him And Coll. 3.11 Having spoken of them that had put on the new Man as before saith where there is neither Jew nor Greek c. but Christ is all and in all As the Apostle saith 1 Cor. 1 30. He was made of God unto them Wisdom Righteousness Sanctification and Redemption So here was the true Imputation or gift of God thus given or made theirs and so imputed and so they did witness his power to work in them as the Apostle saith Ephes 3. and 20. and in the same Chapter you may see how he desired with bowed Knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ that he would grant them according to the Riches of his glory to be strengthned with might by his Spirit in the inward Man and likewise in his Epistle to Titus 3.5 Having spoken of the Love of God to Mankind not by works of Righteousness which we have done but according to his Mercy he saved us by the washing of Regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost So here still the Apostle hath regard to the Doctrine of Christ and maintains Regeneration through the renewings of the Holy Ghost so they were washed thereby and born thereof To this agrees another Testimony of his 1 Cor. 6.11 Having told them that the unrighteous shall not inherit the Kingdom of God and having reckoned up to them the wickedness that the Gentiles were given to saith And such were some of you but ye are Washed but ye are Sanctified but ye are Justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God. And what saith James Barry was not Righteousness here wrought in them was there none inherent when this work of Sanctification and washing was wrought by the Spirit or were they saved and justifyed while they were in those gross Evils beforementioned if so let us know what manner of Salvation it was for the Apostle saith None such shall inherit the Kingdom of God and the same Apostle saith Phil. 2.12 13. Work out your own Salvation with fear and trembling for it is God that worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure Now it is evident that though they preached Remission of Sins past in the name of Jesus to those that did believe and so through Faith their Sins came to be blotted out yet without this washing of Regeneration and work of the Spirit to renew them that they might be born again as Christ had said they could not enter into the Kingdom of Heaven and therefore you may see how the Christians witnessed the new Birth and how the Apostles laboured for it yet this neither was by them then nor is by us now accounted Man's work alone But was the work of Christ in them by his Spirit and that was the reason why the Apostle came under such a Travel as in Gall. 4 19. where he saith my little Children of whom I travel in Birth again until Christ be formed in you Here the Apostle was concern'd lest they should be lost and he had bestowed upon them Labour in Vain as verse 11. Seeing they were going out into the Observations which was unprofitable and therefore in Chap. 5.16 Saith this I say then walk in the Spirit and ye shall not fullfil the Lusts of the Flesh So you may see it was the Spirit the Saints were to walk in and thereby was the overcoming of the Flesh with its Lusts As the Apostle in Rom. 8 doth at large testifie and tells us plainly vers 9. that if any man hath not the Spirit of Christ he is none of his And verse 14. saith as many as are led by the Spirit of God they are the Sons of God. But James Barry with some of his Hearers denyed Revelation and accounted it an Errour in us to own it and therefore it cannot be expected that they should walk in it who denies it or that they should be adopted by it or Sealed by it And therefore let James Barry in his Answer make out how they came to be Christians or Children of God and whether they are Christs and how they came to be so and whether they own Regeneration necessary to Salvation yea or nay and whether this eternal Salvation he saith Sinners are saved by without any mixture of inherent Righteousness do fit man for the Kingdom of God yea or nay And whether any man can reap benefit by the active and passive Righteousness of Christ without except he have a true Faith and whether any Man can have a true Faith without the word of Faith and whether this word of Faith be not in the Heart c. yea or nay and whether true Faith be not an effect of this word in the Heart yea or nay According to Rom. 10. And this is not the speech of the Law but of the Righteousness of Faith as in verse 6th and 7th thou need not say who shall ascend into Heaven to fetch Christ down or who shall descend into the deep to bring him again from the dead c. verse the 8th the word is nigh in the Heart and Mouth This is the Word of Faith which we Preach and is this word there in the Heart and doth it beget Faith in Christ and concerning his Righteousness and yet no Righteousness within for James Barry will have no mixture it