it is unworthy the Name of true Men. I will believe succeeding times may have out-done them in Debauchery but I can never think unless better inform'd that any Age hath so much as equal'd them in a Treacherous Hypocrisie though that I may be just several among them were not wanting to express their utter Abhorrence of such Procedure which hath thus far aggravated the others Apostasie that they were worse treated then such that were reputed their Publick Enemies as if not to be Treacherous had been to be Dis-affected concerning which I refer the Reader to the first and second Narratives printed in the Year 1659. Certainly it was now time that God should arise and that his Enemies should be manifest who under the Splendidst Shew of Reformation that almost any Age for 1400. Years could parallel had Crucified the Holy Life of Religion stifling the Spirituality thereof by reform'd Formality empty Shews and meer tinckling Cymbals of Sin-pleasing Doctrines And their Primitive Tenderness being worn off by Time and Preferment none grew more Superstitious and Persecuting then those who once seem'd most averse from it I charitably forbear the mention of particular Persons In short Pride Self-Seeking and Self-Establishment in Glory Wealth and Worldly Prosperity having undermin'd the Worthy Honesty that was at first stirring in the Hearts of some of them Behold a Glorious but Empty Trunk of Profession as lofty as the Jews themselves pretending to be Children of Abraham and Heirs of the Promise yet Servants to Sin Christians by Imputation but not by Qualification saved in Christ though lost through Sin in Themselves pray by the Spirit yet their Duties unholy Things Behold Babylon in one of her best Trims But it was at this time serious Reader when Religion was so much talk'd of and so little practis'd that it pleased the Eternal Wise God who is unsearchable in his Goings to appear and manifest the Knowledge of Himself by a Way contemptible to the World as indeed when did he otherwise shewing himself first to Shepherds and Men of mean Rank whose outward Abilities were as incapable to gain Applause from Men as their Meanness to invite them Men Plain and Simple who desired of long time above Worldly Treasure they might be acquainted with the true unchangable Way of God All the Religion they were taught of Men or the strength of Memory could collect from Books joyn'd with their own Simplicity and Zeal was not able to overcome the Enemies of their Souls for whose Redemption God appear'd and they often groan'd in secret being truly willing to undergo any cross that might but help them to this Knowledge after which they had daily thirsted more then for appointed Food Thus that no Flesh might glory in his Presence did the Almighty God according to his many Precious Promises break in upon the Spirits of a poor despised People by his terrible Power which caused the old Foundations to shake and begat holy Terror and Dread because of the Glory of his Majesty who had reveal'd Himself Judgment overtook for Sin and Righteousness was laid to the Plummet and a true Scale was erected wherein all the Profession in the World was lighter then the Chaff which is blown away of the Tempest This Day of Judgment for Sin and Consumption upon all the pleasant Pictures of Religion that Tradition Education or Imagination had drawn in the Minds of Men they were constrain'd to Declare and the very Utterings thereof were astonishing both to Professors and Prophane For being Witnesses of a nearer thing then an Out-side Religion however refin'd in which the whole World was adulterated from God and that the Time of the Kindling of the Indignation of the Lord God Almighty was come because of Iniquity and Unrighteousness that cover'd the Earth as the Waters cover the Sea which made the Controversie Essential Not to consist about exterior Order Church-Government or meer Articles of Faith But that Inward Principle of Righteousness which reduceth the Soul to the Heavenly Order and that Faith which overcomes the World Therefore in the Name of the Lord and by the alone Arm of the Almighty did several of these poor Men go forth into Towns Citties and Countries proclaiming the Day of the Controversie of God with Men by the pleadings of his Holy Light Power or Spirit in their Hearts and Consciences decrying all Notions of Christ above Possession calling the lofty Cedars to bow and the sturdy Oakes to bend before the Heavenly Appearance of the Lord by his Light within that all Knowledge of God not gotten through inward Judgment and Experience of the Operation of his saving Hand was accurst of God And that as the Earth of Wickedness in Mens Hearts should be consum'd by the Refiners Fire so the Heavens of lofty Knowledge should by the fiery heat thereof be wrapt up as a scrole that a new Heaven and a new Earth in which dwelleth not IMPUâ—…ATIVE but Real Inherent Everlasting Righâ—…ousness might be known to be created by the Word of God nigh in the Heart I say these Men alarming the Nation with the Sound of this harsh and terrible Trumpet who had taken so long a Nap in Pleasure Ease and Fleshly Religion caused very strange and differing Apprehensions Some prickt to the very Heart cryed out What shall we do to he saved whilst the Wolf and the Fox lay in wait to intercept the blessed Work of the Lord by several wayes of Cunning and Cruelty The Priests who were degenerated as well as the People basely Teaching for Hire and Divining for Money The best accounted of them making Bargains how much a Year to preach the Gospel as they call it and so is it to this Day like Foxes seeing their Kennel found out into which they had so long hid their Prey and fearing that the Turning Men to the Light in the Conscience and their so resolutely Testifying That no Man could be at Peace with God who went condemn'd thereof and that all Knowledge of the things of God which hath not been received through the holy Subjection of the Creature to God's Heavenly Appearance Within him for whatever may be known of God is manifested within saith the Apostle was above the true Teacher and the Sufferings of the Cross of Christ They posted to the Magistrates Saul-like with whole Packets of Lyes Slanders and Invectives on purpose to beget a Wolf fish Nature in them to put a stop to the Progress of this blessed Manifestation of the Eternal Light of Righteousness but the Exercise of a Merciless Power Some few would not be prevailed upon but the Generality seeing their Worldly Honour and which to some of them was dearer their beloved Easie Religion was struck at Root and Branch they as an Arm'd Man furiously employ'd their Strength to the Relief of the Priests and Subversion of these poor Men Some were Imprison'd others Whipt several Bruised not a few Murther'd and many Robb'd and Spoil'd of their Goods And that
Law finished He that would be justified must first be condemned and who would be healed must first be wounded The Law is as the Sword the Gospel as Balm The one Duty the other Love And that which alone is needful to attain unto the highest Discovery is to be humbly subject and constantly obedient to the lowest Appearance of it The faithful Servant becomes a Son by Adoption Wouldst thou know the Word a Reconciler thou must first witness it an Hammer Sword Fire c. The Way to arrive at Evangelical Righteousness is first to perform the Righteousness of the Law By Law I mean not that of Ceremonies or the External Order of the Jews but that Moral Eternal Law which is said to have come by Moses and is accomplisht by Christ. And there is great Hopes that who Conscientiously keeps the Beginning will compass the End Such as have Conquer'd bad Doing if they be faithful in what they have received of God's Light and Spirit it will inable them against bad Saying till at last they overcome evil Thinking too and witness that Scripture fulfilled Judgment the Law is brought forth into Victory the Gospel He that follows me the Light of the World that inlightens all Men coming into the World shall not abide in Darkness but shall have the Light of Life I make not this Distinction of Law and Gospel to distinguish in Kind but Degree and for the sake of the Weak accustomed to it And if the Son make you free then are you free indeed For as it is a Condemner it may be called the Light that brings Death in that it slays by the Brightness of it's coming into the Conscience the transgressing Nature like unto that Expression the Day of the Lord is a Day of Darkness because of the Judgments and Terrors of the Lord for Sin But to the Obedient it is the Light of Life Thus is Christ as the Word-God and Light of the World through every Dispensation ONE in himself though to Mankind he has variously appeared not by Differing Lights but Manifestations only of one and the same Eternal Light of Life and Righteousness CHAP. XVIII The Second Part of the Objection that Christ was not anciently called the Light Answered And the Contrary proved from Scripture and Reason TO the Second Part of the Objection If the Light in every Man were Christ how comes it that the Jews and Greeks never called it so I answer We do not say that the Light in every Man is Christ but of Christ He is that Fulness from whence all receive a Measure of Divine Light and Knowledge but not that every Individual has the whole or compleat Christ in him such an Absurdity never fell from us nor our Doctrine though the Malice of our Adversaries hath charged it upon both But as the External Sun darts its Light upon the Organ of the Eye of the Body by which it conveyes true Discerning to act how in and about Visibles so doth the Internal Sun of Righteousness shine upon the Eye of the Soul giving it the Knowledge of those invisible Things which properly relate to the Nature of the Soul So that we are the less oblieged to give a Reason why others called not the Light in Man Christ since we renounce all Share in such Belief our selves Which is Answer enough to T. H's dis-ingenuous Inference that because G. W. affirmed the Light with which Mankind was inlightned was God therefore sayes T. H. Every Man his whole God in him or to that Purpose p. 5 6. Yet thus far I will tell those Men that Christ was called Light before ever he was in the World though not before he was Christ. I will give him for a Light to lighten the Gentiles c. Now if any will say that this Light was not Christ let them tell us so in plain words But if it will be allowed then T. Hicks had best ask why the Prophet by the Holy Ghost should call Christ Light even as soon if not before he was called Christ and why in that very State in which he was called Christ he should be called Light Certain it is then that by Him the Light we are to understand Christ which is one and the same thing as if he had said I will give Christ for a Light to enlighten the Gentiles or who is the Christ is the Light or the Light is Christ So that it will follow that the Gentiles were inlightened by Christ which is the Whole of what we understand by our Assertion as to the Light in Man Again John expresly calls that Light with which every Man is inlightned the Word and the Word is said to have taken Flesh If then he that took Flesh was Christ and consequently that Body Christ's Body only as none I think will dare deny but Muggleton and his Credulous Followers it will follow That Christ who took or appeared in that prepared Body is the Light with which every Man is inlightned Further Christ himself sayes I am the Light of the World which is as much as if he had said I have inlightned the World therefore the Light which shines in the Hearts of Mankind is Christ though not every particular Illumination the entire Christ for so there would be as many Christs which were Absurd and Blasphemous But Lastly the Apostle himself calls him Christ before his Coming in the Flesh or that Christ was Christ before his Appearance in that Body at Jerusalem which clears that Point in Controversie for the Stress of T. Hicks's Objection as to this Particular lies here Christ as Christ was not before he took Flesh therefore though I should grant might he say and he doth say as much that as the Word-God all are inlightened by him yet sayes he not as he is Christ before that visible Appearance One would think he were a very Socinian by his Arguing not that I write so in Slight Abuse or Reflection but if Christ was not before then the Manhood that was taken in time must be the Christ and what should materially hinder their Conjunction I know not But I would fain know his Reason for it if it be Lawful to expect what I fear he has not to give however if he darest he would give you his Interest in lieu of a Reason for his so holding but that I shall do for him and with Impartial Minds it will be a Reason against him The Dilemma in short is this If he denies Christ to have been Christ before that Coming he thwarts as plain a Text as the Scriptures have and if he should allow of it his whole Fabrick now a Fortification he thinks would fall like a rotten House about his Ears Well but I will tell him and all concern'd for his base Opposition That since Christ as the Word-God hath illuminated all Men antecedent to his Coming in the Flesh as confesses T.H. J.G. J.F. and many more of them that the Apostle says that the Word
through the Help of Christ's Power and Work within but to go round again he is sliting that inherent Holiness which is wrought within and accusing his Sister for not having a deep dependency on that Sacrifice of Christ's Crucified Body without p. 14. The Truth on 't is she or they that believe Christ to be risen and know his Power in their Hearts may think it improper to have their Dependancy on that his Body as crucified without but rather on him that lives for ever as knowing the blessed Effects of his Sacrifice to wit the Relief and Redemption which his Flesh and Blood affords His saying The Debt is paid and yet fearing his Sister 's remaining in Prison and Darkness notwithstanding her Teacher near p. 14. proves no more against the Light the inward Teacher then against Christ's Sufferings She may as well say Brother for all thy Dependance upon the crucified Body without thee I fear thou art yet dead in thy Sins and in gross Darkness and thou takest not the Course to convince me nor at all to draw my Heart towards thee and thy Brethren by such sad and wicked Work as thou makest against the Light Concerning his Water-Baptism it s not Reasonable in him either to impose it or judge us Transgressors in not submitting unto it p. 18 27. until he prove his Call or himself or any of his Brethren commissionated from Heaven as John was to administer it for we do not own it to be Christ's Baptism and till they prove themselves so called they should let us alone without it we being content with the one Baptism of the Spirit III. Of the Lord's Supper THe drinking of the Fruit of the Vine in the Fathers Kingdom and the eating of the Living Bread which comes down from Heaven Joh. Chap. 6. Luk. 22. 18 30. Mat. 26. 29. We are come to witness and so to partake of the heavenly Passover and the Communion of the Body and Blood of Christ which wise men can judge of 1 Cor. 10. 15 16. And the Power and Coming of our Lord Jesus Christ we have been Eye Witnesses of so as we cannot dote about Signs and Shadows as you carnal Professors do whose pretended Lords Supper is but Bread and Wine and no more then a Sign Type or Shadow which the clear Light of the Gospel and its Dispensation is beyond and in it there 's no need of those Shadows for a sacred Memorial of Christ's Death for the supposed Use and End thereof is better supplyed by the divine Light and Spirit of the everlasting Gospel which hath not only begotten in us a living Memorial and Sence of the Death of Christ and blessed Effects thereof but hath also brought us to know the Power of his Resurrection and our being risen with him so as we are not only dead with him from the Rudiment of the World and from touching tasting and handling those things that perish with the using after the Commands and Doctrines of Men but also being risen with Christ we are come to set our Affections on things above Where are those his Words written in Scripture viz. That Bread and Wine remain in full Force until Christ's second coming in Person p. 19. where doth the Scriptures call his second Appearance a coming in Person Which was a coming to Salvation Hebr. 9. 28. but this man saith he is not so come the second Time which doth both conclude that all the primitive Believers or Christians who so lookâ—… for his second coming both fell short of Salvation and mist and were dis-appointed of their Hope and Expectation which is a sad Mistake His saying He dare not be wise above what is written p. 29. contradicts his asserting that which derogates from what 's written viz. That Christ's second coming to Salvation is in Person or a personal Coming whereas nigh his Departure he said I am no more in the World Joh. 17. 11. and yet a little while and the World seeth me no more but ye see me Ch. 14. 19. his spiritual Appearance was to be in the World and he universally to be seen in Judgment As for that which Paul received of the Lord 1 Cor. 11. 23. proves not that he received outward Bread and Wine of the Lord to deliver to them till Christ's supposed coming in Person again but he received of the Lord not only the Relation how Christ took Bread and the Cup c. And so of the Administration of the Sign or Shadow but the Communication of the Mystery viz. the Body and Blood of Christ See 1 Cor. 10. And this was that Bread and that Cup spoken of 1 Cor. 11. 28. And he further shews what he received and what he delivered concerning Christ and his comings 1 Cor. 15. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8. 2 Cor. 13. 5. As for the Corinthians many of them were carnal and their minds too much in outward Things and Shadows and some lyable to run into Idolatry And the Apostle in some things condiscended to them as Weaklings below the spiritual and manly Understandings wherefore their Practice and Example is not in every thing binding to spiritual men IV. Of Baptism H.G. FRom Math. 28. 19 20. The Baptism here spoken of is that of Water p. 23. to baptize with the holy Spirit is the alone Work of Jesus Christ and it never was in the Power of any Apostle or Disciple to do it p. 24. Answ. This man contrary to his Pretence here makes himself wise above what is written in adding to the Command That it was the Baptism of Water which is not mentioned in the Command but rather it appears to be a spiritual Baptism which the Disciples were impoured to administer in that they were to teach baptizing them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 into the Name c. which 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 imports the Authority and Power of Christ and sometimes Christ himself and sometimes Reverence and Worship see T. C's Lexicon The man is very rash in his concluding that it was never in the Power of any Apostle to baptize with the holy Spirit I ask him if the true Ministers were not endued with Power from on high to turn and convert People from Darkness to Light and from Satan's Power unto God And if so what 's this short of the Spirit 's Baptism I pray His meaning from Paul's not being sent by Christ to baptize but to preach the Gospel 1 Cor. 1. is that he gives us to understand that to baptize was not the alone or chief Business he was sent to do p. 27. alone or chief Business is his own Addition to Paul's Words what needed he give them to understand that to baptize was not his alone Business while they knew he was more a Preacher 'T is not to be supposed that the Corinthians should think that Paul was to do nothing else but baptize or plunge them in Water but he himself gives it as the chief Reason why he baptized none but
that are not written Joh. 20. 30. and Joh. 21. 25. To this I say It s an easie matter for Intruders to ask unlearned and unnecessary Questions whereof this is one of those many other Signs and Things that Jesus did it s said If they should be written every one I suppose that even the World it self could not contain the Books Joh. 20. 25. how then should this Querist be capable to contain them I suppose he doth not think himself able to contain more then the World it self If he saith it is an hiperbolical Expression then is his Question hiperbolical to be sure And if we cannot give him Account of all those Signs and things in particular while we are not sollicitous to know them nor do we think it needful is that any valid Plea or Proof against the Sufficiency of the Light within or Spirits Teaching Would such an Argument against the Scriptures being the Rule please him because they contain not all that was done God gives us to know what 's sufficient and necessary for Life and Salvation by his Light within But if the Word contain 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 be taken for to understand as Mat. 19. 11. to comprehend Job 21 25. Then in that Sence there 's far more written in the Scriptures already then either our Opposer or his Brethren can either comprehend or understand and therefore it s a busie Intrusion and Cavil in them to query for more while they oppose the true Light within and will not believe in it nor depend upon the Immediate Teachings of the Spirit of Truth from whence the holy Scriptures proceeded but dark they are and more grosly dark and confused they are like to be who persist in that gain-saying Spirit of Prejudice and Enmity against the Light of Truth which I desire the Lord to give them a Sight and Sence of unto Repentance rather then they should perish in their perverse Gain-sayings THE Angry Anabaptist Proved BABYLONISH IN Answer to Henry Grigg's Pamphlet stiled The Baptist not Babylonish Wherein Whilst he endeavours to reconcile his Contradictions in his Book Entituled Light from the Sun c. Charged upon him in a Paper Entituled The Babylonish Baptist He is run into more Contradictions Absurdities and false Accusations against the People of God called Quakers and their Principles By G. W. Ex ore tuo te judicabo Printed in the Year 1673. The Heads of the following Treatise I. OF the Light of the Eternal Word in Man and the Anabaptist confounded about it II. The Sufficiency of the Light within to reveal God Christ c. III. The Effect of Christ's Sufferings only known in his Light within IV. The saving Work of the Spirit V. How the Light in Man is a Gift and H. G' s Distinction between the Meritorious and Instrumental Cause of Salvation examined VI. The Lord's Supper in the Type and in the Anti-Type the Shadow and Substance distinguished VII The Anabaptist's Imposition about their Shadowy Baptism VIII Their Definition of the true Saviour and his Being IX The Hypostatical Union X. His Charge against the Quakers Principles and Doctrines of the Light within proved impure vile and ignorant and the Spirituality Divinity and Sufficiency of the Light within further asserted XI His sad and impious Prayer against the Light in all which Light is proved of the same Nature or kind with the Witness in Believers XII His groundless Comparison and Distinction between the Light of God in man and the Light of Christ or Gospel further refuted XIII His belying us with denying the Man Christ Jesus to â—…loak his own Absurdity and Ignorance of Christ and his Being XIV That scriptural Distinction between the Eternal Son of God and the Body prepared for him further maintained and the Anabaptist's persecuting Spirit reviling and traducing the Inocent reproved XV. A Warning and Reproof to Hen. Grigg c. XVI The Baptist's nine Questions answered THE Angry Anabaptist Proved BABYLONISH IN Answer to H. G's Pamphlet stiled The Baptist not Babylonish WHereas H. G. pretends he hath set down my Animadversions upon his Contradictions in order exactly after my own Fashion pag. 1. I say this is not true he hath left out the latter part of five of them which it appears did pinch him Therefore I shall represent to the Reader his Contradictions with my Animadversions and the Stress of his Exceptions whereby he would endeavour to make People believe he hath not contradicted himself but that we must refer to the Impartial Readers to judge of in the Light of Truth I. Of the Light of the Eternal Word in Man and the Anabaptist confounded about it HEnry Grigg saith viz. I utterly deny that this Light which all Men have from the Glorious Creator is a saving Light pag. 8. of his Book called Light from the Sun of Righteousness H. G. in Contradiction saith I really believe that the Lord Jesus Christ AS the Eternal Word hath given Light or enlightneth all Men and Women that come into the World p. 8. G. W. his Animadversion The Light or Life of the Eternal Word which is the Light of Men Joh. 1. 4. is spiritual and divine as is that Word and therefore saving to all that truly obey it H. G. replyes It seems to me as if this Man had lost his Common Reason because I deny that the Light which is in all Men is a saving Light and yet say I really believe all have a Light in them from Christ considered as Creator This cannot be a Contradiction unless he can prove there is no Light proceeding from the Eternal Word as Creator but what is saving p. 2. G. W. answereth Whilst he would insinuate that the Light in every Man is created or a Creature he meerly beggs the Question and still remains in his self-Contradiction for he dare not say That AS the Eternal Word Jesus Christ is a Creature Neither is his Light that proceedeth from him as that Word created any more then that Life which was in him which Life was the Light of Men will they say this is either created or natural As the Eternal Word is divine so is the Light or immediate Shining thereof in Man's Conscience H. G. What though it be granted that the Light which all Men that come into the World are lighted which flows from the Eternal Word and so is spiritual must it needs therefore be a saving Light Was not the Law given forth on Mount Sinai a Light of or come from the Eternal Word and doth not Paul say that the Law is spiritual Rom. 7. 14. and yet a Ministration of Death 2 Cor. 3. 7. and that killed and in other places that there was no Justification by it G. W. Answer 1. If it be a spiritual Light in Man proceeding and flowing from the Eternal Word it must therefore be the Eternal Word that immediately shineth in Man's Heart which is not created nor natural for all have not
