such are cleansed from all Vnrighteousness and yet the Light neâ—ther a Rule nor Saving then what else can be either a Rule or Saving But this Light says he could not tell any that Jesus should be born of a Virgin dye for Sinners and rise again But this is so great a Mistake that had he conversed with the Sibylls or other Heathen Writers he might in good part have informed himself to the contrary But here I distinguish of Faith There is an Historical and Saving Faith and there is an Historical and Saving Rule as the Faiths so the Rules differ If T. Hicks sayes that 't is the Scriptures that give the Knowledge of those Transactions I mâ—st then understand him to mean Historically if I assent which is not Saving for then all who believe those things to have been must therefore be saved the contrary to which is daily seen with our Eyes since who believes not that Report among those who are yet in great Wickedness But if we are to penetrate deeper and that T Hicks should hold as he seems plainly to do that what Faith we can have of the most weighty Truths declared of in the Scriptures is from it and not from the Light or Spirit within I must firmly deny it For Faith is God's Gift not the Scriptures Gift No so far is the Scripture from giving Faith that it is God's Spirit alone that gives both to understand and believe them The Scripture tells me of such Prophecies Histories and Epistles and of such Men as Moses Job David Isaiah Matthew Paul and John But what is it that gives me to believe the Things they writ of to be true Is it not the Testimony and most certain Amen in the Conscience and what is that there which seals to those excellent Truths Which way then can the Scripture be a Rule to me in believing the Scripture when that Faith is begotten of God by his Light and Spirit concerning the Scripture If the meer Scripture could give me Faith then it might be allowed to rule my Faith but when God by his Spirit alone begets Faith and without which I can neither understand nor believe the Scriptures tell me If God's Spirit be not the Rule of my Faith what how far and which way I am to believe them or the things believed Certainly they can never be my Rule How far and which way I am to believe themselves who of themselves cannot give me that Faith but it must be wrought by another thing so that what gives to believe rules the Belief and not the Thing believed Therefore the Scriptures cannot be the Rule of Faith Now as to this of Christ's Outward Manifestation I say so far as it is Historical the Scripture is that which furnisheth me with a Belief But I utterly deny that they give to believe it in that deep Sense which may be truly called a Saving Faith The Pharisees had the Scriptures and they pretended to admire Moses and the Prophets yet they crucified Christ and sought to countenance their Murder by Scripture Now had they believed and esteemed the Writings of Moses and the Prophets from an Inward Sence of Gods Spirit which the meer Scriptures could not furnish them with they had rightly understood them and not made so ill an Use of their Historical Knowledge as to crucifie the Lord of Life and Glory This shews that Men may have an Historical Faith and yet not the True Faith nor Knowledge of the Scriptures what then gives to believe aright now why truely that which did then the Light and Spirit of Truth no Man could call Jesus Lord without it that is truly so or upon good ground No Man could confess that Christ was come in the Flesh but whose Spirit was of God yet now nothing is more common yet nothing is more True then that Thousands of them are not of God but lie in Wickedness alienated from the Life of God c. what is the matter then why this Those who then confest that Jesus was come in the Flesh did it by Virtue of an Invisible Sight and through a Divine Illumination in their Souls For impossible had it otherwise been for them in any measure to have seen through the Vail of his Flesh into that Divine Life Power and Wisdom that Vnmeasurably filled it but having some inward Sence and Taste of that most excellent Being that was manifested in and by that bodily Appearance therefore did they confess to it and their Spirits truely reputed by John to be of God And as in that day it was Impossible for any truly and acceptably to confess to Christ without a Discerning given and Faith wrought by the Light and Spirit of God in the Heart which was the saving Faith so is it now equally Impossible for any to believe that Christ appeared and that he spake and did all these great things so as to be benefitted thereby and any wayes accepted of God therein but as the Light and Spirit of Truth open those Things to the Understanding and from a measure of that Divine Life which then immeasurably appeared for we have all received of his Fulness and Grace for Grace true Faith comes to be begotten in that Manifestation and a right Confession unto it In short He that calleth Christ Lord must now as then do it by the Holy Ghost that is from an Experience or Witnessing of his Dominion and Rule which through the Operation of the holy Spirit the Soul is to be subjected to so that who believes more then Historically that Christ came in the Flesh must do it by Virtue of the Divine Light and Spirit who alone gives to relish and savour the Truth Nature and End of that Appearance And though it may be allowed that the Scripture is a Rule respecting the History as it was to those of old in reference to the particular Prophecies fulfilled in Christ's coming yet as there was then a more Inward and Heavenly Sence of Christ which drew many after him and begot deep Faith in him so must there now be a more Inward Spiritual and deep grounded Faith of those things recorded in Scripture of Christs Appearance c. then the meer Letter is able to give And therefore that Light and Spirit which gives that discerning and works that deep Sence and Faith must needs be as well the Rule as Author of it and not the Scriptures For if the Scriptures be the Rule then either of Themselves or by Interpretation If of Themselves then either in their Translations or Originals Not in the Translations unless the Translators had been so inspired that they mist not a tittle which I am sure is not so and consequently none but Schollars have a Rule for the Unlearned are secluded therefore the English Bible is not a Rule If in the Originals of Hebrew and Greek Query In what Copies There are various Lections in Hebrew And for the New Testament so called there are no less then
and in which his Holy Spirit leads not by the which only Self is abas'd kept under and in perfect Obedience to and watchfull Observance of God's Holy Will But Tho. Hicks makes this a Strange and Dangerous Doctrine insinuating that we perform nothing but upon a kind of Spiritual Compulsion as if that God required Man to do all his Commandements without his holy Spirit alwayes ready to incline and help them either to begin or perform any such Duty or that there were no Difference between waiting for the natural Springs of Divine Power to assist and being compell'd to worship But this shews his great Ignorance of God's Spirit its dayly Movings upon the Heart of Men either as a Reprover or Comforter for Good for were he better acquainted with its Dealings it would not be so uncouth to him to hear of our Waiting to feel the holy Stirrings of it in order to every Religious Performance wherefore let not his Ignorance be any Argument against our holy Gospel Practice The Saints of old had a Warrant in themselves for what they did They were not wont to run into the Imitation of former Generations as to any External Appointments because then commanded and practised as proper but consulted the Anointing they had receiv'd about the Continuation or Dis-use of such Figures or outward Services and as they receiv'd Wisdom and Counsel therefrom either to use or decline the Practice of them they acted and no otherwise making good the Apostles Saying that as many as are led by the Spirit of God are the Sons of God Are we led by It in ALL things then in and about God's things Had it not been for this how could the Apostles have preach'd down the whole Ceremonial Worship of the Jews The meer Letter of Scriptures could never have been their Rule in the Case If any say they were extraordinarily Inspired I answer how did such as then believ'd know that if not from an Inward Testimony Nay what Rule had the many Thousands then to worship God by The Hebrew Bible was little or not at all known to the Gentiles The Scripture tells us that whole Churches were setled in the Faith before the Epistles were writ And it is hard to think when they were writ that they could be suddenly collected and when collected that every Individual could get a Coppy that to be sure ought to have a Rule for Printing was not so early in the World and Transscribing must needs have been to Irksome for every Person to obtain a Coppy for his or her peculiar Benefit But because we are taught to believe that they wanted not True Rule of Faith and Practice and that the Scriptures especially of the new Testament could not be all that to them our present Adversaries conclude to make the great Rule let them not be displeas'd if I infer from hence that a Measure of that Holy Spirit which was given to every one to profit with was their Rule and therefore ought to be our great Rule and Guide in all things relating to Faith and Worship And let it be remembred that Christ promised to send the Spirit of Truth to lead into all Truth as much as to say none are led into the Truth nor in the Truth but by the holy Spirit of Truth or that their Practice is a Ly or they are led into a Ly who are not led by the Spirit of Truth that alone leads into all the Wayes of Truth where by Truth is not to be understood the meer Letter of the Scripture which notwithstanding is True but the Living Powerful Truth Christ the Way the Truth and the Life of which the Scripture is but a Record or Declaration Many may run into a Practice of several Outward Things mentioned in the Scriptures to have been the Practices of the Saints of former Ages and yet not be led into the Truth for all that is but Will-Worship Imitation and Unwarrantable To be led into the Truth is to be led into God's Living Power Wisdom and Righteousness whose Fruits are Peace and Assurance for ever This is the Truth the Spirit leads and is all-sufficient to Certainly Christ intended This for the Great Evangelical Leader Rule Judge Law-giver and Guide through the whole course of Regeneration the only Way into the Everlasting Kingdom And all those who are not by this Holy Spirit prepared moved and assisted to perform Divine Worship unto God but run into that weighty Duty or any other supposed Ordinance without its pure Leadings which makes it a Spiritual and Living Worship they are but those anciently fore-told of LORD LORD-CRYERS whose Portion shall be that dismal Depart from me I know you not who has requir'd these things at your hands Let this therefore be a Warning unto all Professors in the Name of the Lord that they run no longer Vnsent nor think to be accepted for their many Words God regards the Heart that he has broken and is made contrite before him and which trembles at his Word 'T is not meer Worship but that which is Spiritual which he expects and accepts and to perform that Man must Cease from his own Spirit Strength Strivings and Imitations and become Dumb before the Lord and as a Man dead to Self-Performance and then will he breath into him the Spirit of Supplication and raise him up in the Newness of his own Divine Life whereby though but in Sighs and Groans a Spiritual and most Acceptable Worship shall be offered unto God in which his Soul will be well pleased and every such one come to be refresht and establisht in Righteousness For all Offerers and Vpholders of strange Fire of what sort of People soever they may be in the Great and Notable Day of the Lord God will he cause to lie down in Sorrow And because he thinks his Advantage is not small that he hath against us by basely inferring and aggravating such Consequences as this What of Duty we neglect we are to charge upon the Spirit 's not moving us to it or because we must not obey without a Motion we are acquitted from all Fault till then c. Let me tell him that he striketh himself and not the Quakers For they hold that God's Spirit ought to be daily waited for And that it is alwayes ready to inform and instruct Man's Soul and to move it to those Thoughts Words and Deeds with respect to God and Man as are Well-pleasing to the Almighty For we do not only teach that the Spirit of God is alwayes present to convince of Sin but to lead out of it and in that Way of holy Living which is well-pleasing unto God In short God's Worship stands in the Spirit and I testifie from the Eternal God all other Worship then what springs from a Mind touch'd sanctify'd and mov'd of his holy quickning Spirit is abominable to him His Righteous Soul loathes it And what else were their Sacrifices as theirs were who in my hearing said Pray
though such Vngodly Persons partake not of his Holy Life and Power neither are subject unto his Government 6. From our affirming God's Promise made good that he would be the Teacher of his People and Directing People to God's Light in them as the Gospel-Instruction to the Way of Life He wickedly infers against us yet as our Meaning that we deny all Ministry all Visible Worship c. though they stand in God's Power and Spirit Dial. p. 41 43 A thing never believed nor intended 7. When we speak of Christ's Manhood or Christ's Visible Appearance and when we speak of his Eternal Godhead or as he is now to his Saints People saying he was never as such Visible to Wicked Men. He is not ashamed to tell the World in our Name that Christ was never Visible to Wicked Men as to that Bodily Appearance and therefore that we deny any such Appearance at all Cont. p. 37 40 41. 8. From our Believing Christ to be in his People according to express Scripture and our asserting that as such he is Crucified by Wicked Men. He infers that we deny Christ to be as well without as within not that he was ever Crucified in the Flesh Dial. p. 44. Oh Wicked Man 9. From our Denyal of their rigid Satisfaction that is that Christ was punished by his Father for our Sin and that Sins past present and to come are answer'd for and that Men may be Holy in Christ by Virtue thereof whilst not New but Old Creatures and so Unholy in themselves their Consciences not being Purged from dead Works He unworthily concludes that we disown Christ's Death and Sufferings as a Propitiation that his Body was an Offering for Sin that he bore the Weight of the Iniquity of the whole World that he carry'd away sins past sealed Remission in his Blood to as many as believe and that we expect to be both forgiven and accepted not for Christ's sake nor in his Sacrifice and Righteousness but our own Works Dial. p. 9 10. Cont. 48 49 50 51 52 53. All which is an horrid Abuse of us 10. From our asserting that the End of Christ's Coming to be not only the Forgivenes of Sin past upon Repentance but the finishing of Transgression in the Creature by the Operation of his Power in his Inward and Spiritual Appearance He Wickedly infers that we make his Visible Appearance of no Value and deny the End of Christ's Sufferings Dial. p. 10. Cont. p. 50 51 52 53 44 55. 11. Because we say that Men are not accepted of God but upon the Inward Work of the Holy Spirit in the Soul as to daily Comunion with God And that there is not another Way to be saved from Sin present and to come then by Christ's Inward Manifestation and Operation He Insinuateth as our Faith that we purchase our Forgiveness by our own Good Works and not that Christ was Gods Propitiation by whom Remission of Sins past came which is the meer Love and Mercy of God declared then by him in the World more eminently and now by the Light in the Conscience to all that Repent Ibid. p. 51 52 53. 12. Becauce we make Obedience a Condition to Salvation He would have People believe that we make it the Meritorious Cause and so Papists Dial. p. 2 63. 13. Because we say that Christ is but our Example in his abiding in the Father's Love by keeping his Commandments So Wicked is he as to conclude that we believe Christ to be in ALL THINGS BUT AN EXAMPLE Ibid. p. 54. Behold this Wickedness 14. From our pleading for a Perfection from Sin and a Growth to the Measure of the Fulness of the Stature of Christ in this Life He confidently infers our Denial of a Perfection in Dâ—gâ—â—es and our Belief of as high a State of Perfection of Glory in this World as hereafter Dial. p. 48 49 50 51. 15. From our asserting True Rejoycing to be the Result of God's Work in Man and Man's Conformity to him and what Man sows he reaps This Person basely infers our utter Denial of any Cause of Rejoycing from what Christ had done for us when bodily in the World or by his Righteousness now in us Ibid. p. 53. 16. Because we say that such Works as are wrought by the Holy Spirit in us are necessary to Eternal Life and may in a sense be said to obtain it since the Lord hath so freely offered it upon the condition of Believing Obeying the Fruits of the Spirit of God in Man He wickedly suggests in our Name that we expect to Merit Eternal Life by Good Works and those of our own working as the Spider Weaves his Webb out of his own Bowels Thus does he pervert and misconstrue our pure Faith Dial. p. 38. Cont. p. 51 52. 17. Because we say all True Spiritual Liberty stands in God's Power that loses from Satan's Snares He unrighteously infers That who are not of our Way should have no Liberty Cont. p. 87. O Impious Man God will reckon for these things with thee 18. From our asserting that the Breath of Life which came from God by which Adam became a Living Soul to God was something of God himself That he may keep his old Wont he falsly renders it as our Meaning that the Soul is a part of God and then fastens all his hideous Consequences Dishonestly upon us Dial. p. 45 46. 19. From our Preaching the Redemption of the Seed from under the Weight and grievous Pressures of Sin and calling it the Lost Groat and Pearl in the Field c. He dares to give it as our Faith that we believe that Holy Seed to be in a Lost Undone or Polluted State Dial. p. 47 Cont. p. 49. then which what can be more Wicked 20. Because we say the Scriptures are not the great Gospel-Rule but the Spirit because the Dispensation of the Spirit is that of the Gospel more peculiarly and that without it we cannot understand or savingly believe any thing declared of in the Scripture and therefore that it is our Rule for believing the Scriptures themselves He basely suggests that the Quakers cast off all Precepts in the Scriptures and will not bound either their Doctrines or Lives thereby so will not bâ—ing their Cheats Impostures to the Test thereof counting them of no more Authority THEN ESOPS FABLES Dial. p. 20 21 22 23 24 30 31 32 33 34 35 36. Cont. Epist to the Reader Behold your Anabaptist Preacher Indeed an Vngodly Wrester to his own Destruction 21. From our asserting that what was a Commandment to any Servant of God in old times is not so to us because so to them that is such as going to Pharaoh going Naked going to the Kings Chappel as Moses Isaiah and Amos did as also those Elementary Types Shadows and Figures appointed for a Season and to pass off That such are not Commandments to us unless required by the same Spirit anew It is not a
