upholding all things by his power for his Elects sake that they may be gathered to himself But the Text doth not say that he enlighteneth every one in the world with a spiritual light sufficient to eternall life and happinesse if they will but mind it There is something in the word lighteth which had respect to the present time noting some benefit given to the world which never was before according to Joh. 3.19 And this is the condemnation that light is come into the world and men love darknesse rather then light As the present mercy and benefit of Christs coming into the world in his person and immediate ministry confirmed by his works of miracles were a greater light to direct them and lead them out of darknesse to God so their condemnation was thereby aggravated in their refusall loving darknesse before the directions of this true light Besides lighteth is rather an outward light a borrowed expression taken from a Torch or Candle which have their use in an outward sense And we know John bare witnesse of Christ in his person and office unto which he was designed of the Father in making him the Lamb of God that taketh away the sins of the world and he bare witnesse to this very end that through his Testimony all men might believe in him Had the Apostle meant as they would have it he would have put in more words I think and not left it so obscurely to that end they would build on for whether this Text proves any such thing as Christs inward enlightening and quickening by his Spirit in the souls of men unto life is to me a great Question though a clear truth from other Texts for this light is said to shine in darknesse but the darknesse comprehended it not he came unto his own but they received him not The Jewes were counted his own as being the only people of God in profession and Covenant and yet they are accounted darknesse in regard of their incredulity in not receiving him for where Christ enlightneth and quickneth spiritually any soul with his grace all principles of rejectings and resistings of Christ and his word are removed and darknesse expelled as light comes into any soul darknesse goes out it being nothing else but the absence of light and therefore I think the Text is to be understood of the light of his person made flesh his ministry and miracles and all other means which by his Authority are appointed to bring men to true faith in him to salvation as many as believed in him he gave power to become the sons of God and not any other And we know how the Apostles understood the enlightening of the Gentiles were by their Ministry in Gods granting them repentance unto life and turning them from the darknesse of paganisme to the light of Christianity thereby as Scriptures teach as hath been proved The main objection of theirs against this sense is this Christs person ministry miracles were not known to every man therefore every man could not be lighted so Answ By World may be understood that part of the world where Christ was and is made known by vertue of his word Christ was in the world and the world was made by him and yet he was not in all parts of the world and so he was in the world and the world knew him not cannot be understood of the whole world for some did know him who he was and for what end he came into the world So it is said that Christ baptizeth and all men come to him here all must be understood of many in those parts And so the Apostle saith John was sent of God to bear witnesse of the light that all men through him might believe this must necessarily be understood with limitation for all men did not know nor so much as hear of John for he bare this witnesse only in Judea Again they say That John bare record of his life and light from which those works proceeded and not of his person and we know say they that his record is true which proves thee a lyar who saith he bare record of his person manifest in the flesh and the lie rests upon thee untill thou prove it Answ By this you may conceive that they deny the person of Christ and so consequently Christ himself as he is a Saviour for spirituall life and light were not capable of death shedding of blood undergoing the curse and treading the Wine-presse of his fathers wrath a sacrifice for sin for the redemption pardon and salvation of sinners Did not John bear record of his person when he said to the people as Christ came towards them Behold the Lamb of God that taketh away the sins of the world Joh. 1.29.36 And John baptized him with water and according to an immediate word and sign given of the Lord he saw and bare record that this Christ was the Son of God vers 33 34. And this is he of whom I said After me cometh a man which is preferred before me vers 30. And did John give record that he was a man whom he baptized with water and talked with and pointed at and yet bare no record of his person could he be a man and not a person the Son of God and not a person when he is said to be the expresse Character of his Fathers person Heb. 1.3 Thus you see in respect of his Divinity and Humanity he is called a Person Adde that which I have said before and then judge who is the lyar The Jewes themselves how malicious soever could not deny his person but they denyed that this just person Christ Jesus was the true Messiah promised in the Prophets and therefore they with bitternesse opposed him as a deceiver a false Christ c. But