for ever did come of Abraham's Seed according to the Flesh that the Body prepared of that Line was his Body that what Sufferings befel it were the Sufferings of Christ just as the Body is called the Body of Christ Yet this we do say and that not in any Undervalue to the Body or Bodily Sufferings of Christ that the Divine Word in whom was Life and whose Life was the Light of Men who took that Flesh is eminently to be lookt upon and that to believe and obey the Light of his Life wherewith he has enlightened us is both the best way to know the Sufferings of his Body and to receive the Benefit of them In short unless Christ be not God and unless the Light be not Christ I know no hurt I have done to assert him to be God nor any Reason our Adversary hath to infer therefore I or any of us deny him to have taken Flesh or that he suffered without the Gates of Jerusalem or that he is not as well Christ without us as within us Again I do affirm that by the same Reason the bodily Sufferings of the Word whose Life was the Light of Men are frequently attributed to the Word it self as if the Word had immediately sustained them and not the Body the Light which shineth in the Consciences of Mankind which is the very Life of the Word or Word it self is not unconcern'd in the bodily Sufferings but both gives to believe them aright and to receive Benefit by them and that as the Sufferings of his own Body by and through which his Glory Grace and Truth did shine forth in the World which are now revealed afresh in the Hearts of all who believe in him Let our Adversaries deal so fairly with us as to distinguish between Christ and the Body of Christ as before Abraham the Rock in the Wilderness and the Appearance of Christ in the Flesh and not infer from our denying that the whole Christ could die that Christ that is the Body of Christ suffered or died not And when we say he who took Flesh has appeared to and in our Hearts that we exclude and deny his then Visible and Bodily Appearance or that he is not now as well without us as within us and we shall never doubt of a good Issue But truly after the rate we have been used by him the most Scriptural Assertions can never escape a being accounted False and Unwarrantable For because we are with godly Fear Jealous least the whole Christ should be thought to have been then crucified when his Body was which strikes at the Life of the Immortal and Divine Being we are represented by this Perverter of our right Meaning as Denyers of that Body whilest he himself acknowledgeth that the meer Manhood was not the Christ but the Word made Flesh Emmanuel Pag. 44. Dialogue 2. Because we assert that true Light with which every Man is enlightened to be in it self the Christ of God and Saviour of the World he infers that we deny the Outward Sufferings of Christ in his Bodily Appearance and in short that we deny the True Christ because he dyed and rose again c. which the Light never did never considering that if he makes what dyed rose again the entire Christ Saviour he excludes the Divinity or Godhead which he confesseth to be Christ in conjunction with the Manhood and which the Scriptures call strictly the Saviour besides whom there is none and which J. Faldo himself pag. 85. part 2. acknowledges to be such But if T. Hicks does allow as indeed he doth that Christ is God as well as Man there is nothing befalls us from his Inference but what strikes himself equally for if the Light with which Men are enlightened be not Christ because it cannot dye then Christ cannot be Christ as God because God cannot dye Well! But T. Hicks tells us that Christ as God is also Christ and that it was Christ's Body only that dyed Therefore I conclude that to own Christ to be that true Light which enlighteneth all men or that true Light to be Christ is no Derogation from Christ or Vndervalue to his Bodily Sufferings 3. And because that one of us spoak of a Two-fold Appearance of Christ in the Soul first as a Seed of Light in Man and next as perfect Day or in a full grown State of Glory Therefore sayes he a Personal Coming in any respect is denyed by you Contin pag. 45. which Conclusion is so horribly Unjust that no Impartial Man needs an Answer to it And let the Partial know that we have not only confessed to his Personal Appearance But T.H. has so much Faith for us Dial. pag. 45. The Baseness and self-Contradiction of the Man is notorious enough as to this Point I shall proceed to the next Particular and that is If Christ signifie Anointed and Christ be God as Penn saith I would query saith our Adversary whether God himself was anointed Contin pag. 47. But though this might have seemd something from a Socinian hand yet from T. Hicks it gives us no Difficulty at all for since he acknowledgeth Christ to be as well God as Man and that Christ was not anointed by halfes but intirely as the Word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Christ from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to Anoint doth imply I would fain be informed Argumentum ad hominem Who anointed the Godhead without which T. Hicks affirms again and again Christ was not Christ because says he Christ is God manifest in the Flesh Dialog pag. 44. And since he is for Querying let me ask him who is understood in that Passage God even thy God hath anointed thee with the Oyle of Gladness c Was that said of Christ or no If not say so If it was as most or all believe then whether the Divine Nature of Christ was unconcern'd in that Anointing And who it was that anointed him is evident from the place If T. Hicks will limit God to the manner of his Manifestations and Operations respecting us that is that he is no otherwise to in himself then what he appeares to us to be what will he make of that place To us a Child is born to us a Son is given he shall be called Wonderful Counseller the mighty God the everlasting Father the Prince of Peace c. Shall God's Condescensions to Man's weak and depraved state by personating and representing things to his capacity be an Argument that he is no otherwise in himself Are we confused because we use his Words or shall Man rise up against God's way of uttering forth himself suitable to the shortness of his Understanding This kind of Cavil might better become a Carnal Pharisee or Scoffing Heathen then a Man pretending to Christianity Base Man that he is who rewards the Almighty so ill for his Merciful Condescensions But to the Blind all things are dark But he thinks that he has caught me irrecoverably hear his
