the witness of that person and those works as perfect in him is actually received in the receit of the testimony God hath given of him It is a good description of the doer of truth he commeth to the light that he may see all his works that he desires to own as the ground and matter of his rejoycing and hope wrought in God in Emmanuel And so the other place saith the thing was true in them that was true in him not because it was actually wrought in them as in him but expresly because the darkness was past to them and the true light had then shined which disovers him as that onely begotten Son of God full of grace and truth Joh 1. 14. and so learns all truth as it is in Jesus Ephes 4. 21. yea leads into all truth and so gives proof and experiment of the goodness vertue and efficacy or power of the truth in the receit of it through such lifting up or demonstration of the Son of man and so of the truth as it is in him Joh. 16. 13 14. 2 The Jesus or Christ to whom thoubearest witnesse is such as whose second appearing without sin to the salvation of those that look for him with reference to those expressions Heb. 9. 28. is already past or hath been accomplised in thee This is clear in thy letter though there the word second bee left out which was oft urged by thee in discourse That Christ is come again in the flesh since his Ascension which also thou callest thy confessing the flesh of Christ and further signifies in following expressions This to bee thy confession of the flesh of Christ in thee or his comming in the flesh The second time even since hâ—s Ascension in thee And didst call in discourse his appearing again and the second time in thee in his body his flesh and spirit Christ holy harmelesse undefiled separate from sinners made higher than the heavens with many other such like expressions which some took in writing least thou shouldest deny them though not as any matter of Accusation against thee to thy harm as thou slanderest them which writing I not having by mee mention no more than I well remember And is the summe of it in thy Letter Whereas that Jesus the Christ which they have preached is personally received by and continuing with the Father in the heavens untill the time of the Restruction of all things Act. 3. 20 21. from whom all beleevers are personally absent while in these mortal bodies 2 Cor. 5. 6. His second and glorious Appearance in that body in which he once suffered for sin without sin to the salvation of those that look for him with all the blessed hope then â—o be revealed the fulness and Harvest of the Spirit and glorious Redemption of the body is yet to be waited for by all beleevers not accomplished in or to any of them all the time of this present world whence â—he Apostle propounds it as the posture in which the beleever stands all the time of this present world in which he hath ungodliness and worldly lust to encounter with looking for that blessed hope and the glorious appearance of the great God and our Savior Tit. 2. 12 13. with 2 Pet. 3. 3. 11. 12. 1 Thess 1 9 10. Phil. 3 20 21. And so that salvation of them that look for him Heb. 9. 28. to the accomplishing of which he shall appear the second time and then without sin in any such imputation of it infirmities or sufferings by occasion of it as was upon him in his first Appearance even in the glory of his Father and with his holy Angels That salvation of them I say is clearly that total salvation that shall be revealed and accomplished in the last time 1 Pet. 1. 5. even after the natural death and in the Resurrection in which they shall be redeemed from the power of the grave in the first Resurrection and so from the hand of the enemy that the second death shall have no power on them but they shall be ever with the Lord posseâ—â—ing the glorious rest and Kingdom for ever which appears in that its a position so placed as answering to the judgement after death mentioned in the former verse Heb. 9. 27 28. In that judgement after death unto which all in these bodies must come Then and therein shall he appear without sin to the salvation of them that look for him so that they shall stand in the judgement having righteousness and strength in the Lord yea in the Lord shall they be justified and redeemed from all their iniquities fully and perfectly and shall glory Isa 45. 24 25. Psa 130. 8. Yea when that Second Appearing of Christ shall be accomplished it shall not then be made or accomplished in an internal operation in this or that or many persons that we should need to look here or there for him but that one person shall appear personally in that his own body in our nature as now glorified with the Father even as he was seen go into Heaven so his second coming shall be visible to all as the lightning from the one end of the Heaven to the other and accomplished to them all at once and together 1 Thess 4. 