it self while they fit under the shadow of your Ministry whilest thousands in this Nation that have been turned to the light and the Truth within by means of the Quakers Ministry which a taking heed to within is the end of are come to witnesse the Word of Christ which your letter is but a witnesse of dweling Richly in themselves and with the Spouse Cant. 3.2 3 4. that sought her Beloved in your broad wayes once wherein she never found him being passed away from you Watchmen who beat and smite and wound them for so doing Cant. 5.7 have in the narrow way which ye have no mind to walk in found him whom their souls loved Ye often tell such as Relinquish your Ministeries that ye have been a means of opening their eyes and think strange that they cannot abide under your Teachings as well as heretofore but were it as true as ye do but deem it so to be that your pains had prov'd so profitable as to open the eyes that now see ye could not but see of your selves that while they abode in blindnesse they abode quietly under you blind guides but when once they came to see they saw they were to abide there no longer Ye call your Universities the eyes and the Wel springs heads fountains mothers and nurseries of Learning and True Religion but the Lord is judging those filthy Fountains and the Rivers that run out of them and turning their waters into blood and giving them blood to drink of which also they are worthy yea and righteous is the Lord in judging for they have ever shed the blood of Saints and Prophets and strove to root out the True Religion that is Pure and undefiled from off the earth and have nourisht up Illiteracy it self if that onely be learning as in Scripture sence it is 2 Pet. 3.1 Cor. 2.1 2. to know Christ and the Scripture by the Spirit and have headed all men in their hatred of the Truth and been mothers of most of that mischief that is now befalling all Nations where they are and the Wells from whence those Legions of learned unlearned ones to whom the vision of all is as a Book sealed have sprang and to whom all people have leaned as their Leaders till they have utterly lost the way to life and the Right eyes of those Idol-shepherds which the sword of the Lord now comes upon till it be night unto them that they shall not divine and till they sha'l be utterly darkned And this I declare not as one that am utterly against that outward Inferiour furniture or lower sort of literature whereon ye live and feed till ye surfet and for having but a little of which for some that pretend to very much have not overmuch of that and as much abuse that little they have more in defiance then in defence of Truth ye Reckon on your selves as exceedingly inriched nay if most of you had more of it then you have it were not much the worse would you use it better then you do and were ye as Rich and learned as ye are in that in the best kind of learning which the light within leads to and ye fight against and the measure of Gods gift of grace in your own hearts that brings Salvation with it to all that submit to be taught by it teaches viz. to deny ungodlinesse and worldly lusts and to liue godly righteously and soberly in this present world as little of which learning and life is to be found among young Academical self Admirers as among any people upon earth among whom there is whether magna or parva cura linguarum major or minor Artium I will not say nor is it much material so long as what is of the Lord most expected lies most neglected but I may safely say not maxima but minima pietatis But I speak it as one not a little lamenting over our Nurseries of learning and Religion and not a little grieved to see how little of God and godlinesse in the power of it is either seen or sought after by those Seers and formal Seekers but those of outward letters and writings whereof some are as bad rotten poysonsome false and foolish as othersome are good wholsome true sound and solid in the best of which yet without the Light which universally they hate and look askew at the life of God can never be found and to see how little yet our Nations supposedly learned leaders have learn'd of that Mistery Christ Iesus within themselves whereby to become any other then Ignes fatui or false Leaders to the whole Land which hath been wholly caused to erre by them and hath been led of them to its own destruction Yea this lamentable and shall be for a lamentation of lamentations with which I must make a little out here to lament against you O ye nursing Mothers so called to the Church of God both in this Nation and throughout Christendom that there is none among all the sons which to the vast expending and exhausting of her earthly treasure and the very Quintessence of all her carnal things upon them both in her Vniversities and in all her Parishes when remov'd from thence she hath nourished and that is found able by the Spirit which onely does it to minister spiritual things truly to her or in requital of her who hath so inriched them for it the other way to enrich her with any true lasting heavenly treasure or to measure and tale back again to her even as well in her Protestant and more reformed as in her Popish and more deformed States any other then such Trash Wood Hay and Stubble as is now falling before the fire And that by all the most Learned labours of her most Learned Rabbies Doctors and Students in Theology and Clergy of what sort soever the rest of her children call'd Christians have not learn'd so much as to know Christ and themselves much lesse Christ in themselves so far as make them honest true holy just sober meek pure loving gentle merciful pitiful peaceable patient temperate and after his own Image which is the end of all Learning Ministries Ministrations and doings that pertain ad intra and ad extra too to Christian Religion which Christ or Image of God ad intra and ad extra also who are not come to witnesse in and on themselves know not yet Christ the Mystery the hope of Glory and cannot prove themselves upon due examination to be in the faith or any other in the sight of God then Reprobates And that by and from her Priests and her Prophets whose own eyes are not yet annointed with eye-salve that they may see that have took upon them to be her Supream Guides into goodnesse and took many millions of money for many Ages and generations upwards to make other men learned in the Truth to direct them into Righteousnesse and Holinesse the hands of evil dâ—ers have been strengthened so that none hath returned perfectly from
is the Rod of power which God promiâ—ed to send out of Sion even the Rod and sharp Sword of his mouâ—h and breath of his lips wherewith he will now smite the Nations and slay the wicked and reprove with equity on the behalf of the meek of the earth whom the proud oppress even the word of his mouth which he will put into the mouths of his sucklings and their seed and seeds seed out of which he ordains strength to the perfecting his own praise against the persecutor This and not the weak dead letter Bible or Scripture thou so labourest bablest and scriblest for is that Power and Authority of God Able as the outward Writing is not to make it self known so to be for the letter is as lifeless helpless powerless as any other Book Writing or dumb Idols that men adore and receive aâ— ye with the Iews of whom thou speak'st p. 237. do the Bible at this day with the honour and veneration due to God that cannot stir from the place where it s set as neither can the Scripture from where it s laid no more than the Turkish Alcoran yeâ— as Jeremiah in his Epistle saiâ—h of the weakness and vanity of all the Idols of the heathen whom they make powerful Gods of Thâ—se Gods quoth he cannot save themselves from rust and moths though they be covered with purple they wipe them because of the dust of the Temple when there is much upon them men put the Scepter in their hands as if they were the Iudge of the Country and Daggers and Axes but they cannot deliver themselves from Theeves nor of themselves put to death one that offends them as a useless vessel worth nothing when broken so it is with their Gods they are as the beams of their Temples upon their bodies and heads Strâ—Bats Swallows Birds and Cats they are things in which is no breath yet they set and sell and buy them at a high price they are carried having no feet â—o walk with if they fall to the ground they cannot rise up again of themselves the same together with what follows caeteris paribus Baruch 6. may be said of the adored Best Copies of the Great Bibles that lye in the great old mouldy Popish Parish Mass-houses now called the Protestant Churches where the Bells hang the Ministers of the Letter not the Spirit the elder sort of which are Priests by Ordinatioâ—â— fit in their Temples and roar and cry the Word of God the Law the Light the way to life the Gospel the power of God to salvation as the Iews do when their Copy is carried about but these Gods of those Idol Shepherds that leave their poor flock at any time for another that hath a better fleece can do nothing at all cannot withstand any King or enemies are not able to escape either from Theeves or Robbers nor when fire falleth on the houses where they are to help or save themselves or flye away how then shall we think they the Books called Bibles the Scriptures are so powerful and effectual not only in themselves but also in respect of us as without any other helps or advantages to shew themselves to be the great Authority and Power of God vis virtus Dei to our salvation as I.O. dreams If he say he means not the Text but the Word it talks on let him say so then when he writes again and then we will take it for granted he gives the cause in question to the Qua. whom he quarrels with for denying the Bible Letter Scripture outward Writing to be the living effectual able powerful word of God that gives life and saves and such like and so we shall meddle no more with him as to that matter but so long as he will needs damn down the Qua. as denyers of Scriptures and the Word of God too because they deny the Letter or Text to be properly the truth or Word of God it doth but declare and talk on we must thereby understand him to intend the Letter which he talks for Moreover as to the Light of God and Word nigh in the heart which the Apostles preached to turn men to and taught them as the Scripture also doth in its Testimony there to to attend to as the Rule of faith and life this is that Word of the truth of the Gospel which is V is virtus Dei the Power of God by the vertue of which Power it brought forth fruit in the Collossians and in all the World where it so came when it came unto them in the Ministry thereof which was the means by which they heard of it first and then came themselves to hear it and to know the grace of God in truth even that grace that bringeth the salvation and appeareth to all men effectually instructing as well without as with the outward Letter of it all that leâ—rn at it to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts and to live soberly righteously and godly in this present world which is the Light of God in the conscience called the goodness of God or grace given to lead them to repentance who despising the riches of it are not led by it to repent and so treasure up wrath to themselves c. Tit. 2 11 12. Rom. 2.4 5. This is it which brought forth fruit in the world without Sword Miracles humane wisdome oratory or any inducements or motives but what are meerly and solely taken from it self consisting in things which eye hath not seen ear heard nor the heart of the animal natural man or of any but the spiritual man that by the Spirit which only searcheth and revealeth them discerneth the deep things of God can discern or conceive This is that that hath exerted its power and efficacy to the conquest of the world so far as it hath been capâ—ivated in the high proud thoughts of it to the true obedience of Christ causing men of all sorts times and places so to fall down before its Divine Authority as to renounce all that its dear undergâ—â— all that it dreadful and destructive to nature in its dearest concernment As for the Letter the Scripture which thou speakest of in a sense abstract from all other helps and advantages as that which without need of any other Revelation by the spirit and light within for these thou call'st superfluous mediums doth plead for reception not onely in comparison with but also opposition to all other wayes of coming to the knowledge of God his mind and will founded thereon and calls for attendance and submission with supreme and uncontroulable Authority 57 58. as that which hath brought forth so much fruit and exerted so much power What power hath it put forth to conquer the world into such submission to the truth as it is in Iesus as Christ requires or as the Letter it self either calls for what fruits of righteousnesse hath it brought forth in the world cal'd Christian to the glory of God for all its being
Peter Paul and the holy men of old wherein is written and transcribed their Witness or Testimony for Iesus which they were moved by his holy Spirit to give out and hold forth whether by word of mouth or writing but the Epistle of Christ written not with inke but with the Spirit of the living God not in tables of stone but in fleshly tables of the heart yea the testimony of Jesus is no less than the Spirit of Prophesie it self Rev. 19.10 and not the writing thou so writest for in which men do but write it and write of it as is shewed above This verbum lumen internum the Word and Light within is that which those that reject it are in that place of Iob 24.13 hinted at by thee called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Lights Rebels men resisting the Authority which they cannot but be convinced of and not the present letter or letters of the Scripture as thou dotest p. 74. before the writing of one letter or tittle of which outward letter this inward light was though he that lives not by the light lives not by the letter neither which came from it and excepting where men have sould it with the dirt of their mis-transcriptions and mis-translations agrees with it I wonder how much of that Scripture thou so super-eminently adorest and wouldest have the preheminence in prating for it was written when that in Iob was wâ—iâ—ing against which men could be said to Rebel tell me if thou canst and in so doing thou perhaps mâ—yest tell thy self that that was a light within and not a letter without which they then were said to rebel against which letter without as much as thou seemest to wonder at the Qua. for holding the light within in authority equal to it they are not ashamed to set the light above and to say that it is non ejusdem Authoritatis cum Scriptura sea majoris Authoritatis quam Scriptura not in as much but in more Authority then the Scripture neither will all thy Scripture-admiring scrape adde so many cubits to the statute of it as among any but such stocks as stick at nothing but without streining swallow all down for truth that thou tellst them is so to state it in any equality with the light it came from And that the Word we are sent to in Isa. 8. is the living Word and not the dead letter nor mens dead senses thereon interpreting it according to their own private familiar spirits muttering out their own meanings and imposing on people their own cloudy cogitations thereon as Cogent Canons is evident for he calls them off from the dead to the living when they say unto you Seek to them that have familiar spirits and Wizards that peep and mutter should not A people seek to their God for the living to the dead to the Law to the Testimony if they speak not according to this word it is because the morning light is not to him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so it s more truly rendred then thus there 's no lightin them which mis-translation many not knowing the Hebrew and many knowing it not heeding make no little ado against the lights being in all men and to as little purpose for it s no light to him and not no light in him and we know a light may be in a room under a bushel and so not shine out unto it And that by Moses and the Prophets to which Christ directs as the most effectual means of bringing men to repentance and that all faith and repentance is immediately to be grounded on is not meant their meer outward writing it evident for all men that need repentance have not that yea if the Scripture it seâ—f and that alone be that men are sent to by which the Doctrines to beleeved must be tried whether they be truths of God or fables and upon which all faith and repentance must be grounded what must become of those twenties to one in the world to whom God never vouchsafed so much as a sight of those their Writings if thy Divination from hence I.O. be as true as 't is sure enough to some its but a dream one of these things must be true as concerning such viz. either I. They need no faith nor repentance as they do or 2. They must be accepted with God and saved without either faith or repentance as they cannot or 3. Both beleeve and repent without any ground at all for the doing of either and so build a castle in the aire without any foundation or bottome which how impossible it is or how well it would stand if it were possible so to build it an Idiot may imagine or 4 perish and be damned for ever by and from the living God for not doing that which they had never any ground at all given them from God whereupon to do it and so absit blasphemia be cursed for ever for not acting what they were never put into any capacity to act and absit tibi Domine ne tale quippiam facias exercendo Pharonis tyrannidem absit tibi an non Iudex totiusterrae exerceresjus be sorely beaten for not making as great a tale of brick without any straw at all as would have been expected from them if they had had straw enough and be punisht for not effecting impossibilities But thy faith about that Scripture being but the festisious fruit of thy own fancy and thy Divination from it but the divinity of a divine that dreameth we need not in the dark iun upon any of these ragged Rocks having a more sure way then any of these in the light made so plain before us that unless we chuse so to do as some do we cannot split our selves upon them for as all men having sinned need faith and repentance so they have a more effectual means of bringing them to repentance and a more immediate ground to build their faith and repentance on then the naked outward Writings of Moses and the Prophets which thou here makest the ground of all faith and repentance not mentioning the Apostles as if thou hadst forgot them whose writings thou makest a joynt peece of the foundation in other places p. 33 34. or then the meer outward writings of the Apostles either together with them and that ground is no other but the self-same which the writings of all these bear one joint Testimony unto viz. the measure of Gods grace in every ones heart that teacheth to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts such as will learn of it and io live soberly justly and godly in this present world appearing to all men to that end bringing salvation along with it to such as submit to be taught by it 2 Tit. 1.17.14 called the riches of Gods goodness Rom. 2. which such as thou art despise to their own ruine not knowing it s given to lead to repentance the Law Light Doctrine Truth Spirit Word Writing and Testimony of God himself in the heart and conscience
