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A77832 A vindication of the book called, Some Gospel-truths opened; according to the Scriptures, and the opposition made against it by Edward Borrough, a professed Quaker, (but proved an enemie to the truth) examined and confuted by the word of God. And also, the things that were then laid down, and declared to the world by me, are a second-time born witness to, according to truth: with the answer of Edward Burrough to the quæries then laid down in my book reproved. And also, a plain answer to his quæries, given in simplicitie of soul; and is now also presented to the world, or who else may read, or hear them; to the end (if God will) that truth may be discovered thereby. / by John Bunyan ... Bunyan, John, 1628-1688.; Burrough, Edward, 1634-1662.; Bunyan, John, 1628-1688. Some gospel-truths opened according to the Scriptures. 1657 (1657) Wing B5606; ESTC R170889 81,202 76

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Lamb of God that takes away the sins of the world by his blood on the Crosse who is now also at his Fathers right hand making intercession for all those that do come to the Father by him but they that are not for the truth will advance any thing but the truth And as for that which thou callest the second clause which is The Law sayest thou must be obeied I answer Christ Jesus hath done that in his own person and justified me thereby and for my part I will not labour now to fulfil the Law for justification least I should undervalue the merits of the man Christ Jesus and what he hath done without me and yet will I labour to fulfil if it were possible ten thousand Laws if there were so many and O! let it be out of love to my sweet Lord Jesus 2 Cor 5.14 for the love of Christ constrains me and thus much to thy 16 page In the next place Thou art offended with this because I say though Christ doth give a light to every one that coms into the world yet it doth not therefore follow that this conscience or light is the Spirit of Christ or the work of grace wrought in the heart of any be●iever This I shall pass also as having spoken to it already only mind thee of thy weakness in that thou shouldest m●ke this conscience that Christ hath given to every man to be the same with the Spirit of Christ And thou sayest further that the light that Christ hath lightened every one with is the same in narure with the Spirit of Christ O wonderful that a man should be so foolish and so much besides the truth as to compare that nature or conscience that is given to every man equall to the Spirit of Christ Nay thou sayest that it is one with it in nature Did'st thou not blush when thou laydest it down If thou did'st not thou mightest have done with shame enough As I said before because thy conscience will convince thee of sin therefore thou wilt call it Christ or as good as Christ What! because the Law will convince of sin therefore the Law must be called Christ What ignorance is this Nay nature it self that must have the preheminency even as high as Christ Jesus because it can tell a man that it is a shame for him to wear long hair Then thou askest me can there be a surer thing for the Creature to walk by than by the light of Christ which thou confessest every one hath that cometh into the world Answer Friend to the law and to the testimony sai h the Scriptures for they testify of Christ And if thou or any else shall leave the Scriptures to follow the convictions of their own conscience ye are not like to know Christ Jesus the Lord for they may be defiled And again it is through the promises laid down in the Scriptures that we may partake of the divine nature 2 Pet. 1.4 and not by our following of the law or conscience Gal. 3.1 2 3 4. But again where I say Heathens Turks Jews Atheists c. have that which doth convince of sin and yet are so far from having the Spirit of Christ in them that they delight to do iniquity and to serve their lust Upon this thou movest this Quaery Do they or I or any other serve sin and lust because Christ hath not given us light or because we hate this light Answ This I do really confefs that every Heathen Turk or Jew in this world hath a conscience within them that doth convince of sin for the Gentiles which have not the law that is not the law in tables of stone or written as we have these do by nature the things conteined in the law these having not the law are a law unto themselvs which shew the work of the law written in their hearts their consciences also bearing them witness c. And all men and women shall be left without excuse even by the convictions of their own consciences or the law But now that these things are the Spirit of Christ that I deny For conscience is but a creature a faculty of the soul of man which God hath made Neither is the law the Spirit of Ch●ist for the law is not of faith They that are of the works of the law are under the curse but they that have the Spirit of Christ they are the children of God and under grace and delivered from the curse as it is written Gal. 3. As many as are of the works of the law are under the curse But what is it to be of the works of the law or under the law Answ Why to seek to be justified by their obedience to the law Israel which followed after the law of righteousness Mark They that follow af●er righteousness do not attain to the law of righteousness if they seek it not by faith but as it were by the works of the law But Christ hath delivered u● from the curse of the law Rom. 9.30.31 being in our nature made a curse for us Gal. 3.10 11 12 13. But whereas thou sayest this conscience or law which you would fain have called the Spirit of Christ works in all men either to justifie or condemne I do plainly deny that either conscience or the law can justifie though they can condemne Mark the law is called the ministration of condemnation but not of life The Gospel is called the ministration of life but not of condemnation 2 Cor. 3.9 the law was given that sin might be discovered The Gospel was sent that sin might be taken away The law worketh wrath but the Gospel is a Gospel of peace Rom 10. The law makes nothing perfect Heb. 7.19 but Christ justifieth from all those things from which we could not be justified by the law of Moses Act. 13.39 And whereas thou askest me whether any thing doth convince of sin contrary to or besides the Spirit of Christ I answer there is conscience and the law yea and nature it self that doth convince of sin as before I have proved at large Yet neither is conscience the law or nature it self the Spirit of Christ no but are much inferiour to it as being things of no glory in respect of it And again that somthing doth convince of sin besides the Spirit of Christ it is evident for the law saith 2 Cor. 3.10 Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things that are written in it to do them But the Spirit convinceth men of their unbelief together with other sins Now mark the law also convinceth to work for life the Spirit convinceth to believe for life the law saith he that doth not fulfil me shal be damned The Spirit saith he that believeth in Christ shal be saved Now observe the terms of the law and of the Gospel are different one from another as to justification If men seek for life by the law then the law saith fulfil me perfectly
