accounted the Church of Christ in these dayes though imperfect Secondly Against the being of the seed of God and light of Christ within men thirdly against the Saints attaining to perfection and freedom from sin whilst in this mortal estate which is the very end for which Christ Jesus gave gifts unto his Ministers ordaining some to be Prophets some Apostles some Pastors and some Teachers for the perfecting of the Saints for the work of the Ministery for the edifying of the spiritual body till we all come in the unity of the faith unto a perfect man in Christ Jesus in whom the whole building fitly framed together groweth to an holy temple in the Lord and the Apostle saith know you not that your bodies are the temples of the holy Ghost i 1 Cor. 3.17 and if any man defile the temple of God him will God destroy k 1 Thes 1.1 and the Church is in God the Father and in the Lord Jesus Christ where nothing that is unclean can enter and the tabernacle of God is with men as he hath said I 'le walk in them and dwell in them though T C. have affirmed that God never had yet a Church in the world free from sin and so hath laid sin to the charge of Gods Elect for l John 3.8 he that commits sin is of the Devil and a servant of sin and so free from righteousness and this is the cause he hath undertaken to plead In the front or enterance into his paper he hath cited this Scripture to the Law and to the testimony if any speak not according to this rule it is because there is no light in them Now in regard he hath put in his declaration and goes about to plead a title or propriety that the man of sin hath and must have in the Church of Christ whilst here on earth and hath here cited the Law and Testimony which I own for a rule to try by I am constrained as Defendant to join issue and plead with him according to the Law of Truth in the presence of our Judge and Law-giver whose judgement is true and whose testimony is sure But first it is to be considered what the Law and what the Testimony is and where they are according to the Scripture Thy law is light Prov. 6. The law is spiritual Rom 7.14 The law gives the knowledge of sin Rom. 3 20. And behold the daye come saith the Lord Jer. 31. that I will make a new Covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah not according to the Covenant that I made with their fathers which Covenant they break but this shall be the Covenant that I will make with them after those dayes I will put my law in their inward parts and write it in their hearts And again Heb. 10. I will put my laws in their hearts and in their minds will I write them and their sins and iniquities will I remember no more and this is the Covenant that makes the comers thereunto perfect and the Law which makes free from the law of sin and death and he that believeth hath this witness in himself and so hath set to his seal that God is true and the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophesie and this is that sure word spoken of 2 Pet. 1.19 And we have also a more sure word of prophesie whereunto ye do well that ye take heed as unto a light that shineth in a dark place until the day dawn and the day star arise in your hearts mark In your hearts the Law in the heart the light in the heart the testimony of Jesus the sure word of prophesie in the heart the word of faith nigh in the heart And now to come to the matter he saith pag. 2. Christ was sent to save his people and not to save onely the oppressed seed or light within to which I say he was sent to set the oppressed free and to save his people from their sins and to open the eyes of the blind m John 9.39 that those that saw not might see n Mat. 18.11 and the son of man was sent to seek and to save that which was lost and the Lord of hosts hath left us a seed else o Rom. 9. we had been as Sodome yea like unto Gomorrah and this seed is within and we know that the whole Creation travelleth together in pain until now and not onely they but our selves also that have the first fruits of the spirit even we our selves have groaned within our selves for the redemption of the body which God hath prepared to do his will p 1 Cor. 15 who giveth unto every seed it s own body and he that is begotten of the immortal seed and born again of water and of the spirit is saved from his sin and he sinneth not neither can he because the seed of God remaineth in him and he cannot sin because he is born of God 1 Joh. 3. Mark he cannot sin because he is born of God and because the seed remaineth in him But T.C. saith pages 2 3. It is language besides the Gospel of truth that Christ came to save the oppressed seed within and farther that he dare say it is such a salvation as never came into the heart of God nor was ever known to Prophets Apostles or Christ himself to save the oppressed seed of God in men with which his Covenant is made Here he hath contradicted the Scriptures of truth above-mentioned with many others that might be instanced likewise he hath contradicted himself for he with others of his brethren directs their Epistle from Tiverton to such as are called to be Saints through the immortal seed which dwelleth in