not own that the Wrath of God was upon Christ O repent John p. 29. c. Crook I know not what a great Cross it is for a Debtor that knows his Creditor to be fully satisfied and paid his Debt by another in his stead to believe it to be so But indeed it is a Cross to be stumbled at and a strange thing for a poor Debtor to be told he must believe his Debts are paid and his Creditor is satisfied while his Creditor keeps him still in Prison and calls to him every Day for full Payment this is cross to sound Judgment and good Understanding But if this be all the Acquaintance thou hast with the Cross of Christ I will assure thee thou art far enough from being his Disciple c. But why dost thou dare me William am I all of a suddain changed in thy Opinion from a Knave and a jugling Mountebank as thou callest me unto such a tender-conscienced Man that I dare not speak otherwise then I believe who playes Tricks now William making me believe that if I will own what thou would'st have me then thou wilt believe me yet when I have given Testimony to the Blood of Christ and many other Things even as thy self in Words professest to believe yet for so doing thou callest my Person a Knave and a Mountebank and my Belief a Juggle But thy Speech bewrayes thee for these Words viz. If thou darest c. is their Hectoring Language thou comparest me to But if the Reader please to examine his daring Challenge he will find it to be this viz. to own that the Wrath of God was upon Christ and that God poured out all his Wrath upon his Son and that these Words prove it Gal. 3. He was made a Curse for us for it 's written cursed is every one that hangeth on a Tree this is that he so dares me to and if I will not be convinced by this Proof I must repent of the Thoughts of my Heart though never so right in this Matter viz. I believe that Christ bore our Sins in his Body on the Tree that we being dead to Sin should live in Righteousness by whose Stripes we are healed 1 Pet. 2.24 I dare and do own that what Christ suffered it was for us and that the weighty Sense of the Misery due to Mankind for Sin fell upon him as the squeezing of Grapes in a Wine-press which caused him to sweat like Drops of Blood in his Agony Luke 22.44 all this we believe according to holy Scripture But let us now consider William Haworth's Belief and we shall find this to be one Article of his Faith viz. That Christ when he suffered was not innocent and as guilty God poured out all his Wrath upon him c. Christ had the Guilt of Sin really charged upon him what else is to be understood by these Words viz. he was made Sin for us Epist c. which is more then I dare affirm for what Job said of his own Integrity may much more be testified of Christ's Innocency to wit That he did not let that go till he dyed neither was Guile found in his Mouth And whatever thine and others Conceivings are of the Sufferings of Christ I dare say that no Man can conceive much less express what they were in the deep Travail of his Soul when he poured it out an Offering for Sin and the heavy Sense of Mans Misery fell upon him c. only those that have had Fellowship with him in his Sufferings and been made conformable to his Death in their Mealure are his Witnesses of what he suffer'd by the good Experience he hath given them through the Revelation of his holy Spirit in their Hearts such know something of the Sufferings of Christ and the Benefit of them to their own Souls c. Yet is not the Freeness of Forgiveness nor the free Grace and Mercy of God to Sinners destroyed thereby that truly believe in the Light of Christ Jesus and repent of the Evils that are made manifest to them by the same neither is the Work of Sanctification and Regeneration by all that Christ hath done or suffered made less necessary to the inheriting the Kingdom of God and everlasting Salvation nor are the Exhortations to Men and Women to follow Holiness and to work out their own Salvation with Fear and Trembling either weakened in themselves or made indifferent to Believers nor is the inward Work of redeeming the Heart and Mind out of the World to be fully set upon things above by the Spirit and Power of Christ within to be neglected or disesteemed by laying all the Stress upon what Christ hath done and suffered without us c. For though Christ be both a general and particular Saviour yet the Benefit accruing to Men by him as the general Saviour is known and received only where he is witnessed a particular Saviour for Christ in man becoming the Hope of Glory and Man being changed into the same Image from Glory to Glory even as by the Spirit of the Lord is the Salvation and the Perfection of every true Christian I have been the larger now upon this Subject that I may be excused from writing any more about it in this Reply Haworth What wouldst thou John have more then Faith page 29. c. Crook My Words are these viz. I find thee like the Pharisees of old flying from the Wrath to come by casting all God's Vengeance upon Christ an easie Way if thou couldst so escape it by imagining his doing God's Pleasure and suffering God's Displeasure to be reckoned thine by a bare Belief of it wholely without thee To all which he returns this Answer viz. What wouldst thou John have more then Faith Of which let the Reader judge if this be not his Hope and Belief viz. that he shall escape God's Wrath and Vengeance and consequently be saved by a bare Belief that Christ hath done God's Will and suffered his Displeasure wholely without him in his stead as if we were to understand no more by all Exhortations to Holiness and perfect Obedience to God's Holy Will and Commandments then that Christ and not we is to be only the Subject of all those Exhortations and Commands If it be asked whether a man may escape God's Wrath and Vengeance by a bare Believing that Christ hath done and suffered God's Pleasure wholely without him William Haworth answers What wouldst thou man have more then Faith But the Apostle James answers Wilt thou know O vain man that Faith without Works is dead Haworth He that works not but believes Rom. 4. There it Faith only a bare Belief John what sayest thou to that though that Faith that is justifying will work by Love yet it receives no Efficacy from its being accompanied with Works as to our Justification but from the Object without p. 29. c. Crook I say thou hast answered thy self that it is not a bare Belief without Works for thou
and to thy own Consutation thou makes Christ the Author of both saying He wounds at well as heals kills as well as makes alive the one he doth by the preaching of the Law the other by the Gospel Doth not this prove Law and Gospel to be one in their End and Nature for which thou tauntest so much at me and spendest the whole 13th page by way of Derision saying It will cost me some Sweat to untye this Knot c. But before thou art aware thou hast done it For if it be Christ that kills by the Law as thou sayest and Christ that makes alive by the Gospel Is not he one and the same and is not his End the same like a wise Physician to cure and restore his Patient Haworth The Law in its own Nature is spiritual page 16 c. Crook And is not the Gospel so too What is it this man quarrels with is it not written The Ministration of Condemnation is glorious but the Ministration of the Spirit exceeds in Glory In it self it is not glorious but dreadful and terrible but because of its End by convincing of Sin and so humbling the Soul to a welcome reception of Christ or the Grace of the Gospel as thy self speaks p. 11. And the Apostle doth not say the Ministration of the Spirit differed in Nature and Kind but exceeded in Glory and therefore saith Diversity of Ministrations but by the same Lord or Spirit pag. 11 c. Haworth Yet hitherto tends this admitting of no Distinction of Law and Gospel p. 13. Crook My words are not so but thus viz. Why dost thou divide betwixt Law and Gospel Surely thou art not so ignorant as thou makest thy self as if there were no diffence between distinguishing and dividing But because the Scripture distinguisheth between Father Son and Spirit therefore by thy Logick they are divided and because the Scripture distinguisheth between Justification and Sanctification therefore it divides them according to thy dealing with me for I ask why thou dividest between Law and Gospel and thou abusest and pervertest my words as if I admitted of no Distinction between them Is this sair dealing William Haworth But remember for the time to come That a Man may lawfully Distinguish where he ought not to Divide as is proved Haworth The Law is spiritual i. e. requires that all the Thoughts of Man and Desires and Motions of the Heart should be holy and spiritual continually p. 14. c. Crook Here thou hast plainly confessed to that which thou hast been so long fighting against viz. that the Law is spiritual c. and is not the Gospel spiritual also if yea are they not One in Nature I never laid in Degree but want in Degree varies not the Truth in Nature and Kind and is it the End of the Law to require that all the Thoughts of Man and Desires and Motions of the Heart should be holy and spiritual continuaelly doth not the Gospel also do the same how now William who is infatuated now to speak that thou never intendest viz. that Law and Gospel are One in the End and Nature as thou speakest p. 12. But more of this may be seen in Title Contradictions c. and Title Scoffs c. Haworth I challenge thee to produce one Scripture where Law and Spirit â—re one c. Crook If I prove that the Word or Term Law is applyed to the Spirit I make good my own Assertion and overthrow thy vain boasting Challenge Now the Law is called Truth Psal 119.142 So is the Spirit 1 Joh 2.27 and 1 Joh. 5.6 The Law is called Light Prov. 6.23 and so is the Spirit If the Eye be single the whole Body is full of Light Rom. 7.14 We know the Law is spiritual how dost thou know it I feel it in my Mind by the Spirit saith Beza and also a Law in my Members warring against it Rom. 8 2. The Law of the Spirit of Life which is in Christ Jesus c. saith Beza is the Power and Authority of the Spirit against which is set the Tyranny of Sin Thus he c. The Term Law is applied both to Works and to Faith or the Spirit in Opposition to Works Rom. 3.27 The Law is also called the Testimony to the Law and to the Testimony Isa 8. The two Tables of the Law are called the Testimony Exod. 25.16,21 The Gospel or Spirit is called the Testimony 1 Cor. 2.1 2 Thes 1.10 Rom. 7.7 Except the Law had said thou shalt not lust by Law is understood the Law of the Spirit for the outward Law saith not so 1 Tim. 2.6 Where Christ is called the Testimony who gave himself a Ransom for all men that Testimony in due time c. by all which it may appear notwithstanding William Haworth's vain Challenge and confident to the contrary that the Term Law and Testimony c. are applied to Christ to the Spirit and to the Gospel or New Testament Haworth I have known the Spirituallity of the Law convincing me of that to be Evil which you say is not Sin viz Evil Thoughts arising in my Heart though not consented to Crook Here thou confessest that the Spirituallity of the Law which was the thing I affirmed to be one in End and Nature with the Gospel to be the Spirit or Power of God which is called the Gospel and is said Hebr. 4.12 to be A Discerner of the Thoughts and Intents of the Heart which thou sayest it doth in thee this must needs be the Spirit by thy own Acknowledgment p. 14. calling the Law a fit Instrument for the Spirit to make use of so that it 's the Spirit 's Work whatever is the Instrument that is the Agent by thy own Acknowledgment But I perceive the Scriptures quoted by me have qualified thy Heat page 15. so that now it is the Doctrine of the Gospel not Law taken strictly c. but it may be called the Law so it be not taken strictly but in a mild or common Acceptation so that thou hast both made the Challenge viz. to produce one Scripture where Law and Gospel are Terms that signifie the same Thing as I asserted and to which thou makest this Challenge and also undertakest to make it good against thy self Haworth My tasting of the Grace of Jesus Christ was the Reason why I did not take up with the Quakers Christ finding so much Sweetness and Comfort in the Knowledge of him crucified and so abhorring to believe in the Light within as the Christ of God Crook David invites to Tasting as the best Way of knowing how Good and Gracious the Lord is Psal 34.9 and Paul also accounted the Revelation of Christ within to be the Excellency of the Knowledge of Christ Gal. 1.12,15,16 compared with Phil. 3.8,10,11 And called me by his Grace to reveal his Son in me but contrariwise that which thou callst the Grace of Jesus Christ caused thee to abhor believing in any such Revelation of
