inlighteneth every â—an that cometh into the world Joh. 1 9. 12. Fifthly Christ Jesus he is otherwise in the 〈◊〉 then he was and is in that vessel and temple 〈◊〉 suffered at Ierusalem and is now glorifyed in 〈◊〉 Heavens for the Saints have not the Heavenly 〈◊〉 Christ Jesus as it were centrally and originalâ—â—â— them the Spring and Centre of his Soul Life 〈◊〉 Light is not in their vessells but onely in that 〈◊〉 which was born of the Virgin Mary they 〈◊〉 enjoy of his Life and Light as it proceeds 〈◊〉 him by way of emanation and participation 〈◊〉 that although the true Light be both in him and 〈◊〉 yet it is otherwise in him then in us as the 〈◊〉 of the Sun is otherwise in the body of the Sun 〈◊〉 it is in other bodys into which it emanates and 〈◊〉 Life is otherwise in the Principall part or parts 〈◊〉 the Natural bodys then as it is in the other Memâ—â—â— And both these exampls have been used by 〈◊〉 Ancients to shaddow forth this great Mystery 〈◊〉 they also are used in the Scripture it self which calleth him the Head of the Body and the Sun of Righteousness and it pleased the Father that in him all fulness should dwell and out of his fulness we all receive and Grace for Grace for in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily see Coloss. 1 19. and 2 9. and Joh. 1 16. So that in all things he hath the preheminence as the Apostle declared And look as the sap or moisture and living vertue is otherwise in the Root and Stock of the Tree then it is in the Branches although iâ— be really also in the branches even thus it is as concerning Christ and the Saints he is the Vine they are the Branches he is the Root that beareth them and sendeth forth his Life contiâ—ually into them to make theâ— fruitfull that they may bear living fruits of Life Now he is the Root and Vine into which the Saints are grafted not simply as the Word but as the Word Incarnate and as dwelling in that most pure and most Wonderfull Vessell that suffered at Ierusalem 13. For becaus the fulness dwelt in him and that he was immediately and most intimatly united with the Godhead so as no men noâ— Angels are but onely the Man Iesus he is onely the true Christ. And becaus he it is alone who in an immediate way and originally is Gods Anoynted who hath anoynted him with his Holy Spirit and all other men even the most holy but mediately united with God through him and mediately by and through him receiving the Anoynting or Holy Spirit therefore all other holy men are not Christ but Christians not being immediately anoynted of the Father but by the means of Iesus Christ. 14. Nor are they otherwise partakers of the Anoynting or of the Holy Ghost but as they are partakers of Christ. And this the Name Christian doth plainly import for it is a derivative name from Christ holding forth that as we derive our name from him so also we derive from him whatever Light or Life Grace or Heavenly Virtus we do enjoy The Father first giveth it unto him and he even the Man Christ Jesus that was born of the Virgin Mary the Son of David and Abraham according to the Flesh doth give it unto us 15. He it is by whom Grace and Truth cometh unto Mankind he it is to whom the Father hath giâ—en power over all flesh as he himself declared Ioh. 17 2. that whatever the Father hath giuen to â—im he may give to them eternell life for so the 〈◊〉 are according to the Greek and so both â—rias Montanus and the vulgar Latin and Dutch Translation render them So that Christ hath given 〈◊〉 all flesh that is All mankind eternall Life even 〈◊〉 hath received it of the Father not that all 〈◊〉 do enjoy or possesse eternall Life but yet the Seed or Principle of it is put in them which is the Light of his Son Christ Iesus that lighteth every man that cometh into the World and thereby All men may have Life as Christ himself said I am come that ye may have Life and if they have it not it is not becaus they can not but becaus they will not have it for it is really tendered unto them by Christ Jesus who on this account is the Saviour of all men but especially of them that believe SECTION X. 1. All true Christians do worship the Man Christ Jesus 2. True Believers worshipped him upoâ— Earth in the days of his flesh 3. The Wise-men from the East worshipped the child Jesus but not Mary thereby condemning the grosse idolatry of the church of Rome 4. Many exampls out of Scripture to prove they worshipped the Man Chriâ—â— Jesus 5. Some Presbyterians have taught thaâ— the Man Christ Jesus was not to be worshipped to the great dishonour of the Christian Religion 6. The Christian Quakers falsly accused that 〈◊〉 do not pray to the Man Iesus Christ. 7. We ofteâ— expressly mention the names JESUS CHRIST in our prayers and when we do not mention thesâ— names yet praying by the movings of his Life 〈◊〉 Spirit we pray always unto Christ Iesus whoâ— the heavenly Man and God over all blessed for ever 8. In what sort of expressions I have heard some of our Friends pray to Christ in our Meetings and which I have also used in prayer to my great comfort 9. That becaus all true Christians do worship the Man Christ Iesus he to wit the Heavenly Man must needs be really present in and among them in their meetings and consequently every where but this is not meant of his externall person 10. Who pray unto the Man Christ and do not believe him to be present are real Idolaters as this Author of the Postscript 11. That distinction refuted that he is present as God not as Man 12. That the Man Christ heareth our prayers proveth that he is present every where 13. That distinction refuted that the Man Christ Iesus knoweth our prayers and thoughts not by immediat perception but by having them revealed to him by the Godhead which is the Popish evasion for worshipping Saints and Angels 14. Some places of Scripture opened as Heb. 4 15 16. Psal. 18. 9 10. 15. That Christ did immediatly kow the thoughts of men proved from divers Scripturs 16. Omnipercipiency of the Soul of Christ proveth him as man to be Omnipresent 1. ANd for these causes it is that all true Christians do worship the Man Christ Jesus and pray unto him as they do unto the Father so that he is a true and proper object of Divine adoration as is the Father yea it is in and through him that we can onely in a true and acceptable way worship the Father and call upon him 2. And even in the days of his flesh they who saw his glory and did truely know what he was did both believe in him and pray unto him and
