finite so making either two Righteousnesses of God whose Righteousness is but one or else distinguishing that one into two sorts finite and infinite which is but one in kind viz. infinite and everlasting though dwelling in different degrees in God Christ and the Saints but well maist thou do this whilest thou makest so many Christs as thou didst at the Dispute and hast done since in thy crooked Account thereof I say is not that Everlasting Righteousness of his working in the Saints and bringing near to them Isa. 46.13 as everlasting as infinite as of old and of as infinite value every where as it is any where in that Body of his whereof he is the head as in that Person which was the head of his body Yet T.D. denies it to be of any worth to justifie and affirms it to be but mans own Righteousness which is dung loss and rags procuring no more to him by desert then his wickedness which merits no more then Condemnation and in further evidence of this let thy own words p. 15. and p. 22. be well considered and compared where thou sayest thus T. D p 22. Do you think that the Righteousness which the Apostle calls his own Phil. 3.9 was not Christs Had he any Righteousness which he had not received And yet that Righteousness which was in the Apostl never was in Christ as the subject but was wrought in him by Christ as an efficient cause and Christ had an inherent Righteousness in respect of which he was said to know no sin and to be a Lamb without spot or blâ—mish Are not here then two Righteousnesses And they serve for two different ends the one for our Justification the other for our Sanctification the one gives us a Right to the inheritance of the Saints in Light the other makes us meet for Possession And p. 15 all Our Righteousnesses not our unrighteousnesses onely are as filthy Rags Rep. Oh Rare and Base What Whirle-pools and Whirle-gigg and Whimseyes and Gimcracks are here Compound all this deep Dâ—vinity of T.Ds. together some of which but not all for other some the blackest of his Brethren I believe will blush at is that which others store themselves with by stealth out of the Common standing-stock of Theology which few Divines dare stir a foot from and here is such a manifest Mess of medly such a heap of Hotch-potch as scarce ever crept out so openly upon the Stage before since the world which should be Christs School was by its Disputers and Schollers made their Fencing-School against Christ and his Disciples I shall Segregate the absurdities of this absolute parcel in which else they may by unseen being jumbled together among some undeniable Truths and set them down in their own Colours to the view of all 1. Mark Reader How T. D. divides the Righteousness of Christ inherent in himself and imparted from him to his Saints which who is not so Blear-eyed that every single object seems double to him cannot but say and see is one and the self same into two Righteousnesses one of which though he confesses they are both Christs and wrought by him alone as the efficient was notwithstanding as he sayes never in Christ as the subject at all 2. How these two points hang together as well as things can do that are all to pieces viz. that Paul had no Righteousness which was not Christs and which he had not received from Christ and yet that which he received from Christ Christ never had in himself nor was it ever inherent in him which if it doth not contradict the School Maâ—imâ— which no well skil'd Scholler disowns of Nil dat id quod in se prius non habet vel formaliter vel virtualiter saltem eminenter nothing can give infuse or derive that to another which it first hath not in it self and which resides not in it self as the Subject wherein the same one way or other is or formally or vertually inherent which I 'le not spend time here so nicely or exactly to examine yet I am sure it expresly and egregiously disagrees with those undeniable Testimonies of the Scripture which faith not onely Iohn 3.27 A man can receive nothing that is of God Grace Righteousness c. except it be given him from above but also that in Christ are bid all the Treasures of Wisdom and Knowledge that in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily Col. 2.3 9. That the Spirit of Grace a manifestation of which is given to every man to profit withal according to the measure of the gift of Christ who taketh of his own Glory Grace c. and giveth to his Saints distributing to everyone severally as he will is by the Father given first to him not by measure that his Disciples may also as they do of that fulness which dwells first in him receive of the same in some measure Grace for Grace John 7.16 and 3.34 And this stops that creep-hole whereby T. D. wots he winds himself out p. 37. where he saith Christs Righteousness in the Saints was never formally existent in him as the spirits are in the brain for as the spirits are in the brain and communicated thence to other parts of the body so the Graces of the Spirit are all in Christ the head and communicated to all the Members of his body as truly and formally as the Typical ointment that was poured on Aarons head was communicated from thence to his beard and ran down to the skirts of his clothing 3. Note well how that very Righteousness which was wrought in the Apostle after his Convertion by Christ and received from Christ and so by T. Ds. own confession was Christs is by T. D. first divided off from that Righteousness which was inherent in Christ though it be Christs as well as the other and indeed as undivided from it as Christ who is indivisible is within himself and set apart and aloof from it as quite another us if it were scarce any kin to that that dwelt in Christ the head and not onely so but secondly pacht and packt up into one with Pauls own Righteousness which he gloried in before his Convertion for what Paul calls his own was that he had of old and had left and lost too as dung and loss as much as he once thought it gain before ere he received any from Christ and disgraced and digraded so far below it self and its own true worth and dignity as to be Ranks with Pauls own yea to be made and counted on as no other but his own the self same as he and the wicked Iewes as T.D. sayes p. 21. who were as ignorant as our Priests are of Gods Righteousness went about to establish to their Iustification he makes that Righteousness those good works which by Christ we are enabled to perform no other then Our own good works Our own Righteousness all which as well as our unrighteousness T.D. Beckons but as filthy
Commandements and Traditions of men and of the Pope himself in many things still and yet because they did not so much as he appointed them in matters of more moment but were unclean and wicked refusing to walk in the good old way of the Light which was the way before Moses and the letter was turning away their eare from hearing the Law in the heart which is the light were not only vain but abominable in the very best of their Oblations In Preaching therefore in order to Gods acceptance of us and our good works which are not outward worships where the heart and life are yet defiled but where a new Creature created after his own Image of God in Christ Iesus to good works in his nature and by his Power though in it's own person doth perform them is as an utter exclusion of all your own so no fair In-let to any of the Popish Rubbish will worship meer self service and unprofitable devotion for these being only done by man are neither good nor accepted of God But to Teach and maintain and plead for evil works as necessary to be done while we are in this life and Teach down the doctrine of perfecting holinesse and perfect purging our selves from all uncleannesse of flesh and Spirit while we are here in the body which Paul taught up as a doctrine of devils and to deny the possibility of performing this duty of not sinning and make such a grosse state of sin as that was which David stood in when he was guilty of adultery and murder consistent with Gods acceptance of men and their justification before him and that the Saints as some call them in such a pickle while they are in sin up to the ears even in such a case are not in a condemned but in a justified estate and that if the Saints own heart condemn him and his own conscience tell him that God doth not accept him and that his estate is bad in such a bad sinful case and not good it 's defiled and lyes and testifies falsehood to him and leads him into a wrong opinion of himself and that the Saints may be blessed men as David was having no guile in his spirit but sincere upright after Gods own heart though under the guilt of so grosse and great sins when the Scripture saith the contrary viz that David was upright before God saving in that matter of Vriah wherein indeed his very heart was false and rotten and to affirm to the encouragement of men in their imperfections and infirmityes by which name they stile the Saints grossest iniquities as T.D. does contradictorily to himself in other places that the gospel gives life upon imperfect obedience all which and more ejusdem Farraginis is done and utter'd by T.D. and such as own him therein in the 11.19.45.47 pages of his 1. Pamphlet as they were by word of mouth at the disputes This is to strengthen the hands of the wicked that they cannot return from their wickednesse for how is it possible they should do it when 't is preacht and believed as impossible to be done this is to sow soft pillows under their elbowes that they may sleep on securely in sin and take their rest for its all but infirmity and no inpreachment to his justification nor to his standing accepted and in covenant with God that a Saint does and their 's no