formerly the Gospel is NOT the Words the Unbeliever hath that but the Gospel he knows not it is â—id from him Christ himself is the great Preacher of that and his now saying that neither the Scriptures nor the Spirit and Light is the Gospel barely and abstractly considered He then said Christ preached it immediately he now tells us a little below It cannot be conceived without some Form of Words and Propositions that consist of words inwardly conceived and cannot be outwardly preached without some Form of Words outwardly expressed whereby he confounds a Declaration of or concerning the Gospel with the Gospel it self quite beside his Sentiments formerly That it was spoken in Man by Christ by the powerful Breath of his Spirit which surely may be without a Form of words as outwardly The one the Unbelievers may read hear and know and yet noâ— know the Gospel But will he say the Gospel was never communicated by the Divine Breath without a Form of Words seeing he now makes the outward Preaching and the thing preached so inseparable to the Gospel that neither of them are Gospel in the abstract And whereas he tells Imm. Rev. p. 213. The Gospel was preached unto Abraham Abel Enoch Noah and to all Believers who lived before Scripture was writ in a Book and that it was spoken into their Hearts by the Spirit of Jesus Christ c. Will he now maintain that they had both the Scripture Words and the Spirit and Light in order to make it Gospel Could not Christ in speaking into their Hearts be conceived without some Form of Words or was it not Gospel till so conceived Nor will his Allegations from p. 55 to 71. and p. 69 stand him in any stead For the first Reference is wide no passage assigned and though I cannot find any thing there to help him off yet I find in p. 56. what makes against him viz. The best of words uttered from Christ himself in the days of his Flesh or from any oâ— the Apostles or Prophets and yet recorded in Scripture cannot reveal the Father nor the Son neither they point only at that which reveals and were spoken and writ for that end that People might come to the Principle of true Knowledge in themselves see also p. 59. Whence I Query Cannot the Gospel which is the Power of God unto Salvation reveal the Father or doth that Gospel point only at that which reveal Or is that which reveals the Father which he saith the best of words cannot do as it is opened in Man by the Son no Gospel till outwardly preached or written Thus for want of Sincerity to retract and by labouring to defend as Congruous what is so Contradictory is the Man entangled and the more he toils the more he is perplext His second Reference instead of doing him any good further lays him open For though he doth there assert the Light as the Principal thing yet not in ordine ad idem not with relation to the Gospel for which end he here adduceth it for there was no Dissertation thereof there His words are these One takes himself to read Commentators to furnish him for the Ministry another to read Hypocrates and Galen to become a Physician while their hands are out from the Light of Christ which gives true Knowledge and Ability to Minister either to the Soul or Body and is the principal thing Mark he doth not say it is the principal thing of the Gospel he was not defining Gospel here but what was the principal thing â—o make a good Minister or Physician nor did he say â—eading of Hypocrates or Galen was Gospel in the abâ—tract but the Light was the principal thing or that â—hey and the Light together make up the Gospel in the â—ull and adequate Sense thereof This I urge to shew â—he Man's Falshood and Deceit who offers so remote â—n Instance and wide from the subject we are treating â—f to prove that to which it had no coherence and all â—o cover himself that the Shame of his Nakedness â—ight not appear which now is so much the more viâ—ble by this fresh Demonstration thereof From hence he sallieth to a Discourse about the Scripâ—ures being called the Word of God That he may ratifie our Adversaries he represents it an unprofitable â—rtful and groundless Contention on our parts especially â—r Friend B. Cool having in a late Book of his said That as they declare the Mind of God with respect to us and are his Commands to us they may in that respect bâ— called the Word or Command of God to us And so saitâ— G. K. all other Professions in Christendom own them and nâ— otherwise Answ Till he be more steady to what himâ—self owns I deem him no fit Voucher for others mucâ— less for all other Professions in Christendom Yet foâ— the sake of such to whom he labours to traduce us 〈◊〉 reply We contend not meerly about Words but aâ— some Men have erred in denying the immediate Internaâ— Revelation is a continuing Gospel-Privilege so havâ— they also in mis-applying what hath been said in thâ— Scriptures concerning the Word of God whence iâ— hath come to pass that as the Jews of Old thought iâ— them to have Eternal Life while not coming to Chrisâ— John 5.39 so these not attending to nor coming tâ— Christ as inwardly revealed have set up the Scripture as their Rule in opposition to an inward Guidance by the Spirit of God in these days assigning to them whaâ— was spoken of the Divine Inshining Words Now tâ— undeceive these and direct them to an inward Prinâ—ciple in themselves our Friends have been led to thiâ— Distinction not in Derogation to the Holy Scriptures nor through an Itch of Contention but as a necessarâ— Medium to six Mens Minds upon that Word which iâ— able to save the Soul and enlighten the Eye which thâ— best of Words could not do without it Yet very unfâ— was G. K. to fling this stone who himself hath botâ— used and defended this very Distinction in his Help iâ— time of Need p. 65. a passage not yet retracted foâ— there he not only tells us Though the Holy Scripâ—tures declare of this Word yet they are not thaâ— Word more than a Map or Description of Rome oâ— London is Rome or London or the Image of Caesar iâ— Caesar or Bread and Wine is the Body and Blood oâ— Christ c. But also allows They may borroâ— the Name and sometimes be so called as the words or Prophecy of Isaiah is called by himself his Vision c. He should therefore have first retracted his own unprofitable hurtful and groundless Contention as he calls it in others before he had bestowed his Censures upon us But the Man's Malice hath run him a-ground who needed not by this repeated instance to have given fresh Evidence of his Instability we having enough to load him with besides and more than he can fairly get from under were he not judiciously infatuated
Salvation either explicitly or implicitly else why should he say That it was needful to be revealed by the Spirits Answ I find no words there of the Knowledge of Christ as he came in the Flesh but only of Christ as God that God filleth all things but is apprehended by nothing but that which cometh from himself is begotten by himself c. p. 55. Adding towards the close of the Page It the Carnal Mind cannot by searching find out God he dwelleth in another Principle c. And in p. 56. he tells us how he is known and revealed viz. by the Son for which he quotes Matt. 11.27 And to manifest that no outward mediate Revelation can do it they are his following words he in that and p. 57. instanceth that the words uttered from Christ as he hath it in the days of his Flesh or from any of the Prophets or Apostles cannot reveal the Father Who in his Gradation descends to this Query saying To come to Jesus Christ himself who spoke to them in the days of his Flesh Did his words reveal him or his Father unto them But what is this to prove that the Knowledge of Christ after the Flesh was needful to all Mens Salvation either explicitly or implicitly when as that was no subject of the Argument but only of Scripture words spoken by himself in the days of his Flesh or by others before and since Who when he comes to summ all that is said in this Argument they are his own words p. 70. himself giveth it thus The Knowledge of God he doth not of Christ according to the Flesh being that which is indispensibly necessary to every Believer and true Christian and seeing this cometh only by the Revelation