traditions Sure there are so many footsteps of their rites in their customes of their writings in their Poets and Historians and Philosophers works There are such relations of their Philosophers travail into AEgypt besides this that the most understanding people were such as did trade with Phenicians and AEgyptians next neighbours to Israel as may give us cause to think that the cream of that knowledge they had was not from a light within them for then why should not other people as well as they have attained to it but from a light without them darted directly on Israel but from them yeelding some strictures of light and glimpses to the Greekes Italians and other people Sect. 4. The light without the written word which was in the Gentiles in the utmost extent of it was imperfect However what the Scripture makes deducible from other meanes then the Scripture or it or experience proved that the most barbarous people attained to we may safely ascribe to this natural light Of these things 1. It is certain the being of God his eternal power and Godhead might be and was known by the things which God created as the Apostle Rom. 1. 19 20. Because that which may be known of God is manifest in or to them for God hath shewed it unto them For the invisible things of him from the Creation of the world are clearly seen being understood by the things that are made even his eternal power and Godhead Psal. 19. 1. The Heavens declare the glory of God and the Firmament sheweth his handywork 2. Gods providence ordering and disposing all the motions of the creatures with incomprehensible wisdome for the benefit of the universe might be discerned from the admirable and usefull and constant order motion influx properties and operations the creatures have Psal. 19. 2 3 4. Day unto day uttereth speech and night unto night sheweth knowledge There is no speech nor language where their voice is not heard Their line is gone out through all the earth and their words to the end of the world Act. 14. 16 17. Who in times past suffered all nations to walk in their own way nevertheless he left not himself without witness in that he did good and gave us rain from heaven and fruitfull seasons filling our hearts with food and gladness From Gods creating and providing for man not only the holy Psalmist Psal. 139. 6 c. Psal. 104. and elsewhere but even Philosophers among the Gentiles have taken occasion to magnifie the divine wisdome power and goodness And yet the most witty people knew not distinctly who this God was but did ignorantly worship him under this title of the unknown God as Paul sayes of the Athenians Act. 17. 23. 3. They did or might know that God was invisible Rom. 1. 20. That he was a Spirit Aristolle terms him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an intelligence or minde Deus est animus said the Latin Poet That he knew and judged thoughts and discerned the most hidden things was known by them as their accusing or excusing themselves by their own consciences between themselves apart from others shewed Rom. 2. 15. And yet when they knew God they glorified him not as God but became vain in their imaginations and their foolish heart was darkned professing themselves wise they became fools and changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man and to birds and to four footed beasts and creeping things Rom. 1. 21 22 23. 4. They did or might know that God was to be worshipped Aristotle in his Topicks saith To dispute whether God and parents deserve honour deserves punishment All nations saith Tully l. 1. Tusc. quaest acknowledge a Deity and divine worship and yet they understood not that God that made the world and all things therein seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth dwelleth not in Temples made with hands neither is worshipped with mens hands as though he needed any thing seeing he giveth to all things life and breath and all things Acts 17. 24 25. 5. They knew that God was to be pacified by prayer and sacrifice and vowes and obedient mindes and repentance and executing of judgement as may be discerned by their carriage Jonah 1. and 3. Chapters yet knew not any thing of the great sacrifice which God had prepared to take away sin for ever and they often applied themselves to pacifie the Devil even by humane sacrifice instead of seeking peace from the true God 6. They did or might know the low condition of man in comparison of God as the Psalmist saith of himself Psal. 8. 3 4. When I consider the heavens the work of thy fingers the moon and the starres which thou hast ordained what is man that thou art mindefuil of him and the son of man that thou visitest him And infer the absolute soveraignty of God as the Apostle doth Rom. 9. 20. Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it why hast thou made me thus And as he doth conclude Rom. 11. 6. For of him and through him and for him are all things to whom be glory for ever And yet men have complained of their hard destiny and imagined God a debtour to them and that God should fulfill their pleasures as well as they do his will and self-exalring under the name of magnanimity was by Aristotle made a vertue vapouring a mans excellency 7. They might and should have known that parents are to be honoured wives to be cherished children to be nurtured justice to be administred yet many thought they might neglect parents commands to please their companions and deny them maintenance to keep an undue and rash vow and put away wives for light causes and expose their children and violate right to gain preferment and greatness 8. The Apostle tells us Rom. 2. 