for that Flesh he was made of as Man was his real Person or Body and not a Phantastick Body as some conceited and yet saith Whose Goings have been of Old from Everlasting is certainly spoke of Christ's Deity Was not this then the Goings forth of the Eternal Word the Alpha and Omega c Thy high Charge of Blasphemy is like to fall upon thy self for to say Christ is not at all in his People is contrary to the whole current of Scripture and is contradictory to thy self in many Pages of thy Book c. as may be seen in my Rejoynder Haworth The Spirit conveyed it self into the Hearts of the Hearers by this Doctrine and wrought Faith in them to receive it pag. 6 c. the Gospel declares Remission of Sins by the Sacrisice of Christ and that by the Obedience of this one we are made Righteous his Obedience without us p 7. c. Crook One while God is not at all in his People another while there is nothing good before Faith and now all is done by Christ's Obedience without us and again the Spirit was there before Faith to work Faith c. But hear thy own Author Richard Baxter in his Appeal to the Light p. 3. The Day of Judgment will not be to try Christ and his Righteousness but to honour it and try us and ours and all men shall be judged according to their own Works and to be judged is to be justified or condemned saith he and Salvation or Damnation will be adjudged us as we are found to be personally Righteous or Unrighteous c. Dr. Sâ—bbs Soul's Conflict cap. 15. pag. 224. The Happiness of man consists chiefly in a gracious Frame of Spirit and Actions suitable sweetly issuing therefrom But what will become of William Haworth who saith He dares not trust to the holy Ghost c Haworth We are converted from Darkness that imbred natural Darkness that we are in and all men unto Light which Light is Christ's Person and the Gospel which declares of him and so to all things the Gospel requires of us c. we are not perfect nor think we shall ever attain it in this Life pag. 8. c. Crook Thou seemst to allude to the Apostle's Words Acts 26.18 who was sent to the Gentiles to open their blind Eyes and to turn them from Darkness to Light and from the Power of Satan to God but why dost thou vary from Scripture Conversion Is it because yours is not Scripture Proof that thou wholely leaves out three Parts of five viz. 1 st The Opening their Blind Eyes 2 dly And from the Power of Satan 3 dly unto God so that your Conversion is without having your Blind Eyes opened or being turned from Satan or being turned to God only you believe that there is a natural inbred Darkness in you and all men which you ought to turn from but do not think to be so perfect as ever to attain it in this Life and you are turned to Light that is Christ's Person and the Gospel that is the Scriptures which declare of him and so to all things that Christ in the Gospel requires of you but ye do not think to be so perfect as to do them or everattain it in this Life but we are made righteous by his Obedience without us p. 7. But for the Holy Ghost we dare not trust to it p. 52. If the Members of thy Church at Hartford be no better Converts then their Pastor no marvel thy Proselite The Young Man p. 6. of his Book calls most of them a Loose Wanton and Proud People that adorn their Bodiâ—s more then their Souls Haworth What tends this to but Rantism indeed and Atheism viz. that the Law and Gospel are one in the End and Nature p. 13. c. The Law is spiritual i. e. requires that all the Thoughts of Man and Desires Motions of the Heart should be Holy and Spiritual continually therefore it is a fit Instrument for the Spirit to make use of by enlightning the Soul in the Knowledge of it to convince not of outward gross Evils only but of Heart-Polutions p. 14. c. Crook Thou wilt not deny that the Gospel doth require continual Heart-Spirituality and is also a fit In strument for the Spirit to make use of to the same End what Consusion is this then to affirm that that which requires all the Thoughts of man Desires and Motions of the Heart should be holy and spiritual continually tends to Rantism Atheism yet calls it a fit Instrument for the Spirit to make use of so that thy Argument runs thus That which tends to Rantism and Atheism is a fit Instrument for the Spirit to make use of or thus take thy choice That which is a fit Instrument for the Spirit to make use of rends to Rantism and Atheism but the Law which requires that all the Thoughts of Man should be Holy c. and the End and Nature of the Gospel being and requiring the same are fit Instruments for the Spirit to make use of Ergo the End and Nature of the Spiritual Law and Gospel tends to Rantism and Atheism Who is the Ranter and Atheist now William Haworth The Spirit that convinceth the Vnbelieving World of Sin John 16.8 is neither the Law nor Gospel p. 11. We preach the Law in Order to the Gospel to prepare the Spirit of man by convincing of sin c. p. 12. The Law doth but kill p. 14. The Law requires the Heart should be holy and spiritual continually c. The spirit makes use of the Doctrine of the Law to convince of sin and the Doctrine of the Gospel as an Instrument to turn the Soul to Christ c. Crook One while the Law doth convince of Sin another while it doth not one while it doth but kill another while it requireth continual Heart-Spirituallity and Holiness one while Law and Gospel are as different as Heaven and Earth p. 13. and another while they are both made use of by the Spirit to the same End viz. Inward Holiness and continual Heart-Spirituallity one while the Gospel doth all and the Law can do nothing but kill another while neither Law nor Gospel can do any thing but as the Spirit useth the Doctrine of both And this is great Babel that William Haworth hath built for the Honour of his Profession and Re establishing of his young Convort c. Haworth The Law is here taken for all the Writings of the Scripture viz. Psal 19.7 c. The whole Nation is called properly the Land is therefore every Piece of Ground in it good to bear Wheat because Ground or Land in general is c. Crook If the Law be taken in the Spirituallity of it as comforting the Soul c. then it is taken as I alledge it for I alledge it as it is written but this Psal 19.7 cannot be taken for all the Writings of the Scriptures in general because the
might not work Virtues in our hearts which we express in our Lives and yet these be but our own Righteousness yet he here saith none ever did or can shew forth Christ's Virtues in their Lives that were not first justified by imputed Righteousness Haworth The Spirit gives Wisdom in this Doctrine of Imputed Righteousness and hereupon comes Life and Peace Rom. 5. so that Life and Peace ariseth not by looking to this Wisdom and spirituallity for that is imperfect c. p. 40. c. Crook So then that which Christ works as thou speakst elsewhere and the Spirit gives is in thy Account imperfect whenas the Scripture saith Every Gift of God is perfect Haworth We are treating of Righteousness imputed to them that have Faith now can any have Faith and have the Gifts of the Spirit taken away c May not the Gifts and Virtues of the Spirit remain in us and we thereby be sanctified and yet not justified by that Righteousness within but by that without us which is the Cause of Sanctification p. 40. Crook Page 35. he acknowledgeth Christ to be the Author of all Righteousness and I shewed under Title Rejoynder how that himself proves the outward and inward Righteousness to be one before he said We must be as free from all good when this Righteousness is imputed as Christ was from all evil and now he saith we must have Faith and the Gifts and Virtues of the Spirit remain in us and we thereby be sanctified he saith it is imputed to them that are sanctified and yet affirms it is the Cause of Sanctification what is Faith the Gift of God and a part of Sanctification and must first be received before this Righteousness is imputed and yet calls it the Cause of Sanctification Why then dost thou not say in Plainness that this Righteousness is imputed and we justified thereby before Faith or Sanctification while in Sin and Rebellion against God Which is the thing thou believest but art afraid to tell the World so Haworth God himself is the Author of them viz. the Gifts and Virtues that the Spirit works in our Minds c. I cannot say that the Righteousness which the Spirit works in us is the same but different from the Righteousness that was personally wrought out by Christ c. Crook Is God himself and his Spirit the Author of our own Righteousness which the Scripture calls filthy Rags I deny that and that the Gifts and Virtues which God himself works in our Minds are in Scripture called ours as man's own Righteousness and it is Confusion in thee to call them so how come they now to be so different thou saidst before they were contradistinguished and are they now different being the same God and Spirit works them all as thy self confesseth and not the same in Nature or is different and distinguished all one with thee Haworth Now the Righteousness of Christ is not in our Minds at all but in his own Person c. p. 6. Crook False Doctrine and Confusion and quite contrary to what thou saidst p 34. viz. But indeed this Righteousness is not at a Distance from us but put upon us by the Father's Gift as Jacob's Mother put Esau 's Garment upon him c. and now it is not in our Minds at all but in Christ's own Person and yet affirmest in thy Book that Christ's Person is in Heaven afar off as the Tendency of thy Words are at the End of page 34. Is not this thy unhappy Attempt to be so unsuccesful in all thy Designs Haworth Paul calls them viz. The Gifts and Virtues Christ and the Spirit works in our Minds his own Rigteousness Phil. 3.5 Not having my own Righteousness which is of the Law p. 47. c. Crook Is there no Difference between the Gifts and Virtues which Christ and the Spirit works in our Minds and the Righteousness of the Law that Paul there speaks of let the Reader judge what a Preacher thou art But let us hear Augustine viz. lib. de Gratia libere arbitrio Quid est non habens meam justitiam quae ex lege est cum sua non esset lex ipsa sed Dei nisi suam dicit just itiam quamvis ex lege esset quia sua voluntate legem se posse putabat implere sine adjutorio gratiae quae est per fidem Christi i.e. What is it saith he not having my Righteousness which is of the Law whereas the Law was not his but God's but that he calls it his Righteousness although it was of the Law because he thought that by his own will he could fulfil the Law without the Help of Grace which is by the Faith of Christ Haworth Only they prepare the Soul for Blessedness viz. Purity of Heart Poverty of Spirit c. p 47. Crook Before he said We must be as much without or as free from all Good when Christ imputes his Righteousness to justifie us as Christ was without or free from all Evil and now there must be Poverty of Spirit and Purity of Heart c to prepare the Soul for Blessedness Oh Unhappy Man and Unstable Haworth Thou still concludes that there is no Possession of Christ's Righteousness that none have any Enjoyments that are veal c. p. 48. Crook I may well conclude so when in pag 26. thou fayest The Righteousness of Christ is not in our Minds at all but in his own Person in Heaven afar off Haworth Let me add this as an Antidote still that the reality of our inherent Righteousness will not make it perfect p. 48 c. Crook This he calls an Antidote as if he had given some Poyson before and yet he confesseth over and over That it s wrought by God himself by Christ and by the Spirit and is Reality in the abstract yet now it is not perfect and all the Fault is because it is so near us if it were but far enough off he would like it better as I suppose but I never that I remember read of any before that called the real Work of God himself of Christ and of the Spirit imperfect Is this thy Antidote I dare say the true-experienced Christian will never drink it down though thou sayest we may be comforted by it Haworth We ought not to trust to our Repentings Believings c. for they are imperfect p. 49. c. Crook Is there no more difference between trusting to our Repentings and trusting in our Repentings if I do not trust to it in some sense how can I be assured its right If he that hath true Faith must not trust to it viz. that it is true then he must be distrustful of it and so continue in Un belief What Confusion is this Is the Gift of God imperfect Why then doth the Apostle say Every good and perfect Gift is from above and cometh down from the Father of Lights James 1.17 Haworth The Phrase in Isa 64.6 which thou in Scorn often