them now if it be language besides the Gospel of truth to mention the oppressed seed within why doth he make use of the expression and if it be according to truth why doth he suggest that those who use such expressions are poor deluded people and because I said in the beginning of my Epistle to them I am constrained with compassion to the oppressed seed in you which groans to be delivered from the bondage of corruption c. he seems to render it an offence by false constructions arising from an evil affected mind wresting and perverting my words and then calling it a mear cheat to please children and sools as if it were a language not fit to be spoken of or once named among them that are grown so strong in the state of imperfection And because my Epistle was directed to the Anabaptists Churches so called and then I denied them to be the Church of Christ and told them that their presumption was seen that called themselves the Church of Christ and were not as their blasphemy was known that called themselves q Rev. 2 9. Jews and were not He calls this contradiction and confusion but the confusion is in himself as may appear to the impartial Reader of that
THE LINE OF TRUE JUDGMENT Laid to an imperfect piece published By Thomas Collier which he calls an Answer to an Epistle written to the Churches of the Anabaptists c. A Reply herein is published in order to the Exaltation of the spiritual man with his Ordinances and Administrations above the man of sin with the weak and unprofitable Ordices that doth not make the comers thereunto perfect BY Thomas Salthouse Behold ye despisers and wonder and perish for I work a work in your dayes a work which ye shall in no wise believe though a man declare it unto you Acts 13.41 Therefore they say unto God depart from us for we desire not the knowledge of thy wayes Job 21.14 They are of those that rebell against the light they know not the wayes thereof nor abide in the pathes thereof Job 24.13 LONDON Printed for Thomas Simmons at the Bull and Mouth near Aldersgate THe Reader may here observe that the first entrance into this discourse was occasioned by a printed Paper from Tiverton wherein the state and condition of the Anabaptists Churches was represented which came to my hand and after I had read it over and considered their condition to be far short of what they profess I was moved to write an Epistle to them and sent it among them for the better information of the honest hearted and for the sake of such as are not altogether settled upon the lees and as an answer to that Epistle Thomas Collier hath written a Pamphlet to vindecate their practise and present condition shewing them many examples and instances of the Saints failings in former ages tending to their incouragment in the estate of sin and imperfection intimating that notwithstanding their great abominations therein expressed they are and may be owned as the Church of God in persuance whereof I was constrained to send this reply as a farther manifestation of the good will of him that would have all men to be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth with a seasonable word written by J.C. added hereunto which may go abroad among them to be read received and considered of by such as have not refused to Return T. S. The line of true Judgement laid to an imperfect piece published by Thomas Collier which he calls an Answer to an Epistle written to the Churches of the Anabaptists c. WHen I consider the gross darknes degeneration and Apostacy of some high pretenders to Religion and how willfully ignorant they are become of the great mistery of Godliness b 1 Tim 3 1â— not liking to retain God in their knowledge nor to hearken to the reproofs of instruction which is the way of eternal life I remember what the spirit hath expresly spoken concerning such c Rom. 1.28 that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith giving heed to seducing spirits and Doctrines of Divels speaking lies in hypocrisie having their consciences seared as with an hot Iron making Shipwrack of the mystery of faith d 1 Tim. 4. which is held in a pure conscience and which was once delivered unto the Saints which purifies the heart and gives victory over the world and after a diligent search and examination had who it is that are given up to strong delusions to believe lies and who teacheth for doctrines the traditions of men e 1 Tim 3.9 creeping into houses and leading about silly women Captive Laden with sin and led away with divers lusts ever learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth nor to perfection I find by evident testimony that the people cal'd Anabaptists are as chiefly concerned herein as many of those whom they themselves have formerly pretended to differ from and declare against as Ante-Christian both in call practice maintainance doctrine and worship with whom they are joyned and confederate to fight against the truth as it is in Jesus as by their practice and the writings of some of them is plainly and clearly made manifest for with the light of Christ are they seen through their unrighteous covering and feigned humility and with the Spirit of truth