was Life and the Life was the Light of Men That if the Life was the Divine Essence the Light must be so also for such as the Cause is such the Effect must be Upon which sayes T. Hicks From this kind of reasoning we may conclude not only the Light within but every Creature both Beasts and Trees are God these being Effects of infinite Wisdom and Power Dost thou not Tremble at this Consequence Answ This very thing shews great Dis-ingenuity in T. Hicks That from G. Whiteheads asserting and proving the divine Nature of the Light within he should insinuate that every Measure of Light in Man is whole God and which is yet more gross to conclude from G. Whiteheads saying Such as the Cause is such the Effect must be that Beasts and Trees are God because the Effects of his Power whereas G. Whitehead did not intend it of a meer Potential but Natural Effect that is something resulting from the Nature and not the meer Power of the Divine Life Men are the Natural Off-spring Product of Men but so are not all those other things in the Creation which are notwithstanding the Effects of their Art and Power so that there needs no Trembling at G. W's Blasphemy as he afterwards calls it but better Information to T. Hicks's Ignorance or Rebuke to his wilful Blindness Of this I refer the Reader to G. W's Part of that larger Volum Again G.W. affirm'd it must be God because to deny it so to be was to deny the Omnipresence of God Then it seems says T.H. that the Light within and the Omnipresence of God is one and the same thing with him Is this your Champion May we not conclude the Body of Man as well as the Light within to be God by this Reason Answ By no means and 't is a Shame to hear that a Man pretending to Controversy should ask so ridiculous a Question Is there no Difference betwixt a Man whose Reines are on his Neck following the Lust of the flesh the Lust of the Eye and the Pride of Life and the Light within that T.H. himself acknowledgeth to convince of Sin reprove for it and unto which Man ought to give Attendance Is there as clear a Proof of the Omnipresence of God in the one as in the other I would know who is he that searcheth the Hearts and trieth the Reins and telleth Man his Thoughts do not the Scriptures attribute this to God and that as the most convincing Proof of his Omnipresence And if he doth so search the Hearts and try the Reins let us understand if it be not as the Great Light that enlightneth every Man that cometh into the World since the Scriptures testify that God is Light that every Man is enlightened that God searcheth all Hearts and that what ever doth make manifest is Light Now unless a Man may have his Heart searched his Reins tryed his Deeds manifested judg'd without an inward Light it must necessarily follow that the Light within present with us every where is to us the great Proof of Gods Omnipresence and therefore of God And though every measure of Light distinctly is not that Intire Eternal Being yet we are bold to assert that it is no other then God the Fulness of all Light who searcheth the Heart and tryeth the Reins and telleth Man his thoughts that doth shine into the Inward parts of Man and doth there convince of Sin reprove for it and lead out of it as believed and obeyed And 't is by this Inward Discovery chiefly Men come to know that God is and that he is a Rewarder of them that fear him whence when Men are Innocent it is frequent with them to say being unjustly accused my Heart misgives me not my Conscience doth not condemn me I have good Courage to look my Accuser in the Face A State transcending the utmost Stretch of all T. H's imagined Christianity In short T. Hicks's confident Conclusions against us arise from these Mistakes First He infers from Mans being Ignorant of all he ought to know the Inability of the Light to inform him never considering Man's Obedience or Rebellion 2 ly From Christs being the Light that enlightens every Man every Man 's having the whole Christ in him And thirdly from our asserting God and Christ to be one our Denial of Christs Outward Person and Bodily Appearance at Jerusalem see pag. 3 4 5 6 7 14. of the Dialog and 41 contin of the Dial. with much more of that sort Than which what can be more grosly Injurious to any People Either let him leave of Writing or understand better what he writes against us In short we are willing to let the Controversie ly here that the Quakers own promote and assert that the Life of God which is the Light of Men with which every Man is enlightened is sufficient to everlasting Salvation And Thomas Hicks asserts and promotes that this Life of God which is the Light of Men with which all Men are enlightened is not sufficient to Salvation I am not willing to break my Design of following his Charge and Proofs by much controverting the Doctrine in it self since 't is enough for me to shew that the Doctrines and sayings he fastens upon us and the Proofs he brings to maintain them such are not ours yet I am willing to mention one Passage among several others that if I understand any thing is a grand Contradiction to his Opinion of the Light 's Insufficiency He quotes Stephen Crisp thus If the Light ought to be obeyed then it must be sufficient To which T.H. returns this Answer But I appeal to the Light in thee whether this be not an Insufficient Proof I grant it ought to be obeyed so ought the lawful Commands of Magistrates Parents and Masters yet who will thence infer that therefore they are a sufficient Rule to Salvation Answ This cuts the Throat of his whole Design For by the same Reason that such who obey the lawful commands of Masters Parents and Magistrates are to be reputed good Servants Children and Subjects those who obey the Light are good Subjects Children and Servants to God And if those who so keep the Commandments of Parents Masters and Magistrates escape Punishment and obtain their Good Will Favour and Recompence which is an outward Salvation then those who obey the Light by his Allusion do obtain his Favour Love and Recompence of the Reward of Righteousness which Righteousness that it might be fulfilled in us so obeying and walking after his Spirit was the End of God's giving his Son a Light condemning Sin and that they that walk thereafter might not have Condemnation minding the things of the Spirit of God the Spirit of him that raised up Christ from the Dead the Spirit of Christ Christ in them not minding the Things of the Flesh which 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Minding as it may be render'd cannot be subject to the Law of God
