for his perfection and uprightnesse v. 8. was the occasion of the Devils desiring leave of God to afflict him v. 11. and of Gods grant that his words might be found true v. 12. T.D. p. 12. A Believers person with his works are accepted with God though his works be not perfect G.W. Ans Here he would have believers like the Priests who sin in the best of their performances as they confesse But I say the Believers works are wrought in God and God works them in them and these works of God are perfect T.D. Repây As for our confeossin 't is agreeable to Scripture Eccles 7.20 There is not a just man upon earth that doth good and sinneth not i. e. that sinneth not in doing good Exod 28.38 Inâquity of holy things is there spoken of Duties which are holy for the matter are inâquity for the manner of peâformance Your argument doth no more conclude for the perfection of Grace than it does that every child should be a man the first day of his birth for that is one of Gods works as well as Grace As for Saints they may be said to be perfect in regard of parts as a child is a perfect man 1 Thes 5.23 Sanctified in soul and body and spirit and in regard of their aims and intendments but not as to degrees of Grace Sin and Grace in this life are together in the same subjâct as Esau and Jacob in thâ same womb As for the name of Priests which throughout you give me and other Ministers of Christ I count it no disparagement however you intend it seeing Christ is called by the Holy Ghost the High Priest of our Profession Heb. 3 1. The answer of G. W to Eccles 7.20 is no other than what M. Fish r gave which is vâry absurd and not worthy any further reply see Quâk âs Folly p. 13. T.D. We the Saints are one body with them in Heaven and have the same title with th m in possession p 14 38. G.W. Ans This confutes his former words for they that are one body with them in Heaven are members of the Body of Christ which is perfect and its members câmâleat âol 2.10 Eph. 3 15 T D. Reply The Body of Christ is not yet perfect for the e are great numbers of elect belonging to it yet u bo n. Christ gives a commission to preach and a promise of bââssing to the Apostles and their successours Mât 28.19 20. And the Apostle saies that Pastors and Teachers are for the edifying of the Body of Christ till we all come in the unity of the Faith c. Eph. 3 12 13. Put both places together and they inform us that Christs Body is not built up i. e. all the Elect not converted and so not actual members of Christs body for such men are by Faith till the end of the world As for Col. 2.10 't is plain enough that the Apostle calls the Saints compleat in reference to the Doctrine of Christ which shewed them all things necessary to salvation so that they needed not the addition which natural reason humane tradition or Judaical ceremonies could make As for circumcision we find expresly that it was urged as necessary to salvation Acts 15 1. This the Apostle denies They are also said to be compleat in Christ in respect of Ordinances and outward priviledges as particularly of Baptism which rendred ciâcumcision uselesse because it signified the same thing which circumcision did in a more large and emphatical manner v. 11 12. As for Eph. 3.15 Ther 's nothing in that v. to his purpose but I suppose he means v. 19 That ye might be filled with all the fulness of God Fulnesse of God intends not equality but quality a divine and spiritual fulnesse And the Apostle praies that they mâght be filled with it all and so they should be in Heaven but he asserts not that either they were or should be filled in this life QUESTION 3. Concerning Justification T.D. VVHereas S. Fish â spoke of our good work being a mââ to âou cause of our justification this Pâiest hath Mââlâ much ado to p ove thât S. F. ãâã a rank Papist and ââiâh our good woâks are but imperfectly good and Isa 64.6 All our righteousnâssâs are as filthy rags G. Aâs S. F. never affirmeâ that imperfect works and the righteousnesse which is as il hy rags do deseâve Justâfication as this Pââ hath wâânged him but good works whâch are the fulfilling of th âaw T.D. Reply Whether I have wâânged S. F I leave to the Readers judgment that shall peruse Quâkers Folly p. 14 â5 I urged against him ââr though our evil works did condâmn yet ouâ gââd workâ could not justifie because none of ouâ good worââân this life are perfect and so not the fulfi lâng of the Law as evil works are the violation or breaking of the Law And to prove the impârfection of our righteousnesse I brought Isa 64 6. To which G.W. hath nor nor indeed can ansâer 'T is an expresse place The Chu ch cââparâs all