4. Now this gate blessed be the Name of the Lord and to his eternall praise we can declare it many thousands in this day do know and by it they find Christ and do enjoy his living presence dayly who is the bridegroome and husband of their souls and this gate is to wait upon him in the shinings of his divine Light in their hearts being retired and gathered unto the same out of all their own thoughts words and works all their own willings and runnings in the self-will all selfish motions desires and inclinations of self in pure silence and stillness of mind waiting to feel his heavenly breathings and movings which do raiâ—e up in us the true desire and prayer that we may find him and enjoy him and as we have sought him by this gate or after this manner we have never missed in some measure more or less to find him 5. This silent waiting to enjoy the presence of the Lord is a mystery and as a sealed book to Professors generally and seemes to have been little or nothing known to this great Seer as the Author of the Postscript doth call him for I find nothing of it in his Epistles and yet it is one of the most needfull and most profitable lessons and instructions for people to be instructed in and the Scripturs Testimony is plain and clear concerning it even of silent waiting Lament cap. 3. 26 27 28. It is good that a man should both hope and quietly or in silence wait for the salvation of the Lord. It is good for a man â—hat he beare the yoke in his youth he sitteth alone and keepeth silence because he hath borne it upon him Psal. 46. 10. Be still or silent and know that I am God Psal. 62. 1. Truly my soul is silent unto God from him cometh my salvation Eccles. 5. 2. Be not 〈◊〉 with thy mouth and let not thine heart be hasty 〈◊〉 utter any thing before the Lord. Zach. 2. 3. Be siâ—ent O all flesh before the Lord. And many more â—cripturs may be brought to prove this so needfull and profitable instruction As also here are manifest â—xamples of this silent waiting in Scripture both together and apart Ezekiell 3 15. The Prophet 〈◊〉 with them of the captivity seven dayes and then 〈◊〉 Word of the Lord came unto him And Esdras sat silent with the people untill the evening sacrifice Esdra 9 3 4 5. And the Prophet Elijah sat in a siâ—ent posture alone upon the top of mount Carmell waiting for the Word of the Lord and the accomplishment thereof casting himself downe upon the earth and putting his face betwixt his knees King 18 42. This is such a posture that if a man should use it in our dayes people would say he were mad or possessed with the Devill such is their ignorance of the way and work of God And again 1 King 19. verse 2. The Lord appeared unto Elijah neither in the wind nor earth-Quake nor fire but in the still or silent small voice to wit that is heard in the stillness or silence of the Soul 6. There is one particular more that I find in S. R. that I cannot omit to take notice of in the same epistle 46. which I have above mentioned either I know not saith he what Christianity is or we have stinted a measure of so many oâ—nce weights and no more upon holynes and there we are at a stay It were good for the Professors to consider this and be convinced of their error whereas they say the holyest Man on earth doth sin dayly in thought word and deed yea every moment and cannot but sin continually Is not this to stint a measure of so many ounce weights or rather of a few grains upon holyness yea altogether to annihilate it For I know not how that can be called holyness which cannot keep the soul one moment from sinning However S. R. although here convinced of this errour yet afterwards did fall foully into it when he joyned with the divines so called at Westmunster in that unchristian assertion that no man by any grace given of God can perfectly keep the commandements of God but doth dayly break them in thought word deed This is a bold presumptuons stinting limiting the power and powerfull grace of God in the hearts of his children without all ground from Scripture yea contrary to it which saith his commandements are not grievous and his yoke is easy and his burden Light 7. Moreover in my fourth Section I referred to some thing related by the Author of The fullfilling of the Scripturs concerning Iohn Welsh Robert Bruce and some others in those dayes which I said will not a little make for the present Testimony of the people cald Quakers Now for proof of this I shall give a few instances out of many more which may be brought out of the said book 8. First The said Author telleth us pag. 416. 2 edition of a very solemne and extraordinary outletting of the Spirit in the West of Scotland about the year 1625. and there after which began in the parish of Stewarton whiles the persecution was hat from the Prelatick party 9. Which by the prophane Rabble of that time was called the Stewarton Sickness and spread through much of that countrey particularly at Irvin through the Ministry of David Dickson of which he writes that few Sabbaths meaning first dayes did passe without some evidently converted and some convincing proofs of the power of God accompanying his Word yea that many were so choaked and taken by the heart that through terrour the Spirit in such a measure convincing them of sin in hearing of the Word they have been made to fall over and thus carryed out of the Church who after proved most solid and lively Christians And says he this great spring-tide of the Gospell was not of a short time but for some years continuance yea thus like a spreading Mooreburne the power of godlyness did advance from one place to another which put a marvellous Lustre on these parts of the country the savour wherof brought many from other parts of the land to see the truth of the same Again he telleth pag. 417. at the Kirk of the shots 20 of June 1630. that there was so convincing an appearance of God and down pouring of the Spirit even in an extraordinary way especially at that sermon Juny 21. the day after their communion with a strange unusuall motion on the hearers who in a great multitude were there conveened of diverse ranks that it was known which he saith he can speake on sure ground near five hundred had at that time a discernible change wrought on them of whom most proved lively Christians afterwards Now that there was a true and reall appearance of God and breaking forth of his power and out letting of his Spirit upon many at that time I veryly believe and my soul hath unity with the testimony hereof and diver other testimonys of
