death whose suffering sacrifice mediation inâercession and offices with the blessed effects thereof within we own and confess according to the Scriptures of truth as inwardly revealed and evidenced by the spirit which we do not admit either oâ sins past to be unrepented of nor of sins present to be committed nor sin âo come to be persisted in however this or other Opposers and Profâssors do sooth and flatter themselves therein under their traditional notion of a satisfaction and imputation without them p. 16. as after R Gs. qâestions How can there be redemption where conscience âhargeth of sin is it not against reason to believe redemption in another for us while sin is within To this he thus answers To this spirit I say who art thou that thus aâgues with God Which indeed is no answer nor proof but a meer sâlly begging of the question nor any demonstration that such a belief that is both contrary to conscience and the conviction of the light therein is either true or right in the ground of it whereby any are thus credulous either of their being redeemed saved or jâstified wiâhout them whilst they lie under the guilt and imputation of sin in their own consciences sin being then their burden and bondage which is contrary to a redeemed and justified state but such a blind and dead faith and conceit of redemption and justification as this man hath appeared in hypocritical Professors are wânt to sooth up themselves withal in their sins And R. G. further adds p. 1â viz. Indeed it is a mystery of the Gospel that man's râason cannot comprehend the believer to be pure and beautiful as in Christ his head while weak in many things in himself in his body ãâã âath a law of sin but in the Lord he hath put it off as he walks by âight he is in the earth in labors ingroanings warefare and imperfections but as he walks by faith he is in Christ walking in rest in victory and perfection these ârâ paradoxes reason cannot fathom Answââ This man thinks hee 's gotten beyond reason in his paradoâes which indeed do appear so contradictory confused and unreasonable that every rational man may see his darkness herein to conclude the believer in warâarâ and imperfections in the body with a law of sin while pure beautiful walking in rest in victory and perfection in Christ his head which is all one as to say he iâ in Christ and out of Christ pure and impure perfect and imperfect at the same instant or as the hypocritical Priests and Professors have said that men are imputatively righteous and justified while inherently and actually sinful and unjust and yet for all this R. G. makes account in pag. 39. that the law sin and death are so charged on Christs crucified body that sin is purged away out of the sight of God while yet he does not believe hâs people actââlly âreed from it which is corrupt Antinamionisme but these and such like paradoxes âe cannot own as either reason or truth For how is Christ the Believers and Saints head or they perfect in him if they be imperfect or impure in the body are they not members of Christ and is not their faith their victory over sin and death And is it no perfection they have waâted and travelled to be âeâewed into the image of the heavenly Where 's the new birth new creature perfect on righteousness and true holiness so much preached and testified of by the holy men of God in the Scriptures of truth if men must be reckoned pure and perfect and in Christ when yet they are not washed from their fiâthiness in which state many are when yet they conceit that God counts them pure and jâstified Buâ he that jâât fieth the wicked and he that condemneth the just they both are aboâination before the Lord. R. G. We find thou hast noâ brought forth any new thing as to matter or substance in these matters but art pâânged in the old dark stuff of Priests and Professors who have writ against us though thou art more confused and appearest more malitious against us then many of them âhowever thou pretendest love and bowels p. 40 which cannot hide thy dissimulation and enmity and thou hast not methodized nor worded their principles so well as many of them thou being confounded and mangled between truth and their corrupt traditional principles which we perceive thou dost not see the bottom and tendency of however thou thinkest thou art wise but the devil hath blinded thee with prejudice and conceit as he hath all that take thy part and spread thy books or else thou durst never have brought such a piece of folly falshood and mixt mangled stuff to publick view as thou hast done who also to shew thy ignorance of redemption thou usest these words viz The operation of the spirit of Christ within us not to redeeâus p. 23. and Christ came into us by the ministration of the spirit not to redeem us pag. 38. Answ. This is contrary to the testimonies of both Prophets and Apostles who witnessed the redemption of their souls from under the bondage and power of sin and death so from the hand of the enemy Psa. 107. 2. David said draw nigh unto my soul and redeem it ps 69 â8 So he did not put redemption afar off for the God of Israel was near whom the people owned for their Saviour and Redeemer from all inâquity Ps. 130. 7 8. And as the Apostle exhorted grieve not the holy spirit of God whereby ye are sealed uno the day of redempt on Eph. 4. 30. So that there was a day of redemption to be expected unto which they were sealed by the holy spirit which redemption was a freedom recovery or purchase from all iniquity which could not be effected without the operation of the spirit of Christ within who gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all inquity Titus 2. 