her righteousnesses to the garments of a perâon legally unclean which by the Law were unclean and to be washed because his body had touched them T.D. hath confessed p. 15. that âood works which are the fulfilling of the Law deserve salvation and that the desert of obedience arises from the dignity of the Subject by which it is performed G.W. Ans So then this makes for what S.F. declared for here it appears then that obedience to God is deserving T.D. Reply I did not directly affirm that good works which are the fulfilling of the Law deserve salvation but that from the rule of contraries which Mr. Fisher urged we might so argue For upon supposition that any meer man could fulfil the Law yet he could not be justifiâd unlesse he had undergone the penalty of his former disobedience and so made reparations to the Justice of God for damages sustain'd And again though I asserted the desert of obedience from the dignity of the Subject yet withal I affirmed that the Subject must be an infinite person and one from whom no obedience is due Quakers Folly p. 15. T D. gives the explication of 1 Cor. 6.11 Where by the Spirit of our God is interpreted of the Spirits application iâ referring to Just fication or else it may relate to Sanctification spoken of in the former clause G.W. Ans He would divide the Spirit of God from the Name of Jesus when as his Name and Spirit are one And where doth he prove that justified by the Spirit which he ignorantly calls the third Person in the Trinity is not the work of Grace Here he would divide the Grace of God from the Spirit for the Saints were justâfied freely by his Grace which was one with the Spirit T. D Reply Though Jesus and the Spirit are one God yet they have distinct operatâons or manner of working about our Justification 'T is Jesus alone and not the Spirit nor
the Father who merits and makes satisfaction for our sins The Spirit gives Faith to lay hold on Christ for Justification and seals the souls interest when obtained I have proved that we are not justified by the work of Grace or good works in the discourse upon Justification Quakers Folly p. 15. c. And so that the work of Grace cannot be meant in that place if by Spirit must be meant the meritorious cause of Justification as you assert I do not divide the Grace of God from the Spirit But I affirm that the G âce wrought in us by the Spirit is no meritorious cause oâ Justification As for that passage justified freâly by his Grace which is in Rom. 3.24 It intends not grace ãâã us but the grace or favour of God in giving Christ for our propitiation v. 25. As for your accusation of ignoranâe I value it not but look upon it as a justifiable ground ãâã account you a blasphemer for 't is an implicite denying of what I expresly affirmed viz Persons in the Godhead T. D. p. 16. The Apostle asserts âhe holinesse of mans nature as a work of the Spirit confoâming it to the Law to be the meritorious cause of our fâeâdom from sin G.W. Ans And yet he hath dâal d good works of obedience to be a deserving cause oâ justification What is not justification a freedom from in Acts 13.39 And where doth he prove the holinesse oâ mans nature is a meritoâious cause of our freedom from sin T D. R ply I see G. W. thou art so far from perfect that thou wantest moral honesty Thou shouldst have added what I did in the same period to make up my sense but mark withal 't is not that holinesse of mans nature which is in us but in Christ And then thou might'st have answered thy own Questions The righteousnesse of Christs humane nature or active obedience as we usuâlly call it in opposition to passive is asserted to be the cause of our freedom from sin and death Rom. 8.2 But not righteousnesse inherent in the same nature as it subsists in our persons As for Acts 13.39 I find nothing to the purpose it asserts not your Popish Doctrine that justification is sanctification or that the righteousnesse whereby we are justified is infused or inherent The words are And by him all that beliâve are justified from all things from which ye could not be justified by the Law of Moses And it proves that by Faith men are freed from the guilt of all their sins And what of that T. D. saiâh Rom. 8.4 5. It impoâts the end for which God sent Christ that his righteousnesse might be imputed to us as if it had been inherent in our selves G. â Ans If the Apostle had not meant the righteousnesse of the Law fulfilled in their own persons he would not have said fulfilled in us neither would he have counted Christs righteousnesse inherent in themselves if he had not counted it ââ hâm nor needed he to speak of the âighteousnesse