harder then a flint I believe shame would strike him in the face at the reading again in the cool of the day what hee hath forged against us in the heat and bitterness of his Spirit for all that have heard us will be ready with one consent to say that we press most after obedience of any other profession or people whatsoever and we have sure ground for so doing knowing that the promise of the Lord and his blessing is to the obedient and that the terrors of the Lord and his wrath is against the e Col. 3.6 children of disobedience and our testimony stands upon record against all such as f Job 24.13 rebells against the light and against all who are proud heady and high minded Disobedient to parents without naturall affection such as are g Gal. 3.1 bewitched and doth not obey the truth as it is in Jesus And to say that wee walk in a way of disobedience is utterly false for our way is the good old way of holiness Jesus Christ who saith I am the light of the world and h John 8.12 he that followeth me shall not abide in darkness but shall have the light of life and his record is true and we have believed it and again he saith i John 14.6 I am the way and no man cometh to the father but by me and of this way we bear testimony and in this way we walk and whosoever saith they believe in Christ and followes Christ and doth not believe in the light and walk in obedience to the light are deceived and led aside with the errour of the wicked and are in the rebellion and disobedience and such with the light are judged and k John 3.19 condemned and by us declared against in that estate of disobedience yet we cannot cease to call them to repentance that if peradventure they may come to the knowledge of the truth but he saith pag. 11. that they endeavour to turn souls from Christ to the light within them teaching absolute disobedience and rebellion against Christ in his word the Scriptures and obedience to their own fancies and lying imaginations within them To which I say this is but his own false construction and vain imaginations mixt with Ignorance and enmity for the Scripture is a witness with us of what we teach and of what we believe and endeavour to turn people unto and he might as well have accused the Ministers of Christ as us in this particular for they were sent l Acts. 26.18 to turn people from the darkness to the light and in so doing neither they nor we did nor doth endeavour to turn them to fancies nor teach them rebellion against Christ in his word this is but the poyson of Asps that cometh from under his tongue and we can bear it being exercised with the reproaches of Moab and the revileings of the Children of Ammon with whom this man hath joyned himself to fight against the truth yet notwithstanding for the truths defence and vindication this may inform the simple hearted that are not come to a right understanding of what we hold and teach that we do not endeavour to turn souls to a light within them distinct from Christ but we labour to turn people to the true light of Christ in them m 2 Cor. 4.6 for God who commanded the light to shine out of darkness hath shined in our hearts and this is the true light which we have seen and which we declare and endeavour to turn people to and this is the light which John was sent to bear witness of that all men through him might believe n John 1. the true light that lighteth every man that cometh into the world and this is not a fancy nor an imagination as is falsly affirmed by T. C. who farther proceeds to call it a natural light and the ruins or remainders of that which was in the first Adam and saith it is the great design of these men to set it up in opposition to the true light and life of Christ c. but this also is his own blindness and ignorance of what wee labour to set up that causeth the mistake and false judgement for we labour to turn people to the true spiritual light of the second Adam who is the Lord from heaven heavenly that as they have sinned through one mans disobedience they may by the obedience of one be made free from sin and death and to this end are we called and sent forth in the name of the Lord to call sinners to repentance that are in the lost estate in the first Adam and to turn people from the darkness to the true light that they may come to worship the onely true God whom we worship in the spirit and in the truth and this is the work of our Ministery having turned people from the darkness to the light to stir up the pure mind in them by daily exhortations and provocations to love and obedience to him who hath required truth in the inward parts that holiness may be o 2 COr 7.1 perfected in the fear of God that their light which doth shine may shine clearer and clearer before men that thereby the Lord may be glorified and the mouths of gain-sayers stopped and herein have we union with the elders of whom the world was not worthy who sustained the same sufferings reproaches and tryals of cruel mockings bonds and imprisonments as wee do for the testimony which they held and by the same power are we kept through faith unto salvation so that we can rejoyce when men reviles and persecutes us for Christs sake and the Gospel knowing that if our Gospel be hid it is hid to them that are lost p 2 Cor. 4.3 whose minds the God of this world hath blinded and whose ears with the deaf Adder are stopped that although we speak plainly according to the Scripture and declare what