reverence be it spoken must acquit the man though in himself ungodly for payment being made satisfaction given by the surety it is but just that the debtor be acquitted and discharged shall not the judge of all the world do right yea God is just and will declare his righteousnesse by justifying him that believeth in Jesus Now God the Father having thus reconciled the world unto himself by Christ for the farther carrying on of this work commits the ministery and service of this reconciliation to his Apostles and Ministers in their successive generations who as Heralds and Ambassadors authorized and commissionated by him should publish and in his na e preach the glad tydings of salvation this everlasting Gospell And to let all men even the Gentiles see what hope there is of their fellowship and participation of the blessings and benefits of this mysterie of godlinesse which from the begining of the world have bin hid in God who created all things by Jesus Christ no nation people or person being now excluded or shut out the partition wall of Jewish ordinances being broken down and both Jew Gentile bond and free male and female all may come drink freely of that well of salvation which Christ hath opened for all persons that will come unto him whereof for his part he is so free being no niggard of his blood and merits that he intreats all to come and partake of And by his servants making a full tender of himself as Priest Prophet and King to all that will receive him And to as many as thus receive him giving them right power and just claime to become the sons of God and heires of the kingdome which he had purchased But now man by his fall being dead in the dark yea darknesse it self and so in his natural state and blindness unable to receive and comprehend this glorious and gracious mysterie of being righteous by anothers righteousness and of being saved by anothers sufferings all men Jewes and Gentiles doting and being fruitlesly set upon seeking life and happiness by their own doings and performances Therefore together with the revelation of this mysterie by the ministry of his servants sent for that purpose Christ over and above that common work of the Spirit by which he enlightens every man that comes into the world gives unto those who are given him of the Father and who are to be called according to the eternal decree and purpose which he purposed in himself and whereby he surely knowes those that are and shal be his to them he gives a mind and understanding to know him and to receive him and to be in him and to be one with him who is the true God and eternal life And now a believer having Christ who is eternal life hath eternal life in and by Christ whereas those who thus have him not sc by believing have not eternal life because what in them lies they make God a liar not entertaining and closing with that testimony and record that he gave of his son which was that in him he was well pleased not onely with him for so he could not but be in justice forhe had never offended him But in him he was well pleased being in mercy and loving kindnes satisfied for the sins of all those who come unto God by him who therefore are received as sons and daughters by free grace and adoption And now that those who thus believe in Christ might have the witness in themselvs of their Sonship because they are sons God sends forth the Spirit of his Son into their hearts whereby they are imboldned to call upon God as Sons crying Abba Father being thereunto the more imboldned because by the same Spirit they are sealed and marked out unto the day of redemption And which is given to them as a pledge and earnest in hand for an assurance to them of their full inheritance when their adoption and son-ship shall be compleated by the redemption of their bodies from the power of Corruption as now their soules are from the reign and power of sin The same spirit also in the meane time leading them into all saving truth comforting them in all their troubles and helping them in all their infirmities And thus hath a Believer in himself the testimony both of blood and of the spirit witnessing to and with his spirit that he is a son and child of God But then as there are three in Heaven that bear record and give testimony to this great mysterie of godliness sc The Father the word the holy Ghost So there are must be three witnesses on earth i. The heart of a true believer before the work can be compleated which are three the Spirit Blood and Water For Christ came not by blood alone for justification nor by water onely for sanctification but by water and blood both which Sacramentally flowed forth from his precious body when he hung upon the Crosse a Sacrifice for our redemption thereby shewing forth the end of his suffering viz. both the justification sanctification of his people And therefore he that hath not the witness testim within himself of all three hath not the witness of either he whose heart conscience cannot witnes to him his faith believing in that blood of Christ shed for his justification cannot have the witness of this blood as water for cleanâ—ing and sanctification For Christ sanctifies none but whome he justifies he whose heart cannot witnes to him his faith operating on the blood of Christ as water for sanctification canot have the testimony of blood and his interest in it for justification For Christ justifies none but he also sanctifies the n. And he that hath not the testimony and witnesse in himself of his intrest in blood and water for justification sanctification cannot have the testimony and witnesse of the spirit sealing for these three agree in one all beare witness to one the same truth sc Christs comming dying to redeeme us from sin and all iniquity both in the guilt and in the filth of it both from the condemnation and from the domination of sin For the grace of God which bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men teacheth us that denying ungodlinesse and world y lusts we shâ—ud live soberly righteously and godlily in this present world looking for that blessed hope and glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ who gave himself for us that he might redeeme us from all iniquity and purifie unto himself a peculiar and choice people zealous of good works And for asmuch as no uncleane person can enter into the Kingdome of Heaven where the inheritance is For know ye