of the Law being âo be fulfilled in Christ as if it had not been fulfilled in him T. D. Rââly Bold man Who art thou that teachest the Apostle how to speak who canst not speak sense thy self as appears by the middle clause of this thy answer If thou didst understand thy self thou wouldst say that the Apostle would not account that righteousnesse in the Saints which was not in them Nor indeed doâs the Apostle so mistake but he asseâts that the righteousnesse of Christ redounds to their benefit as if it had been their own inherent righteousnesse As the principal is discharged from the debt when the surety paid it though the credâtor cannot nor does say that the principal did make payment Nor does the Apostle speak of Christ's fulfillâng the Law as iâ he had not done it but he tells of what Christ haâh already done and to what end viz that we might have the benefit of it as if it had been our personal act T. D. Supposed S. F. to mean when he acknowledged degrees among Believers that some of these Belâevers have a mixture of sin with their Grace G.W. Ans This is a false supposition grace is pure the mixture of sin is in that which goeth from the grace T.D. Reply Reader If thou dost not judge this latter clause in the answer to be unintelligible non-sense thy judgment and mine must part herâ Mixture doth suppose at least two ingredients but what âhat is which goes fâom grace to mingle with sin I cannot divine He should mean that when grace decreasâs corruption increases and gathers strength As for my words they intended but that sin and grace are in the same subjâct or in each faculty of the soul not successively but together at the same time which Paul expresses by anotâer Law in his members rebelling against the Law of his mind Rom 7.23 Reader G.W. quotes a passage p. 18. l. 17. of my Book wherein he saies I wronged S. F. But I refâr you to the place where you may read it and judge as thou seest cause T. D. saies p. 19. Conscience in the Saints being but in part cleansed as a witness it teâtifies falshood âo them also G. W. Ans This man laies falshood and badness to the charge of the Saints Consciences âheâeas they witnâssed truth to them Sanctification throughout 1 Thes 5.23 and holinesse perfectâd in the fear of God T. D. Reply I do still affirm that no faculty in the Saints âs sanctified wholly but only in part And that place you bring 1 Thes 5.23 is a distribution of the subjects of Grace it intends not peâfection of degââes in each subject And if no faculty âheâ noâ Cânscience As for 2 Cor. 7 1. which you fââm âo quoââ yââ wâong that Scripture The words are not ãâã sââ pââfâcted but perfâcting holiness And the Apostle âo not supposâ thâir holinesse to be perfected but exhoââ them to endâavour after degrees of Grace nearer perfection which he expresses by cleansing from all filthinesse of flesh and Spirit in the former clause of the verse which supposes that there was filthiness remaining in both and then in Conscience for that is partly intended under Spirit See Quakers folly p. 19. T. D. saith p. 21. As Christ was made sin for us so are we the righteousness of God in him but the former was by imputation not inherence and therefore so the latter G.W. Ans If our being made the righteousness of God in Christ be but like Christ's being made siâ for us then this Pr. might as well say that we shall have no righteousness in us at all for Christ was made sân for us who knew no sin T.D. Reply There is not the same reason G.W. for saying the one as for saying the other For 2 Cor. 5. ult asserts such a proportion as I mentioned but no Scripture such a one as you vainly suppose Yet this I say that as there was no necessity of inherent
the Gospâl-Ministers are not infallible As also 1 Thes 5.19 20 21. Which I improved Q. Folly p. 33. we may mâsââke in some things yet ordinarily we preach infallible Truths Hence the Church is called tâe Pillar and Ground of Truth 1 Tim. 3.15 Pillar non seâsu aâcâiââctonico sed forensi as upon the Exchange in London are Pillars upon which hang Tables of Proclamations And Ground ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Seat of Truâh or place of its residence and the gates of Hell shall no more prevail against the publication than the profession and practise of infallâble Truths in the Church universal though they may against particular Ministers and Churches by damnable Heresies such as yours G.W. And as for your instance of the Scribes and Pharise âs I answer that though the Spirit did not âccompany their Ministry when they spoke against Chrâât yet hâ d d accompany it when they taught the people to âb eâvâ such