is to but one and 999 are peremptorily personally possitively ordained to dye Yet to go round again If ye all beleeve his love to you ye shall All live if any dye 't is his own fault because he beleeves not the Kings love to him and comes not away out of his Fetters and nothing else and though he can't come out of his Fetters yet let him know its but just that I should leave him there because his father offended the King before he was born it s enough for them that he is so rich in mercy to the whole thousand as to save one and proclaim salvation to All with no intent of pardon that he may take the more advantage on the rest by their refusal to come when they cannot to do execution on them with ten fold more wrath rigour and severity then if the pardon never had been proclaimed to them at all In much what such a rambling confused self-contradictory manner do our Nationall-Messengers and Ministers of Gods grace Consideratis considerâ—ndis hold out their Gospell to All men as Embassadours from God to them All. One while extolling extending it over all Gods works to All men and otherwhiles when they have carryed it about long in a vast circuit and circumference of Commendatory conference To go round again in their niggardly News-books they wind it about and wrap it all up within the narrow corner of their conceited wheel within a wheel or little world of a few Elect ones only extenuating it till they allmost quite extinguish it in their talk preach it welnigh into nothing Witnesse I.O. as is shewed more at large in the book aforesaid and T.D. also telling us indeed that God offers Salvation to All men but intends it only to a few Contradictions Confusions and Rounds about the doctrine of perfect freedom from sin attainable in this life V. As to Salvation from sin in this life which Christ gives to all that follow him in his light One while they teach it to us themselves as attainable here by the grace of God as the Qua do in these or the like deliveryes of themselves in their preachings and writings according to the Scriptures People ye must deny all ungodlinesse and worldly lusts and live Godly righteously and soberly mark in this present world The grace of God that bringeth salvatioe to such as take heed to it and receive it not in vain appears to All men and teaches them so to live but that they turn from it and turn it into wantonnesse and if we walk in the Light as God is in the Light we then have fellowship with him who hath none with sin and sinners and not only so but also the blood of Iesus Christ his son cleanseth us from All sin and though we cannot say we have no sin since we and all men have sinned yet if we confess our sins God is faithful not only to forgive us our sins past but which is a further matter to cleanse us from All unrighteousnesle Having therefore such promises let us cleanse our selves from mark All filthiness of flesh and spirit who knows any more then all perfecting holiness in Gods fear The blessed men Psal. 119.3 are the Saints or Holy Ones that do no iniquity but walk in Gods way and though ye think well of your selves because your sins are little yet no sin is so little but if liv'd died in its damning therefore take heed of the least iniquityes while ye have time and space given you to repent from them in leave forsake foregoe them live according to the Scripture which allows of no sin which is written that men might not sin which is able through faith to make a man of God perfect and wife to salvation from sin which is perfect to its own end which is Salvation which end it attains not hereafter for its of no use then and therefore must do it here or no where so that if you dye in the least of your sins unrepented from better ye had never been born for there 's no Purgatory in the world to come as the Pope sains but as the Tree falls it lyes as death leaves you judgement finds you if ye lye down in your Graves in your sins you will rise out of them full of sorrowes Listen unto Christs Ministers who are given for the work of the Ministry for the perfecting of the Saints the edifying of the body till we all come to a Perfect man to the measure of the stature of the fullnesse of Christ himselfe so as to be as he is in this world and whoever saith he abides in him ought so to walk as himselfe walked in whom was no sin and who hath true hope in him purifieth himselfe as he also is pure and a multitude more sayings of like sort we may hear them utter Otherwhiles that is when the Qua call men to the same living without sin telling them these things are possible to be done by Gods grace who of his good pleasure hath wrought in men to will and to do so that by the power and sufficiency of that they may now work out their own salvation if they neglect not this day of Gods long suffering and salvation wherein God would succour them if they will and that God requires not by either his Ministers or their Scriptures Impossibilities from his creatures under such paenalty as eternall damnation if not performed then to go round again they tell us other matters which as contradictory as they are to those above-said we must notwithstanding or else be held for Hereticks believe from them to be the truth viz. That t is most false to affirm that the Scripture the perfection whereof they plead to lye in nullâ aliâ re in no other thing then its sufficiency to its end which it can't attain hereafter if not here sith there it ceases as to all its uses either doth or can obtain its end which end they say also is salvation from the sin that destroyes the soul dum in hoc mundo haremus so sayes I. O. Ex. 3. while we have a being in this World Then they make as if the Ministry of them who wrote the Scriptures were such as their own is viz. a meer Antick mockage of men a conclave of contradictions confusions absurdities and Rounds a Ministry of flat falsities not to say fooleries a mad-message of impossibilities wherein they stand all their dayes calling upon all men for money as Homines Domini in Nomine Domini in the name of God on pain of his eternall displeasure and their demnation to do what they are to believe to as an Article of their Faith on pain of the Hereticks condemnation All men can never possibly do God empowering but very few by true grace to do ought at all of what he requires nay not empowering any one at all to do all that viz. to cease from all sinning against him in the time of this life
truth but must needs condemn it as delusion and deceit for none of Pauls meer own righteousnesse no dung and losse no imperfectly good works nor imperfect obedience nor such as that of the Iews establishing nor any nor all our righteousnesses which T.D. and I together with our unrighteousnesse dare denominate no otherwise then as filthy Rags doth so much as fit for that pure possession neithe can such as this entitle as a Cause thereunto yea if the righteousnesse of Christ within us wrought by him and received from him were indeed no better then T.D. makes it who makes it no better then mans own I should then acknowledge the who'e sentence to be true which T.D. once utterd and sincâ— acknowledges the truth of p. 38. which seeing he intends it of that true righteousnesse of Christ in his Saints which we testifie to that it s not that which Paul calls his own and dung but Christs own indeed who is the only Author of it is somewhat more then a meer lye and little lesse then bâ—astly blasphemy as T.D. affirms it viz. that any man that holds that principle of being justified by a righteousnesse within us living and dying in that principle caâ—nâ—t be saved But indeed Christs righteousnesse within us only is that by which souls can be saved as I shall shew anon for that without which is in kind the same never iustifies makes just righteous holy cleane nor saves from the sin till some of the same be in us every measure of the gift of which though but a part of the whole is as perfect as the 1 st fruit and the meer earnest of the spirit is a perfect gift and as perfectly good in its kind according to its meaâ—ure as the whole lump and fulnesse out of which it is given and is that which is by T.D. though but a part but improperly called imperfectly good and imperfect obedience p. 45. For no obedience nor good that 's of Christ noâ— gift of the heavenly Father in him is any other in nature then they both are i. perfect as they are peâ—fect and as the fulnesse of good that dwels in and flows from them is perfect without any imperfection And 't is only perfect obedience as only that of Christ whether in the head or in the mâ—mbers of his body is not any mans own upon or for which the Gospell gives life and justification Yet Oh the Rounds that T.D. runs in which there 's no way out of but by the Dore that is the Light which all Theâ—ves and Robbers are climbing above T.D. tells us another untrue tale p. 45. which overturns that untrue tale he told before for p. 38. He said no salvation is of any by a righteousnesse within for any that bâ—leive it must come that way for what 's within us though recâ—ved from and wrought by Christ is but imperfâ—ctly good p. 14.15 and Rags But p. 54. he sayes the Gospell gives life mark upon impâ—fect obedience So according to T.D. who sometimes rejects all righteousnesse within us as imperfect as refuse and as uselesse as filthy Rags which are good for noâ—hing sometimes again allowes that which Paul calls his own and dung to be called Christs and good for sâ—mthing viz. though not to justifie and entitle as a Cause or that upon which which term upon though T D would in p. 21 of his 2 Pamphlet shuffle into a more moderate sense then its properly taken in which is as much as to say for as the Cause of he therein doth but more manifest his folly to all men the Gospell gives the inheritance of life yet at least to sanctify and make meet for p. 14.15.22 but then this righteousnesse within whether Christs or our own which is dung and Christs also by gift to him must take heed however of creeping too high for if it aspire so as to assume to it selfe to be own'd us advantagious to justifie and entitle as that upon which the life is given it must be huâ—l'd down again to â—ary Hell for T.D. p. 28. Do 〈◊〉 all them to Damnation by whole â—ale below all possibility of Salvation that dare so much as hold that principle of being saved by it but for fear his damnation should be damned again as too damnable a Doctrine if he should not moderate it as to the legall rigidity thereof seeing he sayes the Law gives life upon perfect obedience and not without it and can't beleive any obedience that Christ can work in his Saints in this life can be perfect but all that he here works within men imperfect and none perfect but that he wrought without them as far off as Ierusalem as long as 1600. years since and hath now inherent in himself no neerer to them then heaven is to the earth he bethinks himselfe or else forgets himself again so far its not matter which as to cut off the entail of eternall life which the Law gives upon no other then absolutely perfect obedience and â—ntaâ—lâ—s the promise of it under the Gospell whether Christs or ours or both I know not which and I think he knows not well himselfe unto an imperfect obedience as that upon which mark life is given under the Gospell and contrary to Christ who tells us Math. 5. That the Gospell righteousnesse which reaches to the thoughts must exceed and be more perfect if more perfect can be but more then perfect cannot be then that of the Pharisees whereof Paul was one that as to the righteousnesse of the Law was blamelesse yet came not neer that of the Gospel there 's in no case any entrance into the Kingdome T.D. sayes p. 45. the Law gives not life without perfect obedience the Gospell gives it upon imperfect obedience thus posito uno absurdo sequuntur milâ— error minimus in principio fit major in mâ—diâ— maximus in fine When our men call'd Ministers erre by one absurdity rather then return they multiply it into a 1000. and rather loose themselves in the Laborinth of their own learned thoughts then learn of Christ and stoop to the simplicity and plainnesse of the truth as it is in Iesus for but that they love that smoother and smoake of the pit Rev. 9. They came out of in aperto et facili posita est salus The grace of God which brings the salvation appeares to all men teaching such as are willing to learn at it to deny ungodlynesse and worldly lusts and to live godly righteously and sâ—berly in this present world which life they hope not to live till the world to come where unlesse the Pope Purgatoâ—y be a truth and their own true doctrine when they say as the Tree faâ—ls so it lyes be a lye 't is too late to begin it And in such a Wood and Wooden Wheele as to and fro in and out up and down round about here and there no way out doth T.D. wander about this matter of our justification by the righteousnes good works and
not in Heaven within but on earth without so to him that stands as T.D. doth on his head with his heals upwards and his head down towards the Earth where his feet and heels onely should be as downward seems to be upward so does upward to be downward But so it seems to the great Whore that rides the Beast or that Woman that 's cloathed in Scarlet and for a time tramples the Holy City under feet Rev. 17.4.11.2 yet things seem no otherwise then they are to the Woman cloathed with the Sun who hath her head Crowned with the Starrs and all fading sublunary Glory and the Moon it self under her feet Rev. 12.1 As to T. Ds. trifling reply to what R H. urg'd from Heb 12 23. where Paul sayes the Saints were come to mount Sion the City of the living God the New Ierusalem into which let T.D. esolve himself whether any uncleannesse or defilement can enter from Rev 21.7 and to Myriards of Angels and to the general Assembly and Church of the 1st being whose Names are written in Heaven And to God and to Iesus and to the Spirits of Just men perfected with all whom let T. D. who sayes that place imparts not the perfection of any man on earth Resolve himself whether one dram of darkness or uncleanness can enter into Communion if 2. Cor. 6.14.15.16.17.18 and 1 Iohn 1.3.4.5.6.7 be true much more so as to make one body with them as T.D. Divines it doth as to that I say so far as it is fit to be replyed to G.W. hath done it whose reply stands unshaken by that feminine tempest or stood of impertinent words wherewith T.D. who sayes much to as litle purpose would seem to patch up a return and what G W said in short the body of Christ is perfect may be ventured among wise men to stand as it does against T D's little less then Blasphemous Counter-position that the body of Christ is not perfect for his particle yet whereby he mends that matter saying not yet perfect because some that belong to it are yet unborn this helps him not a tittle who holds with I O. the Scripture to have bin of old from Moses a perfect Rule and Canon I speak ad hâ—minem their own sense not mine whilst many books of it were yet not written and so I shall vouchsafe it no more then so and the rather because that reply of T D to G W was replyed to some months since but that it was neglected to be printed by such as were intrusted to see it done and whether it yet may or may not be printed before this of mine be out I cannot say Unspeakably much more might be said both in disproof of such Toyes as our Dâ—vines talk against it by and in proof of that possibility of a perfect living without sin before death then I shall here take notice of yet 3. or 4 things that are upon me I am free to give some small bint of T D tells us God will have us excercis'd in that work of mortifying sin while we live therefore lest we should have no more worke to do nor worlds to conquer there must be no full conquest over the world nor perfect mortification of the lust of it till we be dead so some tell us Gods Children would be proud if he should not keep them down corruption as well as affliction being a most effectual means to make ashamed God will leave as he did once Caananites to excerise the Israelites and he as Thorns in their sides some sins in his Saints unsubdued as long as they love to humble and prove them and shew them what is in their hearts and such like Rep. But I trow where would pride it self be which is none of the least sins if the Saints come by the Blood and Power of Christs Light and Grace which only humbles to be fully freed and cleansed from all sin and uncleannesse of flesh and spirit and to perfect holiness in the fear of God will not pride it self then be brought down as well as other sins and Humility alone be Exalted Some tells us from 1 Kings 1 48. The man lives not that sins not Rep We say that ther 's no man that lives who hath not sinned and as Iohn sayes he is a lyar that sayes otherwise of himself but because men have sinned and have sin must they never be purg'd is there a necessity that they who now have it and now sin must needs have it and must needs sin till they dye and if they may cease from sinning as our Divines also but that they forget themselves tell us they may yea must or dye for ever every tree lying for ever as it falls and there being no Purgatory after death I say if they may and must before they dye is it then unpossible that they should and if they may ne'r so little before they dye suppose a day a week a year leave sinning may they not by the same power and light live without it 2 3 or many years before but that as the plain truth is they are in love with it and loath to part with it till it parts with them and to take heed to that light and grace that is given of the Lord to lead them out of it to repentance from it and to learn them to deny it and to live without it Godly Righteously and soberly in this present world in which neglect the hands of the evil doer are strengthned by our dirty dawbers who tell them they must leave sin all sin little sins and yet to go round again that they cannot possible leave all while they live So strengthening the hands of the wicked that he can't return from his wickedness by such pleasing sing-songs and lullabies as these not a just man uppon earth that does good and sins not and the Saints have their infirmityes and David himself was overtaken with Adultery and Murder and yet stood accepted with God and was even when under the guilt of those gross sins not in a condemned but in a justified estate and Prov 29. who can say I have made my heart clean and such like Not heeding that though none can nor do we assert any such thing that we have any sufficiency of our selves to good yet alsufficiency is in God and his grace is sufficient so that God can if men look to him in his light make clean the heart and man a young man in whom youthful lusts are strong by the Power of God and taking heed to his way by his word in his heart may cleanse his way and so some do though they are but few nor does Who can say I am clean from mine iniquity not one Exclude all from cleannesse implying only as often such interogations do no otherwise then thus viz that few can for though an interogation affirmative of this sort for the most part concludes negatively yet not alwayes universally so but some are included in
the world by some measure of Light at least shining from himself enlightening as it 's said every man that comes into the world shining in darkness in the dark consciences of men though the darkness comprehend it not holding by the hand also as it were leading by the hand those that being in nared in chains of darkness thrust down into the Pit do not winke with their eyes to the further blinding of them but according to the councel of Christ himself believe in the Light whilst they have it that they may become children of the Light for I am the Light of the world saith Christ He that followeth me shall not walk in darkness but shall have the Light of Life also I am come a Light into the world that whosoever believeth in me may not remain in darkness I came not to damn the world but to save the world 8. In this manner therefore is Christ the Salvation of the world as he is the Light of the world destroying the works of the Devil who hath wrought in the darkness to the setting up of a Principality and a Kingdom to himself in the hearts of men and redeeming men from the power of the Prince of the darkness of this world unto God who is Light and to see Light even the Light of life in his Light 9. In like manner doth the Prophet Isaiah affirm Christ to be given of God for a Covenant to the people for a light to the Nations to open the blind eyes and to bring out of Prison them that sit in darkness even the blind which have eyes and see not and after him Paul testifieth that Christ was set as a Light to the Nations that he might be the Lords Salvation to the ends of the earth Simeon also speaking by the holy Spirit of the child Iesus calls him that Salvation of his which the Lord had prepared before the face of all people to be a Light to lighten the Nations and the glory of his people Israel 10. In as much therefore as Christ is the light of the world he is the Saviour of the world and so far only are men saved by him as they believe in him who is the Light and in that Light wherewith he doth enlighten every man in his own conscience and set themselves to walk after it which leads no man into iniquity and so far forth are all men liable to condemnation before God as they walk not in this which is in them howbeit not consenting to any but testifying against all iniquiry even the least and also reproving and condemning it even in them who are not in it but walking contrary to it in the darkness 11. For although God in his great love gave his Son for a Light not that he might damn the world but that the world through him might be saved and be that believeth in him is not condemned yet he that believeth 〈◊〉 is condemned already and this is the condemnation that Light is come into the world into the inmost consciences of men there manifesting good and evill but men love the darkness rather then the Light because their deeds are evill for he that doth evill harsth the Light neither cometh to the Light â—ast his deeds should be reproved but who so doth truth he cometh to the Light what his deeds may be made manifest that they are wrought in God 12. And al though all that obtain justification are justified freely by the grace of the Lord through the Redemption that is made in Iesus Christ alone Yea cursed be he and cursed will he be that seeks for justification any other way for he who is the Light of the world is also that Corner stone which however it be set at nought by a thousand and thousand of the 〈◊〉 is yet made the head of the corner neither is there salvation in any other nor is there any other name save that of Christ the Light under heaven given among men whereby they must be saved Nevertheless no further is any man accepted of God or justified by Christ or the grace of God in Christ then as he is directed by Christ the Light and is by the grace of God by that inward with 〈◊〉 of God by the light of God and Christ in his conscience which is given of God for this very end that it may teach and lead taught and led unto repentance from the unfruitfull works of darkness 13. For this Light shewes the riches of the goodness and long suffering and forbearance of him who is long suffering to-us-ward not will that any should perish but that all should come to us by repentance is that very grace of God bringing Salvation that hath appeared to all men teaching all that will learn what it teacheth that denying ungodlyness and worldly lusts they should live soberlys righteously and godly in this 〈◊〉 world which kind of life will otherwise be to late to begin to live in the world to come which grace being received in vain how much more being despised by the hardness of the heart refusing to repent wrath is treasured up against the day of wrath and the revelation of the righteous judgement of God who will render unto every one according to his works to them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and immortality eternall life but unto them that are contentious and obey not the truth but obey unrighteousnes indignation and wrath For tribulation and anguish is to come upon every soul of man that worketh evill but glory honour and peace to every one that worketh good hath to the Jew and also to the Greek for there is no respect of persons with God but in every Nation he that â—eaâ—eth him and manketh righteousness is accepted with him but the wicked and him that loveth violence his soul rateth 14. And howsoever the world which is call'd Christian together with the manifold Sects Professors and meerly nominal Christians and Ministers thereof may dream that they have Christ their Redeemer very often calling him Lord Iesus continuing in the mean time in all disobedience to his Light yet the foundation of the Lord standeth sure having this Seal the Lord knoweth who are his and let every one that nameth the of Christ depart from iniquity 15. For the day of the Lord draweth nigh wherein both every man and his deeds shall be made manifest for the day which is the Light shall declare them for they shall be revealed by fire and the fire shall try every mans works of what sort they are and in that day all those Dâ—eamers shall be awakened and shall know that as concerning the truth they have erred far from the mark and that not every one that saith unto Christ Lord Lord shall enter into the Kingdome of Heaven but he that doth what Christ saith and what the will is of his Father whâ—ch is in heaven and though they have prophecyed
