oppose with might and main and this I found to be the principal Subject of his Treatise because of which I considered the great ignorance of this man that would appear upon such a subject in such great opposition against it whenas no one Truth is more full and clear throughout the whole Scriptures then this Doctrine of the Light within both in the old Testament and the new as first of all Deut. 30.11 12 14. where Moses the servant of God did preach to aâ—l Israel in general boâ—h good and bad the word that was nigh them in their hearts and be exhorted them to bear that word that was within them and to do it and this word was in every one of them to which Moses did exhort them to hear it and obey it and thus its manifest that Moses was a Preacher of the word of God and his light within men Again Jer. 31. God promised to make a new Covenant with the House of Israel I will put my Law in their inward parts and write it in their hearts and they shall know Me saith the Lord from the least of them to the greatest and they shall need no more every man to teach his Neighbour but the Law in their inward parts and his Spirit within them should teach them And thus it is plain the Prophet Jeremiah was sent with a Message of God to Preach the Promise to wit the Spirit of God put in the inward parts and his Law written in their Hearts and thus was he a Preacher of the Light and Law of God within men And David said Thy Law is within my Heart Psal. 49. Again Luke 17.20 21. When they asked Jesus Christ concerning the Kingdom of Heaven he said The Kingdome of Heaven is within you and in divers other places his Parrables signified That the loast Groat was within and that the Pearl was within and that the Seed of the Kingdom of God was sown in their Hearts Mat. 13.19 and Rom. 10.18 By all which and many other places it is an evident truth that Jesus Christ and the Apostle Paul were Preachers of the Kingdom of Heaven within men and of the Seed of the Kingdom which was sown in their Hearts and of the Word of God within in the Heart and so it may be said Christ was a Preacher of Light within for he told them of his Word abiding within them John 5.38 and they had not the love of God in them 42. vers John 14.20 And Christ said I am in my Father and you in me and I in you and if my words abide in you ye shall ask what ye will and thus it is as clear as the Sun at noon day that Christ was a Preacher of the Spirit and of the Light and of the Word and of the love of God within men Again the Apostles preached the same 2 Cor. 13. Chap. and the fifth Jesus Christ is in you saith the Apostle except you be reprobates and Phil. 2.13 It is God that works in you said the Apostle and Col. 3.16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you and 1 John 2.14 And the word of God abideth in you and verse 24. Let that abide in you which you have heard from the beginning and Ephesians 3.20 according to the power that works in us and 2 Tim 1 14. The Holy Ghost which dwells in us and 1 John 4.12 God dwelleth in us and his love is perfected in us and thus throughout the whole current of Scripture I might bring multitudes of proofs the Apostles were Ministers and Preachers of the Light within the word of God within the Love of God within the Holy Ghost within Christ within yea and God within the Saints yea if this will not serve to prove that it is the Ministry of Christ Jesus to preach the light and word of God within men I should yet bring many more proofs out of the Scriptures to manifest that Christ and his Apostles preached the Light within men not onely in the Saints but in unbelievers take one Scripture more 2 Cor. 4.6 The Light hath shined in our hearts to give us the Light of the Knowledge of the Glory of God and thus it is clearly proved out of the Scriptures against J. W. that the Prophets Christ and the Apostles were Preachers of the Light and Truth and Spirit within And when I considered at large this same subject of his whole discourse it appeared somewhat strange to me that any reasonable man should draw up such a Subject to make a whole Book of opposition against it like as it he had never read Scriptures seeing he had thus stated his matter intendedly against us called Quakers thinking by steering such a course be should confute us in some errours whenas it s fully manifest that he hath steered his course in direct opposition to the Scriptures and the Truth therein contained and therefore we may conclude of his ignorance and errour who hath thus justified the Truth of our Principles and Doctrines while he hath thought to oppose them and confute them as errours and so overthrown himself 3 I considered concerning returning an Answer to his Book and I found it meet that it should be answered for the end to clear the way of Truth from his false and foul aspersions which were made up by whole groces in his Book and also least he should glory and vaunt himself in his solly as if none were able to answer him nor to detect him of falshood though I was not hasty in falling aboard upon him and that for divers reasons First because my occasions were then very many and weighty and that of far greater moment to be prosecuted then to leave them for answering of him 2. Because I saw no great occasion of present hast to fall upon him and to detect his unworthy work for as to my own particular I could have let his Book have passed without an Answer and all his Lyes and Calumnies and Falshoods passed without hurt to our particulars for we are satisfied in the Truth of our way thousands of us blessed be God notwithstanding all mens opposition 3. Because I would not willingly and hastily have given our publick enemies occasion to mock and scorn at us while they beheld us as it were tearing one another and contending one against another to the weakning of our selves and strengthning of them nor should I but upon this occasion have appeared publick in this manner against any suffering people for it hath ever been my quality to comfort the afflicted and sufferers rather then to adde affliction to them but upon this occasion I am forced to with-stand the insolency of Io. Wright to reprove his lyes and slanders and that publickly to the view of the world and it could not well be avoided so upon these reasons with some others the Book lay by me divers weeks till at last I have taken it under hand for I have heard a report of some boasting amongst J.W. his
the flesh is it then improper to say the seed which is Christ came in the flesh and was in that person that was born of the Virgin Mary seeing that as he was so manifest in the flesh he was the true Christ without any of J. W. his blind distinctions who after he hath granted that the spirit of holinesse in that person is the Son of God by eternal Generation he saith that the humane nature also of that person is the Son of God by temporal Generation and yet there are not two Christs but one c. Did you ever hear such Doctrines as these which are all one as if he had said that the Spirit of Holinesse and humane nature are both one or that Divine and humane are both one when as they are two distinct things that which is humane is of the earth as the first man was as Humane is of Homo which comes of Humus the ground of which man was made as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i.e. Humanus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Terra aut Humus but that which is Divine is from above as Christ is who is Lord from Heaven Now though this Christ in time took part of that which the Children had viz. flesh and bloud Heb. 2.14 yet we never read that Humane nature is Christ nor that the flesh and bloud is Christ by temporal generation for to assert that is all one as to say that Christ who is Lord from Heaven took upon him Christ in time but Christ in the flesh we read of and own neither do we read in the Scripture that the soul of Christ is a humane soul for is not his Soul divine and immortal What is humane and immortal both one Or hath he two Souls in one body or person of such differing kinds And if the humane nature be Christ and all mankind be of the same substance with Christ according to that nature as J. W. saith page 116. Then it followes that the humane or earthly nature of all mankind is Christ and then they that would know Christ and be saved by him they must own their earthly or humane nature to be Christ or the Son of God and look to be saved by it did ever the Apostles preach such a Christ as this they that cannot see J. W. his ignorance of Christ his nature soul and spirit they are in grosse darknesse Now though we deny J. W. his unscripture-like and blind distinction from which it follows that either there must be two Christs in one person or else that humane and divine are both one which no ingenuous person will own and though we deny his vainly imagining a humane or carnal Christ like himself yet still we own the true Christ according to the Scriptures who according to the flesh was of the seed of Abraham and David and according to the Spirit is declared to be the Son of God with power by the Resurrection and that he was the word which was made flesh and dwelt in the Disciples John 1.14 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and his death as concerning the flesh and his Resurrection and Ascension according to the Scriptures of Truth we own and that he is Glorified with the Father in the same glory which he had with the Father before the world began and as in that state his nature body soul and spirit are spiritual divine and immortal at the right hand of power for as he had power to appear in the transfiguration and after his Resurrection to appear in divers forms and amongst the Disciples when the doors were shut John 20. so now he being glorified with the Father in that his transcendent glory he is in a further state then in the dayes of the flesh when his body was subject to hunger cold or other sufferings upon earth and he is not to be supposed to be like unto corruptible man or a Christ of the same substance with sinful polluted men though he be the same Christ still the same to day yesterday and for ever not divided and is the same that descended into the lower parts of the earth who is ascended far above all Heavens that he might fill all things with his fulnesse who hath said that no man hath ascended up to Heaven but the Son of man which came down from Heaven which is in Heaven John 3.13 Eph. 4.9 10. Psal. 68.18 J. VV. saith p. 27. what do they lesse then say I am Christ which say I speak to the Light in thy Conscience which shall eternally witnesse me what mean they by this word me which they say is eternally to be witnessed is there any thing that is eternally to be witnessed but the eternal God and his Son Jesus Christ Answ. If J W. did not know what we mean that is to be eternally witnessed as appears he did not then he should not have judged us with directing people unto our selves or with saying we are Christ therein he hath judged us falsly for that which is eternally to be witnessed is Christ who speaketh in us Mat. 10.20 2 Cor. 2.17 4 5. 13.3 who may speak in his own name and such as would stop his mouth from speaking where he is manifest are of Antichrist And also J. W. his accusing us with not confessing that Iesus Christ is come in the flesh and with onely saying he is come into our flesh c. These are as false as the rest of his slanders against us and therein hath he contradicted himself for before he accused us for saying that Christ is the seed spirit or Light in that man which was born of Mary what then do not we confesse Christ come in the flesh and must we deny Christ come in our flesh Then seeing that Christ come in the flesh is a general word not onely including that body which he took upon him in the womb of the Virgin but also the flesh of all his people who are members of his body of his flesh and of his bone Eph. 5.13 And the following of the Light within thereby to attain unto Righteousnesse doth not at all render the death of Christ in vain as J. W. imagines for the Saints in walking in the Light knew the bloud of Christ to cleanse them from all sin and purified their souls in obeying the Truth through the Spirit 1 Pet. 1.22 1 John 1.7 And this was not any making of the death of Christ in vain but by the Light or Spirit of Christ a witnessing the end fulfilled in them for which Christ suffered that they might live unto him and how should any hear Christ in all things Deut. 18.15 Acts 3.22 as J. W. saith unlesse they follow the Light of Christ within for wch preaching J. W. in his rage hath called us men of Belial p. 30. so what grosse ignorance and confusion is he in And as for Christs saying if the Light that is in thee be darknesse how great is that darknesse Mat. 6.23 This hath relation to that