Concerning Christ. 6. The second accusation a meere quible about the invented words of mans wisdom but the truth of the mystery is owned by the Quakers 7. Father Word or Sone and Hoâ—y Ghost are three otherwayes then in meere union operation or manifestion towards us onely but not three substances 8. Divers judged pious and learned men of the Ancients denyed and disputed against 3. hypostases and 3. persons as Jerom and Augustin 9. The third accusation a quible and false upon the matter 10. Christ is a singular man 11. Whatever excellency other men have the heavenly Man Christ Iesus hath the same and more also 12. The man Christ Iesus hath a substantiall dignity and excellency above all men in his manhood Nature 13. The Christian Quakers esteeme more highly of the man-hood of Christ Iesâ—â— then either Presbyterians or Papists PAg. 9. to wards the beginning And yet every Article of this that they may for ever destroy the foundations of salvation is by them oppugned and subverted They puting a false Christ in stead of the true Iesus the Son of David our onely saviour denying Christ to be the second person of the Trinity denying Christ to be a singular person denying Iesus the Sone of Mary to be the alone true Christ but affirming Christ to be a common sort of thing to be found in every man as it was in the Son of Mary even the common Light to be found in the mind of every man in the world affirming Iesus the true Christ the Sone of Mary to be onely an ordinary vessell which containeth this Light as the Spirit of eveâ—y other 〈◊〉 man doth and so not onely pulling down our exalted Prince from his throne of glory but putting their false Prophets in his place cloaâ—hing them with the glory of his proper titeles as being Christ as well as he becaus containing the some Light with his 1. Answer Because the Author of the Postscript layeth the whole streâ—s of all his accusations upon what he doth here lay down as the principls of the people called Quakers and for which as supposing all these to be truely alledged which yeâ— are extreamly false he goeth on at an high rate in divers whole pages both before and after these words of his already mentioned alledging that we deny all the Articles of the Christian â—aith strike at name thing of Christian religion thus robing us of the whole Gospell and turning us over into pure Heathenism shuts us out eternally from all access unto God and makes our salvation for ever simply impossible Therefore I have found it sit to sett down word by word these his particular charges which are the alone foundation of his whole discourse And allthough it may suffice to any sober man simply to deny these charges as applicable to us who are called Quakers and to informe the ignorant that they are a meere bundle of lyes and falshoods upon the matter and that this is enough 〈◊〉 overturn the foundation of his discourse and consequently the disâ—ours it self that is built on it seing he doth not bring the least proof for what he alledgeth against us from the words or writings of any of that people but meer blind suppositions and false consequences which doe no wayes follow from our principle yet for the further satisfaction of the sober inquirer â— intend God willing and assisting me by his grace to goe through every one of these particulars and in the simplicity and nakedness of truth to giveâ—â—â—ithfull accompt and declaration of our faith touching every particular which are eight in number The first whereof is that we put a false Christ in steâ—â— of the true Iesus the Sone of David one onely 〈◊〉 2. This is a false accusation for we acknowledâ— no other Christ but the one onely and true Chriâ—â— Iesus the Sone of David our onely saviour 3. And that the soundnes and truth of our faitâ— may appear in this particular let the reader knoâ— that we do most faithfully believe and acknowledâ— Jesus Christ to be true and perfect God and true and perfect man 4. And that the nature and substance of his Goâ—-hâ—ad is not the nature and substance of his Mâ—â—-hood his Man-hood is not his Godâ—head 〈◊〉 his God-head his Man-hood yet the Man 〈◊〉 God by reason oâ— that most wonderfull union 〈◊〉 the two naturs so that as the soule and body of a man are but one man by reason of 〈◊〉 union that is betwixt them although the soule be not the body nor the body the â—oule in like manner but in a more wonderfull sort the God-head and Man-hood of Christ are but one Christ without any confusion or transmutation of the God-head into the Man-hood or of the Man-hood into the God-head And the God-head of Christ is not any inferiour divinity or deity but the very same God-head of the Father so that Christ as God is equall with the Father and one and the same God with him of one nature and substance Again the Man-hood of Christ is a true and perfect Man-hood so that Christ as man hath a true and real soule distinct from the God-head yet forever united with the same in a most immediat and wonderfull manner of which union no other soul or Spirit of men or angels ever were or shall be partakers As also he hath a true and reall body so that whatever perâ—fection the Man-hood of any other man hath the Man Christ hath the same and that much greater and more excellent as may be afterwards shown 5. And thus the soundnes and truth of our faith may appear concerning the Lord Jesus Christ our â—lone faviour where wee agree with all that are 〈◊〉 and in the faith against the Socinians who deny 〈◊〉 true God-head of Christ and who also deny that Christ was before Mary whereas we believe that Christ was and is before all the First and the 〈◊〉 As also against them who deny the true and reall man-hood of Christ some denying him to have a true and real body of the Virgin Mary but onely â—antasticall as is said of the Manichees otâ—ers denying him to have a true reall soule affirming that the naked God-head tooke flesh and suffered in that flesh which is said to be the heresy of Apollinarius as also against them who affirme upon the matter thaâ— there are two Christs and two Sons of God as if the eternall Word or Logos were the one Christ and Son of God and the man Iesus borne of the Virgiâ— Mary the other Christ and Son of God which iâ— said to be the heresy of Nestorius whereas the eternall Word and Man Jesus are not two Christs noâ— two Sons of God but one and the same subsisting in two naturs as the soule and body are one man according to what is already said which example 〈◊〉 soule and body the Ancients have much used to explaine this great Mystery as also they have used another to wit of a red hot
