of the Darkness that hath covered the Earth the Superstition Idolatries humane Inventions Will-Worships Violence Cruelty Wantonness Intemperance Avarice and all manner of Vngodliness all are required to harken to the Lord's Voice to obey his Call to let him in and bring their Deeds unto the Light that Christ who is that true Light may discover the Enemy may bind him spoil his Goods and cast him out that he may reign over Thoughts Words and Deeds so shall such be able to say as David did O all that is within me praise his holy Name For Christ will be known as he is the Saviour of the Soul from Death the Restorer of Paths to dwell in who destroyes the Works of the Devil and brings in Everlasting Righteousness to the Soul And though few observe it That which is truly commend able in any People proceeds from the secret Power and Efficacy of that Inward Principle we so much testifie of 'T is that convinces discovers reproves restraines tenders humbles and affects the Soul and not their several Outward Forms which with Robbery to the Light or Grace within they are apt to attribute it to and whereby the Devil beguiles them into a Continuance of them Wherefore let all our Opposers be dehorted from their vehement out-crys for who withstand revile and set at naught this Blessed Appearance God the Lord of Heaven and Earth will break them to pieces if they come not to timely Repentance for it CHAP. IV. Of the True Evangelical Rule ANd this forever raises the Foundation of T. H's Building as indeed how can any thing so infirm long continue built upon Forgery and the hight of all Partiality who makes us Hereticks that he may be found and abusive that he may either shew his own Patience or colour his frequent base Revisings of us I say this overthrows his whole Discourse about the Scriptures being the Rule of Faith and Practice under the New Covenant For what ever is more Ancient more Vniversal and Able to Inform Rule and Guide that must eminently be the Rule but that has been and is the Light within consequently that has been and ought to be the Rule of Faith and Practice That it has been and ought still to be the Rule exprest is proveable thus That which led those holy Men into those things of which the Scripture is a Declaration must needs have been the Rule But that was the Principle of God within by what Name soever denominated That this is true let it suffice to say That who walked in the Light in any Age so far walkt in the Counsel of God And that all Mankind had an Ability from God so to do is our Belief what Abbridgement soever T. Hick's detestable Opinion of Reprobation may make of the Love of God That it ought still to continue to be the Rule of Faith and Life I prove thus That which is every where which makes manifest that which is displeasing and that which is acceptable to God without which the Scriptures are unintelligible and by living up to which Men only may come to witness the Truth of those things declar'd of in the Scriptures must be and ought to be the Rule of Faith c. But all this is true of the Light which is further proved thus The Light Thomas Hicks acknowledges all Men have The Light Thomas Hicks acknowledges all Men ought to attend unto Now unless some Man who hath lived unblameably up to the Light can give us a Demonstration of its Insufficiency to shew and teach him that further thing that God requires him to believe and do there can be no valid Argument against the Light 's Sufficiency If T.H. dare be the Man we shall joyn Issue with him in the Tryall of the Matter But if the Light be before hand with Man-kind furnishing him still with Work enough to do as it certainly ever hath done and still doth let it be known to T.H. that such as would know more of Christ's Doctrines must first do his Will according to what they do know And as it is the common Method of the Dealing of God towards the Sons of Men So is it great Impiety in any Man to infer or conclude Insufficiency to be in the Light to discover and teach Man what he ought to know and do from Man's Ignorance of all that he ought to know and do since the Ground of that Ignorance is his not doing what the Light of God requires from him as his present Duty to perform That the Scriptures are Vnintelligible without it is easily prov'd from the Variety of Judgments that are in the World about most of the Fundamental Doctrines contained therein as about God's Essence and Similitude Christ and the Spirit their Divinity Predestination Original Sin Free-Will Redemption Satisfaction Justification Faith and Works In short the whole End of Christs Coming Living and Dying they are strongly controverted Now were the Scriptures so clear capable to determine in these Matters the Differences would quickly end But since the utmost Ability they of themselves can give is not enough to render those Things obvious that are now doubtfull and disputable There is a Necessity of Man's Recourse to some other thing which is able to discover the Mind and Intendment of the holy Pen-Men Now I would be glad to know of any sober Man if any thing besides the Light shining into the Understanding is able to give true Sight Discerning and Judgment about the Points controverted would it not be reputed Madness to bid Men read that have no Eyes or if they have Eyes at least no Light to read with them The whole Scripture as it relates to Man's Duty is a Declaration of the woful State of Darkness and the blessed State of Light and Life with the Way of Translation out of the one into the other And was this Knowledge without Experience or by and through Experience I hope no Man will say the holy Pen-Men were not Witnesses of the things they wrote and if they were I would fain know by what other Way they came to understand and comprehend the Darkness that was within then by the Light within And to know the Temptations and Subtilties of the Spirit of Darkness the Discoveries Reproofs and Leadings of the Light the Tryals Travels Exercises and finally the perfect Translation so frequently expressed in these holy Writings but through the Manifestation of the Light of Christ in the Conscience their Obedience to it and ' its Operation to their Redemption and Sanctification So that the State of Judgment Repentance Remission Regeneration called the New Birth and perfect Justification were their Experiences or Witnessings for all T. Hicks from the Inward Work of God's Light upon their Hearts and their Souls which though the Scriptures declare of them they can never bring Man into nor can any Man groundedly aver the Truth of those things till he comes through Obedience to the Light in his own Conscience to
such are cleansed from all Vnrighteousness and yet the Light neâ—ther a Rule nor Saving then what else can be either a Rule or Saving But this Light says he could not tell any that Jesus should be born of a Virgin dye for Sinners and rise again But this is so great a Mistake that had he conversed with the Sibylls or other Heathen Writers he might in good part have informed himself to the contrary But here I distinguish of Faith There is an Historical and Saving Faith and there is an Historical and Saving Rule as the Faiths so the Rules differ If T. Hicks sayes that 't is the Scriptures that give the Knowledge of those Transactions I mâ—st then understand him to mean Historically if I assent which is not Saving for then all who believe those things to have been must therefore be saved the contrary to which is daily seen with our Eyes since who believes not that Report among those who are yet in great Wickedness But if we are to penetrate deeper and that T Hicks should hold as he seems plainly to do that what Faith we can have of the most weighty Truths declared of in the Scriptures is from it and not from the Light or Spirit within I must firmly deny it For Faith is God's Gift not the Scriptures Gift No so far is the Scripture from giving Faith that it is God's Spirit alone that gives both to understand and believe them The Scripture tells me of such Prophecies Histories and Epistles and of such Men as Moses Job David Isaiah Matthew Paul and John But what is it that gives me to believe the Things they writ of to be true Is it not the Testimony and most certain Amen in the Conscience and what is that there which seals to those excellent Truths Which way then can the Scripture be a Rule to me in believing the Scripture when that Faith is begotten of God by his Light and Spirit concerning the Scripture If the meer Scripture could give me Faith then it might be allowed to rule my Faith but when God by his Spirit alone begets Faith and without which I can neither understand nor believe the Scriptures tell me If God's Spirit be not the Rule of my Faith what how far and which way I am to believe them or the things believed Certainly they can never be my Rule How far and which way I am to believe themselves who of themselves cannot give me that Faith but it must be wrought by another thing so that what gives to believe rules the Belief and not the Thing believed Therefore the Scriptures cannot be the Rule of Faith Now as to this of Christ's Outward Manifestation I say so far as it is Historical the Scripture is that which furnisheth me with a Belief But I utterly deny that they give to believe it in that deep Sense which may be truly called a Saving Faith The Pharisees had the Scriptures and they pretended to admire Moses and the Prophets yet they crucified Christ and sought to countenance their Murder by Scripture Now had they believed and esteemed the Writings of Moses and the Prophets from an Inward Sence of Gods Spirit which the meer Scriptures could not furnish them with they had rightly understood them and not made so ill an Use of their Historical Knowledge as to crucifie the Lord of Life and Glory This shews that Men may have an Historical Faith and yet not the True Faith nor Knowledge of the Scriptures what then gives to believe aright now why truely that which did then the Light and Spirit of Truth no Man could call Jesus Lord without it that is truly so or upon good ground No Man could confess that Christ was come in the Flesh but whose Spirit was of God yet now nothing is more common yet nothing is more True then that Thousands of them are not of God but lie in Wickedness alienated from the Life of God c. what is the matter then why this Those who then confest that Jesus was come in the Flesh did it by Virtue of an Invisible Sight and through a Divine Illumination in their Souls For impossible had it otherwise been for them in any measure to have seen through the Vail of his Flesh into that Divine Life Power and Wisdom that Vnmeasurably filled it but having some inward Sence and Taste of that most excellent Being that was manifested in and by that bodily Appearance therefore did they confess to it and their Spirits truely reputed by John to be of God And as in that day it was Impossible for any truly and acceptably to confess to Christ without a Discerning given and Faith wrought by the Light and Spirit of God in the Heart which was the saving Faith so is it now equally Impossible for any to believe that Christ appeared and that he spake and did all these great things so as to be benefitted thereby and any wayes accepted of God therein but as the Light and Spirit of Truth open those Things to the Understanding and from a measure of that Divine Life which then immeasurably appeared for we have all received of his Fulness and Grace for Grace true Faith comes to be begotten in that Manifestation and a right Confession unto it In short He that calleth Christ Lord must now as then do it by the Holy Ghost that is from an Experience or Witnessing of his Dominion and Rule which through the Operation of the holy Spirit the Soul is to be subjected to so that who believes more then Historically that Christ came in the Flesh must do it by Virtue of the Divine Light and Spirit who alone gives to relish and savour the Truth Nature and End of that Appearance And though it may be allowed that the Scripture is a Rule respecting the History as it was to those of old in reference to the particular Prophecies fulfilled in Christ's coming yet as there was then a more Inward and Heavenly Sence of Christ which drew many after him and begot deep Faith in him so must there now be a more Inward Spiritual and deep grounded Faith of those things recorded in Scripture of Christs Appearance c. then the meer Letter is able to give And therefore that Light and Spirit which gives that discerning and works that deep Sence and Faith must needs be as well the Rule as Author of it and not the Scriptures For if the Scriptures be the Rule then either of Themselves or by Interpretation If of Themselves then either in their Translations or Originals Not in the Translations unless the Translators had been so inspired that they mist not a tittle which I am sure is not so and consequently none but Schollars have a Rule for the Unlearned are secluded therefore the English Bible is not a Rule If in the Originals of Hebrew and Greek Query In what Copies There are various Lections in Hebrew And for the New Testament so called there are no less then
