without any just cause both then and when we were afterward at their Meeting to clear our selves from T. V's and W. M. their malicious and slanderous accusation of Blasphemy yea even in the time when I sate silent amongst them some of their Hearers both Men and Women would be railing and clamouring against me when I gave them no seeming much less real occasion at all I being silent So that of all the Assemblies I have been in I never met with any that shewed less Christianity Civility or good Education And whereas T. V. is neither so honest nor yet so ingenious as to acknowledge his apparent and palpable Contradictions in his Sermon set down and observed by W. P. but rather would out-face us and the Readers as though they were no Contradictions Let the Reader therefore take a short review of them as first That a Person that is born of God overcomes the World and yet the Victory in this Life incompleat Is not here an evident inconsistency and contradiction is his Doctrine and ignorance of the Child of God and the Saints Victory which was their Faith 1 Joh. 5.4 For if he have alwayes enemies or sins unsubdued in this Life how are they overcome and victory obtained Or is there a Victory over Enemies and they not overcome What false glosses would he set upon his Contradictions And his instance of the Canaanites among the Children of Israel being like Thorns doing them mischief This was when they did not as God commanded drive them out before them which is no proof in this case to him that is born of God for the wicked one cannot touch him much less mischief him And T. V. his saying That such as are in Christ and cast off the old Man and known a change altogether New and yet worldly Lusts cannot be extirpated out of God's People in this World Do but mark his plain Contradiction again here and how doth he clear himself by questions May not Have not Worldly Lusts a being and some power to oppose in God's People where they have lost their rule But how then are they in Christ and have cast off the old man and known a change altogether new what must the old worldly Lusts still remain unextirpated in this Life in Christ Where then is the newness of Life altogether or the Grace of God in its teaching to deny those things obeyed And how then are such as be in Christ new Creatures Or how have they that are his crucified the flesh with the Affections and Lusts Which to accuse all God's People of worldly Lusts all their life time what an abuse is it to them Did not Paul see and attain a state beyond that wherein he had seen a Law in his members warring and leading him captive c. Did not he see the Law of the Spirit of Life in Christ to make him free from the Law of Sin Death when through Christ he became more than a conqueror And could he be in all those states he mentioned to the Romans then at one and the same time to wit carnal sold under sin led captive having a will to do that which was good but knew not how and also to be freed from the Law of Sin and Death by the Law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus one dead to sin that could not live any longer therein and more than a conqueror c. could these states be consistent or all his at one and the same time viz. To be Carnal Wretched a Captive ignorant of his Duty and yet a Delivered Freed Spiritual man more than a Conqueror and an Apostle that then knew how to write that Epistle Instruct others and Preach to them in the Fulness of the Gospel Were not these Latter his Attainments at that time wherein he shews his deliverance from the former Bondage Servitude and Thraldom under the power of Sin and the Law and Body of it which is not to remain alwayes but to be ended abollished and destroyed by the Power and Operation of Jesus Christ in them that believe For if Christ be in you the body is dead because of sin but the Spirit is Life because of Righteousness And where the old man is crucified with him it is to the destruction of the body of sin that henceforth sin should not be served Rom. 6.6 chap. 8.10 And Paul speaking to the Romans after the manner of men because of the infirmity of their flesh ch 6.19 And his so condescending to speak of several states that he had passed through was not to encourage any to plead or contend for sin term of life as most injuriously his Intention is perverted by these Ministers of Sin and Antichrist whilst that he also shews his Deliverance and Conquest but rather that men should believe as he had done in order to their obtaining perfect Victory and Conquest by the same Power and Spirit of Christ in which true Believers confide and trust against all the powers of Darkness Temptations and evil Motions knowing that Christ's Power is stronger than the Devil's power And it 's for Christ's Power and Work that we contend both against the Devil his Work and Messengers who dispute and contend for sin term of life which is their great injury both against Christ his Work and People and that which hath greatly strengthened the hands of evil-doers And T.V. his telling That Sin may tyrannize over Believers and yet not have Dominion but be in Captivity in Chains Who is so blind that cannot see his Contradiction herein and his silly come off in instancing that a Slave in Chains may sometimes break loose and Tyrannize what then is this Captivity and these Chains under which the sin is held and how doth it tyrannize and yet not have dominion what silly work is this But his saying You must kill or be killed either you must overcome the world or the world you What must they kill but sin and worldly lusts Surely this is further than an incompleat Victory and further than an Enemy breaking loose if he be killed for if he be slain he hath neither power to break loose lead captive and much less to tyrannize over Believers It is strange how T.V. can so far shut his eyes or endeavour to blind others as to seek to gloss over these notorious Contradictions as if they were in unity and then lightly to say Can you forbear smiling at the man he calleth these Contradictions How shallow and ridiculous hath he rendered himself herein CHAP. II. In Answer to W. Madox together with several Contradictions between him and his Brother T. Vincent and their Absurdities manifested and detected which shews also their ignorance of the True and Living God c. THese men having prostituted themselves to an Idol of their own brains The Light within which is their Christ Saviour count the Doctrine of the true God a strange Doctrine Answ. The Light within which we do own witness
Believers and if he loves his Image in his People freely then he is satisfied in his own Image and that which brings to know and injoy this Image and the renewing of it within is that which brings into Love and Union with God which is his Divine Spirit and Power that renews man into the Heavenly Image and Righteousness of the Everlasting God which they that injoy have the acceptable Sacrifice and from thence can present Living Sacrifices unto God to his Eternal Praise And to T. V's saying That if Christ were not punished for us to satisfie God's Justice it would follow from W. P 's words that Christ should be a sinner and that he was punished for his own sins Reply That 's a blasphemous Consequence indeed but not truly charged upon W. P. for he never intended by his words to render Christ a sinner nor that he was punished for his own sins for he never sinned but he was Punished and Suffered by sinners who by wicked hands and so by their injustice put him to Death and under the buden and weight of their Transgressions he Suffered as also his tender Spirit that made Intercession and suffered for Transgressors from a fore-sight of the Wrath that should come upon the Rebellious and was not the Wicked the Instruments that wounded bruised and afflicted him and that oppressed his Righteous Soul And did not his Innocent Life and Righteous Soul suffer under a great oppression and weight of man's Transgression when he was in his Agony and sweat drops of Blood before his being Crucified And so was not his Suffering two-fold both Inward and Outward And then if so that the pure Life and holy Spirit suffered as bearing the burthen of their sins and if the God-Head being in Christ so nearly united as to bear up the Manhood under the Suffering as is confessed How then can it be deemed that God inflicted the punishment of Eternal Wrath or Vengeance on his Son Surely his permitting wicked men by their wicked hands to punish him with a Temporal Suffering and Death could not be his Eternal Wrath or Vengeance which is supposed to Answer and Satisfie Divine Justice for man and so to acquit man Living and Dying in sin a great Error from Eternal Wrath whereas Christ Jesus was the Son of his Love were it not inconsistent to say That God's Justice did punish or execute Wrath upon his Love Seeing that it 's confest That Grace and Justice are very well consistent and that there is a free Exercise both of Justice and Love without force or compulsion How does T.V. his matter hang together let the moderate judge But had he stated it in the Language and sense of the Scriptures of Truth there had not appeared this Contrariety nor Opposition either between us or with himself For Scripture-accounts concerning Christ and his Sufferings for sinners both inward and outward I do own and Confess to and have a reverend Esteem of all his Sufferings and the worth thereof and do greatly prize his Meekness and Humility who hath freely condescended according to the Good Will and Pleasure of God not from Wrath nor Compulsion to offer himself a Lamb without spot to God to bear our griefs and sorrows yet saith the Prophet Isaiah chap. 53 we did esteem him stricken smitten of God and afflicted but 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 he was oppressed he was afflicted yet he opened not his mouth he was brought as a Lamb to the slaughter he made his Grave with the wicked and with the rich in his Death because he had not done no violence neither was any deceipt in his mouth yet it pleased the Lord to bruise him he hath put him to grief when thou shalt make his Soul an Offering for sin he shall see his seed he shall prolong his dayes and the Pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand This is he that hath been despised and rejected of men This is he who hath been as a Lamb slain from the Foundation of the World This is he men have evilly entreated and evilly requited for his kindness and good Will that he hath shewed forth towards them This is he whom they have caused to suffer by their iniquities and so thereby have shewed great unworthiness and ingratitude towards him and his Father whose Pleasure and Good Will he came to perform both in his being delivered up to undergo Afflictions and Bruises and many hard Sufferings for Mankind and surely God was in him Reconciling the World even in and through that low and suffering state which the Righteous Seed and renowned Plant of the Lord hath undergone but now what effect hath all this Love Tenderness and Compassion of God in and through Christ upon and in man whilst Sin Transgression and Imperfection term of Life is pleaded for by the Priests Surely they herein do not make a right use of Christ's Suffering but both reject him and the End thereof and this was not the use that the true Ministers did make thereof for they witnessed that he died for all that as many as lived should not live unto themselves but unto him that died and rose again 2 Cor. 5.15 and his own self bare our sins in his Body on the Tree that we being dead to sin should live to Righteousness this was not a living to sin nor pleading for Imperfectiom as T. V hath done who farther adds viz. The 7 th Consequence is childish and a shame that a man that pretendeth to any brains should mention it That though Christ hath satisfied for us the Debt remaineth still to Christ pag. 66. Reply Is this such a childish shameful or brainless Consequence that the Debt remains still to Christ Has not T.V. herein shewed his Ignorance of Scripture for ought nor Christ to be obeyed who is the Author of Eternal Salvation to them that obey him Heb. 5. and we are not under the Law to God but under the Law to Christ and to what end is his spiritual Law written in the Heart and his Spirit in the inward Parts but to be obeyed and we are Debtors not to the Flesh to live after the Flesh Rom. 8.12 to what then but to live after the Spirit and through it to mortifie the Deeds of the Body vers 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11. The Apostle was far from pleading for sin and Imperfection as Priests do for which God will judge them by Jesus Christ to whom all Judgment is committed who hath Power to proclaim the Day of Vengeance as well as the acceptable year of the Lord. The truth of it is T.V. has Confessed to what W. P. has writ in many places but to his own Contradiction but here he falls a Railing and vilifying him with such terms as Abominable Worm c. He has not at all dealt fairly or honestly
Righteous whilst such as if God's Righteousness or Workmanship were impure This Doctrine has led many in the way to Hell and Destruction But T.V. in 2 Cor. 5. should have read vers 17. If any man be in Christ he is a new Creature old things are passed away behold all things are become new Which is a real change in that man that is in Christ from sin and transgression and not a Justification therein for the Spirit of God both discovers to man his sin and reproves him as a transgressor and one Guilty whilst therein and surely God does not accept of men as his own Righteousness and in Christ whilst his Spirit in them judges them to be both unrighteous and out of Christ for if he did that were to make God contradict himself and to speak quite contrary to his own Spirit which were very absurd and blasphemous to assert But had T.V. rightly minded and understood that of Rom. 8.1 2 3 4 he might have seen how contrary it is to his Doctrine before and himself therein confuted For 1st They that are in Christ Jesus walk not after the Flesh but after the Spirit and it s to such only to whom there is no Condemnation therefore Justification and this is not a sinful imperfect or guilty state 2dly The Law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus hath made such free from the Law of Sin and Death 3dly God sending his Son to condemn sin in the Flesh was not to look upon man Justified in the sinful state or whilst he walks after the Flesh. But 4thly That the Righteousness of the Law might be fulfilled in such who walk not after the Flesh but after the Spirit and this doth absolutely confute T.V. and his Brethren And whereas for the proof of his Doctrine of Guilty Persons being the Righteousness of God he citeth Rom. 4.6 7. where it is said David described the blessedness of that man to whom God imputeth Righteousness without Works to which I say not without the Works of the True and Living Faith in Jesus nor yet without a subjection to the Law of Faith but without that the Works or Deeds of the Law of Works chap. 3.19 20 21 24 25 26 27 28. the Apostle did not exclude the Works Obedience or Righteousness of the true Faith from a justified state for if Paul had so done it had been contrary to James his Testimony who said Was not our Father Abraham justified by Works when he had offered up Isaac See Jam. 2. And Abraham believed God and it was counted to him for Righteousness We say That Faith was reckoned to Abraham for Righteousness Rom. 4.3 9. which Faith was not without its own Works although it be not the Works of the Law as Circumcision and others that were Types or Signs wherein the Righteousness of Faith doth not consist which they that are in the uncircumcision as the Gentiles that were the ungodly spoken of Rom. 4.5 11. chap. 3.29 do receive through Faith in Christ and become really partakers thereof being Justified from all those things from which they could not be Justified by the Law of Moses And so such are Justified or made Just or truly so Accepted of God not in sin or ungodliness but as Redeemed out of it and Sanctified from it See 1 Cor. 6.11 And blessed are they whose Iniquities are forgiven and whose sins are covered Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin This is no Proof for T. V. his sinful Doctrine for them whom the Lord doth bless and imputeth not Iniquity to are in the way of God and partakes of his Righteousness through Faith cannot feed upon an imagined Imputation or Justification in sin for in Psal. 32.2 David describeth the blessedness of such in these words Blessed is the man to whom the Lord imputeth not Iniquity and in whose Spirit there is no guile These words in whose Spirit there is no guile the Priests use to leave out in their talk of Imputation but as their Faith without Works or a real Obedience on the Creatures part is but a dead empty and feigned Faith So their laying a claim to and pretending a Justification by the imputed Righteousness of Christ whilst they are sinners and polluted pleading for Imperfection whilst here 't is but a false imagination of their own for though we confess that Justification is in the Righteousness of Christ by Faith in him and that this True and Living Faith and the Righteousness of it is reckoned to the true Believer yet we do not therefore grant that Sinners or Polluted Persons in that state are cloathed with this Righteousness nor that 't is imputed to them as theirs whilst they are out of it for they that have put on Christ are translated from sin and unrighteousness and so are made partakers of the Righteousness of Faith which T.V. saith is without us and so puts it a far off and yet cites Phil. 3.9 which plainly Contradicts his Doctrine for Paul having confessed Christ Jesus to be his Lord and suffered the loss of all things that he might win Christ it was that he might be found in him not having his own Righteousness but that which is through the Faith of Christ the Righteousness which is of God by Faith that said he I may know him and the Power of his Resurrection and the Fellowship of his Suffering being made conformable to his Death vers 9 10. Mark his winning Christ being found in him his not having his own Righteousness but that of Faith extends to a real injoyment of Christ and his being in him and not to an imagined Imputation in sin but to his knowing Christ and the Power of his Resurrection Fellowship of his Suffering and Conformity to his Death this was a blessed estate which all you that plead for Sin and Imperfection and a Justification whilst you are out of Christ or strangers to him being both unacquainted with his Power and Fellowship of Suffering and never came ye so to be conformable to his Death you being yet alive in your sins And as to T. V. his Argument or Syllogism it proves nothing of his Doctrine of impure or guilty Persons being Justified by Imputation for Justification by Faith in Jesus Christ and his Righteousness we never denied but this Faith is not a dead Faith nor without its own Works for it purifieth the heart but so does not your Faith who plead for sin by which you apply Christ's Righteousness whilst you are out of it and it without you as T.V. confesseth pag. 17. How hath he and the rest of you that own this his Doctrine soothed and daubed People up in their sins flattering them with a Pretence of Imputation and Justification therein when your Faith is but dead and empty as a body without a Spirit is dead That we are Justified by Faith without Works By what Faith and without what Works is mentioned and manifest according to Scripture both