14. But this R. G. would impose on people a faith concerning redemption reconciliation and justification as all being finished wrought or purchased without them without respect to any works wrought or to be wrought within them by any light whatsoever p. 42. See Reader how erroneously he hath excluded the work of God and Christ from within as to the ransoming or freeing of man from sin and making him righteous and so bringing him into unity peace favour and friendship with God which is the true sense of redemption justification and reconciliation which are not effected nor obtained without the operation of the spirit of holiness within though Christs testimony suffering and example without had a tendency thereto 1 Cor. 6. 11. For it was by the spirit of God that the Saints were both washed sanctified and justified how ever tke Devil and his Agents endeavour to exclude and invalidate the inward operations of God Christ or his Spirit G. W. Errata Page 1. l. 37. ' for consider read crucifie p. 4. for 1. r. 4. l. 6. for enlâghtening r. enlighteneth p. 12. l. 27 for any and. p. 14. l. 1. for is this r. is not this c. p. 15. l. 38. for no r. not p. 16. l. 12. for spent r. shut p. 17. l. 39. for hint r. limit p. 18. l. 1 for many r. man Second part p. 2. l. 30. for counted r. committed p. 8. l. 7. r. Christ now come dele to p. 12. l. 2 for Longworth r. Lawrie
through the violence of men acted by Sathan and much more the blood of him who as a Lamb offered up himself without spot to God as a sacrifice of a sweet smell who was delivered for our offences and rose again for our justification G. K. Writ 7. 2. mo 1670. Here follows Robert Gordon's answering and confuting himself some of his manifest Contradictions to his Principles being insert in his own words And the Pages of his Book noted where they are R. Gs. Principles GOd man in whom all things pertaining to mans redemption c. were transacted not in our persons or within us but in his crucified body without us before any good wrought in us He hath already subdued all things finished trasgression made an end of sin page 3. and 4. R. G's Contradiction The mystery of Christ by his spirit dwelling in his Saints call'd in the holy Scripture Christ within you whereby God works in us c. God working all things in us by Christ pag. 4. his Spirit working all their works in them pag. 5. Observation See his manifest contradictions How is sin and transgression finished and made an end of without man while no good is wrought in them And seeing God works or transacts all things in Believers by the mystery of Christ and his holy spirit within and all their works in them how is all done and finished without them before any good is wrought in them R. G. Some pretend so much zeal for this mystery of Christ the operation of the Spirit of God in themselves that they deny the mystery of God in the flesh of Christ page 5. Contradiction The mystery Christ within you whereby God works in us through faith the fruit and effect of the work already wrought c. Christ within us whereby through faith we have evidence in our selves c. page 4. Observation We cannot too much own or be over much zealous for the mystery of Christ within or the work of God through his spirit within us nor thereby deny the mystery of God in the flesh of Christ or the effect and benefit of his sufferings in his body as falsly is implied and insinuated against us since that in owning Christ in the mystery we cannot but own the evidence thereof R. G. In the crucified body of Christ perfected and wrought at once Redemption Iustification and Reconciliation finished and compleated in Christ for us pag. 13. not in our persons pag. 4. Contradiction He was delivered for our offences he was raised again for our justification O remember the work of regeneration is to be wrought within thee pag. 9. Observation If Redemption Justification c. be not to be fulfilled by Christ in man or not in their persons what are you redeemed ââstified or regenerated from or out of Surely not from iniquity or sin as true believers were and then you hypocriss âin is remaining in your persons foa all your pretenses of being redeemed justified c. without But take thy contradiction O remember the work of regeneration iâ is to be wrought within thee R. G. He was made sin for us that we might be made the righteousness of God in him He mentions not any consideration qualification or work wrought or to be wrought in any man by any light or spirit whatsoever A gross errour but singlely and solely upon the account of the active and passive obedience of the man Iesus c. pag. 12. in the crucified body justification c. finished compleated for us pag. 13. Contradiction Who seeing the travel of his soul was satisfied that he might make it effectual within every man that should come to God through him he counted to his Apostles the word of reconciliation as his Ambassadors in his steed to beseech men to be reconciled to God Work out your salvation pag. 12. Observation But first Were the Saints made the righteousness of God in Christ without any inward qualification or work of his light or spirit What a gross errour contradiction and sin-pleasing doctrine is this Is not this the Priests very notion of imputation while men are corrupt and sinful in themselves while they neither partake of the divine nature nor divine image in themselves And then Secondly what need was there for the Apostle to beseeâh them to be reconcil'd to God or to work out their salvation if it was already wrought and finished without them before any good was wrought in them R. G. The Lord doth not direct man to that light in his conscience that shewed him his loss nor to light and power c. But promiseth him another kind of Saviour Contradiction A great mystery God manifest in the flesh c. He alone and none else then the very Word the love of the Father must be this great undertaker c. viz. for man pag. 20. Observation See his manifest falshood and contradiction For God the very word or love of the Father which doth redeem deliver and save the soul are not of another kind then the Light and Power But the same divine Light and Power by which the promised Seed did and doth bruise the Serpents head and overcome him that man might be redeem'd from the hand of his enemy R. G. The worker of the Redemption could not be the light enlightening every man c pag. 21 Contradiction Yet the very word pag. 20. God manifest in flesh p. 18. Observation Here his gross error and contradiction in denying Christ the Word and Redeemer to be that light that enlightens every man and yet the very word doth redeem and save And was it not the Word that was with God that was the true Light that enlightens every man coming into the world See Io. 1. 