by working the same things over again in our persons that were wrought and finished for us in the Person of Christ not by making us bear our sins in our own souls and bodies that with our stripes we might be healed not by giving his Son again to dye in us for our sins and in us to rise from the dead for our Justification to ascend into the Heavens and sit on the right hand of God for besides that those were such works as could not be accomplished in our persons so also they were finished in his not to bee iterated But the knowledge of the truth and goodness of them given in the testimony of Jesus and of these Works as wrought and finished in him and the infinite and abiding vertue of them with the Father for us that so in beleeving in him we might finde the Word or Testimony of him through the Spirit effectually working the Works of God in us Neither Secondly doth he give the revelation of these things now immediately as to the first Apostles nor in such manner as to the Prophets of old but now mediately through their Word and by the evidence and demonstration of the Spirit therein So Timothy and all secondary Ministers then and since received their Word their Knowledge and furniture in the things of Christ In the conclusion of this Discourse I desired that if any would reason about the things they had heard by way of opposition or otherwise it might be without confusion and in such order that the people might understand what was spoken to what opposed or contended for and what was said on both sides And to this purpose I told them I thought it would be convenient to digest the sum of what had been into some few Questions to be discussed viz. what the Essence of Christ is whether something essentially in many Persons or one Person distinct from all other Persons and if one Person granted then concerning his Works whether Christ did bear our sins in his own Personal Body only as the propitiatory Sacrifice or Sin offering or so also in the bodies or souls of others And so whether in the works done in his own Body in his abasement and exaltation there was and so remaineth in him in our Nature with the Father in the Heavens by means thereof the only and abiding vertue for the taking away of sin or is the vertue for that also chiefly or at all originally in some other work or works done in other persons and about his second appearing and the glory then to be revealed whether that be to be waited for by all Beleevers in this corruptible state of the World all the time of their Mortality or made in or to any in this day and concerning the manner of Gods teaching these things and our learning them of him whether it be by having the same things wrought or accomplished over again in us that was in Christs Person as set forth to be the Propitiation or by receiving the testimony of him in the demonstration of the Spirit and of power and if so how that whether mediately through the Apostles word or immediately as they The Quakers being come in sâ—on after the beginning of this Discourse To this James Naylor answered That there were two things that I had uttered in Discourse which he denied which when I had made good or if I could not acknowledged my self a Lyar they would proceed to the Questions the two things were 1 That God was not manifest in the flesh of the Saints 2 That Timothy had not the same testimony that Paul had what answer I then gave may be seen in what follows in my Answer to their Charges and to James's Letter but when I shewed how he falsified my sayings he called me Lyar c. such Language was ordinary from them And so pretending want of satisfaction and doing what he could to â—inder the people from receiving satisfaction as to these things he kept off from the Questions propounded till one of them viz. Rich. Farnsworth began a set speech concerning himself which he continued about an hour at the conclusion of which I was desiâ—ous to minde the people of the evil and contrariety to the Gospel of some of the things spoken by him that they might so mark as to eschew as Rom. 16. 17. but as soon as I began for but by the way calling his Discourse a witness of or concerning himself I had presently himself and two or three more upon me bidding me stop my mouth Hee abhorred self which yet also was but his own witness concerning himself one of them charged me with opposing or blaspheming the words of the eternal God spoken by that man yet at last I got liberty to shew his abuse of some Scriptures as in the following Discourse then it being afternoon about an hour and my self and some others having rid ten miles that morning before the Meeting Mr. Wray dâ—sired us to break off for an hour to refresh our selves and likewise that we might meet at the publick place afterward for more conveniency of roome his House being too straight for the Company he likewise invited James Naylor and his Companions to stay Dinner which whether any of them accepted I know not but divers of them grosly abused him for desiring an hours Respite yet said nothing against meeting at the publick place whether soon after we went and many people but they came not at us but sent us word when we had been there some time that they would â—ot coâ—â— there and at our return from thence that if we would meet them in some place in the Street or in a Yard where they appointed they would farther reason with us which we judged unreasonable and thereforâ— refused yet Mr. Wray invited them to come again to his House either that night or next day but they refused and returned a scornful answer That night they sent me Papers as in the following relation and with the last sent also a Challenge by their Messenger to give them a meeting at a Town a Mile off next day which though an unreasonable Demand considering what freedom they had and might have where we were and with what scorn they had refused it and also that on theâ—r refusal of that Mr. Wray had proffered them that if they would appoint a place at such a distance next day we should mâ—et them and then they refused that also saying They knew not whether the Spirit might lead them that night and it is very probable they hoped we would not have come at their Challenge yet going that way we did call on them next day and then had a more full revelation of the spirit of Antichrist in them from J. N. than the day before who in answer to some such questions as fore-mentioned said That as Christ bore sins in that his own Body that dyed at Jerusalem so hee had born sins in his Body too and so that his first appearing to