believers being conformed to the Image of the Son of God that he might be the first-born among many Brethren as in Rom. 8.29 which thou puttest afar off as to be attained but at the Resurrection of their bodies from the graves which thou tells of and then thou blindly sayest Christ will give himself unto it viz. unto his Church and make it like glorious with his own glorified humane nature and then the Church shall resemble her head c. Herein hast thou perverted both that Scripture of Rom. 8.29 30. and that of Eph. 5.25 26.27 for the Apostle does not put that cleansed and glorious state of the Church wherein they were made conformable to the Image of Christ afar off till after death as thou hast done for the Saints were come unto the Church of the first-born and knew Christ born in them as he is the first-born in many Brethren 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and who he justified them also he glorified Rom. 8.30 and Christ gave himself for his Church that he might sanctifie and cleanse it and present it to himself not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing but that it should be holy and without blemish Eph. 5. Now doth not the Church resemble her head when she is brought into that state of purity for which Christ gave himself which refers to the time past it s not said there that he will give himself as in the future Tense so to cleanse his Church at the Resurrection of the bodies out of the graves as thy words imply who also to prove that the Believers partaking of the Divine Nature in this Life is but in part bringest Rom. 7.25 With my mind I serve the Law of God but with my flesh the Law of sin wherein thou hast implyed that the Apostle was not freed from serving the Law of sin while he was in this Life what a sad life wouldst thou make Paul to live and so like the deceivers and blind guides hast put freedom from sin afar off till after death that the bodies shall be raised out of the graves and when that shall be thou knowest not when as the Apostle passed thorow the warfare and attained to the victory over sin and the Law of the spirit of life in Christ did make him free from the law of sin and death which sometime had ruled in his members and he could say before his decease I have fought the good fight c. though several times he condescended to several states or conditions below his own as he did to the Romans and others and became as weak to the weak and as one under the Law to them that were under the Law c. And thou sayest p. 139. That humane nature by personal conjunction with the Divine Nature being become so spiritual that it may be truly said The last Adam that is the created substance in Christs person is now made into a quickening spirit c To which we say how then is all mankind of the same substance with Christ as thou said before what are they all quickening Spirits or is the Humane Nature of all man-kind a quickening Spirit Canst thou not distinguish betwixt that which is Humane or from the earth and a quickening Spirit What gross absurdity hast thou herein implyed And what a vast difference wouldest thou make betwixt Christ and his Nature now when he is in a glorified states further then in the dayes of his flesh as if he were become a quickening Spirit which is divine but there is a nature in him that is Humane so the Nature of the quickening spirit is of the earth according to thy words as the first Adam was and so thou canst not distiguish betwixt the first Adam and the second though the first Adam and his Humane Nature is of the Earth but the second and his Nature and Image is Divine and Heavenly according to himself who is Lord from Heaven whose state is glorified spiritual and immortal wherein that which was mortal which in time he took upon him is swallowed up of life and immortality and he as Glorified with the Father before the world began made higher then the Angels though they be ministring Spirits And whereas thou J. W. countest it Blasphemous and of Antichrist to think that any part of man Spirit Soul or Body is of the Divine Eternal and uncreated Substance c. To that we say Is not that wherein the Soul hath its immortality of the Eternal Life or Substance else whence had the Soul its Life and Immortality and what is it in it self For shall not the Soul if saved from the power of sin be eternally in the feeling and enjoyment of the Love of God And if not so saved shall it not Eternally be under a sence of his Anger And was not man made in the Image of God and had the Breath of Life from God in him whereby his Soul lived Was not that Image and Life Immortal And whereas thou seemest to admit of a Perfection that Believers may attain unto and yet sayes that the perfection of God and of the Divine Nature of Christ is of a different Nature from the perfection of man c. This is as blind a business as thy former denying the Divine Nature to be in any but Christ for there is no true perfection of Holiness that the believers attain to but what they have in God and Christ according to his Divine Nature in which they pertake of in him who hath exhorted the Saints to be Perfect as their Heavenly Father is Perfect that they might be Holy in all manner of conversation so that thy sinful Doctrines which are for sin the tearm of Life do tend to make the commands and Work of Christ of none effect CHAP. III. Concerning the Resurrection and J. W. his silly reasoning and vain conceits about it ANd as concerning the Resurrection from the dead we do not say that the Resurrection is past with us as J. W. in page 63. doth falsly accuse us for we are in him who is the Resurrection the Life and by whom comes the Resurrection from the dead John 11.25 1 Cor. 15.21 and we are against those that in saying the Resurrection is past have gone about to destroy or do overthrow the Faith of some 2 Tim. 2.18 for through Faith many are in the way to attain to the Resurrection of the just and so according to the Scriptures we do own a Resurrection both of the just and unjust and that some shall come forth to the Resurrection of Life wch they that abide in the Faith until death shall attain to and others to the Resurrection of Condemnation which is their portion who believe not in Christ who is the Resurrection and the Life wherein the Righteous shall shine as the Stars for ever and ever but the wicked shall rise to shame and contempt Dan. 12.2 3. And why does J. W. count it absurd as in pages 54 55. that the
THE Son of Perdition REVEALED By the brightness and light of the Son of God in his Saints And the Preachers of his Light within and their Doctrines Principles concerning the mysteries of God the weighty things of Salvation Vindicated and Cleared from the Reproacheâ— Slanders Calumnies cast upon them by the spirit of Satan and Antichrist which hath largely appeared in one Joseph Wright who esteems himself one appointed by the Flock of Christ for a Defence of the Truth of the Gospel as is apparent in his Book intituled A Testimony for the Son of man and against the Son of perdition c. which he hath given forth against them that preach the Light within But herein his Pride Insolency and Impudency are Reproved and his bundle of Errors Blasphemies Confusions and Slanders in his book against the Light and the Children of it Discovered And the eternal Truth in its own clearnesse touching many weighty Principles of the True Religion made manifest for the satisfaction of the people and of all that are doubtful By the Light of the Son of God in his Servants Geo. Whitehead Edw. Burroughs LONDON Printed for Thomas Simmons at the sign of the Bull and Mouth near Aldersgate 1661. A Table of the Chief Heads of the following Discourse 1 COncerning the Light within Christs coming in the flesh and dying for all men 2 Concerning the Nature and State of Christ of the soul of man and of the Saints partaking of the Divine Nature 3 Concerning the Resurrection from the dead 4 Concerning that Light in the Consciences of people which the Preachers of the Light within appeal to and the subject of their Exhortations by which men are converted and edified 5 Concerning Ordinances 6 Concerning Quaking and Trembling 7 Concerning the sufficiency of the Light and the Annointing within to teach all that do believe 8 Concerning meeting together and silent waiting upon the Lord with somewhat about Back-sliders and the spirit that acts them 9 Concerning Humility and Vnity 10 Concerning destroying the Whore discovering secrets and sufferings c. 11 Concerning the Word of God and the Scriptures and the Word and the Writings truly distinguished 12 Concerning the Infallible Teacher and that it is the Spirit of God that gave forth the Scriptures and not the Scriptures The Epistle to the Reader FOR as much as it hath pleased the God of Truth and Righteousness most gloriously to appear in these last dayes in the hearts of his people according to his promises of old who hath said That he would exalt his Mountain upon the top of all Mountains and his House should be established and his Kingdome should be set up spiritually in the Hearts of the Children of men and he hath promised to dwell in men and to walk in them and write his Law in their Hearts and put his Spirit within them and they should be his People and he would be their God and he alone would be their Teacher and Comforter and his Day-star should arise in their Hearts and the Light of his Glorious Gospel should shine in their Consciences These things hath the Lord promised and he is a fulfilling of them in these our dayes in and amongst his People Blessed be his Name for ever for he hath opened the eyes of the blind and caused them to see and Light is risen out of obscurity and darkness is passing away and the Light of the Day even of the Day of God is approached nigh unto his People and Life and Immortality hath he brought to Light in his People by the Light of his Glorious Gospel which shines in their Hearts and they are become the Temple of the Holy One and his Habitation is with them and his Promises are fulfilled and fulfilling abundantly this Day our Eyes have seen our Ears have heard and we have tasted of the VVord of Life which is revealed in us and these things we cannot but bear witness of and testifie concerning them unto all the world that they may partake with us of that heavenly virtue and be satisfied therewith for evermore through faith in Christ Jesus and receiving of him to dwell in them that they may not be reprobates for all in whom Christ is not are reprobates as it is written in the Scriptures of Truth But notwithstanding though the Lord hath promised these things and is now fulfilling of them amongst us to his Glory and Honour yet that adversary the Devil and Satan doth not cease to make opposition against this good work of the Lord if it were possible to prevent and stop the purpose of the Almighty in his proceedings of fulfilling his promises unto his people and it is not unknown through these parts of the world how many and divers kinds of oppositions the Devil hath made through his Children against the VVork of God What woful Persecution of these late rears hath been brought forth upon the Innocent people in whom the Lord is fulfilling his Promises What cruelty exercised What reproaches and slanders uttered And what obstructions and oppositions hath been