the Propagation of that Inward Religion however their Form may be more scriptural the same Spirit enters them that reigned in their old Persecutors and they at last run back and end in that from whence they at first reformed So dangerous is it to rest satisfied with a finer Form which in Truth is but a better Covering for the old Enemy of God's Spirit and Power to act more disguisely and securely in But lest any should think that all this is said to justle the Scriptures out of all Use and Service read these few lines following with Patience and Impartiality Though we eminently account the Light or Spirit of Christ to be the Gospel Living and Immediate Rule as the great Promise of the Father and that without being ruled and lead or guided by there is no being a Child of God yet we do not thereby intend an Exclusion of the Scriptures from being Obligatory or as not Declaratory of those heavenly blessed Truths that are fit to be read believed and practised God forbid No we know better and practise otherwise and have good Satisfaction therein Nor do we say that those essential Things relating to Faith and Godliness mentioned therein are by us to be sleighted or contradicted or that the Light and Spirit we are led by doth or can lead to any such thing for by its Holy Discoveries and Convictions are we made acquainted with them and our Faith concerning them is firm and they are thereby made our Duty and such is their Correspondence and Agreement that from an INWARD ASSENT AND LIVING AMEN FROM GOD's LIGHT IN OUR CONSCIENCES do we testifie of their Truth Vse and Dignity And very vain is T. Hick's Objection If your Light be Sufficient why do you read them since we may return to him the same If the Scriptures be Sufficient why dost thou use other Means Though God's Grace be Sufficient of it self therefore is the Creature always in that Condition wherein he needs not Means And notwithstanding it be the Dispensation of Light and Life more Immediately then has been known to former Ages yet we deny not the Use of such Means as may be used of God's Light and Spirit as will be spoken more largly to elsewhere Man's Mind being Carnal and abroad Means in God's Power are us'd not as settl'd Teachers but as Instruments in God's Hand to testifie of and direct to that one Great Prophet and Living Teacher in the Hearts of Men that all may come thither and be taught of him CHAP. V. Of his Insinuations against us concerning the Scriptures BUt T.H. that he may be true to his Ungodly Way of perverting our Principles would insinuate First That we esteem the Scriptures no farther then as they were the Experiences of Ancient Saints thereby rendering the many Prophecies and Promises therein recorded not yet fulfilled Vnprofitable But to take off all Credit to this evil Suggestion let our sober Readers know that by the Light of Christ in our own Hearts and Consciences as to confirm what of the Scriptures we have experienced and press after the Compleatment of those Enjoyments therein expressed so are we taught reverently to believe those holy Prophecies and Promises yet unaccomplished to have been given forth by the Inspiration of the Almighty and that they shall be as certainly fulfilled as they are written Yet we dare boldly affirm and that in the Name of the Lord before whom we shall give an Account for every Deed done in the Body that the greatest Reason of our Belief concerning them is not from any Outward thing but that Inward Testimony Record and Heavenly Amen that we have frequently received from the holy Light within us to the Truth and Faithfulness of those Sayings And if any Quakers there be that are not thus minded they are to me unknown and I publickly renounce and protest against that Principle that would in the least derogate from those Holy Writings which leads me to his Second Insinuation viz. As if because we do deny the Scriptures to be the Rule of Faith and Practice in Honour to that Divine Light which was the Author of them in the Holy Pen-men that we should therefore deny all those holy Precepts Commandments and Rules relating to Life and Godliness that are therein contained A Consequence so foul that God forbid any of us should ever give any Just Occasion for it For we both believe Men ought to livâ— up to them and that they are highly Reprovâ—able if they transgress against them But the Reason why is that Conviction they meet with from the Light in their own Consciences wherefore the Scriptures are so far from being the great Rule of Faith and Practice that the Light of Christ within is both our Warrant and Rule for Faith in and Obedience to them And let T.H. say if he can that the Waldenses Albigenses Loâ—lards Hussites Lutherans Calvinists and other Protestants made not the Testimony of God in their Conscience the chief Ground of their Belief of the Scriptures to say nothing of the primitive Christians and most uncorrupted Fathers who are many and positive on our behalf 3 ly He insinuates that we equal nay prefer our Books before the Scriptures because of the Titles we give our own Books viz. The Voice of Wisdom A Testimony for God c. and what we give the Scripture namely Letter c. This I have largely spoken to in my Answer to J. Faldo but not knowing whether ever that may be where this probably may come I shal say thus much If at any time we call the Scripture the Letter it is not that we mean thereby our Books are the Spirit or that we would irreverently set them below our Writings but upon a Comparison only betwixt the Scriptures and the Spirit that gave them forth and that I hope may be done without the least Disrespect though such whose Religion stands in Letter and Time and not in Spirit and Power be angry at it But that we should be thought to sleight the Scriptures because we bestow such Names upon our Books is a strange kind of Consequence Are not our Books mostly written in a plain familiar and Scripture-stile Do we not earnestly endeavour to confirm what we write by Scripture which not only renders it a Paâ—t of our Book but the most Noble Part too And shall we notwithstanding be reputed Sleighters of the Scriptures Certainly if our Books are called The Voice of Wisdom and A Testimony for God because from the Voice of Wisdom and God's Witness in the Conscience by good Reason must the Scriptures be interested therein who are both a part of them and such a one too as unto whom our Quotation implies a Manifest Preference His next Insinuation is that it is Dangerous for Ignorant People to read the Scriptures flinging those hateful Names of Jesuit and Romanist upon us This Doctrine he layes to the Charge of G. Fox and Rich. Hubberthorn in a Book called Truth
of the Darkness that hath covered the Earth the Superstition Idolatries humane Inventions Will-Worships Violence Cruelty Wantonness Intemperance Avarice and all manner of Vngodliness all are required to harken to the Lord's Voice to obey his Call to let him in and bring their Deeds unto the Light that Christ who is that true Light may discover the Enemy may bind him spoil his Goods and cast him out that he may reign over Thoughts Words and Deeds so shall such be able to say as David did O all that is within me praise his holy Name For Christ will be known as he is the Saviour of the Soul from Death the Restorer of Paths to dwell in who destroyes the Works of the Devil and brings in Everlasting Righteousness to the Soul And though few observe it That which is truly commend able in any People proceeds from the secret Power and Efficacy of that Inward Principle we so much testifie of 'T is that convinces discovers reproves restraines tenders humbles and affects the Soul and not their several Outward Forms which with Robbery to the Light or Grace within they are apt to attribute it to and whereby the Devil beguiles them into a Continuance of them Wherefore let all our Opposers be dehorted from their vehement out-crys for who withstand revile and set at naught this Blessed Appearance God the Lord of Heaven and Earth will break them to pieces if they come not to timely Repentance for it CHAP. IV. Of the True Evangelical Rule ANd this forever raises the Foundation of T. H's Building as indeed how can any thing so infirm long continue built upon Forgery and the hight of all Partiality who makes us Hereticks that he may be found and abusive that he may either shew his own Patience or colour his frequent base Revisings of us I say this overthrows his whole Discourse about the Scriptures being the Rule of Faith and Practice under the New Covenant For what ever is more Ancient more Vniversal and Able to Inform Rule and Guide that must eminently be the Rule but that has been and is the Light within consequently that has been and ought to be the Rule of Faith and Practice That it has been and ought still to be the Rule exprest is proveable thus That which led those holy Men into those things of which the Scripture is a Declaration must needs have been the Rule But that was the Principle of God within by what Name soever denominated That this is true let it suffice to say That who walked in the Light in any Age so far walkt in the Counsel of God And that all Mankind had an Ability from God so to do is our Belief what Abbridgement soever T. Hick's detestable Opinion of Reprobation may make of the Love of God That it ought still to continue to be the Rule of Faith and Life I prove thus That which is every where which makes manifest that which is displeasing and that which is acceptable to God without which the Scriptures are unintelligible and by living up to which Men only may come to witness the Truth of those things declar'd of in the Scriptures must be and ought to be the Rule of Faith c. But all this is true of the Light which is further proved thus The Light Thomas Hicks acknowledges all Men have The Light Thomas Hicks acknowledges all Men ought to attend unto Now unless some Man who hath lived unblameably up to the Light can give us a Demonstration of its Insufficiency to shew and teach him that further thing that God requires him to believe and do there can be no valid Argument against the Light 's Sufficiency If T.H. dare be the Man we shall joyn Issue with him in the Tryall of the Matter But if the Light be before hand with Man-kind furnishing him still with Work enough to do as it certainly ever hath done and still doth let it be known to T.H. that such as would know more of Christ's Doctrines must first do his Will according to what they do know And as it is the common Method of the Dealing of God towards the Sons of Men So is it great Impiety in any Man to infer or conclude Insufficiency to be in the Light to discover and teach Man what he ought to know and do from Man's Ignorance of all that he ought to know and do since the Ground of that Ignorance is his not doing what the Light of God requires from him as his present Duty to perform That the Scriptures are Vnintelligible without it is easily prov'd from the Variety of Judgments that are in the World about most of the Fundamental Doctrines contained therein as about God's Essence and Similitude Christ and the Spirit their Divinity Predestination Original Sin Free-Will Redemption Satisfaction Justification Faith and Works In short the whole End of Christs Coming Living and Dying they are strongly controverted Now were the Scriptures so clear capable to determine in these Matters the Differences would quickly end But since the utmost Ability they of themselves can give is not enough to render those Things obvious that are now doubtfull and disputable There is a Necessity of Man's Recourse to some other thing which is able to discover the Mind and Intendment of the holy Pen-Men Now I would be glad to know of any sober Man if any thing besides the Light shining into the Understanding is able to give true Sight Discerning and Judgment about the Points controverted would it not be reputed Madness to bid Men read that have no Eyes or if they have Eyes at least no Light to read with them The whole Scripture as it relates to Man's Duty is a Declaration of the woful State of Darkness and the blessed State of Light and Life with the Way of Translation out of the one into the other And was this Knowledge without Experience or by and through Experience I hope no Man will say the holy Pen-Men were not Witnesses of the things they wrote and if they were I would fain know by what other Way they came to understand and comprehend the Darkness that was within then by the Light within And to know the Temptations and Subtilties of the Spirit of Darkness the Discoveries Reproofs and Leadings of the Light the Tryals Travels Exercises and finally the perfect Translation so frequently expressed in these holy Writings but through the Manifestation of the Light of Christ in the Conscience their Obedience to it and ' its Operation to their Redemption and Sanctification So that the State of Judgment Repentance Remission Regeneration called the New Birth and perfect Justification were their Experiences or Witnessings for all T. Hicks from the Inward Work of God's Light upon their Hearts and their Souls which though the Scriptures declare of them they can never bring Man into nor can any Man groundedly aver the Truth of those things till he comes through Obedience to the Light in his own Conscience to
Thirty Copies and all differing in fine there are many Thousands of various Readings Now let 's Dialogue a little upon Supposition only Quaker If by Interpretation who shall interpret Meer Man Anabaptist No. Q. The Light within A. No. Q. The Spirit A. No. Q. The Church A. What Church Q. Shall Right Reason interpret A. Yes sayes T.H. Q. I Query Which of them is the Rule And when that 's found out and determined then let T. Hicks prove that it is unquestionably true and has remained Uncorrupted through every Generation And by that time he has done all this he shall have done a great deal towards our Satisfaction But what is this Right Reason A. 'T is a Faculty in Man rectified Q. Very well But who has this rectified Faculty A. Thomas Hicks say Q. Has none it but he A. Yes Q. Have none Right Reason but such A. It was an old Saying Dip or Damn but Interest has taught us more Discretion Q. Well then Others may have Right Reason that are not dipped A. We say so whatever we think among our selves Q. What 's the peculiar benefit of Dipping A. Much every way Q. But which way A. We are brought into Church-Fellowship Q. Are you brought into Fellowship with God by it A. No I cannot say so Q. No! what 's your Fellowship worth then the Saints Fellowship was in the Light and the true Church-Fellowship was in Spirit What do you receive when you are dipt A. Nothing Q Are you no better A. No. Q Why I once thought you received the Holy Ghost out of hand A. I thought so too but was Mistaken Q. Why wert thou dipt then A. To fulfil the Scripture Q. But what led thee to it A My own desire Q. Is not that Will-Worship A. What to do as the Scripture exhorts Q. How knowest thou it exhorted to it A. I thought so Q. Is that enough Where 's your being lead by God's Spirit But to our Business Q. How shall I know Tho. Hicks has this Reason before mention'd A. He loftily sayes so Q. But is that sufficient Well but where is this Right Reason A. In Men. Q. Is it so Then it seems that which gives the true Knowledge of the Scripture is in Man But tell me honestly Do ye believe this Right Reason may Err A. No For then it were not Right Reason if it could be Wrong Q. Well argued But if a Man Errs is it not the Fault of Right Reason A. By no means Q. Thou speakest honestly But why then does T. Hicks charge the Light the Quakers profess with every short-sighted imperfect Saying or Action of this or any other Generation A. Does he Q. Yes it is the great Drift of his Books A. Truly that 's not fair Q. Honestly said But if this Right Reason cannot Err then Man cannot Err A. No that does not follow for Man may not submit to it Q. Why may Man have something in him that cannot Err and he not be Unerrable A. Yes Q Rightly said But why then does T. Hicks conclude so of â—â— A. It is unfairly done Q. Very well But you say that this Right Reason is part of Man's Soul or I am mistaken see Dial. pag. 32. If so then Man's Soul must be Infallible A. Oh Infallible that word affrights us What Infallible Pray what 's Infallible Q. Poor Man I see it scares thee indeed Why Unerrable and Infallible are all one Yea Right Reason is Infallible by the same Reason that it cannot be Wrong A. But the Popes talk of being Infallible are not you like them Q. Never the more like them for that Talking and Being so are Two Things Men should not deny the true Christ because of an Imposture nor any fear Infallibility because the Pope makes Market with such Pretences If thou art not certain of what thou believest thou hast not that Faith which was once delivered to the Saints for that was Certain and therefore Infallible A. Why Is Certain and Infallible all one Q. Yes Certainty and Infallibility is the same But what think'st thou of the Light in this Case under Debate for either it is the Rule or it is given to understand use the Rule or else it s given for nothing A. 'T is not the Rule we are taught to say and yet we cannot conclude it to be given for nothing Q. Very well then it must be given in order to understand and use the Rule Now supposing the Scriptures be the Rule that which informs me of my Rule and teaches me how to use it must be greater then my Rule in that it teaches me to know and do that my Rule cannot do of it self I query then If this Light be not my Rule how and which Way I come to understand and use this Rule So that it is eminently the Rule because of its Present Immediate and Certain Direction and Knowledge and the Scripture at most but a kind of Declaratory and Secondary Rule and therefore subject to the Holy Spirit in the Apostles and primitive Christians who took not Measures by it when it distinguisht the Ceremonial from the Moral Precepts so intermixed in the 19th of Leviticus and other places but their Minds being exercised and guided by that Holy Living Rule they left off or continued for a time several Jewish Observations as there might be a Service therein signified to them from that Living Rule The Light and Spirit of God then is both THE Rule of Faith and Guide of Life superior to the Scriptures and That by which only they can be rightly known believed and fulfilled A Doctrine Evangelical and not disowned by those first Protestants who testified that no Man could understand the Scriptures given forth by Inspiration but by a measure of the same Spirit To conclude Historical Faith Scripture is a Rule of but Doctrinal and Saving Faith the Light and Spirit of God can only be the Rule of for that which giveth Faith is only that which rules Faith 3 But says he how could you have known that Swearing in any Case were Vnlawful if it had not been written Swear not at all Is not then that Scripture your Rule in this Case But this shews both the Ignorance of T. Hicks in the Writings of the best Gentiles and his Acknowledgment of the Light 's Sufficiency in case we are able to prove Swearing disallowed and dispractâ—ised before Christ's Coming in the Flesh The Seven Wise Men famous among the Greeks and Contemporaries above five hundred years before Christ came in the Flesh esteemed Swearing but a Remedy against Corruption in Evidence To be sure they both believ'd and exhorted People to that State which needed it not Socrates plainly sayes that there is a Life more firm and unquestionable then an Oath Consequently Swearing not the best State And Xenocrates was had in that Veneration in Athens for his exceeding Virtue that the Magistrates thought it a questioning of his Honesty to offer