14-16 Matth. 24. 26 27 28. To corrupt us from the beleef of the truth and expectation of which blessed hope and to intâ—oduce thy other Jesus whom thou didst witness to have appeared the second time in thee even to have come again in the flesh since his Ascension c. as before thou didst pervert these Scriptures that I well remember Luk 17. 20 21 Joh. 14. 3. The first of which thou mentionest now again in thy letter with a great deal of vaunting and reproach as if it spoke so much and so plainly to what thou hadst affirmed as to render it greatest folly shame and blindness to oppose such thy witness of thy self Let us therefore again a little look upon it and see if thou hast not grosly abused our Savior in perverting his words contrary to the plain intent and scope of them See if our Saviour do not in that place clearly signifie That his second coming in that body and therein the glorious revelation and bringing down of the Kingdom and glory is yet to be waited for even by his Disciples all the time of this mortality They themselves should desire to see one of his dayes and should not see it namely in this time and state of their mortality nor till they all come together with all that are his Let the whole Chapter be viewed from the twentieth verse to the lâ—st When he was demanded of the Pharisees When the Kingdom of God should come He answered The Kingdom of God commeth not with observation or outward shew of pomp or glory of this world of which his Kingdom is not as they expected Joh. 18. 36. neither shall they say loe here or loe there for beâ—old the Kingdom of God is
further to that if I had not been taken off in the midst by Naylor with a reproach for bringing those Scriptures as parallel and derision at the thing thereby signified that the name â—f Christ and so of God in him through and according to which faith in him is begotten is declared in the Scriptures To this I further add Prov. 22. 19 20. That thy trust may be in the Lord I have made known to thee this day even to thee have I not written to thee excellent things with Psal 19. 7 8. The Law or Doctrine of the Lord is perfect converting the soul the Testimony of the Lord is sure making wise the simple c. with these compare 2 Tim. 3. 15. 16 17. The holy Scriptures which he had known from a child are able to make thee wise to salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus All Scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for all Doctrine Reproof Instruction in Righteousness c. And if I had also said that they are as left on record for us a perfect and absolute means through which Faith is begotten and nourished I do not therein deny other means God useth for discovery of Chrâ—st or of his goodness that is in and through him or the usefulness of them or Gods teaching by them onely say as that Psal 19. The Law or Doctrine of the Lord as compared with all other means is perfect or absolute But that which I said was as before and was thus expressed and in this saying as follows Though the Scriptures be the absolute and perfect medium or Rule according to which Faith is begotten and regulated yet Jesus Christ himself as declared in them is made the foundation and bottom of it as well as the object of it in whom the Father is beleeved in as Joh. 12 44 46. with chap. 5. 23 24. in him it centers and about him is exercised even him that Jesus of Nazareth c. the same that was reproached by them as a figure and one by whom many men have no benefit These Answers to their charges are as they were the first of them sent to them and the other left for them as before unless in the addition of a quotation or two and of some words of the Scriptures quoted and some little filling up of a phrase then in hast omitted now added in some places to render the Answers given the more understandable to them also that were not at the meeting The things in these Answers briefly spoken to are most of them more fully and largely spoken to in the following Answers to James Naylors Letter especially those about Gods being manifested in the flesh and Pauls injoyment of a visible demonstration of that person in which he was so manifested after his being received up into glory That also about the Scriptures and the difference between Paul and Timothies receit of their Word and so their furniture to their Ministry is spoken to again in the said Answer but more fully in the Answer to the Queries I received from others of them which are after that inserved Likewise what benefits or blessings are prepared for men in Christ even in the just for the unjust for such as are wicked or rebellious that through him they might be brought back to God as Psal 68. 18. with 1 Pet. 3. 