God by the writers of the Scripture to the Pedagogie of the Old Testament and times before Christ such as greatly affected the outward man with trembling and astonishment for which thou citest both Habakkuk and Daniel as it the times since Christ knew no such matter as true Trembling or any such Quaking as may affect the outward man but what is fained and from Satan and the force and power of the evil Spirit imitating in his filthy Tripodes and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that Dread and Terrour which is by the Power of God upon his people of which said fictitious sort thou falsely and foolishly fainest all that outward Trembling that is found among the Qua. to be at this day pag. 8. Ex. 1. S. 1. I say hadst thou been as well read and skilled in Scripture as by thy scribling pro Scripturis thou wouldest fain seem to be surely thou wouldest have found that Paul and John both were found in as great Tremblings and Astonishments Dread and Terrour to the great affecting of the outward man under the Appearances of the Lord to them in Visions and Revelations of his minde and will to them which they wrote as either Daniel Habakkuk or the rest of the Prophets before Christ that wrote them insomuch that they scarce knew sometimes where they were whether in or out of the body but were as dead with fear Act. 9 6.26.14 1 Cor. 2.3 2 Cor. 12.2 3. Rev. 1.17 But alas J.O. is so taken up and hurried in his thoughts in a hideous talking for the Scriptures that he hath little time to give any very great good heed to the Scriptures themselves he so talks for J.O. Thou addest pag. 6 7. That as far as their own personal concernments as Saints and beleevers did lye in the things they wrote they studied the writings and Prophesies of one another Dan. 9.2 and made a diligent enquiry thereby in order to the investigation of the things which the Spirit that spake in themselves did signifie 1 Pet. 1.10.10 without which though their Visions were express yet they understood them not and that they attained a saving useful habitual knowledge of the truths delivered by themselves and others by the illumination of the Holy Ghost through the study of the Word i.e. Scripture with thee still even as ye do Psal. 119 104. but as to the receiving of the Word from God as God Spoke in them they obtained nothing by study or meditation by enquiry or reading Am. 7.15 Rep. Here is such a parcel of uncouth prate about the Prophets and their Prophesie of Scriptures and the Scriptures of their Prophesies as favours of nothing but that illiterateness and ignorance of the true wayes of coming to the saving knowledge and understanding of the minde and will of God that abounds in Vniversities the supposed Nurseries as well of spiritual learning as any other well nigh as much as in any places of the so called Christian world besides What dreaming what darkness and confusion is here As if the Writers of the Scriptures because they were moved by the holy Spirit to write what they did therefore wrote they did not know what themselves nor in any wise sawingly understood every one his own piece of writing or Scripture pag. 5. whether of Histories or Prophesies or Proverbs or Psalms or Instructions or Doctrines or Laws or Promises or what ever tru he recorded delivered made known given out revealed by themselves revealed to them first from God as to their own concernment therein as Saints or beleevers by the Revelation thereof to them from God which as I said above is the only way of coming to the saving knowledge of any truth and not that of reading it as truth in anothers writings without running out to study and read the writings of some other men in order to their attaining any habitual saving useful intelligence of their own as if Isaiah that Evangelical Prophet did not savingly understand the Gospel Doctrines and Promises and Instructions and his own Recorded History of Senacherib and Hezekiah and other saving truths delivered and written by himself as they were revealed to him by the Lord nor by the voice Spirit and light of God himself manifesting them within him nor as he received the word so revealed and manifested in order to which receiving the word thou assertest also they obtained nothing by study or meditation enquiry or reading but onely as he made diligent enquiry study and search after the things the Spirit signified by him in the writings and Scriptures of some other Prophets I wonder what other parts of Scripture of the other Prophets he studied so to get that saving knowledge by since unless it were the Psalmes the last book of which is judged to have been compiled together by the Maccabees long after his dayes excepting also the three i.e. Hos a Amos and Micah that were co aetaneous with him all other Prophets that are ranked after him in your Bibles though not in the same order of time wherein they wrote wrote long after him and as if Ezekiel Jeremiah Daniel or the rest knew not savingly what they wrote themselves no more then we do as to themselves or any personal interest they had in the truths of their own writings but as they got an useful saving knowledges thereof out of each others writings in proof of which if a man would wrest them as thou doest to thine by the head and shoulders to such a purpose he might almost as easily evince the Pope to be head of Christs Church as draw any such matter as this thou concludest from Scripture That of 1 Pet. 1.10 11. Ministers no more matter of evidence to thy imagination in this particular that the Prophets searched other Prophets writings to finde out each the meaning of his own then Peters being at Rome if ever he were there doth to his being the Popes Predecessor there in the holy Chair 'T is true the Prophets are there said to enquire and search diligently after the salvation and the grace that comes unto the Saints at the revelation of Christ but is there no searching and enquiring after the salvation and the fulness of the grace of God but iâ— the letter is not the most succesful searching after these matters made in the light it self that teaches and shews it and brings the salvation nigh to all that wait for it therein which light or grace hath appeared to all men Tit. 2.11 12. and is tâ—eâ—e any way whereby God gives the knowledge of his own glory but the light from himself which the letter speaks of wherewith God who commands the light to shine out of darkness shines into the hearts of the Saints in order thereunto 2 Cor. 4.5 6. And are not all things that are manifested manifested in the light and is there any thing that doth make manifest but the said light and Spirit which the letter speaks of and which was before the letter was Eph. 5.13
innate or ingrafted light of nature the voice of God in nature and common nâ—tions and general presumptions of God and his Authority inlaid in the natures of rational creatures and innate principles of reason and conscience and such like as if they were so de naturae de esse hominis so flowing from the meer natural being of men that they can be no more said to be supernaturally of God then the very natural faculties of reason understanding and conscience it self of which more an on both with thee and T.D. also though it be indeed that very way of supernatural Revelation which thou sayest p. 47. the Scripture is that as now in the world is handed to thee by the meer improvement of menâ— natural faculties in the way of transcribing printing re-printing as also studied by the meer improvement of your natural faculties of reading remembring understanding Hebrew Greek Latine English c. to the begetting of a meer animal or natural knowledge whereby yee know things meerly naturally speaking evil of what yee know not and corrupting your selves in what ye do know naturally as bruit Beasts for as a Horse or Bullock can finde the way to the Pasture where hee hath often been so the Priests by use course custome and concordance more than the work of the Spirit bringing all things to their remembrance can turn readily to Chapter and verse Which forsaid Voice or Light that God as thou sayest truly p. 43. hath indelibly implanted in the minds of men for the minde heart and conscience is as a dark place as to all spiritual moral and supernatural knowledge without the Law or Light of God shining in it and shewing good and evill is by thy own further Confession to thy own further confusion accompanied with a moral instinct of good and evil seconded by that self-judgement which God hath placed in us in reference to his own over us and that by which God reveals himself to the sons of men and that indispensable moral obedience which he requireth of us as his creatures subject to his Law and which is as effectual to reveal God as his works are to which there is need of nothing as thou sayest but that they be represented or objected to the consideration of rational crtatures and bears Testimony to the being righteousness power Omniscience Holiness of God himself and calls for moral obedience which is eternally and indispensably due to him and so shews the work of the Law written in the heart and is that by which the Gentiles or Nations that have not the Law in a letter are a Law to themselves and more then all this by thy own absolute acknowledgement whereby 't is evident that it even that thou callest the Voice of God and the Law written in the hearts of the very Gentiles and not the Letter of the Law written without with ink and pen is that ingrafted word by every one to be received with meekness Jam. 1.21 which is able to save the soul and that sure word as to it its evidencing it self to us or light shining in the dark place of the heart and that more firm stedfast constant standing permanent Word or Light or rule of life to us then that infallibly sure and certain though passing and transient Voyce that in the audience of Peter Iames and Iohn came from God himself that is here spoken of The said voice or light in the heart declares it self to be from God by its own light and Authority so that there is no need to convince a man by substantial witnesses that what his conscience speaks it speaks from God what ever testimony it bears or what ever it calls for from us in his name and so speaks and declares it self not only more constantly as it s ever with men but as to its certainty also that without further evidence or reasoning without the advantage of any considerations but what are by it self supplied it discovers its Author from whom it is and in whose name is speaks and is inlaid by the hand of God to this end to make a Revelation of him as to the purposes mentioned is able to evince its own divine original without the least contribution of strength or assistance from without and therefore I adde without an outward Letter undoubtedly though as undoubtedly an outward Letter cannot do all nor any of all this without the Light or said Voice Word or Spirit of Christ within which only doth and can evidence it unto the conscience that the Letter Scripture and doctrines declared therein are of so divine an original as they are Thus I have done with that Eminenâ— Text which is so much talked on so little to their own purpose by the most eminent talkers for the Text of the Scripture as that thing therein recommended to us to bee taken heed to as the most sure word of Prohesie the light shining in the dark place of mens hearts the Prophesie of the Scripture that is not of private interpretation but spoken forth in writing in the movings of the holy Spirit under which termes the holy Apostle intends not the outward Text in which as well as otherwhile by word of mouth the holy men testified to it and held it forth but that inward Word Light Spirit of Prophesie Truth witness and testimony of Iesus in the conscience which their outward voice words witness and writings were but a Testimony unto and an external means to turn men to upon the account of which Text in Peter and the 11. other aforesaid which I.O. impannels as his Jury to judge the case in question whether the Letter outward writing or Scripture is the spiritual Light or Word of God yea or nay I.O. makes such a full account to carry it his way and to have their unanimous universal verdict for him that the Letter is the Light and consequently the most perfect Rule and consequently the Word of God that in his blind hasty confidence he cannot stay from stiling it so till the trial about it be ended and while the cause is sub-judice and he but in his prosecution of the proof thereof but by way of Anticipation as it were throughout his whole book which is written mostly in ordine ad probationem as an enquiry after and examination of the matter he very often here and there if not as frequently and commonly as by its own proper names of Letter Writing Text or Scripture stiles and denominates it under the foresaid names of of the Light Rule Foundation Witness VVord of God as its nomen prâ—prium which hee will never prove to bee Proper to it whilest hee breathes And so hee runs on blindly in such over ample applaudings and most mighty magnifications of the Scripture that is the subject about which the Argument is driven on by what termes soever whether of the Truth the Foundation the power of God the Rule the VVitness of God the VVord of God c. hee expresses it by
Light and it be heeded and some are in the actual understanding of him that is 〈◊〉 and that is indeed the special gift of God to such as walk by that light and in thâ—â— light thâ—y have as Iohn and Christs Disciples did and do And over and above that faculty they may have a light to diâ—cover spâ—rituall objects to that understanding and â—o enlighten them â—o that they may savingly 〈◊〉 and yet may never come to knâ—w for all â—his in case they come not to this light as evil ones do not Iohn 3.19 20. but hate it and chuse rather willingly to be ignorant not delighting in but saying to God Depart from us we desire not the knowledge of thy wayes From may be to must be is such a 〈◊〉 sort of Sillogirt aâ—â—tion as is not owned in foro Academico in the Schools of meer Animall naturall men much lesse of Christ and Christians And so that men know not see not Therefore they may not cannot see if they will have neither eyes nor light this is as meer a non-sequitur as to say of such as not being willing to behold it shut their sore eyes against the sun-shine that therefore they have no eyes and the Sun shines not at all upon them Yet this is the common Topick from whence our Divines T. D. I. O. I. T. R. B. as we shall see by and by and in a manner all our beâ—ghted Doctors draw their Dreams and deeply dark Arguments against a measure of Christs saving light so shining in every one and the now empty Quiver out of which they have noâ— spared till they have spent all they have to shoot too shoot their sharpest Shafts against the Quakers Not having so much light left in themâ—elves for want of walking in time by what they had as to heed that men may know that if they be not wanting to themselves which if they be by not trading with their Talent they may also be as ignorant of as they might have been knowing in T. D. sayes Every man hath a light and that light is from Christ too witness his own saying wherein unawares he over-shoots himself again to the contradicting of himself yielding up the Question to us p. 6. 