By the Nephesch I understand that of the Soul of Christ common to him with the Souls of other men as namely the Root and Life of the Animal Senses and discursive parts By the Neschamah or Nischmath I understand that substantial dignity and excellency of the Soul of Christ that it hath in its nature being a Divine Nature so to speake above and beyond the Souls of all other men and Spirits of the most excellent and holy Angels But whether his Nepheâ—ch and Neschamah be two principles really distinct or two facultys and powers of one onely principle I shall not in this place determine nor is it material to the thing in hand to inquire 9. Again Christ himself hath taught us that 〈◊〉 spiritual coming in his Saints is as the Son of Man Matth. 16 28. Verily I say unto you there are some standing here that shall not â—ast â—f death till they see the Son of man coming in his kingdom This can not be meant of his Last coming at the day of judgment else it would inferr that some that hear him speake these words have not as yet tasted 〈◊〉 death nor shall unto the Last Day which is absuâ—â— Therefore this coming of the Son of Man must 〈◊〉 his inward and spiritual coming into his 〈◊〉 Again he said himself that the Father had 〈◊〉 him authority to execut judgment as he is the 〈◊〉 Man and that the hour should come wherein 〈◊〉 that are in the gravesshall hear his voyce And 〈◊〉 told them that time was in part come already 〈◊〉 must be understood spiritually and inwardly at 〈◊〉 in great part Iohn 5 25 26 27 28. 10. And according to this I find a very obseâ—vable saying in Calvin on the Epistle to the 〈◊〉 upon these words For he who 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 who are sanctified are all of One. His words are the 〈◊〉 following Neqâ—e enim tantùm qâ—atenus Deus 〈◊〉 nos 〈◊〉 c. For neâ—ther â—oth he sanctify 〈◊〉 onely as God but also the vertue or power of his sanctâ—fying is in his manhood or humane nature 〈◊〉 that is hath it from it self but that God hath poureâ— forth a solid fulness of Holyness into it that froâ— thence we may all draw to which pertaineth thaâ— saâ—ing I for their cause do sanctâ—fy my self theref 〈◊〉 if we be profane and unclean the remedy is not to 〈◊〉 sought afar off which is offered to us in our fleshâ— Thus Calvin Now if he doth sanctify us as manâ— it is certain as man be must he in us for a cause 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 at a distance but by some medium or middle 〈◊〉 there can be no middle but the man Christ himâ—â—lf his Life or Soul extended unto us for it were a â—ost absurd thing to think that the Manhood of â—hrist doth operate upon the Deity and through 〈◊〉 Deity upon us for the Deity is altogether an â—â—passible being by reason of his most infinite perfeâ—â—on And seing he faith the Remedy is not to be â—â—ght afaâ—r off which is offered to us in our flesh I 〈◊〉 not how this can be understood of his externall 〈◊〉 for indeed that is at a great distance from I know Calvin hath a conception that the 〈◊〉 do partake of the flesh or body of the exterâ—â— person of Christ which yet is hardly intelligible 〈◊〉 we should conceive that it doth send forth 〈◊〉 exceeding subtile influence upon us but if it 〈◊〉 so the argument will hold stronger that if â—â—ody of Christ can influence us at such a distance 〈◊〉 more the Soul seing the Soul is more capable 〈◊〉 vast an extension then the body but flesh of Christ that the Saints feed upon is 〈◊〉 that divine body the substance of which is 〈◊〉 another kind then the outward body 〈◊〉 much soever made glorious or spiritual but body can not sanctify us without the Soul of 〈◊〉 extended into it for it is rather the Soul o◠〈◊〉 that is the man then the body and holyâ— can not be properly inherent in any meer body being the property of an intellectual being and therefor it can not convey holiness into another simply by itself but onely as it is the instrument of the Soul which is the onely proper and immediat subject of holyness 11. And thus having given an account not onely from Luther and those who embrace the Augustan confession but also from Calvin himself for whom the Presbyterians have so great an esteeme of the wonderfull power and influence that the Manhod of Christ hath in and upon the Saints and of his being so near unto them Let us now see what their great Seer S. R. as the Author of the Postscript calleth him saith to the matter Almost all his Epistles especially the First part are so full of expressions concerning that nearness of Christ to himself and of his enjoying his Love and hungering more and more after the enjoyment of it that it is needless to cite any particular Testimonys out of the book for the same yet for the satisfaction of those that have not read his book of Epistles I shall cite some particular places holding forth that wonderfull nearness of Christ that I plead for and that Christ himself is present with and in his People and that he giveth them not onely his comforts and Graces but himself to be enjoyed by them even in this life See 1 part Ep. 120. If joy and comforts saith he came singly and alone without Christ himself I would send them back again the gate they came and not make them welcome But when the Kings train cometh and the King in the midst of the company O how am I overjoyed with floods of love This is such a plaine testimony that it quite destroyeth that deceitfull distinction that the Presbyterian Teachers have when they tell us Christ is in us by his Graces gifts and operations but not by himself For are not his joy and comforts his gifts or graces and operations and yet S. R. saith If these came singly and alone without Christ himself he would send them back again the gate they came and not make them welcome And indeed Christ can not be separat from his Graces no more then the Soul can be separat from the love and joy that is in it and emanates from it or then the Sun can be from his beames or the fire from its heat Again see 1 part Ep. 29. I can neither speake nor write feeling nor tasting nor smelling come feel and smell and tast Christ and his love and ye shall â—all it more then can be spoken To write how sweet the honey-comb is is not so lovely as to eat and suck the honey-comb one nights rest in a bed of love with Christ will say more then heart can think or tongue can utter Surely these words hold forth an immediat presence of Christ for we can not tast nor feel that which is not really present Again see Ep. 191. There is nothing will make you