The Lord's Supper in the Type and in the Anti-Type the Shadow and Substance distinguished H. G. THe Ordinance of the Lord's Supper you call Bread and Wine p. 19. H. G. Contradiction The Sign the Shadow speaking of their Ordinances the Substance being Christ p. 53 54. G. W. his Animadversion Your pretended Lord's Supper then is no more then Bread and Wine the Sign the Shadow and therefore their Continuation of no Necessity in the true Church which hath received Christ the Substance Thus far he cites my Words and leaves out what follows The living Bread who spiritually communicates his Flesh and Blood or Fruit of the heavenly Vine without your Shadows and this is our Lord's Supper that we pertake of and our Baptism is spiritual 1 Cor. 12 13. Ephes. 4. 5. and as in 1 Pet. 3. 21. It s said to the which also the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Anti Type that now saveth us even Baptism agreeth His Contradiction before is between his calling their Bread and Wine the Lord's Supper now remaining in full Force and yet confessing them to be the Sign the Shadow and that the Substance is Christ. If that you call the Lord's Supper be a Shadow as of Christ to come it cannot be that Lord's Supper which remains in full Force where he is come to sup together with them who have received him in as being the Substance which ends the Shadows but H.G. Attempts to reconcile his Contradiction by speaking of sitting down under Christ's Shadow p. 9. When as its very obvious that his Sence of Christ's Shadâ—… here much differs from his Sence of their pretenâ—…ed Supper being a Shadow of Christ the Substance as to come whereas Shadow is metaphorical in the one real in the other for were it good Doctrine to say You must sit down under Christ's Shadow till he come Or that Christ is not come to his Church while she sits down under his Shadow or that your Bread and Wine as a Sign and Shadow of Christ the Substance is that very Shadow of his that the Church is alwayes to sit down under while upon Earth Whereas what he saith of sitting down under his Shadow is taken out of Canticles 2. 3. As the Apple-Tree among the Trees of the Wood so is my Beloved among the Sons I sat down under his Shadow with Delight and his Fruit was sweet to my Tast See how plain it is that the Simile here is takeâ—… from sitting down under the Shadow of an Apple-Tree and eating of the Apples Were it good Sence to say I must sit down under the Shadow of an Apple-Tree and eat the Fruit thereof until the Tree come when both Tree and Fruit are then present And so is Christ with his Church when she sits down under his Shadow and pertakes of his living Fruit where then there is no Necessity of your outside Shadows And yet H. G. in contradiction to his confessing their Ordinance to be the Shadow he is still imposing upon his Opposer That the Practice of it is to be kept up in the same manner as Christ the Night before he â—…e was betrayed instituted p. 9. But I ask do you Baptists observe and keep a real Supper in the very same manner that Christ then did with his Disciples Be plain and ingenuous herein have you the Passover at a real Supper And have you the Cup both before and after Supper as Christ and his Disciples had Luke 22. 15 16 17 18 19 20. And was all this either an Institution of Christ or of Necessity to continue in the Church When as what Christ saith of the Passover to wit I will not any more eat thereof until it be fulfilled in the Kingdom of God verse 16. The like he saith of the Cup I will drink no more of the Fruit of the Vine until I drink it new with you in the Kingdom of God Mat. 26. 29. Mark 14. 25. and Luke 22. 16 18. Doth not this shew as much a discontinuance of he Cup as the Passover And there 's no mention of Christ's taking Wine or the Cup after his Resurrection either to continue confirm or re-inforce it as a commemoration of his Death when he sat at Meat with them and took Bread and blessed it and brake and gave them that their Eyes were opened and he was known of them in breaking of Bread after he was â—…isen Luke 24. 30 31. Joâ—… 21. 13. Howbeit H. G. is pleased to cite Acts 2. 42. and Chap. 20. to prove that the Lord's Supper and the Practice of it is to be kept up in the same manner as Christ did the Night before he was betrayed I ask again do you Anabaptists practise it in the same manner And have we not the more Reason to deny your Practice if it be not in the same manner as pretended here Whereas in Acts 2. 42. its said They continued stedfastly in the Apostles Doctrine and Fellowship and in breaking of Bread and in Prayers wherein is no mention either of the Wine the Cup the Supper or Passover also it s then said that all that believed were together and had all things common and sould their Possessions and Goods ver 44 45. Now if what they did must be binding to Posterities because practiced why do not the Baptists imitate those Believers in this of selling their Possessions c But were it not a very preposterous Way of arguing to conclude a continuance of Commands and Duties from Practices And in Acts 20. 7. Upon the first day of the Week the Disciples came together to break Bread and that Paul had broken Bread ver 11. according to Christ's Practice after he was risen And in 1 Cor. 11. Paul gives a Recitation both of the Bread and Cup that Christ gave in the Figure to shew the Lord s Death till he did come as also of the Substance to wit the Body and Blood of Christ which he was a Partaker of in the Mystery but as the Corrinthians were too carnal and Envying and Strife and Divisions were amongst them and some lyable to Idolatry 1 Cor. 3. 1 3. Chap. 10. 14. and 11. 17 18 19. the Apostle said I could not speak unto you as unto spiritual but as unto carnal so as then they had not the clear Sight of Christ as the Substance or Mystery of his Body and Blood and the very Stress Drift and Scope of the Apostles Testimony was to exalt the Substance and Mystery and to bring them into a spiritual Mind and State for which see also 1 Cor. 10. 14 15 16 17. and in 2 Cor. 13. 5. he saith Examine your selves whether ye be in the Faith prove your selves know you not your own selves how that Jesus Christ is in you except ye be Reprobates Now Jesus Christ is confessed to be the Substance when your pretended Lord's Supper is but the Sign the Shadow or the Figure If his saying This is my Body be but a figurative Speech according to the
Martyrs p. 9. And I require this Man to prove that Gospel-Ordinances are a Shadow as he hath confessed their Supper to be H. G. I would know of this Man where he reads of any thing called the Lord's Supper but this which we contend for pag. 10. Answ. You are contending but for the Shadow but there is the Lord's Supper in the Mystery for saith the faithful and true Witness the beginning of the Creation of God Behold I stand at the Door and knock If any man hear my Voice and open the door I will come in to him and will sup with him and he with me Rev. 3. 20. Is not this the Lord's Supper that 's above the Shadow And Christ said I appointed unto you a Kingdom as my Father hath appointed unto me that ye may eat and drink at my Table in my Kingdom Luke 22. 29 30. Verily I say unto you I will drink no more of the Fruit of the Vine until that day that I drink it new with you in my Father's Kingdom Is not this the Lord's Supper in the Mystery or Anti-Type And I am the Bread of Life I am the living Bread which came down from Heaven if any Man eat of this Bread he shall live for ever and the Bread that I give is my Flesh that I give for the Life of the World He that eateth my Flesh and drinketh my Blood dwelleth in me and I in him Joh. 6. Is not this living Bread from Heaven confâ—…st to be the Substance and the ontward Bread the Shadow thereof H. G. I do affirm That this is spiritual to wit the Lords Supper the Baptist p. 10. Answ. The Lord's Supper in the Mystery is spiritual but not your Bread and Wine unless they be transubstantiated which we utterly deny H. G. The Ordinance of Water-Baptism was given forth by Christ after his Resurrection Mat. 28. 20. Answ. There 's no mention of Water but baptizing them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 into the Name of the Father Son and Holy Spirit and this Baptism was saving so is not your dipping H. G. And this of the Lords Supper Paul received of Christ sometime after his Ascension 1 Cor. 11. 23. Answ. 1st Paul received of Christ the Lords Supper in the Mystery not in the Shadow 1 Cor. 10. 15 16 17. yet he delivered unto them the Relation how the Lord Jesus took Bread and the Cup the same Night in which he was betrayed ver 23 24. which he applyed to a spiritual End ver 28. explained before Chap. 20. 16. and he delivered the Gospel as well touching Christ's Resurrection as his Death 1 Cor. 15. 3. and for their being baptized into his Death and raised in the Likeness of his Resurrection which was more then a Remembrance of his Death in or by the Shadow which could not be positively enjoyned by as oft as ye do this 2. That which the Apostle received of the Lord was the Gospel and a Gospel-Discovery of the Substance which was beyond and above the Shadow And his Recitation of the Shadow was directly to point at the Substance viz. that Bread and that Cup which was the Body and Blood of Christ and the spiritual Communication thereof he was a Minister of the Gospel the Dispensation whereof was not a Dispensation of Shadow but of Substance H. G. The end of this Ordinance doth remain notwithstaning the pourings forth of the Spirit and therefore the Ordinance must needs remain which is to confirm our Faith in the true Saviour and to keep up our Love to him p. 21. G. W. What Faith and Love are these of theirs which are confirmed by Bread and Wine and what Idolatry and Diversion from the Spirit doth their Doctrine tend to herein Surely the holy Spirit can best supply the said End Gal. 5. 22. H. G. Rep. This Ordinance tends to increase our Love to him and our Faith in him therefore the end remains unless you can prove Christ is come the second time without Sin unto Salvation do you suppose there is no need of this Ordinance because the Spirit can best supply the said End p. 11. Answ. There 's no need of the Shadow where the Substance is enjoyed and whilst thou Henry hast confessed your Supper as its called to be the Shadow the Substance being Christ thou dost but contradictorily begg the Question calling it a Gospel-Ordinance the Lords Supper in full Force the Ordinance the Ordinance 2. Thou dost but imagine a Confirmation and Increase of Faith in and Love to Christ by your Bread and Wine which they cannot do true Love and Faith being Fruits of the Spirit which in that it can best and only supply this End which idolatrously thou proposest to reap from thy pretended Supper There can be no Necessity of this thy Shadow for any such End to the Soul can there be any need of that which cannot supply the Soul when that which best can do it is manifest Is there Necessity where there 's Plenty or a full Supply 3. Whether those Believers in the Apostles dayes who hoped and looked for Christ's appearing the second time without Sin unto Salvation Heb. 9. 28. did not accordingly come to experience his Appearance unto their Salvation H. G. Darest thou say the Spirit can best supply those Ends without making use of the means God in his Word doth direct unto The Usefulness and Sufficiency of the Spirit in fulfilling of its Work doth not dis-annul Christ's Precepts p. 12 Answ. 1. I would know where the Word of God hath dictated that your shadowy Supper of Bread and Wine is the means to confirm true Faith in Christ or increase your Love to him or else confess thy Error for the means thou talkst of must have reference to what we were upon before about your pretended Supper or else thou art insignificant and impertinent in thy discourse 2. If the Spirit be sufficient to fulfil its Work and Office which is to bring forth its own Fruit what Necessity of your Shadow which cannot do it nor so far help man as in the leasts supply those Ends the Spirit is given for much less help the Spirit therein which is al-sufficient VII The Anabaptist's Imposition about their shadowy Baptism AGain H. G. is very fierce and rash for theiâ—… Water-Baptism or plunging People in Water where he saith Whosoever brings any other Gospel let him be accursed p. 〈◊〉 G. W. Hereby he hath cursed all the People of God and sincere minded both Protestants and all others in the World who oppose and come not under the Baptists dipping or plunging People in Water The Lord sorgive him he is very uncharitable herein for our parts we cannot believe their Baptism to be either the Baptism of Christ or Gospel or of Necessity and available to Salvation H. G. Rep. Thou hast in this manifested thy Imperfection and false Anti-christian Spirit hast thou no more Care nor Conscience that thou goest about thus to belie the Innocent Have I affirâ—…ed
perishing Vesture or decay'd Cloathing which for Man to be divested of can be no more Loss to him as to his immortal Being then 't is to the Wheat to dye bring forth much Fruit unto which Resurrection is applicable as well as to Man though not to the Sameness of Body And as it cannot unman a Man to put off his Old Cloathing that he may put on New no more can it annihilate our Spiritual Existences to have the Earthly Cloathing put off and dissolved but be to our far greater Advantage Glory to be invested with that Spiritual Transcendent Cloathing most Excellent House Eternal in the Heavens which State they only attain to who become Sons of God and of the Resurrection and desire Christ may be magnified in their Bodies here And furthermore from that Belief and Discovery I have received in the true Light of the Resurrection and future Rewards according to the holy Scripture I desire it may be minded that God commandeth all Men every where in their Day and Time to Repent because he hath appointed a Day in the which he will judge the World in Righteousness by that Man whom he hath ordained So that there will be a Day of Judgment Wrath and Perdition of the Ungodly unto which Day the Lord Knoweth how to Reserve the Unjust to be punished and this will be a Terrible Day to all that make Lyes their Refuge and reject the universal Call of God to Repentance And seeing that in the Great Day of the Lord a final Dissolution may be expected of all those things that are perishing and dissolvable even of the Heavens and the Earth and that they shall be changed what manner of Persons ought we to be here in all Holy Conversation and Godliness After T. H. hath vented his Blasphemous Out-rage against our Religion as before in his Catechism he impudently abuseth and bespattereth our Sufferings p. 75. where he thus questioneth viz. Tell me what it is that doth influence and prevail with you to Do and Suffer as you do And then he makes us thus to answer viz. Answ. What doest thou think it should be And then he thus proceeds Quest. May not the Satisfaction of your Wills and Lusts the Promoting your Carnal Interests be your chief Motive and Inducement And then he makes the Answer thus Answ. We deny the Flesh and the Lusts This is thy own Dark Imagination And then he proceeds again Quest. May not you live in and fulfil the Lusts of the Flesh whilst you deny it in Words since your Opinion denies any eternal Advantage to be reaped by Persons after Death in denying the Resurrection of this Body Must you not then have respect to something to be injoyed here as your Incouragement p. 75. Rep. The Malice Falsehood and Absurdity of these Forgeries against the real Intent and End of our Sufferings Thousands may testifie against and all Impartial Readers that know us and have beheld our deep Sufferings may perceive the Man's Envy Considering the great Number of our Friends that have dyed in Prisons and the many hundreds that have been ruined and spoiled in their Estates and Callings could these be either consistent with Lusts or carnal Interest and the many that have been banished and many Families undone besides the many that have been knocked down Bruised and Beaten in the streets and their Lives often hazarded and resigned up for Meeting in the Fear of God Could these things be endured for a Carnal Interest No No but meerly upon a Religious and Conscientious Account wherein we have eyed the Glory of God and our own Peace andfturue Happiness If we did not own any Resurrection eternal Advantage or Existences hereafter what should we suffer for we were of all men most miserable If we were of that Atheistical Opinion instead of chusing our Great Sufferings we should have chosen this viz. Let us Eat Drink for tomorrow we dye 1 Cor. 15. 19 32. It may be easily judged whether we are justly reflected upon or no as being influenced either to satisfie our Wills or promote carnal Interest or to fulfil the Lusts of the Flesh or obtain any temporal Injoyment here by our Losses Sufferings These gross abusive Slanders are so apparent that he that runs may read them being also manifestly detected by our apparently often resigning up our Estates Liberties and Lives also in Times of deep Suffering when we could see no publick Appearance of such as T. H. and many of his Brethren before the face of Persecution but then they could sculke creep into Corners and Obscure themselves and leave all the Burden upon uâ—… there being but a few Baptists that did suffer in the late Tryal sor their Religion or Consciences Though to give them their due a few of them have suffered Imprisonment some whereof have received the Benefit of our Labours among our Friends in a late General Discharge but the most cowardly and base-spirited among them are now most Quarrelsom against us and why They have lost Ground by their Carnal Policy in Obscuring themselves in Stormy Times which they are never like to regain but still to looâ—…e more by Fretting and Struggling against us and therefore T. H. is offended that our Number should now augment though that he cannot hinder for the Hand of the Lord is in it And many having seen the Coldness of Baptists Zeal Night-Dipping and their Timorous Creeping and Securing themselves in Suffering Times as also the Emptiness and Dryness of their Religion Divers are aweary thereof And when they come among us to receive the Sence of God's Power then divers of the Baptist-Teachers do fret and are Angry eagerly besetting the Parties And in that God hath made our Sufferings effectual for his Name Truth sake for the drawing many after it T. H. endeavours in the Malice of Sathan to debase and render our Sufferings Odious saying He believes our Carnal Advantage is one greaâ—… Thing in our Eye And then he adds Quest. Though you may sustain some outward Losses yet whether you have not a Way to augment your Outward Gain by Loosing pag. 75. Reply He now questioneth that which before he saith he believeth as namely That Carnal Advantage is one great Thing in our Eye One Great Thing implyeth some thing else but What else he leaves no place for in what he hath concluded before to wit That we have regard only to something to be injoyed 〈◊〉 afterward he falsly rekons Carnal Advantages to be One great Thing in our Eye and then questions the Matter surmised and before believed by him as Whether we have not a Way to augment our outward Gain by Loosing and thus bewrayes his own Guilt Falsehood and Wickedness in his Traducing a People or whole Body of us and Reproaching our Conscientious Sufferings though it is known that Carnal Interest and Advantage is a great thing in the eye of divers Baptist-Preachers while they
