Love of God not to believe every wandring Book or Story that is out against us but hear us before he passeth Judgement against us and then let his Conscience tell if We are not the True Apostolical Christians promoting the Interest of the Pure Spiritual Apostolical Religion For what we believe and assert we Witness We don't Steal nor Robb our Neighbours God has brought it to us beyond all Imitation Our Religion He has made our Own through his internal Operations And against Convictions there is no standing as well as without them there can be no solid Knowledge the want of which makes the World miserable renders us unknown Having thus Historically introduc'd my present Discourse and my Witness is with God the Rightteous Judge of all not out of ill-Will to any but in perfect Love to all that the very Truth of things may be brought to Light in order to a more clear Understanding of that Controversie which is now on foot betwixt the so much despised Quakers and their Adversaries For this let all know I Write not for Controversie but truly for Conscience sake that not empty Conquest but sound Conviction may be the End of all my Labours for the Lord my God who is over and above every Name worthy of Eternal Praises and Dominion I shall conclude with these Earnest Desires in uprightness of Soul to God that Truth Righteousness and Peace may prevail to the more plain Detection of Error and utter Confusion of all Envy and Prejudice THE CONTENTS OF THE First Part. CHAP. I. The Occasion of the Discourse The unhanâ—…some Dealing of T. Hicks with respect to the Invented Weakâ—…ess 〈◊〉 charges upon the Quakers as the strength of their Cause Pag. 1. CHAP. II. The Gross Lyes Tho. Hicks tells in the Name of or fastens upon the Quakers Such Proceeding full of Envy Folly and Ungodliness pag. 4. CHAP. III. That he does not only make us impertinent and Lye But he mannages the Whole prophanely That he who is an Anabaptist has forgot the Scorn once cast upon his own Perswasion Men are not to be mockt out of their Religion pag. 7. CHAP. IV. That a Right-Relish of the Manner of the Dialogue is a sufficient Antidote against the Matter of it His Questions stated His feigned Answer A True Answer to the First What is Salvation To be saved from Sin and Wrath not Wrath without Sin pag. 10. CHAP. V. The second Question stated Particularly what is meant by Light It is more then an Act It is a Principle that discovers the Sate of Man pag. 12. CHAP. VI. That the Light Within manifests Sin yea all Sin That Apostacy or Sin in any is no Argument against the Light but rather for it That the Additional Services of the Jews show No Imperfection in the Light but the People whose Minds were abroad If Insufficiency against the Light should be admitted of because of Rebâ—…llion and Wickedness in Men the same would be objected against the Scriptures which overthrows our Adversary's Assortion concerning their Sufficiency pag. 13. CHAP. VII Another Objection against the Light 's Sufficiency to manifest what ought to be done though it were able to discover what should be avoided It is answered The Light 's not telling 〈◊〉 all it knows or man may know in time to come is no Argument to prove it knows not all things Men know more then they do let them first obey what they know and then what is convenient will be further Reveal'd It is proved from the Reason of Contraries because it showâ—… what ought not to be done From Scripture at large that 〈◊〉 instruct what to do and that there is Vertue in it to the Salvation of all that Believe and Obey it That there is no â—…ssential Difference between the Seed Light Word Spirit Life Truth Power Vnctioâ—… Bread Water Flesh and Blood only so denominated from the various Manifâ—…stations Operatioâ—…s and Effects of one and the same Divine Principle pag. 17. CHAP. VIII An Objection against the Light 's 〈◊〉 Being to Christ's Coming It is proved to have been known to be a saving Light from Adam ' s Day through the Holy Patriarâ—…s and â—…rophets time down to Châ—…ist's from the Scriptures of Truth pag. 25. CHAP. IX Another Objection that though the Jews had it it will not fâ—…llow that the Gentiles were so illuminated It is Answered by several Scriptures In this Chapter quoted to prove that they were not exempted but had a measure of Light some Divine Seed sown in their Hearts some Talent given and that it was sufficient T. Hicks ' s Challenge to give an Instance of one that by the Light within was reprov'd for not believing that Jesus was the Christ is answered Such as believed in the Light and walkt up to it did receive Christ when he came The high Pretenders were they who to Scriptures Opposed and Crucifiâ—…d