and Railing wherewith he was charged at Bristol upon the Holy Spirit and that neither he had nor I have Words enough to signifie our Venom and Malignity because I said of James Nailors Book writ long before his being so charged That if he had treated that accursed Stock of Hirelings ten thousand times more sharply it had been but enough is like the rest of his Vngodly Perversions already noted For first I speak against Hirâ—lings and I have said nothing of them that the Holy Prophets have not exceeded who called them Dumb Dâ—gs Greedy Dogs Wolves and such like But T. Hicks's Concern for Hirelings shews both that he is one himself and indeed has been so a long time and next that he is fallen with many more from the fiâ—st Love and Principle of that People called Anabaptists 2. From my Justifying James Nailor's Sharpness in a particular Contrâ—vâ—â—sie â—gainst a Deceitful Lâ—ing Prâ—eâ—â— he infeâ—s thâ—t I dâ—fend him as to his pâ—blick Miscâ—riâ—gâ—s at Bristol Iâ— this thy Conscience hath all thy pretended Scâ—iptural Doctrines Knowledge â—tudy Preachmâ—nts c. brought thee no further God will bâ—â—â—t it all and bring thee to Judgmâ—nt for â— clerâ—â—â—gs Well may I return the third particular against thy self and Warn all People how they adhere to a Man fâ—â—'d with so much Vnâ—ruth Slander Perversion and Forgery who art alienâ—ted from Gâ—d's Light as near as it is to thee and that Heavenly Life that is felt therein of all those who believe and obey the Light Reader Let us not be esteemed Railers because we rebuke Railing Nor our Relâ—gious â—ensure of their Perversions Forgeries and Prophâ—ness be accounted Reviling 'T is Trouble enough to us to be thus conceâ—ned in Controversie We would find other Employment if such Envious Spirits found not this for us 'T is not our Choice but theirs They began and which is worse when the Powers left off Their Restlesâ— Spirit shows it must have its Vent some way Policy and Enmity together have turn'd it upon us so that our Peace from the Powers proves a Persecution from some of the Professors as the Experience of the base Cowardize of many among them gives us to remember that the Powers Peâ—secution was the time of their Peace who like Insects lay dead during those Winter Seasons We were then their made Walls to flat the Shot and Bulworks to resist the Assaults and the more Moderate prayed that we might be enabled to stand But no sooner were we come out of that Fiery Furnace then we were saluted with an Imposture from Lincoln and a Lâ—e from Dover both subscribed by Anabaptist â—reâ—chers with several Clamorâ—us Books since An Ill Recâ—mpencâ— indeed for our Love and Sufferings But frâ—m God is our Reward therefore we are not moved with whom we leave our Innocency and â—e will Effectually plead our Cause with our Adversaries His SCOFFS or slight ESTEEM of WITNESSING With a Word to Professors With a Conclusive Supplication to the Lord. Arg. VI. He that Slights and Scoffs at Witnessing is no True Christian but that doth Tho. Hicks therefore no true Christian It was the Way of the True Prophets Apostles and Churches of Christ to declare of what they had known Experimentally of God and his Work otherwise they must have been uncertain of the Truth of those Things they have recommended to us And since the Times of Reformation from the Thickness of Popery Experiences have been very Excellent Things I remember though very young to Thousands what a great Stir and Flockings there has been in my time after such Preachers who could by any Experiences approach the Consciences and tell People upon Tryal what God was and what Christ was and the Holy Spirit with respect to the Soul of Man as to Manifestation Operation Conviction Faith Temptation Victory over Sin Regeneration and the like Indeed it was the Want of this Preaching that gave such a Dis-relish to People of the National Priests and they suffered not a little for their Change Sure I am some Forms reputed less Phanatical then that in which T. Hicks is prest closely after such a Ministry and utterly decryed all other to be Beneficial in the Church of Christ But the Lord God having appeared in a more Immediate and Spiritual Manner some having taken up their Rest by the way therby losing their first Desire and Love and so the more Insensible of these further Breakin gs forth of God's Power amongst them under the more refined Form they have sat down in and where the Lord in some Measure might have appeared to them do they in this Day set themselves to War against the Light and Life of Christ within For indeed it is a State too Inward Self-less and Spiritual for their Carnal Minds that can only perform an Outward and Formal Worship to arrive at Now such being closely beset in their Fading and Dying Forms and many on all hands in whom there are any tender Desires after God's Invisible Presence falling from them like Men that seek themselves and not the Lord they are belabouring hard to prevent such a Separation from them and indeed they are grown so Dry Barren of all Good by their Opposition to the Lord's Truth as now revealed among us that they come to lose with their former good Desires their very Doctrine And that which above all things was once most desirable to the better Sort of them and applauded by all is become a Theam for Scorn and Derision I mean WITNESSING Thomas Hicks though an Anabaptist-Preacher cannot abide to hear of Witnessing He had as lieu meet with the Lye as Witnessing for an Answer He commonly bestows Ignorance Folly or such like upon It for a Companion And though another Return might be as easily found out by him yet because it may not so well suite the Scoffer and Prophane WE WITNESS IT is to go in its room To which kind of Answer he usually replies What is Thy Witnessing to Me Do not put us off with your Witnessings which signifie nothing to us Thy Commands and Witnessing are much alike to me with more of this kind My Friends In the Love of God that would have you redeemed and saved I beseech you turn away from such Blind Guides their Paths are Darkness and the End thereof Death If ever you will know and worship God aright you must come to the measure of his Spirit in you that is given to convince the World of Sin and you must know the Work thereof Experimentally in you or your Souls perish for ever My Friends I have a great Stress upon me concerning you would I could reach into every Soul of you that you might be toucht with this true Testimony for I know not more truly that God is then that I feel him to be a Rewarder of every Man according to his Works and such as Men sow they must reap And truly my Friends Time passeth away apace and the Day
separate Christ in them the Hope of Glory Newman's Light within p. 81 82 83 86. XIV Qua. That through Faith in the Power of Christ Perfection that is a Freedom from Sin is attainable and comes to be attained in this Life by the Soul that experienceth the Restauration by Christ Bap. If God in his Son draw up the Soul to himself Jo. 6 44. The more Special and Spiritual Condition of Souls thus drawn up to God in Christ is not only a Restauration to the Condition of the first Adam with relation to a Freedom from Sin this every Believer enjoys by Christ a Freedom a Justification from Sin But secondly every Soul drawn â—p out of it self to God is brought into the Condition of the second Adam Marrow Christian p. 29. XV. Qua. That Soul that 's restored unto the New Covenant-Dispensation and come to taste how good he is to partake of his Spiritual Wisdom and Counsel therein doth own and follow this Spirit and the Light thereof as the Chief Rule of Faith Obedience and Worship above the Scripture or Letter and the Spiritual Saving Knowledge of God and Christ therein beyond all Literal Knowledge and Profession of him received from without Bap. This Wisdom namely of the Spirit which is spiritual and heavenly sets the Creature out of himself in the Power of God that Wisdom namely of the Flesh and first â—dam carried on the Creature to the Answering of God in the Letter and yet in all this come sâ—oâ—t This 〈…〉 of the Spirit carries on the Soul where It 〈◊〉 is nâ—â—â—fter the Oldness of the Letter but after the Newness of the Spirit In â— wâ—rd that Wisdom could not helâ— to the Knowledge of God in the Spirit This doth 1 Câ—r 1. Marrow of Christian p. 35. Certainlâ— that â—oul who hath once tasted how Good and how Gracious the Lord is in the Spirit 〈◊〉 never be satisfâ—â— with â— Knowledge of him in the Letter The Knowledge of a Spiritual Vâ—iâ— with God produceth an acting 〈◊〉 and â—â—er the Spirit of God How doth the Creature 〈…〉 work and â—â—ls it self even in the Letter of the Gospel as well as formerly in the Letter of the Laâ— for want of Knowledge of the Vnion in the Spiritual Power of the Lord Marrow p. 44. XVI Qua. Christ's Second Appearance or Coming to the Salvation of them that truly wait and look for him is a Spiritual Appearance or Coming in Spâ—â—â— to sâ—vâ— his People and not in Scripture callâ— a Pâ—â—â—â—â—d or Fleshly Coming nor his Reign a Personal Reign in his Kingdom for 't is a Spiritual Kingdom and his Reign in it Spiritual Bap. Christ's Presence and so his Kingdom will be a Spiritual Presence and not a Personal His Reign in the Latter Dayes will not be Personal but Spiritual Jesus Christ is no more to be known of the Saints after the Flesh therefore his Presence so and his Kingdom will not be a Fleshly or Personal Presence and Kingdom but a Spiritual his Glory Spiritual his Kingdom not of this World c. See the Point argu'd at large Marrow Christian p. 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 to the end of the Section XVII Qua. That there is an Immortal and Incorruptible Seed of the Nature of Christ Jesus to be known in the Soul whereof true Believers come to be born again even by the Word of Life and Power which liveth and abideth forever and so comes Christ to be formed and Spiritually born in them and they to be renewed up into his Nature and Image Bap. Although we have known Christ after the Flesh yet know we him no more why If any Man be in Christ he is a New Creature Christ is formed in him after the Spirit and he comes now to 〈◊〉 a Spiritual Christ within him Marrow p. 55. Faith may be acted not only on Christ's Dying 〈◊〉 the Cross but in Christ's Living in the Soul that is my believing That Christ is Spiritually formed in me as well as that he dyed for me Ibid p. 56. XVIII Qua. We are fully satisfied that God is so far from having absolutely and particularly decreed Men's Destruction from Eternity or designing perpetual and meer voluntary Hatred to particular Persons or with-holding his Saving Grace from them that his Love is in the first place Universal to all Mankind his Grace which brings Salvation hath appeared and is free to all Men till they reject it the Appearance whereof is in and by the Light of his Son in all which is sufficient to leave all the Disobedient without Excuse whereby Men are at sometimes put into such a Capacity as that they may be saved and so receive the Benefit and good End of Christ's Coming Suffering Death and becoming a Ransom for ALL for a Testimony in due time of God's fâ—â—e Love and Grace And with this the General Baptists agree against the Contrary Partial and Pinching Opinion of the Particular Electioners Bap. 1. We believe and are very confident that there is one Lord Jesus Christ by whom are all things who is the only begotten Son of God whom God freely sent into the World because of his great Love unto the World who as freely gave himself a Ransom for all 1 Tim. 2.5 6. tasting Death for every Man Heb. 2.9 a Propitiation for our Sins and not for ours only but also for the Sins of the whole World 1. Jo. 2.2 2. That God is not willing that any should perish but that all should come to Repentance 2. Pet. 3.9 and the Knowledge of the Truth that they might be saved 1 Tim. 2.4 for which End Christ hath commanded that the Gospel to wit the glad Tiding of Remission of Sins should be preached to every Creature Maâ—k 16.15 So that no Man shall eternally suffer in Hell for want of a Christ that dyed for them but as the Scripture saith for denying the Lord that bought them 2 Pet. 2. or because they believe not in the Name of the only begotten Son of God Jo. 3 18. Vnbelief therefore being the Cause why the Just and Righteous God will condemn the Children of Men it follows against all Contradiction that all Men at one time or other are put into such a Capacity as that through the Grace of God they may be eternally saved Joh. 1.7 Act. 17.30 Mark 6.6 Heb. 3.10 18.19 1 Joh. 5 10. Joh. 3.17 See Art 3.4 of Confession of Faith presented to the King subscribed by 46 of them Serious Reader I having diligently traversed the present Controversies between some of these Water-Baptists and us called Quakers have thus far laboured for Quietness and Reconciliation by thus obviously laying down those Principles and Doctrines of ours that have been chiefly struck at by the Dialogue-Man and some others of them together with his and his Brethren's own intermixt Concessions and Assenting to the Truth thereof in most things very nearly concurring in Matter and Substance which while he or any of them otherwhiles oppose and
