Iames James 1.5 6. how then are they who pray most the greatest fools both Papists and Protestants then is not the wisest man as a wave of the Sea when the Sea is over the whole earth Isa 4.11 and the best are in the waters Truly we are all sick let us send then to the Elders of the Church and see if they have the prayer of faith to heal us or heal themselves from the stroke of their wound Isa 30.26 Jer. 30.17 Who among all the gathered Churches can hold forth a Gospel-faith to the scattered Saints who of all their Gospel-Ministers can go forth freely to the world Col. 24.15 1 Pet. 1.12 where is the Power from on high or holy Spirit sent downe from heaven for that work Yea where 's the Spirit of Faith in any of their Believers Gospel-believers were all of one heart and one soul because but one body Act. 2.44 Act. 4.32 c. ours are all divided believers then had all things common c. our Churches and Christians are all for self-interests and to seek their own This is not love as I shall shew anon nor faith indeed which works by love All have not faith saith the Apostle in those Gospel-times no man has a Gospel-faith in these times of the Apostacy and being of the Saints in Babylons captivity Yet this is the confusion that hath ever followed the Churches to this day to take up the Apostles words and writings and to apply that to our selves which was possible to those times and proper only to primitive Saints and Churches where that power was which is now wanting to all the world Thus the Baptists now take up the Apostles call and commission which was never given them by Christ much less by the Spirit afterward Again like the Angel of darkness or Devil cutting off part of Gods word they still tell their Proselytes Mat. 3.6 Mat. 28.19 Go teach and Baptize c. whereas 't is written Go Teach all Nations and Baptize c. Thirdly 't was not directed to the Disciples but to the Apostles upon this ground and the Eleven are mentioned by Matthew and Mark Mat. 28.16 Mark 16.14 for every Disciple had not that power from on high to Teach all Nations Fourthly Who can shew unto us that he is sent of God to Baptize seeing none baptized but either the Apostles or such who had a manifestation of the Spirit to confirm their call Act. 8.6 Act. 9.17 as Philip and Ananias Lastly 'T were well if they would not onely chuse their members by a confession of faith but catechise them and themselves first in the doctrine of Faith For the mystery of Faith was more then men imagine and it may be more then Paul wrote to the Romans and Churches of Galatia Rom 4.2 for both it seems had gone so far back to the Law to begin in the Spirit and end in the flesh that the Apostle goes no farther then a Legal Faith Gal. 3.3 for Faith as justifying was no more and Faith on the promise was no higher then their Faith under the Law as is proved in the dispute hereafter Gospel-Faith was wholly exercised in our union with God in Christ and Christ in us which Paul rather points at in himself then teacheth the Church unless what he hints to some spiritual Saints therein Gal. 2.20 who had the anointing in them teaching them all things that they needed not any man should teach them 1 John 2.27 Therefore as Christ never heard any man preach so neither did the Apostles hear one anothers preachings or sit at a Sermon as our Gospel-preachers do This I onely speak by the way at present and another thing that the Apostles never preach'd a common place of the nature of Faith or repentance to bring people to repeat and believe but so preached Christ to all that they might believe and repent gospel-Gospel-Faith properly was this in knowing our followship with the Father and the Son in the Spirit to know our union with God in Christ and Christ so in us that we are in one with the Father as He in the same love and life in God with him John 14.19 Iohn 17.1 20 21 22 23. now the mystery of God even the Father and of Christ was not manifest to any under the Law nor to Abraham himself who though he saw the day of Christ yet 't was a far off Joh. 8.56 Heb. 11.13 for so the Fathers saluted the promises whose Faith was on the promise or power of God in performing the same and so it s justified Rom. 4.14 to 21. but the justifying faith of Christians was on Christ dying and raised up verse 24.25 though Abraham in a typical mystery believed on Christ dead and raised in his son sacrificed and slain in purpose verse 17. and raised in a figure Heb. 11.19 But as Christ was a mystery so his death and resurrection was a mystery also that none but the Apostles could manifest it by the Spirit which being not given to any one living the Faith which comes by hearing is no higher then theirs under the Law to justify and to save yea we know by experience the best Preachers when they would raise men to believe pitch them on the promise not on that power from on high or promise of the Father which they that believed on Christ did receive and by which the first Preachers of the Gospel brought men to believe But take faith in the lowest acceptance for justifying Faith was but