if thou do This is a delusion and a dangerous doctrine For a Spirit hath not flesh and bones and so hath the man Christ Jesus Now it may be you think farther that the Church with the Spirit of Christ is the man Christ Jesus which is also a damnable heresie Therefore speak plainly Doest thou believe that the man Christ Jesus is ascended from his person in his person and again dost thou believ that he which ascended from his Disciples did bring in everlasting salvation for them in that his body which ascended from them An answer to this might give great Satisfaction to soules if also it might be made in words easily to be understood Again Thou art also offended with the second deceit which I lay down in my Epistle which is say I for the Devill to bid soules follow that light which they brought into the world wiâ—h them telling them that that will lead them to the Kingdom Now thou seemest gravelled because I said Which they brought into the World with them If thou art offended at that shew me when and at what time every soule receivs a light from Christ after it comes into the world Now this I say That every man hath not the spirit of Christ within him Jâ—d 17. And that there is nothing that can shew the soule the things of Christ savingly but the spirit of Christ 1. Cor. 2.11 Then will not you your selfe confesse that he is deluded that is perswaded to follow that light that cannot reveale Christ unto him But I must minde you of one filthy errour also which thou laiest down in page 10. Corrupting the Scripture to make it good but in vain where thou sayest That light which every man is lightened withall will lead unto the kingdome of peace and righteousnesse And then thou addest for saith Christ I am the light of the World he that followeth me shall not abide in darknesse or walke in darknesse Pray marke First thou callest it the light of Christ wherewith he hath lightned every one And here thou comest a step higher and callest it Christ himself and then corruptest that Scripture where the Son of Mary saith I am the light of the World c. Here thou wouldest very willingly have roome to broach thy folly but it may not be for though Christ be the light of the world yet he is not in every one in the world But secondly I pray where was Christ when he spake those words was he I say within his Disciples or without them when he said I am the light of the World He was without them and walked up and down in the world with them from place to place a very man Therefore he did not mean at that time any light within but himselfe who was without And indeed they who will follow Christ aright must follow him without to the Crosse without for justification on mount Calvary without that is they must seek for Justification by his obedience without To the grave without and to his asscention and intercession in heaven without and this must be done through the operation of his owne holy Spirit that he hath promised shall shew these things unto them being given within them for that purpose John 16.14 Now the Spirit of Christ that leads also But whither It leads to Christ without which said being without I am the light of the World he that followeth me shall not abide in darknesse but shall have the light of life Deny this that Christ was without when he spake those words I am the light of the World If you can But to come more close to the thing That light wherewith Christ as he is God hath lightened every one that cometh into the World is the soule of man which is the life of the body and yet it selfe is but a creature and made by the Creator of all things Isa 57.16 And is not the spirit as some do think it is This creature hath one faculty of its owne nature called Conscience which hath its place in the soule where it is as a Judge to discerne of things good or bad and judge them accordingly as the Apostle saith speaking of the heathens Their Conscience either accusing or else excusing one another Romans 2.14 This Conscience is that in which is the Law of Nature 1 Corinth 11.14 which is able to teach the Gentiles that sin against the Law is sin against God And yet it is called but even Nature it selfe as he saith there Doth not even Nature it self teach you c. Now this Conscience this Nature it selfe because it can controule and chide them for sin who give ear unto it therefore must it be Idolized and made a God of O wonderfull that men should make a God and a Christ of their Consciences because they can convince of sin But thou goest ramping on and saiest there is nothing but the light of Christ that will convince of sin and thou biddest me minde that Now doest thou mean the Spirit of Christ doest thou say that that which thou callest the light of Christ is the Spirit of Christ If so then there is conscience which is not the Spirit of Christ but a poore dunghill creature in comparison of the Spirit of Christ yet will convince of sin as is cleare from that 8. of John where the woman is mentioned who was taken in adultery by the Pharises or others who when they had brought her to Christ and began to accuse her Christ said He that is without sin among you let him cast a stone at her And what then When they heard that they were convicted by their own consciences Mark hee doth not say by the light of Christ in their consciences as some would have it be No but by their own consciences they were convinced and went out one by one And were they all served so Yea from the eldest even to the last for they all had consciences though not the Spirit of Christ So that friend here is something beside the Spirit of Christ that can and doth convince of sin even a man 's own conscience the law of nature nay nature it self which no man will say is as good as the Spirit of Christ except they are guided by a deluding spirit Again thou saiest He that convinceâ—h of sins against the Law leads up to the fulfilling of the Law Friend thy conscience convinceth of sins against the Law follow thy conscience it may lead thee under the curse of the Law through its weaknesse but it can never deliver thee from the curse of the Law by its power For if righteousnesse come by the obedience to the Law or by thy conscience either then Christ is dead in vain Gal. 2.21 Again thou saiest That I and my generation would leap over the Law Answ For Justification we look beyond it to the Son of Mary yet we know that the Law is good if it be used lawfully but if it be used unlawfully as those do use it
who seek to be justified by their obedience to it it is made an Idol of and a Saviour though it were given to no such purpose For if there had been a Law given which could have given life verily righteousnesse should have come by thy obedience to the Law Gal. 3.21 Now at thy conclusions somtimes thou doest utter thy self in this wise Learn what this means Answ Indeed thy words are dark and enough to deceive the hearts of the simple but blessed be God he hath given me to understand that thou doest all along in the drist of thy discourse disown Christ without by pretending to a Christ within whereas hadst thou indeed the Spirit of Christ within thee It would be thy great businesse to extoll and magnifie the Son of Mary the Christ of God without thee because it is the nature of the same spirit so to do even to glorifie Christ without who went away from his Disciples into heaven Luke 24.50 51. to prepare a place for them Then thou further saiest with a kinde of disdaining spirit Many things more thou passest by in my book as being not pertinent to the thing in hand But I believe they are so pertinent that neither thou nor thy friends or fellows are able to contradict without blaspheming in the view of all them that have eyes to see for if they could it should have been don by thee And whereas thou saiest Fools must be medling Answer It must needs be that the Saints of God should be call'd fools by the enemies of the man Christ Jesus without because that the doctrine of the man Christ Jesus crucified without for the sins of poor sinners is also held to be fooilshness by them although it be the wisdom and also the power of God unto every one that believeth 1 Cor. 1.23 24. And further thou sayest that the Pope can speak as much of Christ without as I. Answer Friend doest thou put no difference betwixt the speaking of Christ without and believing in Christ without I tell thee though there may be many that can speak of the Christ of God without yet there are but very few that can or do believe indeed in him without by the mighty operation of his holy spirit within Nay you your selves do testify this who deny that the salvation of sinners was compleatly wrought out by that one offering of Jesus Christ without upon the Crosse on mount Calvary and that he is ascended from his Disciples above the clouds touching his bodily presence as in 1 Cor. 5.6 compared with Acts. 1.9 10 11. Then again thou saist I do ask my selfe a question and do also answer it my selfe deceitfully The question is Do not the Scriptures make mention of a Christ within And thou saist I answer it deceitfully my selfe But I answer again that I am not ashamed of that answer I then gave because I know it is truth and whereas thou saiest it is deceitfull and yet canst not find fault with any point thereof it confirmes me that had there been falsity in it such an enemy to the truth as thou art wouâ—dst have taken that advantage as to have discovered it that thereby thou mightest have rendered the truth the more odious The answer I shall leave to the Christian Reader which is so indeed yet am confirmed my selfe concerning it and shall give thee an answer to thy question which is Doth not the Scripture say or witnesse that all that have not Christ within are Reprobates Answer Yes the Scripture saith so and it is true they that have not the spirit of Christ in them are reprobates But there are some that are reprobates that you will confesse Then by your own argument you must grant that some have not the Spirit of Christ in them Pray take notice they that have not the spirit of Christ in them are reprobates There are some who are reprobates therefore there are some who are sensual having not the spirit of Christ in them see thy folly how it is made manifest Jud. v. 19. The next thing thou art offended withall is because I say the Devill deceives poore soules by perswad ng them to follow the light within which all men have Answer Friend I say again and again That there is nothing lesse then the Spirit of Christ that can give a soule a sight of justification by the blood of the man Christ Jesus without by following of it Now as thou saiest thy selfe some are reprobates and have not the spirit of Christ Then is it any heresie to say that it is of the Divel to perswade a soule to follow that light which is no better then conscience or Nature it selfe which are not able to lead to Christ his things being foolishnesse to it Rom. 2.14 or is conscience which every one is lightened withall the Spirit of Christ give an answer in sincerity Then thou sayest that my whole purpose is a secret smiting at the light wherewith Christ hath lightened every man I Answer My whole designe in my book is and was these following things First to shew soules where salvation is to be had Namely in Christ without 2. To shew souls how they should lay hold of this salvation Namely by the operation of the spirit of Christ which must be given within And 3ly To forwarne poor soules that they should not deceive themselves neither by conscience nor the Law which are both inferiour and much below the Spirit of Christ even as much as he that buildeth the house hath more honour then the house Heb. 3. And 4. to shew how poore soules should know whether they had the Spirit of Christ or not within them or whether the spirit of the Divell had exalted himselfe above the Spirit of Christ by transforming himselfe into an Angell of light Farther thou thinkest I contradict my selfe because I admonish poor souls to beg of God to convince them by his holy Spirit and thou saiest This is my confusion When alas confusion is of and from thy selfe who wouldest make a defiled conscience the Law and the Spirit of Christ to be all one as I shall further clear to the reader by and by But I tell thee friend there are many who have not the Spirit of Christ and yet are convinced of sin by their owne consciences John 8.9 He doth not say by the light of Christ in their Consciences that is a saying of your owne without warrant from the Word of God but by their owne Consciences Mark that Now I knowing that a man may be convinced and yet not by the Spirit of Christ for he may be without that but by nature itselfe 1 Cor. 11.14 I do admonish every foule if they love themselves to beg of God for Jesus Christ his sake that he would not onely let them he convinced by these poor low empty beggerly things their consciences in respect of the spirit of Christ but that he would convince them by that spirit of his effectually which is not onely