him The Light from Scripture concluded Universal and Saving pag. 31. CHAP. X. That the Gentiles Believed in one God That he enlightned all Men with a saving Light That Men ought to live piously That the Soul is immortal That there is an Eternal Recompence The Whole call'd Gentile-Divinity The first Point proved by sixteen Testimonies pag. 41. CHAP. XI The second Fundamental of Gentile-Divinity viz. That God hath Imprinted the Knowledge of Himself on the Mind of all Mankind Proved from twelve pregnant Tâ—…stimonies as well of whole Societies as particular Persons Compared with Scripture pag. 52. CHAP. XII That this was not only the Doctrine and Faith of the Gentiles but the very primitive Doctors or Fathers both so held and so exprest themselves Eight Testimonies produced for Proof thereof pag. 60. CHAP. XIII The Third Part of Gentile-Divinity viz. That they were Men of Vertuous Lives and taught the Indispensibleness thereof to Life Eternal Prov'd by Numerous Instancâ—…s pag. 66. CHAP. XIV That the last Point of Gentile-Divinity to wit Immortality and Eternal Rewards is also very clearly and positively held forth by the ancient Heathens Six Testimonies from them to prove it Socrates ' s Great Faith in particular and the lofty Strain of the Pythagoreans pag. 76. CHAP. XV. That the Heathens had a Sight of the Coming of Christ That and not Swearing proves the Sufficienâ—…y of the Light pag. 80. CHAP. XVI It is granted that the Jew and much more the Christian hath the Advanâ—…age of the Gentile yet that the Gentile had enough to Salvation pag. 84. CHAP. XVII A great Objection stated Answered The Light both Law and Gospel not in the same Discovery but in it self A Way to reconcile the seeming Difference about it The Light still defended pag. 86. CHAP. XVIII The second Part of the Objection that Christ was not anciently called the Light Answered And the Contrary proved from Scripture and Reason pag. 91. CHAP. XIX The third Part of the Objection If Christ was enjoyed under the Law as he was If the Light be Christ why was he typified is
this World who had crept into the Outward Forms of Religion then as now and in that employ'd many Emissaries to decry that Pure Heavenly and Invisible Life of Truth and Righteousness which was then and is now begotten in the Hearts of many to the ending of the Idolatries of the Gentiles and Formality and Outward Services of both Jews and Carnal Christians And I affirm in the Name of God and with the Reason of a Man That it is most preposterously absurd for any to charge the Rebellion of Men to be Insufficiency in the Light For if men are Wicked not because they will not be better but because they neither see nor know nor are able to do better How Heavy how Black and how Blasphemous a Charecter doth the Consequence of these Mens Opinion fasten upon the Righteous God of Heaven and Earth since it supposes him Not to have given either Inwardly or Outwardly unto Men Means sufficient to do that which he requires from them and for the not doing of which they are to be sentenced to Eternal Misery But I confess How deep soever this may stick with Impartial Spirits I almost despair of entering our Adversaries whose Souls are pinch'd up within the narrow Compass of a most Detestable Kind of Predestination making the Eternal God as Partial as themselves like some Ancients That because they could not Resemble God they would make such Gods as might Resemble them I say what else can be the tendency of this kind of Doctrine against the Sufficiency of the Light Within then that the Gift of God is not Perfect or able because Men don't Obey it and that the Talent God has given to all is therefore Insufficient for the End for which it was given because Man hides it in a Napkin Again Let them tell me Would it be a good Argument that if the same Corn should be sown in a Fertile and Barren Soile that growing in one and not in the other the Fault should be in the Seed and not rather in the Ground Who knows not how Tradition and Custom have eaten out much of Conviction blinded the World and that it is through Lusts and Pleasures become stupified as to the Invisible Things of God Alas there had never been so much Need of many Exteriour Dispensations and Appearances in reference to Religion so much preferred by the Professors of this Day had not Mens Minds been departed from the Inward Light and Life of Righteousness so that they being abroad God was pleased to meet them there with some External Manifestations yet so as to turn them home again to their first Love to that Light and Life which was given of God as the Way to Eternal Salvation Nor could any of those cleanse as concerning the