own having known his Virtue and Power to redeem us from our vain Conversations and to save us from wrath to come And our knowledge of the only true God and our Faith in and concerning him and his Name unto our Salvation doth not consist in the traditional Names humane Inventions nor in Philosophical terms and nice School distinctions derived from Heathenish Metaphysicks which since the Apostles time men have put upon the God-head but in the living sense and feeling of his Divine Power Life and Love revealed in us by the Spirit of the Son of God whereby we have in his gift of Divine Light and Spirit received Life and Salvation from sin and death see Matth. 11.27 Luk. 10.22 Matth. 16.17 Rom. 1.17 ch 8.18 Gal. 1.16 Eph. 3.5 1 Pet. 15.12 ch 4.14 ch 4.13 ch 5.1 2 Pet. 1 3. Matth. 1.21 Also we judge That such Expressions and Words as the Holy Ghost taught the true Apostles and Holy Men mentioned in the Scriptures are most meet to speak of God and Christ and not the words of mans wisdom or humane inventions and devised distinctions since the Apostles dayes Finally We have received an Unction or Anointing from the Holy One which as it doth teach us we know a continuance in the Father and in the Son 1 Joh. 2. And for whom we know the Father is well pleased and in him we know the true Satisfaction Justification and Peace which all that abide in him enjoy and witness Now unto the Father Son and Holy Spirit the One Eternal Word The Only Wise Pure Perfect God who is Infinite Omnipotent Incomprehensible who giveth unto all Life and Being and is the Life of all and the Being of Beings who filleth all in all with his Presence Unto whom be Glory now and evermore saith our Souls G. Whitehead And for Definition of a Person or what a Person is we shall not need to go to Popish and Heathenish Authors as Thomas Aquinas Aristotle and others as some of these Presbyterian Teachers and others have done when they have gone about to demonstrate their Doctrine of a Trinity of distinct Persons in God And yet in Contradiction for a cloak they pretend the Scriptures to be their Rule wherein there is no proof of their calling the Father the Word and the Spirit three distinct Persons while the Scriptures be full and plain enough to prove define or shew what a Person is as namely a Man or Woman sometime the body the face or visible appearance of either c. But the Infinite God is not like unto corruptible man See first in the Old Testament so called as to Person Esau took his Wives his Sons and Daughters and all the Persons of his house Gen. 36.16 Joseph was a goodly person Gen. 39.6 The Number of your persons Exod. 16.16 No uncircumcised person Exod. 12.48 The person of the poor and of the mighty Levit. 19. The guilty person unclean person Numb 5.6 A clean person Numb 19.18 Thirty two thousand persons in all of Women c. Numb 31.35 Whosoever killeth any person vers 19. Numb 35.11 15 30. Josh. 20. 3 9. Abimelech the son of Jerubbaal hired vain light persons and slew his brethren the sons of Jerubbaal being threescore and ten persons Judg. 9. Note here that persons dyed or were slain But can it be said of the Immortal God whom they distinguish into three several Persons that he ever dyes And though Christ as concerning the Flesh or Person was put to Death so was not his Divine Life or God-head And again Not a goodlier person than Saul 1 Sam. 9.2 David a comely person 1 Sam. 16.18 When wicked men have slain a righteous person 2 Sam. 4.11 They shall come at no dead person Ezek. 44.25 Or will he accept thy person Mal. 1.8 These places before cited with many more are according to the English God accepteth not the person of Princes Job 34.19 which in the Hebrew is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Phene Sarim i. e. facies Principum the faces of Princes And the same word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Phene is in Gen. 1.2 for the face of the deep See likewise Gen. 4.14 Job 38.30 with many more places in the Old Testament so that the same word which is translated person having also relation to the outward face of men and things how can it be either proper seasonable or good Doctrine to Preach the Invisible Incomprehensible God under these terms of three distinct or separate Persons And whether it doth not render God or represent the Deity to be like visible men or finite creatures that are comprehended in time yea or nay And hath not this kind of representing the God-head produce those vain Conceptions and Imaginations in the minds of the Ignorant from whence they have formed the Images and Pictures of God and Christ and Holy Ghost made by men of corrupt minds in the night of Apostacy and Popery to the great reproach and abuse of the Name of God and Profession of Christianity in the World See also more Scriptures touching Persons to the same purpose as before Judg. 20.39 1 Sam. 9.22 22.18 22. 2 King 10.6 7. 2 Chron. 19.7 Psal. 26.4 Psal. 82.2 Prov. 12.11 Prov. 24.23 Jer. 52.29 30. Lam. 4.16 Ezek. 17.17 Chron. 27.13 Joh. 4.11 Zeph. 3.4 Mal. 1.9 And 2dly in the New Testament so called it appeares that the word Person or Persons is mentioned with the same acceptation as before in the Old As for instance Thou regardest not the person of men Matth. 22.16 Mar. 12.14 Luk. 20.21 In the Greek it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. faciem hominum the face of men In the Hebrew it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 phene haadam Doth not this still relate to the outward or visible appearance of man See also Matth. 27.24 1 Cor. 5.13 Gal. 2.6 Eph. 5.5 Heb. 12.16 2 Pet. 2.5 Luk. 15.7 Act. 10.34 17.17 Rom. 2.11 Jude 16. 2 Cor. 1.11 Eph. 6.9 Col. 3.25 1 Tim. 1.10 Jam. 2.1 9. 1 Pet. 1.17 2 Pet. 3.11 In all which it is evident That the word persons is attributed to men c. And as to that of 2 Cor. 2.10 where some of our English Copies have it To whom I forgave it for your sakes forgave I it in the Person of Christ The words in the Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are translated in facie Christi in the face of Christ And some of the Latins have it in conspectu Christi in the sight of Christ. And that in Heb. 1.13 where speaking of the Son of God In some of the English we have it thus Who being the Brightness of his Glory and the express Image of his Person In the Greek it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. Et character substantiae ejus and the Character of his Substance It is not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of his Person As also in Heb. 11.1 Faith is the substance of things hoped for The same word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is
then sayes suppose as a subsistent or Person c. But which of these terms it is this Notionist hath not declared to us in his 13th page And this Notionist goes on in the said 13th page and sayes Nor can we say that the Notion of the Father as one Person in the God-head includes the Son nor the Notion of the Son as one Person in the God-head includes the Father Reader Didst thou ever hear the like This is but a Notion of the Father and a Notion of the Son indeed And are these Presbyterian Priests like to interpret Scripture with their Notions Conceptions and Suppositions no no. No one knows the Father but the Son and he to whom the Son reveals him Nor none knows the Son but the Father and to know God and Jesus Christ is Life Eternal and none can call him Lord but by the Holy Ghost And so this Knowledge is beyond all your false Conceptions Suppositions and Notions And if the Holy Ghost the Saints bodies be the Temple of it which Holy Ghost leads them into all Truth And if the Holy Ghost be a Person then have not the Saints a Person in their bodies And why did not the Apostle say That their bodies were the Temples of a Person according to your Doctrine and Rule the Holy Ghost is a Spirit and so let us see that Scripture which gives the Holy Ghost the Name of a Person And he speaks again in his 14th page of Three distinct Persons are one with the God-head Now Reader is not here Four to wit Three Persons and the God-head But Reader we charge him to give us Chapter and Verse for this Doctrine for we must order him with the Rule And then he tells us of a Notion of the Father and including the Son it 's but his own Notion for if he had known him he would have spoken in a form of sound words whereby he might not have been reproved And again the Presbyterian sayes the Three Persons are distinct and the Rule is to be understood that they are One among themselves only in respect of that wherein they agree not simply Answ. Reader take notice he sayes The Father and Son and Holy Ghost which he calls Three Persons doth not agree simply Is not this contrary to Scripture What agreement is this which is not simply What! separate distinct Persons not agreeing simply Come what is this agreement then if it be not an agreeing simply Tell us what it is by Chapter and Verse thou sayes the Scripture is the Rule Where doth the Scripture say That the Father Son and Spirit doth not agree simply Didst thou not say That God was so simple that he admitted of no parts what agreement is this if it be not simple What is it then tell us Dost thou not abuse the Father Son and Spirit and Scriptures clear thy self and make this good That the Father Son and Spirit doth not agree simply if not simply then tell us how and give Chapter and Verse for it out of the Scriptures or else acknowledge thy self to be of a Sandy Foundation Seeing thou sayst A Man is a Person and God is a Person and the Scripture saith God is a Spirit and Christ was conceived by the Holy Ghost the begotten of the Father Was Christ the Image of the Father as he was of the Generation of Abraham or David or Adam or according to the Spirit Whether of these was he the express Image of his Father's substance because thou calls the