Lucid they namely the Bodies of the Angels are with which the best of them are invested as truly that of Exod. 3. 2. Acts 7. 30. which answers well to that of Hebr. 1. 7. The Bodies of the more Glorious Angels are Igneous and Lacid That also is a remarkable Example of the Lucidity of the Bodies of Angels which we have Acts 12. where while Peter was sleeping betwixt two Souldiers in the Prison bound in Chains the Angel of the Lord is said to come upon him and a Light to shine in the Prison c. I will add one Instance more which is Dan. 10. 5. where the Angel that instructed Daniel is thus described Then I lifted up mine Eyes and looked and behold a certain Man cloathed in Linnen whose Loins were girded with fine Gold of Ophaz his Body was also like Beryl and his Face as the Appearance of Lightening and his Eyes as Lamps of Fire c. This Appearance certainly of this Angelical Shape is Fiery Lucid and Glorious It is manifest that they are very Luminous and Glorious Whoever is invested with such a Body as is reserved for the Sons of the Resurrection will be if he please to shew himself thus Lucid and Glorious of which I shall want no more Examples then that one of our Saviour Christ's Body for all ours at the Resurrection are to be made like to his Glorious Body and how Lucid and Angelical his Body was after his Ascension into Heaven may appear from Apocal. 1. 13. where one like unto the Son of Man is said to be cloathed with a Garment down to the Foot and girt about the Paps with a Colden Girdle his Head and his Fair to be white like Wool as white as Snow that his Eyes as a Flame of Fire and his Feet like unto fine Brass as if they were burning in a Furnace and his Voice as the Sound of many VVaters a sharp Two-edged Sword came out of his Mouth and his Countenance was as the Sun shining in his strength This Body I think is sufficiently Lucid and expresly and almost exactly conformable to that of the Angel which appeared to Daniel as any one may observe that listeth to compare them The like Appearance of our Saviour seâ—…meth to be also Apocal. 10. where an Angel is said to be cloathed with a Cloud with a Rain-Bow on his Head and his Face to be as the Sun c. I will add his Appearing to an out of the Heavens as he was going to Damascus Acts 9. that suddenly there shined round about him a Light from Heaven c. above the Brightness of the Sun Chap. 22. 6. 26. 13. Which again doth not only assure the Reality but the exceeding great Splendor of the Corporeal Presence of Christ which is also agreeable to that in Apocal. And his Countenance was as the Sun shining in his Strength Out of all which I hope it is plain enough that as our Saviour hath said That the Sons of the Resurrection do become iâ—…so facto Angels in Condition as well for the Splendour and Constitution of their Body as their Immortality The Body of our Saviour after his Refurrection being so accurately answerable in Light and Glory to the most illustrious Appearances of Angels in either the Old or New Testament and this alone one would think might be sufficient to assure us of the Lucidity or Luminosity of the Body of Christ as also of all our Resurrection-Bodies For the Spirituality of this Body see 1 Cor. 15. 44. It is sown a natural Body it is raised a spiritual Body there is a natural Body and there is a spiritual Body c. I think it is most reasonable to understand the Resurrection-Body to be called Spiritual not for that it is actuated by a Spirit for the Soul is a Spirit that actuates the natural Body but for that the Body it self is become spiritual which I must confess Calvin seems abhorrent from but meerly out of his Ignorance in Philosophy for he reprehends those qui substantiam corporis putant fore spiritualem c. Calvin seems to be afraid of the Opinion of the Body being spiritual as implying a substantial Change c. There is not any Inconvenience to admit that the Resurrectionâ—… Body is a spiritual Body that is to say that the Contexture of it is of more subtil Parts then those that constitute the Earthly Bodies pag. 498. And so he distinguishes between that Terrestrial Statue or Body that Adam had and the Spiritual Bodies of those that are made conformable to the last Adam and to his Glorious Condition Such as are not of a stupid and Statue-like Condition of themselves but of such a Nature as hath an Activity in it self and doth most wonderfully contribute to the most lively and most divine and enlarged vitall Operations of the Soul â—… In this Manner hath he gâ—…ven his Distinction upon the Words It is sown a Natural or Animal Body it is raised a Spiritual Body The Resurrection Body is Heavenly or Celestial as the first Man is of the Earth Earthly the second Man is the Lord from Heaven as is the Earthly such are they that are Earthly and as is the Heavenly such are they also that are Heavenly and as we have born the Image of the Earthly we shall also bear the Image of the Heavenly And then it follows But this I must tell you Brethren That Flesh and Blood cannot inherit the Kingdom of God not that they shall only have Heavenly Bodies in a moral Sense or spiritual Meaning Bodies in which they shall be Heavenly-minded For such Slips as these and dilute Sences are very Dangerous c. but that they shall have an Heavenly Body in that Sense that Adam had an Earthly which was not called an Earthly Body for that he was Earthly-minded in it but because his Body was of an Earthly Substance Really and Physically Heavenly not only Morally we shall be such in our Corporeal Constitution as our Celestial Lord is in his we shall bear his Image of Heavenly Glory and Brightness not only in a Moral but Natural Sense nor can I imagine how Interpreters could be carried so forcibly off from so obvious and true a Sense had it not been by reason of some false Pre-conceptions in Philosophy that had corrupted their Minds and perverted their Judgments namely the Hypothesis of Ptoloâ—…e and Aristotle By an Heavenly Body I would understand an Angelical Body That the Heavens are fluid according to the most ancient and divinest Philosophy as the very Notation of the Hebrew word intimates Our Resurrection-Bodies will be furnished with the Seeds and Principles of Light and Splendour and be more Beautiful and more full of Lustre and Glory then the Heavenly Matter it self as that part of the Earth which becomes an humane Body is more precious and beautiful then the Earth it self before it be modified into a Frame fit for the Functions of Life So that whether we
it is unworthy the Name of true Men. I will believe succeeding times may have out-done them in Debauchery but I can never think unless better inform'd that any Age hath so much as equal'd them in a Treacherous Hypocrisie though that I may be just several among them were not wanting to express their utter Abhorrence of such Procedure which hath thus far aggravated the others Apostasie that they were worse treated then such that were reputed their Publick Enemies as if not to be Treacherous had been to be Dis-affected concerning which I refer the Reader to the first and second Narratives printed in the Year 1659. Certainly it was now time that God should arise and that his Enemies should be manifest who under the Splendidst Shew of Reformation that almost any Age for 1400. Years could parallel had Crucified the Holy Life of Religion stifling the Spirituality thereof by reform'd Formality empty Shews and meer tinckling Cymbals of Sin-pleasing Doctrines And their Primitive Tenderness being worn off by Time and Preferment none grew more Superstitious and Persecuting then those who once seem'd most averse from it I charitably forbear the mention of particular Persons In short Pride Self-Seeking and Self-Establishment in Glory Wealth and Worldly Prosperity having undermin'd the Worthy Honesty that was at first stirring in the Hearts of some of them Behold a Glorious but Empty Trunk of Profession as lofty as the Jews themselves pretending to be Children of Abraham and Heirs of the Promise yet Servants to Sin Christians by Imputation but not by Qualification saved in Christ though lost through Sin in Themselves pray by the Spirit yet their Duties unholy Things Behold Babylon in one of her best Trims But it was at this time serious Reader when Religion was so much talk'd of and so little practis'd that it pleased the Eternal Wise God who is unsearchable in his Goings to appear and manifest the Knowledge of Himself by a Way contemptible to the World as indeed when did he otherwise shewing himself first to Shepherds and Men of mean Rank whose outward Abilities were as incapable to gain Applause from Men as their Meanness to invite them Men Plain and Simple who desired of long time above Worldly Treasure they might be acquainted with the true unchangable Way of God All the Religion they were taught of Men or the strength of Memory could collect from Books joyn'd with their own Simplicity and Zeal was not able to overcome the Enemies of their Souls for whose Redemption God appear'd and they often groan'd in secret being truly willing to undergo any cross that might but help them to this Knowledge after which they had daily thirsted more then for appointed Food Thus that no Flesh might glory in his Presence did the Almighty God according to his many Precious Promises break in upon the Spirits of a poor despised People by his terrible Power which caused the old Foundations to shake and begat holy Terror and Dread because of the Glory of his Majesty who had reveal'd Himself Judgment overtook for Sin and Righteousness was laid to the Plummet and a true Scale was erected wherein all the Profession in the World was lighter then the Chaff which is blown away of the Tempest This Day of Judgment for Sin and Consumption upon all the pleasant Pictures of Religion that Tradition Education or Imagination had drawn in the Minds of Men they were constrain'd to Declare and the very Utterings thereof were astonishing both to Professors and Prophane For being Witnesses of a nearer thing then an Out-side Religion however refin'd in which the whole World was adulterated from God and that the Time of the Kindling of the Indignation of the Lord God Almighty was come because of Iniquity and Unrighteousness that cover'd the Earth as the Waters cover the Sea which made the Controversie Essential Not to consist about exterior Order Church-Government or meer Articles of Faith But that Inward Principle of Righteousness which reduceth the Soul to the Heavenly Order and that Faith which overcomes the World Therefore in the Name of the Lord and by the alone Arm of the Almighty did several of these poor Men go forth into Towns Citties and Countries proclaiming the Day of the Controversie of God with Men by the pleadings of his Holy Light Power or Spirit in their Hearts and Consciences decrying all Notions of Christ above Possession calling the lofty Cedars to bow and the sturdy Oakes to bend before the Heavenly Appearance of the Lord by his Light within that all Knowledge of God not gotten through inward Judgment and Experience of the Operation of his saving Hand was accurst of God And that as the Earth of Wickedness in Mens Hearts should be consum'd by the Refiners Fire so the Heavens of lofty Knowledge should by the fiery heat thereof be wrapt up as a scrole that a new Heaven and a new Earth in which dwelleth not IMPUâ—…ATIVE but Real Inherent Everlasting Righâ—…ousness might be known to be created by the Word of God nigh in the Heart I say these Men alarming the Nation with the Sound of this harsh and terrible Trumpet who had taken so long a Nap in Pleasure Ease and Fleshly Religion caused very strange and differing Apprehensions Some prickt to the very Heart cryed out What shall we do to he saved whilst the Wolf and the Fox lay in wait to intercept the blessed Work of the Lord by several wayes of Cunning and Cruelty The Priests who were degenerated as well as the People basely Teaching for Hire and Divining for Money The best accounted of them making Bargains how much a Year to preach the Gospel as they call it and so is it to this Day like Foxes seeing their Kennel found out into which they had so long hid their Prey and fearing that the Turning Men to the Light in the Conscience and their so resolutely Testifying That no Man could be at Peace with God who went condemn'd thereof and that all Knowledge of the things of God which hath not been received through the holy Subjection of the Creature to God's Heavenly Appearance Within him for whatever may be known of God is manifested within saith the Apostle was above the true Teacher and the Sufferings of the Cross of Christ They posted to the Magistrates Saul-like with whole Packets of Lyes Slanders and Invectives on purpose to beget a Wolf fish Nature in them to put a stop to the Progress of this blessed Manifestation of the Eternal Light of Righteousness but the Exercise of a Merciless Power Some few would not be prevailed upon but the Generality seeing their Worldly Honour and which to some of them was dearer their beloved Easie Religion was struck at Root and Branch they as an Arm'd Man furiously employ'd their Strength to the Relief of the Priests and Subversion of these poor Men Some were Imprison'd others Whipt several Bruised not a few Murther'd and many Robb'd and Spoil'd of their Goods And that
