goes before â—ustification as that by which we are and without and before which we cannot be accounted â—ust in the sight of God yet by and by again they tell us that justification which is by faith and so not before but after it goes before Sanctification whereof faith they say is a part and that the leadings of the Spirit and its fruits among which justifying faith is reckoned up as one 5. Gal. Aâ—ea fâ—uit and effect of our bâ—ing not under the Lawes penalty that is of our justification from the guilt of sin so T.D. p. 16. Sometimes to escape and slip away from the shame of this absurdiâ—â— and contraction they tell us or at least some of them that Iustification of Saints or sinners for I am to seek still what to call the Creatures they call Saints for if I call them Saints it loaths me to call such sinners Saints as they Term so yea If they be Saints which some so call Then guilty sinners are Saints al And if I call them that commit sin the Servants of sin as Christ did Iohn 8. and not Saints and Children of God they will be ready to loath me I say then they tell us that Iustification of sinning-Saints painted and Saint-like sinners in the sight of God is without and before Faith or any thing else even before sin was or men either from all Eternity and from all sins pastnor present I can't say here because the sinning Subjects of this Iustification are not yet extant in the world but from all that ever is to come and Faith by which the Iustification comes is but an Instrument whereby the Evidence of this long-since Iustification in Gods eye comes in to men and manifests it to their eye whereby the sinners themselves know it and as for other fruits of the Spirit which are all the fruits of Faith too which I confess to be the first in being of all work truly good so that without it 't is impossible to please God and whatsoever is not of it and in it but out of it and out of the Light in which it is if true is but sin these are onely as Evidences to us and to others that the Faith we have is justifying and true c. and not dead and fained and fit for nothing So say they In Gods sight we are justified freely from of Old without Faith or good works that follow and flow from it either this we know and are assured of that Faith is oppâ—sed to it self as a work in the business of Iustification and that Faith is imputed to us as being in stead of a perfect personal righteousnese or that 't is the meritorious cause of our Iustification I utterly deny quoth T. D. p. 24 25. but Faith without works is that by which we are formally justified but the other that is good works that by which we are declaratively justified in Pauls sense who Rom. 3.28 sayes We are justified by Faith onely without the works of the Law a sinner is absolved I wot he means in his own Conscience for I know not when T.D. reckons or whether at all God holds an Elected Saint guilty if not David while he was guilty of Adultery and Murder In Iames's sense Iam. 2.14 who sayes By works a man is justified and not by Faith onely a Bâ—liever is approved ' quoth T.D. p. 8. out of Diodat whose words he useth which approbation of a Believer in his Faith as true is both in himself and before men so as they usually say by good works a mans Faith is evidenced to himself within and others without to be a true living Faith and so consequently his Iustification with God to be surely known which was but could not be seen or known to be before Rep. Now therefore a word or two to the grant of our Antagonists that Iustification is before in Gods sight but it can't be known to be by us or others nor evidenced to us so that we can stand as justified ones or approved in our own sight and other mens till we be sanctified and have both Faith which is a fruit of the Spirit and other fruits of the Spirit which if true that Faith works by as love a pure heart victory over the world temperance peaceableness gentleness and such like Is it so Friends that no man can appear to himself to be approved and justified in Gods sight nor to himself or others be known that he is so till he comes to believe and do other good works of Righteousness which first declare the thing so to be I wonder then how ye dare talk and affirm that to be before good works which before good works ye confess cannot be known so to be will ye ever be in your wills thoughts inventions and traditions intruding your selves into that ye have not seen and confess cannot be seen to be as you say it is vainly puft up in your fleshly minds and entring into and venturing to reveal and vent out Gods secrets which ye say are secret and hidden to man saying they are so and so before the time you say they are first revealed to you in And telling men they are justified before God and loved before they do any good and bidding them believe this for true Doctrine from you that 't is so till they come to do good works and that that 's the onely Evidence whereby you can discern that thing so to be which yet you say is so before either by you or them it is discerned In his own secret thoughts say you and bosome Councels the thing stands so that we are justified but it s not revealed to us to be so neither can we know it to be so that we are justified but from the time of our bringing forth fruits of Righteousness Do not secret things belong to God onely and things that he reveals when he reveals them and not before to you and your children to talk of Are ye not like natural bruit beasts in this that you oft speak evil of that truth ye know not and oft tell that for truth which is not so when ye know it not and even confess it cannot be known to be till evidenced by good works and yet you will say 't is of a truth before any of those good works by which onely the Evidence of it comes to you be brought forth in you 'T is true there be many things in esse Reaâ—â— before they be in esse cognâ—scibili Real before they be visible though this Iustification of yours before Sanctification in Gods sight which ye yield is before Sanctification but Sanctification before it in your own sight and in the sight of all men is not one of those invisible Realities but if may so say an apparent Real visible non entity rather and fancy of your own brain but what things soever are in truth to us they are not so as that we in truth and of a truth can say so or so they are
thou do well laith God shalt thou not be accepted Again there is a doing good which deserves no Ill nor Condâ—mnation but onely Good and Iustification before God being both bonum and bâ—ne factum also materially good and formally well done and that de jure promissi at least entitâ—es to an entrance into the Kingdom and such are all the good works done on the Gospels account in the Faith and Power of Christ the Light and in the leading of the Holy Spirit whether Faith it self or Lovâ— or any other that follow these which are not of our selves but by way of gift and grace from God and strength from Christ received by us who are weak in our selves the fulfilling of the Righteousness of the Law which is all fulfilled in this word Thou shalt love thy Neighbour as thy self for love worketh no ill to his Neighbour therefore is Love the fulfilling of the Law Gal. 5.14 Rom. 13.8 9 10. and this is the Royal Law that gives Liberty from the lust to envy or any other evil that keeps from stealing and killing and adulteâ—y and from falling in one point as well as in another of which Iames sayes if ye fulfil it as by the Letter none are but by the Light and Spiâ—it which lead into the Love the Saints are enabled to do ye do well Jam 8.2 and what is well done is twice done and so is every little that is done in faithfulness according to the measure of the gift received as from and unto Christ and lets in so far into the Lords acceptance Matth. 25.23 Well done good and faithful Servant was said on the improvement of two talents as well as five thou hast been faithful in a few things enter thou into the joy of thy Lord This is that love which when Cains wrath doth not worketh the Righteousness of God Jam. 1.26 in the doing of which by Christs Power in our selves and not by his doing it without us in himself who not as without us but as within us is the Iustification from the sin and so the hope of glory Col. 1.27 he is made in us the Righteousness of God and we the Righteousness of God in hâ—m And his Light within which leads all that in a cross to the lust follow him in it to this Royal Life of love is that Royal and perfect Law of Liberty every degree of obedience to which is perfect as it self is and not imperfect as all that of those is who are of the Law and not of Faith and as thou T.D. imperfectly and weakly wottest this is for though as to the Law Bonum non oritur nisi ex integris causis yet I say of true Evangelial obedience none of which is imperfect for its Christs in us Bonum oritur ex quâ—libet actu as well as Malum ex quolibet defectu and howbeit any one or more good works as thou sayest p. 14 15. is not a fulfilling of the Law done as Paul in his blind zeal did them before he knew Christ while he served in the oldness of the Letter and not in the newness of the Spirit for then all the bonum he did did but break the Law being done not bene and so what ere he did in any print he was still guilâ—y of all and in that naâ—â—re he did it in it was but Cains sacrifice which was in the Reprobation the Tree not yet being good yet he that doth and teacheth the least of Christs Commandements given out in the Light fulfils so far that he so far enters by Right into and shall be so far great in the Kingdom of Heaven in the observing and obeying of which Law onely Iustification acceptation and approvement comes as an effect of it in the sight of God as well as in the sight of men and so Iames will be found affirming though thy senseless self canst not looking in the Letter without the Light well see his sense which Law or Light who so looketh into and continueth in the doing of what is there shewen this man shall be blessed Mark in his deed even with the blessedness described by David Psal. 32.1 2. and by Paul Rom. 4.4 5 6 7 8 9. which is forgiveness of iniquity covering of sin and non-imputation of it which comes on all circumcision and uncircumcision thaâ—â—elieve without difference Rom. 3.2 as it came on faithful Abraham whose Faith with those works Iames speaks of Iam. 2.21 which were the fruits of it were not one without t'other but altogether for they were Christ the Image of God his operations in him which thou also sayest p. 23. are called Christ accounted or reckoned to him as his Righteousness as well in foro Dei as hominum for hereby saith God know I thou lovest me because thou hast not witheld thy Son and again Mark because thou hast done this surely Blessing I will bless thee c. as also it was said by Christ of Mary Her many sins are forgiven her for this cause Because she loved much 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Cujus gratia propter quod see Arias Mountanus so Mark 19. If thouâ— wilt enter into Life follow me and we have forsaken all and followed thee saith Peter to Christ What shall we have therefore Ye shall sit on Thrones saith Christ and everyone c. so 2 Thesâ—â— 6 7 10. that ye may be counted worthy of the Kingdom of God for which ye also suffer seeing it is a Righteous thing Mark with God to recompence tribulation to them that trouble you and to you who are troubled Rest with us because our Testimony was believed among you here Faith and sufferings are made the cause upon which by Right deservedly and in Righteousness Rest is to be expected as a debt by promise though Phil. 1.29 they are the gift of God to us and not simply our Own works to you it is given not onely to believe but also to suffer for his sake T.D. Does not the Apostle oppose Faith and Works Faith is opposed to it self as a work in the business of Iustification p. 24. 1. Pamph. Rep. Faith is neither opposed as thou frivolouily supposest good works to the Gospel nor yet to it self as a work in the business of Iustification but both it self and all the good works that are done onely in it which together with it are the gift of God to us in Christ Iesus who is ths Authour Worker and Finisher of them in us are altogether as the one good work or Righteousness of God and Christ in the Gospel by which we stand justified before them opposed to mans meer Righteousness and works of the Law by which no flesh living can be justified and though Paul when he sayes to him that worketh is the â—eward not reckoned of grace but of debt but to him that worketh not but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly his Faith is counted to him for Righteousness doth â—ppose Faith and our works the Gospel and the Law which
while we witnesse not the same done by him in our selves we cannot call those works OURS to justification more truly then Papists can who beleive as well as Protestants what he there did though they never look to do the like Quae non fecimus ipsi non ea nostra voco What he did in that person and not OVRS is his only yet and not OVRS but if we speak of what we do not only in our own persons but our own wills power and wisdom abstract from him and the leadings of his Light and Spirit I say Quae sic fecimus ipsi haec ego nostra voco these I call truly and only OVRS and so doth the Scripture Rom. 10.3.4 Phil. 3.9 and as for what OVR persons do in his light according to his will in the true movings of his Spirit and by no other but his own Power Quae nos fecimus ipsi sic ea nostra voco these being partly ours though principally his I have a liberty from the Lord truly enough to denominate by that name of OVRS yet as 't is fit he should have the perheminence as to the name who is not the cheif Actor but the only Author of them I rather chuse mostly to call them His though done in and by us and so again Quae nos fecimus ipsi vix ea nostra voco So there are 1. good work which are only Christs and not OVRS and and by these he deservedly stood justified in the sight of God in his own person which if he had not done and had he sinned he could not have done he could never have bin a high Priest able to justify others or sufficient to save to the uttermost such as come to God by him for such a high Priest it became us to have who is holy harmless undefiled and seperate from sinners himself or else he could never seperate sin from us Heb. 7.26.27.28 2. Again their are good works so called which are only OVRS and not Christs and such are all the best that we work without him of our selves even all our own Righteousnesse and Righteousnesses which are as an unclean thing as a menstruâ—us Rag Isa. 64.6 as dung and losse and not gain nor any way profitable to save or deliver Isa. 57.12.13 Phil. 3.4.10.10 And by these though done in mans willings and runnings in a way of outward conformity to the letter of the Law shall no flesh ever be justified any more then Paul was for these are not Christs all whose works are meritorious and acceptable to God and deserving no Condemnation that I know of and consequently deserving iustification before God but mans own Righteousnesse as that of the Iewes was Rom. 9 32.10.3.2.3 and Pauls was till he came to the Light though for want of coming to the Light T.D. in his dark minde saith Paul had no righteousnesse that was not Christs p 22. is meritorious of no more acceptance then Cains Sacrifice had which was iustly and deservedly rejected because its the evill doer still that does that good which God what ere the sinner calls it accounteth evill 3. Again there are good works which in different respects are called truly enough both Christs and OVRS viz. OVRS as done in and by Our persons Christs as done only by his power in us and by these last call them as ye will Christs as done by him in OVR persons or OVRS as done by us in his power is the justification of all that ever were or shall be justified both deserved and effected and not by what he did without them in that single person that once liv'd and dyed at Ierusalem while the same righteousnesse was and is not by that same power of his fulfilled within themselves and so 1 st detesting all that as Rotten Rags that 's done by meer man without Christ and disowning it utterly as giving no influence to mans justification both honouring and duly owning all that righteousnesse that was wrought by Christ without man as perfect pretious glorious acceptable to God unspeakably usefull to us and truly meritorious at least to his own justification that he might become as elâ—e he could not a meet Mediatour for man this 3d. and last I own only as the meritorious and perfectly effectual cause of mans justification and howbeit T.D. is so blind as to deny our satisfaction by that righteousnesse whereof Christ is the Author p. 23. and to beleive that he that holds justification by this righteousnesse of Christ that 's wrought in the Saints by his Spirit cannot be saved p. 38. For he owns this sentence there for truth viz. that any man that holds that principle of being justified by a righteousnesse within us living and dying iâ— that principle cannot be saved Yet I not only say but see so much and hope as great a Malefactor as T.D. p. 54. makes me for it to make any save such as seeing will not see to see the same that he cannot be saved who holds it not but looks for Salvation in that Gospel which T.D. Preaches of a Iustification by a Christ onely without him and that he may fill up his floutings at it and compleat his cursing of it in the same Phrase he scâ—â—fingly renders my speaking this Truth in at the Dispute p. 28. I say again to all People That Gospel which T.D. and his fellows Preach of Salvation by Christ without them without the Revelation of Christ and his Righteousness within them will not bring men to Heaven Indeed People it will not And this is that I am to have the second Talking with T.D. about before I come again to I.O. viz. this point of Iustification whether it which we say is by Christs Righteousness and Good Works alone and not any thing that is done by us simply as of our selves be by the Righteousness of Christ without us onely as T.D. saith it is or by that which he performs in us also by the samâ— Power as we affirm it In the Prosecution of which matter which way soever the cause should seem to go in the Consciences of such as are considerate yet to the eye of every ordinary Observer of him T.Ds. weaknesses and absurdities are so gross and obvious that he that Runs may Reâ—d them sundry of which I shall give the Reader a taste of as I go along that he may know how to Relish him in the Rest. Hear then O ye deaf look and see ye blind Believers and Admirers of T.D. and his applauded Pamphlet how he to turn his own Terms to G. W. p. 24. upon himself interferes and cuts one leg against another and is not sensible of it and how he contradicts and confounds himself and that so closely cunningly and curiously that neither himself nor any of those who look like himself without their eyes can see it though to all others I confess 't is easie to be or rather hard not to be discern'd T. D. Tells the world that the Terms of the Question were
till the time that we come to see them and that come forth which is the onely Evidence which we come to see them by and he that pâ—ates of that thing as being so or so which to him is not yet known so to be is a buisie body whose tongue runs afore his wit his lips before the light that would lead him out of darkness his thoughts not a little out-run and out-reach his Reason Tum demum apud nos res dicuntur fieri cum incip unt patefieri to us things are onely as they appear so that whoever perks up and prates of what he knows not and of matters that yet to him are not which work which is that of the Priests in many things he that shall count him that 's in it a wise man shall by my consent be canonized a fool for his labour Iustification in Gods sight of a sinner is say the Priests before any Sanctification is at all in him but neither the sinner can know that there is any such matter as pardon of his sin or that he stands just in Gods sight appears not at all to himself not yet is it evident to us who tell him 't is so neither can we know it any more then he till Sanctification appear in him from which as that which goes before it ever in our eyes we come to the sight â—f it yet if he will believe us who speak of a thing we know not and talk we know not what and if he will take our words for it that his Iustification is before he be Sanctified who have no other Evidence of it our selves or whereby to make it Evident to him but this of his Sanctification which is evermore that which goes before the other for ought we see or can discern and if he will trust us implicitly at a venture he may but if he will not say I he may safely chuâ—e And as to that speech of thine out of Diodaâ—us I dare say it was not a Deo datus concerning good works justifying a man declaratively and serving in Iames's sence to approve a Believe in the sight of men for there 's not Truth in 't if meant so onely and exclusively of their use to Iustifie formally and absolve a sinner in the sight of God as it must be if it serve that turn at all to which thou usest it yea I contrarily affirm yet not denying but that they do declaâ—e before men the Faith of him that professes to believe in Christ to be true and not hypocritical that they also tend as well as that tâ—ue Faith they flow from to justifie formally and absolve sinners in the sight of God And though Paul Rom. 3.27 concludes that a man is justified by Faith before God without the deeds of the Law yet he never concluded as you cloudy Expositors of him conclude of his words which ye wrest beside his Right to your wrong meanings any such maâ—â—er as that a man is justified before God without the good works of the Gospel between which of Christs in his Saints and those of the Law which are mens own done without Christ of themselves ye never distinguishing run so far into confusion as ye do which deeds of the Law done in mans own thoughts willings and runâ—ings and not in the Light and Spirit of Christ the Power of God never reach the thing that is run after that is the fulfillâ—ng of it without which there is no life for the Law requires brick but affords â—o 〈◊〉 good works but it gives no strength to weak man in the flesh and faâ— wherewith to perform â—o the Letter onely kills and onely the Spirit givâ—s the Life So both Paul and Iames and we as much as Diodate and T. D. do for ever shut out them yea and so much more then any of you do we deny the deeds of the Law so done as to the doing us any good toward our absolution before God by how much we do both in our Life and Doctrine establish onely the deeds of the Gospel while you who doctrinally exclude the Laws deeds do yet practically establish them to your Iustification for howbeit in words ye establish Faith as that by which ye stand justified formally before God yet that faith ye act who believe God accepts your persons and perfâ—â—mances without his Righteousness inherent in your selves and while ye are yet impurged and not so much as believing you can or must be here purged from your sins is far from the true Faith of the Gospel being no other then the false faith or true fancy of those who were of Moses and the Law that trusted in lying words that could not profit them Jer. 7. Isa. 1. Isa. 58.3 who thought God did them wrong if he justified and accepted them not in their fastings and services though they never fasted from their iniquities nor loosed the bands of wicdedness as if when they had been at their formal humiliations for a day they had procured some dispensation to let Hell loose again and were then delivered to do abomination this kind of barren leafy lean-lean-faith of yours who look for life in it is one of those deeds of theirs who were of the Letter and Law and not that of them who are of the Gospel Faith which formally justifies before God which who are of are blessed with faithful Abraham But now as to the Faith and other good works of the Gospel which all are the works of God himself and Christ Iesus working them in his Saints among which Faith in the Light is the first from whence others come without which they cannot be any more then it can be true without them and by the Name of which Faith for as much as all follow it all the rest are denominated in grâ—ss John 6. This is The work of God that ye believe on him whom he hath sent these are the Righteousness of Christ and of his Saints which is One the being of which in them and in him and not their being in him and not in them is counted by God to them as their Righteousness nor doth the Faith without them any more then they without it both which concur as one cauâ—e thereunto obtain formal Iustification in the sight of God So that there is a doing some and sometimes the same material good which deserves no good nor acceptation but rather evil and reprobation from God being not good formally but evil before him while the same that does material evil also does that good and such was Cains sacrifice which was else as good as Abels yet had noacceptance by Right as the other had because sin lay still at the door and 't was not the Righteous one but the evil-doer that did the good and the sinner whom we know God heareth not who had he done as bene as it was bâ—num that he did and offered it as well as the thing ofâ—ered was good had been justified as well as his Brother If
of God is said to be preached published multiplied received which as is shewed more at large above is as non-sensicall as for a man to say that the Lantern though formaliter it be not so but only the light that is contained in it is so doth yet challenge to it self that name of the light as its proper name yet engages himself against the Qua. in vindication of the Word of God to be the proper name of the Scriptures so truly that those are injurious to it and opproâ—â—ious reproachers of it who will not allow it to be properly called by that glorious title So thou engaging thy self in vindication of the Scriptures to be the Word of God 1 Giving us the Question to have been debated flinkest away into the proof of another matter saying that ye upon the matter contained in the writing which say we is another business the holy truth that is there told and the Light and Word of God Law and Gospel there witnessed to being a thing to distinct from the Scripture of it that as it is now where the letter is not and was two thousand years before the letter was so it will be for ever for its an euerlasting Gospell when the letter of it shall be no more Whether that be your Rule of Faith and Life a matter in no wise denyed by the Qua. if not only by the Scripture ye mean as properly ye cannot do the holy Doctrine Truth Word Light Law Gospell of Christ therein declared to be in some measure at least in the heart of every man preached in every Creature that they may hear and do it but also by thy Term Our Rule of Faith and Life that which de jure ought to be your Rule otherwise if ye say even of that de facto that it is your Rule or in esse actuall that which ye do actually and indeed walk by I deny even that also for howbeit ye should own that also and not the letter and text only as I.O. doth yet so farre are ye from so doing that if thou do not yet at least I.O. both doctrinally and practically denies and damnes it down as a meer nescio quid of the Qua. coyning Moreover much what in the same manner dost thou in the Point of Iustification give us no lesse then the Question as to the Termes wherein it was stated and then startest a new Question in thy Sophisticall sâ—â— it of subtilâ—y which is so familiar with thee that it 's seen by any that are but â—â— unculi only in the thing called Dispute by staring and translating the old one under new termes For witness thy own disagreeing counterfeited Account thereof p. 14. 1. Pamph. the new Termes wherein that thou mighest the more easily wrong me by thy wrong Representation of me to the world as a rank Papist and render me suspitious and the more securely write me out as thou doâ—t in the second Page of the lying Narrative of thy second Pamp. under that traducing Title of one suspected to be a Iesuite thou with much ado as thy phrase there is drewest and wrestedst the Quest. into and â—ayest on thy own head they were slated in were whether Our Good Worâ—s are the meritorious cause of our Iustification which I hold in the affirmative no further then as by Our good works are meant the good works of God and Christs own working in us by his Spirit which though most truly his are by the Spirit it self vouchsafed that name of Ours witness Isa. 26.12 not as by Ours those only of our own working in our will wisdome and strength are expressed and intended for all such are Our righteousnesses which I who own none of Christs working in us to be so as thou T.D. blasphemously dest if p. 15. and 22. of thy I. Pamp. be rightly soan'd do own to be but durg lâ—ss and filthy rags according to Isa. 64.6 But the true terms of the Quest in which it was stated and debated if we may as sure enough we may believe the joynt testimony of both thy self and those Gentlemen and Ministers in the Margent as in thy Epistle thou stilest them of whom there thou sayest also they are witnesses of the terms of the Questions agreed to by the Qu. before the testimony of thy single double lying self-contradicting self were otherwise witness thy own Relation thereof in thy lying Narrative which hath not any thing at all of that little truth that 's in it more true then this wherein p. 58.1 Pamp. setting all these witnesses viz. Hen. Oxenden Io. Boys Esqs N. Barry T. Selyard C. Nichols Ministers o're against it in the Margin to testifie the truth thereof together with thee thou relatest thus The terms of the third Quest. were Whether Good Works be the meritorious cause of our Iustification which was expresly affirmed by them i.e. by the Qu. in which terms staring the Question without that term Our which is of thy own foisâ—ing in the other place where even thereby on thy own head thou alterest the stare thereof and makest it clearly another Question I affirm it to this very day and ever shall to the faces of any of you as occasion is yet owning no works to be truly good but what are done by the Believers in Christ and his Light and done by Christ and his Power and Spirit whether in their persons or his own who never did evil work in his or without blasphemy in Paul that can be call'd as thou call'st that he wrought in Paul and works in us Pauls own and ours which is but dung less and filthy rags or deserve condemnation or any less then Justification both of himself and his Saints in the sight of God by any good work that ever he wrought either in himself or them And so my Argument a Contrariis ye so ball and squabble with me about was both intended and urged in effect viz. If evil works deserve condemnation then good works no Condemnation alias Iustification but this is true therefore the latter Which question so stated thou T.D. not only affirmest with me For thou neither dost nor daâ—est deny but that we are justified by the good works of Christ or that any of his worksare not good or are a violation and not a fulfilling of the Law only thou foolishly flamst it off with his good works done ad extra and not ad intra without only and not within us thy folly in which I have largely enough manifested before but also urgest the same thy self P. 15.1 Pamp. thus viz. Evil works which are the violation of the Law d serve Condemnation Ergo Good works that are the fulfilling of the Law deserve Salvation and we know no good works such sayest thou but Christs and so say we too Thus thou givest us that Question also And this G.W. tells thee of and turns upon thee in his Reply to thy first so plainly that thou dost but add to thy shame in thy Reply
of God and Christ within leading them back into it out of that corrupt one by which Light they are a law to themselves before God are said to perform by nature what things are required in the Law which are as ye say moral duties indeed yet such as saving your ignorance in that are truly righteous and acceptable with God and evangelical being done in Christ though they know not his person whilst done in his light for men may do much by the light that comes from the Sun while they see not the body of the Sun it self and be guided and strengthened to do much by the Light of God and Christ that is his Will and acceptable and good though yet they have not heard of nor known him so much as some that hear and read of such things by the letter as to his appearance in that body of flesh or meer external incarnation Witness Cornelius whose Prayers and Almes were heard and accepted being done by one that feared God and eschewed the evil which by the light he had discovered whilst as yet he had not heard of Christs personal Birth Life Death or Resurrection Acts 10.1.2 c. Yea every moral duty that is done in some obedience to the light that is in the Conscience and not for base ends and glory of men which ends have been and are found more among many Literarists Iews and Christians too then among many that by them have been lighted as Heathens are Evangelical also yea whatever is done from an honest and not selfish principle in the Light or Law in the heart is of the same nature as that both Moral and Evangelical Law is even spiritual and holy and iust and good and all transgression that is acted against the Law is not only against the Light of God and Christ whose Commandment that is and against the Gospel or free Promise of life held forth also therein but also against nature not that corrupt naâ—uâ—e into which men are run for the sin is committed in that but that divine nature or similitude of God or right Reason in which men stood at first til they ran out into a reasonless kind of Reason of their own which is not after God a remnant of whose nature is in man still and his light in the Conscience which is right Reason it sâ—lf leads to itâ— and therefore all sinners who are in the deeds of darkness and out of the true faith of Christ which is in his light are said to do things contrary to nature though pleasing and answerable to the viperous nature they are gone out into Rom. 1. 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32. and to be without natural affection or against nature unnatural and unreasonable 2 Tim. 3.3 2 Thes. 3.2 and wicked for all men that have the true Light in them have not Faith in it I say then the Heathen who have not the letter by the Light of God which is saving are a law unto themselves and do shew the work of the Law written in their hearts their Conscience also by the Law inlightned bearing witness within them and their thoughts thereby accusing and excusing one another so that the Law is not only a light and saving but universal also and common in some measure to all men To which may be added as an Argument Ad hominem at least to the stopping of their mouth in proof of the universality of Christs enlightning All men another consideration out of R. B. and I. T. his own Book and that is the need that all men that come into the world have of Light from Christ and the universal necessity of Christs enlightning them all because of that universal corruption and blindness which is asserted by them to be in all men at birth P. 24 25. John 1.9 Where it is said of man coming iâ—to the world must be meant say they of humane birth and accordingly this point is thence say they deducible That every one that comes into the world needs light from Christ which Position say they is true 1. Because every man is boâ—n destitute of spiritual light in the things of God concerning his duty and the way of salvation 2. Because every man is liable to death and trouble and wrath and evil from God as he is born into the world and Christ came into the world to remove both these sorts of darkness and none else can do it These are the express words of these two men R. B. I. T. from which howbeit they most unreasonably conclude against our doctrine saying The former of these overthrows the main Position of the Qua. That every man hath a light within him sufficient to guide him so as that following it he may please God and be saved without the light of Scriptures or preaching of publick Teachers Yet I do and may most truly argue and conclude to the fuller establishing of the said Position from their own words on this wise Arg. 17. If every man that comes into the world needs light from Christ and there be a necessity of Christs enlightning in regard that every man is irrecoverably lost else and not some only then Christ doth enlighten so far at least as to a possibility for salvation every man and not few men only otherwise God were as is abovesaid a most apparent respecter of mens persons as he is not and his wayes were not equal as they are and his words were not true as they are when he sayes he would have all men to be saved unless they will die and to come to the knowledge of the truth and such like nor were his clearing himself and charging of men that perish right as it is when he sayes their destruction is of themselves but in him is their help nor were his Iudgements iust and righteous as they are in condemning men for not believing in the light while they had it when they never had it nor were his pretended great Love rich Grace matchless Mercy to All peâ—ple in Christs birth Luke 2. â— Iohn 3.16 17 18. so sincere as it is but raâ—hâ—r feigned sith else he did not so much as put them all into a possibility of coming out of their mâ—sery but rather left a thousand to one to perish in it unavoidably without remedy nor were his fairest offers of salvation and life to all if they will walkin his light so fair as they are but meer mockage since else he had not given them any measure of any such light as could lead them to it nor were his saying What could I have done more for them that I have not done any other then a lye as it is not since else he had not done so much as was needful yea so absolutely necessary towards their living that it was not possible they should live without it when he both could should and ought in equity by some measure of true light to have made them capable to come to life and see their