and again doest corrupt my words This is another of his false accusations of me for I said now they will not speak except their spirit move them I do not say the Spirit of Christ said I friend if you can be led to life by your own spirit if your own spirit will learn you the things of the Spirit of God and if you can speak them with and in your own spirit in that demonstration that they are spoken when they are spoken in the Spirit of Christ which all men have not then say that I speak false things but till that time hold your peace Thus I pass by thy 19. page leaving many of thy scolding terms to thy self The next thing thou sayest is that I did run but was not sent like unto my forefathers and therefore sayest thou I do not profit the people at all Another false accusation Answ Which accusation of thine I shall leave to be taken notice of by the people of God in the Countrey where I dwell who will testifie the contrary for me setting aside the carnall ministery with their retinue who are as mad against me as thy self But farther thou art somwhat distempered and discontented that I sayd Many sad and horrible doctrines are vented by you And you faid I named nothing Answ I need not thine own speech bewrayeth thee that thou art one of them that do such things and I need go no further then thy own mouth and doctrine But if it will be more satisfaction to tell you wherein they of your society do hold sad doctrine I shall First therefore your society do hold and affirm that that man which was hanged on the Crosse between two theevs called Jesus in his person is within you contrary to the Scripture Acts 1.11 Secondly you say that Christ is crucified within dead within risen and ascended within which also you have no word of Scripture to prove Thirdly your society affirm that the coming of the Spirit into the hearts of believers is Christ his second coming When the Scriptures do plainly hold forth that the coming of Christ in the Spirit was before his coming in the Flesh as in 1 Pet. 1.10 11. where the Apostle speaking of the Prophets inquiring into the great salvation which was afterwards to be accomplished saith Searching what or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signifie when it testified before hand the sufferings of Christ and the glory that should follow Mark here is the Spirit of Christ in the Prophets long before the first coming of Christ ln the Flesh which was when he was born of Mary the Virgin The Sp●rit of Christ saith he did testifie before hand the suffering of Christ to the Prophets which were before Christ came in the Flesh as the Scriptures hold forth plentifully But again you deny the second coming of that very man with that very body which was born of the Virgin Mary and say his second coming ls not his coming again personally but his coming in the Spirit onely and that is all you look for when the Scripture saith That same Jesus who appeared to his Disciples after his Passion Acts 1.3 shall so come even as they did see him depart from them into heaven which was a very man as well as very God And will come again a very man as well as very God at the end of world For it is that man namely he that was crucified whom God raised again that must be the judge of quick and dead Acts 10.39 40 41. seriously compared Again you say that every man hath the Spirit of Christ which is a sad doctrine because contrary to the Scripture Jude 19. And you say there is that in every man which is as good as the Spirit of Christ which is a blasphemous doctrine Besides many other things which they of your own spirit have most sadly spoken which I shall not mention being so commonly known to the Saints of the Lord before whom you have openly without fear at least in shew spoken Which will doubtless belaid open ●o your sorrow and great amazement at the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ Then thou art offended because I said I wonder that the Lord doth not either cause the ground to open her mouth and swallow you up or else suffer the Devill to fetch you away to the astonishing of the whole world Certainly Cora●● Dathan and Abiram did not so horribly transgress as you have done Yet his hand on them no question was as it were the astonishment of the world Therefore I may well wonder that you are not served so Onely this I consider it may be you have not yet filled up the measure of your wickednesse therefore is not the hand of God as yet upon you The next thing I take notice of is that thou findest fault with mine answer to this question But doth not the Scripture say that it is the Spirit of Christ that doth convince of sin Thou sayest it is a good question but I have confounded it in the answer and not answered plainly Wherefore I shall not at all stick at the pains to give the reader in brief some of the heads of the answer I then gave to it word for word or to the same purpose The answer was Yes the Spirit doth convince of sin but for the better understanding of this place I shall lay down this said I That there are two things spoken of in Scripture that do manifest or convince of sin First the law Rom. 3.20 For by the law is the knowledge of sin Secondly the Spirit of Christ doth also the same as it is written And when he is come he will convince the world of sin Joh. 16.7 8 9. Now say I somtimes the law it self by its own power doth manifest sin as in the case of Judas who was so far from having the Spirit of Christ that the Devill had very great possession of him Which things my adversary doth wrangle at yet dares not affirm the contrary only saith this he had the righteous law of God written in his heart which thing is not the Spirit of Christ The law is not of faith The law is not the comforter but rather a tormentor yet the Spirit of Christ is a comforter Again say I the Spirit of Christ doth take the law and doth effectually convince of sin c. Then I put forth another question saying But how should I know whether I am convinced by the law alone or whether the law be effectually set home by the Spirit To which I answer when the law doth convince by its own power it doth convince only of sins against the law as lying swearing stealing c. pronouncing an horrible curse against thee if thou fulfil it not and there leavs thee but gives thee no power to fulfil it compleatly and continually which thou must do if thou be saved thereby With which my adversary is much offended also
