more Spiritual Nature and Dignity then the Flesh Christ took of the Seed of Abraham for he was made the high Priest of the second Covenant was without beginning of Dayes or End of Life Fourthly Because Christ himself magnifieth the Spirit above the Flesh They look not farther then his Body or Flesh as it was visible to the World and he appointed them to look farther yea to his Flesh and Blood spiritually which is Meat indeed and Drink indeed being that Living Bread which came down from Heaven that who eats thereof shall live forever Joh. 6. 48 to 58 63. And those that see not through and beyond that visible Body of Flesh which was the Vail which the eternal Word took to trasact and represent as in a common Person that which every Child of God ought measurably to witness in his own particular unto the beholding and partaking of the divine Widom Power and Righteousness that dwelt therein which are Meat indeed and Drink indeed unto every hungry and thirsty Soul they are not yet come to the chief Corner-Stone that is Elect and Pretious but are carnal not knowing the Scriptures nor the Power of God Mat. 22. 29. Fifthly Christ Jesus lay'd far more Weight upon the Coming of the Comforter or himself in his second and spiritual Appearance in them among whom he bodily conversed then upon the Continuance of his bodily Presence Joh. 16. 7. intimating that he intended a more spiritual Communion with them they in him and he in them even as he was in his Father his Father in him chap. 17 21 23. a Fellowship beyond what they had already known how could it otherwise have been expedient as the Text expresseth it if the Change from his visible to invisible Presence had not been both more glorious and advantageous His Disciples believed him for the Words he spoak Chap. 16. 30. But ver 31. 32. Jesus answerd them Do you now believe Behold the Hour cometh yea is now come that ye shall be scattered every Man to his OWN as much as if he had said You shall then know me and believe in me upon a more clear and certain Ground when you shall have received thus of my Fulness and Grace for Grace Joh. 1. 16. and be scattered to it which is hard to be done while I stay in this Capacity among you therefore it is expedient that I go away as to my bodily Presence Joh. 16. 7. on which you have such great Dependence but I Christ will not leave you comfortless I will come a Comforter unto you Chap. 14. 3 18 19 20. For lo I am with you alwayes even to the End of the World Mat. 28. 20. this is the Christ of God Sixthly Because the Apostle Paul desired not thence forth to know Christ after the Flesh but spiritually as he was the Son of God revealed in himself 2 Cor. 5. 16. Gal. 1. 15 16. and as the Apostle counted all other Knowledge Dross Dung to that of the Glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ reveal'd in him so was he not contented that the Galatians should rest in a fleshly Knowledge of Jesus Christ but travelled in Birth with them like a faithful Witness of the inward Work of God a second time until Christ was formed in them Gal. 4. 19. who doubtless was the true Christ Seventhly Because that Flesh of Christ is called a Vail but he himself is within the Vail which is the Holy of Holyest whereinto Christ Jesus our High Priest hath entered Hebr. 10. 20 21. And as he descended into and past through a suffering State in his fleshly Appearance and returned into that State of Immortality and Eternal Life and Glory from whence he humbled himself which was and is the Holy of Holiest then obscur'd or hid by his flesh or body the Vail while in the World so must all know a Death to their Fleshly Wayes and Religions yea their Knowledge of Christ himself after the Flesh or they stick in the Vail and never enter into the Holy of Holyest nor come to know him in any Spiritual Relation as their High and Holy Priest that abides therein Eighthly Because that Christ lives and dwells in the Hearts of his Children Joh. 14. 23. chap. 15. 5. chap. 17. 21. Coloss 1. 27. which cannot be said of the Outward Body of Christ Therefore I cannot by any means believe that the meer visible Flesh and Body constitutes Christ though I shall confess that respecting the Administration and the Service of that Holy Body fitted and quallified of God as an Instrument to usher introduce and bring it forth into the World it may very well have attributed to it the Name Christ being so nearly related But rather that Divine Nature Wisdom Power Righteousness Grace and Truth of which he is the Fulness whose transcending Glory was vailed by that Body of Flesh he wore and was only let forth in that Day as any were capable of beholding and receiving it which dwelt therein And those who at this Day do seed upon the History of the Bodily Appearance yet honourable in its place know not a breaking through the Vail by witnessing a Measure of the same Divine Wisdom Power Righteousness Grace Truth revealed and born forth in themselves they are but carnal and fleshly Christians being unacquainted with the Formation of the Christ of God in themselves which is the opening of the Mystery of Christ God manifested in the Flesh and Christ abiding the Hope of Glory in the Souls of his People This distinction friendly Reader of Christ and his Body is very unpleasant to me but I am thrust into it by the loud Clamours of our Adversary against us as too short he rests our words so as to rebuke his fond Absurdities I hope sufficiently detected and which was more in my Eye and indeed lay hardest upon my Spirit to oppose and defeat his Carnal Objections against the Glorious Christ of God for by his vehement Out-cries at us as Persons denying the Christ of God because we rather chuse to call that Body that was prepared of God the Body of Christ then Christ himself to beat People off at once from hearkening after our Doctrine of the Spiritual Second Coming of Christ into the Souls of Men for if his Doctrine be true Christ doth not really dwell in his Children thereby depriving the Children of Men from the most Heavenly Enjoyment and Priviledge God hath laid up for them that fear him For I am bold to affirm and that in the Name of the only True and Wise God The True Church is become Christ's Body and he the Divine Wisdom Power and Righteousness lives reigns and puts forth himself in and by her and that all those who come not thus to experience the Christ of God to dwell in them their King Prophet and High Priest who is without Beginning of Dayes and End of Life they are ignorant of God's Christ do stick in the
