needs be in the World not before they come into it And as in the 14th verse Death reigning from Adam to Moses even over them who had not sinned after the Similitude of Adam's Transgression c. This thou wilt needs have to be Infants in the Womb what gross Darkness is this How can Death reign over any until they come under the Dominion and Government of it and so be Transgressors of a known Law either in Thought Word or Deed It is Non sense and Ridiculous But Death hath reigned over many who have not sinned after the Similitude of Adam's Transgression for Death reigned over Drunkards Swearers Lyars Sodomites the Old Wicked World Whoremongers and many who are called by other Names which was not all a sinning after the Similitude of Adam's Transgression for he was no Sodomite Drunkard nor Swearer Whoremonger nor Adulterer that we read of And so Death reigns over all Sinners be the Similitude of sinning what it will but answer me after what Similitude is the Child's sinning Is it after the Similitude or Likeness of Adam's sinning or the Similitude of any other And whereas thou queriest how it comes to pass that Death is inflicted upon Infants if they have no Sin I answer It cannot be for their Sin because they have none and the Reason why they dye is because they are Mortal and must dye sooner or later even Mankind as well as other living things on Earth but to the Innocent and True Believers in Christ Jesus this is no Sign of God's Displeasure but rather a Translation into a better State except thou reckons the State and Being in this Life to the Innocent and Regenerate better then that which is to come and many holy men have had great Joy at their Departure So that the Cause of the natural death cannot be as is foolishly imagined because Adam sinned for if he had not sinned he might have dyed as to his natural Life being of the Earth made of the Dust and it was said to him In the Day thou eatest thereof thou shalt dye mark in that Day yet he lived after his Fall many Years as to his natural Life but he dyed spiritually instantly upon his sinning even in that Day and at that time And as for those other Scriptures thou bringest Ephes 2.3 And were by Nature Children of Wrath as well as others Gal. 2.15 We who are Jews by Nature and not Sinners of the Gentiles these Scriptures speak of Children of Wrath and Jews by Nature and not Sinners of the Gentiles what is this to Infants in the Womb who are no Sinners neither can be Children of Wrath These Scriptures relate to a sinful state before Conversion whether young or old so that herein thou wrests and abusest the Scriptures and this is plain for me to see with that blessed Light of Christ Jesus thou art an Enemy to As I did so I do affirm Jesus Christ to be the true Light and Saviour who enlightneth every man that cometh into the World with a Measure of his own Light but W. H. is one that cannot endure this Light or the Reproof of it upon his Conscience but still would call it something otherwise then what it is and quotes Rom. 2.15 which speaks no such thing as that the Light within every man is nothing but the Law of Moses written in the Heart or another while No more then Nature as he calls it p. 17. whereas the Inward Law or Light within in all its Manifestations and Appearances alwayes came by Jesus Christ and contains in it not only the Substance of Moses's Law but Gospel-Virtue and Power the true Light that enlightneth every Man that cometh into the World by Virtue of which Divine Light and Power within the Gentiles obeyed the Lord spiritually and were accepted in so doing though they had not the Outward Law in the Letter and set the Letter aside What Law is that that is written in the hearts of People must it not needs be the Law of Christ inward in the Heart and Conscience and so of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus that makes free from the Law of Sin and Death and it was alwayes so that the Doers of this Law or Light within in the Heart and Conscience were justified Rom. 2.13 and thus was Abraham justified by Works James 2.21 when he had faithfully offered up his Isaac upon the Altar in Obedience to God it was a Good Work by which he was justified in the Sight of God who commanded and he believed and it was imputed to him for Righteousness the Word of his Faith by which he believed and knew the Will of God was the Light within we bear Testimony unto which was before Moses was or Abraham was he that hath an Ear to hear let him hear but this Man's Understanding is shallow sure who one while saith This Light in Man is nothing but the Law of Moses written in the Heart another while It is no more then Nature and what Nature But a Guilty Defiled Nature p. 17. Oh sad Confusion And must the Work of this Inward Light and Power of God be no more then Legal Righteousness and Regeneration Legal Righteousness and a man 's own Righteousness which is as great an Error as a man can utter It is true that by the bare Works of that Law of Moses never man was justified before the Lord or made Righteous for if that could have made the Comers thereunto perfect there had been no need of Faith in Christ the Light to have received Power but that could not do though great Strictness might be used in the outward Observance of those outward things and Shadows and through such outward Conformity they might appear Righteous before man yet this was but that outward Righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees in like manner as now W. H. and such as he who seem to be very zealous for the Gospel and the Body of Jesus yet deny his Light and Power of God within with as much Violence as ever the Pharisees denyed Christ Jesu at Jerusalem to be the Son of God and they are in the Steps of the Pharisees in their own self Righteousness and Profession of the Gospel without the true Power of Godliness let the Heavenly Light which they so wickedly blaspheme be Judge in the Case even in their own Consciences and yet they will Hypocritically acknowledge Christ is All in all and all Power and Judgment is committed to the Son Christ Jesus and then they cry this down again and call it A natural Light and Darkness which judgeth mens Thoughts and Deeds of Darkness and thus would rob Christ both of his Authority and Judgment to escape Judgment for Sin Whilest they imagine this Light within to be a natural Light or Ignis fatuus or what they please a devilish wicked Project for if so then what need they care what they do when there is nothing to judge them but an Ignit fatuus or
