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A57582 The Christian-Quaker distinguished from the apostate & innovator in five parts, wherein religious differences amongst the people termed in derision Quakers, are treated on : George Fox one (at least, if not the chief) reputed author thereof, is deducted : doctrines of truth owned by the children of light (and cleared from objections) are laid down according to Holy Scriptures and revelation of the Spirit / by William Rogers, on behalf of himself and other friends in truth concerned. Rogers, William, d. ca. 1709. 1680 (1680) Wing R1858; ESTC R17833 416,424 648

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9th and 5th As long as I am in the World I am the Light of the World And Chap. 12.35 Yet a little while is the Light with you walk while you have the Light And ver the 36. While ye have the Light believe in the Light that ye may be the Children of the Light To this may be answered That these last recited Scriptures do in the most favourable construction on the objectors part intimate that Christ the Son of God while he was in the World was the Light of the World but doth not say that he is or would be no longer the light of the world Such a saying or sense would limit the Appearance of Light to that Body only and dispensation of time wherein the said Body appeared on Earth which is contradictory to the very words of the Evangelist before quoted viz. That was the true Light that lighteth every man that cometh into the World Which Scripture sentence relating to every man is so universal that it cannot but extend to those who never beheld the face of Jesus in his fleshly and Bodily Appearance nor yet came to be informed by any outward Instrument of his Doctrine though Partakers of his Light which therefore may properly be termed by such his Light within that is the Appearance of Christ by his Light shining in their hearts agreeable whereunto in effect we take the Testimonies of the Apostle to be viz. That which may be known of God Rom. 1.19 is manifest in them For God hath shewed it unto them Seeing you seek a proof of Christ speaking in me 2 Cor. 13.3 which Riches is Christ in you Col. 1.27 the hope of Glory Who shall descend into the deep that is Rom. 10.7 8. to bring Christ again from the dead but what saith it the Word is near thee even in thy mouth and in thy heart this is the word of faith which we preach And all this appears agreeable unto what the Prophet Isaiah hinted at who speaking of what should be in the last daies signified Isa 1.2 3 5. That the God of Jacob will teach us of his Ways and therefore said Oh house of Jacob come ye let us walk in the Light of the Lord which being compared with what the same Prophet said in relation to a people Isa 5● ● In whose hearts was the law of the Lord and with what the Prophet Jeremiah saith I will put my law in their Inward Parts Jer. 31.33 34. and write it in their Hearts and they shall teach no more every man his Neighbour and every man his Brother saying Know the Lord for they shall all know me from the least of them to the greatest 'T is evident to us that this written Law in the Heart is that Light Within whereof the faithful Messengers of the Lord in our day have born witness unto and whereof the same Prophet gave testimony when he said as before O house of Jacob come ye let us walk in the Light of the Lord. Besides such a limitation as aforesaid would have a tendency to make void the virtue and efficacy of the blood of Christ who was offered up a sacrifice to take away the sins of many and on this score doth the author to the Hebrews testify Heb. 9.28 that unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without Sin unto Salvation which is a clear Evidence unto us that the benefit of the blood of Christ is not witnessed effectually in this our day but by those who having looked for his second appearance have received him in his Appearance this Appearance we take to be his Appearance by his light and spirit in the hearts of those who through faith in his blood have known their Consciences purified from Dead Works and so come to serve the living God in Truth and righteousness 'T is now to be considered Whether these words Turn in your Minds be agreeable to truth for that this kind of objection may be raised Objection Doth not this put the Creature upon Action in his own Self-will when as the Will of Man cannot bring forth that Birth unto which power is given to become the Sons of God For answer hereto 't is necessary to consider that the faithful Labourers in the Gospel of Christ commended their Exhortations and testimonies to the Consciences of the Hearers in the Sight of God and the reason doubtless was because there is a Capacity in Man which through the assistance of the Grace of God renders Man capable to do the will of God in righteousness unto life and those who are so acted cannot be said to be acted in the Self-will of Man And on the contrary the same Capacity letting in Tempration and joyning thereto renders Man a servant of Sin