THE UNIVERSALITY OF THE LIGHT Which shines in Darkness ASSERTED AND THE Notions Opinions OF JEREMIAH IVES Divulged the 24th of the 2d Moneth 1674. in the Market-Place at Crayden in the County of Surrey DETECTED c. Written and Published for the Information of all that desire to know the Way of Truth and to walk in it By William Shewen He taketh the Wise in their own Craftiness and the Counsel of the froward is carried head-long They meet with Darkness in the day time and grope in the Noon-day as in the Night Job 5â—…13 14. This is the Condemnation that Light is come into the World and men love darkness rather because their deeds are evil John 3.19 Printed in the Year 1674. TO THE READER FRIEND I Being present and noting these Opinions of Jeremiah Ives after some time I sent the following Letter with a Copy of them inclosed to him which I understand he received with his own Hand and having received no Line from him to signifie whether he at the second View or more mature Deliberation will disown any of them I have now discharged my Mind in a brief Answer to them not being Conscious in my self that I have wronged him in a Word I am not doubtful as thou readest in an Even Impartial Spirit and in a Mind void of Prejudice but that thou mayst reap Profit hereby So commending thee to the Grace Love and Light of God which is able to teach thee to profit and preserve thee from Evil present and to come in a Measure of it I remain thy Friend W. S. Jeremiah Ives I Here-with send thee some of thy Notions or Opinions My End in so doing is two-fold First That thou mayst take a second view of thy Notions and Conceits and see whether I have noted them right before I communicate them further And Secondly If thou standst by them I have something in my Mind to commit to Paper concerning them in order to shew thee if possible thy Darkness and ignorance in the Things of God though thou hast been a long Professor and pretended Minister of them And indeed thou didst behave thy self more like a cunning Sophister with craâ—ty Sleights to gain upon the Ignorant at that time then like a Grave Conscientious Disputer for the Principles of the Christian Religion And whether thou leanest or trustest more upon thy Acquired Cunning and Artificial Reasoning in thy Disputes and other thy pretended Services for God and the Good of People then upon the immediate Assistance Guidance and Motion of the Spirit of God I do desire thee seriously to consider and leave it to his Witness in thy own Conscience to answer The Things of God are very weighty and ought to be spoaken of and medled with by a bridled Tongue and clean Hands and in a weighty and serious Spirit which is seasoned with Grace Wisdom and enabled to divide the Word aright which Word is compared to Milk Strong Meat Bread a Hammer Fire Sword c. Now he that professeth himself a Minister of Christ Jesus and is not seasoned and endued with thiâ— Wisdom to divide this Word aright deceives himself and others Consider thy Standing and Work thy latter Day approacheth lest the Sun set upon thee or the Spirit of God leave striving with thee and thy Candle be put out and thy Day be turned into Darkness over thee This is a Warning in Love to thee from one who believes the Principles of the true Christian Religion professed by these in Scorn call'd Quahers and loves all that walks in them and lives according to them which Principle and People I have known thee to be an Opposer of this 15 or 16. Years but the God whom they Fear and Serve hath hitherto blasted thy Endeavours together with all the rest of the Champions of Mystery Babylon and hath caused the Knowledge of his precious Truth to encrease and hath established many Thousands in it and furnished them with Strength and Wisdom to contend for that one Faith which was once delivered to the Saints which Faith purifies the Heart and gives Victory over the World which Faith and the Work of it is much wanting among all the Sects in Christendom though they have made to themselves many Faiths every one contending for the Work of their own Hands and walking in the Light of their own Sparks in the End lie down in Sorrow out of which Estate the Lord hath redeemed many and his Hand is stretched out still to redeem and deliver more which is also the earnest Desire and Expectation of him who desires the Temporal and Eternal Good and Welfare of all Mankind and remains thy Friend Southwark the 5th of the 3d Moneth 1674. William Shewen Some of the Opinions of Jeremiah Ives divulged in the Market-Place at Crayden in the County of Surrey the 24th of the 2d Moneth 1674. THe same-Body that is now the Habitation of the Soul and Spirit shall rise again and enter with the Soul united into everlasting Joy or Torment It may be in the great Day of Judgment God may receive the Heathen to Glory but it is more then they know whether he will or no For those People