of Masters Reverend Sirs c. under the disguise of Servi Servorum-Dei are indeed no less then Masters of all mis-rule and Domini Dominorum Terrae T. D. Thou tellest us alluding to a saying of the Bishop of Alâ—f concerning the Protestants that if the Qua. have Orthodoxos mores an Orthodox conversation yet they have Haereticam fidem an Heretrodox or Heretical belief Rep. Herein thou shewest thy self to be as well as in other things one of the blind Grand Children of that blind Papistical Bishop who can'st not discern how impossible it is that an Orthodox true right or good Gospel conversation should proceed from an Heretical or false faith Silly man Does not true Faith purifie the heart and life work by that love which works no evil give victory over the world with the lust thereof c And does any perfect purity of heart or life any true love that works no ill any victory over the world any truly good manners righteous works holy actions honest or godly conversation flow from an Heterodox unsound untrue dead Heretical false faith Is not that a dead and unprofitable faith and such is yours who deny any perfect purging from sin in this life which doth not avail to the purging of the heart and life Which overcomes not the world And is not all purity and love and victory over the worldly lust c. the necessary effect of a true Faith and of that only and no other and can there possibly be a bad false faith where there are truly good works and an holy life In thy yielding here that the Qua. have a right conversation thou not onely givest thy self the lye in other places where thou accusest them as wanting not having so much as moral honesty as p. 11.2 Pamp. and p. 5. of the Narrative but also to the proving thy own faith consequently to be false evincest the Qua. Faith to be true and not Heretical for good manners and a righteous wel-ordered conversation cannot flow from a false or from any but a true living justifying Soul-saving Faith or Belief within aud if the Heretical faith for so ye will needs call the true one bring forth the right life and the Orthodox for so ye will call your own fruitless one be seconded with and shewed by a prophane conversation then give me our Heretical and take you your Orthodox belief unto your selves give me the Faith that purifies works no ill gives victory over sin and is both proved and perfected by good works shew me T. D. thy faith without thy good works I will shew thee my Faith by my works for where the life is right the Faith cannot be amiss and while the life is crooked corrupt and rotten the Faith is not pure right nor sound yet I know the Clergy will needs count the Qua. Faith Heretical let their life be never so innocent being themselves most in love with that Faith in Christ if they could find it our once that can allow and assure them of not onely Salvation from wrath when they dye but while they live also a vain conversation and no little liberty to sin T. D. Thou say'st G. W. layes the most innocent truths under the odious Imputation of Antichrists deceits Rep. If those 20 of thy Antichristian deceitfull Doctrines with G. W. sees down as thine at the end of his Reply to thee are the most innocent truths with thee that we may be delivered for ever from embracing those as Truths shall be my earnest desire and Prayer to God for myself and all men to whom I wish deliverance from darkness and deceit it self and from delâ—â—sion and damnation for sure I am the contrary to those however ownâ—â— by thee because of the blindness of thy heart are the most innocent soul-â—â—ving Truths of Christ. T. D. Thou tel'st thy Reader thou trustest he will be confirmed in his bad opinion of the Quakers Rep. Here thou confessest thy opinion of the Qua which thou seekest in thy first book to beget men to and in thy second to confirme them in is a bad opinion out of thy own mouth from thy own pen art thou judged as no Minister of Christ but an evill doer oh thou improfitable Servant art thou sent of God are not all that are indeed sent of him as thou in word pretendest only to be sent to turn men from bad to good and to confirm them in those good opinions yet behold T. D. Trusts that the people to whom he Ministers will being by his writings converted thereunto be confirmed in their bad opinions of the Qua. Can more be done by any man in discovery of his own folly nakedness not to say iniquity and wickedness to all men then is here by T. D. Was there ever the like seen save among such Ministers as are like to T. D. himself that a Minister should confess to all the world the end of his endeavours to be the converting of his Hearers and Readers to Bad and the confirming them in their Bad opinions yet T. D. thus writes to his Reader I trust thou wilt be confirmed in thy bad opinion of the Qua. Herein T. D. thou justifiest the Qua. as no such Bad people as thou would'st Render them to be at other times for if they were so indeed it were not a Bad but a Good because not a false but a true and iust opinion to think so Badly as thou speakest of them but since thy own self stilest it a Bad opinion of the Qua. which thy care is to confirm men in to think ill of them it evinces them not to be such evil ones for if men be bad indeed it s a good opinion to deem them to be Bad and to think of them as they are yea because the Devill is Bad A Lyar A deceiver he gives the Devill but his due and does well speaks and thinks well who has that good and true opinion that he is a wicked Lyar and Deceiver and who speaks and thinks no better of him then he is But if it be a Bad opinion to think ill of a man and to be of opinion that he is Bad and Naught it must needs be that that man is Good else 't were not Bad but Good and just to judge him Bad the Goodness and Badness of every opinion consisting in no other thing then in the truth and falshood of it respectively and the Badness of a mans opinion about another man arising ever from the goodness or innocency of that other man lie thinks Badly of Indeed were the Qua. such Bad men as thou belyest them to be and had'st thou said I trâ—st thou wilt be confirmed in thy opinion of the badness of the Qua. thou had'st then spoken according to what thou now evilly and falsly thinkest of them and also the opinion thou seekest to confirm men in about their Badness would be as Good and thy endeavours to confirm them in it as Good as ours are who
is not of Faith yet when thou lookest with clearer eyes who canst now see with no better then thou hast thou wilt see that he no where opposes grace and Gospel good works â—aith and the works of Christ in us Faith and the fruits of the Spirit of which Faith is one much less as thou faiâ—est Faith and it self as a work but joyâ—s all these in One as God and Christs single and singular gift of grace to us under the Gospel as that one perfect and personal Righteousness by which as a cause thereof we are made meet or worthy to be justified in his fight by which works that of Faith together with them justifying us as a work as well as an Instrument to receive Christ and his other operations wrought in us by it all bâ—â—sting as blind as thou art not to see it is Eternally excluded forasmuch as both it and the rest are a gift as well as works given to us by him to perfoâ—m For which the glory belongs onely to the giver and not to the receiver at any hand T. D. thou sayest as p. 25. 1. Pamph. the Scriptures attribute our Iustification to the Righteousness of Christ in the same sense that they deny it in to works Rep. That 's true if by the Righteousness of Christ thou intend the Righteousness of his working in us and by works those works of our working without him but utterly false if by his Righteousness thou mean what he works without us and by works what works we work onely in him for the Scripture attributes Our Iustification to this latter as to the former it attributes his Own of both which he beinh the onely Authour not unto us O Lord not unto us at all but to thy Name onely be the praâ—se who dost not as thy supposed Ministers suppose meerly that thou dost but far be it from thee so to do Shall not the Judge of all the earth do Right First count men just that are unjust in this world and not make them so till the World to come but first justifie the ungodly from their ungodliness and make them Godly and then countest them to be such as thou hast made them But awake O ye divine Diviners and see what a dream you are in who deeming the Lord to be no other then like your selves imagine your selves as pure in his as you are in your own eyes though ye are not yet washed from all your filthiness nor yet believe you need be so in this present world whereas he that condemneth the Iust and be that justifieth the wicked in his wickedness and I crow God is not an Abomination to himself both these are an Abomination to the Lord. And hence is one ground of your so miserable a mistake in that ye take as ye confess your selves Iustification in its meer forraign and not in its neer and proper signification viz. a counting and not a making of them just who are not so whereas Iustificaâ—e and Iustificari is Iustum facere and Iustum fieri to make and to be made just properly and pâ—imarily and then consequently and secondarily to think and to be thought so but you fleeing afar off in this and many more points from proper names into forraign acceptations that ye may be as far as may be from such Truths as most torment you will needs in this world at least have the words to justifie and be justified sanctifie and be sanctified to import and found forth no more then injustâ—m improbum justum Sanctum putare putari justificare sanctificare ri in no wise to be Ex injusto improbo justum sanctum facere fieri as if in this life God having somewhat else to do could not well have while to make people Iust and Holy and therefore they being also well contended so to be left did agree to leave them to the liberty of their lusts under some certain toleration to live in them and yet to think them Iust and Holy in the mean while notwithstanding and then hereafter when men are more willing to it and himself a little better and more at leasure to do it to make them Iust and Holy by some Pâ—pisb Purgatory in the life to come But Friends have a care however of what you do in this case which is of no less then Eternal Consequence to your immortal Souls for assuredly let Paul and Iames himself Iam. 2. determine it if you will whose sence T.D. thinks he hath 〈◊〉 on his hand yet you will find it so that ye can be no further justified then ye are sanctified in the sight of either God or men that are after the heart of God yea if a man say he hath Faith and have not works can Faith save him Can it profit him Is it not dead Yea knowest thou not O vain maâ— that as the body without the Spirit is dead and can do nothing so Faith without works is dead also Is it not made perfect by works Was not Abraham and others justified by works See ye not then that by works a man is justified and not by Faith onely Yea quoth T.D. approved by men but not absolved and accepted of God by works Rep. then let Paul speak Rom. 14.17,18 The Kingdom of God is Righteousness Peace and Ioy in the Holy Spirit he that in these things seereth Christ is acceptable to God thereupon surely as well as approved of men Though therefore ye dream pleasantly while ye are awake and bless your selves saying Aha I am warm I have seen the fire becauâ—e in the Letter where ye read by the halves singling out of it what best suits with and serves your sinful desires and leaving out what serves to the crossing of your carnal lust and corrupt affections you have been flashily and more shalowly then solidly read of a Declaration of a Righteousness and good works of another even Christ whereby onely men can possibly come to be saved never heeding at all that this Righteousness of that other is to be wrought in the Saints by him who wrought it first in his own Person before ever they can be justified by it and their Salvation truely wrought out by it which we confess is to be wrought out by it alone and not by any that 's meerly mans own yet when ye come to see what a meer painted Paradice ye have been led into by that false flash of your justifying Faith without works concurrent which is but the fruit of your affectionate fancy which would fain have it so that you might be saved by Christ and yet serve your selves you 'l find that you and your whissling faith have in all this been but as Igâ—is faâ—â—â—â—â— going before and Ignoramus faâ—â—â—â—â— following after And though to Ring back a little to you here to the Tune of F.Os. Talk Mutaris murandis about this matter of Attonement with God by the blood of Christ p. 125,126,127,128 of his English Pamph.
or a whole Iury impannel'd to Try this Case of which this is the Foreman that speaks more then they all for it s insisted on or hinted at or'e and o're and or'e in I know not how many places of thy Book as if thou laydst more stresse and purrest more trust in this than in all the rest and indeed though it is a most piteous poor one yet seeing I know no better it may be called as its rank'r before the Rest the very best in all the pack Let 's see then what force this consideration viz. the love providence care and promise of God to his Church and Word Engaging for the preservation and continuance of it to a Tittle without losse hath in it to evince the entirenesse of the Hebrew and Greek Text to a Tittle That the Love Care and Providence of God is to or ore his Church and so ore his Word for his Churches sake I deny not in the least and that his Word he speaks he magnifies ore all his Name as the most glorious product of his Wisdom and Goodness as his great concernment in this world dearer to him than all the world besides which his Promise is for the continuance of it so inalterably entire and uncorrupt that Heaven and Earth it self shall pass away as Christ saies Matth. 5.18 before one jot and Tittle thereof shall fail or pass away and that not one Apex Tittle or Point of that hath yet failed or been altered or is liable for capable to be altered or corrupted All this I grant for his Word is the incorruptible Seed that lives and abides for ever But what 's all this to thy purpose I. O. whose talk is only about the outward Writings Image Copy Letter Text which talks of that Word and who producest all this to prove every Tittle of that Text to be entire Wilt thou never learn to put or at least to keep that difference which somtimes when thou art deliberate thy self puâ—test between the Word that is written of and the Text which is the meer Writing of it Dost not thou p. 12.13 though I know thou blindly blendest them together both there and throughout thy Book make the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Writing the Book the Letter one thing and the Faith Word Doctrine declared in it another Dost thou not distinguish now and then as every wise man does ever between the Text it self that talks of the Truth and the Truth it self which the Text talks on We know the Truth and Faith and Doctrine and Word of God which is but One and the same in its Nature Essence Being and Substance whether written or not written of whether cloathed or not cloathed in this or that outward accidental forme whether displaying it self through the vail of the Letter or shewing it self more immediately in its naked Native lustre is to a Tittle the same now that it ever was in Substance though all the shadowy Discoveries of it wax old and vanish and as a vesture are folded up and changed and Pass away as a Scrole that 's Roled up and grows out of Date when all Letters and Literal Appearances of it shall be mouldered away The Word was before the Letter was aud is neither more nor less what it was now the Letter is and will be no less than it was of old or what now it is as to its preservation in every point when the Letter shall be no more So that what are all thy Propositions about Gods Promise and Providence and Love and Care of his Church and Word to evince or prove the entire preservation of every Iot and Tittle of an outward Text or an old uncertain Transcript of what was by the Holy men of God some thousands of Years since written between which Word and the Writing or Light and the Letter which leads only to it there 's no more proportion as I may shew thee more anon than is between the Lanthorn and the Light the Glass Window and the Sun that shines through it or then as thy self intimatest there is between the Ark and the Testament or Covenant that for a while was used to be kept in it Dost not thou count the Letter the Ark p. 236. saying the Iews have now the Letter as somtimes they had the Aâ—k among the Philistims to their further ruine and p. 315. For my own part I am sollicitous for the Ark or the sacred Truth of the Original Yea such proportion say I as the Ark that kept it bore to the Letter of the old Testament that was laid up in it the same doth the Old Testament it self the whole 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or bare Letter or Shadowy Dispensation bear unto the Light Word of God or New Testament which is not a Literal but a Spiritual Administration Now as it would be fâ—lly and absurdity in the abstract for a man to Argue the Light to be the proper name of the Lanthorn which exhibits it the Sun the proper Name of the Glass it shines through and the Writing or Letter of the old Testament the proper name of the Ark in which it was laid up and then to affirm all the Properties that appertain peculiarly to the Light Sun Letter belong to the Lanthorn Glass Ark respectively and to plead from the unchangeableness of the Light the permanency of the Sun the long duration of the Letter Some of which in some uncertain Copies abides to this day that the Lanthorn is unalterable the Window inviolable the Ark abiding the self same and not one jor or inch of it is lost or altered to this day but in all points in the same that it was when Moset made it because some Copies Imagess and Pictures of it are found painted on Walls aud Printed in Books or so to this day Semblably as Ridiculous it is to the full to Argue the Letter is immediately come to us from God without interveniency of any Medium obnoxious to fallibility the Text is not capable to be altered not is altered in one Tittle so but that its intirely the same that it was at first in every Point Syllable and Iota because the Light Faith Doctrine Truth and Word which is as the Sun the same still and preserved in the Providence of God full firm and sure as all the Ordinances of Heaven are whether it shews it self through a Glass only or without it Now then howbeit we own all that which I. O. tells of the Providential care and Promise of God as to the preserving of his Word to his Church to be true as told of his Word yet as spoken of the Letter as Gods great Concernment in this World dearer to him than all the World the most glorious Product of his Wisdom and Goodness and such like and as urg'd in proof of the Text and each Tittle of that to be Entire and Eternal as the Heavens I say as so every Tittle of it is false And I would fain know of I