of the Son immediately in the Heart and by receiving it from the Mouth of God himself and from the Inspiration of the Holy Ghost c. hath not one Syllable of the Necessity of the Knowledge of Christ after the Flesh but only of the internal immediate Revelation So hardly is the Man put to it neatly to varnish over his Cause and impose an untrue Explication instead of a true one upon his Reader § 8 Yet he will be trying at it once again § 8. where citing out of Imm. Rev. p. 60. his having said Seeing the Knowledge of Christ after the Flesh was not sufficient nor to be rested in but they were to look for a better c. he tells us It will appear from the foregoing and following words in that Book that by the Knowledge of him after the Flesh he did not mean that Knowledge of him as he came in the Flesh but that Knowledge that the Disciples and Apostles had of him by their outward sight and hearing of him or by what they could know of him by the meer actings of the Mind without Internal Revelation Answ Outward sight and hearing by the meer actings of the Mind are foisted in now not mentioned there nor deduceable from thence Yet I observe how he varies in treating upon one and the same Argumenâ— When he speaks of Jesus Christ's speaking Face to Face in the days of his Flesh he applieth it to the Knowledge of him as he came in the Flesh but when he useth the words Knowledge of Christ after the Flesh he did not mean the Knowledge of him as he came in the Flesh but by outward seeing hearing and the meer Actings of the Mind c. Yet all will not help him For having shewed p. 59. That if Christ's Bodily Presence was not sufficient of it self to minister but a MORE GLORIOUS they were to expect then far less the outward Administration of any other Man He in p. 60. adds For if Christ be no more to be known after the Flesh much less any other Man but they were to look for a BETTER a more clear and full Manifestation in themselves to wit a Spiritual Heavenly Mysterious Manifestation in themselves even such a way as the World cannot know him or receive him which made Judas not Iscariot to wonder and question him saying How is it that thou wilt manifest thy self to us and not unto the World By all which it will appear G. K. was not shewing that the Knowledge of Christ as he came in the Flesh was needful to Salvation to all as he alledged § 7. nor yet here treating of the Knowledge received by the meer Actings of the Mind without Internal Revelation but was preferring the inward Manifestation of Christ in Spirit to his bodily Presence in the Flesh representing the outward Coming as noâ— sufficient of it self the other as more Glorious Heavenly full and clear such as the World could not receive So that instead of extolling the outward Coming and setting off the Benefits thereof he was rather magnifying the inward and lessening the other Whereas he adds The true saving Knowledge of Christ is a spiritual Knowledge of him as he came in the Flesh and died for us so as by the inward Revelation of the Spirit 〈◊〉 God the Mystery of his Death and Sufferings is opened to us I answer We deny not the unvailing of any Mystery to be a Spiritual Knowledge nor yet that great Blessing and Benefits were purchased by his Death and Sufferâ—ings but that such who have not had the opportunity and means of the knowledge of what Christ did outwardly and have died without it either are not saved or receive the Knowledge thereof in order to Salvation when dead is what we have detected him as contraâ—ictory to his former Writings in § 9 From these words Imm. Rev. p. 63. The glorious Gospel is not the words the best of Scripture words there he stops referring from p. 55 to 71. he takes occasion § 9. to declare His sense was that the â—ords of Scripture are not principally and chiefly the Gospel â—ot the principal thing of the Gospel but that p. 69. he calls â—he Light the principal thing But as the Scripture words without the inward Life c. is not the Gospel so nor is the Spirit and Light barely and abstractly considered without â—he Words and Doctrine the Gospel in the full and adequate sense of the word Gospel Answ I shall first confront him â—ut of what he hath more fully delivered in p. 63. than â—e hath here given and then consider his References â—n the first place he there saith of the Gospel It is that which the words declare of but not the words themselves which may be read heard and known by the Unbeliever of whom he saith but the Gospel he knows not it is hid from him and his reason is for it is the Power of God unto Salvation it is the Preaching of the glad Tidings of Salvation by Jesus Christ himself IMMEDIATELY in the Heart it is Christ's saying in Man by the powerful Breath of his Spirit Awake thou that sleepest He is the great Preacher of this great and glorious Gospel himself Now Reader what Consistency is there between his sayâ—ng
to Contradict what he had delivered formerly Yet at length speaking of Infants he concludeth they all need that God be merciful unto them for Christ's sake and therein I agree with him but to different Ends For I distinguish between Mercy and Justice the not punishing Infants who have not sinned is a Fruit of his Justice the preserving them from sinning by his Divine Seed is a Fruit of his Mercy And thus I close this Section Sect. III. § 1 He begins his Sect. 3. with a Quotation out of Rector Corrected Printed Anno 1680. p. 22. thus By Christ his giving his Flesh for the Life of the World we understand both the Offering up of his Flesh as his dying for us upon the Cross and also his giving his Flesh to eat and his Blood to drink c. Which distinction I admit viz. that his giving his Flesh for the Life of the World had a twofold signification the one was Propitiatory a Dying for us upon the Cross as he hath it the other his giving his Flesh to eat was Spirit and Life and fed the Soul And herein we agree with him What he adds that he did not place all our Salvation upon the Light within excluding the Man Christ without c. but that he did lay a great weight upon iâ— is not the Matter in Controversie as he hath been often told We both lay a great weight upon Christ's outward coming and do not place all our Salvation upon the Light within exclusive thereof and also have not charged him with what he here seeks to purge himself from any otherwise than as argumentum ad hominem i. e. that we are no otherwise so than himself who hath with us formerly born Testimony to the sufficiency of the Light where the History hath not been revealed distinguishing as himself hath done between the necessity that Christ should come and suffer for all and of the Revelation of the History thereof where the means aâ—e not afforded its being indispensibly necessary to Salvation to such Before I take notice of the Citation he gives out of Rict Corr. p. 26. I shall observe what he saith to that passage of his ibid. p. 25. that by his Flesh and Blood â—ohn 6.50 51. Châ—ist meaneth ONLY Spirit and Life which he holds it needful to retract aâ—d correct as â—e saith yet assigns it as either a Typographical Error 〈◊〉 an Oversight in him for want of due Consideration That it was neither but a Judgment upon deliberation â—d that he hath abtruded a Falshood upon his Reader thus demonstrate first that the Matter in Dispute â—tween him and his Adversary would not be suppoâ—d to be Whether the words spoken by Christ were Spirit â—d Life or no. Christ had expresly affirmed it and â—e Rector doth not deny it and it were idle to suppose â—xcept he had been so presumptuous as to say so in â—idem verbis the Rector would alledge that when â—rist said they were Spirit and Life that he meant â—y were not Spirit and Life But whether they were 〈◊〉 so might admit of Dispute 2dly As Christ had 〈◊〉 It is the Spirit that quickneth the Flesh profiteth noâ—g so G. K. gives us those very words And to his â—ersaries objecting Spiritual Flesh cannot be broken nor â—itual Blood shed which relates to the Spiritual â—h and Blood only for the other might be broken and 〈◊〉 G. K. alledgeth the Scripture speaks of a broken â—it and the Holy Spirit 's being shed Whereas had not G. K. meant that it was only Spirit and