believe great and good things of them and that from no less Evidence then the Eternal Word that gave them forth which hath oftentimes given my Soul a deep Savour of those blessed Truths it declares of only we cannot allow them to be The Word though the Words of God and the rather forasmuch as we see the great and general Neglect that People are guilty of towards that Living Powerful Regenerating Word of Life by whom alone all right Knowledge and lasting Peace is derived to the Soul of Man through this Apprehension that in having the Writings they have the Word of God and therefore look no farther the very State of the professing Jews of old who thought better of the Scriptures then of Christ believing to have Life in them at what time they crucified the Lord of Life and Glory From whose Proceedings we learn thus much That the worst Enemies to the invisible Word of Life may carry the greatest seeming Respect to and bestow the highest Titles upon the Scriptures that were given forth from it In short It was when Men turned from the Power of Godliness to the Form only that they did Canonize and lay so vast a Stress upon them In the first and second hundred years after Christ they were so scattered that very few had all of them and it is not unreasonable for us to believe that many had none of them especially those of the New Testament Were they therefore without the Word of God and a sufficient Rule for Faith and Practice Surely not It was an Administration of Life and Power of writing the Law in the Heart and putting the Spirit in the inward Parts From whence came that Christian Answer to the Heathen concerning Swearing Fighting such contra-Evangelical Practices They could not do so because of God in their Consciences At that time of Day the Anoâ—nting led them into all Truth But in process of time when Christians grew Careless and Worldly whereby they lost the Power of Godliness then they began to set up an outward pompous Religion ascribing that to the Letter and Form which was only due to the Spirit and Power And as thus entered the Apostacy into the World so where Men are not turned and conformed to that eternal Spirit and divine immortal Power the Apostacy still remains And our End in pressing People unto the Eternal Word of Life is that they may be brought out of Death and Darkness which the Scriptures can never do They are a Declaration and Testimony of Heavenly Things but not the Heavenly Things themselves and as such we carry an high Respect unto them We accept them as the Words of God himself and by the Assistance of his Spirit they are read with great Instruction and Comfort I esteem them the best of Writings and desire nothing more frequently then that I may lead the Life they exhort to and whatever sleight Apprehensions my disingenuous Adversary is pleas'd to have of these kind of Acknowledgments I write the naked Truth of my Heart knowing I must give an Account to God CHAP. IV. His Pretence of our Equalling our own Writings and Sayings with the Scriptures VVIthout any flourishing Reflections most commonly the Head and Tail and sometimes Middle too of my Adversary's Reply I shall lay down his words Rep. The Means I used for confirming the first part of this Charge were two First Their pretending them to be from Immediate Inspiration This he is so far from denying that he pleads for it but after such a rude impertinent manner that I should but injure you and shew my self Idle to transscribe and animadvert upon it Rejoyn How rude and impertinent a manner I pleaded for it the Reader may best judge by perusing something of the Passage For Inspiration the Scriptures are not more express in any one thing No man can know the things of God by the bare Spirit of a Man The Scriptures are a sealed Book to all but those who know them by the same Hand that originally gave them so that however common they may be in the World they are Strangers to them that understand them not And though Old respecting the Time when they were revealed to the Saints yet New to every Age. So that we assert not a Revelation of New Things but a renewed Revelation of those Things God made former Ages Witnesses of otherwise men are no more benefitted by them And to be benefitted they must be made ours by the Spirit which made them the Holy Ancients In short No Man can understand Spiritnal Things but the spiritually Discerning nor can he so be without the Inspiration of the Almighty This is Scripture Now the Author of those Queries and J. Faldo also denying Inspiration they consequently deny themselves to be spiritually Discerning And for Men not spiritual to judge of spiritual Matters much 〈◊〉 to write of them and bid their Writings go and throwdown Self-will and exalt the Truth is Vain and Idolatrous For the Scriptures themselves considered meerly as such are unable much less Writings founded on Self-Will For it s the alone Priviledge of God's Power and Spirit and no writing whatever