be spoken against and is not this Child the Babe born of Mary which saith Luke grew and waxed strong in spirit filled with wisdom and the Grace of God was upon him Blush you Atheistical and notional men that for a covering to your errours for that the Scriptures of truth rebukes you to shame for to hide your selves in your fallaciousness say that Christ was him that was in the person Jesus but at length through the Grace of God for the sake of his Son who is the truth you have unmasked your selves for a gloss tell us Israel drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them which Rock was Christ not distinguishing him as he was the word that made the all things from his capacity as he became flesh for Redemption of all things and thence being deceived deceive but we tell you that the Word who would become man in Christ became the arm and strength to Moses who he chose to be the Angel of his presence that saved them saved them by the hand of Moses from destruction from Pharoah and his Host by which bringing to them deliverance from the waves of the Sea and showing them his power by destroying the Aegyptian force obliged them to the obedience to Moses that God had made the Captain of their Host who being saved by his so wonderful power rejoyced in their salvation and sang the Song of Moses the Angel of Gods presence unto the Glory of God who was their Rock of power in his invisible strength being their salvation they drank of its salvation which obliged them to Moses and this is the meaning of the Apostle in his directing his Discourse to the Church which word of God being become our Redeemer in Christ as he saved Israel by the Angel of his presence from destruction of the waves and Pharoah's wrath to the intent they might possess the Land that he to Abraham had promised who being by what he appeared to Moses without the Creture type to himself what he would be in Christ within the Creture that as he led Israel by the hand of Moses into the Canaan Land to possess the fruits of this life figured to himself what he would bring his children unto by Christ in the City of God which was typ't by Israels Canaan of Rest But what shall be said to the scoffing Saducse more then that the stone that the builders refuse is become the chief corner stone and the head of the building But what makes this for your Opinion that the light in the conscience is Christ the light in their conscience saved them not neither is it said that they drank of the light Christ in conscience but of the rock that followed them which rock was Christ and if that the light in conscience could either have saved them out of the destruction of Pharoah and his Host they needed not the Angel of Gods presence Moses and the rock that followed them for their help likewise if the light in the conscience could have saved the world from sin there had been no need for God to have sent his Son the love of his bosom to dye for the world that they might be saved who being the promised one that God to Adam made when he said The Seed of the Woman shall break the Serpents head Is He the Lord and Saviour and not another but in that I am not ignorant of the strange conceptions that you have of the Seed and as monstrously speak of it am willing to present you with the truth you know that it is written That the Seed of the Woman shall break the Serpents head and the Scriptures declare that that Seed is Christ to whom the Covenant was made by God as written My Covenant shall be unto thee and unto thy Seed and to thy Seeds Seed so long as Sun and Moon shall endure who being the Seed promised it saith That if the Lord had not left us a Seed we had been as Sodom and Gomorrah who being him that was promised to Abraham that should come of his flesh came of his flesh from his Liniage of the Lines of Mary who being that holy thing that was begotten by the Holy Ghost of his Mother Mary for the Saviour saveth man from their sins through his sufferings and death to whom the Law Psalms Prophets and Apostles declares unto as their writings at large doth shew who being him that God promis'd for the Messiah that should save his people Israel from the hands of all their Enemies that they being delivered from fear might serve him all the dayes of their life and Christ being him to whom the promised are made in him they are Yea and Amen and Christ being the Seed God promised to Adam for his Salvation and his Seed the Word incorporates himself with and in that Christ that by that Christ salvation may be brought to light who being his power by which Christ repell'd the tempter with his temptation when tempted by him when led for that end into the wilderness and was his strength to undergo the wrath of God when he drank the Cup of his wrath and sustained him upon the Cross by whom he offered up his body unto death upon the Cross for reconciliation by whom he the word that reconciled the world unto himself by himself as it is written God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself not imputing to them their sins and Christ the Serpent breakers head God makes a promise unto that his children that he should beget by his power unto God should be concerned in the Covenant of life and peace in the Kingdom that he prepared for him who knowing who they were that believed on him prays his Father that he would keep them by his own name saying that while he was with them he had kept them but going to the Father from his children saith Father I pray not for the world but for those that thou hast gave me out of the world for they have loved me and have kept my word and believe that I came down from thee and that thou hast sent me and not for these alone but for those also that shall believe on me through their word which the parable he speaks doth clear for saith he the Seed of the Kingdom sown in the heart is the word and he that sows it is the Son of man and the children begotten by the word are the Seed of the Kingdom canst thou believe that thy eye may be inlightned to see the truth if so it be thy portion thou wilt see I have told thee the truth for it is written Thou art my Son This day have I begotten thee that thou shouldst be the light of the Gentiles and the glory of the people Israel who being begotten by the Holy Ghost of the Virgin his Mother Mary is and was that Seed of the Woman the breaker of the Serpents head So my conclusion is that the Seed Christ that is the Saviour is Christ in