Postscript for which he may blame himself for the Truth of God will not want witnesses yet I hope these that are not byassed with prejudice and malice against us will find he hath said nothing but the Truth and vindicated our Principles by solide arguments from Scripture and from the unjust aspersions tâ—at the Author of the Postscript would fix upon us As for those that are prepossess'd with prejudice what their tohughts will be I shall leave them to the Lord for as one saith Periit judicium ubires transiit in affectum where the affection is forestalled the judgment will never be just but I wish all may be so charitable to their own Souls as to make an impartial and diligent search after Truth and not relie upon the testimony of man especially of that kind of men that any have in most of their controversys against us been found such gross and palpable slaunderers and calumniators that it may seeme strange that ever such impostors should be any more hearkened unto when they have been so often discovered in their bold and impudent lyes even to the conviction of many that are ready to receive all that comes from them as Truth But the cause is the Lords and in his good time he will vindicat his people and his own Truth no less now then in former ages Blessed are they that are not offendded in Christ who has been a stone of stumbling and rock of offence to the wise professing Iewes and foolishness to the ignorant vain Gentiles However this may be constructed it is my real desire to the Lord that all testimonys that come from any of us whether by word or writ may tend to nothing but the true conviction and conversion of the opposers and edification of all the upright in heart that love the prosperity of the kingdom of Jesus Christ on earth this is the sincere desire of him who is A real Friend and wel-wisher to the souls of all men ALEXANDER SKEIN From the Tolbooth of Aberdeen where I am prisoner for the true liberty of all Christians the 20 of the 12 moneth called February 1676 77. SECTION 1. 1. Separation from the Nationall Presbyterian Church no provoking sin why God should give them up who did so separat to the delusions of Sathan 2. But a further step of reformation 3. The inconsistency of this Presbyterians high commendations of S. R. and of his Epistles with the Presbyterians doctrin that Immediat Revelation is ceased since the Apostles dayes 4. Other Bookâ— more wortâ—y of Commendation 5. That Immediat Revelation is not ceased 6. A deceitfull distinction of some Presbyterian Teachers refuted IN my answer to this Postscript I shall not repeat all his words for that is needless the book being current in the hands of Professors but onely mark the most remarkable and he that will may be at the paines to read the passages at more length in the book it self Pag. 1. lin 7. Thou art desired to take notice tâ— what dreadfull and strong delusions such who were ring-leaders in this separation c. Answer He meaneth some persons at Aberdeen who some years agoe did separat from the Nationall Church in the time of the Presbyteriall government so called onely as to the use of these externall signes of bread and wine being so burdened in their Consciences even in that dy to partak with such and eat with them at that they judged to be the Table of the Lord many of whom were openly known to be scandalous and these passed under the name of Independents or of the Congregationall way Now this so small a separation this nameless Author doth â—o aggravat as if it were the main and greatest provocation why the Lord as he judgeth did give them up to the â—trong delusions of Quakerism But why may we nor much rather conclude that the Lord regarding their sincerity and tenderness of Conscience in making that separation such as it was did reward them with a further discovery and sight of some precious truths formerly hid from them which though this Author calls strong delusions we know are no delusions at all but most usefull comfortable Truths But if falling into Quakerism be such a proper and peculiar punishment for them who separated from Presbytery so called how is it that so few of that separation I mean of them called Independents have joyned with the way of Quakerism in England but have been so great persecuters of it that in new England the Independents being gone from their first tenderness and sincerity did put four persons called Quakers to death for no other cause but that they were of that profession and returned to that place after they had banished them for worshiping God as theâ— were perswaded in their consciences a crime more barbarous and cruell then I have heard of committed by any called Proteâ—tants upwards of some scores of years also how cometh it that so many in this Nation are become Quakers so called who were Presbyteriants and immediatly out of the Presbyterian way came to be Quakers and some who were once of the Episcopall way left it and became Presbyterians and afterward Quakers and some from the Episcopall way have immediatly become Quakers but is this a just ground for them of the Episcopall way to conclude that their â—eparation from Episcopacy to Presbytery was such a hainous sin that it provoked the Lord at last to give them up to the strong delusions of the Quakers I am sure the Episcopall men have as good reason to make such a conclusion against the Presbyterians on this bare account of separation yea and the Papists against Protestants for some who are now Quakers were once Papists and afterwards became presbyterians befor they became Quakers Have the Papists therfor just ground to conclude that the separation of those persons from Popery to Presbytery was the sin that provoked God to give them up to the strong delusions of Quakerism I know theâ— will be as ready to make such a conclusion as the Presbyterians can be but indeed who will view the matter with a spirituall eye will see the wonderfull goodness of God in his leading on the soules of them who most love him out of Babylon by those various steps of separation one degree after another till he hath brought them to Zion 2. These are they who follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth and some of these whom he calleth the ring-leaders of this separation after they had walked faithfully and religiously in that way called in derision Quakerism wich is nothing elce but pure Christianity restored again unto the world by the mighty operation of the power and Spirit of God after so long and so dark a night of Apostasy have finished their course in that way and are now at rest with the Lord in the heavenly mansions who both at their death and many times before gave powerfull and living testimonyes of Gods accepting them and giving them more manyfest