made of these late years against an Innocent people t is hard to be exprest every City and Town and Country must bear witness of that cruel Persecution and hard dealing that hath been exercised upon the Innocent people and for no other end but for Truth and Righteousnesse fake and from no other cause but from the enmity of the seed of Wickednesse in the ungodly world for the end to oppose and stop the work of the Lord and these things are so God and Angels and Saints do bear witnesse And also the opposition hath been great against the work of the Lord not onely by outward open opposition and persecution through prophane and cruel men but also by the Professors of Religion of our age even of such as have cryed the Temple of the Lord the Temple of the Lord are we and such as have professed Ordinances Churches and Fellowships and that have thought themselves to be men of Wisdome and Conscience even such as these have lift up their hands against the Lords Work and have consulted and imagined mischief against the Lords interprize for as the prophane World have persecuted by cruel reproaches and abuses Imprisonments and unjust dealing as aforesaid so also have the professors and wise men of this Generation Preached and Prayed and written Books and published their principal Reasons and Arguments against the Way of the Lord and all this in the opposition to the Work of the Lord an evidence hereof is manifested by Joseph Wright in his Testimony for the Son of Man so called in which Book he hath fully opposed and gain sayed the Truth of the Gospel and the People bearing witness thereunto amongst whom the Work of the Lord is blessed and prosperous yet hath he partly out of Ignorance and partly out of malice set himself in opposition against the work of the Lord and against his Truth and people as aforesaid And his
charges against us hath he dealt deceitfully like him who is the Father of lyes and lyars who when he speaketh a lye he speaketh of himself and not as a rational man and in very many things he hath absolutely wronged our Principles and Practises and charged as apparent falshoods upon us as ever was as hereafter is made manifest to the shame of him that was the Authour of the said lying Book called A Testimony for the Son of man c. and the shame of all such false Spirits as own him in his work We see that God hath appeared in Judgement against you and your way and a line of confusion is come over you since that so many of you especially of your Leaders have set themselves in their envy and malice against us who are in the Power of Truth what do you think that spreading your railing and false Books against us will gain you favour from the prophane world and be any means to rescue you from persecution or suffering under the powers of the earth Do you think to save your selves by reviling the Innocent as some of the Leaders in your way have gotten themselves out of Prison by swearing contrary to Christs Doctrine after they have been imprisoned for denying to swear when so many of our friends were in prisons for refusing to swear for Conscience sake to Christ And not onely so but several of them who have long been reputed eminent in your way have like Men-pleasers written to vindicate swearing and oaths as treacherous men both to God to their own Consciences and to his Innocent and Conscientious people such as you have reviled and bespattered with reproaches in the Book here answered who would be loath to be so treacherous to God and their own Consciences as many in your way have been whatever we suffer either from you or from the persecuters in the same envious spirit which is among you And yet this know that we had not publisht this against any of you had we not had that great occasion given us by this piece of wicked work which Joseph Wright your Defender hath brought forth wherein we who preach the Light of Christ within are not onely slandered and bespattered with his lyes and calumnies as men but also the Truth of God which we are in and suffer for is blasphemed belyed and perverted even in the sight of our enemies in vindication whereof we were necessitated to give this forth and to deal thus plainly with your Principles which are published by your pretended Defender otherwise we could have been silent as from medling with you in this kind for it is no pleasure to us to bestow so much labour upon such a heap of confusion and absurdities as I. VV. his work is nor to upbraid you with your confusion and weaknesse in what you professe especially since you are as in a suffering state and like to suffer as we are if you be true to your Principles and conscientious towards God in what you know or professe but you may see the urgent occasion given against us and the Truth for what we do in this thing And though I.VV. does not name the word Quakers by name yet it is all one as if he had done it whilst he so often in general words upbraids such as preach the Light within for we called Quakers are known to be the people he all along so peevishly smites against seeing that we are known so generally to own and preach the Light within as the Saints of old did and in that Light of Christ in us we see Light and therein are as a City set upon a Hill which cannot be hid and are in that Truth and Life which will out-live our opposers and persecuters and do know that power manifest in us which out-shines all the dead and empty forms professions and traditions of all who are out of the life and power of godlinesse and in that hath the Lord given us strength and the spirit of understanding to see beyond and to stand over our opposers and the envy and subtilty of the Serpent in such as rise up in Judgment against us Glory to our God for ever and ever And now we come to some of the heads of Joseph Wrights matter in charge against such as preach the Law and Light within CHAP. I. Concerning the Light within and Christs coming in the flesh and dying for all men J.W. his first charge is in these words viz. The first thing I lay to thy charge whosoever thou art that preachest up the Light within men requiring all People to mind the light which is within them is this That thou dost deny that Christ which dyed at Jerusalem and denyest Jesus Christ come in the flesh and thy spirit is the spirit of Antichrist c. And the first proof for his charge is in these words viz. 1. Because in all thy preaching teaching and declaring thou never makes mention of Christs dying for the sins of the world nor that he tasted death for every man thou art altogether silent in this Doctrine of Christs dying for man in the body of his flesh c. And his second proof is in these words viz. 2. Because as is thy word of mouth even so is thy writings for amongst them all and in them all there is not one line which teacheth that Christ did dye for the sins of the world and freely laid down his life as a ransome for sinners c. Answer As his charge is universal against all that preach up the light within it is both false and slanderous as also all his proofs for it so that he might as well have said that the light of Christ in all men and the Doctrine of Christ which directs to it doth deny Christ and his coming in the flesh when as on the contrary all who truly own and believe in the light of Christ-in them by it they come to be led to the knowledge of Christ from whence it comes and to the power of his death and the vertue of his life which none can truly know but as they are led by the light of Christ within which giveth the Knowledge of the Glory of God and of those things that are freely given to us of God and Christ said believe in the 〈…〉 t that you may be children of the light John 12.36 Did Christ herein deny himself or his coming in the flesh as falsly J. VV. accuseth all that preach the light within and in that we are included in his proofs as never mentioning Christs tasting death for every man either in our Preaching or writings in this he hath notoriously belyed us as thousands may witness against him who have heard us both Preach up and contend for the free Grace of God to all men and thereby that Christ tasted death for every man and dyed for all men and gave him self a ransom for all to be testified of in due time Heb. 2.9 1 Tim. 2.6
2 Cor. 5.14 1 John 2.2 Which also as a testimony against J. W. in many of our Books vindicate the free Grace of God in Christ to all men and his dying for all as in a Book Intituled The Voice of Wisdom by G. W. page 12. and at large in a Book Intituled Rusticus ad Accademicos by S. F. in both which Priest Danson is answered and his pleading against Christs death for all men and his free Grace to all confuted as also in a Book called A brief Discovery by G.W. as in many more Books of ours the free Grace of God to all and Christs dying for all men is declared Also J. W. his third Proof for his said charge against all that Preach the light within is as false as his former where he laies down these words to wit Thou dost not gather men and women into Communion with Christ by Faith teaching them to believe in Jesus Christ c. Which thing he himself who hath openly opposed the light of Christ in all and counted the Doctrine of it a stratagem of Satan is guilty of and not we that own the light for it is the light that brings into communion with God and his Son Jesus Christ for they that say they have fellowship with him and walk in Darkness they lye and do not the truth but they that walk in the Light are in the true fellowship and faith and know the Blood of Christ to cleanse them from all sin Also J. VV. his charging us with gathering by works and not by Faith in warning all people to look to the light within and such as receive this Doctrine with being as ignorant as heathens and absolute infidels in this hath he slandered us and shewed himself to be an Infidel who sees not the light within 〈◊〉 owns it for the Infidels were such as in whom the God of the World did blind their minds from seeing the light of the Glorious Gospel which shineth in the heart and giveth the knowledge of the Glory of God to them that believe in it and so works without Faith we deny but the works that are wrought in the Faith and in the light we own and though J. W. hath so much warned people from looking to the light within as that which must bring them to reconciliation and justification yet in pages 124. and 125. he hath contradicted his matter against the light within for there he speaks of being set free and justified by performing the condition of the second Covenant as Repentance Faith and Gospel Obedience which those that have sined may perform through the assistance of Gods Spirit c. as also he saith so far forth as Persons come to be in Covenant with Christ and are enabled by him to walk according to his direction so far are these said to have Christ formed in them that is to be brought into a blessed destate of freedom from the guilt of sin of freedom from the power and dominion of sin of assurance of redemption from the first death and of deliverance from the second and so by Christ to be Intituled to Eternal Life c. Now how should those who have sinned perform the condition of the second Covenant through the assistance of Gods Spirit or come into the True Faith and Gospel obedience and to know Christ formed in them unless that Gods Spirit or Light be known or owned within and if those that have sinned may come to this state of Faith and Obedience and freedom from the guilt and power of sin by the Spirit of God then a measure of this Spirit or light is given to all men without exception seeing that the sinners themselves are not exempted from it according to J. W. his own words and thus hath he grosly confounded himself in his own while rayling against the Preaching up of the light within and another while confessing to the Spirit of God or light even in the wicked J. W. his fourth Charge is thus viz. Thou which Preachest that all men should mind the light which is within them dost deny the Christ of God which dyed at Jerusalem because thou hast said to me when I have made as large a confession