not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdome of God Be not deceived neither Fornicators nor Idolators nor Adulterers nor Effeminate nor Theeves nor Covetous nor Drunkards nor Revilers nor Extortioners shall inherit the Kingdome of God and of Christ For there shall in no wise inherit there any thing that defileth neither whatsoever worketh abomination or maketh a lie Therefore Christ who hath purchas'd his Church doth also purifie it and cleanse it that he might present it unto himself a glorious Church without spot or wrinkle or any such thing but that it should be holy without blemish For they are redeemed from their vaine Conversation which they learned from their Fathers and do not after they have once learned Christ and have heard him and are taught by him in truth and as the truth is in him they do not walk as other people walking in the vanities of their darkned minds being through the ignorance that is in them strangers from the life of God But being renewed in the spirits of their mind and the Image of God being restored in them by the power of their new creation in and by Christ Jesus they put off as to their former conversation and manner of life the old man which is corrupt by deceitfull lusts formerly mentioned But they now also put off all this lying and defrauding and stealing and bitternesse and wrath anger clamor evill-speaking foolish talking and unfitting jesting And putting on the new man they now use such language that do edifie and built up others in holinesse and such as ministers grace to the hearers Their conversation being now without Covetousnesse and such as becomes the Gospel And according to their hopes and expectation as knowing that though God of free grace chose them from the beginning to salvation yet the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ must be by and through the sanctification of the spirit and belief of the truth and saithfull obedience And now acknowledging no other Soveraigne but Christ and acted by a spirit of love as sons they live to him who died for them being contented to be or to be accounted any thing so Christ may be glorified in them and by them whether by life or by death And having no confidence in the fesh or fleshy priviledges they worship God in the spirit and rejoyce in Christ Jesus Counting all things losse and dung in comparison of the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus their Lord that they might obtaine him and be sound in him not having their own righteousness which is of the law or by the law of working but that righteousnesse which is by believing in Christ the righteousnesse which is of God by faith And although they know that whiles they are in the flesh they shall not be in all things perfect yet forgetting that which is behind that to which they have already attained as not answerable to their longings they presse forwards more and more toward perfection grieving under their imperfections and longing to be disburthened until they reach the mark they ayme at the price of their high calling whereunto God hath called them in by Christ Jesus desiring in the meane time so to know him by an operative and effectuall knowledge and the power of his resurrection and to have communion and fellowship with him in his sufferings that being conformed to him in his death they might by all or any attaine their part and portion in the blessed resurrection And to this duty of holy walking a believer holds himself bound by his very profession for having by baptisme put on Christ and Christian profession he thereby engages himself as the Jew by circumcision to keepe the whole law so he by baptisme to believe observe and keepe the whole Gospel That very ordinance in its intent purport and signification directing him and pointing out unto him his duty as one specially interested in the ends and benefits of Christs death thereby sealed and signified So that he doth and must conlude that where sin had abounded and reigned in him before even unto death that there now grace and favour through Christs righteousnes doth reign much more to eternall life yet he dares not he may not still continue in his sin that grace might stil abound Nay he concludes as it is indeed it is impossible For how shall they that are dead to sin and so have no more to do with it live any longer therein for they know if they know any thing that as many as are baptized into Jesus Christ thereby baptized into his death buriall and resurrection are baptized and thereby engaged not only to the name profession and calling of Christ and Christianity and to own him in these particular actings But also if they expect to finde reall benefit by the worth and merit of them that they finde the reall and efficacious fruit of all these powerfully by the spirit working in them So that he concludes the death of Christ to be the death of sin And the resurrection of Christ the resurrection of the life of his grace holines Reckoning himself now no longer debtor to live unto the flesh and its corruption but debtor to live unto the spirit and its holy motions And having alwaies an eye to the great love of Christ who by his death and blood shedding hath thus redeemed him He cannot but often thinke upon him and thankefully remember him in and by that ordinance which he appointed in an especiall manner a little before his death for that very purpose wherein he publikely owns him and makes profession to the world of his faith and hope and rejoycing in him And thus Reader thou hast a little of much more that might be written of this great mysterie of godlinesse in which thou hast a rude delineation of Gods method in restoring fallen man into his favour through the whole progresse whereof as is easily perceiveable there runs a continued line and cord of free grace and mercy thus contrived and ordered by him for a threefold reason The first reason respects God himself who hath ordered it in this manner is that he alone might have all the praise the glory If salvation had been attainable by the law of working man might have had somewhat whereof to have boasted and gloried in himself For although that working had come infinitely short in proportion to the reward proposed And although that reward therefore was but upon a free promise And so only to be claimed Not through the worthinesse of the work or worker And although that work had been performed but by strength received from him by whom the reward was promised yet if man had performed the condition on his part required the Lord would
walk not after the flesh but after and according to the spirit And whereas we were under â—in God made him who knew no sin in himself to be sin for us by impuâ—ation that we might be made the righteousnesse of God in him in like manner And whereas we by reason of that sin were under the curse he was made a curse for us that he might redeeme us from that curse that so we might inherit the blessing therefore the Lord having laid hold on our surety who is mighty to save and to deliver being man that he might suffer in the same nature and in the behalfe of those that had sinned And God that he might make full satisfaction to God that was offended The Lord I say having thus laid hold upon our able suretie laid and charged upon him all our iniquities bruising and almost breaking his gracious heart with the hellish terrours of divine revenge and justice where he made his righteous soul an offering for sin So sharp and hot were the flames thereof that it made the maker of the whole creation grone and cry out my God my God why hast thou forsaken me A speech more dreadful fuller of astonishment then if the whole frame of heaven and earth all men angels had been tumbling headlong into everlasting torments for in this God had not forsaken himselfe but his creature onely but in that wrath was kindled beyond the finite apprehension of the creature here God as it were forsook and left himself Christ being God one God with the father blessed and beloved for ever And yet my God my God why hast thou forsaken me And here behold and see and in seeing weep was there ever sorrow like unto this sorrow which Christ suffered in the day of his fathers wrath and fury And again behold and see and in seeing rejoyce that Christ suffered these sorrows as our surety Surely he hath borne our griefs and carried our sorrows he was wounded for our transgressions he was bruised for our iniquities the chastisement of our peace was upon him and with his stripes we are healed All we like sheep have gone astray and he hath laid upon him the iniquities of us all And thus was God in and with Christ in his everlasting decree Covenant and consent roconciling the world unto himself by that one sacrifice and offering whereby through the eternal spirit he offered up his life and shed his blood upon the Crosse a sacrifice for sin to reconcile us unto God For without shedding of blood there is no forgivenesse of sin to be expected Obedience