must be a Faith without Righteousness or else a Justification and Salvation without Faith so let him send forth his Arguments to prove us grand Hereticks according to his Promise and then it may be seen what we have further to say in the Vindication of our Principles which if he do not let it rest upon him as such a one and let Errour and Heresie lye at his door The next Error that he chargeth upon us as he lays it down in his own terms is that we do own Perfection in Sanctification as to degrees in this Life Answer We having said so much before tending to prove this no Errour in our so owning of it need now say little more especially seeing we never heard it accounted an Errour before till now by him and do question whether any will be now of his mind the Apostle as is shewed before said to the Saints they were washed and they were sanctified and again he speaks of their being saved by the washing of Regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost and Jude vers 1. writes unto such as were sanctified by God the Father and preserved in Jesus Christ Was this Washing and Sanctification which was by God the Father and by his Spirit and in the name of Jesus Christ altogether without Perfection that it is by James Barry accounted an Error to hold Perfection of Sanctification in any degree What! is the Works of God and his Spirit in Christ so imperfect that it admits of no degree of Perfection in them then how should the Saints perfect Holiness in the fear of God according to the Exhortation given by the Apostle 2 Cor.
settle them in which is opposite to Gods Free Grace which brings Salvation James Barry also with some of his Hearers did account it an Errour in the Quakers to own immediate Revelation and said they did disown it Now seeing it is so that the immediate Spirit of Christ and its immediate Revelation is denyed by him we demand of him how he came to be a Minister and whence he hath his Ability and that Knowledge of God he pretendeth to have and from whom he hath received his Gospel that he Preacheth its evident enough not from Christ for indeed it is not like his nor him who would have gathered the Children of Jerusalem as a Hen her Chickens but they would not therefore were they rejected because they would not be gathered the Apostle saith 2 Cor. 3.6 they were made able Ministers of the new Testament not of the Letter but of the Spirit and verse 5. saith their sufficiency was of God and Gal. 1.11 12. the Gospel which Paul preached it was not after Man for he neither received it of Man neither was taught it but by the Revelation of Jesus Christ Eph. 3. he declares that he was made a Minister according to the gift of the grace of God given unto him by the effectual working of his Power and Peter saith 1 Pet. 4.11 If any man speak let him speak as the Oracles of God if any man Minister let him do it as of the ability which God giveth that God in all things may be glorified c. Now how is this ability received from God if not by his Spirit and therefore he gave different Gifts of the Spirit for the work of the Ministry and by that they were opened and inlarged and made able But James Barry denying this from whom hath he his Call and whence hath he his Gospel and Ability If he saith from God We desire to know how he received it being not by the Spirit he having denyed that and if it be not by the Spirit it cannot be from God For what a Man receives of Spiritual benefit it must be by the Spirit either immediately or mediately by its working through an Instrument Therefore let him make out how he comes by his Call Ability and that necessity he pretends to be upon him for the Divine Spirit being denyed it must be from Man or else from his own corrupt Heart for Self-interest Which is most probable that he might get Gain and live upon the People For it is evident his necessity is not the same that was upon the Apostle 1 Cor. 9.16 he owns not his way of receiving it nor doth follow his Example in preaching it And to his Hearers this advice we give Consider well your State and whether you profit under his Ministry or no For of old they that ran and the Lord did not send them did not profit the People for he denying Revelation by which the Father and the Son is savingly known No other Knowledge is come to without it but by Hear-say which is not that Knowledge Christ speaks of which is Life Eternal and for your satisfaction read the following Scriptures Mat. 11.27 Christ saith Neither knoweth any Man the Father but the Son and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal him So Christ is positive that no Man knows God but by his Revelation Matt. 16.17 Christ saith it was the Father that revealed him unto Peter and Gall. 1.15.16 There you may see the Father revealed his Son in Paul 1 Cor. 2.10 The Apostle speaking of the great things God had prepared for them that love him saith