thee that thou hates the light and when thou said the Plagues of God was upon Thomas Curwen this is not rayling with thee and said the spirit of the Devil spoke in him when he spoke truth to thee and this was thy fury and madness who art not fit to talk of the Saints conditions and so it is manifest thou knows not what spirit thou art of who dost not know the light of Christ to be saving neither hast thou shewed forth the fruits of the spirit of Christ with its workings And whereas thou would know where any of the Ministers of Christ or Christ called any strange birth of the flesh c. it seems thou art ignorant of the Scriptures as well as others as long as thou hast been a Merchant for did not Christ tell the Pharisees they were of their Father the Devil Iohn 8. and the Apostle said to Elimas the Sorcerer thou full of all subtilty who perverts the right way of God as thou dost hindering people from believing in the light Ioh. 12. Acts 13. and so we speak truth to thee as thou art we do not falsly accuse thee and now see thee where thou art who long deceived us but praised be the Lord we are come to Christ the saving Light which thou denyes and its manifest what thou art and what thy suffering is in the darkness against the light and thou proves thy self a Thief and a Robber who enters not in by the door Christ the Light but climbes up another way and therefore the sheep knows thy voice to be the stranger Iohn 10. and we know what thy compassion is but thou wants power thou hast manifested in this Book and the Letters thou hast sent up and down to Manchester and Stopperd and thy deeds are manifest in the light which thou hates so much and the Lord is rebuking the evil spirit and judging it and thou wilt feel the weight of his hand for thy maliciousness to his people and it is thou that hath mislead and misguided the simple who brings forth arguments to no purpose to strike at the Corner-stone Christ the Light it being fallen upon thee therefore thy Arguments is manifest to be to no purpose and therefore thou art thus tormented and whereas thou savest our Corner-stone being struck at then the building must needs fall to the ground but I say our foundation is Christ the Light Ioh. 8. which we know that thou and all the Generation of Priests have struck at till you are all tumbled down your selves but Christ our Corner stone and Foundation and Light never fell but thine is fallen and therefore thou ragest And we do affirm in our words and printed Books that Christ who says he is the Light in Joh. 8 he is the Dore Joh. 10. he is the quickning Spirit and he is the Corner stone which God hath laid in Sion he is the Truth and he is the All and in all and above all according to Scripture and to be believed in And hath enlightned every man that comes into the world and he is the Redeemer and the word and this thou denyest Christ the Light the Quickning Spirit the Way the Truth the Corner stone the Word the Foundation the Redeemer and the All And here indeed thou hast denyed the Corner stone and Christ Jesus which the Prophets Christ and the Apostles testified of so thou hast manifested thy self against them So never take their words to make a Trade of any more And thou canst not call Christ the Light a Quickning Spirit the Way the Truth the Word the Foundation the Corner stone the Redeemer this thou canst not call the True Jesus thou sayst We do believe thee and that thou art an Enemy to him and them that walk in his light are manifest and therefore have I Richard Gubbam proved thee a false Prophet and Antichrist according to thy own-own-words and we are come to Repentance and the knowledg of the Truth and thy ways be detected whereby many simple hearts be turned from them and so now we are many of us undeceived from such deceivers as thee who calls Christ the Light the Word the Way the Truth deceiving but the Lord rebuke thee who strives to keep Ignorant simple people from the Light and in darkness thou wouldst aspire up as a Judge of all conditions and knows not thy own to be miserable blind and naked Rev. 1. yet thou tell'st the Reader what the Light is and what it can do and what it cannot do and of what use it is when thou in the darkness cannot comprehend it And whereas thou tellest us of the Light of the first Adam and the Spirit of man is the Candle of the Lord Proverbs 20. and Genesis 2. Adam was made a living soul 1. Cor. 15. and thou sayest this Candle of the Lord or Light in every man is inferior to other Lights and is lower than the Angels and is limited and bounded c. And now would not this Light have justified the Jews and Adam and the Candle of the Lord would not that have directed them in his way and did not David call the word of God A Lanthorn to his feet and a Light unto his path And is this thy Spirit which is under the Bonds and Limits for where the Spirit of God is joyned to there is liberty and we do not tell thee of the Light of Adam thou art gone from the matter but we speak of the Light of Christ Jesus the second Adam the Lord from Heaven For our dispute was not about the earthly Adam the Spirit of a man but our discourse was about Christ the Light of the world the Saviour and thou tel'st us of the Light of Adam this is thy dark Wisdom and like thy knowledge and experience of Christ And whereas thou say'st the Spirit of a man or Light in every man is understood to be the Reason or the understanding of a man whereby he is adopted to know his Creator viz. who made him according to David Psalms 59. 6. Answ Here thou hast confuted thy self for can man be adopted to know his Creator with his own Spirit and Reason and his own Light which thou call'st Natural For the Natural man knows not the things of God and the Spirit of man knows the things that be of a man even so the Spirit of God knows the things that be of God and if all Nations must know the Lord God that made them and serve him and they are his people and the sheep of his Pasture and they must worship and kneel before the Lord their maker and keep his Laws then they should have the Spirit of God for natural men cannot discern the things of God nor hear his voyee nor worship him as thou said'st before so these Scriptures over throws thy assertion Psal 95. 6. And whereas thou say'st of this Light we may understand Christ to speak Mat. 6. 23. Therefore if the Light in thee be Darkness how
of the Holy Spirit and by this it is manifest that they had the holy Spirit agreeable to that in the 16. of John and these were they that opprest Christ as a Cart under Sheaves and such vexed the Spirit as in Eccles And whereas thou sayest all that do grieve vex and resist the Spirit of God have it not but they resist the Spirit of God in the Prophets This is thy meaning we know they resist the Spirit of God in the Prophets when they first grieve it in themselves as thou dost and as in the fourth of John the World receives him not how should they when they hate the Light and resist it as thou dost but the Spirit reproves them therefore they have it though they cannot receiveit nor receive Christ but hate him and so it is thou that grieves Gods spirit in his Servants And whereas thou sayest when Steven said they do resist the holy Ghost it was the Spirit in him by which he spake as in Acts 6. 10. as in like manner they resisted the spirit in the Prophets as Acts 7. 52. which of the Prophets have not your Fathers persecuted c. This again is thy meaning but the Scriptures doth not say as thou saith for those that resisted the Holy Ghost in Stephen had received the Law of God by the disposition of Angels c. Acts 7. 53. now the Law of God was the things of God and the Angels ministring Spirits so these that had the things of God had the spirit of God and when they kept not the Law of God they quenched and resisted the spirit of God both in themselves and others And whereas thou sayest when the mighty power of God was put forth in signes and wonders in Egypt and the Wilderness Numb 14. 11. 22. and they believing not his Spirit not in them but put forth those mighty workes and speaking in Joshuah and other faithful Witnesses for God in that day thus the spirit of God was vexed in Noah and Lot by the wickedness of the Old World and not in the wicked who being strangers and without God in the world Answ None of these Scriptures doth say as thou say'st that the wicked had not the Spirit of God to grieve but that it was only grieved in Joshuah Noah and such like as for Numb 14. such as had seen the wonders of God ten times and yet did not hearken to the voice of God and therefore they erred in their beliefe as vers 11. now how can these hear the voice of God and have not the spirit of God And the Apostle said they did all drink of the spiritual Rock and all eat of the spiritual Meat and the Rock that followed them was Christ and yet thou say'st they had not the Spirit of God to grieve in them 1 Cor. 10. 3 4 5. and when they lusted and tempted God and murmured against God and fell then they grieved Gods spirit and yet thou say'st they had it not to grieve but it was only grieved in others and had it been Righteous with the Lord in one day to cause 23000. to fall if they had not grieved his Spirit which he gave them and so they griev'd him and dost thou not believe that the Apostle and those Corinthians had the spirit of God who sayes let not us tempt God as they tempted him nor murmur as they murmured and Heb. 3. the Apostle sayes to day if you will hear his voice harden not your hearts as in the provocation in the day of temptation in the Wilderness when your fathers saw my works I was grieved with that generation they do always erre in their hearts and what did they erre from in their hearts if it was not from the spirit for when they had heard God they did provoke him though all that came out of Egipt did not provoke him for as the Gospel being preached to all Nations the word was preached to them but the word did not profit them not being mixed with faith in them that heard it Heb. 3. and Heb. 4. and in Rom. 10. The word of faith which they preached was in the mouth and in the heart which all had heard and can any hear the word and have not the spirit and is not the word spiritual for doth not the Apostle say to the Romans which had been Heathens and Moses to the Jewes Deut. 30. from the 10. to 15. vers which saith It was not far off nor hidden from them which saith they need not say Who shall ascend up into Heaven or beyond the Sea to bring it but the word is very nigh even in thy heart and in thy mouth that thou maist do it so good and evil life and death was set before them and this was spoken as well to those that did disobey God and for their wickednesse should be scattered among the Nations if hap'ly thence they should turn from their wickedness and turn unto the Lord and then they need not say who shall go up to Heaven or to beyond the Sea to bring the word for it was very nigh them in their hearts and in their mouths that they might obey and do it and the Scripture witnesses the fulfiling of this upon many of them And whereas thou sayest That the spirit was vexed in Noah and not in the old World this is contrary to the Scriptures for the Lord said My spirit shall not alwayes strive with man and how that the Sons of God saw the Daughters of Men and took of them Wifes of all that they chose and how that all flesh had corrupted its way which shewes they had a way before they corrupted it but thou sayest they had not the spirit doth not the Apostle say 1 Pet. 3. 18 19 20. vers That Christ preached to the spirits in Prison which sometimes were disobedient when the long-suffering of God waited in the dayes of Noah and what Prison is this and what Prison is it that the Prisoners of hope must shew themselves forth and as it is written Sodom gave its self over to fornication c. wherefore God brought his vengeance upon them who judges the World in righteousness this shewes a transgression that they went from the good and gave themselves up to wickedness as spiritual Sodom does now and if wicked Men have not the spirit as thou saist how then can God who is a spirit judge the World in righteousness and doth not the Apostle justifie the Heathen Phylosophers for saying We all live and move in God Acts 17. 27 28. that if hap'ly they might feel after God and finde him though he be not far from every one of us and how can they feel after him and have not his spirit which thou ignorantly with thy mind puft up sayes they have it not and because the Saints was a habitation of God through the Spirit therefore thou asserts wicked men have not the spirit to vex and grieve it but this proves it not that such