18. and how all his benefits with which he daily loads them in his forbearances not presently cuâ—ting them off or executing Judgement on them in their Rebellions but waiting that he may be gracious and in all the streams of his grace in continuing and renewing his mercys adding also sometimes favorable sometimes more sharp chastisements or judgements and in his vouchsafing in and with all the supernatural influences of the light and power of his Spirit and so bringing in all means the testimony of Jesus or of Gods goodness so as through him nigh to them in their hearts enlightning in the discovery of Gods goodness and Christs preciousness for sinners and the necessity of being found in him and washed by him and therein reproving of the vanity of these Idols the evill of their ways c. in such wise and to such end that therein these instructions and reproofs of instruction might be received through such his grace bringing salvation to them though not by any such light or power as they speak of that is an indwelling principle in them I say how all these benefits are salvation as 2 Pet. 3. 9. 15 Isa 30. 18. Ps 68. 19 20. even springing out of the bowels and vertues of that salvation wrought in Christ for them and themselves such salvations as in which Jesus Christ in the name of the Father and as the ends and vertues of his cross is saving men not onely from the poyson and destructiveness of the first Death that is abolished by him but also from those Judgements being poured out in fury to their cutting off that might daily bring forth according to the Rule of the Gospel involving under a second Death yea they have all tendency and aptness in them to lead to farther and special salvation by and through Christ The grace of the truth comes forth to save men and so as they may be saved by it however men by observing lying vanities deprive themselves of their own mercies and so their table their welfare becomes a snare and a trap to them as Joh. 3. 17 18 19. and 12. 47 48. 2 Thess 2. 10. Jona 2. 8. Psal 69. 22. This also I say is further spoken to in the following Answers and particularly in the conclusion of the Answer to the Queerys fore-mentioned in answer to a like reproach of the grace of God in Christ to manward in the conclusion of those Queerys But more fully in that book entituled Mercies for men To that that many false principles or lights teach to deny many sins there is nothing added directly to it in the following Answers though James gave some occasion for it in his letter yet in the answer to that I waved it partly because he corrupted and altered my sayings so as to render them absurd in his renewing of his Charge there with reference to what was written in answer to that Charge at first as may be seen in comparing that Charge in his Letter following with my said former Answer fore-mentioned which is word for word as it was sent to him so â—â—â—â— he therein fightâ— with his own shadow And partly because I would â—â—â— draw out that Answer to a greater length having been large in it to the opening of things more fundamental But it being woved there I shall here adde a word or two to it yet with brevity for like reasons as before 1 In his said letter himself fully signifies That even that spiritual wickednes which teacheth to deny God c. may yet teach and lead to deny some lesser yet grosser evils even so to deny as to leave or forsake such gross
evils as drunkenness swearing c. Surely therein he acknowledgeth that such spiritual wickedness teacheth to deny some sins unless he mean That those gross evills of drunkenness swearing c. bee no sins I am indeed ready to suppose them to be of that number that judge no act or practise as Drunkenness Swearing Adultery c. to be in it self sinful but to him that judgeth it so or not otherwise sinful in them than it is open gross and so scandalous and striking against their being satisfied in their spiritual Covetousness and Adultery in beguiling unstable souls of which their minds are full as 2 Pet. 2 14. For it is a shame to speak of those things that are done and allowed by some of them in secret as Eph. 5 12. But if this be his meaning That drunkenness Sweaâ—ing c. are not in themselves sins or sinful as is fully signified in his expressions in the said letter where he saith That which taught me to leave some gross evils without c. and after mentions drunkenness and swearing yet doth it not therein teach to deny sin but to deny God c. I say if this be his meaning why doth he call them evils and gross evils too if no sins or sinful I leave him with his Contradictions But 2 The Holy Ghost instructeth us That all evil or unrighteousness is sin 1 Joh. 5. 17. For sin is the transgression of the Law 1 Joh. 3 4. so that by the Law which saith Thou shalt not lust c. is the knowledge of sin Rom 7. 7. and 3. 19 20. 1 Tim. 1. 9 10. And yet also that touching the righteousness which is in the Law Paul was blameless while yet he had not received the true light but was a furious enemy to Jesus Christ Phil. 3. 