contradictory and unscriptural as he could but that all lights upon himself and I doubt not but in the end it will appear that I have contended for the Justification of Life whilst his aimes will have been at nothing more in all his Bussle then to promote a Justification in a State of Death where the indwelling Life Power and Virtue of Christ which gives to live to God in the nearness of Life cannot be enjoyed nor known else what means his reputing that Assertion in my Sandy Foundation shaken so Erroneous namely without Good Works there is no Acceptance with God which without any Wrong to him causes me to believe that it is his Faith that Men may be accepted with God without Good Works and consequently that they are not necessary to Salvation I wish for his sake more then mine own he had been no more Injurious to me and the Truth I have defended then I have been to him in expressing but the natural Result and Tendency of his Doctrine I shall now be as good as my Word and that is to produce an Argument or two against the Common Doctrines of rigid Satisfaction and Justification as they have been opposed by me in this short Discourse and that out of my Book called The Sandy Foundation Shaken because it has been most in this Adversary's Eye That if he thinks fit to reply he may have something else to employ his Mind about then to write Dialogues filled with Lyes Shifts Forgeries Scoffs Impudence and Scurrility Of SATISFACTION 1. Who is a God like unto thee that pardoneth Iniquity and passeth by the Transgression of the Remnant of his Heritage He retaineth not his Anger forever because he delighteth in Mercy Can there be a more express Passage to clear not only the Possibility but real Inclinations in God to pardon Sin and not retain his Anger for ever since the Prophet seems to challenge all other Gods to try their Excellency by his God herein describing the Supremacy of his Power and Superexcellency of his Nature that he pardoneth Iniquity and retaineth not his Anger for ever so that if the Satisfactionists should ask the Question Who is a God like unto ours that cannot pardon Iniquity nor pass by Transgression but retain his Anger until some-body make him Satisfaction I answer Many amongst the harsh and severe Rulers of the Nation but as for my God he is exalted above them all upon the Throne of his Mercy who pardoneth Iniquity and retaineth not his Anger for ever but will have Compassion upon us 2. And forgive us our Debts as we forgive our Debtors Where nothing can be more obvious then that which is forgiven is not paid And if it is our Duty to forgive without a Satisfaction receiv'd and that God is to forgive us as we forgive them then is a Satisfaction totally excluded Christ farther paraphrases upon that part of his Prayer v. 14. For if you forgive their Trespasses your heavenly Father will also forgive you Where he as well argues the Equity of God's Forgiving them from their Forgiving others as he encourages them to forgive others from the Example of God's Mercy in forgiving them which is more amply exprest in Chap. 18. where the Kingdom of Heaven that consists in Righteousness is represented by a King Who upon his Debtors Petition had Compassion and forgave him but the same treating his Fellow-Servant without the least Forbearance the King condemned his Vnrighteousness and delivered him ever to the Tormenters But how had this been a Fault in the Servant if his Kings Mercy had not been proposed for his Example How most unworthy therefore is it of God and Blasphemous may I justly term it to be in any's daring to assert that Forgiveness impossible to God which is not only possible but enjoyn'd to Men. Consequences Irreligious and Irrational 1 That it 's Unlawful and Impossible for God Almighty to be Gracious and Merciful or to pardon Transgressors then which what 's more Unworthy of God 2 That God was inevitably compell'd to this way of Saving Men the highest Affront to his incontroleable Nature 3. That it was Unworthy of God to Pardon but not to inflict Punishment on the Innocent or require a Satisfaction where there was nothing due 4. It doth not only disacknowledge the true Virtue and real Intent of Christ's Life and Death but intirely deprives God of that Praise which is owing to his greatest Love and Goodness 5. It represents the Son more Kind and Compassionate than the Father whereas if both be the same God then either the Father is as Loving as the Son or the Son as Angry as the Father 6. It robs God of the Gift of his Son for our Redemption which the Scriptures attribute to the unmerited Love he had for the World in affirming the Son purchased that Redemption from the Father by the Gift of himself to God as our compleat Satisfaction 7. Since Christ could not pay what wâ—â— not his own it follows that in the Payment of his own the case still remains equally grievous Since the Debt is not hereby absolv'd or forgiven but transfer'd only and by consequence we are no better provided for Salvation than before owing that now to the Son which was once owing to the Father 8. It no way renders Men beholding or iâ— the least oblieg'd to God since by their Doctrine he would not have abated us nor did he Christ the last Farthing so that the acknowledgments are peculiarly the Sons which destroys the whole current of Scripture Testimony for his Good Will towards Men. O the Infamous Portraiture this Doctrine draws of the Infinite Goodness Is this your Retribution O Injurious Satisfactionists 9. That God's Justice is satisfied for Sins past present and to come whereby God and Christ have lost both their Power of injoyning Godliness and Prerogative of punishing Disobedience for what is once paid is not revokeable and if Punishment should arrest any for their Debts it either argues a Breach on God's or Christ's part or else that it hath not been sufficiently solv'd and the Penalty compleatly sustained by another forgetting that every one must appear before the Judgment-Seat of Christ to receive according to things done in the Body Yea every one must give an account of himself to God But many more are the gross Absurdities and Blasphemies that are the genuine Fruits of this so confidently believ'd Doctrine of Satisfaction Of JUSTIFICATION 1. Not every one that saith unto me Lord Lord shall enter into the Kingdom of Heaven but He that doth the Will of my Father Whosoever heareth these Sayings of mine and doth them I will liken him unto a Wise Man which built his House upon a Rock c. How very fruitful are the Scriptures of Truth in Testimonies against this absurd and dangerous Doctrine these Words seem to import a two-fold Righteousness the first consists in Sacrifice the last in Obedience the one makes a
more full Relation of their Dangerous Tenets Continuation Epist pag 2. He saith The Doctrines delivered by them are such as neither themselves nor any for them can give us a distinct and intelligible Account of and that the Tendency of all their Writings and Declarings doth but lead People into the Thickets of Absurd Inexplicable and Vnintelligible Dotages Epist How plain is it that the Absurdity and Dotage yea and Falshood is his own let the Rational Reader judge in his pretending Faithfully to Represent those Opinions and Tenets which he confesses neither themselves nor any for them excluding himself with all others can give a distinct and intelligible Account of and that they are inexplicable I do not so much regard his absurd Lye herein as take notice how Inconsistent Fruitless and Absurd his Work against us is But why can neither themselves nor any else give a distinct and intelligible Account of their Doctrines If you 'le believe him he saith They talk like Mad-Men as having lost their Common Reason and were absolâ—tely Infatuated Cont. p. 67. and would make the World beliâ—ve as if they were either Distractâ—d or â—orse p. 70. and saith That scarce a Man that reads W. Penn but thinks him to be either Distracted or worse p. 87. Surely if this Man believed all this of us he would not perplex and trouble himself with so much Studying and Scribling against us as he doth his Vexation and Torment would not encrease as it doth What! Mad-men absolutely Infatuated Distracted or worse and yet their Doctrines and Tenets Dangerous How can this be especially if neither Intelligible nor Explicable His Lye against W.P. is so apparent that all in their Wits who read him may see it O T. Hicks why hadst thou not so much Wit as to have hid thy Folly in Silence Thy Prayer is The Lord in Mercy vouchsafe to us in this Hour of Tryal wherein the Spirit of Error doth so fearfully prevail that his Holy Truth may shine out c. Epist Shine out Must not that be in Man's Conscience then How agrees this with his opposing the Light within as a Rule By Spirit of Error no doubt but he means the Spirit of the Quakers But what need this Hour of Tryal thereby come so near him or he fear its prevalency with Errors if it appear in such Distraction and so unintelligible and inexplicable therein as he renders it But how Mad and Distracted soever he represents us his charity and pretended Christianity leads him not to pitty us but grosly to Revile Slander and Abuse us both as Men and as Professors of Religion His Malice cannot enough vent it self against us by counting us Mad-Men absolutely Infatuated Distracted c. but also Cheats Wicked or Vile Impostors Monsters in Religion Dissemblers Prophane Immoral Knave Impudent Fellow and guilty of Deceiâ— and Hypocrisie Equivocation Idle Praâ—ing Horriâ— Blasphemy Arrogance little Respect to Magistrateâ— Wilful Lying Vile Hypocrisie and Deceit the most Implacable Enemies to the Christian Religion as Vile Impostors as ever were Destructive to all Humane Society Horrid Enormities c. But how well this kind of tâ—â—aâ—iâ—â— us with most Calumnious Reviling agrees eitâ—eâ— with his Accusation before of Mad Men Distracted c oâ—â—ith his Pretence to Meekness and Fear p. 3â— Scripture Language and Terms p. 38. or with his intending only our Conviction and Recovery let all sober Readers judge we are sure that this Way of Desâ—ming rendering a People so grosly Odious to the Nation and Obnoxious to the Powers is not the Way either to convince or recover them if deceitved or mis-guided much less to Belye and Slander them in Matters wherein they know themselves clear as he hath done by us As when we declare ouâ— Faith in a Matter and give as plain and sincere Answers as we can that according to plain Scripture he tells us We do notoriously Equivocate and Dissemble p. 54 that we do not in truth believe what we perswade many well-meaning People we do p. 69. Such is the measure we meet withal from this Malitious Accuser who most falsly presumes to be a Judge of our Minds and Intentions contrary to what we in Plainness express wherein our Consciences bear us Recoâ—d in the Sight of God he grosly belyes us and the Deceit and Falshood lies upon himself and he cannot wash his hands of it He told us in his Dialogue p 90. That if the Quakers return him the Common Answer that they are Lyes and Slanders and that he is an Envious Railing Man To the first he should not think himself concerned to give any Reply because he is fully satisfied c. Upon which as I had sufficient Ground I did charge him with being Guilty of â—oth Lyes and Slanders against the Quakers of which â—instanced Seven Dipper Plung pag. 16 17. Notwithstanding he hath promised he should not think himself concerned to give any Reply on this Occasion yet he hath not only written a second Dialogue to vindicate himself from bâ—ing a Slanderer and a Forger but for â—roof of his own Lyes and Forgeries hath added more against us And for the most â—art of his Contradictions I charged against him in the said Dipper â—lung'd he has not so much as made â—n Essay to reconcile them Neither has his Brother V. Kiffin nor any else of his Brethren appeared in â—rint either to vindicate or excuse him though rferred to therein but he must either stand solely â—on his own Legs or fall In that they do somewhat Wisely and Warily but neither Prudently â—r like Christians to suffer their Brother Hicks thus Headily and Out-ragiously to persist in his Perverse Spirt to Clamour Vilifie Reproach and Defame both particular Men and a Body of People fearing God together with their Religion and Sufferings nor will he Grace the Anabaptists Cause with â—is Defaming Pamphlets nor they in spreading them being patcht up with both Lyes and Falshood Be it further observed That Tho. Hicks would perswade the Reader of his Honesty and Conscienciousness touching his Work against us in his seeming Solemn Appeal Epist p. 2 saying God forbid that I should be guilty of such vile Injustice as to charge them with false things Examine the Quotations and thâ—â— judge He would make the World believe he is very Just But let us try him though he be fully handled before if he be not guilty of such vile Injustice as he mentions Where he saith The Holy Scriptures are esteemed by them viz. the Quakers inferiouâ— to their own Pamphlets yea they render them to be of no more Aâ—thority then the Fables of Aesoâ— Epist Where are his Quotations from the Quakers that they thus render the Holy Scriptures He refers us to none at all I charge him with an Abominalle Slander Vile Injustice and Gross Deceit in thâ— And we utterly Disown and Abominate such an Undervaluing Comparison of the Holy Scriptures as here he hath accused us of O seared