things as Christ enjoynâd And this they dâd oââântimes as I shewed Mat. 23.3 What they hiâ you observe that observe and do Chrâst did then approve of their Doctrine in those things wherein he would have it practised And if so then the Spirit was in their Minist y and yet he was not in themselves for tâey saââ and did not i. e. practised not their own Doctrine Reader note that G.W. having answered after his fashion some o the aâguments in âhe Dispuâe he pretends also to reply to sâveral things which I wrote against R.H. but G. Whithâââs replies are so â jâne that I need but desiâe you to compare them if you judge them worth your reading for I shall not stand to transcribe them with the places in my Book to which I shall refer you and I dare stand to your judgment G.W. p. 34. T. D. p. 35. G. W p. 35. T. D p. 36 37. G. W p. 37. T. D. p. 40 41. G W. p. 40. T.D. p. 44. Only four passages I shall briâfly reply to T. D. The righteousness which God woâks in us is but finite as well as other effects p. 39 G.W. Ans And yet this Pr p. 37. hath owned that the righteousness whâreof Christ is thâ subject and that whereof he is the efficient are of one pâcies or kind then I say the righteouâness which God eâfâcts in us is not finite but infinite for Christ is Gods righteousness and Christ is formed in us T.D. Reply A pitiful cavil The righteousness in Christ which I asserted to be of the same kind with that in us must be understood of the righteousness of Christs humane Natuâe John 1.16 of his fulnesse have we received Grace foâ Grace viz. As the essential and integral parts of the child answer to the Parents or as the Paper receives the impression of the stamp Christ indeed is Gods righteousnâss in respect of Gods donation and acceptance of him for mans righteousnesse 1 Cor. 1.30 Who Christ of God is madâ unto us righteousness But the righteousness of the Divine Nature or Godhead is not our Justification No but the righteousness of Christs Humane Nature as it receives an infinite value from the Divine Nature to which the Humane is united in one person T D said the Spirit was not wont to be effectual without the Letter of the Word and gave instance Rom. 10.17 G.W. Ans He might as well have said the Apostles Ministry waâ not wont to be effectual for Pâul was not a Minâster of the Letter or writing but of the Spirit or thing declared of 2 Cor. 3.6 Rom. 10.17 is against his principle for there is a difference between the Word and the Letter for the Word abideth for ever 1 Pet. 1.23 So doth not the Letter How would Pr. convince Heathens of Christ iâ the Spirit be not effectual without the Letter T. D. Repây I had thought Paul had been a Minister of the Letter if you mean the writing for did not he minister as you phrase it many Epistles to the Churches and command the Letter to be read Col. 4.16 2 Cor. 3.7 intends that Paul did not only shew them their duty and the happinâss to be had in Christ but his Ministry was a means of conveying strength to do it and putting them into an happy estate Your d stinction between Word and Lâtter is frivolous the Letter abideth for ever in the sânâe there intended ââz in the impressions of it upon the hearts of the regenerate v. 2 3. 'T is not true of the new creature that he is boân to die To your fond Question I answer The Apoâtle makes preaching ordinarily necessary to the conversion of Heathens Rom. 10.14 How shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard Preaching without the Spirits efficacy brings but the Letter of the Word yet 't is as necessary by Gods ordination as plowing with the influence of the Heavens to make the earth bring forth T. D. The Gospel gives life upon imperfect obedience G.W. Ans And yet before he denied our good works to be a deserving cause of justification when now 't is so far deserving that the Gospel gives liâe upon it T. D. Reply Fair and softly goes a great way in a day G W. you make too much hast to have good speed to find out a contradiction where there is none I did not say that imperfect obedience deserves life though I did that the Gospel gives life upon it Thus your Catholick Brethren when J mes saies This man shall be blessed in his deâd Jam. 1.25 cry out here is a clear place to prove that we are blessed for our dâeds but alas they maâk not the wariness of the Scripture phrase which is not for but in his deed Our deeds may be Argâments or Evidences of our blessed state but no deserv ng cause And hadst thou had any ingenuity thou woulâst have taken in the whoââ period which was necessary to understand my meaning which was thus Thougâ the Law gives not life without perfect