Case only deny their Merit to justifie without Christ 5. When thou findest me pleading the Necessity of good Works in justified Persons it is only according to that ancient Maxim non propter sed secundum i. e. not for them as meritours but according to them as that which God hath joyned together and no man ought to put them assunder 6. When thou observest me opposing my Adversary's Imputation of Righteousness it is not because I deny imputed Righteousness but his Application of it to the Ungodly while in their Ungodliness contrary to 1 John 3.7 Little Children let no Man deceive you he that doth Righteousness is righteous even as Christ is righteous 7. When thou findest me affirming in Contradiction to my Adversary that if the first rising to Evil be the Sin of unconsenting Persons that judges and denies them then I say it 's no matter who consents or who denies if he that denies sinneth as well as he that consents and yet I do not deny inward motions to Sin to be evil in themselves Lastly I desire the Reader to observe throughout this whole Book this Agreement between my Adversary and I viz. That the true Knowledge of the Doctrines in Controversie must be inwardly taught by the Spirit as he saith p. 66. And both in our Preachings and Writings saith he we are for an experimental spiritual Knowledge of Christ c. So that when either of us speak of Christ thou art to understand it of a spiritual and experimental Knowledge of Christ and the like thou art to understand of Faith Justification c. they must be all inwardly taught by the Spirit that our Knowledge may be experimental and spiritual else it is but dogmatical and historical which saith my Adversary p. 66. is not sufficient for Salvation These Things being diligently observed may both help the Reader and in a great measure put an End to all Contention between us and our Adversaries John Crook A Brief REIOYNDER TO VVilliam Haworth's EPISTLE John Crook PAssing by many Impertinencies and Reflections besides what is here animadverted upon under the following Heads I have for brevity sake returned this Rejoynder c. W. Haworth That Meeting was beneficial to us by Reason of a Concession from thee at that time viz. That the New Creature was an higher thing then the Light within and you did but point out People to the Light in order to the New Creature Epist pag. 2. Crook If by a higher Thing thou intendst a further State then a bare having of the Light or then the first believing in it if so then I affirm the same still and the End of our directing People to the Light is that they might be new-born Babes and Children of Light by believing in it otherwise the bare believing that there is such a Light and that they have it will not be sufficient for them except they be regenerated by it I hope when you meet with this it will be as beneficial as that Meeting thou speakest of But then William thou must repent of calling the Light a rotten corrupt and unsound Thing and of saying thou scarce knowest one Gospel truth but it contradicts pag. 149. and pag. ibid. Haworth I have heard thee my self say He brought his Son out of Egypt i. e. out of the Egyptian-darkness of our hearts Doth not this take off from the History Epist p. 7. Crook No more then those words Hebr. 6. Seeing they crucified again to themselves the Son of God c. do take off from the History of his being crucified without the Gates of outward Jerusalem Rev. 11.8 there is inward or spiritual Egypt and Sodom spoken of where also our Lord was crucified And is there not Darkness in that Egypt Oh William the Reason why thou art such a Stranger to these things is because Nullum elimentum in suo loco gravescitur He that is in Union with thick Darkness feels not the Misery and Pain of it Haworth That Work of the Spirit in our Hearts is not God's Son c. Crook Thou speakest indiffinitely as if the Work of the Spirit in our hearts was in no sense in Scripture called God's Son contrary to the Apostle's Testimony Gal. 1.16 When it pleased God to reveal his Son in me Was not this the Work of the Spirit in the Apostle's heart c Haworth But this is not so bad as to say the Only-begotten Son begotten in us c. Crook Thou misrepresentest my words spoken about twelve years since for I â—sed the word Only-begotten only in Opposition to any other Power besides the Lord 's own Arm to form and reveal his Son in the hearts of his Children as thy Friend thou speakest of if yet alive may remember Haworth I have been an hundred times hurried into your Way and Opinions like a Child tossed to and fro with every Wind of Doctrine but I am brought now to a consistency and fixedness Epist p. 12 c. Crook Or Way is the Light and they that walk in it are out of all Hurries and Tossings and for Opinions thou art no now hurried amongst them and tossed one while upon Absurdity and another while upon Self-contradiction and for the consistency and fixedness thou speakest of I refer the Reader to thy Confusions and Contradictions as collected under that Title Page for his further conviction and Information Haworth Thou art the dearer to us John that thou hast been once a Stone in Christ's Building Epist p 12 c. Crook Doth thy calling me Mountebank Jugler Jesuit Ape Equivocator covering my Poyson with gilded words c. manifest a comparative degree of Dearness to thee What then is thy positive And if a Stone once in Christ's Building be thus called what Names wilt thou give to those Stones yet unhewn And if to hold a total falling away from Grace be Arminianism and Jesuitism as thou sayst Epist p. 2. then I having been once a Stone in Christ's Building must needs be safe at last And if I am indeed so dear to you shew it to the World by thy Recantation for thy Abâ—sing of me by Revilings c. Haworth Some of old pretended they were sent to preach the Everlasting Gospel in opposition to the old Gospel In the Revelations some are spoken of that talked of the Depths which John adds Satan to This hath been my Temptation and am confident is thine now Epist p 12 c. Crook We may in our time without Antiquity find out many preaching another or new Gospel that yet pretend highly to the Old like those false Teachers that were so stiff for outward things in opposition to that Spirit the Galatians that began well began in and doubtless this is one of the Depths of Satan to draw the Mind from the Light of the Spirit within And I do believe thee that as it was so it is still thy Temptation to oppose the Everlasting Gospel under colour that thou knowest not one Gospel-truth but the
Light within contradicts as thou sayest And for thy Confidence it s but like to thy consistency and fixedness But I will assure thee I neither itch to be a Doctor of Allegories nor yet to exercise my self in things too high for me Glory to Abraham's God who hath weaned me from it Therefore take heed of thy Confidence for else it will deceive thee to the Ruin of thy Soul Haworth The Spirit of Wisdom and Revelation be upon thee while thou art reading these following Lines c. Crook Hast thou such a high Conceit of thy own Writings that they cannot be understood without divine Revelation and ye denyes the Antecedency of the Spirit and Light of Christ within to be necessary to the true understanding of the holy Scriptures and the Mysteries of God therein mentioned Haworth In vain was that Revelation of the Everlasting Gospel to Adam if the Light within would have shewed it Book p. 4 c. Crook In vain had that Revelation been if Adam had not had some Light within to see what was tendred and made known to him Haworth Let us see what Faith it was that these departed from in 1 Tim. 19. Crook Instead of she wing what Faith they departed from thou either ignorantly or wilfully takest up the time about the Faith they turned to and imbraced after their departure which is nothing to the purpose for my words are these And others departed from that Faith which Paul exhorts Timothy to hold fast in Opposition to thy asserting it impossible to forsake the Gospel being once truly received And thus like the Horse mumbling the Tâ—istle thou art unwilling to let it alone and yet knowest not how to answer it Haworth Thou hadst better not named that Scripture c. Crook It had better for thee indeed that I had neither named it nor thou gone about to answer it for then hadst thou saved thy Credit Haworth God's essential Power cannot be communicated for then would the Creature to whom it is communicated be Omnipotent Book p. 6 c. Crook Who would think that a man that pretends so highly to Scripture Rule should be so much besides it as to use Terms of Distinction not once named in Scripture its sufficient to silence all Flesh that both Scripture and experienced Saints do tell us That the Spirit it self bears witness in them and that they were made Partakers of the Divine Nature and Power of God whereby they were more then Conquerors and able to do all things c. without busying the mind with forged Notions and unscriptural Distinctions c. Haworth Either thou hast forgotten that this Phrase which I make use of was ever used by Paul Gal 4.19 or else thou dost plainly gibe at the Apostle and Church of Galatians at least through our Sides thou woundest them they had some Knowledge of Christ but it was too confused and dim p 10 c. Crook I very well remembred the Apostle's words in Gal. 4.19 bâ—t find no such words as distinctly formed in you dim and too confused are imaginary words of thy own coyning as if Christ could be formed in a man and yet that man in whom he is so formed either to be wholely ignorant of it or so confused and dim that he is unable to disting ish it from any thing else so that this Falshood and Confusion may be added to the rest for I neither forgot the Place nor yet gibe at the Apostle Neither do I believe that either the Apostle and thy self or the Church of Galatia and thy Church at Hartford to be in such Union that the hitting of you must needs wound them through your sides Haworth Now John is this Language becoming thee viz. Paul what is thy Labour and Travail worth whenas thou hast not brought the Galatians to have Christ formed in them And Paul what a Church is this Church thou writest to in Galatia and what a Pastor Preacher and Apostle art thou and what dear Brethren are they to thee c p 10 c. Crook Thou art like him that makes a Man of Straw and then to shew his Valour fights with it Thou knowest I use no such Language to Paul nor the Church of Galatia in my whole Book but thou like a man having lost his way pryes into every Turning to recover his Loss yet the more he goes on the further he is out of his Way But why dost thou plead for mixt Communions with such as are turned to another Gospel whom the Apostle calls bewitched and foolish and thought to be made perfect by the Flesh being removed from the Grace and Spirit of Christ into which he begat them at the first when they began well and therefore his Labour and Travail was both of Worth and Value and not in vain as thine and others are at this day who like those false Teacher the Apostle speaks against do but make Work for the true Labourers to travail in Birth again to recover your Proselytes out of those outward things and forms to have Christ truly formed in them that neither the people themselves nor the true Ministers may be perplexed or stand in doubt of them as the Apostle speaks Gal. 4.20 But whither art thou going Friend Is thy pleading for such mixt communion the way to be a Pastor of a separate Church at Hartford or to be a Parish Priest again Think not that this turning will set thee right viz. because the Apostle calls the Galatians Little Children and Brethren c. for these and such like are but amicable terms frequently used in Scripture and doth not alwayes imply them so called to be Children in a spiritual Sense and Brethren in the true Gospel-Brotherhood as Christ calling him Friend that had not on the Wedding-Garment and yet was not really so in the Sense he calls his Disciples no more Servants but Friends and Stephen Acts 7.2 calls the High Priests and Jews Men Brethren and Fathers and Paul Acts 23.1 calls the Council Brethren c. Haworth I 'le grant that the main Work was to preach the Gospel they did but preach the Law in Subserviency to the Gospel thus they were Ministers not of the Letter only for this doth but kill but of the Spirit p 12 c. Crook If preaching the Law be in order to the Gospel to prepare the Spirit of man by convincing of Sin and so humbling the Soul to a welcome reception of the Grace of the Gospel c. as thou affirmest p. 11. then why is it not as main a work to preach the Law or is there a way to Salvation from Sin without being first convinced of Sin c But let the Readers observe how thou swarvest that from thy Rule thou pleadest so much for Subserviency is a term not used in Scripture and besides thou addest the word Only for the Scripture saith Able Ministers not of the Letter and thou addest Only which is an Addition to Scripture but in further Confusion
Christ the Light within whereby it 's manifest thou hast not so learned Christ as the Apostle did viz Living and dwelling in him and by hearing of him and being taught by him but by Hatred and despising art grown past Feeling of these things according to Ephes 4.18,19,20,21 Haworth Well now let these stand together and John do thou speak for thy self either these are no Quakers and thou disownest them and their Writings or the Light within not Jesus of Nazareth is the Quakers Christ so not the Lord 's Christ therefore John thus dost but juggle c. By this you may know what he means by his Testimony to Jesus in the latter End of his Book p. 18. c. Crook The Page before is stuffed with railing Accusations which have been sufficiently spoke to by G. W. W. P. against Faldo and I. Pennington's late Book titled The Flesh and Blood of Christ c. I say Christ is not divided and thou art a Transgressor for putting asunder what God hath joyned together Jesus of Nazareth calls himself the Light of the World and thou confessest as before is shewed that it 's neither Law nor Gospel that convinceth the Vnbelieving World but the Spirit making Vse of them Now is not the Father the Son and the Spirit One 1 Joh. 5.7 And this is the Lord Christ that is One with the Father and thought it no Robbery to be equal with God and this is no jugling but plain Scripture-dealing as they that are spiritual can judge what I say to be the Truth as it in Jesus but without the Spirit no Man can say that Christ is the Lord 1 Cor. 12 3. and if any Man will be ignorant let him be ignorant 1 Cor. 14.38 but the Spirit of Blindness like a Man in the dark makes thee so suspitious and jealous that although I speak never so plain Nichode muslike thou cryest out how can these Things be when the Inconsistency is in thy self And what I speak in the latter End of my Book as well as what I speak of in the Beginning is what I believe in my Heart and thy calling of me Jugler and Mountebank c. are but as Gems in my Crown but shall be as black Charges against thee in the Day of thy Arraignment Haworth This Blood and Sufferings of Christ the Value of them towards God for the Expiation of the Guilt of Sin I apply to my own Soul that is guilty of the Breach of the Law and have Peace hereby Rom. 5. p. 19 c. Crook I wonder thou shouldest so soon forget thy self who in p. 14 15. sayest that neither Law nor Gospel can either convince or convert without the Spirit but as the Spirit useth them being as a