14 15. For when the Gentiles which have not the law do by nature the things contained in the law these having not the law are a law unto themselves which shew the work of the law written in their hearts their conscience also bearing witness or witnessing with them and their thoughts the mean while or between themselves accusing or excusing one another which proves that there was some sense of sin and duty in the most barbarous people and accordingly there was and is some kinde of government and administration of justice among them Some sins as of murther adultery robbery perjury breach of faith and trust parricide and some other sins have been judged to be horrible evils which they durst not commit Abimelech Gen. 20. 5. durst not use Sarah when he knew she was Abrahams wife and yet he thought he should have been innocent if she had been but his sister Either by instinct of nature or by tradition from Adam adultery was judged a horrible crime when simple fornication sodomy and other uncleanness were reckoned as no faults by the Gentiles which knew not God 1 Thes. 4. 5. Parricide was counted such a
the mean time by that which hath been said 1. It is necessary for our good that we should be sensible of these two things 1. That sin is an imbittering thing that takes away the relish and pleasure of all the goods we have under the Sun and of our very lives themselves Agag thought if he had escaped death then bitternesse had been overpassed and therefore he came to Samuel delicately 1 Sam. 15. 32. But experience shewed that there is often more bitternesse in life then in death Nor is it likely to be otherwise as long as sin remains for that 's a root of bitternesse Heb. 12. 15. a root that beareth gall and wormwood Deut. 29. 18. While there is sin in our eating and drinking there will be bitternesse in our meats and drinks While there is sin in our nuptials there will be bitternesse in our marriage society All states and conditions here will have their frets their gnawing worms and eating mothes When God corrects man with rebukes for iniquity he makes his beauty to consume away like a moth Surely every man is vanity Psal. 39. 11. 2. That we have little cause to glory in our birth It is the property of many to boast of their birth it is the manner of all Parents to rejoyce at their childrens birth But the sense of sinne should take away our glorying in our selves the sight of our black feet should abate our high conceits of our white feathers and the sense of trouble should allay the excesse of our joy in posterity and rather provoke us to imitate them that wept at births and sang for joy at burials Were it not that God makes women forget their travell they would breed no more and were it not that God hides from the eyes of men the evils that accompany life they would choose strangling rather then life and were it not for the consolations of Christ the burdens especially of the godly would be unsupportable especially when they complain with Paul Rom. 7. 24. O wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from the body of this death Earth is but a reall dungeon though to some it is an imaginary Heaven 2. It is necessary 1. That we seek our good in other enjoyments then this world Who would make his bed upon thornes Who would choose his dwelling on the mast of a ship where winds and stormes and perpetual tossings take away all rest Surely our best enjoyments our best habitation here are no better We project many things and promise much to our selves in Wealth Wife Children Friends Houses Preserments and other things but upon a just account we find all but ciphers which make no summe How often doth Solomon tell us when he had cast up his reckonings that vanity of vanities all is vanity Eccl. 12. 8. And why should we set our eyes then on that which is not Prov. 23. 5. Surely the true light holds sorth better counsel Luk. 12. 33. Provide your selves bags which wax not old a treasure in the heavens that faileth not where no chief approacheth nor mâ—th corrupteth a treasure of Gospel grace the new Covenant the heavenly Promises the Communion of Christ the fellowship of the Spirit and the life of Faith and these will never deceive our expectations It were a good wish if righly minded by the users God send us the light of Heaven 2. Let us prize the light of Christ and make use of it to prevent lessen hear deliver us out of all the present evils Paul had learned to do so Phil. 3. 12 13. I know how to be abased and I know how to abound every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungery both to abound and to suffer need I can do all things through Christ that strengtheneth me It is indeed the inlightening of Christ which clears up all to us in the most stormy and cloudy day it will make us look abroad and travell with strength in our journey and run the race which is set before us and after Pauls sad complaint take up with his conclusion I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord Rom. 7. 25. O death where is thy sting O grave where is thy victory The sting of death is sinne and the strength of sinne is the Law But thanks be to God which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ 1 Cor. 15. 55 56 57. Every man hath Light from Christ sufficient to make him inexcusable SERM. V. Joh. 1. 9. That was the true light which lighteth every man that cometh into the world Sect. 1. A Natural Light from Christ is yeilded to be in every man and the Opinions of Freewillers of its sufficiency are set down LIghting every man that cometh into the world is meant either of such light which is by Christ as Creatour termed natural and this is conferred upon all men without exception of any person or of such light as is by Christ as Mediatour and this is conferred though not on every single person yet on all sorts and Nations of men and it is termed supernatural Concerning the former sort of light it is yeilded that there is natural light from Christ given to every man who comes into the world by humane birth ' This light is the light of reason and knowledge agreeable to humane nature which if it were not conferred on every man he should not be rational but should be degraded into the rank of beasts It is true which the Psalmist saith Psal. 49. 