we have heard and seen yet it cannot be received by such as are given up to believe lies and truly this man hath manifested as much enmity and ignorance herein against us as if he had sold himself to work wickedness and bent his tongue for lies he calls them horrid abuses against Christ Scripture and Saints that I would have the light within to be believed in and loved and because I call Christ the true seed the true light the Lord the Law giver the more sure word of Prophesy c. he makes it as some hainous offence and labours to make a separation between Christ and his light in the consciences of men and women which upon good grounds we exhort people to turn unto believe in love and obey for God hath given him for q Luk. 2.37 a light unto the Gentiles a leader of his people and for salvation to all the ends of the earth to open the eyes of the blind and to bring forth the prisoners out of the prison houses end
was a lyer from the beginning is now cast out of heaven into the earth and he hath great wrath with the woman and the remnant of her seed who keep the word of God and testimony of Jesus but the arm of the Lord is stretched out over us and in his fear are we preserved from the rage of our enemies yea a pillar of fire to give us light goeth before us which is a cloud and darkness to our Egyptian like enemies that follow after us Truly my soul pitties you and my bowels hath even yerned on you for many dayes oh that you had an ear that you could hear and an heart that you could understand you have played the harlot and are departed from God and you have joyned your selves to another besides the Lord you have run a whoreing after your own Inventions and you have worshipped the works of your hands and your Pastours hath deceived you for the Lord doth not smile upon you but his jealousy burneth against you as a fire yet return and he may have mercy and whilst the Spirit of the Lord strives answer with obedience for he hath said his spirit shall not alwayes strive with man and while you have the light believe in the light and bring all your deeds unto the light that they may be proved and tryed whether they be wrought in God And now friends in the fear of the Lord deal honestly with your own selves and let us reason together and in the light of Christ Jesus weigh and try all things and see with the light which will deal plainly with you whether you are indeed such as you profess your selves and whether the ordinances you so much talk of be indeed the ordinances of Christ or but shadowes whether water baptism or the baptism of the spirit be the baptism of Christ since there is but one baptism whether you have heard the voice of Christ or seen his shape at any time that hath commanded you in the particular to take up those ordinances or a perswasion in your own minds from the letter when as the letter killeth or whether such a thing as water be commanded in the letter or your own Imaginations from the letter Whether the bread you break be the body of Christ or the cup you drink be his blood since it doth not cleanse you from sin whether the prayers you make be in the spirit and you can say in the presence of the Lord you lift up holy hands have them that teach among you the spirit of infalibility and revelation of the mind of Christ or they speak a devination of their own brain and hath not received the word of the Lord from his mouth but boast in anothers line and what themselves have invented and whether this be the spirit of God or the spirit of errour which is not of God and whether the Covenant and ordinances which doth not make the commers thereunto perfect be not that which is to be done away as weake and unprofitable whether your faith and preaching be not also vain forasmuch as you believe you shall never overcome sin while you live and your faith doth not purifie your hearts and since that as a tree falleth so it lyeth and as death leaves you judgment finds you and that there is no repentance in the grave whether you must goe and that nothing that is unclean or that worketh abomination or that maketh a lye shall ever enter the City of our God Therefore once more in the name of the Lord I warn you come out from among them all ye that are tender-hearted and that desires salvation to your soules come out from among them and be ye seperate and touch no unclean thing and I will receive you saith the Lord for whosoever cannot witnesse Christ Jesus a Saviour from sin in the particular shall never witness him a Saviour from condemnation refuse not to walk with a pure perfect people as T.C. saith we be and follow us no farther then as we follow Christ for we have the mind of Christ therfore own the light which convinceth you of sin for as living witnesses for the name of our God do we stand that the light which convinceth of sin is the true light that leadeth out of sin all them that walks in the light as he is in the light they witness the blood of Christ to cleanse from all sin which joyns us to Christ as members of his body whereby we receive the spirit of the Father to lead and guide us to do his will which is our sanctification which spirit revealeth the Son Christ Jesus the light who worketh all our works in us and for us whose work is perfect for we are no more our own but bought with a price so are we baptized by one spirit into one body and made conformable to his death who hath raised us to life glory be to his name