And poor Creatures heating the name Christ being ignorant of the nature of Christ do presently close in with these things supposing nay verily beleeving that these are the Spirit of Christ Which things being thus received if at any time one come and oppose them and tell them that it is an errour that they have taken up to think that that which is in an unregenerate man is the Spirit of Christ and contrarywise telleth them plainly that it is but their own conscience that doth convince them or the law written in their hearts by nature Nay say they it is the light of Christ in the conscience when there is no Scripture hath any such manner of exp●essions onely a fancy of their own taken up without ground from the Word But the soul being possessed with this doctrine presently its heart riseth against any thing that doth contradict it and is filled with a secret enmity against it Now the way that Satan takes to bring this about is to perswade poor souls that all these thoughs that do any wise contradict the Principles received is but a temptation of the Devill And if at any time there be the doctrine of Jesus held forth in truth his death buriall resurrection ascension and intercession now without in the presence of his Father for sinners and that there is salvation no where else but in the merits of the first born of Mary which is Jesus Christ without the works of the Law Rom. 3.28 Presently with envie they are enraged and cry Doest thou not know that every man hath a measure of tbe Spirit given to him Follow that listen to that turn thy mind to that and walk in the light of that When alas there is no such thing as the Spirit of Christ in every man as I said and proved before at large onely the Devill hath gotten this way to call conscience Christ the law Christ and hereby to intangle the soul with the name of a thing without the thing it self But now the soul is set down in its principles and he that doth any way confute that Spirit presently it falls a raging and cries out Se●pent Li●r Wolfe Dragon Devill be silent with thy serpentine wisdom and smoak of the bottomlesse pit Now in this the Devill is wonderfull cunning for least he should indeed be discovered he doth set the face hard against the truth and counteth it such a deadly enemy that he will not cannot bear it but le ts flye against it all the hellish words and madnesse he can And now he begins first to cry avoyd Satan All which is onely to harden him in whom he doth dwell more and more against the truth Now he doth also harden souls in delusions by presenting the ugly and base conversations of a company of covetous wretches who do professe themselvs to be the Ministers of the Gospel but are not now poor creatures being shaking and doubtfull what way to take seeing the conversation of these men to be wicked and the doctrine of these deluders co●ered with a seeming holinesse they presently embrace it saying surely these men are in the right way they cry down the Priests whose lives we also see to be profane they are very strict in their ways and if such be nor good men who are But yet that which is most taking is through the corruption and pride that is naturally in the heart of man these men propose such a way to salvation as is in the compasse of a mans owe abilitie even works of righteousnesse done by him which is very agreeable to mans nat●re which would willingly be saved but would not be altogether beholden to God for it and these works not being wrought by the Priests or Nationall Ministers but by the other though in opposition to the righteousnesse of Christ the Messias God-man poor souls not onely suck in these erroneous principles but are hardened in them against the doctrine of God and his Son Jesus Christ by their ungodly conversation and thus dishonour the Son of God But come brethren let us be patient stablish our hearts wait but a while and I doubt not but you will see that those who dishonour our Jesus shall soon be brought down both Ranters Quakers P●iests and people also that shall continue in opposing him either in doctrine or practise for our God hath said Ah! I will ease me of my adversaries Now a few words more to those who do beleeve in Christ aright and lay him for their foundation First blesse God that you are not carried away with the delusions that are on foot in this generation Secondly see that you are laborers after a more experimentall knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ flye more to his birth death blood resurrection ascension and intercession and fetch refreshing for your souls more and more from him without through the operation of his Spirit within and though the fruits of the Spirit be excellent and to be owned where they are found Yet haue a care you take not away the glory of the blood of Christ shed on the Crosse without the gates of Jerusalem and give it them which you will do if you do content your selvs and satisfie your consciences with this that you finde the fruits of the Spirit within you and do not go for peace and consolation of conscience to the blood of Jesus shed on the Crosse Therefore learn of the Saints or rather of the Spirit Revel 5. who teacheth to sing this song Thou art worthy to take the book and to open the seales thereof for thou wast slain and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood And as for you that cannot yet well indure to think you should be justified by the blood of the Son of Mary shed on the Crosse without the gate I say to you Kiss the Son least he be angry and you perish from the way when his wrath is kindled but a little blessed are all they tbat put their trust in him Psal 2.12 FINIS Some Questions put forth to them commonly called Quakers for to answer whether in London or elswhere Be alwaies ready to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you 1 Pet. 3.15 And I beseech you do it in sincerity 1. IF thou saiest that every man hath a measure of the Spirit of Jesus Christ within him Why say the Scriptures Some are sensual having not the Spirit Jude 19. And when Christ tells his Disciples of sending them the Spirit he also saith The world cannot receive it Joh. 14.17 2. What is the Church of God redeemed by from the curse of the Law Is it by something done within them or by something that is done without them or by something that worketh in them Gal. 3.3 Act. 13.38 1 Pet 2.24 Col. 1.20 c. If thou Answer It is redeemed from the curse of the law by something that worketh in them then I ask Why did the man Christ Jesus