Conscience wherefore God still by his Servants and Prophets admonished and warned the People of Old To Put Away the Evil of their Doings and to Wash themselves and to Cleanse themselves for that all their Exactness in Outward Services was otherwise but as the Cutting off a Dog's Neck a Sacrifice equally pleasing wherefore the Abrogation of all Outward Dispensations and Reducing Man to his first State of Inward Light and Righteousness is called in Scripture The Times of Refreshment and of the Restitution of all things In short Though there have been External Observations and Ordinances in the World by God's appointment either to prevent the Jews from the Outward splendid Worship of the Idolatrous Gentiles that he might retain a Peculiar Soveraignity over them or to show forth unto them a more Hidden and Invisible Glory this remains sure forever That Light there was and that the Ancients saw their Sins by it and that there could be no Acceptance with God but as they walk'd up to it and were taught to put away the Evil of their Doings by it suitable to that Notable Passage The Path of the Just is a shining Light that shines clearer and clearer unto the Perfect Day What was this Day but compleat Salvation Can there be any Imperfection or Darkness in the Day Surely no What if their Light was not so large Was it not therefore Saving Yes surely But as where much is given much is required so where little is given but little is required If the Light was not so Gloriously manifested before the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ in the Flesh less was then required at that time then since yet it follows not that there was Two Lights or that the Light was not Saving before the Visible Appearance of Christ to as many as lived in an Holy Conformity to it And if it be agreed that Blindness in Men can be no Argument against the Light of the Sun neither is the Light Insufficient because the People of any Nation remain Blind through their Vain Customs Nay should any such Doctrine be admitted what would become of our Adversary's Opinion That the Light of Scripture is Sufficient of it self to give Men the Knowledge of God For if those People who have the Scriptures do not so Know Believe and Obey God as T. Hicks says they ought to do will it not follow upon his Principles that the Defect is not in such as if they were Ignorant and Rebellious but in the Scriptures Certainly the Consequence will hold as well against the Scriptures as the Light If then such wrong the Scriptures who so dispute Let T. Hicks I intreat him endeavour to Right the Light and not longer maintain a Position that being admitted would equally overturn his Notion of the Scriptures without Belief of the Light Within CHAP. VII Another Objection against the Lights Sufficiency to manifest what ought to be done though it were able to discover what should be avoided It is answerd The Lights not telling man all it knows or man may know in time to come is no Argument to prove it knows not all things Men know more then they do let them first Obey what they know and then what is convenient will be further Reveal'd It is proved from the Reason of Contraries because it shows what ought not to be done From Scripture at large that it does instruct what to do And that there is Vertue in it to the Salvation of all that Believe and Obey it That there is no Essential Difference between the Seed Light Word Spirit Life Truth Power Unction Bread Water Flesh and Blood onely so denominated from the various Manifestations Operations and Effects of one and the same Divine Principle BUt there is a Second Objection That there seems to be a manifest Insufficiency in the Light For though several things are Revealed by it yet several necessary matters are not nor cannot So that though it should manifest all that is Reproveable yet cannot it Discover all that is Necessary to be either Believed or Done I Answer this is but a peece of the former Objection already considered I perceive the Pinch lies here that because Men do not Do what they should or don't Know