that have not the Scriptures among them in common have no Knowledge of their future Estate All the Light in men could never teach them discover or reveal unto them That Christ was born of a Virgin and that he suffered c. It may tell them that Blasphemy and Drunkenness c. is Sin but could never tell that God would save them I do deny that every man is lighted with the Light of Christ for the Scripture saith That many are in Darkness and stumble because there is no Light in them That the Light which lighteth every man is not the Light of Christ yet it is a Divine Light There is a Natural Light in all men which may shew them Sin and this Natural Light is Divine for every Gift of God is perfect therefore Divine Men may sin out all Sense of Sin and become Darkness and have no Light in them The Sun may shine and some men may shut their Eyes and will not see it and some are blind and cannot see it Are they therefore enlightned by it So likewise c. I will stick by the present Translation of the New Testament which was effected by Twenty or Thirty Learned Wise Men by the King's Authority and if I understood Greek never so well it would be unmannerly to contradict them The Light that is come into the World was designed of God to enlighten every man but Thousands are not enlightened by it George Whitehead and William Gibson are not enlightened with the Light of Christ though I grant that there is a Light in every man which is Divine yet not the Light of Christ ☞ I deny that the Light of God is one with the Light of Christ the Father and Son are Relatives but not one the Light of the Father Son and Spirit are
love the Darkness will be just and God and Christ will be clear in the Day of his Judgment Opinion George Whitehead and William Gibson are not enlightened with the Light of Christ though I grant that there is a Light in every man which is Divine yet not the Light of Christ Aas If J. Ives did believe in the Light were obedient to the Light of Christ wherewith he himself is lighted he would be of another Mind but this sore Evil is very nigh him to concludâ— as the Jews did of Christ in another Case If this Man were of God he would keep the Sabbath Joh. 9.16 So it seems to be in this Mans Mind to conclude that these Men are not enlightned with the Light of Christ because they are not Baptistâ— as he is and are not one with his Profession and Fellowship for it is the Nature and Property of every Sect to meaâ—ure and judge all by their own narrow Spirits and Notions the Righteous met with this Mea ure and Judgment in all Ages from Abâ—l to Zacharias and from Zacharias to John the Divine and down to this Age. Mâ—ltitude of Examples might be produced and a Cloud of Witnesses found throughout the holy Scriptures to witness to this Thing But G. W. and W. G. are not only men come into the World and therefore lighted with the Light of Christ according to the Testimony of John the greatest Prophet that was born of a Woman but also are Men chosen out of the World to bear Witness to the true Light and have turned the Minds of many from Darkness to the true Light in which they walk and dwell and are Children of Therefore thy Opinion or Conceit is judged to be the Off-spring of that Darkness in which thou dwellest notwithstanding thou talkst of Light and supposest thy self to be a Child of it but see whether the Spirit of God or the Manifestation of it in thee bears Witne's to thy Spirit that thou art indeed what thou thinkest and professest thy self to be This Counsel if by thee taken can do thee no Harm As to the latter part of this Notion I have spoken to it already Opinion I dâ—ny that the Light of God is one with the Light of Christ the Father and Son are Relatives but not one the Light of the Father Son and Spirit are Divine but not one If thou hadst the Mind of Christ as the primitive Christians had thou wouldst not speak after this manner Christ's Testimony was John 14.9 10 11. That he and his Father were one And what signifies thy Denyal And that the Father was in him and he in the Father And John's witnesseth John 1. That the World was made by him and without him was nothing made that was made And he was in the Beginning with the Father from Everlasting glorified with the Father before the World began manifested in the fulness of time in a prepared Body but was before it and seen and prophesied of by the Evangelical Prophet Isaiah to be the Wonderful Counsellor the Mighty God the Everlasting Father the Prince of Peace the Emanuel God with us In these Scriptures their Names are one their Work one their Nature one then how comes their Light to be two and yet both Diâ—ine And they are such Relatives as differ more in Manifestation and Despensation then in Light Life Nature and Being but these things are too high for thee for what thou knowest of them is Natural and Traditional and hadst thou Acquaintance