Life this instance had been wholly remote and it had been enough to have said it related to both outward and inward Flesh and Blood and that the outward might very well be broken and shed To drive it yet more home I betake my self to his Citation out of p. 26. which shall give more fully than he hath done viz. Although the Saints do not eat the Visible Flesh of Christ he adds here to wit by the Bodily Mouth and drink his Visible Blood yet they partake of the Benefit and Vertue of both his Flesh and his Blood and the Substance of both doth remain which is his glorified Body in Heaven and the Vertue of which doth really extend unto thâ— Saints both in Heaven and on Earth by which they are Spiritually refreshed and nourished as with Meaâ— and Drink and thus we do not divide Christ herâ— G. K. stops with an c. but I go on nor his Fleâ— and Blood although a distinction there is betwiâ— that Flesh which he had from the beginning aâ— which the Saints fed on in all Ages from the begiâ—â—ing and that which he took upon him in the Virgiâ— Womb. From this latter which G. K. would haâ— concealed from us I observe he allowed of a distinctioâ— betwixt the Flesh and Blood Christ had from the bâ—â—ginning and that which he took upon him in the Viâ—â—gins Womb. Let him now tell us therefore what thâ— Flesh which Christ had from the beginning and whiâ— the Saints fed on in all Ages was besides Spirit aâ— Life Again as he gave us not this part of the Ciâ—â—tion which he could not stumble over without soâ— hurt to himself so to what he did give he foists 〈◊〉 the words so wit by the Bodily Mouth and iâ— proves it as an Evidence that the word ONLY was most an Oversight in him that he did not intend that Faithful did not partake of the unspeakable Benefit of Flesh and Blood that was outwardly broken and shed but his sense was they did not eat it with the Bodily Mouth but by Faith and that the Vertue conveyed may be said to be Spirit and Life i. e. had a spiritual sense and signification Aâ—sw What he said above of the Saints feeding could not be an eating visible Flesh either with bodily or spiritual Mouth seing it was a feeding common ro Saints in Heaven and on Earth too Nay the substance of the Flesh and Blood doth remain even according to him and what they feed on is not on the substance even of Christ's glorified Body in Heaven but of the Virtue which extends therefrom And what is this Virtue Is it not only Spirit and Life However seing he is so fond of his addition viz. by the Bodily Mouth I desire to be resolved in one thing as a Point of Philosophy Whether if that which be to be eaten be Bodily any thing but a Bodily Mouth can eat it and whether if the Mouth be not Bodily the Food can be said to be Bodily for that a Corporeal Substance a Substance which is not only Spirit and Life but also Bodily should be fed on by an Incorporeal Mouth is equally as inconceivable by me as that a Corporeal Mouth should seed on an incorporeal Substance If G. K. resolve me this fairly erit mihi magnus Apollo § 2 In p 26. of these Explications for now I trace him by Pages not by §'s he alledgeth for his having brought
begging of the question who himself had once acquitted us and that even from the Errors he would now fasten upon us yea and out of some of the same Books he then cited in our Vindication and we still continue to defend as unjustly imputed to us whereas his own let him call them Errors or some more diminutive name if he please he hath assigned as needing both Explication Emendation and Correction His second Assigning his own to be Motes ours Beams is too idle for me to take notice of as thinking his Testimony on his own behalf not valid His Thirdly alledging our Excommunicating him is as shallow For had not that drawn him to be Vindictive it would rather have stirred him up by a free and open Retraction to have approved himself to have exceeded us in Confessing and Forsaking And his lastly is all of a piece with his second That what he hath retracted or renounced was never judged by him an Article of Faith and that we have not proved him contradicting in his latter Books any Article of Faith asserted in his former Books To which I reply Had he not done his work by halves he would have found cause to have retracted his doctrinal Errors Errors which every body else that knows what Errors are will acknowledge to relate to Articles of Faith and which as suc◠we have exhibited and argued upon which must be left to the indifferent Reader 's Judgment who hath read his and our Books In the mean time I enter upon examining those before me which he hath here pretended to explain or correct which I also submit to the Judicious whether they relate not to Articles of Faith and also whether G. K. hath at length done his Work Well Sincerely and Conscientiously or on the contrary Sect. I. § 1 Beginning then with his first Section Containing as he saith divers Explanations and Emendations of Passages out of his Book of Immediate Revelation not ceased Printed Anno 1668 and reprinted with an Appendix Anno 1676 in his § 1. he saith Some but who he saith not are offended at the Term Immediate Revelation and mis-construe it to a wrong Sence never intended by him as if he thereby did signifie such a Revelation as did give us the Doctrinal Knowledge and Faith of Christian Religion and Principles thereof without the Holy Scriptures or other outward means of Instruction To which I answer The People called Quakers are not concerned in this Charge at least with respect to the Term Immediate Revelation for they allow the thing and dispute not against the Term. And what himself hath said on behalf of the Necessity and Usefulness of Immediate Revelation the Book it self will plainly evidence Yet lest this Reference may seem too general a way I dislike in my Antagonist let the Reader consult the Preface and he will find G. K. there represents this Doctrine of Immediate Revelation a great and weighty Matter which it hath been in his Heart once and again from the Lord to write of saying that It REMAINETH and is of necessary continuance in the true Church Not only for the Preservation Safety and comfortable Walking of the Saints with God but also in order to Men and Womens becoming Saints And that there is no Immediate Revelation now-a-days as the common Priviledge of the Saints he accounts such a Fundamental Error in Men that the greatest part of their other Errors are built on it as 1. That the Scriptures outward Testimony is most necessary and that no true and saving Knowledge of God is to be attained but by the Scriptures being read or heard See Preface p. 1 2. Now hence I argue If it be an Error according to G. K. to assert that the Scriptures outward Testimony is most necessary and that no true and saving Knowledge of God is to be attained but by the Scriptures being read or heard Then it is G. K. his Sense and not a Mis-construction thereof that a Saving Knowledge of God may be attained by Immediate Revelation without the help of the Scriptures and that the Scriptures outward Testimony is not most necessary in his Judgment And this Saving Knowledge must be a Knowledge of the Christian Religion except he be prepared to retract his Retraction But to obviate this Offence and Mistake as he terms it he recommends the Reader to what he hath said from p. 38. to p. 42. of that Book but cites no passage out of it where I distinguish saith he of means intermitting and transmitting and shew that it is the intermitting means that hinders the Revelation to be Immediate but not the transmitting Answ Here he Shuffles the Debate here is not whether Revelation be Immediate or no when transmitted through organized Instruments either the Holy Scriptures or Men divinely inspired but whether he hath asserted such an Immediate Revelation is not ceased as is received with either the one or the other That the Reader may inform himself of even in p. 40 within the compass of G. K. his Reference for he there saith We find that he sometimes useth outward means and sometimes he useth them not but conveigheth unto us from and through his own Seed and Birth in us the living Manifestations and Communications of his Life Will