not sufficient for Salvation without the Truth be inwardly taught by the Spirit yet how often hath this man affirmed That whatever the Spirit works in us is but our own Righteousness yet here to the Confutation of all his former Affirmations saith That without the inward Teachings of the Spirit there is no Salvation no not by Jesus of Nazareth c. so big is this man with the prodigious Monsters not only of dividing the Holy Ghost from Christ but of horrible Confusion Ignorance Unbelief and Blasphemy 1st Confusion in that he is so Contradictory to himself 2. Ignorance because it implies a Distrusting of Christ even while we are acted by the Holy Ghost which is impossible 3. Vnbelief because he saith he dares not trust to the Holy Ghost and yet saith we cannot be saved except we be inwardly taught by the Holy Ghost 4. Blasphemy because he supposes it is possible for the Holy Ghost to deceive us else why doth he say that he dares not trust to the Holy Ghost but to Christ c Neither will it at all help him for to say He intends only as to Justification because he acknowledgeth there can be no Salvation by Jesus of Nazareth and consequently no Justification by Christ without the inward Teachings of the Spirit for saith he historical Knowledge cannot do it but the inward Knowledge which the Spirit gives doth do it so that what he hath said though against his Will amounts to this viz. That true experimental Justification by Christ cannot be savingly known without it be inwardly taught by the Spirit by which Grant he hath renounced these two Erroneous Opinions viz. 1st That what the Holy Ghost works in us is our own Righteousness and 2dly That he was deceived and mistaken when he said he durst not trust to the Holy Ghost but to Christ and hath confirmed the Truth to be on my side viz. That we are justified in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God 1 Cor. 6.11 Haworth Faith as a Habit or Act in us is our own Righteousness p. 54. Crook He hath conveyed all his right to this by his former Grant only he hath that left which still renders him more suspitious viz. That his Claim is nought because it will not indure Scripture-Terms but no marvel seeing he dares not trust to the Holy Ghost But let his late Recantation include his uncouth word Habie amongst his other Mistakes of Unscund Expressions c. for the Scripture no where calls that Faith which is wrought by the exceeding Greatness of that Power which raised up Christ from the Dead Eph. 1.19,20 our own Righ cousness which is as absurd an Affimation as to say the Apostle intended viz. by not having on our own Righteousness c. not having Faith c. Haworth That Error of the Quakers viz. that first Risings to Evil in the Heart if not consented to are not Sin and here in a Digression I will take Leave to propound some Arguments against that Error of the Quakers desiring J. C. to give a fair Answer to them p. 56. Arg. 1. Haworth That which the Apostle calleth Sin we ought to call it so but the Apostle giveth this Name to those Metions to Evil Ergo. Crook The Apostle Rom. 7.5 distinguisheth between Motion and Sin Ergo Motion in some Sense is not Sin 2. He distinguisheth between his former State in the Flesh when Motions brought forth Sin unto Death and his present Condition which implies unconsented to Motions do not 3. Though Motions in a strict Sense may be called Sin yet not unto Death or damning because as it is subjected in Vn-consenting Persons it looseth its own Natural Venome and Relation to Guilt Vid. Dr. Taylor upon Original Sin Chapter 6. Arg. 2. Haworth That which is a Transgression of the Law of God delivered by Moses is a Sin but a Motion tâ—… Evil though not consented to is so Ergo. Crook To this thou hast answered thy self in confessing all the Commandments save the last forbid consent to evil Thoughts arising in the Heart according to Christ's Interpretation of them Mat. 5. so that if there be not consent there is no Transgression and consequently not Sin but thou would'st have the 10th Commandment as it were to be different in Nature from all the rest and to forbid more as if to covet my Neighbour's House were worse then to kill my Neighbour and to covet my Neighbour's Ox were worse then to steal it Arg. 3. Haworth That which is to be mortified and crucified must needs be Evil c. I ask from wherce they arise c Crook To deny resist and refuse to consent to Motions to Evil is a mortifying and crucifying of them And for thy further Information they arise a naturae vitio i. e. from a Defection of Nature and inclines to Sin c. Arg. 4. Haworth If they are such as are a Burden to one that is made Partaker of the new Nature then they must be evil and sinful c. Crook This is as true of Outward Afflictions and Punishments as of Inward Motions and Risings and no man will say that these are sinful in themselves and yet they are burdensome to such as are made Partakers of the New Nature c. Arg. 5. Haworth If these Motions bring so much Guilt upon a man that there is need of the Attonement of Christ and if it were not for the Grace of God in Christ we should be condemned for them c. then they are Evil but c. Crook It is the Grace of God in Christ that enables a man to wrestle with and deny to consent unto these Motions and therefore these Motions unconsented to are not his Sin and consequently bring neither Guilt nor Condemnation Arg. 6. Haworth That which flows from an Evil Fonntain must needs be Evil but c. Crook By thy own Confession in pag. 59. thou sayest That in Case we yield not to Satan's Temptations we are not guilty so that thou hast answered thy self For either those Temptations which come from Satan come not from an Evil Fountain or else there is no Necessity that that which flows from an Evil Fountain must needs be the Evil of Unconsenting Persons Arg. 7. Haworth That which is a Privation of that Righteousness and Image that was at first in man and should be now in man and the Law requires it should be in everyone of us that must needs be Evil but c. Crook I deny that Evil Risings or Motions to Evil have made such a Privation of that first Image of God in man that there is not so much of it remaining in man as to resist or shew a dislike to them for the Heathen Poet proves the contrary Video meliora proboque tamen deteriora sequor i.e. I see the best things and approve them to be so yet I follow the worst Arg. 8. Haworth These Motions must be either Good Evil or Indifferent
and to thy own Consutation thou makes Christ the Author of both saying He wounds at well as heals kills as well as makes alive the one he doth by the preaching of the Law the other by the Gospel Doth not this prove Law and Gospel to be one in their End and Nature for which thou tauntest so much at me and spendest the whole 13th page by way of Derision saying It will cost me some Sweat to untye this Knot c. But before thou art aware thou hast done it For if it be Christ that kills by the Law as thou sayest and Christ that makes alive by the Gospel Is not he one and the same and is not his End the same like a wise Physician to cure and restore his Patient Haworth The Law in its own Nature is spiritual page 16 c. Crook And is not the Gospel so too What is it this man quarrels with is it not written The Ministration of Condemnation is glorious but the Ministration of the Spirit exceeds in Glory In it self it is not glorious but dreadful and terrible but because of its End by convincing of Sin and so humbling the Soul to a welcome reception of Christ or the Grace of the Gospel as thy self speaks p. 11. And the Apostle doth not say the Ministration of the Spirit differed in Nature and Kind but exceeded in Glory and therefore saith Diversity of Ministrations but by the same Lord or Spirit pag. 11 c. Haworth Yet hitherto tends this admitting of no Distinction of Law and Gospel p. 13. Crook My words are not so but thus viz. Why dost thou divide betwixt Law and Gospel Surely thou art not so ignorant as thou makest thy self as if there were no diffence between distinguishing and dividing But because the Scripture distinguisheth between Father Son and Spirit therefore by thy Logick they are divided and because the Scripture distinguisheth between Justification and Sanctification therefore it divides them according to thy dealing with me for I ask why thou dividest between Law and Gospel and thou abusest and pervertest my words as if I admitted of no Distinction between them Is this sair dealing William Haworth But remember for the time to come That a Man may lawfully Distinguish where he ought not to Divide as is proved Haworth The Law is spiritual i. e. requires that all the Thoughts of Man and Desires and Motions of the Heart should be holy and spiritual continually p. 14. c. Crook Here thou hast plainly confessed to that which thou hast been so long fighting against viz. that the Law is spiritual c. and is not the Gospel spiritual also if yea are they not One in Nature I never laid in Degree but want in Degree varies not the Truth in Nature and Kind and is it the End of the Law to require that all the Thoughts of Man and Desires and Motions of the Heart should be holy and spiritual continuaelly doth not the Gospel also do the same how now William who is infatuated now to speak that thou never intendest viz. that Law and Gospel are One in the End and Nature as thou speakest p. 12. But more of this may be seen in Title Contradictions c. and Title Scoffs c. Haworth I challenge thee to produce one Scripture where Law and Spirit â—re one c. Crook If I prove that the Word or Term Law is applyed to the Spirit I make good my own Assertion and overthrow thy vain boasting Challenge Now the Law is called Truth Psal 119.142 So is the Spirit 1 Joh 2.27 and 1 Joh. 5.6 The Law is called Light Prov. 6.23 and so is the Spirit If the Eye be single the whole Body is full of Light Rom. 7.14 We know the Law is spiritual how dost thou know it I feel it in my Mind by the Spirit saith Beza and also a Law in my Members warring against it Rom. 8 2. The Law of the Spirit of Life which is in Christ Jesus c. saith Beza is the Power and Authority of the Spirit against which is set the Tyranny of Sin Thus he c. The Term Law is applied both to Works and to Faith or the Spirit in Opposition to Works Rom. 3.27 The Law is also called the Testimony to the Law and to the Testimony Isa 8. The two Tables of the Law are called the Testimony Exod. 25.16,21 The Gospel or Spirit is called the Testimony 1 Cor. 2.1 2 Thes 1.10 Rom. 7.7 Except the Law had said thou shalt not lust by Law is understood the Law of the Spirit for the outward Law saith not so 1 Tim. 2.6 Where Christ is called the Testimony who gave himself a Ransom for all men that Testimony in due time c. by all which it may appear notwithstanding William Haworth's vain Challenge and confident to the contrary that the Term Law and Testimony c. are applied to Christ to the Spirit and to the Gospel or New Testament Haworth I have known the Spirituallity of the Law convincing me of that to be Evil which you say is not Sin viz Evil Thoughts arising in my Heart though not consented to Crook Here thou confessest that the Spirituallity of the Law which was the thing I affirmed to be one in End and Nature with the Gospel to be the Spirit or Power of God which is called the Gospel and is said Hebr. 4.12 to be A Discerner of the Thoughts and Intents of the Heart which thou sayest it doth in thee this must needs be the Spirit by thy own Acknowledgment p. 14. calling the Law a fit Instrument for the Spirit to make use of so that it 's the Spirit 's Work whatever is the Instrument that is the Agent by thy own Acknowledgment But I perceive the Scriptures quoted by me have qualified thy Heat page 15. so that now it is the Doctrine of the Gospel not Law taken strictly c. but it may be called the Law so it be not taken strictly but in a mild or common Acceptation so that thou hast both made the Challenge viz. to produce one Scripture where Law and Gospel are Terms that signifie the same Thing as I asserted and to which thou makest this Challenge and also undertakest to make it good against thy self Haworth My tasting of the Grace of Jesus Christ was the Reason why I did not take up with the Quakers Christ finding so much Sweetness and Comfort in the Knowledge of him crucified and so abhorring to believe in the Light within as the Christ of God Crook David invites to Tasting as the best Way of knowing how Good and Gracious the Lord is Psal 34.9 and Paul also accounted the Revelation of Christ within to be the Excellency of the Knowledge of Christ Gal. 1.12,15,16 compared with Phil. 3.8,10,11 And called me by his Grace to reveal his Son in me but contrariwise that which thou callst the Grace of Jesus Christ caused thee to abhor believing in any such Revelation of