Father a Person And the Scripture sayeth He suffered according to the Flesh which he did not die as he was God and the Scripture calls him Son of Man and Son of God and he being the express Image of his Fathers substance see the Old Translations And dost thou not in thy 16th page of thy Synopsis bring the Greek Philosophers to prove the Persons Yes How now Presbyterian Priest thou hast run beside thy own Directory and Scripture both but the Greek Philosophers must be thy Rule and Leader surely People will not alwayes have their Eyes blinded by you Christ is come to open them And in the 17th page of his Book the Presbyterian saith that Hypostasis must be rendred Person or Subsistent or some word to that Effect he sayes So People see it must be some word but what it must be he knows not and so in this manner they are giving Names to Christ and God besides the Rule of Scripture we charge thee shew us a Verse in Scripture that speak such Language and where one word may be put for another by Metalepsis and so leave People in Doubts and Questions you are going beside your Scripture and Rule that at last People shall not know what to call God and Christ. So the Presbyterians and Independants must give us Scripture For we will not be satisfied with your Notions and Whymsies and false Conceptions which you have from Aristotle and the Greek Philosophers and the Papists and Cardinals We do command you to give us Scripture Chapter and Verse Presbyterians and Independants for these things plainly seeing you are of late perked up in a way of scolding against us not like the Holy Men of God Patient and Meek and apt to Teach as you may see in the latter end of your Brother Vincent's Book Is that the Language of a Christian No He hath declared what spirit you are of Rabshecha's spirit railing and speaking evil of the way of Truth he thinks to overcome by Railing and complaining not by Love nay the Lamb must have the victory Whether or no was Christ's Blood shed for All men and by it Justifies All men they living in their sins and not believing in it are they saved by their saying they believe in the Blood and not believing in the Light which Christ Commands and become Children of the Light and they say they believe and yet not pass from Death to Life and from sin that brings Death And whether or no any are cleansed from all sin by the Blood of Christ but such as walk in the Light of Christ as in 1 Joh. 1. And so whether or no are those Justified who believe not in the Light of Christ nor passes from Death to Life nor walks not in the Light whether or no are those Justified by Christ's Blood and have not the Testimony of Justification in them as in the accompt to God Christ's Blood was shed for All men but for a man to come to partake of this Justification is it not to feel the Blood sprinkling the Heart and Conscience For the outward Jewes in the Figure had Blood sprinkled upon them in the outward Offerings Come answer us by Scripture Do not daub up People with untempered Mortar do you know the Mortar that is tempered Whether or no was Christ an Offering for the sins of the whole World and died for the sins of the whole World Whether or no all the sinners and ungodly of the whole World
Salvation I do not remember these to be our words as T. D. lays them down who also begins with a meer falshood against us saying That the word Christ is a meer blind to delude the ignorant for the Quakers denying Christ to be God they cannot own him for the Author of Illumination Answ. This is an apparent Slander cast upon us as our Books and Writings do shew that we never denied Christ to be God or his Divinity still affirming That in the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God and that in him was Life and the Life was the Light of men and that was the true Light which lighteth every man that cometh into the World as in John 1.1.4 9. Now to detect us as being in an Error herein T. D. urgeth Ephes. 2.12 that at that time ye were without Christ having no hope c. which is no proof that they had none of Christ's Light in them though they then did not experience him their Hope nor were come to the Covenant being without God in the World in which state they were Strangers and Enemies in their minds the mystery was hid from them the Light was obscured from their understandings it shined in darkness and the darkness comprehended it not but it doth not follow that the Light was not in them because they were without God in the World no more then it follows that God is not in the World because the World knows him not whereas its plain that he was in the World and the World was made by him and the World knew him not John 1.10 and seeing Christ as God is acknowledged to be the Author of Illumination his illumination is Divine and Spiritual and therefore saving to them that believe in it and God's Presence filleth Heaven and Earth neither can Darkness it self nor the Deep nor Hell hide or cover man from the Presence of God nor yet obscure him from the reach of his Spirit Whether shall I go from thy Spirit or whether shall I fly from thy Presence if I ascend up into Heaven thou art there if I make my Bed in Hell behold thou art there if I take the wings of the Morning c. Psal. 139. Yet still I grant that there is a state in which all are ignorant of God and in which the Mystery to wit Christ within the hope of Glory hath been hid from Ages and Generations but is shewed revealed and made manifest to the true Believers in his Light who said Believe in the Light that you may be the Children of the Light and Christ said I am come a Light into the World that whosoever believeth in me might not perish but have Eternal Life and this we testifie to against all Opposers of his Light as it is in every man Pag. 59. And where T. D. argues that the Gentiles for a time had no Promises of Christ therefore knew of none and consequently had not a Light or Knowledge sufficient to bring them to Salvation Reply What time was that the Gentiles had no Promise of Christ and how long was it Was not the Promise of God after the Fall that the Seed of the Woman should bruise the Serpents head of a general extent as well towards Gentiles as Jews For was not Adam and Eve the first Parents of both to whom this Promise was made Secondly The Promise that was made to Abraham whilst in the uncircumcision did not this relate to the Gentiles as well as the Jews see Rom. 4. and Galat. throughout And thirdly Was not Christ's Death for all still a confirmation or evident Testimony to the fore-going Promises and Covenant of God towards both Jews and Gentiles but and if there was some time or Ages in which the Gentiles had no Promises of Christ and therefore not a Light sufficient to Salvation according to T. D. then it follows that none of them in that time or those Ages could be saved and why but because God did not afford them a sufficient Light which assertion and consequence lays the blame upon God but the falsehood thereof who is it that know the Scriptures that cannot see Again where he puts Light for Knowledge herein he doth not reach our Principle for many have a true Light in them that are not come to the true Knowledge for it is the Light that shines in the heart that gives the knowledge of the Glory of God 2 Cor. 4. so the Light is there before the Knowledge is given and in that its able to give that Knowledge it is sufficient to save And where he brings 1 Tim. 3. ver last for proof That the Gentiles neither had nor knew any Promises of Christ for a time where he saith God manifested in the Flesh and as such preach'd unto the Gentiles are made two parts of the Mystery of Godliness which in other Ages was not made known unto the Sons of men as it s now revealed to his holy Apostles and Prophets by the Spirit c. Where note first that this manistation of God in the Flesh and preaching unto the Gentiles is no proof that either they had no promises of Christ before or that they had no Light in them sufficient to salvation for if so then all Gentiles in all Ages before that time were condemned for want of saving Light being given to them which were a gross errour to assert 2dly As to the manifestation of the mystery of God and Christ I grant that it was more large and open in the Apostles days then for Ages before as also that was made manifest then which was hid for Ages and Generations yet still it doth not follow that the Gentiles before had not a Light sufficient to save or to manifest the mystery of Godliness in some degree 3dly But yet T. D. his arguing against the Gentiles having a sufficient Light before Christ's coming in the flesh however if we could grant him his plea which we cannot it doth not follow that now the Gentiles or the whole world hath not a Light sufficient given them since Christ is so come manifestly testified as God's Salvation prepared before the face of all People being a Light to the Gentiles and his Testimony so signally confirmed as it hath been also both by his works and sufferings But yet the better to inform our Opposers of the Light let them read John 1. where speaking of the Word that was God that made all things it s said In him was Life and the Life was the Light of men verse 4. and this Light and Life of men which proceeds from the Word though it was before Christ's comming in the Flesh yet it was still the Light and Life of Christ born witness of and more fully manifested through his coming or being sent in the fulness of time Pag. 60. T. D. The Father is said to hide the object because he did not enlighten the subject i. e. to hide the Gospel because he did