1. 4 9. R. G. Redemption and all things already wrought purchased c. for us in the crucified body not within us but before any good wrought in us pag. 3 4 5 without the help of any thing to be wrought in us pag. 20 Contradiction He to wit Christ ever liveth Mark this man ever liveth to make intercession for them O bear with me a little not satisfie your selves until you have a real evidence of your being particularly redeemed by experimentally witnessing the Living power of truth in your inward parts pag. 7. Observation Note his contradiction here For first if all things be already wrought in the crurified body what doth he interceed for Is it for that which God cannot justly with-hold if this be true Secondly are all things already wrought without the help of any thing to be wrought within And yet we must have a real evidence of our partâcular redemption by the living power of truth in our inward parts See how he hath confuted himself herein R. Gs. Erroneous and envious Principle That such as preach and print up the light inlightening every man that comes into the world to be he to wit Christ reject him and set at nought the stone c. pag. 32. Contradiction This is
The Light of Truth Triumphing Over Darkness anââgnorance Error and envy Manifested in Robert Gordouns late pretended testimony to the true Saviour Wherein every one whose eye is open may see his Seat And who have Salt in themselves may favour his words work and Spirit and discern his deceitful dealing by smitting the innocent in secret yet not with that subtilty which is able to cover in this day wherein Light is manifesting the works of darkness SO The Devil was here deficient BUT Envy siays the foolish man Given forth in the 2 Moneth 1670. By George Keith G. White-head Printed in the year 1670 R. G. Having had knowledge of thee from the beginning and acquantance with thee through many years and a love for theâ ând regard to thee I found a readiness in ãâã to signifie My sense of thee and sorrow for thee in that spirit and mind which could dâlight to do thee a service in Love But indeed thou appearest before me as one very uncapable in that spirit and state wherein thou stands of a return to the Lord or of a steady Conductor to thy bewildred minde the traversing of which without a guide hath centred it in a Whirle pool And in thy reelings thou art now resolved thou wilt fight neither with great noâ small but with the King of Israel The Light of ãâã I have often wisht thee to come under its banner that it might have become thy covering then had not darkneâs covered thy understanding nor the Fogs of lirror so confounded thee but that thou might have seen thy way out of the mire and clay wherein thou art toyling thy self travelling in pain and bringing âorth thâ wind It did not a little astonish me upon a view of thy book to find thee whom I judged had attain'd a measure of reason setting up thy own shaddow in thy own immagination and then cudggelling it down again as though thou wert encountring an Army for where did ãâã the people called Quakers deny that body prepared of God to do his will in which suffered at Jerusalem by wicked hands which thou seems to take for granted and then labours like a man in a sweat and indeed thy labour is in the fire to prove its existence in that day of its service and its necessity as to mankind which by them was never denyed and I dare thee and all men upon the earth to prove they did or do I take notice of thy acknowledgement in the 4 pag. of thy book that the manifestation of God in the flesh of Christ was that their by way might be opened for the ministration of the other mistery ãâ¦ã separating them and making the one subservient to the other and yet after runs against it ân the whole scope of thy work which is mânifest beyond all gain saying ãâ¦ã qualification and a work to be wrought and that by a Spirit too âven as though the words had been expresly written to give thy words thâ lyc I am really sorry for thee and my very ãâ¦ã dâsirâd and doeth thy good and mark thy self that if possibââ thou might see the confusion âhy enemy drives thee into foâ within ten lines after on the same page thou says seeing the travel of his soul rested well plâased that he might make it effectual within every man end yet before no work to be ãâã in any man by any light or spirit Oh Robert whether drives thou whether art thou driven I marke one thing more pag. 4. thou says He hath already subdued all made an ând of sin compleated the work of ãâã redemâtion dyed for Us and reconcilâd Us to God c. and as I was weighing it in my mind what or whom thou did intend by the words Our and Us That other part of thy book came before me pag. 13. where thou says he did bear Our sins in his body on the troâ Propitiation for the sins of the ãâã world past present and to come so then it appeared by the word Us thou intends the whole world Nevertheless to go round again thou