sanctified part to be himself whereby he stands in relation to Christ and a better Life pag. 101. Thus far Sibbs But if I should have writ half so much I should have been censured for idolizing and setting up Man's Own Righteousness as W. Haworth calls the Righteousness within that consists in the Virtues and Gifts of the Spirit but these serious Men speak no such Language c. Haworth And for this Compleatness is accepted and that it will hold the Test before God's Tribunal and so will justifie us and it is beyond the Righteousness of the Elect Angels ibid. c. Crook Such as are Witnesses of this blessed Work within are accepted of God but not barely for that Holiness and Righteousness sake as it is a Work within but for his sake that is both the Author and Finisher of the whole Work of Man's Redemption For as the Builder is more honourable then the House so is Christ then his Work Heb. 3.3 He hath made us accepted in the Beloved Ephes 1.6 And chosen us through Sanctification of the Spirit and Belief of the Truth 2 Thess 2.13 And this will hold the Test and these by this Faith are and shall be justified before God's Tribunal And that it is beyond the Righteousness of the Elect Angels is both an ignorant and needless Question Haworth I fly by Faith which the Spirit works in me by the hearing of the Gospel to Jesus Christ to deliver me from the Wrath to come 1 Thess 10. p. 28. Crook This flying in thy own Will is like to thy applying of him which I spake to before Christ saith No man can come to me except my Father which sent me draweth him Joh. 6.44 But this viz. I fly sounds like a customary word only gotten by rote while the true Believer depends upon God and Christ to receive the immediate Ability to use and exercise Grace and Virtue aright for the further Growth and Increase for Grace dorment will not save us saith Dr. Sibbs Soul's Conflict pag. 105. and further saith The first Justice begins within when there is a due Subjection of the Soul to the Spirit c. Now hadst thou born the Indignation c. and waited with David in the Way of God's Judgments then with Paul thou wouldst have said I thank God through Jesus Christ that is come unto me and made himself known in and unto me by his Spirit that takes of his Blood and Virtue and shews them unto me applys them as proper Remedies to cure my Malady and inriching Jewels to make me glorious But thy Speech bewrayes thee thou wantest the Shibboleth of a true regenerate Man Haworth I perceive this by what thou sayest here that thou hast tasted but very scantily of the Wrath of God in thy Conscience otherwise thou wouldst not have such sleighting Thoughts of it as to apprehend it to be attoned any other way then by Christ's bearing it who sweat drops of Blood under it and thy unacquaintedness with the Nature of Faith in that thou callest it an Easie Way p. 28. c. Crook I shall not make thee my Confessor of what I have tasted but if thou hadst not fled the Judgment it had been better for thee then to escape it to get Ease in the Flesh I know him in whom I have believed and received the Attonement as the true Christians did by having the Witness of it in my self And thou dost but flatter thy self and falsly accuse me in saying I apprehend Sin and Wrath to be attoned any other way then by Christ bearing it for I never said nor thought so But this I say knowingly That it is not the bare believing of the Doctrine of Attonement from the Record of Scripture without though that be true that is the real Passification to the saving of the Soul in God's sight except the inward Testimony of it by the in dwelling Presence of Christ be witnessed in the Heart All Books were written to amend this One Book of our Hearts and Consâ—ence saith Dr. Sibbs ibid. pag. 61. and though we have not a Book to look on yet we may look with Comfort into the Book of our own hearts and read what God hath written there by the Finger of his Spirit c. I have the rather inserted this here that thou mayest not forget to search this Book or Record and to be well acquainted with what is written there for such to be sure can never undervalue the Drops of Blood that he sweat for them nor be ignorant of the Nature of true and living Faith nor call the daily looking unto and depending upon God as the Eye of the Maiden unto her Mistriss an easie Way Haworth Ah John what meanest thou to turn the Scoffer like Julian Do the Saints find it an Easie Way who cry out daily Lord help our Vnbelief p. 29 c. Crook My words are these viz. An Easie Way if thou couldst escape God's Vengeance by casting it all upon Christ by imagining his doing and suffering God's Pleasure to be reckoned thine by a bare Belief of it wholely without thee Thou wouldst tempt the Reader by leaving out these last words to believe me to be a Julian as the Devil tempted Christ to cast himself down abusing the Scripture But let the Reader judge by my words together what a scoffing Julian I am if we compare Mark 9.24 14 15 16 17. vers it will not appear that that Saint as thou callest him there spoken of knew much of thy Faith if he was like thee in any thing it was in that he joyned with the disputing Scribes against the Disciples of Christ But those that are Saints indeed find that no less Power then that which raised up Christ from the dead is able to make them believe is that Christ to the saving of the Soul and they had need of daily help against the springings of the bitter Root of Vnbelief in themselves But to be wise to dispute of Salvation is one thing and to be wise unto Salvation through Faith in Christ Jesus is another But I say still It s an Easie Way to Salvation if thou canst escape by casting all God's Vengeance on Christ by imagining his doing and suffering God's Pleasure to be reckened thine by a bare believing of it wholely without thee for do not all the Ungodly in England generally believe it But saith Dr. Sibbs Soul's Conflict It were an Easie Thing to be a Christian if Religion stood only in a few Outward Works and Duties but to take the Soul to taâ—k and to deal roundly with our own Hearts and to let Conscience have its full Work and to bring the Soul into Spiritual Subjection unto God this is not so easie a Matter p. 228. Haworth Ah John Crook here thou stumblest at the Cross of Christ and art leavened in thy Mind with hellish Socinianism the Dirt will out at last John here thou art plainly ashamed of the Cross of Christ dares
sayest it is a working Faith and if it were not so it must needs be a dead Faith And the Apostle Paul speaks not of a bare believing excluding its operative Nature no more then the Apostle James doth of Works excluding believing but both agree that Justification is by a living working Faith When the Apostle excludeth Works from Justification he excludeth them only under the Notion or Conceit of Merit in which Sense the Jews urged the Necessity of them in that Business There is no Opposition between Grace and Works but a clear Consistency except or unless by Works we understand Merit And to say it receives no Efficacy from its being accompanied with Works is little less in plain English then to say if it did not work it would be as efficacious to Justification which is both contrary to Scripture and this received Doctrine viz. Where Christ removes the Guilt of Sin he also removes the Filth of Sin Justification and Sanctification being inseparable Companions and Justification is never without Sanctification for no Persons are the Subjects of Gospel Justification as ungodly or as in their sins but as being sanctified and the Filth of Sin removed so then justified not in Sin but in the Truth and Righteousness of Christ they being washed c. according to 1 Cor. 6.11 And such were some of you but ye are washed but ye are sanctified but ye are justified in the Name of the Lord Jesus and BY THE SPIRIT of our God according to this Maxim that without Likeness of Disposition there can be no Likeing of each other Haworth Enough if thou wast real in thy Expressions p. 29. c. Crook That the Reader may bear witness to W. H's Acknowledgment that what I have said is enough I shall set down my Words and abide by them to save further dispute about this Point viz. I know and believe Salvation by the imputed reckoned and real everlasting Righteousness of Jesus Christ brought nigh Which Confession of mine he acknowledgeth to be enough if real c. Haworth I had thought that Faith had been the Substance of things hoped for that by Faith Christ dwelt in our Hearts p. 30. c. Crook This he speaks of the imputed Righteousness of Christ brought nigh which is a large Confession to the Inherentness or Indwelling of Christ and consequently his Righteousness in the Hearts of true Believers and that which he calls the Substance of things hoped for he saith is in their Hearts also Now if all these things be so nigh what is the Cause that W. H. and I are so far assunder Haworth This is true plainly understood as spoken pag. 31. c. Crook These are my Words he confesseth unto speaking of the Imputed Righteousness of Christ which in the Fulness of time was manifest in and by him and in due time made mine by the Work and Application of his Spirit in my Inward Parts This is true saith W. H. So that I need take no further Notice of his Cavils against it seeing he hath so fully confessed to the Truth of it Haworth If this Him was to be understood of the true Christ we need not one Word further p. 32. c. Crook My Words are viz And God is well pleased or satisfied in and with Him in whom I am accepted c. Now I do declare it is the true Christ that I intended by Him so that it is needless for me to reply one Word further as himself confesseth Haworth Christ of himself and his Merit is not sufficient unless something wrought by the Light in us doth joyn its Merit with him pag. 33. c. Crook This is scoffingly spoken in Contempt not only of what I have said but also of the Works of the Spirit as appears by his own Words viz. Thou wouldst have the Works that are wrought by the Spirit have some Share in Acceptation What would this man say if he durst speak plainly as if the Spirit in its working did lessen the worth and sufficiency of Christ or as if W. H. contemned that Ancient Orthodox Saying viz. It is not propter but secundum i. e. We are accepted not for nor yet without where there is a Capacity but according to GOOD WORKS But this man would make the works of the Spirit and the work of Christ to be like Israel and Amalek No Acceptation of an Israelite by the Merit of Christ unless the Works of the Spirit like the Name of Amalek be quite blotted out from having any thing to do with it Haworth What the Lord doth is really done c. Crook I Oppose Reallity to thy Imagination not to any Act of God for in the New Creation as well as the Old God saith Let it be so and it is so But I am jealous thou and others imagine that to be so which is not so in this great Case Therefore do not deceive thy self and others by calling the strength of Imagination Reality and a confident Presumption a Living Faith Haworth But indeed this Righteousness is not at a Distance from us but put upon us by the Father's Gift Ye have put on Christ Gal. 3.27 It is the best Robe put upon us c. And all that Righteousness that is within us of Sanctification is but the Fruit of this it was merited and purchased for us by this p. 34 c. Crook I have spoken to this Subject under Title Contradiction and Confusion The Words he so wars against are these viz. Thou believest to be saved by a Righteousness wholely without thee Reckoned but not Real which Righteousness Christ wrought One Thousand Six Hundred Years since not that we undervalue that Righteousness nay cursed is he that so doth really no nearer to thee then the Place where he personally lived and dyed Now I desire the Reader to consider if his Proof consutes this viz. Gal. 3.27 For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ this is that Righteousness that is imputed to us and procures the Discharge from our Sins or Debts by W. Haworth's own Acknowledgement This being Baptized into Christ is explained by the same Apostle Rom. 6.3,4,5,6 Know ye not that so many of us as were baptized into Christ were baptized into his Death therefore we are buryed with him by baptism into Death that like as Christ was raised from the Dead by the Glory of the Father even so we also should walk in Newness of Life for if we have been planted together in the Likeness of his Death we shall be also in the Likeness of his Resurrection knowing this that our Old Man is crucified with him that the Body of Sin might be destroyed that henceforth we should not serve Sin And this Phrase We have put on Christ is also expounded by the same Apostle Rom. 13.12,13,14 And let us put on the Armour of Light so that we walk honestly as in the Day time not in Gluttonny and Drunkenness neither in
Case only deny their Merit to justifie without Christ 5. When thou findest me pleading the Necessity of good Works in justified Persons it is only according to that ancient Maxim non propter sed secundum i. e. not for them as meritours but according to them as that which God hath joyned together and no man ought to put them assunder 6. When thou observest me opposing my Adversary's Imputation of Righteousness it is not because I deny imputed Righteousness but his Application of it to the Ungodly while in their Ungodliness contrary to 1 John 3.7 Little Children let no Man deceive you he that doth Righteousness is righteous even as Christ is righteous 7. When thou findest me affirming in Contradiction to my Adversary that if the first rising to Evil be the Sin of unconsenting Persons that judges and denies them then I say it 's no matter who consents or who denies if he that denies sinneth as well as he that consents and yet I do not deny inward motions to Sin to be evil in themselves Lastly I desire the Reader to observe throughout this whole Book this Agreement between my Adversary and I viz. That the true Knowledge of the Doctrines in Controversie must be inwardly taught by the Spirit as he saith p. 66. And both in our Preachings and Writings saith he we are for an experimental spiritual Knowledge of Christ c. So that when either of us speak of Christ thou art to understand it of a spiritual and experimental Knowledge of Christ and the like thou art to understand of Faith Justification c. they must be all inwardly taught by the Spirit that our Knowledge may be experimental and spiritual else it is but dogmatical and historical which saith my Adversary p. 66. is not sufficient for Salvation These Things being diligently observed may both help the Reader and in a great measure put an End to all Contention between us and our Adversaries John Crook A Brief REIOYNDER TO VVilliam Haworth's EPISTLE John Crook PAssing by many Impertinencies and Reflections besides what is here animadverted upon under the following Heads I have for brevity sake returned this Rejoynder c. W. Haworth That Meeting was beneficial to us by Reason of a Concession from thee at that time viz. That the New Creature was an higher thing then the Light within and you did but point out People to the Light in order to the New Creature Epist pag. 2. Crook If by a higher Thing thou intendst a further State then a bare having of the Light or then the first believing in it if so then I affirm the same still and the End of our directing People to the Light is that they might be new-born Babes and Children of Light by believing in it otherwise the bare believing that there is such a Light and that they have it will not be sufficient for them except they be regenerated by it I hope when you meet with this it will be as beneficial as that Meeting thou speakest of But then William thou must repent of calling the Light a rotten corrupt and unsound Thing and of saying thou scarce knowest one Gospel truth but it contradicts pag. 149. and pag. ibid. Haworth I have heard thee my self say He brought his Son out of Egypt i. e. out of the Egyptian-darkness of our hearts Doth not this take off