was the Word and all things were made by the Word and were all things made by the Scriptures And we say the Scriptures are a better Rule than your Directory for if the Scriptures be the Rule why do you set up a Directory to be your Rule What! will you bore out Peoples eyes that they shall not see how you dissemble And why did you make a Church Faith at Savoy in eleaven dayes time if the Scriptures be your Rule But it seems the Scriptures are not a sufficient Rule for you but your Directory and your Church Faith it seems is your Rule Scriptures are not sufficient to be your Rule And why do you deny Common Prayer and set up a Directory and a Church Faith of your own making And there in your Directory do you not set up your Imaginations and Meanings above Scriptures Come People will not sell their Wits Reason and Understanding Come People you all know that when you come to discourse with these Presbyterians or Independants about Scriptures who say it is their Rule they will presently fall and give it a meaning and say it is their Opinion and Judgement and conceive it to be so And so then the Presbyterians and Independants Meanings and Opinions and Thinkings and Conceivings and Imaginations and Judgements this must be the Rule and not the Scripture then you must not take it as the Scriptures speake The Quakers will take it Literally cry they and these have been the Presbyterian and Independant tricks this long time What think you do we not know your tricks And so you would make People believe what an Esteem you have of Scriptures when it is nothing but Meanings and old Directory and Church Faith Do you think we have forgot your old Malice and Envie when you haled above three thousand of us to Prison in the other Powers dayes and persecuted to Death about thirty three which stands upon Record to this day whose Blood you have drunk and mingled with your Sacrifice and whose innocent Blood lies upon your heads Was the Scripture your Rule to do thus Nay Christ bids you love Enemies let Scripture be your Rule Have you not been like Judas and the Persecuting Jewes and the Heathen that Persecuted the true Christians You have banished the Rule which is to love Enemies and love one another And Christ saith Freely ye have received freely give But you will not give freely for you have not received freely You will have the Club and the Bagg For what havock have you made of them that could not put into your mouths what Imprisoning and spoyling of Goods did you make when you had Power this is not Gospel this is besides the Rule You are worse than the outward Jewes for where did they ever take trebble damages of them that did not hire them It was time for the Lord to bring you down who are judged by your own Rule 10 thly And why do you belye the Quakers with saying That your good Works that is of self are the Meritorious Cause of Justification Answ. Christ Works all our Works in us and for us who is our Justifier S. F. hath sufficiently cleared this matter and answered you 11 thly And where doth the Scripture say The Works of Faith and the Works of Grace and the Fruits of the Spirit are sinful 12 thly And where do the Scriptures hold forth the Sprinkling of Infants and call it an Ordinance and tell of a Sacrament and call it an Ordinance Let us see Scripture for these things and that the Apostles practised them as you do and whether your practises were according to theirs And have you the same Power and Spirit as they had that gave forth Scriptures Answer plainly in plain words of Scripture that you do not err from the Words and Rule which you say is your Rule But do you not remember you Presbyterians and Independants what havock you made of the Goods of the People of God whom in scorn you called Quakers because they would not pay for the Bread and Wine you eat and drunk you drunk it your selves and eat it your selves and made them Pay for it did the Apostles ever do so to spoyl any ones Goods because they would not pay for their Bread and Wine they eat and drunk Come let us see your Scripture your Rule which you boast so much of for these things who make People believe it is your Rule let us see a Rule for this But you grumble because you have not Power to fall upon the Quakers to make them pay for your Bread and Wine you eate and drink as you have done formerly and then when you have done boast that Scripture is your Rule and you say this is Gospel this is Glad Tydings is it and then you spoyl their Goods for your Bread and Wine Where were you in the time of Persecution we could see but few of you then for then you slunk into Holes and Corners had out your Scouts and now when you have a little Liberty what a bawling you make against Quakers You are a little hungry bitten because you have not Tythes and Easter Reckonings and Midsummer Dues and Money of the Quakers for your Bread and Wine will you avenge your self of the Quakers 13 thly And do you not say That your Sanctification and Justification and your Prayers and Graces and Faith all are imperfect as manifest in you Is not Christ Justification and Sanctification And must you not Pray in the Spirit of God And is it not perfect What darkness is this Must not Christ be in you And is not he in you and Faith in you and the Spirit of God in you to Pray by And so if it be imperfect then it is your own Praying and your own Justitication and Sanctification and Faith and Application it 's of your own making and not Christ's for Christ is perfect who Sanctifies and Justifies and his Spirit is perfect Priest Danson Presbyterian how now Dost thou not bring Cardinal Pool and Aquinas and Aristotle to prove thy Assertions and thy Imaginations it seems Scripture is not sufficient Thou wouldst make People believe that the Presbyterians were against the Papists and Heathen both but now they must be the Presbyterians Patrons and yet could make People believe that the Scriptures were their Rule but this must be their Rule the Papists and the Heathen Read Danson's Synopsis of his Quakerism what a bundle of Lyes he hath drawn up together he may take them home to himself 14 thly And why do you Presbyterians cry against the Quakers Light which is Christ as being but an Heathenish light and now to oppose them you are fain to run to the Heathen and to the Papists to find Arguments and then tell People the Scripture is your Rule O Deceipt 15 thly Where doth the Scripture speak of an Humane Nature of Christ in Heaven Is not Christ and his Body Glorified and he the Lord from Heaven for is not
get some gain if you had Bawdy-houses but if you go to the People of God's Meetings then you will get no gain Well might William Pen say the Priest prayed whiningly and looked pale when you had lost your Easter-Reckonings and Midsummer-Dues Is not the Great Bason holden at Door What this is a new way Is it Whether brings in more profit to the Priests mouths Tythes and Easter-Reckonings and Midsummer-Dues or the Great Platter Now do you not cry up Bawdy-houses or any way so that you can get gain I wonder for all this idle time you have had that you could not Answer Samuel Fisher's Book amongst you for it stands upon your heads he hath Answered all your Principles and more then you have questioned Have you forgot your Regiment of Fighting Priests and how the Presbyterians and Priests beat the Quakers Read the Book of Fighting Priests how they tore the Cloaths off Lasses and young Men and drew their Rapiers upon them and broke their heads and shed their blood and yet you must have the Title of Gospelers but more like unto raging Heathens who imagine vain things against God and Christ and his People but the Lord hath broken your horn the wild beast and put him under a chain So we looked you would have given out a Book of Repentance for all your wicked Actions in the other Powers dayes and shewed forth a work of Reformation Do you not remember how you came with your Drums and Fiddles Independants and Presbyterians Is it not clear here to all People That you deny God and Christ and the Doctrine of the Prophets and Apostles in your saying That God hath ordained some Persons to be damned when God saith Ezek. 18.32 He desires not the death of him that dieth And in Isa. 1.18 it 's said Come let us reason together saith the Lord though your sins be as scarlet they shall be as white as snow and though they be red like crimson they shall be like wooll And vers 16. Wash ye make ye clean put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes cease to do evil learn to do well And the Apostle saith in 1 Tim. 2.4 God would have all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the Truth And Christ hath given himself a Ransom for all to be testified in due time And Christ tasted death for every man and is a Propitiation for the sins of the whole world And his Blood was shed for all men And the Gospel is to be Preached to every Creature And Go and teach all Nations Matth. 