untruly vented of me which I feare not but they shall be cleered both now and also at the second appearance of the man Christ Jesus And therefore friend I say to thee be not so Pharisaicall as to say within thine heart I am not as this Publican Why am I reckoned with the Ranters Thou art both thou and thy fellowes of the same minde with them in many things and shall assuredly partake of the same plague with them if they and you repent not speedily Again in page 7. Thou wouldest make us beleeve that the Quakes do Really and truly laythe Christ of God God-man for their foundation Saying Wee prise the Lord Jesus Christ God-man to be precious to us and to all that do beleeve and have owned him to be the foundation c. Now friend this is fairly spoken But by words in generall we may be deceived because a man may speake one thing with his mouth and mean another thing in his heart especially it is so with those that use to utter themselves doubtfully therefore wee will a little enquire what it is to lay Christ God-man for a foundation First then To lay God's Christ God-man for a foundation is to beleeve that man that was borne of the Virgin Mary to be the Saviour 2. How he was and is the Saviour and therefore if you do indeed lay him for your foundation Then you do beleeve that when the man Christ did hang on the Crosse on mount Calvary that then your sins were satisfied for 1 Pet. 2 2● at that time as it is written He bare our sins in his own body on the tree 2. If the Christ of God God-man be indeed your f●undation then you do beleeve that that every man in that very body did fulfill all the Law in the point of justification as it is written Christ is the end of the Law for righteousnesse to every one that beleeveth So that now believ aright in what the son of Mary hath done without on the Crosse and be saved 3. If you have laid Christ that man aright for your foundation then you do believ that when he was raised out of the Sepulchre into which Joseph had laid him then at that time was accomplished your justification Rom. 4.25 How say you to these things do you make an open profession of them without dissembling or do you not notwithstanding your talke of Christ in very deed deny the vertue of the death and blood of Christ without as for Justification and Life if so you have not laid him for your foundation 4. If you have indeed laid Christ God-man for your foundation then you do lay the hope of your felicity and joy on this That the Son of Mary is now absent from his Children in his person and humanity making intercession for them and for thee in the presence of his Father 2 Cor. 5.6 And the reason that thou canst rejoyce hereat is because thou hast not onely heard of it with thine eare only but doest enjoy the sweet hope and faith of them in thy heart which hope and faith is begotten by the Spirit of Christ which spirit dwelleth in thee if thou be a believer and sheweth those things to thee to be the only things And God having shewen thee these things thus without thee by the spirit that dwelleth in thee thou hast mighty incouragement to hope for the glory that shall be revealed at the comming again of the man Christ Jesus of which glory thou hast also greater ground to hope for a share in because that that spirit that alone is able to discover to thee the truth of those things is given to thee of God as the first fruites of that glory which is hereafter to be revealed being obtained for thee by the man Christ Jesus his death on mount Calvary and by his blood that was shed there together with his resurrection from the dead out of the Grave where they had layd him Also thou believest that he is gone away from thee in the same body which was hanged on the Crosse to take possession of that glory which thou through his obedience shall at his the very same mans returne from heaven the second time have bestowed upon thee having all this while prepared and preserved it for thee as he sai h himselfe I go to prepare a place for you And if I go and prepare a place for you I will come again and receive you to my selfe that where I am there ye may be also John 14.2.3 Againe 5. If thou hast laid Christ God-man for thy foundation though thou hast the spirit of this man Christ within thee yet thou doest not look that Justification should be wrought out for thee by that spirit of Christ that dwelleth within thee for thou knowest that salvation is already obtained for thee by the man Christ Jesus without thee is witnessed to thee by his Spirit which dwelleth within thee And thus much doth this man Christ Jesus testifie unto us where he saith he shall glorifie me Marke He shall glorifie me saith the Son of Mary But how Why He shall take of mine what I have done and am doing in the presence of the Father and shall shew it unto you Joh. 16.14 I have been a little the larger in this because it is of weight But again thou saiest further The rest of this first Epistle I shall say little to onely thus much is the mind of the pen-man's spirit Here again he speaks falsly secretly smiting at the doctrine of true Faith and Salvation to wit Christ within Answ My friend by saying that my brother doth strike at the doctrine of true F●ith and Salvation thou doest him a great deal of wrong for it is so far from him so to do that he telleth souls plainly that without true Faith in the blood of the Son of Mary who was crucified on Mount Calvary there is no remission for saith he It is onely through that one offering then given up to the Father that you must be justified And that is according to the whole stream of Scripture For by one offering What was that Why the offering up of the bodie of Jesus once for all Heb. 10.10 he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified For this man when he had offered up one sacrifice for sins for ever sate down Mark it This man when he had offered up one sacrifice for sins for ever sate down on the right hand of God ver 12. And as for thy saying that salvation is Christ within if thou mean in opposition to Christ without in stead of pleading for Christ thou wilt plead against him for Christ God-man without on the Crosse did bring in salvation for sinners And the right believing of that doth justifie the soul Therefore Christ within or the Spirit of him who did give himself a ransome doth not work out justification for the soul in the soul But doth lead the soul out of it selfe and out