1 Pamp. expounding Iohn 1.9 viz. Christ enlightens every man that is enlightened from which ad hominem I argue back upon himself out of his own words viz. Christ enlighteneth every man that is enlightened this T. D. aserts from Iohn 1.9 But every man is enlightened hath some light whereby he discernes many sins and duties and divine attributes this T. D. cannot deny for this is his own p. 1. Therefore T. D. though to the shame contradicting and confounding of himself he does so yet cannot rationally nor honestly deny what the Qua. affirm That every man is enlightened by Christ the light of the World and Mediator between God and man Indeed T. D. sayes 'T is but dimly that all men discern some sins duties divine attributes Repl. To that as it s nothing to the Question so I reply Every man discerns them not so clearly as he might do because he heeds not so heartily as he should do the Light that shewes them It s nothing whether men see and understand or no it s enough that the Light shines into their hearts and understandings to give the knowledge of â—â—d and so it doth in them who are yet in darkness and in a stare of it for the true Light shines in the darkness though the darkness comprehends it not Joh. 1.5 T. D. thinks he mends all in p. 2. of his 2. Pamp. by Eph. 5.8 Ye were sometimes darkness but now Light in the Lord. Rep What then T. D. Did not the Light shine in them when they were darknâ—ss and did not comprehend it because not turned to it as now they were by Pauls Ministry who was sent to turn men from the darkness to the Light that shines within them by which they became Light in the Lord yet if your meaning be sayest thou there and that is our meaning indeed that all men have the Light of the Gospel within them only all mâ—n do not obey it 't is contrary to the Scripture Rep. Why so T. D He opposes the state of darkness sayest thou in which they were to their present state of light Rep. What then T. D because they were in a state of darkness had they no light shining in them by taking heed to which at last they came out of it into a state of Light How often shall I need to tell thee and I. O. that for the true Light and Kingdome and Gospel and Righteousness to be in us in semine in the Seed is one thing and for us to be in that is another the Kingdome of God even the Seed of Righteousness Peace Spiritual joy as evident as the contrary seems to be to blind I. O. Ex. 3. S. 42. who there sayes In omnibus non esse justitiam pacem gardrum in confesso est its evident that Righteousness Peace and Joy are not in all was sown in the Pharisees as the Word of God is in four sorts of ground whereof but one that is the honest heart that receives it with meekness when there implanted inlaid ingrasted brings forth the fruits thereof unto perfection though the Pharisees never entered into it witness T. D. himself who howbeit he joyus with I. O. in saying from Luke 17.21 The Kingdome was among the Pharisees only in the ministry of it without mistaking it to be en umin as if 't were 't were enough against him for entos umon which I. O. confesses is us'd but once more in all the new Testament Text Matth. 23.16 where it signifies the very inside of a vessel yet joyns with me also both against I. O. and himself too in the same place p. 5. 1. Pamp. saying The expression may import that the Kingdâ—me which upon a mistake such a one say I as upon which our Pharisees look for it without them at this day they did look for without them was indeed a Kingdome within them and yet he sayes this Kingdome in them was threatned to be and was too say I at last as it shall from you taken away from them How often shall we need to tell you ye blind and deaf that to have light shining in one is one thing and to be in it in a state of Light and the children of it is another to have the Gospel preached in men is one thing and for men to learn the mystery of it is another the Gospel is preached in every creature under heaven Paul sayes Col. 1.23 en pase te Ktisi yea have they not all heard saith he Rom. 10.18 yes verily ' alluding to Psal. 19. by which allusion thou thy self also expresly confesses T.D. p. 30. 1 Pamp. the Apostle would intimate that the knowledge of the Gospel should be of as large extent in the publication as the knowledge of God by the
ministry of the heavens and the firmament which is so to every individual man that there 's neither speech nor language male nor female where their voice is not heard the found is gone out into all the world and their words even Christs and the Spirits within for the outward words and writings of men preaching the Gospel thereby have never yet extended nor reached so largely as to all men to the ends of the earth Yet all have not obeyed the Gospel saith he no not Israel it self without of whose having the outward Letter of the Statutes and Iudgements which thou as sillily callest against thy self too as G.W. truly tells thee in another case callest in both thy Pamphlets the Supernatural Light or knowledge of the Gospel thou keepest such a scraping as if that fleshly natural seed of Abraham and their natural fleshly wayes of knowing what they know which was little of the mystery 2 Cor. 3. by that natural reading and poring upon the Letter as ye also do were the most supernatural men and means as to the saving knowledge of the Gospel in all the world whereas the Iews were as meer Animal and Naturall as your selves who savingly know nothing by the Letter I say that Israel it self obeyed not and why not because as husie as they were with you in their Bible they regarded not but rebelled against the strivings of the Lord himself with them by his Light and Spirit within therefore saith Paul ver 21. as the reason render'd by God himself Isa. 65.2 All day long have I stretched out my hands to a disobedient and gain-saying people Also that they have the Light in them who yet neither believe in it nor are the children of it but yet abiding in darkness is as clear from Chrihs own words Iob. 8.12.12.35.36 I am the light of the world he i.e. he of the world that followeth me shall not abide in darkness but have the light of Life Walk while ye have the Light while ye have the Light believe in the Light that ye may be it seems they yet were not so yet had a Light in them to believe in the Children of the Light some of which Light was come not unto them only but into the world also ver 26. That who e're believes in it might come out of darkness and evil ones had it come to them as well as such as did Truth though they came not to it as the other did else they could not be said to see and hate it and so Christ and the Father whose will was revealed in it as they are Iohn 3.20.12.48 and 15.22 23.24 So Christ is come by his Light as the Sun by its beams into some dark Dungeon into the dark world the dark places of mens hearts and of the earth that are full of the habitations of cruelty Dens of Devils Cages of unclean and hareful birds holds of cruel wicked fowl and filthy spirits to give life and that abundantly Iohn 10.10 yea he came to the Scribes of old by his Light not outward person only to that end yet they had not the Light of Life why so Ye hear not Gods Voice saith he and have not his Word which ye put from you abiding in you ye search the Scriptures which testifie of me who am the Life and there ye look to have it and come not unto me that ye might have life Joh. 5.37.38.39.40 Wisdome Christ the Wisdome of God reproves cryes to men in their own consciences by his own Voice Light and Spirit in their hearts even to scorners simple ones foâ—ls that hate knowledge and would poure out his Spirit on them as on others but some hearken not hate turn away so are slain and perish not for want of warning counsel Light from Christ to lead who is given as the one Leader and Law-giver to all persons and people but for want of taking heed to him who teaches and looking to his Law in the heart which enlightens Thou call'st as I.O. does falsly the Letter Christs Light and the only means that men can come to saving knowledge by yet heed'st no more then he to his to thy own satisfaction that all who have it and look and read in it too as the Scribes did have not the knowledge of God and his Kingdome by it and yet if we should say of those men that come not to Life by the Letter therefore they have not the Letter would'st thou not say of us that we are mad mutato nomine the Argument is thine to us-ward as concerning Christs Light in the Conscience yet nunquam videns id manticae quod in tergo est thou canst not see it The Corinthians had the Light shining in their hearts to give the knowledge yet all of them had not the true knowledge of God and that they had not when he shone by his Light in them 't was their fault else Paul could not have spoken it as he does 1 Cor. 15. to their own shame And this may stand as an answer to thy pedling Reply to G.W. when he urg'd from 2 Cor. 4.6 that the Light shone in the Corinthians hearts in whose hearts sayest thou p. 4. 1. Pamp. not of all mankind but of the Apostle and some others a small number in comparison of the rest who were not enlightned and to back that thy shameful blindness in limiting the shinings of the true Light into such a little nook as a small number thou boltest out much more saying from ver 3.4 the Gospel is hid to them that are lost and there are some to whom the Light shines not not heeding as I said before that that may be in men which men may hate smoother and hide in their own hearts and be lost for want of the sight of when not for want of the Light it self that men may have the serse of sight and the presence of light and yet not see but shut their eyes that that may shine in them which they giving way to the God of this World to blind their minds may not shine out unto them as a Candle may shine in a Room yet if put under a Bushel not shine out to it and a Talent to trade with may be given to him who hiding his Lords money shall reap little profit by it and at last have what light he had within taken from him and be cast forth without into the outer darkness Didst never read of those that seeing and hearing would neither see nor hear nor understand nor perceive as they might therefore at last should not if they would and because thou askest in whose hearts I say in the hearts of some who did not see and know in the Corinthians hearts so that they all had the light and might have seen but only that some would be ignorant and of such sayes Paul 1 Cor. 4. If any man will be ignorant let him be ignorant And sith thou sayest not in the hearts of all mankind I say yea of
Ebriaris sic titubâ—sque ' grotas Haud dubes nunc nunc dubitas 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 O Sacerdos 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Quî sit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Quod scis hoc nescis quast in Orbe Rotas Vertis Hûc Illûc modo circa Rotas Fluctuas curris modo retro Rotas Undique Rotas Usque dum rotas rotulasque Rotas Nectis in Rotis rotaÌ„timque Rotas Tota dum TENET toÌ„tätimque Totas OPERA ROTAS ROTAS OPERA TENET AREPO SATOR Dixi haud magis malus Piscator ac Tu ac Tui O Sacerdos estis pâ—ssimi Pisces qui ni Regeneremini Rejiciemini in aeternum In Vi Via Vita Virtute ac Veritate Domini si Salvabimini Salvetotâ— Sam Fisher. FINIS Christ's Light SPRINGING Arising up shining forth and displaying it self thorow the whole World from under that Priestly Darkness wherewith it hath been clouded and overcast by the space of one Thousand two Hundred Sixty years in this our Antichristian-Christian World Sect. 1. OUr Testimony and that Truth to which We bear Testimony who by those to whom Wo is forasmuch as they Tremble not at the Word of God are scornfully stiled Quakers is no different thing nor another but plainly One and altogether the same which all the Holy Men and Prophets of God hâ—ve have held forth as also Christ himself and all his Apostles and Ministers as many as have spoken as they were moved of God from the beginning of the world to this very day 2. For even as They whose Testimony who even few or none either believed or received so We who are of her children of all and only whom Wisdom is justified give Testimony to Wisdom it self not the wisdom of this world nor of the Princes of this world who come to nought but to that hidden Wisdom which none of the Princes of this world knew for had they known they would not Crucifie the Lord of Glory the Wisdom of God is a Mystery even the Light of the Lord God and Jesus Christ who are Light and in whom is no darkness at all yea to that glorious Light that is now arising to enlighten that Holy City New Ierusalem where now there is to be no more night into which nothing shall in any wise enter that defileth 3. Concerning which Light Christ himself said to Paul being now truly converted to it which he persecuted before throw the blindness of his mind I now send thee to the Nations to open their eyes and to turn them from the darkness to the Light from the Power of Satan unto God that they may receive Remission of sins an inheritance among those that are sanctified by faith that is in me 4. Neither was this the business and Ministry which Paul onely received of God that he might fulfil it but Iohn alâ—o testines that this was the Message which he together with the rest of Christ Ministers had received from Châ—ist himself to declare which was also fâ—om the beginning not any new thing however it might seem new as being clouded till the darkness was past and the true Light shined again out of the darkness that sometime clouded it but the old thing which was from the beginning namely that God is Light and in him is no darkness at all and that If we say we have fellowship with him and walk in darkness we lie do not the truth but if we walk in the Light as he is in the Light we have mutual fellowship with him and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all Sin moreover that who saith he is in the light and hateth his brother is in darkness even until now 5. Concerning which Light of God of which the Scripture every where speaketh and from which inlightning the Penmen thereof the Scripture it self was given forth which also was which also shined in the heart of man long befere the Scriptures were we together with the Scripture the writers thereof do testify this self same thing namely that a certain measure certain beams were of old and now are given of God in the conscience of every of them to the sons of men who although God made them after his own Image upright blameless have yet sought out to themselves both various and vain inventions and corrupted their wayes and erred and as to any help they can have from themselves are in a manner wholly perished from the true God from the true knowledge of him whom truly to know is Life Eternal and from all Communion with him to shine in their dark heart as a Light in a dark place to bring them back through the condâ—mnation of their evill deeds word and thoughts and of that whole Chaos of confusion and corruption that came in by the fall which condemnation this Light will bring on all that take good heed to it and through the mortification of that old man and body as well as of death as sin with all its earthly members and in a word of all whatever in man is contrary to the Image and Will of God and turn them back unto God unto that primitive state of purity righteousness and innocency from which they departed to worship Images in their own imaginations to know and to worship the true God who is a Spirit truly in Spirit in Truth with which worship onely the Lord is worshipped according to his will and lastly to enjoy such Spiritual Peace Communion with him as none are by any means possible as is aforesaid capable of while they are alienated from him by the darkness of iniquity while they remain in their Transgression incorrigible and unconverted 6. For both Iews and Gentiles as it is written are concluded all under sin there is not one Righteous no not one there is none that under standeth there is none that seeketh after God they are all gone out of the way they are altogether become unprofitable there is none that doth good no not one their throat is an open Sepulchre with their tongues they have used deceit the poyson of Asps is under their lips their mouth is full of cursing and bitterness their feet is swift to shed blood wasting and misery is in their wayes and the way of peace they have not known there is no fear of God before their eyes so that every mouth is stopped and the whole world become guilty before God for al have sinned and fâ—ll short of the glory of God 7. This is the state of all maâ—kâ—nd seperated by the fall from the Light into the darkness among whom even all of what oever Sex Nation Language Condition or Age at least that is capable to discern between good and evil I say all may say within themselves we are lost we are gone down headlong into the utmost darkness into extream damnation from God Neither is their any other way to life exhibited but by Iesus Christ the Light of