of Christ or the Blood that cleanseth as in the 139th page of thy Book let the Reader see that 43d page of my Book thou quotest where my words are these But the precious Blood of Jesus Christ as of Lamb without Spot and Blemish 1 Pet. 1.18,19 c. And where did I call the Light that every man hath the New Jerusalem the Holy City W. H. as thou sayest in the lower end of page 139. Are not my very plain words these p. 45. viz. And God is confounding this great City Babylon and setting up his Holy City upon a Hill which cannot be hid whose Light is like a Jasper clear as Chrystal c. Is not here sufficient Distinction between the City and the Light of the City let the Reader judge But what is it thou wilt not do to render us odious But thy Refuge of Lyes must fall upon thy own head Who would but have thought even now when thou began'st thy Prayer for me but that thou hadst been almost weary of belying me perverting my words but I doubt thou art so accustomed to it that it will be hard for thee to leave it however I must mind thee of thy Portion from the Hand of the just pure God if thou goest on and Repentest not speedily it will be to be shut out of the Holy City as thou mayest read Rev. 22.15 21.8 among them that love and make Lyes Therefore be warned in time before the Trumpet sounds He that is filthy let him he filthy still and he that is holy let him be holy still for Time shall be no longer This is in Love to thy Soul whether thou hear or forbear This in short I return thee as an Answer to thy full Reply William Bayly Now a few Words in Reply to Thee William Dimsdale I Beginning to view thy part of the Book find thee soon complaining of hard Titles given thee by us which we desire the moderate Readers to judge of for in what thou dost ignorantly against the Truth and us we can say The Lord forgive thee but what thou dost wilfully and perversly its Rebellion for which the Lord will rebuke thee How do you one while Commend the Light and by and by Revile it as for instance p. 109. compared with pag. 113. and 135. where W. H. calls it fallen blind Nature and pag. 109. saith Many that live not up to this Light will be very inexcusably condemned and yet condemns and reviles them that endeavour to live up or according to it and blasphemously calls the true Light that is in Man that Christ Jesus hath given which lighteth every man that cometh into the World John 1.9 Corrupt Nature Flesh and Fallen Blind Nature These hard Speeches will come heavier upon you then the Titles ye complain of in the Day of your Account And in pag. 143. thou sayest It checks for Sin as in Adam after the Fall Gen. 3.10 which is the Voice of God to him as the Reader may see in that place And should not the Voice of God be obeyed by all the Children of men which causeth Fear and Dread and Sense of Shame to seize upon a man because of Punishment that he hath not Power to go on in Sin as thou acknowledgest through the Reproof of this Light p. 143. which in the page before thou callest the Covenant of Works and in pag. 146. thou sayst Christ giveth Light to all So it s Christ's Gift God's Voice which keeps from going on in Sin by which a man may know some Divine things a Spark remaining in fallen man in every mar of that Light that Adam had in a full Flame before his Transgression in his time of Innocency c. Mark this Reader this is these mens Confession of the Light that lighteth every man and say It s true in its kind And then again of the self-same say It s but Flesh corrupt Nature fallen blind Nature Impure an unsound Thing c. So then this follows That full Flame that was in Adam before Transgression in his time of Innocency of which there is a Spark in every fallen man that Voice of God that reproveth for Sin and keeps from going on in Sin by which some Divine Things may be known the Gift of Christ c. which worketh a Change in the Life and Conversation p. 150. is but Corrupt Nature Impure Unsound Flesh Fallen Blind Nature Oh! gross Now putting their blind Contradictions nearer together ye may read them thus viz. That Light in every man is true in its Kind NO it s an Unsound Thing It s the Voice of God to Adam Gen. 3.10 NO it s but Corrupt Nature It s that Adam had in a full Flame in his time of Innocency before Transgression IT IS but Flesh and impure Flesh too But it teacheth the things contained in the Law and works a Change in the Life and Conversation It s but Fallen Blind Nature doth all this It sheweth some Divine Things and reproves for Sin and Christ giveth Light to all c. That which sheweth Divine Things and reproveth for Sin is but Blind Fallen Nature Impure Corrupt and Unsound Flesh which Adam had in a full Flame in his time of Innocency before Transgression W. H. The last time I laid your Contradictions and Confusions before you thou calledst it A Wild-Goose-Chase such as thou hadst not seen a more strange c. Truly it s you two that I am now again tracing as I did then and if you will call your selves Wild-Geese I cannot help that but I never saw such a heap of Confusion and Contradictions from any that were Tame or well in their Wits which will I believe seem strange to some that think thee a wiser man The Wildness is your own in running over and under and round about in the Dark not being able to comprehend the true Light which lighteth every man c. but give strange Names to it like Distracted Blind Men about Colours What wouldst thou say if a piece of White Cloth should be laid down on a Table and two Men should come into the House and one should say its Black and the other its Green and then change their Minds and both say its Blue and Red what wouldst thou think of these Men seeing the Piece is as unchangeably white as the Light Wouldst thou not think or believe they were either Fools Blind Mad or Distracted or given up to believe and tell Lyes Judge thee I have not parallel'd you with Papists as you have the Quakers but I leave the Reader with the Light of Christ in his Conscience to read you and compare you Again pag. 147. after thy blind Constructions about the Light sayest thou W. D. That Light that shewed Adam that he had broke the Law of God Gen. 3. did not shew unto him the way of Deliverance but God shewed it unto him by Revelation How wilt thou prove that seeing its already acknowledged it was the Voice of God