are they tryed their language bewrayes them f Eph. 2.12 to be strangers to the Covenant of promise yea such as cannot indure sound doctrine nor receive the things of the spirit of God when in the fear of God freely tendered and offered unto them And forasmuch as Thomas Collier a Teacher among them hath several times ingaged himself with the beast and false Prophet to make war against the Lamb and his followers by publishing his own imaginations to render them odious to the world Suggesting their way and worship of the true God to be heresy and errour as his forefathers in all ages have done and now once more under pretence of Answering an Epistle of mine written in the fear of God and sent to them in love he hath manifested much folly enmity ignorance and wickedness by wresting and perverting the words of truth and soberness therein contained as he hath done and doth g 2 Pet. 3.16 the Scripture of truth to his own destruction that he may not be exalted in his wickedness and so proceed further to boast of what he hath done herein or heretofore against the truth and the faithful witnesses of it I am constrained for the vindication of the truth in general whereof I am a witness and for which I suffer a little farther to search into his works of darkness that his covering may be stript off and his refuge of lies swept away that he may stand naked and bare in the presence Dan. 7.9 of the ancient of dayes before whom the matter in controversie is to be debated and as for what I wrote in that Epistle and do write on this account it is commended to that of God in the conscience of all such as are simple hearted and sober minded to be read and received without prejudice either against the truth which is reproached by the world or against the earthen vessel which is herein imployed as an instrument and who hath without prejudice against any particular person though occasion was given to mention him made these things publique in persuance of a pamphlet lately published by T. C. called an answer to an Epistle written by me to the Churches of the Anabaptists so called When his pretended answer was brought to light and deliberately searcht through and weighed in an equal ballance the scope of his discourse and weight of his arguments was first to prove that they might be the Church of God notwithstanding their great abominations and wickedness confessed in their Epistle from Tiverton with several instances and agravations of the failings of those in former ages whom the Lord sent his true Prophets and Ministers to declare against and to call to repentance and hereby he would imply that the Churches of God in former ages have been sinful and wicked like themselves who profess and would be
Epistle And this I say farther that although they be called and calls themselves the Church yet were they never owned nor by me called the Church of Christ for as I said before the Church of Christ is as a Lilly among thorns in relation to their condition expressed and confessed under their hands in print and it seems they have refused to return from their wickedness and great abominations if this man may be credited in what he writes concerning them page 8. where he denies not but they are guilty of those sins expressed and confessed in their Epistle from Tiverton but saith He trusts they shall be found so more if this be to be vile we shall yet be more vile Now how can they be more vile then they have rendred themselves in that one Epistle where they confess they have been drawing iniquity with cords of vanity and slavish fear hath stopt their mouths till the mouth of this iniquity hath almost devoured their poor Churches c. and that their affections to Christ are alienated and that the world like a Canker hath eaten out their time their strength their zeal and that the Kingdoms of the world hath bewitched them so that they are become cruel to servants and children exacting all their labours with many other offences by them confessed which may seem to render them vile and uncomely both in the sight of God and men and yet he is so impudent as to say if this be to be vile I trust we shall be more vile Let him that hath moderation judge if this be not to glory in their shame yet they pretend after all this to take some effectual course as they say to purge away sin and sinners out of the house of God which if they do not one of them will be left but to them it seems unpossible to purge away sin and sinners if it be true which is here affirmed by T.C. pag. 7. they that say they are without sin in this mortal estate they are none of the Church of Christ and after he hath reviled against what I wrote concerning the baptism that now saveth and the great salvation that is begun to be spoken of he confesseth it to be a blessed truth and then saith it is such a salvation as never entred into the heart of God Should I but search through his writings and set it in order before him contradiction and confusion would appear eminently therein but that is not my work nor intention neither shall I render unto him or any other evil for evil and railing for railing nor make him an offender for a word