whereof is by me but of all this mans commendations this is the most high and admirable that followeth in his Epistle aforesaid where he saith So that in respect of us this Angel of the Church speaks as one standing already in the quire of Angels or as an Angel come down from heaven among men to give us some account of what they are doing above These words import not onely immediat new revelations I do not say of new Evangelicall Truths not declared in the Scripturs for I acknowledg none such but also great abundance of them And yet if we will believe the Presbyterian Confession of Faith published by the assembly at Westminster where S. R. himself was a Member Those former wayes of Gods revealing his will unto his people are now ceased see Chap. 1. sect 1. And sect 6. They exclude all new revelations of the Spirit and they tell us the whole counsell of God concerning all things necessary for his own glory mans salvation faith and life are set down in Scripture 5. And amongst other Scripture Testimonyes they abuse to favour this corrupt doctrin they cite Heb. 1. 1 2. God who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in times past unto the Fathers by the prophets hath in these last days spoken to us by his Son c. And their scope in this place is to prove from these words that there are no prophets that is to say no men divinely inspired or immediatly taught of God in our days but I have shewed in my book of Immediat Revelation that this Scriptur doth not prove that prophecy or prophets that is to say men divinely inspired who preach and teach by divine inspiration and as they are moved of the holy Ghost are ceased in our days more then in the days of the Apostles For if it could prove such a dispensation to be ceased now it would prove it to be ceased then even in the days of the Apostles and that the Epistle to the Hebrews was not divinely inspired which is absurd yea this Scripture rather proveth mor clear revelation then formerly under the Law God now speaking to 〈◊〉 by his Son or in his Son Christ Iesus who is in his people and liveth and walketh in them and also speaketh in them But now if the Presbyterians think that this place doth prove that Prophets are ceased how comes it that they think S. R. not onely a Prophet but a great Prophet for he that is a great Seeâ— is a great Prophet for the Prophets are called Seers in Scripture And for a further proof that the Presbyterians think that men do not speak in our days by divine inspiration see Iames Durâ—am in his Exposition on the Revelation pag. 1. where he telleth us that the words of the Revelation are the last words which God hath spoken unto his Church Sad tidings that for above this sixteen hundred years God hath spoken no words to his Church or hath had no Prophets since Iohn who wrot the Revelation but Iohn himself was not of that mind nor belief for he prophecyed of two witnesses that should prophecy a thousand two hundred and sixty days even all the time of the Apostasy also Iohn heard many voyces coming out of heaven long after him and he telleth us not onely of the presence of the Son of man in the midst of the golden candlesticks but also of his voyce which was the sound of many waters also he saw the new Ierusalem coming down from God out of heaven and that theâ— of this city should see his face and not need tâ—e light of a candle nor of the sun becaus the Lord God shall inlighten them which divers Protestants understand of a Church upon Earth pâ—rticularly Thomas Brightman who doth expresly affirm that the goodness of God shall shine forth in â— greater manner then can be ascribed to any means so that men shall appear Divinely inspired But if God hath spoken no words to his Church since Iohn's days his words being the last how comes it that this Presbyterian threatens us with S. R. his predictions or of what he did foresee would fall upon the heads of the forsakers of the Presbyterian Church For if this prediction of his be not from the LORD we have no cause to fear yea we know by blessed experience it was not from the Lord for since we left that corrupt way of the Presbyterian worship and their corruptions in Doctrin and Disciplin we have found the more abundant blessings of God from heaven to fall upon us and we have enjoyed more of the presence of Christ since our separation from such a corrupt Church then ever formerly we knew yea many of us that knew nothing before our separation what the enjoyment of Christs presence was are now come to know it since we were separat from them as a National Church although we are not nor ever were in spririt separated from these few scattered ones amongst them that fear or love the Lord in the least measure these are our little sister that we pray unto God for often and we have unity with them in every good thing that is in them and are only separated from the evil where ever it is in our selves and in all persons every where And the Lord hath let us see in his divine Light that the nationall Presbyterian Church at her best was never a purely constitut Church nor ever had the pure forme of the Gospell Church according to the pattern in the Mount nor was the doctrin of the Gospell purely taught among them onely some things they taught but they did not know the Truth in some of the most Weighty doctrines of the Gospell And when the Lord raised up a sinceer Ministry directing to a more pure way of worship and preaching the doctrin of the Gospell more purely then any of the Presbyterian Preachers did I mean some of our brethren whom the Lord sent among them faithfull labourers indeed divers of whom since have put of the Earthly Tabernacle and their soules are at rest with the Lord I say when these came among them they opposed them and stirred up the people against them and such of the people who received them and their testimony they excommunicated in the west of Scotland and none were more active and industrious in stiring up both people and Rulers in that day to banish imprison and persecute the true Servants and Prophets of the most high God then the Presbyterian Ministry so sadly were they deâ—erted of God both in England and Scotland and the common objection that both Teachers and People made against our Friends in those dayes was this who gave yoâ— a call to come and preach among us and when they saw that many of them were unlettered men as to the Languages and Heathenish Philosophy they cryed out against them as not being fitt to teach and when our Friends answered they mere taught of God immediatly by the divine iâ—spiration of
come down from heaven whereof men must eat and drink to the end that they may live by Christ Iohn 6 51. I am that living bread which came down from heaven If any man eat of this bread he shall live for ever And the bread that I will give is my flesh Now many understood not that saying in that day as many at this day do not understand it for they thought he had spoken of Earthly flesh and blood and therefore they were offended and said How can this man give 〈◊〉 his flesh and blood to eat Whereas Jesus understood it of his heavenly flesh and blood therefore he said unto them Doth this offend you What if ye shall see the Son of Man ascend up where he was before So that Christ was the Son of Man before he descended that is to say true Man for Son of man is a Syriack phrase signifying man Compare with this Iohn 3 13. No man ascendeth up to heaven but he that came down from heaven the Son of man which is in heaven see also Eph 4 9 10. Now in that he ascended what is it but that he also descended into the lowest parts of the Earth He that descended is the same that ascended farr above all heavens that he might fill all things And this will yet further appear if we shall consider what Paul writes of this mystery 1 Cor. 10 3 4. that the Fathers to wit the people of Israel long before Christ came outwardly in the flesh did all eat the same spirituall meat and did all drink the same spirituall drink for they drank of the Spirituall Rock that followed them and that Rock was Christ. Nor can it be said that it must be understood figuratively to wit the Rock signified Christ for we read no where in the Scriptur of any Rock that followed the people in the wilderness as outwardly that was a figure or type of Christ but Christ himself was that Rock that followed them And certainly if the Saints before Christ came outwardly in the flesh had â—ot eat of the flesh of Christ and drunk of his blood they could not have had life by him but they had life by him and therefore they did eat his flesh and drink his blood And therefore Christ had flesh and blood to wit heavenly and spirituall even from the beginning on which the Saints in all ages did feed even from the beginning such as Adam and Evah Abel Henoch Noah Abraham c. And seing Christ had flesh blood from the