how knows he that the Scriptures were writ by Inspiration If he sayes he was told so I ask how they knew it If they say they were told so too and so upwards I ask what Assurance can any Man 's Say-so or Hear-say be in a Matter of such Importance Nay Suppose I should grant them a True Tradition from the Apostles times I ask how knew they to whom they were writ that they were the Fruits of Divine Inspiration In short take away all Inward Testimony or the Certainty and Sufficiency of it and Farewell to all Right Belief of the Scriptures themselves Behold the Strait he is run into But if at last T.H. shall desire a little more room and acknowledge the Spirit must give the Discerning and Relish and most Convincing Testimony will it not follow that he believeth the Scriptures and performeth what may be his Duty therein upon that Conviction and not meerly because written or recommended by any Man whatever But he proceeds to prove E.B. as he thinks an Enemy to God's Commandments and a very Lyar. The thing he Wickedly but in vain aims at He quotes him thus Quak. You are not dead with Christ who are yet subject to Ordinances E.B. p. 105. To which hear him Christ The Spirit of God in the Scriptures assures us that they who are subject to and keep the Commandments of God are the Children of God and they who do not are Lyars See the first Epistle of John 2.3 4. and Chap. 5.2 3. Yet this Wicked Man saith That they who are subject to Ordinances are not Dead with Christ Edw. Burroughs's Words are those of the Scriptures of Truth therefore true Words in themselves But how does E.B. abolish what God perpetuates I am sure I can plainly perceive that Tho. Hicks does call a Conscientious Departed Sufferer and Prisoner unto Death for the Testimony of Jesus Wicked Man because he dared not be guilty of Will-Worship by going into any Practice of Worship without the Leading of God's Spirit Six Particulars comprehend my Answer in brief First That Edw. Burroughs only pleaded against such Performances under the Name of Ordinances as were but Shadowy Elementary and Perishable Things and which they were not led to by God's Spirit but took up unwarrantably and by meer Imitation and therefore Will-Worship 2. That Thomas Hicks implies by calling him Wicked Man that it is a Wickedness not to take up any Outward or Visible Part of Worship in a Man 's own Will ' and Time But to stay God's Time and wait for the Leadings of God's Spirit From whence I infer â—e is no Child of God for every such one is led by the Spirit of God therefore no better then an Ape or Imitator of the Out-sides of Religion In short a Will-worshipper and not a Worshipper of God in the Spirit and in the Truth 3. Let it be observed that there is not so much as the least mention made in all the Epistles of that Beloved Disciple of any of those Ordinances which stood in Visible and Corruptible Elements but the Scope and Tendency of them is the most Inward and Spiritual of any of the Apostolical Writings So that to bring in things of a Temporary Shadowy Nature among the Spiritual and Durable Commands of Christ under the New Covenant State without keeping of which Men incur Eternal Wrath is an Abuse both of the Apostle's Words and E. B's which he intended by them to confute 4. T. Hicks does as good as tell us That the Commandments of God may be kept without the Spirit of God since he opposes the Necessity of our Doing God's Commandments to our doing them in the Time and Will and by the Assistance of God's Spirit O Irreligious Man and Enemy to God's Spirit 5. It plainly tells us that Tho. Hicks has no Command in himself for doing what he does that the bare Authority of the Scripture is all he has to induce him which raizes to the Ground that old Protestant Doctrine of Believing the Scriptures from an Inward Testimony and Worshipping God in Spirit and Truth 6. Lastly If all are Lyars that keep not God's Commandments and therefore none of his Children as saith the Place as asserts T. Hicks then either T.H. keeps God's Commandments and so is perfect or he must be a Lyar and so no Child of God That he keeps not God's Commands I prove If such as say that Man cannot fulfil obey or keep the Law nor the Gospel pray preach dip eat Bread and drink Wine nor live without Sin keeps not God's Commandments but so doth T.H. expresly or implicitely therefore he keeps not God's Commandments and consequently is a Lyar and no Child of God For the Lyar is for the Lake To say we deny Obedience to God's Commands because we deny the present Necessity or Use of their Water Bread and Wine will never hurt us For First we know and they confess that they were in the beginning used as Figures and Shadows of a more Hidden and Spiritual Substance 2. That they were to endure no longer then till the Substance was come Now the time of the Baptism of the Holy Ghost Christ's only Baptism therefore called the One Baptism has been long since come Consequently the other which was John's was fulfilled and as becomes a Fore-runner ought to cease The like may be said of the Bread and Wine for as there is but One Baptism so is there but One Bread The Least in the Kingdom was Greater then John 's Water-Baptism He was to Decrease Christ to Increase Jesus Baptized not with Water 'T is true he bid his Apostles Go Teach Baptizing c. but no Water is mentioned But Luke in the 1st of the Acts sayes that before Christ gave that Commission mention'd by Matthew said John Baptized with Water but ye shall be Baptized with the Holy Ghost not many dayes hence and then comes the Commission in Force Go Teach Baptizing c. How With the Holy Ghost turning People from Darkness to Light and from the Power of Satan unto God 3. They were but the more Noble among the Meats and Drinks and divers Washings that the Apostle said were but Shadows of the Good Things to come For I would not that any should be so Sottish as to think that Christ came to abolish those Shadows of the Jews and institute other in their room by no means He came to remove change and abolish the very Nature of such Ordinances and noâ— the particular Ordinances only to wit an Outward Shadowy or Figurative Worship and Religion For it was not because they were Jewish Meats and Drinks and divers Washings but because they were Meats Drinks and divers outward Washings at all which never could nor can cleanse the Conscience from dead Works nor give Eternal Life to the Soul else wherein would the Change be I affirm by that one Scripture Circumcision is as much in force as Water-Baptism and the Paschal Lamb as
upon which shewing it to be none of his Faith or Practice and so no Spiritual Worshipper Yet the Men testified against in that Book were such as had been in Unity with us before and in going from that into differing and opposite Practices we imposed nothing upon them but they innovated Vnseemly Customs upon us so that which Thomas Hicks's Conscience had no Mind to observe least he should loose the Force of his Cavil removes it out of the Way Let Thomas Hicks tell me by what other Rule then God's Spirit Men's Spirits and the Inside of their Religion can be tryed relisht or favoured and he doth something The Devil can transform into all Outward Forms and subscribe the best Methodiz'd true Articles that ever were written Who or what shall unmask him God gave us the true Taste Savour and Discerning of that Spirit that leads out several from the Heavenly Unity and from thence we gave our Judgment If Men become darkn'd and led by a Delusive Spirit and call that the Light though it give the Lye to the Light and strikes at the Life they whilst faithful felt among us they must look to that You say Every Man ought to make the Scripture his Rule some that say they do you say do not do you think your Judgment the less valid By no means Neither do We. Will you not desist from censuring those that answer not the Scripture though they fancy that they do Why may not we also by the Light of Christ judge those to be deluded who notwithstanding pretend to be ruled by it Ye turn People to the Scripture and they mistake it We direct People to the Light but they mistake it So that here is the Difference between our Saying that Men should do nothing but what the Spirit requires and your Teaching that Men ought to do nothing but what the Scripture requires For if we disown them for not doing what we know the Spirit requires you daily disown such as do not somethings you suppose the Scriptures do require And as you think the Scripture to mean the same you ever did notwithstanding your Opposers Suggestion we are by you justified in mantaining our judgment against those Pretenders to the Guidance of the Light To conclude I see no Difference between Tho. Hick's saying to me William Penn thou bidst me obey the Light within me and because I do thou disownest me and my saying to him Thomas Hicks thou bidst me obey the Scriptures and because I do thou censurest me This dâ—ives unavoidably to an Infallible Spirit whereby to savour all Spirits Words and Works for the Anointing is Judge and meer Pretenders weaken not its Judgment And till Men come thither their best Duties are Unholy Things indeed Let none fancy an Impossibility of Trying Spirits by that without which it is utterly impossible to try them God's Spirit gives his Children to savour and discern Spiritual Bad as well as Spiritual Good Things It is not unknown to such as are led by God's Spirit of what Nature and to what Tendency such Words or Actions may be It was on this alone and upon no other Foundation the Spiritual Gospel Sound and Heavenly Fellowship stood of old for by One Spirit were the true Christians baptized into One Body O You that are Professors of Religion who in dayes past and years that are gone over your Head Prayed loud and fervently for the Spirit rise not up against it because it stains your Beauty subjects your Wills brings you out of Self and overturns your dead Forms where the Spirit of this World has had its Seat for Ages and in a Mystery insnared and beguiled you But wait upon God in deep Silence to all Fleshly Conceivings and Will-Worships so shall you come to feel God's Pure Quickening Spirit to Inliven Tender and Affect your Hearts in which State one Sigh or Groan is more Valuable then Years of unprepared and unsanctified Will-Sacrifice The next thing aimed at in this Cavil attended with so much Bitterness and rude Language is this that Thomas Hicks being desirous to represent the Quakers to greatest Disadvantage takes not a little Pains to incense Parents Magistrates and Masters against them as Neglecters of all Lawful Commands without an Immediate and Extraordinary Impulse to perform them Were we such Wretches as he would render us we should not deserve to live in Civil Societies What I shall say in our Defence is briefly this 1. The Quakers Principles and Practice have proved themselves consistent with Government because they have encouraged to Good Life Peace and Honest Industry I shall not here seek an Eye for an Eye nor tell any of those Black and Horrible Tragedies that go up and down the World under great Authors Atestations of the People called Anabaptists No I have more regard to the Sincere and Moderate among them though 't is a great Shame to the Profession that T.H. should be suffered among them at least as a Teacher after such Forged Prophane and Abusive Trash which lies more dangerously exposed to the Lash of Story then we do But for this time I spare him yet if he proceeds on this wise against us perhaps â—e may hear further of me and that People to whom he belongs if they take not some other Course with him 2. As to the Commands of Parents I have this to say and that by good Experience of more then one That those who have had Children of our Way though with great Disquiet and not a little Displeasure and Severity against them at the first they have left the World with this Testimony of their Children they never disobeyed them but for Conscience sake and from Threatning them with the Loss of all have become so Affectionate towards them and Confident in them as to entrust them with the Whole of their Worldly Substance 'T is true here and there a Crooked Perverse Professor whose Husbands Wives Children or Servants convinced have the worst of Lives through their extream Opposition and Watching for Evil may perhaps have spy'd an Indiscretion which though against his own Blood or Family his Enmity has aggravated to an Heinous Offence and then it must be given for a Demonstration of the Erroneousness of the Quakers Way But how Just Natural or Conscientious such Proceeding is against such Dissenting Relations or the People they associate with let all Impartial Persons judge This is not doing as they would be dealt by Liberty of Conscience Tyranny and Egyptian Oppressions I ask Would the Anabaptists be thus served concerning their own Proselytes Did they never any of them suffer from their Parents And have not their Parents complained of them And has that been taken by their Church alwayes for sufficient Proof And for the Story of the Woman that went rambling from her Family and Husband bidding him take another Woman c. with some pretending Revelations to refuse just Debts I shall say no more but thus We know of no
Question Anab. Did the Primitive Christians use to answer thus Quak. We deny Imitation We are to speak as we are moved O Ungodly Mocker and Forger Here 's your Anabaptist a Preacher a Perverter a Forger and a Prophaner of wholesom Words Who moved him to this Romance but the Father of Lyes What Quaker can this be besides his I mean that Vnchristian Tho. Hicks God will avenge the Quakers Cause upon his Head as sure as he is God if he for these things repent not But yet a little more upon Perfection Anab. Will this convince me or any other of your Perfection Ibid. p. 72 73. Quak. Though it do not yet thereby we shall render you so Odious to our Friends that they will believe nothing that is spoken by you against us Anab. Then may I not conclude that the Reason why you so freely Rail against and Reproach your Opposers is only to secure your Credit with your own Proselytes Quak. I cannot deny but that there may be something of that in it O Unreasonable Man Anab. Will you be so liberal of your Revilings whether your Adversaries give Occasion or no Quak. It concerns us to render them as Ridiculous as we can and to make our Friends believe they do nothing but contradict themselves And if this fail we will insinuate something by way of Question that may be Reproachful to them O Horrible Impiety God our God vindicate our Innocency from these Hellish Slanders Anab. But doth not this signifie a very Dishonest and Malitious Mind in you Quak. We care not what you think provided our Friends think not so Again We will give it out that we have both Answered and Confuted our Adversaries and our Friends will believe us which is enough to us Observe Reader what a very Villain this Anabaptist has made of a Quaker But where will it light when the Anabaptist shall be known to be the Maker both of the Quaker and the Villain too If this be not Forgery there is no such thing in the World O my Heart trembles within me to think of this detestable Piece of Cheat. He writes as if he were hardened against God desperate against us and resolved to the Abuse of the poor People to make them believe his Fictions to be Truths But the Devil always spoils his own Business For who not quite distracted can think it to be more our Interest to please our Friends that we are already sure of then those who are not yet such with Design to make them ours I charge these things with abundance more relating to both our Doctrine and Practice upon him as abominable Forgery And the Weight hereof shallly upon his Soul in the day of his Death And the Righteous God of Heaven and Earth will terribly plead our Cause in his Conscience to his great Amazement and perpetual Anguish if he repent him not of these Undertakings But he objects what Fierce and Impertinent Language he has given in Answer to several Questions E.B. furnisheth him with in his Answer to one Philiâ— Bennet â— Priest As these Thou art a wicked Creature Blackneâ—s of Darkness is reserv'â— for thee Thou art a Serpent and the Curse of God is eternally upon thee Tâ—oâ— Beast to â—hom the Plagues of God are due with which he makes â— great Bâ—ast in his Continuation of the Dialogue written in part to prove the first no Fiâ—â—ion But till it be better done he will remain a Forger in the Minds of all Impartial People For that iâ— not the â—wentieth part of what he haâ— given under the Quaker's Name Should that be admitted for a Proof so â—ar as it extends We have little Reason to believe that to be a sufficient Proof of the Reality of the fâ—rst whose very first Question â—nd Answer is a downright Forgery in G. Whitehead's Name and that with no Quotation though he promis'd it at once proving himself Lyar and Foâ—ger too But in Defence of that worthy Sufferer and dâ—ceased Prophet of the Lord I have this to say 1. First God having raised him with others by his Eternal Power which was very dreadful lived as a flaming Fire in the bosome of them against the Formality Hypocrisy Covetousness Persecution and other Wickedness of that Generation of Covenant-Breaking Professors both with God and Men from whom they under-went bitter Mockings and cruel Sufferings He and they have been drawn forth of the Lord to check rebuke and strike dumb that Vnclean Vnregenerate and Serpentine Spirit and Nature which was predominant and that under the shew of Worship and Forms of Religion acted in a Mystery against the Life and Power of Godliness Wherefore when this Priest in his Subtilty and unclean Wisdom of the Tribe and Trade of the Ungodly Pharisee proposed these Deâ—p and Weighty Queries not so much to be inform'd as to ensnare that 's God's Word of Truth whose State was to come to Judgment for Sin and into the deep Fear Aw and Dâ—eaâ— of Allmighty God because of Iniquity that through God's Righteous Terrors and Judgments he might learn the true and experimental Knowledge of what was convenient for him to know For they that do the Will of God can only know the Life and Truth of his Doctrine I warrant it from God and by the Sence of his Eternal Spirit do declare that it was the Portion and only fit Answer to be given to those trapanning Questions And had E.B. gone into a familiar Opening to his Vulturous Unclean Serpentine Eye all the deep Things of the Spirit of God and Mysteries of his holy Kingdom who was in that Nature that crucified the Lord of them E.B. had brought the Wrath of the Eternal Allwise God upon himself instead of the Priest whose righteous Judgments were come and at that time abroad in the Earth And I do believe they struck him home or we had heard of him ere this For Hypocrites and Disobâ—dient Men sometimes are sooner struck with Judgment then Argument 2. Nor did the Priest enquire so harmlessly as Th. Hicks would falsly insinuate It is the Language of a white Devil onset to Carp Cavil Catch and Ensnare the Innocent for the Promotion of the outside and formal Religion then cryed up and secretly to smite at and withstand the Lord's Spiritual Appearance then breaking forth in the Nation But the Priest queries smoothly And what then Is it ever the farther from being Serpentine for that Was it not Then the Jews sought to entrap Christ by their Questions when they came with a seeming Veneration and Acknowledgment calling him Master and the like Are sharp Words a greater Provocation then a subtil Twining and Decâ—itful Spirit If Tho. Hicks can no better discern Spirits than to believe every thing fairly spoken to be true his Judgment is like to be little minded he is dead to all right Feeling Every Spirit and Question is not to be answered And can he so basely misconstrue our planest and most upright Assertions and