God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit and in Eph. 1.17 you may see how the Apostle prayed for the Saints that God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ the Father of Glory would give unto them the Spirit of Wisdom and Revelation in the Knowledge of the Son and 1 Cor. 14.30 he saith if any thing be revealed to another that sits by let the first hold his Peace Here you may see that from the Testimony of the Holy Scripture which your Minister said should be the Standard to try every thing by that in the true Church Revelation was expected and to be given way to in the Church and by the Apostle was prayed for that God would give the Spirit and Revelation unto the Church for he knew they could not Worship Pray Preach nor Sing aright without it And what Is this accounted an Error now by your Minister or you Where is your Standard Will you not come to the Scriptures nor to the Spirit neither Where is your bottom and Foundation that you Build upon What 's your Root that bears you You have got a foolish Builder he will not follow the example of Paul a wise Master-Builder 1 Cor. 14.15 Paul said he would pray with the spirit c. and sing with the spirit c. Eph. 5.18 there the Apostle exhorts them to be filled with the spirit and Rom. 8.26 he saith they knew not what to pray for as they ought but the Spirit helped their Infirmities c. and Christ in the 4th of John saith that God is a Spirit and they that Worship him must Worship him in Spirit and Truth and such doth the Father seek to Worship him Now let your Minister clear these things up to you How in your Church or Families either He and you denying Revelation can Worship aright Preach Pray or Sing aright and by what you have Ability and know what to pray for without the Spirits help What are you so strong of your selves in your Self Ability that you do not need that which the Apostles and all true Christians sought the help of and could not do without Nay it was that by which they knew what to Pray for and therefore they waited for its assistance and Paul said he would pray with it You may make long Prayers like the Pharisees but what will it avail it being done without that in which the Saints had access to God. So here your Praying and Worship and Seperation or Gathering being without the Spirit What can it be but from self and in self and so like them spoken of in Jude 19. These be they who seperate themselves sensual not having the Spirit And we desire you to read the 8th Chapter to the Romans and consider what you are to walk after as Christians and to be led by and to live after and with what you are to mortifie the Flesh or the deeds of the Flesh if you own a Mortification needful to Salvation and whether you can be Christs and not have his Spirit and whether you can be the Sons of God and not be led by his Spirit and whether you are Children but by Adoption and if by Adoption whether this Adoption is not by the Spirit And whether it was not the Spirit it self that bore witness with the Saints Spirits that they were the Children of God as verse the 16. And then consider what
and enter into Heaven we leave for thee to prove and make good from the Scriptures of Truth being our selves satisfied in believing what the Apostle saith 1 Cor. 15.36 37. when he answers the Fools Question saying that which thou sowest is not quickned except it dye And that which thou sowest thou sowest not that Body that shall be c. and further saith vers 44. It is sown a Natural Body it is raised a Spiritual Body c. and in the same chap. saith further vers 50. Now this I say Brethren that Flesh and Blood cannot inherit the Kingdom of God neither doth Corruption inherit Incorruption Thus we laid it down and looking upon James Barry's asserting that it must be the Fleshly Body which must die and see Corruption for these are his words we did believe he contradicted the Apostle in so saying and also Christ himself who said that the Children of the Resurrection were equal unto the Angels c. Luke 20.36 and therefore did we offer to dispute with him in the vindication of our Faith as to this Principle The second Errour he charged upon us was That the Quakers deny that Men are justified and saved by the alone Righteousness of Jesus Christ imputed without the Concurrence of inherent Righteousness And in another Paper condemns us of Errour for believing that the active and passive Righteousness of Jesus Christ is not the only Righteousness as imputed to us by God without any mixture of Righteousness inherent in us by the which Sinners must be justified and eternally saved We answered That we do own Righteousness to be imputed of God and Gods Imputation thereof to be a Blessing and Happiness unto man but do not believe that Sinners shall be justified and saved by the Imputation only of the active and passive Righteousnes of Christ without us without