them but onely an emanation or stream of it the Center and Spring it self was for most part in heaven untill it descended and cloathed it self with the likeness of our 〈◊〉 flesh in the Virgins womb 13. And â—herefore let all the Scripturs be searched and it shall not be found that Christ became Man and tooke to himself the Soul of Man at his conception in the womb of the Virgin Mary but onely that he took flesh and was the Son of Mary David and Abraham according to the flesh but according to his Heavenly Nature even as man he was the Son of God and was the Father and Lord of all the Faithfull in all Ages therefore David in spirit called him LORD whose Name is Wonderfull Counseller the Mighty God the Everlasting Father aud Prince of Peace SECTION IX 1. That Christ is in every man yea in every Creature in a true sense proved from Scripture 2. That it derogats no more from the honour of Christ then from the honour of God the Father that he is in all things 3. Christ in the saints proved from Scripture 4. Yea in all men even the wicked proved from Scripture 5. The God-head properly doth not suffer in men but the soule or life of Iesus Christ the heavenly man 6. More Scripture to prove that Christ suffers in the wicked as Heb. 6. 6. Rev. 11. 8. 7. Paul preached Christ in the Corinthians and Galatians when unbelievers proved from 1 Cor. 2. 2. Gal. 1. 3. Eph. 3. 8. 1. Tim. 3. 16. 8. If Christ be in the Saints he must be in all men proved from a most convincing reason that otherwayes he would be divided from himself and in discontinued places 9. Christ is otherwayes in all men then in the other inferior creaturs in regard of his operations 10. And otherwise in the Saints then in other men not only in regard of operation but also in regard of union and communion 11. How Christ is and yet is not in unbelievers in different respects cleared by two manifest examples 12. Christ is otherwise in the outward body and temple that suffered at Jerusalem then in the Saints 13. The Saints union with God is but mediat through the heavenly man Christ whereas the union of Christ with God is immediat 14. The Saints not Christ but Christians and receive all things from God by the Heavenly Man Christ Iesus 15. How Christ hath given eternall life to all flesh or all mankind according to John 17. 2. which place of Scripture is falsly translated in our English Bible THe fifth Particular whereof he accuseth us is that we affirme Christ to be a common sort of thing to be found in every man as it was in the Son of Mary even the common Light to be found in the mind of every man in the world 1. Answer That Christ is in every man yea in every creature we do boldly affirme conforme to the Scripture which saith all things were created by him even Iesus Christ the incarmate Word or Word made flesh and therefor he is in all things and as Iohn said he was in the world and the world was made by him for indeed it is impossible that the maker can be separated from the thing that is made I say according to the Scripture that seeing all creaturs were made by Iesus Christ therefore he is in them all even as God is in all giving them and upholding them their beings and ministring unto every thing what is needfull and fit for it 2. Doth it any more derogat from the honour and glory of Christ that he is in all then it derogats from the honour and glory of God the Father who is in all and through all blessed in himself for ever more For as God is a pure being and life that nothing can defile even so is Christ Jesus an incorruptible and incontaminable life and being as God is Light so Christ is Light a Light that shineth every where even in the darkness as Iohn declared but the darkness cannot comprehend it nor can the darkness obscure and darken it onely it can and doth obscure and darken the eyes of them who are in darkness that they cannot see nor behold the glory of the Light But more particularly to come to the matter in hand I shall first prove from Scripture that Christ is in the Saints and secondly both from Scripture and good reason that is grounded on Scripture that he is in all men in a true sense yea in all creatures And thirdly I shall shew that in regard of his operations he is otherwise in men then in the other creaturs of an inferior degree And fourthly that he is otherwise in the Saints then in other men and that not onely in regard of operation but also in regard of union and communion And fiftly that he is otherwise in the vessell or temple that suffered on the Crosse at Ierusalem and is now glorifyed in heaven then he is in any or in all of the Saints or in any other creaturs whatsoever howsoever excellent 3. As to the first that Christ is in the Saints see Ioh. 6 56. he that eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood dwelleth in me and I in him see also Iohn 17. 23. I in them and thou in me c. see again Rom. 8. 10. And if Christ be in you the body is dead Eph. 3. 17. That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith Collos. 1. 27. Christ in you the hope of glory 2 Cor. 13. 3. Seing that ye seek a proofe of Christ speaking in me and verse 5. know ye not your own sâ—lvâ—s how that Iesus Christ is in you unless ye be reprobates Many more Scriptures may be brought but these shall suffice to shew that Christ is in the Saints and Christ is Gods anointed King Priest and Prophet and therefor by Christ is not to be understood the Word simply considered as in God but the incarnate or ingrafted Word or the Word made flesh that dwelleth in the Saints Ioh. 1. 14. for the Word simply considered as in God is not the anointed but the annointer whereas Christ is Gods anointed 4. Secondly that Christ is in all men even in the wicked see Amos 2. 13. Behold I am pressed under you as a Cart is pressed that is full of sheaves This cannot be understood of God or the Word simply considered that cannot be pressed or suffer any grief but it is well understood of the incarnat or ingraftâ—d Word to wit the precious Seed of the life of Christ in us that is exceeding tender and is capable of grief and suffering by mens sins Psal. 95. 10. Fourty years long was I grieved in this generation Isajah 63. 9 10. In all their affliction he was affâ—icted and the Angel of his presence saved them in his love and in his pity he redeemed them and he bare them and caryed them all the days of old but they rebelled and vexed his holy Spirit c. 5.