him into all Truth as he obeyes it Bap. Abel Enoch Abraham Isaac Jacob Noah c. had a Sufficient Rule before the Scriptures were written viz. the Spirit 's Rule God's Speaking and Directions from his own Mouth and that they had a more Infallible Word to waâ—k by then now is to us For 't is possible that some Scriptures may be corrupted having been in the hands of corrupted Men. The Scriptures may be and is corrupted by Man This may be graâ—ted that the Spirit is the Rule Of more Efficacy then the Letter The Spirit is greater then the Letter Jo. Newman's Light Within page 19 20 104 105 106 108 110 112. VIII Qua. 'T is possible for True Believers through the Power and Help of Jesus Christ to attain to such a Perfection in this Life as the keeping the Commandments of God Bap. The Spirit of God assures us that they who are subject to and keep the Commandments of God are the Children of God and they who do not are Lyars 1 John 2.3 4. cap. 5.2 3. Contin p. 61. IX Qua. That Remission and Pardon of Sins past thrâ—ugh the Blood Righteousness of Christ Jesus tâ—e Justification of Persons whether it import the making or declaring them Righteous in Christ by a Living Faith are neither imputed nor reckon'd of God tâ— thâ—m in an Unconverted Unsanctified Disobedient or Ungodly State but to the truly Repentant Converted Believing and Obedient Souls Bap. I know of none that hold Justification of Persons in their Vngodliness We plead not for a Righteousness Imputed to overthrow a Righteousness Inherent or the Exercise of Christian Vertues He that is pardoned were a Sinner till justified not such that remain so being satiâ—fied Contin p. 55 56. The Saints are made the Righteousness of God that is God now as in Christ dâ—â—â—'s and â—â—â—s in the Saints hâ— hâ—â—â—pirit writes his Law in their Hearts makes them Partakers of his own Nature and so goes oâ— in Fulfilling his own Righteousness in thâ—â— For the Righteousness of the Law in the Spirit is fulfilled in us Marrow Christian p. 38. X. Qua. Though the Soul and Spirit of Man be not of God's Divine and Infinite Being but related â—o the Being of Man and as Corruptible hath a mutâ—blâ— Habit yet as we are his Off-spring and Man is the Image and Glory of God the Original â—ife oâ— Soul of the Soul that came from God and is immutable is of his own Being In short God in whom we live move and have our Being is the Life of Lives and Great Soul of Son's and the Soul thâ—t is Saved and United to God doth partake of his Divine Nature and he that is joyned to the Lord is one Spirit Bap. The Condescension of God and Christ into the Hearts of his People to woâ—k up his Saints into the sâ—â—â— Nature with himself c. God aâ—d Christ iâ— Holy so his Word is Holâ— and through Faith in tâ—is 〈◊〉 Christians are wrought up into the Nature of it self and into God J. Newman 's Book Light Within p 78 84 87 88. There were the Propeâ—ties oâ— Gâ—â— iâ— some measure imparted to Adam Adam was in the Image of God in respect of Eternity he hâ—d given hâ—m an Everlasting Being Marrow of Christianity pag. 4 5. Christ was both the Power and Wiâ—dom â—f God and as Christ so all the Saints are 〈◊〉 one iâ— thâ—s Wisdom Christ is made unto us Wisdom nâ—t only by wâ—y of Imputation but by the Operatiâ—n of the same â—pirit who dwells as truly in every Believer as in Christ ibid. pag. 34 35. And have not sâ—me of their Brethren confâ—st That there is a kind â—f Infiniteness in the Soul XI Qua. The Children of the Resurrection shall be equal unto the Angels of God in Heaven and their Bodies not Natural Earthly and 〈◊〉 the very Gross Mâ—ttâ—r that nâ—w they are 〈…〉 Celestial Spiritual like uâ—to Chriâ—â—'◠〈◊〉 Body God giveth a Body as it plâ—asâ—th 〈◊〉 in Subjection to whose Good Pleasure we 〈◊〉 quiesce till it be effected as he seâ—th 〈…〉 own Praise Bap. That there shall be a Resurrection of the â—ody at the Last Day is Evident John 5 〈◊〉 11. with 1 Cor. 15. Rev. 20. although 〈…〉 some denyed and by others too caâ—â—lly looke◠〈◊〉 Some thinking that our Bodies of Flesh shall be Raised in the same Form in which it Dyed c. The Form in which they shall be raised that is a Spiritual Form not in a Fleshly It is sown a Natural Body it is raised a Spiritual Body When Christ who is our Life shall pâ—eâ—r we shall appear with him in Glory all Flesh shall he swâ—llowed up in â—pirit and our Bodies shall be changed and made like unto his Glorious Body Marrow of Christianity by T.C. pag. 93 94 95. And those Saints who are alive at the Coming of Christ shall be changed in a Moment in the Twinkling of an Eâ—e 1 Cor. 15.51 52. and so shall be caught up in the Spirit to meet the Lord in the Air 1 Thes 4.17 Ibid. p. 92. XII Qua. The Son of God doth not consist or is not made up of a Humane Body of Flesh Blood and Bones For he was the Word and One in Being with the Father from Everlasting But in the Fulness of Time he took upon him Flesh or that Body prepared for him and being Ascended into Glory his Body is a Glorious Body surpassing all Humane Earthly Carnal and Corruptible Bodies Bap. Christ was a Son by a Spiritual Proceeding and Coming from the Father who was Eternally One in the Father Marrow of Châ— p. 30. Our Bodies shall be changed and made like his Glorious Body Ibid. p. 95. Theâ— shall be raised in a Spiritual Form not in a Fleshly p. 94. The â—on took Flesh upon him the Word took Fleâ—h the Father did prepare him a Body Dialogue p. â—5 4â— and 83. XIII Qua. Christ being so highly exalted and Glorified as it God's Right Hand as he is can be neither Proof nor Argument that he is not iâ— any Man nor that either Christ or God's Right Hand is limited and circumscribed to such Remotâ—ness as not to be in the True Believers to save and uphold their Souls Bap. When a Soul is satisfied from its Vnion with God and its Dwelling in God that all the Administrations and makings forth of God is Love unto it thus it dwells in Love and from hence is filled with Joy It causeth the Soul alwayes to dwell at the Right Hand of God where is Joy and Pleasure for evermore Marrow of Christian p. 28. Christ the Son was Eternally one in the Father so in him all Believers are made by the same Spirit the Adopted Sons of God being made Partakers of the same Divine Nature Marrow of Christian p. 30. Christ dwells Spiritually in all the Saints If Christ be in you you shall be sensible of it Ibid p 31.32 Tâ—is Indwelling of Christ in his People God and Christ cannot be
Reason against Railing AND Truth against Fiction Being An Answer to those Two late Pamphlets Intituled A Dialogue between a Christian and a Quaker and the Continuation of the Dialogue c. by one Thomas Hicks an Anabaptist Teacher In which His Dis-ingenuity is Represented His Prophaneness is Rebuked His Forgeries are Detected His Cavils are Confounded And Thomas Hicks proved No Christian By several short Arguments raised from his Ungodly Way of Procedure against us By one that cannot but Contend earnestly for the True Faith once delivered to the Saints W. Penn. Ye shall conceive Chaff ye shall bring forth Stubble your Breath as Fire shall devour you Isa 33.11 Printed Anno 1673. TO THE READER Reader OF what sort of People soever thou art sure I am that Almighty God hath placed a Witness for himself in thy Conscience unto whom thou must stand or fall in the Terrible Day of Account Vain will all prove that gives not to abide the Test of that Day when the Works of all Mankind shall assuredly come to Judgment But blessed forever will they be who not deluding themselves with Unprofitable Notions shall appear with Consciences void of Offence before God Angels and Men. And as I have been taught to seek that Happiness above all other however mis-represented by Ungodly Men so would I not for many Worlds hazard the Peace of that State by any unjust Proceed against this Adversary now before me however provokt by his Exorbitances I would give the Worst of Men their Due and as I justly esteem him of that Number so God forbid that I should in the least deprive him of his Right a Robbery I would not after his Example be guilty of Sorry I am that so many Occasions are renewed to trouble both thee and my self with Books of Controversie did I consult my own Ease and the common Peace of the several Religious Interests of this Land Silence should have been my Choice God is my record these things have deeply griev'd my very Soul and made me cry Oh when will Men rather press after Piety then contend â—or Opinion and devote themselves to the sincere Practice of that true and undefiled Religion instead of Pursuing the sinister Ends of what they falsly repute such Shall Noise alwayes go for Zeal and implacable Contest constantly be esteem'd contending for the Faith once delivered to the Saints Miserable People Who know not that of all the Enemies Faith has to overcome there is not a greater to be conquered It is an old Fâ—tch of the Devils to besaint his own Off-spring that he may beguile the Simple-hearted and to think of doing God good Service in persecuting his Truth was the Condition of the high-professing Jews of old Reader It hath been our great Unhappiness that we have not been hitherto known as we are for since we evermore desire to be unvail'd to God there is nâ— Reason why we should abscond our selves from Men no would we were known of Men as wâ— are known of the Lord But such is the Impudencâ— of this Adversary that whilst we seek nothing moâ—â— then to be understood he would have the World believe we glory in being Unintelligible and seem to make the whole Drift of his Discourse to be a Discovery of us who instead of pulling our pretended Mask off puts a frightful Vizard on and then leads us up and down his Dialogues for a Sight This is G. Fox that G. Whitehead and the other Edward Burroughs or William Penn c. perverting detracting mis-construing vilisying slandering to the height and which is worst of all this Villanous Practice is to pass for godly Zeal and in Defence of the Gospel Reader I have only this to request be Moderate be Impartial and this grant for thy own sake that what Judgment thou shalt hereafter make of us or our Enemies may be such as thou shalt not be ashamed of in the Day of the Lord God Certainly it concerns us to beseech all to weigh these Things For never were Men more Innocent and yet never any rendered moâ—â— Nocent Our Reputation here and our Welfare hereafter are brought into Question we must be at once the Worst and most Imprudent Men if what be charged be True And if False our Adversary greatly both For such is the Accusation that nothing short of foulest Wickedness can lie at one of our Doors And though I know many slight him who yet are not of us reputing him no better then a meer Janizary in Religion one that fights for his Pay and writes for his Living a kind of homily-Hireling not worth our Notice yet since such is the Unhappiness of some that they stick not to entertain more favourable Thoughts of his Endeavours against us for their sakes and to detect his Envy Error and Injustice to the World am I now engaged And if God give me Life I hope to pursue this undertaking effectually let him get what Stock of Force and Ammunition he can Reader I omit to say more here but that I am with all Sincerity 15th 3d Moneth 1673 Thy true Friend W. Penn. Reason against Railing AND Truth against Fiction CHAP. I. The Introduction to the Discourse Reasons why the Dialogue was not answered before IF it shall be wondered at by any that we are so quick with our Return to T.H. upon his Second Dialogue who seem'd no more concern'd for his First 't is fit that such know the Reasons we have to give in our Defence First We esteemed it a Fiction calculated to the vain and scoffing Humour of the Vulgar without all Savour of Mercy Justice Seriousness or Civility worthy of no Man's Patronage that would be in earnest about Religion To employ our Time about a large compleat and distinct Book had been to loose it 2 ly George Whitehead the Person most engaged had given such an Account of it in brief to the World that with many it seem'd sufficient since the Contradictions by him observ'd are no wayes reconciled nor so much as attempted by T.H. in his last Dialogue 3 ly Because whatever might seem to carry any Force with it throughout that confident Piece of Forgery we resolved to consider among many other Adversaries in one large Volumn which is accordingly done And had it not been for other intervening Discourses with the great Difficulty we â—ave to print our Just Defences when we have made them a Strait our Enemies are not put to it had long ere this come to publick View 4 ly Several other Adversaries were then before us who whether they said any thing more injurious to be sure pretended better Proof and Evidence for what they affirmed 5 ly So just Complaint having met him as well from several unconcerned in our Way as our Friends to wit That he had charged the Quaker with saying what he did not at least to him and in that case if ever he coulâ— prove it to have been either his Saying or his Belief at any time
Christ Spirit Anointing Gift of God c. under the New Testament Two short Scripture Arguments spring in my Mind for the Divinity and Sufficiency of the Light and from thence I shall conside this Objections I. If God be Divine and sufficient to Salvation and the Word be God and the Life of the Word One with the Word and the Life of the Word the Light of Men then is the Light of Men Divine and Sufficient to Salvation But God is Divine and Sufficient to Salvation and the Word is God and the Life of the Word One with the Word and the Life of the Word the Light of Men. Therefore I conclude that the Light of Men which is the Life of the Word which Word is God is Divine and Sufficient to Eternal Salvation II. That which was in all Ages the just Man's Path and there where the Blood of Cleansing is known to cleanse and by which Fellowship is enjoyed and the Light of Eternal Life obtained is ever was and ever will be a Divine Sufficient and Saving Way But such a Way is the Light as the several Scriptures in the Margent will testifie Consequently the Light is Divine and Sufficient to Salvation The only Cavil at these Arguments will be this I deny this Light to be the Common Light in all Men. To which I say that there cannot be Two Spiritual Lights of the Life of the Word and not the same if Two could be For whatever is of the same Nature though not of the same Degree is still the same in Kind If there be another Light that is Saving tell us from whence it comes but first prove this not Saving And as these things are too Difficult I hope for him to compass so is it as Ridiculous and Blasphemous to think that God should give Man an Insufficient Light But why any if not Sufficient I have heard and read often That all God's Gifts are Perfeâ—t 'T is strange that his Light to Men should be so Lame Defective and Imperfect as T.H. represents it But suppose this Light to be so Why an Insufficient Light and a Saving Light both The lattâ—r would have done our Business It is Injurious to Man to let him have a Fallible Guide For when he may think himself certain he may be in the greatest Danger by mistaking one for the other or thinking not of them as they are But Thanks be to the God of Light we know for WE WITNESS better things how ill a Reason and how offensive soever Witnessing