they hold that as the Sun is appointed in nature to be the light of every man that cometh into the World though shutting our eyes may exclude it So Christ is by office the Sun in the world of grace giving men actually all the gracious light they have being sufficient himself to enlighten all and giving them an illuminating word which is sufficient in its own kind to do its own part though many are blind and for their sin are deprived of the communication of this light why all this we maintain as well as they do they say that all this light within us and without us is to be hearkened to and obeyed why what man did they ever speak with that 's a Christian no Christians indeed say I but too many Antichristians that denyeth it See what a deal of the Quakers doctrine concerning learning only at Christs light is here uttered by these men R.B. I.T. who yet hate the self same doctrine at their hearts when the Quakers teach it also in many other places they teach much more to the same purpose putting men on to attendance to the light yea even the light within every man as p. 40 41. This light usefull for two ends First To restrain men from excesse of sin c. As he gave a Law to the Iewes because of transgression to restrain them or abate punishments so to other people he gave a law in themselves to prevent the extirpation of the Nations by bridling them in their lusts thorow conscience of sin and fear of punishment Secondly Besides this God hath another end that they might be inexcusable who sinned against the light in them and God justified in his Sentence and judgment upon them Observe how this light within is owned by them as the Law of God which T.D. affirming the work of the Law only to be there yet denyes to be in the heathens hearts to the contradiction of these men and of himself also in that other plaee p. 16.2 pamp Where to go round again he confesses much of the holy matter of the Scripture to be written upon the hearts of the heathens and that to be their Rule I say as the Law of God which is spirituall holy just and good and to be obeyed for else transgression of it could not be sin deserving judgment for sin is no other then the transgression of the Law So p. 82.83 they go on thus If the light shine into thy soul from Christ so as any convictions or discoveryes of truth from Christ get into thee and some convictions they confesse all havâ— by the light within take heed thou hold it not in unrighteousnesse nor seek to quench it Rom. 1.18 Wrath to all that hold truth in unrighteousnesse when lust imprisons light no entrance for the light of Christ into that soul there must be a love of the light It s the greatest sign of a man willfully evill when he hates the light and it s a good sign of a man truly good when he can delight in that light mork which discovers his own euills What light is that which discovers a mans own evills but the light within the letter without doth de jure only the light within doth de facto discover mens own evill Christ hath determined this to be the great condemnation that men love darknesse rather then light or else the Heathen could not be condemned say I who have and yet hate the light within for they have no letter without for that 's the sign they side with the Prince of darknesse and men that do truth come to the light that their deeds may be manifest c. The more light is rejected the more purely voluntary any sin is when men are willingly ignorant they are incurably evill c. Each person is to make their use of the light within him so far as it is light and usefull Certainly it concerns every man so far as to look to the light within him mark that he do not as t is said of some Job 24.13 Rebell against the Light which Text in Iob I. O. interprets of the letter but I. T. to the confutation of I. O. truly with us of the Common light within men A mens conscience is so far a law to him that though it cannot of it self justifie which is contrary to Rom. 2. which sayes their inward thought as well excuses the Heathen when they do well as accuses when they do ill and excusation and justification or to excuse clear justifie are all one yet it may condemn him So p 37. they go on thus God hath imprinted in all even the most Barbarous people some relique of light though in some it is so small that may be say we for all have not the same but all some measure of Gods light which these men somtimes call darknesse delusive and dangerous and degrees vary not the nature of the case that it can hardly be perceived whether there be any sense of sin or wrath of duty or reward of God or Devill Heaven or Hell Secondly Some people that never had the Gospell nor the Law made known to them as the Jewes and Christians have had yet have attained to so much knowledge and practice of morall duties Mark morall duties are the main things of the Law and required in the morall Law viz. To do as we would be done by which faith Christ is the Law and Prophets Math. 7. The sum substance and upshot of all and more then all offering and sacrifice so that the Iews failing in these weightiar matters viz. Iudgment mercy faith c. all outward oblations and observations were abhorred that in some acts of righteousnesse temperance chastity fidelity and such vertues they have equallized at least in respect of their outward demeanour toward men if not exceeded not only Iewes who had the Scripture as our Scribes have and search as much in it but also the more shame for the most of you filthy fruitlesse faithlesse Christians the while whom very heathens will therefore judge the most Christians Thirdly And in the knowledge of God though therein they were most defective yet they attained to so much knowledge and right apprehension of him as enabled them to correct the Vulgar errours concerning God See how far beyond our vulgar Christians and very Christian Clergy men that have the letter to boast talk trade on the light within hath led the very Ethnicks that have heeded it by these mens own confession But they go on yet further preaching up the light with the Qua thus p. 84. It will concern those who own Christ as their light to judge themselves and their wayes by his light This act of self judgment is within faith I.O. Seconding that morall instinct of good and evill that is imprinted by God on the Conscience from the innate light therein It is the great benefit of the light that it doth make manifest Eph. 5.13 Thus by the light of Christ the evill
Slaughter and Eternal Slavery for you not to Try their Talk First Who tell it you for Truth that there is now no Guidance of Christs Own Ministers by Christs Own Infallible Spirit They that Teach that their own Teaching is but Falible may easily draw all their Implicit Followers together with themselves into the Ditch Secondly Talk for Liberty of Conscience while they are under the Lash of others and for Persecution as soon as they can Climb to be Lords over all Thirdly That Affirm Christ's Righteousness Wrought in his Saints Persons by his Power and Spirit Serving to Sanctifie them too to fit them for Heaven to be of no other worth and worth no better Name and worse they cannot give it then that of unclean Dung Losse and Filthy Rags which Doctrine is Necessarily Deducible from T. D's Writing against the Quakers who yet sayes David even while Guilty of Adultery and Murder was not in a Condemned but in a Justified Estate Fourthly That where and while God Tenders Salvation Openly and Universally to All Men He Secretly Intends it but Particularly only to a Few Fifthly That that Light the Quakers Testify to which in Truth is no other then the True Light which the Life is which their own Rule of Scripture sayes John 1.9 Enlightens every man that cometh into the World Enlightens not every one but very few And is an Horrible Figment of the Quakers an Imaginary Christ as to Salvation in all Divine Matters Darkness Blindness it self and many more sayings of that sort under which they Scorn it as J. O. does and other Divines viz. R. B. and J. T. little lesse Sixthly 1. That the Letter of the Scripture is the only Sure Foundation and Rule of all Faith 2. That the said Letter is Variable and Varied and yet 3. That A thing that is Variable can be no Rule neither which is one of the many Rounds the Rabbies Run in Seventhly That Preaching of Perfect Purging and full Freedom from Sin in this world is a Doctrine of Devills so T. D. and Punishable With Prisons and other Paines so I. O. that there 's no Purgatory for purging away the Remnants of it as the Pope Falsly sayes there is in the world to come neither which Perfection of Holiness so far as to deny of all Unholiness and Salvation of Souls from Sinning is the meer End of Christs coming Matth. 1.21 the end of all Ministry that 's of his giving Eph. 4.11 12 13. the end of all the Apostles Writing willings of men to walk in the Light 2 Cor. 7 1. 1 Iohn 1.6 7 8. 1 Iohn 2.1 and of all true Faith or Beleiving 1 Pet. 1.5 And as it 's no Treachery in us to you nor others nor yet in you and us and all men to our selves to Try what 's Truth before we Trust Take and Talk for it much more Obtrude it as that Truth which must Subpaena as so be believed by Ali So it 's no lesse then time for us to Ask and put it to the Question among you Sith both cannot be so who are so Contradictory and if they be Right wee l own our selves to be wrong when once they prove it whether those who in Christs Name Minister the abovesaid Messes for Truth or the Qua. who in their Ministry Minister the very contrary and no less then the Infallible Truth it self be Christs Ministers So having in my time Born my Testimony as a Friend to the Truth against such as Tread and Trample it under Feet and Aâ—k'â— an Answer from that of God in All Consciences to which I Appeal to Judg between the Clergy and the Quakers who are in Truth I Sit down Satisfied in my Own Conscience in the Sight of God holding Love to All Mens Persons and Warr with nothing but Mens Wicked Works not knowing whether this may be the Last Time of Asking After which as to this way of Appearing in Print against the Pervertures of the Parish Priesthood I may for ought I know for Ever possibly hold my Peace Sam. Fisher. A Lamentation over Lost-Souls With a Word of Warning to All Kings Princes Parliaments Powers And People to Beware of Such Priests aâ— Uphold the Devils Kingdome by Pleading Contrary to the Scriptures of Truth A Continuance of Iniquity for Term of this Life A Necessity of Mens Transgressing of Gods Law while they Liâ—e in the World Or have any Abode in the Body IN th' Snare You Are Dear Souls I truly Know it And Wot I't Not yet there is That doth Shew it For First that 's Worst You are Beset with Sin Next Those are Foes without for That 's With in Who Preach yea Teach Yee cannot Live with out it Who Hint Live In 't yet shall Yee Live ne'r Doubt it Such Watchmen Catch men in Sins Snares not Out By Such how Much to take Sin lies at Scout Yâ—u In its Gin You 'l know when th' Light is Heeded Know'â— Now and How Christ Iesus is not Needed To Win from Sin if in it Souls can Thrive To Save from th' Grave if there Souls are Alive I Trow You 'l Know You Cannot Live in Sin When All Dy Shall who Live and Dy there in Wherefore before you Live You ought t' Eschew it Then Must I Trust even whilst you Live or Rue it Read This for 't is a Riddâ—e else in th' Light Heart Read for th' Head herein obtains no Sight It s Wis-dom Is too Dim this Depth to Enter Vn lesse you Guesse by th' Spirit which Dives to th' Center Give Ore no More your selves with Vain Hopes Cherish For Lie and Die in Sin who doth doth Perish But Lay Away all Weights Sins which be set you Abandon And shake off such Priests as Let you And Shun that Run you may with Saints that Race Which Brings with Wings from Sin to th' Holy Place To th' Place where Grace is Perfect Holy Sion The Mount where Count upon 't there comes no Lyon Nor Man that Can work Evil where the Pure In Heart leave Part Alone and their Right 's Sure For While You Stile those Saints who plead for Evil And Them Christ's Members who still Serve the Devil Nor Leave but Cleave to Them the Light ye Flee And Sure ye Pure as Christ is cannot Be. For Hire They Tire You out with Talk â—ut Know Their Words are Swords which will Souls Over throw Their Eyes toward Lyes are set Truth They Be spatter Time Serving Swerving still from God They Scatter They Sooth speak Smooth Charm Dawb Sow Pillowes Flatter Cry Peace where Peace is Not So ends this Matter Sam Fisher. A List of some of the Typographicall Mistakes THough in I. O's blind judgement it seems to Border on Atheism to say the same Fate as to Mistakes hath attended the Hebrew and Greek Text of Scripture in it's Transcribing as hath done other Books yet it seems to me upon that but Running Review I have yet taken thereof that the
Orthodox Brother Tombs as two Twins that tumbled both out of one Belly even one and the same Womb of that Babylonish Bawd are both to be tumbled into one and the same Tomb or Grave that as your two I. O. T. D. so their pair of pratings may go together into the earth whence they came as like to like earth to earth ashes to ashes for dust which is the Serpents meat all your Divinity doings are and unto dust must they all return Now as little method as thy Book I. O. hath in it yet is it as capable to be divided into parts as it is in each part in one thing or another most palpably divided against it self 1 As to the subject matter thereof it is in general twofold viz. The Outward Letter and the Inward Light that External writing or legible form of words commonly called the Scripture the Holy Scriptures which are ad extra but ab intra only and meerly without though from within together with that Internal Law Spirit Power or Word which is ad intra by all that know the Truth as it is in Iesus both seen felt heard understood and witnessed to be within not more cryed up by the men call'd Quakers who live both according to it and the Scripture then decryed by the men that are but supposed to be Christs Ministers who are utterly erring besides them both knowing truly neither the one nor yet the other Sundâ—y touches there are given by thee as thou goest along at other things viz. Vniversal Grace Perfection Persecution Modern Inspiration by the Spirit of God Revelation and such like about which thine and the Quakers Doctrine differs by which as ex pede Herculem thy Pulse is felt and it 's spied out how thy Spirit blows against Christs thy truthless talk of which may the Lord leading to it not unlikely be talked with by the way before I have done But those two abovesaid being well nigh the Totum in Toto the Totum in qualibet parte the matters thou mainly medlest with and most miserably mudlest thy self about thoroughout the whole Body of thy Book and every part thereof making little less then a very God of the one i. e. Of the Letter which is the last and the least and the lowest of the two and little better then a very Devil of the other i. e. the Light which is the first and the highest and the greatest so that all others are but toucht upon as in subserviency either to the Deifying or defying respectively of one of these to clear away that fog and smoak which thou raisest about them both to the thickning and darkning of the Sun and Ayr so that none can see either of them clearly through thy cloudy collation thereupon is the chief intent and likely to be the chief and utmost extent of this present Answer 2 As to the Tongue wherein it treats excepting here and there a little Hebrew and for shew sometimes more then service a penful or two of Greek interlin'd in both parts and now and then two or three licks of Latine among the English thy Book stands divided into two parts viz. Latine and English a Cloven Tongue of another nature then those that sate upon the Apostles and these are as the two Horns of that second double-fac'd Beast that is as the Lamb and yet speaks like the Dragon wherewith thou pushest at thy Opposers on the right hand as well as on the left even not only at thy own Brethren the Protestant Divines when they please thee not by Divining the contrary to thy peremptory peculiar Positions and preheminent pratings together with that blind Brood of the first ten-horn'd Beast of Rome to whom both thou and all thy Brethren though in many things ye justly band against them are Brothers in nature still and of neerer Kin then ye well ken or wot of but also against the true People of God These two general parts each of which is prefaced with an Epistle also in language like it self stand divided and subdivided more particularly within themselves viz. the English into two Treatises which subdivide themselves the one into six Chapters the other though falsly figured into eight the Latine into four Apologetical Exercitations as thou call'st them for the Holy Scriptures against as thou call'st the Quakers the Fanatical Ones of these Times Which fore-named divisions and subdivisions that are scarcely more divided from then against each other do all split themselves yet fuâ—ther into a new needless number of smaller Sections and Thâ—ses The two English Treatises which arise mostly from one and the same Spring or Head together with the other not God nor his Spirit nor yet the Scriptures but the Head of the Serpent which is to be bruised thy own brain vain invention and imagination run along treating to and fro in two distinct streams or Torrents awhile and at last having as thou sayst Arctissimum materiae doctrine consortium a neer coincidence of their matter with it and affinity in their subject by which the whole Trinity of them is drawn into that Unity to compleat thy double Doctrine far from the Scriptures for the Scriptures fall into one with the Latine Sourse or Lake of Lyes that burns more hotly then the rest in wrath against the Quakers And having there lodg'd and center'd thy two English Discourses and drawn them into one with this verifying herein that old true saying Vis unita fortior thou ventest that venome in stronger streams and spittest out that spite more fluently and in fuller floods against the Qua. which was in some few places only sprinkled out upon them before and filling up what was behind of thy flattering false Applauses of the naked Letter which with some of the same that were used before and some new super-eminent undue Titles thouâ— here also magnifiest beyond the bounds and measure of all modesty and truth hoping belike to appear approved of Christ as one of note in his service what disservice soever thou do him otherwise so long as thou art found saying something though Hoc aliquid nihil est as good thou hadst said just nothing as no more to the purpose and raking and skimming and scraping out of thy own thoughts some ample Apologies for the Scriptures thou fillest up thy measure of mad mirth against that true inward Light of God and its Children that testifie unto it as that which is to be preferred before the Letter and was before it as that which the Letter was given forth from despising these as in thy English Epistle p. 28. p. 30. under the as false as foul terms of poor deluded Fanatical Qua. pretending to be guided by an Infallible Spirit that oppose the whole truth about the Word of God so there under the abusive clamours against and charges of them even by whole-sale as Fanatical ones that are notoriously known by their errours and foolishness who are driven by the power of an Evil Spirit
without more mention or finding fault with it from my self and others yet if my self or any shall henceforth write or cause himself by Pen or Press to be inscribed either M.A. or D.D. or B.D. and any Reader in his ignorance not knowing well how to Cypher or cast Account shall happen to Read Mr. Ass or Dr. Dunce or Blind Divine the Affecter of those Trifling Titles of Mr. of Arts Doctor in Divinity Batchelour in Divinity who is not more Baccalaureus then Laurus sine baccis shall in no wise be Laughed at and as little Lamented at all by me And since I am thus casually fallen upon this Theam about Respect to mens Persons and using Titles of Honour to them It s not much amiss I minding Gods matters more then Mens manners and plain-ness more then that our Masters of Art call Method before I proceed in Examination of T. D's false charge of me as to matter of Popery left I find no fitter Place for it in the after part of this Book to take notice here of another inordinate Charge of T.D. in which it concerning all the Qua. my self also am not a little concern'd which in p. 47. of his first Pamph. upon occasion of R.H. his calling Thomas Rumsey by his own name is on this wise T. D. You Qua. are an unmannerly Generation you might have given a Magistrate the Title of Master Rep. How Contrary are these Teachers Ministers alias Servants of our times who with the rest of their fellow Rabbies painted Sepulchres whited Walls out-side cleansers Scribes Pharisees Hypocrites blind Guides strainers at Gnats and swallowers of Camels Love uppermost Rooms at Feasts Chief Seats in Synagogues greetings in Markets and affect to have men called and to be called of men Rabbi Rabbi Master Master Reverend Sir and such like to the only One Master Christ who condemns all this and cryes Wo against those that are found in it Mat. 23. â—râ—t otum How contrary are they to his Apostles who forbade this respect to mens Persons which these Master Ministers are ever and anon pleading for against the Qua. as a clownish unmannerly Generation for not giving it Iames sayes Iames 2.1 to 10. My Brethren have not the faith of our Lord Iesus with respect of Persons telling the Saints that if they have respect to Rich men that wear gold Rings and goodly Apparrell and set them up on high and despise the Poor in vile Rayment setting them at their heels and putting them under feet as the footstool they are Partial within themselves Commit sin and are Convinced of the Law as Transgressors Elihu when he was to speak for God to Iob and his great Friends sayd Job 32.21 22. Let me not accept any mans Person neither let me give flaâ—tering Tâ—tlâ—s unto man for I know not to give flaâ—tering Titles in so doing my Maker would soon take me away and so goes on using no other Titles to him beside his Name and that plain but now disdained Thee and 〈◊〉 as his words are most truly and properly Translated out of the Oâ—igâ—â—al into Right English thus did the Saints and Ministers of God of old even like to Christ himself of whom t was said by the Pharisees Mat. 22.16 17. that took notice of it and perhaps disgusted it as much as our Modern Ministers now do some of which though they say little yet think the more Master we know thou art true and Teachest the way of God in truth neither carest thou for any man for thou regaâ—dâ—st not the Person of men even Caesars meer Person more then anothers yet he gave Caesar his due too and though he was free gave him Tribute Mat. 17.24 25 26 27. and so did his Saints then and we now give Tribute to whom Tribute custom to whom custom honour to whom honour fear to whom fear obedience to whâ—m obedience is due and with that honour of yielding Tribute and Subjection to as we have the due Benefit of Protection by their Laws while Just and Enacted according to the Law and Light of Christ in Every Conscience which is holy just and good and while as justly executed by Rulers do we honour them yet then only are their Laws justly Enacted and Executed nevertheless when these outward Sword-bearers and their Laws are a Terror to Evil Works and a Praise Encouragement to the good and to them that do well for else they act more Might then Right and as the Devil does who is the Prince of the Power of the air the God of this world and Ruler of the darkness of it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 according to meer will and lust not according to Law itself by permission for a time but not by any true Commission from God himself by whom the Law which we own in its place was added because of transgression and is not for the righteous but for the unrighteous for murderers theeves and whatever is contrary to sound Doctrine and Godliness And this truly divine Honour of subjection and obedience to Magistrates just Laws as justly Executed as Enacted is it and not the meer Humane Hâ—mage of high flattering Titles as You and Sir and complements and cringings and outward worships and genu-flexions and bodily Bowings to mens persons which in the second Commandment by whom ever used as in the Typical shadoâ—y time they were by Iacob to Esau himself by â— David and others whose practice is not our Rule but Gods praecept are prohibited to be given to the Image or likeness of any thing in heaven earth or under the earth is that God cals for and we give for conscience sake And thus we honour all men owing nothing to any but love which works no ill to the neighbour and fulfils the Law and so children are bid by Paul to obey their Parents as 't is fit in the Lord in which obedience though they make not Idols of them kneel not down and ask them blessing as in Popish days they foolishly did to their Godfathers and Godmothers when they meet them they are said according to that Commandment to Honour the Father and the Mother Ehh. 6.1 2. And so Servants in their Relation honour their own Masters when not with eye-service as men-pleasers but in singleness of heart as fearing God the great Master in heaven they are faithful in the business they are entrusted with by them though they never stand cap in hand to them and should never call them by that name of Master which yet we allow as the Scripture it self does as well that of Father Mother King Ruler Magistrate when used not as a flattering Title but as a Note or Term of distinction between the Relatum and the Correlatum in that Relation that is between Princes and Subjects Parents and Children Masters and the Servants that have hired themselves to them and thus only ought things to-be among the Saints Howbeit such a Generation of Parasites are all sorts of Professors now become that without
Native Language the right use of the aforesaid Pronoune so as to wrest it besides its own due true speciall prime and genuine signification into a sense that is in truth no less then false silly non sensicall For in Hebrew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Attah 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 if it be the Faeminine not only signifies Thou or Thee as likewise 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Attem and Atten in the Plurall You and Yee but also the Iewish Nation in their writings and talkings one to another as they ever did so do at this day usually keep thereunto saying continually when they speak to a single per on only though never so great as well as when to the meanest Attah or At if to a woman that is being Englished Thou or Thee but never Attem or Atten that is being Englished You or Yee but when they speak to more then one the truth whereof as some of them call'd Qua. have been Eare Witnesses who have been in discourse with many of those thousands of the Iews they have been amongst so all that know ought of the Hebrew Tongue may be eye Witness thereof if they will but peruse the Scriptures or any other writings in that Language Also in Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 su sou soi se which are the same pronoune of the 2d Person Singular varied only as to the Case signifying Thou or Thee are universally used among the Gracians both in Orall discourses and Writings when a single person only is spoken to and the words in the Plurall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 humeu humon humin humas which in English are you or yee us'd only when more then one are spoken to Also in Latine every one that is learn'd no farther then the Accidence hath learnt so much that Tu tui tibi te which are Thou or Thee in the singular number only aâ—e us'd and never vos vestrium vobis which in sence and signification are You and Yee when a single person only is written or spoken to and it would be counted false Latine and Ridiculous and such a thing as deserves hissing at among very School-Boyes to use the Terms vos or vobis to express one single person by And yet such is the Folly and Apishness of our English Nation that when they speak to one person only specially if it be a Superiour for when they speak to Inferiours they often times keep to Thee and Thou and Thy or Thine which is the pronoune possessive derived from its primitive Thou E. G. Thou shalt have this or that I will give this or that to Thee get Thee hence go Thy why this book is Thine and such like but when a Superiour I say is spoken to as a Matter a Father a Land-Lord a Knight a Gentleman as they call them a Magistrate a Governour or some great â—ne then out of that Reverentiall respect they have to mens Persons which cannot stand with the true faith of God and without transgression of the Law Iam. 2. they use the words You Yee and Your and Yours c which in the propriety of the English speech are only for the Plurall number and to be used only when more persons then one are spoken to which gross digression and degeneration from the truth of their own mother Tongue in saying You Sir may it please you your Worship your Excellency or the like is as abominably absurd as it would be if in any of the three Languages abovesaid men should use words of the Plurall number to a particular person and the absolute absurdity of that every A B C-darian only in any of those Tongues is able to discover and would Abandon yea to say in English you Sir to one man be he never so Eminent is as false English as its false Latine to say to one in Latine vos domine that 's as false as to expreâ—s these words Thou lovest by the Latine words vos amas which is no better then nos amâ— or ego amanâ—â—us or tu amaâ—is or â—ille amant and all this the very Accidence doth cry shame on Finally as the Hebrew Greek and Latine Testaments as well as all other writings in those several Languages do so clearly witness it besides what evidence comes into this matter from other Tongues viz Italian Dutch Spanish c that as we may safely summon all men to shew us so much as one instance where any of the words of the Plurall number are ever used to a verbe of the second person singular or us'd to express one single individuall person so as to say in Hebrew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Abavia Attem or in Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or in Latine vos amas which are all being Englished Thou Levest so excepting the writings of modern men only or their modern Translations of other Ancient Humane writings which all makes nothing against us in this case so rightly properly and truly both have and still daily do our very Adversaries fall in with us and favour us whether they will or no in this point in the Translation of all our English Bible which for shame they will not say but they have Translated into the most proper and not improper English that we can challenge all English men in the world to shew us any one Translation or any place in any one Translation of the Bible out of Hebrew Greek or Latine into the English Tongue wherein the word You which is now so used in their Common discourses one to another but especially when proud personages are bespoken or any other terme then that of Thou or Thee is used to speak to a single person by as well when God himself or the greatest King or proudest Prince as when the poorest Peasant or simplest Servant is spoken to and we will yeeld further to them that stomack it to be Thee'd and Thou'd by us then yet we can or if they will help themselves by such a helpless shift as to say the Bibles are not Translated so properly and truly as they should be as to those words of Thou or Thee let such as snuff at Thou and Thee from us put out the words Thou and Thee and instead thereof put in the words you or yee when God and great men are spoken to so as where it s said to God Thou O Lord madest the Heavens and they are the work of Thine Hands all Thy workes praise Thee and Thy Saints bless Thee to read thus viz You O God made the Heavens they are the works of Your Hands all Your works praise You and Your Saints bless You c and in that place where Paul saith to Agrippa dost Thou beleive O King Agrippa yea I know Thou beleivest to Read dost Ye beleive O King Agrippa yea I know You beleivest and they will see what a palpable piece of nonsence it would amount to like to which yet they utter and sound forth in their ordinary locution but feel it not
And last of all if Thou and Thee be not to be used to a single person only it hath no place nor use at all in the English-Tongue for it can't possibly be properly used when we speak to more it being saving when we speak to them as a Collective body and as one and so somtimes the Prophets spake to whole Nations under the Term of Thou and Thee no less unsound and unsavory to say Thou or Thee to 20 men as You or Ye to one and alike foolish to say to two severall men Thou shale both dye I le kill Thee both as to say to one of them only You alone shall dye I will kill You which are two Bulls that deserve both to be soundly baited To conclude this then we see how our Chief Priests Scribes Pharisees and Hypocrites of these dayes as they did of old Love the Praise of men more then the Praise of God have that Faith they have in God with respect to the Persons of men which who so has is a Sinner and Transgressor of the Law and though their mouths speak great swelling words of Faith Religion Reformation God Christ Church Ministry Maintenancâ— yet they are but walkers after their own Lusts and Sensuall or meer Animall as Iude sayes verse 16.19 not having the Spirit while they have mens persons in admiration because of advantage and beleive not though they deem themselves every one in his own form to be the true beleivers so long as they are thus busied in begging and buying giving and taking this honour that is from beneath only for not seeking the honour that is only from aboue which all the Saints have Psal. 149.9 lâ—t them say what they will yee sayes Christ Ioh. 5.44 How can ye beleive which receive honour one of another and seek not the Honour that commeth from God only As unmannerly a Generation then as T.D. faith the Qua. are in not using that flattering Title of Mr. to T. Rumsey the Magistrate I say if T. Rs. carriage were more like a Magistrates then 't is according to the Proverb 't is better of the two if that were unmannerliness to be a little unmannerly then so much troublesome as men in the fall are one to another with their Tedious Attendances Antick Adoratious of each other and supersluous Complements buâ— indeed 〈◊〉 good manners to use it by none but that people whose evill Communications corrupt good manners the Heathen whose Customes are vain and as for us if any man list to be contentious about our manners in such matters he must know that as there 's no Law of God or man that hinds us from Keeping on our hats from thee or thou to Cap and Congee and you Sir and Master and such like flatteries not to say meer fooleries which are all in the fall so we have no such manner of manners nor customes among us nor any of the true Churches of God And hereby we appeare to any save such as will needs mistake us to be neither Papists nor Popish Priests for they have as much of that kind of ill manners of honouring each others persons as is to be found among your selves nevertheless who so blind as he that will not see thou T. D. wilt needs so befool thy self as to make it proâ—ablâ— that I am one of them whose words excepting as in the proviso abovesaid â—re now Verbatim to be Rehearsed who having hinted it in p. 55. how Rob. Wilkinson Minister of Staple had accused me to have been at Rome and received a Pension from the Pope goest on as followes T. D. As to the matter whereof Samuel Fisher was accused part of it he denied not namely that he hath been at Rome but that he received a Pension from the Pope he utterly denied which yet that is probably as true for I have it from very good hands that in his late travail to Constantinople and thence to Rome he had as good Bills of Exchange as most Gentlemen that travaile and yet 't is well known that he hath no visible Estate And the Qua. who came to hear the dispute who I suppose would not bely him did report that he did bear his witness against the Pope and Cardinals at Rome and yet suffer'd them not to meddle with him which how unprobable it is let all men judge but how much more probable that the true cause of his safety was his compliance with them the Doctrines which he broaches among us and as he saies in all other places being theirs and a fair inlet to their Bag and Baggage And to assure the Reader of the likelihood of his compliance with the Antichristian Faction thou maist please to know that the 12th instant English account two honest and credible men of Sandwich had some discourse with S. Fisher at Dunkirk and he told them that he looked upon the Jesuits and Friars there to be founder in Doctrine then those we call the Reformed Churches This they are ready to testifie at any time upon call Another passage I have to acquaint thee with viz. that the aforesaid S. Fisher in Conference with the above-named Sandwich men at Dunkirk May 12. English stile did affirm that he himself is above Ordinances and that there is no more use of them in this life to many portions then there is of a Candle-light when the Sun shines and he gave instance in the uselessness of Baptism and the Lords Supper And the same witnesses were credibly informed at Dunkirk that S. Fisher hath great Bills of Exchange from a Quaking London Merchant and may take up four hundred pound if he will And hundreds of people can testifie how light he made of the charge of Popeâ—â— on the first day of the Dispute when I pluck'd Amesus 4th Tome against Bellarmine and offer'd to read part of it out of the Latine into English and with a gesture of derision he replied that Bellarmine held many Truths which must not be rejected because he held them and he gave for instance that Christ is the Son of God Moreover in p. 14. Thou writest thus viz the third Question debated on was though with much ado at length stated in these Termes whethâ—â— OUR good works are the meritorious cause of our justification and S. F. held it in the affirmative S. F. Tâ—us I prove it to these words T. D. now you shew your self a Rank Papist indeed Rep. Monstrum Horâ—endum Informe Ingens cui lumen ademptum what a Horrible bundle of blindness is here what a hidden heap of Hocus pâ—cus this nasty piece of Naâ—â—ative is of itself a little Lake of Lyes and the whole is little better under this Hedg are many Hedg-Hogs hidden many Cockatrices hatched up whose fruit is as a fiery 〈◊〉 Serpent many false Tongues fed with fuell fit for them many Fools fenced in their folly as with a Thicket of Thornes many Sons of Beliâ—â— bolstred up in their Blasphemies and emboldened to throw about in