not have been broken by all what that man could do and if your doctrine be true the Scriptures false and God made by Christs Apostles lyers and Christ suffered for man in vain but God is just his Scriptures true his Apostles justified in his sight but it being a so heterogene doctrine that all men in whom there is the faith will see through it I leave it to the condemnation of the Truth Page the Thirteenth Ask was his sufferings and death everlasting and say is the asserting of this good doctrine but say I is not your denying it for good doctrine damnable in that by them it is by which we can be saved they being the Gospel and the power for our salvation as Paul unto the Corinthians at large doth preach which Gospel is that that is called the everlasting Gospel that the Revelations speaks shall be preach't again after many dayes to Kindred Tongues People and Nations which Gospel abides for ever which being the death of Christ for our sins and resurrection from the dead for our justification abides for ever though he suffered not alwayes Page the Seventeenth stumble you at what declared of Christs being personal in a body proposing if Christ be not the light in every mans conscience how said he to his Disciples He that is with you shall be in you I in them and they in me that they may be one as thee and I am one Holy Father but say I why will you preach false doctrine not discerning the truth for is it not written that he saith That he that believes on me out of his belly shall flow forth living waters but saith John This he spake of his Spirit which as yet they had not received and the reason Christ was not as it ascended and that to them he might perform his promise saith that it is necessary for you that I go away for that unless I do the Comforter cannot come but if I go away I will send him and he shall be with you and in you and lead you into all truth and shall take of mine and show it unto you and testifie of me which the world cannot receive because said he they believe not on me 't is plain he spake of the spirit who was with them but not in them till his Ascention and when he was ascended up into his Glory having received all power in Heaven and in Earth according for what him was promised sends the spirit as he had promised who when he came sate upon them with cloven tongues and testified by the Apostles by Signs and Miracles showing wonders in their testifying to Christ the Saviour of men who filling their hearts with joy and gladness gave them to partake of the Union with God and Christ by which Communing they was one in the Union of the glorious Joyful life of God and Christ And this is the clear truth which if it be not hid from your eyes believe and fall down and worship the ancient of days and the Lamb upon his Throne who was dead and is alive and lives for evermore and if it should be otherwise interpreted according to what your inference of it would make it must follow that being one as God and Christ is one we are Gods as God is God and Christ as Christ is Christ and from what urged by the Scripture where Christ saith I am the light of the world the Scripture speaks the truth and can you rehearse the Scriptures and not believe the Truth for you may see if that you would not shut your eyes that Christ spake not of the light in the Jewes Consciences but of himself as he was with them in person for where he saith I am the Light of the World he saith not as I am Light in your Consciences by what follows but you will not come to me that you may have life and that this is his meaning is certain by what follows While I am in the world I am the light of the world and while you have the light walk in the light but the Prince of this world comes but in me he hath nothing and saith Christ He that believeth on me shall not enter into judgment but I will raise him up at the last day which he speaks not of any thing in himself that is distinct and apart from himself making his person not Christ but something that was in his person to wit the light to convince you of your mistake I present you with his own words wrote down by Luke That being arisen from the dead for their confirmation that he was Christ shews them his hands and his feet wherein was the print of the nails that nailed him unto the Cross saying handle me and see that it is I my self for a spirit hath not flesh and bones as you see me to have and to put them out of doubt calls to them for meat who gave him broyled fish and a honey comb and he took it and did eat before them which having done saith All must be fulfilled that was written of me in the Law of Moses Psalms and Prophets for said the Lord thus it is written and thus it behoved Christ to die and to rise from the dead the third day that Repentance and Remission of Sins should be preacht in his name amongst all Nations and ye are witnesses of these things but Thomas being not there when the Lord shewed himself sayes that except I see him and put my hands in his