Christ told them If you believe not that I am he you shal die in your sins What He is this and not a person But enough hath been spoke to this to discover their folly and madnesse unto all that are sober His life and light and person is inseparable but he is not any otherwayes a light and comfort and Saviour to lost sinners but by his incarnation taking mans nature bearing our sins satisfying offended justice by the sacrifice of himself and hath obtained an eternall redemption for us thereby And he that doth not believe in him thus as the Scriptures hold him forth a Redeemer by suffering in his own person in the behalf and stead of lost sinners for their eternall redemption believes nothing at all of Christ unto eternall life whatever other notions or fancies are pretended What these mens fancies are of Christ what he is and how he redeems and saves sinners who can certainly tell They own not his person his natures his offices of Prophet Priest and King as the Scriptures reveal of him in the performance of that great work of mans redemption What do these people understand what Jesus Christ that came into the world made
understood with limitation and is not universall to every man that ever was in the world because Christ was not in all ages and places of the world in his person and ministry and powerfull workings visibly This is the condemnation that light is come into the world and men love darknesse rather then light this is from the same pen and must be understood of the same light that he calls that true light chap. 1.9 By which words of John 3.19 is evident is to be understood of Christ himself in person as he was the Son of man and the Son of God see vers 14.16 17. This very discourse to the 22. verse is a relation of what Christ himself spake occasioned by that Question of Nicodemus ver 4. God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believes in him should not perish c. God sent not his Son into the world to condemne the world but that the world through him might be saved and he that believes not in him is condemned already And then followes verse 19 Which light is himself then come into the world as the former verses read shew And hence you may see that this advantage the people of the Jewes had of Christs corporall presence amongst them preaching the Kingdome of God unto them was such a light as never was in the world before and their not believing in this light was their condemnation and for any now not to believe in the very same person the only Son of God the true light of the world both by his immediate person manifest in the flesh and by his Authority and Spirit flowing from the same Christ immediately revealed in his word cannot be saved and to have the light of Scriptures to discover Christ that true light what he is and what he hath done for sinners to bring them to God and believes not in him accordingly is the condemnation of all such And these Quakers I have often observed though in all their writings they quote this Text John 3.19 they seldome repeat the whole words but usually render the Text thus This is the condemnation of the world the light Insomuch that some that have adhered to them too much have thought that there had been just such a Text indeed but there is not It seems themselves are sensible of the light which is said to come into the world was another thing then what they intend because they leave them out as they are placed by the penman and so put the words together as may make some colour of an immediate inward light which is in all as if the light that is in all men in the world is constituted of God only to be the condemnation of the whole world in the Text when it speaks not of any light save of Christs person and ministry then really come and manifest in that part of the world the Jewes lived in A light for eminency superadded to all that were before him as the Sun excelling the leaft Starres and to love darknesse rather then this Sun of righteousnesse the light of the world is the condemnation but yet to be limited to that part of the world where the light of Christ shines through the benefit and use of the Prophets and Apostles discoveries only How shall they escape that neglect so great salvation which at first began to be preached unto them Heb. 2. Though it be true that there is tribulation and wo to every one that doth evill both to Jew and Gentile and Christian yet as many as sin without Law shall perish without Law and as many as have finned under the written Law shall be judged by the Law and so those that refuse the light of the Gospel that discovers the only remedy this is their condemnation and a sorer judgement much more heavier then of Sodom and Gomorrah or of those that sinned and were punished under Moses and the Prophets And that these depravers and contemners of the mysteries of Christs Kingdome dispensed by Gospel Ordinances in order to the enlightning quickning and saving of sinners shall assuredly feel if the free peculiar grace of God through the blood of Christ prevent it not in giving them repentance and remission of sins who have meerly out of their dark minds through the malice of that old Serpent fomented such blasphemies against the glorious Kingdome and person of Jesus Christ as Satan hath not had the boldnesse to suggest to the worst of men in former times that have been Christians as very many of their own