from the History Epist p. 7. Crook No more then those words Hebr. 6. Seeing they crucified again to themselves the Son of God c. do take off from the History of his being crucified without the Gates of outward Jerusalem Rev. 11.8 there is inward or spiritual Egypt and Sodom spoken of where also our Lord was crucified And is there not Darkness in that Egypt Oh William the Reason why thou art such a Stranger to these things is because Nullum elimentum in suo loco gravescitur He that is in Union with thick Darkness feels not the Misery and Pain of it Haworth That Work of the Spirit in our Hearts is not God's Son c. Crook Thou speakest indiffinitely as if the Work of the Spirit in our hearts was in no sense in Scripture called God's Son contrary to the Apostle's Testimony Gal. 1.16 When it pleased God to reveal his Son in me Was not this the Work of the Spirit in the Apostle's heart c Haworth But this is not so bad as to say the Only-begotten Son begotten in us c. Crook Thou misrepresentest my words spoken about twelve years since for I â—sed the word Only-begotten only in Opposition to any other Power besides the Lord 's own Arm to form and reveal his Son in the hearts of his Children as thy Friend thou speakest of if yet alive may remember Haworth I have been an hundred times hurried into your Way and Opinions like a Child tossed to and fro with every Wind of Doctrine but I am brought now to a consistency and fixedness Epist p. 12 c. Crook Or Way is the Light and they that walk in it are out of all Hurries and Tossings and for Opinions thou art no now hurried amongst them and tossed one while upon Absurdity and another while upon Self-contradiction and for the consistency and fixedness thou speakest of I refer the Reader to thy Confusions and Contradictions as collected under that Title Page for his further conviction and Information Haworth Thou art the dearer to us John that thou hast been once a Stone in Christ's Building Epist p 12 c. Crook Doth thy calling me Mountebank Jugler Jesuit Ape Equivocator covering my Poyson with gilded words c. manifest a comparative degree of Dearness to thee What then is thy positive And if a Stone once in Christ's Building be thus called what Names wilt thou give to those Stones yet unhewn And if to hold a total falling away from Grace be Arminianism and Jesuitism as thou sayst Epist p. 2. then I having been once a Stone in Christ's Building must needs be safe at last And if I am indeed so dear to you shew it to the World by thy Recantation for thy Abâ—sing of me by Revilings c. Haworth Some of old pretended they were sent to preach the Everlasting Gospel in opposition to the old Gospel In the Revelations some are spoken of that talked of the Depths which John adds Satan to This hath been my Temptation and am confident is thine now Epist p 12 c. Crook We may in our time without Antiquity find out many preaching another or new Gospel that yet pretend highly to the Old like those false Teachers that were so stiff for outward things in opposition to that Spirit the Galatians that began well began in and doubtless this is one of the Depths of Satan to draw the Mind from the Light of the Spirit within And I do believe thee that as it was so it is still thy Temptation to oppose the Everlasting Gospel under colour that thou knowest not one gospel-Gospel-truth but the
Christ the Light within whereby it 's manifest thou hast not so learned Christ as the Apostle did viz Living and dwelling in him and by hearing of him and being taught by him but by Hatred and despising art grown past Feeling of these things according to Ephes 4.18,19,20,21 Haworth Well now let these stand together and John do thou speak for thy self either these are no Quakers and thou disownest them and their Writings or the Light within not Jesus of Nazareth is the Quakers Christ so not the Lord 's Christ therefore John thus dost but juggle c. By this you may know what he means by his Testimony to Jesus in the latter End of his Book p. 18. c. Crook The Page before is stuffed with railing Accusations which have been sufficiently spoke to by G. W. W. P. against Faldo and I. Pennington's late Book titled The Flesh and Blood of Christ c. I say Christ is not divided and thou art a Transgressor for putting asunder what God hath joyned together Jesus of Nazareth calls himself the Light of the World and thou confessest as before is shewed that it 's neither Law nor Gospel that convinceth the Vnbelieving World but the Spirit making Vse of them Now is not the Father the Son and the Spirit One 1 Joh. 5.7 And this is the Lord Christ that is One with the Father and thought it no Robbery to be equal with God and this is no jugling but plain Scripture-dealing as they that are spiritual can judge what I say to be the Truth as it in Jesus but without the Spirit no Man can say that Christ is the Lord 1 Cor. 12 3. and if any Man will be ignorant let him be ignorant 1 Cor. 14.38 but the Spirit of Blindness like a Man in the dark makes thee so suspitious and jealous that although I speak never so plain Nichode muslike thou cryest out how can these Things be when the Inconsistency is in thy self And what I speak in the latter End of my Book as well as what I speak of in the Beginning is what I believe in my Heart and thy calling of me Jugler and Mountebank c. are but as Gems in my Crown but shall be as black Charges against thee in the Day of thy Arraignment Haworth This Blood and Sufferings of Christ the Value of them towards God for the Expiation of the Guilt of Sin I apply to my own Soul that is guilty of the Breach of the Law and have Peace hereby Rom. 5. p. 19 c. Crook I wonder thou shouldest so soon forget thy self who in p. 14 15. sayest that neither Law nor Gospel can either convince or convert without the Spirit but as the Spirit useth them being as a fit Instrument for the Spirit and yet thou that hast the Filth of Sin remaining in thee canst apply to thy own guilty Soul the Value of Christ's Blood c. and have Peace thereby while Christ told his poor Disciples without him they could do nothing and the Apostle said it was God by his Spirit that made Christ their Righteousness and Redemption c. not their own Application of them to their guilty Souls as thou speakest like a Man void of all Sense of what thou sayest c. that Faith which gave them Peace with God purified their Hearts and kept Christ dwelling therein as a Prince in them being stronger then he that is in the World Haworth I charge thee with the highest Blasphemy imaginable c. if thou dost it knowingly and wittingly such as never shall be forgiven if thou attribute any of these Titles viz. First-born of every Creature the Brightness of his Father's Glory the eternal Word the Alpha and Omega the All in all to any Thing that is in Man besides the very Person of JESUS CHRIST p. 19. c. Crook The very repeating of this Paragraph and Charge is sufficient to shew its Folly and vain Boasting of its Author who now by his Words allows the very Person of Jesus Christ to be in man and yet saith p. 4. His Righteousness is wholely without him c. take his Words strictly and they import 1 that those Titles mentioned by him belong only to the Person of Jesus Christ 2 That this Person is in man 3 That 't is Blasphemy in the highest to attribute any of those Titles to any thing in man besides the very Person of Jesus Christ Now if he meant otherwise viz That it is the highest Blasphemy to attribute any of these Tules to any thing in man but only to the Person of Jesus Christ without man and also that by the Person of Jesus Christ he means as he saith viz. that the Eternal VVord and first born of every Creature the first and the last the All in All is this Person then he doth not only exclude God the Father Son and holy Spirit from being in Man i.e. Saints or others contrary to the whole Corrent of Scripture dialect but also falls into the Nestorian Opinion viz That in Christ were two Persons as well as Natures Besides it's Blasphemy to limit and shut out the holy only One for how is he then the All in All is he in all and yet must we be charged with Blasphemy for consessing him or his Name in his People But further if by the Person of Christ he intends not as he saith viz. the Eternal VVord or Deity of the Father or Son c. but only the prepared Body that the Son took upon him in Time then he doth not only vary from the Creed of a Trinity of coeternal Persons but also himself is guilty of Blasphemy in attributing those Titles to the Body which properly belongs to him that took it viz. the Eternal VVord the only Potentate the Alpha and Omega the All in All c. who was before that Body was But if William Haworth will allow neither the Eternal VVord nor the first-born of every Creature to have any Place in Man then what is become of his Convert to Christianity he is but a counterfeit Convert and he and his Leader are both Aliens without God and without Christ in the VVorld Haworth The Scriptures are revealed by the Apostles and by the Wisdom and Judgment of Man enlightned by the same Spirit that gave them forth we may attain the Knowledge of them and not without p 21. c. Crook Thou speakest now like a Quaker take heed of making thy self a Transgressor any more by the denying the Necessity of the Light and Spirit within to understand the Scriptures or by condemning the Quakers for preaching the Light in the first Place to give People the Knowledge both of Christ and Scriptures Haworth Thou must understand by these heavenly Things themselves either Christ himself or the Church and People of God who are the heavenly Jerusalem or Heaven it self whereinto Christ is entered with his Blood p. 21. c. Crook How now William how doubtful art thou of the
heavenly things themselves is this thy Fixedness and Consistency that they must be something but what thou dost not know and yet sayest I must understand what they are but surely it must not be by thy doubtful Teaching But tell me what purisying needed either Christ himself or Heaven it self and by what better Sacrifices Heb. 9.23 we read Ver. 9. 14. that the Conscience was to be purged by the Blood of Christ and this must needs be known in the Church and People of God whom thou confesseth are the heavenly Jerusalem which is the City of the living God where both God and Jesus the Mediator and the Blood of Sprinkling c. are come to by the Saints viz. Heb. 12.22,23,24 Haworth I ask now whether the Scriptures or our Imaginations and Thoughts be the Rule whereby we are to measure God and true Righteousness p. 21. c. Crook Is thy Memory so bad or thy Ignorance so great to ask such a Question which thy self resolvest in the same Page or art thou still in thy skiptical Mind as thou speakest of thy self seeing thou sayd'st but just before that it must be by the same Spirit that gave forth the Scripture that we can understand them and not without have thy Thoughts and Imaginations so great and the Spirit of God so little a Share in what thou dost which makes thee so soon forget its Usefulness to measure divine Things but I even tremble at thy ignorant Confidence to talk at this rate of measuring the unmeasurable God and that by the Scriptures or our own Thoughts without naming his Spirit Haworth The Scripture no where condemns Man's Conceivings of God by the Scripture and according to them p. 22. c. Crook Thou art condemned here out of thy own Mouth who sayest it must be Man enlightned by the same Spirit that gave them forth and not otherwise Haworth If John Crook consents to the Truth of this Principle viz. That such is the Purity of God that nothing is accepted by him but what is every Way or entirely compleat and perfect if so p. 23. c. Crook I grant this as also himself hath done in p. 26. Haworth Then he believes that the Righteousness within which consists in the Vertues and Gifts of the Spirit in every Quaker is every way perfect and compleat c. Crook Let the Reader judge if the latter be a necessary Consequence from the former but because some whole pages following in his Book are stuffed with Arguments and Consequents of the like nature about the same Subject to prevent his Boasting if possible I shall here once for all return a sober Answer viz. I believe that the Holiness and Righteousness in the Hearts of God's people which purely consists in the Virtues and Gifts of the Spirit which is one with the Father and the Son it is intirely compleat and perfect as to Nature and Kind which is sufficiently demonstrated by those worthy men Dr. Preston and Dr. Sibbs See Preston's Title Man's Vprightness pag. 214. Because the New Adam otherwise should not be so effectual as the old the new Adam should not be so powerful to communicate Grace and Life as the old Adam is to instill Corruption and Sin for this Sin that hath been conveyed to us by the first Adam hath an Integrity in it it hath gone over the whole Soul there is a whole Body of Death that hath possessed us now should there not be in those redeeming Actions by Christ a contrary Integrity and Perfection a throughout Holiness as I may call it the Plaister then should be narrower then the Sore the Remedy should be inferiour to the Disease Beloved you know a Leprosie is gone all over except the Holiness went all over too from top to toe I say there would not be an Answerableness in the second Adam he should not be able to do as much Good as the first was able to do Hurt 2 dly The Work of Redemption should be done but by halves if the Lord should dispense with imperfect Holiness The Works of Creation you know were perfect God looked upon all his Works and saw that they were very Good Beloved Do you think the Works of Redemption should come short of the Works of Creation Are not they likewise Perfect When the Lord shall look on that Work shall he not say likewise It is very good Pag. 216. If the Heart of Man be not intire if the Work of Grace be not throughout if there be a Defect in the Principle and Constitution of it there should be a defect in the Work of Redemption that cannot be c. Pag. 219. Blessed are the Pure in Heart Now what is it to be pure That is pure which is full of it self and hath no other heteregenial thing mingled with it so that heart is pure which hath no Sin in it which is holy which hath a renewed quality of Grace which hath an inward regenerate Man that will mingle with no Sin that is full of it self and admits not the mixture of any Sin c. Pag 221. When thou hadst the Prophet that would have separated the Precious from the Vile in thy heart as well as to do it in the Companies of men c. Pag. 222. So my Beloved it is not the having of Impurities in the Heart that makes the Heart imperfect but it is the suffering of them to be mingled even with the inward Frame of the Heart The Doctor also affirms That without this Holiness and Righteousness none can be saved c. See Dr. Preston ibid. p. 243. I say Let any Man's Heart be of this Constitution that he neglects the smallest Commandment that he hath not a special Eye to the Observance of them a special Care to keep them he is unsound and rotten at the Heart he shall never be saved continuing such Prov. 19.16 He that keeps the Commandments keeps his own Soul but he that despiseth his Way shall dye for it Thus far Dr. Preston Now Dr. Sibbs's Soul-Conflicts pag. 224. The Happiness of Man consists chiefly in a gracious Frame of Spirit and Actions sutable sweetly ssuing therefrom Ibid. pag. 156. Christ will never give over till by his Spirit he hath made our Nature Holy and Pure as his own till he hath taken away not only the Reign but the very Life and Being of Sin out of our Hearts that to this End he leaves his Spirit and Truth in the Church to the End of the World that the Seed of the Spirit may subdue the seed of the Serpent in us and that the Spirit may be a never failing Spring of all Holy Thoughts Desires and Endeavours in us and dry up the contrary Issue and Spring of Corrupt Nature Grace is nothing else but that blessed Power whereby as spiritual we gain upon our selves as carnal pag. ibid. It is a good Tryal of a Man's Condition to know what he esteems to be himself A godly Man counts the inward man the