its directing Men to the same Power of God for the subduing and bruising Satan under their Feet which in their own particulars they must experience whoever attain to Deliverance or Salvation from the Power of Sin and Satan As also God hath promised to make a New-Covenant with his People It s new not as opposed to the Light within as implying its waxing old but new as that the old Covenant without which the Jews broke was to decay and vanish this New-Covenant being a Covenant of Light Life and Peace a Covenant whereby he takes away and forgives Sin This they only have a Part in who obey the Universal Light of the Son of God within which no Way differs in Nature from the Covenant it self nor can it oppose the Ends of it but is a Light of the same Life and Fulness that is enjoyed in the Covenant or Agreement with God moving and conducing to the very same End and Agreement as obâ—…ed and waited in and as the Jews outward had a Rule directory and Law in the Letter without though that alone could not give Life so the Jew inward hath his Rule directory and Law inward in Spirit which can give Life And this New-Covenant is the last Dispensation of God in Christ to Man wherein his Highest Spiritual and Saving Knowledge is to be received by all that truely obey his Light and though this be new as to his renewed glorious Discovery herein yet he who is the Life of this Covenant and given for a Covenant and Salvation is the first and the last the Rock of Ages whom God hath decreed to anoint or set up upon the Hill of his Holiness even the Holy Hill of Sion that he may subdue and rule the Nations and be the Salvation of God to the Ends of the Earth more abundantly to be manifest in these last Ages wherein his Church cometh out of the Wilderness and the Holy City New Jerusalem is discovered from Heaven as a Bride prepared for the Bridegroom and the Lord God and the Lamb as promised is the Light thereof and the Nations of them that are saved shall walk in the Light of this City and for this End is the Gospel made known and preached again after a long Night and Reign of Anti-Christ Beast false Prophet Dragon and Whore whose Judgment is revealed even against all the dark Whorish Spirits and Hypocritical Envieus Agents of Anti-Christ and Satan who do not only envy oppose and gain-say the Truth and undervalue the True Light as its an Universal Principle in man but also resist and strive against the Glorious Breaking forth and Discovery thereof in our Dayes for which the Lord will rebuke them and he that sits in Heaven hath them in Derision And all such Babylonish Builders and Envious Agents as divers of these Men called Anabaptists or Dippers now shew themselves to be whose Malice Madness and Folly shall be manifest to all Men why do they rage and fret and revile but because the Light is sprung up and the Over-spreading Day of God is broken forth who hath said as truely as I live all the Earth shall be filled with the Glory of the Lord Num. 14. 21. The Stone cut out without Hands that sâ—…ites the Image shall become a great Mountain and fill the Earth the God of Heaven is setting up his Kingdom which shall never be destroyed as is prophesied in Daniel Yea Truth is sprung out of the Earth which strikes at Satan's and Anti-christ's Kingdom and again bruiseth the Serpent's Head who hath lodged and covered himself under their empty Forms Shaddows and Liveless Professions as he did among the persecuting Jews of old The Lord hath lifted up a Standard against their Hypocrisie and Deceit who have been covering an Envious Spirit with a Pretence of Christianity And he is exalting his Gospel-Dispensation in setting up his Light above their Darkness his Power above their empty Forms the Substance above the Shaddow the Spirit above the Letter and his Worship in Spirit and Truth above Will-Worship in Hypocrisie At this Satan is offended and his Agents are angry These our present Opposers vent forth their Confusion Envy and Strife though it be against the Stream they are wearying themselves for very Vanity the Fire which they have kindled in their Envy against the Lord's Heritage wherein they are labouring shall devour them 1. These Anabaptists Babylonish Confusion greatly appears about the Light which is in every Man as Men whom Enmity hath blinded and whose Minds are alienated from it into gross Darkness Though the Controversie between us is not upon the Question Whether there be a Light or any Light in every man for thus far we both agree in the Affirmative but whether God hath given a Divine or Sufficient Light to every Man to shew and direct him out of Sin and Evil to God who is Light and the Giver of Light for Life and Salvation which we affirm but these Dippers deny especially such of them who are particular Electioners or Predestinarians whose partial Doctrine doth not really place the Cause of Men's Condemnation upon their Neglect or Disobedience of the Light given them but originally upon God's secret Decree against them and his with-holding saving Light or Grace from them as they both falsly and partially imagine however it s confest to be tendered to all in preaching the Gospel without Exception or Respect of Persons But under what Terms or Names do these our Opposers represent this Light which they confess is in every Man to prove it Insufficient either for a Rule or Guide to Salvation Sometime they call it a Creature sometime a Natural Light sometime the Substance of the Law or first Covenant which they grant ought to be improved Sometimes after a more gross manner they blasphemously represent it as a Mis-guiding Light directly opposing the Covenant of Grace and to be rejected but how well this agrees with its being a Light given of God to be improved surely sor a good End I leave to the Serious Impartial Reader to judge of which he may see further about in the following Answer to Thomas Hicks And as touching these Men's Envy against us called Quakers as being offended at our present Liberty and Prosperity H. Grigg endeavours to clear them in his Epistle to the Baptists not Babylonish by this Passage viz. I have not the least Enmity nor Hatred in my Heart against the Persons of any of these People called Quakers nor are we offended or troubled at their present Liberty as he seems to charge us though we cannot deny but their Principles and unsound Doctrines tend to the wounding and grieving of our Souls because we see daily more and more the dangerous and damnable Nature thereof Mark that while hypocritically they pretend to clear and quit themselves from having the least Enmity against our Persons or Offence at our present Liberty It appears they would be gratified or pleased if the Powers would do them
all John 3. 31. and the Flesh of the Son of man which he gave for the Life of the World is that Bread which came down from Heaven Joh. 6. 50 51. Except ye eat the Flesh of the Son of Man and drink his Blood ye have no Life in you ver 53. Yet that the Name Son of Man was applyed to him as a Sufferer and as he said so shall the Son of man be three Dayes and three Nights in the Heart of the Earth Math. 12. 40. I deny not but this doth not limit him from being called the Son of Man in a higher State also each of God's Prophets might be called as divers were a Son of Man but Christ the great Prophet the Son of Man the Apostle distinguisheth between the first man and the second man thus The first man is of the Earth earthly or human the second man is the Lord from Heaven 1 Cor. 15. 47. therefore the second man is not human in their Sence nor consisting of a human or earthly Body as the first man and Ephes. 4. 9 10. now that he ascended what is it but that he also descended first into the lower Parts of the Earth he that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all Heavens that he might fill all things and Phil. 3. 21 who shall change the Body of our Lowness that it may be fashoned like unto his glorious Body c. Now if it should be read according to these Baptists Sence it must be who shall change our vile Bodies that they may be fashoned like unto his human Body as if they were not such already and how disproportionable is it to say Christ consists of a human Body of flesh blood and bones in Heaven but the Saints must have a spiritual glorious Body in the State of Glory hereafter yet to prevent these mens Scruples concerning our owning the man Christ or the Son of man in Glory I tell them seriously that I do confess both to his miraculous Conception by the Power of the holy Spirit overshadowing the Virgin Mary and to his being born of her according to the Flesh and so that he took upon him a real Body and not a fantastical and that he was real Man come of the Seed of Abraham and that he in the Dayes of his Flesh preached Righteousness wrought Miracles was crucified and put to Death by wicked Hands that he was buried and rose again the third Day according to the Scriptures and after he rose he appeared diversly or in divers Forms and Manners he really appeared to many Brethren 1 Corinth 15. and afterwards ascended into Glory being translated according to the Wisdom and Power of the Heavenly Father and is glorified with the same Glory which he had with the Father before the World began being ascended far above all Heavens that he might fill all things whose Glory is Incomprehensible and beyond the Apprehension of Human Capacities VI. Of Jesus and his Body of Man and the Body of Man WHereas H. G. cavils at my speaking distinctly of the Body of Jesus in that Joseph of Arimathea begg'd the Body of Jesus and to confute me herein he instanceth that of the body of Saul and saith that the Case is the same and the body of Moses which the Devil disputed about p. 39 40 41. but in this I cannot see any valid Matter to his purpose nor wherein he can intend it unless he believes that the Soul or spiritual Existence of man dyes with the body and the Devil did appear wiser then he concerning this distinction in that his disputing about the body of Moses does imply a distinction between Moses as to his immortal Existence and the body of Moses and that he did not confound them as this man doth who concludes Jesus Christ to consist of a human Body of Flesh and Bone which the original Being of no man properly consists of though to prevent Cavils and for 〈◊〉 sake I 'll grant him thus much that the Name Jesus Christ is indifferently and mutually applyed both to his spiritual being and to the body he took upon him and that distinctly in Scripture although the Names Messiah Jesus Christ the Anointed the Image and Glory of the invisible God the Word the Light the Life c. do more eminently and more originally belong to him as he was before he took that body upon him which he called this Temple and it was called the body of Jesus Whereas H. G. sayes What a strange Epitath would this Man write upon a Tomb-stone he cannot write here lyes the Body of Thomas or William c. but rather thus here lies the Thomas of Thomas p. 41. Reply This more properly falls upon himself in not admitting that distinction touching Jesus and the body of Jesns but their concluding and confining Jesus Christ as to confist of the meer body of flesh and bone and that he could not be Jesus Christ the Saviour before he took upon him that body by which this man cannot write Here lies the body of Thomas or William c. which implies a belief of an Immortality of the man as to his Spirituality but rather here lies the whole man Thomas or William without admitting of any such Immortality and yet I will grant him as before that the Word Man is indifferently applyed to either the spiritual Being or Body of man as there is an inward man and an outward man 2 Cor. 4. 16. And as God created man in his own Image and yet it s said he formed man of the Dust of the Earth Gen. 1. 27. and Chap. 2. 7. and it s said That the rich Man dyed and was buried which was his Body and in Hell he lift up his Eyes c. which could not be that Part which dyed and was buried but the immortal part or Soul Luke 16. 22. 23. yet the Word Man most properly and originally as God created Man in his own Image belongs to his spiritual Existence or Being for the Earthly Body was not the Image of God But farther let the Reader observe how evidently H. G. has contradicted his foregoing Stuff for a human Christ consisting of a Body of meer Flesh and Bone against my distinction concerning Jesus and his Body that was put to Death and buried which was also raised as where he speaks distinctly of Jesus and his Body p. 33. and confesseth that Christ came in the Flesh p. 36. that he hath an outward glorisied Existence that he hath a body p. 46 47. Christ's crucified Body p. 50. the Body that was prepared for him p. 79. He did assume our Nature p. 80. He had the very Form Shape and Fashion of a Man p. 81. And what He or Him was this he speaks of Was it not Christ the Son of God the Anointed And to his arguing That if Jesus Christ continues a man for ever then he hath a Body of Flesh and Bone forever This doth not follow