is added So every Apex equally Divine and as immediately from God as any of it yea and as the voice whereby he spake in the Prophets pag. 27. But I say as written by thee so universally of the Writers and meer Writing of the Scriptures as they are they are for the most part as false as that foregoing and that I have said above concerning the Writing of much of the Scripture at first as it stands in your Bibles by Scribes that wrote either out of other Copies or from the mouths of men more immediately inspired or from what was commonly reported and generally believed and what they had heard as delivered to them by more immediate eye and ear witnesses and what they retain'd in their memories and some way or other comprehended beforehand may stand as a sufficient Answer to this parcel also wherein according to thy wonted habitual darkness ignorance and contradiction to the Truth thou deniest the Pors-men and holy Prophets in their Writings to be enabled to declare and write what they wrote by any habitual light knowledge or conviction of the Truth As if they wrote what they neither saw nor heard nor knew nor believed to be true but besides all sight and understanding discerning mental conception meditation Rational Apprehension Faith or any manner of Antecedent comprehension of the truths they told as if they were all acted and us'd in the Writing of every Tittle by the Lord just no otherwise but as a Musical Instrument in a man's hand or the Pen itself by an expert Writer which can yeeld no more then a meer passive concurrence having no principle of life within it self from whence to act any thing at all or to move a hairs breadth in any business but as it 's mov'd or as some stark dead Corps which can neither stir nor stand but as extrinsecally born up and carried forth because deest aliquid intus Whereas as I have shew'd above some of them wrote not by immediate inspiration or bringing of the things into their minds so by the spirit but mediately that is from the mouths or writings of such as received the truths more immediately as they were inspired wrote as they also spake no other things then what by some means or other they beforehand comprehended no other then what they heard and saw and believed and retained in their minds and memories whereinto the spirit of truth and the truths he guided them into which the world receives not were both received conceived and entertained yea and I here add no other then such as in the same light were more or less seen known understood and believed before any Scripture at all was though 't was by the same way then which I know no other that the Scripture speaks of of knowing God or Christ viz of internal spiritual Revelation Matth. 11.27 Ioh. 6.47 1 Cor. 2.9 10 11 12. Gal. 1.16 Did Paul believe or witness or write any other things when he wrote with his own hands what was immediately revealed in spired into him by the same holy spirit then what by the same spirit in which and no other way all the things of God are known and ever were holy men of God believed owned witnessed wrote and both in their Writings and Speakings acknowledged to be the truth see Act 24.14 26.22 23. 2 Cor. 1 13. 4.13 Did he write any other things then what they to whom he wrote might and did read elsewhere even in the light and spirit within themselves and did thereby acknowledge to be the truth And did not he himself before he wrote them in the movings of the spirit acknowledge them to be the truth himself And did he in the light in which he liv'd and saw them acknowledge them to be the truth and yet was not enabled by any habitual Light knowledge or conviction of the truth to declare them in writing as he did but wrote as one ignorant in the dark unbelieving and unconvinced of the truths he wrote and as senselesse unintelligently and passively without any active obedience to the spirit pressing him or yeelding any but a meer passive influence and concurrence of his rational faculties in the worker as a meer dead thing that is utterly devoid of all kind of life motion or principle of Action within it self and uncapable of any action at all or motion but as it is acted ab extra by some forensical force or compulsion as a Musical Woodden instrument or a pen by the hand of the writer what a weak crooked crazy piece of conception of Scripture in this of thine of which I may truly say there was not so much active concurrence of the rational faculties of the Scribes in their writing of the Scripture but there is as little in this of thine who writest as if all the Prophets of God that ever spake and wrote what of his minde they received from his own mouth by standing in his counsel and hearkning to what he said in them and waited on him to know and understand his will and word first that they might do it in the particular in their own persons and as moved or commanded in obedience to him declare it to others were absolutely and meerly as passive as Balaams Ass was whose mouth miraculously was opened and his minde indued with rational faculties supernatural to him as he was a Beast to Reason out the case with his unrighteous Master and to reprove the madness of that Prophet and as meerly passive in their work of Prophesie as Caiphas the High Priest was whose mouth was opened to speak truer than he was aware of and to prophesie of a thing out of his irrational faculties that was as high above the reach of the best rational faculties he had being a man degenerate from pure perfect reason and in the fall as fallen mans best reason is above the brute beasts of the field for as Herod and Pontius Pilate did with wicked hands the things that God before determined should come to pass fulfilling the Prophets words in slaying Christ little thinking they served the truth as they did in it as the Assyrian in the like case they meant not so nor did their heart think otherwise than to destroy Isa. 10.5 6 7. Act. 4.27 28. Act. 3.17 18. Act. 13.27 28 29. So that Priest with a wicked heart intentionally to counsel them to murther Christ had his mouth prepared to Prophesie a precious truth which as so he spake not of himself so as one that had the light knowledge or conviction of the truth but besides himself as the Ass in the other case Numb 22.28 29 30. Joh. 11.29 50 51 52 53. Joh. 10.14 Whereas most evident it is that the holy men of God who wrote any part of the Scripture by immediate inspiration with their own hands to let pass that which some wrote for and from them as dictated to by their mouthes were in the light sight knowledge prae-conviction comprehension
if they leave the plain paths of uprightness to walk in the wayes of darkness and come not to the light that shines in their consciences sciences and the Law of God which is not far off but nigh in their hearts that they may know and do it but hate and abhor it and persecute the Ministers and children of it and make to themselves crooked paths whatsoever walketh therein shall not know peace yea Iudgement shall be far from them and Iustice never overtake them and they shall wait for light but behold obscurity and for brightness but shall walk in darkness and groap for the wall like the blind as if they had no eyes and stumble at noon-day as in the night aâ—d be in desolate places as dead men and roar like Bears and mourn sore like Drues and look for Salvation but none shal come because their transgressions are multiplied before the Lord and their own sins testifie against them and their transgressions are still with them and as for their iniquities by the light within they know them transgressing and lying against the Lord and departing away from God while they pretend to draw nigh unto him speaking still oppression and revolt conceiving and uttering from their heart words of falshood turning Iudgement away backward and causing Iustice to stand afar off causing truth to fail in their streets and shutting out of Equity that it cannot enter making a prey of him that departeth from iniquity and mocking the Lord and making him believe as far as they can with their flattering words and sained turnings unto him that they love his truth his light and his life yet in truth saying in their hearts to God depart from us we desire not the knowledge of thy wayes There are such who blow the Trumpet as of old the Prophets did to the same tune and the like to this that is above whose Trumpet gives as certain a sound as theirs did also and not such an uncertain fallible one as that of the Priests And these Theopneustoi or divinely inspired persons in their writings speakings call for attendance reception and submission not with that Supreme Authority I confess which I. O. as falsly as foolishly both supposes and saves T. 1. C 3. S. 8. Antient divinely inspired Scripture calls for which is quoth he not only in comparison with but also in opposition unto all other wayes of coming to the knowledge of God his Mind and Wâ—ll c. For by his leave or besides it either the Light and infallible Spirit it came forth from may not only well compare with its fallible and falsified self as people now have it transcribed translated twisted and twined which way any unrighteous writers either of it or on it any men-pleasing Praters Tythe-taking Talkers or time-serving Turn-coats are pleas'd to take it and turn it and wrest it to their own present ends and future ruine but alâ—o may well and doe challenge attendance to themselves with far more supream and uncontroulable authority then it can yea as the sâ—â—e and only meanes of coming to the knowledge of God his Mind and Will whom and which all the Scribes and Scripture-searchers in the world nor have nor can know without the light and Spirit any more then the old ones did Ioh. 5. Matth. 22. Or then anyone can see the outward Sun by any light but that which shines from itself Matth. 11.27 1 Cor. 2.10 11 16. And so in opposition to all outward Scripture it self as that which may define God and declare of him and of his mind and will and yet gives not the knowledge of either the knowledge of whose things if we believe I. O. T. 1. c. 1. s. 16 depends wholly and solely on his own pure divine revelation thereof by himself which revelation is so far exprest indeed in the Scripture as that there it is written of but is expresly made onely in the heart where it pleases the Son to reveal the Father and the Father to reveal the Son in men Gal. 1.15 16. Eph. 1. Col. 1.23 I say then not with that Supream Authority which is peculiar onely to the Light Spirit and Word within though ignorantly attributed yea and appropriated too by I O. to the outward writing yet with the same uncontroulable Authority as the letter doth they call for attendance even from their Theopneustia or divine inspiration which To Theion or Power of God that accompanieth them in their ministration is enough to convict I. O. and all the Wolves of these times that bark and howl against the Light and mis-judgâ— the many messages that come to them from the Lord as rejecters of such as God sends and justifiers of them who flew such of old as spake to them in the name of the Lord. Nevertheless as I. O. saith too truly T. 1. c. 3. s. 9. It alwayes so fell out that scarce any Prophet that spake in the name of God had any approbation from the Church in whose dayes be spake so it falls out now to the true Prophets among all the false Churches of these latter dayes from whom they find lesse Approbation and the same Reprobation as the former did from those evill Generations wherein they spake Ier. 47.3 Matth. 5.12 21.33 to 38. 23.29 Luke 17.25 26 27 28. Iohn 9.29 Acts 7.52 24.5 And this comes to passe by reason of the same innumerable prejudices that attend these their givings out of truth either in speech or writing as did the other whose writings are not freed as I. O. fancies from the prejudices that at first attended them but attended with more then at the first writing thereof thorough the infinite alterations mis-transcriptions mis-translations mis-constructions and mistakes of all sorts they have since been liable to by the fallibility and infinite variety of Scribes thorough whose hands they have passed Which said innumerable prejudices that now attend the modern Prophets as did the first arise from the same Root with those that attended them in their respective Ages viz. 1. Partly the supposed interests of them that write and speak by way of Prophecy or immediate motion 2. Partly the personall infâ—â—mities homely appearances stemmering lips uneloquent rude crude indigested unsound non-sensicall sound of words as they seem to unintelligently understanding I. O. Ep. ad lectorem Ex. 3. s. 17. and formes of speech which the Babes vf Christ seem to him to babble in when they drop their doctrine as the dew at the Command of God to the Drunkards of Ephraim not all as once but as it were guttaâ—im Precept upon precept line upon line here a little and there a little Ezek. 21.2 Amos 7.16 Isai. 28.9 10 11 13.2 Partly the mean out-side of most of these inwardly glorious sons and daughters of the King Psal. 45.13 whose cloathing ad extra is not as their own within and the worlds without and its Ministers often is of wrought gold nor yet is it so much of Plush Jippoes Hose behang'd before
rest is the spirituall light and that but naturall which comes from Gods own Light into all mens Consciences which Light they will by no meanes allow to be called spirituall but 〈◊〉 naturall I affirm that to be but the naturall knowledge of the meer Annuall naturall man that is scrued out by the improvement of their naturall faculties of reading remembring c. in their Academicall Arteficiall Scrutinies into the Scripture which naturall knowledge though theirs who wrote the Scriptures to be by immediate spirituall Revelation I deny not abounded among the Iewish Doctors Scribes and meer naturall Rabbies that stole the true Prophets words yet knew not God spiritually by hearing his words which are Spirit nor by that spirituall Revelation or inward immediate reception of ought from his own Councell Light and Mouth from which only comes the true spirituall understanding little lesse then it doth among our modern Ministers of the Letter who not coming to the Light know as little of the Spirit of God who is a Spirit though they read and preach he is a Spirits from the Letter and as little of the Mystery of the Gospell spiritually as they Though then I. O. and T. D. both call the common Light in mens Consciences whereby they know much of God of his Will as to marter of sin and duty and of his divine Attributes Iudgements c. and all the knowledge that comes thereby but naturall and call the Letter and all the knowledge that comes now by reading of that only spirituall see T.D. p. 1 2 3 5. of his 1. Pamph. p. 1. 