thy dark Mind and that thou art still in thy Imagination understanding neither the Redemption nor the Seed which however feign'd by himself against himself is so great a Truth that there is scarcely one Passage in his Dialogue more allowable But to his Argument and Question We do assert the Redemption of the Seed for the Light and Life which has been as sown in the Heart of Mankind has been loaded with Sin pressed down with Iniquity grieved and almost quenched through Disobedience which words are not properly but metaphorically to be taken as used by the holy Pen-Men whereby to make things the more plain and easie to common capacities It is said in Scripture Out of Egypt have I called my Son a Place of Bondage and grievous Weights Burdens and Oppressions from all which the Seed was to be redeemed and Christ came or God was manifested in the Flesh that the Seed of Light Truth and Righteousness might break through and arise over all Corruption by which it had been grieved and pressed down And it is no Contradiction to say That God did rid himfelf of the Enemies that opprest his own Righteous Life or that he brought Salvation to himself for the Scriptures frequently speak on that wise especially in those two notable Passages of Isaiah And he saw that there was no Man and wondered that there was no Intercessor therefore his Arm brought Salvation to him and this Righteousness it sustained him Again The Year of my Redeemed is come and I looked and there was none to help and I wondred that there was none to uphold therefore Mine own Arm brought Salvation unto Me and My Fury it upheld me Whence it is no wayes absurd that we affirm that the End of God's Manifesting himself in the Flesh was for the Redemption or Deliverance of his Holy Life that was in Man but as a small Seed even the smallest of Seeds that had been long vexed grieved bruised and pressed down by Sin and Iniquity For the End of that Appearance was that Sin might be destroyed and that Christ who had been as a Lamb slain from the Foundation of the World might be exalted in the Hearts of Men and Women and his and their Foes made his and their Footstool For the Work is Inward we do aver in the Name of the Lord for where the Devil hath Reigned and had Dominion to wit in Man there be must be defeated and subdued and Christ alone by whom that is brought to pass ought and must have the Power and the Kingdom forever And if this be the Folly and Gibberish the Quakers must be charged with from this Anabaptist Preacher we are content to use it as well as patient to bear his insolent Scoff only let all take notice that we understand not by the Seed's Redemption its being redeemed from the Pollution but the Weight of Sin and Iniquity for it was and is pure forever Now as to our Calling Christ-without a Creature I must tell him 't is not our Language but if he means by it the Body born of the Virgin I suppose T. Hicks is far from believing that to be the Creator though his manner of speaking shews a dislike of us that we don't because he sayes that we esteem the Christ without or the Outward and Visible Part of Christ but a Creature as if he believed it to be the Creator However manifest it is he believes that the Redemption wrought is not by that God who in those foregoing Passages speaks so expresly to that purpose and who in time manifested himself in the Flesh but the Flesh only by and through which he was so manifested CHAP. VIII Of the Soul of Man HIs next Abuse of us that I shall take notice of is this That G. Fox and others hold the Soul to be a part of God of God's Being and that it is without Beginning All which sayes he is as much as to say the Soul is God SO THAT GOD SETS UP A LIGHT IN HIMSELF WHICH HE HIMSELF IS TO OBEY AND IN SO DOING GOD SHALL BE SAVED Behold your Anabaptist Preacher A Man of Truth Tender Conscience of the first Form of Christians a Contender for the Faith once delivered to the Saints and what else he falsly pretends and in vain would have us think him to be What so Base What so Irreligious as this Perversion Men nor Devils could never study more our Wrong then this pretended Christian has done If this be his Christianity The God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob preserve my Soul from ever coming within the Borders of such Religion but Christianity is absurd by such Traducers and God's Spirit is grieved by such Injustice I would not use the worst of Men no not Devils themselves at that unequal Rate he deals with us who both mis-cites his Words and abuses the true Meaning of what is truly cited G. Fox sayes thus God breathed into Man the Breath of Life and he became a Living Soul and is not this of God of his Being c. and is not this that comes out from God part of God from God Where nothing can well be clearer than that G. F intends that Divine Life Power and Virtue by which Adam in Soul Body came to live to God Can T.H. say after all this that he cited G F. right and ask the Quaker in his Dialogue Darest thou say I have not quoted him truly Hardened Man Breathed that is Inspired Breathed being the English Word Inspired borrowed from the Latine Inspirare the Greek has it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Joh. 20.22 hath breathed into enlivened inspired quickened the Hebrew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and he breathed or blowed on which R. Nachmanni and the Author Hiskuni in P. Fagins's Comment on the Place speak thus That God inspired Man with something of his own Substance that he contributed something to him and bestowed something of his own Divinity upon him and that God did inspire Man with the Holy Ghost and that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is a proper Word for it Which is as much as can be collected or justly concluded from what G. Fox hath said concerning Man But this Ungodly Person would infer from our Asserting that the Breath God breathed into Adam's Soul whereby it lived to God was of God's own Divine Life that the Soul of Man as a meer Creature created Capacity is of God's own Being and Substance and when he his done with a Taunt becoming none but a Prophane Person tells us that then God sets up a Light in himself which being obeyed by him he comes to be saved as 〈◊〉 the Soul needed either a Light or Saviour in case it were God or that God could obey any thing or needed Salvation O monstrous Blasphemy against God and horrid Injustice to us For as God can obey none nor need Salvation neither in sense can we be thought so to believe of the Soul as by him represented since our