papers published abroad doe witness and which some both of learning and fidelity have taken the pains to give the world notice of And the whole of this in hand will witnesse them Impostors and Apostates that have departed from the Christian Doctrine of faith and obedience both for matter and manner by denying the right Rule and the true object as the Rule reveals Christ Jesus the Redeemer of lost man and the way and means appointed by Christ to convey the blessings of speciall grace into the souls of men unto eternal life they have denyed and reproached as heathenish observations mens Traditions c. And besides their questioning the person natures offices of Christ and so his Mediatorship in performing the work of our Redemption by that one sacrifice of himself upon the Crosse making peace without which person natures offices is not any thing yet done to the salvation of mankind our faith is in vain our worship in vain and we must all die in our sins and yet they tell us of a Christ and a true light of the world and of the blessings of the new Covenant namely the Law of the new Covenant in the heart the free grace of God that hath appeared unto all men c. and by all this they understand no more then the light in mans soul which every one in the world hath more or lesse that is in the dark dead polluted state of corrupt nature and this light they say is the true light and of the pure nature of God that being loved and heeded leads out of darknesse to the knowledge of God to eternall life though they have not the use of Scriptures and this is the eternall Word the everlasting Gospell the Light which gave forth the Scriptures and the Judge of the world and the Kingdome of heaven within and the Law of the new Covenant Christ within and I know not what and that this Christ this light this Gospel this Scripture within this perfect law of the heart may be the better heeded amongst people they render the Scriptures a dead letter the ordinances of worship but outward observations which the kingdome of God is not in and the Ministers they render more odious then a few words will expresse though the office and function more honorable then any other calling amongst men and then urge them to cease from all their own works of hearing praying reading c. and
fourth Question is in the negative in the first part denying that man hath any light in him at all to please God in the state of corrupt nature and this I judge a truth though not proper to the Question which is not of doing to please God but of whence that light is that all have you talk of which in the second part you answer is from Christ according to Joh. 1.9 and yet not common to all men by nature but is the great gift of God c. which Answer I charged with a contradiction because all are lightened by Christ that come into the world as you quote and yet say man in corrupt nature hath not any light in him nor is it common to men by nature when it 's certain that men come into the world by naturall birth But to reconcile these they Answer That man in corrupt nature is darknesse but Christ lightneth every one and his light shines in darknesse and makes manifest what ever is reproved Though we deny that the light which convinceth for sin is of corrupt man yet we affirme it to be given to man in Christ And this is the substance of what is said That man in corrupt nature should be darknesse in the abstract and hath not any light in him and that man in the same estate is lightened by Christ and that with such a light too that if it be owned and loved will lead out of darknesse to eternall life as they affirme let them that are sober judge how these agree together Such cannot do any thing to please God and yet have that within them that will lead them out of darknesse to eternall life which is the greatest acceptation of favour God gives to man Then they conclude For though we deny the light which convinceth of sin to be of corrupt man yet say they We affirm it to be given to man in Christ who is the life and enlighteneth every one that comes into the world But how can they affirme that all men in corrupt nature are in Christ and so enlightened by him when the Scriptures speak contrary as Ephes 2.11 12. Wherefore remember that ye being in times past Gentiles in the flesh that at that time ye were without Christ and strangers to the Covenant of Promise having no hope and without God in the world They were sometimes darknesse but now are they light in the Lord since they embraced the Doctrine of faith that the Apostles preached and lived in Christian obedience they are said to be light in the Lord Contradistinct to the other Gentiles that walked after the vanity of their minds chap. 4.17 18 19. And there are some that are not in the faith nor new creatures which all are that are in Christ as 2 Cor. 5.17 chap. 13.5 And how can any be said to be in Christ but by faith which all men have not 2 Thes 3.2 And how did the Apostles by their preaching open blind eyes and turn them from darknesse to light by the command power of Christ if they had the light of Christ and in Christ as before which hath been spoken to as Christ is the light of the Gentiles according to Scriptures By this you may see how clear they come off in what I have charged them with To say that man in the state of corrupt nature hath not any light at all is not true but it is true that a man in that