call of the Virgins one to another saying let us go trim our lamps and go forth to meet him this will be the work of the Spirit and Saints at that time Anti-christ will come forth in the same form and language as suiting with that season speaking words not of mean and low strain but of high and spiritual things I am Christ or he is come his doctrine will be of things of note and wonder deceiving and drawing many behold he is in the desart among us the lovely despised afflicted and cast out not among the wise mighty and noble behold he is in the secret chambers not in the multitude the assemblies the common wayes of Religion but among us a people separate and gathered and called out of the world into the more inward and spiritual way moreover he will come forth with power all men all things of the earth the faith religion souls and bodies of them which professed the Truth but were not of the Truth shall be given into his hand and be at his devotion the true Christ with his Church shall be as poor weak and inconsiderable in comparison of him lastly he will come with signes the world looks for a sign and he will come with signs of light zeal and holiness signs tokens and wonders to sight sense and judgement of all that are not in Christ such as if they were the very truths workings and comings of the Son of Man himself onely the Elect such as chose not God but were chosen of him such as have not their life in gifts and workings in the spiritual vigour and activity exercised in themselves but in the root of all this that is hid with Christ in God who have their redemption their life their religion in something that is perfect without and beyond all work in themselves that is in Christ himself these are those Elect that have that in them which shall keep them that they cannot be deceived he that in that day shall have a name written in Heaven that is a life compleat in Christ shall be greater than he that shall say Lord in thy Name have we cast out Devils that is we have prophesied and gone forth in the gifts activity and power of thy Spirit Wherefore it may be concluded concerning this people and all other whatsoever spirit or doctrine in them or any other shall teach the coming of Christ to make redemption or reconciliation in us as having not fulfilled the same for us already in himself I testifie against it as no other but the old Law-working Spirit under a new name and form and therein the power of Anti-christ coming forth in one of his highest and last counterfeits of truth thereby to pervert the faith and draw away the eyes and expectations of men from the true Saviour and his true appearance which also draws near An account of the hope that is in me concerning the first and last appearances of Christ COncerning both whose appearances that which is past and that which is to come I shall give a short account of that faith wherein I stand from which I trust neither Word nor Spirit shall ever remove me That Jesus Christ first manifest in flesh came forth not onely as an example of Perfection as some say nor onely as a type or figure without of things to be fulfilled in us nor onely as a Law-giver as others but that in his own body on the tree through union with the eternal Spirit he bore away and abolished our sin and death and fulfilled the Law and Prophets wherein God so rested and therewith was so well pleased that he signified the same by causing the blackness darkness thunderings and lightenings of Sinai in the midst whereof he dwelt before to pass away and the vail of partition between him and us to rent asunder besides which redemption there is none other either before or after by Angels without or by Spirit within that is or shall be wrought as to the thing but onely as to the manifestation thereof That not by following his example or by any work but by faith I come to know and partake of this Redemption which was in being before in him but with other the heavenly things hid in God and in time manifested to my faith and feeling so that I began not to be redeemed or loved when I first beleived but I began by faith to behold and enjoy that love and redemption which was prepared and entire for me in him before I had done either good or evil sin and death being finished and my old man crucified before in him as to God with whom all things are present by faith I come to know it and do reckon with him I am as truly crucified buried and raised up according to the comprehensiveness of his death and crucified Person much more than if the same had been acted in and upon my own Person That while according to my inward man or in a mystery I am in heavenly places above Law sin and death yet for the exercise and tryal of faith according to sight or my earthly man I often walk in the valley of the shadow of death in the feeling of infirmities buffetings and fightings in the flesh thus I am at once both weak and strong on earth and in heaven a sinner and righteous thus I know my redemption and victory as in him compleat while I feel the same redemption and victory as in me but in part and encreasing if my redemption were not more than what I feel the Gospel were not a mystery nor faith would be any more than sight nor grace have any glory That I look for Jesus Christ to come in me more in Spirit manifesting his death his cross and life in me not thereby to make attonement for sin but to gather me up through daily dyings and quickenings into the full sight union and profession of that redemption and grace and glory already given me freely in him also I look for the appearance of the Lord Jesus as God and man who shall enlighten the Saints with his brightness and shall cover the earth with his righteousness before whom all that which is against him shall be consumed by him and that which is of him shall yeild up it self to be perfected in him as the lesser in the greater this is my Testimony and my hope Light Purity and Power of this people examined what it is AFter all that hath been said some may retain this perswasion of this people that they are a people of light purity and power above all others As to their Light I would say That there is a Ministry that knows Christ onely as in an History and teach him so that presseth onely the outward letter according to principles of Law and natural Reason but know not the mystery and Spirit therein what they can comprehend by the letter and reason that they teach and what is more they do judge errour heresie and to