Thirty Copies and all differing in fine there are many Thousands of various Readings Now let 's Dialogue a little upon Supposition only Quaker If by Interpretation who shall interpret Meer Man Anabaptist No. Q. The Light within A. No. Q. The Spirit A. No. Q. The Church A. What Church Q. Shall Right Reason interpret A. Yes sayes T.H. Q. I Query Which of them is the Rule And when that 's found out and determined then let T. Hicks prove that it is unquestionably true and has remained Uncorrupted through every Generation And by that time he has done all this he shall have done a great deal towards our Satisfaction But what is this Right Reason A. 'T is a Faculty in Man rectified Q. Very well But who has this rectified Faculty A. Thomas Hicks say Q. Has none it but he A. Yes Q. Have none Right Reason but such A. It was an old Saying Dip or Damn but Interest has taught us more Discretion Q. Well then Others may have Right Reason that are not dipped A. We say so whatever we think among our selves Q. What 's the peculiar benefit of Dipping A. Much every way Q. But which way A. We are brought into Church-Fellowship Q. Are you brought into Fellowship with God by it A. No I cannot say so Q. No! what 's your Fellowship worth then the Saints Fellowship was in the Light and the true Church-Fellowship was in Spirit What do you receive when you are dipt A. Nothing Q Are you no better A. No. Q Why I once thought you received the Holy Ghost out of hand A. I thought so too but was Mistaken Q. Why wert thou dipt then A. To fulfil the Scripture Q. But what led thee to it A My own desire Q. Is not that Will-Worship A. What to do as the Scripture exhorts Q. How knowest thou it exhorted to it A. I thought so Q. Is that enough Where 's your being lead by God's Spirit But to our Business Q. How shall I know Tho. Hicks has this Reason before mention'd A. He loftily sayes so Q. But is that sufficient Well but where is this Right Reason A. In Men. Q. Is it so Then it seems that which gives the true Knowledge of the Scripture is in Man But tell me honestly Do ye believe this Right Reason may Err A. No For then it were not Right Reason if it could be Wrong Q. Well argued But if a Man Errs is it not the Fault of Right Reason A. By no means Q. Thou speakest honestly But why then does T. Hicks charge the Light the Quakers profess with every short-sighted imperfect Saying or Action of this or any other Generation A. Does he Q. Yes it is the great Drift of his Books A. Truly that 's not fair Q. Honestly said But if this Right Reason cannot Err then Man cannot Err A. No that does not follow for Man may not submit to it Q. Why may Man have something in him that cannot Err and he not be Unerrable A. Yes Q Rightly said But why then does T. Hicks conclude so of â—â— A. It is unfairly done Q. Very well But you say that this Right Reason is part of Man's Soul or I am mistaken see Dial. pag. 32. If so then Man's Soul must be Infallible A. Oh Infallible that word affrights us What Infallible Pray what 's Infallible Q. Poor Man I see it scares thee indeed Why Unerrable and Infallible are all one Yea Right Reason is Infallible by the same Reason that it cannot be Wrong A. But the Popes talk of being Infallible are not you like them Q. Never the more like them for that Talking and Being so are Two Things Men should not deny the true Christ because of an Imposture nor any fear Infallibility because the Pope makes Market with such Pretences If thou art not certain of what thou believest thou hast not that Faith which was once delivered to the Saints for that was Certain and therefore Infallible A. Why Is Certain and Infallible all one Q. Yes Certainty and Infallibility is the same But what think'st thou of the Light in this Case under Debate for either it is the Rule or it is given to understand use the Rule or else it s given for nothing A. 'T is not the Rule we are taught to say and yet we cannot conclude it to be given for nothing Q. Very well then it must be given in order to understand and use the Rule Now supposing the Scriptures be the Rule that which informs me of my Rule and teaches me how to use it must be greater then my Rule in that it teaches me to know and do that my Rule cannot do of it self I query then If this Light be not my Rule how and which Way I come to understand and use this Rule So that it is eminently the Rule because of its Present Immediate and Certain Direction and Knowledge and the Scripture at most but a kind of Declaratory and Secondary Rule and therefore subject to the Holy Spirit in the Apostles and primitive Christians who took not Measures by it when it distinguisht the Ceremonial from the Moral Precepts so intermixed in the 19th of Leviticus and other places but their Minds being exercised and guided by that Holy Living Rule they left off or continued for a time several Jewish Observations as there might be a Service therein signified to them from that Living Rule The Light and Spirit of God then is both THE Rule of Faith and Guide of Life superior to the Scriptures and That by which only they can be rightly known believed and fulfilled A Doctrine Evangelical and not disowned by those first Protestants who testified that no Man could understand the Scriptures given forth by Inspiration but by a measure of the same Spirit To conclude Historical Faith Scripture is a Rule of but Doctrinal and Saving Faith the Light and Spirit of God can only be the Rule of for that which giveth Faith is only that which rules Faith 3 But says he how could you have known that Swearing in any Case were Vnlawful if it had not been written Swear not at all Is not then that Scripture your Rule in this Case But this shews both the Ignorance of T. Hicks in the Writings of the best Gentiles and his Acknowledgment of the Light 's Sufficiency in case we are able to prove Swearing disallowed and dispractâ—ised before Christ's Coming in the Flesh The Seven Wise Men famous among the Greeks and Contemporaries above five hundred years before Christ came in the Flesh esteemed Swearing but a Remedy against Corruption in Evidence To be sure they both believ'd and exhorted People to that State which needed it not Socrates plainly sayes that there is a Life more firm and unquestionable then an Oath Consequently Swearing not the best State And Xenocrates was had in that Veneration in Athens for his exceeding Virtue that the Magistrates thought it a questioning of his Honesty to offer
the Propagation of that Inward Religion however their Form may be more scriptural the same Spirit enters them that reigned in their old Persecutors and they at last run back and end in that from whence they at first reformed So dangerous is it to rest satisfied with a finer Form which in Truth is but a better Covering for the old Enemy of God's Spirit and Power to act more disguisely and securely in But lest any should think that all this is said to justle the Scriptures out of all Use and Service read these few lines following with Patience and Impartiality Though we eminently account the Light or Spirit of Christ to be the Gospel Living and Immediate Rule as the great Promise of the Father and that without being ruled and lead or guided by there is no being a Child of God yet we do not thereby intend an Exclusion of the Scriptures from being Obligatory or as not Declaratory of those heavenly blessed Truths that are fit to be read believed and practised God forbid No we know better and practise otherwise and have good Satisfaction therein Nor do we say that those essential Things relating to Faith and Godliness mentioned therein are by us to be sleighted or contradicted or that the Light and Spirit we are led by doth or can lead to any such thing for by its Holy Discoveries and Convictions are we made acquainted with them and our Faith concerning them is firm and they are thereby made our Duty and such is their Correspondence and Agreement that from an INWARD ASSENT AND LIVING AMEN FROM GOD's LIGHT IN OUR CONSCIENCES do we testifie of their Truth Vse and Dignity And very vain is T. Hick's Objection If your Light be Sufficient why do you read them since we may return to him the same If the Scriptures be Sufficient why dost thou use other Means Though God's Grace be Sufficient of it self therefore is the Creature always in that Condition wherein he needs not Means And notwithstanding it be the Dispensation of Light and Life more Immediately then has been known to former Ages yet we deny not the Use of such Means as may be used of God's Light and Spirit as will be spoken more largly to elsewhere Man's Mind being Carnal and abroad Means in God's Power are us'd not as settl'd Teachers but as Instruments in God's Hand to testifie of and direct to that one Great Prophet and Living Teacher in the Hearts of Men that all may come thither and be taught of him CHAP. V. Of his Insinuations against us concerning the Scriptures BUt T.H. that he may be true to his Ungodly Way of perverting our Principles would insinuate First That we esteem the Scriptures no farther then as they were the Experiences of Ancient Saints thereby rendering the many Prophecies and Promises therein recorded not yet fulfilled Vnprofitable But to take off all Credit to this evil Suggestion let our sober Readers know that by the Light of Christ in our own Hearts and Consciences as to confirm what of the Scriptures we have experienced and press after the Compleatment of those Enjoyments therein expressed so are we taught reverently to believe those holy Prophecies and Promises yet unaccomplished to have been given forth by the Inspiration of the Almighty and that they shall be as certainly fulfilled as they are written Yet we dare boldly affirm and that in the Name of the Lord before whom we shall give an Account for every Deed done in the Body that the greatest Reason of our Belief concerning them is not from any Outward thing but that Inward Testimony Record and Heavenly Amen that we have frequently received from the holy Light within us to the Truth and Faithfulness of those Sayings And if any Quakers there be that are not thus minded they are to me unknown and I publickly renounce and protest against that Principle that would in the least derogate from those Holy Writings which leads me to his Second Insinuation viz. As if because we do deny the Scriptures to be the Rule of Faith and Practice in Honour to that Divine Light which was the Author of them in the Holy Pen-men that we should therefore deny all those holy Precepts Commandments and Rules relating to Life and Godliness that are therein contained A Consequence so foul that God forbid any of us should ever give any Just Occasion for it For we both believe Men ought to livâ— up to them and that they are highly Reprovâ—able if they transgress against them But the Reason why is that Conviction they meet with from the Light in their own Consciences wherefore the Scriptures are so far from being the great Rule of Faith and Practice that the Light of Christ within is both our Warrant and Rule for Faith in and Obedience to them And let T.H. say if he can that the Waldenses Albigenses Loâ—lards Hussites Lutherans Calvinists and other Protestants made not the Testimony of God in their Conscience the chief Ground of their Belief of the Scriptures to say nothing of the primitive Christians and most uncorrupted Fathers who are many and positive on our behalf 3 ly He insinuates that we equal nay prefer our Books before the Scriptures because of the Titles we give our own Books viz. The Voice of Wisdom A Testimony for God c. and what we give the Scripture namely Letter c. This I have largely spoken to in my Answer to J. Faldo but not knowing whether ever that may be where this probably may come I shal say thus much If at any time we call the Scripture the Letter it is not that we mean thereby our Books are the Spirit or that we would irreverently set them below our Writings but upon a Comparison only betwixt the Scriptures and the Spirit that gave them forth and that I hope may be done without the least Disrespect though such whose Religion stands in Letter and Time and not in Spirit and Power be angry at it But that we should be thought to sleight the Scriptures because we bestow such Names upon our Books is a strange kind of Consequence Are not our Books mostly written in a plain familiar and Scripture-stile Do we not earnestly endeavour to confirm what we write by Scripture which not only renders it a Paâ—t of our Book but the most Noble Part too And shall we notwithstanding be reputed Sleighters of the Scriptures Certainly if our Books are called The Voice of Wisdom and A Testimony for God because from the Voice of Wisdom and God's Witness in the Conscience by good Reason must the Scriptures be interested therein who are both a part of them and such a one too as unto whom our Quotation implies a Manifest Preference His next Insinuation is that it is Dangerous for Ignorant People to read the Scriptures flinging those hateful Names of Jesuit and Romanist upon us This Doctrine he layes to the Charge of G. Fox and Rich. Hubberthorn in a Book called Truth
that God condemn'd and punish'd his Innocent Son for other Folkes Sins that he might be satisfied for pardon he neither could nor would And which is most absurd Christ being this same God he at once makes him the Party satisfying the Party satisfied which is absurd and impossible besides 't is such a Satisfaction as hath paid all Debts past present to come whereby all Inward Righteousness though of Christ's Working is not necessary to Justification in any Kind Secondly He has dealt Injuriously with me and that in two Respects 1. In not stating the Doctrine truly which I opposed and my Words at length that they might speak for themselves But in that case perhaps he thought he should have been oblieged to answer them a thing he every where seems afraid of his Trade â—s Caviâ—â—â—g And 2lâ— In that he brings this Passage which opposâ—d sucâ— a Satisfaction as is said to have paid for Sins pâ—st present and to come to answer a Scripture which concerns Justification and that part of it too which relates to Remission of Sins Insinuating that I make Men's own Works sufficient to Justification in the first sense I mean Remission in the second sense I mean daily Acceptance upon being made Just and lastly that I overturn all the Righteousness Death and Sufferings of Christ whilst in Truth and Sincerity of Soul 1. by Justification not by another's Righteousness WHOLELY WITHOUT I only meant That it was Christ's Righteousness wrought in us and not our own which made Inwardly Just and which gave daily Acceptance and brought into the heavenly Fellowship with the Father and with the Son the Justification then intended by me 2 ly Since God has made his Truth known to me I have ever understood Christ's being offered up to signifie the carrying away of Sin the bearing away of Iniquity that by which God declared Remission and Forgiveness of Sins past to all that repented And this Justification called Rom. 4. ver 5 6 7 8 God 's not Imputing Sin I have ever owned to be the Free Unmerited Love of God to the World And was not that Justification by me spoken of in the Passage cited 3 ly That which I opposed was so rigid a Satisfaction as made it absolutely unavoidable or necessary in God to require a Satisfaction thereby robbing him of the Power of his free Mercy and Loving-kindness to remit and pass by and that Christ did not answer or pay by the Act of his Suffering for Sins past present and to come but as he declared Remission by his Blood for the Sins past of the whole World the beginning of his Work so that he doth by his Power and Spirit subdue destroy and cast out Sin out of the Hearts of all who believe in him whereby their Consciences come to be made pure they sanctified throughout in Body Soul and Spirit which necessitates to Good Life and speaks no Peace to the Wicked in their Wickedness nor yet to the sloathful formal and carnal Professor of Religion Therefore such rage and imagine a vain thing against us That the Consequences of the common Notion of both Satisfaction and Justification are Irreligious and Irrational though what has been said might suffice with Sober and Impartial Readers yet I may anon have further Occasion to prove it In the mean time He tells the World that William Penn in Answer to this Question How did Christ fulfil the Law for Sinners says That Christ fulfilled the Law ONLY as our Pattern or Example S.F. p. 26. In which he has done exactly like himself For if he can find the Word ONLY there or such an Answer to such a Question or the Matter strictly contained in that Question he has not wronged me but sure I am there is no such Question and as sure that the Fulfilling of the Law was not the Subject treated on and very certain that the Word Only was not there therefore a Forger That which I said with the Scripture on which it was grounded follows If ye keep my Commandments ye shall abide in my Love even as I have kept my Father's Commandments and abide in his Love From whence this Argument doth naturally arise If none are truly Justified that abide not in Christ's Love and that none abide in his Love that keep not his Commandments then consequently none are justified but such as keep his Commandments Besides here is the most palpable Opposition to an Imputative Righteousness that may be For Christ is so far from telling them of such a Way of being Justified as that he infoâ—mâ—th them the Reason why he abode in his Father's Love was his Obedience and is so far from telling them of their being Justified whilst not abiding in his Love by Virtue of his Obedience imputed unto them that unless they keep his Commands and obey for themselves they shall be so remote from an Acceptance as wholely to be cast out in all which Christ is but our Example Now that this concerned not the Whole Law Christ came to fulfil The whole Law he fulfilled the place of Scripture quoted the Nature and Matter of the Argument clearly proves Next If Christ had been other then our Example in that case then he should have fulfilled his own Commandments in our stead who from Obeying his Father's taught us our Duty was to obey His. And supposing that he could have kept his own Commandments and obey'd himself for us or in our stead it would have followed 1. That we needed not to have kept them unless they were to be observed twice over And that 2ly in not keeping of them we had been notwithstanding justified from his alone Fulfilling of them unless his Answering them had been Insufficient The first of which if I understand any thing opens a Door to all Licentiousness however Upright some may be in their Intentions to the contrary And the last strikes dead their own Opinion of the Sufficiency of Christ's Personal Obedience to perfoâ—m all needful on our Account From hence he undertakes to charge me with the Merit of Works My words at length are these which he thought good to conceal Was not Abraham justified by Works when he offered Isaac and by Works was Faith made perfect and the Scripture was fulfilled which saith Abraham believed God and it was imputed to him for Righteousness By which we must not concâ—ive as do the dark Imputarians of this Age that Abraham ' s Offering Personally was not a Justifying Righteousness but that God was pleased to account it so since God never accounts a thing that which it is not nor was there any Imputation of another's Righteousness to Abraham but on the contrary his Personal Obedience was the Ground of that just Imputation therefore that any should be justified from the Imputation of another's Righteousness not inherent or actually possessed by them is both Ridiculous and Dangerous Ridiculous since it is to say A Man is Rich to