not own that the Wrath of God was upon Christ O repent John p. 29. c. Crook I know not what a great Cross it is for a Debtor that knows his Creditor to be fully satisfied and paid his Debt by another in his stead to believe it to be so But indeed it is a Cross to be stumbled at and a strange thing for a poor Debtor to be told he must believe his Debts are paid and his Creditor is satisfied while his Creditor keeps him still in Prison and calls to him every Day for full Payment this is cross to sound Judgment and good Understanding But if this be all the Acquaintance thou hast with the Cross of Christ I will assure thee thou art far enough from being his Disciple c. But why dost thou dare me William am I all of a suddain changed in thy Opinion from a Knave and a jugling Mountebank as thou callest me unto such a tender-conscienced Man that I dare not speak otherwise then I believe who playes Tricks now William making me believe that if I will own what thou would'st have me then thou wilt believe me yet when I have given Testimony to the Blood of Christ and many other Things even as thy self in Words professest to believe yet for so doing thou callest my Person a Knave and a Mountebank and my Belief a Juggle But thy Speech bewrayes thee for these Words viz. If thou darest c. is their Hectoring Language thou comparest me to But if the Reader please to examine his daring Challenge he will find it to be this viz. to own that the Wrath of God was upon Christ and that God poured out all his Wrath upon his Son and that these Words prove it Gal. 3. He was made a Curse for us for it 's written cursed is every one that hangeth on a Tree this is that he so dares me to and if I will not be convinced by this Proof I must repent of the Thoughts of my Heart though never so right in this Matter viz. I believe that Christ bore our Sins in his Body on the Tree that we being dead to Sin should live in Righteousness by whose Stripes we are healed 1 Pet. 2.24 I dare and do own that what Christ suffered it was for us and that the weighty Sense of the Misery due to Mankind for Sin fell upon him as the squeezing of Grapes in a Wine-press which caused him to sweat like Drops of Blood in his Agony Luke 22.44 all this we believe according to holy Scripture But let us now consider William Haworth's Belief and we shall find this to be one Article of his Faith viz. That Christ when he suffered was not innocent and as guilty God poured out all his Wrath upon him c. Christ had the Guilt of Sin really charged upon him what else is to be understood by these Words viz. he was made Sin for us Epist c. which is more then I dare affirm for what Job said of his own Integrity may much more be testified of Christ's Innocency to wit That he did not let that go till he dyed neither was Guile found in his Mouth And whatever thine and others Conceivings are of the Sufferings of Christ I dare say that no Man can conceive much less express what they were in the deep Travail of his Soul when he poured it out an Offering for Sin and the heavy Sense of Mans Misery fell upon him c. only those that have had Fellowship with him in his Sufferings and been made conformable to his Death in their Mealure are his Witnesses of what he suffer'd by the good Experience he hath given them through the Revelation of his holy Spirit in their Hearts such know something of the Sufferings of Christ and the Benefit of them to their own Souls c. Yet is not the Freeness of Forgiveness nor the free Grace and Mercy of God to Sinners destroyed thereby that truly believe in the Light of Christ Jesus and repent of the Evils that are made manifest to them by the same neither is the Work of Sanctification and Regeneration by all that Christ hath done or suffered made less necessary to the inheriting the Kingdom of God and everlasting Salvation nor are the Exhortations to Men and Women to follow Holiness and to work out their own Salvation with Fear and Trembling either weakened in themselves or made indifferent to Believers nor is the inward Work of redeeming the Heart and Mind out of the World to be fully set upon things above by the Spirit and Power of Christ within to be neglected or disesteemed by laying all the Stress upon what Christ hath done and suffered without us c. For though Christ be both a general and particular Saviour yet the Benefit accruing to Men by him as the general Saviour is known and received only where he is witnessed a particular Saviour for Christ in man becoming the Hope of Glory and Man being changed into the same Image from Glory to Glory even as by the Spirit of the Lord is the Salvation and the Perfection of every true Christian I have been the larger now upon this Subject that I may be excused from writing any more about it in this Reply Haworth What wouldst thou John have more then Faith page 29. c. Crook My Words are these viz. I find thee like the Pharisees of old flying from the Wrath to come by casting all God's Vengeance upon Christ an easie Way if thou couldst so escape it by imagining his doing God's Pleasure and suffering God's Displeasure to be reckoned thine by a bare Belief of it wholely without thee To all which he returns this Answer viz. What wouldst thou John have more then Faith Of which let the Reader judge if this be not his Hope and Belief viz. that he shall escape God's Wrath and Vengeance and consequently be saved by a bare Belief that Christ hath done God's Will and suffered his Displeasure wholely without him in his stead as if we were to understand no more by all Exhortations to Holiness and perfect Obedience to God's Holy Will and Commandments then that Christ and not we is to be only the Subject of all those Exhortations and Commands If it be asked whether a man may escape God's Wrath and Vengeance by a bare Believing that Christ hath done and suffered God's Pleasure wholely without him William Haworth answers What wouldst thou man have more then Faith But the Apostle James answers Wilt thou know O vain man that Faith without Works is dead Haworth He that works not but believes Rom. 4. There it Faith only a bare Belief John what sayest thou to that though that Faith that is justifying will work by Love yet it receives no Efficacy from its being accompanied with Works as to our Justification but from the Object without p. 29. c. Crook I say thou hast answered thy self that it is not a bare Belief without Works for thou
the 146 pages of his Book and find little in it besides abusive Language and childish spending Paper and Pastime which himself calls playing at push pin and yet hath the Confidence to dare it to be answered Haworth The Quakers sit brooding upon this Principle in Expectation of a Chimera Perfection in this Life c. G. Fox absolving at his Knees whom he will sending out to the Ministry whom he will c. pag. 60 and 61. The Light within is exalted by you above all that is called God and worshipped c. You have changed the Christ of God into a Robber's Light that goes down to Hell with him c. p. 63. Crook Falshood and Slander c. neither do the Quakers exalt the Light above God c. but as God is Light and his Spirit is Light and this is to be obeyed and followed for he that is destitute of this is without God in the World and is in the Spirit of Antichrist which the Generation of the Godly know to be true and thy Affirmation to the contrary to be Blasphemy and contradictory to thy self p. 84. where thou callst the Light the Gift of Christ and p. 109. A Spark of the Light Adam had in Innocency and now thou callst it a Robber's Light that goes down to Hell with him let the Reader judge of this Confusion Falshood and Blasphemy c. Haworth The Quakers being faithful to the Light within they continue in Morality but they live not at all in the Knowledge of Jesus Christ c. Crook It is well thou wilt afford the Quakers this Testimony while many of thy Opinion who talk so much that Christ wholely without hath satisfied for all their Sins past present and to come sleight Morality and thy Words are of like Import as if to live up to Morality doth Necessarily imply that such as do so do not at all live in the Knowledge of Jesus Christ but let all such know that he which exhorts People to Holiness and yet tells them it is not necessary to Salvation doth but tempt them to let Holiness alone Haworth There are some amongst the Quakers that bewitch the poor Country People with Sorceries c. every one of them indued with a Tuning Juggling Jesuitieal Temper c. pag. 64. Crook This Language shews the man destitute of Morality thus maliciously to pursue his Falshoods and Slanders William Haworth's Answer to my Additional Postscript p. 66. Haworth THis Postscript is but a meer fallacious Horangue Of Woras purposely stitched together to dâ—cerve some weak ones a perfect Cheat c. And so gross a Heretick that thou John art not worthy that a Christian skould eat or drink with thee Crook I need not here set down the Additional Post script he speaks of because it is in Print already but do desire the Reader to peruse it and for his Encouragement I do seriously declare as in the Presence of God Angels and Men that the Testimony there given 1 st Concerning Jesus of Nazareth c. 2 dly Concerning his Righteousness c. 3 dly Concerning the Blood of this Jesus c. 4 thly Concerning Justification by his Blood c. is the Real and Very Belief of my Soul Now if this will not satisfie W. H. but I must still be accounted a Knave a Mountebank a Juggler a Bewitcher a Deceiver a Dissembler a Perfect Cheat a Rotten Apostate a Gross Heretick not worthy that a Christian should eat or drink with me all which Scurrility and Railery with much more I find in his Book though I was once a living Stone in Christ's Building as himself saith and yet challengeth me to answer thirty Interrogatories or Queries as if he were conscious to himself he had wronged me but it would be Folly in me to swell the Volumn barely to fulfil his Humour But might reply in his own Words as he doth to my Additonal Postscript I haye done it already and therefore need not do it over again but that the Reader may be acquainted with their Weakness and not think them to be unanswerable I shall as briefly as I can reply to them all An Answer to W. Haworth's Queries Haworth DOst not thou know that the Independents c. Query 1. are for an Experimental Spiritual Knowledge of Christ and that Truth must be inwardly taught by the Spirit c. Answ Crook These are Jacob's Words but Esau's Hands for he that dare not trust to the Spirit is not for Experimental Knowledge c. but W. H. saith p. 52. He dares not trust to the Holy Ghost therefore W. H. wharever he saith is not for Experimental Knowledge by the Teachings of the Spirit Q. 2. Haworth Dost not thou believe that some may know the Mystery and so be saved without the hearing or knowing the History of Jesus of Nazareth An. Crook Infants that dye in the Womb and soon after they are born c. I have so much Charity as to believe they are saved and likewise those believing Gentiles Rom. 2.14,15,16 of whom it is said they had not the Law or outward History and yet were excusable in the Day when God shall judge the Secrets of all men by Jesus Christ Q. 3. Haworth Whether is Jesus Christ now a Person out of man or only a Principle or Quality in man An. Crook If by Paerson thou intendest An Intelligent Being as thou confessedst at Hartford then He is both out of man and in man and so more then a bare Principle or Quality in man Q. 4. Haworth Dost thou believe that man that was born of Mary the Virgin at Bethlehem in Judea to be the Messiah the Christ of God An. Crook Yea. Q. 5 Haworth Dost thou believe that the man Christ is any where now in being besides the being that the Quakers say he hoth in them and if so where is he c. An. Crook Yea and that he is at God's Right Hand ascended far above all Heavens as the Scripture saith Q. 6. Haworth Whether the Light that you say every man hath be a Creature or no An. Crook That true Light which is called the Life of Christ Iohn 1.4,9 and lighteth every man that cometh into the World is not a Creature Q. 7. Haworth Whether the Light that every man hath be of the very same Nature with the Spirit c. or of a different Kind or whether it differ from the New-creature in Specie An. Crook The Life which is the Light of men is of an Increated and Divine Nature and Being yet the New-creature is formed in the Light and partakes of its Nature Q. 8. Haworth Whether that which Iesus Christ of Nazareth did and suffered above sixteen hundred Years since in Judea be not the Matter of fallen-man's Iustification in the Sight of God An. Crook Fallen-man is in a State of Condemnation yet through that one Offering of Jesus Christ of Nazareth both the Forbearance of God Reconciliation and Remission of Sins are declared