side and my finger into the print of his nails I will not believe the Lord appearing another time when Thomas was by calls to him and bids him put his hand in his side and his fingers into the print of the nails and be not faithless which Thomas having done cryes out My Lord and my God but said the Lord to Thomas Thou hast seen and felt and hast believed but blessed are they that have not felt nor seen and yet do believe and having promised to them to send his Spirit to endue them with power leads them to Betheny and blessed them which while he was doing was taken up into Heaven in their sight by which discourse it doth appear that Christ was not the light in his person but Christ as he was personally in his body of flesh to whom John bore witness as the Lamb of God that took away the sins of the World by which it doth appear that this fiction that sayes the light in Christ is Christ and not Christ the Christ in his person is a denying Christ come in flesh and to be fear'd that Anti-christ foretold by John that was to come and the affirming the blood of Christ not that that did Atone with God for sinful man the trampling under foot the blood of the Covenant making it an unholy thing doing despite to the spirit of Grace by which we are sanctified But this being so ridiculous a fiction is condemned of old by the Scriptures and this so great an
errour hath risen amongst us by changing the name by which we onely can be saved to the changeing the truth but in that it doth appear that Christ is Christ as he was in the form of our persons a Saviour and by that form Salvation for man hath wrought your principles that the light in Conscience every man born into the world hath is Christ is out of Truth and that it is that convinceth him of sin doth manifest you deny the Christ of God but saith the Lord I go away and will send the spirit and he that shall convince the world of Sin of Righteousness and of Judgement of Sin because they believe not on me of Righteousness because I am gone to the Father of Judgement because the Prince of this World is cast out Now if the Light in Conscience be the Spirit then must every man have Christs Spirit that comes into the world And whether Christ that saith his Spirit the world cannot receive because they believe not on me or you are to be believed in this point I commit to be considered of by men and say this that the attending upon the light in Conscience for the Christ leads not to Christ neither is it his Spirit for the Spirits work in man is to lead man out of himself and all depending on himself to Christ and to a depending on Christ that by him the wounded soul may obtaine peace in God our Father in and by our Lord Jesus Christ who is the propitiation for our sins according unto the Holy good pleasure of our Righteous God who gives his Spirit to them that aske him by Faith on his beloved Son Now that Christ himself and his Spirit is not one you see by his words that speaks of himself as one and of the Spirit as another I go away but I will not leave you comfortless alone I will send you another Comforter the spirit of Truth and he shall take of mine and give it unto you and why saith Christ I say of mine it is because the Father hath given to me all that he hath Mark here is the Father that gives all to the Son and here is the spirit that takes from the Son and gives to Christs believers here is three the Father Son and Spirit the Father the Giver the Son the Receiver the Spirit the Dispenser to men the Father the good will the Son the doer of his good will the Spirit the Reward to them that set their Seal that God is true who hath sent his Son into the World from the love he bore the world that they might not perish but have everlasting life and unto Christ saith the beloved John there are three that bare Record in Heaven Father Word and Spirit and these three are one both in respect of consent in their testimonies as also in respect of their eternity of being who being a substance of so transcendent a clarity of spiritual subsistencie which neither eye hath seen nor ear hath heard neither hath it entred into the heart of man to know but as to him it s given by the Son who reveals him who determining with himself to manifest himself he the all-nothingness becomes the al-somethingness to his own manifestation who having wil'd a being to bring to pass that that he had wil'd attracts in his will a desire for a center of the all-things that he the will in his all-seeingness did foresee from Eternity and having by his desire astringe the matter for a corporal form into a nature for production of cretures speaks forth the model by his word who effects by power to wit his Spirit the Universe with cretures in their diversities and variety of colours and shapes which being the truth that thousands of the Quakers that are so called I hope do believe do hope the wisdome of the Powers and all good and religious men will keep up a charity to the good not imputing to them the errours of the wicked for that you know that in the soundest bodies oft it happens there breaks forth a Boyle But to my Discourse whose business is to clear the point that Christ without us is Saviour and not the light in conscience that you say is Christ to that end turn to the Question the Lord puts to Peter who saith Peter whom say the people I am his Reply to his Lord Some sayes thou art Elias some Jeremiah or some of the Prophets but saith the Lord unto Peter whom say'st thou that I am Peter makes Answer Thou art Christ the Son of the Living God The Lord replyes to Peter and declared him blessed for that flesh and blood had not revealed it unto him but my Father that is in Heaven See 't was Christ that spake