This is the holy Spirit of the heavenly man Christ Iesus or the ingrafted or incarnat Word that is capable of grief and suffering whereas the Godhead is not capable of any suffering or grief for all suffering and grief is a finite and temporall thing whereas nothing can be in God but that which is infinit and eternall otherwise God would not be in all respects an infinite being which is absurd 6. See again Hebr. 6. 6. They who fall away from Christ are said to crucify to themselvs the Son of God afresh Now they could not crucify him if he were not in them because he was not outwardly present with them in his body of flesh so that they could not crucify him outwardly and Rev. 11. 8. our Lord is said to be crucified in Spirituall Sodom and Egypt that is the Apostat Church Babylon the Mother of fornications 7. And when Paul first preached to the Corinthians and Galathians in the time of their heathenism he preached Christ crucified in them see 1 Cor. 2. 1. Gal. 3. 1. The Words in both places according to the Greek are crucified in you And it was a great part of the mystery that Paul preached unto the Gentiles to wit Christ in the Gentiles which Sathan and his ministers laboured to hide and obscure as they do at this present but Christ and his Ministers labour to make known See Collos. 1. 27. To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this Mystery in the Gentiles And Eph. 1. 8. he preached the unsearchable riches of Christ in the Gentiles And 1 Tim. 3. 16. God manifest in the flesh preached in the Gentiles so the Greek in all these places but the Translaters of the Bible not understanding this so blessed comfortable a truth have translated these places among and not in whereas if Christ was among them he was also in them seeing he was not outwardly present among them in his body of flesh 8. And seeing that both they who are not Saints as well as they who are Saints are created by Jesus Christ he must needs be as really in the one as in the other Also seing the Saints the wicked in this world walk up and down together and are scattered among one another good and sound reason teacheth us that if Christ be in the Saints he must needs be in all men yea in all this world through which the Saints are scattered otherwise Christ would be divided from himself and be discontinued and in discontinued places which is impossible as all men of sound reason must needs acknowledge 9. Thirdly all though Christ be in all the creaturs yet he is otherwise in all men then in the others creaturs that are of an inferiour degree unto mankind in regard of operation because he exerteth or putteth forth more noble operations in and upon men then in other creaturs men having immortall souls that are more noble principles and subjects of operation then the inferiour creaturs have so that all men even the worst of men are capable of knowing and enjoying the blessed life of Christ which the inâ—erior creaturs are not and that which hinders them from this knowledge and enjoyment is not the want of capacity as it is in the other creaturs out sin and especially the sin of unbelief that they will not come unto him who is come unto them that they may have life as he complained against the Iewes 10. Fourthly Christ is otherwise in the Saints then in other men and that not only in regard of operation but also in regard of union and communion for the Saints are joyned unto him by living bonds as the branches are unto the vine and as the living members of the body are unto the head and they are one Spirit 1 Cor. 6. 17. Eph. 4. 15 16. Ioh. 15. 5. Ioh. 17. 23. Also they have communion both with the Father and the Son Christ Jesus 1 Joh. 1. 3. and one with another in him 1 Joh. 1. 7. and Christ dwelleth in the hearts of the Saints by Faith Eph. 3. 17. And he is formed in them Gal. 4. 19. So that they are his mother who bring him forth by a Spirituall and divine birth Matth. 12. 49. And thus the Church brought him forth long after he was outwardly born and crucified and rose and ascended Revel 12. 5. And she brought forth a man-child who was to rule all Nations with a rod of iron this is the hidden man of the heart 1. Pet. 3. 4. which 〈◊〉 the heavenly ornament not onely of all good Womâ—n but of all the Saints whom they doe put on Rom. 13. 14. who is the new man Eph 24. And the heavenly man or Lord from heaven 1 Cor. 15. 47 48. So that having eat his flesh and drunk his blood they are members of his body of his flesh and of his bones Eph. 5. 30. whereas all other men who are not Saints they have no union nor communion with Christ and he dwelleth not in them by faith he is not formed in them nor revealed as he is in the Saints as Paul declared he was in him at his conversion Gal. 1. 18. and then he preached him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Gentiles to the end that he might be revealed in them as he was in him and thus the being of Christ in the Saints is after a more speciall presence then he is in others whose understandings are darkened being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them becaus of the blindness of their heart Eph. 4. 18. And here observe that he doth not say becaus that the life of God is not in them but becaus of their blindness and ignorance they were alienated and estranged from it being past feeling so that once they had a feeling of this Life and therefore it was in them which Life is Câ—rist 11. Now becaus that Christ is not in Vnbelieverâ— according to that special presence and revelation as he is in the Saints and Believers but is hid and unrevealed in them therefore it is that sometimes Christ is said not to be in them even as we commonly say in a cloudy and dark night when no Starres appear in the aire or Firmament that they are not in it whereas they are in it even then but they do not appear in it as when the air is clear For Christ the Light shineth in the darkness although the darkness comprehends him not and this is the night state But when men believe he is said to rise â—n them and therefore he was in them before but 〈◊〉 arisen even as the Sun is in the Firmament at â—â—dnight as wel as at mid-day but the dark shadâ—ow of the Earth hinders us from its Light and â—hus the darkness of the Earthly mind hinders the â—oul of the Unbeliever to see the Sun of righteousâ—ess who reacheth through all and is in all Col. 〈◊〉 11. and is that true Light that