to the Law because short imperfect cannot effect it make man right and perfect But now by this one offering up of the body of christ once for all he hath perfected for ever those that are sanctified separated and set apart for God So that Messiah the Prince of our peace and the Authour of our eternal salvation being thus cut off by death hath confirmed the Covenant made between him and his Father having finished the satisfaction for transgression and made an end of the reign of sin by making reconciliation for iniquity and bringing in an everlasting righteousnesse To the end that whosoever believed in him should not perish but have everlasting life So that now there is no condemnation to them that are by believing in Christ Jesus for the Law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath freed them from the Law of sin and death for this was the Covenant between Christ and the father that when he should have made his soul an offering for sin the pleasure of the Lord by him thereby fulfilled should take so good effect and so prosper under his hand that he should prolong his dayes and see a seed a holy seed he should see and enjoy that which his soul travelled for and should be satisfied for all his sufferings The reward whereof was this sc that by the knowledge of and faith in him who in that work was his Fathers righteous Servant he should justifie acquit many even as many as believe in him from all their sins by bearing the guilt and punishment of their iniquities in his body on the tree of the Crosse whereof assurance is given in that he raised him from the dead for it was impossible that he should be holden or detained by the grave who finished the work that his Father had given him to do viz. by suffering the heel of his humanity to be bruised by Sathan that to break the head and chief of all his designs which was to keep man captive for ever in his Kingdom of darknesse So that by suffering death Christ hath destroyed him that had the power of death that is the Devil And thereby delivered them who through fear of death were all their life time subject to Sathans tyranny and bondage And now though the Devil accuse lay sin to the charge of Gods Elect yet God himself doth and must justifie them And whosoever condemns 't is not much to be valued for it is Christ that died yea rather that is risen again for he died for our sins and rose again for our justification having thus wrought the work of everlasting righteousnesse whereof the world may be clearly convinc'd to full satisfaction in that he is ascended unto his Father we see him no more for certainly had he not satisfied and made full payment and reconciliation he must have come again and died again yea again he must have been often offered up as the sacrifices under the Law were But his blood being the blood of God was of more worth value efficacy then the blood of all the sacrifices in the world And now having broken the prison dores of death and led Sathan who held us in captivity captive and openly triumphed over him on the Crosse he is now set down at the right hand of God in glory there to rule untill he hath subdued all his enemies not only to himself as then he had done but also to all his people there compleating his Priestly office by appearing in the presence of God and making intercession for them And by his Spirit as their king ruling in and over them untill the time of restitution and setting all things right when he shall gloriously come in great majesty to judge all men and to render to every one according to their deservings In the mean while a poor believer though in and of himself worthy of nothing but wrath and death hell may through that interest he hath in Christ by believing come boldly to God and plead that righteousness which is every way adequat and proportionate to divine justice And God in justice with all humble yet faithfull
have accounted it as happinesse earned and would have given in the reward as due in by and for working And would have allowed him in his glorying But you see clearly that that way of salvation is quite shut up For by the works of the law and by obedience thereunto can no man be justified and therefore hath the Lord concluded and shut up all under sin that by saving those who are saved by free rich and undeserved and unearned grace and mercy he might take away all matter and occasion from man of boasting and glorying in any work or thing done or performed in or by himself by any strength or power how ever received which he might call his own and that he that glories might glory in the Lord that he is a God that exerciseth loving kindness in the earth and that there is none like unto him that pardoneth iniquity and passeth by the transgression of the remant of his heritage his chosen heritage and who retaineth not his anger for ever because he delighteth in mercy and in mercy hath freely given his own Son as before to do that for us which we were no wayes able to do for our selves viz. to fulfill all righteousness in his own person for us that we only beliving in him as to the justification of our persons and acceptation with God might not perish but have everlasting life Nay a little farther to set forth the fulness and freeness of this grace so free is it that whereas this righteousness of Christ is made ours onely by our closing with and receiving Christ as tendred to us by the Father and to those ends and purposes before mentioned that very grace or hand as I may so call it whereby we do receive him is freely given to us For whereas all men have not faith without which it is impossible to please God and to be accepted with him and without which no man can receive and close with Christ Jesus for righteousness and life and whom whosoever hath not hath not life the Lord himself gives faith it self to the heires of salvation the chosen and called according to his purpose whereby they do believe And whereas they are naturally unwilling to deny themselves and to come to Jesus Christ he makes them who of themselves are not able so much as to have a good thought willing and able and whereas their faith is weak he strengthens it And when their faith is ready to fail he secures it nay whereas there is an utter inability in man to this saving work and so much reluctance in corrupted nature against it the Lord puts forth Exercises more then common and ordinary power to accomplish this work in the hearts of his children not only power but great power yea exceeding great power even the same by which Jesus Christ was raised from the dead which is no common and general power So that there is such a change wrought in a believer that the work is called as it is there being none of this in man before a new creation And the man a new man And he hath a new heart and a new Spirit whoever attains this hath another spirit then he had before And all this is freely given them of God and of meer grace that God might have all the glory and man might cry Grace grace unto it For grace is free else grace were not grace To God alone therefore be glory A second reason why the great mysterie of godlinesse is thus contrived respects the Saints true Christians t is for their security certain attainment to and establishment in the glory and happinesse proposed God at first when he had made man good and happy left him to himself and to his own freedome not engaging in any sort to preserve him in that condition And man shewed himselfe a creature though good yet mutable But now Jesus Christ the second Adam and the head of this new creation hath entred into a Covenant with God and made an agreement with the father establisht upon better termes and better promises for whereas the Condition of the first covenant and agreement between God and us for happinesse was exact obedience to be performed in our own persons Man you see made righteous and holy and without sin in him to prompt him to disobedience yet did not keep himself so but irrecoverably fell for ought that he could doe to help himselfe from that blessed Condition And if he could have helpt himself which was impossible he that fell once might fall away again and so could never be secured of his happinesse But now contrary to the custome among men A tenure in Capite is better then fee-simple To have and to hold salvation by Christ our head is better more secure lasting then when in our own keeping God won't trust us nor Christ won't trust us with our selves nor with our righteousnesse by which we shall stand upright and in favour with them any longer if our righteousnesse were in our selves supposing we were redeemed from our former Captivity yet if when we were truely good and had no experience of sin and corruption in us we did then faile much more should we do so now But it now being in Christ who is more then a bare Creature and now become our surety and undertaker he will keep it for us and us for it And will not faile us So that now the promise of righteousnesse life and salvation is sure to all the seed of Christ Believers I will not be long here neither lest my book should swell but reader blessed God for Jesus Christ and be thankfull And now lastly to come to a conclusion and wherein I will be brief This great mysterie is thus ordered That the Lord might thereby more sweetly and in a way agreeable to his own nature draw man unto himselfe And more strongly ingage him to him There 's nothing so sweetly freshly and strongly drawes and ingages a rational ingenuous nature as love mercy And by how much the greater the Distance and disproportion was between the parties deferring And by how much the greater the misery and unworthinesse of him was to whom the mercy was extended by so much the greater sweeter stronger powerfull and prevailing is that grace and mercy shewed Reader enlarge these things in thy meditations till thy heart be warmed and then admire and adore and love and serve And conclude and say withodt Contriversie great is the mysterie of Godlinesse God was manifested in the flesh justified in the spirit seen of angels precheth unto the Gentiles believed on in the world received up into Glory From whence we expect him to come to judge both quick and dead Even so come Lord Jesus come quickly MYSTERIE BABYLON THE GREAT OR The Great Mystery of Vngodlinesse