other Grain It is sown and It is raised when the Body or outside of that very Corn that is sown is dead though the innate Virtue or Life doth not in it self dye nor fruitlesly expire Thou sowest not that Body that shall be c. yet in these two relations It is used as relative both to that which is sown and to that Body that shall be while in the very next Words to those before cited it is said there is a Natural Body and there is a Spiritual Body 1 Cor. 15. 44. and these can no more be the self-same then Celestial and Terrestrial Bodies can or then the first Adam and the laft Adam or the Earthly and the Heavenly which the Apostle plaiuly distinguisheth between as he doth betwixt the Natural and the Spiritual But whereas T. H. and his Brethren so much argue from the word It as It is sown a Natural Body It is raised a Spiritual they take this It for Idem corpus the self-same Body in both Their Mistake is evident they have not this either from the Greek or Latin see 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 seminatur corpus animale surgit corpus spirituale i. e. a Natural or Animal Body is sown a Spiritual Body riseth it is not Idem surgit Nor would this agree with the next Words There is a Natural Body and there is a Spiritual Body This admits of no such Transubstantiation as that the self-same Natural Body should become Spiritual or be the Subject of such an Accident And it is sown 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an Animal Body or as having Life a Living Body which therefore cannot be the Body as dead and laid in the Graves for in that Condition they are not Corpus Animale for that relates to the Earthly Adam or Body of Mankind as having a natural Life â—…nd must not even the Animal or Natural Man dye before the Spiritual Man be risen or Immortality in Christ be put on And is not the Natural or Animal Man doposed to the Renewed Man 1 Cor. 2. 14. And the Seed which is sown in Weakness must needs have some Degree of Life in it when sown whether Natural or Spiritual and the Weakness and Corruption doth relate to the Subject in which it is sown if the Seed it self be incorruptible And as the First Man is of the Earth Earthly the second Man is the Lord from Heaven and As is the Earthly Such are they also that are Earthly and As is the Heavenly Such are they that are Heavenly ver 47 48. which if this be owned it must be granted that they that are Heavenly must have Bodies sutable viz. Heavenly or Spiritual Bodies this Heavenly being the second Man the Lord from Heaven ver 47. And mark As is the Heavenly Such are they that are Heavenly which cannot be the same with Earthly any more then the Image of the Heavenly can be the Image of the Earthly And as to our being asked what this Mortal is that must put on Immortality Though Mortal in this place implies a dying Condition of Man as the Effect of Sin as in Adam all dye yet it cannot as having put on Immortality be relative to Flesh and Blood but as admitted in a Heavenly and Spiritual Sense for the Apostle plainly tells us but a little before Now this I say Brethren that Flesh and Blood cannot inherit the Kingdom of God neither doth Corruption inherit Incorruption Behold I shew you a Mystery We shall not all Sleep but we shall all be Changed ver 50 51. And so by that Life and Immortality which is brought to Light we see beyond Death and Mortality and we though as in a dying State yet behold Immortality being quickned by the second Adam and renewed again into the Image of the Heavenly being made alive in Christ who redeems Man from Death ransoms the Soul from the Power of the Grave who swallows up Mortality and Death in Life and Victory and saith O Death I will be thy Plagues O Grave I will be thy Destruction Hos. 13 14. Isa. 25. 8. by whom also Death being so swallow'd up into Victory the Sting of it which is Sin taken away They who thus have their part in Christ who is the Resurrection and Life can truly say Thanks be to God who gives us the Victory through our Lord Jesus Christ 1 Cor. 15. â—…7 And to take off further Surmisings against us I tell my Opposer that this Resurrection or Change extends not only to a Raising of Man up from Sin to Righteousness but also to an Eternal Glory And 't is not only the Raising up of the Seed or Grace in Man as he supposes but the Raising up of Man from Sin Death Hell and the Grave even in the Seed and Life which is the Ransom and this answers his Cavils in his 6â—… and 61. Pages only where he fictitiously makes us speak thus viz. Qu. We believe the Resurrection of the Body though we know not what that Body is which shall rise And then he absurdly makes a Christian to answer thus viz. Chr. Thou saidst before the Light within was the divine Essence either then thy Light within thee is not God or God knows not all things c. Reply First he feigneth the Quacker though we will never own him to be our Mouth for the Words were not so spoken by me or us but that we ought not to be too Curious or Inquisitive in things beyond our Capacities as to the Manner of the Existences hereafter or how Men shall be reserved unto their several Ends and Rewards for God knows how to do it but we being sensible of the different Seeds we cannot be altogether ignorant of the Nature of each Body being proper to the Seed it belongs to Yet if with John we say it doth not yet appear what we shall be it is Satisfaction that we know what Manner of Love the Father hath bestowed upon us that we should be called the Sons of God for such are Sons of the Resurrection 2dly T. H. abuses the Christian by making him speak absurdly that which implies that if Man have a Divine Light in him he must needs know all that the Light knows or else either conclude that the Light is not Divine or else God is not Omniscient and then it follows from hence that none have either a Divine Light or God dwelling in them unless they know as much as God which was a Temptation to Man at first and by this he hath shut out all not only the fallen World but God's People also from having any Divine Light or Power of God in them He scoffs at some of our Friends saying We own the Resurrection that is We witness it and then adds But what is it you witness the Resurrection of the Seed 'T is Christ in you Ans. Is this a matter to be taunted or scoffed at Hath he truly acted the part of a Christian thus to slight the Arising of the Righteous
consider the Angelicalness Spirituality or Heavenliness of the Body at the Resurrection there is all Reason to conclude that it will be of a Bright and Lucid Nature which is not only agreeable to Reason and the Scripture but also to the Sayings of the Fathers themselves as S. Hâ—…rom S. Macariuâ—… S. Ephrem S. Austin as you may see in Vossius in his Theses de corpore glorioso But nothing more express for our Purpose then that of S. Ephrem in his Discourse of the Resurrection viz. Justorum corpora septuplum supra solis 〈◊〉 radios How Angelical how Spiritual how Heavenly or Celestial how refulgently Bright and Glorious the Bodies of the Blessed are c. and more particularly the Body of our Saviour that shone about Saint Paul and Saint John as the Sun in his Strength c The first Man is of the Earth Earthly the second Man that is the Lord Jesus the Heavenly Man from Heaven And who should be intirely Heavenly if not He And what has Earth to do to either descend from Heaven or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or what Body more radient or refulgent then the Sun in his greatest Brightness can be vitally Organized but it must be of an Heavenly Nature indeed We have all Reason in the World to conclude the Body of our Saviour intirely Cele ial Tâ—…e Terrestrial Modifications of his Body were changed all cloggings thereof were quel'd and abolish'd 〈◊〉 and Blood cannot i 〈◊〉 the Kingdom of God and I think there is the ame Reason of Flesh and Bones viz. I understand natural Flesh and Bones not glorified I demand by what Creed tâ—…at hath the â—…ssent of the Universal Church are we required to believe that the Glorified Body of Christ consisteth of Flesh Blood and Bones It â—…eming so contradictious to the exprestwords of the Apostle as well as uniuitable to the Nature of the Peavens which the Philosophers new adayes conclude to be universally flâ—…d He admits of a Body of Flesh and 〈◊〉 provided they be Celestial and Spiritual Flesh and Bones p. 503. If any mortal could get within this so refulgent Orb of Glory and Brightâ—…ss and approach so near as to see the Fraim and Feature of â—…o Divine a Body no Heart could escape from being struck into a 〈◊〉 at the Sight of so over-coming a Beauty and Majesty nor the Soul of the Beholder from being carried quite away in an extatick Fit of Love and Joy and transporting Admiration p. 503. Touching the Sameness of the Body The Atheist makes a fresh Assault from the sense of the word Resurrectio as it is imply'd the rising again of the very same numerical Body in the strictest Scholastick Sense To which is answered first That 〈◊〉 in Latin implies no such thing necessarily but that as a City or Temple suppose being razed to the Ground and from the very Foundations is truly laid to be Rebuilt and so is both deemed called the same Temple and City again though nâ—…t a Stone were used of the former Structure provided only that they be rebuilt upon the same Ground though the â—…ame numerical Matter were not congested together to make the same Body at the Resurrection the stable Perâ—…onality being in the Soul c. He placeth the Sameneâ—…s of the Body that shall be upon its vital Union with the Soul and faith Tâ—…at Resurrectio is to be interpreted according to the Latitude of the Original to which it answers namely 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 â—…is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifie only Vivification or Erection into Life but then considering it is spoken of them that have in some sense ceased to be alive that in that sense it signifies Revivification whence the Atheists Objection from the word Resurrectio is utterly defeated p. 506. The Scholastick State of the Resurrection is described namely That we shall have the same Numerical Bodies 〈◊〉 which we lived here on Earth and that these very Bodâ—…es the Moulds being turned aside shall start out of the Grave To which I presently subjoyn This Dâ—…ctrine the Atheist very dearly hugs as a Pledge in his bold Conceâ—… of the Falsness and Vanity of all the other Articles of Religion But for those that take any Pleasure or find any Ease or Satisfaction of Mind in the Conclusions or Pâ—…raseologies of the School-Divines touching this Point they are left free to enjoy their own Apprehensions and may if they please either fancy it necessary that all Bodies should rise out of the Ground the Moulds being cast aside or else conceive only that God will by his Omnipotency gather all the Particles of our Bodies whether flying in the Air or sâ—…ting in the Water and frame them together on the Surface of the Earth c concerning such things they may vary their Fancies as they pleaâ—…e 〈◊〉 p 508. To the second Objection he saith I answer farther as concerning the Scripture it self That I dare challenge him o produce any place of Scripture out of which he can make it appear that the Mystery of the Resurrection implies a Resuscitation of the same Numerical Body The most pregnant of all is Job 19. which later Interpreters are now so wise as not to understand at all of the Resurrection The 1 Cor. 15. that Chapter is so far from asserting this Curiosity that it plainly sayes it is not the same Body but that as God gives to the Blades of Corn Grains quite distinct from that which waâ—… sown so at the Resurrection he will give the Soul a Body quite different from that which was buried as different as a Spiritual Body is from a Natural Body or an Heavenly from an Earthly p. 508 509. A POST SCRIPT By way of Animad version and Counsel SErious and impartial Reader I have collected these Passages that thou mayst not only see how some of these learned Men differ about this mysterious and 〈◊〉 Point but also how unreasonable it is for any of them to be 〈◊〉 this or the like unlearned 〈◊〉 upon us viz. How and with what Body are the Dead raised c or to seek Occasions to vilifie us about this Point which 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are not only confounded but liable to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Question is not only unlearned but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 unnecessary unto Salvation it is not necessary that 〈◊〉 should imagine 〈◊〉 they shall be cloathed or 〈◊〉 with Bodies in Heaven but to enquire the Way 〈◊〉 that they may walk in it and be solicitous to know that Power and inward Operation whereby they may be made Sons of God and attain to the Resurrection of the Dead as being Children of God and of the Resurrection If men walk in the True Light and so truly serve and please God on Earth they shall not need to 〈◊〉 or dispute about their future Beings in Heaven Their Business is to get thither and 〈◊〉 will well accommodate them there Men ought not to be too curious and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Matters beyond their reach as to the Manner