3. of his second by the Statutes and Iudgements given to Israel which with T. D. is the outward Letter of the Old Testament are meant the supernaturall light or knowledge of the Gospell but Rom. 2.15 which speaks of the Light or Law in the Conscience is spoken quoth he of naturall light opposed to the knowledge of the Iews And I. O. p. 77. The Scripture is a morall and spirituall not a naturall light But that in all mens consciences he calls p. 42. the light of Nature and p. 47. where he calls that from the light a naturall Knowledge arising from the innate Principles of Reasâ—n and that which is from the reading of the Letter a supernaturall Revelation Ex. 4. where how to the contradiction of himself he also calls it spirituall and not naturall may appear anon S. 15. speaking of the Qua. negant lumen hoc naturale esse aut itadici debere sed a Christo Spiritu Christi esse they deny this light to be naturall on that it ought to be so called saying it s from Christ and the Spirit of Christ S. 17. Lumen internum omnibus commune naturale est The Light within common to all is naturall and so proceeds in suo genere to prove it Likewise I. T. and R. B. say the same p. 33. it is yielded that there is naturall light from Christ given every man Such light as Christ as Mediator conferrs not on every person but all sorts of men is termed supernaturall So p. 40. and elsewhere they call it light by nature and humane light Yet I say the quite contrary the Letter and the knowledge it gives is the naturall as I have shewed above by which wicked men that corrupt themselves also in those things come to know naturally and not spiritually nor savingly the mind and will of God ex principiis naturae by custome often use and memory c. as brute beasts may by outward observance and custome know somewhat of the mind and will of man Iude 10 but the light in the Conscience some of which all have and the knowledge that comes thereby is the spirituall supernaturall and not the naturall light and knowledge 〈◊〉 this in the Power of God I trust in brief to make good against you all though enough hath been said afore to any but such as you that will look for more proof of it then wise men would do One Argument by which its evident to all that are not blind as ye are that the Law in the Heart or Light in all mens Consciences is not naturall and so consequently is spirituall is even this from whence T.B. concludes it naturall viz. because opposed to the knowledge of the Iewâ— of the Iews knowledge by the Letter was but naturall The light within and knowledge by that being opposed to it must be not naturall and so consequently spirituall but that was but naturall for they were mostly but naturall men and worse as they are at this day persecuting and opposing ever the things of God Christ the Gospel and the Spirit and all that are born after it and have the spirituall knowledge of the mystery by it as the naturall knowers by the Letter do at this day and that the natur all man discernes not any otherwise then naturally and not savingly and so not spiritually the things of God and the Spirit Paul tells us 1 Cor. 2.14 and T.D. also tells us p. 3. of his 2. Pamph. from that very Text of Paul where he gives this irresistatâ—e Reason for it also Because they are spiritually discerned Whence I take occasion to argue further thus viz. Argum. 2. That Light which gives to discern savingly as heeded the deep things of God and the Spirit which none but the Spirit of God and Christ searches out knows and savingly reveals and which as to salvation are not by the naturall man but spiritually and by the spirituall man only discerned who hath the mind and Spirit of Christ must be not a naturall but a spiritual and supernaturall light and the knowledge that comes by it is not natural but supernatural and spirituall But the light in the Consciences of all gives to discern the deep thing of God the Spirit in some i.e. in such a measure as it s heeded which none but the Spirit of God searches c. Therefore it and the knowledge that is by it is not naturall but supernatural and spiritual The Mino which our sore-named Divines do deny is as evident to such as live in the light as the light it self is and not a little of it evidenced by their own handy-works who oppose it Two Particulars there are in it to be proved 1. That the Light in all manifests or gives as heeded to discern in some measure the things of God and the Spirit 2. That as heeded it manifests them savingly As to the first I need go no further then your selves for witness we have it under your own hands T D p 1 Pamph. confesses of that light of which all men have some that thereby all discern not may sins only which are the works of the flesh which the letter sayes are manifest not by it self but by the light Christ gives Gal 5 compared with Eph. 5â— 13 14 but also many duties and severall divine Attributes Now mens duties to God in matter of declining sin eschewing evill and doing
way to it But every man needs light from Christ and there is necessity in respect that every man else is blinded by him to his destruction as well as some men of Christs enlightning with his true and saving light every man as well as some men only This we need not prove sith R. B. and I. T. assert it so universally of every man that cometh into the world Therefore undoubtedly more or lesse Christ hath with true saving light enlightned every man and not some few men only CHAP. V. I Shall now betake my self to take some brief view of R.Bs. and I.Ts. trivial talk and to consider some of their inconsiderable arguings and confused oppositions to the contrary at least so many as whereby men may judge probably of what sort the rest are who in disproof of the saving sufficiency of the Light in every man which they call sometimes the Light that comes from God sometimes every mans own light to lead him unto God have mustered up together no less then thirty or forty Arguments and Reasons as they call them not one of all which hath so much weight in it as can truly render it worthy of the name of a Reason in that case its brought for They lie all together in one Litter between page 42. and 54. making up the whole sixth of those nine dark Sermons and no small part of the seventh not more seemingly for then shamefully against the true Light there said to enlighten every man that comes into the world prated out from Iohn 1.9 by I. Tom. and back't by R. Baxter Their thirty Arguments to which they add ten Reasons of their own they say are out of Scripture and so I confess they are in one sense there being not one at all of them to be found either in or so much as truly deduced from the Scripture The Scriptures the first Argument is far fetch 't from are Rom. 3. 11. None understands none seeks after God 1 Cor. 2.14 The natural man discerns not the things of the Spirit c. Gen. 6.5 and 8.21 Every imagination of mans heart is only evil c. Jer. 10.14 Every man is bruitish in his knowledge Jer. 17.9 The heart is deceitful above all things whence they argue thus Their Light of whom these things are said is not a safe rule to guide them into the pleasing of God but these things are said of All or some men therefore every mans Light in him is not a safe Guide to God Rep. We confess these things are said not of some only but of All men as they are in the fall who are All gone out of the way But what of that Are All men therefore because gone out without any measure of Light sufficient to guide into the way again in that Aliâ—nation none seeks God Are All then without any of that true Light wherein God is to be found of such as will seek him in it All natural men such as All are till they turn to be led by the Light and Spirit by their meer animal wisdome see not spiritual things Are All therefore without the least measure of that Spirit and spiritual Light that shews them viz. the Law of God in their minds which is spiritual lusting in them against the flesh though they are carnal every mans imagination and thoughts are evil every man is bâ—â—itish in his own knowledge every mans heart as he is gone out from the truth told by God within himself after the Devil that abode not in it is there therefore true Light in no man that manifests the deceits of his heart in some wise to him Is that truth in no man which he is to abide in and which if he abide in it it will teach him the Will of God I say is no measure of this in no men For this Argument of these men could it conclude any man to be without the said sufficient Light as it does not there being no consequence in it would consequently conclude every man to be without it as he is in the fall and come out into the world and then instead of reading that Text viz. Iohn 1.9 that I. Tombs talks from and R. B. repeats his Sermons on thus That was the true Light that enlightens every man that comes into the world as 't is in the Bible or thus That was the true Light that enlighteneth the Elect or some few men or some of all sorts c. as I. O. T. D. R. B. I. T. interpret it besides the literal sense and proper import of the term every man we must henceforth read thus viz. The true Light that enlighteneth no man that comes into the world every man being bruitish every mans heart till he comes to the Light that 's come to him being deceitful as well as any mans and so the saving Grace and Light shall no more be coop't up in a corner among a few but be allowed no place in the world of any mans heart at All but who will say thus as they say in effect but such as are become bruitish and besotted with them And if they tell us they speak and mean not of Gods Light here but of mans own Light as no good guide to God what do they band against the Qâ—akers for then and bend the force of their frivolous Argument against them who look upon every mans own light and thoughts and imagination of his heart wisdome knowledge and understanding which he is gone out into from Gods Light to be natural and weak and foolishness and darkness as much and more then themselves who are yet found in no other for whatever they mean when they prate against the Light the Qua. testifie to calling it natural mans own and blindneâ—s and darkness which Andabato um more they confusedly fight against in their dark minds under the terms sometimes of the true Light Christ bids men believe in that they may be the children of it which is no other then the Gospel Light of God and Christ himself sometimes of every mans own Light mans own thoughts imaginations yet the Qua. plead for nothing in man that is meerly of man but for that Light alone which is of God and by which what is to be known of God God manifests in man yea in All men the very Heathen that have not the Scripture which Light is that Law in the mind which is not evil nor natural but holy just good and spiritual by which alone though these meer Humanists and Naturalists discern them not the things of the Spirit of God are discerned every man in the fall is become bruitish and like the bruit beast of the field lives more by sense then reason is not regulated by right reason in what he does it may as well therefore be concluded that All men have not the least measure of reason in them while they live besides it as these men conclude from mens living besides the Light in the deeds of darkness that
heart is deceitful c. do express such a destitution of Light Truth c. Also page 40. and 47. where their tenth and thirteenth Arguments which are one and wrested from sundry Texts viz. Rom. 16.25.26 1 Cor. 2.7.8 Col. 1.25.26 2 Tim. 1.9 Matth. 11.25.26 Mat. 13.11 from all which it follows that all men have not some saving Light as fully as the Bâ—â—re goes freely â—o the stake are on this wise The Mystery of God was hid from the Gentiles God hid the things concerning the knowledge of himself from some when he revealed them to others and 't was given to some as a special gift quoth T. D. whoâ—e words and argument this is above spoken to at large by me to know the mysteries of the Kingdome not to others therefore every man hath not a Light in him as a sufficient guide to direct him to God As for I. O. his way of Argumentation against the sufficiency of this light within to save is in sum the same Among his other things or rather nothings to the purpose of which he sayes Contrarium probaâ—t they prove the contrary to our assertion of the Lights sufficiency to save he names the universal experience of all ages from the beginning of the world to this day Quis enim lucis huius ductu ad verâ—â—â— Dei cognitionem perveneâ—t Qui post homines natos ea opâ—ime usi surt c. Ex. 4. Sâ—â—o For who ever came to the true knowledge of God by the guidance of this Light Those among all men who have best of all improved it have every man of them become vain in their imaginaons and their foolish heart hath been darkned in all which fore-cited argumentative matter these four men reason unreasâ—nably from mens not knowing and being saved by the â—â—ne Light to their wanting of the true Light to know and be saved by when as it follows not at all that becuse they know not and are not saved therefore they are destitute of Light but the cause of their perishing in ignorance is not walking in what they have not because they have not sufficient Light to walk by or are not put into possibility of kâ—owledge to Salvation by some measure of that Light which is saving Their Syllogiring is as silly in this as to say of a man that voluntarily hoodwâ—inks himself he does not see therefore he cannot that man stumbles and falls therefore he cannot do otherwise when yet he may but that he blind-folds his own eyes or gives way to others to do it from seeing his way as most men do to the God of this world lest the Light of the Gospel which they have because it reproves them should shine out in them and as a potentia ad actum so a non actu ad 〈…〉 non est confequentia 〈◊〉 Men can no more wisely nor 〈◊〉 infer from mens not knowing of God truly a non-ability or insufficiency in that Light they have if they seek him in it to reveal him and make him truly known then from the being of a Power to a necessity of the Act which is a non sequitur with a Witness We know that most men know not the mysteries of the â—â—ingdome but 't is not because they may not or 〈◊〉 for wâ—â—â— of Light but because they will not come to the Light by which they may And therefore when as the Question is aske 〈◊〉 the Light which is in some measure in the conâ—cience of all men be sufficient to make knoâ—â— God savingly why do not all come to be saved by the knowledge of him whom to know is Life Eternal 〈◊〉 because they give not up to be guided by it and come not to it when its 〈◊〉 to them in order to their Salvation for God sent it 〈◊〉 the world 〈…〉 would though the world is condemned by it through their not coming to it but that the world through it might be saved for the Light which judges the sin is saving to the Soul and by it that one Law giver who is able both to save and destroy doth both judge and destroy the works of the Devil in men for which end he is manifested in the world and men as they will not be weaned nor saved from those works and saves also from those destructive works all such souls as give up to be guided by it And firhâ— I. O. sayes â— Whoâ—ever cameâ— to the true knowledge of God by the guidance of this Light I answer All that ever did come to the true knowledge of God at all and those as little as these men know them are not a few though few in comparison of those that are ignorant who by walking in thaâ— LiÌ„ght while they had it have come to experience that Life of God which is yet hid from you wise and prudent ones and ever will be moreâ— and more as ye are alienated from this Light within yourselves much more while â—ye are such vnter Banders of your selves against both it and the Children of it And whereas thou I. O. sayest Quiâ—ea optimâ—usiâ—sunt c. They who have best of all improved it are become vain c. thou utterest thou know'st not what for Rom. 1.21 which thou citestâ—in proof thereof doth no less service to the Truth then to disprove that thy false Assertion for all who look not beside the Light may see it speaks not at all of as well improve it but of such as Improved it not â—at all but when they knew God by it who ver 19. by it manifested in them 〈◊〉 was in 〈◊〉 of himself glorified him not as God nor were thankful â— answerably no◠〈◊〉 to retain him in their knowledge but ran from his â—Light into their own thoughts and so into the things which they knew the Iudgements of God and Death were due unto the doers of And as for the Mysteries of the Gospel 't is true they are hid from the most and 't is given to some to know them not to others Bat look ye blind that ye may see how came they to be hid from some Why was it given to some and not to others to know them and who were those others that knew them not Were they such as could never see them meerly for want of Light to shew them Doth the Text of your own alledging viz. Matth. 13.11.12.13.14.15 in proof of that your sigment say so doth i Ì„t not plainly say as we say against you that it was because first there was a time wherein they might have seem them but would not had ears to hear but stopt them eyes to see but closed them becaâ—se they seeing sâ—w not hearing heard not â—or would understand nor perceive nor be converted nor healed when God would have converted and healed them and such like So Quiâ— boc omne ad Doctâ—um delirium â— What 's all this to dreams of our Doctors who from thence and such like places as overthrow themselves divine out Arguments against All mens