distinct from it can perform that Great and Mighty Work in Man Now as Rude and Impertinent as this Answer may be in John Faldo's Eyes his Reply has not afforded me Light enough to see it He would prove us guilty of holding Inspiration as if to do so were a Crime From a Passage of John Story 's who rejected certain Queries exhibited against the Quakers because meerly grounded upon the Author's Imagination of certain Passages in Scripture and not any certain Knowledge or Experience received from the Revelation of the Spirit It must be left to the Reader to judge how pertinently I returned upon my Adversary Sure I am that Self-willed Queries can never throw down Self-will And to urge Scripture not experienced is to steal the words of Truth from our Neighbour Inspiration was in request after Scriptures were in the World And indeed are unintelligible without it The New Birth is never the more known for Christ's Saying to Necodemus though thereby we are taught that without it no man shall enter into the Kingdom of God It is the Spirit alone that reveals the Mysteries of Regeneration therefore to deny Inspiration or Revelation is to overthrow the only and Evangelical Way to divine Knowledge Erasmus himself could tell us What Men set forth by Man's Device may be perceived by Man's Wit But the thing that is set forth by the Inspiration of the holy Ghost requireth an Interpreter inspired with the like Spirit And without the Inspiration of it the Secrets of God cannot be known which is also the substance of the fourth Article exhibited against the Lutherans in the Council of Trent as an erroneous Doctrine they held That to understand the Scripture neither Gloss nor Comment is necessary but only to have the Spirit of a Sheep of Christ's Pasture Vetablus
Christ's eating the Supper with his Disciples just before his Death and their breaking Bread together soon after his Death Not a Year whereas the Pope showed not himself till near six hundred Years after I cannot see Friendly Reader how much more criminal I made my Adversary by charging him with saying in our Name The Bread and VVine Christ blessed is the Invention of the Pope then he hath made himself by his own Saying That we call the Lords Supper eaten soon after his Death the Popes Invention unless he should deny the Latter to be the same Sort of Supper with the former In short We cannot but repute this an Injury too apparent for John Faldo's utmost Invention to cover But that he may not suffer the Imputation of Forgery at least a very gross Perversion he thus braveth me Reply p. 70. If Pen dare deny it to be in W. Smith's Book which Iquoted three or four times over in pag. 39. I shall prove him a Deceiver to all that will but read it W. S. answers to this Question I would know Father how it is concerning these things called Ordinances as Baptism Bread and Wine which are much used in their Worship Answ Why Child as for those things they rose from the Pope's Invention Rejoynder This Citation as rankly and partially as he hath put down doth not prove that we account the Lord's Supper either as it was eaten by Christ and his Disciples before his Death or by his Disciples after his Death to be the Pope's Invention How can it since we know the Pope's Date to have been so many hundred Years after that Practice His Citation must therefore be understood of such a Baptism and such a Supper as the Apostate Church hath presumed to practice and that I put not a fairer Gloss then his own Answer will allow observe these Words and the whose Practice of those things AS THEY use them had their Institution by the Pope and were never SO ordained of Christ strongly implying that what was of Christ's Ordination was not of the Pope's Invention and Institution consequently That the Lord's Supper was neither a popish Invention nor Institution which is yet plainer from his following VVords For he did not ordain sprinkling Water in a Child's Face or to make a Sign of the Cross in his Forehead nor God-Fathers and God-Mothers to undertake for it Neither did he ordain Bread and VVine to be SO or after that Manner used and received So that nothing can be plainer then that his Reflection lies against their Manner of practizing and using them not against the Things themselves as at any time practiced by Christ or his Disciples Followers Therefore he is quite beside the Truth in telling the VVorld that he doth but apply these VVords Pope's Invention to the Name that is Lord's Supper which the Quakers apply to the Thing since we so clearly distinguish betwen Baptism the Lord's Supper Name and Thing and these Practices and Usages of them which have risen since the Apostacy Now it rests with thee Friendly Reader to pass Judgment which of us two hath acted the Deceiver to leave out a great many more of his hard VVords he that affirmed VV. Smith called that Baptism and Lord's Supper which was in Use some time as well after Christ's Death and Ascension as before the Pope's Inventions or I that affirmed and from VV. Smith's own Book have expresly proved that there was no such thing said as Primitively practiced but only as they have been since abused by the Apostate Church For the Supper it self I refer the Reader to the sixteenth Chapter of my Answer and shall only say at this Time that as it was a Commemoration or Remembrance of Christ to the Disciples who were at that Day so weak in Faith as Luke 24. 