28. Now is it not clear That these Presbyterians and Independants who say That Christ died but for some and offered but for some Have they not denied Christ's Blood for all men and his Propitiation for all men And in doing this they deny God's Will who would have all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the Truth And would they not lay the fault in God when the fault is in man by not believing And do they not make Sects here in saying he died but for some and would have but some to be saved and he shed his Blood but for some And the Scripture saith That all are gone astray both Jew and Gentile that he might have mercy upon All See Rom. 11.32 And they say That he will not have mercy upon all and do not you say That he will have mercy upon some contradicting the Apostle and the Rule For the Scripture saith Christ enlighteneth every man that cometh into the World and you say that he enlighteneth but some And the Scripture saith That the grace of God that bringeth Salvation hath appeared to all men and you say The Grace of God that brings Salvation hath appeared but to some and all have not received Grace And the Scripture saith God so loved the World that he gave his only begotten Son into the World that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life And do not you say he gave him but for a few and loved some of the World And do not you Contradict Scripture and God and Christ and the Prophets and Apostles words and so are found in an Erronicus Principled Spirit And so is it not clear that you deny Christ who died without the Gates at Jerusalem whose Blood was shed for all men and denies the Propitiation and Attonement for all men and denies Jacob's Prophecy who prophesied That the gathering of all Nations shall be to Shilo And you say That some of the Nations shall be saved not all and here do you not deny the very Scripture it self and God and Christ and the Prophets and Apostles words and denies their Doctrine And also Is it not clear that you deny the true Faith of God's Elect that the Just lives by And is not Faith the Gift of God And do you not say That Faith is not perfect Do not you hold Justification without and that it is without Man and Woman And doth not Faith heal See Matth. Mark Luke and the Acts. And was not the Church Established in the Faith Acts 16.5 Is it not called the Righteousness of Faith Rom. 4.13 And how that the Saints are Heirs by Faith and it is called the Word of Faith Rom. 10. And it is called the Spirit of Faith 2 Cor. 4.13 Gal 5.6 and Faith that works by Love So it 's clear that you are out of this Faith that lives in malice and hatred And the Scripture speaks of one Faith one Baptism Eph. 4. and the Unity is in the Faith and Faith gives Victory over that which hath separated from God And Faith is the Shield And the Saints was to strive together for the Faith of the Gospel 1 Thes. 3. Remember your work of Faith and put on the brestplate of Faith 1 Thes. 5.8 The work of Faith with Power and holding Faith and a good Conscience 1 Tim. 5.19 And have not you made shipwrack of this Faith in Christ Jesus and God to say Christ's Blood was not shed for all men and God would not have all men to be saved and hath ordained some to damnation Is not Faith called a Mystery 1 Tim. 3.9 Were not the Saints to fight the good Fight of Faith 1 Tim. 6.12 Are not you among them that have erred concerning the Faith and have overthrown the Faith of some in not believing the one Offering once for all his Blood for all his Death for all and so are become Reprobates concerning the Common Faith Tit. 1.4 And without Faith it is impossible to please God who is the Author and Finisher of our Faith which you made yours at Savoy in eleven dayes time in Oliver's dayes And the Just shall live by his Faith Heb. 2. and hearts purified by Faith Acts 15. and Sanctified by Faith Acts 26. Rom. 3. a man is Justified by Faith So it 's clear Reader that Faith Justifies Sanctifies and Faith purifies rhe heart and so this
to and obey is the Light of Christ which witnesseth against all sin against all Idolatry and unrighteousness and leads us in the Doctrine of the true God which we receive in the Light and not mens Traditions and corrupt Doctrines and Inventions whereby People have been kept in the dark by such perverse and prejudiced Spirits as thus blasphemously deem the Light within an Idol of our own brains whereas it is the Light and Life of the Eternal Word which enlightens every man that cometh into the World that we testifie unto against all the dark opposers and gain-sayers whose wayes are dark and crooked as thine W. M. is who thus falsely and blasphemously hast represented the Light within like those that put Light for Darkness and Darkness for Light And now let the Reader judge Whether such dark envious Persons as thou herein hast shewed they self are fit to be Judges in these things of Controversie about such high matters touching the Three that bear Record in Heaven viz. The Father The Word and The Spirit when thou in thy earthly sensual wisdom never camest there neither canst thou till thou countest it loss unto thee and com'st to loose it that the Babe's state that enters the Kingdom be known in which the Light and Life of the Son of God is manifest which discovers the hidden things of darkness and reveals the Mysteries of God's Salvation to them that obey it but not to such as count it an Idol and now what may we expect but darkness from such an one as calls the Light within an Idol and they that look into thy following work against us may see the gross darkness thereof yea darkness that may be felt W. M. By their three Persons you mean the three increated Persons of the ever blessed Trinity the Father the Word and the Holy Ghost Three increated Persons are thy own words and terms but the Father Word and Spirit we really own and bear witness to both as mentioned in the Scripture and as knowing the absolute Testimony and Eternal Power thereof manifested where that which may be known of God is manifest even within both in creating begetting and quickening us again to God out of death and darkness And these Three which are One which bear Record in Heaven to wit The Father the Word and the Spirit as I could not own the title of Three distinct and separate Persons to be put upon them as thy Brother Erroniously did being not Scripture-language so it was never my intent nor Principle to compare them to three Apostles or finite Creatures as most falsely and injuriously thou accusest me But to endeavour to make the People understand both the grosseness and falseness of Tho. Danson's and Tho. Vincent's Principles of three distinct separate Persons in the Deity you naming each Person God which renders them Three Gods whilst but One God by shewing the Consequence of this your Principle After I had from Scripture shewed how inseperable the Father and the Son were and the Oneness of the Father Word and the Spirit but if I had simply compared them to three Apostles who were distinct and separate Persons then had I owned your own Terms and Principle and then the Controversie had fallen between us But instead thereof I am accused for opposing your Doctrine of distinct separate Persons and thus you confound your selves in wronging of me for were not the three Apostles Paul Peter and John three distinct separate Persons did I ever deny that they were how like then to finite Creatures doth your own Doctrine render the Eternal God his Word Spirit which to shew was my end in instancing three Apostles for we never believed the Eternal God to be like to corruptible man since we knew any thing of his Divine Power But T. Danson in his Synopsis pag. 12. plainly instanceth three Apostles Peter James and John as also his instance of David and Solomon for their Trinity or three Persons in one nature Was not this an instance of finite Creatures and such an indignity put upon God as I never intended How can such men but blush for charging that on others which so evidently they are guilty of themselves Madox We call the Father Son and Holy Ghost Three Persons or Hee 's according as they are held forth in the Scriptures Answ. Nay had you stood to Scripture-language there had not been any Controversie between us therein but it would not satisfie you but you must obtrude your Popish unscripture-like terms and distinctions or rather worse in telling not only of distinct but separate Persons which being plainly refuted from Scripture you may remember I several times called to T. D. and T. V. to confess their Error I shewing how inseparable the Father and the Son were reflecting chiefly on the words separate Persons which how you come off about will appear hereafter And as for their being Three Hee 's thou W. M. durst not keep to any Argument from thence or to make that any Cause or Reason why we must own them to be Three Persons though here thou seem'st to make the terms equivolent viz. Three Persons or Hee 's so then it appears that either will serve if the Three that bear Record in Heaven be but own'd under the Name of Three Hee 's it will serve instead of Three distinct Persons but then are all Hee 's or Males Persons and all Shee 's or Females no Persons What strange Logick is implyed here And where doth the Scripture mention three increated Persons thou tell'st of are they three distinct increated Persons If so then mayst thou not as well say they are three distinct Infinites three Eternals and so three Gods Where is now the blasphemy and blasphemer And Christ's speaking of another Comforter which was the Spirit of Truth Joh. 14.16 was not another Person distinct from him for that Spirit was then in him neither doth he use those words for the same Comforter or Spirit was in him and was that divine Life that then spoke in him when he was personally present with them He doth not say he would send them another Person to Comfort them but speaks more spiritually for though they had been Comforted in his outward Presence and Ministry yet his spiritual Presence was that other Comforter for ever to abide with them for in that Joh. 14.17 Christ speaking of the Spirit of Truth or that other Comforter saith he that dwelleth with you shall be in you vers 18. I will not leave you comfortless I will come unto you which clearly explains his former words which to say this Comforter was a Person distinct from Christ is all one or as absurd as to say the Spirit or Life that was in him was a distinct Person from him or that he was a Person distinct from himself for I will not leave you comfortless I will come unto you or were it not gross to say That Christ in his People is a Person distinct from Christ or