whereof is by me but of all this mans commendations this is the most high and admirable that followeth in his Epistle aforesaid where he saith So that in respect of us this Angel of the Church speaks as one standing already in the quire of Angels or as an Angel come down from heaven among men to give us some account of what they are doing above These words import not onely immediat new revelations I do not say of new Evangelicall Truths not declared in the Scripturs for I acknowledg none such but also great abundance of them And yet if we will believe the Presbyterian Confession of Faith published by the assembly at Westminster where S. R. himself was a Member Those former wayes of Gods revealing his will unto his people are now ceased see Chap. 1. sect 1. And sect 6. They exclude all new revelations of the Spirit and they tell us the whole counsell of God concerning all things necessary for his own glory mans salvation faith and life are set down in Scripture 5. And amongst other Scripture Testimonyes they abuse to favour this corrupt doctrin they cite Heb. 1. 1 2. God who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in times past unto the Fathers by the prophets hath in these last days spoken to us by his Son c. And their scope in this place is to prove from these words that there are no prophets that is to say no men divinely inspired or immediatly taught of God in our days but I have shewed in my book of Immediat Revelation that this Scriptur doth not prove that prophecy or prophets that is to say men divinely inspired who preach and teach by divine inspiration and as they are moved of the holy Ghost are ceased in our days more then in the days of the Apostles For if it could prove such a dispensation to be ceased now it would prove it to be ceased then even in the days of the Apostles and that the Epistle to the Hebrews was not divinely inspired which is absurd yea this Scripture rather proveth mor clear revelation then formerly under the Law God now speaking to 〈◊〉 by his Son or in his Son Christ Iesus who is in his people and liveth and walketh in them and also speaketh in them But now if the Presbyterians think that this place doth prove that Prophets are ceased how comes it that they think S. R. not onely a Prophet but a great Prophet for he that is a great Seeâ— is a great Prophet for the Prophets are called Seers in Scripture And for a further proof that the Presbyterians think that men do not speak in our days by divine inspiration see Iames Durâ—am in his Exposition on the Revelation pag. 1. where he telleth us that the words of the Revelation are the last words which God hath spoken unto his Church Sad tidings that for above this sixteen hundred years God hath spoken no words to his Church or hath had no Prophets since Iohn who wrot the Revelation but Iohn himself was not of that mind nor belief for he prophecyed of two witnesses that should prophecy a thousand two hundred and sixty days even all the time of the Apostasy also Iohn heard many voyces coming out of heaven long after him and he telleth us not onely of the presence of the Son of man in the midst of the golden candlesticks but also of his voyce which was the sound of many waters also he saw the new Ierusalem coming down from God out of heaven and that theâ— of this city should see his face and not need tâ—e light of a candle nor of the sun becaus the Lord God shall inlighten them which divers Protestants understand of a Church upon Earth pâ—rticularly Thomas Brightman who doth expresly affirm that the goodness of God shall shine forth in â— greater manner then can be ascribed to any means so that men shall appear Divinely inspired But if God hath spoken no words to his Church since Iohn's days his words being the last how comes it that this Presbyterian threatens us with S. R. his predictions or of what he did foresee would fall upon the heads of the forsakers of the Presbyterian Church For if this prediction of his be not from the LORD we have no cause to fear yea we know by blessed experience it was not from the Lord for since we left that corrupt way of the Presbyterian worship and their corruptions in Doctrin and Disciplin we have found the more abundant blessings of God from heaven to fall upon us and we have enjoyed more of the presence of Christ since our separation from such a corrupt Church then ever formerly we knew yea many of us that knew nothing before our separation what the enjoyment of Christs presence was are now come to know it since we were separat from them as a National Church although we are not nor ever were in spririt separated from these few scattered ones amongst them that fear or love the Lord in the least measure these are our little sister that we pray unto God for often and we have unity with them in every good thing that is in them and are only separated from the evil where ever it is in our selves and in all persons every where And the Lord hath let us see in his divine Light that the nationall Presbyterian Church at her best was never a purely constitut Church nor ever had the pure forme of the Gospell Church according to the pattern in the Mount nor was the doctrin of the Gospell purely taught among them onely some things they taught but they did not know the Truth in some of the most Weighty doctrines of the Gospell And when the Lord raised up a sinceer Ministry directing to a more pure way of worship and preaching the doctrin of the Gospell more purely then any of the Presbyterian Preachers did I mean some of our brethren whom the Lord sent among them faithfull labourers indeed divers of whom since have put of the Earthly Tabernacle and their soules are at rest with the Lord I say when these came among them they opposed them and stirred up the people against them and such of the people who received them and their testimony they excommunicated in the west of Scotland and none were more active and industrious in stiring up both people and Rulers in that day to banish imprison and persecute the true Servants and Prophets of the most high God then the Presbyterian Ministry so sadly were they deâ—erted of God both in England and Scotland and the common objection that both Teachers and People made against our Friends in those dayes was this who gave yoâ— a call to come and preach among us and when they saw that many of them were unlettered men as to the Languages and Heathenish Philosophy they cryed out against them as not being fitt to teach and when our Friends answered they mere taught of God immediatly by the divine iâ—spiration of