Man in his own Image in the Image of God created he him From whence I draw this Argument That if Man was made in God's Image then because God is Light Adam must necessarily have had of the Divine Light in him and have been the Image of that Light so long as he walkt and remain'd in It Since no man walks in the Light but he becomes the Child of Light And as the Apostle Paul expresseth it of such as were converted to that Light they had once erred from Ye were Darkness but now are ye Light in the Lord That is Through Obedience to the Light of the Lord. For any man then to say Adam had not Light were to suppose his Innocent State to be that of Darkness and instead of and being God's Image who is and ever was and alwayes will be Light he would have been wholy ignorant of him in whose Image he is said to have been created II. This Moses directed the Children of Israel to when he in God's stead recommended and earnestly pressed the keeping of the Commandment and Word in the Heart as we read in Deuteronomy For this Commandment which I Command thee this day is not hidden from thee neither is it far off It is not in Heaven that thou shouldst say Who shall go up for us to Heaven and bring it unto us that we may hear it and do it Neither is It beyond the Sea that thou shouldst say Who shall go over the Sea for us and bring it unto us that we may hear it and do it But the Word is very nigh unto thee in thy Mouth and in thy Heart that thou mayst do it See I have set before thee this day Life and Good and Death and Evil. From whence I cannot but observe these Three Things 1. That the Commandment and the Word are so called by way of Excellency and Preheminence to all written Commandments or Words 2. That this Commandment or Word is Nigh even in the Heart of Man it self none need plead Distance or Ignorance 3. That the Setting Life and Good Death and Evil was and could only be in the Light within since without the Light how could they have Seen it Set before them And that it was in their Hearts the Lord so set those States before them the Verse immediately follows that wherein the Word is by Moses argumentatively prov'd as well as affirm'd to be in the Heart of Man Now I hope it shall not be injuriously done of me and I know who will bear me out if I say This Commandment is that which David spoke of when he said The Commandment of the Lord is pure Inlightning the Eyes and this Holy Word the same with that Word which he said was a Lamp unto his Feet and a Light unto his Path and not an other Word then what Paul call'd the Word of Faith which he preach't by which the Just live consequently a Saving Commandment Word or Light it was and is to such as Believe and Obey it III. The next Scripture I will urge shall be this For thou art my Lamp O Lord for the Lord will Lighten my Darkness Now if God was the Light and Lamp of that Day to such as regarded the Light cerainly then they had a Light and such an one as was Saving too unless we should Blasphemously Deny God to be either a Light or a Saving One who is most certainly both IV. Wicked Men were not without Light to Condemn them as Good Men ever had Light to Preserve them They are of those that Rebel against the Light they know not the Wayes thereof nor abide in the Paths thereof said Job In which Passage it is very obvious that Wicked Men have Light otherwise it would have been utterly Impossible for them to have Rebell'd against it Nay against THE LIGHT implying that it is the same Light in Nature with that which Righteous Men are guided by answerable to another Emphatical Passage in the same Book of Job Is there any Number of his Army and UPON WHOM DOTH NOT HIS LIGHT ARISE Certainly this Universality strongly pleads on the behalf of our Belief of the Light And if our Adversary would but venture to let it come close to his Conscience I cannot be so Uncharitable as to think he should not make some Acknowledgment to its Universality antecedent to the Coming of Christ. I omit to say much of its Efficaciousness at that time though one would think that Light alwayes gives to Discern a Good Way from a Bad one referring it to another place Only I shall observe how that Job expresly tells us and that when he was in his deep Troubles of Spirit O that I were as in Months past in the Dayes when God preserved me when his Candle shined upon my Head and when by his Light I walked through Darkness where it is most apparent that Job attributes his Salvation from the Darkness which stands both for Sin and Affliction unto the Light wherewith God had Inlightned him And certainly It had been utterly Impossible for those weighty things that are deliver'd in that Book of Job as well from others as from Job to have been known had not they been Inlightned and received very great Discoveries from that Light and Candle of the Lord in their Hearts For in all the whole Book I find not one Verse expresly cited out of any other Writings but what purely proceeded from Immediate Impulse and Inspiration of the Almighty which sayes the same Book gives Men Understanding V. To this Doctrine David was no Stranger who so very often commemorates the Light and the Divine Excellencies of it some few places I shall mention of those many that I might offer The Lord is my Light and my Salvation whom shall I fear the Lord is the Strength of my Life of whom shall I be afraid This weighty Passage of the Prophet is a lively Testimony to the True Light wherein David confessed what John call'd his Evangelical Message viz. That God is Light Next that not only God is Light but which doubtless was most of all to his Comfort HIS LIGHT The Lord is MY Light and MY Salvation As much as if he had said Because the Lord is become my Light I have known him to be my Salvation or him by whom my Salvation hath been wrought In short thus That God is My Salvation as he is My Light or as I have Obey'd the Lord My Light I have witnessed Salvation O! that such Professors of Religion in whom there is any Moderation would but be pleas'd to weigh What was David ' s Light What his Salvation and Who must needs have been his Rule at that time of the World of which he further speaks God is the Lord who hath shewed us Light Thy Word is a Lamp unto my Feet and a Light unto my Pathes I have not departed from thy Judgments for thou hast taught me This made him far
and that to evince the Truth concerning his Light to them that pretend a Belief of the Scriptures while yet they are opposing his Light testified of therein As there are those that pretend to believe Moses and the Prophets and think to have Eternal Life in the Scriptures while yet they really oppose that Life and Light testified of in them And such profess the Scriptures to be their Rule while yet they are perverting them against the Life and Light from whence they came and this Hypocrisie many of you are guilty of and therefore with Abraham we refer you to the Scripture Testimony in this Case which if you believe not while you profess them you will not believe if one rise from the Dead The Scriptures are not our only Rule for our refusing to swear our not breaking Bread with you c. for which thou falsly accusest us of arguing against the Institutions of the Gospel p 23. for 1st We stand for the Reputation of Christianity and that Love which injures no man in our resâ—…sing to swear which the Prohibition without us did not bring us to but the Power of Christ when it begat us into that Love wherein we know the fulfilling of Christ's Command 2ly Oâ—…r Experience of Christ Jesus the Living Bread which comes down from Heaven hath shewed us the Uselesness of your breaking Bread as being but a Shadow while we are come to the Substance to wit Christ Jesus the Bread of Life come down from Heaven which if thou knowest him so come as that his Flesh and Blood were thy Meat and Drink thou wouldst not be doting about the Shadow We do not grant that Christ is so come and revealed in all men and yet own some degree of this Light to be in all Thou hast no Reason to accuse us for Lyars in this matter as in p. 23. But thy slanderous Tongue and Pen is at Liberty in this and many other things Thy Malice also plainly appears in charging us of denying the Person of Christ whereas we have fully confest the Man Christ according to the Scriptures both with respect to his Sufferings and Glory Sect. XIII The Baptist's Impious Forgery upon the Quakers about the Scriptures which are in Reality owned and used by them AFter thou hast erroniously accused that of God in us as not sufficient to direct thou proceedst in thy false fictitious Dialogue thus viz. Chr. Is it ingenuous and honest in you to deny the Scripture to be a Rule to others and at the same time you make it though by mis-interpreting it a Rule to your selves Are not you ashamed of this Deceit and self-condemned of plain Partiality And then he most falsly personates the Quaker Qua. Thou mistakest us for when we make Use of the Scriptures 't is only to quiet and stop their Clamors that plead for it as their Rule Reply Who but an Ungodly Man would have brought forth such a lying Forgery as this in the Sight of the Sun as the Quakers Words which is not the Speech of any real Quaker so called but one of thy own making to speak as thou pleasest for thy own wicked ends and thy Lye upon the Quakers is manifest herein Is this the Way thou proposest for our Conviction to make Lyes thy Refuge Was it not known unto the World that we have a better and more serious Esteem of the Holy Scriptures then here thou represents as knowing them to be profitable to the man of God who is come to know that eminent divine Rule of the Spirit which opens them and to make use of them in Subjection thereunto As also our denying that they are the Rule of Faith is no Proof that we deny them to be any Rule at all while in Subserviency to and Proof of the greater we make use of them as the Spirit of God teacheth and for the Information and Conviction of them that have a Belief concerning them for the End still that they may eye that Light and Spirit of Truth which gave them forth and come to know that Inspiration of the Almighty which giveth the Understanding As for Deceit Impudence and presumptuous Conceit which thou T. H. accusest us of thou art highly guilty thereof thy self or else thou couldst never forge such Lyes against us as thou hast done And we wish thou didst in Reality own the Scriptures as feigndly in Words thou pretend'st So far are we from strenuously endeavouring to take People off of the Scriptures as falsly thou accusest us that we desire all might come to know the Righteous Ends for which they were given forth by that divine Light which opens them Much of thy dirty stuff is gathered out of other dirty lying Pamphlets which have been long since answered Sect. XIV His impious Abuse about Revelation Light within Scriptures c. ANd why dost thou quarrel against us for owning Revelation or Perfection as attainable What hast thou against Immediate Revelation Instead of confuting the thing it self thou tellst us of some personal Mistakes or Weaknesses of some particulars as First Of one being mistaken by Paul Hobson's speaking through a Trunk though that was no Quaker who was thus cheated 2ly Of others being mistaken about the Persons to whom they should have declared some Message 3ly Of a notorious Falshood being taken for a Revelation 4ly Of the Opposition of some professing the Light and Revelation p. 26 27. together with several other Stories and Personal Reflections which I have very much Cause not to believe But suppose many of these Stories were true against private Persons Hast thou herein dealt ingenuously thus no inveigh against Principles from personal Failings of such as profest them Is there no such thing as divine Revelation or the Guidance of an Infallible Spirit to be known because some do err or are mistaken that profess them Or no such thing as an infallible Light because some have differed in some particular Cases that have profest it Wouldst thou thus be dealt by concerning thy Water-Baptism or pretended Gospel-Institutions If it should be argued that because the Dippers are greatly divided among themselves and that about Principles and Doctrines and some of them have been grosly corrupt and debaucht in their Lives therefore their dipping or Water-Baptism is no Institution of Christ wouldst thou look upon this as a good Argument Nay further Do you not much differ among your selves in several principal matters As about personal Election and general Redemption and so about the Death of Christ whether for all or some and about Free-Will the seventh Day Sabbath and laying on of Hands and about the manner of administring your pretended Lord's Supper and about the Immortality of the Soul as also some affirming Water-Baptism to be of Necessity to Salvation others not with several other things and yet most of you that thus differ profess the Scriptures to be your Rule If then I should from hence argue that therefore the Scriptures are not the Rule
World began But the true saving Knowledge of whom is spiritual and divine and inwardly received in his own Light and Life within and saving Faith is in his Name and divine Power as inwardly revealed Stephen Crisp's Answer to T. H. THomas Hicks I having seen thy Book called a Dialogue c. and finding my Name mentioned in page 44. and 45. have very seriously taken notice of thy manner of Rehersal of my Words and thy own spoken at that Conference which we once had at Bartholomew-Close and that I know of I never saw a Narrative of a thing past given forth with more Falshood and Hypocrisie then that is and with a known and witting Purpose to deceive the Reader and to abuse me and I am perswaded Thomas thou hast in thy self a Knowledge of it and surely except thou repent and obtain Forgiveness it will one Day be heavy to thee The Business or matter upon which we treated was about our holding and believing Christ to be the Light of the World or that the Light which lighteth the World and every one that cometh into the World was and is the true Christ which was then proved by plain Scripture and whereas I do not intend a Narrative of the Discourse but only to dis-abuse the Reader and to make known the Occasion of these Words of mine thou hast mentioned therefore I shall pass over most of our Discourse and come to the matter relating to Christ. And that thou didst say as thou mentions in thy Book that no Spirit nor Principle was capable of Suffering and being Crucified is true thou didst say so but how faise the matter it self is let the Scriptures be judge Do they not speak in many places of the Sufferings Pressures Vexings Burdenings Grievings and Quenchings of the Spirit and do they not speak of crucifying afresh killing and slaying the Lamb of God the Lord of Glory the 〈◊〉 One from the Foundation of the World in the Streets of Sodom and Aegypt c which Sayings cannot have Relation to that Body that hanged upon the Cross which was not from the Foundation of the World nor was â—…ot in Sodom nor never hanged upon a Cross in Egypt but he whom the Saints called our Lord and the Lord from Heaven a quickning Spirit was capable of suffering these things besides those great Sufferings which he suffered in that Body in which he conversed with men in the Form of a Servant in the â—…arts of Judea and Jerusalem whom the Jews took and hanged upon a Cross without the Gates of Jerusalem who I believe dyed for Sinners and is raised up again by the Power of God exalted therein above the Power which caused him to suffer and sitteth now at the right Hand of God and maketh 〈◊〉 for the Saints and is the Ruler over the true Israel of God who destroyes his Enemies with the Spirit of his Mouth and the Brightness of his coming New this Christ of God thus truely considered I neither said nor thought I knew the Date or Beginning of as thou dost wickedly suggest for I know he is without beginning of Dayes or end of Life and such an high Priest becometh us to have and blessed are they that believe in him and are faithful to him and now having answered what thou malitiously wouldst have the Reader believe which I am perswaded thou thy self dost not believe viz. That it is my Judgment and Belief that Christ hath a Beginning and Date I shall now declare the Occasion of such Words when I was about to prove to thee that this Principle of Light was that 〈◊〉 of Ages in which the Fathers and Prophets believed and that it was that Word which came unto the Prophets and which was known to Abraham to his rejoycing c. thou madest me this Answer That the Names Jesus and Christ were not proper unto any Spirit Word or 〈◊〉 whatsoever either in Heaven or in Earth but unto that Body or Person which was born of the Virgin to which I replyed I remember John Newman hath written so in his Book but I had thought you Baptists had not owned him in it but now I see you do and thou saidst yes thou didst for though thou grantedst that the Word and Spirit was from the beginning yet that was not nor could not properly be called Christ or Jesus but that Person that was born of the Virgin that only was Jesus and Christ where uppon I 〈◊〉 then I know the date and beginning of thy Christ upon which thou criedst out Blasphemy to which I replyed and asked thee if thou thoughtst I did not know how long it was 〈◊〉 he was born as well as thou or another man c. and after that did prove to thee by plain Scripture that the very Assertion was false to say there was no Jesus nor Christ before and did mention the Rock of which the Fathers did drink and which followed the Jews in the Wilderness which Rock saith the Apostle was Christ not is now become Christ but was Christ and the same Apostle saith that God made all things by Jesus Christ mark Thomas if this be so then he was before Mary was or besore he became Flesh or took that Body made of a Woman for the Prophet testified that he that should be born in Bethlehem his Out-goings was from of old I say the more concerning this because thou endeavour'st to cast the Socinian Leven of which thou didst appear that night too full upon me as if I looked upon Jesus Christ as a meer Creature whose beginning and date I knew when as those Words were only spoken with Detestation of and in Testimony against thy corrupt Socinianism that Night uttered who also made a great Stir with me for saying the Eternal Son of God Thy Foundation is manifest Thomas thou canst not hide it this Way and as concerning thy foolish pratling in page 45. that if I knew his beginning then he was not God and if I knew his date or when he ceased to be then he is not man this is not all worth the answering the pretended Foundation thereof being taken away and thou left naked in thy Folly and Perverseness having shewn thy self but as one who makes a Likeness of a man and sets it up and then beats it down again and goes away and boasts of Conquest But for a Conclusion I shall ask thee and thy Reader a Question Suppose that a man should affirm to me that all things come by Nature and that there is no universal Spirit of Life to quicken them and I should answer thereuppon and say Then there is no God I query were this sufficient Reason to charge me that I were an Atheist that I held there was no God or ought it not to be taken as detecting the Atheism of the first Assertor this is my case with thee which I refer to that of God in all Consciences and let that judge in and amongst men and thee I
me a Knave a deceitful Fellow c. 1. For not writing all his Explications upon his Doctrines which are false 2. For rejecting his Charge against the Quakers of denying the true Christ and the Resurrection c. as false and slanderous being we own both according to the Scriptures Judge candid Reader this mans Shuffling to cover his Envy malitious Railing ct XXIII The Baptist's Abuse against G. W. about a Meeting with them at Devonshire House the 18th of the 7th Month 1672. and T.H. taking part with a Socinian Pamphlet HIs accusing me of so much Partiallity as renders me Guilty of very Great Imperfection p. 54. about a Relation of what happned betwixt him and me at a Meeting in Devonshire House the 18th of the 7th Month 1672. This is of little value to me while I and many others know the contrary and while he neither proves his Accusation nor gives either a true or impartial Narrative thereof himself But his chief pretended Proof against me is our saying the Baptists seemed more like Beasts then Men several at once making a bawling and hideous noyse c. The truth whereof many were eye and ear Witnesses and he cannot clear them herein But instead thereof falsly says the Quakers manifested as much Rudeness as the worst of men are wont to do to their Opposers But in this also he hath very grosly belyed the Quakers And he may know in his own Conscience that he himself was a pattern of Incivility towards us stirring up his Proselytes into Rudeness by his Passion and ill Language as Knave deceitful fellow audacious fellow impudent fellow c. whereas he had no such Language nor Behaviour from me or my Friends Besides there were many of his Friends and but very few of mine had notice Because some of the Baptists pretended before to me that there should be but a few of their friends and therefore I acquainted but very few of mine otherwise I should have made it more publick if they had but dealt ingeniously by me which I must say they did not herein And for him thus to charge the Quakers with manifesting as much Rudeness as the worst sort of men He doth not so much herein as ex e pt common Revilers Drunkards or Persecutors so that his slander is the more gross and notorious He saith that they called to speak directly to the Question viz. Whether this Body of Flesh and Bones shall arise again To which Whitehead answered he saith that this Body of Flesh and Bones shall not arise again Herein again he hath wronged my Answer sor it was not stated in these words but in the very words of the Apostle Paul 1 Cor. 15. 35 36 37 38. as in the Narrative is fully related for being aware of their carping caveling spirit I kept close to the plain Words of Scripture in my positive answer How be it when W. Kiffin said That the Seed that 's sown is this same Body of Flesh and Bones which shall arise though otherwayes qualified viz. more glorious c. This being upon my Question about the Seed to which God gives a Body as it pleaseth him I did deny that the terrestrial Body or Body of Flesh Blood and Bones as dead and buried is the Seed intended by the Apostle to which God gives a Body as it pleaseth him And that the very same Carnal Body should arise again I say it hath not yet been proved to me nor am I satisfied therein from any who have obtruded this Question and Controversie upon me To which I now add nor am I resolved by these men but the Question may be further examined hereafter Again after I am accused for leaving out of the Narrative the aâ—…oresaid Answer viz. About this Body of Flesh and Bones falsely obtruded upon me the pretended Omission is supposed to be either from a bad Conscience or a defective Memory p. 54. wherein my own Conscience doth clear me and my Innocency concerning the first and Experience of the latter is better known and judged of in my self then by an envious and salse Accuser that neither knows my Conscience nor Capacity And yet after thus doubtfully he hath accused me either for an evil Conscience or bad Memory he presently saith hence I conceive it to be more proper for him to be angry with himself for being deceitful then sor another to tell him that he is so p. 35. See here what a positive Judge he makes himself over my Conscience when as before he is so doubtful and wavering in his Charge For suppose any Omission through defect of Memory Is this sufficient ground to conclude a man deceitful Mark the Inconsistency of this mans Work of Envy against me And I do not only reflect his false ill Language upon him but also testifie against his Malice and slandering of me as he doth divers others And particularly his Outrage against G. F. most malitiously and falsly reproaching him as a Blasphemer and Deceiver and for instance tels us he has been publickly detected as namely by a Book called The Spirit of the Quakers tryed p. 55. Concerning which I would have the Reader to take notice that the Book he here cryes up is a Socinian Book wherein the Divinity of Christ is denyed and that G. F. is chiefly opposed sor asserting the Divinity of Christ and particularly for his confessing that Christ was in being and in Glory with the Father before the World began See here from hence it is observable this Adversary of ours makes little Conscience whom he takes part with so he finds them to be Enemies to us He now questions whether to attain to Perfection be the Priviledg of any on this side Death p. 55. When before he hath opposed its being attainable here and put it off till he be in Heaven p. 50. But now he is uncertain whether Perfection be attained by any on this side Death He should have appeared thus ingenious at first and not positively opposed that which afterwards he questions But this is according to the Tenour of his uncertain confused Work Lux Exorta Est OR THE LIGHT SPRUNG UP IN THE Despised Quaker With Evident Testimony against the Darkness and Prejudice of the Old Anabaptist IN ANSWER To Henry Grigg's Book stiled Light from the Sun of Righteousness but proved an Effect of Smoke and Darkness proceeding from the Pit of Enmity and Confusion Unnaturally published against his own Natural Sister in Barbadoes chiefly because of her owning the People of God called Quakers and their PRINCIPLE Which is herein further Vindicated AND His Erronious Doctrines are Examined His Self-Contradictions are Compared His Impertinent Exceptions are Overturned By G. W. Neither do the Aged understand Judgment Night is come upon you and the Day is become Dark over you Printed in the Year 1973. THE CONTENTS About 1. The Light within 2. Justification c. 3. The Lord's Supper 4. Baptism 5. The Anointed 6. Jesus and his Body Man and