like had before Christ was crucified though in regard of inability to beare the sudden abolâ—tion thereof by permission more then commission practised after as circumcision and vowes and shavings and some other Rite and Ceremonies were in which case if any now will needs uâ—e them I meddle not to forbid though he that is in the spirit and substance and not the letter of them is not out of them but in them more truly then he that is in them outwardly according to the letter and not in the spirit for they are the Iewes the circumcision the Christians the baptiz'd ones the Suppers with the Lord the partakers of his Table who open when Christ knocks and let him in that he may Sup with them and they with him who rejoyce in Christ Iesus and have no confidence in the flesh and worship God in the spirit and are Jewes in heart and spirit not letter onely when they of the letter are but the Concision that say they are Iewes Christians Baptists Communicants with God children of God but lye and are not but are the Synagogue of Satan the end of which foresaid outward Commandments is love out of a pure heart a good conscience faith unfained which who serve in are the servants of God and who swerve from and turn aside into â—angling about the other and are zealous in teaching up the Law understand neither themselves nor what they say nor doe nor whereof they affirme and are but of the Gentiles that dwell in the outward Court which is given to them who tread down the holy Citty nor in the inward Temple nor of them that worship therein not to be counted thereunto but left out and not measured when the measuring line goeth out upon it to build and rear it up again in the latter dayes So then though I deny all the Ordinances Traditions and Doctrines Wayes and Worships of men innovated and impos'd at their wills as praecepts of God yet I deny not the due use of any thing that ever was in meer outside service required and appointed of God himself when performed in its proper place and season from a right Principle of inward power to the right end which they lead and tend to viz. Christ Iesus the head the body of those shadows the Image of God begotten and born not after the Law of a Carnal Commandment but after the Power of an endless life after which Image when men witness themselves to be truly created in righteousness and holiness of truth they will see how these pass away as to the use thereof as the Moon in a morning waxes pale and dies out as to its shining any more before the Sun as the lesser which must give way to the greater glory which lesser things while men busie themselves in and boast of crying the Temple of the Lord are these the Tythes Offerings New-moons the Sabbaths the solemn Assemblies the Sacrifices the Circumcision the Passeover the Baptism the Supper the Services the Ordinances of the Lord are these neglecting the weightier matters the washing and circumcising their hearts to the Lord the putting off the body of the sins of the flesh putting away the evil of their doings from before Gods eyes not minding but forgetting breaking the everlasting visible life way righteousness kingdom House Temple Gospel Glory Covenant which the Letter lays down as that which all these Ceremonies so call'd of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from their standing but for a time and all these meer Temporals do but tend to the Lord loaths all that which was even of his own requiring the more men load him with it that love not-the other and says he required it not he spake not of it he would have none of it he could not away with it his delight is not so much in it as in obeying his saul hates it he is weary to bear it 't is the offering of Swines blood 't is the cutting off a Dogs neck 't is as acceptable to him as if one slew a man 't is the blessing of an Idol 't is but a trusting in lying words when trusted in 't is an apron of fig-leaves 't is a covering of Idols 't is a righteousness that shall not profit him 't is a refuge of lyes which the hail shall sweep away 't is a hiding place which the storm shall overflow by which shall be trodden down even all you that are hidden in it 't is a Covenant and agreement with death and hell the Drunkards of Ephraim make which must be disannul'd and not stand 't is a bed shorter then that a man can stretch himself on it 't is a covering too narrow for a man to wrap himself in it 't is a House on the sand and not on the Rock of Ages the fall of which on the head of the builders will be great when the wind of the Lords Spirit comes to blow upon it 't is flesh that must wither then as the grass and the flower of it 't is Ashur and Jareb that can't cure Israels wounds 't is Pharoah the broken reed that runs into the hand of the leaners thereon 't is the Egyptians and their horses which are men and flesh not God nor Spirit 't is the many mountains in which salvation is hoped for in vain 't is not the right Rest to the soul 't is the polluted rest which who ever is in and first or last ariseth not above and departs not out of it will destroy him with a sore destruction 't is iniquity 't is dung which God will spread upon mens faces who live like Swine yet will wallow in it even the dung and iniquity of their solemn meetings How untrue then thy Testimony is of my saying I was above Ordinances who am one that am under Water-Baptism being once baptized as the Sprinklers of Infants never were if there were any ground of glorying in or any stress to be put upon that and have also used Bread and wine till Christ who now cometh 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in myriads of his Saints came in me as few Parish Preachers do that prattle for that Supper though Christ be not yet come in them as he will ere long come nigh to judgement I suppose all save such Simplerous as either will see or at least seem to see nothing save what their Seers see may more easily discern then be ignorant But suppose it were all as true that 's here told by you three Thomasses would it follow at all from hence that I probably comply with the Pope and his faction or would it not rather free me among all save such as if they cannot by Hooke will needs have it so by Crooke from all suspition of such complyance more then such as cry out for Ordinances with the Pope yea more for meere mans Ordinances too then for Gods viz. that of sprinkling and Ordinances for Tribes and maintenance as his Priests do Is 't not a far clearer consequence to
whether Good Works Mark be the meritorious cause of Iustification p. 58. and that this was expresly affirmed bylus and saith T.D. This being so gross Popsh L. Howard one of the Qua. present at the Dispute hath witness Nath. Barry since denied that they did so affirm Rep. By the way let me tell thee Reader as from L. Howard that though he denied that we affirm'd Iustification by our Good Works which assertion the Priests falsly chaâ—ge us with yet notwithstanding N. Barâ—yes bearing false witness against him he did not deny that we affirm Iustification by Good Works neither is he or any of us ashamed to aâ—firm at this present that Iustification is by Gooâ— Works but Mark this quoth T.D. is gross and Popish So then you have T.Ds. sence on one hand thus viz. it s not onely Rank Popery to affirm OVR Good Works though by OVRS if ever the Qu. affirm it they mean Christs Good Works in us cal'd OVRS Isa. 26. and not meerly Our own but also gross and Popâ—sh to affirm Good Works to be deserving Iustification I wot not well what works they are by which T.D. looks to be justified seeing he denies it to be by Good Woâ—ks for I cannot believe him as bad as he is to be so bad yet as to believe any to be justified by bad evil or wicked works though he blushes not to say that under the guilt of such bad works as Adultery and murder David was and so other Saints p. 38. but yet no wicked ones may be justified And in another p. 45. that the Gospel gives live upon imperfect obedience which though he do no wickedness is at best but an evil work nor wor I well where a man shall scape T.Ds. censure of being Popish unless he run away from Resting and Relying on Christ as well as on himself for Iustification for even Christs best Works are no more than Good as 't is true that all OVR best that are not done by him in us are worse then naught But were it so in Truth but I trow it is not as T.D. sayes that to affirm Good Works meritorious of Iustification is so gross and Popish that they have reason to be asham'd that own it Heu quam turpe est Doctori cum culpar edarguit ipsum How much more reason then any other hath T.D. to be ashamed of his shameful doings Qui alterum incusat probri de quâ— ipsum se intueri oportet who condemns others as gross and Popish for the self-same Doctrine which he himself holds out in terminis and yet creeps from under that condemnation slides his own neck out of that collar and dum codâ—m cum illis haret luto condemns not himself as guilty of the same defilement but rather to God and all men commends himself as clear and clean For whoever heard T.D. say of himself as he sayes of the Qua. they are I am gross and Popish in affirming that Good Works deserve Iustification Yet that he affirms the same as well as the Qua. whose affirmation of it to the contradicting of himself he denies I need do no more in proof thereof then send the Reader to p. 14 15. of his own 1. Paper out of which every Puny may fully prove it to himself for there in Answer to my Argument a Conâ—aâ—iis which was to this effect without that Term of OVR in such a sense as the Papists use it viz. Evilworks are the meritorious cause of our Condemnation therefore Good Works are the meritoriâ—â—s cause of our Non-Condemnation or Iustification among several frivolous conceits upon which he denies the consequences of my Argument T.D. Replyes thus granting the Rule of Contraries will allow so to Argue viz. Evil works which are the violation of the Law deserve danmation Ergo Good Works which are the fulfilling of the Law deserve Salvation and we know no Good Works such but Christs In all which he hath said no more than the self-same which in substance is uttered and intended by our selves for we both speak of and mean no other Good Works when we say Good Works deserve Iustification then such as are Christs and the fulfilling of the Law in himself and in us by his Power whose works onely are Good and all whose Works are so Good that the Law is fulfilled by them and so not Condemnation but Iustification still deserved for where no Condemnation is deserved as it is not by any Good Works there Non-condemnation or Iustification is For by every work the Law is either fulfilled or broken but by neither every nor by any work that 's truly good as every one of Christs are whether done in his own or by him in our persons or by us in him his Power and Spirit is the Law transgrest violated or broken therefore by every Good Work obeyed kept fulfilled and by every work either Condemnation or Non-Condemnation is deserved but Condemnation is not by any truly good work therefore Non-Condemnation is deserved by every good work Taliter and by all and onely good works by which is fulfilled the Royal Law Iam. 2.8 which works no ill at all to another Totaliter Yet T.D. judges us unjustly as Popish who hold no otherwise then thus and himself Anti-Popistical in holding the same to whom therefore I say to say no more of his self-contradiction in saying of Good Works that they do and yet do not deserve Justification si in me iniqius es Iudex T.D. condemnabo eâ—dem ego â—e crimine if T.D. were as just as 't is sure he is unjust in condemning us for Popery he is so much the more unjust in that he condemns not himself for the same since he that judges us so for so holding holds the same the more justly is he to be condemned by all for not condemning himself as Popish together with us And now whereas T.D. supposes he hath added much to the alteration of the state of the Question as we hold it and to the enervating of the force of the Consequence of my Popish Argument as he calls it by that weak short and imperfect Reply he gave to it at the Dispute and that more long then strong addition of many impertinent passages in his Accountative Repetition of it I shall here take them a little briefly under consideration and likewise the rest of that refusely stuff which is Replyed by T.D. up and down in his Book to my self R.H. and G.W. about this point of Iustification and such as were touch't on as pertaining to it that being rid of the Rudeness and Reasonlessess of T.Ds. Religion which I.O. in his piece of Anti-Quakerism interests not himself in so far as I find any where unless in p. 127. where his words seem to sent of such a Justification in sin as T.D. dreams of I may trouble I.O. no more with the Talk thereof when I begin again to talk with him To my nâ—ging Contrarioram contraria est Ratio T.D. thou Replyest
of God in that state sinneth not and he that sinneth not is not in a state of Condemnation for he doth Righteousness and he that doth Righteousness is Righteous as God is Righteous Hoâ—y as he is Holy Pure at he is Pure and Perfect as he whose Child he is is perfect and is as so not in the Alienation Reprobation and Rejection but in the Love Acceptation or Iustification And whereas our Divines talk as if that only were perfect to which nothing can be added that 's a false ignorant and blind assertion for as there is a perfection such is that of God which admits of no addition so there is a true perfection that is without any â—mperfection sin aâ—d corruption which is capable of addition to which more maybe added and such is that of man who may be truly said to be perfect and not imperfect yet to grow on to a fuller measure and stature of that divine nature grace and holynesse which was perfect and not imperfect before though not so perfect but that a greater degree in it may be attained as he that thrives in iniquity which is defect and imperfection becomes thereby more and more imperfect Adam in innocency was perfect and so perfect in righteousnesse that he had no unrighteousnesse or imperfection and though not without temptaâ—ion as Christ was not who never sinned yet clean from all transgression Yet not so perfect as to be utterly uncapable of any addition to that glory he then stood in And Christ Iesus himâ—elfe was a perfect child of God from the womb as to the divine nature he was born in yet grew in stature and was one who did no evill in whom was no sin nor was any guile found in him nor was he in a damnable condition and that gift of the grace and wisdome of God that was in him was perfect grace and wisdome and the least degree of grace that any Saint hath is perfect grace a perfect and not an imperfect gift of God according to the Rule and Measure of which as every one walketh he is so far perfect though but a Babe and yet Saints may grow therein from Babes in nature to young men in Stature which of young men though it is not the highest stature in the Church here on earth yet obtains to so much strength as to overcome the wicked one and from thence to be old men of full growth and age more intimately acquainted with God the Father and to the unity of the knowledge of the Son of God the very measure of the Stature of the fulnesse of Christ himselfe And therefore thy saying T.D. that Babes and young men are imperfect p. 18. as I do not and that true grace is imperfect and true obedience and good works are imperfectly good and sin and evill perfectly evill and such like is such a Whim-wham as shewes thy selfe to be yet so imperfect as no Babe in Christ is in thy understanding of the things of God and such a saying as hath nothing in it if I may without absurdity Tune it back to thee in thy own imperfect Tone but perfect imperfection flat falshood deep darknesse and meere confusion So that all true good is perfectly good and all that 's really evill is properly evill all true light of what kind soever in the least degree is in its kind perfectly light and all darknesse properly darknesse and all that 's properly and truly term'd righteousnesse in the meanest measure is as perfectly righteousnesse as all kind of unrighteousnesse and as all sin is really the transgression of a Law for there 's no transgression where is no Law and the least transgression of the Law in the least part is really or properly sin so every act of true obedience to the Light or Law is though but in part and not so perfect a conformity yet truly and properly and perfectly aâ—co fâ—â—miâ—y to it and not a violation of it and such a perfect Act of obedience as is not only not disobedience but so absolutely contrary to an act of disobedience as that it deserves not the reward of an of act disobedience which is condemnation but consequently the contrary which is non-condemnation which can amount to no less then acceptation or which is much at one Iustification from all guilt for there 's none contracted and salvation from that wrath which is to come and which comes upon none for any obedience but on all the Children of disobedience only Thus every thing but sin and imperfection is perfectly what it is truly and thoâ—e works are not truly good however falsly so cal'd that are not perfectly good and what work is truly good is perfectly good And of this sore are all the works of Christs working by his Spirit in our persons viz. as truly and perfectly good in genere if not gradu as those he wrought in the same Spirit and Power in his own who never yet did any work that is evill or but imperfectly good Yea as truly an perfectly good as both the worst and the best that you do without him are really and properly evill and consequenly being contrary to your evill works which merit condemnation meritorious of that contrary reward of acceptation or justification And no lesse then this last dost thou T.D. to the contradicting thy selfe in thy other sayings confesse to us thy selfe in these words evill works which are the violation of the Law deserve damnation Ergo good works which are the fulfilling the Law deserve Salvation and as thou saift so say we we know no good works such but Christs and say I I know no works of Christ that â—re not such and that deserve nor Salvation Whether those that were wrought by him in that single person which was crucified 〈◊〉 Ierusalem or those that are wrought by him in his Saints though thou seem'st to thy self to be so wise whose folly therefore is the more manifest to all men as to know a Christ and as to know some operations and good works and righteousnesse of that Christ wrought by him alone in his Saints and by them received from him and whereof Christ himselfe is the Author which thou art so far from owning any justification by and from esteeming so highly of as they deserve that as to any such gain as iustification deserved for us or derived to us thereby thou disclaimst them utterly as meere dung and losse and filthy rags and absit Blasphemia doom'st them down to hell as deserving no better then your wickednesses and your own miscal'd righteousnesses do the merit of which is neither more nor lesse then condemnation and all this he that is minded to trace thee p. 15.21.22.23 in thy Meandrous talkings to and fro in and out where thou dancest the Hay up and down in the Clouds of contradiction and confusion cannot chuse but take notice of unlesse he be so blind as that his eyes can see no farther then his nose reaches For mark p.
21. thou I fasly chargest us with the guilt of that sin of the Iewes Rom. 10.3.4 viz. making our own righteousnesse our justification 2. Thou relatest G.W. clearing us ofthat saying that we do not make our own righteousnesse our justification but the righteousness of God is that we testifie being made manifest in us according to the Scripture Phil. 3.9 Not our own righteousnesse wich is â—f the Law that is any personal conformity to the Law in that outward letter that we can make by any ability of ours without the power of Christ such was that of the Iews and Pauls establishing to himself as his gain and righteousnesse before his conversion to that of Christs for that and no other is it which Paul calls his own and the Iewes own and not that which Christ wrought in him cloth'd him with and enabled him to perform as thou blasphemously bolt'st it out but that which is through the faith of Christ the righteousnesse which is of God by faith to which though thou seem'st to assent in these words viz. the Apostle by his own righteousnesse understands His personall conformity to the Law and by Christ righteousnesse that which is of Christ made his by faith by which Terme His if thou intendest His as abstract from Christ his weak strivings in his own strength to keep the Law and not that personall conformity to it he was at last enabled to by the Spirit and Power of Christ intimated Rom. 8.1 2 3 4. Thou fallest in with us who make that genuine distinction between all meere mans righteousnesse and all that righteousnesse that is of Christ. But now as if thine eyes were grown too dimme to discern that distinction thou blindly blendest these two together again into own putting no difference at all between O V R good works or meer mans righteousnesse which in his own will wisdom strength and vain Imagination he works beside the light and out of Christ and those Good Works or that righteousnesse which is of God alone which by the pure Power and Spirit of Christ is wrought in and by them and which they by him are enabled to perform which is specifically one and the very same with that in Christ himselfe from whom it is of God through the faith of Christ made theirs or made over to them that is not meerly and imaginarily as the Priesthood prates accounted and imputed but really and truly derived and imparted to them and revealed as it s said to be Rom. 1.17 from faith to faith in the light of the Gospel to them that beleive therein so that of the fulnesse of that righteousness of God that dwels in him they all receive grace for grace to the true washing Iustification Sanctification and Salvation of them from all that unrighteousnesse by which they became guilty before God while they stood in no other righteousnesse but their own Yea that righteousnesse of Christ in his Saints which is in kind the selfe same with that in himselfe thou both denyest to avail one iot to justification and also confoundest into one and the self same with that of meer mans own working which from God is for ever to be confounded Witnesse thy own words who saift thus T.D. I deny justification by Christ within us we deny our justification by that righteousnesse in us whereof Christ is the Author two things are indeed meant by the name of Christ his person and his operations in us and I deny the latter but assert the former for our righteousnesse to justification Rep. Oh gro's horrid hideous and fordid Are not the Righteousness and the operations of Christ in his Saints the same that were in his own flesh are they not of the same with validity and desert being his own still whether done in himselfe or in us and as truly and perfectly good being done by Christ who can work nothing but that which is truly good and perfect whether in his Saints or himselfe And suppose every Title of thy Tattle were true that thou telst us p. 15. viz. that those works that merit must not be due and his good works who owes none though who that is that owes none to God and from whom to God none are due I know not and whether it became not Christ to be holy harmlesse undefiled separate from sinners whether he ought not in all things to be like his brethren I 'le not stand here to dispute but leaâ—e to Heb. 2.17.26 to determine and yet whether all that he doth in what person so ere he doth it in doth not merit I need not prove to a wiâ—e man for he will not put me to it But I say suppose it to be all true that his good works who owes none and from whom none are due and is an infinite person do as truly deserve non condemnation and his eâ—ill works from whom only good works are due as from a finite creature to an infinite Creator do truly deserve damnation the desert of the obedience of the one arising from the dignity of the Subject by which it s performed as the desert of the others disobedience from the dignity of the Object against which it it is committed yet what makes all this to the mending of thy muddy matter who wouldst make Christ himselfe and his good works and operations of righteousnesse in his Saints of no such moment as to merit or effect their justification before God is not Christ the Subject by which though the Saints who are his body flesh bones are the Subject in which those works of his are perform'd inâ— them as well as the Subject by which those were done that were done in his naturall body in the dayes of his fleshly being here on earth yea is not he the subject in which also those in his Saints are performed while what ere he doth by them he doth in them what they do by him they do in him the person Subject being the same is not the dignity of the doer as deserving when he does good or obeys the will of God in one age place person as well as when in another does what righteousness he works in and by his or destroy the merit thereof body more then that which he wrought in and by that body which was the head and and is not Christ Iesus who is known to be in all them that are not Reprobates 2 Cor. 13.5 and who is the same yesterday to day and forever Heb. 13.8 as infinite a Person now and as infinite in all his operations as ever and are not his operations as good and his Righteousness which thou for want of his Wisdom being ignorant that God calls it an Everlasting Righteousness i.e. that which is infinite or without end Dan 9.24 callest but finite p. 39. and yet in thy wonted way of self-contradiction infinite also saying we cannot contain an infinite Righteousness in us and the Righteousness which God works in us is but
from the sight of how 't is at home he might see us perfectly clear and himself onely deeply guilty in part yea wholly of the self same Errour for verily we say of all Our own good works done by us out of him and not by him in us which onely are usually by God and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 also properly Term'd Our own they are as man himself in the fall who does them is altogether become unprofitable either to iustifie sanctifie save entitle to or fit us for Gods Kingdom yea what God himself doth Isa. 57. we do and will declare of Our own Righteousness that it cannot profit us of our Companies we are gone to and Congregatings with them c. in our own wills and thoughts these cannot deliver us the wind will take all these away and as it hath done some already so will all those that truth therein we say as Eph. 2. by Grace we are saved justified not in as you look to be but from our sins in which we were once dead together with you in which we sometime walked with you who cannot believe that ye can he perfectly purged from them while you live but that ye must live in some and some in you till you die after the course of this world the Prince of the air the spirit that still lives in you children of disobedience and in the rich mercy and great love of God wherewith he hath loved us made accepted in his beloved quicknâ—d raised up and made to sit together not in fleshly lusts and eartly Pallaces with painted Professors of him but in Heavenly places in Christ Iesus and all this through Faith not of our selves for its the gift of God nor yet of self works so as that any of us can boast for we are not our own but his workmanship in all this created in Christ Iesus whose new Creatures we are unto the good works we now do in the Light and Movings of his Spirit in a cross to the will of our flesh till it and the lust thereof be wholly crucified and we to the woâ—ld and the world to us which God hath of old ordained in order to the Eternal Life he hath that way ordained us to that we should walk in them yea Tit. 3. we were formerly for all our forms of Religion which yet were to the full as powerful as the best of your or the most Reformed Formalists empty Profession without the Possession of that Godliness ye prate of foolâ—sh disobedient serving diverse lusts and pleasures as ye still do and yet vainly hope to do well enough living in every malice hateful and hating But since the Goodness and Love of God our Saviour to mankind in Christ the Light appeared to us we are from these sins justified and loved for which judgment without mercy wrath without remedy will come on you that judge your selves justified in them yet not by any works in the Righteousnes that we have wrought but according to his own mercy he haâ—h saved us which saves to the uttermost and not by the halves as ye dream he does who Reckon without your Host who will Reckon otherwise with you when he comes nigh to you to Judgement and ye come to Account by the Light that all the sins past and to come of you Elect and peculiarly priviledged unsanctified Saints are Remitted while they are as hourly they are yea and long too before they are committed and that you while as unjust and guilty as David in his very acts of Adultery and Murder are yet acquitted accounted just and held guiltless by him who is of purer eyes then to behold iniquity and not abhor it and call that good that does evil and who will by no means clear the guilty in his guilt nor accept the filthy in his filth I say according to his mercy he hath saved us by the washing Mark of Regeneration and the Renewing of the Holy Spirit which he hath shed on us abundantly by Iesus Christ our Saviour to this end Mark that we being justified by his Grace viz. shed on us freely by Christ not inhaerent in him onely as the Subject might be made Heirs according to the Hope of Eternal Life This and not thine T.D. is the faithful Word and these are the Truths about our Iustification or Salvation that they of old were enjoined stedfastly to Teach that those that believed in God might be careful to maintain good works of this sort as useful good and profitable unto men counting all their own which yet T.D. sayes are necessary to sanctifie and make meet as dung loss imperfect impertinent unprofitable and useless as filthy Rags Yea Finally as Paul said of his own Worships Works Righteousness and Services while he was a proud puft up Pharisee as most of our Formal Scribes and Modern Ministers are for he calls not that his own as T.D. does but Christs which he was after clothed in and by Faith had received from him and by him was enabled to perform and abound in so say the Qua. of theirs and I of mine If any man think he hath whereof to glory in the flâ—sh of flâ—shâ—y wisdom self-righteousness outward performances Well-worships inward workings of the mind in earnest Imaginations and of mans will in zealous hastings willings runnings strivings after God and Righteousness and Good in which yet the Kingdom comes not nor the Righteousness of it I could say more then I am here minded to do but since I came in the Light to feel the Circumcision of the heart to the Lord by himself not made by the hands of man and to witness the worth of the true Worship of God in Spirit and Truth in the inner part which his own witness within onely leads to what good works of mine I once counted gain I am now made by Christ to count loss for those of Christ yea for the excellency of the true knowledge of Christ to be my Lord whom I once so called but did not all that he said for whom I have lost all that and what more he hath yet called me to suffer the loss of and do esteem all but as dung that I may win hâ—m and be found in him not clothed with the old Righteousness of my own which was once Pauls and called by me and T.D. both but as filthy Rags so I know no Righteousness of Christ is called by any besides T.D. but with that Righteousness which is by Faith in his Light in which onely he is known Revealed and Received from him and in the way of that Faith by which God purifies the heart which overcomes the world in it and works by that Love that fulfils the Law in working no ill to the Neighbour wrought in me by him even that Righteousness which through Faith in the Light is of God not as our devising Diviners both Devise and Divine to the making of the wicked ones seem just and good before God when they are nothing
truth but must needs condemn it as delusion and deceit for none of Pauls meer own righteousnesse no dung and losse no imperfectly good works nor imperfect obedience nor such as that of the Iews establishing nor any nor all our righteousnesses which T.D. and I together with our unrighteousnesse dare denominate no otherwise then as filthy Rags doth so much as fit for that pure possession neithe can such as this entitle as a Cause thereunto yea if the righteousnesse of Christ within us wrought by him and received from him were indeed no better then T.D. makes it who makes it no better then mans own I should then acknowledge the who'e sentence to be true which T.D. once utterd and sincâ— acknowledges the truth of p. 38. which seeing he intends it of that true righteousnesse of Christ in his Saints which we testifie to that it s not that which Paul calls his own and dung but Christs own indeed who is the only Author of it is somewhat more then a meer lye and little lesse then bâ—astly blasphemy as T.D. affirms it viz. that any man that holds that principle of being justified by a righteousnesse within us living and dying in that principle caâ—nâ—t be saved But indeed Christs righteousnesse within us only is that by which souls can be saved as I shall shew anon for that without which is in kind the same never iustifies makes just righteous holy cleane nor saves from the sin till some of the same be in us every measure of the gift of which though but a part of the whole is as perfect as the 1 st fruit and the meer earnest of the spirit is a perfect gift and as perfectly good in its kind according to its meaâ—ure as the whole lump and fulnesse out of which it is given and is that which is by T.D. though but a part but improperly called imperfectly good and imperfect obedience p. 45. For no obedience nor good that 's of Christ noâ— gift of the heavenly Father in him is any other in nature then they both are i. perfect as they are peâ—fect and as the fulnesse of good that dwels in and flows from them is perfect without any imperfection And 't is only perfect obedience as only that of Christ whether in the head or in the mâ—mbers of his body is not any mans own upon or for which the Gospell gives life and justification Yet Oh the Rounds that T.D. runs in which there 's no way out of but by the Dore that is the Light which all Theâ—ves and Robbers are climbing above T.D. tells us another untrue tale p. 45. which overturns that untrue tale he told before for p. 38. He said no salvation is of any by a righteousnesse within for any that bâ—leive it must come that way for what 's within us though recâ—ved from and wrought by Christ is but imperfâ—ctly good p. 14.15 and Rags But p. 54. he sayes the Gospell gives life mark upon impâ—fect obedience So according to T.D. who sometimes rejects all righteousnesse within us as imperfect as refuse and as uselesse as filthy Rags which are good for noâ—hing sometimes again allowes that which Paul calls his own and dung to be called Christs and good for sâ—mthing viz. though not to justifie and entitle as a Cause or that upon which which term upon though T D would in p. 21 of his 2 Pamphlet shuffle into a more moderate sense then its properly taken in which is as much as to say for as the Cause of he therein doth but more manifest his folly to all men the Gospell gives the inheritance of life yet at least to sanctify and make meet for p. 14.15.22 but then this righteousnesse within whether Christs or our own which is dung and Christs also by gift to him must take heed however of creeping too high for if it aspire so as to assume to it selfe to be own'd us advantagious to justifie and entitle as that upon which the life is given it must be huâ—l'd down again to â—ary Hell for T.D. p. 28. Do 〈◊〉 all them to Damnation by whole â—ale below all possibility of Salvation that dare so much as hold that principle of being saved by it but for fear his damnation should be damned again as too damnable a Doctrine if he should not moderate it as to the legall rigidity thereof seeing he sayes the Law gives life upon perfect obedience and not without it and can't beleive any obedience that Christ can work in his Saints in this life can be perfect but all that he here works within men imperfect and none perfect but that he wrought without them as far off as Ierusalem as long as 1600. years since and hath now inherent in himself no neerer to them then heaven is to the earth he bethinks himselfe or else forgets himself again so far its not matter which as to cut off the entail of eternall life which the Law gives upon no other then absolutely perfect obedience and â—ntaâ—lâ—s the promise of it under the Gospell whether Christs or ours or both I know not which and I think he knows not well himselfe unto an imperfect obedience as that upon which mark life is given under the Gospell and contrary to Christ who tells us Math. 5. That the Gospell righteousnesse which reaches to the thoughts must exceed and be more perfect if more perfect can be but more then perfect cannot be then that of the Pharisees whereof Paul was one that as to the righteousnesse of the Law was blamelesse yet came not neer that of the Gospel there 's in no case any entrance into the Kingdome T.D. sayes p. 45. the Law gives not life without perfect obedience the Gospell gives it upon imperfect obedience thus posito uno absurdo sequuntur milâ— error minimus in principio fit major in mâ—diâ— maximus in fine When our men call'd Ministers erre by one absurdity rather then return they multiply it into a 1000. and rather loose themselves in the Laborinth of their own learned thoughts then learn of Christ and stoop to the simplicity and plainnesse of the truth as it is in Iesus for but that they love that smoother and smoake of the pit Rev. 9. They came out of in aperto et facili posita est salus The grace of God which brings the salvation appeares to all men teaching such as are willing to learn at it to deny ungodlynesse and worldly lusts and to live godly righteously and sâ—berly in this present world which life they hope not to live till the world to come where unlesse the Pope Purgatoâ—y be a truth and their own true doctrine when they say as the Tree faâ—ls so it lyes be a lye 't is too late to begin it And in such a Wood and Wooden Wheele as to and fro in and out up and down round about here and there no way out doth T.D. wander about this matter of our justification by the righteousnes good works and