and Council many yea MOST TIMES without all Means or Instruments from without for most times we are left alone as to Instruments or Means without us I would advise him therefore in his next either to retract this Passage which is within the Pages he hath so lately recommended to us or his referring us thereto to obviate the pretended Mistake and Offence for this Passage will hamper him else Now let us see whether he mends the matter by his other Book called Divine Immediate Revelation for he tells us that in p. 44. thereof as an instance He did own the Holy Scriptures to be a necessary means to give us the true Knowledge and Faith of Christian Doctrines and Principles But that his own Citation saith not but only that all other Doctrine and Heads of the Christian Religion which he calls special the other general Religion are made known to us by the Scripture means the Holy Spirit inwardly inlightning and inspiring c. Which doth not prove that they are a necessary means a sine quâ non that without which the Knowledge cannot be conveighed but that they are profitable and useful means when attended with Divine Illumination and Inspiration and therefore not ad rem What he would have noted that twelve Years ago he distinguished between Gentile and Christian Religion saith he between special and general Religion say I though some call this a new Doctrine in him so to distinguish I think hath little of weight in it except he had told us who his Accusers were For my part I do not account it a New Doctrine in him to distinguish between special and general Religion yet I do esteem it a Contradiction to say as in p. 63. of
that Book Cornelius received the Spirit immediately and yet obtained it further by means of Peter's Preaching And again to assert It is an Error to say Cornelius had the Holy Ghost in his Gentile State but the Holy Ghost was promised PARTICULARLY to Believers in him to such ONLY who believe in Christ crucified and raised again c. Truth Advanced p. 70. neither of which he hath yet retracted He goes on Seeing the word Immediate Revelation is no Scripture Term though Revelation is I can freely consent that the word Immediate be not pressed or imposed on any Answ This is idle all over We are not entring into a Strife of words with him but will he retract the things will he say Revelation is not Immediate now a days which in two former Books he hath asserted that it is and entitled one of them Immediate Revelation not ceased the other Divine Immediate Revelation continued in the True Church and told us the ill Consequences of denying it assigning it as such a Fundamental Error that the greatest part of their other Errors are built on it and indeed the whole Superstructure of their Church and Ministry as to its outward Constitution see Preface to Imm. Rev. p. 1. This were he sincere he would either retract or fairly maintain but instead of that he playeth upon words and acts the Sophister to his great Shame were he not past it For whereas even in p. 42. of Imm. Rev. a Page he recommends us to even now he could then say These who minister not immediately from the immediate Communications of Life in their own Hearts can do us no good for they cannot Minister and transmit the Communications of Life who have it not in themselves such are Wells without Water and Clouds without Rain said he then Now such Ministers who he knows still oppose Immediate Revelation and deny an immediate Call are by him reputed Pious which is far from being Wells without Water and Clouds without Rain for to such was reserved the Blackness of Darkness for ever Jude 12.13 and perhaps given with a design to lick their Fingers as well as that he hath laboured to irritate them against us for to suppress our Books and disturb our Meetings that he might be eased of that Task he is so uneasie under and hath hitherto so unsuccessfully wearied himself with § 2 To sweeten them and make Friends to himself of what he might as well account the Mammon of Unrighteousness as Wells without Water and Clouds without Rain he in § 2. mincingly gives part of what he had said in the Preface to Imm. Rev. viz. His blaming them who say the Scriptures are a filled-up Canon c. And p. 4. of the Book it self Though no new Essentials are to be added yet a new and fuller and clearer Testimony may be added concerning the same old Essentials This last passage he clips egregiously for he there said Now though we say That the Scriptures are a full and perfect Testimony of all the Essentials of the Christian Religion yet we believe contrary to these of the National way that they are not a Canon so filled up as no more is to be added unto them from the same immediate Inspiration of the Spirit of God through his Servants of the SAME AUTHORITY with them for though no new Essentials are to be added yet a new and fuller and clearer Testimony may be added concerning the same old-Essentials Now as it is not his present Interest to give his Belief contrary to those of the National way for he craves their help against us so instead of being so sincere as to retract it he slips it over in silence And that his Belief now and his Belief then may not seem to interfere he puts a Trick upon his Reader concealing those words where he had said the Scriptures are not a Canon so filled up as no more is to be added to and from the conclusiv◠words drawn from the Premises he bids us note th◠words may be added as importing the Possibility of such◠thing as if he had delivered nothing positive had no◠asserted they were not a Canon so filled up as no mor◠is to be added to but had been only proposing an Addition as a thing not impossible A plain downrigh◠Retraction even of an Error had been more to hi◠Credit than this false and deceitful Subterfuge whereby the Man shews he rather labours to put a false Gloss upon his Cause than ingeniously to Recant what now he is unwilling to defend To this he adds Whether God shall be pleased to add to the Books of the Holy Scripture other Books of the same Authority in any time to come before the end of the World I judge it not safe for me to determine either in the Affirmative or the Negative Answ If he had not by with holding that part of the Citation I have given and a perusing the Sence of that which he hath given which he could never have done unespied had he cited the whole as he ought cast a Mist before his Readers Eyes it would have been obvious that G. K. formerly was so far from not judging it safe for him to determine the Matter Negatively or Affirmatively that he hath given his own Sence in the Affirmative that Books of the same Authority with the Scriptures may be added Who were he now otherwise minded and of an honest Mind not to mis-guide and abuse his Reader would rather have retracted and given this as the Fruit of his second Thoughts than to have offered this as his then Sentiments which were not so and would have been evident not to have been so had the Citation been fairly given I am perswaded that as the Learned among the Church of England will readily see so the Pious will abhor his palpable Deceit and Prevarication § 3 In his § 3. He labours to excuse his blaming them who deny that there is an Infallible way whereby to discern the True Ministers and Members of Christ's Church from the False he had added in that Preface to Imm. Rev. Whence proceeds that promiscuous mixt Number of Teachers and People whereof their Church is composed who are GENERALLY void of any Experience of a gracious Work in their Hearts but this he slily drops as not ingenious enough to retract it nor daring to defend it by telling us Though such a discerning was given at times to the Prophets and Apostles and others extraordinarily endued whereby to know Mens inward States without regard had to their Fruits yet the general way that Christ hath given whereby to know Men is by their Fruits of Words and Works whether Good or Evil. Answ Surely he makes meer Babies of Men of other Perswasions if they may not be supposed to know as well as himself that at times extraordinary Men have been extraordinarily qualified Nor was it in debate then between him and his Antagonists whether the Prophets and Apostles had the Gift of discerning