estate cannot do any thing acceptable to God as those that are renewed by grace The former without doubt have the light and use of true reason and understanding faculties though corrupted and as the light of reason presents things to the Conscience good or evil doth the Conscience accuse or give quiet to the mind of man in all his actions Hence the Gentiles by nature do the things contained in the Law and are a Law unto themselves Rom. 2.14 15. The Apostle doth not say that they doe the things contained in the Law by Grace in Christ Jesus as you say and witnesse in your next But he saith they do the things contained in the Law and are a Law to themselves by nature simply will you say that what they did by nature they did by Christ and wherein they were a Law to themselves Christ was that Law to them Surely no unlesse you have an art to make the nature of man corrupted and Christ both one that the being and nature of man is of Christ uncorrupted as all things are which he hath made may be granted for in him we live move and have our being And as the reasonable soul is created and given it may be said to be of God and the candle of the Lord but in mans fallen estate this soul the candle of the Lord is so perverted and under blindnesse and obliquity that not any flesh can be justified and saved by any works of the Law but by faith in the blood of Christ Jesus shed for many for remission of sins There is not any that doth good no not one all have sinned and are deprived of the Glory of God Rom. 3. How Christ is the light of the Gentiles and for salvation to the ends of the earth that have not the letter as they again is answered above and what followes I deny namely And not any other light leads to do the things contained in the law because those the Apostle speaks of were of those other Gentiles that were alienated from the life of Christ through the ignorance that is in them darknesse But they go on and say further But this light of Christ doth not only lead to the righteousnesse of the law as thou sayst but it leads through the law to Christ Jesus in whom justification is witnessed who is the end of the law for righteousnesse to every one that believes Rom. 10.4 Answ The main scope and end of the Law is this to require of man a righteousnesse suitable in his own person as he is Gods creature unto it but man being never able to come up to this end in his fallen estate and so by coming short of righteousnesse he falls short of life Jesus Christ was sent in the likenesse of sinfull flesh and for sin or by a sacrifice for sin condemned sin in the flesh And on the sinners behalf is the end of the law for righteousnesse that by his coming up to the end of the law poor sinners that believe in him may have righteousnesse and life But what is this to them that have not heard of Christ nor known his name nor believed in him in truth at all The Apostle said as I That the Gentiles by nature do the things contained in the Law he no where calls this Law in themselves the light of Christ promised nor doth he say what they do by nature leads through the Law to Christ nor any other Scripture as you affirme Well may I charge you with confused notions if you can no better clear your
from all that knowledge got from the letter and carnall teachings of mans wisdome as they call it they bid them be dead to all these and then they shall be in the way to be taught of God and lead on to eternall life and perfection All you that are Christians and know any thing of the things of Christs Kingdome may run and read that the very height of their attainments and perfections endeavoured after is nothing else but downright Apostasie putting darknesse for light and light for darknesse who out of a blind zeal from that very mistake forsake the Lord and those helps and means himself hath appointed to lead men on in the wayes of light and life and chuse their own delusions untill Satan captivate them at his pleasure who hath suggesfed and fill'd their hearts with all those abhorred lies as you have seen which fall down flat before the simplicity of truth as the Scriptures teach as Dagon before the Ark of God as in some competent measure hath already been discovered But to return to the text in hand let us now examine things further The substance of what I have writ hath been to shew how Christ is the light of the world and by what wayes and means he communicates the true light of spirituall life to the saving of the souls of sinners and without which ordinary wayes and means himself hath designed to that end as his words and holy Ordinances dispensed accordingly not any can be said to be lightned by Christ as the Text intends and they must confesse it cannot be understood in a universall sense that Christ lightneth every man that ever was is and shall be in the world from the beginning to the end for there is a great part of mankind that come into the world and go out of it again that never had so much as the use of reason as Insants and fools nay some never were lighted with the light of nature as those that are born blind and therefore reason doth force them to put in some limitation why not that which I have contended for seeing it is so much agreeing with the light of other Scriptures The state of man in corrupt nature your selves consesse is darknesse which is the state of all the heathen and unbelievers every where And then