the Body of Man c. 7. The Resurrection 8. The Light the Sufferings and Work of Christ. 9. The Baptists Ordinances Shadows c. 10. Knowing Christ and his Coming Reign and Deity 11. Their Erroneous and Groundless Distinction between the Light of God and the Light of Christ. 12. Turning to the Light within 13. Christ as at the Right hand of Power 14. Perfection 15. The Light within distinguished from an Historical Knowledge 16. The Baptist's unlearned Question TO THE READER Serious Reader THe implacable Enmity of divers Baptist Teachers against us our present Liberty and Prosperity is very obvious by their several perverse confused Pamphlets although the sad Experience and Fruitlesness of Coertion has not been shewn by their Valour They have Cause rather to be abased and humbled for their timerous obscuring themselves many of them in the late stormy times then now either to boast or thus come croaking out in warm Weather with Blasphemy and Revilings against the Light of Truth or us its Children As also for their many Divisions among themselves contrary to this Man's pretended Order and Communion of him and his Brethren of their baptized Churches as in pag. 53. being divided about Principles and Doctrines as some of their Leaders and Chieftains preaching up a personal Election others general Redemption some for Christ's dying for all others for his dying but for a few some for the Jews Seventh-Day Sabboth others opposing it some holding the Souls mortality with the Body others the Immortality They should have been reconciled among themselves before they had thus appeared in Print against us called Quakers for as yet we have no consistent matter from them to deal withall Lux Exorta Est OR THE LIGHT SPRUNG UP IN THE Despised Quaker With Evident Testimony against the Darkness and Prejudice of the Old Anabaptist I. Concerning the Light within THe Light or Life of the Eternal Word which is the Light of men Joh. 1. 4. is spiritual and divine as is that Word and therefore able to direct man his Way out of Sin and to give him Power against it what Cruelty and Partiallity doth he therefore like the partialminded Electioners reflect upon God in saying that this Light or Illumination of the Eternal Word leaves man like the Priest and Levite in his Blood and Wounds and yet how manifestly is this contradicted in his granting That by this Light Mankind may come to understand there is a God and also their Duty as he is their Creator Now this their Duty is both truely to love obey and sear him as also the man grants the Light to convince them of Sins and teach them to do unto all men as themselves would be done unto and that if the Heathens do follow the Light they are enlightened withal by the glorious Creator they would shine forth in the Principles of Morality and just Living p. 9. Now then it appears that this Light in all men can both teach them their Duty to God and one another so then it would teach them both to begodly and just Then the Question is whether all that are so taught and are such be they called Heathens or others be not in Reality Christians Can a man be godly and not a Christian Surely if the Heathens do mind and follow so much Light as God has given them they shall be saved for is there any more required then what is given Or doth God condemn Men for not improving more then he gives them How can they then be inexcusable or left without Excuse before him Observe again that this Opposer is not only cruel in leaving men in their Blood and Wounds though they follow so much Light as is given them but he is greatly confounded about the Light in all men one while calling it The Substance of the Law of the first Covenant p. 11. another while saith That Law was a more glorious Ministration and did convince of Sin more clearly then this Light p. 10. whereas the inward Convincement or Conviction does not arise from the Law meerly as written without but from the Law or Light as received from God in the Heart another while he calls it the Spirit that God has formed in man Zach. 12. 1. The Candle of the Lord p. 9. Let the ingenuous Reader judge how this man is shattered in these his Contradictions Inconsistencies and Variations and how plainly he hath broke the Neck of his own Cause in confessing that the Lord Jesus as the eternal Word enlightneth all men for Jesus Christ and his Light as the eternal Word is the divine and highest Light II. Concerning Redemption Justification c. HE is very inconsistent in his Saying that Redemption and Justification have been fully compleated and finisht by our Lord Jesus for â—…s once for all and that the Debt is paid and Satisfaction made p. 14. while yet he grants that Ignorance and Unbelief as Chains and Fetters bind many in Satan's Kingdom p. 14. for did you ever know of any so fully in a redeemed and justified Estate while so actually under Satan's Chains and Fetters in his Kingdom Or that any should be thus detained in Prison so long after the Debt is paid and Satisfaction made as he imagines But in this Notion of Satisfaction he appears very short and shallow though it be not a Scripture Phrase as T. Danson grants Synops. p. 19. and though it depends but upon some Notions of Law as Dr. Owen saith Declar. p. 150. Now that all mens Debt should be so strictly payed or such a severe Satisfaction made to vindicate Justice by Christ in their Stead which God never imposed upon the Son of his Love and that for Sins past present and to come as some say how inconsistent is it Besides the gross Liberty this gives to Sin how agrees it with his teaching them to pray Forgive us our Debts Math. 6. 12. for what needed that if they be all fo strictly paid in their Stead Howbeit that Christ in another or more acceptable Sence was a most satisfactory Offering and Sacrifice for Man-kind for a sweet smelling Savour to God Ephes. 5. 2. this we confess and own and that he tasted Death not only for some but for every Man and is a Propitiation for the Sins of the whole World And that Men are not justified nor all their Debt payed in their Stead while they are actually in Chains in Satan's Kingdom see this Man's Concession to his own Confutation touching the Power of true Conversion that is taught by Christ and his Ministers viz. That a man must repent that true Repentance is a through Change of the mind and that it consists in 1 A clear Sight and Sence of Sin 2 Godly Sorrow in the Sence and Burthen of it 3 In utter Abhorrence and forsaking of it And also Faith is required and must be wrought with Power in the Hearts of the Penitent c. p. 15. 16. Mark then here is some Debt for men to pay
those few mentioned namely for Christ saith he sent me not to baptize but to preach the Gospel So he did not thank God for neglecting part of his Commission in baptizing so few but partly to prevent their wrong Use thereof and chiefly because his Commission did not extend to Water-Baptism And as to his Allegation to prove that the Word not is not alwayes used as an absolute Negative p. 27. he cites Joh. 6. 27. Labour not for the Meat that perisheth but for the Meat which endureth c. If the Occasion of these Words be minded not will prove an absolute Negative in this Place Jesus speaking to them that sought after him because they did eat of the Loaves ver 20. and were filled for which end they ought not to have sought after him And admitting his Instance in Adam that he was not deceived namely that he was not first deceived taking in the Word first from the Verse before this is altogether impertinent unto his Purpose about Paul's not being sent to baptize there being no such Discovery that Paul was sent at all to baptize as there was of Adam's Transgression but the contrary in that Paul expresly said Christ fent me not to baptize but to preach the Gospel V. Of the Anionted TO his saying the Word Christ signifies one Anointed accounting it absurd to say the Spirit or Anointing is Christ p. 37. I answer are not the Father the Spirit and the Word one Christ as the Son of God is God's anointed And is it not granted that he was the Son of God by eternal Generation And fo was before he took upon him that Body prepared for him called the Lord 's anointed Psal. 2. 2. which Word Anointed sometimes relates to his being set up or exalted as King yet have I set or anointed Hebr. my King upon Sion the Hill of my Holiness ver 6. As also to his being endued or anointed with Power from on high which Power is that divine Unction and in that Christ is called the Power of God and the Wisdom of God 1 Cor. 1. 24 He may as properly be called the Anointing as where the Spirit of the Lord is there is Liberty now the Lord is that Spirit this Anointing is not an outward Unction nor outwardly received upon the Flesh or Body but being a divine Unction of Glory and Power from above it s inwardly and spiritually received by an immortal Seed and Birth born from above as that which is born of the Spirit is Spirit As for his Term Humane Nature and Glorious Unity between the divine and human Nature p. 36. he talks he knows not what besides Scripture-Language the Word human is not applicable to Christ in Glory by the Scriptures but originally relates to the Earth and so to the Body of man as coming thence But Jesus Christ was the Anointed as he was the Son from the Father's Substance which he was before he came in the Flesh or took upon him that Body that was prepared for him and the Anointed and Saviour by the divine Power given him when in that Body upon Earth though more highly exalted or anointed as ascended far above all Heavens and exalted in the Father's Glory the Anointed and Saviour also as revealed and formed in the Saints Gal. 4. 19. the Anointed as set up from Everlasting the Anointed both in Sufferings and in Glory the Anointed both as he came in Flesh and as coming and revealed in the Spirit in his People and his Name by which Life and Salvation comes and is given is his divine Nature and Power to which his Name relates that is above every other Name One thing this man H. G. and his Brethren stumble at and at which his Soul is wounded as he saith p. 30. is that Christ was never seen with an outward or rather carnal Eye which H. W. is accused of sor saying The Eternal Son of God was never seen with any Carnal Eye to which I say they should have been so ingenuous as to have considered the Intent of these Words and more candidly to have construed them thus Christ as the eternal Word the Lord from Heaven the only begotten of the Father in his spiritual Discovery as the Image of the invisible God and Brightness of his Glory cannot be seen with a carnal Eye Flesh and Blood hath not so revealed him the saving Light of Christ never was nor can be reached with the carnal Eye he that seeth the Son and believeth on him hath everlasting Life Joh. 6. 40. and as saith the Son of God he that seeth me seeth my Father also Joh. 12. 45. and 14. 9. but none can see the Father with a carnal Eye therefore none could ever see the eternal Son with their carnal Eyes in this Sence of seeing which extends to true Knowing Joh. 8. 19. and 14. 7. though many did see the Body or Person of Christ in the Dayes of his Flesh wherein he was crucified and put to Death the Jews â—…nd Persecutors saw him in that Sence with their outward Eyes when they did neither truely see nor know him to their Salvation it being the Spirit that quickneth and such a Sight of Christ as that of his Body or outward man no reasonable man can be so absurd as to say it was not obvious to the Bodily Eyes and as absurd for any to imagine that any of us should intend otherwise Now these Baptists Faith concerning the Son of God according to their carnal Discourse of him may be modelized into this or the like Argument viz. If Jesus Christ the Son of God be also the Son of man glorified on the right Hand of God in Heaven then he consists of human Body of Flesh and Bones as some say or of a body of Flesh Blood and Bones as others say But he is the Son of man glorified c. Ergo he consists of a human Body either of Flesh and Bone or of Flesh Blood and Bones in Heaven Ans. I deny their varied Consequence as inconsequent for Christ was called the Son of man in a higher Sence then this human earthly or carnal Sence which they represent him in in that he himself said no man hath ascended up to Heaven but he that came down from Heaven even the Son of man which is in Heaven Joh. 3. 13. and what if you shall see the Son of Man ascend up where he was before it is the Spirit that quickneth the Flesh perfitteth nothing Joh. 6. 62 63. who will affim that as he came down from Heaven or as he was before in Heaven he so consisted of a carnal human Body either made up of Flesh and Bone or of Flesh Blood and Bone in their gross and carnal Sence John the Baptist had not such mean Thoughts of Christ as these carnal Baptists have for John said he that cometh from above is above all he that is of the Earth is earthly and speaketh of the Earth he that cometh from Heaven is above
all John 3. 31. and the Flesh of the Son of man which he gave for the Life of the World is that Bread which came down from Heaven Joh. 6. 50 51. Except ye eat the Flesh of the Son of Man and drink his Blood ye have no Life in you ver 53. Yet that the Name Son of Man was applyed to him as a Sufferer and as he said so shall the Son of man be three Dayes and three Nights in the Heart of the Earth Math. 12. 40. I deny not but this doth not limit him from being called the Son of Man in a higher State also each of God's Prophets might be called as divers were a Son of Man but Christ the great Prophet the Son of Man the Apostle distinguisheth between the first man and the second man thus The first man is of the Earth earthly or human the second man is the Lord from Heaven 1 Cor. 15. 47. therefore the second man is not human in their Sence nor consisting of a human or earthly Body as the first man and Ephes. 4. 9 10. now that he ascended what is it but that he also descended first into the lower Parts of the Earth he that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all Heavens that he might fill all things and Phil. 3. 21 who shall change the Body of our Lowness that it may be fashoned like unto his glorious Body c. Now if it should be read according to these Baptists Sence it must be who shall change our vile Bodies that they may be fashoned like unto his human Body as if they were not such already and how disproportionable is it to say Christ consists of a human Body of flesh blood and bones in Heaven but the Saints must have a spiritual glorious Body in the State of Glory hereafter yet to prevent these mens Scruples concerning our owning the man Christ or the Son of man in Glory I tell them seriously that I do confess both to his miraculous Conception by the Power of the holy Spirit overshadowing the Virgin Mary and to his being born of her according to the Flesh and so that he took upon him a real Body and not a fantastical and that he was real Man come of the Seed of Abraham and that he in the Dayes of his Flesh preached Righteousness wrought Miracles was crucified and put to Death by wicked Hands that he was buried and rose again the third Day according to the Scriptures and after he rose he appeared diversly or in divers Forms and Manners he really appeared to many Brethren 1 Corinth 15. and afterwards ascended into Glory being translated according to the Wisdom and Power of the Heavenly Father and is glorified with the same Glory which he had with the Father before the World began being ascended far above all Heavens that he might fill all things whose Glory is Incomprehensible and beyond the Apprehension of Human Capacities VI. Of Jesus and his Body of Man and the Body of Man WHereas H. G. cavils at my speaking distinctly of the Body of Jesus in that Joseph of Arimathea begg'd the Body of Jesus and to confute me herein he instanceth that of the body of Saul and saith that the Case is the same and the body of Moses which the Devil disputed about p. 39 40 41. but in this I cannot see any valid Matter to his purpose nor wherein he can intend it unless he believes that the Soul or spiritual Existence of man dyes with the body and the Devil did appear wiser then he concerning this distinction in that his disputing about the body of Moses does imply a distinction between Moses as to his immortal Existence and the body of Moses and that he did not confound them as this man doth who concludes Jesus Christ to consist of a human Body of Flesh and Bone which the original Being of no man properly consists of though to prevent Cavils and for 〈◊〉 sake I 'll grant him thus much that the Name Jesus Christ is indifferently and mutually applyed both to his spiritual being and to the body he took upon him and that distinctly in Scripture although the Names Messiah Jesus Christ the Anointed the Image and Glory of the invisible God the Word the Light the Life c. do more eminently and more originally belong to him as he was before he took that body upon him which he called this Temple and it was called the body of Jesus Whereas H. G. sayes What a strange Epitath would this Man write upon a Tomb-stone he cannot write here lyes the Body of Thomas or William c. but rather thus here lies the Thomas of Thomas p. 41. Reply This more properly falls upon himself in not admitting that distinction touching Jesus and the body of Jesns but their concluding and confining Jesus Christ as to confist of the meer body of flesh and bone and that he could not be Jesus Christ the Saviour before he took upon him that body by which this man cannot write Here lies the body of Thomas or William c. which implies a belief of an Immortality of the man as to his Spirituality but rather here lies the whole man Thomas or William without admitting of any such Immortality and yet I will grant him as before that the Word Man is indifferently applyed to either the spiritual Being or Body of man as there is an inward man and an outward man 2 Cor. 4. 16. And as God created man in his own Image and yet it s said he formed man of the Dust of the Earth Gen. 1. 27. and Chap. 2. 7. and it s said That the rich Man dyed and was buried which was his Body and in Hell he lift up his Eyes c. which could not be that Part which dyed and was buried but the immortal part or Soul Luke 16. 22. 23. yet the Word Man most properly and originally as God created Man in his own Image belongs to his spiritual Existence or Being for the Earthly Body was not the Image of God But farther let the Reader observe how evidently H. G. has contradicted his foregoing Stuff for a human Christ consisting of a Body of meer Flesh and Bone against my distinction concerning Jesus and his Body that was put to Death and buried which was also raised as where he speaks distinctly of Jesus and his Body p. 33. and confesseth that Christ came in the Flesh p. 36. that he hath an outward glorisied Existence that he hath a body p. 46 47. Christ's crucified Body p. 50. the Body that was prepared for him p. 79. He did assume our Nature p. 80. He had the very Form Shape and Fashion of a Man p. 81. And what He or Him was this he speaks of Was it not Christ the Son of God the Anointed And to his arguing That if Jesus Christ continues a man for ever then he hath a Body of Flesh and Bone forever This doth not follow