11. Mary Magdalen's news about Christ's Resurrection seemed to them as Idle Tales yet that the Service and consequently the Institution of it were of as they came to witness him the Evangelical Supper of Passover to their Souls and that we therefore discontinue it First Because the false Church hath made Market with her imitating that primitive Practice drawn the Minds of People abroad from the Heavenly Bread of Life which is only to be received within and hath been shedding so much Blood about it rendring it and Water Baptism the Seal of Christianity thereby puffing up People to believe that of themselves which they are not Next we have the Testimony of God's Spirit that he is withdrawn from such Observations that have been so much insisted on and magnified in the World Lastly and eminently we discontinue it because Christ is become unto our Souls that very Thing which it was most truly and properly the Sign of to wit the Heavnely Bread and Passover which nourisheth the Soul unto Eternal Life Where by the Way it must not be forgotten how perversly he wrongs Christ and Holy Scripture who turns this Passage Do this till I come after this strange Manner The Lord's Supper is a Remembrance of Christ's Death past NOT TO COME Rep. p. 71. wherein first he makes as if there were a Death to come Next Instead of exhorting People to look for his Coming until which he bid his Disciples practice it he turns back their Eyes from that Expectation and makes the Sign wholy to have Reference to what was past and not what was to come thereby seeking to perpetuate his Absence and bar out his Appearance implyed in these Words till I come which ends the Absence during which the Institution lasteth For the plain English of it framed into an Argument is this The Supper is to remember Christ's Death that is past but that will be alwayes past therefore it ought to be alwayes so remembred The like may be said upon the Word Remembrance for if it ought to be practised because of remembring Christ's Death then forever because his Death ought never to be forgotten Thus it perverts the Text in that it makes not the outward Supper to cease upon his Coming as John 14. 23. Rev. 3. 20. which is the Evangelical Supper till whose Coming Christ bid his Disciples do it But to continue upon the Score of remembring Christ's Death only which as I said before ought never to be forgotten is consequently to continue it upon Institution forever I shall only leave two things with my Reader and so proceed to the next Chapter first That from our discontinuing the Practice of these outward and temporary Observances J. Faldo concludes our absolute and general Denyal of them 2ly Because some of our Friends have denyed rejected and termed Popish the long Abuse of these Things he makes no Difficulty of charging us in so many Words with calling Water-Baptism and the Lord's Supper as laid down in Scripture and primitively practised Popish Inventions c. God if he please make this Man sensible of his notorious Injustice towards us CHAP. VIII Of the Doctrine of
Vail and know not any Entrance into the Holy of Holies where the Divine Vnction from the High Priest is received and the Blessed Holy Spiritual Fellowship of the Gospel is witnessed for which Glorious Dispensation we contend through all Difficulties making it our Business to promote it in the World and though it be now but as a Cloud of a Span long yet it shall spread and cover the Heavens from whence the Inhabitants of the Earth shall receive Refreshment being bedewed and covered with the Vertue and Righteousness thereof for want of which the World is as a Wilderness being over run with all manner of Impiety under a specious Shew of Religion making up that Whore of Babylon and Mother of Harlots and City filled with all sorts of Abomination against which the Wrath of God is now and will yet be more and more revealed Oh! Compassion to the Souls of Men our Brethren in the Flesh opens our Mouthes with frequent Cryes that they would come out of her lest they be Partakers of her Plagues for knowing the Terrors of the Lord we therefore perswade them to a diligent search after the one Thing necessary which shall never be taken from them I mean the Testimony of Jesus in themselves that they are his by the Washing of Regeneration For with great Sorrow I write it God he knows Unspeakable and Irreparable is the Loss Multitudes have sustained by such Carnal Conceits as their Preachers through Blindness have begot a Belief in them of and a Zeal for as sufficient to Salvation to the suspecting and open decrying under the hateful Names of Error Heresie and Blasphemy the very Soul or Substance of True Christian Religion which only brings to the Inheritance of it For us our Appeal is to God and that Impartial Generation he is now bringing forth who will have an Ear to hear and a Palate to savour and taste the Truth of this Ancient Mystery Christ in them the Hope of Glory at what time these testimonies shall be of value however dis-regarded by the false Jew and Carnal Christian of the present Age. I will end my part herein with our most solemn Confession in the Holy Fear of God That we believe in no other Lord Jesus Christ then he who appeared to the Fathers of old at sundry Times and in divers Manners and in the Fulness of Time took Flesh of the Seed of Abraham and Stock of David became Immanuel God manifest in Flesh through which he conversed in the World preached his Everlasting Gospel and by his Divine Power gathered faithful Witnesses and when his Hour was come was taken of cruel Men his Body wickedly slain which Life he gave to proclaim upon Faith and Repentance a general Ransom to the World the Third Day he rose again and afterwards appeared among his Disciples in whose view he was received up into Glory but returned again fulfilling those Scriptures He that is with you shall be in you I will not leave you comfortless I will come to you again and receive you unto my self John 14. 