then whom none is more true more faithfull there 's a sure foundation a rock vnmoveable And then know further No truthe's thine own till thou art got up into the power of it And that thou square thy beliefe and life accordingly The onely way to be establisht against error and heresie As for the Mysterie of Ungodlinesse concerning it I shall give thee directions when thon commest unto it It is meet the mystery of Godlinesse should have the first place that it might take the first possession of thee as a season against the poysons of heresie and ungodlinesse And then the more full the discovery the more thou wilt abhor and avoid it This is the aime of my labour which end if I shall attaine I shall rejoyce In hope whereof I commend my labours to thee And thee and them to him who a lone is able to make all profitable Alwaies remaining Thy faithfull friend in the service of the Gospel of that Jesus Christ which dyed at Jerusalem above sixteen hundred years agoe R A. FARMER ERRATA Reader I Am to beg thy favourable excuse in regard of some errors in the printing My desire was that the Title at the head of every page should have run thus sc The great Mysterie of Godliness to the first part which extends to page 18. And the Great Mysterie of Ungodliness from thence to the end The Title The great Mysterie of Godliness and Ungodliness being intended only for the Title-Page There are some other faults in not observing full stops And new Sections marginal notes and quotations of Scriptures transposed and disordered in the first The Mysterie of Godliness which though they alter not the sense in the body of the Discourse yet they hinder the advantage that might be made by those who would examine the quotations This may possibly occasion a new impression of that part by it selfe which is but little And therefore in the mean time need not much trouble thee Some Errata which may alter the sense I have observed which I intreat thee to correct with thy pen ere thou read In the Epistle Dedicatory Page 1. line last but one r. Genius p. 2. l. 14. r. a breath p. 3. l. 9. r. But because l. 10. dele you I excuse my own misnaming at the end my self Epistle to the Reader P. 1. l. 5. r. without an Apology l. 6. for pay r. paper p. 2. l. 10. r. briefly l. 11. r. try In the Book Pa 1. l. 14. r. goodly l. 19. for observe r. subserve ib. for Ministry r. Mysterie p. 2. l. 8. dele if l. 9. for tie r. tree l. 27. r. into l. 33. after these words perversness of spirit add proneness to all manner of evil p. 3. l. 14. r. continue p. 4. margin note at the bottom for of faith by nature r. of both by nature p. 5. l. 17. dele the word all l. 35. dele fig. 1. ib. margin r. shut up as in a prison p. 8. l. 9. r. when p. 9. l. 23. dele to read that he might break p. 1. Mar. dele new sect p. 12. l. 15. for are three r. three are p. 13. l. 11. for inheris r. enter l. 27. for this r. these p. 14. l. 31. r. that though where p. 15. l. 26. dele is p. 16. l. 37. exercises p. 18. l. 10. r. freely l. 13. r. differing p. 2. l. 3 r. They are l. 21. for waders r. Readers l. 36. r. proposed l. 37. r. as their usual l. 39. for cry r. say p. 23. l. 6 for for r. to l 9. dele thou l. 10. dele the interrogative points read perceive them l. 11. for such r. thing l. 6. after old add foundations p. 24. l. â—5 for powerful r. wonderful l. 36. for works r. marks l. 39. for within r. which in p. 30. l. 31. r. these p. 32. l. 7. for this r. h s. l. 29. r. give you in here p. 34. l. 6. r. proposes p. 59. l. 9. for flesh r. flash l. 22. dele yea l. 26. r. naturally p. 71. l. 11. for law r. light p. 76. l. 13. r. hypocritically l. 24. for reading r. pleading p. 88. l. 35. for an unknown r. one unclean The great Mystery of Godlinesse and Ungodlinesse 1 Tim. 3. 16. Without controversie great is the Mystery of godlinesse God was manifest in the flesh justified in the spirit seen of Angels preached unto the Gentiles believed on in the world received up into glory THe eternal invisible only wise God Father Son and holy spirit who only hath immortality dwelling in that light which no man can approach unto and which no man hath seen or can see and live who being the Authour and beginner of all things orders disposes all things as their end for his own glory This mighty God intending to make his power and god-head and glory known in the beginning of time created the godly frame of Heaven and Earth as a place wherein to manifest much of that glory And having made the Angels creatures of an intellectual spiritual and so of an invisible nature alwayes to stand before him ready to obey and execute his Commands as ministring spirits to observe and bring about this great Ministry intended made also other creatures to dwell upon the earth of a grosse and bodily substance subject unto the eye of sense and subservient also to this great design of his immortal glory And last of all as the abridgement and compendium of the whole Creation and the choycest piece os his workmanship by whom he would be most glorified he makes man consisting of a soul an immortal and spiritual nature to serve him as an Angel in a spiritual manner and of a body a grosse and visible substance to serve and honour him above and beyond other Creatures Angels and bruit Beasts in a visible and outward way of worship And to that end endowed him with his own blessed Image of righteousnesse holinesse and excellent knowledge and gave him also soveraignty and dominion over the rest of the visible Creation all things being made subservient to him By which means he was eminently qualified for special communion with and enjoyment of his Creator The whole man being in a sweet frame of holy conformity unto his soveraigns will by obedience whereunto he might have been everlastingly blessed and happy Now the Lord having made man in this estate of honour to make way for his own glory in and by this great Mystery of Godlinesse leaves him in the hand of his own counsel under a strict Command of not eating of the Tree of knowledge of good and evil with a kind of a Covenant and condition of everlasting life upon obedience to it And if the contrary upon the breach and disobedience of it Which tie and the Command concerning it was as a
sacramental sign and manifestation of mans ready obedience to all other Commands of the Almighty that should be given unto him But now the Devil being a Reprobate and a fallen Angel envying Gods glory and mans happinesse tempts man to the breach of this Commandement suggesting that by eating he should be like God whereas wretch as he was he knew by his own experience that by disobeying man should be like himself a Devil And now man being tickled with ambition of being like to God in knowledge and being but a Creature and so impossible to be good unchangeably which is the soveraign prerogative of God only by hearkening and yielding to the temptation of the Devil fell into the transgression And hereby involved himself and all his posterity he being the head and root of all mankind and a common person to lose or injoy for all his posterity who were in his loyns and by natural generation and descent to proceed from him hereby I say by this one transgression he involved himself and all his posterity unto a state of enmity and rebellion against his Maker And thereby forfeited both that blessed Image of righteousness holiness and saving knowledge in which he was at first created and contracted a perversness of spirit But also lost that chearful and comfortable light of Gods countenance which was to have bin his life and happinesse And as a manifestation of his losse and guilt man is driven out of Paradise that place of Gods