condemnation to them that are Saints and in Christ no though they be in transgression in which who is say I is out of Christ and not a Saint and though they walk not after the Spirit as all that are Saints and in Christ Jesus do but after the flesh and in a word a very fair In-let to a very worse matter then that whole mare mortuum of the Popes Beggerly observations even no better a matter then the very whole bundle of the Devils own Bag and Beastly Baggage So then I see not hitherto and am perswaded never shall till I come to see as T.D. does in his floting fancy many things with his eyes shut how any Doctrines of the Qua. even such as they and I hold with any more then what we hold flatly against the Popish Priesthood do either conclude my complyance with them or make any way for the incoming and abiding without its own speedier Ruine of their Romish Baggage or how our parochiall Priesthoods preaching and practice too doth any other then uphold the Butt end thereof and preach their own câ—mplyance with those their Brother Ravens in many matters But T. D's Biggest Bolt and weightest Bullet as he counts at least lyes yet behind and that is our doctrine of good works as needful to that use of our justification before God here he iudges that Omne tulit punctum he hath fully hit the white and that this will do if all the rest die and fallen the fault of favouring and fathering the Popish cause upon me as some Iâ—suit if all the other fail Good works for necessary uses viz to manifest faith to be true to sanctify to make meet for the possession c. T.D. and his Associates in words and doctrinally more then practically maintain as much as any but to maintaine good works not only to the use of our sanctification but our justification and to justify not only deâ—laratively in the sight of men but also formally in the sight of God not only to approve a beleiver but absolve a sinner p. 8. not only to fit for but to give right to the inheritance p. 22. not as concurrent and concomitant only but as cooperative and constitutive together with faith and coincident as a cause in the case of our iustification to let good works be accounted not only Via ad Regnum but also carsa Regnandi as your Scools distinguish yea and further yet to dispute it not in these Terms barely of good works but in these Terms of OUR good works and lastly higher yet to rank them so high in order of causes as not only Instrumental with faith but a deserving or meritorious cause of justification This is notorious yea so grosse and Popish that we may well Rank you thinks he among the Papists p. 58. as at least a bringer in of their Baggage yea now quoth T.D. of me p. 14. you shew your self a rank Papist indeed Rep. Ipse dixit T.D. hath said it who of all those Seers with his eyes in Sandwich or else where who giving heed to him from the least to the greatest saying of him This man is the great Power of God have hiâ— hitherto bewitched with his Simonical Sorceries can do any other then believe it to a Tittle This stroke enters with so deep a dint into the thoughts fancies and faith of many that 't is supposed by some we Qua. shall never be able to lick our selves whole of the deadly wound it brings with it both to the doctrines that we maintain as Truth and to our selves also whom we maintain to be no
Christs Righteousness received from him and wrought by him in us So then the snare is broken and I am escaped which yet is whole enough to hold T. D. fast enough who set it who while I for whom 't was set am set at liberty by himself cannot with all his struggling strain his own neck out of the string whereinto he hath slipt it unawares Sic ves non vohis fertis Aratra Bâ—ves Further yet much more is to be said in proof of it that our being first led by the Spirit of Christ into the Righteousness of his working in us is Antecedent to our Iustification as a meritorious cause of it though considering how slenderly T. D. slides away from what was at the Dispute urged to that purpose even as he sets it down in his own Relation of it p. 15 16. to his own best advantage there were no great need of more if all wereas wise as some are silly to see the strength of what was urged but some are silly and some are willing rather then to own troublesome truths to wink against it and to seem more silly then they are whereupon when I have Examined the inefficacy of T. Ds. returns to it and turned them home in their native nakedness to the shame of him who sent them out I may not unlikely urge somewhat more 1. To this Argument from Gal. 5.18 They who are led of the Spirit are not under the Law therefore being led of the Spirit is a meritorious cause of not being under the Law and so consequently of Iustification or Non-Condemnation by it Thou T.D. Rep'yest That I am very silly myself or take my hearers to be so thinking this to be a proof of my former consequence or that there is any consequence in this Argument whereas first this Argument is urged not so much in proof of my former consequence as entail'd on that but as entire and absolute within it self for as to the proof of the former consequence viz. Contrariorum contraria est Ratio therefore as evil deserve Condemnation so good works Non-Condemnation in proof of which thou sillily sayeth I should have proâ—â— that there 's Par. Ratio for had I prosecuted that I should have proved that there 's Contraria Barro for the merit of the ones and of the other as I have told thee above I say as to that former consequence it had been sufficiently proved before by telling you but that in such a crowd of conference as ye were in among your selves it could not be heeded that as Condemnation and Non-Condemnation of Iustification were Contraries so good works which I said were not those of our own working without Christ for I oft said not by works of Righteousness we have wrong hâ—â— but what Christs works in and by us none of which are imperfect but all truly good and evil works are truly Contraries and so of contrary desert the one being all as truly good as the other truly evils and as for thy saying I am either silly or take my hâ—â—â—ers sâ—toâ— in that I think there 's any consequence in the Argument from Gal. â— 18 I say I did not take my heedless hearers so silly thus but I now take some of them an â—thy self for one to be much more silly then I did at the Dispute not onely by reason of sundry other remarkably silly passages that are in thy Printed Relation thereof but also in that thou thinkest there is no consequence in that Argument for verily wert thou but as solid as thou art silly in this matter or couldst thou but look an inch or two beyond that 18th verse whereon the Argument is grounded thou might'st see of thy self that which is of force sufficient to prove the seâ—â—et for shewing in the verses between the works of the flesh which the Spirit leads out of and the fruits and works of the Spirit which the Spirit leads such into as follow it the Apostle v. 23 adils this viz. against such there is no Law i. e. such works of the Spirit as Love Ioy Peace Goodness Meekness Temperance and such Persons as are by the Spirit led out of the work of the flesh adultery uncleanness laferviousness hatred wrath envyings drunkenness revellings c. and into the other whence to the proving of the Sequel of that Argument in which thou sillity sayest there 's no no consequence I argue If such as are led by the Spirit out of evill into good works are thereupon deservedly not under the Law then their being led by the Spirit who are led by it from under it is the deserving or meritorius cause of their nor being under the Law and so of Iustification But verum prius ergo posterius The Minor which unless thou wilt deny thy Principles its like thou wilt deny is thus proved Those against whom deservedly there is no Law are thereupon deservedly from under the condemning power of it for such is the Râ—gour of the Law that who ere deserves the Condemnation of it till they come not to deserve it first or last shall assuredly feel it But there is no Law deservedly against such as 〈◊〉 not after the flesh into evil but after the Spirit into good works therefore according to that also Rom. 8.1 deservedly no Condemnation For indeed those and no other what ere ye deem to the contrary being deluded by the Devil to the deceiving of your own Souls are truly in Christ Iesus then those that are led by the Spirit which who is led by is led out of evil for it leads into nothing but good those onely are in the Spirit and all the rest in the 〈◊〉 which follow the flesh in its lustings against the Spirit and so under the Law and câ—â—e thought they name the Name of Christ and after him call themselves Christians while they are not departed from iniquity much more while they plead for its continuance under the name of their infiâ—miâ—ies of necessity while they abide in the body yea those and none else are Christs though millions more may conceit themselves his so as to be interessed into the blessings of Peace Life and Iustification by him and Abrahams Seed and heirs according to the Promise and sons of God that are led by the Spirit of God into good works out of evil to live and walk in the Spirit out of the flâ—sh and the fâ—uits thereof out of vain glory envy hypocrisie and all deceit and if any think he is Christs or any other men are Christs so far as to stand justified before God in him before he be sanctified or while he is guilty of such gross evils as David was defil'd with while he was wallowing in the Mire of that matter of Vriah as T. D. guesses David and all Saints are by which name he paints them out as well while they are in such a nasty pickle as when they are wash of impure the Righteousness of Christ without him to himself or