makes haste over you if your Visitation be shut up in God's Withdrawing the Light of his Countenance inwardly to be felt and known by such as turn to it your Condition will be miserable for ever I beseech you in the Bowels of the Love of Christ Jesus unto whom this comes Be Still Cool and Moderate let him in whose Right it is He will affect your Hearts purifie your Souls destroy your Enemies and finally save you from Sin here and Wrath to come for to that End was he given a Light to lighten the Gentiles and for Salvation to the Ends of the Earth And hold no Communication with such Unsavory Persons as Thomas Hâ—â—ks a Man turn'd I testifie from the Grace of God into Dryness and Wantonness and Prejudice who makes a Mock at Experience and to whom the Weighty Work of Witnessing is Matter of Derision O the Ill Use he has made of Religion and the Lamentable End he is come and coming to My Friends get to Experience get to Witnessing by all Means and that with all Speed for those who cannot witness God's Work and Will done in them to their Sanctification shall never see Heaven That is the Word of the Lord God of Life and Power and it is sealed for ever Ah! Life for your Souls or you perish which is only known in the Light and ye must be born again or you enter not into the Kingdom of God No splendid Shew no Methodical Articles no Outward Fellowships will serve turn Friends they will all stay behind when you must go away once and for ever Therefore be not Opposers of God's Work in your selves nor others but seek after Invisible Life for your Souls that will go with you And if you will believe in the Light you shall not abide in Darkness but shall have the Light of Life which blessed be God we do Experience yea Thomas Hicks we Witness it And though thou hast bestowed much time to Abuse Belye Slander and Traduce our Friends in general and my self a Stranger to thee in particular yet I can forgive thee and the Lord is Record for me I wish thy Salvation O that these heavy things might not be layed to thy Chargeâ— For so sure as God liveth Great will be the Wrath that shall follow yea God will visit for these Unrighteous Dealings And I testifie to thee from God's Living Spirit if thou desist not and come not to deep Repentance the Lord will make thee an Example of his Fury and thy Head shall not go down to the Grave in Peace and by this shalt thou know that not a Lying or Delusive but a true and Infallible Spirit hath spoken by me yea the Light within will bear Witness to the Truth of these things on thy Dying Bed and then remember me I wish well to all I seek the Good of all I have nothing in my Eye but the Glory of my God the Prosperity of his Truth and the Salvation of all People through their Belief in it and Obedience to it Wherefore my Heart is not discomforted but I have Peace with him whose Presence I feel in which is Life to my Soul Strength towards my Labours Sâ—pport under Sufferings and a plentifull Reward for them all A Conclusive Supplication O Lord God! Plead thy own Cause and the Innocency of thy own poor People O Lord Reach into the Consciences of all thy Enemies Breath a Blast upon all their pleasant Shews Stain the Glory of their Will-Worship Bring them down that thou mayst exalt them Wound them that thou mayst heal them Break them that thou mayst bind them up O that they may all Hunger and Thirst after thy Appearance that thy Life and Power and Wisdom they may come to witness that they may be all saved in this thy Day O Lord from every Barren Way and from every Evil Work that the Life of thy Puâ—e Spirit may shine forth by them to thy Eternal Praise who over all art worthy who art God Blessed forever Amen Magna est Veritas Prevalet Great is the Truth and it doth Prevail A Postscript of Complaint Against the Unfair Dealing of our Publick Enemies SInce God visited us by his Glorious Light and that he Alarm'd Qâ—ickenâ—d aâ—d Raâ—s'd us by his Almighty Power that broke in upon our Hearts and Consciences to Discover Sin wound for it and redeem from under the Yoak of it that our Religion might not stand iâ— Word and in Form only but in Power and Life But specially since our Out-cry against the Formality and Emptiness of the many Religions in the World preaching the Necessity of Obedience to the daily Cross unto Salvation many have been our Enemies and those of divers sorts What Stratagems they have used may be better known when it shall be considered what they have not used to our Destruction Indeed â—ew or none For if Lyes Forgeries Perversions Mis-representations Aggravation of Invented Miscarriages would have done we had not been now in the World But God has preserved us to this day and the Point of their Arrows have retorted upon themselves and the Hole they have digg'd for us they have oâ—ten fallen into themselves and our Patiâ—nce and Resolution will wear out their Envy aâ—d Cruelty Among other of their Essayes Writing hath not been the least in Practice and Request But this we have publickly to declare of and that in a way of Just Complaint Our Enemies multiply their Books against us yet never answer our Defences The utmost of their Endeavours towards it seems to end either in Cavilling Perverting Mis-representing our Words and Meanings rather disguising then confuting our Principles or else inventing Error and Weakness in our Name that they may the more easily convict us of both though guilty of neither Since therefore they afford us no Just Dealing but instead of weighing our Reasons in Vindication of our so much decryed Way seek to defame it through Ignorance or Malice or both We thought it fit to let them know that we have several Books already out which contain a large effectual Defence of our Principles and Practices which we demand a serious Consideration of and full Answer to before we shall think our selves obliged to any further Tracts in our Vindication then what have been already writ and which we are now in hand withal For that we should so often defend our selves and our Defences be neglected and instead of an effectual Consideration of them that they should fall to their old and so often repell'd Charges and Accusations as if they writ not to have us clear our selves nor yet that they would justifie their Mis-representations of us by confuting our Apologies but to be dirt and disguize us to the People is most Unreasonable on their side as well as that it would argue great Indiscretion on ours to follow them into every repetitious Accusation For our parts we can never think our selves obliged to justifie our Principles so many times over against
him into all Truth as he obeyes it Bap. Abel Enoch Abraham Isaac Jacob Noah c. had a Sufficient Rule before the Scriptures were written viz. the Spirit 's Rule God's Speaking and Directions from his own Mouth and that they had a more Infallible Word to waâ—k by then now is to us For 't is possible that some Scriptures may be corrupted having been in the hands of corrupted Men. The Scriptures may be and is corrupted by Man This may be graâ—ted that the Spirit is the Rule Of more Efficacy then the Letter The Spirit is greater then the Letter Jo. Newman's Light Within page 19 20 104 105 106 108 110 112. VIII Qua. 'T is possible for True Believers through the Power and Help of Jesus Christ to attain to such a Perfection in this Life as the keeping the Commandments of God Bap. The Spirit of God assures us that they who are subject to and keep the Commandments of God are the Children of God and they who do not are Lyars 1 John 2.3 4. cap. 5.2 3. Contin p. 61. IX Qua. That Remission and Pardon of Sins past thrâ—ugh the Blood Righteousness of Christ Jesus tâ—e Justification of Persons whether it import the making or declaring them Righteous in Christ by a Living Faith are neither imputed nor reckon'd of God tâ— thâ—m in an Unconverted Unsanctified Disobedient or Ungodly State but to the truly Repentant Converted Believing and Obedient Souls Bap. I know of none that hold Justification of Persons in their Vngodliness We plead not for a Righteousness Imputed to overthrow a Righteousness Inherent or the Exercise of Christian Vertues He that is pardoned were a Sinner till justified not such that remain so being satiâ—fied Contin p. 55 56. The Saints are made the Righteousness of God that is God now as in Christ dâ—â—â—'s and â—â—â—s in the Saints hâ— hâ—â—â—pirit writes his Law in their Hearts makes them Partakers of his own Nature and so goes oâ— in Fulfilling his own Righteousness in thâ—â— For the Righteousness of the Law in the Spirit is fulfilled in us Marrow Christian p. 38. X. Qua. Though the Soul and Spirit of Man be not of God's Divine and Infinite Being but related â—o the Being of Man and as Corruptible hath a mutâ—blâ— Habit yet as we are his Off-spring and Man is the Image and Glory of God the Original â—ife oâ— Soul of the Soul that came from God and is immutable is of his own Being In short God in whom we live move and have our Being is the Life of Lives and Great Soul of Son's and the Soul thâ—t is Saved and United to God doth partake of his Divine Nature and he that is joyned to the Lord is one Spirit Bap. The Condescension of God and Christ into the Hearts of his People to woâ—k up his Saints into the sâ—â—â— Nature with himself c. God aâ—d Christ iâ— Holy so his Word is Holâ— and through Faith in tâ—is 〈◊〉 Christians are wrought up into the Nature of it self and into God J. Newman 's Book Light Within p 78 84 87 88. There were the Propeâ—ties oâ— Gâ—â— iâ— some measure imparted to Adam Adam was in the Image of God in respect of Eternity he hâ—d given hâ—m an Everlasting Being Marrow of Christianity pag. 4 5. Christ was both the Power and Wiâ—dom â—f God and as Christ so all the Saints are 〈◊〉 one iâ— thâ—s Wisdom Christ is made unto us Wisdom nâ—t only by wâ—y of Imputation but by the Operatiâ—n of the same â—pirit who dwells as truly in every Believer as in Christ ibid. pag. 34 35. And have not sâ—me of their Brethren confâ—st That there is a kind â—f Infiniteness in the Soul XI Qua. The Children of the Resurrection shall be equal unto the Angels of God in Heaven and their Bodies not Natural Earthly and 〈◊〉 the very Gross Mâ—ttâ—r that nâ—w they are 〈…〉 Celestial Spiritual like uâ—to Chriâ—â—'◠〈◊〉 Body God giveth a Body as it plâ—asâ—th 〈◊〉 in Subjection to whose Good Pleasure we 〈◊〉 quiesce till it be effected as he seâ—th 〈…〉 own Praise Bap. That there shall be a Resurrection of the â—ody at the Last Day is Evident John 5 〈◊〉 11. with 1 Cor. 15. Rev. 20. although 〈…〉 some denyed and by others too caâ—â—lly looke◠〈◊〉 Some thinking that our Bodies of Flesh shall be Raised in the same Form in which it Dyed c. The Form in which they shall be raised that is a Spiritual Form not in a Fleshly It is sown a Natural Body it is raised a Spiritual Body When Christ who is our Life shall pâ—eâ—r we shall appear with him in Glory all Flesh shall he swâ—llowed up in â—pirit and our Bodies shall be changed and made like unto his Glorious Body Marrow of Christianity by T.C. pag. 93 94 95. And those Saints who are alive at the Coming of Christ shall be changed in a Moment in the Twinkling of an Eâ—e 1 Cor. 15.51 52. and so shall be caught up in the Spirit to meet the Lord in the Air 1 Thes 4.17 Ibid. p. 92. XII Qua. The Son of God doth not consist or is not made up of a Humane Body of Flesh Blood and Bones For he was the Word and One in Being with the Father from Everlasting But in the Fulness of Time he took upon him Flesh or that Body prepared for him and being Ascended into Glory his Body is a Glorious Body surpassing all Humane Earthly Carnal and Corruptible Bodies Bap. Christ was a Son by a Spiritual Proceeding and Coming from the Father who was Eternally One in the Father Marrow of Châ— p. 30. Our Bodies shall be changed and made like his Glorious Body Ibid. p. 95. Theâ— shall be raised in a Spiritual Form not in a Fleshly p. 94. The â—on took Flesh upon him the Word took Fleâ—h the Father did prepare him a Body Dialogue p. â—5 4â— and 83. XIII Qua. Christ being so highly exalted and Glorified as it God's Right Hand as he is can be neither Proof nor Argument that he is not iâ— any Man nor that either Christ or God's Right Hand is limited and circumscribed to such Remotâ—ness as not to be in the True Believers to save and uphold their Souls Bap. When a Soul is satisfied from its Vnion with God and its Dwelling in God that all the Administrations and makings forth of God is Love unto it thus it dwells in Love and from hence is filled with Joy It causeth the Soul alwayes to dwell at the Right Hand of God where is Joy and Pleasure for evermore Marrow of Christian p. 28. Christ the Son was Eternally one in the Father so in him all Believers are made by the same Spirit the Adopted Sons of God being made Partakers of the same Divine Nature Marrow of Christian p. 30. Christ dwells Spiritually in all the Saints If Christ be in you you shall be sensible of it Ibid p 31.32 Tâ—is Indwelling of Christ in his People God and Christ cannot be
or in any case He now to vinâ—icate himself from such Injustice hath given us a Second Part wherein he hopes to make good what he charged upon us in his First by Quotations out of our owâ— Books which if faithfully done I shall freely acknowledge that a Quaker is quite another thing than a Christian And as this may suffice all but such as are resolved never to be satisfied with any thing that comes from us of the Reason of deferring our further Answer so having now that Ground to proceed upon which we never had before I shall with God's Assistance make the best of it I can in Defence of the Truth and the Innocency of them that profess it only give me leave to hint at a few Things which may not be improper to the Matter in hand because they do not a little discriminate and give to relish the Spirit of our Adversary CHAP. II. Something of the manner of his Dealing with us FIrst then he has taken a very unequal Way to represent our Faith Doctrine and Practice to the World in that he hath rather delivered his own Fury then a true Quaker and shews to the World rather what he would have us to be then what we are Can it be fairly done to propose the most knotty Questions for himself and give the weakest Answers for us Had he but had the Generosity of a Roman he would have given us fair Dealing for our Reputations To make a Fool and an Heretick both and then call him a Quaker is no less then a Rape because a violent Robbery committed upon those that go under that Name The best of Men can never escape let their Adversaries have but the Characterizing of them It had become T. Hicks if he would have shown himself a Christian and a Champion too first to have set down our Principles and Arguments as delivered and urged by us and then have enervated both by his pretended greater Strength of Scripture and Reason before he had made so many Trophies of Conquest But because had we been in the wrong this had been the Practice of a true Christian and that this has not been his Practice we are taught to infer that T. Hicks is thus far Antichristian Secondly He has not only made us Weak and Ridiculous by Answers no wayes to the Purpose but to belye our very Consciences and Principles For when he asks us Do you believe the Scriptures to be true Sayings of God he makes us to answer So far as they agree to the Light in me An Answer never so delivered by us And when he queries Will you be so liberal of your Revilings whether your Adversary gives Occasion or not He answereth for us It concerns us to render them as Ridiculous as we can and to make our Friends believe they do nothing but contradict themselves which is enough to us Certainly these things shew such premeditated and wilful Obstinacy to be wicked that were we what he represents us to be in this very Matter the severest Plagues and Judgments of the Eternal God we might justly expect to be our Portion forever I fear T. Hicks measures us by himself and that the Answer he feigns to the Second part of his Dialogue will be his Lot as truly as he has there feignedly said it It would take up too much time to enlarge only thus much let me say That Man is hard put to it and Unjust with a Witness who not only invents Answers to dis-repute a Man or People but such as are very Lyes too against their Faith and Practice Thirdly Nor is this all but he hath managed the whole of his Dialogues in a Spirit of Prophanation by a tanting and inapplicable Use of many serious Words that have at one time or other been seasonably uttered by Sober Simple and Religious People to the insnaring Questions of such Trapanners as himself As for instance Thou manifests thy Darkness that thou art still in thy Imagination What dost thou witness in thy self I see thou art a poor dark Creature as by thy Talking is manifest yea it is manifest in the Light yea verily Alas for thee I bear witness against thee We are dead to Distinctions Thou manifestest a Perverse Spirit These Reader with the like Expressions doth this Ungodly Scoffer give to the World in the Name of a true Quaker as some of his best Answers and that to such Questions whose Matter hath been effectually considered and answered in many of our Books however his Spirit shows to whomsoever those Answers are improper in one sense they are not so to him But above all that a Man pretending to Religion himself and such a one too as next to us stands fairest for Reproach should give our serious Language in a Jeer as if we were fitter to be Derided than Informed is horridly wicked Can his Conscience be so seared as to handle holy Things without Fear Is Singularity grown so odious to an Anabaptist Preacher that he should make it a Subject for his Scorn and Drollery However this may resemble T. Hicks he does not herein answer the First Love of the People who go under that Name while he shews so much implacable Hatred to his Conscientious Neighbour thereby not discountenancing the prophane Rabble in their frequent Scoffs at us but furnishing them with such a Work of Darkness as excites them further to it making us to inherit those cruel Mockings which were once the Portion of his own Profession We know what answers not God's Witness shall never be able to abide the Tryal and therefore we are the less concerned in his Comical Abuses of us more becoming a Morefield or a Smithfield Stage-Play than a Christian Treatise Thus much and no more of the Spirit of the Man in general because more largely handled else-where CHAP. III. The Question Stated and accordingly Pursued Our Adversary proved false and weak WE shall now descend to the main Question and that which is the Ground of his Second Dialogue and without which there can be no Defence of his First viz. Whether those Doctrines and Expressions charged upon the People called Quakers by Tho. Hicks in both his Dialogues be really the Doctrines and Sayings of that People or not And afterwards Whether what we do own and is by him charged with Error is sufficiently opposed or proved such He affirms they are and undertakes to prove his Assertions out of their own Works which naturally leads me to consider what are those Doctrines and Expressions he hath charged upon us to be ours and what are those Proofs by which he endeavours to make good that Charge I shall first of all treat upon the more weighty Parts of Doctrine and reserve the more trivial Matters to the latter end The first considerable thing he endeavours to suggest against us is Our making the Light in every Man to be God which he undertakes to prove from G. Whitehead's Discourse upon John 1.4 In him
