tender Mercy can and doth afford Remission upon true Repentance and his Justice can pronounce him â—…nocent that is purged from the Nature Root of Sin washed from Iniquity Have Mercy upon me O God according to thy loving Kindness according to the multitude of thy tender Mercy blot out my Transgressions wash me throughly from mine Iniquity c. Psa 51. 1 2. They whose Transgressions are thus blotted ouâ—… who come thus to be washed and saved through the Washing of Regeneration such come thus to be justified by his Grace can be pronounced Innocent as being washed and sanctified and such have the Demand of a good Conscience And though Pardon and Justification look not back at the unconverted State with Severity but with Remission upon Conversion yet they require what God's Covenant doth afterward to the End of our Dayes that is not to live in Sin but in Christ's Righteousness The Grace or Favour of God teacheth us that denying Ungodliness and wordly Lusts that we should live godly and soberly in this present World Tit. 2. 12. To be invested with Christ's Everlasting Righteousness p. 93. is the very Thing I plead for and if in Reality the Man stood to this the Controversie would soon have an End And he further assents to Truth viz. If this Righteousness be not put on by Faith we are not invested with any Thing for which God should declare or pronounce us Righteous From whence observe That we must be invested with Christ's Everlasting Righteousness if God pronounce us Righteous Take Justification and Imputation in this Sense and then we differ not in this Matter but how well this agrees with imputing and reckoning Guilty Condemned Fallen Creature JUST or INNOCENT only on the Account of Christ's Sufferings and Death while such condemned Creatures are invested with Sin and Guilt and not with Christ's Everlasting Righteousness Will his telling us of Christ's Death imputed p. 97. make up the Matter 'T is true Christ is our Surety and that of the new Testament or Covenant 1st For that without him we can pay no Debt nor truly obey or fulfil the Terms thereof on our Parts but in and through him that strengthneth us 2dly Of the New Testament also in fulfilling the Promises belonging thereto for all the Promises of God are Yea and Amen in him David describes the Blessedness of the Man to whom God imputes Righteousness without Works saying Blessed is he whose Iniquity is forgiven But then S. S. is not pleased to take notice of but overlooks the following Words viz. Blessed is the Man unto whom the Lord imputeth not Iniquity and in whose Spirit there is NO GUILE See Psal. 32. 1 2. If it were only a Man thus qualified that the Imputation of Christ's Righteousness and Justification were pleaded for we should not have this Controversie but should agree That the Man in whose Spirit is NO GUILE is blessed He is the Man whom God pronounceth Just and Innocent his Transgression is forgiven his Sin is covered And though it is said God imputes Righteousness to him without Works yet 't is to be understood it is not without a sincere Obedience because that in his Spirit there is no Guile and then without what Works 1. Not without the Work of living Faith 2. Not without yielding true Subjection or Obedience unto God in his spiritual Requirings or Law of Faith for Abraham did not only believe God but by Faith yielded â—…o obey him Without what Works then but the Work of the Law of Works as wrought by the Flesh or stâ—…nly Jew by which no Flesh shall be justified I mentioned Câ—…rcumcision and others that were Types or Signs wherein the Righteousness of Faith doth not consist see Divin of Christ p. 64 65. in which this Point is opened and cleared But to this S. S. objects viz. He errs calling the Ceremonial Law a Law of Works in giving this the Lord gave a Law of Grace to his People p. 94. Rep. If the Ceremonial Law be not a Law of Works but a Law of Grace he should have been so Ingenuous as to have told us what the Law of Works is which the Apostle distinguisheth from the Law of Faith Rom. 3. 27. as he dâ—…th between justifying Faith and the Deeds of the Law as wrought and boasted in by the literal Jews And whether the Law of Works be some Law inferiour to that of Circumcision other Types But to shew S. S. his Error in denying the Ceremonial Law as he calls it to be the Law of Works let him consider that after the Apostle excludes Boasting not by the Law of Works and concludes a Man is justified by Faith without the Deeds of the Law he saith Is Hâ—… the God of the Jews only Is He not also of the Gentiles and that it is by Faith that God justifies both the Circumcision and the Uncircumciâ—…on and that Faith was reckoned to Abraham â—…or Righteousness not in Circumcision but in 〈◊〉 and that he received the Sign of Circumcision a Seal of the Righteousness of the Faith which he had yet being Uncircumcised that he might be the Father of all them that beâ—…ieve though they be not Circumcised c. See Rom. 3. 28 29. and Ch. 4. 10 11. Gal. 2. 16. and 3. 2 5. and 4. 10. And â—…urther If ye be circumcised Christ shall profit you nothing ch 5 2. From all which 't is plain 't is no Error to say the Law of Works as opposed to the Law of Faith is that enjoyning Circumcision and other Signs and Shadows these the Works which are not imputed unto Justification nay I shall further grant that all Man's Works or working whatsoever before a living Faith are neither available nor accountable unto his Justification with God and on the other Hand that a true and sanctifying Faith and believing in God from a Sence of his living Word or holy Command in the Heart is accounted for Righteousness to him that so believeâ—…h before he hath performed his actual Obedience even while in the Faith he is passively waiting upon God as being ceased to do Evil that he may receive Strength to act Good even while he is so believing and waiting and breathing to the Lord and saying draw me and I will come after thee lead me and I will follow give me Strength and I will walk in thy Wayes come let us walk in the Light of the Lord c. knowing that it is the Power of God that begets living Faith and thereby changes and sanctifieth the Mind unto a living and sincere Obedience and this Faith is the Giâ—…t of God a Fruit of his own Spirit and therefore accounted of by him and reckoned unto us I would not make the Scriptures speak that God imputes Works wrought by us without Works by us as S. S. falsly accuseth me p. 94. But rather that God imputes his own Works in us without any self-Works wrought by us and accepts us in the
Religion it self What Is he grown so hardy that he can handle Holy Things without Fear and make bold with tender Conscience so far as to abuse it self Is Singularity become so offensive in a Quaker as an Anabaptist must show his little Wit in Deriding it But certainly Reader it can be no small Advantage that both his Bitterness and Lightness give us against a Man of his high Pretences to Religion However our Conquest here will be our Patience Innocence and Truth Not that I will believe he thinks I want Words to whom he more then once makes the having of them Criminal and all that read him may see he hath furnisht me with Matter GROSS enough But I delight not to spend my time upon Invectives did I perhaps I might bestow a Tragick Comedy upon a Railing Anabaptist in return of that Ridiculons Dialogue he disingenuously would fasten on an unconcerned Quaker But my God forbid that I should Sport about Religion or make so much as any Man 's pretended Religious Dissent a Theam for my Railery or Abuse for I think it an ill way to Laugh men out of their Profession as well as I can never esteem that any sincere one which men are Jeer'd into and as Conviction is the most Serious Ground on which to receive Faith so to detract or deal disingenuously with any man may harden but can never Proselyte and this is our very Case with respect to T. H. Yet I would have him know That our so much reproached Light Within he so little concerns the Government of his Life withal incites us not to an Eye for an Eye but teacheth us that Forbearance and Forgiveness which we have some Reason to believe his Principles are wholly Strangers to else what can mean his greedy Endeavours To pluck out others Eyes that never yet assaulted so much as one of his either by Word or Writing Well may we take up the Complaint of God's Prophet of old We are had in Derision daily and almost every one Mocketh us But let the Carnal Christian-Mockers have a Care for though their Cruel Mockings be our Portion in this Life yet also for a Recompence shall their Bonds be made Strong and a Consumption from the Lord of Hosts is determined against them that persist therein Having now rendered with all convenient Brevity my just Exceptions against the manner of the Dialogue and spirit of the Man in general I shall proceed to offer something against the distinct Doctrines of it in my particular Vindication of the Truth viz. The Universality and Sufficiency of the Light Within and Demonstration of the General Rule of Faith CHAP. IV. That a Right Relish of the Manner of the Dialogue is a sufficient Antidote against the Matter of it His Questions stated His Feigned Answer A True Answer to the First What is Salvation To be saved from Sin and Wrath not Wrath without Sin WHat I have already said being duly weighed may be an apt Introduction to what follows For he that relishes the Unsavouriness and Rancour of His Spirit in the Mannagement of his pretended Christian-Dialogue surely can have but little Appetite to feed upon a Dish cook't up with such Poysonous Sauce Enmity and Truth were never Companions and where there appears so great a share of the one as hath been truly observed we may I hope without Offence conclude there can be but very little if any of the other However let us see with Reason and Sobriety whether the Matter of his Dialogue be more commendable then the Manner of it writ with so much Railing and Immoderation For Reader this know I writ not for Conquest but for Conscience sake and what I can grant I shall and what I must oppose I hope to do it with Truth and Meekness being only desirous to approve my self to God who will Reward all men according to their Works and to that Measure of Divine Light in every Conscience with which I shall begin and which as the Lord God shall enable me I will endeavour to maintain against the Angry and Undervaluing Reflections of its Adversaries To overlook then many unnecessary Queries that are set down either to Abuse us to fill up Corners or make the Dialogue glide the better no wayes true in themselves and wholly impertinent to the Matter I receive and prosecute the Main Questions which he propounds thus 1. What is that SALVATION which the Light leads to 2. What is this LIGHT that leads to It and 3. Who this HE or THEY are that Obey this Light and in Obeing attain Salvation Sober Questions I grant and as necessary to be known but I am willing first to set down the Answer he makes the Quaker to return before I give mine own that the Sober Reader may judge how different the Reason of a True Quaker is from T. Hicks's Phantastical one 〈◊〉 Thou runnest into many Words and Carnal Distinctions and wouldst have thy Fleshly Wisdom satisfied but I tell thee that Dust is the Serpent's Food Is this to act the Christian or the Scoffer towards the Quaker 'T is not to be doubted but T. H. knows better and that he hath not herein done to us as he would be done by For all his Pretences to Christianity he is thus far Debtor to and Criminal by the LIGHT he vilifieth But the Truth is he therefore maketh his Quaker to render him no better Reason whatever he knew because indeed it was inconsistent with his Design that he should But I will see if I can supply that voluntary Defect in Rebuk to his Disingenuous Practice on the behalf of the poor Abused Quaker I answer I. By SALVATION we understand as by Scripture is deliver'd to us A being saved from Sin here and the Wages of it which is Wrath to come Whereby we are taught utterly to renounce and reject the common Acceptation of it as the full and compleat Force of the Word viz. barely to be saved from Punishment hereafter In which Security through a vain Expectance of Salvation whilst not really actually sav'd from the Power of Sin and the Captivation of Lusts through the invisible Power of Christ Thousands dye and T. Hicks is one of those that not only is inthroal'd himself but earnestly contends for that Beggarly Faith and Religion to be the most Christian which is so unable to deliver both himself and others that believe in it In short We call Salvation Christ's making an End of Sin Destroying the Works of the Divel Finishing of Transgression Binding the Strong Man and Spoyling of his Goods in the Hearts and Consciences of Men and Women and bringing in his Everlasting Righteousness into the Soul whereby to Cleanse Wash Regenerate Renew and Refresh the Soul in one Scripture-Phrase to Save his People from their SINS These are the Times of Refreshment and this is the Day of Restitution and thus is HE King to Reign Prophet to give Vision and High Priest to Anoint with the
So that a Sincere Faith in and Obedience to the Light of Christ as it shines in the Heart whereby to give the Living and Experimental Knowledge of the Glory of God unto the Creature is the Way to be Redeemed from Darkness and to be made a Child of Light or that there is Power and Vertue Sufficient in the Light to Ransom the Souls of such as diligently adhere to it from under the Power of Darkness For as the true Knowledge of God is Life Eternal so whatever may be known of God is manifested within which Manifestation cannot properly be without the Light whose peculiar Property it is to Discover Reveal or Manifest the Mind and Will of God to Mankind as saith the Apostle For whatsoever doth make Manifest is Light In him was Life and that Life was the Light of all Men But not therefore the Life of all Men Spiritually and Unitedly considered That was the peculiar Priviledge of those who Believ'd in it and walkt up to it There is a great Difference not in the Principle but in its Appearance to Man as Life and Light Such as believe in it IT What the Word-God who is that true Light as he appears to Discover or Illuminate the Heart and Conscience do really know and enjoy a new Nature Spirit and Life And in that Sense it may be said As the Life became the Light so the Light became the Life again Who so follows me shall not walk in Darkness but have the Light of Life Not that there is a Difference or so much as a Descent in Kind from Life to Light only in Operation with respect to Man For as it is the very Life of the Word in the Word it is the Light of Men and so much it is let them reject the Vertue of it if they will But as it is received and believed in It begets Life Motion Heat and every Divine Qualification suitable to the State of the New Birth And thus the Life of the Word which is in common the Light becomes the Life of every such Particular by communicating to or ingenerating Life in the Soul so that no more he lives but Christ the Word-God whom he hath now put on and who is become his very Life as well as Light that dwelleth in him Let not Men then in their Dark Imaginations with their Rob'd Knowledge from the Letter of the Scriptures themselves contend against the Sufficiency of what they obey not neither have seriously tryed the Power Vertue and Efficacy of it which brings Salvation to as many as are turned to it and abide in it And indeed so express are the Scriptures in Defence of the Sufficiency and Necessity of the Light to Salvation that it seems to have been the great Intendment of our Lord Jesus Christ in delegating his Disciples to preach his Everlasting Gospel viz. That they might open the Eyes of People and turn them from Darkness to the Light and from the Power of Satan unto God that they might receive Remission of Sins and an Inheritance among them that are Sanctified through Faith that is in Me who ME that am both the Light of the World and the Power of God unto Salvation Now certainly the Eyes that were then blind were not the Natural but Spiritual Eyes of Men and such must the Darkness and Light be also blinded by the God of this World who raigned in the Hearts of the Children of Disobedience No Wonder then if the Light was not comprehended of the Darkness and that blind People did not see the Light but it plainly proves That Light there was though not seen Now the Work of the Powerful Ministry of the Apostles was To open the Blind or Dark Eye which the God of the World had blinded and then to turn them from that Darkness to the Light the Darkness was within so must the Light have been since the Illumination was there necessary where the Darkness had been predominant Consequently The Way to be Translated from Satan's Power to God to have Remission of Sins and an Inheritance with them that are Sanctified is to be turned from the Darkness in the Heart unto the Marvelous Light that had long shined uncomprehended to wit the GOSPEL which is called both the Light and Power of God The same Apostle in his Epistle to the Romans is more express concerning the holy Nature and Efficacy of the Light to Salvation when he thus exhorts them The Night is far spent the Day is at hand Let us therefore cast off the Works of Darkness and put on the Armour of Light Let us walk honestly as in the Day not in Rioting and Drunkenness not in Chambring and Wantonness not in Strife and Envy but put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ and make no provision for the Flesh to fulfill the Lusts thereof From whence I shall briefly remark three Things greatly to our Purpose and the Truths Defence in this Matter 1. That there is an absolute Opposition betwixt Light and Darkness as Darkness can only Vail the Light from the Understandings of Men So Light only can Discover and Dispel that Darkness Or thus That the Light Manifests and Condemns the Works of Darkness for what Communion hath Light with Darkness 2. That in the Light there is ARMOUR which being put on is able to Conquer the Darkness and Secure the Soul from the evil of it otherwise it would be very strange that the Apostle should exhort the People to put it on 3. That putting on the Armour of the Light and putting on the Lord Jesus Christ the Light of the World are Synonimous or one and the same thing for it is for one and the same End as may be observed from the Words Let us put on the Armour of Light and walk Honestly as in the Day not in Rioting and Drunkenness not in Chambring and Wantonness not in Strife and Envying But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ and make no provision for the Flesh to fulfil the Lusts thereof I hope then Neither will it be disallow'd that Christ is that Light with which Men are Inlightned but more of that anon nor is that Light Men are exhorted to Obey a Naked and Insufficient but a Searching Expelling Powerful and Arming Light against Darkness and all its Unfruitful Works and consequently SAVING Thus the Beloved Disciple testifies very emphatically in his first Epistle where he gives us a Relation of the Apostolical Mission This then is the Message which we have heard of him and declare unto you That God is Light and in him is no Darkness at all if we say we have Fellowship with him and walk in Darkness we Lye and do not the Truth But if we walk in the Light as he is in the Light we have Fellowship one with another and the Blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all Sin Here is a brief Stating of the whole Great Case of Salvation 1. What God