of a legal temper which the Church of Rome beginning to fall from the Apostle is faine to set before them the faith of Abraham and David c to whom the mystery of Christ and of the Gospel being not yet manifested by the Spirit Rom. 3.13 Rom. 4.3 6. as to the Apostles and primitive Saints that Faith of theirs was but suitable to a legal estate I say take Faith in the lowest acceptance as justifying before God and men as working by love where is it when there is no love among you neither to other Churches or Saints differing from you nor to your own Churces who differ in doctrine as I said before much less love to all Saints The Sword doubled Col. 1.4 Tit. 9.3 2.4 to those scattered ones who cannot come to any of your Church-wayes as for love to all men 't is a thing you look not after though this be a higher degree of love then brotherly kindness or love to the brethren 1 Thes 3.12 2 Pet. 1.7 compared But alas the brotherhood is broken Zach. 11.6 9 14. vers there is not love to the brethren among you not onely love unfeigned but love out of a pure heart fervently is not to be found for the love of the best is but cold God knows not that fervent unfeigned that is without Hypocrisie 1 Pet. 1. 22. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Oh how far are believers from that love the Apostle
the same This I only speak to shew the Ignorance or inconsiderate proceeds of our Gospel-preachers who know not what they say nor the way they go nor the work they do nor the word they speak nor the Gospel which they pretend to preach unto the world But because I now write to the baptized Churches I would convince them also of this that they are not the true nor can baptize in truth having not a Gospel yet manifest among them I say not manifest for there may be a seed of it in them as also was in legal Saints I will not minde you of those two Scriptures mentioned in the following dispute John 7.38 39. and John 14.12 nor yet a third proof Mark 16.16 17. Hee that believeth and is baptixed shall be saved and these signs shall follow them that believe c. Those signes did follow Gospel-believers 1 Cor. 1.7 1 Cor. 12.7 compare at least every Gospel Church of believers in whose members as that faith was manifested so especially in the Ministers or Elders who by laying on of hands on the sick and by prayer of faith could save the sick from death The Oyle then used being not a physical receipt or chirurgical salve nor yet an empty Ceremony but a signe of the Spirits presence in the Church and power in the Elder to heal the body as well as the soul James 5.14 15. I will not mention that other laying on of the Presbytery or Eldership in ordaining by a gift of the Spirit ever given thereby 1 Tim. 4.14 2 Tim. 1.6 compare as with God I shall shew hereafter onely now 't is clear there is no Gospel-faith in all the Churches this day Know then that in the Churches of Christ there was both the gift of Faith and the grace of Faith the one in some Church-members as well as in Ministers 1 Cor. 12.9 the other was common to all believers though some that were carnal then in Gospel-Churches had but a legal faith because carnal 2 Cor. 3.1 Heb. 5.12 13. compare As for Gospel-faith suitable to that present state of the Spirit and spiritual Saints it was though not differing yet diverse from the legal faith of Gods people under the Law true faith was ever the same for substance but not for manifestation as the Gospel is everlasting and Christ the same to day yesterday and for ever But as Christ was onely vayled in the Law and revealed in the Gospel so the Gospel and Christ Jesus were both Mysteries hid since the world began from the Sons of men yea from the sons of God-under the Law Rom. 16.25 Eph. 3.5 Col. 1.26 compare This Mystery was not manifest till to the Apostles and primitive Saints by the Spirit Eph. 3.5 That Spirit was not given before yea the Spirit was not at all as the Greek there reads John 7.39 And so that Spirit is not now not the Baptisme of the Spirit which the Apostles themselves had not John 20.22 Act. 1.5 compare while Christ was with them in flesh and though after his resurrection he breathed the Spirit on them yet they were not baptized with the Spirit till afterward Before which given they could not go forth to Teach all Nations and Baptize in a Gospel-way Act. 1.4 Therefore Gospel-Believers could not be before the Baptisme of the Spirit that is the pouring forth the gifts thereof on the Church Act. 2.33 44. 