pleading for a Saving Light the necessity of Obedience to it the Eternal Reward of Life or Death Happiness or Misery as it is conformed to or rebelled against prove our Faith in that Matter to be quite another thing If this be your Champion I dare warrant his own Baseness shall be his own Overthrow we need no more against him then his own Ignorance Malice Lyes Forgeries and Slanders to his utter Confutation in the Minds of all Impartial Persons CHAP. IX Of Justification and something of Satisfaction THe Doctrine of Justification is the next Particular that I am to take notice of He begins with the Quaker thus Pray what is your Opinion of Justification by that Righteousness of Christ which He in his own Person fulfilled for us WHOLELY WITHOVT VS Quak. Justification by the Righteousness which Christ fulfills for us in his own Person WHOLELY WITHOUT US we boldly affirm it to be a Doctrine of Devils and an Arm of the Sea of Corruption which doth now deluge the World Will. Penn Apol. p. 148. This Apology cited was written against a Malicious Priest in Ireland who in a Book by him published not long afore laid it down as Unscriptural and a very heinous Thing in us to deny Justification without any Distinction exprest by the Righteousness which Christ wrought in his own Person WHOLELY WITHOUT US To whom I made the Answer given by T. Hicks And if therein I have crost the express Testimony of the Scriptures let any shew me But if I have only thwarted a most Sin-pleasing and therefore Dangerous Notion let such as hold it look to that He has not offered me one plain Scripture nor the Shadow of a Reason why this Passage ought to be reputed unsound or condemnable If any Living will produce me but one Passage out of Scripture that tells of a Justification by such a Righteousness as is WHOLELY WITHOUT US I shall fall under its Authority but if we only deny Men's corrupt Conceits and Sin-pleasing Glosses and they offer us nothing to our Confutation or better Information we shall not think bare Quotations of our Books to be sufficient Answers But to the end all may understand the Reason of my so Answering that Priest take those short Reasons then rendered with any one of which I am to suppose T. Hicks desired not to meddle First No Man can be Justified without Faith sayes Jenner No Man hath Faith without Works any more then a Body can live without a Spirit sayes James Therefore the Works of Righteousness by the Spirit of Jesus Christ are necessary to Justification Second If Men may be justified whilst Impure then God quits the Guilty contrary to the Scripture which cannot be I mean while in a Rebellious State Third Death came by Actual Sin not Imputative in his sense therefore Justification unto Life comes by actual Righteousness not Imputative Fourth This speaketh Peace to the Wicked whilst Wicked but there is no Peace to the Wicked saith my God Fifth Men are Dead and Alive at the same time saith this Doctrine for they may be dead in Sin and yet alive in another's Righteousness not Inherent and consequently Men may be damned actually and saved imputatively Sixth But since Men are to reap what they sow and that every one shall be rewarded according to his Works and that none are Justified but the Children of God and that none are Children but who are led by the Spirit of God and that none are so led but those that bring forth Fruits thereof which is Holiness 'T is not the Oyle in anothers Lamp but in our own only which will serve our turns I mean the Rejoycing must be in our selves and not in another yet to Christ's holy Power alone do we ascribe it who works all our Works in us All which was not only not answered but not cited by him He brings me in again thus Justification is not from the Imputation of another's Righteousness but from the actual Performing and Keeping God's Righteous Statutes Sand. Found p. 25. To which after this base and disingenuous Citation he returns me this only Answer Is it not written Rom. 5.19 By the Obedience of one many are made Righteous But before I explain the Truth of that Scripture be pleased to hear my Argument as it is laid down in my Book and then give thy Judgment Reader upon the Man The Son shall not bear the Iniquity of his Father The Righteousness of the Righteous shall be upon him and the Wickedness of the Wicked shall be upon him When a Righteous Man turneth away from his Righteousness for his Iniquity that he has done shall he dye Again When the Wicked Man turneth away from his Wickedness and doth that which is Lawful and Right he shall save his Soul alive yet saith the House of Israel The Wayes of the Lord are not Equal Are not my Wayes Equal If this was once Equal it s so still for God is Unchangeable And therefore I shall draw this Argument That the Condemnation or Justification of Persons is not from the Imputation of another's Righteousness but the actual Performance or not keeping of Gods righteous Statutes or Commandments otherwise God should forget to be Equal Therefore how wickedly Unequal are those who not from Scripture Evidences but their dark Conjectures Interpretations of obscure Passages would frame a Doctrine so manifestly inconsistent with God's most pure and equal Nature making him to condemn the Righteous to Death and justifie the Wicked to Life from the Imputation of another's Righteousness A most Unequal Way indeed Where observe that the Answer he makes me give in his Dialogue is delivered by me with an If it be so fetcht expresly from the Text it self so that the Scripture and not W. Penn is most struck at by him However it be he has offered us no Opposition yet but that Passage out of the Romans which will not be found inconsistent with Ezekiel's Testimony on which my Argument was grounded The whole Verse was thus For as by one Man's Disobedience many were made Sinners so by the Obedience of one shall many be made Righteous which if the whole Chapter be well considered is no more then this that as Adam representative of Mankind from whence he had that Name was he by whom Sin entred into the whole World So Christ was He by whose comeing and Obedience Righteousness had an entrance to the Justification of many In short the Work Christ had to do was two-fold 1 To remit forgive or justify from the Imputation of Sin past all such as truely repented believed and obeyed him And 2ly by his Power and Spirit operating in the Hearts of such to destroy and remove the very Ground and Nature of Sin whereby to make an End of Sin and finish Transgression present and to come that is the first removes the Guilt the second the very Cause of It. Now I grant