Bread and Wine They were both Shadows and both Elementary and Perishable And though the Letter were more immediatly fore-running and introductory of the Substance it self yet not to be perpetuated For a Continuance of them had been a Judaizing of the Spiritual Evangelical Worship The Gospel would have been a State of Figures Types and Shadows which to assert or practise is as much as in such lies to pluck it up by the Roots The Appellation Ordinances of Christ I therefore renounce as Unscriptural and Inevangelical Besides a Spirit of Whoredom from God gross Apostacy into Superstition and Idolatry yea a Spirit of Hypocrisie Persecution and Murder and all manner of Wickedness has got them and covered It self with them Jezebel-like the old Enemy of God's Faithful Prophets and People And we can testifie from the same Spirit by which Paul renounced Circumcision that they are to be rejected as not now required neither have they since the False Church espoused and exalted them ever been taken up afresh by God's Command or in the Leading of his Eternal Spirit And the Lord will appear to gather People out of them but never to establish or keep People in them no they served their time and now the False Church has got them yea the Whore has made Merchandize with them and under such Historical Shadowy and Figurative Christianity has she managed her Mystery of Iniquity unto the beguiling Thousands whose Simplicity the Lord has and will have tender Regard to But they Baptized after the Holy Ghost was poured out True And they also would not eat the Flesh of things Strangled nor Blood They Circumcised and Purified themselves in the Temple and had Vows after the Pouring forth of the Holy Ghost By which we may learn that Condescension Practice are quite differing things from Institution else Paul would never have said He was not sent to Baptize i. e. with Water whose Commission doubtless went as far as any of the rest But they brake Bread and Paul received it from God True But Paul never enjoyned it He said As often as ye do it c. which is very wide of any Institution Again Read the Chapter fore-going 11. or 10. where he tells the Wise Men of another Bread then that he spoke to the Weak of who eat and drank to Excess not discerning the Lord's Body Further Let it be considered that no other Apostle recommends these things nor Paul himself to either the Romans the Corinthians in his first Epistle the Galatians Ephesians Philippians Collossians Thessalonians Hebrews if his nor to Timothy Titus and Philemon when he set down the Order of the Churches What an Over-sight might one then say according to T.H. was it in him not only not to press and charge but not to mention the Sacraments of the Church necessary to Salvation as they are called and esteemed Would it not have been accounted a great Neglect and Defect in Calvin if he had been silent to any Church instituted in his Time and Form or to say He thanked God he baptized none but such and such Yet how full are his and their Epistles of Divine Exhortation Information Reproof Instruction and the like Is it not very Wicked then in T. Hicks to tell the World of our Denying to keep God's Commandments in general because we Refuse to practise these Shadowy Temporary Perishing Things especially at this time a day after such an Abuse of them and that the Gentile-Spirit has troden them under â—oot so long being part of that Outward Courts of Religion given to them which were left out at the measuring of the Evangelical Temple of God Rev. 21 Besides what Authority have these Men for Using them To do as Men would be done to concerns all in all Ages but to practise Figures and Shadows in Religion we know does not A Church cannot be without one yet without the other Would it not be Ridiculous in any Man to adorn himself either as some eminent Commander or other Officer because it is required by Office or Place of every such one that really is so The Apostles baptized therefore must T. H The Apostles anointed with Oyl therefore should T. H Nay Christ washed his Disciples Feet telling them they ought or it was their Duty so to do one to the other therefore should T. H The Believers sold their Possessions and had all things Common but will T.H. either imitate or enjoyn this upon his Hearers But since T.H. and his Adherents do not several such things once done and enjoyned to as Blood Things Strangled Anointing with Oyl Washing of Feet c. why are they not to be as much blamed as we are for omitting that of Bread and Wine Or why should not they rather desist Practising of those with the rest and that upon the same terms I will warrant T.H. for going to Synagogues Decrâ—ing Hirelings Preaching Freely Exposing himself to all Hardship for the Gospel's sake which the Apostles did To conclude God never condescended to use such Things to lead to and hold forth the hidden Substance that People should rest there and much less in a Way of Opposition to the Substance it self such an Use of them has caused God to loath them and enjoyn us to testifie against them Remember the Instituted Brazen-Serpent of old c. what became of them in the like case We would be glad to see more Honesty Meekness and Godly-mindedness in our Opposers though there were less of this Imitation They are for such Commands as they call them which Hypocrites Apostates the False Church yea the Devil himself can come into but as for those that concern the Daily Cross and Victory over Sin they can Wickedly plâ—â—d a kind of Liberty from at least to their Unconquerable Infirmities as they are willing to believe them But we testifie against the False Church whose Faith Worship stands not in the Life Power and Spirit of God however deckt with the ancient Attire of the True for her finest Forms out of the Life and Power of God we renounce and as becomes the true Evangelical Church we assert That he is not a Jew or Christian who is one Outwardly neither is that now the Circumcision Baptism and Supper which is Outward but he is the Jew or Christian that is one Inwardly and that is the Circumcision that is of the HEART that the Baptism which is of the HOLY GHOST and FIRE and that the Supper which is of the BREAD THAT COMETH DOWN FROM ABOVE which gives Eternal Life to as many as eat thereof and that is of the WINE WHICH IS TO BE DRUNK NEW WITH CHRIST IN THE KINGDOM OF GOD WITHIN Luke 17.20 Much might be said in this matter but I refer the Reader to the Book entituled Quakerism a new Nick-Name for old Christianity However let it be noted that our Adversary is for Will-Worship and not the Quakers For we affirm that no Sacrifice nor Performance can be acceptable with God to
Brother will you Pray No Brother I am not so well able as you are Let Brother such a one Pray he is better gifted for the Work c. Complementing Shifting and at last Praying c. in their own Wills and not in God's Motion This God hates Next Since the Pouring forth of the Spirit is the great Gospel Gift and that the Children of God are to be led by it In what should we more diligently wait for its Heavenly Assistance then in that part of our Duty which we owe to God Is his Worship Spiritual and can we perform it out of the Motion of his own Spirit For what then was his Spirit given Again If Men should pray in a known Tongue much more with the Spirit as the Apostle speaks No Wonder the Professors ask Pardon for their Prayers Indeed God's Spirit gives them to see the Emptiness of their Righteousness and condemns them for it wherfore they are at times dissatisfy'd in them yet they will not learn of him to be guided by him who would cover them with Everlasting Righteousness Blessed would they be if their Minds were stayed in his Counsel But instead thereof T.H. does as good as say that if he should stay till the Spirit moved him he might stay long enough rendring the Spirit Wanting in that for which he was shed abroad in the Heart Because through his Enmity and Darkness hasty Running in his own Spirit he feels it not to lead him else he would never infer from our Asserting the Necessity of the Spirit 's Moving to Right Acceptable Worship that we are acquitted from any Fault in omitting to do that which is Good and the Blame must be laid upon the Spirit But let me ask him Can any Man do Good of himself Surely he will say No. How then shall Man do that Good he ought to do but by the Holy Ghost Canst thou call Jesus Lord by any other Power or Spirit Read the Scriptures What greater Contradiction can there be then to believe Man of himself can do no Good and yet to say he can do it without God's Spirit to incline and assist him thereunto But if the Spirit do not what does Tell me what can tender the Heart prepare the Soul raise the Affections give true Feeling of Wants and help to perform all in that Fear Reverence and deep Sense which becomes all New Covenant Spiritual Worshippers if this cannot or do not Nay what an Affront is it to God since it is to suppose that Man wants him not that his Spirit neither moves to Duty that ought to be performed nor yet condemns for Duty omitted Behold the Impudence of the Man He talks of Gospel Christ the Mysteries of his Glorious Kingdom c. What grosser Opposer of the New Covenant can there be who denies the very Life Virtue and Soul of all true Gospel-Worship and Discipline and without which the otherwise best Christian-Church that ever was would be worse then Legal For they that worship not from the Motions of God's Spirit offer strange Fire set up their own Worship and are Image Makers such ask but they receive not because they ask not aright For if no Man can call Jesus Lord but by the Holy Ghost no Man can pray to the Lord or in his Name without the Holy Ghost yet a Sigh or Groan from its holy Operation that Sacrifice though without Words is manifold more engaging and effectual with the Lord then the most excellent Performance of Man 's own Spirit 'T is the Fear and Heavenly Sense of God in the Soul that recommends the Performance and that the holy Spirit begets And as the Minds of Men and Women are exercised in the Law of this pure and quickening Spirit as it appears in them they shall know the true Worship which stands in Life and Power whose End is Everlasting Peace when the LORD LORD-CRYERS that have Prayed and Preached in their own Wills and Wisdom as well as to their own Ends and Advantages shall be cast out forever with a DEPART FROM ME YE WORKERS OF INIQUITY But there is one Objection taken from my Book called The Spirit of Alexander the Copper-Smith c. which he thinks splits us irrecoverably It runs thus Either there is such a thing as a Christian-Church or there is not if there be then this Church either hath Power or hath not If no Power then no Church If a Body or a Church then there must be a Power within it self to determine To which sayes Tho. Hicks For Christians to plead this who own the Scriptures for their Rule and not the meer Light within the Argument may safely be allowed But you cannot stand by this For will you say what a Man doth without an Inward Motion is accurst and yet disown him for not doing what he is not moved unto But though this be plausible it is no more For the Difficulty remains in Case the Scripture be admitted for the Rule for Instance The Church unto which Tho. Hicks belongs own the Scripture to be the Rule But suppose Tho. Hicks in some one Point believes the Scripture not to intend the same thing the rest of the Church understand it to mean as in Case of Free-Will I query how this Matter shall be reconciled They affirm the Scripture to be the Rule and say This is the true Sense of the Scripture Thomas Hicks also affirms the Scripture to be the Rule but that his Sense is the Mind of the Scripture This occurs almost daily among those who believe the Scripture to be the Rule of Faith Now observe the Parallel The Quakers by the Light within them as their Rule judge that rude Imagination of keeping the Hat on in time of publick Prayer The Anabaptists by the Scripture as their Rule censure Thomas Hicks for upholding a Contrary Sense to the Scripture The Dissenter from the Quakers sayes The Light which he calls his Rule manifests no such thing to him nor doth he believe it to be the Mind of the Light to him Thomas Hicks makes Answer to the Church that by the Scripture he understands quite another thing and the Scripture is his Rule for what he sayes and maintains in the Matter I would ask any Man of Common Sence if the Scripture is not as well set in Opposition to it self by these two Pretenders as the Light within and if the Church of Anabaptists would not therefore doubt the Truth of their Interpretation but proceed to censure Thomas Hicks as a Disturber of their Church in its Doctrine or Discipline by the Introduction of New and Unprofitable Opinions Neither are the Body of the Quakers to question their Judgment given by the Light within as their Rule to be a true and unquestionable Determination against such Alexanders and Enemies to the Peace of their Jerusalem But I would further tell Thomas Hicks that though we renounce all Worship not led to by God's Spirit his Reflection
this Seed That to the Carnal Mind which rules in any the Commands of Christ are not given And that the Spirit not only manifesteth the Promises but exerciseth Faith in and fulfils them out of E.B. G.K. G.W. p. 106. â—m Rev. p 77 78. Chr. Asc p. 10. Query Is â—othiâ—g else taught but this Seed then your Minâ—stry is only God Preaching to Himself c. Will you 〈◊〉 of Infallibility and Talk like Mad-Men YOU ARE IMPLACABLE ENEMIES TO THE CHRISTIAN RELIGION MEN INSPIRED BY SATAN AND AS VILE IMPOSTORS AS EVER WERE Here stop a while Certainly Reader No Man was ever given up to a Spirit of greater Injustice Dishonesty and bitter Rage against any People then T. Hicks seems to be against us He does not so much prove us Bad as he would make us so that he may cover his Wickedness against us What false Doctrine is it to preach People to the Seed God has sown in which is Virtue Life and Power to bring forth blessed Fruits to God To suggest from thence that there is nothing to be taught but the Seed is great Darkness and Prejudice For the Ministry is not to teach the Seed but to bring down and humble the Mind of Man to it that the Mind may be taught and the Seed delivered from under the Pressure of Sin and Ignorance Strange Contradiction that the Seed should be sown in Man for its own Salvation and not for Man's What but Wickedness it self could thus write of us And that the Carnal Mind receives not the Things of God because it perceives them not is according to Scripture if not according to Tho. Hicks But it is not the first time by many that Scripture in a Quaker's Book has been given under that Name for gross Error and Delusion That the Spirit manifests the Promises exerciseth Faith in and fulfils them cannot be False Doctrine if it be allowed to give a true Understanding of them and if it gives to exercise Faith in them and finally to accomplish or fulfil them But his Insinuation lies here that the Spirit of God is that which believes in God and exercises Faith for it self in God which was never G. W's Intent But as I have said the Spirit is that only which gives us Faith and exerciseth that Faith it gives in the Promises of God which are Yea and Amen in that Seed the Quakers preach People to believe and grow in for which T. Hicks is pleased to call us Praters Canters Enthusiasts Mad Men Idle Non-sensical Blasphemous Inspired of Satan and as Vile Impostors as ever were c. For which God Almighty rebuke his Envious Enraged and Unclean Spirit CHAP. XII Of Resurrection and Rewards THe last great Doctrine he insinuates our Denial of is that of the Resurrection from the Dead That which he brings under the Quaker's Name as a sufficient Proof for that Suggestion I shall relate that every Impartial Reader may be satisfied of the Man's Inconsistency with sound Doctrine as well as the Common Justice of Doing as he would be done by In Answer to his Questions about the Resurrection of the same Carnal Body that Dyes he brings in G. Whitehead thus Q. Is it not written Thou Fool that which thou sowest is not the Body which shall be but God gives a Body as pleaseth him Thus saith Tho. Hicks Whitehead replied and G. Fox the Younger speaks to the same purpose Two Fools that say This Body