walk not after the flesh but after and according to the spirit And whereas we were under â—in God made him who knew no sin in himself to be sin for us by impuâ—ation that we might be made the righteousnesse of God in him in like manner And whereas we by reason of that sin were under the curse he was made a curse for us that he might redeeme us from that curse that so we might inherit the blessing therefore the Lord having laid hold on our surety who is mighty to save and to deliver being man that he might suffer in the same nature and in the behalfe of those that had sinned And God that he might make full satisfaction to God that was offended The Lord I say having thus laid hold upon our able suretie laid and charged upon him all our iniquities bruising and almost breaking his gracious heart with the hellish terrours of divine revenge and justice where he made his righteous soul an offering for sin So sharp and hot were the flames thereof that it made the maker of the whole creation grone and cry out my God my God why hast thou forsaken me A speech more dreadful fuller of astonishment then if the whole frame of heaven and earth all men angels had been tumbling headlong into everlasting torments for in this God had not forsaken himselfe but his creature onely but in that wrath was kindled beyond the finite apprehension of the creature here God as it were forsook and left himself Christ being God one God with the father blessed and beloved for ever And yet my God my God why hast thou forsaken me And here behold and see and in seeing weep was there ever sorrow like unto this sorrow which Christ suffered in the day of his fathers wrath and fury And again behold and see and in seeing rejoyce that Christ suffered these sorrows as our surety Surely he hath borne our griefs and carried our sorrows he was wounded for our transgressions he was bruised for our iniquities the chastisement of our peace was upon him and with his stripes we are healed All we like sheep have gone astray and he hath laid upon him the iniquities of us all And thus was God in and with Christ in his everlasting decree Covenant and consent roconciling the world unto himself by that one sacrifice and offering whereby through the eternal spirit he offered up his life and shed his blood upon the Crosse a sacrifice for sin to reconcile us unto God For without shedding of blood there is no forgivenesse of sin to be expected Obedience to the Law because short imperfect cannot effect it make man right and perfect But now by this one offering up of the body of christ once for all he hath perfected for ever those that are sanctified separated and set apart for God So that Messiah the Prince of our peace and the Authour of our eternal salvation being thus cut off by death hath confirmed the Covenant made between him and his Father having finished the satisfaction for transgression and made an end of the reign of sin by making reconciliation for iniquity and bringing in an everlasting righteousnesse To the end that whosoever believed in him should not perish but have everlasting life So that now there is no condemnation to them that are by believing in Christ Jesus for the Law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath freed them from the Law of sin and death for this was the Covenant between Christ and the father that when he should have made his soul an offering for sin the pleasure of the Lord by him thereby fulfilled should take so good effect and so prosper under his hand that he should prolong his dayes and see a seed a holy seed he should see and enjoy that which his soul travelled for and should be satisfied for all his sufferings The reward whereof was this sc that by the knowledge of and faith in him who in that work was his Fathers righteous Servant he should justifie acquit many even as many as believe in him from all their sins by bearing the guilt and punishment of their iniquities in his body on the tree of the Crosse whereof assurance is given in that he raised him from the dead for it was impossible that he should be holden or detained by the grave who finished the work that his Father had given him to do viz. by suffering the heel of his humanity to be bruised by Sathan that to break the head and chief of all his designs which was to keep man captive for ever in his Kingdom of darknesse So that by suffering death Christ hath destroyed him that had the power of death that is the Devil And thereby delivered them who through fear of death were all their life time subject to Sathans tyranny and bondage And now though the Devil accuse lay sin to the charge of Gods Elect yet God himself doth and must justifie them And whosoever condemns 't is not much to be valued for it is Christ that died yea rather that is risen again for he died for our sins and rose again for our justification having thus wrought the work of everlasting righteousnesse whereof the world may be clearly convinc'd to full satisfaction in that he is ascended unto his Father we see him no more for certainly had he not satisfied and made full payment and reconciliation he must have come again and died again yea again he must have been often offered up as the sacrifices under the Law were But his blood being the blood of God was of more worth value efficacy then the blood of all the sacrifices in the world And now having broken the prison dores of death and led Sathan who held us in captivity captive and openly triumphed over him on the Crosse he is now set down at the right hand of God in glory there to rule untill he hath subdued all his enemies not only to himself as then he had done but also to all his people there compleating his Priestly office by appearing in the presence of God and making intercession for them And by his Spirit as their king ruling in and over them untill the time of restitution and setting all things right when he shall gloriously come in great majesty to judge all men and to render to every one according to their deservings In the mean while a poor believer though in and of himself worthy of nothing but wrath and death hell may through that interest he hath in Christ by believing come boldly to God and plead that righteousness which is every way adequat and proportionate to divine justice And God in justice with all humble yet faithfull