contrary to the Scripture which saith he is the light of the World and in the begining was the Word and the Word was with God and his name is called the Word of God and so people may see how thou would divide God and Christ with thy dark wisedome And thou saist 2ly How doth he enlighten every man that comes into the world and saist in another place the word God or God the word as Creator of all things doth enlighten every man that cometh into the World by setting up in every man a spirit and Law in his heart by which he lives which is called the Candle of the Lord Prov. 20. 27 of which Spirit and law I have spoken before Ans This light which thou callest the Law and Spirit of a Natural Man and a Created light this thou hast not proved before as thou saist but it s perverted before for by this thy proof John came to bear witness of a Natural light and of a Natural mans spirit which knows not the things of God and by that John bid people believe in this so this is thy dark wisdom and like unto thy Preaching and it is no wonder people forsakes thee and that thou shouldst be unestablished thou needst not be offended for babes seeing thee for thou caust not be hid for John came to bear witness of the true light Christ and not of a natural Created light as thou imagines but of him the Prophets testified of he that was preferred before John Joh. 1. 3. the light of the Gentiles and the Glory of his people Israel and thou may see in the 15. vers which proves and 16 17. that was the Christ John bore witness of him and cryed saying this was he of whom I speak He that cometh after me is preferred before me and called Christ the Lamb of God that took away the sins of the World and this Light by which all things was made and Created He came unto his own and they received him not some hated the Light and stopt their ears and shut their eyes and would not see lest they should be converted as thou dost But to as many as received him he gave power to become the Sons of God them that believed in his Name and his name is the Word of God Rev. 19. And John saw and bore Record that this Light was the Son of God Joh. 1. 12 15 34. So this is an unfaithful and untrue account of the Light which thou hast given of the true Light Christ that doth enlighten every man John 1. 9. And whereas thou say'st It may be further observed that Christ is not once named in all or any of the first nine Verses of the first of John but only the Word Answ See how ignorant this man is of the Scriptures for it saith the Word was with God Mark that and doth thou deny this to be Christ whose Name is called the Word of God Rev. 19. Heb. 1. how God hath spoken in these last dayes unto us by his Son by whom the World was made And so here again he would make a difference betwixt Christ and God and because the word Christ is not there see how he shuffles and how ignorant he is for Christ is called the Light Life Truth and Word c. and Christ is called the Lamb of God Joh. 1. and John doth expresly say That he is the Light of the World Joh. 8. and doth enlighten every man that comes into the World which true Light John bore witness of that all through him might believe And thou has denyed Christ to be the Word who is the Light of the World and doth enlighten every man that comes into the World There is three that bears Record in Heaven the Father the Word and the Holy Ghost so thou hast denyed this Record in Heaven who saist the Word is not Christ who was with the Father spoken of in John the Word was with God and 1. John 552. VVe are in him that is true in his Son Jesus Christ this is the true God and Eternal Life And so thou goes about to make people believe Christ is not God and we know the VVord was made Flesh and dwells in Men which thou saist he Tabernacled amongst Men as though he did not now which we must tell thee he doth now by the light which shines in their hearts Cor. 2. 4. And whereas thou saist Christ the word being imbodied in Flesh he is thenceforth called Christ the Lord or the Lords Christ and no otherwise doth he bear that Name but as he is the word made Flesh to be seen and believed on it is not the word alone nor the flesh alone but the word and flesh in union that is called Christ and is a Light to lighten the Gentiles till then there was no such thing as a Christ or a Light to the Gentiles but only in a promise Ans Whereas thou saist there was no such thing as a Christ till he was imbodied in flesh nor light to the Gentiles but only in a promise Then what was that Light which let Nebuchadnezzar see the Stone cut out of the Mountain without hands and let Job see his Redeemer and doth not Stephen say that was Christ they thrust from them and turned back again in their hearts into Egipt Acts 7. And was not that Christ the Word which Moses spoke of to the Children of Israel that they should hear and need not say who shall ascend or who shall descend and did not the Apostle say that was Christ in Rom. 10. And this the Righteousness of Faith that Moses spoke of to the Children Deut. 30. 12. the VVord was in their hearts and mouthes and doth not David call him the Anointed as in Psal 2. 2. and is not the Anointed Christ And Daniel calls him Messiah which is Christ Dan. 9. and saw him before he came and is not the Word Christ which is according to the Law and Testimony Isa 8. And how was he a Lamb slain from the Foundation of the World and is it not said in Gen. 3. 15. the seed of the Woman shall bruise the Serpents heads and is not the Seed Christ Gal. 3. 16. and Christ said Before Abraham was I am and thus saith the Lord to his Anointed to Cyrus whose right hand I have upholden to subdue Nations before him And what thinks thou by this what is Anointed is Christ no where spoken of before he was imbodied in Flesh and we believe he was made flesh and know it and are of his flesh according to the Scripture and we do know the Union of Christ and the Word that was made flesh but thou believes not in this Christ the Word which was made flesh who is the Light of the Gentiles and the Glory of Israel and he could not be Christ without God who is manifest in the Flesh which is a mistery to thee and we know that Christ thorow the Gospel has brought life and immortality to
these things is a mystery to thee and thou knows nothing of them but what thou knowes naturally as a bruit Beast for thou cannot believe the Apostles Testimony that he gives in the 13. of the Acts when he is speaking of Saul vers 22. and when he had removed him to wit Saul he raised up David to be their King to whom he gave Testimony c. Of this Mans Seed hath God according to his promise raised vers 25 unto Israel a Saviour Jesus when John had preached before his coming and as John fulfilled his course he said whom think ye that I am c. Men and Brethren of the stock of Abraham and whosoever among you that feareth God to you is the word of this Salvation sent vers 26. So let the Reader read this portion of Scripture and see whether Christ Jesus be not Gods Covenant of Light and Promise unto Abraham and unto David and also whether this be not that which John bore Testimony of and so now thou art sufficiently proved thus far not only a breaker of Gods Covenant and Promise unto Abraham and his Seed for ever in whom the Apostle saith all the promises of God are yea and in him Amen 1 Cor. 20. The next is wherein thou has denyed Christ to be that word which John beares witness to which was in the begining with God saying the neglect of this distinction of the word Creator and the word made flesh is the ground of the great mistake of many thou saist who not considering what is testified of the Word as Creator do confound that Light which is set up by him in every man with that Light which he gives as he is the word made flesh and so calls that Light saving which is but natural springing up with him in his Creation yea hence they call that Light Christ which is but the Law written in the heart Answ I desire the Reader to read over the 1st of John and seriously consider what distinctions he findes made there from the word that was in the begining and the word that 's made flesh and the light that lightens every Man that 's come into the World and whether all these be not Christ which John beares witnesse of and whether John and the Spirit of God there have separated them as the blacknesse and darknesse in J. W. hath done and let the Reader judge whether this Man be not possest with an Inchanting Spirit of Sorcery and Witch-craft and even as it were given up to work wickednesse to his own destruction being filled with envy and malice against the Truth which has overthrown his rotten and sandy foundation and causes him so to rage that he even blasphemes against the God of Heaven that he even dares to separate the God-head and would not have Christ Jesus to be the true Light and Word of God which was in the begining in whom the fulnesse of the God-head dwells and that bodily Gal. 3. 9. And so as thou hast denyed Christ to be the Covenant of God thou has also denyed him to be the Word of God and also has denyed him to be the Light that lighteth every man that comes into the world and so has denyed his God-head as he is a Saviour by which all the Fathers were saved and dyed in the faith of him and the Patriarchs and the Prophets that had his word in their hearts and thou has denyed him to be the Light of Israel and thou has denyed him to be the first fruits of them that sleep and the first begotten from the dead and the first born of every Creature thou has denyed his very life and substance and the laying of his life down thou has denyed for thou said he denyed faith to some and one of thy Brethren said that his blood was not shed for all and thus you spake despight against the spirit of Grace and counts the blood of the Covenant an unholy thing and so Christ is of little value to you and you are not worthy of him but for the Seeds sake and that people may not be blinded with thy wickedness and blindness and darkness and that people may come to an understanding of the Truth I desire the Reader seriously to consider these following Proofes that is to say first of John That Word which was in the beginning with God by which all things was made and Created which was before man was made or Created and was glorified with the Father before the World began whether this be not the word Christ the Saviour of mankind according to the Apostles words in the 1. of Heb. 2. ver and so on hath in these last dayes spoken unto us by his Son whom he hath appointed heir of all things by whom also he made the World c. And whether this Son of God by which all things was made and Created is not the Saviour and the Word in the beginning and the Redeemer of all Mankind and whether the Word which Moses spoke of to the Children of Israel Deut. 30. 14. when he said The Word is very nigh thee in thy heart mouth that thou may do it and said then he had set Life and Death before them which the Apostle in the 10. of Hebrews bears testimony to who saith Christ is the end of the Law for Righteousness to every one that believes And when he rehearses Moses Words he saith Who shall ascend into Heaven that is to bring Christ down from above or who shall descend into the Deep that is to bring Christ up again from the Dead But what saith it the Word is nigh thee in thy mouth and in thy heart this is the word of Faith which we preach that if thou shall confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in thy heart that God has raised him from the dead thou shall be saved Doth not the Apostle say that this Lord Jesus is the Word this is the Doctrine the Apostle preached the same Word in the heart as Moses did But I. W. denies this Doctrine and this Word and this Jesus that is very nigh in the heart that preaches Righteousness he preacheth him afar off it vexeth him to hear of him nigh in his heart for his heart is filled with hypocrisie and darkness and Gods Word and Witness lyes slain in him and so all his Preaching is of Christ without him crucified at Jerusalem but he knows him not nor where he is and so all his separation is but in the darkness talking of a Christ without him and denying Gods Covenant of Light within Isa 49. 8. and denying Christ the Word in the heart which was that which the Apostle preached and likewise the Apostle Peter Acts. 10. 36. The Word which God sent unto the Children of Israel preaching peace by Jesus Christ the Word I say you know which was published throughout all Judea after the preaching of the Baptisme of John and hew God anointed Jesus Christ c. vers 43.