and thou shalt live The Spirit saith that Christ Jesus came into the world to save those that by transgession had broken the law For for this cause saith the Spirit he Jesus the son of Mary the man Christ between God and us 1 Tim. 2.5 is the Mediator of the New Testament For what That by means of death for the redemption of the trangressions that were under the first testament they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance Heb. 9.15 Now I would not be mistaken I do not say that the Spirit of Christ doth give the least liberty to sin God forbid But it's convictions are of a more saving and refreshing nature than the convictions of the law and do more constrain the soul to holiness then that The Law saying Work for life the Spirit saying Now to him that worketh not for life but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly his faith is counted for righteousnesse Rom. 4.5 as thus If I should owe to two Creditors ten thousand talents the one should say unto me thou owest me five thousand talents pay that thou owest the other shoul say thou owest me five thousand talents and I frankly and freely forgive thee all Now these expressions are contrary one to another Even so is the end of the convictions of the Law not according to the end of the convictions of the Spirit of Christ the one saying Pay me that thou owest the other saying Thou art frankly and freely forgiven all The next thing thou utterest is where I say Those that are alive unto sins have not the Spirit of Christ But sayest thou It is given to every man Mark thou saiest It is given to every man The Apostle saith Some are sensual having not the Spirit Jude 19. Who must we now believe the Apostle or you Certainly your doctrine is not according to truth but a lie as is clear in that you will affirme that which the Apostle doth deny Then thou saiest I bring other vain arguments to prove that every one hath not the Spirit of Christ This one is enough to prove it that the Apostle saith Some men have it not But that which thou callest vain I am sure neither thou nor any of thy fellows are able to answer One is to this purpose The Divels are so convinced of sin that they did fear the torment that was to come upon them for their sins and did fear also that the Son of man was come to torment them for their sins and yet the Divels have not the Spirit of Christ So that it is evident that we may be convinced of sin and yet not by the Spirit of Christ A second argument which thou callest vain is this Man in his coming into the world hath this Conscience given him which doth convince of sin Joh. 8.9 yet man in his coming into the world or as he cometh into the world hath not the Spirit of Christ given him for that must be received ordinarily afterward by the preaching of the Word which is preached by the Ministers and servants of Jesus Christ Act. 10.44 While Peter yet spake to the people the holy Spirit fell on all them that heard the Word But farther thou saiest Untill I prove the light of Christ contrary to the spirit of Christ thou wilt say that every man hath that which is one in union and like the spirit of Christ even as good as the spirit of Christ in its measure Answer Friend I have proved already that every man hath not the Spirit of Christ though they have that which thou doest call the Spirit of Christ which is conscience and nature it selfe And this I say again thâ—t thou hast laied open thy weakness very much to say that every man hath that which is as good as the Spirit of Christ Friend seeing the Scriptures say some have not the spirit of Christ how durst thou so blaspheme as to say then it is as good as the spirit of Christ in its measure Was there ever such a deale of ignorance discovered at one time by a man as to say that every man hath the Spirit or that which is as good as the Spirit though the Spirit saith plainly that some have not the Spirit as I have proved plainly Jude 19. Friend what is there besides the Spirit that is as good as the Spirit Be silent and say no more so least thou do through ignorance or presumption set up thy coscience or nature as high and as good as the Spirit of Christ when indeed they are not worthy to be compared with it being weak and not able to do that which is and hath ben done by the Spirit of Christ Then thou art offended because I said the Devill doth deceive poor souls by bidding them listen within and see if there be not that which doth convince of sin Friend All men have not the Spirit though they have that conscience that doth convince of sin John 8.9 Now seeing all men have not the spirit is it not a great deceit of the Devill to perswade poor soules that because they are convinced for sin by their owne consciences therefore they have the Spirit of Christ Surely it is from the devill First because he would make thee believe that Conscience which is but a creature is the Spirit of Christ by whome the world was made Again because the Soule being perswaded that it hath the spirit when it hath it not as all men naturally are without it Eph. 3.13 If it kept off from sâ—eking and begging for it being allready perswaded falsely that it hath it And whereas thou saist the voice of the Gospell is to bid listen within the heart as Paul preacheth I deny that Paul biddeth listen within But the Scripture that you would faine make shelter for your errour is this where he saith The word is nigh thee even in thy mouth and in thy heart That is the Word of Faith which wee preach Now friend Faith is that which layeth hold of or beleeveth the Gospel And that this is the meaning read the next verse That saith he If thou shalt confesse with thy mouth the Lord Jesus and shalt believe in thine heart that GOD hath raised him from the dead thou shalt be saved So that it is cleer that the Word of faith is to believe assuredly from the very heart that God hath raised up Jesus from the dead out of the grave into which he was laid by Joseph And that he was raised again for my justification Rom. 5 25. as it is written· 1. Cor. 15. Moreover Brethren saith he I declared unto you the Gospell which I preached unto you at the first which also you have received and wherein you stand by which also you are saved if you keep in memory or assuredly believe what I preached unto you unlesse you have believed in vain But what was that Gospel you preached Why saith he ver â— I delivered unto you first of all that which
receiving but I tell thee he that hath it hath received it Gal. 3.2 and he that hath not received it hath it not Jude 19. My second Quaery was What is the Church of God redeemed by from the curse of the law Is it by something done within them or by something done without them If you say it is redeemed by something that worketh in them then why did the man Christ Jesus hang on the Crosse on mount Calvary without the gate of Jerusalem for the sins of his children and why do the Scriptures say That through this man is preached to us the forgivenesse of sins The answer thou givest is The Church of God is redeemed by Christ Jesus which is revealed in all believers And Christ Jesus wrought in them mightily And it was he that wrought in them to will and to do This is plain Scripture and the man Christ Jesus sai'st thou hanged on the Crosse on mount Calvary because they wickedly judged him to be a blasphemer and through their envy persecuted him to death because he bare witness against them and as in their account he died and hanged on the Crosse for an evill doer And this is one ground at least why he hanged on the Crosse c. Ha friend I had thought thou hadst not been so much hardened art thou not ashamed thus to slight the death of the man Christ Jesus on the Cross and reckon it not effectually for salvation but saiest the Church is redeemed by Christ Jesus which is revealed within And to confirm it thou doest also corruptly bring in two Scriptures The one saith whereunto I also labour according to his working which worketh in me mightly By which words Paul signifies thus much That as God was witb him in the ministry of the Word so did he also strive according to his working which wrought in him mightily What is this to the purpose See Col 1.26 27 28 29. And also the other Scripture makes nothing to prove that the Church of God is redeemed by Christ within as he is within Onely you must corrupt the Scriptures and be transformed though ministers of darknesse into an Angel of light if you will do any mischief And now that thy answer is false I shall cleerly prove First because thou deniest that redemption was wrought out for sinners by the man Christ Jesus on the Crosse or tree on mount Calvary when the Scripture saith plainly that when he did hang on the tree Pet. 2.24 then did he bear all our sins there in his own body And secondly in thy saying it is redeemed by Christ within by being within when the work of the Spirit of Christ in believers is to make known to the soul by dwelling within which way and how they were redeemed by the man Christ Jesus on the Crosse And this I prove farther because when thou art forced to answer to these words Why did the man Christ Jesus hang on the Crosse on mount Calvary for the sins of his Children Thou saiest because they wickedly judged him to be a blasphemer Friend I did not ask thee why the Jews did put him to death but why was he crucified there for the sins of his Children But thou willing to cover over thine errour goest on cunningly saying and through their envy they persecuted him to death for an evill doer This is one ground at least c. Friend but that thou art ashamed to own the Gospel of Jesus Christ thou wouldest have said he was crucified there for the sin of the world and by his offering up of himself upon the Crosse he did for ever perfect them that are sanctified Nay thou wouldest have studied to exalt his dying there first by shewing what a sad condition we were in without it secondly by holding forth the manifold and great priviledges that we have by his dying for us there But thou art at enmity against the things of God as is cleerly seen by those that have indeed the Spirit of God in them and are enabled thereby to discern you And though you say there is no other that can forgive sin nor the blood of any other that can take away sin but the blood of God Yet thou deniest that the blood of him who was and is truly God as well as man Christ Jesus I say thou deniest that his blood that was shed without Jerusalems gates doth wash away sin from the Saints of God and cunningly though not at this time uttered concluding that the blood of God was shed for sin on a Crosse within If it be not so then call me lyar but it will cleerly appear so to be in your answer to my third Quaery 3. Quaery is What Scripture have you to prove that Christ is or was crucified within you dead within you risen within you ascended within you Thy answer is There is no Scripture that mentions every of our names in particular And thy Quaery saiest thou is raised from a misunderstanding of us so I judge But Christ is within us that we do dot deny and he is the Lamb that was slain in the streets of the great City wich is spiritually called Sodom and Egypt mind Spiritually and he is now risen and ascended this we know and leave thee to receive a farther answer from them that are led by a spirit of delusion Friend how doest thou run about the bush seeking to scrable up an answer but findest not a right one and wouldest also fain hold out that Christ is or was crucified within dead within risen and ascended within but seeing thou canst not with or by the Scriptures give an answer then seeing thy self left of them through rhe strength of carnall reason thou goest about this way Is there any of our names made mention of in Scripture or to that purpose and would'st fain inferr from thence that because we have names though not mentioned in Scriptures therefore Christ is and was crucified within though not mentioned in the Scriptures Friend thy sophistry deceivs thee The second argument which is like the first is this He is the Lamb slain in the streets of the great City Spiritually called Sodom and Egypt Now from the word spiritually thou wouldest willingly inferre also that Christ is and was crucified within dead within and risen within you and therefore thou saiest mind spiritually Friend I may well mind thy spirituall wickedness by which thou wouldest willingly cover thy heresie but it will not be Though thou dare not speak plainly in so many words yet the thoughts of thy heart are made manifest by the words that flow from thee Ah friend that thou couldest but close with the truth and venture thy soul upon what was done by Jesus on the Crosse without the gates of Jerusalem for it is by and through that blood that was there shed that we have redemption Heb. 13.12 compared with Col. 1.20 and remission of sins Eph. 1.7 and 1 Pet. 2.24 My fourth Quaery was is that very man
that was crucified between two theevs whose name was Jesus the Son of Mary is he the very Christ of God yea or no Thy answer is Yes he is the very Christ of God which was before the world was by whom the world was made who was made manifest from Maries womb and was persecuted to death by the Scribes and Pharisees in whose steps thou treadest in asking subtill questions to insnare the innocent as they did Read thy example saiest thou and thy self to be an enemy to God's Christ This answer is doubtfully given I did not ask thee whether he was the Christ of God that was before the world was but I asked thee whether he was the Christ of God that did hang between two thievs on mount Calvary Now I know the Christ of God was before the world was but thou art afraid to look upon him as suffering on the Crosse on mount Calvary between two thievs for our sins But contrariwise wouldst willingly own him to be no otherwise but as he was before the world which thing is very dangerous for he that doth so doth lay aside all things that in his own person he did in the Flesh that he took from the Virgin Mary as to justification and salvation onely supposing him to be but an example and so bespatters all his merit and righteousnesse by your false conclusions which in his own person he accomplished for our justification And friend hadst thou not been afraid of thy self thou wouldst have been so far from calling these my Quaeries subtil Questions that thou wouldst have owned them and have given a sober Christian answer to them in stead of a railing accusation But it matters not it hath but made thee shew thy self the more which peradventure for a time might otherwise have lien hid My 5 Quaerie was Is that very man with that very body within you yea or no To which thou answerest The very Christ of God is within us we dare not deny him and we are members of his bodie of his flesh and of his bones as the Ephesians were they that are led with a spirit of delusion shall answer the rest of this thy Quaery if they will Thy answer is nothing to the question for I did not ask whether the Spirit of Christ was in thee though I question the truth of that But I asked you whether that very man with that very bodie or the bodie of Christ that was hanged on the Crosse be within you But I see you are minded to famble and will not answer plainly But thou answerest saying We are members of his bodie of his flesh and of his bones as the Ephesians were This is nothing to the purpose neither for it is one thing for a man to be a member of the flesh and bones of Christ and another thing to have the flesh and bones of Christ within him What because believers are members one of another must they therefore be also one in another No. Even so though a believer be a member of the body flesh and bones of Christ it doth not therefore follow that Christ flesh and and bones is within him But thou art loath