and thus to limit and circumscribe God and his Light or Shining to be so and in like manner as the Sun and its Beams doth maniâ—…est such gross Apprehensions of God as he did before in expecting to see him with bodily Eyes And this relates to the old Heresie of the Anthropomorphites or Monks in the desarts of Aegypt as also to that of the present Mugletonians who imagine God to be a personal or bodily Existence circumscribed as to place denying him to be an infinite Spirit yet thus far I will admit of his Simile by a Reason of the contrary that as the natural created Sun immediately sends forth its Beams or Rayes which are natural and do influence the Earth with the Vertue of the Sun so the eternal increated Spiâ—…itor Word doth shine and shew forth its own immediate increated divine Light and Vertue in the Hearts and Souls of Man-kind as the Sun is natural and created so is its Light or Shining and as God the eternal Word is increated and super-natural so is his immediate Shining or Light in the Hearts and Souls of Man-kind and as a man's Eye is directly set towards the Sun in the least Beam thereof shining through any Crevis into any Dungeon Cell or other oscure place it sees directly to the Sun it self so the Eye of the Soul being directe dtowards God by the least Appearance of his divine and immediate Shining or Illumination therein it hath a Sight of God and the Soul thereby comes to seel of his Vertue and Power in waiting upon him And for this man to conclude that this Light of the eternal Word cannot teach and reveal unto man the Lord Jesus Christ p. 50. is to deny Jesus Christ to be the Word or that true Light that enlightneth every Man whereas his Illumination directs man immediately to himself as its eyed and minded As also he is as narrow shallow and partial in concluding the Light will not reveal unto man his Saviour without the Help of the Scriptures p. 50. this is a strange undervaluing of the Light of Christ what then did the Scriptures proceed from Was it not the Light And what shall become of all those Nations and People that have not the Scriptures if this be true It is none of our Assertion that Christ in his Death and Sufferings was but only a Pattern or Example of that which must be wrought over again in us for though we own him to have left an Example yet he was more then an Example and he did not only end the Types but was a Sacrifice and Offering for Man-kind and opened the new and living Way giving Testimony of God's free Love towards all and making Way for the enforcing of the new Testament or Covenant of Life But yet that either all or any men are cleansed or justified or saved meerly by the outward Sufferings Crucifixion Death or Blood shed of Christ the Scripture proves not but by Christ himself and his Blood Life Spirit and Power nor yet that men are acquitted or saved by their outward Application thereof And this man to his own Confutation confesseth to the Power of Christ s Spirit being risen in us for our Sanctification and Renovation as well as Christ was raised from the dead for our Justification p. 54. then all is not fully doneby his Death without them but both the End and Mystery of the Cross Sufferings and Death of Christ without 〈◊〉 be known and fulfilled within see Philip. 3. 10. although this man seems not willing to hear of Christ's being a Pattern or Example of that which must be wrought over again in us p. 50 yet in Contradiction to this he saith The Lord Jesus Christ hath wrought Redâ—…mption and Salvation for me and revealed this by his Word and Spirit and 〈◊〉 it in me p. 52. it s well that in any Measure he is made to grant to this inward Work of Christ. IX Further about their Ordinances His pleading for their shadowy and carnal Ordinances to continue under this Notion viz. Under his Shadow I have with the Spouse sat down and his Fruit is and hath been sweet unto my tâ—…ste p. 53. This is a very impertinent Instance and altogether improper to reckon Bread Wine and Water-Baptisin that Shadow of the Souls Beloved to wit Christ that the Spouse sat under seeing the Lord himselâ—… saith I will be a Shadow from the Heat and a Refuge from the Storm And we are so far from believing these his carnal Ordinances to be the direct Shadow of the Souls Beloved in that neer Sence that we look upon him he is yet to prove them Appointments Institutions and Ordinances of Christ or of Necessity to continue in the Church notwithstanding his spiritual Coming and Revelation which he hath not much less that they are spiritual or of a Spiritualness as he saith p. 59. and 60. which he hath manifestly contradicted in granting They are but the Sign the Shadow the Shell and Christ the Substance p. 53 54. For my part I don't look upon either John's Baptism or the Supper of Christ and his Disciples at which they had the Passover to be Institutions and Ordinances originally appointed by Christ or enjoyned to all that should succeed in the Gospel and true Church but rather though they were not directly enjoyned by the Law of Moses as we say modo forma yet that they did more naturally relate to that former dispensation of Shadows then to that of the Gospel and new Covenant and that John's Baptism was rather for a Consummation of the Jews divers Sprinklings and Washings under the Law comprehending them in order to end them and Christ's eating of the Passover and drinking with his Disciples Luke 32. to be as a Consummation of the Jews Feasts under the Law viz. that of the Passover and others according to the Relation given at large concerning the Ecclesiastical Rites of the ancienâ—… Hebrews by T. Goodwin in his Antiquities of the â—…ews called Moses and Aaron p. 86 87 88 89 90 91. and 〈◊〉 and Christ saying As often as you do this is not a â—…ommand and This do in Remembrance of me and 〈◊〉 the Lord's Death till he come does limit a time for its Discontinuance for till he come must either respect his next Coming or render not only his coming after he was risen but his spiritual Coming and Revelation in his Saints no Comings which were absurd and Auti-Christian and there was a time to shew forth his Life as well as his Death Hiâ—… saying The Sign and thing signified God hath joyned together p. 54. is again contradicted by his granting a Personmay find a Shell and have no Kernel in it p. 54. To which I add That God hath so joyned the Sign or Shadow and the Substance together as so to continue I deny or that the Scripture any where so saith but as for these Baptists Shells Husks and Shadows they are both dry and empty and the Lord is
4. 1 Tim. 1. 1. and 4. 10. Jude 25. But how doth H. G's Confession and these Scriptures agree with the Discription he gives of Jesus Christ as Saviour and as the only true Christ viz. That he consists of a Body of Flesh and Bone human Nature being finite weak subject to passion as we are saith he p. 94. Let the Reader judge how gross and confused he is in these matters and whether the true Christ and Saviour doth either consist of an earthly Nature or finite being or was subject to Passion as fallen men are The Truth of it is this Man hath confest more to the Deity and divine Power of Christ and so to save and beget men to himself as God alone more then most of the Baptists that I have met withall before for one of his Brethren to wit W. Burnet a Preacher saith That Christ as he was the Word which was God was not a Saviour as he was God he could not save Man in his Book stiled the Capital Principles p. 35. which denyes the Omnipotency of God but this Baptist H. G. grants that it is the Power and Spirit of God himself or God alone that doth regenerate and make men his Children whence it follows that then it was not meerly the outward Body of Jesus that was the Saviour though he was a Saviour in that Body but it was by the Divine Power or Holy Spirit of the Father in him XI His Erroneous Distinction about the Light BUt whereas H. G. accounts the Light and Knowledge of God as Creator that was given to the Gentiles Rom. 1. 19. and Chap. 2. 14 15. But the Light of the Moon to guide their Paths and so much inferior to that of a crucified Jesus as that it leaves them utterly void of the saving Knowledge of the Gospel and of a crucified Jesus p. 68 69. Mark here how he hath undervalued the Light and Knowledge of the glorious Creator whom before he has in Words exalted above all in the Work of Regeneration and Christ as man but as finite weak c. But now alass with him the Light and Knowledge of the glorious Creator is but the Light of the Moon in comparison of the Light and Knowledge of Christ as man though in that Weakness as crucified how egregiously he is involved in gross Consusion and self-Contradiction in these things he that runs may read and no such distinction nor contrariety between the Light of God and the Light of his Son is owned in Scripture â—…or I and my Father are one saith Christ and the Father Word and holy Spirit are one And the same Life which was in him was the Light of Men Joh. 1. 4. and this Life which in due time was manifested was the same eternal Life which was with the Father 1Joh 1. 1. 2. which Light or Life they that obey aâ—…d follow in its Appearance and Guidance it brings them to a Fellowship with the Father and with the Son and this is not the Light of the Moon as our Opposer blindly and unscripturally terms it But seeing he saith this Law or Light is given to guide their Paths by which the Gentiles are taught their Duty to God in Morals I ask him whether will this Light guide their Paths if not in the Way to Salvation And whether will they go and to what End if they obey and follow it Does not the Apostle for a Proof of a justified State instance it in the Gentiles shewing the Effects of the Law written in their Hearts Rom. 2. 13 14 15 16. And what Nature was that by which those Gentiles did those things contained in the Law surely it was not the corrupt Nature for that is inconsistent the Law being holy just and good and though these Gentiles had not the Law in the Letter of it as many now have not the litteral Discription or histotical Relation of Christ's outward Sufferings must they therefore be damned to Hell What Cruelty were this to condemn Nations for want of the Scriptures But as those Gentiles who had not the Law in the Letter and yet had and obeyed it in the Spirit were both therein a Law to themselves and excused in the Sight of God in the day when he judgeth the Secrets of Men by Jesus Christ according to the Gospel Rom. 2. 16. So those Gentiles and Peoples who obey the Light and Life of the Son of God in them though they have not the historical Knowledge and Profession of Christ as he was Man and suffered Death in the Flesh c. Yet they are truely accepted of God and more real Christians inwardly then many of you that have the Scriptures and an historical Faith and Profession of the Man Christ and of Christianity outwardly for in all Nations every one that fears God and worketh Righteousness is accepted of him Depart from Evil and do Good and dwell for evermore And this the Light of the Son of God implanted in the Hearts of all Nations teacheth and herein the Grace of God that bringeth Salvation hath appeared unto all Men Tit. 2. 11. But it is the Error and Mistake of these Men to put their historical Notions and Profession of the Man Christ for the Light of Christ in Man whereas their Notions and Professions are neither any real Knowledge of the Man Christ nor the Principle of his Light in Man for the one is traditional and acquired by Man and so but dark the other is the immediate and divine unchangeable Gift of Christ in Man which indeed is the Light of the Eternal Word the glorious Creator but as these men's pretended Light and Knowledge of the man Christ is what they get out of Scriptures with their own private Interpretations on them so they hereby render Christ and his Light as limitted only to such Places and People as have the Scriptures opposing his divine Omni-presence and denying him his Right which is the Heathen for his Inheritance and the uttermost Parts of the Earth for his Possession Psa. 2. Now as for that Morality as he calls it which the Law of the first Covenant and Light implanted in the Heaâ—…ts of all Man-kind teacheth in the true Nature and Intenâ—… thereof it falleth no more short of Christianity then Godliness doth for this Law and Light teacheth Man to love the Lord God with all his Heart and Soul c. and his Neighbour as himself this do saith Christ and thou shalt live in answer to the Question what shall I do to inherit Eternal Life Luke 10. 25 26 27 28. This is the highest Morality or Duty of Man-kind even this Love to God and one another which is the fulfilling of the Law And this is both taught by the Light within and Power given by the Grace of God to fulfil it which the Law without in the Letter cannot do Now if the Jews Way to inherit Eternal Life was through the Grace or Help of God to fulfil what was written as before then
Spiritually minded come to see the Glory of God and Jesus or the Son oâ—… Man at his right hand XIV Of Perfection H. G. WE do not believe 't is possible to attain to such a Degree of Perfection as to be as pure from Sin as Jesus Christ was p. 62. I know not what such should call one the Name of the Lord for c. p. 63. H. G. Contra. We can experience the Power of Christ's Spirit risen in us for our Sanctification and Renovation p. 54. He doth adopt regenerate make others Children of God by the Effectual Workings of his blessed Spirit in their Hearts by which they are interrested into all the Priviledges Promises and Blessings of the Covenant of Grace p. 91 92. Anim. We believe that the Spirit and Power of Christ working in our Hearts is able to sanctifie throughout and his Blood to cleanse from all Sin and that in Christ who is the Covenant of Grace all the Promises of God are yea and amen and that Covenant is both a Covenant of Forgiveness and therein Sin is taken away as God hath promised Jer. 31. I will cleanse them from all their Iniquity Jer. 33. 8. Ezek. 36. 25. All things are possible with God and we can do all things through Christ that strengthneth us Phil. 4. 13. who commanded Be ye perfect as your Heavenly Father is perfect and its possible through his Power Aid to keep his Commands otherwise for what End are they given out to his Church and People and for what End should they pray to take away all Iniquity On whom we believe he does not impose Impossibilities but to such as dwell in the Love of God his Commands are not grievous but joyous XV. The Light within above an Historical Knowledge WHereas to undervalue the Light within which all Men have H. G. affirms that none can make appear that ever any Heathen Aethiopian Moor or Infidel in any remote Parts that never heard the Scripture c. That ever did attain meerly by that Light within to the Knowledge of one Jesus of Nazareth that was crucified without the Gates of Jerusalem that meerly by the Help and Guidance of that Light within came to find out so much as the Name or historical Knowledge of a cruciefid Jesus p. 70. Answ. 1. As an historical Knowledge and Profession concerning Christ and his Sufferings in the Flesh cannot save you so it s very uncharitable in you Baptists to condemn all Nations that have it not meerly for want of the History or that historical Knowledge 2. Though you have a historical Faith and Profession of Jesus as he came and suffered in the Flesh I deny that this Faith will either save you for they have as much Faith at Rome or that you have from thence any real Knowledge of Christ either as in the Flesh or in the Spirit either as crucified as put to Death or as living and reigning It s still your Mistake to count your dark Opinions and litteral Notions the Light of the Son of God Nay if you have no further Faith and Knowledge of him then what 's meerly historical and litteral If you have not a spiritual and divine Knowledge of Christ as inwardly revealed you 'll dye in your Sin and perish for lack of Knowledge And many of those called Heathens who follow the Help and Guidance of the Light of Christ within shall come from the East and from the West and from the North and from the South nd shall sit down with Abraham Isaac and Jacob in the Kingdom as Children of Faith and Heirs of Promise who have believed God and obeyed his Light in them when you and such like litteral Professors shall be utterly rejected unless you return to Christ's Light within and believe and wait in it to know Christ's inward and spiritual Appearance and Revelation 3. In the Gospel preacht to Abraham in whose Seed all Nations should be blessed It was foreseen that God would justifie the Heathen through Faith and accordingly Christ was absolutely promised and given for a Light to the Gentiles to be God's Salvation to the Ends of the Earth that he might say to the Prisoners go forth and them that are in Darkness shew yourselves Isa. 42. and Ch. 49. Now observe that the Promise of Christ both for a Light to the Gentiles and Salvation to the Ends of the Earth and himself to speak to the Prisoners to go forth c. it s absolute and not restrained or limitted to the spreading of Scripture nor to any such Condition as to be a Light and Salvation or to speak only to such as get the Bible and have the Scriptures or an historical Knowledge and Profession of Jesus Christ but he is given both for a Light to the Heathen and Salvation to the Ends of the Earth and so to call forth the Prisoners where the Scriptures are not he being in himself absolute and perfect and so able to be whatever he is promised of God and this Salvation is absolutely placed upon the Son of God who is given both for a Light a Leader God's Covenant and Salvation and therefore he is to be followed obeyed and depended on for Life and Salvation 4. Moreover It s possible to have both the Sufferings and Glory of Christ revealed by his Light and Spirit without the Scriptures seeing the Spirit of Christ shewed and testified aforehand unto the Prophets of his Sufferings and of the Glory that should follow 1 Pet. 1. 11. to be sure they who first wrote Scripture of these things aforehand had them first discovered or opened unto them by the Spirit 5. And when Nebuchadnezer said Lo I see four Men loose walking in the midst of the Fire and they have no Hurt and the Form of the fourth is like the Son of God Dan. 3. 25. How came this Heathen to have any such Impression or Similitude of the Son of God in his Mind as thus to speak of the Son of God or of the fourth as represented to him like the Son of God And what Scripture could he have for this pray you Or for Nebuchadnezer and Darius to speak so truly and admirably as they did of the Kingdom and Dominion of the most high God Dan. 4. 3. and Chap. 6. 26. Let the narrow-Spirited Litteralists and partial Predestinators who would place all true Knowledge upon the Letter and confine it within the Compass of a few Professors of Scripture consider these things 6. But seeing that Christ dyed for all Men tasted Death for every Man and gave himself a Ransom for all God doth therefore no doubt afford a Way for the universal Conveyance of the Vertue and blessed Effects inwardly of his Death and Blood to Man-kind and that is his divine Light though many have not the outward Description thereof XVI His unlearned Question AS to H. G's Question p. 70. viz. I shall only ask this one Question what things and other Signs were those which Jesus did
the Law in the Letter or as outwardly written And if this Immediate Light be not of a saveing Property what Light is And for what end is it given universally to Man-kind That they may be saved or onely to condemn them 2. Christ's enlightning all men as the Eternal Word and that with a spiritual Light flowing from himself as the Eternall Word Enlightening It is not with the Letter which killeth and Cannot give Life but with an Immediate Illumination or Influence of Light from himself which can both kill and make a live it hath both the Law or sentence of Death in it to the transgressor and quickning Vertue and Gospel in it to make alive to God and minister Life and Justification from God to them that truly obey it 3. This immed iate Light or Shining from Jesus Christ as the Eternal Word is neither the Letter of the Law nor created nor yet natural as Anabaptists use to say but as the Eternal Word enlightning man and the Life which was in him being the Light of Men is therefore a Light and Law which can give Life which the Law as in the Letter could not it being the Life it self that was in the Eternal Word H. G. The great Darkness of these Men who cry up Light and Power within this Wile of Satan and Cheat of Anti-Christ p. 31. H. G. Contradiction The Lord Jesus Christ as the Eternal Word enlightneth all Men this Light is the Substance of the Law the Candle of the Lord it doth convince of Sin p. 8. If Heathens follow it they would shine in just living the Work of Faith with Power I do mantain that Faith is required and must be wrought with Power in the Heart p. 15 16. G. W. Animad What horrible Blasphemy is it then to term our crying up the Light and Power of Christ within the Wile of Satan and Cheat of Anti-Christ and how plainly hereby confuted We have Cause to look upon those Heathens that follow the Light or Gift of God within to be more godly and better Christians then many of these Baptists H. G. Rep. Your Lyes and Ignorance I say the Darkness of these Men who cry up Light and Power within is great and I did say in p. 31. I should make appear this Wile of Satan and Cheat of Anti-Christ that is to say the Evil Doctrine and Principles of yours And do I contradict this in affirming there is a Light in all Men called the Candle of the Lord and in owning the Inward Work of Faith with Power upon the Heart c. p. 4. G. W. Answer Hath he not before evidently made their crying up Light and Power within the Character of the great Darkness and this the Wile of Satan and Cheat of Anti-christ You that understand Grammer and common Sence mark the Tenour of his Words and how he shuffles to cover this Blasphemy and Contradiction to his confessing that the Lord Jesus as the Eternal Word enlightneth all Men and this is our Principle though now he placeth the great Darkness Wile of Satan and Cheat of Anti-Christ upon our Doctrine and Principles without Exception concerning the Light within and thus still ensnares himself in his Confusion as also in one while affirming that this Light in Man is the Substance of the Law or first Covenant another while that it is the formed Spirit in Man Zach. 12. 1. which is called the Candle of the Lord as in his 9th pag. of his first Book Where note that by seeking to obscure his gross Contradiction before he is run into another viz. One while calling the Light of the Eternal Word in every Man The Substance of the Law of the first Covenant yea now the Ministration of Death or Letter that killeth from 2 Corrinth 3. 6 7. cited by him another while he calls this Light in every man A Spirit that God hath given or formed in Man you who can distinguish between the Law or Letter of it written in Table of Stone and the Spirit of Man Judge if this Anabaptist be not plainly contradictory to himself herein for is the Spirit of Man and the Law written both one and the same thing And while the Spirit of Man is confest to be the Candle of the Lord it s lighted by his Divine Word or Fire The Lord hath lighted my Candle II. The Sufficiency of the Light within to reveal God Christ c. HEnry Grigg again shuffles and beggs the Question thus viz. Do not you say that this Light which is in every Man that cometh into the World is God is Christ is the Holy Spirit or Blessed Comforter and a Saving Light and that it will convince a Man of every Sin and Transgression and lead into all Truth c. Answ. He here questions the things which in his 18th pag he affirms The Quakers speak of the Light within viz. That it is the Divine Essence the Lord Jesus Christ the holy Spirit c. But I ask him where or in what Book and page do the Quakers speak all this of that Measure or Gift of Light that is in every man he deals disingenuously in not citing our own Books and Pages for these Words that we might consider further thereof seeing the Stress of his Charge lies so much on them which though we assert it to be a divine Light of God and Christ and holy Spirit which are one and omni-present filling Heaven and Earth over all and through all God unlimitted in his Presence which to man is an Enlightning Presence yet God and Christ is not revealed in all for he was in the World and the World was made by him and the World knew him not yet his divine Light or immediate Shining in Man is manifest by measure or Degrees as man is capable to receive it the least degree whereof is saving to them that obey it and tends to direct and draw Man towards God who is the absolute and alone Saviour and he and his Light in men are inseparable whose Salvation is manifest by degrees as his Light or Grace in man's Heart is which hath taught us to wait and to look for that blessed Hope and the glorious apprearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ. The Measure or Manifestation of this Light and Grace which immediately directs and leads to this Appearance of the great God and our Saviour must needs therefore be saving And because God or his Son in his infinite Fulness and Knowledge as in himself cannot be contained in man in that the Heaven of Heavens cannot contain God it follows not therefore that the Measure and Manifestation of his Light in Man is not convincing sanctifying or saving whilst it is confest to be a Light or Illumination of Jesus Christ as the Eternal Word enlightning all Men and Women If the infinite Fulness or Giver of this Light cannot be contained in Man yet God hath promised to tabernacle with Men and to dwell in them it follows