plenty of Scripture Phrases for pardon forgiveness remissions upon a true Repentance And I query what Scripture he hath for his explanation of Satisfaction viz. a compensation made to God for our sin by Christ doing or suffering or both Justice that is Vindictive p. 19. What Scripture hath he for these words and this Doctrine Is not this a confirmation to what is queried before concerning this he calls Vindictive Justice the same that God punisheth the reprobate Angels or Devils with the same he reckons Christ to have suffered and so hath numbred Christ among reprobate Angels and Devils but yet another while Christ's being under the Law Gal. 4.4 5. T. D. construes as not lying barely in the smart of sence but in the brand of infamy thereby set upon us pag. 20. But then how was it the same revenge or punishment that reprobate Angels and Devils undergo and Sinners deserved which surely is more then the brand of infamy is not here manifest contradiction and did the brand of infamy proceed as revengefull Justice from God or rather from the envy and injustice of the wicked against him Again he was not ashamed to call us Brethren Hebr. 2.11 that is saith T. D. Fellow Subjects for being one in nature with us he becomes one with us in an obligation to the same Law to which I say if we are fellow Subjects and one in nature with Christ and he one with us in obligation c. and that the brand of infamy he underwent be set upon us then it is to be minded first that such as be Christ's Brethren one in nature and fellow Subjects with him are Sanctified and not remaining in a polluted nature nor yet in a sinfull imperfect state all their life time seeing both he that sanctifieth and they who are sanctified are all of one for which cause he is not ashamed to call them Brethren Hebr. 2.11 Secondly Fellow Subjects with Christ that are bound with him and partake of his Sufferings are not rebellious nor disobedient to him or his Law but faithfull followers of him by whose Power Aid and Assistance they are incouraged in their obedience and faithfulness to him and this is the effect both of Christ's Manfestation Obedience and Righteousness to and in every one that believes Thirdly If Christ's condescension and union with his Followers and their being Fellow-Subjects with him be the thing that Christ tenders to God for Satisfaction as T. D. in his Answer intimates then if he had held to this we should not much have differed but how this agrees with their Doctrine for the continuance of Imperfection and Sin in all covered over with a pretence of full satisfaction being made for them which still leaves all in sin I do not yet understand nor doth it appear how he and his Brethren can be reconciled herein But whereas T. D. confesseth that Christ both by doing and suffering did satisfie and that the satisfaction may be made as well Agendo as Patiendo therein hath he contradicted many of his Brethren who lay it upon his Suffering and Death onely another while upon his under-going Vindictive Justice as they call it the same that is laid upon Devils But then if his Satisfaction be as well agendo as patiendo whether or no he did do all in the dayes of his Flesh in his own person that was to be done for man or whether his work is not experimentally to be known and wrought in every man for the destruction or ending of Sin and Trangression before full satisfaction and peace be enjoyed with God seeing his coming in the likeness of sinfull flesh was to Condemn sin in the flesh that the righteousness of the Law might be fulfilled in us that walk not after the Flesh but after the Spirit and is not this Law Spiritual which we are bound to obey for can it be supposed that all mankind or the Nation of the Gentiles were bound under the Law that was given to the Jews outwardly And then would it be good Doctrine to say that we or all Nations were Fellow-Subjects with Christ bound under the Law of the Jews which had the Shaddows of good things to come or is it not more meet to say that all ought to be subject unto the Law of Christ the Law of Faith the Law of he Spirit of Life in him and that he was made a surety Hebr. 7.22 therein of a better Testament which is Spiritual and the Righteousness of the Law which he fulfils within is also spiritual and inwardly known its judgment sentence and condemnation known inwardly where sin is condemned in the Flesh seeing that the Commandment that was ordained to Life the Apostle found to be unto death in him as it is in all that come to Life and is not this the effect of Christ's Coming Obedience Sufferings c and how can these things be experienced but by waiting in his Light and Spirit within and if Satisfaction consists as well Agendo as Patiendo are not Christ's inward and spiritual operations included in his doing or works for mans Salvation how then can man exclude them and think himself wholy acquitted and yet in his sins by the Suffering and Death of Christ without as a full compensation and satisfaction in his stead And for whom was Christ a Propitiation for the appeasement of wrath relaxation of the Law purchase of freedom from punishment pag. 23. If it consist in his Personal Obedience and Suffering onely without the knowledge of his work within then are not all men so free and acquitted for whom he did suffer and doth not this extend to all that were dead for he is a propitiation for the Sins of the whole world but this Presbyterians deny what effect then do they put upon Christ's Sufferings viz. that he suffered any otherwise then for a small select number accordding to their Doctrine whereas his Suffering was for all men both Jews and Gentiles who were dead in sin in regard of his confirmation of that Spiritual and Living Dispensation and Testament which extends both the Jews and Gentiles which was promised to Abraham which is to be believed and obeyed But to T. D's matter for these things are out of the reach of his carnal conceptions As concerning the precious Blood which he confesseth to be the real Price that hath made a Purchase 1 Pet. 18 19. I ask if the effects of that Blood are not known within in its purging the Conscience and cleansing from all sin c And seeing he confesseth it to be the Blood of God pag. 26. What Scripture hath he then to call it humane and doth the Satisfaction consist in humane Blood how then doth it satisfie Infinite Justice Is not humane Finite according to T. D. and T. V. their Doctrine But if this Blood of God which was shed for all men have an inward effect in the Conscience in order to the answering of Gods will and his pure Law within and
make man righteous as his condemning Sin in the Flesh was that the righteousness of the Law might be fulfilled in us that walk not after the Flesh but after the Spirit which righteousness fulfilled in us T. D. formerly said was to be meant in Christ's Person and not in ours by which likewise he hath both excluded man from the real enjoyment of Christ and his Righteousness and from that obedience and sanctity which he requires and answers the end of his coming and manifestation and by this means the Professors have made the Law and Commands and Teachings of God ineffectual as to the Creature whilst Christ only is made the subject of them and not man and this gives a liberty to people to live in sin all their time and to pervert Gods Laws and neglect the teachings of his Grace and vainly to excuse themselves in their disobedience like as T. D. hath done as where the Grace of God and his pure Law requires perfect obedience from us and that denying ungodliness and worldly lusts and that we should live godly righteously and soberly in this present world now if any man should say that this was not intended to us but to Christ as if God did require him to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts to forsake all sin and live righteously when he never did nor could sin nor had the Prince of the world any thing in him this would be a strange put off and gross perversion of the Law of God to lay it all upon Christ and put it from themselves whereas Christ's Example is perfectly to be followed and where he is manifest and his Life brought forth in man there is a conformity to his Heavenly Image and not a living in sin nor to the lusts of the world but to the Will of God Pag. 42. But as to T. D's confessing to the Creditors cancelling the Bâ—nd letting the Debtor out of Prison giving a legal Discharge upon the Sureties payment of the Debt as he could have done upon his personal payment First Hereupon I do enquire if man that hath been in Prison and bondage under sin and corruption be let out of that Prison upon Christ's Obedience if he be then he must not remain in personal bondage all his life time from partaking of Christs Righteousness and Obedience for if he be released from the servitude of sin and be let out of that bondage then he is made free from it by the Law of the Spirit of Life to serve obey and walk in the Law of Righteousness by Faith and this is not an imagined fixion or conceit of Freedom or Justification whilst people are in real bondage which your Doctrine tends to keep people in Though it be true as amongst men that the Act of one Person may by contract or Act of Law become the Act of another as the Sureties payment of the Debt is accepted for the Debtor yet in this case it doth not reach the real and full intent of Christ's Coming Obedience and Righteousness which is to bring man into his Image and to fulfil the righteousness of the Law in man that he may follow his Steps and have the same Mind Spirit and Righteousness in him that was in Christ that he may walk after his Example in all purity and holiness of conversation Yet so far as releasement out of Prison is imported in the comparison or any thing tending to a real Deliverance of the Creature out of Sin and Corruption and so from Condemnation it may be admitted of so for then it contradicts their pleading for sin and imperfection term of life and surely God doth not legally declare any to be righteous whilst his Spirit and Law within reproves them for sin and declares them unrighteous for God and his Spirit do not contradict one another neither doth God declare people to be out of Prison whilst they are really in bondage to their sins lusts and vanities as the carnal Priests and Professors have falsly done but the Liberty which Christ proclaims to the Captives is really to be injoyed and received by every one that believes and receives him his Message and Testimony And this is not a false Imputation or an imagined Application of Righteousness and Freedom to People in their personal bondage of Sin and Corruption such as T. D. and such false Guides have led people into And that of Ezek. 18.20 the Son shall not bear the iniquity of the Father T.D. saith Imports Gods gracious recession from his right because of their more then ordinary Audacity in charging his Ways with inequality This is his false construction For God sheweth his Way to be equal vers 25 26 27. which is no recession from his right as his condemning such as turn from righteousness and Justifying and giving Life to such as turn from wickedness for both Graciousness Mercy and Judgement are his right and he rewardeth every man in Righteousness according to the Equality of his Wayes T. D. Nor doth God Justifie what is opposite to his pure Nature in Justifying a person who in himself is impure upon the righteousness of another imputed to him Reply Is not a person that is in himself impure opposite to God's pure Nature Surely purity and impurity are opposite and whilst the impure Person is rendred the subject of Justification upon another's righteousness imputed he then it seems is accounted pure by T. D. and not opposite to God's pure Nature though he be personally impure but surely God doth not then account him pure whilst in impurity for God cannot lye nor account as the Wicked and Hypocrites do who are pure in their own eyes though not washed from their filthiness and here we may see T. D. and his Brethrens false notion and conception of Imputation and Justification and how contrary it is to Justum facere which the word Justifie signifieth as by him before confest viz. to make Just when now he falsly renders an impure person not opposite to the pure Nature of God from his notion of Imputation and Justification in that state Pag. 44. Arg. 3. Sin came not by Imputation but by actual Transgression This is laid down as the Quakers To which T. D. Answers The sin of Adam was made his Posterities by Imputation Rom. 5.12 14. Adam was a common Root of Mankind by nature Reply Herein hath he perverted the Scripture which doth not say that the Sin of Adam was made his Posterities by Imputation neither doth he hereby prove his notion of Imputation of Righteousness to impure persons for sure he cannot prove that all Adam's Posterity were pure and sin not actually theirs but only imputed to them whilst not partakers of it this is contradictory and as false as their Imputation of Righteousness and Justification to men whilst unjust but the Scripture he mentions Rom. 5.12 saith As by one man Sin entred into the World and Death by Sin so Death past upon all men for that all have sinned mark that for
are Justified by his Death and by his offering up once for all answer in plain words And whether or no you will make a Sect that he died for some ungodly and some sinners only for the sons of Adam were the sinners and ungodly But he that believes is born of God and they receive Christ and he gives them Power to become the sons of God and they know he died for them and have the Testimony of it and have the Benefit of his Death and Resurrection And what was the Light that shined in the Darkness and the Darkness comprehended it not What was the Spirit that the Wicked grieved vexed and quenched Where is it and what is the Spirit of Truth that reproves the World of sin Where is it that leads the Saints into all Truth Come we must have plain Scripture for these things What is the Law that God will write in the Heart and put in the Mind that all shall know Him from the greatest to the least that they shall not every one teach his Brother and shall all know the Lord What is that Light that shines in the Heart to give the Knowledge of the Glory of God in the face of Christ Jesus 2 Cor. 4. What is the Word of God in the Heart the Apostle Preached and the People was to obey it and do it And what was that Rule that Adam had and all the Holy Men in the Old World And what was the Rule of Enoch's Faith by which he was translated And Abraham's Faith who obeyed God and forsook his Countrey Answer these things by Scripture because you say The Writings the Scriptures are the Rule of Faith And Presbyterians and Independants have you forgotten all your Petitions and Addresses you Petitioned and made to the other Powers against the Quakers If you have forgotten them read William Caton 's Book of your Petitions and Addresses gathered up and down the Nation What you said of Oliver and Richard and how the People of God in scorn called Quakers the first beginning of calling them so was at Darby by one Bennet an Independant about 19 year since and then when the People called Quakers were gathered together in divers places to Worship God then you said they were Plotting together against Oliver whom some of you called the Light of your Eyes and breath of your Nostrils to bring in King Charles and Oliver said We would not hurt a Mouse at that time though he did cast many of us in Prison through you after that and then you Baptized us in your Prisons by cruel sufferings Of all men you should hold your Tongues in bawling so against us seeing the Light of your Eyes and breath of your Nostrils is gone And what was it not through some of you That the Act against Sturdy Beggars came forth upon which Friends at that time could hardly travel three or four miles from their own Houses but they were Whipped men worth three or four-score pounds or an hundred a year were Whipped for Beggars and Vagrants And then did you not get another Act That we must not speak to you in going or coming from a Steeple-house And how Friends were thronged in Prison up and down in the Nation by you Answer these Queries And thus you may see what a Havock you made in your Day but when Persecution came you durst hardly look out with your heads your selves And was there ever the like known or seen how your Brethren turns from North to South and from South to North and there they can turn and chop and change And yet you could tell us then That the Common-Prayer was Hell and Egyptian Bondage And we could hardly have a Meeting but you were incensing the Rulers against us That we were Plotting to bring in King Charles and how many in those dayes were put in Prison upon that account by you because we went to Meetings We can tell you we have a List of them And yet the Quakers were House Creepers said you when you had gotten the Mass-houses and Tythes and your Easter-Reckonings and Midsummer-Dues and straining our Goods for your Bread and Wine And who are become the House Creepers now Then you had gotten the old Mass-houses Oh! your filthiness comes to be made manifest to all men and you have made your selves ridiculous who are fighting against an innocent People that wishes hurt to no man but the good of all men And do you think that the Lord will nor remember and reckon with you for all these things Dare you look into the Book of your Actions and Consciences and see what is written there and see if they be not Recorded How now Presbyterians High Priests What is this your Doctrine that you now Preach up for your Hearers to go to a Bawdy-house as Thomas Vincent speaks What Liberty here do you give to Youth and your Hearers who sayes It 's worse to go to the Quakers Meetings than to a Bawdy-house You pleaded for a body of sin as long as you live but now it 's com'd out indeed when you plead for a Bawdy-house rather than Quakers Meetings it 's like the Presbyterian Priest knows where they are it appears as if he thought more of a Bawdy-house than of Christ and Vertue So it 's clear here you are Them that turn the People to Vice and from the Lord and his Truth Ellimas like seeking to pervert For the Quakers Meetings are in the Fear and Power and Spirit of God who meet together in the Name of Christ Jesus so it 's like you love Meetings at Bawdy-houses more then the Meetings of the People of God who meet to Worship God And if this be your Doctrine then you must enlarge your Brothel and Bawdy-houses as they do at Rome Legorn and Venice and other parts in Italy and then they will give you Tythes and Easter-Reckonings and Midsummer-Dues For have you not called Bawdy-house People good Church Members And have you not taken Tythes of them And would you not say The Peace of God to them for paying you Tythe Who would have thought that we should have had such Unvertuous Expressions from the Presbyterians that this stinking savour should have lyen covered under their Weeds Well the Quakers must Declare against all your Bawdy-houses which thou Vincent sayes Thou hadst rather thy People should go to than to the Quakers Meetings where the Word of God is Preached And so Presbyterians if this be your Doctrine to your People to send them to Bawdy-houses rather then to send them to a Meeting of the People of God we utterly deny you and your Bawdy-house too And is it not a shame to put in Print to tell the World That thou wouldst rather have thy People go to a Bawdy-house than to a Quakers Meeting For it 's like if thou wilt set up that House thou mayst have a yearly Revenue like thy Father the Pope out of your Bawdy-houses it 's like if you were there you might
Freedom from sin or transgression of the Law whilst here and then judge whether Imperfection and Sin be Evangelical Surely all who have any true spiritual knowledge of the Law Gospel and new Birth may easily see beyond this man and also see his Ignorance and Contradiction to himself for the state of the Gospel is so far from being inferiour to that under the Law that it exceeds for God finding fault with his People under the first Covenant saw it needful to establish a second in which forgiveness of sin destroying sin and the Devil's works taking it away and making an end of it and remembring sin no more and so Perfection are to be known by the enjoyers and subjects of this Covenant as also the Gospel is not short of the Law nor the Righteousness of it for Christ came not to destroy the Law but to fullfil it and the Righteousness of Faith is so far from coming short of the Righteousness of the Law that true Believers do not make void the Law through Faith but establish it and the Law of the Spirit of Life in Christ makes free from the Law of Sin and Death So that the Righteousness and Obedience brought forth in the true and living Faith which stands in the Power of God doth answer the righteous Law of God in the heart and exceeds and surpasses all self-righteousness and all mens outward immitations of the Law in the letter of it but this none knows but those who comes to own the Light and Spirit of Faith inward and the Law of it It is not known to such as these men who count the Light within an Idol and reckon that it guides contrary to the Light of the Word and Spirit as in their pages 15. 53. But as to his Perfection of parts but not of degrees this is strange Doctrine for if it be a Perfection of parts but not of degrees what parts are they and wherein consists their Perfection not of degrees but if he had said there is a Perfection of kind but not in the full height or highest degree of it then he had said something though to his own contradiction But where he adds That in this sense the work of Grace though the work of God was not perfect in regard of our selves but by degrees was carried on unto further Perfection Now in contradiction to himself he hath confest the Work of God by degrees carried on unto further Perfection which if so here is both Perfection in its degrees which vary not the property or kind as also the work of Grace in its carrying on unto further Perfection so then there is a time of perfecting or working the work of Grace in order to Perfection and a time wherein it comes to be wrought and perfected And now the kind and nature of that Perfection which we believe and plead for is that which God requires and Christ worketh who doth the Father's Will therein in all that truly believe the which consists in Righteousness and true Holiness not in any imagined conceited or self-righteousness brought forth in man's will which is not real nor perfect either in man's will-worshipping self-performing or applications which are neither from living Motions of true Faith nor Evidence of the Spirit of God within but from men's self-will imaginations and traditions And whereas T. V. tells of some that were established in the wayes of Truth intending by his Ministry Herein again he hath contradicted himself for Establishment in the wayes of Truth is a high state of Perfection and such admits not of his Preaching up sin nor of moving from any of Truth 's wayes which his Doctrine for Sin and Imperfection term of Life doth not at all tend too but rather to keep People in thraldom and captivity and in a wavering tossed estate in the wayes of sin which are all contrary to the wayes of Truth for the wayes of Truth do not admit of a continuance in the wayes of Errour either in Principle or Practice And whereas T. V. complains so sadly That two of his Friends Mother and Daughter that went off to the Quakers in his fortnights absence It appears that they were not Established by him as also that he hath led his Hearers to depend more upon himself than upon the Teachings of God or his Light within which is the cause of many's wavering and uncertainty who have followed him so that if their Teacher or Shepherd T. V. remove into a corner or if upon Persecution he should flee or hide himself for fear as many of them have done then his flock or at least many of them would be lyable to be scattered but who comes to wait upon God in his Light and Spirit to know him their Shepherd and Leader their Teacher will not be removed into a corner nor their Shepherd flee from them And whereas T. V. further adds in an angry reviling manner against the Mother and Daughter That the Mother should so much indulge a perverse Will in her unbefitting a Parent that it 's like to prove the destruction of Mother and Child c. His thus openly reviling of them in Print may tend to set them further against him then ever and now they may see more of his Spirit than before and if they abide in the Light to which their minds have been directed and by which their understandings have been opened since they came amongst us they will further feel and see cause for ever to bless the Lord for bringing them out from amongst such false Teachers and Ministers of Sin and Imperfection as T.V. and his Brethren have manifested themselves to be as also seeing what follows from his corrupt Heart and unclean Spirit it may set all sober minds and modest Persons against him and his Doctrine more than ever as they take a view thereof which most sordid reviling of his was the chief cause and occasion of these Controversies between us T. V. I acknowledge I did say it was worse to go to the Quakers Meettings than to a Bawdy-house because the defilement of the Soul with their damnable Errors was more deep and more hard to be washed off than the defilement of Whoredom or Adultry Answ. To which I say let all sober-minded Readers but mark the wickedness and grosseness of this man's Doctrine thus to set an esteem of Bawdy-houses above our Meetings What but Impudence and Wickedness could have vented such Doctrine publickly It is no marvel that he can so plead and contend for Sin and Imperfection whilst he deems it worse to go to our Meetings where Sin Wickedness and Uncleanness is openly Preached against than to go to a Bawdy-house where it 's committed What abominable Doctrine is this and Infamy and a ground of suspition against himself hath he given hereby and how contrary to the Spirit and Doctrine of the true Ministers this of his is for they were so far from such Doctrine that they reckoned such things not meet to be
