to death for our offences and raised again for our justification In him as so considered God was manifest in the flesh justified in the spirit seen of Angels preached to the Gentiles beleeved on in the world and received up into glory And that this Scripture speaks of these great things of the mystery of godliness as done onely in that one person I propounded this consideration for one That the word that is immediately prefixed and especially applicable to the first clause is in the Preterperfectense or in the time past God was not God is he was manifest in the flesh yea the phrase of the last clause renders that as a thing also done and finished in the person spoken of He is received up into glory And surely In that person and in him only this is absolutely true God is in the nature of man even in the flesh in which he descended received up into glory not now receiving or to be received but now already received up into glory set down on the right hand of Majesty on the Throne of glory in the heavens Consider I pray you how suitable to this understanding of the last and first clauses is that which is affirmed of this person Heb. 9. 24 25 26. Christ is not entred into the holy places made with hands which are the figures of the true But into heaven it self now to appear in the presence of God for us nor yet that he should offer himself often as the former high Priests entred into the holy place every year with blood of others hee needeth not daily to offer up sacrifice for this he did once Heb. 7. 27 for then also must he often have suffered since the foundation of the world but now once in the last Ages of the world he hath appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself even as it s appointed unto men once to dye so Christ was once offered not in many Ages or divers times but once in the last Ages when men were multiplied into many whereas they were but one when the ordinance of death passed on them yet in that one it passed on the whole kind so Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many even of all of that kind all men every of the nature he took then when they and their offences were multiplied into many he saith not to bear sins in many for then indeed he must often have suffered But now once he was offered in his own body even that so and then prepared him Chap. 10. 5-10 to bear the sins of many Then was God in Christ condemning sin in the flesh yea then and therein when one dyed not in but for all and rose again Then was God in Christ reconciling the world not imputing their trespasses to them but causing them to meet together on him 2 Cor. 5. 14. 15 19. with Isa 53. 6. Rom. 8. 3. 1 Pet. 2. 24. And raising him and giving him glory as the publick man that by and through him our faith and hope might be in God 1 Pet. 3. 18. and 1. 21. with these and that 1 Tim. 3. 16. compare that Joh. 13. 31 32. See how our Savior there directs us to the person in whom the time and works in which God was so manifested and glorified in the flesh and did straightway after the finishing of these works glorifie it in that person even then faith our Savior when Judas was gone out to betray him when he was presently to finish those works the Father gave him to do on earth yea his soul was already in trouble Joh. 12. 27. now saith he even in that his being made an offering for sin is the Son of Man glorified and the Father is glorified in him If God be glorified in him God shall also glorifie him in himself and shall straightway glorifie him Then and therein was the Son of man glorified in his being appointed and set as the surety in that publick place that by the grace of God he should tast death for every man he was therein said to be crowned with glory and honor above all other persons among Men or Angels for no man could redeem his Brother nor give to God a ransom for his soul the Redemption of the soul is more precious neither was there any other thing or person in Heaven or Earth that was counted worthy but this Holy One Herein was the Son of man glorified And so in Gods supporting him and carrying him through so great sufferings when all our sins met together on him Psal 40. 11 12 16 17. Heb. 5. 7 9. Likewise in Gods giving so glorious a testimony to him at his death Mat. 26. 50 54. And in his Resurrection from the dead This Jesus who was made of the seed of David according to the flesh was declared to be the Son of God with power according to the spirit of holiness Rom. 1. 3 4. In these things the Son of man was glorified and â—o the Father glorified in him in the exercise and agreement of all his holy and glorious Attributes his Wisdom Holiness Truth Mercy Goodness Power c. for manssalvation God was manifested in the flesh condemning sin and yet therein preparing Attonement and Propitiation for sinners and straight-way after the finishing of these works in his own body the father who glorified him in himself in his own Power Name and Glory declaring himself satisfied in and for what he delivered him raising him from the dead in which he was justified in the Spirit or according to the Spirit of Holiness did further and fully and perfectly glorifie him in the same body in receiving him up to glory and setting him on his own right hand in the Heavens far above all Principality and Power Might and Dominion and every name that is named not onely in this world but in that to come and hath put all things under his feet and gave him to be the head over all things to the Church which is his body the fulness of him then distinct from him in his personal body now raised and glorified yet they in that to be done in and upon them are the filling up or compleating of him in the ends and vertues of his cross who as so considered namely in the ends and vertues of his cross filleth all things as Ephes 3. 8 10 but he gave himself for hâ—s Church for all that through his grace to man-ward come in to him That he might wash them with the washing of water by the word that so he might in the issue present it to himself as he now presents it in himself before the Father a glorious Church without spot or wrinckle Eph 5. 25-27 and ch 1. 20 21 22 23. 1 Pot. 3. 22. Phil. 2. 6-11 Joh. 17. 1-5 Col. 2. 9. Read these Scriptures and compare them and see how they explicate and agree with the explication given of that 1 Tim. 3. 16. And after some little Discourse to this purpose demonstrating
have disowned and of them both together signifies thou knowest it is a lye I say how dost thou know it or how shall we know it when thou bringest nothing at all to prove or demonstrate it to be such Is this all the Answer we must look for when thou affirmest any thing or deniest any thing I know I witness it to be True or I know it to be a Lye Indeed these were the strongest Arguments and Demonstrations we had from thee in our meeting to any thing that I know of and with these and such like in the mouths of divers of you together you could be as confident wise and strong in your own conceit as seven men that could render a reason and stop the mouths of others too with these when you had none of the faithful word to do it withall I know it is a lye and I pray how dost thou know dost thou think we will all fall down and worship James Naylor in receiving what he urges upon us onely in his own name I know I witness c. It may be such may do it as will not receive or have rejected the testimony of the other J. N. Jesus of Nazareth that came in his Fathers name Joh. 5. 43. But give us leave to question how thou knowest and because thou dost not tell us I will guess in this thy conscience knows whether I guess right or no I fear thou dost not at all in thy heart beleeve or acknowledge that one person of Christ as personally absent from thee while in this clay Tabernacle that that which we read of that person and the work done in him is sleighted as figures of some other truth to be found in us is evident enough to me as I shall further make appear anon but that which I here look upon as the ground of this thy confident knowledge is something more namely That thou hast in thy heart wholly rejected the faith and acknowledgement of that one person of the Son of God in our nature in one individual personal body even the same that was crucified slain and hung upon a tree that Jesus of Nazareth to be now received up into glory by the Father in the Heavens and there remaining in the most glorious presence of God even in the Heavens as opposed to the Earth where the former high Priests served and where while he is he is personally absent from us while we are in these bodies on earth I suppose thou mayst think there might be such a one as Jesus of Nazareh and that he dyed as is written of him and happily that he rose again but if thy thoughts go so far I doubt they leave him there even that Jesus of the seed of David after the flesh as one that in all done before in him was but a type of some first appearance to be accomplished in us and now as a type or figure vanishing and ceasing from thence so to be So that what we read of his Ascention into Heaven and remaining in the Heavens until the Restitution of all things and of his second personal Appearance is to be understood of some other internal mystery to be accomplished now in us not so plainly expressed in the words which must therefore be slighted as a dead letter I fear I have almost touched upon thy thoughts though we will not boast as thou dost of compreheading and discerning us perfectly in root end and off-spring while yet God knows and all that know us know thou dost not discover us at all nor speak as one at all acquainted with whence we come or whither we go but as he Joh 3. now if thou be so far given over to strong delusions to beleeve such a lie that there is not such personal body in our nature in the Heavens as before thou must needs from thence be confident Paul did not see him for he could not see that which is not But to remove such false ground of such a confidence there is sufficient demonstration and power in his words as left on Record and will be yet to thee in the consideration of them if thou hast not wholly crucified the Son of God to thy self and so thy self to the light and power of his words See I pray thee Luk. 24. 39 40. with vers 51. How our Saviour in the last discovery of himself to his Disciples after his Resurrection and before his Ascention demonstrates himself to hâ—ve a real body and not onely the shape or appearance of one which a spirit without a body may assume by his having real flesh and bones to be felt And that body to be he himself the same that was peirced and nailed to the cross so demonstâ—ated by his hands and his feet â—â— little before to Thomas by his side and hands Joh. 20 27. and at that time of his having so demonstrated himself unto them he led them out as far as to Bethany and be lifted up his hands and blessed them and it came to pass while he blessed them he was parted from them and carryed up into Heaven compare it with Act. 1. 9 10 11. Where having in the verses before repeated the Narration of his shewing himself alive to them after his passion by many infallible proofs and then of his commissionating and blessing them he saith And when he had spoken these words while they beheld that may assure us their sences were not deluded but it was even the same person in the same personal body as before demonstrated by his hands and feet his flesh and bones which their eyes had seen and their hands had haâ—dled even that word of â—â—e in that flesh which he was made now spiritualized or made in the Resurrection a spiritual body yet the same so made Even while they behold he was taken up and a cloud received him out of their fight and while they looked stedfastly towards Heaven as he went up behold two men stood by them in white apparel which also said yee men of â—â—lilee why stand ye gazing up into Heaven This same Jesus which is taken up from you into heaven shall so come in like manner as yee have seen him go into heaven Note the wisdome and care of the Holy Ghost here lest being taken out of their sight they or any after should doubt whether that body as then demonstrated vanished or what became of it He adds here that he was taken up from them into heaven even the same Jesus which they had seen and in this his Ascension in their sight in which he was taken up from them vers 9. 11. with Luke 24. 51. He was carried up into heaven yea saith Mark. He was thou received up into heaven and sat on the right hand of God Mar. 16. 19 even there in the heavens he is â—et on the right hand of the Throne of Majesty there officiating as a Minister of the true Sanctuary c. Heb. 8. 1. 2. Christ after the same consideration of him