pleads with a generation saying that their pleading a faith in his death and sufferings interest in the satisfaction and attonement made to God through his blood pag. 6 Will not shelter them from the wrath of the Father pag. 7. What I not shelter them and yet Christ a propitiation for their sins past present and to come what incongruous work is this which they that runs may read Several other passâges in thy book are observable and I do not charge thy intention with blasphemy but thy work unawares Vergeth near it for pag. 22. thou says of Christ who was never defiled having the iniquities of us all in hâs body c. how unsound are thy words and in pag. 24. thy words are Spiritual mâsticall âlâgoricall Christ light within us Spirit and poâer in the man Christ. And now does thou know what thou speakes to Catigorize a Spiritual and an Alegoricall Christ identically and so in effect makâ them both one Thou hast sometimes accused some for Alegorizing his body of flesh but now thou darest do it to his Spiriâ I wish thou knew the weight of this and what tendency it hath to make void the faith converting its object into a Chimaera In the same page thou says if in every man this seed or Christ is not saved doeth it remain for ever under condemnation There is a supposition and a question from it of thy own forming and presently thou concludes it a doctrine of some others saying oh how contrary is this doctrine First it is gross confusion in thy self to call a supposition and question a doctrine and secondly it is a smitting in the dark by thy implying and raking for granted there is a people that hold it If thou meanest the people called Quakers aâcuse them openly if not then clear them of the many inconsequent implycations of thy book which many do and will understand to be against them until thou put off thy Vizaâd But it is enough to me and I wish it may be serviceable to thee for good that some faithâul friends of truth have in love to truth and to thee set thy work before thee as in a glass that happily thou may see thy self by their labour of Love which after followes else I might have found in my heart to have dealt with thy book throughout and I am satisfied in due time thy own words will become thy burden but still I wish it may be for thy good for I have a real Love to thee and regard for thee as I said at first A. Robeson Light set over Darkness In somewhat writ in answer unto a printed paper published by R. G. so far as it Concerns us the people called in deriâion Quakers and our principle wherein he hath both difing enuously represented us and darkly and ignorantlly opposed our principle even Iesus Christ the true light wâh enlightning every man that comes into the world that
but of debt for this law is of Grace and of promise and the whole obedience givân to it is all of the free Grace of God in Christ Jesus and the same answer may serve to that other Scripture cited by thee â man is juâââfied by âaith without the deeds of the law and to him that worketh not c. Which excludes the deeds and works of the law of the first Covenant or the works of any law from justification which is not given forth and administred in the Eâect noble and royal and ââmortal and incorruptible âeed of life for before this seed be raised all are under transgreââion ãâ¦ã further says Thât the Apoââle concludes them ignârant of and not submiââiâg to the râghtâousness of God who go about to establish thâir own righteousnâss by the works of the Law so say we also but the râghteousness which is in the elect seed and the works thereof are not that self righteousness but the righââousness of God and is our righteousness as Christ is ours evân by the free grace gift of the Fatâer So having thus cut the ãâ¦ã seeming strength thy carnal objections may have with weak people I shall not neâd further to answer particularly thy other words hereabâut seeing they contain no force of Arguments but are only thy bare assertions and positions which wanting a sufficient foundation fall of themselves Thou further alleadges page 15. That to affirm justâfâcation to bâ in obedâence to the Light ãâã is to make him who is indeed the good Samaritaâe to be no better thân the Priest and âhe Levite who looked upon the wâââded man and so passed by but hast thou not here grossâly manifested thy weakness and shallowness does he not the part of âhe good Samaritaââ in coming iâto our wounded souls in powring in the Wine and Oyl of his blessed spirit life and vertue to cleanse and ãâã them yea if he did not appear in us and justifie ãâã within work Redemptââon ând Salvaââon from sin in our hearts he might âe said rather to pass by us as the Priest and thâ Levite But that both here and oft elsewhere thou insinâates as if we had no respect to his outward coming and sufferings in order to justification is a ââlfe and disiâgenious alleadgânce of thinâ we dearly own and respect him in botâ the wayâ of his coming anâ do not set the one in opposition to the other nor divide them for they are in Unity and work together according to the Eternaâ puâposâ of God for the full and perâect deliverance and Saâvation of Man and who receive him in his inward coming and become subjâct to him receive the âenefit of his ouâward coming receive the benâfit of his sufferings and death his suffering and death is theiâs and they who witness him to live in them may ãâã it is Christ who dyed who can condâmn who have hiâ Lifâ in them have any interest in his death and his blood cleanseth them from all sin but who seeks to rely upon his outward coming and sufferingâ and deny and crucifiâ his appearance of Light and Life in their heartâ have no pârt in him But thou altogether excludes his inward coming by his Life and Spirit in mens hearts from haviâg any share