for ever here is the Church in God the Father where the true Church Ordinances and fellowship is known and the true worship in spirit and in truth in which onely the father is worshipped lived in yea and we bear testimony according to the Scriptures that there is no other name given under heaven by which men can be saved but by Christ Jesus who is revealed in us our hope of glory this is he that hath told us all that ever we have done is not this the very Christ who was in the beginning with God whose day Abraham saw whom the professing Jews when made manifest who had the Scriptures of the Prophets who prophesied of him read every Sabbath day yet their voices they knew not but crucified the Lord of Life and put him to open shame as it is at this day Him hath God raised and given him a name above every name that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow this is he whom we bear testimony to Christ Jesus the same yesterday to day and for ever therefore take heed least ye be found fighters against God and no longer believe lyes but cast out the lyar from amongst you for the lyar is of the Devil and whilst you join with him you are one with him and must partake of his plagues Therefore hear and fear before the Lord for the Lord will rain snares upon the wicked and pour out shame and contempt upon his adversaries and go on speedily with your promise which you have promised the Lord in your Epistle That you will cast out sin or sinners out of the house of God so may the Lord have a Church free from sin upon the earth for he is come whose right it is and the Kingdom and the Government shall be his who will rule the Heathen with a rod of iron and break them in pieces like a Potters vessel And now have I eased my spirit and cleared my conscience towards you whether you will hear or forbear and the Lord will be clear of you when he cometh in ten thousands of his Saints to execute the judgements written this honour hath all the saints From him who was once owned as a Brother amongst you and since owned a brother by you whilst walking in the vanity of my mind running to the same excess of riot with you but since the Lord in mercy visited me and called me out of darkness into his marvellous light I have been hated and despightfully used by some of you who am known to many of you by the name of I. C. FINIS
THE LINE OF TRUE JUDGMENT Laid to an imperfect piece published By Thomas Collier which he calls an Answer to an Epistle written to the Churches of the Anabaptists c. A Reply herein is published in order to the Exaltation of the spiritual man with his Ordinances and Administrations above the man of sin with the weak and unprofitable Ordices that doth not make the comers thereunto perfect BY Thomas Salthouse Behold ye despisers and wonder and perish for I work a work in your dayes a work which ye shall in no wise believe though a man declare it unto you Acts 13.41 Therefore they say unto God depart from us for we desire not the knowledge of thy wayes Job 21.14 They are of those that rebell against the light they know not the wayes thereof nor abide in the pathes thereof Job 24.13 LONDON Printed for Thomas Simmons at the Bull and Mouth near Aldersgate THe Reader may here observe that the first entrance into this discourse was occasioned by a printed Paper from Tiverton wherein the state and condition of the Anabaptists Churches was represented which came to my hand and after I had read it over and considered their condition to be far short of what they profess I was moved to write an Epistle to them and sent it among them for the better information of the honest hearted and for the sake of such as are not altogether settled upon the lees and as an answer to that Epistle Thomas Collier hath written a Pamphlet to vindecate their practise and present condition shewing them many examples and instances of the Saints failings in former ages tending to their incouragment in the estate of sin and imperfection intimating that notwithstanding their great abominations therein expressed they are and may be owned as the Church of God in persuance whereof I was constrained to send this reply as a farther manifestation of the good will of him that would have all men to be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth with a seasonable word written by J.C. added hereunto which may go abroad among them to be read received and considered of by such as have not refused to Return T. S. The line of true Judgement laid to an imperfect piece published by Thomas Collier which he calls an Answer to an Epistle written to the Churches of the Anabaptists c. WHen I consider the gross darknes degeneration and Apostacy of some high pretenders to Religion and how willfully ignorant they are become of the great mistery of Godliness b 1 Tim 3 1â— not liking to retain God in their knowledge nor to hearken to the reproofs of instruction which is the way of eternal life I remember what the spirit hath expresly spoken concerning such c Rom. 1.28 that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith giving heed to seducing spirits and Doctrines of Divels speaking lies in hypocrisie having their consciences seared as with an hot Iron making Shipwrack of the mystery of faith d 1 Tim. 4. which is held in a pure conscience and which was once delivered unto the Saints which purifies the heart and gives victory over the world and after a diligent search and