but they that are subject and are led by the Spirit of God they are the Children of God and Heirs according to the Promise Most Ungodly then must T. Hicks's Consequences be that because we say Christ enlightens every Man Saul persecuted the Church and the Heathens multiplied their False Gods by the Light within Like unto which is his Arguing p. 14. where he thus pretends to answer his feigned Quaker If indeed thou knowest not what I aim at in this Question then thy Light cannot be God as thou sayst it is for God knows the Hearts and Intentions of all Men thereby confounding the Light and Creature together and concluding Imbecillity Insufficiency and Ignorance in the Light which are the Imperfections of the Creature Was there ever any thing more Scoffing Prophane and Dark then this might not the Gentiles have treated the Christians after this manner that if they knew not all things whether it concerned them to know them or not the Christ and Spirit they pretended to be led by were not God This is so far from proving the Light not to be God that admitting of it it were to prove every Man a God Is every Master as ignorant as his Schollar because his Schollar knows not as much as his Master T. Hicks knows not all truth nay T. Hicks may be led into many Mistakes Is his Bible which he calls his Rule therefore the Cause Certainly by his way of Arguing against the Light if he be not Perfect Infallible the Scriptures must needs be Insufficient and Errable But if it be an Evil to make the Scripture accessory to T. H's Mistakes of equal Reason is it Impious in him to charge Men's Infirmities upon the Light and repute that Insufficient because they are Rebellious Education Prejudice Interest Self-Righteousness Evil Living bring Vails over the Understanding that though the Light shine in Darkness they comprehend it not When Saul's Formality and Pharisaical Righteousness became shaken by the Law of Light in the Conscience then and not till then he cries out Oh wretched Man that I am Whilst Saul gave more heed to his Outward Religion then the Light in his Conscience he did Persecute and thought it a Duty 't was when the Light struck him that he became awâ—kened But if he persecuted the Church by the Light within why not by the Spirit too since God gave the Jews his good Spirit If T. Hicks will say But he resisted that so say I as to the Light Formality Tradition and many Superstitions attended with an Ignorant and Harsh Zeal darkened him that he could not behold it But it is a gross Contradiction in T.H. to say The Light ought to be obeyed and yet say That it led Saul to persecute the Christians And he abuses many of the Heathen-Philosophers as well as the Light in saying That the Light within reproved them not for multiplying their Deities For all Learned Men must needs know as I have else-where at large proved that by the Light within they have decryed the Heathen-Gods maintained the Doctrine of the One only Wise God and for their Faith and Perseverance they have been Taken Imprisoned Arraigned Condemned and Executed though it went for justice upon the Enemies of the Gods Who knows not this is a Stranger to Story But hear T. Hicks I demand an Instance among the many Thousands of Mankind that hath been convinced or reproved for not believing Jesus to be the Christ by the meer Light within before any Revelation was brought unto them though I grant that the Light in them may reprove for those Sins the Common Light in all Mankind will not because thou hast borrowed much Light from the Scriptures which all have not Answ I may well suppose that as many have been reproved for not believing Jesus to be the Christ by the Light within as by the Scriptures and my Reasons are First Because those who crucified him were Admirers of the Scripture and pretended to prove out of their own Law that it was both lawful and necessary he should be put to Death whereas had they brought that Deed to the Light the Light would have shown it not to have been wrought in God which the Scriptures without that Light could not so effectually do 2 ly Those who by Scripture came to any Convincement originally received it from the Revelation of the Light within which both opened the Scriptures and their Understandings 3 ly Peter Andrew Matthew Nathanael the Centurion Ruler Diseased Woman c. confess'd him from the Illumination and Operation of the Light within since whatever makes Manifest or works Conviction is Light They were not Disobeyers and Rebellers against it who most readily received and followed Christ They who waited for Israel's Consolation lived in the Just Man's Path a shining Light which shined brighter and brighter to the leading such as walked in it to the great Light of Israel when he appeared Further To say that the Light we have being much of it borrowed from Scripture Reproves for those Sins the Common Light in all Men will not is great Wickedness for it is to say that the Light wherewith Christ hath enlightned all Men will not Reprove for all Sin thereby placing the Defect manifestly upon the Light as before and not upon the thick and gross Darkness through Disobedience of the People as well as that he attributes to the Scripture that Conviction which is chiefly due to the Light For by what Way can Mankind arrive at true Sight Discerning and Knowledge in the Understanding part but by the Light and that as it shines into the Understanding is it not the Light to whom every Deed should be brought to see if it be wrought in God or no What can any Man solidly and beneficially learn by the Scriptures but through the Discoveries of that Inward Light Are they not dark Sayings or rather Man dark to those Sayings if the holy Light arise not to shine forth and give to understand their Scope and Tendency All Scripture but Prophecy which was given forth by Inspiration as Reproof Exhortation Doctrine c. were first experienced or witnessed at whom Tho. Hicks may equally cavil and scoff What 's your Witnessing to me that through walking in the Light of the Lord the Just Man's Path and were written for the sake of others that they might be asisted and helpt to the same Experience but not another Way then through the same Steps they had trodden so that the Ground of the holy Ancients Experiences now written and of the true Knowledge of the Scriptures and Comfort from them as an outward Mean and whatever is to be obtained and enjoyed within is originally and chiefly ascribable to the Discoveries Convictions and Leadings of the blessed Light of Christ within through every Generation however variously the Principle may have been denominated as the Word of God nigh Wisdom Light Spirit c. under the Old Testament and Light Grace Truth
Christ Spirit Anointing Gift of God c. under the New Testament Two short Scripture Arguments spring in my Mind for the Divinity and Sufficiency of the Light and from thence I shall conside this Objections I. If God be Divine and sufficient to Salvation and the Word be God and the Life of the Word One with the Word and the Life of the Word the Light of Men then is the Light of Men Divine and Sufficient to Salvation But God is Divine and Sufficient to Salvation and the Word is God and the Life of the Word One with the Word and the Life of the Word the Light of Men. Therefore I conclude that the Light of Men which is the Life of the Word which Word is God is Divine and Sufficient to Eternal Salvation II. That which was in all Ages the just Man's Path and there where the Blood of Cleansing is known to cleanse and by which Fellowship is enjoyed and the Light of Eternal Life obtained is ever was and ever will be a Divine Sufficient and Saving Way But such a Way is the Light as the several Scriptures in the Margent will testifie Consequently the Light is Divine and Sufficient to Salvation The only Cavil at these Arguments will be this I deny this Light to be the Common Light in all Men. To which I say that there cannot be Two Spiritual Lights of the Life of the Word and not the same if Two could be For whatever is of the same Nature though not of the same Degree is still the same in Kind If there be another Light that is Saving tell us from whence it comes but first prove this not Saving And as these things are too Difficult I hope for him to compass so is it as Ridiculous and Blasphemous to think that God should give Man an Insufficient Light But why any if not Sufficient I have heard and read often That all God's Gifts are Perfeâ—t 'T is strange that his Light to Men should be so Lame Defective and Imperfect as T.H. represents it But suppose this Light to be so Why an Insufficient Light and a Saving Light both The lattâ—r would have done our Business It is Injurious to Man to let him have a Fallible Guide For when he may think himself certain he may be in the greatest Danger by mistaking one for the other or thinking not of them as they are But Thanks be to the God of Light we know for WE WITNESS better things how ill a Reason and how offensive soever Witnessing is to Thomas Hicks an Anabaptist-Teacher to whose Brethren Experiences once were the great Foundation of both their Knowledge and Comfort though now mockt at by him with great Derision in a Quaker But to his Objections faithfully contracted 1. If this Light ever was and is Sufficient how comes it that Men have been and are so degenerated in Faith Discipline and Worship They have all this Light by your Principle 2ly If this Light had been Sufficient wherefore should God have superadded so many other Wayes and Means they would be then needless 3ly Christ being the Only Saviour who was born of a Virgin at Bethlehem wrought Miracles was cut off bore our Sins c. I query how all this can be affirmed of the Light 4ly Are not all the Generations of Christians since Christ's time till within these very few Years certainly Lost and Damned forasmuch as they acknowledge not this Light within as the True Christ To the first I answer There is nothing therein which may be thought to reflect upon the Light but what falls as heavily upon all other Wayes Helps Ordinances Appointments yea the Scriptures and which is more upon God and Christ and the Holy Spirit too For if the Degeneracy of Man that is the sad Effect of his own Rebellion shall be a valid Proof of the Insufficiency of the Light within then must we conclude from the Degeneracy that hath been among Jews and Christians and which remains to this Day that all those Assistances Wayes and Helps which have been given in reality were not Potent nor Sufficient for the End they were given The Consequences of which Opinion of our Adversaries are these Two and sad enough 1. That God in his Wayes must have been and is Insufficient and 2. That Man never was neither is any wayes faulty In short that may be sufficient to Salvation which if neglected will never work Salvation as in the Parable of the Talents may be seen To the Second I briefly say That Man's Mind being so much abroad through unstable and vain Wandrings from God's Light the Lord in Wisdom and Condescension to the Weakness of Man and Darkness of that Carnal State did accommodate both his Discoveries to Man and that Worship he required from Man according to his Capacity to receive the one and perform the other If God went into Outward Things to meet with Man's Mind that was abroad to the End that gradually it might return home shall we infer Weakness in the Light Man in that State was incapable he must have been new-molded and as another Creation to have then received that Testimoy in all its Plainness which God hath brought forth in after Ages If any will undertake to charge Weakness upon Man let him But I warn all how they conclude it against the Light since the same falls on God and his good Spirit who made Use of such Wayes and Means in order to gain upon Man's Mind and beget a right Understanding and Sence of what was his Will concerning him Besides not only did the Divine Light and Life appear unto Man in and through those things as Vailes But that which gave Man true Discerning Repentance and to do the Thing that ever was acceptable with God in any measure and which was as the Soul Life and Spirit of all the true and well-pleasing Sacrifices was a measure of that Divine Light of Life in their Hearts at that time though as Samuel in a like Case they knew it not Let none then charge the Weakness of the Administration upon the Light but the Generation to whom he that is the Light of and in Men appeared as Mankind has been able to receive the Knowledge of him It was not Insufficiency in God nor in his Light or Spirit if Man's Eyes were not strong enough to behold the Brightness of what after Ages have beheld But it was his Mercy and Goodness that he proportioned both his Discoveries and Requirings according to Man's Ability To conclude The Light is still the same in it self through all Ages and not a whit the less Sufficient because through its Invisibility and Spirituallity and the Wandrings abroad and great Carnallity of Man's Mind some External Means were used suitable to Man's Weakness through which to reach into Man and raise up some further Knowledge of the Spirtuallity of God's Worship Nor because of the Light 's Sufficiency as to it self ought any to infer that those Wayes
experience the same Judgment Repentance Remission Regeneration called the new Birth and perfect Justification before God Since then the Scriptures can do none of these things of themselves however Instrumental they may be of Good but the holy Light in the Conscience and that these things are not knowable though they may be read talked and writ of without being lead by the same Spirit and treading the same Steps of deep Experience the holy Ancients trod in and have left us for an Example it must be granted whether T. Hicks will or no That the Author of those Discoveries Convictions Judgments c. must be the Standing Immutable Rule to the Soul what how far and which way we are to deny or own reject or embrace relinquish or follow with Respect to those things that please God or that please him not His Objections I shall contract into these Four urged by him for the Scriptures and against the Light 's being the Rule of Faith and Practice and indeed they are the greatest Strength of his Book if any it has First The Light within cannot give a clear and distinct Account how Sin came to be if we consult the Wisest Philosophers we shall find a deep Silence touching this Point They saw Sin did overflow but could not by all the Improvements of the Light in them find out how Sin came to be I am perswaded T. Hicks never consulted so much as the meanest of them at least effectually had he his Dialogue would have savoured of more true Science and Morality for I will make it appear that he has contradicted himself abused the Philosophers and blasphemed the Light in this one Passage Where there is no Law there is no Transgression then where there is Transgression there is a Law Now T. Hicks granting that the Heathen knew there was Sin they must know it by Virtue of some Law that made it so This Law was not written but themselves declared God had imprinted it upon their Hearts as an Immutable and Infallible Guide to them in their Actions If so how could they be Ignorant of Sin 's coming into the World Who knew it to be a Deviation from God's living Commandment in their own Conscience and a Committing quite Contrary Things If T. Hicks means by clear and distinct Account the History of Moses that is that Adam and Eve were beguiled by the Serpent who tempted them with an Apple c. 't is no wayes to his Purpose For that which is Sufficient to that Faith which concerns Salvation is to know that God is that he is Pure and Holy that he has given Man the Knowledge of himself and his Will concerning Him by some Inward Law Command Light Grace or Spirit and that who acts not correspondently to this Guide is a Transgressor and incurs the Penalty and that the Heathen had this their Books at large tell us Nor does Tho. Hicks deny it so that he manifestly contradicts Himself and abuseth the Philosophers in saying They could not find out how Sin came since they expresly say That God made all Good and that Man's Erring from the Divine Law in him brought Evil into the World And I boldly affirm and in the next Head will prove that the meer History is not absolutely necessary to Salvation Now that herein he has Blasphemed against the Light is evident since it is to say That God gave Men a Law and Light not sufficient to let them see how Sin entered the World which is to say in plainer English what is Sin it will and must end there Besides suppose the Philosophers had been Ignorant must it needs follow that the Fault and Want was in the Light and not in them Will T. Hicks become their Warrant in the Matter that they arrived as high as the Light could teach them and that the Deficiency lay on the side of their Teacher and not on theirs Confident yea Impudent Man Why should either the Darkness of any Age be charged upon the Light or render it Insufficient or the more clear Breaking forth of Light in a following Generation be reputed another Light because another Degree then what obscurely shined forth in the former since it was not the obscurer in it self but through the gross Blackness that might have over-cast that People because of Disobedience it seemed so to them But let us hear him further 2. Nor can this Light give any Account of that Remedy which God in his infinite Wisdom provided Jesus Christ that he should be born of a Virgin dye for others and rise the third day This is the Pinch But I answer First That the Prophets saw it by this Light unless that they saw it without Light or that the Light they saw it by was not the Light of Christ as the Word that was with God and was God which I hope T. Hicks upon serious Thinking will not say for of no other do we speak 2 ly Those that believed him when he came could never have received him had they not seen him by an Inward Eye enlightned by that Light in measure in themselves which then so unmeasurably appeared in him For the Jews had the Scriptures and according to their Understanding of them they reputed him a Blasphemer and both plotted promoted and obtained his Crucifixion The Question will be Why did they not better understand them The Answer is because they Rebelled against that Spirit which could only so inform them Had they brought their Deeds to the Light they had received sound Judgment and a true Measure would have been given them which they rejecting that was both the Ground of their Ignorance and the Just Reason of their Condemnation Hence we see that Light and not the Scriptures was the higher Rule and Judge of Thoughts Words and Deeds yea and which way the Scriptures themselves were to be understood And truly it is strange that the Light in Men should not lead naturally to its own Being and Fountain 'T is Proverbial among Men The Way to the Fountain Head is to trace the Stream Iâ— the Light in Man leads not to Christ who gives thâ— Light let us leave off all Talk of Religion for tâ— what or whom else was it given to lead us But Thomas Hicks tell me Who or what wâ—â— Christ in that Manifestation it self but that Dâ—vine Word Life or Light manifested in Flesh Wilâ— not then a Measure of the same in Man lead him â—â— course to acknowledge the Fulness or in following its Leadings bring to Eternal Salvation Or can that Light resist that Manifestation as thou dost elsewhere seem to affirm If Christ his enlightned Men with the Light of his own Life and if they are required to bring their Deeds to be tryed by it and if they are invited to follow it and in following it are promised no more to abide in Darkness but have the Light of Life because of the Blood of Cleansing that is therein met with whereby