to discover thy self in plain terms though thou art made manifest full sore against thy will for thou do'st here also though very cunningly signifie that thou ownest Christ no otherwise but as he is within And to own him no otherwise is still against the Gospel and faith of the Apostles who said they were absent from him while they were at home in the body or here below 2 Cor. 5 6. My 6. Quaerie was this Was that very Jesus that was born of the Virgin Mary a real man of flesh and bones after his resurrection out of Josephs sepulchre yea or nay The Scriptures say he was And if so then did that man go away from his Disciples and not into them as the Scriptures declare or did he with that body of flesh go into his Disciples as some fond dreamers think Thy Answer is What the Scriptures speaks of Christ we own to be truth and own him to be what the Scriptures speaks of him and all men's imaginations of him we deny and their false interpretations of the Scripture concerning him And let the fond dreamers who err in their thoughts be reproved for we dare own nothing but what the Spirit of the Lord bears witnesse of according to the Scriptures And thus far I answer in the behalf of the Quakers And let them that are led with a spirit of delusion answer the rest which concerns themselvs This answer hath some pretended fairnesse in it But yet we know you that you can wrest the Scriptures to your own destruction and that is clear in that though you say you own him as the Scriptures speak of him yet you deny him as the Scriptures speâ—k of him in part And if at any time you plead one truth it is that you might by your corrupt dealing with that clash again another as for instance You professe you own Christ within but withall with that doctrine you will smite against the doctrine of Christ Jesus in his person without and deny that though that is a truth as is also the other 2. You do use that truth of the resurrection of Saints from a state of nature to a state of grace to fight against that truth of the resurrection of the bodies of saints out of their graves together with other things that I might add as your holding forth the intercession of the Spirit of Christ within in opposition to the intercession of Christ in his person without in the heavens Which things being thus done they shew forth a great deal either of ignorance or presumption knowingly to fight against the truth And in this that thou answerest so generally and not particularly to the question it is evident that thou doest not plainly declare thy minde but doest keep that in thy bosome which thou darest not manifest to the world My 7. Quaerie was Hath that Christ that was with God the Father before the world was no other body but his Church If you say No as it is your wonted course Then again I ask you What was that in which he did bear the sins of his children If you say in his own body on the tree Then I ask Whether that body n which he did bear our sins was or is the Church of God yea or no Again if you say he hath no other body but his Church then I ask What that was that was taken down from the Cross But here thou puttest a stop to the rest of my words with an c. Thy answer is In this thou hast not onely quaeried but slandered therefore thy slander saiest thou I do remove It is our wonted course saiest thou to say that Christ hath no other bodie but his Church Thou art here a false accuser But we say the Church is Christ's bodie and it is sufficient for salvation to know Christ
of their Ministers for indeed they are Ministers in this to minister ill example to their Congregations Again would the people learne to be covetous they need but look to their Minister and they shall have a lively or rather a deadly resemblance set before them in both riding and running after great Benefices and Parsâ—nages by night and by day Nay they among themselves will scramble for the same I have seen That so soon as a man hath but departed from his Benefice as he calls it either by death or out of covetousnesse of a bigger we have had one Priest from this Town and another from that so run for these tithe-cocks and handfulls of Barley as if it were their proper Trade and calling to hunt after the same O wonderfull impiety Ezek. 13. read that whole Chapter and you will find it as it was a looking glasse by which thou mayest notably see them with their marks and discoveries and ungodliness are you not ashamed of your doings If you say no. It is perhaps because you are given over of God to a reprobate mind Read Rom. 1. towards the end As it was with them so it is to be feared it is with many of you who knowing the judgments of God that they who do such things are worthy of death not onely do the same but have as I may so say pleasure also in them that doe them And now you that pretend to be the teachers of the people in verity and truth though we know that some of you are not Is it a small thing with you to set them you say are your flock such an example as this Were ever the Pharisees so prophane to whom Christ said Ye vipers how canye escape the damnation of hell doth not the ground groan under you surely it will fauour you no more then it favoured your fore-runners Certainly the wrath of God lyes heavie at your doores it is but a very little while and your recompence shall be upon your owne head And as for you that are indeed of God among them though not of them Separate your selves why should the righteous partake of the same plagues with the wicked O ye children of the harlot I cannot well tell how to have done with you your stain is so odious and you are so sensless as appears by your practices But I shall at this time forbear having in some measure discharged my conscience according to the truth against you hoping if God do give me opportunitie and a fair call that I shall a second time in this world give testimony against your filthy conversations though now I shall say no more onely thus much Be ashamed of your earthly-mindednesse if you can and be converted or else you shall never be healed Here might I also aggravate your sin by its several circumstances but I shall rather forbear supposing that you may entertain wrong and harsh thoughts of me though I have spoken the truth therefore I shall at this time rather keep silence and wish you to amend then to rake in your soars for thereby would your stink go more abroad in the world Therefore I say I forbear And now to the Reader I beseech thee to have a care of thy soul and look well to the welfare of it And that you may do so have a care what doctrine it is that thou receivest Be not contented untill thou indeed and in truth in the light of the Spirit of Christ see thy sins washed away in the blood of that Lamb who did offer up himself a ransom on the Crosse on mount Calvary for the sins of thy soul and body together with the rest of the Saints of God And let not the legall holiness of the one nor the loose prophane conversation of the other beat thee off from pursuing after the truths of Jesus as the truth is in Jesus and so laid down in this my discourse Neither let the plausiblenesse of the other beguile thy simple heart And now to you that are carried away with the delusions at this day broached in the World by the instruments of Satan and that after a profession of the truth I say to you turne againe if you can peradventure there may be hope and that you may escape that wrath which justly you have deserved But if you shall still refuse the Lord that speakes now from heaven in mercy to you you shall not hereafter escape the Lord that in his owne time will speake to you in his wrath and vexe you in his sore displeasure And now a few words to you that have indeed closed in with the Lord Jesus Christ the Son of Mary and they are these that follow First he of good cheer all your sins are forgiven you for his name sake 1 John 2.12 2. Know he that hath begun the good work of his grace in you will perfect it even to the second coming of our Lord Jesus Christ Phil. 1.6 3. Know that though your Lord Jesus who is in you by his spirit be absent from you tâ—uching his bodily presence yet he is not forgetfull of you but is preparing a place for you Jo. 14.1 2 3. 4. Consider That he is also at this very present in his very person in the presence of his Father now in the heavens praying and making intercession for you that you may be brought safe to glory Heb. 7.25 Father I will saith he that those that thou hast given me may be where I am that they may behold my glory John 17.25 5. Know also that he hath overcome in his own person when he was in the World Devill Death Sin Hell the curse of the Law the power of the Grave and all other evills in the body of his flesh for you Heb. 2.14 6. Beleeve also that while you are in the World all things shall fall out for your good at the end whether they be Temptations Doctrines of Devils workings of corruptions all things shall fall cut for your good who love our pretious Lord Jesus Rom. 8.28 7. Be assured that all your enemies shall very suddenly be under your feet even Satan and all Rom. 16.20 8. Consider That there shall no temptation befall you in the days of your pilgrimage but God will enable you to bear it I and make away also for you to escape the destroying danger of it 1 Cor. 10.13 9. When the time of your dissolution shall come your Jesus will deal with you as he did with Blessed Lazarus that is he will send his Angels to fetch your soules away to glory Luke 16.23 10. Beleeve also and know assuredly that at the last day he wil also raise your bodyes out of their graves and make them also for ever vessels of his glory Rom. 8.23 compar'd with Joh. 5.28 1 Thes 4.14.15 16 17 18. 11. And lastly consider That though now by the world and hereticks you be counted as not worth the looking after Yet you have your day a comming when as the
untruly vented of me which I feare not but they shall be cleered both now and also at the second appearance of the man Christ Jesus And therefore friend I say to thee be not so Pharisaicall as to say within thine heart I am not as this Publican Why am I reckoned with the Ranters Thou art both thou and thy fellowes of the same minde with them in many things and shall assuredly partake of the same plague with them if they and you repent not speedily Again in page 7. Thou wouldest make us beleeve that the Quakes do Really and truly laythe Christ of God God-man for their foundation Saying Wee prise the Lord Jesus Christ God-man to be precious to us and to all that do beleeve and have owned him to be the foundation c. Now friend this is fairly spoken But by words in generall we may be deceived because a man may speake one thing with his mouth and mean another thing in his heart especially it is so with those that use to utter themselves doubtfully therefore wee will a little enquire what it is to lay Christ God-man for a foundation First then To lay God's Christ God-man for a foundation is to beleeve that man that was borne of the Virgin Mary to be the Saviour 2. How he was and is the Saviour and therefore if you do indeed lay him for your foundation Then you do beleeve that when the man Christ did hang on the Crosse on mount Calvary that then your sins were satisfied for 1 Pet. 2 2â— at that time as it is written He bare our sins in his own body on the tree 2. If the Christ of God God-man be indeed your fâ—undation then you do beleeve that that every man in that very body did fulfill all the Law in the point of justification as it is written Christ is the end of the Law for righteousnesse to every one that beleeveth So that now believ aright in what the son of Mary hath done without on the Crosse and be saved 3. If you have laid Christ that man aright for your foundation then you do believ that when he was raised out of the Sepulchre into which Joseph had laid him then at that time was accomplished your justification Rom. 4.25 How say you to these things do you make an open profession of them without dissembling or do you not notwithstanding your talke of Christ in very deed deny the vertue of the death and blood of Christ without as for Justification and Life if so you have not laid him for your foundation 4. If you have indeed laid Christ God-man for your foundation then you do lay the hope of your felicity and joy on this That the Son of Mary is now absent from his Children in his person and humanity making intercession for them and for thee in the presence of his Father 2 Cor. 5.6 And the reason that thou canst rejoyce hereat is because thou hast not onely heard of it with thine eare only but doest enjoy the sweet hope and faith of them in thy heart which hope and faith is begotten by the Spirit of Christ which spirit dwelleth in thee if thou be a believer and sheweth those things to thee to be the only things And God having shewen thee these things thus without thee by the spirit that dwelleth in thee thou hast mighty incouragement to hope for the glory that shall be revealed at the comming again of the man Christ Jesus of which glory thou hast also greater ground to hope for a share in because that that spirit that alone is able to discover to thee the truth of those things is given to thee of God as the first fruites of that glory which is hereafter to be revealed being obtained for thee by the man Christ Jesus his death on mount Calvary and by his blood that was shed there together with his resurrection from the dead out of the Grave where they had layd him Also thou believest that he is gone away from thee in the same body which was hanged on the Crosse to take possession of that glory which thou through his obedience shall at his the very same mans returne from heaven the second time have bestowed upon thee having all this while prepared and preserved it for thee as he sai h himselfe I go to prepare a place for you And if I go and prepare a place for you I will come again and receive you to my selfe that where I am there ye may be also John 14.2.3 Againe 5. If thou hast laid Christ God-man for thy foundation though thou hast the spirit of this man Christ within thee yet thou doest not look that Justification should be wrought out for thee by that spirit of Christ that dwelleth within thee for thou knowest that salvation is already obtained for thee by the man Christ Jesus without thee is witnessed to thee by his Spirit which dwelleth within thee And thus much doth this man Christ Jesus testifie unto us where he saith he shall glorifie me Marke He shall glorifie me saith the Son of Mary But how Why He shall take of mine what I have done and am doing in the presence of the Father and shall shew it unto you Joh. 16.14 I have been a little the larger in this because it is of weight But again thou saiest further The rest of this first Epistle I shall say little to onely thus much is the mind of the pen-man's spirit Here again he speaks falsly secretly smiting at the doctrine of true Faith and Salvation to wit Christ within Answ My friend by saying that my brother doth strike at the doctrine of true Fâ—ith and Salvation thou doest him a great deal of wrong for it is so far from him so to do that he telleth souls plainly that without true Faith in the blood of the Son of Mary who was crucified on Mount Calvary there is no remission for saith he It is onely through that one offering then given up to the Father that you must be justified And that is according to the whole stream of Scripture For by one offering What was that Why the offering up of the bodie of Jesus once for all Heb. 10.10 he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified For this man when he had offered up one sacrifice for sins for ever sate down Mark it This man when he had offered up one sacrifice for sins for ever sate down on the right hand of God ver 12. And as for thy saying that salvation is Christ within if thou mean in opposition to Christ without in stead of pleading for Christ thou wilt plead against him for Christ God-man without on the Crosse did bring in salvation for sinners And the right believing of that doth justifie the soul Therefore Christ within or the Spirit of him who did give himself a ransome doth not work out justification for the soul in the soul But doth lead the soul out of it selfe and out