in his name and done great things nevertheless for as much as they departed not from iniquity they shall be doom'd from Christ with Dâ—part from me ye workers of iniquity I know you not 16. Then shall the whole multitude of Transgressors of the Law i. e. of the Light of God in the conscience by which all even those that have not the Law written in an outward letter are a Law to themselves having the work of the Law written in their hearts that the Lamb of God came not to tolerate but to take away the sin of the world and that Iesus was sent not to give liberty to sin but to set his people at liberty from their sins and that in the greatest liberty wherwith Christ freeth his people there is the least licence and that the Father having raised up his Son hath sent him to blesse men they turning away every one of them from his iniquitie that those blessed ones to whom the the Lord imputeth not sin whâ—se iniquities aâ—e forgiven whose sin is covered are such in whose Spirit there is no guile and that there is in no wise any remission of sins unto those who still accustome themselves to a dayly commission of them 17. Moreover the great and terrible day of the Lord now cometh wherein the Light which is risen in the conâ—ciences of men shall dayly more and more clearly shine forth in which also the â—he book of conscience must be opened that â—ut of it all men may be judged according to all things that are written therein where by the Light which is Gods faithfull witness all sin is written down in the sight of God as with a Pen of Iron in which day by the Light God will come night to us to judgement and then the righteousness grace and mercy of God shall be revealed towards all who standing still in his Light wait for him to come as a Redeemer to them from their impieries that they may be saved from the wrath that is to come upon all the children of disobedience by which light the wrath of God shall be manifested from Heaven in their own conâ—ciences against all ungodliness unrighteousness of men who retain the Truth in unrighteousness in which day God will reign down upon the wicked Snares Fire Brunstone and an horrible tempest all which things shall be the portion of their Cup. 18. Moreover in the hand of God there is now a cup and the Wine thereof is Red and it is full of mixture and he poureth one of the same and Iudgment is begun at the House of God and God hath begun to bring evil upon the people upon whom his Name is written and his Nature Image is imprinted they whose portion it is not in such a measure as they have drunk of the Cup of abomination and fornication have drunk also of the Cup of indignation and wrath before they could take the Cup of Salvation and praiâ—e the name of the Lord in no wise therefore shall the wicked go unpunished but the worshippers of the Beast and those that receive his image must drink also of this wine which is poured one of the mixture into the cup of his indignation and shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy Angells and of the Lamb yea the very dregs hereof the top whereof the Children of the Light and of the Day have tasted the Children of the Night and of the Darkness that is all the wicked ones of the earth shall drink and wring them out 19. Wherefore whilst in the long suffering of God opportunity is not wanting unto you whilst the day of your Visitation is neer unto you from God let my councell be accepted of you All and turn your selves to the light of Christ in your own consciences and take councell thereat for ever which seriously and sincerely minding you shall be taught by Christ himself whose Testimony to you from heaven that is to your both externall internall and eternall Peace and Salvation and shall be brought to Christ himself and to see him and his Father from both whom it comes to the saving knowledg of whom there can be no coming any other way whatsoever for as the Sun of this outward world is not seen but by that Light which flows from it self unto us so neither is the Sun of righteousnesse but by that measure of Light how little soever it be that shines from him in the heart 20. For although the Scripture which speakes of the Light and directs to the Light maketh mention of the Father and of the Son so that there ye may read of them and speak of them also according to what ye there read yet this the Scripture it self witnesseth that none can know either the Father or the Son but he to whom the Father and the Son do mutually reveal each the other whose revelation also is made within for that which may be known of God sufficient to Salvation is manifest in men saith Paul for God doth manifest it in them and the Gospell is preached in every creature which is under heaven by the Light of God in the conscience so that they are left inexcusable before God who else would be excusable blameless forasmuch as though they know God yet they glorify him not as God neither like to retain God in their knowledge but knowing the judgement of God that they which do such things as they do are worthy of death yet not onely do the same but have pleasure in those that do them 21. In the mean while we do not affirm Christ himself to be in all men who yet is known to be in all that are not Reprobates as that hope of glory nevertheless all for there is no difference but what is made by different degrees of light which do not vary the nature of the thing have some measure or other of his Light at least one Talent committed to them that they may trade therewith to profit withall which using well and doubling they have entrance into the joy of their Lord but hiding of which and not gaining therewith they shall be thrust out at last from the light they have into the utter darkness where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth This Light therefore shines in all even the heatheâ— in some measure although not in all in the same measure 22. To the measure of which Light of Christ which in you is you will do well to take heed while you have it as unto a light shining in a dark place to give you the knowledge of your Salvation and guide your feet in the way of peace and that you may find true rest to your burdened and wearied souls and lest darkness come upon you for he that walketh in darkness knoweth not whether he goeth nor at what he stumbles 23. This Light is the Law of God for the law is light saith the wise man written not
not long of us that Our Wound is yet unhealed And though I never treated with Mr. Tombs about such a matter I am confident he and I should agree in one dayes Treaty upon Terms of Communion c. Thus we see how ready these men are to Creep into a Correspondency with the Metrapolitans themselves of that lately Exploded Hierarchy And whether an Exaltation to that Honour of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Lords over the Clergy 1 Pet. 5. And such a Benefice as a Bishoprick may not be so Swallowed without straining as to stop the once open Mouths of SMECTYMNUUS his own Sides-men is shrewdly suspected by many whose Eyes are strictly set to see what some will do who seem to sit next dore to it What Edm. Calamy and such as with him seemed to be Pillars like Jachin and Boaz before the now Tottering Temple of the late Presbitery will do in such a Time if ever Temptation by such a Tender shall happen to attend them will be not a little Observed by their old Brethren who were once not a little Observant towards them A little Time to such as Doubt them may now Discover it Ye Clash against each other as Eagerly as ye are able in your Blind Zeal about many meer Accessaries yet Close as Cordially as Men of one Heart and one Soul under pretence of Love to it in Enmity against Christs true Light in all Men which is that Main and one Thing Necessary witness both Tomb's and Baxer's Epistles to that very Book of theirs against the Qâ—a herein reckon'd with wherein all their former fightings for and against Infant Baptism seem to be swallowed up in the Gulf of their Ghostly Agreement against us and Vnanimous Gainsayings of that saving Grace of God i.e. His Light which Tit. 2. 11.12 Appeares inwardly to All Men from appearing if it might be in its outward Ministry unto Any at all The Lord open your Eyes that some of you at least may yet see in this Day wherein ye are much Benighted what makes for your Peace before it be hid Eternally from your Eyes that Hell which is Enlarging her self to receive all your Pomp and present Glory may not open Her Mouth and Gape so wide upon you ere ye are aware that ye sink All down as uncircumcised ones into the sides of that infernall Lake and so the Pit shut her Mouth upon you All for ever 4ly And Finally O Ye the Present Rulers in this English Nation and the rest hereto pertaining whether Supream or but Subordinate Though I neither do nor may put what herein is put forth under Yours or any meer Mens Patronage whatever but under Christs alone by whose Power only in a Weak Earthen Vessel this Work was thus far Performed to whom only as it came through Me from Him so I Dedicate it back in Service to his Own Truth together with all the Honour Praise and Glory thereof which is due alone to his Own Name yet I both may and do hereby Present it unto You also as of no small Concernment to Your selves And more Peculiarly unto Thee O King Sith As Thy Personal Interest as to Outwards is now under God and Christ the Highest So Thy Personal Influence into all Temporall and Civill Affairs wherein Thou art Concerned to see to the Common Wealth of all People in This Thy Native Nation that own Thy Supremacy therein and in All but Truly Spirituals and meer Conscience Cases Relating Immediately to the Soul between which and God in matters of Faith Worship and Religion Christ himself by his Light and no Man much less the Pope is the only Judg is seen at present to be the Greatest upon Peoples Affections That Thou with Them maist have the more Perfect Understanding of the Principles of those People against whom ye are oft much Mis-Informed T is a Ticklish Time with Thee O King and Thy Government in the Nick of which Thou maist saon do That which may be the Making or the Marring of both thy Self and It for Ever It lyes on me from the Lord herein to clear my Conscience towards Thee and those under Thee in Bowells of Compassion to Your Pretious and Immortall Souls In His Name whom I serve in Humility of Mind to Warn you to take Good Heed what ye do leâ—t by Tampering beyond the Line the Lord hath â—ent you in the Matters of Religion and so by Leaning to some one Form thereof that may seem the Truest to some men whose minds meerly for their own Ends are Moulded into the Image of it ye Lead all the Rest away Captive after that and so not only Over-load the Seed of God in all his Saints but Over-charge your selves also so far as to Lay Wast not only that Religion which among all the Rest ye Ruinate is the Truest but your Own also which ye would Set up to Stand alone in the Ruines of the Rest Which said True Religion God hath Decreed so to Stand that all those that are peaceable toward it and let it alone shall stand the more Prosperously by it and all that rise up against it in their Vain hopes to Ruine it shall assuredly fall before it for its sake Caution is not Condemnation What ever cause there is for it at this time yet my Call is not in this Place to Complain of what Abuses Honest Men passe under both in City and Country as Contrary to what hath been Declared by the KING as they are without his Personal Cognizance thereof My Hearts Desire and Prayer to God yet for this though Divided English Israel is that its People may not Perish but yet be Saved for I Bear them Record they have a Zeal of God but not according to knowledg if it were they would all come down to that One Light of God in every of their Own Hearts in which God is in which alone as the Letter it came from Speaks 1 John 1.5 6 7. All True Union and Firm Fellowship both between God and Men and betwen men one with another stands Yet this I say as one that hath Obtain'd the Mercy from God in his Light to see it to my present Grief for them if they see not timely to it that there can be no Long Lasting Peace in these Latter Dayes to this or any Nation in the World of Christendom nor Beating back again of those Swords into Plowshares and Spears into Pruning Hooks which from Plowshares and Pruning Hooks have been of late beaten into Swords and Spears Till Secular Princes become so Prudent as by Blind Guides in Spiritualls to be no more beguiled into a Building up of some Babel or other with the Blood of all other Christians that cannot Blesse it and so Pollitick for themselves at least if not so Pittiful to others and Patiently Pious toward the Lord as according to Gods Will therein to let Tares and Wheat stand still together though not in the one Floor i. e. the Church yet at least
trebble turne through their Teeth and that of laughing mocking scoffing scorning â—â—uring houting holding haling beating kicking diâ—ring stocking stoning pumping prisoning Bocardoâ—ng Fining banishing bridling bridewelling branding boring pilloring gaâ—ging eare marking nose flitting scourging cutting slashing hanging and such like which have been used of late yet I must needs say not altogether so much conniv'd at and countenanced by the Magistracy that is supream corrective as caused and encouraged to by the Ministry which takes upon it still in such matters to be supream directive in these which ye call the Reformed Churches I say the doctrine and practice of such inhumanity as this which some Teachers and Doctors in Divinity the dark places of whose earthly hearts are too full of the habitations of Cruelty as well in Old and specially New-England as in Italy France and Spain both have and yet do plead and in some part practice against the truly tender conscientious Lambs of Christ whereby we may as ex pede Herculem ex ungue leonem ee what kind of wild Beasts of the Forrest they yet are that love Christs little Flock not to feed but to feed on with all their hearts are a fair inlet to the Marian Baggage of Fire and Faggot for not owning the Roman Faith if the Magistrates do not save their longing and forbid the Marching of it in more then the Ministers that are ever and anon facing about and Marching the old way being indeed but the Dragons Tayle the Sâ—ing whereof reaches still as far as England though his head he as far off as Rome a little of Leviaâ—han that crooked Serpent which he left when he went away to let in himself by into these Nations at his return again and the Tayle or some gentle shatterings of that sharp shour and sturdy storm which fell down in greater drops of blood and Flakes of Fiâ—e in the days of her dominion here and not only so but a fair pretence for Papists to bolster themselves up by in their persecutings of such as go now to tell the Truth to them in their own Countryes for to my knowledge it s none of the least Pleas they now have in other Nations both Protestant and Popish for the groslest abuses they can do to the Qua. in whom else they see no harm but as from hence they are made to suspect it to say Thus and Thus they do to you in your own Country of England where you are well known therefore no marveil if we do thus unto you here And that the Divines old and young not only have been in the darker but are even in these brighter times of Protestanism it self so deeply accessary to and guilty of the aforesaid sufferings witnesse the Barbarous Basenesse Acted and Inflicted on the witnesses to the Lords Truth not onely in all other quarters of this Nation to say nothing of New-England Scotland Ireland but also at the two Eyes and Well heads of divinity and Nurseries of learning and true Religion as they are call'd as well Oxford as Cambridge as they stand extant to the view of all the world as most of that of other places and Cities do in sundry printed Relations and Testimonies thereof the reading whereof may well take hold on all tender hearts and draw Tears from their eyes to see the lamentable injuries and abominable iniquities done to the Saints by those painted Sepulchers in a land of such godlinesse as this pretends to Witnesse also that Divine Doctrine of that Divine Doctor Owen with whom I have