charge to the Pastors of the Church at Ephesus and let me give thee it here in his owne words what hee gave forth to his Sonne Timothy and then I shall proceed to out businesse intended I charge thee before God and the Lord Jesus Christ who shall judge the quick and dead at his appearing and his Kingdome preach the Word not immediate revelations be instant in season out of season reprove rebuke exhort with all long-suffering and Doctrine for the time will come and it is now when they shall not endure sound Doctrine but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers having itching ears and they shall turn away their ears from the truth and shall be turned unto fables immediate revelations contrary to and divers from the Word which he was to Preach but watch thou in all things endure afflictions do the work of an Evangelist or a Gospel-Preacher make full proof of thy Ministry And now having thus discovered to thee the head body and tail of this mysterie of ungodlinesse I shall lay the same part by part member by member and limb by limb upon the Quakers and make them as the image of the first Beast appear acting in and by the same power I â—peak in their own Dialect And to this purpose I shall give you in two papers of the Quakers own publishing which I caused herewith to be Printed which I rather do because their Books do mostly come to the hands of their own parties and are not therefore so common to all especially these two which I have taken most notice of and would have well considered that you may know these men and their spirit when it shall be tried For we will try their spirits whether they will or no And by the written word even in the letter which for all their sleightings of it hath light enough to discover their darknesse and hypocrisie and by it we will judge them and they shall be judged and if they repent not for all their pretensions to perfection they shall be condemned for God and his Word his written Word shall be true when all opposers shall be found liars Possibly other of their Books are as base as these for the truth is I have not read many of them as not thinking it worth the while but one of these the largest I took more notice of because penn'd or published in the name of two of those that were here in this City and did seduce the people These two which my self with others of my brethren in the Ministry had conference with before the Maior and Aldermen of which conference I hear they bray highly to their disciples But I find it observed by others that have had to doe with these kind of men that 't is their usual practise and as holy and perfect as they seem to be they can brag and lie abominably say and unsay affirm and deny even presently as some of good credit can witnesse And as for that Conference I leave it to be judged and censured by most that were present and shall proceed to the thing intended But before I present these papers to thee let me intreat thee take some directions for thy more profitable reading of them First consider whether the Queries opposed to these Quakers be not of highest concernment in Religion and so whether they deserve not a sober and serious answer Secondly observe whether they be answered to at all any of them yea or no. Thirdly do but take notice how in stead of answering they doe evade and avoid answering not so much as in shew doing it Fourthly do but take notice of the spirit of the men whether they speak from the Spirit of the holy God when in stead of giving a sober and solid answer they rail upon and revile the Querist with hellish and opprobrious speech Lastly do but observe their Heretical opinions which for thy better and more ready observation I have directed to be Printed in a differing character ANSWERS TO SEVERAL QVERIES Put forth to the despised People called QVAKERS By Philip Bennett who calls himself a Minister of Christ but is found to be a Deceiver Answered by them to whom they were directed ALSO ANSWERS To several other subtil QUERIES c. Answered by Edward Burrough and Francis Howgil who are Witnesses unto the Truth against this subtil serpent-like generation LONDON Printed for Giles Calvert at the black spread-Eagle at the West end of Pauls 1654. ANSVVERS To severall Queries put forth to the despised people called QVAKERS We having received a paper which was directed to Rich. Roper and to his Quaking friend which words comes from the dark carnal mind quaking and trembling which the Saints and holy men of God witnessed we own and witnesse therefore do we deny thee and all thy dark divinations WHereas thou Philip Bennet in thy note which thou hast written to Roper in answer to a Letter which he wrote to thee wherein he charges thee to be a liar and a false accuser and charges thee to bring any man to witness what thou hast spoken by them whom thou sayes denied that Christ that died at Jerusalem and who they were that denied that Christ that suffered at Jerusalem or else acknowledge thy self to be a slanderer and in thy paper thou gives no answer at all to these words but says thou called the Congregation to witness but doth not mention one in all the Congregation that will witnesse it whereupon the lie rests upon thy head and thou found to be the liar and the slanderer and the false accuser And whereas thou says thou hast sent Queries concerning that matter thy Queries makes thee manifest what thou art many of thy own tribe and generation if they saw thy Queries would be ashamed both of thee and of thy Queries for hundreds there are in the world that knows nothing of the true and living God and yet would see thee and thy Queries not to be worth answering yet lest thou should boast in thy filthy ignorance and darknesse and for clearing of the truth to the simple something in answer to them I. Quer. Whether was the Word made flesh or the Son of God made of a woman more or oftner then once Answ In this first Querie thou hast manifested what thou art to all the children of Light and where thou art and what spirit thou art of a reprobate a child of darkness thou art thou might have spared the other nineteen Queries for in this Query thy spirit is tried and in the eternal Light seen and known Thou askes whether the Word was made flesh any more or oftner then once which makes it plainly manifest that thou knows not what thou askest and that thou doest not know nor cannot witnesse the Word to be made flesh once but art one of the Antichrists and deceivers which John speaks of that are entred into the world which cannot confesse Jesus Christ come in the flesh and therefore thou Queries