2 Cor. 5.14 1 John 2.2 Which also as a testimony against J. W. in many of our Books vindicate the free Grace of God in Christ to all men and his dying for all as in a Book Intituled The Voice of Wisdom by G. W. page 12. and at large in a Book Intituled Rusticus ad Accademicos by S. F. in both which Priest Danson is answered and his pleading against Christs death for all men and his free Grace to all confuted as also in a Book called A brief Discovery by G.W. as in many more Books of ours the free Grace of God to all and Christs dying for all men is declared Also J. W. his third Proof for his said charge against all that Preach the light within is as false as his former where he laies down these words to wit Thou dost not gather men and women into Communion with Christ by Faith teaching them to believe in Jesus Christ c. Which thing he himself who hath openly opposed the light of Christ in all and counted the Doctrine of it a stratagem of Satan is guilty of and not we that own the light for it is the light that brings into communion with God and his Son Jesus Christ for they that say they have fellowship with him and walk in Darkness they lye and do not the truth but they that walk in the Light are in the true fellowship and faith and know the Blood of Christ to cleanse them from all sin Also J. VV. his charging us with gathering by works and not by Faith in warning all people to look to the light within and such as receive this Doctrine with being as ignorant as heathens and absolute infidels in this hath he slandered us and shewed himself to be an Infidel who sees not the light within 〈◊〉 owns it for the Infidels were such as in whom the God of the World did blind their minds from seeing the light of the Glorious Gospel which shineth in the heart and giveth the knowledge of the Glory of God to them that believe in it and so works without Faith we deny but the works that are wrought in the Faith and in the light we own and though J. W. hath so much warned people from looking to the light within as that which must bring them to reconciliation and justification yet in pages 124. and 125. he hath contradicted his matter against the light within for there he speaks of being set free and justified by performing the condition of the second Covenant as Repentance Faith and Gospel Obedience which those that have sined may perform through the assistance of Gods Spirit c. as also he saith so far forth as Persons come to be in Covenant with Christ and are enabled by him to walk according to his direction so far are these said to have Christ formed in them that is to be brought into a blessed destate of freedom from the guilt of sin of freedom from the power and dominion of sin of assurance of redemption from the first death and of deliverance from the second and so by Christ to be Intituled to Eternal Life c. Now how should those who have sinned perform the condition of the second Covenant through the assistance of Gods Spirit or come into the True Faith and Gospel obedience and to know Christ formed in them unless that Gods Spirit or Light be known or owned within and if those that have sinned may come to this state of Faith and Obedience and freedom from the guilt and power of sin by the Spirit of God then a measure of this Spirit or light is given to all men without exception seeing that the sinners themselves are not exempted from it according to J. W. his own words and thus hath he grosly confounded himself in his own while rayling against the Preaching up of the light within and another while confessing to the Spirit of God or light even in the wicked J. W. his fourth Charge is thus viz. Thou which Preachest that all men should mind the light which is within them dost deny the Christ of God which dyed at Jerusalem because thou hast said to me when I have made as large a confession of Christ as I now have done that I am ignorant of Christ c. Answer What a silly Reason is this against those that Preach that all should mind the light within as if he had said that because he has made a large confession of Christ therefore he is not ignorant of him when as the Devil who favours not the things of God hath been made to confesse Christ and many do confess Christ in words as largly as J. W. and yet are ignorant of him and of the Power of his death and Sufferings as J. W. is whilest he shews him self an enemy to the Light of Christ which we own and we do not deny either the coming of Christ or his suffering in the flesh as we are falsly accused by this reviler neither do we deny Christs reconciling of the world nor teach any thing contrary to that of Rom. 5.10 2 Cor. 5.19 as J. W. hath implicitely accused us for we know and Preach reconciliation through Christs death and Salvation through his life whose life is the light of men and this is not any establishing of our own Righteousnesse as falsly we are accused neither are we strangers unto the Doctrine of Justification by the Grace of God through the redemption that is in Christ whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood but how are any justified by the Grace of God whilst they deny the light within for is not the light of Christ within the free gift of his Grace which hath appeared to all men and which by his Righteousness hath come upon all men Rom. 5.18 Titus 2.11 Which Righteousness is received where