here to doe in the dayes of whose Vice Chancellorship what influence was given by him toward the Oxford persecutions he knows as well as others and what influence his doctrine might have upon the Powers to whom he often preached to the stirring them up to more persecution then they were free for if God had not made them wiser then their Teachers all may see that can read it from his hand in his Latine Divine dâ—sputation which I am to talk with where p. 89. his own words in the margin above truly Englished he Teacheth thus though no men could ever yet Tax them with stirring against the State viz that the Qua. are not perfect nor come to Christ in Glory their lyes deceits wickednesses hypocrisy are evident Testimony unto us But indeed those punishments and imprisonments which they voluntarily pull upon themselves by their tumultuousnesse of which they â—â—manishly complain ought of right to be inflicted upon them who impudently glory that they are free from all these and other sins even the least So far forth as this peice containes I. O's false accusation of the Qua. and pertaines to the point of perfection it may possibly come to account again in other places more proper for it then this it s here related as to that relation that it bears onely to the point of persecution in which capacity who so is capable to see it may perceive by the Paw he here puts forth what prey I. Owen lack and how like them of old who cloathd Christians with wilde Beasts skins that they might seem to the dogs to be such and so expos'd-them to dogs to be baited or covered them all ore with draff and swillings and then threw them to the Swine to be devoured so he first fortiter accuset loads the Quakers with calumny and layes lyingly heavy things to their charge and then Magistraliter satis Ministerialiter magis as Authoritatively as that whole Tribe which must ever be in such Supremacy as to direct till they come to correction themselves gives out what ought to be done with them by such as were onely us'd to correct Hereticks at their appointment The Doctrine then of persecution as taught and learnt too much to this day by our English Reformadoes from Ramish Rubbish is not onely a retaining of much of but an open dore for the rest of the Popes Baggage to return by as the times turn but our innocent tender Tenet of liberty of conscience is so averse to and inconsistent with it as that it turns it all up by the very Roots And whereas it may be objected that a pleading the universality of liberty may seem to be an In-let to Popery very much for if you would have Toleration for all then how will you keep out the Papists Bag and Baggage Rep. I answer not with the carnall weapons of your warfare but with a sharper Sword then that whereby you and they seek to keep out the truth even that with 2 edges the light and spirit of the living God which goeth out of his mouth who is call'd the Word of God who will go on conquering and to conquer all the vain imaginations in the hearts and consciences of men to cast down the strong hold of the Prince of darknesse in the might and power of God and captivate every high thing that exalts in selfe against the knowledge of God and every thought to the obedience of himselfe
more twenty fold more to and fro Expositions so that though Truth is where it was before the Letter was among them that love it and security and certainty no where but there where it is only and ever was and will be viz. in the Light and Spirit and among the livers there but not among the Talkers of it that are Livers and Walkers after the flâ—sh I O. Thou sayest pag. 294. That let the Points be taken out of the way and let men lay aside that advantage they have from them and it will quickly appear what devious wayes all sorts of such Persons will run scarce a Chapter or a Verse it may be or a Word nor a Line would be left free from Perplexing contradicting Conjectures the words being altogether innumerable whose significations may be varied by an Arbitrary supplying of the Points for who shall give a Rule to the rest what end of fruitlesse Contests what various and pernicious Senses to contend about yea to expect Agreement is fond and foolish and this gives but an humane fallible perswasion that the Readings fixt on by each is according to the mind of God Besides who shall secure us against the Luxurant Spirits of these dayes who are bold on all advantages 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to break in upon every thing that 's Holy and Sacred that they will not by their Huckstering utterly corrupt the Word of God i.e. Scripture how easie is it to see the dangerous Consequents of contending for various Lections Reply Is your Word of God possible to be utterly corrupted ours is not Is your Foundation Rule c. so rotten such a Nose of Wax how easie is it then to sore-see that it must melt afore the fire of the Spirit And of what dangerous Consequence is it for you to stand on no surer ground then that which is so easie to be changed for does thy Perplexing Prate make it the lesse alterable or free it from mens Perplexing contradicting Conjectures while thou objects but thy Conjectures to theirs none of which must Rule the roast or be a Rule to the rest and doth your Interpretation which is variable both Rerum and Verborum were your Transcripts never so steady give any more then meer fallible perswasion that your Readings and Sense which is all the People have is right Ah poor men who labour in the fire and weary your selves for very vanity in screel-scrawls about your Scripture while by the Spirit the Earth is filling with the knowledge of Gods Glory without such absolute necessity of the Letter as the Waters cover the Sea I. O. Thou sayest pag. 211. That the Points are of importance to the right understanding of the Word of God Reply Ah poor People as well as poor Priests too if it be so not one among a thousand of the one nor one among twenty of the other being capable to read Hebrew either with Pricks or without I trow which way must these come to the understanding of Gods Word from the Rabbies mouths or Gods own For my part I am far from believing such necessity of Points to understand Scripture by seeing 'tis as to the Substantials of saving Truth rendered pretty well into plain English that poor â—eople that with honest hearts read it may see how to be honest much more to understand the Word of God it self which is not the Scripture which yet I. O. intends by that term of the Word But on that which is uttered in every heart from his own mouth out of which Wisdom it self sayes Prov. 2. there comes Knowledge Wisdom and Vnderstanding there shall I wait with thousands more that are there waiting and noâ— upon the Dreaming Doctors while they divine out their meer Dreams Thoughts and Opinions about their Poâ—nts and Punctaâ—ions Besides Riddle me this I.O. if thou canst Whether the Scripture were never rightly read nor understood by Holy men that did read it in the Spirit without Points before Ezraes dayes from which only thou traducest thine own Orignal of the Points which thou makest of such importance to a right understanding of the Scriptures I.O. Thou sayest pag. 252. That to be driven out of such a Rich Possession as the Hebrew Punctation upon meer Conjectures and Surmises thou canst not willingly give way nor Consent Reply Poor man Is that thy rich Possession that so much benefit comes by as thou sayest pag. 267 the chiefest Treasure the Church of God hath for many years enjoyed as thou sayest pag. 163. the Inheritance which even every Tittle and Letter of which as thou sayest pag. 176. many Millions have looked on as Theirs with such high account that for the whole Worâ—d â—ther would not be deprived of it Do the Riches the Ornaments the Excellencies the Enjoyments which thou art so extraordinarily afraid to be Kobbed Spoyled Plundered Driven out Deprived of that your Consolation seems so much to consist in that who so does not so much as totally bereave you of or nullifie but only under-value so as barely to Novellifie and deny the Antiquity and Necessity thereof does no lesse then utterly stop the very Wells and Fountains from whence ye should draw all your Souls refreshment as thou sayest pag. 216. Do they I say stand in such Counters and Pins Pins heads Points Point Tags Childish Toyes and Trash as these Indeed when I was a Chiâ—d I did as a Child thought as a Child spake as a Child understood as a Child but when I became a Man I put away these Childish things which yet University Doctors are very deeply doting on to this day Like Boyes that ly brawling about Bawbles which they prize above and will not part with for far more serious precious matters blessing themselves more in a Bag of Cherry-stones and fearing more to lose caring to keep them then wise men do theirs whose Riches lyes in that which can't be lost So doth I.O. busie himself with fear and much trembling about these perishing Points Vowels Accents about his Cametz's and Patack's Tsere's and Segols Chiricks and Cholems Sheva's and Sciurech's Athnach's Kibbutz's and Cametz Catuph's hoping he is rich and encreased with Goods and hath need of nothing while he enjoyes them thinking within himself Populus me sibilet at mihi plaudo Ipse domi simulac numinos contemplor in arcâ Not knowing that for all this being out of and against the true Light he is poor and wretched and miserable and blind and naked whose Poverty I pitty more then I prize such uncertain Riches of which I may say as the Poet Formidare malos fures incendia servos Ne se compilent fugientes hoc Iuvat Horum Semper Ego optârim pauterrimus esse bonorum Howbeit I.O. Possession being eleven points of the twelve that thou wilt not part with it willingly I cannot much blame thee considering how 't is with thee upon thy Principles 't is a rich Possession indeed in one sense as poor as 't is
Reproof Instruction in Righteousness and without any outward Scripture to perfect the man of God fit and furnish him as no outward Scriptures can possibly do without these for any much less for every good work which inward Scripture in which holy men read the Gospel before 't was ever written outwardly with Ink and Pen foreseeing that God would justifie the Gentiles through Faith in Christ the Light preached the Gospel four hundred years before your Scripture Canon or Rule ad extra was ever written Howbeit I say There is a Scripture ad intra that ye read little in testified to and talk't of by your external Text ye onely talk for 2 Cor. 3. Yet to J. O. I grant the outward Scripture and that in its integrity so far as free from corruption by mis-transcription and mis-translation to be holy just good useful and profitable for all the things specified in the Text of Paul to Timothy when read and understood in that Light Wisdom and Spirit that gave it out by those holy men which onely knows the Mystery of its own minde and meaning therein and reveals it ' also to Babes and simple honest hearts that come at ' fools to it looking to the Lord alone for wisdome out of whose mouth comes that knowledge and understanding whereby the Scripture is seen as to the spirituality and substance of it when the plain things of it are hid from the wise and prudent that furfeit with their own conceited science and lean to their own Animal understanding and in that give their several senses and sentences on it for the natural or as the word is 1 Cor. 2.14 15 16. the Animal man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God not the hidden wisdome of God which none of the Princes of this world know 1 Cor. 2.6 7 8. c. which in a mystry or meer Riddle to their degenerate reason is uttered in the very outward Scripture neither can the animal man by his wisdome from beneath for all his bitter envying and strife within himself against all that oppose him wherein he glories and lyes against the truth the fruit of which envy is confusion and every evil work which wisdome is but earthly sensual Animal devillisbly deceitful Jam. 3.14 15 16 17 18. know the things of God for they are spiritually discerned and by the spiritual man only that discerns and judges all and is falsely judged by all though truly discerned by none that are beneath him The outward Scripture I say is profitable to such as Timothy was to men of God to make them who are wise in the Spirit wiser and wiser through their faith in the light to their own and others salvation and to furnish such a Minister as Timothy was who knows when and being in the Spirit how and how far forth to use it for every good work in his Ministry And such as are full of might and power first by the Spirit of the Lord upon them as Micah was Mic. 3. and as Apollo was are mighty also in the Scripture and furnished mightily to confound the Scripture-searching Scribes and all gain-sayers of the Light as they were in their times So that we deny not the Scriptures ad extra to be many wayes useful profitable in their place and time where they are to be read as they are not in so much as the tenth part of the world and where they are read in the light by them who live in that Light that gave them forth which are not the hundreth part of those that usually read and search them but will all this prove them to be what I.O. and T.D. contend so stiffly to have them be viz. in that high Authority of the Rule nay the only most perfect standing Rule of all true belief and holy life before the very light and spirit of God they had their very original supreme being from thorow the hands of holy men as but subordinate instruments in their first purity as writings except that little that was pend by God himself which we now have not which Scriptures yet as to the being they now have are handed to us from no higher principle then the transcription of meer fallible and as I.O. sayes un-inspired men Ab sit imaginatio let the thoughts hereof be far from us that the Scripture is the only Rule for if we should grant it to be so far as truly transcribed in the Copies of the Original a Rule at all or a secondary Rule which name of Rule is more than it any where calls it self by yet the prime most perfect Rule it is not much less is it the only Rule to the Church or any men and though we are as forward as any on a due account to own the profitablenss of the very letter as it declares of the words of truth and uprightness and the Doctrine that is according unto godliness and to own its great usefulness as to the purposes premised and so affirm that the dead letter so far as not depraved from its primitive purity doth as truly answer and hold proportion with the light and living word as the shadow doth with the substance the life-less picture with the living person it represents and as the voice which is Imago verbi the Image of the Word with the Word it is the Image of or the Eccho which is the Image of the voice doth with the voice it answers to insomuch that as Quae conveniunt in aliquo tertio santidem what holds measure or weight and keeps correspondency or proportion with a third thing that agrees with the standard or sealed Canon agrees also with the standard it self so whose life squares truly and substantially with the letter convenes with the light and spirit it imediately issued out from and he that lives and speaks perfectly and adaequately according to the Scripture so far speaks and lives according to and not besides the light and spirit which the letter requires man to live beleeve and walk in and by as neither doth or can he erre from the letter if he had never heard read or seen it who answers the measure of the light and spirit that is lent him to live by yet for all this as T.D. gives this reason for his untrue imagination why this part of the inspired Scripture you have only is the only Rule and not any Sermons or private religious discourses which have the same common ends with the Scriptures no nor yet any other writings but those ye have if we could prove and produce as assuredly we shall anon any legitimate ones of Divine inspiration though otherwise as useful and profitable as those ye have and agreeing therewith viz. because God did not give order quoth he for the one as he did thinks he for the other and there is no other Scripture appointed of God to be a Rule of faith and manners but what is bound up in the Bible and where he appointed that we