the witness of that person and those works as perfect in him is actually received in the receit of the testimony God hath given of him It is a good description of the doer of truth he commeth to the light that he may see all his works that he desires to own as the ground and matter of his rejoycing and hope wrought in God in Emmanuel And so the other place saith the thing was true in them that was true in him not because it was actually wrought in them as in him but expresly because the darkness was past to them and the true light had then shined which disovers him as that onely begotten Son of God full of grace and truth Joh 1. 14. and so learns all truth as it is in Jesus Ephes 4. 21. yea leads into all truth and so gives proof and experiment of the goodness vertue and efficacy or power of the truth in the receit of it through such lifting up or demonstration of the Son of man and so of the truth as it is in him Joh. 16. 13 14. 2 The Jesus or Christ to whom thoubearest witnesse is such as whose second appearing without sin to the salvation of those that look for him with reference to those expressions Heb. 9. 28. is already past or hath been accomplised in thee This is clear in thy letter though there the word second bee left out which was oft urged by thee in discourse That Christ is come again in the flesh since his Ascension which also thou callest thy confessing the flesh of Christ and further signifies in following expressions This to bee thy confession of the flesh of Christ in thee or his comming in the flesh The second time even since hâ—s Ascension in thee And didst call in discourse his appearing again and the second time in thee in his body his flesh and spirit Christ holy harmelesse undefiled separate from sinners made higher than the heavens with many other such like expressions which some took in writing least thou shouldest deny them though not as any matter of Accusation against thee to thy harm as thou slanderest them which writing I not having by mee mention no more than I well remember And is the summe of it in thy Letter Whereas that Jesus the Christ which they have preached is personally received by and continuing with the Father in the heavens untill the time of the Restruction of all things Act. 3. 20 21. from whom all beleevers are personally absent while in these mortal bodies 2 Cor. 5. 6. His second and glorious Appearance in that body in which he once suffered for sin without sin to the salvation of those that look for him with all the blessed hope then â—o be revealed the fulness and Harvest of the Spirit and glorious Redemption of the body is yet to be waited for by all beleevers not accomplished in or to any of them all the time of this present world whence â—he Apostle propounds it as the posture in which the beleever stands all the time of this present world in which he hath ungodliness and worldly lust to encounter with looking for that blessed hope and the glorious appearance of the great God and our Savior Tit. 2. 12 13. with 2 Pet. 3. 3. 11. 12. 1 Thess 1 9 10. Phil. 3 20 21. And so that salvation of them that look for him Heb. 9. 28. to the accomplishing of which he shall appear the second time and then without sin in any such imputation of it infirmities or sufferings by occasion of it as was upon him in his first Appearance even in the glory of his Father and with his holy Angels That salvation of them I say is clearly that total salvation that shall be revealed and accomplished in the last time 1 Pet. 1. 5. even after the natural death and in the Resurrection in which they shall be redeemed from the power of the grave in the first Resurrection and so from the hand of the enemy that the second death shall have no power on them but they shall be ever with the Lord posseâ—â—ing the glorious rest and Kingdom for ever which appears in that its a position so placed as answering to the judgement after death mentioned in the former verse Heb. 9. 27 28. In that judgement after death unto which all in these bodies must come Then and therein shall he appear without sin to the salvation of them that look for him so that they shall stand in the judgement having righteousness and strength in the Lord yea in the Lord shall they be justified and redeemed from all their iniquities fully and perfectly and shall glory Isa 45. 24 25. Psa 130. 8. Yea when that Second Appearing of Christ shall be accomplished it shall not then be made or accomplished in an internal operation in this or that or many persons that we should need to look here or there for him but that one person shall appear personally in that his own body in our nature as now glorified with the Father even as he was seen go into Heaven so his second coming shall be visible to all as the lightning from the one end of the Heaven to the other and accomplished to them all at once and together 1 Thess 4. 14-16 Matth. 24. 26 27 28. To corrupt us from the beleef of the truth and expectation of which blessed hope and to intâ—oduce thy other Jesus whom thou didst witness to have appeared the second time in thee even to have come again in the flesh since his Ascension c. as before thou didst pervert these Scriptures that I well remember Luk 17. 20 21 Joh. 14. 3. The first of which thou mentionest now again in thy letter with a great deal of vaunting and reproach as if it spoke so much and so plainly to what thou hadst affirmed as to render it greatest folly shame and blindness to oppose such thy witness of thy self Let us therefore again a little look upon it and see if thou hast not grosly abused our Savior in perverting his words contrary to the plain intent and scope of them See if our Saviour do not in that place clearly signifie That his second coming in that body and therein the glorious revelation and bringing down of the Kingdom and glory is yet to be waited for even by his Disciples all the time of this mortality They themselves should desire to see one of his dayes and should not see it namely in this time and state of their mortality nor till they all come together with all that are his Let the whole Chapter be viewed from the twentieth verse to the lâ—st When he was demanded of the Pharisees When the Kingdom of God should come He answered The Kingdom of God commeth not with observation or outward shew of pomp or glory of this world of which his Kingdom is not as they expected Joh. 18. 36. neither shall they say loe here or loe there for beâ—old the Kingdom of God is