the light of Christ within is obeyed and he thereby made known to be a propitiation through Faith in his blood and we who are come to own this in the true Faith are come to self-denyal and to deny self-righteousness contrary to J. W. his false accusations against us who Preach the light within Who also saith in his twelfth page But self must be denyed and self righteousness which is of the Law yea when men have done all whatsoever they are commanded they are to say with humble hearts they have done but what was their duty c. Answer What an Ignoramus is this man who puts no difference betwixt Self-righteousness which is to be denyed and the doing whatsoever we are commanded which is our duty as if he had said in denying self-righteousness you must deny your duty or that self-righteousness is mens duty when as that which brings men to do their duty to God in obeying his commands is of God and though man as in the Servants state may abase and humble himself yet that Principle of Faith which brings him to do his duty is to be esteemed
Seed of God should be sown in one condition and raised in another seeing the Apostles words are plain to that effect for that which thou sowest is not quickened except it die and doth not that Seed suffer in man by corruption before it be raised in incorruption and is it not the Seed of God that is sown in weakness and raised in Power and every Seed shall have its own Body and what is it God gives a Body to as it pleaseth him but the Seed And what Seed is that is raised in incorruption Glory and Power but the Seed of God before which state of the Seed be attained to the Seed is known in suffering in death and in corruption though in it self it be incorruptible for it could not be said it shall be quickened unless after it be sown it dye and in respect of its being sown in weakness and dying as to them in whom it is sown who are not redeemed into the state of the second Adam it s said to be sown a Natural Body as also there is a Natural Seed or Seed of Abraham according to the flesh that this Seed of God takes hold on or takes upon it but in respect of its being raised in Power and Glory it is Spiritual and Immortal as being beyond that state in which it is sown in weakness which states none comes truly to know but as they come into death with the Seed and to be raised up by the Spirit that raised up Jesus from the dead which spirit where it dwells doth quicken the mortal bodies and doth bring into the likeness of Christs Glorious Body and as many as are dead with Christ shall live and appear with him in Glory and witness the Body of their lowness made like unto his Glorious Body whose they are and such who come to the Resurrection of the Just and to see the mortal Body which was dead because of sin quickened by the Spirit of Christ dwelling in them shall come to witness that of Hosea 13 14. fulfilled for they shall come to be ransomed from the Power of the Grave and redeemed from death as the Seed comes to live and reign which cannot be holden of death nor kept in the Grave but is the destruction of the Grave and this the Prophet witnessed when he was delivered from the power of the Grave and his soul brought out of the Pit by the sides whereof the Graves were set And why saith J. W. in page 60. as that arising which Christ through the Faith of the Operation of God is not the Resurrection from the dead nor the state of perfection which the Faithful unto death shall obtain c. What do not they that rise with Christ rise from the dead And was not that the Resurrection from the dead that Saint Paul desired to attain to Phil. 3.11 Are not all men in sin dead And do not they that rise with Christ rise out of sin seeing the Saints that had been dead in trespasses and sins when they were quickened and raised in Christ they were come to live in him with whom they shall live who first knew what it was to die with him or to be baptized into his death for the dead in Christ shall rise first and is not that a state of perfection where there is a Resurrection in Christ from sin and the death which came in by it For is it not sin that caused the imperfection And that the Resurrection from the dead is a raising of man from the dead in every part wherein he is dead by reason of sin and to live in every part wherein he lived before he sinned to wit to be alive in Spirit Soul and Body as in page 66. Who denies that For because of sin death hath come over man in every part both over spirit soul and body so that where man is raised out of sin by Christ who is the Resurrection and the Life his Spirit is quickened that it can rejoyce in God and his soul is raised up out of death that it can magnifie him who is the Saviour and if Christ be in you the Body iâ— dead because of sin and the same spirit that raised up Jesus from the dead shall quicken the mortal Body and the Creature it self thereby comes to be delivered into the Glorious liberty of the Sons of God so that the Resurrection of the whole man and of every man in his own order 1 Cor. 15 23 over whom death and the Grave had dominion we own and do not take a part of it for the whole as falsly J. W. accuseth us But whereas J. VV. imagineth that the Redemption of the Body spoken of in Rom. 8. Which the Saints groaned travelled and waited for is not to be enjoyed till the Natural and visible bodies of