in mens Redempâion and Salvation whereas the Apostle speaks of being savâd by his Life and mentions â day of Redemption that was yet to come after his outward sufferings uâto which those who first believed in him were ãâã and though the Apoââle says if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by ãâã death of his Son yet he adds much more shall we besaved by his Life and though thou useâ thiâ Scripture to prove that men are fully and perfectly reconciled with God singây and solely upon the account of what Christ did suffered without us in his cruâified body excluding so much as any inward quallification wrought by him in uâ âet it is but an abuse of the place ând a wresting the wordâ beyond the true intânt and sence of the spirit nor need I go any further then thy own confession to alleadgâ a more safe way of understaâding that Scripture as wheâe thou says page 13. Alâhâugh in the dayâ of Isaiah Châist was not ãâã come in our flesh yât the propâââ speâks âf ât as a ãâã alâeady done it being so iâ the purpose of God and so why ãâ¦ã said that ãâã speakâ of being reconcil'd after this manner it being so in the purpose of God to reconcile them fully unto him not as they remain in enmity to him but turned from it and so become friends and loveâs of him and we do willingly acknowledge the full and perfect Redemption was in Christ while we were enemies yet we did not receive it while we continued enemies but now since we believed and were turned to him in our hearts we have received it as said the Apostle by whom we have now received the attonement or reconciliation so mark the word ãâã we have now received the reconciliation now since we believed and were turned to him in our hearts but not before In the 17 page whereas thou accuses us With denying the true Christ and asserting another yeâ thou art found in the same guiltiness thy self which we are free of for we believe and acknowledge him who was manifest in that body of flesh to be the true and only Christ and Saviour and yet we believe him also to be the only true Christ and Saviour as manifest ân us for he is not two Christs but one though he has had two manners or ways of coming as without us and within us both useful and needful yea both concurring unto our full and perfect deliverance and saâvation from sin and the consequences thereof in soul and body and we believe that his outward coming was not a bare and naked example but hath a real influence and service in its place in and upon all who are saved though all have not that express knowledge thereof yea will thou not confess that infants are saved by Christ who yet have not this express knowâedge of him But that I may make it appear that thou denyes the true Christ I shall bring thâ own words page 17. Where thou expressly denyes that this light which enlightens every man thaâ comes into the world is Christ and what is this to deny Christ and to deny the Scriptures Testimony of him for said he himself I am the light of the World and said John of him he was the true light that enlightens every man that comes into the world that all through ãâ¦ã believe and if all through him might believe which was Johns Testimony then all through him might be saved But thou wilt have this light not to be in Christ but some other light which remained in Adâm after his transgression and before the promise of the Mâssiah and stands in every man as a witness for God wheââby he shall be left without
you by any light whatsoever p. 42. o The work of Redemption is already ãâã at once in the Crucified bâdy without us p. 21. 23. The Opeâââion of the Spirit of Christ within us ãâ¦ã Redeem ãâã p. 23. Thus far R. G. hath shewn himself one while like a Quaker so called having gotten many of their words another while like a Presbyterian or Independant shewing his self-contradiction and instability And what may the Reader think of him but that he hath gathered and learned something from the Quakers or out of their Books though he was never of us However like a perverse Apostate he chiefly smites at them in his enmity chiefly to the injury of his own Soul and Conscience who for all his opposition cannot wholly forget and drive the Quakers principles out of his mind but is forced to confess to the truth of them to his own confusion and overthrow And it 's remarkable that the most of his Pamphlet is confuâed But where he acts the part of a Quaker so called whom he further imitates in this wise viz. R. G. Christ's Death and Sufferings his Resurrection and Righteousness will not avail thee thou remaining in thy self wholly unchanged unsanctified by and through the operation of the Spirit of Christ within thee whereby they may become of use to thee Thou wast dead in Sins and Trespasses and remains so still thou wast a child of wrath as well as others and thou art so still c. And in his 35 page he goes on thus viz What will an Historical faith âs of things altogether without avail thee while thou hast not the evidence within thy self by a lively faith of thy being redeemed through the Redemption that is in him A ââattering hypocritical extolling of Christ in his Offices as King Priest and Prophet without thee while thou deniest him in the exercise of these Offices within thee by the Operation of his Spirit c. And this is thy own condition R. G. as appears by many passages in thy Book contrary to what here thou hast confessed as may plainly be seen in comparing thy contradictions before and who but one presumptious and impudent would have appeared thus publick as thou hâât done to confute others and to undervalue and oppose the sufficiency of the Light Power and Operation of Christ within as to Redemption Salvation and Justification c. with such a heap of darkness and confusion as thou hast