20. Man that is in honour and understandeth not is like the beasts that perish But this only shews that man by extinguishing his light doth brutifie himself not that he was without all natural light in his originnl All experience shews that each person even the most natural fool hath some light of reason by which he can apprehend some things pertaining to humane being and some way expresse his mind though in respect of civil or moral or religious affairs he be unteachable All the difficulty is how farre it extends in all or may be improved by them that use it best In this matter there have been various opinions The Pelagians of old are said to have held that each person had so much ability by his own free-will and by his natural light as that he might love God and keep the Law and resist temptations though after by Councils and the writings of adversaries they were driven to yeild a necessity of teaching and outward proposition of divine truths to men to that end Some of the Schoolmen and later Papists do hold that each man hath so much light and power in him that if he do what he can God is ready or bound to give him grace necessary to salvation And this way go Arminians and other assertors of the power of free-will in them that never heard of the Gospel of Christ preached to them conformably whereto in the Pagans debt and Dowry p. 20. it is said
grace hereby Do they hold that common supernatural light outward and inward objective and inherent is given to many at least of the unsanctified that live under the preaching of the Gospel And who contradicteth them in this Do they hold that as the Sun is appointed in nature to be the light of every man that cometh into the world though some parts of the earth were never illuminated by it and blind men partake not of its light and the night or shutting our eyes or windows may exclude it so Christ is by office the Sun in the world of grace giving men actually all the gracious light they have and being sufficient himself to enlighten all and giving them an illuminating Word which is sufficient in its own kind to do its own part though many are blind and many for their sin are deprived of the communication of this light Why all this we maintain as well as they Do they say that all this light within us and without us is to be hearkened to and obeyed Why what man did they ever speak with that 's a Christian that denieth it But if they make mans Reason in faculty or act or any of this inward light to be Christ personally within us and deny any Christ but such a one that is essentially one with such a light that is with every wicked man we abhor this Infidelity and blasphemy and marvell that such hellish darknesse should have the face to assume the name of light If they maintain that the common Reason of the world is sufficient to bring men to the Faith of Christ without any other kind of light from the Spirit or written or preached Word I would fain be resolved in these few Questions Q. 1. How comes it to passe that all Nations that never heard the Gospel are utterly void of Faith in Christ when the Nations that have the Gospel do generally know him more or lesse Q. 2. Why did not the world believe in Christ even generally before his coming if Reason was then a sufficient Light Q. 3. Why did Christ preach himself while he was on earth if the people had all sufficient Light before Q. 4. Why did he send his Apostles to preach through the world if the people had sufficient Light before Q. 5. Why did he set Pastours and Teachers in his Church if all have a sufficient Light within them Q. 6. Why do the Quakers go up and down teaching men their own Doctrines if all men have sufficient Light already Q. 7. Why do they cry out against us as being in darknesse when all men have sufficient Light within them Q. 8. Will they pray for more light and grace or not If not they are impiously proud If yea then it seems they have not yet light and grace sufficient Q. 9. Whereas they say the light within is sufficient if obeyed Our Question is Whether it be sufficient to make men obey it For that 's the grace that we are speaking of that causeth men to hearken believe and obey For Faith is not of our selves but it is the gift of God And mens hearts must be opened as Lydia's was Act. 16. to hear and receive the truth revealed Now to say that the Light or Grace which is given to cause us to Believe and Obey is sufficient if we will believe and obey is ridiculous as if Christ should have said to Lazarus I will raise thee if thou wilt first raise thyself Q. 10. But how can any Light be sufficient were a man never so obedient to reveal that which is not manifested by it or by any Revelation that doth accompany it No Light or Revelation among the Heathens in America doth tell them that Christ was incarnate dyed rose ascended or intercedeth for us or is the King Priest or Teacher of the Church or will raise the dead and judge the world How then can their light be sufficient to help them to the belief of this I think it 's past controversie that no man hath sufficient Grace for salvation till his last breath For if God adde not more for his preservation excitation and perseverance all will be lost But this point which Quakers most insist on the Reverend Author hath very judiciously handled in this Treatise and therefore I shall say no more of it The truth is here opened to the shaming of their errours with great Scripture evidence which impartially considered may easily convince all that believe the Scriptures and make it appear that the Light that is in these men is Darknesse Luk. 11. 