6. As the Jews whose zeal was yet a zeal of God though not according to knowledge as Rom. 10. 2. And against many sins even such sins as for which The wraâ—h of God comes upon the children of Disobedience as Adultery Joh. 8. 4 5. and abuse of the creatures in Drunkenness and Gluttony as appears in their false charging our Saviour with such things Matth. 11. 19. yea they were men much for fasting mortification and holiness Matth. 9. 14. Luke 18. 11. Joh. â— 18. And so were the false Apostles and teachers that came among the Christians after Col. 2. 16. 18. 21 23. 2 Cor. 11. and yet thereto moved and guided by that false light or principle and spirit in them which indeed was darkness and did therein pursue such ends as the establishing a righteousness of their own and sometimes also that they might appear to men to be just temperate holy c. in pursuance of which end they were also more in appearance than in truth and large in their boastings proclaiming every man his own goodness yea sometimes as in the last mentioned chiefly they herein pursued this as the main end in and with the former That they might the more powerfully insinuate themselves into the minds of such as were going right on their way to the corrupting them from the simplicity that is in Jesus destroying their faith and hope in Christ beguiling them of their reward c. This the end of their walking Phil. 3. 18 19. 2 Cor. 11. and of their voluntary humility and neglecting of the body c. Col. 2. 18. 23. yet many of the things they denied and abstained from from such principles and to such ends were sins and sinful and many of the works they did and pressed others too in themselves good Whence our Saviour saith to his Disciples All that they namely as sitting in Moses seat and urging the things required in the Law and admonishing of the evils reproved in it bid you observe that observe and do but after their works do not for two Reasons First They say and do not Secondly The works they do in which is signified They also do something good and commendable and abstain from some evils though short of their sayings but even that which they do is to an evil end yet as to their apprehension and according to the judgement of others that can judge but according to outward appearance they many of them have attained perfection in the denying and mortifying of not some but all sins some things they do from such false principles deny and abstain from that are indeed sins and sinful and those may be done to many of them in their account and apprehensions all sins or at least they are not sensesible of those greater sins they live in and glory off as appears also in these spirits we have to do with Observe what follows Richard Farnsworths Challenge word for word as it was sent to me the said Tho. Moore by one of their own party on the foresaid Evening of the last of May as soon as I had returned Answer to to their Charges as before MOved of the Lord to write this to the chiefest of those called by the name of Manifestarians in and about Boston and Lyn That if they will grant to this which is hereafter laid down we will try our God these wayes as the servant of the Lord tryed Baals Prophets and their God by sacrifice without fire c. So I am freely willing made by the Lord o try and prove your proudboasting spirit by these particulars as is hereafter propounded and expressed First That the chiefest of you grant to go abroad with me where I shall be led to preach the word for two weeks together Secondly That you and I eat no food as outward bread and flesh nor any outward victualling provided by any man or creature for that time nor drink either Beer Ale or Wine nor partake of any other outward thing except a little spring water and that neither you nor I look upon any book all that time seen with a visible eye Thirdly That for two weeks time we have meetings every day or every other day one week for the first amongst those called Manifestarians and others as the Lord shall please and I be permitted amongst them to speak the word of the Lord and each other day he that joyns with me herein to speak also and he shall permitted be if he dare say and by the Spirit of truth affirm that he hath any thing to speak immediately from the mouth of the Lord He shall I say be then permitted to speak one day as I do another or part of each one week amongst those called Manifestarians and others that the Lord shall lead unto and no outward help neither meat drink nor book as aforesaid and another week amongst those that the world scornfully calleth by the nick-name of Quakers And lastly That for the two weeks time he part not from me day nor night that he receive no more outward help than I do And this way of tryal I have freely from the Lord expressed And then it must be acknowledged after all this