3 17 18. and that he did come and abide at really in them and doth now in his Children by Measure as without Measure in that Body prepared to perform the Will of God in That He is their King Prophet and High Priest and intercedes and mediates on their behalf bringing in Everlasting Righteousness Peace and Assurance forever into all their Hearts and Consciences to whom be Everlasting Honour and Dominion Amen A few Testimonies in Defence of our Sense B. Jewel Serm. upon Jos 6. 1 2 3. My first Testimony is out of that great English Author and worthy Man B. Jewel who speaking of what Christ was to the Jews in the Wilderness sayes thus Christ had not yet taken upon him a Natural Body yet they did eat his Body He had not yet shed his Blood yet they drank his Blood St. Paul saith all did eat the same Spiritual Meat that is the Body of Christ All did drink of the same spiritual Drink that is the Blood of Christ and that as VERILY AND TRULY AS WE DO NOW and whosoever then did so eat lived forever I think a pregnant and apt Testimony to Christ's being the Christ of God before his Coming in the Flesh But this being the Language of a Bishop though more then an Hundred years old Perhaps his Stomach will not digest it and therefore let 's hear what some considerable Separatists will tell us Joshua Sprig Test to an Approaching Glory Pag. 80 81 86. I beseech you therefore be not offended whenas we say That Christ according to the History of him only and according to his Ministration in the Flesh is but a Form in which God doth appear to us and in which God doth give us a Map of Salvation Thou knowest it not to be thy real Salvation except it be revealed within thee by the Spirit A map serves until a Man knows the Country There is Christ in the Flesh and Christ in the Spirit Christ in the Flesh is the Witness the common Person in whom our Salvation is transacted as in a Figure Christ in the Spirit is the real Truth and Principle of Righteousness and of Life he is the real Salvation within us Again in his Preface he saith That in that Degree that the Spiritual Administration takes place the Fleshly Administration gives place in that Measure that Christ's Second Appearance draws on us we are drawn from under his first Appearance Thus far Joshua Sprig whose Book was licensed as we have formerly said by Joseph Caril a reverend Minister among the Independents C. Goad's Last Testimony pag. 76 77. Destroy the Vail and destroy Death the taking away of the Vail is the taking away of Death Death upon a true Account is nothing but a Vail upon God who is our Life even Christ's Flesh was a Vail Ordinances are Vailes If God be our Life the less we are in these things the more we are in Life T. Collier's Discovery of the New Creation pag. 399. We have had very narrow Apprehensions of Christ and the Manifestation of the Glory of Christ limiting it to the one Man when the Truth is that Christ and all the Saints make up but One Christ 1 Cor. 12. 12. And God as Truly manifesteth Himself in the Flesh of all his as he did in Christ although the Measure of that Manifestation is different What sayes John Faldo to these things Are not we Out-done in our Expressions by profest Ministers and those of the Independent and Baptist Way shall we be stiled Blasphemers that more modestly utter our Belief whilst these Men notwithstanding pass for Orthodox I hope J. Faldo has more Reverence for J. Caryl then to question his Judgment in the License of the first and not so little Respect for the two last as to cry out Heresie Blasphemy c. CHAP. X. Three Scriptures rescured from the false Glosses of our Adversary Joh. 1. 9. Rom. 10. 3. 2
Pet 1. 19. OUr Adversary imployes his 19th Chapter in defence of his Exposition of 3 Passages in Scripture against what I offered in my Answer to be the true Scope and Intendment of them But what shall I say so lamely doth he cite me so constantly overlook me that unless he had hop'd to be believ'd write what he would or that what he writ would pass for a Reply whether it deserved to be called so or no I can see no Pretence for continuing the Controversie for either he grantâ— what we say by contradicting himself or sayes nothing to what we deny that may strictly merit our notice But let him speak for himself Reply p. 80. Vpon my Exposition of Joh. 1. 9. That was the true Light c. W. P. makes a huge Brag of the Advantage I give his Cause and thus he argues from my Words If Christ made all things then Christ was before his Appearance p. 168. and consequently Christ was and is the Word which was with God and is God and the Light of Men c. Rejoynder If he saith nothing as nothing he sayes to what he cites blame not me for I would have reported it But whether I had any Advantage or having it bragged of it will be best seen by giving my Answer as it lay If Christ be that Light which is that Word which made all things and therefore God as saith J. Faldo then Christ was before his bodily Appearance and consequently our former Chapter is justified on our Part against his Notions of the Lord 's Christ but J. Faldo expresly sayes p. 84 85. as the Word is the Light of Men so or in that Manner is Christ the Light of Men nay he calls it Christ appearing in the Flesh consequently Christ was before he took that Flesh or appeared in that Body not to constitute him or make him Christ but to transact work declare and bring to pass by and through it as a peculiar Vessel and prepared holy Instrument therefore Christ was and is that Word which was with God and is God and the Light of Men. This was my Argument grounded upon his Concessions What Advantage it is to our Cause let it answer for it self what Bragg I made I know not unless it was my calling his Acknowledgments a Justification of our fore-going Chapter I leave the Meaning of his Silence to my Reader and insert his Reply to another