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A43113
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An antidote against that poysonous and fundamental error of the Quakers denying the same numerical true and real manhood of Jesus Christ in heaven, a place remote from the earth : in two sermons preached at Hartford / by W.H. Christophilus.
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Haworth, William.
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1676
(1676)
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Wing H1195; ESTC R514
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18,456
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23
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The third Scripture is Ephes 2.3 And were by nature Children of wrath even as others If Paul and all the Corinthians were Children of wrath by Nature i.e. by Birth as in another place he saith We who are Jews by Nature Gal. 2.15 i.e. by Birth Parent Original then were they sinners by Nature Birth Original from their Parents otherwise they could not be righteously the Objects of wrath but by this Scripture it appears they were by Nature such Ergo. Let Christopher Tailor answer this If he saith that Christ took away this sin from all Infants then none are Children of wrath by Nature and this Scripture is made a lye then are all Children of Grace as they come into the world till by actual transgression they render themselves obnoxious to wrath Whereas he saith we condemn the Innocent is a begging of the Question in hand And let the Reader judge if in this he writes not too much like an Innocent But this is the fruit of following the Light within and forsaking the Scriptures Nature will never discover its own guile and defilement and the Light within that every man hath is no more than Nature 3. I charge him for preaching the Covenant of Works in opposition to the Gospel by frequent repeating in his Discourses to the People that saying viz. Do this and live He saith to this That be directed to Christ Jesus when he said so and to his Light within that through Faith in him the true Light People might be saved Answ Observe that first he doth distinguish Christ Jesus and the Light and then immediately makes them one and the same Christ Jesus and his Light within It follows that through Faith in him the true Light that lighteh every man c. Now then this Light within every Man is Jesus Christ according to this man's Divinity and Jesus Christ is nothing else but this Light if any thing besides let them declare what But the Scripture saith this Light within every Man is nothing but the Law of Moses written in the heart of Man Rom. 2.15 Which shew the work of the Law written in their hearts So then it remaineth good what I said That C. T. did preach the Law in opposition to the Gospel in using that expression so much Do this and Live It will not serve to say as he doth that he did not press People to the observance of the Law of Moses in the Letter only for Life implying that observance to Moses Law in the Letter and Spirit both is sufficient for Justification unto Life in the fight of God which is the Quakers false Doctrine and another Gospel and renders Christ's personal Righteousness his Obedience and Suffering altogether in vain It is not our observance of Moses Law in the Spirit that is the matter of our Justification in God's fight but that observance that the person of Jesus Christ sixteen hundred years since yeilded to the will of the Father in doing and suffering in the behalf of the Elect in their room and stead being imputed to them May not I say Are not the Quakers willingly ignorant of this going about to set up their own Righteousness That Abraham the Father of the faithful observed Moses Law in the Spirit as well as the Letter yet this did not justifie him unto Life in the sight of God Rom. 4.2 If Abraham was justified by works he had whereof to glory but not before God his works done in the Spirit were not sufficient Rom. 4.6 Even as David also describeth the blessedness of the Man unto whom God imputed Righteousness without Works what Works Done by the Spirit surely for such were Davids Works he places this blessedness of Man with all his observance of the Law of Moses in the Spirit in Forgiveness of Sin Implying this that there is need of non-imputation of sin in the observance of Moses Law in the Spirit in our best works Did not Isaiah observe Moses Law in the Spirit And yet in that place of Isaiah 64.3 which Christopher T. produceth in a jeer calls it fiilthy Raggs as to Justification Did not Paul observe Moses Law in the Letter and Spirit when a Christian An Apostle Rim. 7. 