favour freely by his gift of grace yet to be by that same grace begotten also back again to himself from beneath and born from above of his spirit renewing them by a washing of regeneration John 3.3 5. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 T it 3. 5 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Iohn I. 12. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 when Christ is said to be made anything for us or any thing to us which he had the reality of for us and we the Reality of from him respectively and not the meer account and imputation of it onely its express by the same Verb or Root as Iohn I. 14. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The word made flesh and dwells in us Rom I. 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Made of the seed of Abraham born so after the flâ—â—sh so Gal. 4. 4. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gal. 3. 13. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Made of a Woman made under the Law made a curse for us for he had the Reality of our miseries wo and cursednesse but the imputation onely of our iniquitâ—â—s so I Cor. 1. 30. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. He was made unto us of God Wisdom Righteousness Sanctification Redemption not accounted so onely for when he is said to be made sin for us it s spoken by another Verb implying that his being made sin is a kind of making singled off from all the rest for where he is said be in all points like to us sin still is expected Heb. 7. 15. Heb. 2. 14. For as much as the Children were partakes of flesh and blood he took part of the same and where they were partakers of sin he took not part with them in that but only took part of their sorrows and took on him to be a curse to Redeem them from it so 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And thus we are here said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to be made i.e. by a new birth and not a bare naked account by the Righteousness of God in Christ and this is not so as T.D. dreams it is but far otherwise then so as Christ is said to be made sin which is not as T.D. truly says by inhaerent defilement or real Participation of the Serpents seed between which and him there is eternal enmity nor of that sinful nature Image which man was not created in and after but contracted to himself by the fall neither took he upon him that of Angels but he took on him the Seed of Abraham but we who are of Abrahams Faith and not of your meer Adamical fancy are made not computatively onely but inhaerently Righteous before God in him by a Real Participation of his own Divine nature so as whilst bodily in the world to escape the pollution and corruption that 's in the world through lust whereby so far as partaking thereof as naturally to seek the things of Gods Kingdom as ye who as yet are by nature his Children who hath bâ—gotten you to himself from God who made you upright do take care by pleading for sins necessary continuance in you here to uphold the fleshly glory of the Devils Kingdom So that as to that Ridiculous Retort of T.D. to R.H. his Argument whereby from the Vnion between Christ and the Saints who sayes I in them and they in me R.H. concludes that Christ and his Righteousness are in the Saints and which T.D. refels foolishly thus p. 38. T.D. viz. If that Vnion makes us to be the Subjects of what Christ is the Subject because he is in us then I hope it will make Christ the Subject of whatever we are because we are in him and then Christ is a sinner by inhaerent defilement Rep. I say what ere thou hopest I hope no such matter and thy self all whose hopes are yet but vain wilt hope another matter then thou dost when thou once comest to hope truly in Christ Iesus thou hopest it seems at preâ—ent being loath to part with thy sins that thou hast sufficient Union with Christ to thy Iustification while thou art the Subject of nothing but sin and without being the Subject of him within thee or his Righteousness either or else it must follow that he is a sinner and the Subject of thy sin because as thou hopest thou art in him but I tell thee thou hath neither part nor portion in this matter of I in them and they in me to thy Iustification before God nor ever shalt till thou witness thy self as really born into and by a new birth made after his Righteous Image as thou falsly hopest thou art with God counted Righteous for his sake before thou feel him and his Righteous Image Revealed wrought brought forth and formed in thee and as for thy inference of sins being in him because his Saints be in him drawn from our Asserting his Righteousness to be in his Saints because he is in them it s a weak lamâ— and decrepid deduction forasmuch as first his being in them and they in him can neither of them possibly be any sooner nor any further then in such time and measure as the Body of the sins of the â—eth is put off by his circumcision of them to himself without hards that they may be both â—it to dwell in him in whom no sinner while so hath any inheritance or habitation and fitted for him to dwell in being made an holy habitation for him by his Spirit for if any man be in Christ he is a new creature old things are past away all things become new though ye old creatures as far as your thoughts can thrust you and as far as your meer imagining of your selves to be in him when ye aâ—e not can let you in who will needs be intruding yourselves into him impudently before your time And if any man be in Christ Iesus in whom to them that are in him there is no condemnation he must be out of the transgressions to the least of which the condemnation is till it be condemned as well away from as in his flâ—sh and must walk not after the flesh but after the Spirit and again if Christ the Lord come into any man as his Temple the sinner cannot abide the day of his comming nor stand at his appearing Mal. 3.1.2.3 But the Refiners fire and the fullers sope passes before him even the Spirit of judgement and burning to purge away the drosse and tin throwly and wash away all the flesh and blood Isa. 4.4 Yea if ever Christ be in you the Body is dead because of sin the spirit is life because of righteousness Rom. 8.1.10 And assuredly both Christs being in his Saints and they in him were neither of them intended of God to that end that in such wise as they of righteousnesse by him so he should be the Subject of inherent sin but both one and t'other to one and the same cleane contrary end and purpose
the Spirit by such as lived and walked in the Spirit and were in all they did led by the Spirit to some private Christians about some worldly Affairs as that of Paul to Philemon Some by Chief Captains to their Presidents and by Presidents to their Princes about Prisoners and Tumults and divers other sorts of passages So that as written in the Spirit the Holy Scriptures may be said to be Homogeneous Writings all of one kind but in respect of the several businesses written of therein they are at Heterogeneous I a body or bulk of as various Writings as any extant in the World-besides them Now by the Scriptures I mean these Writings that contain the matters abovesaid and many more and not the matters themselves therein contained And if thou mean by the Scriptures any other things then the Scriptures themselves as like a Reed shaken with the wind thou seemest sometimes to do and again sometimes not to do and which things the Scriptures are not or by any other things which are not the Scriptures when thou speakest of them viz. the Law Word of God the spiritual Light c. meanest the Scripture as sure enough thou dost well-nigh throughout thy confused discourses and disputations about it then thy meanings are too mean to be any otherwise at all then meanly accounted on among any that mean honestly and plainly and know the Truth as it is in Jesus By us when we talk of the Scriptures to use thy own words onely vice versa Ex. 1. Sect. 26. non sanctissima ista veritas seu materia Scripturarium sed scriptura formaliter considerata intenditur honestly and plainly we intend that onely which is so even the form of writing it self and not the matter or holy truths of the Scripture the Scripturam and not the Scriptum or at most the Litteram Scriptam not the rem scriptam not the Verbum Scriptum the Declaration and not the Doctrine declared the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the letter in the oldnesse of which thou art yet serving who knowest not the newness of the spirit the Scripture or Writings of the Prophecy and not the Prophesie of or contained in the writing nor the Prophetical VVord the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the writing for so the word is there translated truly 2 Chron. chapter 21. not the VVord Written or word of Prophesie that came to Elijah and was sent in a Writing to the King which thou falsly sayest p. 12. that Hebrew word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is used for in that Text and every wise man that is truly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 especially in a dispute where the Question is whether the writing of the Word of God be the Word of God Written of or no while sub judice lis est will till the thing in debate one way or other be clearly determined remember still to keep these two things as two asunder So thou dost thy self while thou art well in thy wits witness thy words above cited by myself Ex. 1. S. 28. where thou puttest a plain difference between the Scripture it self formally considered and the most Holy Truth or matter therein delivered yea when ever thou keepest in any measure of sober-mindednesse