with a Measure of the same Spirit of Prophecy which was in Isâ—iah thou wouldst be ashamed of thy nice and carnal Distinctions yet the least in the Kingdom is greater then he Opinion That which is Divine in God becomes Natural when given to men Answ I know not but thou mayst be called the Father of this Whin sey or Vain Conceit Whisher will the Deceitfulness of thy foolish Heart carry thee 'T is strong Delusion indeed to believe Lyes so contrary to Scripture and Right Reason Where didst thou learn that the Gifts of God which are Perfect Divine and Spiritual become Natural when given to Men I suppose by men thou meanst not all men but wicked men and not the righteous that would be gross and absurd indeed so I am willing to take thy Notion by the best End But what Scripture is thy Rule for this Did the Talent the Sloathful Man had given him change its Nature and Property by being ty'd up and hid in the Earth Did his Good Spirit which he gave to those that rebell'd against it become Natural Doth the Light which is the Gift of God and Spiritual which shineth in Darkness become Natural or Darkness in it self or alter its Nature and Property Doth the Spirit of Truth which Christ sends to Comfort his Disciples and to convince and reprove the World for Sin change its Nature from being the Spirit of Truth because sent and given into the World Surely thou mayst see it a vain Imagination of thy own Head that neither the Scriptures thy pretended Rule nor thy own Experience can justifie For that holy Manifestation of the Spirit in thee which searcheth thy Heart and tryeth thy Reins and consenteth not to thy vain Thoughts idle Words and sinful Actions is the Gift of God to thee and is perfect pure divine and spiritual and hath kept its Nature pure and uncorrupt and will remain so as a Witness for God against thee if thou joyn not to it and become one with it and so be born of it This is the Word of Truth to thee whether thou wilt receive it or no. Opinion Some in the World are without Christ therefore some in the World are without the Light of Christ Answ This is answered already in what goes before yet a few words more Christ is said to stand at the Door of mens Hearts and Knock Is not the Door of men's Hearts within them And if he stands there he is not far off them yet they not opening to him are said and that truly to be without him and in the World and they do not know that Christ is in them therefore they are Reprobates Yet in this state of being without Christ in the World in Darkness and Reprobation the true Light shineth as hath been already signified at large and the Darkness is so far enlightened by it as that the Worker of Iniquity cannot hide himself And though some are without God in the World yet God is not so far without them but that he searcheth their Hearts and tryeth their Reins and sheweth unto man his Thoughts and God Christ is in the World but this is the Misery of the World that it knows him not Blessed are those that believe in the Light which revealeth him and leads to the Knowledge of him in whom are hid all the Treasures of Wisdom and Knowledge to whom be Glory forever Amen W. S. Forasmuch as J. Ives and some others judge we put more Weight and strain that Saying in the first of John vers the 9th beyond what it is able to bear this following is added OUr Proof of what we affirm in matter of Doctrine is not from the Etymology of Words nor barely from the Testimony of the Holy Men recorded in the holy Scriptures though they bear witness thereto And our Doctrine Practices and whole Conversation as we walk in that Light Grace and Spirit of God from whence holy Men wrote them is born witness unto by them and therein we have Unity with the Holy Scriptures and receive the Comfort of them they being written for our Learning who have believed in and received the Gift of God of whom they testifie And others who receive not this Gift of God though they may read and profess the Scriptures and cry them up in words c. yet have they not Unity with them nor with the Spirits of those Just Men that wrote them neither do receive the Comfort of them nor are learned and made wise unto Salvation by them This is a Word of Truth that may and doth concern all Sects in Christen dom to confider And that we do not over-strain the Words of John's Testimony in the first Chapter and 9th Verse when we say write print and preach Lighten Enlighten Enlighteneth or Giveth Light to every man coming into the World I have here set before thee how that Verse is read in divers Natural Tongues or Languages The Latin Version to the Syriack hath it thus the Syriack word is Manhar Erat enim is lux veritatis quae illuminat omnem hominem venientem in mundum The English For even he was the Light of Truth which enlighteneth every man that cometh into the World The Latin Version to the Porsiack thus Lux vera venit unicuique