have disowned and of them both together signifies thou knowest it is a lye I say how dost thou know it or how shall we know it when thou bringest nothing at all to prove or demonstrate it to be such Is this all the Answer we must look for when thou affirmest any thing or deniest any thing I know I witness it to be True or I know it to be a Lye Indeed these were the strongest Arguments and Demonstrations we had from thee in our meeting to any thing that I know of and with these and such like in the mouths of divers of you together you could be as confident wise and strong in your own conceit as seven men that could render a reason and stop the mouths of others too with these when you had none of the faithful word to do it withall I know it is a lye and I pray how dost thou know dost thou think we will all fall down and worship James Naylor in receiving what he urges upon us onely in his own name I know I witness c. It may be such may do it as will not receive or have rejected the testimony of the other J. N. Jesus of Nazareth that came in his Fathers name Joh. 5. 43. But give us leave to question how thou knowest and because thou dost not tell us I will guess in this thy conscience knows whether I guess right or no I fear thou dost not at all in thy heart beleeve or acknowledge that one person of Christ as personally absent from thee while in this clay Tabernacle that that which we read of that person and the work done in him is sleighted as figures of some other truth to be found in us is evident enough to me as I shall further make appear anon but that which I here look upon as the ground of this thy confident knowledge is something more namely That thou hast in thy heart wholly rejected the faith and acknowledgement of that one person of the Son of God in our nature in one individual personal body even the same that was crucified slain and hung upon a tree that Jesus of Nazareth to be now received up into glory by the Father in the Heavens and there remaining in the most glorious presence of God even in the Heavens as opposed to the Earth where the former high Priests served and where while he is he is personally absent from us while we are in these bodies on earth I suppose thou mayst think there might be such a one as Jesus of Nazareh and that he dyed as is written of him and happily that he rose again but if thy thoughts go so far I doubt they leave him there even that Jesus of the seed of David after the flesh as one that in all done before in him was but a type of some first appearance to be accomplished in us and now as a type or figure vanishing and ceasing from thence so to be So that what we read of his Ascention into Heaven and remaining in the Heavens until the Restitution of all things and of his second personal Appearance is to be understood of some other internal mystery to be accomplished now in us not so plainly expressed in the words which must therefore be slighted as a dead letter I fear I have almost touched upon thy thoughts though we will not boast as thou dost of compreheading and discerning us perfectly in root end and off-spring while yet God knows and all that know us know thou dost not discover us at all nor speak as one at all acquainted with whence we come or whither we go but as he Joh 3. now if thou be so far given over to strong delusions to beleeve such a lie that there is not such personal body in our nature in the Heavens as before thou must needs from thence be confident Paul did not see him for he could not see that which is not But to remove such false ground of such a confidence there is sufficient demonstration and power in his words as left on Record and will be yet to thee in the consideration of them if thou hast not wholly crucified the Son of God to thy self and so thy self to the light and power of his words See I pray thee Luk. 24. 39 40. with vers 51. How our Saviour in the last discovery of himself to his Disciples after his Resurrection and before his Ascention demonstrates himself to hâ—ve a real body and not onely the shape or appearance of one which a spirit without a body may assume by his having real flesh and bones to be felt And that body to be he himself the same that was peirced and nailed to the cross so demonstâ—ated by his hands and his feet â—â— little before to Thomas by his side and hands Joh. 20 27. and at that time of his having so demonstrated himself unto them he led them out as far as to Bethany and be lifted up his hands and blessed them and it came to pass while he blessed them he was parted from them and carryed up into Heaven compare it with Act. 1. 9 10 11. Where having in the verses before repeated the Narration of his shewing himself alive to them after his passion by many infallible proofs and then of his commissionating and blessing them he saith And when he had spoken these words while they beheld that may assure us their sences were not deluded but it was even the same person in the same personal body as before demonstrated by his hands and feet his flesh and bones which their eyes had seen and their hands had haâ—dled even that word of â—â—e in that flesh which he was made now spiritualized or made in the Resurrection a spiritual body yet the same so made Even while they behold he was taken up and a cloud received him out of their fight and while they looked stedfastly towards Heaven as he went up behold two men stood by them in white apparel which also said yee men of â—â—lilee why stand ye gazing up into Heaven This same Jesus which is taken up from you into heaven shall so come in like manner as yee have seen him go into heaven Note the wisdome and care of the Holy Ghost here lest being taken out of their sight they or any after should doubt whether that body as then demonstrated vanished or what became of it He adds here that he was taken up from them into heaven even the same Jesus which they had seen and in this his Ascension in their sight in which he was taken up from them vers 9. 11. with Luke 24. 51. He was carried up into heaven yea saith Mark. He was thou received up into heaven and sat on the right hand of God Mar. 16. 19 even there in the heavens he is â—et on the right hand of the Throne of Majesty there officiating as a Minister of the true Sanctuary c. Heb. 8. 1. 2. Christ after the same consideration of him