type shadow or figure that so thou mayest confirm thy imagination of something within as the truth Is not this plain in thy comparing our opposing thy witness forementioned and not beleeving concerning the flesh of Christ farther or otherwise than wee read in the Apostles writings with such opposition of the Apostles preaching down Circumcision Temple and Sacrifices without c. in their day Yea its farther plain in that thou sayest The confirming them within in spirit is the ground and bottome of all and that in which all must end In whâ—ch word All thou hast evidently reference not only to the things last mentioned But to the things first mentioned also concerning the flesh of Christ about which was our contest and so thy witness is That the confirming them within us in spirit is not only the ground bottome and end of all those types and shadows of the Law Concerning which neither is thy witness true For Christ is the end of the Law for Righteousness even to every one that beleeveth Rom. 10. 4. yea in the works done and finished in his own body He is the body the prime and main thing figured in all the types and shadows of the Law But also of the personal appearance of Christ and the works done in and by that one person in his own body and the mention of his second appearing the confirming these â— things within us in some imagination or operation wrought or found in us saith Thy witness is the ground and bottome of all and that in which all must end Now if this be not another Gospel or Doctrine than what the Apostles preached and in this Letter so acknowledged too let the considerate Reader judge Yet I shall also here add a word or two to make it farther appear That this thy Message or Doctrine is not another manner of or farther revelation of the same thing or such as in which the things they said should come are declared as fulfilled even so as they said they should be as the Apostles Message or Doctrine as added to and following the Prophets was But so absolutely another Doctrine and contrary to what they have preached that the truth of them both cannot stand together as the things written by the Prophets and Apostles did seeing the Apostles said nothing but what the Prophets did say should come to pass who signified beforehand of the sufferings of Christ and of the glory that should follow The righteousness of God as its now come forth in Christ was so witnessed to in the Law and Prophets that the Apostles Doctrine was but a farther revelation of the same mystery of God in Christ before witnessed and according to what the Prophets had before said should come more fully opening and in all things confirming them Rom. 3. 21. Act. 26. 22 23. 1 Pâ—t 1. 10 11. But this Doctrine in which Gods being manifested in the flesh in that one person and the works done in his own body for us is preached down as they preached down the outward Circumcision Temple and Sacrifices as being but a farther type shadow or figure of the truth it self and that to be found in something else is so far from agreeing with the Apostles Doctrine or witnessing what the Apostles said should come so as therein to confirm their word as they did the Prophets that it wholly contradicteth and blasphemeth both and cannot be in the least measure granted but the truth of theirs is therein denyed For they have in their revelation of the Mystery told us That that Jesus of Nazareth and no other thing or person was the eternal word that was in the beginning with God and was God by whom all things were made and in whom in all Ages was life and his life was the light of men even hee to whom John witnessed that was not John but another person distinct from John and all other persons who was in those dayes made flesh by a work of new creation in the womb of a Virgin and so came into the world in the nature of man and dwelt amongst men in that his own personal body and they his Disciples then in that personal converse they injoyed with him on earth did behold his glory as the glory of the only begotten of the Father there is not another thing or person among men or Angels that is the immediately begotten Son of God the Father and him as so made flesh and in that body delivered to death for our offences and raised again for our justification they did behold and witness to be infinitly full of grace and truth as the fountain for all others and as the truth and body of all types figures and shadows of the Law Yea farther That they in receiving that word and testimony which himself began to preach and which they received immediately from him and fully after his Ascension they had therein received of his fulness in respect of the ministration or revelation of him to be given to mortal men And grace for grace A plaâ—n and full ministration or revelation of the grace of God in and by Jesus Christ to receive grace through whereas our Fathers before though saved by grace yet received that grace through a ministration of works For the law came by Moses but grace and truth by Jesus Christ c. read Joh. 1 1-18-29-40-45 c. The former things were indeed shadows and so they were alwayes signified to be but Christ is the body Col. 2. 17. And what ever is said in the Law and the Prophets of their continuing for ever I mean those typical Sacrifices and Ordinances It appears plainly signified even in those Scriptures of the Prophets if they be compared that in the things themselves that were types and figures of the true and as they were so they were only to continue for ever as Ordinances among them in their Generations till the Seed should come that was promised before that Law was given and in him the truth end and fulfilling of them was to remain for ever and ever The Law was added because of transgrèssion till the Seed fore promised should come Gal. 3. 19. and did in the whole and every part of iâ— shadow out and witness good things to come lead to a better righteousness and hope than was to be attained in or by it and that only to be found in Christ that was to come in the nature of man who is the end of the Law for Righteousness He is the body truth and end of all those former things that indeed were shadows and so was witnessed and directed to by them Rom. 3. 21. Heb. 9. and 10. So that the Law Prophets and Apostles do all agree and with one mouth witness declare and confirm him to be The He the Son of God the Savior of the world in whom onely dwels the fulness of the Godhead bodily In all which former witnesses and latter manifestations of his power and coming they have not made known
or who he applies that name to he saith Master Wray called us so in some Letters which whether so or no I know not I never heard of any such thing nor had I ever seen Mr. Wray or he me to our knowledge before that meeting and if he did give any such Character according to his apprehensions of us yet the thing I said is true nor was it propounded to shuffle off or evade the business as he saith for notwithstanding that I took the Challenge as directed to my self in their intentions and so answered it fully I may truly say he is glad to make a bluster about Circumstances that without giving any fair answer he might yet make their ignorant Disciples beleeve he hath notably replied the sum of his pretended reply further is chiefly a renewing of their old Charge so oft already answered and shewed a false accusation That I deny Gods in-dwelling in his people yea here he adds something that it seems they thought not of before viz. That I said God would not be manifest in his people the falseness of that with the rest the Reader may see in my Answer to I. N's Letter as also of his Charging Mr. Wray again in this with turning them out of his house with many other things yea all is so fully answered before I shall here adde no more to it FINIS The faults if any have escaped in Printing the courteous Reader in desir'd to impute to the Authors absence from the Press and kindly as he goes along to mend them with his Pen. The Contents of some of the things principally treated of with notice of the Scriptures chiefly opened in the following Tract especially in the Answers to James Naylors Letter and to the following Queries I Concerning Gods being manifested in the flesh in the person of his only begotten Son eminently and peculiarly This briefly assorted p. 2 Enlarged and opened and thereto these Scriptures opened and compared 1 Tim. 3. 16. with Joh. 13. 31 32. Heb 9. 24 25 26 with other Scriptures p. 21 22 23 24 Further cleared in shewing the difference between Gods being manifested in the Flesh in that one Person and his dwelling and walking in his people and how the body of the Beleever is the Temple of the Lord with some distinction observed between its being so and his being gloriously manifested in that his Temple and so the manifestation of the Sons of God which is yet to come with some hints of explication of these Scriptures hereto Rom. 8. 19 25. with 2 Thess 1. 6 10 11. 2. 1 2. with 2 Cor. 5. 1 6. 1 Cor. 6. 14 15. and divers others p. 24 25 26 When and how the life of Jesus shall bee manifested fully in the mortal flesh or body of the beleever that is now mortal according to that 2 Cor. 4. 10 11. Rom. 8. 11. with 1 Cor. 15. 53. Phil. 3. 21. and other Scriptures p. 27 28 29 Some clearing of those Scriptures Rom. 7. 23. 8. 10. from Farnsworths abuse p. 30 31 Christ being in the Beleever the hope of glory and how likewise how his being in them to be enquired as a Rule-for trial whether they be in the faith p. 31 32 33 2 Concerning Pauls enjoyment of a visible demonstration of the Person of Christ in the Heavens briefly spoken to p. 2. 3 more fully p. 34 35 Then occasionally is proved and opened That Jesus Christ in that one personal Body prepared for him is ascended and received by the Father in the Heavens until the restitution of all things p. 36 37 38 39 The necessity and usefulness of it p. 40 41 42 The dangerous issue of casting off or slighting that true acknowledgement of the Head p. 43 The distinction between our entring and his being already for us entred p. 44. 3 Concerning the one Offering of Christ to bear and put away sin by the Sacrifice of himself made and accomplished in that person only p. 49 This made good against some batterles made against it and therein these Scriptures Isa 43. 24. Amos 2. 13. Heb. 6. 6. 1 Joh. 5. 10. 28. as much as pertains to that business opened p. 50 51 4 Concerning the Second appearing of Christ which shall be without sin and to the utmost Salvation of them that look for him and how it is to be waited or tarried for by all Beleevers all the time of this present world p. 52 53 In making it good against their batterles these Scriptures opened Luk. 17. 20 22. to the end with chap. 18. 1 8. p. 54 Some hints to such explication p. 11 Likewise Joh. 14. 3. with other Scriptures p. 55 56 57 58 The glory then to be revealed on them that wait for him with distinctiòn between that and the promise of this life occasionally spoken to p. 24 25 26 More directly in answer to th 1 2 3. Queries p. 83 84 85 5 Concerning the matter and manner of Gods teaching and the alone sufficiency of it p. 71 72 73. And so what the voyce of Christ is and how known and distinguished in answer to the tenth Query p. 94 6 Concerning the holy Scriptures what they are and how the righteousness of God engaged for preserving the Records of them p. 74 75 76 77. Gods primary way for demonstrating the Truth Goodness and Authority of them p. 78. Secondary Arguments demonstrating the same p. 79 7 The excellency spirituality plainness and glory of the Ministry or dispensation of the Gospel as committed to the Apostles and by them given to all Nations for the obedience of faith p. 59 60 61 62 63 64 65. 8 What other means God useth for bringing his teaching nigh to us p. 80 9 Who they are that deny the alone sufficiency of Gods teaching p. 81 82 10 The distinction between the manner of Paul and the rest of the Apostles receiving their testimony and furniture to their Ministry and Timothy and all other secondary Ministers then and since receiving theirs p 2. and the same spoken to again p. 14. 15. likewise in answer to the Sixth Query p. 88 89. In the answers to other Queries besides those already hinted to are divers Scriptures opened and compared with others chiefly these 1 Joh. 2. 20 27 Joh. 16. 8 14 p. 86 87 88. with p. 71 72 73. Isa 30. 18 21. p. 91. Rom. 10. 6 8. with Joh. 1. 5. p. 93. 94 Iâ—a 35. 8. p. 95. Joh. 4. 23 24. p. 96. Joh. 1. 9. p. 97. Rom. 8. 2 3. p. 97. 98 99. The people called Quakers are discovered in this Discourse 1 To be lovers and makers of Lyes compare their Charges in their first Paper and in James's Letter with my Answers p. 2 3. 21. 24. 26 27 28 29. 46 47 48. 2 To be movers of us to enquire after another God than the only true God in Christ See the Answer to their insolent Challenge p. 11 12 3 To be of those spirits that endeavour to introduce the imagination of another Jesus another Spirit another Gospel then what the Apostles have preached p. 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 And boast of confirming that imagination with signes and lying Wonders and with all deceiveableness of unrighteousness in them that perish See their Challenge with the Answer to it p. 9 10 c. to the 15 4 To be of those seducing Spirits having their Consciences seared as with a hot Iron that command to abstain from meats that God hath created to be received with thanksgiving c. That do reject and would take from us the Word of the Lord and not suffer us to look on it in the Records left us neither night nor day That do forbid the exercise of those gifts mediately given through Prophecy c. See all this in the Challenge with the Answer fore-mentioned 5 That appear in all to be proud knowing nothing doting about questions c. and there in unreasonable and absurd men that have no faith See further the Postscript FINIS