to Peter as in person without him and not the Light Christ that spake to Peter from within him and that that revealed Christ to Peter that Christ was the Son of God not his light in his Conscience but the Father that is in Heaven 't is time you wake from sleep and come to the acknowledging of the truth for unto us there is left no excuse take heed stumble not least you fall backward Surely my Friends from the beginning of Genesis to the end of the Revelations the Scriptures concern themselves to bear witness to him who is the Truth the man Christ Jesus and our Lord the Lords Christ and our Saviour and unto him confess I to the Glory of God our Father and our Lord Jesus Christ But my Friends from of old God complains the Leaders of my people cause them to err From Page the seventeenth to the nineteeth charge not my Pen to return to what there wrote for that I will not be provok't but refer the Reader to the paper which examining will find the Truth against your Opposition to its Position That the Christ of God that Redeemed man was him that was born of the Virgin Mary and personally came into the world in flesh and not the light of Creation in the Conscience which you say is Saviour Redeemer Advocate and the Christ but if my former paper wanted explaining I hope that this will clear the point but what is asserted of mine that you bring against me for to justifie you in your invictiveness in that I have declared the Truth satisfie my self in Gods reward being contented to be reviled without reviling again knowing that if they call'd the Master of the House Beelzebub you will call his Disciples Devils but while you stigmatize others take heed you brand not your selves and for your contempt saying I use your words I think there is amongst you that can witness that many years since I judged much of your language a Cant therefore I assure you you take too much upon you you Sons of Levie or that I use any other mans words or matter to glister with their covering saving the Scriptures of Truth my conscience bears me witness I use none but if I should if they
are useful to help for the clearing of the Truth am I thence to be condemned since you make use of your Head-Leaders words and principles to fight against the Truth Brethren I will aske your selves if that it was not at all times my manner of Discourse when at any time as occasion offered that I did not as well acknowledge the Soveraignty of the Lord in the new re-generation as I did the sufferings of the Lord for our Salvation and should I have denyed the one by only crying up the other I should have been reproved by my Maker but in this I rejoyce that God hath pleased of his Grace to give to me of all men most unworthy to understand the whole Truth to which I bore Testimony in the paper For that if it be as you say that the light whereof every man that comes into the world be Christ and Saviour and not Christ that was born of the Virgin Mary as he was in person then the Scriptures Testimony of him are not true and his Apostles are found Lyers before God in that they are they that testifie to him see Luke the first and second Chapters Paul in all his Epistles as also all the Apostles in their Acts Recorded Isaiah the 7 th the 14 th verse Isa the 9 th and verse 6. To us a Child is born unto us a Son is given and the Government shall be upon his shoulders and his Name shall be called wonderful Counsellour the Mighty God the Everlasting Father the Prince of peace is not this he that came from Bosrah whose garment was died red and is not this Christ whose Garments was stained with his blood when pierc't with Longinos his sword if so not the light in conscience but the babe born you say that the Gospel by which we are saved is the power you feel the Scriptures say the sufferings of Christ is the Gospel and the power of God by which we are saved Corinthians the first Epistle the fifteenth Chapter and first second and third verses if so not the light in conscience you say not Christ the Saviour as he was man consisting of Body Soul and Spirit but the light in that body the Scriptures say that that man born of Mary that suffered by Pilate was the Christ and Saviour Luke the 24 and the 39. A Spirit hath not flesh and bones as I have and verse 46. speaking of his sufferings in his person saith That thus it behoved Christ to suffer and to rise the third day from the dead that Repentance and Forgiveness of sins should be preached in his Name to all Natiions this being truth not the light in conscience for that the light in conscience is a diffused principle and Christ was a compacted body you say that Christs sufferings was temporary and not Eternal but the power you feel eternal therefore not his sufferings the Gospel but the power the Scriptures say that at once by himself he offered up an offering once for all them that shall be made Heirs of eternal salvation Hebrews the tenth if so not the light in conscience in that it was not the offering but the person who by the offering up of his body once for all you say that Patriarks and Prophets giving heed unto the light in them it was sufficient to them for their salvation but the Scriptures say if the blood of Bulls and Goates serve for the sanctifying of the flesh how much more shall the blood of Christ who through the eternal spirit offered himself without spot to God Purge your Consciences from dead works to serve the Living God and for this cause he became the Mediator of the New Covenant and that by means of his death for the Redemption of the Transgressors that were under the first Testament that they that are called may receive the promise of eternal inheritance and since the offerings by the Law must be purged with