of the Fathers glory has already by himself without us and before any good wrought in us finished transgression made an end of sin abolished condemnation and death and that not by Spirit onely but by spirit water and bloud That though in the Kingdom of the Law of Reason and sense that is in the flesh sin condemnation and death are seen and felt yet in the Kingdom of Grace and Faith that is in Christ they are vanquished and appear no more That a beleiver while enclosed and shut up in a body of sin and death fightings and fears within and without as he is in flesh is at the same time raised up into the heavenly righteousness immortality and freedom above all sin or shadow of evil as he is in Christ the Head as redeemed in Spirit a Christian is in heaven in rest in victory and perfection as not yet redeemed in the body he is on earth in labours infirmities and imperfection These blessed sayings whosoever holds fast in faith and love will be in him as a lamp leading him through the thick vail of Legality the vain speculations of Philosophy the mysterious depths of Anti-christ and will be to him a Light to discern the Doctrine Spirit Ministry and Church of Christ from them that say they are so and seem to be so but are not but are of the Synagogue of Sathan Ye are compleat in him Upon this truth has the Church of Christ been built as upon a rock higher than all the flouds and storms that have gathered against her during the long Night of Anti-christian darkness as this Truth shined forth literal and mystical Idolatry in England France and Germany as shadows of the Night fled away On the other hand this Truth dying and decreasing out of the Churches of Galatia Colosse c. prepared the way of the Man of Sin into them and to this day hath exalted him over all Nations when the knowledge of Christ as Head shall more encrease and the Church grow up more into him who is Head Anti-christ in his highest forms his deepest speech his fairest shews worshipped and wondered at by the unbeleiving and unstable world of Professors shall be revealed and consumed Three cheifest Principles of this people called Quakers examined and weighed COncerning this people passing by their language postures and all other respects as to Person or Circumstance the tryal and knowledge of theirs or any other Spirit may more certainly be had from the substance and ground of their doctrine and faith the sum and scope whereof as to me it appears may be fully and faithfully gathered up in these three following principles 1. That the Light which enlightens every man accusing of sin is Christ and God the Pure and Perfect the Eternal and Just One and so the Redeemer and Saviour and the All to be known and beleived not as do others in word letter or person without but as within redeeming reconciling and making attonement not without in another but within in our selves out of which Light man departing was lost in darkness and the fall into which Light returning again he is restored and redeemed as at the beginning 2. That this Light as condemning of sin and death and restoring out of it into Righteousness and Life this is the bloud and death of the Cross the resurrection and second coming of the Son of God and that Obedience without mixture unto this Light working all our works in us this is our Redemption Justification Mortification and Sanctification so much obedience so much redeemed thus the Law and Gospel Faith and Obedience Death Resurrection Redemption Justification and Sanctification are not things distinct but one and the same within us 3. That the way to come to all this and to Christ and the Father is the Light in every man condemning of sin the sure word of prophesie wherein we must wait within and not as others go out unto a Christ without a letter without Christ and the Scriptures onely delivering their own experiences and conditions not as a Rule or word of faith to others and giving their Testimony onely to the Light within not to any Person Redemption or operation without also his and their Ministration in work words or letter without being onely the literal Covenant that makes nothing perfect This is the justest description and my truest understanding I can give of their faith and principles their other doctrine are but conclusions proceeding from these Three Principles of Truth are perverted and denied by these three principles of theirs the Person of Christ as the Object of Faith the Scriptures as the Rule of Faith and Faith it self as the evidence of things not seen of each of these a word whereby both Truth and Errour may appear Jesus Christ was in the beginning with God the Word the promise the Life yet fore ordained in the end of the world to be manifest in flesh to put away sin therein by the sacrifice of himself Unto him that is Christ as to come in the flesh the two great witnesses under the old Testament the Law and the Prophets did testifie and point as the true Promise and Sacrifice the Law having a shadow of things seen afarre of not then received of good things to come not present and done of Jesus the High-Priest to minister in flesh and therein to offer himself the one the perfect the eternal Sacrifice once and for ever no more to be offered from thenceforth in any age or generation In the fulness of time the Word was made flesh and being greater than Moses the Prophets or John he gathered up their several ministrations and finished them in himself the fulness of the Godhead in him as a Sea of righteousness life and blessing abolishing and overwhelming the sin condemnation and curse