their hearts that was in the beginning has thou not here denyed the Emanuel God with us that the Prophet Isay testified of and so has denyed Christ come in the Flesh whereby thou has clearly manifested thy self to be an Antichrist indeed for thou hast set thy self to oppose Christ for Christ Jesus himself when he preached to the multitude he said Mat. 13. 3. c. A Sower went out to sow and the Seed that he sow'd was the Word of God and the field that he sow'd in was the World and the ground that brought forth fruit to God was the honest and good heart And he saith again Ye are clean thorow the Word c. Ioh. 15. 3. And again Sanctifie them thorow thy truth thy word is truth Ioh. 17. 17. And again Heb. 3. Who being the brightness of his Glory and the express Image of his person and upholding all things by the word of his Power when he had by himself purged our sins sate down on the right hand of the Majesty on high was not this Christ But thou wilt say it may be if he be of the Majesty on high he is not in the hearts of people then Thy blindness darkness and ignorance of God looks so But the Apostle Peter his Exhortation was That as new born babes they should desire the sincere milk of the Word that they might grow thereby And the Apostle James exhorted them To receive with meekness the ingrafted word which is able to save the Soules Chap. 1. 21. And again in Peter 1 epist 2. 6. Behold I lay in Zion a chief Corner-stone elect pretious and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded unto you therefore which believe he is pretious but unto them which be disobedient the Stone which the Builders disallowed the same is made the head of the corner and a stone of stumbling and a rock of offence even to them that stumble at the word being disobedient whereunto also they were appointed 1 Pet. 2. 7 8. Now I. W. thou art this man for thou has stumbled at the word and art fallen and shall never rise again this stone shall grind thee to powder this is our Corner-stone which thou sayes thou will confound but the Apostle sayes he that believeth in him and we believe in him therefore shall never be confounded and so here thou will be found a lyer And thou saith in thy Book thou will remove our foundation which is the light in every man which is sufficiently proved that it is Christ Jesus the foundation of all the Prophets and Apostles and here thou strives with that which is too strong for thee the weighty stone must needs fall upon thee And in 2 Pet. 1. 19. where Peter exhorted them to take heed to the more sure word of prophesie and to the light that shined in a dark place and to the day-star that would arise in their hearts but thy dark preaching is contrary to that and 1 Joh. 1. 1. That which was from the beginning which we have heard which we have seen without eyes which we have looked upon and our hands have handled of the word of life c. Let the serious Reader but read this Chapter and see if by it he may not in his own understanding judge of the wickedness of this man and also in the 2. Chap. where the Apostie saies He writes no new Commandement unto you but an old Commandement which ye had from the beginning the old Commandement is the word which ye have heard from the beginning Again a new Commandement I write unto you which thing is true in him and in you because the darkness is past and the true light now shineth Here the Apostle manifesteth the word and the light to be one in that he writes unto them in the word and in the Light that now shines glory be to the Lord for evermore which the whole power of darkness hath long mustered up and stood against but he that is upon the white Horse who is called faithful and true in Righteousness he doth judge and make war his eyes are as a flame of fire and upon his head many Crownes he was cloathed in a vesture dipt in blood and his name is called the Word of God Rev. 20. 11 12 13. Now I have done with thee as concerning this head and thou will find that this word will judge thee in the last day who hath punctually denyed Christ Jesus to be the Word of God which is his name so he stands upon thee thy condemner for ever and so thereby thou art manifest to be the Antichrist So the next head that I am to manifest to the Reader is that thou makes a distinction of God and Christ and through thy denying of Christ to be the Light that comes into the World and thereby denies Christ to be come in the Flesh and thereby art the Antichrist for thou saith that Christ is not the word and Light which John bears witness of but saist it is the word Creator and so makes a difference betwixt the Father and the Son and so art just in the Arrians Principle in dividing the Father and the Son which brought in Heresies of old into the Churches and contrary unto the Angels testimony unto Joseph and Mary who said She should bring forth a Son and shall call his name Jesus for he shall save his people from their sins that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Prophet saying Behold a Virgin shall be with Child and bring forth a Son they shall call his name Emanuel which being interpreted is God with us And so contrary to this thou would divide Christ and God So here thou hast denyed Christ of his propriety in the Father and hast blasphemed against the God-head contrary to Christ his own words who said I and my Father are one and so here thou has joyn'd with the Jewes in taking up stones to stone him with And also in the 8. of Iohn and the 16. ver And yet if I judge my judgment is true for I am not alone but I and my Father that sent me And again in the 14. of Iohn and the 10. ver Believes thou not that I am in the Father and the Father in me the words that I speak I speak not of my self but the Father that dwelleth in me doth the works believe me that I am in the Father and the Father in me And in the 2. vers before Philip saith Shew us the Father and it sufficeth us Iesus saith unto him hast thou not known me Philip he that hath seen me hath seen the Father And again Ioh. 17. 11. Keep them thorow thy own name that they may be one as we are And again verse 21. That they may be all one as thou O Father art in me and I in thee I in them and thou in me that they may be made perfect in one And so thou that hast divided the Son from his Father and
taken it caused thee to spew out these words and to be so large in writing against Friends and the truth and for the reason of calling them dogs the Scriptures are very plain for they were called greedy dumb dogs who sought for gain from their quarter and yet there was many to lick up their vomit likewise they were called Dogs which were without as thou may read in the Revelations And for thy Challenge to us we were willing to meet thee but thou was not willing to meet us although thon before challenged to meet G. F. or any of his friends what is the cause dost thou not condescend to men of low degree for if I meet thee it is not with hoasting my self in other mens lines made ready to my hand but in the name and power of the Lord in the Light of his Son Christ for this I say unto thee if thou had not used deceit thou would have written down my whole Paper but I shall cause it to be written down my self that all may see it and do not charge George Fox with it and since thou hast given a second Challenge but hast not answered the first which we did call on thee to do and to make good thy assertions but thou shuffles off from it and names G. Fox and flees from us and will make it good to neither the Paper is as follows we desire thee with patience to read it over Oh friend John Wiggan it seems old Wood's and Curwen's Pills which they gave thee to work out that old Leaven that hath layn so long within thee but this hath wrought of the contrary part and hath caused thee to vomit and spew out upon a piece of Paper and sent forth for the Dogs to lick up and they being eager doth take so much of this thy filthy spewing that it causeth them to vomit as thou dost therefore it was high time to call for it that no more be made sick with it thou hast used so many friends names in it that by the reason that it was taken away so suddenly and unexpectedly that they cannot reply unto it thou saith thou hast answered Wood's Queries but it appears that they remain unanswered and likewise thou put down 24. Queries of Curwen's unanswered therefore Henry Wood and Thomas Curwen will meet thee to answer thy Challenge which thou hath put forth and saith thou would be answered before the High Sheriffe for we are not careful to answer thee in this matter although thou useth the name of Christ thou doth not depart from iniquity as it doth appear by thy smiting at the Corner-stone which is the Light thou art far behind the woman of Samaria for she said is not this the Christ that hath shewed me all that ever I did it appears to me that thou esteems this at a low value which shewes thee all things that ever thou did and calls it Natural although it testifie against those things that are natural and carnal where thou art worshipping the God of the World which blinds the eye of the children of disobedience the vaile of darkness is so thick that thou cannot see thorow it nor comprehend the Light that giveth the Light of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ which shineth in the heart And whereas thou saist thy assertion is made good it appears to all that are wise that it is not made good at all for thou hath challenged another Meeting so appoint the place and time and Thomas Curwen and Henry Wood and William Houlding or any of them will meet thee and hear what thou can say against Christ the saving Light Now whereas thou saist not a word in all those Papers discovers the unsoundness of thy Assertion Ans Thou should have published the Papers to the Readers and then they might have judged of it whether thou hast spoken truth or no but thou art afraid to publish that which makes against thee but takes here a word and there a word thinking thereby to villifie friends but they are made manifest in the hearts of people and all thy slanders nor any thing thou canst do will hurt any of us for was there a worse word spoken to thee which was spoken in the truth then thou thy self did speak to me and other friends faisly and unjustly and why didst thou not publish in thy Book those four sheets of Paper that the Reader might have seen them and our expressions in our Letters had they been light vain and frivilous thou would have made advantage upon them and not have hid them but have published them in thy Book as thou hast done some few lines of them but they are true unto thy condition and will stand on thy head and it doth become Saints to bear testimony against deceit and there is much in thy Papers that contradicts thy Assertion and my Paper was true and overthrew it which thou publisht a few lines of and then tells the Reader of four sheets and never a word to discover thy assertion and thus thou loves thy deeds of darkness and hates the Light and thus thy folly is made manifest to all men 2 Tim. 3. And whereas thou saist thou hast not published this abroad but we have done it first which is false for we did publish nothing in the Town for the Letter which I gave to the Jaylor thou hadst but I did not send it into the Town but gave it to Thomas Hardy but thou sent thine into the Town and abroad and was not so honest as to give us a Coppy of it and thy assertion was answered by plain Scripture but was never proved by plain Scripture but is thy chaffie imaginations and wresting the Scriptures which is nothing but spewing from a child of darkness which hates the Light Joh. 3. Rev. and hath not God spewed thee and thy Religion and Worship out of his mouth Levit. 18. 28. And whereas thou speaks how we cursed thee with the plagues of God the Scripture saith the plagues of God is to thee who adds to the Scripture as thou hast done and it was thou that said the plagues of God was upon me but thy curses are causless so what we have writ and spoken to thee it was from the Spirit of God and the Lord hath judged between thee and us in this matter and his judgment is clear and thy hidden things of darkness is come to Light 1 Cor. 4. and there is no Communion between Light and darkness 2 Cor. 6. and the mist of darkness is over thee 2 Pet. 2. the darkness hath blinded thy eyes Joh. 2. Reserved under the Chains of darkness Jude 6. and Rev. 6. read that and see thy own condition Whereas thou saist Had it not been a more easie and commendable work in one sheet plainly to have discovered and refuted error if any such be in my Writings then to have filled 3. or 4. sheets with such stuffe as this surely a right spirit would have