such are cleansed from all Vnrighteousness and yet the Light neâ—ther a Rule nor Saving then what else can be either a Rule or Saving But this Light says he could not tell any that Jesus should be born of a Virgin dye for Sinners and rise again But this is so great a Mistake that had he conversed with the Sibylls or other Heathen Writers he might in good part have informed himself to the contrary But here I distinguish of Faith There is an Historical and Saving Faith and there is an Historical and Saving Rule as the Faiths so the Rules differ If T. Hicks sayes that 't is the Scriptures that give the Knowledge of those Transactions I mâ—st then understand him to mean Historically if I assent which is not Saving for then all who believe those things to have been must therefore be saved the contrary to which is daily seen with our Eyes since who believes not that Report among those who are yet in great Wickedness But if we are to penetrate deeper and that T Hicks should hold as he seems plainly to do that what Faith we can have of the most weighty Truths declared of in the Scriptures is from it and not from the Light or Spirit within I must firmly deny it For Faith is God's Gift not the Scriptures Gift No so far is the Scripture from giving Faith that it is God's Spirit alone that gives both to understand and believe them The Scripture tells me of such Prophecies Histories and Epistles and of such Men as Moses Job David Isaiah Matthew Paul and John But what is it that gives me to believe the Things they writ of to be true Is it not the Testimony and most certain Amen in the Conscience and what is that there which seals to those excellent Truths Which way then can the Scripture be a Rule to me in believing the Scripture when that Faith is begotten of God by his Light and Spirit concerning the Scripture If the meer Scripture could give me Faith then it might be allowed to rule my Faith but when God by his Spirit alone begets Faith and without which I can neither understand nor believe the Scriptures tell me If God's Spirit be not the Rule of my Faith what how far and which way I am to believe them or the things believed Certainly they can never be my Rule How far and which way I am to believe themselves who of themselves cannot give me that Faith but it must be wrought by another thing so that what gives to believe rules the Belief and not the Thing believed Therefore the Scriptures cannot be the Rule of Faith Now as to this of Christ's Outward Manifestation I say so far as it is Historical the Scripture is that which furnisheth me with a Belief But I utterly deny that they give to believe it in that deep Sense which may be truly called a Saving Faith The Pharisees had the Scriptures and they pretended to admire Moses and the Prophets yet they crucified Christ and sought to countenance their Murder by Scripture Now had they believed and esteemed the Writings of Moses and the Prophets from an Inward Sence of Gods Spirit which the meer Scriptures could not furnish them with they had rightly understood them and not made so ill an Use of their Historical Knowledge as to crucifie the Lord of Life and Glory This shews that Men may have an Historical Faith and yet not the True Faith nor Knowledge of the Scriptures what then gives to believe aright now why truely that which did then the Light and Spirit of Truth no Man could call Jesus Lord without it that is truly so or upon good ground No Man could confess that Christ was come in the Flesh but whose Spirit was of God yet now nothing is more common yet nothing is more True then that Thousands of them are not of God but lie in Wickedness alienated from the Life of God c. what is the matter then why this Those who then confest that Jesus was come in the Flesh did it by Virtue of an Invisible Sight and through a Divine Illumination in their Souls For impossible had it otherwise been for them in any measure to have seen through the Vail of his Flesh into that Divine Life Power and Wisdom that Vnmeasurably filled it but having some inward Sence and Taste of that most excellent Being that was manifested in and by that bodily Appearance therefore did they confess to it and their Spirits truely reputed by John to be of God And as in that day it was Impossible for any truly and acceptably to confess to Christ without a Discerning given and Faith wrought by the Light and Spirit of God in the Heart which was the saving Faith so is it now equally Impossible for any to believe that Christ appeared and that he spake and did all these great things so as to be benefitted thereby and any wayes accepted of God therein but as the Light and Spirit of Truth open those Things to the Understanding and from a measure of that Divine Life which then immeasurably appeared for we have all received of his Fulness and Grace for Grace true Faith comes to be begotten in that Manifestation and a right Confession unto it In short He that calleth Christ Lord must now as then do it by the Holy Ghost that is from an Experience or Witnessing of his Dominion and Rule which through the Operation of the holy Spirit the Soul is to be subjected to so that who believes more then Historically that Christ came in the Flesh must do it by Virtue of the Divine Light and Spirit who alone gives to relish and savour the Truth Nature and End of that Appearance And though it may be allowed that the Scripture is a Rule respecting the History as it was to those of old in reference to the particular Prophecies fulfilled in Christ's coming yet as there was then a more Inward and Heavenly Sence of Christ which drew many after him and begot deep Faith in him so must there now be a more Inward Spiritual and deep grounded Faith of those things recorded in Scripture of Christs Appearance c. then the meer Letter is able to give And therefore that Light and Spirit which gives that discerning and works that deep Sence and Faith must needs be as well the Rule as Author of it and not the Scriptures For if the Scriptures be the Rule then either of Themselves or by Interpretation If of Themselves then either in their Translations or Originals Not in the Translations unless the Translators had been so inspired that they mist not a tittle which I am sure is not so and consequently none but Schollars have a Rule for the Unlearned are secluded therefore the English Bible is not a Rule If in the Originals of Hebrew and Greek Query In what Copies There are various Lections in Hebrew And for the New Testament so called there are no less then
him any Oath and therefore refused implying that Oaths were not made for the best of Men and that there is a State attainable which is more excellent then that in which Oaths are used And thus was that Evangelical Precept Swear not at all arrived at preferred and honour'd by profest Gentiles about five hundred years before it was uttered by our Lord Jesus Christ therefore the Light from T. H's Objection answered is proved Sufficient 4 But here is an utter Insufficiency if we will believe him in this meer Light within to direct us the right Way of Worshipping God This sayes he is manifest from the great Loss the Wisest among the Heathen have been and are at about this very thing the Multiplying their Deityes Worshipping Devils c. He is an incompetent Witness against the Light 's Sufficiency that has never tryed the Extent of its Ability by a Life conform'd to what it leads to If T. Hicks walkt without all Reproof it were something But for a Man to talk of its Insufficiency whilst it shews that which he is not come up to as well as that it condemns for daily Failings is Arrogancy with a Witness But why is it Insufficient to direct him the Right Way of Worship Because T. Hicks has not found it Is it a good Argument against the Scripture that because those who pretend to Square their Faith by it manifestly Err therefore it is Insufficient to direct them Right Tho. Hicks will never allow this against the Scriptures and yet he calls us Names for not tacitly suffering his base Abuses against the Lord's Light What if any of the Heathen became vain in their Imginations who when they knew God worshipped him not as God will it follow that God's Manifestation of himself as the Apostle plainly speaks in Man was an Insufficient Manifestation The Jews turned Idolaters they worshipp'd a Calf and offer'd their Children to Moloch Devotion made up of Murder and Idolatry was God's Light Law or Good Spirit and that whole Series of Love and Mercy shown unto them Insufficient because of their Rebellion I affirm that Thomas Hicks by this Argument is the horridst Blasphemer that ever lived among Men For if the false Deities of the Heathen and their worshipping of Devils with the horrid Idolatries of the Jews were not the Effects of their own Erring from a Sufficient Light or Manifestation to have better informed directed them but through the Insufficiency of the Light to discover the True God how to worship him T.H. has evidently laid that horrid Charge at God's Door for he could not reap where he had not sown And thus far doth he render the Almighty accessory to those Impieties that he gave not Man a Sufficiency of Light to inform him better that he might have escaped so gross Abomination which ends in that detestable Doctrine of Eternal Vnconditional Reprobation an Off-spring of Satan a Murderer from the beginning In short Christ is the Light of Men The Way of the Just is a shining Light He that is the Way Truth and Life is the Light Therefore those who Worship God according to the Light Worship him in the Spirit and in the Truth and walk in the Just Man's Path For that Men should walk up to the Light of Christ and yet be Ignorant of the Right Way of Worship is gross Ignorance and Darkness For Tho. Hicks then to say that God doth make more known then is or can be known by the Light is false and contradictory For unless there be two Distinct Divine Lights by Nature which is an absurd Thing so much as to conceive or that God can manifest any thing without Light it will follow that both the Light is One and that by that One Light it is whereby God hath revealed himself through all Ages And here I would be well understood for I know one Age hath been attended with larger Discoveries yet this argues no Deficiency to have been in the former Manifestation though it implies Weakness in the People that they could not receive the same Light in a greater The Light is therefore One in it self however variously it may break forth in any Age and Generation I know it hath arisen higher and higher the Difference is in Degrees not in Nature and so T.H. in great contradiction to himself acknowledges Dial. pag. 36. What hath been the Duty of every Age it hath shewen and the best Reason and Rule for the Obedience to any thing superadded hath been the Convictions and Leadings of the Light according to that Manifestation it gave before Those that went from the Light and sat down grew Rich in Literal Knowledge were the Opposers of the more glorious Breaking forth of Light and not those who kept close to what was revealed So 't is at this Day Such as have kept to the Tendering Grace and Spirit among Professors such are most moderate to us and inclin'd after us The Hard Dry and Cavilling amongst them as they are strongest in their Combattings like the Pharisees of old so are they most darkened from the Light and most of all despise the Testimony of it and set at nought and oppose as to the Death all those who are become Witnesses of the fresh Resurrection of Light and Life If I may so speak in the Hearts of People I know not what better to call them then Thieves and Robbers spoken of by Christ who have gone aside from the tender Spirit of Jesus Christ that in Dayes past strove with them and with whose secret Voice they were in some measure affected and have set up themselves in a Form without Power Praying Preaching Dipping and all other Acts of Worship Ordinance c. without the Leadings of God's Spirit Wherfore said Christ of the like People All that came before me are Thieves and Robbers they climbe over the Wall they come not in at the Door which Door is that State of Witnessing at which that Light and Frothy Prophanist T.H. bestowes so many foul Reflections forgetting how much of the ancient Puritan Brownist and Baptist Religion 〈◊〉 made up of Experiences which with Men that understand Words hath the same Signification as well as that Witnessing is more Scriptural And indeed I wonder not at all at it for where Men that have had some Inward Sense of Life Eternal give not way to the more full Breaking forth of the same but run into Forms and take up their Rest by the way and so come to withstand it they â—ose what they had and center where those be who at first oppos'd them emptying from one to the other till they arrive at Rome again that so the Battel may be of Michael and the Devil the True Church against the False Power and Form of Godliness against Form without Power and the Traditions Superstions and Inventions of Men by which they have endeavoured to make void God's Law For whoever have lost their Inward Sense of God and withstand
that his Obedience unto Death was in order to make Men Righteous because it was in the Nature of a Sacrifice by which God testified unto the World his Desire of Reconciliation through the Remission of the Sins that are past which was held forth and came and was confirmed by that Obedience even to the Death of the Cross In which Sence the Just sufferd for the Vnjust and whilst we were Sinners Christ dyed He was made Sin that is to take away Sin for us an Hebraism and he justifieth the Vngodly that is remitteth the Vngodly upon Repentance and bore our Iniquities or bore away our Iniquities that is by this Offering for Sin was Remission for Sins past declared and confirmed unto all as an Vniversal Propitiation For God was in all these Sufferings shewing forth his Love and reconciling the World unto himself not imputing their Trespasses unto them But still Repentance was that which brought home the general Pardon promulgated in and by that holy Offering up of his Body once for all unto every particular Soul Thus by the Obedience of that one Man even to the Death of the Cross many come to be made Righteous that is justified from many Offences see Rom. 5.6 7 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17. But if this first part of Justification which is Remission of Sin be not obtainable by any however general it be in Christ without Repentance from dead Works which implyes Faith Contrition and Amendment of Life How miserably is T. Hicks out who brings this very Scripture we are upon to prove that we are compleatly justified which takes in both Forgiveness of Sin past and a being Inwardly made Just through the casting out of Sin by the just and holy Power and Spirit of God operating in the Heart and Conscience by Christ's Righteousness WHOLELY WITHOUT US I grant it that Forgiveness of Sin is God's free Love meer Grace and rich Mercy declared in and by Christ Jesus to the World and that this Grace abounded unto all for He was a Propitiation not only for the Sins of those that believe but of the Whole World yet the whole Benefit thereof should never redound unto any whilst alienated from God by wicked Works Peter preached another Doctrine For though Christ dyed for the Vngodly yet they were not thereby Justified that is pardon'd for Sin past while Unrepentant Peter sayes Repent and then they should receive Remission of Sins Now I would fain know how this Repentance is wrought by which as a Condition any come to have an Interest in that great Pardon held out to the whole World Is the Spirit of Christ unconcern'd in it Can we think one Good Thought of our selveâ— Are we not altogether degenerated Plants of a Strange Vine by Nature Children of Wrath c. Is not this frequently confest by the Professors of Religion in our times and the most affected piece of their Righteousness too Well then If we cannot repent of our selves and that Repentance is a Condition that it is in the Soul and that it cannot be there without the Spirit of Christ work it tell me plainly if something is not to be done within and therefore of the Nature of Inward Righteousness before any Benefit be procured deriv'd or receiv'd from Christ's Death and Sufferings to any particular Person This is close to our Point for therefore is it that we affirm that such as go on to transgress against the Law of the Spirit of Life and so disobey the Light and grieve the Holy Spirit by wicked Works are not in that State Justified I mean now that they are not so much as forgiven and least of all that they should be look'd upon as compleatly justified that is by Qualification and Participation of the Divine Nature truly and inwardly made Just since it would be to say that by the Obedience of one many shall be made Righteous who notwithstanding remain Disobedient and Rebellious to God's Grace which has appeared unto them We do say again that such a Doctrine so speaking Peace to a State of Sin and Death and shutting out an Inward Work many wayes necessary to the Forgiveness of Sin past or dayly Acceptante with God IS NO LESS THEN THE DOCTRINE OF DEVILS and the worst they have to propagate to the Dishonour of God and the Eternal State of People Souls In short here lyes the gross Mistake of our Adversaries They make the Sufferings of Christ which peculiarly relate to the first part of Justification Remission of Sins past to be that which has answered not only for Sins past but present and to come so as to acquit them from all Inward Work as necessary to Justification compleatly taken contrary to express Scripture Rom. 5.25 and the great End of Christ's Spiritual Manifestation in his People There might be much more said in this matter but because he thinks I have not made a little for him in my Book truly entituled The Sandy Foundation Shaken and that I am to be short I shall proceed to dispatch what remaines as God shall enable me To that Answer he gave out of the Romans by the Obedience of one c. already with other Scriptures explained and vindicated from his Abuse of them he makes me thus to answer him Quak. It is a great Abomination to say God shall condemn and punish his Innocent Son that he having satisfied for our sins we might be justified by the Imputation of his perfect Righteousness O why should this horrible thing be contented for by Christians Penn. ibid. p. 25.30 To which he returns Chr. How now Mr. Penn Is this the Doctrine of Christ's Sufferings for Sinners to make Satisfaction to Divine Justice an horrible thing and an Abomination to you Do you consider what you say And thus brings me in answering him Qu. This I do say that the Consequences of such a Doctrine are both Irreligious Irrational Penn. ibid. P. 16. Now that he has dealt Blasphem ously with God and Injuriously with me as well as that he has given me no account of his thoughts upon the Errour he makes me guilty of in case I held it besides that impertinent Question plainly appears First he has dealt Blasphemously with God in calling Christ's Suffering God's condemning and punishing his Innocent Son c. which his Censure of my so Phrasing their Opinion manifestly implyes Now I appeal to all Impartial People which of us two is most to be blamed I that confess to Christ's Sufferings as the Effect of Gods's Love thereby not to satisfie himself as a Revenger or as he could not forgive for none of that is in the Verse at all which yet is in their Sordid Opinion but as a God full of Mercy Forgiveness and Pardon to all true Penitents to declare to the World his free Remission of Sins and that he would not impute their Iniquities unto them if they would repent believe obey or T. Hicks who holds