special presence and mans earthly felicity as never to enjoy the like on earth again And an Angel with a flaming sword the wrath of the Almighty to keep him for ever out from eating so much as sacramentally of the tree of life and immortality And had not Christ by an eternal decree and covenant with the Father stept in and undertaken for us the world had bin presently consumed and man himself hurried into Hell and destruction to the eternal misery both of soul and body But man is reprieved and the execution of the sentence as to the full is deferred till the day of judgement Yet shall he not go here and in the mean time altogether unpunished for though the earth and other Creatures that were made for man continued the Creatures shall rebel and withdraw subjection from him and the earth being cursed for his sake shall yield him food with sweat and sorrow and all things shall be full of labour vanity and vexation so that he shall have no satisfaction from them And further when he has toyled all his life to little or no purpose as to true contentment he must leave all these nothings go unto the dust the grave and lie down if he go as he came in sorrow So that upon the matter man lives upon the earth as a condemned creature and by patience long suffering and forbearance permitted here to continue And by his â—in under guilt curse death everlasting death and condemnation and having brought the same misery not only upon himself but also upon those who never sinned actually in the very same manner in the same thing even upon all flesh children as well as others So that now by means hereof every Son and Daughter of Adam is conceived in sin and brought forth into the world in iniquity deprived of that Image of righteousness holiness and saving knowledge of God in which Adam was at first created of a depraved mind spirit alwayes lusting after evil Being all Saints as well as others till regenerated the children of wrath by nature dead in sins and trespasses as to the injoyment of Gods special love and favour and the chearful light of his saving countenance which only is true life and happinâ—sse Notwithstanding which fall and losse there remains in man as his intellectual nature and reasonable faculties by which he acts wisely and prudently as to worldly affairs and humane concernments so also he retains certain vestigia footsteps marks and impressions of that moral and eternal Law of righteousnesse at first ingraven in his heart by the finger of the Almighty So that although as to everlasting felicity man be dark dead by nature being under the power of Sathan the God of this world whose Kingdom is a Kingdom of darknesse and who rules in men by ignorance yet there remains so much light with which every man is enlightened that comes into the world as doth lead him to the knowledge of a God prompts him to the worship service of him mediately immediately immediately to God himself by some acts of piety and devotion tendered by all and every Nation according to those discoveries they have of him and mediately to their fellow Creatures by certain acts of duty and charity as they stand in several respects related to him and his light accusing or excusing according to his walking Which light some men and women living in sensuality and indulging to fleshly pleasures do as it were detain a prisoner stifling it and burying it under lusts and unrighteous practises thereby provoking the Lord to put out that Candle which he had set up and left within them and to give them up to hardened hearts and seared consciences past feeling to commit all manner of wickedness with greediness and so to make themselves seven fold more the children of wrath then they were before And so continuing finally impenitently to run headlong to everlasting destruction carrying in their very bosoms even in their consciences that which awakened at the day of judgment shall condemn them needing no other Law or witness Others more civillized by education custom fear of punishment good example wholsom counsel And some by the power and efficacy of Religion in a way of common illumination and conviction which ordinarily goes along with it where not obstinately opposed and hindered walk more evenly sweetly usefully then the former with whom therefore it shall be more easie at the day of judgement then for them Yet they and the former are both in a state of estrangement towards God lyable to eternal condemnation for though the lives of some are lesse â—inful then others yet the heart of all are equally depraved And none is perfectly righteous without which no man by the tenor of the first Covenant can be justified and saved So that all are concluded under sin and none able to redeem or deliver his own soul much lesse anothers All having sinned and come short of the glory of God all of all Nations both Jew and Gentiles being under the curse and subject unto the bondage and thraldom of Satan for ever But now behold and wonder at this great and glorious mystery The
reverence be it spoken must acquit the man though in himself ungodly for payment being made satisfaction given by the surety it is but just that the debtor be acquitted and discharged shall not the judge of all the world do right yea God is just and will declare his righteousnesse by justifying him that believeth in Jesus Now God the Father having thus reconciled the world unto himself by Christ for the farther carrying on of this work commits the ministery and service of this reconciliation to his Apostles and Ministers in their successive generations who as Heralds and Ambassadors authorized and commissionated by him should publish and in his na e preach the glad tydings of salvation this everlasting Gospell And to let all men even the Gentiles see what hope there is of their fellowship and participation of the blessings and benefits of this mysterie of godlinesse which from the begining of the world have bin hid in God who created all things by Jesus Christ no nation people or person being now excluded or shut out the partition wall of Jewish ordinances being broken down and both Jew Gentile bond and free male and female all may come drink freely of that well of salvation which Christ hath opened for all persons that will come unto him whereof for his part he is so free being no niggard of his blood and merits that he intreats all to come and partake of And by his servants making a full tender of himself as Priest Prophet and King to all that will receive him And to as many as thus receive him giving them right power and just claime to become the sons of God and heires of the kingdome which he had purchased But now man by his fall being dead in the dark yea darknesse it self and so in his natural state and blindness unable to receive and comprehend this glorious and gracious mysterie of being righteous by anothers righteousness and of being saved by anothers sufferings all men Jewes and Gentiles doting and being fruitlesly set upon seeking life and happiness by their own doings and performances Therefore together with the revelation of this mysterie by the ministry of his servants sent for that purpose Christ over and above that common work of the Spirit by which he enlightens every man that comes into the world gives unto those who are given him of the Father and who are to be called according to the eternal decree and purpose which he purposed in himself and whereby he surely knowes those that are and shal be his to them he gives a mind and understanding to know him and to receive him and to be in him and to be one with him who is the true God and eternal life And now a believer having Christ who is eternal life hath eternal life in and by Christ whereas those who thus have him not sc by believing have not eternal life because what in them lies they make God a liar not entertaining and closing with that testimony and record that he gave of his son which was that in him he was well pleased not onely with him for so he could not but be in justice forhe had never offended him But in him he was well pleased being in mercy and loving kindnes satisfied for the sins of all those who come unto God by him who therefore are received as sons and daughters by free grace and adoption And now that those who thus believe in Christ might have the witness in themselvs of their Sonship because they are sons God sends forth the Spirit of his Son into their hearts whereby they are imboldned to call upon God as Sons crying Abba Father being thereunto the more imboldned because by the same Spirit they are sealed and marked out unto the day of redemption And which is given to them as a pledge and earnest in hand for an assurance to them of their full inheritance when their adoption and son-ship shall be compleated by the redemption of their bodies from the power of Corruption as now their soules are from the reign and power of sin The same spirit also in the meane time leading them into all saving truth comforting them in