any Righteousness wrought in us by the Spirit of Grace which comes by Jesus Christ Let all people that are of understanding hearts seriously consider this which he calls an Errour and charges upon the Quakers for such an Errour as that he will prove us grand Hereticks herein c. for allowing any mixture of Righteousness inherent in us that is cleaving to or abiding in One might think he had never read the Scriptures thus to exclude the work of Grace in the heart Did not the Apostle say Eph. 2.5 By Grace ye are saved and vers 8. again By Grace ye are saved through Faith not of your selves it is the Gift of God. And was not this Grace a Spiritual Gift and was it not to be in their hearts did not the Apostle say Let the Word of God dwell richly in you And were they not to sing with Grace in the heart Coll. 3.16 and was not Christ in them the Hope of Glory chap. 1.27 and did not Christ say Joh. 3.3 Except a man be born again or from above he cannot see the Kingdom of God. And vers 5. Except a man be born of Water and of the Spirit he cannot enter into the Kingdom of God For that which is born of the Flesh is Flesh and that which is born of the Spirit is Spirit as v. 6. From all which it is evident that none can enter the Kingdom of God without this Regeneration and being born again And how can this New Birth be without the work of the Spirit of Christ in the heart and how can this work of Regeneration be wrought and no inherent Righteousness or how can it be that a man may be born of the Spirit or from above and have no Righteousness abiding in him and without this work of Regeneration and new Birth you see Christ saith he cannot enter the Kingdom of Heaven This being rightly understood let James Barry tell us what manner of Justification and Salvation that is which he means that is without any mixture of Righteousness wrought in a man by the Spirit of Grace or abiding in him for he saith By the alone Righteousness active and passive of Christ imputed without any mixture of Righteousness inherent must Sinners be justified and eternally saved But it is evident from Christs Words that by this eternal Salvation of James Barry's a man cannot enter the Kingdom of God for they are not prepared for it Behold Christ saith John â—5 I am the Vine ye are the Branches abide in me and I in you and vers 5. he that abideth in me and I in him the same bringeth forth much fruit without me ye can do nothing Now can it be possible that any should be in Christ and Christ in them and yet no Righteousness inherent that is â—â—icking to or abiding in them and yet they as branches bearing fruit and if they do not bear Fruit they are to be taken away then not saved and justified if they be taken away and if they bear Fruit Christ is in them and they in him Then if it be so Righteousness is inherent both by sticking to and abiding in So let James Barry make out how any can be in Christ and Christ in them and no Righteousness inherent or otherwise how any can be fruitful and consequently justified and saved and Christ not in them and they in him seeing Christ saith it cannot be and vers 6. you may see the end of all that abides not in Christ as withered branches cut off they are gathered for the fire So that they that abide not in Christ bear no Fruit and are neither justified nor saved agreeing with the very Parable Christ speaks Matth. 9.17 Neither do men put New Wine into Old Bottles else the Bottles break and the Wine runneth out and the Bottles perish c. which plainly demonstrates there must be an inward work of renewing for it is not the Old that must enter therefore the Apostle saith 2 Cor. 5.17 If any man be in Christ he is a new Creature and in 1 Cor. 5.7 the Apostle exhorts them to purge out the old Leaven that they might be a new Lump c. and in Gal. 6.15 the Apostle having spoken before of the effects of the Cross of Christ tells them that in Christ Jesus neither Circumcision nor Vncircumcision availeth any thing but a new Creature So that we may see the Apostle who believed his Masters Doctrine pressed to have it answered by witnessing the old man put off which was corrupt according to the deceitful Lusts and to be renewed in the Spirit of their minds c. Ephes 4.22 23. and in Coll. 3.9.10 There you may see that the Apostle tells them they had put off the old man with his Deeds and had put on the new which was renewed in Knowledge after the Image of him who had created him and was not this new Man Christ or at least the bringings forth of his Power in them for the Apostle saith Rom. 13.14 But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ c. and Coll. 2.6 As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord so walk ye in