of Christ as I now have done that I am ignorant of Christ c. Answer What a silly Reason is this against those that Preach that all should mind the light within as if he had said that because he has made a large confession of Christ therefore he is not ignorant of him when as the Devil who favours not the things of God hath been made to confesse Christ and many do confess Christ in words as largly as J. W. and yet are ignorant of him and of the Power of his death and Sufferings as J. W. is whilest he shews him self an enemy to the Light of Christ which we own and we do not deny either the coming of Christ or his suffering in the flesh as we are falsly accused by this reviler neither do we deny Christs reconciling of the world nor teach any thing contrary to that of Rom. 5.10 2 Cor. 5.19 as J. W. hath implicitely accused us for we know and Preach reconciliation through Christs death and Salvation through his life whose life is the light of men and this is not any establishing of our own Righteousnesse as falsly we are accused neither are we strangers unto the Doctrine of Justification by the Grace of God through the redemption that is in Christ whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood but how are any justified by the Grace of God whilst they deny the light within for is not the light of Christ within the free gift of his Grace which hath appeared to all men and which by his Righteousness hath come upon all men Rom. 5.18 Titus 2.11 Which Righteousness is received where the light of Christ within is obeyed and he thereby made known to be a propitiation through Faith in his blood and we who are come to own this in the true Faith are come to self-denyal and to deny self-righteousness contrary to J. W. his false accusations against us who Preach the light within Who also saith in his twelfth page But self must be denyed and self righteousness which is of the Law yea when men have done all whatsoever they are commanded they are to say with humble hearts they have done but what was their duty c. Answer What an Ignoramus is this man who puts no difference betwixt Self-righteousness which is to be denyed and the doing whatsoever we are commanded which is our duty as if he had said in denying self-righteousness you must deny your duty or that self-righteousness is mens duty when as that which brings men to do their duty to God in obeying his commands is of God and though man as in the Servants state may abase and humble himself yet that Principle of Faith which brings him to do his duty is to be esteemed
state where the eye is evil where that is supposed to be the Light which is darknesse upon which their supposition who were in that state Christ spake these words for the Light of Christ is the same that ever it was and in it self is unchangeable though in some it shine in darknesse and the darknesse comprehends it not And as for those that spoke not according to the word of whom it s said it is because there is no Light in them Isa. 8.20 which J. W. also alledges They were such as walked in darknesse unto whom there was no morning as the Hebrew word signifies 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for many speak contrary to the word that are reproved by the Light of Christ in them as J. W. may see his own guilt thereby if he be not past feeling and yet such are come short of the morning for the Light shineth in darknesse among such as are not led by it to the morning nor receive Instruction from it And note further that though this J. W. hath so much set himself against the Light within and does not own it to be in all yet in page 108 he hath confessed That the old ungodly World that were destroyed by the flood of waters would not be turned by the strivings of Gods Spirit but refused that grace that was so affectionately tendred to them c. Wherein to his own confusion he is made to confesse to the Truth for then if the old ungodly world had the Spirit of God so striving with them and the Grace of God so tendred to them what ignorant men are they that deny the extent of the Grace of God or the Light of Christ now to the world and will not own it to be in the ungodly nor that they should look to or follow it in them now What was not the old World as wicked as the World now is or is the Grace of God or his Mercy now lesse then it was to the old World J. W. in pag 110. saith of Christ It is he that hath two distinct natures in one intire person no person else hath the like in him in him onely dwelleth the fulness of the God-head bodily in no man besides him dwelleth the god-head in any measure bodily c. Answ. Yes the Saints were made partakers of the Divine Nature also and such received of the fulnesse of God in Christ grace for grace and God hath promised to dwell and walk in his people John 1.16 1 Cor. 3.16 2 Cor. 6.16 and can that state be attained by any and nothing of the Divine Nature be in them Is God in his People and his Nature divided What grosse confusion is this Baptist in and notwithstanding his denyal of the Divine Nature being in Believers In pag. 111. he saith that all men in respect of their substance of spirit soul and body and Christ in respect of his humane nature as he calls it are one yet in respect of his God-head are not one c. what then hath not the soul of the Righteous any of the Divine Nature in it How then hath it its immortality Is any thing immortal that hath not of the Divine Life or nature in it And are not they that are joyned to God one spirit What blindnesse is this J. VV. in who also after he hath denyed that nature which is in Christ to be in any man else viz. the Divine nature he hath in pages 113. and 146. accounted that the Divine Nature is the spirit of holinesse or that they are one so that in his denying the Divine Nature to be in any except Christ he hath denyed the spirit of holinesse to be in the believers from which it followes that none of the believers are Christs and that Christ hath no flock for he that hath not the Spirit of Christ is none of his so all that reads this may see how this Baptist hath gone about to shut Christ his Nature and Light or Spirit out of all people not onely unbelievers but Saints and how his Doctrine tends to keep all people in darknesse from Christ his Divine Nature and Spirit And so this Baptist in telling of two distinct natures in the person of Christ viz. the spirit of holinesse or Divine Nature and the humane nature and calling each of these natures the Son of God though he own them to be two distinct natures as in pages 24. 10. 111. 113. what he hath said herein is all one as if he had said that there are two Christs in one person when as Christ is but one and is the same yesterday to day and for ever glorified with the Faâ—her in the same glory which he had before the world began and this Christ is in the Saints and the same spirit of holinesse which raised up Jesus from the dead dwelleth in them so that the Divine Nature is not excluded out of them as this Baptist hath often implyed and no where do we read in Scripture that that nature of Christ which hath been free from hunger and cold ever since his Resurrection is a humane or earthly nature according to this mans words who hath shewed himself both ignorant of Christ and his nature as now glorified with the Father which is of an immortal or spiritual being or kind Joseph Wright saith p. 116. That the flesh soul and spirit of all men and the flesh soul and humane Spirit of Christ is of one substance Answ. Oh grosse darknesse and errour to imagine that the flesh and soul and spirit both of all men and Christ are of one substance what then is the soul and spirit made up of flesh If they be of one substance then must the soul dye with the body and then where is its immortality And why is the Spirit a distinct thing from the flesh and a body without the Spirit dead And further how are all mankind of the same substance with Christ when as the substance of Christ never sinned but thou J. W. sayest ye are unclean because ye are propagated in unclean lust what are you of the same substance with Christ or of his nature who is in a glorified state in immortality and eternal glory when you are so propagated and are unclean thou art yet unclean and exceeding sottish or else thou wouldst have been ashamed to utter such confusion and folly as thou hast done as also after thou hast asserted that all mankind are of the same substance with Christ thou hast told us p. 121. That man became like the Devil by sin as thou sayest the Hebrew word may be rendred which is as much as if thou hadst said that that which is like the Devil is of the same substance with Christ shewing thy self wholly ignorant of Christ and of his substance and flesh which is not suffered to see corruption And further in pages 128 131 132 134 58 59. it may be observed how thou puttest afar off the state of the Church or
vindicate the same operation in this day as that same Power is manifest amongst People And it is the Power of the Lord not the spirit of witchcraft or uncleannesse as J. W. blasphemously affirms but we know that thousands in these our dayes have been pierced to the heart by the word of the Lord and have been smitten in their Consciences and been made to cry out and roar and tremble through the disquietnesse of their hearts and have been brought as low as Hell even to the sides of the Pit and to know their bones broken as David did and they have lain disconsolate for many dayes and yet the Lord hath after this raised them up into peace and joy and comfort and blotted out their transgressions and washed them away by the bloud of Iesus and hath restored comfort for mourning and the spirit of praise for the spirit of heavinesse according to his promises so that were not J. W. a man more ignorant and malitious then a man of Knowledge and good Conscience he would never presume to have vented such malicious and rayling tearms against us for and because of the self same operation of the Power of God amongst us as is so largely demonstrated by examples throughout the Scriptures so that he hath not onely reviled us at this day but also the Saints of God in former ages so declaring himself to the world to be ignorant of the Scriptures and of the Power of God to Salvation and a Blasphemer against both And his Reason to prove it an unclean Spirit that leads them to tremble is because some have stripped off their Cloaths and gone naked for a sign c. To which we Answer By the same reason he might as well have said that was an unclean spirit that led Isaiah the Prophet to put off his shooes and walk naked and bare-foot as a sign and wonder upon Aegypt when as it was the Spirit of God that moved him to that work Isa. 20. and Saul also when he went to Naioth and the Spirit of God was upon him and prophesied and he stript off his Cloathes and lay down naked all the day and all that night wherefore it was said is Saul also among the Prophets 1 Sam. 19.23 24. And thus J. W. may see the errour of his own judgement who hath condemned that Spirit to be unclean which led Isaiah and Saul to go naked by his censuring such now as are led by the same Spirit but against his reproachful tongue we do vindicate such a thing in it self and that the Spirit of the Lord is not limitted but may lead some at this day to the same thing though if any do such a thing in imitation and deceit we justifie them not CHAP. VII Concerning the sufficiency of the Light and the annointing within to teach all that do believe AGain the next thing observeable that we can digg out of his heap of Confusion is he chargeth us with dissimulation that we never intended that every man should be guided by the Light in them though we Preach it up and direct every man to it as a guide his Reasons for it are First Because we intend to communicate a Teacher from without Secondly Because we declare to men and women that if they will but wait in silence they shall receive virtue and Life from us though they never see us more by which it appears saith he that we intend to give a spirit to such as