DUTY Again The Way to ascend up to the House of Truth IS TO BEHOLD WITHIN US THAT THERE IS ONE MOST HIGH GOD who made and governs all things that Christ is God's Ambassadour and Builder sent unto Men and as they receive him INTO THEIR HEARTS HE BUILDETH A DIVINE AND IMMORTAL TEMPLE IN THEM VI. But let us deliberately read what the so much admired ATHANASIUS says to the Gentiles who did frequently cast out that Vulgar Objection to the Christians How know you that yours is the Right Way The Way whereby to attain to the Knowledge of God IS WITHIN US which is proved from Moses who saith THE WORD OF GOD IS WITHIN THY HEART and from this Saying of Christ THE FAITH AND KINGDOM OF GOD IS WITHIN YOU If then says Athanasius the KINGDGM OF GOD BE WITHIN US likewise are we able to understand the WORD or VOICE OF THE FATHER Which Solid Ancient and Great Truth could not but highly aggravate the Blame of such as were Infidel to it because it was but the Doctrine of their Fam'd Philosophers more clearly and Scripturally exprest as it doth abundantly testifie to us upon which Ground it was the Primitive Christians believed and practised their Religion Not Tradition however Holy but Sound Internal Conviction and Revelation from no Words Without BUT THE ETERNAL WORD OF GOD IN THE HEART the great Discoverer of the Will and Way of God to Men He that knows this Word or Divine Principle to raign in his Heart knoweth the Kingdom of God come there and his Will done even the Sanctification of the Soul VII CHRYSOSTOME also is not wanting to ascribe some Honour to this Holy Light we contend for who not only confesseth the Light mention'd in the first of John to be Christ the Word-God who inlightneth all Mankind coming into the World but also avers it to be of a Saving Nature unto all who believe in it and follow it wherefore saith he Let none blame the Light they are not Saved but their own Rebellion who refuse to be saved by it This he very solemnly calls A TEACHER OR INSTRUCTOR DWELLING IN MAN's NATURE or that no Man is without a Teacher to Instruct Inspire Help and Assist him in what leads to Eternal Life I will conclude these Christian Testimonies with a Passage out of AUGUSTINE not unsuitable to the Business in hand VIII AUGUSTINE in his Discourse on John has this very notable Passage viz. THAT GOD IS PROPERLY KING OF MINDS OR SOULS because when he is receiv'd in he governeth by his Divine Power and Spirit in the Heart therefore is not his Kingdom after the Manner of this World BUT WITHIN and much to this purpose Again he Distinguisheth upon the Word REASON There is a Superior and Inferior Reason saith he the Inferior is a meer Rational Creature or that Understanding which distinguisheth a Man from a Beast but the Superior Reason is a LIGHT or as it were a POWER in Mankind DICTATING REVEALING and INJOYNING DIVINE ETERNAL and INTIRELY GOOD THINGS as for Example when it shall say This is Sin thou oughtest no to commit but AVOID it Why Because it offends God Thus far of Primitive Christian-Divinity from about 132. years after Christ to about 400. years after Christ by way of Confirmation of that Part of the Gentile-Divinity which might with least Credit be imbraced for to cite never so many Primitive Christian Authors to prove a God Holy Life and the Immortality of the Soul the other Points of Gentile-Divinity would look like Labour in vain since none that believes them to have been Christians ought to doubt of their holding these very things which in a great measure character'd them such but that which is though it should not be the Wonder is to quote them in the Language of the so much yet so undeservedly decri'd and abused Quakers viz. That not only the best Gentiles but most approved Christians of the Primitive Times Confess to a Divine Light Principle Word or Spirit in Man whose Inspiration gives infallible Understanding and as Man is guided by it he shall be Recovered out of that Mire Sin has stuck him in and it will Free him from the Snares of Pleasures Inlighten his Eyes Inspire his Soul and Lead him gently by the hand in the Way of Eternal Righteousness whose Reward from God will be Immortality and Eternal Life CHAP. XII The Third Part of the Gentile-Divinity viz. That they were Men of Vertuous Lives and taught the Indispensibleness thereof to Life Eternal Prov'd by Numerous Instances IT may be now time that I dispatch the other two Parts of the Gentile-Divinity which I shall endeavour with all convenient Brevity There are many Instances of their Pious Doctrine and singular Examples of their Vertue I will instance in a few to convince if I can such as scarcely believe any Good of them and the rather I fear that they may not charge the Bad upon the Light that their Doctrines and Practice with respect to Good Living were and are very Commendable and Approveable of all Good Christians I. PITTACUS Mitilenaeus one of the Seven Wise Men of Greece as they were called his Apophthegms were these What thou tak'st Ill in thy Neighbonr DO NOT THY SELF Reproach not the Unhappy for the Hand of GOD is on them Restore what is committed to thy Trust. Bear with thy Neighbour LOVE THY NEIGHBOUR Reproach not thy Friend though he recede from thee a little Acquire Honesty Seek Obsequiousness Love Discipline Temperance Prudence TRUTH FAITH Experience Dexterity Society Diligence Oeconomy and PIETY II. CHILON another of them he was so Just in all his Actions that in his old Age he professed He never had done any thing contrary to the Conscience of an Upright Man only that of one thing he was doubtful Having given Sentence against his Friend according to Law he advised his Friend to Appeal from him his Judge so to preserve both his Friend and the Law Agellius relates it thus When his Lise drew towards an End ready to be seized by Death he spoke thus to his Friends about him My Words and Actions in this Long Term of Years have been almost all such as I need not Repent of which perhaps you also know TRULY EVEN AT THIS TIME I AM CERTAIN I NEVER COMMITTED ANY THING THE REMEMBRANCE WHEREOF BEGETS ANY TROUBLE IN ME unless this one thing only which whether it were done amiss or not I am uncertain I sate with two others as Judge upon the Life of my Friend the Law was such as the Person must of necessity be condemned so that either my Friend must lose his Life or some Deceit be used towards the Law revolving many things in my Mind for a Relief of a Condition so desperate I conceived that which I put in Practice to be of all other the most easie to be born Silently I Condemned him and perswaded these others who judged
do namely To save his People from their Sins there is not one Word of Wrath but consequentially Therefore since that Sin is in the Heart and Conscience of Mankind nothing but a Divine Light Spirit or Power can reach Immaculation into those inward Parts and consequently that must be the Redeemer and Saviour But indeed those who have a Mind to Naturalize that strange Figure into the Language of the Holy Truth I mean to understand that to be saved is to be saved from Wrath and not from Sin whose assured Wages is Wrath may have some Interest though no Reason for their implacable Enmity against an Inherent Holiness But I farther confess that his Righteous Life with respect to its Appearance in that Body was grieved by Sin that the Weight of the Iniquity of the whole World with the Concernment of its Eternal Well-being lay hard upon him nor was his Manhood Insensible of it Under the Load of this did He travel he alone trode the Wine-Press that is All others were then Insensible of that Eternal Wrath which would be the Portion of Impenitent Persons as well as that it was his great Care and deep Travel that the Holy yet Oppressed Seed might arise over the Pressures of Iniquity in the Hearts of Men to bruise the Serpent's Head in all And as outwardly he gave his outward Life for the World so he might inwardly shed abroad in their Souls the Blood of God that is The Holy Purifying Life and Virtue which is in him as the Word-God and as which he is the Life of the World This was it which gave that visible Part the Understanding it had which fitted it for so great an Embassy by whose Power alone it Fasted Prayed Preacht Cast-out Devils Wrought Miracles Lived that most Unblemisht Life Patiently Suffered Death was Raised for an Holy Confirmation maugre all the Military Opposition of the Jews and this it was which accompanied the Ministry of his Followers rendring it Efficacious to Conviction and Conversion So that the Invisible Spiritual and Divine Life Principle or Nature was the Root and Fountain of all which is sometimes asscribed in Scripture to the Body by that Common Figure or Way of Speaking amongst Men the Thing containing which was the Body for the Thing contained which was the Eternal Power Wisdom Life c. Not that we would irreverently rob the Holy Body of whatsoever Acknowledgement is justly due nor yet separate that God joyned though I confess with holy Fear I dare not attribute to an External prepared Being which is the Natural Proper and Only Work of the Divine Light and Life to operate and effect But certainly if some Men in Scripture are intituled Saviours because of the Contribution of their Tryals Travels and Labours towards the Salvation of Man-kind of much more Right is that Honour ascribable to him who had the Spirit without Measure For I do freely acknowledge it to have been in some sense a Co-worker and Partner with the Divine Life in many of its Tryals Weights Sufferings and Travels for Man-kind Yet as it was the Divine Power in them that made them serviceable in that great Work so was it the Divine Power in him which made that what it was and therefore ought we chiefly to appropriate the Salvation to Christ as the Word-God and to the Holy Manhood not any otherwise then Instrumentally or by the same Divine Power in and through it I mean as it was a Chosen Instrument or Vessel in and by which God declared the Blessed Glad-Tidings of Love and his Message of Reconciliation to the World in which he gave the most Heavenly Example of Purity and through whose whole Life Doctrine and Death did shine forth the clearest Evidences of Truth Goodness Mercy Patience deep Travel for the World Self-Denyal Holiness and Triumphant Matyrdom No Wonder then if he be called a Saviour who not only came on an Embassy of Salvation and when come did draw many after him who were struck with the Authority of his Sayings when he allow'd for a time to have their Eyes and Hearts upon him as in that State present with them But afterwards he let his Disciples know of how much Benefit it would be to them that he should leave them How Forever In all Capacities No but as with respect to his outward Appearance that being scattered in that Day to their own Measure of Light Pon er and Life they might know him NO MORE AFTER THE FLESH but witness him come into their Hearts a Comforter who could not leave his true-hearted Disciples comfortless He that is with you shall be in you To be brief that I may yet again express our reverent Sense of Christ's Manifestation so far as relates to that Holy Thing that should be born of Mary take these few particulars in my next Chapter CHAP. XXI A Confession in particular to Christ's Redemption Remission Justification and Salvation I. WE do confess that though the Eternal Power Life and Light which inhabited that Holy Person which was born at Nazareth was is chiefly eminently the Saviour for there is no Saviour besides me saith God yet that it was Instrumentally a Saviour as prepared and choseâ—… oâ—… the Work which Christ had then to do iâ—… it which was actually to the Salvation of some and intentionally of the whole World then and in Ages to come suitable to that Scripture Lo in the Volumn of the Book it is written I come to do thy Will O God a Body hast thou prepared me c. II. That as there was a Necessity that one should dye for the People so whoever then or since believed in Him had and have a Seal or Confirmation of the Remission of their Sins in his Blood and that Blood alluding to the Custom or the Jewish Sacrifices shall be an utter Blotting out of former iniquates carrying them as into a Land of Forgetfulness This grand Assurance of Remission from the Wrath due upon the Score or former Offences do all receive in the Ratifying Blood of Christ who Repenting of their Sins believe and obey the Holy Light with which he hath Illuminated them For Paul's being turned from Darkness to the Light in his Heart was one with his believing in the Son of God revealed in his Heart III. This more glorious Appearance ended that less glorious Service of the Jews the Figures being compleated the Shadows they fell He in that Body preacht and lived beyond those Beggarly Elements He drew Religion more Inward even into the Secret of the Heart and made it to consist in an higher State oâ—… Righteousness called Evangelical and at once became both the Authâ—…ro 〈◊〉 Heavenly Dispensation and therein an Example to all as well Jews and Gentiles sealing such a Common and General Religion to both with his Blood as would forever end the Difference and slay the Enmity that they might be all one in Christ. Thus did he end the Jews External Services
true Union with him and Knowledge of him to experience his Indwelling as he dwelleth in us and we in him if we keep his Commandments and thus the true Believer hath the Witness in himself which that thou mightst experience was thy Sister 's wholsom Advice to thee to believe in the Light that reproves for Sin which enlightens every one that cometh into the World and so thou mightst in Love and Humility have received the Witness in thy self which if thou hadst obeyed thou durst never have prayed so wickedly as God forbid that ever I should own their Principle of the Light in all contrary to thy pretended Praises and Hallelujah to God for the Witness within neither coâ—…ldst thou have opposed the Witness in the Believer to the Light which reproves for sin which enlighteth every man as thou hast done H. G. This Witness through Grace I in measure do Experience not that I believe in that Light which every man that cometh into the World is inlightened with for Life and Salvation that is insufficient c. pag. 19. Answ. If thou rejectest the Gift or Measure of the Light or Life of Christ within thou rejectest the saithfull Witness Christ the Giver and canst not know him to be thy Saviour while thou art disobedient to his Light within and Christ and his Light in man are so inseperable that he who obeys and believes in his Light within he and his Faith must needs have a dependance upon Christ the Enlightner who is the Object Author and Finisher of Faith and so upon God who is the Fountain of Light who shineth in man's heart to give the knowledge of his Glory in the Face of his Son and hereby is the benefit of him as the one Offering and the vertue of his Blood known that both Sanctifies and makes Perfect XII His Groundless Comparison and Distinction between the Light of God in Man and the Light of Christ or Gospel further Refuted ANd whereas in thy other Book from Rom. 1. 19. and Chap. 2. 14 15. thou callest the Law or Light of God in men The Law or Light of the Moon to Guide their Paths by which they are taught their duty to God in morrals but understand nothing of the glorious Mystery of the Gospel pag. 6â—… To this I Answer 1. Those Gentiles mentioned in Rom. 1. had a Sight and Knowledge of the Invisible things of God even his Eternal Power and God-head ver 19 20. was this but the Light of the Moon and was there nothing of the Gospel or Mystery of it in this whereas the very reason of their becoming foolish vain in their Imaginations darkned and reprobated in their minds was that because that when they knew God they glorified him not as God ver 21. they did not like to retain God in their knowledge ver 28. Therefore if they had continued in the Light given them glorified him as God and retained him in their knowledge they had been preserved unto Salvation out of that dark reprobate state and out of those gross evils which they fell into 2. Those Gentiles mentioned Rom. 2. 15. were accused or excused according to that Light or Law of God in their hearts and the secrets of them and all men to be Judged by Jesus Christ according to the Gospel but could this be or were it Just if there were no Law nor Light of Jesus Christ and Gospel given men are they and their secrets to be judged by a Law or Light which they never had in secret for my Part I know none so gross and partial as to affirm it on any serious Thoughts or Consideration 3. If the Light of God and his Knowledge be but the Light of the Moon and the Light of Christ the Light of the Sun how doth he demonstrate this difference between God and Christ and the Light of each and wherein the Glory of the one so far exceedeth the other or can any suppose there is a Light proceeding from Christ as man that so far excels the Light flowing from him as he is God or the Eternal Word as the Light of the Sun doth the Light of the Moon what Scripture hath H. G. for this distinction are not God and Christ and holy Spirit One and one Eternal Light and Fulness in their own Being and so the Light immediately shining or flowing thence unto man's Heart and Conscience one Divine Light though manifest by degrees and in several measures being still one in kind in man And this which H. G. calleth the Law or Light of the Moon is granted to be 1st The Light of Jesus Christ as the Eternal Word 2dly That which may be known of God manifest in men 3dly That Light which gives the Light and Knowledge of God and his Eternal Power 4dly The Law written in the Gentiles hearts who were a Law to themselves to which I add If men truely believe in and obey the Light of the Eternal Word in them and retain the sence and Knowledge of God as therein they receive it they will find Preservation and Acceptance with God for is the Improvement of any more then what 's given required XIII His belying us with denying the Man Christ Jesus to cloak his own Absurdity and Ignorance of Christ and his Being AGain H. G. To prove thy slanders 1. That we deny the man Christ Jesus 2. That we are found daily in the Sight of all Persons denying that man to be Christ who was born of the Virgin c. pag. 20 21. Thou judgest us insolent for saying we are falsly accused and guilty of this If it be absurd as we judge it is to say Christ doth Consist of a human Body of Flesh and Bone pag. 21. which is thy own absurdity To these I say Though we never deny'd the man Christ Jesus nor him to be Christ that was born of the Virgin according to the Flesh yet I must still count it absurd to say That Christ doth Consist or is made up of a human Body of Flesh and Bone for that 1. because Christ the Son of God was and had a Being before he took upon him that Flesh or Body in the Virgin 2. Because that when he took upon him that Body and even in the dayes of the Flesh he was spirit as well as had Flesh. 3. In that he is ascended up where he was before and far above all Heavens and is glorified with the same Glory that he had with the Father before the World began 4. He was before all things and by him all things consist this is truely our Christ and Saviour But If your Christ doth consist of a human or earthly Body of Flesh and Bone our Christ who consisteth of quickning spirit and heavenly Body of divine Life and Light a spiritual and glorious body is above you and yours so we must leave you Anabaptists with your earthly Christ consisting of a human Body of Flesh and Bone together with your empty and lifeless Shadows