beginning he was man from the beginning for as God simply he can not have flesh and blood For God is a Spirit therefore it is the flesh and blood of Christ as he is Man or the Son of Man as Christ said unless ye eat the flesh of the Son of man c. 4. All which prove effectually that the Man Christ Jesus was from the beginning and if the man Christ Jesus had not been from the beginning it would follow that the Church all along from the beginning had wanted a Mediator and Head for it is the Man Christ Jesus united with the Godhead of the Logos that is the Mediator betwixt God and man as Paul declared 1 Tim. 2 5. and the Head of every man is Christ and the head of Christ is God By Christ Paul in this place 1 Cor. 11 3. understandeth the Man Christ which he placeth as a middle between God and men so that God is the head of every man But it is most absurd to suppose that the Church and Saints all along untill Christ came outwardly in flesh wanted a Mediator and Intercessor or that they wanted a head for even as the naturall body can not live without its head so nor can the Church which is the body of Christ live without its head which is the Man Christ Jesus 5. But let us descend more particularly into particular places of the Old Testament and we shall see the same truth confirmed abundantly Prov. 8 23. I was anoynted from the age from the beginning so the words should be translated the Hebrew word nissakti signifyeth anoynted and is so rendered by Buxtorf in his Lexicon and also by the English Bible Psal. 2 6. in the margine I have anoynted my King upon my holy hill of Zion the Hebrew root is the same in both places and both places are to be understood of Christ as is generally confessed 6. Now Christ signifyeth Anoynted and it is the Man Christ that is Anoynted with the Holy Spirit and not the Word or Logos which is God himself for the Godhead anoynts not the Godhead but it is the Godhead that doth anoynt the Manhood of Christ which Manhood hath been Anoynted from the beginning and therefore the Man Christ hath been from the beginning who is Gods Anoynted King and the Head of his Church in all Ages the First and the Last even the first-born of every creature who said to the Jewes Before Abraham was I am and it was the Man Christ that said this to the Jewes and of him John the Baptist thus declared Iohn 1 30. there cometh after me a man that is preferred unto me for he was before me and this was the man Christ of whom he spake Again let us consider Psal. 110 1 3 4. The Lord said unto my Lord sit thou at my right hand untill I make thine enemys thy footstool and ver 3. from the womb before the morning-star I have begotten thee so the Septuagint and Vulgar Latin which doth little differ from the Hebrew it self in this place And vers 4. Thou art a Priest forever after the order of Melchizedek Now that Christ as man is here understood and not simply the Logos or Word I prove First becaus here are two Lords The Lord said unto my Lord the Father speaking unto the Man Christ for indeed the Man Christ is a distinct Lord from the Father as he is a distinct Being and Substance as Man and as Man he is a Lord and King who said All power in Heaven and Earth is given me of my Father but the Word simply considereâ— is not a distinct Lord from the Father becaus not a distinct Being or Substance Secondly it is the Man Christ that is Gods high Priest and not the Word barely considered for a Priest is one that prayeth unto God for the People and mediats oâ— interceeds betwixt God and them but the Word barely considered can not doe this becaus he is noâ— a distinct Substance or Being from the Father whereas the Man Christ is a distinct Being although not divided or separated from him and if he be â— Priest forever then from the beginning and consequently Man from the beginning according to which the Apostle said Iesus Christ the same yesterday to day and forever Yesterday that is from the beginning to day that is at present and for ever that is in all time and ages to come This is the promised Seed which God
a Christian indeed but a tast of the sweetness of Christ come and see will speake best to your Soul This plainly implyeth that Christ is present even to them who are not Christians indeed seing to tast of the sweetness of Christ is that onely which makes one who is not a Christian indeed to be a Christian. But beside all this I shall cite some express testimonys for Christ his being in the Saints See 1 part Ep. 43. It 's not for nothing that it 's said Coloss. 1 27. Christ in you the hope of glory I will be content of no pawn of heaven but Christ himself And 2 part Ep. 1. I have good confidence Madam that Christ Iesus whom your Soul throug forrests and mountains is seeking is within you Many more testimonys may be cited but these may suffice to prove that this great Seer in the Presbyterians account did believe that not onely the Graces and Comforts of Christ are in the Saints which are as it were his train and attendants but that he himself is in the midst of them And if it be replyed that by Christ his being in the Saints he meant is God not as Man as we understand it 12. To this I answer 1. God or the Word or Logos singly considered is not Christ but the Word incarnate or the Word made flesh and planted in us For Christ signifyeth Anoynted and it is the Man Christ that is Gods Anoynted and indeed we can not see nor tast nor smell nor feel of the naked Deity of Christ nor converse with Christ simply as God but as God-Man or the Word incarnate and the Presbyterians commonly teach that there is no accesse to God nor communion with him but through the Mediator Christ Jesus as Calvin himself teacheth for thus he writeth on the Hebrews cap. 1 ver 2. That God is no otherwise revealed to us then in Christ for there is so great a brightness in the essence of God that it blindeth our eyes till it shine upon us in Christ. Whence it followeth that we are as blind men to the Light of God unless it shine to us in Christ. By this it is clear that Christ importeth somewhat beside the essence of God which is his Manhood or as he is the Word incarnate But 2. The Presbyterians now adays would not onely exclude Christ as Man but even as God out of his Saints for they are greatly offended at Iohn Owen an Independent Teacher who in his book on the Perseverance of the Saints hath affirmed that the Holy Ghost himself doth really indwell in the Saints so that not onely the graces and gifts of the Holy Ghost but he himself is an indweller in them and is united unto them and they to him and for this Caudry a Presbyterian hath found fault with him And 3. I shall produce some of S. R. his own words and leave them to the Reader whether they do not hold forth somewhat of the truth of that which I plead for although I believe he had not a distinct and explicite understanding of it See 2 part Ep. 38. I know said he God is casten if I may so speak in a sweet mould and lovely image in the person of that heavens-Iewel the Man Christ and that the steps of that sâ—eep ascent and stair to the Godhead is the flesh of Christ the new and living way Surely these words import no lesse but that Christ as Man although not as to his external person yet in some other mysterious way is present with the Saints on Earth seing they can not see God as in himself but as he is to be seen in that lovely image of the Man Christ whose flesh is the steps and stair to the Godhead And therefore we must have that flesh in us else we can not ascend to any true communion with him in our hearts 13. But again see a more express testimony that the Man Christ is in the Saints buddeth forth blossometh and beareth fruit in them part 3. Ep. 13. But the Plant of Renown the Man whose Name is the BRANCH will budd forth again and blossome as the rose and there shall be fair white flourishes again with most pleasant fruits upon that Tree of Life a fair season may he have Grace Grace be upon that blessed and beautifull tree under whose shaddow we shall sitâ— and his fruit shall be sweet to our tast Again see 3 part ep 8. Iesus that flower of Jesse set without hands getteth many a blast yet withers not becaus he is his Fathers â—oble Rose casting a sweet smell through Heaven and Earth and must grow and in the same garden with him grow the Saints Now I would ask the Author of the Postcript Do these words of S. R. hold forth a false Christ or another Jesus then the 〈◊〉 Jesus the Son of Mary If they do not then why doth he accuse the Quakers as holding another Christ onely becaus they speak of Christ in them as formed in them budding and growing and bringing forth fruit of Life who is the Plant of Reâ—own the BRANCH the Tree of Life the incorrupâ—ible Root the Seed and Word Ingrafted And surely it is impossible to understand how the Man Christ Jesus casts a sweet smell through