qui in muâ— do est lumen praebeat Thus in English The true Light is come to give Light to every one that is in the World Elias Huter in his Novum Testamentum Harmonicum useth the word Illuminat Enlighteneth And in Hs Doctionary the Greek word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Photizein to give Light or lighten The Hebrew word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Haer to give Light or lighten The High Dutch Leuchten to gave Light or lighten 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Heir to Enlighten 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Epiphainein to Enlighten Illuminare to Enlighten High-Dutch Erleuchten to Enlighten In the Arabick thus Neque vero erat ipse lux sedut testaretur lumini qued erat lumen verum quod â—lluminat 〈…〉 The word is Pasijo illuminat enlighteneth or doth enlighten or giveth Light In English thus Neither was he himself the Light but that he might witness to the Light which was the true Light which enlighteneth every man The Ethiopick has it thus the word is Zajabarh Et is est lux justitiae quae illuminat omâ—â—m hominem veniontem in mundum In English And he is the Light of Righteousness which enlighteneth or doth â—â—lighten every man that cometh into the World Multitudus of Examples might be produceed out of other Translations but sufficient being extant already by another Pen I forbear to enlarge I have ravelled in Europe Africa and Amcrica and never met with any Priest or other except one called a Baptist in Rhed-Island in New-England that made any Cavil or Contention about using the word enlighten or enlighteneth or giveth Light c. instead of lighteth J. S. THE END
Divine but not one That which is Divine in God becomes Natural when given to men Some in the World are without Christ therefore some in the World are without the Light of Christ I noted these at the Time and Place aforesaid in Short-Hand and I know not that I have wronged thee if thou judgest otherwise I desirâ— to hear from thee suddainly W. S. THE UNIVERSALITY OF THE LIGHT ASSERTED AND THE Notions and Opinions OF JEREMIAH IVES DETECTED c. Opinion THe same Body that is now the Habitation of the Soul and Spirit shall rise again and enter with the Soul united into Everlasting Joy or Torment Answer The Doctrine of the Resurrection of the Just and Unjust in the Day of Judgment and their future Estate in Joy or Torment was alwayes asserted by us in Scorn called Quakers though wickedly insinuated and divulged to the contrary by our Opposers And this whole Nation may be convinced by our Conscientious Suffering for bearing witness to the Truth we have received that we believe a Future Estate Else why should we suffer to keep our Consciences void of Offence If we were of the number of those then might we say Let 's eat and drink and take our fill of Pleasure in the things of this World to day for to morrow we shall dye And let us run down with the Stream of the Times we live in and be Men Pleasers and so preserve our selves from Suffering But our Conversation hath not been on this manner but quite the contrary and impartial People may see that it is great Ignorance if not Wickedness and Emnity imour Enemies both Professors Prophane to endeavour to father and fasten such a Doctrine upon us But we pitty their Blindness knowing that it is the Work of that old Adversary the Devil which rules in the Hearts of the Children of Disobedience on purpose to make us odious and hateful to the People who have a gross Traditional Faith concerning the Resurrection as of other Truths of the Gospel of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ Now the Mystery of Godliness is great and the Mystery of Iniquity is great also and they are reveal'd to the Babes and Sucklings and hid from the Wise and Prudent of this World the Wit and Cunning of men finds it not out neither can the Wisdom of the World comprehend it the Busie High-minded Puffed up Contentious Corinthians would be prying into things not made known to them by the Spirit of the Lord but Paul the aged dealt wisely and gravely with them giving them many sharp Reproofs for their high Conceits telling them 1 Cor. 4.3 18. He could not speak to them as unto Spiritual Men but as unto Carnal and could not minister Strong Meat to them but Milk having Envyings Strife and Divisions among them he concludes they were Carnal and walkt as men wise and puft up in their own conceits But saith he to them If any among you seem to be wise in this World let him be a Fool that he may be wise for the Wisdom of this World is Foolishness with God c. 1 Cor. 3. And in most of his Epistle he reprehends them for their Failings and Errors Now some among them broached this Error also That there was no Resurrection of the Dead Many weighty Arguments he urges to convince them of their gross Ignorance 1 Cor. 15. If there be no Resurrection of