is to Thomas Hicks an Anabaptist-Teacher to whose Brethren Experiences once were the great Foundation of both their Knowledge and Comfort though now mockt at by him with great Derision in a Quaker But to his Objections faithfully contracted 1. If this Light ever was and is Sufficient how comes it that Men have been and are so degenerated in Faith Discipline and Worship They have all this Light by your Principle 2ly If this Light had been Sufficient wherefore should God have superadded so many other Wayes and Means they would be then needless 3ly Christ being the Only Saviour who was born of a Virgin at Bethlehem wrought Miracles was cut off bore our Sins c. I query how all this can be affirmed of the Light 4ly Are not all the Generations of Christians since Christ's time till within these very few Years certainly Lost and Damned forasmuch as they acknowledge not this Light within as the True Christ To the first I answer There is nothing therein which may be thought to reflect upon the Light but what falls as heavily upon all other Wayes Helps Ordinances Appointments yea the Scriptures and which is more upon God and Christ and the Holy Spirit too For if the Degeneracy of Man that is the sad Effect of his own Rebellion shall be a valid Proof of the Insufficiency of the Light within then must we conclude from the Degeneracy that hath been among Jews and Christians and which remains to this Day that all those Assistances Wayes and Helps which have been given in reality were not Potent nor Sufficient for the End they were given The Consequences of which Opinion of our Adversaries are these Two and sad enough 1. That God in his Wayes must have been and is Insufficient and 2. That Man never was neither is any wayes faulty In short that may be sufficient to Salvation which if neglected will never work Salvation as in the Parable of the Talents may be seen To the Second I briefly say That Man's Mind being so much abroad through unstable and vain Wandrings from God's Light the Lord in Wisdom and Condescension to the Weakness of Man and Darkness of that Carnal State did accommodate both his Discoveries to Man and that Worship he required from Man according to his Capacity to receive the one and perform the other If God went into Outward Things to meet with Man's Mind that was abroad to the End that gradually it might return home shall we infer Weakness in the Light Man in that State was incapable he must have been new-molded and as another Creation to have then received that Testimoy in all its Plainness which God hath brought forth in after Ages If any will undertake to charge Weakness upon Man let him But I warn all how they conclude it against the Light since the same falls on God and his good Spirit who made Use of such Wayes and Means in order to gain upon Man's Mind and beget a right Understanding and Sence of what was his Will concerning him Besides not only did the Divine Light and Life appear unto Man in and through those things as Vailes But that which gave Man true Discerning Repentance and to do the Thing that ever was acceptable with God in any measure and which was as the Soul Life and Spirit of all the true and well-pleasing Sacrifices was a measure of that Divine Light of Life in their Hearts at that time though as Samuel in a like Case they knew it not Let none then charge the Weakness of the Administration upon the Light but the Generation to whom he that is the Light of and in Men appeared as Mankind has been able to receive the Knowledge of him It was not Insufficiency in God nor in his Light or Spirit if Man's Eyes were not strong enough to behold the Brightness of what after Ages have beheld But it was his Mercy and Goodness that he proportioned both his Discoveries and Requirings according to Man's Ability To conclude The Light is still the same in it self through all Ages and not a whit the less Sufficient because through its Invisibility and Spirituallity and the Wandrings abroad and great Carnallity of Man's Mind some External Means were used suitable to Man's Weakness through which to reach into Man and raise up some further Knowledge of the Spirtuallity of God's Worship Nor because of the Light 's Sufficiency as to it self ought any to infer that those Wayes
the Propagation of that Inward Religion however their Form may be more scriptural the same Spirit enters them that reigned in their old Persecutors and they at last run back and end in that from whence they at first reformed So dangerous is it to rest satisfied with a finer Form which in Truth is but a better Covering for the old Enemy of God's Spirit and Power to act more disguisely and securely in But lest any should think that all this is said to justle the Scriptures out of all Use and Service read these few lines following with Patience and Impartiality Though we eminently account the Light or Spirit of Christ to be the Gospel Living and Immediate Rule as the great Promise of the Father and that without being ruled and lead or guided by there is no being a Child of God yet we do not thereby intend an Exclusion of the Scriptures from being Obligatory or as not Declaratory of those heavenly blessed Truths that are fit to be read believed and practised God forbid No we know better and practise otherwise and have good Satisfaction therein Nor do we say that those essential Things relating to Faith and Godliness mentioned therein are by us to be sleighted or contradicted or that the Light and Spirit we are led by doth or can lead to any such thing for by its Holy Discoveries and Convictions are we made acquainted with them and our Faith concerning them is firm and they are thereby made our Duty and such is their Correspondence and Agreement that from an INWARD ASSENT AND LIVING AMEN FROM GOD's LIGHT IN OUR CONSCIENCES do we testifie of their Truth Vse and Dignity And very vain is T. Hick's Objection If your Light be Sufficient why do you read them since we may return to him the same If the Scriptures be Sufficient why dost thou use other Means Though God's Grace be Sufficient of it self therefore is the Creature always in that Condition wherein he needs not Means And notwithstanding it be the Dispensation of Light and Life more Immediately then has been known to former Ages yet we deny not the Use of such Means as may be used of God's Light and Spirit as will be spoken more largly to elsewhere Man's Mind being Carnal and abroad Means in God's Power are us'd not as settl'd Teachers but as Instruments in God's Hand to testifie of and direct to that one Great Prophet and Living Teacher in the Hearts of Men that all may come thither and be taught of him CHAP. V. Of his Insinuations against us concerning the Scriptures BUt T.H. that he may be true to his Ungodly Way of perverting our Principles would insinuate First That we esteem the Scriptures no farther then as they were the Experiences of Ancient Saints thereby rendering the many Prophecies and Promises therein recorded not yet fulfilled Vnprofitable But to take off all Credit to this evil Suggestion let our sober Readers know that by the Light of Christ in our own Hearts and Consciences as to confirm what of the Scriptures we have experienced and press after the Compleatment of those Enjoyments therein expressed so are we taught reverently to believe those holy Prophecies and Promises yet unaccomplished to have been given forth by the Inspiration of the Almighty and that they shall be as certainly fulfilled as they are written Yet we dare boldly affirm and that in the Name of the Lord before whom we shall give an Account for every Deed done in the Body that the greatest Reason of our Belief concerning them is not from any Outward thing but that Inward Testimony Record and Heavenly Amen that we have frequently received from the holy Light within us to the Truth and Faithfulness of those Sayings And if any Quakers there be that are not thus minded they are to me unknown and I publickly renounce and protest against that Principle that would in the least derogate from those Holy Writings which leads me to his Second Insinuation viz. As if because we do deny the Scriptures to be the Rule of Faith and Practice in Honour to that Divine Light which was the Author of them in the Holy Pen-men that we should therefore deny all those holy Precepts Commandments and Rules relating to Life and Godliness that are therein contained A Consequence so foul that God forbid any of us should ever give any Just Occasion for it For we both believe Men ought to livâ— up to them and that they are highly Reprovâ—able if they transgress against them But the Reason why is that Conviction they meet with from the Light in their own Consciences wherefore the Scriptures are so far from being the great Rule of Faith and Practice that the Light of Christ within is both our Warrant and Rule for Faith in and Obedience to them And let T.H. say if he can that the Waldenses Albigenses Loâ—lards Hussites Lutherans Calvinists and other Protestants made not the Testimony of God in their Conscience the chief Ground of their Belief of the Scriptures to say nothing of the primitive Christians and most uncorrupted Fathers who are many and positive on our behalf 3 ly He insinuates that we equal nay prefer our Books before the Scriptures because of the Titles we give our own Books viz. The Voice of Wisdom A Testimony for God c. and what we give the Scripture namely Letter c. This I have largely spoken to in my Answer to J. Faldo but not knowing whether ever that may be where this probably may come I shal say thus much If at any time we call the Scripture the Letter it is not that we mean thereby our Books are the Spirit or that we would irreverently set them below our Writings but upon a Comparison only betwixt the Scriptures and the Spirit that gave them forth and that I hope may be done without the least Disrespect though such whose Religion stands in Letter and Time and not in Spirit and Power be angry at it But that we should be thought to sleight the Scriptures because we bestow such Names upon our Books is a strange kind of Consequence Are not our Books mostly written in a plain familiar and Scripture-stile Do we not earnestly endeavour to confirm what we write by Scripture which not only renders it a Paâ—t of our Book but the most Noble Part too And shall we notwithstanding be reputed Sleighters of the Scriptures Certainly if our Books are called The Voice of Wisdom and A Testimony for God because from the Voice of Wisdom and God's Witness in the Conscience by good Reason must the Scriptures be interested therein who are both a part of them and such a one too as unto whom our Quotation implies a Manifest Preference His next Insinuation is that it is Dangerous for Ignorant People to read the Scriptures flinging those hateful Names of Jesuit and Romanist upon us This Doctrine he layes to the Charge of G. Fox and Rich. Hubberthorn in a Book called Truth
Dialogue Chr. Was not Christ God's Gift Quak. Yea he was so Chr. To what end Quak. His Doctrine Life Miracles Death and Sufferings to God is the Gift and Expression of God's Eternal Love for the Salvation of Men. Penn's Sandy Found Pag. 19. Chr. Thou hast affirmed that God is Christ If so Did God die and suffer to God To which I answer that T. Hicks as in other places so here is basely Unjust and if he accounts me his Adversary or an Opposer of his Principles though I never had to do with him in particular nor any of that People in general It behov'd him to be honest and give me my due Instead of which he leaves out some Words and horribly perverts the rest For first I did in that Book acknowledge and confess to Christ's Bodily Appearance and that he was born of the Virgin Mary after the Flesh and that largely and plainly p. 36. which he wholy omitts to mention Secondly I do not remember that I so exprest my self that God was Christ but whether I did or no to insinuate a Denyal of his Manifestation in Flesh is most perversly wicked and ungodly as well as that it plainly shews notwithstanding his feigned Confession to Christ's Divinity that in truth he owns him not to be God or he has very ill exprest himself when he sayes thou affirmest God is Christ or Christ is God for it implies he does not else what means his following words did God himself dye and suffer to God he thus queries to shew the Absurdity of believing God to be Christ or Christ to be God and tells us that he believes what dyed was the Intire Christ Certainly he is either rank Socinian in the Point which I mention not in Disgrace unless it be to that Party that so impious a Person is of it or he has not well given us his Mind But this proves what elsewhere I observe of him that from our Asserting Christ to be God or God Christ Tho. Hicks is ignorant or malitious enough to infer that we deny that ever he took Flesh whence he would fasten such like Absurdities upon us you say Christ dyed Christ you say is God did then God dye c. But if he has represented us to deny the Bodily Appearance why did he not also make us to deny his Death and Sufferings too and then there had been no room for that preposterous Conclusion But to insinuate a Belief of our Denyal of Christs's coming in the Flesh and not of his Death that he might bring us upon this Pinch of Contradiction to wit that God dyed and not the Body in which he was manifested is such an invented piece of Dishonesty as deserves nothing else then the Abhorrence of all Impartial Persons In short we say that God manifested in Flesh was the true Christ that then appeared that the Flesh and not God dyed and that the whole of the Appearance whether in Life or Death was for Man's Salvation And if Tho. Hicks is not herewith contented we cannot help it but hope others are not so Unreasonable But he proceeds thus Give me leave to ask you directing himself to his foresaid Quaker Whether one great End wherefore Christ was given and came into the World was not to seek and to Save such that were lost Quak. Yea he