vented who yet otherwhiles art made to confess to the Operation of the Power and Spirit of Christ within whose Light is set over the head of all thy Darkness Deceipt and Enmity and over all such Backsâiders as are in the same spirit of Enmity and Opposition with thee such as Râ Cobbet Elizabeth Atkins and Rob. Rich who is of a Ranting Principle to whom we may add Muggleton or his railing against us who have spread abroad their confused malitious Pâmphlets with their lies and slanders against us wherein they do but gratifie malitious spirits Apostates and Ranters And seeing that Michael Stantcliff who came some years amongst us professing the Truth with us and owning the light within and to some yet doth formally seem as if he were a Quaker which appeaâance no doubt he hath found to make for his Interest yet is turned into so much dimness darkness and enmity againââ the People called Quakers as to opprove of this Rob. Goâdon his Pamphlet âiled A Testimony to the true Saviour as being an Ingenious clear Piece and that which we could never get through c. As also to help to convey or spread them abroad against those that Preach the true light that enlightenâ every man that cometh into the world to be Christ c. R. G intending chiefly the people called Quakers against whom he hath insinuated divers forgeries and slanders Wherefore we say to thee M. Stantcliff be ashamed and repent of thy approving and countenancing such a bundle of Confusion against the truth and against an innocent People whom thou once ownâdât remember from whence thou art fallen and how thou persistest in enmity and prejudice against Truth and us least the Lord cut thee off and thou end thy days in trouble and anguish we have desired and sought thy good though thou hast rewarded us evil for good And now we wish thy Repentance and pray the Lord forgive thee that thou mayest not end thy days and perish in thy Perverseness and gain-saying Here follows a brief account of some places of Scripture sent to Robert Gordon by Gawin Longworth R. G. his Answer to them Ioh. 1. from 1. verse forward in the beginning was the Word 12. chap. ver 46 I am come a light into the world 15. chap. ver 5. I am the vine ye are the branches Rom. 8. 10. If Christ be in you c. 1. Cor. 1. 24. Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God 2. Cor. 13. 3â Seeing you seek experience of Christ speaking in me Titââ 2. 14. Who gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all iniquity c. 1. Ioh. 5. 12. He that hath the Son hath life Chap. 4. vâr 4. Greater is hâ that is in you then he that is in the world Robert Gordons Answer to these Scriptures viz. I Have considered the Scriptures thou mentioned and I find that in none of them it is testified who the true Christ our only Saviour is but what he is through the operations of his spirit in Believers called therefore the Anointing within or Christ within but these operations of his spirit within are no where in Scripture called the Lord's Christ our only Saviour And if thou own no other Mediator Christ or Saviour then what is described in these Scriptures thou mentions then necessarily thou disowns the Lord Iesus Christ of Nazareth a man approved of God c. Thus far R. G. telling us of the writings of that enlightned man Iacob Behm Observe Here the âenour and tendency of R. G's Answer how Antichristian it is he appears here plainly as owning another Mediator Christ or Saviour then that Christ that said I am come a light into the world I am the vine c. and we ask was not he Jesus of Nazareth and of whom it is testified in Scripture Christ in you Christ the power and wisdom of God He that hath the Son hath life who gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all iniquity c. But R. G. doth not own this Christ to be the Lord 's Christ or Jesus Christ of Nazareth but he must have some other Christ then this Christ that is described in those Scriptures before but dare he say that Iacob Behm owns his doctrine herein for this Christ who is the Word the Light the Christ in Believers the power and wisdom of God speaking in Sainâs R. G. deems but as operations of the Spirit and not Christ the Operator Saviour or Redeemer wherein he is greatly mistaken and has out-run himself
besides any right aim For Christ as the Word the ârue Light the power and wisdom of God the Redeemer from all iniquity and as in his Saints the giver of life and victory over the world c. He is the true Operator of God and the Author of Faith the worker out of Sin the Saviour and Redeemer from iniquity and so an Operator as such he is given for a leader for light life and salvation to all that believe in his light which will shine live prevail and prosper against all the darkness dark spirits and enmity which oppose it Something further added HEreby it may appear and be very obvious to every impartial Reader how disingeniously injuriously and falsly this R. Gordon hath dealt by us called Quakers whom he chiefly smiâes at chiefly for our so much owning and preaching the true light that enlightens every man having in many things he hath writ neither given a true account of our principle nor stated our words nor the Authors nor cited our Books or Pages that it might be seen how he hath wronged us worse then many of the Priests have done insinuating several falshoods against us which were never our principles and then making war against them and drawing false inferences and consequences upon us which have neither natural dependence nor any relation to our principles as may be seen at large in his bundle of impertinencies and confusion And whereas R. G. several times confesseth Christ and his spirit to be within us revealing and evidencing within us what God hath wrought for us in the body of Christ as that love God commended to us in his Son through his suffering and death according to his 1. 