and in which his Holy Spirit leads not by the which only Self is abas'd kept under and in perfect Obedience to and watchfull Observance of God's Holy Will But Tho. Hicks makes this a Strange and Dangerous Doctrine insinuating that we perform nothing but upon a kind of Spiritual Compulsion as if that God required Man to do all his Commandements without his holy Spirit alwayes ready to incline and help them either to begin or perform any such Duty or that there were no Difference between waiting for the natural Springs of Divine Power to assist and being compell'd to worship But this shews his great Ignorance of God's Spirit its dayly Movings upon the Heart of Men either as a Reprover or Comforter for Good for were he better acquainted with its Dealings it would not be so uncouth to him to hear of our Waiting to feel the holy Stirrings of it in order to every Religious Performance wherefore let not his Ignorance be any Argument against our holy Gospel Practice The Saints of old had a Warrant in themselves for what they did They were not wont to run into the Imitation of former Generations as to any External Appointments because then commanded and practised as proper but consulted the Anointing they had receiv'd about the Continuation or Dis-use of such Figures or outward Services and as they receiv'd Wisdom and Counsel therefrom either to use or decline the Practice of them they acted and no otherwise making good the Apostles Saying that as many as are led by the Spirit of God are the Sons of God Are we led by It in ALL things then in and about God's things Had it not been for this how could the Apostles have preach'd down the whole Ceremonial Worship of the Jews The meer Letter of Scriptures could never have been their Rule in the Case If any say they were extraordinarily Inspired I answer how did such as then believ'd know that if not from an Inward Testimony Nay what Rule had the many Thousands then to worship God by The Hebrew Bible was little or not at all known to the Gentiles The Scripture tells us that whole Churches were setled in the Faith before the Epistles were writ And it is hard to think when they were writ that they could be suddenly collected and when collected that every Individual could get a Coppy that to be sure ought to have a Rule for Printing was not so early in the World and Transscribing must needs have been to Irksome for every Person to obtain a Coppy for his or her peculiar Benefit But because we are taught to believe that they wanted not True Rule of Faith and Practice and that the Scriptures especially of the new Testament could not be all that to them our present Adversaries conclude to make the great Rule let them not be displeas'd if I infer from hence that a Measure of that Holy Spirit which was given to every one to profit with was their Rule and therefore ought to be our great Rule and Guide in all things relating to Faith and Worship And let it be remembred that Christ promised to send the Spirit of Truth to lead into all Truth as much as to say none are led into the Truth nor in the Truth but by the holy Spirit of Truth or that their Practice is a Ly or they are led into a Ly who are not led by the Spirit of Truth that alone leads into all the Wayes of Truth where by Truth is not to be understood the meer Letter of the Scripture which notwithstanding is True but the Living Powerful Truth Christ the Way the Truth and the Life of which the Scripture is but a Record or Declaration Many may run into a Practice of several Outward Things mentioned in the Scriptures to have been the Practices of the Saints of former Ages and yet not be led into the Truth for all that is but Will-Worship Imitation and Unwarrantable To be led into the Truth is to be led into God's Living Power Wisdom and Righteousness whose Fruits are Peace and Assurance for ever This is the Truth the Spirit leads and is all-sufficient to Certainly Christ intended This for the Great Evangelical Leader Rule Judge Law-giver and Guide through the whole course of Regeneration the only Way into the Everlasting Kingdom And all those who are not by this Holy Spirit prepared moved and assisted to perform Divine Worship unto God but run into that weighty Duty or any other supposed Ordinance without its pure Leadings which makes it a Spiritual and Living Worship they are but those anciently fore-told of LORD LORD-CRYERS whose Portion shall be that dismal Depart from me I know you not who has requir'd these things at your hands Let this therefore be a Warning unto all Professors in the Name of the Lord that they run no longer Vnsent nor think to be accepted for their many Words God regards the Heart that he has broken and is made contrite before him and which trembles at his Word 'T is not meer Worship but that which is Spiritual which he expects and accepts and to perform that Man must Cease from his own Spirit Strength Strivings and Imitations and become Dumb before the Lord and as a Man dead to Self-Performance and then will he breath into him the Spirit of Supplication and raise him up in the Newness of his own Divine Life whereby though but in Sighs and Groans a Spiritual and most Acceptable Worship shall be offered unto God in which his Soul will be well pleased and every such one come to be refresht and establisht in Righteousness For all Offerers and Vpholders of strange Fire of what sort of People soever they may be in the Great and Notable Day of the Lord God will he cause to lie down in Sorrow And because he thinks his Advantage is not small that he hath against us by basely inferring and aggravating such Consequences as this What of Duty we neglect we are to charge upon the Spirit 's not moving us to it or because we must not obey without a Motion we are acquitted from all Fault till then c. Let me tell him that he striketh himself and not the Quakers For they hold that God's Spirit ought to be daily waited for And that it is alwayes ready to inform and instruct Man's Soul and to move it to those Thoughts Words and Deeds with respect to God and Man as are Well-pleasing to the Almighty For we do not only teach that the Spirit of God is alwayes present to convince of Sin but to lead out of it and in that Way of holy Living which is well-pleasing unto God In short God's Worship stands in the Spirit and I testifie from the Eternal God all other Worship then what springs from a Mind touch'd sanctify'd and mov'd of his holy quickning Spirit is abominable to him His Righteous Soul loathes it And what else were their Sacrifices as theirs were who in my hearing said Pray