came to seek and save the lost Christ But who or what is this that was lost He wickedly and with an Aggravation like the Enmity of his Spirit thus makes G. Keith to answer That which is lost is still in Man That Christ came to seek and save and all his Ministers preached People to this the lost in Man a lost God a lost Christ c. To which sayes T.H. Blush O Heavens and be Astonished O Earth Was ever such a thing as this heard of before that Jesus Christ came to seek and save a lost God a lost Christ c. Was ever God and Christ in a Lost Condition But the Heavens may Blush and the Earth be Astonished indeed at such sordid and base Dealing G. Keith means that Christ came to seek and to save by turning People to enquire after a lost God and a lost Christ the Groat within the Pearl in the Field c. that is to God's Light in them by which God and Christ are revealed to the Soul For whatever may be known of God is manifest within which they Rebelling against had lost the Knowledge of the only true God and Jesus Christ And this unrighteous Person turns it that G. Keith meant that Christ came to seek and to save a lost God and lost Christ What Sence can there be in so horrible a Perversion as well as that there is no colour for it who endeavours to insinuate that Christ came to save God and Christ not the Soul by turning it to seek after God and Christ and to represent God and Christ's Condition Lost and Perilous instead of theirs who had or have lost God and Christ In short Lost as taken by T.H. is meant of Man's lost Condition and as there used by G. Keith is understood of God and Christ whom Man had and hath lost the Knowledge of and Fellowship with But such sinister Practices savour of the height of Dishonesty The Inventer of BAXTER BAPTIZED IN BLOOD BY ANABAPTISTS is nothing to this horrible kind of Perversion And I doubt not but T. Hick's Recompence will be more terrible from the hand of a Just God irritated by such Irreligious Proceedings However I will return upon T. Hicks what more concerns him then he is aware of If Christ came to seek and to Save that which was Lost then because the whole World was lost he came to seek and to save the whole World And if so then Reprobates because Lost or else there can be no such thing as Eternal Reprobation or Men from Eternity unalterably decreed to Eternal Destruction How much more this confounds his own partial Opinion of Predestination then any thing he has said can the Quakers Principles let the Sober minded judge CHAP. VII Of the Seed and Redemption of the Seed HIs next Stumble and gross Perversion of our Words is concerning the Seed from a passage or two taken out of the Books of J.N. and G.F. That the Seed is Christ that the Seed wants Redemption as being laden by Sinners as a Cart with Sheaves c. He thus argues If then Redemption be of the Seed and this Seed be Christ either there must be more Christs then one or else Christ came to redeem himself Again Christ-without you esteem to be but a Creature but the Seed-within you say is God Tell me seriously whether a Creature can redeem the Creator Can you pretend to be guided by an Infallible Spirit and yet be guilty of such gibberish and folly as this To which before I make my Answer I think fit to insert that which he gives in the Name of the Quakers Here thou shewest
Talking the other a Doing Christian I in short argue thus If none can enter into the Kingdom of Heaven but they that do the Father's Will then none are justified but they who do the Father's Will because none can enter into the Kingdom but such as are justified Since therefore there can be no Admittance had without Performing that Righteous Will and Doing those Holy and perfect Sayings Alas to what Value will an imputative Righteousness amount when a poor Soul shall awake polluted in his Sin by the hasty Calls of Death to make its Appearance before the Judgment Seat where 't is impossible to justifie the Wicked or that any should escape uncondemned but such as do the Will of God 2. For not the Hearers of the Law are just before God but the Doers of the Law shall be justified From whence how unanswerably may I observe Unless we become Doers of that Law which Christ came not to destroy but as our Example to fulfil we can never be justified before God wherefore Obedience is so absolutely necessary that short of it there can be no Acceptance Nor let any fancy that Christ hath so fulfill'd it for them as to exclude their Obedience from being requisite to their Acceptance but only as their Pattern For unless ye follow me saith Christ ye cannot be my Disciples And it is not only repugnant to Reason but in this place particularly refuted for if Christ had fulfill'd it on our behalf and we not enabled to follow his Example there would not be Doers but One Doer only of the Law justified before God In short if without Obedience to the Righteous Law none can be justified then all the Hearing of the Law with but the meer Imputation of anothers Righteousness whilst actually a Breaker of it is excluded as not justifying before God If you fulfill the Royal Law ye do well so speak ye and so DO as they that shall be judg'd thereby 3. If ye live after the Flesh ye shall dye but if ye through the Spirit do mortifie the Deeds of the Body ye shall live No Man can be dead and justified before God for so He may be justified that lives after the Flesh therefore they only can be justified that are alive from whence this follows If the Living are justified and not the Dead and that none can live to God but such as have mortified the Deeds of the Body through the Spirit then none can be justified but they who have mortified the Deeds of the Body through the Spirit so that justification does not go before but is subsequential to the Mortification of Lusts and Sanctification of the Soul through the Spirit 's operation 4. Was not Abraham our Father justified by Works when he had offered Isaak his Son upon the Altar Ye see then how that by Works a Man is justified and not by Faith only He that will seriously peruse this Chapter shall doubtless find some to whom this Epistle was writen of the same Spirit with the Satisfactionists and Imputarians of our tâ—me they fain would have found out a Justification from Faith in and the Imputation of anothers Righteousness but James an Apostle of the most high God who experimentally knew what true Faith and Justification meant gave them to understand from Abraham's self-denying Example that unless their Faith in the Purity and Power of God's Grace had that effectual Operation to subdue every beloved Lust wean from every Dallila and intirely to resign and sacrifice Isaak himself their Faith was a Fable or as a Body without a Spirit and as Righteousness therefore in one Person cannot justify another from Unrighteousness so whoever now pretends to be justified by Faith whilst not led and guided by the Spirit into all the Wayes of Truth and Works of Righteousness their Faith they will find at last Fiction Consequences Irreligious and Irrational 1. It makes God guilty of what the Scriptures say is an Abomination to wit that he justifieth the Wicked 2. It makes him look upon Persons as they are not or with respect which is unworthy of his most Equal Nature 3. He is hereby at Peace with the Wicked if justified whilst Sinners who said There is no Peace to the Wicked 4. It does only imply Communion with them here in an Imperfect State but so to all Eternity for whom he justifieth them he also glorifieth Therefore whom he justify'd whilst Sinners them he also glorify'd whilst Sinners 5. It only secures from the Wages not the Dominion of Sin whereby something that is sinful becomes justify'd and that which defileth to enter God's Kingdom 6. It renders a Man justify'd and condemn'd dead and alive redeemed and not redeemed at the same time the one by an Imputative Righteousness the last by a Personal Unrighteousness 7. It flatters Men whilst subject to the World's Lusts with a State of Justification and thereby invalids the very End of Christ's Appearance which was to destroy the Works of the Devil and take away the Sins of the World CHAP. X. Of the Doctrine of Sanctification and Perfection The Ignorance or Malice of T. Hicks Detected OF the Doctrine of Sanctification he has several Vnsanctified Passages though he bestows not much time upon that Important Subject some of which I shall take a little notice of Christ Let us understand your Opinion of Sanctification what it is Out of Ed. Burroughs he answereth himself thus Quak. 'T is Christ Hence we conclude to say Sanctification is Imperfect in this Life is as much as to say Christ is Imperfect To which he replies Christ 'T is true 't is Jesus Christ by his Spirit is the Author and Worker of Sanctification but will it therefore follow that the Work of Sanctification in us is Christ or that this Work is perfect in all its Degrees Now let any tell me wherein T. Hicks could have more grosly mistaken E. Burroughs who frequently insults over the Grave and Labours of that Faithful Servant of the Lord then he has done on purpose I doubt not to insinuate his Belief of the contrary to what he opposed But hear Edw. Burrough's Words at large in Answer to Priest Eaton Thou sayest Sanctification is not Perfect in this Life And the New Man the Spirit or Law of the Mind is that Grace or Imperfect Sanctification Then Christ is not Perfect in this Life for He is made of God unto us Sanctification 1 Cor. 1.30 In this it is evident First That the Priest did not so much strike at the Work done in the Creature as at the Perfection of the Principle by which the Work should be perfected in the Creature 2dly E. Burroughs did not in that place meerly intend the Work of Sanctification but the Author and Worker of it who is oftentimes called by the Name of the Work it self the Cause by the Effect as is plain from the Scripture quoted in which he used but Paul's Words How basely done was it
then in Tho. Hicks not only to leave out what the Priest asserted but to misconstrue E. B's Answer and that such Perversion might go the more Unquestionable omit the Insertion of that Scripture in which Christ is by the Aâ—stle said to be made Sanctification to the Saints the mention of which would have given a clear Understanding of E. Burroughs's Answer and broke the Neck of his Ungodly Purpose to misrepresent him We say and it was the Faith and Tendency of the Writings of that Just Man 1. To assert a Perfect Principle of Righteousness and Sanctification which is Sanctification and Perfection in the abstract 2. The Possibility of being Perfectly Sanctified by it 3. That such Sanctification when taken for the Author of it who is the Fountain of all Holiness and Purity is Compleat and Perfect 4. When taken for the Work of the Spirit in the Creature it is first Perfect in Degree only but as the Creature comes into perfect Subjection unto the Spirit and Power of him that raised up Jesus from the Dead which hath wrought that Perfection in Degree he comes to experience that Sanctification throughout in Body Soul and Spirit which the Apostle otherwise minded then T. Hicks prayed the Churches might witness which is that blessed State wherein he that 's born of God SINS NOT Old things are done away ALL IS BECOME NEW No more I but Christ that liveth in me I write unto you Young Men because ye have OVERCOME the Wicked One Be ye Perfect as your Heavenly Father is Perfect unto a PERFECT MAN That the Man of God may be PERFECT The God of Peace make you PERFECT IN EVERY GOOD WORK The God of all Peace make you PERFECT Let us cleanse our selves from ALL FILTHINESS OF FLESH AND SPIRIT Perfecting Holiness in the Fear of the Lord. With many more Places of like Importance But he objects Why doth the Apostle exhort Sanctified Persons to put off the Old Man from Coloss 3.5 If where the Old Man the Body of Sin remains none are Sanctified as saith E.B. This indeed is the Drift of the Man he would be Sanctified whilst Unsanctified as Dangerous as it is Absurd For what thing can be and not be the same thing at one and the same time But I deny they were then Sanctified who stood in need of that Reproof and Exhortation to wit that they should mortifie such Lusts as Fornication Vncleanness Inordinate Affection and Covetousness which is Idolatry Sanctifying such are who are Mortifying but when Sin is not Mortifying none are Sanctifying and where Sin is not Mortified no Man is Sanctified We may easily see what a Church-Fellowship T.H. can allow of and what a Gospel-Sanctification it is he pleads for Can Men be Sanctified and yet so Corrupt If they can tell me in what sense and from what they are cleansed Is this the End of pleading for Perfection in Degree to allow these Abominable Enormities as Church-Infirmities Away for Shame But that a perfect Sanctification is no Heresie suppose they had been Sanctify'd Persons to whom the Apostle wrote which could not be Sanctifying was the most yet since he exhorted them to put off the Old Man which Old Man is the Body of Sin and that when he is off he is not on and that the Apostle exhorted them Not to an Impossible thing I conclude from his Question that a State of Perfect Sanctification is attainable He pretended to correct E. B's Extravagancy but whatever Face he puts upon it this is the Mark he aims at To conclude and sum up his Ungodly Method E.B. speaks of a Perfect Sanctification in Christ T.H. infers that same perfect Sanctification immediately to the Creature not only confounding the Worker and Work the Cause and the Effect about which one piece of Baseness he bestows not a little Pains but suggesting thereby that we deny all Sanctification or Perfection in Degree and that we are as compleatly Perfect as Christ himself Next He leaves out those words that would best explain his Mind And Lastly All his Opposition is because the Quakers are for having Men Sanctify'd before they are Accounted so and New Creatures before they ought to be reputed Good Christians