35. Though the difference and too-eager Disputations between the Reverend Author and my self about the point of Infant-Baptism be too well known yet it is our desire that it be as much known that we desire to hold the Unity of the Spirit in the bond of Peace as Members of the same Head and Body uniting our force for the common Truths against the pernicious adversaries thereof And though we own not in each other or our selves the discerned errours of doctrine or life which through humane frailty we may be guilty of Neverthelesse whereto we have already attained we desire to walk by the same Rule and mind the same things hoping that if in any thing we be otherwise minded God shall reveal even this unto us Phil. 3. 15 16. I think it is time for men that have any sense of the common interest of Christianity and Reformation to lay by those contentions that have brought us so low and almost made us a prey to the common Romish adversaries The Lord grant it be not too late The two great works of the Jesuites in England are to procure Liberty for the Profession of Popery and to weaken if not take down a fixed able Ministry They cannot do this work of themselves without the help of men professing a zeal for Reformation But how much they have promoted it by such hands and how much they are likely further by them to promote it I had rather lament with daily tears than open to a generation of deluded souls that will not believe they are doing the work of the Devil and the Pope till they find themselves in Rome or the Inquisition It astonisheth me to foresee if a wonder of mercy do not prevent it how these contetious souls will be worryed by their consciences and ready even to eat their flesh when they see by the conjunction of forreign and Domestick Papists the Cause of Christ once trodden down in the hand and see how they betrayed the Gospel of their Posterity into the hands of tyrannous Idolaters and how the familistical Juglers of these times made use of them to set up Popery Which â—ow is the work that is already so farre carried on that all our endeavours if united are like to be little enough to prevent We are not so childish as 'to fear lest Quaking should become the National Religion We know these squibs will soon be out But those that animate
the soul assures its happiness but he that knows not the way of Christ nor whereto it tends is afraid of death and judgement to come is doubtfull whether he have any interest in God fears the mention of Hell of the Devil of the coming of Christ turnes Quaker at the sight of an armed man whines like Adrian the Emperour when his soul was departing 6. A man without the light of Christ can do no spiritual work as he should As he that is in the dark can neither thresh corn nor make his clothes nor plow nor sowe nor do other necessary usefull works So it is with him that 's not enlightened by Christ he can neither pray nor praise God nor do any other holy work or manage any business that pertains to Gods glory and Christs kingdome A dark Dungeon is a miserable place to live in and no less or rather a thousand times more miserable is it to be excluded from the light of Christ. 2. If Christ be light then should our eyes be towards him Light is attractive of our eyes It is a pleasant thing to behold the Sun it is that which Infidels adore as God Should not we magnifie the Lord Jesus as the Sun of Righteousnesse Should not our eyes and our hearts be drawn after him Sould not our souls adore him He is the Son of his Fathers love Col. 1. 14. and should he not be of ours The Church the Spouse of Christ saith he is all desires Cant. 5. 16. and so doth every soul that knows him He is the highest born Prince of great Majesty of most noble disposition of most loving nature of incomprehensible beauty of superlative power of largest Empire of most ample riches there 's not the thing to be named which is desirablé which is not Christs Oh then that we could fall in love with Christ long after him remember him with delight hearken after all the tokens of his appearing inquire into his walking places Shall people travell far throng much be at much cost to see a gracious Queen Shall besotted Papists take a long and dangerous pilgrimage to see Christs pretended Vicar though sometimes a most horrible monster more like the Devil then Christ and shall not our hearts travell after Christ and converse with him Sure no excuse will be taken sith there can be no reason alledged for it for those that dote on men and women and gold and pearles and yet forget Christ are inamoured on pictures and neglect the living beauty of Heaven the Lord of Glory Be wise therefore O ye Princes and people of the world kiss the Son worship love rejoyce in wait on follow the Image of the invisible God the Heir of all things in comparison of whom let all sublunary beauties be as dirt and all the precious things of the earth be as dung to you Christ the True Light SERM. II. Joh. 1. 9. That was the true light which lighteth every man that cometh into the world Sect. 1. Christ no counterfeit Light HOw Jesus Christ is Light hath been shewed how he is the True Light is next to be cleared It is said of him whose Name is called the Word of God Revel 19. 13. that he was called faithfull and true ver 11. And in reference to him it is said 1 Joh. 2. 