if thou do This is a delusion and a dangerous doctrine For a Spirit hath not flesh and bones and so hath the man Christ Jesus Now it may be you think farther that the Church with the Spirit of Christ is the man Christ Jesus which is also a damnable heresie Therefore speak plainly Doest thou believe that the man Christ Jesus is ascended from his person in his person and again dost thou believ that he which ascended from his Disciples did bring in everlasting salvation for them in that his body which ascended from them An answer to this might give great Satisfaction to soules if also it might be made in words easily to be understood Again Thou art also offended with the second deceit which I lay down in my Epistle which is say I for the Devill to bid soules follow that light which they brought into the world wi●h them telling them that that will lead them to the Kingdom Now thou seemest gravelled because I said Which they brought into the World with them If thou art offended at that shew me when and at what time every soule receivs a light from Christ after it comes into the world Now this I say That every man hath not the spirit of Christ within him J●d 17. And that there is nothing that can shew the soule the things of Christ savingly but the spirit of Christ 1. Cor. 2.11 Then will not you your selfe confesse that he is deluded that is perswaded to follow that light that cannot reveale Christ unto him But I must minde you of one filthy errour also which thou laiest down in page 10. Corrupting the Scripture to make it good but in vain where thou sayest That light which every man is lightened withall will lead unto the kingdome of peace and righteousnesse And then thou addest for saith Christ I am the light of the World he that followeth me shall not abide in darknesse or walke in darknesse Pray marke First thou callest it the light of Christ wherewith he hath lightned every one And here thou comest a step higher and callest it Christ himself and then corruptest that Scripture where the Son of Mary saith I am the light of the World c. Here thou wouldest very willingly have roome to broach thy folly but it may not be for though Christ be the light of the world yet he is not in every one in the world But secondly I pray where was Christ when he spake those words was he I say within his Disciples or without them when he said I am the light of the World He was without them and walked up and down in the world with them from place to place a very man Therefore he did not mean at that time any light within but himselfe who was without And indeed they who will follow Christ aright must follow him without to the Crosse without for justification on mount Calvary without that is they must seek for Justification by his obedience without To the grave without and to his asscention and intercession in heaven without and this must be done through the operation of his owne holy Spirit that he hath promised shall shew these things unto them being given within them for that purpose John 16.14 Now the Spirit of Christ that leads also But whither It leads to Christ without which said being without I am the light of the World he that followeth me shall not abide in darknesse but shall have the light of life Deny this that Christ was without when he spake those words I am the light of the World If you can But to come more close to the thing That light wherewith Christ as he is God hath lightened every one that cometh into the World is the soule of man which is the life of the body and yet it selfe is but a creature and made by the Creator of all things Isa 57.16 And is not the spirit as some do think it is This creature hath one faculty of its owne nature called Conscience which hath its place in the soule where it is as a Judge to discerne of things good or bad and judge them accordingly as the Apostle saith speaking of the heathens Their Conscience either accusing or else excusing one another Romans 2.14 This Conscience is that in which is the Law of Nature 1 Corinth 11.14 which is able to teach the Gentiles that sin against the Law is sin against God And yet it is called but even Nature it selfe as he saith there Doth not even Nature it self teach you c. Now this Conscience this Nature it selfe because it can controule and chide them for sin who give ear unto it therefore must it be Idolized and made a God of O wonderfull that men should make a God and a Christ of their Consciences because they can convince of sin But thou goest ramping on and saiest there is nothing but the light of Christ that will convince of sin and thou biddest me minde that Now doest thou mean the Spirit of Christ doest thou say that that which thou callest the light of Christ is the Spirit of Christ If so then there is conscience which is not the Spirit of Christ but a poore dunghill creature in comparison of the Spirit of Christ yet will convince of sin as is cleare from that 8. of John where the woman is mentioned who was taken in adultery by the Pharises or others who when they had brought her to Christ and began to accuse her Christ said He that is without sin among you let him cast a stone at her And what then When they heard that they were convicted by their own consciences Mark hee doth not say by the light of Christ in their consciences as some would have it be No but by their own consciences they were convinced and went out one by one And were they all served so Yea from the eldest even to the last for they all had consciences though not the Spirit of Christ So that friend here is something beside the Spirit of Christ that can and doth convince of sin even a man 's own conscience the law of nature nay nature it self which no man will say is as good as the Spirit of Christ except they are guided by a deluding spirit Again thou saiest He that convince●h of sins against the Law leads up to the fulfilling of the Law Friend thy conscience convinceth of sins against the Law follow thy conscience it may lead thee under the curse of the Law through its weaknesse but it can never deliver thee from the curse of the Law by its power For if righteousnesse come by the obedience to the Law or by thy conscience either then Christ is dead in vain Gal. 2.21 Again thou saiest That I and my generation would leap over the Law Answ For Justification we look beyond it to the Son of Mary yet we know that the Law is good if it be used lawfully but if it be used unlawfully as those do use it