which so directly Vn-churches and Vn-christians T. Hicks that we may well believe it a main Reason for his Implacableness against them CHAP. XI Of COMMANDS MOTIONS and MINISTRY T. Hicks proved Vnjust to us and an Enemy to God's Law Gospel the Quakers and himself HE has not less abused and belyed us in these three Particulars then any thing he has written against us which I shall briefly shew To this Passage in E. Burroughs's Works That is no Command to me which is a Command to another neither did any of the Saints act by a Command that was given to another he thus answers Then that Law which forbids Idolatry Adultery Murder Theft and Bearing false Witness is no Law to you And after having made this indirect Consequence he breaketh forth Impiously Horrid Vngodly Irreverent Patronizers of Blasphemy Countenancers of such Novices Prophane Scribler and abundance more Now though I have said something to this before and have largely vindicated that Passage against J. Faldo yet I cannot well omit touching here upon it the Matter being so aggravated by this disingenuous Person These Commands must either relate to Ordinary or Extraordinary Duty I mean they must either be such Commands as that of Moses 's going to Pharaoh Isaiah's going Naked Jeremiah 's making Yoaks Amos 's going to the Kings's Chappel with many more And here I do affirm with that Faithful Young Man of God that the Command which came to them not coming to another that other Person is not only not warranted but condemnable in an Imitation of any of them If then such Extraordinary Commands as these before mentioned must not be intended then those that are Ordinary and Common to Mankind as Fearing God and working Righteousness towards God towards their Relations both Natural and Civil Now I would ask T.H. if he believes that Idolatry Murder Adultery Theft and Bearing false Witness be not reproved by the Common Light in all Men if not T.H. gives the Lye to all Mankind and his own Books too Nay what is it good for But if they be query If any can confess to one God love his Neighbour be Chaste be Just and speak Truth in his own and Neighbour's Cause without being thereto oblieged by that Light they have Did the Gentiles of old the things contained in the Law without a Word Commandment Law or Light within inducing them thereto I perceive T. Hicks owns no Command in himself against Idolatry Adultery Murder Theft and Bearing false Witness which is to say if the Scripture did not restrain him he should be guilty of all Farewell Grace Spirit Light and all Inward Rule or Judge by which to see taste relish and determine of things But in this Condition
how knows he that the Scriptures were writ by Inspiration If he sayes he was told so I ask how they knew it If they say they were told so too and so upwards I ask what Assurance can any Man 's Say-so or Hear-say be in a Matter of such Importance Nay Suppose I should grant them a True Tradition from the Apostles times I ask how knew they to whom they were writ that they were the Fruits of Divine Inspiration In short take away all Inward Testimony or the Certainty and Sufficiency of it and Farewell to all Right Belief of the Scriptures themselves Behold the Strait he is run into But if at last T.H. shall desire a little more room and acknowledge the Spirit must give the Discerning and Relish and most Convincing Testimony will it not follow that he believeth the Scriptures and performeth what may be his Duty therein upon that Conviction and not meerly because written or recommended by any Man whatever But he proceeds to prove E.B. as he thinks an Enemy to God's Commandments and a very Lyar. The thing he Wickedly but in vain aims at He quotes him thus Quak. You are not dead with Christ who are yet subject to Ordinances E.B. p. 105. To which hear him Christ The Spirit of God in the Scriptures assures us that they who are subject to and keep the Commandments of God are the Children of God and they who do not are Lyars See the first Epistle of John 2.3 4. and Chap. 5.2 3. Yet this Wicked Man saith That they who are subject to Ordinances are not Dead with Christ Edw. Burroughs's Words are those of the Scriptures of Truth therefore true Words in themselves But how does E.B. abolish what God perpetuates I am sure I can plainly perceive that Tho. Hicks does call a Conscientious Departed Sufferer and Prisoner unto Death for the Testimony of Jesus Wicked Man because he dared not be guilty of Will-Worship by going into any Practice of Worship without the Leading of God's Spirit Six Particulars comprehend my Answer in brief First That Edw. Burroughs only pleaded against such Performances under the Name of Ordinances as were but Shadowy Elementary and Perishable Things and which they were not led to by God's Spirit but took up unwarrantably and by meer Imitation and therefore Will-Worship 2. That Thomas Hicks implies by calling him Wicked Man that it is a Wickedness not to take up any Outward or Visible Part of Worship in a Man 's own Will ' and Time But to stay God's Time and wait for the Leadings of God's Spirit From whence I infer â—e is no Child of God for every such one is led by the Spirit of God therefore no better then an Ape or Imitator of the Out-sides of Religion In short a Will-worshipper and not a Worshipper of God in the Spirit and in the Truth 3. Let it be observed that there is not so much as the least mention made in all the Epistles of that Beloved Disciple of any of those Ordinances which stood in Visible and Corruptible Elements but the Scope and Tendency of them is the most Inward and Spiritual of any of the Apostolical Writings So that to bring in things of a Temporary Shadowy Nature among the Spiritual and Durable Commands of Christ under the New Covenant State without keeping of which Men incur Eternal Wrath is an Abuse both of the Apostle's Words and E. B's which he intended by them to confute 4. T. Hicks does as good as tell us That the Commandments of God may be kept without the Spirit of God since he opposes the Necessity of our Doing God's Commandments to our doing them in the Time and Will and by the Assistance of God's Spirit O Irreligious Man and Enemy to God's Spirit 5. It plainly tells us that Tho. Hicks has no Command in himself for doing what he does that the bare Authority of the Scripture is all he has to induce him which raizes to the Ground that old Protestant Doctrine of Believing the Scriptures from an Inward Testimony and Worshipping God in Spirit and Truth 6. Lastly If all are Lyars that keep not God's Commandments and therefore none of his Children as saith the Place as asserts T. Hicks then either T.H. keeps God's Commandments and so is perfect or he must be a Lyar and so no Child of God That he keeps not God's Commands I prove If such as say that Man cannot fulfil obey or keep the Law nor the Gospel pray preach dip eat Bread and drink Wine nor live without Sin keeps not God's Commandments but so doth T.H. expresly or implicitely therefore he keeps not God's Commandments and consequently is a Lyar and no Child of God For the Lyar is for the Lake To say we deny Obedience to God's Commands because we deny the present Necessity or Use of their Water Bread and Wine will never hurt us For First we know and they confess that they were in the beginning used as Figures and Shadows of a more Hidden and Spiritual Substance 2. That they were to endure no longer then till the Substance was come Now the time of the Baptism of the Holy Ghost Christ's only Baptism therefore called the One Baptism has been long since come Consequently the other which was John's was fulfilled and as becomes a Fore-runner ought to cease The like may be said of the Bread and Wine for as there is but One Baptism so is there but One Bread The Least in the Kingdom was Greater then John 's Water-Baptism He was to Decrease Christ to Increase Jesus Baptized not with Water 'T is true he bid his Apostles Go Teach Baptizing c. but no Water is mentioned But Luke in the 1st of the Acts sayes that before Christ gave that Commission mention'd by Matthew said John Baptized with Water but ye shall be Baptized with the Holy Ghost not many dayes hence and then comes the Commission in Force Go Teach Baptizing c. How With the Holy Ghost turning People from Darkness to Light and from the Power of Satan unto God 3. They were but the more Noble among the Meats and Drinks and divers Washings that the Apostle said were but Shadows of the Good Things to come For I would not that any should be so Sottish as to think that Christ came to abolish those Shadows of the Jews and institute other in their room by no means He came to remove change and abolish the very Nature of such Ordinances and noâ— the particular Ordinances only to wit an Outward Shadowy or Figurative Worship and Religion For it was not because they were Jewish Meats and Drinks and divers Washings but because they were Meats Drinks and divers outward Washings at all which never could nor can cleanse the Conscience from dead Works nor give Eternal Life to the Soul else wherein would the Change be I affirm by that one Scripture Circumcision is as much in force as Water-Baptism and the Paschal Lamb as
and in which his Holy Spirit leads not by the which only Self is abas'd kept under and in perfect Obedience to and watchfull Observance of God's Holy Will But Tho. Hicks makes this a Strange and Dangerous Doctrine insinuating that we perform nothing but upon a kind of Spiritual Compulsion as if that God required Man to do all his Commandements without his holy Spirit alwayes ready to incline and help them either to begin or perform any such Duty or that there were no Difference between waiting for the natural Springs of Divine Power to assist and being compell'd to worship But this shews his great Ignorance of God's Spirit its dayly Movings upon the Heart of Men either as a Reprover or Comforter for Good for were he better acquainted with its Dealings it would not be so uncouth to him to hear of our Waiting to feel the holy Stirrings of it in order to every Religious Performance wherefore let not his Ignorance be any Argument against our holy Gospel Practice The Saints of old had a Warrant in themselves for what they did They were not wont to run into the Imitation of former Generations as to any External Appointments because then commanded and practised as proper but consulted the Anointing they had receiv'd about the Continuation or Dis-use of such Figures or outward Services and as they receiv'd Wisdom and Counsel therefrom either to use or decline the Practice of them they acted and no otherwise making good the Apostles Saying that as many as are led by the Spirit of God are the Sons of God Are we led by It in ALL things then in and about God's things Had it not been for this how could the Apostles have preach'd down the whole Ceremonial Worship of the Jews The meer Letter of Scriptures could never have been their Rule in the Case If any say they were extraordinarily Inspired I answer how did such as then believ'd know that if not from an Inward Testimony Nay what Rule had the many Thousands then to worship God by The Hebrew Bible was little or not at all known to the Gentiles The Scripture tells us that whole Churches were setled in the Faith before the Epistles were writ And it is hard to think when they were writ that they could be suddenly collected and when collected that every Individual could get a Coppy that to be sure ought to have a Rule for Printing was not so early in the World and Transscribing must needs have been to Irksome for every Person to obtain a Coppy for his or her peculiar Benefit But because we are taught to believe that they wanted not True Rule of Faith and Practice and that the Scriptures especially of the new Testament could not be all that to them our present Adversaries conclude to make the great Rule let them not be displeas'd if I infer from hence that a Measure of that Holy Spirit which was given to every one to profit with was their Rule and therefore ought to be our great Rule and Guide in all things relating to Faith and Worship And let it be remembred that Christ promised to send the Spirit of Truth to lead into all Truth as much as to say none are led into the Truth nor in the Truth but by the holy Spirit of Truth or that their Practice is a Ly or they are led into a Ly who are not led by the Spirit of Truth that alone leads into all the Wayes of Truth where by Truth is not to be understood the meer Letter of the Scripture which notwithstanding is True but the Living Powerful Truth Christ the Way the Truth and the Life of which the Scripture is but a Record or Declaration Many may run into a Practice of several Outward Things mentioned in the Scriptures to have been the Practices of the Saints of former Ages and yet not be led into the Truth for all that is but Will-Worship Imitation and Unwarrantable To be led into the Truth is to be led into God's Living Power Wisdom and Righteousness whose Fruits are Peace and Assurance for ever This is the Truth the Spirit leads and is all-sufficient to Certainly Christ intended This for the Great Evangelical Leader Rule Judge Law-giver and Guide through the whole course of Regeneration the only Way into the Everlasting Kingdom And all those who are not by this Holy Spirit prepared moved and assisted to perform Divine Worship unto God but run into that weighty Duty or any other supposed Ordinance without its pure Leadings which makes it a Spiritual and Living Worship they are but those anciently fore-told of LORD LORD-CRYERS whose Portion shall be that dismal Depart from me I know you not who has requir'd these things at your hands Let this therefore be a Warning unto all Professors in the Name of the Lord that they run no longer Vnsent nor think to be accepted for their many Words God regards the Heart that he has broken and is made contrite before him and which trembles at his Word 'T is not meer Worship but that which is Spiritual which he expects and accepts and to perform that Man must Cease from his own Spirit Strength Strivings and Imitations and become Dumb before the Lord and as a Man dead to Self-Performance and then will he breath into him the Spirit of Supplication and raise him up in the Newness of his own Divine Life whereby though but in Sighs and Groans a Spiritual and most Acceptable Worship shall be offered unto God in which his Soul will be well pleased and every such one come to be refresht and establisht in Righteousness For all Offerers and Vpholders of strange Fire of what sort of People soever they may be in the Great and Notable Day of the Lord God will he cause to lie down in Sorrow And because he thinks his Advantage is not small that he hath against us by basely inferring and aggravating such Consequences as this What of Duty we neglect we are to charge upon the Spirit 's not moving us to it or because we must not obey without a Motion we are acquitted from all Fault till then c. Let me tell him that he striketh himself and not the Quakers For they hold that God's Spirit ought to be daily waited for And that it is alwayes ready to inform and instruct Man's Soul and to move it to those Thoughts Words and Deeds with respect to God and Man as are Well-pleasing to the Almighty For we do not only teach that the Spirit of God is alwayes present to convince of Sin but to lead out of it and in that Way of holy Living which is well-pleasing unto God In short God's Worship stands in the Spirit and I testifie from the Eternal God all other Worship then what springs from a Mind touch'd sanctify'd and mov'd of his holy quickning Spirit is abominable to him His Righteous Soul loathes it And what else were their Sacrifices as theirs were who in my hearing said Pray