the pure Light of Christ which is saving which enlightens every man and for thy saying there will be but little truth found in saying thou taught thy way to others and it will be hard for me to prove or any of my friends thou hast proved it thy self and I have proved it sufficiently here before and also it was proved in the dispute but that thou art more minded to cavil then obey the truth and it s no matter of thee saying my words are improper when thou wilt not believe plain Scripture when as thou bids me tell thee where the Apostle said some preached the way the truth and the life and yet knew him not such as professed him in words and denyed him in life such as the Apostle calls evil doers evil beasts and slow bellies and teaches for filthy lukre as thou hast done who is a sayer and not a doer and such as preacht Christ of envy as thou dost and added afflictions to the Apostles bonds those knew not Christ the way and the life neither was in it for they were in the envy and strife as thou art and those are unlike to know him though they may preach him in words for envy blinded them as it hath done thee Philip. 1. 15. but did not those false Apostles deceitfull workers transforming themselves into the Apostles of Christ preach Christ in words as thou doest how could they have gone about to deceive the Saints which believed in Christ and were they not despisers of the Apostles and Ministers of Christ as thou art nay did they not boast that they were Ministers of Christ as thou doest and denyed his life as thou doest 2 Corinth 11. from the 13. to the 23. and did not Christ speak of such who preached in his name and in his name cast out Devils and I do not believe that ever thou came to see so far as these did and yet he said depart from me ye workers of iniquity and the false Prophets in the 24. of Matthew who said loe here is Christ and loe there these was Preachers of Christ in words under a pretence to bring them to a false Christ and Christ said go not forth after them for he would come and dwell in them and this thou cannot abide to hear spoken on of Christ being in men a saving Light and dost thou not know that many has a form of Godliness Tit. 3. 4. and what form is that is it not the Scriptures that speaks of God and Christ and denies the power wherein I feel thee to be one who are to be turned away from who withstand the truth and many of thy Hearers turned away from thee whom thou led away Captive And what wise man cansay I have wronged the Apostles words in this for I have not wronged the Apostles words but thou wrongest me and thou dost not preach the Love of Christ who denies the Light Christ to be saving that enlightens all men and Christ is the way the Truth and the Life who ever preach him or for what ever end they preach him for and we set up the Christ Jesus the Apostles preached and set up the Light of the World which the Prophets prophesied of but thou preachest another as was said before who denies his Light to be a saving Light in all men though some men neglect their Salvation as thou may read in the Scriptures and we have the same Gospel the Apostles had and preached to wit the power of God which I do believe thou was never yet in for if thou had thou would not have changed so and have left thy people for what hast thou left that Christ thou preached to the Independants or hast thou restored the Money which thou got amongst them so confess the truth for I never changed since I knew the Truth the same Christ the Apostles preacht and the true Religion I believe thou hath to seek it who denies the Light and so in meekness and fear I declare to thee we own no other Christ Jesus then the Apostles preacht and set up and this Christ Jesus I am not ashamed to confess before all who is the Light that enlightens all men that comes into the World who is the Salvation to the ends of the Earth who tasted death for every man and this is Gods Love to Mankind And whereas thou sayest thou will not answer my Queries nor satisfie me nor any Querist in this thou hast manifested thy self and spirit what it is and hast denyed a Christian Spirit who should be ready to give an answet to any that asked them a reason of the hope that was in them and my questions tends to edification and not to strife and confessing the working of God in their hearts and what they past thorow and the acquaintance with God hearing and seeing of him and things concerning Salvation and Scripture words that declares of the same and this is not edification to thee and yet thou contradicts thy self and sayest thou would give a reason of the hope that is in thee and yet doth not answer my Queries concerning-Christ the hope and other workings of the Spirit of God Truly John this manifests thy emptyness and shallowness of the things of God and that which concernes mans Salvation And thou sayest thou hast in readiness to answer in love those Queries was in Love sent to thee but this is but a shift and a boast for if thou hadst not answered them in love to us who thou accounts thy enemies though thou hast called us thy friends thou might have answered them for their sakes thou sent thy Book too if thou hadst no love to enemies John Wiggan thou sayest that the Light wherewith every man is lighted that comes into the World is not a saving Light and this thou say'st thou shalt thorough the strength of Christ be ready to maintain against me or any of my friends who hold the contrary when and where a meeting may be had in a peaceable and quiet way before competent Witnesses Answ Thee and all thy Witnesses at the meeting by all your opposing the Scriptures and us that stood for them could not make good that Christ was not the saving Light that enlightens every man that comes into the World though yee broke out into a rage and broke your own order which was that none should speak while another was speaking and thou was the first man that brake it both when G. F. and W. W. was speaking and neither love or humility proceeded from thee but abundance of pride rage and envy when thou was plung'd and could not make good what thou hadst asserted which was contrary to Christ and the Prophets as in Esaiah and John the 1. 8 12. And that which moved me to stick the Paper on the Door proceeded from the Holy Spirit which hath caused thee to vent forth so much against the Light of Christ and hath brought that forth which hath been so long hid in thy heart
is proved by Jude that some are natural not having the spirit this of Jude proves that they had it and went in the error of Ballaam from the Spirit and these could speak the high words but it was in hypocrisie and so this Scripture clearly overthrowes thy argument which thou takes for a proof against John's Doctrine who saith Christ doth enlighten every man that comes into the World And John the 14. 17. which thou brings to prove that Christ doth not enlighten every man that comes into the world with a saving Light which saith no such thing but proves thy own weakness and ignorance for how should the world know Christ or see him when they hate his Light that comes from him and will not come to it because it doth reprove them and there Christ the Light testifies against the World because their deeds be evil read John the third and other places Again thou bringest Romans the 8. 9. to prove thy assertion and sayes some men have not the Spirit of Christ Now people see if this Scripture doth say in plain words that some men have not the spirit of Christ and see how he has wronged the Apostle and perverted his words and whether the Apostle did not tell them in the first of the Romans who were wicked people That that which might be known of God was manifested in them yet they Reprobated from it and so their hearts were darkened and so was not led by the Spirit as the Saints was and so they that quench the Spirit and will not have it to lead them how are they Christs and so mark the same Chapter in the following words They that are led by the Spirit of God they are the Sons of God And so thou may see how thou goes about to overthrow the Apostles words and Christs Doctrine thou hath a strange Doctrine and Preaching of thine to preach to the world and tell them they have not the spirit nor a saving Light And so all thy Testimonies thou hast brought doth not prove thy Proposition to be true that Christ doth not give his Spirit to every man that comes into the World which the 16. of John overthrowes thee And I disliking thy assumption as thou callest it but many ignorant people doth not know what thou meanest but thou would cover thy self by thy dark words for no proof that thou brought was to purpose for that of Jude which speaks of such as went in the way of Cain I say Cain had talked with God and heard his voice though he was a wicked man and this thou brings to prove that wicked men have not the Spirit and doth not know the things of God but Cain knew God for he talked with him and that must be by the Spirit and those that Jude speaks of were such as had been with them and went from them into the way of Cain or how could it have been said they had err'd and had not the spirit and the way And here people may see thou neither knows the Scriptures nor the power of God as wise as thou thinks thou art for my words were not that they lost it but that they err'd from it according to the Scripture and why could thou not put in all my words I spoke but perus'd my words and so left out that which pinched thee for I have borne my Testimony amongst many of your people both in England Scotland and Ireland and other places which many is come from you and sees your deceitful wayes of darkeness opposing the Light for I my self was one of you and now walkes in the light of the Lamb Glory for ever to the Highest And why doth thou wrong me for I denyed thy Proposition and held forth Christ the Saving Light And whereas thou sayest by the way If a Scripture pinch us we will not stick to give a meaning to it and such an one as may best suite our purpose Answ This is false for I gave no meanings to the Scriptures but as they are and there is no Scripture that thou brought which pinched any of us but they nipt and pinched thee as thou callest it And thou say'st thou replyed that it could not be that those in Jude ever had the Spirit because they were sensual and natural and went in Cains way and here all may see thou left out the word how they went in the way of Cain and error of Ballaam and Cain talked with God and that must be by the Spirit as I said before and God said should he not be accepted if he did well c. therefore Cain had the spirit of God and they that went in his way from the Christians err'd from the spirit the righteous way and so became natural and sensual in the self seperation from the spirit where thou art and that in the second of Corinthi is answered before and now people see if Jude and the first of Cor. 2. c. doth say that natural and sensual Men had never the spirit and you may see how this man perverts the Scriptures and wrongs them for his own ends for these Scriptures speaks no such things as he doth and how can the natural man discern the things of the Spirit of God when that he grieves the spirit of God by which he should receive them and errs from it as in Jude and is not led by it Cor. 2. and Rom. 8. and they that quench the spirit of God in themselves will oppose it in others as thou dost and those that are led by the spirit of God they are they that discern spiritual thing and they that quench it doth not and thou repeats the 2. of Cor. 2. to no purpose for thee and they cannot decern the things of God that quenches the spirit and errs from it but they can decern the things of God that are led by the spirit of God as in the 1 Cor. 2. and this doth not say he hath not the spirit of God thou wrongs the Scriptures in that and adds to the Apostles words for all people may see that reads thy words and the Scriptures what a pittiful meaning thou gives to the Scriptures here and speaks thy own words and would make people believe they are the Apostles words and so wrongs and belies the Apostles And as for thy charging us with disorder as I said before thou was the first man that was disorderly and thou spake when another was speaking and thy people many of them spake together and why dost thou complain and say some of us spake one after another for this was the agreement that one should speak after another and that thou could not have time to answer and thou had more time then any but it s thou that did not speak to the matter in hand but fell to preaching to the people and thou wrongest us for we spoke orderly one after another except we spoke when you were speaking disorderly and of your speaking unreverently of the things of