again you say this light is from Christ and is not common to man by nature it is the great gift of God his Grace that hath appeared unto all men and teacheth all that are guided by it as in your Answ Tit. 2.12 Now say I if it be such a light of Christ that is not common to men by nature but a gift of Gods Grace that in the Apostolicall Churches hath appeared to all men by the preaching of the Gospel the word of Gods Grace as they quote then it followes that themselves restrain the Text to the same limit and sense that I have cleared for by this in Titus they have explained what their sense is of the other and this of Titus is spoken of the Doctrine of the Gospel which by the grace of God was manifested in those times and places writ unto by the preaching of the Gospel the rules and directions contained therein so teacheth all men every where as in particular by his Epistle he had instructed them as the particulars instanced in is obvious to any indifferent eye that reads the Epistle And therefore against their wills you see sometimes they will speak truth though they intend not the truth but a shew of countenancing their error because here they find the word All which proves not a universality in that place as themselves dream even while they say this light is the gift of God his grace to all universally and yet say is not common to men by nature for man by nature is darknesse and hath no light in him c. then it followes that by the gift of Gods grace which all men in the state of nature are enlightned withall is common to all by gift that are but in the state of nature and wherein doth this differ from that which you say that it is not common to men by nature what is the nature of man in generation but the gift of God distinguished from the nature of all other sensitive living creatures Is not the rationall soul of man common to men by nature and yet is Gods created gift in common to all that by nature are born alive in the world and what ever all have by gift is of grace in a true sense But what is this to the light of Christ to enlighten and save the world when this gift as to the end of saving is peculiarly limited and intended to them only that upon the discovery and tender of his person and merit believe in him to eternall life Joh. 3. And this discovery of his person and merit knowes no man but by the only ministry of the word of Christ and the Apostles as hath been proved We usually understand what gift is common to all in the state of nature that is a common gift in all by nature not excluding the God of mans nature from whom all good givings come to the Sons of men But it remains still to prove that Christ is given for light and salvation in common to all universally so that every one in the world may be saved by him that will and that this light of Christ is nothing else but the writing of the Law of God in the heart which the heathens in some measure all have and doth shew amongst whom Christ is not so much as named much lesse-known to eternall life This is life eternall to know the true God and Jesus Christ whom he hath sent Doubtlesse the Spirit of God in Scripture puts a difference between person and person by nature we that are Jewes by nature and not sinners of the Gentiles c. Gods Covenant and promises to the Jewes Nation and their ingaging to service and worship according to Gods lawes in writing gives them peculiar advantage by nature from the rest of the Gentile world they were separate from by an externall forme of Religion and profession of the true God which I conceive holds still of the visible professing Church of Christ that externally at least worship God in truth as the writings of the Prophets and Apostles teach And besides in the visible Church that have the same means and Covenant of promise and God nigh unto them the distinguishing grace of God makes a difference Many are outwardly thus called and yet but few elect and chosen to salvation Jacob and Esau in the Church by nature and yet the distinguishing will and pleasure of God made them to differ his free love to the one and not to the other before they had done either good or evill Not in him that willeth and runneth but in God that shewes mercy mans diligence is his duty but Gods blessing to mans diligence is Gods free mercy but now
flesh and a curse too to save sinners is Do they think that he was a meer light without a visible being and do they think that he saves not by suffering but by lightning and with such a light that all have too when we know the greatest part of the world have no other light but the rationall understanding faculties of their own souls which is able to understand something of God by the things which he hath made and directs to do the things contained in the Law and said to be a Law to themselves c. But is this little spark of reason subject to error and vanity Christ in them the Redeemer which when put in competition with Christ indeed and the Christian profession of him is called darknesse and a state of alienation from his life through the ignorance that is in them as hath been proved Truely I fear that they believe no other Christ then the rational soul of every man accounting that the pure nature they talk of and the eternall word uncreate the same with God and that every one is Christ in flesh And although I know they will lie as I have made it manifest yet they will very