but onely a favourer of Bishops being then an Advocat becaus he would not bow to their wills was constrained to flee the Nation Not to mention the fineings and other oppressions that many endured on that account and the Papists also some of whom had almost their all swept away and many fled Besides some few scattered ones whom they called Sectarys they grievously persecuted and threatned as namely Iohn Garden of Tillifroskie a Baptist whom they imprisoned in Edinburgh for a long time and reduced to so great outward necessitys that no body durst wel minister to him what he wanted But was the Presbyterian National Church any more favourable to their lawfull Prince Did they not also extend their power to the utmost against him to compell him And what the sad effects were which this produced I am loath to mention so that none were spared but all Great and small must fall down and worship this beast as it was in the darkest times of Popery otherwise they knew what they were to expect And it would saden a mans heart to think to what perplexity many simple-hearted men were brought while things were carryed thus on the one hand the Kirk issued forth her acts that people should do so and so and on the other hand the Lawfull Magistrat issued forth acts to the contrary and so the body of the Nation was divided some following the one some the other untill they ceased not to make the three Nations a field of blood And all this happened by that persecuting and compelling spirit in the Presbyterian Church that is the very life of such a Church without which it can not subsist as such Next as to her Hypocrisy we need go no further then the various changes of the farr greatest number of her Church-members and especiaily her Teachers one while Episcopal again Presbyterian and to wheel round again Episcopal and these changes all falling within a short time even upon the self same persons they who were zealous for Episcopacy and cryed it up yesterday the next day zealous against it crying it as much down and then up again one while preaching against festivall days and set forms of Worship then for them then against them then lastly for them again All this bewrayes horrible and detestable Hypoorisy especially in the Teachers who pretend to preach the Word of GOD and the Truth of Christ. Whereas the Word of the Lord is One forever and the Truth is the same always and is not yea and nay And it is a thing as manifest as the light of the day that the Teachers even of the Presbyterian Church have been generally and for the most part Self-seeking worldly minded and covetous men who loved pleasures and riches more then God And this the Mâ—gistrat did wel know and saw the best way to prevail with them was to bribe them with augmentations and benefices as they did in the year 1649 and at divers other times as they saw occasion And in the time of great burdens upon the Land of Cesses and Taxations that many honest familys were redacted to great straits by reason of these publick burdens yet the Presbyterian Preachers table was as full as ever his cup did overflow with outward abundance he must bear no part of the publick burden but the burdens of the people must be augmented to give him augmentations But alas This Presbyterian kingdom is now faln and great is the fall of it especially it falleth heavy upon such as the Author of the Postscript who want those golden days of gathering up their stipends and augmentations but are fain to be at their purchase or conform which some have so much sense of shame still remaining in them as suffereth them not to do yet they fume and rage and the honest harmeless people called Quakers must be the main butt and object of their wrath but such paper bullets and darts that contain nothing â—olid as this Postscript being full of horrid lyes and false accusations will make little execution against us but certainly return upon their heads with shame and loss 10. All this sheweth that the Presbyterian Church was not so glorious a Church as she did take her self to be And many in the Island and elsewhere on the one hand did judg the Congregational Churches farr beyond her And those called Baptists I mean the more sober kind of them beyond both yea the Lutheran Church and the Church of England at lest as to divers particulars in doctrin is really beyond her But what shall I say concerning the Waldenses who had all what the Presbyterian Church had that was commendable and divers other thingsâ— that they want and wherein they do not imitat them although they boast to be their successors For the Preachers of the Waldenses were Lay-men most of them and wrought with their hands as the Teachers of the primitive Church did and had no sâ—t stipends or salarys but preached freely yea Peter Walâ—â— the first a most famous Preacher of that People was a meer Lay-man and had not Philosophy but was a Merchant in the Town of Lyons in France whose labour the Lord did wonderfully bless and the labour of such honest plain simple men as he was SECTION IV. 1. That some good men have been in the Presbyterian Church proves not that she was a true Church 2. In the darkest times of Popery God raised up some good men and Prophets in the Popish Church yet the Popish Church no true Church of Christ. 3. Few Sects but have had some good men among them 4. The Presbyterians in our days shamefully are declined from the footsteps and spirit of thâ—se antient good men that were among them 5. The Presbyterian Church guilty of treacherous practices 6. Christians should not make warr against the Magistrat 7. Presbyterians sufferings not pure and cleanly 8. The Episcopal Church had its Sufferers and Martyrs also 9. The Presbyterian Church especially their Teachers have much blood-guiltiness upon them 10. If the house of God under the Law was not to be built by men of blood farr less under the Gospell 11. GOD will not honour the Presbyterian party to build his Zion or Gospell-Church in this Land 12. Yet he will make use of many among them after he hath â—â—ashed them from such bloody Anti-christian and unsound principles and practices 13. Of this they were warned eleven years ago in my book called Help in time of need printed in the year 1665. 14. The Presbyterian Church of Scotland guilty of Apostasy and spirituall adultery proved fully out of S. R. his Epistles 15. S. R. his Faith uncertain and he doubtfull in his later days concerning the Covenant its being made an instrument of Reformation 16. Some other testimonys of Great Presbyterian Teachers that God had forsaken the Presbyterian Church of Scotland 1. But if the Author of the Postsâ—ript think to get a fame to the Presbyterian Church becaus of some noted men for piety that have