obedience the Gâspâl gives it upon imperfect obedience i. e. Thouâh the Lâw exacâs perâect personal obedience to Justification ãâã the Gospâl does not but by believing we obtain intâââst in Christs righteousness for that end T. D. David was not free from thâ bâing oâ sin in this life but a sad instance of the power of it in real Saints and yet he is made a pattern to New-Testament-Saints Zach. 12.8 p. 48. G.W. Ans That Scripture proves his Doctrine false for the words are He that is fâeââle among them shall be as David and the House oâ Davâd shâll be as God as the ângel of the Lord âefore them So that David and the New-Tâstament-Saints were free fâom sin for in God is no sin T. D. Reply The words are intended in the Letter of the Hââoâch Fortâtude and Sârength which the people should have in âhe tâme of danger like to David's And of âe ângelikâ aâd Divine pitch of both which the Rulerâ intendâd by the House of
David which was the Royal Famâây ââould be raisâd to through Faith in Christ And so they give us two sizes of strength and forââtude and not one only as Gââ interpreâs them Some shall be as David others as God Now look as Omnipotency is not Literally promisâd to Davids House but by an âxââsse of speâch or Hypââbole a greater measure of strength than others against bodily enemies so nor can we understand it spârituaâly bât of a greater measure of spiritual strength against âpââituâl enemies To conclude this discourse I shall not refuse to imitate an adversary though I shall be more ingenuous than to wrong hâm as he hath done me but shall bâiâfly sum up his principles and assertions with the place in his Book where they are to be found The Spirit was eff ctual among the Gentiles who had not the Letter of the Word p. 39. The works of God which true Believers witnesse are perfect p. 18. He meaning my self would have the Believers like the Pââests who sin in the best of their performances as they conf sse p. 18. Thât our good works are the meritorious or deserving cause of our Justification p. 19. G. W. finds fault with me for holding that the Scriptures are the Word of God and the only standing Rule of Faith and life p. 29. Those Teachers that want infallibâlity are out of the Truth p. 33. G. W. calls it Ignorance in me to call the Spirit the third Person in the Trinity p. 22. FINIS A NARRATIVE Reader MY Rejoynder to G.W. having been finished a good while since as the date of the Epistle will inform thee and the Bookseller having thought fit to delay the publication after it was off the Presse upon a consideration not necessary to be mentioned I have been perswaded by some worthy Friends to annex a Narrative the materials whereof lay by me and are of undoubted credit To most of them thou shalt have the Witnesses names persons of much integrity and where they are wanting in the rest the Witnesses not judging it advisable in some respects to be publickly named I shall be accountable to any man that desires it for a punctual proof Thou canst not be so much a stranger in England as not to know how frequently the Quakers decry the present Ministry with their Doctrine and Worship under the Notion of Antichristian But how little reason have they so to do considering how much themselves do symbolize with Antichrist particularly in that grand Doctrine of Justification by works which as they hold in the Principle they reduce it to Practise Witnesse Mr. Davis Min. of Dover For one of them lately at Dover when he came to die upon the question put to him made answer that he expected salvation only by his own works and not by Christ And dying men may usually be presumed to speak their hearts And I am out of doubt that they are acted by the antichristian Faction A Gentleman of good credit assured me that he met with an English Jesuit in London the first Lords day in June last one who was bred in Cambridge and had been formerly of his acquaintance who after some shynesse to be known at length confessed that he came over to propagate the Romish Faith and told him that there was a good honest people called Quakers whom we jeer'd at that did their work at the second hand and he boasted much of the numbers that turned Catholicks immediatly or medily by becomming Quakers And another Gentleman that came this Spring from St. Omars did avouch that he saw the Jesuits there about four a Clock every evening throw off their Gowns and put on aprons and betake themselves to the exercise of Handy-craft callings some plaid the Shoomakers others sate at the Loom others kill'd and dress'd sheep and they did not stick to boast that under the disguise of such callings working as