fit Instrument for the Spirit and yet thou that hast the Filth of Sin remaining in thee canst apply to thy own guilty Soul the Value of Christ's Blood c. and have Peace thereby while Christ told his poor Disciples without him they could do nothing and the Apostle said it was God by his Spirit that made Christ their Righteousness and Redemption c. not their own Application of them to their guilty Souls as thou speakest like a Man void of all Sense of what thou sayest c. that Faith which gave them Peace with God purified their Hearts and kept Christ dwelling therein as a Prince in them being stronger then he that is in the World Haworth I charge thee with the highest Blasphemy imaginable c. if thou dost it knowingly and wittingly such as never shall be forgiven if thou attribute any of these Titles viz. First-born of every Creature the Brightness of his Father's Glory the eternal Word the Alpha and Omega the All in all to any Thing that is in Man besides the very Person of JESUS CHRIST p. 19. c. Crook The very repeating of this Paragraph and Charge is sufficient to shew its Folly and vain Boasting of its Author who now by his Words allows the very Person of Jesus Christ to be in man and yet saith p. 4. His Righteousness is wholely without him c. take his Words strictly and they import 1 that those Titles mentioned by him belong only to the Person of Jesus Christ 2 That this Person is in man 3 That 't is Blasphemy in the highest to attribute any of those Titles to any thing in man besides the very Person of Jesus Christ Now if he meant otherwise viz That it is the highest Blasphemy to attribute any of these Tules to any thing in man but only to the Person of Jesus Christ without man and also that by the Person of Jesus Christ he means as he saith viz. that the Eternal VVord and first born of every Creature the first and the last the All in All is this Person then he doth not only exclude God the Father Son and holy Spirit from being in Man i.e. Saints or others contrary to the whole Corrent of Scripture dialect but also falls into the Nestorian Opinion viz That in Christ were two Persons as well as Natures Besides it's Blasphemy to limit and shut out the holy only One for how is he then the All in All is he in all and yet must we be charged with Blasphemy for consessing him or his Name in his People But further if by the Person of Christ he intends not as he saith viz. the Eternal VVord or Deity of the Father or Son c. but only the prepared Body that the Son took upon him in Time then he doth not only vary from the Creed of a Trinity of coeternal Persons but also himself is guilty of Blasphemy in attributing those Titles to the Body which properly belongs to him that took it viz. the Eternal VVord the only Potentate the Alpha and Omega the All in All c. who was before that Body was But if William Haworth will allow neither the Eternal VVord nor the first-born of every Creature to have any Place in Man then what is become of his Convert to Christianity he is but a counterfeit Convert and he and his Leader are both Aliens without God and without Christ in the VVorld Haworth The Scriptures are revealed by the Apostles and by the Wisdom and Judgment of Man enlightned by the same Spirit that gave them forth we may attain the Knowledge of them and not without p 21. c. Crook Thou speakest now like a Quaker take heed of making thy self a Transgressor any more by the denying the Necessity of the Light and Spirit within to understand the Scriptures or by condemning the Quakers for preaching the Light in the first Place to give People the Knowledge both of Christ and Scriptures Haworth Thou must understand by these heavenly Things themselves either Christ himself or the Church and People of God who are the heavenly Jerusalem or Heaven it self whereinto Christ is entered with his Blood p. 21. c. Crook How now William how doubtful art thou of the
heavenly things themselves is this thy Fixedness and Consistency that they must be something but what thou dost not know and yet sayest I must understand what they are but surely it must not be by thy doubtful Teaching But tell me what purisying needed either Christ himself or Heaven it self and by what better Sacrifices Heb. 9.23 we read Ver. 9. 14. that the Conscience was to be purged by the Blood of Christ and this must needs be known in the Church and People of God whom thou confesseth are the heavenly Jerusalem which is the City of the living God where both God and Jesus the Mediator and the Blood of Sprinkling c. are come to by the Saints viz. Heb. 12.22,23,24 Haworth I ask now whether the Scriptures or our Imaginations and Thoughts be the Rule whereby we are to measure God and true Righteousness p. 21. c. Crook Is thy Memory so bad or thy Ignorance so great to ask such a Question which thy self resolvest in the same Page or art thou still in thy skiptical Mind as thou speakest of thy self seeing thou sayd'st but just before that it must be by the same Spirit that gave forth the Scripture that we can understand them and not without have thy Thoughts and Imaginations so great and the Spirit of God so little a Share in what thou dost which makes thee so soon forget its Usefulness to measure divine Things but I even tremble at thy ignorant Confidence to talk at this rate of measuring the unmeasurable God and that by the Scriptures or our own Thoughts without naming his Spirit Haworth The Scripture no where condemns Man's Conceivings of God by the Scripture and according to them p. 22. c. Crook Thou art condemned here out of thy own Mouth who sayest it must be Man enlightned by the same Spirit that gave them forth and not otherwise Haworth If John Crook consents to the Truth of this Principle viz. That such is the Purity of God that nothing is accepted by him but what is every Way or entirely compleat and perfect if so p. 23. c. Crook I grant this as also himself hath done in p. 26. Haworth Then he believes that the Righteousness within which consists in the Vertues and Gifts of the Spirit in every Quaker is every way perfect and compleat c. Crook Let the Reader judge if the latter be a necessary Consequence from the former but because some whole pages following in his Book are stuffed with Arguments and Consequents of the like nature about the same Subject to prevent his Boasting if possible I shall here once for all return a sober Answer viz. I believe that the Holiness and Righteousness in the Hearts of God's people which purely consists in the Virtues and Gifts of the Spirit which is one with the Father and the Son it is intirely compleat and perfect as to Nature and Kind which is sufficiently demonstrated by those worthy men Dr. Preston and Dr. Sibbs See Preston's Title Man's Vprightness pag. 214. Because the New Adam otherwise should not be so effectual as the old the new Adam should not be so powerful to communicate Grace and Life as the old Adam is to instill Corruption and Sin for this Sin that hath been conveyed to us by the first Adam hath an Integrity in it it hath gone over the whole Soul there is a whole Body of Death that hath possessed us now should there not be in those redeeming Actions by Christ a contrary Integrity and Perfection a throughout Holiness as I may call it the Plaister then should be narrower then the Sore the Remedy should be inferiour to the Disease Beloved you know a Leprosie is gone all over except the Holiness went all over too from top to toe I say there would not be an Answerableness in the second Adam he should not be able to do as much Good as the first was able to do Hurt 2 dly The Work of Redemption should be done but by halves if the Lord should dispense with imperfect Holiness The Works of Creation you know were perfect God looked upon all his Works and saw that they were very Good Beloved Do you think the Works of Redemption should come short of the Works of Creation Are not they likewise Perfect When the Lord shall look on that Work shall he not say likewise It is very good Pag. 216. If the Heart of Man be not intire if the Work of Grace be not throughout if there be a Defect in the Principle and Constitution of it there should be a defect in the Work of Redemption that cannot be c. Pag. 219. Blessed are the Pure in Heart Now what is it to be pure That is pure which is full of it self and hath no other heteregenial thing mingled with it so that heart is pure which hath no Sin in it which is holy which hath a renewed quality of Grace which hath an inward regenerate Man that will mingle with no Sin that is full of it self and admits not the mixture of any Sin c. Pag 221. When thou hadst the Prophet that would have separated the Precious from the Vile in thy heart as well as to do it in the Companies of men c. Pag. 222. So my Beloved it is not the having of Impurities in the Heart that makes the Heart imperfect but it is the suffering of them to be mingled even with the inward Frame of the Heart The Doctor also affirms That without this Holiness and Righteousness none can be saved c. See Dr. Preston ibid. p. 243. I say Let any Man's Heart be of this Constitution that he neglects the smallest Commandment that he hath not a special Eye to the Observance of them a special Care to keep them he is unsound and rotten at the Heart he shall never be saved continuing such Prov. 19.16 He that keeps the Commandments keeps his own Soul but he that despiseth his Way shall dye for it Thus far Dr. Preston Now Dr. Sibbs's Soul-Conflicts pag. 224. The Happiness of Man consists chiefly in a gracious Frame of Spirit and Actions sutable sweetly ssuing therefrom Ibid. pag. 156. Christ will never give over till by his Spirit he hath made our Nature Holy and Pure as his own till he hath taken away not only the Reign but the very Life and Being of Sin out of our Hearts that to this End he leaves his Spirit and Truth in the Church to the End of the World that the Seed of the Spirit may subdue the seed of the Serpent in us and that the Spirit may be a never failing Spring of all Holy Thoughts Desires and Endeavours in us and dry up the contrary Issue and Spring of Corrupt Nature Grace is nothing else but that blessed Power whereby as spiritual we gain upon our selves as carnal pag. ibid. It is a good Tryal of a Man's Condition to know what he esteems to be himself A godly Man counts the inward man the
sanctified part to be himself whereby he stands in relation to Christ and a better Life pag. 101. Thus far Sibbs But if I should have writ half so much I should have been censured for idolizing and setting up Man's Own Righteousness as W. Haworth calls the Righteousness within that consists in the Virtues and Gifts of the Spirit but these serious Men speak no such Language c. Haworth And for this Compleatness is accepted and that it will hold the Test before God's Tribunal and so will justifie us and it is beyond the Righteousness of the Elect Angels ibid. c. Crook Such as are Witnesses of this blessed Work within are accepted of God but not barely for that Holiness and Righteousness sake as it is a Work within but for his sake that is both the Author and Finisher of the whole Work of Man's Redemption For as the Builder is more honourable then the House so is Christ then his Work Heb. 3.3 He hath made us accepted in the Beloved Ephes 1.6 And chosen us through Sanctification of the Spirit and Belief of the Truth 2 Thess 2.13 And this will hold the Test and these by this Faith are and shall be justified before God's Tribunal And that it is beyond the Righteousness of the Elect Angels is both an ignorant and needless Question Haworth I fly by Faith which the Spirit works in me by the hearing of the Gospel to Jesus Christ to deliver me from the Wrath to come 1 Thess 10. p. 28. Crook This flying in thy own Will is like to thy applying of him which I spake to before Christ saith No man can come to me except my Father which sent me draweth him Joh. 6.44 But this viz. I fly sounds like a customary word only gotten by rote while the true Believer depends upon God and Christ to receive the immediate Ability to use and exercise Grace and Virtue aright for the further Growth and Increase for Grace dorment will not save us saith Dr. Sibbs Soul's Conflict pag. 105. and further saith The first Justice begins within when there is a due Subjection of the Soul to the Spirit c. Now hadst thou born the Indignation c. and waited with David in the Way of God's Judgments then with Paul thou wouldst have said I thank God through Jesus Christ that is come unto me and made himself known in and unto me by his Spirit that takes of his Blood and Virtue and shews them unto me applys them as proper Remedies to cure my Malady and inriching Jewels to make me glorious But thy Speech bewrayes thee thou wantest the Shibboleth of a true regenerate Man Haworth I perceive this by what thou sayest here that thou hast tasted but very scantily of the Wrath of God in thy Conscience otherwise thou wouldst not have such sleighting Thoughts of it as to apprehend it to be attoned any other way then by Christ's bearing it who sweat drops of Blood under it and thy unacquaintedness with the Nature of Faith in that thou callest it an Easie Way p. 28. c. Crook I shall not make thee my Confessor of what I have tasted but if thou hadst not fled the Judgment it had been better for thee then to escape it to get Ease in the Flesh I know him in whom I have believed and received the Attonement as the true Christians did by having the Witness of it in my self And thou dost but flatter thy self and falsly accuse me in saying I apprehend Sin and Wrath to be attoned any other way then by Christ bearing