in this matter as he argues viz. If the Divine Essence or God head can be but One and the Father is God the Son God the Holy Ghost God and they three distinct Subsistents or Persons then they are three distinct Subsistents or Persons in the same single Divine Essence but the Essence can be but One and the Father is God the Son God c. and they are three distinct Subsistents or Persons therefore there are three distinct Subsistents or Persons Let the moderate Readers but mark this Argument and whether it carries any matter or weight of any proof or Argumentation along with it any more than an Empty Assertion Tautologies begging the Question in the sequel of the Major and so along still taking the matter in Controversie for granted which cannot be without better proof and more convincing Arguments than T.V. hath patched up and produced But as for the beginning of his Argument That the Divine Essence or God-head can be but One and this in each of the Three we never denied and T. V. has confessed it is not denied by us pag. 28. But as for the rest of his Argument it runs in the substance of it thus If they be three distinct subsistents or persons then there are three distinct subsistents or persons But they are three distinct subsistents therefore c. Or if they be so then they are so but they are so therefore they are so I shall not need to say much to shew what mean Logick this is since it is from a Person whom Reason has so far failed that he can neither clear nor demonstrate that to himself which thus pitifully he has assayed to demonstrate to others And so let the Readers judge if he be not such an one as he tells of that by attempting to bring that Mystery to the Modal of his Reason hath lost the sight and sunk into grosse Apprehensions And as for his fierce Railing against W. P. and calling him wretched Blasphemer accusing him with denying that the Lord Jesus Christ is God and with denying the Divinity of Christ and Holy Ghost and with thrusting the Lord Jesus Christ off from the Throne of his God-head c. I have not yet perceived any strength or weight of Argument from either T.V. or his Brethren that has convicted W. P. as guilty herein but rather the more they strive with him and thus grossely revile him and rail against him the more their Folly Confusion and Weakness appears And indeed if W. P. be supposed to be so grossely Erroneous as he is represented it must be more Competent Antagonists than T. V. or such Railers as he that must Convince him But his shewing the absurdity of T.V. his Doctrines and both unscriptural and unreasonable Distinctions and his denyal thereof is neither a denyal of the Son nor Spirit nor the Divinity of either but the apparent falseness of these railing and slanderous Accusations before with the Consequences thereof against W. P. in this thing touching the Divinity of Christ c. appears in his own Book pag. 14 Of Christ being the only God and the Divine Nature being inseparable to each whom they call Person have the whole Divine Nature the Son in the Father and the Spirit in the Son unless the God-head be as incommunicable to the Person so called as they are reported to be among themselves saith W.P. Doth not W.P. herein own the Divinity of Christ and Holy Spirit let the indifferent judge how T.V. has wronged him And then W. P. his Admonition pag. 15. saith Apply thy mind unto the Light and Grace which brings Salvation that by obedience thereunto those mists Tradition hath cast before thy eyes may be expel'd and thou receive a certain knowledge of that one God whom to know is Life Eternal not to be a divided but ONE pure intire and eternal Being who in the fulness of time sent forth his Son as the true Light which enlightneth every man that whosoever followed him the Light might be translated from the dark Notions and vain Conversations of men to this Holy Light in which onely sound Judgment and eternal Life are obtainable he testified the virtue of it and has communicated unto all such a proportion as may enable them to follow his Example thus far W.P. Now mark whether herein he has not owned the Divinity of the Son when thus plainly he hath confessed to his Light both as to its Extent and Virtue And so as for T. V. his railing against us so bitterly calling us black-mouth'd Blasphemers accusing W. P. with Heathenism abominableness foulness falsely comparing him to Arius c. These are but mean Arguments to Convince W. P. and doth but shew the malice and rancor of T. Vincent's Spirit and what an implacable persecuting Spirit appears among these Presbyterian Priests What cruel work would they make if they had power in their hands to persecute such as cannot be tyed up to their narrow Spirits and Principles which is the same old persecuting Spirit that cryed for Fire and Faggot after it put these names Blasphemer and Hereticks upon the Martyrs And indeed if any should be so disingenious and drowned in their understandings by prejudice as to think that the Absurdities that W. P. draws from his Adversaries Principles are his own they may be apt to charge him with Blasphemy and what not though falsely But farther how evidently hath W.P. in his 18 19 21 pag. owned and confessed Christ the Son of God and his Light and Grace both for Remission of sins Reconciliation Salvation of men Life Eternal and as he is the only begotten of the Father the Gift and Expression of Eternal Love for Salvation Now can any thing have or work these Effects that is not Divine Is not Christ's Divinity Virtue Divine Light and Power plainly confest by W.P. herein as also to his being God pag. 21. How grossely have these angry Presbyterians wronged him in so hidiously charging the contrary upon him and are not they rather justly chargeable herein with denying the Divinity of Christ in setting so slight by his Light in every man as they have done one calling it an Idol another Cautioning not to follow its guidance But the Divinity of Christ and the Honour due to him far be it from us to deny as these men have done and the Scripture-instances in that case we both know and own Joh. 3.13 Rom. 9.5 Phil. 2.6 Heb. 1.8 Joh. 2.17 Heb. 1.3 Joh. 14.1 Phil. 2.10 Col. 1.16 17. Joh. 8.58 But we are not convinced that mens invented distinctions put upon Christ does add any thing to his Honour but rather diminish from it And where in pag. 31. it is said In regard of his humane Nature the Jewes spoke true Thou art not yet fifty years old as Man he was a Son of Abraham and born many generations after him c. Now I ask if he was not a Person as Man and so born And if there were three Coeternal Persons
plenty of Scripture Phrases for pardon forgiveness remissions upon a true Repentance And I query what Scripture he hath for his explanation of Satisfaction viz. a compensation made to God for our sin by Christ doing or suffering or both Justice that is Vindictive p. 19. What Scripture hath he for these words and this Doctrine Is not this a confirmation to what is queried before concerning this he calls Vindictive Justice the same that God punisheth the reprobate Angels or Devils with the same he reckons Christ to have suffered and so hath numbred Christ among reprobate Angels and Devils but yet another while Christ's being under the Law Gal. 4.4 5. T. D. construes as not lying barely in the smart of sence but in the brand of infamy thereby set upon us pag. 20. But then how was it the same revenge or punishment that reprobate Angels and Devils undergo and Sinners deserved which surely is more then the brand of infamy is not here manifest contradiction and did the brand of infamy proceed as revengefull Justice from God or rather from the envy and injustice of the wicked against him Again he was not ashamed to call us Brethren Hebr. 2.11 that is saith T. D. Fellow Subjects for being one in nature with us he becomes one with us in an obligation to the same Law to which I say if we are fellow Subjects and one in nature with Christ and he one with us in obligation c. and that the brand of infamy he underwent be set upon us then it is to be minded first that such as be Christ's Brethren one in nature and fellow Subjects with him are Sanctified and not remaining in a polluted nature nor yet in a sinfull imperfect state all their life time seeing both he that sanctifieth and they who are sanctified are all of one for which cause he is not ashamed to call them Brethren Hebr. 2.11 Secondly Fellow Subjects with Christ that are bound with him and partake of his Sufferings are not rebellious nor disobedient to him or his Law but faithfull followers of him by whose Power Aid and Assistance they are incouraged in their obedience and faithfulness to him and this is the effect both of Christ's Manfestation Obedience and Righteousness to and in every one that believes Thirdly If Christ's condescension and union with his Followers and their being Fellow-Subjects with him be the thing that Christ tenders to God for Satisfaction as T. D. in his Answer intimates then if he had held to this we should not much have differed but how this agrees with their Doctrine for the continuance of Imperfection and Sin in all covered over with a pretence of full satisfaction being made for them which still leaves all in sin I do not yet understand nor doth it appear how he and his Brethren can be reconciled herein But whereas T. D. confesseth that Christ both by doing and suffering did satisfie and that the satisfaction may be made as well Agendo as Patiendo therein hath he contradicted many of his Brethren who lay it upon his Suffering and Death onely another while upon his under-going Vindictive Justice as they call it the same that is laid upon Devils But then if his Satisfaction be as well agendo as patiendo whether or no he did do all in the dayes of his Flesh in his own person that was to be done for man or whether his work is not experimentally to be known and wrought in every man for the destruction or ending of Sin and Trangression before full satisfaction and peace be enjoyed with God seeing his coming in the likeness of sinfull flesh was to Condemn sin in the flesh that the righteousness of the Law might be fulfilled in us that walk not after the Flesh but after