of the world as the less is overcome of the greater And hereunto when he ascended on high he gave gifts unto men whom he ordained as Apostles and Witnesses to the world that the Purpose and Grace which was given us in Christ before the world began which was shadowed by the Law and foretold by the Prophets was now made manifest by the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ who hath abolished sin and death in his crucified body and hath brought forth immortality and life in himself in spirit Thus the Mystery of Grace and truth lay hid in the divinity but came forth and was acted in the humanity neither is the divinity without the humanity nor the humanity without the divinity but both one in Christ thus the crucified and glorified Person of Christ is the express Image of God the alone object of faith the way whereby God came down in salvation unto men and by which we ascend and have access unto God thus Redemption and Righteousness is gloriously wrought without us in the person of Christ to point to any Person or Spirit within for the working Redemption over again other than to him that descended and ascended
God That by him all that believe are justified from all things by the Law of the spirit according to the Conscience from which they could not be justified by the Law of Moses without or the work of the Law written within according to the flesh by the eternal spirit in the blood of Jesus were sins washed away in the person of Christ before either faith or work by faith the same is brought to light in the Conscience by the works of faith is manifest in the body as I am in the flesh I labour between light and darkness flesh and spirit in fightings in work as I am in Christ I am entered into rest and victory and know no more work but Christ to be all that faith that cannot see justification in Christ till full mortification in the flesh will be found to be that fleshly Reason that cannot enter within the vail that is beyond the Law sense and reason Let these things be weighed that the purging away sin by a measure of God or light within is a baptism devised by reason and may wash away the filth of the flesh before men and hath a glory in appearance but the answer of a good Conscience in the death and resurrection of the man Jesus will be found to be the Baptism that saves before God and brings forth the true glory within That this people seeking after righteousness by perfect obedience to the light within and the Jews seeking it by obedience to the Law of Moses without are both in one spirit and under one law of work and differ no more but in the Copies of the Law those say the Law in the Conscience is holy just and pure and by obedience thereunto the unholiness and sin is taken away these say the Law upon Tables of stone is holy just and spiritual and by obedience to it they think to attain righteousness let both these know that neither the letter of the Law without nor the light of the Law within how holy and pure soever but Christ Jesus crucified as the end of both and faith in him is that which shall preserve men blameless and without spot before him at his coming all other coverings whither by Law letter or light within if without that in him shall be too short in that day Concerning Hope He saith to hope that that of God in every man or a Christ may be revealed to take away sin to give freedome from sin in this life is the pure the reasonable hope that makes not ashamed that to hope salvation while the witnese in the Conscience condemns of sin is the Divels hope and the unreasonable hope that they who have this hope look only for spirit light word and righteousness without and deny the witness within and Christ within the hope of glory To believe Christ hath already once in the end of the world appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself whereby we are saved through faith according to the inward man Heb. 9.26 1 John 3.5 and to look and long for him to appear again without sin unto salvation and redemption of the body or outward man this is the lively hope that makes not ashamed that gives perfection and strength in him while yet poor and wanting in our selves That to rest in hope that I am saved already from sin and wrath in Christ the Head through his blood and spirit whiles conscience condemns of sin in my flesh this is the hope against hope the hope of grace and faith against the hope of Law and conscience or sense and feeling this is the hope unreasonable indeed according to the Law and natural light but most true and reasonable according to an higher Law and reason in God that is the Word made flesh and made sin for us this hope in many is no more but an imagination or idle notion living in the pleasures of sin in such it was begotten by the letter or Reason or at the best by a vanishing flash of Light but where it is begotten by the inhabiting and abiding spirit there it is a hope beholding the glory of the Lord and changing the creature into the same image in the Lord the hope that sees the love of the father shed forth upon us in the blood of attonement and all sins and evils finished therein is the hope that gives rest to the afflicted wearied and not comforted and lifts up the head above the floods of all waters that can come against them He that truly looks unto the righteousness and grace in the person of the Mediator doth also wait in hope for the righteousness light and spirit of the Mediator to be revealed within him therfore his words are a slander to know Christ only as without to know him only as within are both a