blood or else there was no remission it was saith he necessary that since the patterns of the true to wit the things in the Heavens should be purified with these that the Heavenly things themselves should with better sacrifice then these not that he should offer himself often as the High-Priests that entred into the Holy place every year with blood of others but now in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself and as it is appointed to men once to dye but after death to come to Judgment So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation Hebrews the 9 th the latter end of the Chapter If so the Scriptures True your Doctrine is out of Truth That sayes Patriarks and Prophets had Salvation by the Light in their Consciences since that was but the hand that guided them to him that was to come that purified all by blood without which no remission therefore not the light in conscience the Christ and Saviour but he that offered up himself a living Sacrifice for the putting away sin you say that you are beyond Faith but say I was you ever in it if you had and received the Promise upon your believing sure you would have held out unto the end that you might have been saved but you turning away to another Christ and another Gospel then the sufferings of Christ shows you either never had the Faith of the Lord Jesus or that you are Apostatized from it for the Scriptures say that we are kept by Faith through the Mighty Power of God unto Salvation The Galathians Witch-craft that having received the Spirit by the hearing of Faith the Concition bewitcht them to another Gospel Obedience to the Law you say that the Soul of man is no creture the Scriptures saith What will it profit thee to gain the whole World and lose thy owne soul and thou fool This night shall thy soul be taken from thee and saith God I will not for ever contend with man nor be wroth for the spirit would fail before me and the soul that I have made so that say I unto you O you children of men is it I that deny the Christ of God or is it you that say he the Word that was made flesh is not Christ and Saviour but that is he that was in that Christs person which you call Light saying that a measure of it is in the Conscience of every man that comes into the world and thence affirm that he was but a manifestation for our Example as saith Solomon Eccl. and J. P. in their papers Now we know this that it is written that that thaâ— was in Christ was God who being in Christ did by Christ reconcile the world unto himself not imputing to them their sins who having by Christ reconciled the world unto himself requires all men to believe on him that by him they may have Everlasting Life which the Scriptures concludes that whosoever believes on him shall be saved and he that believes not shall be damned for Christ being come a light into the world men will not come unto him that they may have life for which they shall dye in their sins for this is the will of God unto men that they believe on him whom God hath sent and Christ who is the enlightner of those that come to him by faith he gives to them his spirit by which they become the Sons of God who will raise them up at the last day from whence I conclude that you are they that deny Christ the Son of God who is the enlightner of men and the Saviour of his people Israel And Brethren am I become your Enemy because that I tell you the Truth well although by you condemned by God justified and thence pray that your sins be not laid to your charge giving you to know that I go not from the Truth because I declare to the Truth that doth convince of your mistake owning that in you that is to be owned in those things that is true and trust so shall be kept unto the end but if you will have it that I am no Quaker thinking thereby to expose me to outward troubles know that I fear none of these things for I have not so learned Christ that I should stand in fear of you or any man that shall gain-say the Truth your accusing me of coming amongst you for to shelter under your Cloke doth manifest you what you are but wickedness comes from the hands of the wicked as for me my hand shall not be upon you and do rejoyce since that to be a Quaker is to deny my Lord and Master that you though from Envie do declare me to be none and to help forward your desires in this matter do say that I am and ever was far from your opinion touching Christ the Lord and in this matter do say I am no Quaker and â—aving much to say of the cause of my leaving you from prinâ—iples and practises I forbear till a further time supposing by â—ou thereunto shall be provok't but if it might be the will â—f my God do much rather desire your Repentance to the blotâ—…g out for ever your reproach and shall not forget to make 〈◊〉 Supplication to God for you to vouchsafe to you his Grace 〈◊〉 that it be his Heavenly will and if that I must be judged â—…r Enemy because I tell you the Truth he who shewed me by his Visions on my bed in the dayes of my youth thiâ—… that I see now are brought to pass who hath preserved me 〈◊〉 to this day in that he is my rock will keep me I trust in 〈◊〉 fear for that he is my God Peace and good will to all men from God our Father and from our Lord Jesus Christ who hath loved us and washed us in his own blood for that he dyed for us to purchase us to God even Jesus the Mediator of the Covenant of Grace by the good will of God and our Father sanctifie all men to the Resurrection from the dead by the putting on the New Man hiddeâ— in the heart the birth of God by Jesus Christ through the â—…bounding of his love by his own spirit Is the prayer of 〈◊〉 that desires the welfare of all men and known by the Nâ—… of ROBERT COBBET FINIS