adhere to our Doctrine Thirdly Because when we take hold of the hands of men and women yea when we have taken hold of the wrists of some they have been taken with a trembling c. Fourthly Because we are constantly visiting them that are inclining to our Principles c. Fifthly Because we run up and down to spread our Doctrine and by our Printing such a multitude of Books to Teach men in our way we cry down Preaching saith he and that we lay aside Gods Word and set up our own word and that Gods Holy Scriptures we reject and our own unholy Writings we exalt c. Sixthly Because the Light which is in every man doth not lead us and our followers to do those things we do c. page 158 159 160 161 162 163. Answer To all these we Answer That we do turn people to the Light of the Spirit of God within them and Preach the free Gift and Grace of God that he hath given to the Sons of men in order to their Salvation and we acknowledge notwithstanding all J. W. his Scornful and Ignorant Railings against us for Preaching the light within that we are sent of God and t is our Message that we have received to Preach to all the World and that we are sent to turn from the darkness to the Light as the Apostle Paul Acts 26.18 and this Light to which he turned them was not a visible Carnal Light without them but an Invisible and Spiritual Light that shone in their Consciences and to this Light Paul was sent to turn them even to the light that shined in their Hearts 2 Cor. 4.6 The light shined in their Hearts that gave them the light of the Knowledge of the Glory of God in the Face of Christ and the light of the new Covenant is the Light of the Spirit of God that shines in mens Consciences for God hath said I 'le put my Spirit within them and write my Law in their Hearts so that whosoever doth Preach the new Covenant must Preach the light within but of this about Preaching the light within more in another place therefore here we pass it and shall examine his fix feeble Reasons by which he would prove that we dissemble with people in Prracâ—ing the light within and we never intend what we say which is a notorious slander that shews J. VV. hath neither wit nor good Conscience for might not he as well have brought all these his Reasons against the Apostles who Preached the same Doctrine of the light within as we do now for when Saint John said to the Church ye have anointing within you and ye need not man to Teach you but as the same annointing teacheth you 1 John 2. might not J. W. as well have said to him John thou dost not mean as thou speakest but dissemblest with them for thou sayest they have annointing or light within them and they need no man to teach them but as that doth teach them and yet thou thy self art a Teacher without them and thou givest exhortations to them by Declarations and Epistles and tellest them if they abide in the anointing that they have received and in Christ they shall not sin and though the Saints in former Ages were thus taught by the anointing within them yet they did constantly visit one another and prayed one for another as the annoting led them but hadst thou J. W. lived in their dayes thou mightest have said John thou dost plainly declare that the anointing in the
Saints will not do the business as thou scornfully sayest to us but thou Communicate an unclean spirit and thou writest Epistles and spreads thy Doctrine by Letters or Books and the Apostles run up and down from one Nation Country and City to another and what need you do this if the annointing within be sufficient to teach them and if it be sufficient why does not every particular Saint do that which some do Why doth not every one of the Christians go up and down Preaching as well as some few of you Apostles Thus and after this manner might thou J. W. have reasoned against the Apostles and Saints as well as against us and doubtless hadest thou lived in their dayes thou wouldest have said no less by them then thou dost by us but this is to manifest thy own folly and weaknesse who cannot understand how the annointing dwells in the Saints and teacheth them into all Truth and how notwithstanding they edifie one another and instructs one another by words and writings this same thing was true amongst the Apostles and Primitive Christians and is true also at this day among us though thou objects against it nay reviles and slanders the witness of the same at this day and this is thy ignorance and weakness who art not worthy to be named a defender of the Gospel of Christ as thy works makes to appear And as for J. W. his saying as if we should say They should receive virtue and life from us and that we intend to give a spirit and of taking hold of the wrists of some c. And that we lay aside Gods Word and reject Scriptures and exalts our own unholy writings c. These are slanderous accusations and malitious suggestions as if we were Witches and such like And this is spoken by him with a tendency as doth appear to enrage the spirits of ungodly men against us We do not say they shall receive Life from us but if they wait upon God in the Ministration of his Life and Spirit they shall receive Life from him and sufficient instruction by his Grace and Gift within them if they never see us more and they shall receive the Spirit of Truth from God though we are made Ministers of the Spirit which the Father giveth to all his Children and as for our taking one another by the hands by way of kind Salutation one of another Why doth he wickedly surmize against us for this practice but that out of the abundance of his malitious heart his tongue speakes fraudilently as if we did bewitch people thereby thus much he seems to intimate by his reproachful expressions that we intend by taking one another by the hands to communicate a spirit which is onely his ignorant and malitious suggestion and as for our denying the Word of God and rejecting Scriptures we shall pass it here onely tell thee J. W. thou hast slandred us and speak fuller to it by and by 1. But concerning immediate teaching of God by the light and anointing within I would yet more fully explain that I might be understood of all First We do not affirm that every man in the world to wit unbelievers as well as believers have received the anointing and spirit within them so as they need no man to teach them for this is onely proper to the Saints of God who have believed in and received Christ Jesus and his Spirit that anointing which teacheth them all things and leadeth into all Truth and they abiding in this anointing they need no man to teach them but as it teacheth and this is the new Covenant of God and according to his promise I will put my spirit within them and write my Law in their hearts and they shall need no man to say know the Lord but from the least to the greatest they shall all know me saith the Lord But as we have said this is only proper to the Believers and Sanctified in Christ Jesus and this state is not proper to the unbelievers in the world in their state of unbelief who rejects the Counsel of God and refuses to be taught by him and led of him and quenches the Spirit of the Lord. 2. But though this state was promised by the Lord that his people should be thus taught and the Saints did in the Apostles dayes witness it as in Johns Epistle before cited and the Saints of God now in this age do witness the same Yet notwithstanding the Saints did and may edifie one another and build up one another in the most holy Faith and Comfort one another by advice and Counsel and instruction through declaring the Word of the Lord one to another and Ministring the Gospel of Christ and of his free gift one to another as the anointing within moveth and teacheth this was the Saints practice in the dayes of old and is their practice at this day for let none mistake us as if any were so taught of God by the anointing and Light within that they were thereby uncapable of and freed from all good instruction edification and counsel visitations and salutations of Love amongst them and one towards another like as if they were so taught of God as their state admited of carelesness and rejecting of love and exhortations one from another we tell thee nay but we are so taught of God at this day as the Saints before us were by the light and annointing within which we have received from God that alwayes we are capable of and willing to receive edification and counsel and advice through the Word of the Lord and by his Spirit that dwells in us and extends one to another by good advice and counsel consolation and comfort so that these two do agree to wit immediate Teaching by the anointing and light within us and exhortation and edification one of another by the same spirit and anointing among us and these two are not contrary one to the other 3. Yet we do say though the unbelievers have not so received the anointing and spirit within them as that they need no man to teach them as the believers have received it yet the Gift of the Spirit of God and the light of it is given to them and manifested in their Consciences and hath its operation of conviction and reproof because of their unbelief and Iniquities and these needs to be taught without them even turned and directed to this same light within them that they may believe in Christ Jesus and wait upon the Lord in it thereby to receive the anointing and pouring forth of the Spirit through Faith in Christ Jesus that they may be also-taught of God as believers and regenerate persons and may need none to teach them but as the Gift and Grace of God within them and such in the state of their unbelief have need to be Preached unto that they may believe and be renewed and receive more of the Spirit and of the Grace of God in a greater measure and may
come into Covenant with God and be so taught of him as not to need another Teacher And thus we have shewed First That the Saints are taught of God and they need no man to teach them but as the anointing within them Secondly That they are not so taught of God as not to be capable to receive advice and instructions one of another in the Lord. Thirdly How the unbelievers hath the Light of Christ given to them and yet hath need of teaching without them And thus I have answered and confuted that foolish charge of J. W. that we dissemble by telling people the light within is the Teacher and yet intends it not and have shewed him that we do say the Saints that are called and regenerated have received the spirit in that manner and measure as that they need no man to teach them but as the anointing and the unbelievers have the Gift of the Light of the spirit of God given to them that it may teach them and therefore we preach the Gospel to them to beget Faith in their Hearts and that they may receive Christ and his anointing to Teach them and lead them into all Truth And now I shall proceed to the next thing observeable which is concerning our Meetings CHAP. VIII Concerning meeting together and silent waiting upon the Lord with something about back-sliders and the spirit that Acts them J. W. saith An evil spirit is our Familiar which we communicate to such as adhere to our Doctrine And first he saith it appears by that humming and hollow sithing among us which is from the evil spirit Secondly Our silent meeting is the direct Practice saith he of such as have familiar spirits and to what end are our silent Meetings but for the communicating of our unclean spirits for never did any of the servants of the Living God hold meetings in silence to meet and not speak one word and such Meetings are contrary to the practice of the people of God in all ages and they are gone aside after Satan whose Doctrine they publish and whose unclean spirits they hold Assemblies in private to communicate 3. He speaks of some confession of some of our own Proselytes that there came a Spirit into one of them as he was going to reprove another which did roar and make a terrible noise in his belly and another story or two he tells of some that hath now forsaken us that a Spirit came into him that did make him quake and tremble so