Heaven and Earth if he is not present both in Heaven and Earth Again see 1 part Ep. 127. If Christ bâ—d and grow green and blossome and bear seed again in Scotland and his Father send him two summers again in one year and bless his crop O what cause â—ave we to rejoyce in the free salvation of our Lord and to set up our banners in the Name of our God! I have cited these passages the rather becaus many Presbyterian Teachers as wel as others when they hear or read such words as proceeding from us namely that Christ is a Seed or Plant of Life in us growing sprouting budding blossoming and bearing fruit and that this Heavenly Seed and Plant is a tender Plant as he is so called in Scripture that is bruised and wounded by mens sins and hindered to bring forth fruit in them that give place to sin but groweth strong and becometh exceeding fruitfull in all them that joyn to it and love it and deny those things that are contrary to its nature such as all kinds of sin are then they cry out horrid blasphemy this is to deny the true Christ of God the Son of Mary 14. But if these expressions be found orthodox in S. R. I hope they are not blasphemous in us seing we hold forth no other Christ Jesus but the same that all the Saints believed in and was of Mary and David according to the flesh and before them and the Father and Lord of them according to the Spirit who is the Saints hiding-place in all ages as it is written Isaiah 32 2. And the man to wit the Man Christ shall be as an hiding-place from the wind and a covert from the tempest as rivers
foolish and groundless distinction that they have borrowed from the Popish School-men The Scriptur telleth us nothing of this nicity yet we do acknowledge the person of Christ. 10. And if by Person they understand his manhood or the man Christ Iesus we believe that Christ is man and a singular man that is to say he is not two or many men but one onely man as also he is singular for the excellency of his nature even as Man 11. So that whatever excellency any other man hath in his nature Christ hath the same and also far greater and more excellent in his who is the heavenly Man or Lord from heaven the second Adam that is a quickening Spirit whereas other men in comparison of him yea Adam the first Man is but of the Earth Earthly So that as farr as the most high heavens do excell the base and low Earth so farr doth Christ even as Man excell all other men and that not onely in accidents as the Popish school-men and the Presbyterian Teachers following them do teach but in nature and Substance And therefore as the Heavens do influence the Earth and make it fruitfull by the virtue that proceedeth therefrom so the heavenly Man Christ Iesus doth influence all other men by his Light and Life that they may be fruitfull in holiness and righteousuess and who remaine unfruitfull it is not for want of the Life and Spirit of the Heavenly Man as not influencing them but becaus that by unbeliefe they harden their hearts against his Heavenly breathings and influences And this distinction betwixt the very nature of the Soul and Spirit of Christ as man amd that of the soules of all other men is clearly held forth by Paul according to the wisdom given him of God that whereas the Soul of any other as namely the Soul of Adam was made a living Soul the second Adam is a quickening Spirit who quickens both the Souls and bodys of other men who in faith receive his quickening life and Spirit and whatever virtue the Souls of any other holy men have to quicken others they have it not of themselvs nor yet immediatly of God the Father but they derive it from the heavenly man or second Adam Christ Jesus who hath it immediatly of the Father who is the Mediator between God and Man even the Man Christ Iesuâ— 12. And this doth manifestly hold forth a substantial dignity and excellency in the nature of the Man Christ Jesus even as a man above the nature of all other men and Angels which the Papists and Presbyterian Teachers do both deny 13. And thus it may appear how much more we do esteeme of the Manhood of Christ Iesus then either Papists or Presbyterians SECTION VIII 1. The fourth accusation is false for we owne no other Iesus Christ but him who was born of the Virgin Mary 2. He was the true Christ of God before 3. That the man Christ Iesus was from the beginning 4. Some Scripturs brought and opened to prove this as Eph 3 9 Joh 6 38. 1 Cor 15 47 48. Joh 3 13. Eph 4 9. 1 Cor 10 3 4. the same proved from 1 Tim 2 5. and 1 Cor 11 3. 5. Christ was anointed from the beginning Prov 8 23. Psal 2 6. 6. The Man Christ before Abraham and John the Baptist. 7. Some more Scripturs opened as Psal. 110 34. Amos 2 13. Heb. 6 6. Rev 11 18. And some more Scripturs opened out of the Old Testament to prove that the Man Christ was from the beginning as Gen. 32 24. Gen. 19 24. 8. That the outward flesh and blood is not properly the Man but the Soul or inward man 9. More Scripturs opened out of the Old Testament as Ezek. 1 26 27. Dan. 7 9. 10. Christ his Soul and heavenly flesh and blood from the beginning 11. The Soul Life or Spirit of the Heavenly Man doth as far extend as his heavenly flesh and blood even to all the Saints 12. Though they have not the center or root of his Soul and Life in them but onely a measure ray or emanation of it 13. The Scripture no where saith that Christ did take his Soul but onely his outward flesh of the Virgin and so according to the flesh he was onely the Son of Mary David and Abraham by virtue of his outward conception and birth The fourth Particular whereof he accuseth us is that we deny Iesus the Son of Mary to be the alone true Christ. 1. This is a false accusation We own no other Jesus Christ but him that was born of the Virgin Mary who as concerning the flesh is the Son of Mary and the Son of David and the Seed of Abraham 2. And yet he was the true Christ of God before he took flesh and before he was the Son of Mary or David or of Abraham for his being born of the Virgin Mary made him not to be Christ as if he had not been Christ before But he was Christ before even from the beginning as I shall prove clearly out of Scripture Eph. 3 9. it is said expressly that God created all things by Iesus Christ. Now if all things were created by Jesus Christ then Jesus Christ was before all things for the cause is always before the effect at least in order of nature But to this they object that by Iesus Christ is meant the Word onely in this place whereas the Word onely is not properly the Christ but the Word as cloathed with the Manhood or the Man as united with the Word And so I answer that the Word onely is not properly the Christ without the Manhood but it is the Word made Flesh or made Man And therefore seing the Apostle by the Spirit of God hath declared that all things were created by Jesus Christ and that Jesus Christ signifieth properly the Word made Flesh or made Man it is clear that according unto the Apostle the Word was mad flesh or Man even from the beginning 3. And this will yet more appear by comparing this place with other places of Scripture as Ioh. 6 38. For I came down from heaven not to do mine own will but the will of him that sent me Now Christ spake this not simply as the Word or as God but as Man for as God he had no will of his own distinct from the will of the Father for the Father and the Word have but one onely will whereas the Man or Manhood of Christ hath indeed a distinct will which yet is always in union with the will of the Father And seing Christ spake this as Man it is clear from his own words that as Man he came down from heaven and was Man before he descended to take part of our flesh in the Virgins womb and therefore Paul calleth him the Second Adam the Lord from heaven and that heavenly Man 1 Cor 15 47 48. Also it is clear that Christ himself speaketh in the 6 of Iohn of his flesh and blood that did