the Dead then is not Christ risen so on to the 19th verse where he also saith If in this Life only we have Hope we are of all men most miserable c. For since by Man came Death so by Man came also the Resurrection In Adam all dye in Christ shall all be made alive he that reads let him understand Some also among them might after they were convinc'd by his Arguments enquire how the Dead were raised and with what Body come they forth To such he saith O Fool that which thou sowest is not quickened except it dye and that which thou sowest thou sowest not that Body that shall be c. to the end of the Chapter And now if the curious Enquirers of this Age would know further and presume above what is written out of the Sense and Knowledge of the Holy Spirit which moved Holy Men to write they are to be answered with Judgment and sharp Reproof for the puffed up Spirit and busie Mind which aspires to know much before-hand leads men to neglect the doing that good which they already know therefore it was very well said by Geo. Whitchead when the Dispute was like to continue about the Resurrection That it would be more profitable and necessary for People to hear a Discourse that may tend to inform them how they may be fitted and prepared to be one of that number which shall rise in the Resurrection to enjoy Everlasting Felicity and to avoid the contrary and not at present to contend about the Sameness of the Body that shall rise and what Matter and Form it shall have and how and when the Soul and Body shall meet and be united and how they shall be entertained in Heaven c. About these things the vain Thoughts and Imaginations of men are many and some that count themselves able to teach others are as ignorant of the Resurrection as Nicodemus was of the New Birth And this busie Mind and unsubjected Spirit which learns not at the Feet of Jesus has great Conceits and Imaginations what God hath done of old in Generations past and what he is able to do Thousands of Years to come but is ignorant and unacquainted with his Power at present believes little of his Power and Ability in their own Particulars in this present time wherein they are to know him by his Mighty Power to raise them out of the Grave of Sin and give them Victory over it and so to witness their part in the first Resurrection This is of more absolute Necessity then to enquire what manner of Bodies God will raise in the Last Day and how he will provide and entertain the Soul and Body in Heaven when time shall be no more They that know God do believe in him and can trust him and do resign up their Bodies Souls and Spirits into his Hand in this World and in that which is to come also and have no doubt but he will provide well for them if they persevere in well doing to the end Opinion It may be in the great Day of Judgment God may receive the Heathen to Glory but it is more then they know whether he will or no For those People that have not the Scriptures among them in common have no Knowledge of their future Estate Answ What God will do with the Heathen it seems thou knowest not but art in thy Thoughts or may bees about it They that walk in the Light in which God dwells know more of his Mind However thou mayst read in the Holy Scriptures of God's Love and
Care for the Heathen in giving his Son a Covenant of Light to enlighten the Gentiles and to be his Salvation to the Ends of the Earth and that he will give him the Heathen for his Inheritance and the ends of the Earth for his Possession And as some Heathen or Gentiles of old who had not an outward Law condemned the Jews by their Righteous Conversation by vertue of God's inward Law in their Hearts so many called Heathen now will rise up in Judgment against titular Christians And it will be more tollerable or easie in the Day of Judgment for such Gentiles then for those And thou sayest Where the Scriptures are not among People they have no Knowledge of their future Escate In this thou speaks but a Conceit or Divination of thy own Brain shewing thy Ignorance of the Fountain of all true Knowledge for there was Knowledge among men necessary to Salvation before the Scripture was written and from this Knowledge the Scriptures proceeded men were Holy before the Scriptures were written men feared God before the Scriptures were written and the Secrets of God were with them that fear'd him and surely they knew him before they feared him And some talked and walked with God before the Scriptures were writ Abraham was a Friend of God and saw Christ's Day and this is Eternal Life so such knew their future Estate for Eternal Life includes a future Estate And God is the same and Christ is the same and as he hath revealed himself before the Scriptures were so he is as able ready and willing to reveal himself now the Scriptures are and where the Scriptures are not and when they shall be no more for they were not from