unto Death and being once so dead in Sin no redemption comes to be obtained but through Christ as the Apostle testifies Ephes 2.1 You hath he quickned that were dead in Trespasses and Sins These things considered 't is evident that through the Appearance of Christ those who have cast off the Old Man are become renewed in the Spirit of their Minds unto God and so have put on the New Man which after God is created in Righteousness and true holiness and therefore since there is such a capacity in man as aforesaid 't is agreeable to Truth to exhort the sons of men to turn in their Minds unto the appearance of Christ by his Light that through the Assistance thereof the will of God may be done in their earthen vessels The next thing to be considered is whether there is any weight in this objection Do you not think that the Jews who crucified Christ acted not from the light within since some of them at least thought they did God good service therein To this may be answered That the friends of Truth never preached up the Light Within but with respect to the Appearance of Christ by his Spirit as that Light Within intended by them and since Christ cannot be divided to act against himself therefore the Jews did not therein act from that Light Within unto which we have been directed From what then may the objector say did those of them act who verily thought they did God good service therein Ans Phil. 3.6 From Zeal without knowledge not having their Minds staid and ordered according to that universal Principle of Truth Acts 26.9 11. which if hearkned unto would teach all men to do as they would be done by in which zeal Paul verily thought in himself that he ought to do many things contrary to the name of Jesus and in that Self-thought being exceeding mad persecuted the Church of God consented to the death of the Saints and compelled them to Blaspheme but when the Lord was pleased to appear unto him and to make him a Minister of his everlasting Gospel he was sent unto the Gentiles to open their eyes that they might turn from
Mark for the Price of the High calling of God in Christ Jesus Which denotes that there was a state attainable beyond that state of Perfection whereunto he had then attained Moreover that the Scriptures in other parts thereof denote a State of perfection is plain from these following testimonies amongst many others recorded therein Luk. 6.40 But every one that is perfect shall be as his Master Mat. 5.48 Be ye therefore perfect as your Father which is in Heaven is perfect Obj. This perfect State which you speak of we readily confess unto so far as the mind of the Spirit is signified unto us therein because 't is the very Language of the holy Scriptures But yet we are dissatisfied that the Meaning of the Spirit by this perfect estate is such a state as therein to cease from Sin Answer To this we answer that such a Construction cannot hold in truth unless truth should lead to impeach our heavenly Father as guilty of sin which cannot be for the very words are Be ye perfect as your Father which is in Heaven is perfect Besides 't is an undoubted truth that a Cessation from Actions manifested to be sinful is the duty of all professing Christianity and we cannot but have so much Charity for all so professing as that none such will deny this but if any should they would therein deny the End for which Christ was manifested in the Flesh which was to destroy the Works of the Devil which is sin 1 Joh. 3.8 according to this testimony of the Apostle He that committeth sin is of the Devil for the Devil sinneth from the beginning For this purpose the Son of God was manifested that he might destroy the Works of the Devil Obj. This also we cannot deny being the express testimony of the Apostle but yet since Scripture ought to be compared with Scripture when there is a seeming Contradiction as on this occasion we suppose there is we therefore say that we do not believe that the meaning of the Spirit is according to what the express words seem to hold forth in this Case 1. Because we do not understand from the Scriptures but that the Saints were subject to fail and that many of them did fail 2. 1 John 1.7 Though the Apostle testifies That the blood of Christ cleanseth from all sin yet this hath been interpreted to be only from the Guilt and not from the Act of all sin so as to cease therefrom whilst on this side the grave which doubtless was the reason wherefore we find these testimonies recorded in the holy Scriptures Ephes 2.8 9. By Grace ye are saved through Faith and that not of your selves it is the Gift of God not of works lest any man should boast thereby implying as if Salvation through Faith might be obtained though Good Works were wanting and so consequently Sin committed instead thereof since 't is irrational to conclude that whilst Man is in the Body he can cease from working both Good and Evil. In many things we offend all Jam. 3.2 If we say we have no Sin we deceive our selves and the Truth is not in us 1 Joh. 1.8 Ans As to the first reason contained in the objection