God's nor Christ's but the Righteousnes of Faith rather bids us return to the Word of Faith that is nigh in the Heart to obey it and do it which Word is both saving and justifying to them that obey it Say not in thy Heart who shall ascend or fly up into Heaven to bring Christ down or who shall descend into the deep to bring Christ again from the dead but the Word is nigh thee c. Rom. 10. And 't is by this ingrafted Word that the true Faith is wrought in the Heart and the true Application Benefit and Confession is made to the Soul of Christ's Sufferings Death and Resurrection and the real Intent blessed End and spiritual Advantage thereof experienced by true Believers who are Obeyers and Doers of the Word and not meer outside Hearers and Talkers Again this man in Contradiction to his excluding Sanctification before and saying that Holiness is not needful to constitute a justifying Righteousness and to his Doctrine for Imperfection and Sin and his justifying Persons condemned in themselves He grants thus far to the Effects of Faith viz. Our Hearts turning to God we dislike our Sins We are sweetly engaged to please God in all things That thus God purifies our Hearts by Faith That thus we are sanctified by Faith which is in Christ. And a lively Faith will work by Love It is needful to testifie our Love to God and Christ and to please and honour God and be a good Example to our Neighbour c. Come on Good Doctrine Well said S. S. And is not Faith needful to Justification And can we be justified without pleasing God or please God without Justification or is not that of a justifying Nature which pleaseth God Pray consider it the Apostles Experience was being justified by Faith they had Peace with God Rom. 5. â—… And whatsoever we ask we receive of him because we keep his Commandment and do those Things that are pleasing in his Sight 1 Joh. 3. 22. But S. S. and his Brethren expect to be accepted and justified because Christ kept the Fathers Commandments or because God obeyed God as his Phrase is and on the same Account to be heard and answered of God while they break his Commands and do those things that are displeasing in his Sight Again John the beloved Disciple said Hereby we know that we are of the Truth and shall assure our Hearts before him for if our Heart condemn us God is greater then our Heart and knoweth all things but if our Heart condemn us not then have we Confidence towards God 1 Joh. 3. 19. 20 21. to the End But S. S. and his Brethren pretend Faith Justification and so Confidence towards God because of Christ's Sufferings only when their Hearts do condemn them from the Evidence of the true Light bearing Witness against them and when they see nothing but Matter of Condemnation in them and indeed this their dead Faith Confidence and false Imputation are of the same Matter The true Apostle said Let us draw near with a true Heart in full Assurance of Faith having our Hearts sprinkled from an evil Conscience and our Bodies washed with pure Water Heb. 10. 22. But our Sin-pleasing Presbyters think to draw near unto God in a justified Condition on the Account of Christ's Sufferings only with such a Faith as doth not purifie the Heart and having both a polluted sinful Heart and a defiled or evil Conscience all their Dayes The Apostle Johns Testimony was Herein is our Love made perfect viz. in our dwelling in God and God in us that we may have Boldness in the Day of Judgment because as he is so are we in this World 1 Joh. 4. 16 17. But the Imperfection and Sin pleading Presbyters think to have Boldness in the Day of Judgment because Christ was perfect and suffered in the Flesh although they remain all their Dayes imperfect and sinful seeing nothing but Matter of Condemnation in themselves and so are not at all like God nor Christ in this Present World They think it will be a Sufficient Plea that Christ was Perfect and Sinless in their stead that God obeyed God and so was like himself how Imperfect and unlike him soever they be on this side the Grave they conceiting themselves Elect Persons Christ said If ye love me keep my Sayings Joh. 14. 23. and John said By this we know that we love the Children of God when we love God and keep his Commandments for this is the Love of God that we keep his Commandments and they are not Grievous 1 Joh. 5. 2. 3. But our Opposers the Presbyters and others will pretend they love God and his Children while they are daily breaking and violating his Commandments and will not believe it possible for any to keep them in this Life though assisted by the Power of Christ. The Apostle Peter testified That even Baptism doth now save us not the putting away of the Filth of the Flesh or outside Washing but the Answer or as some have it Demand of a Good Conscience towards God by the Resurrection of Jesus Christ 1 Pet. 3. 21. But our Opposers Belief and Principle is That 't is only Christ's Obedience Sufferings and Death in the Flesh imputed to us that doth save and Justifie them and on this is only their Plea and Demand and not from his Spirit 's Work of Sanctification or spiritual Baptism nor the Answer or Demand of a Good Conscience towards God they have both shut out Sanctification and Holiness and so excluded Good Conscience from being needful to Justification or to constitute a Justifying Righteousness for they herein hold or at least imply two Righteousnesses of Christ the one Outward to Justifie and the other Inward to Sanctifie the one Imputative and the other Inherent the one Perfect and the other Imperfect And so the Sufferings and Death of Christ in the Flesh however inflicted on him by wicked Hands and Murtherers must be imputed by these men as the Perfect Justifying Righteousness but Christ's own Everlasting Righteousness of Sanctification in the Saints must be deemed Impersect and not accounted unto Justification nor the best Robe though it be the white Linnen the Saints Righteousness whose Garments are washed and made white in the Blood of the Lamb. Whereas Christ's everlasting Righteousness Holiness Love Faith Patience c. wherein he perfectly obeyed the Father and resigned up to his Will both in Doing and Suffering were inherent in him and therein and for that Cause his Obedience and Sacrifice was most acceptable and a sweet smelling Savour to God not with respect to the Murtherous Act of those that crucified and slew him but with respect to that Inherent Holiness everlasting Righteousness and eternal Spirit by which he offered uphimself a Lamb without Blemish and spotless Sacrifice to God and alwayes did those things that pleased him Joh. 8. 29. And of the same everlasting Righteousness must every true Believer partake
severe Sentence against him as one that writeth of Religion out of all Sence of either Religion or good Manners and that only took Occasion thereby to prove eminently to all Impartial Men he really has neither But to let that pass I leave the Book to speak for or against it self I shall only premise that though I have particularly observ'd the Manner of his Dialogue as an apt Introduction and that my Discourse has been occasion'd by this and several late Attempts made against the Truth Yet my Answer to avoid their Accusation of Personal Heat is not Immediate Direct or Particular to any one The Matter of our Judgment both with respect to the Light and Rule comprehensive of all I have positively stated and so defended by Plain Scripture Sound Reason and Universal Consent of former Ages and what Force any Books Argument or Objections present with me whether from our Adversaries especially T. Hick's or my own Remembrance I shall by the way Faithfully and I hope Effectually consider To the end I may avoid the great Vanity of Bragging of a Victory obtain'd against a Man of Straw and Enemy of my own making and that Detestable Sin and Dis-ingenuous Practice of charging those Lyes and that weakness upon my Antagonist he never thought nor could be guilty of In short what I have against the Book in general and for the Truth and My self in particular I shall in their proper Places produce And now descend so to do with what convenient Brevity I can First then he has taken a very Unfair Way of Opposing our Principles if we may yet call them ours since instead of collecting what truly are so and those most forceable Arguments We have been wont to offer in their Defence out of our own Writings which in Honesty and Justice he ought to have done he presents the World with a Dialogue between a Christian and a Quaker which we may truly say are both of his own making at once abusing both himself and that People For neither has he truly represented the Quaker nor much more honest is his Character of a Christian And whilst he doth most partially render his own Opinions to be those of a true Christian rather then a true Christians to be his he brings in the poor despised Quaker saying any thing that may be most Ridiculous Weak and Impertinent to the Matter which Way of Confutation is so far from being truly Manly much less Christian that the Wisest Man may be so disguised into the Greatest Fool and Truth it self seem vanquisht by the weakest Forces of her Enemies It was by Wayes not less Injurious though more Ingenious that the esteem'd best Heathen of his time was by some of his Emulating Contemporaries brought into utter Disgrace with that only People which once most of all deservedly admired him as they who will take the pains to read the Comical Abuses of Anytus and Aristophanes upon Socrates may easily inform themselves Whose Life being Blameless and Vertue unparallel'd in his Day did by his strict Precepts and Example so influence the People into a dis-like of those Comedians and their loose Adherents that till the frothy Spirit of the Multitude became reviv'd by their ridiculous Representations of that worthy Man in a Play it was impossible for them to work his Ruin Methinks this Man's Dialect savours of the same Spirit though its Grossness tells us It hath not the same Wit Let me never have so infirm a Cause to manage and grant me but Leave to make my Adversaries Answers and I will never fear the Consequence of such Encounters But who will yield to this that doth not first resolve to be Overcome Let T. Hicks but permit me that Liberty against his Water-Baptism in Defence of Childrens and I will warrant him a Rebel to the Church of England But doth he do as he would be done by If this be the Ne plus ultra or Upshot of our Adversaries Strength to feign Weakness for Us that he may appear Some Body I think we need say no more but leave it with every unprejudic'd Conscience to guess at the Meaning of such base Designes Certainly We have not been justly dealt with nor our Cause weigh'd in the Equal Scale of Righteousness and indeed this Imperfection is most of all incident to that Way of Writing CHAP. II. The Gross Lyes Tho. Hicks tells in the Name of or fastens upon the Quakers Such proceeding full of Envy Folly and Ungodliness NExt he has as well made us to Belye Our selves and Principles as to appear Impertinent a thing so fouly Uncharitable indeed very wicked as me-thinks every Sober and impartial Mind may have just occasion to be scandaliz'd at his whole Enterprise What! not only make us to answer in his own Language but Lye in it and that against our very Principles and Consciences too This is an Aggravation at once of his own Enmity and the Imbecillity of his Cause For can any believe that knows us well that when we are ask'd as he fictiously doth in his Dialogue Do you believe the Scriptures to be true sayings of God We should answer him thus So far as they agree to the Light in me For though it be thus far true viz. that the true Light within is the same in kind with that which shined in the Hearts of the Holy Pen-Men and therefore may rightly be said to agree both in it self and in the several Testimonies of Divers Ages and consequently it may truly be allow'd to judge of what are the sayings of God from what are those of Wicked Men c. Yet has he disingenuously obtruded those Words by Way of Answer upon us which he cannot find so laid down by any of us much less all the Quakers Again in another place of his abusive Catechism he thus Queries Q. Then may I not conclude that the Reason why you so freely Rail against and Reproach your Opposers is only to Secure your Credit with your own Proselytes which he thus makes the Quaker to answer A. I cannot deny but that there may be something of that in it O Impudent Forgery Whether this Invention becomes a Man that has the least honest pretence to Christ's Pure Religion or one who would be thought as Serious as an Anabaptist-Preacher ought to be judge all you that read us I cannot believe but Many who go under that Name have more Tenderness and Conscience then to abet this kind of Proceed against us In short It was an uncharitable Spirit ask'd the Question and from that became a Lying one to answer it Our Witness is with God as to our Innocency in this very matter But he proceeds Q Will you be so Liberal of your Revilings whether your Adversary gives occasion or not he answers for us A. It concerns us to render them as Ridiculous as we can and to make our Friends believe they do nothing but contradict themselves Again to the same Unrighteous Purpose
is Light 2. Who can have no Fellowship with him such as walk in Darkness that is Sin 3. Who have Fellowship with him such as walk in the Light as he is Light 4. the Reason why is given because such as walk in the Light are there sure experimentally to feel the Vertue of Christ's Blood to cleanse them from all Unrightcousness Where observe that the Light 's leading out of Darkness that is Unrighteousness is the same with the Blood of Jesus Christ cleansing from all Sin Sin and Darkness and to be cleansed from the one and to be translated from the other is equivalent otherwise a Man might be delivered from Darkness and walk in the Light and not be cleansed from Sin which is that Darkness a thing Absurd and Impossible In short they go together By this 't is evident that the Light being walkt in doth directly lead to God and Fellowship with him who is the Saving Light and Health of all Nations and consequently that the Light leads to Eternal Salvation Many are the Denominations that are given in Scripture to one and the same Being or Condition Christ is called The Word the Light the Saviour Emanuel a Rock a Door a Vine a Shepherd c. A State of Sin is sometimes called Darkness Death Disobedience Barrenness Rebellion Stiff-neckedness Eating of Sowr Grapes And Wicked Men Bryars Thorns Thistles Tares Dead Trees Wolves Goats c. On the contrary a State of Conversion is sometimes expressed by such words as Purged Refined Washed Cleansed Sanctified Justified Led by the Spirit Baptized by one Spirit into one Body Regenerated Redeemed Saved Bought with a Price c. And Persons so qualified The Children of God Children of Light Heirs of Glory Lambs Sheep Wheat And that by which they become or continue thus Light Spirit Fire Sword Hammer Power Grace Seed Truth Way Life Blood Water Bread Word Unction that leadeth into all Truth All which respectively is but one and the same in Nature That is Sin or a Sinful State is so variously denominated from the divers Operations and Discoveries of the Nature of it in Wicked Men. The like may be said of the several Vertues in Good and Holy Men and so of that one Divine Principle which so qualifies and preserves them For as the Primitive Saints felt the Operation of the One Holy Principle so they denominated it to men in Darkness they call'd it Light to such as believed and obeyed It became a Leader and those who witnessed their Sins conquer'd their Lusts cut down their Hearts broken and their Souls Washed Redeemed and daily Nourished they called that Divine Principle a Sword Fire Hammer Water Flesh Blood and Bread and Seed of Life In short The same Heavenly Principle became Light Wisdom Power Counsel Redemption Sanctification and Eternal Salvation unto those who believed in it So that the Variety of Expressions in the Scriptures must not be taken for so many distinct things in kind no nor sometimes in Operation And indeed notwithstanding that Light T. Hicks would have lodg'd in the bare Scriptures exclusive of the Spirit all the Men of the World met together would be confounded to give a true Account of the Matter therein contained if they were not Living Experimental Witnesses For as he is not an Evidence sufficient in Laws Humane that was not an Eye or Ear Witness neither are they Evidences for God and Christ who are not Eye and Ear Witnesses of the Light Spirit Grace and Word of God in the Heart And I boldly affirm the Scriptures speak no more for such as are not Inheritors of that Blessed Condition they declare of in some Measure or other then any Deed of Gift would do for a Person no wayes Nam'd or Interested therein It is time then for T. Hicks and his Partners to look about them lest the Midnight-Cry overtake them and their Professing Lamp be found without Oyl For I must needs tell him in the Beloved Disciple's Language He that saith he is in the Light and 〈◊〉 his Brother is in the Darkness even until now And in my own Language That I take that to be their State who shew so much Envious Displeasure against an Harmless People and those in particular that never yet Offended much less Justly provokt them But would they bring their Thoughts Words and Deeds to the Light in their own Consciences and let true Judgment pass upon them and patiently undergo the Heavenly Chastisements for their Disobedience to and Vilifying of the Light they would come to witness a turning from the Darkness to the Light and continuing therein as that Holy Way in which the Ransomed of the Lord alwayes did do and shall walk through all Generations they would know the Injoyment of Eternal Peace Yea such is the Excellency of Christ the true Light that as He was First so shall He be the Last when all Outward Performances Writings Worships yea the whole World shall be at an End the Use and Excellency of the Light will remain forever as saith John the Divine And they shall see his Face and his Name shall be written in their Fore-Heads and there shall be no Night there and they need no Candle neither Light of the Sun for the LORD GOD GIVETH THEM LIGHT and they shall Reign forever and ever Amen CHAP. VIII An Objection against the Light 's Antecedent Being to Christ's Coming It is prov'd to have been known to be a Saving Light from Adam's day through the Holy Patriarchs and Prophets time down to Christ's from the Scriptures of Truth HAving then plainly prov'd from Scripture 1. That the Light is Saving since the time of Christ beginning with its first Appearance as Manifesting Sin 2. Condemning of It. 3. Redeeming from It as obeyed And that the same Principle which is called Light is the Seed Grace Truth Word Spirit Power Unction Water Way Life Flesh and Blood and therefore not a Distinct Being from that which T. Hicks himself if he will own plain Scripture must confess doth Save I call it the LIGHT OF SALVATION OR THAT LEADS TO SALVATION But there remain yet several Objections to be Answered which done we shall immediately proceed to give Judgment upon the Question Who or What this Light is with respect to all our Adversaries Cavils Obj. Though you have thus far evinc'd the Universality of a Saving Light from the Scriptures since Christ's Life Death Resurrection and Ascension yet that which is the Pinch of the Controversie will be this Where was this before Light Had any this Saving Light they had a Light before it came in that Eminent Manner above One Thousand Six Hundred Years since It is generally believ'd that Christ's then coming benefitted the World with it in case the World universally hath such a Saving Light To which I shall give my Answer both from Scripture History and Reason The first Scripture I shall quote is in the first of Genesis So God created