until the Law Sin was in the World but Sin is not imputed where there is no Law verse 13. But now mark there is a Law transgressed whereby Sin and Transgression is imputed to them that are guilty of transgression as all in Adam in the earthly state and nature are and therefore on the other hand righteousness is not imputed to persons out of Christ or to such that are not partakers of his righteousness Pag. 45. Arg. 4. Quaker A man cannot be said to be actually sinfull and imputatively righteous he may as well be said to be actually damned and imputatively saved To which T. D. answereth Why not as well as to say a man is actually poor and not worth a groat but imputatively rich as having by Surety paid his debt of thousands Reply Here he hath plainly discovered their notion of Imputation and the falseness of it viz. that a man is imputatively righteous when actually sinfull or actually damned and yet imputatively saved what gross Corruption and Ignorance is this and what an improper Comparison doth he bring to back it let the wise judge and we do not admit of it in this case as that a man should be actually damned and imputatively saved or actually guilty and yet imputatively innocent but that such to whom righteousness and true riches are reckoned as being theirs have right therein and are partakers thereof and what he asserts herein by his simile is but a beging the question and taking that for granted which is still opposed as both unscriptural and unreasonable viz. men being actually damned and imputatively saved or actually guilty and imputatively innocent by the same reason he might as well say persons really Theeves are innocent or persons really and actual trecherous and rebellious are true and good Subjects or actually Devils and imputatively Saints But Christ being or becoming our Suerty was not to impute righteousness to men in transgression but to bring them into Covenant and Peace with God which stands in everlasting righteousness and not in sin for he was also a perfect example to be followed as well as profest and he is the Surety of the new Testament and Covenant which is spiritual and is manifested and enjoyed in his people And T. D's instance that nine men throughout a mutinous Army are actually guilty and yet imputatively innocent when the tenth man is admited to sustain the punishment due to the rest is as sottish and impertinent as the rest before for neither is a mutinous Army innocent nor is Christ any of the mutinous or guilty Persons And where proves T.D. that Imputation is an Act of Law and makes a Relative and not a real change I ask what Law it is an act of is it real or true or no if it be of God it must be true if not then false and it is a false imputation which is not real and contrary to the Apostles Doctrine who knew that Abraham's Faith was imputed or reckoned to him for righteousness and to that state to which there was no condemnation but justification which was a state of being walking in Christ and not a walking after the Flesh but after the Spirit and this they that experience and witness know a real change from death to life from condemnation to justification from sin to righteousness from the wayes of death and darkness to the wayes of Life Light and Peace Pag. 45. T. D. saith There is no need of inherent Righteousness for Justification buâ— yet there is need of it for other ends as to make us meet for Heaven Col. 1.12 Answ. It appears that he means by this inherent righteousness that of Sanctification or the work of Gods Spirit within which he afterwards calls personal righteousness and is there no need of this for Justification what darkness is here as if men were justified while in the unsanctified state this is like the rest of his sottish stuff quite contrary to the Apostles Doctrine which is But ye are Sanctified but ye are Justified in the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God 1 Cor. 6.11 And also what contradiction hath T. D. brought to himself herein whilst he hath confessed that the word Justifie signifieth to make Just as also he hath confessed that inherent Righteousness as he call it gives a fitness of enjoying the Heavenly Inheritance it lying in Communion with God pag. 46. then it follows that it gives a fitness for Justification whilst Justification and Sanctification are unseparable Companions and God loves his Image in his People freely saith his Brother T. V. Thus without Washing Clensing and Sanctification men are not Justified seeing the unrighteous shall not inherit the Kingdom of God and they that live in unrighteousness cannot be accepted of him It being not the Hearers of the Law but the Doers that shall be Justified Pag. 46. And now concerning good works that are acceptable to God which T. D. accuseth us with placing Merit for Justification or as a deserved cause thereof c. Concerning this particular that faithfull Servant of the Lord S. Fisher hath very fully answered T. D. and his Brethren and it hath been manifest how he did wrong and abuse S. Fisher about this point and how contrary to his intent he construed good works as being ours relating to self works or imperfect obedience which S. Fisher never intended but with Relation to those works which are perfect which Christ is the Author of which if Christs Works be not deserving whose are and to those which God hath wrought in us who having ordained Peace for us hath wrought all our works in us Isa. 26. now we never placed a merit upon self-acting nor upon mans best works in the faln sinfull and corrupt state so that there is not a correspondency betwixt us and the Papists in this particular as falsly we have been accused see S. Fisher's Rusticus ad Accademicos where the point is fully explained which you Presbyterians and Independants are never able to answer Where did we ever profess or hold forth that we were able or could fulfil the Law our selves or merit or deserve Salvation by any thing that we could do but we do profess and witness that through the Power of Christ we are enabled to faithfull and sincere obedience not of our selves knowing that good works how ever rejected and undervalued are ordained of God and without them your faith is dead as a body without a Spirit is And it is true enough as T. D. saith That you are averse to obedience through corruptions who plead for sin term of life and yet would cover over all your filthy raggs with a pretence of Christ's Righteousness Satisfaction Imputation Justification and Merit whilst you are yet in your sins and corruptions and in the weakness of your flesh but as under the Law of works wherein you are in no perfect obedience Pag. 47. Seeing the Law of Faith is acknowledged I ask how far it
extends whether to enjoyn to the perfect obedience of Faith yea or nay seeing sin and corruption is so prevalent amongst you and so contended for surely where the excercise of the true and living Faith is experienced there is obedience to the Law of it or else what doth it signifie whilst persons remain in disobedience Further T. D. confesseth that we have an immediate dependancy upon God in our operations John 15.5 without me ye can do nothing Siorsima me separate or apart from me It s well he hath at some time assented to the Truth but how doth this contradict the greatest part of his own and his Brethrens work elsewhere in their pleading for imperfect obedience and their imagined imputation of Righteousness and Justification to the unrighteous and unjust for those operations which have a relation to an immediate dependence upon God which he that is in Christ doth experience and bring forth do accord with the mind and will of God which is the Sanctification of those that believe and with that most holy Faith which purifies the heart and these are not imperfect nor to be slighted as undeserving according to the vain notions of Priests concerning Faith its works and inherent Righteousness as they term it Pag. 47. T. D.. Their dependancy upon Christ in all the good they do is as near and intimate as the Branches upon the Vine by vertue of their natural union in bearing Fruit. Answ. This is also a Truth that grants a perfect obedience in them that have such a near intimate dependency upon Christ as the Branch hath that grows upon the Vine by vertue of the natural Union thereof this also contradicts their pleading for imperfection and sin in all obedience and works which also shews that they do not flow nor spring from Christ the true Vine as also that they have not union with him nor are Branches of him and indeed how they have not immediate dependency upon God in Christ whilst they deny Immediate Teaching Revelation and Divine Inspiration to be attainable in those dayes But seeing without or apart or separate from Christ men can do nothing how then can they be any thing without him as righteous or acceptable or justified For men must be something in that Relation before they can do any thing acceptable and it is the Spirit and Power of Christ which sanctifieth and maketh just and bringeth into the true Obedience Works and Righteousness of Faith and to live by Faith as the Just doth Pag. 48. But Faith as a work is not opposed to nor excludes it self as T. D. saith because in one sence it is opposed to the deeds of the Law for true Faith as a Work is the Work of God which is not opposed to it self besides it being the work of God to believe in Christ this hath not relation to those deeds of the Law that the Jews wrought out of him and out of or besides that Faith wherein they fell short of the Righteousness of the true and living Faith and of the perfect Obedience or Righteousness of the Law Now seeing he confesseth pag. 49. to a righteousness bestowed upon men by Faith I ask if that man is not a partaker and enjoyer of that righteousness by Faith Surely Faith and its Righteousness are not separate nor divided Also he confesseth Faith in God through the Messias is called a walking humbly with God Micah 6.8 To this I say whilst he thus considereth Faith as such a walking were it not very gross nonsence and contradiction to say that it excludes it self as before or that those works or effects of Faith viz. Walking humbly with God were opposed to the Faith it self which is the Root thereof But this is even like T. Vincent's affirming Faith to be opposite not only to the works of the Law but to its own Works Pag. 51. I find T. D. upon James 2.24 doth not distinguish betwixt the Works of Faith and the Works of the Law and so talks like an ignorant blind Guide with his vain babling and perverting of the Scripture to exclude perfect Obedience and Perfection from the Believers And seeing he granteth that Justification imports the Absolution of Sinners and the Approbation of a Believer which he distinguisheth betwixt Then it is to be minded that a Believer that is approved of is absolved being Justified and what from if not from Sin and Transgression Otherwise Faith that stands but in a bare profession without a living work of purifying the heart overcoming the World c. is but a dead Faith as T. D. in fine confesseth And we are Justified by works as our Faith is made perfect by works James 2.22 but these are not the works of the Law but the Works of the Living Faith which manifesteth Fruit to God and demonstrates the nature of the Living Faith But his telling of a Sinner being Justified in the sight of God where doth the Scripture say so he quotes Rom 3.23 to prove it but it doth not but only that a man by Faith is Justified without the deeds of the Law which deeds of the Law a man may be Justified without and yet not a Sinner nor without the Obedience Works or Righteousness of the True and Living Faith which Purifieth the heart and Justifieth from all those things from which they could not be Justified by the Law of Moses And as to his saying That we are made free meritoriously by the Law of the Spirit in us from the Law of Sin and Death The word meritoriously he addeth But the freedom of the Law of the Spirit in us from the Law of Sin and Death we do confess and that it is the same Law of the Spirit of Life that is in Christ and the Saints according to the Apostles Doctrine the Freedom of which we testifie is of Everlasting worth for that it is not wrought by our selves but by Christ and his Law and Spirit Pag. 52. T. D. saith That we observe that the righteousness of the Law is fulfilled in the Persons of the Saints Indeed we do observe it believe it and experience it and do not wholy put it off from us to be fulfilled in the Person of Christ as T. D. and some of his Brethren have corruptly done though we do confess that the Righteousness of the Law was fulfilled in Christ's Person but not therefore to exclude it out of us since that he was a faithfull Example to be followed as well as a Captain and Leader to guide in all the Wayes of Peace and true Holiness Pag. 52. And as we do observe that the Righteousness of the Law is fulfilled in the Persons of the Saints contrary to T. D. and his Brethrens observation and thereupon not only suppose but really assert a state of Freedom from Sin attainable in this life we do not place the Merit of Justification upon the Creatures imperfect obedience or works but origionally on the Spirit of Truth and its perfect work in which
Spirit Christ perfectly obeyed offered up himself a Lamb without spot to God and we know that it is the Law of the Spirit of Life in Christ that makes us free from the Law of Sin and Death Romans 8. which Freedom is effected with in Pag. 53. If there be a connexion between Justification and Sanctification and that the same Christ Jesus that Justifieth by his Blood Sanctifieth by his Spirit as is confest from Calvin c. in Loc. 2. then men are not Justified whilst in an unsanctified state seeing that it is also evidenced by a holy life but then herein T. D. seem doubtfull as rather enclining to lay it upon the active obedience of Christ but then is not he that is Sanctified and Justified being in an holy life a partaker of Christ's Righteousness Obedience and Subjection in the Spirit of Life and the pure Law of it seeing that makes free from the Law of Sin and Death But then he wavers again to the understanding of some who suppose the end of Christ's coming into the World is that God's Righteous Laws might not be absolutely contemned but might be observed though imperfectly by Believers others saith he of the Imputation of Christ's Surety Righteousness c. This imperfect observation of God's Righteous Laws is that he would fain center in and which indeed the tenor of most of his discourse amounts to though it be not the end of Christ's sending into the World nor yet the work of the Spirit and Law of Life within for the end thereof was to destroy sin and to work mans perfect freedom from it which they that experience are only the true and real subjects of Christ's Righteousness and know the true imputation thereof and effect and real benefit of his being a Surety of the new Testament wherein the Promises of God are fulfilled to and in man and man brought under the obligation of that Law and Covenant which tends to the exaltation of Truth and Righteousness in the Earth and the bringing the Creature into a perfect and peaceable subjection unto its Maker So Christ's being both our Surety Advocate Intercessor and Mediator betwixt God and man is to make both Unity Reconciliation and Peace betwixt them a Mediator being not a Mediator of one but betwixt two c. to bring into mutual agreement T. D. Our good and our evil works are not perfectly contrary for our evil works are perfectly evil for malum fit ex quilibet defectu any one defect make our works evil but our good works are but imperfestly good Answ. If good works and evil works be not perfectly contrary where and what then are the good works whilst defect and imperfection is pleaded for which makes them evil Surely good and evil are perfectly contrary but by this man's consequence there is no good works whilst defects and imperfections remain in them and then why doth he call them good works It appears he gives them that name which is improper to them but if good works be really acknowledged as we know they are in Scripture and that they that are truly so are wrought in the Light and so in God these are perfectly contrary to evil but such T. D. his Brethren with their sins and imperfections are strangers to whilst they shew themselves to be out of the Light wherein the good works are wrought and as to the condignity he speaks of or worth as with relation to the infinite reward we do as before place it in that Heavenly Image Spirit and Life which brings forth the good works which were ordained of God and it is that Spirit which leads its Followers to the infinite reward of Life and Salvation Arg. 4. Rom. 2.13 Not the Hearers of the Law are Justified before God but the Doers of the Law shall be Justified to this T. D. saith The words give a reason of the Jews perishing who had the Law viz. the old Covenant Reply The reason of their perishing was their Disobedience unto the Law but this of the Doers of the Law wherein both the Just and Justified state is intimated according to the Gospel verse 14 15 16. relates to those Gentiles which had not the Law outwardly and yet did by nature the things contained in the Law which the Apostle renders as a reason and proof of their Justification who shewed the Work of the Law written in their hearts which Law was pure and Spiritual converting the Souls and here it is also evident that the matter or things contained in the Law they had both in Power and Operation who had it not in the Letter of it but the extent of this is and hath been much opposed by T. D. and such as he who have grosly perverted the Scriptures for their own sinfull and corrupt ends to their own and others destruction And now that a state of Freedom from sin is attainable in this life this T. D. erroneously sets down as an Error and argues against it as followeth Arg. 1. If no meer man ever attained to any such state then it is not attainable but no meer man ever did c. Answ. His term meer man is his own and not ours what he means by meer man is a question for it may be taken variously as first he may be deemed a meer man that is without God Christ or the guidance of his Spirit who lives to himself in which state we never said that freedom from sin was attainable by any meer man for without Christ we can do nothing Secondly if meer man be taken singly as purus homo or man purely or intirely without mixture of those things which are either contrary to him as Man or not proper to his being Man as sin and transgression were improper to him for so he was in his first Creation in Innocency and primitive Purity as so considered to deny him Perfection or Freedom from sin were to deny him that which God did invest him with whilst he was in his Maker's Image which was proper to him and to which Christ comes to restore man again out of the Fall But then T. D. explains what he means by meer man viz. such as the eminently holy Persons in the Scriptures whom he denies to have ever attained a state of Perfection by which he has accused all the holy Men of God at once as but meer men in the worst sence and such were they that were carnal and walked as men 1 Cor 3.3 and he hath therein both opposed God's Commands Promises and Works as also the end of Christ's manifestation which was perfectly to restore man out of sin and unrighteousness unto God see Gen. 3.15 Rom. 16.20 Deut. 6.5 and 10.12 and 11.1 and 13.18 and 19.9 Matth. 22.37 Mark 12.30 Gen. 17.1 Deut. 18.13 2 Sam. 22.33 Psal. 18.32 and 37.37 and 119.1 2 3 4. Isa. 1.16 John 13.8 Isa. 4.4 and 60.21 Ezek. 36.25 26 27 33. Jer. 33.8 Hebr. 8. and chap. 10.13 14 15 16 17. Zeph.