part of my Answer which was this And least we should yet mistake him he calls it God manifested it in the Flesh and that he might speak all for us in a little give the Deaths Wound to his own Cause he tells us in so many Words That the Salvation and Life Eternal of poor Sinners was wrapt up in Christ as God Mark his Reply Reply p. 80. Yea and as Man too yet as this excludes not his Divinity as necessary to our Salvation neither doth his Diâ—ity exclude his Humanity as necessary Rejoynder These Words Yea and Man too are added but with this woful Impertinency that they wholy contradict his Saying Salvation of poor Sinners was wrapt up in Christ as God for they imply a Denyal of Man's Salvation being wrapt up in Christ as Man and that this was his Meaning take his own Words as they ly in his own Book part 2. p. 85. And this I take to be the Import of the 4th verse 10. 1. In him was Life and the Life was the Light of Men That is the Salvation and Life Eternal of poor Sinners was wrapt up in Christ as GOD who being SO QUALIFIED was capahle of working it I say again and all reasonable Men must acknowledge I did not wrong his Meaning but gave his Sense and not mine To be sure there are no such Words as these yea and as Man too which is just as if I should say The Vnderstanding of a Man is wrapt up in him as he is a reasonable Creature being charged with a self-Contradiction should absurdly add yea and as an Animal too There needs so pointing at so much palpable Weakness His other Words about the Divinity 's not excluding the Manhood of Christ as necessary to Salvation is no part of the Question but a meer go by Slip to the Buâ—â—ness for all was necessary that God thought necessary that is instrumentally But will it therefore follow that the Salvation and Life eternal of poor Sinners was wrapt up in Instruments But let us see what he sayes at the Defence I made for my rendring of the Word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 enlightned in my Book entituled the Spirit of Truth vindicated Hear him Reply p. 81. I know not any Cause he hath to think me stumbled at his rendring 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 enlightned unless for rebuking him for wastng so many pages in quoting Authorities for that which would be granted easily Rejoynder He and his Friend H. H. are the more to be blamed that they put me to so much Expence to make good it at least he intented to grant me but his easie granting is of those things that are too hard to be kept however I accept his Acknowledgment as also of his Silence to what I writ in Defence of our Understanding the following Words so much Controverted by some Every Man coming into the World However there is one Passage that must not slip It is this Reply p. 81. The last part of my Exposition viz. Thatâ— he THAT WAS the true Light points at Christ's Appearance in the Flesh I added in his State of Humiliation This faith W. P. P. 178. stints Christ to that Appearance denyes Christ now to be that true Light that enlightens all and he might as well infer that because the Word was with God and was God therefore he is not now with God or God But to blast all in a Breath sayes he Is this your Tertullus I would have Mr. Penn more solid and pertinent or leave his scribling Humor which at this rate is fit to write to none but those that can find Refreshment by a Dutch Woman's Babbling though understanding not one Syllable upon the Conceit it comes all from the Spirit Rejoynder Whether my Answer or his Reply be more solid and pertinent I shall leave with my Readers to judge Oh how ready are Men to condemn in others what they indulge in themselves It is strange to me if my Adversary be not guilty in censuring but that hurts him more then me I say again that his Drift was to unconcern That was the true Light in any other Time then Christ's Coming in the Flesh to which I opposed about a page and a half of which he hath reported not above four Lines and those not as they lay Take it Reader briefly thus If the Word that made all things which was with God and was God was that true Light as sayes J. Faldo himself p. 84. then can it never be restrained to that Appearance as the Beginning or End of it
nay the Evangelist is not yet come so much as to mention any Thing of his Manifestation in Flesh and if we will believe J. Faldo the Verse concerns the Word Creator and not Redeemer which he stints to his Coming in the Flesh see pag. 89. But by his Interpretation THAT is not relative to his Appearance in the Flesh but to the Word which was with God and was God as p. 84. and so the Spanish Translation hath it That WORD was the true Light c. so that either the Word was not before that Appearance or if it were being that true Light that true Light was before that Appearance Therefore Man-kind may very well be said to have alwayes been enlightned by that Light or that the Word should be before that Appearance and that true Light which is the very Life of the Word or Word it self should be stinted to that Appearance is as absurd as any thing well can be Now Reader comes that part which he cited but more regularly That we should take That was the true Light c. to deny Christ now to be true Light that enlightens all because he was so is a strange Impertinency and gross Falshood In Reply to all which next to what I have already transcribed he sayes no more then this Reply p. 82. W. P. should have undertaken to prove that Christ was before that time and is now God manifest in Flesh as he was then and to those Ends. Rejoynder I did abundantly prove it in our Sence and nothing solid hath been offered to invalidate what I alledged but let it suffice that he hath granted my Charge First In denying Christ to have