3 One God and Father of all 1 Cor. 8. 6 Now to the King Eternal Immortal Invisible the Only Wise God be Glory c. 1 Tim. 1. 17. The Heaven of Heavens cannot contain Thee 1 Kings 8. 27. 2 Chron. 6. 18 What House will ye build me Acts 7. 49 God dwells in the Light 1 Tim. 6. 16 To whom will ye liken God what Likeness will ye compare unto Him Isa. 40. 18 25 God is a Spirit John 4. 24. Clem. Alex. Strom. L. 2. Lact. Fals. Rel. 1. 5. Cic. de Nat. Deor. 1. But to us there is but One God the Father of all of whom are all things 1 Cor. 8. 6. Where wast thou when I laid the Foundations of the Earth read on Job 38. 4 And the Earth was without Form read the Chapter in which is declared God's Making and beautifying Heaven and Earth and all Living Creatures therein Gen. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12. and so to the end Thou Lord madest the Heavens and the Earth and all that in them is Acts 4. 24. August cir Del. 8. Tim. de De Anim. Mund. The Pure in heart shall see God Mat. 5. 8. He dwelleth in Immortality no Mortal Eye can approach or behold him 1 Tim. 1. 16. One Thing have I desired of Thee O Lord to behold the Beauty of the Lord Psalm 27. 4 The Things of God knows no Man but the Spirit of God but God hath Reveal'd them to us by his Spirit 1 Cor. 2. 10 11. 1. 13. Is Christ divided 1 Cor. 1. 13 And I heard a great Voice saying THE TABERNACLE OF GOD IS WITH MEN. He that Overcometh shall Inherit all things I will be his God and he shall be my Son Revel 21. 3 7. Jambl. * Jamblich * De Anim. Mund. In the Beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God John 1. 1. The Word is nigh thee in thy Heart and in thy Mouth Rom. 10. 8. I dwell in the High and Holy Place with him also that is of a Contrite and Humble Spirit Isa. 57. 15. Ye are the Temples of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you 1 Cor. 2 16. Whatever may be known of God is manifested within for God shews it unto them Rom. 1. 19. Valer. Max. 7. 2. Lay up Treasure in Heaven where neither Moth nor Rust can Corrupt nor Thief break through and Steal Mat. 6. 20. This Treasure hath God put into Earthen Vessels 2 Cor. 4. 7. Fear not for the Lord thy God it is that doth go with thee he will not fail thee nor forsake thee Deut. 31. 6. In all their Afflictions he was Afflicted Isa. 63. 9 The Lord is a present Help in the time of Trouble Psal. 46. 1. * Oedip. Tyr. Shall not the Uncircumcision that is by Nature if it fulfil the Law judge thee who by the â—…etter and Circumcision dost transgress the Law For he is not a Jew that is one Outward implying such as keep the Law is one Inward Rom. 2. 27 28. And the Word of God nigh in the Heart shall abide forever Isa. 40. 8. Clem. Alex. Strom. L. 5. Plutarch de Gen. Socr. There is a Spirit in Man but the Inspiration of the Almighty giveth Understanding Job 32 8. 2 Tim. 2. 22 25. For as many as are led by the Spirit of God are the Children of God Rom. 8. 14. * In phaed. God is Light 1 John 1. 5. In thy Light 〈◊〉 we see Light Psalm 36. 10 God is not far from every one of us for in him we live move and have our â—…eing for we are also his Off-sping as certain of your own Poets have said Acts 17. 27 28. One of whom was Arabus whom the Apostle quotes as speaking Truth and imployes it against them to prove a True God and to introduce his Gospel which if it shewed their Apostacy it also implies that there had been Heathens rightly apprehending of God else surely the Apostle would never have cited the Poets Saying for a Confirmation of his own Doctrine * Enead 1. cap. 1. For the Lord God is a Sun a Shield the Lord will give Grace and Glory no good Thing will he withhold from them that trust in him and walk uprightly Psal. 84. 11 12. For God hath shewed it unto them Rom. 1. 19. Clem. Alex. Strom. L. 5. A Manifestation of the Spirit is given unto every one to profit withal 1 Cor. 12. 7. One God and Father of all who is above all and through all The Lord is Good unto all Psal. 145. 9. Leg. Alleg. L. 1. The Things of God knoweth no Man save the Spirit of God 1 Cor. 2. 11. I will put my Law in their Minds and write them in their Inward parts I will be their God and they shall be my People Heb. 8. 10 11. Plut. Dion Prus. Because whatever may be known of God is manifest within for God hath shewed it unto them but because they liked not to retain God in their Knowledge God gave them up to vile Affections Rom. 2. 19 26 28. Dis. lib. 1. cap. 14. O Lord thou hast searched me thou understandest my Thoughts afar off Whither shall I go from thy Spirit Psal. 139. 1 2 7. We have a more Sure Word of Prophesie 2 Pet. 19. The Lord hath shewedun to thee O Man what is Good and what he doth require of thee Micah 6. 8. In him we Live Move and have our Being Acts 17. 28. Such as Men Sow such shall they Reap Gal. 6. 7. That was the true Light which Inlightneth all Mankind John 1. 9. * Senec. Epist. 41. * De Benef. c. 17. * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Behold the Tabernacle of God is with Men Rev 21. 3. He that dâ—…clareth 〈◊〉 Man his Thoughts the Lord the God of Hosts is hiâ—… Name Amos 4. 13. Wâ—…ite ye have the Light walk in the Light that you may be the Children of the Light God is Light John 12. 26. 1 John 1. 5. * â—…pist 8. * Epist. 31. * If Angry Tho. Hicks will please to inform himself of the Reasons that induced Justin to turn Christian he will find the Light Within acknowledged to be the Efficient Cause thereof for it was the Principle of God in his Conscience that continually pleaded the Christians Cause within him and who at last overcoming Justin Believes in Christ and Dyes for him too Now what Disgrace is this to the Light Within Liv'd after Christ Ann. 123. 1543. years since Apolog. Liv'd after Christ 190. Admon ad Gent. Strom. L. 5. Clem. Alex. in Admon ad Gent. Liv'd Ann. 195. Liv'd about Ann. 203. Liv'd about Ann. 315. De Cult Ver. Lib. de Ira cap. 2. Liv'd about Ann. 325. Athanas. cont Gent. Liv'd about Ann. 3 80. Liv'd about Ann. 393. Liv'd about the Year of the World 3313. before Christ about 630. years which is 2330. years since Thou therefore which teachest another teachest thou not thy self Rom. 2. 21. Love thy
here inserted testifie X. ANTISTHENES one of Socrates's School expressing himself as it were Clem. Alex. Strom. L. 5 That thou mayst know that there is none like Me in all the Earth saith God Exod. 9. 14. 8. 10. Who in Heaven can be Compared unto the Lord who among the Sons of the Mighty can be Likened unto the Lord Psal. 89. 6. by way of Paraphrase that Prophetick Saying Whom have ye likened me unto saith the Lord thus speaks He is like none because no Man can know him from a Likeness or Image By which we may perceive he did not believe him to be an Image who could not be known by an Image nor any thing that could be seen with Carnal Eyes a Step beyond the Romanists that teach the Knowledge of as they darkly Fancy by Images XI PLATO also Schollar to Socrates and whom the Greeks for his Heavenly Contemplation and Pious Life surnam'd Divine gives us his Faith of God in these words God is FIRST ETERNAL I am the Alpha and the Omega the First the Last Rev. 22. 13. Thou art the Everlasting God Isa. 40 The Way of the Lord is Perfect Psal. 80 30. He is a Rock his Work is Perfect for all his Ways are Judgment A God of Truth and without Iniquity Just Right is he Deutr. 23. 4 For I am the Lord Isa. 45. 5 I Change not Mal. 3. 6. INEFFABLE PERFECT IN HIMSELF that is needing none and ever Perfect that is absolute in all Times and every way perfect that is absolute in every part Divinity Essence Truth Harmony Good Neither do we so name these to distinguish one from the other but rather by them all to understand one He is said to be GOOD because he bestows his Benefits upon all according to their several Capacities and so is the Cause of all Good FAIR because he is in Essence both More Better and Equal TRUTH because he is the Principle of all Truth as the Sun is of all Light Moreover God not having many Parts can neither be locally mov'd nor alter'd by Qualities For if he be alter'd it must be done by himself or some other if by some other that Other must be of greater Power then he if by Himself it must be either to Better or to Worse both which are Absurd From all these it Follows That God is Incorporeal and by all which it is evident how True and how Reasonable and how Firm a Belief Plato had of One Eternal Being and Father of all XII And Lyricus MELANIPPIDES praying saith Clem. Alex. Hear me O Father thou Wonder of Strom. L. 5. Exod. 1. 15 11. Psalm 136. 4 5 6. Men who alwayes Covernest the Living Soul This plainly preaches to us their Belief of One Eternal God XIII PARMENEDES Magnus as saith Plato in Clem. Alex. Sophista writes concerning God on Strom. L. 5. Thy Throne is establisht of Old thou art from Everlasting Psal. 93. 2. Jehovah is Everlasting Isa. 26. 4. this wise He is not Begotten neither is he lyable to any Death like a Chain whose Links are Whole Round and alwayes Firm and Void of a Beginning What was this but the Eternal God by whom all things were made the First and the Last XIV ZENO a Grave and Wise Philosopher who instituted the Way of the Stoicks but not of Vertue both the Cynicks and Stoicks mostly teaching such Doctrine as tended to good Life may well be said to have been the Followers of Socrates the ExcellentMan of his time only they a little differed themselves by some particular Severities too Voluntary which the Mild Serious and Unaffected Piety of Socrates gave them no Encouragement to though none of them trod in a more Self-denying Path then History tells us he walkt in This Zeno and his Disciples were Vigorous â—…sserters of One Infinite and Eternal God as by their Doctrines may appear Zeno tells us That God is an Immortal Being Rational Laert. Perfect or Intellectual in Now to the King Eternal Immortal Invisible the Only Wise God be Honour and Glory forever 1 Tim. 1. 17. The Rich and Poor meet together the Lord is the Maker of them all Pro. 22. 2. Come now let us Reason together saith the Lord Isa. 1. 18. Be ye Holy for I the Lord your God am Holy Levit. 11. 44. One God and Father of all of whom are all things Ephes. 4. 6. 1 Cor. 8. 16. Who is a God like Aristot. de Xen. unto thee Exod. 15. 4. The Almighty is Excellent in Power Job 37. 23. And his Kingdom rules over all Psal. 103. 19. Beatitude void of all Evil provident over the World and things in the World Not of Humane Form MAKER OF ALL AS IT WERE FATHER OF ALL. Again God and the Power of God is such as that it governs but is not governed It governeth all things so that if there were any thing more Excellent He could not possibly be God This was Zeno's Faith of God which I cannot believe that Tho. Hicks himself has so far abandon'd all Reason as to censure for False or Idolatrous that he Taught It as well as Thought It. Let us hear some of his Followers XV. CHRYSIPPUS also avers as his Belief of a Laert. de Ira Dei c. 10. God that the World was made by him consequently he believed there was one For if Lord thou art God which hast made Heaven and Earth and all that in them is Acts 4. 24. God that made the World Psal. 90. 2. All Nations are unto God but as a Drop to the Bucket and the Dust to the Ballance Isa. 40. 11 15. saith he there be any thing which can procrâ—…ate such Beings as Man indued with Reason is unable to produce that doubtless must needs be Stronger and Greater and Wiser then Man but a Man cannot make the Celestial things therefore that which made them transcended Man in Art Counsel Prudence and Power And what can that be but GOD Thus far Chrysippus the Stoick in reference to God But again XVI ANTIPATER a Famous Serious and Accute Stoick in his Discourse of God and the World declares Plut. himself to us after this manner Plat. phaed. God is a Spirit John Antip. de Mund. l. 7. 4. 24. In whom are hid all the Treasures of Wisdom Knowledg Col. 2..8 Of the Incorruptible God Rom. 1. 23. The Lord is Good to all and his tender Mercies are over all his Works Psal. 85. 9. God is not far away from every one of us Acts 17. 27. We understand by that which we call God A SPIRIT full of INTELLIGENCE or WISDOM a Living Nature or DIVINE SUBSTANCE Blessed and INCORRUPTIBLE doing good to Mankind PRESENT THROUGH THE WHOLE WORLD receiving several Denominations from the DIVERSITY OF HIS APPEARANCES and the various Operations and Effects of his Divine Power shewn therein Which kind of Evangelical Definition may very rightly induce us to
Careful Mariners steering the Course of their Lives by the Direction of that Heavenly Star which in the Gentile-Night rise in their Consciences to guide them unto a Blessed Immortality which will be the Last Point of their Divinity and then we close this Discourse with respect to them CHAP. XIV That the Last Point of Gentile-Divinity to wit Immortality and Eternal Rewards is also very clearly and positively held forth by the Ancient Heathens Six Testimonies from them to prove it Socrates's Great Faith in particular and the Lofty Strain of the Pythagoreans THat the Gentiles believed there was an IMMORTALITY and that all Men should hereafter be Accountable for the Deeds done in the Body a Point but obscurely lay'd down among the Jews themselves be pleased to take these few insuing Authorities as a Proof of what is asserted I. PYTHAGORAS and the Pythagoreans that they all held the Immortality of the Soul Consider his and their Doctrine in the Point First he said That the Soul is Immortal Next That the Soul is Incorruptible it never Dyeth for when it goes out of the Body it goes into the other World THE PURE TO GOD THE IMPURE BOUND BY FURIES IN INDISSOLVABLE CHAINS Here IMMORTALITY and REWARDS are asserted But when a Man who has lived Justly dyeth his Soul ASCENDETH TO THE PURE AETHER or Heaven and lives in the Happy Aevum or Everlasting Age with the Blessed II. HERACLITUS If my Body be over-press'd it must descend to the destinate Place Nevertheless MY SOUL SHALL NOT DESCEND BUT BEING A THING IMMORTAL SHALL FLY UP ON HIGH TO HEAVEN III. EURIPIDES a grave Tragedian whose Work was to undo what Wanton Comedians had done to undo the People speaks thus Who knoweth whether to Dye be not to Live and to Live to Dye Surely he said so not out of any Distrust of Immortality but in Belief of it and that Reward which would attend Good Men. IV. SOCRATES The Body being Compounded is Dissolved by Death The SOUL being Simple PASSETH INTO ANOTHER LIFE INCAPABLE OF CORRUPTION THE SOUL OF THE GOOD AFTER DEATH ARE IN A HAPPY ESTATE UNITED TO GOD IN A BLESSED IN ACCESSIBLE PLACE THE BAD IN CONVENIENT PLACES SUFFER CONDIGN PUNISHMENT This puts the Case of the Sufficiency of the Light to discover Immortality to the very Heathen out of all doubt and not only so but Rewards too since we have them here believing THE RIGHTEOUS SHALL BE SAVED AND THE WICKED DAMNED This made Socrates so chearful at his Death something of which I think fit here to insert Truly did I not believe I should go to the Just God and to Men better then any Living I were inexcusable â—…or contemning Death BUT I AM SURE TO GO TO GOD A VERY GOOD MASTER and hope to meet with Good Men AND AM OF GOOD COURAGE hoping that SOMETHING OF MAN SUBSISTS AFTER DEATH AND THAT IT IS THEN MUCH BETTER WITH THE GOOD THEN WITH THE BAD When he had made an end of Speaking CRITO one of his Followers ask'd him what Directions he would leave concerning his Sons and other Affairs and if they could do any thing that might be acceptable