examination had who it is that are given up to strong delusions to believe lies and who teacheth for doctrines the traditions of men e 1 Tim 3.9 creeping into houses and leading about silly women Captive Laden with sin and led away with divers lusts ever learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth nor to perfection I find by evident testimony that the people cal'd Anabaptists are as chiefly concerned herein as many of those whom they themselves have formerly pretended to differ from and declare against as Ante-Christian both in call practice maintainance doctrine and worship with whom they are joyned and confederate to fight against the truth as it is in Jesus as by their practice and the writings of some of them is plainly and clearly made manifest for with the light of Christ are they seen through their unrighteous covering and feigned humility and with the Spirit of truth are they tryed their language bewrayes them f Eph. 2.12 to be strangers to the Covenant of promise yea such as cannot indure sound doctrine nor receive the things of the spirit of God when in the fear of God freely tendered and offered unto them And forasmuch as Thomas Collier a Teacher among them hath several times ingaged himself with the beast and false Prophet to make war against the Lamb and his followers by publishing his own imaginations to render them odious to the world Suggesting their way and worship of the true God to be heresy and errour as his forefathers in all ages have done and now once more under pretence of Answering an Epistle of mine written in the fear of God and sent to them in love he hath manifested much folly enmity ignorance and wickedness by wresting and perverting the words of truth and soberness therein contained as he hath done and doth g 2 Pet. 3.16 the Scripture of truth to his own destruction that he may not be exalted in his wickedness and so proceed further to boast of what he hath done herein or heretofore against the truth and the faithful witnesses of it I am constrained for the vindication of the truth in general whereof I am a witness and for which I suffer a little farther to search into his works of darkness that his covering may be stript off and his refuge of lies swept away that he may stand naked and bare in the presence Dan. 7.9 of the ancient of dayes before whom the matter in controversie is to be debated and as for what I wrote in that Epistle and do write on this account it is commended to that of God in the conscience of all such as are simple hearted and sober minded to be read and received without prejudice either against the truth which is reproached by the world or against the earthen vessel which is herein imployed as an instrument and who hath without prejudice against any particular person though occasion was given to mention him made these things publique in persuance of a pamphlet lately published by T. C. called an answer to an Epistle written by me to the Churches of the Anabaptists so called When his pretended answer was brought to light and deliberately searcht through and weighed in an equal ballance the scope of his discourse and weight of his arguments was first to prove that they might be the Church of God notwithstanding their great abominations and wickedness confessed in their Epistle from Tiverton with several instances and agravations of the failings of those in former ages whom the Lord sent his true Prophets and Ministers to declare against and to call to repentance and hereby he would imply that the Churches of God in former ages have been sinful and wicked like themselves who profess and would be
accounted the Church of Christ in these dayes though imperfect Secondly Against the being of the seed of God and light of Christ within men thirdly against the Saints attaining to perfection and freedom from sin whilst in this mortal estate which is the very end for which Christ Jesus gave gifts unto his Ministers ordaining some to be Prophets some Apostles some Pastors and some Teachers for the perfecting of the Saints for the work of the Ministery for the edifying of the spiritual body till we all come in the unity of the faith unto a perfect man in Christ Jesus in whom the whole building fitly framed together groweth to an holy temple in the Lord and the Apostle saith know you not that your bodies are the temples of the holy Ghost i 1 Cor. 3.17 and if any man defile the temple of God him will God destroy k 1 Thes 1.1 and the Church is in God the Father and in the Lord Jesus Christ where nothing that is unclean can enter and the tabernacle of God is with men as he hath said I 'le walk in them and dwell in them though T C. have affirmed that God never had yet a Church in the world free from sin and so hath laid sin to the charge of Gods Elect for l John 3.8 he that commits sin is of the Devil and a servant of sin and so free from righteousness and this is the cause he hath undertaken to plead In the front or enterance into his paper he hath cited this Scripture to the Law and to the testimony if any speak not according to this rule it is because there is no light in them Now in regard he hath put in his declaration and goes about to plead a title or propriety that the man of sin hath and must have in the Church of Christ whilst here on earth and hath here cited the Law and Testimony which I own for a rule to try by I am constrained as Defendant to join issue and plead