That the Saints were subject to fail and that many of them did fail we say That this doth not contradict any thing asserted by us for we have declared that we do not believe that there is any such perfect state attainable on this side the Grave wherein it is not needful for man to watch c. That he may be preserved c. But if through Unwatchfulness which is a plain Neglect of what is the Duty of all true Christians according to the words of Christ what I say unto you I say unto all watch any one comes either to fall away from that good State whereunto he hath attained or else not to attain unto that State which is attainable this cannot be a sound argument to prove the matter against us intended by the Objection viz. That man cannot cease from sin no more than the not going of some Travellers to a certain Land when 't was their duty to go or the returning of others from the same Land after according to their duty through travel arrived there is an argument that 't is impossble to go thither and there remain to the end of our days To the 2d reason contained in the aforesaid Objection we say 'T is needful to distinguish what sort of Works were excluded as unnecessary to accompany that Faith through which Salvation is and what sort of Works were necessary for though the Language of Paul excludes Works yet James tells us Jam. 2.20 26. That Faith without Works is dead And no doubt but the Testimonies of these two Apostles have been understood to be repugnant and contradictory each to other and on this Foot different means to the Salvation of Mankind have been held forth whenas if the mind of the Spirit through them both were but rightly understood there would then be no seeming Occasion to declare their Testimonies contradictory each to other For the clearing therefore of this matter we shall distinguish touching Works treated on by Paul and James There are two sorts of works treated on by Paul the one is Works of the Law that by the one offering of Christ as an eternal Sacrifice unto God whereby the law of Commandments was abolished is excluded as unnecessary to accompany that Faith which is unto Salvation for otherwise though the Salvation of God through Christ was extended as well to the believing Gentile as the believing Jew yet the Jew might have whereof to glory contrary to the Apostle's testimony Gal. 6.14 15. God forbid that I should glory save in the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ by whom the world is crucified unto me and I unto the world For in Christ Jesus neither Circumcision nor Vncircumcision availeth any thing but a New Creature And therefore did the Apostle Paul testifie That by the Works of the Law no Flesh shall be justified And so no doubt but the works of the law were that sort of works which the Spirit of God through that wise Apostle Paul signified when he said and that in relation to such as were once dead in Trespasses and Sins but then quickned and become New Creatures By Grace are ye saved through faith Ephes 2.8 9. and that not of your selves it is the gift of God not of works lest any man should boast The other sort of works is of the Gospel and may properly be termed the Fruit of the obedience of Faith which indeed was the very end wherefore Paul testified That he had received his Apostleship and that the mystery kept secret since the World began was revealed Read Rom. chap. 1.5 and chap. 16.25 26. and no doubt but that those very works which are the Fruit of the Obedience of Faith were the works intended by the Spirit through Paul so
Faith And all this may be attributed unto Christ the Author thereof And to what End but that as they had believed on him to be the Son of God so they might come to grow from Strength to Strength from Grace to Grace until they might be living Witnesses not only that he was the Author and Object of their Faith but also the Finisher thereof unto Eternal Salvation Secondly As before is signified there is a Faith in the Blood of Christ for Remission of Sins and this Faith is unto Salvation and wheresoever 't is manifested 't is accompanied with Fruits of the Spirit and Evangelical Obedience which are as inseparable each from other as Sanctification and Justification in the Objection are confest to be The Author to the Hebrews tells us That Christ the Son of God became the Author of Eternal Salvation Heb. 5.9 unto all them that Obey him This shews that Obedience unto Christ which undoubtedly is no other but Obedience of Faith was a Qualification accompanying such as were made Partakers of the Salvation of God Who then dare say Such Obedience is of no Advantage unto those who by the Spirit of our Lord Jesus Christ are led thereunto Besides we find that the same Author writes on this wise But Beloved Heb. 6.9 10. we are perswaded better things of you and things that accompany Salvation though we thus speak for God is not Unrighteous to forget your Work and Labour of Love which ye have shewed towards his Name in that ye have Ministred to the Saints and do Minister This doth not only shew that Good Works