Birth and Spirit of God it is Absolute but as it relates to us is limited and conditional and is rather a Possibility of not being deceived than an Impossibility of being deceived He takes occasion to Query Why he or any of us should be ashamed to correct any unsound and unjustifiable words which have dropt from our Mouths or Pens by Human Weakness or Inadvertency or why should any be upbraided and reviled as Apostates and Changelings for so doing To begin then with the last Clause touching being upbraided and reviled as Apostates c. I answer Whether our Charge which he terms Vpbraiding and Reviling against him of Apostacy leans upon so weak a Foundation as he here assigns it and whether we have not proved him so to be I dare commit to the Impartial and Judicious who have read our Books and his and there leave it As to the rest I say our Principle concerning Infallibility which he hath so often vindicated though of late he hath Scoffed at us for it is no other than what himself hath asserted in the Citation above Therefore hath he no need to quarrel with us upon that account nor yet to upbraid and revile us they are his own Terms as he hath done therefore were he with us a sincere Professor of the infallible Guidance and Leadings of the Spirit into all Truth One instance of his taunting at us I shall give out of his Antichrists and Sadducees p. 31. whereupon G. W. his giving relation of a Matter of Fact transacted as himself confesseth about twelve Years ago and using the words if I mistake not he floutingly reflects saying Is this like infallible George Whitehead Did G. W. then pretend to an infallible Memory If not Can he pretend still to believe that the Spirit and infallible Guidance thereof is a standing Gospel-Privilege and yet will he make a Feast to them that are otherwise minded and whose contrary Principles he hath so severely censured of the Doctrine himself maintains like those Vain People that make a Mock of the Spirit 's moving O Shameless Man But what yet adds to his Ephah and augments his Evil himself at the same time was guilty of having ascribed Arguments in his Book of Vniversal Grace to the Evidence and Demonstration of the Spirit of Truth which now p. 15 16. he acknowledgeth his Sin and Error in trusting as he there saith in the Mercy of God for Christ's sake for the Pardon of that and of all his other sins So that had any among us taken the Name of the Lord in vain and fathered upon his Spirit what was the product of our own G. K. of all Men especially if he still believe the Principle and be offended only at the abuse of it was most unfit to throw the first stone while he had not retracted his which yet he hath done to the gratifying of the Loose and Prophane Which Work will be his Burden except he unfeignedly repent § 6 His next attempt is to varnish over a Passage he gives us § 6. out of Imm. Rev. p. 54. thus And though I cite Scriptures and make use of them in Arguing this Point yet I can truly say I have not my Knowledge from them who had said but a Line or two above which he giveth not here I have not fetcht them from my own Wisdom neither hath it taught me them Now he bids us Note He says from them as being the Efficient Cause but he did not deny that he had his Knowledge by them Instrumentally to wit the Doctrinal Knowledge and Faith he had of Gospel Truths and Principles of Christianity for that is abundantly Acknowledged in MANY PLACES saith he but he names not one in that Book Answ Were I to Argue the Point with him Doctrinally and not rather evincing the Man's False Allegations and Pretexts I might query whether the Belief that the Scriptures are true was Communicated to him by themselves or Revealed by the Spirit Immediately But of this a touch is enough Now in order to shew what he meant by the word From which he harps upon I recur to what he said a little above with Respect to his own Wisdom that he had not fetched his Arguments from them so neither from the Scriptures Did he mean that his own Wisdom was not the Efficient but the Instrumental Cause from which he fetched his Knowledge and Faith Nay that he did not For in p. 55. he saiâ—h God Dwelleth in the Light inaccessible the Mortal or Natural Understanding cannot Approach unto him when it stretcheth it self to know him it is Confounded and Dashed more than if the Bodily Eye would set it self to look upon the Sun c. Again in p. 56. he useth the word From in the same manner when he tells us Words spoken from without though the best of Words uttered from Christ in the Days of his Flesh or from any of the Apostles or Prophets and yet recorded in the Scriptures cannot reveal the Father nor the Son neither they point only at that which Reveals c. Where the Intelligent may perceive he in like manner useth from for by for the words were uttered by Christ and his Apostles and so he must intend or as great a Grammarian as he is he must have writ Non-sense As well as that speaking of the Scripture-Record he saith They point only at that which reveals They did not then it seems according to him give the Knowledge give the Revelation but point only or direct to that which gave it Also in p. 57. after having denied that the Words of Moses the Prophets David Isaiah c. could reveal God who had a little before cited that Scripture Matt. 11.27 No Man knoweth the Father but the Son and he to whom the Son reveals him he Queries concerning Christ himself Did his words reveal him or his Father unto them Did they not mistake him for all this and I query Were not those Gospel-Truths which our Lord preached For their Eyes were held were blinded c. Thus far out of G. K. formerly even out of the immediately succeeding Pages wherein I do not widely refer to MANY PLACES I leave the Reader to search the whole Book for it and perhaps all labour lost at last as he doth but give both Page and Passage And now I leave it to the Reader from whence he pretended to have his Knowledge and Faith formerly and whether rather than retract what he then delivered he hath not put a false Gloss upon his words by an evasive Interpretation contrary to his Sense then § 7 His next § is designed to prove from these words of his Imm. Rev. p. 57. Jesus Christ himself who spake to them in the days of his Flesh Face to Face did his words reveal him or his Father unto them That he then as well as now believes there is need of the Internal Revelation to give the Knowledge of Christ and that that Knowledge was needful to all Mens
need of them That many called Vniversity Men have had among whom he reckons Wickliff Luther Cranmer c. and may now have a good measure of true Spiritual Knowledge he pretends he dares not be so Vncharitable as to deny Answ What his Sentiments may have been or yet are of particular Men I do not enquire what they have been of the Order of the Degree is manifest out of the same p. 137. where he goes on thus Then down should all the proud lording lofty Clergy with their many Degrees of Doctorships Lordships and Masterships pass who being Strangers to the true Knowledge are vainly puffed up in their Fleshly Minds by the Form of Knowledge in the Letter c. This is it which I laid before him once before in my Keith against Keith p. 143. and which he hath not yet retracted nay nor took notice of here though he gave us a Passage even now out of the same Page which shews the Man had rather slide over it than either defend it and so displease the Clergy he would now fawn on or renounce and disclaim it as an Error in him formerly and so be reputed a Man changed in his Judgment by those few who hold with him and would still be reputed Quakers viz. His Flock at Turners-hall which yet recommends him not as sincere to either Nor will an excepting some out of a general Rule while this Hand-writing is upon the Wall against him satisfie any Men of Judgment that are of that Order and Degree he hath thus reflected on and who are not willing to be imposed upon that this is a reasonable and adequate Compensation for those Epithets so lavishly bestowed upon them both in the place above and elsewhere § 18 In this § 18. he gives us a new Exposition I never heard of from him before of