hardly in plain terms deny this which I suspect they hold And we should have heard of many Christs amongst us before now but for that Act against blasphemy which they cannot get beyond But I proceed The Lord Jesus saith of John that he was a burning and a shining light which the Jewes rejoyced in for a season Joh. 5.35 which is to be understood of his ministry as sent of God to be the Prophet of the most highest to prepare his wayes and to give knowledge of salvation to his people c. and to give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death and to guide their feet in the way of peace Luk. 1.76 77 79. So also Christ saith of his Disciples and followers that they are the light of the world and commands them so to improve it that others may be enlightened by them that they may glorifie God Matth. 5.14 15 16. And yet all this light is to be understood of an outward dispensation by words or works to the world So again Christ is called the light of the world Joh. 8.12 and he saith I am come a light into the world that whosoever believes in me should not abide in darknesse Joh. 12.46 Adde to this Joh. 3.19 His actual coming into the world in person to exercise his ministry and the dispensation of his mighty works is to be understood of such a light that never was in the world before which was visible and convincing to men as rationall and sensible creatures and therefore those that did not receive him and own his person in order to salvation had no cloak for their sin but were left without all excuse he doing as never any did this visible light was the condemnation of those that refused it And hence it is that Christ speaking of his death to the people said unto them Yet a little while is the light with you walk while you have the light lest darknesse come upon you while ye have the light believe in the light that is in his person and name which is called light for it was the same that Christ said should be lifted up signifying what death he should die and so the people understood it as appears Joh. 12.34 35 36. c. And in the same sense it was foretold by the Prophet Isaiah 9.1 2. The Land of Zebulun and Naphtali by the way of the sea beyond Jordan Galilee of the Gentiles The people which sate in darknesse saw a great light and to them which sate in the Region and shadow of death light is sprung up Then to this compare Matth. 4.12 to the 17. there you may see how the Evangelist applies that prophesie to the very person and preaching of Christ When Jesus heard that John was cast in prison he knew his work was ended he lest Nazareth and came and dwelt at Capernaum which is upon the sea coasts in the border of Zebulun and Naphtali that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Prophet Isaias repeating the same words and then observes That from that very time Jesus began to preach and to say Repent for the Kingdome of heaven is at hand and this Jesus thus preaching is the fulfilling of that prophesie By these quotations it is evident as the light of the Sun that his personall ministry and mighty works his Authority commands upon the earth in fitting and sending others to preach externally is called the light of the world which all that refused and rejected was their condemnation And that those that believed and received should not abide in darknesse intimating that all those that received not this visible ministry acted by his own person and Authority were in and under darknesse and condemnation and we know what he began was carryed on by his Authority and commission in the Apostolicall Churches and hath made his promise to be with his Church in giving them Pastors and Teachers and his presence to the end Compare Matth. 28.18 19. with Ephes 4.12 13. Now then I say if the visible ministry of Christ in the dayes of Christ and his Apostles upon earth were the light of the world then it is still though not in the same persons yet in their Authority and writings transmitted and derived from them the Churches of the believing Gentiles being built upon the Prophets and Apostles Jesus Christ the chief corner-stone all the building from the beginning to the end is compleated by his Authority and powerfull working in the use of those means himself hath appointed and revealed once you see it was so it remains so still unless these bold pretenders to an immediate light of Christ to all men in the world can clearly prove by the Authority of Scripture the time and age when this light of the world was repealed if they cannot I hope their lying mouthes will be stopped and that they will cease deceiving themselves and others Again if Christ was the light of the world by coming into the world in person in the dayes of his flesh as he was the Son of man and that great Prophet Moses spake of to our fathers as saith Peter Act. 3.21 A Prophet shall the Lord raise up unto you of your brethren him shall you hear in all things whatsoever he shall say unto you And it shall come to passe that every soul that will not hear that Prophet shall be destroyed and by this Prophet he understands Jesus the Son of God whom God raised and sent him to blesse the Jewes first in turning them from their iniquities vers 26. I say if Christ was thus the light of the world as I have cleared and which our greatest Adversaries will be forced to confesse if there be any light in them then it will follow 1. That John 1.9 is to be