already justified and give no right to the kingdom but only a fitness for entrance into it to such as have actuall right before ever they do any good by the power of Christ and T.D. by implicit faith treads in the same common beat'n track telling us p. 16. that surely the leading of the spirit or sanctification is a fruit and effect and not a meritorious cause of not being obliged to the penalty of the Law yet all this is but tittle â—attle of those whom Christ and righteousnesse serves to talk and make a trade on Tell not me T.D. of Thomas of Io. Duns the Scot and other Scepticks Schoolmen and Casuists that make Religion a matter of dispute more then practice for I say and yet no more then what the Scripture proves to any but such as take more care by their innumerable distinctions senses and meanings upon it to defend themselves in their sins then to live the life of it that the good works that are the gift of Christ and the fruits of the spirit of Christ in us and that righteousnesse which is of his working in us who worketh in us both to will and do what are we do that is of worth before God are those by which our Salvation is wrought out 2 Phil. 13. and are not the fruit and effect of but go before Iustification from guilt and acquiting from the penalty and condemning power of the Law which is the fruit and effect of the other and the same that gives the aptitude and meetness for the Kingdom the self same Righteousness of Christ within us wrought and imparted to us gives to us the Ius or Right to inherit it and not another without us onely imputed for as is commonly said quae supra nos and so may it be truly said in this matter quae extra nos nihil ad nos c. what good works and Rigteousness of Christ are done by him without us what ever they are intentionally and conditionally yet are actually and absolutely nothing to us but as we come to see and feel the same by that same power that wrought in him working mightily in us performed within our selves Neither are the good works and Righteousness of Christ which are the fruits of his Spirits leading us thereto subsequent as effects of his not being under the Lawes curse in a person before justified as T.D. and the Scholastick Doctors of whom he learns it indoctrinates but are praecedent as causes of it in persons in order to their peace with God and Iustification in both Gods sight and in mens and in their own for as 't is said Isa. 31.15 16 17 18 19. of the inhaerent Righteousness that resides and remains in the hearts of Saints which is the fruit and effect of the Spirit of God making them of a Wilderness a fruitful Field by the pourings out of the Spirit upon them from on high so it is in truth that the work of that Righteousness is the peace and the effect or fruit of that Righteousnes is quietness and assurance for ever yea that people who of a barren Forrest become a fruitful Field to the Lord bring forth fruits of Righteousness by Christ in them to the praise of God are they onely that when the Nail of Gods wrath indignation and torment comes down by Right on the fruitless Forrest have even eaten us or thereupon a due Right and Title to the dwelling in the peaceable habitation and sure dwelling and quiet Resting-places of the Fathers Love and Abrahams Bosomâ— as well as a fitness for it which fitness and meetness is first and ever goes before the Actual Aâ—solute and Immediate Right there to come for whatever Remote and Conditional Right all men have to the Iustification Life and Peace of God in Christ Mediante fide Iustitia Pieâ—ate Sanctitare c. On Terms of that precedent Faith Righteousness Godliness and Holiness wrought in them by Christ which makes them meeâ— for it yet a Positive and Immediate Right thereto can no man have till he be thus made meeâ— to enter it any more then he that was unmeet for the Marriage Supper for want of his Wedding Garment who had as true a Remâ—â—â— Right as any that were there conditionally he had fitted i.e. clothed himself accordingly had in his old Suit the Rotten Rags of his own Righteousness and not Christs a Real and Immediate Right to intrude himself into so Holy a presence who was with shame thrust forth forth for his labour And whereas our unjust Iusticiaries strike hard against us as they think with that True Story Rom. 9. of Iacob and Esau's being the one loved thâ— other 〈…〉 yet being 〈◊〉 â—me neither good nor evil Rep. 1. I say and so would they too if they could once sea that 〈◊〉 one thing to be denominated aforehand by God who fore-seeing how it will be oft calls those things that yet are not as if they were loved and â—ated Respectively before or good or evil be actually done or the doors born with Reference to the good and evil he fore-saw would be done in time and another to be absâ—lutely and actually lâ—ved and hated not onely without any reference or respect to good and evil fore-seen that it would be done but also before the Subject and doers thereof are in rerum natura as yet in so much as any actual being 2. That those two Persons were Types of the two Seeds that and not Persons but so as they are the Children of one or t'other are the only absolute unchangeable Everlasting Subjects of Gods peremptory in alterable and Eternal decrees of Election and Reprobation viz. the Seed of the Woman and that of the Serpent which the Seed of the Righteous who are ever blessed and the seed of evil-doers who are never to be Renowned are respectively born of and adhaering to 3. That though they will needs mis-understand it as spoken of those Persâ—ns only yet it is not poken of two Persons only but it is spoken of the 2 Nations that strove in the womb of Rebecca and the two manner of people that were to go forth of her bowels viz. Israel and Edom which two Nations also but that what is most Right is mostly a Riddle to them they might Read as born after the flesh were Types yet of a more Mystical and spiritual Israel and Edom then they are yet well acquainted with as neer of kin to Esau that is Edom as they are in Gâ—ds Account both in name and nature 4. That Gods loving one and hating t'other of these was as is most evident in the Letter Mal. 1.2 4. not without but with respect to evil and not evil fore-seen to be done in time for on the Account of Edoms Mountains being the border of wickednâ—ss as Iacobs were not they became the objects of Gods hatred and a people against whâ—m the Lord hath indignation for ever 5. That there was no such thing as Iacob have I loved
present Seers gain-getting Priests false Prophets and foolish People But alas poor man thou art far enough from the New Testament or Covenant yet which is a Gospel a Covenant of Light which thou art so far from that thou fightest against it thou thinkest thy Judgement is over past and the Old Testament a thing that thou hast learned long ago but thou art not come so near to the sharp Paedagogy of it yet as thou must do so far art thou from the glorious Liberties of the New Thy words are true enough the Word under the New comes in a way of more Liberty and Glory but it s no newes to hear High Priests speak Truths which themselves know not thou art at best but an Old Testament Talker of the New and one that 's come truly yet under the Tuition of neither As for the New the Word comes under it in Liberty and Glory but not to Old Testament Spirits Doctors Scribes and Pharisees they see not clearly so much as Moses face much lesse the Glory of God in the face of Iesus Condemnation is yet to come from Christ himself first to such as these as well as from Moses Iohn yea Christ himsâ—lf whose friendliness to Publicans and Sinners as a Physitian was found fault with by such Friday fasting Pharisees as this Age is filled with as much as Iohns Austerenesse was found in Iohns rough Spirit Camels hair Garment and astonishing Appearance to them that went about to Murder him in his inward Ministry and Testimony within themselves and then they said of him too as of Iohn Thou hast a Devil Ioh 8. Ah poor Nursing Fathers and Mothers Vniversally Erring Vniversity Seducers poor seducing Priests and seduced People notwithstanding the Glorious Liberty and Gloriousnesse of the Gospel Times that ye are glorying in in a Dream that ye live under ye must most assuredly find a Condemning Iudging Terrifying fiery flaming Law laying hold on your Consciences and finding you out and the Sword of the Lord entering into your Souls and the Wrath of the Lord rending your very heart-strings a sunder and dread terrour and trembling surprizing you Hypocritical sinners in Sion before ever ye shall come to know the true Liberty or Glory of the Gospel which is the Image and Glory of God brought forth among you yea judgement is already laid to the line and Rigeteousnesse to the Plummet and the Hail is falling that will sweep away your Refuges of Lyes and the storm that will overflow your hiding places and break and disinable your supposed Covenant and Agreement with Death and Hell as if your judgement were passed over by the Lord and none of that could come near you and your Bed will be found too short for you to rest on and your Covering too narrow to wrap your selves in from the Wrath of God the power of whose wrathful displeasure shall make your Mount Sier shake like Sinai before ever ye come near to the sight of that glorious Rest that the Saints ly down in on Mount Sion Now as to that other new found Phrase of Fanaticks These Fanaticks the Fanaticks of this time our Fanaticks Fanatical Quakers Fanatical Souls Fanatical Enthusiasts Fanatical Knaves Fanatical Anti-scripturists and under which ever and anon yea so oft that I may say Ferè numquam non thou soamest out as thy fellows do that froth filth and falshood which floats about in thy foolish vain Spirit against the Quakers in gross as against a furious distracted mad crack-brain'd kind of men that for so those Terms signifie as used by thee pretend to Visions Revelations Illuminations Inspirations the Spirit of Prophesie and such like but are Reapse stark besides themselves and bereft of their very wits and senses As new a nick-Name as 't is to this Age this is no other then what all the Prophets of God were entertained with in the several seasons wherein God sent them out by the many false Prophets that were Coaetaneous with them and therefore nibil novi no new business to such as are not blind He is but meanly skill'd in the Scriptures who hath not yet learn'd from thence That the Prophets by whom God spake and by whose Ministry be muâ—tiplied Visions and used Similitudes as Hos. 12.10 were ever counted Deceivers as the snare of a Fowler in all their wayes that the true Prophet was a fool and the spiritual man or man of the spirit Mad Hos. 9.7 8. and hatred alwayes in the House of his God And that Gods People by meer profession rose up against them as against an Enemy and as now the same Generation of Holy Hypocrites do both in Old England and in New pull'd off their Robes and their Garments from them to whip and scourge them sometimes as Seditious and Disturbers that passe by securely as men most averse from War and streitned the spirit of the Lord saying Prophesie not so such as Prophesied in his Name and Power and putting them to shame if they did when if a man would walk in the wind of his own Invention and Lye falsly and Prophesie to them of â—elly Ohear of Wine and of strong Drink even he should be own'd a Prophet by that People Mic 2.8 9 10 11. And that Ioshua the true High Priest and his fellows even Christ and the Children that God had given him were as men wondred at were set as signes to be spoken against even to the house of Jacob from whom he hid his face and their peepers and mutterers out of their own familiar spirits to the unbelieving Despisers that wonder and perish for signes and for wonders from the Lord of Host that dwelleth in Mount Sion Isa. 8.17 18. Zach. 3.8 Luke 2.34 Act. 13.40 41. Yea I. O. hath read his own Book ore but by the halves if he do not learn this Lesson out of it himself pag. 58 59 61 62. that the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or divinely inspired men whose Doctrine was to have been received as from God who sent them and in whose Name they spake though but Herdsmen and of mean Occupation were yet generally rejected upon innumerable prejudices that attended the Truth they spake arising from the personal infirmities and supposed Interests of them that delivered it as Amos 7. Ier. 43.2 3. Ioh 9.29 Act. 24.5 and that what with these things and chiefly the Peoples being so eminently perplexed with false Prophets both as to their number and subtilty that they could not well discern aright between Gods Word and that which was only pretended so to be and so became guilty of unbelief and rebellion against God not submitting to what they spake in his Name it alwayes so sell out that scarce any Prophet that spake in the Name of God had any Approbation from the Church of dead stones in whose dayes he spake Matth. 5.12.21.33 to 38 Act. 7.52 Thus much I.O. may learn from these words which are mostly his own that it was alwayes so heretofore and
accompanied with strange Devils is Dedicated so Ex. 3. S. 2.4 Fanatical Enthusiasts for their Enthusiams so Ex. 3. S. 19. Locustas hasce cum primum ex sumo purei prodierint these Locusts the Quakers when they came first out of the smoak of the Pit so Ex. 3. S. 17. Errones Vagrant Rogues or Vagabonds Reply 1. Thy Iudgement of us in general which is mearly that of mans-Day which is the night and a very small matter to us will prove a matter of moment that will fall heavy on thy self at last when the Judgement of God which we know is according to Truth and is against thee comes upon thee and all thy Iudgement before thy time and evil speakings of whom and what thou utterly know'st not And as for us if we judge thee again for many of the same things of which we are judged by thee yet our judgement is just and true and not our of its due time and place and will stand ore thy head for ever being passed in the light and day and Spirit of God in which the Saints are to Judge the World and the spiritual man discerns the Animal man and his matters but is not discerned by him But as to this of Knave it savouring much of that Billingsgate Rhetorick which T.D. hath so much of who called L.H. at his own door in Douer he knows what and ye sayes he is not able to match G.W. at it to render Reviling for Reviling Terms I shall forbear and be silent here giving I O. my Goliah-like 〈◊〉 who conflatis naribus inflans sets the Saints so much at his heels and to use his own words Gigantaeo quodam fastu E'atus like some Son of Anak looks on them as Grashoppers disgracing and disdaining the whole kind or Species of the Quakers what he is able sometimes as poor deluded foolish and yet sometimes again as more Knave then Fool leave to overcome me herein for though I can truly say having been at the Popes Palace which stands in Monte Caballino that fonte labra Prolui Caballino yet haud unquam me Prophetam somniasse tam altum memini ut Repentè sic Rabula prodirem Reply 2. Thou talkest much here and at the front and sag-end also of thy English Epistle in Commendation of thy Iunior Students valuing and studying the Holy Scriptures more then any thou knowest and of their bending the best of their wits that way how ye value the Scriptures wee 'l see by and by but till ye study the light and spirit more then ye do which the letter came from as ye are yet at best so at best ye will become but obtusè acuti homunciones sharp-witted men after your own blunt fashion who in truth are as sharp-sighted in the Mystery of the Holy Scriptures as a very Mole is into a Milstone Behold O thou Academical Student in Divinity who callest the Quakers Anti-scripturists thou art call'd the Scripturist the Text-man the Opener-of that Book called the Bible which is a Book as much sealed to thy supposed learned self as to the unlearnedst sort of men in the World that can but barely read it and thou art restlesse in wrestling against the Light and restest in the dead Letter of that Law which is Light and Life and makest thy boast of God as the man that knowest his will and tryest out the things that are most excellent being instructed no higher then so thy self and taking on thee to instruct all out of that life-less Letter which is all thy Law and yet much more then thou livest by and art confident that thou thy self art a guide of the blind a light of them which are in darknesse an instructer of the foolish poor deluded Quakers a Teacher of Babes which hast a form of formal Knowledge and of external Truth as it is in that meer Letter of the Law but thou being enmity to the light the Quakers live in art rather a rash Reprover of the things that are most excellent a blind Guide a dark Lanthorne an ignis fatuus a fleshly foolish Instructer an untaught Teacher that must yet come to be taught out of the mouths of Babes and Sucklings out of which the Lord is now ordaining strength that shall stop the Lyars mouth and still the stout Enemy and Avenger and from the stammering lips that thou standest amazed and astonished at as uttering non-sence in thy non-sensical Nodel shalt thou stoop to learn the Soul-saving Truth or else be left to perish in thy envious enmity against it in thy damnable darknesse in thy wilful blindnesse obstinate unbelief and unparallel'd ignorance of it for ever as the Pharisaical Iew was whose case this was before thee Rom. 2.17 to the end And though thou teachest others yet till thou teach thy self alias learn at thy own measure of Christs Light that teaches thee in thy own Conscience to know thy self more and live more like Christ's Teachers then thou dost thou shalt bring as few to God as thou hast done who hast left all that have learnt of thee yet where thou thy self yet art viz. in sin and not believing thou canst ever be out on 't as they and we tell thee truly thou mayst while thou livest or till the World to come where the Popes purgatory is which as truly thy self deniest and shalt bring men as near to God who is Light as those who are left out of his Kingdom which is Light in the Darknesse which is the Devils kingdom Thou teachest other 's should not commit Adultery but thou art the Adulteresse and Imperious Whorish Woman with whom all the Kings and People in the Anti-Christian World have committed Folly and Fornication and bewitched with thy Sorceries have run a Whoring after from the Lord. Thou teachest another should not Steal and professest to abhorre Idols but thou art that Sacred Thief that committest that sacrum furtum that fine sort of Sacriledge and stealest the words which thou sellest for Money when thou hast done after 10 20 30 or 40 shillings a Sermon out of the true Prophets Writings and Fathers and old Authors and so what thou learnedst in thy Accidence when a School-Boy in the Countrey thou makest use and witnessest the Truth of now thou art become of an University Scholler a Clerical Country-man again viz. in legendis veteribus Authoribus proficies in Reading of old Authors for so many Doctors do out of their Notes in the Pulpit thou shalt Profit for profit thou dost thy self in outward Goods but not the People in inward Goodnesse who are generally in all Parishes left as ignorant and prophane as the Priest finds them when he is called from them either by death or some Deanery or higher Divine degree of spiritual dignity Thou makest thy boast of the Letter but throw breaking the Letter thou dishonourest God and his Ministry while thou dost more docere facienda then facere docenda and as Accute and Accurate a Curate as thou art of Souls
God by the writers of the Scripture to the Pedagogie of the Old Testament and times before Christ such as greatly affected the outward man with trembling and astonishment for which thou citest both Habakkuk and Daniel as it the times since Christ knew no such matter as true Trembling or any such Quaking as may affect the outward man but what is fained and from Satan and the force and power of the evil Spirit imitating in his filthy Tripodes and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that Dread and Terrour which is by the Power of God upon his people of which said fictitious sort thou falsely and foolishly fainest all that outward Trembling that is found among the Qua. to be at this day pag. 8. Ex. 1. S. 1. I say hadst thou been as well read and skilled in Scripture as by thy scribling pro Scripturis thou wouldest fain seem to be surely thou wouldest have found that Paul and John both were found in as great Tremblings and Astonishments Dread and Terrour to the great affecting of the outward man under the Appearances of the Lord to them in Visions and Revelations of his minde and will to them which they wrote as either Daniel Habakkuk or the rest of the Prophets before Christ that wrote them insomuch that they scarce knew sometimes where they were whether in or out of the body but were as dead with fear Act. 9 6.26.14 1 Cor. 2.3 2 Cor. 12.2 3. Rev. 1.17 But alas J.O. is so taken up and hurried in his thoughts in a hideous talking for the Scriptures that he hath little time to give any very great good heed to the Scriptures themselves he so talks for J.O. Thou addest pag. 6 7. That as far as their own personal concernments as Saints and beleevers did lye in the things they wrote they studied the writings and Prophesies of one another Dan. 9.2 and made a diligent enquiry thereby in order to the investigation of the things which the Spirit that spake in themselves did signifie 1 Pet. 1.10.10 without which though their Visions were express yet they understood them not and that they attained a saving useful habitual knowledge of the truths delivered by themselves and others by the illumination of the Holy Ghost through the study of the Word i.e. Scripture with thee still even as ye do Psal. 119 104. but as to the receiving of the Word from God as God Spoke in them they obtained nothing by study or meditation by enquiry or reading Am. 7.15 Rep. Here is such a parcel of uncouth prate about the Prophets and their Prophesie of Scriptures and the Scriptures of their Prophesies as favours of nothing but that illiterateness and ignorance of the true wayes of coming to the saving knowledge and understanding of the minde and will of God that abounds in Vniversities the supposed Nurseries as well of spiritual learning as any other well nigh as much as in any places of the so called Christian world besides What dreaming what darkness and confusion is here As if the Writers of the Scriptures because they were moved by the holy Spirit to write what they did therefore wrote they did not know what themselves nor in any wise sawingly understood every one his own piece of writing or Scripture pag. 5. whether of Histories or Prophesies or Proverbs or Psalms or Instructions or Doctrines or Laws or Promises or what ever tru he recorded delivered made known given out revealed by themselves revealed to them first from God as to their own concernment therein as Saints or beleevers by the Revelation thereof to them from God which as I said above is the only way of coming to the saving knowledge of any truth and not that of reading it as truth in anothers writings without running out to study and read the writings of some other men in order to their attaining any habitual saving useful intelligence of their own as if Isaiah that Evangelical Prophet did not savingly understand the Gospel Doctrines and Promises and Instructions and his own Recorded History of Senacherib and Hezekiah and other saving truths delivered and written by himself as they were revealed to him by the Lord nor by the voice Spirit and light of God himself manifesting them within him nor as he received the word so revealed and manifested in order to which receiving the word thou assertest also they obtained nothing by study or meditation enquiry or reading but onely as he made diligent enquiry study and search after the things the Spirit signified by him in the writings and Scriptures of some other Prophets I wonder what other parts of Scripture of the other Prophets he studied so to get that saving knowledge by since unless it were the Psalmes the last book of which is judged to have been compiled together by the Maccabees long after his dayes excepting also the three i.e. Hos a Amos and Micah that were co aetaneous with him all other Prophets that are ranked after him in your Bibles though not in the same order of time wherein they wrote wrote long after him and as if Ezekiel Jeremiah Daniel or the rest knew not savingly what they wrote themselves no more then we do as to themselves or any personal interest they had in the truths of their own writings but as they got an useful saving knowledges thereof out of each others writings in proof of which if a man would wrest them as thou doest to thine by the head and shoulders to such a purpose he might almost as easily evince the Pope to be head of Christs Church as draw any such matter as this thou concludest from Scripture That of 1 Pet. 1.10 11. Ministers no more matter of evidence to thy imagination in this particular that the Prophets searched other Prophets writings to finde out each the meaning of his own then Peters being at Rome if ever he were there doth to his being the Popes Predecessor there in the holy Chair 'T is true the Prophets are there said to enquire and search diligently after the salvation and the grace that comes unto the Saints at the revelation of Christ but is there no searching and enquiring after the salvation and the fulness of the grace of God but iâ— the letter is not the most succesful searching after these matters made in the light it self that teaches and shews it and brings the salvation nigh to all that wait for it therein which light or grace hath appeared to all men Tit. 2.11 12. and is tâ—eâ—e any way whereby God gives the knowledge of his own glory but the light from himself which the letter speaks of wherewith God who commands the light to shine out of darkness shines into the hearts of the Saints in order thereunto 2 Cor. 4.5 6. And are not all things that are manifested manifested in the light and is there any thing that doth make manifest but the said light and Spirit which the letter speaks of and which was before the letter was Eph. 5.13
Paul said no other things then what Moses and the Prophets said should come John Baptist came for a witness to bear witness of the light that all through him might beleeve God sayes If the Israelites observe not all the words of the Law written in that Book of Deuteronomy he would make their Plagues wonderful Christ expounds to his Disciples all the Scriptures in Moses and the Prophets concerning himself bids Search the Scriptures as testifying of him Paul sayes Whatsoever was written afore time was for our learning that we through patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope He says To write the same things to the Church is safe John sayes he writes his Epistles to the Saints that their joy might be full Therefore the outward Letter of the Scripture is the onely Rule of all faith and Divine worship and not the Light and Spirit of Christ ye only call to nor any internal Revelation whatsoever ficta vel facta In which of all these Scriptures the Title and Authority of the only most perfect standing Rule of Faith Life and Worship is either expresly or by any true mediate much more any immediate consequence ascribed to the Scriptures who can finde but he 's that not blinde There is but one of all the places viz. Gal. 6.16 where that term Rule is at all expressed by which as I have said and shewed above is not at all intended the Scriptures but Christ the Light and his Spirit and some of them mention expresly neither the term Scripture nor Rule 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and such as have in them terms equivalent to that of the Rule neither express nor imply at all the Letter of the Scripture as that of Psal. 19.7 8. and that of Isa. 8.19 20. and that of Rom. 10 17. and that of Eph. 2.19 20. where by the Law and Commandment and Testimony and Statutes of the Lord rejoicing the heart converting the soul enlightening the eyes making wise the simple is expressed the Lamp and the Light Prov. 6.23 and by the Word in the hearing of which Faith comes the Word hid in the heart nigh in the heart and mouth to hear and do Psal. 119.105 Deut. 30.12.14 Rom. 10.8 The Law in the heart Isa. 5 1.7 Psal. 37.31 The Law in the mind which the Law of sin and death in the members wars against Rom. 7.23 The Law of the spirit of life which is in Christ the life and light whose life is the light of men that made Paul free from the other Rom. 8.2 Which light shines in the darknesse that is in our very Doctors hearts but the darkness comprehends it not The Statutes of God and Judgements to be put into the minds of men according to the tenour of the New Covenant typified by the Old where the Statutes were with Pen and Ink written and engraven on Tables of stone and by the Foundation of the Prophets and Apostles Eph. 2. Christ the Light as is above declared and not the Writing and Letter and Text in which the internal truth is but ad extra declared and by that sure Word of Prophesie ' 2 Pet. 1. not the Scripture but somewhat within as I shall shew more abundantly by and by and by Moses and the Prophets Luke 16. Writings within as I shall shew anon All which were and were the onely perfect pure right inalterable standing Rule long before any external Text or Letter was and have not ceased so to be by the coming in of the outward writing with which they are since clothed upon nor yet have surrendered their ancient Authority of being the onely Rule by which all speakings and writings and doctrines are to be tryed nor resigned up that their Right to the Writing that testifies to their suprrmacy veracity and dignity above it self to this very day Nor have they submitted themselves that were once the chief Judge and Rule for the tryal of Truth to be now tryed ruled over judged sentenced and ultimately determined authoritatively to be received or rejected as true or false of God or the Devil Divine or diabolical Delusion Enthusiasme Figment Fanaticism and what nick-name men lift to stile them by in their learned lusts by the fallible Transcriptions Translations and Expositions of miserably mistaking men in which ways only and meerly some of that Scripture that was of old written by holy men as the spirit moved them is transmitted downward to these modern ages And as for those Texts that do make express mention of the Scriptures and outward Writings of the Apostles and of Moses and the Prophets and the Old Testament as Iohn 20. ult Luke 1.3 4. 16.29 Acts 1.1 2 Cor. 3.24 2 Tim. 3.14 15 16. do there is not the least considerable much less any cogent necessary or immediate consequence in any of them to conclude the outward Letter of the Scriptures to be the onely most perfect standing Rule Touchstone for all Truth to be tryed by so exclusively as I.O. states them Spiritus verbi Luminis cujuscunque tandem generis interni Revelatienis c. Of all inward Spirit Light Word or Revelation of what sort soever For what 's the vail's being over the Iews hearts in the reading of the Old Testament which Vail is done away in turning to Christ the Light to evince any such matter Doth it not rather evidence the very contrary For if the Old Testament which is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Letter written with Ink or Pen or engraven on stones is as a Vail over the hearts of such as read it as the Iews do of whom I.O. sayes pag. 236. They read it without the administration of the Spirit so that its a dead Letter of no efficacy for the good of souls Which Vail is to be and is done away no otherwise then in Christ the Light and by turning to the Lord that Spirit as Paul sayes it is then doth it not rather appear that the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Letter written and engraven outwardly is not the onely most proper standing Rule but Christ's Light the Spirit and the measure and manifestation thereof within given to every man to profit withal And what though Paul to Timothy doth commend the inspired Scripture if yet we shall take that for the outward Writing as profitable to make the man of God who onely knows how to use it wisely more and more wise and to furnish him perfectly to exhort c. and every good work against the gainsayers as I have shewed above that I deny not the outward Scripture so to be to such a one And what though Christ saies in order to escaping the place of torment Let men hear Moses and the Prophets if yet we shall take Moses and the Prophets for their outward Writings And what though John sayes Christ did more then he wrote of him as well he might For Matthew Mark and Luke wrote many things that he did not and others wrote other matters that were written by none of