heavenly things themselves is this thy Fixedness and Consistency that they must be something but what thou dost not know and yet sayest I must understand what they are but surely it must not be by thy doubtful Teaching But tell me what purisying needed either Christ himself or Heaven it self and by what better Sacrifices Heb. 9.23 we read Ver. 9. 14. that the Conscience was to be purged by the Blood of Christ and this must needs be known in the Church and People of God whom thou confesseth are the heavenly Jerusalem which is the City of the living God where both God and Jesus the Mediator and the Blood of Sprinkling c. are come to by the Saints viz. Heb. 12.22,23,24 Haworth I ask now whether the Scriptures or our Imaginations and Thoughts be the Rule whereby we are to measure God and true Righteousness p. 21. c. Crook Is thy Memory so bad or thy Ignorance so great to ask such a Question which thy self resolvest in the same Page or art thou still in thy skiptical Mind as thou speakest of thy self seeing thou sayd'st but just before that it must be by the same Spirit that gave forth the Scripture that we can understand them and not without have thy Thoughts and Imaginations so great and the Spirit of God so little a Share in what thou dost which makes thee so soon forget its Usefulness to measure divine Things but I even tremble at thy ignorant Confidence to talk at this rate of measuring the unmeasurable God and that by the Scriptures or our own Thoughts without naming his Spirit Haworth The Scripture no where condemns Man's Conceivings of God by the Scripture and according to them p. 22. c. Crook Thou art condemned here out of thy own Mouth who sayest it must be Man enlightned by the same Spirit that gave them forth and not otherwise Haworth If John Crook consents to the Truth of this Principle viz. That such is the Purity of God that nothing is accepted by him but what is every Way or entirely compleat and perfect if so p. 23. c. Crook I grant this as also himself hath done in p. 26. Haworth Then he believes that the Righteousness within which consists in the Vertues and Gifts of the Spirit in every Quaker is every way perfect and compleat c. Crook Let the Reader judge if the latter be a necessary Consequence from the former but because some whole pages following in his Book are stuffed with Arguments and Consequents of the like nature about the same Subject to prevent his Boasting if possible I shall here once for all return a sober Answer viz. I believe that the Holiness and Righteousness in the Hearts of God's people which purely consists in the Virtues and Gifts of the Spirit which is one with the Father and the Son it is intirely compleat and perfect as to Nature and Kind which is sufficiently demonstrated by those worthy men Dr. Preston and Dr. Sibbs See Preston's Title Man's Vprightness pag. 214. Because the New Adam otherwise should not be so effectual as the old the new Adam should not be so powerful to communicate Grace and Life as the old Adam is to instill Corruption and Sin for this Sin that hath been conveyed to us by the first Adam hath an Integrity in it it hath gone over the whole Soul there is a whole Body of Death that hath possessed us now should there not be in those redeeming Actions by Christ a contrary Integrity and Perfection a throughout Holiness as I may call it the Plaister then should be narrower then the Sore the Remedy should be inferiour to the Disease Beloved you know a Leprosie is gone all over except the Holiness went all over too from top to toe I say there would not be an Answerableness in the second Adam he should not be able to do as much Good as the first was able to do Hurt 2 dly The Work of Redemption should be done but by halves if the Lord should dispense with imperfect Holiness The Works of Creation you know were perfect God looked upon all his Works and saw that they were very Good Beloved Do you think the Works of Redemption should come short of the Works of Creation Are not they likewise Perfect When the Lord shall look on that Work shall he not say likewise It is very good Pag. 216. If the Heart of Man be not intire if the Work of Grace be not throughout if there be a Defect in the Principle and Constitution of it there should be a defect in the Work of Redemption that cannot be c. Pag. 219. Blessed are the Pure in Heart Now what is it to be pure That is pure which is full of it self and hath no other heteregenial thing mingled with it so that heart is pure which hath no Sin in it which is holy which hath a renewed quality of Grace which hath an inward regenerate Man that will mingle with no Sin that is full of it self and admits not the mixture of any Sin c. Pag 221. When thou hadst the Prophet that would have separated the Precious from the Vile in thy heart as well as to do it in the Companies of men c. Pag. 222. So my Beloved it is not the having of Impurities in the Heart that makes the Heart imperfect but it is the suffering of them to be mingled even with the inward Frame of the Heart The Doctor also affirms That without this Holiness and Righteousness none can be saved c. See Dr. Preston ibid. p. 243. I say Let any Man's Heart be of this Constitution that he neglects the smallest Commandment that he hath not a special Eye to the Observance of them a special Care to keep them he is unsound and rotten at the Heart he shall never be saved continuing such Prov. 19.16 He that keeps the Commandments keeps his own Soul but he that despiseth his Way shall dye for it Thus far Dr. Preston Now Dr. Sibbs's Soul-Conflicts pag. 224. The Happiness of Man consists chiefly in a gracious Frame of Spirit and Actions sutable sweetly ssuing therefrom Ibid. pag. 156. Christ will never give over till by his Spirit he hath made our Nature Holy and Pure as his own till he hath taken away not only the Reign but the very Life and Being of Sin out of our Hearts that to this End he leaves his Spirit and Truth in the Church to the End of the World that the Seed of the Spirit may subdue the seed of the Serpent in us and that the Spirit may be a never failing Spring of all Holy Thoughts Desires and Endeavours in us and dry up the contrary Issue and Spring of Corrupt Nature Grace is nothing else but that blessed Power whereby as spiritual we gain upon our selves as carnal pag. ibid. It is a good Tryal of a Man's Condition to know what he esteems to be himself A godly Man counts the inward man the