Journeymen and changing place as they listed they served the Romish Church And the Head of the Colledge told him that England never was in so fair a way of return to the Romish See since it broke off as now And what hopes the Papists can have unlesse from the encrease of Quakers I leave Reader to thy determination And the truth is the Quakers now dâclare their intentions to propagate their perswasions by the sword whereas they were wânt to pretend to so much meekness peaceablenesse that they would bear neither staffe nor sword At ââât Meeting of the Quakeâs in Hurst-Peir-point in Sussex he that undertook to be the Speaker cald out to the Minâ of the Parish who then accidentally passed by saying We will have you all down for now our day is come and another Quaker in the Parish of Nuthurst in the same County did say to a Godly person of good quality in that Parish that he no more cared to kill one of the Priests as he stiled the Ministers then he would to kill a dog And another Quaker way-laid the Minister of Covewold a very worthy and reverend man at his return from a Fast and justled him upon the high way as he kept it having his Wife behind him and drew out a sword which he had by his side about half way which was a shrewd presumption that he intended the Minister mischeif but that some Neighbours that came from the Fast coming up to them prevented it And they do usually give out threatning speechs against the Ministry and their Friends Mr. Wingfield One Instance you may take as it was formally attested to me under the hand of a Godly minister of a Town within one mile of Sandwich I do testifie that Luke Howard of Dover Quaker did say in my hearing on the 25 day of July 1659. upon the rode near Dover Castle that it was revealed to him by the eternal God that the Priests shall be destroyed and by the people who are called Quakers In testimony whereof I set my hand Aug. 3. 1659. Will. Wingfield Min. at Word And in a late Pamphlet call'd a Word of advice to the Souldiers by E.B. Quaker p. 2. he speaking to the Souldiers of the Ministers uses this passage Oh give the Priests bloud to drink for they are worthy I my self read the whole Book through and can therefore attest it upon personal knowledge And what affronts these wretches offer to the Worship of God is notoriously known On the Lords day being the 18 of Sept. 1659. one Will. Naylor Brother to James Naylor a Quaker came into the Savoy Church when Mr. Hooke was in the Pulpit preaching and made such a bellowing noise that it seemed to be rather the Devil speaking within him than his own natural voice insomuch that the Minister was necessitated for a time to hold his peace and many of the people were sadly affrighted at the dreadfulnesse of the noise that some ran one way some another to secure themselves from the danger which they apprehended was near them This is testified by
their meaning Quakârs Folly p. 2. If your meanâng be that all men have thâ Ligât of the Gospel wâthin them only all do not obey it 't is contrary to the Scripture Eph. 5.8 H opposes the state of darknesse in whâch they were to their present state of light or if youâ meaning be for the words are doubtful that all men have a spiritual capacity to understand the Gospel when preached to them that 's false as appears by 1 Cor. 2 14 The naâural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit oâ God neiâher can he know them c. no more than the blind eye can discern a visible Object T. D. brought Psal 147.19 20. and that by the statutes and judgments are meant the supernatural light or knowledge of the Gospel G.W. Ans That makes for what I said for that may be shewed to a people which they know not And this Priest hath confuted himself for if these statutes were the knowlâdge of the Gospel Why did Iârael not know them who had them T.D. Reply If the Intent of the phrase shewing be no more than that the Gospel was preached yet even that the Gentiles wanted at that time The light of the Gospel did not shine to them as we may suppose the Sun might do if all the world were blând He hath not dealt so with any Nation i. e. not shewed them as to Israel Psal 147 20. To the Question Why Israel did not know the Statutes who had them I answer Ignorance of them is not here attributed to the Jews but to any other Nation except them The Relative they hath for the Antecedent any Nation not Jacob and Israel T.D. saith Rom. 2.15 is spoken of natural light opposed to the knowledge of the Jews G. w. Ans 'T is spoken of the work of the Law which Law was written in their hearts and this Law was spiritual and not a natural light T.D. Reply Seeing