all their troubles and helping them in all their infirmities And thus hath a Believer in himself the testimony both of blood and of the spirit witnessing to and with his spirit that he is a son and child of God But then as there are three in Heaven that bear record and give testimony to this great mysterie of godliness sc The Father the word the holy Ghost So there are must be three witnesses on earth i. The heart of a true believer before the work can be compleated which are three the Spirit Blood and Water For Christ came not by blood alone for justification nor by water onely for sanctification but by water and blood both which Sacramentally flowed forth from his precious body when he hung upon the Crosse a Sacrifice for our redemption thereby shewing forth the end of his suffering viz. both the justification sanctification of his people And therefore he that hath not the witness testim within himself of all three hath not the witness of either he whose heart conscience cannot witnes to him his faith believing in that blood of Christ shed for his justification cannot have the witness of this blood as water for cleanâ—ing and sanctification For Christ sanctifies none but whome he justifies he whose heart cannot witnes to him his faith operating on the blood of Christ as water for sanctification canot have the testimony of blood and his interest in it for justification For Christ justifies none but he also sanctifies the n. And he that hath not the testimony and witnesse in himself of his intrest in blood and water for justification sanctification cannot have the testimony and witnesse of the spirit sealing for these three agree in one all beare witness to one the same truth sc Christs comming dying to redeeme us from sin and all iniquity both in the guilt and in the filth of it both from the condemnation and from the domination of sin For the grace of God which bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men teacheth us that denying ungodlinesse and world y lusts we shâ—ud live soberly righteously and godlily in this present world looking for that blessed hope and glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ who gave himself for us that he might redeeme us from all iniquity and purifie unto himself a peculiar and choice people zealous of good works And for asmuch as no uncleane person can enter into the Kingdome of Heaven where the inheritance is For know ye
one Yet are we to understand this union to be onely in a way of relation through participation of the same Spirit and this dwelling to be onely in respect of grace and powerful operation and influence working in the hearts of believers according to the tenor of the New Covenant in making men holy and humble purifying their hearts causing them to walk in all good conscience towards God and man all which by them is trampled under foot and another kind of union and indwelling driving at in their discourses which although covertly expressed until by craft and subtilty they have prepared the hearts of simple and unstable souls to receive whatsoever they shall suggest unto them yet then is openly discovered being indeed the root of all bitternesse and desperate prophanenesse and blasphemy that can be imagined in the world for from thence they conclude that themselves are God and Christ and what God is they are and what they are God is for say they there is no spirit but one and so deny any created Angel or Spirit holding upon the same account the living soul in man to be uncreated and so consequently to be God himself and not created by God Now this being the ground-work of their delusion the building is answerable For first concluding the reasonable soul to be God Secondly they affirm that this soul being cloathed with their humane bodies or flesh is Christ or God in flesh hereupon they imagine that Jesus Christ spoken of in the Gospel as being born of the Virgin Mary accused by the Jews delivered by Pilate to be crucified dying at Ierusalem upon the Crosse rising the third day and ascending into Heaven is only to be understood Parabolically or Figuratively speaking of one thing and intending another pointing at and prefiguring a work only within us conceiving the Virgin Mary the Iewes Pilate Ierusalem the Crosse Christ rising and ascending spoken of in the Scriptures to be all within them and no such thing substantially or in truth without As they conclude all things spoken of Christ to be but in a Typical or Figurative manner intending and typifying out this God within or God incarnate in their flesh still meaning their reasonable souls conceiving this to be the substance of all those shadows so also upon this ground they are forced to conclude the whole New Testament with all the Doctrines Laws Rules and Administrations of the same to be but a shadow or figure holding forth a substance within As for instance Moses and Aaron being but figures of the substantial Saviour and Priest to come so the administrations of Moses as Mosaical were but fleshly and carnal administrations to be abolished when the substance was come they being only shadows of good things to come in like manner do they understand Christ in his Person to be but a shadow of Christ within and all his heavenly and spiritual Gospel to be but a letter and carnal History put to an end and abolished when they once come to apprehend that the substance of all is within they coming also to believe that the soul is God do thence infer that they are perfect and that they are in an happy estate as can be for this they urge 1 Cor. 15. 24. to the 28 verse to shew when the Kingdome is delivered up to the Father and then Christ ceaseth his Mediatorship and consequently all his New Testament ceaseth Now they conclude that all this is accomplished when they come to discern there is but one Spirit and their soul that Spirit which is God and then they are in the possession of all things And seeing that the Scripture declares that before our full possession of God and glory there must be a temporal death and resurrection of the body and eternal judgment they upon the former grounds judging themselves already glorified do understand this death of the body in all such Scriptures mystically and that the resurrection and eternal judgement are passed already in the soul as Hymeneus and Philetus did 2 Tim. 2. 18. compared with 1 Tim. 1. 19. Thence also they conclude that faith and justification by Christ together with all the Ordinances of Christ are abolished as fleshly forms like unto Christ that appointed them above and without all which they triumphantly in their own fancies live when they once have attained this supereminent life as they spâ—ak as being in the full fruition of God comprehending that infinite being which they blasphemously affirm themselves to do intruding themselves into things they are altogether ignorant of Hereupon it is that they as Peter saith scoffe at any second coming of Christ 2 Pet. 3. 3 4. and mock at the holy Scriptures those heavenly Oracles of God denying them to be the Word of God or that Law by which they ought to confirm their lives conceiving and uttering that there is no Law nor Rule but what is in man his light being his only Law that is to say whatever that spirit that dwelleth within which they call God within dictates to them that ought to be done by them strengthning themselves with this opinion that there is no sin but what contradicts a mans own light which is a mans only Law and sinne is onely sin to him that thinks it so and that there is no Hell but that torment that men sustain through crossing their own light which God knows is nothing but thick darknesse And then they proceed to discover the wretched effect of this damnable doctrine in the unclean lives and conversations of the followers of them which by the practises spoken against I apprehend to be intended against the Ranters that abominable crew of Religious Villains pardon the expression And I confesse these practises are the most natural issue of those opinions and doe most freely flow from them especially from the tail or hinder part on 't But when I had read some of the Quakers papers I found them building upon the same foundation and making use of the same principles and materials And I could not but observe the artifice and skill of Satan like a cunning workman employing the same stuffe to several outwardly seeming ends and purposes but in the effect and issue the same viz. destruction which is his proper work and busines for the Ranters make use of them to boulster up themselves in all manner of lusts and sensuality without scruple of conscience And the Quakers improve them to seeming holinesse and mortification to secure themselves in a proud humility which not repented of casts down to Hell as readily as the former And here Reader let 's make a stand awhile and consider what saist thou Is not here a mysterie of iniquity Is not here the head of the Serpent that old Serpent that deceived our first Parents in Paradise to the fall and what in him lay utter ruine of all mankind And is not this the tail of that great red Dragon that draws and casts down a third part of the starres of