he bid his Disciples believe in him Ye believe in God believe also in me said he that is in me the Man Christ Jesus whom God hath sent 3. And seing we are to believe in him we are also to call upon him for that which is the proper object of true Faith is also the proper object of true Divine adoration as accordingly we find that they who had true faith in him in the days of his flesh did also worship him and pray unto him as the Wise men that came from the East did worship him even when he was an Infant Matth. 2 11. And when they were come into the house they saw the young Child with Mary his mother and fell down and worshipped him And here observe it is not said they worshipped Mary his mother no they were more wise although they did know that she was blessed above all Women yet they did also know that she was not an object of Divine worship as Christ was Surely these men although commonly accounted Heathens had more sound understanding then all the wise men so called of the Popish Church who worship Mary the mother of Jesus and pray unto her as they do also unto other Saints which is gross idolatry Again see Matth. 8 2. And behold there came a Leper and worshiped him saying Lord if thou wilt thou canst make me clean and this was the Man Jesus 4. And many such examples are to be found in Scripture of those that worshipped him in the days of his flesh see Matth. 9 18. and 14 33. and 15 25. And after his Resurrection the Disciples both Men and Women did worship him see Matth. 28. 9. 17. as no doubt they did so before and after his Ascension the Disciples did call upon him see Act. 7 59. And they stoned Stephen calling and saying Lord Iesus receive my Spirit and Act. 9 21. the Disciples are said to be they that call on this Name to wit IESVS and Paul saluteth the Corinthians thus 1 Cor. 1 3. Grace be unto you and peace from God our Father and from our Lord Iesus Christ and ver 2. unto the Church of God which is at Corinth to them that are sanctified in Christ Iesus called Saints with all that in every place call upon the Name of Iesus Christ our Lord both theirs and â—urs And it is the will and command of the Father that at the Name of Iesus every knee should â—ow and every tongue confess to the glory of God the Father So that whatever honour or worship is given to the Man Christ Jesus it redounds to the Father He that honours the Son honours the Father and he that honours not the Son honours not the Father And Rev. 5 11 12 13 14. All the Saints and Angels and every creature are brought in not onely worshipping the Father but the Lamb that was slain and this is the Man Christ Iesus or Word incarnate for the Word or Logos simply considered never was nor can be slain All which Scripturs and many more that could be mentioned prove clearly that the Saints did worship the Man Christ Jesus and did pray unto him And they who believe not this doctrin are more blind then the poor blind man Bartimeus who when Iesus of Nazareth passed by saw him with the eyes of his Soul to be the Christ of God and prayed unto him saying Iesus thou Son of David have mercy upon me Mark 10 46 47. Also the Canaanitish woman that was not a Jew but in the Jewes account an Heathen she believed in him with a great and marvelous faith and also prayed unto him and when he seemed to have refused her yet she continued in prayer saying Lord help me 5. I have been the more full and express in this Particular for three weighty reasons First Becaus I know that divers Presbyteriaâ— Teachers in this Nation have openly professed and some have taught it in the Pulpit that Christ as Mediator or the Man Christ is not to be worshipped or prayed unto which occasioned a great contention in their Synods and Presbyterys in some places of late years to the great dishonour of the Christian Religion and of that Worthy Name whereby we are called 6. Secondly Becaus that some have ignorantly accused us that we did not pray to the Man Iesus nor call upon the Father in the Name of Iesus Christ which is a gross calumny 7. For many times have I both heard others and also I my self have called upon that Blessed Name expressly naming the words IESVS CHRIST although when we express not these words yet if we pray by the moving of his Life and Spirit we pray in the Name of Jesus and also to Jesus the Heavenly Man that is glorified with that glory he had with the Father before the world was 8. Yea I have heard expressly such petitions put up in our Prayers at our Meetings unto Christ as Jesus Son of David have mercy upon us O thou Blessed Lord Iesus that wert crucified and dyed for our sins and shed thy precious blood for us be gracious unto us Thou that in the days of thy flesh wert tempted of Satan afflicted bore our sins on the cross felt our infirmitys and wert touched with them O thou our Mercifull High Prâ—est whose tender bowels of compassion are not more straitened since thy Ascension but rather more enlarged and whose love and kindness is the same towards thy Servants in our days as it was of old help us and strengthen us and by the power of thy Divine Life and Spirit raise us up over all tentations and indue us with a measure of the same patience and resignation that dwelâ— so fully in thee and which thou didst so abundantly manifest in all thy sufferings in the days of thy flesh Thou art the same that thou wert thy heart is the same towards thy Servants as when thou wert outwardly present with them in the flesh Thou art our Advocat and Mediator in Heaven with the Father our Mercifull High Priest who is not untouched with the feeling of our infirmitys Thou even Thou Blessed Iesus thou knowest our most secret desires and breathings which we offer up unto thee in the enablings of thy blessed Life and Spirit that thou mayest present them unto thy Father and our Father that in thee we may be accepted and our services also and for thy sake our defects and short comings our sins and transgressions that we have committed may be forgiven us These and such like expressions frequently used by us in prayer both in secret and also in publick in our Assemblys plainly demonstrate that we worship and pray unto the Mediator betwixt God and Man the Man Christ Jesus the anoynted King Priest and Prophet of his People who also is God over all bessed forever For he is that Mighty One upon whom the Father hath laid help so that although the Father himself loveth us and is most willing and ready to help us in all