AN ANTIDOTE AGAINST The spreading Infections of the spirit of Antichrist abounding in these last Days under many Vizors BEING A Discovery of a Lying and Antichristian Spirit in some of those called Quakers and therein some opening clearing and Vindicating of the Great things of Gods Law or Doctrin mainly struck at by them as concerning the Person of Christ and the Works done in that Person for us the infinite and abiding vertue of them and of them only for the taking away our Sin and concerning his Second appearing and the Glory then to be revealed Likewise concerning the Scriptures IN Relation of what passed in writing between them and Thomas Moore Junior after and upon occasion of a Meeting at Glentworth with the sum of what was discoursed at that Meeting also as likewise Of divers Queries from some of them about Cambridge with the Answers to them BY THO. MOORE Junior Prov. 5. 6 7 8. Lest thou shouldest ponder the path of life her ways are moveable that thou canst not know them Hear me now therefore O yee Children and depart not from the words of my mouth Remove thy way farre from her c. Chap. 14. 7. Go from the presence of a foolish man when thou perceivest not in him the lip of knowledge Psal 17. 4. Concerning the works of men by the word of thy lips I have kept me from the paths of the destroyer Printed at London by R. Ibbitson for Livewell Chapman at the Crown in Popes-head Alley 1655. The Epistle to the Reader OR A Preface to the following Discourse Christian Reader THe Occasion of my offering what follows to thy view with the Reasons and End take as follows And first To the Occasion My self and others being invited by Mr. John Wray to his house to bâ—get Christian acquaintance to the end wee might have fellowship and furtherance in the Gospel and be strengthened to strive together for the faith of it Upon our meeting there we understood that divers of those called Quakers that had been lately very busie thereabouts had notice of that our meeting But that some of them had also signified their resolutions not to be at it even some of the chief of them that yet did come to it How ever Mr. Wray desired that for the profit of those many people that were presently met together and for the preparing their understandings for what discourse might afterwards happen between us and the Quakers if they should come as well as for the laying some foundation for discourse that it might be the more regular and profitable That I say for these ends some of us should first assert and open to the people some of those great things of Gods Law or Doctrine that are Fundamentals in the Gospel of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ And that we did conceive Satan especially to strike against in these latter days and so which might be most profitable at this time to be discoursed This service falling upon me I did first mind the people of those many warnings given us by the Holy Ghost of the perillousness of the last times by reason of the abounding of iniquity even spiritual wickedness under glorious pretence and shew of godliness and righteousness yet under such a vizor denying the power the root and foundation of godliness whence all motive and motion to all right worship of God comes being the enemies to the cross of Christ however in shew zealous walkers humble and mortified persons yea that iniquity should abound in such manner chiefly at such times as when thereg should be some â—batement to bodily persecution that so there might be some equal proportion of persecutions or trials in all ages to be sustained by them that will live godly in Christ Jesus and for the manifesting who are approved among the many Professors of godliness and that this last sort of Trials and Temptations are especially to abound in the last days and to continue till the time of the end Dan. 11 34 35. 2 Tim. 3. 12 13. with 1 Cor. 11. 19. 2 Thes 2. 3 10. 2 Pet. 2. 1 2. and that this sort of Temptations and Trials are every where signified to be the most dangerous for beguiling unstable souls yea for corrupting and subverting even such as were going right on their way from the simplicity in Jesus See the Epistle of Jude 2 Pet. 2. 2 Cor. 11. 2 Tim. 3. Phil. 3. 17 18 19. the consideration of which I told them should be of this use to us to move us to give more earnest heed to the things that we had heard from the beginning in the Word of the beginning of Christ as 1 Cor. 15. Hebr. 2. 1 3. 2 Pet. 1. 12 to the end with Chap. 2. 1. To receive and drink down his Word into our hearts with more greediness and to let it dwell there to be filled with the Spirit to continue in the things that we had learned through she Apostles Doctrin and been assured of by the evidence and demonstration of the Spirit therein as Ephes 5. 16 17. 18. Colos 3. 16. 2 Tim. 3. 13 14 15. And thereupon I took occasion to open to them some of those great things of Gods Law or Doctrin which are the summary and fundamental matter of Gods Teaching and so to be earnestly heeded and continued in by us and the main things secretly and intentionally though under other pretences struck at by Satan in these latter days As concerning the person of Christ of God and of Man and that that very Jesus of Nazareth the Word that was then and so made Flesh is the very Christ and concerning the works done in and by that person for us and the infinite and abiding vertues of those works as remaining in that Person in our Nature glorified in the Heavens with the Father for us and the infinite Love and Glory of the Father as appearing in that face of Christ as revealed in the glorious Gospel of him who is the Image of God in whom God was manifested in the Flesh justified in the Spirit c. as 1 Tim. 3. 16. 2 Cor. 4. 4 6. And concerning the Second and glorious appearing of that Person promised and yet to be expected and waited for by all Beleevers with the glory then to be revealed the sum of what I said to most of those things is occasionally inserted in the following Discourse chiefly in the Answer to 1. N's Letter after which I also added a word or two to the way or manner of Gods giving us the knowledge of these things of himself in his Son that so we might be instructed in the way of being assured of the truth and goodness of them and of tasting the sweetness and efficacy of them to the preparing and preserving us through faith unto the Salvation ready to be revealed in the last time to this I told them First The way of Gods learning or giving the knowledge of the truth and goodness of these things is not
by working the same things over again in our persons that were wrought and finished for us in the Person of Christ not by making us bear our sins in our own souls and bodies that with our stripes we might be healed not by giving his Son again to dye in us for our sins and in us to rise from the dead for our Justification to ascend into the Heavens and sit on the right hand of God for besides that those were such works as could not be accomplished in our persons so also they were finished in his not to bee iterated But the knowledge of the truth and goodness of them given in the testimony of Jesus and of these Works as wrought and finished in him and the infinite and abiding vertue of them with the Father for us that so in beleeving in him we might finde the Word or Testimony of him through the Spirit effectually working the Works of God in us Neither Secondly doth he give the revelation of these things now immediately as to the first Apostles nor in such manner as to the Prophets of old but now mediately through their Word and by the evidence and demonstration of the Spirit therein So Timothy and all secondary Ministers then and since received their Word their Knowledge and furniture in the things of Christ In the conclusion of this Discourse I desired that if any would reason about the things they had heard by way of opposition or otherwise it might be without confusion and in such order that the people might understand what was spoken to what opposed or contended for and what was said on both sides And to this purpose I told them I thought it would be convenient to digest the sum of what had been into some few Questions to be discussed viz. what the Essence of Christ is whether something essentially in many Persons or one Person distinct from all other Persons and if one Person granted then concerning his Works whether Christ did bear our sins in his own Personal Body only as the propitiatory Sacrifice or Sin offering or so also in the bodies or souls of others And so whether in the works done in his own Body in his abasement and exaltation there was and so remaineth in him in our Nature with the Father in the Heavens by means thereof the only and abiding vertue for the taking away of sin or is the vertue for that also chiefly or at all originally in some other work or works done in other persons and about his second appearing and the glory then to be revealed whether that be to be waited for by all Beleevers in this corruptible state of the World all the time of their Mortality or made in or to any in this day and concerning the manner of Gods teaching these things and our learning them of him whether it be by having the same things wrought or accomplished over again in us that was in Christs Person as set forth to be the Propitiation or by receiving the testimony of him in the demonstration of the Spirit and of power and if so how that whether mediately through the Apostles word or immediately as they The Quakers being come in sâ—on after the beginning of this Discourse To this James Naylor answered That there were two things that I had uttered in Discourse which he denied which when I had made good or if I could not acknowledged my self a Lyar they would proceed to the Questions the two things were 1 That God was not manifest in the flesh of the Saints 2 That Timothy had not the same testimony that Paul had what answer I then gave may be seen in what follows in my Answer to their Charges and to James's Letter but when I shewed how he falsified my sayings he called me Lyar c. such Language was ordinary from them And so pretending want of satisfaction and doing what he could to â—inder the people from receiving satisfaction as to these things he kept off from the Questions propounded till one of them viz. Rich. Farnsworth began a set speech concerning himself which he continued about an hour at the conclusion of which I was desiâ—ous to minde the people of the evil and contrariety to the Gospel of some of the things spoken by him that they might so mark as to eschew as Rom. 16. 17. but as soon as I began for but by the way calling his Discourse a witness of or concerning himself I had presently himself and two or three more upon me bidding me stop my mouth Hee abhorred self which yet also was but his own witness concerning himself one of them charged me with opposing or blaspheming the words of the eternal God spoken by that man yet at last I got liberty to shew his abuse of some Scriptures as in the following Discourse then it being afternoon about an hour and my self and some others having rid ten miles that morning before the Meeting Mr. Wray dâ—sired us to break off for an hour to refresh our selves and likewise that we might meet at the publick place afterward for more conveniency of roome his House being too straight for the Company he likewise invited James Naylor and his Companions to stay Dinner which whether any of them accepted I know not but divers of them grosly abused him for desiring an hours Respite yet said nothing against meeting at the publick place whether soon after we went and many people but they came not at us but sent us word when we had been there some time that they would â—ot coâ—â— there and at our return from thence that if we would meet them in some place in the Street or in a Yard where they appointed they would farther reason with us which we judged unreasonable and thereforâ— refused yet Mr. Wray invited them to come again to his House either that night or next day but they refused and returned a scornful answer That night they sent me Papers as in the following relation and with the last sent also a Challenge by their Messenger to give them a meeting at a Town a Mile off next day which though an unreasonable Demand considering what freedom they had and might have where we were and with what scorn they had refused it and also that on theâ—r refusal of that Mr. Wray had proffered them that if they would appoint a place at such a distance next day we should mâ—et them and then they refused that also saying They knew not whether the Spirit might lead them that night and it is very probable they hoped we would not have come at their Challenge yet going that way we did call on them next day and then had a more full revelation of the spirit of Antichrist in them from J. N. than the day before who in answer to some such questions as fore-mentioned said That as Christ bore sins in that his own Body that dyed at Jerusalem so hee had born sins in his Body too and so that his first appearing to