thou keep'st these two as distinct in thy discourse as the two sticks of Iudah and Ioseph Ezek. 37 19 17. that were superscribed with two several superscriptions vouchsafing to each its own proper name and not communicating the name of either unto the other but clearly dividing between them so as that any one may see thou thy self dost not believe one of them to be the other nor yet darest affirm them to be Synonymous witness p. 12 13. where thou makest them two and writest of one of them all along as in contradistinction to the other in these Terms viz. not the Doctrine in it but the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it self The Providence of God no lesse concerned in the preservation of the writings then the Doctrine contained in them the Writing it self being the product of his Counsel for the preservation of his Doctrine Satan hath no lesse raged against the Book then against the Truth contained in it it was no lesse crime of old to be Traditor libri then to be Abnegator fidel which sour last Assertions of thine though they are all four false tales for Providence is not so much concerned to preserve the Writings as the Doctrine neither is the Writing so necessary for the preserving of the Doctrine that as thou there hintest it must it must needs perish if the Writings perish for it was before them and may be without them and will be after them Neither thirdly is the malice of Satan so much against the Book called the Bible as against the Doctrine of the truth for he is willing to let hypocrites alone long enough to carry gaudy Bibles under their arms so be they serve him and abide not in Christs Doctrine nor in the Truth the Scripture tells of neither 4ly is it or ever was it so great a Crime to betray the Book called the Bible as to deny the Faith and the Word of Faith therein written of for the Book is not worth a Pin as to salvation without the Faith but the Faith is sufficient thereto without the Book and was so before the Book was witnesse the Worthies from Abel to Moses whose sufficient faith is written of Heb. 11. and would be if the Pope and the Devils rage should reach so far as to burn all the Bibles in the World so here 's four utter untruths asserted together neverthelesse as they are Tru-lies yet are they true enough to serve the truth I here summon them in proof of viz. that thou thy self who countest it as bad not to be as trusty to the Bible as to the Truth that 's in it as it is to betray the Truth and deny the Faith dost deny the Book or Scripture the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or the Writing to be one and the same with the Faith Truth and Doctrine or the Doctrine to be the Writing or that these can truly be denominated each of other I say then that here being more sober minded as to thy discerning between the writing and the written verity though drunk enough elsewise to lay so many lyes or at least so many tales that are not true upon the top one of another in so small a space as one short Section thou art freely willing fairly to distinguish them into two Yea further yet that thou dost not judge these two to be one it may appear plainly to thy self or any that are free to peruse the places in the 16. and 17. Sections of the same first Chapter for if thou didst then in the enjoyment of the one thou wouldest be satisfied as
and iota of it must bear not only the true for so it may every point and iota line and letter being Scripture as well as a whole page but the very false fictitious name and nature of the whole for thus J.O. makes the whole Scripture no more as well as no less than the Word of God and no less then so even then the Word of God for had he said each tittle is Scripture I should have excused him doth he aver every tittle and iota of the Scripture to be pag. 168 169. pag. 27. Every Apex of the written word i.e. writing with him is equally divine and as immediately from God as the voice wherewith and whereby he spake to or in the Prophets and is therefore accompanied with the same Authority which Authority with him is that of commanding the name of God as his word pag 34 34 36. in its self and unto us who if he can tell me how much sense or prove to me that there is any sound sense true Doctrine comprized commanded or taught in one tittle or iota much more that every transcribed tittle and iota of it is as he there affirms the Word of the great God though I yet say as he sayes of what he cannot beleeve credat Apella yet he however Erit mihi magus Apollo Yet for every not to say Tittittle but Tittle and little 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in it is he so loud that he labours and looks to be heard and heeded as far off as beyond Sea by Capellus and other Divines against whom he tiresomely talks about trivial matters not contented with the Truths of Doctrine contained without every Apex tittle and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of what ever was in the Text be assured and secured unto him any of which yet if happily they are lost as all the individual immediate first Manuscripts are wholly by his own confession I know no body will spare so much time or trouble themselves to take so much pains as to look them up for him Yea oh the infinity of I. O's fightings with his fellow Protestant as well as Popish Divines for the foresaid flim flams and forms of outward Scripture in that second Treatise of his or manifold Tale of a Tub without any bottome save the sandy ground and fickle foundation of forgeries fables humane fallible perswasions uncertain conjectures and on his own side his own thoughts conjecture and apprehensions as his own self therein abundantly confessnes into which but for service-sake to the truth and that I may shew the Seers how dim-sighted they are and the World what a Wood and Wildernesse of meer imaginations her Leaders are wandering and erring up and down in it even loaths me to look into it and but that I know the end of it be no worse then this as the Proverb is That when Thieves fall out among themselves true men are the likelier to come by their goods again it would more troubâ—e and terrifie me then it does to behold as every one may that reads there and does not to use J. O.'s own phrase in it p. 275. dream pleasantly while he is awake how the Divines are divided about the ground they stand on like children crying out and tearing themselves to pieces about their shreds and shels and pins and Points and counters for want of insight into better materials and into the inside thereof are twatling away their time to learn in about the gawdy outside of their Horn-Books and Primers and brawling about the back side of their Bibles treating out their thoughts in tittle-tattles to each other about Titles of Books and Tâ—â—â—'â—â— and Iota's Hebrew Points Punctations Accents Vowels Dipthongs â—abbincal unical and other sorts of Letters Pronounciations Acute Apert double and simple sounds as Ai Ay Pay Day How Now Rout Stout Eat Meat Pull Cut Boy Toy All Tale Thy My Thine Thin Go To Vse Vs Law Draw Title Tittle and such like tittle-tattles and simple sounds as So No J. O.'s and T. D's simple sounds throughout their Books various Lections to Kiries and to Ketibs Lexicons Original Copies Transcriptions Translations Oral Traditions Tomes Talmuds Babylonish Targums Paraphrases Greek Syriack Arabick Aethiopick Complutensian Franciscus Pratensis and Bombergius his Bibles Genealogies Chronologies Commentaries Alcorans Gemaraes Mishnaes Massereas Hammasoreths Euchiridions Apologies Appendices Prolegomenaes Biblia Poly Glottaes Councils Fathers Doctors and modern Authors Rabbies School-men Casuits Grammarians Turkish Iewish and Heatbenish Writers Massorites Cabalists and other Rabbins and a huge heap more of such Massie-men and their voluminous Handy-works wherewith our men call'd Ministers are ever mudling and hampering themselves and each others minds and out of which more then out of the Scriptures themselves they so scribble scrabble and scramble about and much more then out of the Light and Spirit the Letter sprang from the vast Body and big bundle of their Atheo-theology is composed about which yet nor yet about the Standard of their own owning and their fore-fathers authorizing they can never accord but are ever snarling and concurring as dogs together by the ears among themselves and though their thoughts are so various that theres Quot homines tot sententiae as many minds as men yet every one is crouding his own erude and self-created conjectural cogitations as very Oracle on all the rest and crying up his own incongruous Conclusions as cogent and clear as the clearest demonstrations in the world And howbeit it befalls me in submission to God's will who hath laid it on me against my own to take so much notice of that notable non-such piece of uncertain Discourse of I. O.'s about the various Lections and pedling Punctations of the Hebrew Text in all which his clack is carried to and fro by perplexing contradicting conjectures in the high road of Forgeries and Fables then which in nothing quoth I.O. p. 264. hath the world been more cheated And round about in the sphere of rational humane fallible perswasions and the sandy-heap of uncertainties and incertainty it self p. 181.218.222.227 as to make some Animadversions on some Contradictions and odd Expressions and Absurdities apparently thick and threefold in it Yet I take so much heed to my self as not much to interest my self or any thing of mine into that inconclusible Controversie and endlesse Entercourse which I see I.O. and others are there engaged in in the looseness of which a man may as I. O. does sooner loose himself then find the Truth And seeing as thou saist in another case p. 343. it is to no purpose to go over all such observations as might be made of things that are false foolish frivolous and absurd that are therein if any man hath as thou saist and as it seems to me hast a mind to be led out of the way he may do well to attend unto them I shall no further then to lead men out from attending to the Toyishness of them Nor shall I bring my self down