not sufficient for Salvation without the Truth be inwardly taught by the Spirit yet how often hath this man affirmed That whatever the Spirit works in us is but our own Righteousness yet here to the Confutation of all his former Affirmations saith That without the inward Teachings of the Spirit there is no Salvation no not by Jesus of Nazareth c. so big is this man with the prodigious Monsters not only of dividing the Holy Ghost from Christ but of horrible Confusion Ignorance Unbelief and Blasphemy 1st Confusion in that he is so Contradictory to himself 2. Ignorance because it implies a Distrusting of Christ even while we are acted by the Holy Ghost which is impossible 3. Vnbelief because he saith he dares not trust to the Holy Ghost and yet saith we cannot be saved except we be inwardly taught by the Holy Ghost 4. Blasphemy because he supposes it is possible for the Holy Ghost to deceive us else why doth he say that he dares not trust to the Holy Ghost but to Christ c Neither will it at all help him for to say He intends only as to Justification because he acknowledgeth there can be no Salvation by Jesus of Nazareth and consequently no Justification by Christ without the inward Teachings of the Spirit for saith he historical Knowledge cannot do it but the inward Knowledge which the Spirit gives doth do it so that what he hath said though against his Will amounts to this viz. That true experimental Justification by Christ cannot be savingly known without it be inwardly taught by the Spirit by which Grant he hath renounced these two Erroneous Opinions viz. 1st That what the Holy Ghost works in us is our own Righteousness and 2dly That he was deceived and mistaken when he said he durst not trust to the Holy Ghost but to Christ and hath confirmed the Truth to be on my side viz. That we are justified in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God 1 Cor. 6.11 Haworth Faith as a Habit or Act in us is our own Righteousness p. 54. Crook He hath conveyed all his right to this by his former Grant only he hath that left which still renders him more suspitious viz. That his Claim is nought because it will not indure Scripture-Terms but no marvel seeing he dares not trust to the Holy Ghost But let his late Recantation include his uncouth word Habie amongst his other Mistakes of Unscund Expressions c. for the Scripture no where calls that Faith which is wrought by the exceeding Greatness of that Power which raised up Christ from the Dead Eph. 1.19,20 our own Righ cousness which is as absurd an Affimation as to say the Apostle intended viz. by not having on our own Righteousness c. not having Faith c. Haworth That Error of the Quakers viz. that first Risings to Evil in the Heart if not consented to are not Sin and here in a Digression I will take Leave to propound some Arguments against that Error of the Quakers desiring J. C. to give a fair Answer to them p. 56. Arg. 1. Haworth That which the Apostle calleth Sin we ought to call it so but the Apostle giveth this Name to those Metions to Evil Ergo. Crook The Apostle Rom. 7.5 distinguisheth between Motion and Sin Ergo Motion in some Sense is not Sin 2. He distinguisheth between his former State in the Flesh when Motions brought forth Sin unto Death and his present Condition which implies unconsented to Motions do not 3. Though Motions in a strict Sense may be called Sin yet not unto Death or damning because as it is subjected in Vn-consenting Persons it looseth its own Natural Venome and Relation to Guilt Vid. Dr. Taylor upon Original Sin Chapter 6. Arg. 2. Haworth That which is a Transgression of the Law of God delivered by Moses is a Sin but a Motion tâ—… Evil though not consented to is so Ergo. Crook To this thou hast answered thy self in confessing all the Commandments save the last forbid consent to evil Thoughts arising in the Heart according to Christ's Interpretation of them Mat. 5. so that if there be not consent there is no Transgression and consequently not Sin but thou would'st have the 10th Commandment as it were to be different in Nature from all the rest and to forbid more as if to covet my Neighbour's House were worse then to kill my Neighbour and to covet my Neighbour's Ox were worse then to steal it Arg. 3. Haworth That which is to be mortified and crucified must needs be Evil c. I ask from wherce they arise c Crook To deny resist and refuse to consent to Motions to Evil is a mortifying and crucifying of them And for thy further Information they arise a naturae vitio i. e. from a Defection of Nature and inclines to Sin c. Arg. 4. Haworth If they are such as are a Burden to one that is made Partaker of the new Nature then they must be evil and sinful c. Crook This is as true of Outward Afflictions and Punishments as of Inward Motions and Risings and no man will say that these are sinful in themselves and yet they are burdensome to such as are made Partakers of the New Nature c. Arg. 5. Haworth If these Motions bring so much Guilt upon a man that there is need of the Attonement of Christ and if it were not for the Grace of God in Christ we should be condemned for them c. then they are Evil but c. Crook It is the Grace of God in Christ that enables a man to wrestle with and deny to consent unto these Motions and therefore these Motions unconsented to are not his Sin and consequently bring neither Guilt nor Condemnation Arg. 6. Haworth That which flows from an Evil Fonntain must needs be Evil but c. Crook By thy own Confession in pag. 59. thou sayest That in Case we yield not to Satan's Temptations we are not guilty so that thou hast answered thy self For either those Temptations which come from Satan come not from an Evil Fountain or else there is no Necessity that that which flows from an Evil Fountain must needs be the Evil of Unconsenting Persons Arg. 7. Haworth That which is a Privation of that Righteousness and Image that was at first in man and should be now in man and the Law requires it should be in everyone of us that must needs be Evil but c. Crook I deny that Evil Risings or Motions to Evil have made such a Privation of that first Image of God in man that there is not so much of it remaining in man as to resist or shew a dislike to them for the Heathen Poet proves the contrary Video meliora proboque tamen deteriora sequor i.e. I see the best things and approve them to be so yet I follow the worst Arg. 8. Haworth These Motions must be either Good Evil or Indifferent