Brother will you Pray No Brother I am not so well able as you are Let Brother such a one Pray he is better gifted for the Work c. Complementing Shifting and at last Praying c. in their own Wills and not in God's Motion This God hates Next Since the Pouring forth of the Spirit is the great Gospel Gift and that the Children of God are to be led by it In what should we more diligently wait for its Heavenly Assistance then in that part of our Duty which we owe to God Is his Worship Spiritual and can we perform it out of the Motion of his own Spirit For what then was his Spirit given Again If Men should pray in a known Tongue much more with the Spirit as the Apostle speaks No Wonder the Professors ask Pardon for their Prayers Indeed God's Spirit gives them to see the Emptiness of their Righteousness and condemns them for it wherfore they are at times dissatisfy'd in them yet they will not learn of him to be guided by him who would cover them with Everlasting Righteousness Blessed would they be if their Minds were stayed in his Counsel But instead thereof T.H. does as good as say that if he should stay till the Spirit moved him he might stay long enough rendring the Spirit Wanting in that for which he was shed abroad in the Heart Because through his Enmity and Darkness hasty Running in his own Spirit he feels it not to lead him else he would never infer from our Asserting the Necessity of the Spirit 's Moving to Right Acceptable Worship that we are acquitted from any Fault in omitting to do that which is Good and the Blame must be laid upon the Spirit But let me ask him Can any Man do Good of himself Surely he will say No. How then shall Man do that Good he ought to do but by the Holy Ghost Canst thou call Jesus Lord by any other Power or Spirit Read the Scriptures What greater Contradiction can there be then to believe Man of himself can do no Good and yet to say he can do it without God's Spirit to incline and assist him thereunto But if the Spirit do not what does Tell me what can tender the Heart prepare the Soul raise the Affections give true Feeling of Wants and help to perform all in that Fear Reverence and deep Sense which becomes all New Covenant Spiritual Worshippers if this cannot or do not Nay what an Affront is it to God since it is to suppose that Man wants him not that his Spirit neither moves to Duty that ought to be performed nor yet condemns for Duty omitted Behold the Impudence of the Man He talks of Gospel Christ the Mysteries of his Glorious Kingdom c. What grosser Opposer of the New Covenant can there be who denies the very Life Virtue and Soul of all true Gospel-Worship and Discipline and without which the otherwise best Christian-Church that ever was would be worse then Legal For they that worship not from the Motions of God's Spirit offer strange Fire set up their own Worship and are Image Makers such ask but they receive not because they ask not aright For if no Man can call Jesus Lord but by the Holy Ghost no Man can pray to the Lord or in his Name without the Holy Ghost yet a Sigh or Groan from its holy Operation that Sacrifice though without Words is manifold more engaging and effectual with the Lord then the most excellent Performance of Man 's own Spirit 'T is the Fear and Heavenly Sense of God in the Soul that recommends the Performance and that the holy Spirit begets And as the Minds of Men and Women are exercised in the Law of this pure and quickening Spirit as it appears in them they shall know the true Worship which stands in Life and Power whose End is Everlasting Peace when the LORD LORD-CRYERS that have Prayed and Preached in their own Wills and Wisdom as well as to their own Ends and Advantages shall be cast out forever with a DEPART FROM ME YE WORKERS OF INIQUITY But there is one Objection taken from my Book called The Spirit of Alexander the Copper-Smith c. which he thinks splits us irrecoverably It runs thus Either there is such a thing as a Christian-Church or there is not if there be then this Church either hath Power or hath not If no Power then no Church If a Body or a Church then there must be a Power within it self to determine To which sayes Tho. Hicks For Christians to plead this who own the Scriptures for their Rule and not the meer Light within the Argument may safely be allowed But you cannot stand by this For will you say what a Man doth without an Inward Motion is accurst and yet disown him for not doing what he is not moved unto But though this be plausible it is no more For the Difficulty remains in Case the Scripture be admitted for the Rule for Instance The Church unto which Tho. Hicks belongs own the Scripture to be the Rule But suppose Tho. Hicks in some one Point believes the Scripture not to intend the same thing the rest of the Church understand it to mean as in Case of Free-Will I query how this Matter shall be reconciled They affirm the Scripture to be the Rule and say This is the true Sense of the Scripture Thomas Hicks also affirms the Scripture to be the Rule but that his Sense is the Mind of the Scripture This occurs almost daily among those who believe the Scripture to be the Rule of Faith Now observe the Parallel The Quakers by the Light within them as their Rule judge that rude Imagination of keeping the Hat on in time of publick Prayer The Anabaptists by the Scripture as their Rule censure Thomas Hicks for upholding a Contrary Sense to the Scripture The Dissenter from the Quakers sayes The Light which he calls his Rule manifests no such thing to him nor doth he believe it to be the Mind of the Light to him Thomas Hicks makes Answer to the Church that by the Scripture he understands quite another thing and the Scripture is his Rule for what he sayes and maintains in the Matter I would ask any Man of Common Sence if the Scripture is not as well set in Opposition to it self by these two Pretenders as the Light within and if the Church of Anabaptists would not therefore doubt the Truth of their Interpretation but proceed to censure Thomas Hicks as a Disturber of their Church in its Doctrine or Discipline by the Introduction of New and Unprofitable Opinions Neither are the Body of the Quakers to question their Judgment given by the Light within as their Rule to be a true and unquestionable Determination against such Alexanders and Enemies to the Peace of their Jerusalem But I would further tell Thomas Hicks that though we renounce all Worship not led to by God's Spirit his Reflection