them naturally unto the Rising of the Day-Star which though a more glorious manifestation yet not of another Light Life or Spirit then had ever been for there are not two Lights Lifes Natures or Spirits in God he is ONE for ever in himself and his Light one in kind how ever variously he may have declar'd himself or manifested it at sundry times of the World His Truth is one his Way is one and his Rest one forever But last of all that which greatly joyes is this that the Narrowness of some Mens Spirits in this World will not be found able to exclude vertuous Gentiles from their Reward in the other But maugre all the Heat Petulancy Conceitedness and Fleshly Boasting of Carnal Christians such as fear God and Work Righteousness and are Doers of the Law we are assured shall be accepted with and justified of God in the Day that he will judge the Secrets of all men by Jesus Christ according to Paul ' s Gospel and if any man bring another let It be accurst Amen I have here on purpose overlookt many very pregnant Instances both in the Old and New Testament so call'd for Brevities sake in which the Righteousness of the Gentiles hath in several Cases more evidently appeared then that of some of the Jews and which undeniably testifies to the Sufficiency of that Light they had both to manifest that which was Good from that which was Evil and give an Ability to such as truly minded its Illumination whereby they were enabled to do the one and to reject the other Such were Abimelech Cyrus Darius the Ruler that came to Christ and many others which I shall omit to mention more particularly the chief Bent of my Mind being to demonstrate the Truth of my Assertion from their own Writings CHAP. X. That the Gentiles Believed in One God That He inlightned All Men with a Saving Light That Men ought to live Piously That the Soul is Immortal That there is an Eternal Recompence The Whole call'd Gentile-Divinity The First Point prov'd by Sixteen Testimonies HAving prov'd briefly but truly from the Scriptures that the Gentiles in general were Illuminated with a Divine Light I shall now make it my Business to evidence the Truth thereof by most undeniable particular Instances out of their own Writings And because I am willing my Defence of both the Light within and Those of them who obey'd it should turn to the clearest and best Account I will endeavour to resolve the Whole into as plain a Method as the Matter and their Way of delivering it will allow me First then from their own Authorities I am taught to affirm that the Gentiles Believed in One Holy Infinite and Eternal God Secondly That they did therefore so believe because God had imprinted the Knowledge of himself in their Hearts or in our Language that he had Illuminated all Mankind with a Divine Light which as conversed with and obey'd would lead to Eternal Happiness Thirdly That they held and practised high Sanctity of Life Fourthly That they affirmed an Immortality of Souls and Eternal Rewards of Felicity or Misery according to Man's Obedience to or Rebellion against the Eternal God his Creator which Excellent Principles true and clear being the Result of their Discourse on those Subjects do worthily deserve in my esteem the Style of DIVINITY which shall be the Denomination I hope I may without Offence bestow upon them in this Discourse That the Gentiles did acknowledge and believe There was but One Supream God that made all things who is Infinite Almighty Omni-present Holy and Good forever I shall produce some of those many Authorities that aver the same and accommodate it to such Scripture as the Truth of them as well as Practice of very Ancient Fathers will bear me out in I. ORPHEUS as Old as more then One Thousand Two Hundred Years before Christ thus expresseth his Belief of God His Hand reaches to the End of the Sea his Right-hand is everywhere and the Earth is under his Feet He is only One begot of himself and of Him alone are all things begot and God is the First and the Last Hereby not only telling us there was a God but attributing that Almighty Power and Omni-presence which show he meant no Statuary Deity but the God that made the Heavens and the Earth II. HESIOD Of all which do not Dye thou art King and Lord none can Contend with Thee concerning Thy Power This Emphatically proves God to have been but One and Omni-potent in their Belief III. THALES a very Ancient Greek Phylosopher tells us That there is but One God that he is Glorious forever and ever And he openly confesseth That he is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 HE WHO KNOWS HEARTS Thales being demanded what God was That saith he which has NEITHER BEGINNING NOR END Another asking If a Man might do Ill and conceal it from God How saith he WHEN A MAN THAT THINKS IT CANNOT Men ought to believe saith Cicero in his Name that God sees all things IV. SIBYLLA There is One God who alone is Infinite and without Beginning Again Who can see with Fleshly Eyes the Heavenly True and Immortal God whose Seat is in the Highest of Heaven This Sibyll is Aged above Two Thousand Years The Question implies her Faith that God was a Spirit as Christ himself also testifies V. PYTHAGORAS a Modest but Diligent and Retired Man in his Search after Heavenly things saith That it is Man's Duty to believe of the Divinity that it is and that it is in such a manner as to Mankind that it overlooks them and neglects them not for we have need of such a Government as we ought not in any thing to Contradict such is that which proceeds from the Divinity For the Divinity is such that to it doth of Right belong the Dominion of all Again God resembleth LIGHT and TRUTH In another place God himself inhabits the Lowest and Highest and the Middlemost there is no Being nor Place without God God is One HE IS NOT as some conceive OUT OF THE WORLD but entire within himself as in a Compleat Circle surveying all Generations HE IS THE SALT OF ALL AGES the Agent of his own Powers and Works the Principle of all things One Heavenly Luminary or Light and Father of all things Only Wise Invisible yet Intelligible Which very Pathetical Account of the Divine Being so correspondent with Scripture yet he a Stranger to it I mean the Words only for the Matter in this Point he weightily hits deserves very Serious Consideration and Acknowledgment from all especially those who would not Narrow God's Mercies to their own Time or Party VI. To the same purpose speaks HERACLITUS that sensibly Afflicted Philosopher for the World's Impieties and Idolatrics whose very Sorrowful yet sound smart Expressions show they came from a Mind deeply touch'd In one of his
believe him to have been at least of those who knew God but we hope not of those who when they knew him Glorified him not as God Indeed what we have hitherto produc'd of them all may worthily be accounted DIVINITY and not the worse for being Gentiles since God is also therein to be Admired so Forceable so True and so Conspicuous are their Assertions and their Reasons for them that who will yet believe there was not a Measure of the Eternal Fulness of all Divine Light shining in the Hearts of these Heathens to give them the Knowledge of the Glory of the Only True and Invisible God must not think it strange if upon their own Principle of Incredulity after all their Protestations for and Professions of the Christian-Religion any should believe them to be very Mahometans or Infidels and that they are over-cast with the darkest Clouds of Envy and Uncharitableness For my part I am of the mind that many Thousands of Christians at least so reputed I mean not of the Rabble neither believe not God so clearly nor are able to give better Reasons for what they do believe of him then these exhibited in this first part of the Gentile-Divinity Thus much concerning God with respect to Himself his Creation and Providence CHAP. XI The Second Fundamental of Gentile Divinity viz. That God hath Imprinted the Knowledge of Himself on the Mind of all Mankind Proved from Twelve Pregnant Testimonies as well of whole Societies as particular Persons Compared with Scripture IT will be now requisit that I give an Account of their Belief in God with respect to that Discovery he is pleased to give of himself unto Mankind how and where which amounts to what is laid down in my Second Assertion viz. That God Imprinteth the Knowledge of Himself in the Mind of Mankind or that God's Way of Manifesting Himself to Mankind is by Enlightning the Soul with his own Divine Light which Obey'd leads to Blessedness That this was their Doctrine and the Ground of the Knowledge they had of God be pleased to weigh these their following very plain yet very weighty Expressions I. The Mind saith PYTHAGORAS and his Disciples onely seeth the ETERNAL GOD the Ruler and Father of all things What greater Pleasure then to behold the Serene Aspect of God What things are agreable to God cannot be known UNLESS A MAN HEAR GOD HIMSELF They mutually exhorted one another not to Divide asunder the GOD THAT WAS IN THEM for that it ought to be their Care to Preserve their Union with God and one with another Again saith Timaeus one of the Exactest of that School The most Excellent Thing the Soul is Awaken'd to is her Guide or Good Cenius that is a Measure of the Divine Light and Spirit but if she be Rebellious to it it will prove her Daemon or Tormentor But having overcome these things saith Pythagoras to wit Evils thou shalt know 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Co-habitation or Dwelling together of the IMMORTAL GOD AND MORTAL MEN whose Work is Life the Work of God is Immortality Eternal Life Thus far the Pythagoreans and certainly far enough to prove the Assertion for next to Hearing and Seeing God himself his Dwelling in and Tabernacling with Men what is there of greater Spiritual Intimacy or Union O the Folly and great Uncharitableness of those Professors that exclude both such Men and such Knowledge the Kingdom of God because it is not deliver'd in absolute Scripture-Phraise whilst it imports much of the very Substance of them as to Divine Vision Union with God and Eternal Life But to go on II. HIERON that Ancient Philosopher intituled the Universal Light shining in the Conscience which witnessed by its Reproof against Evil and if obey'd led to Immortality A DOMESTICK GOD or GOD WITHIN the Hearts and Souls of Men. The Eternal Mind is God MANIFESTING HIMSELF IN EVERY PARTICULAR OF US God is that which in Mortal Men gives them to Know aright concerning God Certainly these Gentiles had an high Veneration for that Light which manifested Darkness who made it their Rule their Guide their Domestick God they set him not at a Distance without them but believed in him as God the WORD speaking to them in their own Consciences In which respect the Minor Poets notably express'd themselves III. BYAS Prince of his Country Pireen being invaded by Enemies and several of the Inhabitants put to flight with their greatest Wealth and He being asked Why he also carried not his Choisest Goods with him he answered I do carry MY GOODS with me HE BORE THEM saith Valerius Maximus IN HIS BREAST not to be seen by the Eye but prized by the Soul inclosed in the narrow Dwelling of the Mind not to be Demolisht by Mortal Hands WHICH IS ALWAYS PRESENT WITH THOSE WHO STAY and NEVER DESERTETH OR FORSAKETH THOSE THAT FLEE Certainly then they thought this Divine Principle the greatest Treasure the surest Companion the best Comforter and only Sanctuary of the Soul in greatest Extremities induing it with Piety and Patience and as what gave that Contentment which was able to wade through the deepest Calamities IV. SOPHOCLES is also of that Number that bears Testimony to Divine Illumination God grant saith he that I may alwayes be so happy as to observe that Venerable Sanctity in my Words and Deeds which is commanded by these NOBLE LAWS speaking of the Laws written in Men's Consciences which were made in Heaven GOD IS THEIR FATHER NOT MORTAL NATURE neither shall they ever be Forgotten or ABROGATED for there is in them a Great God that never waxeth Old This is saith he again with respect to Man's Conscience a Divine a Sacred Good God the Overseer Certainly in themselves very Seraphick Epithites fraited with strong Faith of a God and that Way of Inward Discovery he is pleased to make of himself to Mankind For it was he that said Truly there is but One Onely God who made the Heavens and the Earth V. It is frequently said of SOCRATES He had the Guide of his Life Within him which it was told his Father Sophroniscus should be of more Worth to him then 500. Masters he call'd it His Good Angel or Spirit that it suggested to his Mind what was Good Vertuous inclin'd dispos'd him to a Strict and Pious Life that it furnisht him with Divine Knowledge and very often impuls'd or MOVED HIM TO PREACH THOUGH IN THE STEETS TO THE PEOPLE sometimes in a way of Severe Reproof at other times to Information and otherwise gently to diswade them from Intemperance Vanity of Life particularly from seeing of Playes and to exhort them to Repentance Reformation and Self-Denyal in hopes of Immortality VI. PLATO is not wanting to bring in his Vote for further Confirmation of our Assertion on the Behalf of the Gentiles The Light and Spirit of God saith he are as WINGS TO THE SOUL or
was Christ or Christ was before he came in the Flesh for Christ was in the Wilderness a Rock to Israel unless Christ and the Word are two distinct Beings or that there be two distinct Christs Christ was that Light with which Mankind was illuminated or that Light Mankind was inlightned with was the very Christ and consequently the Light has been called both expresly and implicitly Christ before that visible Appearance at Jerusalem Nor is the Allegation of that Scripture pertinent to the Matter in hand viz. Which none of the Princes of this World knew c. brought by T. H. for that was spoken in reference to the Wisdom which had been hid and not the meer Manhood of Christ But suppose it had deeply concern'd it we have this to say that such as rejected much more those that crucified him in his outward Appearance had first despised and slain him within They were of those who Rebel against the Light and Love not the Wayes thereof And I affirm against all Opposers that it was by that Sight the Light within gave to Simeon Peter Nathanael and all others who believed in him that they Confessed him and Suffered for him such as had not so Out-sinned their Day Defiled their Conscience Clouded their Understandings and Hardned their Hearts as others by Wicked Works had done but through the Light of the Lord had in good measure kept their Consciences void of Offence they received and imbraced him The Light knew its own The Lesser led to the Greater and the Greater Light as naturally attracted the Lesser as we may see Fire do every day To conclude this Particular let me add that they were not the Princes of this World that put him outwardly to Death for it came by the Envious Accusations and most Inveterate Suggestions of the Jews a Broken Conquered People to Pilate but Governour of a Province therefore since I believe what the Apostle saith to be true I have rather Reason to infer that it was meant of Christ Mystically then of that Visible Body However it be that part of our Adversaries Objection about the Light 's not being call'd Christ antecedent to his Coming in the Flesh can be of no Weight to the Matter under Debate since we have so evidently made the Contrary appear CHAP. XIX The Third Part of the Objection If Christ was enjoyed under the Law as he was if the Light be Christ why was he Typified Is proved of no Force The Type and Anti-type in some Respects may be at one and the same time this is proved by 〈◊〉 of Scripture Our Adversaries Oppostion and Cavil Weak and Insuccessful THe Third Part of the Objection and what seems at first sight to carry something of moment against us is this If the Light Within be Christ and the Jews and Gentiles had it from the beginning of the World how can Christ be said to be typified out as not come and Prophesied of to come when by your own Principle he has been alwayes come I answer This part of the Objection is in some respect built upon the same Mistake as was the second namely that the Light within is intirely Christ concerning which I have plainly and truly exprest my self before I will therefore faithfully state the Question for them thus Well but still you say Christ inlightned Jews and Gentiles before that visible Coming if so then was he come by your own Principle whilst his very Coming was typified out and Prophesied of Doth not this seem a Contradiction But to this I say that the supposed Contradiction ariseth from the Mistake of the Dispensations for it takes for granted that there was no Difference in the Degree of Illumination before and at the Coming of Christ after that visible Manner into the World which all must needs confess For as I would be understood when I call the Light before and after Christ's Coming in the Flesh Light to mean but one and the self-same Light in Nature So let none apprehend that we make not a Difference by the Acknowledgment of a more eminent Manifestation of the same Light What follows then Why thus much most clearly That under the Enjoyment of the Lesser Manifestation of Light suited to the then Childish State of the Jews God was pleased to allure them after an Expectation of at least a Belief in higher things by Types and Prophecyes of that far more Excellent and Exceeding Glorious Dispensation of the Light and Love of God in after Ages The End of God's giving the Israelites that outward Prophet and Leader Moses was to bring to the Inward which though they through Carnality and Weakness were not then sensible of him so as to stay their Minds upon him yet Moses prophesied of him and all the External Dealings have been with respect to bring to the Seed within which is able to bruise the Serpent's Head and did so in some measure through all Ages So that in good Reason and Truth may we assert Christ the Light was the Rock that follow'd Israel in the Wilderness who is the Rock of Ages and Foundation of all Generations who ever enlightned all Mankind the same yesterday to day and forever yet a greater Manifestation of that Divine Light might be typically preacht forth under the Enjoyment of the Lesser And that we herein are not without the Suffrage of the Scriptures to our Defence I would fain know of T. Hicks or who else that is concerned against us If notwithstanding all those outward Washings of those Times God did not frequently press the very Substance it self namely a Clean Heart and a New Spirit accounting all short thereof but as the Cutting off a Dog's Neck And whether Christ himself did not with his own Hands give the Bread and the Wine to his Disciples and yet bid them do it till he came Whence it is easie to observe that unless Tho. Hicks and the rest of those Contenders say with the Papists The Bread and Wine are very Christ and so make Christ giving Christ thereby destroying the Nature of a Sacrament and instead of doing it till he come that he should come when-ever they do receive it which Ignorance I will not suppose him or them guilty of I say unless then that they were of one Mind with the Romanists in the Matter of the Supper it must be granted to us that Christ present gave them a Figure of Christ to come therefore to figure out Christ to come destroyes not Christ's being come especially with our most necessary Distinction of the lesser Manifestation from the greater which nevertheless divides not the Light but that remains in it self one Pure Eternal Being of Light and Sun of Righteousness through every Dispensation This that Passage I have already observed from the Apostle Paul in Answer to the second part of the Objection plainly clears to us For if Christ typified out was their Rock or the Rock of that Age even when the Brazen Serpent the Type was
counts all such Faith and Worship Imagination made of Men or a meer lifeless Imitation He prefers one Sight begotten from a Sence of God's Work in the Heart beyond the longest Prayers in that State He leaves them all walks as a Man alone fearing to offer God a Sacrifice that is not of His own Preparing He charges all other Faiths and Worships with Insufficiency and meer creaturely Power which are not held and performed from an holy Conviction and Preparation by the Angel of God the Light of his Presence in the Heart and Conscience therefore goes he forth in the Strength of his God against the Merchants of Babylon Woes and Plagues are Rightly in his Mouth against those Buyers and Sellers of the Souls of Men He is Jealous for the Name of the Lord And therefore dares not speak Peace unto them neither can be put into their Mouths but testifies against all such Wayes Freely he received freely he gives Thus is this Man Unravel'd Unreligion'd Unbottom'd as to his former State wherein he was Religious upon Letter Form Mens Traditions Education and his own Imagination He is as a Man quite undone that he may be made what he should be Thus is he convinced of Sin and of Righteousness too and the Joy he once had when he girded himself and went whether he would is now turned into Sorrow and his Rejoycing into Hoâ—…ling He has beheld God in the Light and abhors himself in Dust and Ashes Sin that was pleasant once in the Mouth he finds bitter in the Belly and that which the World esteems worthy their Care he flies as a Man would do a Bear robbed of her Whelps Sin is become exceeding Sinful to him insomuch that he cries out who shall deliver him He labours greatly and is very heavy loaden He is not willing to fly in the Winter but is resolved to stand the Tryal For this Man not only brings his former Deeds to the Light and there suffers Judgment to pass upon them but patiently takes part in that Judgment who was so great an Accessory to them Nor doth his Obedience conclude with the Sentence given against past Sins and himself that committed them but most patiently endures the Hand of the Lord till his Indignation be overpast and till that which condemned Sin the Fruit hath destroyed the very Root of it which hath taken so deep hold in his Heart and the same Spirit of Judgment that condemned Sin be brought forth into perfect Victory over the very Nature and Power of Sin This Judgment is found in the Light therefore do the Sons of the Night reject the Knowledge of its Wayes and the Children of the Day joy greatly in its Appearance But neither is this all that makes up that Good Man who obeys the Light For a compleat Son of Light is one that has conquer'd and expel'd the Darkness 'T is true he was once Darkness but now Light in the Lord because he hath been turned from Darkness to the Light and from Satan's Power unto God who is Light it self and with him is his Fellowship continually This is the Man who in the Way of the Light hath met with the Inward Cleansing for having been purged by the Spirit of Judgment and the Spirit of Burning otherwise called the severe Reproofs Stroaks and Terrors of the Light in the Conscience he has ever a Watch set up in his Heart A Thought must not pass which has not the Watch-Word but at every Appearance he cries Stand if a Friend and owned oâ—… the Light who is the great Leader given of God for that Purpose then he lets