able to shew their lost state because of sins against the Law but also to lead them to the right Saviour and plant them into him which all other things are not able to do And thus much in answer to thy scolding against my Epistle the truth of which I blesse God through the strength of Christ I could be willing to seal with my blood And now friend in love to thy soule I say have a care of thy selfe that thou do not satisfie thy selfe with any thing untill thou seest by the operation of the Spirit of Christ which thou must have given thee from heaven as being without it before conversion that the blood of that man Christ Jesus that was crucified on mount Calvary did at that same time when it was there shed wash thee from all thy sins and be not so stout and so sterne against the truth because it suits not with thy beguiled conscience Beare with me in patience and seriously enquire into the truth of things according to the Scriptures For they are they that testifie of Christ how salvation doth come by him In thy entering upon my Book the first thing I find thee wrangle with is First by corrupting my words and then by calling me lyer Thou corruptest my words saying That I said The blood of Christ was shed before the ●world began Whereas I said that in the account of God marke in the accoun of God the blood of Christ was shed before the world began Friend art thou not able to distinguish betwixt a thing being done in God's account or according to his fore-knowledge and a thing that is reaslly and actually don Surely it was either thy folly to speake evill of the things thou knowest not or else thy madnesse doth much appear in that though thou understandest these things yet for to wrangle by corrupting my sayings here as also in other places as will afterwards appear This is in page 11. of thine page 3. of my book Then thou goest on pag. 12. and quotest the place where I say p. 37. How horribly are those deceived who look on Jesus but thou leavest out those words the Son of Mary to be but a type which thing you say you know none that do And again thou saiest that I say he is of something afterwards to be revealed My words thou corruptest thou wouldst fain gather thus much out of my words by corrupting them Here my words are corrupted That though I denied Christ Jesus the Son of Mary to be a type yet I my self say He was a type of somthing afterward to be revealed Which thing as there in my book so here again I do most positively deny and I quote the same words again for a second confirmation of the same saying as then I did How horribly are those deceived who look on Jesus the Son of Mary to be but a shadow or type of something that was afterwards to be revealed Whereas the Scriptures most lively hold him forth to be the Christ of God and not a type or shadow of a spirit or body afterwards to be revealed but himself was the very substance of all things that did any way hold forth or type out Christ to come And when he was indeed come then was an end put to the Law for righteousnesse or just●fication to every one that believeth Rom. ●0 4 And therefore friend though thou hast or wouldest corrupt my words yet have a care of corrupting Christs words least thou doest even heap up wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God And whereas thou saiest Thou deniest not but Jesus is the substance Answ I doubt thou do'st not speak thine heart plainly but hidest thy self with so saying as with an apron if we enquire into what it is to hold forth Jesus the son of Mary to be the substance Therefore he that holds forth Jesus the Son of Mary to be indeed the substance and not a type holds forth and believs that that Jesus that was born of the Virgin Mary did in his own body of flesh fulfil the Law and impute the righteousnesse of his obedience unto them that he accomplished then without them and that his blood that was shed without on the Crosse doth and hath washed away all sin past present and to come from him that believeth this as it is written For what the Law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh that is through our flesh God sending his own Son in the likenesse of si●ful flesh and for sin condemned sin in the flesh That is he was condemned in the flesh that he took on him of the Virgin Ma y Rom. 8.3 And again hee bore our sins in his own body on the tree which was the Crosse on mount Calvary Jesus also saith the Apostle that he might sanctifie the people with his own blood suffered Where Not in any believer but without the gate of Jerusalem Heb. 13.12 How say you do you really believe that at that time when Jesus did hang on the Crosse without Jerusalems gate even at that time he did give the justice of God a full and compleat satisfaction for all the sins of all believers that have been formerly or are now or hereafter shall be Or do you look upon Jesus at that time to be but a shadow or type of somewhat that was afterwards to be done within Answer plainly yea or no that the simple may understand you Now I come to answer thy Querie laid down page 12 in these words Did Christ Jesus put an end to the Law for them who live yet in the transgression of the Law Or doth he justifie that which the Law condemneth Indeed a right answer to this will be great satisfaction to some though I think some trouble to others And therefore in answer to thy question I shall lay down these following things First Christ Jesus did put an end to the Law for righteousnesse for all that the Father hath given him as it is written The bodie of Jesus was offered once for all for all that shall be saved for he shall not be offered a second time No but once for all Heb. 10.10 Once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself and he hath done it once by himself for all Heb 9.26 Otherwise he must have often suffered since the world began But that must not be for he dieth no more Rom. 6.9 But say you Did he put an end to the Law for them who still live in transgression 2. Answ There are many poor souls that are given unto Christ who yet live in their sins But Christ did at that time when he hanged on the Crosse give a full and compleat satisfaction for them In due time Christ died for the ungodly For scarcely for a righteous man will one die but peradventure for a good man some one would even dare to die I but God