to him I desire no more saith he then what I have often told you If you take Care of Your selves whatsoever you do will be acceptable to me and mine though you promise nothing if you Neglect Your selves and VERTUE you can do nothing acceptable to us THOUGH YOU PROMISE NEVER SO MUCH That answer'd CRITO we shall observe But how wilt thou be Buried As you think good saith he IF YOU CAN CATCH ME and that I give you not the slip Then with a Smile applying himself unto us I cannot perswade CRITO saith he that I am any thing more then the Carkase you will anon behold and therefore he takes this Care â—…or my Enterment It seems that what even now I told him that as soon as I have taken the Poyson I SHALL GO TO THE JOYES OF THE BLESSED hath been to little purpose He was my Bail bound to the Judges â—…or my Appearance you must now be SURETIES to him that I am DEPARTED Let him not say THAT SOCRATES IS CARRIED TO THE CRAVE OR LAID UNDER GROUND for know dear CRITO such a Mistake WERE A WRONG TO MY SOUL be not dejected Tell the World MY BODY ONLY IS BURIED and that after what manner thou pleasest Yet saith SOCRATES I may pray to God and will That my Passage hence may be Happy which I beseech him to grant and in the same instant drank it off easily without any Disturbance This saith Plato was the End of the Best the Wisest and most Just Men. A Story which Cicero professeth he never read without Tears This ends Socrates upon the present Subject and Happy Man was he to make so happy an End as to Dye for the only true God he had great Reason to believe maugre the Envious Uncharitableness of T. H. that he would Reward him when it shall be said to many Bawling pretended Christians Depart from me I know you not for as Men Sow so shall they Reap in the Day of God I need not to tell the World that Plato and other Heathens have written accurately upon that Subject when it is so Notorious Wherefore to close up my Testimonies upon this Head and whole Discourse of Gentile-Divinity I will present the Reader with two short Passages one of the Pythagoreans the other from Virgil thus tranâ—…lated to my hand only a little varied by an Ingenious Author V. Donec long a Dies perfecto temporis Orbe Concretam exemit Labem purumque reliquit Aethereum Sensum atque aur ai simplicis ignem In English thus Till that long Day at last be come about That wasted has all Filth and Foul Desire And leaves the Soul CELESTIAL THROUGHOUT Bathing her Senses in pure liquid Fire To which agrees that Golden Distick of the Pythagoreans as it hath been called VI. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 To this purpose Who after Death once reach the Heavenly Plain BECOME LIKE GOD and never Dye again The Greek has it as Immortal Gods Which Hierocles interprets thus Herein shall Good Men resemble the Deity that they shall be Immortal like God himself Thus Reader have I given thee a very true Account of the Gentile-Divinity what was the Faith what the Practice and what the Prophecy and Hope of many Gentiles through this Light Within each of which had numerous Followers Observe They began where Jews and Christians begin that is WITH GOD and they end with what they confess to be theirs namely a State of Immortality in which every one is Rewarded according to their Works Only they are thus far to be Commended before either of them if we consider many of our Times That they were more Certain Plain and True in their Acknowledgment of a Divine Light Law or Principle in
those few mentioned namely for Christ saith he sent me not to baptize but to preach the Gospel So he did not thank God for neglecting part of his Commission in baptizing so few but partly to prevent their wrong Use thereof and chiefly because his Commission did not extend to Water-Baptism And as to his Allegation to prove that the Word not is not alwayes used as an absolute Negative p. 27. he cites Joh. 6. 27. Labour not for the Meat that perisheth but for the Meat which endureth c. If the Occasion of these Words be minded not will prove an absolute Negative in this Place Jesus speaking to them that sought after him because they did eat of the Loaves ver 20. and were filled for which end they ought not to have sought after him And admitting his Instance in Adam that he was not deceived namely that he was not first deceived taking in the Word first from the Verse before this is altogether impertinent unto his Purpose about Paul's not being sent to baptize there being no such Discovery that Paul was sent at all to baptize as there was of Adam's Transgression but the contrary in that Paul expresly said Christ fent me not to baptize but to preach the Gospel V. Of the Anionted TO his saying the Word Christ signifies one Anointed accounting it absurd to say the Spirit or Anointing is Christ p. 37. I answer are not the Father the Spirit and the Word one Christ as the Son of God is God's anointed And is it not granted that he was the Son of God by eternal Generation And fo was before he took upon him that Body prepared for him called the Lord 's anointed Psal. 2. 2. which Word Anointed sometimes relates to his being set up or exalted as King yet have I set or anointed Hebr. my King upon Sion the Hill of my Holiness ver 6. As also to his being endued or anointed with Power from on high which Power is that divine Unction and in that Christ is called the Power of God and the Wisdom of God 1 Cor. 1. 24 He may as properly be called the Anointing as where the Spirit of the Lord is there is Liberty now the Lord is that Spirit this Anointing is not an outward Unction nor outwardly received upon the Flesh or Body but being a divine Unction of Glory and Power from above it s inwardly and spiritually received by an immortal Seed and Birth born from above as that which is born of the Spirit is Spirit As for his Term Humane Nature and Glorious Unity between the divine and human Nature p. 36. he talks he knows not what besides Scripture-Language the Word human is not applicable to Christ in Glory by the Scriptures but originally relates to the Earth and so to the Body of man as coming thence But Jesus Christ was the Anointed as he was the Son from the Father's Substance which he was before he came in the Flesh or took upon him that Body that was prepared for him and the Anointed and Saviour by the divine Power given him when in that Body upon Earth though more highly exalted or anointed as ascended far above all Heavens and exalted in the Father's Glory the Anointed and Saviour also as revealed and formed in the Saints Gal. 4. 19. the Anointed as set up from Everlasting the Anointed both in Sufferings and in Glory the Anointed both as he came in Flesh and as coming and revealed in the Spirit in his People and his Name by which Life and Salvation comes and is given is his divine Nature and Power to which his Name relates that is above every other Name One thing this man H. G. and his Brethren stumble at and at which his Soul is wounded as he saith p. 30. is that Christ was never seen with an outward or rather carnal Eye which H. W. is accused of sor saying The Eternal Son of God was never seen with any Carnal Eye to which I say they should have been so ingenuous as to have considered the Intent of these Words and more candidly to have construed them thus Christ as the eternal Word the Lord from Heaven the only begotten of the Father in his spiritual Discovery as the Image of the invisible God and Brightness of his Glory cannot be seen with a carnal Eye Flesh and Blood hath not so revealed him the saving Light of Christ never was nor can be reached with the carnal Eye he that seeth the Son and believeth on him hath everlasting Life Joh. 6. 40. and as saith the Son of God he that seeth me seeth my Father also Joh. 12. 45. and 14. 9. but none can see the Father with a carnal Eye therefore none could ever see the eternal Son with their carnal Eyes in this Sence of seeing which extends to true Knowing Joh. 8. 19. and 14. 7. though many did see the Body or Person of Christ in the Dayes of his Flesh wherein he was crucified and put to Death the Jews â—…nd Persecutors saw him in that Sence with their outward Eyes when they did neither truely see nor know him to their Salvation it being the Spirit that quickneth and such a Sight of Christ as that of his Body or outward man no reasonable man can be so absurd as to say it was not obvious to the Bodily Eyes and as absurd for any to imagine that any of us should intend otherwise Now these Baptists Faith concerning the Son of God according to their carnal Discourse of him may be modelized into this or the like Argument viz. If Jesus Christ the Son of God be also the Son of man glorified on the right Hand of God in Heaven then he consists of human Body of Flesh and Bones as some say or of a body of Flesh Blood and Bones as others say But he is the Son of man glorified c. Ergo he consists of a human Body either of Flesh and Bone or of Flesh Blood and Bones in Heaven Ans. I deny their varied Consequence as inconsequent for Christ was called the Son of man in a higher Sence then this human earthly or carnal Sence which they represent him in in that he himself said no man hath ascended up to Heaven but he that came down from Heaven even the Son of man which is in Heaven Joh. 3. 13. and what if you shall see the Son of Man ascend up where he was before it is the Spirit that quickneth the Flesh perfitteth nothing Joh. 6. 62 63. who will affim that as he came down from Heaven or as he was before in Heaven he so consisted of a carnal human Body either made up of Flesh and Bone or of Flesh Blood and Bone in their gross and carnal Sence John the Baptist had not such mean Thoughts of Christ as these carnal Baptists have for John said he that cometh from above is above all he that is of the Earth is earthly and speaketh of the Earth he that cometh from Heaven is above
the Permission of Sin another to commit it between God's fore-ordaining the Sin and the actual Commission of it came in the Will and wicked Hands of Men The Will and these wicked Hands were the Author and Cause of Sin and not God's fore-Ordination Answ. How S. S. can clear himself from rendering God to be the Author of Sin while he accuseth him of determining or fore-ordaining the wicked Actions of these Men of fore ordaining the Sin let the unbyas'd Reader judge whether this be not an Unjust Charge against God And I ask Did God determine and fore-ordain the Wicked Actions of Men and yet warn and counsel them to turn from Iniquity What Inconsistency is this How will these hold together Doth not God first counsel and desire the 〈◊〉 before he lets them alone and gives them up to their Lusts and Hardness to Work their own Ruin How like the Ranters Principle that all Actions are of God and by his Power is it to say in these general Expressions That God hath determined or fore-ordained the Actions of wicked Men For then how should they reform as he counsels them by his Light in their Consciences and what need of Reforming what God hath fore-ordained But how contradictory to this Fore-ordination of wicked Actions which the Man hath unjustly accused God with is his Pâ—…rmission of Sin although he doth not alwaies permit Sin to go unpunished yet in this we agree that the Will and wicked Hands of Men as acted by the Divel were the Author and Cause of Sin and the Commission of it and therefore not God nor any Fore-ordination of his for he hath fore-ordained his Son Jesus Christ to call Sinners to Repentance to offer Life and Salvation to all before he gâ—…ves up any to a reprobate Mind or to work their own Ruin S. S. to those he counts Elect saith You are now afraid sect 16 you have lost all for you have greatly fallen as did David * your Faith is even giving up the Ghost yet are you not fallen from Grace God hath not forsaken you Psal. 89. 