of Natural Flesh and Bones shall rise I say The Body which is sown is not the Body which shall be I query saith he Whether both these Persons do not tacitly deny the Resurrection of the Body Now that T.H. hath shown himself at once Dishonest and Erroneous too Let it be observed 1. That from our Denyal of the Resurrection of the same Natural Fleshly Body he absolutely infers and concludes our Denyal of the Resurrection of the Body in any Sense which is great Injustice to any Adversary 2. Let it be well observed that he makes the Scripture it self to deny the Resurrection and so Heterodox by Accounting G. Whitehead and G. Fox their Answers in Scripture-Language to be a Denyal of the Resurrection For if Thomas Hicks does not intend by his Arguing That the same Body that dyed without any Mutation shall rise again what makes him to quarrel the Apostle Paul's saying Thou Fool that which thou sowest is not the Body which shall be and repute us Hereticks for believing him Certainly his gross Belief of the Resurrection is inconsistent with Scripture Reason and the Belief of all Men right in their Wits in the Point Who can have the Confidence to call the Scripture his Rule and yet Contradict it so egregiously as when the Apostle tells us It is not the same Body that is sown that shall be to assert that it is the same Body and that who sayes the Contrary denies the Resurrection of the Dead and Eternal Recompence In short We do acknowledge a Resurrection in order to Eternal Recompence and that every Seed shall have its own Body and rest contented with what Body it shall please God to give us But as we are not such Fools as curiously to enquire What so must we forever deny the gross Conceits of T.H. and his Adherents concerning the Resurrection But Tho. Hicks would have us believe that the Apostle said Thou Fool to him that denyed and not him that owned the Resurrection But he must excuse us if we refuse to Credit him for it was not Whether every Seed should rise with its own Body or that Bodies should rise but as taking that for granted the Question was What Bodies they should be So that Tâ—ou Fool is most due to T. Hicks and his Associates who are not with us satisfied to leave all with the Lord but intrude and query What Bodies shall rise Wherefore no Answer can be more proper to him then Thou Fool Thomas Hicks That which thou sowest is nâ—t the Body that shall be But he thinks he is not without Reason For sayes he If the It in the Text be not the same Body how can that be called a Resurrection for that supposeth the same I Answer If a thing can yet be the same and notwithstanding changed for Shame let us never make so much Stir against the Doctrine of Transsubstantiation for the Absurdity of that is rather out-done then equalled by this Carnal Resurrection The Papists say That the Bread and Wine after Consecration are very Christ though the Accidents remain Tho. Hicks and abundance of that sort of Men hold That Man's Body in the Resurrection is the same with that Carnal Body buried and yet that it is changed to a Spiritual Body How it is possible that It should be the same and not the same How that Body and yet as the Apostle sayes Thou sowest not that Body that shall be is very hard to reconcile And truly that which yet is very strange Those Three Scriptures peculiarly
Conscience to appeal to God as one not guilty of such vile Injustâ—ce as that of charging us with false things and refer the Reader to Examine the Quotations when here â—s not one Quotation nor the colour of one that the Quakers did ever thus speak of or render the Holy Scriptures to be of no more Authority then the Fables of Aesop What will not Envy and Wickedness had this Man to say against us Doth this agree with â—is Pretence That all he intended was only our Conviction and Recovery Dial. p. 10. Is it not rather to do us what Injury and Mischief he can by Slanders and Forgeries Tho. Hicks's Charge against Nicolas Lucas viz. That N.L. a Real Quaker was moved to declare his Mind thus to one I know very well Thou mayst burn thy Bible and when that is done thou mayst serve God as well without it and if thou hast a mind to have a Scripture thou mayst write as good a one thy self N. L's Answer follows These words whereof T. Hicks hath thus publickly and positively accused me and that divers times over in his Pamphlet were never spoken by me nor was it ever my Principle Way or Motion to Dis-esteem Undervalue or speak evil of the Holy Scriptures for I really believe that Holy Men of God spake them forth as moved by the Holy Spirit Therefore this Charge against me is an Abominable Lye and Wicked Slander And with a clear Consience I speak it I do neither know nor remember that ever any words past from me whereby Tho. Hicks could so much as colour this Lye and Slander against me And I cannot but look upon my self to be greatly Injur'd and Abus'd by T.H. until he oâ— his Brethren do me Right in this thing in as publick a Manner to the World as he hath done me Wrong Which iâ— they do not I commit my Cause to God to judge between us and clear my Innocency herein London the 29 th of the 3 d Moneth 1673. Nicolas Lucas Whereas Nicolas Lucas was referr'd to Owen Horton and his Wife for Proof of Tho. Hicks's Charge before to whom Nicolas spoke about it and she referr'd her self to Hen. Stout to witness the Charge to which Hen. Stout answers thus viz I Hen. Stout of Hertford never in all my dayes heard Nicolas Lucas speak the Words nor any of the like Import or Tendency as charged on him before nor any Man else before Tho. Hicks that I can call to mind But am satisfied in my Conscience that he hath most grosly Wronged Nicolas Lucas To which I subscribe H. Stout Another Accusation is viz. That S. Eccles discoursing with a Friend of his in London told him The Scriptures were a Lye But that this may appear a very likely Lye against S.E. he adds 'T was replyed Why then dost thou mention them that The Quaker answer'd To silence thee That he should say the Scriptures were a Lye or that he made use of a Lye to silence his Opposer appears a most absurd Slander and where is his Quotation the Reader must examine for Proof Hath he not here Abused his Reader But let S. Eccles's own Words clear him of this Lye and Slander In his Book Mus Lect. he often cites the Scriptures calls them The Holy Scriptures pag. 13. Thou that sayst the Quakers deny the Scriptures belyest the Innocent pag. 20. Do not belye the Scriptures nor the Spirit that gave it forth for Holy Men wrote as they were moved by the Holy Ghost pag. 22 Whereas Tho. Hicks begins his Continuation thus Chr. I have formerly detected you of several Pernicious Opinions concerning the Scriptures the Light Within the Person of Christ and the Resurrection c. I presume by this time you have considered what say you thereunto To this he feigns the Answer thus viz. Quak. I say the Plagues and Judgments of God will follow thee G. Whitehead Rep. I testifie against this as a Fiction for this was not my Answer neither has he referred us to any Quotations of mine though upon this he is pleased to accuse me with Passion Furious Replies and Sarcasms for his own Fiction to which he hath counterfeited my Name I question not but the Judgments of God will follow him and such Forgers and Spreaders of Lyes But that was not my Answer to the said Objection This Dialogue-Man's Liberty in these Forgeries and silly Botcheries is neither Christian nor Civil As to what he sayes pag. 3. I answer 1. That the Life which is the Light of Men John 1. is not a Creature but Divine and of the very Being of God I still affirm and have else-where proved though the whole Essence or Being of God is not contained in Man yet enlightens all Men. And 2. That the Inward Speaking or Living Ministration of the Spirit of Truth is of greater Authority then the Scriptures or Writings in the Abstract 3. S. Crisp doth own the True and Real Christ the Son of the Living God in his Spiritual Divine Being to be without either Beginning Date or End This he hath fully answered else-where 4. That the Soul or Spirit of Man as it relates to the Creaturely Being is a distinct Being from the Infinite Being of God and is not properly a Part of God For he is not divided into Parts or Particles but with respect to its Original Life whereby it immortally subsists we are God's Off-spring and the Breath of Life or Immediate Inspiration of God by which Man became a Living Soul or the Original Life of Man's Soul Of this G.F. spoke when he said Is not that of God which cometh out from God viz. the Breath of Life His words are perverted and mis-cited by T.H. For in another Consideration and State he owns the Infinite Being of God and the Soul or Spirit of Man to be distinct Beings where he speaks of the Soul being in Death in Transgression Man's Spirit Vnsanctified the Soul being in Death Transgressing the Law see Great Myst p. 91. This he could never intend or speak of the Infinite Incorruptible Being of God for that never sinned 5. That G.W. denies the Resurrection of the Body that is of the Dead or any Body at all is false nor is this prov'd against G.W. from his Saying Thou sowest not the Body that shall be it 's raised a Spiritual Body and Flesh Blood shall not inherit the Kingdom of God 1. Cor. 15. And T.H. may as well charge it upon the Apostle and upon his Brother Tho. Collier who in his Marrow of Christianity p. 40 94 95. plainly saith The Form in which they shall be raised that is in a Spiritual Form not in a Fleshly c. All Flesh shall be swallowed up in Spirit and our Body shall be changed and made like his glorious Body But Tho. Hicks plainly contradicts him saying That the Apostles and all true Christians say This Body of Flesh and Bones shall rise again Dial. p. 59 60. which he could never yet
experience the same Judgment Repentance Remission Regeneration called the new Birth and perfect Justification before God Since then the Scriptures can do none of these things of themselves however Instrumental they may be of Good but the holy Light in the Conscience and that these things are not knowable though they may be read talked and writ of without being lead by the same Spirit and treading the same Steps of deep Experience the holy Ancients trod in and have left us for an Example it must be granted whether T. Hicks will or no That the Author of those Discoveries Convictions Judgments c. must be the Standing Immutable Rule to the Soul what how far and which way we are to deny or own reject or embrace relinquish or follow with Respect to those things that please God or that please him not His Objections I shall contract into these Four urged by him for the Scriptures and against the Light 's being the Rule of Faith and Practice and indeed they are the greatest Strength of his Book if any it has First The Light within cannot give a clear and distinct Account how Sin came to be if we consult the Wisest Philosophers we shall find a deep Silence touching this Point They saw Sin did overflow but could not by all the Improvements of the Light in them find out how Sin came to be I am perswaded T. Hicks never consulted so much as the meanest of them at least effectually had he his Dialogue would have savoured of more true Science and Morality for I will make it appear that he has contradicted himself abused the Philosophers and blasphemed the Light in this one Passage Where there is no Law there is no Transgression then where there is Transgression there is a Law Now T. Hicks granting that the Heathen knew there was Sin they must know it by Virtue of some Law that made it so This Law was not written but themselves declared God had imprinted it upon their Hearts as an Immutable and Infallible Guide to them in their Actions If so how could they be Ignorant of Sin 's coming into the World Who knew it to be a Deviation from God's living Commandment in their own Conscience and a Committing quite Contrary Things If T. Hicks means by clear and distinct Account the History of Moses that is that Adam and Eve were beguiled by the Serpent who tempted them with an Apple c. 't is no wayes to his Purpose For that which is Sufficient to that Faith which concerns Salvation is to know that God is that he is Pure and Holy that he has given Man the Knowledge of himself and his Will concerning Him by some Inward Law Command Light Grace or Spirit and that who acts not correspondently to this Guide is a Transgressor and incurs the Penalty and that the Heathen had this their Books at large tell us Nor does Tho. Hicks deny it so that he manifestly contradicts Himself and abuseth the Philosophers in saying They could not find out how Sin came since they expresly say That God made all Good and that Man's Erring from the Divine Law in him brought Evil into the World And I boldly affirm and in the next Head will prove that the meer History is not absolutely necessary to Salvation Now that herein he has Blasphemed against the Light is evident since it is to say That God gave Men a Law and Light not sufficient to let them see how Sin entered the World which is to say in plainer English what is Sin it will and must end there Besides suppose the Philosophers had been Ignorant must it needs follow that the Fault and Want was in the Light and not in them Will T. Hicks become their Warrant in the Matter that they arrived as high as the Light could teach them and that the Deficiency lay on the side of their Teacher and not on theirs Confident yea Impudent Man Why should either the Darkness of any Age be charged upon the Light or render it Insufficient or the more clear Breaking forth of Light in a following Generation be reputed another Light because another Degree then what obscurely shined forth in the former since it was not the obscurer in it self but through the gross Blackness that might have over-cast that People because of Disobedience it seemed so to them But let us hear him further 2. Nor can this Light give any Account of that Remedy which God in his infinite Wisdom provided Jesus Christ that he should be born of a Virgin dye for others and rise the third day This is the Pinch But I answer First That the Prophets saw it by this Light unless that they saw it without Light or that the Light they saw it by was not the Light of Christ as the Word that was with God and was God which I hope T. Hicks upon serious Thinking will not say for of no other do we speak 2 ly Those that believed him when he came could never have received him had they not seen him by an Inward Eye enlightned by that Light in measure in themselves which then so unmeasurably appeared in him For the Jews had the Scriptures and according to their Understanding of them they reputed him a Blasphemer and both plotted promoted and obtained his Crucifixion The Question will be Why did they not better understand them The Answer is because they Rebelled against that Spirit which could only so inform them Had they brought their Deeds to the Light they had received sound Judgment and a true Measure would have been given them which they rejecting that was both the Ground of their Ignorance and the Just Reason of their Condemnation Hence we see that Light and not the Scriptures was the higher Rule and Judge of Thoughts Words and Deeds yea and which way the Scriptures themselves were to be understood And truly it is strange that the Light in Men should not lead naturally to its own Being and Fountain 'T is Proverbial among Men The Way to the Fountain Head is to trace the Stream Iâ— the Light in Man leads not to Christ who gives thâ— Light let us leave off all Talk of Religion for tâ— what or whom else was it given to lead us But Thomas Hicks tell me Who or what wâ—â— Christ in that Manifestation it self but that Dâ—vine Word Life or Light manifested in Flesh Wilâ— not then a Measure of the same in Man lead him â—â— course to acknowledge the Fulness or in following its Leadings bring to Eternal Salvation Or can that Light resist that Manifestation as thou dost elsewhere seem to affirm If Christ his enlightned Men with the Light of his own Life and if they are required to bring their Deeds to be tryed by it and if they are invited to follow it and in following it are promised no more to abide in Darkness but have the Light of Life because of the Blood of Cleansing that is therein met with whereby