It pass otherwise he brings It to the Commander of the Conscience who is to sit in Judgment upon It. Thus is Christ the Light King Judge and Lawgiver And by this he grows strong increaseth with the Increases of God Yet he often reads the Scriptures and that with much Delight greatly admiring the exceeding Love of God to former Ages which he himself witnesseth to be true in this and many things are opened to his Refreshment So is the Light the Just Man's Path that in every Age still shined brighter and brighter in which the cleansing Blood of Jesus Christ is felt to cleanse from all Sin Thus doth he bridle his Thoughts so that his Words and Actions offend not Above all he is often retired to the Lord loves Fellowship with him waits for dayly Bread not in his own Words Strivings or Will but emty of Thoughts or the Peace or Comfort that is drawn or imagined from thence he silently waits to feel the Heavenly Substance brought into his Soul by the Immediate Hand of the Lord for it is not fetching in this Thought or remembring the other Passage in Scripture or calling to Mind what has been formerly known but every Immediate Word that proceeds from out of the Mouth of God that can satisfie him In short He that obeyes the Light is thereby taught to deny Ungodliness and Worldly Lusts and to be Sober Righteous Patient Humble Meek Upright Merciful Forbearing Forgiving Peaceable Gentle Self-denying Constant Faithful and Holy because the Lord his God is Holy Thus have I given a brief Account as well what HE is not as what HE is that is Obedient to the Light within which is Christ's Appearance in the Heart whose Holy Blood is felt to Cleanse Attone and Save all those who believe and abide therein CHAP. VI. The Discourse hithertoo 〈◊〉 up and concluded with an Exhortation to all Professors of Religion espâ—…cially our Opposers I Will sum up the whole of this Discourse into these few Heads I. That Salvation is to be saved from Sin first and Wrath consequentially He shall save them from their Sins II. That Christ the Word-God has enlightened all Mankind not only aâ—…ter his Coming in the Flesh but before And that the Light has ever been Sufficient as well as Universal to lead to God all such as have obeyed it as by its Properties and Effects is demonstrated III. That the Difference betwixt the Time of the Law and that of the Gospel as generally distinguisht was in Manifestation not in Nature God might be as much more propitiouâ—… and bouâ—…ti ui to the last Ages be it that they were better able 〈◊〉 receive such extraordinary Discoveries or that it waâ—… the alone good Pleasure of his Soveraign Will as he was to the former Ages yet that he gave them a Sufficiency of the same Divine Light to conduct them through the World to Eternal Blessedness IV. That Jews and Creeks Heathens and Christians agree in this V. That still the Preheminence is given to Christ's Manifestation in Flesh both generally and particularly that being both the Fulness of Time and Fulness of Discovery which put an end to the Types and Figures and Carâ—…al Coâ—…mandements by shewing forth an Abrogation and Consuâ—…tion of them all in the Substance it self In which State they are not needed but in Comparison thereof
they are though once they were as Calenders for weak People to read some mystically Glory by but Beggarly Elements VI. That not only in that Flesh did the Eternal Light preach forth it self the End of these Things by Revealing becoming the Author of a more plain and perfect Way though less easie to Flesh and Blood placing the Stress of all upon an Evaâ—…gelical Righteousness whereof he became the first Miâ—…er and our most Holy Example but he also appear'd in that publick Body so peculiarly prepared a General Saviour by his Life Doctrine Miracles Death of the Cross Resurrection in and by all which he obtained a Name above every Name VII That nevertheless not to the Body but holy Light of Life therein is chiefly to be asscribed the Salvation and to the Body however excellent but Instrumentally for that it was the Eternal Light and Life which gave the Weight to all the Actions and Sufferings of the Body VIII That the Benefit then procured is not witnessed by any but as they come to believe in Christ the Light as he doth appear in the Heart and Conscience to save from Sin destroy the Works of the Devil finish Transgression and bring in of his Everlasting Righteousness Wherefore to fancy one's self intituled to a State of Salvation whilst in Rebellion against the Light within which is Christ's inward Knocking and Appearance must needs be a Delusion most pernicious and destructive to the Souls of men IX That upon the whole it is determin'd and concluded that Christ is that Light which shineth in the Conscience X. That the Light is prov'd by Reason both Universal and Sufficient The first from the Consent of Mankind the Goodness and Rectitude of God the second from both Experience and that it were inconsistent with God to give a Light to his Creature insufficient for the Work for which he gave it Thus in short have I given the Heads and Results of most of the Matter contained in the whole Discourse upon the Light and I intreat our Adversaries they would seriously weigh the Whole before they either reject it or endeavour to reply to it But let them be advised to try the Virtue of the Light before they sentence it to have none And in the Love of God be once prevail'd upon to consider if something in them doth not really Condemn them amongst other things for these brisk Attempts against it Oh! Why should Men covet to Know so far beyond what they do faithfully Practise Let them first out-live the Just and Holy Requirings of the. LIGHT before they put these Barbarous Affronts upon it of a WIL IN THE WISP A DARK LANTHORN-LIGHT NATURAL INSUFFICIENT IGNIS FATUUS THE QUAKERS IDOL and abundance of such like Frothy Prophane and indeed Blasphemous Epithetes which they wickedly bestow upon IT as if they were Its Pâ—…per Names when the Scriptures they would oppose to it plainly tell them that the whole Work of the Apostolical Ministry was To turn People from Darkness to the Light from the Power of Sathan unto God that they might have Remission of Sins As much as to say Such as are turned to the Light are turn'd to God who is Light and those who abide there both have Remission of the Punishment and Purgation from the Defilement of Sin And whatever any may think of us we both believe assert and will maintain against Men and Divels that God is LIGHT and that out of the Light or void of his Divine Illumination no man can Know him and consequently not Worship him unless they should worship an Unknown God That such as receive this Illumination and rebel not against it but improve this Heavenly Talent they have Fellowship with the Pure Eternal God and experience the Blood of Jesus Christ to cleanse theâ—… from all Unrighteousness If any think to arrive at Glory another Way and will not be admonisht let them proceed we speak what we know and can but declare what we have felt of the Work of God in our Hearts The Scriptures we highly value But we believe not the things we often quote thence to be true Only because there but for that we are Witnesses of the same Operation and bring in our experimental Testimonies to confirm the Truth of theirs and such truly honour the Scriptures all others are at best but empty Scribes and Pharisaical Babblers So with God I leave my Labour in this Particular desiring that his Heavenly Light may yet more abundantly arise upon the Dark Hearts of Mankind and awaken them to Repentance that since IT hath so long shined in Darkness uncomprehended till even Darkness it self is grown so impudent as to interpret its Inability to see the Insufficiency of the Light he would be pleased to cause it to shine out of Darkness that IT might plead the Excellency of ITS own Divine Nature in the Consciences of Men and Women against the daily Scornes and base Detractions that even great Professors of Christianity stick not to fling upon It so ill are they principl'd and so un-Christianly employ'd which proves to me how little they are Professâ—…rs of the True Pure and Undefiled Religion what ever Place their cunning Devices may have given them in the Hearts of Weak and Simple People My Soul pittyeth their Opposition and feareth the Consequence of such Resistance and desires they may see the very Vanity of their Endeavours against the Light Repent of them and be Converted that God may yet Heal them which sincere Desire is my Return for all their Hard Speeches and Ungodly Sayings against us in general and my self in particular W. Penn. AN APPENDIX To the First Part being a Discourse OF THE GENERAL RULE OF Faith and Life AND Judge of Controversie Greatly importing all those who desire to take Right Measures of Faith and to Determine at least to themselves the numerous Controversâ—…es now on foot in the World By the same Author For in Christ Jesus neither Circumcision availeth any thing nor Uncircumcision but a NEW Creature And as many as walk according to THIS Rule Peace be on them and Mercy and upon the whole Israel of God Gal. 6. 16. But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit for the Spirit searcheth all things yea the deep things of God The Things of God knoweth no Man save the Spirit of God He that is Spiritual judgeth all things 1 Cor. 2. 10 11 15. But ye have an Unction from the Holy One and ye know all things 1 John 2. 20. Printed in the Year 1673. OF THE GENERAL RULE OF Faith and Life SInce there be so many Faiths in the World and perplext Controversies about them and that it greatly behoveth every man if to Contend for then first to Know the True Faith that overcometh the World It may not be unnecessary to say something of the General Rule of Faith and Life and Judge of Controversie at this time And indeed I am prest to it from this weighty
begotten Who then is my Rule to inform order strengthen and lead through the whole Experience but the same Spirit All Doctrinal Scripture was experienced before written or they had not been true Witnesses who wrote it Now that which was their Rule can only guide us into the same Experiences nor are they to be known before experienced Do my Will and you shall know more of my Doctrine saith Christ. I read the History of such things This saves not Neither can the History be the Rule leading into the Mystery That belongs only to the Spirit that searcheth the deep things of God Consequently the Spirit and not the Scripture is the Rule for so believing and living Obj. But is not this to make void the Protestants Plea against the Papists That the Scriptures are the Rule of Faith and Practice Answ. No such matter For the Question was not Whether the Spirit of Christ or the Scripture was the Rule But Whether the Scripture God's Tradition or Popish Traditions were the Rule to measure the Truth of Doctrines and Practices by We grant that particular Scriptures rightly understood may measure what is agreeable or disagreeable to them that is such Doctrines and Practices as are contrary to that part of Scripture more particularly relating to our dayes are questionable by the Scripture especially since all Parties pretend what they say and do is according to Scripture Yet this concludes not the Scripture to be the General and Evangelical Rule Obj. But if God had not revealed those things that are in Scripture by it to us â—…ow could they have been known by us Answ. They were known by the Light and Spirit of Christ before written from whence they are call'd Scripture Therefore it is said That the Prophets searched diligently what and what manner of Time the Spirit of Christ that was in them did signifie when it testified before-hand of the Sufferings of Christ. Nor are they ever the more reveal'd to the blind and dark Mind because there written The Mysteries of Regeneration are as puzling to Natural Wit and Earthly Wisdom as before Therefore well said Epiphanius Only to the Children of the Holy Ghost all the Holy Scriptures are plain and easie Mens going to hammer out Principles without that infallible Guide and Rule hath been the Cause of that great Confusion that is over Mankind about Religion Obj. But how could you have known those Prophecies to be true for that is not matter of Witnessing but Fore-telling Answ. That is an extraordinary Revelation not falling within the ordinary Discoveries absolutely necessary to mans Salvation but to shew his Power Faithfulness that he is God and can and will fore-tell and bring to pass But therefore must there be an Extraordinary Light or Spirit and not rather an Extraordinary Sight and Seâ—…ne from one and the same Light and Spirit in them Besides That which gives me to believe and savour it to be from the Spirit and not by Imposture is my Rule for believing it Now that the Spirit so doth Calvin and Beza too as before cited assert for me viz. The same Spirit that spake by the Mouth of the Prophets must pierce into our Hearts to perswade us that they faithfully declared that which was committed to them of God Obj. But this Light you speak of could not tell you which way Sin came into the World That there was an Adam and Eve that they fell after that manner that Sin so entered the World That Christ was born of a Virgin suffered Death and rose again That you ought not to Swear in any case c. if the Scriptures had not told you so Answ. That is boldly said But consider well Moses sayes the vulgar Opinion had that Account above Two Thousand Years after the Creation by Revelation which we find in Genesis Now that there could be no Revelation without this Divine Light or Spirit which is the Life of the Eternal Creating Word must needs be granted For the Spirit of God knoweth only the Things of God and whatever makes manifest is Light And that the Spirit and Light are one though two Names has been sufficiently evidenced If then it was this Light of the Eternal Word that delivered these past things to Moses and gave that Prospect of future things to the Prophets as no doubt it was if Scripture be indubitable then to say the Light or Spirit could not do it is Blasphemous Again To argue because the Light does not reveal every Circumstance of History to each Individual that hath already an Account that therefore it could not is ridiculous Were the History of the Transactions of Christ and his Followers wanting as before Moses was that of Adam and his Posterity and that the Lord saw it needful to acquaint Mankind therewith no doubt but the Light and Spirit which revealed the Account of the Creation above Two Thousand Years after to Moses and fore-told several Hundred Years many of those Transactions of Christ by the Prophets would also have supplyed that Want But inasmuch as an Account is extant and therefore not needed 't is vain to make that Objection Again It does not follow because every man has a Measure of Light to inform and rule him that therefore he must needs know all which that Light knows or is able to reveal to him I return that Argument thus upon our Adversaries They say they have the Spirit of God Then they know all that the Spirit of God knows or can reveal to them If the latter be absurd then the former Again say they The Light within did not reveal Christ to the Gentiles that Christ should be born of a Virgin c. therefore insufficient I return upon them thus The Spirit of God given to the Children of Israel Neh. 9. 20. did not acquaint them that Christ should be born of a Virgin nor much more of his Life and Bodily Transactions therefore the Spirit of God was insufficient The like may be concluded against the Spirit in the Prophets For 't is manifest from 1 Pet. 1. 10 11. that the Spirit had not revealed to all the Prophets the Time of Christ's Appearance and Sufferings was the Spirit therefore an insufficient Rule to them But that which falls heaviest upon our Adversaries is this That the Scriptures by their own Argument are a most imperfect Account themselves of what was done not relating the hundredth part of things therefore as insufficient in not relating what is behind as they would weakly render the Light or Spirit in not revealing to every Individual those things already related Nay they may as well infer Insufficiency to the Spirit or the Light within in that it does not now shew all that shall be to the End of the World which in their proper Seasons there will be a Necessity to know as to reflect insufficiency upon it c. because it did not foretel things now past to â—…ormer Ages or needlesly reveal
the Body of Man c. 7. The Resurrection 8. The Light the Sufferings and Work of Christ. 9. The Baptists Ordinances Shadows c. 10. Knowing Christ and his Coming Reign and Deity 11. Their Erroneous and Groundless Distinction between the Light of God and the Light of Christ. 12. Turning to the Light within 13. Christ as at the Right hand of Power 14. Perfection 15. The Light within distinguished from an Historical Knowledge 16. The Baptist's unlearned Question TO THE READER Serious Reader THe implacable Enmity of divers Baptist Teachers against us our present Liberty and Prosperity is very obvious by their several perverse confused Pamphlets although the sad Experience and Fruitlesness of Coertion has not been shewn by their Valour They have Cause rather to be abased and humbled for their timerous obscuring themselves many of them in the late stormy times then now either to boast or thus come croaking out in warm Weather with Blasphemy and Revilings against the Light of Truth or us its Children As also for their many Divisions among themselves contrary to this Man's pretended Order and Communion of him and his Brethren of their baptized Churches as in pag. 53. being divided about Principles and Doctrines as some of their Leaders and Chieftains preaching up a personal Election others general Redemption some for Christ's dying for all others for his dying but for a few some for the Jews Seventh-Day Sabboth others opposing it some holding the Souls mortality with the Body others the Immortality They should have been reconciled among themselves before they had thus appeared in Print against us called Quakers for as yet we have no consistent matter from them to deal withall Lux Exorta Est OR THE LIGHT SPRUNG UP IN THE Despised Quaker With Evident Testimony against the Darkness and Prejudice of the Old Anabaptist I. Concerning the Light within THe Light or Life of the Eternal Word which is the Light of men Joh. 1. 4. is spiritual and divine as is that Word and therefore able to direct man his Way out of Sin and to give him Power against it what Cruelty and Partiallity doth he therefore like the partialminded Electioners reflect upon God in saying that this Light or Illumination of the Eternal Word leaves man like the Priest and Levite in his Blood and Wounds and yet how manifestly is this contradicted in his granting That by this Light Mankind may come to understand there is a God and also their Duty as he is their Creator Now this their Duty is both truely to love obey and sear him as also the man grants the Light to convince them of Sins and teach them to do unto all men as themselves would be done unto and that if the Heathens do follow the Light they are enlightened withal by the glorious Creator they would shine forth in the Principles of Morality and just Living p. 9. Now then it appears that this Light in all men can both teach them their Duty to God and one another so then it would teach them both to begodly and just Then the Question is whether all that are so taught and are such be they called Heathens or others be not in Reality Christians Can a man be godly and not a Christian Surely if the Heathens do mind and follow so much Light as God has given them they shall be saved for is there any more required then what is given Or doth God condemn Men for not improving more then he gives them How can they then be inexcusable or left without Excuse before him Observe again that this Opposer is not only cruel in leaving men in their Blood and Wounds though they follow so much Light as is given them but he is greatly confounded about the Light in all men one while calling it The Substance of the Law of the first Covenant p. 11. another while saith That Law was a more glorious Ministration and did convince of Sin more clearly then this Light p. 10. whereas the inward Convincement or Conviction does not arise from the Law meerly as written without but from the Law or Light as received from God in the Heart another while he calls it the Spirit that God has formed in man Zach. 12. 1. The Candle of the Lord p. 9. Let the ingenuous Reader judge how this man is shattered in these his Contradictions Inconsistencies and Variations and how plainly he hath broke the Neck of his own Cause in confessing that the Lord Jesus as the eternal Word enlightneth all men for Jesus Christ and his Light as the eternal Word is the divine and highest Light II. Concerning Redemption Justification c. HE is very inconsistent in his Saying that Redemption and Justification have been fully compleated and finisht by our Lord Jesus for â—…s once for all and that the Debt is paid and Satisfaction made p. 14. while yet he grants that Ignorance and Unbelief as Chains and Fetters bind many in Satan's Kingdom p. 14. for did you ever know of any so fully in a redeemed and justified Estate while so actually under Satan's Chains and Fetters in his Kingdom Or that any should be thus detained in Prison so long after the Debt is paid and Satisfaction made as he imagines But in this Notion of Satisfaction he appears very short and shallow though it be not a Scripture Phrase as T. Danson grants Synops. p. 19. and though it depends but upon some Notions of Law as Dr. Owen saith Declar. p. 150. Now that all mens Debt should be so strictly payed or such a severe Satisfaction made to vindicate Justice by Christ in their Stead which God never imposed upon the Son of his Love and that for Sins past present and to come as some say how inconsistent is it Besides the gross Liberty this gives to Sin how agrees it with his teaching them to pray Forgive us our Debts Math. 6. 12. for what needed that if they be all fo strictly paid in their Stead Howbeit that Christ in another or more acceptable Sence was a most satisfactory Offering and Sacrifice for Man-kind for a sweet smelling Savour to God Ephes. 5. 2. this we confess and own and that he tasted Death not only for some but for every Man and is a Propitiation for the Sins of the whole World And that Men are not justified nor all their Debt payed in their Stead while they are actually in Chains in Satan's Kingdom see this Man's Concession to his own Confutation touching the Power of true Conversion that is taught by Christ and his Ministers viz. That a man must repent that true Repentance is a through Change of the mind and that it consists in 1 A clear Sight and Sence of Sin 2 Godly Sorrow in the Sence and Burthen of it 3 In utter Abhorrence and forsaking of it And also Faith is required and must be wrought with Power in the Hearts of the Penitent c. p. 15. 16. Mark then here is some Debt for men to pay