concerning the Terms and Conditions whereon Sinners may be interested in the Satisfaction made by Christ J. O. saith pag. 167. It may also be farther evinced that there is nothing asserted in them but what is excellently suited unto the common notions which mankind hath of God and his Righteousness and that in their practice they answer the Light of Nature and common Reason exemplified in sundry instances among the Nations of the World Answ. First it is to be observed that a great stress is laid upon these Explications Declarations or Confessions of yours as relating to the terms and interest you claim in Christ's Satisfaction unto the determination of God's Will and Confirmation of Divine testimonies according to J. O's words wherein no less then Salvation appears to be concerned for without an interest in Christ and his Righteousness men cannot be saved Secondly Your Assertions herein being suited unto the common notions of mankind and as answering the Light of Nature and common Reason as it is called and as J. O's words are whether herein hath he not rendred this Light and common Reason together with the common notions mankind hath of God to be of a saving property since it so suits those things wherein Salvation is so deeply concerned according to J. O. but then if he does not reckon mens common Notions Light or Reason which is natural to be saving as indeed we do not believe that any thing natural as of man in the Fall can save then may we not reasonablely look upon J.O. to have asserted and declared those things wherein Salvation is not concerned or which we are not to look upon as answering that Light which is Spiritual and Saving but only common Notions and natural Reason whilst he and his Brethren keep not to plain Scripture Language and but run into notions terms distinctions which they have by Tradition from men mens inventions more suiting common and corrupt reason then Divine Light But and if the Light in men be Divine which manifests divine Revelations and Testimonies relating to Salvation such as J. O. would have us believe his matter to be grounded on then it follows that such a light is common or universal in mankind and not only given to a few nor natural as it hath been often rendred by such as J. O. and what doth this spiritual or divine Light teach concerning God and his Righteousness but that he is to be feared obeyed and honoured and that all sin and iniquity should be forsaken and God's Righteousness Power and Image which is Christ Jesus lived in obeyed and followed by man for herein is God well pleased and satisfied in beholding his own Image and birth renewed and brought forth which admits not of sin nor imperfection much less of either pleading contending disputing or preaching for its continuance in all term of life and this Light of Christ within however any miscall it is that which gives the knowledge of God's Love in Christ and of the vertue and efficacy of his Suffering and so of his Blood and to eat of his flesh which is given for the Life of the World wherein we partake of him as the one Offering at the Altar of God in his Sanctuary which the carnal Professors both among Jews and pretended Christians were and are ignorant of and in this Light are we come to know and receive Christ and reconciliation through his Death and also the glory of God through him in whom we have received the Attonement Peace and Union with the Father in the Son which all you that either slight oppose or deny this Light within and say its but natural are ignorant of being but in your dark notions natural apprehensions and conceivings which you intermix with Scripture so that the Dignity Glory Power and Vertue that is and ever was in Christ you do but talk of without the real sence discerning or enjoyment thereof but every one that truely waits upon the Living God in his Light and Life within whereby their minds and spirits being subjected unto his Will and their hearts truly broken before him such know the Ransom and Attonement which the Righteous and redeemed of the Lord knew and witnessed in all Ages and have that to offer unto God and such Sacrifices to present before him wherein he behold of his own glory and beauty and savours of his own vertue which is truly acceptable and well pleasing unto him who delighteth in his own Image Seed and Royal Off-spring which none truly know but who come into the Light to receive Christ the promised Seed which bruiseth the Serpents head and to eat his Flesh and drink his Blood without which you have no Life in you for all your talk and notions Pag. 185. J. O. The Sacrifice denotes his Humane Nature whence God is said to purchase his Church with his own Blood Acts 20.28 For he offered himself through the Eternal Spirit there was the matter of the Sacrifice which was the Humane Nature of Christ Soul and Body his Soul was made an Offering for Sin Isa. 53.10 his Death had the nature of a Sacrifice c. Answ. These Passages are but darkly and confusedly expressed as also we do not read in Scripture that the Blood of God by which he purchased his Church is ever called the Blood of the Humane Nature nor that the Soul of Christ was the Humane Nature or was put to death with the Body for the wicked could not kill the Soul though his Soul was made an Offering for sin and he poured it out to death he bore the sin of many and made intercession for Transgressors but what death and in what manner was it is a mystery truly to know for his Soul in his own being was Immortal and the Nature of God is Divine and therefore that the Blood of God should be of Humane or earthly nature appears inconsistent and where doth the Scripture call the Blood of God Humane or Humane Nature Neither do we read that the Blood which beareth record in the Earth and agrees in one with the Spirit and which purgeth the Conscience washeth and cleanseth the Believer in the Light from all sin was ever called by the Apostles the blood of the Humane Nature nor do we read that the Saints did eat and drink Flesh and Blood that was of a Humane Nature to receive Divine Life in them thereby for the Water of Life and Blood of Christ which are said to wash sanctifie and justifie which agree in one with the Spirit in those works and effects we never read that they are called in Scripture by the name of Humane Nature for the Spirit that quickens is divine and it is the Spirit that gives Life the Flesh profiteth nothing John 6. And the Soul of Christ is Immortal and did not die with the Body though it s deemed as being of the Humane Nature with the Body and so as of the Sacrifice in Suffering and Death whereas though his Soul
then sayes suppose as a subsistent or Person c. But which of these terms it is this Notionist hath not declared to us in his 13th page And this Notionist goes on in the said 13th page and sayes Nor can we say that the Notion of the Father as one Person in the God-head includes the Son nor the Notion of the Son as one Person in the God-head includes the Father Reader Didst thou ever hear the like This is but a Notion of the Father and a Notion of the Son indeed And are these Presbyterian Priests like to interpret Scripture with their Notions Conceptions and Suppositions no no. No one knows the Father but the Son and he to whom the Son reveals him Nor none knows the Son but the Father and to know God and Jesus Christ is Life Eternal and none can call him Lord but by the Holy Ghost And so this Knowledge is beyond all your false Conceptions Suppositions and Notions And if the Holy Ghost the Saints bodies be the Temple of it which Holy Ghost leads them into all Truth And if the Holy Ghost be a Person then have not the Saints a Person in their bodies And why did not the Apostle say That their bodies were the Temples of a Person according to your Doctrine and Rule the Holy Ghost is a Spirit and so let us see that Scripture which gives the Holy Ghost the Name of a Person And he speaks again in his 14th page of Three distinct Persons are one with the God-head Now Reader is not here Four to wit Three Persons and the God-head But Reader we charge him to give us Chapter and Verse for this Doctrine for we must order him with the Rule And then he tells us of a Notion of the Father and including the Son it 's but his own Notion for if he had known him he would have spoken in a form of sound words whereby he might not have been reproved And again the Presbyterian sayes the Three Persons are distinct and the Rule is to be understood that they are One among themselves only in respect of that wherein they agree not simply Answ. Reader take notice he sayes The Father and Son and Holy Ghost which he calls Three Persons doth not agree simply Is not this contrary to Scripture What agreement is this which is not simply What! separate distinct Persons not agreeing simply Come what is this agreement then if it be not an agreeing simply Tell us what it is by Chapter and Verse thou sayes the Scripture is the Rule Where doth the Scripture say That the Father Son and Spirit doth not agree simply Didst thou not say That God was so simple that he admitted of no parts what agreement is this if it be not simple What is it then tell us Dost thou not abuse the Father Son and Spirit and Scriptures clear thy self and make this good That the Father Son and Spirit doth not agree simply if not simply then tell us how and give Chapter and Verse for it out of the Scriptures or else acknowledge thy self to be of a Sandy Foundation Seeing thou sayst A Man is a Person and God is a Person and the Scripture saith God is a Spirit and Christ was conceived by the Holy Ghost the begotten of the Father Was Christ the Image of the Father as he was of the Generation of Abraham or David or Adam or according to the Spirit Whether of these was he the express Image of his Father's substance because thou calls the Father a Person And the Scripture sayeth He suffered according to the Flesh which he did not die as he was God and the Scripture calls him Son of Man and Son of God and he being the express Image of his Fathers substance see the Old Translations And dost thou not in thy 16th page of thy Synopsis bring the Greek Philosophers to prove the Persons Yes How now Presbyterian Priest thou hast run beside thy own Directory and Scripture both but the Greek Philosophers must be thy Rule and Leader surely People will not alwayes have their Eyes blinded by you Christ is come to open them And in the 17th page of his Book the Presbyterian saith that Hypostasis must be rendred Person or Subsistent or some word to that Effect he sayes So People see it must be some word but what it must be he knows not and so in this manner they are giving Names to Christ and God besides the Rule of Scripture we charge thee shew us a Verse in Scripture that speak such Language and where one word may be put for another by Metalepsis and so leave People in Doubts and Questions you are going beside your Scripture and Rule that at last People shall not know what to call God and Christ. So the Presbyterians and Independants must give us Scripture For we will not be satisfied with your Notions and Whymsies and false Conceptions which you have from Aristotle and the Greek Philosophers and the Papists and Cardinals We do command you to give us Scripture Chapter and Verse Presbyterians and Independants for these things plainly seeing you are of late perked up in a way of scolding against us not like the Holy Men of God Patient and Meek and apt to Teach as you may see in the latter end of your Brother Vincent's Book Is that the Language of a Christian No He hath declared what spirit you are of Rabshecha's spirit railing and speaking evil of the way of Truth he thinks to overcome by Railing and complaining not by Love nay the Lamb must have the victory Whether or no was Christ's Blood shed for All men and by it Justifies All men they living in their sins and not believing in it are they saved by their saying they believe in the Blood and not believing in the Light which Christ Commands and become Children of the Light and they say they believe and yet not pass from Death to Life and from sin that brings Death And whether or no any are cleansed from all sin by the Blood of Christ but such as walk in the Light of Christ as in 1 Joh. 1. And so whether or no are those Justified who believe not in the Light of Christ nor passes from Death to Life nor walks not in the Light whether or no are those Justified by Christ's Blood and have not the Testimony of Justification in them as in the accompt to God Christ's Blood was shed for All men but for a man to come to partake of this Justification is it not to feel the Blood sprinkling the Heart and Conscience For the outward Jewes in the Figure had Blood sprinkled upon them in the outward Offerings Come answer us by Scripture Do not daub up People with untempered Mortar do you know the Mortar that is tempered Whether or no was Christ an Offering for the sins of the whole World and died for the sins of the whole World Whether or no all the sinners and ungodly of the whole World
Children of the Light as in Joh. 14. And deny that which should give People the Knowledge of the Light that is in their hearts the Light of Jesus 2 Cor. 4. And so People see what these men can Preach that deny true Faith true Belief true Apostles and Scripture and the Blood of Christ and the Offering and so denies God and Christ and his Commands and Preach up Sin and Imperfection and the Bawdy-houses and would have his Hearers rather go to a Bawdy-house than to go among the People called Quakers that Preaches up Perfection and the Blood of Jesus the One Offering that makes People perfect and Sanctifies them and must not People have Faith in them and Christ in them and the Blood in them sprinkling their Hearts and Consciences Reader I pray thee read the Scriptures for they were given forth to be read and believed and not for Presbyterians and Independants to make a Trade of them and keep People alwayes to be hearing them and paying of them the Holy Men of God did not give forth the Scriptures for that end that suffered many of them to death for giving them forth And so I pray thee Reader do not fell thy Wit and Reason any longer for they will put it up all in their Pokes and Bags and then lead them into a ditch and barren Mountain and so feed themselves of you and not feed you But the Lord is come to gather his People from off the barren Mountains and from their mouths that have fed themselves and not the Flock and sought themselves and not the Flock and made a Prey upon you and sought for your wooll hath bit you when you put not into their mouths and have sought for handfuls of Barley and a piece of Bread and hath born rule amongst you by their means and hath been the greedy dumb Dogs that could never have enough who have been slumbering Read Jer. 5. Isa. 56. Mic. 3. Ezek. 14. and so read how Christ marks out those false Teachers Mat. 23. And the Apostle to Timothy and Titus So no more but my Love that you may all come to know the Freedom in Christ from all the blind Guides G. F. Jo. Stubbs If that the Father Son and Holy Ghost be three distinct separate Persons not simply One or agreeing simply as the Priest saith then how far distance are they from one another shew us Chapter and Verse for this and make it good by Scriptures And let us see through all the Scriptures where ever the Holy Men of God did give such Titles or Names to God and Christ and the Holy Ghost as the Presbyterians and Independants have done as may be seen in this Book The Scripture saith That God and Christ and the Holy Ghost will dwell in Man then you Independant Presbyterian Priests Whether then that there is not three Persons in a Man dwelling in him that is a Person for the Apostle saith That your Bodies are the Temples of the Holy Ghost and that your Bodies are the Temples of God and that Christ is in you except ye are Reprobates The DIVINITY of CHRIST Confessed by us called Quakers And What we own touching the Deity or God-head according to the Scriptures THat there is but one God the Father of whom are all things and we in him and our Lord Jesus Christ by whom are all things and we by him That there are Three that bear Record in Heaven the Father the Word and the Spirit and that these three are One both in Divinity Divine Substance and Essence not three Gods nor separate Beings That they are called by several Names in Scripture as manifest to and in the Saints for whatsoever may be known of God is manifest in man Rom. 1. and their Record received as the full testimony of three by such as truly know and own the Record of the three in Earth and yet they are Eternally One in Nature and Being One infinite Wisdom One Power One Love One Light and Life c. We never denyed the Divinity of Christ as most injuriously we have been accused by some prejudiced spirits who prejudicially in their perverse Contests have sought occasion against us As chiefly because when some of us were in Dispute with some Presbyterians we could not own their unscriptural distinctions and terms touching the Father the Word and the Holy Spirit to wit Of their being incommunicable distinct separate persons or subsistences whereas the Father the Word and Spirit are One not to be compared to corruptible men nor to finite Creatures or Persons which are limitable and separable For the only Wise God the Creator of all who is One and his Name One is infinite and inseparable Deut. 6.4 Zec. 14.9 And the Father's begetting the Son and the Spirit 's being sent we witness to and own as He said Thou art my Son this day I have begotten thee Psal. 2.7 Heb. 1.5 And he hath sent his Spirit into our hearts Gal. 4.6 And that the Father is in the Son and the Son in the Father yea in the bosome of the Father Joh. 1.18 chap. 17.21 23. so that they are neither divided nor separate being One and of One infinite Nature and Substance Christ being the Image of the invisible God the first born of every Creature by whom all things were Created both in Heaven and in Earth Col. 1. Yea the Son of God is the brightness of his glory and the express Image of his substance Heb. 1.3 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And that it was in due time God was manifest in Flesh 1 Tim. 3.16 As in the fulness of time God sent his Son Gal. 4. And the Son of God was made manifest to destroy sin 1 Joh. 3.8 And a manifestation of the Spirit is given to every Man to profit withal 1 Cor. 12. So the manifestation of the Father of the Son and Holy Spirit we confess to and own to be in Unity and so the only true God according to the Scriptures And that Jesus Christ being in the Form of God thought it no robbery to be Equal with God and yet as a Son in the fulness of time was sent of the Father and took on him the form of a servant Phil. 2.6 7. in which state he said My Father is greater than I 1 Joh. 14.28 And he learned Obedience through Suffering and was made perfect and is become an everlasting High Priest after the Order of Melchisedeck and is the Author of Eternal Salvation unto all them that Obey him Heb. 5. And God hath given us Eternal Life in his Son And unto us a Child is born and a Son is given to Govern whose Name is Wonderful Counsellor The Mighty God The Everlasting Father The Prince of Peace Isa. 9.6 And he is over all God blessed for ever Rom. 9.5 Even the true God and Eternal Life 1 Joh. 5. So that the Deity or Divinity of Christ in his Eternal Infinite Glorious State we really confess and
own having known his Virtue and Power to redeem us from our vain Conversations and to save us from wrath to come And our knowledge of the only true God and our Faith in and concerning him and his Name unto our Salvation doth not consist in the traditional Names humane Inventions nor in Philosophical terms and nice School distinctions derived from Heathenish Metaphysicks which since the Apostles time men have put upon the God-head but in the living sense and feeling of his Divine Power Life and Love revealed in us by the Spirit of the Son of God whereby we have in his gift of Divine Light and Spirit received Life and Salvation from sin and death see Matth. 11.27 Luk. 10.22 Matth. 16.17 Rom. 1.17 ch 8.18 Gal. 1.16 Eph. 3.5 1 Pet. 15.12 ch 4.14 ch 4.13 ch 5.1 2 Pet. 1 3. Matth. 1.21 Also we judge That such Expressions and Words as the Holy Ghost taught the true Apostles and Holy Men mentioned in the Scriptures are most meet to speak of God and Christ and not the words of mans wisdom or humane inventions and devised distinctions since the Apostles dayes Finally We have received an Unction or Anointing from the Holy One which as it doth teach us we know a continuance in the Father and in the Son 1 Joh. 2. And for whom we know the Father is well pleased and in him we know the true Satisfaction Justification and Peace which all that abide in him enjoy and witness Now unto the Father Son and Holy Spirit the One Eternal Word The Only Wise Pure Perfect God who is Infinite Omnipotent Incomprehensible who giveth unto all Life and Being and is the Life of all and the Being of Beings who filleth all in all with his Presence Unto whom be Glory now and evermore saith our Souls G. Whitehead And for Definition of a Person or what a Person is we shall not need to go to Popish and Heathenish Authors as Thomas Aquinas Aristotle and others as some of these Presbyterian Teachers and others have done when they have gone about to demonstrate their Doctrine of a Trinity of distinct Persons in God And yet in Contradiction for a cloak they pretend the Scriptures to be their Rule wherein there is no proof of their calling the Father the Word and the Spirit three distinct Persons while the Scriptures be full and plain enough to prove define or shew what a Person is as namely a Man or Woman sometime the body the face or visible appearance of either c. But the Infinite God is not like unto corruptible man See first in the Old Testament so called as to Person Esau took his Wives his Sons and Daughters and all the Persons of his house Gen. 36.16 Joseph was a goodly person Gen. 39.6 The Number of your persons Exod. 16.16 No uncircumcised person Exod. 12.48 The person of the poor and of the mighty Levit. 19. The guilty person unclean person Numb 5.6 A clean person Numb 19.18 Thirty two thousand persons in all of Women c. Numb 31.35 Whosoever killeth any person vers 19. Numb 35.11 15 30. Josh. 20. 3 9. Abimelech the son of Jerubbaal hired vain light persons and slew his brethren the sons of Jerubbaal being threescore and ten persons Judg. 9. Note here that persons dyed or were slain But can it be said of the Immortal God whom they distinguish into three several Persons that he ever dyes And though Christ as concerning the Flesh or Person was put to Death so was not his Divine Life or God-head And again Not a goodlier person than Saul 1 Sam. 9.2 David a comely person 1 Sam. 16.18 When wicked men have slain a righteous person 2 Sam. 4.11 They shall come at no dead person Ezek. 44.25 Or will he accept thy person Mal. 1.8 These places before cited with many more are according to the English God accepteth not the person of Princes Job 34.19 which in the Hebrew is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Phene Sarim i. e. facies Principum the faces of Princes And the same word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Phene is in Gen. 1.2 for the face of the deep See likewise Gen. 4.14 Job 38.30 with many more places in the Old Testament so that the same word which is translated person having also relation to the outward face of men and things how can it be either proper seasonable or good Doctrine to Preach the Invisible Incomprehensible God under these terms of three distinct or separate Persons And whether it doth not render God or represent the Deity to be like visible men or finite creatures that are comprehended in time yea or nay And hath not this kind of representing the God-head produce those vain Conceptions and Imaginations in the minds of the Ignorant from whence they have formed the Images and Pictures of God and Christ and Holy Ghost made by men of corrupt minds in the night of Apostacy and Popery to the great reproach and abuse of the Name of God and Profession of Christianity in the World See also more Scriptures touching Persons to the same purpose as before Judg. 20.39 1 Sam. 9.22 22.18 22. 2 King 10.6 7. 2 Chron. 19.7 Psal. 26.4 Psal. 82.2 Prov. 12.11 Prov. 24.23 Jer. 52.29 30. Lam. 4.16 Ezek. 17.17 Chron. 27.13 Joh. 4.11 Zeph. 3.4 Mal. 1.9 And 2dly in the New Testament so called it appeares that the word Person or Persons is mentioned with the same acceptation as before in the Old As for instance Thou regardest not the person of men Matth. 22.16 Mar. 12.14 Luk. 20.21 In the Greek it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. faciem hominum the face of men In the Hebrew it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 phene haadam Doth not this still relate to the outward or visible appearance of man See also Matth. 27.24 1 Cor. 5.13 Gal. 2.6 Eph. 5.5 Heb. 12.16 2 Pet. 2.5 Luk. 15.7 Act. 10.34 17.17 Rom. 2.11 Jude 16. 2 Cor. 1.11 Eph. 6.9 Col. 3.25 1 Tim. 1.10 Jam. 2.1 9. 1 Pet. 1.17 2 Pet. 3.11 In all which it is evident That the word persons is attributed to men c. And as to that of 2 Cor. 2.10 where some of our English Copies have it To whom I forgave it for your sakes forgave I it in the Person of Christ The words in the Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are translated in facie Christi in the face of Christ And some of the Latins have it in conspectu Christi in the sight of Christ. And that in Heb. 1.13 where speaking of the Son of God In some of the English we have it thus Who being the Brightness of his Glory and the express Image of his Person In the Greek it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. Et character substantiae ejus and the Character of his Substance It is not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of his Person As also in Heb. 11.1 Faith is the substance of things hoped for The same word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is