the ministration of condemnation 2 Cor. 3. That is the proper work of the Moral Law or Ten commandements is to condemne if it be not obeied and yet not to blesse until it be every jot fulfilled wh ch is impossible to be done by any man for justification in that exact and severe way which the Law calls for which makes the Apostle say as many as are of the works of the Law are under the curse Mark he doth not say as many as are of the works of sin are under the curse though that be true but as many as are of the works of the Law a●e under the curse for it is written Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things that are written in the book of the Law to do them But that no man is justified by the deeds of the Law it is evident For the just shall live by faith Gal. 3.10 11. If it be meant of the Ceremonial Law as I am most inclinable to believe because he saith it was our Schoolmaster he doth not say it is but it was our Schoolmaster to bring us to Christ being a Tutor or Governour holding forth Christ to come by its types and significations untill the time appointed of the Father which appointed time and so that Law was to have an end when God sent forth his Son made of a woman Jesus the Son of Mary who was made under the Law to redeem those that were under the Law Now the Ceremonial Law did bring or lead to Christ these two waies First In that it did continue in full force until he did come into the world and had done that which was by it held out for him to do Secondly in that the several types and shadows as thc blood of Bulls and Lambs with diverse other services did lead to or hold forth Christ that was to come but the Moral Law or Ten Commandements is so far from leading us to Christ by our following it that it doth even lead those that are led by it under the curse Not because the Law hath an evil end in it but because of our weaknesse and inability to do it therefore it is forced as it is just to passe a sentence of condemnation on every one that in every particular fulfills it not In the next place thou art offended because I said It is not of works least any man should boast as those fond hypccrites called Quakers would do Thou art offended it seemes because I call you boasters You need not for I do not know your fellows for boasting under heaven In that you Pharisees like do crye up your selves to be the men and condemne all others when you are the men that are the greatest enemies to the Christ of GOD without who is the Saviour of any man under heaven And in that you pretend you are perfect when you are the notablest lyars and corrupters of the sayings of the peopl of God yea and of the Scriptures also that ever I came neer in all the daies of my life And I doubt not but before I have done with you I shall make it appear to them that read or hear my lines aright Thy Quaerie in page 13. runs thus Will that Faith which is without works justifie I answ No Neither will those workes which are without faith sanctifie What then Is it faith and workes together that doth justifie No it is onely faith in the blood of the man Christ that did hang on the Crosse on mount Calvary that doth justifie in the sight of God and the soule and it is the fruits of faith good workes which do justifie in the sight of men So that when it is said wee are justified by workes It is not meant that workes will justifie in the sight of God No but shew me or shew men thy faith or justifie thy faith to be true and right before men by thy workes Shew men thy faith by thy workes it is in the sight of men So that wee conclude a man is justified by faith without the workes of the Law in the sight of God and so his owne soule also and his faith is justified or made manifest to be indeed that which is right both to believers and to the world by it's works Though I must confesse that both Paul and Peter and the rest of the Saints may sometimes be deceived in the truth of the faith of others by their workes Again in page 17. thou seemest to be offended because I say Living by faith is to apply the Lord Jesus Christ his benefits as birth righteousnesse death blood resurrection ascention and intercession together with the glorious benefits of his second coming to me as mine and for me c. Friend methinks thou shouldest find no fault with this but that the man Christ Jesus the son of Ma y is not very pleasant to thee because thou hast swallowed down secretly another doctrine but friend I speak of applying these things and thou speakest of talking of them I know that there are many who talke of Christ that will fall short of heaven and glory But tell me what saiest thou to him tha● doth apply all these things to his soul is there not enough in them to justifie him that doth really and truly in the power of the Spirit believe this to be true which I have said Or doest thou deny it and preach another Gospell And whereas thou sayest The word of the Gospell saith not who shall ascend to fetch Christ from above for salvation Though there is never a scripture that saith these words word for word Yet the Scripture saith The word is mghthee even in thy mouth and in thy heart But marke it is the word of faith not the man Christ Jesus but faith which layeth hold on him Rom. 10.8 9. Read the 9. verse which is this Tbat if thou shalt confesse with thy mouth the Lord Jesus who was borne of the Virgin Mat 1.21 And sha●t believe in thine heart that God raised him from the dead thou shalt be saved These great and precious Scriptures with which by corrupting of them the Quakers have beguiled many have this meaning That if thou shalt confesse with thy mouth the Lord Jesus that is in profession and practise own him and believ him to be the Anointed Saviour And shalt believe in thine heart there is the word of faith if thou shalt believe in thine heart that God raised him from the dead thou shalt he saved for with the heart man believeth unto righteousnesse and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation But what should men believe with the heart Namely this that God raised him that is Christ from the dead ver 10. And therefore I wonder thou shouldest so scold as thou doest against the truth If this be not truth blame the Scripture which do testifie of these things for truth For I am ruled and would be ruled by them thtough the Spirit But farther thou art offended