that shall say the Horn-book is per saltum perfect to this end that without need of reading or learning any other books a person may by it alone become capable immediately of Commenâ—ing Dr. in Divinity shall by my consent be counted as ridiculous silly and senseless as such as side with J. O s. sayings are who say of the Scripture or Letter alone exclusively of the Spirit and Light within it calls to walk in that by it men may have the Life it gives the Life it is the only most perfect standing Rule of faith and life yea is so perfect and absoluâ—â— in all respects that there is no need of any other Revelation by the Spirit or Light within to instruct us in the knowledge of God and our duty to this end that we may obtaine eternal life yea all these means of knewing God and his will are uncertain dangerous unprofitable in no wise necessary and therefore to be rejected and detested as Fanatick figment For the foresaid honâ—urer of the Horn-book in his Hyperbolical adoration of it would be as contrary to common sense and reason as I.O. and T.D. in their absolute admirations of the Scripture and abominations of the Spirit and Light within for its sake are both to sense and reason and the common Testimony of the Scripture it self also which testifies every where concerning the Old Testament or Letter which I confess to be profitable perfect and absolutely able to the ends and uses of Gods appointment as a Typical testimony of those things which were to be spoken after that is weake imperfect and unprofitable as to that end for which I O. asserts it per salium to be so absolutely able powerful and perfect to that is to say to salvation and eternal life for it faith that it is the Light and Spirit that give the life and the liberty from the lust and sin to which the mother that is under the Old Testament or Letter of the Law is yet in bondage with her children and that the Old Testament or Letter lyes only in eatings and drinkings and diverse Baptisms and carnal Ordinance imposed only till the time of Reformation Heb. 9 10 in weakè and beggerly rudiments or elements of the world unto which who having once begun in the Spirit are tuâ—ned aside to are foolish and bewitched and disobedient to the Truth and do but think in vain to be made perfect by the flesh and desire again to be in bondage and know not yet Christ formed in them but know him only outwardly and after the flesh Gal. 1.3.4.9 19. 2 Cor. 5.16 18. are Iews outwardly only not truly nor inwardly nor circumcised with the Circumcision made without hands which is that of the heart in the Spirit not of letter whose praise is not of men but of God but Concis'd and conformâ—d according to the outward bodily exercises found in the letter loving the praise of men more than the praise of God and according to the law of a carnal Commandement not the inward worship of God in Spirit nor after the power of that endless life the light leads to That the law of the Letter which had but the shadow of good things and not the very image of the things themselves could never make the corners thereunto perfâ—ct as pertaining to the conscience Heb 9.9.10.11 That the Old Testament was faulty and failing and defective whereupon Gâ—d made a new one that could bring to life as it could not for if there had been a Law which could have given life verily righteousness should have come by it Gal. 3.21 for if it had been faultless or perfect or could have made perfect or given life there had been no occasion for the second Heb. 8.7 8. That there is a disanulling of the Commandement going before which was attendance to an outward letter because of the weakness and unprofitablness thereof because it could make nothing perfect but only was the ushering in of a better Hope even of the Light and Spirit by which we may draw nigh to God who is Light Heb. 7.16 18 19. and with whom no Letter lauder that lives beside the light the mystery of the Letter also can have any fellowship at al. And lastly as to thy saying that every Testament if it be but mans is perfect so that when once confirmed none may disanul or addâ— to it I answer no perfect Testament is to be dianulled when confirmed and in full force as it is only by the death of the Testator but that shews thy assertion to be false who sayeâ— that every Testament is perfect inasmuch as the Old Testament or Letter was disanulled which secundum te could not have been if it had been perfect and so omnibus numeris absolute as thou sayest in regard of the weakness unprofitableness of it to bring to life and for the the faultiness and imperfection of the first God himself whose Testament it was dedicated with the blood of Bulls Goats Lambs and Calves for the time then being only 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as intended for a while only 't was called a Ceremony takes it away that he might establish the second Heb. 7.18 19.8 7 8 9. that is perfect to the giving of the life which is ignorantly asserted by thee of the Letter for the Letter that was perfect to its own end as a shadow was altogether imperfect thereunto And that nothing is to be added to any Testament once come in full force and vertue by the death of the Testator as all Testaments do then and never till then for Heb. 9.16 17. where a Testament is there must of necessity also be the death of the Testator for a Testament is of force after men be dead otherwise it is of no strength at all whilst the Testator liveth This I freely grant as a truth but utterly overturns all thou contendest for which that is the Books of the Apostles and Evangelists which were all written after Christ the Testators death ' are the New Testament which how they can possibly be if thy own Position be true as it is that to a Testament if but mans when confirmed as it only and alwayes is by the Testators death much more God's New Testament after once confirmed by the Death of Christ the Testator as it was before one letter of that Scripture thou callest the New Testament as written nothing must be added thereto let all who are not void of judgement judge For if the writings of the Apostles and Evangelâ—sts which were all added and penned after Christs death the Testator of it by whose death it came into full force and strength be the New Testament an outward literal Declaration of which New Testament I know it is as the Writings of Moses and the Prophets also are both which are but the Letter 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Old Testament that in an external way declares the New with this difference only that the writing before Christ declared
the law is light Isa. 9.2 The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light they that dwell in the land and shadow of death upon them hath the light shined Hos. 6.5 I have slain them with the words of my mouth thy judgements are the light that goeth forth Matth. 4.16 The people that sat in darkness saw great light to them which sat in the Region and shadow of death light is sprung up Matth. 5.14 Ye are the light of the world Job 3.20 21. For every one that doth evil hateth the light neither cometh to the light lest his deeds be reproved but he that doth truth cometh to the light that his deeds may be made manifest that they are wrought in God 2. Pet. 2.19 a light shining in a dark place Reply Sure enough the man Catalogized all these together out of his Concordance the Series wherin he hath set them learns us no less for else he would at least have joyned Isa. 9. and Matth. 4 together one of which is but a citation of the other and it may evidently seem from his more Concordantial than Cordial consultations both here and elsewhere that howbeit he set not all of them down hoc opus esset yet well-nigh by all places in his Concordance where he findes these Terms Word and Light he incontinently concludes the Scripture and Letter to be meant and so on that account as cloudily cotes as many of them as he judges as to number may make a Iury and so Hob-Nob as they say without mattering much what they are so they Concord all in one in the bare naming of the words Word or Light and mostly citing the Chapter and verse but seldome the Truths that are told there as if he thought that most men would blindly and implicitly subscribe to his sentence from such a packet of Texts trussed together and never be at so much pains as to search them all he Impannels them presently about his business hoping they will all agree to give Verdict for him when as how sweet an harmony soever they have among themselves that way where their Verdict passes yet they Concord all in one to contradict him saving I.Os. strong confidence in them such a joynt concurrence to the contrary have every one of these twelve Texts of his own taking for though he subscribe them all to that his sophistical Assertion p. 74.75 viz. The Scripture the Word of God is light in proof that the Letter is the light against such as deny it for none deny the Word of God to be the light that I know of but I O. himself who jeers of the verbum insernum lumen internum as figmentum horrendum Ex. 1. s. 5. Resomnino ficta commentum erasse excogitatum Ex 2. s. 25. merae senebrae caecitas c. Ex. 4 s. 17. so that where ever the Reader findes him prosecuting the proof of it under that terme of the Word saying the Word is the Light Rule Foundation and such like he must be taken as intending the Scripture Letter Text witness both Title pages Proscripturis A vindication of the Scriptures against the Fanaticks to be the Word of God and of the purity and integrity of the Hebrew and Greek Texts though I say they are all subscribed in vindication of the Letter to be the Light yet there is not on them all that subscribes to I.Os. sentence or judgement on them but they all give their verdict another way even for that which is Light and the light indeed as we deny it not viz. the Word Law Commandement Iudgements of God and Christs mouth but not at all for the external Text or Letter of the Scripture which issue forth ad extra from the said Word Law Commandement Iudgements that are ad intra a great deep and known savingly to those only that wait on God in the light within But to come to some examination of his Texts and of what testimony they give for him beginning however with the first and ranking the rest as I shall see occasion The Scripture is light quoth he those that reject it are called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Lights Rebels men râ—sisting the Authority that they cannot but bee convinced of Reply That such as reject the Scripture are to be rejected and detâ—sted I freely grant if by rejecting thou meanest such a rejection as is in detestation of them in which wise thou rejectest the spirit and light within and all the Revelation made thereby when of those means of coming to the knowledge of God and to salvation thou sayest Ex. 3 f. 28 29. Inania sunt ista principia cognitionis Dei inutilia periculosa à Faniticir simulata ideoque rejicienda ae decestanda those are vain utterly unprofitable perillous wayes toward the knowlege of God and salvation Fanatick figments and therefore to be rejected and abhorred and in which wise thou falsely accusest the Qua. among others as rejecters of the Scriptures when thou mis-callest them Ex. 3. s. 26. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 haters of the Scriptures as if they bore some spleen or such spite to the Letter as ye do to the Light and Spirit or more than to other writings which yet we for holy truth and doctrines sake declared in them love and prize above any books and honour one Chapter of them as more worth than twenty of your printed Preachments upon them I say he that so rejects the Letter or Scripture as is above said let him be rejected and even Anathema Maranatha for me for otherwise there is a kinde of rejecting which the light is not liable to of the meer Letter or Scripture that is not at all to be found fault with much less to be rejected and detested as that of those who make waste paper of old printed sheets or leaves of the Bibles and use them as they do other Scriptures or Writings as they please about refusely occasions But the Qua. are not to be Ranked among such Ranke rejecters of it as the first 2. That such as spitefully reject the Scriptures are though they are not so called in that of Iob Rebellious against the Light also may well bee owned howbeit upon this account only as the Letter truly Transcribed that came from the Light and the Light it came from are though two things yet so agreeing together in one as to the same testimony they both bear to the same truth that he cannot really and truly whatever hee may seem to do receive own and obey the one who is found fighting denying rejecting and rebelling against the other whereupon as obedient and reverential respectful even to superstition as I.O. would be judged to bee to the Letter which he and others receive as the Jews do with the honour and veneration due to God yet saving all these shews they are still Rebels against the very Letter whilst so rebellious against the Light as to reject it with that detestation that is due to nothing but sin
Truth Law Doctrine or Commandement which is a Light and Lamp is within as Rom. 10.8 witnesses it for me so my two Antagonists I.O. and T.D. do both from the Testimony of that very Text testifie the same with it and me against themselves the one viz. T D. sying p. 30 31. of his 1. Pamph. 't is evident that the word spoken of in the heart Rom. 10.8 is meant of the matters contained in the Scriptures for the Apostle sayes expresly that is the Word of faith which wee preach whereby it seems by your selves the Letter is neither the Word there said to be nigh in the heart and mouth nor yet the Word of faith the Apostles preached but some other thing that was actually properly truly and formally within the heart even the holy Word Law Light Truth Spirit of Truth and Doctrine which wee together with the Scripture do testifie unto and you contrary both to us and the Scripture are continually testifying against and the other viz. I.O. saying Ex. 1. s 40. The Word in us is that Word of faith the Apostles preached but they preached nothing but what was written by Moses and the Prophets Rom. 16.26 yea that that Word was a Word written the Apostle professedly testifies in that place vers 10. 2. The Scripture is nigh us in our hearts and mouth not in respect of the Letter written or the Scripture formally considered as written but of the divine Truth or as it contains and holds forth the divine truth it self Reply V. 11. Thou meanest sure for there the Word Scriptures is named but what of that and who doubts or denies but that the Word in the heart was written as well as preached and testified to by writing as well as by word of mouth but wilt thou ever be so blinde I.O. as to make no difference but when it serves thy turn to do it as thou thinkest against the truth for then thou makest a difference See p. 12. 13. between the Word written Doctrine declared and Declaration Book and Truth Scripturam rem scriptam preaching and thing preached publication and will of God published proclamation of good things and the tidings or good things proclaimed and told of Suppose a man should stand at a Market-cross or in Cheapside and preach publish or proclaim by Word of mouth or set up a Bill or Writing that there is special good Wheat Bread Flesh or the like laid up under the custody of the Lieutenant of the Tower enough for all the poor starvelings of the rich City of London where the more shame and wo to the rich Gluttons in it they ly perishing about the streets by him freely to be dispenced who is sealed or authorised to that end to give to all comers according to their wants or in a time of distress or danger that there is safety in the Tower for all that are willing to run in thither within so many dayes or else the gates shall be shut for thus the Publishers of the glad Tidings of the Gospel of peace and salvation by Christ the Light alone and his Spirit and Light which reproves sin is the heart do declare both by Voyce and Letter or Writing in their times as he himself Isa. 45.22 Look to me and be ye saved all the ends of the earth viz. That in him who is the Light is the life of men to be had and not in the Letter which rather killeth Hee is the strong Tower where safety alone is Him hath God sealed to be the giver of the bread of life and the meat that endureth to eternal life to all that come to him in that time wherein he shines in his Light Now if people should run only to the Cryer and hang alwayes on the hearing of his voice or stand reading the good news in the writing he hath set up doting on and delighting only to read that day by day because its comfortable as it tells of good things and never at all according to the counsel thereof betake themselves to the Tower where they only are might they not stand there poring till they perish pine and starve and would they not lose time and perhaps totally withstand it and would yee judge them to bee well in their wits if they should run up and flock all together to the Proclamation or bare Writing supposing to injoy the things themselves though they never look after the said Lieutenant spinning out the time limited in looking upon the writing and so far dote as our Dr doth that the coming to the Scriptures is the only proper way of coming to Christ himself which he counsels us to Rev. 3. as to think that their comming to that Paper every day is their next way to the Tower their very only proper going to the Lieutenant that is required Mutatiâ— mutandis de te fabula the case is your own O ye untaught better fed then taught Teachers it is yours O ye more letter-lauding then letter-learning Preachers and Priest-admiring people Christ is come from God that men might have life and have it abundantly calls all to look and come to him for it yee like the old Scribes search the Scriptures and therein look for the eternal life because they are they that testifie of it and of him who is the life but yee will not come to him that yee may have the life Ioh. 5.35 c. 2. What need I say more but with T.D. and I.O. to heed and beleeve themselves because they are so dull of hearing that they will neither heed nor beleeve the Qua. for they give the cause in Question between the Qua and them about the Scripture or the Letters being the World of faith or light shining in the dark place of mens hearts which Peter sayes men are to take heed to which said dark place that is the heart and consâ—ience where by their own confession so gross a thing as a formal outward Letter cannot come but only some more subtil thing then that is even a spiritual light as that is not is as evident in the Text as the Word and Light it speaks of is to him that is not blinde for the dark place wherein the Word and Light here is said to thine is the same wherein as the Light is taken heed to the day dawns and the day star i.e. Christ him self arises first as that bright and morning star Rev. 2.28 whereby the day spring from on high visits such as sate in darkness Luke 1.78 79. and at last as the Sun of righteousness it self Mal. 4.2 but that is said expresly to be the heâ—rt so far as from Ioh. 1.5 we argue Where the spiritual darkness is which comprehends not the Light within which darkness the light shines There the true light shineth but that is within in the conscience of all men therefore there the true light in some measure is shining As if the dark place within which the Sun shines be a room within
business avouching that glorious Title of the Word of God and the Light to be the Nomen proprium Scripturae the proper name of the Scripture and that I wrong him not herein see his own stating the Question between himself and the Qua. Ex. 2. s. 1 2 3. de Scripturae nomine proprio nimirum Titulo illo glorioso Verbo Dei and p. 73. the Scripture is a light yet neiâ—her is nor can be called so unless it hath the nature and property of light p. 77. the Scripture a moral and spiritual not a natural Light p. 73 74. Light spiritual hath the preheminence as to a participation of the nature and properties of Light firstly and properly Light from whence the other i. e natural respecting bodily sight is by allusion so denominated in these places either expresly or eventually I.O. calls the Light and Word of God the proper names of Scripture or Letter and so consequently enâ—tails all the other glorious Titles to it as its Right due and proper names which they rob it of and deny it to be what it naturally and properly and really is who own it not properly both to be and be called the Word of God but it neither is actually testified so to be any whereby God nor by its self as I.O. p. 87. most lyingly falsely affirms it in so much that he who owns it not as so doth what in him lyes to make God a lyar And also p. 140. where he sayes If the Scripture be what it reveals it self to be it is then unquestionably the Word of the living God as p. 85. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the living Word of God Truth it self for that it professeth of it self quoth he frâ—m the beginning to the ending neither can it possibly be so stiled properly or unless it be by a figure as it no where is neither by it self that I know ofâ— by which the Image is called by the name of the Person which it properly is but a dead Picture and lifeless representation of the Lanthorn by the name of the Light that displayes it self more brightly when beheld without it which Lanthorn yet neither is the Light nor properly said so to be I am not ignorant of that Common Metonymy Continentis pro re contenta or figure whereby the thing contained is sometimes but never properly where it is exprest by the name of that which câ—ntains it and as well in that Scripture we talk of as in other Writings Matth. 26.43 and 1 Cor. 11.26 If this Cup may not pass away except I drink it As oft as ye dâ—ink of this Cup meaning properly not the Cups but the wine therâ—in viz. the one the bitter red wine of the wrath of the Almighty God the mixture whereof is powred out into the Cup of his indignation and of the fierceness of his Fathers fury which Christ drank deep of in the dayes of his flesh and humiliation to the drawing of supplications from him with strong crying and tears the other the wine of his blood shed for the remission of sins which such as walk in the light come at last to be cleansed by from no less then all sin neither of which Cups or sorts of wine thou hast yet drunk of or truly knowest what they are by all the skill thou yet hast in the Scriptures thou so scriblest for but shalt assuredly have thy part in the first before thou savingly know the second yea whether ever thou attain to witness the saving efficacy of the second yea or nay But what 's all this to the helping of I.O. in his crazy cause whose fighting is not all for figures or meer figurativâ— denominations but for the formal and true proper names of the Scripture which is the name of the Scripture and not the Word of God say we but is saith he that of the Word of God had he fought for no more then figures against the Qua. that stand for the Truth and said so too though in so fighting he had been foolish yet we could have born with him in that frivolous peece of â—olly and have lent him such a latitude as both by the Letter and Light may bee allowed to speak Metonimically and Metaphorically of Methaphorical matters and left him to his liberty without a check and let him alone in his figures to figure out things by other names then their own and to call them that which yet properly they are not to stile the Heusâ— they sit in by the name of the Parliament which it is not to stile the Picture by the name of the Person it is the image of the Voice by the name of the Word it is but the image of and the Scripture by that of the Word it is but the remote expression of and of the voice it is the more immediate image or expression of for vox est imago verbi Scriptura vocis immediata verbi quaedam mediata imago seu expressio and to signifie the Wine and the Light respectively by the names of this Cup this Glass this Lanthorn and the Word and Law by the name of a Scripture specially if by Scripture he mean that inward Writing of it by the Spirit of the living God in the fleshly tables of the heart where the Law of God is written though that writing and the Word written are not all one neither and we could bate him the impropriety of that figurative expression also though it be far further fetcht then the other whereby he should decypher that outward Letter by the name of the Law which it is but a bart Copy of and the written Word by the name of the Writing which yet in truth doth no more then declare of the Word Retro though I know not where in all the Scripture the Srripture is so much as by A figure denominated by that name the Word of God if the Word be any where so called by the name of Scripture as I.O. sayes at least fortyfold falsely that above fifty times in the New Testament the word Graphs or Scripture is put absolutely for the Word of God but if it were a hundred and fifty times so called it would not prove the high point in that height he takes on him to prove it in viz. that the Scripture is properly the Word of God and the Word of God its proper name any more then the Wine is called by the name of this Cup this Glass or the Light by the name of the Lanthorn Retro the Lanthorn by name of this Light which is all figurative not proper But this is not I.Os. case who runs up to the very highest peg and sings of the Scriptures a note above the Ela and quarrels with the Qua. as deniers of the Scripture unless they swerve aside with him in his silly suppâ—sitions and as well unsâ—holler-like as unsaint-like sensless sayings that the outwarâ— Scripture the Writing the Letter and every Letter and Tittle and Iota though but transcribed
Peter Paul and the holy men of old wherein is written and transcribed their Witness or Testimony for Iesus which they were moved by his holy Spirit to give out and hold forth whether by word of mouth or writing but the Epistle of Christ written not with inke but with the Spirit of the living God not in tables of stone but in fleshly tables of the heart yea the testimony of Jesus is no less than the Spirit of Prophesie it self Rev. 19.10 and not the writing thou so writest for in which men do but write it and write of it as is shewed above This verbum lumen internum the Word and Light within is that which those that reject it are in that place of Iob 24.13 hinted at by thee called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Lights Rebels men resisting the Authority which they cannot but be convinced of and not the present letter or letters of the Scripture as thou dotest p. 74. before the writing of one letter or tittle of which outward letter this inward light was though he that lives not by the light lives not by the letter neither which came from it and excepting where men have sould it with the dirt of their mis-transcriptions and mis-translations agrees with it I wonder how much of that Scripture thou so super-eminently adorest and wouldest have the preheminence in prating for it was written when that in Iob was wâ—iâ—ing against which men could be said to Rebel tell me if thou canst and in so doing thou perhaps mâ—yest tell thy self that that was a light within and not a letter without which they then were said to rebel against which letter without as much as thou seemest to wonder at the Qua. for holding the light within in authority equal to it they are not ashamed to set the light above and to say that it is non ejusdem Authoritatis cum Scriptura sea majoris Authoritatis quam Scriptura not in as much but in more Authority then the Scripture neither will all thy Scripture-admiring scrape adde so many cubits to the statute of it as among any but such stocks as stick at nothing but without streining swallow all down for truth that thou tellst them is so to state it in any equality with the light it came from And that the Word we are sent to in Isa. 8. is the living Word and not the dead letter nor mens dead senses thereon interpreting it according to their own private familiar spirits muttering out their own meanings and imposing on people their own cloudy cogitations thereon as Cogent Canons is evident for he calls them off from the dead to the living when they say unto you Seek to them that have familiar spirits and Wizards that peep and mutter should not A people seek to their God for the living to the dead to the Law to the Testimony if they speak not according to this word it is because the morning light is not to him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so it s more truly rendred then thus there 's no lightin them which mis-translation many not knowing the Hebrew and many knowing it not heeding make no little ado against the lights being in all men and to as little purpose for it s no light to him and not no light in him and we know a light may be in a room under a bushel and so not shine out unto it And that by Moses and the Prophets to which Christ directs as the most effectual means of bringing men to repentance and that all faith and repentance is immediately to be grounded on is not meant their meer outward writing it evident for all men that need repentance have not that yea if the Scripture it seâ—f and that alone be that men are sent to by which the Doctrines to beleeved must be tried whether they be truths of God or fables and upon which all faith and repentance must be grounded what must become of those twenties to one in the world to whom God never vouchsafed so much as a sight of those their Writings if thy Divination from hence I.O. be as true as 't is sure enough to some its but a dream one of these things must be true as concerning such viz. either I. They need no faith nor repentance as they do or 2. They must be accepted with God and saved without either faith or repentance as they cannot or 3. Both beleeve and repent without any ground at all for the doing of either and so build a castle in the aire without any foundation or bottome which how impossible it is or how well it would stand if it were possible so to build it an Idiot may imagine or 4 perish and be damned for ever by and from the living God for not doing that which they had never any ground at all given them from God whereupon to do it and so absit blasphemia be cursed for ever for not acting what they were never put into any capacity to act and absit tibi Domine ne tale quippiam facias exercendo Pharonis tyrannidem absit tibi an non Iudex totiusterrae exerceresjus be sorely beaten for not making as great a tale of brick without any straw at all as would have been expected from them if they had had straw enough and be punisht for not effecting impossibilities But thy faith about that Scripture being but the festisious fruit of thy own fancy and thy Divination from it but the divinity of a divine that dreameth we need not in the dark iun upon any of these ragged Rocks having a more sure way then any of these in the light made so plain before us that unless we chuse so to do as some do we cannot split our selves upon them for as all men having sinned need faith and repentance so they have a more effectual means of bringing them to repentance and a more immediate ground to build their faith and repentance on then the naked outward Writings of Moses and the Prophets which thou here makest the ground of all faith and repentance not mentioning the Apostles as if thou hadst forgot them whose writings thou makest a joynt peece of the foundation in other places p. 33 34. or then the meer outward writings of the Apostles either together with them and that ground is no other but the self-same which the writings of all these bear one joint Testimony unto viz. the measure of Gods grace in every ones heart that teacheth to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts such as will learn of it and io live soberly justly and godly in this present world appearing to all men to that end bringing salvation along with it to such as submit to be taught by it 2 Tit. 1.17.14 called the riches of Gods goodness Rom. 2. which such as thou art despise to their own ruine not knowing it s given to lead to repentance the Law Light Doctrine Truth Spirit Word Writing and Testimony of God himself in the heart and conscience
same rule thereof Phil. 3. Galat. 6 Walk they not in the same spirit walk they not in the same steps which that Spirit of God in them treads out for them Have they not that Spirit of Christ And if any man have it not for his Guide Leader Governour in all he doth as well as his Comforter is he Christs He that hath it not dwelling in him infallibly directing divinely inspiring him is he Christs Do not all that are in Christ Iesus to whom there is no condemnation all save such as go condemned in themselves to whom there is nothing but condemnation from God walk not after the flesh but after the spirit Do they not live in the Spirit walk in the Spirit pray in the Spirit sing in the Spirit serve in the Spirit and not in the Letter minister every one as of the ability God giveth from the Spirit not barely from the Letter And so though they may use the very words that are Letter and be well read in the Letter and quote the Letter as Christ did and the Prophets and Apostles did the outward writings one of another and by the Spirit be guided to utter the same words verbatim See Isa. 2. Mic. 4. and be mightier in the Letter then those that are Ministers of no more then the Letter yet are Ministers not of the Letter but the Spirit Are they as well as the Spirit is in them not in the Flesh but in the Spirit Are not all that are not in the night and in the darknesse and the children thereof but the children of the day of the light which is the Lords day in in the Spirit Rev. 1.10 Do they not by the Spirit mortifie the deeds of the body Are they after the flesh Come they not by walking in the Spirit not to fulfill the lusts of the Flesh but to crucifie the flesh with the affections and lusts thereof Doth not the Spirit of God in them I ust against the flesh Doth not the law of the spirit of Life which is by Christ Jesus deliver them that follow it from the law of Sin and Death that they were once captivated by Doth not the Spirit quicken and give them life Doth it not help their infirmities pray in them with sighs and greanes and because they know not how to aske any thing as they ought doth it not make intercession for them according to God Are they not born of the Spirit and after the Spirit Doth not the Spirit of God bear witnesse to their spirit that are his children that they are so Doth it not reveale the great things of God and by that revelation make them know the things that are freely given them of God Is it not the unction from the holy one whereby they know all the things the Anoynting which was the Canon or Rule of the Saints from the beginning before any Letter was which is truth and is no lye which if they quench not grieve not let it not but let it abide and remain in them will teach them infallibly of all things so that they shall not need that any man teach them and which they abiding in the Doctrine or teaching of do not erre as the wicked world thinks they do but continue in the Son and in the Father Are they not led by it from under the Law and out of the Letter up into the life which the Letter speaks of but it self onely giveth out of the works of the flesh which in and by the light are manifest into the fruits that it self brings forth Doth it not bring all things to the remembrance of such as are led by it as all the Sons of God are that ever Christ spake Doth it not guide all such into all truth and onely into truth and not into any falshood delusion or deceit Doth it not take of Christs and shew it unto them Doth God do all this first or last more or less for all his people and doth none of all this amount to so much as the motion of the Spirit or divine inspiration Are there no spirituall men now in the world and is not every spiritual man a Prophet or more then a Prophet for though all in the Church are not Prophets on such a score and in so high a rank as thou reckonest on i.e. such as have witnessed a sending forth abroad on some service to others the service of some lying yet nearer home and in present reference onely to themselves some like the Sons of the Prophets at Iericho and Bethel 2 Kings 2.2 Kings 6. being yet under the Schoolmaster that leads to Christ in their nonage going as it were to schoole not at Athens nor yet at Oxford nor Cambridge where the Schools are not like that of theirs neither is the waiting in order to the Ministry like that of the Sons of the Prophets at Iericho but rather like that of those to whom it was said tarry at Iericho till your beards be growne which injunction many of our Iunior Academicall Students do not keep neither for howbeit Barbá non facit Philosophâ—m nec cucullus Monachum much lesse do either of these make Ministrum Christi yet severall of them if a good Living can be had before do not abide so long as till they be Masters of either beard or hood but are ready to run out with the shells on their heads and to hasten into their humane work of Prophesie before that time But at Bethel i.e. the house of the Lord waiting at the gates of wisdome it self and watching daily at the posts of her house taking councel at the mouth of God out of which onely cometh knowledge and understanding learning of him in silence with all subjection to his will as in the light it is manifest concerning themselves first in the particular purging their own persons first from youthfull and noysom lusts that they may go forth if the Lord please to send them and say go as Vessels of honour sanctified and fitted for the Masters use and prepared to every good work tarrying at Ierusalem till they he indued with power from on high till of carnall Babes in Christ as they are at first walking as other men having a remainder of strife and such divisions as are seen in children they may proceed Men indeed skilfull in the work of righteousnesse having their senses exercised to discern both good and evil and commence Masters not of Arts but over their own hearts and spiritual or Prophets which are intimated to be all one by the Apostle in the same Epistle wherein he saith some are yet but babes and in a measure carnal and all are not yet spiritual nor Prophets 1 Corinth 3.1 2,3 1 Corinth 12.29 1 Cor. 4.37 yet all to covet the gift of Prophecy as the best of Spirituall Gifts yet inferiour in excellency to that way of love Though then I say all be not Prophets yet all spiritual ones are prophets or more then Prophets and