Heaven I say yes and these three are one and is not Christ the Saviour that Word which is one of the three which are but one divine Being Thing or Substance though revealed under several Considerations and Diversities of Manifestations and Degrees of Discoveries yet all one divine Life and Being as God is the Word the Life the Light and so is Christ and the holy Spirit is Life to the Righteous and so is Christ the Way the Truth and the Life In him was Life and the Life the Light of Men the Life affordeth Light to all and the Light Life to all that obey it and in it follow Christ such receive the Light of Life and come to walk in the Light of the Living as the Light of Life is received unto Justification and Peace the holy Spirit is received in that glorious Ministration as Comforter after a State of Desolation and Sorrow of whom Christ said He shall receive of mine and shew it unto you Joh. 16. 13. H. G. Did the true Saviour die on the Cross or not Answ. Yes as concerning the Flesh but not as concerning the Spirit or most noble Principle by which he was impowred to his Work of Salvation H. G. I affirm once again That neither the Comforter viz. the holy Spirit nor the Deity of our Lord Jesus distinct from his Manhood or human Nature could be the Saviour and Mediator which dyed on the Cross c. pag. 7. Answ. This is a meer impertinent Shuffle to prove the holy Spirit could not be the Saviour he now tells us that neither the holy Spirit nor the Deity distinct from his human Nature as he calls it could be the Saviour that dyed who of us ever affirmed that his Deity or holy Spirit dyed But seeing the holy Spirit or Deity dyed not with the Flesh of Christ that was crucified then the whole Saviour did not dye but what he calls the human Nature But if we take his Words according to his Doctrine before for Proof that the holy Spirit or Comforter cannot save or be the Saviour only thus viz. Neither the Comforter the holy Spirit nor the Deity of our Lord Jesus distinct from his Manhood or human Nature could be the Saviour This were all one as to tell us that God cannot be the Saviour or that God cannot save if the holy Spirit or Deity be God he should rather have said that the Manhood could not save without the holy Spirit divine Power or Deity which alone is sufficient and only that which is felt and experienced in Man to effect his Salvation and Deliverance from the Power of Sin and Satan Ye are my Witnesses saith the Lord and my Servants whom I have chosen that ye may know and believe me and understand that I am he before me there was no God formed neither shall there be after me I even I am the Lord and beside me there is no Saviour Isa. 43. 10 11. There is no God else beside me a Just God and a Saviour Chap. 45. 21. And we both labour and suffer Reproach because we trust in the living God who is the Saviour of all men specially of those that believe 1 Tim. 4. 10. And how is God especially known to be the Saviour but in saing man from Sin Unrighteousness and all Guile I will mention the loving Kindness of the Lord c. For he said Surely they are my People Children that will not lye so he was their Saviour Isa. 63. 7 8. Now consider whether it be not grosly erroneous to suppose the holy Spirit oâ—… Deity cannot save or is so deficient distinct or in it self whereas though God was manifest in Flesh God was in Christ reconciling the World to himself the Divinity and human or earthly Nature were alwayes distinct and is not God omnipotent To the only wise God our Saviour be Glory and Majesty Dominion and Power now and ever Amen V. How the Light in Man is a Gift and H. G' s distinction between the Meritorious and instrumental Cause of Salvation examined H. G. ARt thou not able to distinguish between the Giver and the Gift between the Fountain and the Stream p. 7. Answ. Yes I do distinguish between the Giver and the Gift between the Fountain and the Stream between the Fulness and the receiving thereof Grace for Grace buâ—… while the Distinction between God and the Gift of his Spirit or between Christ and his Light within seems to be no more then between the Fountain and the Stream how grosly erroneous is it to conclude either that the Spirit cannot be Saviour or that the Light of Christ is not saving For that 's all one as to say that either the Stream is not the same Water with the Fountain or that the Stream cannot wash because not the Fountain or Fulness who in his right Wits will believe this H. G. But again it appears thou distinguishest not between the meritorious Cause of man's Salvation and the Instrumental the killing of the Sacrifice and the sprinkling of the Blood c. p. 7. 8. Answ. Where doth the Scripture make this Distinction or say that the killing of the Sacrifice which he must mean of Christ is the meritorious Cause of man's Salvation Such like blind distinctions are fit to darken Knowledge and blind Peoples Minds and how gross and unchristian is it to place such a Merit or Worth upon that murtherous Act of killing the Sacrifice if he mean Christ as his Discourse implies For though Christ Jesus by that inherent Holiness and original Righteousness and Grace of God in him offered and gave himself up to suffer and tasted Death for every Man yet the crucifying and killing him according to the Flesh was an Act of Murtherers and Persecutors who by wicked Hand put him to death so that the Dignity and Worth was in Christ and on his Part through all his Sufferings and not in the Act of killing him by wicked Hands nor on their Parts howbeit the Sufferings and Death of Christ were of great value with the Father and his Power did appear through all to the bruising the Serpents Head And if it be the Work of the Spirit to sanctifie and renew us is not this a saving Work And doth not this bring us to receive the Attonement and to enjoy Peace Who follow and obey this Spirit for a Reconciliation through the Death of Christ and being saved by his Life and so the Work of Christ in saving and redecming man from Iniquity and in making Attonement Peace and Union between God and Man however these be directly pointed at made way for by the Suffering and Death of Christ yet they were inwardly revealed effected and fulfilled by the Spirit or Life of Christ where the Word of Reconciliation is received in the Heart For Christ's Appearance and Suffering in the Flesh did really and directly point at those spiritual Ends which are for man's Eternal Advantage to be fulfilled by his Appearance in Spirit VI.
the true and living Knowledge of them not as if God or his Light were limitted to a Distinct or Remoteness of Place from them For then how were he either infinite or omni-present But as he was in the World and the World was made by him and the World knew him not so some are without God and know ye not how that Jesus Christ is in you except you be Reprobates But you know not either Jesus Christ or his Light in you who are blaspheming against his Light that is in every Man And having taken up the diabolical Conceit of having a Christ in every Man then followeth the next notorious damnable Heresie namely That Persons are to hear this their new conceited Christ viz. The Light within and so by this mears preach down the Authority of the Scriptures and so endâ—…avour to undermine the true Gospel-Faith and Practise of Gosâ—…el Appointments Answ. 1. If it be a diabolical Conceit that Christ is in some sence or degree in every man then your own Brethren are guilty thereof whose Concession is that his divine Nature is every where but I deny your Charge it being blasphemous 2. Your calling the Light within a conceited Christ and notorious damnable Heresie that persons are to hear the Light within This containes a two-fold blasphemy both against the divine Principle of Light and Doctrine directing to it for the Life which was in the Eternal Word is that Light of Men which we affirm they ought to turn to fear and obey or else they perish and so will you if you continue in your Darkness Envy and Blasphemy against the Light within 3. You grosly bely us in accusing us with preaching down the Authority of the Scriptures underminding the Gospel Faith and appointments in our preaching up the Light within for without the minding and following the Light within Men can neither truly understand the Scriptures nor come into the fulfilling of them nor acceptably practice the Lord's Requirings or Appointments in the Gospel and new Covenant And now comes into the true Gospel-Faith but they that obey and believe in the Light as Christ commanded when he said believe in the Light that you may be the Children of the Light you theresore who term this either damnable Heresie or a conceited Christ are guilty of damnable Doctrine against Christ's Doctrine and Light within Had you been in his Dayes its probable you would have joyned with the hypocritical Jews who persecuted Christ with your Bill of Excommunication against him and his Apostles By such a Scriptureless Notion as is Harken to the Light within which Saying is not only Scriptureless but against the Scriptures or the Way of God noted in the Scriptures of Truth Answ. You have said your worst against the Light within before shewing that you do not harken to the Light of Christ within but to your own Darkness within however that you may see your Ignorance be convinc'd that to harken to obey or believe in the Light within is neither against the Scriptures nor any Scriptureless Notion as you falsly call it See Joh. 1. 4. 9. Act. 26. 18. Joh. 12. 36. Psa. 56. 13. Job 25. 3. 1 Joh. 1. 7. Isa. 2. 5. 2 Cor. 4. 6. Rev. 21. 24. 1 Joh. 2. 9 10. For when Saul who afterwards was called Paul was converted the Lord did not say harken to the Light within thee but go to Ananias c. Nor when the Angel was sent to Cornelius did he Say Harken to the Light within but send for Peter c. Nor those that enquired of the Apostles what to do the Connsel was not Harken to the Light within but Repent and be Baptized Act. 2. Answ. How grosly silly and false is your arguing Assertion which is but Mat. Caffin's old Stufflong since answer'd for was not Paul converted to the Light within when he was sent to turn others from Darkness to Light and what was that that prict him before and could either hehave a Vision of Ananias or Ananias a Vision of him as praying or could he be filled with the holy Ghost as Ananias told him without respect to the Light within How could he receive the pouring forth or Gift of the holy Ghost without regarding the Light within And what is that in the Conscience which the Preaching of the Gospel is manifest unto And did not Peter preach him and his Name to whom all the Prophets gave Witness Act. 10. 43. And was not he that Light of the Gentiles promised And did not Peter bear witness to the Light shining in a dark Place 2 Pet. 1. 19. But your councel excludes the Light and is not to harken to it and yet exhort People to repent and be Baptized it seems then they must do both these in Darkness Oh Ignorant Men how do you lead silly Women Captive blinsdold and in darkness into your Water-Baptism you never knew the Nature of true Repentance nor the Spirit 's Baptism through which the Mind is changed from Darkness and Sin to Light and Righteousness And when the Man that came to Christ to know what to do to Inherit eternal Life Christ did not say Harken to the Light within Mar. 10. 17. Nor when Christ sent the Gospel to be preached to all Nations he did not say that such as harkened to a Light within should be saved but he that believed and should be baptized should be saved Mar. 16. 15. 16. Answ. This Argues still your continued Darkness that is to be felt Can men believe in herit eternal Life keep the Commands of God or be saved and yet continue in Darkness as you do who shut out the Light and divert Peoples Minds from it as much as in you lyes Besides you bely both Christ and the Apostles for they preached up the Light within As for your Water-Baptism it is not the saving Baptism as you Imply contrary to divers of your Brethren's Confessions and to Peter's Testimony 1 Pet. 3. 21. But you are for believeing and being baptized but not to harken to the Light within wherefore we deny your dark and dead Faith and your Night-Dipping for you are in the dark in all you do you are out of the Righteousness of Faith which directs man to the Word that is nigh even in the Heart to obey it and do it For his not only taking that Scriptureless Liberty to go to a People that he before knew to be a people who preach down the Way of Gospel Appointments but doth now himself plead for a Light within as that which he is to be guided by and not by the Scriptures to judge whether that be Light or Darkness within him Answ. 1. Your Charge of preaching down the Way of Gospel Appointments is false yet we deny that you have a Commission from Christ to Baptize or plunge People in Water 2. To be guided by the Light within is that you still boggle at but is this Matter worthy of Excommunication the
of Creation thrâ—…gh which his Light gives Men to consider and see God and his eternal Power Rom. 1. and to worship him And this Light and Works are and do preach forth the Power of God and his Wisdom where the Scriptures are not And therefore God affords a Sufficiency even to the Heathens both of Light inward and Evidence outward of his Power c. They that have the holy Scriptures in the Bible may thank God for those good Testimonies in them as his Light within opens their Understandings in them to the Right Use of them Aâ—…d they that have not the Bible have the Book of the Creation to read in and the Light within to open it and to read and understand a Deity and Divine Power through all and over all And they that are born Deaf and Blind shall not be therefore damned God having afforded an invisible sufficient Light to save being obeyed to leave them without excufe being disobeyed And if by the use of Reason the Spirit of God teacheth the Heathen moral Duties as in p. 54. which Duties as he explains are to love and worship God and to love our Neighbours as our selves then have the Heathen First A supernatural and Divine Light to wit that of the Spirit 2dly His Spirit with the Teaching and Reason of it in that degree it is in them is a Rule of Life to them that have not Scriptures who obey it And this confutes and overthrows the greater part of S. S. his Book or bundle of Confusion S. S. Most falsly obtruds upon R. Ludgater this Concession viz. That the Will of God as much of it as is revealed by the Light in every man without the help of Scripture is not the only Rule to Heaven p. 23. And this sayes S. S. fetcht out of the very Heart-Blood of Quakery Epist. This is a gross Abuse and Lye for R. L. hath a better Knowledge and Esteem of the Light of Christ in every man and its own Sufficiency to guide the Obedient to Heaven In him was Life the Life was the Light of Men Job 1. 4. This Life and Light of Christ being divine is therefore a sufficient Rule Also S. S. hath abused G. W. in several places perverting his Words and setting down words in G. W's Name which he never wrote nor spoak and in particular these words about Christ's Coming viz. He hath tarried above Sixteen Hundred Years p. 86. quoting Divin of Christ p. 49. and then to back this Abuse and to lay Judgment 〈◊〉 G. W. brings those Scriptures 2 Pet. 2. 3 4. and Mat. 4. 48. Whereas G. W's Words were quite contrary â—…nfessing both to Christ's Outward and Inward Coming which â—…is Disciples did not put afar off as you do it being above â—…ixteen Hundred Years since they both waited for and receiv'd â—…is Coming Here is no such Word as that He hath tarried so long we refer the Reader to the Book and Page before mentioned to see S. S's Abuse in this as also many more might be instanced where instead of answering he hath wronged and belyed our Words and Books S. S. in p. 32. saith though the Counsels of God's Spirit in Believers Hearts be IN themselves as certainly the Truth of God as are his Counsels in the Scriptures yet are they not to Believers so certainly the Truths of God Answ. What 's this but to tell us that the Scriptures can better ascertain us of the Truths therein then the Spirit that first gave forth those Truths or that the Spirit of Christ is Insufficient assuredly to manifest his own Counsels to Believers which is contrary to Christ's own Testimony He shall guide you into all Truth He shall abide with you forever and the Sons of God are led by his Spirit and hereby know we that we dwell in him and be in us because he hath given us of his Spirit 1 Joh. 4. 13. Chap. 3. 24. Therefore this Spirit is our certain and highest Rule And as to his pudder he makes about Water-Baptism 't is very confused and silly as at the Dispute not plainly asserting whom he would have the Subjects of it whether Infants or Believers yet brings some of the Anabaptists Arguments though we still suppose he intends Infants but durst not tell us whether it be his Practice now So see what a Laborynth and Loss his Work tends to bring People to neither plainly telling them the Subjects nor showing who are the Ministers of this imposed Water-Baptism whether himself or such as he or who and yet injoyns it as a Means of Sanctification a Means of Salvation which we do not believe As also he explains not his terms of the Lord's Supper what he means by the Lord's Supper whether the Shaddow or the Mystery and what is his own Practice therein whether he ministers Bread and Wine as a Figure or the Substance And whether the Mystery or thing signified be attained by any in this Life This is unanswer'd Nor whether Shaddows be essential to the Gospel Dispensation Concerning Justification He hath in some degree granted to truth that the word Justifie the Scripture sometimes useth it to signifie to make Just by inherent Holiness or to Sanctifie Tit. 3. 5 7. He saved us by the Washing of Regeneration that being justified c. Herein he hath assented more to Truth then many of his â—…rethren but 't is much contradicted again in his handling the matter of Imputation of Adam's Sin to those that are not Partakers of it and so of Christ's Obedience p. 96. As if Adam's Sin and Christ's Righteousness were so imputed to them who partake not of them This we cannot own and hath been often answered in our Books and much we have against this his Sense of Imputation as also against their Opinion about personal Election and Reprobation and the Cruelty Partiality and ill Consequence of the Presbyters Opinion therein And against S. S. his shallow and absurd managing the matter whose manifest Contradictions were long since published which we do not understand that he hath made any Publick Essay to reconcile also his work about the Scriptures Baptism and the Supper are more particularly and fully answered elsewhere which there hath not been for some time an oppoâ—…tunity to publish CHAP. II. About JUSTIFICATION and IMPUTATION S. S's Quest. WHether we are justified by the Righteousness of Christ imputed The Question would better reach the Controversie as thus stated viz. Whether Impure that is unsanctified Persons while 〈◊〉 be justified by the Imputation of Christ's Righteousness Thus I stated the Question at first which S. S. evaded with this viz. Whether Justification be by the Works of the Law 〈◊〉 by the Righteousness of Christ through Faith Noâ—…â—…enying the former and granting the latter this Question will not find out the Controversie but rather Whether Christ's Righteousness be imputed unto Persons in a disobedient unsanctisied or unconverted State Or Whether Christ's Righteousness be imputed of Coâ—… to Persons