onomamachijâ— so but that if thou canst prove the Scripture to demonstrate it self infallibiliteâ— Ex. 1. S. 1. infallibly and uncontroulably pag. 34. to be the Word of God as thou undertakest to evince but ad Graecas Calendas to morrow come never as they say thou wilt do and not before they will then freely grant it to be call'd so whose work with thee and all men is to have all things first known to be what they are in their proper natureâ— and then call'd by those proper Names that are agreeable to those natures Though then we deny the Scripture to be called by that of The Word of God as its proper Name yet it is upon this account because neither thou nor any man in the world is able to prove it to be so in its proper nature whereupon howbeit we eternally own the Word of God properly so to be and infallibly and incontroulably evidencing it selfe so to be and that it ought as by its own proper name to be called the Word of God which if thy tottering ragged way of Argumentation wherein thou ten if not twenty times over and more inadvertently and contrarily to all Rules of true Disputations transposest thy tâ—rms making the Word of God both thy subject and the praedicate also which thou often praedicatest of it self be well observed thou belabourest thy self to prove against I know not whom to be evidently and to be called properly the Word of God and howbeit we also own the Word of God to be all those other things viz Foundation Rule Light Touchstone Witnesâ— of God onely means of the saving knowledge of God most effectual means of bringing men to repentance quickening power power of God to salvation and many more by which thou denominatest it Nevertheless that the Scripture or outward Writing or external text of either your Copies of the Original or the Original Copies which you have not now in the world much more that the text of any Translation thereof into other tongues or the English tongue either which is all that poor English people have who are no higher learnt as to Earthly Languages then their Mother-tongue much more that every tittle Iota and Apex of any of these as thou Apishly contendest it is in your Transcripts at least pag. 168 169. is either the Word of God or any â—ther of those things or properly to be called by that of the VVord of God by which yet thou streinest a point to call it and dost o're and o're either under that term the VVord or that of the Scripture which is onely properly its own this is that which I am here entering the Lists with thee about and am to the undeceiving of both Powers and People of this Nation who by your sophistical sorceries are bewitcht into a blinde Opinion about both the truth and the Qua. who hold it out in that particular notwithstanding thy pretensive proofs to disprove against thee Nevertheless before I can yet come immediately to the examination of thy proofs in particular in order to the disproof thereof or to thy own holding out of any thing to the contrary so many great and gross are the absurdities and illegalities of thy manner of Disputation in proof of this business viz. that the Scripture both as to name and thing is and is infallibly and undeniably known to be the Word of God that I may not honestly pass on here without a discovery to all men of thy most illegitimate and downright dishonest dealing in thy driving on of thy Argumentation inâ—order to the evincing thereof in sundry particulars which I shall exhibit to the view of all men under this one general head viz. thy unworthy Begging of the main question in hand which thou takest upon thee to prove as well in thy English Treatise upon that subject which thou sayest thou hadst preached on which as published is a Dispute too for the Scriptures as in thy Latine illogical and Theological Disputations or Apologeticals pro Scripturis in both the one and the other of which thou never keepest close to thy main terms which ought never to be altered in any legal Disputation but both changest and confoundest them together even the Grand subject that is the Scripture and the Grand Praedicate of it that is the Word of God almost as often as thou hast to do with them insomuch that thy Trâ—ctations and Transactions for and about the outward Letter or Text of the Scriptures which are the subject from whence thy Latine and thy English works in their Title Pages both bear their main denominations of Vindication of and Apologies for the Texts of the Scripture the proof of which to be the known pure perfect powerful living spiritual saving necessary unalterable unchanged uncorrupted c. Word of God is thy main professed work scope drift and intent thoroughout them are such an indistinct term-transposing Argumentation such a â—â—agonized mess of male proof such an underboard piece of double-dealing as proclaims its Author as well to such as know him by neither as to such as know him both by name and face to be one that durâ— not play above-board but digged as deep as he well durst for fear of being too much disâ—ryed in his deceit on the other hand to hide his counsel that he might be the less noted in his turnings of things up-side-down that having once put apart as two specifically different things the Scripture or its Doctrine whereof one was to be his main subject the other his main praedicate throughout his disputation durst not keep them clearly asunder as he should have done all along in his premises till he came to his Conclusion in which onely if at all they were by right to be joined nor speak of them constantly Sigillatim as of two things formally seperated in their nature to be seperated in their names till the one he infallibly or plainly proved to be the other viz. the Scripture to be the Word of God and the Word of God to be the Scriptures But being jealous whether things might grow to the disadvantaâ—â— or hazard of hi cause in question and utter loss of his positive assertion of the Scriptures to be the Word of God if he should was afraid to speak plain so I believe thou I.O. art to utter thy meaning too openly or speak thy mind out too distinctly and so chusest to prosecute thy proofs the more promiscuously and to carry thy ill cause on the more confusedly by the shifting and changing of thy terms ever and anon and to beg the question in hand or take it for granted before it be given thee that the Scripture is the Word to supplant and forestall thy Reader with thy often or ordinary crouding of these each under the other's Name and indifferent denominatings of them each by the other as Synonomaeâ— before thy time i.e. Before thou hast proved the name of the one at all proper to the other by the one 's
the proofs by me urged against thee are elsewhere discovered thou rouzest up thy self into a new proposal of thy Question in these Terms p. 28. viz. Whether the Hooks commonly called the Old and New Testament were appointed by God for a standing Rule of faith and life which I denying the Books to be thou repliest on this wise viz Now you have spit out your venome which I knew you were big with and I will say to you as the Apostle if any man bring any other Gospel then what we have received let him be accursed To which when I replied I am sure the Gospel you preach will never bring men to heaven Thou relatest thy self replying thus viz. Then friends you hear his acknowledgement and how well he deserves the curse denounced against him By all which passages the Reade may observe these things 1. That thou judgest the Scriptures to be not only the standing Rule of faith and life but also to be the Gospel 2. That there is no other Gospel designed by God as the standing Rules then the Scriptures 3. That he that owns any thing else besides the Scriptures to be the Rule or the Gospel and he that denies the Gospel the Ministers of the letter preach which is but the Letter and the Scripture to be unable to bring men to heaven though I intended by those words viz. the Gospel you preach the false Doctrine and unholy matter ye hold forth when ye deny the Light and plead a necessity of sinning in this life and hold men to be justified and guiltless while under the guilt of Murder and Adultery and damn it as a Doctrine of Devils to affirm any perfect purging from sin in this world and such like and not the Scriptures which ye are far enough from preaching truly the very letter of is big with and spits out venome against the Scriptures and brings another Gospel then that ye have received and to be held accursed and well deserves the curse denounced against him by the Apostle Gal. 1.8 And in all these matters thou art coincident with I.O. who in substance asserts with thee the very same alluding to the self-same place Gal. 1. in proof of the Scriptures to be the Gospel and the only perfect rule of faith and worship Ex. 3. s. 26. Rep. But alas poor simple silly unlearned and ignorant men ye may curse them that bring another Gospel then that ye have received indeed who never at all yet received the true Gospel which the Galatians received from Paul who was not a Minister of the Letter to shew which is all your Gospel but of the spirit and of the light which only while the dead letter cannot do it saves and brings to heaven and gives the Life which Light and spirit is the old Gospel which we bring and minister to men while you for your meer Letters sake alter and despise it I say ye may curse in Pauls words but Pauls Curse will come upon you which being causelesly denounced against us by you cannot come on us Now before I come to urge any new Arguments against the Scripture or Letters being in the Authority of the only standing Rule as both T.D. p. 16. of his second Toy and I.O. p. 18. assert it to be concluding that there is no other Rule or measure of judging and determining any thing about the saving Doctrine of the Gospel but the Writing the Scriptures I shall take some account of some of T. D's and I. O's weak rushy kinde of reasonings by way of Answer to such Arguments as are urged by us against their reasonless suppositions in that behalf Beginning first with T. D's Jejune Replies to what Reasons were rendred by us to him against his Dream that there is no other standing Rule of faith and life but the Scriptures and so proceeding to an Examination of his and I. O's excentrick exhibitions of the Scriptures being the only Rule thereof interchangeably as I see occasion The first Argument urged against thee T.D. at the third Publick Dispute as thy self relatest it in p. 28 29. of thy first Pamphlet to prove the Scripture not the only Rule of faith and life was this Arg. 1. If there be another standing Rule then the Scripture is not it But there is another standing Rule therefore the Scripture is not it The minor thou deniest and sayest expresly that there is no other standing Rule but the Scripture which minor my proof of which thou rendrest as weakly as well as thou canst I proved in these very terms viz. If the Scripture it self sends us to another viz. the spirit as our Rule then it self is not the onely Rule But it self doth so therefore it self is not it The minor of this being denied by thee was proved thus That which the Scripture bids us walk in by after or according to that it sends to but the Scripture it self bids us walk in by a fur or according to the spirit therefore the Scripture sends us to another besides it self as our Rule and consequently is not it self the only standing Rule of faith and life in proof of this minor Gal. 5.16 was cited and some other Scriptures which thou leavest out whether as one loath to tell too much of that truth that makes against thee or no I will leave to thy conscience and not say but some may likely think so for all that as namely Gal. 6.16 besides I know not whether I instanced in any other which I shall here take that leave which in that confused crowd of conference thou strovest as thou sayest thy self to out-word us by for fear of being confuted thou wouldest not then grant me to urge by way of addition at this present viz. Rom. 8.1 4 5 13. Phil. 3.15 and to open as I see occasion in order to the service of that Truth I am now pleading against thee Nevertheless it were not for the Truths sake that it may more fully appear there is little need to say any thing more to thee than thou thy self hast set down in thy Reply to that Text viz. This I say walk in or rather to or according to the Spirit and ye shall not fulfil the lusts of the flesh for it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ‑ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the dative case which without the preposition's is elsewhere Engliâ—ht by or according to viz. Gal. 6.16 Phil. 3.15 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as many as walk according to this Rule let us walk by the same Rule is so jejune and wretched and poor and miserably blinde and naked being no other then this viz. that phrase doth denote the priniple not the rule of our obedience in that place where if by principle thou intendest the Foundation which the word principles is sometimes used as synonomous unto then thou quite overthrowest I.O. and helpest me against him however but that is no news for beside that each of you often
Reproof Instruction in Righteousness and without any outward Scripture to perfect the man of God fit and furnish him as no outward Scriptures can possibly do without these for any much less for every good work which inward Scripture in which holy men read the Gospel before 't was ever written outwardly with Ink and Pen foreseeing that God would justifie the Gentiles through Faith in Christ the Light preached the Gospel four hundred years before your Scripture Canon or Rule ad extra was ever written Howbeit I say There is a Scripture ad intra that ye read little in testified to and talk't of by your external Text ye onely talk for 2 Cor. 3. Yet to J. O. I grant the outward Scripture and that in its integrity so far as free from corruption by mis-transcription and mis-translation to be holy just good useful and profitable for all the things specified in the Text of Paul to Timothy when read and understood in that Light Wisdom and Spirit that gave it out by those holy men which onely knows the Mystery of its own minde and meaning therein and reveals it ' also to Babes and simple honest hearts that come at ' fools to it looking to the Lord alone for wisdome out of whose mouth comes that knowledge and understanding whereby the Scripture is seen as to the spirituality and substance of it when the plain things of it are hid from the wise and prudent that furfeit with their own conceited science and lean to their own Animal understanding and in that give their several senses and sentences on it for the natural or as the word is 1 Cor. 2.14 15 16. the Animal man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God not the hidden wisdome of God which none of the Princes of this world know 1 Cor. 2.6 7 8. c. which in a mystry or meer Riddle to their degenerate reason is uttered in the very outward Scripture neither can the animal man by his wisdome from beneath for all his bitter envying and strife within himself against all that oppose him wherein he glories and lyes against the truth the fruit of which envy is confusion and every evil work which wisdome is but earthly sensual Animal devillisbly deceitful Jam. 3.14 15 16 17 18. know the things of God for they are spiritually discerned and by the spiritual man only that discerns and judges all and is falsely judged by all though truly discerned by none that are beneath him The outward Scripture I say is profitable to such as Timothy was to men of God to make them who are wise in the Spirit wiser and wiser through their faith in the light to their own and others salvation and to furnish such a Minister as Timothy was who knows when and being in the Spirit how and how far forth to use it for every good work in his Ministry And such as are full of might and power first by the Spirit of the Lord upon them as Micah was Mic. 3. and as Apollo was are mighty also in the Scripture and furnished mightily to confound the Scripture-searching Scribes and all gain-sayers of the Light as they were in their times So that we deny not the Scriptures ad extra to be many wayes useful profitable in their place and time where they are to be read as they are not in so much as the tenth part of the world and where they are read in the light by them who live in that Light that gave them forth which are not the hundreth part of those that usually read and search them but will all this prove them to be what I.O. and T.D. contend so stiffly to have them be viz. in that high Authority of the Rule nay the only most perfect standing Rule of all true belief and holy life before the very light and spirit of God they had their very original supreme being from thorow the hands of holy men as but subordinate instruments in their first purity as writings except that little that was pend by God himself which we now have not which Scriptures yet as to the being they now have are handed to us from no higher principle then the transcription of meer fallible and as I.O. sayes un-inspired men Ab sit imaginatio let the thoughts hereof be far from us that the Scripture is the only Rule for if we should grant it to be so far as truly transcribed in the Copies of the Original a Rule at all or a secondary Rule which name of Rule is more than it any where calls it self by yet the prime most perfect Rule it is not much less is it the only Rule to the Church or any men and though we are as forward as any on a due account to own the profitablenss of the very letter as it declares of the words of truth and uprightness and the Doctrine that is according unto godliness and to own its great usefulness as to the purposes premised and so affirm that the dead letter so far as not depraved from its primitive purity doth as truly answer and hold proportion with the light and living word as the shadow doth with the substance the life-less picture with the living person it represents and as the voice which is Imago verbi the Image of the Word with the Word it is the Image of or the Eccho which is the Image of the voice doth with the voice it answers to insomuch that as Quae conveniunt in aliquo tertio santidem what holds measure or weight and keeps correspondency or proportion with a third thing that agrees with the standard or sealed Canon agrees also with the standard it self so whose life squares truly and substantially with the letter convenes with the light and spirit it imediately issued out from and he that lives and speaks perfectly and adaequately according to the Scripture so far speaks and lives according to and not besides the light and spirit which the letter requires man to live beleeve and walk in and by as neither doth or can he erre from the letter if he had never heard read or seen it who answers the measure of the light and spirit that is lent him to live by yet for all this as T.D. gives this reason for his untrue imagination why this part of the inspired Scripture you have only is the only Rule and not any Sermons or private religious discourses which have the same common ends with the Scriptures no nor yet any other writings but those ye have if we could prove and produce as assuredly we shall anon any legitimate ones of Divine inspiration though otherwise as useful and profitable as those ye have and agreeing therewith viz. because God did not give order quoth he for the one as he did thinks he for the other and there is no other Scripture appointed of God to be a Rule of faith and manners but what is bound up in the Bible and where he appointed that we