such things and believe them to be downright Lyes as others that are gone before them However should they be as true as we hope they are false we can but judge them and that we do by the Light of Christ Jesus to the Pit forever But if we should take this Course of proving the Anabaptists those vile Impostors he doth call and pretend to prove the Poor Despised Quakers to be p. 69. How many Miscarriages might we collect and publish against the People that are called by that Name but we do not desire that Prophanists should have any such Theames from us to sport their Unclean Minds upon notwithstanding Thomas Hicks's Liberality to them Is it not then wickedly done in him to tell us in the same page That if a Miscarriage be it is improved by us to make the Truth Odious who without such Arguments and his own Forgery would in Truth have nothing against us But truly it is very hard that we should suffer as we have done for the Miscarriages of other Parties and yet receive these gross Abuses at their hands But our Eye is to the Lord and our Innocent Suffering Cause will he plead in his own time whose Will be done by us and that will be our Everlasting Rejoycing 3. For Masters I must speak my own Experience many have desired to retain us and great Trusts have been reposed in us To whom were we False Of whose Service were we Negligent When did any of us say I am not moved to do this or that when so required thereto Shall a Lying Dialogue be Demonstration enough to prove us what so invective an Adversary would have People believe us to be We do declare to all that the Light whereby we are enlightned alwayes commands and strictly enjoyns us Duty Obedience Love Peace Gentleness Faithfulness Industry Holy Living And whatever is supposed to the Contrary we disclaim it in the Fear and Name of the Righteous God of Heaven and Earth to be no Product of our Holy Principle I shall now attend his Cavils about the Ministry and give a short Taste of the Rancour of his Spirit therein He asks What is the True Ministry To which he maketh G.W. answer Quak. In the New Covenant God is the Teacher of his People himself immediately by his Immediate Spirit Power and Unction Christ Ascended p. 64. Christ If so wherefore were Apostles Prophets Evangelists Pastors Teachers c. giver and set in the Church for the Work of the Ministry And why do you set up one among your selves and appoint Ministers before-hand to speak in such a place and at such a time From whence I plainly collect thus much 1. That T.H. in so many words denyes God's Immediate Teaching by his Spirit Power and Vnction under the Gospel And in that one Expression strikes out what in him lies the whole Pourings out of the Holy Ghost the great Promise of the Father being led by the Spirit no more I but Christ that liveth in me the Tabernacle of God is with Men and he will dwell with them the Anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you and ye need not that any Man teach you or you need not Man's Teaching c. In short the very Dispensation of the Gospel which is a State of Power and Life immediately received of God is denyed by him 2. That in acknowledging such Officers to continue in the Church he must confess to their Qualifications or he does nothing Now that which qualified them was the Receiving of the Holy Ghost and those Heavenly Gifts by it which were necessary for the Discharge of those respective Services in the Church By this it appears that either Thomas Hicks must now yield to Preaching and Praying by the Motion of the Holy Spirit or in opposing of it acknowledge to his own Contradiction that there are no such Apostles Prophets c. who ministred to the Church as any thing was revealed to them the great Evangelical Qualification to the Ministry in our dayes 3. But why should Tho. Hicks therefore degrade the Dispensation because the People are not yet fitted to It or oppose the Means used to bâ—ing them to It to the End for which the Means are employ'd Besides is it Man's Teaching or Christ by and through Man God was in Christ and Christ in his Ministers reconciling the World unto himself that he might be the Immediate Priest Prophet and King to the Souls of People Might not the same Objection be more colourably made against the Apostle John who at that time wherein the Churches were so weak and the Means so many and lately establish't said unto them But the Anointing which ye have receiv'd of him abideth in you and ye need not that any Man teach you but as the same Anointing teacheth you of all things and is Truth and is no Lye And even as it hath taught you ye shall abide in him Where he is so far from meer Man's Teaching T. Hicks's only Teaching that by his words one would think the Churches to whome he wrote had as well been gathered without Means as that he admonished them to abide in that holy Unction as Sufficient to their Instruction and Comfort Therefore let him go ask the Apostle John why Men were to attend upon the holy Anointing as Sufficient not withstanding thosâ— Means then provided And the Answer to that Question will be ours But here is the Darkness of the Man from our denying of empty Vnauthoriz'd Imitations he infers our Denyal of such Means as God's Power uses and from out Using such Means to our Contradicting our selves and Immediate Teaching and because we use Means in God's Power to bring People to God the Judge of all that he may be their Judge and Law-giver and that from his Immediate Hand they may receive Wisdom Knowledge and Comfort he ignorantly concludes that Men where they are ought not to have Means us'd to bring them to this Blessed State but that God should Immediately teach them there 4. I charge him with another Lye in saying that we appoint Ministers before hand to speak in such a a place at such a time and much less that the End of our Meeting is to decoy trapan and inveagle others as he scoffingly and falsly insinuates We deny the Suggestion and renounce and judge such Practices by that pure Spirit that hath otherwise taught us God preserve us from that dry Hireling Custom and Practice of Tho. Hicks who will avenge our Cause upon the Head of this Ungodly Slanderer But he thinks he has uterly foyled us in his Representation indeed Perversion of our Belief about the Seed which though spoken to some distance before yet I am willing to say something to it least it be taken for granted and his scurvy Names accounted due Titles to such miserable Wretches as he endeavours to render us The Objection entirely is this You say that the Work of the Ministry is to point People to
then will they load such with most bitter Revilings Ibid. p. 68. A Lye every title of it What Are they represented to be Overturners of all things to exalt the Light within and now revile People most bitterly if they obey it 13. That one of us should bid her Husband take another Woman Ibid. p. 63. We charge upon him for a Slander 14. That Motions of God's Spirit are pretended by Quakers at least one of them to refuse Just Debts and that they may do so by their Principles Ibid. p. 69. is also a Story hatcht in Hell 15. That scarce a Man that reads W. Penn but thinks him to be either DISTRACTED OR WORSE Cont. p. 87. 16. That such as ask us Questions we call Reprobates in the Sorcery Witchcraft polluted Beasts Serpents Sots c. Ibid. p. 86. 17. That one of us should say if one that had writ against us that if he writ any more against us that we would Print any thing against him that any would report BE IT WHAT IT WOULD Dial. p. 73. 18. If any Discourse with us 't is the Man and not the Argument that we will be concerned with And if we can fix anything that is Odious it shall pass for an Answer and a Confutation And to fill up their Wickedness they will in their solemn Way of Prophaness and Blasphemy bless God that they have thus answered But who has most medled with Persons may be seen who unprovokedly has taken into Twelve Sheets about 20 Persons and all of them such as have been wholely unconcerned with him and are Strangers to him a Way I never took How far we medle with our Adversaries Strength our Books will best declare Nor are his Dialogues with me less then a most undeniable Demonstration of the highest Forgery Partiality Cowardliness and Impudence that ever was given by Man who falls upon our Conclusions and never concerns himself in our Premises A Principle obtained through many Arguments he can tell how to crop clip pervert and disguise and then call it ours But to engage an Argument that leads to it as by us defended it is not in him so much as to adventure His Forgeries have been his Answers And our Principles abused he thought Confutation enough to themselves When he has given an Error for a Quaker's Principle truly all may believe it if they will for him he has offered in no place but little to the contrary and in most places nothing at all How Honestly or Worthily he has dealt with us is further evident who brings in five of us Fox Dewsbury Crisp Whitehead Penn under the Suspicion of being Wilful Lyars Fornicators and Adulterers For though he sayes but some of them yet not Naming Who the Blemish lies against us all every one being left to his Liberty to think which are the Men. Ah! the God of Vengeance will repay this Murdering Wicked Spirit that as greedily Haunts after our Ruin as the Evening Wolf doth after the Prey If these Defamations are to pass unjudged of the Anabaptists God's despised Light will judge them when all their Profession shall never relieve them from under Burden of it Thus far of Contradictions Perversions and Lyes Now for a few of his Forgeries Some of Tho. Hick's FORGERIES Detected I shall now endeavour to give some brief Account of his FORGERY and notwithstanding the Hole he hopes to escape at I doubt not to make it appear that he is guilty of it and therefore a FORGER My Argument runs thus Arg. IV. He that gives that for a Man's Answer to any Question that is not his answer to that Question is a Forger but that Tho. Hicks hath done therefore a Forger consequently no True Christian He agrees to the First Proposition the Second he denies as I suppose which I will prove T.H. Anabaptist Is it Honest in you to deny the Scriptures to be a Rule to others when at the same time you make it a Rule to your selves Dial. p. 24 52. Quak. Thou mistakest us when we make Vse of the Scriptures 't is only to quiet and stop their Clamours that plead for it as their Rule Anab. Did this Light within create the Heavens and the Earth c. it being proved that it self is but a Creature Quak. Yes Anab. Is this Light within the Immediate Object of Divine Worship Quak. Yea. Anab. Doth not this justifie that horrid Act of James Naylor's at Bristol in receiving Hosannah's with Divine Worship c Dial. p. 64 65. Quak I think not meet to answer such Enquiries A wicked Lye for we disowned what was Condemnable as himself afterwards did Again Anab. If this Light be the Rule who is the Subject capable of understanding it Ibid. p 13 14 15. Quak. Thou art Drunk with Words and Carnal Distinctions I know not what thou wouldst be at A very Lye Anab. More the Pitty if thou so furiously Contendest for this Thing and yet knowest not what I would be at c. He makes us Bad that he may condemn us Quak. Thou art a Wicked Creature Blackness of Darkness is reserved for thee This is given in Derision Anab. Was not my Question Plain and Familiar but is this Answer pertinent Is it not needful we should be informed who must obey this Light c. Quak. Thou art a Serpent and the Curse of God is Eternally upon thee A Question never so answered that he can prove Anab. This Language is so Natural to you that it is as difficult for you to leave it as for the Ethiopian to change his Skin c. Vngodly Man Who sees not that 't is his Design not to be informed nor inform us but to Scoff and Deride us Quak. Thou manifests thy Darkness and that thou art still in thy Imagination Anab What need these Impertinencies T. Hicks is the Father and Forger of them Quak. I comprehend thee and see the Serpent's Subtilty in these Questions thou art out of the Truth and drunk with Words What is he that spues out these invented Answers Anab. Either thou canst or thou canst not answer me be so free and honest as to tell me so If thou canst pray let me know whether the whole Person or part or something else What is this but to incense People against us and beget Derision Thus Reader does this Ungodly Anabaptist the Scandal of his Profession treat us We charge it all with Forgery in the Name of God the Lord of Heaven Earth and every Body that is not Blind may sâ—e enough Scorn Ignorance and Prophaness But hear a little more Anab. Do you believe the Scriptures to be the true Sayings of God Ibid. p. 25. Quak. Yea so far us they agree with the Light within An Arâ—ant Forgery Anab. How shall I know that Quak. I Witness it Anab. Must I believe thee upon thy own Words Quak. I would have thee do so Abominable Forgery Anab. Wer 't thou never Mistaken about Persons and Things Quak. This is an Ensnaring