men shall be raised out of the Graves as in page 65. and 53. and 55. This is like the rest of his vain Imaginations and foolish dreams about the Resurrection and other things for this would suppose that that Redemption of the Body from the bondage of Corruption which Saint Paul and other Saints so many hundred years agoe did travel and wait and hope for in their suffering state is not yet attained which would render their Faith Hope and Travel ineffectual and what then was that bondage of corruption and that suffering under which the body suffered and from which they waited for redemption is it some bondage or suffering that the Saints so long deceased both were in their dayes and are yet in suffering under if they be not yet attained to the redemption of the body which so long since they travelled for as this J. VV. ignorantly seems to imply which his reason is like his saying that God is declared to be the God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob because their bodies which are dead shall live again when as he was their God because they lived with him and were in him and were in the bosom of the Father who is not the God of the dead but of the living And as for that of Job 19.25 26 27. Which he mentions where Job knew his Redeemer living and that he should stand upon the Earth and that in his flesh he should see God whom said he I shall see for my self and mine eyes shall behold c. After this Job knew his hope herein fulfilled when he said to the Lord Chap. 42. I have heard of thee by the Hearing of the Ear but now mine eyes seeth thee Now it is not to be supposed that Job did either see or expect to see God with bodily or carnal eyes for who so imagines they must suppose God to be visible like themselves and not a Spirit nor an immortal invisible being who is to be seen spiritually and not carnally who is in that immortality and Glory with no man as mortal can approach to or behold with that which is mortal and what silly reasoning is it for J W. from that of Rev.
believers being conformed to the Image of the Son of God that he might be the first-born among many Brethren as in Rom. 8.29 which thou puttest afar off as to be attained but at the Resurrection of their bodies from the graves which thou tells of and then thou blindly sayest Christ will give himself unto it viz. unto his Church and make it like glorious with his own glorified humane nature and then the Church shall resemble her head c. Herein hast thou perverted both that Scripture of Rom. 8.29 30. and that of Eph. 5.25 26.27 for the Apostle does not put that cleansed and glorious state of the Church wherein they were made conformable to the Image of Christ afar off till after death as thou hast done for the Saints were come unto the Church of the first-born and knew Christ born in them as he is the first-born in many Brethren 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and who he justified them also he glorified Rom. 8.30 and Christ gave himself for his Church that he might sanctifie and cleanse it and present it to himself not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing but that it should be holy and without blemish Eph. 5. Now doth not the Church resemble her head when she is brought into that state of purity for which Christ gave himself which refers to the time past it s not said there that he will give himself as in the future Tense so to cleanse his Church at the Resurrection of the bodies out of the graves as thy words imply who also to prove that the Believers partaking of the Divine Nature in this Life is but in part bringest Rom. 7.25 With my mind I serve the Law of God but with my flesh the Law of sin wherein thou hast implyed that the Apostle was not freed from serving the Law of sin while he was in this Life what a sad life wouldst thou make Paul to live and so like the deceivers and blind guides hast put freedom from sin afar off till after death that the bodies shall be raised out of the graves and when that shall be thou knowest not when as the Apostle passed thorow the warfare and attained to the victory over sin and the Law of the spirit of life in Christ did make him free from the law of sin and death which sometime had ruled in his members and he could say before his decease I have fought the good fight c. though several times he condescended to several states or conditions below his own as he did to the Romans and others and became as weak to the weak and as one under the Law to them that were under the Law c. And thou sayest p. 139. That humane nature by personal conjunction with the Divine Nature being become so spiritual that it may be truly said The last Adam that is the created substance in Christs person is now made into a quickening spirit c To which we say how then is all mankind of the same substance with Christ as thou said before what are they all quickening Spirits or is the Humane Nature of all man-kind a quickening Spirit Canst thou not distinguish betwixt that which is Humane or from the earth and a quickening Spirit What gross absurdity hast thou herein implyed And what a vast difference wouldest thou make betwixt Christ and his Nature now when he is in a glorified states further then in the dayes of his flesh as if he were become a quickening Spirit which is divine but there is a nature in him that is Humane so the Nature