it for I never said nor thought so But this I say knowingly That it is not the bare believing of the Doctrine of Attonement from the Record of Scripture without though that be true that is the real Passification to the saving of the Soul in God's sight except the inward Testimony of it by the in dwelling Presence of Christ be witnessed in the Heart All Books were written to amend this One Book of our Hearts and Consâ—ence saith Dr. Sibbs ibid. pag. 61. and though we have not a Book to look on yet we may look with Comfort into the Book of our own hearts and read what God hath written there by the Finger of his Spirit c. I have the rather inserted this here that thou mayest not forget to search this Book or Record and to be well acquainted with what is written there for such to be sure can never undervalue the Drops of Blood that he sweat for them nor be ignorant of the Nature of true and living Faith nor call the daily looking unto and depending upon God as the Eye of the Maiden unto her Mistriss an easie Way Haworth Ah John what meanest thou to turn the Scoffer like Julian Do the Saints find it an Easie Way who cry out daily Lord help our Vnbelief p. 29 c. Crook My words are these viz. An Easie Way if thou couldst escape God's Vengeance by casting it all upon Christ by imagining his doing and suffering God's Pleasure to be reckoned thine by a bare Belief of it wholely without thee Thou wouldst tempt the Reader by leaving out these last words to believe me to be a Julian as the Devil tempted Christ to cast himself down abusing the Scripture But let the Reader judge by my words together what a scoffing Julian I am if we compare Mark 9.24 14 15 16 17. vers it will not appear that that Saint as thou callest him there spoken of knew much of thy Faith if he was like thee in any thing it was in that he joyned with the disputing Scribes against the Disciples of Christ But those that are Saints indeed find that no less Power then that which raised up Christ from the dead is able to make them believe is that Christ to the saving of the Soul and they had need of daily help against the springings of the bitter Root of Vnbelief in themselves But to be wise to dispute of Salvation is one thing and to be wise unto Salvation through Faith in Christ Jesus is another But I say still It s an Easie Way to Salvation if thou canst escape by casting all God's Vengeance on Christ by imagining his doing and suffering God's Pleasure to be reckened thine by a bare believing of it wholely without thee for do not all the Ungodly in England generally believe it But saith Dr. Sibbs Soul's Conflict It were an Easie Thing to be a Christian if Religion stood only in a few Outward Works and Duties but to take the Soul to taâ—k and to deal roundly with our own Hearts and to let Conscience have its full Work and to bring the Soul into Spiritual Subjection unto God this is not so easie a Matter p. 228. Haworth Ah John Crook here thou stumblest at the Cross of Christ and art leavened in thy Mind with hellish Socinianism the Dirt will out at last John here thou art plainly ashamed of the Cross of Christ dares
Chambering and Wantonness nor in Strife and Envy but put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ and take no thought for the Flesh to fulfil the Lust of it The Translators on the Margin say To put on Christ is to possess Christ to have him in us and us in him So that by his own Proof expounded by Men wiser then himself in this Point casts his Cause quite against him and makes him say That to possess Christ in us is the Real Imputed or reckoned Righteousness of Christ in which the True Believer is accepted of God and not by a Righteousness wholly without us no nearer to us then the Place where Christ personally lived and dyed which W. Haworth would maintain else why doth he so bend his Force against my words And if that be the best Robe put upon us as he speaks why doth he so violently contend for another to be imputed to us or if they be both one as he seems to make them why doth he quarrel with me for maintaining that they ought not to be put assunder Neither doth the Scripture call them Two Righteousnesses as W. H. doth in the next Page Haworth But it seems there is another Righteousness in which we may be saved and which is by the Quakers valued at a higher rate and that Righteousness may be and is brought nearer to you Quakers then this to us Christians p. 34 c. Crook It is thy Work to make two Righteousnesses of Christ We say that whoever hath Christ within in his Heart cannot undervalue the Righteousness that Christ wrought in his own Person without nor yet miss of the Acceptance with God through him nor can such a one be deprived of the Benefits and Priviledges thereof But Thousands called Christians believe the History of what Christ did and suffered and the Imputation of that Righteousness to Sinners that will perish for all that Belief because Christ is not formed in their Hearts But it is sad to see men professing Goristianity to be troubled and disquieted because Christ is come so near as to dwell in the Hearts of the faithful it s a great sign that that Man's Heart is not right But why is W. Haworth so angry that Christ is come so near the Quakers Did he not say even now That Christ was put upon us by the Father's Gift c Haworth Who of us ever denyed that we were to have a Real Righteousness in Sanctification but this is not to justifie us p. 35 c. Crook Thy words savour as if the Righteousness thou expectest to be saved and justified by is but historical or imaginary on thy part and is not attended with Reality Evidence and Certainty that the Righteousness of Sanctification is attended with And if I should infer from thy words that it is reallity thou sightest against thy words will more certainly justifie me then ever such a Faith in God's light will justifie thee by an Imagination of Righteousness without a real Injoyment of it we say God hath joyned what Christ did outwardly and what he doth inwardly together to compleat the Work of Man's Salvation and Redemption We say of Heart-Holiness wrought by the Spirit of God that it is such a causality as sine quâ non without it no man shall see the Lord to his Eternal Comfort But on the contrary the pure in Heart do and shall to their Joy behold him forever And we say with the Apostle viz. He that doth Righteousness is the justified Man or is righteous as Christ is righteous W. Haworth saith He that believes Christ's Righteousness to be imputed to him is justified or righteous as Christ is righteous by that bare Faith without Works c. The Difference I refer to the Ballance of the Sanctuary there to be weighed by the consciencious Reader Haworth We have Two Righteousnesses by Christ c. pag. 35. Crook This is an Unscriptural Saying not according to the wholsome Form of Sound Words which ought to be kept to But however they are one in Nature and Kind Haworth We must be without or free from all manner of Good as Christ was without or free from all manner of Evil in the Point of Justification p. 36 c. Crook Who ever before thee affirmed such Doctrine except the Ranters what our Hearts and Minds Bodies and Souls must be as much without Grace and the Spirit of God and as free from all manner of Good when we are justified as Christ was without or free from all manner of Evil Then the greater Sinners the fitter Subjects for Justification And the Apostle must needs be quite out when he gives Thanks to God Col. 1.12 who hath made us meet to be Partakers of the Inheritance c. Was this Meetness a Freedom from all manner of Good c But let us trace this a little further viz. What becomes of the Light of Christ in Man that maketh manifest and reproveth in the Conscience for Sin is that so bad and free from all manner of Good that there is not one Good Property belongs to it Why then pag. 19. dost thou call it a Spark of that Light Adam had in Innocency Surely it is not so bad then as to be free from all manner of Good seeing God created Man in his own Image and it was Good What is that Faith which sees and layes hold of that Righteousness Is this as free from all manner of Good as Christ was from Evil But whence come all those Breathings and Pantings Hungrings and Thirstings after Righteousness were all such Persons then justified or were those Buddings as free from all manner of Good as Christ was from Evil Hear Dr. Sibbs The Bud of a Good Desire and the Blossom of a Good Resolution and the Fruit of a Good Action all comes from God Then not as free from all manner of Good as Christ was from Evil. Nay saith the Doctor The Light whereby we know and the Guidance whereby we choose that is from a higher agent then our selves cap. 15. Soul's-Conflict pag. 220. Then Man is not as free from all manner of Good when he is justified as Christ was from Evil. Haworth The Gifts and Vertues that God's Spirit works in us are our own Righteousness in Contra-distinction to the Righteousness whereby we are justified p. 36. c. Crook It 's well thou art so far informed since thy last Book that they are not divided but distinguished and that Christ is the Author of both Haworth The Gifts and Virtues of the Spirit are really in our Minds this is the Righteousness that sanctifies p. 36. c. Crook So then by thy Doctrine our own Righteousness sanctifies and Christ's Righteousness justifies But seeing by thy own Confession Christ is the Author of both why dost thou call the one ours and the other his is Christ divided Haworth Christ had the Guilt of Sin really charged on him p. 37. c. Crook This makes good my Charge against him viz that Christ
was not innocent when he suffered c. contrary to the Scriptures which testifie that the Just suffered for the Unjust But let us consider his Phrase The Guilt of Sin really charged on him this Word Really as it respects the Act of God is interpreted by himself p. 33. What the Lord doth is so or really done and as it respects Man p. 35. he saith Who of us ever denyed that we were to have a Real Righteousness c. Now let the judicious Reader consider how W. H. can clear himself from Blasphemy in saying Christ had the Guilt of Sin really charged upon him neither will those Words of the Apostle help him viz. For he hath made him to be Sin for us that knew no Sin this last Clause viz. that knew no Sin plainly dischargeth Christ from being really guilty or having the Guilt of Sin really charged on him and convicts W. H. as really guilty of Blasphemy against the innocent and the just and holy One of God Haworth If he had not Sin on him God in Righteousness could not have punished this innocent Lamb But thou art ashamed I tell thee of Christ's Cross p. 37. c. Crook As a guilty Man that hath spoke more then he can prove he shuffles out the main Matter of the Charge against him viz. the Guilt of Sin really charged on Christ so that I may take it for granted he sees his Blasphemy in that though he loves not the Sight so well as to confess his Error in plain VVords But why William dost thou a guilty Man take upon thee to measure the Omnipotency of the Almighty is not this Pride in thee with a witness but to prove Christ really guilty he saith God in Righteousness punished this INNOCENT LAMâ— Now if to deny this Confusion against Christ be a Denial of the Cross of Christ I tell thee then I am ashamed of it Haworth Paul in Rom. 7. complains of Sin yet saith there is no Condemnation Rom. 8.1 c. p. 78. c Crook What an Abuse is this put upon Paul's Words why did he complain then if God was pleased why was he displeased But the Apostle is speaking of several Conditions that he passed through as the whole Chapter manifesteth not that he was in them all at the same Moment of Time viz. Vnder the Law without the Law and delivered from the Law a wretched Man because of the Body of Sin such a Saint also that no Condemnation belonged to him therefore himself distinguisheth both the Time by the Word Now there is no Condemnation c and Manner or Condition of his Change viz. To abide in Christ not to walk after the Flesh but after the Spirit clearly implying that if he neglect the Spirit and walk after the Flesh there will then be Condemnation Haworth As if Christ might not work Virtues in our Hearts which we express in our Lives and yet these be but our own Righteousness c. as if because the Spirit works Love in me therefore it is not my Love c. Crook I have mentioned this under Title Contradiction I desire the Reader to observe how within six Lines after quite contrary he saith None ever did or can shew Christ's Virtues in their Lives that were not first justified by imputed Righteousness and yet here he saith The Virtues which Christ works in our Hearts and we express in our Lives are but our own Righteousness Observe and yet is wrought by Christ so that we may be found in our own Righteousness and yet at the same Time be justified by the imputed Righteousness of Christ without Works Oh Confusion But let 's examine his Reason for what he saith viz. because the Spirit works Love in me therefore it s my Love c. by the same Reason Christ's Righteousness may be called my Righteousness by thy own Confession p. 34. saying Indeed this Righteousness is not at a Distance from us but put upon us by the Father's Gift Thou hast now spoiled all after thou hast taken a great deal of Pains to prove the Righteousness that Christ works in us and the Righteousness that indeed is not at a Distance from us but put upon us by the Fathers's Gift as thou sayest to be two Righteousnesses and here thou givest a very good Reason why they cannot be two but must needs be one viz. For the Spirit works Love