same spirit of falshood viz. in vindication of the Scriptures to be powerful to salvation to beget faith to bee living sharp spirit searching discerning thoughts a Light and Lamp and so consâ—quently the only perfect standing Rule of faith and life exclusively of another Revelation by the Spirit Word or Light within these are aâ—â— true of the Word and Doctrine of Christ the Spirit and Light within the Qua. call to and the Letter points at in all these Texts of thy traducing but mâ—thinks thou shouldest be ashamed to expound any one of those of the Letter and Scripture itself As to that of Paul to Timothy Take heed to thy self and to the Doctrine continue in them in so doing thou shalt save thy self and them that hear thee What 's this in proof of the Scriptures being powerful to save the soul which is the end of thy alledging it he bids him continue in the things he had learned as also 2 Tim. 3.14 and had been assured of knowing of whom he learnt them which if it were from Paul as a means under God as it rather seems to be from Christ himself whose Disciple he was as he could not be but as he laarnt of him before he became acquainted with Paul Act. 16.1 2. the promise is entailed unto his continuance in the things and not ascribed to any power or efficacy of the Scriptures to save though yet we know Timothy was well skilled in the Scriptures also as is owned above And as to that of James with which thou joynest this in proof of the outward Letters power to save to which also p. 83 84 85. thou jumblest together a number more then are in this Catalogue underhand and which I shall take in here that speak of the Word with one consent to one and the same purpose but not to thine which is to prove the Scripture to be so as most effectual powerful and able to save souls yea the very power of God to salvation viz. Rom. 1.16 1 Cor. 1.18 1 Cor. 2.5 1 Thess. 1.5 Psal. 110.2 Act. 20.31 Joh. 6.68 Gal. 2.8 Col. 1.6 and more out of the Coâ—â—nths miscoâ—ed from which Texâ—s thou powerest out thy blinde opinion of the Bible and concerning the Scripture thereof in this particular in such wise saying it is absolutely called the power of God Vis virtus Dei the Power of God the Gospel the Power of God and faith which is built on that Word without other helps or advantages is said to stand in the Power of God the Word that comes not as a naked word but in power and in the holy Ghost and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 giving all manner of assurance and full perswasion of it self even by its power and efficacy It is termed the Rod of power or strength denoting its Authority and Efficacy that which is thus the Power and Authority of God able to make it self known so to be It is not only said to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Power the power of God in it self but also 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 able and powerful in respect of us 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the sacred Letters 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which are able to make wise to salvation they are powerful and effectual to that purpose it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 potens servare animaâ— nostras the Word that hath power in it to save the able powerful word that Paul commends the Ephesians 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it is living and effectual By vâ—rtue of this power it brought forth fruit in all the world without sword without for the most part miracles without humane wisdome or Oratory without any inducements or motives but what were meerly and solely taken from it self consiâ—ting in things that eye hath not seen nor ear heard nor could enter into the heart of man to conceive hath eâ—erted this power and efficacy so the conquest of the world causing men of all sorts in all times and places so to fall down before its divine Authority as immediately to renounce all that was dear to them in the world and to undergo what ever was dreadful terrible and destructive to nature in all its dearest concernments and such like Reply All this I know to be true of the Word Light and Spiâ—it of God in the hearts of men which the Letter points to and the Apostles preached as that which men should beleeve in it is absolutely the Gospel the power of God to salvation but the Letter not so the faith that is built on that word without other helps or advantages from the Letter stands in the Power of God as Abraham Noahs Enoch Abels and all the holy men did that lived by faith in the Word 't was Gods power mighty and effectual to save them before any outward Letter was written and without the help and advantage thereof but the outward Letter is profitable to nothing at all without the help and advantage of the Light and Spirit within but is a dead letter of no efficacy for the good of souls and this the same J.O. who sayes the Scripture without other helps and advantages is so absolute and perfect that we may obtain eternal life that there 's no need of any other Revelation by the Spirit or Light within but those are all dangerous uncertain unprofitable in no wise necessary fanatick figment desestable c. Ex. 17. s. 28. to the wonted contradiction of himself in all tâ—at and what is underhand confesses with us in totidem verbis of that Scripture which he calls the Word p. 236. saying that without the adminisâ—ration of the Spirit accompanying mens possession of it it is a dead letter of no efficacy to the good of souls The word Light and Spirit of God and Christ within nigh in the heart but not the Letter without is the Gospel which Paul bare testimony to and was sent to turn men to by his Ministry and was not ashamed of saying its the power of God to salvation to every on that beleeves in it and comes in the outward Ministry of it by word of mouth and writing and is witnessed so to do at this day as of old it did to many not in word only but power and the holy Spirit giving all manner of assurance and full perswasion of it self to such as through prejudice put it not away from them and thereby judge themselves unworthy of that eternal life which it is the word of that it is not the word of men but as it is in truth the word of God that is both light and living and Spirit and life it self even the light of the glorious Gospel of Christ the Image of God which is not Letter 2 Cor. 3. thining unto them both in and also out of the darkness that is mens hearts where the God of this world blindes not the minds so that men will not beleeve it to the giving them the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ. This and not the Letter
because men began to dote one upon another and to set up Idols and Images in their minds of good writings that were written for another end by the Spirits motion Histories Letters Epistles and instead of the Law of the Spirit of Life and Light which is by Christ Iesus to magnifie the outward Letter and make it Honourable which is but mens wiâ—nesse for God and to run a whoring after it from Gods own Witnesse even his Light and Spirit in the Conscience Must the Spirit be bound now by thee to read his minde to men in a book of mens writing at first by his own Guidance and of fallible mens mistanscribing from the hands one of another through so many ages or else he must be silent not manifest his mind at all He must read his old Sermons it seems but he must not preach new ones he may read in the Letter what he did reveale but must come forth in no new Revelations now of the old thing nor preach immediately in mens minds any more as he had done from the beginning of the world to that time and inspired immediately whom he pleased Is not this to muzle him up as the Bâ—shops were wont to doe the Parish Curates lest too much Truth should come forth and as they do where the Pope hath most to do at this day so that they may read not too much Scripture neither for therein I confesse the case is a little altered for the better in England but old mouldy Mass books and Forms of Service in Latine of their own setting out in which there is here a little and there a little sprinkling of some Scriptures mostly out of the Psalms which they most corrupt and make certain Sing songs out of or if there be any Homilies read it s a mighty matter but as those the Friars make are worth little and some of them worse then naught so as bad as they be there is few Sermons to be heard throughout the Popedome and as they allow men to read Writings of their own setting out but not preach nor speak in any other order method manner or form of words then as they find there so thou wilt allow the Spirit to speak to men in and by that letter he caused once to be written he may read his mind in mens hearts by that or have it read by mens mouths one to another if he will but no preaching now by himself within or by his immediate inspiration by men without nor writing neither but it must come to the touchstone of what he bade Paul Peter or others to write before which whoso shall presume to say it is of God or from God immediatly at all though it do agree never so much with that as all that is of God and from him doth and cursed be he that speaks contrary to what was of old written rightly understood or shall say 't is Truth before our time-serving Tryers have tryed it by that who understand it not themselves much lesse are fit to try Doctrines by it let him be dealt with according to the foresaid provision against Delusion made of old in the night time while men slept in that behalf But is God and Christ and the Spirit so sparing towards his people and so niggardly in dispensing Truth in revealing his Righteousnesse which he is now bringing neere and in shewing his Salvation which now is not to tarry to them that long for it and have long lookt for it according to his promise as those narrow headed niggardly hearted Nothings and Novices are whose work is all along as dumb as they are from opening their mouths otherwise to bark and bite them back again that having left off to linger any longer at their lips and as well to feed from their mouthes as to feed or put into them make more hast then they would have them from the depths of Hell and Darknesse towards Heaven Gods high and holy Hill Nay verily he sayes to his servants Open thy mouth wide and I will fill it and stands ready to make good that blessing he hath pronounced to such as hunger and thirst after righteousnesse viz. that they shall be from himself who only reveales it no lesse then filled with it Thus liberal the Lord and his Spirit is Yet these are the doings of the Churle whose instruments are evil and of the vile person who yeâ— would fain be lookt upon as liberall too as he hath been by such as saw him not in darker times nor discerned how he fed himself and not the flock and minded his own matters even to make meat for his own belly of them more then to make meat enough for the sheep in that dark and cloudy day Ezek. 24.8 9 10 11 12 c. But the hour cometh and now is wherein a Man even a shepheard whom he knows not shall reign in righteousnesse and be as Rivers of waters in a dry place and as the shadow of a great rock in a weaâ—y land wherein the deaf shall hear the words of the book which are sealed from the back-side Admirer the eyes of the blinde shall see out of obscurity and out of darknesse the eyes of such as seeing will see shall be no more so dimme as they have been and the eares of such as hear must hearken unto him the heart also of the rash or hasty that without heed have run they know not whether shall understand knowledge and the tongue of the stammerers be ready to speak plainly they also that erred in spirit shall come to understanding and they that murmured shall learne Doctrine Then the vile person shall no more be called liberall nor the Churle said to be bountiful for the vile person will work villany and his heart will work iniquity to practise hypocrisie and to utter errour against the Lord to make empty the soul of the hungry and to cause the drink of the thirsty to faile the instruments also of the Churl are evil he deviseth wicked devices to destroy the poore with lying words even when the needy steaketh right things but the liberall deviseth liberall things and by liberall things shall he stand In that day the burden of the insolent Antichristian Assyrian that hath so straightly besieged the people of God that dwell in Sion and cut off from them so far as God would suffer him he stay the staft the whole stay of bread and the whole stay of water shall remove from off Sions shoulders and his yoke from off her neck yea that yoke shall be destroyed because of the anoynting Isa. 10.27 for the spirit shall be poured out upon them that wait for it from on high and the liberall soul shall be made faâ— and he that watereth shall be watered also himself and the wildernesse shall be a fruitfull field in which judgement and righteousnesse shall remain and the works of righteousnesse shall be peace and the effect of righteousnesse quietnesse and assurance for ever and
coin to your selves in your own conceits I care not for knowing for more then a good many ye have but this I know that if the Scriptures be true as I know they are which ye profess to be your Rule of Tryal for all things there is noe true way of coming to the true knowledge of God so much as a Iudge much less as a Father but one and that is neither the Scripture itself which tells of that way nor any thing else but Christ himself and his Light to whom God hath committed all Iudgement which Iudgement he administers by his Light before any see his face as a Father in righteousness and live He hath given forth a Light to the world whereby to know himself but this Light is in his Son he that hath the Son and believeth on the Son in whom is the Life and his Life is the Light of men hath everlasting Life he that hath not and believeth not in the Son hath not life though he is capable of it but by the Light in which he stands condemned the wrath of God yet abideth on him So that whereas ye say there 's knowledge of God but not of Christ by that universal internal light there is in truth no knowledge of God at all but in the Light of Christ who bears his Image who gives forth the Light of the knowledge of his own glory in the face of Iesus Christ I am the way saith he John 14.6 the Truth and Life no man cometh to the Father but by me The Father reveals the Son in men by his Light before he reveals himself Gal. 1.16 So that as no man knows the Son but he in whom the Father reveals him so no man knoweth the Father but the Son and he to whom the Son will reveal him as he will to all that wait and walk on in his Light let him search ne're so long after or in the Letter Mat. 11.27 Ioh. 6.45.46 till he feel after him in the Light within himself in which only God who is not far from every man though most men are far from him is to be found Act. 17. No man hath seen God at any time the only begotten Son who is in the bosome of the Father whose out-goings from thence have been from of old Mic. 5.2 as well in a way of manifestation of the Fathers mind to men from the beginning of the world as in way of Eternal Generation before the world began Prov. 8.20 to 32. though T.D. not knowing the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world knows not how to say Amen to this See page 4. of his 2. Pamp. he it is that by his Spirit and Light within which the Letter only relates of doth reveal him Ioh. 1.18 Men must know Christ i. e. in his Light which Cornelius was in which is his day that Abraham saw whether they ever see his fleshly person yea or nay before they can know God who is known in nothing but his own Light the Son who is known in nothing but his own Light the Spirit that comes from and leads to him so that to say as a Professor of note said in a publike Assembly in Ireland of a Friend of Truth call'd a Qua. whom I know having heard him speak This man knows much of God but little of Christ is little less then a Bull that favours for all the natural literal knowledge of both of little less then a spiritual ignorance in the mystery of both God and Christ. And this gives me the hint to make mention of another Argument That this Light is not natural which is in all viz. because it comes from God and Christ into every creature not by Creation as the rational Soul and its faculties of understanding will mind memory conscience it self do and such properties as are de esse hominis whether constitutive or consecutive so that a man is no man at all or hath not the essential form of a man as distinct from the outward Brutum or Beast of the Field for a man may remain Phusicos a natural man or rather Psuchicos as the word is in many places where rendred natural as well as where sensual 1 Cor. 2. 