uncontroleablely as he doth even to blinde and obstinate persisting in it for Ex. 3. s. 40. where hee infers the Qua. urging against his Letters being the only most perfect Rule on the behalf of the Spirit hee sayes thus J Oj. Ob Scriptuâ—a est litera mortua spiritus vivificat quis literae mortua nisi ipsâ— fiâ— mortuus adhaerere velit the Scripture is a dead letter it s the spirit that quickneth who but he that 's dead himself will look for life from a dead letter Rep. Falsissima est ista assertio scriptura est verbam Dei quod vivum est efficax neque uspiam litera esse mortua dicitur occidit quidem sed ido viva est That is a most false Assertion the scripture is that Word of God which is living and powerful Heb. 4.12 Neither is the Letter any where at all said to bee dead Reply Verumne Itane Ocyus adsit huc aliquis is it so I.O. that the Letter is no where called dead what no where nec clam nec cum scrobe nusquam hic tamen infodiam Some honest body come hither a little and let us dig up and dive a little deeper into I.Os. own Divinity doings to see if wee cannot finde it so called there by his own self if that be the same I.O. as no doubt it is that wrote the two English Treatises and the blinde Latine Theses about Scriptures in his own book for the Bible which may be cogent to him however in the 237. page thereof vici vidi ipse libelle I finde I.O. himself saying thus of the Letter yea and of the Word too and that is more I dare say then any Qua. dare say that they are both dead without the Spirit as living perfect in all respects efficacious to accomplish all as the Scripture was Ex. 3. s. 28 29. so that there is no need of any other revelation by the Spirit and Light within but those all are uncertain vain useless detestable c. Now t is without the Spirit a dead letter yea the Word is so too with I.O. as if the Word of God and Christ which is Spirit and life was sometimes dis-joyned from the Spirit Take it in his own terms then Reader lest thou think I wrong him all this while The Jews enjoyed the Letter of the Scripture as they do at this day yea they receive it with the honour and veneration due to God Their possession of it is not accompanied with the administration of the Spirit without which as we see in the instance of themselves the Word is a dead letter of no efficacy for the good of souls They have the Letter amongst them as sometimes they had the Ark in battel against the Philistines for their further ruine Here needs no more illustration of this palpable contradiction â—hâ—t I.O. gives to himself t were to suppose men that read his book to be Idiots to shew it more to their sight then it shews it self so with his own in operâ— langâ— obrepsit somnus I shall quit it here but not acquit it quite till he acquits the truth he quarrels with Only as to his occidit quidem ideo viva est the Letter kills for this he cannot deny being the Letters testimony of it self only he concludes as he is wont to do the clean contrary way therefore its living I 1. deny his consequence for many things are said to kill as dead instruments used by living Agents as a Knife a Dagger a Sword which when they have so done as in that subordinate way of an instrument cannot quicken though I own the Letter as healable and honourable an instrument as any is in the hands of men when they are used and moved to use it as an instrument in the hands of God yet as dead a thing as applied by the stealers of it in these times as it was in the mouthes of the old Theevish Prophets of whom God said They shall not profit people at all Jer. 23. And as to I Os. labouring to lick himself whole of this with his litera occidit quatenus litera legis est ab Evangelio seperata quatenus à spiritu verâ— sensu voluntatis Dei destituuntur qui literae adhaerent quae judaeorum conditio fuit contra quoâ— eo loci disputat Apostolus The Letter kills as 't is the letter of the Law and separate from the Gospel and as they are destitute of the Spirit and true sense of Gods will who adhere to the Letter which was the Jews condition against whom the Apostle there disputes Rep. I say Mutato nomine de te fabula c. the self-same is to be said of your selves against whom we dispute since your condition is the same with that of the Iews if once ye would savingly come to see it for liâ—era legis the letter of the Law is but the Old Testament still and not the Gospel and the New which is spirit and life and a life-giving Light to them that according to the call thereof will take heed to the light for life and while you not taking heed to the light for life adhere to the Letter so as yee doe when receiving it with veneration due to God yee fight against the light and spirit within for the sake of it of the Spirit and true discerning of the minde and will of God declared in the Letter and revealed in the light ye are ignorant taliter if not totaliter and as uttely destitute as were the Iews And now as to that Text which remains yet with one more to bee touched on viz. Psal 119.105 Thy Word is a light to my feet and a lamp to my paths which thou also appliest to the Letter as the light and lamp there spoken of and upon that account from that and many more as little to thy purpose and as much to ours as that is lettest out thy minde into a long peece of dark prate about the Letters being the most glorious light in the world as if it were that in Ioh. 3 19. which is not the Letter but the measure of the light come from Christ into all mens consciences almost throughout the fourth Chapter of thy first Treatise I must here have a little parley with thee about that and the other places thou producest which are all parallel with it against thy self and so hasten on what I can towards an end as one more grieved sick and weary in my spirit to see thy confusions then by the power of God upon me bearing me up under the else unsupportable burden of it I am in either body or spirit with confounding them Those other Texts are Iob 24. They are of those that rebel against the light they know not the way nor abide in the paths thereof Psal. 19.8 9. The Commandement of the Lord is pure in lightning the eyes Psal. 119.130 The entrance of thy words giveth light Prov. 6.23 The Commandement is a lamp and
is not shewed by any thing but it self and rectum is ever mensura sui obliqui that which is infallibly right is the Rule and measure of manifestation of it self and of all the wrong and not retro any wrong darke crooked doubtful or fallible thing the Rule of that so the Spirit and Light of God by and from which and that but remotely too through mens hands the Letter had at first and now through fallible mens hands hath all its being is the Rule of trial for it self and of the Letter and of all false Spirits Prophets Doctrines c. yea it self and all things are made manifest by the Light whether approveable or reprovable works of flesh or fruits of the Spirit as the Letter sayes of it Gal. 5. Eph. 5. yea what ever doth make manifest as the Letter never doth or can without the Light and the Light doth often and did thousands of years without the Letter and before it was it is the Light And if any other should yet of all men I.O. cannot charge this on me as an Idem per Idem to say by the Spirit of God and the Light alone we must Try the true Light and Spirit and the false Spirits and pretences to the names of Light also for I say no more in it then the truth of the true light and spirit which himself sayes most falsely of the Letter when p. 51. he asserts it to be the Rule and Standard the Touchstone of all speakings whatsoever that that must speak alone for itself which must try the speaking of all but it self yea it s own also I.Os. 6. Argument to prove the Scripture and nothing else the only most perfect Rule and Standard is this viz. Ea omnia quae examinari probari debent c. All those things which ought to be examined and tried yea which we are commanded to try tanquam ad lydium lapidem as 't were by some infallible Touchstone by the Scripture whether they are true and agreeable to divine verity or not with free liberty yea absâ—lute necessity of rejecting them if not consentaneous to Scriptures those neither apart nor joyntly considered can be the Rules or Directories of Gods worship our faith and obedience nor are upon their own account at all to be credited But all Revelations Visions Spirits Dreams Enthusiasms we are commanded so to try examine and prove Therefore those are no Rules that are of themselves to be credited Rep. That Argument the minor of which is most false and supposes that infallible Spirit of God to bee now subjected as some underling to a fallible Letter now transcribed by weak men is founded on this Text 1 Iob. 4.1 and two more only beside those above spoken to viz. 1 Cor. 14.21 and 1 Thess. 