Q. 22. Haworth Whether the Light within or the Person of Christ without be the Object of Justifying Faith or whether Faith be any thing but Obedience to the Light that every one hath Answ Crook 1st The Light within gives the true Knowledge of God in the Face of Jesus Christ 2 Cor. 4.6 2dly It is not the Light within disjunctive from Christ without but conjunctive as the Eye in its Object that is the Object of justifying Faith 3dly Faith is more then Obedience to the Light in that degree that every man hath it for it hath the whole Christ for its Object Q. 23. Haworth Whether have not all the Sons of Men Christ excepted the Guilt of Adam's first Transgression upon them before they are justified and called and so are by nature children of Wrath c Answ Crook Before Justification is Condemnation and Wrath upon every Soul of Man that doth Evil Rom. 2.9 and in the fallen Nature all are Children of Wrath but that this Proverb must alwayes be used viz. The Fathers have eaten sour Grapes and the Childrens Teeth are sâ—t on edge is contrary to Scripture but to this I have spoken largly in my Rejoynder to which I refer the Querist Q. 24. Haworth Are any so perfect in this Life as to be above the Confession of Sin to God Answ Crook If we confess our Sins he is faithful and just to forgive us our Sins and to cleanse us from All Unrighteousness 1 John 1.9 He that 's Thus Forgiven and Cleansed is in a State above that wherein he confessed and glorified God for his Mercy Q. 25. Haworth Of what use is that Interecssion of Christs as a High Priest in Heaven Answ Crook Of great use to all that truly know and believe it Q. 26. Haworth Whether there be a higher Prophecy then the Writings of the Prophets and Apostles and if so where is it and what is it Answ Crook The Spirit of the Son in the Hearts of God's People is greater then the Writings of the Prophets and Apostles as the Builder of the House is greater or more honourable then the House Q. 27. Haworth Are not the holy Scriptures of the Prophets and Apostles the Rule of Faith and Life Answ Crook That which first opens man's Understanding to understand the Scriptures aright is his first Rule or Guide and this is the promised Spirit of Jesus who said It shall take of mine and shew them unto you so that it is properly the Rule for as many as are the Sons of God are led by the Spirit of God yet the holy Scriptures are A Rule through the Direction of the Spirit Q. 28. Haworth Whether dost thou believe that the same Body of Man after the Departure of the Soul from it doth rise to Life again Answ Crook This Query is contrary to Scripture which saith A Natural Body is sown a Spiritual Body is raised there is a Natural Body there is a Spiritual Body 1 Cor. 15.44 which I believe Q. 29. Haworth Whether are our distinct Personal Beings preserved in the Future State whether we lose them being swollowed up into God at Death Answ Crook I believe that in the Future State we shall not lose our Distinct Beings by being swollowed up into God but shall be preserved in our Distinct Beings forever Q. 30. Haworth Whether the Light that every man hath believed in obeyed trusted to is not the Jesus the Righteousness the Iustification the Blood the Remission the Mysiery the Experience the Faith the Cleansing the Sanctification the Shedding Drinking Sprinkling of the Blood c. which words and phrases are all in this thy Testimony answer plainly Is there any more in thy whole Treatise and thy Post script then this viz. To the Light obey the Light and whoever doth not is but in the History is but a Prodigal in a far Country feeding amongst the Swine a poor naked starved Sinner Answ Crook My Answer plainly to the first part of this Query is That although the Jesus the Righteousness the Justification the Blood that I bear Testimony unto cannot be known but by and in the true Light yet I never said neither do I believe that the Light that every man hath believed in c. is the Jesus the Righteousness the Justification the Blood the Remission c. yet do affirm that God who is Light is All in All and Jesus Christ who is the Light is made of God unto true Believers Wisdom Righteousness Sanctification and Redemption according to 1 Cor. 1.30 To the second part I say There is more in my Treatise and Postscript then to the Light obey the Light c. but do also testifie that whosoever doth not obey the Light that shines in the Heart and manifesteth Sin and Evil in the Conscience is yet in his Sins and feeding among the Swine Now I appeal from W. H's Rashness and Folly not only to those that have known my manner of Life for nigh Forty Years past how that from my tender years I have been seeking after God and his Truth but to that great Judge of Quick and Dead that will pass Sentence upon every man according to his Works unto whom none dare say at that Tribunal God made him to sin or made IT unavoidable I hope what I have said will satisfie the Honest hearted who will not easily believe that after them any weary Steps and toylsome years of hearing reading watching fasting believing praying c. I should sacrifice all this and much more unto a wilful Error and to such an one as is not only destitute of all worldly Preferments but exposed to all the Sufferings and Hardships in it which I must needs do if I am such a Person as W. H. represents me to be But were I guilty such confused Arguments Contradictions and hard Languages will never convince me that W.H. is in the Truth for he is but a weak Adversary that cannot distinguish between loud Clamours and Gospel Demonstrations John Crook VVilliam Haworth's Contradictions and Confusions Haworth I Do still speak respectfully of the Light God forbid I should be an Opposer of it or an Enemy to it let my Tongue first cleave to the Roof of my Mouth let me first be Dumb and never speak any more pag. 5. c. it is but Flesh all is called Flesh all the new Birth c. Light is from Christ and he is the Author of it pag. 6. c. it lusteth against the Spirit and is contrary to the Spirit pag. 109. c. they that live not up to it shall be inexcusably condemned page 113. c. it is but Nature fallen blind Nature page 135. it is a Spark of that Light Adam had in Innocency in a full Flame pag. 109. c. I scarce know one Gospel Truth but this Light contradicteth pag 161. c. I do now say it is a rotten corrupt and unsound Thing or Principle as to the leading or guiding into the Knowledge of the Gospel
pag. 149. c. this Light was in Adam after the Fall Gen. 3.10 I heard thy Voice c. the Lord God called to Adam c. this Light reproveth so that man hath not Power to go on in Sin pag. 143. c. it works a Change in the Life and Conversation pag. 150. c. which sheweth it to be unsound and impure pag. 146. he giveth Light to all ibid. c. it goes with the Damned to Hell Epist pag. 6. Crook I desire the Reader to peruse the Pages and he will find I have not wronged my Adversary in drawing this result viz. That full Flame Adam had in Innocency of which there is a Spark in every man that Voice of God that spoke to Adam that reproves for Sin and keeps from going on in Sin the Gift of Christ by which some divine things may be known which worketh a change in the Life and Conversation c. That which doth all this is but Flesh and that which lusteth against the Spirit and is contrary to the Spirit it is but Nature fallen Nature fallen blind Nature impure and unsound c. which is in every Murderer and Robber goes with the Damned to Hell remains with them there c. hear ye Heavens and give ear O Earth and be horribly ashamed of such Tenents as these as he saith Epist p 6. c. Haworth Christ hath subdued all my Enemies virtually already and will actually in time which I wait for Epist pag. 6. c. My rejoycing is in this that the Elect cannot be deceived c. My Prayer is that whoever of you belongs to the Electâ—… of Grace may be undeceived Epist pag 12. c. Thou art the dearer to us John in that thou hast been a stone once in Christ's Building ibid. c. The Restraining Grace of God joyned with the Light for I attribute it to that in indeed chiefly as in the Case of Abimelech Gen. 20. ibid. c. I kept thee the Light within would not have done it c. Crook In divers Pages of his Book he enveighs against Perfection as is shewed anon and yet here he faith he waits for it the Elect cannot be deceived yet he prayes that so many as belong to Election may be undeceived But by his Confession I am safe enough if either his Faith in this matter or mine be true for saith he thou John hast been a Stone once in Christ's Building and I am sure Christ's Building is made up of Living Stones if thou be but as sure that not one that was once such shall finally perish But that I am so dear to you as thou speakest doth not appear by thy calling me Knave Rebel Mountebank Juggler Impostor False Prophet c. however we should be dearer each to other if you would cease opposing the true Light and walk in it that we might have Fellowship therein Thy Proselyte confesseth The Light kept him from stealing Herrings though thou sayest it would not have with-held or kept Abimelech the Heathen King c. but the Notes on â—he great Bibles say God by his Spirit kept or retained him c. thus thy own Proof disproves a great part of thy Book which denyes the holy Spirit to strive in Unregenerate Men contrary to Gen. 6.3 on which place Hen. Ainsworth observes That the Spirit of God strove by Inward Motions and Checks of Conscience with the Old World which his Spirit gave them for their Sins against which they that struggle fall into the Sin against the Holy Ghost despiting the Spirit of Grace Hebr. 10.29 Take heed William Haworth that this be not thy Condition Haworth I will give thee a Taste of this way of Allegorizing c. if many Senses of the Scripture then no one sense is certain c. the Work of the Spirit in our Hearts is not God's Son Epist p 7. c. Crook He scoffs at Allegorizing of Scripture as he speaks as if he had forgotten Sarah and Hagar were two Women and yet were Allegories of two Mountains and those two Mountains of the two Dispensations of God viz. Law and Gospel c. and as if Christ's Words had no Certainty in them when he spoke of destroying the Temple meaning the Temple of his Body and the like may be said of the Apostle's treating of the Duties between Husband and Wife concludes that his Words had two Senses viz. concerning the great Mystery of Christ and his Church as well as that between Man and Wife Mar. 2.18 compared with Jer. 31.15 where the Weeping of Rachel for the Benjamites or Israelites her Children is one Sense and for the young Children killed by Herod in another Sense c. as if the literal Sense of Scripture could not be preserved where the Mystery also was understood Hen. Ainsworth in his Preface to the five Books of Moses saith In the Histories are implyed Allegories and in the Laws are Types and Shadows c. Dr. Slbbs saith The Seed of the Woman or Spirit in us bruiseth the Seed of the Serpent in us and yet its true of Christ's Conquest outwardly when he spoiled Principalities and Powers c. Brightman on 4 cap. Revel p. 174. Lamps of Fire burning before the Throne c. because they do inlighten the Mind do burn up the Stubble of inborn Corruptions and do moreover inflame the Mind with a Desire of all Godliness which God calleth the Baptism of Fire Mat. 3.11 Again saiâ—h he the seven Spirits of God by which words the Faithful may understand that that Power which they feel to be stirred up by God in their Hearts is a most undoubte Pledge of God himself dwelling in us c. Thus much to stop his Scorn c. Haworth The Seed of the Woman is Christ Gal. 4. c. which the Apostle in the same Epistle saith is Christ's Person according to the Flesh page 4. c. The First-born of every Creature The Brightness of his Father's Glory the Eternal Word that was made Flesh the Alpha and Omega All in All c. If thou John attribute any of these Titles to any thing that is in Man besides the very Person of Jesus Christ I charge thee with the highest Blasphemy imaginable p. 19. c. Whose Goings forth have been of Old from Everlasting which is certainly spoke as to Christ's Deity p. 27. c. Crook I find not the word Person but once mentioned in all that Epistle to the Galatians and that is Cap. 2. Vers 6. God accepteth no Man's Person which I hope he doth not apply to Christ so that it s no wonder if he abuses the words of others who is so bold and positive in charging the Apostle with that which is not to be found in all that Epistle to the Galatians befides its contrary to Scripture Dialect to say the Eternal Word the First-born of every Creature the Alpha and Omega the All in All was the very Person of Christ that was made a Person