4. and 23. pages Now mark herein he hath in some degree assented to the truth of our principle though to his own confusion for that it follows that our preaching Christ and his Spirit in the true Believers doth not oppose nor make void his sufferings without but evidence and make known the benefit and living effects thereof within and bring both into the fellowship of Christs suffering and to a conformity unto his death But this R. G. in contradiction to himself like a malitious injurious person insinuates âgainst us the dividing and opposing Gospel truths one to another and a denying the mystery of God in the flesh of Christ as a matter of any necessity to redemption reconciliation c. falsly adding these words viz. Râckâing to accomplish this in their own bodies each for himself through obedience to the law or light in his conscience c. pag. 5. This is a false conclusion put upon us and contrary to what this man hath confessed before For it s not of our selves but God that works in us to will and to do by his spirit and power which evidenceth and revealeth in us life and salvation by Jesus Chriât who is our Saviour and Redeemer and by him and in him hath God appeared to reconcile us to himself who hath wrought all our works in us Isa. 26. 12. and to this we testifie in his Son who is made unto us wisdom righteousness sanctification and redemption and against all such dark spirits and opposers of his light and work within as this our Opposer is who saith that God man in his crucified body without us and before any good wrought in us hath already subdued all things finished transgression made an end of sin abolished condemnation and death hath for ever as our head in himself compleated the work of redemption reconciliation with God for us c. God having already finished wrought and accomplished all things for us in the body of Christ pag. 3 4 5 9 12 13. And further he adds pag. 26. vâz having already vanquished in his crucified body and buried in his grave sin and death and all the powers that were against us But in contradiction to hâs asserting all these things as wrought in his body he layes it otherwhiles upon purchase as redemption reconciliation righteousness c. being already purchased for us in his crucified body without you without respect to any works wrought or to be wrought within you by any light whatsoever Thus far R. G. pag. 4 5 9 23 42. But to go round again in contradiction to this of all this being wrought accomplished and purchased without in his crucified body without respect to his light and work within R. G. confesseth and tells us of God working all things in us by Christ the mystery of Christ within and the operations of his spirit working all their works in them p. 4 5. From whence it then follows that all is not wrought and accomplished without them nor ought the work or light of Christ within thus to be disrespected as this man most blindly doth neither is mens sin and death either vanquished or buried in the grave with Christs body without for sin and death reigns in and over all men till they be quickned and renewed by the spirit of Christ within and raised up out of sins and trespasses and in this sense we own true beleevers and sanctified ones to be purchased unto God and hereby an everlasting inheritance obtained or purchased and that God hath purchased his Church with his own blood Act. 20. 28. And that such as were a chosen or purchased people or generation were a royal Priesthood a holy Nation a peculiar People to shew forth the praise of him who had called them out of darkness into his marvellous light 1 Pet. 2. 9. So such did not ãâã and oppose the light within nor disrespect its work within as to the purchasing and redeeming man to God as this blind Opposer hath done whose confusion runs after this manner viz. all things are already wrought and compleated for us in the crucified body without nay God works all things in us by Christ the mystery the operations of the spirit of God works all their works in them See here how inconsistent this mans work is and how he hath broke the neck of his own cause But for whom doth R. G. reckon hath this God-man as he calls him or God and Christ in union wrought and compleated or purchased all as redemption salvation righteousness c. was it for all or but for a few See his Answer R. G. pag. 13. For the sins of the whole world past present and to come c. A large confession and latitude to the world indulging them in sins to come as the sin-pleasing professions are wont to do and further to hearten them on therein all their dayes he reckoneth God doth not see their sin in them pag. 39. And surely they cannot be hindred of salvation for all this nor it in justice be detained from them because it s so dearly purchased and paid for and wrought witâ God by his Son when no good is wrought in man if you believe R. G. which doctrine tends to make a merry world in their sins and not to regard the
