyed the command of God now that which was written concerning Abrahams righteousness that was imputed unto him was not written for his sake alone as saith the Scripture but for us also to whom take notice of that it shall be imputed if we believe mark and take notice if ye believe it shall be imputed unto you for righteousness if ye say ye do believe then ye shall not abide in sin if ye believe and follow the Light of Christ in you then you shall not saith Christ abide in darkness sin or evil but shall have the Light of Life Compare John 8.12 John 12.46 to Rom. 4.23,24,25 And as for Paul's saying O wretched man c. I do affirme in the fear of God according to what I have received of the
Lord and shall make it to appeare by the aforegoing words of the Apostle to the Romans and also by the words following that it was not the Apostles then present condition when he said O wretched man that I am c. but a condition that he had once passed through which through Christ he did witness a freedom from Rom. 8,12 onely it was the manner of the Prophets and Apostles when they writ to the people and for the condescending to the low estate or condition that those they writ unto were in to rank themselves with them to wit in using the word We or Us as for instance if we say we have nosin or have not sinned c. And in mamy things we offend all And as Isaiah saith Lord why hast thou caused us to erre from thy wayes James 3.2 1 John 1.8 Isaiah 36.17 But Paul as is a fore shewed affirmed they were really dead to sin Rom. 6.2 and he giveth an infallible reason for it for saith he Know ye not that so many of us as were baptized into Christ were baptized into his death that like as Christ was raised from the grave so they were to walk in newness of life Rom. 6.1 to the 8. and so they came from under the dominion of sin and from under the Condemnation of the Law Rom. 6.14.15 Chap. 8.1 but whiles a man lives the Law hath Power over him He that hath an ear to hear can hear and understand Rom. 5.14 but he over whom and in whom death reigns though he may talk of Christ and his righteousness of Faith and Grace c. yet not being turned to the Light which is the Law Rom. 5.13,14 he is not come so far as the pure law of God neither knowes he it in righteousness and truth but is a stranger unto it for saith Paul Know ye not my brethren how that the Law hath dominion over a man so long as he liveth for I speake to them saith he that know the Law for the woman that hath an husband is bound by the Law to her husband so long as he liveth but if her husband be dead she is loosed from the Law of her husband so that she is no adulteress thoughshe be marryed to another Wherefore saith he my brethren ye also are not that ye shall become dead to the Law by the body of Christ that ye should be marryed to another even to Christ who is raised from the dead thorough whom they brought forth fruits unto God for saith he when they were in the flesh he did not then say they now are in the flesh or following the motions of the flesh the motions of sin which were by the Law wrought in their members sin and brought sorth fruits unto death but now he said they were delivered from the Law that they should serve in newness of spirit Rom 6.15 What shall we say then saith he Rom. 7.7 Is the Law sin God forbid for he had not-known sin except the Law had said Thou shalt not covet But sin taking occasion by the Commandement wrought in him all manner of Concupiscente For he was alive mark and take notice of that ONCE He there told them what he was once but by the receiving of the Law which caused sin to abound and appear exceeding sinful he cried out O wretched man c. So there was a time Paul saw his sin to abound by the Law c. and there was a time he did witness he was dead to sin And there was a time he told them The Law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus had freed him from the Law of Sin and Death And that was Paul's then present condition for saith he There is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus who walk not after the flesh or its motions for they that so do cannot please God But saith he Rom. 8.1 to 10. Ye are not in the stesh but in the Spirit if the Spirit of God dwelleth in you Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ he is none of his he gives a character of them that have this Spirit whereby in the Light of the Son of God they may judg and examine themselves for if the Spirit of Christ be in thee the body is dead because of sin but the Spirit is Life because of Righteousness So that through this Spirit of Life Paul did witness a freedom from sin and a Victory over sin on this side the grave and thanked God for it and said He had fought the good sight he had finished his course he had kept the Faith which gave victory over the world or sin and henceforth saith he 2 Cor. 12 7 8,9 there is laid up for me a Crown of Glory and Righteousness which the Lord the Righteous Judge shall give me at that day and not onely to me but unto all them which love his appearance And although Paul did cry out of the thorn in the flesh and of the buffeting of Satan lest he should be exalted above his measure Tit. 2.11,12 the Lord did not impute that unto him as sin but said My grace is sufficient for thee which Grace taught Paul and the Saints to deny sin and ungodliness whereby they lived like God in that present world So that it is evident by the Scriptures of Truth that the Apostles and Saints in Light did witness a redemption from sin and were regenerated washed and cleansed and sanctified on this side the grave Read and compare these Scriptures 1 Cor. 1.30 Rom. 6.2.7.22 Ch. 7.6 Rom. 8.2 to 10. 1 Cor. 6.11 Ch. 15.55,56,57 2 Tim. 4.7,8 1 Pet. 4.1,2 So I being cast into Prison that very day that Priest Whale thus affirmed not giving any just offence in word or action as Priest Whale passed by the Prison I required him to prove where man should be made free from sin seeing that he had affirmed That the godliest man that ever was did not get the victory over sin on this side the grave His Answer was They should be cleansed in heaven O wretched man How hast thou darkned the Counsel of the most High God uttering words without the true knowledg of God from thy wisdom which is from beneath which is earthly sensual and bruitish and how hast thou deceived thousands of souls Wo is me for thee the Controversie of the Lord will be great with thee and you all and have taken their moneys for that which is not Bread and have made them spend their labour all the daies of their lives for that which doth not profit their immortal souls which wil be required at thine such blind guides hands as thou art May not the People State wch have given thee a great house 150 l. a year some say 200 l. a year truly say It is for nought for if people can never be made free from sin or get the victory over sin on this side the grave the contrary