through the Help of Christ's Power and Work within but to go round again he is sliting that inherent Holiness which is wrought within and accusing his Sister for not having a deep dependency on that Sacrifice of Christ's Crucified Body without p. 14. The Truth on 't is she or they that believe Christ to be risen and know his Power in their Hearts may think it improper to have their Dependancy on that his Body as crucified without but rather on him that lives for ever as knowing the blessed Effects of his Sacrifice to wit the Relief and Redemption which his Flesh and Blood affords His saying The Debt is paid and yet fearing his Sister 's remaining in Prison and Darkness notwithstanding her Teacher near p. 14. proves no more against the Light the inward Teacher then against Christ's Sufferings She may as well say Brother for all thy Dependance upon the crucified Body without thee I fear thou art yet dead in thy Sins and in gross Darkness and thou takest not the Course to convince me nor at all to draw my Heart towards thee and thy Brethren by such sad and wicked Work as thou makest against the Light Concerning his Water-Baptism it s not Reasonable in him either to impose it or judge us Transgressors in not submitting unto it p. 18 27. until he prove his Call or himself or any of his Brethren commissionated from Heaven as John was to administer it for we do not own it to be Christ's Baptism and till they prove themselves so called they should let us alone without it we being content with the one Baptism of the Spirit III. Of the Lord's Supper THe drinking of the Fruit of the Vine in the Fathers Kingdom and the eating of the Living Bread which comes down from Heaven Joh. Chap. 6. Luk. 22. 18 30. Mat. 26. 29. We are come to witness and so to partake of the heavenly Passover and the Communion of the Body and Blood of Christ which wise men can judge of 1 Cor. 10. 15 16. And the Power and Coming of our Lord Jesus Christ we have been Eye Witnesses of so as we cannot dote about Signs and Shadows as you carnal Professors do whose pretended Lords Supper is but Bread and Wine and no more then a Sign Type or Shadow which the clear Light of the Gospel and its Dispensation is beyond and in it there 's no need of those Shadows for a sacred Memorial of Christ's Death for the supposed Use and End thereof is better supplyed by the divine Light and Spirit of the everlasting Gospel which hath not only begotten in us a living Memorial and Sence of the Death of Christ and blessed Effects thereof but hath also brought us to know the Power of his Resurrection and our being risen with him so as we are not only dead with him from the Rudiment of the World and from touching tasting and handling those things that perish with the using after the Commands and Doctrines of Men but also being risen with Christ we are come to set our Affections on things above Where are those his Words written in Scripture viz. That Bread and Wine remain in full Force until Christ's second coming in Person p. 19. where doth the Scriptures call his second Appearance a coming in Person Which was a coming to Salvation Hebr. 9. 28. but this man saith he is not so come the second Time which doth both conclude that all the primitive Believers or Christians who so lookâ—… for his second coming both fell short of Salvation and mist and were dis-appointed of their Hope and Expectation which is a sad Mistake His saying He dare not be wise above what is written p. 29. contradicts his asserting that which derogates from what 's written viz. That Christ's second coming to Salvation is in Person or a personal Coming whereas nigh his Departure he said I am no more in the World Joh. 17. 11. and yet a little while and the World seeth me no more but ye see me Ch. 14. 19. his spiritual Appearance was to be in the World and he universally to be seen in Judgment As for that which Paul received of the Lord 1 Cor. 11. 23. proves not that he received outward Bread and Wine of the Lord to deliver to them till Christ's supposed coming in Person again but he received of the Lord not only the Relation how Christ took Bread and the Cup c. And so of the Administration of the Sign or Shadow but the Communication of the Mystery viz. the Body and Blood of Christ See 1 Cor. 10. And this was that Bread and that Cup spoken of 1 Cor. 11. 28. And he further shews what he received and what he delivered concerning Christ and his comings 1 Cor. 15. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8. 2 Cor. 13. 5. As for the Corinthians many of them were carnal and their minds too much in outward Things and Shadows and some lyable to run into Idolatry And the Apostle in some things condiscended to them as Weaklings below the spiritual and manly Understandings wherefore their Practice and Example is not in every thing binding to spiritual men IV. Of Baptism H.G. FRom Math. 28. 19 20. The Baptism here spoken of is that of Water p. 23. to baptize with the holy Spirit is the alone Work of Jesus Christ and it never was in the Power of any Apostle or Disciple to do it p. 24. Answ. This man contrary to his Pretence here makes himself wise above what is written in adding to the Command That it was the Baptism of Water which is not mentioned in the Command but rather it appears to be a spiritual Baptism which the Disciples were impoured to administer in that they were to teach baptizing them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 into the Name c. which 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 imports the Authority and Power of Christ and sometimes Christ himself and sometimes Reverence and Worship see T. C's Lexicon The man is very rash in his concluding that it was never in the Power of any Apostle to baptize with the holy Spirit I ask him if the true Ministers were not endued with Power from on high to turn and convert People from Darkness to Light and from Satan's Power unto God And if so what 's this short of the Spirit 's Baptism I pray His meaning from Paul's not being sent by Christ to baptize but to preach the Gospel 1 Cor. 1. is that he gives us to understand that to baptize was not the alone or chief Business he was sent to do p. 27. alone or chief Business is his own Addition to Paul's Words what needed he give them to understand that to baptize was not his alone Business while they knew he was more a Preacher 'T is not to be supposed that the Corinthians should think that Paul was to do nothing else but baptize or plunge them in Water but he himself gives it as the chief Reason why he baptized none but
Spiritually minded come to see the Glory of God and Jesus or the Son oâ—… Man at his right hand XIV Of Perfection H. G. WE do not believe 't is possible to attain to such a Degree of Perfection as to be as pure from Sin as Jesus Christ was p. 62. I know not what such should call one the Name of the Lord for c. p. 63. H. G. Contra. We can experience the Power of Christ's Spirit risen in us for our Sanctification and Renovation p. 54. He doth adopt regenerate make others Children of God by the Effectual Workings of his blessed Spirit in their Hearts by which they are interrested into all the Priviledges Promises and Blessings of the Covenant of Grace p. 91 92. Anim. We believe that the Spirit and Power of Christ working in our Hearts is able to sanctifie throughout and his Blood to cleanse from all Sin and that in Christ who is the Covenant of Grace all the Promises of God are yea and amen and that Covenant is both a Covenant of Forgiveness and therein Sin is taken away as God hath promised Jer. 31. I will cleanse them from all their Iniquity Jer. 33. 8. Ezek. 36. 25. All things are possible with God and we can do all things through Christ that strengthneth us Phil. 4. 13. who commanded Be ye perfect as your Heavenly Father is perfect and its possible through his Power Aid to keep his Commands otherwise for what End are they given out to his Church and People and for what End should they pray to take away all Iniquity On whom we believe he does not impose Impossibilities but to such as dwell in the Love of God his Commands are not grievous but joyous XV. The Light within above an Historical Knowledge WHereas to undervalue the Light within which all Men have H. G. affirms that none can make appear that ever any Heathen Aethiopian Moor or Infidel in any remote Parts that never heard the Scripture c. That ever did attain meerly by that Light within to the Knowledge of one Jesus of Nazareth that was crucified without the Gates of Jerusalem that meerly by the Help and Guidance of that Light within came to find out so much as the Name or historical Knowledge of a cruciefid Jesus p. 70. Answ. 1. As an historical Knowledge and Profession concerning Christ and his Sufferings in the Flesh cannot save you so it s very uncharitable in you Baptists to condemn all Nations that have it not meerly for want of the History or that historical Knowledge 2. Though you have a historical Faith and Profession of Jesus as he came and suffered in the Flesh I deny that this Faith will either save you for they have as much Faith at Rome or that you have from thence any real Knowledge of Christ either as in the Flesh or in the Spirit either as crucified as put to Death or as living and reigning It s still your Mistake to count your dark Opinions and litteral Notions the Light of the Son of God Nay if you have no further Faith and Knowledge of him then what 's meerly historical and litteral If you have not a spiritual and divine Knowledge of Christ as inwardly revealed you 'll dye in your Sin and perish for lack of Knowledge And many of those called Heathens who follow the Help and Guidance of the Light of Christ within shall come from the East and from the West and from the North and from the South nd shall sit down with Abraham Isaac and Jacob in the Kingdom as Children of Faith and Heirs of Promise who have believed God and obeyed his Light in them when you and such like litteral Professors shall be utterly rejected unless you return to Christ's Light within and believe and wait in it to know Christ's inward and spiritual Appearance and Revelation 3. In the Gospel preacht to Abraham in whose Seed all Nations should be blessed It was foreseen that God would justifie the Heathen through Faith and accordingly Christ was absolutely promised and given for a Light to the Gentiles to be God's Salvation to the Ends of the Earth that he might say to the Prisoners go forth and them that are in Darkness shew yourselves Isa. 42. and Ch. 49. Now observe that the Promise of Christ both for a Light to the Gentiles and Salvation to the Ends of the Earth and himself to speak to the Prisoners to go forth c. it s absolute and not restrained or limitted to the spreading of Scripture nor to any such Condition as to be a Light and Salvation or to speak only to such as get the Bible and have the Scriptures or an historical Knowledge and Profession of Jesus Christ but he is given both for a Light to the Heathen and Salvation to the Ends of the Earth and so to call forth the Prisoners where the Scriptures are not he being in himself absolute and perfect and so able to be whatever he is promised of God and this Salvation is absolutely placed upon the Son of God who is given both for a Light a Leader God's Covenant and Salvation and therefore he is to be followed obeyed and depended on for Life and Salvation 4. Moreover It s possible to have both the Sufferings and Glory of Christ revealed by his Light and Spirit without the Scriptures seeing the Spirit of Christ shewed and testified aforehand unto the Prophets of his Sufferings and of the Glory that should follow 1 Pet. 1. 11. to be sure they who first wrote Scripture of these things aforehand had them first discovered or opened unto them by the Spirit 5. And when Nebuchadnezer said Lo I see four Men loose walking in the midst of the Fire and they have no Hurt and the Form of the fourth is like the Son of God Dan. 3. 25. How came this Heathen to have any such Impression or Similitude of the Son of God in his Mind as thus to speak of the Son of God or of the fourth as represented to him like the Son of God And what Scripture could he have for this pray you Or for Nebuchadnezer and Darius to speak so truly and admirably as they did of the Kingdom and Dominion of the most high God Dan. 4. 3. and Chap. 6. 26. Let the narrow-Spirited Litteralists and partial Predestinators who would place all true Knowledge upon the Letter and confine it within the Compass of a few Professors of Scripture consider these things 6. But seeing that Christ dyed for all Men tasted Death for every Man and gave himself a Ransom for all God doth therefore no doubt afford a Way for the universal Conveyance of the Vertue and blessed Effects inwardly of his Death and Blood to Man-kind and that is his divine Light though many have not the outward Description thereof XVI His unlearned Question AS to H. G's Question p. 70. viz. I shall only ask this one Question what things and other Signs were those which Jesus did
It is a vile and wicked thing to say it is the Lord Jesus Christ the Lamb of God the great Prophet God promised to raise up 2. It is a vile Error to say it is the holy Spirit or blessed Comfortor for that Christ sâ—…ith the World could not receive Answ. H. G. should have been so ingenuous as to have cited the Quakers Books and pages first to prove these to be their Doctrines and Principles and that in their own very Words before he had so severely charged their Doctrines and Principles about the Light of Christ in every man which till he doth I must deny him to be either an impartial or true Stater of our Principles and state them in our own Words as 1st We confess that Jesus Christ as the Eternal Word enlightens every Man with his own divine Light or Life which gradually appears in Man and shews it self by Measure but God gave not the Spirit by Measure unto Jesus Christ the great Prophet therefore we do not call every Appearance of Light the whole Christ And according to H. G's Definition of Jesus Christ as consisting of human Flesh and Bone he is not in any Man but we knowing him after the Spirit and that he is God over all he is spiritually in his Saints in Union with them and known to them and his Presence is unlimitted he was in the World and the World knew him not whose Presence enlightens Man-kind with an immediaâ—…e Light from himself which is able to reveal Christ himself as he is only peculiarly revealed in the Saints who have obeyed his Light 2. The Gift Enjoyment and indwelling of the holy Spirit as Comforter is a peculiar and glorious Manifestation of Life only received by those that obey the Measure of that spiritual and divine Light within which is freely given of God to all wherein they thaâ—… wait upon God obtain more Power and Vertue from him who giveth the holy Spirit to them that truly ask him from a Sence of its Vertue and Light within in which they are only capable of receiving the powrings forth of the holy Spirit and abundant Shedding thereof on them as those that receive the Measure of his Discovery or Appearance in them And though the rebellious World doth not receive or accept of this holy Spirit nor see his Glory as an indwelling Comforter yet some enlightning Appearances and Operations thereof do at times reach the men of the World to their Conviction and Reproof often striving with Man to perswade him out of his Sins and Iniquities And if the holy Spirit be God his Spirit is unlimitable filling Heaven and Earth c. Whether shall I go from thy Spirit or whether shall I flee from thy Presence see Psa. 139. 7 8 9. and his Presence is to Man an enlightning Presence and Thine incorruptible Spirit is in all things therefore thou chasteneth them measurably by putting them in remembrance of the things wherein they have offended that leaving Wickedness they may believe in thee O Lord. 3. H. G. Abominable it is to say 't will cleanse from all Sin and eternally save those that obey it p. 18. Answ. The Life which is the Light of Men is both cleansing saving in the least degree of it to them that obey it and it doth not in the least deny Christ to be the Saviour to say that his Life or Light in Man is saving being divine and that by which the obedient come to know and follow Christ and thereby receive the Light of Life and Power to become the Sons of God and the Kingdom of God which Christ said is within you is compared to a little Leaven a grain of Mustard-Seed which therefore hath a seasoning and growing Vertue in it he said believe in the Light that ye may be the Children of the Light and this Light Men ought to walk in of which it s said as yet ye have a little Light in you as some read it walk while ye have the Light and in walking in the Light the Blood of Jesus Christ is received which cleanseth from all sin 1. Were it not a vile Error for any to affirm that that Life which is the Light of Men is neither Divine nor a Saving Light of Christ or Holy Spirit in any Degree of it 2. And art not thou H. G. vile and wickedly erronious to give out such Language as This Wile of Satan and Cheat of Anti-christ that appears blasphemously to reflect upon the Light and Power within as before in calling it a Wile of Satan and Cheat of Anti-christ to cry up Light and Power within And now to refuse believing in the Light which enlightens every Man that cometh into the World for Life and Salvation p. 19 though it be the Word which is Christ that so enlightneth every Man XI His sad and impious Prayer against the Light in all which Light is proved of the same Nature or kind with the Witness in Believers H. G. GOd forbid that I should ever own their Principle of Light in all that doth so clearly tend to the racing out the grand Fundamentals of the Gospel p. 52. H. G. Contrad Praises and Hallelujah to God for ever who hath given us that Witness in our selves of which thou 〈◊〉 est p. 54 55. which Witness his Sister spake of was the Light which reproves for Sin to own and believe in the Light that enlightneth every Man that cometh into the World p. 8. and 29. G. W. Animad See what a sad pass these men are grown to and what kind of Prayers they offer to God against his own Light and witness within and how contrary to the Gospel Spirit and Light they are H. G. Rep. G. W. belics both me and my Sister in what he saith here for the Witness she spoke of is not the Light which reproves for Sin which is in every one that cometh into the World though I confess she bids me believe in the Light that reprovâ—…s for Sin which lighteth every one that cometh into the World 〈◊〉 contrary-wise she mentioned the Words of the Apostle John 1 Joh. 5. 10. He that believeth hath the Witness in himself p. 19. To this I answer Let all moderate and impartial Readers both thy Sister and others judge whether I have belyed thee or her in this Matter And how quarelsome and peevish thou art could she intend contrary-wise or another of this Witness of God then of that Light which enlightneth every one that cometh into the World Thou shouldst have asked thy Sister if she doth not own the true Light that enlightens every Man and the Witness oâ—… Word which he that believeth hath in himself to be one and the same And hast not thou confest that Christ AS the Eternal Word enlightens every Man which he that believeth hath in himself as having through the Light given received Christ the faithful and true Witness who stands at the door of Man's Heart and knocketh so as in