saying that I am confounded in my discourse and so leavs me confuting none of my words by holy Scripture but falls a railing because I reckon Pharisees and Quakers together Onely thus much he saith That I make it a light thing to be convinced by the law and then brings in that Scripture This is the condemnation that light is come into the world and men love darkness rather than light cunningly corrupting of it and would fain have you understand it as spoken of the law when the Son of Mary speaks it of himself which was not the law but the Saviour And that he might the better go away undiscerned he saith and the law is light therefore the light is the law saith he But I perceive that he doth not yet understand the difference between the light of the law and the light of the Gospel but would fain make the law and Christ one Saviour the one being but only a condemning light and nothing else the other a saving comfortable light And whereas thou sayest I make it a light thing to be convinced by the law I answer the law is good if a man use it lawfully and I honour it in its place yet if they make a Saviour of it they make an Idol of it and wrest it out of its proper place Also if they think that it is Christ they are much deceived But farther he put me to prove any such distinction in Scripture as that there is any thing made mention of therein that doth convince of sin besides the Spirit of Christ which thing I have already answered where I sayd the Scripture saith By the law is the knowledge of sin Rom. 3.20 and again doth not even nature it self teach you that it is a shame for a man to wear long hair 2 Cor. 11.14 and also conscience which are neither of them the Spirit of Christ but much inferiour to the same yet this also convinceth of sin Joh. 8.9 But to the other thing which is the answer that I give in my book to this objection But I am not onely convinced of my sins may some say but have also some power against my sins so that I do in some measure abstain from the sins forbidden in the law And because I say this thou maiest have and do as thou thinkest perfectly too as thou thinks mark that as those fond Hypocrites called Quakers think that they also do and yet be but a natural man Here my Adversary is very much offended and calls me Perverter of the right way of the Lord and saith Shew me any natural man in the Scripture that hath done it Whereas had he been but willing to have laid down the Scripture I brought to prove it hee needed not to have looked for a second answer But because he would have it again I will therefore shew you that natural men meerly by nature may be convinced and abstain from those things forbidden in the Law and think they do it perfectly nay they do the things contained in the law For saith the Apostle Rom. 2.14 When the Gentiles which have not the law do by nature mark do by nature the things contained in the law these the Gentiles having not the law are a law to themselvs Mark the Gentiles do by nature the things contained in or held forth or made mention of by the law the light also that they have it is themselves being a law to themselves that is their consciences being of themselves bearing them witnesse and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another though they cannot be saved thereby ver 15. Again when Paul was a natural man and a persecuter of Jesus Christ hee saith of himself that then he was touching the righteousnesse of the law blamelesse Phil. 3.6 And whereas thou saiest thou hadst rather chuse to bee one of those who abstain from those things forbidden in the law and to have power over sin than to live in the transgression of the law this is fair spoken and it doth shew that thou art under the convictions of the law and if it bee no worse I fear thy state the lesse though it be bad enough yet this I say if thy soul be not saved freely by the blood of that man who was crucified on mount Calvary and by his merits alone done by himself in his own person thou notwithstanding wilt fall short of eternal life For by the works of the law shall no flesh living be justified Rom. 3.20 though by it bee the knowledge of sin and a command to abstain from the same And thus have I spoken to thy 21. page But farther thou saiest that thou fearest I worship the name Mary because I mention her name so much Answ If thou hadst said I worship her Son thou hadst said truly I hope But is not thy spight more against her Son There are more offended as this besides the Quakers then her I doubt it is for neither thou nor thy companions can endure that one should say he is still the same that was born of Mary flesh and bones a very man now absent from his people though in them in his Spirit Again thou saiest I said That as he is God Christ lightnetb every man that coms into the world which thing again I say What then Then say you I will mind you of one Scripture which you your self have quoted which saith The Law is light Prov. 4.23 Therefore saiest thou The light is the Law Give me leave here to t●ke thy words in twain First if when thou saiest then the law is light thou mean the light of the law is the light of the law and no more thou saiest right But if thou mean the light of the law is the light of the Gospel or the Spirit of Christ I must needs reprove thee For I tell thee again the law is not of faith the law makes nothing perfect Hebrews 7. ver 19. The law is but a weak and unprofitable thing as to justification Hebrews 7. ver 17. though as I said before it is good if it be used lawfully which is not to seek or look for justification thereby nor yet to say it is the Spirit of Christ Then farther thou art offended because I said When the Spirit of Christ convinceth it convinceth of more sins than the sins against the law Friend will the law shew a man that his righteousnesse is sinne and dung No. For though the law will shew a man that his failing in the acts of righteousnesse is sinne yet I question whether the law will shew that a man 's own righteousnesse is sinne For there is in Scripture saith it doth or can Secondly shew mee if thou canst that the sinne of unbeliefe is spoken against in all the Ten Commandements or that called the Morall law But now the Spirit of Christ convinceth of unbelief that is it sheweth that if men do not believe that they have redemption by the obedience of that