used for Substance as before in Heb. 1.3 and not Person It would not be proper to say Faith is the Person of things hoped for but the Substance Also the same word is in 2 Cor. 9.4 where we have it Constant or Confident In Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Latine Substantiâ Substance not Person And so the Son of God is the express Image or Character of his Substance which cannot be severed as a distinct Person from his Substance he being also the brightness of the glory of God which expresseth or sheweth the transcendent Glory of his Divine Substance beyond all visible Appearances Faces or Persons and is only seen and revealed in the Light and Life of God and his Son within revealed only to such in whom the Image of God is renewed whose minds and eyes are so spiritual as to look and see beyond all the fallen Inventions and Imaginations of corrupt ignorant men who are groaping in the dark and vainly imagining to know comprehend and declare the Immortal Invisible God in such invented Names and Terms as they have but meerly by Tradition from men without which do most suite their dark thoughts and carnal conceptions whereby they can never know God nor perceive Divine or Spiritual things but thereby have greatly darkned both themselves and others CHAP. I. Of the Answer wherein Thomas Vincent's railing and sinful Doctrines for Sin and Imperfection are Refuted and his Contradictions discovered IN Tho. Vincent his Title Page and Introduction a storm of bitter railing aspersing and slandering the Innocent People of God called Quakers hath proceeded from him as Black-mouths most hideous Blasphemies Socinian and damnable Heretical opinious Doctrines and the like with several false accusations and slanders cast upon G.F. I.N. and others which hath been long since Answered and Refuted both in verbal Testimonies and in Print And the envious ridged Spirit of several Presbyterians against us therein plainly discovered And let the impartial Reader judge Whether such-like railing Language against us as T. V. hath vented doth become one pretending to be Christ's Minister or one that would have People believe he hath built upon the Rock or hath Christ Jesus for his Foundation whereas they that learn of Christ learn meekness lowliness humility and not railing reviling and slandering which proceeds from bitter envy in the heart which where it is there is confusion c. as plainly appears in T. Vincent and his Brethren's Work which proceeds not from the Wisdom which is from above which is pure and peaceable but from that which is earthly sensual devillish So let the unbyassed judge whether T. V. be a competent man to write about such high Mysteries about God and Christ which are concern'd in our Controversie yea or nay when he hath shewed himself to be in a contrary Spirit to that of Christ and his Ministers And whereas T. V. scornfully reflects upon the People called Quakers touching W. P. saying He being counted among them one of their chief this is false because of some smattering of Learning which they conceit he hath This is also both false and scornful for we lay not such a stress upon smattering of Learning nor on natural Learning it self as to make that the supereminent virtue to make men chief amongst us our esteem does depend upon that which is of a higher nature than either mens Natural parts Arts or Learning even upon the Spirit and Power of God which gives the right understanding and is not limited or tyed to mens Traditional Learning and Knowledge but gives Understanding and Wisedom unto the simple to see beyond all their corrupt Knowledge and beggarly scraps of Learning and Inventions of men wherein they are puft up But so far as W. P. hath a discovery both of the envious Spirit and Babylonish Confusion and dark un-scriptural Doctrines of T.V. and others of his ridged fraternity I am confident he doth not impute that discovery to his Natural Learning nor Parts but to the gift of God's Power and Spirit and desires to magnifie that over all the other And as for T. V. his going to shelter himself with a pretence of those Doctrines which Protestants generally believe to be essential this will neither cover his weakness and confusion nor hide the envy of his heart that hath vented its self in his Pamphlet against an innocent People Neither do I believe That any of the unbyassed Protestants that are accounted competent in these matters will either own many of T. V. his Principles or his shallow way of managing those that are owned amongst them And as to his accusing us of more grossely erring in the Fundamentals of Religion than the Papists themselves It may be justly charged upon himself as in divers things hereafter will appear and T. V. hath more absurdly than the Papists argued for Three distinct separate Persons subsistents or subsistences or rather subsistants saith T.D. in one single divine Essence but more of this hereafter One of T. V. his main Accusations against our Doctrine is That two Quakers asserted the Perfection of Saints in this Life and that the proof was 1 Joh. 3.9 Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin To which T.V. answered That the words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifie He doth not make it his business to sin whereas it is onely He doth not do or commit sin But he should have read a little further 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he cannot sin The meaning saith he was that such as are born again did not make a trade of sin did not go on in a course of sin did not commit sin with the full bent of the will as the wicked do but that it could not be understood of not committing sin at all from ch 1.8 If we say we have no sin c. there he speaketh of himself and others that were born again c. Reply Let every impartial Reader judge whether T. V. his meaning contrary to the plain words of the Apostle Joh. 3.9 be any sufficient proof to evince that our Doctrine of the Perfection of Saints in this Life is either damnable or heretical 1. For first whereas John saith Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin for his seed remaineth in him and he cannot sin because he is born of God Now T. V. his Doctrine and meaning speakes as much as that he that is born of God doth commit sin shall we believe John or him but not so as to make a trade of sin not go on in a course of sin with the full bent of his will as the wicked doth How hath he herein accused the Child of God whom John saith cannot sin because he is born of God his being born of God and so being related to God in his Spirit Nature and Image is made the reason that he commits not sin but if a man should say He commits sin but not to make it his business or to go on in a course of sin
before whether this doth not make a fourth For as he was not fifty years old this had not reference to his Divine Nature as is confessed But then where in pag. 36. The generation of the Son must be Eternal the Son being so they say How is his Personallity with reference to his being begotten denyed to be Infinite in pag. 45. What gross and apparent Contradictions are these And as to his instance Matt. 3.16 17. how that Jesus went up out of the Water and the Spirit descended like a Dove and lo a Voice from Heaven to prove a distinction of all the Three Persons the Son was cloathed in Flesh the Spirit in the shape of a Dove the Father was in the Voice he saith c. Let the Reader but mark how far short of proving his Distinction this instance is Surely he will not say That the Son was cloathed in Flesh from Eternity nor the Spirit in a bodily shape like a Dove from Eternity for if their Personallities did consist in these visible Appearances how were they Coeternal Coessential Coequal with God c And surely Personallity doth not consist in the shape of a Dove neither do we read of the Person of a Dove besides the Spirits appearing in a bodily shape like a Dove doth not prove that the Spirit was a distinct or separate Person from Jesus for he had the Spirit in him and was not separate from the Spirit though that appearance like a Dove was for a Confirmation to John's belief of him John 1.32 33. T.V. Isa. 6.3 Holy holy holy is the Lord of Hosts the three Holies signifies the three persons the Lord of Hosts the One God I must confess I never heard this Argument before if each Holy signifie a Person how then are they spoken to the One God And if so many Holies as are given in praise to him do signifie so many distinct Persons in him then they will amount to a great many Trinities for it is said Rev. 4.8 They rest not day nor night saying Holy holy holy Lord God Almighty c. Now if all the Holies they give day and night to him be so many Persons then they will amount to Persons ad infinitum but the absurdity of this Argument who cannot but see As also his Argument from the distinct Names is little better for God is denominated under many Names more than Three And also his arguing from John 14 15 16. chap. from personal Acts as he calls them as sending the Comforter his speaking and guiding c. Where doth the Scripture call them Personal Acts Were they not Spiritual Acts of the Divine Spirit and Power of God And was there any Act but what was brought forth in time And was the Father's begetting the Son a Personal Act however was it not an Act in time if so how sayes T. V. That the Generation of the Son must be Eternal What distracted confused work is here And as to that Cavil in pag. 40. at the word ONE as not being in the Hebrew in all those Scriptures Isa. 40.25 chap. 48.17 Psal. 71.22 where Holy One is mentioned in the English which to Cavil at shews little prudence whilst Holy One and the Lord being One and the Only Wise God is often mentioned elsewhere see Zac. 14.9 which W. P. quotes is it not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Jehovah echad ushemo echad i. e. Dominus unus nomen Ejus unum One Lord and his Name One. And see Deut. 6.4 how its 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Jehovah echad One Lord but where the word Echad is not expressed whether it be not understood Besides T. V. himself pag. 33. useth these words The Lord of Hosts the One God so that he might have spared his Contradictory Cavil about it And if their distinctions be in regard of the Personallity and not of the Essence then I ask Are they three Persons both distinct among themselves and also distinct from the Essence or Being of God and so not infinite or neither finite nor infinite as most Absurdly and Contradictorily is laid down in their 44 45 46 pages as before has been mentioned And as to W. P. his Cloudy Brain Conceptions as it 's called which is so difficult to find out as they say and his Phrases so uncouth and his Reasonings so odly joynted together Indeed neither T. V. nor T. D. have shewen any such Brightness nor strength of Argument as to expel or drive away these cloudy Conceptions if they be such it must be another thing that must unvail him and overthrow what he hath said than their grosse Confusion and many apparent Contradictions which I am certain that W. P. is so far unvail'd as to have a sight and discovery of though this dark ridged Presbyterian Spirit hath sought by Persecution false Reports and Slanders to vail and obscure both him and others in whom any degree breakings forth or glimerings of true Light have appeared where they could not do it by slandering grossely villifying and traducing them they would endeavour to bring Persecution and Cruelty and outward Restraint upon them to their Power And as for their taxing W.P. for instancing Irenaeus Justin Martyr Tertullian Origen Theophil and others as appearing forreign to the matter in Controversie c. they telling us The Doctrine of the Trinity is plainly enough to be gathered from several passages in Irenaeus lib. 1. ch 2. Ecclesia accipit fidem quae est in unum Deum Patrem Omnipotentem in unum Christum filium Dei incarnatum in spiritum Sanctum qui per Prophetas praedicavit And then our Opposers ask Do not these words hold forth a distinction of those three persons To which I say However he gathers or imagines such a distinction of their being three Persons he does but beg the Question in calling them three Persons which their words no not prove nor so call them but God the Father Omnipotent Christ the Son of God and the Holy Ghost in whom the Faith of the Church is Neither do the latter words prove any thing for this purpose which mention the God of all things making and governing all things by his word and Spirit If he had asserted no otherwise herein then Irenaeus hath done there had not been this Controversie between us and them And as for the rest of the Authors they mention I do not find that they called them three distinct separate persons as T. D. did in all these Passages mentioned and quoted by them And it s known that W.P. his Controversie was principally against them for unscriptural Doctrine of the God-head subsisting in three distinct and separate persons which also their own Instance of Theophil lib. 1. Com. in Evang. doth contradict viz. Margarita pretiosa est Sancta Trinitas quae dividi non potest nam in unitate consistit the Holy Trinity is a precious Jewel which cannot be divided because it consisteth in Unity To which I say then the Glorious
but for a few only for a select number the World of Believers c. as both T. D. and other Professors both Presbyterians and Independants both in Words and Writings and T.V. brings 1 Tim. 2.6 and mentions only gave himself a Ransom and leaves out the words for All pag. 56. And thus minces as if he had no mind to hear that Grace is free for All as well as himself but only for a few perhaps Presbyterians and such-like whom there is no reason or equallity for God to take such special notice and regard of more than others for their Spirits and Hearts are as perverse and corrupt as others if not more ridged and envious and their Garments of Self-Righteousness are as polluted ragged and filthy as others or worse Thus much they will acknowledge in their Prayers but perhaps they 'l take it ill that another should tell them of it Then Secondly The Power of Christ and his blessed Effects in his Death acceptable Sacrifice c. we own more than they for he gave himself to Redeem Man from Sin and Transgression and the servitude of it and his Blood purgeth the Conscience cleanseth from all sin his Flesh is given for the Life of the World that Man may come to rise out of sin and live again to God in perfect Righteousness God hath set him forth to be a Propitiation through Faith in his Blood to declare his Righteousness for the Remission of Sins past through the forbearance of God Rom. 3.25 He doth not say for sins past present and to come and that all must be sinful and imperfect all their dayes and yet all forgiven God being satisfied in Christ for all whilst he is not satisfied in them but his Spirit daily grieved where as Christs Appearance was to put away sin by the Sacrifice of himself and if it was to put sin away to cleanse man from it and not that he should say that only the Guilt is done away but not the Act and Pollution of Sin which is the gross corruption and false construction of Presbyterians and others And as to T.V. his wonder at W.P. his challenging any Person to give him one Scripture phrase which doth approach the Doctrine of Satisfaction But T.V. has deceitfully left out his following words viz. Considering to what degree it is stretched the degree whereto it is stretched by these Priests is mentioned before not that we do deny but really confess that Jesus Christ in Life Doctrine and Death fulfilled his Father's Will and offered up a most satisfactory Sacrifice but not to pay God as otherwise being unable to save men he saith And further adds And for a Justification by an imputative Righteousness whilst not real it 's meerly an Imagination not a reality and therefore rejected otherwise that which is real which is the Righteousness of Faith really received and injoyed in the true and Living Faith is confessed and known to be justifying before God because there is no abiding in Christ's Love without keeping his Commandements I therefore saith he Caution thee in Love not longer to deceive thy self by the over-fond imbraces of Humane Apprehensions for Divine Mysteries but rather be informed that God hath bestowed a measure of his Grace on thee and me to shew us what is good that we may obey and do it which if thou diligently wilt observe thou shalt be led out of all unrighteousness and in thy obedience shalt thou receive Power to become a Son of God in which happy estate God only can be known by Men and they know themselves to be justified before him whom experimentally to know by Jesus Christ is Life Eternal So that the infinite God in his infinite Love Good Will Kindness Patience Forbearance Long-Suffering fully expressed declared and signified by Christ Jesus the Son of his Love and express Image of his Divine Substance not a separate Person from him and Gods good Pleasure and real Satisfaction in him and all for the regaining restoring redeeming and saving of lost man to himself out of the fallen estate out of sin and corruption and from Wrath to come this we know really own and confess in the Light and Life of the Son of God bestowed upon us which is that alone that can give the true knowledge of the blessed Effects of Gods Love in Christ and of the Righteousness of the true and Living Faith in his Name and Power as also of their true Peace and Satisfaction receiving the Attonement Reconciliation and union with God in Jesus Christ who is the Way Truth and Life to all that truly believe in him T. V. In the Scriptures he alleadgeth against Christ's Satisfaction W. P. Not that we do deny but really confess that Jesus Christ in Life Doctrine and Death fulfilled his Fathers Will and offered up a most satisfactory Sacrifice Obs. This clears him from alleadging Scripture against Christ or what was really his satisfaction as he is falsely accused T.V. God proclaims himself to be gracious and merciful whereby be declares what he is in his Son whom he had before promised to give and in whom alone all Nations of the Earth that ever should obtain his favour were to be blessed Reply His giving his Son and his Favour and Blessedness in him proceeds from the Graciousness and Mercifulness of God How then does this agree with that of Impossibility freely to Pardon and with that of his being oblieged to take Vengeance upon all and yet ready to forgive and that he hath ingaged himself to do it pag. 60. Can this be deemed to be of the Nature of Debt full Payment c. by the rigour and punishment of Law Secondly If that it be in the Son of God alone in whom God declares what he is and in whom alone his Favour and Blessing is obtained then in him is the knowledge both of his Judgment and Mercy and if blessed in Christ it is not blessed out of Christ nor meerly for what he hath Suffered in the Flesh without being in him for we are accepted only in the Beloved as is confessed and God is well pleased with us only in Christ then not with us in sin And if so be God proclaims himself to be Gracious and Merciful in his Son how was God's infinite Wrath that sinners deserved inflicted upon him as a Person distinct from him Where does the Scripture say so Or were it good Doctrine to say that God so loved the World that he hated his only Son How then was he the Son of his Love who freely gave himself to bear the sins sorrow and burthen of all T.V. Pag. 62 63. I grant that God's Love of Benevolence or Electing Love is not the Effect of Christ's Satisfaction from whence it was that he sent his Son into the World for our Salvation but his Love of Complacency was the Effect of Christ's Satisfaction Matth. 3.17 Reply Where doth the Scriptures use these Expressions or this distinction of an Electing Love and