like Error to conclude they that are Christs are saved already but it is by hope not in clear and full enjoyment the hope is laid up in him but not seen to sense and feeling what a man sees or enjoys why doth he yet hope for it Concerning Love His Doctrine is that Gods love to the world in sending his Son is this that God had given a light in every man to condemn sin in the flesh and take it away through walking after the spirit and denying the works of the flesh that God's love in the creature doth likewise condemn all sin in others not flattering or sparing any and then covers them with righteousness Was this Gods great and abounding love in sending his Son is it no more but God giving a light in all men condemning of sin and taking it away in them or was it not rather herein that when the Law was weak the flesh weak while we were yet sinners and in our blood while there was no man no Intercessor that even then God sent his Son a propitiation for sins who came down unto us not in the nature of Angels but in our flesh and therein through death quenched in the still deep waters of his meekness and love the anger enmity sin and death with all things that might separate us from the love of God which of these was the great love let the Scriptures spirit and spiritual man be judge or is this God's love in men to condemn curse and judge others as not justified and saved in Christ whilest they feel sin in the flesh to take away my liberty joy and peace which I have in Christ witnessed by the spirit to faith until the same be witnessed in my flesh to sense is this divine love to trouble them that have believed in Jesus the afflicted and wounded and weary by calling them unto the ministration of Moses the fire and the sword the suffering the indignation for sin and unto perfect obedience all this as the way to redemption and righteousness by Christ is this the love that is of God the grace the meekness of the Gospel or rather is it not the love of the false
let him and them consider if it be not so and fear Concerning good Works His account is that by obedience to the light which reproves of sin following it out of the world and bringing forth the fruits of it the creature comes into the good work or obedience of Christ and so is by Christ redeemed that by being diligent in this light waiting and obedient therein the believer is led into the obedience sufferings tribulations and temptations of Christ that all the works and measures performed by the creature in obedience to this light do all compleat but this one work of the creatures redemption Where faith and unity with the head is lost no marvel if all the thoughts of that man run into confusion that the obedience or righteousness in Christ for justification and good works in us are one thing his own words at large may manifest if this short account of them may not and thereupon what foundation they build I need say no more only for the weaks sake I shal speak a word Christ was in the beginning with God that good Word whereby all things were made the same word in fulness of time became flesh in him that was the holy and just One who in his own person eternally vanquished all the evils of the world and to the utmost fulfilled the holy and perfect work of God for an everlasting and only righteousness upon all that believe of the greatness whereof might I speak it is higher then the Heavens deeper then the Sea and the utmost bounds and ends thereof can no more be known then can the heights and depths of him be known that is the holy one of Israel And this is the one obedience one righteousness one good work in one person one in spirit one in operation never to be renewed more in any other the same being not of a private nature nor for a private spirit but one for all he that hath made of one blood all Nations of men hath by one blood created anew out of all Nations a people for himself and if the natural heavens over us were spread forth at once in length and breadth large enough to comprehend preserve and nourish all Nations and all things therein how much more shall that One righteousness of Christ which is one with himself be as spiritual heavens large enough to take in to cover and preserve the second creation without any other to be added thereto how low and narrow yea how unbelieving and unworthy are their thoughts and esteem of the person and righteousness of Christ that think otherwise I leave to be weighed Through faith I come to read this most good and glorious work of God and therein to understand how that this world and my old man or flesh with all the evils of both by the operation of the blessed Divinity in his body were abolished in himselfe through death whilst yet darkness pollutions and fightings and thereby heaviness for a season is felt in my flesh wherein I also reckon my self to be as truly crucified and buried with him through the operation of the Godhead in the man Jesus for me as if the same had been done in me and this is the mystery of faith and the praise thereof is great but not before men who esteem of nothing but of what appears or is seen felt or handled and hence I think it necessary to give this warning that all approaches unto or converses with the majesty and glory of God by any redemption or operation of whatsoever spirit or light within and all mysteries of light and perfection so reputed whatsoever where that blessed and eternal redemption in the person of Christ for us is excluded I say through faith that all such are no other but some of the brighter sparks of Satans fires kindled on purpose