of the quickening spirit is of the earth according to thy words as the first Adam was and so thou canst not distiguish betwixt the first Adam and the second though the first Adam and his Humane Nature is of the Earth but the second and his Nature and Image is Divine and Heavenly according to himself who is Lord from Heaven whose state is glorified spiritual and immortal wherein that which was mortal which in time he took upon him is swallowed up of life and immortality and he as Glorified with the Father before the world began made higher then the Angels though they be ministring Spirits And whereas thou J. W. countest it Blasphemous and of Antichrist to think that any part of man Spirit Soul or Body is of the Divine Eternal and uncreated Substance c. To that we say Is not that wherein the Soul hath its immortality of the Eternal Life or Substance else whence had the Soul its Life and Immortality and what is it in it self For shall not the Soul if saved from the power of sin be eternally in the feeling and enjoyment of the Love of God And if not so saved shall it not Eternally be under a sence of his Anger And was not man made in the Image of God and had the Breath of Life from God in him whereby his Soul lived Was not that Image and Life Immortal And whereas thou seemest to admit of a Perfection that Believers may attain unto and yet sayes that the perfection of God and of the Divine Nature of Christ is of a different Nature from the perfection of man c. This is as blind a business as thy former denying the Divine Nature to be in any but Christ for there is no true perfection of Holiness that the believers attain to but what they have in God and Christ according to his Divine Nature in which they pertake of in him who hath exhorted the Saints to be Perfect as their Heavenly Father is Perfect that they might be Holy in all manner of conversation so that thy sinful Doctrines which are for sin the tearm of Life do tend to make the commands and Work of Christ of none effect CHAP. III. Concerning the Resurrection and J. W. his silly reasoning and vain conceits about it ANd as concerning the Resurrection from the dead we do not say that the Resurrection is past with us as J. W. in page 63. doth falsly accuse us for we are in him who is the Resurrection the Life and by whom comes the Resurrection from the dead John 11.25 1 Cor. 15.21 and we are against those that in saying the Resurrection is past have gone about to destroy or do overthrow the Faith of some 2 Tim. 2.18 for through Faith many are in the way to attain to the Resurrection of the just and so according to the Scriptures we do own a Resurrection both of the just and unjust and that some shall come forth to the Resurrection of Life wch they that abide in the Faith until death shall attain to and others to the Resurrection of Condemnation which is their portion who believe not in Christ who is the Resurrection and the Life wherein the Righteous shall shine as the Stars for ever and ever but the wicked shall rise to shame and contempt Dan. 12.2 3. And why does J. W. count it absurd as in pages 54 55. that the
charges against us hath he dealt deceitfully like him who is the Father of lyes and lyars who when he speaketh a lye he speaketh of himself and not as a rational man and in very many things he hath absolutely wronged our Principles and Practises and charged as apparent falshoods upon us as ever was as hereafter is made manifest to the shame of him that was the Authour of the said lying Book called A Testimony for the Son of man c. and the shame of all such false Spirits as own him in his work We see that God hath appeared in Judgement against you and your way and a line of confusion is come over you since that so many of you especially of your Leaders have set themselves in their envy and malice against us who are in the Power of Truth what do you think that spreading your railing and false Books against us will gain you favour from the prophane world and be any means to rescue you from persecution or suffering under the powers of the earth Do you think to save your selves by reviling the Innocent as some of the Leaders in your way have gotten themselves out of Prison by swearing contrary to Christs Doctrine after they have been imprisoned for denying to swear when so many of our friends were in prisons for refusing to swear for Conscience sake to Christ And not onely so but several of them who have long been reputed eminent in your way have like Men-pleasers written to vindicate swearing and oaths as treacherous men both to God to their own Consciences and to his Innocent and Conscientious people such as you have reviled and bespattered with reproaches in the Book here answered who would be loath to be so treacherous to God and their own Consciences as many in your way have been whatever we suffer either from you or from the persecuters in the same envious spirit which is among you And yet this know that we had not publisht this against any of you had we not had that great occasion given us by this piece of wicked work which Joseph Wright your Defender hath brought forth wherein we who preach the Light of Christ within are not onely slandered and bespattered with his lyes and calumnies as men but also the Truth of God which we are in and suffer for is blasphemed belyed and perverted even in the