tender Mercy can and doth afford Remission upon true Repentance and his Justice can pronounce him â—…nocent that is purged from the Nature Root of Sin washed from Iniquity Have Mercy upon me O God according to thy loving Kindness according to the multitude of thy tender Mercy blot out my Transgressions wash me throughly from mine Iniquity c. Psa 51. 1 2. They whose Transgressions are thus blotted ouâ—… who come thus to be washed and saved through the Washing of Regeneration such come thus to be justified by his Grace can be pronounced Innocent as being washed and sanctified and such have the Demand of a good Conscience And though Pardon and Justification look not back at the unconverted State with Severity but with Remission upon Conversion yet they require what God's Covenant doth afterward to the End of our Dayes that is not to live in Sin but in Christ's Righteousness The Grace or Favour of God teacheth us that denying Ungodliness and wordly Lusts that we should live godly and soberly in this present World Tit. 2. 12. To be invested with Christ's Everlasting Righteousness p. 93. is the very Thing I plead for and if in Reality the Man stood to this the Controversie would soon have an End And he further assents to Truth viz. If this Righteousness be not put on by Faith we are not invested with any Thing for which God should declare or pronounce us Righteous From whence observe That we must be invested with Christ's Everlasting Righteousness if God pronounce us Righteous Take Justification and Imputation in this Sense and then we differ not in this Matter but how well this agrees with imputing and reckoning Guilty Condemned Fallen Creature JUST or INNOCENT only on the Account of Christ's Sufferings and Death while such condemned Creatures are invested with Sin and Guilt and not with Christ's Everlasting Righteousness Will his telling us of Christ's Death imputed p. 97. make up the Matter 'T is true Christ is our Surety and that of the new Testament or Covenant 1st For that without him we can pay no Debt nor truly obey or fulfil the Terms thereof on our Parts but in and through him that strengthneth us 2dly Of the New Testament also in fulfilling the Promises belonging thereto for all the Promises of God are Yea and Amen in him David describes the Blessedness of the Man to whom God imputes Righteousness without Works saying Blessed is he whose Iniquity is forgiven But then S. S. is not pleased to take notice of but overlooks the following Words viz. Blessed is the Man unto whom the Lord imputeth not Iniquity and in whose Spirit there is NO GUILE See Psal. 32. 1 2. If it were only a Man thus qualified that the Imputation of Christ's Righteousness and Justification were pleaded for we should not have this Controversie but should agree That the Man in whose Spirit is NO GUILE is blessed He is the Man whom God pronounceth Just and Innocent his Transgression is forgiven his Sin is covered And though it is said God imputes Righteousness to him without Works yet 't is to be understood it is not without a sincere Obedience because that in his Spirit there is no Guile and then without what Works 1. Not without the Work of living Faith 2. Not without yielding true Subjection or Obedience unto God in his spiritual Requirings or Law of Faith for Abraham did not only believe God but by Faith yielded â—…o obey him Without what Works then but the Work of the Law of Works as wrought by the Flesh or stâ—…nly Jew by which no Flesh shall be justified I mentioned Câ—…rcumcision and others that were Types or Signs wherein the Righteousness of Faith doth not consist see Divin of Christ p. 64 65. in which this Point is opened and cleared But to this S. S. objects viz. He errs calling the Ceremonial Law a Law of Works in giving this the Lord gave a Law of Grace to his People p. 94. Rep. If the Ceremonial Law be not a Law of Works but a Law of Grace he should have been so Ingenuous as to have told us what the Law of Works is which the Apostle distinguisheth from the Law of Faith Rom. 3. 27. as he dâ—…th between justifying Faith and the Deeds of the Law as wrought and boasted in by the literal Jews And whether the Law of Works be some Law inferiour to that of Circumcision other Types But to shew S. S. his Error in denying the Ceremonial Law as he calls it to be the Law of Works let him consider that after the Apostle excludes Boasting not by the Law of Works and concludes a Man is justified by Faith without the Deeds of the Law he saith Is Hâ—… the God of the Jews only Is He not also of the Gentiles and that it is by Faith that God justifies both the Circumcision and the Uncircumciâ—…on and that Faith was reckoned to Abraham â—…or Righteousness not in Circumcision but in 〈◊〉 and that he received the Sign of Circumcision a Seal of the Righteousness of the Faith which he had yet being Uncircumcised that he might be the Father of all them that beâ—…ieve though they be not Circumcised c. See Rom. 3. 28 29. and Ch. 4. 10 11. Gal. 2. 16. and 3. 2 5. and 4. 10. And â—…urther If ye be circumcised Christ shall profit you nothing ch 5 2. From all which 't is plain 't is no Error to say the Law of Works as opposed to the Law of Faith is that enjoyning Circumcision and other Signs and Shadows these the Works which are not imputed unto Justification nay I shall further grant that all Man's Works or working whatsoever before a living Faith are neither available nor accountable unto his Justification with God and on the other Hand that a true and sanctifying Faith and believing in God from a Sence of his living Word or holy Command in the Heart is accounted for Righteousness to him that so believeâ—…h before he hath performed his actual Obedience even while in the Faith he is passively waiting upon God as being ceased to do Evil that he may receive Strength to act Good even while he is so believing and waiting and breathing to the Lord and saying draw me and I will come after thee lead me and I will follow give me Strength and I will walk in thy Wayes come let us walk in the Light of the Lord c. knowing that it is the Power of God that begets living Faith and thereby changes and sanctifieth the Mind unto a living and sincere Obedience and this Faith is the Giâ—…t of God a Fruit of his own Spirit and therefore accounted of by him and reckoned unto us I would not make the Scriptures speak that God imputes Works wrought by us without Works by us as S. S. falsly accuseth me p. 94. But rather that God imputes his own Works in us without any self-Works wrought by us and accepts us in the
Wicked who are Rebellious against him and reject his Grace by rebelling against his gracious Light and Spirit in them And also it was said unto Esau as 〈◊〉 the Wicked of his Posterity or the earthly Edonites and carnal envious Persecutors Shall I not saith the Lord even destroy the wise Men out of Edom and the Understanding out of the Mount of Esau Obed. 8. That every one of the Mount of Esau may be cut off ver 9. For the Violâ—…ce against thy Brother Jacob Shame shall cover thee and thou shalt be cut off forever ver 10. Thou shouldst not have looked on the Day of thy Brother c. neither shouldst thou have spoken proudly in the Day of Distress See ver 12 13 14. to the End Are not here plain Causes shâ—…wn why God hated Esau Arg. 6. God knows his Elect from others and this not only after but before they are called 2 Tim. 2. 19. The Foundation of God standeth sure The Lord knoweth who are his Joh. 13. 18. I know whom I have chosen Joh. 10. 14. I am the good Shepherd I know my Sheep ver 16. Other Sheep I have that are not of this Fold them also I must bring and they shall hear my Voice Therefore are they particular Persons These and not others that the Lord hath chosen Joh. 6. 37. All that the Father giveth me shall come to me Answ. This Argument signifies nothing at all sor his Purpose nor would it help him one whit if it were all granted for who questions God's Omnisciency God knows all alike considered meerly as Persons but in a near peculiar Relation to himself he knows his Elect he knows who are his Christ knows them both Men and Women whom he hath chosen out of the World and he saith I am the good Shepherd and know my Sheep and am known of mine Joh. 10. 16. But these latter Words and I am known of mine S. S. is pleased to leave out and quietly to pass by for that Christ is known of his Elect his Sheep but surely he could not be known of them before they were born or had a Being and as for those other Sheep which are not of this Fold which Christ foretold the Gathering or bringing home of they were such as had a Remainder of Innocency in whom Jacob was not wholy destroyed through Rebellion and Wickedness but such as had been seeking Rest where they could not find it but when the Truth and Way of Life came to be manifest to them they were ready to receive and comply with it and hear the good Shepherd's Voice and obey him There were such lost Sheep both among Jews and Gentiles who when the good Shepherd appeared were so well disposed as willing and ready to come to him receive and follow him and obey his Voice which were distinguished from the Murtherers of the Just one in themselves who were Wolves and Persecutors of Christ his Witnesses as he the good Shepherd was distinguished from the Hireling that fleeth Joh. 10. 13 14. And they that come to Christ out of a true Hunger and Desire after him as the Bread of Life are those whom the Father hath given to him who come to him in that which is given to him of which he looseth nothing but will raise it up at the last Day Joh. 6. 37 39. And they whom the Father giveth to the Son are given in a true Desire Willingness and Love in themselves to the Truth to follow obey Christ the Father's Drawings not being resisted by them but having an Influence and Prevalency with them and upon their Spirits for that End as he said Every man that hath heard and learned of the Father cometh unto me Joh. 6. 45. so the Father's Teaching or Instruction was the Way of his drawing to the Son and this was not a Forceing them whether they will'd or nill'd to the Son but a gentle Perswading them to hear and learn of God in his Light that thereby they might come and in a sence of his Love therein be given to the Son Arg. 7. This appears from the very Nature of Election for sect 5 where all are taken or all are left there can be no Election Answ. Election rightly considered and truly stated according to Scripture I never questioned the Nature of which as is by this Opposer implied here is a being chosen out of or from imong and so the Elect or true Believers are chosen out of the World from among Men chosen out of Kindreds Nations and People as the Royal Offspring and Priesthood of Christ But what proves this of a Personal Election and Reprobation particularly decreed and designed from all Eternity But still the quite contrary far from the Nature of Election or chusing a Church or People out of the World or from among Men and that through the Sanctification of the Spirit and Belief of that Truth it follows that they were first in the World in the Unbelief and scattered among Men and People before this Act of Election or chusing out was fulfilled in them He hath chosen us that we should be Holy and wâ—…thout Blame that we might partake of Salvation by Jesus Christ Ephes. 14. 1 Thes. 5. 9. and those thus choâ—…en for this end were the Saints the Faithful in Christ Jesus Ephes. 1. 1. who first trusted in Christ ver 12. who alter they believed were sealed with the holy Spirit of Promise ver 13. their Faith was in the Lord Jesus and Love unto all Saiâ—…ts ver 15. who believed according to the working of his mighty Power ver 19. Aâ—…d that thâ—… Estaâ—…e might be attained Faith is offered to all the Power of Believing is given in the free Grace and Giâ—…t of God's eternal Spirit and universal Light of his Son It beiâ—…g the World's Sin that they do not believe in Christ of which the Spirit reproves them sor which they would not be chargeable or reproved if he had not afforded them Light and Power sufficient â—…or them to believe and obey Christ. S. S. Jacob have I Loved and Esau have I hated Though these last Worâ—…s were spoken when Esau's Posterity was the Border of Wickedness Mal. 1. yet what ever G. W. saith were they spoken to 〈◊〉 the free Choice that God long before had made os Jacob and his 〈◊〉 pag. 112. Answ. As he intends Jacob after the Flesh and so his Seed who was called by the Name of Israel this is still grounded upon his Mistake and doth not at all make for his Opinion but against him For though I grant a free Love to and Choice of Israel so of the Seed of Jacob as a peculiar People yet this did not secure them as to their eternal States without their Perseverance in the Way of God Neither was the Seed of Jacob as after the Flesh under an absolute Decree of Election to Eternal Life that being known only in the Seed after the Spirit for the contrary was and is manifest
of Condemnation both to Angels and Men to be their Sin in forsaking the Lord and living Ungodly But whereas S. S. renders God's fore-knowledge of all his Works as the Reason or Proof That he from eternity decreed particular Angels and Men for Destruction which appears Contradictory to his Masters of the Assemblies confessing viz. That God hath not decreed any thing because he foresaw it as future Confess Chap. 3 This Proof is as impertinent as the rest of his shallow Arguments for his fore-Knowledge being infinite it is no Proof that he hath absolutely decreed or ordained all things that come to pass because he foresaw all for he hath not ordained that Men should live in Sin though he hath designed their Punishment who do so live yet known unto the Lord are all his Work 's both those of his Creation which he wrought according to his absolute Pleasure both in Heaven and in Earth and in the Sea c. Psal. 135. 6. and Man was not capable of resisting his Maker in forming of him he was as the Clay in his Hand as also the Lord foreknew his work of Sanctification and saving of man from Sin and Death but this is not effected without a Subjection to his Will and a Compliance with his Spirit and Power in his Work within They are not Partakers of Salvation from Sin who wilfully gain-say the Truth resist the holy Ghost and act Despite against the Spirit of Grace But further I find S. S. so uncertain in the Management of his partial Proposition for a personal Election and Reprobation that he is made sometimes to grant and confess to Truth to his own absolute Confutation and the Break neck of his graceless Cause As by his Confessing That God hath no Pleasure in the Death of him that dieth considered barely as his Creature for he is willing to receive to Mercy every returning Sinner yet if a Person perseveres in Wickedness as such God will laugh at his Calamity c. Thus far S. S. From whence it follows 1st That God did not from Eternity decree the Damnation of particular Persons contrary to his declared Pleasure 2dly That persevering in Wickedness is the Cause of Men's Calamity 3dly Aâ—…d their Perversness and Obstinacy in rejecting Wisdom's Reproof and Counsel the Cause that God will laugh at their Calamity and mock when their Fear cometh Now the Doctrine of Election and Reprobation as universally sect 11 and equally laid down in the Scriptures of Truth and as accordingly by us asserted for that there can be no Repugnancy either in God's Actions or in his Will whether secret or revealed as some vainly imagin cannot be inconsistent with God's Prohibitions Eat not of the Tree of Knowledge His conditional Promises If thou dost well shalt thou not be accepted If you Seek the Lord he will be found of you Whosoever believeth shall not perish shall not abide in Darkness His conditional Threats If thy Heart turn away thou shalt Perish If ye for sake him he will for sake you His sending his Son into the World not to Condemn the World He should have added Christ's Dying for all Men tasting death for every Man his giving his Spirit to instruct them His Setting Life and Death before them in the Promises and in the Threats or giving Men up to their Lusts for Sin This cannot be inconsistent with God's Election or Choice of true Believers and Obedient nor with his rejecting the Rebellious unto Reprobation for they evince the Truth thereof But the Presbyters partial Doctrine of Election and Reprobation of particular Persons and certain definite number of Men and Angels and their most grosly Asserting that God from all Eternity did freely and unchangeably ordain whatsoever comes to pass This is both inconsistent with those and such his Prohibitions conditional Promises and Threats His sending his Son not to condemn the World but that the World through him might be saved his dying for all Men his giving his good Spirit to the Disobedient to instruct them his setting Life and Death before them to chuse Life or perish Deut. 30. 15. to the end but Alas if from Eternity God had reprobated them or absolutely ordained and designed their Damnation and Curse how should they Chuse Life or Blessing Or if particularly unchangeably ordained to Life and Salvation from all Eternity Could there be any such Danger of their perishing or that they should thus need to be threatned with Cursing and Perishing if their Heart turned away from the Lord For had they been unchangeably designed of God for the one End whether Life or Death were it not very inconsistent to propose both conditionally to them as namely to exhort them to chuse Life or if they refused to threaten them with perishing c. do not you partial-minded Presbyters and Calvinists by such kind of Preaching and Propositions so contrary to your partial Principle most grosly dissemble with People and mock them contrary to your own Belief whenas Moses the Prophets and Apostles in such like Conditional Promises and Threats believed what they spoak they believed and therefore spoak from the Spirit of God which cannot lie nor dissemble If you say God hath decreed particular Persons Salvation by such Warnings you thereby tell us that he hath decreed it by Threatning them with Damnation and thereby you affix your non-sense incongruous Doctrine upon God rather then you will confess your own nonsensical Contradiction therein which runs thus That God hath from all Eternity unchangeably designed some Persons eternal Salvation and yet that he warns and threatens the same Persons with eternal Damnation or Perdition if they refuse Life or to â—…earken to him and obey him or if their Hearts turn away from him pray mark how inconsistent and contradictory this is like as to say It is unchangeably designed of God that you must live for ever yet take heed you do not dye eternally And to S. S. his adding All these are subservient to the Soveraign Design of God's Decrees The Magnifying his Mercy and Grace in the Salvation of all the Elect his Justice or Wrath in the Reprobates c. pag. 115. Ans. If by the Words All these as we may take him he intends according to the Assembly's Confession That God from all Eternity did most freely and unchangeably ordain whatsoever comes to pass then it may be understood that all these things those Conditions or States both Good and Bad which he mentions before are subservient to the soveraign Design of God's Decrees as he words it But if by all these he intends all these conditional Promises and Threats are so subservient as I think he doth then God's Decrees of Men Salvation or Damnation are also conditional accordingly as first If you seek the Lord he will be found of you and then as all are called to seek the Lord he hath also given Liberty and a Capacity to all to seek him that they may
terms of his Covenant and Promise on his part I Would ask our Opposer who reckons it not a falling from Grace for those he counts Elect Persons as David and his Children with others of his own Opinion now to sall into the Guilt of Adultery and Murther c. whether or no did not his Son Solomon fall from Grace when he loved the outlandish Women so as they turned away his Heart aster other God's 1 Kings 11. Did he stand in the Covenant of Grace or in God's Favour all this time Was not the Lord angrv with him See ver 10 11 12. And surther that of Psal. 89. Concerning David his Seed and Throne it extends further then meerly a literal Relation of him and his Seed according to the Flesh for David is beloved I have sound David my Servant with my holy Oyl have I anointed him ver 20. his Seed also will I make to endure for ever and his Throne as the dayes of Heaven ver 29. his Seed shall endure forever and his Throne as the Sun before me ver 36. Herein David was truly a Type of Christ the Anointed of God to whom these Promises relate which were typified in David as also that saying I will make him my First-bâ—…rn higher tâ—…en the Kings of the Earth ver 27. This is a Mystery beyond a meer Literal Acceptation and I may say in this as the Apostle said in his Instance of Abraham and his Seed That as they that were of Faith were of Abraham and his Children so they that are spiritually anointed of God and his Beloved Children and Faithful Servants are of David's Seed even such who incline their Ear to God and obey his Voyce for it is written Hearken diligently unto me and eat ye that which is Good and let your Soul delight it self in Fatness Incline your Ear and come unto me hear and your Soul shall live and I will make an Everlasting Covenant with you even the sure Mercies of David Isa. 55. 2 3. A POSTSCRIPT about the Will of God Election and Reprobation Concerning the Will of God in its Manifestation both 1st as unresistable â—…dly as resistable sect 1 FIrst On what Considerations it may be said to be unresistable shewing forth the Might of his Power as 1. In bringing forth the Works of Creation Whatsoever he pleased that did he Psal. 135. 6. 2. In fore-ordaining his Son to be set forth in him to tender Grace and Salvation in due time to Mankind Who could hinder his first Ordination though many reject the Tenders 3. In extending his Light and Power universally to the final Conviction of Impenitent Evil-doers for their Rebellion which Light and Power unavoidably at times seizes upon their Consciences reproving and convicting them while they have a Day and though they may shun being reformed thereby yet they cannot alwayes avoid the Torment and Trouble thereof in themselves That God may shew himself clear when he Judgeth 4. In bringing and executing his Judgments and Wrath as he sees Cause upon the Wicked and Rebellious who are finally Impenitent By all which God hath manifested his Power or Soveraignity which on these Considerations hath irresistably shewed it self for the fulfilling his Righteous Will so far as it hath absolutely extended it self from an Intention or Design of God to shew forth his Wisdom Justice and the Greatness or Might of his Power without the Creature Complyance as 1. God's Work of Creation 2. His Fore-ordination to bring forth his Son into the World c. 3. His Power in finally Convicting Rebellious Sinners 4. The Execution of his Judgments upon the Rebellious In all these who shall say to God What doest thou Who shall let what he will do so far as his Will inevitably and unresistably hath acted or doth act in any thing without Man's Complyance as it was in Making Man in Convicting and Condemning the Rebellious and Stubborn But Secondly The Will and Power of God as condescending and reaching gradually to the Creature 's Capacity it is possible â—…or Men to resist the Manifestation thereof to their own Condemnation As the Will of God is manifest in a Way of Friendship and Kindness to Mankind as 1. In a way of Counsel Commands Instructions Invitations Perswasions and gentle Reproofs which have a tendence to draw Men out of Sin and 2. In his Patience and long Suffering towards them waiting to be gratious desiring their Return striving with them by his Spirit Thus his Will is That all should know the Truth and be saved 1 Tim. 2. 4. 2 Pet. 3. 9. But Mens Conversion and Salvation is not wrought without their Subjection Obedience and Complyance with the Spirit and Power of God co-operating by Faith Reprobation What it is A Reproving Disallowing Rejecting sect 2 Reprobate is Wicked Base Dishonest Corrupt so as to be cast out of God s Favour c. And the Cause of Persons being given over to a Reprobate Mind is their Rebellion against Light given them their rejecting the Knowledge of God till their Minds became so reprobate or corrupt as to be void of true Sence and Judgment Rom. 1. As they who wâ—…re called Reprobate Silver or as corrupt drossy false Coyn were rejected of the Lord Jerem. 6. 30. The Word Election explained Election is Choice which respects both sect 3 I. The chusing of some from amongst many as Christ said to his Followers I have chosen you out of the World Joh. 15. 19. II. The Excellency or Choiceness of that which is chosen And this relates First To Christ the Elect Seed of whom it is said Behold my Servant mine Elect in whom my Soul delighteth Isa. 42. 1. And He is also called a chief Corner-Stone Elect Pretious 1 Pet. 2. 6. Secondly To the true Church or Elect People who being chosen through Sanctification of the Spirit and Belief of the Truth are the faithful Followers of Christ these are choice and pretious in God's Sight and therefore are called the Elect of God Holy and Beloved Col. 3. 12. a chosen Generation a Royal Priesthood an Holy Nation a peculiar People c. 1 Pet. 2. 9. They that are with the Lamb are Called Chosen and Faithful Rev. 17. 14. the Pretious Sons of Sion comparable to fine Gold Lam. 4. 2. This God's Election or Choice of his Church or People is gradually manifest and experienced in them as 1st When they have known the Work of God by his Grace begun it them unto their Separation from the World through a Decree of Faith and Sanctification are called Elect that is as chosen out of the World or from among Men being more peculiar to God then others while yet they are not perfectly grown and established in the Truth as Israel of old was Elect and Jerusalem chosen before their Estrangement from God Esa. 44. 1. 1 Kings 11. 13. Paul was a Chosen Vessel when first he had received and obeyed the heavenly Vision and Call Acts 9. 15. and Chap. 26. 19.