8. The true light now shineth Now Christ is said to be the true light 1. In respect of his being which is usually termed Metaphysick truth 2. In respect of his sayings which is Logick or Moral truth In the first sort of truth Christ is said to be the true light 1. To distinguish him from those which were counterfeits and feigned lights For true is opposed to that which is only in pretence but not really such Our Lord Christ saith Joh. 10. 8. All that ever came before me are thieves and robbers that is were not true lights meaning this not simply of all not of Moses of whom it is said Isa. 63. 11. Then he remembred the daies of old Moses and his people saying Where is he that brought them up out of the Sea with the shepherd of his flock Nor of David of whom it is said Psal. 78. 72. That he fed Israel according to he integrity of his heart But of such as the Prophet Zechariah ch 11. 17. saith We to the idol shepherd that leaveth the flock Such as were the false Prophets among the Jews the Scribes and Pharisees and Lawyers in and asore Christs time who instead of being sent by God came of themselves ran and he sent them not yet pretended a Mission from God In like sort Paul saith 2 Cor. 11. 13 14 15. For such are salse Apostles deceitfull workers transforming themselves into the Apostles of Christ. And no marvell for Satan himself is transformed into an Angel of light therefore it is no great thing if his Ministers also be transformed as the Ministers of righteousnesse But the Lord Christ came from the Father John 16. 28. was sent by him Joh. 17. 3. He spake not of himself but the Father which sent him gave him Commandement what he should say and what he should speak whatsoever he spake therefore even as the Father said unto him so he spake Joh. 12. 49 50. So that he was not a light by usurpation imposture disguise or transformation but by a true Commission as sealed by his Father Joh. 6. 27. sanctified and sent into the world Joh. 10. 36. Sect. 2. Christ more then a typical Light 2. Christ is the true light in contradistinction to those which were only Types or Shadows representing Christ to come The word true is used in this sense Heb. 8. 2. A Minister of the true Tabernacle that is not only of that shadowy Tabernacle which was only a parable or figure for the time present as the expression is Heb. 9. 9. but the reall Tabernacle for an Image of which that Tabernacle was made Again Heb. 9. 24. it is said Christ is not entered into the holyes made by hand which were figures or antityps of the true but into Heaven it self where the holy place of the Tabernacle is made the antitype and representative and Heaven the true holy place In like manner there were lights in the Tabernacle there were lamps and lights of pure oyl burning in the Tabernacle there was fire at the Altar which at first came down from Heaven and these were shadows of things to come but the body is of Christ Col. 2. 17. And in this sense also truth came by Jesus Christ Joh. 1. 17. There is mention of seven lamps of fire burning before the throne which are the seven Spirits of God Rev. 4. 5. But this hinders not but that Christ might be shadowed by the lamps in the Tabernacle and the fire on the Altar sith that which was signified by them the inlightning the people of God who are the holy Priesthood of God and the making ready the Sacrifice that it might be accepted with God was
work self-denial heavenlynesse faith hope in God and whatever else is amiable and imitable He went about doing good and healing all that were oppressed of the Devil Act. 10 33. He did no sinne neither was guile found in his mouth when he was reviled he reviled not again when he suffered he threatned not but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously 1 Per. 2. 22 23. The real of Gods house did eat him up Joh. 2. 17. It was his meat do do the will of him that sent him and to finish his work Joh. 4. 34. He was the good Shepherd that laid down his life for his Sheep Joh. 10. 11. Having loved his own which were in the world he loved them to the end Joh. 13. 1. Though he were their Lord and Master yet he washed his Disciples feet ver 23. 24. Though he was rich yet for our sakes he became poor that we through his poverty might be rich 2 Cor. 8. 9. Being in the form of God he made himself of no reputation but took upon him the form of a servant and was made in the likenesse of men and being found in fashion as a man he humbled himself and became obedient unto death even the death of the crosse Phil. 2. 6 7 8. He pleased not himself but as it is written the reproaches of them that reproached God fell on him Rom. 15. 3. The Son of man came not to be ministred to but to minister and to give his life a ransome for many Mat. 20. 28. In all these things and in all other his words and deeds he did shine forth so clearly that even his enemies could not but acknowledge him to have been a holy and just person even before Pontius Pilate he witnessed so good a confession 1 Tim. 6. 13. that Pilate who condemned him yet acquitted him from fault and the malefactor that suffered with him testified that he had done nothing amisse Luk. 23. 4 14 41. 3. Christ did inlighten now in this time as the expression is Mark 10. 38. after his resurrection untill the day in which he was taken up by giving Commandments through the Holy Ghost unto the Apostles whom he had chosen to whom also he shewed himself alive after his passion by many infallible proofs being seen of them fourty daies and speaking of the things pertaining to the Kingdom of God Act. 1. 2 3. 2. After his departure out of the world into Heaven he was and is an inlightening light now in this time mediately 1. By sending of the Holy Spirit whom he promised to send to the Apostles from the Father even the Spirit of truth which proceedeth from the Father and that he should testifie of him Joh. 15. 