1 Cor. 12.7 9. compared Besides as the object of a Gospel-faith was a mystery that 's Christ in us the hope of glory John 4.20 Col. 1.27 Gal. 1.15 and 2.20 compare 1 Cor. 2.2 7 10 12 13. vers compare the Son of God revealed in us living in us and dying in us and we crucified with him for both Christ and him crucified also was a mystery as the Gospel the object of that faith so this Gospel-faith was a mystery likewise the mystery of Faith in a pure conscience 1 Tim. 3.9 But the object of a Legal faith was no mystery but a plain promise or God in covenant not God in Christ for this the Apostles themselves knew not in the dayes of his flesh Yee believe in God saith he believe also in me c. Legal Saints believed on God not on Christ for Christ was a mystery not yet manifest or to believe on God by Christ is that which believing Christians this day know not nor consider For what 's this why first 't is to know Christ in the Father and the Father in him and he in us and we in him John 14.20 Secondly to know Christ as the way to the Father for us vers 6.7 how so he that believeth on me believeth not on me but on him that sent me and he that seeth me seeth him that sent me that 's the Father in me Iohn 12.44 45. Iohn 14.9 compared What 's that 't is thus to me he that sees God in Christ and the Father in him Emanuel God with us that 's Christ Mat. 1.23 Eph. 3.19 John 17.23 compare may as well see God even the Father in himself for Christ is in us and we in Christ that is God in our flesh as in Christs for Christ and we are perfect in one one with the Father thus he is the way to the Father and thus by him as the way we believe on God who raised him from the dead and gave him glory that our faith and hope might be in God 1 Pet. 1.23 So that in truth to believe on Christ is not to believe on Christ but on the Father in him God in his flesh and in ours also for our faith does tend and end in God yet through him and by him as I said before So that here 's the misbeliefe of Churches this day their faith is onely on God as the Iews or only on Christ as deceived Christians not on God and Christ or on God by Christ And by this it appears there has not been in the Churches a Gospel-faith at least formally for vertually there might be in some but formally and effectually there has not been a Gospel-faith in the Saints these 1400 years for what sign has followed any that believed who could ever shew the Gift of Faith when the grace of Faith was scarce known what mountain or mighty thing has been done Mark 6.17 Mat. 17.20 Mat. 21.21 compare Josh 6.13 or done away and removed meerly by Faith for an outward force and strength of man has alwaies attended great acts in latter times but where 's the fall of Iericho's walls by rams-horns or Gideons conquest by broken pitchers and lights held up in his hand Oh this new light believers are afraid of Judg. 7.20 or to hear the sound of a Trumpet All things saith Christ what soever ye shall ask in prayer believing ye shall receive it that is Matth. 21.22 asking in faith nothing wavering c. though the man want wisdom yet he shall have it liberally given him of God saith
shall live that is as none see God but the blind none hear him but the deaf deaf to man and to self so the dead alone can live Isa 29.18 and they live in death who finde themselves the dead body of the Lord my dead body they shall arise awake and sing ye that dwell in the dust c. in the lowest estate of flesh when the first man Adam is turned to dust when we are nothing we are all in God and God is all in all and in this we may sing together For the third man bears the Image of the heavenly which is the second dispensation typified in the third daies Resurrection of Christ as I shall tell you another time with God I 'll say no more 't is love 't is the Lord that makes the dumb to sing and the tongue of the Stammerer to speak plainly or elegantly as the margine reads it Isa 32.4 Your lines were so to me full of divine elegance of love and delight Eph. 3.17.18.19 truely 't is my love to you likewise and the Lord in me has made me in much haste to stammer this much unto you I am now silent yea dumb the Lord God who rejoyceth over you with singing will sing and speak himself with delight in you There I leave you and all the Saints with you your beloved wife whose I am as I am Yours William Erbery For Mr. Henry Walter Dear Brother I Am bold thus to salute you John 14.20 Gal. 4.26 Joh. 17.21 22. Rom. 8.18 Rev. 21.2 Col. 3.1 2. because we are both in the Father and in Jerusalem that is above which is free and the mother of us all though all the Saints see not nor the glory in which they are already but when the glory shall be revealed in them they shall then see the new Jerusalem coming downe from God out of heaven and him alone dwelling in them that is the state of all the Saints that ever were or shall be their being was and is in God and there they were from the beginning and before the worlds 2 Pet. 3.13 Rev. 10.7 Rev. 21.3 and this we wait for to appear in us all in these last times when the mystery of God shall be finished and fully known when that life and glory which we have with Christ in God though now hid from us shall be revealed in us and upon us also so that not onely we shall see God in us but men shall see and say that surely God is in you of a truth as my letter to Mr. Cradock will tell you at large this is the new Jerusalem and then we see that holy City coming down from God out of Heaven when that which was hid with God as 't were in Heaven shall be manifested to us and in us on earth and our life as I said which was hid with Christ in God shall so visibly or clearly