the Spirit and is not this Law Spiritual which we are bound to obey for can it be supposed that all mankind or the Nation of the Gentiles were bound under the Law that was given to the Jews outwardly And then would it be good Doctrine to say that we or all Nations were Fellow-Subjects with Christ bound under the Law of the Jews which had the Shaddows of good things to come or is it not more meet to say that all ought to be subject unto the Law of Christ the Law of Faith the Law of he Spirit of Life in him and that he was made a surety Hebr. 7.22 therein of a better Testament which is Spiritual and the Righteousness of the Law which he fulfils within is also spiritual and inwardly known its judgment sentence and condemnation known inwardly where sin is condemned in the Flesh seeing that the Commandment that was ordained to Life the Apostle found to be unto death in him as it is in all that come to Life and is not this the effect of Christ's Coming Obedience Sufferings c and how can these things be experienced but by waiting in his Light and Spirit within and if Satisfaction consists as well Agendo as Patiendo are not Christ's inward and spiritual operations included in his doing or works for mans Salvation how then can man exclude them and think himself wholy acquitted and yet in his sins by the Suffering and Death of Christ without as a full compensation and satisfaction in his stead And for whom was Christ a Propitiation for the appeasement of wrath relaxation of the Law purchase of freedom from punishment pag. 23. If it consist in his Personal Obedience and Suffering onely without the knowledge of his work within then are not all men so free and acquitted for whom he did suffer and doth not this extend to all that were dead for he is a propitiation for the Sins of the whole world but this Presbyterians deny what effect then do they put upon Christ's Sufferings viz. that he suffered any otherwise then for a small select number accordding to their Doctrine whereas his Suffering was for all men both Jews and Gentiles who were dead in sin in regard of his confirmation of that Spiritual and Living Dispensation and Testament which extends both the Jews and Gentiles which was promised to Abraham which is to be believed and obeyed But to T. D's matter for these things are out of the reach of his carnal conceptions As concerning the precious Blood which he confesseth to be the real Price that hath made a Purchase 1 Pet. 18 19. I ask if the effects of that Blood are not known within in its purging the Conscience and cleansing from all sin c And seeing he confesseth it to be the Blood of God pag. 26. What Scripture hath he then to call it humane and doth the Satisfaction consist in humane Blood how then doth it satisfie Infinite Justice Is not humane Finite according to T. D. and T. V. their Doctrine But if this Blood of God which was shed for all men have an inward effect in the Conscience in order to the answering of Gods will and his pure Law within and
make man righteous as his condemning Sin in the Flesh was that the righteousness of the Law might be fulfilled in us that walk not after the Flesh but after the Spirit which righteousness fulfilled in us T. D. formerly said was to be meant in Christ's Person and not in ours by which likewise he hath both excluded man from the real enjoyment of Christ and his Righteousness and from that obedience and sanctity which he requires and answers the end of his coming and manifestation and by this means the Professors have made the Law and Commands and Teachings of God ineffectual as to the Creature whilst Christ only is made the subject of them and not man and this gives a liberty to people to live in sin all their time and to pervert Gods Laws and neglect the teachings of his Grace and vainly to excuse themselves in their disobedience like as T. D. hath done as where the Grace of God and his pure Law requires perfect obedience from us and that denying ungodliness and worldly lusts and that we should live godly righteously and soberly in this present world now if any man should say that this was not intended to us but to Christ as if God did require him to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts to forsake all sin and live righteously when he never did nor could sin nor had the Prince of the world any thing in him this would be a strange put off and gross perversion of the Law of God to lay it all upon Christ and put it from themselves whereas Christ's Example is perfectly to be followed and where he is manifest and his Life brought forth in man there is a conformity to his Heavenly Image and not a living in sin nor to the lusts of the world but to the Will of God Pag. 42. But as to T. D's confessing to the Creditors cancelling the Bâ—nd letting the Debtor out of Prison giving a legal Discharge upon the Sureties payment of the Debt as he could have done upon his personal payment First Hereupon I do enquire if man that hath been in Prison and bondage under sin and corruption be let out of that Prison upon Christ's Obedience if he be then he must not remain in personal bondage all his life time from partaking of Christs Righteousness and Obedience for if he be released from the servitude of sin and be let out of that bondage then he is made free from it by the Law of the Spirit of Life to serve obey and walk in the Law of Righteousness by Faith and this is not an imagined fixion or conceit of Freedom or Justification whilst people are in real bondage which your Doctrine tends to keep people in Though it be true as amongst men that the Act of one Person may by contract or Act of Law become the Act of another as the Sureties payment of the Debt is accepted for the Debtor yet in this case it doth not reach the real and full intent of Christ's Coming Obedience and Righteousness which is to bring man into his Image and to fulfil the righteousness of the Law in man that he may follow his Steps and have the same Mind Spirit and Righteousness in him that was in Christ that he may walk after his Example in all purity and holiness of conversation Yet so far as releasement out of Prison is imported in the comparison or any thing tending to a real Deliverance of the Creature out of Sin and Corruption and so from Condemnation it may be admitted of so for then it contradicts their pleading for sin and imperfection term of life and surely God doth not legally declare any to be righteous whilst his Spirit and Law within reproves them for sin and declares them unrighteous for God and his Spirit do not contradict one another neither doth God declare people to be out of Prison whilst they are really in bondage to their sins lusts and vanities as the carnal Priests and Professors have falsly done but the Liberty which Christ proclaims to the Captives is really to be injoyed and received by every one that believes and receives him his Message and Testimony And this is not a false Imputation or an imagined Application of Righteousness and Freedom to People in their personal bondage of Sin and Corruption such as T. D. and such false Guides have led people into And that of Ezek. 18.20 the Son shall not bear the iniquity of the Father T.D. saith Imports Gods gracious recession from his right because of their more then ordinary Audacity in charging his Ways with inequality This is his false construction For God sheweth his Way to be equal vers 25 26 27. which is no recession from his right as his condemning such as turn from righteousness and Justifying and giving Life to such as turn from wickedness for both Graciousness Mercy and Judgement are his right and he rewardeth every man in Righteousness according to the Equality of his Wayes T. D. Nor doth God Justifie what is opposite to his pure Nature in Justifying a person who in himself is impure upon the righteousness of another imputed to him Reply Is not a person that is in himself impure opposite to God's pure Nature Surely purity and impurity are opposite and whilst the impure Person is rendred the subject of Justification upon another's righteousness imputed he then it seems is accounted pure by T. D. and not opposite to God's pure Nature though he be personally impure but surely God doth not then account him pure whilst in impurity for God cannot lye nor account as the Wicked and Hypocrites do who are pure in their own eyes though not washed from their filthiness and here we may see T. D. and his Brethrens false notion and conception of Imputation and Justification and how contrary it is to Justum facere which the word Justifie signifieth as by him before confest viz. to make Just when now he falsly renders an impure person not opposite to the pure Nature of God from his notion of Imputation and Justification in that state Pag. 44. Arg. 3. Sin came not by Imputation but by actual Transgression This is laid down as the Quakers To which T. D. Answers The sin of Adam was made his Posterities by Imputation Rom. 5.12 14. Adam was a common Root of Mankind by nature Reply Herein hath he perverted the Scripture which doth not say that the Sin of Adam was made his Posterities by Imputation neither doth he hereby prove his notion of Imputation of Righteousness to impure persons for sure he cannot prove that all Adam's Posterity were pure and sin not actually theirs but only imputed to them whilst not partakers of it this is contradictory and as false as their Imputation of Righteousness and Justification to men whilst unjust but the Scripture he mentions Rom. 5.12 saith As by one man Sin entred into the World and Death by Sin so Death past upon all men for that all have sinned mark that for