charge to the Pastors of the Church at Ephesus and let me give thee it here in his owne words what hee gave forth to his Sonne Timothy and then I shall proceed to out businesse intended I charge thee before God and the Lord Jesus Christ who shall judge the quick and dead at his appearing and his Kingdome preach the Word not immediate revelations be instant in season out of season reprove rebuke exhort with all long-suffering and Doctrine for the time will come and it is now when they shall not endure sound Doctrine but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers having itching ears and they shall turn away their ears from the truth and shall be turned unto fables immediate revelations contrary to and divers from the Word which he was to Preach but watch thou in all things endure afflictions do the work of an Evangelist or a Gospel-Preacher make full proof of thy Ministry And now having thus discovered to thee the head body and tail of this mysterie of ungodlinesse I shall lay the same part by part member by member and limb by limb upon the Quakers and make them as the image of the first Beast appear acting in and by the same power I â—peak in their own Dialect And to this purpose I shall give you in two papers of the Quakers own publishing which I caused herewith to be Printed which I rather do because their Books do mostly come to the hands of their own parties and are not therefore so common to all especially these two which I have taken most notice of and would have well considered that you may know these men and their spirit when it shall be tried For we will try their spirits whether they will or no And by the written word even in the letter which for all their sleightings of it hath light enough to discover their darknesse and hypocrisie and by it we will judge them and they shall be judged and if they repent not for all their pretensions to perfection they shall be condemned for God and his Word his written Word shall be true when all opposers shall be found liars Possibly other of their Books are as base as these for the truth is I have not read many of them as not thinking it worth the while but one of these the largest I took more notice of because penn'd or published in the name of two of those that were here in this City and did seduce the people These two which my self with others of my brethren in the Ministry had conference with before the Maior and Aldermen of which conference I hear they bray highly to their disciples But I find it observed by others that have had to doe with these kind of men that 't is their usual practise and as holy and perfect as they seem to be they can brag and lie abominably say and unsay affirm and deny even presently as some of good credit can witnesse And as for that Conference I leave it to be judged and censured by most that were present and shall proceed to the thing intended But before I present these papers to thee let me intreat thee take some directions for thy more profitable reading of them First consider whether the Queries opposed to these Quakers be not of highest concernment in Religion and so whether they deserve not a sober and serious answer Secondly observe whether they be answered to at all any of them yea or no. Thirdly do but take notice how in stead of answering they doe evade and avoid answering not so much as in shew doing it Fourthly do but take notice of the spirit of the men whether they speak from the Spirit of the holy God when in stead of giving a sober and solid answer they rail upon and revile the Querist with hellish and opprobrious speech Lastly do but observe their Heretical opinions which for thy better and more ready observation I have directed to be Printed in a differing character ANSWERS TO SEVERAL QVERIES Put forth to the despised People called QVAKERS By Philip Bennett who calls himself a Minister of Christ but is found to be a Deceiver Answered by them to whom they were directed ALSO ANSWERS To several other subtil QUERIES c. Answered by Edward Burrough and Francis Howgil who are Witnesses unto the Truth against this subtil serpent-like generation LONDON Printed for Giles Calvert at the black spread-Eagle at the West end of Pauls 1654. ANSVVERS To severall Queries put forth to the despised people called QVAKERS We having received a paper which was directed to Rich. Roper and to his Quaking friend which words comes from the dark carnal mind quaking and trembling which the Saints and holy men of God witnessed we own and witnesse therefore do we deny thee and all thy dark divinations WHereas thou Philip Bennet in thy note which thou hast written to Roper in answer to a Letter which he wrote to thee wherein he charges thee to be a liar and a false accuser and charges thee to bring any man to witness what thou hast spoken by them whom thou sayes denied that Christ that died at Jerusalem and who they were that denied that Christ that suffered at Jerusalem or else acknowledge thy self to be a slanderer and in thy paper thou gives no answer at all to these words but says thou called the Congregation to witness but doth not mention one in all the Congregation that will witnesse it whereupon the lie rests upon thy head and thou found to be the liar and the slanderer and the false accuser And whereas thou says thou hast sent Queries concerning that matter thy Queries makes thee manifest what thou art many of thy own tribe and generation if they saw thy Queries would be ashamed both of thee and of thy Queries for hundreds there are in the world that knows nothing of the true and living God and yet would see thee and thy Queries not to be worth answering yet lest thou should boast in thy filthy ignorance and darknesse and for clearing of the truth to the simple something in answer to them I. Quer. Whether was the Word made flesh or the Son of God made of a woman more or oftner then once Answ In this first Querie thou hast manifested what thou art to all the children of Light and where thou art and what spirit thou art of a reprobate a child of darkness thou art thou might have spared the other nineteen Queries for in this Query thy spirit is tried and in the eternal Light seen and known Thou askes whether the Word was made flesh any more or oftner then once which makes it plainly manifest that thou knows not what thou askest and that thou doest not know nor cannot witnesse the Word to be made flesh once but art one of the Antichrists and deceivers which John speaks of that are entred into the world which cannot confesse Jesus Christ come in the flesh and therefore thou Queries
by Scripture and where ever the holy men of God did divide him into three substances And if ye refuse to prove the same I proclaim as in the presence of the Lord that ye are perverters of the Scriptures and of the right way of the Lord and your propagating the Gospel and your principles are accursed from God having no example in Scripture Fifth Principle The fifth is That Christ is the Mediator between God and man without the knowledge of whom there is no salvation Answ Him we witness made manifest in us who is the Mediator but what have you to do to speak of his name or profess his words who are found in the steps of the Scribes Pharisees that put him to death who are called of men Master have uppermost rooms at feasts stand praying in the synagogues as they did that Christ cried wo against Math. 23. Thus you are separated from Christ who are not found in his doctrine and are found among the Heathen whom the condemnation is upon and the Scripture bare testimony against you that you are not in the doctrine of Christ but are found to be lyars 1 Joh. 2. â—2 and the acts of your fathers you are found acting And in the sixth you say that Christ is the true God Here you be witnesses against your selves that you divide the Father from the Son who you say is three distinct substances But the Lord will make you manifest ye that blindfold the simple by your subtilty and witchcraft making them believe lyes in stead of truth and would divide that in which there is no division for he that hath the Son hath the Father also This man Christ Jesus who was made with an oath the everlasting covenant the oath of God is not divided from him in whom the foundations stand for without this man Jesus was nothing made and as he was so he is He that hath an ear to hear let him hear And here Sottish minds your imagined God beyond the stars and your carnal Christ which you would make appear through your heathenish Philosophy is utterly denied and testisted against by the light which comes from Christ which ye resist as your forefathers have done And in your seventh Principle ye are laid open 1 Joh. 4. 