appear in us and to men that it shall be seen a tree of life in the midst of us not onely yeilding fruit every month to our selves to strengthen us but holding forth leaves such an outward appearance of glory in us to men that it shall heal and satisfie them Rev. 22.2 this is that pure river of life clear as crystal proceeding out of the throne of God and out of the Lamb that is in us when all that glory of God in Christ shall be so clearly manifest on us that this river of life which is in us shall run forth and stream abundantly among the sons of men who are as the sea spoken of Ezek. 47.8 all whose Fish shall be healed by the living waters coming to it verse 9 10. as the fruit of the tree of life before and here mentioned verse 12. is for meat and the leaves thereof for medicine for healing or bruises as the margin reads and Rev. 22.2 for the healing of the Nations T is not the Nations onely or National-Churches but the gathered Churches and scattered Saints also want this healing such breaches and bruises are upon Societies and Spirits that God alone can heal us all and will in that day wherein he shall reveal himself with glory in us Isa 30.26 When that day comes called the day of God when God shall come that is appear in us all then all the Saints shall come with him yea with thee as Zach. 14.5 How can this be that all the Saints shall come with thee surely thus when God shall come or appear in thee all the Saints shall come or appear with thee in God Therefore as Jerusalem of old was a City in unity Psa 132.3 Eph. 4.4 Act. 4.32 or compact in it self and as the Apostolique Churches or spiritual Jerusalem had the unity of the Spirit and bond of peace being one body and so having all one heart and one soul so in the new Jerusalem much more unity peace and love will appear in all the Saints one to another and toward all men Therefore though the City had twelve Gates yet but one street that 's strange Rev. 21.21 yea the Gates of the City were never shut day nor night but always open to receive all that 's stranger yet vers 25. yet so it is Isa 60.11 compared with verse 5. to 10. and as but one street in that City Rev. 22.2 so but one Tree on either side of the River verse 2. that 's as strange how on both sides the River should grow but one Tree True Ezekiel being under the legal dispensation saw many trees but John in the second dispensation seeing the third approaching saw but one Tree on each side the River one River in the street and but one street in the City so all the Saints though many in forms and flesh shall be seen in Spirit one in the Lord yea one Spirit with the Lord himself Oh how many streets are in the great City Babylon how many streets in our Cities below how many Societies how many Churches divided in Spirit and in Form also one from another and in themselves Surely the Saints are in Babylon when their Societies and gathered Churches are become not onely the scattered bones dead but as the two sticks Ezek. 37.2 verse 13. divided and dry too for 't is but sticks not living branches I call the Churches so not the Saints therein for the life of grace is in them though truly it be much hid from others and hid to themselves this day yea dead in many and in most buried with earth and earthly mindedness I 'll say no more My dear Brother let us wait together for the first Resurrection if by any meanes we may attain unto it Rev. 20.6 that the dead in Christ may rise first that the dead and divided Saints may rise out of Babylon Ezek. 37.12 23. that God may bring us out of our Graves of forms and flesh being defiled in both I do not by this deny the general Resurrection that shall be but desire you and
all particulars were written it would nauseate any Scholar or spiritual man Such a one I wisht my Antagonist had been for then he should have understood me or I him therefore I desired Mr. Nichols in a Letter the week before that we should reason together in private among Rational and Religious friends both his and mine But he was resolved to have it in publike either that the simple Welsh people might wonder at his wisdom or that his folly and mine might appear to all And truely I was a fool to accept of a dispute before an illiterate multitude and without a Moderator for many sometimes would be speaking at once But it was agreed upon at last that M. Nichols should be Respondent because I was by Argument to maintain the Truth that I taught which he had rumoured abroad to be Errour and Heresie The things were these First That the new Jerusalem is a state of the Saints in this life This he denied Secondly That the Saints this day have not a Gospel-faith This he affirmed Thirdly That God is in union with mankinde This he was negative too But I was to maintain all three in these following Arguments For the first I had many grounds to build upon and to prove that the new Jerusalem is a state of Saints in this life First because it must be immediately after Babylons fall which is in this lise where Babylon must fall and rise no more Rev. 18.21 Rev. 19. throughout Rev. 20.1 7. Rev. 