Who notwithstanding after that said I keep my Body under and bring it into Subjection left that by any means when I have preached to others I my self should be a Cast away 1 Cor. 9. 27. and those whom the Apostle Peter in his first Epistle calls Elect in his second Epistle he exhorts to give all Dâ—…ligence to make their Calling and Election sure that so they might never fall 2 Peter 1. 10. Exhorting or warning them from divers Examples of them that fell from Grace denyed the Lord that bought them backslid and became Enemies Chap. 2. throughout And this second Epistle was to stir up their pure minds Chap. 3. 1. 2dly Election in the heighth or perfection of it as attained to in the full Growth of the Elect Seed and Establishment of the Children of Light in and by the Grace of God through Diligence and Faithfulness on their parts this admits not of being deceived nor of falling nor of backsliding as Christ intimates an Impossibility that the very Elect should be deceived Mat. 24. 24. And they who through Diligence have made their Calling and Election sure shall never fall 2 Pet. 1. 10. being grown up in the Life Nature aâ—…d Image of the Elect Seed which the Prince of the World hath nothing in Oh! All you in whom there yet remains a Sincerity and Breathing after the Lord labour in the Light of Christ by the Assistance of his Grace in you to make your Calling and Election sure in this Elect Seed and none conceit your selves secure out of it For God's Fore-knowledge and Fore-appointment of his People sect 4 unto Life and Glory is in this his own Seed in this they are known of him related to him in this chosen of him and Choice to him and in his sight as his peculiar Treasure in this he did fore-know and doth predestinate or appoint them to be conformed to the Image of his Son that he might be the First-Born in many Brethren Rom. 8. 29. yea and the sanctified Children of believing Parents Their Growth and Security was to be in this Elect Seed of Life or otherwise they might degenerate as Israel of old did after they were planted of a Noble Vine and an holy right Seed If it should be said that this of Rom. 8. intimates some special Fore-knowledge and Purpose of God concerning these many Brethren thus Conformed as unto Witnesses chosen before of God Christ s Resurrection was manifest for them to preach Act. 10. 40 41. To this I say Grant it doth We confess both God's Fore-sight and Fore-knowledge of his own and deny not his Omnisciencâ—… nor limit his Power or Omnipotency from shewing forth it self both how after what manner at what time and in whom soever he pleaseth as sometimes he doth miraculously upon Eminent Occasions and for peculiar Works Ends and special Services as is that of true Prophets Apostles Ministers of Righteousness or those many Brethren unto whom in their Day Christ was first manifest and in whom he was first revealed formed and born who in their Day were first raised up to witness forth his Power as the Prophet Jeremiah was sanctified before he came forth of the Womb for his peculiar Service as an Eminent Prophet and John was filled with the holy Ghost from his Mothers Womb that he might be a Witness to the Messiah and Paul was miraculously stopt from Persecution by a Heavenly Vision which he obeyed and was called into the Work of a Faithful Apostle God having separated him from his Mothers Womb and called him by his Grace to shew forth his Universal Kindness and Love to others to turn People from Darkness to the Light and many other Instances might be shewn of God's taking particular notice of his Witnesses and Servants for peculiar Services yet the Growth standing and Security of all was by Faith and Obedience in the Power of God who though in their Age and Times were as the first and so Choice Fruits to God yet this neither hinders his second Fruits but rather to further them and his Work so as his Name might be the more spread Nor do these Instances prove any Limitation of God's universal Love in Christ as only to a few Nor frustrate the free extent of his Grace nor yet hinder Salvation from being common in the Freeness and free Tenders of it to Mankind CHAP. VI. Whether PERFECTION that is a State sreed from all Sin be attainable in this Life Let the Reader observe the State of the Question which is not Whether the Saints had Failings or upon extream Tryals might not be tempted into Impatiency but Whether such a State of Perfection be attainable in this Life which we affirm Attainable chiefly because of the Aid and Assistance of God's Power afforded unto them who wait upon him and trust in his Name and Power for Greater is He that is in us then he that is in the World Christ is stronger then the Devil therefore the Devil is not an invincible Enemy and we can do all things through Christ that strengthneth us 2. A Sinless State is attainable by true Believers because God hath commanded it who doth not command Impossibilities to Abraham and his Seed and said I am God Almighty walk before me and be thou perfect Sin not Be ye perfect aâ—… y ur hâ—…avenly Father is perfect 3. Because he hath promised it to his peculiar People Thy People shall be aâ—…l Righteous they shall do no Iniquity that trust in the Name of the Lord Christ shall thorowly Purge his Floor 4. Christ's Work and Ministry is to destroy the Work of the Devil to present men perfect to bring them to a perfect man in him to subject every Thought unto his Obedience c. Therefore to affirm the contrary or that a State free from all Sin is not attainable in this Life is to oppose the all-Sufficiency of God's Almighty Power and tâ—… set the Devil's Power above it as also to oppose the Ends of God's Command Promise the Work of Christ and his Ministry which to oppose or render frustratious by pleading or arguing for Sins Continuance in this Life is Impious and Antichristian And how far this Opposer is herein concerned will further appear Whereas he puts two differing Senses on the word Perfection viz. a State free from all Sin as that of the Spirits of Just men Heb. 12. 23. And yet that it doth not alwayes sigâ—…ifie free from all Sin c. I ask then What Christ maketh true Believers perfect in Is it in any thing consistent with Sin or in himself in whom is no Sin whom he that abideth in sinneth not I cannot understand that Perfection as it is the Effect of Christ's Work in true Believers can admit of the Continuance of Sin all their Dayes while it signifies both the Reality and Compleatness of his Works His Instance for Pâ—…rfection not free from all Sin is Job 1. 1. Job was a Perfect man yet not without Sin
Lucid they namely the Bodies of the Angels are with which the best of them are invested as truly that of Exod. 3. 2. Acts 7. 30. which answers well to that of Hebr. 1. 7. The Bodies of the more Glorious Angels are Igneous and Lacid That also is a remarkable Example of the Lucidity of the Bodies of Angels which we have Acts 12. where while Peter was sleeping betwixt two Souldiers in the Prison bound in Chains the Angel of the Lord is said to come upon him and a Light to shine in the Prison c. I will add one Instance more which is Dan. 10. 5. where the Angel that instructed Daniel is thus described Then I lifted up mine Eyes and looked and behold a certain Man cloathed in Linnen whose Loins were girded with fine Gold of Ophaz his Body was also like Beryl and his Face as the Appearance of Lightening and his Eyes as Lamps of Fire c. This Appearance certainly of this Angelical Shape is Fiery Lucid and Glorious It is manifest that they are very Luminous and Glorious Whoever is invested with such a Body as is reserved for the Sons of the Resurrection will be if he please to shew himself thus Lucid and Glorious of which I shall want no more Examples then that one of our Saviour Christ's Body for all ours at the Resurrection are to be made like to his Glorious Body and how Lucid and Angelical his Body was after his Ascension into Heaven may appear from Apocal. 1. 13. where one like unto the Son of Man is said to be cloathed with a Garment down to the Foot and girt about the Paps with a Colden Girdle his Head and his Fair to be white like Wool as white as Snow that his Eyes as a Flame of Fire and his Feet like unto fine Brass as if they were burning in a Furnace and his Voice as the Sound of many VVaters a sharp Two-edged Sword came out of his Mouth and his Countenance was as the Sun shining in his strength This Body I think is sufficiently Lucid and expresly and almost exactly conformable to that of the Angel which appeared to Daniel as any one may observe that listeth to compare them The like Appearance of our Saviour seâ—…meth to be also Apocal. 10. where an Angel is said to be cloathed with a Cloud with a Rain-Bow on his Head and his Face to be as the Sun c. I will add his Appearing to an out of the Heavens as he was going to Damascus Acts 9. that suddenly there shined round about him a Light from Heaven c. above the Brightness of the Sun Chap. 22. 6. 26. 13. Which again doth not only assure the Reality but the exceeding great Splendor of the Corporeal Presence of Christ which is also agreeable to that in Apocal. And his Countenance was as the Sun shining in his Strength Out of all which I hope it is plain enough that as our Saviour hath said That the Sons of the Resurrection do become iâ—…so facto Angels in Condition as well for the Splendour and Constitution of their Body as their Immortality The Body of our Saviour after his Refurrection being so accurately answerable in Light and Glory to the most illustrious Appearances of Angels in either the Old or New Testament and this alone one would think might be sufficient to assure us of the Lucidity or Luminosity of the Body of Christ as also of all our Resurrection-Bodies For the Spirituality of this Body see 1 Cor. 15. 44. It is sown a natural Body it is raised a spiritual Body there is a natural Body and there is a spiritual Body c. I think it is most reasonable to understand the Resurrection-Body to be called Spiritual not for that it is actuated by a Spirit for the Soul is a Spirit that actuates the natural Body but for that the Body it self is become spiritual which I must confess Calvin seems abhorrent from but meerly out of his Ignorance in Philosophy for he reprehends those qui substantiam corporis putant fore spiritualem c. Calvin seems to be afraid of the Opinion of the Body being spiritual as implying a substantial Change c. There is not any Inconvenience to admit that the Resurrectionâ—… Body is a spiritual Body that is to say that the Contexture of it is of more subtil Parts then those that constitute the Earthly Bodies pag. 498. And so he distinguishes between that Terrestrial Statue or Body that Adam had and the Spiritual Bodies of those that are made conformable to the last Adam and to his Glorious Condition Such as are not of a stupid and Statue-like Condition of themselves but of such a Nature as hath an Activity in it self and doth most wonderfully contribute to the most lively and most divine and enlarged vitall Operations of the Soul â—… In this Manner hath he gâ—…ven his Distinction upon the Words It is sown a Natural or Animal Body it is raised a Spiritual Body The Resurrection Body is Heavenly or Celestial as the first Man is of the Earth Earthly the second Man is the Lord from Heaven as is the Earthly such are they that are Earthly and as is the Heavenly such are they also that are Heavenly and as we have born the Image of the Earthly we shall also bear the Image of the Heavenly And then it follows But this I must tell you Brethren That Flesh and Blood cannot inherit the Kingdom of God not that they shall only have Heavenly Bodies in a moral Sense or spiritual Meaning Bodies in which they shall be Heavenly-minded For such Slips as these and dilute Sences are very Dangerous c. but that they shall have an Heavenly Body in that Sense that Adam had an Earthly which was not called an Earthly Body for that he was Earthly-minded in it but because his Body was of an Earthly Substance Really and Physically Heavenly not only Morally we shall be such in our Corporeal Constitution as our Celestial Lord is in his we shall bear his Image of Heavenly Glory and Brightness not only in a Moral but Natural Sense nor can I imagine how Interpreters could be carried so forcibly off from so obvious and true a Sense had it not been by reason of some false Pre-conceptions in Philosophy that had corrupted their Minds and perverted their Judgments namely the Hypothesis of Ptoloâ—…e and Aristotle By an Heavenly Body I would understand an Angelical Body That the Heavens are fluid according to the most ancient and divinest Philosophy as the very Notation of the Hebrew word intimates Our Resurrection-Bodies will be furnished with the Seeds and Principles of Light and Splendour and be more Beautiful and more full of Lustre and Glory then the Heavenly Matter it self as that part of the Earth which becomes an humane Body is more precious and beautiful then the Earth it self before it be modified into a Frame fit for the Functions of Life So that whether we
Neighbour as thy self I am the Lord Levit. 19. 18. Finally Brethren whatsoever things are True whatsoever things are Honest Just Pure Lovely and of Good Report think on these things Phil. 4. 8. Stob. 28. * That 's more then Tho. Hicks seems to do Liv'd at the same time Laert. Lib. 1. c. 3. * Reader this Reflection was not without Light nor this Man void of a very Tender Conscience The Gentiles who had not a Law became a Law unto themselves doing the Things contained in the Law their Consciences bearing Witness and their Thoughts the mean while Accusing or Excusing Rom. 2. 14 15. To Depart from Iniquity is a good Understanding Job 28. 28. And the Hypocrites Hope shall Perish Job 8. 13. Why do you not rather take Wrong 1 Cor. 6. 7. Stob. 28. Reader these weighty Sayings are very Scripture it self and that as well of the New as Old Testament so called especially where Christ saith SWEAR NOT AT ALL though spoke about 700 years before he came into the World * As Tho. Hicks John Bunion J. Grigg and other Railing â—…eparatists do the Quakers * Which T. Hicks can't do neither to his Wife Family at home nor his Friends much less other People abroad Stob. Serm. 80. Jamblich Let us hear the Conclusion of the whole Matter Fear God and keep his Commandments for this is the whole Duty of Man Eccles. 12. 13. Pure Religion and Undefiled is to keep himself Unspotted from the World Jam. 1. 27. In this sense I fear we may say that Thomas Hicks has no Light in him Who when he was Reviled Reviled not again 1 Pet. 2. 23. Laert. Plat. Phaed. The Fear of the Lord is the Beginning of Wisdom Psalm 111. 10. He that will deny himself let him take up his Cross and follow me Luk. 9. 23. Xen. Mem. 3. p. 780. Clem. Alex. Strom. L. 5. Stob. 218. Reader These sententious Expressions to have every one of them a Scripture would be tedious and superfluous for they are almost Word for Word Scripture it self as who knoweth Scripture may plainly see Xen. Mem. 4. p. 803. Id. Mem. 1. 722. 4. 804. Id. Mem. 3. So saith Christ Mat. 7. 2. 62. 7. Ibid. Apolog. Libanius saith Socrates considered The Pure in Heart shall see God Mat. 5. 8. Clem. Alex. Str. 2. 417. Laert. Stob. 46. The Fruit of the Spirit is Peace Gal. 5. 22. Acts 24. 16. But Godliness with Content is great Gain 1 Tim. 6. 6. Stob. 48. Stob. 114. This answers T. Hicks's Challenge about the Light 's showing that State if Christ had not said so Liban Ap p. 644. Nothing they could do was able to draw him out of his Endeavours to detect the loose Comedians that sought therefore his Ruin 1 Pet. 3. 14. * The word Philosophy hath been otherwise appropriated since those days as many other words have been for it then signified a Love of Wisdom given by Pythagoras which Wisdom was the Way of Holy Living not Vain and Untoward Contests about Inpracticable Things Laert. Suid. in vit Antish Ye are an Holy Nation a Royal Priesthood 1 Pet. 2. 9. And you shall be Kings and Raign c. Rev. 1. 6. Blessed are they who hear the Word of God and keep it Luke 11. 28. Where is the Wise where is the Scribe where is the Disputer of this World 1 Cor. 1. 20. Put on the Brest Plate of Righteousness Eph. 6 14. Stob. The Just shall live by Faith Hab. 24. Without Holiness no man shall see the Lord Heb. 12. 14. They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their Strength Isa. 40. 31. The Secrets of the Lord are with them that fear him Psal. 25. 14. Valer. Max. 2. 10. Cic. pro Bal. Laert. Mat. 5. 34. Cic. de Fin. 2. Rom. 2. 14 15. Laert. Ibid. Stob. The Fear of the Lord is the Beginning of Wisdom Job 28. 28. Laert. The Rulers take Counsel together against the Lord Psal. 2. 2. Stob. The Wisdom which is from above is first Pure then Peaceable Jam. 3. 17. Laert. Id. Psal. 111. 9 10. Cic. Parad. Stob. Id. Theatr. cap. 3. 10. Be ye Holy for I the Lord your God am Holy Levit. 11. 44 45. Plut. plac 4. 7. Stob. Phys. Rev. 20. 12 13 14. Chap. 21. 7 8. Plat. phaed. 2 Cor. 5 8. * Ad Amph. Clem. Alex. Strom. l. 3. 2 Cor. 5. 8. Philip. 1. 21. Plat. Phaed. Eccles. 12. 7. Idem The Sheep on the Right Hand and the Goâ—…tes on the Lest Mat. 25. 31 32 33. 1 Cor. 15. 28 29 30 31. Observe Socrates his Distinction betwixt being Dead Departed Acts 7. 60. H. Mor. Des. Phil. Cab. c. 3. Revel Rev. 22. 5. See Const. Orat. in Eus. Isa. 2. 2 3 4 5. Isa. 7. vers 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25. Chap. 9 10. 1 John 4. 5 6. Chap. 11. 6 7 8 9 10 11. Jer. 23. Isa. 1. 12 13 14 15. Ezek. 18. 31 32. Objection Mat. 5. 27. 28. Joh. 8. 56 57 58. Helv. Chron. Rom. 5. 9. Gal. 3. 16. Joh. 14. 17. Hos. 13. 4. Hebr. 10. John 6. 51 52. 53 54 62 63. Rom. 3. 25. Ephes 1. 7. Hebr. 9. 14. Rom. 3 25. Hebr. 10. 5 7. 2 Cor. 3. 18. Joh. 1. 9. Joh. 1. 1 2 3 4 9. See Dial. pag. 3. 4. See Origen Chrysostom Greg Erasm Drus. Zeger Cam. Grot. B. Sand. Dr. Ham. John 〈◊〉 Dial. pag. 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 5. Rom. 〈◊〉 Jam. 5. 6. 1 John 2. 15. 16. 1. Pet. 1. 18. Ephes. 5. 1 Joh. 1. 5 6. Jam. 3. 1 2 3. T. Jenner T. Tayler J. Faldo T. Hicks H. Grigg c. Mat. 11. 27. 1 Cor. 2. 11. Ephes. 5. 13. Rom. 1. 19. Mic. 5. 8. Jren. l. 2. c. 30. Tertul. con Jud. p. 184. Quakerism a new nickname for old Christianity p. 54. 55. Rom. 2. 14 15. Justin Martyr saith That all are Christians who live with Christ as Abraham and Elias and amongst the Greeks as Sâ—…crates Hâ—…raclitus c. See Scultâ—…tus on him â—…ho also saith That some at this day are of his Judgment who have taught that Melchizedecâ—… Abimelâ—…ch Ruth Rachab the Queen of Sheba Hiram of Tyre Naaman tâ—…e Syrian and the City oâ—… Ninive are in the Catalogue of Christians Eusebius Pamph. in his Ecclesiastical History saith That Abraham and the ancient Fathers were Christians And defines a Christian to be one that by the Knowledge and Doctrine of Christ â—…xcels in Moderation of Mind in Righteousness and Continency of Life and Strength of Vertue Godliness towards one only God see Scultetus on him Clemens Alexandrinus saith The Law of Nature and of Discipline is one And Moses seems to call the Lord the Covenant For he had said before the Covenant was not to be sought in Scripture for that is the Covenant which God the Cause of all setteth whence his Name in Greek is derived And in the Preaching of Peter thou mayest find the Lord called the Word or Reason and the Law See