what he did understand by the Historical Knowledge and Faith viz. That Knowledge and Faith that respects the History of Christ's Birth Life Death Resurrection Ascension c. with all the Circumstances of Times Places and Names of Persons c. as related by the four Evangelists which elsewhere but he doth not say where he hath called the express or explicit Knowledge and Faith which many of the Faithful never had But the Doctrine of Christ simply considered he saith is one thing and the History or Historical Revelation of the many Circumstances of Times Places and Persons c. â—dâ—lating to that Doctrine is another thing Answ That this is a meer Shift the Objection raised Imm. Rev. p. 228. which he gives not and his answer will fully declare and evince The Objection was That G. K. did not mention any thing of the History or Historical Parts of Christ's Birth Life Miracles c. mark he did not say of the Circumstance of Time Place or Persons but of the History c. as being any Essential part of this new Revelation whereupon his Adversary brands him with Familism G. K. answers p 229. by distinguishing the parts of Religion into those necessary to the Being of it and those not necessary to the Being of it which he thus summeth up The Knowledge and Belief of the History of Christ his outward Coming Birth Life c. and of the other Historical parts oâ— the Scriptures are such parts of our Religion and Faith as are to make up the Intiredness or Fullness of it But that the Historical Knowledge and Faith is not an essential part of true Religion he instanceth in Cornelius whose Prayers God heard and yet he knew not the History of Christ nor of his Death and Sufferings till it was preached unto him by Peter p. 230. By all which it appears what he then meanâ— by Historical Knowledge and Faith viz. Not the Circumstances of Times Places and Persons only but that Relation which Cornelius wanted and for want whereoâ— he denies in his late Book stiled Truth Advanced p. 45 and 70. him to have received the Holy Ghost in his Gentile State Who sure must be very uncharitable to Cornelius and the many Faithful who never knew alâ— the Circumstances of Times Places and Persons c. as alledged even now if they having the Essentials oâ— Religion and being destitute only of the Circumstanceâ— of the History not of the History it self must thereupon miss of having the Holy Ghost which is the natural Consequence of this new Interpretation of Historicaâ— Knowledge and Faith Yet to make it yet more fully appear hear him further p. 232. where he saith In them who have not the Scriptures the Spirit and Light sufficiently teacheth them the parts of Religion absolutely necessary without the Scripture to which parts the History of the Scripture doth not belong What parts are those say I For the Spirit doth not teach the Knowledge of Christ's Birth Life Death Resurrection Ascension c. without the Scripture omitting Circumstances of Time Place c. therefore he could not formerly mean as he now saith but his saying so now is a false Pretence See also p. 243. where he saith True Religion and Christianity may subsist without the Knowledge of Christ in the Letter to wit In the Mystery of the Life of Christ in the Spirit and yet even here where the History is wanting he doth not say the Circumstance of Time Place c. the Mystery or in-side of Christianity is not without its skin or out-side namely an outward Confession unto God c. This I doubt not but he would now account Deism in us but I observe he did not then oppose Mystery to Mystery but Letter to Mystery out-side to in-side yea that he admitted of an outside viz. an outward Confession unto God which might subsist without the Knowledge of Christ in the Letter which is more than bare Circumstances of Time Place or Persons even where the History is wanting And that in the Mystery of the Life of Christ in the Spirit So that then true Religion and Christianity with him might subsist in the Mystery without the History Nor was it the Debate between him and his Antagonist whether all the Circumstances were Essential to true Religion but whether the literal and historical Knowledge was so which G. K. denied as hath been already instanced Now upon his thus Expounding Explicit and Implicit Knowledge he tells us He knows not any thing to be found in all his former Writings to the contrary notwithstanding the Attempts of his Ignorant Adversaries who affirm it and whom he hath sufficiently Answered as he pretends in diverse of his late Books particularly that called Ant. and Sadd. detected Answ This is a very nimble way of Purgation to say he doth not know it is to be found in his Books yet confesseth we have affirmed it but where he saith not and alledgeth he hath sufficiently Answered us but for that he names but one of his Books particularly and in that assigns neither Page nor Passage that the Reader might be forced to take all upon Trust
Seed which is Christ in whom they are therefore said to be chosen Eph. 1.4 The Reprobate Seed is that Seed of Darkness and Unrighteousness of Men which is of the Devil They now which cleave thereunto and continue in Unity therewith until the Day of their Visitation from the Lord Expire they are the Reprobates and concludeth Thus though the decree of Election and Reprobation be from Everlasting yet it Respects Men NOT SIMPLY AS MEN but as finally adhereing and cleaving â—o the Elect or Reprobate Seed Thus far G. K. forâ—erly which how Reconcilable the Vnderstanding he â—en said was given him of the Lord by his Spirit is 〈◊〉 his late Understanding will be further Obvious upâ— comparing it with his Assertion in Truth Advanced Printed Anno 1694. p. 12. He there Assigns it as an â—ror to say That the Elect Seed is only Christ and â—he Reprobate Seed is only the Serpent or the Devil â—nd when any come into Christ by Faith they come into the Election and may be said to be Elected bâ— not before but when they depart from him or anâ— not come to him they may be said to be Reprobateâ— And again ibid. He reckons it Absurd and contrarâ— to Scripture to say A Man may pass from Election 〈◊〉 Reprobation as if God's Election were a variable thiâ— saith he then adds that The Scriptures declarâ— the Gifts and Callings of God are without Repentancâ— Thus one while this variable Man declares as accorâ—â—ing to the Vnderstanding given him of the Lord by his Spâ—â—rit that the Election and Reprobation are in the tâ— Seeds the decree of Election and Reprobation respeâ— not Men Simply as Men but as finally adhering aâ— cleaving to one of the two Seeds Another while itâ— an Error to Asseâ—t the Elect Seed is only Christ aâ— the Reprobate Seed is only the Devil and that Mâ— may come into or depart from the Election 〈◊〉 there is now no passing from Election to Reprobatiâ— with him without Falâ—ifying the Text and all 〈◊〉 from the same Pen from a Man not Erring in Funâ—â—â—mentals if ye will believe him but steady and stedâ— in his Testimony viz. as any Weather-cock Yet this is not all for as I had in my People called Qâ—â—kel's Cleared p. 42. referred from p. 9. to 15. of Truth Advanced compared with his Book of Vâ— Gr. from p. 73 to 79. and p. 105. to the end aâ— Indication of G. K. his Instability while treatingâ— this Doctrine of Election and Reprobation which he 〈◊〉 took no notice of here either to Retract or Defenâ— shall give an Instance or two of what he hath said bâ— Formerly and Lately concerning Conditional Election so leave this Head In that Book of Vni Gr. p. â— having said God willeth not all to be saved Absolutâ— but Conditionally parte Objecti upon their bâ—â—ving and its being Objected either God willeth theâ— believe Absolutely or Conditionally he answers we CONDITIONALLY Aagain in Truths Defence p. 193. To J. A. his urging That Christ Died for those that perish Absolutely or Conditionally G. K. answers partly both Again to J. A. his Objecting That seeing the Condition it self to wit Faith is the Gift of God he either bestows it upon them Absolutely or Conditionally G. K. Replies to p. 194. God is willing to bestow it upon them and work it in them not upon the Condition of their first Believing before he give them to believe