that God condemn'd and punish'd his Innocent Son for other Folkes Sins that he might be satisfied for pardon he neither could nor would And which is most absurd Christ being this same God he at once makes him the Party satisfying the Party satisfied which is absurd and impossible besides 't is such a Satisfaction as hath paid all Debts past present to come whereby all Inward Righteousness though of Christ's Working is not necessary to Justification in any Kind Secondly He has dealt Injuriously with me and that in two Respects 1. In not stating the Doctrine truly which I opposed and my Words at length that they might speak for themselves But in that case perhaps he thought he should have been oblieged to answer them a thing he every where seems afraid of his Trade â—s Caviâ—â—â—g And 2lâ— In that he brings this Passage which opposâ—d sucâ— a Satisfaction as is said to have paid for Sins pâ—st present and to come to answer a Scripture which concerns Justification and that part of it too which relates to Remission of Sins Insinuating that I make Men's own Works sufficient to Justification in the first sense I mean Remission in the second sense I mean daily Acceptance upon being made Just and lastly that I overturn all the Righteousness Death and Sufferings of Christ whilst in Truth and Sincerity of Soul 1. by Justification not by another's Righteousness WHOLELY WITHOUT I only meant That it was Christ's Righteousness wrought in us and not our own which made Inwardly Just and which gave daily Acceptance and brought into the heavenly Fellowship with the Father and with the Son the Justification then intended by me 2 ly Since God has made his Truth known to me I have ever understood Christ's being offered up to signifie the carrying away of Sin the bearing away of Iniquity that by which God declared Remission and Forgiveness of Sins past to all that repented And this Justification called Rom. 4. ver 5 6 7 8 God 's not Imputing Sin I have ever owned to be the Free Unmerited Love of God to the World And was not that Justification by me spoken of in the Passage cited 3 ly That which I opposed was so rigid a Satisfaction as made it absolutely unavoidable or necessary in God to require a Satisfaction thereby robbing him of the Power of his free Mercy and Loving-kindness to remit and pass by and that Christ did not answer or pay by the Act of his Suffering for Sins past present and to come but as he declared Remission by his Blood for the Sins past of the whole World the beginning of his Work so that he doth by his Power and Spirit subdue destroy and cast out Sin out of the Hearts of all who believe in him whereby their Consciences come to be made pure they sanctified throughout in Body Soul and Spirit which necessitates to Good Life and speaks no Peace to the Wicked in their Wickedness nor yet to the sloathful formal and carnal Professor of Religion Therefore such rage and imagine a vain thing against us That the Consequences of the common Notion of both Satisfaction and Justification are Irreligious and Irrational though what has been said might suffice with Sober and Impartial Readers yet I may anon have further Occasion to prove it In the mean time He tells the World that William Penn in Answer to this Question How did Christ fulfil the Law for Sinners says That Christ fulfilled the Law ONLY as our Pattern or Example S.F. p. 26. In which he has done exactly like himself For if he can find the Word ONLY there or such an Answer to such a Question or the Matter strictly contained in that Question he has not wronged me but sure I am there is no such Question and as sure that the Fulfilling of the Law was not the Subject treated on and very certain that the Word Only was not there therefore a Forger That which I said with the Scripture on which it was grounded follows If ye keep my Commandments ye shall abide in my Love even as I have kept my Father's Commandments and abide in his Love From whence this Argument doth naturally arise If none are truly Justified that abide not in Christ's Love and that none abide in his Love that keep not his Commandments then consequently none are justified but such as keep his Commandments Besides here is the most palpable Opposition to an Imputative Righteousness that may be For Christ is so far from telling them of such a Way of being Justified as that he infoâ—mâ—th them the Reason why he abode in his Father's Love was his Obedience and is so far from telling them of their being Justified whilst not abiding in his Love by Virtue of his Obedience imputed unto them that unless they keep his Commands and obey for themselves they shall be so remote from an Acceptance as wholely to be cast out in all which Christ is but our Example Now that this concerned not the Whole Law Christ came to fulfil The whole Law he fulfilled the place of Scripture quoted the Nature and Matter of the Argument clearly proves Next If Christ had been other then our Example in that case then he should have fulfilled his own Commandments in our stead who from Obeying his Father's taught us our Duty was to obey His. And supposing that he could have kept his own Commandments and obey'd himself for us or in our stead it would have followed 1. That we needed not to have kept them unless they were to be observed twice over And that 2ly in not keeping of them we had been notwithstanding justified from his alone Fulfilling of them unless his Answering them had been Insufficient The first of which if I understand any thing opens a Door to all Licentiousness however Upright some may be in their Intentions to the contrary And the last strikes dead their own Opinion of the Sufficiency of Christ's Personal Obedience to perfoâ—m all needful on our Account From hence he undertakes to charge me with the Merit of Works My words at length are these which he thought good to conceal Was not Abraham justified by Works when he offered Isaac and by Works was Faith made perfect and the Scripture was fulfilled which saith Abraham believed God and it was imputed to him for Righteousness By which we must not concâ—ive as do the dark Imputarians of this Age that Abraham ' s Offering Personally was not a Justifying Righteousness but that God was pleased to account it so since God never accounts a thing that which it is not nor was there any Imputation of another's Righteousness to Abraham but on the contrary his Personal Obedience was the Ground of that just Imputation therefore that any should be justified from the Imputation of another's Righteousness not inherent or actually possessed by them is both Ridiculous and Dangerous Ridiculous since it is to say A Man is Rich to
Works of another utterly excluded every Man reaping according to what HE hath sown and bearing HIS OWN Burden The Question will now be Whether I meant this of the Creature alone or by the Assistance of God's Holy Spirit by which his Children are led Concerning which I need say no more then what that Book speaks in my Defence yea that very Page from whence he fetches this pretended Dangerous Assertion For as many as are led by the Spirit of God are the Sons of God How clearly will it appear to any but a Cavilling and Tenacious Spirit that Man can be no further Justified then as he becomes obedient to the Spirit 's Leadings For if none can be a Son of God but HE that 's led by the Spirit of God then none can be justified without being led by the Spirit of God because none can be Justified but he that is a Son of God so that the Way to Justification and Son-ship is through Obedience to the Spirit 's Leadings By all which it appears that I am not speaking of Remission of Sins as if by our Conformity to the Spirit it self we could so justifie our selves No but that by being Led by the Spirit of God and Fulfilling of his Royal Law Men come to be accepted as Children of God and the Ground of their Joy is from their own Experience of the Work of God in them What was it made the Faithful Servants that improved their Talents be accepted and gave an Entrance to the Wise Virgins into the Bride-groom's Chamber Were it not the Improvements of the one and the Oyl in the Lamps of the other And if T. Hicks come not to know that holy State he shall never know Eternal Rejoycings that is the Word of Truth to him For such as he sows such shall he reap in God's Day of Account Wherefore that Scripture by him brought out of Isaiah makes greatly for us Surely shall one say in or from the Lord have I Righteousness that is not in or from my self In the Lord shall all the Seed of Israel be justified and shall glory Is there no being in the Life Power Nature and Virtue of that Seed then no Salvation Also that of the Apostle Paul to the Corinthians Christ is made unto us Righteousness wherefore let him that glorieth glory in the Lord. For this I affirm and that with Boldness and Truth that Isaiah and Paul speak of a Real and Inward Righteousness not the less in the Creature because not of the Creature but of Christ Was not Paul's Righteousness the Son of God revealed â—n him that everlasting Righteousness that Christ binding and casting out of the strong Man making an End of Sin and finishing of Transgression he brought and brings into the Soul For that their Righteousness should be in or from him or that he should be made their Righteousness they never know a being cloathed and made Righteous by it were Absurd and Impossible In short As we know no Righteousness out of Christ our Lord so knowing his Appearance in us and that Grace for Grace received of his Fulness in whom are hid the Treasures of Wisdom and Knowledge and being obedient thereunto we know and witness a Participation of his Everlasting Righteousness Holy Wisdom and Saving Knowledge which qualifie and adorn the Soul for the blessed Marriage of the Lamb who takes away the Sins of the World not only the Guilt of Sins past by Remission upon Repentance but as a Redeemer from under the Power and Nature of Sin present and to come through the Virtue of his Holy Life in the Soul which is the Compleatment of Justification and the Thing now insisted on Lastly he gives under the Quakers name as a dangerous Doctrine this Passage Justification goes not before but is consequential to the mortifying of Lusts and the Sanctification of the Soul Penn Sand. Found Sh. p. 27. To which he answers Doth not this import that a Man must be formally just before he be justified I would ask whether Remission of Sins be not one part of Justification Qua. I suppose it may Chr. Can one be forgiven that is not Guilty It looks like a Contradiction to pardon one that is Innocent Certainly he that is pardoned must be a Sinner To all which I return this much were he True and Honest in his Reasoning I had been to blame for my Ignoronce and T. Hicks to be commendable for his Answer but he dodges basely He would avoid my Argument about the second part of Justification by suggesting that I meant it of the first to wit Remission of Sins as much as if he had said What must all Sin be mortified before a Man be pardoned his old Score and can a Man 's own Good Works so remit Cancel or justifie But his Sleight will not do I have oftâ—n declared that upon Repentance God doth not impute past Iniquity to any therefore that part of his Answer which seems most smart upon me that is Can one be forgiven that is not Guilty c. vanisheth of Course for the Question is not Whether Man in his natural Estate is Guilty before God and such can be no otherwise so justified that is Remitted then by the free Love of God which is the first part of Justification as David speaks Blessed is the Man unto whom the Lord will not impute Sin But whether Men are daily accepted as Children of God redeemed and saved of the Lord and justified as such in his Presence further than as they come to be led by his holy Spirit and know Victory over Sin which is the second part of Justification So that he did dishonestly with me to suggest my Denyal of Remission of Sins past upon any other Score then the Mortification of Sin in the Party so pardoned For though Sin may not be mortified yet if there be a Foundation of true Repentance laid the Guilt of former Iniquities I have often said is not imputed It was therefore very unfairly done of him from my Asserting daily Acceptance and Fellowship with God to be the Consequent of a Self-denying and mortified Life through the powerful Working of the Spirit of Christ in Man to infer that before this Work was done there could be no Remission of Sins past as if it were the procuring Cause of Pardon and not the free Love of God upon Repentance In short it is to say that because I deny Men may be justified in the second Sense without being made truly and really Just that therefore Men are to be made Just and Innocent before they are forgiven which is Justification in the first Sense And thus has he dodg'd disingenuously with me throughout this Point Where I meant by Justification Remission of Sins he has run It the other way And when I have understood it of a State of Fellowship and daily Acceptance with God then he has taken it for Remission with manifest Design to render me as confus'd
Brother will you Pray No Brother I am not so well able as you are Let Brother such a one Pray he is better gifted for the Work c. Complementing Shifting and at last Praying c. in their own Wills and not in God's Motion This God hates Next Since the Pouring forth of the Spirit is the great Gospel Gift and that the Children of God are to be led by it In what should we more diligently wait for its Heavenly Assistance then in that part of our Duty which we owe to God Is his Worship Spiritual and can we perform it out of the Motion of his own Spirit For what then was his Spirit given Again If Men should pray in a known Tongue much more with the Spirit as the Apostle speaks No Wonder the Professors ask Pardon for their Prayers Indeed God's Spirit gives them to see the Emptiness of their Righteousness and condemns them for it wherfore they are at times dissatisfy'd in them yet they will not learn of him to be guided by him who would cover them with Everlasting Righteousness Blessed would they be if their Minds were stayed in his Counsel But instead thereof T.H. does as good as say that if he should stay till the Spirit moved him he might stay long enough rendring the Spirit Wanting in that for which he was shed abroad in the Heart Because through his Enmity and Darkness hasty Running in his own Spirit he feels it not to lead him else he would never infer from our Asserting the Necessity of the Spirit 's Moving to Right Acceptable Worship that we are acquitted from any Fault in omitting to do that which is Good and the Blame must be laid upon the Spirit But let me ask him Can any Man do Good of himself Surely he will say No. How then shall Man do that Good he ought to do but by the Holy Ghost Canst thou call Jesus Lord by any other Power or Spirit Read the Scriptures What greater Contradiction can there be then to believe Man of himself can do no Good and yet to say he can do it without God's Spirit to incline and assist him thereunto But if the Spirit do not what does Tell me what can tender the Heart prepare the Soul raise the Affections give true Feeling of Wants and help to perform all in that Fear Reverence and deep Sense which becomes all New Covenant Spiritual Worshippers if this cannot or do not Nay what an Affront is it to God since it is to suppose that Man wants him not that his Spirit neither moves to Duty that ought to be performed nor yet condemns for Duty omitted Behold the Impudence of the Man He talks of Gospel Christ the Mysteries of his Glorious Kingdom c. What grosser Opposer of the New Covenant can there be who denies the very Life Virtue and Soul of all true Gospel-Worship and Discipline and without which the otherwise best Christian-Church that ever was would be worse then Legal For they that worship not from the Motions of God's Spirit offer strange Fire set up their own Worship and are Image Makers such ask but they receive not because they ask not aright For if no Man can call Jesus Lord but by the Holy Ghost no Man can pray to the Lord or in his Name without the Holy Ghost yet a Sigh or Groan from its holy Operation that Sacrifice though without Words is manifold more engaging and effectual with the Lord then the most excellent Performance of Man 's own Spirit 'T is the Fear and Heavenly Sense of God in the Soul that recommends the Performance and that the holy Spirit begets And as the Minds of Men and Women are exercised in the Law of this pure and quickening Spirit as it appears in them they shall know the true Worship which stands in Life and Power whose End is Everlasting Peace when the LORD LORD-CRYERS that have Prayed and Preached in their own Wills and Wisdom as well as to their own Ends and Advantages shall be cast out forever with a DEPART FROM ME YE WORKERS OF INIQUITY But there is one Objection taken from my Book called The Spirit of Alexander the Copper-Smith c. which he thinks splits us irrecoverably It runs thus Either there is such a thing as a Christian-Church or there is not if there be then this Church either hath Power or hath not If no Power then no Church If a Body or a Church then there must be a Power within it self to determine To which sayes Tho. Hicks For Christians to plead this who own the Scriptures for their Rule and not the meer Light within the Argument may safely be allowed But you cannot stand by this For will you say what a Man doth without an Inward Motion is accurst and yet disown him for not doing what he is not moved unto But though this be plausible it is no more For the Difficulty remains in Case the Scripture be admitted for the Rule for Instance The Church unto which Tho. Hicks belongs own the Scripture to be the Rule But suppose Tho. Hicks in some one Point believes the Scripture not to intend the same thing the rest of the Church understand it to mean as in Case of Free-Will I query how this Matter shall be reconciled They affirm the Scripture to be the Rule and say This is the true Sense of the Scripture Thomas Hicks also affirms the Scripture to be the Rule but that his Sense is the Mind of the Scripture This occurs almost daily among those who believe the Scripture to be the Rule of Faith Now observe the Parallel The Quakers by the Light within them as their Rule judge that rude Imagination of keeping the Hat on in time of publick Prayer The Anabaptists by the Scripture as their Rule censure Thomas Hicks for upholding a Contrary Sense to the Scripture The Dissenter from the Quakers sayes The Light which he calls his Rule manifests no such thing to him nor doth he believe it to be the Mind of the Light to him Thomas Hicks makes Answer to the Church that by the Scripture he understands quite another thing and the Scripture is his Rule for what he sayes and maintains in the Matter I would ask any Man of Common Sence if the Scripture is not as well set in Opposition to it self by these two Pretenders as the Light within and if the Church of Anabaptists would not therefore doubt the Truth of their Interpretation but proceed to censure Thomas Hicks as a Disturber of their Church in its Doctrine or Discipline by the Introduction of New and Unprofitable Opinions Neither are the Body of the Quakers to question their Judgment given by the Light within as their Rule to be a true and unquestionable Determination against such Alexanders and Enemies to the Peace of their Jerusalem But I would further tell Thomas Hicks that though we renounce all Worship not led to by God's Spirit his Reflection