's Defence pag 101. But the truth of the matter I will relate out of that Book it self which has been most partially and basely represented by him The Priest's Query lies thus Whether the Scripture being Carnal and the Letter Killing as you say we may read them without Danger Answ The Letter which killeth 2 Cor. 3.6 is Dangerous for thou takest it here to war withal against the Saints with thy Carnal Mind giving out thy Carnal Expositions upon it And the Ministers of the Lâ—tter are Ministers of Death which is to Condemnation and you take it to make a Trade with it and with what the Prophets Christ and the Apostles said so that some have Sixty some an Hundred pound a Year But Christ cryed Wo unto such Whited Walls And here you read with Danger who speak of them and speak a Lye because you speak of your selves and you wrest the Scriptures to your own Destruction and to you it is Dangerous to read or speak of it who know not the Liâ—e of it as the Pharisees who were learned in the Letter but knew not Châ—ist But I say Blessed is he that doth read and doth understand This is the true Account in brief â—f their Answer to the Priâ—st's Quâ—ry And I appeal to God's Witness in the Reader 's Conscience if any thing of whâ—t that Vile Man would suggest is to be found in these Mâ—ns Words who by Letter evidently mean the Legal State of Condemnation by Dangerous not what Edification was to be got with respect to reading but that Aggravation of Punishment which would be the Recompence of those who make a Trade of them and oppose them Pharisee like to the Life and Spirit of Christ Jesus wresting them to their own Destruction Reading to such End and Purpose will prove Dangerous with a Witness And that it was at such a sort of Reading they struck consider this Passage But I say Blessed is he that doth read and doth understand Let this Forgery so obvious ring through the Streets and Towns where-ever his Book or Name is known however this is little to what 's behind For my part I speak my Conscience in Sincerity I had rather perish off the Earth then live so great a Burden of foul Dishonesty as I doubt not but a little time will manifest him to be That the Baseness of his Intentions in this kind of Arguing may yet further appear let this gross Inference directly charged by him upon our Principle of the Light 's being our Rule be diligently considered From our Asserting the Light Within to be our Rule he tells the World That we mean the holy Qualification that is in us Which were it true he would hit the Mark when he sayes that Holiness being a Conformity to the Rule it cannot be the Rule But never yet certainly did any but Thomas Hicks so mis-represent the poor Quaker Nay he Confounds and Contradicts himself How can we be said to make our Holiness the Rule when we affirm it only to be a walking up to the Light within which is Holy He sayes that we assert the Light to be the Rule how then is our Obedience to it the Rule for that is true Holiness Is there no difference between a Rule and Obedience to it Holy Life and that which gives it or makes it so What a Meeting here is of Ignorance Malice and Lying Any thing to spoil the Quakers but God will break the Bow and Spear of their Enemies Again From his Quaker's telling him Thou takest up the Saints Words but if thou hast not the same Spirit what are the Words to thee he dares to suggest that our Opinion of the Light 's Sufficiency in every Man cannot be true And all the Reason he gives us for his strange Collusion is this That those Words imply that the Spirit or Light of God is not in all Men. Now what is more evident then first That it is not our Answer 2. That it concerns not the Sufficiency so much as the Universallity of it 3. By not having the Spirit or Light is not meant that we believe that God has not given a Measure of his Good Spirit unto all to profit with or that there be some whom he never enlightened but that they so have not the Spirit as to walk by it be benefitted by it or come to enjoy it as their Teacher and Comforter and that some may be said not to be Enlightened who are not through Faith in and Obedience to the Light come to be advantaged and made Children of Light by it Let this suffice at present to shew the Man's Ignorance of our Principles or his great Unrighteousness to pervert them I shall now attend the next Point by him handled and that is Christ's Person and our Faith in him which he sayes we deny and indeed he does but say it CHAP. VI. Of our Faith in Christ HIs next Cavil is at our Belief in Christ and which is worse he would be thought a Christian in doing so The great Stress lies here Tho. Hicks would have the World think we Equivocate about our Faith in That Christ which after the Flesh appeared and dyed at Jerusalem The Reason of all this Clamour and Injustice on the part of our angry and restless Adversary is this if I wrong him let him shew me The Quakers say that Christ is in them Christ is God is God Man in them Again The Quakers say that Christ is in them But since there is but One Christ who was born of a Virgin and that he suffered at Jerusalem being there crucified can that Christ be in Man The false Doctrine or Absurdity he would run us upon is one of these two Either that we deny Christ's Manhood or that He is actually in our Bodies with that Body he appeared in at Jerusalem which is Impossible witness this one Passage If God be Christ as Penn saith or If the Light within you be the Christ as Naylor and Hubberthorn affirm is it proper or safe to say God was Slain or the Light in you was Crucified To which I answer That as in other things so in this our Adversary has shewn his great Ignorance or Malice For is it reasonable to infer from our Affirming in Scripture Language Christ is in the Saints that we deny him as to his Visible and Bodily Appearance in the World and that because he is God therefore he was never Man or that the Word took not Flesh Is this to understand us right or give the World a true measure of our Belief who is it confesseth Christ to be every where and if so then in his People see Cont. p. 34. Ah God the Righteous Judge shall plead with thee in a Day that thou shalt not be able to escape his Terrible Recompence if thou repentest not Let it suffice to the sober Reader for of him I have little Hopes that we do believe that Christ who is God over all blessed
pleading for a Saving Light the necessity of Obedience to it the Eternal Reward of Life or Death Happiness or Misery as it is conformed to or rebelled against prove our Faith in that Matter to be quite another thing If this be your Champion I dare warrant his own Baseness shall be his own Overthrow we need no more against him then his own Ignorance Malice Lyes Forgeries and Slanders to his utter Confutation in the Minds of all Impartial Persons CHAP. IX Of Justification and something of Satisfaction THe Doctrine of Justification is the next Particular that I am to take notice of He begins with the Quaker thus Pray what is your Opinion of Justification by that Righteousness of Christ which He in his own Person fulfilled for us WHOLELY WITHOVT VS Quak. Justification by the Righteousness which Christ fulfills for us in his own Person WHOLELY WITHOUT US we boldly affirm it to be a Doctrine of Devils and an Arm of the Sea of Corruption which doth now deluge the World Will. Penn Apol. p. 148. This Apology cited was written against a Malicious Priest in Ireland who in a Book by him published not long afore laid it down as Unscriptural and a very heinous Thing in us to deny Justification without any Distinction exprest by the Righteousness which Christ wrought in his own Person WHOLELY WITHOUT US To whom I made the Answer given by T. Hicks And if therein I have crost the express Testimony of the Scriptures let any shew me But if I have only thwarted a most Sin-pleasing and therefore Dangerous Notion let such as hold it look to that He has not offered me one plain Scripture nor the Shadow of a Reason why this Passage ought to be reputed unsound or condemnable If any Living will produce me but one Passage out of Scripture that tells of a Justification by such a Righteousness as is WHOLELY WITHOUT US I shall fall under its Authority but if we only deny Men's corrupt Conceits and Sin-pleasing Glosses and they offer us nothing to our Confutation or better Information we shall not think bare Quotations of our Books to be sufficient Answers But to the end all may understand the Reason of my so Answering that Priest take those short Reasons then rendered with any one of which I am to suppose T. Hicks desired not to meddle First No Man can be Justified without Faith sayes Jenner No Man hath Faith without Works any more then a Body can live without a Spirit sayes James Therefore the Works of Righteousness by the Spirit of Jesus Christ are necessary to Justification Second If Men may be justified whilst Impure then God quits the Guilty contrary to the Scripture which cannot be I mean while in a Rebellious State Third Death came by Actual Sin not Imputative in his sense therefore Justification unto Life comes by actual Righteousness not Imputative Fourth This speaketh Peace to the Wicked whilst Wicked but there is no Peace to the Wicked saith my God Fifth Men are Dead and Alive at the same time saith this Doctrine for they may be dead in Sin and yet alive in another's Righteousness not Inherent and consequently Men may be damned actually and saved imputatively Sixth But since Men are to reap what they sow and that every one shall be rewarded according to his Works and that none are Justified but the Children of God and that none are Children but who are led by the Spirit of God and that none are so led but those that bring forth Fruits thereof which is Holiness 'T is not the Oyle in anothers Lamp but in our own only which will serve our turns I mean the Rejoycing must be in our selves and not in another yet to Christ's holy Power alone do we ascribe it who works all our Works in us All which was not only not answered but not cited by him He brings me in again thus Justification is not from the Imputation of another's Righteousness but from the actual Performing and Keeping God's Righteous Statutes Sand. Found p. 25. To which after this base and disingenuous Citation he returns me this only Answer Is it not written Rom. 5.19 By the Obedience of one many are made Righteous But before I explain the Truth of that Scripture be pleased to hear my Argument as it is laid down in my Book and then give thy Judgment Reader upon the Man The Son shall not bear the Iniquity of his Father The Righteousness of the Righteous shall be upon him and the Wickedness of the Wicked shall be upon him When a Righteous Man turneth away from his Righteousness for his Iniquity that he has done shall he dye Again When the Wicked Man turneth away from his Wickedness and doth that which is Lawful and Right he shall save his Soul alive yet saith the House of Israel The Wayes of the Lord are not Equal Are not my Wayes Equal If this was once Equal it s so still for God is Unchangeable And therefore I shall draw this Argument That the Condemnation or Justification of Persons is not from the Imputation of another's Righteousness but the actual Performance or not keeping of Gods righteous Statutes or Commandments otherwise God should forget to be Equal Therefore how wickedly Unequal are those who not from Scripture Evidences but their dark Conjectures Interpretations of obscure Passages would frame a Doctrine so manifestly inconsistent with God's most pure and equal Nature making him to condemn the Righteous to Death and justifie the Wicked to Life from the Imputation of another's Righteousness A most Unequal Way indeed Where observe that the Answer he makes me give in his Dialogue is delivered by me with an If it be so fetcht expresly from the Text it self so that the Scripture and not W. Penn is most struck at by him However it be he has offered us no Opposition yet but that Passage out of the Romans which will not be found inconsistent with Ezekiel's Testimony on which my Argument was grounded The whole Verse was thus For as by one Man's Disobedience many were made Sinners so by the Obedience of one shall many be made Righteous which if the whole Chapter be well considered is no more then this that as Adam representative of Mankind from whence he had that Name was he by whom Sin entred into the whole World So Christ was He by whose comeing and Obedience Righteousness had an entrance to the Justification of many In short the Work Christ had to do was two-fold 1 To remit forgive or justify from the Imputation of Sin past all such as truely repented believed and obeyed him And 2ly by his Power and Spirit operating in the Hearts of such to destroy and remove the very Ground and Nature of Sin whereby to make an End of Sin and finish Transgression present and to come that is the first removes the Guilt the second the very Cause of It. Now I grant
Talking the other a Doing Christian I in short argue thus If none can enter into the Kingdom of Heaven but they that do the Father's Will then none are justified but they who do the Father's Will because none can enter into the Kingdom but such as are justified Since therefore there can be no Admittance had without Performing that Righteous Will and Doing those Holy and perfect Sayings Alas to what Value will an imputative Righteousness amount when a poor Soul shall awake polluted in his Sin by the hasty Calls of Death to make its Appearance before the Judgment Seat where 't is impossible to justifie the Wicked or that any should escape uncondemned but such as do the Will of God 2. For not the Hearers of the Law are just before God but the Doers of the Law shall be justified From whence how unanswerably may I observe Unless we become Doers of that Law which Christ came not to destroy but as our Example to fulfil we can never be justified before God wherefore Obedience is so absolutely necessary that short of it there can be no Acceptance Nor let any fancy that Christ hath so fulfill'd it for them as to exclude their Obedience from being requisite to their Acceptance but only as their Pattern For unless ye follow me saith Christ ye cannot be my Disciples And it is not only repugnant to Reason but in this place particularly refuted for if Christ had fulfill'd it on our behalf and we not enabled to follow his Example there would not be Doers but One Doer only of the Law justified before God In short if without Obedience to the Righteous Law none can be justified then all the Hearing of the Law with but the meer Imputation of anothers Righteousness whilst actually a Breaker of it is excluded as not justifying before God If you fulfill the Royal Law ye do well so speak ye and so DO as they that shall be judg'd thereby 3. If ye live after the Flesh ye shall dye but if ye through the Spirit do mortifie the Deeds of the Body ye shall live No Man can be dead and justified before God for so He may be justified that lives after the Flesh therefore they only can be justified that are alive from whence this follows If the Living are justified and not the Dead and that none can live to God but such as have mortified the Deeds of the Body through the Spirit then none can be justified but they who have mortified the Deeds of the Body through the Spirit so that justification does not go before but is subsequential to the Mortification of Lusts and Sanctification of the Soul through the Spirit 's operation 4. Was not Abraham our Father justified by Works when he had offered Isaak his Son upon the Altar Ye see then how that by Works a Man is justified and not by Faith only He that will seriously peruse this Chapter shall doubtless find some to whom this Epistle was writen of the same Spirit with the Satisfactionists and Imputarians of our tâ—me they fain would have found out a Justification from Faith in and the Imputation of anothers Righteousness but James an Apostle of the most high God who experimentally knew what true Faith and Justification meant gave them to understand from Abraham's self-denying Example that unless their Faith in the Purity and Power of God's Grace had that effectual Operation to subdue every beloved Lust wean from every Dallila and intirely to resign and sacrifice Isaak himself their Faith was a Fable or as a Body without a Spirit and as Righteousness therefore in one Person cannot justify another from Unrighteousness so whoever now pretends to be justified by Faith whilst not led and guided by the Spirit into all the Wayes of Truth and Works of Righteousness their Faith they will find at last Fiction Consequences Irreligious and Irrational 1. It makes God guilty of what the Scriptures say is an Abomination to wit that he justifieth the Wicked 2. It makes him look upon Persons as they are not or with respect which is unworthy of his most Equal Nature 3. He is hereby at Peace with the Wicked if justified whilst Sinners who said There is no Peace to the Wicked 4. It does only imply Communion with them here in an Imperfect State but so to all Eternity for whom he justifieth them he also glorifieth Therefore whom he justify'd whilst Sinners them he also glorify'd whilst Sinners 5. It only secures from the Wages not the Dominion of Sin whereby something that is sinful becomes justify'd and that which defileth to enter God's Kingdom 6. It renders a Man justify'd and condemn'd dead and alive redeemed and not redeemed at the same time the one by an Imputative Righteousness the last by a Personal Unrighteousness 7. It flatters Men whilst subject to the World's Lusts with a State of Justification and thereby invalids the very End of Christ's Appearance which was to destroy the Works of the Devil and take away the Sins of the World CHAP. X. Of the Doctrine of Sanctification and Perfection The Ignorance or Malice of T. Hicks Detected OF the Doctrine of Sanctification he has several Vnsanctified Passages though he bestows not much time upon that Important Subject some of which I shall take a little notice of Christ Let us understand your Opinion of Sanctification what it is Out of Ed. Burroughs he answereth himself thus Quak. 'T is Christ Hence we conclude to say Sanctification is Imperfect in this Life is as much as to say Christ is Imperfect To which he replies Christ 'T is true 't is Jesus Christ by his Spirit is the Author and Worker of Sanctification but will it therefore follow that the Work of Sanctification in us is Christ or that this Work is perfect in all its Degrees Now let any tell me wherein T. Hicks could have more grosly mistaken E. Burroughs who frequently insults over the Grave and Labours of that Faithful Servant of the Lord then he has done on purpose I doubt not to insinuate his Belief of the contrary to what he opposed But hear Edw. Burrough's Words at large in Answer to Priest Eaton Thou sayest Sanctification is not Perfect in this Life And the New Man the Spirit or Law of the Mind is that Grace or Imperfect Sanctification Then Christ is not Perfect in this Life for He is made of God unto us Sanctification 1 Cor. 1.30 In this it is evident First That the Priest did not so much strike at the Work done in the Creature as at the Perfection of the Principle by which the Work should be perfected in the Creature 2dly E. Burroughs did not in that place meerly intend the Work of Sanctification but the Author and Worker of it who is oftentimes called by the Name of the Work it self the Cause by the Effect as is plain from the Scripture quoted in which he used but Paul's Words How basely done was it