but the Condition is if they do not finally resist his Spirit of Grace c. Thus far for Conditional Election Now hear what he saith against it in Truth Advanced p. 11. As for that Conditional Election saith he as it is not a Scripture Phrase so it doth not agree with Scripture but is contradictory unto it for if such a Conditional Election were it would be General or Universal and comprehend all Mankind for why are one part more than another seeing Eternal Life and Salvation are held forth Conditionally to all And from Christ's â—eaching That many are called few chosen he infers This cannot be a Conditional Election for it would not be good Sense to say Few or some are Conditionally-Elected saith G. K. All which I now leave with him seeing he hath hitherto over-passed it to reconcile if he can and to inform his Reader whether to say Election is Conditional and that the Condition â—s if they do not finally resist the Spirit of Grace and â—gain to say That Conditional Election is not a Scripâ—ure Phrase but Contradictory to Scripture it would â—ot be good Sense to say Few or some are Conditionally Elected are both true and no Contradiction Till then though I could load him with more upon his Subject these may suffice § 2 His next § is very short what he had said of the Spirit of Life from God its being entred into the Two slain Witnesses he would turn off as said only by an Allegorical and Metaphorical Allusion But in this he is not plain whether the Expression it self be Allegorical and Metaphorical or his ascertaining that time as already begun only be so For I remember the Testimony he hath given in this Book of Vni Gr. p. 5. and elsewhere with respect to this and the Church being now comâ— and coming out of the Wilderness he hath Contradicted in Truth Advanced p. 157 158. of which more anâ— in my Sect. III. § 9. § 3 In his § 3. quoting a place in Vni Gr. p. 6 he bids us note That diverse of his Adversaries among the Sect of Quakers with whom he hath had a great Contâ— of late have from this passage sought to infer his Agreâ—â—ment with them so as to hold that the Light within was sufâ—ficient to Salvation without any thing else and thereby 〈◊〉 only excluding all outward Helps and Means of Salvation but even the Man Christ Jesus and his Death and Sufferâ—ings and Sacrifice of himself from being necessarily concernâ—ed in our Salvation Answ As this is a Slander upon us so also hath he not attempted to prove it offering 〈◊〉 Evidence no Demonstration out of any of our Bookâ— to make it out 2dly I cannot find that any of us havâ— so much as brought the Citation in p. 6. against him For my part I who have been more particular iâ— Confronting him out of that Book than any of them have it not and it cannot be a Typographical Error seâ—ing the passage given is in the Page assigned Yet 〈◊〉 busie is he at Fighting as with the Man of Straw he haâ— set up that he bestows above a Page upon it which thâ— Foundation being wrong for we deny the Charge deâ—serves not my notice Nor have we blamed as he also alledgeth p. 18. upon his single Credit without referring to any Book of ours his distinction between first and second Legal and Evangelical Covenant given to both Jews and Gentiles But his late saying That even the Law within both in Jew and Gentile made nothing perfect until the Faith
of Christ the One Offering come to be revealed by which One Offering he hath for Ever perfected them that are sanctified as in Truth Advanced p. 71. I have opposed to his saying Way to City of God p. 125. that through the coming of Jesus Christ in the inward even before he was outwardly come or manifest many were saved and attained unto PERFECT Peace and Reconciliation with God in their Souls And to what he alledged in Vni Gr. p. 8. c. that the Gospel lay hid within the Law as within the Vail that Christ Jesus was in the Law and under it that universally in ALL Men both Jews and Gentiles there hath been both Moses and the Prophets in Spirit and also Christ See my Keith against Keith p. 4 12 13 c. Nor yet have we blamed his saying None were justified by the Law or first Ministration of the Spirit or Light within or their Obedience thereunto but thro' Faith in Christ which yet are not delivered as deduced by us out of him but shewed what he meant by Faith in Christ then viz. a believing in the Light nor is the outward Name that which saveth but the inward Nature Vertue and Power which was made manifest in them said he Vni Gr. p. 30. who had said p. 29. That in diverse of these Gentiles the Seed was raised which is that Divine Nature or Birth by which they did the things contained in the Law and SO were JUSTIFIED by him Also in his Postscript to G. W. â—is Nature of Christianity p. 65 and 70. Cited by me Keith against Keith p. 11. and not yet retracted God was in Christ reconciling Men to himself ever since the Fall in all Ages both before and since Christ suffered in the outward having given them or put in them the Word of Reconciliation by which they who became renewed thereby were reconciled and justified in all Ages blaming R. G. his Doctrine that no Men were justified nor reconciled until Christ suffered Death in the outward because then and not till then his Adversary had said was Reconciliation and Justification wrought c. to whom also he assigns as an Error the asserting That Obedience to the Light within in the Conscience is buâ— the work of the first Covenant and Righteousnesâ— thereof and that no Man is justified thereby By aâ— which the Reader may perceive G. K. hath not fairlâ— stated what we objected to him out of his Books as weâ— as that he had no cause to say as he doth here p. 19. â— That upon a diligent search into his Books and an impartiâ— examination of all the places Cited by us to prove it he caâ— find no such thing as that he had formerly asserted Mâ— might be justified and saved without all Knowledge aâ— Faith of Christ without us as he was Crucified c. Foâ— what I have here laid before him of which I havâ— Treated more at large in my People called Quakers cleaâ—ed p. 26 to 31. out of his Book of Vni Gr. p. 28 29 3â— 34 35 36 56 57 58 115 117 and 120. are sufficieâ—â— to shew both what he formerly called Faith in Chrisâ— and what Faith justified even the Gentiles before Chriâ— was Crucified even a belief in the inward Manifestatioâ— in the Word nigh in the Mouth and Heart as Vni Gâ— p. 34 35. and abundantly elsewhere However there is a blunder of his behind p. 18 which having slipt over I now return to where 〈◊〉 saith no Justification is by that Law whether it be understâ— of Moses his outward Ministration or the same Ministrâ—â—tion of Moses in Spirit where the Law is writ but in Tabâ— of Stone till the Seed be raised c. Upon which I Qâ—ry Whether the Ministration of Moses in Spirit was writ in Tables of Stone or the fleshy Tables of the Heart If upon the former where were these Tables to be found Who had the keeping of them And who wrote them there He had need have recourse to his Metaphorical Allusion again and even that will not help him But it is just with God that such as Fight against his Wrath and are Bladder-blown with their own Learning should expose themselves that others may see if they will not that Pride goeth before Destruction and a haughty Look before a Fall Prov. 16.18 Yet in as much as in the Citation above out of Vni Gr. p. 29. I have shewed that he then allow'd that in diverse of the Gentiles the Seed was raised and they were justified by Christ In as much also as he here recurrs to his late distinction of Express and Implicit Knowledge and Faith for which he widely referrs to his Book of Anti. and Sadd. Detected without either assignâ—ng Page or Passage or observing that I have Answered him even with respect to that very distinction â—n my Keith against Keith p. 62 to 71. which seems to be the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Universal Heal-all of G. K's Languishing Cause brought in at every turn to stop a gap with whether applicable or no I shall tell him He that affirmeth must prove and if he will affirm those Gentiles had an Implicit Faith and Knowledge that Christ was outwardly to be Born Suffer Die and Rise