A TESTIMONY TO THE TRUE JESUS And the Faith of him Wherein the Way of the People called QUAKERS is in Meekness and righteousness summed and weighed First in a General Examen of their spirit and chief Principles after in a particular reveiw of the same as it is distinctly set forth in a book of theirs called Love to the Lost Wherein are many things useful for the discerning of Spirits in this hour of darkness and temptation By T. HIGGENSON LONDON Printed for Thomas Brewster at the three Bibles near the West end of Pauls 1656. A Testimony to the True JESUS and the Faith of Him COncerning the People called Quakers and that way a sum of their faith profession is come forth signed by James Naylor who seems to be cheif whereby having obtained through Grace a more perfect understanding of them then I had before his Trumpet giving a more certain sound than others had done and having observed that Spirit to shew it self therein with more nakedness and less covering at least to me than at other times I shall in righteousness and love to them and others present a veiw thereof according to the same form and visage it there presents it self under The ground of my appearing herein is not any interest I have in Court or Clergy from both whom I stand at a distance so farre as they appear at a distance from Christ and his work not any zeal I have to any form or way of worship cryed down by this people my heart is knit to all the Lords people from the Priest to the darkest forms though I am not joyned to them outwardly in the letter nor that I am ignorant or a stranger to spiritual mysteries or inward truths at least in part touching which I may say that my thoughts and zeal for Christ within have abounded so above the thoughts I had of his bloud without that I account it infinite mercy I am not at this day in unity with that Spirit that makes the death of Christ of none effect instead of this my appearing against it but my ground is this that I might bear some testimony to the blessed Mystery of Christ crucified and against this or any people so farre as they appear against it and that according to my measure I might set forth and justifie the harmony that is between the perfect Redemption in Christ for 〈◊〉 and the Revelation of him in us which two have been 〈◊〉 the Mystery of Iniquity divided and set up one against the other the first against the last by men zealous for the dead faith of Christ without against his Spirit and the last against the first by men pretending to the Mystery of Christ in them against the Redemption in Christ for them The Law was given by Moses in darkness blackness and tempests and with loud noises but Grace and Truth came by Jesus Christ in a still and meek way no cry nor voyce to be heard in the streets like as it was then so will it be now if the loud noises of the Commandment and Condemnation by Moses be brought in again the still voyce of Reconciliation and Peace by Christ may not be heard as to many The Law was given by him that spake on Earth commanding things to be done by men in the flesh the Gospel by him that spake from Heaven revealing our Righteousness already wrought in the Lord himself as many as are not ignorant of Sathans devices doe know how easily having begun in the Spirit we return back to the bondage of the first but how hardly we stand fast in the Loyalty of the second if such a spirit or faith shall cover this Land that saith we are not perfected for ever in Christ the Head before any good be done in us what remaines then but that sacrifices for sin be offered again though not in the Temple at Jerusalem yet in the Temples of our bodies and so build up again the old worldly Sanctuary onely changing the manner and form of administration Concerning the Righteousness of the Letter of Angels and of God VVHat may be useful for us to know as to the general Consideration of this and many other Spirits the things following may in part acquaint you in whose hearts the faith and love of Truth does yet remain There is a Righteousness according to the Letter consisting of bodily exercises in the earthly members after the outward Commandement which is but the purifying of the flesh Hebr. 9.13 herein stood the Religion of the carnal Jews under the first Testament this became a covering upon their eyes a vail upon their hearts that they could not see nor receive him who was the righteousness of God There is a Righteousness of Angels or a worshipping of Angels Col. 2. which is the Spirit of Man retired into things within passing beyond the things of the letter or of the body into speculations of the Godhead understanding of Mysteries to a certain perfection of knowledge and holiness all which is but the Glory of Man herein stands the Religion of the Anti-christian Gentiles now under the new Testament this was the sum of all the divinity the School-Doctors did know or deliver this Angelical Perfection falsly so called laid the foundation of the Eremites living by roots in the wilderness of Anchorites shutting up themselves from Communion with men of Monasteries and holy Houses for mortifying the flesh and perfecting in holiness