when it shines upon him that is ignorant of it or assents not to it since as R.H. told him then it was so so I tell him here over again in R.H. his words with the addition of the long tract of time wherein t was wont to be so The Sword of the Spirit is the Word of God which was effectual two thousand years before the Letter was And this I the rather assert against T.D. here in this place because he is so ignorant as to tax R.H. there for usual speaking non-sense and for understâ—nding non-sense as well or better then good sense in that when T.D. said The Spirit was not wont to be effectual without the Letter R H. repeats him saying thus The Sword of the Spirit is ineffectual without the Letter which in effect is all one if T.Ds. eyes were well open to see clearly what the Spirit is and what the Letter and then replies thus The Sword of the Spirit is the Word of God which was effectual before the Letter was Now I demand of thee T.D. 1. where is any non-sense R.H. spake whose words I here speak after him that I may clear them from thy unjust cenâ—â—re of non-sense And if R.H. understood any non-sense as thou sayest he did then that must import that thy self with whom he was then in discourse hadst spoken some for he could not understand that non-sense from thee which thou never speakest Out of thy own mouth then at least thou art condemned for speaking some non-sense if a man were minded to prosecute thee for it for habemus Retâ—â— conficentem we have it from thy self if it were so but though thou tacitly taxest thy self with non-sense yet I shall do thee that Right this once as to clear and exuse thee from thy own false self-accusation for in truth both what thou spakest and what R.H. spake was all good sense as to the intelligibleness of the phrases unless thou account every sentence to be non-sense that is false as to the matter propounded in it as in a sense thou mayest there being no sense nor reason for it that any man should affirm and tell an untruth and then I confess thou spakest non-sense and R.H. good sense Sith his saying was true and thine was false For the Sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God and the Spirit it self and not the Letter as thou who art somewhat low and implicite not very loud me thinks nor express as if thou durst not for shame speak out thy minde about it seemest to make it was wont to be effectual without and was effectual before the Letter was But here 's indeed the very knot of the business thou deemest R.H. to utter non-sense in not being so non-sensical as with T.D. I.O. and their Chronies to interpret the Sword of the Spirit there called the Word of God of the outward Letter or Scripture that is the thing will not down with T.D. without straining at it as a peece of non-sense to assert the Sword of the Spirit not to be the Letter witness T.Ds. words of R H. T.D. As for what he says that the Sword of the Spirit is the Word of God if he meant like a man in his oppositions he must mean Christ who but once is called the Word of God Rev. 19.13 And Christ cannot be intended Eph. 6.17 because he is not the Sword of the Spirit but the Spirit his Sword rather for by the Spirit he works in the hearts of men and therefore Gen. 6.3 he sayes My Spirit shall not alwayes strive with man which is meant of the Holy Ghost as will appear by comparing it with Act. 7.51 where Stephen tells the Jews Ye do alwayes resist the Holy Ghost Christ by the common operations of his Spirit strives with men and by the special operations thereof preâ—ails with them Rep. In this parcel is more truth granted to the Qua. then T.D. himself understands so to be or will ever stand under the force of when made use of by them against himself for he sayes the Spirit is Christs Sword by which according to Gâ—n 6.3 Act. 7.51 he works operates in men mark his words and is said to strive with them that alwayes resist him even in themselves I could never yet get it granted from T.D. or any other contenders against the truth in this point that Christ had a Spirit of his in men by the operations of which he is said in those two Texts to strive with them n themselves for howbeit its the common Doctrine laid down positively by themselves unawares many times yet when they meet with Qua. in verbal discourses who urge these two self same Texts and that in 1 Pet. 3.18 19 20. By the which Spirit Christ preached to Spirits in prison which were disobedient in the dayes of Noah c. And that Ioh. 16.8 9 10 11. concerning the Spirits convincing the world of sin c. in themselves and that Ioh. 3.19 20 21. of Christ the light coming into the world i.e. the word which is in mens hearts there condemning the evil deeds even in the dark cells of wicked mens own consciences which Light is sent not to condemn but unless men love the darkness more then it in order to their salvation and that they might be saved by beleeving in it vers 17 18. And that Text also Ioh. 1.9 concerning the truâ— Light which is Christ enlightning every man in the world all which places and many more are parallel together in this point among all the several sorts of shifts whereby to shuffle of the sound Doctrine of the Qua. this is most commonly made use of viz. that the strivings and shinings of Christ by his Light and Spirit with and unto the Sons of men which they dare not deny neither to be universal and yet do own ten parts to one of the world too to be at this day without any true outward Gospel Ministry or Traditions by by men or Letter of Scripture O Rotas where 's the beginning and end of these mens Rounds are not by any Light or Spirit of his that is in them for that measure of his Light and Spirit within wee call men to they name natural imaginary figment Fanaticisme Enthusiasme and ironically that infallible Doctor Qualitas nescio quae divina seu anima mundi omnibus mista 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 merae tenebrae caecitas nesâ—io quid niâ—il nothing and much more as I.O. pleases but by a Letter and Ministers of the Letter without them only he strives and shines by his Spirit say they and reproves and conviâ—ces the world that resist but t was of old by the outward Ministry of Noah only a Preacher of Righteousness t is since by the Scripture and Ministers of it that preach outwardly out of it though perhaps not one of an hundred in the world ever read it or heard it preacht on but not by any measure of his Spirit or immediate workings of any Light or
they shall be blessed that sow beside all waters and the soul of the diligent shall thrive and be fat but the soul of the vile person and niggard and of the sluggard shall desire but have nothing yea their Vintage shall faile and their gathering shall not come and their fruitful field shall be turned into a forrest they shall be stript and made bare and sit with sackcloth on their loins and lament for the tears for the pleasant fields and the fruitfull vine and their pallaces shall be forsaken their tents and towers shall be for dâ—ns and that which now is the pasture of wild asses Iob 11.12 Isa. 29.18 24. shall be no more enjoyed by them for ever Isa. 32. Wherefore then â—ayest thou I. O. with Restriction of the Spirits guidance to those first generations thus viz. While the infallible spirit continued his extraordinary guidance and thus viz. guided therein by the infallible direction of the spirit of God and by way of exclusion of after-ages and more expresly of this age thus viz. They were born acted carried out by the Holy Ghost to speake deliver and write c. and suppose a man were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1. inspired of God and should professe himself so and were so indeed as the Prophes of old Am. 7. Let me expostulate the case with thee a little about these expressions whereby thou seemest to shut all the past primitive times from any participation of the movings and actings of the Spirit as those that have neither part nor portion in that matter of his infallible guidance and direction First then not denying what Christ himself foretold Iohn â—4 28 30. Iohn 16.16 viz. That he would go away for a while and his Disciples should not see him and the Prince of this world which hath nothing in him should come and interpose himself to the great interception of that primitive Communion the Saints then had with him and his Spirit so that he would not have very much talk with them thereafter let me ask thee this much Did he say he would leave them for ever and never have any talk or words with them more then what they should find of his written in the Scriptures of such as should write some few things and a little of that much which they knew of his minde Did he say he should not speake at all not so much as by his Spirt Nay rather did he not say that so soon as his fleshly pretence was withdrawn he would send the holy Spirit himselfe the comforter to supply the room of that personall and bodily appearance wherein he then stood among them which they were so in love with and so loath to part with that they were ready well-nigh to dote so upon it as to let sorrow fill their hearts to think they should be utterly without his tuition as sheep without a shepherd if that should vanish and be removed In the departure and absence of which notwithstanding he told them it would be never the worse but much the better and more expedient for them For if I goe away saith he the Comforter cannot come but if I go I will send him unto you which Comforter was himselfe in Spirit the presence of which in the heart gives nearer acquaintance and fellowship with Christ and the Father then his abode among them their sight of him in the flesh could possibly do for the sight of him in the flesh the world may have and had which is to little effect if the other be wanting but his presence in the Spirit is that which is of Power and Efficacy though yet in two different wayes viz. of bare conviction or condemnation to the one and refreshment and consolation to the other both to the World and to the Saints though there be no sight of him as in the flesh any more by either I will send the Holy spirit the comforter to you saith he and he shall convince or reprove the world also Doth Christ therefore say he will leave them comfortlesse i.e. Orphans Iohn 14.17 18. deprived utterly of his presence because he said he i.e. in flesh would go away Nay saith he I will come to you i.e. in Spirit the Spirit of truth which dwelleth in you and shall be in you and though the world seeth me no more when I am gone because though the Spirit of Truth be sent into them and is nigh to men even striving preaching reproving in them yet they recieve him not neither see him nor know him yet ye see me and because I live ye shall live also and doth he not say that this spirit of truth should lead and guide them into all truth and bring all things to their remembrance whatever he spakâ— while he was seen in the flesh Which the letter doth not for there were many more things that Iesus spake and did that are not written there so many that if they should be written every one it might be supposed the world could not contain what should be written John 14.26 13 21 25. And howbeit he intimates a more sparing Communion in Spirit with his Dâ—sciples and Church which would be permitted to come to passe by the coming in of the Prince of this world wherein there should not be so much talk as there should be before and would be again after that gloomy day was once over wherein the manifestations of him though as infallible in that small measure wherein they should be made for gradus non variant naturam rei yet as to the measure would not be so great as at other times of which going away and withdrawing even in the spirit also he seemes to speak when he saith A little while and ye shall not see me in which Eclipse the chidren of the night must have a revelling night of rejoycing over the Word and Spirit and Saints sitting in sackcloth and an hour of laughter and merriment at the power of 〈◊〉 its prevailing Iohn 16. to 22. yet doth he say that Eclipse should be â—oâ—aâ—l Was there not some few in every age in whom the Spirit bare a testimony and by whom to the blind world also of little truth And did he not say the Spirit should be in them and abide with them i.e. in the same manner of infallibility in manifestation of whatever he makes known though not in the same measure of manifestation of the truth even for ever Iohn 14.16 And did he not say that the Spirit of truth should testifie of him when he came and so consequently his testimony must be with his Disciples and Church for ever Iohn 15.26 Which testimony is not that of the letter which men wrote at his motion as thou falsely supposest for that is mans mediate testimony and not immediately the Spirits any more then the testimony that men bear by word of mouth as they are moved of which in the very next verse i. e. Iohn 15.27 Christ calls their testimony and not the
and Israel to preserve it from taking root and blossoming and budding and filling the face of the earth with fruit as it must do at the last Isa. 27.6 and like Sampsons Foxes tail to tail they draw divers wayes loâ—here sayes one lothere sayes another some sounding it out for their Fathers traditions some summoning to the Scriptures and the gâ—wdy glosses they put upon it who yet if they could once come to see it live by tradition and teach Gâ—ds fear afters mans Precepts as well as the rest all to their own fanciâ—s dreams opinions and imaginations of one kind or other and all these fire-brands fencing to one end and as friendly as Herod and Pilate at odds against each other yet at one against Christ attempting to dis-inthrone the light of Christ in the Conâ—cience from its due Authority and from sitting on the Throne in its proper place Some resisting the Truth by flat opposition so all the many sorts of those guilded cups the Parish Priests do that yet hold forth all or any Râ—mish Relicks or measure of that old Whores trash which wooden Tops are always turning round with the times as that lash viz. the losse of living if they so do not is made use of and exercised toward them whose movings to and again back and forth from Henries Religion to Edwards from his to Maries from hers to Elizabeths and so onward and round as occasion is if the word of command be As ye were is all from the force of some externall Engine or other mostly that of money for Qui pecunianon movetur hunc dignum spectaâ—u Arbitramur not from any inward Principle or Power of the endless life no par no preach is their common Custom so that the powerless formes they foam at each other about would soon fall all to the earth whence they are and not from Truth were it not for that Primum-movens that principale propugnaculum of Tith as a dead man that can stand not a jot longer then propt up by something or other ad extra because Deest aliquid infus there wants the main master wheel within Others like those Inchanters that withstood Moses resist the Truth too men of corrupt minds reprobate yet as concerning the Faith leadingâ— captive silly women after them from the Faith of Gods Elect by imitating the very Truth it self as farre as they are able to come neer it in their vain fleshly minds having stole into a form of the same Doctrine Words and Works without the life which they hate and oppose in them that are in the life preaching the same Truth and Light themselves in their airy spirits since the conviction thereof fell upon them for which they had very formally cast forth of their own separated Churches the Children of the Light who withdrew from them and so formally were none of them before that their senseless confuse or ejection Like theâ—fore â—aid Sorcerers to bewitch their people into an abode among them in Egypt where they yet are in bondage altogether and into a non-believing of the true Messengers of God to be in anything beyond themelves and to make them seem to be no more in the power of God then they by striving to do all and as farre as they are able to follow on in a form till at last they be forc'd to confess a finger of God doing all that by their weak arme of flesh mans fleshly will and wisdome which by the Saints is performed both in and from no other Arme then the Light Power Wisdome and Life of God dwelling in them Of this sort are all the Prophets that are in a fairer form of Godliness then those behind them in darkâ—r and grosser forâ—mâ— yet with them denying and not witnessing the power thereof in their hearts and conversations to the purging of them from pride and the other pâ—llutions and corruptions that are in world through lust which Magicians when they see the Servants of the Lord do any thing that is taking among their people and which they are ashamed to diâ—own then they will do so and as the Wise men of Egypt set themselves to imitate Moses set themselves to do the like and â—in a shew bring forth an Image of the same By all which said severall sorts of subtill Sorcerers who with the most cunning craftiness they have lye in wait to deceive the multitudes of people are deceived and so seduced from the narrow way of truth that among them very few ever find it and are so eminently perplexed as to their discerning aright between Gods Worâ— indeed and that which is only pretended so to be viz. the nakâ—d letter that only declares what is his Word and their own fallible and sometimes senseless senses and sermons upon that letter of all which they ay in their common Preambles to their people Hearken with fear and trembling to the Word of God when oft no more then every mans own word Ier. 23.36 is spoken that though God hath given men a light and spirit within which is meâ—sura â—sui â— oblâ—quâ— that can most certainly determine of all spirits and an â—ar but that its slopt in most which can as truly try words as the mouth â—asteth meats Iob 34.3 1 Ieh 4.1 6. and also seâ—meria infall bee tokens to enable them so to do yet they can make no discrimination between right and wrong faith and falshood uprightness and errour honesty and hypocrysie holiness and heresie the simplicity that â—s in Christ and that schisme from it into which they are already inchanted 2 Cor. 11.3 the light and truth and that deceit and darkness in which both Prophets and People dwell through the busie battels and confused noises these Warriours make with their loud cryings out each against other and all with one mouth against the Truth it self and the tellers of it as Deceivers and all with one consent mis-representing them as such unto the Powers mis-advisâ—â—g and mis-admonâ—shing their respective peoples to this or the like tune Beware and take heed of deceit and of these deceivers the Qua. not heeding all this while or at least not willing their people should heed how deeply they are all in the deceit already so like the impudent Harlot that hopes to outcry and bear down the modest Matron with a clamour of words and by calling out Whâ—re first these foolish loud lewd Women fearing their own filthy fornications should else be soon discovered cry out first on that Sect of Saints which was ever and every where so spoken against Acts 24.14 28.22 Heresie schisme errour darkness disturbance madness enthusiasme fanaticisme faction and such like and though they and their flocks of Goats and heards of Swine live in the lust in pride covetousness malice luxury and all wickedness and have nothing of their own save unrighteousness to be rob'd of and nothing to be led captive but that which hath captivated the just nor to be spoild of but that which
Light and it be heeded and some are in the actual understanding of him that is 〈◊〉 and that is indeed the special gift of God to such as walk by that light and in thâ—â— light thâ—y have as Iohn and Christs Disciples did and do And over and above that faculty they may have a light to diâ—cover spâ—rituall objects to that understanding and â—o enlighten them â—o that they may savingly 〈◊〉 and yet may never come to knâ—w for all â—his in case they come not to this light as evil ones do not Iohn 3.19 20. but hate it and chuse rather willingly to be ignorant not delighting in but saying to God Depart from us we desire not the knowledge of thy wayes From may be to must be is such a 〈◊〉 sort of Sillogirt aâ—â—tion as is not owned in foro Academico in the Schools of meer Animall naturall men much lesse of Christ and Christians And so that men know not see not Therefore they may not cannot see if they will have neither eyes nor light this is as meer a non-sequitur as to say of such as not being willing to behold it shut their sore eyes against the sun-shine that therefore they have no eyes and the Sun shines not at all upon them Yet this is the common Topick from whence our Divines T. D. I. O. I. T. R. B. as we shall see by and by and in a manner all our beâ—ghted Doctors draw their Dreams and deeply dark Arguments against a measure of Christs saving light so shining in every one and the now empty Quiver out of which they have noâ— spared till they have spent all they have to shoot too shoot their sharpest Shafts against the Quakers Not having so much light left in themâ—elves for want of walking in time by what they had as to heed that men may know that if they be not wanting to themselves which if they be by not trading with their Talent they may also be as ignorant of as they might have been knowing in T. D. sayes Every man hath a light and that light is from Christ too witness his own saying wherein unawares he over-shoots himself again to the contradicting of himself yielding up the Question to us p. 6. 1 Pamp. expounding Iohn 1.9 viz. Christ enlightens every man that is enlightened from which ad hominem I argue back upon himself out of his own words viz. Christ enlighteneth every man that is enlightened this T. D. aserts from Iohn 1.9 But every man is enlightened hath some light whereby he discernes many sins and duties and divine attributes this T. D. cannot deny for this is his own p. 1. Therefore T. D. though to the shame contradicting and confounding of himself he does so yet cannot rationally nor honestly deny what the Qua. affirm That every man is enlightened by Christ the light of the World and Mediator between God and man Indeed T. D. sayes 'T is but dimly that all men discern some sins duties divine attributes Repl. To that as it s nothing to the Question so I reply Every man discerns them not so clearly as he might do because he heeds not so heartily as he should do the Light that shewes them It s nothing whether men see and understand or no it s enough that the Light shines into their hearts and understandings to give the knowledge of â—â—d and so it doth in them who are yet in darkness and in a stare of it for the true Light shines in the darkness though the darkness comprehends it not Joh. 1.5 T. D. thinks he mends all in p. 2. of his 2. Pamp. by Eph. 5.8 Ye were sometimes darkness but now Light in the Lord. Rep What then T. D. Did not the Light shine in them when they were darknâ—ss and did not comprehend it because not turned to it as now they were by Pauls Ministry who was sent to turn men from the darkness to the Light that shines within them by which they became Light in the Lord yet if your meaning be sayest thou there and that is our meaning indeed that all men have the Light of the Gospel within them only all mâ—n do not obey it 't is contrary to the Scripture Rep. Why so T. D He opposes the state of darkness sayest thou in which they were to their present state of light Rep. What then T. D because they were in a state of darkness had they no light shining in them by taking heed to which at last they came out of it into a state of Light How often shall I need to tell thee and I. O. that for the true Light and Kingdome and Gospel and Righteousness to be in us in semine in the Seed is one thing and for us to be in that is another the Kingdome of God even the Seed of Righteousness Peace Spiritual joy as evident as the contrary seems to be to blind I. O. Ex. 3. S. 42. who there sayes In omnibus non esse justitiam pacem gardrum in confesso est its evident that Righteousness Peace and Joy are not in all was sown in the Pharisees as the Word of God is in four sorts of ground whereof but one that is the honest heart that receives it with meekness when there implanted inlaid ingrasted brings forth the fruits thereof unto perfection though the Pharisees never entered into it witness T. D. himself who howbeit he joyus with I. O. in saying from Luke 17.21 The Kingdome was among the Pharisees only in the ministry of it without mistaking it to be en umin as if 't were 't were enough against him for entos umon which I. O. confesses is us'd but once more in all the new Testament Text Matth. 23.16 where it signifies the very inside of a vessel yet joyns with me also both against I. O. and himself too in the same place p. 5. 1. Pamp. saying The expression may import that the Kingdâ—me which upon a mistake such a one say I as upon which our Pharisees look for it without them at this day they did look for without them was indeed a Kingdome within them and yet he sayes this Kingdome in them was threatned to be and was too say I at last as it shall from you taken away from them How often shall we need to tell you ye blind and deaf that to have light shining in one is one thing and to be in it in a state of Light and the children of it is another to have the Gospel preached in men is one thing and for men to learn the mystery of it is another the Gospel is preached in every creature under heaven Paul sayes Col. 1.23 en pase te Ktisi yea have they not all heard saith he Rom. 10.18 yes verily ' alluding to Psal. 19. by which allusion thou thy self also expresly confesses T.D. p. 30. 1 Pamp. the Apostle would intimate that the knowledge of the Gospel should be of as large extent in the publication as the knowledge of God by the