of that can be done within it selfe to look for salvation in that man that is now absent from his Saints on earth 2 Cor. 5.6 Why so For it knoweth that there is Salvation in none other Acts. 4.12 And therefore I would wish thee to have a care what thou doest For I tell thee That man who is now jeared by some because he is preached to be without them will very suddenly come the second time to the great overthrow of those who have spoken and shall still speak against him Jude 14 15. Thou sayest also the next thing thou mindest is this in the second Epistle where a question is asked Who are the men that at this day are so deluded by the Quakers and other pernicious doctrines but they that counted it enough to be talkers of the Gospell c. This man saith the Quaker is of the same spirit with his fellow and will more abound in lies c. And why because he saith the Quakers are those deceivers that at this day beguile poore soules by their Doctrine Alas poor man why shouldest thou be angry for my speaking the truth in saying The Quakers are deceivers this will easily appear For first they deny the man Christ to be without them and owne Christ no otherwise but as he is within contrary to that Scripture which saith For while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord. This is touching his bodily presence And again he was parted from them And a cloud received him out of their sight And he was carried away from them and so received up into Heaven Acts. 1.9.10 11. Now he that denieth this is a deceiver as is cleer in that he doth speak against the truth laid down in the Scripture 2. The Quakers are deceivers in that they perswade souls that Christ is crucified in them dead within them and kept down with some thing within them which was never taught by those that spoke the Scripture from the Spirit of God Shew me a Scripture to confirm such a doctrine as this which hath been avouched over and over by the Quakers 3. The Quakers are deceivers because they do perswade souls that that man that was born of the Virgin Mary is not above the clouds and the stars when the Scripture saith A cloud received him out of the sight of his Saints And again that he is above the highest heavens which must needs be above the stars for they are not the highest 4. The Quakers are deceivers because they perswade souls not to believe that that man that was crucified and rose again flesh and bones Luke 24.38 39.40 shall so come again that very man in the clouds of heaven to judgment as he went away and at the very same time shall raise up all the men and women out of their graves and cause them to come to the valley of Jehoshaphat because there will he that very man fit to judge all the Heathen round about I say they strive to beat souls off from believing this though it be the truth of God witnessed by the Scripture Joel 3.11.12 as also Acts 1.10 11. This same Jesus which is taken from you into heaven shall so come mark the very same in like manner as yee have seen him go into heaven And his feet shall stand in that day the day of his second coming upon the mount of Olives Zech. 14.4 Where is that Not within thee but that which is without Jerusalem before it on the East side I say now hee that perswades souls not to believe this but makes them believe there is no such thing as the Quakers do he is a deceiver Again the Quakers make no difference between that light wherewith Christ as he is God hath inlightned all and the Spirit of Christ he gives not to all which I shall shew by and by to be a deceit 5. The Quakers are deceivers because they say That every one hath that which is like the spirit of Christ even as good as the spirit of Christ page 10 of his book which is desperate blasphemie The Scripture saith plainly That some are sensual having not the Spirit And yet though they have not that They have saies the Quakers that which is as good as that O wonderfull deceit as I shal farther shew by and by when I come to the place But to cover himself and so his deceit he doth apply that to himselfe that should be applyed for the encouragement of the Children of God saying The Children of God was alwaies counted deceivers we saith he have a cloud of witnesses Answer Friend they were called deceivers and were not so but you are rightly called so as I have already shewed and shall shew farther by and by In the meane time know that the Devill knowes how to take the Childrens bread and cast it to the doggs Then the next thing that he is grieved with is because I said there are none but a company of Light Notionists Ranters with here and there a Legalist that was shaking in their principles that were carried away by the Quakers c. When this appeares in all mens sight that can see though you would not have it so it is like And as for your saying Because all sorts of people are brought to God Another false thing spoken of me by the Quakers I am offended therewith I Answer No friend I blesse God my soule can rejoyce that soules come into Jesus Christ though it grieves me to see how some with a spirit of delusion are deceived and destroyed by it's coming unto them as an Angel of light And whereas thou saiest I am like the Pharisees who said None believe but a company of poor people which know not the Law Answ I blesse God I do know they are the poor that receive the Gospel but Friend I must tell you that you and your fellows may seek for justification from the Law and yet have no better a recompence then to be condemned by the Law Now passing many raylings I come to the next thing that thou doest stumble at which is in that I say Some of those delusions the Devill doth deceive poor soules withall is first in that he doth perswade them that Salvation was not compleatly wrought out for sinners by the man Christ Jesus though he did it gloriously upon the Crosse without the gates of Jerusalem Now these words He did it gloriously on the Crosse without the Gates of Jerusalem thou leavest out Therefore I aske Do you believe that at that time when he did hang upon that Crosse on mount Calvary that he did by that death he died there redeeme all his elect from eternall vengeance If not what ever thou saiest thou wilt certainly see that Satan hath caught thee in his snare notwithstanding thy rayling against the Lord Jesus And Friend thou mayest call thy conscience the man Christ Jesus or the light as thou callest it in thy Conscience the man Christ Jesus which
that I should say They are deceived who owne Christ no otherwaies then as he was before the world began This Question I briefely aske thee Had Christ a body of flesh before the World began If you say no as you must if you say true Then do not I say true when I say they are deceived who own Christ no otherwise then as he was before the world began because they owne him not with that body of flesh which he took of the Virgin Mary and so are Antichrists as the Scripture saith And how say you Do you believe that the same Christ who was â—efore the World without a body did in time come into the world and tâ—ke a bodie from the Virgin and in that bodie did obtain everlasting redemption for sinnesr and is gone with that very body into the presence of his Father above the clouds into heaven from his Saints on earth though in them by his spirit A plain answer to this would unlock your double meanings Again thou saiest the Saints drank of the spiritual Rcck that followed them Friend I confesse that that spirituall Rock that did follow the Fathers and long after was from the same loines with them even from the loins of Abraham and the rest of the children of the promise according to the promise was the meat and drink of Saints Rom. 9.4 5. But to look upon Christ no otherwise then as he was before the world was which was a spirit onely and not to own him now clothed with a bodie absent from his children touching the same bodie I dare be bold to say they are no Christians but Antichristians yea Antichrists He that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is Antichrist and of Antichrist Again At this also thou wranglest because I said that every Spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ who was with the Father before the world was did in the appointed time of the father come into the World take a body upon him and was very man as well as very God and did in that very body suffer what did belong to the sons of men c. So my book page 42. 43. 44. I answer if thou didst indeed believe the truth thou wouldest owne these things But being deceived rather then thou wilt let this pass for truth though thou dare not oppose it with open face yet thou wilt put on a vaile and venture upon it thus saying If every spiâ—it were of God wâ—ich doth confesse in words this then is not the Pope himselfe Antichrist Answer Friend it is one thing to confesse the things in words and another thing to believe them and to make a life out of them and therefore is thy life made out of Christ without thee by the operation of his spirit within thee yea or no Then in answer to my bidding people receive no Christ except God's Christ thou saiest thus That Christ is a mistery and unto him is light and shall be salvation where his person never came Thâ—s Question I aske thee did or doth Christ obtaine salvation for any without that â—â—â—y which he took of the Virgin And yet thou saiest it cannot be said here is the place where the Son is not I answer as the Son of God is also very man so it may be said here is the place where he is not and there is the place where he hath not been though as he is God it is otherwise let him that reads understand And now passing by many things that I might justly examine and also many unseemly expressions I come to the next thing and that is where you say you wrest not the Scrripture in Joh. 1.9 But it is evident that you do most horribly wrest it in that you though you seem to take it in the plaine words yet would hold that that light is the Spirit of Christ notwithstanding there is no such thing mentioned in that Scripture For marke as I have sometimes said and now also will say that that light wherewith Christ as he is God hath lightened every one with is not the Spirit of Christ as is cleere in that some are sensuall having not the Spirit which they must needs have if it were given to every one that comes into the World and therefore in that you say I say you lay down that scripture false I say again that you say many things which I do know to be blasphemie as I shall prove cleerely anon as also I have already And therefore to take thee off from this I shall say that Christ as he is a mediator a man between God and man so he doth not lighten every man that comes into the World though as he is God he doth And that is manifest where he often as he was man saith These things are spoken to them that are without in parables that seeing they might not see and hearing they might not understand Luk 8.10 And again where Judas not Iscariot said Lord how is it that thou wilt manifest thy self to us and not unto the world He saith If a man love me he will keep my sayings and my Father will love him and we I as Mediatour and my Father as reconciled in me will manifest our selves unto him Joh. 14.21.23 And again No man knoweth the Father but the Son That is no man knoweth him as a Father but the Son and he to whom the Son will reveal him Mat. 11.27 But above all take that Scripture where the Son saith I thank thee O Father Lord of heaven and earth because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent and hast revealed them to Babes ver 25. Here the Son and the Father are speaking one to another the Father he hides the glorious things of the Gospel from the world Mat 11.25 26 27. and the Son he rejoices in so doing At that same houre Jesus rejoiced in Spirit and said I thank thee O Father c. Therefore understand thus much that though Christ as he is God doth give to every man a light which is Conscience otherwise called Nature Rom. 2.14 1 Cor. 11.14 yet it doth not follow that every man hath enlightning from Christ as he is Mediatour No Christ as he is Mediatour doth neither pray for the world Joh. 17.9 neither doth he give his Spirit to all that are in the world for some are sensual and have it not But now the argument that thou do'st bring to colour the contrary with is this For what the Father doth saiest thou the Son doth also Answ Though this be true that the Son doth what the Father doth yet it doth not appear that either the Father or the Son hath given the Spirit to every one that comes into the world Again thou saiest thou deniest those that say That light which every ono hath as he coms into the world is Conscience though some call it Christ falsly Jude 19. Answ Friend What wilt thou have it called Christ No. If not Conscience