pag. 149. c. this Light was in Adam after the Fall Gen. 3.10 I heard thy Voice c. the Lord God called to Adam c. this Light reproveth so that man hath not Power to go on in Sin pag. 143. c. it works a Change in the Life and Conversation pag. 150. c. which sheweth it to be unsound and impure pag. 146. he giveth Light to all ibid. c. it goes with the Damned to Hell Epist pag. 6. Crook I desire the Reader to peruse the Pages and he will find I have not wronged my Adversary in drawing this result viz. That full Flame Adam had in Innocency of which there is a Spark in every man that Voice of God that spoke to Adam that reproves for Sin and keeps from going on in Sin the Gift of Christ by which some divine things may be known which worketh a change in the Life and Conversation c. That which doth all this is but Flesh and that which lusteth against the Spirit and is contrary to the Spirit it is but Nature fallen Nature fallen blind Nature impure and unsound c. which is in every Murderer and Robber goes with the Damned to Hell remains with them there c. hear ye Heavens and give ear O Earth and be horribly ashamed of such Tenents as these as he saith Epist p 6. c. Haworth Christ hath subdued all my Enemies virtually already and will actually in time which I wait for Epist pag. 6. c. My rejoycing is in this that the Elect cannot be deceived c. My Prayer is that whoever of you belongs to the Electâ—… of Grace may be undeceived Epist pag 12. c. Thou art the dearer to us John in that thou hast been a stone once in Christ's Building ibid. c. The Restraining Grace of God joyned with the Light for I attribute it to that in indeed chiefly as in the Case of Abimelech Gen. 20. ibid. c. I kept thee the Light within would not have done it c. Crook In divers Pages of his Book he enveighs against Perfection as is shewed anon and yet here he faith he waits for it the Elect cannot be deceived yet he prayes that so many as belong to Election may be undeceived But by his Confession I am safe enough if either his Faith in this matter or mine be true for saith he thou John hast been a Stone once in Christ's Building and I am sure Christ's Building is made up of Living Stones if thou be but as sure that not one that was once such shall finally perish But that I am so dear to you as thou speakest doth not appear by thy calling me Knave Rebel Mountebank Juggler Impostor False Prophet c. however we should be dearer each to other if you would cease opposing the true Light and walk in it that we might have Fellowship therein Thy Proselyte confesseth The Light kept him from stealing Herrings though thou sayest it would not have with-held or kept Abimelech the Heathen King c. but the Notes on â—he great Bibles say God by his Spirit kept or retained him c. thus thy own Proof disproves a great part of thy Book which denyes the holy Spirit to strive in Unregenerate Men contrary to Gen. 6.3 on which place Hen. Ainsworth observes That the Spirit of God strove by Inward Motions and Checks of Conscience with the Old World which his Spirit gave them for their Sins against which they that struggle fall into the Sin against the Holy Ghost despiting the Spirit of Grace Hebr. 10.29 Take heed William Haworth that this be not thy Condition Haworth I will give thee a Taste of this way of Allegorizing c. if many Senses of the Scripture then no one sense is certain c. the Work of the Spirit in our Hearts is not God's Son Epist p 7. c. Crook He scoffs at Allegorizing of Scripture as he speaks as if he had forgotten Sarah and Hagar were two Women and yet were Allegories of two Mountains and those two Mountains of the two Dispensations of God viz. Law and Gospel c. and as if Christ's Words had no Certainty in them when he spoke of destroying the Temple meaning the Temple of his Body and the like may be said of the Apostle's treating of the Duties between Husband and Wife concludes that his Words had two Senses viz. concerning the great Mystery of Christ and his Church as well as that between Man and Wife Mar. 2.18 compared with Jer. 31.15 where the Weeping of Rachel for the Benjamites or Israelites her Children is one Sense and for the young Children killed by Herod in another Sense c. as if the literal Sense of Scripture could not be preserved where the Mystery also was understood Hen. Ainsworth in his Preface to the five Books of Moses saith In the Histories are implyed Allegories and in the Laws are Types and Shadows c. Dr. Slbbs saith The Seed of the Woman or Spirit in us bruiseth the Seed of the Serpent in us and yet its true of Christ's Conquest outwardly when he spoiled Principalities and Powers c. Brightman on 4 cap. Revel p. 174. Lamps of Fire burning before the Throne c. because they do inlighten the Mind do burn up the Stubble of inborn Corruptions and do moreover inflame the Mind with a Desire of all Godliness which God calleth the Baptism of Fire Mat. 3.11 Again saiâ—h he the seven Spirits of God by which words the Faithful may understand that that Power which they feel to be stirred up by God in their Hearts is a most undoubte Pledge of God himself dwelling in us c. Thus much to stop his Scorn c. Haworth The Seed of the Woman is Christ Gal. 4. c. which the Apostle in the same Epistle saith is Christ's Person according to the Flesh page 4. c. The First-born of every Creature The Brightness of his Father's Glory the Eternal Word that was made Flesh the Alpha and Omega All in All c. If thou John attribute any of these Titles to any thing that is in Man besides the very Person of Jesus Christ I charge thee with the highest Blasphemy imaginable p. 19. c. Whose Goings forth have been of Old from Everlasting which is certainly spoke as to Christ's Deity p. 27. c. Crook I find not the word Person but once mentioned in all that Epistle to the Galatians and that is Cap. 2. Vers 6. God accepteth no Man's Person which I hope he doth not apply to Christ so that it s no wonder if he abuses the words of others who is so bold and positive in charging the Apostle with that which is not to be found in all that Epistle to the Galatians befides its contrary to Scripture Dialect to say the Eternal Word the First-born of every Creature the Alpha and Omega the All in All was the very Person of Christ that was made a Person