with him according to the Law of Truth in the presence of our Judge and Law-giver whose judgement is true and whose testimony is sure But first it is to be considered what the Law and what the Testimony is and where they are according to the Scripture Thy law is light Prov. 6. The law is spiritual Rom 7.14 The law gives the knowledge of sin Rom. 3 20. And behold the daye come saith the Lord Jer. 31. that I will make a new Covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah not according to the Covenant that I made with their fathers which Covenant they break but this shall be the Covenant that I will make with them after those dayes I will put my law in their inward parts and write it in their hearts And again Heb. 10. I will put my laws in their hearts and in their minds will I write them and their sins and iniquities will I remember no more and this is the Covenant that makes the comers thereunto perfect and the Law which makes free from the law of sin and death and he that believeth hath this witness in himself and so hath set to his seal that God is true and the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophesie and this is that sure word spoken of 2 Pet. 1.19 And we have also a more sure word of prophesie whereunto ye do well that ye take heed as unto a light that shineth in a dark place until the day dawn and the day star arise in your hearts mark In your hearts the Law in the heart the light in the heart the testimony of Jesus the sure word of prophesie in the heart the word of faith nigh in the heart And now to come to the matter he saith pag. 2. Christ was sent to save his people and not to save onely the oppressed seed or light within to which I say he was sent to set the oppressed free and to save his people from their sins and to open the eyes of the blind m John 9.39 that those that saw not might see n Mat. 18.11 and the son of man was sent to seek and to save that which was lost and the Lord of hosts hath left us a seed else o Rom. 9. we had been as Sodome yea like unto Gomorrah and this seed is within and we know that the whole Creation travelleth together in pain until now and not onely they but our selves also that have the first fruits of the spirit even we our selves have groaned within our selves for the redemption of the body which God hath prepared to do his will p 1 Cor. 15 who giveth unto every seed it s own body and he that is begotten of the immortal seed and born again of water and of the spirit is saved from his sin and he sinneth not neither can he because the seed of God remaineth in him and he cannot sin because he is born of God 1 Joh. 3. Mark he cannot sin because he is born of God and because the seed remaineth in him But T.C. saith pages 2 3. It is language besides the Gospel of truth that Christ came to save the oppressed seed within and farther that he dare say it is such a salvation as never came into the heart of God nor was ever known to Prophets Apostles or Christ himself to save the oppressed seed of God in men with which his Covenant is made Here he hath contradicted the Scriptures of truth above-mentioned with many others that might be instanced likewise he hath contradicted himself for he with others of his brethren directs their Epistle from Tiverton to such as are called to be Saints through the immortal seed which dwelleth in them now if it be language besides the Gospel of truth to mention the oppressed seed within why doth he make use of the expression and if it be according to truth why doth he suggest that those who use such expressions are poor deluded people and because I said in the beginning of my Epistle to them I am constrained with compassion to the oppressed seed in you which groans to be delivered from the bondage of corruption c. he seems to render it an offence by false constructions arising from an evil affected mind wresting and perverting my words and then calling it a mear cheat to please children and sools as if it were a language not fit to be spoken of or once named among them that are grown so strong in the state of imperfection And because my Epistle was directed to the Anabaptists Churches so called and then I denied them to be the Church of Christ and told them that their presumption was seen that called themselves the Church of Christ and were not as their blasphemy was known that called themselves q Rev. 2 9. Jews and were not He calls this contradiction and confusion but the confusion is in himself as may appear to the impartial Reader of that
through the faith of the operation of God who hath raised him from the dead and u Rom. 6. Therefore we are buried with him by Baptisme into Death that like as Christ was raised from the Dead by the glory of the Father even so we also should walke in newness of life and as hee is so are we in this present world 1 Joh. 4. and the Church of the Hebrews was come w Heb. 12.23 to the Spirits of Just men made perfect and they who testified these things was not hypocrits as in this mans account and now I leave it to the spirituall mans judgment whether ever God had a Church in this world free from sin or any that durst confess it yea or nay and farther hee affirmes pag. 7. that they that calls themselves the Church of Christ and say they are without sin in this mortall Estate are none of the Church of Christ for he had never yet any such Church To this I say his judgment is false and denyed and declared