until the Law Sin was in the World but Sin is not imputed where there is no Law verse 13. But now mark there is a Law transgressed whereby Sin and Transgression is imputed to them that are guilty of transgression as all in Adam in the earthly state and nature are and therefore on the other hand righteousness is not imputed to persons out of Christ or to such that are not partakers of his righteousness Pag. 45. Arg. 4. Quaker A man cannot be said to be actually sinfull and imputatively righteous he may as well be said to be actually damned and imputatively saved To which T. D. answereth Why not as well as to say a man is actually poor and not worth a groat but imputatively rich as having by Surety paid his debt of thousands Reply Here he hath plainly discovered their notion of Imputation and the falseness of it viz. that a man is imputatively righteous when actually sinfull or actually damned and yet imputatively saved what gross Corruption and Ignorance is this and what an improper Comparison doth he bring to back it let the wise judge and we do not admit of it in this case as that a man should be actually damned and imputatively saved or actually guilty and yet imputatively innocent but that such to whom righteousness and true riches are reckoned as being theirs have right therein and are partakers thereof and what he asserts herein by his simile is but a beging the question and taking that for granted which is still opposed as both unscriptural and unreasonable viz. men being actually damned and imputatively saved or actually guilty and imputatively innocent by the same reason he might as well say persons really Theeves are innocent or persons really and actual trecherous and rebellious are true and good Subjects or actually Devils and imputatively Saints But Christ being or becoming our Suerty was not to impute righteousness to men in transgression but to bring them into Covenant and Peace with God which stands in everlasting righteousness and not in sin for he was also a perfect example to be followed as well as profest and he is the Surety of the new Testament and Covenant which is spiritual and is manifested and enjoyed in his people And T. D's instance that nine men throughout a mutinous Army are actually guilty and yet imputatively innocent when the tenth man is admited to sustain the punishment due to the rest is as sottish and impertinent as the rest before for neither is a mutinous Army innocent nor is Christ any of the mutinous or guilty Persons And where proves T.D. that Imputation is an Act of Law and makes a Relative and not a real change I ask what Law it is an act of is it real or true or no if it be of God it must be true if not then false and it is a false imputation which is not real and contrary to the Apostles Doctrine who knew that Abraham's Faith was imputed or reckoned to him for righteousness and to that state to which there was no condemnation but justification which was a state of being walking in Christ and not a walking after the Flesh but after the Spirit and this they that experience and witness know a real change from death to life from condemnation to justification from sin to righteousness from the wayes of death and darkness to the wayes of Life Light and Peace Pag. 45. T. D. saith There is no need of inherent Righteousness for Justification buâ— yet there is need of it for other ends as to make us meet for Heaven Col. 1.12 Answ. It appears that he means by this inherent righteousness that of Sanctification or the work of Gods Spirit within which he afterwards calls personal righteousness and is there no need of this for Justification what darkness is here as if men were justified while in the unsanctified state this is like the rest of his sottish stuff quite contrary to the Apostles Doctrine which is But ye are Sanctified but ye are Justified in the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God 1 Cor. 6.11 And also what contradiction hath T. D. brought to himself herein whilst he hath confessed that the word Justifie signifieth to make Just as also he hath confessed that inherent Righteousness as he call it gives a fitness of enjoying the Heavenly Inheritance it lying in Communion with God pag. 46. then it follows that it gives a fitness for Justification whilst Justification and Sanctification are unseparable Companions and God loves his Image in his People freely saith his Brother T. V. Thus without Washing Clensing and Sanctification men are not Justified seeing the unrighteous shall not inherit the Kingdom of God and they that live in unrighteousness cannot be accepted of him It being not the Hearers of the Law but the Doers that shall be Justified Pag. 46. And now concerning good works that are acceptable to God which T. D. accuseth us with placing Merit for Justification or as a deserved cause thereof c. Concerning this particular that faithfull Servant of the Lord S. Fisher hath very fully answered T. D. and his Brethren and it hath been manifest how he did wrong and abuse S. Fisher about this point and how contrary to his intent he construed good works as being ours relating to self works or imperfect obedience which S. Fisher never intended but with Relation to those works which are perfect which Christ is the Author of which if Christs Works be not deserving whose are and to those which God hath wrought in us who having ordained Peace for us hath wrought all our works in us Isa. 26. now we never placed a merit upon self-acting nor upon mans best works in the faln sinfull and corrupt state so that there is not a correspondency betwixt us and the Papists in this particular as falsly we have been accused see S. Fisher's Rusticus ad Accademicos where the point is fully explained which you Presbyterians and Independants are never able to answer Where did we ever profess or hold forth that we were able or could fulfil the Law our selves or merit or deserve Salvation by any thing that we could do but we do profess and witness that through the Power of Christ we are enabled to faithfull and sincere obedience not of our selves knowing that good works how ever rejected and undervalued are ordained of God and without them your faith is dead as a body without a Spirit is And it is true enough as T. D. saith That you are averse to obedience through corruptions who plead for sin term of life and yet would cover over all your filthy raggs with a pretence of Christ's Righteousness Satisfaction Imputation Justification and Merit whilst you are yet in your sins and corruptions and in the weakness of your flesh but as under the Law of works wherein you are in no perfect obedience Pag. 47. Seeing the Law of Faith is acknowledged I ask how far it
extends whether to enjoyn to the perfect obedience of Faith yea or nay seeing sin and corruption is so prevalent amongst you and so contended for surely where the excercise of the true and living Faith is experienced there is obedience to the Law of it or else what doth it signifie whilst persons remain in disobedience Further T. D. confesseth that we have an immediate dependancy upon God in our operations John 15.5 without me ye can do nothing Siorsima me separate or apart from me It s well he hath at some time assented to the Truth but how doth this contradict the greatest part of his own and his Brethrens work elsewhere in their pleading for imperfect obedience and their imagined imputation of Righteousness and Justification to the unrighteous and unjust for those operations which have a relation to an immediate dependence upon God which he that is in Christ doth experience and bring forth do accord with the mind and will of God which is the Sanctification of those that believe and with that most holy Faith which purifies the heart and these are not imperfect nor to be slighted as undeserving according to the vain notions of Priests concerning Faith its works and inherent Righteousness as they term it Pag. 47. T. D.. Their dependancy upon Christ in all the good they do is as near and intimate as the Branches upon the Vine by vertue of their natural union in bearing Fruit. Answ. This is also a Truth that grants a perfect obedience in them that have such a near intimate dependency upon Christ as the Branch hath that grows upon the Vine by vertue of the natural Union thereof this also contradicts their pleading for imperfection and sin in all obedience and works which also shews that they do not flow nor spring from Christ the true Vine as also that they have not union with him nor are Branches of him and indeed how they have not immediate dependency upon God in Christ whilst they deny Immediate Teaching Revelation and Divine Inspiration to be attainable in those dayes But seeing without or apart or separate from Christ men can do nothing how then can they be any thing without him as righteous or acceptable or justified For men must be something in that Relation before they can do any thing acceptable and it is the Spirit and Power of Christ which sanctifieth and maketh just and bringeth into the true Obedience Works and Righteousness of Faith and to live by Faith as the Just doth Pag. 48. But Faith as a work is not opposed to nor excludes it self as T. D. saith because in one sence it is opposed to the deeds of the Law for true Faith as a Work is the Work of God which is not opposed to it self besides it being the work of God to believe in Christ this hath not relation to those deeds of the Law that the Jews wrought out of him and out of or besides that Faith wherein they fell short of the Righteousness of the true and living Faith and of the perfect Obedience or Righteousness of the Law Now seeing he confesseth pag. 49. to a righteousness bestowed upon men by Faith I ask if that man is not a partaker and enjoyer of that righteousness by Faith Surely Faith and its Righteousness are not separate nor divided Also he confesseth Faith in God through the Messias is called a walking humbly with God Micah 6.8 To this I say whilst he thus considereth Faith as such a walking were it not very gross nonsence