doth clearly hold forth Ioh. 17. verse 23. I in them and thou in me that they may be made perfect in one Observe here an excellent order Christ in the Saints and God in Christ So that as in respect of union God is not immediately in us nor immediatly united with us nor we with him but God is in Christ and Christ is in us And so God through Christ is in us and thus Christ doth declare himself to be the Mediator betwixt God and Man as he is in them Thou in me and I in them here Christ is the midle-man or Mediator as being in the Saints which confuts the gross and most comfortless doctrin of the Prebyterians and others who affirme that Christ as Mediator is only without us in heaven and is not Mediator in us whereas he himself in this place hath declared the contrary thou in me and I in them that they may be made perfect in one So that of all things visible and invisible Christ is next unto God and most near unto him as in regard of union and communion and then the Saints by their union with Christ are united also unto God and he unto them And if Christ be mediator in the Saints then he is Man or the Word incarnate in them for the Word or Logos simply considered is not mediator becaushe is of a nature as remote from us as the Father being one essence or substance with him and indeed it is the Man Christ that spoke these words in prayer unto his Father for the Logos simply considered is God himself and cannot be supposed to pray unto God for that to which one prayeth is greater then he that doth pray and it is the Man Christ or Word incarnate who said my Father is greater then I so that Christ as Man is inferiour to God this is the same Spirit of Christ as Man that prayeth and maketh intercession unto God in the Saints Rom 8. and hath done so from the beginning and by whom the children of men in all ages have received grace from God 4. For the seed of Gods Grace which is the true â—â—â—d of regeneration that hath been sowne in all ages of the world as well before as since Christ did outwardly come in the flesh was sown by the Son of Man to wit the Man Christ Jesus as he hath expressly taught himself Math. 13. 37. He that soweth the good seed is the Son of Man who is the good and friendly Man and therefore he hath been in all ages and places of the world becaus he hath sown his seed in the world and not in some corner of it onely and the seed which he hath sowen is the iâ—grafted Word even a measure of the same divine and Heavenly Nature Light Life that is in himself as he is the Heavenly Man or Lord from Heaven 5. Whose nature as Man is Heavenly and Divine all though it be inferiour to the God head for he said my Father is greater then I nor will his â—mnipresence and omnipercipiency prove that as Man he is as great as the Father for the whole universe of created beings of Heaven and Earth visible and invisible are as the dust of the ballance and drop of the bucket in comparison of God 6. And therefore that the Heavenly Man Christ Jesus his Spirit Light and Life doth every where extend it self into all things will not prove that Christ as Man is equall unto God nor yet confound his God-head and Man-hood it only proveth that the Man Christ Jesus is a great and mighty and most excellent being farre above all and excelling all men and Angells and all other angelicall and heavenly powers and principallitys which is a most certain truth and therefore do all the Angels worship him as they are commanded 7. And this universall presence of his in all things he declared himself when Mary his Mother according to the flesh with her husband Ioseph did seek him among the multitude why did yee seek me said he did yee not know that I must be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the things of my Father Luk 2. 49. and verse 50. They understood not that saing which he spake unto them and indeed many at this day do not understand it which place of Scripture Dionysius of Alexandria brought against Paulus Samosatenus to prove that Christ was before Mary and if Christ was before Mary he was not only God but Man for it is the Man or Word incarnate that is the Christ or Anointed of the Father and not the Word or God-head simply considered His 6 7 and 8 charges are that we affirme Iesus the true Christ the Son of Mary to be onley an ordinary vessell which containeth â—his Light as the Spirit of every other Holy Man doth and so not only pulling down our exalted Prince from his Throne of Glory but putting our false Prophets as he calls them in his place cloathing them with the glory of his proper titles as being Christ as wel as he becaus containing the same Light with his 8. Answ. That these charges are exceeding false and unjustly layd upon us will abundantly appear from what is already said in answer to the former and therefore I need say the lesse onely to let the Reader know that we are so farre from affirming Jesus the true Christ the Son of Mary to be onely an ordinary vessell c. that we both believe and affirme him to be a most Wonderfull and extraordinary Vessel and that both in respect of his Soul and body as having the Center and Spring of that Divine Light Life and Nature whereof we have but the ray and streame And though the Vessels of other men have the Light in them yet they contain it not but it rather contains them for the greater is not contained in the lesser but the lesser in the greatâ—r And thus we do not pull down our exalted Prince from his Throne of glory but acknowledge â—im more exalted then our adversarys do who â—ould confine and limit him to one place and â—â—ltogether exclude him as Man from having any â—â—rone in the hearts of his people whereas they do â—â—knowledge that the Devil is in all wicked men 〈◊〉 and good men also and yet they will not acâ—nowledge Christ to be in all nay not in any good â—en upon Earth 6. And thus they make the Devil greater then 〈◊〉 which is no small dishonour to our Blessed Saâ—iour and they who deny him to be in men even 〈◊〉 the Saints seing he is really in them conforme 〈◊〉 to the testimony of Scripture and the experience of them who know and witness him revealed in them are denyers of him as really as they who denyed him when he came in the flesh 10. Again that we put our Prophets whom he falsly calleth false Prophets in the place of Christ cloathing them with the glory of his proper titles as being Christ as wel as he becaus containing the same