such things and believe them to be downright Lyes as others that are gone before them However should they be as true as we hope they are false we can but judge them and that we do by the Light of Christ Jesus to the Pit forever But if we should take this Course of proving the Anabaptists those vile Impostors he doth call and pretend to prove the Poor Despised Quakers to be p. 69. How many Miscarriages might we collect and publish against the People that are called by that Name but we do not desire that Prophanists should have any such Theames from us to sport their Unclean Minds upon notwithstanding Thomas Hicks's Liberality to them Is it not then wickedly done in him to tell us in the same page That if a Miscarriage be it is improved by us to make the Truth Odious who without such Arguments and his own Forgery would in Truth have nothing against us But truly it is very hard that we should suffer as we have done for the Miscarriages of other Parties and yet receive these gross Abuses at their hands But our Eye is to the Lord and our Innocent Suffering Cause will he plead in his own time whose Will be done by us and that will be our Everlasting Rejoycing 3. For Masters I must speak my own Experience many have desired to retain us and great Trusts have been reposed in us To whom were we False Of whose Service were we Negligent When did any of us say I am not moved to do this or that when so required thereto Shall a Lying Dialogue be Demonstration enough to prove us what so invective an Adversary would have People believe us to be We do declare to all that the Light whereby we are enlightned alwayes commands and strictly enjoyns us Duty Obedience Love Peace Gentleness Faithfulness Industry Holy Living And whatever is supposed to the Contrary we disclaim it in the Fear and Name of the Righteous God of Heaven and Earth to be no Product of our Holy Principle I shall now attend his Cavils about the Ministry and give a short Taste of the Rancour of his Spirit therein He asks What is the True Ministry To which he maketh G.W. answer Quak. In the New Covenant God is the Teacher of his People himself immediately by his Immediate Spirit Power and Unction Christ Ascended p. 64. Christ If so wherefore were Apostles Prophets Evangelists Pastors Teachers c. giver and set in the Church for the Work of the Ministry And why do you set up one among your selves and appoint Ministers before-hand to speak in such a place and at such a time From whence I plainly collect thus much 1. That T.H. in so many words denyes God's Immediate Teaching by his Spirit Power and Vnction under the Gospel And in that one Expression strikes out what in him lies the whole Pourings out of the Holy Ghost the great Promise of the Father being led by the Spirit no more I but Christ that liveth in me the Tabernacle of God is with Men and he will dwell with them the Anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you and ye need not that any Man teach you or you need not Man's Teaching c. In short the very Dispensation of the Gospel which is a State of Power and Life immediately received of God is denyed by him 2. That in acknowledging such Officers to continue in the Church he must confess to their Qualifications or he does nothing Now that which qualified them was the Receiving of the Holy Ghost and those Heavenly Gifts by it which were necessary for the Discharge of those respective Services in the Church By this it appears that either Thomas Hicks must now yield to Preaching and Praying by the Motion of the Holy Spirit or in opposing of it acknowledge to his own Contradiction that there are no such Apostles Prophets c. who ministred to the Church as any thing was revealed to them the great Evangelical Qualification to the Ministry in our dayes 3. But why should Tho. Hicks therefore degrade the Dispensation because the People are not yet fitted to It or oppose the Means used to bâ—ing them to It to the End for which the Means are employ'd Besides is it Man's Teaching or Christ by and through Man God was in Christ and Christ in his Ministers reconciling the World unto himself that he might be the Immediate Priest Prophet and King to the Souls of People Might not the same Objection be more colourably made against the Apostle John who at that time wherein the Churches were so weak and the Means so many and lately establish't said unto them But the Anointing which ye have receiv'd of him abideth in you and ye need not that any Man teach you but as the same Anointing teacheth you of all things and is Truth and is no Lye And even as it hath taught you ye shall abide in him Where he is so far from meer Man's Teaching T. Hicks's only Teaching that by his words one would think the Churches to whome he wrote had as well been gathered without Means as that he admonished them to abide in that holy Unction as Sufficient to their Instruction and Comfort Therefore let him go ask the Apostle John why Men were to attend upon the holy Anointing as Sufficient not withstanding thosâ— Means then provided And the Answer to that Question will be ours But here is the Darkness of the Man from our denying of empty Vnauthoriz'd Imitations he infers our Denyal of such Means as God's Power uses and from out Using such Means to our Contradicting our selves and Immediate Teaching and because we use Means in God's Power to bring People to God the Judge of all that he may be their Judge and Law-giver and that from his Immediate Hand they may receive Wisdom Knowledge and Comfort he ignorantly concludes that Men where they are ought not to have Means us'd to bring them to this Blessed State but that God should Immediately teach them there 4. I charge him with another Lye in saying that we appoint Ministers before hand to speak in such a a place at such a time and much less that the End of our Meeting is to decoy trapan and inveagle others as he scoffingly and falsly insinuates We deny the Suggestion and renounce and judge such Practices by that pure Spirit that hath otherwise taught us God preserve us from that dry Hireling Custom and Practice of Tho. Hicks who will avenge our Cause upon the Head of this Ungodly Slanderer But he thinks he has uterly foyled us in his Representation indeed Perversion of our Belief about the Seed which though spoken to some distance before yet I am willing to say something to it least it be taken for granted and his scurvy Names accounted due Titles to such miserable Wretches as he endeavours to render us The Objection entirely is this You say that the Work of the Ministry is to point People to
though such Vngodly Persons partake not of his Holy Life and Power neither are subject unto his Government 6. From our affirming God's Promise made good that he would be the Teacher of his People and Directing People to God's Light in them as the Gospel-Instruction to the Way of Life He wickedly infers against us yet as our Meaning that we deny all Ministry all Visible Worship c. though they stand in God's Power and Spirit Dial. p. 41 43 A thing never believed nor intended 7. When we speak of Christ's Manhood or Christ's Visible Appearance and when we speak of his Eternal Godhead or as he is now to his Saints People saying he was never as such Visible to Wicked Men. He is not ashamed to tell the World in our Name that Christ was never Visible to Wicked Men as to that Bodily Appearance and therefore that we deny any such Appearance at all Cont. p. 37 40 41. 8. From our Believing Christ to be in his People according to express Scripture and our asserting that as such he is Crucified by Wicked Men. He infers that we deny Christ to be as well without as within not that he was ever Crucified in the Flesh Dial. p. 44. Oh Wicked Man 9. From our Denyal of their rigid Satisfaction that is that Christ was punished by his Father for our Sin and that Sins past present and to come are answer'd for and that Men may be Holy in Christ by Virtue thereof whilst not New but Old Creatures and so Unholy in themselves their Consciences not being Purged from dead Works He unworthily concludes that we disown Christ's Death and Sufferings as a Propitiation that his Body was an Offering for Sin that he bore the Weight of the Iniquity of the whole World that he carry'd away sins past sealed Remission in his Blood to as many as believe and that we expect to be both forgiven and accepted not for Christ's sake nor in his Sacrifice and Righteousness but our own Works Dial. p. 9 10. Cont. 48 49 50 51 52 53. All which is an horrid Abuse of us 10. From our asserting that the End of Christ's Coming to be not only the Forgivenes of Sin past upon Repentance but the finishing of Transgression in the Creature by the Operation of his Power in his Inward and Spiritual Appearance He Wickedly infers that we make his Visible Appearance of no Value and deny the End of Christ's Sufferings Dial. p. 10. Cont. p. 50 51 52 53 44 55. 11. Because we say that Men are not accepted of God but upon the Inward Work of the Holy Spirit in the Soul as to daily Comunion with God And that there is not another Way to be saved from Sin present and to come then by Christ's Inward Manifestation and Operation He Insinuateth as our Faith that we purchase our Forgiveness by our own Good Works and not that Christ was Gods Propitiation by whom Remission of Sins past came which is the meer Love and Mercy of God declared then by him in the World more eminently and now by the Light in the Conscience to all that Repent Ibid. p. 51 52 53. 12. Becauce we make Obedience a Condition to Salvation He would have People believe that we make it the Meritorious Cause and so Papists Dial. p. 2 63. 13. Because we say that Christ is but our Example in his abiding in the Father's Love by keeping his Commandments So Wicked is he as to conclude that we believe Christ to be in ALL THINGS BUT AN EXAMPLE Ibid. p. 54. Behold this Wickedness 14. From our pleading for a Perfection from Sin and a Growth to the Measure of the Fulness of the Stature of Christ in this Life He confidently infers our Denial of a Perfection in Dâ—gâ—â—es and our Belief of as high a State of Perfection of Glory in this World as hereafter Dial. p. 48 49 50 51. 15. From our asserting True Rejoycing to be the Result of God's Work in Man and Man's Conformity to him and what Man sows he reaps This Person basely infers our utter Denial of any Cause of Rejoycing from what Christ had done for us when bodily in the World or by his Righteousness now in us Ibid. p. 53. 16. Because we say that such Works as are wrought by the Holy Spirit in us are necessary to Eternal Life and may in a sense be said to obtain it since the Lord hath so freely offered it upon the condition of Believing Obeying the Fruits of the Spirit of God in Man He wickedly suggests in our Name that we expect to Merit Eternal Life by Good Works and those of our own working as the Spider Weaves his Webb out of his own Bowels Thus does he pervert and misconstrue our pure Faith Dial. p. 38. Cont. p. 51 52. 17. Because we say all True Spiritual Liberty stands in God's Power that loses from Satan's Snares He unrighteously infers That who are not of our Way should have no Liberty Cont. p. 87. O Impious Man God will reckon for these things with thee 18. From our asserting that the Breath of Life which came from God by which Adam became a Living Soul to God was something of God himself That he may keep his old Wont he falsly renders it as our Meaning that the Soul is a part of God and then fastens all his hideous Consequences Dishonestly upon us Dial. p. 45 46. 19. From our Preaching the Redemption of the Seed from under the Weight and grievous Pressures of Sin and calling it the Lost Groat and Pearl in the Field c. He dares to give it as our Faith that we believe that Holy Seed to be in a Lost Undone or Polluted State Dial. p. 47 Cont. p. 49. then which what can be more Wicked 20. Because we say the Scriptures are not the great Gospel-Rule but the Spirit because the Dispensation of the Spirit is that of the Gospel more peculiarly and that without it we cannot understand or savingly believe any thing declared of in the Scripture and therefore that it is our Rule for believing the Scriptures themselves He basely suggests that the Quakers cast off all Precepts in the Scriptures and will not bound either their Doctrines or Lives thereby so will not bâ—ing their Cheats Impostures to the Test thereof counting them of no more Authority THEN ESOPS FABLES Dial. p. 20 21 22 23 24 30 31 32 33 34 35 36. Cont. Epist to the Reader Behold your Anabaptist Preacher Indeed an Vngodly Wrester to his own Destruction 21. From our asserting that what was a Commandment to any Servant of God in old times is not so to us because so to them that is such as going to Pharaoh going Naked going to the Kings Chappel as Moses Isaiah and Amos did as also those Elementary Types Shadows and Figures appointed for a Season and to pass off That such are not Commandments to us unless required by the same Spirit anew It is not a
and Railing wherewith he was charged at Bristol upon the Holy Spirit and that neither he had nor I have Words enough to signifie our Venom and Malignity because I said of James Nailors Book writ long before his being so charged That if he had treated that accursed Stock of Hirelings ten thousand times more sharply it had been but enough is like the rest of his Vngodly Perversions already noted For first I speak against Hirâ—lings and I have said nothing of them that the Holy Prophets have not exceeded who called them Dumb Dâ—gs Greedy Dogs Wolves and such like But T. Hicks's Concern for Hirelings shews both that he is one himself and indeed has been so a long time and next that he is fallen with many more from the fiâ—st Love and Principle of that People called Anabaptists 2. From my Justifying James Nailor's Sharpness in a particular Contrâ—vâ—â—sie â—gainst a Deceitful Lâ—ing Prâ—eâ—â— he infeâ—s thâ—t I dâ—fend him as to his pâ—blick Miscâ—riâ—gâ—s at Bristol Iâ— this thy Conscience hath all thy pretended Scâ—iptural Doctrines Knowledge â—tudy Preachmâ—nts c. brought thee no further God will bâ—â—â—t it all and bring thee to Judgmâ—nt for â— clerâ—â—â—gs Well may I return the third particular against thy self and Warn all People how they adhere to a Man fâ—â—'d with so much Vnâ—ruth Slander Perversion and Forgery who art alienâ—ted from Gâ—d's Light as near as it is to thee and that Heavenly Life that is felt therein of all those who believe and obey the Light Reader Let us not be esteemed Railers because we rebuke Railing Nor our Relâ—gious â—ensure of their Perversions Forgeries and Prophâ—ness be accounted Reviling 'T is Trouble enough to us to be thus conceâ—ned in Controversie We would find other Employment if such Envious Spirits found not this for us 'T is not our Choice but theirs They began and which is worse when the Powers left off Their Restlesâ— Spirit shows it must have its Vent some way Policy and Enmity together have turn'd it upon us so that our Peace from the Powers proves a Persecution from some of the Professors as the Experience of the base Cowardize of many among them gives us to remember that the Powers Peâ—secution was the time of their Peace who like Insects lay dead during those Winter Seasons We were then their made Walls to flat the Shot and Bulworks to resist the Assaults and the more Moderate prayed that we might be enabled to stand But no sooner were we come out of that Fiery Furnace then we were saluted with an Imposture from Lincoln and a Lâ—e from Dover both subscribed by Anabaptist â—reâ—chers with several Clamorâ—us Books since An Ill Recâ—mpencâ— indeed for our Love and Sufferings But frâ—m God is our Reward therefore we are not moved with whom we leave our Innocency and â—e will Effectually plead our Cause with our Adversaries His SCOFFS or slight ESTEEM of WITNESSING With a Word to Professors With a Conclusive Supplication to the Lord. Arg. VI. He that Slights and Scoffs at Witnessing is no True Christian but that doth Tho. Hicks therefore no true Christian It was the Way of the True Prophets Apostles and Churches of Christ to declare of what they had known Experimentally of God and his Work otherwise they must have been uncertain of the Truth of those Things they have recommended to us And since the Times of Reformation from the Thickness of Popery Experiences have been very Excellent Things I remember though very young to Thousands what a great Stir and Flockings there has been in my time after such Preachers who could by any Experiences approach the Consciences and tell People upon Tryal what God was and what Christ was and the Holy Spirit with respect to the Soul of Man as to Manifestation Operation Conviction Faith Temptation Victory over Sin Regeneration and the like Indeed it was the Want of this Preaching that gave such a Dis-relish to People of the National Priests and they suffered not a little for their Change Sure I am some Forms reputed less Phanatical then that in which T. Hicks is prest closely after such a Ministry and utterly decryed all other to be Beneficial in the Church of Christ But the Lord God having appeared in a more Immediate and Spiritual Manner some having taken up their Rest by the way therby losing their first Desire and Love and so the more Insensible of these further Breakin gs forth of God's Power amongst them under the more refined Form they have sat down in and where the Lord in some Measure might have appeared to them do they in this Day set themselves to War against the Light and Life of Christ within For indeed it is a State too Inward Self-less and Spiritual for their Carnal Minds that can only perform an Outward and Formal Worship to arrive at Now such being closely beset in their Fading and Dying Forms and many on all hands in whom there are any tender Desires after God's Invisible Presence falling from them like Men that seek themselves and not the Lord they are belabouring hard to prevent such a Separation from them and indeed they are grown so Dry Barren of all Good by their Opposition to the Lord's Truth as now revealed among us that they come to lose with their former good Desires their very Doctrine And that which above all things was once most desirable to the better Sort of them and applauded by all is become a Theam for Scorn and Derision I mean WITNESSING Thomas Hicks though an Anabaptist-Preacher cannot abide to hear of Witnessing He had as lieu meet with the Lye as Witnessing for an Answer He commonly bestows Ignorance Folly or such like upon It for a Companion And though another Return might be as easily found out by him yet because it may not so well suite the Scoffer and Prophane WE WITNESS IT is to go in its room To which kind of Answer he usually replies What is Thy Witnessing to Me Do not put us off with your Witnessings which signifie nothing to us Thy Commands and Witnessing are much alike to me with more of this kind My Friends In the Love of God that would have you redeemed and saved I beseech you turn away from such Blind Guides their Paths are Darkness and the End thereof Death If ever you will know and worship God aright you must come to the measure of his Spirit in you that is given to convince the World of Sin and you must know the Work thereof Experimentally in you or your Souls perish for ever My Friends I have a great Stress upon me concerning you would I could reach into every Soul of you that you might be toucht with this true Testimony for I know not more truly that God is then that I feel him to be a Rewarder of every Man according to his Works and such as Men sow they must reap And truly my Friends Time passeth away apace and the Day
