the ends of the Earth who lightens every man which is saving and Galla. 3. 19 20. and 1 Tim. 2. 5. This proves that Christ the Light is a Mediator which thou before deny'd and Christ the Light hath manifested the love of the Father to Mankinde and they that walk in the Light sees it but thou that hates it and talkes so much of thy natural light and spirit of man knows it not nor cannot comprehend it in thy darkness though it shine in it and dost thou own that in Mat. 11. Revelation of the Son thy Generation us'd to deny Revelation For no man knowes the Father but the Son c. and yet thou saist man may know by the natural and created Light and natural man's spirit the mind of his Creator and much of the Eternal Power and God-head and so thou contradicts thy self and contradicts Christ and the Apostles words For the natural Man perceives not the things of God and that which may be known of God is manifested in them by which they know God and No Man knows the Father but the Son and is not the Father the Creator and he to whom the Son will reveale him Ephes 1. 17. Joh. 3. 5 6. Titus 3. 5. Jo. 1. 12 13. Gal. 4. 6. 1 Cor. 6. 17. Ephes 2. 15. 1 Cor. 15 c. These Scriptures are spoken to such as received Christ the Light through which they came to be the Sons of God regenerated and born again Jo. 1. 7 8 9. and by this Light manifest in them they came to have the new mind by which they were joyned to the Lord and Eph. 5. And thou speaks of a new Light here thon perverts the Scripture and whereas thou saith 2 Cor. 4. which saith God commanded light to shine out of darkness which shined in darkness and the darkness comprehended it not Jo. 1. which shines into the Saints hearts and this light thou seemes to have denyed before which shines in our hearts and gives us the knowledge to see thy confusion the least Babe of us for this light gives us the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ and this thou strikes at with thy Candle-light and Created light and Natural light which thou calls the spirit of a man but to no purpose is thy tempest risen against the Lord and against his Anointed for it is the Lord Jesus Christ who is the Councellor and Leader of the people whom we follow and such as follows him receives the spirit of Adoption in their hearts and can call God Father But what is this to thee who denies his Light and calls it Natural and Created and is not that Light saving according to thy own judgment and will bring a man to know the Creator and the Eternal Power and Godhead thou calls it natural mans spirit which knows not the things of God and thou thus art confused but we tell thee Christ Jesus is the Saviour of all men who is the light of the World and did not come to condemn the World as thou dost but that the World through him might have Life and to save the World and is the Saviour of all men especially them that believe And all these Scriptures was spoken to the Saints condition and not to thine such who walked in the Light which thou fights against And whereas thou say'st It may appear by what thou hast said how gross their mistake is who call the Light in every man Christ and worship this as the Redeemer and the Lord that bought them Ans All that thou hast spoken hath been against Christ and it is to no purpose and clears nothing but hath made thy self darker concerning Christ the Light Joh. 8. and Joh. 1. which saith That was the true Light that lighteth every man that comes into the world and as many as receives him the Light he gives them power to become the Sons of God And this Light thou calls maliciously Created and Natural when didst thou ever hear any of us say we worship a Light within us this is thy gross mistake we Worship God in the spirit and truth and Christ is the Truth and the Apostle who was a Minister preached Christ in people and was not he the Lord that bought them Col. 1. 27. and this thou scoffest at because we confess it and enviously calls it a Natural light And whereas thou say'st It hath been cleared that this Light in every man is but the spirit of man and the Law written in the heart Ans How darest thou say that Christ the Light that doth enlighten every man that comes into the World which John came to bear witness of is a Natural light then John came to bear witness to a Natural light and the spirit of a Natural man which knowes not the things of God 1 Cor. 2. and this Natural light and spirit of man is the Law written in the heart this is contradiction to the Scripture which saith the Law is Spiritual And whereas thou say'st Christ came to deliver from the terror and condemnation of this Law written in the heart which thou calls natural light and spirit of man Ans Doth Nature terrifie and condemn Nature The Jewes Law was written in Tables of Stone the new Law or Covenant is written in the hearts and Christ did not come to redeem from the latter but from under the Jewes Law and we never called the Natural Light the Created light the Natural man Christ nor worshipped it but thou must write to them that doth so yet thou art slack enough to do that I believe but it is Christ the light that doth enlighten every man that comes into the World that 's it thou calls a fictious Christ and an Idol if thou would speak plainly who is given for a Covenant a light to the Gentiles and the Glory of Israel whom we witness and have the Testimony of Luke 2. 32 And whereas thou speaks of denying the true Jesus Emanuel God and man in union whom his own person without us not ours hath by one offering once for ever wrought eternal Redemption for us and is the alone object of Faith Ans Thou who hast denyed Christ the light that doth enlighten every man that through him all might believe Joh. 1. 8. 12. thou hast denyed the true Jesus God and Man in Union the Emanuel and the one offering which perfecteth for ever them that are Sanctified Hob. 10. So thou hast denyed thy Salvation and the object of Faith and Christs Doctrine which saith we must believe in the Light c. And whereas thou say'st It will follow that whosoever affirmeth and teacheth that the Light in every man is Christ is a Deceiver and an Antichrist 2 Joh. 7. Ans Here thou hast perverted wronged and wrested the Scripture to thy own destruction for the Scripture saith Whosoever confesseth not but denyeth Christ come in the flesh that 's the Anti-christ the Deceiver and doth not say that Christ the
W. saith whoso worships worships an Idol And the next day John saw Jesus walking and looking upon him said Behold the Lamb of God and so this is a part of Johns Record and witnesse which he hath borne of the Son of God the light of the world that hath lighted every man that cometh into the world with severall more as the scripture will testifie who Baptizeth with the holy Ghost and this is he which J. W. desires the people with whom he has to do and all others with fear and trembling to consider how injurious this opinion is and how pernicious and destructive such a sandy Foundation will prove to pretious soules for admit this Grand lye for the corner stone and the whole superstructure will consist of lyes saith he and open this as the first door of entrance as they do and it leads into a Babel of Confusion and Errors no sooner is a man entred in at this deadly gate but he is in the City Tohu where first if his eyes be anointed with eye salve by the true Jesus he may behold this Image of Iealousie the Light that is in every man that comes into the World Answ Here I desire the reader but soberly and seriously to consider of this mans doctrine and compare it with the foregoing proofes with what shall be hereafter and let him Judg whether it be not as absolute blasphemie as a man can speak and that according to the full proofe of the scriptures for Christ Jesus Jo. 8. 12. where Jesus saith I am the light of the world he that followeth me shall not abide in darknesse but have the Light of life And again in Jo. 12. Jesus cryed and saith he that believeth on me believes not on me but on him that sent me he that seeth me seeth him that sent me 45. I am come a light into the world that whosoever â—eleeveth in me shall not abide in darkness 46. and in the 36. while ye have light believe in the light that ye may be children of the light These words spake Jesus who Baptizeth with the holy Ghost which J. W saith If this lye for the corner stone all the Superstructure will consist of lyes If any man walk in the day he stumbleth not because he seeth the light of the world Jo. 11. 9. Now I desire the reader will seriously consider whether J. W. be not highly guilty of Blasphemy and one with those Pharisees who was grieved when Christ wrought miracles and cast out Devils and turned and converted many unto God when he entred into the strong mans house and bound the strong man and spoiled his goods ver 29. So J. W. is grieved that there should be so many turned unto God and afraid for the time to come lost there should be more and therefore he strikes at Christ Jesus the Light and Corner stone which he calls a lie as those Pharisees did against Christ formerly But Christs answer is If I cast out Devils by the power of God then the Kingdome of God is come unto you else how can one enter c which J. W. denies that the Kingdome of God should be come unto the Pharisees or unto the world ver 28 29. blasphemously against Christs own words But Christ saith all manner of blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men but the blusphemy against the Holy Ghost shall never be forgiven which J. W. is guilty of in his wicked blasphemous words and writings it is past my knowledge how often And therefore Christs words are fully manifested upon him who saith in the 32. verse Whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of man it shall be forgiven him but whosoever speaketh against the holy Ghost it shall never be forgiven him neither in this world nor in the world to come Mark 3. 28 29. Luke 12. 10. This stands good upon J. W. for ever if Christ be God who baptized with the holy Ghost J. W. is a blasphemer against him And so I desire the Reader to consider without prejudice of what is proved and furthermore whether he be not one with those Jews that were filled with envy when they saw the multitudes and spake against those things that were spoken by Paul Contradicting and Blaspheming Acts. 13. 45. And also one with Elimas the Sorcerer who withstood Paul and went about to turn the deputie from the faith ver 8. And also one and the same with those Jews whom Paul was pressed in spirit to testify unto that Jesus was the Christ and when they opposed themselves and Blasphemed he shook his garment and said unto them your blood be upon your own heads I am clean c. Acts. 18. 5 6. And also whether he be not one of those which the Apostle speaks of in Rom. 2. 21. Thou that teachest another teachest thou not thy self Thou that preachest a man should not steal dost thou steal And thou that abhorrest Idols dost thou commit Sacriledge for thou hast Blasphemed against the worthy name of God the Light Rom. 2. 2. Jam. 1. 7. And so now thou art proved such a Blasphemer that I am forced to compare thee to the beast spoken of in the Revelations I am sure thou art one that worships him and gives thy power to him for thou hast spoken great things and Blasphemies against the Lord and his anoynted the Light Christ Jesus Rev. 13. 6. And hast opened thy mouth against God to Blaspheme his name and his tabernacle and them that dwell in heaven And so now thou art perfectly proved a Blasphemer against God and now thou mayst see if thou can clear thy selfe of these things or any that takes thy part against Christ the Light who inlightens every man that comes into the world which John bore witnesse of and thou hast given thy power to the beast to make warre with the Saints So now I am to prove thee to be a minister of darknesse who hath affirmed That the light in every man is not a saving light which I have proved already is Christ Jesus which John bore testimony to the true light that enlightens every man that comes into the world and which is the saviour of all mankind Tit. 3. 4. 2. Thou hast asserted That God has not given a measure of the spirit to every man contrary to the Apostle in 1 Cor. 12. 4 7. who saith The manifestation of the spirit is given to every man to profit withal And thou goest about to make the light of Christ Jesus with which he has enlightened every man a Created light and a dim light and a natural light and spirit of a natural man And here I shall prove thee an Idolater and a graver up of an Image in thy dark divining where thou art one with all the ministers of Antichrist who studies an Image in your brains and the dark imaginations of your hearts for though thou seems to be a separated Priest yet it is but in the sensual and carnal and devilish not in the
thee that thou hates the light and when thou said the Plagues of God was upon Thomas Curwen this is not rayling with thee and said the spirit of the Devil spoke in him when he spoke truth to thee and this was thy fury and madness who art not fit to talk of the Saints conditions and so it is manifest thou knows not what spirit thou art of who dost not know the light of Christ to be saving neither hast thou shewed forth the fruits of the spirit of Christ with its workings And whereas thou would know where any of the Ministers of Christ or Christ called any strange birth of the flesh c. it seems thou art ignorant of the Scriptures as well as others as long as thou hast been a Merchant for did not Christ tell the Pharisees they were of their Father the Devil Iohn 8. and the Apostle said to Elimas the Sorcerer thou full of all subtilty who perverts the right way of God as thou dost hindering people from believing in the light Ioh. 12. Acts 13. and so we speak truth to thee as thou art we do not falsly accuse thee and now see thee where thou art who long deceived us but praised be the Lord we are come to Christ the saving Light which thou denyes and its manifest what thou art and what thy suffering is in the darkness against the light and thou proves thy self a Thief and a Robber who enters not in by the door Christ the Light but climbes up another way and therefore the sheep knows thy voice to be the stranger Iohn 10. and we know what thy compassion is but thou wants power thou hast manifested in this Book and the Letters thou hast sent up and down to Manchester and Stopperd and thy deeds are manifest in the light which thou hates so much and the Lord is rebuking the evil spirit and judging it and thou wilt feel the weight of his hand for thy maliciousness to his people and it is thou that hath mislead and misguided the simple who brings forth arguments to no purpose to strike at the Corner-stone Christ the Light it being fallen upon thee therefore thy Arguments is manifest to be to no purpose and therefore thou art thus tormented and whereas thou savest our Corner-stone being struck at then the building must needs fall to the ground but I say our foundation is Christ the Light Ioh. 8. which we know that thou and all the Generation of Priests have struck at till you are all tumbled down your selves but Christ our Corner stone and Foundation and Light never fell but thine is fallen and therefore thou ragest And we do affirm in our words and printed Books that Christ who says he is the Light in Joh. 8 he is the Dore Joh. 10. he is the quickning Spirit and he is the Corner stone which God hath laid in Sion he is the Truth and he is the All and in all and above all according to Scripture and to be believed in And hath enlightned every man that comes into the world and he is the Redeemer and the word and this thou denyest Christ the Light the Quickning Spirit the Way the Truth the Corner stone the Word the Foundation the Redeemer and the All And here indeed thou hast denyed the Corner stone and Christ Jesus which the Prophets Christ and the Apostles testified of so thou hast manifested thy self against them So never take their words to make a Trade of any more And thou canst not call Christ the Light a Quickning Spirit the Way the Truth the Word the Foundation the Corner stone the Redeemer this thou canst not call the True Jesus thou sayst We do believe thee and that thou art an Enemy to him and them that walk in his light are manifest and therefore have I Richard Gubbam proved thee a false Prophet and Antichrist according to thy own-words and we are come to Repentance and the knowledg of the Truth and thy ways be detected whereby many simple hearts be turned from them and so now we are many of us undeceived from such deceivers as thee who calls Christ the Light the Word the Way the Truth deceiving but the Lord rebuke thee who strives to keep Ignorant simple people from the Light and in darkness thou wouldst aspire up as a Judge of all conditions and knows not thy own to be miserable blind and naked Rev. 1. yet thou tell'st the Reader what the Light is and what it can do and what it cannot do and of what use it is when thou in the darkness cannot comprehend it And whereas thou tellest us of the Light of the first Adam and the Spirit of man is the Candle of the Lord Proverbs 20. and Genesis 2. Adam was made a living soul 1. Cor. 15. and thou sayest this Candle of the Lord or Light in every man is inferior to other Lights and is lower than the Angels and is limited and bounded c. And now would not this Light have justified the Jews and Adam and the Candle of the Lord would not that have directed them in his way and did not David call the word of God A Lanthorn to his feet and a Light unto his path And is this thy Spirit which is under the Bonds and Limits for where the Spirit of God is joyned to there is liberty and we do not tell thee of the Light of Adam thou art gone from the matter but we speak of the Light of Christ Jesus the second Adam the Lord from Heaven For our dispute was not about the earthly Adam the Spirit of a man but our discourse was about Christ the Light of the world the Saviour and thou tel'st us of the Light of Adam this is thy dark Wisdom and like thy knowledge and experience of Christ And whereas thou say'st the Spirit of a man or Light in every man is understood to be the Reason or the understanding of a man whereby he is adopted to know his Creator viz. who made him according to David Psalms 59. 6. Answ Here thou hast confuted thy self for can man be adopted to know his Creator with his own Spirit and Reason and his own Light which thou call'st Natural For the Natural man knows not the things of God and the Spirit of man knows the things that be of a man even so the Spirit of God knows the things that be of God and if all Nations must know the Lord God that made them and serve him and they are his people and the sheep of his Pasture and they must worship and kneel before the Lord their maker and keep his Laws then they should have the Spirit of God for natural men cannot discern the things of God nor hear his voyee nor worship him as thou said'st before so these Scriptures over throws thy assertion Psal 95. 6. And whereas thou say'st of this Light we may understand Christ to speak Mat. 6. 23. Therefore if the Light in thee be Darkness how