22. I delight in the Law of God after the inward man Was not this to keep it in the Spirit He kept it in the Letter before his Conversion Phil. 3. Touching the Law Blameless and this he counted Loss for Christ Vers 7. when he was converted to Christ Nay not only so but he counted all things loss for the Excellency of the knowledge of Jesus Christ and then surely his observance of the Law of Moses in the Spirit in the point of Justification for this is but his own Righteousness not the Righteousness of him that is God the personal Righteousness of Christ God and Man which is to be received by Faith I call Christopher to answer to these things and not to use that expression any more in that manner to the People thinking it enough to say that he preached the obedience of Faith whereas the obedience of Faith taken in a found sence is quite contrary to that Doctrine that is held forth in that Phrase it is twice quoted by the Apostle in the 5 th of the Rom. and 10 th v. and Gal. 3.12 and in both as opposed to the obedience of Faith yea in the latter it is written plainly the Law is not of Faith they are contrary in the business of Justification To that which he chargeth me with viz. that I should say Though a man was regenerate yet this was not sufficient I own it do but add that which we were certainly speaking of viz. in Justification He askes me what else must be added I answer The personal Righteousness of Jesus Christ imputed yea and this alone and singly nothing but this hath any merit in it for my pardon and acceptance in Gods sight The other of Regeneration is but the making me meet for the Inheritance and Kingdom which is given for the sake of Christ's Righteousness and this making meet is also for the Righteousness-sake of Christ To this very thing and why I call inherent Righteousness the Righteousness of the Law at which the Quakers storm I have given sufficient Reasons in the Books I have written which the Reader may enquire for remaining still in the same mind That the holy Law of God requires all the Righteousness that the best of the Saints have within them or without them therefore no more but the Righteousness of the Law by which we are not justified in God's sight 4. He writes That I told him Will. Pen affirmed to a friend of mine That George Fox was as good a Prophet as Isaiah the Prophet and that Christopher Taylor being asked likewise affirmed the same Here my charge remaineth for he doth not deny it but pleads for it only saith That Will. Pen to the best of his knowledge said no such thing Answ If Will. Pen pleaseth I will produce my Friend who shall testifie it to his face and let C. T. and the Quakers in the mean time please themselves making such wife and just Comparisons concluding that George Fox and Isaiah are equal G. as good a Prophet as Isaiah To the Last he writes that I askt him Whether the Man Jesus Christ were in him and that he answered affirmatively which he doth not deny only puts his own Interpretation upon it That by the Man Christ he understands not the Body of Christ but the Spiritual appearance of Christ Answ I have in these Lines of C. T. observed much deceit as here and else-where in that he doth not truly repeat my Words but rather adds something of his own or curtails and cuts off some of mine or changeth some for others The Question was Whether the whole Christ was within him and he answered it affirmatively My assumption was Then the Man Christ to which he replied The Man Christ was then what is this Answer of his but meer evasion neither is the Godhead alone simply considered the whole Christ nor the Manhood alone but both together The whole Christ is God and Man Now if the whole Christ be in Christopher Taylor not only Christ in his Spiritual Appearance but as to his Manhood that Soul and Body that is in Union with the Godhead But why may not this be asserted by him without any absurdity while the Quakers deny that Christ hath any true real Manhood There is a Jesuitical insinuation in the end of all as if he had more against me than he had writ or was willing at present to write You may read the Kidney of this man by this O how tender have the Quakers been of mine Mr. Faldo's and Mr. Hicks's Credit How much engaged we are to them that by their Tongues and Pens they do not take our good Names from us but they are known to be a self-denying People in this thing witness C. T 's dreadful cursing me when in Prison and his railing upon me openly in the Street at Hartford calling me Dagon an Enemy to God c. I know the modesty of this man that he would think no pains too much to scrape in the Kennels and Dunghills of mine and my Brethrens daily Infirmities that he might have but a little Dirt to throw upon us but the Lord pardon him for he knoweth not what he doth nor what he writes and bring him to the sound knowledge of the Man Christ Jesus and his personal imputed Righteousness for Justification which I know he and all the Quakers are Enemies unto 2 Timothy 3. Now as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses so do these also resist the Truth Men of corrupt Minds of no Judgement concerning the Faith FINIS
things is either his giving gifts to his Church He is speaking of this in the 8th verse When he ascended be gave gifts to men it is spoke so generally here and universally all things because the Gentiles as well as Jews were now of the Church and all filled with gifts from Christ in Heaven Otherwise I answer thus fulfilled all things for so the word will bear he fulfilled all things that were written of him and that were required of him to do 3. Object Christ said to his Disciples Matth. 