these things while they bear a shew of wisdom in humility and neglecting the body have been in every age and still are set at enmity against him who is the Righteousness of God in the several approachings and manifestations of himself so what Sathan cannot do in a weaker way by the Righteousness of the letter he will endeavour to effect by a Ministery of Light and Righteousnes that appearing as in the glory and purity of an Angel of God he may darken or diminish the righteousness and glory of the Son of God There is the Righteousness of God Jesus Christ who by that fulness of Spirit and Life dwelling in him did at once and for ever not in ours but his own body triumph over and put an end to the Law Sin and Death on his Cross and rising from the Grave raised up and set up together with himself his Church in the heavenly Righteousness in him this Righteousness is as farre above either of the former as Christ is exalted above all Principality and Power therefore can they not add nor extend any righteousness to this no more than the Glory of Man or Angels can add glory 〈◊〉 Jesus Christ This Righteousness is the Word made flesh not the Wâ—… alone nor the flesh alone but the Union of these God and the â—…n Christ in One and the operation proceeding from this Union wrought and remaining in the Person of Jesus Christ this Righteousness being broad and perfect according to the Person in whom it is extends it self unto all and upon all
again is to bring Christ down from above and up again from the dead to raise up Moses out of his Sepulcher which no man knows to this day with his ministration of death and to make the bloud of Christ a common thing or as the bloud of another Man consider this and fear ye people of whom I speak To conclude this first principle with one other note the Person of Christ and Redemption in him is vailed and denied by two sorts of men legal Teachers of the Gospel and mystical Teachers of the Law they differ herein the first set forth Christ in words of mans wisdom conditions of law and as onely in the flesh without not discerning him spiritually the other speak of him in more spiritual words and deep speculations but onely as redeeming within us in spirit not discerning nor beleiving the Glory of that Redemption without us in his Person they agree in this by both Christ is known onely after the flesh by the one onely as in the form of a Man or Person without by the other as a Redeemer onely within that is as not having finished already Redemption on earth nor as being Head over all things in the Father wherefore to know Christ as having aleady redeemed by his bloud without and as the incomprehensible fulness of Spirit and life above all through all and within all his people this is the true the safe the blessed knowledge of Christ and by this the first of their Principles above named is weighed and reproved of errour How Faith is the evidence of things not seen COncerning Faith it is the evidence of things not seen heavenly things were in God from everlasting by way of purpose yet unseen unsearchable by any eye in fulness of time they were manifested in the Person of Christ as by him perfected and wrought at once yet seen and discerned onely by faith according to the measures of Grace they are shed forth by the Spirit from him upon all the members and manifest to our sense all things of the first Creation were made by Christ all things pertaining to the second are ceased in him thus Redemption is first entire in him afterwards in measures revealed in his a work once perfected for ever in him not to be done by peices in us and so it is in being and finished already but hid with Christ in God Now upon these heavenly things there is a vail whereby they are hid the law in the conscience Reason and sense in the flesh and there is an evidence whereby they are seen that is Faith unto such as are under this vail nothing is seen nor heard but the Commandments to work and the sentences of death where work is not the Law in the letter and deeds in the flesh as the face of the covering spread upon the heart that Christ cannot be seen the highest divinity of men in this state is this Perfection by obedience to the letter without or at the best to the Spirit within Christ as a Law-giver in their Conscience and a worker of it in their Persons not as a Saviour having once fulfilled it for them in himself what of God is felt and wrought in themselves that they beleive and by that Rule they judge while the unspeakable righteousness operation and life hid in Christ and with him reserved in God with the faith liberty joy and peace thereof is hid from their eyes such is the vail and the people thereof But where Faith is come the vail is done away the earthly man with his deeds and death his hopes and fears and all things belonging to him are seen to be abolished and overcome by the everlasting righteousness and Spirit of Life that is in Christ even as the night is overcome by the day and this is to be understood to be true in him a Covenant in him ordered in all things and sure to us not alwayes perceived in feeling to our earthly members yet seen and fulfilled in the inward man through faith It is said 2 Corinth 5.7 We walk by faith not by sight Faith and sight are to be understood either as they are perfecting each other or as by men divided and made contrary one to the other sight of God has a glory and sweetness faith in him though not so seen has a certainty and evidence faith beholds things as true in Christ though hid to sense and feeling sight knows them onely as shining or flaming forth upon the heart visions and revelations bring joy and comfort but they are things that go and come and the breathings of the Spirit may blow when they list but when these streams are withheld and as passed away