30. Answ. Although I confess that in the Lord is plentious Redemption and Forgiveness to all that unfeignedly repent and turn from Iniquity yet as this Man placeth all upon a personal Election even David's Forgiveness and Redemption not so much taking notice of his Repentance Judgment and Terror that he under went under which David often asked God Forgiveness for his Transgression This pretended personal Election and telling Men they are not fallen from Grace when guilâ—…y of horrible Wickedness gives them a large Scope and gross Liberty to Sin and Wickedness if they can but in the first place conceit they are elect Persons and be but such Hypocrites as out-face their own Consciences and murder the Just Witness and evade the Conviction and Reproofs of Truth therein and be so self-confident as to perswade themselves they are not fallen from Grace when they have committed Adultery or Murther and acted as badly as Reprobates can do and then flatter themselves with that Imagination That Christ hath payed all their Debt and satisfied the Justice of his Father which they call vindictive for all their Sins past present and to come This is an easy way to make Hypocrites for them to continue in the Sin of Whoredom and other Abominations But this is too broad a Way ever to lead them to Heaven and the Wicked had not need thus to have their Hands strengthened in Sin nor thus to be encouraged in a course of Impioty by a Pretence of an Impossibility of falling from Grace seeing there is a just Man that perisheth in his Righteousness and then where shall the Wicked and Ungodly appear and what manner of Persons ought we to be in all holy Conversation and Godliness 2 Pet. 3. Will it avail Persons any thing before the Just God for a Company of daubing Hypocritical Priests to tell a few conceited Electioners Though you have fallen very foully as did David or into Adultery or Murther yet have a good Heart on it believe still you are elect Persons chosen and designed of God for Salvation from all Eternity you are not fallen from Grace when you are guilty of Whoredom and the like as if Grace had such a great Affinity with them in this their Wickedness A pleasant Doctrine for the Devil and his Children to feed upon as Hypocrites Whoremongers and abominable Workers who though as bad and filthy as those they count Reprobates yet do imagine that God respects their vile Persons Eternally to makâ—… Choice of them only more then others who it may be arâ—… not so bad as they as if they were such choice Jewels in their Filthiness which is no small Blasphemy and Reflection upon God thus to render him partially-indulgent to the Wicked and unequal in his Way towards Mankind as eternally to design such great Favour and Indulgence to a small part thereof which is as bad as the rest and inevitable Cruelty as eternal Wrathin Hell to the greater part thereof whereas all Mankind in general is God's Workmanship by Creation all made of one Earth one Blood c. surely he is no such Respecter of Persons As concerning God's Covenant with David and his Seed sect 17 Psa. 89. It is said His Seed also will I make to endure for ever and his Throne as the Dayes of Heaven If his Children for sake my Law if they break my Statutes then will I visit their Transgressions with the Rod and their Iniquity with Stripes nevertheless my Loving Kindness will I not utterly take from him I ask From Whom Was it not David that is beloved who as he entered into Covenant and Agreement with God he was his Servant anointed with the holy Oyl There remained a true and tender Seed in him which the Name Beloved most properly related to though the Man passed through great Judgment and Tribulation he obtained Forgiveness and God had such regard to him for his own Name and Seed sake and the Sincerity that had a Root in him that his Children fair'd the better in some respects for his sake 1 Kings 11 12. howbeit this proves not that all the Seed of David after the Flesh kept their Covenant with God or stood in his Grace so as not at all to fall from it for however God for a time retains Favour Kindness and Patience to Revolters who have tasted of his Grace and Power as very unwilling they should be utterly lost yet in departing from the Lord into Iniquity they do in themselves turn from and abuse his Grace not being stedfast therein with the Lord So that the Instance proves not that his loving Kindness did always continue unto such as run into Adultery Idolatry and Abominations and continuing in Rebellion after their many gentle Chastisements though the Lord is long suffering and keepeth Covenant and Mercy with them that fear him his Faithfulness fails not he is ready to fulfil the
p. 64. and when that shall be he explains p. 85. at his Coming in the End of the World quoting 1 Thes. 4. 17. Mark Reader here how plainly he contradicteth his Saying That At Death Sin is forever totally abolished Now it is in the End of the World when Christ cometh Personally as he supposeth to Judgment So by this confused Work one while Sin is Not done away in this Life another while it Is done away At Death another while it Is done away After Death another while it is Not done away Till the last Trump or End of the World whereas there are many Believers and Saints deceased in the mean time and many long since dissolved as to their outward Man what becomes of their Souls between the Time of their Departure and the End of the World for he hath confessed that No Unclean Thing shall enter the Kingdom of God So then if the Saints deceased be not throughly cleansed from Sin before nor Sin to be done away till the Eâ—…d of the World what other Place besides Heaven caâ—… he provide or think of for the Saints deceased How can he avoid the Pope's imagined Purgatory unless he hold the Mortality of the Soul that it dyes or sleeps in the Dust with the Body To his alledging That the Ministry is to continue to the last Trump and to the last Trump will Sin be in the Saints but then in a Moment will the Saints be changed and perfected If he intends that the Saints have their Benefit and part in the Ministry each in their Life time and several Ages how doth this clear his concluding that to the End of the World or last Trump Sin will be in the Saints that then in a Moment they shall be changed for many of the Saints are deceased many Hundreds of Years since which if Sin be in them still they do not particularly partake of the blessed End of Christ's Ministry and Gifts which were for the Perfecting of the Saints till all come into the Unity of the Faith and of the Knowledge of the Son of God unto a Perfect Man c. and yet those deceased Saints are not now under the Ministry of Apostles c. From Ephes. 4. 13. he saith That perfect Man is Christ with all his Members for he consists of many and he is thus to be a perfect Man in the other World not this pag. 46. Whereas the Benefit of God's Gifts did as well extend to the particular Saints and Members of his Body as to the whole Body to wit till we all come in the Unity of the Faith c. That we henceforth be no more Children tossed to and fro c. Ephes. 4. 14. There is no Danger of their being tossed in the other World with Windy Doctrines Both their Perfection and Establishment and Growing up in Christ in all things being Effects of his Gifts and Ministry which were experienced and obtained in this Life S. S. The Ministry and Scriptures were perfecting the Saints as long as they live Deut. 17. 19. The King shall read therein all the Dayes of his Life that he may Learn to fear therein the Lord his God If he is to Learn to fear God all the Dayes of his Life c. pag. 65. Answ. Are the Saints then but a Learning to fear the Lord God all the Dayes of their Life or Doth that King in the time of the Old Covenant represent the best State of the Saints in the New the King that was forbidden to multiply Wives Horses Silver or Gold to himself Are the best of Saints in the New Covenant in Danger of these things and therefore to be restrained by an outward Law that their Hearts turn not away from the Lord whereas he hath promised I will put my Fear in their Hearts and they shall not depart from me and this is a Condition of his Everlasting Covenant That there is a time of Perfecting Believers or Saints before they are Perfected I confess as while God was Creating the World it was not Created but I differ with him in his counting it God's good Pleasure that Sin should remain in the Saints and that to keep them Humble either till Death till after Death or to the End of the World and it were more absurd to say That Sin will remain even in the Saints deceased till the End of the World to keep them Humble It is true as he saith That whilst a Carpenter is building an House the House is not builded pag. 65. but then if the Carpenter undertakes to build a House and bargains for a Price to build it and then doth not build it or tells a Man whose Money he hath got It is true I took your Money to perfect this Building but I can get but little of it builded you must not expect to have it builded while you live Would not the Man reply then Give me my Money again But Carpenters do not use to cheat men thus They that are Honest do not use to serve People as you pretended Ministers do who say You are sent for Perfecting the Saints and for this take Money and Gifts and Rewards and yet tell them Perfection is NOT attainable in this Life Honest Carpenters would not deal thus with them In Psalm 119. 1 2 3 4. Blessed are the Undefiled in the Way he saith In Point of Justification Believers are in Christ their Head clear as the Moon fair as the Sun In Point of Sanctification through the Renewing and Assisting Grace they do not allow themselves in any known Sin but in God's Fear oppose all pag. 65. He hath said enough to break the Neck of his own Cause 1st Unless to be In Christ Spotless Clear as the Moon and Fair as the Sun be a Spotted or Sinful State 2dly Unless that there must remain some Sins in those that are in Christ which cannot be known to them whereas he that abideth in Christ sinneth not And He hath left us an Example that we should follow his Steps who did not sin And the Word Justifie sometimes useth to signifie to make Just by inherent Holyness or to Sanctifie as he confesseth pag. 89. Upon Titus 3. 5. 7. But if to evade this he renders Justification in their sense of Imâ—…utation then it is to reckon them Spotless Clear as the Moon Fair as the Sun who are yet Spotted Corrupted and Defiled with Sin But if in the Fear of the Lord true Believers through Renewing and Assisting Grace do not allow themselves in any known Sin but in God's Fear oppose all then if a Discovery of all Sin by the Light be attainable to them not only to Oppose but to Overcome all Sin through assisting Grace is attainable in this Life for Resist the Devil and he will flye And we can do all things through Christ that strengthneth us knowing our Faith in him which is the Victory and also obtaineth actual Dominion over Sin Whereas Psal. 119. 3. They also do no Iniquity
was further urged against him And he that abideth in Christ sinneth not doth not commit Sin in whose Spirit is no Guile To this he answer So far as Regenerate and acting from the Regenerate part they do no Iniquity This is such Tautologie or as good sense as to say they do no Iniquity so far as they do no Iniquity whereas the Words are positive and plain They are undefiled in the way they keep his Testimonies they walk in his wayes Whereas he still insers the Saints are not perfectly free from Sin for when Paul did NO Iniquity Sin dwelt in him and yet in that State Paul said The Evil that I do I would not Did he do Evil and yet no Iniquity or was Victory over and Freedom from that Evil not attainable by him in this Life What Evil did he live and dye in or what Sin must remain in him now being deceased till the End of the World S. S. Nor will G. W. say I suppose no Man is Regenerate but who is perfectly free from Sin To this I say according to his own words before As while the Saints are Persecting they are not perfected so there is a Regenerating and a Travailing in Birth before Regenerated and born again Of Rom. 8. 1. he saith This intimates there is Flesh in such though Guilt is Removed Herein is a two-fold Error couched 1st Implying the Guilt removed while the Sin it self remains as if a Man could commit Sin and not be Guilty of it 2dly He confounds Sin and Flesh and renders them Inseparable whereas he grants in the Scripture before there is no Condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus who walk not aâ—…ter the Flesh but after the Spirit He perverts Job 9. 19. and 1 Jâ—…h 3. saying If I sin as do the wicked with Allowance here he adds WITH ALLOWANCE for it is plain if I Sin then thou markest me whosoever is born of God doth not commit Sin It is not Doth not commit Sin with Allowance as do the Wicked And the Saints on Earth enjoying Communion with God and Saints in Heaven as he saith is not a Communion in Sin neither is the Being of Sin according to the Will of God in Heaven which is prayed for so to be done in Earth If he grant it our Duty to be Perfect or perfectly to obey while he denyes Power or Possession for that End his Work is Weakness it self and inconsistent with it self God is no such Hard Master as to enjoyn Impossibilities upon us or to require Obedience beyond the Power he gives Will he say None are Sanctified that have any Sin in them I say according to his Concession before There is a Time of Sanctifying as well as Perfecting before the Work be effected which ought to be throughout in Body Soul and Spirit If he cleanseth away all Guilt from Believers and the reigning Power of Sin in this Life Why should the Being of Sin remain till the next He hath waâ—…hed us from our Sins in his own Blood before which there is a time of having Sin 1 Joh. 1. 8. yet said he My little Children These Things write I unto you that ye sin not chap. 2. 1. Can the Work of Faith and Grace be sinful He answers Faith it self can be imperfect therefore the Work of Faith Lord I believe help my Unbelief Imperfection is Sin Perfection is Duty p. 67. Rep. By the same Reason Unbelief is Sin but Faith is Duty They ought not thus to be confounded nor Unbelief which is the Creatures Defect imputed to Faith which is the Gift of God a Fruit of his Spirit therefore pure as he confesseth to his own plain Confutation The Work or Thing wrought is alwayes perfect for its Part Nature or Kind the least Draghm of Grace true p. 68. From whence it follows that true Faith is pure in its kind and not sinful nor having Sin mixt with it though it doth grow and encrease Degrees of that which is of a pure or perfect Nature do not alter its Property And the saving Work of the Spirit is carried on by degrees His citing 1 Thes. 3. 10. praying that we might see your Face and perfect that which is lacking in your Faith p. 68. This proves not true Faith to have Sin in it but that in some there might be something lacking in it as to Growth and Increase of Effects and which some read thus FULFILL that which is lacking It is not that we might add more Purity to your Faith but more Joy Comfort Refreshment Edification c. unto you in the Faith for Imperfection where it imports only the Want of full Growth or Maturity of that which in its kind is pure is not Sin and Imperfection and Sin have not the same Signification for Imperfection as it relates to a Thing or Work not fulfilled or finished it implies a Work begun and they who have known the Work of God begun in them and Faith in his Power they dare not plead for Sin nor cast it upon God as his good Pleasure that the Being of Sin should not be removed in this Life but know that the good Pleasure and Will of God is their Sanctification and therefore wait upon him for the perfecting of it His accusing David with having Failings in the End of his Dayes and asserting the Perfection of his War-like Attempts not of his Graces p. 68. This Accusation against David he hath neither proved by Scripture nor shewed what Failings he had in the End of his Dayes nor yet that his Graces were imperfect for God was the Lise and Grace of all his Graces and he said God is my Strength and Power and he maketh my Way perfect 2 Sam. 22. 23. And were not his inward War-like Attempts against his Soul's Enemy both perfect and succesful as well as his outward Did he not confess to the Lord Thou hast also given me the Shield of Salvation and said He is the Tower of Salvation and in his last Words He hath made with me an Everlasting Covenant ordered in all things and sure for this is all my Salvation 〈◊〉 Sam. 23. The Means for a Man to have his Way made perâ—…ect is to know the Lord to be his Strength and Power a strong Tower and Salvation Thus he is known to them that truly wait upon him If in this Life our Work be not to let Sin reign not to obey it in the Lusts thereof p. 68. why should we either commit Sin or the Being of it remain in us when we have received Power so far to subdue it and bring it under And if the Lusts of it be not obeyed but watched against they will be subdued so far as Sin may neither be brought forth nor have a Being If the Operation or working of the Spirit â—…e alwayes perfect he working by infinite Wisdom and Power p. 68. though the saving Work thereof be not presently fulfilled in all those Degrees of Perfection it is to attain unto