New-Testament to be sure was not then written and how much of the old is hard to say but that some of it was written after is easie to prove but let us see if thy Similitude will relieve thee The whole Nation sayest thou is properly the Land so all the Writings of the Scriptures are here call'd the Law of God is therefore every Piece of Ground in that Land good to bear wheat sayest thou Answ Here are two things to be noted 1 st That thou ta kest all the Writings of the Scriptures for the Law of God which is not Universally true because there is a Record of the Devils and wicked mens Words as well as good mens in the Scriptures 2 dly That some of the Law of God is like barren and sandy Ground that will bear no Wheat according to thy Similitude and consequently that the Law of God and the Scriptures are imperfect Who undervalues the Law of God and the Scriptures now William hast thou forgotten that the Law of the Lord is perfect and that the Scripture cannot be broken and that all Scripture given by Inspiration of God is profitable c I have read that Christ compared the Unfruitful Hearers to the several Grounds but I never heard of any Stony Thorny High-way-Ground Law of God or Scriptures before Haworth I know the Spiritualluy of the Law convincing me of Evil Thoaghts c. p. 14. The Spirit that convinceth the Vnbelieving World is neither Law nor Gospel The Law is a fit Instrument for the Spirit to make use of It is the Dectrine of the Gospel not Law taken stricily that declares Non-imputation of Trespasses it was the Doctrine of Righteousness by the Gospel relieved me as it did Paul p. 15. Crook What Confusion is here Sometimes the Law convinceth of secret Thoughts and sometimes again the Spirit makes use of the Doctrine of the Law to convince of Sin and sometimes it is neither Law nor Gospel that doth it sometimes absolutely denying that wicked men have the Spirit and here he confesseth it is the Spirit that convinceth the Vnbelieving World by the Doctrine of the Law c. so that it a properly the Work of the Spirit as when one man cuts or wounds another with a Knife c. we say he man hath cut him not the Knife or Instrument c. But sometimes it is the Doctrine of the Gospel doth all by by the Spirit doth but make use of the Doctrine of the Gospel sometimes he intimates as if the Law Gospel in a mild gentle Sense might be taken one for the other else what means those Words viz. It 's the Doctrine of the Gospel not Law taken strictly that declares Non-imputation of Trespasses yet p. 14. The Law requires all the Thoughts of the Heart to be continually spiritual and Holy and discovers or convinceth not of Gross Sins only but of Heart-Polutions c. But Heb. 4.12 the Discovery of the Thoughts and Intents of the Heart is ascribed to the Gospel and W. H. calls it the spirituallity of the Law is not this to make them one But by this Mess or altogether the Reader may see how the poor man is tossed notwithstanding he talks of being relieved and being come to a Fixedness and Consistency but alas alas how may the least Child of Light see him lie fettered in Babylon's Dungeon Haworth This cannot be for the Law in its own Nature is spiritual c. and discovers the Holy Nature of God although the Spirit should never make use of it p. 16. c. Crook My Words to which these are an Answer are these viz. The spirituallity of the Law in the Apostle's Sense is the Inward Convictions of the Spirit c. That cannot be saith he because the Law is Spiritual and Holy in its own Nature c. As if the Spirit and what it doth were not Holy and spiritual also Again he saith The Law discovers the Pure Nature of God and in p. 15. he saith the Spirit makes use of Doctrines of different Natures and the Law is a fit Instrument for the Spirit to make use of Thus he continues building his Baocl sometimes the Law of it self discovers the Pure Nature of God although the Spirit should never make use of it and just before he saith the Spirit doth make use of it and the Law is a fit Instrument for the Spirit to make use of p. 16. c. Haworth That Christ which delivered Paul from the Guilt and Punishment of Sin while Sin dwelt in him p. 18. c. Crook What! delivered and yet Sine dwelt in him what Christ and Sin dwell both together in the same House this is contrary to Christ's Doctrine Mark 3.24,25 That Kingdom or House that is divided against it self cannot continue or stand Haworth But doth not the spirit who is God give us the Meaning of the Scriptures in the Scriptures do not they interpret themselves best p. 22. c. Crook If the Scriptures can best interpret themselves then what need of God's spirit to open them or is God and the Scriptures all one If so then none in the World that have the Scriptures are without God in the World but the Apostle saith some were without God in the World notwithstanding they had the Scriptures one while the Spirit who is God gives the meaning of them and another while they interpret themselves best what Consusion is here Haworth Everlasting Righteousness was not actually brought in till Jesus was born at Nazareth c. then it was to be and not till then not before he offered not himself before Hebr. 9.26 p. 26. c. Crook Thou callst it the Righteousness of the Eternal Word the Righteousness of the Deity of Christ which thou confessest to be in his People as before and thou likewise confessest it to be an Everlasting Righteousness and of an Eternal Virtue and Efficacy and yet sayest the working of it was now as if it was alwayes in being and yet did not work or was not efficacious till after Christ was born at Bethlehem and yet to go round again It was Efficacious to Abraham David Daniel Job c. p 26. Where 's now this man's Consistency Haworth If Salvation be only by Jesus then not by the Light within for that is not Jesus that witnessed before Pontins Pilate p. 27. Crook The Scripture saith we are saved by Grace doth it therefore follow that we are not saved by Jesus Christ Grace is Light within and those that are saved are saved by the Grace that is Light within and yet are they saved only by Jesus the Light of the World and that which witnessed before Pontius Pilate was the Spirit of God in the man Jesus which Spirit was the Light within him as he saith If I bear witness of i. e. only of my self without the Spirit my witness is not true yet if I do bear witness of my self i. e. by the Spirit of my Father that
Eternity who calls thy own Work Push-Pin but thou hadst better been at that Child's Play then to have been blaspheming God and his Tabernacle and them that dwell in Heaven And how thou vaunts in page 82. to prove the Light within to be a Natural Light c. VV.H. thou canst not nor any man upon Earth prove it to be any other then of a Divine Nature do what ye can forasmuch as it manifesteth Sin and convinceth reproveth and condemneth man for Sin and is of the true Light that lighteth every man coming into the world John 1.9 which the Evil-doers hate John 3.20 as thou dost scoffing and vilifying of it but it will prove a Stone too heavy for thee at last then shalt thou remember me Thy seeming to honour Christ's Person with thy Lips will not excuse thee for thy abusing his pure Light in the Consciences of People when he comes to reckon with thee which time is at hand then it will be known who divides Christ you or the Quakers for we deny no part of him but are well assured he is altogether lovely though envious blind men have belied us long about these things whose Innocency the Lord will clear in his due time and then your Mouthes will be stopt which now cry Gross and Damnable Errors of the Quakers and that they deny the Resurrection as thou in thy 3d page sayest and in thy 4th page that we despise the Scripture which are all false Accusations and Slanders And page 10. thou sayest J. C. is got a Degree above the Apostles and page 13. that J. C. said the Apostle was out in his Chronology and that the Spirit and Letter are one and in thy 19th page sayest That the Quakers believe there is no Manhood of Christ now which are all Slanders and false Accusations for we own all according to the Scriptures of Truth the Lord is our Witness and dare not divide him as I have said and in page 25. sayest They never do confess Sin and in page 29. sayest J. C. stumbles at the Cross counts the Blood of Christ no more worth then any other common Blood and then among other Lyes and reproachful Terms sayest He hath discovered himself to be a Papist what a Contradiction is here do not the Papists confess Sins W. H what People more but it is thy Envy that blinds thee and will more and more as thou goest on in it And in page 48. sayest J.C. concludes that Righteousness of Christ but a Fancy and in page 51. That thou hast seen some Title pages of their Books filled with such Blasphemies viz. given forth by the Spirit through the Trunk of the Body of Fox or such a one and that they account their Writings beyond the Writings of the Apostles These are all thy made Lies which the Lord will judge thee for and for such a Title Through the Trunk c. I never heard of nor I believe no Body else but thy Envy is so great it is hard for thee to leave thy Lying and Slandering And as for the Scriptures of Christ and his Apostles and Prophets we own and esteem above all other Writings in the World And in page 54. how dost thou revile and belye J. Crook as in the page before to render him and the Quakers odious and sayest Thou beginnest to be weary of playing at Push-Pin with him who never plaid so with thee but wrote to thee in tender Love to thy Immortal Soul which is of more concern then Push-pin-Play as thy Scorner's Eye shall one Day see but I leave him to answer for himself only touch a little on these things to manifest thy VVickedness that thou mightst be weary of that which will be thy Load in the End And in page 55. sayest How many turn Quakers whose hearts are not turned to God! a Change in their Carriage and Garb but not in their Souls How knowst thou W. H. what Change is wrought in their Souls and how darest thou say their hearts are not turned to God VVere not they who were turned from Darkness to Light turned to God Acts 26.18 Beware of Blasphemy among thy plentiful Lying and Slandering thy Unrighteous Judgement shall turn upon thy own head And in page 56. tells of some going three Miles on their Knees Surely William thou wilt tell such Lyes ere long that few but such as thy self given up will believe thee I never heard of such a thing but this sounds like that through the Trunk c. hadst thou said upon their Feet we might have believed thee but thou canst not stoop so low as to speak Truth of the Quakers of whom thou sayest They have got the Popish Knack to tell their People that Concupiscence is no Sin which is false Evil Motions not consented to is no Sin whenas thou thy self grants page 59. that in Case we yield not to Satan we are not guilty his Temptations not consented to are our Afflictions not our Sins These are thy very VVords and yet in the same page cryest out again VVe say you plead for Sin in saying the Evil Motions in the heart not consented to are not Sin we see by this now your Perfection boasted of is no other then that which every Babe in Christ hath viz. not to consent to those Evil Motions c. Now let the Reader see this blind man's Confusion and what People he is most grosly abusing reproaching and slandering who confesseth our Perfection is the same which every Babe in Christ hath what will Christ say to such a one who said It were better a Mill. Stone were hanged about his Neck and he drowned in the Depth of the Sea then to offend one such little one that believes in him Shouldst not thou be more tender toward us as unto Babes in Christ now who are the same in Growth with every such Babe as thou hast granted But let us see what pity thou hast to these Babes and let the true Mother judge as in p. 60. where thou sayest again viz. No wonder you your selves and your Followers prize not Christ's Sufferings and Attonement but are proud and Pharisaical Christ's Blood is despised by you and after several more false Accusations cryest O poor deceived People And so goes on in his old rode of Railing Lying and Slandering as the Reader of his Book might see What! our Perfection the same which every Babe in Christ hath and yet proud Pharisaical despising Christ's Blood not prizing his Sufferings and Attonement and a deceived People how can this be W. H surely thou hast greatly belied and abused the Babes in Christ as thou wilt remember one Day for we do highly prize the Blood Sufferings and Attonement of Christ Jesus beyond expression though such as thou speak all manner of Evil against us falsly as God is our Witness who shall surely judge and condemn thee for thy slanderous Tongue who calls the Light of his dear Son A Robber's Light that goes down to
Hell with him as in page 63. and page 64. cryest What a sore heavy hand is against them comparing us to Sorcerers and VVitches and in page 65. To a Spirit of Hell and Satan and so runst on till thou comest to thy Parallel of the Quakers and Papists in which thou sayest The Quakers own Works done in the Light are of value c. and that they are against taking an Oath O W. H are the Works done in the Light of no value with thee so it seems by thy Unfruitful Works of Darkness and undervaluing the true Light and reproaching the Babes in Christ who value all VVorks done in the Light as the Children of Light have done in all Ages and is that a crime for Christ's Babes to obey his Commands who saith Swear not at all art thou one of them that break his Commands and teach men so then read thy Portion Mat. 5.19 who sayest page 19. The Person of Christ was the Alpha and Omega and page 85. That the Person of Christ is the Tree of Life and page 137. And his Person is the Rock of Eternity Is this then thy real Description of the Person of Christ thou so much talkest of Surely as the Alpha and Omega the Tree of Lise the Rock of Eternity he was before his coming in the Flesh or the Virgin Mary was born of whom Christ according to the Flesh came what is then become of the Glorious Manhood and Body of Christ Is not that his Person Or dost thou believe Jesus Christ consists of two Persons one from Eternity and another in Time If thou dost speak it out In page 84. thou callest the Scripture-Language A Stone out of the Rubbish of this Babel where I vindicate the true Light that lighteth every man that cometh into the World in Opposition to thy dark Imaginations who art not worth answering but I mention a little of thy work which thou callest push pin that People may see how thou pushest against the Babes in Christ as thou hast confessed our Perfection is no other c. I believe the young man dare not speak altogether so badly as thou hast done of that same Light which reproved him about going to steal the Herring see that remarkable passage of his in page 27. of my Answer in the Book entituled Rebellion Rebuked which stands true against you both to this Day And in page 86 and 87. how dost thou manifest thy Ignorance and Perversion of the Scriptures as if it were another thing then the Spirit of Truth the Saints Comforter that convinceth the World of Sin John 16.7,8 Thou dost contradict the plain Scripture and indeed I do not intend to bestow much Labour about thee thou art so bad and frothy a man as I have not met with the like of late Years but I shall observe one of Solomon's Proverbs not to answer thee according to thy Folly lest thou shouldst be more wiser in thy own Conceit if possible thou canst for should we multiply Words as thou hast to our Answer to thine it would amount to near 100 Sheets of Paper though that Scripture Job 11.2,3 thou mentions against me p. 73. I cannot but take a little Notice of and return it back to thee again viz. Should thy Lyes make men hold their Peace c. O no W. H. for J.C. and I do intend to lay some of them open as thou mayest perceive and that thou mightst take a view of them and repent and do so no more lest a worse thing come upon thee which else will surely be as I told thee not