nor contend and strive about words for I have not so learned Christ and this I know that there is a witness for God in many of them that shall confess to the truth of what is by me written and it shall stand upon true record for ever though at present he loves not holy things nor cannot receive pearls but turns again to tear and rend him that freely offers them to such as are covering after the best things But now we shall proceed to his doctrine in opposition to perfection and the Saints freedom from sin to which I am called and constrained to make defence for the truths vindication as the spirit gives utterance and first to what he affirms pag. 5. Now to this I say first as concerning the Church or Churches of Christ that God never had a Church in the world free from sin nor were there any durst so to say except the Pharisees and Hypocrites the Quakers excepted Oh from whence is this man fallen and what is become of all those desires and pressing after perfection that once appeared in him see his general Epistle to the universal Church doth he and his followers now think to be made perfect in the flesh that have made so fair a shew of beginning in the spirit and such large pretences of holiness as he hath done how hath he mingled himself among the dishonourable vessels of iron and clay the very feet of the Image what damnable doctrine is this that he holds forth in behalf of the Prince of darkness Surely this will please the man of sin well to let him be exalted above all that is called God to plead his cause and interest in the Church of Christ to exercise Lordship over Gods heritage whilst here on earth for Sions sake I can no longer hold in for if we should keep silence that are called to contend for the faith which purifies the heart and hear the name of God and his doctrine blasphemed the stones out of the wall and beam out of the timber would cry out against this wickedness to say that God never had a Church here on earth free from sin This renders the r Eph. 1.22 23 body of Christ not to be without sin but let T. C. know whatever he affirm to the contrary that the Lord hath reserved seven thousand in England that hath not received the mark of the Beast in their fore heads nor in their right hands nor bowed to his Image nor defiled themselves with women nor with the pollutions of Idols besides a cloud of witnesses wherewith we are compassed about that in their generation fulfilled the will of God and walked before him with an upright heart as doth at large appear in the declaration of truth which agrees to the exhortation of Christ and the gifts given unto men by Christ who said be ye perfect even as your heavenly father is perfect Mat. 5.48 who also ascended up on high led captivity captive and gave gifts unto men for the perfecting of the Saints for the work of the Ministry till we all come in the unity of the faith unto a perfect man unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ Eph. 4. And the Minister of Christ whose preachng was not with excellency of speech nor with the enticing words of mens wisdom but in the demonstration of the spirit and of power he saith of himself and his fellow labourers Å¿ 1 Cor. 2. we speak wisdom among them that are perfect and their preaching was to the Churches of Christ whilst in the world though it is here affirmed that God never had a Church in the world free from sin nor none that ever durst so to say except Pharisees and Hypocrites And yet the Apostle saith concerning himself and the Church how shall we that are dead to sin live any longer therein for sin shall not have dominion over you for ye are not under the Law but under Grace being then made free from sin ye became the servants of righteousness Rom. 6. t Col. 2.10 and ye are compleat in him who is the head of all principalities and powers in whom ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ buried with him in Baptisme wherein also you were raised with him
harder then a flint I believe shame would strike him in the face at the reading again in the cool of the day what hee hath forged against us in the heat and bitterness of his Spirit for all that have heard us will be ready with one consent to say that we press most after obedience of any other profession or people whatsoever and we have sure ground for so doing knowing that the promise of the Lord and his blessing is to the obedient and that the terrors of the Lord and his wrath is against the e Col. 3.6 children of disobedience and our testimony stands upon record against all such as f Job 24.13 rebells against the light and against all who are proud heady and high minded Disobedient to parents without naturall affection such as are g Gal. 3.1 bewitched and doth not obey the truth as it is in Jesus And to say that wee walk in a way of disobedience is utterly false for our way is the good old way of holiness Jesus Christ who saith I am the light of the world and h John 8.12 he that followeth me shall not abide in darkness but shall have the light of life and his record is true and we have believed it and again he saith i John 14.6 I am the way and no man cometh to the father but by