been either Christ or the true Light before that Time a manifest Contradiction to himself p. 84 85 86 87 88 89. of his first Book second Part. Next He therefore denyes that Christ is now the true Light because he is not at this Day God manifested in Flesh in the same Manner as he was then and thus much further that he was the true Light before that Appearance Socinianism in the abstract I do not say so in Disgrace but because he pretends to disown it For his saying I should have undertaken to prove them is absurd unless he had denyed them This with me is matter enough to impeach my Adversary of blackest Sacriledge I need add no more nor no more will I add then this The Question was not whether we affirm Christ to be that Light by his visible and bodily Appearance Life Doctrine Miracles Death Resurrection c. in this Day which he was in that But whether these Words that was the true Light did not relate to the Life of the Word which was with God and was God and consequently if he did not enlighten Men before he took Flesh in the Flesh and after his Resurrection and Ascension by his Eternal Power and God-head as the great Sun of Righteousness and spiritual Luminary of the Invisible and Intelligible World Unto which his Words bear no Relation unless it be any to deny the Question In short I told him the very next Words to those he cited That should we grant the Evangelist to refer to that Appearance Joh. 1. 9. yet it would conclude no Denyal of Christ's being the true Light that enlightens every Man that cometh into the World both before and since that Appearance because it was the most eminent breaking forth of the divine Light which doubtless had been enough to satisfie any moderate or modest Man but not satisfying him I must infer as before that his Displeasure is against our believing Christ to have enlightned before and since that visible Coming which if I understand any thing is in so many Words to deny his Divinity The next Scripture by him exposited and by me rescued was Rom. 10. 3. The Word is nigh thee c. he doth but touch upon it and gives so little of my Answer that there is scarce Head or Tail to be made of his Paragraph I will contract my Answer and give his Reply He made the Word to be the written Laws Statutes and Commandments given by Moses his first Book p. 94. I answer'd It could not be so understood for the Question was not about them but about the Commandment of Commandments and Word of Words which he resolves thus Let none say who shall ascend descend or go beyond the Seas to fetch the great Word and Conmandment but the Word is very nigh thee 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies the innermost Parts of Men whereinto the outward Commandments could never come Besides without the Word nigh in the Heart there could be no Conviction upon the Conscience c. Reply p. 82 83. W. P. puâ—s to fetch the great Word and Commandment in the Letter of the Text as the very Words of Moses A Crime to be abhorred yet frequent with him that pretends a sacred Esteem of the Scriptures In few Words to answer all Moses said of this Word verse 12. It is not in Heaven which may be said of the Book of the Law or written Word but not of Christ the Word also as I cold him before 't is such a Word as uses to be in the Mouth which is the Organ and Instrument of speaking the Greek Word for the Word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is never to be understood of Christ not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is sometimes intended of Christ the Word Rejoynder This looks more like a Reply then any thing we have had a great while yet that it only looks so will ly on our Part to show First He charges me with Forgery Let 's see what it was I said to fetch the great VVord or Commandment and the Scripture sayes to bring the VVord or Commandment Now I know no Difference betwixt fetching and bringing 't is true I added Great which of God's VVord or Commandment be not I did amiss If it be he is an idle Caviller fitter to kill Flies all day with the foolish Emperour then to write Books of Religious Controversie It is called Commandment Deutr. 30. 11. and Word ver 14. But it is not in Heaven therefore it is not Christ sayes our Adversary I believe J. Faldo knew in his own Conscience that those VVords were spoken on purpose to prevent the Excuse of being without a Commandment and that so nigh as their own Hearts or innermost Parts and not to exclude the VVord Heaven but rather thus The Word is not so in Heaven as that it is excluded your Consciences or that ye need to say who shall go up to fetch it down for it is in your Hearts to instruct you that you may do it and reprove you if you do it not God was never the less in Heaven for being nigh unto the Consciences of the Athenians which was Paul's Doctrine Acts 17. 27 28. for sayes he in the Name of their own Prophets In him we live move and