doth clearly hold forth Ioh. 17. verse 23. I in them and thou in me that they may be made perfect in one Observe here an excellent order Christ in the Saints and God in Christ So that as in respect of union God is not immediately in us nor immediatly united with us nor we with him but God is in Christ and Christ is in us And so God through Christ is in us and thus Christ doth declare himself to be the Mediator betwixt God and Man as he is in them Thou in me and I in them here Christ is the midle-man or Mediator as being in the Saints which confuts the gross and most comfortless doctrin of the Prebyterians and others who affirme that Christ as Mediator is only without us in heaven and is not Mediator in us whereas he himself in this place hath declared the contrary thou in me and I in them that they may be made perfect in one So that of all things visible and invisible Christ is next unto God and most near unto him as in regard of union and communion and then the Saints by their union with Christ are united also unto God and he unto them And if Christ be mediator in the Saints then he is Man or the Word incarnate in them for the Word or Logos simply considered is not mediator becaushe is of a nature as remote from us as the Father being one essence or substance with him and indeed it is the Man Christ that spoke these words in prayer unto his Father for the Logos simply considered is God himself and cannot be supposed to pray unto God for that to which one prayeth is greater then he that doth pray and it is the Man Christ or Word incarnate who said my Father is greater then I so that Christ as Man is inferiour to God this is the same Spirit of Christ as Man that prayeth and maketh intercession unto God in the Saints Rom 8. and hath done so from the beginning and by whom the children of men in all ages have received grace from God 4. For the seed of Gods Grace which is the true â—â—â—d of regeneration that hath been sowne in all ages of the world as well before as since Christ did outwardly come in the flesh was sown by the Son of Man to wit the Man Christ Jesus as he hath expressly taught himself Math. 13. 37. He that soweth the good seed is the Son of Man who is the good and friendly Man and therefore he hath been in all ages and places of the world becaus he hath sown his seed in the world and not in some corner of it onely and the seed which he hath sowen is the iâ—grafted Word even a measure of the same divine and Heavenly Nature Light Life that is in himself as he is the Heavenly Man or Lord from Heaven 5. Whose nature as Man is Heavenly and Divine all though it be inferiour to the God head for he said my Father is greater then I nor will his â—mnipresence and omnipercipiency prove that as Man he is as great as the Father for the whole universe of created beings of Heaven and Earth visible and invisible are as the dust of the ballance and drop of the bucket in comparison of God 6. And therefore that the Heavenly Man Christ Jesus his Spirit Light and Life doth every where extend it self into all things will not prove that Christ as Man is equall unto God nor yet confound his God-head and Man-hood it only proveth that the Man Christ Jesus is a great and mighty and most excellent being farre above all and excelling all men and Angells and all other angelicall and heavenly powers and principallitys which is a most certain truth and therefore do all the Angels worship him as they are commanded 7. And this universall presence of his in all things he declared himself when Mary his Mother according to the flesh with her husband Ioseph did seek him among the multitude why did yee seek me said he did yee not know that I must be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the things of my Father Luk 2. 49. and verse 50. They understood not that saing which he spake unto them and indeed many at this day do not understand it which place of Scripture Dionysius of Alexandria brought against Paulus Samosatenus to prove that Christ was before Mary and if Christ was before Mary he was not only God but Man for it is the Man or Word incarnate that is the Christ or Anointed of the Father and not the Word or God-head simply considered His 6 7 and 8 charges are that we affirme Iesus the true Christ the Son of Mary to be onley an ordinary vessell which containeth â—his Light as the Spirit of every other Holy Man doth and so not only pulling down our exalted Prince from his Throne of Glory but putting our false Prophets as he calls them in his place cloathing them with the glory of his proper titles as being Christ as wel as he becaus containing the same Light with his 8. Answ. That these charges are exceeding false and unjustly layd upon us will abundantly appear from what is already said in answer to the former and therefore I need say the lesse onely to let the Reader know that we are so farre from affirming Jesus the true Christ the Son of Mary to be onely an ordinary vessell c. that we both believe and affirme him to be a most Wonderfull and extraordinary Vessel and that both in respect of his Soul and body as having the Center and Spring of that Divine Light Life and Nature whereof we have but the ray and streame And though the Vessels of other men have the Light in them yet they contain it not but it rather contains them for the greater is not contained in the lesser but the lesser in the greatâ—r And thus we do not pull down our exalted Prince from his Throne of glory but acknowledge â—im more exalted then our adversarys do who â—ould confine and limit him to one place and â—â—ltogether exclude him as Man from having any â—â—rone in the hearts of his people whereas they do â—â—knowledge that the Devil is in all wicked men 〈◊〉 and good men also and yet they will not acâ—nowledge Christ to be in all nay not in any good â—en upon Earth 6. And thus they make the Devil greater then 〈◊〉 which is no small dishonour to our Blessed Saâ—iour and they who deny him to be in men even 〈◊〉 the Saints seing he is really in them conforme 〈◊〉 to the testimony of Scripture and the experience of them who know and witness him revealed in them are denyers of him as really as they who denyed him when he came in the flesh 10. Again that we put our Prophets whom he falsly calleth false Prophets in the place of Christ cloathing them with the glory of his proper titles as being Christ as wel as he becaus containing the same