me and of this way we bear testimony and in this way we walk and whosoever saith they believe in Christ and followes Christ and doth not believe in the light and walk in obedience to the light are deceived and led aside with the errour of the wicked and are in the rebellion and disobedience and such with the light are judged and k John 3.19 condemned and by us declared against in that estate of disobedience yet we cannot cease to call them to repentance that if peradventure they may come to the knowledge of the truth but he saith pag. 11. that they endeavour to turn souls from Christ to the light within them teaching absolute disobedience and rebellion against Christ in his word the Scriptures and obedience to their own fancies and lying imaginations within them To which I say this is but his own false construction and vain imaginations mixt with Ignorance and enmity for the Scripture is a witness with us of what we teach and of what we believe and endeavour to turn people unto and he might as well have accused the Ministers of Christ as us in this particular for they were sent l Acts. 26.18 to turn people from the darkness to the light and in so doing neither they nor we did nor doth endeavour to turn them to fancies nor teach them rebellion against Christ in his word this is but the poyson of Asps that cometh from under his tongue and we can bear it being exercised with the reproaches of Moab and the revileings of the Children of Ammon with whom this man hath joyned himself to fight against the truth yet notwithstanding for the truths defence and vindication this may inform the simple hearted that are not come to a right understanding of what we hold and teach that we do not endeavour to turn souls to a light within them distinct from Christ but we labour to turn people to the true light of Christ in them m 2 Cor. 4.6 for God who commanded the light to shine out of darkness hath shined in our hearts and this is the true light which we have seen and which we declare and endeavour to turn people to and this is the light which John was sent to bear witness of that all men through him might believe n John 1. the true light that lighteth every man that cometh into the world and this is not a fancy nor an imagination as is falsly affirmed by T. C. who farther proceeds to call it a natural light and the ruins or remainders of that which was in the first Adam and saith it is the great design of these men to set it up in opposition to the true light and life of Christ c. but this also is his own blindness and ignorance of what wee labour to set up that causeth the mistake and false judgement for we labour to turn people to the true spiritual light of the second Adam who is the Lord from heaven heavenly that as they have sinned through one mans disobedience they may by the obedience of one be made free from sin and death and to this end are we called and sent forth in the name of the Lord to call sinners to repentance that are in the lost estate in the first Adam and to turn people from the darkness to the true light that they may come to worship the onely true God whom we worship in the spirit and in the truth and this is the work of our Ministery having turned people from the darkness to the light to stir up the pure mind in them by daily exhortations and provocations to love and obedience to him who hath required truth in the inward parts that holiness may be o 2 COr 7.1 perfected in the fear of God that their light which doth shine may shine clearer and clearer before men that thereby the Lord may be glorified and the mouths of gain-sayers stopped and herein have we union with the elders of whom the world was not worthy who sustained the same sufferings reproaches and tryals of cruel mockings bonds and imprisonments as wee do for the testimony which they held and by the same power are we kept through faith unto salvation so that we can rejoyce when men reviles and persecutes us for Christs sake and the Gospel knowing that if our Gospel be hid it is hid to them that are lost p 2 Cor. 4.3 whose minds the God of this world hath blinded and whose ears with the deaf Adder are stopped that although we speak plainly according to the Scripture and declare what we have heard and seen yet it cannot be received by such as are given up to believe lies and truly this man hath manifested as much enmity and ignorance herein against us as if he had sold himself to work wickedness and bent his tongue for lies he calls them horrid abuses against Christ Scripture and Saints that I would have the light within to be believed in and loved and because I call Christ the true seed the true light the Lord the Law giver the more sure word of Prophesy c. he makes it as some hainous offence and labours to make a separation between Christ and his light in the consciences of men and women which upon good grounds we exhort people to turn unto believe in love and obey for God hath given him for q Luk. 2.37 a light unto the Gentiles a leader of his people and for salvation to all the ends of the earth to open the eyes of the blind and to bring forth the prisoners out of the prison houses end