5.21 The first of which I know nor why I.O. cites it it proving nothing to his purpose because Paul there quotes a Text out of the Law or Letter saying In the Law it s written with men of other tongues and lips will I speak to this people i.e. to the Drunkards of Ephraim yet they will not hear which first part hath not a tittle for him but the latter part of it much more against him then he is ware of being not wise enough well to weigh it And the second Text with the two verses before viz. Quench not the Spirit despise not Prophesyings prove all things rather against him that the Spirit which is there mentioned and not the Letter at all is that by which all things are to be proved What is said above to that Text in Iohn shall as well it may stand as answer to the said sixth Argument with this only addition that if we must go to the Scripture for the trial of all spirits even Gods as well as others then le ts go no further at first however then that in hand which tells us that the true Church who is written to in that verse wherein nor in any about it there 's not the least hint about the Letter had a secret taken whereby to know the Spirit of truth and the Spirit of errour versâ— 6. which the world and its Priests and people have not vers 2â— Every Spirit quoth he that confesseth Iesus Christ to be come in the flesh is of God and every Spirit that confesseth not this is not of God and this is the Spirit of Antichrist whereof ye have heard it should come and even now is iâ— already in the world Riddle me I. O. if it be within thy reach and from thence tell me which are the true which the false Spirits which Christs and Gods which Antichrists they that confess Christ Jesus to be come in the flesh as the â—uardo or they that deny the Saviour the Anointed to be come in the flesh as from the Pope to the least outside or nominal Christian and meer literal beleiver and professor among the most reformed Protestants save they who beleeve and live in the internal light and Spirit with one accord all do Looking at talking of belâ—eving the History of expecting justification sanctification righteousness salvation all from Christ only as he was made a man of outwaâ—d flesh and blood without them And if I. O. say in vindication of himself in this that that is the confession of Jesus Christ to be come in flesh which every spirit that makes is of God to beleeve the story of the Incarnation Life Suffering Death Resurrection c that is all truly related in the Letter without as 't was done in a figure of what was to be further and more spiritually and mystically transacted in his true body the Church whereof he is the head with a confident application of him and of the benefit of all the righteousness he did in that person by every man to himself as by way of computation and imputation before he hath it indeed imparted or conveyed into himself for this is T.Ds. and the whole brood of the back side beleevers and the Bastard Christians saith and confession of Christ to be come in the fleâ—h on the account of which they hope they are of God and shall be saved though they are far from witnessing or confessing the same Christ who is the Wisdome Righteousness Light Power Salvation and Image of God to be begotten conceived formed born brought serth incarnated risen from the dead living and dwelling within themselves where he hath lyen slain as an innocent Lamb from the foundation of the world in their hearts which therefore is to perish with the lust thereof which inward witness of the Words incarnation and dwelling in themselves they that were of God of old had Iob. 1.14 The Word was made flesh and dwels in us and we saw his glory and all now have who are of God and have not the vain hope of the hypocrite only which is as the giving up the Ghost when God comes to take aâ—â—y his soul Job but that hope 1 Iob. 3.3 which is
Spirits and ye also shall beare witnesse saith he putting a difference between his Disciples testimony by the Spirit and that of the Spirit by it self for that of the Spirit is the Word it self that is testified to by inspired men whether in writing or speaking and not the writing or the speaking it selfe The Word I say put by the Spirit into mens mindes and into their mouthes which Word is promised to abide with his for ever and so saith I. O. many times over in his Book repeating that Scripture and putting almost the whole stresse of his ill cause upon it and bringing it in the folly and blindnesse of his minde to prove the letter by the promise of God himself of necessity to remaine inviolated inalterable and uncorrupted for ever whereas the Spirit speaks it not of the letter at all but of the Word which should be put into his peoples mouth Isa. 59.21 The Word which I put into thy mouth shall not depart from thy mouth nor the mouth of thy seeds seed from henceforth and for ever which strengthens what I have now in hand to prove i.e. the continuance of the Spirits immediate movings of God people under the Gospel more or lesse even for ever And doth not Christ also say Mat. 28.20 to his Disciples and in them to his Church which is a successive body and not simultaneous nor appearing wholly in this world at nor altogether at one time Lo I am with you alwayes even to the end of the world and if there have been a time of more darknesse then ordinary even to his own by reason of Christs absence and the Devils presence in the world yet more or lesse to his own which are those that own him and heed his voice he hath ever appeared but however as his promise was to be with his more or lesse to the end so at the end his promise is to be by his Spirit more with them then ever I will saith he speaking of his returne after the mournfull time of his absence who is the Bridegroom from the Bride see you againe and your heart shall rejoyce as a woman when her houre of travel is over having no more remembrance of her sorrow because a man child is borne unto her and into the world and your joy shall no man take away so that in these dayes we may expect more then ever was enjoyed before the glory of the second Temple being to be greater then that of the first which was trodden down more pourings out of the Spirit then the primitive ages had these being the dayes wherein refreshment is to break forth from the face of the Father wherein he will send Act. 3.19 20 21 22 23 to his Church Iesus his Son who hath withdrawn and retired and been retained in the heavens till these times who so readeth this let him understand which are the times of the restitution of all things that ever haue been out of order and of his people since they ran astray from God which have been spoken of by the mouth of all his holy Prophets since the world began Why then sayest thou while the infallible spirit continued his guidance as if after he should come he was to go suddenly quite away again of whom Christ while present in flesh saith he was after his passing hence to come and to continue in and with his people Mat. 28. throughout all ages in all which ages he had people and a seed as in Eliahs time Rom. 9.27 29. and a remnant though small and unseen Rom. 11.4 left trodden under foot by the outward Israel that held the outward Court which were as the sand of the Sea for multitude even to the end Iohn 14.25 26. What did the promise of Christ fail to his own because of the worlds unbelief and did he leave them to be guided by the Prince of this world that was to come and by his blind guides to guide and govern the world and have his kingdome in it a while and was his own seed which never consents to any iniquity but condemnes it given up by God because the seed of evil doers was to be guided by the spirit of the God of this world that totally blinded some from looking at the light and by the man of Sinne and Son of Perdition to be strongly deluded to damnation by the mystery of his iniquity who was Permitted indeed to withhold and hinder and let not a little till he should be taken away but after That wicked should be revealed in his time was not the Lord to be revealed again in his time which is the principall and most proper and seasonable opportunity for Christ to appeare in his Spirit and shew himself in 1 Tim. 16.15 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in its proper times And was he not to conjure the other lying spirit with the spirit of his mouth which is not the letter that declares of the Word but the living Word it self which opens the Letter also the sword of his mouth put then into the mouth of his seed as aforesaid yea into the mouths of very Babes to the stilling of the enemy and avenger and to destroy it with the brightnesse of his coming What Spirit was to take the guidance of his people if his own infallible spirit were not to continue with them for ever or would he deprive them of the presence of his infallible spirit in their hearts and place it without in the fallible Letter so that if ever they would see or speak with his spirit they must look for him and hear what he testifieth there onely so I. O. talkes T. 1. c. 5. and must go forth and talk with him there onely i.e. without but not within he being gone forth from his dwelling in the hearts of his people now to dwell in the Letter onely and minded there and no where else to be spoken with And why sayest thou while the infallible spirit of God continued his guidance in an extraordinary manner And again T. 2. C. 5. S. 1. the infallible direction of the spirit of God Hath God any other then that infallible spirit and if he meant to direct his people at all by his spirit in the dismal times that were to come must it it not be by that infallible spirit continuing his infallible which thou callest extraordinary guidance and direction or else by none at all Or hath God two spirits to direct his own by at sundry times one extraordinary and infallible the other fallible and ordinary and hath that nfallible spirit of his two kinds of guidances and directions one extraordinary and infallible the other fallible and ordinary which extraordinary and infallible spirit and his extraordinary and fallible guidance was to continue with them but a while it being for high and holy and extraordinary dayes and times the ordinary and fallible for more ordinary and lower dayes and times as that the presence of which may as well serve the