and their hearts inclined by the Lord to joyne with us in the same Testimony 8. Now as concerning Iohn Livingston whose exemple this Author commendeth to be imitated who when a certain perâ—on of that Profession being his former acquaintance came in love to visit him and also to give him true information concerning that people if ther had been place in him to receive it did in a most rude and Unchristian way refuse him accesse into his house yet having nothing justly wherewith to charge him and when he inquired of him what was the reason of his carrying so towards him he told him that he had joyned with a people that held blasphemous principles and when he again inquired what these blasphemous principles were he would not give an instance in one particular but found fault with him for speaking the plain Scripture language of Thee and Thou which Christ and the Apostles used to one person and of this rencounter B. F. a merchant in Rotterdam and I my self were both eye and ear-witnesses then present in company with the said person and it is a certain truth that this was the first time that Iohn Livingston spake with the said person after he was of that profession and yet he rejected him plain contrary to the Apostle upon supposition that he had been an heretick as he was not an heretick after the first and second admonition reject And wherein also he dealt contrary to many of his own brethren who have judged it their duty to speake with such and conferre with us and the Apostle willed that in meekness we should instruct them that oppose themselvs if peradventure God may give them repentance 9. But our great defence is that we are not Hereticks nor our principles heretiâ—all but truly Christian and Apostolick and it is the height of injustice to condemn us before we get a fair hearing and opportunity as often as need is to clear our selvs which neither this Author nor I. L. have ever given us And therefor I leave it with all sober people to consider whether this practice of I. L. doth not more resemble the Pope who forbids to converse with Protestants or read their bookes as being in his sense damnable Hereticks then either Paul or Iohn or Christ who often reasoned with the Srciber and Pharisees his greatest enemies and Paul disputed with the Iewes and Greek Philosophers that opposed themselves to the truth and bid reject none but such as were self-codemned which neither 〈◊〉 Author nor I. L. could justly say of any called Quaker 10. And here again I cannot cease to wondeâ— how this Author cryeth up Iohn Livingston and giveth him no less tittle then if he were another Elijah while he falleth out into such an exclamation â— saith he to see some on whom this Elijahs mantlâ— is faln c Which words plainly import that I. L. was a Prophet and had the same Spirit of Prophesy that Eliâ—ah had which is enough to make a mans teeth to water to perceive their pride and insolency on the one hand and there confusion and self-contradiction on the other while they plainly teach as I have already observed that the Spirit of Prâ—phecy and immediat revelation and teachings of the Spirit are generally ceassed since the Apostles dayes as for I. L. himself whatever he was in former times sure I am in his latter dayes he was much in the dark otherwise he could not have so mistaken and misjudged us as he hath done if his habitation had been in the Light he would have seen and known better what wee had been But to passe this it doth not a little discover him to have been but a weak and cowardly man that at the meer will and command of men went over sea and subscribed his sentence of banishment with his own hand as others likewise did which the Author of Ius Populi doth plainly acknowledge I challenge the Author of the Postscript to shew me where any of the true Prophets of God or Ambassadours of Christ did such a thing surely this was no Propheticall act but rather a renuncing of all true obedience unto God not only to desert his â—lock but promise never to return to them nor to his native countrey on paine of death without leave of men Now put the case that God had commanded him by immediat revelation or given him an immediat message to return as he had wont to give immediat messages to Elijah did he not here bind himself up not to goe or else to make himself a transgressour guilty of death by his own hand-writting And if it â—e said there are no such immediat messages to be expected in our dayes then for shame let them forbear comparing him to Elijah or telling us of I. L. 〈◊〉 mantle 11. Surely it appears to me his mantle was â— cowardly Spirit which hath fallen upon many of them that they are runn away from their â—locks for they were not sent prisoners over sea but went away to shun greater sufferings and I. L. in his letter to his parishoners a little before his death is so ingenuons as to confess he failed in his duty in not bearing a faithfull Testimony before them who sentenced him and yet I find not that he ever mended this fault although he lived many years afterwards however he is now before his Judge and far be it from me to conclud he has not found merâ—y with God nor should I have med-led with him if the great injuâ—tice of the Author of the Postscript had not constrained me and put me on a necessity so to doe But what if the Author of the Postscript knew noâ— so great an Ambassadour left behind upon Earth Surely there are many greater and more true Ambassadours then ever he knew and how did he know that he was a true Ambassadour I suppose he wiâ—â— not deny his words to imply that I. L. was a very holy man 12. Now I ask him how doth he know this what is his rule in this case Not the Scripture for it 〈◊〉 nothing of such a man and as for the markes of true holiness how doth he know that they werâ—â—eally applicable to him seing an 〈◊〉 goe â—he length of all outwards and he can not know â—he inwards of a man without immediat revelation â—ndowning the Spirit to be the rule contrary to the Confession of faith and Catechism that say The Scripture is the onely rule and immediate revelation 〈◊〉 ceased SECTION VII 1. An Account of all the particulars upon which the Author of the Postscript layeth the whole stress of his accusations against us being eight in number 2. The first accusation false 3. We own Christ to be true and perfect God and true and perfect man 4. His God-head is not his man-hood yet the man Christ is God by reason of the most wonderfull union betwixt the two Natures 5. The Christian Quakers free of the errors of Socinians Manichees Apollinarians Nestorians and other Hereâ—icks
our necessitys yet we can no otherwayes receive his help but as it comes to us by the conveyance of the Man Christ Jesus our alone Mediator 9. Thirdly My third reason which is mainly for my present purpose and which alone is enough to conclude is because it demonstrats this great blessed Truth to wit that the Man Christ Jesus is really present in and among us and consequently every where I do not mean by his externall or outward person for that is ascended into Heaven but in virtue of his Divine Life and Spirit or Soul extended into us in his Divine Seed and Body which is his Heavenly flesh and blood wherewith he feedeth the Souls of them that believe in him I say Our worshipping the Man Jesus and praying unto him doth plainly demonstrate that he is really present in and among us and with us as his Name Immanuel doth signify not onely as God but as Man for it were a most absurd thing to worship an object that is altogether absent as the Manhood of Christ is according unto these Presbyterian Teachers We know how the Prophet Elijah mocked Baals worshippers with a Godly zeal and indignation on this account as supposing him in their account as an absent God Cry aloud said he for perhaps he is asleep or hath taken a journey As for us God forbid that we should worship an absent Christ or call upon a Saviour to help us in whom we do not believe as really present 10. Sure I am they who pray unto him and yet do not believe him to be present and have not some sense of his presence are real Idolaters for they pretend to worship an object which wanteth a property altogether essential to an object of Divine worship that is real presence 11. Nor is it enough for them to say he is present as God but not as man for if the Man be not present he is not to be worshipped and if he be to be worshipped as most certainly he is then he is present for this is one of the great motives of worship and prayer that he whom we worship and call upon is present to help us as David called him â— present help in time of trouble and we are commanded to come and worship before his presence 12. But again Our praying to the Man Jesus doth imply that he doth really heare our Prayers and is really sensible and perceptive of them and that not onely when we use vocal prayers but also when we pray onely in our most secret thoughts Now it is impossiâ—le that he could hear us and be sensible of our prayers and especially of our thoughts if he were not immediatly present in us and with us For to say that his God-head doth reveal our prayers and thoughts unto the Man-hood doth no wise answere the strength of this reason for hearing and perception are immediate acts of the soul and reach unto the objects immediately or the objects unto them but what is made known by revelation simply doth not so reach and that cannot be properly called hearing our prayers or being sensible of them As suppose that God should reveal immediatly to a man in Persia or China that I am praying here at such a distance that man could not be said to hear me praying or be sensible of the very breathings of my soul as when the Lord revealed to Ananias that Saul who after was called Paul did pray yet who will say that Ananias heard Paul pray at that time Surely this is such a slender and deceitfull evasion answer as the Papists use commonly to give when we bring this reason against their praying unto Saints and Angells to wit that they do not nor cannot hear our prayers every where becaus they are not every where present nor can be becaus of their limited capacity they tell us that they read ouâ— prayers in the mirrour or looking glasse of the Deity or have them revealed unto them immediatly by God which answer the Protestants most deservedly reject for that is not properly to hear 14. And indeed none is fit to be a Mediator but he that immediatly heareth our prayers and hath a sense of the breathings and yearnings of our souls towards God and is touched with the feeling of our infirmitys as Christ Iesus our high Priest really is for said the Apostle Hebr. 4. 