William Houlding Blacksmith and Henry Wood a daily Labouring man who cannot read on a Book and Thomas Curwen Husbandman and William Wilson Taylor who in the strength of the Lord desire to give the said John VViggan a meeting before the Sheriffe as he hath challenged us and hath sent his Challenge into the Town and not to us with many villifying and slanderous words in the said Book which he hath sent amongst the people so let all the wise in heart judge of this man whether he hath carried himself like a Rational man yea or no. The Assertions are as followeth 1. For John VViggan to prove and make good out of the Scriptures of truth 1. that Christ doth not enlighten every man that comes into the World with a saving Light contrary to John 1. 9. 2. That the Light wherewith every man is enlightened that comes into the World is not a saving Light 3. To make good that which thou hast laid down that there is some men that comes into the World hath not the spirit contrary to Iohn 16. 8. Acts 2. 7. 4. That Christs blood was not shed for all men contrary to the 1 Epistle of Iohn 2. 2. 5. That Balaam had no more of the spirit of God then his Horse and which was held forth in the dispute against us contrary to Numbers 24. 17. 6. That Balaam did not see the Starr of Iacob contrary to Numbers 24. 17. 7. And that wicked men hath not the spirit of God nor the Holy Ghost contrary to Gal. 2. Neh. 9. 8. That the Light before faith is not pure contrary to Rom. 7. 12. 9. And that Christ the Light that lightens every one that comes into the World is an Idol contrary to Ioh. 1. 9. 22. 13 46. 10. That the Grace of God is an Idol contrary to Ephesians 2. 5 8. 11. And that there is no mercy with God contrary to Psalm 13. 6. 12. That Christ is not the Word contrary to Revel 19. 13. 13. That the Light is a false Christ contrary to Ioh 12. 33 46. 14. And that Light doth not shine in darkness contrary to Iohn 1. 5. 15. And that God who is the Word doth enlighten every man that comes into the World is not saving 16. And that the Light Christ that enlightens every man that comes into the World is a Natural Light 17. That some are in the flesh and hath not the Spirit This is he to make good and prove how they can quench it and grieve it that hath it not 18. That some that comes into the World have not a saving Light 19. Some there are that are in the flesh and never had the spirit contrary to Rom. 10. 20. That the time must come that men must break their Plow-shares into Swords and Speares which his brother Price justifies in a Book and John Wiggan was offended because we marked it out for error and these things we would have the said John Wiggan to stand to and make good before the Sheriffe as he challenged by plain Scriptures of truth in the New Testament For both the Scriptures and Common-Prayer testifies against thy Principles Some more of John Wiggan's Assertions which are not many of them in the former above written 1. THat the Light in every man that comes into the World is not the Door nor the Mediator Saviour nor Redeemer nor the Way Truth the Life the Lord that bought them nor the Corner-stone nor the infallible spirit 2. That it is not the true Jesus but an Idol the Light wherewith every man is enlightened or the Light that lighteth every man 3. To follow Christ the Light is to follow a pernitious way 4. That the Light was natural and spirit of a natural man and was that in Adam which let him see his sin 5. That Light which is darkness spoken of in Math. 6. 22 23. le ts man see his Creator 6. And this Light looketh upon every thing done or to be done of man and yet this Light maketh not any thing that is done to be good or evil and yet this Light sheweth the Creator and this Light in man will render God Righteous in his Proceedings against man 7. That Christ doth not give his spirit to every man that comes into the World 8. That they in Iude spoken of as Cain and Cora and Balaam had not the spirit 9. And this Light with which every man is enlightened is Natural and its gross to say that the Light which enlightens every man is Christ 10. That the Light in every man is but the spirit of a man the Law written in the heart 11. That who so worships that Light that enlightens every man that comes into the World as Redeemer worships an imaginary and fictious Christ and an Idol denying the person of the true Jesus 12. That whosoever saith that he that is the Light in every man is Christ is a deceiver and an Antichrist and Iohn Wiggan will prove them so 13. And it is the subtle deceiver and adversary Satan that saith the Light which doth enlighten every man that comes into the World is the Lamb and the Lord and the object of faith 14. And the Light that doth enlighten every man is the Word and before he said it was the Natural man's spirit and an Idol c. 15. That the Light the word God which enlightens every man is natural and man by it knows nothing of Christ though he confess by it he knows the Eternal power and God-head the fulness whereof dwells in Christ bodily 16. And the word God the true Light which doth enlighten every man that comes into the World he saith is darkness Mat. 6. 22 23. 17. And the word God doth enlighten every man that comes into the World by setting up a Light and spirit in man which is called the Candle of the Lord and writing a Law in his heart and the Light which doth enlighten every man is not the word which was in the beginning 18. And Christ came a Light into the World not to enlighten every man that comes into the world and this light is able to seek and feel after God his Creator and by it man may know his Creator and the Eternal power and Godhead it is a created Light a great Light it is but a Candle Light but it discovers man's transgressions and this Light springeth up with mans spirit and this Light is the Spirit of a Natural man which doth not know the things of God and this Light discovered Adam's sin and this Light is Natural and not Spiritual 19. But this Light knows nothing of the Gospel mystery hid in God nor Redemption by Christ nor of Gods good purpose and Grace nor of the Law of faith 20. This Candle-light to wit that Light wherewith every man that comes into the World is enlightened is not able to discern the mystery of God in Christ And so make good these things by Scripture or stop thy mouth for ever
his only begotten Son into the World to save the World and not to condemn the World as he doth who saith they have not a light to save them and they have not the spirit of God but that the World through him might be saved and moreover Christ saith I am the light of the World now he doth not say I am the light of the Saints only as John Wiggan saith but of the World which be in darkness And Christ saith believe in the light whilest ye have the light shewing that they have the light before they are believers that they may be children of the light John 12. and also he John Wiggan makes void the grace of God as may be seen in his Book which hath appeared to all men as the Apostle speaks to Titus which brings salvation and this grace is sufficient and so his work is to prove that the World and wicked Men have not a saving-light nor have not the Spirit of God contrary to the Scriptures of Truth as will be proved hereafter and so â—â— makes people believe through this that Christ did not come to save the World so is of that race that would frustrate the grace of God and of them that forbid the Apostles to speak to the Gentiles but hath not John Wiggan had one Hundred pound a year of the States and taken Collections of such as he looked upon to be wicked people and had not the Spirit nor a saving Light yea and preached the Scriptures to them which are the things of God and all people you know that no man can know the things of God without the Spirit of God you know the Scriptures saith so And whether all men will not judge whether this man is not grown sensless or he hath cracked his Brain through his foolishness Nay would not this John Wiggan preach if the Powers would give him two or three Hundred pounds a year to preach the Scriptures which are the things of God to the World which he saith hath not the Spirit of Christ nor a saving Light hath he not the conscience to take this and bless them though the World did not understand the things of God and what do you think of all the Independants that he preached too and hath left and now turned Baptist it may be he thinks that is a better Commons and Pasture to maintain him in for hath John Wiggan restored that which he had of them at Manchester and other places for we say that it is but just that he should do so For to preach to a people that hath not a saving light nor the Spirit the things of God they that cannot understand them without the Spirit and to take money of them is it not a robing of them and a cheating of them and ought he not in justice to make restitution for we do not know a greater enemy to Christ and his Apostles and plain Scriptures this day in England then he is as his practice hath made it manifest and as for all his slanderous expressions in his private papers we shall not send abroad but let them lie upon him together with his lyes nor lay open his nakedness we need not for he hath laid it open in his own Book sufficiently as will be manifest to every impartial Reader First That Paper which was sent unto Thomas Hardy by Thomas Curwen it was not sent up and down in the Country as his was but if he had sent for a Coppy of it he might have had one so we did not serve him as he hath done us and if there had been any errors they should have been made manifest but he hath not that the Reader might have read them for we are not afraid of our deeds coming to the Light And our Paper was neither partial nor confused as it will manifest it self and it is to the honour of truth And it s he that swallowes up the simple in errors as he speaks of and hath vomited out the same again how many hath he vomited out about Manchester but swallowed them up but for gain and that which he hath vindicated is error And whereas he saith he was provoked to this debate with the Quakers that is false for it was his own Challenge for friends would have discoursed with him in a Christian way in his own Chamber which he denyed and bid them depart his Chamber and when Friends have come up in a Christian way to him he hath threatned them by calling for the Jaylor and another time when Thomas Curwen came up in a Christian way he shaked him by his Coat as though he would have tore it from off his back to thrust him out of his Chamber though often he came into our Chamber and we never served him so but discoursed as long as he would But this is the thing Major Wiggan in calling the Jaylor he wanted his Magestrates Sword like a persecuting Jew Help men of Israel against the Apostles for these are the men that turnes the World upside down And this is John Wiggans patience and Christian spirit as he calls it and he being a Prisoner we would never have brought him to publick shame but he himself hath brought it therefore he may blame himself And whereas he speaks of being provoked to the debate in defence of truth Nay John thou art out of love that art so soon provoked and its truth that torments thee because thou canst not defend thy errors thou canst not chop and change with truth as thou didst with the people at Manchester And what thou hast set down afterward will appear And the contention of the Meeting was through thy self for thou wast the first man that brake the order which was that all might speak one by one and burst out into a laughter when others were speeking of the things of God in an uncivil and immodest way which begot thy own people into the same and so raised up the rude and uncivil spirit in thy own people that some was fain to rebuke thee who were speaking of the things of God for the things of God are weighty and as the Scriptures saith the fools heart is filled full of Laughter and that is the mark of a fool and thou wast too hot and passionate to talk soberly And dost thou not remember what a passion thou was in when thou discoursed with Richard Hubberthorn at Manchester when one of thy own people did reprove thee and doest thou not remember what violent hands thou laid upon John Abrams when he and James Harrison came to discourse with thee of the things of God in a Christian way and what a rage fury and passion thou wast in is not this a mark of a Novice soon angry and are not these unclean hands lifted up to God will God accept them And whereas thou speaks of Boasting that is thy own the Principle that thou would discourse upon was thy own chusing though nothing thou hast cleared to this
the pure Light of Christ which is saving which enlightens every man and for thy saying there will be but little truth found in saying thou taught thy way to others and it will be hard for me to prove or any of my friends thou hast proved it thy self and I have proved it sufficiently here before and also it was proved in the dispute but that thou art more minded to cavil then obey the truth and it s no matter of thee saying my words are improper when thou wilt not believe plain Scripture when as thou bids me tell thee where the Apostle said some preached the way the truth and the life and yet knew him not such as professed him in words and denyed him in life such as the Apostle calls evil doers evil beasts and slow bellies and teaches for filthy lukre as thou hast done who is a sayer and not a doer and such as preacht Christ of envy as thou dost and added afflictions to the Apostles bonds those knew not Christ the way and the life neither was in it for they were in the envy and strife as thou art and those are unlike to know him though they may preach him in words for envy blinded them as it hath done thee Philip. 1. 15. but did not those false Apostles deceitfull workers transforming themselves into the Apostles of Christ preach Christ in words as thou doest how could they have gone about to deceive the Saints which believed in Christ and were they not despisers of the Apostles and Ministers of Christ as thou art nay did they not boast that they were Ministers of Christ as thou doest and denyed his life as thou doest 2 Corinth 11. from the 13. to the 23. and did not Christ speak of such who preached in his name and in his name cast out Devils and I do not believe that ever thou came to see so far as these did and yet he said depart from me ye workers of iniquity and the false Prophets in the 24. of Matthew who said loe here is Christ and loe there these was Preachers of Christ in words under a pretence to bring them to a false Christ and Christ said go not forth after them for he would come and dwell in them and this thou cannot abide to hear spoken on of Christ being in men a saving Light and dost thou not know that many has a form of Godliness Tit. 3. 4. and what form is that is it not the Scriptures that speaks of God and Christ and denies the power wherein I feel thee to be one who are to be turned away from who withstand the truth and many of thy Hearers turned away from thee whom thou led away Captive And what wise man cansay I have wronged the Apostles words in this for I have not wronged the Apostles words but thou wrongest me and thou dost not preach the Love of Christ who denies the Light Christ to be saving that enlightens all men and Christ is the way the Truth and the Life who ever preach him or for what ever end they preach him for and we set up the Christ Jesus the Apostles preached and set up the Light of the World which the Prophets prophesied of but thou preachest another as was said before who denies his Light to be a saving Light in all men though some men neglect their Salvation as thou may read in the Scriptures and we have the same Gospel the Apostles had and preached to wit the power of God which I do believe thou was never yet in for if thou had thou would not have changed so and have left thy people for what hast thou left that Christ thou preached to the Independants or hast thou restored the Money which thou got amongst them so confess the truth for I never changed since I knew the Truth the same Christ the Apostles preacht and the true Religion I believe thou hath to seek it who denies the Light and so in meekness and fear I declare to thee we own no other Christ Jesus then the Apostles preacht and set up and this Christ Jesus I am not ashamed to confess before all who is the Light that enlightens all men that comes into the World who is the Salvation to the ends of the Earth who tasted death for every man and this is Gods Love to Mankind And whereas thou sayest thou will not answer my Queries nor satisfie me nor any Querist in this thou hast manifested thy self and spirit what it is and hast denyed a Christian Spirit who should be ready to give an answet to any that asked them a reason of the hope that was in them and my questions tends to edification and not to strife and confessing the working of God in their hearts and what they past thorow and the acquaintance with God hearing and seeing of him and things concerning Salvation and Scripture words that declares of the same and this is not edification to thee and yet thou contradicts thy self and sayest thou would give a reason of the hope that is in thee and yet doth not answer my Queries concerning-Christ the hope and other workings of the Spirit of God Truly John this manifests thy emptyness and shallowness of the things of God and that which concernes mans Salvation And thou sayest thou hast in readiness to answer in love those Queries was in Love sent to thee but this is but a shift and a boast for if thou hadst not answered them in love to us who thou accounts thy enemies though thou hast called us thy friends thou might have answered them for their sakes thou sent thy Book too if thou hadst no love to enemies John Wiggan thou sayest that the Light wherewith every man is lighted that comes into the World is not a saving Light and this thou say'st thou shalt thorough the strength of Christ be ready to maintain against me or any of my friends who hold the contrary when and where a meeting may be had in a peaceable and quiet way before competent Witnesses Answ Thee and all thy Witnesses at the meeting by all your opposing the Scriptures and us that stood for them could not make good that Christ was not the saving Light that enlightens every man that comes into the World though yee broke out into a rage and broke your own order which was that none should speak while another was speaking and thou was the first man that brake it both when G. F. and W. W. was speaking and neither love or humility proceeded from thee but abundance of pride rage and envy when thou was plung'd and could not make good what thou hadst asserted which was contrary to Christ and the Prophets as in Esaiah and John the 1. 8 12. And that which moved me to stick the Paper on the Door proceeded from the Holy Spirit which hath caused thee to vent forth so much against the Light of Christ and hath brought that forth which hath been so long hid in thy heart
thy Chamber thou was past intreating thou had like to have laid violent hands upon me as thou didst afterwards and if thou hadst not given us a meeting being thine own Challenge how could we judge otherwise but that-thou dar'st not stand to thy word it 's a lye in saying we provoked thee to it it was thy own Challenge and then thou speaking with R. C. and R. J. about the Meeting and appointed when the day and hour should be and that thou was willing to give Thomas Curwen and others a meeting according to thy former Challenge and thou would dispute about Christ the Light that enlightens every man that comes into the World by the Lords assistance but this Lord failed thee for poor old Henry Wood a labouring man that cannot read a word on a Book gravelled thee so that thou was not able to answer him and as for R. C. and R. J. what language dost thou give them now who accounted them sober men before thy mind is soon altered and changed John Wiggan disprove that Christ doth not enlighten every man that comes into the World with a saving Light or that the Light where with every man is enlightened is not saving Mark people the Light in it self is not saving and then the insufficiency is in the Light according to his judgment but we say there is sufficiency in the Light for God saith my Grace is sufficient which none can deny but that the Grace is this Light and secondly that Christ the Light which doth enlighten all c. that that is not saving is contrary to the Scriptures which saith Christ is the Salvation to the ends of the Earth Christ saith I am the Light John 1. 8. 12. and this Light Christ is sufficient to save and to give the knowledge of God Cor. 2. 4. but as Christ saith in John 3. 20. Some hates the Light and as Job saith some rebell against it in whose steps John Wiggan thou art found And whereas thou sayest first that nothing be asserted but what may be proved by Scripture and that nothing be determined but according to the Scriptures in thy Answer thou could make nothing good that thou didst assert against the Light of Christ which thou opposes for that which thou didst assert was against the plain Scripture and the words of Christ in which thou confutes thy self whose determination if it had been possible was to oppose the Scripture instead of asserting by Scripture what thou did'st assert Secondly Whereas thou sayest that the Meeting may be peaceable and quiet without railing or reproachful speeches and that the whole dehate may be carried on with a spirit Love and meekness Answ John thou and thy people quickly broke this order dost thou not remember what a heat and passion thou was in cocking up thy Hat like a Ranter and thy people of such a heat that John Berley was fain to stand up and reprove one of them and G. F. often bid you be sober for the things of God was weighty and should be spoken of in the fear of God and that he should not be so rash and hasty Thirdly The Meeting may be orderly and without confusion that is that one may have as much time allowed to speak as another and that but one speak at once and that none disturbe him that is speaking Answ I wonder John Wiggan that thou shouldest not be ashamed to publish such things in the sight of men for thou was the first man that made a disturbance that spake when another was speaking to wit William Wilson and afterwards when George Fox was speaking and afterwards thy people ran into the same and so broke your own order and run into confusion and when thou should have answered to the people to the matter thou fell a preaching to the people and when I Thomas Curwen would have stood up and have spoken thou would not let me so that I see thou art nothing but a man of fair words so thou didst not give time but thou brakest the time and therefore was we forced to cry for order so oft' amongst you 4ly And whereas thou sayest that the Meeting may continue three houres and at the most not exceed four because of the occasions of friends afterwards if these be concented unto let him that is appointed to treat with me subscribe his name c. and what we could not agreed to R. C. R. J. let him know Answ Most of this was done according to his desire and let him take what time he would to oppose Christ the light which lightens every Man that comes into the World and though he had his will granted all he did was to no purpose And all people may see whether this was a rational Letter or no and how that we would not limit the truth to an hour as he did before for the Spirit of truth is not to be limited though that we let him take his own proffer and go away when he would and thou should not have spoken of points wherein this paper differed from thine but thou should have perticularized them that the Reader might have seen them and whereas thou saidst we said that thou durst not meet us therefore thou sentest another paper why if thou had said thou would not have met us thou might have said so for it was thy own Challenge at first and not ours and thou should have named them that said so for no Man put thee upon it at first to speak against the light of Christ but thy own mind and thou sayest in thy next Letter about the third hour in the fore-part of the Day which I call the ninth hour and Jo. Wiggan was it but three houres since it was Day to the ninth hour I pray thee answer me these natural things for thou hast not answered me the spiritual And so afterwards when thou hadst denyed thy first Proposition to us that we should appoint time and place we left it to thee to appoint time and place and so took thy own who had contradicted thy former who would not grant to us that which we granted to thee and whereas thou sayest my friend and I urged thee to dispute against the Light of Christ thou say'st not true for it was thy own Challenge for we but bid thee make good thy Challenge and that which thou had so boldly asserted against Christ the Light And as for thy saying thou would maintain in the strength of the Lord thy assertion to wit that Christ did not enlighten every Man that comes into the World with a saving light neither that the Light wherewith all Men is enlightened is saving and this neither thee nor all thy people with all the strength you had could do but that which thou did maintain was to your own shame And whereas thou sayest thou would do it through the strength of the Lord that was false for all thy strength was to fight against the Lord who is the Saviour