then in Tho. Hicks not only to leave out what the Priest asserted but to misconstrue E. B's Answer and that such Perversion might go the more Unquestionable omit the Insertion of that Scripture in which Christ is by the Aâ—stle said to be made Sanctification to the Saints the mention of which would have given a clear Understanding of E. Burroughs's Answer and broke the Neck of his Ungodly Purpose to misrepresent him We say and it was the Faith and Tendency of the Writings of that Just Man 1. To assert a Perfect Principle of Righteousness and Sanctification which is Sanctification and Perfection in the abstract 2. The Possibility of being Perfectly Sanctified by it 3. That such Sanctification when taken for the Author of it who is the Fountain of all Holiness and Purity is Compleat and Perfect 4. When taken for the Work of the Spirit in the Creature it is first Perfect in Degree only but as the Creature comes into perfect Subjection unto the Spirit and Power of him that raised up Jesus from the Dead which hath wrought that Perfection in Degree he comes to experience that Sanctification throughout in Body Soul and Spirit which the Apostle otherwise minded then T. Hicks prayed the Churches might witness which is that blessed State wherein he that 's born of God SINS NOT Old things are done away ALL IS BECOME NEW No more I but Christ that liveth in me I write unto you Young Men because ye have OVERCOME the Wicked One Be ye Perfect as your Heavenly Father is Perfect unto a PERFECT MAN That the Man of God may be PERFECT The God of Peace make you PERFECT IN EVERY GOOD WORK The God of all Peace make you PERFECT Let us cleanse our selves from ALL FILTHINESS OF FLESH AND SPIRIT Perfecting Holiness in the Fear of the Lord. With many more Places of like Importance But he objects Why doth the Apostle exhort Sanctified Persons to put off the Old Man from Coloss 3.5 If where the Old Man the Body of Sin remains none are Sanctified as saith E.B. This indeed is the Drift of the Man he would be Sanctified whilst Unsanctified as Dangerous as it is Absurd For what thing can be and not be the same thing at one and the same time But I deny they were then Sanctified who stood in need of that Reproof and Exhortation to wit that they should mortifie such Lusts as Fornication Vncleanness Inordinate Affection and Covetousness which is Idolatry Sanctifying such are who are Mortifying but when Sin is not Mortifying none are Sanctifying and where Sin is not Mortified no Man is Sanctified We may easily see what a Church-Fellowship T.H. can allow of and what a Gospel-Sanctification it is he pleads for Can Men be Sanctified and yet so Corrupt If they can tell me in what sense and from what they are cleansed Is this the End of pleading for Perfection in Degree to allow these Abominable Enormities as Church-Infirmities Away for Shame But that a perfect Sanctification is no Heresie suppose they had been Sanctify'd Persons to whom the Apostle wrote which could not be Sanctifying was the most yet since he exhorted them to put off the Old Man which Old Man is the Body of Sin and that when he is off he is not on and that the Apostle exhorted them Not to an Impossible thing I conclude from his Question that a State of Perfect Sanctification is attainable He pretended to correct E. B's Extravagancy but whatever Face he puts upon it this is the Mark he aims at To conclude and sum up his Ungodly Method E.B. speaks of a Perfect Sanctification in Christ T.H. infers that same perfect Sanctification immediately to the Creature not only confounding the Worker and Work the Cause and the Effect about which one piece of Baseness he bestows not a little Pains but suggesting thereby that we deny all Sanctification or Perfection in Degree and that we are as compleatly Perfect as Christ himself Next He leaves out those words that would best explain his Mind And Lastly All his Opposition is because the Quakers are for having Men Sanctify'd before they are Accounted so and New Creatures before they ought to be reputed Good Christians which so directly Vn-churches and Vn-christians T. Hicks that we may well believe it a main Reason for his Implacableness against them CHAP. XI Of COMMANDS MOTIONS and MINISTRY T. Hicks proved Vnjust to us and an Enemy to God's Law Gospel the Quakers and himself HE has not less abused and belyed us in these three Particulars then any thing he has written against us which I shall briefly shew To this Passage in E. Burroughs's Works That is no Command to me which is a Command to another neither did any of the Saints act by a Command that was given to another he thus answers Then that Law which forbids Idolatry Adultery Murder Theft and Bearing false Witness is no Law to you And after having made this indirect Consequence he breaketh forth Impiously Horrid Vngodly Irreverent Patronizers of Blasphemy Countenancers of such Novices Prophane Scribler and abundance more Now though I have said something to this before and have largely vindicated that Passage against J. Faldo yet I cannot well omit touching here upon it the Matter being so aggravated by this disingenuous Person These Commands must either relate to Ordinary or Extraordinary Duty I mean they must either be such Commands as that of Moses 's going to Pharaoh Isaiah's going Naked Jeremiah 's making Yoaks Amos 's going to the Kings's Chappel with many more And here I do affirm with that Faithful Young Man of God that the Command which came to them not coming to another that other Person is not only not warranted but condemnable in an Imitation of any of them If then such Extraordinary Commands as these before mentioned must not be intended then those that are Ordinary and Common to Mankind as Fearing God and working Righteousness towards God towards their Relations both Natural and Civil Now I would ask T.H. if he believes that Idolatry Murder Adultery Theft and Bearing false Witness be not reproved by the Common Light in all Men if not T.H. gives the Lye to all Mankind and his own Books too Nay what is it good for But if they be query If any can confess to one God love his Neighbour be Chaste be Just and speak Truth in his own and Neighbour's Cause without being thereto oblieged by that Light they have Did the Gentiles of old the things contained in the Law without a Word Commandment Law or Light within inducing them thereto I perceive T. Hicks owns no Command in himself against Idolatry Adultery Murder Theft and Bearing false Witness which is to say if the Scripture did not restrain him he should be guilty of all Farewell Grace Spirit Light and all Inward Rule or Judge by which to see taste relish and determine of things But in this Condition
how knows he that the Scriptures were writ by Inspiration If he sayes he was told so I ask how they knew it If they say they were told so too and so upwards I ask what Assurance can any Man 's Say-so or Hear-say be in a Matter of such Importance Nay Suppose I should grant them a True Tradition from the Apostles times I ask how knew they to whom they were writ that they were the Fruits of Divine Inspiration In short take away all Inward Testimony or the Certainty and Sufficiency of it and Farewell to all Right Belief of the Scriptures themselves Behold the Strait he is run into But if at last T.H. shall desire a little more room and acknowledge the Spirit must give the Discerning and Relish and most Convincing Testimony will it not follow that he believeth the Scriptures and performeth what may be his Duty therein upon that Conviction and not meerly because written or recommended by any Man whatever But he proceeds to prove E.B. as he thinks an Enemy to God's Commandments and a very Lyar. The thing he Wickedly but in vain aims at He quotes him thus Quak. You are not dead with Christ who are yet subject to Ordinances E.B. p. 105. To which hear him Christ The Spirit of God in the Scriptures assures us that they who are subject to and keep the Commandments of God are the Children of God and they who do not are Lyars See the first Epistle of John 2.3 4. and Chap. 5.2 3. Yet this Wicked Man saith That they who are subject to Ordinances are not Dead with Christ Edw. Burroughs's Words are those of the Scriptures of Truth therefore true Words in themselves But how does E.B. abolish what God perpetuates I am sure I can plainly perceive that Tho. Hicks does call a Conscientious Departed Sufferer and Prisoner unto Death for the Testimony of Jesus Wicked Man because he dared not be guilty of Will-Worship by going into any Practice of Worship without the Leading of God's Spirit Six Particulars comprehend my Answer in brief First That Edw. Burroughs only pleaded against such Performances under the Name of Ordinances as were but Shadowy Elementary and Perishable Things and which they were not led to by God's Spirit but took up unwarrantably and by meer Imitation and therefore Will-Worship 2. That Thomas Hicks implies by calling him Wicked Man that it is a Wickedness not to take up any Outward or Visible Part of Worship in a Man 's own Will ' and Time But to stay God's Time and wait for the Leadings of God's Spirit From whence I infer â—e is no Child of God for every such one is led by the Spirit of God therefore no better then an Ape or Imitator of the Out-sides of Religion In short a Will-worshipper and not a Worshipper of God in the Spirit and in the Truth 3. Let it be observed that there is not so much as the least mention made in all the Epistles of that Beloved Disciple of any of those Ordinances which stood in Visible and Corruptible Elements but the Scope and Tendency of them is the most Inward and Spiritual of any of the Apostolical Writings So that to bring in things of a Temporary Shadowy Nature among the Spiritual and Durable Commands of Christ under the New Covenant State without keeping of which Men incur Eternal Wrath is an Abuse both of the Apostle's Words and E. B's which he intended by them to confute 4. T. Hicks does as good as tell us That the Commandments of God may be kept without the Spirit of God since he opposes the Necessity of our Doing God's Commandments to our doing them in the Time and Will and by the Assistance of God's Spirit O Irreligious Man and Enemy to God's Spirit 5. It plainly tells us that Tho. Hicks has no Command in himself for doing what he does that the bare Authority of the Scripture is all he has to induce him which raizes to the Ground that old Protestant Doctrine of Believing the Scriptures from an Inward Testimony and Worshipping God in Spirit and Truth 6. Lastly If all are Lyars that keep not God's Commandments and therefore none of his Children as saith the Place as asserts T. Hicks then either T.H. keeps God's Commandments and so is perfect or he must be a Lyar and so no Child of God That he keeps not God's Commands I prove If such as say that Man cannot fulfil obey or keep the Law nor the Gospel pray preach dip eat Bread and drink Wine nor live without Sin keeps not God's Commandments but so doth T.H. expresly or implicitely therefore he keeps not God's Commandments and consequently is a Lyar and no Child of God For the Lyar is for the Lake To say we deny Obedience to God's Commands because we deny the present Necessity or Use of their Water Bread and Wine will never hurt us For First we know and they confess that they were in the beginning used as Figures and Shadows of a more Hidden and Spiritual Substance 2. That they were to endure no longer then till the Substance was come Now the time of the Baptism of the Holy Ghost Christ's only Baptism therefore called the One Baptism has been long since come Consequently the other which was John's was fulfilled and as becomes a Fore-runner ought to cease The like may be said of the Bread and Wine for as there is but One Baptism so is there but One Bread The Least in the Kingdom was Greater then John 's Water-Baptism He was to Decrease Christ to Increase Jesus Baptized not with Water 'T is true he bid his Apostles Go Teach Baptizing c. but no Water is mentioned But Luke in the 1st of the Acts sayes that before Christ gave that Commission mention'd by Matthew said John Baptized with Water but ye shall be Baptized with the Holy Ghost not many dayes hence and then comes the Commission in Force Go Teach Baptizing c. How With the Holy Ghost turning People from Darkness to Light and from the Power of Satan unto God 3. They were but the more Noble among the Meats and Drinks and divers Washings that the Apostle said were but Shadows of the Good Things to come For I would not that any should be so Sottish as to think that Christ came to abolish those Shadows of the Jews and institute other in their room by no means He came to remove change and abolish the very Nature of such Ordinances and noâ— the particular Ordinances only to wit an Outward Shadowy or Figurative Worship and Religion For it was not because they were Jewish Meats and Drinks and divers Washings but because they were Meats Drinks and divers outward Washings at all which never could nor can cleanse the Conscience from dead Works nor give Eternal Life to the Soul else wherein would the Change be I affirm by that one Scripture Circumcision is as much in force as Water-Baptism and the Paschal Lamb as