15 16. we have not â—n high Priest which cannot be touchea with the feeling of our infirmitys but was in all points tempted like 〈…〉 yet without sin let us therefore come boldly unto the 〈◊〉 of grace that we may obtaine 〈◊〉 and find grace to help in time of need Here observ how he makes this the reason why we should come 〈◊〉 â—nto the throne of grace even becaus 〈◊〉 have an high Preist that is not of so A damantine a nature nor yet so remoâ—e from us as that he cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmitys and therefore he hath a real feeling of them which is more 〈…〉 the Prophets mantle fell and this was a figure of this great mystery for Christ the greatest of all Prophets when he ascended he let fall his mantle upon his disciples to wit a plenteous emanation of his spirituall and divine Body and Life the proper vehicles and conduit of the Holy Ghost and of God himself so that they came to be wonderfully indued with the Holy Ghost and indeed that which Jesus Christ hath left with us of his Divine Body and Life is Gods Throne of Grace or Heavenly Throne on which God sitteth and to which we have access while we are here upon Earth that is of the same nature with that above and one intire being with it the Altar the mercy seat The Cherub on which God rideth as it is Psal. 18. 9 10. He bowed the heavens also and came down and darkness was under his feet and he rode upon a Cherub 〈◊〉 did flee yea he did flee upon the Spirit so the Hebrew This Cherub is the Man Christ Iesus the heavenly rayes of whose Spirit Light and Life are his wings on which the most glorious and most High God doth ride and bring speedy deliverance to his afflicted Saints in all ages And Christ also is 〈◊〉 heavens that God boweth to wit the Heavenly Man that most willingly boweth and obeyâ—â—â— the Fathers commands in all things who is the Man of Gods right hand by whom he doth all things 〈◊〉 heaven and Earth he belâ—g his most immediat and most universall instrument and organ of operation in all things in heaven or Earth or under the Earth and therefore to him must every 〈◊〉 bow whether in heaven or earth or below the earth 15. But I shall more particularly prove that 〈◊〉 Man Jesus even in the dayes of his flesh did knoâ— the thoughts of men from express testimonies 〈◊〉 Scripture Math. 12. 25. and Iesus knew their thoughâ— see also Luk. 6. 8. and John 2. 24 25. But 〈◊〉 did not
a comfortable then 〈◊〉 is a true doctrin that we have the Man Iesus Christ 〈◊〉 near unto us in virtue of his Divine Life and Soul in his Divine Seed and Body extended into us and thus he is the Incarnat Word or Word made flesh â—welling in our flesh and is made like unto us for as we are flesh so he is flesh also but of a more excellent make or creation And thus he is the Brideâ—room and Husband of our Souls to whom we may approach and whom we may kiss and imbrace and handle with the hands of our Soul and whose glory we may behold even the glory of the Word made flesh and dwelling in us Whereas the glory of the Word as it was in God before it became flesh or cloathed it self with the heavenly Manhood no eye of Angel or Saint ever could or can behold for the Glory of the Word simply considered in God out of the Manhood of Christ is God himself without any middle or Mediator 8. And this none hath ever seen or can see no not the most glorious Angels but it is the Word made flesh or God made manifest in flesh to wit in the Heavenly Flesh or Manhood of Christ that is the alone proper and adequat object of the contemplation and enjoyment of the most glorious Angels as wel as of the most Holy Souls as Paul declared Great is the mystery of Godlyness God manifest in thâ— flesh c. seen of Angels Observe here it is not God simply but God manifest in flesh that is seen of Angels and is believed on in the world although he was both seen of Angels and believed on in the world long before he was manifest in that outward body of Flesh which was also a most glorious manifestation and excelleth in glory all the outward manifestations that ever were or shall be but the Angels and Saints did really see him before that nanifestation in outward flesh and the Saints do now really see him although his outward body and external person be not now present for us to behold 9. Yet the Word Incarnate or made flesh and called by Iames the Ingrafted Word we do really see for it 〈◊〉 in us and unlesse it were made flesh or incarnate it could not be ingrafted into us for all ingrafting or implanting requireth some similiâ—ude or analogy of nature and substance therefore we can not graffe an apple or cherry-graffe upon stone or iron or bare earth by reason of the great unlikenesse and distance of their natures and yet the Word simply and nakedly considered in God before it was made flesh is more unlike unto us and in nature more remote from us then an apple is from stone or iron Therefore to the end that the Word may be ingrafted into us and we again ingrafted into it the Word must be incarnate or become flesh as we are for all men are a sort of flesh and so called in Scripture in comparison of God that is purely a Spirit and though the Souls of men 〈◊〉 Spirits yet comparatively as unto God they are as it were flesh And thus the Word is become flesh that is to say hath advanced a step or degree nearer unto us then as it was in God before any thing was made and the Word was first of all made flesh to be the Root and Foundation of all other created beings and for which they are created 10. For it is a more noble creation then all things else and is 〈◊〉 this creation as the Apostle declared expressly Heb. 9 11. the words not of this 〈◊〉 should be translated not of his creation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and therefore some think fit rather to call it an emanation from God then a creation to speak strictly which I shall not dispute about for it rather is a strife about words then in the thing it self Now when I say that the Light Life and Spirit of the Heavenly Man Christ Jesus is not in us as in respect of its Fountain and Center or Spring but onely by way of emanation or participation we deriving it from that Central Light and Life that was in him that was born of the Virgin Mary 11. I do by no means acknowledg or understand that the Deity had onely its Center in that Man and from him doth ray into us for the most Blessed and Glorious Deity properly hath no center and rays distinct by way of emanation but rather is all Center according to that noted saying of Hermes Trismegist God is a Circle whose centâ—â— is every where and is no where circumscribed And therefore the Blessed Deity is as centrally and essentially in us as in the Man Christ Iesus 12. But still as in respect of union manifestation and operation and also in respect â—f communion and fellowship the Man Christ Jesus or Word Incarnate is the onely and proper middle and Mediator betwixt God and us so that whereâ—â— God is immediatly united with the Man Christ Jesus no other men or Angels have or indeed are capable to have an immediat union with God their union is onely mediat with God and so their communion and fellowship with him is but mediat also by the means of Christ Jesus although in respect of other means it is immediat And of this I found needfull once for all to acquaint the Reader to prevent his misâ—â—ke SECTION XII 1. How much more truely we own aud esteeme the Manhood of Christ then the Author of the Postscript or his Brethren 2. A testimony of Luther for the Man Christ his being every where 3. Another Testimony from those who imbraced the Aungustane Confession in that Treatise called Liber Concordiae that Christ as Man is really present with the Saints on Earth 4. The Lutherans grosse errour in the manner of this presence hath given occasion to many to deny the Truth it self becaus they could not understand the manner 5. The manner offered in this Treatise most consonant both to Scripture and Reason and almost to Sense 6. How Iohn saw the Son of Man in the midst of the golden candlesticks after his Ascersion 8. How Christ 〈◊〉 the ladder by which we ascend unto God 8. The Nephesch and Neschamah of Christs Soul distinâ—guished 9. Christ his spirituall coming in his Saints as the Son of Man Maâ—th c 16 ver 28. 10. A Testimony of Calvin that Christ as Man doth sanctify us and give us Grace 11. Some testimonys from S. R. his Epistles that Christ is in the Saints not onely by his Graâ—es but by himself 12. Another Testimony of Calvin 13. That S. R. speaketh of the Man Christ his being in the Saints 14. Many call that hâ—rrid blasphemy in us which they commend in S. R. and others of their own Teachers which is great injustice and partiality 15. Christ his knowing the heart of the Samaritan Woman and curing the woman of Canaan of her issue of blood proveth the extension of his Soul and Life or Spirit