cunningly devised fables but the Apostles were eye witnesses of his Majesty c. And to what they said had also the testimony of the sure word of Prophecy saying nothing but what they said should come to pass 2 Pet. 1. 15 16-19 Act. 26. 22 23. Yea the ministry committed to the Apostles is given as the dispensation of the fulness of times in which God hath gathered together all things that before lay scattered in divers witnesses types and figures into one even in Christ Jesus For God who at sundry times or in many parts and divers manners spake to the Fathers by the Prophets hath now in these last days spoken to us by his Son whom he hath made heir of all things by whom also he made the worlds who being the brightness of his glory c. When he had observe the Text by himself purged our sins sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high That person and the righteousness accomplished in and by him for us and remaining in that person in the Heavens with the Father shall never be abolished The Heavens and Earth in the state in which now they stand shall wax old as a garment and be folded up yea they shall be changed and renewed But not so this person and the vertue of the works done in his body he is the same and his years fail not or change yea to him as so delivered to death for our offences and raised again for our Justification and now glorified in our nature hath he put in subjection the world to come of which the Apostles have spoken Ephes 1. 10. Hebr. 1. tot 2. 1 5-8 9. That Temple those Sacrifices c. were indeed the figures of the true and therefore iterated because they could not make the commers perfect but that one offering made in that one body then and so prepared for him as before and so the power and glory of God which he thereby and therein invested within our nature this is the Truth it self the end of all types and figures and therefore no more to be iterated because he is able with that one offering and in that name and glory of the Father he is thereby invested with to save to the utmost all that come to God by him yea he is so in Heaven the Savior of all men especially of them that beleeve And therefore neither is there another manner of preaching to be given but his presence promised with that to the end of the world Matth. 281. 8 19 20. Yea that preaching as so given shall be even so confirmed and all the Truth and Glory of God gloriously and fully manifested in that person as there declared in his second and glorious Appearance when he shall frustrate the tokens of the Lyars and make the Diviners mad Isa 44. 25 26 and 8. 11-16-20 2 Thes 1. 6-10-12 For they have declared the thing plainly as it is and fully so that we in coming to this ministration or dispensation of the fulness of times and so to know beleeve and hope in Christ according to it are not come to another Sinai but to Sion to the City of the living God the Heavenly Jerusalem c. even so as by faith in and according to the Gospel as now come forth we receive therein a Kingdom that cannot be moved but shall even so stand for ever and be fully revealed and given to us as herein it is received by faith wherefore let us hold fast grace whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear untill he receive us to glory with him as he hath said For our God is a consuming fire Heb. 12. 22 28 29. He that will not hear that Prophet shall be cut off no other message or messenger to be sent or means to be used by God for his help that being rejected nothing remains but vengeance to consume the Adversaries Surely then That Doctrine that preaches down that Jesus of Nazareth and the works done in that his own personal body as for us as they preached down Circumcision Temple Sacrifices as being but a further shadow of some truth or good things yet to come or to be found in some other thing or work in many persons is clearly another and contrary doctrine and tends to overthrow the Doctrine Faith and Hope of our Lord Jesus Christ as declared by the one mouth of his holy Apostles and Prophets since the world began and therefore not to be followed but held as execrable by us neither are we to bid them to house or bid them God speed that bring it after knowledge of them to be such he that so doth is partaker of all their evil deedâ— yea we are to avoid and turn away from such Having therefore clearly and fully to my own satisfaction I speak as in the sight and presence of God discerned thee to be one of those strangers that bring such a strange voyce or doctrine as the sheep are not to listen to Yea so contrary to the true Shepheards voyce as even to the introducing another Jesus another Spirit another Gospel c. as before is shewed and having also according to my weakness now discovered it from what I have under thy hand I shall refuse further to meddle or have to