is this to shew thy Humility and self-Abasement thou hadst shown more of that in Silence a Fool is sometimes counted a prudent Man by keeping silent who otherwise bewrayes his Folly in uttering words as some men shew their Pride and Hypocrisie by endeavouring to appear humble 6thly Nothing Creature Should another tell thee so in earnest in shewing the Nothingness of thy Work thou hast produced â—…t is probable thou wouldst not take it well Some while they discommend themselves would have others commend them and their Work But to thee nothing creature and thy Brethren that have assisted and encouraged thee in thy Work against the Light within and against us who believe in and confess to it we may say Produce your Cause bring forth your strong Reasons behold ye are of nothing and your Works of nought and Abomination is he that chuâ—…eth you Isa. 41. 21 24. Lay aside your Envy Pride Hypocrisie vain Imaginations and Conceits and come down and stoop to this Light within which at times convinceth and reproves you of your Iniquities that you may be Reformed and the Reproofs of Instructions may be the way of Life unto you Otherwise the Light within will pursue you to your Condemnation XVI The Baptist's nine Questions Answered THat the Reader may perceive the man is uncertain and argues Doubtâ—…ulness in his severe Charge before of horrible Heresies Delusions vile Impostures ravening Wolves c. against the Quakers note that at last he puts Questions to us about the same Things whereoâ—… he hath accused us which he needed not have done had he either been certain or had any such plain or real Advantage against us as he hath pretended His Questions to which he desires direct and distinct Answers are as followeth First Was he the Christ and true Saviour that was born of the Virgin yea or nay Answ. Yes he was the true Christ the Son of God both then and before he took on him that Body or was so born 2dly If you say he Was I query whether that same Christ be in the Heart of every Man and Woman Answ. The same Christ is spiritually in yea revealed and dwelling in the Hearts of true Believers and Saints and they in him but not so in every man though he enlightens every Man and in his Light he is to be revealed and known 3dly Whether he that you own to be the Christ and true Saviour was put to death or Crucified on the Cross Answ. As concerning the Flesh he was 4thy Whether you believe there is any other Christ then what is in the heart of man yea or nay Answ. The true Christ is but one and the same forever though variously manifested as both in the Flesh and in the Spirit both In his Flesh or Body Intirely wherein he came unto his own the Jews who received him not and spiritually in his followers who have received him for he said to his Disciples he that is with you shall be in you and to his Father I in them and thou in me c. that the Love wherewith thou hast loved me may be in them and I in them but thus not universally In Man though in some Degree and Sence he appears universally in man 5thly If that Body that was nailed to the Cross was but as a Garment which the true Christ did wear or as a House in which he did dwell why may not any other Man in whose Flesh Christ is manifested and doth dwell be called the Christ as well as Jesus of Nazareth Answ. There 's not the same Reason for any other man to be Called the Christ. 1st Because of his divine Pre-existence both before he took upon him that Body or Flesh and before man or other things were made which God created by Jesus Christ. 2dly Because of his Miraculous Conception as Concerning that Body 3dly Because he was anointed with the Oyl of Gladness above his Fellows Lastly He that compared that Body or Flesh which he took upon him to a Garment or House intended no Detraction from the Honour or Dignity of the true Christ for his Flesh was called the Vail his Body the Body of Jesus this Temple the Form of a Servant and his Saints are his Members 6thly If you own the man Christ why do you affirm it a Contradiction to say he is God of the Substance of the Father and yet truly man made like unto us in all things sin only excepted For either he must be meer Man or 〈◊〉 or else it cannot be any Contradiction And if you say 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Man then you seem to side with those Jews that 〈◊〉 Saviour for Blasphemy in that being a Man he made 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Joh. â—…0 33. and if you say he is meer God doth it not then clearly follow you deny the man Christ Answ. Thou hast herein Queried like a disingenious Shuffler to obscure thy own self-Contradiction and to reproach us whereas thy Contradiction was not between Jesus Christ's being of the Substance of the Father and yet truly Man in time but between his being from everlasting the Son of God by eternal generation or of the substance of the Father and thy asserting that Jesus Christ consisteth of human Flesh and Bone which to be sure the Substance of the Father doth not consist of But Let H. G. and his Assistants Shuffle off this Contradiction if they can But 't is no Contradiction to say that the Son of God in his divine being is God and that he took upon him the pure being of Man and a body prepared for him and is the heavenly Man the Anointed of God 7thly I query whether you own any other Resurrection then what you say you experience within Answ. We believe and own a farther Attainment of the Resurrection which with respect to a future State in Glory may be called another then what we yet experience though we have attained to a good Degree and Experience of our rising in and with Christ who is the Resurrection and the Life and in him is the Saints everlasting Rest and Glory 8thly Whether you believe that that body of Flesh and Bone which is laid in the Grave respecting the Matter or Substance of it shall by the mighty Power of God be raised from the dead at thelast day Answ. As Flesh and Blood shall not inherit the Kingdome of God so I query how the same Flesh and Bone 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 â—…lood should inherit the Kingdome of God or how 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 be the same Flesh Blood and Bones after 〈◊〉 to dust without any new Creation as some Baptists affirm 9thly Whether that man whosoever he be doth not deny the Refurrection of the dead who doth deny the same IT which is sown and shall rise mentioned 1 Cor. 5. 38. 〈◊〉 Intend the same Body respecting the Matter or Substance of it which was buried and laid in the Grave Answer plainly without Equivocation Answ. There is an Ambiguity and Fallacy in this Question for in some Sence a
Sins past and that through Faith in the Name and Blood of Christ which hath a secret Influence upon the Soul and sprinkleth the Conscience from dead Works in order both to Pardon and Justification upon the Act of living and true Faith in Christ yea Christ as the one Offâ—…ing Sacrifice and Propitiation for the Sins of the whole World which puts away Sin consecrates makes true Believers holy and declares God's Coming near to Man in Kindness I say Christ as thus considered hath an inward Influence and Effect upon the believing and penitent Soul to bring it near to God and render it capable of receiving Mercy and Forgiveness and of seeling the Pardon and Peace upon true Conversion from Sin and Evil yea I further testifie that God looks upon and hath a regard to every Appearance and Effect of his Grace and Spirit in the Heart Soul even from the very first Act of Faith springing up and budding of Grace to the highest Growth thereof even from Davids Repentance to his Songs of Deliverance from Niniveh's believing God and repenting to his Peoples walking in Newness of Life from the Prodigal's Return to his Father's House to his abiding therein yea the first Appearance of true Tenderness Remiss and Brokeness of Heart or godly Sorrow for Sin the Lord hath Regard to the Creature for the sake thereof still from the Respect he naturally hath to his Grace and Spirit that works these in Man To this Man will I look saith the Lord that is poor and of a contrite Spirit and trembleth at my Word The Work of Christ or Grace in the Heart from the Beginning to the Accomplishment thereof is acceptable to God because of the Dignity of him that worketh it and not from any Dignity or Worth of the Creatures own but only the Creature is accepted as in Christ we are accepted in the Beloved and it is for Christ's sake that God forgiveth us and not meerly for our own Howbeit it is so far as we are related to Christ and have an Interest in him and his Righteousness by a living Faith that God owns and looks upon us in a Way of Acceptance he respects his own Image in us and doth not justifie acquit or accept Men only upon the Account of Christ's Sufferings and Acts of Obedience as done in his Person for if he did then were all Men justified for whom Christ dyed and that was the whole World all Men in general he tasted Death for every Man yet his Obedience and Sufferings in the Flesh had a good End and Effect be being through all both acceptable and prevailing with God for the good of Mankind we must needs partake of the Benefit and Effects thereof in our Souls so far as they have an Influence upon us by the Life and Power of Christ considering the Travel of his Soul through all his Sufferings which were inward as well as outward his Soul being made an Offering for Sin and his making Intercession â—…or the Transgressors was that Men might be influenced with a real Sence and Sorrow under their own Sin and be made sensible of Christ's Sufferings and Travil of Soul and know the Fellowship thereof and so be made conformable to his Death through the Operation of his Spirit and Life in them as that they may be raised up in the Likeness of Christ's Resurrection in Dominion and Triumph over Sin and Death and not plead Christ's Satisfaction and Righteousness only as in himself in their â—…ead to absolve or justifie the Guilty whom God will not clear nor acquit the Wicked Christ's Righteousness will not excuse any in Unrighteousness for he was a holy Example as well as a Sacrifice and Propitiation and he that saith he hath an Interest in Christ's Rightcousness or that he abideth in Christ ought to walk as he walked Now the Question is not Whether Christ was a most Satisfactory Sacrifice or well-pleasing to the Father for that is undeniable He was the Delight of the Father's Soul who gave himself for us an Offering and a Sacrifice to God for a sweet smelling Savour Ephes. 5. 1 2. But In what State and Condition are we acquitted pardoned and justified of God and in what Nature whether as fallen sinful guilty Persons in our selves and that meerly by the Sufferings of Christ in his own Person which were finite without respect to his Work in us Or as Converted Believers Sanctified Obedient new Creatures in Christ accepted and so justified in his own Righteousness as real Partakers thereof The latter is the Justification and Imputation which I plead for and not the former I would not have Men flatter themselves nor one another in Sin and Darkness with Christ having done all paid all satisfied God for all Sins past present and to come and that in their stead nor to think themselves thereby absolved acquitted and justified in their Sins and fallen Estate for such Doctrine hath streâ—…gthned the Hands of many Evil-Doers and made many Hypocrites who are yet to undergoe a Sence of the Judgments and Terrors of the Lord and to know Repentance from deadWorks before they receive Forgiveness of Sins past or Jesus Christ as the Attonement or their Peace for he came in the Likeness of sinful Flesh that he might condemn Sin in the Flesh before Man be justified from it If the Question be What is it that gives us Interest in Christ's Righteousness Or upon which it is imputed or reckoned to us He answers Our Faith Rom. 10. 10. If the Question be What will evidence our Faith to be living and sound Faith He answers Our sincere Obedience to the Law Jam. 2. 24. You see then how that by Works a man is Justified and not by Faith only we are Justified by Works as Evidencing our Faith living by Faith as giving Interest in Christ's Righteousness by Christ's Righteousness as constituting â—…s Righteous c. p. 91. The Reader may see I take the better part of his Confession as well as the worse He hath truly confest here 1st That it is our living and sound Faith that gives us Interest in Christ's Righteousness and upon which it is imputed or reckoned to us 2dly That our sincere Obedience to the Law or Works of Faith doth evidence our Faith to be living and sound from whence it follows that none are Justified but who are in a living and sound Faith in Christ and sincere Obedience to his Law Therefore Justification was not effected or compleated without us by Christ's Sufferings or Death in his Person for he dyed for our Sins but rose again for our Justification which is effected even in bringing forth in us the Answer of a Good Conscience nor art thou either Justified or pronounced Righteous in the Sight of God whoever thou art who art a guilty Person a fallen Creature accused by Moses unsanctified unregenerate Impure see how manifestly the Man hath contradicted himself in these Passages one while in Justifying the guilty or
Lord and because thereof to be written in the Earth therefore it follows that if People abide with the Lord he will both abide with them and their Names shall not be blotted out of the Book of Life nor shall they be written in the Earth And this also evinceth that they are not by Name as particular Persons either absolutely elected to Salvation nor reprobated to Damnation but on Condition of abiding with or forsaking the Lord. Arg. 4. All that are chosen do infallibly believe in time and partake of Christ's Righteousness Acts 13. 48. As many as were ordeined to Eternal Life believed Rom. 11 7. The Elect have obtained it therefore some particular Persons were elecâ—…ed for if all were Elected all would infallibly believe c. Answ. This is also a very frivolous dull and impertinent Argument and wholy misseth the State of his Proposition and the Controversies between us In the first place he begs the Question while he intends it to particular Persons as eyed and absolutely designed particularly from all Eternity to Salvation c. whenas the Question is not Whether those that are chosen through Sanctification do infallibly believe nor Whether Election which iâ—… in the Seed doth not in due time extend to particular Persons For those Persons or People who are true Believers are come into the Elect Seed being ingrafted into the trâ—…e Root are in the Election which obtains the Inheritance And as true Belief Faith and Obedience are the Terms upon which Life Eternal is promised and received so on the same Conditions Life is freely teâ—…dered in the Son of God to all Man-Kind yea to the whole World God so loved the World that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting Liâ—…e for God sent not his Son into the World to condemn the World but that the World through him might be saved Joh. 3. 16 17. This plainly cuts off that Opinion of a secret Decree and absolute Design from Eternity against the greatest Part of Mankind for their Destruction for it cannot be consistent with him to have so decreed Damnation from all Eternity â—…or those he â—…roffereth in time to save by his Son upon Believing Obeying and therefore as to that of Acts 13. 48. some have it thus And they believed even as many as were ordeined or fitted for Eternal Life which may not oppose Christ's Testimony before Whosoever believeth on the Son shall have Eternal Life which is promised not as meerly respecting particular Persons but that Condition on which 't is universally tendered as namely to be accepted in a living Faith and sincere Obedience But some more Ingenuous and as much learned as this Man affirm that the Word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is translated Acts 13. 48. ordeined signifies well appointed set in good Order prepared or disposed So as many whose Hearts were prepared or well-disposed viz. in a Willingness of mind and right Order of Spirit having true Desires sor eternal Life believed as the good Ground or honest Heart that received the good Seed so as it took Root And as when Lydia heard the Aâ—…ostles God opened her Heart that she attended unto the things which were spoken of Paul Acts 16. 14. And as Barnabas exhorted the People that with Purpose of Heart they would cleave unto the Lord Acts 11. 23. Here was a true Preparation in them both for Believing and Eternal Life And further from that of Acts 13. 46. it is evident that both the Word of the Lord was preached and Life Eternal tendered to those Jews who rejected it or put the Word of God from them and judged themselves unworthy of Everlasting Life Wherefore surely God did not from all Eternity either absolutely design them as particular Persons to Damnation or to pass them by for that End for he did not pass them by without taking notice of them but gave them notice of the Way of Life and Salvation tendring it to them by his Spirit in his Messengers which had been a Contradiction to himself if he had from Eternity absolutely decreed the contrary But the envious Jews opposing and rejecting the Word of God judged themselves unworthy of Everlasting Life wherein they rejected their Hope which was of the Lord therefore their Destruction was of themselves whereupon Paul and Barnabas said Lo we turn to the Gentiles for so hath the Lord commanded us saying I have set thee for a Light of the Gentiles that thou shouldst be for Salvation unto the Ends of the Earth and thereupon the Gentiles were glad c. vers 47. So that here was universal Grace and Salvation preached and tendered to all as that which God had foretold and promised who did not exclude any from the Benefit thereof nor was any hindred from Life and Salvation but who excluded themselves being such as judged themselves unworthy of Everlasting Life Arg. 5. Jacob was a particular Person and loved before he sect 4 had done any Good according to God's Purpose of Election Answ. He hath herein wrested the Scripture for it doth not say that Jacob was then loved and Esau hated before they had done Good or Evil as he renders the Words for then it may be asked what he hated Esau for before he had done Good or Evil Did he hate him for nothing Surely no but what was said before they were born or had done Good or Evil was by Way of Prophecy The Elder shall serve the Younger what is this to their Eternal States Jacob had no need of Esau's Service in Hell And then to the following Words as it is written Jacob have I loved but Esau have I hated where was it written and how doth it relate to Jacob and Esau Doth it relate to them meerly as particular Persons under such a Limitation of Election and Reprobation from Eternity or rather to their Posterities as under such different Qualifications of Love and Hatred Could God absolutely determine to hate any particular Persons meerly as Persons without respect to either the good or evil Qualifications or Works as before they had done Good or Evil This were blasphemously to render him in Enmity against his own Works as if he had made Man or forced him into the World unavoidably to destroy aâ—…d damn him to all Eternity whereas the Mercies of God are over all his Works a great and principal Part whereof is Mankind And as for that which is written oâ—… his loving Jacob and hating Esau it is in Malchie 1. Their Posterities were called by their Names that People of the Edomites who succeded Esau who was called Edom * both in Name and Nature Gen. 36. 19. whom Men should call the Border of Wiâ—…kedness which could not be till they were wicked and haâ—… acted Wickedness These were they against whom because of tâ—…eir Wickedness God had and against such stâ—…ll 〈◊〉 Indignation forever and hereupon his Decree is abâ—…olute against the