yet he ever lives and we also in him God spake in times past with the Fathers and Prophets by visions to sense he speaks in these last times in his Son to faith visions by figure as those were they were but given at times and passed away the face of Jesus Christ beheld by faith is the constant and standing vision now under the Gospel spiritual influences and actings do yeild some reflection and vision of God but as a Man sees his face in a troubled water broken and changeable but the face of Christ as the Christal and still waters presents God alwayes in his clear and blessed Image as full of Grace and Truth they who put spiritual workings for the Grace that is in Christ and a sense of the spirit for faith in him they do under a pretence of Spirit destroy Christ Jesus they take away that Gospel which presents us in him before any work done our perfection our Sabbath our Rest and leads us to work again for perfection by obedience to the Light within that is by the Law Concerning Faith and Sight FAith and sight the Gospel-Christian is for both in their season and place all other Religions have divided them and erred as it is very observable that sight being alone that is sight of the Godhead without faith in Christ has been is the foundation of all false fancied and Idolatrous worships that are named fight of the deity by the things that are made is the highest Religion of Philosophers and Pagans sight of God by the Golden Calfe by the Idols of gld and silver was the idolatry of Israel in the wilderness and Canaan Conceiving the things of the Spirit of God by the sight and judgement of natural Reason is the foundation of Arminians a Sect of Morality and of Socinians a Sect of subtilty a Kingdom with observation and fair shews in the flesh to the sight without was the Religion of Pharisees and legal Gospellers some are of a weaker spirit their Religion is about things of sight touch not taste not some are of stronger heads such are for divinations of the brain things seen to Reason babes in Christ are for enlightnings and tasts and gifts things of sight to the inward sense and they that would seem to be the highest are
born our griefs carried our sorrows for he was wounded for our transgressions and bruised for our iniquities the chastisements of our peace was upon him and by his stripes we are healed This sets forth Christ to be the kind Samaritane the neighbour nighest unto us the other makes him unmerciful going afar off not tarrying with us What is the inward Life and who is the retired Christian THis gives occasion among other matters to cast in a word conconcerning the inward life or retired Christian as all other spiritual things so this has its truth and its counterfeit by mistake whereof of one for the other the faith may be perverted and our minds soon shaken Separation from the world the company of men and affairs of this life in stilness and silence searching into the knowledge of mysteries the divine being and things of the inward world was the Religion of some Jesuites School-men and others that superstition in the Conscience and fancy in the Head was all in this may appear by their writings which are filled either with perplexities of wit natural speculations of God or rules of Legality leading men unto God by a perfection of obedience Christ crucified as the way into the Holiest being not known unto them these had but a shew of the inward life for they entered not by faith within the vail Retirement from the Scriptures and administrations without from Religions and Assemblies from all order and form professed and practised by whomsoever unto the Light within and to it alone to attend as to the onely Scripture the voyce of God and light of men without respect to person or work Redeemer or Redemption without this is the Religion of the people called Quakers they who by the Light within peirced into invisible things the eternal Power and Godhead had but the wisdom of this world Rom. 1.20 1 Corinth 1.20 and were of the world under sin as all other again they who excelled in shews of humility wisdom and all outward holiness as to the exercise of the body and neglecting the same yet their Religion was no more than the Rudiments of this world and perishing Ordinances Col 2. I must say the same of this people and their Religion to be both of this world until they give faith or acknowledgement to the flesh or dead body of Christ to be the onely way into the inward life or within the vail which whilst they deny instead of bringing into Heaven into the peace of God and rest from their labours they shut up the Kingdom and keep men on earth to perform sacrifices and obedience in flesh for their attonement these have a pretence to the inward life but are not entered through the vail of his flesh by faith into the Holiest He that by faith goes out of all things in himself whether perfections of Reason or the Light in the Conscience into Jesus Christ crucified and in him beleives all things of Law or Nature with the works of both to be passed away and himself crucified and washed and perfected for ever and not considering his body now dead nor yet the deadness of all things as to any good in his flesh but shutting his eye and ear from all things of sense and reason in the world or his flesh cleaves onely by faith to the dead body of Christ and therewith mounts up into the spirit of his mind into Christ Jesus alone as his own victory righteousness and life this man is he that enters into Rest into the inward life he is truly separate from all the Religions of the world and yet exercises a Religion in the world he is free from all men and yet a servant unto all his life is in the Head while decayes and deaths in his flesh and of him is that true he is as unknown and yet well known This is the retired