exceedingly that he thought it would have tore him c. And another confessed that there did a Spirit speak within her bidding her leave her Kindred c. Then he concludes this Chapter with a certain story us he calls it of the sad pranks the Devil played on one that thought himself perfect pages 164 165 166 167 168. Answ. 1. To all which we do Answer That all these poor weak reasons asserted doth not prove his assertion that we communicate an evil Spirit to such as adhere to our Doctrine the Assertion in its self is a lye and a grievous slander published without the fear of God and what sober men could imagine that a Baptist Teacher a defender of their Gospel as he accounts himself in his Epistle should use such a weapon against us as so foul and grosse a slander as this is especially at this day when both he and we are in a suffering state and condition from our adversaries wherein we might rather have comforted one another in our sufferings then added to one anothers grief and affliction by fighting one with another before our adversaries that would rejoyce to see us both destroyed that they may glory over us And as for that humming and hollow sighing as he calls it it is not from an evil Spirit as he supposeth but rather occasioned by the Spirit of God which worketh according to that Scripture with groans and sighs that cannot be uttered Rom. 8. And the Lord despises not the sighing of the poor and the Saints groaned in themselves and had J. W. or his helpfellows in this his folly been as wise and judicious as he would be accounted he would rather have judged the deep sighs that he speaks of had arisen from the work of Gods Spirit rather then from an evil Spirit for what would he have said of them in whom there was such groans and sighs which could not be uttered and that groaned within themselves as in Romans 9. would not he have said these were from a familiar and evil Spirit and as for some being enabled at our Meetings as he saith to speak two or three hours this he judges also to be from an evil Spirit the Lord forgive him and make him more wise or else he can never inherit Eternal Life that thus judges it to be an evil Spirit by which the Servants of God are enabled to speak his word even immediately without consultation or study what would he have said of Peter who so immediately inspired that he lift up his voice and preached the Gospel in a wonderful manner to the amazement of the Hearers being an unlearned man and not used to large Orations and this was not by carnal study nor of an evil Spirit but even as the Spirit within him moved him Acts 2. and yet there were some at that day of J. W's Spirit who said he was drunk and the like because the Spirit of God carried him out so wonderfully in Declaration and he saith that it is done in these dayes by an evil familiar Spirit Oh J. W. thou Enemy of God Repent who hast judged the Spirit of God to be an evil Spirit and of many of the Prophets of the Lord it is said that the Spirit of God came upon them at such and such times and they spoke to admiration when as at other times it is possible they appeared weak men for saith the Apostle of our selves we can do nothing but by Christ we can do all things of themselves they were weak but of Christ strong and mighty and thus it is among us at this day we are not ashamed of it even sometimes we are strong and mighty by Christ and sometimes of our selves mean and weak 2. As for our silent meetings which J. W. hath charged to be the direct practice of such as have familiar Spirits We say that this is a contradiction to his last saying who charged us with speaking too much in our meetings and now charges us with too much silence this is direct contradiction and therefore how shall we escape the judgement of his slanderous reproachful tongue who accuses us for speaking sometimes too much and sometimes too little and also doth assert that when we speak we do it by a familiar and evil Spirit and when we are silent that is by a familiar and evil Spirit too Oh thou Enemy of God how shall we escape thy cruel censures it appears whether we speak or be silent in our meetings it is
not pleasant to thee for thou art of the Spirit of which Christ speaks who said John came neither eating nor drinking and yet that Spirit said he had a Devil and Christ came eating and drinking and it said he was a wine-bibber and the same Spirit is J. W. and his fellows of who say it s by an evil and familiar Spirit that we speak and its by an evil and familiar Spirit that we are silent 3. Our meetings are according to the mind of God and example of Gods people in fornier ages and they are for the end to wait upon God and worship him and we have the evident Testimony of the Spirit of God in our own Consciences many thousands of us that the Lord God hath been present with us in his heavenly vertue and power and comfort and Soul-refreshments in such our Meetings and that many a time have we found the Lord when we have been met together to wait upon him even to the satisfaction of our immortal souls who hath revealed his goodnesse and his saving health unto us even in our meetings and this the Spirit of God witnesses to us blessed be his name notwithstanding whatsoever J. W. or any such slanderous tongues can oppose in this case and we have large example in the Scriptures that the people of God met together in the same way and manner as we do now in private houses and sometimes in the fields and sat sometimes long in silence as Ezek. 3. The Children of the captivity they sat together and Ezekiel was astonished amongst them seven dayes and at the end of seven dayes and not before the word of the Lord came to him and would not J. W. have lookt upon this silence to have been from an unclean spirit and Job that servant of God sat with his friends seven dayes and seven nights and spake not a word one to another so that from hence it is proved that some of Gods servants did sit in silence for a long time neither do we read that the Churches of Christ had alwayes speaking and preaching amongst them when they met together though often they had and thus we cannot but vindicate such a practice in it self and the scripture is plain for it as in sitting together in silence and in that silence the Lords presence sweetly enjoyed though yet there are very few of our meetings in such silence as that some one or other or more hath not something given of God by way of Exhortation to the People or Prayer to God few meetings I believe wherein the Lord doth not stir up the hearts of some or other to mention his Name so that we would be understood in this we plead not for silence in opposition to all speaking nor can we plead that of necessity some must speak or else God cannot be worshipped though there is no such thing amongst us as brain-study or knowledge before-hand that we shall speak or what we shall say like the Diviners of this age who makes up their matter before-hand and shapes it what and how to say it before they come among the People to whom they must say it like Artists and Tradesmen this kind of way we reject as unprofitable to God-wards yet if any have a particular message ascribed to them of God to a particular People or Person which if any have let them retain what God puts into their hearts and be faithful to speak it but the general way in which God leads us is this 1. We do know it is our duty by the perswasions of the spirit of God in our own Consciences and partly by the examples of Saints declared in scriptures to meet together at a convenient time and place and so oft as the wisdom of God shall order for us which dwells with us 2. Being come together we are turned to the Lord in our minds to feel our peace and joy and comfort and how our conditions are to God-wards in our own particulars And 3. if any amongst us receive any thing from the Lord to speak of what his work is in them and what he has done for them or by way of exhortation to administer comfort to others or by way of reproof to convince or convert others or by way of praises unto God for his mercies received or in Prayer for what is wanted I say if any amongst us find ought of this from the Lord upon them they speak it to others and its well-pleasing to God and comforting one to another but notwithstanding if nothing of this be received from the Lord by any in a meeting to declare to others yet our peace and joy and comfort and Teacher is with us even the grace and Spirit anointing of God that dwells with us by which every one is fed and refreshed in his own heart in the presence of the Lord and this is the manner and end and practice of and in our meetings and that its the practice of familiar Spirits to sit in silence and for the communicating of an unclean Spirit and that none of the people of God ever did thus and that such a practice is not in the example of Scriptures and that we are gone aside after Satan and publishes his Doctrine and communicates his unclean Spirit these are six abominable ungodly lyes uttered by J.W. in about 2 pages of paper and therefore I cannot but exhort thee to Repentance if thou hast not sinned the sin unto damnation that thou may find mercy if it be not too late and thus much about our meetings which are for the worship of God which I could not but vindicate in opposition to thy false assertions about the same and whether J. W. and his fellows be not themselves guided by an unclean Spirit in slandering the Innocent let the God of Heaven and Earth judge and Saints and Angels testifie Concerning Back-sliders and J. W. his stories 4. As for the stories which he tells of of one that did confesse that a Spirit made him roar and of another whom he saith is as a brand pluckt out of the fire that a Spirit made him quake and tremble and another who said that the Spirit spoke with a vocal voice in her and of another who thought himself perfect and the Devil wrought such strange things upon him as in page 170 171. These I look upon to be meerly vain stories seeing he hath neither named the Persons nor the places nor the time in which these things should have been and therefore I conclude them onely vain stories and not worth answering nor spending much time about for what manner of evil hath not been said of us within these ten years the words of Christ have been plainly fulfilled upon us who said they shall say all manner of evil falsly of you for my Names sake and among all manner of evil falsly spoken we reckon these stories of J. W's but as for such as he sayes are as brands pluckt out of the fire I perceive