of God that is proved in Numbers and in Genesis it is proved that Cain talked with God and heard his voice and he could not do that without the spirit and Core knew the power of God that brought him forth of Egipt and was not he of the tribe of Levie that ministred in the Priests office and was he like to medle in the things of God without the spirit though these err'd from the spirit as in Jude and so became sensual And thou had more liberty to hold forth thy errors then others had to hold forth Truth and as the Serpent led Adam and Evah from Righteousness and Holiness to the Tree by which they fell so thou his Messenger leads people from the spirit of God within them to something without them Whereas thou say'st in thy second Argument whom Christ lighteth with a saving Light into their hearts he causeth the Glorious light of the Gospel to shine 2 Cor. 4. 4 6. but he causeth not the Glorious light of the Gospel to shine into the hearts of every one that comes into the World for the Gospel is hid to some to whom the God of this world hath blinded the mind of them that believe not c. Ans This doth not follow nor prove that all are not enlightened with a saving light because the God of this World hath blinded the minds of them that doth not believe nor it does not overthrow the promise of God who said he would give Him for a Light to the Gentiles to enlighten them who was the Glory of Israel Luke 2. 32. and he should be Gods Salvation to the ends of the Earth Isa 42. 49. 6. and Isa 52. 10. where the Lord said Is it a light thing that he should be his servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob and restore the preserved of Israel but saith the Lord I will give thee for a Light to the Gentiles that thou may'st be my Salvation to the ends of the Earth and when Christ came he said I am the Light of the World and he that followes me shall not walk in darkness but shall have the light of Life Joh. 8. 12. John which came to bear witness of the true Light saith That that was the true Light which lighteth every man that cometh into the World and he sayes that all men through him might believe and Christ saith in the 12. of John Believe in the Light and he that believed is saved so this proves that the Light is saving and though some be darkness and the God of the World hath blinded their eyes because they do not believe yet this Light shines in darkness and the darkness comprehends it not Joh. 1. 5. so this clearly overthrowes thee and thy assertion to be in the darkness and not to comprehend the Light which shines in thy darkness for he that believes in the light is saved by it and he that does not is condemned and Christ who is the Light is the Saviour so this proves that the World is lightened with a saving Light though they neglect their Salvation and God is just in judging of them and the Saints that believe iâ— the Light and becomes Children of the Light it shines in their hearts and gives them the knowledge of the Glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ 2 Cor. 4. but them that hate the light John 3. comes to be darkened and does not know the Father and the Son as the Saints do for they become haters of their Salvation and as thou and the Pharisees hating the true Light and seting up your own wisdom instead of the Light then if the Light which be in you is darkness how great is that darkness when you stop your eares from the true Light of Christ in your selves and set up your own way and denies Christ Jesus the Light to be the way and Ephes 4. 18. nor Math. 6. neither of these places sayes that the Light in them was darkness but saith Ye were sometimes darkness but now are you light in the Lord c. and Christ saith If the eye be single the body is full of light but if it was double or evil it was full of darkness and to the double or evil eye he questions if that light that is in them be darkness how great was that darkness and this shewes there was two eyes and the double went from the single eye which would fill the body full of light but the double fills it full of darkness and then calls darkness light and denies the Light of Christ as thou dost Isai 5. 20. so all the Scripture thou brings and perverts is to no purpose for they do not disprove the light to be saving And whereas thou sayes again Such as are lightened with a saving light are new Creatures and are Regenerated and such as the light is such is the life and it is implanted in them and they have eternal Life but Christ doth not quicken Regenerate make new Creatures and give life to every man that comes into the world but some are in the flesh born and are created in sin have not life yea die in their sin Ans Here thou goes about to lay the fault upon Christ that men are not regenerate and hath not life c. when the Scripture plainly tells thee that it is because they do not believe and they that do believe are regenerated born again and have Eternal Life and do know the effects of the Light and such as the light is such is their Life but they that doth not believe in the light does not become Children of the Light but remaines in the flesh and the birth of it in an unregenerated state without life hating the Light so hating the life not because they have not a saving light but Christ saith Believe in the light while you have it shewing they have it before they are children Joh. 12. Heb. 3. and they that dyed in their sins poor man were in thy condition they did not believe that Christ the light was he to believe in and all the Scripture thou brings is nothing to oppose the light of Christ to unbelievers which was spoken to the Saints which thou perverts for we know what was spoken to Believers and what to unbelievers and Joh 8. 24. where it 's said if they did not believe that he was the Christ they should die in their sins and the Apostle said all was gone astray both Jewes and Gentiles that God might have mercy upon all Rom. 11. 32. and so this mercy of God to the World thou denies and God respects no man's person as in the Acts c. And whereas thou brings many Scriptures to prove that the Saints by the Light had faith had gift to trust in him had power to become Sons of God and had Christ dwelling in them by his Spirit and by Faith c. Ans All these is nothing to the matter in hand for the Dispute was not about the
Light that doth enlighten every man that comes into the World is an Anti-christ and Deceiver but here Priest Wiggan hath called John an Antichrist and Deceiver who came for a witness to bear witness of the true Light that lightens every man that comes into the world and I am the Light said Christ believe in the Light I am come a light into the world Joh. 8. 12. and they that did believe in the light had fellowship in it and the light that shone in their hearts gave them the knowledge of the Glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ 2 Cor. 4. 1 Ioh. 1. and so thou hast proved thy self to be an Antichrist and doth deny Christ come in the flesh who enlightens every man that comes into the world and thou calls the true light of Christ which the Saints and we walk in the Natural mans spirit and a Created light and a Natural light As to thy Objection which is against John who saith this is the true light that enlightens every man that comes into the World Would John have bid them believe in it except it had been Christ Joh. 1. 7 8 9. and this is an invincible proof against thy assertion and all the people thou dost deceive and John was a true Witness but thou art a false and John bore a true witness to the Light but thou bears false witness against the light and so thou turns people from light to darkness and the true Apostle turned them from darkness to the light Acts 2. 6. And whereas thou say'st We write in several Books as may be seen this light Christ is God the Lord God and the Lamb the Object of Faith and this true Light which is Christ enlightens not some but every man coming into the World and therefore it must needs be saving and that this light can be meant for no other then of Christ they further alleage John 3. 12. 12. 35 36. where it is plainly exprest that Christ is the Light Answ In this thou hast manifested thy ignorance of the Scriptures and of the Saints Testimony and thou scoffs because we say Christ hath not enlightened some but all and so thou art he that makes Sects amongst the people in saying he doth not enlighten them all thou may as well say his love was not to all in giving his Son for all and we say Christ the light is the object of Faith the true light that enlightens every man that comes into the world by whom the world was made and this is our Testimony to all men for the Lord and Christ is the light and the Lamb and God is light And this is our Message which we have heard of him that God is light and in him is no darkness at all and Christ and God will dwell in man whom we witness Glory to him for ever through which we see over thee who hath long deceived some of us Whereas thou say'st We have perverted many Scriptures That is false for we speak them as they are but it is manifest thou hast per verted many and quoted many false and many people that doth not know thy subtle devices but takes all things for granted without any trial such thou may deceive for thy Book manifests it self sufficiently if it had not been answered but only for the sake of the simple which thou keeps under thee in thy error and delusion that they might see thee and come from under thy snare for we are satisfied as to our selves for thy work is only to keep people in darkness from the light and we are come from under thy Captivity and see thy subtlety and snares and know what thou can say and long enough since saw thy confusion And thou say'st when it is said that was the true light which enlighteneth every man that comes into the World It must be considered first who this true Light is secondly how he doth enlighten every man that comes into the World for first the Scriptures do witness that this true Light is the word God by whom the World was made thus it is said Joh. 11. In the beginning was the Word and the Word was God all things was made by him that is by the Word God John was sent to bear witness of the Light that is of the word God that was the true Light that is the word God even he by whom the World was made he was in the World and the World knew him not which was the Creator and former of all things Ans In this you may see how he hath perverted the Scriptures and overthrown his Assertion and his former Writings in his Books for he saith that the light which lighteneth every man that comes into the World which John bore Testimony of is the word God by which all things was made and created which men was to believe in this was not a saving light saith he though it be Divine and doth he not call it a Created light a Natural light and the spirit of a Natural Man and now it is God and not saving for the Scripture saith the Word was with God Joh. 1. and this speaks of Christ and Christs Name is called the Word of God Rev. 19 13. and the Word was with God that thou hast left out and this Word became Flesh So he goes about to prove that Christ was not the Word with the Father before the World began which is contrary to the Scripture which saith I was with him in the beginning as Solomon saith and Christ saith Glorifie thou me with the same Glory which I had with thee before the World was Joh. 17. And again thou say'st The Word God thus considered is the true light the fountain and original of all lights according to the Scripture 1 Joh. 1. 5. God is light and in him is no darkness at all this is he in whom was life and the life was the light of men in whom we live move and have our being we are his off-spring and he is the fountain both of light and life to all beings according to their capacities as their Creator and thus we may see what this true light is the word God Answ And yet thou saist before this was not saving this true Light this word God how dark art thou is not Christ called God and his Name the Word of God Emanual God with us and 2 Pet. 3. 7. the Heavens and the Earth which are now by the same Word are kept in store c. And Heb. 11. 3. Through faith we understand that the Worlds were framed by the Word of God c. And Christ is the Light and Life of Men and not saving and is not he saving and is not he spiritual and saving whom all has a being in and moving in didst thou not call him before a natural Light and a created Light and a natural Mans spirit and would prove it out of Cor. 2. and now it is God and Creator and not Christ
light And the Son of God is come And what dost thou talk of Grace and denies his Light And what dost thou talk of the love which was in the Fathers bosome for thou who denies him who is the Light of the world and that dost not believe in him the light how should thou have Everlasting life but perish in thy gain-saying And thou saist That Christ did not come to enlighten every man that comes into the world but only those that believe on him and brings Ioh. 3. 19. 8. 12. Ans This is thy saying and not Iohns thou hast wronged those Scriptures for none of them doth say that Christ did not come to enlighten every man that comes into the world but only those that believe thou hast not proved this by the Scriptures though thou hast perverted many for Iohn 1. said he was the true light that lighteth every man that comes into the world And thou saist but only those that believe And Christ says I am the light of the World and believe in the light And Ioh. 3. 19. 8. 12. doth not say there he hath only enlightned some but all good and bad such as hate the light and would not come to it lest the light should reprove them whose deeds be evil this is thy condition And the Condemnation is because that light is come into the world and men love darkness rather than light because their deeds be evil but he that doth truth cometh to the light that his deeds may be manifest that they are wrought in God but thou art not come to the light whose deeds be evil and so manifests that they are not wrought in God but fights against it And whereas thou speaks The word made flesh is he that was promised to be a Covenant to the people and a Light to the Gentiles who brings into the world a Life and Light far exceeding the Light that was set up in every man that comes into the world by the word Creator Answ This word made flesh and Covenant of Light which the Prophets gave testimony of as in the 1 of John thou denyes And in Joh. 8. and Luk. 2. A Light to lighten the Gentiles And this was Christ for John saith he was not the Light but came to bear witness of the Light that was the true Light that lighteth every man that cometh into the World And this is above thy natural Light and created Light and made Light And doth give life And dost thou not mean the Scripture when thou speaks of the word Creator For we have good reason to suspect thee seeing thou said to me Thomas Curwen and to William Wilson in thy Chamber That the Scriptures were the Author of thy Faith for the rest of thy Generation used to tell us That the Scriptures was the word and the Light of the Creator is a Natural and a created Light and the Spirit of a natural man that knows the things of God And this is the Light that John came to bear witness of saist thou And this thy miserable darkness in saying Iohn came to bear witness of a created and natural Light and Spirit of a man and a natural mans Conscience That he should be sent of God to bear this witness For as many as received him this light which did enlighten them became the Sons of God but they that hated this light it became their Condemnation Joh. 3. Joh. 1. 