and contradiction to say that it excludes it self as before or that those works or effects of Faith viz. Walking humbly with God were opposed to the Faith it self which is the Root thereof But this is even like T. Vincent's affirming Faith to be opposite not only to the works of the Law but to its own Works Pag. 51. I find T. D. upon James 2.24 doth not distinguish betwixt the Works of Faith and the Works of the Law and so talks like an ignorant blind Guide with his vain babling and perverting of the Scripture to exclude perfect Obedience and Perfection from the Believers And seeing he granteth that Justification imports the Absolution of Sinners and the Approbation of a Believer which he distinguisheth betwixt Then it is to be minded that a Believer that is approved of is absolved being Justified and what from if not from Sin and Transgression Otherwise Faith that stands but in a bare profession without a living work of purifying the heart overcoming the World c. is but a dead Faith as T. D. in fine confesseth And we are Justified by works as our Faith is made perfect by works James 2.22 but these are not the works of the Law but the Works of the Living Faith which manifesteth Fruit to God and demonstrates the nature of the Living Faith But his telling of a Sinner being Justified in the sight of God where doth the Scripture say so he quotes Rom 3.23 to prove it but it doth not but only that a man by Faith is Justified without the deeds of the Law which deeds of the Law a man may be Justified without and yet not a Sinner nor without the Obedience Works or Righteousness of the True and Living Faith which Purifieth the heart and Justifieth from all those things from which they could not be Justified by the Law of Moses And as to his saying That we are made free meritoriously by the Law of the Spirit in us from the Law of Sin and Death The word meritoriously he addeth But the freedom of the Law of the Spirit in us from the Law of Sin and Death we do confess and that it is the same Law of the Spirit of Life that is in Christ and the Saints according to the Apostles Doctrine the Freedom of which we testifie is of Everlasting worth for that it is not wrought by our selves but by Christ and his Law and Spirit Pag. 52. T. D. saith That we observe that the righteousness of the Law is fulfilled in the Persons of the Saints Indeed we do observe it believe it and experience it and do not wholy put it off from us to be fulfilled in the Person of Christ as T. D. and some of his Brethren have corruptly done though we do confess that the Righteousness of the Law was fulfilled in Christ's Person but not therefore to exclude it out of us since that he was a faithfull Example to be followed as well as a Captain and Leader to guide in all the Wayes of Peace and true Holiness Pag. 52. And as we do observe that the Righteousness of the Law is fulfilled in the Persons of the Saints contrary to T. D. and his Brethrens observation and thereupon not only suppose but really assert a state of Freedom from Sin attainable in this life we do not place the Merit of Justification upon the Creatures imperfect obedience or works but origionally on the Spirit of Truth and its perfect work in which
concerning the Terms and Conditions whereon Sinners may be interested in the Satisfaction made by Christ J. O. saith pag. 167. It may also be farther evinced that there is nothing asserted in them but what is excellently suited unto the common notions which mankind hath of God and his Righteousness and that in their practice they answer the Light of Nature and common Reason exemplified in sundry instances among the Nations of the World Answ. First it is to be observed that a great stress is laid upon these Explications Declarations or Confessions of yours as relating to the terms and interest you claim in Christ's Satisfaction unto the determination of God's Will and Confirmation of Divine testimonies according to J. O's words wherein no less then Salvation appears to be concerned for without an interest in Christ and his Righteousness men cannot be saved Secondly Your Assertions herein being suited unto the common notions of mankind and as answering the Light of Nature and common Reason as it is called and as J. O's words are whether herein hath he not rendred this Light and common Reason together with the common notions mankind hath of God to be of a saving property since it so suits those things wherein Salvation is so deeply concerned according to J. O. but then if he does not reckon mens common Notions Light or Reason which is natural to be saving as indeed we do not believe that any thing natural as of man in the Fall can save then may we not reasonablely look upon J.O. to have asserted and declared those things wherein Salvation is not concerned or which we are not to look upon as answering that Light which is Spiritual and Saving but only common Notions and natural Reason whilst he and his Brethren keep not to plain Scripture Language and but run into notions terms distinctions which they have by Tradition from men mens inventions more suiting common and corrupt reason then Divine Light But and if the Light in men be Divine which manifests divine Revelations and Testimonies relating to Salvation such as J. O. would have us believe his matter to be grounded on then it follows that such a light is common or universal in mankind and not only given to a few nor natural as it hath been often rendred by such as J. O. and what doth this spiritual or divine Light teach concerning God and his Righteousness but that he is to be feared obeyed and honoured and that all sin and iniquity should be forsaken and God's Righteousness Power and Image which is Christ Jesus lived in obeyed and followed by man for herein is God well pleased and satisfied in beholding his own Image and birth renewed and brought forth which admits not of sin nor imperfection much less of either pleading contending disputing or preaching for its continuance in all term of life and this Light of Christ within however any miscall it is that which gives the knowledge of God's Love in Christ and of the vertue and efficacy of his Suffering and so of his Blood and to eat of his flesh which is given for the Life of the World wherein we partake of him as the one Offering at the Altar of God in his Sanctuary which the carnal Professors both among Jews and pretended Christians were and are ignorant of and in this Light are we come to know and receive Christ and reconciliation through his Death and also the glory of God through him in whom we have received the Attonement Peace and Union with the Father in the Son which all you that either slight oppose or deny this Light within and say its but natural are ignorant of being but in your dark notions natural apprehensions and conceivings which you intermix with Scripture so that the Dignity Glory Power and Vertue that is and ever was in Christ you do but talk of without the real sence discerning or enjoyment thereof but every one that truely waits upon the Living God in his Light and Life within whereby their minds and spirits being subjected unto his Will and their hearts truly broken before him such know the Ransom and Attonement which the Righteous and redeemed of the Lord knew and witnessed in all Ages and have that to offer unto God and such Sacrifices to present before him wherein he behold of his own glory and beauty and savours of his own vertue which is truly acceptable and well pleasing unto him who delighteth in his own Image Seed and Royal Off-spring which none truly know but who come into the Light to receive Christ the promised Seed which bruiseth the Serpents head and to eat his Flesh and drink his Blood without which you have no Life in you for all your talk and notions Pag. 185. J. O. The Sacrifice denotes his Humane Nature whence God is said to purchase his Church with his own Blood Acts 20.28 For he offered himself through the Eternal Spirit there was the matter of the Sacrifice which was the Humane Nature of Christ Soul and Body his Soul was made an Offering for Sin Isa. 53.10 his Death had the nature of a Sacrifice c. Answ. These Passages are but darkly and confusedly expressed as also we do not read in Scripture that the Blood of God by which he purchased his Church is ever called the Blood of the Humane Nature nor that the Soul of Christ was the Humane Nature or was put to death with the Body for the wicked could not kill the Soul though his Soul was made an Offering for sin and he poured it out to death he bore the sin of many and made intercession for Transgressors but what death and in what manner was it is a mystery truly to know for his Soul in his own being was Immortal and the Nature of God is Divine and therefore that the Blood of God should be of Humane or earthly nature appears inconsistent and where doth the Scripture call the Blood of God Humane or Humane Nature Neither do we read that the Blood which beareth record in the Earth and agrees in one with the Spirit and which purgeth the Conscience washeth and cleanseth the Believer in the Light from all sin was ever called by the Apostles the blood of the Humane Nature nor do we read that the Saints did eat and drink Flesh and Blood that was of a Humane Nature to receive Divine Life in them thereby for the Water of Life and Blood of Christ which are said to wash sanctifie and justifie which agree in one with the Spirit in those works and effects we never read that they are called in Scripture by the name of Humane Nature for the Spirit that quickens is divine and it is the Spirit that gives Life the Flesh profiteth nothing John 6. And the Soul of Christ is Immortal and did not die with the Body though it s deemed as being of the Humane Nature with the Body and so as of the Sacrifice in Suffering and Death whereas though his Soul