in me therefore it is my Love so Christ works Righteousness in me therefore it is my Righteousness and Christ imputes his Righteousness to me and indeed it 's not at a Distance from me but put upon me by the Father's Gift therefore it is my Righteousness And thus thou hast brought Christ's Two Righteousnesses as thou callest them into One and proved that I may call it Mine for the same Reason that I may call the Love that the Spirit works in me My Love Haworth How canst thou in Conscience go about to make People believe that we preach the worst People have the greatest Right to Christ's Righteousness p. 42. c. Crook I meddle not with your preaching but with what thou hast printed viz. That we must be without or free from all Good as Christ was without or free from all Evil when Christ's Righteousness is imputed to us to justifie us or in point of Justification and for the Gifts and Virtues of the Spirit which God himself works in our Minds and we express these outwardly in our Observation of the Moral Law in our walking amongst men this sayest thou is properly our own Righteousness c. therefore our own Righteousness saith W. H. who mixeth my words with his and then asks how I can in Conseience go about to make the People believe c. while his own words tend so much to Rantism and Loosness Haworth I challenge thee and all the Quakers in England to prove that Christ bound the Moral Law to any of his Disciples closer or faster then Moses p 43. Crook If Loosness be not pleaded for what means this lowing c. But why art thou so resolute in thy Challenge doth the Business so nearly concern thee that all the Quakers in England are summoned to appear c. I think the least amongst them may make good that from Mat. 5.21,22 where Christ saith to his Disciples whosoever is angry with his Brother without a cause shall be culpable of Judgment which he that killeth is guilty of and is not this to bind the Law closer Is it not easier to abstain from Murder then from Anger And ver 27 28. by the Law actual Adultery was forbidden but Christ saith Whosoever looketh upon a Woman to lust after her hath committed Adultery with her already in his Heart is not this a closer binding of the Moral Law to his Disciples let the Reader judge And if thou hadst more Knowledge of thy own Heart and fewer Notions in thy Head thou wouldst not have made such a vaunting Challenge Haworth I charge thee
thou hast set up a few Prophets at Devon-shire House c. G. F. said the Man in the Male and the Man in the Female may speak and so interpret Scriptures in your Meetings c. Thou playest the Hypocrite John if thou wouldst not juggle and play Legerdemanin c. Crook These are invented Forgeries Falshood Perversion and Reviling c. Haworth p. 24. Are not the Scriptures and Christ mightily obliged to you Infallible Doctors that will condigne to own such Fragments and a Book patch'd up of so many Scraps to help a little when the Church had lost the Life of the Spirit c. John Crook replyed to one that charged him with it at Hartford that if these were his Words it was not his Judgment Crook These are light scoffing Words for which thou must come to Judgment notwithstanding thou wouldst father them upon me but I deny thy Slanders c. Thou hast heard me several times with many Professors in Hartford besides Friends is it probable I should ever speak such Unsavoury Words and they should escape the Press 14 or 15 Years and that W. H. and his Followers should after this go to hear such a man as I. Crook that as thou sayest speaks so scornfully of the Scriptures as to call them Scraps that it should never be printed till W. H. falling out with the Quakers undertook it I remember about 14 or 15 Yearssince or there abouts that I spake something of Eusebius's History touching the Dispersion Gathering together of the Scriptures possibly I might say to the man he speaks of repeating my Words wrong and yet justifying his own Repetition to put an End to his Contention that these were not my Words for it is not my Judgment and this is to say no more then thy self implies by the Word If they were my Words which argues my questioning whether they were so or no. Now what Fault is this that it must be proclaimed in print The worst that can be made of it supposing it true as it is not amounts but to this viz. Iohn Crook's Meaning was better then his Words then with the Younger Brother in the Gospel Iohn Crook is to be justified rather then those Hypocrites who like the Elder Brother say I go Sir but went not and then such now that exhort their Hearers to follow Christ fully and obey the Scriptures constantly but withal tell them it is impossible to do either in this World Therefore I would advise every well-meaning Abimelech to take heed that at any time his Meaning be not better then his Words for if W. H. hear of it as Doeg to Saul he will tell it to the World if possible to do thee a Mischief although it be 14 or 15 Years after But William how much Esteem soever thou pretendst to have of the Scriptures methinks thou shouldst not have so little for Christ as to name and prefer them before him this is no Sign that thou art an Infallible Doctor as thou scoffingly speakst of the Quakers Haworth p. 25. The Quakers never do confess Sin there is no more worth in the Blood of Christ in the Quakers Account then in other common Blood c. I find W. Bayly and J. Crook Brethren in Iniquity more Ignorant then School-Boyes Jesuit-like c. O horrid Blasphemy c. Crook The Cause of all this is from his own Words viz. The Heathen saw in the Deity a Vengeance ready to punish he saith W. B. applies this Sight in the Deity to the Light that was in their Consciences believing the Light to be God c Consider Reader 1 st Whether the Heathen could see what was in the Deity without some Light coming from the Deity to discover it 2 dly It 's called something of God in them Rom. 1.19 or that which may be known of God in them 3 dly That of God is called the Truth ver 18. 4 thly The Scripture calls the Knowledge of This the Knowledge of God ver 21. These things rightly considered what cause hath this man for all his Slanderous Terms Haworth p. 28. Thou dost make the Faith of Pharisees as good as the Faith of any of the Godly in the Nation c. Ah John what meanst thou to turn the Scoffer like Julian c. Ah Joh. Crook thou art levened in thy Mind with Hellish Socinianism c. And whatever thou pretendest it 's but to blind the People c. p. 29. Thou discoverst thy self to be a Papist c. How sad is is that every Truth must be struck at by a new Sort of Papists c Crook Besides his Falshoods and Slanders take Notice it 's W. H's Faith I have now to deal withal who thinks himself to be as Godly a man as any in the Nation as himself saith c. Haworth p. 30. Enough if thou wast but real in thy Expressions c. What a Knave is he c. There is no End of thy Dissembling it is a professed Trade thou drivest as the Mountebancks up and down the Country c. Crook When enough is said by me then my Reality is questioned and the Slander of a Knave fixed upon me and when I speak more then he would have me then he brands me with Papism and Hellish Socinianism Mountebank c. But let our Hearers judge who can best tell our Trade and yours what Sallery and other yearly Charges they are at to maintain such Physicians as keep them alwayes in Cure and put their Texts as Medicines to Sale yet tell their Patients it is impossible to make them whole c. Haworth p 30. Thou mistrusts God John c. and hear the Old Fox bark Christ being within there is Iustification c. Crook Contradiction is the Companion of Falshood for in the same page he himself saith that by Faith Christ dwelt in our Hearts and now scoffs at these Words viz. Christ being within there is Justification c. Haworth p. 32. This is John Crook 's Application of the Spirit deny Penington 's Divinity if thou darest c. When John Crook prayeth or preacheth it is Christ prayeth and preacheth not John Crook and that Christ and he are both one Person such Monsters have been amongst the Quakers c. p. 33. Crook When he can gather nothing out of my Books to asperse me withal then he perverteth others words and fathers that Perversion upon me but let I. Penington interpret his own words who best knows his own Meaning and then they will speak as plain as mine which W. H. cofesseth to be true See I. Penington's late Book entituled The Flesh and Blood of Christ This man acknowledgeth that such Doctrine is not now nor never was preached among Right Quakers but by such as have been Monsters amongst the Quakers but let him hear Dr. Sibbs Soul Conflict p. 219. It is Sacriligious Liberty that will acknowledge no Dependence upon God we are wise in his Wisdom and strong in his Strength who
Q. 22. Haworth Whether the Light within or the Person of Christ without be the Object of Justifying Faith or whether Faith be any thing but Obedience to the Light that every one hath Answ Crook 1st The Light within gives the true Knowledge of God in the Face of Jesus Christ 2 Cor. 4.6 2dly It is not the Light within disjunctive from Christ without but conjunctive as the Eye in its Object that is the Object of justifying Faith 3dly Faith is more then Obedience to the Light in that degree that every man hath it for it hath the whole Christ for its Object Q. 23. Haworth Whether have not all the Sons of Men Christ excepted the Guilt of Adam's first Transgression upon them before they are justified and called and so are by nature children of Wrath c Answ Crook Before Justification is Condemnation and Wrath upon every Soul of Man that doth Evil Rom. 2.9 and in the fallen Nature all are Children of Wrath but that this Proverb must alwayes be used viz. The Fathers have eaten sour Grapes and the Childrens Teeth are sâ—t on edge is contrary to Scripture but to this I have spoken largly in my Rejoynder to which I refer the Querist Q. 24. Haworth Are any so perfect in this Life as to be above the Confession of Sin to God Answ Crook If we confess our Sins he is faithful and just to forgive us our Sins and to cleanse us from All Unrighteousness 1 John 1.9 He that 's Thus Forgiven and Cleansed is in a State above that wherein he confessed and glorified God for his Mercy Q. 25. Haworth Of what use is that Interecssion of Christs as a High Priest in Heaven Answ Crook Of great use to all that truly know and believe it Q. 26. Haworth Whether there be a higher Prophecy then the Writings of the Prophets and Apostles and if so where is it and what is it Answ Crook The Spirit of the Son in the Hearts of God's People is greater then the Writings of the Prophets and Apostles as the Builder of the House is greater or more honourable then the House Q. 27. Haworth Are not the holy Scriptures of the Prophets and Apostles the Rule of Faith and Life Answ Crook That which first opens man's Understanding to understand the Scriptures aright is his first Rule or Guide and this is the promised Spirit of Jesus who said It shall take of mine and shew them unto you so that it is properly the Rule for as many as are the Sons of God are led by the Spirit of God yet the holy Scriptures are A Rule through the Direction of the Spirit Q. 28. Haworth Whether dost thou believe that the same Body of Man after the Departure of the Soul from it doth rise to Life again Answ Crook This Query is contrary to Scripture which saith A Natural Body is sown a Spiritual Body is raised there is a Natural Body there is a Spiritual Body 1 Cor. 15.44 which I believe Q. 29. Haworth Whether are our distinct Personal Beings preserved in the Future State whether we lose them being swollowed up into God at Death Answ Crook I believe that in the Future State we shall not lose our Distinct Beings by being swollowed up into God but shall be preserved in our Distinct Beings forever Q. 30. Haworth Whether the Light that every man hath believed in obeyed trusted to is not the Jesus the Righteousness the Iustification the Blood the Remission the Mysiery the Experience the Faith the Cleansing the Sanctification the Shedding Drinking Sprinkling of the Blood c. which words and phrases are all in this thy Testimony answer plainly Is there any more in thy whole Treatise and thy Post script then this viz. To the Light obey the Light and whoever doth not is but in the History is but a Prodigal in a far Country feeding amongst the Swine a poor naked starved Sinner Answ Crook My Answer plainly to the first part of this Query is That although the Jesus the Righteousness the Justification the Blood that I bear Testimony unto cannot be known but by and in the true Light yet I never said neither do I believe that the Light that every man hath believed in c. is the Jesus the Righteousness the Justification the Blood the Remission c. yet do affirm that God who is Light is All in All and Jesus Christ who is the Light is made of God unto true Believers Wisdom Righteousness Sanctification and Redemption according to 1 Cor. 1.30 To the second part I say There is more in my Treatise and Postscript then to the Light obey the Light c. but do also testifie that whosoever doth not obey the Light that shines in the Heart and manifesteth Sin and Evil in the Conscience is yet in his Sins and feeding among the Swine Now I appeal from W. H's Rashness and Folly not only to those that have known my manner of Life for nigh Forty Years past how that from my tender years I have been seeking after God and his Truth but to that great Judge of Quick and Dead that will pass Sentence upon every man according to his Works unto whom none dare say at that Tribunal God made him to sin or made IT unavoidable I hope what I have said will satisfie the Honest hearted who will not easily believe that after them any weary Steps and toylsome years of hearing reading watching fasting believing praying c. I should sacrifice all this and much more unto a wilful Error and to such an one as is not only destitute of all worldly Preferments but exposed to all the Sufferings and Hardships in it which I must needs do if I am such a Person as W. H. represents me to be But were I guilty such confused Arguments Contradictions and hard Languages will never convince me that W.H. is in the Truth for he is but a weak Adversary that cannot distinguish between loud Clamours and Gospel Demonstrations John Crook VVilliam Haworth's Contradictions and Confusions Haworth I Do still speak respectfully of the Light God forbid I should be an Opposer of it or an Enemy to it let my Tongue first cleave to the Roof of my Mouth let me first be Dumb and never speak any more pag. 5. c. it is but Flesh all is called Flesh all the new Birth c. Light is from Christ and he is the Author of it pag. 6. c. it lusteth against the Spirit and is contrary to the Spirit pag. 109. c. they that live not up to it shall be inexcusably condemned page 113. c. it is but Nature fallen blind Nature page 135. it is a Spark of that Light Adam had in Innocency in a full Flame pag. 109. c. I scarce know one Gospel Truth but this Light contradicteth pag 161. c. I do now say it is a rotten corrupt and unsound Thing or Principle as to the leading or guiding into the Knowledge of the Gospel