26. And guide them into all truth that he should not speak of himself but whatsoever he should hear that he should speak and would shew them things to come he should glorifie Christ for he should receive of his and should shew it to the Apostles that all that the Father had were his and therefore he said he should take of his and shew it to them Joh. 16. 13 14 15. Which was accordingly accomplished when the holy Spirit was given to them and those Prophets and other Teachers whom Christ gave to his Church were endued with the Holy Ghost after his ascension To whom and to the rest of Believers the holy Spirit is given as the earnest of their Inheritance and thereby the eyes of their understanning are inlightened that they may know what is the hope of his calling and what the riches of the glory of his Inheritance in the Saints Eph. 1. 14 18. Who receive not the spirit of the world but the Spirit which is of God that they might know the things which are freely given them of God 1 Cor. 2. 12. Because they are Sons God sends forth the Spirit of his Son into their hearts crying Abba Father Gal. 4. 6. 2. By the sending of Apostles and other Teachers into all Nations of whom in that respect he said Mat. 5. 14 15. Ye are the light of the world A City that is set on an hill cannot be hid Neither do men light a candle and put it under a bushel but on a candlestick and it giveth light to all that are in the house Ephes. 3. 8 9. Paul saith of himself To me is this grace given to inlighten all men as the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies being the same which is used Joh. 1. 9. And indeed Christ when he ascended up on high led captivity captive and gave gifts to men some Apostles and some Prophets and some Evangelists and some Pastours and Teachers Eph. 4. 8 11. who were Angels of light and being placed on high hills in great Cities and on Candlesticks in many Churches were eminent lights in the world So that was said of the Heavens Psal. 19. 4. was verified of them Their sound went into all the earth and their words unto the ends of the world Rom. 10. 18. By which light the unfruitfull works of darknesse to wit the wâ—les of the powers of darknesse in their Idolatries and other wickednesse was discovered and innumerable souls brought out of the power of darknesse into the Kingdom of the Son of God From whose light succeeding Teachers by preaching the Gospel and baptizing Believers which the Ancients called inlightening many millions of people through the Romane Empire and other parts of the earth became Christians and were added to the Children of light and these Teachers are termed Starres in Christs right hand Rev. 1. 20. Lastly In the world to come as the phrase of Christ is Mark 10. 30. As the lightening that lighteneth out of the one part under Heaven shineth unto the other part under Heaven so shall also the Son of man be in his day Luk. 17. 24. Then shall he put on his glorious apparel and deck himself with light as a garment and being attended with all the Angels of light shall come in the glory of his Father and raise up the bodies of all the Children of light and bring them to the light so as that those eyes which were boared out for acknowledging him shall see him riding on the clouds of heaven triumphantly and they themselves shine as the Sun in the Kingdom of the Father And then he shall be our noon-light we shall know as we are known 1 Cor. 13. 12. Sect. 7. Christ inlightens by reason of his own lustre and his Fathers design to to shew him to the world The Reasons why Christ is thus an inlightening light are 1. From his own property he being light of himself is as all light is apt to communicate his light to the world As the property of the fire is to burn and the property of water to moysten so it is the property of light to shine forth Nothing is more diffusive of it self and apt to shew it self to others then light Darknesse hides things but light makes them appear As the Prince of
that by a faithfull and carefull use of those natural abilities that light of reason conscience and understanding which every person of mankind under heaven receiveth from God he may and shall receive from him yet further that which shall be of saving import and consequence to him Not much short of these is that French divine of much note who maintains universal grace objective though not subjective that is though there be not such an universal working by illumination or other operation of the Spirit of God so sufficient or effectual as to beget saith in every one yet there is so much revealed to every man even those that have not heard of Christ as might if they would apprehend it beget faith in God to salvation Sect. 2. The Opinion of the Quakers concerning a Light within each man is inquired into Out of the Principles of these men whether instilled by Popish Emissaries which have crept into the English Armies and Churches or some other way that sort of people who now go under the name of Quakers from their usual quaking before they began to speak thereby deluding the people as if they waited for a Revelation from God though most of their speeches of all of them have been their usual invectives against Preachers and pressing men to follow the light within them these people I say have drawn their tenet of an universal light in every man that cometh into the world without Bibles Preachers Church-communion Christian Ordinances to know his duty so as that he may be perfect which is indeed the reviving of old Pelagianism or worse and tends to the making of Christian Religion if not all Religion whatsoever unnecessary Those who heretofore or