Christian that most truly lives and rejoyces in things not seen to sense nor reason nor the light in the natural man he has the clearest surest and sweetest beams of Christ leading him not into Pharisaical austerity nor wanton libertinisme but into a spirit of holiness quietness and stilness in the Lord yet so as that according to grace received he desires to become all things to all men Theâ—e is a generation who have the form of faith and knowledge of the words and profession of Christ but have not the faith whereby they are dead in Christ and he lives in them it sufficeth them to know Christ dyed for sins which faith is common to all men but the mystery of faith they have not that is union with him in it or that they are buried with him into death in the flesh and raised up with him into life in the spirit they behold Christ as without to be the end of the law of sin and death the fulness and fulfilling of all things in himself wherein they do well and tast some joy therein but they receive him not by faith into themselves my root and foundation is this what Christ is and has done without me in himself but the way to partake of the benefit of it is my union with him these do confess to the truth of the first but are not joyned to it by union with it and so fail in the last Christ indeed is by these honoured onely as without while in his Spirit and Grace he is by lust crucified within from such do ye turn away Another generation there is not beleiving the end of sin in the death of Christ nor themselves perfected onely in the Head look for a Redemption not that already in being in Jesus Christ but to be wrought out by him in their own persons that is after the example of Christ turning away from all things inwardly and outwardly every thought desire pleasure or affection and every creature till they come to the Light and Being of God and become so passive and in all things subject thereto that God may do all things in them A cheif Master of this way speaks plainly thus Though God should assume all men that are unto himself and should become Man in them and they in him should become God and the same should not be done in me my fall should never be recovered nor yet my sin done away except the same were also done in me These are the words of a Germain Priest written as is said above two hundred and fifty years ago this doctrine as it carries upon it the notion of God or the divine Nature doing all in us has a shew of glory but as it denies that God has done all things for us in Christ so it has no glory but rather spreads again the vail which Christ rent in his bloud that the riches and glory of grace may not appear if any of the fiery darts of hell have ever been shot against the saith whereby I stand and if by any of them I have ever been near to staggering this doctrine was one if Scriptures
without work is denied there is neither light purity nor power though a shew of all speech or words and outward appearance was one thing and power another with him that said I will know not the speech of them that are puffed up but their power Opposition and persecution that is raised against this people what to be thought of it HAving given this general view of this people and their way I shall conclude with a word concerning the opposition and persecution that is every where practised against them and my sense thereupon The opposition made against that or any way that pretends to be of God may be said to proceed either from ignorance or enmity or truth As to the first they that have not the Spirit of light in themselves oppose the same and the very appearance of the same in others the Religion and faith of the greatest part of the Nation is no more but traditions of others or inventions of their own reason the teachings of God through the Son and Spirit being things they know nothing of and therefore the more lively inward and spiritual manifestations of Truth they oppose being in darkness themselves they know not the light nor the workings of it in others and therefore think no man sees more than themselves and so measure all things by themselves by this sort of men is this way every where spoken against because under shews of light and spirit it testifies against them as in darkness and the flesh as to this I testifie against the Nation as fighters against God while they ignorantly oppose any spirit or way whether it be of God or do but appear to be oâ—… Christ and the light of him is an offence to this world therefore is his way such an offence because having some resemblance of him though to me no more what is done against them though it be not done against him yet is done as against him and the Nations sin is not the less Others have had a taft of Light and Truth and begun in the Spirit but are returned back to the flesh and are sit down at ease in their forms and interests and having lost their simplicity savour and love to the interests of Light and Truth the Gospel and Kingdom of Christ further measures and manifestations of Christ and Light and of obedience thereto are as much an offence to them as the least measures thereof are to the other stinted forms of words and worship were the interest of the Bishops stinted measures of light and profession are the interest of these those were at warr with every thing that was beside their form because against their interest these are at warr with what is beside their measure because against their interest while the tyranny of Princes and idolatry of Religions was heavy upon them that Righteousness and Light was sweet that redeemed and led them out Liberty and pleasures in the flesh having since flattered them into the policies principles and customes of the world they take up the same weapons against encreases of light and reformation in others which