if they leave the plain paths of uprightness to walk in the wayes of darkness and come not to the light that shines in their consciences sciences and the Law of God which is not far off but nigh in their hearts that they may know and do it but hate and abhor it and persecute the Ministers and children of it and make to themselves crooked paths whatsoever walketh therein shall not know peace yea Iudgement shall be far from them and Iustice never overtake them and they shall wait for light but behold obscurity and for brightness but shall walk in darkness and groap for the wall like the blind as if they had no eyes and stumble at noon-day as in the night aâ—d be in desolate places as dead men and roar like Bears and mourn sore like Drues and look for Salvation but none shal come because their transgressions are multiplied before the Lord and their own sins testifie against them and their transgressions are still with them and as for their iniquities by the light within they know them transgressing and lying against the Lord and departing away from God while they pretend to draw nigh unto him speaking still oppression and revolt conceiving and uttering from their heart words of falshood turning Iudgement away backward and causing Iustice to stand afar off causing truth to fail in their streets and shutting out of Equity that it cannot enter making a prey of him that departeth from iniquity and mocking the Lord and making him believe as far as they can with their flattering words and sained turnings unto him that they love his truth his light and his life yet in truth saying in their hearts to God depart from us we desire not the knowledge of thy wayes There are such who blow the Trumpet as of old the Prophets did to the same tune and the like to this that is above whose Trumpet gives as certain a sound as theirs did also and not such an uncertain fallible one as that of the Priests And these Theopneustoi or divinely inspired persons in their writings speakings call for attendance reception and submission not with that Supreme Authority I confess which I. O. as falsly as foolishly both supposes and saves T. 1. C 3. S. 8. Antient divinely inspired Scripture calls for which is quoth he not only in comparison with but also in opposition unto all other wayes of coming to the knowledge of God his Mind and Wâ—ll c. For by his leave or besides it either the Light and infallible Spirit it came forth from may not only well compare with its fallible and falsified self as people now have it transcribed translated twisted and twined which way any unrighteous writers either of it or on it any men-pleasing Praters Tythe-taking Talkers or time-serving Turn-coats are pleas'd to take it and turn it and wrest it to their own present ends and future ruine but alâ—o may well and doe challenge attendance to themselves with far more supream and uncontroulable authority then it can yea as the sâ—â—e and only meanes of coming to the knowledge of God his Mind and Will whom and which all the Scribes and Scripture-searchers in the world nor have nor can know without the light and Spirit any more then the old ones did Ioh. 5. Matth. 22. Or then anyone can see the outward Sun by any light but that which shines from itself Matth. 11.27 1 Cor. 2.10 11 16. And so in opposition to all outward Scripture it self as that which may define God and declare of him and of his mind and will and yet gives not the knowledge of either the knowledge of whose things if we believe I. O. T. 1. c. 1. s. 16 depends wholly and solely on his own pure divine revelation thereof by himself which revelation is so far exprest indeed in the Scripture as that there it is written of but is expresly made onely in the heart where it pleases the Son to reveal the Father and the Father to reveal the Son in men Gal. 1.15 16. Eph. 1. Col. 1.23 I say then not with that Supream Authority which is peculiar onely to the Light Spirit and Word within though ignorantly attributed yea and appropriated too by I O. to the outward writing yet with the same uncontroulable Authority as the letter doth they call for attendance even from their Theopneustia or divine inspiration which To Theion or Power of God that accompanieth them in their ministration is enough to convict I. O. and all the Wolves of these times that bark and howl against the Light and mis-judgâ— the many messages that come to them from the Lord as rejecters of such as God sends and justifiers of them who flew such of old as spake to them in the name of the Lord. Nevertheless as I. O. saith too truly T. 1. c. 3. s. 9. It alwayes so fell out that scarce any Prophet that spake in the name of God had any approbation from the Church in whose dayes be spake so it falls out now to the true Prophets among all the false Churches of these latter dayes from whom they find lesse Approbation and the same Reprobation as the former did from those evill Generations wherein they spake Ier. 47.3 Matth. 5.12 21.33 to 38. 23.29 Luke 17.25 26 27 28. Iohn 9.29 Acts 7.52 24.5 And this comes to passe by reason of the same innumerable prejudices that attend these their givings out of truth either in speech or writing as did the other whose writings are not freed as I. O. fancies from the prejudices that at first attended them but attended with more then at the first writing thereof thorough the infinite alterations mis-transcriptions mis-translations mis-constructions and mistakes of all sorts they have since been liable to by the fallibility and infinite variety of Scribes thorough whose hands they have passed Which said innumerable prejudices that now attend the modern Prophets as did the first arise from the same Root with those that attended them in their respective Ages viz. 1. Partly the supposed interests of them that write and speak by way of Prophecy or immediate motion 2. Partly the personall infâ—â—mities homely appearances stemmering lips uneloquent rude crude indigested unsound non-sensicall sound of words as they seem to unintelligently understanding I. O. Ep. ad lectorem Ex. 3. s. 17. and formes of speech which the Babes vf Christ seem to him to babble in when they drop their doctrine as the dew at the Command of God to the Drunkards of Ephraim not all as once but as it were guttaâ—im Precept upon precept line upon line here a little and there a little Ezek. 21.2 Amos 7.16 Isai. 28.9 10 11 13.2 Partly the mean out-side of most of these inwardly glorious sons and daughters of the King Psal. 45.13 whose cloathing ad extra is not as their own within and the worlds without and its Ministers often is of wrought gold nor yet is it so much of Plush Jippoes Hose behang'd before
at knees with Rings or Ribbons and Aprons of Points and costly if not golden Buttons and such like Garments gay and gorgeous attire neither is it so much of that fine linnen their Bishop-like Boot-tâ—ps and double Cuffs are cut out of as of that which is the Righteousness of the Saints by reason of which these as internally golden as externally earthen vessels that bear Gods Name and bring his heavenly Treasure are ill treated turned out and trampled on by both themselves and the people of those guilded high super-celestial earthly minded empty Carks that ever sound the loudest among their shallow waters which make such a noise together with them that the still small voice wherein God is can come at no audience 1 King 19.12 13. Ecclus. 9.14 15 16 17 18. These not bearing such a broad bulk as the other nor bringing so much of that all sorts of externall excellencie and ornament as the other doe which commends their persons though never the more to God nor good men yet to men that have not Christs mind but being many of them as Christ was of low outward birth and education and till he was sent to preach a Carpenter by occupation Mark 6.3 Amos's that by the Priests good will should never come so near the Kings Chappels and Princes Courts as of late some have been admitted to do by such Rulers as will never repent of the admittance of them into their presence if they repent from what wayes soever the light within them manifests to be evill as they are advised to do by such of the Lights Children as the Lord at any time sends unto them Amos 7.10 11 12 13 14 15. Aquila's and Priscilla's Phebe's Prophecyers by the Spirit of both Sexer Sons and Daughters Servants and Handmaids as to the lower sort of literature unlearned Iames's Peter's Iohn's few of the Priesthoods function as Ieremie and Ezekiel once were for as many Priests as were obedient to the faith at first I find few or none of them that came forth to be Prophets and few Lawyers or Learned ones of any sort unless in some handicraft employments one able Paul well skill'd in the Law brought up at the feet of Gamaliel an indifferent honest Doctor at the Law very dark and doubting yet more moderate then his fellows Acts 5.34 38 39. 22.3 which Paul was a kind of Pursievant to the chief Priests till he became a Preacher of what he ignorantly persecuted before Acts 9.1 2 c. and then turned Tentmaker for his living Acts 38.3 Likewise Zenas another Lawyer at least a Disciple And Luke an honest Physitian that wrote some of the Acts of Christ and of some of the Apostles of Paul especially whom he travelled much with one Apâ—â—â—os eloquent and mighty in the Scriptures Acts 18.24 Col. 4.14 Tit. 2.12 One Mathew an Officer in the Custome-hense and the rest for the most part of the inferiour sort as they are at this day few or no Rulers of the Pharisees some rich wise mâ—ghty noble not many the rest mostly Tradesmâ—n some such as I. O. speaks of in a place fore-cited Baâ—bers Porters perhaps some Alehouse-keepers why not the Calling being as honest in it self as that of Gaâ—us the Churches Host or any other Inne-keeper though often much abused as what Trade is not when evill men manage it Carpenters Shoemakers Taylors Tentmakers Tributegarberers but no Tithmongers that I yet know of Shop-keepers as Lydia an honest Purple-seller that lived at Philippi and kept shop or market at Thiaâ—yâ—a Shepherds Heardsmen Husbandmen Farmers Fishermen out of all or most of which sorts Christ makes some Fishers of men in these dayes while the Popish Parish Priests and other flaunting unclean spirited spirituall men fishall their dayes and get nothing but unclean croking Frogs like themselves Rev. 16.13 14. Howbeit it is but few that receive the true Faith because such as broach it bring little or nothing with it of that outward pomp that people look for at the Kingdâ—mes coming And so Sinihil attuleris ibis Homere Fâ—ras 4. Partly both Priestâ— and Peoples iâ—câ—gitancy â—scitancy non observation of it that the Kingdome comes not with so much outward observaâ—ion and sumptuâ—us shows as they seek after and as the Kingdomes of this world come with but with all its glory which the Saints see in Christ and the Spouse when the world doth nor Psal. 45.13 Iohn 1. lyes more inward then men are ware of viz. in righteousness peace with God and joy in the holy Spirit a little thing a grain of Mustard-seed at first though to be at last the greatest among the Hearbs and so they dâ—spise the day of small things though it tend to the greatest good and truest glory They consider not no not when they read the very writing which is their own Rule as the Iews did not when Moses was read the vail being over his face and their hearts what the Scripture itself saith but in their lâ—ftiness and lordly minds which fly up above the Light overlook the lowly mind of Christ in the very Scriptures they to themselves seem to be so much skilled in they heed it not when in it God declares that out of the mouth of Babes he will perfect his own pâ—aisâ— Psal. 8.2 Matth. 21.16 that 't is not by such a fierce people as are for five and faggot as Papists are and carnall weapons Prisons and other punishments as I. O. is to defend Truth by nor by a people of a deeper speech then can well be understood by plain honest hearts as the Scribes and Disputers of this world but by stammering lips and another tongue then that they think of in which all are Riddles and Parables to them he will speak to people and especially to such as hearing will not hear and seeing will not see when things are plain that hearing they may not hear yea that such may go and fall backward and be broken and snared and taken Isai. 28.9 to 14. Isai. 33.18 19. 1 Cor. 14.21 and that it is that foolishnesse of preaching as it is called by such as perish that God is pleased to save such by as will bâ—lieve that he will destroy the wisdome of the wise and bring to nought the understanding of the prudent and turn wise men backward and make their knowledge foolish and frustrate the tokens of the Lyars and lead Councellours away spoiled and make the Iudges fools and remove away the speech of the trusty and take away the understanding of the aged and take away the heart of the chief of the earth and cause them to wander in a wilderness where there is no way and make them greap without light and stagger like a drunken man and befool the Princes of Zoan and caâ—â—â— the counsel of the wise Councellors of Pharoah to become bruitish and decâ—ive the Princes of Noph that have seduced and been the stay of the Tribes thereof and mingle a perverse spirit among them
all mankind if any be exempted it must be the Heathen that know not God the wicked ones that like not to retain God in their knowledge that have not the Law in the letter of it according to thy Principles but such are not exempted for Rom. 1.19 That which is to be known of God is manifest in them for God hath shewed it in them even his eternal Power and Godhead and the invisible things of God from the beginning which in his own light within are clearly seen by the things which are made for the Heavens declare his glory the Firmament shews his handy-work without and by his light within in the understandings of men taking occasion thereby to contemplate on his Greatness and goodness as David did Psalm 8. When I behold the Heavens Moon and Stars the work of thy fingers Lord think I what is man saith he that thou visitest him how excellent is thy Name and such like doth God reveal his Greatness and Goodness in regarding the sons of men Object That makes for us thou mayest perhaps say God by these Preachers without gives the knowledge of himself to the Heathen but what is this to your light within We confess quoth I. O. p. 40 41 42. that God reveals and declares himself to us by the Works of his hands without Creation Providence c. His Works teach and what they teach they do it in his Name and Authority p. 44. Repl. The Heavens c. declare the glory of God only passively as Books on which by the light within men may see and read it as also they may in the outward letter which more verbally though lesse visibly declares it but not so actively as Tutors that make a verball discourse upon it for that is done by the light within by which that Toâ—gnoston tou theou is said to be manifested more immediately by God himself in them for howbeit the Works of God hands the outward Creation have a more visible stamp or character of Gods Greatnesse and Goodnesse on them then the meer outward letter hath that is the works of mens hands and fingers though writing as inspired what they see by the light within and the letter and outward character thereof makes a more formall wordy Narration of it then the works do yet that which most powerfully and effectually and actually teaches daily what the other in their respective more obscure and inferiour wayes do declare ad extra must be something ad intra which falls in with and teaches men even the Spirit of God in the faculty of mans understanding and Conscience and the inspiration of the Almighty Job 32.8 that gives the wisdâ—m and knowledge of him whether by or without the other which without the other â—an and often doth to men born blind give the knowledge of God as those ad extra can never do without this for whatever knowledge men have of God its by it and whatever is to be known of God by men it is as the Sun by its own light manifested by this of God in them only and not by the outward seeing of a of a wâ—k or writing ad extra which cannot be seen themselves any otherwise then as Bruits may behold them bodily without not only the faculty of the rationall wind which is the Eye but the Light from God also to manifest the object to the understanding which light is not Eyes quoth I. O. p. 77. 't is not the visive faculty or understanding it self but anoâ—hing a bâ—am of light communicated from the holy Spirit to the understanding for the removall of the dark shades that are over the mind whereby it is led to see and judge of Truth as men see by the Suns light or else they cannot though they have Eyes Howbeit elsewhere Ex. 4. S. 18. to the shamefull contradiction of himself again I.O. sayes this light is the Eye of the Mind Lumen hoc est oculus mentis and S. 3. Lux est facultas illa intelligendi Opsis dianoias omma tes psuches ophthalmos dianoias making light and sense or the visive faculty as one whereas before he had said one was not the other O Rotas for where both these are not viz. Eyes and Light suitable to the object and the one exercised and the other improved also deest aliquid intus still somewhat within is lacking either Eyes or Light or as 't is in such as have not forfeited those willingness to see when they may and men can no more see God by the letter nor his works without then Beasts that can with bodily eyes discern both the Skies and the Scriptures and in a word unlesse the light within manifest this and it be heed by men also though there be both Skies and Scriptures without obviated to men without and that faculty of the understanding also within yet can men in their minds come to no more true knowledge of God then they can without the light of the Sun without which manifests them and it self also see the outward Sun and materiall Heavens with the outward eye not only the faculty of sight in the Eye and also a light to shew the objects needful else as T.D. himself sayes a blind man might see when there is light and a seeing man when none but a third thing is needful too i.e. an Eye opened to the light and to the object else he that hath Eyes and light too may shut his eyes and not see it And as whatever is to be known of God is to be known by that light within or not at all so by it are men capable to see and know taliter qualiter in such measure as they have of the light not only some things sins duties divine attributes as T. D. dimly and diminitively delivers himself about this but also as they grow in it by degrees everything as well as any of the things of God To Gnoston that are knowable or to be known of him by man to his own salvation I say in such a degree which varies not the case as men have of it they may come to know all things answerably taking head to it and doing the Will of God as revealed in it and that not naturally as by the help of a naturall light as our Naturalists or meer Animall Academians call it but spiritually as by such or such a measure of the spirituall light that flows not as I.O. sains and T.D. would fain seem to make it also as the rationall faculty it self a Principiis Naturae but from God Christ and the Spirit into the minds of men and in such wise as they know any thing in that they know it spiritually by a supernatural and spirituall inward immediate Revelation of it to them by God himself whereupon contrary to that Vsteron proteron of our carnal naturall and litteral Preachers who say that is supernaturall knowledge only that is attained to by reading the letter which letter with I. O. T.D. and the
good and Gods divine Attributes are things of God and the Spirit or else neither I nor those who wrote the Scripture neither know what the things of God and the Spirit are for they tell us that our duties of Love Ioy Peace Meekness Long suffering Temperance Patience and such like are the fruits of the Spirit and that not fulfilling the lusts of the flesh in the sins of adultery fornication uncleanness lasciviousness hatred wrath strife envy drunkenness revellings and such like works of it is the fruit effect and issue of walking in the Spirit and if these Love c. be not things of the Spirit excuse me if I say the Spirit which moved them to write that Gal. 5. knew not his own things himself and if ye say that Gods Divine Attributes Mercy Iustice Iudgements Truth Holiness are none of his things excuse me also if I favour not foolish fancies so far as to spend time pains and paper to prove they are to them which is so clear that 't were as idle a thing to make clearer then it is as 't were to light a candle to shew a blind man qui ad sâ—lem caecutire vult that the Sun shines And that the light doth manifest not only sins and duties but the said Divine Attributes also as we have had T.Ds. witness against him so let us take I. Os. testimony against himself too and then we shall be pretty well as to that Which I.O. preaches it out in print in two Tongues lest one should not be loud enough in English thus p. 42.43.45.46.47 by the innate light of Nature so he calls it and principles of the Consciences of men that indispensible moral obedience which he requireth of us his creatures subject to his Law is made known by the Light that God hath indelibly implanted in the minds of men accompanied with a moral instinct of good and evil seconded by that self-judgement which he hath placed in us in reference to his own over us doth he reveal himself to the sons of men the Voice of God in Nature so he calls it declares it self to be from God by its own Light and Authority there 's no need to convince a man by substantial witnesses that what his conscience speaks it speaks from God whether it bear testimony to the Being Righteousness Power Omniscience or Holiness of God himself or whether it call for that moral obedience which is eternally and indispensably due to him and so shews forth the work of the Law in the heart c. Those common notions are in laid in the natures of men by the hand of God to this end that they may make a Revelation of him as to the purposes mentioned and are able to plead their own Divine Original Mark of Divine Original here in-laid by Gods hand yet anon flowing ex principis naturae without the least strength or assistance from without and in Latine Ex. 4. S. 14. Non tantum multae Coinat Ennâ—iai c. Englished thus Not only many common notions and principles of Truth abide fixed in the understanding by the efficacie of which men may discern some divine things and discern between good and evil but also by the help of the Conscience take heed to themselves as concerning many duties with respect had to the Iudgement of God which they know they are liable to Moreover this Light in all at years of understanding by the consideration of the works of God Creation and Providence manifesting his Eternal Power and Godhead and in some by the Word preached may be improved and confirmed but how far this Light can direct stir up and provoke mens minds to yield obedience to God and they by it be left without excuse it pertains not to this place more precisely to discuss One of the main things pertaining to this point about the Light to be discussed among the rest yet I. O. I believe was afraid to thrust his fingers too far into the fire here for fear lest prâ—ying too narrowly how far the efficacy of this Light extends he should being forced to see somwhat that he is loath to see both looâ—e his cause and open his conscience too wide and therefore would wade no further there I need not open it to him that is not defective in his naturals how in all this as if not more abundantly then T. D. in that above I. O. confesses and witnesses to the truth of the first part of my minor Proposition viz. that the Light in the Conscience of all as heeded gives the knowledge of those things of God and his Spirit which the Spirit of God only knows searches and shews and reveals to such as wait in his Light to have the mind of Christ manifested in them therein which the natural man by a natural light cannot so know and diâ—cern Only Ob. If it be objected those are the deep things of God there spoken of 1 Cor. 2. which your Light in the Conscience of all is too shallow to search out yea the glorious things of the Gospel it self the mystery of which T.D. who knows it not yet himself for want of turning to it sayes by that Light within All know not and the natural man discerns not Answ. That the natural man which is he that leans to the Letter and his own understanding and looks not to the Lord in his own Light and Spirit in the heart as spiritual men do and in the doing of which men of natural become more and more spiritual de facto discerns no otherwise then naturally not savingly and spiritually I still grant but a non esse ad non posse still nil valet Our question is how far that Light heeded avails that way which I affirm is so far that according to the measure of it in men and their attendance to it it leads gradually as the Light and Spirit and anointing of God is said to do such as abide in it as it in them into all truth the knowledge of the very deep things of God and the Gospel a dim shallow sight of which it gives to such as turn to the least beam of it in them E. G. the Iudgements of God are one of the deep things of God thy Iudgements are a great deep Rom. 11.33 His Judgements and the wayes of it and Wisdome of God therein are a depth O the depthâ—hewr unsâ—archable his Iudgements his wayes past finding out No natural man by the improvement of his natural understanding in reading the Letter can know them Israel did not who had the Iudgements and the Statutes in the Letter for want of looking to the Light and Spirit any more excepting the few spiritual ones and children of the Light that were ever hated among them nay nor so much as many Heathens that had and heeded the Law or Light in the Conscience yet had no Law in the Letter but were more sottish stupid fearless of God ignorant and prophane then the Heathen among whom the
Name of God was blasphemed for their sakes insomuch that Paul saith Rom. 2. the very uncircumcision as to the Flesh and Letter doing in the Light by which they were made a Law to themselves by nature not corrupt nature as T. D. thinks nor by the pure nature in a measure restored without or abstract from the Light the things of the Law were better to God then the literal professing Iew and more just and justified to the very judging of them who by boasting of the Letter and Circumcision without broke the Law in the heart and less lyable to wrath then the other which shews how God counts more on obedience in Morals Spirituals Evangelicals without the Letter and literals then on all Burnt-offering and Sacrifice and lifeless conformity to the Letter Yet the Heathen themselves by the Light in the Conscience though videntes meliorae by it they did mostly deteriwa sequi see much and do little at least came to know in a measure within themselves the very righteous Iudgments of God that thâ—se that did such things as they did are worthy of death Rm. 1.32 And thou I.O. confessest the same in thy words above-recited Iudicio Dei se subesse cogu scunt and the Light within and moral instinct of good and evil by it seconded by a self-iudgement placed in us Yea Ioh. 16. The Light and Spirit of Christ the Saints Comforter that walk in it is in the Office of a Convincer to the world of Sin and Iudgement the Law which is the Light in all is spiritual Rom. 7.14 Ob. And if ye say we grant that but what of the Gospel of the Righteousness of God and the riches of his Grace in Christ and what of Christ can be known in that Light Answ. If ye will needs count the Iudgement and wrath of God which is a depth unsearchable by any that look only in the Letter which only tells of his wrath or by any save such as living in the Light have come to feel it within themselves for who knows the power of thy wrath saith the Psalmist none say I but such as waiting in the Light have felt the weight of his hand while Judgement and Condemnation passed on their evil deeds I say if ye will reckon Wrath Iudgement and the Ministration of Condemnation none of the things of God none of his deep things nor the things of his Spirit and Gospel because your eyes are out but reckon it to the Law or Old Testament only and not to the Gospel to which yet it truly belongs or New which is the ministration of righteousnesse and mercy Yet I answer further that not only Iudgement and Wrath but the Righteousness Salvation Mercy and Grace of God in Christ and Christ himself is preached and revealed in the same Light in which the Iudgement and Wrath is revealed as it is the effectual work of the Law in the hâ—aâ—t to accuse reprove and condemn him that doth evil so Vâ—sinet Apello I appeal to your selves who assert it is is it not its work to excuse acquit justifie him within himself who declines the evil and does the contraâ—y Good Is there true righteous Iudgement done where as well mercy comfort peace and acceptation with God is not ministred to the innocent though Abimelech the Heathen when they are found in integrity of heart to Gentile as well as Iew as terrour râ—proof rejection and wrath to every soul that doth evil Iew or Gentile Beside say not the Texts afore-cited that the Spirit convinces the world of Righteousness as well as of sin and Iudgement and that in the same Light which is indeed the Gospel and call'd by Paul so and the Power of God unto Salvation in which the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men that withhold the truth told them by God himself and his Light in them in unrighteousness the Righteousness of God also is even therein revealed from faith to faith among the Iust that turn to and own the Light and live by faith in it Rom. 1 I know and see how page 3. 1 Pamp. T D would make a difference if he could tell how that he might maintain his natural or rather suâ—te natural diâ—course about the meer naturalness of that Light that shews Sins Duties Divine Attributes between that one Light say I in which the wrath is revealed and in which the righteousness is revealed where in answer to that unanswerable saying of Paul about the To Gnoston Tou Theou when G.W. used it against him thus Thou sayest 't is meant of a Natural Light whereas 't is said to be the knowledge of whatsoever is to be known of God Rom. 1.19 T.D. replyes thns sillily the Apostle intends that what might be known of God without the preaching of the Gospel was known to the Gentiles verse 16.17 'T is by the Gospel that the righteousness of God is revealed Rep. As if we must think the Apostle in that phrase Whatever is to be known of God is manifest in men excluded and excepted the Light of the Gospel and inward Word of which he talks elswhere Rom. 10. That it s nigh to men in their hearts And Col. 1.23 is preached viz. in every creature under heaven and meant only some nescio quid I know not what kind of manifestation that hath nihil commune cum Scripturis holds no Analogy with the Scripture because T.D. makes his shallow sensless say-so on the place whose Reply but 't is his usual way when he has nought else to say to make what additions to and alterations of a Text he pleases and then to say when there 's no such matter either expressed or implyed it intends so and so or it intends not so though so said God indeed in many Texts makes offer of Salvation to all but intends it only to a few by All is meant Some by in us in Christ and many of the like sort is not worth any other Reply then to tell him it 's not worth a Rush and G. Ws. saying to him out of Paul stands o're T. Ds. head still for To Gnoston what is to be known of God is any thing that tends to mans Salvation without such an exception as T.D. adds to the making of Paul there as he does God and the Penmen in many more Texts dissemble like to T.D. himself so as to speak one thing and intend another that destroyes the very sense of his own words But saving T Ds mis-meaning of that matter assuredly enough the same that reveals the wrath reveals the righteousness retro and that that reveals the righteousness is a measure of the light of the Gospel of Gods rich Grace and Goodness that is given to Impenitents to lead them to repentance if they obey it and so to forgiveness and life or otherwise to leave them without excuse when having trifled away the time of Gods long-suffering and forbearance in rebellion against the light
he calls it though insufficient to direct for Iustification and Salvation yet was useful for two ends 1. To restrain from sin 2. Besides this end God hath another that they might be inexcusable who sinned against the light in them and God might be justified in his Sentence and Iudgement upon them Rom. 1.20 that thâ—y might be without excuse who held the Truth Mark how the light in all is called the Truth which men withhold in unrighteousness therefore it must be the Righteousness of God it self that is revealed from Heaven and justifies in unrighteousness and when they knew God glorified him not as God neither were thankful but were filled with unrighteousness though they knew the judgement of God that they that commit such things are worthy of death v. 29.30 Whence it is that Gods judgement is proved to be according to Truth Rom. 2.2 and God found to be true though every man a lyar Ignorance of the law Mark again how they call it the law by which is the knowledge of sin the transgression of which is sin which Paul calls spiritual holy just and good these men all but natural and sometimes no better then diabolical being not to be pleaded by them that sin against the innate light of their own spirits forasmuch as that fact must needs be voluntary which is done against the knowledge and judgement of a mans own conscience Thus far these men of the Light within it condemns say they but cannot save accuses cannot excuse Rep. Monstrum Horendum c. cui lumen ademptum What are our Ministers become Monsters now adayes that take on them the name of Seers for poor people and yet have never an eye to see the Truth withall themselves Is there any Law in the World that being broken brings penalty accusation cursing judgement or condemnation upon the Transgressors that does not as well hold guilâ—less acquit clear justifie and save from the said cursing and condemnation its obeyers and observers 1. Consider its impossible that any light should leave without excuse and condemn a man when sinned against and not excuse justifie and keep out of condemnation when it 's answered for what I wot can condemn that man who walks up in exact obedience to that law or measure of light be it never so little which is lent him in particular to live by Where there is no Law nor Light at all there is no sin imputed Rom. 5.12 where no Law is broken there is no transgression to condemnation for such sin is Anomia no other then the transgression of the Law and that in such particulars only wherein it is made known for to him that knows to do good and doth it not to him it is sin Iam. 17. not to him that never did nor could for if Abimelech had took to himself Abraham's Wife for his own not knowing but that she was his Sister only as she said he had been clear and not guilty nor had sin been impured to him or laid to his charge to condemnation though the fact had been sin in it self yet not sin unto his dâ—amnation Whereupon he pleads when the Lord comes by the Light o the thing upon him Wilt thou slay a righteous Nation In the integrity of my heart and innocency of my â—ands have I done this and God answers Yea I know thou didst it in the integrity of thy heart Gen. 20.4 5 6. Can that possibly leave men without excuse or plea for themselves in their condemnation when God comes to enter into judgement with them that must be understood and believed by them never to have put them by the best improvement thereof and attendance to it as I. O. and T. D. say the light of God in all does not utcunque cui attendatur so much as in possibility of Salvation nor was sufficient had they never rebelled against it to have excused and acquitted them in the sight of God cannot they that have no Light and Grace more then what had they obeyed and answered it would not have rendred them accepted in his sight they being also personally particularly peremptorily predestinated to be damned and to be disobedient to the light that they might be damned as our Divines say from 1 Pet. 2.8 Iude 3.4 when God comes to plead in no other but a righteous way against them and to damn them for that sore appointed disobedience to it and to reckon and reason with them thus Why would you die and not live A I live I had much rather ye should have lived then died but that ye would your selves destroy your selves when in me was help and I would have helped you and therefore sent my Son a Light to lead you to life not to condemn but to save you had you walked in it for hating and want of walking in which alone it is that ye now must be condemned for ever had I not sent you light and spoken to you by my self and Son you had had no sin but now seeing ye knew my Will and did it not in the doing of which ye should have entred my Kingdome but stopt your ears closed your eyes despised my counsel set at naught all my reproof to you this is sin for which he have no cloak plea c. nor excuse or if you have let us hear it I say cannot such plead again Lord it is true thou art out Soveraign and mayest do with thy own as a Potter with his clay and dash us to pieces at thy pleasure but thou art also a God of righteousness and Truth who hast said thou wilt do right as the Judge of all the earth and thou wilt not do that thy self which thou damnest others for doing as thou didst Pharoah for requiring men to make such a tale of brick as they had not sufficiency of straw for and we hope thou wilt not damn us for not doing what thou know'st we never could being never sufficiently impowered by thy self we trust thou wilt not condemn us at least not with the sorer condemnation as accessary to our own death and for not coming to Christ that we might have life and for want of coming to the saving knowledg of thy Self Mind and Will and for not obeying the Gospel of our Lord Jesus and for nor coming to him in his light and not believing in him as our Saviour and for want of improving our talents to the utmost to our salvation for non-improvement of which alone and for non-obedience to which Light and Gospel alone and non-belief only in which Christ thou now tellest us we must perish which Gospel had we obeyed which Christ had we believed in as our which saving knowledge of thee if we had had which talent or talents had we improved to the best we should not have perisht but have had everlasting life foraâ—much as it was told us for truth from thee by these that say they are thy Ministers if they did not lie and however they made us