at this day maintain this universal sufficient light besides these Quakers are many of them subtile disputants and do set down their opinion distinctly and argue for it acutely though they decline the expresse owning of Pelagius his grosser expressions and Puccius his natural faith and Hurberus his universal election But the Quakers as they are for the most part destitute of that art of reasoning so they decline all conference in which they may be pressed to state the point in difference distinctly and to deliver their proofs and answer objections but instead thereof by clamour and reproaches which please their silly followers they reject all motions tending to a fair debate of the point in controversie Being desirous to know what they held one of them brought to me James Nailors Book termed A salutation to the seed of God and Love to the Lost which being in many passages obscure I delivered to him that brought me the Book fifty five Queries to be answered by them yea or no as the person had required of me to answer his Queries The Answer though made by one formerly known to me as a person of some ingenuity and learning yet was framed otherwise then I required declining to answer affirmatively or negatively to the Question as by me propounded but shifting off a plain Answer and instead thereof venting personal invectives Yet to my third Question which was thus Do you believe that those men who were never taught the Doctrine of the Law or of the Gospel of Jesus Christ have commonly a light within each of them which may guide them to the true knowledge of God and his waies unto everlasting life Omitting his words of obloquy thus he answered The Law is spiritual and there is no Nation or people into which the sound of it hath not come and the Gentiles which had not the letter were a law to themselves shewing the effect of the Law written in their hearts And Christ is the true light which lighteth every man that cometh into the world with a spiritual light the one loves this light and brings his deeds to it and by this light is led from his evil deeds into the knowledge of God who is life eternal in Christ to know the other hates the light because his deeds are evil and loves darknesse rather then light and there is his condemnation And their sound who were Ministers of this truth went into all the earth and their words unto the ends of the world Rom. 10. 18. In which Answer there is not an expresse resolution of the Question but sundry shifts to avoid a plain Answer as 1. Whereas he asserts that the Law is spiritual Rom. 7. 14. which is the Law of the ten Commandements or the last Precept of the ten and the Apostle ver 9. saith I was alive without the Law once which intimates that he was once without the Law that is without the right knowledge and understanding of it And Rom. 2. 14. the Gentiles of whom my Question was are said twice not to have the Law yet this Answerer asserts There is no Nation or people into which the sound of it hath not come and to avoid the objection arising from the words useth this expression And the Gentiles which had not the letter whereas the words are expresse they having not the Law 2. He patcheth together different Scriptures Joh. 1. 9. Joh. 3. 19 20. as if the light communicated by Christ coming into the world were the same with that with which in his sense he lighteth every man that cometh into the world not heeding that if every man that cometh into the world had a light sufficient to guide him and that even the Gentiles of whom Paul saith Gal. 4. 8. that they knew not God had a spiritual light and that thereby some were led from their evil deeds into the knowledge of God who is life eternal in Christ to know then none were in darknesse contrary to Paul Ephes. 5. 8. none were without Christ or without God in the world contrary to Paul Ephes. 2. 12. then Christ need not come into the world to inlighten men nor sond Ministers of this truth into all the earth sith they had this light before Christ was come into the world to inlighten them with spiritual light and if Christ doth inlighten with this spiritual light every one that cometh into the world there are none but come to the light they having it within them and it doth reprove their deeds whether they will or no. But it is no marvell that men that boast so much of light within them shew so much darknesse of mind in their expressions it being true of them as Christ said of the Pharisees Joh. 9. 41. Because ye say We see therefore your sin or blindnesse remains However it may be hence gathered that this is their conceit That every man that cometh into the world even the Gentiles that had not the letter by which he meanes the holy Scriptures or Bible or any Preacher or Teacher to instruct them out of it yet had from Christ a spiritual light and that one loves this light and brings his deeds to it and by this light is led from his evil deeds into the knowledge of God who is life eternal in