them but onely an emanation or stream of it the Center and Spring it self was for most part in heaven untill it descended and cloathed it self with the likeness of our 〈◊〉 flesh in the Virgins womb 13. And â—herefore let all the Scripturs be searched and it shall not be found that Christ became Man and tooke to himself the Soul of Man at his conception in the womb of the Virgin Mary but onely that he took flesh and was the Son of Mary David and Abraham according to the flesh but according to his Heavenly Nature even as man he was the Son of God and was the Father and Lord of all the Faithfull in all Ages therefore David in spirit called him LORD whose Name is Wonderfull Counseller the Mighty God the Everlasting Father aud Prince of Peace SECTION IX 1. That Christ is in every man yea in every Creature in a true sense proved from Scripture 2. That it derogats no more from the honour of Christ then from the honour of God the Father that he is in all things 3. Christ in the saints proved from Scripture 4. Yea in all men even the wicked proved from Scripture 5. The God-head properly doth not suffer in men but the soule or life of Iesus Christ the heavenly man 6. More Scripture to prove that Christ suffers in the wicked as Heb. 6. 6. Rev. 11. 8. 7. Paul preached Christ in the Corinthians and Galatians when unbelievers proved from 1 Cor. 2. 2. Gal. 1. 3. Eph. 3. 8. 1. Tim. 3. 16. 8. If Christ be in the Saints he must be in all men proved from a most convincing reason that otherwayes he would be divided from himself and in discontinued places 9. Christ is otherwayes in all men then in the other inferior creaturs in regard of his operations 10. And otherwise in the Saints then in other men not only in regard of operation but also in regard of union and communion 11. How Christ is and yet is not in unbelievers in different respects cleared by two manifest examples 12. Christ is otherwise in the outward body and temple that suffered at Jerusalem then in the Saints 13. The Saints union with God is but mediat through the heavenly man Christ whereas the union of Christ with God is immediat 14. The Saints not Christ but Christians and receive all things from God by the Heavenly Man Christ Iesus 15. How Christ hath given eternall life to all flesh or all mankind according to John 17. 2. which place of Scripture is falsly translated in our English Bible THe fifth Particular whereof he accuseth us is that we affirme Christ to be a common sort of thing to be found in every man as it was in the Son of Mary even the common Light to be found in the mind of every man in the world 1. Answer That Christ is in every man yea in every creature we do boldly affirme conforme to the Scripture which saith all things were created by him even Iesus Christ the incarmate Word or Word made flesh and therefor he is in all things and as Iohn said he was in the world and the world was made by him for indeed it is impossible that the maker can be separated from the thing that is made I say according to the Scripture that seeing all creaturs were made by Iesus Christ therefore he is in them all even as God is in all giving them and upholding them their beings and ministring unto every thing what is needfull and fit for it 2. Doth it any more derogat from the honour and glory of Christ that he is in all then it derogats from the honour and glory of God the Father who is in all and through all blessed in himself for ever more For as God is a pure being and life that nothing can defile even so is Christ Jesus an incorruptible and incontaminable life and being as God is Light so Christ is Light a Light that shineth every where even in the darkness as Iohn declared but the darkness cannot comprehend it nor can the darkness obscure and darken it onely it can and doth obscure and darken the eyes of them who are in darkness that they cannot see nor behold the glory of the Light But more particularly to come to the matter in hand I shall first prove from Scripture that Christ is in the Saints and secondly both from Scripture and good reason that is grounded on Scripture that he is in all men in a true sense yea in all creatures And thirdly I shall shew that in regard of his operations he is otherwise in men then in the other creaturs of an inferior degree And fourthly that he is otherwise in the Saints then in other men and that not onely in regard of operation but also in regard of union and communion And fiftly that he is otherwise in the vessell or temple that suffered on the Crosse at Ierusalem and is now glorifyed in heaven then he is in any or in all of the Saints or in any other creaturs whatsoever howsoever excellent 3. As to the first that Christ is in the Saints see Ioh. 6 56. he that eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood dwelleth in me and I in him see also Iohn 17. 23. I in them and thou in me c. see again Rom. 8. 10. And if Christ be in you the body is dead Eph. 3. 17. That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith Collos. 1. 27. Christ in you the hope of glory 2 Cor. 13. 3. Seing that ye seek a proofe of Christ speaking in me and verse 5. know ye not your own sâ—lvâ—s how that Iesus Christ is in you unless ye be reprobates Many more Scriptures may be brought but these shall suffice to shew that Christ is in the Saints and Christ is Gods anointed King Priest and Prophet and therefor by Christ is not to be understood the Word simply considered as in God but the incarnate or ingrafted Word or the Word made flesh that dwelleth in the Saints Ioh. 1. 14. for the Word simply considered as in God is not the anointed but the annointer whereas Christ is Gods anointed 4. Secondly that Christ is in all men even in the wicked see Amos 2. 13. Behold I am pressed under you as a Cart is pressed that is full of sheaves This cannot be understood of God or the Word simply considered that cannot be pressed or suffer any grief but it is well understood of the incarnat or ingraftâ—d Word to wit the precious Seed of the life of Christ in us that is exceeding tender and is capable of grief and suffering by mens sins Psal. 95. 10. Fourty years long was I grieved in this generation Isajah 63. 9 10. In all their affliction he was affâ—icted and the Angel of his presence saved them in his love and in his pity he redeemed them and he bare them and caryed them all the days of old but they rebelled and vexed his holy Spirit c. 5.