of all men especially of them that believe so saith ahe Apostle 1. And whereas thou say'st over and over again that all things should be proved by the Scripture and thou proves nothing to the matter 2. And whereas thou say'st again and again that the Meeting may be peaceable and quiet and thou was the first man that disturbed it And whereas thou say'st the words were left out as railing and reproachful speeches we thought thou would call the plain truth rayling and thou hoping that the thing would be so carried on it was so on our part but thou and thy people brake out into disorder and scornful speeches that thou was often reproved for thy immodesty and as I said before thou was the first man that was disorderly as thou speaks on over again as also thou was the first man that very uncivilly brake the order of one speaking at once neither didst thou observe it and as for limiting time and hour that is answered before and seeing the Meeting was put off with a pretence by the Jaylor as thou sayest we met with thee another day according to thy appointment and we know thou didst make an Oration before the meeting and then propounded that which thou could not maintain That Christ doth not enlighten every man with a saving Light that comes into the World c. And I John Stubbs stood up and told thee that Christ did enlighten every man that comes into the World with a saving Light and Richard Cubban did not alter what thou had spoken and written as the Reader may see in thy Book and why dost thou say that I Richard Cubban was perswaded with much ado for when thou would not stand to what thou had written and spoken then I stood to what thou would agree to and this was but a shift from thy own words we lookt thou should have made every word good thou had writen and spoken but thou shifts from thy own words and therefore we let thee have what words thou would stand to And whereas thou sayest I John Wiggan proceeded to prove premising first that the Question was not whethere there be some Light that comes into the World nor whether Christ do not enlighten true Believers with a saving Light forasmuch as I denyed not but did affirme there was some Light in every man that comes into the World and true Believers was enlightened with a saving Light Answ In thy assertion there was no mention of unbelievers as all may see in thy Book but thy assertion is Christ doth not enlighten every man that comes into the World with a saving Light then Believers are not according to thy words for thou sayest the Light wherewith every man is enlightened withal which we say is the Light of Christ is not saving and yet again thou contradicts thy self and saith Believers are lightened with a saving Light but and if Believers be enlightened with a saving Light and unbelievers be not how are they then condemned for their unbeliefe this Question neither thee nor thy people could answer For thy proof that Christ doth not enlighten every man that comes into the World with a saving Light thou sayest that Christ doth not enlighten no man but by his Spirit but Christ doth not give his Spirit to every man that comes into the World therefore he doth not enlighten every Man that comes into the World with a saving Light These words proves nothing at all but thy own ignorance of the Scriptures for God saith by his Prophet that he would pour out his Spirit upon all Flesh in the latter dayes And the Apostles saw those dayes come in their time as in Acts 2. and so this being proved that God pours out his Spirit upon all Flesh then he enlightens every man that comes into the World with a saving Light according to thy own assertion and so this overthrows thy opposing assertion And the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal 1 Cor. 12. 7. Now thou contradicts the Apostle here the true Minister he saith every man but thou gives him the lie and saith not every man God gives his Spirit unto but we say with the Apostles and the Prophets that God hath given his Spirit to all as in Joel 2. Acts 2. 1. Cor. 12. and they that do not profit in the Spirit are such as grieves it and quenches it and rebells against it as in Nehem. 9. and many other Scriptures which might be mentioned and as for the many Scriptures thou hast quoted they are to no purpose And thou sayest that thy first Proposition is clear from Isai 59. 12. this contradicts thy Proposition this speaks of the New Covenant Christ and in the 60. Chap. ver 3. and the 11. 12. how that the Gentiles that wicked people should come to the Light speaking of Christ and this quite makes against thee that saith Christ doth not enlighten every man with a saving Light and John 4. 16 17. but thou shouldst have read the 16. of John as well as that where thou may read they have the same Comforter the spirit of truth which leads the Saints into all Truth and how can thou or the World receive this Spirit which will not believe in the Light but hates it so this proves that all men have the Spirit and overthrowes thy assertion and Christ the Corner-stone breaks thee to pieces who opposes him and the plain Scripture which all people may read and leaves out that which makes against thee and Ephes 1. 17 18. because the Saints had the spirit of Wisdom and the eyes of their understandings was enlightened this thou brings to oppose Christ the Light and the Apostles Doctrine and Testimony that Christ did not enlighten every man that comes into the World and his Light is not saving which thou might as well deny Christ and say he is not saving who is the Light for none of these Scriptures doth say that Christ doth not enlighten every man that comes into the World with a saving Light and John 16. 13. makes nothing for thy purpose and whereas thou sayest Neither is there any other way by which Christ doth infuse a saving Light into any man but by his Spirit 1 Cor. 2. 10 11 and 12. vers Answ I pray you all people read this Scripture over and see whether there be any such word as Infusing a saving Light into any man but by his spirit you may see how he wrongs the Apostles words with his own words and wrongs John's words also for we know that the natural man knows not the things of God but by the Spirit they are understood for the Natural man quenches and grieves the spirit of God and so walks despitefully against the spirit of Grace therefore this is no proof that he hath it not because he cannot discern the things of God for the things of God are opened to him as he obeyes the Spirit of God And thou saith the assumtion
is proved by Jude that some are natural not having the spirit this of Jude proves that they had it and went in the error of Ballaam from the Spirit and these could speak the high words but it was in hypocrisie and so this Scripture clearly overthrowes thy argument which thou takes for a proof against John's Doctrine who saith Christ doth enlighten every man that comes into the World And John the 14. 17. which thou brings to prove that Christ doth not enlighten every man that comes into the world with a saving Light which saith no such thing but proves thy own weakness and ignorance for how should the world know Christ or see him when they hate his Light that comes from him and will not come to it because it doth reprove them and there Christ the Light testifies against the World because their deeds be evil read John the third and other places Again thou bringest Romans the 8. 9. to prove thy assertion and sayes some men have not the Spirit of Christ Now people see if this Scripture doth say in plain words that some men have not the spirit of Christ and see how he has wronged the Apostle and perverted his words and whether the Apostle did not tell them in the first of the Romans who were wicked people That that which might be known of God was manifested in them yet they Reprobated from it and so their hearts were darkened and so was not led by the Spirit as the Saints was and so they that quench the Spirit and will not have it to lead them how are they Christs and so mark the same Chapter in the following words They that are led by the Spirit of God they are the Sons of God And so thou may see how thou goes about to overthrow the Apostles words and Christs Doctrine thou hath a strange Doctrine and Preaching of thine to preach to the world and tell them they have not the spirit nor a saving Light And so all thy Testimonies thou hast brought doth not prove thy Proposition to be true that Christ doth not give his Spirit to every man that comes into the World which the 16. of John overthrowes thee And I disliking thy assumption as thou callest it but many ignorant people doth not know what thou meanest but thou would cover thy self by thy dark words for no proof that thou brought was to purpose for that of Jude which speaks of such as went in the way of Cain I say Cain had talked with God and heard his voice though he was a wicked man and this thou brings to prove that wicked men have not the Spirit and doth not know the things of God but Cain knew God for he talked with him and that must be by the Spirit and those that Jude speaks of were such as had been with them and went from them into the way of Cain or how could it have been said they had err'd and had not the spirit and the way And here people may see thou neither knows the Scriptures nor the power of God as wise as thou thinks thou art for my words were not that they lost it but that they err'd from it according to the Scripture and why could thou not put in all my words I spoke but perus'd my words and so left out that which pinched thee for I have borne my Testimony amongst many of your people both in England Scotland and Ireland and other places which many is come from you and sees your deceitful wayes of darkeness opposing the Light for I my self was one of you and now walkes in the light of the Lamb Glory for ever to the Highest And why doth thou wrong me for I denyed thy Proposition and held forth Christ the Saving Light And whereas thou sayest by the way If a Scripture pinch us we will not stick to give a meaning to it and such an one as may best suite our purpose Answ This is false for I gave no meanings to the Scriptures but as they are and there is no Scripture that thou brought which pinched any of us but they nipt and pinched thee as thou callest it And thou say'st thou replyed that it could not be that those in Jude ever had the Spirit because they were sensual and natural and went in Cains way and here all may see thou left out the word how they went in the way of Cain and error of Ballaam and Cain talked with God and that must be by the Spirit as I said before and God said should he not be accepted if he did well c. therefore Cain had the spirit of God and they that went in his way from the Christians err'd from the spirit the righteous way and so became natural and sensual in the self seperation from the spirit where thou art and that in the second of Corinthi is answered before and now people see if Jude and the first of Cor. 2. c. doth say that natural and sensual Men had never the spirit and you may see how this man perverts the Scriptures and wrongs them for his own ends for these Scriptures speaks no such things as he doth and how can the natural man discern the things of the Spirit of God when that he grieves the spirit of God by which he should receive them and errs from it as in Jude and is not led by it Cor. 2. and Rom. 8. and they that quench the spirit of God in themselves will oppose it in others as thou dost and those that are led by the spirit of God they are they that discern spiritual thing and they that quench it doth not and thou repeats the 2. of Cor. 2. to no purpose for thee and they cannot decern the things of God that quenches the spirit and errs from it but they can decern the things of God that are led by the spirit of God as in the 1 Cor. 2. and this doth not say he hath not the spirit of God thou wrongs the Scriptures in that and adds to the Apostles words for all people may see that reads thy words and the Scriptures what a pittiful meaning thou gives to the Scriptures here and speaks thy own words and would make people believe they are the Apostles words and so wrongs and belies the Apostles And as for thy charging us with disorder as I said before thou was the first man that was disorderly and thou spake when another was speaking and thy people many of them spake together and why dost thou complain and say some of us spake one after another for this was the agreement that one should speak after another and that thou could not have time to answer and thou had more time then any but it s thou that did not speak to the matter in hand but fell to preaching to the people and thou wrongest us for we spoke orderly one after another except we spoke when you were speaking disorderly and of your speaking unreverently of the things of
God and our asking the questions was to have thee make good the thing in hand which thou could not do and this is thy shift to say thou was obstructed but tell me who obstructed thee for not answering T. C. and old H. W. their Queries this half years time but thou would have had all the talk to have held what errors thou would and none to oppose thee and it seems M. F. and G. F. the truth that they spoke there tormented thee and where thou say'st G. F. coming in about that time thou was replying to J. S. this is false for thou was speaking to M. F. and held the debate a good while after G. F. came in with her and then G. F. many people standing upon the Formes upon which he stood up upon and set one foot upon the edge of the Table for thou was gotten to the uppermost end of the Table in the highest place Priest like and what a great advantage hast thou taken here because G. F. stood up upon the Forme did not thou and the other Priest stand upon the Table before George Fox and was so unruly not to be gotten off the Table and thy own people stood upon the Formes scoffing and revileing and because that G. F. stood but the one foot upon the Forme and the other upon the Table leaning upon his Knee this thou could publish in thy Book as a great transgression And whereas thou sayest thou was standing that is false for thou was siting and when G. F. spoke to thee thou cockt up thy Hat more like a Ranter and a Player in a Tavern then one imployed in the service of God and G. F. reproved thee and told thee the things of God was weighty and that thou must not be leght and all the serious people beheld thy vanity and weakness and perverting the Scriptures And whereas thou sayest where thou and others were standing on the ground that is false too for many of you were siting we did not see you so reverend though some its true were standing and stood there where thou should not have stood and G. F. did take off the strength of the Scriptures alledged by thee and made it to appear contrary to that end thou brought it and made it to appear that thou confounded thy own assertion and did prove that every one that came into the World had the spirit of Christ according to their measure and thou falsly belies G. F. for he neither used undervaluing or taunting expressions and I believe that none will say so but thy self except it be some scoffers or scorners like thy self and G. F. needed not undervalue thee for thou under valued thy self in speaking against truth and against the plain Scriptures of truth And as for G. F. as thou saidst went several times from the Table and said the least Babe there was able to answer thee the dispute being not his liberty being granted upon which occasion he spoke something to thee who spoke that thou couldst not make good by the Scriptures as after will be manifest and it did appear there that one of the least babes in the truth thou could not answer to wit H. W. and F's presence who is in the truth was not so needful whom thou scoffingly termes their Leader or rather their misleader but the weakest amongst us saw and doth see thee that thou was art and hath been a misleader to many of our Friends who now see thee who has Christ now to be their Leader Praises to the Lord God for ever and G. F. did not miserably wrest nor abuse the Scriptures as thou say'st but spoke them as they were but thou makes no conscience of lying who sayes he miserably wrested them but that which he spoke was in defence of the Truth against thy error and he would have the people to understand the Scripture thou brought to oppose thy self and the meeting was to that end that truth might be manifest to them for we were satisfied before and we are very well acquainted with these Scriptures that thou brought to pervert the Truth And thou was seen long ago for what end thy Preaching was And whereas thou say'st that which G. F. spake was not to the purpose then the Scripture thou brought was not to the purpose and herein thou hast confuted thy self for that which he spoke was to the Scriptures thou brought to oppose the Truth but it seems thou art offended because G. F. spoke to the people and opened the thing to them which makes thee complain manifesting that thou would keep and lead them in blindness and darkness that thou might make a prey upon them still And the thing that thou laid down before the people was that some men that comes into the World hath not the Spirit and thou would prove it out of Jude and when the Scripture was read there was no such words and yet he affirmed the same thing though he could not prove it perverting many Scriptures and yet could not make any to suite his purpose and when G. F. let him see the same he broke out into a rage and fury and spoke when he was speaking and so brake the civil order of speaking one by one and whereas he saith that in the Corinthians the manifestation of the spirit is given to every man to profit withal was spoken to the Saints or Church of God at Corinth and not to the wicked The Apostle doth not say it was to the Saints only but to every man and Christ saith what I say unto you I say unto all men watch and pray and how can they pray without the spirit and people you know it was the false Prophets that limited the Holy one and if the Corinthians every one had a manifestation of the spirit here is an If it seems thou questions this whether they had or no and say'st thou Every man that cometh into the World hath not a manifestation of the Spirit as before it s proved out of Acts 2. and John 16. and the Apostles words was every man and not every Saint dost thou not pervert the Apostles words here and also them that were Baptised by one Spirit into one body which were Saints and this thou brings to prove that the world that quenches and grieveth and rebelleth against and errs from the Spirit of God hath it not to reprove them which any that reads but Scriptures may see thy ignorance and darkness and whereas thou gain-sayest that the Apostle speaks only that the manifestation of the spirit of every man that was Baptized by one spirit into one body and made to drink into one spirit and not to every man that comes into the world Now people look this Chapter thorow 1 Corinthians 12. whether ye do find these words of Wiggan's in it or no that it is onely to them that believe and are Baptized and whether the Apostle has these Limits as he hath and whether his words be onely to them that