to lead the creature to God by such a door as wherein he will be unto it a consuming fire can two walk together except they be agreed that man knows neither what God is nor himself that thinks to attain or to have attained the glorious presence of God by spirit within him who is not first reconciled through the propitiation of grace in the blood of Jesus If any man ask as they often do how can Redemption be where it is not witnessed where conscience chargeth of sin my answer is who shall lay any thing to my charge it is Christ that died my witnesses are the spirit water and blood the spirit of Revelation shining in my heart and the power of his death and redemption in part manifest in my body whilst heart and flesh that is reason and sense and law witness against me yet Christ and grace is greater then all let him alone speak let these be silent But if they ask to believe redemption whilst sin in me is not this the unreasonable hope No the father laid our sins upon Christ to take them away whilst we were yet enemies that he might commend his great love to us this was reasonable with God the Son rent our sins from off him in his own body on the tree because he could not be held of them this was reasonable with Christ the spirit bears witness that all things are finished sin death and the flesh in the body of Christ unto him that works not but believes on him that justifies the ungodly this witness is reasonable through faith I receive Christ into my self and am received into him and through this oneness am made righteousness life and light in the Lord whilst yet I am in many darknesses and deaths as to sense and feeling and this is reason as in the mind of God and according to the mystery of Christ that doctrine or spirit how mysterious soever in words or shâ—w that teacheth redemption to be by the operation of the spirit within us and not by that alone operation of God in the man Christ Jesus is indeed the excellency and height of man's reason and thoughts but a fearful contradiction to that higher reason or rather that blessed mystery of grace that appeared in Christ Whereas he saith that all the works and measures performed by the creature in obedience to the light within do all compleat the one work of the creatures redemption to this I shall only say how is the day of free grace set upon us and how are the thick clouds of Legality and misterious reason spread over us if this may be received for truth and let me only remember you of the words of Luther a man wiser and mightier in Christ then I which follows It was indeed a great glory that Abraham received circumcision at the commandment of God that he was endued with excellent vertues that he obeyed God in all things but all this availeth nothing to righteousness before God the excellent deeds and vertues of Abraham were not the cause that he was counted righteous before God so the following of the example of doth not make us righteous before
defaced or any other wayes painted out unto thee when the hour of temptation or trouble cometh thou shalt soon be overthrown By the Spirit of this world Christ is set forth under another resemblance by some more according to the Godhead as the Word the Light the Truth the Spirit by others according to the humanity as a man holy spotless separate from sinners and by both as a living example unto the world of perfect obedience to the law of the Spirit and the life of God this sets forth Christ indeed as a divine Person and so has a Truth but presents him onely as giving a Law and working it in us and so denies and blots out the Glory of his Grace as being the end of the Law this is the divinity of Sophisters and Justitiaries and all that they know or can teach of Christ let such Teachers know who cry up the Spirit to cry down the bloud who teach him as an Example and cast out the Attonement let all such know while they vaunt of sublime divinity and mysterious truth they do but set Christ in Moses chair as Law-giver and Judge but the great love in him as propitiation for sins they know nothing of the highest Religion of natural Reason is to pierce far into notions of God and to set him before it as a pattern to obey but faith onely sees the deep secret of Grace laid up in a crucified Christ he that would behold the glory of God and would be set up in those heavenly places let him lay down his Reason how heightened soever and begin in the simplicity of faith at the crucified body of Christ in whom he shall see himself dead and buried and raised up also together with him not by any work or obedience to Christ within but by the faith of the operation of God who hath raised Christ from the dead Hence these things follow 1. That the Light within or of the natural man with the work of Reason together is that spirit of this world which hath formed this false resemblance of Christ as a Law-giver and Worker and Pattern as upon the Cross an Attonement to Justice the victory of sin curse and the grave and the Head over all which is the true likeness or image of him terrible to others but the joy of his own so he is not known to the Light within If a man should be born into the world and in the space of one hour should grow up to the perfection of a man to the fulness of Light and Reason propound unto him these doctrines whether he will chuse that Christ has already by himself purged away his sins and sanctified him for ever before any good work wrought in him or that not Christ without but the Light within him is the Christ which through obedience thereto purges away sin in him and redeems