PAssing by the Multitude of Lyes and False Doctrines Perversions and Slanders for Brevity's sake I insert a few of your plain Contradictions and Absurdities that the Reader may see how you are confounded about the Light through your Envy and dark Imaginations Pag. 113. All the Light that every man has as he cometh into the World is but Flesh Pag. 150. Contra. But the Common Light worketh a Change in Life and Conversation c. Pag. 149. I scarce know one Gospel-truth but this common Light contradicteth Pag. 111. Christ as a Creator is the Root and Fountain of this that every one hath c. Pag. 161. I do now say it is a Rotten Corrupt and Unsound Thing or Principle as to the leading or guiding into the Knowledge of the Gospel Pag. 109. This Light is greatly helped and increased by the Consideration of the Works of Creation more by the reading of the Scriptures hearing the Word preached and Converse with Christians and let it be noted that the Quakers had the Improvement of the Light this way though they will not acknowledge it in India we hear but of little Improvement of it Many that live not up to this Light will be very inexcusably condemned And those that walk according to it doing some things contained in the Law do shame judge and condemn those that pretend to Christianity and yet live not in Righteousness and Sobriety Answ I think now the Reader may see thee W. H. sufficiently judged and condemned out of thy own Mouth who hast so much abused this Good Light and them that live according to it and therefore pretend no longer to Christianity but let Shame cover thee till thou hast learned Righteousness and Sobriety as thou hast said Pag. 136. Following the Dictates of Nature is not the Yoke of Christ for it leads into the Covenant of Works which is a heavy Yoke to work for Life and ye are under it And in the same Page viz. To the Law in my Conscience I have been faithful in order to drive me to Christ the Mediator Pag. 46. Now the Righteousness of Christ is not in our Minds at all but in his own Person Pag. 66. Dost not thou know that the Independant Presbyterian and Anabaptist Party are both in their Preaching and Writings for an Experimental Spiritual Knowledge of Christ and that they do generally assert that a bare Dogmatical and Historical Knowledge of Jesus of Nizareth is not sufficient for Salvation without the Truths be inwardly taught by the Spirit c Pag. 36. I give the Reason why the Gifts and Virtues that God's Spirit works in us are our Righteousness in Contradistinction to the Righteousness of Christ whereby we are justified c. Pag. 35. So we have Two Righteousnesses by the Second Adam Jesus Christ the one to take away the Guilt of Sin that is the Righteousness I am pleading for and the other to take away the Reigning Power of Sin sanâ—…ifying of us and renewing of us into the Image of Christ in some degree c. Yet pag. 46. Now the Righteousness of Christ is not in our Minds at all but in his own Person Now Reader consider what great Confusion these poor dark men run themselves into through their Opposing the true Light which lighteth every man that cometh into the World John 1.9 didst thou ever read before that the Righteousness that we have by Christ which takes away the reigning Power of Sin sanctifying of us and renewing of us into the Image of Christ in some degree was in Contradistinction to that Righteousness which takes away the Guilt of Sin and that this Righteousness is not in our Minds at all but in his Person which he sayes is the Tree of Life the Rock of Eternity c. But W. H. didst thou witness what thy airy Tongue can sometimes talk of of Sanctifying and renewing into the Image of Christ c. thou wouldst leave off thy Lying Slandering Envying and Evil-speaking know a Bridle to thy Tongue without which thy Religion is vain Jam. 1.26,27 For thou bearest no Degree of the Image of Christ in these Confusions and Works of Darkness but of Cain Nimrod Esau and Ishmael the Envious Hunter and Scoffer and thy Reward from the Lord Jesus Christ will be according to thy Works notwithstanding thy Sheeps-Clothing Cover of thy Lip-Profession which will stand the Worker of Inquity in no stead in that Day And remember ye are Warned once more in Love to your Souls by one that loves the Lord Jesus Christ in Sincerity and cannot but exalt his pure and true Light and Righteousness and not put it under a Bushel or a Bed of fleshly Ease as many do who are selling a Birth-right and Blessing for a Mess of Pottage he that hath Ears let him hear but I esteem the Reproaches of Christ greater Riches then all the Treasures of Egypt in a Measure of whose Light and Innocent Life I remain a Friend to all People making war in the same only against the common Enemy of Mankind the Prince of Darkness which rules in the Hearts of the Children of Disobedience VVilliam Bayly An Answer to that Postscript of William Haworth's at the end of that Wicked Pamphlet entituled An Antidote c. William Haworth IT is pity that men professing to be Christ's Ministers should be so dark and envious as thou art against the Truth as it is in Jesus and also charge Lyes on the Innocent and in affirming that I said The Dictrine of Election was a devilish damnable and Blasphemous Doctrine It is strange men of thy Practice and Profession should be so notoriously wicked that ye care not what you affirm provided you can but possess peoples hearts with Prejudice against the Light and the Children of it Nay thou sayest If I dare come to the Tryal thou offerest at any time two substantial Witnesses to prove that I said in these words That the Doctrine of Election was a Devilish Damnable and Blasphemous Doctrine Oh Wickednes how gross is this that ever thou shouldst dare thus to belye thy own Conscience in this Matter and the Witnesses thou must bring to prove what thou sayest must be Lyars like thy self and also of the Devil even such Witnesses as were brought against Christ Jesus to charge him with Blasphemy such must thy Witnesses in this Matter be if thou bringest any and so they must be such it seems as will deny that any such thing was affirmed by thee viz. That God ordained Men to be Wicked before they were born And these Witnesses must needs for any thing I know be Jeremy Suaft and that other Man both of thy own Profession who were only in the hearing of what was said as I mentioned in mine to thee who I affirm were Ear-witnesses of the Discourse how that I owned the Doctrine of Election according to the Scriptures and also how thou affirmedst That God ordained people to be Wicked before they were born which I say is