Conscience to appeal to God as one not guilty of such vile Injustâ—ce as that of charging us with false things and refer the Reader to Examine the Quotations when here â—s not one Quotation nor the colour of one that the Quakers did ever thus speak of or render the Holy Scriptures to be of no more Authority then the Fables of Aesop What will not Envy and Wickedness had this Man to say against us Doth this agree with â—is Pretence That all he intended was only our Conviction and Recovery Dial. p. 10. Is it not rather to do us what Injury and Mischief he can by Slanders and Forgeries Tho. Hicks's Charge against Nicolas Lucas viz. That N.L. a Real Quaker was moved to declare his Mind thus to one I know very well Thou mayst burn thy Bible and when that is done thou mayst serve God as well without it and if thou hast a mind to have a Scripture thou mayst write as good a one thy self N. L's Answer follows These words whereof T. Hicks hath thus publickly and positively accused me and that divers times over in his Pamphlet were never spoken by me nor was it ever my Principle Way or Motion to Dis-esteem Undervalue or speak evil of the Holy Scriptures for I really believe that Holy Men of God spake them forth as moved by the Holy Spirit Therefore this Charge against me is an Abominable Lye and Wicked Slander And with a clear Consience I speak it I do neither know nor remember that ever any words past from me whereby Tho. Hicks could so much as colour this Lye and Slander against me And I cannot but look upon my self to be greatly Injur'd and Abus'd by T.H. until he oâ— his Brethren do me Right in this thing in as publick a Manner to the World as he hath done me Wrong Which iâ— they do not I commit my Cause to God to judge between us and clear my Innocency herein London the 29 th of the 3 d Moneth 1673. Nicolas Lucas Whereas Nicolas Lucas was referr'd to Owen Horton and his Wife for Proof of Tho. Hicks's Charge before to whom Nicolas spoke about it and she referr'd her self to Hen. Stout to witness the Charge to which Hen. Stout answers thus viz I Hen. Stout of Hertford never in all my dayes heard Nicolas Lucas speak the Words nor any of the like Import or Tendency as charged on him before nor any Man else before Tho. Hicks that I can call to mind But am satisfied in my Conscience that he hath most grosly Wronged Nicolas Lucas To which I subscribe H. Stout Another Accusation is viz. That S. Eccles discoursing with a Friend of his in London told him The Scriptures were a Lye But that this may appear a very likely Lye against S.E. he adds 'T was replyed Why then dost thou mention them that The Quaker answer'd To silence thee That he should say the Scriptures were a Lye or that he made use of a Lye to silence his Opposer appears a most absurd Slander and where is his Quotation the Reader must examine for Proof Hath he not here Abused his Reader But let S. Eccles's own Words clear him of this Lye and Slander In his Book Mus Lect. he often cites the Scriptures calls them The Holy Scriptures pag. 13. Thou that sayst the Quakers deny the Scriptures belyest the Innocent pag. 20. Do not belye the Scriptures nor the Spirit that gave it forth for Holy Men wrote as they were moved by the Holy Ghost pag. 22 Whereas Tho. Hicks begins his Continuation thus Chr. I have formerly detected you of several Pernicious Opinions concerning the Scriptures the Light Within the Person of Christ and the Resurrection c. I presume by this time you have considered what say you thereunto To this he feigns the Answer thus viz. Quak. I say the Plagues and Judgments of God will follow thee G. Whitehead Rep. I testifie against this as a Fiction for this was not my Answer neither has he referred us to any Quotations of mine though upon this he is pleased to accuse me with Passion Furious Replies and Sarcasms for his own Fiction to which he hath counterfeited my Name I question not but the Judgments of God will follow him and such Forgers and Spreaders of Lyes But that was not my Answer to the said Objection This Dialogue-Man's Liberty in these Forgeries and silly Botcheries is neither Christian nor Civil As to what he sayes pag. 3. I answer 1. That the Life which is the Light of Men John 1. is not a Creature but Divine and of the very Being of God I still affirm and have else-where proved though the whole Essence or Being of God is not contained in Man yet enlightens all Men. And 2. That the Inward Speaking or Living Ministration of the Spirit of Truth is of greater Authority then the Scriptures or Writings in the Abstract 3. S. Crisp doth own the True and Real Christ the Son of the Living God in his Spiritual Divine Being to be without either Beginning Date or End This he hath fully answered else-where 4. That the Soul or Spirit of Man as it relates to the Creaturely Being is a distinct Being from the Infinite Being of God and is not properly a Part of God For he is not divided into Parts or Particles but with respect to its Original Life whereby it immortally subsists we are God's Off-spring and the Breath of Life or Immediate Inspiration of God by which Man became a Living Soul or the Original Life of Man's Soul Of this G.F. spoke when he said Is not that of God which cometh out from God viz. the Breath of Life His words are perverted and mis-cited by T.H. For in another Consideration and State he owns the Infinite Being of God and the Soul or Spirit of Man to be distinct Beings where he speaks of the Soul being in Death in Transgression Man's Spirit Vnsanctified the Soul being in Death Transgressing the Law see Great Myst p. 91. This he could never intend or speak of the Infinite Incorruptible Being of God for that never sinned 5. That G.W. denies the Resurrection of the Body that is of the Dead or any Body at all is false nor is this prov'd against G.W. from his Saying Thou sowest not the Body that shall be it 's raised a Spiritual Body and Flesh Blood shall not inherit the Kingdom of God 1. Cor. 15. And T.H. may as well charge it upon the Apostle and upon his Brother Tho. Collier who in his Marrow of Christianity p. 40 94 95. plainly saith The Form in which they shall be raised that is in a Spiritual Form not in a Fleshly c. All Flesh shall be swallowed up in Spirit and our Body shall be changed and made like his glorious Body But Tho. Hicks plainly contradicts him saying That the Apostles and all true Christians say This Body of Flesh and Bones shall rise again Dial. p. 59 60. which he could never yet
needs be Christ And let it be so then if it must either be a meer Creature or else Christ though he is not revealedly in every Man neither do Reprobates know Christ in them and he that hates his Brother hath no Eternal Life abiding in him Well I affirm then that there is an Immediate Divine Light of God and Christ in every Man to which their Minds Reason and Understandings are to be directed and thus far or in this sense God and Christ is in all and through all even in them who yet know him not in whom his Light is vailed and obscured But mark T.H. his great Charge in his first Dialogue p. 3. 'T is Blasphemy to say that the Light in Man is God or Christ Is it so How agrees this with their saying That Christ in respect of his Divine Nature is in all places and that Christ is the Life and Light of Men If in respect of his Divine Nature he be Christ then is Christ in all places how then shall this agree with his saying 't is Blasphemy to say that God and Christ is the Light in Man Seeing he cannot do it let 's endeavour it I suppose by the Light in Man â—e means Natural Reason or else the Spirit of Man indeed that is neither God Christ nor the Light but Blasphemy to affirm it is But that Light in Man which we contend for and direct to is an Immediate In-shining of Divine Light upon Man's Conscience that kindleth and lighteth Man's Spirit and maketh it becâ—me the Candle of the Lord which shews him Good and Evil and moves him to decline Evil and excites him to Good and this with respâ—ct to God and his own Salvation 〈…〉 who deny Christ to be the Light through 〈…〉 every Man or him to be the Light and â—ife of 〈◊〉 are Aâ—â—ichrists as E.B. saith 〈…〉 T.H. opposeth this he opposeth his own Concession T.H. excepts against my saying In the New Covenant God is the Teacher of his People himself by his Immediate Spirit Power and Unction within which I still affirm and he cannot confute but questions If so 1st Wherefore were Apostles Prophets Evangelists Pastors Teachers given and set in the Church for the Work of the Ministry p. 65. Answ Hereby he hath implyed as if the Work of the Ministry did argue that God is not the Teacher of his People in the New Covenant when both true Prophets and Ministers are taught by â—im and tell us that he is and we must wait on him â—or that End which implies no Defect in the Anointing within any more then John's Epistle did wherein he directs them to and testifies of the Sufficiency of the Anointing within to teach them 1 John 2. 2. Why do you set up a Ministry among your selves p. 65. False 't is of God's setting up it proceeds from the Holy Unction within and God hath blest our Ministry with his Presence for the turning many from Darkness to Light and from Men's Corrupt and Lifeless Preaching to the Anointing within and this you Angry Water-Baptists cannot hinder with all your Quarrelling and Reviling 3. Why do you appoint your Ministers before-hand to speak at suâ—h a Place at such a Time p. 66. A gross Falshood we appoint them not so to do they attend each Man upon God's Call and Motion in themselves and in Subjection to him is our Society we do neither appoint them to Preach nor Pray as Baptists were wont â—o do saying Brother do you Preach or do â—ou Praâ— and then the Brother to make Answer Nay prâ—â— Brother do you â—ou are more able then I c. on such Motions you can Preach or Pray without feeling any immediate Motion from God's Spirit to either 4. You invite others to your Silent Meetings telling us they will be such how are you assurâ—d that those you invite may not be moved to speak p. 66. False â—gain we do not conclude before-hand they will be wholly Silent Meetings nor limit the Lord from moving any one to speak in them Whereas he abuseth our Distinction between the Soul of Man and its Saviour as if it were but the same that 's between Christ and his In shining Light or Gift in Man or between God and some part of himself supposed Answ Man's Soul and â—s Saviour are distinct Beings the one Creatural having a Beginning and the other Divine and Infinite Christ and his Light within which we vindicate are but one in Being It s grosly Falsâ— That the Meaning of my Distinction must bâ— That Christ is not Divine and Increated but his Light is p. â—0 For the Meaning of mine is between the Giver and the Immediate Gift as flowing from him the Fountain and the Stream the Sun and its immediate Shining God is the Fulness of Light and Life and yet it s by degrees that he makes known his Discoveries or In-shining in Man but my Distinction between the Soul of Man and its Saviour is of another kind as appears by my citing those Scriptures in the Casâ— viz. Rom. 2.9 and Isaiah 3.9 The Distiction is plain see Dipper Plunged pag. 15. and The NATVRE OF CHRISTIANITY pag. 15 17 and 27. I may not well omit briefly to retro-inspect some perverse and corrupt Passages in Tho. Hicks his Continuation I still affirm it a gross Slander that the Quakers account the Blood of Christ no more then an Vnholy or Common thing Dial. p. 9. and no more then the Blood of a Common Thief Contin p 4. And our asserting the Sufficiency of the Light of Christ-within to bring to eternal Life proves neither nor doth his Inference follow or amount to any Proof against us vizt where he saith Then the Shedding of Christ's Blood upon the Cross was needless Contin p. 4. which is as good an Argument as to say If God makes manifest any thing in Man that 's Saving then all the outward Testimonies of his Love to Man were needless and thus he might as well argue against the Sufficiency of his Spirit Ingrafted Word Life or Light of his Son in Man in what Age soever and tell us the shedding of Christs Blood on the Cross which was an Act of his Persecutors and Murderers supplies the Defect of all Inward Manifestations how Spiritual and Divine soever O what profund Divinity and exquisite Logick is this His other Proofs as charged upon the Quakers are but Additions to his Slander and Forgery before vizt 1 That the Sufferings of Christ were only Exemplary 2 That the Mystery of Iniquity lies in the Blood of Christ To the first I say only is added yet Christ left us an Example of perfect Obedience and Holiness that we should follow his Steps To the second 't is gross and blasphemous to say the Mystery of Iniquity lyes in the Blood of Christ and 〈◊〉 of the Quakers Assertion but that it lyes in the corrupt Mind that carnally and falsly applies it to â—â—se and cover it self in Sin and Iniquity For
separate Christ in them the Hope of Glory Newman's Light within p. 81 82 83 86. XIV Qua. That through Faith in the Power of Christ Perfection that is a Freedom from Sin is attainable and comes to be attained in this Life by the Soul that experienceth the Restauration by Christ Bap. If God in his Son draw up the Soul to himself Jo. 6 44. The more Special and Spiritual Condition of Souls thus drawn up to God in Christ is not only a Restauration to the Condition of the first Adam with relation to a Freedom from Sin this every Believer enjoys by Christ a Freedom a Justification from Sin But secondly every Soul drawn â—p out of it self to God is brought into the Condition of the second Adam Marrow Christian p. 29. XV. Qua. That Soul that 's restored unto the New Covenant-Dispensation and come to taste how good he is to partake of his Spiritual Wisdom and Counsel therein doth own and follow this Spirit and the Light thereof as the Chief Rule of Faith Obedience and Worship above the Scripture or Letter and the Spiritual Saving Knowledge of God and Christ therein beyond all Literal Knowledge and Profession of him received from without Bap. This Wisdom namely of the Spirit which is spiritual and heavenly sets the Creature out of himself in the Power of God that Wisdom namely of the Flesh and first â—dam carried on the Creature to the Answering of God in the Letter and yet in all this come sâ—oâ—t This 〈…〉 of the Spirit carries on the Soul where It 〈◊〉 is nâ—â—â—fter the Oldness of the Letter but after the Newness of the Spirit In â— wâ—rd that Wisdom could not helâ— to the Knowledge of God in the Spirit This doth 1 Câ—r 1. Marrow of Christian p. 35. Certainlâ— that â—oul who hath once tasted how Good and how Gracious the Lord is in the Spirit 〈◊〉 never be satisfâ—â— with â— Knowledge of him in the Letter The Knowledge of a Spiritual Vâ—iâ— with God produceth an acting 〈◊〉 and â—â—er the Spirit of God How doth the Creature 〈…〉 work and â—â—ls it self even in the Letter of the Gospel as well as formerly in the Letter of the Laâ— for want of Knowledge of the Vnion in the Spiritual Power of the Lord Marrow p. 44. XVI Qua. Christ's Second Appearance or Coming to the Salvation of them that truly wait and look for him is a Spiritual Appearance or Coming in Spâ—â—â— to sâ—vâ— his People and not in Scripture callâ— a Pâ—â—â—â—â—d or Fleshly Coming nor his Reign a Personal Reign in his Kingdom for 't is a Spiritual Kingdom and his Reign in it Spiritual Bap. Christ's Presence and so his Kingdom will be a Spiritual Presence and not a Personal His Reign in the Latter Dayes will not be Personal but Spiritual Jesus Christ is no more to be known of the Saints after the Flesh therefore his Presence so and his Kingdom will not be a Fleshly or Personal Presence and Kingdom but a Spiritual his Glory Spiritual his Kingdom not of this World c. See the Point argu'd at large Marrow Christian p. 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 to the end of the Section XVII Qua. That there is an Immortal and Incorruptible Seed of the Nature of Christ Jesus to be known in the Soul whereof true Believers come to be born again even by the Word of Life and Power which liveth and abideth forever and so comes Christ to be formed and Spiritually born in them and they to be renewed up into his Nature and Image Bap. Although we have known Christ after the Flesh yet know we him no more why If any Man be in Christ he is a New Creature Christ is formed in him after the Spirit and he comes now to 〈◊〉 a Spiritual Christ within him Marrow p. 55. Faith may be acted not only on Christ's Dying 〈◊〉 the Cross but in Christ's Living in the Soul that is my believing That Christ is Spiritually formed in me as well as that he dyed for me Ibid p. 56. XVIII Qua. We are fully satisfied that God is so far from having absolutely and particularly decreed Men's Destruction from Eternity or designing perpetual and meer voluntary Hatred to particular Persons or with-holding his Saving Grace from them that his Love is in the first place Universal to all Mankind his Grace which brings Salvation hath appeared and is free to all Men till they reject it the Appearance whereof is in and by the Light of his Son in all which is sufficient to leave all the Disobedient without Excuse whereby Men are at sometimes put into such a Capacity as that they may be saved and so receive the Benefit and good End of Christ's Coming Suffering Death and becoming a Ransom for ALL for a Testimony in due time of God's fâ—â—e Love and Grace And with this the General Baptists agree against the Contrary Partial and Pinching Opinion of the Particular Electioners Bap. 1. We believe and are very confident that there is one Lord Jesus Christ by whom are all things who is the only begotten Son of God whom God freely sent into the World because of his great Love unto the World who as freely gave himself a Ransom for all 1 Tim. 2.5 6. tasting Death for every Man Heb. 2.9 a Propitiation for our Sins and not for ours only but also for the Sins of the whole World 1. Jo. 2.2 2. That God is not willing that any should perish but that all should come to Repentance 2. Pet. 3.9 and the Knowledge of the Truth that they might be saved 1 Tim. 2.4 for which End Christ hath commanded that the Gospel to wit the glad Tiding of Remission of Sins should be preached to every Creature Maâ—k 16.15 So that no Man shall eternally suffer in Hell for want of a Christ that dyed for them but as the Scripture saith for denying the Lord that bought them 2 Pet. 2. or because they believe not in the Name of the only begotten Son of God Jo. 3 18. Vnbelief therefore being the Cause why the Just and Righteous God will condemn the Children of Men it follows against all Contradiction that all Men at one time or other are put into such a Capacity as that through the Grace of God they may be eternally saved Joh. 1.7 Act. 17.30 Mark 6.6 Heb. 3.10 18.19 1 Joh. 5 10. Joh. 3.17 See Art 3.4 of Confession of Faith presented to the King subscribed by 46 of them Serious Reader I having diligently traversed the present Controversies between some of these Water-Baptists and us called Quakers have thus far laboured for Quietness and Reconciliation by thus obviously laying down those Principles and Doctrines of ours that have been chiefly struck at by the Dialogue-Man and some others of them together with his and his Brethren's own intermixt Concessions and Assenting to the Truth thereof in most things very nearly concurring in Matter and Substance which while he or any of them otherwhiles oppose and