This is the holy Spirit of the heavenly man Christ Iesus or the ingrafted or incarnat Word that is capable of grief and suffering whereas the Godhead is not capable of any suffering or grief for all suffering and grief is a finite and temporall thing whereas nothing can be in God but that which is infinit and eternall otherwise God would not be in all respects an infinite being which is absurd 6. See again Hebr. 6. 6. They who fall away from Christ are said to crucify to themselvs the Son of God afresh Now they could not crucify him if he were not in them because he was not outwardly present with them in his body of flesh so that they could not crucify him outwardly and Rev. 11. 8. our Lord is said to be crucified in Spirituall Sodom and Egypt that is the Apostat Church Babylon the Mother of fornications 7. And when Paul first preached to the Corinthians and Galathians in the time of their heathenism he preached Christ crucified in them see 1 Cor. 2. 1. Gal. 3. 1. The Words in both places according to the Greek are crucified in you And it was a great part of the mystery that Paul preached unto the Gentiles to wit Christ in the Gentiles which Sathan and his ministers laboured to hide and obscure as they do at this present but Christ and his Ministers labour to make known See Collos. 1. 27. To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this Mystery in the Gentiles And Eph. 1. 8. he preached the unsearchable riches of Christ in the Gentiles And 1 Tim. 3. 16. God manifest in the flesh preached in the Gentiles so the Greek in all these places but the Translaters of the Bible not understanding this so blessed comfortable a truth have translated these places among and not in whereas if Christ was among them he was also in them seeing he was not outwardly present among them in his body of flesh 8. And seeing that both they who are not Saints as well as they who are Saints are created by Jesus Christ he must needs be as really in the one as in the other Also seing the Saints the wicked in this world walk up and down together and are scattered among one another good and sound reason teacheth us that if Christ be in the Saints he must needs be in all men yea in all this world through which the Saints are scattered otherwise Christ would be divided from himself and be discontinued and in discontinued places which is impossible as all men of sound reason must needs acknowledge 9. Thirdly all though Christ be in all the creaturs yet he is otherwise in all men then in the others creaturs that are of an inferiour degree unto mankind in regard of operation because he exerteth or putteth forth more noble operations in and upon men then in other creaturs men having immortall souls that are more noble principles and subjects of operation then the inferiour creaturs have so that all men even the worst of men are capable of knowing and enjoying the blessed life of Christ which the inâ—erior creaturs are not and that which hinders them from this knowledge and enjoyment is not the want of capacity as it is in the other creaturs out sin and especially the sin of unbelief that they will not come unto him who is come unto them that they may have life as he complained against the Iewes 10. Fourthly Christ is otherwise in the Saints then in other men and that not only in regard of operation but also in regard of union and communion for the Saints are joyned unto him by living bonds as the branches are unto the vine and as the living members of the body are unto the head and they are one Spirit 1 Cor. 6. 17. Eph. 4. 15 16. Ioh. 15. 5. Ioh. 17. 23. Also they have communion both with the Father and the Son Christ Jesus 1 Joh. 1. 3. and one with another in him 1 Joh. 1. 7. and Christ dwelleth in the hearts of the Saints by Faith Eph. 3. 17. And he is formed in them Gal. 4. 19. So that they are his mother who bring him forth by a Spirituall and divine birth Matth. 12. 49. And thus the Church brought him forth long after he was outwardly born and crucified and rose and ascended Revel 12. 5. And she brought forth a man-child who was to rule all Nations with a rod of iron this is the hidden man of the heart 1. Pet. 3. 4. which 〈◊〉 the heavenly ornament not onely of all good Womâ—n but of all the Saints whom they doe put on Rom. 13. 14. who is the new man Eph 24. And the heavenly man or Lord from heaven 1 Cor. 15. 47 48. So that having eat his flesh and drunk his blood they are members of his body of his flesh and of his bones Eph. 5. 30. whereas all other men who are not Saints they have no union nor communion with Christ and he dwelleth not in them by faith he is not formed in them nor revealed as he is in the Saints as Paul declared he was in him at his conversion Gal. 1. 18. and then he preached him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Gentiles to the end that he might be revealed in them as he was in him and thus the being of Christ in the Saints is after a more speciall presence then he is in others whose understandings are darkened being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them becaus of the blindness of their heart Eph. 4. 18. And here observe that he doth not say becaus that the life of God is not in them but becaus of their blindness and ignorance they were alienated and estranged from it being past feeling so that once they had a feeling of this Life and therefore it was in them which Life is Câ—rist 11. Now becaus that Christ is not in Vnbelieverâ— according to that special presence and revelation as he is in the Saints and Believers but is hid and unrevealed in them therefore it is that sometimes Christ is said not to be in them even as we commonly say in a cloudy and dark night when no Starres appear in the aire or Firmament that they are not in it whereas they are in it even then but they do not appear in it as when the air is clear For Christ the Light shineth in the darkness although the darkness comprehends him not and this is the night state But when men believe he is said to rise â—n them and therefore he was in them before but 〈◊〉 arisen even as the Sun is in the Firmament at â—â—dnight as wel as at mid-day but the dark shadâ—ow of the Earth hinders us from its Light and â—hus the darkness of the Earthly mind hinders the â—oul of the Unbeliever to see the Sun of righteousâ—ess who reacheth through all and is in all Col. 〈◊〉 11. and is that true Light that