Lamb of God that takes away the sins of the world by his blood on the Crosse who is now also at his Fathers right hand making intercession for all those that do come to the Father by him but they that are not for the truth will advance any thing but the truth And as for that which thou callest the second clause which is The Law sayest thou must be obeied I answer Christ Jesus hath done that in his own person and justified me thereby and for my part I will not labour now to fulfil the Law for justification least I should undervalue the merits of the man Christ Jesus and what he hath done without me and yet will I labour to fulfil if it were possible ten thousand Laws if there were so many and O! let it be out of love to my sweet Lord Jesus 2 Cor 5.14 for the love of Christ constrains me and thus much to thy 16 page In the next place Thou art offended with this because I say though Christ doth give a light to every one that coms into the world yet it doth not therefore follow that this conscience or light is the Spirit of Christ or the work of grace wrought in the heart of any beâ—iever This I shall pass also as having spoken to it already only mind thee of thy weakness in that thou shouldest mâ—ke this conscience that Christ hath given to every man to be the same with the Spirit of Christ And thou sayest further that the light that Christ hath lightened every one with is the same in narure with the Spirit of Christ O wonderful that a man should be so foolish and so much besides the truth as to compare that nature or conscience that is given to every man equall to the Spirit of Christ Nay thou sayest that it is one with it in nature Did'st thou not blush when thou laydest it down If thou did'st not thou mightest have done with shame enough As I said before because thy conscience will convince thee of sin therefore thou wilt call it Christ or as good as Christ What! because the Law will convince of sin therefore the Law must be called Christ What ignorance is this Nay nature it self that must have the preheminency even as high as Christ Jesus because it can tell a man that it is a shame for him to wear long hair Then thou askest me can there be a surer thing for the Creature to walk by than by the light of Christ which thou confessest every one hath that cometh into the world Answer Friend to the law and to the testimony sai h the Scriptures for they testify of Christ And if thou or any else shall leave the Scriptures to follow the convictions of their own conscience ye are not like to know Christ Jesus the Lord for they may be defiled And again it is through the promises laid down in the Scriptures that we may partake of the divine nature 2 Pet. 1.4 and not by our following of the law or conscience Gal. 3.1 2 3 4. But again where I say Heathens Turks Jews Atheists c. have that which doth convince of sin and yet are so far from having the Spirit of Christ in them that they delight to do iniquity and to serve their lust Upon this thou movest this Quaery Do they or I or any other serve sin and lust because Christ hath not given us light or because we hate this light Answ This I do really confefs that every Heathen Turk or Jew in this world hath a conscience within them that doth convince of sin for the Gentiles which have not the law that is not the law in tables of stone or written as we have these do by nature the things conteined in the law these having not the law are a law unto themselvs which shew the work of the law written in their hearts their consciences also bearing them witness c. And all men and women shall be left without excuse even by the convictions of their own consciences or the law But now that these things are the Spirit of Christ that I deny For conscience is but a creature a faculty of the soul of man which God hath made Neither is the law the Spirit of Châ—ist for the law is not of faith They that are of the works of the law are under the curse but they that have the Spirit of Christ they are the children of God and under grace and delivered from the curse as it is written Gal. 3. As many as are of the works of the law are under the curse But what is it to be of the works of the law or under the law Answ Why to seek to be justified by their obedience to the law Israel which followed after the law of righteousness Mark They that follow afâ—er righteousness do not attain to the law of righteousness if they seek it not by faith but as it were by the works of the law But Christ hath delivered uâ— from the curse of the law Rom. 9.30.31 being in our nature made a curse for us Gal. 3.10 11 12 13. But whereas thou sayest this conscience or law which you would fain have called the Spirit of Christ works in all men either to justifie or condemne I do plainly deny that either conscience or the law can justifie though they can condemne Mark the law is called the ministration of condemnation but not of life The Gospel is called the ministration of life but not of condemnation 2 Cor. 3.9 the law was given that sin might be discovered The Gospel was sent that sin might be taken away The law worketh wrath but the Gospel is a Gospel of peace Rom 10. The law makes nothing perfect Heb. 7.19 but Christ justifieth from all those things from which we could not be justified by the law of Moses Act. 13.39 And whereas thou askest me whether any thing doth convince of sin contrary to or besides the Spirit of Christ I answer there is conscience and the law yea and nature it self that doth convince of sin as before I have proved at large Yet neither is conscience the law or nature it self the Spirit of Christ no but are much inferiour to it as being things of no glory in respect of it And again that somthing doth convince of sin besides the Spirit of Christ it is evident for the law saith 2 Cor. 3.10 Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things that are written in it to do them But the Spirit convinceth men of their unbelief together with other sins Now mark the law also convinceth to work for life the Spirit convinceth to believe for life the law saith he that doth not fulfil me shal be damned The Spirit saith he that believeth in Christ shal be saved Now observe the terms of the law and of the Gospel are different one from another as to justification If men seek for life by the law then the law saith fulfil me perfectly
I also received How that Christ died for our sinns according to the Scriptures And that he was buried and that he rose again the third day according to Scripture and that he was seen of the brethren after his resurection c. The Word of the Gospel my friend is Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures and that he rose again according to the Scriptures And that he is ascended from his Disciples to prepare a place for them according to the Scripture That he ever liveth to make intercession in his own person without as Mediator beâ—ween God and man according to the Scripture Heb. 7.25 That he wil come again in the Clouds with all his mighty Angels 1 Thes 4.16 17 and before him shal all Nations be gathered according to the scriptures Mat. 25.31.32 after which time his Saints shall be ever with him according to the Scriptures Again thou art offended in that I said Now the poor soule finding this to be so that it is convinced of sin all in haste if it be willing to professe through ignorance of the Gospel Here my words are corrupted claps in with the motions of it 's owne conscience wich doth command to abstain from this evill to practice that good Which words of mine thou corruptest and wrestest and layest down in another form as are to be seen in thy book p. 18. But now friend is not he ignorant of the Gospel which thinks his own conscience will lead him to eternall life by commanding to abstain from this evill and practise that good Surely if salvation coms by our conscience or by the convictions or commands thereof Christ Jesus died for nothing Gal. 2. last ver And whereas thou askest what and how doth the light of the Gospel work if not in the conscience I answer though the light of the Spirit of God and the Gospel be in the hearts of the Elect of God yet the Gospel light is hid and doth not shine so much as unto much lesse into the consciences of some of them that be lost 2 Cor. 4.3.4 that though the light of the Gospel doth shine and that gloriously too in the hearts of Gods Elect yet it doth not follow that the convictions of Conscience is the Gospel no nor the convictions of the law neither And again though every one of Gods Elect have the light of the glorious Gospel shining in them what argument is this to prove all men have the light of rhe Gospel shining in them No saith Christ I thank thee O Father rhat thou hast hid these things the things of the Gospel from the wise and prudent and hast revealed them to babes And whereas thou sayest as I gather by thy words that I call conscienee the light of Christ I say if thou mean by these words the light of Christ the Spirit of Christ I do deny that every man hath it but if thou call conscience the light of Christ or the highest light that is in an unconverted man the light of Christ then I say that the highest light that is in a naturall or unconverted man which you call the light of Christ is not able by all its motions and convictions not yet by all the obedience that a man can yield to these convictions I say they are not able to deliver him from the wrath to come for deliverance from that is obteined by the blood of Jesus which was shed on the Cross without the gate of Jerusalem as I have often said Ephes 1.7 compared with Heb. 13.12 And not any light within a naturall man And whereas thou sayest that I sayd the Devill counterfeits the new birth by perswading to follow the light of the world I answer * bere is another of his false accusâ—tions of me thou hast most naughtily belied me The words that I said speaking of the Devil before are these Now he counterfeits the new birth said I by perswading them that it is wrought by following the light that they brought into the world with them as is clearly seen in my book page 76. Friend I wonder that you should so boldly profess your self to be led by the Spirit of Christ when you make it manifest that you are guided by the spirit of Satan Was not he a lyar and hast not thou been led by a lying spirit also in wresting of my words as thou hast done But I do freely declare again that Satan doth deceive those souls whom he perswads the new birth is wrought in by following the light they brought into the world with them for men as they come into the worid do not receive the Spirit for it is given the Elect afterwards neither have all men the Spirit And he that hath the new birth must have it by and through the Spirit as it is written except a man be born of Water and of the Spirit he cannot enter into the Kingdom of heaven Therefore if men do not bring the Spirit into the world with them and if nothing without the Spirit or nothing but the Spirit will or can work the new birth in a man It must needs follow that they who think the new birth is wrought by that light or conscience which they brought into the world with them must needs be beguiled by Satan I do pass by many of thy raging expressions which I might justly charge with much unrighteousness but I know the time is but short and then whatsoever thou hast done in secret shall be laid open upon the house tops therefore I forbear them Again thou art offended because I said now Satan makes the soul believe he is its friend and that he is a Gospel Minister 2 Cor. 11.14 and if the soul will be led by what shall be made known to it from the light or conscience within it shall not need to fear but it shall do well page 76. of my book I said it then and I say it now and I know that he that doth think to be born again by following his conscience or any other light that is in an unregenerate man wil be deceived and shal one day know that there is a difference between conscience and Christ between the light of nature and the Spirit of God But you may say how can you prove that conscience is not of the same nature of the Spirit of Christ Answ They that are unbelieving even their conscience is defiled Titus 1.15 But so cannot be the Spirit of Christ 2. Conscience is not of the same nature with the Spirit of Christ for conscience may be hardened or seared with an hot iron as it is written 1 Tim 4.3 But so cannot the Spirit of Christ 3. Our consciences naturally are evil having saith the Scripture our hearts sprinkled from an evill conscience Heb. 10.22 But so is not the Spirit of Christ But again whereas you said that I said they will not speak except the Spirit move them c. thou doest falsly speak of me