Question Anab. Did the Primitive Christians use to answer thus Quak. We deny Imitation We are to speak as we are moved O Ungodly Mocker and Forger Here 's your Anabaptist a Preacher a Perverter a Forger and a Prophaner of wholesom Words Who moved him to this Romance but the Father of Lyes What Quaker can this be besides his I mean that Vnchristian Tho. Hicks God will avenge the Quakers Cause upon his Head as sure as he is God if he for these things repent not But yet a little more upon Perfection Anab. Will this convince me or any other of your Perfection Ibid. p. 72 73. Quak. Though it do not yet thereby we shall render you so Odious to our Friends that they will believe nothing that is spoken by you against us Anab. Then may I not conclude that the Reason why you so freely Rail against and Reproach your Opposers is only to secure your Credit with your own Proselytes Quak. I cannot deny but that there may be something of that in it O Unreasonable Man Anab. Will you be so liberal of your Revilings whether your Adversaries give Occasion or no Quak. It concerns us to render them as Ridiculous as we can and to make our Friends believe they do nothing but contradict themselves And if this fail we will insinuate something by way of Question that may be Reproachful to them O Horrible Impiety God our God vindicate our Innocency from these Hellish Slanders Anab. But doth not this signifie a very Dishonest and Malitious Mind in you Quak. We care not what you think provided our Friends think not so Again We will give it out that we have both Answered and Confuted our Adversaries and our Friends will believe us which is enough to us Observe Reader what a very Villain this Anabaptist has made of a Quaker But where will it light when the Anabaptist shall be known to be the Maker both of the Quaker and the Villain too If this be not Forgery there is no such thing in the World O my Heart trembles within me to think of this detestable Piece of Cheat. He writes as if he were hardened against God desperate against us and resolved to the Abuse of the poor People to make them believe his Fictions to be Truths But the Devil always spoils his own Business For who not quite distracted can think it to be more our Interest to please our Friends that we are already sure of then those who are not yet such with Design to make them ours I charge these things with abundance more relating to both our Doctrine and Practice upon him as abominable Forgery And the Weight hereof shallly upon his Soul in the day of his Death And the Righteous God of Heaven and Earth will terribly plead our Cause in his Conscience to his great Amazement and perpetual Anguish if he repent him not of these Undertakings But he objects what Fierce and Impertinent Language he has given in Answer to several Questions E.B. furnisheth him with in his Answer to one Philiâ— Bennet â— Priest As these Thou art a wicked Creature Blackneâ—s of Darkness is reserv'â— for thee Thou art a Serpent and the Curse of God is eternally upon thee Tâ—oâ— Beast to â—hom the Plagues of God are due with which he makes â— great Bâ—ast in his Continuation of the Dialogue written in part to prove the first no Fiâ—â—ion But till it be better done he will remain a Forger in the Minds of all Impartial People For that iâ— not the â—wentieth part of what he haâ— given under the Quaker's Name Should that be admitted for a Proof so â—ar as it extends We have little Reason to believe that to be a sufficient Proof of the Reality of the fâ—rst whose very first Question â—nd Answer is a downright Forgery in G. Whitehead's Name and that with no Quotation though he promis'd it at once proving himself Lyar and Foâ—ger too But in Defence of that worthy Sufferer and dâ—ceased Prophet of the Lord I have this to say 1. First God having raised him with others by his Eternal Power which was very dreadful lived as a flaming Fire in the bosome of them against the Formality Hypocrisy Covetousness Persecution and other Wickedness of that Generation of Covenant-Breaking Professors both with God and Men from whom they under-went bitter Mockings and cruel Sufferings He and they have been drawn forth of the Lord to check rebuke and strike dumb that Vnclean Vnregenerate and Serpentine Spirit and Nature which was predominant and that under the shew of Worship and Forms of Religion acted in a Mystery against the Life and Power of Godliness Wherefore when this Priest in his Subtilty and unclean Wisdom of the Tribe and Trade of the Ungodly Pharisee proposed these Deâ—p and Weighty Queries not so much to be inform'd as to ensnare that 's God's Word of Truth whose State was to come to Judgment for Sin and into the deep Fear Aw and Dâ—eaâ— of Allmighty God because of Iniquity that through God's Righteous Terrors and Judgments he might learn the true and experimental Knowledge of what was convenient for him to know For they that do the Will of God can only know the Life and Truth of his Doctrine I warrant it from God and by the Sence of his Eternal Spirit do declare that it was the Portion and only fit Answer to be given to those trapanning Questions And had E.B. gone into a familiar Opening to his Vulturous Unclean Serpentine Eye all the deep Things of the Spirit of God and Mysteries of his holy Kingdom who was in that Nature that crucified the Lord of them E.B. had brought the Wrath of the Eternal Allwise God upon himself instead of the Priest whose righteous Judgments were come and at that time abroad in the Earth And I do believe they struck him home or we had heard of him ere this For Hypocrites and Disobâ—dient Men sometimes are sooner struck with Judgment then Argument 2. Nor did the Priest enquire so harmlessly as Th. Hicks would falsly insinuate It is the Language of a white Devil onset to Carp Cavil Catch and Ensnare the Innocent for the Promotion of the outside and formal Religion then cryed up and secretly to smite at and withstand the Lord's Spiritual Appearance then breaking forth in the Nation But the Priest queries smoothly And what then Is it ever the farther from being Serpentine for that Was it not Then the Jews sought to entrap Christ by their Questions when they came with a seeming Veneration and Acknowledgment calling him Master and the like Are sharp Words a greater Provocation then a subtil Twining and Decâ—itful Spirit If Tho. Hicks can no better discern Spirits than to believe every thing fairly spoken to be true his Judgment is like to be little minded he is dead to all right Feeling Every Spirit and Question is not to be answered And can he so basely misconstrue our planest and most upright Assertions and
we affirm viz. 1st That Jesus Christ in the Flesh was more thâ—â— a meet Exemple of Holiness 2dly And his Blood was of peculiar Value and Estimation with God Thomas Hicks Proceeds in his Envy and Falshood stiâ—â—â—â— bring our Sufferings into Dis-esteem viz. 〈…〉 People that ever boasted so vainly of their Sufferings 〈◊〉 you do that scarce a Pamphlet can come out from yo◠〈◊〉 but the World must hear of your Brags of this kind Contin p. 6. A manifest and two-fold Falshood for 1st We do not vainly boast of our Sufferings but have rejâ—yced in Christ Jesus that we have been counted worthy to suffer for his Name when you who now enjoy our Prosperity durst not shew your Heads in publick for your Profession or Worship but fled into Corners and Obscurities and your publick Meetings were deserted and put by For thy part T.H. I do not think thou hast much Suffering for Conscience or any for Christ to boast of 2. Scarce a Pamphlet Is also false for many of our Bookes and Papers relate not our Sufferings but other Subjects much less vainly boast or brag thereof But it seems that it both judges and vexes thee and such Creeping Envious Spirits to hear of our deep Sufferings since they have had such a blessed Effect in the Nation as the inclining the Hearts of many to the Living Truth and the Increase of our Number in it Thou T.H. and such Envious Spirits are most quiet towards us when you see us under Persecution and appear most outragious against us when we have Liberty as if you were discontented and perplexed at our Liberties and as desirous of Persecution and Ruin upon us 3. I am not sorry that I was made Instrumental in obtaining the Liberty of some of thy Brethren the Baptists out of Prison the last Somâ—er who among a great Number of our Friends were released though I am but sorrily and badly requited by thee but thou art one of them who art more ready to persecute and scandalize our Sufferings then to suffer or sympathize with them that suffer for Conscience sake but have not some of thy Brethren both commended of our Sufferings and the Service thereof both to themselves and other Dissenters why then dost thou insinuate as if Carnal Interest Wills and Lusts were our chief Motive to suffer God and his Witness in many Consciences will judge thee for this gross Abuse Again T.H. did most falsly insinuate though by way of Query That our Sufferings were only to satisfie our Wills and Lusts and for Carnal Advantage which to excuse he now saith In this I only queried what it should be that doth influence you to suffer forasmuch as you deny that this Body shall rise And G.F. maintains that the Soul is part of God's Being Contin p. 6. 1. To the first I answer that every Seed shall have its own Body as it pleaseth God and every Man shall be reserved spiritually in his own proper Being though not in the gross fleshly Form Is this either to deny the Resurrection or an Eternal Advantage 2. To the second G.F. doth not so speak of the Soul or Spirit of Man nor are his Words directly and truly cited but of the Immediate Inspiration of God or original Life or Soul of Man's Soul by which Man became Living a Living Soul in this he queries Is not that of God which came out from God 3. It s an absurd and most abusive Insinuation that our Sufferings either were or could be for any carnal Advantage or Interest seeing we freely have often offered up our Lives and our All in this World therein 4. It s still a manifest Slander that we deny any Eternal Advantage to Persons after Death neither is it any much less direct Consequence of our saying Not that Body which thou sowest shall be and Flesh and Blood shall not inherit the Kingdom of God or That the Body which God giveth shall not be in a Fleshly but in a Spiritual Form as Tho. Collier confesseth dare he say this is to deny any Eternal Advantage But with T.H. This is no more then the Genuine and a direct Consequence of denying the Resurrection of this Body Is it not then the reaping Eternal Advantage must be placed upon this Earthly Tabernacle or Carnal Body though it must be dissolved and no New one to be created according to his former Doctrine Dial. p. 58. O wonderful Philosophy Eternal Advantage placed upon these same Earthly Bodies yet they not to be renewed by Creation after dissolved and turned to Dust and how contrary to the Apostles Testimony is his so much placing Eternal Advantage upon this Earthly disolvable Body see the 2. Cor. 5 1 2 8. Phil. 1.21.23 Our experiencing Christ's second Appearance without Sin unto Salvation in Answer to our Hope and testifying to Eternal Life and Felicity as Inwardly and Spiritually receiv'd by those that now suffer for Christ can be no Denyal of any Future or Eternal Advantage according to his Instance against me p. 7. seeing we know that to live is Christ and to dy is Gain unto us they that walk up to his Light in them here cannot miss of an Eternal Advantage hereafter Our light Affliction which is but for a moment worketh for is a far more exceeding weight of Glory see 2 Cor. 4 10 11. to the end of the Chapter Concerning Justification Imputation and Sanctification p. 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 wherein we differ he is fully answered in our Books viz. Divin Chr. Serious Apol. But where he saith viz. I know of none that hold Justification of Persons in their Vngodliness p. 55. Are there not those that hold Justification before Sanctification or in a sinful Estate by a meer Imputatation And those that thus argue for it by the Rule of Contraries As Christ was made to be Sin for us who knew no Sin i.e. by an inherent Guilt or Operations of Sin in him so we are made the Righteousness of God in him they adding as and so as he so we i.e. we are not actually made Righteous by any inherent Righteousness or Holiness of Christ wrought in us any more then Christ was made Sin but reckened Righteous only from his active and passive Obedience without us This Doctrine we have not only opposed but refuted Divin Christ Ser. Apol. The wicked Slander he calls upon us in this is his own T.H. we plead not for a Righteousness Imputed to overthrow a Righteousness Inherent or the Exercise of Christian Virtue p. 55. But do you not oppose a Righteousness inherent as to Justification or deny that those Christian Virtues within are reckoned or esteemed of God unto Justification T.H. 'T is you would separate and divide them not we p. 55. False we make no such Separation between Christ's Righteousness Inherent in us and Justification on the Imputation as ours we experiencing a Participation thereof Christ being made unto us both Righteousness Sanctification Redemption
him into all Truth as he obeyes it Bap. Abel Enoch Abraham Isaac Jacob Noah c. had a Sufficient Rule before the Scriptures were written viz. the Spirit 's Rule God's Speaking and Directions from his own Mouth and that they had a more Infallible Word to waâ—k by then now is to us For 't is possible that some Scriptures may be corrupted having been in the hands of corrupted Men. The Scriptures may be and is corrupted by Man This may be graâ—ted that the Spirit is the Rule Of more Efficacy then the Letter The Spirit is greater then the Letter Jo. Newman's Light Within page 19 20 104 105 106 108 110 112. VIII Qua. 'T is possible for True Believers through the Power and Help of Jesus Christ to attain to such a Perfection in this Life as the keeping the Commandments of God Bap. The Spirit of God assures us that they who are subject to and keep the Commandments of God are the Children of God and they who do not are Lyars 1 John 2.3 4. cap. 5.2 3. Contin p. 61. IX Qua. That Remission and Pardon of Sins past thrâ—ugh the Blood Righteousness of Christ Jesus tâ—e Justification of Persons whether it import the making or declaring them Righteous in Christ by a Living Faith are neither imputed nor reckon'd of God tâ— thâ—m in an Unconverted Unsanctified Disobedient or Ungodly State but to the truly Repentant Converted Believing and Obedient Souls Bap. I know of none that hold Justification of Persons in their Vngodliness We plead not for a Righteousness Imputed to overthrow a Righteousness Inherent or the Exercise of Christian Vertues He that is pardoned were a Sinner till justified not such that remain so being satiâ—fied Contin p. 55 56. The Saints are made the Righteousness of God that is God now as in Christ dâ—â—â—'s and â—â—â—s in the Saints hâ— hâ—â—â—pirit writes his Law in their Hearts makes them Partakers of his own Nature and so goes oâ— in Fulfilling his own Righteousness in thâ—â— For the Righteousness of the Law in the Spirit is fulfilled in us Marrow Christian p. 38. X. Qua. Though the Soul and Spirit of Man be not of God's Divine and Infinite Being but related â—o the Being of Man and as Corruptible hath a mutâ—blâ— Habit yet as we are his Off-spring and Man is the Image and Glory of God the Original â—ife oâ— Soul of the Soul that came from God and is immutable is of his own Being In short God in whom we live move and have our Being is the Life of Lives and Great Soul of Son's and the Soul thâ—t is Saved and United to God doth partake of his Divine Nature and he that is joyned to the Lord is one Spirit Bap. The Condescension of God and Christ into the Hearts of his People to woâ—k up his Saints into the sâ—â—â— Nature with himself c. God aâ—d Christ iâ— Holy so his Word is Holâ— and through Faith in tâ—is 〈◊〉 Christians are wrought up into the Nature of it self and into God J. Newman 's Book Light Within p 78 84 87 88. There were the Propeâ—ties oâ— Gâ—â— iâ— some measure imparted to Adam Adam was in the Image of God in respect of Eternity he hâ—d given hâ—m an Everlasting Being Marrow of Christianity pag. 4 5. Christ was both the Power and Wiâ—dom â—f God and as Christ so all the Saints are 〈◊〉 one iâ— thâ—s Wisdom Christ is made unto us Wisdom nâ—t only by wâ—y of Imputation but by the Operatiâ—n of the same â—pirit who dwells as truly in every Believer as in Christ ibid. pag. 34 35. And have not sâ—me of their Brethren confâ—st That there is a kind â—f Infiniteness in the Soul XI Qua. The Children of the Resurrection shall be equal unto the Angels of God in Heaven and their Bodies not Natural Earthly and 〈◊〉 the very Gross Mâ—ttâ—r that nâ—w they are 〈…〉 Celestial Spiritual like uâ—to Chriâ—â—'◠〈◊〉 Body God giveth a Body as it plâ—asâ—th 〈◊〉 in Subjection to whose Good Pleasure we 〈◊〉 quiesce till it be effected as he seâ—th 〈…〉 own Praise Bap. That there shall be a Resurrection of the â—ody at the Last Day is Evident John 5 〈◊〉 11. with 1 Cor. 15. Rev. 20. although 〈…〉 some denyed and by others too caâ—â—lly looke◠〈◊〉 Some thinking that our Bodies of Flesh shall be Raised in the same Form in which it Dyed c. The Form in which they shall be raised that is a Spiritual Form not in a Fleshly It is sown a Natural Body it is raised a Spiritual Body When Christ who is our Life shall pâ—eâ—r we shall appear with him in Glory all Flesh shall he swâ—llowed up in â—pirit and our Bodies shall be changed and made like unto his Glorious Body Marrow of Christianity by T.C. pag. 93 94 95. And those Saints who are alive at the Coming of Christ shall be changed in a Moment in the Twinkling of an Eâ—e 1 Cor. 15.51 52. and so shall be caught up in the Spirit to meet the Lord in the Air 1 Thes 4.17 Ibid. p. 92. XII Qua. The Son of God doth not consist or is not made up of a Humane Body of Flesh Blood and Bones For he was the Word and One in Being with the Father from Everlasting But in the Fulness of Time he took upon him Flesh or that Body prepared for him and being Ascended into Glory his Body is a Glorious Body surpassing all Humane Earthly Carnal and Corruptible Bodies Bap. Christ was a Son by a Spiritual Proceeding and Coming from the Father who was Eternally One in the Father Marrow of Châ— p. 30. Our Bodies shall be changed and made like his Glorious Body Ibid. p. 95. Theâ— shall be raised in a Spiritual Form not in a Fleshly p. 94. The â—on took Flesh upon him the Word took Fleâ—h the Father did prepare him a Body Dialogue p. â—5 4â— and 83. XIII Qua. Christ being so highly exalted and Glorified as it God's Right Hand as he is can be neither Proof nor Argument that he is not iâ— any Man nor that either Christ or God's Right Hand is limited and circumscribed to such Remotâ—ness as not to be in the True Believers to save and uphold their Souls Bap. When a Soul is satisfied from its Vnion with God and its Dwelling in God that all the Administrations and makings forth of God is Love unto it thus it dwells in Love and from hence is filled with Joy It causeth the Soul alwayes to dwell at the Right Hand of God where is Joy and Pleasure for evermore Marrow of Christian p. 28. Christ the Son was Eternally one in the Father so in him all Believers are made by the same Spirit the Adopted Sons of God being made Partakers of the same Divine Nature Marrow of Christian p. 30. Christ dwells Spiritually in all the Saints If Christ be in you you shall be sensible of it Ibid p 31.32 Tâ—is Indwelling of Christ in his People God and Christ cannot be