same rule thereof Phil. 3. Galat. 6 Walk they not in the same spirit walk they not in the same steps which that Spirit of God in them treads out for them Have they not that Spirit of Christ And if any man have it not for his Guide Leader Governour in all he doth as well as his Comforter is he Christs He that hath it not dwelling in him infallibly directing divinely inspiring him is he Christs Do not all that are in Christ Iesus to whom there is no condemnation all save such as go condemned in themselves to whom there is nothing but condemnation from God walk not after the flesh but after the spirit Do they not live in the Spirit walk in the Spirit pray in the Spirit sing in the Spirit serve in the Spirit and not in the Letter minister every one as of the ability God giveth from the Spirit not barely from the Letter And so though they may use the very words that are Letter and be well read in the Letter and quote the Letter as Christ did and the Prophets and Apostles did the outward writings one of another and by the Spirit be guided to utter the same words verbatim See Isa. 2. Mic. 4. and be mightier in the Letter then those that are Ministers of no more then the Letter yet are Ministers not of the Letter but the Spirit Are they as well as the Spirit is in them not in the Flesh but in the Spirit Are not all that are not in the night and in the darknesse and the children thereof but the children of the day of the light which is the Lords day in in the Spirit Rev. 1.10 Do they not by the Spirit mortifie the deeds of the body Are they after the flesh Come they not by walking in the Spirit not to fulfill the lusts of the Flesh but to crucifie the flesh with the affections and lusts thereof Doth not the Spirit of God in them I ust against the flesh Doth not the law of the spirit of Life which is by Christ Jesus deliver them that follow it from the law of Sin and Death that they were once captivated by Doth not the Spirit quicken and give them life Doth it not help their infirmities pray in them with sighs and greanes and because they know not how to aske any thing as they ought doth it not make intercession for them according to God Are they not born of the Spirit and after the Spirit Doth not the Spirit of God bear witnesse to their spirit that are his children that they are so Doth it not reveale the great things of God and by that revelation make them know the things that are freely given them of God Is it not the unction from the holy one whereby they know all the things the Anoynting which was the Canon or Rule of the Saints from the beginning before any Letter was which is truth and is no lye which if they quench not grieve not let it not but let it abide and remain in them will teach them infallibly of all things so that they shall not need that any man teach them and which they abiding in the Doctrine or teaching of do not erre as the wicked world thinks they do but continue in the Son and in the Father Are they not led by it from under the Law and out of the Letter up into the life which the Letter speaks of but it self onely giveth out of the works of the flesh which in and by the light are manifest into the fruits that it self brings forth Doth it not bring all things to the remembrance of such as are led by it as all the Sons of God are that ever Christ spake Doth it not guide all such into all truth and onely into truth and not into any falshood delusion or deceit Doth it not take of Christs and shew it unto them Doth God do all this first or last more or less for all his people and doth none of all this amount to so much as the motion of the Spirit or divine inspiration Are there no spirituall men now in the world and is not every spiritual man a Prophet or more then a Prophet for though all in the Church are not Prophets on such a score and in so high a rank as thou reckonest on i.e. such as have witnessed a sending forth abroad on some service to others the service of some lying yet nearer home and in present reference onely to themselves some like the Sons of the Prophets at Iericho and Bethel 2 Kings 2.2 Kings 6. being yet under the Schoolmaster that leads to Christ in their nonage going as it were to schoole not at Athens nor yet at Oxford nor Cambridge where the Schools are not like that of theirs neither is the waiting in order to the Ministry like that of the Sons of the Prophets at Iericho but rather like that of those to whom it was said tarry at Iericho till your beards be growne which injunction many of our Iunior Academicall Students do not keep neither for howbeit Barbá non facit Philosophâ—m nec cucullus Monachum much lesse do either of these make Ministrum Christi yet severall of them if a good Living can be had before do not abide so long as till they be Masters of either beard or hood but are ready to run out with the shells on their heads and to hasten into their humane work of Prophesie before that time But at Bethel i.e. the house of the Lord waiting at the gates of wisdome it self and watching daily at the posts of her house taking councel at the mouth of God out of which onely cometh knowledge and understanding learning of him in silence with all subjection to his will as in the light it is manifest concerning themselves first in the particular purging their own persons first from youthfull and noysom lusts that they may go forth if the Lord please to send them and say go as Vessels of honour sanctified and fitted for the Masters use and prepared to every good work tarrying at Ierusalem till they he indued with power from on high till of carnall Babes in Christ as they are at first walking as other men having a remainder of strife and such divisions as are seen in children they may proceed Men indeed skilfull in the work of righteousnesse having their senses exercised to discern both good and evil and commence Masters not of Arts but over their own hearts and spiritual or Prophets which are intimated to be all one by the Apostle in the same Epistle wherein he saith some are yet but babes and in a measure carnal and all are not yet spiritual nor Prophets 1 Corinth 3.1 2,3 1 Corinth 12.29 1 Cor. 4.37 yet all to covet the gift of Prophecy as the best of Spirituall Gifts yet inferiour in excellency to that way of love Though then I say all be not Prophets yet all spiritual ones are prophets or more then Prophets and
to pay his Creditor 20l. should never pay it him upon the pretence of an impossibility to perform his promise if he do once pay the mony I must ever owe him the monâ—y and stand engaged to endeavour to pay it therefore unlesse I make my selfe uncapable of performing my promise which I am alwayes mindfull of performing I must never actually pay it But now as to T. D's place who would it seems willingly be alwayes in Gods debt during his life but never come out of it till after death ever owing so much love as fulfills the Law but never practising it so as to fulfill the Law I must arrest him for all his shift and deny the minor of his Argument We are not required to be alwayes doing or endeavoring to suppre is and mortify sin so as never to bring the work to accomplishment in th ss life but once to effect it before we dye for As they are blamed that are over learning and never able to come to the knowledg of the Truth So are they as little accepted that are allwayes seeking to God dayly in pretence as a Nation that had a mind to do Righteousness asking of him the Ordinances of Iustice seeming to take delight in approaching to God that they might know his wayes alwayes when the appointed time comes Fasting and Praying humbling and afflicting their Souls for a day and hanging down their heads as a Bullrush thinking that to be a Fast of the Lords chusing and the acceptable day of the Lord yet never loosing the bands of wickednesse nor undoing the heavy burden nor breaking every yoak nor letting the oppressed Seed of God in their own hearts nor without neither go free ever and anon fasting for sin never from it ever reforming never reformed ever running never obtaining alwayes making a shew of mortifying sin never making any true effectuall mortification of it ever warring never overcoming nor quenching the fiery darts of the wicked nor dislodging the vain thoughts that are in them nor coming to the end of the Commandement which is love from a pure heart good conscience and faith unfamed allwayes beating the aire but never keeping under the body nor bringing it into subjection to the power of Truth ever owing that love which works no ill but fulfills the Law never performing any thing but that hatred which breaks the law debtors alwayes to the Spirit but living after the flesh and never by the Spirit mortifying the deeds of the body that they may live to God such sluggardly wishers and wouldens and seekers and respecters and pretenders and striuers and runners fighters reformers and mortifiers will be cast away at length for all their constant endeavours sith they do not so much as look to overtake what they run after nor reach the high prize they professe to presse to in this life which if they do not themselves say also t is to late to effect and obtaine it after death But Qui cupit optatam cursu contingere metam Multa tulit fecitque puer sintavit alsit 'T is good for a man to bear Christs Yoak in his youth sith the Soul of the sluggard desireth and hath nothing but the Soul of the diligent shall be made far As for the residue of T. Ds. reply to the argument above as some of it has bin toucht on before so what was not is scarce worth