that Scripture to speak of the manifestation of God in that one person and not in divers in and through whom onely the Fathers goodness and glory is preached and the preaching of it in the Gospel now fully made known from the Jews to the Gentiles in and through whom truly and onely the Father is beleeved on in the world John 12. 44 45 46. Rom. 1. 16 17 19. and 2. 4. with Act. 4. 10 11 12. and 17. 24-31 I say after this I added that indeed it could not properly be said That in a ful or absolute sense God was or is manifested in the flesh of any natural Son of Adam in the time of this mortality nor so as he was in that person who was not naturally of us but made so by a work of new creation and now through sufferings for us entered into his glory to this purpose were my words to which also I then added as follows or to this purpose contrary to what thou hast falsely charged me with That it is true God hath said he well dwel and walk in his people that through grace beleeve in him according to the testimony given of his Son but that the spirit of the beleever primely and chiefly is the subject of his indwelling or habitation which is said to be made alive for righterusness sake while yet the body is dead because of sin and to serve the Law of God while yet the flesh is much inslaved by the law of sin remaining and warring in the members and the body of death remaining on them even in the best of beleevers while here in those in whom Christ dwels in his Spirit and by faith Rom. 8. 10. and 7. 23. 25. whence the Apostle saith he knows that in him that is in his flesh dwels no good thing Rom. 7. 18. yet the fountain of all goodness being received into the mind spirit oâ— inner man by faith as Ephes 3. 16 17. that also springs up and acts forth through the mortal body moving and strengthening it to all its service and suffering whence also the body is said to be the Temple of the Lord it being the Tabernacle of that mind spirit or inner-man in which God primely and chiefly dwelleth and manifesteth himself in and through the testimony of Jesus there received 2 Cor. 5. 1-5 8 14 15. and chap. 4. 6 7. as well as also more generally because that also is bought with a price to be his as in that 1 Cor. 6. â—0 yea the bodies of beleevers are so the Temples of the Lord as not onely bought with a price but taken possession of owned and accepted in his Son with whom they are united by faith That God will also manifest himself fully and gloriously in those bodies when he that raised up the Lord shall also raise us up by his own power a in that 1 Cor. 6. 14. Then shall he change our vile bodies that they may be fashioned like unto his glorious body by that mighty working by which he is able to subdue even all things to himself Surely James hadst thou any fear of God before thy eyes thou wouldst be ashamed of thy gross ignorance that can see no difference or distinction between the body being the Temple of the Lord and so being also holy as being redeemed called accepted devoted to be his and for him And the Lord being fully and glorioufly manifested in his holy Temple Hast thou not read indeed I fear thou dost give very little attendance to reading the Scriptures because I find in thy discourse and papers they are slighted as a dead letter and most of them as quoted by thee have a false reading put upon them But I say hast thou never read that then was the time once in the last ages of the world when Christ appeared in that body then and so prepared for him as before and was once offered to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself even then was the Son of man glorified and God was glorified in him and he did then straightway glorifie him carrying him through sufferings into glory in a full and absolute sence as in the Scriptures fore-mentioned But that the day of the manifestation of all the residue of the Sons of God of mankind even the day of the redemption of their bodies when the glory of God shal be revealed in the Saints fully and so he glorified and admired in all them that now through grace beleeve because the Apostles testimony was received by them in that day that this is yet to be waited for til the end of this world in this corruptible state of it till the Lord himself personally come again and in the glory of his Father and with his holy Angels and bring all those that sleep in Jesus with him and so till they shall all be gathered together unto him to the injoyment of it till that day in which their enemies shall be all troden down aâ—mire in the streets who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his power when he shall come to be glorified in his Saints c. Then shall the righteous shine as the Sun in the Kingdom of their Father when all the tares are plucked up and cast into the fire which cannot be done by any of the servants in the world that now is nor shall be done by the Angels till the end of it and while they remain among them they as well as this body of death upon them do hinder the glorious manifestation of the Sons of God Surely then even we saith the Apostle as well as our expectation of the whole Creation to be then restored or renewed we also that have the first fruits of the Spirit do wait or tarry for the adoption that is the redemption of our bodies and so for the manifestation of the Sons of God If thou hast not read this or hast forgotten having too much I fear suffered the knowledge faith and hope of it to slip out of thy heart Or however I pray thee for thy own good if it may be read consider and compare these Scriptures comparing them with that fore-cited concerning that manifestation of God in the flesh in the person of Christ Joh. 13. 31 32. Rom. 8 18 19 23-25 with 2 Thes 1 5 6 7-9 10. and ch â— 1 2. Mat. 13. 28 29 30. with ver 37-40 42 43. Psa 37. 6 7. Mal. 4. 1-3 1 Thes 4. 14-16 17. Tit. 2. 12 13. 2 Tim 48. Again dost thou not remember that when at first thou didst charge me with denying God to be manifest in the flesh of the Saints which were the expressions of thy charge on its first appearance though much altered and higher after in thy paper and since in thy Letter that then I denied thy Châ—rge and told the people over again what I said suitable to what I have now and before written as much as I could gâ—t liberty and what
I would stand to It is true thou toldst me then I was a lyar in disowning what thou wouldest charge on me but thou wast a single witness to that and when I left that to the people thou hadst from one of them viz. Mr. Wray a sober and Christian answer to this purpose as â— remember That the end of that meeting he thought was not to catch at and strive about words and although to his remembrance what I had said about Gods being manifested in the flesh was to that purpose and in like expressions in which I had then again repeated and delivered it yet if some could not be satisfied but that some expressions did fall from me that might in their apprehensions carry more in them than I would stand to or own as my sence of them yet then he thought it reasonable that I should have that Christian liberty my self to explicate my sense of them and meaning in them that I would stand to and no more charged on me as my saying And this liberty likewise he desired you should have and I think you needed it and had it when you said The Judgement after death was past in you and yet after explicated your meaning That you was past the danger of it though the last nothing near comes up to the first But James Thou hast in thy jangling about this and in such other catching at and strife about words and in thy slanders clearly manifested to them that will not shut their eyes that thy intention in that discourse was to endeavor any way thou couldst to subvert the people from understanding what we had propounded to be reasoned about concerning the essence of Christ what it is whether something essentially in many persons or one person distinct from all other persons and if one person granted then whether in the works done in his own body in his Incarnation Death Resurrection and Ascention there was and so remaineth in him in our nature in that his own body by vertue of those works so finished in it the onely and abiding vertue for the taking away of sin or is the vertue for that also chiefly or at all in some other work or works done in other persons And about his Second Appearing and the glory then to be revealed whether that be to be waited for by all beleevers all the time of this mortality or made in or to any in this day I perceive it did not please thee that hath pleased the Father that in all things he should have the preheminence in whom onely dwels the fulness of the Godhead bodily and so communicâ—bly in its influences Thou hadst surely done more fairly if thou hadst let the people know that thy intention was to make a nullity or a type shadow or figure of that person Jesus of Nazareth and of those works done and finished in his own body in which himself bore our sins to the tree and was raised and glorified or at least to make thy self and others his equals in all those manifestations of God in him as Korah Dathan and Abiram would have dealt with Moses and Aaron in those things in which they were eminent Types of him and did they not indeavor it with thy pretence All the Congregation is holy and the Lord is among them Num. 16 3. and as those foretold of Jude 11. 2 To thy second Slander That I denied Christs being in them mentioned Collos 1. 27. and 2 Corinth 13. 5. to bee Gods being in them Surely James Either the spirit by which thou art immediately guided is very forgetful or else thou art very confident of my forgetfulness and presuming on that art not affraid to alter thy own charges as oft as thy thoughts alter about the advantagiousness of the manner of laying them I remember thou didst charge me before with something of this nature but then in these expressions That I denyed Christ to be God and the life of Christ being manifested in the flesh to be Gods being manifested in the flesh And this thou saidst I did in giving this Answer to that Scripture 2 Cor. 4. 10 11. That the life of Jesus might be manifest in our mortal flesh viz. That that was not God this was thy Charge and now it is thus much altered That in answer to those two other Scriptures Col. 1. 27. 2 Cor. 13. 5. I said That was not God in us To thy Charge in both formes I shall Answer so far as to discover thy falsity First to the first My Answer to that 2 Cor. 4. 10 11. was this though I well remember I was cut off by thee in the midst of it and thou wouldst not let the people hear it that that Scripture saith not That God was manifested in their mortal flesh buâ— that he might be In which answer is fully granted that in the life of Jesus being manifested in their mortal flesh God is or may be said therein to be truly manifested But that which is denied in that Answer is That that Scripture speaks of that as a thing now done in them that which was now done and manifest in their body was death unto which they were daily and always delivered that the other might be That the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body in our mortal flesh he doth not say it now was in the time of this mortality but that it might be so in this flesh that now was mortal For if in it we suffer with him even in the same body we shall also reign with him and be glorified together And when thou didst charge me with this next day I bâ—gan to give thee this Answer forementioned it is true thou wouldst not suffer me to speak out my Answer nor the people to hear what was spoken either day But I almost think thou didst perceive what my Answer was and would have been and that it would have been too many for thee to overthrow and therefore was angry with it in its first appearance and would not let the people understand what it was but presently stopt my mouth and their ears with reproaches and slanders I had in my thoughts this twofold Answer to have given to your abuse of that Scripture if I could have obtained but humane civility from you 1 That already mentioned viz. That the Text saith not That the life of Jesus was manifested in their mortal flesh now while mortal But that they was delivered to death now always that that might be and when and wherein they expected that should be fully accomplished is clear in that which follows vers 13 14. We also beleeve and therefore speak knowing saith he that he which raised up the Lord Jesus shall also raise us up by Jesus and shall present us with you they shall not one prevent another in that And that phrase That the life of Jesus might be manifested in our mortal flesh doth no more signifie that that life of Jesus shall be fully manifested
14. 21. 23. and 15. 1-4 5 7 c. though such as were never firmed in that foundation especially being kept from firmness therein through retaining divers lusts and such as after knowledge of the truth received do wilfully sleight reject and turn away from that preaching of the Cross as foolishness having itching ears to listen or inquire after any thing that may be plausible and also suitable to some lust of their own yet secretly retained and pursued though such I say may be and are turned aside to fables and led captive by such spirits Therefore let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity 2 Tim. 2. 19-22 and 3. 6 7. and 4. 1-4 Joh 15. 6. But to return to our present business in that which was said to the discovery of his abuse of these Scriptures and against his witness concerning himself yet there was no mention of his abuse of those two Scriptures fore-mentioned nor at any other time in our discourse with you that I know of but being in this false accusation thus propounded as those in which so great strength lyes for you that you have thought fit for them to wave that in 2 Cor. 4. 10 11. as more inconsiderable to your purpose we shall a little consider what they say That Col. 1. 27. saith That Christ in or amongst the beleevers The hope of glory And indeed he is so amongst them all and in or unto all of them for they are all called in one hope of their calling both in respect of the ground and foundation of their hope and in respect of the end of it the things hoped for And truly Jesus Christ and so the Father in him is the original summary and fundamental matter of it in both respects but it is that same Jesus Christ and not another which they had preached in the Gospel to every man see vers 28. and indeed there is but one Lord and not another Jesus not one in the heavens sitting on the right hand of God and another dwelling in us but that same Jesus that is in our nature in that body then and so prepared for him as before set down on the Right hand of Majesty in the heavens even he that person that is personalâ—y absent from the beleever is dwelling in the beleevers heart by faith of and in him and so the Father in and through Christ 2 Cor. 5. 6. 7. Eph. 3. 17-19 1 Pet. 1. 8. Joh. 12. 