Name of God was blasphemed for their sakes insomuch that Paul saith Rom. 2. the very uncircumcision as to the Flesh and Letter doing in the Light by which they were made a Law to themselves by nature not corrupt nature as T. D. thinks nor by the pure nature in a measure restored without or abstract from the Light the things of the Law were better to God then the literal professing Iew and more just and justified to the very judging of them who by boasting of the Letter and Circumcision without broke the Law in the heart and less lyable to wrath then the other which shews how God counts more on obedience in Morals Spirituals Evangelicals without the Letter and literals then on all Burnt-offering and Sacrifice and lifeless conformity to the Letter Yet the Heathen themselves by the Light in the Conscience though videntes meliorae by it they did mostly deteriwa sequi see much and do little at least came to know in a measure within themselves the very righteous Iudgments of God that thâ—se that did such things as they did are worthy of death Rm. 1.32 And thou I.O. confessest the same in thy words above-recited Iudicio Dei se subesse cogu scunt and the Light within and moral instinct of good and evil by it seconded by a self-iudgement placed in us Yea Ioh. 16. The Light and Spirit of Christ the Saints Comforter that walk in it is in the Office of a Convincer to the world of Sin and Iudgement the Law which is the Light in all is spiritual Rom. 7.14 Ob. And if ye say we grant that but what of the Gospel of the Righteousness of God and the riches of his Grace in Christ and what of Christ can be known in that Light Answ. If ye will needs count the Iudgement and wrath of God which is a depth unsearchable by any that look only in the Letter which only tells of his wrath or by any save such as living in the Light have come to feel it within themselves for who knows the power of thy wrath saith the Psalmist none say I but such as waiting in the Light have felt the weight of his hand while Judgement and Condemnation passed on their evil deeds I say if ye will reckon Wrath Iudgement and the Ministration of Condemnation none of the things of God none of his deep things nor the things of his Spirit and Gospel because your eyes are out but reckon it to the Law or Old Testament only and not to the Gospel to which yet it truly belongs or New which is the ministration of righteousnesse and mercy Yet I answer further that not only Iudgement and Wrath but the Righteousness Salvation Mercy and Grace of God in Christ and Christ himself is preached and revealed in the same Light in which the Iudgement and Wrath is revealed as it is the effectual work of the Law in the hâ—aâ—t to accuse reprove and condemn him that doth evil so Vâ—sinet Apello I appeal to your selves who assert it is is it not its work to excuse acquit justifie him within himself who declines the evil and does the contraâ—y Good Is there true righteous Iudgement done where as well mercy comfort peace and acceptation with God is not ministred to the innocent though Abimelech the Heathen when they are found in integrity of heart to Gentile as well as Iew as terrour râ—proof rejection and wrath to every soul that doth evil Iew or Gentile Beside say not the Texts afore-cited that the Spirit convinces the world of Righteousness as well as of sin and Iudgement and that in the same Light which is indeed the Gospel and call'd by Paul so and the Power of God unto Salvation in which the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men that withhold the truth told them by God himself and his Light in them in unrighteousness the Righteousness of God also is even therein revealed from faith to faith among the Iust that turn to and own the Light and live by faith in it Rom. 1 I know and see how page 3. 1 Pamp. T D would make a difference if he could tell how that he might maintain his natural or rather suâ—te natural diâ—course about the meer naturalness of that Light that shews Sins Duties Divine Attributes between that one Light say I in which the wrath is revealed and in which the righteousness is revealed where in answer to that unanswerable saying of Paul about the To Gnoston Tou Theou when G.W. used it against him thus Thou sayest 't is meant of a Natural Light whereas 't is said to be the knowledge of whatsoever is to be known of God Rom. 1.19 T.D. replyes thns sillily the Apostle intends that what might be known of God without the preaching of the Gospel was known to the Gentiles verse 16.17 'T is by the Gospel that the righteousness of God is revealed Rep. As if we must think the Apostle in that phrase Whatever is to be known of God is manifest in men excluded and excepted the Light of the Gospel and inward Word of which he talks elswhere Rom. 10. That it s nigh to men in their hearts And Col. 1.23 is preached viz. in every creature under heaven and meant only some nescio quid I know not what kind of manifestation that hath nihil commune cum Scripturis holds no Analogy with the Scripture because T.D. makes his shallow sensless say-so on the place whose Reply but 't is his usual way when he has nought else to say to make what additions to and alterations of a Text he pleases and then to say when there 's no such matter either expressed or implyed it intends so and so or it intends not so though so said God indeed in many Texts makes offer of Salvation to all but intends it only to a few by All is meant Some by in us in Christ and many of the like sort is not worth any other Reply then to tell him it 's not worth a Rush and G. Ws. saying to him out of Paul stands o're T. Ds. head still for To Gnoston what is to be known of God is any thing that tends to mans Salvation without such an exception as T.D. adds to the making of Paul there as he does God and the Penmen in many more Texts dissemble like to T.D. himself so as to speak one thing and intend another that destroyes the very sense of his own words But saving T Ds mis-meaning of that matter assuredly enough the same that reveals the wrath reveals the righteousness retro and that that reveals the righteousness is a measure of the light of the Gospel of Gods rich Grace and Goodness that is given to Impenitents to lead them to repentance if they obey it and so to forgiveness and life or otherwise to leave them without excuse when having trifled away the time of Gods long-suffering and forbearance in rebellion against the light
denominated of one Light and that it is spiritual is shew'd after also The consequence I. O. denies not but confirms while himself Ex. 4. S. 15. opposes all Light that can be call'd natural to that which is from Christ and his Spirit and as for the Antecedent that its from God Christ and his Spirit is as evident from their own Confessions and Declarations I. O. calls it the Voice of God page 44. indeed he adds in nature by which 't is like he intends that which nature utters or the voice of nature but there is no Voice of God which is natural to man that I know of he that finds out that Chimera must have it in the nineth Chapter of no where at all or else in the tenth of Go look it for he will never meet with that monster in the Scripture nor in any rule of right reason Indeed Nature may be said to have a voice as well that of man who is fearfully and wonderfully made as that of the natural material Heavens all which declare suo modo ut prius the glory of God the Maker nor is there speech or language where this voice of nature is not heard but that this voice of nature is the Voice of God in the Conscience or that Light within he speaks of or that the Light or Voice of God in the heart is a Voice of God de esse hominis essential and natural to man credat Apella He calls it page 43.45 A Light God hath implanted in the minds of men that which speaks to man from God of a Divine Original and such like terms as are exclusive of its being but natural for himself pleads the Divine Original of the Letter as now which yet is not of so immediate a Divine Original by far as the Light by which God speaks nigh in the heart for at first it came to men from him through the hands of holy men and now to us remâ—tely through the hands of how many unholy men we know not in proof of its being a true spiritual and not a natural Light and also exclusive of its being the mind and conscience it self as some call it saying it 's Conscience it 's Conscience when as it is as distinct a thing from the mind understanding and conscience it shines in and as little essential to it as the candle is respectively from and to the dark room wherein it shines But this that God by his Light within shews something of himself to all is not much denied by you nor are ye easily perswaded by us but that all that is but natural still but ye deny light in common to all coming from Christ and his Spirit which though I have shewed so plainly above from Iohn 1.9.16 1 Pet. 3.19 20. Col. 1.23 where Christ is said by his Spirit to have strove with and preached to the Spirits in prison in the world of old to convince the world and enlighten every man in it and the Gospel to be preached in every creature yet a word more with you here as to this let us see how far your selves confess to it and deny it T. D. confesses page 4.1 Pamp. or at least denies not the Gentiles to have been enlightned by Christ as God before his coming in that Body at Ierusalem but it seems denyes he did or does enlighten all as Christ and I. O. sings much what to the same tune with him Ex. 4. S. 25. saying Nihilnon naturale nihil spirituale nihil specialiter a Christo mediatore emanans communicatum c no Light that 's spiritual none but what is natural flowing or no Light shining out from Christ as Mediator nothing but what men yet destitute of all saving knowledge of him may have without Christ and apart from him is mentioned Rom. 2.14.15 and Ex. 4. S. 17. Christus sub nulla c. Christ in no case hath vouchsafed saving light to all and every man in all which sayings I. O. seems to confess with T. D. that God indeed and perhaps Christ as God may vouchsafe to all Lucis cuasdam scintillulas reliquias nonnullas Primitivae lucis as he diminutively speaks Some relikes of the first Light man was lost from some small sparks of light c. to all men but these are but meerly natural neither supernatural spiritual nor saving or sufficient to bring men however heeding them to any saving knowledge of God but as for Christ as Christ the Mediator between God and Man there 's nothing no Light at all that 's saving or by the best improvement of which that can be made they can possibly come to Salvation by him so much as vouchsafed by him to all or to any but some Elect ones Yea Ex. 4. S. 11.12.13 Christian c. That Christ doth not indue and savingly enlighten all and every man but some only that is the Elect with that Divine Light in respect of which we confess him to be the Light of the world and consequently of al men is so ascertain'd from innumerable Testimonies of Scripture and the experience of all Ages that he must even be blind and destitute of all spiritual understanding that shall once dream to the contrary And S. 17. Lumen hoc utcunque ei attendatur non est ullo respectu salutare sed in ribus-emnibus divinis finem ultimum quod attinet meraetenebrae caecitas This light howsoever attended to is in no respect saving but in all divine things as to the utmost end meer darknesse and blindnesse it self thus these men and the same in effect is asserted by R B and I T as will appear more by and by I must therefore down rightly address my self as the Lord shall lead me not minding the method so much as the matter it self to reply to all this stuffe whereby T D. and I O I T R B in speciall who as Generals to other blind Guides of poor blind people against the Qua. strive to storm the plain Truth out of dores And to evince it that some measure of that true spiritual and if attended to and improved saving Light and Grace in respect of which he is said to be the Light and Saviour of the World which is spiritual Light for in the same senses men are said to be darkness are they enlightened quoth I. O but without controversie the men the Spirit speaks of Iohn 1.9 were not naturally blind but spiritually darkness is vouchsafed and shines from Christ as Christ the Mediator between God and man even to all and every man in it First I shall follow on in the way I was going on in to clear it that Christ as Christ the light of the world by his light and Spirit and not as God only enlightens every one in the proof of which the rest is all concluded though yet I may grow on to take notice of the rest in particular also And first I shall minister the Truth to you from that Text which you Ministers
they areâ— seldome in unless Out be In with them as In is Out with T. D. the people whose eyes all as of one man should be as the true Israels are Zach. 9.1 toward the Lord being towards their Spiritual Lordships the Clergy do all as one man erre after them and drop together in gross with their blind guides into the Ditch And whereas all have hitherto following the old Interpreters who say the truth with the Quaâ— read that Text thus The true Light enlightens every man that comes into the world they if I.O. may have his will against the Qua. must now read otherwise 4. Suppose we should for Tryals sake and no otherwise will we grant thee that the Greek Text in respect of the words as they may be construed may equally bear I. Os. construction as well as that of the Qua. and of most or all Translators and Interpreters hitherto does not this then overturn the whole business thou so much buslest for throughout thy book viz. the Greek and Hebrew Texts being such a sure fixt steady stable infallible unchangeable inalterable Rule Canon Measure Touch-stone Standard for all Truth to be tryed by and all Spirits Lights even that infallible one which gave it out as well as any other the infallible guidance of which thou deniest to be now in the world or to be the stable Rule Standard or Direction about Doctrines Duties c. for verily if it be so as in some places it is confesâ— by me to be so far more clearly then in this viz. Iob. 5.39 where Ereunate may be read either Indicatively as a Complaint Ye search the Scriptures and look for life there which is Christs mind there or Imperatively as a Command Search ye that one and the same phrase in the Greek may bear â—ivers constructions from which being differently construed according to mens meer different conceits upon them may arise not only various 〈◊〉 ons and senses such as T. D. gives when he sayes it is either 〈…〉 of else perhaps it may be so and the word or phrase may import so and may impâ—rt so c. up and down in his book but also such as are even contrâ— y contradictory and absolutely destructive one to another must not he then pâ—t out the eyes of men first that makes them believe that which I. O. contends and spends himself throughout his whole Book about that not the Light Spirit Word and Truth of Christ in the Hearts and Consciences of men nor any immediate Vision or Revelation of the old inalterable infallible eternal Will and Truth of God to man in his own heart as he waits at Wisdomes gates at Gods own Mouth for counsell is to be the Rule but such an uncertain doubtful fallible flexible thing as an external Text and Letter that may be and is turned twenty wayes and made to stand even in one verse many wayes at once according as men in their foolish vain thoughts are minded to thrust it Art thou so benummed I. O. and hardened against this Truth that the Light is the Rule and not the Letter that because the Quakers rell it thee against whom thou art risen in wrath therefore thou wilt not believe it no not though preached to thee by thy own mouth hand and pen as well as theirs Quid cum iis agamus qui cum revera sintadeo infeliciter stupidi ut nulla neque ratione neque experientia erudiri possint quasi tamen ipsi soli superent vanaperswasione siderati in contemptu eorum quae non intelligunt audaciter persistunt atque cum Comicoillo clamant dicat quad quisque volet nos exhae opinione non dimo vebimur Ex. 2 S. 28. Read that to thy self I. O. if thou canst tell how and see how thou loosest thy ground against us one way while thou seekest to gain against us another way by thy extortion of the Text and thy playing Legerdemane about the Letter 5. Suppose we should as for tryals sake again we will not otherwise for our Nay is stronger then thy Tea as to this place give thee thy own reading of that Text wholly to thyself Jet's see what thou canst make of it against the â—ue lights enlightning every man which is the thing thou denyest and wouldest disprove by it Nempe To Pan hoc est vere nihil just as much and not a jot mere then thou had â—â— before If thou wilt not read it the true way â—ake it then in thy own and make thy best on'r The true light coming into the world enlightens every man here is thy reading which amounts not to one attome more against every mans being enlightned with the true light then if thou quietly without quarrelling with the Quakers read'st it with them thus The true Light enlighteneth every man that cometh into the world for it still proves that every man in the world since the true Lights coming into it is enlightned by it and all that thou thyself concludest and entailest at the end of thy tale about it is no more then an exclusion of that part of the world that died before Christs fleshly coming into it from being mentioned in this Text for so run the words of thy Conclusion Ex. 4. S. 24. Ad maximam ideo partem humani generis quaescilicet ante adventum Christi in mundum fato functa fuerit non pertinet haec assertio Therefore to the greatest part of mankind namely such as died before Christs coming into the World this Assertion appertains not Repl. In which Assertion of thine thou according to the manner of Errour which is a Quick-sand that when men are once in it sucks them in further art sunk more over head and eares then before considering thy meaning of thy own words for how beit if rightly understood there are no men that ever lived or died in the World who had a being in it before Christ and the true Light of the World or Word of which it is said Iohn 1.1 2 3. It was in the beginning with God and was God and as God is not denyed by any of you to have enlightened all men from of old before that Juncture ye count from and by which men and all things were made so that without it not any thing was made that was made in which was the life which life was the light of men which shineth in the darkness even the wicked who are yet darkness though not comprehended thereby Yea to the Wisdome of God 1 Cor. 1. That leads men in the way of righteousness in the midst of the paths of Iudgement that it may cause those that love it to inherit substance and fill their treasures was the very beginning of Gods way was set up from everlasting and in being when the heavens and earth were founded and established rejoycing in the habitable parts of the earth and delighting in and lightning the sons of men ever since there were men and blessing those that attended to him Prov.