him that way the first would seem foolishness and a contradiction to his Light the last would be received as the more reasonable and excellent way 2. That this false conception or resemblance of Christ as a Law-giver and Worker is an Idol and the root of idolatrous Religions doctrines of Circumcision added to Christ by the false Apostles of charity humility and bodily chastisements by the Church of Rome preparatives before faith by the Teachers of the Law and obedience to the Light within as the way of Redemption by the people called Quakers all these though divers as to Parties and Notions yet are one in the root and foundation of their faith all looking upon Christ according to the Law as perfecting out in part or in whole Redemption by work within them Conceptions of Christ how divine soever if not as crucified for our offences and raised up again for our justification are but Idols set up of a more spiritual nature as the Gods of Gold and Silver Lastly That they who affirm the Light in every man that condemns of sin to be Christ the Redeemer have set up an Idol for Christ they are gone back from that Christ that came not to judge but to save the world that speaks not condemnation but meer joy and sweetness to the weary and weak and have set up another Jesus and another Gospel neither of which nor the worshippers thereof shall be able to stand when the true Jesus shall appear this is the other errour as to the Light within Two things charged upon us by this people first that we deny the Light within and set it against Christ weighed and removed THis blessed doctrine of Grace Christ bearing away sins as in his crucified body and justifying the ungodly as in himself is by the words and writings of this people often and principally charged of two things 1. As denying the Light within and setting it against Christ 2. As teaching Christ at a distance and onely without A word to both may not be unseasonable While the Light within condemns of sin to beleive by Christ I am justified from sin is not this to make the light within against Christ no no more than the Law is against the Promise the Light in the Conscience and the Law of Commandements for substance are one their power one their kingdom one that is the flesh or first Adam Jesus Christ came forth one greater than the Law greater than our Conscience against him arose the Law of commandments the Law in the conscience sin in the flesh death and the curse all great and mighty Lords who had devoured the earth sparing no flesh neither Kings Princes nor People whom he having vanquished and triumphed openly over them he took the Law out of the tables the work of the Law out of the heart and sin out of the flesh as the Conquerour takes the conquered Kings out of the Throne of their Kingdoms and nailed them to his Cross according to the flesh he was as it were given for a prey to the fowls of Heaven and the beasts on Earth principalities on high and the miseries of the flesh according to the Spirit of glory and power he redeemed the prey brought back the spoil raised up his flesh and therein his body mystical and gathered together all things that were against him that are against us buried them in his grave and therein shut them up for ever Hence then a beleiver is divided into twain and accordingly lives in two Kingdoms according to his faith he is a man in Christ raised in him and set up in him above the law of his flesh of conscience or sin above the whole world with all things therein into the glorious liberty and blessedness of Jesus Christ as thus he is to be known no more after the flesh but as having put it off in union with Christ according to reason and sense he is a man in the flesh subject to the Law to infirmity and death the life of his spiritual man being many times hid from the sense of his natural as the Life of Christ in the Godhead
you than a lofty imagination of Reason onely enlivened with an active spirit of bondage That not the Light within every man but the word of the Apostles and Prophets and the spirit of Revelation shining according to their Testimony is that which leads to the Lord Jesus the incomprehensible divinity cannot be seen nor approached unto but in the Mediatour the Man Christ so Christ is the image of the invisible God the unsearchable Mystery of Christ is brought to light by the Gospel and to be learned by the Spirit so the Scriptures are the Image of Christ he that shall seek for God out of the Humanity of Christ he shall loose both God and himself so he that to find out Christ shall go to the Light within every man and not to the Testimony of them who spake of him what they had seen and heard he may come to behold him as the Law-giver and Judge but as a Justifier and Saviour he cannot know him The Light within all men may find out the God-head but the Mystery of Grace and Love cannot be known but by that Spirit that blowes where and when he lists Would the light within have shewed you the Attonement Redemption the bloud and sacrifice or have put these words in your mouth Concerning the Ministry of Christ HE saies the Ministers of Christ have the Word in them and so declare it to others that they Preach not for hire or gain that they are persecuted of the world He saies rightly that is a Ministry of Christ but Ministers of Righteousness are of Satan or of Christ zealously to affect to compass Sea and Land to make fair shewes in the flesh to be as touching the Law blameless to preach freely suffer labour stripes imprisonments Satans Ministers may be herein transformed as the Ministers