Law of sin and death For what the Law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin condemned sin in the flesh That the righteousness of the Law might be fulfilled in us who walk not after the flesh but after the Spirit Thus then it is evident that the Law of God which is not the letter of it but the light is powerfull and sufficient to save save only that men turn from and transgresse it and that it is universal and in all men is as evident out of Rom. 2.13 14. where it is said that those ye call Heathen who have not the outward literal copy of it do shew the work of the Law written in their hearts which wâ—rk of the Law T. D. who yet grants the Law it self to be spiritual in his meer natural understanding calls natural as if the work of the Law of God which is Spiritual and perfect were not spiritual as the Law it self is which work or effect of the Law Psalm 19.7 8 9. is said to be the conversion of the sâ—ul rejoycing the heart enlightning the eyes cleansing purifying c. and not only the shewing of sin and good and censuring for the obedience oâ— disobedience as T. D. dotes who undertaking to teach G. W. what the work of the Law is and how it differs from the Law it self p. 3.2 Pamp. understands neither what he himself sayes nor whereof he affirms which works of the Law the Scripture there mentions which diâ—covers T. Ds. ignorance of the works or effects of the Law if they be natural I know not what â—s spiritual and yet to get out of that absurdity in proof of it he runs into another saying in the next clause thus viz. the Heathen do by nature the things contained in the Law as if that were corrupt nature in the Heathen that did conform them to the Law when as the nature there spoken of by which they are said to do the things of the Law is that rature after which God at first made man upright and after his own Image in righteousness and holiness of truth before they sinned and run out into their own inventions and so fell short thereof which nature and image is in it self â—are divine perfect in reason and understanding and doing thâ— Mind and Will of God though men mostly become degenerated from that into another swinish brutish nature even the nature and image of the Serpent the subtillest of beasts of the Devil and Satan himself and so of men as they were made become beasts of the field and of noble Vines of Gods planting in his Garden at first and wholly a right seed turning from the light into the darkness of their own vain thoughts and imaginations became a seed of evil doers and a degenerate plant of a strange Vine unto the Lord in which staâ—u corrupto and by which contrary nature not created by God but contracted to themselves the other nature image and glory of God which when man sinned crept inward lies hid and covered in them till by the Light of God which is given to that end they are as by a line or clew led down into themselves and through the laborynth of their own learning and lusts which lies a top of it to find it out again and till by the said light the house be swept and the lost money seen and that swinish nature destroyed and the lost sheep sought out and saved and till the works and image of the Serpent who hath in the dark stampt his own likeness on them be again defaced and till the tares which he hath sowed in the night while men slept in the field or inner world of the heart and that earth which hath overgrown the other and brought forth briaâ—s and thornes weeds neetles thistles c. which is accursed be burnt up and consumed from above that which brings forth herbs meet for the Masters use to which the blessing is by the spirit of judgement and of burning in which selfish nature which is that of Cain and Ishmael and Esau the three Elder that have no acceptance men will be sacrificing serving and glorying in Righteousnesses and Church-works of their own devising which All are abomination with God because done in that same nature still in which they are disobedient sinning and serving divers lusts and so by that nature become as well in their very righteousness as in their wickedness children of Gods wrath Ephes. 2.2 Tit. 3.2 incurring his displeasure by their doing of such things as are not only besides but against the Law or Light of God in the Conscience and contrary to that pure primitive nature by which only as men by the light come back to it as many do without the letter the things contained in the holy Law can be done And this contradicts that grosly absurd sottish false blind and ignorant Assertion of T. D. which as A. Parker related to me he uttered in a discourse with him at Sandwich before many people since those three more publick disputes held by R. H. G. W. and my self with him and his Confederates and Associates against us who yet are at odds amongst themselves some Prclatick some Presbyterian some Independent viz. that it is the corrupt nature by which the Nations are said Rom. 2. to do the things contained in the Law Which is I say the grossest absurdity false doctrine and contradiction to the Scripture that can well-nigh possibly be given for by that corrupt sinning nature by the yet T. D. is not ashamed and blushes not to say men do the things câ—ntained in Gods Law alias keep obey observe conform to Gods Law which is the pure light shining in the Conscience that is spiritual holy just and good that never did nor can pâ—ssibly consent to the least sin or do other then reprove and condemn it in the heart I say by that corrupt nature which men have by the fall from God who made them upright contracted to themselves which is the very enmity it self against God and all good men do and can do no other then sin against God and do the things that are not contained or commanded in but are contrary to the Law and walk in the trespasses and sins in which they lie dead according to the common course and custome of the World while it lies in the wickedness not minding the light according to the Prince of the power of the Air the Spirit that worketh in the children of disobedience and have their conversation in the lusts of the flesh fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind drinking in iniquity as naturally as the beast drinks in water without satisfaction working uncleanness with greediness 1 Iohn 2.1 2 3 14 18 19. and so are by that nature children of wrath But in respect of which said pure primitive nature some Gentiles that have not the letter but the Light
having sufficient Light speaking evil of the Light and iudging the Light as imperfect which is the Law of God which is perfect in each measure of it of which they will not be Dâ—ers but Iudges for which judging and evill speaking of what they know not while in what they know naturally and but Psuchicos animally as bruit beastsâ— in those very things corrupt themselves woe is to them from the Lord all such Iudges and their Iudgement must come to Iudgement 〈…〉 Moreover might we lawfully so argue but first we need not there being enough besides to urge in diâ—proof thereof and secondly we do not there being little force in such arguments against the sufficiency of the Letter to save as they think they may against the sufficiency of the Light need we do any more then turn the edge of their own Weapon against themselves in that particular who not only call the Letter a saving Light but also argue for it as such with a non obstante to the small number of such as are actually saved by it even among those that both have it and often read it for say they in way of Plea for the dead Letters being a saving Light where ere it comes no matter how few come to Salvation by it because they refuse to walk by it it s never the less saving and sufficient though men that have it perish because it s come to them and is able on its own part to give Life but that on their parts it s not made use of not obeyed c It s no argument its notable to save that most men where it is are not actually saved but rather perish The self-same say I epâ—â—ehalâ— of the Light which they are so foolish as to argue so fillily against A non esseâ—ad non prsse non est arguendum there 's no arguing from its not being actually so or so to the non-possibility of the thing to be We cannot conclude that there 's a non-sufficiency in that to save all men by which all men actually are not saved for then not only the Letter which only kills yet they plead this self-same way is saving and brings to Life but even God and Christ himself as well as their Light in mens consciences who call to all ends of the Earth to look to than for Salvation in it Isa. 45.22 49 â—6 must absit blasphemia be judged also as insufficient to save by whom though supremely all are saved that are saved at all yet all men actually are not saved I Suppose then there were fewer that come to life by the Light then do as there be none at all that ever came to it by the Letter even of those Scripture-searching Scribes that therein look for the Eternal Life Iohn 5. yet will is not follow as they judge it will that the Light within all is not sufficient to lead to life or if it will and these men will needs have it so then let them take what comes along with that their own consequence to themselves for it payes them home in another kind whil'st 't will much rather conclude against the Letters being a saving Light which against us and the Truth they eagerly argue so to be fith by their own confession not one of many that have it come to Life or Salvation by it And whereas they say the defect and default of this is not therefore because the Scripture is not a saving Light but because they walk not in it the self-same say we of the Light within which the Letter came from in which there 's no defect which as Paul sayes of it for its the Law of Life Rom. 8.2.3 is weak to save no otherwise but because it is not answered else life should come by it so that their own pen is their own pay-master still which ever and anon pulls down at one time what it builds up at another and contradicts thwarts and razes out as false in one place the same that it writes for truth in another yea En Ecce behold the confusions of these self-confuting men a non actu ad non potentiam from the non-being of the effect i.e. the Life to the non-efficaciousness of the Light to lead to it such as â—earn of it is no lawful argument say they when they plead against us the sufficiency of the Letter to save yet from All mens not being acÌ„tùal'y and effectually saved by it we may strongly conclude there is not efficacy nor sufficiency in the Light within Al nan to save All men in whom it is how strictly soever they attend to it say they when we plead against the sufficiency of the Light to save it being therefore but meet that out of their own measure where with they meÌ„asure to us it should be meeted to them again I shall conclude my answer to Al these four men and to All men else whose it is as to this their argument a non esse ad non posse against the Lights sufficiency in the very words Mutatis mutandis interpositis interponendis additis addendis wherein themselves only speak either by way of concession against themselves of this truth we plead against them or by way of Answer to such as they suppose to use the same though I do not for he is no wise man that uses it at all against the sufficiency of their dead Letter 1. Those of R.B. are as follows who in p. 7. of his Epistle to the Reader prefixed to I. T. his Book sayes thus of the Qua. Do they hold that common supernatural Light outward and inward objective and inherent is given to many at least of the unsanctified that live under the preaching of the Gospel who contradicteth them in this Answ. Those who deny any but meet natural any supernatural saving or spiritual light to be given in common to All or to any but the sanctified ones i. e. the Saints and the Elect as yourselves do saying as I. O. Nihilnon naturale nihil spirituale nihil a Christo Mediatore c. lumen salutare nulta sub consideratioue c. Christ doth not in any wise vouchsafe supernatural spritual saving light to any but the Elect he is blind that once dreams the contrary and such like as are to be found up and down his book Ex. 4. S. 13 17 25. R.B. Do they hold that as the Sun is appointed in nature to be the light of every man that cometh into the world though some parts of the earth were never illuminated by it and blind men partake not of its light and the night and shutting our eyes and windows may exclude it so Christ is by Office the Sun in the world of Grace giving men actually all the gracious light they have and being sufficient in himself to enlighten all and giving them an illuminating word which is sufficient in its own kind to do its own part though many are blind and many for their sin are deprived of the communication
Light Word quoth I. O. meaning the Scripture puts forth its Power as it will do when the Book of Conscience begins to open the Seat and Residence of its effects is safe-guarded against all Power and Authority but that of God it s diving into the hearts and consciences and secret recesses of the minds of men its judging and sentencing of them in themselves its convictions terrours conquest and killing of men its converting building up making wise holy obedient its administriag consolations in every condition to which consolation belongs and the like effects of its Power and sufficiency are usual'y spoken of and appropriated to the Letter by such as are ignorant of the Light who speak what they read and hear of more then feel as death and destruction that hear the same of that which is hid from them Iâ—b 28.22 but are effectually felt and experimentally known by the children of the Light who love and live in it These are the foundations of my Answer to I. Os. T. Ds. R. Bs. and I. Ts. grand Argument above mentioned against the sufficiency of the Light to guide men into the true knowledge and life of God drawn from the non efficiency of that its end in all men The Light say we the Law of God which is the Light in All is not only testified to as saving by the Letter and as powerful and sufficient in all those fore named respects in which I. O. sayes the Letter it self is which the Letter faith not of it self for all that I. O. faith in the thirteen last Sections of the fourth Cha. of his first Tr. in whose own words I have mostly spoken by way of Answer to himself is most true if applyed to the Word of God indeed which is nigh in the heart and of the Light of Law of God in the Conscience but every â—ot of it false as applyed by him to a wrong subject viz. the outward Scripture or bare Letter and as the Letter bears testimony to the Light so the Light bears testimony enough to it self of its own sufficiency in the conscience that testimony is the Witness of God himself which who so doth not accept and believe he doth what in him lies to make God a Lym to give us an infallible assurance that in receiving this testimony we are not imposed upon by cunningly devised fables the Light the Scriptures quoth I. O. or Law in the heart hath that glory of Light and Power of God accompanying of it as wholly distinguisheth it by infallible signs and evidences from all words and writings nor divine conveying its truth and Power into the Souls and Consciences of men with such an infallible certainty that it is believed though men act contrary to it for when that within tells men what they should not do viz. not lye steal murder cozen nor do evil to others that they would not have others do to them though they do these evils yet they cannot but believe through that Light in them if they had never seen the Letter that they should not do so and that the Judgements of God are due to such as do so and when by that they are told what they are they by it believe truly what they are and cannot while they behold themselves in that glass believe themselves to be otherwise or better then they are no more then a mans natural face that is beheld in a true outward glass can seem to him or be believed by him to be fairer then it is Thus having at large answered the main argument of these four men against the universality of a sufficient Light in All men to lead to life such as follow it drawn from All mens nor actually coming to life by it which one R. B. and I. T. aiming at number more then weight make three of their thirty viz. the second tenth and thirteenth I shall run thorough the residue more briefly they being not worth any long insistance on them Their third and fourth which are but one and the same also divided needlesly into two they ground upon such Texts as directly prove the contrary against them viz. Iohn 1.5.9.10.11 Eph. 5.8 Matth. 14. where its said The Light shines in darkness and the darkness comprehends it not the true Light was in the world and the world knew him not he came to his own and his own received him not ye were sometimes darkness c. To them that fate in darkness light is sprung up Whence they argue on this wise many of the Iews and Gentiles sate in darkness did nor reciive the Light nor comprehend it and were darkness when the true Light came to and shined in them therefore they had no Light in them much less every man Rep. Whence I argue in proof of the very contrary thus The true Light came to such as received at not to such as knew it not springs up as they heed it to such as sate in death and darkness and shineth in the darkness Joh. 1.9 though the darness comprehendeth it not but All men as well as some at some time or other are found not receiving the Light not knowing it sitting in darkness and are darkness â—â— therefore All men have in some measure the true Light shining in them Besides if this would prove that the true Light is not present with All men because most neither know nor receive it but abide dwell sit still in darkness and remain darkness it self then at least it will conclude against these men another way viz. in disproof of the outward Letters being the true Light as they contend it is since the Iews and most Christians so call'd both do and ever did dwell in darkness and continue darkness notwithstanding the Scriptures abode among them Their fifth is as a very Fiddlestick as any of the former and all that follow it are no better fetch'd from Luke 16.8 in such wise as more clearly concludes that R. B. and I. T. as wise Disputers of this world as they seem to be in suo genere in their be-nighted Generation are yet but fools as to the true Faith and children of this world and darkness then that All men have not some true Light in them and it runs thus If every man had a Light within him sufficient to guide him how to please God then every man should be a Child of Light but every man is not a Child of Light therefore every man hath not a Light c. to guide him to God c. The Major of which is such a palpable inconsequence as the least Child of Light and of the day cannot but both discern and be ashamed of for however in proof of it 't is asserted by them That to be a Child of Light is all one as to be a person that hath Light in him to guide him to please God yet if they would but consult with that Light of God which is yet in themselves if they have not by fighting against it
bids search and Paul 2 Tim. 3.15.16.17 sayes are useful and profitable the Qua. say no say they but look to the light within you Rep. I say though the Qua. say look to the light within as Christ and Paul did yet they no more deny the usefulness of the Scripture then either of those Scriptures ye quote proves that absolute necessity of the Scripture as to Salvation which ye seem to plead though Christ and Paul never did so nor do we any more dehort from searching the Scripture then Christ Iohn 5.39 exhorteth to search them which is not at all in that Text for howbeit Ereunate search may be rendred either Indicatively or Imperatively as to its own signification as I elsewhere shew its most evident that he speaks there by way of complaint of the Scribes for looking for life in the Scriptures without coming to him who is the Light ver 40. and not by way of command to search them ye search not search ye Their sixteenth is from Isa. 8.20 Psa. 119.105 To the Law and to the Testimony if they speak not according to this Word there is no light in them Thy Word is a light to my feet a lamp to my path whence they sillily argue or rather blindly assert the Qua. Opinion and Speech concerning a sufficient light in All men to be contrary to the Law and Testimony and Gods Word Ordinances Ministry and many other things and therefore erroneous and without light in it Rep. The Antecedent here is most false for the Law Testimony and Word there spoken of which is a Lamp and Light to the feet and path and according which who speaks not it is because the morning is not yet to him for the word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 through the mistranslation of which phrase thus there 's no light in him many not knowing the Hebrew and many that know it not heeding it make no small ado against the Lights being in All men as Vavasor Powell did once at Eltham is no other then that Light within even that word which David had and hid within him that he might not sin against God by which young men taking heed thereunto may come to cleanse their way Psa. 119.9 that Word of Faith that is nigh in the heart which the Apostles preached or witnessed to Rom. 10. that Law and Commandment which is said to be a Lamp and Light Prov. 6. that inward testimony of Iesus or Spirit of Prophesie which we with all the Prophees of old by words and Scriptures bear our outward testimony unto call'd by Peter 2 Pet. 1.19 the more sure word of Prophesie to which men do well to give heed as unto a light shining in the dark place of their heart till the day dawn and the day star arise therein This I say and not the external Text as ye all triflingly talk is that Law and Testimony and Word there spoken of even the Law and Testimony that comes and is written and is given and received immediately from and out of God and Christ's own Light Voice and mouth in the hearts minds and consciences of all people which his own people only give ear and hearken to even the Rod the Spirit the Word and Sword of his mouth which Priests and all people are summoned to seek to to stand in as Gods own Counsel and to take counsel at and be cover'd with and take heed to their way by that they may not sin against the Lord and which all the wicked that sin against must once be slain by Psa. 37.31 Isa. 51.7.30.1 Ier. 31.33.32.40 Ezek. 11.19.36.26 Zach. 2.6.7.8.9 Ier. 23.15.16.17.18.22.26.27 c. Hos. 4.6.12 2 Thes. 2.8.19 Rev. 15.28 which the Priests above all others usually depart from and forget and are partial in and cause people in stumble at and forget who therefore neither profit people nor thrive in any thing but ignorance and deceit themselves because they stand not in it from whom though their Schools are call'd Nurseries of learning Well-heads of true Religion and Divinity there goes forth no true Divination but sottishness and profaneness into all lands This is that Law and living Word and true testimony even the Light and Word of God in the heart a testimony that 's said to be bound up from the outward Israel which may have the outward Bible bound among them a Law that 's said to be sealed up among Christs Disciples from the sight of the be-nighted Seers which such as seek to seek to the Lord himself and such as forsake go from the Fountain of the living water to broken Cisteers and such as leave for an outward letter leave the living for the dead and seek for the living Lord among the dead These are the Wells of Salvation out of which Souls should draw the living Water which the Philistines in envy to the Seed of Abraham will strive alway to slop till the Lord make room for them to flow out to the full These are that Word Law and Testimony and not the most Original Copies of the Letter as I.O. and ye all with him do emptily imagine page 216. which who so deprives of the Hebrew Punctation by proving the novelty thereof do with Abimelechs servants no less then utterly stop the Wells or Fountains from whence ye should draw all your Souls refreshment These as I have shewed so abundantly above at the end of my third Exercitation in answer to I.O. that I shall need say no more here in proof thereof are the matters meant by the said Law and Testimony Isa. 8.20 which are not contrary to the writing without neither and the true outward Ministry and Ordinances but consonant thereunto which inward Law Word and Testimony your selves being contrary to and opposing are therein contrary to Gods Word and the outward Scripture of it also therefore not the Qua. who own all these but your own Opinion is erroneous and your speech is without light The seventeenth from Eph. 4.11 runs thus The Opinion and practise of the Qua. makes every man a Teacher and Teachers set by God for the work of the Ministry needless as if thâ—y were no gift but a burden to the Church cryes them down therefore it s contrary to Gods and Christs way and so Antichristian Rep. The Antecedent here is a false tale and a meer slander of the Qua. for neither do they so much as doctrinally make every man a Teacher for they deny both your selves and all that side with you to be men fit to be Teachers of others unless ye were better taught your selves or had learn't the truth of God much better then as yet ye have done and howbeit they know your Ministry who are set by men to minister for money to be not only needless but also useless fruitless unprofitable burdensome chargeable and more destructive then saving both to peoples Souls and to the Nations yet we own All Teachers set by God for the work of the Ministry which are such only
Psalmist they can perswade others from what they have seen felt and handled of Gods Word and his Iudgements which are a gâ—eat deep yet to the rest that live alienated from the Light and by them have bâ—en purged from their filth and warned from the wickedness of their way and of simple been made wise of which precious uâ—e Gods Iudgements are to all that thus witness and know them as Psa. 19. Yea these are that Nation of Israel and not that which is now become a curse and perished out of what ever outwaâ—d Nation or People they are gathered into the one Light and Spirit of whom it s said Who is like unto thee O Isâ—ael â— a people saved by the Lord who rideth on the Hâ—avens for thy help And in that of these mens quoting Deuter. 4.8 What Nation is there so great that hath Statutes and Iudgements so righteous as all this Law which is set before them in the light their keeping and doing of which shall be their wisdome and understanding in the sight â—f those Nations which though now they count them fools shall at last see themselves to have been infatuaated and say of Gods now dispersed and despâ—sed Seed of Israel after the Spirit Surely this great Nation is a wise and understanding people And as for others though as R. B I. T. T. D. and ye all say God hath not dealth so richly with any as he does with them that receive the riches of his Grace and they have not known his Iudgements in such a measure as these know them yet all as they heed the Light in that may know them as in some degree the Heathen heeding the Light are said to do Rom. 1. and degrees never vary the nature of a case neither follows it that because some know not so much as some therefore many neither do nor for want of Light can know nothing of the Gospel or Saving Truth of God at all The 30th from Rom. 7.7 is thus The Light within neither did to Paul nor doth nor can discover sin even the sin of Lust without the Law therefore the Light within each person is not a sufficient guide of it self to lead to God and to warrant mens actions without the written Word i. e. Scripture with them Rep. Why not as well as before the Law was written in an outward Letter at all if by the Law ye will needs understand nothing but outward Scripture for some sure knew lust before Moses wrote the Law But in very deed how deeply soever ye dream in this as ye do in most things this Law without which the Lust is not well known is no other then the Light it self within for the Letter sayes lust is a sin but 't is the Light that shews thy lust to filth envy or any evil to be thy sin within thy self and that Law by which the knowledge of sin comes is that Law and Commandment which Prov. 6.23 is said to be the Light and the Lamp even the wâ—rd that David hid of him that he might see the way of covetouâ—ness that was eâ—sewise hid in his heart and so not sin against Gâ—d by which only the young man in whom lust is strong taking heed thereunto shall come to cleanse his way which is never clean while he hangs only on the lips of Letter-stealers and meer Letter-lauders who lauding the holy life they liâ—e not in are at best but lyars when they preach the Tâ—uth But this being elsewhere handled I shall need to say the less of it here So having done with these two mens thirty Arguments a few words more to their ten wâ—aâ— Reasâ—ns against the true Light in all men and then I have done with them as to that Reason 1. Because what each man conceives according to his Light within him cannot be right and â—rue for one mans conceits do sometimes contradict anothers Nor are thâ— Quak. all of one mind when they follow the Light within them Rep. This is one of your own croâ—ked odd conceits indeed but far from truth and good consequence that the Light or Rule it self cannot be true or right or a safe rule because mens conceits of things to be or not be according to it may be contradictory one to another and so not both true 'T is true contradictoâ—y conceivings abâ—ut one Rule cannâ—t be both true but he contradicts aâ—l truth and common reasâ—n who conceives the Rule or Light it self to be ere the worse or ere the less a true Rule or Light because of that Two men may have contradictâ—ry thâ—ughts and conceits whereof one must needs be false about a piece of Cloths agreeing or nor agreeing with the yaâ—d or measure but it follows nor therefore from any thing but these faithless mens false and foolish fancies that the Taâ—d is not a Yard or no good rule or measure and if this were good consequence R. B. and I. T. but that they are blind still might see it conclude more strongly against their Letters being as they plead it to be the only true Light or Rulâ— then against the Light since there 's as many silly senses misty meanings and contradictory conceits in the minds of them that are Ministers of it almost as they are Ministers of it For whereas they tell us of two Qua. contradicting one another I have told these four men I.O. T.D. R.B. I.T. of contradicting one another many times o're in their books against us and shall do yet a little more before this book I here write be at an end yea â—n truth as I have shewed already before and shall do more behind there 's little else then confusion and contradiction to themselves by our men called Clergy well nigh in all the Doctrines they have to do with besides this reaâ—on rendred by them is not at all against the Light of God but against mens meer conceits which we are more against then any men whatever calling men out of their own conceivings into Gods own Counsel the Light So quid hoc ad rem Reas. 2. Because that which unvariable and alterable cannot be a persons Rule for its the property of a Rule to be invariable and the same at all times Rules Measures Weights Dials Squares and what other things are made if they be varied câ—ase be Rules Rules should be fixt and certain but nothing more variable then mens light in them Rep. Igrant that 's no rule which is variable and alterable and therefore have above from hence concluded and do here again from your own premises conclude the Letter the Rule ye talk for more then walk by not to be that only Rule of Faith and Life as ye would have it but Gods Light in the heart which the Letter came from sith as I. O. teaches us in his Epistle though he will not learn the same lesson himself but teaches in his book as much against it as he does for it that the Letter in the very Original copies of it
and Paul useth this exprâ—bation Where 's the wise where the Disputer of this world Rep. The Phylosophers and the Iewish Rabbins whereof the one had the Light within which ye call natural but is indeed Gods Law which is spiritual and not the Scripture without and the other both that Light within which is the Law and the Letter without also did neither of them improve it to the utmost as ye falsly assert nor follow that Light but one their own thoughts inventions and imaginations only of things as ye do yours the other their own senses meanings and traditionary interpretations of the Letter and so ran both out mostly into a Phylosophy and Science falsly so called and into meer vâ—in deceit as your selves do who are the same Generation of Disputers of this world whose wisdome God is making foolish and by that foolishness of preaching as ye count that of the Qua. saving such as believe in that Light they call to If the Iewish Rabbins who were as well skill'd in Scripture as your selves did get so little saving knowledge of God by their study of the Law or Letter and Tradition of Elders because not looking to the Law or Light in the heart which the Letter sends to ye may â—ee the reason why ye are so succesless in your seeking God as to know so little of him as ye do who are yet seeking him in no other way then they Ioh. 5.39 And as much as ye despise the Heathen Phylosophers as Ethnicks some even of them that did according to the Law or Light they had wil as much judge many of you nominal Christians as they did the Iews who with the Iews make boast of the Letter of the Law yet through breaking thereof dishonor God and cause the name Christian to be a stink among the Gentiles Reas. 9. If every mans Light within him were a safe guide to him in Religion and Morality then do all Law-makers ill c. and judges ill in passing sentence of condemnation on men then aâ— mâ—â—â—ill to reprove c. Parents Tutors Schoolmasters ill to teach men otherwise then is all Government and Magistracy unprofitablâ— Rulers are not Ministers of God to us for good but only to molest and oppress us then they that set their children to School do foolishly Vniversities and Schools of Arts to breed up in liberature and good manners are vain and all these are to be abolished which were the way to lay all waste c. to level people in manners and knowledge c. to reduce to Barbarism to make the Nation a Wilderness in fine to drive Gods Spirit from us and introduce unclean spirits to repossess our Land to expel all that is excellent and may better us and to fill the Nation with a Generation of fools in whom God hath no pleasure Eccl. 5.4 and by consequence to condemn all the man of worth in the world since the Câ—â—ation of folly and blindness Rep. The former part of this Rantipole Reason is refell'd before in former parts of this book of mine where the very contrary rather is abundantly shewed viz. that 't were ill in Judges Rulers Magistrates Parents whose correction of ill doers for whom the Law only is 1 Tim. 1.9 we own to reprove condemn and punish any for doing contrary to the puâ—e Religion and undefiled before God which is morality or good manners and to keep a mans self unspotted of the ill manners and pollutions of the world if the persons so reproved condemned punisht and corrected had not a Light in them sufficient to teach them that true Religion for all just condemnation must arise from mans having Light not loving to live by it and the Light only is the worlds condemnation Ioh. 3.19 And as for the last clauses about Tutors and Schoolmasters Vniversities and Schools of Arts to breed up in literature and good manners as they pretend to do they had more need then any other places and people in this Nation to be taught themâ—elves what true Religion and good manners are yea the very principles thereof if that Light in every mans conscience that teaches them to live honestly righteously and soberly as in truth it is and to keep a mans self unspotted of the world be that pure Religion â—hat's undefiled before God as the Scripture sayes it is and not that of those who are pure and religious in their own eyes and yet never mean to be washed from their filthiness I have spoken much above how vain they are of all places throughout this Nation and add thus in brief that unless they come to be better reformed then ever they have been since I knew them they are at this day not for want of a Light within but of attending to that Light that is in their hearts that teaches them better so full of vaâ—ity pridâ— luxury filth enmity hatred malice against truth insolent scoffing at good men abusive carriages toward the Qua. in their Meetings 〈…〉 â—eastliness rudeness ignorancâ— violence as that of the Horse and Mule whose mouths lest they do mischief must be held in with bit and bridle as the Schollars have not been of late so much as they should be by either Mayâ—rs or ViceChancâ—llors without in our two Vniversities nor by the Light in themselves which how ere they bear the names of Nurseriâ—s of Religion and have some seeming shews thereof shews all their Religion to be in vain Iam. 1.26 That the abode of them in the Nations in this deformed state wherein they stand as Nurseries of naughtiness more then honesty is rather as it hitherto hath been a way to lay wast all common civility and corrupt all good manners and bring men to barbarism and make the Nation a Wildeâ—â—â—ss yea an Acheldama or field of blood if people every where should be as bloody as the Schollars have been at Oxford and Cambâ—idge against the Saints witness what 's above declared and the late pranks at Cambridge since that was written and in sine to drive away the Spirit of God fâ—om among us introduce unclean spirits to repossess us and our Lord to expel all that is and all them also that are excellent and may better us as the Qua. do who seek to bring all men to innocency and honesty a little of which shall 〈◊〉 weigh all Scholastical sibtilis and 〈◊〉 Piety in the day that are coming on and in a word to fill the Nation still which hath been too full of such for many Ages and Generations upwards with that Generation of Locusts and Caterpillars that have eat up every green thing in it and that whole FFFraternity of Fools in whom God hath no pleasure who are more ready to offer their Cains Sacrifices then to hear and obey what God himself saith in them Eccles. 5.4 And lastly to condemn all the sincere hearted Saints and honest hearts since the Creation which are men of such worth in the world that what ere the worthless wise men