aforesaid as he is the Heavenly Man 1. ANd thus it may appear how much more truely according to the Scripture and our own blessed experience agreeing most exactly with the experience of the Saints of old we own and esteeme of the Manhoâ—â— of Christ Iesus above whatever the Author of the Postscript or his Brethren did acknowledg who would exclude the Heavenly Man or Second Adam Iesus Christ altogether out of the very Saints whereas the Second Adam is the quickening Spirit that raiseth up both Soul and body into Life as Paul declared 2. And indeed Luther did conceive a most just indignation and zeal against them such as this Presbyterian is who exclude the Manhood of Christ out of the Saints and confine it to one place For thus he writeth in his Larger Confession of the Supper of the Lord. Absit autem ut ego talem Deum agnoscam aut colam ex his enim consequeretur quod locus spatium possent duas natur as separare personam Christi dividere quam tamen neque mors neque omnes diaboli dividere aut separare potuere Et quanti tandem obsecro pretii esset talis Christus qui unico tantum loco simul divina humanâ— personâ— esset in omnibus voro locis dunâ—axat quidem separatus Deus aut divina persona esset sine assumptâ suâ humanitate In English thus Far be it from me that I should acknowledg or worship such a God for hence it should follow that place and space could separat the two naturs and divide the person of Christ which neither death nor all the devils could ever doe And I pray of what worth were such a Christ who â—n one onely place should be both a divine and humane person together but in all other places should be God separat or a divine person without his assumed humanity 3. And also those who embraced the Augustan confession in that Treatise called Liber Concorâ—â—a where they give a new declaration of some articles in that confession upon the head concerning the person of Christ speak their mind very notably in these following words which expresse the very something upon the matter as to the generall that 〈◊〉 plead for Quare perniciosum error om esse judicamus quando Christo juxta humanitatem Majestas illa derogatur Christianis enim eâ ratione summa illa consolatio eripitur quam è promissionibus paulò antè commemoratis de presentiâ inhabitatione capitis Regis summi sui Pontificis haurire poterant Is enim promisiâ— non modò nudam suam divinitatem ipsis praesto futuram quae nobis miseris peccatoribus est tanquam ignis consumens arridissimas stipulas seâ— ille ipse homo ille qui cum discipulis loquutuâ— est qui omnis generis tribulationâ—s in assumptâ— suâ humanâ naturâ gustavit qui eâ de causâ nobis ut hominibus fratribus suis condâ—lere potest se in omnibus angustiis nostris nobiscum futurum promisit secundum eam eciam naturam juxta quam ille Frater noster esâ— â— nos caro de carne ejus sumus In English thus Wherefore say they we iudge it to be a hurtfulâ— error when that majesty is derogated from Christ according to his manhood for by that means thâ— most great consolation is robbed from Christians which they could have drawn from the promises a little before mentioned concerning the presence and â—ndwelling of their head King and high Priest For he promised that not onely his Godhead should be present with them which to us miserable sinners is as a fire consuming most dry stubble but the same that man who spake with his disciples who tasted all kind of tribulations in his assumed manhood who for that cause can be grieved with us being also men and his brethren did promise that he would be with us in all our afflictions also according to that nature by which he is our Brother and we are flesh of his flesh 4. But the Lutherans conceit that the externall person of Christ not onely virtually but formally is in every place yea the wole in the whole and the whole of it in every part is so absurd and repugnant unto rational perception that from this many have taken occasion unjustly to deny the Truth it self becaus they did not see how this manner of the Lutherans of the ubiquity of the man Christ could consist with Reason 5. Whereas the manner offered by me is most consonant both to Scripture and Reason yea and almost to Sense it self for there are sensible examples by which we may illustrate the manner of it as namely that of the stream of Light that floweth from the candle and filleth the whole house while as the body of the candle it selfe is but in one place 6. And what doth that firy streame or river signify that issued and came forth from the Ancient of days but the extension of the Life and Spirit of Christ as he is the Heavenly Man And as John Rev. 1. describeth him is a wonderfully Great man even that Son of man whom Iohn saw after his ascension in the midst of the golden candlsticks even he that liveth and was dead ver 18. to shew that it was the Man Christ and he had in his right hand seven starâ—â— which are expounded to be the seven Angels or Pastors of the seven churches This showeth it is not his externall person or outward body that is here described for it is impossible to conceive how he can hold a number of men in the right hand of his externall person Therefore by his right hand is signified his power as he is the great Heavenly Man which can wel hold all the men that ever were in the world 7. Also this wonderfull extension of the Spirit of Christ as Man in his Divine body and Seed is most clearly described hy Christ himself Iohn 1 51. Verily verily I say unto you hereafter ye shall see heaven opened and the Angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man This is the Great and Heavenly Man Christ Iesus who is that Ladder which Iacob saw in his vision the top whereof reached unto Heaven and the foot of it reached the Earth But this can not be the externall Person of Christ and therefore it is the Spirit of Christ as he is Man or his Soul that is extended into us here upon Earth in his Heavenly body that he giveth us to feed upon by means of this Heavenly Ladder 8. But when I say the Soul or Spirit of Christ â— Man is extended into us I do not understand the Nephesch of his Soul but the Neschamah or Nischâ—ah even that Divine Spirit of Life that God breathed into Adam and is that which Solomon calls the Candle of the Lord searching all the inward parts of the belly and Iames the Ingrafted Word and Iohn the Word mad flesh or Incarnate Word that dwelleth in us
of watâ—r in a dry place as the shaddow of a great Rock in a weary land Surely this is a Great and Mighty Man so that we may justly say as these did of old what manner of Man is this whom the â—â—inds and sea obey For indeed he commands the winds and the sea and all the creaturs to whom all power is given in heaven and earth and though he hath his Deputys and Servants under him yet they can doe nothing without him 15. And therefore he himself is every where present and knoweth seeth and perceiveth all things He knoweth the most secret thoughts and actions of all men both good and he told the woman of Samaria who had been a bad and evil woman all that ever she did even the Man Christ Jesus as she her self did acknowledge and went and preached him to others Come said she and see a man that told me all that ever I did is not this the Christ But to say he told this as knowing it by revelation from the Father and not as the Man Christ Jesus is to equall other Prophets unto him who knew the thoughts of men by revelation and indeed to weaken the argument that she brought to prove that he was the Christ becaus this man told her all but seing this Man knew all her deeds and thoughts immediatly and needed not Divine revelation to know them therefore he was indeed the true Christ for no other man had such a priviledg and certainly he told her much more inwardly then outwardly and therefore he was in her to wit by his Life Light and Spirit And how could the woman that was cured of her bloody-issue by touching the hem of his garment have touched him Luk 8. if his Spirit and Soul