and again doest corrupt my words This is another of his false accusations of me for I said now they will not speak except their spirit move them I do not say the Spirit of Christ said I friend if you can be led to life by your own spirit if your own spirit will learn you the things of the Spirit of God and if you can speak them with and in your own spirit in that demonstration that they are spoken when they are spoken in the Spirit of Christ which all men have not then say that I speak false things but till that time hold your peace Thus I pass by thy 19. page leaving many of thy scolding terms to thy self The next thing thou sayest is that I did run but was not sent like unto my forefathers and therefore sayest thou I do not profit the people at all Another false accusation Answ Which accusation of thine I shall leave to be taken notice of by the people of God in the Countrey where I dwell who will testifie the contrary for me setting aside the carnall ministery with their retinue who are as mad against me as thy self But farther thou art somwhat distempered and discontented that I sayd Many sad and horrible doctrines are vented by you And you faid I named nothing Answ I need not thine own speech bewrayeth thee that thou art one of them that do such things and I need go no further then thy own mouth and doctrine But if it will be more satisfaction to tell you wherein they of your society do hold sad doctrine I shall First therefore your society do hold and affirm that that man which was hanged on the Crosse between two theevs called Jesus in his person is within you contrary to the Scripture Acts 1.11 Secondly you say that Christ is crucified within dead within risen and ascended within which also you have no word of Scripture to prove Thirdly your society affirm that the coming of the Spirit into the hearts of believers is Christ his second coming When the Scriptures do plainly hold forth that the coming of Christ in the Spirit was before his coming in the Flesh as in 1 Pet. 1.10 11. where the Apostle speaking of the Prophets inquiring into the great salvation which was afterwards to be accomplished saith Searching what or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signifie when it testified before hand the sufferings of Christ and the glory that should follow Mark here is the Spirit of Christ in the Prophets long before the first coming of Christ ln the Flesh which was when he was born of Mary the Virgin The Spâ—rit of Christ saith he did testifie before hand the suffering of Christ to the Prophets which were before Christ came in the Flesh as the Scriptures hold forth plentifully But again you deny the second coming of that very man with that very body which was born of the Virgin Mary and say his second coming ls not his coming again personally but his coming in the Spirit onely and that is all you look for when the Scripture saith That same Jesus who appeared to his Disciples after his Passion Acts 1.3 shall so come even as they did see him depart from them into heaven which was a very man as well as very God And will come again a very man as well as very God at the end of world For it is that man namely he that was crucified whom God raised again that must be the judge of quick and dead Acts 10.39 40 41. seriously compared Again you say that every man hath the Spirit of Christ which is a sad doctrine because contrary to the Scripture Jude 19. And you say there is that in every man which is as good as the Spirit of Christ which is a blasphemous doctrine Besides many other things which they of your own spirit have most sadly spoken which I shall not mention being so commonly known to the Saints of the Lord before whom you have openly without fear at least in shew spoken Which will doubtless belaid open â—o your sorrow and great amazement at the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ Then thou art offended because I said I wonder that the Lord doth not either cause the ground to open her mouth and swallow you up or else suffer the Devill to fetch you away to the astonishing of the whole world Certainly Coraâ—â— Dathan and Abiram did not so horribly transgress as you have done Yet his hand on them no question was as it were the astonishment of the world Therefore I may well wonder that you are not served so Onely this I consider it may be you have not yet filled up the measure of your wickednesse therefore is not the hand of God as yet upon you The next thing I take notice of is that thou findest fault with mine answer to this question But doth not the Scripture say that it is the Spirit of Christ that doth convince of sin Thou sayest it is a good question but I have confounded it in the answer and not answered plainly Wherefore I shall not at all stick at the pains to give the reader in brief some of the heads of the answer I then gave to it word for word or to the same purpose The answer was Yes the Spirit doth convince of sin but for the better understanding of this place I shall lay down this said I That there are two things spoken of in Scripture that do manifest or convince of sin First the law Rom. 3.20 For by the law is the knowledge of sin Secondly the Spirit of Christ doth also the same as it is written And when he is come he will convince the world of sin Joh. 16.7 8 9. Now say I somtimes the law it self by its own power doth manifest sin as in the case of Judas who was so far from having the Spirit of Christ that the Devill had very great possession of him Which things my adversary doth wrangle at yet dares not affirm the contrary only saith this he had the righteous law of God written in his heart which thing is not the Spirit of Christ The law is not of faith The law is not the comforter but rather a tormentor yet the Spirit of Christ is a comforter Again say I the Spirit of Christ doth take the law and doth effectually convince of sin c. Then I put forth another question saying But how should I know whether I am convinced by the law alone or whether the law be effectually set home by the Spirit To which I answer when the law doth convince by its own power it doth convince only of sins against the law as lying swearing stealing c. pronouncing an horrible curse against thee if thou fulfil it not and there leavs thee but gives thee no power to fulfil it compleatly and continually which thou must do if thou be saved thereby With which my adversary is much offended also
man who was laid in the manger hanged on the Crosse c. I say it sheweth that those who do not lay hold on what he hath done and suffered without them in his own body on the tree through the operation of his Spirit which he hath promised to give to them that ask him or else they have not yet been convinced of the sin of unbelief and so are still in a perishing condition notwithstanding their strict obedience to the light within them or to the law And now tell me you that desire to mingle the law and the Gospel together and to make of both one and the same Gospel of Christ Did you ever see your selvs undone and lost unlesse the righteousnesse blood death resurrection and intercession of that man Christ Jesus in his own person was imputed to you and untill you could by faith owne it as done for you and counted yours by imputation yea or no Nay rather have you not set up your consciences and the law and counted your obedience to them better and of more value than the obedience of the Son of Mary without you to be imputed to you and if so it is because you have not been savingly convinced by the Spirit of Christ of the sin of unbelief Other things thou doest quarrell against but seeing they are in effect the same with the former I pass them by and shall come to the next thing thou doest think to catch me withall and that is because I say that God only is the Saviour there is none besides him Therefore sayest thou how contrary is this to that in page 24. where I say how wickedly are they deluded who owne Christ no otherwise then as he was before the world began Now this is no contradiction as thou wouldest have it for though I say there is none but God our Saviour Yet I did also then in my book shew how he was our Saviour namely in that he came into the world being born of a Virgin made under the law that he might redeem them that were under the law by his obedience in that nature by suffering in that nature by his rising again in that nature and by carrying that nature into heaven with him as the Scriptures at large declare and therefore though I say God is our Saviour and none besides he yet they that owne him to be the Saviour no otherwise then as he was before the world began are such as deny that he is come in the flesh and so are of Antichrist 1 Joh. 2. For before God could actually be a Saviour he must partake of another nature then the divine even the nature of man Heb. 2.14.15 Again thou sayest it is a slander put upon the Quakers to say they slight the resurrection Answ What say you Do you believe the resurrection of the body after it is laid in the grave Do you believe that the Saints that have been this four or five thousand years in their graves shall rise and also the wicked each one with that very body wherein they acted in this world some to everlasting life and some to everlasting contempt Answer plainly and cleer your selvs but I know you dare not for you deny these things But if you speak doubtfully or covertly in answer thereunto I doubt not but God will help me to find you our and lay open your folly if I shall live till another cavill by you be put forth against the truth The next thing thou cavillest at is that Quaery raised from Eph. 4.10 and thou sayest I have not answered it You should have answered it better or else have confuted that answer I gave unto it and then you had done somthing but the great thing that troubles thee is because I say further in my book he that ascended from his Disciples was a very man For handle me and see saith Christ a Spirit hath not flesh and bones as you see me have Now let the adversary shew by the Scripture said I that there is in them any place called heaven which is able to contain a man of some four or five foot long or a competent man of flesh and bones for the space of fifteen or sixteen hundred years but that above the clouds which troubles thee so that it makes thy tongue run thou canst not tell how But know that when the Son of man shal come from heaven to judge the world in righteousness that which thou callest foolishness now thou wilt finde a truth then to thy own wrong if thou close not in with him who said handle me and see for a Spirit hath not flesh and bones as you see me have Luk. 24.38 39 40. Another thing that thou art troubled at is in that I do reckon the Quakers to be of the deluding party when alas all men that have eyes to see may easily discern that you are of that generation as will appear in part by your own expressions both now and also at other times But that you may take off the brand from your selvs you say that the false ptophets and Antichrist were in the Apostles days as though there should be no false prophets now when the very time we live in doth manifestly declare and hold forth that there are many who at this day seek to beguile unstable souls of which sort you are not the least though for ought I can learn as yet you are the last that are come into the world but that you may the better shift it from your selvs you say that in those days there was not a Quaker heard of namely in the days of John Friend thou hast rightly said there was not a Quaker heard of indeed though there were many Christians heard of then By this you your selvs do confess that you are a new upstart sect which was not at other times in the world though Christian Saints have been alwaies in the world Friend here like a man in the dark in seeking to keep thy self out of one ditch thou art fallen into another instead of proving your selvs no false prophets you prove your selvs no Christians saying there was not a Quaker heard of then But if Quakers had been Christians then they would have been heard of to the glory of God and his Christ Again to defend thy self thou throwest the dirt in my face saying If we should diligently trace thee we should find thee in their steps meaning false prophets through famed words through covetousness making marchandise of souls loving the wages of unrighteousness Friend doest thou speak this as from thy own knowledge Another of his false accusatons or did any other tell thee so However that spirit that led thee out of this way is a lying spirit For though I be poor and of no repute in the world as to outward things yet through grace I have learned by the example of the Apostle to preach the truth and also to work with my hands both for mine own living
things and doth expect that salvation should be obtained by something that worketh in them by working in them It is impossible that these though they may be touching the righteousnesse of the law blamelesse as Paul was while he was a persecutor Phil. 3. to be saved hereby Wherefore because they seek it not by the faith of Christ but as it were by the works of the law Rom. 9.30 31. And whereas you ask me what is that which worketh faith And where is it within or without I answer That which worketh saving faith is the holy Spirit of God which is renewed through the hearing of the Word preached by the Apostles or Ministers of Jesus Christ Now the Spirit when it doth work it entereth into the soul and as I said before doth enable the soul to believe and lay hold on the merits of the Son of Mary Jesus Christ For saith he when he is come he shall glorifie me for he shall take of mine and shew it unto you Joh. 16.14 3. Quaer Whether any be justified but he that is born of God And whether doth he that is born of God commit sin And is that within the Creature or without that worketh the new-birth Answ Justification may be taken two ways either in the fight of God or in the fight of the soul or creature My meaning is that all that are or shall be saved are justified in the sight and foreknowledge of God before the foundation of the world Ephes 1.4 According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the World c. Having predestinated us to the adoption of children by Jesus Christ unto himself And again Moreover whom he did predestinate them he also called and whom he called them he also justified and whom he justified them he also glorified Rom. 8.30 Mark all these things are spoken as being already done predestinated called justified glorified He doth not say they shall be but he hath done it that is in and according to the fore-ordination of God 2. Saints are said to be justified in their own sight or knowledge as when God doth make manifest to the soul what he had determined before should be done Be of good Cheer thy sins are forgiven thee This is justification in the sight of the creature And whereas you ask me do they that are born of God commit sin To this I answer They shall never commit the sin against the holy Ghost as is the meaning of that place 1 John 3.19 There is a sin unto death and there is a sin not unto death He that is born of God sinneth not but keepeth himself and that wicked one mark that wicked one the sin unto death toucheth him not But they that are born of God notwithstanding do daily sin as it is evident Jam. 3.2 In many things we offend all saith he I and you all of us And again If we say we have no sin we deceive our selvs and instead of having no sin the truth is not in us 1 Joh. 1.8 And who can say my heart is clean Eccle. 