of Condemnation both to Angels and Men to be their Sin in forsaking the Lord and living Ungodly But whereas S. S. renders God's fore-knowledge of all his Works as the Reason or Proof That he from eternity decreed particular Angels and Men for Destruction which appears Contradictory to his Masters of the Assemblies confessing viz. That God hath not decreed any thing because he foresaw it as future Confess Chap. 3 This Proof is as impertinent as the rest of his shallow Arguments for his fore-Knowledge being infinite it is no Proof that he hath absolutely decreed or ordained all things that come to pass because he foresaw all for he hath not ordained that Men should live in Sin though he hath designed their Punishment who do so live yet known unto the Lord are all his Work 's both those of his Creation which he wrought according to his absolute Pleasure both in Heaven and in Earth and in the Sea c. Psal. 135. 6. and Man was not capable of resisting his Maker in forming of him he was as the Clay in his Hand as also the Lord foreknew his work of Sanctification and saving of man from Sin and Death but this is not effected without a Subjection to his Will and a Compliance with his Spirit and Power in his Work within They are not Partakers of Salvation from Sin who wilfully gain-say the Truth resist the holy Ghost and act Despite against the Spirit of Grace But further I find S. S. so uncertain in the Management of his partial Proposition for a personal Election and Reprobation that he is made sometimes to grant and confess to Truth to his own absolute Confutation and the Break neck of his graceless Cause As by his Confessing That God hath no Pleasure in the Death of him that dieth considered barely as his Creature for he is willing to receive to Mercy every returning Sinner yet if a Person perseveres in Wickedness as such God will laugh at his Calamity c. Thus far S. S. From whence it follows 1st That God did not from Eternity decree the Damnation of particular Persons contrary to his declared Pleasure 2dly That persevering in Wickedness is the Cause of Men's Calamity 3dly Aâ—…d their Perversness and Obstinacy in rejecting Wisdom's Reproof and Counsel the Cause that God will laugh at their Calamity and mock when their Fear cometh Now the Doctrine of Election and Reprobation as universally sect 11 and equally laid down in the Scriptures of Truth and as accordingly by us asserted for that there can be no Repugnancy either in God's Actions or in his Will whether secret or revealed as some vainly imagin cannot be inconsistent with God's Prohibitions Eat not of the Tree of Knowledge His conditional Promises If thou dost well shalt thou not be accepted If you Seek the Lord he will be found of you Whosoever believeth shall not perish shall not abide in Darkness His conditional Threats If thy Heart turn away thou shalt Perish If ye for sake him he will for sake you His sending his Son into the World not to Condemn the World He should have added Christ's Dying for all Men tasting death for every Man his giving his Spirit to instruct them His Setting Life and Death before them in the Promises and in the Threats or giving Men up to their Lusts for Sin This cannot be inconsistent with God's Election or Choice of true Believers and Obedient nor with his rejecting the Rebellious unto Reprobation for they evince the Truth thereof But the Presbyters partial Doctrine of Election and Reprobation of particular Persons and certain definite number of Men and Angels and their most grosly Asserting that God from all Eternity did freely and unchangeably ordain whatsoever comes to pass This is both inconsistent with those and such his Prohibitions conditional Promises and Threats His sending his Son not to condemn the World but that the World through him might be saved his dying for all Men his giving his good Spirit to the Disobedient to instruct them his setting Life and Death before them to chuse Life or perish Deut. 30. 15. to the end but Alas if from Eternity God had reprobated them or absolutely ordained and designed their Damnation and Curse how should they Chuse Life or Blessing Or if particularly unchangeably ordained to Life and Salvation from all Eternity Could there be any such Danger of their perishing or that they should thus need to be threatned with Cursing and Perishing if their Heart turned away from the Lord For had they been unchangeably designed of God for the one End whether Life or Death were it not very inconsistent to propose both conditionally to them as namely to exhort them to chuse Life or if they refused to threaten them with perishing c. do not you partial-minded Presbyters and Calvinists by such kind of Preaching and Propositions so contrary to your partial Principle most grosly dissemble with People and mock them contrary to your own Belief whenas Moses the Prophets and Apostles in such like Conditional Promises and Threats believed what they spoak they believed and therefore spoak from the Spirit of God which cannot lie nor dissemble If you say God hath decreed particular Persons Salvation by such Warnings you thereby tell us that he hath decreed it by Threatning them with Damnation and thereby you affix your non-sense incongruous Doctrine upon God rather then you will confess your own nonsensical Contradiction therein which runs thus That God hath from all Eternity unchangeably designed some Persons eternal Salvation and yet that he warns and threatens the same Persons with eternal Damnation or Perdition if they refuse Life or to â—…earken to him and obey him or if their Hearts turn away from him pray mark how inconsistent and contradictory this is like as to say It is unchangeably designed of God that you must live for ever yet take heed you do not dye eternally And to S. S. his adding All these are subservient to the Soveraign Design of God's Decrees The Magnifying his Mercy and Grace in the Salvation of all the Elect his Justice or Wrath in the Reprobates c. pag. 115. Ans. If by the Words All these as we may take him he intends according to the Assembly's Confession That God from all Eternity did most freely and unchangeably ordain whatsoever comes to pass then it may be understood that all these things those Conditions or States both Good and Bad which he mentions before are subservient to the soveraign Design of God's Decrees as he words it But if by all these he intends all these conditional Promises and Threats are so subservient as I think he doth then God's Decrees of Men Salvation or Damnation are also conditional accordingly as first If you seek the Lord he will be found of you and then as all are called to seek the Lord he hath also given Liberty and a Capacity to all to seek him that they may
to turn from Sin to God in Christ and to seek after good Scripture Evidence of their Election p. 116. Answ. The Matter would have been more congruous thus for that no fallen Men nor Women are reprobated for Everlasting lasting Destruction until they have first slighted the Kindness of God abused his Grace rebelled against his blessed Light rejected his Knowledge as not liking to retain him in their Knowledge this importunately urgeth all in Compassion to their own Souls to turn from Sin to God in Christ while his Grace and Good Will extends to them and a time of Love is afforded them while he maketh his Sun to rise on the Evil and on the Good and sendeth Rain on the Just and on the Unjust Mat. 5. 45. Now this is Matter of Comfort that God doth shew Love and Kindness towards all and that he universally extends Light and offereth Salvation by his Son who indeed is his shining Sun to the Ends of the Earth and that he willeth not or desireth not the Death of any in their Sins but rather their Return and Repentance that they may live But alas What a maniâ—…est Contradiction is it for the Man one while to conclude that God hath from all Eternity reprobated the greatest Part or Number of â—…allen Men and Women or unchangeably designed their Eternal Damnation poor Encouragement another while to tell of importunately urging all in Compassion to their own immortal Souls to turn from Sin to God in Christ How should they have Compassion to their immortal Souls if God hath no Compassion nor Love towards them Or how should Reprobates turn from Sin if eternally reprobated This were but putting them upon an Impossibility and so a flattering and mocking them with a pretended Kindness never intended for them As the Opinion which I oppose vainly supposeth by such specious Pretences Presbyterian Priests c. have flattered many out of their Money which is like as if a Priest in his preaching to a People should bid them all have Compassion upon their Immortal Souls and turn from Sin and then tell them it is impossible they should ever turn from Sin or be saved God having unalterably designed the Destruction and Damnation of the greatest Part of them what Comfort would this Contradiction and cruel Partiality administer to them I pray you It would be but cold Comfort to tell a great Congregation That God had fore-designâ—…d them all except two or three of them to be damned eternally This is not the Word of Faith nor any preaching in the Faith this is not Yea Amen but a saying and unsaying a pretending to comfort and encourage them all and to discourage and lead mâ—…ny into Despair And how then should they seek Evidence in Scripture for their Election or Salvation The Scriptures of themselves do not evidence to particular Persoâ—…s their Election from Eternity the Seriptures do not tell S. Scandrâ—…t Nat. Barnard c. that they are Elect Persons Bâ—…t to them that believe in Christ and in him have obtained Power over their Corruptions and whose Hearts are truly and spiritually tender towards God his Spirit beareth Witneâ—…s wâ—…th their Spirits and evidenceth to them according to Scripture that they are the Sons of God chosen in Christ Jesus through Sanctification of the Spi it and Belief of the Truth and so are adopted through the Spirit of Adoption to be the Children of God and Coheirs with Christ of Eternal Life and Peace S. S. Is the Judge cruel that hangs up a Murtherer sect 15 Answ. No but neither the Judge nor yet the Law doth ordain or prescribe that this or that Person shall be a Murtherer for the Fact is forbidden and the Punishment is prescribed as is the judgment and Punishment of ungodly Men in general S. S. God doth actually damn none but the finally Impenitent Answ. Then their Impenitency is the Effect of their own Disobedience and Rebellion not of God's Decree and this sufficiently conâ—…utes their accusing God with fore-designing or ordaining the Sin or wicked Actions of Men or particular Persons â—…or such and such Wayes and Ends Act. 2. 23. Christ being delivered by the determinate Câ—…unsel and fore-Knowledge of God after you had taken with wicked Hands you havâ—… crucified and slain p. 116. There was a Necessity of his being delivered to suffer as God fore-knew because of the Sins of the World Christ was given up in the Counsel of God on his Part to suffer but their wicked Hands that God permitted to take and murther him were against God and Christ not subject to his Counsel of Love and Mercy but to the Devil and their own wicked Hearts malicious murtherous Spirits and therefore they were by God's Counfel call'd to repent to be converted to turn from their Iniquities Acts 3. 14 15 19 26. But surely God did not call them to reâ—…ent of obeying his holy and just Counsel but of their Iniquities having murthered the Just one Acts 4. 27 28. Against thy â—…oly Child Jesus Herod Pontius Pilate with the Gentiles and the People of Israel gathered themselves together to do whatsoever thine Hand and thy Counsel had determin'd before to be done But see ver 25 26. concerning the Gentilâ—…s Rage and the Kings of the Earth and the Rulers standing up and gathering together against the Lord and against his Christ the Rage and wicked Consultations of whom God was not the Author of for when God by the Mouth of his Servant David asked Why did the Heathen rage ver 25. Would it have been a good Answer for any to have said Lord why dost thou ask Hast not thou â—…ore ordained them to rage imagine vain things Surely no sor thâ—…n he would not ask why but when thereby they had provoked him having rejected his Counsel and Good Will they were given up to work Wickedness and Injustice and so their own Ruin like those who brought Wo upon their Souls for they had rewarded Evil to themselves As God's Counsel fore-saw and perceived as the Jews or People of Israel rejected Christ and would not be gathered by him he said O Jerusalem Jerusalem how oft would I have gathered thy Children even as the Hen gathereth her Chickens under her Wings and you would not he therefore said Ye are the Children of them that murthered the Prophets fill ye up the Measure of your Fathers c. Serpents c. Mat. 23. 31. to the End This was not from an Eternal Decree irrespectively against their Persons but in Judgment and Wrath against them because of their Ungratefulness Envy and Wickedness and so likewise all who receive not the Love of the Truth whereby they might be saved but have Pleasure in their Unrighteousness God gives them up both to strong Delusions and Hardness of Heart for their Iniquity 2 Thes. 2. 10 11. S. S. Is Cod the Author of Sin in determining or fore-ordaining the wicked Actions of these Men It is one thing to decree
all that may be Necessary to be known therefore the Light is Insufficient The first will be answer'd by what I have already said the Reason being the same for the Sufficiency of the Light against such as charge it with Defect because they do not do what they should as against those who so impeach it because they do those things which they should not As for not knowing all that is to be known I deny it utterly For things are necessary in reference to their proper times That may be requisit to morrow which is not to day It is fit for Children to learn to read yet it is most necessary that they should begin to spell first If a School-Master should be charg'd with Insufficieney because he tells not little Children all that he knows as soon as he initiates them in the first Principles of Learning he would think himself unreasonably dealt with What must we then conclude but that the Master may be very capable were his Scholar so that if the Scholar observe and obey his Master he will increase in his Learning that the Defect of the Scholar should not be laid upon his Master that to tell or amuse him about things unsuitable to his present Capacity were the ready Way to overcharge and wholy Spoile him And Consequently that the Tutor not telling his Pupil all that is fit to be known at once implyes no Defect in or Ignorance of those things in the Tutor which to apply Scripturally in short thus If you do my Will you shall know more of my Doctrine I have yet many things to say but you are not able to bear them now In short If for a Man to say that the Light of the Gospel for so T. Hicks thinks Pauls was to be charg'd with Insufficiency because it discover'd not to every Believer all those ineffable things revealed to the Apostle would be both False and Antichristian to what an Extremity doth Tho. Hicks's Zeal lead him in his passionate Endeavours against the blessed Light of the Son of God as he is the Inlightner of Mankind who charges it with Insufficiency because it Reveals not to every Individual in every Age what HE shall ever know it self or shall be known in future times The Light then is not Insufficient though it tell not all at one time which may be a Duty to the End of the World especially in extraordinary Cases whilst it informs me or any Man of Daily Duty Yea the Light is Sufficient in Point of Discovery whilst it shews unto any Person something more then they do and which they ought to perform If T. Hicks will say and can prove that he is come to the Upshot of the Light 's Teachings that he has Learnt whatever it is possible for the Light of Christ to Teach him and yet is able to make appear that there is some thing further wanting he will prove himself not only above Men but God also who is the Fountain of all Light that searcheth the Hearts and tryeth the Reins of Men by the Inshinings of his manifesting Light and which as obey'd leads to God who is the Fulness of all Light and Life But indeed this Light is the Savour of Death the Wages of Sin to all that Rebel against it and the Savour of Life to those only who are Obedient to it For Such shall not walk in Darkness but have the Light of Life But whilst he pleads against a Sin-less State and shows so Sin-full an One in his Scribles let him cover his Face for Shame for all his Attempts against the Lights Sufficiency for in that State he shall never know the Life and Vertue of the Light To conclude If the Light be allowed to Manifest all things that are Reproveable then by the just Reason of Contraries should it be Sufficient to Discover all things that are Approveable with respect to Man's Faith Salvation and Duty If the Light tells it is Evil not to Believe in God it follows that to Believe in God is according to that Light Within And if it Reproves T. Hicks for being Passionate it consequently Teacheth him that he ought to be Patient If the Light Condemns Theft it necessarily Instructeth to Honesty If it Reprove me for doing my own Will it implies I ought to do his Will to whom I ow all and if it Reproves for Sin it Instructeth to Holiness without which none shall see God In short If it Manifest Reproveable Things to be such at the same time It Condemns them and Teacheth Things quite Contrary The Unfruitful Works of Darkness are judg'd by the Light that the Holy Fruits of the Light may appear â—…e were Darkness but now are ye Light in the Lord and The Reproof of Instruction is the Way of Life He that comes out of the Reproved Darkness walks in the Approved Light and who so answers the Holy Reproof unto Such is Sealed up THE INSTRUCTION OF THE WAY OF LIFE And this brings me to the third Property of the Light with respect to Men and that is It doth not only Manifest and Condemn Sin and discover and incline to Purity but as adhered to or rather that Principle which is this Light it is able in Point of Power and Efficacy to Redeem from Sin and Lead to a State of Highest Felicity I am the Light of the World said Jesus himself he that follows me shall not walk in Darkness but shall have the Light of Life In which it is very evident that The same Light which Manifests Darkness Redeems from it unto a State of Light and Life that is to say Those who confidently believe in Christ as he manifests himself a Light to condemn Sin in every mans Flesh whom he hath therefore illuminated and obediently follow the Holy Requirings and yield to the Heavenly Discoveries of that Blessed Appearance relinquishing the Pleasures of Sin which last but for a season and taking up the daily Cross such shall most assuredly find that Divine Principle which in reference to the Dark State of Men and that Discerning and Conviction it brings is rightly denominated Light to have also Power and Efficacy to Save from that which it manifests and condemns and to bring unto that Glory which it gives a true Revelation of For that same Word of God who is called the true Light that inlighteneth all Mankind is also the Life Power Wisdom and Righteousness of the Father in whom are hid all the Treasures of Wisdom and unto whom all Power both in Heaven and in Earth are committed who is Heir of all things who also said While ye have the Light for their Day of Visitation was almost over or as some Translations more truly have it While you have a little Light IN YOU believe or walk in it believe in the Light that ye may be Children of thâ—… Light Again I am come a Light into the World that whosoever believes in me should not abide in Darkness