their oppressors took up against the beginnings of it in themselves by this sort are this people and others opposed and persecured because pretending to higher measures of light and righteousness than they can bear unto such I say it is a shame and sadness in such a day as this that for meer differences and offences about spiritual things where no more occasion is given men should be delivered up unto bonds prisons and unreasonable men let them live under you in peace who break not your peace let the true Jesus and the true Gospel-spirit shine forth more in our hearts and wayes and there will not need the arm of flesh either against the Whore or the Beast spiritual or outward enemies Truth as it is in Jesus is the onely principle whereby to oppose errour unto which Truth I do here bear witness and have so far herein appeared against this people as they have to me appeared against the truth in Christ disputes and strifes among brethren divided in the letter where the spirit is one I avoid and forbear Enmity and opposition against spiritual enlightenings in others has been the sin of many in this Nation if I had been left to my own heart I should have been as they but a searching for more light and a readiness to receive it has been my frame having through grace learned that one beam of true Gospel-light is more worth than the reading of many books more mighty than all the Kingdoms of the world with all their policy force and greatness The difference between me and this people is as I judge no other but what is between them and Christ not about words or postures or glits or operations but about the bloud the attonement the person of Jesus Christ if after divers conferences readings and hearings their words and writings I could have found the difference no more than in gifts and measures of light and knowledge if I could have found them holding the Head the Person of the Mediatour and compleatness in him by faith I should have been silent and studied unity with them God indeed is Love but Christ coming forth as righteousness and peace was the manifestation of this Love in him is our victory liberty and songs this Truth sense feels not reason cannot reach law vails it flesh and bloud resist it spiritual wickednesses in all false Religions fight against it if our faith and sight hereof be taken from us we are delivered up to the power of some of these earthly dark and worldly principles as this truth is darkened or denyed by this people I have appeared for it it has been my light herein by which I have written as it is opened or shut upon my heart I did herein go or stand still if it had pleased the Lord to have encreased my light and faith herein I might have written with more evidence and power that little strength that has been lent I have not denied not knowing what use it may be of An account of the Faith of this people in the severall parts and principles thereof being made publique by a chiefe Leader of that way J. Naylor in his Book called Love to the Lost I shall gather up every principle by it self into a short and just summe and therewith the principles of truth according to the Prophets and Apostles whereby we may come to an understanding both of their faith and the truth and to a right judgement of their agreement or difference therewith in doing of which I trust the Lord of light and truth shall so command me that I shall present this faith to others as their own writings present it to me and also set out the faith of Christ no otherwise then as it is in him Concerning the fall of man THe summe of things spoken by him is that Gods own wisdom and power or Spirit was placed in man whereby
he had power to be the Sonne of God and Ruler over all the creatures this was the state of the first man that mans departing out of Gods own wisdom and power or spirit put into him and joyning to another the disobedience entred in Gods own wisdom and spirit remaining yet in him but as a Captive this was his fall that by looking and turning not to any thing without but to that of God lying under and covered within him the same makes attonement in him and reconciles unto God through his yielding up himselfe thereunto which is the blood of the Crosse this is his Redemption The account of truth is that the first man Adam was made a living soul 1 Cor. 15. had a beam of light power glory of God as to that appearance of him to the first creation yet still but a living soul not a quickning spirit as to his outward part earthly not heavenly created of earth and feeding upon things created as to his inward naturall not spirituall that is having in him the perfection and beauty of a created wisdom and power not the eternall wisdom and power a candle of light not the Sunne or fountain of light it self by that in him he saw the Godhead as Light righteousness and power but as giving a law and a sentence of death thus God appeared and appeares to the first creation he saw him not as his light righteousness and power by himself fulfilling the law and abolishing death this appearance as then lay hid in God reserved to be brought forth in the second creation thus was man in his first estate That by one mans disobedience many were made sinners Adam was so one that he was many in one as the root before the branches is one yet many as a root departing from the commandement and therein from God he disobeyed and died yet not as alone but we all in his loynes the root being unholy so were the branches all flesh was defiled in him that was the father of all flesh his sinne and death like a flood having overflown himself and all the earth with a curse This was his fall and all ours in him That by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous Christ was One as to person yet many in One in a mysterie so his obedience was not