45. Yea it is that same Jesus after that consideration of him also as in that his own personal body He was delivered to death for our offences and raised again for our justification And so in the vertues thereof is become a perfect Saviour Propitiation High Priest c. And so able to save to the utmost all that come to God by him even as he is preached in the Gospel to every man That is even so in the beleevers heart by faith for he is yesterday and to day and for ever the same And after the same consideration of him he is being received by faith which is the evidence of things not seen in and to the beleever the only bottome ground and foundation of all his faith and hope in God both in respect of the promise of this life and that to come yea the thing hoped for he in through and with whom all things are expected as he is now given virtually and spiritually in the testimony of him so all things pertaining to life and godliness are given in and with him in a like manner and to be enjoyed by faith in him and in the first fruits of the Spirit And when he shall appear again personally in the glory of his Father and with his holy Angels then all things fore-mentioned to be given with him in such manner as to be enjoyed by way of actual possession in fulness and glory and in such enjoyment of his personal presence for ever even the fulness of all spiritual blessings which now we are blessed with in Christ our Treasury and the total and eternal redemption of the body of this glory Christ is in and to our hearts the hope not the possession nor do we possess the glory for then hope should cease but if we hope for that wee see not which indeed we do when Christ our fore-runner is our hope as aforesaid then do we with patience wait for it Surely this Scripture is far from telling us That the glory glorious rest Kingdome and enjoyment of promises which the Fathers dyed in the faith and hope of not having received them was now revealed in and upon them it signifies fully the contrary in saying Christ was in and to them the hope of it Like to this is that 2 Cor. 13. 5. A rule given to prove themselves by whether they be in the faith in that one faith of Gods operation and in which they should be accepted and approved The Rule is Jesus Christ is in you or else yee are unapproved yea stand as disallowed disowned in the Apostles Doctrine and so in Heaven as being not in the faith The thing here to be considered is How Christ is in them If thâ—y be indeed in the faith surely that is easily understood if we consider this Rule of Tryal as it hath relation to the thing to be tryed or proved which is Whether we be in the faith not Whether we be in the actual possession Sure then or for that there will be no need of such trying and proving nor to say one to another know the Lord when tâ—ey shall all know him from the least to the greatest even as they are known which they shall do in that day when that Covenant which is now given them in and with Christ and as he is given shall be fully performed But now while they need to try and prove themselves whether they be in the Faith which is the evidence of things not seen and the confidence of things hoped for that is thus to be proved If Jesus Christ â—nd there is but one Christ and after the same consideration as before if he be in them that can be no otherwise than as before as in his testimony declared the ground and foundation of their faith and hope the matter beleeved and object beleeved in then their faith is of God and centuring in God even the Father for he that seeth him seeth him that sent him and he that beleeveth on him beleeveth on him that sent him he is come a light into the world that whosoever beleeveth in him should not abide in darkness Joh. 12. 44-46 3 Thy third Slander is That I said Paul was in Heaven when he saw the person of Christ there with bodilyeies Truly this also is wholly without any colour of ground from any thing I said or writ That Paul had an immediate demonstration of the person o Christ even of the glorified body in the Heavens and did hear the word of his mouth even receive
sensual and earthly things under pretence of spirituality we desire to have our conversation in Heaven where the person of Christ in that body in our nature our treasury is received by the Father from whence we look for the Savior the Lord Jesus Christ who shall change our vile body that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body by that mighty power by which he is able to subdue even all things unto himself as Phil. 3. 7. to the end Heb. 12. 1 2. I have been large in these things forementioned if it may be for thy good if not my confidence is in him that others will hear and shall fully reap the benefit when he that is now received in the Heavens shall from thence appear in his glory to our everlasting comfort and you shall be ashamed world without end To the rest of thy Slanders I shall speak briefly 4 To thy Fifth Slander That I said I had not the same testimony the Apostles had This also is altogether groundless from any thing thou hadst from me I did as much as I could avoyd the speaking of my self because I dare not make my self of the number of some that commend themselves measuring themselves by themselves c. 2 Cor. 10. 12. what they are now with what they were before and with what others now are as the Pharisee Luk. 18. 11 12. and the false Apostles 2 Cor. 11. 12-18 c. 2 Thes 2. Knowing also that he that speaketh of himself seeketh his own glory Joh. 7 18. I was willing to leave that to such proud boasters as 2 Tim. 3. to exalt themselves and smite others on the face to their reproach and shame as 2 Corinth 11. 20 21. That which I said was of Timothy and all other secondary Ministers of the Gospel since the first trusters in Christ who received their word immediately from his person all since and so including my self yea happily I might when put upon it acknowledge the same particularly concerning my self that they do not receive their word furniture or mission immediately from the person of Christ as the first Apostles did But mediately in beleeving through their word as more fully in discourse and in answer to your challenge But was not this often in the same discourse told thee and is it not full in the paper sent thee and in so many words that the word or testimony was and is the same for those Apostles gave it in his name for obedience to the faith among all Nations but the manner of receiving it from him various and so in some sense the Call the same also though the manner of the work to which called in some things different so the manner of their receiving it and being made of the number called to such peculiar service or canst thou not distinguish between the testimony it self and the manner of receiving it I fear it s not so much weakness as wilfulness 5 To your Sixth and eighth Slander as fore-mentioned viz. That I charged you with Burglary and breaking into the house and that Mr. Wray commanded you to depart his house I Answer You know the falseness of these as of the rest To the first I remember that on some occasion I told you I would not commit Burglary or break into any mans house you then would fain have catched something of it as intimately charging you with doing so the day before to which I then told you I did not so charge any of you nor think otherwise but that you had very fair leave to come and stay though all that you say to that I beleeve not viz. That you were sent for Happily you might have notice of our meeting there but that I am sure was not by any desire of ours nor did I know that was any occasion or end of our meeting but as I heard by flying reports onely was desired to come and give them a visit by him that best might inâ—ite mee to that house To the next which at least you imply That Mr. Wray commanded you to depart It is like all the rest you know he invited you all to Dinner and told you you should be all welcome though I think you were most of you too scornful to accept it And the reason he desired us to meet in the publick after was onely for conveniency of room because of the multitude of the people nor did you then say any thing against meeting there onely when you perceived it was not like easily to be prevented you spake against breaking up a while for a Dinner but that also you did in such language as you might reasonably think would rather provoke not to listen to your proposal therein And doubtless what ever you pretend you were glad of the occasion to be gone I question noâ— but you would have come freely enough to the other place as we were all desired had you looked for any advantage to your Design of marring the visage of the Son of Man 6 To thy Seventh Slander That any of my companions should say That God had neither Eyes nor Ears nor Heart This also I know to be like the rest for I am sure I heard no discourse of that nature and I was never in any time of discourse so far from thee that thou couldst hear it and not I And whoever of thy companions told thee it I know it to be false because I know them better than thee or thy companions do happily they might say That God even the Father hath not eyes ears c. as a man nor seeth as man seeth and possibly also they might be cut off or interrupted in the midst of some such saying by your incivilities as at other times but this Slander may be as well without any colour of ground as all the rest and the same I do on good ground judge of what thou saidst of one of us confessing that which thou hadst acknowledged about Christs flesh in thee we bless God we all know the flesh of Christ is now to be fed on and enjoyed by faith in through and according to the testimony of it and its vertues brought us in his words which are spirit and life and not otherwise Many more of thy slanders might be discovered as that That I was forced by thee to deny what I had said about the Scriptures Truly if I had used any expressions not so safe or warrantable I hope I should willingly being so convict have left them for better and I think I should therein have done better than thou didst in standing to maintain so oft and seriously these very expressions That God was hurt with mens sins when as the Scripture saith plainly If thou sinnest what dost thou to him Thy wickedness may hurt a man as thou art c. Job 35. 7 8. But I know nothing that I did or need to deny or go from that I said but thou hast mentioned nothing of my sayings right either in that or
the witness of that person and those works as perfect in him is actually received in the receit of the testimony God hath given of him It is a good description of the doer of truth he commeth to the light that he may see all his works that he desires to own as the ground and matter of his rejoycing and hope wrought in God in Emmanuel And so the other place saith the thing was true in them that was true in him not because it was actually wrought in them as in him but expresly because the darkness was past to them and the true light had then shined which disovers him as that onely begotten Son of God full of grace and truth Joh 1. 14. and so learns all truth as it is in Jesus Ephes 4. 21. yea leads into all truth and so gives proof and experiment of the goodness vertue and efficacy or power of the truth in the receit of it through such lifting up or demonstration of the Son of man and so of the truth as it is in him Joh. 16. 13 14. 2 The Jesus or Christ to whom thoubearest witnesse is such as whose second appearing without sin to the salvation of those that look for him with reference to those expressions Heb. 9. 28. is already past or hath been accomplised in thee This is clear in thy letter though there the word second bee left out which was oft urged by thee in discourse That Christ is come again in the flesh since his Ascension which also thou callest thy confessing the flesh of Christ and further signifies in following expressions This to bee thy confession of the flesh of Christ in thee or his comming in the flesh The second time even since hâ—s Ascension in thee And didst call in discourse his appearing again and the second time in thee in his body his flesh and spirit Christ holy harmelesse undefiled separate from sinners made higher than the heavens with many other such like expressions which some took in writing least thou shouldest deny them though not as any matter of Accusation against thee to thy harm as thou slanderest them which writing I not having by mee mention no more than I well remember And is the summe of it in thy Letter Whereas that Jesus the Christ which they have preached is personally received by and continuing with the Father in the heavens untill the time of the Restruction of all things Act. 3. 20 21. from whom all beleevers are personally absent while in these mortal bodies 2 Cor. 5. 6. His second and glorious Appearance in that body in which he once suffered for sin without sin to the salvation of those that look for him with all the blessed hope then â—o be revealed the fulness and Harvest of the Spirit and glorious Redemption of the body is yet to be waited for by all beleevers not accomplished in or to any of them all the time of this present world whence â—he Apostle propounds it as the posture in which the beleever stands all the time of this present world in which he hath ungodliness and worldly lust to encounter with looking for that blessed hope and the glorious appearance of the great God and our Savior Tit. 2. 12 13. with 2 Pet. 3. 3. 11. 12. 1 Thess 1 9 10. Phil. 3 20 21. And so that salvation of them that look for him Heb. 9. 28. to the accomplishing of which he shall appear the second time and then without sin in any such imputation of it infirmities or sufferings by occasion of it as was upon him in his first Appearance even in the glory of his Father and with his holy Angels That salvation of them I say is clearly that total salvation that shall be revealed and accomplished in the last time 1 Pet. 1. 