you do not understand the difference between the Law and work of the Law in the heart I 'le teach you By the Law in the heaât is meant an inward and spiritual conformity thereunto which is called the Law as the impression of the Seal upon a Letter or Bond is called the Seal which conformity lies in these among other things viz A consent to the Law that it is good Rom. 7 1â A readân sse to obediânce Heb. 10.9 And a bringing into captivity âvery thouâht to the obedience of Christ as the Apostles exp ssion is 2 Cor. 10.5 But by the work of the Law is mâant the knowlâdge of sin which is by the Law Rom. 3 20 And the effâcts of thât knowl dge in Con câ nce viz. a tâstimony to tâeir obedience or disobâdiencâ togâther w th approbation or censure Rom. 2 15 And hough the Law bâ spiri ual yet the work of it in the Gentiles is but natural v. 14. The Gentiles do by nature maâk the exp essenesse of the phrase the things coâââned in the Law T. D. Christ was not to be a light to the Gentiles till his coming in the flesh G.W. Ans What then was Christs presence in the flesh among all the Gentiles whom he did enlâght n What darknesse is this Seeing hâs outgoing hâve b ân from of old And what became of all thâ G ntiles that died before the daies of Christ in the Flesh Were they condemned because they had no light of Christ given them or because they disobeyed the light which thây had T. D. Reply 1. Till the time of Châist in the âââsh the Gospel was not preached to the Gântile-world but I did not say as you âmply that Chââst did preach it in his own person to them Christ did honour the Ministry of the Apostles above his own by the larger extent of their Commission As for Christs outgoings from of old that passage taken out of M cah 5 2. intends Christs eternal geâeâation and eâârnal designation to the Office of Mediator not any knowledge of Ch i st vouchsafed throughout all ages to the whole world To your last Question I answer that the Gentiles before Christ perished for disobeying the Lâght thây had Rom. 2.12 But yet their ignorance of Christ was the occasion of their condemnation for that disobedience Acts 4.12 Neither is there salvâtion in any o her for there is none other Name under Heaven given among men wherâby we must be saved Theiâ disobeying that light d d damn them but their obedâence to it could not have saved them without Christ and Chr st saves nâne but those who know him What followes in p. 11 12 13 14. of G W. Books is nothing but what hath b n answered in Qu. Folly and therefore I shall omit them QUESTION 2. Of the Doctrine of Perfection T. D SAiâh p 9. your Doctrine of Peâfection is against the Tenour of the Scripture and to prove it he bâângâ Job 9.20 and he saith p 11. the Perfection Paul dânies is thâ state of the resurrection which is to be wi hâut sin G. W Ans Here he hath wronged the Scriptures for thây do not say that Perfâction is against the Tenour of them for God commands Peâfection And Paul denied not the state of the resuârection for he said If you be risen with Christ c And he denied not freedom from sin Rom. 6.18 22. Job 9 20 21 proves not that Job was not without sin when God had delivered him out of that affliction wh rein he had said If I say I am perfect c. but after this Job was perfect T.D. Reply All the Scriptures which require repentance and mortification during this life do deny the possibility of Perfection For they and it are incompatible As for the commands they are the measure of our duty not of our ability to obedience Ther 's no reason to the contrary but that Gods commands should run in the old stile though we are unable to fulfil them As for Col. 3.1 which he quotes 't is plain that that resurrect with Christ was consistent with sin v. 5. Mortifie therefore your members which are upon the earth By members we are to understand inordinate desires motions and actions of corrupt nature such as are reckoned up in the verse By mortifying them a cânstant endeavour to represse and subdue them And the Argument to inforce the duty of mortification is drawn as from their death with Christ and life with him so from their first and spiritual resurrection with him But the state of the resurrection which Paul denies is of that perfection of holinesse as I told you G.W. which accompanies the last and bodily resurrection As for Rom. 6.18 22. I answered it in my Book p. 47. The Apostle explains himself that he means from the dominion of sin v 14. And for Job 't is plain enough that the Character given of Job viz. a perfect man was before his afflâctions and not after as G W. would make the Reader believe for Gods commendation of him