again â—n order to their Justification he must not barely alâ—edge but demonstrate that they had it either explicitly or implicitly which I have more than once put him upon and he hath not yet attempted to do as well â—s that I have shewed that even then several of the Citations given out of him while unretracted block â—p his way Which I again press upon him to do whatever comes short hereof being meer Trifling § 4 G. K. having so severely as well as unjustly reflected upon G. W. Ex. Narr p. 39 40. as having Allegorized away Christ's Birth Death Resurrection Ascension and coming to Judgment it might reasonably have been expected himself should not have exceeded therein or at least that he would have corrected and retracted his own before he found fault with another Yet when his own Allegories or Metaphorical Allusions as he now tearms them lay at his Door unretracted hath he been casting the first Stone at another so unjust is he The instance before me and which aâ— length G. K. endeavours here to palliate in his § 4. is in Vni Gr. p. 9. where alluding to Moses his putting a Vail before his Face he saith The Word became Flesh and dwelt in us said John And this inward Appearance of Christ in Flesh is his Appearance iâ— Weakness as Natural and yet Spiritual the Mystery hid within the Vail of Flesh or Natural Spirit Again This is the Body of Christ that is indeed Spiritual but for our Cause descendeth into a Natural Form or Appearance Thus it is sown Natural but is raised Spiritual and thus also we become changed thereby both in the Soul and Body so as being sowâ— Natural we come to be raised Spiritual And indeed there was
word Gospel is used 〈…〉 the Doctrine of Salvation by the promised 〈…〉 in an instance or 〈…〉 hath over 〈…〉 when Paul speaks 2 Cor. 〈…〉 8 9 of them that preach another Gospel are 〈◊〉 some of the places which upon a diligent Search 〈◊〉 he finds speak of the Doctrine of Salvation by the promised 〈◊〉 Or will he confess that the word Gospel was here used to signifie something else Also when the everlasting Gospel was again to be preachedâ— after the 〈…〉 the word again it had been discontinued to be preached 〈…〉 History of Christs Birth Death c. had not doth that place Râ—â— 14.6 7 mention any thing of the Doctrine of Salvation by the promised Messiah There 〈◊〉 not a word of that 〈◊〉 there but saying with a loud 〈◊〉 Voice Fear God will give Glory unto him c. be in 〈◊〉 preached with Commission from on high is called preaching the everlasting Gospleâ— Did G. K. in his diligent Search â— over-look this 〈◊〉 how could he sayâ— IN ALL PLACES in the New Testament where the word Gospel is used it signifieth the Doctrine of Salvation by the promised Messiah I might also instance in Rom. 1.16 although he refuseth to allow it me now that the Gospel cannot be said to be the Power of God unto Salvation to the Believer in any other Sense than aâ—â— it a powerful energetical inward Principle for as it is barely Historical the Ungodly have that Belief though they went the Power So that as the Power oâ— God is not a Belief or Relation concerning the Power so neither in a strict genuin Sense is the Gospel which is the Power of God unto Salvation either the Relation 〈◊〉 it self or the Historical Belief of what is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he further asserts here That whatever Doctrine 〈…〉 or have at any that preached the great subject 〈…〉 not the promised Messiah to wit the crucified Jesus of the main Foundation c. it is not the Gospel in the proper full and adequate Sense and Signification of it as the Scripture useth it observe he doth not say it is not the proper full and adequate Sense and Signification of the â—ord in any wise but it is not the proper c. Sense and Signification of it as the Scripture useth it so loth is he yea to retract any further than an undue Application of a Scripture or two so he adde that Paul in that place Col. 1.23 meant the Doctrine of Salvation by Christ crucified and the Grace and Gift of the Holy Spirit given of God to Men through him and the other Apostles and Evangelists in that clear and bright Dispensation then given c. Answ Paul's words were not so restricted to that clear and bright Dispensation of the Gospel as to go no higher The Gospel he was speaking of was preached to or in every Creature under Heaven This relates to the time past but in the other Sense it was never so preached to all Men living whatever G. K. thinks it may have been to them after they were dead therefore it could not be meant of the Doctrine of Salvation by Christ crucified with respect to that clear and bright Dispensation the Apostles were under but of that Gospel which had been preached to or in EVERY Creature under Heaven This Objection G. K. foresaw therefore adds Though it was not 〈◊〉 that time actually preached to all Men yet it was began 〈◊〉 to be preached and that after the Prophetical Stile that which was to be done is said to be done Answ This will not help him for first where that Prophetical Phrase iâ— or how it is used he assigns not 2ly Neither did the Apostle speak of it as what was then begun to be preached or of what was to be done but of what waâ— preached was done and that not only to a few thoâ—â— the Primitive Christians preached to but to or inâ— every Creature under Heaven It was an Vniversaâ— Gospel universally preached Paul was speaking of 〈◊〉 that G. K's Allegations are unsound One thing I shall take notice of here out of his p. 23 24. relative to this subject which may excuse my hanâ—dling it there where he takes notice that the Gospel oâ— the Kingdom shall be preached in all the World and that thâ— is not the inward Principle only but the Doctrine of Christ's Birth Death c. instancing those words of Christ Where-ever this Gospel of the Kingdom shall be preached 〈◊〉 also shall be told what this Woman hath done c. Answ This makes against him not for him For Christ did not say Where-ever THE Gospel of the Kingdom but where ever THIS Gospel of the Kingdom shalâ— be preached c. So that the Gospel may be preached where this Gospel giving a Historical Relation of Christ'â— Birth Death c. may not even without contradicting Christ's words And that the glad Tidings brought by them whose-Feet are beautiful upon the Mountains are Gospel in a secondary Sense we deny not Yet so that as the outward and visible things are the Figures oâ— the Inward and Spiritual as G. K. hath asserted Imm. Rev. p. 15. so the name Gospel is more immediately and properly applicable to the Inward Yet in as much as G. K. still shelters himself under the tearms undue Application of some Scriptures and acknowledgeth no Error in Doctrine I shall give a foâ—â— Instances of what he delivered formerly Doctrinally upon this subject in his Book of Vni Gr. who to an Objection that the Gentiles have not had the Gospel preached to them all this time by-past thus answers p. 20. Though the Gospel came not unto them outwardly by the Ministry of Man yet it came unto them inwardly by the Ministry of God himself Again Whereas our Adversaries denied this Manifestation of 〈◊〉 in the Gentiles is the Gospel or any Manifestation of a Saving Nature G. K. argueth thus p. 21. If it were not Evangelical and the VERY GOSPEL IT SELF in an inward Ministration it would quite â—ender the words of the Apostle Impertinent for Paul is here speaking what the Gospel was and what was revealed in it both to the Just and to the Unjust 〈◊〉 that it was not then delivered as a Figurative way of 〈◊〉 dothe according to his last Phrase but the VERY GOSPEL it self or the Apostle must speak Impertiâ—ntly What! Had he not then made a diligent Search â—â—to the Scriptures Or did they tell him one thing â—hen another since But he adds p. 22. By this Manifestation they did see the invisible things of God and his eternal Power and Godhead c. But had â—hey a Revelation of the Manhood of Christ so as to â—ave the Knowledge and Faith of Christ's Birth Death c. either explicitly or implicitly seing it is not the being the Eternal Power and Godhead that makes it â—ospel now with him without the other If he will 〈◊〉 it he must prove it If not Why did he not â—tract this as a