12. And thou nor none will never receive Life nor Son-ship but as they receive the Light which thou hates makes such outrage against but that Light which Iohn bore witness of which thou bears witness against has ript off thy covering manifested thy deeds turned thy inside out And the Light is a stumbling block to thee and a Rock of offence for it seems it has offended thee an thou that would not have the Light will not have the Son and so has denied thy self of Life yet thou wilt bow the knee and spit in his face and say is not this the Carpenters Son the natural Light like the Jews And where doth the Scripture say which thou hast perverted that Iohn came to bear witness of the Light the Word Creator and not of Christ the Ligh the Word Make this good by plain Scripture without thy immaginations and before they be born again they must believe in the Light Iohn the 12th And so men are in Death and Darkness and hates the Light as thou dost and remains in the Natural State while they hate the Light for that which makes manifest is the Light Ioh. 3. Ephes 5. 13. And thou saist The neglect of this distinction of the word Creator and the Word made Flesh which is so plainly laid down in the Scripture as hath been shewed is the ground of the great mistake of many who not considering what is testified of the word as Creator do confound that light which is set up by him as such in every man with that Light which he gives as he is the word made flesh and so call the light saving which is but Natural springing up with him in his Creation yea hence they call that Light Christ which is but the Law written in the heart whereas Christ is the Law-giver and so cannot be the Law Ans Here thou holds forth two Words and was it not the word that became flesh and doth not John Revel 19. say that he is the Alpha and Omega and his Name is called the Word of God so here is one word but thou hath not found another word and so to make two words and here thou goes about to divide Christ when the Scripture saith I and my Father are one Joh. 17. And there is three that bear Record in Heaven the Father VVord and Holy Ghost and these Three are one he doth not say two words Joh. 5. 7. And is not the New Covenant Christ the Law in the heart Hob. 8. 9 10 11. And it is false for we do not call the Natural Light springing up with man in his Creation saving but we say Christ is the Light and Salvation to the ends of the Earth And the light which is Natural that comes from the word Creator by which they may know the Eternal power and God-head as thou saist before by which they may seek and feel after God and brings Cor. 2. which saith The Natural man doth not know nor perceive the things of God Was there ever such confusion as this for they that had that which let them see the Eternal Power and God-head was by that which might be known of God which was manifest in them for that which brings people to know the Eternal Power and God-head and to feel and seek after him and to know much of the Creator is not a Natural light as thou saist doth but it is a Spiritual Light and it is thou that confounds thy self with thy own imaginations and distinctions and wrongs and abuses the Scriptures and is
spirit of God for thou crucifies that in thy dark deceitful heart while thou art making and setting up another spirit and light which thou calls natural and not the light of Christ And here thou art worse then Surplice-men or Homily-men for they will confess that the light in them which shews them sin is the light of Christ and yet thou seems to confess that the light in every man is the Law written in the heart and if so the new Covenant Answ All this heap of confusion which thou hast heaped together doth but manifest thy darkness and thou ministers out of it and art an enemy to the light of Christ and so thou must needs be a minister of darkness Though thou hast been a minister long I ask thee this question Didst thou ever preach the light of Christ to people or didst thou ever turn peoples minds to the light of Christ in their Consciences or didst thou ever turn any from the power of Satan to the power of God If thou hast set us out some of thy flock that they may be tryed but there are a great deal that will cestifie against thee that has been of thy flock that is turned from thy darkness to the light of Christ which thou art an enemy to and with it they see thy deceit and darkness wherein thou didst deceive them and can praise the Lord for ever that they are turned from thy darknesse But now for the proof of thy false Doctrine And 1. Is not the light which is in every man the light of Christ that convinceth a man or woman of sin and evil and is there another Saviour besides Christ that takes away the sin of the world And what was that Image of God in which Adam was Created wilt thou not have Christ to be God And thou sayes there remained a part in Adam after he had transgressed which made him hide himself but thou calls this the spirit of a natural man and a created light Is the light that is in man a created light and is the law which is written in mans heart and the spirit which is put in the inward parts created and was that Image of God which was in Adam a created Image How was the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world Revel 13. 8. Rev. 5. 12. But in plain words Did God create any light in the beginning but what he set in the Firmament of Heaven Is an invisible light created which sees God which is invisible It s pitty to put these things to thy gross darkness but that for the Seed's sake it may be serviceable to others And dost thou say The Law of God that he writes in the heart and his spirit which he puts in the inward parts is this a created light Oh the gross darknesse that is in thee How dare thou take upon thee to teach Is not God Light and is the Image of God in man a created light and is that created and natural and is not Christ light and his spirit light and is not the Law light and is not the Law spiritual and did not Moses say to the children of Israel Deut. 30. 11 12 13 14 15. For this commandement that I command thee this day is not hidden from thee neither is it far off c. but the Word is very nigh thee in thy mouth and heart to hear it and to do it See I have set before thee life and death Was this that would have led them into life natural and created and is not this Law righteous and spiritual and just and good as the Apostle witnessed of it Act. 7. 5. 3. Rom. 7. 12. who said They received the Law by the disposition of Angels c. And did not Christ Jesus say He came not to destroy the Law but to fulfil it and that one jot or title of the Law should not passe till it was all fulfilled and is not Christ the end of the Law for righteousnesse and is this the spirit of a natural man that knows not the things of God that Christ is the end of Art thou not in this a minister of darknesse and an Idolater And doth not the Apostle say Rom. 7. 4. That they were become dead to the Law by the body of Christ wherefore he saith the Law is holy and the commandment holy just and good ver 12. But this dark Doctrine of thine makes thee clearly manifest that thou art in the flesh and the motions of sin works in thy members which brings forth fruit unto death and never knew the life of the Law yet nor the life of the Commandment but art alive without the Law and so art alive unto sin and wickednesse and knows it not not having the Law to be thy Schoolmaster to correct thee for thy wickednesse which would revive and set thy sins before thee that thereby thou wicked might die But thou has not been at this School yet for all thy learning and divining it has been all in the darknesse thou has never come to the Law yet which is light which is the schoolmaster unto Christ This thou sits judge upon and sayes its spirit of a natural man and so living without the law is dead in thy sins and darknesse and so never knew what it is with thy mind to serve the law of God as the Apostle did he delighted in the law of God according to the inward man but this is too mean for thee this thou calls Created and Natural and so lies drowned in darknesse and sin and wickednesse thy mind and all thy members committing sin and drinks up iniquity as the Ox drinks up water How should thou do other being thou art an enemy both of Christ and his Law and his Light and his Spirit and what art thou not a minister of darknesse in all this and the Apostle who was obedient unto the law of God in his heart and the spirit of God in his inward parts by this he saw the body of death which made him to cry out c. But he also saw his Redeemer Christ Jesus for he was a minister of the light and turned people from the darknesse to the light in them and so could confesse then the Law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus had made him free from the law of sin and death So the Apostle doth not make such a separation bet wixt the Law and Christ as thou dost who saist it is natural and created but this is but the Judgment of thy dark spirit for the Apostle saith That God sent his only begotten Son in the likenesse of sinful flesh and for sin condemned sin in the flesh that the righteousnesse of the law might be fulfilled in us who walk not after the flesh but after the spirit Rom. 7. 8. God sent forth his Son made of a woman made under the law Gal. 4. 4. I desire the Reader to take notice of this mans darknesse and ignorance of this Light
to him all the Prophets gave witness and while Peter spoke these Words the Holy Ghost fell on all them that heard the Word And what Word was this they heard when the Holy Ghost fell on them was it not the word the Apostle preached Christ Oh thou enemy of God how should Christ be preached if that word which the Apostles preached was not Christ and were not they the Ministers of the Gospel and of the Spirit 2 Cor. 1. 18. But as God is true our word towards you was not yea and nay for the Son of God Jesus Christ who was preached amongst you by us even by me and Silvanus and Timotheus was not yea and nay but in him was yea Here the Apostle clearly manifests that the word which they Preached was the Son of God Christ Jesus and was not the word of Reconciliation which the Apostle preached was not this Christ doth he not say All things are of God who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ and hath given unto us the Ministry of Reconciliation to wit that God was in Christ reconciling the World unto himself not imputing their Trespasses unto them and hath committed unto us the word of Reconciliation and we are Embassadours for Christ as though God did beseech you by us we pray you in Christs stead be ye reconciled unto God for he hath made him to be sin for us that knew no sin that we might be made the Righteousness of God in him This message is a torment to J. W. he is none of those Embassadours he carrieth no such message as this this is contrary to his Doctrine for he will not have God and Christ to be one nor he will not have the World reconciled for he saith The Light that lightens them is not saving and how can they be reconciled unto God if they be not saved from their sin he makes account that Christs Blood is not shed for all and the Apostle saith He is the Propitiation for the sins of the whole World But J. W. saith that this Word is not Christ and the Apostle did commend those that he preached to and committed them to the word of his Grace which is able to build them up and to give them an Inheritance among all them that are Sanctified But for the Readers satisfaction we shall prove something out of the Old Testament Did not Abraham see Christs day and was glad and believed and it was counted to him for Righteousness was not this by Christ the Word which was in the beginning with God who said before Abraham was I am did not Moses write of him as Christ saith and saith A Prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren like unto me him shall you hear in all things Did not Moses see this by the word that was in his heart which he preached to them and did not David Prophesie and saw Christ set up a King upon the Holy Hill of Zion and said he would declare the Decree of the Lord the Lord hath said unto me thou art my Son this day have I begotten thee aske of me and I will give thee the Heathen for thy inheritance and the utmost parts of the Earth for thy possession Psal 2. But J. W. would not have Christ to have none of these nor such large possessions he will not have him the Light nor Saviour of the World nor have the Heathen for his Inheritance and David saw Christ a Priest for ever after the Order of Melchisadecke and did he not see this by the Word that was in his heart that was a Light unto his pathes and a Lanthorn unto his steps and he said he had hid his word in his heart Psal 119. And thy Word is sweeter then the honey or the honey-combe And Solomon saith Pro. 8. 27. The Lord possessed me in the begining I was set up from everlasting from the begining or e're the Earth was was not this the word that was in Solomon's heart from the begining and the word that Isaiah the Son of Amos saw concerning Juda and Jerusalem It shall come to passe in the last dayes that the Mountain of the Lord's House shall be established on the top of the Mountains Isay 2. from the 1. vers to the 5. where he saith Oh yee House of Jacob come yee and let us walke in the Light of the Lord was not this the Light of Christ by which he saw the Mountain of the Lords House that was to be in the last dayes and was not this the Word Christ that was in the Prophet who said that their root should be rottennesse and their blossomes should goe up as dust because they have cast away the Law of the Lord and despised the holy one of Israel which Law the Prophet saw goe out of Sion and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem was not this Christ Jesus the light and word of God and the Lord sent a word unto Jacob and it lighteth upon Israel and is not this Christ Jesus Gods Covenant And the Prophet Isaiah when he spoke to the people he told them their eares should hear a word behind them when they turned to the right hand or to the left and their eyes should see their Teacher and he should never more be removed into a corner and who is this that is given for a Leader and a Guider and Teacher is not this Christ that the Prophet calls to when he saith Ho every one that thristeth come and buy c. where he saith Incline thine ear and thy Soul shall live and I will make an Everlasting Covenant with thee even the sure mercies of David Is not this in Christ and is not this Call to every one that will come and incline their ear to the Light of Christ in their hearts and consciences and hearken to the word in their hearts which is given for a leader and a teacher of all people But such Ministers of darkness as J. W. never directed to this teacher and so keeping them in darkness keeps them in sin in wickedness but the Lord is coming and is come already blessed be his name to redeem and has redeemed many thousands out of their mouthes and from under the tyranny of the oppressor which they have long kept poor people in and Ier. 15. 16. where Ieremy said Thy word is myjoy and the rejoycing of my heart Was not this word Light in his heart which is sown for the Righteous and joy for the upright in heart And again Ier. 20. 9. But his Word was in my heart as a burning fire shut up in my bones and I was weary with forbearing and I could not stay And again Ier. Is not my Word like a Fire saith the Lord and like a hammer that breaks the Rocks in pieces Chap. 23. 29. Did not all these Prophets and Holy men of God speak and prophesie with many more which the Scripture makes mention of from the Word of God in