5. even after the natural death and in the Resurrection in which they shall be redeemed from the power of the grave in the first Resurrection and so from the hand of the enemy that the second death shall have no power on them but they shall be ever with the Lord posseâ—â—ing the glorious rest and Kingdom for ever which appears in that its a position so placed as answering to the judgement after death mentioned in the former verse Heb. 9. 27 28. In that judgement after death unto which all in these bodies must come Then and therein shall he appear without sin to the salvation of them that look for him so that they shall stand in the judgement having righteousness and strength in the Lord yea in the Lord shall they be justified and redeemed from all their iniquities fully and perfectly and shall glory Isa 45. 24 25. Psa 130. 8. Yea when that Second Appearing of Christ shall be accomplished it shall not then be made or accomplished in an internal operation in this or that or many persons that we should need to look here or there for him but that one person shall appear personally in that his own body in our nature as now glorified with the Father even as he was seen go into Heaven so his second coming shall be visible to all as the lightning from the one end of the Heaven to the other and accomplished to them all at once and together 1 Thess 4. 14-16 Matth. 24. 26 27 28. To corrupt us from the beleef of the truth and expectation of which blessed hope and to intâ—oduce thy other Jesus whom thou didst witness to have appeared the second time in thee even to have come again in the flesh since his Ascension c. as before thou didst pervert these Scriptures that I well remember Luk 17. 20 21 Joh. 14. 3. The first of which thou mentionest now again in thy letter with a great deal of vaunting and reproach as if it spoke so much and so plainly to what thou hadst affirmed as to render it greatest folly shame and blindness to oppose such thy witness of thy self Let us therefore again a little look upon it and see if thou hast not grosly abused our Savior in perverting his words contrary to the plain intent and scope of them See if our Saviour do not in that place clearly signifie That his second coming in that body and therein the glorious revelation and bringing down of the Kingdom and glory is yet to be waited for even by his Disciples all the time of this mortality They themselves should desire to see one of his dayes and should not see it namely in this time and state of their mortality nor till they all come together with all that are his Let the whole Chapter be viewed from the twentieth verse to the lâ—st When he was demanded of the Pharisees When the Kingdom of God should come He answered The Kingdom of God commeth not with observation or outward shew of pomp or glory of this world of which his Kingdom is not as they expected Joh. 18. 36. neither shall they say loe here or loe there for beâ—old the Kingdom of God is
within you in the midst of you or among you its clear by what follows That this first part of his Answer speaks of the first appearance of that Kingdom in that person the Messiah the King the Lord and Saviour whose first appearance was not with outward glory and pomp of this world as they looked for but in weakness and abasement and this was he that was now personally among them and approved by God among them by miracles and signs which God wrought by him in the midst of them as they themselves did also know for he was annointed with the holy Ghost and with power by which his word and works were spiritually demonstrated in them or to their hearts Act. 2. 22. 10. 38. and so the word of the Kingdom nigh them in their hearts as Rom. 10 And so while this person was with and amongst them in his personal ministration The Kingdom was also in them in the spiritual discoveryes of it working for acceptance with them for as long as hee was in the world he was the light of the World in his personal ministration and these persons had seen and hated him and his Father Joh. 9. 5. and 15. 24. in this sense The Kingdom of Heaven was so among them as in former ages it had not been among any for the Law and the Prophets were untill John and from that time the Kingdom of Heaven was preached Luk. 16. 16. And yet stil the person and the works of and in that person in and through which the Kingdom was brought nigh them and in the midst of them was distinct from them But thus demonstrated in this first appearance and in the works by him then accomplished among them Now observe what follows And he said unto the Disciples the days will come when ye shall desire to see one of the days of the Son of man and shall not see it It seems this was one of the daies of the Son of man which they did see in which the Kingdom of God was among them And that this which they did see was the first of them namely the first day of Christs appearing personally on earth and in the nature of man appears in that he saith Luk. 10. 24. Matth. 13. 17. That many Prophets Kings and righteous men had desired to see those things they did see in this appearance of the Son of Man and had not seen them None of the Fathers before saw his day not the first of them as actually revealed and accomplished in their time and among them as these Disciples and spectators did Though they did see his day by faith and so the things to be done by him in his first and second Appearance yet it was so as afar off in respect of the actual revelation and accomplishment of them and as things to come compare Joh. 8. 56. with Heb. 11. 13. 1 Pet. 1. 10. 11 12. Therefore that day of the Son of Man which now they did see in which the Kingdom of Heaven was brought among them and therein made nigh them in their hearts by spiritual demonstration as before that was the first day of the Son of man not the second as the abuse of it to the fore-mentioned purpose would perswade us Neither did his own Disciples yet desire to see another day of the Son of Man certainly knowing that this was the Messiah and ignorantly hoping that he would presently at this time of his appearing restore the Kingdom to Israel Luk. 24. 21. Act. 1. 6. But our Savior here instructs them and that by way of further answer to the Pharisees question When the Kingdom of God should come That that day of the Son of man in which he should appear in the glory of his Father and with his holy Angels in which Gods Kingdom should come to be revealed in the glorious state of it was not yet accomplished amongst or unto any no not to those his own Disciples yea that should be another day of the Son of man distinct from this a second appearing which also was to be waited for by them during the time of this mortality they should desire to see it and should not see it And herewith our Savior also admonisheth them That when any should say to them with respect to this second Day of the Son of Man and the blessed hope and glorious Kingdom then to be revealed See here or see there it is accomplished or fulfilled in this or that secret and mystical way and in or to this person or that though you yet discern it not that they should not go after or follow such and that for this reason For as the lightning that commeth out of the one part under Heaven shineth unto the other part under Heaven so shall the Son of man be in his day Whence also he compares it to the days of Noah and of Lot for the suddenness of it and its universality to all at once even to all the surviving Enemies such as shall weep and wail because of it and not onely the surviving friends but all those that sleep in Jesus that have part in the first Resurrection though the rest of the dead shall not live again so immediately or presently on his appearing nor till some time after yet these the children of the first Resurrection shall together be raised and changed into the likeness of his glorious body To signifie which further unto them our Savior at the latter end of this Chapter in Answer to their Question Where this should be saith Wheresoever the carkass is thither will the Eagles be gathered together That so they may be quiet as those that have no need to be too solicitous or inquisitive to know where or when any further than is plainly revealed because it shall be as the lightning c. as before let them now follow him in the regeneration and they shall be all gathered together in and unto that glorious day of the Son of man when it comes And indeed their onely privilege and benefit by that second day of the Son of man that by his grace appearing through his first day are begotten to faith and hope in him and so moved to wait for him is signified by our Saviours turning his speech in this second part of his Answer to the Pharisees Question from the Pharisees and directing it to his Disciples They onely may look and long for that day with desire and joy His first Personal Appearance was not nor is his ministerial and spiritual comings forth to men to judge but to save the world and that through him the world might be saved But his second Personal Appearance shall be to judge and render to every man according to his work according to the Rule of the Gospel that shall be onely to the salvation of them that through his grace are here begotten to hope in him and look for him the rest shall be ashamed and confounded for ever Those that have rejected his grace
extended to them and striving with them through his first Personal Appearance through which all the Grace of God bringing salvation to all men came forth in all ages shall have no day of grace nor any such nigh coming of the Kingdom either in it self or in the word or tender of it afforded them in and by his second day as the fore-mentioned abuse of this Scripture would signifie to us in urging that first part of the Answer of our Saviour to the Pharisees vers 20. 21. for proof of the second appearing of Christ accomplished to and in men now in this day which thing signified namely That the second Appearing of Jesus Christ in the flesh and in the Spirit his coming again since his Ascension c. as in the forementioned expressions of thy Discourse and Letter was accomplished in those Pharisees there spoken to who yet had not owned him in his first appearance is also quite contrary to your own principles and expressions too in other parts of your discourse and writings in which you signifie it to be the peculiar privilege of your selves and such others to have experimented Christs coming again in you since his Ascension and this accomplished in some late operations in you many of which Farnsworth boasted of which you signified us all along and all others that would not admire and worship you to be strangers to yet now this Scripture must be brought and urged again and again to prove the said coming of Christ again in Flesh and Spirit after his Ascension c. to have been now accomplished in these Pharisees that were not yet the Disciples of Christ nor had owned him in his first Appearance and at this time also in which our Saviour himself affirmeth He was not yet ascended Joh. 20. 17. and the Holy Ghost saith the like of him Joh. 7. 39. Herein is the truth of those Scriptures verified in you that tell us Such men as have not faith or are of no judgement concerning the faith of and in that person they are also unreasonable or absurd men their own sayings and principles will not stand one by another for indeed themselves understand not what they say nor whereof they affirm But I shall wave the further notice of your Absurdities in this and proceed in the consideration of what may be more for our commodity and instruction and for yours also if not too late or you be not too proud to receive it See I pray you how to this second day of the Son of man which hee hath said his own Disciples should desire to see and should not see till they and we all the Disciples be gathered together our Saviour speaks further in the beginning of Chap. 18. Instructing us by a Parable alwayes to pray watch and be as men longing and waiting for it and not to faint or take up short assuring us That God will much more readily willingly speedâ—ly than the unjust Judge who yet was overcome by Importunity avenge his Elect and that speedily which he plainly signifies he will then and not till then fully do in that day of the Son of man yet to come and to be waited for by them all as 2 Thess 1. 6-9 10. and 2. 1. 2. Yet the Lord is not slack as men count slackness but his forbearance is salvation he is not willing that any should perish and therefore waits that he may be gracious as 2 Pet. 3. 9. c. Isa 30. â—8 But he that shall come will certainly come who ever scoff at the promise of it and will not tarry longer than his time Yea the Lord will hasten the work c. of his faithfulness and truth in which he hath also given assurance in what he hath already done Nevertheless saith our Saviour when he the Son of man cometh shall he find faith on the earth Surely he signifies but little few will be found in the expectation and waiting for his coming most that pretend to magnifie him will before that day have taken up short as if it were already accomplished in this or in that others almost discouraged and damped through the abounding of iniquity c. The other Scripture that was perverted by thee to the fore-mentioned purpose in thy second dayes Discourse is That saying of our Saviour Joh. 14. 3. If I go and prepare a place for you I will come again and receive you to my self that where I am ye may be also Is it not clear that that shall be accomplished to them altogether And then and not till then when he shall bring all that sleep in Jesus with him compare this with 1 Thâ—ss 4. 14-16 17. They did indeed see him again after he was a while taken from them by death hee being raised appeared to them many times before his Ascension and they were therein comforted and confirmed and happily therein there might be some first fulfillings of that promise Joh. 16. 16. c. A little while and ye shall see me again because I go to the Father But as that text speaks not expresly of his coming again though it shall then have its full and perfect fulfilling so in that first fulfilling of it though they did see him again yet was not that properly his coming again but farther demonstrations of that first appearance and of the works done in that person therein and thereby And truly because he was to go to the Father they had those demonstrations of the person that did ascend in our nature before he did so And because he is gone to the Father he also shall come again in his day and receive them to himself as Joh. 14. 3. The ground of all our consolation and hope as before being made compleat in this That we have an Advocate the Son of God in our nature even in that body in which he bore our sins to the Tree in heaven with the Father From whence namely from heaven we also look for the Saviour the Lord Jesus Christ who shall change our vile body that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body by that mighty working by which he is able to subdue even all things to himself The other parts of my charge follow necessarily this first being so fully shewed and therefore with more brevity may be passed over as to say in the next place 2 That thou movest us to listen to and receive another Spirit than that which is in and with that hearing of faith Gal. 3. 1. 3. For is not the Lord himself in that revelation of him or the testimony of Jesus even as committed to the Apostles to be ministred and as preached by them that Spirit of Prophesie that Spirit prophesied of and that now fits for Prophesie and is the life and quintessence of Prophesie compare 2 Cor. 3. 17. and the other verses of that Chapter and Chap. 4. 1. c. with Rev. 19. 10. Is not that testimony as so come forth the Spirits testimony given and opened by him