against by the children of light and witnessed against by the Scripture of truth for the Life of Christ hath been and is made manifest in mortall flesh and x 2 Cor. 4.7 we have this treasure in harth en vessels and for this purpose was the son of God made manifest to take away sin y 1 Joh. 4.3 and every Spirit that Confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God and this is that Spirit of Anti-Christ that now is in the world but where Jesus Christ is made manifest in the flesh hee is made manifest to Destroy the works of the Devill to wit sin and to condemn sin in the flesh that the Righteousness of the Law might be fulfilled In us who walks not after the flesh but after the Spirit being Created again z Eph. 2.10 in Christ Jesus unto good works a Coll. 1.4 in whom we have Redemption through his blood who hath purged away our sins by the washing of Regeneration glory to his name for ever without boasting we can speak it to the praise of his grace who hath wrought all our works for us and In us that b 1 Joh. 5.19 wee are of God though the whole world lieth in wickedness and that Christ have had and yet hath a Church without sin in this mortall Estate for hee that sinneth hath not seene God neither known him and we deny all such to be the Church of God and of Christ as lives in sin and pleads for sin whilst in this mortall Estate who makes a profession of the Scriptures and comes not to the Life and power declared of by them For the Scripture we own and the Covenant which makes the comers thereunto perfect and the bringing in of a better hope we witnesse and the Law which makes free c Rom. 8.2 from the Law of sin and death and the unchangable ordinances and Administrations to which we are subject doth not perish with the using and the Baptisme by which wee are made members of the Church of Christ doth not Decrease but increase and save from sin and all such as are called Churches and yet remains in sin in the unconverted and Imperfect Estate offends in many things and are seduced and deceived being out of the truth they are enimies to the Cross of Christ in the strife and envy against truth and these are not the Church of Christ neither do they know it but are strangers to the saints Life having a likeness of a thing a forme of godliness but not the power d Rev. 3.1 a name to live and are dead and with such we have no union knowing them by their voice to be strangers and therefore wee turne away from them and cannot but deale plainely and faithfully with them though we bee reproched by them with the name of Quakers and joyned with Pharisees and Hypocrites because we cannot conforme to the customs of the Heathen and plead as they do for the Devills kingdom of sin and Imperfection that Anti-Christ may have quiet possession in the Church of Christ so long as it remaines here in the world And because we cannot own them as Ministers and Elders of the Church of Christ that sometimes murmurs and complaines of the tyrannicall government of the man of sin in them but pleades for the continuance of sin in the Church whilst in this mortall Estate therefore hee concludes that we are not sensible of sin in our selves nor in others as to warn them to mourn and seek the Lord for them To which I say we all like sheep have gone a stray and in sin we were conceived and in iniquity brought forth and were by nature the children of wrath even as others till it pleased the father in the riches of his grace and love to reveal his Son in us to destroy the works of the Divell and to condemen sin in the flesh and by his blood to cleanse us from all sin and we have known the terrours of the Lord and his indignation against sin and have been made sensible of our condition whilst sin reigned in our mortall Bodies and wee have mourned under it every familie apart when by the light of Christ it was made manifest and by faith in him many have obtained victory over the sin that did easly beset us and lead us captive and how can we that are dead to sin live any longer therein shall we continue in sin and plead for so doing like you that grace may abound nay God forbid that any such thoughts should enter into our hearts to draw us back to the pollutions which we have escaped and with the dog to the vomet and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire again nay verily we are snesible of that condition and cannot but warn them that yet remains in it and exhort them to come forth of it and we do pitty them and pray for them that they may be delivered from the bondage of corruption and out of the snares of the enemie and turned from the darkness to the light that as obedient children they may come to walk honestly as in the day in the light of the Lord and to this end do we labour and travile and freely administer as we have received commending our selves to that of God in every mans conscience again hee saith pag. 9. let both heaven and earth tremble at such rebellion and pride as this is Intimating that we Judge and Condemn all that dare not walk in such a way of disobedience c. Hear I appeal to all sober minded people that ever heard us speak or read our writings whether ever we judged or condemned any that was obedient t othe faith or when did we ever press any to disobedience or did in the least countenance it but have often declared that the wrath of God cometh upon the children of disobedience and surely if this man had not a face