dwelleth in me my witness is true and thus doth Darkness blind thee that thou canst not see the Oneness between the man Jesus and the Spirit of the Father that was in him Haworth He that worketh not but believeth there is Faith only a bare Belief John what sayest thou to that though that Faith that is justifying will work p. 29. c. Crook I say thou contradictest thy self William for thou sayest it is such a Faith as worketh not and yet sayest it will work Haworth My Surety paying such a some of Money for me at never such a Distance dischargeth me I have Benesit by it so soon as I hear of it and accept it the Sun is at a Distance in the Heavens but we have the Heat of it and feel it but indeed this Righteousness is not at a Distance from us but put upon us by the Father's Gift p. 34. c. Crook He dreams of an absolute Discharge from all Sins past present and to come by what Christ did and suffered 1600 Years since by that Righteousness that was wrought in Palestine at such a Distance from him c. as he speaks within a few Lines before yet makes the Benefit of all that Christ did and suffered to depend upon his Hearing of it and accepting it as if all was compleated there absolutely yet conditionally too viz. If heard and accepted c. and yet hearing the debt is paid by another at such a Distance saith W. H. dischargeth me where note he one while dates the Discharge of all Debts from Palestine 1600 Year since and another while from the time of his hearing and accepting of it besides it is uncertain whether by this hearing and accepting he intends only the believing of the Report without or the revealing of the Arm of the Lord within Isa 53.1 But to perfect the Contradiction of himself he implieth though it be at that Distance yet we are as really inwardly benefited by it as we are outwardly by the Light of the Sun that is at a Distance in the Heavens But saith he We have the Benefit of it and feel it c. But yet to manifest more plainly the Contradiction he saith Indeed this Righteousness is not at a Distance from us but put upon us by the Father's Gift citing Gal. 3.27 Ye have put on Christ c. So that he hath not only contradicted himself but also granted what I contend for viz. That Christ's Righteousness is not really reckoned and imputed to the Justification Acquitment and Discharge of such Persons as continue in Sin and Actual Rebellion against God by wicked Works and have no Feeling of it in their Hearts yet believe to be saved by a Righteousness wholely without them c. which Faith I affirm to be vain and but like a Body without a Spirit as the Apostle James speaks and in Confirmation hereof W. H. saith But indeed this Righteousness is not at a Distance from us then not wholely without us by his own Confession which was the very thing in express Words that I opposed and he endeavours to maintain that it was wholely without us yea saith W. H. Bare Faith without Works which Christ wrought in his own Personal Obedience and Suffering 1600 Years since c. and though this Righteousness was wrought in Palestine at such a Distance from me c. By this the judicious Reader may see his Contradiction and Confusion Haworth Christ was the Lamb of God but not the Light within p. 37. c. Crook In page 21 he saith The Church and People of God are the Heavenly Jerusalem and is not Christ there the Light within And page 35. he saith Christ works Sanctification in the Hearts of the sanctified c. and is not he there the Light-within what Confusion and Contradiction is this Haworth I am pleading that this Righteousness is imputed to Believers it is offered in the preaching of it to poor Sinners and if God gives Faith it will change their Hearts p. 38. c. Crook Now he hath resolved viz. When and to whom Christ's Righteousness is imputed the time is when God gives Faith the Persons are Believers so that he hath given away what he seemed to contend for p. 20. viz. We must be without or free from all manner of Good as Christ was without or free from all manner of Evil when we are justified by this imputed Righteousness and now he saith Till the Heart be changed Righteousness is not imputed But enough of this for I am weary of his Contradictions and Confusions Haworth While that which is contrary to God dwells in us yet being justified by Faith we have Peace with God Christ hath slain the Enmity c. p. 38. c. Crook If the Enmity be slain how comes that which is controry to God to dwell in us What slain and alive too The Apostle saith His Servants ye are whom ye obey whether of Sin unto Death or of Righteousness unto Life And Christ saith No man can serve two Masters Now this Phrase viz. That which is contrary to God to dwell in us is no where in Scripture applied to Believers that walk not after the Flesh but after the Spirit but Christ is said to dwell in them and they in him for its one thing to have Motions to Evil As in my Flesh dwells no good thing and another thing to suffer them as an Inhabitant or that which is contrary to God to dwell in us I know not what degree of Insensibility thou art arrived at but for my part I believe Sin to be the great Troubler of Israel and what Peace while that Jezabel reigns examine thy self and possibly thou mayest sind this Saying true viz. There is no Peace to the Wicked saith my God Isa 20. Haworth Let me tell thee withal this none ever did or can shew forth Christ's Virtues in their Lives that were not first justified by imputed Righteousness p. 39. c. Crook Thi is quite contrary to the former Page which saith That this Righteousness is imputed to Believers it is offered in the preaching of it to poor sinners and if God gives Faith it will change their Hearts c. So that till the Heart be changed Righteousness is not imputed now he saith None can be changed or shew forth Christ's Virtues in their Lives that were not first justified by imputed Righteousness how these can hang together let the Reader judge one while Righteousness is imputed while that which is contrary to God dwelleth in us and another while it is offered but not imputed to Sinners till the Heart be first changed But I hope W. H. henceforth will never charge the Quakers or any others that shew forth Christ's Virtues in their Lives with denying Justification by Imputed Righteousness seeing all such Holy Lives by his own Acknowledgment are first justified by it c. But to perfect his Confusion and Contradiction he saith but six Lines before viz. As if Christ
to him Gen. 3. when he had sinned c. Distinguish between the Immediate Voice of God and Revelation here if thou canst else all thy Labour to undervalue the true Light is in vain Could Adam see a Way of Deliverance without Light And is not God that spoke to Adam Light and doth not his Voice reveal what reveals then if not God by his Voice who shewed Adam his Nakedness and who shews unto man his Thoughts Amos 4.13 Doth not one man reveal or declare his Mind to another when he speaks to him if not what doth it signifie consider it and then see thy Perversion of John's words chapter 3.6 as if he spoke of a common Light and called it Flesh and then look back into thy own Confusion about it saying It teacheth the Things contained in the Law and yet counts it Impure as I have shewed already this is your Wild-Goose Chase ye like not to hear of but as I told you last time your Folly must be made manifest as Jannes and Jambres's was that withstood Moses In page 149. thou sayest I scarce know one Gospel-Truth but this common Light contradicteth c. And yet confessest It works a Change in the Life and Conversation I thought that work had not been contradictory to the Gospel which was to be adorned with a Blameless and Holy Conversation in the Apostles Dayes who said God was Light and Christ who gives Light to all as thou sayest But why W. Dimsdale dost thou teach People to deny the great progress they have made by doing Good and abstaining from Evil which is of use in its Place as thou hast said p. 154. And to deny all they think is of Christ in them c. Is not this well-pleasing to the Devil and wicked men thinkest thou Reader and then he saith I know thou wilt count it a notorious Lye Thou mightest have said Notorious Wickedness for it is Wickedness much to be taken notice of to deny all that I think is of Christ in me as thou would have me do in point of Justification is it not God that justifieth and did not Paul think he had the Spirit of God 1 Cor. 7.40 and did not that Spirit justifie them 1 Cor. 6.11 and bear witness with their Spirits that they were the Children of God is this nothing to Justification to have God's Spirit witness for me and is not God Light and his Spirit too must I deny all this now let the wise in Heart judge if this be not to deny God and Christ Jesus and the Spirit and in the same page sayest viz. But apply thy self to the Glass of the Law for by the Law is the Knowledge of Sin So here I must deny all that I think is of Christ in me the Light Life and Peace within me as he saith and apply my self to the Glasse of the Law c. O strange Doctrine where are ye now ye Babylonians who have so much cryed out against the Quakers for bringing People to the Bondage of the Law and Covenant of Works What! are you now come to be Teachers of the Law not knowing what ye say nor whereof ye affirm 1 Tim. 1.5,6,7 But the Quakers know what they say and do affirm with John that great Prophet that That was the True Light that lighteth every man that cometh into the World John 1.9 though you say It s Corrupt Nature Fallen Blind Nature and Impure Flesh and an Unsound Thing I never heard any Man of God call it by such Vilifying Names as ye do such Confused Doctrine as I have not heard of but from you like that again in pag. 156. where thou sayest Our State is sure and certain on God's part his Foundation is sure yet as to us its brittle and very uncertain c. What! have you a little Fear then that you may lose your Salvation now if you have you are brittle indeed for you seem very contrary in Judgment sometimes as witness the Tenure of both your Books But thou sayest in the same page The one Half of your selves warring against the other viz. the Flesh against the Spirit VVhere do you find the Spirit called Half a Man's Self You having denyed the true Light and called it Flesh and Corrupt Nature c. this must go with that Half that wars against the Spirit so Flesh and the Light being denyed by you ye will be left as bare and naked in the dark as indeed your Confused Brittle Work hath rendred you in the Eyes of such as fear the Lord. And in pag. 157. thou sayest again viz. That all men are lighted by a Light that is true in its Kind by Jesus Christ as he was the Creator of all things I deny not But now mark the Kind of this true Light as these men have interpreted and affirmed It is True in its Kind then True Corrupt Unsound Light True Fallen Blind Nature and Flesh For these are the Kinds and Denominations you have placed on the True Light that lighteth every man that cometh into the World John 1.9 And you shall never get from under the Guilt of Blasphemy against God without speedy Repentance and Acknowledgment of your Evil herein as publickly as you have spread these your Errors The Lord hath spoken it And as for all thy Arguments for being a Quaker and W. H's digging deep to bring forth this Lying Wonder it s all in vain as I have shewed at the beginning of this Treatise for he nor thee nor any other can never prove nor manifest that thou wast ever such a Quaker as he hath affirmed though as I said I believe thou wast convinced of some Sins as thou acknowledged and wast kept from stealing Herrings and doing wrong to thy Neighbour c. but not went farther then most of them c. nor was fully of their Way Spirit Faith and Principle and so in striving against the Truth you do but manifest to the World your Ignorance Error Confusion Enmity and Blindness and so the farther ye stretch your selves upon this Bed the shorter it will be and the more your Nakedness will appear and your Covering will be too narrow And though you and all wicked men call the Quakers Principle Rotten Unsound Gross and Damnable c. yet we can bless the Lord for its Soundness and its Sound Doctrine for it was the first and will be the last upon the Earth and it will not only keep from Stealing and Wronging of Neighbours but it will teach to Love Enemies and forgive them that trespass against us and what else the Lord doth require of us And it s so sound and durable that it will last and be exalted established and magnified and stand when all your airy Smoke of Enmity Opposition Confusion and Darkness shall come to an end and be swept from off the Face of the Earth The Lord God who breathed into Man the Breath of Life hath spoken it Through WILLIAM BAYLY The 9th Moneth 1674. Postscript