in and with which he is certainly present See Act. 2. 16-36 c. And thence the Gospel called The power of God to salvation to every one that beleeveth yea his words which he spake unto those that yet received them not spirit and life Rom. 1. 16 17. Joh. 6. 63. And do not they then move us to listen to and receive another spirit that bring another Doctrine or Testimony and indeed of another Jesus as before and cry down the testimony of Jesus as declared in the Apostles Doctrine as letter and dead letter while in the mean time also they magnifie the words spoken by themselves as the words of the Eternal God and curse others for but calling their words into question while yet also they reproach them for desiring to have their faith in Christ regulated according to the testimony of Jesus so given by the Holy Ghost as aforesaid and the Preachers of that testimony as Preachers of letter and command them to throw it by and wait for some other immediate teaching And wherein you have done all this is clear in your Discourse and in Farnsworths Challenge and in this thy Letter throughout notwithstanding it was plainly told you what the affirms of the Ministry of the Gospel as committed to them in the very place abused by you to this purpose viz. 2 Cor. 3. that Ministry as so committed to them and delivered and left in record by them that as opposed to Moses Ministration or the Law as given by him to which yet he gives more honorable Titles than you can afford the Everlasting Gospel he calls that not a dead but a killing letter now that cannot kill that hath no life in it But this Ministry of the Gospel as committed to them which also was witnessed in the Law and Prophets this as opposed to the Law I say he calls the Ministration of the Spirit yea Spirit the Ministration of Righteousness of life and of glory whence it s called the Glorious Gospel 2 Cor. 4. 4. Now when this is slieghted and rejected as a dead letter and yet some inward light or spirit boasted of and propounded to be listned to and received that must needs be another spirit than that which is in and with that hearing of faith yea a contrary spirit such as is in and with such contrary and strange Doctrines as bring another Jesus a contrary Anointing And so I come farther and particularly to make good the last part of my charge 3 That thou bringest another Gospel than what the Apostles have preached and all true beleevers have from the beginning accepted which indeed is not another Gospel It affirms or brings us no glad tydings It is Gospel but in pretence only not in truth It is indeed another Doctrine or Message such as in which the Message they received of him and declared unto us is endeavoured to be perverted and abolished to which thou pretendest an immediate call and furniture from God in which thou excludest thy self from that prayer for blessing on their Ministration to the worlds end who through the Apostles word or doctrine beleeve on him But if thou wert an Angel immediately coming from heaven we are to hold thâ—e Accursed in this thy work And to make it appear That it is another Doctrine or Message and contrary to what they have preached and such as will not at all stand together with it let this Letter be viewed though thou hast expressed things darkly and subtilly that thou mightst winde out when thou shouldst see cause of fear thou couldst not manage it or that the endeavouring to manage it would spoyl thy design in discovering thee too grosly yet they that will not wilfully shut their eyes may discern in this Letter that thy Doctrine Message or pretended Gospel in the summe or issue and end of it is to preach down that person Jesus of Nazareth of the seed of David after the flesh and those works of our salvation wrought in his person in his Incarnation Death Resurrection and Ascension I say to preach him and those works as done in that one person down as types and shadows or figures of the true Christ which is to bee found in some other thing or works accomplished in many persons even so to preach down him and those works done in him that manifestation of God in the flesh in that one person as for us I say so to preach them down as the Apostles preached down Circumcision Temple and Sacrifices without It contents not thee to preach down the same things the Apostles preached down as figures c. but thou must preach down what they lifted up as the body the truth so to abide for ever thou must preach that down as types and figures too See if this be not clearly signified in thy Letter Where after thou hast charged us with denying Christ come in the flesh because we bore testimony against thy witness of Christ being come again since his Ascension or having appeared the second time in the flesh now glorified and without sin to salvation according to that promise Heb. 9. 28. which was more full in thy Discourse but full enough in thy Letter in which thou callest thy witness of Christs being come again since his Ascension thy confessing of the flesh of Christ yea as is signified in what follows of his flesh in thee for indeed that was thy witness as is also signified in thy Letter That Christ was come or had appeared again in the flesh since his Ascension and so the second time and without sin to salvation and all this accomplished in thee as before I say After thou hast charged us with denying Christ come in the flesh because wee witnessed him to be already come and his second coming to be waited for and did bear witness against this witness of thine forementioned And then also reproached us for not beleeving concerning this any farther than we can read in that which thou callest Letter To this thou addest What a Generation would we have been had we lived in the times of the Apostles who preached down Circumcision Temple and Sacrifices without such things as the Letter said should continue for ever yet they preached them down without and confirmed them within in Spirit which is the ground and bottome of all and in which all must end Dost thou not herein clearly signifie an acknowledgement that the summe or end of thy mission or message in thy confession of the flesh of Christ which we opposed was to preach down that person and those works wrought and finished in that person in his own body as distinct from every one of us and without us in our particular persons which the Apostles said should remain in the essence of the person and abiding vertue of the works in that person with the Father for ever even to preach him and them down as they preached down Circumcision Temple and Sacrifices without c. even as but another or farther
cunningly devised fables but the Apostles were eye witnesses of his Majesty c. And to what they said had also the testimony of the sure word of Prophecy saying nothing but what they said should come to pass 2 Pet. 1. 15 16-19 Act. 26. 22 23. Yea the ministry committed to the Apostles is given as the dispensation of the fulness of times in which God hath gathered together all things that before lay scattered in divers witnesses types and figures into one even in Christ Jesus For God who at sundry times or in many parts and divers manners spake to the Fathers by the Prophets hath now in these last days spoken to us by his Son whom he hath made heir of all things by whom also he made the worlds who being the brightness of his glory c. When he had observe the Text by himself purged our sins sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high That person and the righteousness accomplished in and by him for us and remaining in that person in the Heavens with the Father shall never be abolished The Heavens and Earth in the state in which now they stand shall wax old as a garment and be folded up yea they shall be changed and renewed But not so this person and the vertue of the works done in his body he is the same and his years fail not or change yea to him as so delivered to death for our offences and raised again for our Justification and now glorified in our nature hath he put in subjection the world to come of which the Apostles have spoken Ephes 1. 10. Hebr. 1. tot 2. 1 5-8 9. That Temple those Sacrifices c. were indeed the figures of the true and therefore iterated because they could not make the commers perfect but that one offering made in that one body then and so prepared for him as before and so the power and glory of God which he thereby and therein invested within our nature this is the Truth it self the end of all types and figures and therefore no more to be iterated because he is able with that one offering and in that name and glory of the Father he is thereby invested with to save to the utmost all that come to God by him yea he is so in Heaven the Savior of all men especially of them that beleeve And therefore neither is there another manner of preaching to be given but his presence promised with that to the end of the world Matth. 281. 8 19 20. Yea that preaching as so given shall be even so confirmed and all the Truth and Glory of God gloriously and fully manifested in that person as there declared in his second and glorious Appearance when he shall frustrate the tokens of the Lyars and make the Diviners mad Isa 44. 25 26 and 8. 11-16-20 2 Thes 1. 6-10-12 For they have declared the thing plainly as it is and fully so that we in coming to this ministration or dispensation of the fulness of times and so to know beleeve and hope in Christ according to it are not come to another Sinai but to Sion to the City of the living God the Heavenly Jerusalem c. even so as by faith in and according to the Gospel as now come forth we receive therein a Kingdom that cannot be moved but shall even so stand for ever and be fully revealed and given to us as herein it is received by faith wherefore let us hold fast grace whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear untill he receive us to glory with him as he hath said For our God is a consuming fire Heb. 12. 22 28 29. He that will not hear that Prophet shall be cut off no other message or messenger to be sent or means to be used by God for his help that being rejected nothing remains but vengeance to consume the Adversaries Surely then That Doctrine that preaches down that Jesus of Nazareth and the works done in that his own personal body as for us as they preached down Circumcision Temple Sacrifices as being but a further shadow of some truth or good things yet to come or to be found in some other thing or work in many persons is clearly another and contrary doctrine and tends to overthrow the Doctrine Faith and Hope of our Lord Jesus Christ as declared by the one mouth of his holy Apostles and Prophets since the world began and therefore not to be followed but held as execrable by us neither are we to bid them to house or bid them God speed that bring it after knowledge of them to be such he that so doth is partaker of all their evil deedâ— yea we are to avoid and turn away from such Having therefore clearly and fully to my own satisfaction I speak as in the sight and presence of God discerned thee to be one of those strangers that bring such a strange voyce or doctrine as the sheep are not to listen to Yea so contrary to the true Shepheards voyce as even to the introducing another Jesus another Spirit another Gospel c. as before is shewed and having also according to my weakness now discovered it from what I have under thy hand I shall refuse further to meddle or have to do with thee unless I shall perceive in thee what I much desire if it may be though I have little hope of it viz. some perception of the evil and danger of thy way and thy heart inclined to turn to the Lord from whom thou hast deeply revolted In the perception of which in thee or any other deceived by thee or in such deceits I should surely much rejoyce and have to that end thus endeavored it THO. MOORE A Preface to the Relation of the following Queries and the Answer to them by Thomas Moore MEEting accidentally a little before the meeting at Mr. Wrayâ—s with several papers some directed to my self and some others yet not sent to me but dispersed into the hands of divers which are filled with nothing else but proud boastings of themselves the Indicters of them and of their light or spirit and rayling accusations against others And some directed to Alice Morden and others which are chiefly Queries without laying down in any of them any positive answer or discovery of their judgement unless in the close by reproaching the acknowledgment of one that dyed for all the just for the unjust bearing our sins in his own body to the tree And intimately all the way scoffing at the promise of and waiting for his coming again rendering that and the hope then to be revealed as a thing made or accomplished in men and in this day yet not plainly laying down their principles if they have any as to these things indeed it evidently appears to me they are of no judgement concerning the faith meeting I say with these papers at a place near Cambridge I was desired to give some answer to them The first