do with thee unless I shall perceive in thee what I much desire if it may be though I have little hope of it viz. some perception of the evil and danger of thy way and thy heart inclined to turn to the Lord from whom thou hast deeply revolted In the perception of which in thee or any other deceived by thee or in such deceits I should surely much rejoyce and have to that end thus endeavored it THO. MOORE A Preface to the Relation of the following Queries and the Answer to them by Thomas Moore MEEting accidentally a little before the meeting at Mr. Wrayâ—s with several papers some directed to my self and some others yet not sent to me but dispersed into the hands of divers which are filled with nothing else but proud boastings of themselves the Indicters of them and of their light or spirit and rayling accusations against others And some directed to Alice Morden and others which are chiefly Queries without laying down in any of them any positive answer or discovery of their judgement unless in the close by reproaching the acknowledgment of one that dyed for all the just for the unjust bearing our sins in his own body to the tree And intimately all the way scoffing at the promise of and waiting for his coming again rendering that and the hope then to be revealed as a thing made or accomplished in men and in this day yet not plainly laying down their principles if they have any as to these things indeed it evidently appears to me they are of no judgement concerning the faith meeting I say with these papers at a place near Cambridge I was desired to give some answer to them The first
the Gospel or testimony of God concerning him who hath abolished death by his appearing and brought life and immortality to light through the Gospel 1 Cor. 15. 1-4 1 Pet. 2. 24. Rom. 4. ult 2 Cor. 4. 6. 2 Tim. 1. 10. and 2. 8. In this the Spirit and teaching of God is primely known and distinguished from all others it doth unto and for all things confess acknowledge and praise or commend Jesus Christ as already come in the flesh not coming but come and now through sufferings entred into glory in that his own personal body in our nature and for us according to the Apostles Doctrine 1 Joh. 4. 1 2 3 6. for reproving the world and teaching and leading the beleever into all truth It takes of his things and shews to the soul and so glorifies him even lifts up the Son of man the personal abasement sufferings or cross of Christ with the ends and vertues thereof as now manifested in him being raised and received up into glory Joh. 16. 8 9 10 13 14. with Joh. 3. 14. Rom. 1. 1-3 4. 1 Tim. 3. 16. 2 Tim. 2 8. This is so the summe and subject matter of all the Fathers teaching That every one that hath heard and learned of the Father cometh to Christ according to the testimony God hath already given of him Joh. 6. 45. And he that beleeveth not the testimony or record that God hath already given of Christ maketh God a lyar 1 Joh. 5 10. Yea it is so the summary and fundamental matter of all his teaching that he is said to learn all truth and so to teach and lead into all truth in Jesus in the demonstration opening and usefulness of Jesus and those things of him according to the record God hath given of him by the one month of a â— his Prophets and Apostles since the world began Eph. 4. 20 21. with Joh. 16. 13 14. Act. 3. 20 21. This the purpose and grace of God given us in Christ from the beginning now manifested by the appearing of Christ c. as 2 Tim 1 9 10. That the Son of man must be lifted up above all and for or unto all help and healing of men even as Moses lift up the Serpent in the wilderness That whosoever beleeveth in him should not perish but have eternall life For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son namely the Saviour of the world and to be so lifted up That whosoever beleeveth in him c. Joh. 3. 14 15 16. 2 Those things contained in the matter of Gods teaching as springing out of and arising from the things main and fundamental are Doctrines and Instructions concerning all things needful to be known given and opened in and through the demonstration opening and usefulness of the knowledge of him in what he hath done and is become for us for so saith our Savior The holy Spirit as now coming forth in and with the testimony of Jesus as the works of our salvation are finished in his body he shall reprove the world of sin of righteousness and of Judgemâ—nt and all this in with and through that testimony of Jesus as given forth to them for thus he explicates Of Sin because they beleeve not on me of Righteousness because I go to my father and ye see me no more He comes down no more to suffer in which the infinit and abiding vertue of his once suffering is declared And the second and glorious Appearance they should not see in the time of this mortality nor till we all come together Of Judgement because the Prince of this world is judged already which also was done in him as Joh. 12. 