makes haste over you if your Visitation be shut up in God's Withdrawing the Light of his Countenance inwardly to be felt and known by such as turn to it your Condition will be miserable for ever I beseech you in the Bowels of the Love of Christ Jesus unto whom this comes Be Still Cool and Moderate let him in whose Right it is He will affect your Hearts purifie your Souls destroy your Enemies and finally save you from Sin here and Wrath to come for to that End was he given a Light to lighten the Gentiles and for Salvation to the Ends of the Earth And hold no Communication with such Unsavory Persons as Thomas Hâ—â—ks a Man turn'd I testifie from the Grace of God into Dryness and Wantonness and Prejudice who makes a Mock at Experience and to whom the Weighty Work of Witnessing is Matter of Derision O the Ill Use he has made of Religion and the Lamentable End he is come and coming to My Friends get to Experience get to Witnessing by all Means and that with all Speed for those who cannot witness God's Work and Will done in them to their Sanctification shall never see Heaven That is the Word of the Lord God of Life and Power and it is sealed for ever Ah! Life for your Souls or you perish which is only known in the Light and ye must be born again or you enter not into the Kingdom of God No splendid Shew no Methodical Articles no Outward Fellowships will serve turn Friends they will all stay behind when you must go away once and for ever Therefore be not Opposers of God's Work in your selves nor others but seek after Invisible Life for your Souls that will go with you And if you will believe in the Light you shall not abide in Darkness but shall have the Light of Life which blessed be God we do Experience yea Thomas Hicks we Witness it And though thou hast bestowed much time to Abuse Belye Slander and Traduce our Friends in general and my self a Stranger to thee in particular yet I can forgive thee and the Lord is Record for me I wish thy Salvation O that these heavy things might not be layed to thy Chargeâ— For so sure as God liveth Great will be the Wrath that shall follow yea God will visit for these Unrighteous Dealings And I testifie to thee from God's Living Spirit if thou desist not and come not to deep Repentance the Lord will make thee an Example of his Fury and thy Head shall not go down to the Grave in Peace and by this shalt thou know that not a Lying or Delusive but a true and Infallible Spirit hath spoken by me yea the Light within will bear Witness to the Truth of these things on thy Dying Bed and then remember me I wish well to all I seek the Good of all I have nothing in my Eye but the Glory of my God the Prosperity of his Truth and the Salvation of all People through their Belief in it and Obedience to it Wherefore my Heart is not discomforted but I have Peace with him whose Presence I feel in which is Life to my Soul Strength towards my Labours Sâ—pport under Sufferings and a plentifull Reward for them all A Conclusive Supplication O Lord God! Plead thy own Cause and the Innocency of thy own poor People O Lord Reach into the Consciences of all thy Enemies Breath a Blast upon all their pleasant Shews Stain the Glory of their Will-Worship Bring them down that thou mayst exalt them Wound them that thou mayst heal them Break them that thou mayst bind them up O that they may all Hunger and Thirst after thy Appearance that thy Life and Power and Wisdom they may come to witness that they may be all saved in this thy Day O Lord from every Barren Way and from every Evil Work that the Life of thy Puâ—e Spirit may shine forth by them to thy Eternal Praise who over all art worthy who art God Blessed forever Amen Magna est Veritas Prevalet Great is the Truth and it doth Prevail A Postscript of Complaint Against the Unfair Dealing of our Publick Enemies SInce God visited us by his Glorious Light and that he Alarm'd Qâ—ickenâ—d aâ—d Raâ—s'd us by his Almighty Power that broke in upon our Hearts and Consciences to Discover Sin wound for it and redeem from under the Yoak of it that our Religion might not stand iâ— Word and in Form only but in Power and Life But specially since our Out-cry against the Formality and Emptiness of the many Religions in the World preaching the Necessity of Obedience to the daily Cross unto Salvation many have been our Enemies and those of divers sorts What Stratagems they have used may be better known when it shall be considered what they have not used to our Destruction Indeed â—ew or none For if Lyes Forgeries Perversions Mis-representations Aggravation of Invented Miscarriages would have done we had not been now in the World But God has preserved us to this day and the Point of their Arrows have retorted upon themselves and the Hole they have digg'd for us they have oâ—ten fallen into themselves and our Patiâ—nce and Resolution will wear out their Envy aâ—d Cruelty Among other of their Essayes Writing hath not been the least in Practice and Request But this we have publickly to declare of and that in a way of Just Complaint Our Enemies multiply their Books against us yet never answer our Defences The utmost of their Endeavours towards it seems to end either in Cavilling Perverting Mis-representing our Words and Meanings rather disguising then confuting our Principles or else inventing Error and Weakness in our Name that they may the more easily convict us of both though guilty of neither Since therefore they afford us no Just Dealing but instead of weighing our Reasons in Vindication of our so much decryed Way seek to defame it through Ignorance or Malice or both We thought it fit to let them know that we have several Books already out which contain a large effectual Defence of our Principles and Practices which we demand a serious Consideration of and full Answer to before we shall think our selves obliged to any further Tracts in our Vindication then what have been already writ and which we are now in hand withal For that we should so often defend our selves and our Defences be neglected and instead of an effectual Consideration of them that they should fall to their old and so often repell'd Charges and Accusations as if they writ not to have us clear our selves nor yet that they would justifie their Mis-representations of us by confuting our Apologies but to be dirt and disguize us to the People is most Unreasonable on their side as well as that it would argue great Indiscretion on ours to follow them into every repetitious Accusation For our parts we can never think our selves obliged to justifie our Principles so many times over against