accompany Salvation but that there is a Recompence for the same implyed in these words For God is not Unrighteous to forget your Work and Labor Who then dare say That 't is no advantage unto Salvation to those who are found Exercising themselves by the Spirit of God in things accompanying Salvation Especially since we sind the Apostle Paul not only to Exhort us To work out our Salvation with Fear and Trembling but expresly signifying That Godly Sorrow worketh Repentance to * 2 Cor. 7.10 Salvation not to be Repented of Moreover 't is observable that though the Author to the Hebrews tells us That without Faith 't is impossible to please God Heb. 11.6 For saith he he that cometh to God must believe that he is yet he doth not rest here as if that Faith were sufficient but proceeding in the very same Verse saith That he is a Rewarder of them that diligently seek him By which it appears that there is something as an Act of Faith to be brought forth through Man besides resting in a bare Faith that God is and that for such Act there is a Reward which if duly weighed together with these Scripture-citations Mat. 5.12 6.1.10.41 42.16.27 Luke 23.4 1 Cor. 3.14.9.17 Col. 2.18 Heb. 10.35 John 2.8 Nothing can then be more plain than that those through whom Works which are the Fruit of the Spirit of God or Acts springing through the Obedience of Faith are brought forth shall receive a Reward for such Works And as to these words in the Objection Not by Infusion of Righteousness but by Imputing the Obedience of Christ Rom. 5.19 which we take to be grounded on the Apostles words viz. As by one man's Disobedience many were made Sinners so by the Obedience of One shall many be made Righteous 2 Cor. 19.21 And God was in Christ reconciling the World unto himself not Imputing their Trespasses unto them for he hath made him to be Sin for us who knew no Sin that we might be made the Righteousness of God in Him We thus Answer That these words of the Apostle viz. By the Obedience of one shall many be made Righteous do not shew that any one of the Sons and Daughters of Men shall be made Partakers of the Righteousness of God whilst Sin is reigning in their Mortal Bodies the words will bear no such Consequence And forasmuch as such who are ready to Object as aforesaid have highly commended the Practice of comparing Scripture with Scripture that so the Truth may the more clearly shine forth in its Beauty we shall manifest thereby that no such Meaning was the Meaning of the Spirit For in the 21th Verse of the same Chapter 't is thus said That as Sin hath reigned unto Death even so might Grace reign through Righteousness unto Eternal Life by Jesus Christ our Lord. This Reign of Sin was in the Mortal Bodies of those that through a breach of the Righteous Law of God became subject to Condemnation But when Grace came to Reign through Righteousness unto Eternal Life then the Vertue of the Blood of Christ was witnessed and The Mystery of Faith revealed 1 Tim. 3.9 that was held in a pure Conscience which doubtless was not then a Defiled Conscience And therefore we may properly term the Blood of Christ in which by Faith Salvation is known the Mystery through which man arrives unto Godliness notwithstanding the Mystery of Iniquity hath wrought in some to pretend Salvation thereby whilst being in a State of Degeneration their Consciences are poluted and Sin reigning in their Mortal Bodies Then we may also say that the man of Sin was Dethroned Then the Old Man with his Deeds was put off and the New Man which as the Apostle saith Eph. 4.24 After God is created in Righteousness and True Holiness was put on Again 't is observable that the words Not Imputing their Trespasses unto them do only argue that their Trespasses were forgiven as necessary to a state of Reconciliation with their Maker but doth not at all hold forth that they could be in such a state whilst either their former Sins were not Forgiven or whilst they were actually committing Sins and Trespasses anew after that they had been through the Mercies of God made Partakers of such Forgiveness And as to these words of the Apostle That we might be made the Righteousness of God in him we also say it will not from thence follow that Man can become a Partaker of the Righteousness of God whilst Sin is in Dominion in him For the State spoken of is a State in Christ. Now the Testimony of the Apostle in the very same Chapter Verse the 17th is on this wise If any man be in Christ he is a new Creature old things are past away all things are become new And though this New State was a State wherein Man was Freely Justified by Grace and brought into the glorious Liberty of the Sons of God and was Redeemed from under the Law which consisted in Carnal Ordinances that made not the Comers thereunto Perfect Heb. 7.19 as pertaining unto the Conscience though the bringing in of a better Hope did yet notwithstanding we do not find any ground to believe that the Liberty and Freedom man was thereby brought into was such a State wherein he was not to be subject to a Law Rom.