21.2 3. Secondly New Jerusalem comes down from God out of heaven not goes up to heaven from earth Thirdly there God dwells with men not men with God for 't is a new earth as well as a new heaven Fourthly whole Nations are here to be saved and the Nations saved with their Kings bring their glory and honour to it which cannot be in heaven above as men conceive but 't is a third dispensation differing from Law and Gospel-Order For the first was a nation saved by the Lord. Deut. 33.29 Act. 2.47 Zach. 2.11 In the second believers of all Nations were saved or joyned to the Lord not to a Church but to the Lord not in any particular form of Religion Isa 60.21 but in the power of righteousness The first Argument was thus The Nations of them that are saved walk in the light of the new Jerusalem Rev. 21.24 and the kings of the earth bring their glory and honour to it Ergo the new Jerusalem is a state of the Saints in this life Secondly Jerusalem shall be inhabited Zach. 2.4 as a city without walls for the multitude of men and cattel therein Ergo 'T is in this life M. Nichols Answers to both truely I remember not nor his to most of my Arguments onely to this second his answer was in laughter like Solomon's wise man Eccles 7.6 crying aloud to the people Hawer here 's cattel in heaven whereas my proof was that New Jerusalem in Zechariah was not heaven because cattel are there Yet contrary to Order Mr. Nichols would needs object and what That the new Jerusalem is not this life why Because saith he none shall enter in that defileth or telleth a lye Rev. 21.27 I caught him presently in three before witnesses One was a great untruth for whereas I was saying upon occasion that Zechariah's prophecie was after the Captivity M. Nichols would face me down before the people that his Prophecie was before and Adeodate saith he is of the same judgement with me The next day that I spake Adeodate was brought and read in publike Adeodate in Zach. 1. whose words were quite contrary to that M. Nichols said of him yea the Scripture is clear that Zachary prophesied in the second and fourth yeers of Darius that 's after the Captivity Zech. 1.1 7.1 Ergo said I Mr. Nichols must not enter into the new Jerusalem 'T was his own Argument Isa 65.22 But my third was this In the new Jerusalem men shall build houses plant vineyards labour and live long Ergo New Jerusalem is a state in this life The second thing that I held forth as truth to me was this That none of the people of God this day have a Gospel-faith Which I proved first by an Argument ex enumerat is or ex particularibus c. Neither M. Nichols nor any of the godly Preachers with him nor the people of God this day have a Gospel-Church Ergo None have c. 'T was proved thus Those who live not of the Gospel Isa 2.4 have not a Gospel-faith For the just live by faith But neither M. Nichols nor any of the godly Preachers with him live of the Gospel Ergo. The minor or second Proposition I proved thus Those who live upon Tythes 1 Cor. 9.14 live not of the Gospel But M. Nichols and the rest of the godly Preachers in Wales live upon Tythes Ergo. This was unanswerable therefore to the people of God I proposed a second Argument thus Those that have not received the Spirit which Jesus gave after he was glorified have not a Gospel faith John 7.39 But the Saints this day have not received that Spirit c. Ergo. This I proved First because that Spirit was not before given or as the Greek there reads The Spirit was not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Secondly the Spirit which the Apostles had before and afterward breathed on them by Christ risen John 14.17 John 20.22 was not that Spirit which Jesus gave when he was glorified or ascended but the Saints this day have not that Spirit as the Apostles had before much less the Spirit which Jesus gave after he was glorified Ergo. Thirdly the Spirit which Jesus gave after he was glorified was the Baptism of the Spirit which the Apostles themselves had not received before Act. 1.5 till not many days after the Resurrection that is the pouring forth of all the gifts of the Spirit on the Church Act. 2.33 38. which present Churches and purest Christians are far from Ergo Nâ—ne have a Gospel-faith The third Argument was from Joh. 14.12 Those who do not the works which Christ did and greater also then those have not a Gospel-faith But none of the Saints this day by all their faith can do those works and greater also Ergo. The Argument is stronger in Christ who gives a double asseveration to it Verily verily that is not onely assevers but swears as Calvin interprets Joh. 14.12 Secondly those who believed on Christ did greater works then he did in the days of his flesh Act. 9.18 Act. 2.8 41. Act. 4.4 for some gave the Spirit by the laying on of hands 2. Others could speak to every one in his own tongue 3. They converted many thousands at once 4. Could preach the Gospel to every creature under heaven whereas Christ did onely to one Nation Col. 1.23 Mat. 15.24 Mark 6.4 Mark 16.17.18 for his commission was no farther 2. Converted but