2. Hereby know we the Spirit of God every spirit that confesseth Christ come in the flesh is of God and this is he that is one with the Father even Jesus Christ the man of God who was given for a covenant but him ye are enemies unto And whereas you say in the eighth that this Christ the man of God is God and Man in one person it is a lye He is not divided from what he was before the foundations of the hills were laid but him ye know not but as ye do imagine and the Heathens do and here you are shut forth from the Scriptures and from Christ and the new man which is witnessed in the sons of God Therefore stop your mouths for ever who would make people believe that believing in those words which are declared from the Life without the same spirit as they had that spoke them forth will bring them to the same knowledg of God And thus in your Ninth you have also shewed forth your ignorance and telling people that Christ hath paid a ransom for sin This is witnessed by the children of light but what have ye to do to take these words into your mouths that never yet came to repentance for sin and if ever you witness him a Redeemer you must witness the vengeance of God which is upon the man of sin But you men of sin who live in your filthiness shall receive your recompence from the hand of the Lord and this ye shall eternally witness whether you will hear or forbear And as for the eleventh that Christ being the onely God and man in one person remains for ever a distinct person from all Saints and Angels notwithstanding their union and communion with him your words are utterly denied and detested and your distinctions are abominable I challenge you from the Lord to prove such a thing in Scripture or else stop your mouths for ever for Christ Jesus is but one in all and not distinct and you that would divide him and them that are begotten by him are enemies unto him As for the twelfth That all men by nature are dead in trespasses and sins this is fulfilled in you and ye shall receive the wages of it ye men of sin whose ungodly practises are laid open and discovered to the children of light who have obtained the victory And I tell you plainly that vengeance of God hangs over your heads and the recompence of God shall be doubled upon you that live in your sins except ye repent ye shall likewise perish And whereas ye say ye are justified and saved by grace ye are they that have turned the grace of God into wantoness and holds the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ with respect of persons as is made manifest by you daily And in your last you say That to continue in any known sin under what pretence soever is damnable Here be you witnesses against your selves that ye are proud and that ye live in the practice of the world which is sin and seek for your gain from your quarters which is sin and the Lord sent his prophets to declare against such and the same woe from God is upon you that act the same things Isa 56. 11. And here your practice and example is found among the false prophets of Israel which the Lord sent his true prophets to declare against which received his word from his own mouth for which they were both persecuted and stoned by your generation which professed that in words which they persecuted in the Saints who witnessed the life and power of what they spake Thus have ye brought shame upon your selves ye deceitful workers who are professing that outwardly in words which ye are enemies to the life of So from the Scriptures ye are razed out and your bottom and foundation is made manifest to the children of light and your deceits are made manifest by them that walk in the light at which you are stumbling as your forefathers did though you profess the words declared from the light Thus have I returned an answer to your confused Paper lest you should boast your selves in your folly and blind the eyes of the simple by your heathenish inventions as ye have formerly done and have laid your shame open unto the simple-minded that they may discover and see your confusion And now a word unto you from whom this Paper was put forth Your spirits and your actings are contrary to the Spirit of Christ as having no example from him not his Apostles for it be ye ashamed and stop your mouthes from professing godliness who are found in the pride and in the wickedness of this world out of which the Ministers of
Rom. 2. 5. 2 Thes 8 9. e Rom. â— 12. to the end of the â—6 v. Rev. 20. 12. Civil life f Prov. 21. 6. g Jer. 30. 23. h Prov. 22. 15. Deut. 13. 11. 17. 13. 19 20 â—1 12. iProv 12. 15. 6. 23. o Gal. 6 7. * Condition of faith by na 〈…〉 ure Eph. 2 312. 4. 17 18. Prov. 27. 19. Rom. 3. 10 11 12. Ib. Gal. 3. 10. Ja. 2. 10. k Heb. 6. 4. Act. 7. 51. m Luk. 10. 1â— 14. Rom. 2. 6 1 Pet. 1. 17. 2 Cor. 9. * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 b That as in a Prison under lock and key that he cannot get out c Job 10. 7. Psal 89. 48. Isa 43. 13. Psal 49. 7 8. Christ held forth d Jo. 5. 15. 16. e Eph. 1. 5. 9. f Rom. 3. 24. g Eph. 3. 10. h 1 Jo. beg i Mat. 4 2. Luk. 1. 78 79. Mat. 4. 10. Luk. 2. 32. Joh. 8. 12. 2 Cor. 4. 6. Col. 1. 12. 1 Pet. 2. 9. Rev. 21. 24. i Mat. 4 2. Luk. 1. 78 79. Mat. 4. 10. Luk. 2. 32. Joh. 8. 12. 2 Cor. 4. 6. Col. 1. 12. 1 Pet. 2. 9. Rev. 21. 24. k Heb. 2. 16. l 2 Pet. 2. 4. Heb. 2. 16. 14. Heb. 2. 17. Heb. 4. 15. Mediator m 1 Tim. 2. 5. Heb. 9. 15. 12. 24. Heb. 4. 15. Heb. 2. 18. Priest Heb. 2. 17. Contemplation n Rom. 11. 33. 1 Cor. 2. 9. 1 Joh. 4. 8. o Jo. 1. 14. 3. 16 1 Jo. 4. 9. Mat. 3. 17. c. p Jo. 3. 16. Rom. 5. 6. 10. q Job 22. 3. Psal 16. 2. r Job 35. 6 7 8 s Rom. 5. 7 8. t Luk. 2. 13 14 u 2 Thes 1. 8 9 w Eze. 16. 2 3 4 5. x Ezek. 16. 6 7 8. y Psal 2. 11. Heb. 12. 28. z Isa 63. 5. a Luk. 1. 68. 69 b Luk. 2. 11. c Isa 63. 1. d Isa 9. 6. e Gal. 4. 4 5. f Heb. 7. 22. g Rom. 8. 3 4. Mans state under the Law h Gen. 2. 15 16 Gal. 3. 10. i Rom. 5. 6. k Gen. 37. 1. Gal. 2. 16. 3. 11 Rom. 10. 5. Gal. 3. 12. 2 Cor. 3. 7. 2 Cor. 3. 9. Necessity of Christ l Rom. 5. 6. m Ib. n Jo. 1. 14. o Heb. 2. 10. p Gal. 3. 21. 22. 2. 21. q Rom. 10. 5. Gal. 3. 12. r Rom. 8. 3. s 2 Cor. 3. 7. t Rom. 7. 12. Christ incarnate u Jo. 1. 29. Eph 1. 4. 1 Pet. 1. 20. Rev. 13. 8. w Gal. 4. 4. x Jo. 1. 1 2 3. y Heb. 1. 2 3. Jo. 18. z Rom. 9. 5. Jo. 17. 2. a Phil. 2. 6. b Prov. 8. from 22. to 32. Jo. 17. 24. c Jo. 3. 16. c Jo. 3. 16. d Gen. 3. 15. e Gen. 12. 3. Gal. 3. 18. Gen. 18. 18. 26. 4. f Col. 2. 17. Heb. 10. 1. g Act. 26. 22. 28. 23. h Jo. 1. 29. i Rom. 8. 3. 4. k Rom. 3. 9. Gal. 3. 22. l 2 Cor. 5. 21. Gal. 3. 13 14 s Heb. 2. 14. t Act. 10. 18. u Isa 53. throughout w Mat. 27. 26. x Isa 53. 4 5 6 Reconciliation a 2 Cor. 5. 19. b Heb. 1. 1. 10 10. c Heb. 9. 14. d Heb. 10 12 e Eph. 2. 16. Col. 1. 20. 24. f Heb. 9. 22. g Heb. 10. 14. h Dan. 9. 24. 27 i Jo. 3. 15. k Rom. 8. 1 2. New Covenant with Christ l Isa 53. 10 11 12. m Act. 13. 38. 39 n 1 Pet. 2. 24. Sealed by his Resurrection o Act. 2. 32. 3. 15. 10. 40. 13. 30 33 34. p Act. 2. 24. Jo. 17. 4. 19. 30. q Gen. 3. 15. r 2 Tim. 2. 26. r 2 Tim. 2. 26. s Eph. 5. 8. Act. 26. 18. Eph. 6. 12. t Col. 1. 13. u Heb. 2. 14 15 Justification w Rom. 8. 33 34. x Rom. 4. 24 25. y Dan 9. 24. Confirmed by his Ascension z Jo. 16. 8. compared with v. 12. Heb. 10. 1. 2. Act. 20. 28. Heb. 9. 14. Session in glory a Eph. 4. 8. b Col. 2. 14 15. c 1 Pet. 1. 21. Mat. 22. 44. Act. 2. 30. 33. 36. Heb. 1. 13. Eph. 1. 20. Heb. 1. 3. 10. 1â— 13. d Rom. 16. 20. Heb. 2. 14 15. Intercession b Psal 2. 6. Jo. 12. 15. 1 Cor. 15. â—4 c Act. 3. 21. 2 Thes 1. 8 9 10. Act. 17. 31. 2 Tim. 4. 1. d Rom. 2. 5 6. The Believers Confidence a Heb. 9. 24. Rom. 8. 34. Heb. 7. 24 25. 1 Jo. â— 1 1. a Ezra 9. 6 7. Dan. 9. 7 8. Gen. 32. 10 b Heb. 4. 16. 10. 21 22. Eph. 3. 12. c 1 Jo. 2. 1 2. d Rom. 4. 5. 8. 33. e Heb. 7. 22. f Rom. 4. 24 25 g Gen. 18. â—5 h Rom. 3. 25 26. Ministers of reconciliation a 2 Cor. 5. 18 19. b M. 28. 19 20. c 2 Cor. 5. 20. d Eph. 3. 8 9. 1. 18. e Ibid. f Eph. 2. 14. g Gal. 3. 28 h Isa 55. 1 2. Lu. 24. 6. Zech. 13. 1. i Mat. 11. 28 29. k Jo. 1. 12. l Ia. 2. 5. New Sect. Ability given to know and receive Christ a Rom. 10. 4. 5. 17. b Rom. 5. 9 10 c Rom. 10. 3. d Jo. 17. 6. e Rom. 8. 28. Eph. 1. 9. 3. 1â— f 2 Tim. 2. 19. g 1 Jo. 5. 20. And tobe in him a 1 Jo. 5. 12. b 1 Jo. 5. 10. c Mat. 3. 17. 2 Pet. 1. 17. d Eph. 2. 7. e Heb. 7. 25. f Eph. 5. 8. g Eph. 1. 5. Son-ship witnessed a Gal. 4. 5 6 7. b Eph. 1. 13. c Eph. 1. 13 14 d 8 Rom. 23. e Rom. 6. 14. f Jo. 16. 13. 1 Jo. 2. 27. g Jo. 16. 7. 2 Cor. 1. 4. h Rom. 8. 26. i Rom. 8. 15 16 Justification witnessed a 1 Jo. 5. 7. b 1 Jo. 5. 4. d Jo. 19. 34. c 1 Jo. 5 6. h 1 Jo. 5. 8. Who ever is a childe of God by faith in Christ to justifie him Hath the Spirit of Adoption to to sanctifie him which seales to him his interest in the compleat and perfect work of Redemption from all his spirituall enemies sin as well as Satan e Jo. 3. 33 to the end f Gal 4. 6. Sanctification witdessed g Eph. 5. 24. 26. 27. i Titus 11. 2. 11 22 13 14. i Titus 11. 2. 11 22 13 14. a 1 Cor. 6. 9 10. b Rev. 21. 27. c Eph. 5. 27. d 1 Pet. 1. 