of Christ wherefore Ministryes are to be judged by their Spirit and Spirits by Doctrines If an Angel from Heaven if any Persons coming forth in the wisdome holiness power and glory of an Angel shall not confess that Christ was made Sin and a Curse and the end of both through his death unto us let them be accursed their Doctrine takes away the blessing of Abraham which is in Christ and brings men again under the Curse of the Law which by Christ is abolished to all that truly believe I am jealous that the Teachers of the People for the greatest part are carnal formal and but in the Letter and walking as men yet the Lord has his chosen ones among them I am as jealous that the Teachers of this People are the Ministers of that darkness and wroth by which God will punish this faithless perverse and back-sliding Generation Let thy Spirit of Grace be poured forth upon thy Sons and Daughters and the Spirit of errour and uncleanness shall be revealed and cast out Concerning Free-Will HE saies the Light within men which reproves the evil deeds is that Will of God by which we are sanctified and saved that in every man which shewes him his sin and reproves for it is Free-Grace This Light in every man is the Free-will which is free to God and free from sin If the first be so then is the death of Christ of no effect wherein the whole blessed Will of God was done by which Will we are sanctified through his Body how is Christ crucified become foolishness to you who whilst to your selves and others you have a shew of humility are vainly puft up with your fleshly mind not holding the Head If the second be so then the Law and Free-grace are the same if the Light God has put into all men accusing of sin be the gift of Grace the gift of heavenly Righteousness by Christ wherein is the end of the Law and Sin heeded not that we are delivered from that Law in the Letter or Conscience that reveales sin and wrath and while enemies in our minds were reconciled to God by the death of another this is Grace that we are saved in him raised up into heaven in him whilst compassed about with a body of death in our selves this is a mystery to all the Children of Reason the Law and the Letter the darkness that is upon it is that which keeps the Saints in weakness and unstability the world in blindness and Idolatry and Anti-christ with all his righteousness wisdome and works after the Law Reason and Flesh in his power and greatness If the third be so then there is that in the natural man whereby he is able to know and receave the things of the Spirit there is a candle in all men upon which some beames of the God-head do descend and may be known thereby also the righteousness and transgressions of the Law but the deep things of God his Grace in Christ sparkling in old time now in one promise now in another figured by the Law and foretold by the Prophets whereof the righteousness of the Jewes the Philosophy of the Greeks knew nothing this cannot be discerned by the clearest Light in the natural man Thus the Mystery of the second Adam and the restoring of all things in him is levelled and brought down by the Divinity of these People to be no other thing than that Light of the Law and Reason which all Nations have and so whilst they are condemning all other Religions may be concluded in one common Faith and Principle with all those Religions whom they condemne herein onely excelling them that those are Iniquity more manifested these are Iniquity in a Mystery When they shall cease to make the death of Christ and the whole Mystery of Grace in him of none effect I shall cease any longer to account them so The End A TABLE of the several particulars spoken to in this Book 1. COncerning the Righteousness of the Letter of Angels and of God 2. What is Idolatry God may be known three manner of waies 3. Who hold not the Head and how Christ is Head 4. Three chiefest Principles of this People called Quakers examined and weighed 5. How Faith is the Evidence of things not seen 6. Concerning Faith and Sight 7. Concerning the Spirit and Scriptures as together making up a perfect witness or rule of Faith 8. The Light in all men what it is and of what use 9. Two things charged upon us by this People first that we deny the Light within and set it against Christ secondly that we believe in a Christ without these weighed and resolved 10. What is the inward Life and who is the retired Christian 11. A two fold departure from the Faith in the last daies what they are 12. The Christ that dyed at Jerusalem how farre acknowledged and how far denied by this People to be thâ— Redeemer 13. Whether this People build up a Righteousness of the Law 14. Christ first and last Coming what and a Question answered 15. Anti christs last Coming what and how 16. The Authors Testimony concerning the first and last Appearances of Christ 17. Light Purity and Power of this People examined what it is 18. Opposition and persecution that is raised against this People what to be thought of it At Page 47. begins the Review of there Principles as laid down by J. Naylor in his Book called Love to the Lost under these several Heads 1. Concerning the fall of Man 2. Light and Life 3. Righteousness 4. The Word 5 Worship 6. Error and Heresie c. 7. Faith 8 Hope 9. Judgement 10. Perfection 11. Obedience 12. Good Works 13. Election and Reprobation 14 New Birth 15. Baptisme of Christ and that the world so calls 16 the Lords Supper 17. Redemption 18. Justification 19. Sanctification and Mortification 20. The Law 21. Christ Jesus 22. The Ministers of Christ 23. Free-Will