extended to them and striving with them through his first Personal Appearance through which all the Grace of God bringing salvation to all men came forth in all ages shall have no day of grace nor any such nigh coming of the Kingdom either in it self or in the word or tender of it afforded them in and by his second day as the fore-mentioned abuse of this Scripture would signifie to us in urging that first part of the Answer of our Saviour to the Pharisees vers 20. 21. for proof of the second appearing of Christ accomplished to and in men now in this day which thing signified namely That the second Appearing of Jesus Christ in the flesh and in the Spirit his coming again since his Ascension c. as in the forementioned expressions of thy Discourse and Letter was accomplished in those Pharisees there spoken to who yet had not owned him in his first appearance is also quite contrary to your own principles and expressions too in other parts of your discourse and writings in which you signifie it to be the peculiar privilege of your selves and such others to have experimented Christs coming again in you since his Ascension and this accomplished in some late operations in you many of which Farnsworth boasted of which you signified us all along and all others that would not admire and worship you to be strangers to yet now this Scripture must be brought and urged again and again to prove the said coming of Christ again in Flesh and Spirit after his Ascension c. to have been now accomplished in these Pharisees that were not yet the Disciples of Christ nor had owned him in his first Appearance and at this time also in which our Saviour himself affirmeth He was not yet ascended Joh. 20. 17. and the Holy Ghost saith the like of him Joh. 7. 39. Herein is the truth of those Scriptures verified in you that tell us Such men as have not faith or are of no judgement concerning the faith of and in that person they are also unreasonable or absurd men their own sayings and principles will not stand one by another for indeed themselves understand not what they say nor whereof they affirm But I shall wave the further notice of your Absurdities in this and proceed in the consideration of what may be more for our commodity and instruction and for yours also if not too late or you be not too proud to receive it See I pray you how to this second day of the Son of man which hee hath said his own Disciples should desire to see and should not see till they and we all the Disciples be gathered together our Saviour speaks further in the beginning of Chap. 18. Instructing us by a Parable alwayes to pray watch and be as men longing and waiting for it and not to faint or take up short assuring us That God will much more readily willingly speedâ—ly than the unjust Judge who yet was overcome by Importunity avenge his Elect and that speedily which he plainly signifies he will then and not till then fully do in that day of the Son of man yet to come and to be waited for by them all as 2 Thess 1. 6-9 10. and 2. 1. 2. Yet the Lord is not slack as men count slackness but his forbearance is salvation he is not willing that any should perish and therefore waits that he may be gracious as 2 Pet. 3. 9. c. Isa 30. â—8 But he that shall come will certainly come who ever scoff at the promise of it and will not tarry longer than his time Yea the Lord will hasten the work c. of his faithfulness and truth in which he hath also given assurance in what he hath already done Nevertheless saith our Saviour when he the Son of man cometh shall he find faith on the earth Surely he signifies but little few will be found in the expectation and waiting for his coming most that pretend to magnifie him will before that day have taken up short as if it were already accomplished in this or in that others almost discouraged and damped through the abounding of iniquity c. The other Scripture that was perverted by thee to the fore-mentioned purpose in thy second dayes Discourse is That saying of our Saviour Joh. 14. 3. If I go and prepare a place for you I will come again and receive you to my self that where I am ye may be also Is it not clear that that shall be accomplished to them altogether And then and not till then when he shall bring all that sleep in Jesus with him compare this with 1 Thâ—ss 4. 14-16 17. They did indeed see him again after he was a while taken from them by death hee being raised appeared to them many times before his Ascension and they were therein comforted and confirmed and happily therein there might be some first fulfillings of that promise Joh. 16. 16. c. A little while and ye shall see me again because I go to the Father But as that text speaks not expresly of his coming again though it shall then have its full and perfect fulfilling so in that first fulfilling of it though they did see him again yet was not that properly his coming again but farther demonstrations of that first appearance and of the works done in that person therein and thereby And truly because he was to go to the Father they had those demonstrations of the person that did ascend in our nature before he did so And because he is gone to the Father he also shall come again in his day and receive them to himself as Joh. 14. 3. The ground of all our consolation and hope as before being made compleat in this That we have an Advocate the Son of God in our nature even in that body in which he bore our sins to the Tree in heaven with the Father From whence namely from heaven we also look for the Saviour the Lord Jesus Christ who shall change our vile body that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body by that mighty working by which he is able to subdue even all things to himself The other parts of my charge follow necessarily this first being so fully shewed and therefore with more brevity may be passed over as to say in the next place 2 That thou movest us to listen to and receive another Spirit than that which is in and with that hearing of faith Gal. 3. 1. 3. For is not the Lord himself in that revelation of him or the testimony of Jesus even as committed to the Apostles to be ministred and as preached by them that Spirit of Prophesie that Spirit prophesied of and that now fits for Prophesie and is the life and quintessence of Prophesie compare 2 Cor. 3. 17. and the other verses of that Chapter and Chap. 4. 1. c. with Rev. 19. 10. Is not that testimony as so come forth the Spirits testimony given and opened by him