or Life had not extended into her for her touch was not a bare outward touch nor did she touch his body but onely the hem of his garment and although many touched him beside in the great presse of people yet he felt her touch that was another sort then all the other touches even a spiritual touch so that her spirit reached unto his Spirit and drew from it out of his body and he feeling this said who touched me 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 albeit it was a woman that touched him and he did ask the question in the masculine article and indeed a masculine and vigorous touch it was her spirit being raised by faith into a masculine and Heavenly vigour touched his Spirit and drew vertue from him and therefore his Spirit reached unto her that did both so draw forth her Spirit towards him and also did convey unto her that healing vertue And surely many thousands have as really touched him as she did by the spiritual touch of faith who never had his outward body or external person present to touch it and have drawn virtue from him whereby their Souls have been cured and some also have found their bodys cured and restored to health SECTION XIII 1. If by common be understood that Christ is Gods free Gift we acknowledg him so common 2. The Life and Light otherwise in the Son of Mary then in us 3. Christ 〈◊〉 truely Mediator in the Saints as without them in heaven proved out of John 17 23. and Rom. 8. 4. The Seed of regeneration is sown by Christ the Son of Man 5. God the Father is greater then Christ as Mâ—n 6. The Omnipresence of the Manhood of Christ in all creaturs doth not confound his Godhead with his Manhood 7. That Scripture Luk 2 49. opened 8. The 6 7 and 8 charges utterly false 9. The Presbyterian Teachers make the Devil greater and of a larger extent then the Heavenly Manhood of Christ to the great dishonour of our Blessed Saviour 10. The Quakers put not their Prophets and Teachers in Christs roome but acknowledg him exalted above all creatures more then the Presbyterians 11. The blindness and darkness of the Author of the Postscript that denyeth the Saints to have any measure of that Light that was or is in Christ. 12. How furr the Author of the Postscript hath outshot himself in denying Christ to be in the Saints ANd thus having by many Scripture testimonys and arguments builded thereupon together also with the testimonys of others and some of the Presbyterians own Prophets so fully proved that Christ is in the Saints yea and in a true sense in all men and in all things as God is Before I close this particular head I shall a little more narrowly consider the Author of the Postscript his words in in the 5 charge He saith we affirme Christ to be a common sort of thing His designe is easily to be seen here as if we undervalued Christ but it is no undervaluing of him to call him a thing seing the Angel called him that holy thing Luk 1 35. That holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God And this holy thing we say is in all men 1. But if by common he mean either that it is of mens nature or that all men have the enjoyment of it in that sense I deny that it is common for it is not of men but it is in the nature of it a most rare divine and singular thing and though it be in all yet it can be enjoyed by none but them who are Saints But to understand by common that it is the free Gift of God unto all whereby all may be saved in that sense we do not deny it to be common nor doth its being common derogate any thing from its excellency for bonum quo communius co melius a good thing the more common it be the better it is Is not God a common Creator and yet he is not the less good or exceâ—lent so nor is Christ the less good or excellent that he is a common Saviour in so farr that he doth put Life and Salvation within the reach of every man in a day of visitation that they may be saved 2. But the summe or substance of this his 5 charge is false namely that we affirme that Christ is in every man as he was in the Son of Mary for we say The Son of Mary is Christ himself and though his Light and Life and Spirit or Soul be in â—s and in all men yet not so as in the Son of Mary for it is in him in the fulness and in us onely by emanation from him It is he the Son of Mary that giveth us this living water who is th Fountain and Spring of it whereas the stream of it is but in us and God who is Light is otherwise in the Son of Mary or Man-Christ then in us or any other men for he is in him by an immediate union and communion whereas he is in us but by the Man Christ as in regard of union and communion so that our union and communion with God is but mediat through him 3. And this wonderfull mystery Christ himself
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
Light with his is such a grosse and manifest lye and forgery that a greater can not be invented for we do exalt him both with our hearts and mouths above not onely all men of our own profession but above all men and Angels and that beyond all comparison yea we exalt him more then this our accâ—ser or any of his brethren even as Man as having a substantiall dignity and excellency belonging to him as Man above all men and Angels whatsomever nor will it in the least follow from our principles that becaus we have a measure of his Light and Life in us that therefore we put our selves in his place or roome as is already cleared for he has it in the fulnesse in whom the fulnesse of the Godhead dwelleth bodily and GOD gave not the Spirit unto him by measure whereas whatever Light or Life Vertue or excellency we or any Saints or Angels have is derived from him and is but a measure of his fulnesse and God the Father dwelleth in him immediately but in us â—mediately through him as is above declared and opened from Iohn 17 23. 11. And what a blind and dark man is this that will not acknowledge that the Saints have any thing of that Light in them which Christ hath in himself Let him tell us and prove it from Scripture if he can that Christ putteth any other Light or Spirit in his people then that which is in himself But the contrary is manifest from Scripture that it is one and the same Spirit Light and Life both in him and in them But if some more sober then this Author will acknowledge that Christ is really in the Saints albeit they do not understand how he is in all men to such I say viz who affirme Christ to be in the Saints that by this mans argument to â—it the Author of the Postscript they deny the true Christ the Son of David and Mary and set up the Saints in the place of Christ as being Christ as well as he becaus as he saith containing the same Light 12. Let them consider how farre the Author of the Postscript hath outshot himself in this particular and in stead of pleading for the true Christ hath in effect denyed him and robbed all the Saints of God of having him in them expresse contrary to the Scripturs And I have often wondered how â—hese men will so freely acknowledge and plead for â—he devil his being in all wicked men and yet deâ—y that Christ is in all good men yea seing they â—lead that all good men while they live on earth have sin and sin daily in thought word and deed yea continually they must also acknowledg that in so farre as sin is in them the devil is in them who is the father of all sin and yet they will not have Christ to be in all no not in the Saints which sheweth them to be extreamely blind and inconsiderate And I would ask them this one question Do they think that the Devil is a Spirit of a larger and greater extension then the Soul or Spirit of Christ as Man If they say nay then Christ is in all men If they say that the Devil is a greater Spirit then the Spirit of Christ as Man then they plainly declare that the Devil is greater then Christ which is horrid and detestable blasphemy SECTION XIV 1. That the Presbyterian Teachers set themselvs in the place of Christ. 