by him having left out and not stated his Arguments and then rails against his Consequences whereas he and his Brethren would not be so dealt by T. V· Take away Satisfaction then the Word and Spirit and we are false Witnesses then is our Preaching vain and you are all yet in your sins then you must all of you of necessity be damned and punished Eternally Reply Truly so they are like to be for all the help they are like to have from your Preaching especially if their being yet in their sins be a sign of it and that you are false Witnesses and your Preaching vain for so they are like to be in their sins all their Life time if they believe and drink-in your sinful Doctrine for sin and Imperfections remaining in all term of Life And as for T. V's bitter storm he brings forth of accusing and charging W.P. in the same words that Peter said to Simon Magus the Sorcerer or Witch Acts 8.9 21 22 23. and as having no part in Christ's Satisfaction and his heart not being right in the sight of God and to be in the gall of bitterness and bond of iniquity And further adds these words to render him worse viz. Wicked Blasphemies and Abominable and Heretical Assertions I hope W.P. will easily bear such vilifying without reviling again there being no matter of Argument nor Proof in them either to Convince or terrifie him and for the matter of Judgment against him he can Appeal to more Competent and Moderate Persons to judg in the case than T.V. hath shewen himself T.V. Pag. 67. God hath engaged to keep Believers out of a Course of Disobedience and if they do transgress in some particulars he hath threatned to chastize them which is not inconsistent with Christ's satisfying his Justice for their sins since chastizing is not an Act of Vindicative Justice but Fatherly Love Reply Here observe 1st That Chastizement and Revenge are two things 2dly If they be to be Chastized for Transgression it is to bring them into more subjection to God and conformity to Christ and not to leave them in sin and Imperfection term of Life under a Plea of the Debt being fully paid and full Satisfaction being made for them by Christ's under-going Wrath and Vindictive Justice which how do these stand with Free Grace Goodness Pardon Remission c. upon Repentance 3dly How does T.V. suppose Vindictive Justice or Eternal Wrath incurred by mans Offences to be laid on Christ which is not Chastizement as confessed and so he makes full Satisfaction the Effect of God's full Revenge on his Innocent Son as if one should say That God could not command Wrath but were bound thereby till he had Executed the Extremities of it upon Christ for so it hath been deserved by sin and sinners as if he had not absolute Power to shew his Love Good Will and Satisfaction therein for his own Names sake And is not this to render God more cruel than man or his Prerogative below that of Earthly Princes which is best known in shewing Mercy and forgiveness God can do whatsoever he will and his Will is chiefly to that which he most delighteth in to wit Goodness Mercy and Forgiveness that he may shew himself Gracious for to restore man to himself And he saith I will not contend for ever neither will I be alwayes wroth for the Spirits should fail before me and the Souls that I have made Isa. 57.16 And T. V. stating it as God's Revenge or Vindictive Justice on Christ and the Chastizement only on the Transgressors is not Scripture Is. 53.5 for it saith He was bruised for our Iniquities and the Chastizement of our peace was upon him Mark He was bruised and the Chastizement of our peace was upon him It is not said Vindicative or rather Vindictive Justice or the Revenge of our Peace was upon him for T.V. has Confessed a difference and Chastizement comes in Fatherly Love and not Revenge O Lord correct me but with Judgment not in thy Anger least thou bring me to nothing Jer. 10.24 And now this Correction or Chastizement from the Lord is known by his People in the time of their spiritual Travel and Warfare that they may be partakers of his Holiness and perfect Righteousness as they have partaken of Christ's Sufferings and known the Fellowship thereof But and if men continue in Rebellion against Christ rejecting his Love and Grace his Sufferings and Satisfaction will not free them from the severity of God nor from the Execution of his Judgement which is given to Christ to do who hath also Power and Authority to Execute Judgement because he is the Son of man that hath suffered and is that man by whom God will Judge the World in Righteousness Joh. 5.22.27 Acts 17.31 and by whom the secrets of men shall be judged according to the Gospel which he and his Ministers have proclaimed which is the acceptable year of the Lord to them that receive it who have thirsted after it and the Day of Vengeance of our God to them that reject the Love of the Truth and hate to be Reformed how highly soever they may boast of Satisfaction and Imputation c. CHAP. V. Touching the Presbyterian Priests and Professors Doctrine of the Justification of the Ungodly by an imputed Righteousness and T. V. his Plea and Proofs for it Examined FIrst he brings 2 Cor. 5.21 for his Proof viz. He hath made him to be sin for us that knew no sin that we might be made the Righteousness of God in him to which he adds as Christ was made sin for us though Innocent by the imputation of our sin to him for which he was condemned and punished so we are made the Righteousness of God in him though guilty by the imputation of his Righteousness unto us whereby we are Justified Reply Here T.V. has given us their sense of Imputation viz. That Guilty Persons are made the Righteousness of God in Christ and so Justified whilst in their sins by the Imputation of his Righteousness as much as to say when they are really unrighteous and actively sinners yet imputedly Justified and made the Righteousness of God in Christ which is a false and corrupt meaning put upon the Apostles words for there 's no Unrighteousness no Guilt nor Impurity in Christ for in him is no sin and he that abides in him sins not besides as Christ was made a Curse or Sin for us the Scripture doth not say So we are made the Righteousness of God in him For if these words As he So we which are added were true the Consequence would be As he was made to be sin for us who knew no sin nor ever could sin So we are made the Righteousness of God in him who never knew Righteousness nor ever can be Righteous What a gross corruption and perverting of Scripture is this and how contrary to the Righteousness of God to suppose guilty and sinful Persons to be
in that to the Romans as also in that to the Galatians See Rom. 3 4. chap. and Gal. 2 3 4 5. chap. that they were the Works of the Law and not the Works of Faith without which they were Justified And as of his telling of the Deficiency of Righteousness inherent I say that Christ's Righteousness within is not Deficient who works both perfect Sanctification and Righteousness in true Believers and what is the end of seeking for a Righteousness without as T.V. saith if they must not really injoy Christ's Righteousness within And where do the Scripture say That they may seek for Christ's Righteousness Imputed without themselves How proves he this by Scripture c. his saying they can be Justified only by Faith whilst he excludes its Works it 's contrary to the Apostles Doctrine Jam. 2. Faith if it hath not Works is dead being alone and ye see how that by Works man is Justified and not by Faith only vers 17.24 T. V. Which Faith he putteth in opposition to all Works not only of the Ceremonial and Moral Law but also to all Works wrought in Faith which are works still such as Abraham's Works and David's Works were pag. 70 71. Reply The Justifying Faith which is Living and Real was never put in opposition to its own Work by either Christ his Apostles or Ministers nor to all or any Works wrought in it self by any but Antichrist and his Ministers such as T. V. and his Brethren have manifestly shewn themselves to be in this and other particulars For the Apostle Paul was so far from putting Faith in opposition to all Works wrought in it that he saith Do we then make void the Law through Faith God forbid yea we Establish the Law Rom. 3.31 And if while we seek to be Justified by Christ we our selves also are found sinners is therefore Christ the Minister of sin God forbid and I through the Law am dead to the Law that I may live unto God Gal. 2.17 Now this Living unto God being Crucified with Christ was by the Faith of the Son of God which Living unto God was in the Righteousness of Faith and not in sin for Christ is not the Minister of sin so that he doth not set Faith in opposition to its own Works as most falsly is affirmed but to those Works whether of the Law or other self-Works or Righteousness that were out of the True Faith which purifies the heart gives Victory Sanctifies and Justifies and the Saints knew the puting off the body of the sins of the Flesh by the Circumcision of Christ so that they did not carry a body of sin all their time about with them and a being buried with him in Baptism wherein also they they are risen with him through the Faith of the operation of God who haith Raised him up from the dead Col. 2.11 12. And that God would fulfil the Work of Faith with Power 2 Thes. 1.11 This Paul prayed for so he did not set Faith in opposition to its own Work As also Heb. 11. how amply is the true Faith without which it's impossible to please God demonstrated by the many Works and blessed Effects of it which did attend it in God's People in their acceptable obedience and subjection to him both in Doing and Suffering concerning which both Abel Enoch Noah Abraham Sarah Isaac Joseph Moses and many others are instanced for their faithful obedience and subjection As also the Apostle James chap. 2.20 21 22. plainly Contradicteth T.V. his putting Faith in opposition to its own Works wherein he might as well have put it in opposition to it self Who farther adds from Rom. 4.2 5. touching God's Justifying the ungodly That no Persons being the subjects of the Gospel Justification but as ungodly Reply Herein again he has wrested Scripture for the Apostle doth not say he Justifies them AS ungodly but he that believeth on him that Justifieth the ungodly it 's not as ungodly which were the believing Gentiles that were so ungodly there intended before they came into the Work of Faith and to partake of its Righteousness within for they were not Justified in ungodliness but from it Justifieth is not Justified the one being the Work a doing the other done which where it is so Effected by Faith that purifieth the heart therein the real Subjects of Gospel Justification are manifest not as ungodly but as Righteous being Washed Sanctified and Justified by the Spirit of our God and that in the Name and Power of the Lord Jesus 1 Cor. 6.11 Moreover T.V. hath Confessed That God doth not leave them ungodly where he removeth the guilt of sin he removeth also the filth of sin Justification and Sanctification being inseparable companions and that Justification is never without Sanctification pag. 70. Reply It 's well he has somewhat inclined to Confess to Truth though to the manifest break-neck and overthrow of his own Cause For now What 's become of his Justification of the ungodly of the Guilty as ungodly c. by the imputed Righteousness of Christ as his words are And when was that performed or wrought Now not till Sanctification be known that the filth of sin is removed Justification and Sanctification being inseparable companions and the one never without the other And surely people are not the subjects of Sanctification or Sanctified as ungodly or as in the filth or pollution of sin let the Readers but mark here how flatly this T. Vincent hath overthrown and contradicted himself and his corrupt Doctrine for an Imputation of Righteousness to the Unrighteous and a Justification in Sin and Transgression as ungodly c. whereas he that Justifieth the Wicked and he that Condemneth the Just they both are abomination unto God Prov. 17.15 And of this our Adversary is greatly guilty And as for Tho. Danson's Synopsis which he so highly commends as that the use of it may be great for the Establishing of Christians in the Truths c. By this he does but shew his own shallowness and weakness to Commend thus highly of such a silly confussed piece which hath also many Lyes and Falshoods in it as that sorry Pamphlet of T. D's as it will further be manifest and how apparently both T. V. and T.D. have Contradicted themselves and each other even in their principal Points And as for his putting off S. E. his Challenge to Fast and Watch as a Tempting of God and a God provoking sin to endanger self-murther And judges him as being Mad and numbred amongst distracted People Indeed this is as smooth a put off and excuse as he could readily have imagined to excuse himself from Fasting c. so that his Accusing S.E. as being Mad Distracted c. does neither prove him to be so nor does it destroy either S.E. his Confidence or Motion in the matter but sets it the more over T. V. and his Brethrens heads who are afraid their God should fail them and to enter upon this
in the Flesh hath ceased from sin that he no longer should live the rest of his time in the Flesh to the lusts of men but to the Will of God Chap. 4.1 2. Now the ceasing from Sin and following of Christ's steps in the harmless sinless state is the right use and end of his Suffering for man and his Example to man But then mark T. D's Doctrine as followeth what an example and subject of Wrath and Vindictive Justice so tearmed he renders Christ viz. T. D. pag. 36.4 Christ when he suffered was not innocent and when God required satisfaction of him it was due from him Christ was guilty of our sin when he suffered for it for guilt is but obligatio ad paenam an obligation to undergo punishment which Christ was under by contract Hebr. 7.22 Answ. It s no wonder that these Presbyterians and those of their affinity accuse all Christ's Followers of being Sinners and imperperfect all their life time since that T. D. one of their Leaders or Chieftains hath accused Christ not to be innocent when he suffered saying also Christ was guilty of our Sin when he suffered for it which how false and blasphemous this charge is against Christ I appeal to all sober and moderate Professors of Christianity who have any real esteem and reverence to the Name of Christ and his Glory and how contrary to plain Scripture-testimonies plentifully given of him as being a Lamb yea the Lamb of God which declared his innocency and purity being without sin or guile who offered up himself by the Eternal Spirit a Lamb without spot to God 1 Pet. 1.19 chap. 2.22 Hebr. 9.14 Isa. 53.7 Acts 8.32 Now his being a Lamb without spot and without blemish manifests him to be a perfect Offering and Sacrifice for Sin as also how guilt is more then barely an obligation to undergo punishment being always imputed to the Transgressors and disobedient for sin and not to Christ Rom. 3.19 Jam. 2.10 1 Cor. 11.27 Deut. 19.13 and 21.9 Exod. 34.7 Although t is true those chief Priests false Witnesses and Persecutors of Christ among the Jews and such as accused him for a Blaspemer they said also that he was guilty of death Mat. 26.65 66. Mark 14.64 whose example T. D. hath followed in accusing Christ of being guilty and not innocent But if T. D. should say he meant not that Christ was really or inherently or personally guilty of sin but by imputation and so not innocent but guilty of our sins by this we may perceive then what he means by imputation that on the one hand an innocent person is made guilty and is not innocent whilst he hath no sin nor guile or evil in him and so on the other hand by their own rule of contraries contraria contrariorum ratio persons are to be reckoned imputatively righteous and innocent in God's sight whilst there is neither righteousness nor innocency really in them which is both unreasonable unscriptural and apparently false It was a false imputation of the persecuting Jews and Tho. Danson to impute guilt of sin to Christ and to accuse him with not being innocent when no sin evil nor guilt was in him and it is as false an imputation of theirs to impute Christ's Righteousness to sinfull persons who are not in it nor partakes of it in them so it s neither God's imputation nor Christ's for had Abraham no righteousness really in him when his Faith was reckoned to him for righteousness where then was his Faith and the righteousness and obedience of it if in reallity he was not a partaker and an enjoyer thereof within from whence did his acts or works of real obedience proceed and flow if not from his living Faith and its righteousness within Surely they are of very mean capacities that cannot see T. D's absurdities ignorance in these matters And his vain imaginations and conceits about imputation further will appear and that the stress and drift of all his and his Brethrens work in these invented Doctrines â—s to keep people in their sins and imperfections all their dayes and so their work in rendring Christ the subject of guilt and so of vengeance that belongs to Devils and their rendring people the subjects of his Righteousness and Justification by imputation whilst unjust and sinful in themselves it all centers in their sinfull Doctrine for sin and imperfection term of life Pag. 37. As to T. D's telling of the Son of God's Incarnation the creation of his Body and Soul the parts of that nature he subsisted in c. To this I say if the Body and Soul of the Son of God were both Created doth not this render him a Fourth Person for Creation was in time which contradicts their Doctrine of Three distinct Increated Co-eternal Co-essential Persons in the Deity seeing that which was created was not so but herein whether doth not his and their ignorance of the only begotten of the Father and their denial of Christs Divinity plainly appear yea or nay where doth the Scripture say that his Soul was created for was not he the brightness of his Fathers Glory and the express Image of his Divine Substance But supposing the Soul of Christ was with the Body created in time I ask if from Eternity he was a Person distinct from God and his holy Spirit without either Soul or Body and where doth the Scripture speak of any Person without either Soul or Body le ts have plain Scripture Pag. 38. Whilst T. D. grants our actual freedom from sin and wrath depends on what Christ did and suffered as on and upon its means what becomes of his Doctrine and Pleas for sin and imperfection which they that continues in term of life cannot be truly said to be Actually freed from sin nor yet imputatively righteous in Gods sight whilst actually and really sinfull And if Christ's obedience was not intended to exempt us from a personal obedience to the Law as is confest in pag. 38. then it s contrary to the end of his Obedience to live in sin and disobedience term of life and for any to be reckoned imputatively righteous when actually disobedient Secondly And if we be only so far made righteous by Christs Obedience as unrighteous by our own disobedience how far is that have we not been actually unrighteous and shall we so far be made righteous by Christ's Righteousness Is not this more then your Doctrine of Imputation whilst personally sinfull amount to but your flat contradictions in these matters are evident Pag. 39. And though Christ is our Surety this doth not exempt us either from following him or walking in the Way of God but the more ingage us therein and herein we know acceptance in the Beloved of God in that holy conversation which his pure Law within enjoyns without obedience to which God is not well pleased nor satisfied on man's part though he was even well pleased and satisfied in his own Son both in his doing and suffering