type shadow or figure that so thou mayest confirm thy imagination of something within as the truth Is not this plain in thy comparing our opposing thy witness forementioned and not beleeving concerning the flesh of Christ farther or otherwise than wee read in the Apostles writings with such opposition of the Apostles preaching down Circumcision Temple and Sacrifices without c. in their day Yea its farther plain in that thou sayest The confirming them within in spirit is the ground and bottome of all and that in which all must end In whâ—ch word All thou hast evidently reference not only to the things last mentioned But to the things first mentioned also concerning the flesh of Christ about which was our contest and so thy witness is That the confirming them within us in spirit is not only the ground bottome and end of all those types and shadows of the Law Concerning which neither is thy witness true For Christ is the end of the Law for Righteousness even to every one that beleeveth Rom. 10. 4. yea in the works done and finished in his own body He is the body the prime and main thing figured in all the types and shadows of the Law But also of the personal appearance of Christ and the works done in and by that one person in his own body and the mention of his second appearing the confirming these â— things within us in some imagination or operation wrought or found in us saith Thy witness is the ground and bottome of all and that in which all must end Now if this be not another Gospel or Doctrine than what the Apostles preached and in this Letter so acknowledged too let the considerate Reader judge Yet I shall also here add a word or two to make it farther appear That this thy Message or Doctrine is not another manner of or farther revelation of the same thing or such as in which the things they said should come are declared as fulfilled even so as they said they should be as the Apostles Message or Doctrine as added to and following the Prophets was But so absolutely another Doctrine and contrary to what they have preached that the truth of them both cannot stand together as the things written by the Prophets and Apostles did seeing the Apostles said nothing but what the Prophets did say should come to pass who signified beforehand of the sufferings of Christ and of the glory that should follow The righteousness of God as its now come forth in Christ was so witnessed to in the Law and Prophets that the Apostles Doctrine was but a farther revelation of the same mystery of God in Christ before witnessed and according to what the Prophets had before said should come more fully opening and in all things confirming them Rom. 3. 21. Act. 26. 22 23. 1 Pâ—t 1. 10 11. But this Doctrine in which Gods being manifested in the flesh in that one person and the works done in his own body for us is preached down as they preached down the outward Circumcision Temple and Sacrifices as being but a farther type shadow or figure of the truth it self and that to be found in something else is so far from agreeing with the Apostles Doctrine or witnessing what the Apostles said should come so as therein to confirm their word as they did the Prophets that it wholly contradicteth and blasphemeth both and cannot be in the least measure granted but the truth of theirs is therein denyed For they have in their revelation of the Mystery told us That that Jesus of Nazareth and no other thing or person was the eternal word that was in the beginning with God and was God by whom all things were made and in whom in all Ages was life and his life was the light of men even hee to whom John witnessed that was not John but another person distinct from John and all other persons who was in those dayes made flesh by a work of new creation in the womb of a Virgin and so came into the world in the nature of man and dwelt amongst men in that his own personal body and they his Disciples then in that personal converse they injoyed with him on earth did behold his glory as the glory of the only begotten of the Father there is not another thing or person among men or Angels that is the immediately begotten Son of God the Father and him as so made flesh and in that body delivered to death for our offences and raised again for our justification they did behold and witness to be infinitly full of grace and truth as the fountain for all others and as the truth and body of all types figures and shadows of the Law Yea farther That they in receiving that word and testimony which himself began to preach and which they received immediately from him and fully after his Ascension they had therein received of his fulness in respect of the ministration or revelation of him to be given to mortal men And grace for grace A plaâ—n and full ministration or revelation of the grace of God in and by Jesus Christ to receive grace through whereas our Fathers before though saved by grace yet received that grace through a ministration of works For the law came by Moses but grace and truth by Jesus Christ c. read Joh. 1 1-18-29-40-45 c. The former things were indeed shadows and so they were alwayes signified to be but Christ is the body Col. 2. 17. And what ever is said in the Law and the Prophets of their continuing for ever I mean those typical Sacrifices and Ordinances It appears plainly signified even in those Scriptures of the Prophets if they be compared that in the things themselves that were types and figures of the true and as they were so they were only to continue for ever as Ordinances among them in their Generations till the Seed should come that was promised before that Law was given and in him the truth end and fulfilling of them was to remain for ever and ever The Law was added because of transgrèssion till the Seed fore promised should come Gal. 3. 19. and did in the whole and every part of iâ— shadow out and witness good things to come lead to a better righteousness and hope than was to be attained in or by it and that only to be found in Christ that was to come in the nature of man who is the end of the Law for Righteousness He is the body truth and end of all those former things that indeed were shadows and so was witnessed and directed to by them Rom. 3. 21. Heb. 9. and 10. So that the Law Prophets and Apostles do all agree and with one mouth witness declare and confirm him to be The He the Son of God the Savior of the world in whom onely dwels the fulness of the Godhead bodily In all which former witnesses and latter manifestations of his power and coming they have not made known