1 Cor. 15. Iam. 3. Iude 15. a true animal soul-ly man a man that hath a Soul rational and sensitive though in its faculties defaced clouded darkned benighted and lost from the Lord and his Light now withdrawn from him even after the Light is kid from his eyes as it was ever at last from such as to any life by it who would not be led to life by it while they had it witness the Pharisees and Ierusalem and after he remains now irrecoverable for want of Light to the primitive pure nature which only loveth and obeyeth the Law and delighteth truly in the Light The Light then I say comes from God and Christ into the mind and Conscience not as the Soul and its essential faculties of understanding will c. do which with the Organical body make that one compositum call'd man that may be either in unity and communion with God and Christ or in onmity and separation from them according as he walks or walks not in the Light that shines from them but by way of immediate infusion from them into the mind and conscience which of itself is a dark place 2 Pet. 1.19 and destitute as to the knowledge of God without a measure of it as a thing distinct and separable from the man in whom it is and a witness against him when he runs from the Will of God revealed to him in it though eternally one with God and Christ from whom it shines and flows and not ex principiiis natura as I. O. sayes with whom it ever sides let the man go whether he will never consenting to any but condemning all iniquity committed by him and counselling continually whether heeded or no before hand against it And lastly from whom it is as unchangeably inseparable as the light beams and rayes of the Sun are from the Sun it self from whence they shine with which they are in conjunction still whether this or that part of the world be actually enlightned by it or by the Moons interposing eclipsed from it yea or no. So that upon these considerations it can't be natural as I.O.T.D. I.T. R.B. deems it but do nothing at all to the purpose in proof of it so to be So that in further proof of it to be spiritual and supernatural and disproof of their proof-lesse position that its natural to save the pains and charge of laying them out at length I lay down these following proofs which wise men may argue out more at large to their fuller satisfaction within themselves Argum. The Light in all Consciences shines thereinto from God Christ and his Spirit therefore 't is not natural but supernatural and spiritual for these two viz. natural and spiritual natural and supernatural do tollere se invicem are inconsistently
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
own perverse mind and meaning why cannot that be meant of freedome from sin but that men who are not fully willing to be freed from it and are in love with it and being loath to leave it are loath to see it It s more hard not to see then it is to see that it is meant of freedome from sin What should or can it be meant of else Are not freed me from sin and not committing of sin made synominous as committing sin and not being freed from it are made by Christ himself opposites to each other Ioh. 8.32 33. 34. 35. 36. The Iews thought they had the fullest freedome that men could have in this world because they were the visible Church Abrahams Seed and such like externals as they then trusted in as ye now do though not yet freed from that thing call'd sinning to serve the Lord alone whose service the very Common-Prayer-Book it self was wont to call perfect freedome But Christ learns them another Lesson viz. that they had none of that true Gospel freedome that the saving knowledge of the truth gives and which he makes such as continue in his words and so are his Disciples indeed and not in word only as ye are free withall which is a full freedome in deed and truth and not half a one or by the halves such as that is ye talk of who upon the account of some private Patent alias particular personal Election thereto from everlasting prattle to your selves of freedome from guilt while ye remain in your filth and of a general Iustification anâ— pardon for all sins past present and to come in this world expecting your purging or Iustification as to Sanctification from sin and â—ncleâ—â—ness not in this world but that to come But verily verily I say unto you quoth he he that committeth sin is yet the servant of sin and must know for all his boasting he has not long to abide in the House and Church of God wherein Ishmael-like he scoffs at the right Heir Isaac as if himself alone who is but a Bastard born of fornication should inherit all and will prove an out-cast himself at last before the Son who is born of God and free indeed and the only true Heir of all things full freedome from sin and committing of it are oppos'd to each other by Christ therefore freedome from it and not committing it are the same To wind out of this T.D. would seem to say somewhat but of two things he can't tell which but one of the two must be it rather then the Truth Either there is quoth he an Emphasis in the word sin intending under that general term one kind of sin viz. sin unto death or if not in the Substantive on the Verb Poiei which notes to make a trade or business of sin as the Devil does who sinneth from the beginning and never ceased from sin since he began Thus indeed the Saints sin not c. Rep. As to they Emphases they are the foolish empty conceits of thy own and other mens brains there 's no such Emphasis either in the Substantive or Verb as ye all prate whereby the Spirit should be understood as speaking otherwise then he truly means or meaning otherwise then he plainly sayes whose words are plain to the honest heart though not to Idol Shepherd who by the Sword of the Lord hath his right eye utterly darkned because he hath darkned the Lords Counsel by his own words without knowledge And if the eyes of the Seers were not shut up from seeing the very Letter they prate about as well the mysteries of the Spirit which the animal man can never know by all his searchings they being revealed only by the Spirit they might see that the Text it self makes no difference between sinning and committing sin and that the one is no more Emphatical then the other And if T.D. who in the same page 9. where he mentions the words were not so busie in his mind about the meaning and did not make such a warbling noyse as shallow waters ever do more then those that are deepest with harping at this that and t' other silly sense he might in coolness have considered that in the same ninth verse as well as the eigth and others about it the Spirit makes no difference between Amartian Poiein and Amortanein to commit sin and to sin but uses them promiscuously Ouk Amartanei every one that abides in him sinneth not So ver 8. He that commits sin is of the Devil for the Devil Amartanei sinneth from the beginning And because T.D. seems to put an Emphasis upon the word sinneth as well as committeth sin making the word sinneth as here used to amount to somewhat more then an ordinary sort of sinning as here it intends some high or desperate degree of sin even that which 1 Ioh. 5.16 is call'd Kat ' Exoken a sin unto death without remedy or forgiveness for ever because never to be repented of as in opposition to all other sins that men do commit which when this alone being ever joyâ—'d with impenitency is impardonable are all upon that true repentance they are yet in possibility of who commit them pardâ—nable or possible to be forgiven for this is T. Ds. emphasis on the Substantive Sin for I shall not wrong him so much as to take him meaning as the Papists do who put such difference between peccatum veniale and mortale as if some sins only without repentance were mortal or to death and some venial or not to death though not repented of at all your Church of England opposing them in this and holding every sin yea the least unrepented of unto death though T. D. would have suspected me to be a Iesuite for a less matter This concludes him that is born of God to be even qua sic as born of God as easily liable to and excludes him no more then it does the very wicked themselves from the committing of any sin that the wickedest can commit except that ye call the sin against the Holy Ghost it self which is so gross an absurdity that he can be no spiritually wise man that does not feel him to be spiritually infatuated that so imagines For still though the Devil sinneth and he that is of the Devil doth nothing else but Nicodemus though a Master in Israel can't read this Birth of God which is Anothen from above of water and the Spirit John 1.12 John 3. which blows where it lists and the Priests hear an outward sound thereof but know not whence it comes nor whether it goes nor how he is that is born of the Spirit as plain as 't is in the Text which they read more then that truth tells of yet as he that sinneth is of the Devil and he that is of the Devil sinneth altogether so he that sinneth not but doth righteousness only is of God and he that is born of God and the Spirit which is Spirit and not flesh sinneth not at
all mankind if any be exempted it must be the Heathen that know not God the wicked ones that like not to retain God in their knowledge that have not the Law in the letter of it according to thy Principles but such are not exempted for Rom. 1.19 That which is to be known of God is manifest in them for God hath shewed it in them even his eternal Power and Godhead and the invisible things of God from the beginning which in his own light within are clearly seen by the things which are made for the Heavens declare his glory the Firmament shews his handy-work without and by his light within in the understandings of men taking occasion thereby to contemplate on his Greatness and goodness as David did Psalm 8. When I behold the Heavens Moon and Stars the work of thy fingers Lord think I what is man saith he that thou visitest him how excellent is thy Name and such like doth God reveal his Greatness and Goodness in regarding the sons of men Object That makes for us thou mayest perhaps say God by these Preachers without gives the knowledge of himself to the Heathen but what is this to your light within We confess quoth I. O. p. 40 41 42. that God reveals and declares himself to us by the Works of his hands without Creation Providence c. His Works teach and what they teach they do it in his Name and Authority p. 44. Repl. The Heavens c. declare the glory of God only passively as Books on which by the light within men may see and read it as also they may in the outward letter which more verbally though lesse visibly declares it but not so actively as Tutors that make a verball discourse upon it for that is done by the light within by which that Toâ—gnoston tou theou is said to be manifested more immediately by God himself in them for howbeit the Works of God hands the outward Creation have a more visible stamp or character of Gods Greatnesse and Goodnesse on them then the meer outward letter hath that is the works of mens hands and fingers though writing as inspired what they see by the light within and the letter and outward character thereof makes a more formall wordy Narration of it then the works do yet that which most powerfully and effectually and actually teaches daily what the other in their respective more obscure and inferiour wayes do declare ad extra must be something ad intra which falls in with and teaches men even the Spirit of God in the faculty of mans understanding and Conscience and the inspiration of the Almighty Job 32.8 that gives the wisdâ—m and knowledge of him whether by or without the other which without the other â—an and often doth to men born blind give the knowledge of God as those ad extra can never do without this for whatever knowledge men have of God its by it and whatever is to be known of God by men it is as the Sun by its own light manifested by this of God in them only and not by the outward seeing of a of a wâ—k or writing ad extra which cannot be seen themselves any otherwise then as Bruits may behold them bodily without not only the faculty of the rationall wind which is the Eye but the Light from God also to manifest the object to the understanding which light is not Eyes quoth I. O. p. 77. 't is not the visive faculty or understanding it self but anoâ—hing a bâ—am of light communicated from the holy Spirit to the understanding for the removall of the dark shades that are over the mind whereby it is led to see and judge of Truth as men see by the Suns light or else they cannot though they have Eyes Howbeit elsewhere Ex. 4. S. 18. to the shamefull contradiction of himself again I.O. sayes this light is the Eye of the Mind Lumen hoc est oculus mentis and S. 3. Lux est facultas illa intelligendi Opsis dianoias omma tes psuches ophthalmos dianoias making light and sense or the visive faculty as one whereas before he had said one was not the other O Rotas for where both these are not viz. Eyes and Light suitable to the object and the one exercised and the other improved also deest aliquid intus still somewhat within is lacking either Eyes or Light or as 't is in such as have not forfeited those willingness to see when they may and men can no more see God by the letter nor his works without then Beasts that can with bodily eyes discern both the Skies and the Scriptures and in a word unlesse the light within manifest this and it be heed by men also though there be both Skies and Scriptures without obviated to men without and that faculty of the understanding also within yet can men in their minds come to no more true knowledge of God then they can without the light of the Sun without which manifests them and it self also see the outward Sun and materiall Heavens with the outward eye not only the faculty of sight in the Eye and also a light to shew the objects needful else as T.D. himself sayes a blind man might see when there is light and a seeing man when none but a third thing is needful too i.e. an Eye opened to the light and to the object else he that hath Eyes and light too may shut his eyes and not see it And as whatever is to be known of God is to be known by that light within or not at all so by it are men capable to see and know taliter qualiter in such measure as they have of the light not only some things sins duties divine attributes as T. D. dimly and diminitively delivers himself about this but also as they grow in it by degrees everything as well as any of the things of God To Gnoston that are knowable or to be known of him by man to his own salvation I say in such a degree which varies not the case as men have of it they may come to know all things answerably taking head to it and doing the Will of God as revealed in it and that not naturally as by the help of a naturall light as our Naturalists or meer Animall Academians call it but spiritually as by such or such a measure of the spirituall light that flows not as I.O. sains and T.D. would fain seem to make it also as the rationall faculty it self a Principiis Naturae but from God Christ and the Spirit into the minds of men and in such wise as they know any thing in that they know it spiritually by a supernatural and spirituall inward immediate Revelation of it to them by God himself whereupon contrary to that Vsteron proteron of our carnal naturall and litteral Preachers who say that is supernaturall knowledge only that is attained to by reading the letter which letter with I. O. T.D. and the