7.20 There is none righteous no not one And again There is not a just man upon earth that doth good and sinneth not And I am confident that while some would perswade others that they have no sin their own consciences tell them they lye and if it be not so in the rest it is because they are hardened and given to believe a lie As to the latter part of your Quaery I answer The new birth is wrought through hearing of the Word preached And yet not by conscience nor by the obedience to the Law or dictates of nature but by the Spirit coming into the soul and shewing its lost condition without the obedience of the Son of Mary the Son of God and his freeness and willingness to communicate or give himself and all his things unto it which being done the man is thereupon given up to God and is become a new creature I might spend much time in speaking to this but I forbear because of it self it is enough to fill up a small volumne 4. Quaer If Christ hath lightened all men as he is God as thou confessest then hath hee not lightened all men as he is the Son of God and is not the light of God sufficient in it self to lead to God all that follow it yea or nay Answ Christ as he is God doth lighten every man that coms into the world which light is conscience or otherwise nature it self which doth also convince of sin Joh. 8.9 Yet Christ as he is God doth not give unto every man that Spirit that doth lead to eternall life for all men have it not Jude 19. Secondly Christ as he was and is the Son of God before the world was being one in power and being with his Father hath lightened every one that coms into the world as aforesaid but hath not so neither given them his Spirit Some are sensuall c. 3. Christ as God-man or as he came into the world to die for those whom before as God he knew and loved I say he doth not in this way neither lighten every man with the saving light of life or give unto them his holy Spirit No they that have been and now are beleevers do know and can remember that all the time of their unregenerate state they were without Christ Eph. 2.12 So that here is no way or room for your doctrine take it how you will Christ hath not given to every one his Spirit 2. part of the Quaer Is not the light of God sufficient in it self to lead to God all that follow it yea or nay Answ First as I said before some are sensuall and have not the Spirit of Christ Secondly no man can come to God as a Father by adoption but by Jesus Christ then it must needs be that all men though they do follow that light which is given to every man it is not able to lead to God as a Father in the Lord Jesus Christ Yet this light that every man hath will shew a man there is a God and that this God is eternall and also will cleer out somthing of him to them by the things that are made But now if this light would lead to everlasting life then might the Devills also be delivered from everlasting damnation seeing they also do know God as a Creator and revenger of sin more perfectly then any natural man in the world though not as a Father by adoption But you say doth it not lead to God all that follow it Answ Not to be saved though to be condemned through the weakness and unprofitableness of that light or conscience or the law call it either and I cleer it thus Because if that light that every man receives were able by our following it to save us then Christ needed not to have suffered seeing all men had that light 2. If that light that every man hath which is
conscience were able to lead a man to justification by following it that promise was made in vain by Jesus the son of Mary when he said I will send you mark I will send you the Spirit and he shall lead you into all truth for they had a light before But it is evident that that was not sufficient because they must have another sent them by Jesus Christ and that must be the Spirit 5. Quaer Whether is not the same light in him that hates it as it is in him that loves it Joh. 3. If there be a difference in the light shew it wherein whether in the natuâ—e or otherwise Answ First that Scripture quoted in Joh 3. Light is come into the world c. is not meant of that light or conscience that every man hath but the man Christ Jesus is speaking there of himself as God-man come into tâ—e world born of the Virgin if thou compare ver 19 20 21. with ver 14 15 16 17 18. of the same Chapter it is clear for they all do speak of the same thing namely the son of Mary And again saith he I am the light of the world Now the man Christ though he was then in the world and walked up and down in the same yet he was not within any man in the world as man though he calls himself the light thereof though he was in some I say in some as God by his Spirit Now the light which was the man Christ was the very same whether loved by some or hated by others but if you conclude every man hath Christ or that light spoken of there Joh. 3. within him That I deny having proved the contrary But secondly Whether is there a difference in the light Answ First there are more lights than one there is a light that may be suspected to be darknesse where he saith If the light that is in thee be darknesse c. Again there is the light of the Law Prov. 6.23 Again conscience also will convince of sin Now there is none of these that can save a sinner from the evil of his waies Take the best of them which is the righteous law of God that cannot For had there been a Law given which might have given life then verily righteousness had come by the Law But if you conclude that righteousnesse or everlasting life cometh by the Law you must conclude this again that Christ did die in vain Gal. 2.21 So then these things being not able to save the soul the next thing is the Son of God the son of righteousnesse arising with healing under his wings he is also a light and indeed the saving light far surpassing all the other mentioned Now though Christ doth not differ in himself yet there is a difference in the power of these lights the law Christ the one not being able to save the other being able And again there is also a difference in the nature of them the one being a condemning light the other a saving light It is Moses that accuseth you saith Christ even Moses in whom yee trust But do not think saith Christ that I will accuse you to the Father No saith he it is Moses or the Law given by him But again where Christ speaks for himself as a Saviour he saith God sent not his Son into the world to condemne the world but that the world through him might be saved Joh. 3.17 so that I say First that light spoken of Joh. 3. which is the man Christ is not in every man that coms into the world Secondly that the man Christ or the light spoken of there is not against himself Thirdly there is the light of the Law conscience and nature it self which are in all men which things are altogether insufficient to save a man from death by his seeking of justification thereby Again there is Jesus Christ he is the Saviour but not in all men And again neither is the man Christ Jesus the condemning light 6. Quaer Whether is it possible that any can be saved without Christ manifested within If no then whether is not the doctâ—ine of salvation wbich is only necessary to preach Christ within and is it not the whole mystery of salvation God manifest in the flesh Answ There can none be saved but they that have the Spirit of Christ given unto them But it is not the Spirit of Christ given to the Elect that doth work out the salvation of their souls within them for that was obteined by the blood of the man Christ Jesus on the Crosse Hebrews 9.12 compared with Heb. 13.12 Again every one that is or shall be saved must and shall have the Spirit of Christ within them yet doth it not follow that to preach Christ onely within is the onely doctrine of salvation For then also the preaching of the blood of Christ shed on the Crosse as I said before must be of none effect But he that doth preach the doctrine of salvation aright must first begin to preach that doctrine that Paul preached in 1 Cor. 15.1 2 3 4. For I delivered unto you saith he first of all how that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures and that he was buried and that he rose again according to the Scriptures Now Christ or the Spirit of Christ is received by such preaching as this is as is clear from that Scripture Act. 10.38 to 44. where Peter speaking of the word that was published throughout all Judea How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth or which dwelt at Nazareth with the holy Ghost and with power who went about doing good and healing all that were oppressed of the Devill for God was with him And we are witnesses of all those things which he did both in the land of the Jews and in Jerusalem saith Peter whom they slew and hanged on a tree Him God raised up the third day and shewed him openly not unto all the people but unto witnesses chosen before of God Even to us who did eat and drink with him after his resurrection from the dead And he commanded us to preach to the people and to testifie that it is he which was ordained of God to be the Judge of quick and dead And is that all No. But to him give all the prophets witnesse to him even Jesus of Nazareth whom the Jews crucified on the tree that through his name whosoever beleeveth in him shall receive remission or forgiveness of sins Now mark And while Peter yet spake these words the holy Ghost fell on all them that heard the Word While Peter spake these words that by Jesus of Nazareth forgivenesse of sins was preached to them that believe in his name the holy Ghost fell on all them that heard the word Namely which Peter spake this is the way in which the Spirit is given Namely by preaching a crucified Christ But now no man can be saved without Christ or the Spirit of Christ be given to him because
do indeed enjoy the light of life And whereas thou ask'st is not he a deeeiver that exhorts people to any thing else than the light of Christ Answ He that telleth any man that the ministration of condemnation will save him which is the law he is a lier and a deceiver but he that exhorts people to lay hold on what the man Christ Jesus hath done in his own person for sinners and presseth souls to venture upon that for salvation preacheth the truth Thirdly Christ hath given to every one the law and conscience within him yet these are not able to save him but let him follow the righteousnesse of the the law never so much yet if he be not directed of God to flie to Jesus the Son of Mary and to what he hath done in his own person for them he shall never be saved Act. 4. verse 12. Friend thus have I with all plainnesse of speech answered thy Quaeries and I fear not at all but I have spoken the truth as it is in Jesus And as for committing them to the judgment of others as thou wouldest have me set others say what they will I am sure I have spoken the truth of God and I make no question but at the second coming of my Lord Jesus from heaven to judge the world these things I shall not be ashamed of Neither am I now but am ready if God shall give me life to speak the same things to any man face to face and I desire thee and all even as many as shall read or hear this Treatise to consider and look to themselvs least they sin against God so much in their life time by rejecting these truths that it shall never be forgiven them to all eternity though they repent them of their rejecting the same There is one thing more to which I shall speak a few words and that is to a few words written at the end of thy book which is called the postscript wherein is severall charges against my self and som others which I shall speak somewhat to The first is agaist John Burton thuâ— John Burton said in a discours with some friends that Christ had two bodies and one of them is out of the sight of the Saints Answ My Brother Burton being absent I shall answer for him concerning the charge laid against him And therefore that Christ who is and was before the world began God equal with his Father did in the fulnesse of time take upon him a bodie from the Virgin Mary which was so prepared by God his Father it is evident in Scripture and in it after he had lived a while in the world he did hang on the Crosse was taken down thence again and laid in Josephs sepulchre was raised again and ascended away from his Disciples therewith into glory Act. 1.3 9 10 11. Again he hath another bodie and that is his Church Eph. 1. ver the last Now that he is out of the sight of his Saints in one of the bodies namely that which did hang on the Crosse it is also evident 1 Tim. 6. where Paul speaking of that very Jesus who did bear a faithful witnesse before Pontius Pilate saith in ver 16. Who onely hath immoâ—tality dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto whom no man hath seen nor can see That is not with their mortal eâ—es in that glory as yet If you say still notwithstanding this that Christ as he was before the world began hath but one body and that to be his Church I ask you what that was that was taken down from the Crosse and laid into Josephs sepulchre Luk. 23.52.53 The second charge is â—gainst my self and is this John Bunyan said Christ second coming is not his coming in Spirit for his coming in Spirit is no coming This is a false thing spoken of me The former part of the words namely Christs second coming is not his coming in Spirit those I owne But the other namely * For his coming in spirit is no coming is a lie made of me by the Author Edward Borrough The former words were spoken at a meeting in Bedford some Quakers being present contradicting and blaspheming And now they could not be content with that but they must make up all with a lie and publish it in print Quaker there and I had some discourse concerning Christ's second coming and he would affirm that his coming in Spirit was his second coming spoken of in Scripture Then I asked him which was his first coming He answered when he was born of rhe Virgin and took flesh upon him from her Then said I I shall easily prove that his coming in the Spirit is not his second coming for I will prove that his coming in the Spirit was before that which the Scripture and you also do call his first coming and proved it by that plain Scripture where Peter speaking of the Prophets saitb searching what or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them the Prophets did signifie when it testified before hand of the suffering of Christ and the glory that should follow 1 Pet. 1.10 11. and 3 18 19. where speaking of Christ's being put to death in the flâ—sh but quickned in the Spiâ—it By which Spirit he preached to the spi its now in pâ—ison but when was this only when once the long suffering of God waited in the days of Noah ver 20. Which was long before the first coming of Christ so called in Scripture for that was as I said when he took a body from the Virgin Mary But secondly it seems cleerly by these words that you do look for no other coming but his coming in Spirit O! how suddenly and unexpected of you will the Son of man break down from heaven with all his mighty Angels in flaming fire and call you together with all Nations to judgment And though now peradventure you are ready to slight the personall appearing of the Lord Jesus Christ that man to judgment only looking for a judgment within yet you will I am certain very suddainly be made to pass under another judgment which will be more exceeding great then any judgment you shall have here and more terrible As for the latter part of the charge which is a very lie though I shal not trouble my self to lay it to your charge you have so manifestly declared your selvs already what you are Yet I beseech you that hereafter you would not be so ready to receive lies from others and publish them to the view of the world least you appear to all men as you do to some to be such as are of an accusing lying spirit But farther That Christ's coming in the Spirit is not his second coming it is evident partly in that the coming of Christ in Spirit was before that called in Scripture his first coming Secondly he that comes the second time is he that came the first time Now he that came the first time