great enemys to the immediate teachings of Christ in the hearts of people but that they feare that if people come to receive the teachings of Christ in their hearts they will deny them as false Teachers and so their trade and gain will down 5. But all true Preachers they preach not themselvs but Christ Jesus as the Apostles did and they preach him not onely ascended into Heaven and as being in heaven but they preach him also as being in the hearts of people saying The Word is near thee in thy mouth and in thy heart Rom. 10 Deut. 30. And all true Preachers are glad that people come to know Christ and learn of him in their hearts and they are assured that they who are come to learne of Christ immediately will never despise or reject the ministry of those whom Christ doth send and in whom he speaks for the sheep of Christ hear his voyce wherever it soundeth and they who love to heare Christ in themselvs love also to heare him in others and receive the Word not as the Word of Men but as it is indeed the Word of God And thus I have gone through the eight particular Charges wherewith he hath so falsly charged us and in plainness and simplicity of heart declared our beliefe concerning them and how that we owne the true Christ as true and perfect God and as true and perfect Man who as concerning the flesh was the Son of David and of Mary but yet was before Mary and David and all men who is the Son of God blessed for evermore 6. And seing these 8 false charges are the onely foundation on which the Author of the Postscript builds all his other calumnys and his whole discourse his sandy foundation being removed his building falls with shame upon his own head and I wish his eyes may be opened by that Light he hath so maliciously reproached that he may see what that Spirit is that hath led him so to blaspheme the true Christ of God in mens hearts for certainly it is not the Spirit of Christ but of Satan seing no man speaking by the Spirit of God calleth Iesus accursed as Paul declared O that he may be made to looke upon him whom he hath pierced in his tender Life and Seed in his own heart by such malitious and envious speeches and mourn bitterly for so doing and doe so no more that he may find mercy of the Lord 7. It were a needless labour to follow him in all the rest of his discourse or to give a particular reply to every sentence the whole containing no arguments to prove us guilty of such things he had done more as a man and as a Christian to have charged us with some things that we did truely hold and if he did suppose them to be errours to have endeavoured to refute them with solid arguments brought from Scripture and sound Reason nothing of which he hath done but raileth on from the beginning to the end It seemeth verily that he is better skilled in the art of railing which is a black art to be sure too familiar to the tribe of black-coats then in the way of disputing But I shall take notice of one thing before I leave him as where he saith Pag. 12. from line 15. As the ministers of Iesus Christ are the men in the world against whom they have the most pure and perfect hatred so it is against those ministers more particularâ—y who are most tender and â—difying and by whose labouring among the people their Lord and Master who sent them sees of the travel of his Soul and is satisfied that they as the ministers of Satan set themselvs very fit messengers are they if any were caught up to the third heaven to bâ—ffeâ— him I appeall in this matter to the experience and observation of all who take notice of their way and how little they trouble others their Master fearing little or finding little dammage to his dominion and kingdom by these lazy lie-byes and idle loyterers 8 Answ. This is like the rest of his false accusations we hate no mens persons but their vices and farre be it from us to oppose any of the true ministers of Iesus Christ nay we love them and honour them for their works sake and we judge ourselvs bound in conscience at all occasions to heare them and countenance them but such men as call themselvs the ministers of Christ and after triall are found not to be his ministers or sent of him we find ourselvs called of God to deny them and witness against them as Christ did against the Pharisees of old and as the Prophets did against the false prophets who taught for gain and rewards 9. This hath been an old policy of Satan which many have used in former times to call themselvs with such splendid names as Ministers of Christ and of the Gospel when they have been rather ministers of Satan and of Anti-Christ The Popish priests and bishops doe the same and the Pope calleth himself Servus servorum Dei a servant of the servants of God And indeed this is one of the great stumbling-blocks that the Popish Clergy and priests lay in the way of the people to keep them in blindness and superstition and beget a prejudice in them against the Protestants and dissenters from the Popish Church Oh! say they these men are abominable hereticks who deny our holy mother Church and her holy priests and bishops and our holy father the Pope whom Christ hath appoynted and set up as his Vicar upon Earth And then they reckon up so many holy priests and bishops and so many holy Fathers as have been and are in their Church And thus they seek to deceive the people and to speake freely I do not question it but there have been some in the Popish Church who had as great pretences to holyness and looked as like holy men as any to be found of the Presbyterian Teachers And I judge the Presbyterians themselvs will not generally conclude that for these many hundreds of years there have been no holy men in the Church of Rome which yet hath been an Apostate Church for many hundred years and yet all this will not prove that we ought to joyne to the Church of Rome becaus of some men that have lived in it or may as yet be in it that may be really as holy and of as good a life and conversation as any the Presbyterians can name among themselvs And the like may be said of the Lutheran Church and Church of England which is Episcopal I suppose this Author and his brethren will not be so uncharitable as to conclude there are no holy men in the Episcopal Church or that no Bishop is a holy man and I question not but they can instance some among Lutherans and Papists also that have taken and do take as great pains to preach as any Presbyterian Preacher ever did and greater also Some of the Popish priests have