he means such who sometimes have been amongst us and professed and confessed to our Doctrines and waies and yet afterwards have turned from us we do confesse such there may be even such who may have tasted something of the Power of the Lord and of his goodnesse to their souls and have cryed out and trembled because of their iniquities yea and have been called out from their Kindred as he speaks and yet some such have turned aside again to vanity and then have been ready to make Lyes and frame false reports and to tell them for their own advantage to excuse their own revoltings thinking to defame us as so bad and so evil that with a more credit to themselves they may turn from us and some such like persons hath been J. W's informers if he hath not invented the lyes himself And though there be such revolters and false-hearted Hypocrites in the world yet the way of the Lord and his Truth is alike precious unto us immutable and unchangeable though Back-sliders walks not in the way thereof but seeks to asperse it when they turn aside from it but let such persons be marked some such we do know and they were wicked and prophane before they came among us and coming among us possibly were convinced of their sins and touched with judgement and sorrow for sin but now being turned from us again they are more prophane then ever and the Devil is entred again with the unclean Spirits worse then before and their latter end is worse then their beginning as the Scriptures says of such and some such as these are J. W. his converts and his brands pluckt out of the fire and such to tell stories and he to publish them are suitable correspondents but Truth is over them both and the way of the Lord is pretious and prosperous notwithstanding all the malicious oppositions that is in the hearts of his Enemies whose Judgement is such that they call Truth Errour and Errour Truth and calls that the work of the Devil which is of God and that the work of God which is of the Devil and the saying is true upon them a foolish People that have eyes and see not hearts and understand not And whereas J. W. hath been opposing the Light within and both the Preachers and followers of it thereby proving himself to be neither Preacher of the Light nor follower of it and therefore neither Minister of Christ nor indeed a Christian for whosoever doth not preach the Light and word of God within is no Minister of Christ nor in the example of his Apostles as is manifest at large in this Book and whosoever doth not follow the Light of Christ within and walk by the Spirit of God which is a Light in the heart is not in the new Covenant nor a member of the Church of Christ and such a one J W. is directly concluded to be from his own words who hath opposed such as preach and follow the Light within as if all such were in delusion and he hath denyed that the Light within is sufficient to lead to repentance from sin and pardon of sin and to comfort in God for the soul But he hath found out one that doth all this that shews sin and that judges for sin and that leads to mourn and grieve for sin and takes sin away and blots it out to wit the Devil as he saith if you will believe him pray you do but observe his story page 169. 170. He tells you there a large story but he names neither the Person nor the place nor time where and when it was which we demand of him in his next of one that preached the Light within as he sayes that the Devil did so and so with him and that the Devil set all his sins that ever he had done in all his Life before him as if they had been written in capital Letters then the Devil laid them all to his charge and did judge him for them and that the Devil made him to mourn and grieve and weep and made the tears come from his eyes for his sins this done as J. W. relates then the Devil took all his sins from him and said I have blotted out all thy Transgressions and the Devil let him loose from all his bonds and then the Devil commanded him to tell what God had done for his soul c. Now let any sober man judge that hath ever read the Scriptures ' whether this be a likely story for the Scriptures say that it is God that sets mans sin in order before him and it is God that judges men for sin by his Spirit of Judgement and it is he that causes men to mourn and grieve for sin and it is he that takes away their sins and blots them out by the bloud of Christ and that looseth man from his iniquities and brings them to declare what he hath done for their souls and it s our Faith that it is God through his own Son that works all this and not the Devil and the Scriptures say the same Psal. 50. Isa. 4.4 Dan. 9.24 John 5.27 1 John 1.7 But J. W. his story is contrary for he relates that its the Devil that doth all this and by this you may judge of this story and the Truth of it and also do but observe the temper of J. W. his Spirit and you shall see through his Book he opposeth the Light of Christ and the anointing within as if they were not sufficient for the effecting these things but he hath found you one that can do these things and who think you but the Devil and that can discover sin and condemn for it and lead People to Repentance and take away and blot out Transgression c. He hath brought you a story for the proof of it which we believe he credits to be true else he would not have brought it for the proof of his matter as he hath very pertinently done as he supposes and further as his story goes this Person that the Devil dealt thus by when he would have preached the Light within the Devil caused his mouth to shut that he should not preach it c. From which it follows that the Devil and J. W. are both of one mind for J. W. opposeth the Light within as the Devil does from which we have the more occasion to stand faithfully in preaching the Light within seeing both the Devil and J. W. do oppose it though afterwards his story relates that the Devil made him preach what God had done for his Soul and if this be a likely story let wise men judge Oh the Ignorance and Impudency that is fully manifest in J. W. that hath given his Faith to believe that the Devil convinces men of sin and judges them for it and takes away their sin Thus much in Answer to his story till his next return that we may know by him the Person and the place in whom and where
I known any of us ever set his feet upon the Bible in contempt and abuse of the Scriptures as he saith though it is very true there was one Richard Stokes in the North of England that was then an Anabaptist so called and so yet for ought I know that did in contempt and scorn tread upon the Bible in the presence of many witnesses so it may be J. W. mistakes one of his own friends and thinks he is one of ours for it is not delightful in us to abuse the Scriptures nor are we filled with rage against the Word of God nor do we foam out disdain against the Scriptures these things are utterly false 2. This Testimony we have often given concerning the Scriptures and here again I give it upon this occasion The Scriptures are writings in which are contained many words of God and may be properly called the words of God declared by writing and as they were given forth by the Spirit of God and no whit altered in Translation they are a perfect Testimony of God and his works of Christ and his Salvation and of the Experiences and Testimonies of the Servants and holy men of God and also in the Scripture is contained many words of the Devil and the words of wicked men so that the Scriptures are a true Testimony as they were first given forth of all these things and we believe that the Scriptures were spoken forth by the holy Spirit as the holy men of God were moved thereunto and whatsoever is written ought to be believed and received for Truth and a true relation given by the Spirit of God but the Scriptures cannot properly be called the Word of God for they are words and writings and admits of alteration and change and therefore cannot properly be called the word of God but onely a Declaration of the Word and of that Truth which lives and abides for ever and which must be believed and practised for Salvation and the Scriptures do say that the Word of God was in the beginning but the Scriptures began but to be written by Moses which was many hundred of years since the beginning and therefore the Scriptures cannot be the word of God which was in the beginning Again the Scriptures do say that the Word of God made the world and lives and abides for ever but the Bible the Scriptures did not make the World nor can abide for ever but will passe away as we see daily Books wears away though the Truth therein declared of shall abide for ever and therefore the Scriptures are not the Word of God which must endure for ever and thus we do distinguish and we would have all to do so between the Book the writings which are most properly called Scripture and that Truth Salvation Word of Life and the things declared of in Scriptures the one endures for ever the other not the one is the Word of God the other a Testimony of it and thus we distinguish and yet not denying the Truth and Life and Salvation and Redemption nor the Christ which the Scriptures speaks of but fully acknowledging that they are infinite and everlasting and the Scripture declare of these things but are not the things themselves neither do we deny to ascribe all lawful Dignity and Title and Reverence to the Scriptures but yet we cannot account them what they are not nor give that honour to them which God gives not nor which he appointed them to receive though further we do acknowledge there is no other Gospel nor way of Life and Salvation nor no other Christ for Redemption and Eternal Life nor no other Truth for substance but what is declared of in the Bible which we do account as I have said as it was given forth by the Spirit of God to be a true Testimony of all these things this and such like Testimonies we have often given concerning the Scriptures yet still acknowledged Christ Jesus to be the word of Eternal Life he and no other and yet this confession we make not contrary unto or to oppose but according unto the Scriptures and our Testimonie concerning the Scriptures is so well known both by word and writing for these many years that I need not here say much more in this case onely that the Scriptures all along calls Christ the Word of God and no where that I know of in the Scriptures doth it call it self the Word of God but a Declaration and a Treatise Luke 1. Acts 1. And whereas J. W. saith Is not the Truth exprest in the Scriptures eternal and incorruptible and what lesse then an Almighty hand hath preserved that Book and this is devised deceitful Doctrine to teach all men to hearken to the Light within them thereby to turn away their minds from the Scriptures And he mentions that Scripture the words of the Lord and every word of God are pure and the entrance of thy word gives Light and my words shall not passe away and whosoever shall be ashamed of my words c. page 208 c. Answ. To all this I answer why is J. W. so blind as to bring this in opposition to us as if he confuted us in something we held contrary to this when as it is nothing so for we say the same as these Scriptures testifie that the Truth expressed in the Scriptures is eternal and incorruptible yet the writings which are properly Scriptures will corrupt and change and alter and we do know the hand of God hath been in preserving of that Book to this day and our benefit by the Scriptures are not the least of others as I might instance in divers particulars and we confesse fully to the Truth of all these Scriptures cited by him and there is not any one of them opposite to us in any thing that we hold but why doth he secretly here weave in his slander as if we did direct People to the Light within them thereby to turn their minds from the Doctrine of the Scriptures which is utterly false for we direct People to the Light of the Spirit of God within them not contrary to or to make void the Scriptures to them but according to the Scriptures and that they may come to the fulfilling of them and witnesse the Truth wrought in them whereof they speak and therefore his secret slander is turned out of doors and further he falls out in high tearms that God will punish such severely as do speak against the Scriptures and do disdain and reproach them and that do add to or take from them and against such as do vent their rage against the Scriptures and tread them under their feet as the Adversaries of Christ the Preachers up of the Light within do saith he who are Blasphemers of God and his Truth when they cast the Scriptures on the ground and call the Scriptures lifeless c. page 212. Answer These Threatnings and Judgements do not belong to us as not being guilty of his charge so