are baptized and made to drink into the one spirit and doth the Apostle say to every Saint and every one that is baptized into the spirit and not to every man that comes into the World doth the Apostle say these words but are not his words every man and not every Saint and for the same words used in the 11. of Corinthians makes nothing for thy purpose that all men have not the spirit for that is spoken to them that came together into one place there the Apostle distinguishes his own words what shifts art thou put too for to pervert the Truth And whereas thou sayest this is said to every man of them and not every man that comes into the World and now people see whether the Apostle saith the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every one of you only and see how he contradicts himself with the Scriptures he brings and would pervert it for the Apostle saith the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man and not to every one of you 1 Cor. 12. 7. and it s given to them to profit withal whether they do or not and Gods spirit is poured upon all flesh and so this Scripture makes nothing for thy purpose And as for Exodus 19. 5. this doth not oppose Gods pouring out of his Spirit upon all Flesh Acts 2. and Nehem. 9. was brought how that God gave his good spirit to such as rebelled against him which thou affirmed that wicked men had not the Spirit of God and we know that the Jewes was called the Church and people of God though many of them fell for their wickedness but these that rebelled against it had it that were wicked people which thou denyed and said that no wicked people had the Spirit of God which after thou confessed and so hast overthrown thy Assertion and so thou saith and unsaith Secondly Thou saith though it be said he gave them his good Spirit it will not follow that every particular or individual Israelite had this good Spirit but such as were Israelites indeed Ans Thou hast confessed that the Righteous hath the Spirit of God so thou art to prove that the wicked hath it not and in Joshuah the first there is nothing spoken in that Chapter that God doth not pour out his Spirit upon all Flesh and that wicked men hath not the spirit there is nothing at all for his purpose all that reads it may see And as for Romans 2. 28 29. this confounds thee all that reads it may see for this brings people to the spirit of God in them that they may be Jewes in the spirit and the Romans its known they had been Heathens and wicked people yet they had the Spirit and all being not Israel that be of Israel Rom. 9. 6. we know that neither are all true Christians that saith they are Christians but are such Israelites and Christians that quench the spirit as thou dost but thou denies that all men have it and so opposes the very Doctrine of the Apostles and Prophets And whereas thou say'st that saying in the 9. of Nehem. must be reserved thus Moses had that good Spirit and God promised to take off that good spirit that was upon him and put upon the seventy Elders Numb 11. 17. thus Joshuah was a man in whom was the Spirit Num. 27. 18. and had another spirit than many others had and was fitted thereby for the conduct of the Congregation Numb 27. 16. but it cannot hence be inserted that all or any of the fleshly seed of Abraham or such as were born after the flesh had the spirit but such onely as were born after the Spirit Gall. 4. 23 29. Ans This is Wiggan's conclusion and meaning upon these Scriptures which he hath brought to prove that every man that comes into the world hath not the Spirit which are not to that purpose at all and doth the 9. of Nehem. speak that Joshuah had the spirit and Moses and that it was put upon the Elders and was these them that Rebelled and slew the Lords Prophets and turned against him what Prophets of the Lord did they slay because thou sayest that in Nehem. must be reserved that Moses had the good Spirit c. and they after the flesh or any of the fleshly seed of Abraham or such as were born after the flesh had not the spirit but such as were born after the spirit c. and Nehemiah said generally he gave his good spirit unto them not only to Moses and Joshuah but such as turned their backs on the Lord which thou cannot prove that ever Moses or Joshuah slew the Lords Prophets c. and that God deliver'd them into the hands of their enemy to be vexed and troubled and as for Numb 11. 17. doth not prove that the Children of Israel had not the spirit of God nor Numb 27. 16 18. for that saith God is the spirit of all flesh that proves against thee for the Children of Israel had heard the voice of God and knew the power of God when thy came out of Egipt and knew his Law and so he was called their God and so they knew the things of God which they could not have done but by the spirit of God and Moses said they were the Children of God and were a holy people Deut. 14. and they were to hearken diligently to the voice of God c. and he had set his people the Jewes the seed of Abraham after the flesh above all Nations of the Earth Deut. 28. and yet thou fayest all Israel nor any after the flesh had not the Spirit and Gall. 4. 23 29. doth not prove that Israel after the flesh had not the Spirit because they were not born after it for those that persecutes them that are born after the spirit grieves the spirit of God in themselves as Christ said the Kingdom of Heaven was in the Pharisees that persecuted and the Jewes that stopt their Eares and shut their Eyes and would not hear nor see least they should have been converted and healed and that which they stopt their Eares and shut their eyes too plainly appears it was the Spirit else what did they backslide and erre from and quench and grieve so it is evident that all these Scriptures thou hast brought is to no purpose to prove that all men hath not the spirit And whereas thou brings Gall. 4. 6. of such as were Sons of God they may and oft do grieve the spirit of God it doth not say they may and oft do grieve the Spirit in the Ephes 4. 30. but this thou brings that the Sons of God grieves the Spirit of God and quenches it and not the wicked was there ever the like heard for we say and the Scriptures saith it is the wicked that grieves the Spirit of God and thou sayest it is the Sons of God and as for Acts the 7. 5. which we alledge which speak of their rebelling vexing and resisting
of the Holy Spirit and by this it is manifest that they had the holy Spirit agreeable to that in the 16. of John and these were they that opprest Christ as a Cart under Sheaves and such vexed the Spirit as in Eccles And whereas thou sayest all that do grieve vex and resist the Spirit of God have it not but they resist the Spirit of God in the Prophets This is thy meaning we know they resist the Spirit of God in the Prophets when they first grieve it in themselves as thou dost and as in the fourth of John the World receives him not how should they when they hate the Light and resist it as thou dost but the Spirit reproves them therefore they have it though they cannot receiveit nor receive Christ but hate him and so it is thou that grieves Gods spirit in his Servants And whereas thou sayest when Steven said they do resist the holy Ghost it was the Spirit in him by which he spake as in Acts 6. 10. as in like manner they resisted the spirit in the Prophets as Acts 7. 52. which of the Prophets have not your Fathers persecuted c. This again is thy meaning but the Scriptures doth not say as thou saith for those that resisted the Holy Ghost in Stephen had received the Law of God by the disposition of Angels c. Acts 7. 53. now the Law of God was the things of God and the Angels ministring Spirits so these that had the things of God had the spirit of God and when they kept not the Law of God they quenched and resisted the spirit of God both in themselves and others And whereas thou sayest when the mighty power of God was put forth in signes and wonders in Egypt and the Wilderness Numb 14. 11. 22. and they believing not his Spirit not in them but put forth those mighty workes and speaking in Joshuah and other faithful Witnesses for God in that day thus the spirit of God was vexed in Noah and Lot by the wickedness of the Old World and not in the wicked who being strangers and without God in the world Answ None of these Scriptures doth say as thou say'st that the wicked had not the Spirit of God to grieve but that it was only grieved in Joshuah Noah and such like as for Numb 14. such as had seen the wonders of God ten times and yet did not hearken to the voice of God and therefore they erred in their beliefe as vers 11. now how can these hear the voice of God and have not the spirit of God And the Apostle said they did all drink of the spiritual Rock and all eat of the spiritual Meat and the Rock that followed them was Christ and yet thou say'st they had not the Spirit of God to grieve in them 1 Cor. 10. 3 4 5. and when they lusted and tempted God and murmured against God and fell then they grieved Gods spirit and yet thou say'st they had it not to grieve but it was only grieved in others and had it been Righteous with the Lord in one day to cause 23000. to fall if they had not grieved his Spirit which he gave them and so they griev'd him and dost thou not believe that the Apostle and those Corinthians had the spirit of God who sayes let not us tempt God as they tempted him nor murmur as they murmured and Heb. 3. the Apostle sayes to day if you will hear his voice harden not your hearts as in the provocation in the day of temptation in the Wilderness when your fathers saw my works I was grieved with that generation they do always erre in their hearts and what did they erre from in their hearts if it was not from the spirit for when they had heard God they did provoke him though all that came out of Egipt did not provoke him for as the Gospel being preached to all Nations the word was preached to them but the word did not profit them not being mixed with faith in them that heard it Heb. 3. and Heb. 4. and in Rom. 10. The word of faith which they preached was in the mouth and in the heart which all had heard and can any hear the word and have not the spirit and is not the word spiritual for doth not the Apostle say to the Romans which had been Heathens and Moses to the Jewes Deut. 30. from the 10. to 15. vers which saith It was not far off nor hidden from them which saith they need not say Who shall ascend up into Heaven or beyond the Sea to bring it but the word is very nigh even in thy heart and in thy mouth that thou maist do it so good and evil life and death was set before them and this was spoken as well to those that did disobey God and for their wickednesse should be scattered among the Nations if hap'ly thence they should turn from their wickedness and turn unto the Lord and then they need not say who shall go up to Heaven or to beyond the Sea to bring the word for it was very nigh them in their hearts and in their mouths that they might obey and do it and the Scripture witnesses the fulfiling of this upon many of them And whereas thou sayest That the spirit was vexed in Noah and not in the old World this is contrary to the Scriptures for the Lord said My spirit shall not alwayes strive with man and how that the Sons of God saw the Daughters of Men and took of them Wifes of all that they chose and how that all flesh had corrupted its way which shewes they had a way before they corrupted it but thou sayest they had not the spirit doth not the Apostle say 1 Pet. 3. 18 19 20. vers That Christ preached to the spirits in Prison which sometimes were disobedient when the long-suffering of God waited in the dayes of Noah and what Prison is this and what Prison is it that the Prisoners of hope must shew themselves forth and as it is written Sodom gave its self over to fornication c. wherefore God brought his vengeance upon them who judges the World in righteousness this shewes a transgression that they went from the good and gave themselves up to wickedness as spiritual Sodom does now and if wicked Men have not the spirit as thou saist how then can God who is a spirit judge the World in righteousness and doth not the Apostle justifie the Heathen Phylosophers for saying We all live and move in God Acts 17. 27 28. that if hap'ly they might feel after God and finde him though he be not far from every one of us and how can they feel after him and have not his spirit which thou ignorantly with thy mind puft up sayes they have it not and because the Saints was a habitation of God through the Spirit therefore thou asserts wicked men have not the spirit to vex and grieve it but this proves it not that such
as be without God in the World and strangers have not the spirit of God in themselves to grieve and vex thou saith for that which may be known of God was manifest in them and when they knew God they did not glorifie him as God but became vain in their imaginations and changed the truth of God into a lye such becomes strangers to the life of God Rom. 1. so these Scriptures overthrowes thy assertions and proves that wicked men grieves the spirit of God in themselves as well as in others And whereas thou saist Joh. 16. 7 8. if I depart I will send the Comforter c. thou saist by this promise Christ makes is to send the holy Ghost after his departure it is evident enough that this Scripture can be no proof of thy assertion to wit that every man that comes into the world hath not the holy Ghost for if every man had him when he came into the world what need was there he should be sent to them after Christs Ascension nay rather this shews they had him not before he was sent and so not till after Christs departure which destroyes thy opinion yet thou grants the holy Ghost is come after Christ ascended to the Apostles and to reprove the World so by this thou hast overthrown thy own opinion and assertion and we say that Christ doth enlighten every man that comes into the World and is a Saviour and the Light is saving and the holy Ghost is given to reprove the World and lead the Saints and it s proved before that the wicked resisted the holy Ghost before Christ came in the flesh and the holy Ghost was given to the Disciples after Christ was ascended and he should reprove the World but thou denies it and sayes they have it not and so demes plain Scripture and perverts our Words for our Words is That Christ doth enlighten every Man that comes into the World and sayes believe in the Light and the holy Ghost reproves the World for their unbelief in the Light which leads the Saints unto all Truth Secondly Thou sayes this promise is made particularly to the Disciples of Christ I will send him to you and not unto the World Answ Why dost thou wrong the Scriptures doth it not say when he comes He shall reprove the World of Sin Righteousness and Judgment of Sin because they believe not in him was he sent then only to the Disciples and not to the World read Iohn 26. 7 8 9 10. over again and see thy own ignorance and darkness and it s sufficiently proved that the wicked resisted the holy Ghost before Christ came as also they that killed the Prophets and also it s proved that Christ did send the Comforter to his Disciples after his Ascension which Spirit should reprove the World and though the Disciples were led into all truth by the Spirit by which they was to preach the Gospel to all Nations that the name of Christ might be spread over all this doth not disprove the spirit of reproving the World which thou in thy ignorance brings to prove that the World hath not the spirit to reprove them and in the 17. of John Christ saith that they all may be one as thou Father art in me and I in them that the World may believe that thou hast sent me Now how can the Worldbelieve if they have not the Light and the Spirit in them to believe in seeing Believers hath the witness in themselves and as for Christs Miracles and signes which some believed and some gain-said for some said he did Miracles by the Prince of Devils such stop their eares and closed their eyes least they should be converted as Acts 27. And thou sayest the holy Ghost was poured upon none but who repented and believed this is thy saying who art ignorant of the Scriptures which saith God would pour out his Spirit upon all Flesh Acts 2. Joel 2 Joh. 16. and such as repented and believed received the holy Ghost and others resisted it and quenched it so that here is a difference betwixt the Believers and Unbelievers for the one receives it the other rejects it though it be powred out upon all as Christ saith The Word was sowne in the Field which is the World it was sowne upon all Grounds upon the Thorney the Bryrie the High-way and the stony Ground but who brought forth fruit but the good Ground Mat. 13. and this sufficiently proves that the spirit is powred upon all flesh and Heb. 6. which speaks of such as were once enlightened and had tasted of the Heavenly gift and was made partakers of the Holy Ghost and tasted of the good Word of God and if they shall fall away it were impossible to renew them again to repentance seeing they crucify the Lord of Glory the Son of God afresh and put him to open shame and now Priest Wiggan sayes these wicked men had not the spirit nor was not enlightened yet they crucifyed Christ afresh and put him to open shame and thus with his wisdome he abuses the Scriptures though he hath long made a Trade of them And whereas thou makes a preamble upon our words wherein we replyed to thy assertion to wit that no wicked man had the spirit of God but only the Saints and thou did affirm that Balaam had not the spirit of God and we proved that Balaam had the spirit of God and heard the word and voice of God as Numh. 24. and now thou hast overthrown thy own assertion and confesses that Balaam and Saul had the spirit of God which thou confesses was wicked men and thus thou hast split thy self upon the Rock and overthrown thy Foundation for before thou affirmed none had the spirit of God but believers and Balaam prophecyed of great things to the Jewes and God spoke to him and we know there is a difference betwixt those that grieves the spirit and those that walks in it and before thou was ignorant of these Scriptures as Balaam and Saul having the spirit of God and now thou confesses that wicked men may have it upon some occasions but sayes all wicked men hath it not read over again Joh. 16. Acts the 2d That the Holy Ghost should reprove the World and God would powre out his spirit upon all flesh which before thou would limit only to Believers with thy dark imaginations and how darest thou preach the Scriptures which are the things of God to wicked people who sayes they have not the spirit of God and here again thou overthrowes thy assertion and thou sayes it is the spirit of God in the Ministers of Christ that must convince the World and when as we bid thee who lookes upon thyself to be a Minister of Christ convince us of any evill we have done thou shufled it off and said God must convince us and so confuted thy Assertion and whereas thou wrests and perverts the Scriptures and sayes Balaam did not see the Starr