c. they all and not the unclean shall then together enter with him into the joy of their Lord where they shall dwell and walk for ever with the Lord in a high broad way where shall be no straitness nor occasion of stumbling yea the Lord himself shall be to them a place of broad Rivers and streams where shall go no Gally with Oares Isa 33. 20 21. Revel 21. 1 8. 25 27. 22. 1 14 15. Heb. 9. 28. 12 Qu. What that manifestation of the Spirit is which is given to every man to profit withall And whether there be any profit but by it And whether it be not of it self an infallible guide c. Ans To the First Part of this Query That manifestation of the Spirit spoken of 1 Cor. 12. 7. is of that one Spirit that being immeasurably received in the Nature of man in and by that one Person of the Son of God is sent forth in his influences of light and power unto men according to the measure of the gift of Christ and his manifestation is concerning Christ as the works are now finished in him and the Declaration of him come forth in the Gospel and so of the things of him and the Fathers glory in him by which he teacheth all things and leads into all truth as before is shewed Compare this 1 Cor. 12. 7. 11. with Ephes 4. 7 11. Joh. 16. 13 14. some distinct understanding of which testimony of the Spirit concerning Christ for some profitable opening or usefulness of it to others is given to every hearty beleeving receiver of it The other parts of this Query are in his former Queries and sufficiently answered before 13 Qu. What and where that Worship of God in the Spirit is truly c. And whether any can worship in Spirit and in Truth but those that are born of the Spirit And whether he that is born of the Spirit needeth any other guide c. And whether such Worships hath not been and are now differing from all other And therefore hated Ans Here are five Queries in one To the first wee answer That Worship of God in Spirit and Truth mentioned Joh. 4. 23 24. is that worship of him that is in the light and power of and according to the Spirits testimony concerning Jesus as now come forth in the Gospel and so in Christ Jesus who is the Truth And this called worshipping in spirit and in truth as opposed both to the Samaritans worship which was never right but in and according to the wisdom of the flesh and so in a false way and also as opposed to the Jewish worship which sometimes was right while yet it was in and through that killing letter of the Law to which the Ministration of the Spirit the Gospel as now come forth is opposed 2 Cor. 3. and also in and through the Types and Shadows of the Law to which Jesus Christ the Body and truth of them is opposed Col. 2. 17. Joh. 1. 17. This sence of the Spirit and Truth in which God is to be worshipped is confirmed in other Scriptures for the Spirit See Rev. 19. 10. The Angel admonishing John not to worship him but God instructs him thus The testimony of Jesus and not any Messenger that brings it is the spirit of Prophecy in which God is now to be worshipped for the truth See Phil. 3. 3. we are the Circumcision which worship God in the Spirit and rejoyce in Christ Jesus the Truth and have no confidence in the flesh c. And so our Saviour interprets the true Worship Joh. 5. 22 23 24. The Father judgeth no man but hath committed all judgement to the Son that all men should honour the Son even as they honour the Father he that honoureth not the Son honoureth not the Father that sent him And to let us know who it is that indeed honours the Son and so the Father that sent him it follows hee that heareth my Word which also is the word or testimony of him that sent him concerning him Joh. 7. 16. 14. 23 24. 1 Joh. 5. 9-12 13. And so beleeveth on him that sent me c. like to this is that Joh. 12. 44. 49. and that two-fold Rule for the trial of Spirits before spoken to 1 Joh. 4. 1-6 They then that magnifie or glorifie the Word of the Lord as declared in the Apostles Doctrin as Act. 13. 48. and according to it beleeve and rejoyce in Christ Jesus and so in the Father are the true worshippers To the Second part of the Query we answer That as it is true that no man speaking by the Spirit of God renders Jesus in his Person or works done in his own Body for sinners execrable or undesirable so likewise is it true that no man can truly say confess or acknowledge Jesus as the Christ in his Doctrin or Worship but by the Spirit of the Lord 1 Cor. 12. 3. and whosoever beleeveth that Jesus is the Christ he is therein and thereto bornof God 1 Joh. 5. 1. Joh. 1. 12. 13. the other parts of the Query as much as is needful are answered before 14 Qu. What and where that light is Joh. 1. 9. that being come into the World is the condemnation of all that are in darkness c. And whether it be not the condemnation of all the World that beleeve not in it And whether there be any other condemnation c. Ans In this Query is also a confusion of many Queries and after the first part of it something first taken for granted and then propounded as a Query we shall briefly answer it thus 1 Not John the Baptist but Jesus that was of Nazareth the supposed Son of Joseph that was conceived of the Holy Ghost in the wombe of the Virgin Mary born in Bethlehem of Iudea in the days of Augustus Caesar c. even that word that was then and so made Flesh and came and dwelt amongst men and not any other thing or person who through sufferings is now entred into glory That I say and no other Person or thing is The true light that lightneth every man that cometh into the world Joh. 1. 8 9. 14. 15-18 41. 45. 8. 12. 12. 44 45 46. Acts 4. 10 11 12. 2 The Text saith not This light is the condemnation of all or any that are in darkness but this is the condemnation That light is come into the World and men loved darkness rather than light because their deeds were evil Their loving darkness rather than light when the light comes unto them and not the coming of the light to them is the condemning sin and that which makes other sins condemnable as also Ioh. 15. 22. 24. Zach. 5. 1-4 3 This light personally is received by the Father in the Heavens Act 3. 20. but in his influences virtually and Spiritually among men and dwelling in them in whom he dwelleth by faith Ephes 1. 17. 2 Cor. 4. 6. Ephes 3. 17-19 15