a Devilish Doctrine and Blasphemy which is no Lye to be contradicted but the real Truth from thine own Mouth and presently after I writ a Paper concerning it and other Stuff of the like nature to the aforesaid J. Suife a Copy of which I have here under written and it shall stand a Witness against thee forever and it was never Answered though writ several years since neither did Jeremy Suift ever come to me to contradict it in words to my Face though at that time and long after I had my Being not far from his Dwelling in the same Town and have met him in the Streets several times And can it be believed that if in any thing I had wronged thee in such a deep Charge I should have received nothing in Answer to this day either in Word or Writing This may breed a very shrewd Suspition even in them who are willing to believe what he saith that he is guilty and indeed it had been better for him if he had honestly confessed his Error and not have added Sin to Sin as he doth by Denying and Belying the Truth A Copy of the aforesaid Paper to Jeremy Suift followeth To you that think VVilliam Haworth to be a Minister of the GOSPEL HOw do you relish this Doctrine he affirmeth That the thorow work of Regeneration which brings a Man into God's Kingdom of Glory is not sufficient for Man's Salvation though this cannot be without True Justifying Faith in the Son of God by virtue whereof this Work is wrought in the heart Yet he saith this is not sufficient for Salvation but call this inward Work of Christ Legal Righteousness therefore he denyes the Perfection of the Work of Christ what he did for us in the Dayes of his Flesh and at his Death and the Efficacy of that One Offering and Blood that was shed for us and was for the perfecting of the Sanctified Ones that so they might be brought into the Everlasting Kingdom of his Glory in which is Peace Compleating and Perfection Union and Communion with God in Christ Jesus and so this man speaks unadvisedly with his Lips and his Ignorance of the Work is the Ground of his Mistake Again what do you say to this Doctrine of his viz. That the Light within that discovers all manner of Sin yea the Secret Sins of the Heart or whatever Sin he committeth he saith This Light is altogether Darkness yea he saith It is Flesh and before a man be convinced he hath nothing in him but Flesh the Light afore mentioned he saith is altogether Darkness and Flesh but some of you are of a better Judgement in this matter and have said to me and before William Haworth that it would bring a man under the Sense of Sin and condemn him for it so that it seems some of you begin to grow wiser then your Teacher and I pray God that you may go on to encrease in that which is good daily and know the Lord God and his Spirit to teach you and not to depend upon such an Unlearned Man as this in the things of God for Paul said the Law was Spiritual but he was Carnal Again he saith That Thousands in the World are this Day condemned by the Lord yet notwithstanding are not condemined for Vnbelief So it seems there are a People in the World whose Unbelief shall not be charged upon them yet must be condemned Now was not Unbelief the very Ground-Sin of the whole World who are in the First Adam and the Inlet into all manner of Vice and Debauchery and being clear from the Sin of Unbelief he is in the Way to obtain Freedom from all manner of Sin whatsoever and it may not touch him at all neither he be condemned at all And I have understood that the Gospel Sound had spread through the Earth and it is an Everlasting Sound this Day sounded in the Ears of all People calling to Repentance Dependance upon the Eternal God in Christ for Salvation and the stopping the Ear from hearing this glorious Gospel-sound not believing in the Light of Christ Jesus the true Light that lighteth every man coming into the world to be the Ground of Condemnation Now I say I had thought this Unbelief had been the same Ground of all mens Condemnation as they are in the first disobedient Adam or Earthly Man but all Sinners are not in that State by William Haworth's Doctrine shut up in Unbelief and therefore there is another way of Condemnation for them then that of not believing in Christ the Light but he is blind indeed that sees not this man's Ignorance and Confusion in the things of God Again Friends this he told me in the hearing of Jeremiah Suift and another man That God ordained People to be wicked before they were born which I called Blasphemy and surely you that are sober will be ashamed of him that is thus full of Confusion and Ignorance but he fell very furiously upon me in the End and thrust me out of his Chamber because I would have endeavoured his Welfare and reclaimed him from his Errors I am sure I had no other End in my Heart but he hath manifested the Spirit of his Master Lucifer and may be numbred among such as are wicked and hypocritical though he profess Liberty of Conscience I believe no such thing from him such of his Spirit but that he would soon I have good Ground to believe follow his Brethren of New-England in a Murderous Spirit I pray God bless you that are sober People and preserve you to himself that you may proceed in your Enquiry after that which is Good and the Lord of Heaven keep you is the Prayer of him that loves you C. T. Much I could write of this Man but I spare him at present only thus much lay on my Conscience to present to you at this time but if Occasion be I could present you with a great deal of his wicked Lying and Baseness full of Confusion and Darkness far unlike a Christian or Minister of Christ but a Feigned Hypocrite a Light Vain Man a Dreamer and Imaginer of the things of God having a patcht-up thing of an Imperfect form of Godliness but ignorant of the Power And if he had not so abused me in his Chamber I had notwithstanding all this held my peace but his Wickedness against Truth hath been great as may be manifest hereafter if occasion be This was writ long since and only one Copy of it given to Jeremaih Suift and his Brethren to peruse c. And my Charge stands good against him that he affirmed as above said That God ordained people to be wicked before they were born and I do solemnly affirm he spoke it let him bring what witnesses he can to the contrary I am sure they may be false ones in this matter it was not gathered up by me against him as a Consequence of his Doctrine or any thing of that Nature but he
needs be in the World not before they come into it And as in the 14th verse Death reigning from Adam to Moses even over them who had not sinned after the Similitude of Adam's Transgression c. This thou wilt needs have to be Infants in the Womb what gross Darkness is this How can Death reign over any until they come under the Dominion and Government of it and so be Transgressors of a known Law either in Thought Word or Deed It is Non sense and Ridiculous But Death hath reigned over many who have not sinned after the Similitude of Adam's Transgression for Death reigned over Drunkards Swearers Lyars Sodomites the Old Wicked World Whoremongers and many who are called by other Names which was not all a sinning after the Similitude of Adam's Transgression for he was no Sodomite Drunkard nor Swearer Whoremonger nor Adulterer that we read of And so Death reigns over all Sinners be the Similitude of sinning what it will but answer me after what Similitude is the Child's sinning Is it after the Similitude or Likeness of Adam's sinning or the Similitude of any other And whereas thou queriest how it comes to pass that Death is inflicted upon Infants if they have no Sin I answer It cannot be for their Sin because they have none and the Reason why they dye is because they are Mortal and must dye sooner or later even Mankind as well as other living things on Earth but to the Innocent and True Believers in Christ Jesus this is no Sign of God's Displeasure but rather a Translation into a better State except thou reckons the State and Being in this Life to the Innocent and Regenerate better then that which is to come and many holy men have had great Joy at their Departure So that the Cause of the natural death cannot be as is foolishly imagined because Adam sinned for if he had not sinned he might have dyed as to his natural Life being of the Earth made of the Dust and it was said to him In the Day thou eatest thereof thou shalt dye mark in that Day yet he lived after his Fall many Years as to his natural Life but he dyed spiritually instantly upon his sinning even in that Day and at that time And as for those other Scriptures thou bringest Ephes 2.3 And were by Nature Children of Wrath as well as others Gal. 2.15 We who are Jews by Nature and not Sinners of the Gentiles these Scriptures speak of Children of Wrath and Jews by Nature and not Sinners of the Gentiles what is this to Infants in the Womb who are no Sinners neither can be Children of Wrath These Scriptures relate to a sinful state before Conversion whether young or old so that herein thou wrests and abusest the Scriptures and this is plain for me to see with that blessed Light of Christ Jesus thou art an Enemy to As I did so I do affirm Jesus Christ to be the true Light and Saviour who enlightneth every man that cometh into the World with a Measure of his own Light but W. H. is one that cannot endure this Light or the Reproof of it upon his Conscience but still would call it something otherwise then what it is and quotes Rom. 2.15 which speaks no such thing as that the Light within every man is nothing but the Law of Moses written in the Heart or another while No more then Nature as he calls it p. 17. whereas the Inward Law or Light within in all its Manifestations and Appearances alwayes came by Jesus Christ and contains in it not only the Substance of Moses's Law but Gospel-Virtue and Power the true Light that enlightneth every Man that cometh into the World by Virtue of which Divine Light and Power within the Gentiles obeyed the Lord spiritually and were accepted in so doing though they had not the Outward Law in the Letter and set the Letter aside What Law is that that is written in the hearts of People must it not needs be the Law of Christ inward in the Heart and Conscience and so of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus that makes free from the Law of Sin and Death and it was alwayes so that the Doers of this Law or Light within in the Heart and Conscience were justified Rom. 2.13 and thus was Abraham justified by Works James 2.21 when he had faithfully offered up his Isaac upon the Altar in Obedience to God it was a Good Work by which he was justified in the Sight of God who commanded and he believed and it was imputed to him for Righteousness the Word of his Faith by which he believed and knew the Will of God was the Light within we bear Testimony unto which was before Moses was or Abraham was he that hath an Ear to hear let him hear but this Man's Understanding is shallow sure who one while saith This Light in Man is nothing but the Law of Moses written in the Heart another while It is no more then Nature and what Nature But a Guilty Defiled Nature p. 17. Oh sad Confusion And must the Work of this Inward Light and Power of God be no more then Legal Righteousness and Regeneration Legal Righteousness and a man 's own Righteousness which is as great an Error as a man can utter It is true that by the bare Works of that Law of Moses never man was justified before the Lord or made Righteous for if that could have made the Comers thereunto perfect there had been no need of Faith in Christ the Light to have received Power but that could not do though great Strictness might be used in the outward Observance of those outward things and Shadows and through such outward Conformity they might appear Righteous before man yet this was but that outward Righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees in like manner as now W. H. and such as he who seem to be very zealous for the Gospel and the Body of Jesus yet deny his Light and Power of God within with as much Violence as ever the Pharisees denyed Christ Jesu at Jerusalem to be the Son of God and they are in the Steps of the Pharisees in their own self Righteousness and Profession of the Gospel without the true Power of Godliness let the Heavenly Light which they so wickedly blaspheme be Judge in the Case even in their own Consciences and yet they will Hypocritically acknowledge Christ is All in all and all Power and Judgment is committed to the Son Christ Jesus and then they cry this down again and call it A natural Light and Darkness which judgeth mens Thoughts and Deeds of Darkness and thus would rob Christ both of his Authority and Judgment to escape Judgment for Sin Whilest they imagine this Light within to be a natural Light or Ignis fatuus or what they please a devilish wicked Project for if so then what need they care what they do when there is nothing to judge them but an Ignit fatuus or