18. e Bph. 4. 20 21 f Eph. 4. 18. g Ib. h Eph. 4. 23. i Eph. 2. 10. k Eph. 4. 22 Col. 3. 8. l Eph. 5. 4 m Eph. 4. 29. n Heb. 13. 5. o Phil. 1. 27 p 1 Jo. 3. 3. q 2 Tim. â— 10 r 2 Thes 2. 13. Å¿ Rom. 16. 26. Gal. 5. 6. t 1 Jo. 4. 19. u 2 Cor. 5. 14 15. w Phil. 1. â—0 21. x Phil. 3. 3 4 5 6. y Phil. 3. 8 9. z Prov. 14. 16. Eccles 7. 20. 1 Jo. 1. 8. 10. Psal 19. 12 Ia. 3. â— a Phil. 3. 13 14 b 2 Cor. 5. 1. 4. c Phil. 3. 14. d Phil. 3. 10. e Ib. 11. A Christians ingagement by Baptisme a Gal. 3. 27. b Gal. 5. 3. c Gal. 3. 27. Rom. 6. 3 4 5 6. d Rom. 6. per tot e Rom. 5. 10 21 f Rom. 6. 1. g Rom. 6. 2. h Rom. 6. per totum i Rom. 5 10 11 12 13 Often use of Lords Supper a Luk 22. 19. 1 Cor. 11. 24 25. b 1 Cor. 11. 26. The grounds and ends of this Mysterie of Godlinesse thus ordered in a way of Free-grace a Jer. 9. 23. 1 Cor. 1. 29 30 31 c. b Rom. 4 2 c Ps 143. 2. Acts 13. 39. Rom. 3. 20. d Rom. 3. 27. e Jer. 9. 23. 1 Cor. 1. 19 30 f Rom. 3. 24 25. g Rom. 3. 16. 1 Jo. 5. 10. Mark 16. 16. A farther manifestation of free-grace a Jo. 1. 12. b 2 Thes 3. 2. c Heb. 11. 6. d Rom. 8. â—8 e Eph. 2. 8. Phil. 1. 29. f 2 Cor. 3. 5. g Ib. Phil. 1. 13. Heb. 12. beg 2. h 1 Pet. 5. 10. i Luk. 22. 32. k Eph. 1. 19. 20. 2 Thes 1. 11. l Eph. 2. 10. 2. Cor. 5. 17. Gal. 6. 15. m ib. Eph. 2. 15 4. 24. Col. 3. 10 n Ezek. 36. 26. o Ezek. 11. 19. p 1 Cor. 11. 4. q Rom. 4. 16. 5. 20. Zech. 4. 7. r Rom. 11. 6. s Luk. 2. 14. Eph. 1. 6. 3. 21. Saints security Qua supra a 1 Cor. 15. 45. 47 49. b Qua supra c Job 4. 18 19. d 1 Pet. 1. 3. 4. 5. e Heb. 13. 5. 2 Cor. 12. 9. f Rom. 4. 16. Mans strong ingagement to duty a Jer. 31. 3. Hos 11. 4. b Ezek. 6. beg c 2 Cor. 5. 14. 15 d Act. 17. 13. 2 Tim. 4. 1. e Rev. 22. 20. a Acts 20. 28 29 30 31 2 Tim. 2. 10. Tit. 1. 1. 1 Pet. 1. 2. 1 Pet. 2. 6. 1 Pet. 5. 13. They belye the Profession But why is the 10 Article left out Reader thou shalt have it anon Why do you not put doun all most abominable impostors Why do you cut short the 13 article too This is not the last there are two more which Reader thoushalt have in to discover these enemies to truth and the Gospel I must take the questions as these Quakers set them down for that they doe belye men in misreciting their words I shall prove afterwards a p. 2 3. b p. 3 4. Ans to 3. Art Answ to the 4th Art or Principle Answer to four Art by Howgil a Barr. Also what it is to go through Farnworth exponds in his Answer Truths defence p 69. Sword of the 〈◊〉 drawn p. 5. Truths defence pag. 78. Truths Defence saies that the faith of God justifies alone without imputation and thy imputed faith say they we deny Page 93. Short Answer to the Priests p. 15. Truths defence p. 10. Short Answer to the seven Priests p. 20. Truths defence P. 39.
great God not willing that all men should perish according to the good pleasure of his will which he had purposed in himself from all eternity unaskt unsought unto for who or which of all men or Angels with all their light or knowledge could have once imagined such a thing which was not fully made known to any either in heaven or earth till the time of full accomplishment designed and appointed the eternal word that enlighteneth all men that come into the world with the common light of all nature to come himself into the world to enlighten his people with the special light of grace And passing by the Angels that fell and reserving them in chains of darknesse to the judgement of the great day to take on him the seed of Abraham and to partake with us in our nature flesh and blood and to become man like unto us in all things sin only excepted That so participating of both natures divine and humane he might become a middle man a fit Mediator between God by sin offended and Man by sin offending and also that knowing our infirmities whereof he was to have experience by those tryalls and temptations which he should suffer in our nature whilst on earth he might be the more compassionate towards us and to succour us when we are tempted and to perform the office of a merciful and faithful high Priest for us in things pertaining to God and our salvation in making reconciliation for the sins of his people And here Oh depths of the love of God how unsearchable how unfathomable as 1. That a Father such a Father the Father of love yea love it self for God is love That such a Father should give such a Son the Son of his love his loving and beloved his own and only begotten Son not having such another That he should give him to and for man Man a worm nay worse a sinner a sinful man an enemy a rebel to God whom he might have justly destroyed and yet have bin in himself as before blessed and glorious for ever Man by whose goodnesse God is not made better nor by whose badnesse he is never the worse O here is misericordia in excelsis mercy in its heights in its exaltation love without parallel herein God commended his love to the purpose which made the multitude of the heavenly Host sing gloria in excelsis glory to that God in the Heavens that had such respect to men on Earth who for their sin deserved to be in hell That when man who by sin had departed from God the spring and fountain of his happinesse and glory and thereby justly deserved to be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and the glory of his power And being cast out to the loathing of his soul had he but eyes to see his own corruption and wretchednesse and no eye pittying him much lesse able to help him That then even then when man was ready to perish should be the time of love and the Lord should passe by or rather stand still and pitty and cast his skirt of compassion over him and say unto him again and again and again live Oh ye Heavens stand amazed and oh thou earth flesh and blood rejoyce and tremble Especially considering that when there was none to help the arm of the Lord alone should bring deliverance unto man by raising up a mighty salvation for him out of the house of his Servant David even Christ the Lord the wonderful counsellor the mighty God mighty to save the everlasting Father the Prince of peace who becoming man came under the same Law and obligation to obedience with us And not only so but also became our sponsor surety and undertaker for us to do suffer and fulfil that for us which we were no way able to do for our selves For whereas we stood bound to fulfil and keep the whole Law for life under a penalty of the curse and death for non-observance Man losing his strength which he should have had by his keeping close to God in obedience I say man losing his power to keep the Law the Law lost its power to acquite man And of a Law and ministration of life became a Law and Ministration of death And the higher and more powerfully it wrought before by mans obedience to it for comfort and salvation so the higher and more powerfully it works now by its convincing light in the conscience the more dreadful it is by reason of mans disobedience to terror and wrath and condemnation Now when we were thus without strength all of us being thus ungodly Christ God-man for his great love wherewith he loved us undertook the mannagement of our quarrel and became the Captain of our salvation to bring us to God and glory For if there had been any Law way or means that could have restored man to life and happinesse could man by performing and keeping the Law have procured his own freedom and stood just and upright before the barre of Gods justice then Christ had come and undertaken the work in vain which once so much as to imagine were the highest blasphemy against the wisdom and goodnesse of God that ever was conceived True it is could man have as I may say justified the Law by keeping it the Law would have justified him in and by that obedience to it but now the Law is become weak and unable to justifie any man though powerful and strong enough to condemn every man having lost its strength to saving purposes not through any defect or inability of its own for it is holy just and good but through the weaknesse of the flesh that is â—ans corrupt nature who is not now able to fulfil it And now behold the Lamb of God which taketh away the sins of the world For now God for the accomplishment of that design of free grace and love which he had laid before he laid the foundation of the world when the fulnesse of time by him appointed was come sent his Son him that is the eternal word by whom he created all things that essential word which really fully substantially knows and makes known and fulfills his Fathers will him that is God over all blessed for ever equal with the Father in being Majesty and glory him in whom his Father delighted from all eternity his own and his only begotten Son promised before to Adam preach'd to Abraham the Patriarks typified in the legal sacrifices and prophecied of by Moses and all the Prophets pointed at by John he sends him this Son in the likenesse of sinful flesh for sin to condemn sin in flesh that the righteousnesse of the Law might be fulfilled in the Saints who