him is no darknesse at all 3ly Thou saist I said Thou hast manifested thy self to be out of the first step that leads to Christianity and art a Priest of Darknesse These words are true upon thee for the Light Christ Jesus the VVord which thou hath denyed is the entrance into life and Christ is the VVay the Light and the Truth and the Dore which thou hast denyed and so by Christs own words thou art a Thief that enters not in at the Dore the Light but climb'st up another way Jo. 10. And so thy Prayers and all thy fleshly performances must need be abhominable who art without the Dore Christ the Light amongst the Theeves and Robbers and of thy commiting Sacriledge that is proved before sufficiently and also thy blaspheming against the holy Spirit of God There needs no more to be said to that it is sufficiently proved before And in my second Letter thou saith 1. I said thou begins with a lye and ends with the Devil and sets J. W. next to him Thy own Letter which thou sent to me which I sent thee back again will testifie that to be true as it is there written And is thou offended that I should mention thy own words to thee art thou ashamed of them now and art thou offended at me because I writ of that which thou had writ with thy own Pen thou art so muddeld that thy own actions torments thee 2ly Thou saist I spoke of thy black defiled heart and conscience Answ They are so and blackness and darkness thou art filled with who doth deny and gain-say the Light of Christ in thy own conscience and that is the cause thou art such an inveterate enemy against Christ the Light in every man but his witness in thy own conscience will be a Worm that will gnaw thee and Fire that will never be quenched one day though thou make slight of it now but did not thou say in a Letter to me thou had received my blacke Lines not that I writ these words to thee rendering railing for railing but my words are true upon thee in thy present condition 3ly Thou saist I said thou was a Child of darkness what hast thou to do to take the name of God and Christ in thy mouth thou enemy of God Answ My words are these Thou enemy of God that knowes him not whom none knowes but the Father and none knowes the Father but the Son and whom the Son reveales him to and thou that hath not a Revelation of him art a Thief that takes his name in thy mouth but the cause of my writing these words was that thou had writ in thy Letter to me That I ought not to judge before Christ Iesus be revealed 4ly Thou saith I said Thou art no Believer in Christ thou art yet in thy sins c. Answ But my words are these thou said thou was in the light of Christ that enlighteneth all Believers and my Answer to those words was Thou art no Believer of Christ that abides not in his Doctrine for they that believes abides not in darknesse where thou art but is past from death to life which thou art an enemy to and therefore do not deceive thy self for thy hope will perish and thy faith is vain thou art yet in thy sins and art thou offended because I said thou art yet in thy sins and is it not thy Doctrine that none can be free from sin while they are upon the Earth and art thou not a sinner that 's proved a blasphemer against God 5ly Thou said I said Thou was a man separated from God Answ By his Light which thou art an enemy to 6ly Thou sayes I said Thou never knewest nothing of the worship of God Answ My words were these God is not worshiped but in his spirit which reveales him and so thou that has not the Revelation thou never knew the worship of God 7ly Thou sayest I said Thou envious poysenous heart Answ But my words are these And for thy uncivil termes that thou has invented out of thy envious poysenous heart as calling me the VVhore of Babilon and a Woman drunk and Iessabel with many other such like termes as these and so now the Reader may see thy deceitfull and theevish dealing though thou would hide and cover thy self this manifests thee to be a Child of darkness indeed Thou art ashamed of thy own words and conceales them for these forementioned termes Thou writ to me in thy Letter when thou was drunk with fury and takes mine in peeces and perverts them and belyes them if thou had had any dram of honesty thou might have set some of thy own foule words down which thou writ to me or at least have set mine down in order as they were writ to thee but to wrest and pervert and lye for thy own ends and advantage has been the Trade thou has followed all thy life time with the Scriptures 8ly Thou saist I said Thou art under the Chain of it it is over thee a fighter against God and his Truth and the Reward thou will be sure to have and never look that that which is cursed will be blest But thou hast left these words out and thou hast preached another Gospel then the Apostles did this thou hast left out Thou art accursed and no other portion can thou have and this is Scripture and Truth to thee In my third Letter thou saist I said Thou can do something in writing a Book of thy own Dreames and thy Imaginations and brain studies and telling of lyes which thou hatcheth out of darkness but thou art a meer sot and Ignoramus thy evil and unclean heart thy malitious darke envious spirit thy weakness inability and ignorance in the things of God But my third Letter began thus J. W. Thou has now made a poor end of thy boasting words and thy Assertion thou hath very meanly proved Thus far and thy way of Answering thus far for what is written to thee manifests thy weakness and ignorance and darkness sufficiently thou can do something in writing a Book of thy own Dreames and thy Imaginations and brain studies and telling of lyes and stories which thou hath hatched out of darkness when there is none to contradict thee but to Answer any thing which is plain Truth and Scripture thy spirit and doctrine and practice is so contrary to the truth and the spirit of God that gave forth the Scriptures in this thou art a meer sot and Ignoramus and so framed thy Answers of lyes scandals and reproaches and foule language which comes out of thy evil unclean heart for if any man should but read my two Papers which I have written to thee and thy Answer of them they may thereby read thy malitious darke envious speeches and also thy weakness inability and ignorance of the things of God And again thou saith I having told her that if she called the Light that is in every man that comes into the
Henry Wood and William Holden not before the people to make good thy Assertion that thou boasts so much on which thou hath no cause to boast on but to be ashamed of for this is manifest of thee already in that thou hath not Answered Old H. W. Queries yet nor cannot do and what dost thou talk of G. F. meeting thee there are thousands in England that would turn and overturn thee and thy Assertions and thou art grieved that old H. W. and W. H a Blacksmith should engage with thee to Answer thy Challenge for I believe they are of ability for did not old Hen. W. stop thy mouth before the people that thou could not answer him and now thou goes and calls for G. F. to shuffle it of thee thou sure thinks that would be an honour to thee and by that thou thinks thou could shuffle of answering H. W. and W. H. of making good thy Assertion it 's an easie matter to overthrow thee and thy Assertion any babe in the truth may soon manifest thee that never was in the truth and so never mention G. F. coming to thee before thou has done with others that thou art engaged with for there is a cloud of witnesses against thee all the Saints in the Scripture bears testimony against thee and all that knows truth or ever will know it doth and will witness against thee and all of thy spirit and principle and before thou make any more boasting see if thou can clear thy self of what is here charged against thee and proved upon thee and by the Scripture of truth that is to say 1 of being a Blasphemer against the Holy Ghost 2 of being a minister of darkness 3 of being an Idolater 4 of being an Antichrist See if thou canst cast this of thee before thou talk and boast that thou chiefly desires to deal with G. F. and such others as say they are Apostles that their Doctrine and deeds being brought to the light it may be truly known whether they be true Apostles indeed or false Answ Poor conditioned man what wilt thou try with with thy dim dark Natural created light thou art tryed and proved already and weighed and found too light and so thy trying is little worth the false Apostles know more of the truth then ever thou did and yet thou art so impudent that thou talks of trying true Apostles but this is like thy former folly but all has been to manifest and bring to light thy rotten hypocrisie with which thou has deceived people but thou will proceed no further thy folly is so manifest and thy filth is so uncovered that now people will see thee and thy deceitful wickedness that with thy lying tongue can speak of Regeneration and new birth and of trying true Apostles and false with many other words which thou has stoln out of the Scriptures or else thou could not have spoken them who denies the first Principle of truth Christ Jesus the Light of the Truth and the life and the way to God and therefore he stands upon thy head thy condemner for ever for I have heard many Ministers and Teachers and seen their Works but I never saw nor heard such a humble jumble confused piece as this of thine of dividing God and Christ and such distinctions of the Light and Word but proves nothing of what thou intends but leaves it confused like thy self and sits as Judge upon the Son and sits as Judge upon the Saints and sits as Judge upon the World c. And now J. W. since thou has taken upon thee withal thy might and main to push with thy horn against the Lamb and his Followers and has engaged open war with him and has boasted as though thou would remove him out of his place and that in a publick testimony let us now prove and try thy foundation and let us see how thou will demonstrate thy strength and manifest thy ability to performe this that thou has undertaken that is to say to wit to remove our Foundation or we thine which may be manifested to the Reader by thy Answering these following Queries 1st Query Whether the Light that is in thee be not darkness but thy asserting to wit that the Light in every man is not a saving Light as also considering what is here proved before for the confuting of thy Assertions 2dly Whether thy eye be not evil and so thy whole body full of darkness since that Christ hath said that the Light of the body is the eye and by thy Assertion thou hast denyed that eye and put it out 3dly Whether dost thou believe that thou thy self has the Light of Christ in thee since thou has asserted that he has not inlightned every man yea or nay 4ly If thou have the Light of Christ in thee how comes thou by it or where had thou it more then other men and if thou was one of the World and now is not how came thy change and when and where didst thou receive that which makes thee to differ from other men 5ly Thou has taken upon thee to teach people how was thou called to it or by whom was thou made a Minister didst thou ever hear the voice of God hast thou the Revelation of Jesus as the Apostles had 6ly Dost thou turn people from the Darkness to the Light and from the power of Satan to the power of God art thou no Minister of the Letter but only of the Spirit as the Apostles were 7ly Where is thy Flock that thou has gathered from the power of Darkness unto the marvelous Light as the Saints in the Scriptures were is thy Flock in unity and fellowship with all the Saints in Light how is it then that thou denyes Christ Jesus the Corner Stone and Rock on which all the Church of God is built 8ly And how came thou and thy Flock to be Saints since yee deny Christ Jesus the Foundation which is the Stone is laid in Sion and how came you to differ from the rest of people since God is no respecter of Persons and what has made the difference betwixt thee thy Flock and the rest of all other people of the World shew it and manifest it forth wherein yee differ and how yee came by that which makes yee to differ 9ly Thou saith in thy Book thou would have us to return to the true Christ and thou lookes upon our Christ to be an Idol and has left us without direction to the true Christ thou speaks on so my Query is where this Christ is thou calls the true Christ and what he is since thou has denyed him to be the Light 2ly Thou has denyed him to be the New Covenant and Law written in the heart 3ly Thou has denyed him to be the Word in the Beginning 4ly Thou has made a separation betwixt him and his Father so what is this true Christ of thine being thou saith who worships all these before mentioned worships an Idol being thou