of Jacob which it is said at a full stop by Balaam there shall come a Starr out of Jacob and a Scepter shall rise out of Israel Now how could he prophesie of it if he did not see it and this overthrowes thee and thy Assertion who never saw so far as Balaam did And whereas thou sayest they shall see him when every eye sees him by this thou confounds thy own assertion for none can see God or Christ without the Light of the Spirit and thou confesses every eye shall see him and we may help thee a little further for every tongue shall confess and every Knee shall bow at the name of Jesus if thou knew what his Name is then thou mightest know that the Light of the body is the Eye which sees God And whereas thou brings Job who said when I see for my self and with my eyes and this thou brings to prove that Israel and Balaam should not see till the latter day and thou maist read Job and confute thy self Job 42. who saith I have heard of thee by the hearing of the eare but now my eye seeth thee here Job was a true Prophet for before he said he should see him now he sayes he did see him and thus thy ignorance knowes not Scriptures appeareth and we know what the Believers saw and are satisfyed and we believe thou hast not come so far as Balaams Asse nor heard the voice of God as he did though thou would sit as a Judge of the World and in the Saints conditions And whereas thou sayest that the Spirit of God dwelt no more in Balaam then the Angel of the Lord dwelt in the Asse and one of thy people said which thou say'st is no Baptist that Balaam had no more spirit then his Horse he was one of thy followers and took thy part and thou didst not gain-say him then and now thou say'st in effect the same that he did And that the spirit of God dwelt no more in Balaam then the Angel did in the Asse then let all people read Numb 22. Numb 23. Numb 24. did Balaam's Asse praise the Tents of Jacob and bless Israel and prophesie to many people and will God bring Balaam's Asse to Judgment as he doth Balaam for Balaam erred from the Spirit but thou cannot say his Asse did so and loved the wages of unrighteousness and hast not thou been there to run greedily after the error of Balaam for gifts and rewards does not thou remember a difference bewixt 40 l. and 100 l. for preaching about Manchester and who should have had this John and God testified against the error of Balaam but not against the Asse as in Jude and here it s proved Balaam had more spirit then his Horse as you called him which overthrowes the assertion of thee and thy fellowes And whereas thou makes a great transgression because we said he was a Baptist if thou be a Baptist he maintained thy Principle and was one with thee and why dost thou deny him now And whereas thou sayest there is a Light or Law in every man which convinceth and reproves of sin and this made Judas bring the money back again and this thou sayest doth not reprove of unbeliefs Judas was made a partaker of the Ministry and had he no more then a natural man is this according to thy knowledge of the Scripture did this which convinced Judas not reprove him of his unbelief did it not make him confess he had sinned in betraying the Innocent blood did he not see his unbelief and wickedness here Mat. 27. and to prove thy assertion thou brings Rom. 2. 14 15. which sayes the Gentiles that have not the Law do the things contained in the Law shews the work of the Law written in their hearts their consciences bearing witness c. and if thou read the 16. vers thou may see that this witness speaks in the day that God shall judge the Secrets of Men by Jesus Christ hereby it plainly appears that in the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ this spirit which lead the Gentiles to do those things contained in the Law will justifie them and this uncircumcision the Apostle saith shall be counted Circumcision as vers 26. and doth not this Light which judges the secrets of all hearts by Jesus convince of unbelief so here thou hast belyed the Apostle and whereas thou sayest this was before that promise in the 16. of John we know that and whereas thou sayest that this spirit of truth was to convince the World of Sin as in the 16. of John and unbelief here thou hast overthrown that which thou asserted in the publick meeting for therein thou asserted that none had the spirit but Believers and this Scripture was to convince thee for that which convinced the Gentiles was within by which they knew God and was not that by the Spirit else how came they to be baptized in the spirit and circumcision in the spirit and thus one while thou confesses and another while denies and so is in confusion and goes about to bring one Scripture to overthrow another to thy own destruction for when the Holy Ghost was come when the Apostle preached to the Romans and the Gentiles which he spoke of and preached to was become the true Circumcision in the spirit and the Holy Ghost was come then which was promised And in all thy Answers it doth not disprove the Scripture which saith the World hath the Holy Ghost to reprove them but Christs words which is our assertion stands and thou and thy assertion by thy former arguments is shaken and so it is proved that the wicked and unregenerate hath the Holy Ghost which thou confesses is the spirit of Christ though they grieve it and all the Scriptures thou brought proves nothing to the contrary but overthrowes thy assertion and John 14. 17. is answered before for the World and thou art unlike to receive the spirit of truth when you reject and oppose the Light and will not receive it which you should believe in for if you receiv'd it it would not reprove you but you would have fellowship in it why dost thou judge the World hath it not when thou confesseth thou hath it and is in the same nature of the world in envy malice and revenge and Rom. 8. 9. proves nothing to thy assertion but saith the Saints was not in the flesh and they that quench and grieve the spirit of God and will not have the spirit of God but it reproves them for their sin c. how can they be said to be Christs when they will not have the spirit of Christ to lead them and Jude 19. is clear against thy assertion which speaks of such as had the spirit and erred from it and so became like Sodons and Cain and Core and Balaam these thou brings to prove that wicked men has not the spirit of God over and over Balaam had the spirit
Cor. 12. and this thou brought before and is this created light the Law of works do this and live and is this created light the spirit of man that leads him to horror and amazement Nay it is a divine Light that lets a man see himself and all those Scriptures doth not speak of a created light or a Candle light which is the spirit of a Natural man leading him to know something of his Creator and of his duty to him when the Scripture saith the Natural man knowes not the things of Gods how ignorant and carnal art thou was the Law of works the created Light springing up with the Natural man for that was the Law of God which is spiritual which saith do this and live as in the Romans And how was the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world if Adam had no more but a natural light springing up with man and is the Image of God Righteousness and Holiness which he was made in a Created light and the Candle and Spirit of the Natural man as thou saist formerly in this thou manifests both thy ignorance and contradictions For that of God in all men by which they knew their Creator and the things of him it is by his spirit by which thou hast said they may know their Creator by a Created Light and by a Candle which is the Spirit of a Natural man And thus thou hast overthrown thy own Assertion and opposes the Covenant of Light Christ Jesus and art contrary to the Scriptures Cor. 2. 11. and what is this to the purpose as all being concluded under sin we know that and we know that the Law is spiritual and what it can do but we own Christ the end of the Law for it served till Christ the seed came who gives Life And whereas thou saist the Light which thou called natural and making no distinction in this place betwixt that which is natural and that which is spiritual but saith the Light flowes from the principles of Nature rightly called natural and not spiritual and this thou would set up in opposition against Christ the Light for the Apostle spoke to the Romans how they were from the Light and from the Law and while men be in that which flowes from the Natural Man they know not neither the Law that is Spiritual nor the Light of Christ and Men obeying the Light of Christ or the Law of God it is not by that which flowes from nature but from that which gives them a spiritual understanding for the natural man doth not know the things of God and all those Scriptures in the Romans Galatians and Corinthians is nothing to the matter of thy purpose concerning the Light of Christ that doth enlighten every man And whereas thou sayest This Light knowes nothing of the pretious Gospel ministry hid in God nothing of Redemption by Christ nothing of Gods good pleasure and purpose of Grace nothing of the Law of faith the tenour whereof is this c. This all may see how thou hast contradicted thy self by thy former words for thou sayes that this Light is able to seek or feel after God his Creator and is in a capacity of knowing much of Him as a Creator at least his Eternal power and Godhead and can this Light let them know the Eternal Power and Godhead and nothing of Christ who is the power of God and nothing of the Gospel which is the power of God and can a man know something of the Creator and nothing of his Favour for is not his grace his favour and they that lived in the Law was justified and they that were obedient saw Christ the end of the Law and came to him who is the end of the Law and beyond the Natural man's spirit which thou talks of so fast to no purpose but manifests thy confusion For to know God is Eternal Life Joh. 17. 3. and that is beyond thy Natural Man's Light and we do know that they that believe in Christ Jesus the Light which thou opposest shall have Eternal Life and we know that the Law of Faith is not natural nor the Light of Christ that doth enlighten every man nor the Law of God nor the promise of God with all the rights held in the Faith and the seed Christ shall bruse the Serpents head and he is come a Light and Salvation to the ends of the Earth that enlightens every man and we know the Law of Faith is Spiritual and whereas thou say'st the Law of Works springs up with Man's Nature and the Law is Spiritual and then this Natural springs up with the Spiritural Why how now John where finds thou this in the Scripture the Law is receiv'd from God and not springing up with man what non-sence and confusion is this what a Mechanick man art thou And thou saist the Law of Faith was added because of Transgression and out of mere grace was founded on Christ in the gracious promise Gen. 3. c. Answ We say neither the Law of Faith nor the Law of God sprung out of mans nature And the Law which was added because of transgression was not called the Law of Faith so thou errs and art as wide in this as thou art about the Light of Christ I believe thy brother Price would not say that the Law which was added because of Transgression was the Law of Faith and so thou art the vain man that would be wise as thou say'st which is born like a wild Asses Colt Job 11. and Gods thoughts are not as thine but are as far different as the Heaven is from the Earth And whereas thou say'st Man is not able by all his Candle-light to know Christ and yet thou said before he could know the Eternal power and Godhead by this Candle light and now thou sayes the Natural man cannot deserâ—e the things of God because they are spiritually discerned and before thou said he might know much of his Creator and of the Eternal power How now John dost thou not think the least babe seeth thee here thou needs not an Aoster to discern thee And whereas thou say'st that this Light is not able to discover or convince man of unbelief in Christ and yet thou sayes this light will shew the Eternal Power and Godhead which fulness of the Godhead dwels in Christ and we know that the spirit of truth doth convince the World which thou opposeth the Comforter and he is come and why dost thou tell us of a natural Light or Created Light or Mans Spirit which it manifests thou knowes no more but Heathen like or Athist like for it is the Light of Christ Jesus the new Covenant which farre exceeds thy natural Lights and created Lights and Man's Spirit and thy meanings and Acts 13. 47. I have set thee to be a Light to the Gentiles that thou should be my salvation to the ends of the Earth And this overthrowes thy Principles for he the Light is the salvation to
Light that doth enlighten every man that comes into the World is an Anti-christ and Deceiver but here Priest Wiggan hath called John an Antichrist and Deceiver who came for a witness to bear witness of the true Light that lightens every man that comes into the world and I am the Light said Christ believe in the Light I am come a light into the world Joh. 8. 12. and they that did believe in the light had fellowship in it and the light that shone in their hearts gave them the knowledge of the Glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ 2 Cor. 4. 1 Ioh. 1. and so thou hast proved thy self to be an Antichrist and doth deny Christ come in the flesh who enlightens every man that comes into the world and thou calls the true light of Christ which the Saints and we walk in the Natural mans spirit and a Created light and a Natural light As to thy Objection which is against John who saith this is the true light that enlightens every man that comes into the World Would John have bid them believe in it except it had been Christ Joh. 1. 7 8 9. and this is an invincible proof against thy assertion and all the people thou dost deceive and John was a true Witness but thou art a false and John bore a true witness to the Light but thou bears false witness against the light and so thou turns people from light to darkness and the true Apostle turned them from darkness to the light Acts 2. 6. And whereas thou say'st We write in several Books as may be seen this light Christ is God the Lord God and the Lamb the Object of Faith and this true Light which is Christ enlightens not some but every man coming into the World and therefore it must needs be saving and that this light can be meant for no other then of Christ they further alleage John 3. 12. 12. 35 36. where it is plainly exprest that Christ is the Light Answ In this thou hast manifested thy ignorance of the Scriptures and of the Saints Testimony and thou scoffs because we say Christ hath not enlightened some but all and so thou art he that makes Sects amongst the people in saying he doth not enlighten them all thou may as well say his love was not to all in giving his Son for all and we say Christ the light is the object of Faith the true light that enlightens every man that comes into the world by whom the world was made and this is our Testimony to all men for the Lord and Christ is the light and the Lamb and God is light And this is our Message which we have heard of him that God is light and in him is no darkness at all and Christ and God will dwell in man whom we witness Glory to him for ever through which we see over thee who hath long deceived some of us Whereas thou say'st We have perverted many Scriptures That is false for we speak them as they are but it is manifest thou hast per verted many and quoted many false and many people that doth not know thy subtle devices but takes all things for granted without any trial such thou may deceive for thy Book manifests it self sufficiently if it had not been answered but only for the sake of the simple which thou keeps under thee in thy error and delusion that they might see thee and come from under thy snare for we are satisfied as to our selves for thy work is only to keep people in darkness from the light and we are come from under thy Captivity and see thy subtlety and snares and know what thou can say and long enough since saw thy confusion And thou say'st when it is said that was the true light which enlighteneth every man that comes into the World It must be considered first who this true Light is secondly how he doth enlighten every man that comes into the World for first the Scriptures do witness that this true Light is the word God by whom the World was made thus it is said Joh. 11. In the beginning was the Word and the Word was God all things was made by him that is by the Word God John was sent to bear witness of the Light that is of the word God that was the true Light that is the word God even he by whom the World was made he was in the World and the World knew him not which was the Creator and former of all things Ans In this you may see how he hath perverted the Scriptures and overthrown his Assertion and his former Writings in his Books for he saith that the light which lighteneth every man that comes into the World which John bore Testimony of is the word God by which all things was made and created which men was to believe in this was not a saving light saith he though it be Divine and doth he not call it a Created light a Natural light and the spirit of a Natural Man and now it is God and not saving for the Scripture saith the Word was with God Joh. 1. and this speaks of Christ and Christs Name is called the Word of God Rev. 19 13. and the Word was with God that thou hast left out and this Word became Flesh So he goes about to prove that Christ was not the Word with the Father before the World began which is contrary to the Scripture which saith I was with him in the beginning as Solomon saith and Christ saith Glorifie thou me with the same Glory which I had with thee before the World was Joh. 17. And again thou say'st The Word God thus considered is the true light the fountain and original of all lights according to the Scripture 1 Joh. 1. 5. God is light and in him is no darkness at all this is he in whom was life and the life was the light of men in whom we live move and have our being we are his off-spring and he is the fountain both of light and life to all beings according to their capacities as their Creator and thus we may see what this true light is the word God Answ And yet thou saist before this was not saving this true Light this word God how dark art thou is not Christ called God and his Name the Word of God Emanual God with us and 2 Pet. 3. 7. the Heavens and the Earth which are now by the same Word are kept in store c. And Heb. 11. 3. Through faith we understand that the Worlds were framed by the Word of God c. And Christ is the Light and Life of Men and not saving and is not he saving and is not he spiritual and saving whom all has a being in and moving in didst thou not call him before a natural Light and a created Light and a natural Mans spirit and would prove it out of Cor. 2. and now it is God and Creator and not Christ
contrary to the Scripture which saith he is the light of the World and in the begining was the Word and the Word was with God and his name is called the Word of God and so people may see how thou would divide God and Christ with thy dark wisedome And thou saist 2ly How doth he enlighten every man that comes into the world and saist in another place the word God or God the word as Creator of all things doth enlighten every man that cometh into the World by setting up in every man a spirit and Law in his heart by which he lives which is called the Candle of the Lord Prov. 20. 27 of which Spirit and law I have spoken before Ans This light which thou callest the Law and Spirit of a Natural Man and a Created light this thou hast not proved before as thou saist but it s perverted before for by this thy proof John came to bear witness of a Natural light and of a Natural mans spirit which knows not the things of God and by that John bid people believe in this so this is thy dark wisdom and like unto thy Preaching and it is no wonder people forsakes thee and that thou shouldst be unestablished thou needst not be offended for babes seeing thee for thou caust not be hid for John came to bear witness of the true light Christ and not of a natural Created light as thou imagines but of him the Prophets testified of he that was preferred before John Joh. 1. 3. the light of the Gentiles and the Glory of his people Israel and thou may see in the 15. vers which proves and 16 17. that was the Christ John bore witness of him and cryed saying this was he of whom I speak He that cometh after me is preferred before me and called Christ the Lamb of God that took away the sins of the World and this Light by which all things was made and Created He came unto his own and they received him not some hated the Light and stopt their ears and shut their eyes and would not see lest they should be converted as thou dost But to as many as received him he gave power to become the Sons of God them that believed in his Name and his name is the Word of God Rev. 19. And John saw and bore Record that this Light was the Son of God Joh. 1. 12 15 34. So this is an unfaithful and untrue account of the Light which thou hast given of the true Light Christ that doth enlighten every man John 1. 9. And whereas thou say'st It may be further observed that Christ is not once named in all or any of the first nine Verses of the first of John but only the Word Answ See how ignorant this man is of the Scriptures for it saith the Word was with God Mark that and doth thou deny this to be Christ whose Name is called the Word of God Rev. 19. Heb. 1. how God hath spoken in these last dayes unto us by his Son by whom the World was made And so here again he would make a difference betwixt Christ and God and because the word Christ is not there see how he shuffles and how ignorant he is for Christ is called the Light Life Truth and Word c. and Christ is called the Lamb of God Joh. 1. and John doth expresly say That he is the Light of the World Joh. 8. and doth enlighten every man that comes into the World which true Light John bore witness of that all through him might believe And thou has denyed Christ to be the Word who is the Light of the World and doth enlighten every man that comes into the World There is three that bears Record in Heaven the Father the Word and the Holy Ghost so thou hast denyed this Record in Heaven who saist the Word is not Christ who was with the Father spoken of in John the Word was with God and 1. John 552. VVe are in him that is true in his Son Jesus Christ this is the true God and Eternal Life And so thou goes about to make people believe Christ is not God and we know the VVord was made Flesh and dwells in Men which thou saist he Tabernacled amongst Men as though he did not now which we must tell thee he doth now by the light which shines in their hearts Cor. 2. 4. And whereas thou saist Christ the word being imbodied in Flesh he is thenceforth called Christ the Lord or the Lords Christ and no otherwise doth he bear that Name but as he is the word made Flesh to be seen and believed on it is not the word alone nor the flesh alone but the word and flesh in union that is called Christ and is a Light to lighten the Gentiles till then there was no such thing as a Christ or a Light to the Gentiles but only in a promise Ans Whereas thou saist there was no such thing as a Christ till he was imbodied in flesh nor light to the Gentiles but only in a promise Then what was that Light which let Nebuchadnezzar see the Stone cut out of the Mountain without hands and let Job see his Redeemer and doth not Stephen say that was Christ they thrust from them and turned back again in their hearts into Egipt Acts 7. And was not that Christ the Word which Moses spoke of to the Children of Israel that they should hear and need not say who shall ascend or who shall descend and did not the Apostle say that was Christ in Rom. 10. And this the Righteousness of Faith that Moses spoke of to the Children Deut. 30. 12. the VVord was in their hearts and mouthes and doth not David call him the Anointed as in Psal 2. 2. and is not the Anointed Christ And Daniel calls him Messiah which is Christ Dan. 9. and saw him before he came and is not the Word Christ which is according to the Law and Testimony Isa 8. And how was he a Lamb slain from the Foundation of the World and is it not said in Gen. 3. 15. the seed of the Woman shall bruise the Serpents heads and is not the Seed Christ Gal. 3. 16. and Christ said Before Abraham was I am and thus saith the Lord to his Anointed to Cyrus whose right hand I have upholden to subdue Nations before him And what thinks thou by this what is Anointed is Christ no where spoken of before he was imbodied in Flesh and we believe he was made flesh and know it and are of his flesh according to the Scripture and we do know the Union of Christ and the Word that was made flesh but thou believes not in this Christ the Word which was made flesh who is the Light of the Gentiles and the Glory of Israel and he could not be Christ without God who is manifest in the Flesh which is a mistery to thee and we know that Christ thorow the Gospel has brought life and immortality to