work of God within as it hath made many hypocrits and many such merry also over God's witness or light in them which would have wrought good in them had they own'd it to have wrought evil out of them But seeing R. G. hath run into the Priests and Professors doctrine in his confused way and method maintaining their principle of satisfaction and imputation opposing the light and work of Christ or the spirit within as to justification redemption or salvation within Let 's first inquire how he states this satisfaction or work that he thinks was wrought with God by the man Christ but not in man R. G. God said to Adam in the day thou eatest thereof thou shalt dye and because he is God it could not be revoked the justice of God must stand firm in the execution of this sentence he is just and righteous as well as lâving justice to be answered to the full who could break thorough this stir'd up wrath who could have answered the requirings of love and fulfil the requirings of wrath that would hold man captive in death and yet satisfie both Not its light and power in the man Christ or the light enlightning every man that comes into the world not the word alone but Iesus Christ partaking of our flesh and blood as being the Son of the Virgin Mary pag. 19 20. Note his errour in denying the light to be Christ and so opposing Christs Divinity Let the impartial Reader judge of this man's confusion and ignorance herein in these his distinctions about God and Christ and between Christ and the light and power within not owning the light that enlightens every man to be Christ or the Son of God contrary to Scripture whereas the light that enlightens every man is that eternal word that made all things which to say this cannot answer or satisfie love and wrath is a blasphemous opposing the omnipotency and power of God as if he could not satisfie himself in either and his slâghting and debasing the divine light and power of Christ in man and so undervaluing God as if he were no Saviour especially while this man thinks God was so displeased and his wrath so stirred up that it would hold man captive in death unless Christ as the Son of Mary should satisfie and answer this wrath and undergo this death another while in contradiction it was as God man that he satisfied c. which if he take it to be an eternal death or wrath that was threatned on man for disobedience I ask if Christ did undergo that either as God or as man or as both and dare any say plainly that God executed wrath and revenge from himself upon his innocent Son or take vengeance upon the Son of his love or could that be an answering of divine Justice so to take vengeance on the innocent and let the guilty go free with their sins past present and to come and then if all be if all be thus wrought and purchased of God by Christ paid and satisfied for in his crucified body and that for the âins of the whole world and in their stead and that for their sins past present and to come then how can God in justice execute wrath or revenge on any for sin if his innocent Son hath undergone it and satisfied it all and that for all men for sins past present and to come And then what manifest contradiction is it for this man to confess to his intercession his ever living to make intercession for them that come to God by him though this we own But how doth this agree with the doctrine of such a rigid or severe satisfaction and payment as before implied For if the Son endured the Fathers wrath to the full and thereby stopâ it for Priests call it vindictive Justice doth not this âender God to be more severe than his Son yea and unjust also As if a Creditor should keep or leave the Debtor in prison and alwaies be interceded to either for his deliverance or forgiveness when his Surety hath paid and satisfied to the utmost farthing that could in the rigour of the law be exacted upon the Debtor which much less can be either mercy forgiveness or remission But if it be granted that forgiveness of sins must be asked at God's hand for Christs sake and that man must repent and be converted that his sins may be forgiven and blotted out and that he may be under God's terms and under an obligation to believe obey and follow the spirit of Christ within in its inward operations and teachings then this confutes this man and all such carnal professors For all is not done without norâ man absolved or discharged in the Court of Heaven as Priests use to say either from the guilt or punishment of sins past present and to come seeing that all judgment is committed to the Son and men are not acquitted by his sufferings without either from the obligation or obedience of his law within which is that of the spirit or new covenant which is inward but are liable to the censure and judgment thereof if they disobey it and walk contrary to the spirit of truth within wherein we are not without the law to God but under the law to Christ. And God is not satisfied with men in their sins his wrath being revealed from heaven against all unrighteousness of men how ever they may imagine Christ to have satisfied is in their stead and removed it out of God's sight And further as to that death that came over Adam in that day he transgressed it was not the sentence of eternal wrath and destruction given and fulfilled by God but a death from that innocent life and communion which he had with God before as the fruit of his transgression which God foretold and threatned them with before not as from an obligation upon God presently to take full revenge on man or to cut him off for ever the same day he transgressed for that he did not neither was his divine justice such an obligation upon him as to limit him from shewing mercy or forgiveness on repentance and salvation without such a rigid payment or severe kind of satisfaction as is supposed for he said I am a just God and Saviour and besides me there is no Saviour and in his mercy and love to lost man in general he both promised and gave a seed to bruise the Serpents head and to be a ransom attonement and most acceptable and satisfactory sacrifice as a Lamb without spot to God not as the subject of wrath or vindictive Justice but as a sweet smelling sacrifice to God and propitiation for mankind and to be a living example through all not only to end the law and sacrifices without but also to bring the true believer through and beyond the ministration of death condemnation and wrath within into peace and union with Gâd who out of his infinite love sent his Son to save man from sin and