AN ANTIDOTE AGAINST The spreading Infections of the spirit of Antichrist abounding in these last Days under many Vizors BEING A Discovery of a Lying and Antichristian Spirit in some of those called Quakers and therein some opening clearing and Vindicating of the Great things of Gods Law or Doctrin mainly struck at by them as concerning the Person of Christ and the Works done in that Person for us the infinite and abiding vertue of them and of them only for the taking away our Sin and concerning his Second appearing and the Glory then to be revealed Likewise concerning the Scriptures IN Relation of what passed in writing between them and Thomas Moore Junior after and upon occasion of a Meeting at Glentworth with the sum of what was discoursed at that Meeting also as likewise Of divers Queries from some of them about Cambridge with the Answers to them BY THO. MOORE Junior Prov. 5. 6 7 8. Lest thou shouldest ponder the path of life her ways are moveable that thou canst not know them Hear me now therefore O yee Children and depart not from the words of my mouth Remove thy way farre from her c. Chap. 14. 7. Go from the presence of a foolish man when thou perceivest not in him the lip of knowledge Psal 17. 4. Concerning the works of men by the word of thy lips I have kept me from the paths of the destroyer Printed at London by R. Ibbitson for Livewell Chapman at the Crown in Popes-head Alley 1655. The Epistle to the Reader OR A Preface to the following Discourse Christian Reader THe Occasion of my offering what follows to thy view with the Reasons and End take as follows And first To the Occasion My self and others being invited by Mr. John Wray to his house to bâ—get Christian acquaintance to the end wee might have fellowship and furtherance in the Gospel and be strengthened to strive together for the faith of it Upon our meeting there we understood that divers of those called Quakers that had been lately very busie thereabouts had notice of that our meeting But that some of them had also signified their resolutions not to be at it even some of the chief of them that yet did come to it How ever Mr. Wray desired that for the profit of those many people that were presently met together and for the preparing their understandings for what discourse might afterwards happen between us and the Quakers if they should come as well as for the laying some foundation for discourse that it might be the more regular and profitable That I say for these ends some of us should first assert and open to the people some of those great things of Gods Law or Doctrine that are Fundamentals in the Gospel of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ And that we did conceive Satan especially to strike against in these latter days and so which might be most profitable at this time to be discoursed This service falling upon me I did first mind the people of those many warnings given us by the Holy Ghost of the perillousness of the last times by reason of the abounding of iniquity even spiritual wickedness under glorious pretence and shew of godliness and righteousness yet under such a vizor denying the power the root and foundation of godliness whence all motive and motion to all right worship of God comes being the enemies to the cross of Christ however in shew zealous walkers humble and mortified persons yea that iniquity should abound in such manner chiefly at such times as when thereg should be some â—batement to bodily persecution that so there might be some equal proportion of persecutions or trials in all ages to be sustained by them that will live godly in Christ Jesus and for the manifesting who are approved among the many Professors of godliness and that this last sort of Trials and Temptations are especially to abound in the last days and to continue till the time of the end Dan. 11 34 35. 2 Tim. 3. 12 13. with 1 Cor. 11. 19. 2 Thes 2. 3 10. 2 Pet. 2. 1 2. and that this sort of Temptations and Trials are every where signified to be the most dangerous for beguiling unstable souls yea for corrupting and subverting even such as were going right on their way from the simplicity in Jesus See the Epistle of Jude 2 Pet. 2. 2 Cor. 11. 2 Tim. 3. Phil. 3. 17 18 19. the consideration of which I told them should be of this use to us to move us to give more earnest heed to the things that we had heard from the beginning in the Word of the beginning of Christ as 1 Cor. 15. Hebr. 2. 1 3. 2 Pet. 1. 12 to the end with Chap. 2. 1. To receive and drink down his Word into our hearts with more greediness and to let it dwell there to be filled with the Spirit to continue in the things that we had learned through she Apostles Doctrin and been assured of by the evidence and demonstration of the Spirit therein as Ephes 5. 16 17. 18. Colos 3. 16. 2 Tim. 3. 13 14 15. And thereupon I took occasion to open to them some of those great things of Gods Law or Doctrin which are the summary and fundamental matter of Gods Teaching and so to be earnestly heeded and continued in by us and the main things secretly and intentionally though under other pretences struck at by Satan in these latter days As concerning the person of Christ of God and of Man and that that very Jesus of Nazareth the Word that was then and so made Flesh is the very Christ and concerning the works done in and by that person for us and the infinite and abiding vertues of those works as remaining in that Person in our Nature glorified in the Heavens with the Father for us and the infinite Love and Glory of the Father as appearing in that face of Christ as revealed in the glorious Gospel of him who is the Image of God in whom God was manifested in the Flesh justified in the Spirit c. as 1 Tim. 3. 16. 2 Cor. 4. 4 6. And concerning the Second and glorious appearing of that Person promised and yet to be expected and waited for by all Beleevers with the glory then to be revealed the sum of what I said to most of those things is occasionally inserted in the following Discourse chiefly in the Answer to 1. N's Letter after which I also added a word or two to the way or manner of Gods giving us the knowledge of these things of himself in his Son that so we might be instructed in the way of being assured of the truth and goodness of them and of tasting the sweetness and efficacy of them to the preparing and preserving us through faith unto the Salvation ready to be revealed in the last time to this I told them First The way of Gods learning or giving the knowledge of the truth and goodness of these things is not