a Devilish Doctrine and Blasphemy which is no Lye to be contradicted but the real Truth from thine own Mouth and presently after I writ a Paper concerning it and other Stuff of the like nature to the aforesaid J. Suife a Copy of which I have here under written and it shall stand a Witness against thee forever and it was never Answered though writ several years since neither did Jeremy Suift ever come to me to contradict it in words to my Face though at that time and long after I had my Being not far from his Dwelling in the same Town and have met him in the Streets several times And can it be believed that if in any thing I had wronged thee in such a deep Charge I should have received nothing in Answer to this day either in Word or Writing This may breed a very shrewd Suspition even in them who are willing to believe what he saith that he is guilty and indeed it had been better for him if he had honestly confessed his Error and not have added Sin to Sin as he doth by Denying and Belying the Truth A Copy of the aforesaid Paper to Jeremy Suift followeth To you that think VVilliam Haworth to be a Minister of the GOSPEL HOw do you relish this Doctrine he affirmeth That the thorow work of Regeneration which brings a Man into God's Kingdom of Glory is not sufficient for Man's Salvation though this cannot be without True Justifying Faith in the Son of God by virtue whereof this Work is wrought in the heart Yet he saith this is not sufficient for Salvation but call this inward Work of Christ Legal Righteousness therefore he denyes the Perfection of the Work of Christ what he did for us in the Dayes of his Flesh and at his Death and the Efficacy of that One Offering and Blood that was shed for us and was for the perfecting of the Sanctified Ones that so they might be brought into the Everlasting Kingdom of his Glory in which is Peace Compleating and Perfection Union and Communion with God in Christ Jesus and so this man speaks unadvisedly with his Lips and his Ignorance of the Work is the Ground of his Mistake Again what do you say to this Doctrine of his viz. That the Light within that discovers all manner of Sin yea the Secret Sins of the Heart or whatever Sin he committeth he saith This Light is altogether Darkness yea he saith It is Flesh and before a man be convinced he hath nothing in him but Flesh the Light afore mentioned he saith is altogether Darkness and Flesh but some of you are of a better Judgement in this matter and have said to me and before William Haworth that it would bring a man under the Sense of Sin and condemn him for it so that it seems some of you begin to grow wiser then your Teacher and I pray God that you may go on to encrease in that which is good daily and know the Lord God and his Spirit to teach you and not to depend upon such an Unlearned Man as this in the things of God for Paul said the Law was Spiritual but he was Carnal Again he saith That Thousands in the World are this Day condemned by the Lord yet notwithstanding are not condemined for Vnbelief So it seems there are a People in the World whose Unbelief shall not be charged upon them yet must be condemned Now was not Unbelief the very Ground-Sin of the whole World who are in the First Adam and the Inlet into all manner of Vice and Debauchery and being clear from the Sin of Unbelief he is in the Way to obtain Freedom from all manner of Sin whatsoever and it may not touch him at all neither he be condemned at all And I have understood that the Gospel Sound had spread through the Earth and it is an Everlasting Sound this Day sounded in the Ears of all People calling to Repentance Dependance upon the Eternal God in Christ for Salvation and the stopping the Ear from hearing this glorious Gospel-sound not believing in the Light of Christ Jesus the true Light that lighteth every man coming into the world to be the Ground of Condemnation Now I say I had thought this Unbelief had been the same Ground of all mens Condemnation as they are in the first disobedient Adam or Earthly Man but all Sinners are not in that State by William Haworth's Doctrine shut up in Unbelief and therefore there is another way of Condemnation for them then that of not believing in Christ the Light but he is blind indeed that sees not this man's Ignorance and Confusion in the things of God Again Friends this he told me in the hearing of Jeremiah Suift and another man That God ordained People to be wicked before they were born which I called Blasphemy and surely you that are sober will be ashamed of him that is thus full of Confusion and Ignorance but he fell very furiously upon me in the End and thrust me out of his Chamber because I would have endeavoured his Welfare and reclaimed him from his Errors I am sure I had no other End in my Heart but he hath manifested the Spirit of his Master Lucifer and may be numbred among such as are wicked and hypocritical though he profess Liberty of Conscience I believe no such thing from him such of his Spirit but that he would soon I have good Ground to believe follow his Brethren of New-England in a Murderous Spirit I pray God bless you that are sober People and preserve you to himself that you may proceed in your Enquiry after that which is Good and the Lord of Heaven keep you is the Prayer of him that loves you C. T. Much I could write of this Man but I spare him at present only thus much lay on my Conscience to present to you at this time but if Occasion be I could present you with a great deal of his wicked Lying and Baseness full of Confusion and Darkness far unlike a Christian or Minister of Christ but a Feigned Hypocrite a Light Vain Man a Dreamer and Imaginer of the things of God having a patcht-up thing of an Imperfect form of Godliness but ignorant of the Power And if he had not so abused me in his Chamber I had notwithstanding all this held my peace but his Wickedness against Truth hath been great as may be manifest hereafter if occasion be This was writ long since and only one Copy of it given to Jeremaih Suift and his Brethren to peruse c. And my Charge stands good against him that he affirmed as above said That God ordained people to be wicked before they were born and I do solemnly affirm he spoke it let him bring what witnesses he can to the contrary I am sure they may be false ones in this matter it was not gathered up by me against him as a Consequence of his Doctrine or any thing of that Nature but he