distemper drunken thoughts imaginations and a mans own reasonings it s the Gospel the first Principle of pure Religion they that profess to believe the Scriptures in God in Christ yet believe not in this Light deny Christ and though they profess some of Christs and the Apostles words yet none confess Christ but who confess the Light that they who teach not this are Teachers of the world Antichrists Deceivers c. the Letter i.e. Scripture is not the Light nor the Word More to the same purpose is say they and truly enough say I delivered by G. F. Hubberthorn and many more insomuch that Faâ—nworth saith Loving the Light it will guide you to God from all men that ye need never look at man more And page 37. They i.e. Qua. assert 1 That there is a Light in every man 2 That this is sufficient to guide them to God of it self 3 That it is a Rule to shew duty and sin 4 That there need no other teaching of man 5 That this is one in all 6 That it is the Gospel This is the main prop of the new Antichristian Religion or frenzy of the Qua. By all which its plain that these Four do as one man withstand and resist this Truth the Qua. testifie concerning the general love and Grace of God in Christ Iesus to all mankind i.e. every individual man in their above cited sayings so far as to give them All any such measure of saving Light as puts them but into a possibility for life if they never so well improve it and the universality of a Light in men sufficient to save them or which is all one the sufficiency of that Light to save from sin which is asserted by the Qua to be in some measure given by Christ universally to all men I shall therefore address my self to a little farther examination of what the Scriptures declare for and our Four Divines against the Truth of God in these particulars whose oppositions of it are much what from the same grounds and those no other then the same that are made use of by all personal Electionists to push at that precious Doctrine of the general Love of God to the Whole World in vouchsafing some measure of no less then truly saving Grace universally to all and every individual in it or of Light sufficient to lead to life such as follow it to each particular person among mankind so that not any perish for want of the Love of God and Christ to them or of willingness in God and Christ to have them saved or of true strivings of their Holy Spirit with them to draw them from the way of death or of Light sufficient to lead them out of that darkness that destroyes them or of Power and Saving Grace given them from God to work out their own Salvation or of Christ the Saviours dying for them and offering himself a Ransome for every one as well as any one or of sufficiency in him to save such as come to God by him or of true tender of life peace and Reconciliation with God to him or of true purpose and intent in God and Christ to receive them to mercy on condition of their repentance or of space given them to repent in and return or upon the account of any particular personal Pâ—â—destination or Râ—pâ—bation of them to condemnation per saltum peremptorily inalterably before they were born without reference had to impenitency in ungodliness foreseen or upon any such like considerations as our Divines hold forth but meerly through their own slighting of that Love resistings of the foresaid strivings despising of the riches of that Grace long-suffering and forbearance refusing to be led to Repentance by that Light and by it to come to that Saviour from whom it comes not turning at the reproofs of it not improving the said Gift of the Power of God and manifestation of the Spirit given to profit withall not putting themselves forth according to the measure of it in them but receiving it in vain not trading with the Talent but trifling away the acceptable time the day of Gods Salvation the day given to them wherein the Lord would hear and succour them not minding therein the things that make for their peace till hid from their eyes These and such like as fall out only on mans part who remains in the Enmity when God is in Christ reconciling not imputing trespasses to the world but as the world goes on obstinately therein destroying themselves whilst in God still is or was their help nevertheless whether they hear or forbear live or die be saved or damned are the sole causes of mens destruction and perdition who perish not at all according to the Will of God desiring it should be so if salva veritatis voluntatis immutabilitatis justitiae gloria without violation to his Iustice Truth and purely good and immutable will which is that the godly shall prosper and the ungodly perish it may be otherwise though yet permitting it so to be when there is no remedy CHAP III. ANd this that Christ died for all men without exception and God in him intends salvation to all as truly willing they should have it rather then not if in their own obstinate wills they withstand it not by refusing to return when he draws them as he truly tenders it to them and hath of his own free Love and Grace impowered them as well to receive it if they will as to reject it if they will and vouchsafed them all some measure though not the same measure of the true Light which is sufficient to guide All that follow on to know him in it to that saving knowledge of himself and Christ which is Life eternal is from the whole scope of Scripture as certain to him who is not blinded with that Sorcerer that could not see the Sun as 't is that I O sayes falsly the contrary is certain from innumerable places of it out of which I argue in proof of the foresaid Truths as followeth Argum. 1. If it were so certain as these men say 't is by their spokesman I O Ex. 4. S. 13 17. that God doth not savingly enlighten all and every man but some only i.e. the Elect that he must be blind and void of all spiritual understanding that dreames to the contrary and that Christ in no wise vouchsafes saving Light to all and every man nor any measure of that Gracâ— that is sufficient to save men let them attend to it never to well then he could not say truly and honestly without a lye that this wayes are equall and as he lives he had rather the wicked should turn from his wickedness and live then die in and for it fith he might in a way of consistency with the unchangeableness of his unchangeable Decree concerning the death of finall Impenitents put them at least into a capableness to chuse life and possibility to come to it if they would as
well as to chuse death if they would and thereby have shewed the equally of his wayes in letting men have what they will and as they do yet would not do so much for them as that But most certain 't is that Gods wayes are all most equall so as to let men have from him what they chuse viz. Life and Good and Blessing in Christ the Light or Death and Evil and the Curse in the deeds of darkness when both are set before them Deut. 11.26.30.19 Isai. 66 3 4 and as certain 't is that God so sayes as abovesaid and truly wishes rather that the wicked even those that do die should turn and live as else they cannot but that they will not mark Ezek 18 throughout and Ezek 33 v. 8 to v 21. Yea. O saith he that there were such an heart in them that they would fear me c. that it might be well with them Deut 5 29 with a number more of the like wishes Matth 23 37 Luke 13 44. Luke 19 41 42. And whatever God sayes or wishes he doth it truly and honestly meaning as he sayes and is not such an Hypocrite Lyar and Dissembler as T Ds Doctrine of his tendring what he never intends doth make him Therefore he vouchsafeth to All and every man even those that come to perish but that they neglect it at some time or other same measure of saving Grace and a Light sufficient to lead them to Salvation Arg. 2 If God did not give at one time or other to all men such Grace Liberty Light and Power as is sufficient to bring them to life if they will chuse the life and well improve that Light and Power to the working out of their Salvation when he bids them by it then God could not to all men render life by his Ministers nor say Work out your own salvation chuse life that ye may live else my soul shall chuse your greater destruction without mocking of men in in their misery before that time wherein he sayes he will only may justly mock at their calamity which is only when they have filled up their measure of scorning at him set at nought all his counsel and utterly rejected his reproof Prov 1 Si enim lumen seu gratiam salutarem suam dare omnibus Deus nolit tamen omnes ad salutem pervenire Sub poena requirit quid ni per talem gratiam millies mille miseros homunciones ludos facere absit blasphemia â—stimandus est Nay nor yet without horrible cruelty absurdity and non-sense For as much as it is no lesse then non-sensicalnesse absurdity meer mockage and cruelty for a Prince to say to a condemned helplesse Malefactor that is lock'd up in chains ready to be led away to execution without affording him sufficient help so to do and with much threatening of so much the worse torture and pain in his death if he do it not â— would not at all that thou shouldst dye chuse rather to live shake off thy chains run from thy Guard that leads thee save thy self and here is a Pardon for thee but if thou dost not take this my counsel thou shalt be tenfold more severely executed Yea it is against the very nature of choice to lay two things before a man saying chuse which of these two thou wilt and yet leave him under a necessity of taking the worst and put him into no possibility of taking the other but rather lay it utterly out of his reach so that he must needs have the worst or neither such choice as the Proverb is is no other then Hobson's choice which is chuse whether thou wilt have this or none But it is certain that God speaks in such wise as aforesaid by his Ministers to men and it cannot be denyed by your selves unless you deny your own Doctrine for ye usually preach so in his Name to all men yea could the whole World to use T. Ds phrase in his Ep. 2 Pamph. be brought in the reach of your voices ye would offer Salvation to them All as much as ye seem to your selves to know that God intends it only to a Few and would say We as Ambassadours from God set life and death before you Chuse life that ye may live God would not have you die Why will you die Work out your own salvation though ye falsly believe he hath wrought but in a few a sufficient Light Grace and Power to will and de what ye calls them to turn your selves and live here is plenteous Redemption for you else if ye do not this call warning tender fair proffer shall be to you but the sorer condemnation And yet God neither is non-sensicall nor absurd nor cruell nor a mocker of men in their misery by his Ministers till they have utterly set at nought all his councel and finally rejected his reproof Therefore God hath undoubtedly vouchsafed a measure of his saving Grace and Power and a light sufficient to lead them to life if they use well improve they follow â—hat Eight Power and Grace to all and every man 3. If God have not sufficiently and savingly enlightned and impowred all and every man everywhere by such measure of that Grace of his as may lead and enable them to act that Repentance which is to Life and Salvation but some few only i.e. the Elect which according to your Principles too are scarce one of a thousand in the world then he not only requires and commands utter impossibilities from most men but also judges and punishes them most severely yea eternally for the not doing of that in their own persons which he knows they neither can nor in their own persons ever could do for asmuch as sub poena Iudicii on pain of Iudgement and Condemnation at the great day of it by Christ he now at least commandeth all men saith Paul Acts 17â— 30 31. even everywhere to repent and yet he knows that without him and his Grace they can do nothing all their sufficiency to will and to do good must come from him and that his Grace which in the least measure of it is sufficient for them and that he gath given but to very few though he requires of them that have it not to do what they only can do that have it and to give it to the most he never intends it But God does not command from most men though sinneâ—s utter impossibilities and require of them with such rigour as own pain of his doubling condemnation on them the doing of that in their own persons which he knows per se they neither can do nor ever could for this were utterly inconsistent with that tender Mercy exceeding great Love Bowels of compassion and true good Will which the Spirit every where declares God heares to all Mankind even in the Fall to the World even in its Enmity who proclaims Peace Reconciliation Good will towards Men An indefinite phrase aequivalent there to an universal incomparable
it at all and as little of that which is called common Sense and Reason and unworthy to have so much time spilt upon it as to be too particularly talk'd with or of any other Return then to be returned back as deceit together with its Father by whole sale into the deep from whence it came only there might be enough pickt out of it whereby to shew the shallownesse of its Authors We know well enough it is but few and some of every Nation Tongue Kindred and People that are actually redeemed unto God but it is not because there is not Redemption as truly intended as tendred to them as well as sufficiently purchased for them but because they put it away from themselves by not turning to the teachings of that Light Word and Grace of God that is nigh in their hearts and brings it nigh unto them else All even Gentiles as well as well as Iews Heathens and Indians as well as English men and Christians so called and among each of these All as well as Any of them haâ—e some measure of that Grace nigh them which in the least measure is enough and sufficient to help and heal them were they as continually and earnestly within attendant on it as they commonly and eagerly ever turn outwards from it whereby it becomes to them of no effect when God either without or within or both calls upon All ends of the Earth which word cannot be exclusive of Any but must be conclusive of every Individual to look in unto it and in it to look unto himself and to behold and hear him whom he hath given as a Guide a Light to shew good and evil a Law a Witness for God against them when they do evil within themselves a Leader and Commander to all people Object 'T is not to All People but to the People an indefinite phrase that hath a restrained sense Rep. The indefinite phrase here hath an enlarged sense and is Aequivalent to an universal Isa. 55. the People v. 4. answers to Hâ— every one v. 1. and and if it were to be restrained there ought to have been some restrictive exceptive expression but there is an expresse enlargement and I may as well â—â—mit it in other places as the Churles with the evil Instruments of their own inventions do in these places so as when God sayes oft in the Psalmâ—s and elsewhere Behâ—ld he cometh to judge the World in righteousness and the People with equity to say God will not judge All People nor the whole World and every Individual but some few People only in Righteousness and Truth and so coop the wrath and judgement of God up into a corner and prate it as perversly into a pinfold as the Priests of those piteous Principles do his Mercy who prate of a peremptory predestination without respect to sin or at least any other then Adams personal Act of most persons before they had any being remeditesly and unchangeably to damnation Object What then do the Quakers deny Gods unchangeablenesse in his Decree Rep. Gods Decree I deny not to be unalterable but blind Priests mistake that unchangeable Decree of his which is to be toward men as they toward him merciful to the upright wrathful to the froward and wicked to shew himself in his love as a Friend Father Forgiver for ever even inalterably unchangeably world without end to the penitent that turn to him and come to him by Christ in his Light keeping his Commandements and as unalterably unchangeably without variation or shadow of turning that immutable Mind and Will of his to shew himself in his wrath everlastingly eternally to the finally impenitent sinners who are found living and dying in that seed which is unchangeably reprobated from him So whom he loves he loves to the end and whom he hates he hates to the end that is for ever but those whom from eternity he hath thus immutably decreed to love and own and honour to eternity are the righteous ones that honour him the Godly in all Ages whoe're they are which are those only that he chuses to himself Psalm 4. whether foreseen who they will be in time by him or not that is nothing to the purpose and whom he thus as immutably from all eternity decrees to disregard hate and reject to eternity are the seed of evil doers that lightly despise him who are never to be renowned so whatever changes fall out among men who are sometimes better sometimes worse and among their states which are some good some bad there is no change in the mind of God what ever the thoughts of mens hearts are his unchangeable Counsel stands the same his Purpose and Decree the same which is from eternity to own the good and refuse the bad to justifie the walkers in his Light Christ Jesus and judge all that rebel against it so he doth not change his Will but his unchangeable Will to persons is to be unchangeably affected to them in either love or hatred respectively as they respectively are found at any time the Subjects of sin or not and so consequently objects of either the one affection mutually or the other as if a King Decrees after the manner of the Medes and Persians inalterably that his People shall have as they do he that does well shall be beloved and he that does ill and repents not from it shall be hated hanged one and the same person may at different times be under the two different affections viz. now under the favour and now under the displeasure of the King as he does well or ill and by and by love and in his favour again as he repents or else as not repenting be so under his hatred as to be hanged yet the Kings Mind Will and Decree stands the same unchangeable as it ever did So in the case in hand there 's Mutaâ—iâ— Rei non Dei a change of the case of mans will and manners and accordingly of his state or standing the object of either Gods love or hatred under either his favour or displeasure but Gods Mind Will Decree Counsel Love and Hatred stands unchangeably and everlastingly to the same Subjects that were the Objects thereof at first viz. whether sinners or Saints And thus God did not at all change in his Decree Mind Will and Purpose to perpetuate the Priesthood to Eli's house for ever though he once said it should conâ—inue for ever and after said But now be it far from me forasmuch as his purpose was at first to continue it in case he honoured God in it and his unchangeable Counsel is ever this viz. That those who honour me I will honour but those that despise me shall be lightly regarded 1 Sam. 2.30 Ob. This gives the glory of Salvation not to God but to mans will which is All in All then in the busineâ—s Rep. It 's not for want of ignorance that the narrow noddles think thus for Originally and Supremely still the glory is to
the universal Grace of God who in his love freely to all men sends his Son a Light into the world and by him puts all as well as some into a capacity to live if they list and if any die then Gods Grace and Love is nere the less for all that and though secondarily and immediately the case be left by the Lord to depend on mans choice as it was in the first Adam though yet I know such as are perfectly restored by the second stand a little surer then he did I say when perfected in his life yet if man chuse life and live when life and death are set before him as they are God is no more rob'd of the glory of his goodness then he would have been by Adams standing if he had stood when God set him in aequi librio to stand or fall and made him upright as he has done 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not him only but mankind till they go out from him after their own inventions Eccl. 7.29 and that was not one jot at all for though the shame of Adams sinning fell justly on himself yet the glory of his standing would have been to God who made him able to stand had he stood neither would Adam had he stood have plaid the fool so as to fall a praising and thanking himself for the life and happiness he would have had but God who in his love and bounty originally stated him in it though for his misery he may as all men also most justly thank none but himself and the Devil E.G. If I should see two men ready to starve for want of money to trade with and out of true equal bowels of pity to them both should freely bestow an equal stock of money on them or if not equal yet so much to each at least that each using and improving well what he hath may come to live like a man one of them plays the good Husband with what he has and thrives whom shall he thank when unavoidably else he had perisht for the money he had given him and now hath Would you not think him a fool to fall a thanking himself never thinking on the man that first set him up of whom unless besides his wits he would say I am bound to thank not my self that I now live when my fellow starves but that honest man that took pity on me and him too if he he had but used what he had â— T'other spends all his portion in riotous living and is as likely to starve as ere he was for want of improving what I gave him whom shall this man thank for his present poverty me that gave him whereon to live or himself who lavish't it every wise man will see my love was nere the less and though he perish yet the thank that he might have liv'd belongs to anothers bounty and the thank shame sorrow of his own woe to himself alone O Israel thy destruction is of thy self but in me is thy help Hos. 13.9 That Iudas is damn'd he may thank himself who sold his Master as Esau his birth-right and blessing that Peter and Iacob live for ever the thank of this belongs only unto the Grace of God Moreover if Christ who is often either expresly or implicitly so call'd be not a Saving Light to the whole world the Leader and Commander and Witness for and from God to All people without exception of any individuals among any people or in any Nations I would fain know of any one of these 1. How it can be truth which themselves are fain to confess That God will and doth in all Nations out of every Tongue Kindred and People effectually save some And 2. In what manner or by what way means Light or Leader he leads them few of all Families of the Earth to Life whom he doth save if it be not by that Light Law and Spirit of Life that is from Christ some of which is in every as well as any conscience sith its evident that neither All nor half those Nations in each of which some are saved have not the Scripture or Letter which they call the only Saving Light the Way the Rule Foundation the most effectual means c. and in a manner every thing which the Letter it self sayes Christ only is Indeed I find I. O. telling us such a tale of the outward Text as if in respect of the giving out of that only by the motion of his Spirit through some Holy Penmen Christ were the Saviour and Light of the world and of All men in it that are at all savingly enlightned and saved We confess quoth he Christ is the Light of the World and so of All men in it because that Light shining in the holy Scripture is sufficient savingly to enlighten All men to whomsoever by the Providence of God it shall come But to bespeak him in his own Language to us more proper to himself and his Followers then to us Quod hoc ad Fanaticorum delirium 〈…〉 What 's this to that piece of dotage of himself and his Fellow Doctors who deny the vouchsafing of any saving Illumination to most men yea to very many to one in the world scilicet a little deeper discovery of their dotage Scriptura nempe 〈…〉 omnia belike I. O. deems All the ends of the earth to be so fully filled with his adored Transcripts and Texts of Scripture that by them Christ saves and enlightens All he saves which are say they in every Nation some whereas Ridiculum Caput who knows not that the Scripture or writing is so saâ— from appearing in every dark corner of the earth where I affirm the true Light shines in every conscience so that there 's nor Speech nor Language where it shines not and the Voice of Christ the Light may not 〈◊〉 heard that the Text hath scarce been heard or 〈◊〉 of buâ—in some few corners of this so call'd Christian world which yet more idoliâ—ing 〈◊〉 only loving the Letter and hating the Light are for all their Letter as much as any in the unfruitful deeds of darkness also even until now Oh the Inanity of these men call'd Divines in the matters of God and the Gospel as if the Letter only were that Voice of Christ which is every where heard by some that Light which in every Nation savingly enlightens some that Rule which All the World is required to walk by in order to peace and on pain of damnation which Letter yet was never read or seen perhaps not so much as heard of in half the world the only rule of the whole whereof it is to be say they and not the Light of Christ in the Conscience at any hand the Expansion Beams and Rays of which but that few heed it and the darkness comprehends it not reach into the darkest inmost corners of each 〈◊〉 Conscience throughout each corner of the whole Creation The Letter is not in every Nation to save some