principles are according to the old errors thou speaks of But thou saist thou hast done with our Principles thou needs not enlarge upon our Hay Wood and Stubble being assured the removing of our Foundation which thou saist thou hast done will bring down our whole building Ans We are Gods building 1 Cor. 3. And we have a building of God Ephes 2 and Christ is our Foundation which remains and stands sure 2 Tim. And we are built upon the Foundation of the Prophets and Apostles Christ himself being the head Corner stone the Lord hath laid our foundation and no other foundation can any man lay 1 Cor. 3. 11 12. Zach. 8. 12. Eph. 2. 2. Tim. 2. And as for hay wood and stuble it is thy own and will be burnt up who has denyed Christ the Light the foundation and called him a natural and created Light and Idol but thy foundation and building is down together it 's hard to know where it stood And where are all your Builders and Daubers and now after all thy slanders and raylings thou wouldst make people believe thou lovest our persons And when thou hast uttered all thy lyes and malice thou in hypocrisie and feigned humility would make people believe thou pittiest us But we know what thy pitty is But we are come to the true Jesus who takes pity of our souls though thou long deceived many of us I believe that few people would hardly have believed that there had been so much poison venom in thee thou hast denyed Christ the Light the way truth life calls him natural and created and so art in the error thou speaks of and thy bowels is the belly of Hell Jonah 2. And what hast thou to do to take the Lords name in thy mouth and hates to be reformed But thou art one of them that uses thy Tongue saying Thus saith the Lord when he never spoke to thee Jeremiah 23 Thou saist Thou hast born thy Testimony against us in that which appears in us against the mystery of Christ crucified Ans Christ Jesus which was crucified which thou slanderously saist we deny but him we own it is thou that denies him to be crucified in denying his Light for we preach Christ crucified 1 Cor 1. 23 2. Cor. 2. And him that the Jews crucified who were in the same envious Spirit with thee against the light Jo. 1. Mat. 20. 19. and Mark 15. 13. Luk. 23. 23. Rev. 11. 8. we are crucified with Christ Gall. 2. 20. And if thou hadst written fewer errors it had been better for thee but praised be the Lord God thy deeds are brought to light and this is a poor shift for thee to come off so after thou hast laid down thy assertions and cannot maintain them nor canst not make them good for our questions was learned questions and tended not to strife and yet stands on thy head unanswered and thou and all which thou hast declared hath been against God and Christ so that thou art one that bears false witness against him not for him And thou hast manifested the error of thy judgment for thy understanding is error Psal 19. Mat. 22. 22. 1 Tim. 6. 10. and that which thou hast done hath been against Christ the Foundation of the Prophets and Apostles and thy Commendation of us is reviling and slandering for it is manifest thou hast a double tongue unbridled Jam. 1. Tim. 3. 8. and with thy tongue thou thinks to prevail Psal 12. but a lying tongue Prov. 12. 19. is but for a moment and he that uses slanders is a fool Prov. 10. 18. but we cannot walk with slanderers Jer. 6. 20. And thou saist Our principle hath had its growth and advantage from these means from the pride covetousness formality idleness and cruelty corrupt oustomes Idolatry superstition of Parish Priests and the generality of their Hearers Ans And John Wiggan Trencher Chaplain shall be put in amongst them And thus when you were in your wickedness as thou speaks of before and mocked God with your Religion as the end of it hath manifested it self God hath overturned it and stained your glory and your pride which went before your destruction Prov. 16. 18. then the Lord had compassion upon us in your day when no eye pittied us and revealed his Son in us who is our Shepherd and leader and Salvation Ezekiel And thou with the rest Railed against us in your idleness and pride and carnality and who was mader against Truth then your separated Congregations in railing against the Light and Spiritual Teaching and who were taught of God and Christ and followed him and would not follow your pernitious wayes and when we prophesied to you of your down-fall both in your Towns and Cities and Army you abused us prisoned us and persecuted us though all the things is come to pass upon you which we then spoke and yet thou in thy envy and malice art railing against the Truth the Light Christ that it should spread but thou had rather the evils before mentioned should spread Idleness and Pride c. And our Testimony was born against your pride and hypocrisie in the truth and spirit and power of Jesus against all your false Worships and Churches and Teachers which God hath thrown down according to our Testimony and you were found treacherous to your own Principles in all things for we faithfully bearing our Testimony for the Lord God to you as he gave to us and for standing faithful to him we were prisoned and had our Goods spoyled by you and now you are murmurers against us because truth stands and your foundation is fallen to the ground and thou wickedly termes the true Christ who is Light to be Antichrist And whereas thou saist Antichrist doth never oppose Christ more then when he appears in a mystery when he comes in the name of Christ and pretends to be all for Christ reproving much that is evil and pleading for many commendable things thus our Saviour tells us many false Christs shall arise Mathew 24. 24. in Sheeps cloathing Mathew 7. 15. in so much that if it were possible they should deceive the very Elect. Ans This is directly thy own condition who appears in a mystery to oppose Christ the Light but we cannot say of many commendable things thou hast done or sins reproved and neither Mat. 24. nor Mat. 7. saith that Antichrist shall do many commendable things or reprove sins for that which reproves sin is the spirit which Antichrist is gone from Christ said Antichrist and false Prophets should come to the Disciples and John saw they were come 1 John 2. and they went forth from them into the World and as in the Revelations the whole World went after them and they inwardly ravened from the Spirit and so keeps people from the Spirit and Light within them as thou dost and these have the Scriptures the Sheeps Cloathing and if it were possible would deceive the very Elect but
spirit of God for thou crucifies that in thy dark deceitful heart while thou art making and setting up another spirit and light which thou calls natural and not the light of Christ And here thou art worse then Surplice-men or Homily-men for they will confess that the light in them which shews them sin is the light of Christ and yet thou seems to confess that the light in every man is the Law written in the heart and if so the new Covenant Answ All this heap of confusion which thou hast heaped together doth but manifest thy darkness and thou ministers out of it and art an enemy to the light of Christ and so thou must needs be a minister of darkness Though thou hast been a minister long I ask thee this question Didst thou ever preach the light of Christ to people or didst thou ever turn peoples minds to the light of Christ in their Consciences or didst thou ever turn any from the power of Satan to the power of God If thou hast set us out some of thy flock that they may be tryed but there are a great deal that will cestifie against thee that has been of thy flock that is turned from thy darkness to the light of Christ which thou art an enemy to and with it they see thy deceit and darkness wherein thou didst deceive them and can praise the Lord for ever that they are turned from thy darknesse But now for the proof of thy false Doctrine And 1. Is not the light which is in every man the light of Christ that convinceth a man or woman of sin and evil and is there another Saviour besides Christ that takes away the sin of the world And what was that Image of God in which Adam was Created wilt thou not have Christ to be God And thou sayes there remained a part in Adam after he had transgressed which made him hide himself but thou calls this the spirit of a natural man and a created light Is the light that is in man a created light and is the law which is written in mans heart and the spirit which is put in the inward parts created and was that Image of God which was in Adam a created Image How was the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world Revel 13. 8. Rev. 5. 12. But in plain words Did God create any light in the beginning but what he set in the Firmament of Heaven Is an invisible light created which sees God which is invisible It s pitty to put these things to thy gross darkness but that for the Seed's sake it may be serviceable to others And dost thou say The Law of God that he writes in the heart and his spirit which he puts in the inward parts is this a created light Oh the gross darknesse that is in thee How dare thou take upon thee to teach Is not God Light and is the Image of God in man a created light and is that created and natural and is not Christ light and his spirit light and is not the Law light and is not the Law spiritual and did not Moses say to the children of Israel Deut. 30. 11 12 13 14 15. For this commandement that I command thee this day is not hidden from thee neither is it far off c. but the Word is very nigh thee in thy mouth and heart to hear it and to do it See I have set before thee life and death Was this that would have led them into life natural and created and is not this Law righteous and spiritual and just and good as the Apostle witnessed of it Act. 7. 5. 3. Rom. 7. 12. who said They received the Law by the disposition of Angels c. And did not Christ Jesus say He came not to destroy the Law but to fulfil it and that one jot or title of the Law should not passe till it was all fulfilled and is not Christ the end of the Law for righteousnesse and is this the spirit of a natural man that knows not the things of God that Christ is the end of Art thou not in this a minister of darknesse and an Idolater And doth not the Apostle say Rom. 7. 4. That they were become dead to the Law by the body of Christ wherefore he saith the Law is holy and the commandment holy just and good ver 12. But this dark Doctrine of thine makes thee clearly manifest that thou art in the flesh and the motions of sin works in thy members which brings forth fruit unto death and never knew the life of the Law yet nor the life of the Commandment but art alive without the Law and so art alive unto sin and wickednesse and knows it not not having the Law to be thy Schoolmaster to correct thee for thy wickednesse which would revive and set thy sins before thee that thereby thou wicked might die But thou has not been at this School yet for all thy learning and divining it has been all in the darknesse thou has never come to the Law yet which is light which is the schoolmaster unto Christ This thou sits judge upon and sayes its spirit of a natural man and so living without the law is dead in thy sins and darknesse and so never knew what it is with thy mind to serve the law of God as the Apostle did he delighted in the law of God according to the inward man but this is too mean for thee this thou calls Created and Natural and so lies drowned in darknesse and sin and wickednesse thy mind and all thy members committing sin and drinks up iniquity as the Ox drinks up water How should thou do other being thou art an enemy both of Christ and his Law and his Light and his Spirit and what art thou not a minister of darknesse in all this and the Apostle who was obedient unto the law of God in his heart and the spirit of God in his inward parts by this he saw the body of death which made him to cry out c. But he also saw his Redeemer Christ Jesus for he was a minister of the light and turned people from the darknesse to the light in them and so could confesse then the Law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus had made him free from the law of sin and death So the Apostle doth not make such a separation bet wixt the Law and Christ as thou dost who saist it is natural and created but this is but the Judgment of thy dark spirit for the Apostle saith That God sent his only begotten Son in the likenesse of sinful flesh and for sin condemned sin in the flesh that the righteousnesse of the law might be fulfilled in us who walk not after the flesh but after the spirit Rom. 7. 8. God sent forth his Son made of a woman made under the law Gal. 4. 4. I desire the Reader to take notice of this mans darknesse and ignorance of this Light
these things is a mystery to thee and thou knows nothing of them but what thou knowes naturally as a bruit Beast for thou cannot believe the Apostles Testimony that he gives in the 13. of the Acts when he is speaking of Saul vers 22. and when he had removed him to wit Saul he raised up David to be their King to whom he gave Testimony c. Of this Mans Seed hath God according to his promise raised vers 25 unto Israel a Saviour Jesus when John had preached before his coming and as John fulfilled his course he said whom think ye that I am c. Men and Brethren of the stock of Abraham and whosoever among you that feareth God to you is the word of this Salvation sent vers 26. So let the Reader read this portion of Scripture and see whether Christ Jesus be not Gods Covenant of Light and Promise unto Abraham and unto David and also whether this be not that which John bore Testimony of and so now thou art sufficiently proved thus far not only a breaker of Gods Covenant and Promise unto Abraham and his Seed for ever in whom the Apostle saith all the promises of God are yea and in him Amen 1 Cor. 20. The next is wherein thou has denyed Christ to be that word which John beares witness to which was in the begining with God saying the neglect of this distinction of the word Creator and the word made flesh is the ground of the great mistake of many thou saist who not considering what is testified of the Word as Creator do confound that Light which is set up by him in every man with that Light which he gives as he is the word made flesh and so calls that Light saving which is but natural springing up with him in his Creation yea hence they call that Light Christ which is but the Law written in the heart Answ I desire the Reader to read over the 1st of John and seriously consider what distinctions he findes made there from the word that was in the begining and the word that 's made flesh and the light that lightens every Man that 's come into the World and whether all these be not Christ which John beares witnesse of and whether John and the Spirit of God there have separated them as the blacknesse and darknesse in J. W. hath done and let the Reader judge whether this Man be not possest with an Inchanting Spirit of Sorcery and Witch-craft and even as it were given up to work wickednesse to his own destruction being filled with envy and malice against the Truth which has overthrown his rotten and sandy foundation and causes him so to rage that he even blasphemes against the God of Heaven that he even dares to separate the God-head and would not have Christ Jesus to be the true Light and Word of God which was in the begining in whom the fulnesse of the God-head dwells and that bodily Gal. 3. 9. And so as thou hast denyed Christ to be the Covenant of God thou has also denyed him to be the Word of God and also has denyed him to be the Light that lighteth every man that comes into the world and so has denyed his God-head as he is a Saviour by which all the Fathers were saved and dyed in the faith of him and the Patriarchs and the Prophets that had his word in their hearts and thou has denyed him to be the Light of Israel and thou has denyed him to be the first fruits of them that sleep and the first begotten from the dead and the first born of every Creature thou has denyed his very life and substance and the laying of his life down thou has denyed for thou said he denyed faith to some and one of thy Brethren said that his blood was not shed for all and thus you spake despight against the spirit of Grace and counts the blood of the Covenant an unholy thing and so Christ is of little value to you and you are not worthy of him but for the Seeds sake and that people may not be blinded with thy wickedness and blindness and darkness and that people may come to an understanding of the Truth I desire the Reader seriously to consider these following Proofes that is to say first of John That Word which was in the beginning with God by which all things was made and Created which was before man was made or Created and was glorified with the Father before the World began whether this be not the word Christ the Saviour of mankind according to the Apostles words in the 1. of Heb. 2. ver and so on hath in these last dayes spoken unto us by his Son whom he hath appointed heir of all things by whom also he made the World c. And whether this Son of God by which all things was made and Created is not the Saviour and the Word in the beginning and the Redeemer of all Mankind and whether the Word which Moses spoke of to the Children of Israel Deut. 30. 14. when he said The Word is very nigh thee in thy heart mouth that thou may do it and said then he had set Life and Death before them which the Apostle in the 10. of Hebrews bears testimony to who saith Christ is the end of the Law for Righteousness to every one that believes And when he rehearses Moses Words he saith Who shall ascend into Heaven that is to bring Christ down from above or who shall descend into the Deep that is to bring Christ up again from the Dead But what saith it the Word is nigh thee in thy mouth and in thy heart this is the word of Faith which we preach that if thou shall confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in thy heart that God has raised him from the dead thou shall be saved Doth not the Apostle say that this Lord Jesus is the Word this is the Doctrine the Apostle preached the same Word in the heart as Moses did But I. W. denies this Doctrine and this Word and this Jesus that is very nigh in the heart that preaches Righteousness he preacheth him afar off it vexeth him to hear of him nigh in his heart for his heart is filled with hypocrisie and darkness and Gods Word and Witness lyes slain in him and so all his Preaching is of Christ without him crucified at Jerusalem but he knows him not nor where he is and so all his separation is but in the darkness talking of a Christ without him and denying Gods Covenant of Light within Isa 49. 8. and denying Christ the Word in the heart which was that which the Apostle preached and likewise the Apostle Peter Acts. 10. 36. The Word which God sent unto the Children of Israel preaching peace by Jesus Christ the Word I say you know which was published throughout all Judea after the preaching of the Baptisme of John and hew God anointed Jesus Christ c. vers 43.