your Evidence is or whether ye have any or no You considering these things weightily will certainly find your selves at a loss while ye are denying the Spirits discovery or Revelation whatever James Barry may tell you of your being in a State of Grace And therefore ought all people to be turned unto the Spirit and Light of Christ Jesus in their hearts and if your Minister do not direct and turn you thereunto he is no Minister of Christ nor will ever bring you to Christ your Saviour and then how can you be saved and if he turn you to the Light and Spirit of Christ then he must own the Revelation thereof in the Church or else he denies Christ in his Offices to teach his people who is both King Priest and Prophet in his Church and if he turn people to the Light then he must not preach against it but if this be not a part of his Message that God is Light and Christ is spiritually the Light of the World and so a part of his work to turn to this Light he is no Minister of Christ and for your Satisfaction read these Scriptures Paul a true Minister Acts 26.18 speaking of Gods sending him to the Gentles said it was to open their blind eyes and to turn them from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God. And 1 John 1.5 he said their Message which they had heard of him and declared was that God is Light So then they that turn people to the Light turn them to God and Christ as is further evident from Christs own words Joh. 8.12 Then spake Jesus again unto them saying I am the Light of the world he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness but shall have the Light of Life And John the Baptists Testimony concerning him who was the eternal Word by whom all things was made was that he was the true Light which lighteth every man that cometh into the world Joh. 1.9 and Christ commanded to believe in the Light Joh. 12.36 saying While ye have Light believe in the Light that ye may be Children of the Light c. So people is both to be turned to the Light and to believe in the Light and to walk in it or else whatever be professed people can be but Children of darkness and such as know not whither they go and in Isa 42.6 and Isa 49.6 you may see how God promised that he would give Christ for a Light c. so that they that deny and slight the Light deny Christ Gods Light and Salvation and Eph. 5.13 the Apostle saith that all things that are reproved are made manifest by the Light for whatsoever doth make manifest is Light so that you may see what need people have to mind the Light or else they must be ignorant of their states and also of the Glory of God for in the Light is the Knowledge of Gods Glory received as may be seen in 2 Cor. 4.6 and also you may see where this Light is to shine For God who commanded Light to shine out of Darkness hath shined in our hearts to give the Light of the Knowlege of the Glory of God in the Face of Jesus Christ Much might be said in the vindication of this Testimony for the true Light wherewith Christ hath lighted every man but this may suffice to all that will believe the Scriptures and accordingly turn their minds to the true Light of Christ that he may give them a right understanding to know him that is true according to 1 John 5.20 Seeing James Barry in his last Paper seems to accuse us as if we would bring Texts of Scripture neither understood nor rightly applied Therefore when he sends forth his Answer upon the back of our Vindication according to his promise let him give his Applications upon the forecited Scriptures which are quoted for the Proof of our Principles and as an Evidence against his and so let him prove us grand Hereticks as he said he would or otherwise let him leave off his boasting and cease from belying and abusing of us as formerly he hath done Written in vindication of the Truth our selves and the rest of our traduc'd Friends Dublin the 20th of the first Month 1687 / 8. John Burnyeat Amos Strettell POSTSCRIPT JAmes Barry's Answer to two Letters sent him by Anthony Sharp which by way of Postscript was in his last Paper to us in the following words viz. I do acknowledge my self indebted to your Scribe viz. Anthony Sharp in two most exquisite and polite Letters the which I hope to answer when I have little else to do So begging hit Worships Patience may bear a little longer with my slowness in this business I bid him Farewell J. B. For Answer Anthony Sharp being abused and belyed in perticular as well as we and our Principles in general when James Barry finds leasure to answer his Letters we shall leave Anthony Sharp to reply who doubtless therein will further manifest both him and his folly without either such delays or using such vain and scornful flouts improper to have come from the Pen of a Christian much less a pretended Minister Memorandum If any be desirous to see the several Papers that have past betwixt James Barry and us the Originals may be seen with Amos Strettell at the Band and Hood in Back-Lane and true Copies thereof with Thomas Ashton at the Three Kidds and Gloves in Cavan-Street Dublin THE END