which yet ye count an unalterable Rule is variable alterable flexible at Criticks wills by the changing of some one point or Hebrew Letter alike in sound or shape no less then eight several wayes in that one very word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and some of those as countradictory each to other as Life to Death as is shewed more at large above besides all various Lections that are risen by I. Os. confession from the actual mistakes of them it Transcribers But the Light however men run out into various conceits and imaginations about this or that which and what is or is not agreeable to it is inviolably the same for ever the Councell and foundation of God which is Christs Light in the heart the Rock of ages stands sure let the drunkards of Ephraim rock and reel too and fro or ramble about and run out whether they will after their own councells and inventions Reas. The 3 and 4 are both of one unlearned leven and coincident with what 's urg'd above viz. if the light within men were a safe guide and ride then 't were unnecessary unsafe and foolish for men to seek councell of others each might be guided by his lightâ— also then the meetings of Quakers to consult about and 〈◊〉 in Commuâ—â—on to Teach each other or to Communicate revelations is needless and vain sith each may guide himself That 's done in vaâ—â— by more which may be done by 〈◊〉 c. Rep. Frustra sit per pâ—ara quod porest fleri tâ—m bene per pauciora that 's done in vain by more that may be done as well by lesse Is true but what may be done better by more then fewer is not in vain and therefore as vis unita fortior is true among Schollars so in the multitude of councellors there 's in many cases so much the more safety is as true among Christians yet it proves not but that there 's also security to assurance enough wheee every one attends to that of God within himself Therefore it 's neither unsafe nor foolish as ye foolâ—shly affirm but may be both safe and profitable for so the Apostles and Elders did of old Act. 15. Who yet in all were guided by the Spirit to meet together in councell but it s in no wise so absolutely necessary as ye make it to seek for other Teachings then that of the Light and Spirit of God within in order to each mans holy living much lesse such as is given out in your Synods where ye teach Gods worship and fear after your own thoughts and traditions yea to such as are turn'd to the Spirits teaching 't is said ye need not that any man teach you save as the same anointing teacheth you of all things which is truth no lye and if we do hear men speak that are moved by the Spirit it s not in vain it being all one whether that holy Spirit speak in me or in another to me we still own no other teaching but that of the anointing and so the Apostles though met in councell yet concluded no other things to be imposed on men then what seemed good to them and the holy Spirit which taught them and impos'd not as ye do what seems good to your selves who deny also the guidance of that infallible Spirit to be present in the world at this day Reas. 5. Then it s in vain to desire and expect revelations and discoveries which they had not before sith they have the light within of themselves Therefore when they compose themselves to their quaking fits that they may have some word of the Lord to speak to people what 's this but an hypocriticall devise blasphemous false and unrighteous or else needless Sith they have a light within them sufficient to guide them without other revelation Rep. This is nothing but an addition to these mens many lyes for which they must know part in the laâ—â— and blasphemâ—us reproachâ—s of the Qua. Who own no such thing as a light in men that is of themselves but that only which is though in them yet of God As for composing of themselves to quaking fits Hypocriticall devices and pretences of new revelations and much more such like Riff-raff as is reckon'd to them in this 5th Reason the Qua. deny them who expect no other then true revelations of that old true Gospell in that way of waiting on God in that true old Light R. B. and I. Ts. Title Page pretends to exalt but their book ignorantly and impiously depresses as new light and darknesse in which true old light â—f God in the heart it was ever revealed from faith to faith to the Just who lived by faith in that light before the letter was Reas. 6. By ascâ—ibing so much to the light within them Satan hath advantage to draw men to hoâ—â—id acts sith what ever he can imprint on them as their light they must receive it without any examination and obey it Rep. What silly stuff is this As if because Satan may transform himselfe as an Angell of Light in mens hearts to decieve them if they look not well to the true light of God that shines therein and receive not the truth told by it in the love thereof Therefore there 's no true light there shining As if because there 's much errour and many lyes that the Father of lyes and Ruler of the darkness seeks to beguile by and does beguile unstable soules by Therefore there 's no truth to be beguiled from and to be sâ—aid upon Scilicet sic aiunt praedicâ—nt clamitant non probant Reas. 7. Then he that 's counted unlearned and foolish if he follow his own light doth as well as he that 's never so wise and learned whereas Solomon tells Eccl. 2.13 14. That wisdome excells folly as far as light excells darkness Rep. Why not He that 's counted unlearn'd and foolish by the wise men of this world who follow the foolishnesse of their own fleshly fancies whose wisdom is foolishness with God if he follow the light of God doth not only as well but a thousand-sold better then such wise and learned as abovesaid and the wisdome of these that are fools with you excelleth your seeming wisdome in which ye are acting real folly as far as light excelleth darkness by all which wisdome of your own ye cannot discern so much as your own Scipture which tells you of a way which is called the way of holiness in which the unclean cannot walk though never so worldly wise yet the way-faring man that walks in it though a fool shall not erre therein Isa. 35.8 Reas. 8. Then the Phylosophers Light was sufficient to guide them for surely they had as much Light without the Scripture as any and did improve it to the utmost and the Jewish Rabbins besides the natural light in them did by the study of the Law and Traditions of Elders endeavour to attain the knowledge of God to whom yet Christ was foolishness
as an horn of salvation in us his people that we being delivered from all our Enemies among which sin even in our selves is the chiefest and from the hands of all that hate us as all sinners do such as preach to them that unpleasing doctrine of perfect purging from the sins they love might serve him without fear in holinesse and righteousnesse all the dayes of our life For as much therefore as in this book of R.B. and T.D. I find them at present uttering so much as that above and perhaps more but that I hasten that makes for it and yield us Arguments out of that their own Armory in proof of that perfect freedom from sin here which we plead for but nothing directly against it though they are against it I shall therefore having made use of that little of theirs above that is very much to our purpose against them quit these 2. R.B. and I.T. And addresse more directly to I.O. and T. D's Deliveries of themselves as against that Doctrine And as for I.O. I have so much the lesse to say to him by how much 't is but little that he meddles in that matter throughout that whole book of his I have herein had to do with but for as much as that little in bulk is as stark naught as it 's nothing to his purpose he must excuse me if for truths sake I be as blunt with him as he is keen and bloody against the Teachers of it and as plain in opening his contradiction to him as 't is plain that he contradicts himselfe in what he sayes against it in the very sight and open view of all men I confess he dilates not so largely against it as T.D. does but barely and nakedly nibbles about the business Yet he puts forth such a Paw as wherby we may guesse how rudely unreasonably Rampant he would be in his repulses of us in that point if we that hold it were not as much out of his reach as 't is out of the reach of the best wisdome he hath to render one solid Reason at all against it One thing that I.O. sayes whereby we may clearly conclude him to be one who as cloudily concludes there 's no attainment to a perfect purging from sin in this Life is this viz. Having in proof of its perfection from its efficacy to effect its own end spoken above of the immediate end of the Scripture to be direction in our knowledge of God and that obedience that is due to him that doing his will as none when he sins does we may attain salvation which is from sin sure or from nothing and the enjoyment of himselfe and told us that the perfection of all discipline consists in its efficacy to effect its own end so that that onely is to be held perfect which is sufficient to effect its end and that imperfect which is not of force to effect it and how in this very respect the Scripture is a most perfect rule as it accomplishes its foresaid end and telling us also that the use of the Scripture by which this end is effected is only in this present world sith the Scripture ceases as to all its uses ends and purposes in that to come and consequently must either effect that its end even our perfect salvation from sin here or not at all so prove it selfe to be contrary to what I.O. sayes of it viz. no perfect Rule he tells us withall to the utter contradiction of his assertion as to the Scridtures perfection being it semes principled against the Qua. as to the point of perfecting holyness so as to cleansing from all sin and left hee run upon that dangerous rock of runing out of all lust while he lives here that its a most false thing to affirm that the holy Scripture doth or can while we are in this world obtain all its own end in respect of us which end he had said before is our obeying God and doing his will which is not to sin 1 Iohn 2.1 and our salvation which is from sin Thus Incidit in Scyllam c. The man of sin to avoid one extream which he is extreamly against viz. being ruined against the rock of perfection he runs down extreamly into another viz. the gulf of self contradiction and confusion Verbum sat sapienti I need do no more to the opening of this round to wisemen then to set it down before them thus for this is the sum of I. Os. sayings nothing is perfect but what effects its end the end of the scripture is making men perfect this end the Scripture cannot effect in this Life for here 's no perfection nor can the scripture effect this end in the life to come for there it ceases to work and effects nothing at all yet the Scripture the perfection of which can consist in no other thing then its effecting its end which end it never effects is for aâ—l that most perfect What more I.O. sayes in short is this That the Fanaticks so he is pleas'd still to stile the Qua. a seed among whom some at least are the most sincere Saints that are at this day upon the earth are not perfect tâ—eiâ—lyes deceits bainour wickednesses and hypocrisies do testifie to us but in very deed punishments and imprisonments ought to be inflicted upon them that impudently glory that they are free from all these and other sins even the least Rep. I.O. it seems and the rest of his Gang of Ghostly Fathers and godly Gameliels are sentenced already by himself as worthy to be persecuted in such wise as the Qua. have been at Oxford by his means and punisht and imprisoned as Impudent Boasters if ever they shall pretend whilst here on earth to be free from lying and fraud and wickedness and hypocrisie and other sins specially if from the least or from all uncleanness of flesh and spirit all ungodliness and worldly lusts which yet they 'l tell men sometimes in a sound of stoln words from those Texts of Paul 2 Cor. 7.1 8 Tit. 11.12 13. they must cleanse themselves from deny and have nothing to do with in this present world because else there 's no purging in the world to come So that we see what fruits we are to expect from that Fraternity of false Prophets and what little likelihood of peoples being much profited by these stealers and sellers of the Apostles good words when they believe it even impossible that the things they impose in the Name of God themselves or any people here where they say it must be done if ever should be impowred to perform 2. I query Whether if Paul had come to Oxford in the time of I.Os. Vice-Chancellorship there and made the same modest confession to the praise of God no other then which the best of the Qua. ever made which he made that he was once in his own conceit alive without the Law or till he and the Law i. e. the Light came
I shall hereunder shew both their voluntary calls to and commendations of their unjustly occasioned cautions about condemnations of this light of Christ in the Conscience of men when the Qua commend and call to it and set the one of these immediately under the other only premising this that whether they speak of the light which themselves call Christ which the letter holds sorth and testifies to or the light wherewith God shines and shews his will and mind in some measure in the hearts and minds of all men even Heathen Philosophers or others which we call Christs light though they do not we mean however they divide these no other but that one Law of God which the Letter is the Copy of which is spirituall holy just and good which T. D. confesses to be the Heathens Rule so far as is written in their hearts Christ the Light of the World and his light in the heart which the Scripture testifies of abundantly not any such thing as mans own thoughts wisdome imaginations inventions c. Which the Heathen became vain in Rom 1. which the Qua call all men out of and the Divines that lead men by no other are themselves yet led by more then any steering by nothing but their own many minds and meanings on the Scripture c. Some few calls to and Commendations of the light with Cautions to take heed to it collected out of many more that are in R. B. and I. T. his Book P. 68. It concerns us say they to take heed how we dote on our own reason or the most exact writers of morality and neglect the light which Christ hath brought into the World Let us be wise so to use Candles as not to burn day-light that we so make use of all the reason humane wisdome and virtue we have our selves or discern in others writings or examples that yet we chiefly eye and follow the grand light the Sun of righteousness the Lord Jesus learning him by studying the great Counsell of God which he revealed and denying our selves take up our Crosse and follow him as his Disciples Christ is to be chosen and followed as our Light An Exhortation to use Christ as our Light that was the true Light which lighteth every man that cometh into the World be induced to imbrace and follow the Lord Christ as the great Light of the World besides the evidence out of Scripture to prove him to be sent from God a light into the World c. His sayings and doings do amply confirm it And p. 88. 89 they go on thus Though the Jewes contradicted and blasphemed the Romane Emperour raged Lucian jeered Libanism wrangled Iulian calumniated Papists corrupt Gnosticks Hereticks Fanaticks Quakers here they abominably bely the truth for the Quakers call all and only to the light of Christ adulterate and cloud the truth of Christ they do but pisse against the Sun the light of Christs Doctrine the truth of the Gospell doth and will shine forth nor can all the cavills say they of moderne Atheists or the dust raised by new Phantasticks take away the brightnesse of Christs light or hinder its enlightning others then themselves and shall we after all the Arguments given of Christs being the true light follow after ignes fatuos who these be but that fraternity who would have men follow their fancies and not Christs light in the Conscience which is that the Quakers call to I know not What reall comfort or spirituall help to holinesse or heavenly directions do they give to lead men to God better then Christ hath done May you not discern a vain glorious spirit a self-seeking proud carnall spirit in them what do their censures of others shew but a mind to extoll themselves their affected speech looks carriage but a desire to hide their falshood what do all the devices of Iesuits Popes and their Agents tend to but either by force or subtlety to set up the monstrous powers of the man of sin and their own domineerlng over mens consciences underhim â—aSenus recte quidem sed et etiam de te fabula O Parochialis Sacerdos What is in their conclave but pollicy in their counsell but deceit in their Iesuists and Casuists but jugglihg shall we go after such Masters and leave Christ Remember we that one is our Master even Christ when any shall sollicit us not to adhere to Christ as our Teacher reject them Christ hath warned you say they and so say I too as concerning any that lead forth from his light within therefore saith he go not forth after them nor follow them If any say low here is Christ or there and so do all Priests and Professors and their Teachers in their sundry forms and outward observations in which they look for the Kingdome which comes not in them believe it not We will not venture our lives upon Mountebanks and will we our souls upon deceivers Shall we follow our own conceits which often prove foolish and neglect Christs Doctrine which say we still is his teaching light and counsell in the Conscience which alwayes proves wise and safe no no let us answer as Peter Lord to whom shall we go thou hast the words of eternall life Alas what can we expect but if we follow blind leaders as all are that teach the things of God otherwise then Christ and his Apostles did who say I called all along to walk in the light within we should fall with them into the Ditch into everlasting perdition On the otherside there is so much plain and clear light in Christs doctrine as will guide our feet in the way of peace Away then with all such obtruded insinuating Teachers as indeavour to hide from us the light of Christ shining in his Doctrine recorded in Scripture Let 's say none but Christ none but Christ that Christ which preached dyed at Ierusalem that word of his which is written in my Bible of which the Bible testifies say I that its near in the heart to heare and do it shall be my light to the Testimony of Jesus which sayes tho Scripture is the spirit of prophecy the sure word of prophecy that as a light shineth in the dark place of the heart and is to be taken heed to to his Everlasting Gospell I stick So Bixt Ep. p. 7. speaking of the Qua Do they affirm that all men have the light of reason who denyeth it of any but Idiots and Infants Do they maintain that this light is from Iesus Christ both as the Authour and restorer of nature and by whom among us is this denyed Do they say that repaired or reprived nature may be fitly called grace about this also we have no mind to quarrell with them so they will not exclude supernaturall grace thereby as we do not but hereby conclude it Do they hold that common supernaturall light is given to many at least of the unsanctified c. and who contradicteth them in this Do