the righteousnesse of one but of all in him not by looking back and returning to the first Adam made a living soule or the glory of the Godhead shining forth upon him but by looking out of every thing in man to the second Adam made a quickning spirit and the grace of God shining forth in him through the blood of his crosse we are redeemed and that not unto the righteousness of the first but of the second Adam thus Christ crucified was that wisdom hid in God before the world unto our glory not known by the naturall or first man neither before nor after his fall if there be that in the naturall man which being turned into and followed can redeem and make atonement for him as this man sayes then the blood of Christ is of no more effect but do this and live Concerning Light and Life He saith that the light shining in every man is Christ the true light and life of men That the going out of this Light is the cause of all false Religions Sects and errors that redemption out of all these out of sinne and death is by the Light within all men as minded and obeyed that a righteousnesse done as far as India and preached as far as Corinth where the same is not done in us is the profession of Pharisees hypocrites Faith saies that God manifest in the flesh and his glory shining forth in the man Jesus vanquishing and doing away the ministration of the law sin and death for us by his own righteousness and life as excelling in glory this is the Christ and light of men the word made flesh as the Mediatour having purged away our sins by himself so he is light unto us the same word as the spirit of revelation in us so he is light within us so he is not light in every man That where faith in the blood of the Mediator is not there is darkness the mother of Errors and all false Religions every of which are more or less bottomed upon the Law in the Conscience that is the light within righteousness by obedience or work being the Root of all they only differ in the Rule some are for Moses others for the Alchoran others for Holy Church these for the Light within That the righteousness done in India and Preached at Corinth is the light that scatters the Redemption that leads out of all erring Religions from sin and death and that the Righteousness as far as India a term of dishonour by them put upon it is to the true spiritual believer not confined in the Land of India but according to the Divine Person in whom it is is extended unto and upon all that believe as a garment spread upon them for the covering of sins a fountain of life within them for the washing away sin Concerning Righteousness The sum of their faith is that the imputed righteousness that justifies is the Light within or that of God in every man which is the free gift that Saints are justified with this righteousness by obedience to it so much we work or obey so much justified and no further That the righteousness that is made a covering for sin is an invention of men and will not stand in the last day Nothing said of Christ manifest in flesh or his crucified body and righteousness that way The Gospel-faith said that the Righteousness that justifies is Christ not as God alone nor as Man alone but as God-man in one who being made sin for us did most graciously and gloriously upon the Cross abolish and overwhelm sin condemnation and the Curse laid upon his flesh by that Omnipotent righteousness life and blessing that was in his God head That not by the works of God in us but by the work of God in Christ with the brightness of his glory purging away our sin in himself are we justified without works only through faith Redemption is a work wholly and entirely in the Person of Christ as Head revealed and given unto us through faith and confessed and manifested by works by once offering of his body he hath perfected for ever all that are his he that truly believes this is perfectly purged and there is no more Conscience of sin though yet the feeling of sin by this faith is the creature made perfect in righteousness at once as in Christ by the Light within he is not made perfect till obedience be perfected judge whither Doctrine leads to perfection That the righteousness of Christ as a covering upon sin presenting the believer in him as righteous to God while ungodly and in sins as to his own sense is a mystery of God that
you than a lofty imagination of Reason onely enlivened with an active spirit of bondage That not the Light within every man but the word of the Apostles and Prophets and the spirit of Revelation shining according to their Testimony is that which leads to the Lord Jesus the incomprehensible divinity cannot be seen nor approached unto but in the Mediatour the Man Christ so Christ is the image of the invisible God the unsearchable Mystery of Christ is brought to light by the Gospel and to be learned by the Spirit so the Scriptures are the Image of Christ he that shall seek for God out of the Humanity of Christ he shall loose both God and himself so he that to find out Christ shall go to the Light within every man and not to the Testimony of them who spake of him what they had seen and heard he may come to behold him as the Law-giver and Judge but as a Justifier and Saviour he cannot know him The Light within all men may find out the God-head but the Mystery of Grace and Love cannot be known but by that Spirit that blowes where and when he lists Would the light within have shewed you the Attonement Redemption the bloud and sacrifice or have put these words in your mouth Concerning the Ministry of Christ HE saies the Ministers of Christ have the Word in them and so declare it to others that they Preach not for hire or gain that they are persecuted of the world He saies rightly that is a Ministry of Christ but Ministers of Righteousness are of Satan or