T.H. Doth not this import that a Man must be formally Just before he be Justified for nothing is imputed or reckoned to us according to your Reasoning but what is inherent in us p. 55. Answ Your Reasoning It seems 't is not his then would he not here separate and divide between a Righteousness imputed and a Righteousness inherent or the Exercise of Christian Virtues if so be that a man must be justified i.e. in his Sense imputed or accounted Righteous before he be formally just how agrees this with his Concession before viz. that they would not separate divide between Imputed Inherent Righteousness T.H. I would ask you Whether Remission of Sins be not one part of Justification Answ yes 't is a Degreee of it the next Step to an absolute Justification Remission is of Sins past receiv'd upon true Repentance and Conversion from â—in to newness of Life Justification and Acceptance with God in Christ is enjoyed in the Newness of Life by such as continue in sincere Obedience to Christ This Remission Pardon or Justification from Sins past though not inherent in the Natural Fallen or Sinful Man yet 't is inwardly received through Faith in the Name of Christ by such as truly depart from Sin and Evil and give up to serve the Living God T.H. Certainly he that 's pardon'd must be a Sinner p. 56. Answ No He must be one that ceaseth from Sin for if I sin then thou markest me and thou wilt not acquit me from mine Iniquity Job 10.14 And certainly he that 's not acquited is not pardon'd nor justify'd But I must confess â—e somewhat mends the Matter in adding viz. That is such that were so viz. Sinners till Justified not such as remain so being Justified p. 56. At length we agree in this 1st That such as are pardoned were sometimes Sinners Disobedient before 2. But being pardoned and justified by the Grace of God in his beloved Son they do not remain Disobedient therefore they that remain Sinners and Disobedient are not in a Justified State I had writ something against T. Hicks's gross Abuse of our Reputation as we are Men as well as Christians by his most false and Unjust Consequences he draws from our Owning the Light within as the Rule Immediate Motions Directions of the Spirit of Christ within especially in Matters of Worship T.H. his Persecuting Spirit in his falsly Accusing us with Disrespect to Parents Magistrates c. being destructive to all Humane Society But W.P. having reprehended him in these things in his part before I forbear to publish mine at present for I have in this endeavoured Brevity G.W. THE Present Controversie Drawing to an End Or those Doctrines and Principles which have been chiefly Controverted between us Granted and Confest to by our present Opposer Thomas Hicks and his Brethren Here the Reader may see how like to us called Quakers divers of the Baptist-Teachers have been made some times to speak and hold forth Truth in Words which I would have them seriously to review and lay aside all Envy and Prejudice which hath caused so much Contradiction and Gain-saying on their parts both to themselves and the Truth professed by us Our Principles and their Concessions truly Stated and Compared 1. Quaker THat God is and that he is Light the Eternal Word of Life and Power which was with God c was God was that in which was Life and the Life was the Light of Men and that was the True Light that enlightens every Man coming into the World John 1.1 4 9. Baptist Christ in you and he is the Life and Light of Men Dial. p. 22. And Jesus Christ is God the most high God of the same Substance and Essence H.G. Light from the Sun p. 83 84 c. II. Qua. The Light of Christ or the Eternal Word in Man is Divine and Increated Bap. The Lord Jesus Christ as the Eternal Word enlightens all Men and Women that come into the World Light from the Sun of Righteousness p. 8. III. Qua. God is Infinite and Omni-present and his Presence doth both afford Life Virtue and Light to Man and Jesus Christ as God over all in respect of his Divinity or Divine Nature is therefore in all through all and over all though not revealedly nor unitedly Bap. Christ in respect of his Divine Nature is in all places Contin pag. 34. How could you call the Light Within Christ if some Scriptures had not mentioned Christ in you and that he is the Life and Light of Men Dial. p. 22. IV. Qua. The Light of Christ in Man is a certain Rule and Guide to direct Man out of Sin and Death into the Way of Life and Peace and for that End ought to be obeyed Bap. I grant it ought to be Obeyed I acknowledge there is something within that checks for many Evils and excites to many Good Things and that I ought to shun those Evils and do that Good It will be our Wisdom yea our Duty to attend to the Light Within we being accountable to God for every Dispensation of Light Dial. p. 7 8 13. V. Qua. Though this Divine Life or Light of the Son of God be manifest by Degrees in Man yet the Degrees alter not the Property of it and it ought to be obeyed with respect to God and Man 's own Salvation Bap. No Disparagement to the Light Within Each Degree of Light is Serviceable to its End Dial. p. 36. VI. Qua. This Light Within is that General Rule extending to Man alwayes or throughout Ages and that is the Will of God that Man should alwayes be under the Obligation of this Rule that he might acknowledg God's Soveraignity and Power and be in Subjection to him as having the sole right to Rule in the Creation that Man may truly discharge the Duty he owes to his Maker in true Obedience and Worship Bap. Indeed 't is not to be denyed but that Man was alwayes under an Obligation of a Rule that God's Soveraignity over him and his Inferiority unto God might be acknowledged This Rule must be the Will of God revealed to us for it is the Will of God which is the Formal Reason of the Obligation The Will of God being the Ground of the Creation of Men and Angeâ—s therefore as it is the Ground of their Being it must be the Rule of their Acting Dial. pag. 31. There was something commendable in the Heathens p. 36. That Light in every Man that doth convince of Sin and reprove him for Sin Christ as he was the Woâ—â— with Gâ—d so he was the Light of the World c. W. Burnet's Capitâ—â— pâ—in p. 8 10 16 17. VII Qua. That the Holy Spirit Unction or Living Word within which is received by them that wait in and obey the Light thereof is to be preferred as a more Eminent and Universal Rule then the Scriptures and it opens them and brings Man to the true Understanding of them and leads
but they that are subject and are led by the Spirit of God they are the Children of God and Heirs according to the Promise Most Ungodly then must T. Hicks's Consequences be that because we say Christ enlightens every Man Saul persecuted the Church and the Heathens multiplied their False Gods by the Light within Like unto which is his Arguing p. 14. where he thus pretends to answer his feigned Quaker If indeed thou knowest not what I aim at in this Question then thy Light cannot be God as thou sayst it is for God knows the Hearts and Intentions of all Men thereby confounding the Light and Creature together and concluding Imbecillity Insufficiency and Ignorance in the Light which are the Imperfections of the Creature Was there ever any thing more Scoffing Prophane and Dark then this might not the Gentiles have treated the Christians after this manner that if they knew not all things whether it concerned them to know them or not the Christ and Spirit they pretended to be led by were not God This is so far from proving the Light not to be God that admitting of it it were to prove every Man a God Is every Master as ignorant as his Schollar because his Schollar knows not as much as his Master T. Hicks knows not all truth nay T. Hicks may be led into many Mistakes Is his Bible which he calls his Rule therefore the Cause Certainly by his way of Arguing against the Light if he be not Perfect Infallible the Scriptures must needs be Insufficient and Errable But if it be an Evil to make the Scripture accessory to T. H's Mistakes of equal Reason is it Impious in him to charge Men's Infirmities upon the Light and repute that Insufficient because they are Rebellious Education Prejudice Interest Self-Righteousness Evil Living bring Vails over the Understanding that though the Light shine in Darkness they comprehend it not When Saul's Formality and Pharisaical Righteousness became shaken by the Law of Light in the Conscience then and not till then he cries out Oh wretched Man that I am Whilst Saul gave more heed to his Outward Religion then the Light in his Conscience he did Persecute and thought it a Duty 't was when the Light struck him that he became awâ—kened But if he persecuted the Church by the Light within why not by the Spirit too since God gave the Jews his good Spirit If T. Hicks will say But he resisted that so say I as to the Light Formality Tradition and many Superstitions attended with an Ignorant and Harsh Zeal darkened him that he could not behold it But it is a gross Contradiction in T.H. to say The Light ought to be obeyed and yet say That it led Saul to persecute the Christians And he abuses many of the Heathen-Philosophers as well as the Light in saying That the Light within reproved them not for multiplying their Deities For all Learned Men must needs know as I have else-where at large proved that by the Light within they have decryed the Heathen-Gods maintained the Doctrine of the One only Wise God and for their Faith and Perseverance they have been Taken Imprisoned Arraigned Condemned and Executed though it went for justice upon the Enemies of the Gods Who knows not this is a Stranger to Story But hear T. Hicks I demand an Instance among the many Thousands of Mankind that hath been convinced or reproved for not believing Jesus to be the Christ by the meer Light within before any Revelation was brought unto them though I grant that the Light in them may reprove for those Sins the Common Light in all Mankind will not because thou hast borrowed much Light from the Scriptures which all have not Answ I may well suppose that as many have been reproved for not believing Jesus to be the Christ by the Light within as by the Scriptures and my Reasons are First Because those who crucified him were Admirers of the Scripture and pretended to prove out of their own Law that it was both lawful and necessary he should be put to Death whereas had they brought that Deed to the Light the Light would have shown it not to have been wrought in God which the Scriptures without that Light could not so effectually do 2 ly Those who by Scripture came to any Convincement originally received it from the Revelation of the Light within which both opened the Scriptures and their Understandings 3 ly Peter Andrew Matthew Nathanael the Centurion Ruler Diseased Woman c. confess'd him from the Illumination and Operation of the Light within since whatever makes Manifest or works Conviction is Light They were not Disobeyers and Rebellers against it who most readily received and followed Christ They who waited for Israel's Consolation lived in the Just Man's Path a shining Light which shined brighter and brighter to the leading such as walked in it to the great Light of Israel when he appeared Further To say that the Light we have being much of it borrowed from Scripture Reproves for those Sins the Common Light in all Men will not is great Wickedness for it is to say that the Light wherewith Christ hath enlightned all Men will not Reprove for all Sin thereby placing the Defect manifestly upon the Light as before and not upon the thick and gross Darkness through Disobedience of the People as well as that he attributes to the Scripture that Conviction which is chiefly due to the Light For by what Way can Mankind arrive at true Sight Discerning and Knowledge in the Understanding part but by the Light and that as it shines into the Understanding is it not the Light to whom every Deed should be brought to see if it be wrought in God or no What can any Man solidly and beneficially learn by the Scriptures but through the Discoveries of that Inward Light Are they not dark Sayings or rather Man dark to those Sayings if the holy Light arise not to shine forth and give to understand their Scope and Tendency All Scripture but Prophecy which was given forth by Inspiration as Reproof Exhortation Doctrine c. were first experienced or witnessed at whom Tho. Hicks may equally cavil and scoff What 's your Witnessing to me that through walking in the Light of the Lord the Just Man's Path and were written for the sake of others that they might be asisted and helpt to the same Experience but not another Way then through the same Steps they had trodden so that the Ground of the holy Ancients Experiences now written and of the true Knowledge of the Scriptures and Comfort from them as an outward Mean and whatever is to be obtained and enjoyed within is originally and chiefly ascribable to the Discoveries Convictions and Leadings of the blessed Light of Christ within through every Generation however variously the Principle may have been denominated as the Word of God nigh Wisdom Light Spirit c. under the Old Testament and Light Grace Truth