31 32. speaking of that vertually done from the beginning now presently to be actually done in his own body and by his being lifted up from the earth both on the cross and then because of that being raised on the right hand of Majesty he saith now is the judgement of this world now is the Prince of this world cast out And with this Argument or in the Demonstration and usefulness of this as he reproves the world of Righteousness that all theirs is nothing his onely perfect and will stand them instead So he reproves them also of Judgement shews the vanity and falseness of all theirs whether of Condemnation or Absolution or in their apprehensions concerning things and persons And likewise he saith He shall teach them the beleevers on him further in and by the same Instrument and shall so lead them into all truth and shew them things to come for saith he He shall not speak of himself but whatever he shall hear that shall he speak he shall take of my things and shew unto you he shall glorifie me c. Joh. 16. 8 14. In the demonstration and opening of him God learneth all truth and so also therein instructeth and directeth to all right demeanors towards God and men So the Apostles gave all their commandements by the Lord Jesus in the demonstration opening and applying the things of him did give the ground and reason of them shew their equity move and press to the observing them in the strength afforded in those mercies of the Lord in and through that testimony of Jesus 1 Thes 4. 2. Rom. 12. 1. 1 Pet. 1. 13-18 c. Ephes 4. 1-8 10. For that Grace of God that bringeth Salvation to all men especially in this appearance of it now come forth by Jesus Christ teacheth that denying ungodliness and wordly lusts we should live soberly righteously and godly in this present world looking for the blessed hope and the glorious appearance of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ c. Tit. 2. 11 12 13. 2 That in the second place propounded to be considered is where and how this teaching of the Father is held forth by himself unto men surely that is 1 In all the books of his Creation and providence in all mercies chastisements and changes of his providence with men Job 33. 14-29 30. and 36. 22. 26. Psal 19. 1-7 107. with Rom. 10. 17 18. But 2 More clearly and abundantly in the holy Scriptures which were both given and left upon record by immediate inspiration and furniture of God Rom. 15. 4. 2 Pet. 1. 19 20 21. 1 Cor. 14. 37. 2 Pet. 3. 2. 1 Joh. 1-4 5. and are therefore profitable for all doctrine or teaching c. They are able being his words and preserved in the Records of them from any fundamental or material perversion on the account of his righteousness who hath so promised Psal 12. 6. Prov. 12. 19. Isa 8. 16. 20. 44. 25 26. and so owned by him and accompanied with his spiritual presence to the end of the world Mat. 28. 20. able I say to make us wise to salvation both of our selves and others through faith which is in Christ Jesus and throughly to furnish the man of God to every good word and work 2 Tim. 3. 14 15 16 17.
in another place intimates his reverence of the Scripture such that he will not beleeve any thing that cannot be proved by plain Scripture and yet other where in the same Letter though in subtile tearms reproacheth us as blinde carnal and a generation of Persecutors because we would not beleeve further or otherwise concerning his confession of the Flesh of Christ in him than we could read in the said Scriptures which there he calls letter yea Farnsworth in his Challenge expresly commands us to throw by the Records left and preserved to us in Books and not to read or look on them night or day Further also this appears in the said Farnsworth in a Book I have lately seen of his where he subscribes Forneworth I know not which is his â—â—ght name in which Book he pretends highly against the Ranters of purpose to make simple people beleeve that his Principles tend more to godliness and honesty and â—re not such as they began to disâ—em by the fruits the Ranters were when as in truth as in the fore-said Preface we have hinted their bottom principles are one Yea it appears in that Book where in pretended opposition to the Ranters he tells them the Cross iâ— inward c. he knows they fancy that as much as he and in his way and have lifted up their imagination of the Cross of Christ as some internal operation to render as foolish the Personal Sufferings of Christ and the vertues of them for taking away sin and also to excuse their avoyding the Cross in outward sufferings to themselves that would have attended them for his Names sake had they lived godly in Christ Jesus yea himself acknowledgeth of them as Ranters so called That once the pure Law was set up and the