William Houlding Blacksmith and Henry Wood a daily Labouring man who cannot read on a Book and Thomas Curwen Husbandman and William Wilson Taylor who in the strength of the Lord desire to give the said John VViggan a meeting before the Sheriffe as he hath challenged us and hath sent his Challenge into the Town and not to us with many villifying and slanderous words in the said Book which he hath sent amongst the people so let all the wise in heart judge of this man whether he hath carried himself like a Rational man yea or no. The Assertions are as followeth 1. For John VViggan to prove and make good out of the Scriptures of truth 1. that Christ doth not enlighten every man that comes into the World with a saving Light contrary to John 1. 9. 2. That the Light wherewith every man is enlightened that comes into the World is not a saving Light 3. To make good that which thou hast laid down that there is some men that comes into the World hath not the spirit contrary to Iohn 16. 8. Acts 2. 7. 4. That Christs blood was not shed for all men contrary to the 1 Epistle of Iohn 2. 2. 5. That Balaam had no more of the spirit of God then his Horse and which was held forth in the dispute against us contrary to Numbers 24. 17. 6. That Balaam did not see the Starr of Iacob contrary to Numbers 24. 17. 7. And that wicked men hath not the spirit of God nor the Holy Ghost contrary to Gal. 2. Neh. 9. 8. That the Light before faith is not pure contrary to Rom. 7. 12. 9. And that Christ the Light that lightens every one that comes into the World is an Idol contrary to Ioh. 1. 9. 22. 13 46. 10. That the Grace of God is an Idol contrary to Ephesians 2. 5 8. 11. And that there is no mercy with God contrary to Psalm 13. 6. 12. That Christ is not the Word contrary to Revel 19. 13. 13. That the Light is a false Christ contrary to Ioh 12. 33 46. 14. And that Light doth not shine in darkness contrary to Iohn 1. 5. 15. And that God who is the Word doth enlighten every man that comes into the World is not saving 16. And that the Light Christ that enlightens every man that comes into the World is a Natural Light 17. That some are in the flesh and hath not the Spirit This is he to make good and prove how they can quench it and grieve it that hath it not 18. That some that comes into the World have not a saving Light 19. Some there are that are in the flesh and never had the spirit contrary to Rom. 10. 20. That the time must come that men must break their Plow-shares into Swords and Speares which his brother Price justifies in a Book and John Wiggan was offended because we marked it out for error and these things we would have the said John Wiggan to stand to and make good before the Sheriffe as he challenged by plain Scriptures of truth in the New Testament For both the Scriptures and Common-Prayer testifies against thy Principles Some more of John Wiggan's Assertions which are not many of them in the former above written 1. THat the Light in every man that comes into the World is not the Door nor the Mediator Saviour nor Redeemer nor the Way Truth the Life the Lord that bought them nor the Corner-stone nor the infallible spirit 2. That it is not the true Jesus but an Idol the Light wherewith every man is enlightened or the Light that lighteth every man 3. To follow Christ the Light is to follow a pernitious way 4. That the Light was natural and spirit of a natural man and was that in Adam which let him see his sin 5. That Light which is darkness spoken of in Math. 6. 22 23. le ts man see his Creator 6. And this Light looketh upon every thing done or to be done of man and yet this Light maketh not any thing that is done to be good or evil and yet this Light sheweth the Creator and this Light in man will render God Righteous in his Proceedings against man 7. That Christ doth not give his spirit to every man that comes into the World 8. That they in Iude spoken of as Cain and Cora and Balaam had not the spirit 9. And this Light with which every man is enlightened is Natural and its gross to say that the Light which enlightens every man is Christ 10. That the Light in every man is but the spirit of a man the Law written in the heart 11. That who so worships that Light that enlightens every man that comes into the World as Redeemer worships an imaginary and fictious Christ and an Idol denying the person of the true Jesus 12. That whosoever saith that he that is the Light in every man is Christ is a deceiver and an Antichrist and Iohn Wiggan will prove them so 13. And it is the subtle deceiver and adversary Satan that saith the Light which doth enlighten every man that comes into the World is the Lamb and the Lord and the object of faith 14. And the Light that doth enlighten every man is the Word and before he said it was the Natural man's spirit and an Idol c. 15. That the Light the word God which enlightens every man is natural and man by it knows nothing of Christ though he confess by it he knows the Eternal power and God-head the fulness whereof dwells in Christ bodily 16. And the word God the true Light which doth enlighten every man that comes into the World he saith is darkness Mat. 6. 22 23. 17. And the word God doth enlighten every man that comes into the World by setting up a Light and spirit in man which is called the Candle of the Lord and writing a Law in his heart and the Light which doth enlighten every man is not the word which was in the beginning 18. And Christ came a Light into the World not to enlighten every man that comes into the world and this light is able to seek and feel after God his Creator and by it man may know his Creator and the Eternal power and Godhead it is a created Light a great Light it is but a Candle Light but it discovers man's transgressions and this Light springeth up with mans spirit and this Light is the Spirit of a Natural man which doth not know the things of God and this Light discovered Adam's sin and this Light is Natural and not Spiritual 19. But this Light knows nothing of the Gospel mystery hid in God nor Redemption by Christ nor of Gods good purpose and Grace nor of the Law of faith 20. This Candle-light to wit that Light wherewith every man that comes into the World is enlightened is not able to discern the mystery of God in Christ And so make good these things by Scripture or stop thy mouth for ever
Lord became their enemy Ifai 63. 10. vers Zach. 2. The Spirit of the Lord remain'd among the Children of Israel I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh for I have poured out my spirit upon the house of Israel saith the Lord God So here thou may see they that erred from the faith and erred from the spirit and hated the Light had it contrary to VViggan's Doctrine aforemention'd Did not I make one yet had he the residue of my spirit that he might seek a godly Seed therefore take heed unto the spirit The Gospel which yee have heard which was preached to every Creature under Heaven Warning every Man that they might present every Man perfect in Christ Jesus That by the Grace of God Christ should tast of Death for every man Christ is the propitiation for our sins and not for ours only but for the sins of the whole World And many more Scriptures might be aledged which doth overthrow Wiggan's Assertions that proves wicked Men had the light and the spirit and Christ dyed for all Men. John VViggan In stead of Answering to the Assertions thou tels us of a natural and created Light springing up with Man's nature and natural Man's spirit which is an Idol worse then Jeroboams and the Papists nevertheless thou saist this light will let them know much of God and of the eternal Power and God-head Now that this Light which is an Idol will shew the Eternal Power and God-head and yet shew nothing of Christ in whom the fulness of the God-head dwells How stands this together John And can a natural Light an Idol know the Eternal Power and God-head know much of God and seek and feel after God Idols are dumb Haba 2. and hath eyes and sees not as the Scriptures faith and was this natural Light an Idol which reproved them for their sins Doth not the Scripture say Adam was made in the Image of God in Righteousness and true Holiness and was this an Idol he was made in which reproved him for sin And Judas who was made Partaker of the Ministry and the Light which John was sent to bear witness of was a created Light and an Idol worse then Jeroboams which as many as received him that thou calls an Idol which cannot hear nor see he gave them Power to become the Sons of God by this natural Light and Idol the World was made by thy account and this which thou calls a natural Light and Idol was in the World and the World knew him not and this Light which thou thus calls shines in the darkness and the darkness comprehends it not This is Wiggan's Assertion but my Queries I sent unto thee which thou shufles of and dost not Answer them since thou talks so much of Bread and Wine whether it be Christ or no seeing some of thy fellow Baptists Teachers are turned Papists who were wrangling against the Light and now say the Bread is Christ after they have blest it and therefore we suspect thee seeing thou art posting on the same Rode against the Light so fast And instead of Answering thou hast taken upon thee to be a Judge of Christ a Judge of the World and a Judge of the Saints conditions and confusedly patches all together and thou divides God and Christ and calls Christ the Light a natural and a created Light and an Idol worse then Jeroboams and the Papists which all sober people may see what a pack of confusion thou hast heaped together in thy Book for a natural light and Idol cannot bring people to seek and feel after God nor know the Eternal Power and God-head neither was it a natural Light and Idol that shewed Judas his sin when he had betrayed Christ neither was the Image of God which Adam was made in and God the word that enlightens every Man that comes into the World a natural light and an Idol John Wiggan thy eye is blinded it is time for thee to give over thy Trade with thy erroneous principles and doctrine And Christ when he bid them Believe in the Light Joh. 12. It was not an Idol he bid them believe in but it was in Christ the Light and in Christ was life and the life was the light of Mon and this was not an Idol and this is the same principle and doctrine which we suffer for there was a Man sent from God whose name was John he came for a Witness to bear witness to the true Light and that was the true Light which enlightens every man that comes into the World that all through him might believe and as many as received him to wit the light wherewith all be enlightned he gave them power to become the Sons of God Joh. 1. to the 12. vers And so this Light which doth enlighten every Man that comes into the World shines in the darkness but VViggan's darkness cannot comprehend it and thus he judgeth the things of God with his darkness in calling the Light of Christ and also that which convinc'd Adam c. a natural and created Light and an Idol and the spirit of a natural Man which knows not the things of God and also he compares the Light in every Man to the state of the natural Man there spoken of 1 Cor. 2. calling Light darkness and to the natural and sensual state in Jude for nature being subjected is in it self not sensual but being gone out of its course becomes sensual but this is like to the rest of his meanings he hath given to other things in his Book but we do intend to put him to make them good by plain Scriptures without adding or diminishing for our foundation for ever stands sure for we speak not of the natural Mans spirit but of Christ the Light the second Adam the Lord from Heaven nor do we speak of the Law of works nor the first Covenant but we speak of the new Covenant in the heart Christ the light our Foundation whom all the Prophets foretold of who is come to teach his people himself who Joh. VViggan pretends to remove and so hath run himself into further confusion And Ioh. VViggan saith that the Light which doth enlighten c. is the word Creator and yet he saith it is natural and created and an Idol worse then Ieroboams And thus all may see he confesseth that the Light is the word Creator and and yet he saith it is an Idol Joh. Wiggan saith God the Word enlightens every Man that comes into the World and a more excellent light and life comes in by the Son which none receives but who receives the Son and are born again Answ They which receives this Light which thou call the word Creator in thy own assertion becomes the Sons of God for John said this was the true Light which lighteneth every Man that comes into the World and as many as receives him to them he gives power to become the Sons of God and this word is Christ