either required a thing not attainable or as if being perfect as he is perfect were but the measure of our Duty and so to be put off till the Life to come wherein the Saints had not such Commands given to them seeing they are not capable of sinning in the Life to come but John said As is he so are we in this world 1 John 4.17 And herein they knew their Love made perfect and this is more then either the small resemblance of Children to their Parents which T. D. speaks of and beyond his imperfect sinfull state and Doctrine for the perfect Love which they had was in them a perfect resemblance of God who is Love verse 16. But this way of T. D. his slighting and diminishing and falsly interpreting the Commands of God which require such perfection only as the measure of our Duty is like his Brethren saying That a Child of God his not committing Sin is to be meant he doth not make a trade of Sin which indeed is a very easie way they have taken to pervert the Commands of God and to give ease and liberty to the Transgressors in their sins as if when a thing is absolutely required of them they should put it off with this It is meant only as but in part to be obeyed and so if they should deal thus with God and say Lord then requires us not to Steal or not to commit Adultery or not to Covet but we are to understand it as that we cannot altogether abstain from Stealing Adultery or Covetousness only we are not to make a trade of these things nor wholy make it our business to be imployed in them what acceptance do they think such a Plea would have before the Lord and what Answer would he make them to this their corruption and what resentment would such Doctrine have in the minds of sober people if they should preach them and give such meanings to the Scriptures and tell them that where Stealing and Adultery and worldly â—usts and Covetousness are forbidden that they are not to go to the extent of the Commands but only not make a trade or a common practice of Stealing or these things c for thus they have dealt with many of God's Commands enjoyning perfect Holiness and Righteousness but then they have an easie way to lay all upon Christ as having paid their debt and fulfilled the Righteousness of the Law in his Person in their stead so that they must not expect its fulfilling in their persons for where the Scripture speaks of its being fulfilled in us we are to understand by in us that it is in Christ's Person and this is the manner of their course from time to time both to shut Christ his Works and Righteousness out of People so much as in them lies 1 John 3.9 Whosoever is born of God doth not commit Sin T. D. saith to this We may interpret it as he is born of God he doth not sin every Child of God is mixta persona Pag. 57. as our Law sayes of the King consists of an old and new nature and so his new nature is Principium quo the Principle from which he acts graciously and the old nature the Principle from which he acts sinfully Reply Here again he hath palpably perverted plain Scripture and contradicted the Apostle John as may be seen in that 1 John 3. For he that is born of God who doth neither commit sin nor can sin because he is born of God has put off the old nature and is not acted by that Principle which leads to act sinfully because he cannot sin and that gracious Principle in him hath overcome the sin and the nature of it and so to tell of his being mixta persona is T. D's gross blindness For first that which is born of God that overcomes the World is not mixt with sin nor with the old sinful nature Secondly He or whosoever is born of God whose Seed remains in him who abideth in Christ is not acted by that old sinful nature because he is born of God and abideth in Christ in whom is no sin neither is mans having divers parts as Body and Soul c. or his being liable or not liable to death any reason to shew that he that is born of God doth act sinfully from the old nature for the Bodies of the Saints were the Temples of the Holy Ghost and their Bodies were sanctified and so brought into subjection unto the Divine Spirit or Principle in them so as they might glorifie God in their bodies and in their spirits which were his Again T. D's meaning to that first of John 3.9 is That it may intend the manner of sinning so the 8 th verse seems to limit it be that committeth sin is of the Devil for the Devil sinneth from the beginning the Comparison quoth he is not between the act simply for then it should have been said only for the Devil sinneth but from the beginning implies a Comparison between the manner of man's sin and the Devils in respect of which he is said to be of the Devil because he immitates his example who from the day he began never ceased to sin nor ever did one truly good action Observ. By this we may gather T. D's limitation put upon that of 1 John 3.9 and the Comparison he makes between not the act simply but the manner of mans sin and the Devils still taking it for granted that he that is born of God doth sin and acts sinfully from the old nature but not in that manner as he that is of the Devil who intimates his example so that his meaning and comparison seems to amount to this that he that is born of God doth sin but not always or not as the Devil sinneth he is somewhat better then the Devil in that he doth some good actions but the Devil doth none Reply Surely our opposer hath come off but very poorly in his arguing for the Devils work contrary both to the state and testimony of such as were born of God whom he hath here very meanly debased and sadly abused the Scriptures misrepresenting Gods Children whom he by his Eternal Power hath delivered from the power of Sin and Satan and given them a Heavenly place in Christ where the Devil cannot come and in whom the Prince of the World hath nothing nor his sinfull Ministers any part or interest whilst they plead against God's Promises holy Commands and against the very end and purpose of Christ's manifestation as T. D. and his Brethren have done wherein they have shown themselves to be Antichrist's Agents and Ministers and not the true Christ's Now touching Christ's Enlightning every man whose Light we affirm to be saving this is set down as an Error by T. D. he and his Brethren denying the Light of Christ in every man to be Saving in its own nature and property which we do affirm it to be but that he enlightens every man to
Salvation I do not remember these to be our words as T. D. lays them down who also begins with a meer falshood against us saying That the word Christ is a meer blind to delude the ignorant for the Quakers denying Christ to be God they cannot own him for the Author of Illumination Answ. This is an apparent Slander cast upon us as our Books and Writings do shew that we never denied Christ to be God or his Divinity still affirming That in the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God and that in him was Life and the Life was the Light of men and that was the true Light which lighteth every man that cometh into the World as in John 1.1.4 9. Now to detect us as being in an Error herein T. D. urgeth Ephes. 2.12 that at that time ye were without Christ having no hope c. which is no proof that they had none of Christ's Light in them though they then did not experience him their Hope nor were come to the Covenant being without God in the World in which state they were Strangers and Enemies in their minds the mystery was hid from them the Light was obscured from their understandings it shined in darkness and the darkness comprehended it not but it doth not follow that the Light was not in them because they were without God in the World no more then it follows that God is not in the World because the World knows him not whereas its plain that he was in the World and the World was made by him and the World knew him not John 1.10 and seeing Christ as God is acknowledged to be the Author of Illumination his illumination is Divine and Spiritual and therefore saving to them that believe in it and God's Presence filleth Heaven and Earth neither can Darkness it self nor the Deep nor Hell hide or cover man from the Presence of God nor yet obscure him from the reach of his Spirit Whether shall I go from thy Spirit or whether shall I fly from thy Presence if I ascend up into Heaven thou art there if I make my Bed in Hell behold thou art there if I take the wings of the Morning c. Psal. 139. Yet still I grant that there is a state in which all are ignorant of God and in which the Mystery to wit Christ within the hope of Glory hath been hid from Ages and Generations but is shewed revealed and made manifest to the true Believers in his Light who said Believe in the Light that you may be the Children of the Light and Christ said I am come a Light into the World that whosoever believeth in me might not perish but have Eternal Life and this we testifie to against all Opposers of his Light as it is in every man Pag. 59. And where T. D. argues that the Gentiles for a time had no Promises of Christ therefore knew of none and consequently had not a Light or Knowledge sufficient to bring them to Salvation Reply What time was that the Gentiles had no Promise of Christ and how long was it Was not the Promise of God after the Fall that the Seed of the Woman should bruise the Serpents head of a general extent as well towards Gentiles as Jews For was not Adam and Eve the first Parents of both to whom this Promise was made Secondly The Promise that was made to Abraham whilst in the uncircumcision did not this relate to the Gentiles as well as the Jews see Rom. 4. and Galat. throughout And thirdly Was not Christ's Death for all still a confirmation or evident Testimony to the fore-going Promises and Covenant of God towards both Jews and Gentiles but and if there was some time or Ages in which the Gentiles had no Promises of Christ and therefore not a Light sufficient to Salvation according to T. D. then it follows that none of them in that time or those Ages could be saved and why but because God did not afford them a sufficient Light which assertion and consequence lays the blame upon God but the falsehood thereof who is it that know the Scriptures that cannot see Again where he puts Light for Knowledge herein he doth not reach our Principle for many have a true Light in them that are not come to the true Knowledge for it is the Light that shines in the heart that gives the knowledge of the Glory of God 2 Cor. 4. so the Light is there before the Knowledge is given and in that its able to give that Knowledge it is sufficient to save And where he brings 1 Tim. 3. ver last for proof That the Gentiles neither had nor knew any Promises of Christ for a time where he saith God manifested in the Flesh and as such preach'd unto the Gentiles are made two parts of the Mystery of Godliness which in other Ages was not made known unto the Sons of men as it s now revealed to his holy Apostles and Prophets by the Spirit c. Where note first that this manistation of God in the Flesh and preaching unto the Gentiles is no proof that either they had no promises of Christ before or that they had no Light in them sufficient to salvation for if so then all Gentiles in all Ages before that time were condemned for want of saving Light being given to them which were a gross errour to assert 2dly As to the manifestation of the mystery of God and Christ I grant that it was more large and open in the Apostles days then for Ages before as also that was made manifest then which was hid for Ages and Generations yet still it doth not follow that the Gentiles before had not a Light sufficient to save or to manifest the mystery of Godliness in some degree 3dly But yet T. D. his arguing against the Gentiles having a sufficient Light before Christ's coming in the flesh however if we could grant him his plea which we cannot it doth not follow that now the Gentiles or the whole world hath not a Light sufficient given them since Christ is so come manifestly testified as God's Salvation prepared before the face of all People being a Light to the Gentiles and his Testimony so signally confirmed as it hath been also both by his works and sufferings But yet the better to inform our Opposers of the Light let them read John 1. where speaking of the Word that was God that made all things it s said In him was Life and the Life was the Light of men verse 4. and this Light and Life of men which proceeds from the Word though it was before Christ's comming in the Flesh yet it was still the Light and Life of Christ born witness of and more fully manifested through his coming or being sent in the fulness of time Pag. 60. T. D. The Father is said to hide the object because he did not enlighten the subject i. e. to hide the Gospel because he did
the Word and the Apostle called it the Word of Faith which was nigh them in their mouthes and in their hearts but saith T. D. It is not the Light within but the Scriptures as if he should say the Scriptures of the Old and New Testament were in their mouthes and hearts but this Word of which they give testimony was in the hearts of all the holy men of God that gave forth the Scriptures before they writ them and it was a Lamp to David's feet and a Light to his path and he hid it in his heart that he might not sin c. Psal. 119.11 verse 115. and the Word is for ever setled in Heaven verse 89. this was that which quickned sanctified and saved the Righteous in and thorow all Generations and of this the Scriptures or Writings do testifie in which are words of God but the Word was before they were spoke or writ And T. D.'s accusing the Quakers for not owning the Authority of the Scriptures is false for we are in the Spirit that gave forth and openeth and brings to the right use and end of them and in the same Spirit can and do make use of them not only to prove our Tenents and to Confute our Opposers but also to obey and practice the things contained in them which are truly moral and Christian as the Spirit of Truth doth direct and enable T. D. We are not now to expect any new discovery of Truth as to the matter revealed but only as to the person whom God enlightens gradually to discern the evidence of what is revealed in Scripture Answ. First If no new Discovery then what is in Scriptures then no need of Popish and Heathenish Authors to prove distinct and separate personal Subsistances in God nor any other such traditional distinctions which obscures the simplicity of Scripture Truth and darkens the minds of People but people should rather be referred singly to the Scripture Phrase and Language and to search them in the Light of Christ within Secondly if the discerning of the Scripture is from God's enlightning them people ought to be recommended to God to wait in his Light to know his Counsel and direction therein or otherwise they will remain ignorant of the Scriptures and Revelation of the things declared Again it s well that T. D. confesseth that there are Prophesies and Histories of things done before the Pen-mens birth as also personal experiences c. So now at length he doth a little assent to Truth as if he were a little convinced by S. Fisher's Answer to him that he doth not now bind up all to the Scriptures but confesseth that Prophesies Histories and personal experiences to be before the Pen-mens birth But herein he hath but manifested his uncertainty and wavering to and again one while opposing the Sufficiency of the Light and placing all upon the Scriptures as the only Rule another while upon the matter contained in the Scriptures which was before the Scriptures were written and was written on the heart of the Gentiles another while the Light within he seems to assent unto as in pag. 67. for them that have not Scripture another while Prophesies and Experiences where before the Scripture and thus at length the Spirit or Light that gave forth the Scriptures must be preferred as the most certain and universal Guide and Rule as indeed it is to all them who follow obey and believe in it and this Light the blind corrupt imaginary Teachers whose knowledge and profession is but natural and traditional cannot corrupt as they have done the Scriptures by their false glosses meanings and private interpretations contrary to the intent and end of the Spirit of God which gave them forth and which leads into all Truth and Righteousness for a further Answer to T. D. touching this matter I do refer the Reader to S. Fisher's Book titled Rusticus ad Accademicos And as for his accusing Quakers with error touching Baptism and the Lords Supper as to their ceasing and setting up the appearance of Christ within c. Answ. The one Baptism Ephes. 4.5 into the one Body 1 Cor. 12.13 and the eating drinking and supping with Christ at the table of the Lord in his house and Kingdom we own and experience but what Baptism it is he intends whether sprinkling Infants or John's Baptism he hath not discovered neither indeed doth it concern him now to make such a frivolous pudder against the Quakers upon this account for indeed we do not look upon him either as a true Minister nor as having a call either from God or man as one impowered to impose things he calls Ordinances its probable when he was Parish Priest at Sandwich in Kent in Cromwel's time he could shew a greater force for his impositions then now he can in Houses and Corners where he and his Brethren can creep and not only so but be ready to obscure and hide themselves if but a little Storm and Trial come He stiles himself sometime Minister of the Gospel at Sandwich but is not rather that report of him true that there he was given to Gaming Bowls and Nine-pins c But as to the appearance and enjoyment of Christ within we do confess him to be the Substance and the Living Bread and in him we are kept not only in a Living remembrance but also in a real Possession of the Power and Vertue of his Life having known a conformity to his Death which is more then a remembrance of it and we know him to be the enduring Divine Substance which ends all Types Shaddows and Figures and his Coming and Appearance in the Flesh wherein he went through the Types and Shaddows as Circumcision John's Baptism observing the Passover at his Supper and his Sufferings did make way for his coming in the Spirit as he consecrated a new and living way through the Vail that is to say his Flesh now the coming of Christ until which his Dispiples were to shew forth his Death in the observation of the figure this coming they did not put afar off as our Opposers yet do how long they know not it being already above Sixteen hundred years since and yet this his coming is still put off whereas the Disciples after they were with Christ at his last Supper were Witnesses of his coming after his Resurrection and also of his Spiritual Coming and Revelation in their hearts and now to suppose that what the Disciples did to shew his Death was till a third Coming not yet manifest is to overlook the two former as no Comings as also to render Christs own words and Promises ineffectual who said Verily I say unto you there be some standing here which shall not taste of Death till they see the Son of Man coming in his Kingdom Matth. 16.28 Mark 9. Luke 9.27 And as to 1 Cor. 11.23 24 25. wherein the Apostle repeats what Christ did the same night he was betrayed in giving the Bread and Cup
was made an Offering for sin he having offered himself through the Eternal Spirit yet his Soul or Spirit did not die with the Body though J. O. hath ignorantly made no distinction but joyns both as being but Humane Nature which was Sacrificed to death but yet its evident that though his Soul and Spirit did not die with the Body yet his Soul was offered for sin for the sins of men were laid upon him or did meet on him as is frequently confessed and so he suffered and his Soul travelled under the burthen of them so that his Sufferings were twofold both inward and outward and which were the greater suppose ye Professors and whether there be not a mystery to be known in the Sufferings Death and Blood of Christ beyond what could be seen or perceived with the carnal or outward eye since that he is truly and savingly to be known after the Spirit as the Apostles knew him who experienced the Fellowship of his Sufferings and a conformity unto his Death and bare in their bodies the Dying of the Lord Jesus that his Life might be manifest in them And Christ being touched with the feeling of their Infirmities was able to relieve them that were tempted and as Paul saith Colos. 1. You that were sometimes alienated and enemies in your minds through wicked works yet now hath he reconciled in the Body of his Flesh through death to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight if you continue in the Faith grounded and setled and be not moved away from the hope of the Gospel which you have heard which is preached to every Creature which is under Heaven whereof I Paul am made a Minister who now rejoyce in my sufferings for you and fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his Body sake which is the Church verse 21 22 23 24. where mark that the reconciled state was not that of enmity in their minds and the end of this reconciliation through his Death was to present them holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight which does not admit of sin and imperfection term of life nor yet of Professors arguing or pleading for sin as they do and was there any of Christ's afflictions or sufferings then to be filled up in the Apostle for the sake of his Church how do Professors resent this Doctrine and what meaning will they give to it can they say that Christ's suffering was all at an end or fulfilled at once whilest yet some was behind to be filled up in his Saints and that for his Churches sake although still he was the one Offering Ransom and Sacrifice for sin and was offered once for all as both being opposed to and ending the many Offerings under the Law and consecrating a new and Living Way and establishing an Everlasting Covenant of Life and Salvation as also that in what he did and suffered be set us an Example bare Testimony unto and confirmed the Truth this J. O. confesseth page 199. And as to his being a perfect High Priest and discharging the Office thereof and all other the Father required of him these we never opposed nor went about to slight or lessen as some injuriously represented us Neither would we have any unreverent and slighty Contests entertained on any hand about the Sufferings Afflictions and Death of Christ in the least to lessen or undervalue them nor yet ought you to meddle and tamper about either God Christ or Holy Spirit or about the Suffering and Sacrifice of Christ with your pitifull sorry confused School-terms and distinctions and beggerly scraps of mens Traditions and Rudiments of the World c. wherein you have laboured more to fill your heads with airy notions invented words and brain knowledge rather then your hearts and souls with a saving Knowledge and experimental sence and feeling of the Life and Power of Godliness or of the Vertue and Efficacy of Christ Jesus and his Reconciliation as the one Offering and Sacrifice which puts away sin and whose Blood both remits and clenseth from all iniquity But to evade these blessed Effects which are only known to them that walk in the Light 1 John 1.7 many of you Professors have found out a very easie way and notion of all being fully satisfied and payed for you both for sins past present and to come and of all being suffered and perfectly obeyed for you by Christ in your stead though you deny his dying and being a Propitiation for all men in the whole World so that you can plead and wrangle for sin imperfection and body of sin all your life and say Christ hath fully payed all and perfectly obeyed for you as also you can easily evade or refuse to suffer either with him or for him if but a little Storm Trial or Persecution doth arise you and your Leaders can secure your selves and creep into corners though now you can make a shew and bluster in this time of calm and some of you make a boasting and insulting against W. P. and a hidious reviling of him now he is in suffering and you at liberty thinking probably that you may get your selves some credit and repute with those in power by your railing Pamphlets which you bring out one after another like cowardly base spirited men so many to go to trample upon a man that is already underfoot as to the outward man in regard of his confinement which some report that some of you Presbyterians were the Instigators and occasion of by such invective Clamours and Complaints as some of you are accustomed to clear your selves as well as you can but yet withal you do but befool your selves in so many of you going to war against and reproaching a poor man in Prison who freely offered up himself to suffer which the most of you would be loath to do for by that your so great stir and noise you make against him you render him how mean soever he be in himself such a potent Antagonist contrary to your many slighty and scornfull Characters of him in your Books that you make many momoderate people the more enquire after him and to have the better conception of him because of your enmity and outrage but such who wait upon the Lord and in his Light stand still can see beyond you all and your spirits and work which the day hath declared More Errors escaped the Press IN the Epistle Page 2. Line 12. for agree in read are p. 23. l. 2. blot out 1. l. 23. for for r. in p. 25. l. 10. r. produced l. 35. for 13 r. 3. In the Answer to T. V. p. 65. l. 1. blot out that In the Answer to T. D. p. 2. l. 24. for gifts r. gusts p. 5. l. 18. for in r. on p. 7. l. 5. for 13 r. 3. l. 11. for by r. high p. 9. l. 10. for and all r. an act p. 12. l. 2. for he r. the. p. 17.