justification for them when it is evident from the whole current of Scripture that the Son of Mary was delivered to be crucified for our offences and his Resurrection through faith in it is our justification as all along through grace I have declared and cleared And the work that the Spirit doth in point of justification is to shew us what the Son of Mary hath done and suffered in his own body on the tree and is now doing in the presence of his Father in the highest heaven Jude 19. Eph. 2.12 And to help us to apply this to our souls by faith now for a preservative against these and the like delusions observe First as I said before All have not the Spirit of Christ 2. That the law with all our obedience to it is not able to save or justifie any poor soul Rom. 3.20 For by the works of the law shall no flesh living be justified though it gives the knowledge of sin 3. That there is none other way to be justified in the sight of God but by laying hold of what the Son of Mary Jesus did do and suffer in his own person when he was in the world For it is by him and what he hath done in his own person by himself Heb. 1.2 that any man is justified from his sins and the wrath of God due to the same by believing that his blood was shed for their sins as it is written By his stripes we are healed Isa 53.5 as if their own blood had been shed for their own sins and that his righteousnesse is theirs by imputation as if they themselvs had actually fulfilled all the law of God for their own justification Rom. 10.4 The second thing is who are they that are carried away with this delusion and why Answ First not one of God's elect whom he foreknew shall be utterly destroied thereby I do not say they shall not be led away for a time but they shall not be utterly destroied for they are kept by the mighty power of God through faith unto salvation But they are such as are not indeed the elect of God not chosen in Christ before the world began Though Hymeneus Philetus fall away and overthrow the faith of some yet the foundation of God stands sure having this seal The Lord knoweth them that are his 2 Tim. 2. ver 18 19. Secondly they are such as in time past for the generality of them were either but light frothie professors or else were shaken in their principles and unstable therein as saith the Scriptures They that are deceivers do beguile unstable souls Or if they were such as were in appearance sober and serious in the account of others it was either from those convictions they had from the Law or else from high notions they had of the Gospel which have both such influence at som time on the foul though not savingly that the soul will go very far in obedience to them as for example Herod who was an enemie to the truth yet for a time had such heart-workings being convinced by the preaching of John the Baptist that he feared him and observed him and when hee heard him he did many things and heard him gladly Mark 6. ver 20. Now the reason why such people are carried away with such heresies as these or the like is First that as they were not of the elect of God so God by suffering them to be carried away finally may make it appear that they were not of his elect They went out from us but they were not of us for if they had been of us they would no doubt have continued with us But they went out from us that it might be made manifest or that men might see that they were not all of us 1 Joh. 2.9 2. Because God will not have his Church so disturbed alwaies with such as are not of the truth Now there are some men that have their time to walk with the Church of God by permission and these men are ever and anon ready to broach their errours even while they are among the Saints to their trouble Now God having a care of his Church hath a time to suffer the Divel to run through the world with some erroneous doctrine or other which when these men taste being spirited before hand for that purpose do presently close in with the same to the purifying of the Church and the manifestation of hemselvs And thus every branch which the Lord 's right hand hath not plantd shall and must have a time to be rooted up Mat. 15.13 3. Because others that are of the right graffing in may notwithstanding not resume but fear least they also fall through the same example of others who re already fallen or may fall hereafter Heb. 4.1 2 11. 4. Because others may see that it is not by their own strength that they do stand but fâ—eely by the grace of God and his power and love towards them in the Lord Jesus Christ God hath chosen som before the foundation of the world Now to manifest this though they are even as bad as the worst by natuâ—e yet I say because God will shew his power and his love he doth preserve some to eternal life though others fall into eternal damnation Of all that thou hast given me saith Christ have I lost none but the son of perdition that the Scripture might be fulfilled Joh. 17.12 Many other reasons might bee given why these things must and shall be but I rather chuse to forbear Onely thus much I have spoken because I know it is my duty to speak a few words unto you that you may either close in with the truth or else the more clearly be left without excuse at the great day The third and last thing is the way that Satan takes to make those delusions take place in the soul Now the way whereby he makes these or any other delusions to take place in the soul is first to perswade the soul that they are the truth and secondly to to stir up in the soul an enmitie to any thing or person that shall declare the contrary First they are given over to believe a lie that is To believe false doctrine to be the doctrine of God and of Christ And that he might bring this to passe he goeth about to change the names of things and because the Law Conscience and Nature it self can convince of sin therefore he calleth them Christ or the light of Christ Saying to a natural man one that is not yet converted Minde the light wihin you If they ask what light say they That which doth convince of sin If they farther ask Why what is that They say It is the light of Christ the light of life or Christ within Now these things are nothing else but conscience nature or the law for a naturall man hath nothing else that dwelleth within him to convince him of sin onely these things have a new name put upon them
And poor Creatures heating the name Christ being ignorant of the nature of Christ do presently close in with these things supposing nay verily beleeving that these are the Spirit of Christ Which things being thus received if at any time one come and oppose them and tell them that it is an errour that they have taken up to think that that which is in an unregenerate man is the Spirit of Christ and contrarywise telleth them plainly that it is but their own conscience that doth convince them or the law written in their hearts by nature Nay say they it is the light of Christ in the conscience when there is no Scripture hath any such manner of expâ—essions onely a fancy of their own taken up without ground from the Word But the soul being possessed with this doctrine presently its heart riseth against any thing that doth contradict it and is filled with a secret enmity against it Now the way that Satan takes to bring this about is to perswade poor souls that all these thoughs that do any wise contradict the Principles received is but a temptation of the Devill And if at any time there be the doctrine of Jesus held forth in truth his death buriall resurrection ascension and intercession now without in the presence of his Father for sinners and that there is salvation no where else but in the merits of the first born of Mary which is Jesus Christ without the works of the Law Rom. 3.28 Presently with envie they are enraged and cry Doest thou not know that every man hath a measure of tbe Spirit given to him Follow that listen to that turn thy mind to that and walk in the light of that When alas there is no such thing as the Spirit of Christ in every man as I said and proved before at large onely the Devill hath gotten this way to call conscience Christ the law Christ and hereby to intangle the soul with the name of a thing without the thing it self But now the soul is set down in its principles and he that doth any way confute that Spirit presently it falls a raging and cries out Seâ—pent Liâ—r Wolfe Dragon Devill be silent with thy serpentine wisdom and smoak of the bottomlesse pit Now in this the Devill is wonderfull cunning for least he should indeed be discovered he doth set the face hard against the truth and counteth it such a deadly enemy that he will not cannot bear it but le ts flye against it all the hellish words and madnesse he can And now he begins first to cry avoyd Satan All which is onely to harden him in whom he doth dwell more and more against the truth Now he doth also harden souls in delusions by presenting the ugly and base conversations of a company of covetous wretches who do professe themselvs to be the Ministers of the Gospel but are not now poor creatures being shaking and doubtfull what way to take seeing the conversation of these men to be wicked and the doctrine of these deluders coâ—ered with a seeming holinesse they presently embrace it saying surely these men are in the right way they cry down the Priests whose lives we also see to be profane they are very strict in their ways and if such be nor good men who are But yet that which is most taking is through the corruption and pride that is naturally in the heart of man these men propose such a way to salvation as is in the compasse of a mans owe abilitie even works of righteousnesse done by him which is very agreeable to mans natâ—re which would willingly be saved but would not be altogether beholden to God for it and these works not being wrought by the Priests or Nationall Ministers but by the other though in opposition to the righteousnesse of Christ the Messias God-man poor souls not onely suck in these erroneous principles but are hardened in them against the doctrine of God and his Son Jesus Christ by their ungodly conversation and thus dishonour the Son of God But come brethren let us be patient stablish our hearts wait but a while and I doubt not but you will see that those who dishonour our Jesus shall soon be brought down both Ranters Quakers Pâ—iests and people also that shall continue in opposing him either in doctrine or practise for our God hath said Ah! I will ease me of my adversaries Now a few words more to those who do beleeve in Christ aright and lay him for their foundation First blesse God that you are not carried away with the delusions that are on foot in this generation Secondly see that you are laborers after a more experimentall knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ flye more to his birth death blood resurrection ascension and intercession and fetch refreshing for your souls more and more from him without through the operation of his Spirit within and though the fruits of the Spirit be excellent and to be owned where they are found Yet haue a care you take not away the glory of the blood of Christ shed on the Crosse without the gates of Jerusalem and give it them which you will do if you do content your selvs and satisfie your consciences with this that you finde the fruits of the Spirit within you and do not go for peace and consolation of conscience to the blood of Jesus shed on the Crosse Therefore learn of the Saints or rather of the Spirit Revel 5. who teacheth to sing this song Thou art worthy to take the book and to open the seales thereof for thou wast slain and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood And as for you that cannot yet well indure to think you should be justified by the blood of the Son of Mary shed on the Crosse without the gate I say to you Kiss the Son least he be angry and you perish from the way when his wrath is kindled but a little blessed are all they tbat put their trust in him Psal 2.12 FINIS Some Questions put forth to them commonly called Quakers for to answer whether in London or elswhere Be alwaies ready to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you 1 Pet. 3.15 And I beseech you do it in sincerity 1. IF thou saiest that every man hath a measure of the Spirit of Jesus Christ within him Why say the Scriptures Some are sensual having not the Spirit Jude 19. And when Christ tells his Disciples of sending them the Spirit he also saith The world cannot receive it Joh. 14.17 2. What is the Church of God redeemed by from the curse of the Law Is it by something done within them or by something that is done without them or by something that worketh in them Gal. 3.3 Act. 13.38 1 Pet 2.24 Col. 1.20 c. If thou Answer It is redeemed from the curse of the law by something that worketh in them then I ask Why did the man Christ Jesus