Eternity neither will they continue to Eternity And those that had the Scriptures in former Ages and wanted the true Knowledge of God which was before the Scriptures were knew neither the Scriptures nor the Power of God nor their own Estates at that time nor their future Estates but were ignorant of both yet could boast of the Scriptures as thou and many do now and call themselves Children of Abraham and say that God was their Father though he of whom the Scriptures testified whom they knew not told them They were of their Father the Devil whose Works they did So thou and all may see that the Scriptures did not give them a true Knowledge of their present nor future Estate though 't is said they read them every Sabbath Day and were as conversant in them as many Sects in Christendom are now and thought to have Eternal Life in them and cryed them up and magnified them while they cryed him down and crucified him of whom they bore witness and from whom they proceeded So 't is very evident that the true Knowledge Fear and Secrets of God were with men before the Scriptures were writ and when they were writ men that had them were void of the Understanding or true Knowledge of them as it hath been so it may be and is now men may talk much of the Scriptures with their Tongues and carry the Bible in their Pockets and yet the Devil may rule in their Hearts And People that have not the Scriptures nor never heard of them may be nearer the Kingdom of Heaven then some that have them as some Heathen who had not Moses's Law did by Nature the things contained in the Law which was the Effect of the Law written in their Hearts this hath been is and may be For we say and affirm That God affords to all men a Day of Visitation and puts them into a Possibility of being saved else how would he be clear when he judgeth Opinion All the Light in men could never teach them discover or reveal unto them That Christ was born of a Virgin and that he suffered c. It may tell them that Blasphemy and Drankenness c. is Sin but could never tell that God would save them Answ These are Thoughts and Imaginations of thy own Head and shew thy Ignorance and Unbelief of the Light of God and Christ in men and the Operation of it in those that do believe love and walk in it and indeed no other knows the Efficacious Power and Vertue of it to their Salvation though they may and shall to their Condemnation for was it not the Light of God in men that shewed them that Christ was to be born of a Virgin and that told some the very place where also long before the time and why may not the same Light shew things that are past as well as things to come To whom this Light did not reveal him when he came they could not know him but took him to be the Carpenter's Son and some said one thing and some another of him though they had the written Prophecies in the Holy Scriptures concerning him yet they were as ignorant of him as he was the Christ of God as the very Heathen that never saw the Scriptures and Christ plainly told them That they neither knew him nor his Father And it was by the Light of God and Spirit of Revelation in that day and not by the Scriptures that any came to the true Knowledge of him Flesh and Blood did not reveal him Many that talked and walked eat and drank with him and saw his Mighty Works and Miracles did not see him nor know him nor the Power of his Father which wrought in him And this the Holy Scriptures whom we dearly own and honour in their Places bear full witness to and the same is now He that can receive it let him And the same Light which convinceth People that Blasphemy and Drunkenness is Sin is no less nor no other then the Spirit of Truth which Christ promised to send which should convince the World of Sin Righteousness and Judgment and this is the Condemnation of the World in whom this Light shineth appeareth and convinceth that they do not love this Light nor believe in this Light nor bring their Deeds unto it so they never know it lead them to their Saviour from whence it comes and so know not that the Reproofs of a Friend are better then the Kisses of an Enemy or that that which convinceth reproveth smiteth woundeth and killeth is the same or one with him which converteth reformeth healeth bindeth up and maketh alive So through Unbelief and Disobedience man brings Destruction upon himself and God and Christ is clear of the Blood of all Men. Opinion I do deny that every man is lighted with the Light of Christ for the Scripture saith That many are in Darkness and stumble because there is no Light in them Answ Thy Denyal or Unbelief is contrary to the Testimony of the Evangelical Apostle John who said That Christ is the true Light which lighteth every man coming into the World Joh. 1.9 A plainer Proof if Scripture will serve need not be sought for Another like it is The Grace of God which brings Salvation hath appear'd to