15. 22. If I had not come and spoken unto them they had not had sin but now they have nocloake for their sin But may expect to be numbred amongst the enemys of Gods Work It was the commendation of good Men in all ages that they walked sutably to the dispensation of the Lord in their day and this is the great duty the Lord calls for from his people to follow the Lamb whâ—thersoever he 〈◊〉 this will be their commendation before the Lord as Rev. 14. 4. When the life Light and power of God removeth from one dispensation to another to be alwayes a follower of that which is our duty for it is not to be expected that Moses or David if they were alive now would looke to find that life in their sacrifices and externall rites which they found when they were upon Earth no this is only to be waited for in the spirituall way of the Gospell worship And to come nearer if Cranmer Hooker and Ridly who were Martyrs for the Protestant faith in beareing witness against the Idolatry of the Masse thought it no small mercy to have the use of a common prayer booke in English no doubt in that day might feel life in it yet when the Light of reformation encreased it discovered that to be a limiting of the Spirit of God in Prayer and consequently had in it self a tendency to deaden the heart by remaining in that formality If they were living now the Lord would require of them to seek after a more Spirituall Way of worship where the pure life of Christ was more to be found and felt then in read prayers Even so now when the Lord is poynting forth a more spirituall way which is by following the pure motions of the Spirit of life in an immediat way upon the heart in all religious dutys the Lord will have all his people to owne that way both in practice and profession and they that will reject this or refuse or oppose it He will no less reckon them as his enemys now then these that have been refusers or opposers of his work in former generations A 3 Obstruction is Truth hath been for most part loaded by its opposers with many heavy slaunders calumnys and lyes and traduced with the nick-names of errour Heresy blasphemy and delusion yea called devilisme and what else malice can invent so Pauls religion was called heresy Acts. 24. 14. and Christians were a sect every where spoken against Acts 23. 22. Yea Christ himself was said to have a Devil Ioh. 8. 48 53. And what wonder then that the opposers of Truth in this day speake so of Truth as it is now manifested The Professors thereof are said to deny Jesus Christ that was borne of the virgin Mary where as they have often testifyed they owne no other Christ but him to be the Saviour of the world that was crucifyed at Ierusalem and this we can say in the uprightness of our hearts as in his sight that searches hearts Our opposers say wee deny the Scriptures of Truth whereas we owne all things therein being rightly translated to be the dictate of the Holy Spirit and that they containe all the substantialls of true religion and whatsoever is contrary to them to be but delusion yea we are content to have all poynts of controversy betwixt us and our opposers to be determined by the Scriptures of Truth We are said to deny the Ministry and ordinances of the Gospell whereas we owne all the true and faithfull Ministers that are called of God and that function and are not meerely men-made Ministers that are made to be Ministers in the meere will of men only endued with some measure of natural and acquired parts and feel not the power and vertue of the life of Jesus Christ dwelling in their hearts without any sense of which power and life they can pray and preach But we owne all Spirituall and living preaching and prayer As for the ordinances called Sacraments we own them only according to Scripture sense viz. that Baptisme which is by the Holy Ghost for Iohn Baptised with water but Christs Baptisme is with the Holy Ghost and with fire Math. 3. 11. Act. 1. 4. This is that one baptisme Eph. 4. 5. The Bread and Wine that is Elementary we deny as being but a carnal ordinance which are all repealed at the time of reformation under the Gospell Heb. 9. 10. as all rites are which stand in meats and drinks washings or Baptismes as the Greek hath it But we owne the Communion of Christs body and blood according to Luk. 6. 53. compared with verse 63. Our opposers say we lay the whole stresse of justification and remission of sins upon our own righteousness and we declare we owne no meritorious cause of the remission of sins but the righteousness blood and sufferings of Jesus Christ that was crucified at Ierusalem and as it was done and performed by the Man Christ born of the virgin Mary and yet we profess none are justified but such as are in a measure sanctified and actually cleansed from sin so as none are justified in their sins These and many more of the like slaunders asserted with boldness and impudence by malicious opposers are no small obstruction to many simple-hearted people who are but too ready to take things of this nature upon trust without tryall and proofe especially if the assertors be in any repute for a piece of seriousness as the Scribes and Pharisees high Priests who were in great authority and esteem with the people and thereby did influence their slender followers to preferre Barrabas a murderer and a robber to Christ Iesus A 4 Obstruction is that Truth when it comes first abroad is at severall great disadvantages in the eyes of the world as first it seldom hath the countenance of Civil authority but mostly is persecuted and laws and statutes made in opposition to it this is universally known in all ages and throughout these Nations where it first appeared Secondly it hath the opposition of the Nationall Clergy so called and of the most learned of that sort of men who have the greatest advantages of authority to influence the body of the Nation see Ioh. 9. 22. For the Iews had agreed already that if any men did confess that he was Christ he should he put out of the Synagogue Thirdly Truth being a witness against the abuse and superstitions which have through length of time and long custome been rooted and strengthned so in a Nation that it needs no less the the power of God to extirpate people can hardly admit to hearken to any testimony against these things whether they be personal or national customes see Mark 7. 9. and he said unto them full wel ye reject the commandement of God that ye may keepe your own tradition It 's not an easie thing to forsake old Customes this hath been a cause why men in all ages have stumbled at the simplicity of truth