him into all Truth as he obeyes it Bap. Abel Enoch Abraham Isaac Jacob Noah c. had a Sufficient Rule before the Scriptures were written viz. the Spirit 's Rule God's Speaking and Directions from his own Mouth and that they had a more Infallible Word to waâ—k by then now is to us For 't is possible that some Scriptures may be corrupted having been in the hands of corrupted Men. The Scriptures may be and is corrupted by Man This may be graâ—ted that the Spirit is the Rule Of more Efficacy then the Letter The Spirit is greater then the Letter Jo. Newman's Light Within page 19 20 104 105 106 108 110 112. VIII Qua. 'T is possible for True Believers through the Power and Help of Jesus Christ to attain to such a Perfection in this Life as the keeping the Commandments of God Bap. The Spirit of God assures us that they who are subject to and keep the Commandments of God are the Children of God and they who do not are Lyars 1 John 2.3 4. cap. 5.2 3. Contin p. 61. IX Qua. That Remission and Pardon of Sins past thrâ—ugh the Blood Righteousness of Christ Jesus tâ—e Justification of Persons whether it import the making or declaring them Righteous in Christ by a Living Faith are neither imputed nor reckon'd of God tâ— thâ—m in an Unconverted Unsanctified Disobedient or Ungodly State but to the truly Repentant Converted Believing and Obedient Souls Bap. I know of none that hold Justification of Persons in their Vngodliness We plead not for a Righteousness Imputed to overthrow a Righteousness Inherent or the Exercise of Christian Vertues He that is pardoned were a Sinner till justified not such that remain so being satiâ—fied Contin p. 55 56. The Saints are made the Righteousness of God that is God now as in Christ dâ—â—â—'s and â—â—â—s in the Saints hâ— hâ—â—â—pirit writes his Law in their Hearts makes them Partakers of his own Nature and so goes oâ— in Fulfilling his own Righteousness in thâ—â— For the Righteousness of the Law in the Spirit is fulfilled in us Marrow Christian p. 38. X. Qua. Though the Soul and Spirit of Man be not of God's Divine and Infinite Being but related â—o the Being of Man and as Corruptible hath a mutâ—blâ— Habit yet as we are his Off-spring and Man is the Image and Glory of God the Original â—ife oâ— Soul of the Soul that came from God and is immutable is of his own Being In short God in whom we live move and have our Being is the Life of Lives and Great Soul of Son's and the Soul thâ—t is Saved and United to God doth partake of his Divine Nature and he that is joyned to the Lord is one Spirit Bap. The Condescension of God and Christ into the Hearts of his People to woâ—k up his Saints into the sâ—â—â— Nature with himself c. God aâ—d Christ iâ— Holy so his Word is Holâ— and through Faith in tâ—is 〈◊〉 Christians are wrought up into the Nature of it self and into God J. Newman 's Book Light Within p 78 84 87 88. There were the Propeâ—ties oâ— Gâ—â— iâ— some measure imparted to Adam Adam was in the Image of God in respect of Eternity he hâ—d given hâ—m an Everlasting Being Marrow of Christianity pag. 4 5. Christ was both the Power and Wiâ—dom â—f God and as Christ so all the Saints are 〈◊〉 one iâ— thâ—s Wisdom Christ is made unto us Wisdom nâ—t only by wâ—y of Imputation but by the Operatiâ—n of the same â—pirit who dwells as truly in every Believer as in Christ ibid. pag. 34 35. And have not sâ—me of their Brethren confâ—st That there is a kind â—f Infiniteness in the Soul XI Qua. The Children of the Resurrection shall be equal unto the Angels of God in Heaven and their Bodies not Natural Earthly and 〈◊〉 the very Gross Mâ—ttâ—r that nâ—w they are 〈…〉 Celestial Spiritual like uâ—to Chriâ—â—'◠〈◊〉 Body God giveth a Body as it plâ—asâ—th 〈◊〉 in Subjection to whose Good Pleasure we 〈◊〉 quiesce till it be effected as he seâ—th 〈…〉 own Praise Bap. That there shall be a Resurrection of the â—ody at the Last Day is Evident John 5 〈◊〉 11. with 1 Cor. 15. Rev. 20. although 〈…〉 some denyed and by others too caâ—â—lly looke◠〈◊〉 Some thinking that our Bodies of Flesh shall be Raised in the same Form in which it Dyed c. The Form in which they shall be raised that is a Spiritual Form not in a Fleshly It is sown a Natural Body it is raised a Spiritual Body When Christ who is our Life shall pâ—eâ—r we shall appear with him in Glory all Flesh shall he swâ—llowed up in â—pirit and our Bodies shall be changed and made like unto his Glorious Body Marrow of Christianity by T.C. pag. 93 94 95. And those Saints who are alive at the Coming of Christ shall be changed in a Moment in the Twinkling of an Eâ—e 1 Cor. 15.51 52. and so shall be caught up in the Spirit to meet the Lord in the Air 1 Thes 4.17 Ibid. p. 92. XII Qua. The Son of God doth not consist or is not made up of a Humane Body of Flesh Blood and Bones For he was the Word and One in Being with the Father from Everlasting But in the Fulness of Time he took upon him Flesh or that Body prepared for him and being Ascended into Glory his Body is a Glorious Body surpassing all Humane Earthly Carnal and Corruptible Bodies Bap. Christ was a Son by a Spiritual Proceeding and Coming from the Father who was Eternally One in the Father Marrow of Châ— p. 30. Our Bodies shall be changed and made like his Glorious Body Ibid. p. 95. Theâ— shall be raised in a Spiritual Form not in a Fleshly p. 94. The â—on took Flesh upon him the Word took Fleâ—h the Father did prepare him a Body Dialogue p. â—5 4â— and 83. XIII Qua. Christ being so highly exalted and Glorified as it God's Right Hand as he is can be neither Proof nor Argument that he is not iâ— any Man nor that either Christ or God's Right Hand is limited and circumscribed to such Remotâ—ness as not to be in the True Believers to save and uphold their Souls Bap. When a Soul is satisfied from its Vnion with God and its Dwelling in God that all the Administrations and makings forth of God is Love unto it thus it dwells in Love and from hence is filled with Joy It causeth the Soul alwayes to dwell at the Right Hand of God where is Joy and Pleasure for evermore Marrow of Christian p. 28. Christ the Son was Eternally one in the Father so in him all Believers are made by the same Spirit the Adopted Sons of God being made Partakers of the same Divine Nature Marrow of Christian p. 30. Christ dwells Spiritually in all the Saints If Christ be in you you shall be sensible of it Ibid p 31.32 Tâ—is Indwelling of Christ in his People God and Christ cannot be