let the judgement be to himself for we are not guilty but he guilty of wickedness in charging us so falsly like as if he had given up himself to rail and accuse the innocent for be it known to J. W. we esteem as well and truly of the Scriptures as he doth And thus I count it a sufficient answer to deny his false Charges and to turn back his own sentence to him again God will punish him severely for his wickedness CHAP. XII Concerning the Infallible Teacher and that it is the Spirit of God and not the Scriptures NOw I shall proceed to J. W. his Proofs That the Scriptures are an Infallible Teacher of the Doctrine of Salvation c. To which I Answer this is a false assertion for first the Scriptures as he hath confessed are subject to change and alteration and that which is so is not infallible for that onely is infallible which admits of no change nor alteration but such are not the Scriptures the writings and therefore not infallible though it is alwayes acknowledged the Truth and Way of Salvation declared in the Scriptures are Infallible Secondly This assertion seems absolutely to deny the Spirit of God and its Teachings which is given in the new Covenant unto all that believe for God hath promised I will put my Spirit within them and pour it upon them and they shall need no man to teach them but as that spirit teacheth them And the spirit was promised by Christ that it should be given to lead into all Truth and be the Everlasting Comforter and it is the spirit that quickeneth and gives Life and Sanctifies and Teaches to do the Will of God all this the Scriptures testifie and not as if the Scriptures were the Teacher the Comforter the Leader but the Scriptures say the spirit doth all this but J. W. has accounted the Scriptures to do all and accounts not of the Spirit to do any thing for he hath hardly mentioned it in this case and thus his folly and weakness hath appeared in giving the Scriptures Authority above the spirit and as it were dis-throning the spirit that gave forth the Scriptures and exalting the Scriptures in its place but we say that its the spirit that works all things in order to mans Salvation God works in us to will and to do all good things by his spirit that he hath given us according to the Scripture and not contrary to it for the spirit is Infallible which gave forth the Scriptures but the Scripture is changeable in translation and interpretation as we see by experience and therefore not infallible And though J. W. say First The Scriptures do make mention of all Works of Righteousness which ought to be observed by the sons of men Secondly And the Scriptures do most severely forbid all works of wickedness which ought not to be done Thirdly And the Scriptures declare of the Promise of Peace and Happiness which ought to be imbraced Fourthly And the Scriptures speaks of the punishment which God would inflict upon sinners Those are four of his Reasons page 216. by whith he would prove the Scriptures to be the Infallible Teacher of Salvation Answer Though it be true that the Scriptures do declare of every work of Righteousness which ought to be done and of works of unrighteousness which ought not to be done and of the Promises of God which ought to be embraced yet it is the spirit of God that teaches men to perform and observe that Righteousness which ought to be done and to deny that wickedness which ought not to be done and to receive the Promises of God though I say the Scriptures declares of these things yet it is the spirit of God that gave forth the Scriptures that teacheth and leadeth into these things that the Scriptures speak of and it is that spirit that is the infallible Teacher and the Scriptures are onely a declaration of the things which the spirit is infallibly to teach and as for thy fourth Reason though generally the punishment of sinners is declared in Scriptures yet it were an easie thing to mention particular punishments for particular people upon particular occasions which the Scriptures do not make mention of for I am of that mind that some of his Fraternity are at this day under a punishment for their sin which the Scripture makes no particular mention of and if he scruple it in his next return J. W. shall have particular instance in our next reply so that this reason is partly true and partly false also Deut. 28.61 t is signified that there are Plagues and punishments for sinners which are not mentioned in the Book of the Law and as for thy 5 6 7 and 8 Reasons to prove the Scriptures are an infallible Teacher all of them are much like the former and the same answer in kind may be said as thus we acknowledge the Scriptures declares sufficiently for Truth and Righteousness and against deceit and unrighteousness and of the Promises of God and threatnings for sin c. Yet still this proves not the Scriptures in themselves infallable to teach infallibly but as I have said it is onely the Spirit of God that is the infallable Teacher into all that Truth which the Scriptures declares of and by the spirit men receives power to be the Sons of God and to do his Will and not by the Scriptures and thus we give the Spirit of God its prerogative and priviledge and the Scriptures also what belongs to them but we dare not give that dignity to the Scriptures which belongs to the Spirit of God thereby abridging the Spirit of God of what belongs to it and setting up the scriptures in opposition to it as J. W. hath clearly done for want of knowledge and understanding in the Mysteries of God Again he saith The Scriptures are very far in Authority and clearness before any spirit or light in any mortal man in the world page 218. Whereby he hath clearly given more dignity and authority to the Scriptures then he hath to the Spirit of God and so hath set up the Scriptures above the Spirit which is direct errour if not Blasphemy that he should say any thing is far greater in Authority and clearness then the Spirit of God which dwells in mortal man even in his Saints and thus the result of J. W. his Reasons and Arguments about Scriptures is a clear denyal of the Spirit of God and setting the Scriptures above it furthermore he saith VVhatsoever doth make manifest is Light the Scriptures doth make manifest the Mystery of Salvation therefore the Scriptures is Light Again he saith That the Scriptures are the more sure word of Prophecy which Peter speaks of which was as a Light which shined in a dark place the Commandements of the Lord is Pure and the VVord is a Lamp unto the Feet Then he speaks of the powerful Operation of the Doctrine of the Scriptures upon the Hearts of such as believe
which doth convince and convert and turn from darknesse to Light and how can their Doctrine be from the same inspiration which is against the Doctrine of the Scriptures page 219 220. 222. Answer Here Joseph Wright hath jumbled some illiterate Logick which may be proved false as thus the Scriptures its true doth declare of the things that ought to be done and believed and the things that ought not to be done as to the general part of things Yet there are many particular Actions and things which the Scriptures do not make manifest and we would have J. W. to leave a little room and work for the Spirit of God and not thus utterly to reject it for the scripture saith it is the Spirit that reveals the Things of God and the Mystery of Salvation and not the scriptures viz. the writings and that sure word of Prophesie which Peter speaks of that was as a Light shining a dark place was something more sure then the very words which Christ spoke with his mouth to them which were written by Matthew and the light which shone as in a dark place to which they were to take heed was more sure to them then Christs words which were written and were scriptures and thus J. W. may see his mistake and perverting of scriptures if he will be but sober and reasonable and that the Commandement of the Lord is Pure and the word is a Lamp we do not deny but gives as full witnesse of as J. W. can do and therefore he needs not cite these scriptures to oppose us for it s thy malitious Spirit that opposeth us not the scriptures for we acknowledge to the truth of these scriptures by the Spirit which gave them forth which is greater then the scriptures and as for the powerful operation of the Doctrine of the Scriptures it is not of themselves that they do operate in any but it is by the Spirit that gave them forth which worketh in the Hearts of Believers to comfort and refresh with the Love of God and it is the spirit according to the scriptures that doth convince and convert and not the scriptures without the Spirit as J. W. would say and it was the Gospel that Paul Preached that turned them from darkness to Light and not the writings which say that the Gospel is the Power of God and not the writings and it is meer ignorance in J. W. to intimate that our Doctrine is against the Doctrine of the Scriptures this I shall account amongst thy slanders and it is not the least of them And whereas thou flyest out high in high words against us That we must consider and leave our inventions else sin will lye at our doors and our bloods will be upon our heads c. and there is no less then four lies in thy last page but these words are to thy self and not unto us for we are not the persons concerned we follow not vain inventions but we are saved out of our blood through Jesus Christ and for J. W. now to exhort us to repentance when as in page 47. he hath given absolute judgement on us without limitation That the mist of Darkness is reserved for ever for us This is a direct contradiction which shews what spirit he has been guided by in all his work And thus we have searched and examined J. W's whole work from the beginning to the end and given an answer to the material parts thereof saving that we have not mentioned many lies and slanders which we have passed over and do reserve them till we come face to face otherwise till our next reply and what we have written we must commit to the judgement of the Spirit of God in all sober persons who may for their own edification compare his work and ours together and truly weigh each of them in the ballance of equity and to the spirit of found judgement and to the Fear of the Lord all are committed and commended in the reading and considering and judging of these things Last of all for a final Conclusion for present if it be supposed by J. W. that this is not a sufficient Answer to his Book I do propound unto him this further in order to the satisfaction of any sober persons if any be doubtfull in this case That first both of us may agree to appoint a convenient time and place for a meeting to dispute it out face to face that which yet remains in controversie between us 2. This being done that all his Friends and ours that are doubtfull or desirous of such a thing may have knowledge of it 3. That in such meeting no foul reflections nor impertinences nor bitternesse of Spirit be allowed on either part but discretion and moderation 4. I shall first take in hand to prove a very great number of Lyes contradictions and falshoods in his Book 5. Then I shall hear his Defence for himself and his Objections against any thing in ours and answer them and after this manner shall be our proceedings if we do meet It s true times and seasons are unsuitable for such a meeting and work yet rather then any Detriment should fall upon the Truth or the cause of preaching the Light within be endangered to harm I am willing to hazard the greatest adventure hoping we may do such a thing if necessity require in that Wisdom and Prudence as may not offend any This I shall leave as my farewell to my Antagonist at this time and thus seal up the whole sum E. B. THE END ERRATA IN the 6. page of the Preface line 5. for contra read contrary in the 7â— page of the Preface line 27. for this work read his work in the 2. page of the book line 9. read we vindicate l. 14. read and his pleading against free-grace to all confuted p. 3. l. 29. for own while r. one while p. 6. l. 31. for strife r. self p. 17. l. 29. for arising which r. arising with p. 27. l. 9. for then r. their p. 31. l. 13. r Ignorant of it p. 48. l. 22. for receive r. reverence p. 50. l. 11. r. tell Lyes * Witnesse Jer. Ives who openly swore to get himself out of prison after he had written against swearing for which some of them called Quakers openly witnessed against him also divers others of the Baptists did swear for fear of suffering as also the said Jer. Ives and John Tombs and Hen Den who have long been Teachers did divulge their deceitful stuff in their books for swearing as those that sought to betray the simplicity of God in others of their brethren who were more conscientious then themselves who could not with a safe Conscience swear though some through the deceit of their Teachers were diverted from the Truth in their own consciences