long since which some will remember Again in page 87. thou sayest The Light of the Sun and the Wind is of Christ c. But O vain man doth that convince the World of Sin as the Spirit of Truth doth of which I was speaking See more of thy frothy windy Comparisons art thou a man fit to be answered but with sharp Rebuke let the Sober Reader judge or art thou fit to preach the Gospel to People who thy self confessedst to my Face thou didst not know God to be Light The Apostles of Christ knew God to be Light and preached him so and their Fellowship with him one with another was in the Light 1 John 1. and yet thou confessest that Christ is the Author of all Lights that the Quakers Light will manifest some Sin p. 88. but not shew the Dust and Atoms of Sin and Lust in our Souls p. 89. But William I think thy Dust and Dirt too hath pretty well appeared to the view of Quakers and others who see what thou art filled withal against the Babes in Christ whom thou scoffs at and sayest Ye be jealous for your God the Light We do acknowledge that we desire no other God to be jealous for nor to worship reverence serve then the same God who is Light 1 Joh. 1. the God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob c. but we know the Scoffer Lyar Slanderer Proud Ambitious Man hath another God he is jealous of and afraid to loose and such the Prophet saith Will curse their God when they shall behold nothing but Darkness and Trouble Take heed W. H. thou art warned again in Love to thy Soul In page 92. Thou counts the Quakers honest civil Heathens Well then William for Honesty and Civility Sake as we are Babes in Christ too as thousay'st do not slander us nor revile us so any more nor call us such Blasphemers as thou hast done saying This is the fifth time of Bayly's Blasphemy c. calling to thy Reader to know If his Ears do not tingle at these Rampant Blasphemies p. 94. And in page 95. thou hast so confounded my Words that the Reader indeed might think I began to tell of the Devil playing at Cards when they were the young man's Words and used by me in way of Reply to your confused and false Doctrine as the Reader may see in p. 35. of the Book before-mentioned And in p. 98. thou cryest O that thou hadst but understood this one great Place of Scripture after thou hadst perverted it thou wouldst never have turned Quaker W. H. I must tell thee for all thy great Out-cry against the Quakers that Moses who was a Quaker understood more great Scriptures and the things of God more then ever thou art like to do while in thy dark envious Mind art opposing and undervaluing reproaching and vilifying the Light in man which is the true Light John 1.9 And how dost thou rush into Lies and Perversions of my Words and the Scriptures also in thy 99th and 100th pages of thy Book as if thou hadst learnt of thy Brother T. H's forged Dialogues but this Kind of Work ye shall all find too heavy for you in the End and then you will remember you were warned in Love by the despised Quakers And again in page 101. sayest W. B. saith He will answer God in his Perfection and let God plunge him if he
to him Gen. 3. when he had sinned c. Distinguish between the Immediate Voice of God and Revelation here if thou canst else all thy Labour to undervalue the true Light is in vain Could Adam see a Way of Deliverance without Light And is not God that spoke to Adam Light and doth not his Voice reveal what reveals then if not God by his Voice who shewed Adam his Nakedness and who shews unto man his Thoughts Amos 4.13 Doth not one man reveal or declare his Mind to another when he speaks to him if not what doth it signifie consider it and then see thy Perversion of John's words chapter 3.6 as if he spoke of a common Light and called it Flesh and then look back into thy own Confusion about it saying It teacheth the Things contained in the Law and yet counts it Impure as I have shewed already this is your Wild-Goose Chase ye like not to hear of but as I told you last time your Folly must be made manifest as Jannes and Jambres's was that withstood Moses In page 149. thou sayest I scarce know one Gospel-Truth but this common Light contradicteth c. And yet confessest It works a Change in the Life and Conversation I thought that work had not been contradictory to the Gospel which was to be adorned with a Blameless and Holy Conversation in the Apostles Dayes who said God was Light and Christ who gives Light to all as thou sayest But why W. Dimsdale dost thou teach People to deny the great progress they have made by doing Good and abstaining from Evil which is of use in its Place as thou hast said p. 154. And to deny all they think is of Christ in them c. Is not this well-pleasing to the Devil and wicked men thinkest thou Reader and then he saith I know thou wilt count it a notorious Lye Thou mightest have said Notorious Wickedness for it is Wickedness much to be taken notice of to deny all that I think is of Christ in me as thou would have me do in point of Justification is it not God that justifieth and did not Paul think he had the Spirit of God 1 Cor. 7.40 and did not that Spirit justifie them 1 Cor. 6.11 and bear witness with their Spirits that they were the Children of God is this nothing to Justification to have God's Spirit witness for me and is not God Light and his Spirit too must I deny all this now let the wise in Heart judge if this be not to deny God and Christ Jesus and the Spirit and in the same page sayest viz. But apply thy self to the Glass of the Law for by the Law is the Knowledge of Sin So here I must deny all that I think is of Christ in me the Light Life and Peace within me as he saith and apply my self to the Glasse of the Law c. O strange Doctrine where are ye now ye Babylonians who have so much cryed out against the Quakers for bringing People to the Bondage of the Law and Covenant of Works What! are you now come to be Teachers of the Law not knowing what ye say nor whereof ye affirm 1 Tim. 1.5,6,7 But the Quakers know what they say and do affirm with John that great Prophet that That was the True Light that lighteth every man that cometh into the World John 1.9 though you say It s Corrupt Nature Fallen Blind Nature and Impure Flesh and an Unsound Thing I never heard any Man of God call it by such Vilifying Names as ye do such Confused Doctrine as I have not heard of but from you like that again in pag. 156. where thou sayest Our State is sure and certain on God's part his Foundation is sure yet as to us its brittle and very uncertain c. What! have you a little Fear then that you may lose your Salvation now if you have you are brittle indeed for you seem very contrary in Judgment sometimes as witness the Tenure of both your Books But thou sayest in the same page The one Half of your selves warring against the other viz. the Flesh against the Spirit VVhere do you find the Spirit called Half a Man's Self You having denyed the true Light and called it Flesh and Corrupt Nature c. this must go with that Half that wars against the Spirit so Flesh and the Light being denyed by you ye will be left as bare and naked in the dark as indeed your Confused Brittle Work hath rendred you in the Eyes of such as fear the Lord. And in pag. 157. thou sayest again viz. That all men are lighted by a Light that is true in its Kind by Jesus Christ as he was the Creator of all things I deny not But now mark the Kind of this true Light as these men have interpreted and affirmed It is True in its Kind then True Corrupt Unsound Light True Fallen Blind Nature and Flesh For these are the Kinds and Denominations you have placed on the True Light that lighteth every man that cometh into the World John 1.9 And you shall never get from under the Guilt of Blasphemy against God without speedy Repentance and Acknowledgment of your Evil herein as publickly as you have spread these your Errors The Lord hath spoken it And as for all thy Arguments for being a Quaker and W. H's digging deep to bring forth this Lying Wonder it s all in vain as I have shewed at the beginning of this Treatise for he nor thee nor any other can never prove nor manifest that thou wast ever such a Quaker as he hath affirmed though as I said I believe thou wast convinced of some Sins as thou acknowledged and wast kept from stealing Herrings and doing wrong to thy Neighbour c. but not went farther then most of them c. nor was fully of their Way Spirit Faith and Principle and so in striving against the Truth you do but manifest to the World your Ignorance Error Confusion Enmity and Blindness and so the farther ye stretch your selves upon this Bed the shorter it will be and the more your Nakedness will appear and your Covering will be too narrow And though you and all wicked men call the Quakers Principle Rotten Unsound Gross and Damnable c. yet we can bless the Lord for its Soundness and its Sound Doctrine for it was the first and will be the last upon the Earth and it will not only keep from Stealing and Wronging of Neighbours but it will teach to Love Enemies and forgive them that trespass against us and what else the Lord doth require of us And it s so sound and durable that it will last and be exalted established and magnified and stand when all your airy Smoke of Enmity Opposition Confusion and Darkness shall come to an end and be swept from off the Face of the Earth The Lord God who breathed into Man the Breath of Life hath spoken it Through WILLIAM BAYLY The 9th Moneth 1674. Postscript
PAssing by the Multitude of Lyes and False Doctrines Perversions and Slanders for Brevity's sake I insert a few of your plain Contradictions and Absurdities that the Reader may see how you are confounded about the Light through your Envy and dark Imaginations Pag. 113. All the Light that every man has as he cometh into the World is but Flesh Pag. 150. Contra. But the Common Light worketh a Change in Life and Conversation c. Pag. 149. I scarce know one Gospel-truth but this common Light contradicteth Pag. 111. Christ as a Creator is the Root and Fountain of this that every one hath c. Pag. 161. I do now say it is a Rotten Corrupt and Unsound Thing or Principle as to the leading or guiding into the Knowledge of the Gospel Pag. 109. This Light is greatly helped and increased by the Consideration of the Works of Creation more by the reading of the Scriptures hearing the Word preached and Converse with Christians and let it be noted that the Quakers had the Improvement of the Light this way though they will not acknowledge it in India we hear but of little Improvement of it Many that live not up to this Light will be very inexcusably condemned And those that walk according to it doing some things contained in the Law do shame judge and condemn those that pretend to Christianity and yet live not in Righteousness and Sobriety Answ I think now the Reader may see thee W. H. sufficiently judged and condemned out of thy own Mouth who hast so much abused this Good Light and them that live according to it and therefore pretend no longer to Christianity but let Shame cover thee till thou hast learned Righteousness and Sobriety as thou hast said Pag. 136. Following the Dictates of Nature is not the Yoke of Christ for it leads into the Covenant of Works which is a heavy Yoke to work for Life and ye are under it And in the same Page viz. To the Law in my Conscience I have been faithful in order to drive me to Christ the Mediator Pag. 46. Now the Righteousness of Christ is not in our Minds at all but in his own Person Pag. 66. Dost not thou know that the Independant Presbyterian and Anabaptist Party are both in their Preaching and Writings for an Experimental Spiritual Knowledge of Christ and that they do generally assert that a bare Dogmatical and Historical Knowledge of Jesus of Nizareth is not sufficient for Salvation without the Truths be inwardly taught by the Spirit c Pag. 36. I give the Reason why the Gifts and Virtues that God's Spirit works in us are our Righteousness in Contradistinction to the Righteousness of Christ whereby we are justified c. Pag. 35. So we have Two Righteousnesses by the Second Adam Jesus Christ the one to take away the Guilt of Sin that is the Righteousness I am pleading for and the other to take away the Reigning Power of Sin sanâ—…ifying of us and renewing of us into the Image of Christ in some degree c. Yet pag. 46. Now the Righteousness of Christ is not in our Minds at all but in his own Person Now Reader consider what great Confusion these poor dark men run themselves into through their Opposing the true Light which lighteth every man that cometh into the World John 1.9 didst thou ever read before that the Righteousness that we have by Christ which takes away the reigning Power of Sin sanctifying of us and renewing of us into the Image of Christ in some degree was in Contradistinction to that Righteousness which takes away the Guilt of Sin and that this Righteousness is not in our Minds at all but in his Person which he sayes is the Tree of Life the Rock of Eternity c. But W. H. didst thou witness what thy airy Tongue can sometimes talk of of Sanctifying and renewing into the Image of Christ c. thou wouldst leave off thy Lying Slandering Envying and Evil-speaking know a Bridle to thy Tongue without which thy Religion is vain Jam. 1.26,27 For thou bearest no Degree of the Image of Christ in these Confusions and Works of Darkness but of Cain Nimrod Esau and Ishmael the Envious Hunter and Scoffer and thy Reward from the Lord Jesus Christ will be according to thy Works notwithstanding thy Sheeps-Clothing Cover of thy Lip-Profession which will stand the Worker of Inquity in no stead in that Day And remember ye are Warned once more in Love to your Souls by one that loves the Lord Jesus Christ in Sincerity and cannot but exalt his pure and true Light and Righteousness and not put it under a Bushel or a Bed of fleshly Ease as many do who are selling a Birth-right and Blessing for a Mess of Pottage he that hath Ears let him hear but I esteem the Reproaches of Christ greater Riches then all the Treasures of Egypt in a Measure of whose Light and Innocent Life I remain a Friend to all People making war in the same only against the common Enemy of Mankind the Prince of Darkness which rules in the Hearts of the Children of Disobedience VVilliam Bayly An Answer to that Postscript of William Haworth's at the end of that Wicked Pamphlet entituled An Antidote c. William Haworth IT is pity that men professing to be Christ's Ministers should be so dark and envious as thou art against the Truth as it is in Jesus and also charge Lyes on the Innocent and in affirming that I said The Dictrine of Election was a devilish damnable and Blasphemous Doctrine It is strange men of thy Practice and Profession should be so notoriously wicked that ye care not what you affirm provided you can but possess peoples hearts with Prejudice against the Light and the Children of it Nay thou sayest If I dare come to the Tryal thou offerest at any time two substantial Witnesses to prove that I said in these words That the Doctrine of Election was a Devilish Damnable and Blasphemous Doctrine Oh Wickednes how gross is this that ever thou shouldst dare thus to belye thy own Conscience in this Matter and the Witnesses thou must bring to prove what thou sayest must be Lyars like thy self and also of the Devil even such Witnesses as were brought against Christ Jesus to charge him with Blasphemy such must thy Witnesses in this Matter be if thou bringest any and so they must be such it seems as will deny that any such thing was affirmed by thee viz. That God ordained Men to be Wicked before they were born And these Witnesses must needs for any thing I know be Jeremy Suaft and that other Man both of thy own Profession who were only in the hearing of what was said as I mentioned in mine to thee who I affirm were Ear-witnesses of the Discourse how that I owned the Doctrine of Election according to the Scriptures and also how thou affirmedst That God ordained people to be Wicked before they were born which I say is