2. They goe back to the church of Rome and her Popes to prove their call 3. They labour to turn people from Christ in thâ—mselvâ—s 4. Tâ—at they may keep up their trade and gain 5. Who love to hear Christ in themselves love to hear him in others 6. The Author of the Postscript his blasphemy against the true Christ of God in mens hearts 7. He is better skilled in the art of railing then in the way of disputing 8. The Christian Quakers love and honour all true Ministers of Christ Iesus 9. An old policy of Satan to call the ministers of Anti-Christ ministers of Christ as among Papists and Presbyterians 10. Why we cannot joyn with Presbyterian Teachers 1. ANd whereas he falsly accuseth us as puting any of our Prophets in the place of Christ This may be justly retorted back upon him and his brethren who deny the immediate presence and immediate revelation and teachings of Christ in his people and so they set themselves indeed in the place of Christ crying up the necessity of mens teachings and crying down the necessity of the teachings of Christ in peoples â—earts And they tell the people that they must heare them and learn of them else they can not be saved and if any refuse to heare them and learn of them they accurse them 2. And yet they can not give any sufficient account of their call from Christ to preach but do generally in these days goe back to the Apostate Church of Rome and her Popes and Bishops whom they have so often called Babylon and Anti-Christ to derive their call as even Iames Durham a great Presbyterian Teacher hath done in his book on the Revelation But if people come to hearken to the tâ—achings of Christ in them and believe in the same hey turne desperate enemys against them and do all they can to stirre up the Magistrate to persecute them as indeed it is the Presbyterian Teachers especially the mongrell sort of them that are the great occasion of our present persecution And in effect this is their language upon the matter heare us and learn of us but heare not Christ within you learn not of him as he teaches you in your hearâ—s as the Quakers tell you ye ought to do for there is no true Christ in you at all that which reproves you for sin in your hearts is not the true Christ but a false nor is it the least measure of that Light which was in him that shineth in your hearts and lets you see your sins this Light in you can not teach you the saving knowledg of God nor lead you unto God although ye should follow it never so faithfully but we can teach you the true and saving knowledge of God and if ye doe what we â—id you doe ye shall certainly be saved we can pawn our soules for you therefore heare us and ye shall be saved 3. But if ye heare not us ye can not expect Salvation we are the alone Ambassadours that God hath sent unto you to teach you and lead you into the Kingdom of GOD you need no other immediate Teacher or Preacher nay ye need not that Christ should be in you at all you need no immediate teachings of Christ or of God at all immediate revelations are ceased since the Apostles dayes and there is no use of them means are so plentifull I appeal to all sober and impartial men if this be not to set up themselvs in the place of Christ. 4. And what 's the cause that these men are so
4. Now this gate blessed be the Name of the Lord and to his eternall praise we can declare it many thousands in this day do know and by it they find Christ and do enjoy his living presence dayly who is the bridegroome and husband of their souls and this gate is to wait upon him in the shinings of his divine Light in their hearts being retired and gathered unto the same out of all their own thoughts words and works all their own willings and runnings in the self-will all selfish motions desires and inclinations of self in pure silence and stillness of mind waiting to feel his heavenly breathings and movings which do raiâ—e up in us the true desire and prayer that we may find him and enjoy him and as we have sought him by this gate or after this manner we have never missed in some measure more or less to find him 5. This silent waiting to enjoy the presence of the Lord is a mystery and as a sealed book to Professors generally and seemes to have been little or nothing known to this great Seer as the Author of the Postscript doth call him for I find nothing of it in his Epistles and yet it is one of the most needfull and most profitable lessons and instructions for people to be instructed in and the Scripturs Testimony is plain and clear concerning it even of silent waiting Lament cap. 3. 26 27 28. It is good that a man should both hope and quietly or in silence wait for the salvation of the Lord. It is good for a man â—hat he beare the yoke in his youth he sitteth alone and keepeth silence because he hath borne it upon him Psal. 46. 10. Be still or silent and know that I am God Psal. 62. 1. Truly my soul is silent unto God from him cometh my salvation Eccles. 5. 2. Be not 〈◊〉 with thy mouth and let not thine heart be hasty 〈◊〉 utter any thing before the Lord. Zach. 2. 3. Be siâ—ent O all flesh before the Lord. And many more â—cripturs may be brought to prove this so needfull and profitable instruction As also here are manifest â—xamples of this silent waiting in Scripture both together and apart Ezekiell 3 15. The Prophet 〈◊〉 with them of the captivity seven dayes and then 〈◊〉 Word of the Lord came unto him And Esdras sat silent with the people untill the evening sacrifice Esdra 9 3 4 5. And the Prophet Elijah sat in a siâ—ent posture alone upon the top of mount Carmell waiting for the Word of the Lord and the accomplishment thereof casting himself downe upon the earth and putting his face betwixt his knees King 18 42. This is such a posture that if a man should use it in our dayes people would say he were mad or possessed with the Devill such is their ignorance of the way and work of God And again 1 King 19. verse 2. The Lord appeared unto Elijah neither in the wind nor earth-Quake nor fire but in the still or silent small voice to wit that is heard in the stillness or silence of the Soul 6. There is one particular more that I find in S. R. that I cannot omit to take notice of in the same epistle 46. which I have above mentioned either I know not saith he what Christianity is or we have stinted a measure of so many oâ—nce weights and no more upon holynes and there we are at a stay It were good for the Professors to consider this and be convinced of their error whereas they say the holyest Man on earth doth sin dayly in thought word and deed yea every moment and cannot but sin continually Is not this to stint a measure of so many ounce weights or rather of a few grains upon holyness yea altogether to annihilate it For I know not how that can be called holyness which cannot keep the soul one moment from sinning However S. R. although here convinced of this errour yet afterwards did fall foully into it when he joyned with the divines so called at Westmunster in that unchristian assertion that no man by any grace given of God can perfectly keep the commandements of God but doth dayly break them in thought word deed This is a bold presumptuons stinting limiting the power and powerfull grace of God in the hearts of his children without all ground from Scripture yea contrary to it which saith his commandements are not grievous and his yoke is easy and his burden Light 7. Moreover in my fourth Section I referred to some thing related by the Author of The fullfilling of the Scripturs concerning Iohn Welsh Robert Bruce and some others in those dayes which I said will not a little make for the present Testimony of the people cald Quakers Now for proof of this I shall give a few instances out of many more which may be brought out of the said book 8. First The said Author telleth us pag. 416. 2 edition of a very solemne and extraordinary outletting of the Spirit in the West of Scotland about the year 1625. and there after which began in the parish of Stewarton whiles the persecution was hat from the Prelatick party 9. Which by the prophane Rabble of that time was called the Stewarton Sickness and spread through much of that countrey particularly at Irvin through the Ministry of David Dickson of which he writes that few Sabbaths meaning first dayes did passe without some evidently converted and some convincing proofs of the power of God accompanying his Word yea that many were so choaked and taken by the heart that through terrour the Spirit in such a measure convincing them of sin in hearing of the Word they have been made to fall over and thus carryed out of the Church who after proved most solid and lively Christians And says he this great spring-tide of the Gospell was not of a short time but for some years continuance yea thus like a spreading Mooreburne the power of godlyness did advance from one place to another which put a marvellous Lustre on these parts of the country the savour wherof brought many from other parts of the land to see the truth of the same Again he telleth pag. 417. at the Kirk of the shots 20 of June 1630. that there was so convincing an appearance of God and down pouring of the Spirit even in an extraordinary way especially at that sermon Juny 21. the day after their communion with a strange unusuall motion on the hearers who in a great multitude were there conveened of diverse ranks that it was known which he saith he can speake on sure ground near five hundred had at that time a discernible change wrought on them of whom most proved lively Christians afterwards Now that there was a true and reall appearance of God and breaking forth of his power and out letting of his Spirit upon many at that time I veryly believe and my soul hath unity with the testimony hereof and diver other testimonys of