plainly affirmed the thing viz. That God ordained People to be wicked before they were born And whereas he daringly saith If I dare come to the Tryal he offers two Substantial Witnesses to prove that I said The Doctrine of Election was a Devilish Damnable and Blasphemous Doctrine and also to prove that No such thing was said by him as that God ordained People to be wicked before they were born and if I please he will enter the Lists with me and the like I answer That my God is the Living God above all the false Gods whom I serve and reverence in his Name and Power he hath kept me hitherto over the Heads of such Gilded Hypocrites as thou art and I fear not to meet thee nor thy Master's Strength and thy witnesses in the Name of my God in any convenient Place equally agreed on to manifest the Truth of my Cause and to try thy Power and I deny thy Spirit who denies the Power and Heavenly Light of the true God and Christ and callst his Blessed Image and Saving Health the Work of Regeneration Legal Righteousness and a man 's own Righteousness I tell thee I deny thy Spirit and Work and stand up for the true God and his Christ whom thou knowest not but by Imagination nor where he is but by Imagination Thou Dreamer hast thou not lost the Sight of the true Saviour and now thou imagines the Place of his Residence thou knowst not where nor what thou sayest nor whereof thou affirmest a Cloud hath received him out of thy Sight and you are parted if ever thou hadst any Acquaintance with him in any Measure and where he is thou canst not see him with thy blind Eye nor come unto him for indeed the Heavens have received him and the Heavenly Host see him but thou shalt never see him to thy Comfort but Condemnation in that Dark and Wicked Mind thou livest in profess what thou wilt and babble what thou canst in a vain Mind Thou wouldst be disputing about the Body of Jesus where it is and what it is but thou canst not find it out no more then the Devil could in disputing with the Angel about the Body of Moses and thou art sufficiently answered elsewhere as to that Surely the Apppearance Sight of Christ will be to their Condemnation who believe in thy Doctrine of Antichristianism in denying the Light within to be Spiritual and Christian for as the Devils saw him and knew him and were tormented by him in the Dayes of his Flesh as accounting his Coming then a Torment tormenting them before the time so shalt thou and those of thy Spirit except ye repent for your Torments are begun already and your Gnashing of Teeth because he is come to reign and he must reign who is our Joy and your Sorrow must encrease and have no End who are wilful and mad in your opposing of him in this Day of his spiritual Appearance The Substance of his Answer to my Postscript is this First Concerning Personal Reprobation he affirmeth That God willeth to permit Evil by denying Grace which would prevent it As much as to say God having fore-ordained the greatest part of the World to be Reprobated and Damned therefore to bring about his End he denies the Means of their Salvation that is Grace to the End that they may be damned for they must be damned there is no Remedy why Because God hath so decreed before they be born and this Purpose and Decree of his must stand and it cannot be otherwise because the Lord denieth them the Benefit of his Saving Grace If Ely was punished with Death because he restrained not his Sons Wickedness and had not that Indignation against it as it deserved what would they make God to be who as they say restrains his Grace because he hath ordained them to Damnation and also Christ did not dye for them and so it is impossible for those for whom Christ did not dye that they should be saved this is the natural Consequence of such a Doctrine and so it is of the Devil and to make the Lord the hardest of Masters and greatest of Tyrants to require that of man which he hath decreed aforehand it shall be impossible for him to do and yet he must for not doing it be condemned as much as if a Tyrant should first command a man's Legs to be cut off and then command him to go and kill him for not going or put out a man's Eyes and then command him to see and for disobeying such a Command he must be slain In like manner the Lord requires Faith and Repentance where aforehand he hath deprived him of Power to do either on purpose to destroy him because he hath decreed him before he was born to such an End and therefore denyeth him Grace Now William Haworth dost thou believe we can believe this to be Christian Doctrine which hath so much Contradiction and Confusion in it for the Grace of God hath certainly appeared to all men according to Scripture and the Invitation is unto all to believe in Christ that they may be saved without Respect of Persons Thus in short I leave this and pass on to detect the rest of thy Non-sense and Confusion because much hath been writ in this particular by other Hands c. Secondly Concerning Original Sin I said The Devil was the Original of Sin in Mankind and that I understood not how Infents could be guilty of Sin in the Womb c. To this W. H. answers thus That the Devil is the Original of Sin in Mankind i. e. The first Tempter to Sin is a Doctrine we learned from Moses not from the Quakers but what is this ad rem Ergo there is no Original Sin except it be the Devil Astrange Argument saith he Now Reader mark this man's Logick because I said that the Devil alwayes was and is the Original of Sin in Mankind who obey him he makes this Ergo or Conclusion There is no Original Sin except it be the Devil and so the Argument must stand thus The Devil alwayes was and is the Original of Sin in Mankind who obey him Ergo The Devil is Original Sin What abusive Non-sense and Perversion is this But however we say the Devil is the Original of Sin and now I shall look into the Scriptures he brings to prove the Sin of Infants in the Womb. First Rom. 5.12 Wherefore as by one man Sin entered into the World and Death by Sin and so Death passed upon all men for that all have sinned Mark Reader what is this to Infants in the Womb who have not yet sinned read the next verse following the latter part of it viz. Sin is not imputed where there is no Law but where is the Law to Infants in the Womb before they come into the World surely there is none therefore no Sin nor Condemnation it must needs be an Innocent Sinless State so that the state of sinning must