a Devilish Doctrine and Blasphemy which is no Lye to be contradicted but the real Truth from thine own Mouth and presently after I writ a Paper concerning it and other Stuff of the like nature to the aforesaid J. Suife a Copy of which I have here under written and it shall stand a Witness against thee forever and it was never Answered though writ several years since neither did Jeremy Suift ever come to me to contradict it in words to my Face though at that time and long after I had my Being not far from his Dwelling in the same Town and have met him in the Streets several times And can it be believed that if in any thing I had wronged thee in such a deep Charge I should have received nothing in Answer to this day either in Word or Writing This may breed a very shrewd Suspition even in them who are willing to believe what he saith that he is guilty and indeed it had been better for him if he had honestly confessed his Error and not have added Sin to Sin as he doth by Denying and Belying the Truth A Copy of the aforesaid Paper to Jeremy Suift followeth To you that think VVilliam Haworth to be a Minister of the GOSPEL HOw do you relish this Doctrine he affirmeth That the thorow work of Regeneration which brings a Man into God's Kingdom of Glory is not sufficient for Man's Salvation though this cannot be without True Justifying Faith in the Son of God by virtue whereof this Work is wrought in the heart Yet he saith this is not sufficient for Salvation but call this inward Work of Christ Legal Righteousness therefore he denyes the Perfection of the Work of Christ what he did for us in the Dayes of his Flesh and at his Death and the Efficacy of that One Offering and Blood that was shed for us and was for the perfecting of the Sanctified Ones that so they might be brought into the Everlasting Kingdom of his Glory in which is Peace Compleating and Perfection Union and Communion with God in Christ Jesus and so this man speaks unadvisedly with his Lips and his Ignorance of the Work is the Ground of his Mistake Again what do you say to this Doctrine of his viz. That the Light within that discovers all manner of Sin yea the Secret Sins of the Heart or whatever Sin he committeth he saith This Light is altogether Darkness yea he saith It is Flesh and before a man be convinced he hath nothing in him but Flesh the Light afore mentioned he saith is altogether Darkness and Flesh but some of you are of a better Judgement in this matter and have said to me and before William Haworth that it would bring a man under the Sense of Sin and condemn him for it so that it seems some of you begin to grow wiser then your Teacher and I pray God that you may go on to encrease in that which is good daily and know the Lord God and his Spirit to teach you and not to depend upon such an Unlearned Man as this in the things of God for Paul said the Law was Spiritual but he was Carnal Again he saith That Thousands in the World are this Day condemned by the Lord yet notwithstanding are not condemined for Vnbelief So it seems there are a People in the World whose Unbelief shall not be charged upon them yet must be condemned Now was not Unbelief the very Ground-Sin of the whole World who are in the First Adam and the Inlet into all manner of Vice and Debauchery and being clear from the Sin of Unbelief he is in the Way to obtain Freedom from all manner of Sin whatsoever and it may not touch him at all neither he be condemned at all And I have understood that the Gospel Sound had spread through the Earth and it is an Everlasting Sound this Day sounded in the Ears of all People calling to Repentance Dependance upon the Eternal God in Christ for Salvation and the stopping the Ear from hearing this glorious Gospel-sound not believing in the Light of Christ Jesus the true Light that lighteth every man coming into the world to be the Ground of Condemnation Now I say I had thought this Unbelief had been the same Ground of all mens Condemnation as they are in the first disobedient Adam or Earthly Man but all Sinners are not in that State by William Haworth's Doctrine shut up in Unbelief and therefore there is another way of Condemnation for them then that of not believing in Christ the Light but he is blind indeed that sees not this man's Ignorance and Confusion in the things of God Again Friends this he told me in the hearing of Jeremiah Suift and another man That God ordained People to be wicked before they were born which I called Blasphemy and surely you that are sober will be ashamed of him that is thus full of Confusion and Ignorance but he fell very furiously upon me in the End and thrust me out of his Chamber because I would have endeavoured his Welfare and reclaimed him from his Errors I am sure I had no other End in my Heart but he hath manifested the Spirit of his Master Lucifer and may be numbred among such as are wicked and hypocritical though he profess Liberty of Conscience I believe no such thing from him such of his Spirit but that he would soon I have good Ground to believe follow his Brethren of New-England in a Murderous Spirit I pray God bless you that are sober People and preserve you to himself that you may proceed in your Enquiry after that which is Good and the Lord of Heaven keep you is the Prayer of him that loves you C. T. Much I could write of this Man but I spare him at present only thus much lay on my Conscience to present to you at this time but if Occasion be I could present you with a great deal of his wicked Lying and Baseness full of Confusion and Darkness far unlike a Christian or Minister of Christ but a Feigned Hypocrite a Light Vain Man a Dreamer and Imaginer of the things of God having a patcht-up thing of an Imperfect form of Godliness but ignorant of the Power And if he had not so abused me in his Chamber I had notwithstanding all this held my peace but his Wickedness against Truth hath been great as may be manifest hereafter if occasion be This was writ long since and only one Copy of it given to Jeremaih Suift and his Brethren to peruse c. And my Charge stands good against him that he affirmed as above said That God ordained people to be wicked before they were born and I do solemnly affirm he spoke it let him bring what witnesses he can to the contrary I am sure they may be false ones in this matter it was not gathered up by me against him as a Consequence of his Doctrine or any thing of that Nature but he
plainly affirmed the thing viz. That God ordained People to be wicked before they were born And whereas he daringly saith If I dare come to the Tryal he offers two Substantial Witnesses to prove that I said The Doctrine of Election was a Devilish Damnable and Blasphemous Doctrine and also to prove that No such thing was said by him as that God ordained People to be wicked before they were born and if I please he will enter the Lists with me and the like I answer That my God is the Living God above all the false Gods whom I serve and reverence in his Name and Power he hath kept me hitherto over the Heads of such Gilded Hypocrites as thou art and I fear not to meet thee nor thy Master's Strength and thy witnesses in the Name of my God in any convenient Place equally agreed on to manifest the Truth of my Cause and to try thy Power and I deny thy Spirit who denies the Power and Heavenly Light of the true God and Christ and callst his Blessed Image and Saving Health the Work of Regeneration Legal Righteousness and a man 's own Righteousness I tell thee I deny thy Spirit and Work and stand up for the true God and his Christ whom thou knowest not but by Imagination nor where he is but by Imagination Thou Dreamer hast thou not lost the Sight of the true Saviour and now thou imagines the Place of his Residence thou knowst not where nor what thou sayest nor whereof thou affirmest a Cloud hath received him out of thy Sight and you are parted if ever thou hadst any Acquaintance with him in any Measure and where he is thou canst not see him with thy blind Eye nor come unto him for indeed the Heavens have received him and the Heavenly Host see him but thou shalt never see him to thy Comfort but Condemnation in that Dark and Wicked Mind thou livest in profess what thou wilt and babble what thou canst in a vain Mind Thou wouldst be disputing about the Body of Jesus where it is and what it is but thou canst not find it out no more then the Devil could in disputing with the Angel about the Body of Moses and thou art sufficiently answered elsewhere as to that Surely the Apppearance Sight of Christ will be to their Condemnation who believe in thy Doctrine of Antichristianism in denying the Light within to be Spiritual and Christian for as the Devils saw him and knew him and were tormented by him in the Dayes of his Flesh as accounting his Coming then a Torment tormenting them before the time so shalt thou and those of thy Spirit except ye repent for your Torments are begun already and your Gnashing of Teeth because he is come to reign and he must reign who is our Joy and your Sorrow must encrease and have no End who are wilful and mad in your opposing of him in this Day of his spiritual Appearance The Substance of his Answer to my Postscript is this First Concerning Personal Reprobation he affirmeth That God willeth to permit Evil by denying Grace which would prevent it As much as to say God having fore-ordained the greatest part of the World to be Reprobated and Damned therefore to bring about his End he denies the Means of their Salvation that is Grace to the End that they may be damned for they must be damned there is no Remedy why Because God hath so decreed before they be born and this Purpose and Decree of his must stand and it cannot be otherwise because the Lord denieth them the Benefit of his Saving Grace If Ely was punished with Death because he restrained not his Sons Wickedness and had not that Indignation against it as it deserved what would they make God to be who as they say restrains his Grace because he hath ordained them to Damnation and also Christ did not dye for them and so it is impossible for those for whom Christ did not dye that they should be saved this is the natural Consequence of such a Doctrine and so it is of the Devil and to make the Lord the hardest of Masters and greatest of Tyrants to require that of man which he hath decreed aforehand it shall be impossible for him to do and yet he must for not doing it be condemned as much as if a Tyrant should first command a man's Legs to be cut off and then command him to go and kill him for not going or put out a man's Eyes and then command him to see and for disobeying such a Command he must be slain In like manner the Lord requires Faith and Repentance where aforehand he hath deprived him of Power to do either on purpose to destroy him because he hath decreed him before he was born to such an End and therefore denyeth him Grace Now William Haworth dost thou believe we can believe this to be Christian Doctrine which hath so much Contradiction and Confusion in it for the Grace of God hath certainly appeared to all men according to Scripture and the Invitation is unto all to believe in Christ that they may be saved without Respect of Persons Thus in short I leave this and pass on to detect the rest of thy Non-sense and Confusion because much hath been writ in this particular by other Hands c. Secondly Concerning Original Sin I said The Devil was the Original of Sin in Mankind and that I understood not how Infents could be guilty of Sin in the Womb c. To this W. H. answers thus That the Devil is the Original of Sin in Mankind i. e. The first Tempter to Sin is a Doctrine we learned from Moses not from the Quakers but what is this ad rem Ergo there is no Original Sin except it be the Devil Astrange Argument saith he Now Reader mark this man's Logick because I said that the Devil alwayes was and is the Original of Sin in Mankind who obey him he makes this Ergo or Conclusion There is no Original Sin except it be the Devil and so the Argument must stand thus The Devil alwayes was and is the Original of Sin in Mankind who obey him Ergo The Devil is Original Sin What abusive Non-sense and Perversion is this But however we say the Devil is the Original of Sin and now I shall look into the Scriptures he brings to prove the Sin of Infants in the Womb. First Rom. 5.12 Wherefore as by one man Sin entered into the World and Death by Sin and so Death passed upon all men for that all have sinned Mark Reader what is this to Infants in the Womb who have not yet sinned read the next verse following the latter part of it viz. Sin is not imputed where there is no Law but where is the Law to Infants in the Womb before they come into the World surely there is none therefore no Sin nor Condemnation it must needs be an Innocent Sinless State so that the state of sinning must