the Saints from them both thou hast committed Sacriledge indeed who has denyed the great work of Salvation and Redemption of Mankind which the Apostle admired at that God should send his only begotten Son into the World that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have Everlasting Life But this Christ thou has gain-said and resisted and denyed and so is never like to have benefit by him but he will be thy condemnation for ever And here thou hast fulfilled old Simeons prophesie in the 2d of Luke Vnto whom it was revealed by the Holy Ghost that he should not see death before be had seen the Lords Christ who took him in his Armes and blessed God and said Lord now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace according to thy word for mine eyes have seen thy Salvation which thou hast prepared before the face of all people a Light to lighten the Gentiles and the Glory of thy people Israel and behold this Child is set for the fall and rising of many in Israel for a signe which shall be spoken against And here thou art the man that has set thy self against him and is fallen and so has denyed Christs coming in the flesh and also has denyed God being in Christ reconciling the World unto himself which the Apostle said 1 Tim. 3. 16. Was a great mystery God manifested in the flesh justified in the spirit And so thou that denies the Light of Christ and his Spirit which opens and reveales the mystery thou art not like but to be ignorant who has denyed Christ in his God-head Ioh. 5. 7. for the Apostlesaith There are three that bear Record in Heaven the Father the Word and the Holy Ghost and these three are one and this Record thou has denyed for first thou has denyed Christ to be the Word and secondly thou has denyed Christ to be one with the Father and so thou has denyed Christ to be God except thou will have two Gods for thou has created already two Lights and two Words thou will neither have Christ to be the Light of the World nor thou will not have him to be the Word which was in the beginning with the Father nor thou will not have him to be Gods Covenant of Light with Abraham and his Seed and also the promise of God unto Adam where the Lord said The Seed of the Woman shall bruise the Serpents head And now let the Reader judge whether thou be not a perfect Antichrist who hath denyed Christ come in the flesh both in his Light wherewith he lightens all people that comes into the World Secondly he denies him to be the Word which was in the beginning by which all things was made and created which is the Word the Apostle directed people to in their hearts Rom. 10. 45. Thirdly He denies him to be come in the Covenant of God which is light by which he reconciles all things to himself both of things in Heaven and of things in Earth Ephes 1. 10. And fourthly thou has denyed him to be one with his Father and so I believe here the Reader will confess that J. W. is perfectly proved an Antichrist for the Apostle saith Joh. 4. 3. Every Spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God and this is the spirit of Anti-christ whereof you have heard should come and now is in the World And again in the 2 Ep. of John and the 1. Many Deceivers are entred into the World who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh this is a deceiver and an Antichrist And so as for I. VV. he doth not only not confess Christ but hath denyed Christ to be come in the flesh as hath been manifestly proved and so is he of whom the Apostle saith VVhosoever transgresseth and abideth not in the Doctrine of Christ hath not God but he that abideth in the Doctrine of Christ hath both the Father and the Son Here the Apostle joynes them together and puts them not asunder as I. VV. doth And therefore we are not to receive him into our Houses neither bid him God speed but deny him as he hath denyed Christ and has proved himself an Antichrist compleat And whereas thou speakes in thy Book That multitudes are ensnared for want of dividing or making distinctions between God and Christ and brings the 2 of Peter 2. 2. many shall follow their pernitious wayes Answ Let the Reader read the portion of Scripture in his own judgment and truth of his heart let him judge whether this Scripture be not a true Character of thee and thy Generation of Priests or whether he can judge the Quakers to be such a People as this Scripture holds forth and by this he may judge the falsity of thy judgment and thy envy and malice which breaks forth in lying The next words following are Many shall follow their pernitious wayes by reason of whom the way of truth is evil spoken of and through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandize of you who is this the Quakers or it is I. W. and his company of Priests thou breakes off betime if thou had written any further in Peter it would have come upon thy own head But there is a verse before which saith That there would be false Prophets that would bring in damnable Heresies even denying the Lord that bought them and bring upon themselves swift destruction Here thou art perfectly set forth for I believe never any denyed him more wickedly then thou hast done as is manifestly proved and so art that false Prophet there spoken on But again verse 15. They were such as followed the way of Balaam for the wages of unrighteousness Art not thou one of these Again there were such as walked after the flesh in the lust of uncleanness must not thou needs be he who denyes the Light that manifests sin and uncleanness thorough the obedience of which they may be preserved out of it but they were to receive the reward of unrighteousness and so wilt thou who art reserved unto the day of judgment to be punished And now thou being thus manifested and proved to be what is before mentioned that the words in my Letters will fall of necesity upon thee though thou have endeavoured to cover thy self by thy setting my words in thy own frame and thereby to make them seem as if they were railing Speeches and spoken without ground And 1. Where as thou saith that I writ in my Letter to manifest thy gain-saying Spirit Core like Let the Readers judge whether this be not manifestly proved upon thy head before in gain-saying the Truth Christ who is the Light that lightens every man c. 2ly Thou saist I said Thou art without God in the World my words are thus The Light in every one as it is obeyed makes the separation from the World which Light thou denyes and so art without God in the VVorld who is Light and in
VVorld Christ she set up an Idol and if she worshiped that Light as Christ she was an Idolater She answered thus I never heard such words but from an Infidel and an Idolater and a Blasphemer against God and Christ Thou art an Enemy of God thou art worse then the Jewes thou art a fit man to joyne with the Turk to set up Mahomet oh thou Infidel oh thou child of darkness My Answer to his was thus I did never hear such words but from an Infidel and a Blasphemer against God and Christ and I do not know that ever I heard any that ever owned the Scriptures to be true that ever denyed so much of the truth there written as thou hast done never take Christ Iesus into thy mouth who hath said Himself he is the Light Thou enemy of God thou art worse then the Jews that denies he is come thou art a fit man to joyne with the Turk to set up Mahomet dost thou think that Christ hath many such enemies as thou in England Oh thou Infidel who wilt thou have for thy Redeemer wilt thou not have him that is come a Light who hath said while you have the Light believe in the Light that you may become the Children of the Light Oh thou child of darkness what dost thou believe in where will thou appear when the Righteousness of God is revealed in flames of fire upon the head of the wicked then thou will know Revelation which thou dost not yet And again thou saith speaking of Christ She saith I am a witness for him against all such Antichrists and deceivers and blasphemes as thou art thou art a Minister of the night and of the darkness in the Apostacy thou art a night Bird the curse and the judgments that 's written therein speaking of the Scriptures Christ Jesus and the Apostles hath pronounced it upon thee thou art the man My Answer was and is thus where thou saith in thy Letter to me If ever I was of good savour I have lost it by the abuse of the 〈◊〉 Jesus and miserable wresting of the Scriptures My Ans was I am a Witness for him he hath raised me up from the death to the Eternal Life which is the Record and Image that I bear of him and for him against all such Antichrists and deceivers and blasphemers as thou art which John saw was entring into the World in his day and time which spirit of Antichrist hath lived in you and amongst you untill this day and hath descended upon you from Generation to Generation in this dark night of Apostary and thou that art a Minister of the night and of the darkness in the Apostacy thou art now tormented that the Light is come and the day hath sprung from on high upon thousands Glory be to the Lord for evermore so that many can say that the darkness is past and the true Light now shineth and this torments thee who is a night Bird. And whereas thou saist in thy Letter to me I wrest the Scriptures My Answer was and is my Paper where it stands will testifie against thee to be a lyer where the plain Scripture is set down without any wresting and the curse and judgment that is therein written Christ Jesus and the Apostle hath pronounced it upon thee and thou art the man which is guilty of the same which they are pronounced against and thou cannot hide thy self from them thou wilt be sure to find them true upon thee one day when thou cannot cover thy self as thou hast endeavoured to cover thy nonsence with my name And again thou saist because I asked this question thou asked me what Parish Priest in England had got more money with his Tongue then George Fox had done since he was Journey-man Shoomaker in Manchester and where thou saist my Answer was Thou art a wicked proud disdainful spirit a heathenish spirit which torments thee and many more such night Owles as thou art Let the Reader judge whether thou be not a wicked lyer in these words thou hast set down and whether my Answer in my Letter was as thou hast set them down for in thy Letter to me thy words stands thus I think thou would not take it wel that thy friend G. F. should be call'd a Priest and yet what Parish Priest in England has gotten more money with his Tongue then he Where thou said I would not take it well if my friend G. F. should be call'd a Priest My Answer was thus he was never of such a deceitful trade as to cheat people of their money or to make people believe that he would bring them to God and yet keep them in darkness and sin and preach down the Light of Jesus which they should believe in Joh. 12. as thou and such deceivers hath done for he was of an honest true Calling according to thy Report and he was called from it of the Lord into his work and service as the Apostle was and to lay open and manifest such deceivers as thou art c. And here I charge thee to be an open and manifest lyer to all that reads these foregoing words who hath set down in the first page of thy Appendix That M. F. affirmeth that G. F. was called from the Shoomakers trade Now let the Reader see whether ever I mention that G. F. was a Shoomaker for if I had I had spoken that I did not know and has thou that boldness and impudence as to say I affirm when I do but Answer to thy Words and according to thy Report he was of an honest Trade and that he was called of the Lord unto his work and service I am a witness and many thousands more Glory be to the Lord for evermore which is the cause of thine and many such night Birds of your torment and makes you fret your selves and curse your King and your God and looks into the Earth but beholds nothing but trouble and anguish Isa 8. 21 22. and this is your portion that is come upon you And whereas thou saist I said thou was an impudent a wicked ungodly lyer thou lyer a proud disdainful spirit a heathenish spirit which torments thee and many more such night Owles as thou art My Answer is this Thou said G. F. is not as he was when he first came to Lancaster My Answer was thou lyer make it to appear wherein did thou see him then what he is not now is this the Answering of the Letters that was sent to thee to turn into lying and slandering and villifying this is like thy frothy spirit indeed that instead of Answering my Papers thou tells of G. F. that he is not as he was before as above and why art thou so envious and malitious against G. F. whereas thou saist I call'd thee a Heathenish Spirit thou said in thy Letter thou hadst read of a Monk and tells a story about him my Answer was further such things is the fittest for thy
lead them this way Ans Those three or four sheets was most of them particular Letters sent to thee by many persons so as I said before thou shouldst have published the whole Letters not part of them and let them have spoken themselves to the Reader and thy errors are sufficiently manifest in thy Book and thou would have a sheet of Paper written to thy Book five sheets in a few dayes time which concerns several friends 60. miles distance one from another this was Wiggan's policy and his peoples to get the Book again and to boast that it could not be answered And thy next words concerning Antichrists fair speeches and allurements while there is hope to make merchandize of them is directly thy own condition for now thou being stirred up and opposed rages who did appear to ignorant people like a Lamb but thou was known to us before for now thou art loud and clamorous and falsly accusing when thou canst not get thy will about like to the Whore in Proverbs 7. and Josephs Mistress Genesis 39. and 2 Pet. 3. And whereas thou speaks of owning Preachers not sent but denyes the Lord that bought them and preaches not the same Jesus and Gospel as Paul did such thou saist thou ownes not but denies Ans Then thou denies thy self and thy own Assertion for the Apostle preached that Jesus which said he was the Light of the World Joh. 1. and Joh. 8. so thou art the man that Christ never sent Rom. 10. 15. and Jer. 23. 32. and thou art proved the Antichrist that denies the Lord that bought thee 2 Pet. 2. and Jude 4. and so art one of them that crept in unawares who preaches another Jesus another Gospel then Christ the Light And whereas thou saist we boast of gifts c. and that it s reported to thee that G. Fox had the gift of Tongues and by such like pretences we gain a multitude and it is a certain Character of Antichrists last coming that many shall follow their pernitious wayes Ans Our boast is not in gifts nor tongues as knowing they begin at Babel but our rejoycing is in the word Christ Jesus and in his Light Truth and Spirit and we would have all men and women come to the same in themselves which thou denies by which they might know the Lord by which a multitude is come to follow the Lord and to walk in his way the Light which thou enviously calls a pernitious way and a mark of Antichrists coming and thou Antichrist like would draw people from the Light and spirit of God within them to thy own way but God hath overthrown and is overthrowing thy pernitious wayes and many who have been followers of thee now comes to follow the Lord and that makes thee thus to rage Mathew 24. 5. 1 Pet. 2. 2. and our way is Christ and he is our guift of God And after this thou sends 12. Queries abroad and thou thy self couldst not answer my Queries nor Wood's is this the part of a man of Wisdom or Reason Nevertheless I shall not let thy Queries pass unanswered though these Queries are not to us chiefly Thy Queries are as followeth 1 Query Whether it can be found in all the Scriptures that any of the true Prophets or Christ or his Apostles ever used such language as is before mentioned in any person professing Repentance towards God and Faith towards our Lord Jesus Christ or whether it be not clearly the spirit of an Antichristian spirit as hath been hinted Ans Thou that has denyed Christ Jesus to be the Light of the World and calls him an Idol and hath denyed Christ the Light to be saving contrary to the Scriptures Luke 2. 38. thou hast denyed Repentance and Faith in Christ for thou hast denyed that which thou should believe in and therefore thy words bears the mark of Antichrist 1 Joh. 2. 18 22. Joh. 4. 3. Joh. 2. 7. And what we speak of thee is true upon thee and the Apostle used such language to such like as Acts 13. 10. where the Apostle called Elimas an enemy of all Righteousness a child of the Devil which perverted the Deputy from the right way of God as thou dost people And read Timothy and Titus and there see what words the Apostle gives to evil beasts and slow bellies Titus 2. 1. 2. Query Whether there can be any other gain in the aforesaid censures then to cast an odioum upon and to cause a disesteem of the persons opposing them and whether this was not the practice of the false Prophets and false Apostles thereby to gain more credit to their own cause Ans This is thy own condition for what gain is it by all thy former slanderous words which thou cast both upon Christ and us that Christ should not be believed in and that we should be of disesteem among people that holds truth forth to all people that they might believe in him who enlightens them and this was the work of the false Prophets and false Apostles to disesteem of Christ and the Apostles that people should not believe in him nor receive their Doctrine as Mat. 28. 12 13. and 2 Cor. 10. and did they not say Christ deceived the people read Mathew and did they not say Jeremy deceived the people but the false Prophets and false Apostles could get the true Christs Prophets and Apostles words but was out of the life and not being in the spirit the true Apostles alwayes judged them as thou art now 1 Peter 2. and Jude 3. Query Whether it be not a manifest abuse of the Scriptures and a presumptuous introduction into the office of Christ positively to affirme that the sins of any man shall never be forgiven in this World nor in that which is to come meerly because he denyed the Light that is in every man that comes into the World to be saving in as much as the Scripture no where saith thus that the Light is saving Ans Thou doth not only deny Christ the Light to be saving but thou denyest the Holy Ghost to reprove the World c. And Christ saith all sin may be forgiven but that which is against the Holy Ghost and thou dost also blaspheme and sin against him not as he is a man but as he is the Light and spirit Mat. 12. 36. and whereas thou saith the Scripture no where saith that the Light is saving the Scripture saith Christ is the Light and he is the Salvation John 8. and the Lord shall be to thee an Everlasting Light and the Lord is the Saviour of his people And Joh. 12. I am come a Light into the World saith Christ and he is a Saviour And Psal 27. 1. and David saith the Lord is my Light and Salvation And here thou lyes against that which the Holy Ghost hath said in saying the Scripture saith no where the Light is saving and in Isai 49. 6. where the Lord speaking of Christ saith I will give thee for a
the true Rock which the Prophets prophesied of should come whom the Apostles witnessed was come and for thy false saying that we grow weary and before thou complained we urged thee on how stands thy confusion together with reasonable men let them judge and we do not shuffle with thy assertion neither are weary of our cause which thou saist we are for we need not for we know what thou art who is wholly bent against Christ it is thou which is weary of thy cause and shuffles as thou hast reason for we relate some other of thy Assertions which thou hast laid down art thou now ashamed of them and yet saist thou will hold us to it and yet answers nothing to the purpose and it is Christ the foundation which thou strikes against as the Jewes did but to no purpose and thus thou and thy fellow Priests hath strucken at him who is our foundation till you be all fallen into the ditch and leads the people thither too it is manifest to the Nations Thou saist in thy Appendix again Thou art willing to debate the point in controversie before the Sheriff or others in Authority and saist let not G. F. thinke to shuffle himself out and put his taske upon others for he must know because it is affirmed that he was called of the Lord from his Trade as the Apostles were my desire is to deale with him chiefly in this matter and such others as say they are Apostles that their Doctrine and deeds being brought to Light it may appear whether they be true Apostles indeed or false and preach another Gospel then Jesus and Paul did as I have cause to suspect them and doubt not to prove them to be if they adhere to the Principles laid down in their Printed Books and maintained in their late debate Answ This is thy shuffle and base charge whereas thou saist G. F. would shuffle from it and lay it upon others that is false it s thou would shuffle from those which thou hast begun withall it seemes we gave thee enough the last time thou needs not call of G. F. for the least of us in the Truth is able to Answer thee and to see if thou can make good thy assertions which thou could not make good in the last Dispute nor hast not done yet which we yet call on thee to doe which by the Scriptures of Truth thou canst not prove without adding or diminishing and the same Jesus and Gospel whom Paul preached whom we own which thou saist thou will prove an Idol and prove us Antichrists who affirme this and as for all our Books which are given forth from the Truth we own and our deeds are brought to the Light and by this thine are seen and thou too to be one of the false Teachers and thy deeds to be deeds of darkness and why dost thou pervert M. F's words in saying G. F. was called from his Trade when her words was he was called from his Calling as thou reports and thou talkes of trying Apostles and denyes the Light Christ in thy dark spirit and calls Christ an Idol and natural Light and as for G. F. whose name thou hast publisht abroad in thy Letters up and down beyond the Sands and towards Manchester and to M. F. and sometimes scoffing at his Leather-Breeches sometimes at one thing sometimes at another and never was so civil as to write to him so we do look thou should make thy assertions good to us before thou medle with him for they concern us and we are the Men that will encounter with thee as before mentioned according to thy Challenge whom thou in scorn calls Meckhanike Men and as for me Thomas Curwen I nor none of us are no more Mechanicke then thy self nor never had collection yet John Though I have been a Prisoner above four yeares canst thou say so John and as for me G. F. I never spoke with thee but three times since thou came hither and once at London and I heard such euil language from thee as I never heard from man I coming into the last dispute with friends and then there being liberty granted I hearing thee lay down thy Assertions and affirming them together with thy people first That some men that came into the world had not the spirit of God which was put to thee to make good being thou was the mouth for them by plain Scripture without adding or diminishing which thou seemed to prove out of Jude which thou couldst not and that God denyed faith to some men and that Christ did not shed his blood for all men and that Balaam had no more spirit then his horse and that wicked men had not the spirit of God These things with several others which you asserted was put to thee to make good which thou hast not done to this day Nevertheless thou hast challenged to meet me G. F. and having disperst my Name in several Papers in a slanderous way and thy brother Price which came down to Fell's Chamber and Challenged me out which I presently came up and sent William Houlding to thee and bid thee come down to me in the Hall but thou would not come at me And whereas thou challenges me G. F. to meet thee before the Sheriffe My Answer is send me word when thou wilt and that thou will make these Assertions good by the plain Scriptures without adding or diminishing which thou hast laid down to me for I am ready to meet thee through the power and strength of Almighty God and if I have liberty according as thou hast challenged and many things more I have of thine for thee to make good which I shall not here put to Ink and Paper by plain Scripture for truth remains over all deceit G. F. And why dost thou flatter me William Houlding dost thou now own Mechanicks but thou owned none when thou writ to M. F. but jeared at G. F. in this report and lost thy Religion to talk of his Leather-Breeches and thus Fools will be medling with that which doth not concern them busie bodies in others matters And when thou had abused M. F. in thy Papers she sent for thee to speak with thee about the abuse but thou would not come at her and manifested herein thy guilt and uncivility and dost thou not make a noise abroad against us amongst ignorant people and keeps them from the Light that so thou maist get some Collections of them for thy Letters to M. F. signifies something of a false fear and jealousie that something should have gone besides thy mouth cruly I think that is the cause of thy rage against us who owns Christ Jesus the Light W. H. Here followes a Coppy of a Paper which was given to John Wiggan of his Assertions FRiend John Wiggan we hearing of a Book thou hast given into the Town before we had a Coppy of it another Challenge to us to meet before some publick Magistrate and the Sheriffe we