in and with which he is certainly present See Act. 2. 16-36 c. And thence the Gospel called The power of God to salvation to every one that beleeveth yea his words which he spake unto those that yet received them not spirit and life Rom. 1. 16 17. Joh. 6. 63. And do not they then move us to listen to and receive another spirit that bring another Doctrine or Testimony and indeed of another Jesus as before and cry down the testimony of Jesus as declared in the Apostles Doctrine as letter and dead letter while in the mean time also they magnifie the words spoken by themselves as the words of the Eternal God and curse others for but calling their words into question while yet also they reproach them for desiring to have their faith in Christ regulated according to the testimony of Jesus so given by the Holy Ghost as aforesaid and the Preachers of that testimony as Preachers of letter and command them to throw it by and wait for some other immediate teaching And wherein you have done all this is clear in your Discourse and in Farnsworths Challenge and in this thy Letter throughout notwithstanding it was plainly told you what the affirms of the Ministry of the Gospel as committed to them in the very place abused by you to this purpose viz. 2 Cor. 3. that Ministry as so committed to them and delivered and left in record by them that as opposed to Moses Ministration or the Law as given by him to which yet he gives more honorable Titles than you can afford the Everlasting Gospel he calls that not a dead but a killing letter now that cannot kill that hath no life in it But this Ministry of the Gospel as committed to them which also was witnessed in the Law and Prophets this as opposed to the Law I say he calls the Ministration of the Spirit yea Spirit the Ministration of Righteousness of life and of glory whence it s called the Glorious Gospel 2 Cor. 4. 4. Now when this is slieghted and rejected as a dead letter and yet some inward light or spirit boasted of and propounded to be listned to and received that must needs be another spirit than that which is in and with that hearing of faith yea a contrary spirit such as is in and with such contrary and strange Doctrines as bring another Jesus a contrary Anointing And so I come farther and particularly to make good the last part of my charge 3 That thou bringest another Gospel than what the Apostles have preached and all true beleevers have from the beginning accepted which indeed is not another Gospel It affirms or brings us no glad tydings It is Gospel but in pretence only not in truth It is indeed another Doctrine or Message such as in which the Message they received of him and declared unto us is endeavoured to be perverted and abolished to which thou pretendest an immediate call and furniture from God in which thou excludest thy self from that prayer for blessing on their Ministration to the worlds end who through the Apostles word or doctrine beleeve on him But if thou wert an Angel immediately coming from heaven we are to hold thâ—e Accursed in this thy work And to make it appear That it is another Doctrine or Message and contrary to what they have preached and such as will not at all stand together with it let this Letter be viewed though thou hast expressed things darkly and subtilly that thou mightst winde out when thou shouldst see cause of fear thou couldst not manage it or that the endeavouring to manage it would spoyl thy design in discovering thee too grosly yet they that will not wilfully shut their eyes may discern in this Letter that thy Doctrine Message or pretended Gospel in the summe or issue and end of it is to preach down that person Jesus of Nazareth of the seed of David after the flesh and those works of our salvation wrought in his person in his Incarnation Death Resurrection and Ascension I say to preach him and those works as done in that one person down as types and shadows or figures of the true Christ which is to bee found in some other thing or works accomplished in many persons even so to preach down him and those works done in him that manifestation of God in the flesh in that one person as for us I say so to preach them down as the Apostles preached down Circumcision Temple and Sacrifices without It contents not thee to preach down the same things the Apostles preached down as figures c. but thou must preach down what they lifted up as the body the truth so to abide for ever thou must preach that down as types and figures too See if this be not clearly signified in thy Letter Where after thou hast charged us with denying Christ come in the flesh because we bore testimony against thy witness of Christ being come again since his Ascension or having appeared the second time in the flesh now glorified and without sin to salvation according to that promise Heb. 9. 28. which was more full in thy Discourse but full enough in thy Letter in which thou callest thy witness of Christs being come again since his Ascension thy confessing of the flesh of Christ yea as is signified in what follows of his flesh in thee for indeed that was thy witness as is also signified in thy Letter That Christ was come or had appeared again in the flesh since his Ascension and so the second time and without sin to salvation and all this accomplished in thee as before I say After thou hast charged us with denying Christ come in the flesh because wee witnessed him to be already come and his second coming to be waited for and did bear witness against this witness of thine forementioned And then also reproached us for not beleeving concerning this any farther than we can read in that which thou callest Letter To this thou addest What a Generation would we have been had we lived in the times of the Apostles who preached down Circumcision Temple and Sacrifices without such things as the Letter said should continue for ever yet they preached them down without and confirmed them within in Spirit which is the ground and bottome of all and in which all must end Dost thou not herein clearly signifie an acknowledgement that the summe or end of thy mission or message in thy confession of the flesh of Christ which we opposed was to preach down that person and those works wrought and finished in that person in his own body as distinct from every one of us and without us in our particular persons which the Apostles said should remain in the essence of the person and abiding vertue of the works in that person with the Father for ever even to preach him and them down as they preached down Circumcision Temple and Sacrifices without c. even as but another or farther