28.20 I am with you alway 〈◊〉 the end of the World How then can he be in Heaven Answ This he speaks in reference to the presence of the Spirit in the hearts of his People working in their Souls and giving gifts to his Minister by this Spirit and succeeding them in their Labours with his blessing but it cannot be spoke of his humanity for of that he had said Me you have not alwayes And in another place Do this till I come which implyes his bodily absence 4. Object It 's said 1 Cor. 15. Flesh and Blood cannot enter into the Kingdom of Heaven Therefore Christ is not there as to his Manbood Answ Flesh and Flood unchanged and so mortal corruptible cannot but changed and so immortal incorruptible may and can and so was Christs Flesh upon his Resurrection and so he entred into Glory The Qualities are changed but the very same Substance remains 5. Object It is said by Christ when here on Earth John 3.13 The Son of Man which is in Heaven By this it appears that Christ was in Heaven when on Earth and so every where when on Earth and so now Answ This is spoken by a communication of Properties that which is only proper to one Nature is spoken of the other Nature He was not in Heaven as to his Body it is only true as to his Deity but he attributes Omnipresence to his whole Person by this figurative way of speech as that Acts 20. The Church of God which he hath purchased with his own Blood How can Blood be attributed to God but by this way of speaking So likewise 1 Cor. 2.8 Crucified the Lord of Glory is spoken in the same way Reasons of this viz. Christ being now a Man in Heaven Reason 1. If Christ be not now a Man in Heaven then there is no Intercession for us and so there is no Mediator Christ is Mediator and Intercessor according to his Humane Nature as well as his Divine Nature take away the Humane Nature and he ceases to be an Intercessor Under the Law they had an High-Priest that was a Man like themselves who when he had offered the Sacrifice for the Sins of the People went into the Holy Place with the Blood to appear there in their behalf this was a Figure of Christ's Priesthood therefore the Apostle speaks thus in Heb. 9.24 For Christ is not entered into the Holy Places made with hands which are the Figures of the true but into Heaven it self now to appear in the presence of God for us Now as I said this Intercession is quite nulled if no Humanity remain'd so that all the Saints remain still full of Wants Weallnesses Fallings Infirmities and there is none to Advocate for them but they must Plead for themselves and how can we of our selves draw near to such an Infinitely Glorious Majesty and have not a Mid 〈…〉 all our Prayers would be lost and we should be utterly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 up Let it then be 〈◊〉 how sad a thing it would be to the Highest Ground of a Christians Triumph which is this viz. That Christ rather fits on the right hand of God That there is none now to bear our Names before the Father as the High-Priest under the Law bare all the Names of the Tribes upon his Breast The Faith of this hath been and is daily sweet unto the Saints and therefore the Church is brought in Praying Set me as a Seal upon thy Heart as a Seal upon thine Arm Cant. 8.6 Reason 2. If Christ be not a Man now in Heaven then is there no entring into Glory and Heaven for any as there was upon the Fall of Man a Church placed with a Flaming Sword at the Gate of Paradise so that there was no entring any more for Man Why so by reason of the Sin of Man there was no entring into Glory because of God's Flaming Justice had not the Man Christ entred in and made way for us all that ever entred into Glory entred by Virtue of Christ's entring as Man John 14.2 I go to prepare a Place for you his going thither did prepare the Place for us Heb. 10.19 Having therefore Brethren boldness to enter into the Holiest by the Blood of Jesus Ver. 20. By a new and living way which he hath consecrated for us through the Vail of his Flesh The People under the Law were not to enter into the Holiest only the High-Priests alone by the Blood Christ our High-Priest hath now entred into Heaven by his Blood and hath thereby made us a Royal Priesthood so that now we may enter into Glory therefore are we said Ephes 2. to be set down with him in Heavenly Places He being our Head and having entered we being united are entered also In him we have a pledge and first Fruits of Glory but if he be not entered as Man we have no hopes of Glory Reason 3. If Christ be not a Man in Heaven then is not the Spirit not any Gifts thereof upon any What ever is of the Spirit upon any it is by virtue of Christ as Man entering into Glory That pouring out of the Spirit that we read of in the second of the Acts was by virtue of Christs Ascending into Heaven in his Manhood Verse 33. Therefore being at the Right hand of God exalted and having received of the Father the Promise of the Holy Ghost he hath shed forth this which ye now see and hear As Christ is Man and so Mediator all things come first into his haâ—â—◠〈…〉 from him to us therefore he hath received and shed forth this The Prophets and Saints had the Spirit before his Ascension but they had it by Virtue of this his Ascension therefore when it is said The Spirit was not yet given because he was not yet glorified John 7.39 It speaks of a more plentiful beffosion of the Spirit this plentiful effusion was reserved till this time of his Ascension to seal up the fruits of his Death and Resurrection All the Gifts for the Instruction and Edification of the Church comes this way viz. by virtue of Christ's Ascension as Man into Heaven Ephes 4.8 Wherefore he saith when he ascended up on high he led Captivity Captive and gave Gifts unto men Which is taken from Psal 68.18 There it is he received Gifts He received them not for himself but on purpose to give them to his Church as Kings on their Coronation dayes bestow gifts upon their Subjects