of Christ zealously to affect to compass Sea and Land to make fair shewes in the flesh to be as touching the Law blameless to preach freely suffer labour stripes imprisonments Satans Ministers may be herein transformed as the Ministers of Christ wherefore Ministryes are to be judged by their Spirit and Spirits by Doctrines If an Angel from Heaven if any Persons coming forth in the wisdome holiness power and glory of an Angel shall not confess that Christ was made Sin and a Curse and the end of both through his death unto us let them be accursed their Doctrine takes away the blessing of Abraham which is in Christ and brings men again under the Curse of the Law which by Christ is abolished to all that truly believe I am jealous that the Teachers of the People for the greatest part are carnal formal and but in the Letter and walking as men yet the Lord has his chosen ones among them I am as jealous that the Teachers of this People are the Ministers of that darkness and wroth by which God will punish this faithless perverse and back-sliding Generation Let thy Spirit of Grace be poured forth upon thy Sons and Daughters and the Spirit of errour and uncleanness shall be revealed and cast out Concerning Free-Will HE saies the Light within men which reproves the evil deeds is that Will of God by which we are sanctified and saved that in every man which shewes him his sin and reproves for it is Free-Grace This Light in every man is the Free-will which is free to God and free from sin If the first be so then is the death of Christ of no effect wherein the whole blessed Will of God was done by which Will we are sanctified through his Body how is Christ crucified become foolishness to you who whilst to your selves and others you have a shew of humility are vainly puft up with your fleshly mind not holding the Head If the second be so then the Law and Free-grace are the same if the Light God has put into all men accusing of sin be the gift of Grace the gift of heavenly Righteousness by Christ wherein is the end of the Law and Sin heeded not that we are delivered from that Law in the Letter or Conscience that reveales sin and wrath and while enemies in our minds were reconciled to God by the death of another this is Grace that we are saved in him raised up into heaven in him whilst compassed about with a body of death in our selves this is a mystery to all the Children of Reason the Law and the Letter the darkness that is upon it is that which keeps the Saints in weakness and unstability the world in blindness and Idolatry and Anti-christ with all his righteousness wisdome and works after the Law Reason and Flesh in his power and greatness If the third be so then there is that in the natural man whereby he is able to know and receave the things of the Spirit there is a candle in all men upon which some beames of the God-head do descend and may be known thereby also the righteousness and transgressions of the Law but the deep things of God his Grace in Christ sparkling in old time now in one promise now in another figured by the Law and foretold by the Prophets whereof the righteousness of the Jewes the Philosophy of the Greeks knew nothing this cannot be discerned by the clearest Light in the natural man Thus the Mystery of the second Adam and the restoring of all things in him is levelled and brought down by the Divinity of these People to be no other thing than that Light of the Law and Reason which all Nations have and so whilst they are condemning all other Religions may be concluded in one common Faith and Principle with all those Religions whom they condemne herein onely excelling them that those are Iniquity more manifested these are Iniquity in a Mystery When they shall cease to make the death of Christ and the whole Mystery of Grace in him of none effect I shall cease any longer to account them so The End A TABLE of the several particulars spoken to in this Book 1. COncerning the Righteousness of the Letter of Angels and of God 2. What is Idolatry God may be known three manner of waies 3. Who hold not the Head and how Christ is Head 4. Three chiefest Principles of this People called Quakers examined and weighed 5. How Faith is the Evidence of things not seen 6. Concerning Faith and Sight 7. Concerning the Spirit and Scriptures as together making up a perfect witness or rule of Faith 8. The Light in all men what it is and of what use 9. Two things charged upon us by this People first that we deny the Light within and set it against Christ secondly that we believe in a Christ without these weighed and resolved 10. What is the inward Life and who is the retired Christian 11. A two fold departure from the Faith in the last daies what they are 12. The Christ that dyed at Jerusalem how farre acknowledged and how far denied by this People to be thâ— Redeemer 13. Whether this People build up a Righteousness of the Law 14. Christ first and last Coming what and a Question answered 15. Anti christs last Coming what and how 16. The Authors Testimony concerning the first and last Appearances of Christ 17. Light Purity and Power of this People examined what it is 18. Opposition and persecution that is raised against this People what to be thought of it At Page 47. begins the Review of there Principles as laid down by J. Naylor in his Book called Love to the Lost under these several Heads 1. Concerning the fall of Man 2. Light and Life 3. Righteousness 4. The Word 5 Worship 6. Error and Heresie c. 7. Faith 8 Hope 9. Judgement 10. Perfection 11. Obedience 12. Good Works 13. Election and Reprobation 14 New Birth 15. Baptisme of Christ and that the world so calls 16 the Lords Supper 17. Redemption 18. Justification 19. Sanctification and Mortification 20. The Law 21. Christ Jesus 22. The Ministers of Christ 23. Free-Will