sight of our enemies in vindication whereof we were necessitated to give this forth and to deal thus plainly with your Principles which are published by your pretended Defender otherwise we could have been silent as from medling with you in this kind for it is no pleasure to us to bestow so much labour upon such a heap of confusion and absurdities as I. VV. his work is nor to upbraid you with your confusion and weaknesse in what you professe especially since you are as in a suffering state and like to suffer as we are if you be true to your Principles and conscientious towards God in what you know or professe but you may see the urgent occasion given against us and the Truth for what we do in this thing And though I.VV. does not name the word Quakers by name yet it is all one as if he had done it whilst he so often in general words upbraids such as preach the Light within for we called Quakers are known to be the people he all along so peevishly smites against seeing that we are known so generally to own and preach the Light within as the Saints of old did and in that Light of Christ in us we see Light and therein are as a City set upon a Hill which cannot be hid and are in that Truth and Life which will out-live our opposers and persecuters and do know that power manifest in us which out-shines all the dead and empty forms professions and traditions of all who are out of the life and power of godlinesse and in that hath the Lord given us strength and the spirit of understanding to see beyond and to stand over our opposers and the envy and subtilty of the Serpent in such as rise up in Judgment against us Glory to our God for ever and ever And now we come to some of the heads of Joseph Wrights matter in charge against such as preach the Law and Light within CHAP. I. Concerning the Light within and Christs coming in the flesh and dying for all men J.W. his first charge is in these words viz. The first thing I lay to thy charge whosoever thou art that preachest up the Light within men requiring all People to mind the light which is within them is this That thou dost deny that Christ which dyed at Jerusalem and denyest Jesus Christ come in the flesh and thy spirit is the spirit of Antichrist c. And the first proof for his charge is in these words viz. 1. Because in all thy preaching teaching and declaring thou never makes mention of Christs dying for the sins of the world nor that he tasted death for every man thou art altogether silent in this Doctrine of Christs dying for man in the body of his flesh c. And his second proof is in these words viz. 2. Because as is thy word of mouth even so is thy writings for amongst them all and in them all there is not one line which teacheth that Christ did dye for the sins of the world and freely laid down his life as a ransome for sinners c. Answer As his charge is universal against all that preach up the light within it is both false and slanderous as also all his proofs for it so that he might as well have said that the light of Christ in all men and the Doctrine of Christ which directs to it doth deny Christ and his coming in the flesh when as on the contrary all who truly own and believe in the light of Christ-in them by it they come to be led to the knowledge of Christ from whence it comes and to the power of his death and the vertue of his life which none can truly know but as they are led by the light of Christ within which giveth the Knowledge of the Glory of God and of those things that are freely given to us of God and Christ said believe in the 〈…〉 t that you may be children of the light John 12.36 Did Christ herein deny himself or his coming in the flesh as falsly J. VV. accuseth all that preach the light within and in that we are included in his proofs as never mentioning Christs tasting death for every man either in our Preaching or writings in this he hath notoriously belyed us as thousands may witness against him who have heard us both Preach up and contend for the free Grace of God to all men and thereby that Christ tasted death for every man and dyed for all men and gave him self a ransom for all to be testified of in due time Heb. 2.9 1 Tim. 2.6
they Prophesied to the Seed And Christ as he hath Power to lay down his Life which no man taketh from him so he hath Power to take it again John 10.17 18. and to raise up his own Life or Seed in his People Did not his own Arm or Power bring Salvation to him Isa. 63.5 And where he is manifested in that Power in his Saints may he not speak thorow them to his own in others where manifest in a less measure And did not Saint Paul travel till Christ was formed in the Galathians Gal. 4.19 And what ignorance is it in J. W. to deny in page 106. that Christ Preached to the Spirits when they were in Prison Seeing that when he was quickened by the Spirit he Preached to the Spirits in Prison 1 Pet. 3.19 As also he was promised to open the Prison Doors and bring forth the Prisoners out of the Prison-house and he it is that saith to the Prisoners shew your selves And J.W. in p. 141. hath further charged absolute falshoods upon us in saying as that the creature man is not the subject of our blessings but a supposed seed and that the subject of our curse he saith is not the creature man consisting of spirit soul and body but a contrary seed likely the Devil c. These are as wicked