Judgement within them to have freed them from sin only blames them for turning to a loose and prophane life whereas he knows if he know any thing that their Principles lead naturally to it but those Principles he owns and yet crys out against their gross Prophaneness and Atheism because that is grosly scandalous and hinders others from listening to their imaginations whereas it is their imaginations of the light in them which all that know God in Christ have primely detected and shewed the light in them to be darkness it self and the root of all Atheism and Prophaneness which yet were no other than are now promoted by these people under another vizor And that it hath the same fruit in them also though they endeâ—vour to hide it appears 1 In one owned by themselves as the chief of them about Norwitch that while he pretended perfection and others applauded him as a perfect man yet lived secretly in uncleanness and if credible reports may be beleeved a long time if not in Murther too for the hiding of it though but lately manifested 2 It did appear in our Antagonists inhuman language and carriage the chief of them and many of them together and with great indignation as being full of the gall of bitterness frequently terming us Lyars Serpents Beasts Sots Doggs reproaching some by their Age as old Sot Beast c. which I am sure is fatre enough from Scripture president though some of them pretend that yea some of their revilings were such as I cannot in civility mention as many can witness besides their many very gross yet peremptory slanders some of which we have discovered 3 That their Principles have the same fruit in them as to gross Atheism or Blasphemy of a high nature as in the Ranters may appear by comparing those Blasphemies of Wilkinson which Forneworth mentions in the foresaid Book with what I also lately saw in a Book of Jâ— Parnâ—â—s which Book he calls the Watcher The Stone cut out of the Mountain without hands In that Book speaking of that he calls corrupt reasoning or arguing he saith Before that was I am with seeing allusion to that of our Saviour Before Abraham was I am What doth hee less in this than equalize himself with God which to that person only is no Robbery who is the Eternal and only begotten Son of God it being the peculiar Name and Attribute of God I am he is that which he is from everlasting to everlasting and of himself and he only is so that is the former of and gives being to all things and so the only begotten Son by whom and for whom he made all things is honoured with the same honour with the Father the Father having given to him to have life in himself as the Father hath life in himself yea he and the Father are one in Nature and being though evidently distinct in manner of being from everlasting to everlasting thou art God not so James Parnel he is not before all things for by him they do not consist but by him in whom it hath pleased the Father that all fulness should dwell even the fulness of the God head bodily that in all things he should have the preheminence Col. 1. 15 19. 2. 2. 9. Heb. 1. total Joh. 5. 20 21 23. 1. 1 14. in these things I say it appears That their bottom Principles are one and also have secretly the same fruit though gilded over with pretence of Zeal Holiness Mortification c. in these and I pray what stands that in but in pretending themselves and commanding others to abstain from meats created to be received c. in despising Dominion speaking evil of Dignities casting off all Civil and Natural respects where due and like things I am sorry any Christians should be so weak to be beguiled with such things as have only a shew of Humility Mortification c. but in truth are the issues of greatest Pride and contempt of the Wisdom and Grace of God in Christ and most unsuitable to the Apostles Doctrin and practise who instruct us to honour Fathers Masters c. in their place yea to count them worthy all honour c. yea themselves entitle one The elect Lady another not then elect Most noble Festus another King Agrippa c. and have noted them as Doctrins of Devils that command to abstain from meats which God hath created to be received c. as before we have shewed Doubtless it is another true Character of these Spirits which we may here adde to what we have given before They speak Lies in Hypocrisy having their Conscience seared with a hot Iron See further for this Page 88 89. Since the finishing of the Premises when they were almost out of the Press I met with a Reply from R. F. to my Answer to his Challenge dated above a Month before I had it in which he saith there was no name to that Answer sent him sure I am my name was subscribed to that I sent and if any after did take a Copy of it and forget the subscription and sent that it is more than I know besides he makes much ado about my saying I know not any called Manifestarians