c. they all and not the unclean shall then together enter with him into the joy of their Lord where they shall dwell and walk for ever with the Lord in a high broad way where shall be no straitness nor occasion of stumbling yea the Lord himself shall be to them a place of broad Rivers and streams where shall go no Gally with Oares Isa 33. 20 21. Revel 21. 1 8. 25 27. 22. 1 14 15. Heb. 9. 28. 12 Qu. What that manifestation of the Spirit is which is given to every man to profit withall And whether there be any profit but by it And whether it be not of it self an infallible guide c. Ans To the First Part of this Query That manifestation of the Spirit spoken of 1 Cor. 12. 7. is of that one Spirit that being immeasurably received in the Nature of man in and by that one Person of the Son of God is sent forth in his influences of light and power unto men according to the measure of the gift of Christ and his manifestation is concerning Christ as the works are now finished in him and the Declaration of him come forth in the Gospel and so of the things of him and the Fathers glory in him by which he teacheth all things and leads into all truth as before is shewed Compare this 1 Cor. 12. 7. 11. with Ephes 4. 7 11. Joh. 16. 13 14. some distinct understanding of which testimony of the Spirit concerning Christ for some profitable opening or usefulness of it to others is given to every hearty beleeving receiver of it The other parts of this Query are in his former Queries and sufficiently answered before 13 Qu. What and where that Worship of God in the Spirit is truly c. And whether any can worship in Spirit and in Truth but those that are born of the Spirit And whether he that is born of the Spirit needeth any other guide c. And whether such Worships hath not been and are now differing from all other And therefore hated Ans Here are five Queries in one To the first wee answer That Worship of God in Spirit and Truth mentioned Joh. 4. 23 24. is that worship of him that is in the light and power of and according to the Spirits testimony concerning Jesus as now come forth in the Gospel and so in Christ Jesus who is the Truth And this called worshipping in spirit and in truth as opposed both to the Samaritans worship which was never right but in and according to the wisdom of the flesh and so in a false way and also as opposed to the Jewish worship which sometimes was right while yet it was in and through that killing letter of the Law to which the Ministration of the Spirit the Gospel as now come forth is opposed 2 Cor. 3. and also in and through the Types and Shadows of the Law to which Jesus Christ the Body and truth of them is opposed Col. 2. 17. Joh. 1. 17. This sence of the Spirit and Truth in which God is to be worshipped is confirmed in other Scriptures for the Spirit See Rev. 19. 10. The Angel admonishing John not to worship him but God instructs him thus The testimony of Jesus and not any Messenger that brings it is the spirit of Prophecy in which God is now to be worshipped for the truth See Phil. 3. 3. we are the Circumcision which worship God in the Spirit and rejoyce in Christ Jesus the Truth and have no confidence in the flesh c. And so our Saviour interprets the true Worship Joh. 5. 22 23 24. The Father judgeth no man but hath committed all judgement to the Son that all men should honour the Son even as they honour the Father he that honoureth not the Son honoureth not the Father that sent him And to let us know who it is that indeed honours the Son and so the Father that sent him it follows hee that heareth my Word which also is the word or testimony of him that sent him concerning him Joh. 7. 16. 14. 23 24. 1 Joh. 5. 9-12 13. And so beleeveth on him that sent me c. like to this is that Joh. 12. 44. 49. and that two-fold Rule for the trial of Spirits before spoken to 1 Joh. 4. 1-6 They then that magnifie or glorifie the Word of the Lord as declared in the Apostles Doctrin as Act. 13. 48. and according to it beleeve and rejoyce in Christ Jesus and so in the Father are the true worshippers To the Second part of the Query we answer That as it is true that no man speaking by the Spirit of God renders Jesus in his Person or works done in his own Body for sinners execrable or undesirable so likewise is it true that no man can truly say confess or acknowledge Jesus as the Christ in his Doctrin or Worship but by the Spirit of the Lord 1 Cor. 12. 3. and whosoever beleeveth that Jesus is the Christ he is therein and thereto bornof God 1 Joh. 5. 1. Joh. 1. 12. 13. the other parts of the Query as much as is needful are answered before 14 Qu. What and where that light is Joh. 1. 9. that being come into the World is the condemnation of all that are in darkness c. And whether it be not the condemnation of all the World that beleeve not in it And whether there be any other condemnation c. Ans In this Query is also a confusion of many Queries and after the first part of it something first taken for granted and then propounded as a Query we shall briefly answer it thus 1 Not John the Baptist but Jesus that was of Nazareth the supposed Son of Joseph that was conceived of the Holy Ghost in the wombe of the Virgin Mary born in Bethlehem of Iudea in the days of Augustus Caesar c. even that word that was then and so made Flesh and came and dwelt amongst men and not any other thing or person who through sufferings is now entred into glory That I say and no other Person or thing is The true light that lightneth every man that cometh into the world Joh. 1. 8 9. 14. 15-18 41. 45. 8. 12. 12. 44 45 46. Acts 4. 10 11 12. 2 The Text saith not This light is the condemnation of all or any that are in darkness but this is the condemnation That light is come into the World and men loved darkness rather than light because their deeds were evil Their loving darkness rather than light when the light comes unto them and not the coming of the light to them is the condemning sin and that which makes other sins condemnable as also Ioh. 15. 22. 24. Zach. 5. 1-4 3 This light personally is received by the Father in the Heavens Act 3. 20. but in his influences virtually and Spiritually among men and dwelling in them in whom he dwelleth by faith Ephes 1. 17. 2 Cor. 4. 6. Ephes 3. 17-19 15
Qu. What the Law of the Spirit of life is which made Paul free from the Law of Sin and Death which had warred against the law of his minde and had formerly held him in captivity to the Law of Sin that was in his members And whether any in these days that are come to that warfare may took for that freedom by the law of the Spirit of lifeâ— Ans Besides the confusion of two or three Queries in one here are some things taken for granted which we can by no means allow because the Text it self demes them viz. That by the Law of Sin and Death spoken of Rom. 8. 2. is meant the same with the law of sin in his members mentioned Chap. 7. 21 23. which did warre against the law of his mind and led him captive in some sence to it self and 2 That he was made free from that Law of Sin in his Members that it was not so much as warring against the law of his minde now both these I shall wholly deny and as they hang together so they will fall together in answer to one That by the Law of Sin and Death Chap. 8. 2. is not meant the same with the law of sin in his members Chap. 7. 21 23. appears in this That from the Law of Sin and Death mentioned Cha. 8. 2. he saith he was made free but of the other Chap. 7. 21 23 c. he affirms not that he had before but that he did now finde a law in his members warring against the law of his minde indeed before the Gospel of the Grace of God came or was received there was no discovery or disturbance of that-Law in his members and therefore no occasion for such a warre but since was the Combate and though it had been unthroned in his minde yet it was still warring in his members and he was not yet delivered from it though he could rejoyce in God in whom he had perfect deliverance and enjoyed it by faith and hope of perfect deliverance in himself by Christ when he should be delivered from the whole body of this Death yea by that Law of Sin and Death mentioned Rom. 8. 2. as appears by the next verses is meant that holy and righteous Law of God mentioned Rom. 7. 12-16 for so in the next verses of that Rom. 8. with reference to the same Law mentioned vers 2. he signifies the reason of its inability to give us life and peace was not any weakness or imperfection in itself but the weakness of our flesh and also propounds that as one great end of what Christ hath done that the righteousness of that Law might be fulfilled in them that beleeve c. And that Law is therefore called a Law of Sin and Death because it discovers Sin and sentences and concludes the Sinner under death yet itself is holy just and good Chap. 7. 10. whereas the other Law Chap. 7. 20 23. is sinful sin it self a body of sin this being understood the foundation of the Query falls yet this further Answer we shall give By that Law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus by which he was made free from the condemnation and charges of this law of Sin and Death is meant nothing else but the Gospel of Christ which is that Old and New Commandement of the everlasting God the Law of Liberty Joh. 12. 47-50 1 Ioh. 2. 7 8. Iam. 1. 25. the Doctrin of the Spirit of Life that is in Christ Jesus or of that Spirit concerning the life Justification Peace and Redemption in Christ Jesus This appears plainly 1 By considering the next Verse in which he demonstrates how and with what Argument the law of the Spirit of Life in Christ freed him in which he propounds the main and fundamental Proposition and Argument of the Gospel in such cases and in all other for what the Law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh God sending forth his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin condemned sin in the flesh c. as 2 Cor. 5. 21. 2 It appears by comparing this with Rom. 1. 16 17. 1 Cor. 1. 18. c. where the Gospel of Christ even that preaching of the Cross as by them delivered is said to be the power of God to Salvation to the Beleever c. 3 It further appears by comparing this with 2 Cor. 3. where that Dispensation of the Gospel or Ministration given to the Apostles and by them to us is called the Ministration of Spirit of Life of Glory c. as opposed to the Ministration of the Law as given by Moses which as so opposed is called a killing Letter a Ministration of Death of Condemnation c. And this Gospel is still of the same quality it effectually worketh in them that beleeve in discovering and opening what Christ hath done for them in delivering them from the Curse of the Law in himself as in the publick person that in coming in to him by faith in him they might enjoy the benefit pacifying their Conscience and healing their Nature and so in the discovery of the Vertues and acceptance of what Christ hath done with the Father and is become according to the ends of his Cross This having the Arm of God in it as well as solid Arguments to that purpose it purgeth the Conscience from guilt of sin by the Law and from dead works to serve the living God and so quickens to new and livening hope and affections through the Resurrection of Jesus so as they have their Remission Peace as also Sanctification Preservation c. through his Name Acts 10 43. 13. 39. 2 Cor. 3. 18. Rom. 6. 17 18. Joh. 8. 31 32 36. 1 Cor. 6. 11. 1 Pet. 1. 5. Joh. 17. 11. To his Conclusion at the close of the Queries in which hee boasts of Gods revealing by his Spirit in him the great delusion others are in in being instructed to look to a Christ Crucified without them while they are in their filthiness and first nature c. as more at large may be seen in the Copy of his writing fore inserted To this I say we answer Surely the Lord doth not reveal any thing by his Spirit in or to any but so as therein he enableth them that receive his Revelation in some measure to make it known he to this purpose appeareth that he may make them witnesses of those things in which he appeareth How then shall we beleeve that God hath revealed to him the delusion others are in when he is not able in the least measure to make it out at least he hath not done it in these lines only endeavoured by a multitude of confused questions to finde it out as one not knowing and himself in all fore-written not laying down at all what in his apprehension is truth or what is error posiâ—ively but left that to be gathered in the manner of his Queries unless we may finde some discovery of