cast out why doth he conclude they may not be kept out or that the keeping them out is not attainable in this Life unless he will charge a Want of Diligence upon all the Faithful or accuse them with neglecting their Watch for I affirm that to keep out evil Thoughts is attainable through Diligence and Watchfulness in the same Light and Power that discovers them prevails against thâ—…m and cast's them out To prove that such a State as to be wholy free from all evil Principles is not attainable in this Life 〈◊〉 cites John 15. 2. Every Branch in me that beareth Fruit he 〈◊〉 it from whence he argues If the Father purgeth him he hath evil Principles to be purged out p. 73. Rep. What I said to this doth not yet appear to be answerable by him which was because it is the Father's purging out Sin or evil Principles they must needs be perfectly purged out by Degrees though it is true a Man is not perfectly purged while he is a purging I did not conclude as he saith that Freedom from all Sin is instantly but in God's due time who is the Purger and who perfects his own Work In the same Scripture before cited Christ saith Now are you clean through the Word which I have spoken unto you abide in me and I in you Joh. 15. 3. 4. Without me or severed from me ye can do nothing ver 6. If ye abide in me and my Words abide in you ye shall ask what you will and it shall be done unto you ver 7. 16. From hence observe here is enough to confute S. S. his concluding that Evil Principles cannot be wholy purged out in this Life for in Christ there is both Power and Sufficiency and if his Followers ask in his Name to be throughly purged it shall be done or if they sincerely pray that the Will of God may be done in Earth as it is in Heaven It shall be answered Now I would ask S. S. if it be not a Duty of true Believers when they see any thing that is to be removed or purged out to pray to the Father in Christ's Name to remove it and throughly to be purged and their Hearts made clean in this Life And shall they not then be answered herein Did not Christ say What soever you ask in my Name believe that you shall have it and you shall receive it or it shall be given you And he that abidâ—…th in Christ sinneth not and is not the Branch of the Nature of the Vine He answers We are Partakers of the divine Nature and how do we partake thereof but by escaping the Corruptions of the World But as without Christ we can do nothing so it is not our Phrase to say I have made my Heart clean for it is he that worketh all our Works in us His concluding that no Man hath perfect Knowledge viz. either of the Will of God or of his own Errors and that this Ignorance remaineth during Life from Psal. 19. 12. 1 Cor. 13. 9 11. and therefore that there cannot be perfect Practice p. 74. We have Reason to conclude he is very imperfect and mistaken herein for 1st The Will of God with respect to our Duty to him is to be known It is revealed by his Spirit that it may be obeyed and he that will do the Will shall know the Doctrine 2dly Both secret Errors and Faults are discernable and to be known by the Light which makes manifest whatsoever Things are reproved and therefore secret Faults are not alwayes to remain in this Life if David and others when sensible thereof prayed not in vain when they prayed to be cleansed from secret Faults that secret Sins Errors are to be discovered known is evident that the Lord at his Appearance or Coming will bring to Light the hidden things of Darkness and will make manisest the Counsels of the Hearts and it is he that reproves the Wicked sets man's Sins in order before him he that telleth unto Man what his Thought is the Lord God of Hosts is his Name Therefore as he doth perfectly shew Man his Sin and by Degrees maniâ—…est his Duty and afford Light and Power sufficient to forsake Sin and obey fully both are attainable in this â—…ife though gradually Still his concludiâ—…g that the perfect Man if on Earth he sinneth â—…rom 1 Kings 8. 46. There is no man that sinneth not and Ecclesiast 7. 20. There is not a just Man upon the Earth that doth Good and sinneth not I ask him then If there be no higher Attainment in this Life then for the best of Men to sin in doing Good as some of his Brethren interpret those last Words But if he will please to read D. Gill's Essay to the Amendment of the last Translation of the Bible he will find that he doth not render the Words in the Indicative Mood That sinneth not but in the Potential That may not sin as there is no man that may not sin or but that he may sin there is no man just in the Earth that doth Good and may not sin which much differs from positively concluding that every just man sinneth in doing Good And he further intimates it to be but in a legal State of Justness wherein a legal just Man may sin and not in an Evangelical or Gospel-State in Christ. Neither do the Words as renâ—…ered in 1 King 8. 46. There is no Man that sineth not agree with the Words before If they sin against thee but rather there is no Man but that he may sin and then it is possible for them not to sin and for a good Man that is one in Christ beyond the State of the Law to act and speak and walk in Christ the true Light and not to sin in doing Good but as of Sincerity but as of God in the Sight of God so speak we in Christ Such are not sinning in their Preaching and Praying nor do they bring forth wandering Prayers or Dreams as you do who are pleading and diâ—…puting â—…or Sin Term of Life because it is said the Imagination of Man's Heart is Evil from his Youth S. S. saith This is not spoken of the Old Wicked 〈◊〉 bâ—…t of Noah and his Family p. 74. If he intend this according to the Tenour of his Discourse as the State of Noah and his Family and that all their Life time I must tell him that it is contrary to the Testimony given of Noah viz. That he was a Just Man and Perfect in his Generations and Noah walked with God which was not with an Evil Heart or evil Imaginations for that is not a State of walking with God His saying that this is not spoken of the old World but of Noah is a Mistake for God saw that the Wickedness oâ—… Man was great in the Earth and that every Imagination of the Thoughts of his Heart was only Evil continually This is as well mentioned in Genâ—…sis 6.
eternal Advantage unless his Carnal or Terrestrial Body that now is partake thereof and how shall it partake thereof after it is dissolved and turned to Dust He tells us It cannot be a new Created Body but a Resurrection Of what he would have it of the self-same Body for Substance But if there must be no new Creation but a Resurrection of these Carnal Bodies opposed to Creation it must only be a raising of the Dust of these Bodies and then what a sad Garment would this invest the Souls of the Righteous with But if on second Thoughts he will admit of any new Creation of Bodies out of the Dust this cannot imply that they shall be the very self same that now they are in Matter and Form But if any of them shall yet say They shall be specifically the same Bodies That varies from their Principle of being the self-same that now they are What is now become of this Man's Religion and whereon do his Expectations of a future Advantage depend but upon his Ignorant and Carnal Conceptions and not upon any living Sence of Christ or any spiritual or divine Understanding of the Mystery of the Resurrection whose Work is gross Body and not Spirit He reckons our Religion and Suffering to be for a Carnal Interest while his empty Faith and Profession is for the same to be sure being so much for the Promotion of his Carnal Body in eternal Glory which 't is not capable of nor he in the Way to it Such is the course of some carnal Cavillers who while contending about Bodies and musing how they shall exist in Heaven they are now neglecting the Way thither more busying themselves about their carnal Bodies then regarding their poor Souls or minding the Spirit of Holiness thereby to become Sons of God and of the Resurrection or to be converted from Sin and Pollution to Holiness or turned from Satan's Power to God which is the Way to Glory And now in short to answer what we and our Religion are charged within the Conclusion of our Adversary's bitter reviling Dialogue First We testifie that the Resurrection is not past 2dly That the Soul of Man is not God nor Christ but God is the Saviour of it and so we alwayes since we knew our own Souls have distinguished between the Soul and the Saviour of it 3dly That we confess future and distinct Beings after Death as well of Men as of Angels and that the Children of God and of the Resurrection shall in the World to come be as the Angels yea equal to them 4thly Though it be said Thou sowest not that Body that shall be and Flesh and Blood shall not inherit the Kingdom of God 1 Cor. 15. It doth not therefore follow that our Religion denies any eternal Advantage that is to be reaped much less that it is a Cheat or Calculated to the Service of the Devil as most wickedly and malitiously T. H. hath reviled and blasphemed that Religion and Testimony which we know is given us of God for we have not by distinguishing between the Natural and Spiritual Bodies denyed the Saints their proper Existences Spiritual Body or House eternal in the Heavens when the Earthly Tabernacle is dissolved and unless the Man holds the Mortality of the Soul that it dyes with the Body or the extinguishing of the spiritual Being of Man I do not see how he can suppose a denying of any eternal Advantage on our parts unless he place it all upon the Earthly Body It is true that some of his Brethren do hold that the Soul dyes with the Body and sleeps in the Dust till both be raised and this also depriveth all the Saints deceased from having any eternal Advantage in the mean time at least But we are not of that Faith Hope or Religion that will expire or perish with the Carnal Body as our Opposers will who in his fruitless carnal Work and Discourse consists more of and for gross Body then Spirit he is too carnal gross in his Apprehensions to discern so much as a Vision of the future Beings and State of Saints But both they that think they shall reap no Eternal Advantage without their Terrestrial Bodies of Flesh and Blood as T. H. pag. 75. And they who hold the Mortality of the Soul are not of the Apostle's mind and Spirit who said We know that if our earthly House of this Tabernacle were dissolved we have a Building of God an House not made with Hands eternal in the Heavens 2 Cor. 5. 1. We are confident I say and willing rather to be absent from the Body and to be present with the Lord ver 8. For to me to live is Christ and to dye 〈◊〉 Gain but if I live in the Flesh this is the Fruit of my Labour Yet what I shall Chuse I wote not for I am in a straight betwixt two having a Desire to depart and to be with Christ which is far better Phil. 1. 21 22 23. Mark here First he expected a far better and more excellent House then the Earthly House after Dissolution 2dly If to dye was Gain to him and to depart from the Flesh desirable and so out of it to be with Christ far better he did not place his Felicity upon the Flesh or carnal Body as T. H. doth neither did the Apostle so indeavour to magnifie that fleshly outside Cloathing which is perishing and dissolvable but his earnest Expectation and Hope was on the behalf of Christ and his future Gain in him saying Christ shall be magnified in my Body whether by Life or by Death Phil. 1 20. But T. H. his carnal Contest is for magnifying his earthly carnal Body and not for magnifying Christ therein for he scornfully slights our witnessing Christ and his being risen in us though it is evident the Apostle did not place his eternal Felicity and Advantage upon the Earthly House Flesh or carnal Body that perishes and turns to Dust for if he set his Heart upon Man if he gather unto himself his Spirit his Breath all Flesh shall perish together and Man shall turn again unto Dust Job 34. 14 15. But T. H. sees no Eternal Advantage to be reapt by Persons after Death unless they confess the Resurrection of the very self-same Flesh Blood and Bones that dyes corrupts and turns to Dust If he intends any Blood in it he will admit of no new Creation of it and by this his Religion and Hope do expire and perish with his corrupt Body and must only be renewed when the Dust of that Body shall be raised without Creating it a new Body And if there be no eternal Advantage without this kind of Resurrection as described by him this doth either wholly deny the Original and Spiritual Being of Man and comprehends the whole Man only as consisting of a mortal and perishing Body or else admits not of the reasonable Soul really to injoy her self in any condition out of the outside