the mystery which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God who created all things by Jesus Christ. Hence in the setting down the great mystery of godliness 1 Tim. 3. 16. this is one chief point that God was manifested in the flesh Preached to the Gentiles and believed on in the world For which reason it is said Tit. 2. 11. that the saving grace of God hath appeared or shined to all men and so Christ inlightens every man that cometh into the world with spirituall saving light Sect. 3. There is not sufficient direction in the acts of Gods common providence to lead men to the knowledg of Gods grace in Christ. How all spirituall light is derived from Christ and how he inlightens all sorts of men with it hath been shewed before in some measure Yet it is to be observed that he inlightneth Jews and Gentiles differently the Jews by his own personall Preaching and example the Gentiles by his Apostles and the gift of his Spirit instead of his personall Preaching There is another way which as I said before hath been conceived by some that God vouchsafed to the Gentiles before Christs comming in the flesh and in like manner he doth now to those who never heard the Gospell in an universall calling to the knowledge of his grace in Christ by his beneficence and patience towards all men and by the ordering of the Heavens and other Creatures in the world which are objects fit to induce men to enquire after a Mediator and the Gospel and that thereby men men might find out that which might lead them to faith and this hath been styled universall objective grace Against this opinion besides what is before said may be objected 1. That it is said Acts 11. 18. When they heard these things they held their peace and glorified God saying then hath God also to the Gentiles granted repentance unto life which shews that they gathered that God had granted repentance unto life to the Gentiles in that the Gospel was sent to him and not by any thing that before was vouchsafed to them therefore they judged not that repentance was granted to life by an universall calling in the view of Gods providence before If any say Cornelius was a praying believer before it is granted But 1. he was but a single person 2. he was a Proselyte of the gate and came to the knowledg of God not meerly by use of naturall abilities but by the Law and the Prophets which acquainted him with the promise of Christ. If it be said that Rom. 2. 4. it is said Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and long suffering not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance it is granted but it doth not follow therefore that the bare observation of Gods goodness patience and forbearance was a sufficient direction to lead them unto repentance unto life which could not be without the intervention of that Mediator and sacrifice who could not be discerned by that direction alone 2. If there had been such a direction to come to God the mystery of the Gospel and the grace of God could not be said to be kept secret since the world began and made manifest to all Nations then by the Scriptures of the Prophets Rom. 16. 25 26. it had not been the hidden wisdome of God in a mystery as it is termed 1 Cor. 2. 7. Which was from the beginning of the world hid in God Eph. 3. 9. From ages and generations Col. 1. 26. but had been revealed before by his patience goodness and forbearance and the frame and ordering of the Creatures contrary to those texts If it be said that the Apostle saith Rom. 10. 18. But I say have they not heard yes verily their sound went into all the earth and their words unto the end of the word It is answered that though the words as they are Psal. 19. 4. are meant of the motion and illumination of the Heavens yet the Apostle by way of allusion makes use of them only to shew that since the Apostles Preached the Gospell the Word of God was made known to all Nations for the obedience of faith as it is Rom. 16. 26. and this to be his meaning appears from v 14 15 16 17. whence the hearing mentioned v. 18. appears to be of the word of faith by Preachers sent who bring the glad tidings of good things Preach the Gospel of peace and their feet are therefore beautifull If it be said that Col. 1. 23. the Gospel is said to be Preached in every Creature under Heaven I grant that the particle in the Greek is which commonly is translated in but there it is to be translated to being redundant as not only by the use of the phrase Mark 16. 15. to which it is likely the Apostle had reference but also by the words may appear sith the Gospell Preached is said to be heard by them of which Paul was a Minister and were it to have the sense which those which read in would have it should not be restrained to every Creature under Heaven sith in the Heavens according to their sense the Gospell is as much if not more Preached as in every Creature under Heaven 3. If there had been a sufficient direction in the ordering of the Creatures and acts of divine providence to bring us to God then the counsell of God might have been found out by man if he had used his naturall abilities faithfully and carefully But the Apostle doth expresly deny this 1 Cor. 2. 9 10 11 12. saying not only that they have not entered into the heart of man but also that they are the deep things of God revealed by his Spirit not to be known but by it as no man knowes the things of man but the spirit of man that they are freely given of God and we receive his Spirit to make them known to us 4. If there had been a sufficient direction in the acts of divine common providence towards all men to lead us to the enquiery and knowledg of Gods grace in Christ then there had been an universall calling thereby But the Apostle denies mens calling to the communion of Gods grace to be universall 1 Cor. 1. 9 24 26. therefore there is not an universall objective grace or sufficient direction in acts of common divine providence to lead us to Gods grace If it be objected that it is said that the Gentiles held the truth in unrighteousness because that which ought to be known of God was manifest in them or to them for God hath shewd it unto them I answer it is true and the next v. 20. shews that if 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 be to be read not what may be known but what ought to be known of God as that Author would have it yet v. 19. it is not said all that ought to be known of God was revealed to them not the counsell of Gods grace in reconciling