the things of God l. 28. f. ligh read light p. 66. l. 36. f ligh r. light p. 73. l. 36. f. is r. his p. 78 l. 4 f. game r. gaime l. 15. where ever is twice blot out the one p. 87. l. 9. f. overshipping r. overskippng p. 88 l 31. f. Luke the tenth r. Luke the first p. 103. l. 10. f. sad r. said p. 105 l. 23. f. without r. with our p. 130 l 34. blot out deserves line 36 for seems read serves THE END Some Scriptures which overturns Wiggan's Assertions GOD so loved the World that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believes on him should not perish but have everlasting Life I have no pleasure in the death of him that sinneth I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked If any of you lack wisedome let him ask of God who giveth to all Men liberally and upbraideth no Man God hath made of one blood all Nations of Men perverse disputings of Men of corrupt mindes Evil Men shall wax worse and worse 2 Tim. 3. 13. Christ is a Light to lighten the Gentiles Luke 2. 32. Salvation of God is sent unto the Gentiles The grace of God which brings salvation hath appeared to all Men. Titus 2. 11. They turned the Grace of God into Lasciviousness The Worlds were made by the Word of God By the Word of God the Heavens were of old As many that corrupted the Word of God In Christ dwells all the fulness of the God-head bodily The true Light which doth enlighten every Man that comes into the World I am the Light of the World saith Christ so Christ is that Light which shines in darkness and the darkness comprehends it not God commanded Light to shine out of darkness and shined in our hearts to give us the Light of the Knowledge of the Glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ I am the Light of the World saith Christ they that fellowes me shall not abide in darkness but shall have the Light of Life believe in the Light while yee have the Light that yee may be the Children of the Light Such as Rebels against the Light Men love darkness rather then Light Every one that doth evil hates the Light neither doth he bring his deeds to the Light lest his deeds should be reproved And every one that doth truth brings his deeds to the Light that he may see whether his deeds be wrought in God but Jo. Wig. saith the Light is not salvation contrary to David Psal 27. The Lord is my Light and my Salvation who then shall I fear Jo. Wiggan saith the Light doth not reprove the sin of unbelief contrary to Paul to the Ephesians who saith whatsoever is reproved is manifest in the Light and so this is plain that unbelief is manifest by the Light But there is a spirit in Man and the Inspiration of the Almighty giveth understanding The dust turn to the Earth the spirit to the Lord that gave it They also that have erred in spirit shall come to understanding they that murmured shall learn Doctrine Thus saith the Lord he that created the Heavens and stretched them out he that spreadeth forth the Earth and that which cometh out of it he that giveth breath unto the people and spirit to them that walk therein Gods saving health among all Nations let all people praise the Lord let all people praise the Lord let all Nations praise the Lood and sing but Jo. VVig speaks contrary to David how can Gods saving health be among all Nations when they have not the Saving-Light Look unto me all the ends of the Earth and be saved for I am God and there is none else but Jo. Wiggan saith they have nothing but a created Light that is darkness Mat. 6. 22. Oh Jerusalem wash thy heart from wickedness that thou maist be saved how long shall thy vain thoughts lodge within thee All flesh shall know that I am thy salvation but how can all flesh know his salvation when they have not the spirit as J. Wig. affirmeth This is good and acceptable in the fight of God our Saviour who will have all Men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the Truth but Jo. Wiggan saith God denyes faith to some Men and so gives God the lye and saith Christ doth not enlighten every Man that comes into the World with a saving Light And with all deceiveableness of unrighteousness in them that perish because they receive not the truth in the love of it that they might be saved But how can they obey the spirit and truth when they have it not may Jo. Wiggan say I will that Men pray every where lifting up holy hands But were thy hands holy J. VV. when thou laidst such violent hands upon me Tho. Curwen and thy spirit of God Turn yee at my reproof and I will pour out my spirit unto you I will put my spirit within you I will put my spirit within you and will make you a new heart and a new spirit Such as vexes the spirit The flesh lusteth against the spirit and the spirit against the flesh But Jo. VVig maniests that he knows nothing of this warfare who saith some hath not the spirit to war with he that soweth to the flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption but he that soweth to the spirit shall of the spirit reap life everlasting Jo. VVig that would not have the spirit in every Man its plain he soweth to the flesh not to the spirit for he saith it is not within them Quench not the Spirit They erred in Spirit They have erred from the faith And Balaam erred from the spirit Shall receive a Recompence of their error Rom. 1. The spirit of the Lord came upon Balaam The Spirit of the Lord came upon Saul 1 Sam. 10. The Spirit of the Lord came upon the Messengers of Saul And so this overthrowes VViggan's Assertion who saith wicked Men have not the spirit All the while my breath is in me and the spirit of God is in my Nostrils Christ is the Saviour of the World and giveth unto the World My flesh I will give for the life of the VVorld Joh. 6. 15. Go yee into all the VVorld and preach the Gospell Mark 16. They that believe shall be saved but they that believe not shall be damned I am the Light of the VVorld I am not come to judge the VVorld but to save the VVorld Ioh. 12. That the VVorld may believe that thou hast sent me God was in Christ reconciling the World unto himself 2 Cor. This is condemnation that Light is come into the World and Men loved darkness rather then Light because their deeds are evil I am come a Light into the World Joh. 9. Done despite against the Spirit of Grace Hebr. 10. But they rebel'd and vext his holy Spirit therefore the
Lord became their enemy Ifai 63. 10. vers Zach. 2. The Spirit of the Lord remain'd among the Children of Israel I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh for I have poured out my spirit upon the house of Israel saith the Lord God So here thou may see they that erred from the faith and erred from the spirit and hated the Light had it contrary to VViggan's Doctrine aforemention'd Did not I make one yet had he the residue of my spirit that he might seek a godly Seed therefore take heed unto the spirit The Gospel which yee have heard which was preached to every Creature under Heaven Warning every Man that they might present every Man perfect in Christ Jesus That by the Grace of God Christ should tast of Death for every man Christ is the propitiation for our sins and not for ours only but for the sins of the whole World And many more Scriptures might be aledged which doth overthrow Wiggan's Assertions that proves wicked Men had the light and the spirit and Christ dyed for all Men. John VViggan In stead of Answering to the Assertions thou tels us of a natural and created Light springing up with Man's nature and natural Man's spirit which is an Idol worse then Jeroboams and the Papists nevertheless thou saist this light will let them know much of God and of the eternal Power and God-head Now that this Light which is an Idol will shew the Eternal Power and God-head and yet shew nothing of Christ in whom the fulness of the God-head dwells How stands this together John And can a natural Light an Idol know the Eternal Power and God-head know much of God and seek and feel after God Idols are dumb Haba 2. and hath eyes and sees not as the Scriptures faith and was this natural Light an Idol which reproved them for their sins Doth not the Scripture say Adam was made in the Image of God in Righteousness and true Holiness and was this an Idol he was made in which reproved him for sin And Judas who was made Partaker of the Ministry and the Light which John was sent to bear witness of was a created Light and an Idol worse then Jeroboams which as many as received him that thou calls an Idol which cannot hear nor see he gave them Power to become the Sons of God by this natural Light and Idol the World was made by thy account and this which thou calls a natural Light and Idol was in the World and the World knew him not and this Light which thou thus calls shines in the darkness and the darkness comprehends it not This is Wiggan's Assertion but my Queries I sent unto thee which thou shufles of and dost not Answer them since thou talks so much of Bread and Wine whether it be Christ or no seeing some of thy fellow Baptists Teachers are turned Papists who were wrangling against the Light and now say the Bread is Christ after they have blest it and therefore we suspect thee seeing thou art posting on the same Rode against the Light so fast And instead of Answering thou hast taken upon thee to be a Judge of Christ a Judge of the World and a Judge of the Saints conditions and confusedly patches all together and thou divides God and Christ and calls Christ the Light a natural and a created Light and an Idol worse then Jeroboams and the Papists which all sober people may see what a pack of confusion thou hast heaped together in thy Book for a natural light and Idol cannot bring people to seek and feel after God nor know the Eternal Power and God-head neither was it a natural Light and Idol that shewed Judas his sin when he had betrayed Christ neither was the Image of God which Adam was made in and God the word that enlightens every Man that comes into the World a natural light and an Idol John Wiggan thy eye is blinded it is time for thee to give over thy Trade with thy erroneous principles and doctrine And Christ when he bid them Believe in the Light Joh. 12. It was not an Idol he bid them believe in but it was in Christ the Light and in Christ was life and the life was the light of Mon and this was not an Idol and this is the same principle and doctrine which we suffer for there was a Man sent from God whose name was John he came for a Witness to bear witness to the true Light and that was the true Light which enlightens every man that comes into the World that all through him might believe and as many as received him to wit the light wherewith all be enlightned he gave them power to become the Sons of God Joh. 1. to the 12. vers And so this Light which doth enlighten every Man that comes into the World shines in the darkness but VViggan's darkness cannot comprehend it and thus he judgeth the things of God with his darkness in calling the Light of Christ and also that which convinc'd Adam c. a natural and created Light and an Idol and the spirit of a natural Man which knows not the things of God and also he compares the Light in every Man to the state of the natural Man there spoken of 1 Cor. 2. calling Light darkness and to the natural and sensual state in Jude for nature being subjected is in it self not sensual but being gone out of its course becomes sensual but this is like to the rest of his meanings he hath given to other things in his Book but we do intend to put him to make them good by plain Scriptures without adding or diminishing for our foundation for ever stands sure for we speak not of the natural Mans spirit but of Christ the Light the second Adam the Lord from Heaven nor do we speak of the Law of works nor the first Covenant but we speak of the new Covenant in the heart Christ the light our Foundation whom all the Prophets foretold of who is come to teach his people himself who Joh. VViggan pretends to remove and so hath run himself into further confusion And Ioh. VViggan saith that the Light which doth enlighten c. is the word Creator and yet he saith it is natural and created and an Idol worse then Ieroboams And thus all may see he confesseth that the Light is the word Creator and and yet he saith it is an Idol Joh. Wiggan saith God the Word enlightens every Man that comes into the World and a more excellent light and life comes in by the Son which none receives but who receives the Son and are born again Answ They which receives this Light which thou call the word Creator in thy own assertion becomes the Sons of God for John said this was the true Light which lighteneth every Man that comes into the World and as many as receives him to them he gives power to become the Sons of God and this word is Christ
This is An ANSWER TO John Wiggans BOOK Spread up and down in Lancashire Cheshire and Wales who is a Baptist a Monarchy-man Wherein may be seen how he exalts Himself against Christ the Light that doth enlighten every Man And also some of his and his Peoples erronious Principles and assertions which he and his People held in a Dispute with some of the Quakers And also an Answer to his Queries in his Book And also some Queries which was propounded to him which he would never Answer to this day and also some of his assertious which he could never make good and likewise an Answer to a second Challenge which Book we would have all in patience and meekness read over with a single eye wherein you may see the wicked according to Scripture is grown worse and worse who with fair words and fained speeches deceives the hearts of the simple who are wise discernes these things From the Prisoners at Lancaster whom he then opposed being then a Prisoner Thomas Curwen William Houlden Henery Wood William VVilson Also here is an Answer to his Appendix annexed to the Book by Margaret Fell. LONDON Printed in the Year 1665. To the Reader READER HEre is something in Answer to John Wiggan's assertions and also to his Book which thou art desired patiently to read over and to read the Scriptures which we have quoted and also his and also his words and our Answers for simple peoples sakes was it answered that they might be no longer deceived for we were all satisfied before with Christ who is the light of the World the way the truth the life and he is our satisfaction Never-the-less John Wiggan hath taken some of our papers and private letters writ to him but left out the occasion wherefore they were written and so in this he hath not done honestly neither as he would have been done by and as for all his bad letters he hath writ to us we shall not set them down all nor part for some of them are out of the bounds of Christianity Our Book is somewhat large the most of the heads and strength of his Book being spoken too particularly but take it throughout and I believe thou will find such a pack of confusion as thou hast not heard and malicious spitefull words against God and Christ the light which may be found in his Book we have not wronged it but he hath not paged his Book therefore we could not quote it here And these things which he hath asserted and laid down he is to make good by Scripture without ading or diminishing for we will have plain Scripture also an Answer to his Challenge for him to make good all his assertions by Scripture without ading to it and also some Queries here is for him to Answer and to clear himself if that he can by Scripture which we believe it will not clear him and so farewell From them that loves truth and peace to all Mankind For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour who will that all Men should be saved and come to the knowlege of the truth 1 Tim. 2. 34. and this is contrary to John Wiggan who saith God denies faith to some Men. You might have had an Answer sooner but it was long before we had his Book and when we had it was fain to take it in pieces and many perticuler Persons were concerned in it who some of them lives 60. miles one from another and the Book being called for so hastily again he boasted that we could not Answer it but that was but little to us for it was truth that we mind The 2d of the 5th Month 1664. This is An ANSWER To JOHN VVIGGANS Book c. WEE hearing of a Book that John VViggan had given forth against us in which are many lies and scandals and he the said John Wiggan directing one of them to Randal Hunter and Thomas Hardy Deputy-Goalers as he calls them but he might have said to the Head-Keeper and Under-Keeper And also this Book being disperced abroad in the Country through him it was hard for us to get a sight of it but at last it was given to us by the Under-Keeper and after a while fetched it away it concerns many Friends some that are 60. miles of and some above 20. yet this John VViggan nor none of his Company who sayes he give it forth to convince us of some of our errors and also a Challenge in it were not so civil as to give us ever a Copy of it or the thing it self and when that friends asked him for the Book he replyed if we would pay for writeing it over we might have a Copy of it who hath not forgot his old Priest tricks to make people to pay him for his lies and by this all sober people whose minds stands without partiality may judge of this Mans works who pretended to convince us of our errors as he sayes and gives forth a Challenge and publisheth part of a private letter and what he pleaseth and never directs it nor his Book to the Authors and whom it doth concern And now whether or no this man hath not lost the very common civility and understanding that is amongst Men and boasts of his works which he kept hid from us though through great difficulty we have gotten a Copy for a little time wherein all Men may judge by this carriage and practice of his in boasting of his works abroad and keeping them from them they do concern they may see it is the work of darkness and of error and one that is afraid of the light and a great part of his Book as the Reader may read and see is against the common salvation to all Men contrary to Jude and to be one that denyes the Lord that bought them as in Peter and all his force and strength is to the denying of John's Doctrine and Testimony and that which he came to be a witness of the true light which enlighteneth every Man that cometh into the World John the first And also the force of his matter is to throw away the prophecy of the Prophets concerning Christ the salvation to the ends of the Earth to Mankind to poor lost Man and also to deny the promise of God to poor Creatures which saith God will give him for a Covenant of light to the Gentiles speaking of Christ who shall be his salvation to the ends of the Earth and a New-Covenant to the House of Israel and the House of Judah and this was to all people both Jewes and Gentiles and this light and Covenant is by him denyed but to some as he sayes and so he is one that makes Sects amongst the Creatures of God and divides being in the errour and darkness himself being void of the mind of God his Prophets and Apostles and also denying the love of God to the World who so loved the World mark take notice poor people that God gave
man that 's come into the world is the same light which John bore witnesse of which was a man sent of God for that purpose before Christ Jesus came to prepare the way before him as the Scripture doth testifie which prophesied of him before he came and which prophecies he bore witnesse to when he came as Isa 40. 3 4 5. the voice of him that cryeth in the wildernesse prepare ye the way of the Lord make straight in the desert the high way of our God Read on to the fifth verse and Malachy the 3. and 1. Behold I send my messenger and he shall prepare the way before me and the Lord whom ye seek shal suddenly come to his Temple and according to these prophecies the Angel Gabriel came to Zacharias and told him that he should have a son and Luke 1. 19. and the Angel answering said I am Gabriel that stand in the presence of God and am sent to speak unto thee and to shew thee these glad tydings and in the sixth month after the Angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a Virgin espoused to a man named Joseph which testified of the birth of Christ as you may read in the of Luke at large and the Angel said unto Zacharias when he told them of the birth of John he said fear not Zacharias for thy prayer is heard for thy wife Elizabeth shall bear a son and thou shalt call his name John and thou shalt have joy and gladnesse in him and many shall rejoyce at his birth and he shall be great in the sight of the Lord and he shall be filled with the holy Ghost even this is he that bore witnesse of the Light which Iohn Wigan calls an Idol from his mothers womb and after this child was born his fathers mouth was opened in praises unto the Lord being dumb since the Angel spoke to him because he did not fully believe and his father Zacharias was filled with the holy Ghost and prophesied of Christ saying Blessed be the Lord God of Israel who hath visited and redeemed his people and so to the end of the Chapter as you may read ver 76. and the child shall be called the Prophet of the highest to wit Christ and thou shalt go before the face of the Lord to prepare his waies to give knowledg of salvation unto his people by the Remission of their sins and Christ himself bore witnesse of John Mat. 11. and said he was more than a Prophet and said of all that were born of women there was not a greater then John and said he was a burning and shining light as you may read For this is he of whom it is written Behold I send my messenger before thy face which shall prepare thy way before thee ver 10. and if ye will receive it this is the Elias which was for to come for all the Prophets and the Law prophecyed until John He that hath an ear to hear let him hear ver 13 14 15. and the Apostle bore witnesse of Iohn and said as John fulfilled his course Acts 13. he said Whom think ye that I am I am not he but there cometh one after me the shoes of whose feet I am not worthy to loose Thus far we have proved unto you what Iohn was that he was sent of God to bear witnesse of Christ by these Scriptures with many more which might be instanced concerning John Now we shall go to Johns testimony and witnesse which he bore of Christ Jesus John 1. In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God the same was in the beginning with God All things were made by him and without him was not any thing made that was made in him was life and this life was the light of men This is he which John bore witnesse of this same John came for a witnesse to bear witnesse of this Light that all men through him might believe as you may see proved by all the foregoing prophecies of him he said He was not the light but was sent to bear witnesse of the light that was the true light which lighteth every man that cometh into the world This is the light and no other which we witnesse and bear testimony of which John Wigan saith is an idol He was in the world and the world was made by him and the world knew him not but as many as received him to them he gave power to become the sons of God even to them that believed on his name not to such unbelievers as John Wigan who denies him which was born not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man but of God This John Wigan calls an idol And the word was made flesh and dwelt among us and we beheld his glory as of the only begotten son of God full of grace and truth John bore witnesse of him and cryed saying This is he of whom I spoke he that cometh after me who is preferred before me ver 15. Now here the reader may see W's blasphemies and lyes in his book where he saith that the light that John bare witnesse of that lighteth every man that comes into the world is the word creator and not the word made flesh Christ so let the reader read John 1. 14 15. and this is the record of John when the Jews sent priests and levites from Jerusalem and asked him who art thou and he confessed and denied not I am not the Christ and they asked him and said unto him who art thou and he said I am the vâ—ice of one crying in the wilderness make straight the way of the Lord as said the prophet Isaiah 1 John ver 23. They asked him why baptizest thou then and John answered saying I baptize with water but there standeth one among you whom ye know not he it is who coming after me is preferred before me c. Jo. 1. ver 26. 27. Here John beares witness of him according to the prophesies the next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him and said Behold the Lambe of God which taketh away the sin of the world This is he of whom I said after me cometh a man which is preferred before me for he was before me ver 29. 30. This is he whom we worship as our redeemer whom J. W. saith to worship is to set up a greater Idolatry then that of Jeroboams and of the Papists and John saith further that he should be made manifest to Israel therefore am I come baptizing with water and John bore record saying I saw the Spirit descending from Heaven like a dove and it abode upon him and I knew him not but he that sent me to baptize with water the same said unto me upon whom thou shalt see the spirit descending and remaining on him the same is he that baptizeth with the holy Ghost And I saw and bare record that this is the Son of God and this is he whom J.