and one to whom that eminent Reformer writ many Loving and Respectful Epistles usually beginning with Clarissime Charissime and such like did both deny the Resurrection of the same numerical Body but defended his Opinion and disputed strenuously against the vulgar Notion which plainly opposeth John Faldo's But more especially The Vincent's gross Notion of The Resurrection who hath taken upon him in a large Discourse called Christ's Certain and Sudden Appearance to Judgment p. 48. 49. to write the History of it wherein he is so punctual that he doth not only tell them what Bodies they shall have but what Encounters and Dialogues are like to pass even to Scolding Railing Scratching and I know not what besides so vain and ridiculous is that Author I will wrap up these Testimonies with two Passages out of Origen in Jerome Non easdom Carnes nee in 〈◊〉 formis restinent quae fuerunt Sermina i. e. The Seed shall not restore the same Flesh nor in the same Form Again Non oculis videbimus c. We shall not see with Eyes hear with Ears act with Hands walk with Feet in that Spiritual and Ethereal Body that is promised that is not subject to be toucht or seen with Eyes nor to be weyl'd c. This and much more is urged by Jerome against John of Jerusalem Epist cap. 8. These Testimonies I have produced to shew the Arrogancy and Uncharitableness of J. F. in counting it an horrid Thing to reject his Carnal Notion of the Resurrection of the Dead and that to such a Degree destroyes if you will believe him all Hope of Immortallity most absurdly placing Eternal Felicity therein The Resurrection we own and for the Manner of it we are not inquisitive and as I told him before so again because these things run men into unprofitable Questions and a Philosophical Way of Discoursing no wayes tending to God's Honour nor the Soul's Profit and Comfort I shall decline any further or nicer Disquisition and content our selves with this that if we live holily we shall dye happily and if we walk in his Fear we shall depart in his Favour and at being unclothed of Mortallity we shall be clothed on with Immortallity and Eternal Life For God will raise all such into Immortal Life and Glory who truly dye in the Lord But we cannot but take notice of the Subtilty of God's Enemy who by casting curious intrical and unprofitable Questions about what Bodies the Dead shall rise with and bringing us under vulgar Reflections by not consenting thereto endeavours to divert the Minds of People from our most frequent and fervent pressing a part in the first Resurrection that only saves from the Power of the second Eternal Death of which let my Reader receive this friendly Warning for besides that it is a Satanical Decoy Thou Fool belongs to none more then him who acquiesses not with all humble and contented Submission in the Good Will of God whose Will be done in Earth as it is in Heaven To the Second Part of his Chapter which concerneth our Denyal of Eternal Rewards although it deserves not our notice for the Folly and Falshood it contains yet that he may not make my Silence to yield his Charge and to show that in every Point he behaves himself dishonestly towards us I shall consider that little he sayes Reply p. 89. Concerning a Reward in the World to come which I affirm they did not profess W. P. opposes rather because he would not be thought to subscribe to me then that he believes not what I say to be true Rejoynder This Man pretends to judge Hearts not only without Words but also contrary to Words I did most expresly tell him that though we own the Beginning of Heaven and Hell to be in this World who charged us with the Denyal of them any where else yet that they were but Earnests of that Compleat Joy or Torment that Men should receive as their Eternal Reward or Recompence hereafter But this passes for Hypocrisie with John Faldo's present sort of Conscience And He proceeds Reply p. 89. W. P. tells me p. 203. None ever read so J. F. quotes no such thing nay he sayes he hath searcht but to no purpose My Charge was not that they deny a Reward in another World but that they profess no such thing yet being silent to it hath a full Consequence that it is none of their Belief Rejoynder How could his Charge imply no such thing who makes our Silence upon which he grounded it to have this full Consequence that a future Heaven and Hell are none of their Belief and if not believed denyed However it makes not a little for us that he not only never read so quotes no such thing and says he hat◠searcht to no purpose but that he hath made no Reply to these words he recites out of my Answer which hath this full Consequence that for J. Faldo to charge what he has never read what he hath searcht for and could not find p. 141 142. and therefore could not quote upon us to our Scandal is unworthy of any Man pretending to Common Honesty But what doth he mean by our not professing Eternal Rewards Our not daring to enter into the secret of the Almighty What how and by whom they are to be distributed What other End have our Meetings Writings and Sufferings Must I alwayes deny Eternal Recompence where I do not expresly declare I own it How many Times in Religious Discourses will J. Faldo come under the like Imputation he cannot show me one Book that was ever wrought by any of us in which it is not abundantly implied if not most plainly expressed Were there no such thing it would belong to us above all other People to use the Apostles Words We are of all Men most miserable but God hath fixed that Hope of Immortality and Eternal Life in our Souls which all J. Faldo's Clamours will be too weak to shake But were we darker in this Point then whom none are clearer we and our Books have Moses the Prophets and their Writings to keep us company who mention it but obscurely and not so frequently and unquestionably as we do J. Faldo loves to hear talk of Heaven but despises and shuns the Way which leads to it and because our greatest Pains are imployed in bringing People into that streight and narrow Way that leads thither rather then by delicious Fables to preach them into an Hope of Heaven whilst in a State of Disobedience to God's Holy Spirit therefore is it that he concludes us not to believe Eternal Rewards that is to deny them Never did Man catch at such broken Reeds to save himself from the just Abhorrence of all sober People We deny his Carnal Refurrection therefore we must needs deny Eternal Rewards Again We do not believe Eternal Rewards if he may be credited yet he never read so much less found it so by his own Confession and therefore could never