good without the Earthly and perishing Organs T. D. 3. Nor were the Promise to Glorifie Abraham's Soul made good without glorifying his Body too for the Happiness of the Soul is not Perfect without the Body its dear and beloved Companion the Soul having a strong Desire * and Inclination to a Re-union to the Body as the Schools not without good Ground determine vid. Calvin Harm Evang. in Mat. 22. 31 32. Luk. 20. 38. Answ. It is evident that this Man doth give this account that the Happiness of the Soul is not perfect without the Body not from any spiritual Sight of the Souls Happiness or Glory for in Page 81. he confesseth that the different Disposal of the Spirits of Man and Beast is not visible to the Eye of Sence and but dimly to the Eye of Reason and Faith although he has taken upon him by Tradition from Calvin c. to assert that the Happiness of the Soul is not perfect without the Body It may be understood that they have neither clear Reason nor perfect Faith for this and to be sure while he and others assert it without either we have no Reason to believe them But to answer him closely Both Calvin T. D. the Schools and divers Anabaptists are mistaken in this very Matter and see not with the Eye of true Faith either that the Happiness of the Soul is not perfect without the Body Or that the Soul hath a strong Desire to a Re-union to the Body â—…hile they intend the Terrestrial Elementary Bodies for this implies the Soul to be in a kind of Purgatory or Disquietness till the supposed Resumption of the Body and their Assertion and Determination herein is Contraty to what the Apostle saith 2 Cor. 5. for we know that if our earthly House of this Tabernacle were dissolved we have a Building of God an House not made with Hands eternal in the Heavens ver 1. for we that are in this Tabernacle do groan being burdened c. ver 4. We are confident I say and willing rather to be absent from the Body and to be present with the Lord ver 8. And said he I am in a Strait betwixt two having a Desire to depart c. Phil. 1. 23. See now the Stress of the Controversie where it lieth and that it is not only between these our Opposers Us but also between them and the Apostle Paul Thus viz. Calvin the Schools 〈◊〉 and Anabaptists determine and conclude That the Happiness of the Soul is not perfect without the Body and that the Soul when separate hath a strong Desire and Inclination to a Re-union to the Body But The Apostle Paul as knowing that when their Earthly House was dissolved they had a far better namely a Building of God Eternal in the Heavens Therefore in the Earthly Tabernacle they groâ—…ned being burdened as willing rather to be absent from the Body By which it appears they expected a more full Fruition or Felicity in the Heavenly Tabernacle then in the Earthly Their Soul did not desire after the Flesh as these Opposers imply neither had they any such Delight therein as fleshly Minds and carnal Contenders have Moreover the Apostle from the Visions and Revelations of the Lord saith I knew a Man in Christ above fourteen Years ago whether IN the Body or OUT of the Body I cannot tell God knows Such an one caught up to the third Heaven caught up into Paradise and heard upspeakable Words c. 2 Cor. 12. From hence consider that being caught up to the 3d Heaven into Paradise he doth not place the Sight and Sence of this Condition upon the Body for that he knew not whether he was In the Body or Out of the Body yet knew that he was a Man in Christ and in the Revelation of the Lord But he did not concern himself about this Earthly Body being so glorified in Heaven or Paradise as these Men do and carnally think who have neither Visions nor Revelations of the Lord concerning any such State but Calvin and the Schoolmens Determination contrary to the Apostles But the presumptuous Confidence of our Opposers appears the more in undertaking to assert or demonstrate the future State of the Soul as not being in perfect Happiness without the Body and as having a strong Desire after it while yet they neither know the State of the Soul nor have had so much as a Vision of the Glory thereof or of the glorified spiritual State of the Saints hereafter for Visions and Revelations they deem to be ceased long since and a Disposal of the Spirits of men after Death is not visible to the Eye of Sence and he saith but dimly to the Eye of Reason and Faith However while these Men cannot but appear themselves so Dim in these Sublime Matters and that while their dim Reason cannot reach them they cannot demonstrate to others either that the Souls of the Just in Heaven are not yet perfectly Happy or that they have such a strong Desire to a Re-union with the Body dissolved the shew themselves imaginary Intruders puft up in their fleshly Minds exercising themselves in things too high for them and it were better for them to sit down in Silence and wait in the Light to have some Sence and Knowledge of the true immortal Life to quicken them to God and not thus to busie themselves with unprofitable Talk brought forth from Imaginations of men and not from any true Sight or Revelation of the Conditions of Saints either here or hereafter His telling of Abraham's Soul living actually is true and as true it is That his Soul is in perfect Felicity and Glory and the more being out of the Earthly Tabernacle But his saying that the Body of Abraham or Bodies of the deceased Believers liveth potentially for this we have his own Traditional Assertion but not any Scripture-Proof or Phrase that suits it nor rational Demonstration for it As to his saying That if any shall say that Christ's Argument and his Application of it proves but the Resurrection of the Good c. I say his Application thereof seems but to extend to the Good as in his saying They whose God God is shall rise yet he hath not proved the Rising of their Earthly Bodies after they are dissolv'd to Dust and reduc'd to their first Elements but that there is a Resurrection of the Good and who of us questions that The Resurrection of the Good or of the Just being Glorious and extending not only to Arising out of the Fall out of Death that came by it out of the Grave of Corruption which hath followed yea out of the Dust of that Earth and out of all Afflictions here but also unto an Inheritance of Eternal Glory hereafter as They that be Wise shall shine as the Brightness of the Firmament and they that turn many to Righteousness as the Stars forever and ever So that they shall be so Celestial and Glorious as that they shall
in apt Resemblances obvious to the Sences as Tophet is ordained of old yea for the King it is prepared he hath made it deep and large the Pile thereof is Fire and much Wood the Breath of the Lord like a Stream of Brimstone doth kindle it Isa. 30. 33. and Bind him Hand and Foot and cast him into ulter Darkness there shall be Weeping and Gnaâ—…hing of Teeth Mat. 22. 13. As also If thy right Eye Hand or Foot offend pluck it out or cut it off and cast it from thee as being better that one Member should perish then the whole Body should be cast into Hell where the Worm dyeth not and the Fire shall never be quenched Mat. 〈◊〉 29. Mark 9. 49. to the end Which still argues that the Impenitent and Wicked are liable to meet with real â—…orment and that he hath spiritually his proper Being and Habit consisting of such spiritual Parts and Sences having an evil Eye a polluted Mind and defiled Conscience covered with Guilt pressed down with the Body of Sin and perplexed with Horror wherein he both receiveth the Deeds 〈◊〉 in the Body and is capable of absolute Misery in the Fire which shall never be quenched where the Worm dyeth not As also it is said The Rich Man also dyed and was buried and in Hell he lift up his Eyes being in Torments and seeth Abraham afar off and Lazarus in his Bosom and he cried said Father Abraham have Mercy on me and send Lazarus that he may dip the Tip of his Finger in Water and cool my Tongue for I am tormented in this Flame Luk. 16. 23 24. When his Body was buried yet he had the Sence of Torments that seized upon him and a Sight of the other's Felicity which he himself had lost Therefore as Christ said I say unto you my Friends be not afraid of them that can kill the Body and after that have no more that they can do but I will fore-warn you whom ye shall fear fear him which after he hath killed hath Power to cast into Hell I say unto you fear him Luk. 12. 4 5. A Summary of the Difficulties in the Point in Controversie FInally The Controversie is run up to these Difficulties which I object upon our Opposers Doctrines and Conceptions 1st How the self same Bodies should arise compleat after dissolved to Dust without a New Creation appears not nor is it demonstrated by them 2. If a New Creation of compleat Bodies of the same Dust and Elements should be conceived or admitted it is Incredible that God should create any corrupt sinful or polluted Bodies thereof for perpetual Torments seeing his Works are pure And as Incredible that he should make a pure Body to be invested with the former Evil Habit of Sin and Corruption for perpetual Torment in Hell-Fire and to be sure the first Elements or Dust of dissolved â—…odies is as pure as at the first 3. If Infants be supposed to arise at the Stature of Men how can theirs be the self-same Bodies they were 4. How the Body of the Saints and Children of the Resurrection should be either a Celestial Spiritual Glorious or Angelical Body and they Equal unto the Angels in Heaven and yet the self-same Earthly Elementary Body that dissolveth to Dust c. such a strange Transubstantiation appears not unless that the Natural Body and the Spiritual the Terrestrial and the Celestial the Human and Angelical be both One and the Self-same 5. That the Soul should not enjoy her self in absolute Felicity or Misery in perfect Glory or Contempt in her proper Vessel or Cloathing spiritually without the Earthly Cloathing which is Dust appears not while the Children of the Resurrection are equal unto the Angels of God in Heaven which are absolutely Happy and the Devil and his Angels absolutely Miserable 6. We cannot believe that the Invisible Infinite God should be seen with the Bodily or fleshly Eyes after Dissolution not that Job intended he should see God with his Flesh or bodily Eyes It being in consistent both with his being an Invisible Eternal or Infinite Spirit and with the true spiritual Sight of him which Job received Job 42. 5. 7. That the Seed to which God giveth a Body as it pleaseth him 1 Cor. 15. and the Body given to it should be one and the self same Earthly Body is a non-sensical Doctrine and an apparent Incongruity 8. That the Terrestrial Bodies should be so desirable to the Souls of the Righteous after Dissolution for the compleating their Felicity and perfecting their Glory appears plainly inconsistent with their desiring here to be dissolved and to be absent from the Body to enjoy and possess a Building of God au House eternal in the Heavens Or that the Souls of the Righteous should be so variable as to desire to be absent from the Body and presently after Dissolution to desire the Resuming of the same Earthly Body or a Re-union to it This implicitely accuseth the Souls of deceased Saints with being in their Affections both Earthly Variable and Unquiet as in a kind of Purgatory Which we can never assent to Thomas Vincent's Illustrations ABOUT THE RESURRECTION Which we may look upon as the Sense of the Rest and as the Explication of their Doctrines and Opinions who are Opposing the Spirituality of our Testimony about the Resurrection Among which some Truths are intermixt though his gross and carnal Conceptions about the Point we cannot close with His Illustrations are in his Book entituled Christ's Certain and Suddain Appearance to Judgment Collected and Placed in his own Words as followeth for the Serious and Spiritual-minded Readers to judge of T. V. GIve me leave to illustrate the Resurrection a little further and here I shall endeavour to set it forth by an Allusion to that notable place Ezek. 37. and ten first Verses pag. 16. some thing like this will the Resurrection be at the Last Day Now the Bones and Bodies of all former Generations are scattered up and down in the Valley of the Shadow of Death some are sunk into the Deep others are buried in the Earth the Flesh is consumed and resolved into its first Elements and the Bones of some remain of others are mouldred into Earth Now when the Lord Jesus Christ the Son of God shall come down from Mount Sion which is above into the Valley of this inferiour World he will Prophesie over all the Bodies and Bones of all the Children of Men that are dead and speak unto them to Live he will say unto them whilft they lie rotting in their Graves Live he will say Awake ye that sleep in the Dust And Oh what a Noise and Shaking will there be then in the Ground What a clattering of Bones together in the coming of Bone to his Bone If the Body hath been quartered and buried part in one place and part in another as the Levite's Concubine who was divided into Twelve Parts and sent to the Twelve Tribes of