demonstration then clear Scripture surely whilst they cannot clear it and their distinctions to themselves they are not like to clear them unto others but instead of Scripture proof and demonstration we must either aquiesce with what their humane understandings can produce from Aquinas Wotton and Aristotle c. or else we are like to be most bitterly railed against by these our Opposers T.V. The three Holies Isa. 6.1 signifie the three persons Contradiction the Lord of Hosts the One God pag. 33. Contr. J. O. Contradicts T. V. pag. 45. where he saith That of Isa. 6.1 2. three Holy Holy Holy is the Lord of Hosts the whole Earth is full of his glory applyed unto the Son Joh. 12.41 42. Obs. How palpably one Contradicts another one saying the three Holyes signifies three Persons the other viz. J.O. saith They are applied to the Son who is but One. This Doctor Owen should correct his Brother Vincent T.V. The Son being Eternal this Generation must be Eternal the personal property of the Son is to be begotten pag. 36. Contr. T. V. They are three distinct persons from their distinct personal Acts Contradiction again Infiniteness is not applicable to the three distinct personallities pag. 45. The Son of God is God is infinite in Power in Wisdom and Goodness and Eternal pag. 30. Obs. Here manifest Contradiction to himself shews it self as much as to say That either the Son of God is eternal and yet not infinite or else That the Son of God being eternal is not a person distinct from God if a Person be not infinite but yet the Son of God is infinite in Power Wisdom Goodness c. How ever these can be reconciled I leave to the ingenious to judge T. V. The Father Word and Holy Ghost are three subsistences pag. 13.43 not three substances pag. 13. They are three distinct subsistents pag. 27. A person is one individual subsistent rather T.D. pag. 2. Obs. Here they are now put to it what to call them being not three substances as T. V. saith they call them three subsistences But now it must be subsistents rather But then in Contradiction to both Doctor Owen saith The Holy Ghost is a substance a personal subsistence What differs now between substance and subsistence T. D. What the Scripture hath revealed to us concerning that distinction in the God-head cannot be apprehended under any other Notion or Resemblance which therefore we attribute to God pag. 3. We know not what to call those three but persons Contr. T.D. Of the Father Word and Spirit c. from 1 Joh. 1.7 Now all Witnesses properly so called are persons pag. 5. Then these Witnesses must needs be distinct pag. 7. Obs. Why is not that Scripture produced all this while if there be such as reveal your distinctions and notion of persons in God And why do you not know what to call those three in Heaven but Persons when T.D. knows how to call them Witnesses What ignorance and Contradictions are here T. V. From Matth. 3.16 17. Herein is a distinction of all the three persons The Son cloathed in Flesh The Spirit in the shape of a Dove The Father in the Voice c. pag. 34. Contr. W.M. The Father Son and Holy Ghost being of an infinite Nature are three Persons Co-essential Co-equal Co-eternal pag. 29. Contr. T.V. The Son being Eternal his Generation must be Eternal the personal property of the Holy Ghost is to proceed from the Father and the Son pag. 36. Obs. Quest. But was Christ being cloathed with Flesh or the Spirits appearing in the shape of a Dove or being sent from Eternity are these pertinent proofs of their distinct personalities which are reckoned Co-eternal c. And whether or to whom was the Spirit sent from Eternity T.V. The Holy Ghost is God which W.P. doth deny pag. 32. his denyal of the Divinity of Christ is plain pag. 28. Contr. T.V. The Unity of the God-head is not denyed by the Adversaries I have to do withal pag. 28. Obs. So here the same person that is accused for denying the Divinity of Christ is in these latter words cleared as not denying that Unity of the God-head and to be sure he doth confess the Father the Word and the Spirit to be One being one Divine Substance and so One God T. V. The Son is God co-essential co-equal co-eternal with the Father Christ is infinite in power wisdom and goodness eternal pag. 29 30. T. V. In regard of his humane Nature the Jewes speak truth Joh. 8.57 Thou art not yet fifty years old as he was a Son of Abraham and born many generations after him pag. 31. Obs. Quest. And was not he a Person as he was a Son of Abraham not fifty years old if he was as I never heard any yet deny and your Doctrine supposes a Trinity of distinct Persons as being co-eternal co-equal c. doth not this then render Christ as a Son of Abraham to be a fourth person 2. Touching Pardon and Satisfaction T. V. That God never doth nor will nor can pardon any sinner without Satisfaction made to his offended Justice for their sins because his Holiness Righteousness and Truth obligeth him to take Vengeance upon all that have transgressed his Law pag. 54. T. V. Christ the eternal Son of God the second person of this glorious Trinity the Doctrine of Satisfaction depending upon this person The Lord Jesus Christ proved to be God equal with the Father pag. 54. Contrad T. D. Many of us do not affirm any impossibility of forgiveness without Satisfaction and for my part though I know some worthy Persons do deny W. P 's affirmative yet I cannot joyn with them therein for to me it is evident that God is free in his Determinations what Attribute he will manifest pag. 17 18. Contrad T. V. God proclaims himself to be gracious and merciful pag. 60. He is exalted upon the Throne of his Mercy ready to forgive sinners pag. 60 61. God was at the Charges of his own Satisfaction Job 33.24 pag. 62. Obs. Then it appears That God had Power to shew himself Gracious he willeth not the Death of sinners but rather their return and Merciful ready to forgive sinners upon Repentance he being at the Charges of his own Satisfaction as is said in giving his Eternal Son who is confessed to be God equal with the Father all which in the best sense amounts to this That God satisfied himself with his own Gift and without performing his own Will he could not be satisfied And who ever doubted or made question or Controversie of that if it were so taken but this proves not their unscriptural terms phrases and notions of Law supposed in the case nor yet that God took vengeance on Christ instead of all Transgressors and they to go free and yet still sin T. V. It was necessary that the Person that should make Satisfaction should be a Man because none but a Creature
could suffer pag. 55. Contrad T. V. It being impossible for any finite Creature to make plenary Satisfation to the infinite Justice of God which requireth an infinite Satisfaction pag. 54 55. If Christ had not been God as well as Man the Sufferings and Satisfaction would have been but finite Obs. First This Person that should make satisfaction by suffering and death it seems now is counted a Creature which yet as such could not satisfie infinite Justice as Contradictorily is confessed But as before it 's said He was the Eternal Son of God proved to be God equal with the Father but now in Contradiction again it was as God and Man that he satisfied whereas it was not as God that he suffered and died but we confess that God was in Christ reconciling the World to himself T.V. Christ did bear the punishment of our sins viz. the curse and punishment our sins deserved that he might give Satisfaction unto God's Justice pag. 57 58. Obs. Query But did God undergo that punishment surely nay Or did Christ as man undergo that eternal Punishment Death and Curse due to sinners Could Christ's Death or Temporal Sufferings be Eternal Yet still we confess That God both had and hath still full satisfaction and pleasure in his Son Christ the Anointed the Lamb that was offered without spot to God a Sacrifice for sin though your abuse of Christ confusion and darkness in stating your Matter we cannot own as proceeding from any sence or savour of Christ either as a Sacrifice or Saviour T.V. His Righteousness obligeth him to take vengeance upon all that have transgressed his Law pag. 54. Our righteousness are as filthy Raggs Contrad T. V. He doth Exercise his Justice freely as he doth love his Image in his people freely pag. 65. Obs. Then your filthy Raggs cannot cover you from his vengeance for therein you are not in his Image which he loves freely in his People and yet you would be accounted his People where you are it 's high time for you to Repent and no longer cover your selves with such Raggs polluted Garments For God will lay you bare and naked 3. Of Justification T.D. There is no need of inherent Righteousness for Justification Contradiction But yet there is need of it to make us meet for Heaven Col. 1.12 pag. 45. Contrad Inherent gives us a fitness for the injoying of it it lying in Communion with God without likeness of disposition there can be no liking of each other pag. 46. Obs. What then are persons in a Justified state while they are neither meet for Heaven not fit to enjoy it nor yet partakers of that which makes like to God and brings into Communion with him Which is this inherent Righteousness of Christ as it is called which T.D. hath shut out as not needful for Justification contrary to plain Scripture 1 Cor. 6.11 Rom. 2.13 Jam. 2.21 Heb. 12.14 T.D. Satisfaction is a compensation or recompence made to God for injury done him by sin which may be both by doing and suffering Vindictive Justice Contrad T. V. Godliness is enjoyned upon all pag. 67. Obs. How then did Christ undergo infinite Wrath from offended infinite Justice that sinners and sin deserved when he never sinned For here every one is to obey and answer the pure Law of God viz. by Godliness and if Godliness be enjoyned upon all I ask must all remain in a sinful ungodly state and Commands to Perfection be construed but as the measure of our duty according as T. D. saith pag. 57. who formerly affirmed also That the righteousness of the Law might be fulfilled in us was meant in Christ and not in our persons so then must we look on Christ as his being Godly Righteous Obedient to Death for men fully to satisfie and take off the Righteous Injunction laid upon them to Godliness perfect Obedience c. That it is to be meant Christ must be perfect for us he is to be only the subject of all those Commands enjoyning perfect Obedience Righteousness and Holiness and not we which is as absurd and all one as to say That when God Commands us by his Grace not to sin but to be perfect or perfectly to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts and to live godly soberly c. That he all this while intends his Son Jesus Christ as the subject of these Commands And whereas he never said Son Jesus Christ Do not thou sin be not thou ungodly do thou deny worldly lusts live thou godly soberly be thou perfect for all and it shall satisfie me fully instead of Perfection or Righteousness in men seeing none can be perfect or free from sin in this life c. But this absurd Course is the current tenour and intent of our Opposers Doctrine And yet they must confess That Christ never sinned nor could sin neither was there guile found in his mouth so their presenting him only as the subject of perfect Obedience and not Men or Believers is all one as to say That all those Commands directed to us for that end was only intended to Christ for T.D. construes his Satisfaction and Payment in men's stead to consist in both Doing and Suffering viz. Both in Christ's Obedience and Subjection to the Law and God's Precepts as also to its Penalties and Curses pag. 19 20. But T. V. layeth it upon his Death in their room and thus they manifestly Contradict themselves whereas God was alwayes well pleased or satisfied in Christ both in his active obedience and also in his passive subjection to suffering death as man even in all his whole Conversation Ministry Life and Death for Mankind he being a perfect Sacrifice for sin but God is not therefore satisfied with man out of Christ or out of obedience to the Law of his Spirit but as he comes to be found in Christ having and possessing his Righteousness within and the Life and Effects thereof which doth not admit of sin and imperfection term of life seeing as is Confessed by T.D. and T.V. That God loves his Image in his People freely and without likeness of disposition there can be no likeing of each other And surely the Image likeness and disposition of God in his People is pure and perfect which sin and imperfection bears no resemblance of T.V. No persons being the subjects of Gospel Justification but as ungodly that is as having sinned Contrad T. V. Where he removeth the guilt of sin he also removeth the filth of sin Justification and Sanctification being unseparable Companions Justification is never without Sanctification Obs. See the apparent Contradiction here in this latter to the former for here note then That no Persons are the subjects of Gospel Justification as ungodly or as in their sins but as being sanctified and the filth of sin removed so then justified not in sin but in the Truth and Righteousness of Christ they being washed cleansed and sanctified and only such are they that are Justified in the Name
of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of God 1 Cor. 6.11 T. D. Satisfaction is not a Scripture phrase but the thing is found there to wit a Compensation made to God for the injury done him by our sin which may be by doing or suffering or both Justice that is Vindictive pag. 19. Contrad T. D. Those places that speaks of the turning away of Divine Wrath by Christ's Obedience which Wrath is but an Inclination to punish pag. 22. Christ's Obedience cannot properly work upon God's Will Contradiction again Contrad T.D. The Deliverer undergoes that Evil in kind or equivalently which he that is Delivered should have undergone pag. 24. Obs. What Evil was it that sinners deserved or should have undergone do you not confess it was the Wrath and Vengeance of God Hell Everlasting Damnation and Punishment from his just hand And did Christ the Deliverer undergo all that What a strange Object is he here rendred and yet he was both God and innocent Man But how doth this hold with that before That it was but an Inclination to punish What apparent Ignorance and Contradiction is here And is this the great Glory Power Soveraignty Divine Love Mercy and Goodness that you ascribe to the infinite God to lay such a limit upon him as that he could not forgive pardon or pass by former offences without exacting not only full Payment but Revenge and Punishment upon the Surety viz. his innocent beloved Son even the same in kind due to the Transgressors whereas the Scripture saith The Chastizement of our Peace was upon him which is not the same with Everlasting Wrath and Vengeance from the immediate hand of God which I cannot believe was so laid on Christ whose Mercies are over all his Works and particularly mankind but his Wrath is revealed against all ungodliness T.D. Upon actual Faith he layeth aside his anger quite and becomes our friend pag. 33. Obs. Then it appears his Anger is not quite laid aside nor Friendship with him obtained till Actual Faith How has T. D. overthrown and given away their Cause herein Faith and Repentance must be Experienced or else Anger is not quite laid aside T. D. Though the thing be true and owned by us viz. That Christ could not satisfie God's Justice as Man or as God singly p. 34. Obs. Could not God satisfie himself What a strange limitation is here laid upon the infinite God And surely as God-Man as your term is he was not under the same Evil Wrath or Everlasting Punishment which was due to the Transgressors For God did not deal so with himself but he commended his Love to us in that while we were sinners Christ died for us he died for our sins but was raised for our Justification it was Christ that died yeâ— rather that he is risen again T. D. The Father's gift of the Son for our Redemption depends on nothing but himself Our Doctrine represents not the Son kinder than the Father The Father and Son as God are equally kind to man and equally angry at man's sin p. 36 37 38. Obs. If equally kind to man then why did T.V. lay such an Impossibility on God of freely pardoning But then doth T. D. think he amends it by considering God as a Creditor and so as a private Person pag. 32. Where proves he this in all the Scriptures And if the Father and Son be equally angry at man's sin then man must Repent and forsake his sins before their anger be wholly removed or either fully pleased or satisfied concerning man For where was there a third Person substituted to pacifie the Anger of both Howbeit God was well pleased and fully satisfied in Christ and concerning all his Works Sufferings and Sacrifice in order to man's Salvation and we are accepted in the Beloved of God for whose sake and in whom we have received Remission Righteousness Life and Peace with God having received Christ the Righteousness of God for that end T. D. A state of freedom from sin is not attainable in this life and yet commanded Matth. 5.48 and that no man ever did attain a state of Perfection pag. 55.57 T.D. Christ was not ashamed to call us Brethren Heb. 2.11 that is fellow subjects for being one in nature with us he becoms one with us in an obligation c. pag. 20. J.O. Christ gave himself for us that he might Redeem us from all iniquity 1 Pet. 1.18 pag. 160. It would altogether unbecome the Holy God to pardon sinners that continue so to live and die in their sins p. 179. T. D. That Mystical Union betwixt Christ and his People by their dependance upon him in all the good they do is as near and intimate as that of the branches upon the Vine by vertue of their natural Union in bearing fruit pag. 47. Some Passages out of Edward Stillingfleet's Discourse of the Sufferings of Christ which are evidently Contradictory to John Owen and Tho. Danson PAges 269 270. The state of the Controversie hath been rendered more abscure by the mistakes of some who have managed it with greater zeal than judgment they have shot over their Adversaries heads and laid their own more open to Assaults It is easie to observe That most of Socinus his Arguments are Levelled against an Opinion which few who have considered those things do maintain and none need to think themselves obliged to do it which is That Christ paid a proper and ridgid Satisfaction for the sins of men considered under the notion of Debts and that he paid the very same which we ought to have done which in the sense of the Law is never called Satisfaction but strict Payment Against this Socinus Disputes from the Impossibility of Christ's paying the very same that we were to have paid because our penalty was eternal death and that as the consequence of inherent Guilt which Christ neither did nor could undergo If a Mediator could have paid the same then the Gospel had not been the bringing in of a better Covenant but a performance of the Old pag. 271. But if there be a Relaxation or Dispensation of the first Law then it necessarily follows That what Christ paid was not the very same which the first Law required for what need of that when the very same was paid that was in the Obligation But if it be said That the dignity of the Person makes up what wanted in the kind or degree of punishment this is a plain confession That it is not the same c. Besides if the very same had been paid in the strict sense there would have followed a deliverance ipso facto for the Release immediately follows the payment of the same and it had been Injustice to have required any thing further in order to the discharge of the offender when strict and full payment had been made of what was in the Obligation But we see that Faith and Repentance and the Consequences of
those two are made Conditions on our parts in order to the enjoying the benefit of what Christ hath procured so that the Release is not immediate upon the Payment c. Page 272. We are to consider that these very Persons assert That Christ paid all for us and in our name and stead so that the payment by Christ was by a substitution in our room and if he paid the same which the Law required the benefit must immediatly acrue to those in whose Name the Debt was paid for what was done in the Name of another is all one to the Creditor as if it had been done by the Debtor himself But above all things it is impossible to reconcile the freeness of Remission with the full Payment c. Neither will it serve to say That though it was not free to Christ yet it was to us for the Satisfaction and Remission must respect the same person for Christ did not pay for himself but for us neither could the Remission be to him c. It is impossible the same Debt should be fully paid and freely forgiven much less will it avoid the difficulty in this case to say That it was a refusable Payment for it being supposed to be the very same it was not in Justice refusable c. pag. 173. Thus when our Adversaries Dispute against this Opinion no wonder if they do it succesfully but this whole Opinion is built upon a Mistake That Satisfaction must be the payment of the very same which while they contend for they give our Adversaries too great an advantage and make them think they triumph over the Faith of the Church when they do it only over the mistake of some perticular Persons p. 275. They make the right of punishment meerly to depend on God's absolute Dominion and that all Satisfaction must be considered under the notion of Compensation for the injuries done to him But if we can clearly shew a considerable difference between the Notion of Debts and Punishments if the right of Punishments doth not depend upon meer Dominion and that Satisfaction by way of Punishment is not primarily entended for Compensation It is lawful for a man to forgive all the Debts which are owing him althoug they assert That the Justice of God doth never require Punishment in case of Repentance but withal they assert That in case of Impenitency it is not only agreeable but due to the nature and decrees and therefore to the rectitude and equity of God not to give Pardon If this be true then there is an apparent difference between the notion of Debts and Punishments c. Thus far Edw. Stillingfleet Obs. Hereby the Reader may see how contrary to Dr. Owen and T. Danson's Notions of Law Dr. Stillingfleet hath reasoned and hath seemed to shew more Moderation and offer more Reason in his way and method than they have done in these matters These Passages I was willing to Relate that the World may see how Inconsistent and Opposite these Doctors and Learned men so accounted are in their Notions and how they cannot agree among themselves and also what Confusion men are apt to run into when they keep not to the plain language of the Scriptures Besides had the despised Suffering Quakers but appeared as from themselves after this method against J. O. and his Brethren as E. S. hath done what an offence would it have been unto them and how ready would they have been to muster up their Forces and send out their reviling Books against us hoping thereby to gain the more favour and esteem as Defenders of the Faith of the Church c. whereas it is not the Faith of the Church they defend in their mistakes whereby they have obscured the state of the Controversie by managing it with more Zeal than Judgment according to E. S. his words Now they may Answer themselves in their Contradictions and see if they can Reconcile their own Work before they further meddle against others for in the state they are in the more they strive the more they 'l Confound themselves and work their own overthrow As for their Reviling and nick-Names they give men that differ they are but poor Arguments for Confutation when they are rather to prejudice the Ignorant than to manifest Truth Howbeit whatever men's Notions or Opinions be touching Christ or his Sufferings we have not our Religion and Experience thereof from them they being uncertain and weak in comparison of the Living Truth it self which in Christ and his Light is received and not in men's Traditions and Notions And that all may come to know the certain Principle or Light of Christ within to wait in to know the Power of Godliness and those things which concern Life and Salvation This is the desire of my Soul for all such as feel a want of true Satisfaction and Peace in their own Souls Some Passages of Edward Stillingfleet's Sermon Preached before the King March 13. 1666 7. which was Printed by his special command HE who hath appointed the Rewards and Punishments of the great Day will then call the Sinner to Accompt not only for all his other sins but for offering to lay the Imputation of them upon himself We have the greatest reason to lay the blame of all our Evil Actions upon our selves as to attribute the Glory of all our Good unto himself pag. 16 17. b That God had designed they are ready to say That man should lead a life free from sin Why did he confine the Soul of man to a Body so apt to taint and pollute it But who art thou O man that doth find fault with thy Maker c. pag. 17. He hath offered us the assistance of his Grace and of that Spirit of his which is greater then that Spirit which is in the World He hath promised us those Weapons whereby we may withstand the Torrent of Wickedness in the World we have not only sufficient means of Resistance but we understand the Danger before hand pag. 19. Their Consciences still rebuke them sharply for their sins then in a mighty rage and fury they charge God himself with Tyranny as laying impossible Laws upon the Souls of men But if we either consider the Nature of the Command or the Promises which accompany it or the large Experience to the contrary we shall easily discover that this Pretence is altogether unreasonable for what is it that God requires of men as the Condition of their future Happiness which in its own Nature is judged Impossible Is it for men to live Soberly Righteously Godly in this World for that was the end of Christian Religion c. Is it to do as we would be done by Is it to maintain a Universal Kindness and Good Will to men That indeed is the great Excellency of our Religion that it so strictly requires it but if this be impossible farewel all good Nature in the World pag. 21 22.