mentioning He tells us v. 6. which talks of respect to all Gods Commands explaines all the other Rep. T. D. sayes so but wher 's his proof beside if it be so a true real respect though such a slender one as he rests in does not stands in a due and true observation of them is he worthy to be respected as a true respecter of Gods Commandements that breaks them T.D. David excludes himself from the blessed Estate if undefiled and doing no iniquity be meant strictly here sith his wish v. 5. and other passages shew he was not free from sin which surely David did not intend because Psal. 32.2.5 he pronounces blessednesse to the man in whose Spirit is no guile who is sincere as himself was at that time though then under the guilt as is supposed by interpreters of his great sin of murder and adultery for which Psal. 51. was composed Rep. 1st some of this dirty stuff I spoke to but a little before the falsehood of which is evident for whereas the Scripture sayes David was not upright in the matter of Uriah T.D. sayes yea he was sincere and had no guile in his Spirit when under the guilt of those great sins 2d as to the rest what if David did exclude himself If he were under those great evills he might well exclude himself from the blessednesse of sincere ones till he came into the sense of Gods Love again to repentance while he pronounced the undefiled ones blessed that did no such iniquity he had reason to take the curse as his own portion to himself and to cry out of himself Talaiporos Anthroyos O wretched man that I am more deservedly then Paul who though in zeal of God shedding blood yet was 't is like never such a deep Adulterer and deliberate Murderer as David was in Vriahs case and as God said to Israel Hos 9.1 so might David say to himself rejoyce not thou as other honest people for thou aâ—t gone a who â—ing from thy God and if that were his case as thou intimatest it was wherein he was so desperately defiled with filth and blind he might well exclude himself from it having no reason to take to himself the blessing of the undefiled or whether he excluded himself or no from it this I am sure for all thy foolish dreams about Davids good Condition Iustification Blessednesse and Vprightness whilst under the guilt of those sordid Iniquities that the Scripture excludes him in that case so far from blessednesse that it concludes him neither upright as thou simply dost not so much as a respecter of Gods Commands which at least thou dorest he was even when he called that all abomination whiles thou Judg him as Indeed thou doest to have respect to Gods commandments that despises both God and him for 2 Sam. 12. as much as thou smoothest over those abominable businesses the better to sooth thy self and some sinful Saints like thy self in your lusts and iniquities as no more then Saints infirmities who have respect to all Gods Commandemets in respect of design and indeavour though falling short in accomplishing yet when Nathan came to him well-nigh a year after he had lyen in that dirty pickle in impenitency under the guilt of those gross impieties he is so far from sowing pillows and daubing with such untempered morter as thou dost and from including him in the lists of sincerity and owning him as one that had respect to all Gods Commands that he convinces him of his wicked hypocrisies and condemns him as one that had despised both God himself and
the deeds of darknesse which are sin For the light and Spirit lead none into sin But there be such as walk in the light in the day in which if a man walk saith John he stumbles not 1 Ioh. Much lesse fallsâ— There be some that walk not after the flesh but after the Spirit and are led by the Spirit and those that are led by it are not under the Law the lash of which they would be under as all sinners are if they transgressed it but under grace And these are the Sons of God those that are born of God whom the world knowes not 1 Ioh. 1 2 3. for they are his hidden ones Psal. 83. against whom they take crafty councel as against an impure generation though they purify themselves even as Christ himselfe is pure whilst such as know neither the Sons of God nor whose Sons themselves are while they sin are that generation that 's pure in their own eyes though not yet washed from their filthiness nor meaning to be so here Who ever walkes after the Spirit and no more after the flesh and lusts of it at it seems by that very Text Rom. 8. some do to whom alone there 's no condemnation because no sin for they are in Christ so out of the transgression in the light out of the darknesse in but one of which a man can be at one time such sin not who ever they be unless T.D. I.O. and the whole Gang of blind guides who tell people that none but that person that Christ appeared in a Ierusalem ever were shall or can be fuâ—ly freed from sinning in this world will being â—ore shooes in that sink of sottishness run ore boots too so as to say the Light and Spirit leads such as follow and walk after it into lust and sin Therefore there are some that live without sinning And this is one infallible Argument from the very letter it self if it were not become now as a Book sealed to the learned lookers into it that freedom from sin was attainable by the power of Christs light and the grace of God which alone even we say is sufficient to that end and was attained by Paul and others then and therefore may be now even in this life in that Panâ— declares concerning Law of the Spirit of life which is in Christ Iesus the head from whence as the holy ointment it runs down to the Skirts of the Garment and as the unction 1 Ioh. 2. abides in his body teaching all things it had made him free from the law of sin and death of which Law of sin and death he relates in that 7. Chapter that he was once wretched by reason of its carrying him captive to it self of its motions of sin working in him and bringing forth fruit in him unto death of its warring in his members against the Light or Law of God in his mind by which he had the knowledge of sin in the very lust of it as that he should not covet nor lust to envy anger uncleanness c. Which the Scribes and Pharises Mat. 5. and Paul himself while a Pharisee looking into the lâ—tter without only as he did from a child knew not till he turn'd to the light within and came to the Law in the Spirit till he and it came to look each other in the face from which time and not from his looking into the letter he saw the Law in the spirituality holinesse righteousness and goodnesse 〈◊〉 and for all his former formality and strict pretence to unrighteousness profession of a letter ad extra his own meer naughtinesse and carnality as that of one that was still sold under sin and a committer of it in the sight of God from whose wrath that old drosty dunghilly righteousnesse of his own Phil. 3. which was not Christs as T. D. blasphemously belyes it to be p. 22. 1. Pamp. could not deliver him till he witness'd himselfe cloth'd with another even that righteousness which is of God by faith in Christ not imputed onely but imparted also to the true sanctification as well as justification of every one that believeth which passages nevertheless of that 7th chap. to the Romans and that 12. of his 2d Ep. to the Corinthians our senseless Seers have made among others one of their main common places from whence to prove the very contrary even that there is no such freedom from sin while in the body but that of necessity it must be acted by the Saints themselves while they breath upon this outward earth For say they if Paul complained of a body of sin and death while he liv'd and how he was sold under sin and carryed captive to the Law of it and of the Law of sin waâ—ring in his members against the Law in his mind so that he could not do the good he should but when he would do good evill was present with him and also of a Thorne in his flesh a Messenger of Satan to buffet him as he does 2 Cor. 1 2 3. c. and all this after his conversion to his dying day Then much lesse can any other Saints expect to be set so free from sin by what power soever in this life as to live and not sin and such like But Paul did so therefore what man can do otherwise Who can ever live and not sin Thus they argue against Qua. as a damnable sort of Hereticks that deliver a doctrine of Devils because they hold out as attainable that hellish thing as they count it call'd holiness and such freedom from sin in this life so as not to commit iniquity any more not considering all this while that Paul in those terms speakes what he once was yea even after his conversion to the light till sin was wholly subdued by the light condemning it in his flesh and bringing forth in him judgement over it into victory and not of what he was at the writing thereof in which time he sayes the Law of the Spirit had made him free from that Law of sin Not yet heeding at all that the Thorn in the flesh was not a transgression but a temptation with which God exercised him that he might shew the sufficiency of his own grace to support and keep him from transgression even from that sin of being exalted above measure and that no lesse then 14. years before he wrote this and not just then when or while he wrote it much lesse a transgression that remain'd unmortified in him till his dying day One argument more I shall urge from I O's own book thus viz If perfect Salvation from sin be the proper end of the Scripture and it be perfect to that its end and does perfect it and yet does what it does in this present world or nowhere to which it is accomodated only and ceases to do ought into the world to come then that perfect Salvation must be wrought out by it or here or no where at all But