and false as his accusing us that when we exhort to perfection we never intend that the creature man with all the helps he can lay hold on either is can or ought to be perfect as in pages 145 146 149. when as on the contrary we affirm that the creature man as he comes into the seed of God which the blessing is originally to which is perfect and to be in the nature and life of it therein he partakes of the blessings which are in that seed and grows unto a perfect man as the Saints did and on the contrary as men or Creatures are joyned to the evil seed and servants to the Devil so they become subjects with the Devil of the curse and anger of God which they treasure up to themselves and this is no emboldning man on in his sin nor advantagious to Satan as he saith p. 141. And we neither exhort God nor Christ to perfection nor make them the subjects of our exhortation as J. W. in effect hath accused us who but an impudent malicious man would have charged such wicked lyes absurdities and blasphemies upon us as he hath done Are these the fruits of the Baptists spirit Sad is that peoples state that have appointed this Jos-Wright for a defence unto them or their way as he accounts himself and poorly are they defended by him CHAPTER V. Concerning Ordinances and J. W. his idolatry and falshood about Water Baptism ANd whereas in pages 33 42 and 158. thou J.W. hast accused such as do preach the Light within with denying Baptism in water prayer and laying on of hands and with reproaching and despising the Ordinances of the new Testament and with calling prayer and laying on of hands carnal c. To this we lay thou hast grosely slandered and impudently belyed us in these as in many other things for both prayer laying on of hands and other ordinances as they are performed in the Power of God by the leadings of his Spirit we own but where such things are done out of the Power or leading of that Spirit in mens wills they are but formal dead and empty and as such to be denyed and the one Baptism Eph. 4.5 which the outward was but as a figure of we witnesse And further note how thou hast contradicted thy self in pages 159. and 160. thou hast accused us for laying on of hands and for praying once in thirteen dayes at least with such as are inclinable to our Principles how then do we reproach and despise prayer and laying on of hands as in general terms thou hast accused us how art thou confounded in thy malicious accusations which confusion is a fruit of thy envy for where envy is there is confusion and whereas thou art pleading for the Baptism of Believers in water as an ordinance of great authority and as being appointed to signifie the burial and Resurrection of Christ and the fellowship of true believers in his death and that it consisteth not in the bare putting away the filth of the flesh as the Jewish Baptisms did Heb. 9.9 and that the effect of it is greater then the effect of those legal washings and thy proof is 1 Pet. 3.21 22. Answ. In thy Epistle to the Churches thou counsellest them not to discourse this Spirit about the Authority of Ordinances meaning the spirit of such as preach up the Light within and in thy other Epistle to them that so preach thou pretendest as if thou would not be disputing about Ordinances when the difference is about the substance yet now in contradiction to thy former counsel and pretence thou hast disputed about the authority of Water Baptism which thou applaudest as thy great Ordinance as if there were more efficacy in it then the bare putting away the filth of the flesh how hast thou discovered thy lying spirit and confusion of Babylon one while to counsel others and to pretend not to discourse about Ordinances and then afterward to contend for them as thou hast done though to little effect or purpose they that cannot see thy falshood and folly herein are stark blind and that of 1 Pet. 3.21.22 thou hast absolutely perverted it for it does noâ— prove your Baptism in Water to have more in it then the Jewes washings or baptizings Heb. 9.9 for there is mention of the Baptism that saweth which is not the putting away of the filth of the flesh but the answer of a good Conscience which the outward water or washing is mentioned as a figure of for there is a plain distinction betwixt the inward Baptism that saveth and the outward washing or putting away the filth of the flesh and the true believers in Christ are come further then that which is but the sign or figure or doth but signifie Christs burial Resurrection or their fellowship in his death for they are come to be baptized into his death and to be raised in his life by that Spirit which hath baptized them which is the substance wherein the signes and shadows are ended which Christ through his death and suffering made way for mens Redemption out of and abolished the Law of Commandements by which these outward shadows and figures which related to that state that was under the Law were upheld where the possession of the holy Seed which is the substance was not attained to and the use of such outward Baptisms or shadows by any of the Apostles for a time does not prove them of force by a Law since Christ fulfilled them and abolished the Law of them Eph. 2.15 Col. 2.14.20 and through suffering made way for a further more glorious and living dispensation then that wherein the signs shadows or figures