to pay his Creditor 20l. should never pay it him upon the pretence of an impossibility to perform his promise if he do once pay the mony I must ever owe him the monâ—y and stand engaged to endeavour to pay it therefore unlesse I make my selfe uncapable of performing my promise which I am alwayes mindfull of performing I must never actually pay it But now as to T. D's place who would it seems willingly be alwayes in Gods debt during his life but never come out of it till after death ever owing so much love as fulfills the Law but never practising it so as to fulfill the Law I must arrest him for all his shift and deny the minor of his Argument We are not required to be alwayes doing or endeavoring to suppre is and mortify sin so as never to bring the work to accomplishment in th ss life but once to effect it before we dye for As they are blamed that are over learning and never able to come to the knowledg of the Truth So are they as little accepted that are allwayes seeking to God dayly in pretence as a Nation that had a mind to do Righteousness asking of him the Ordinances of Iustice seeming to take delight in approaching to God that they might know his wayes alwayes when the appointed time comes Fasting and Praying humbling and afflicting their Souls for a day and hanging down their heads as a Bullrush thinking that to be a Fast of the Lords chusing and the acceptable day of the Lord yet never loosing the bands of wickednesse nor undoing the heavy burden nor breaking every yoak nor letting the oppressed Seed of God in their own hearts nor without neither go free ever and anon fasting for sin never from it ever reforming never reformed ever running never obtaining alwayes making a shew of mortifying sin never making any true effectuall mortification of it ever warring never overcoming nor quenching the fiery darts of the wicked nor dislodging the vain thoughts that are in them nor coming to the end of the Commandement which is love from a pure heart good conscience and faith unfamed allwayes beating the aire but never keeping under the body nor bringing it into subjection to the power of Truth ever owing that love which works no ill but fulfills the Law never performing any thing but that hatred which breaks the law debtors alwayes to the Spirit but living after the flesh and never by the Spirit mortifying the deeds of the body that they may live to God such sluggardly wishers and wouldens and seekers and respecters and pretenders and striuers and runners fighters reformers and mortifiers will be cast away at length for all their constant endeavours sith they do not so much as look to overtake what they run after nor reach the high prize they professe to presse to in this life which if they do not themselves say also t is to late to effect and obtaine it after death But Qui cupit optatam cursu contingere metam Multa tulit fecitque puer sintavit alsit 'T is good for a man to bear Christs Yoak in his youth sith the Soul of the sluggard desireth and hath nothing but the Soul of the diligent shall be made far As for the residue of T. Ds. reply to the argument above as some of it has bin toucht on before so what was not is scarce worth mentioning He tells us v. 6. which talks of respect to all Gods Commands explaines all the other Rep. T. D. sayes so but wher 's his proof beside if it be so a true real respect though such a slender one as he rests in does not stands in a due and true observation of them is he worthy to be respected as a true respecter of Gods Commandements that breaks them T.D. David excludes himself from the blessed Estate if undefiled and doing no iniquity be meant strictly here sith his wish v. 5. and other passages shew he was not free from sin which surely David did not intend because Psal. 32.2.5 he pronounces blessednesse to the man in whose Spirit is no guile who is sincere as himself was at that time though then under the guilt as is supposed by interpreters of his great sin of murder and adultery for which Psal. 51. was composed Rep. 1st some of this dirty stuff I spoke to but a little before the falsehood of which is evident for whereas the Scripture sayes David was not upright in the matter of Uriah T.D. sayes yea he was sincere and had no guile in his Spirit when under the guilt of those great sins 2d as to the rest what if David did exclude himself If he were under those great evills he might well exclude himself from the blessednesse of sincere ones till he came into the sense of Gods Love again to repentance while he pronounced the undefiled ones blessed that did no such iniquity he had reason to take the curse as his own portion to himself and to cry out of himself Talaiporos Anthroyos O wretched man that I am more deservedly then Paul who though in zeal of God shedding blood yet was 't is like never such a deep Adulterer and deliberate Murderer as David was in Vriahs case and as God said to Israel Hos 9.1 so might David say to himself rejoyce not thou as other honest people for thou aâ—t gone a who â—ing from thy God and if that were his case as thou intimatest it was wherein he was so desperately defiled with filth and blind he might well exclude himself from it having no reason to take to himself the blessing of the undefiled or whether he excluded himself or no from it this I am sure for all thy foolish dreams about Davids good Condition Iustification Blessednesse and Vprightness whilst under the guilt of those sordid Iniquities that the Scripture excludes him in that case so far from blessednesse that it concludes him neither upright as thou simply dost not so much as a respecter of Gods Commands which at least thou dorest he was even when he called that all abomination whiles thou Judg him as Indeed thou doest to have respect to Gods commandments that despises both God and him for 2 Sam. 12. as much as thou smoothest over those abominable businesses the better to sooth thy self and some sinful Saints like thy self in your lusts and iniquities as no more then Saints infirmities who have respect to all Gods Commandemets in respect of design and indeavour though falling short in accomplishing yet when Nathan came to him well-nigh a year after he had lyen in that dirty pickle in impenitency under the guilt of those gross impieties he is so far from sowing pillows and daubing with such untempered morter as thou dost and from including him in the lists of sincerity and owning him as one that had respect to all Gods Commands that he convinces him of his wicked hypocrisies and condemns him as one that had despised both God himself and
the deeds of darknesse which are sin For the light and Spirit lead none into sin But there be such as walk in the light in the day in which if a man walk saith John he stumbles not 1 Ioh. Much lesse fallsâ— There be some that walk not after the flesh but after the Spirit and are led by the Spirit and those that are led by it are not under the Law the lash of which they would be under as all sinners are if they transgressed it but under grace And these are the Sons of God those that are born of God whom the world knowes not 1 Ioh. 1 2 3. for they are his hidden ones Psal. 83. against whom they take crafty councel as against an impure generation though they purify themselves even as Christ himselfe is pure whilst such as know neither the Sons of God nor whose Sons themselves are while they sin are that generation that 's pure in their own eyes though not yet washed from their filthiness nor meaning to be so here Who ever walkes after the Spirit and no more after the flesh and lusts of it at it seems by that very Text Rom. 8. some do to whom alone there 's no condemnation because no sin for they are in Christ so out of the transgression in the light out of the darknesse in but one of which a man can be at one time such sin not who ever they be unless T.D. I.O. and the whole Gang of blind guides who tell people that none but that person that Christ appeared in a Ierusalem ever were shall or can be fuâ—ly freed from sinning in this world will being â—ore shooes in that sink of sottishness run ore boots too so as to say the Light and Spirit leads such as follow and walk after it into lust and sin Therefore there are some that live without sinning And this is one infallible Argument from the very letter it self if it were not become now as a Book sealed to the learned lookers into it that freedom from sin was attainable by the power of Christs light and the grace of God which alone even we say is sufficient to that end and was attained by Paul and others then and therefore may be now even in this life in that Panâ— declares concerning Law of the Spirit of life which is in Christ Iesus the head from whence as the holy ointment it runs down to the Skirts of the Garment and as the unction 1 Ioh. 2. abides in his body teaching all things it had made him free from the law of sin and death of which Law of sin and death he relates in that 7. Chapter that he was once wretched by reason of its carrying him captive to it self of its motions of sin working in him and bringing forth fruit in him unto death of its warring in his members against the Light or Law of God in his mind by which he had the knowledge of sin in the very lust of it as that he should not covet nor lust to envy anger uncleanness c. Which the Scribes and Pharises Mat. 5. and Paul himself while a Pharisee looking into the lâ—tter without only as he did from a child knew not till he turn'd to the light within and came to the Law in the Spirit till he and it came to look each other in the face from which time and not from his looking into the letter he saw the Law in the spirituality holinesse righteousness and goodnesse 〈◊〉 and for all his former formality and strict pretence to unrighteousness profession of a letter ad extra his own meer naughtinesse and carnality as that of one that was still sold under sin and a committer of it in the sight of God from whose wrath that old drosty dunghilly righteousnesse of his own Phil. 3. which was not Christs as T. D. blasphemously belyes it to be p. 22. 1. Pamp. could not deliver him till he witness'd himselfe cloth'd with another even that righteousness which is of God by faith in Christ not imputed onely but imparted also to the true sanctification as well as justification of every one that believeth which passages nevertheless of that 7th chap. to the Romans and that 12. of his 2d Ep. to the Corinthians our senseless Seers have made among others one of their main common places from whence to prove the very contrary even that there is no such freedom from sin while in the body but that of necessity it must be acted by the Saints themselves while they breath upon this outward earth For say they if Paul complained of a body of sin and death while he liv'd and how he was sold under sin and carryed captive to the Law of it and of the Law of sin waâ—ring in his members against the Law in his mind so that he could not do the good he should but when he would do good evill was present with him and also of a Thorne in his flesh a Messenger of Satan to buffet him as he does 2 Cor. 1 2 3. c. and all this after his conversion to his dying day Then much lesse can any other Saints expect to be set so free from sin by what power soever in this life as to live and not sin and such like But Paul did so therefore what man can do otherwise Who can ever live and not sin Thus they argue against Qua. as a damnable sort of Hereticks that deliver a doctrine of Devils because they hold out as attainable that hellish thing as they count it call'd holiness and such freedom from sin in this life so as not to commit iniquity any more not considering all this while that Paul in those terms speakes what he once was yea even after his conversion to the light till sin was wholly subdued by the light condemning it in his flesh and bringing forth in him judgement over it into victory and not of what he was at the writing thereof in which time he sayes the Law of the Spirit had made him free from that Law of sin Not yet heeding at all that the Thorn in the flesh was not a transgression but a temptation with which God exercised him that he might shew the sufficiency of his own grace to support and keep him from transgression even from that sin of being exalted above measure and that no lesse then 14. years before he wrote this and not just then when or while he wrote it much lesse a transgression that remain'd unmortified in him till his dying day One argument more I shall urge from I O's own book thus viz If perfect Salvation from sin be the proper end of the Scripture and it be perfect to that its end and does perfect it and yet does what it does in this present world or nowhere to which it is accomodated only and ceases to do ought into the world to come then that perfect Salvation must be wrought out by it or here or no where at all But
the Term Our which quite alters the state of the Question and makes it altogether another This Truth is told us viz That the Terms of the 3. Question were Whether Good works be the meritorious cause of our Iustification which was expressely affirmed by the Qua Witnesse Hen Oxenden Iohn Boys Esquires Mr. Nath Barry Mr. Thomas Seyliard Mr. Char Nicolls Ministers a few of very many Witnesses quoth T.D. in his Epist to the Reader of the Terms of the Questions agreed to by the Qua who will free me and how well they free him let all the world judge from the suspition of a partial Relator Witnesse also T.D. himself who if it be the same T.D. as no doubt it is who wrote both that Book and the Epistle and Narrative thereto annexed in p. 58. of the self-same Book to the Contradicting and Confounding of himselfe in the former Tale together with those his own Witnesses tells all that Truth that is last related 2. They tell us one while that is when we not only assert it but evince it from the Rule of contraries that its rank Popery to say Good works deserve Iustification Otherwhiles that is when to the contradiction of themselves they assert and evince the same from the same Rule then to go round again it 's no Popery Witnesse T.D. who in p. 14. of his 1. Pamphlet sayes S.F. shews himself a rank Papist indeed in so arguing yet p. 15. in proof of himselfe to be a good Protestant no Papist allows himself so to argue viz Evill works which are the violation of the Law deserve damnation Ergo Good works which are the fulfilling of the Law deserve salvation adding That he knows no good works such but Christs To which I answer Nor do I know any good works such but Christs and I adde I own all Good works such that are Christs and there T.D. dissents in not owning all Christs own Good works such but some only namely such as he did at Ierusalem and some even of Christs own Good works as namely all such as he works in his Saints who works all their good works in them Isa 26.12 as no better then dung losse and filthy rags Witnesse his blind blending of these two distinct businesses into one and the same viz The righteousnesse wrought by men without Christ and the righteousnesse wrought in men by Christ or Our good works alias Mans own righteousnesse wrought only by men in their own wills wisdome strength according to their thoughts imaginations conceits traditions c. without Christs Light and Spirit which is that only the Spirit calls Ours that is as an unclean thing as filthy rags Isa 64.4 which God speaking to Israel that being ignorant of Gods righteousnesse went about to establish their own Rom 10.3 calls Thy righteousnesse thy works which cannot profit nor deliver Isa 57.12 13. And which Paul Phil. 3.9 stiles his own righteousnesse which was of the Law as in opposition to that of God and Christ And those good works of Christ in our persons in performing whereof the righteousnesse of the Law is said though by Christs Power only to be fulfilled in us Rom 8.4 Or that righteousnesse which is though in the Saints yet of God alone through their faith in Christ Iesus the Light Phil 3.9 For these two Righteousnesses the one whereof who is not blind may see to be only mans own which is worse then naught and avails not The other only Christs own which must be of infinite worth and desert to justifie as T.D. also to the further confounding of himselfe truly confesses p. 15.1 Pam from the dignity of the person or subject i.e. Christ in us by whom it 's performed T.D. confounds together both into one and the self same and consequently concludes himself unavoidably to be respectively both a Self Contradictor and which is worse a most abominable Blasphemer For if the Righteousnesse and Obedience that is by Christs Power performed in his Saints Persons be both Christs own and yet mans own also Then being one and the same individual righteousnesse it must have a mutual participation of the same Properties and Denominations respectively so that if Christs own righteousnesse may be said to be of worth and desert to Salvation as it truly is by T. D. himselfe then â— mans Pauls the Saints own righteousnesse which T.D. sayes was Christs received from Christ wrought by Christ must be consequently meritorius also and that 's a piece of rank Popery and wretched Foppery of T.Ds. own broaching who yet would Father it upon the Qua which the Qua who own all mans own righteousnesse to be as the Scripture sayes of it unclean dung losse and filthy rags and utterly unprofitable do as utterly abhorre and so T.D. makes himselfe a Merit Monger with a witnesse such as never yet was found among the Qua That dying-Qua at Dover himself whom T.D. belyes in that particular not excepted And again If Mans Pauls the Saints own righteousnesse may be said as it truly is Isa 57.12 13. 64.4 Phil. 3.8 to be unprofitable unclean dung losse and filthy rags then the self same which Paul and other Saints their own righteousnesse being no other then Christs then what they receive from him and he works in them as T.D. sayes for their Sanctification some of Christs own righteousnesse Yea even that too which serves for the Saints sanctification and to make the Saints meet for that possession where â—no unclean thing must enter must be unprofitable unclean dung losse and filthy rags which is no lesse then point blank blasphemy yea in expresse terms p. 23. I deny our justification by Christ in us quoth he by that righteousnesse in us whereof Christ is the Author as if that Christ in us and that righteousnesse of his in us which is the same with that without us deserved nothing 3. Moreover in saying there are two Righteousnesses of Christ when as the Righteousness of Christ whether in himself or in his Saints is but one he crouds confusion upon confusion in the eye of every clear considerer of his inconsiderable stuff which cannot but see that what God joyns together as one this he separates and puts asunder what is truly one and undivided as Christ and his Righteousnesse is this he divides and distinguishes into two righteousnesses 2 Things meant by that one name of Christ his Person and his Operations in us The latter whereof he denys for righteousness to justification But what things are truly and distinctly two and ought accordingly to be and by the Lord are divided separated and put asunder as Mans Pauls the Iewes own righteousnesse and that righteousnesse which is of God by faith in Christ received from and wrought by Christ in his Saints which the Scripture Rom 10 Phil. 3. opposes and speaks of as in contradistinction each to other These two T.D. and his Brother Builders whose work it is to build Babel or confusion as their
the same Text sence against the Quakers is against him to the confounding of him which Text is Ioh. 1.9 Where the true light is said to enlighten every man coming into the World for howbeit I. O. cloudily concludes with all the other three viz. T.D. R.B. I.T. in concluding and crouding that most universall Terme 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 every man within the little compasse and narrow corner of his wheel in a wheel i. e. The Elect men only saying Synagogically with the rest Hoc est Syncategorema istud omnis non absolute sed relate ad Electos dicitur This is the Consignification of that Term All it s meant not absolutely but relatively to the Elect yet when he sayes Non dicitur Christum illuminare omnem hominent venientem in mundum sed quod ipse veniens in mundum omnem hominem illuminat Christ is not said to enlighten every man that comes into the World but that becoming into the world lighteneth every man and that this is the sence of those words the falsenesse silliness of which sence the insufficiency nothingness of it also to serve his turn against the Qua if granted him I have shewed in the book it self to which this is but an Appendix Here not only each of his three friends forsake him for T.D. himself among all his many meanings meddles not with this but two of them viz. I.T. and R.B. who backs I.Ts. Book make bold to fight against him for it as well as the Qua. do Witnesse their words p. 1 2. There is a doubt whether it should be read thus that was the true light coming into the World which inlightneth every man by a trajection or as ours read it as the words are placed That was the true light which inlightneth every men which cometh into the World Grotius after Cyrill and Austin and some others see how the Divines are divided and the Founders confounded among themselves likes the former as best but first such trajection disordering the words 2. The phrase being as fitly interpreted of birth as of appearing as a Teacher I rather chuse the reading of our Translators And p. 24. They tell us over again how coming into the World here is related to every man coming and not to Christs coming into it and how they before gave reasons against I. Os. sence So having been walking the Rounds with these men to give the World a Review of the Riddles they are wrapt in and the manifold Contradictions they are by the network of their own hands snared catcht and tangled in about their letter till I am come with them to that main Text at which they leave me because it talks so plainly of the true light which they love not and I leave them to dance about still in the darknesse of their own divinations I proceed in the light in which I see them though they being out of it see not themselves to open briefly to all people who love not to live with them rather in their darknesse then in Christs light the mist of darknesss wherein they mope about and dance the Rounds in their discourses about the Light in their fiery fluttering against which the wicked now is as he ever was snared in the work of his own hands Psal. 9 16. Higgaion Selah consider and note it Contradictions Absurdities and Rounds concerning the Light in the Conscience which the Qua testifie to As concerning the True Light or gift of Gods grace in every man the four men aforesaid do as all their fellowes do uno ore babble somwhat about it and bear witnesse either for or against it but each mans witness agrees no better together within it self then that they give about the other matters abovesaid Somtimes they call it Light truly really naturally and properly so and not metaphorically nor by way of allusion to what is so Witnesse I. O. p. 74. It is spirituall morall intellectuall light that hath the preheminence as to a participation of the nature and properties of Light Otherwhiles the same who excluded it from the name of Metaphoricall by that of naturall and proper to go round again do conclude it to be metaphoricall as in opposition contradistinction to both naturall and proper Witnesse I. O. who confounds his own foresaid saying p. 74. with another division Ex. 3. S. 4 5 6 7 8 c. Where under that same term of metaphoricall he distinguishes that Light he calls morall spiritual intellectuall as respecting and exercising mens minds whether in matters morall civill or spirituall from that which respects bodily sight which he call'd naturall and proper Somtimes they call this very light whereby duties and divine things are discerned universall and common to all as the Qua do i. e. in some measure though not to all in the same but when so then no other but naturall as in opposition to supernaturall and spirituall Witnesse T.D. p. 1.1 pamp Naturall and supernaturall light are two an I though all have the one yet few the other and I. O. Ex. 4 S. 17. Lumen internum omnibus commune naturale est c. The light within common to all is naturall and to be called so S. 18. If this light that is common be not naturall the very Intellect is not naturall So S. 25. Concessimus reliquias primavae lucis esse in omnibus sed eas esse spirituales id pernegamus some relicks of the primitive light we grant to be in all but deny these to be spirituall Nihil non naturale nihil spirituale communicatum c. Nothing but what 's naturall nothing that 's spirituall is common or communicated to all So also R. Bax. I. Tom. A naturall light from Christ is yielded to be in every man c. pag. 33. Otherwhiles this very universall light in all which before was said to be not supernaturall or spirituall but meerly naturall to go round again is by these men yielded to be at least more then naturall and so no lesse according to T. Ds. division of light into two then supernaturall and spirituall Witnesse against themselves R.B. I.T. p. 37. It can hardly be avouched that that knowledge in morality and divinity which they i. e. People that never had the Law nor Gospell made known to them as the Jewes and Christians have had attained to was by meer light of Nature and in Baxters Epistle p. 7. he tells us of a Common supernaturall light given to the unsanctified I might also call in Iohn Horn and the two Thomas Moores that push with him against the truth as Witnesses of the same confusion that is among all the Priests in this matter who in their book stiled A fuller Discovery c. p. 61. affirm the light wherewith Christ lighteth every man is both naturall and spirituall but as my businesse lyes mainly with the other four men So George Whitehead hath sufficienly thrust down the vain thoughts already of those three in his Book stil'd The
Lord for their sin in belying his light can expect no better from him then what is due to all blind Truth Blasphemers As for T. D. he sayes the least of all these four in contradiction to himself about the light howbeit as is above shewed not so little but that it s seen that eodem cum illis haeret luto he sticks in the same Quagmire together with them But as for I. O he is more over head and eares in it as to this poynt then all the rest I shall only take two or three more turns upon that wheel of his on which he is unwearied in running round and so make an end with them altogether at this time And first let us see what I. O saith by way of Concession to us against himself about the light in all mens consciences First Tr 1. c. 2. S. t1 he writeth thus viz. God declares his Soveraign power and Authority righteousness and holinesse by the innate or ingrafted light of nature and principles of the Consciences of men That indispensible morall obedience which he requireth of us as his creatures subject to his law is in general thus made known unto us Then citing and writing out at large that Text Rom. 2.14 15. For the Gentiles c. he goes on thus By the light which God hath indelibly implanted in the minds of men accompanyed with a morall instinct of good and evill seconded by that self judgment which he hath placed in us in reference to his own over us he doth reveale himself unto the Sons of men And that we may know and be ascertained that this thing is no deceivable pretence but that God doth so indeed reveale himself thereby he adds S. 13. The voice of God in nature is effectuall it declares it self to be from God by its own light and Authority There is no need to convince a man by substantiall witnesses that what his conscience speaks it speaks from God whether it bear testimony to the Being Righteousness Power Omniscience or Holiness of God himself or whether it call for that morall obedience which is eternally and indispensably due to him and so shewes forth the work of the Law in the heart it so speaks declares it self that without further evidence or reasoning without the advantage of any considerations but what are by it self supplyed And then without an outward Ministry letter or writing surely or if it did not yet the letter without that came from the light within is of the lights own supplying it discovers its Author from whom it is and in whose name it speaks 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 those common notions and generall presumptions of him his Authority that are inlayed in the natures of rationall creatures by the hand of God to this end that they might make a Revelation of him as to the purposes mentioned are able to plead their Divine Original without the least contribution of strength or assistance from without Thus far I.O. writes the truth of the light within saving here and there the interposition of that Epithite Naturall Thus far have I set down I. Os. words that all may see how far he accords with them in these words in the same things about which he Quarrells with the Quaâ—as not knowing what to make of their Inward word and Light they talke of which is indeed wholly though himselfe fees it not excepting in his often undervaluing of the Light within by that name of naturall as in opposition to the Qua which otherwise while he sees it serves his turn so to do against another sort of his Antagonists he magnifies in words and makes as honourable with all his might as the Qua do and together with them He grants that its the voyce of God a means of the knowledge of God and of his will of Divine Originall and Authority calls for that morall obedience A higher matter then he thinks for which is eternally and indispensably due to God speaks in the name of God and from God so infallibly in the heart that it needs no other evidence assistance advantage c. and then not the letter to witnesse that it speakes from God is his law to which his creatures are to be subject is ascertain'd to be no deceivable pretence but that indeed by which God doth reveale himself to the soul of man that light which God hath indelibly implanted in the minds of men is accompanyed with a morall instinct of good and evill seconded with a self-judgment in us in reference to Gods own over us shewes the work of the Law in the heart so as they are left wholly inexcusable who will not learn and know God from thence neverthelesse to go round again he pinches it back at first after he hath done magnifying it with the diminitive termes of the Light of nature low dark obscure â— winekling light that scarcely peeps out of the most pernitious darknesse enlightening mearly in morall matters duties morall good and evill sufficient to leave men without excuse not save nor bring them to the true knowledg of God only that which was given to man at first before he fell the state of the first man and at last a thing altogether faigned a deceivable pretence grossely imagined every ones private light making as many Rules as men That inward light the Revelation that comes from which is uncertain dangerous unprofitable no way necessary to the knowing of God and his will therefore to be rejected and detested A means of the knowledge of God and of Communion with him boasted of by the Fanaticks an addition to the written word of God which is most heavily damned by the Spirit of God among that of confabulation with Angells and others id genus furfuris of the like bran that which we are sent to that we may get the knowledge of God or any direction in our duty to him at no time and no where at all by God a principle of Revelation most uncertain fallacious both as to it self and what things it reveals a meer faculty of the understanding I know not what light of no correspondency with the Scripture and word I know not what divine soul of the world mingled in all things which is Every thing and truly Nothing a light which however attended to is in all divine things as to the utmost end meerly darknesse and blindnesse it self These and many more id genus furfuris etfarraginis are the depressive debasive denominations whereby I. O. having first advanc'd the light within and law of God in thâ— heart into its proper place prerogative Titles and Authority as Gods Vicar on earth which Office the Pope and Clergy have long usurped as a faithfull witnesse right reverend Recorder and subordinate Iudge for God and between God and man in the Conscience doth after Thrust it out again from its Throne Rob it of its Recordership detrude it from its true Title Divest it of all its Authority Digrade it from its
with Luke but with the Spirit of the living God not in tables of stone as of old for a figure hereof by the finger of God but in fleshly tables of the heart in which may be read and understood not onely as in the Scripture and the Law without the right that is what you should do and should be but the fact also that is what you do and what you are For to know Thy self whom if thou knowst not thou knowst not Christ whom if thou knowst not it s no profit to thee to know other things this comes no other way then by an inward beholding of thy self in that more inward looking-glass namely the light of Christ by which God shines in the conscience which light leads those that follow it to hear that true and living word of God of which the Scripture declares that its powerfull and mighty and sharper then any two-edged Sword piercing even to the dividing of the Soul and Spirit and of the marrow and reines discerning the thoughts and cogitations of the heart before which all things are naked bare that it is as fire and as an hammer breaking the Rocks in pieces and causing all things to tremble at the hearing thereof which was in the beginning before the Scripture was which testifies of it concerning which the Scripture both Old New doth truly testify it 's not far off but nigh in the heart and mouth that thou maist do it even that very word of Faith the Apostles Preached 24. This light is that good old way Older than the Eldest among the Sects of this age whether of Iewes or Christians who all in the mean time namely both Catholiks and Lutherans and Calvinists Baptists c. every one professing themselves to be the Antient est have divided the Grand Tree of the old Roman Church into so many branches lesser boughs and little twigs that the whole Body thereof wil ere long be sick even unto death She who hath been so long the Mother of so many children is almost now devoured of Her own children This light I say is that Antient way unto which God by the Prophet Ieremiah called back the Israelites when degenerated from God into their own traditions saying stand in the wayes and see and ask for the Antient paths where i that good way walk therein and you shall find rest unto your souls but they said We will not walk therein hearken to the voice of the Trumpet but they said We will not hearken 25. This Light is a Teacher that cannot deceive for it is the Testimony of God which is greater than the Testimony of man nor yet can it flatter for it reproves every one justly not justifying the wicked and condemning the Innocent but telling every one the Truth concerning himself directly as the case is and no otherwise accusing and excusing then God himself from whom it is for if by that which is shining from God in thee thy own heart condemns thee there is no God without that holds thee guiltless but when by that thy heart condemns thee not then maist thou have boldness before God 26. Finally this Light is that perfect law of Liberty of which whoso is a hearer and not a doer he is like a man that beholds his natural face in a glass which so soon as ever he hath beheld and is gone away he straitway forgets what manner of man he was but whoso looketh into it and continueth therein and is not a forgetful and an idle bearer but a doer of the work this man shall be blessed in his deed Henceforth therefore who ere thou art who wouldst know thy self do not seek thy self out of thy self but behold thy self within in that inward Light which inwardly gives the diâ—cerning not only of the good and perfect mind and will of God concerning thee but also of thy own mind and of thy whole self and that so perfectly that concerning these and even all things pertaining to the Salvation of the Soul and the Kingdom of God with the Righteousness thereof and what Haereditary right thou hast therein which is nigh wch is within saith Christ to the Pharisees who never entred into it there is no need that thou shouldst go forth of thy self in order to a further evidence and understanding of them yea thou knowest more than enough already if of the good will of God thou knowest more than thou livest up to for what good is only known and not done tends only unto thy condemnation In all openness and plainness and not in knowing what is to be done but in doing what is already known stands the Salvation of the Sons of men 28. Moreover what hinders unless they be delighted in the blinding of their own eyes the stopping of their eares and the hardning of their hearts in rejecting the councell of God to their own perdition but that the wicked may come to the life of God from which they stand estranged for the way to that life howere it 's narrower and straiter by reason of the Cross of Christ which is dayly to be taken up by those that follow him then that wide and broad way that leads to destruction for which cause it is that so many enter in by this and so few by the other yet is together with that which tends unto death so plainly made manifest by the Light that unless it be to such as are willingly ignorant it cannot easily be hidden 29. For the fruits of the Spirit or works of the Light which are righteousness love goodnes faith gentlenes sobriety temperance chastity which who so brings forth to God lives with God and sees God are manifest to every one that doth not wink against the Light in his own conscience and the works of darkness or of the flesh such as are adultery fornication uncleannes lascivicusness idolatry witch-craft hatred variance emulation wrath strife seditions heresies envy murders drunkenness revellings and such like which whoeever doth shall never enter into the Kingdom of God are manifest saith the Scripture and that not so much by the Scripture as by the Light to which the Scripture testifies and by which they were manifest in the consciences of men before the Scripture was and are made manifest at this day where the Scripture is not by which also they would have been made manifest if the Scripture had never been For all things that are reproved saith the Spirit in the Scripture are made manifest by the Light for whatsoever doth make manifest is Light 30. To this therefore all apply your minds to this come in this walk and continually abide even in the Spirit of God which reproveth the world and comforteth the Saints called redeemed and chosen out of the world Here stand continually that ye may both know your selves and comprehend false Spirits with the works and children of darkness who are comprehended and discerned by the Spirit by the