received and abode in them would lead them iâ—…to all Truth and that they needed not that any man should teach them To deny this to have been the Saints Teacher is to deny as plain a Proposition as is in the whole Scripture and that one Age of Christianity should have one Rule and another Age another Rule that the Spirit we but the Letter is more then any Man can prove yet did John's so writing invalid the Scripture or vilifie his own Epistle Certainly none will talk so idly How then doth our lifting up the Light and Spirit of Christ which fulfils the Scriptures by bringing such as are led thereby to enjoy the good things therein declared reject and vilifie the Scriptures Does our living up to them by an higher Rule make us to deny and reprobate them Erasmus and Grotius think them then most to be valued when men are Witnesses of them see on 2 Pet. 1. 19 20. I do acknowledge they contain an Account of several heavenly Prophecies godly Reproofs and Instructions that ought to be obeyed Obj If so Then how are they not a Rule of Faith and Life Answ. A Rule and the Rule are not one and the same thing By the Rule of Faith and Life I understand the living spiritual immediate omnipresent discovering ordering Spirit of God And by a Rule some Instrument by and through which this great Rule may convey its Direction Such a subordinate secondary and dâ—…claratory Rule we never said several parts of Scripture were not yet the Reason of our Obedience is not meerly because they are there written that were legal but because they are the eternal Precepts of the Spirit in Mens Consciences there repeated and declared Iâ—… is the Tâ—…stimony of the Spirit that is the true Rule for believing and understanding of any or all the Scripture therefore not the Scripture but the Spirit of Truth must be the Rule for mens believing understanding c. Thus held the Ancients Tâ—…rtullian saith Worldly Wisdom the Lord calls Foolishne ss he hath chosen the soolish things of the World to the confounding of Philosophy for that is the Matter of Worldly Wisdom a divine Interpreter of the divine Nature and Disposings Justin Martyr in Exposit. â—…id The Interpretation of the Scriptures is to be a commodated to the Will of the Doctrine of the Spirit and not to human Reasonings Hieron saith The Scriptures musâ—… be opened with spiritual Exposition Epiphanius saith Only â—…o the Children of the holy Ghost all the Scriptures are plain and cleâ—…r Nor were the most approved Protestants of any sort who have been so reputed in Opposition to Popery of another mind It is the Substance of the sourth Article exhibited against the Lutherans in the Council of Trent as an Erroneous Doctrine they held That to understand the Scripture neither Gâ—…oss nor Comment is necessary but only to have the Spirit of a Sheep of Christ's Pasture Erasmus tells us What Man sets forth by Man's Deâ—…ice may be received by Man's Wit But the thing that is set forth by the Inspiraâ—…ion of the Holy Ghost requireth an Interpreter inspired with the like Spirit and without the Inspiration of it the Secrets of God cannot be known Luther giveth us his Mind thus The Scriptures are not to be understood but by that very Spirit by which they were writ Peter Martyr that famous Italian Protestant teacheth us The Spirit is the Abettor by which we must assure our selves for understanding of the Scriptures that thereby we must discern between Christ's Words and a Strangers quoting Christ's Words My Sheep know my Voice and several other places of Scriptures Again The Spirit of God revâ—…aleth the Truth in the Scriptures H. Bullinger Decad. 4. Serm. 8. Men â—…etch the Understanding of Heavenly Things and Knoâ—…ge of the Holy Ghost from NOWHERE ELSE but from the same Spirit John Bradford answerd to the Arch-Bishop of York thus We know the Scriptures as Christ's Sheep by the same Spirit that wrote and spake them being thereby assured c. Calvin teacheth thus in his Institutes It is necessary the same Spirit that spake by the Mouth of the Prophâ—…ts should pierce into our Hearts to perswade us that they faithfully delivered that which was committed to them of God Beza saith That the Way of understanding Prophecies and referring them to the right Scope must be sought or fetcht from the same Spirit which dictated them to the Prophets themselves and more to that purpose W. Tindal call'd the English Apostle by J. Fox saith It is impossible to understand in the Scriptures more then a Turk for any that hath not the Law of God writ in the Heart to sulfil it Bp. Jewel thus against Harding The Spirit of God is bound neither to Sharpness of Wit nor to Abundance of Learning Flesh and Blood is not able to understand the Holy Will of God without SPECIAL REVELATION Without this SPECIAL HELP and PROMPTING OF GOD's SPIRIT the Scripture is to the Reader be he never so Wisâ—… and well-Learned as the Vision of a sealed Book D. Ames a great Father of the Independents saith upon Bellarmin's wordâ—… The Anointing of the Holy Spirit doth teach the Faithful to understand those things which they received of the Apostles therefore to understand the Scriptures in those things which are necessary to Salvation with more to that purpose Vatablâ—…s on Job 32. 8. with Drusius Clarius and others speak to the same effect G. Crâ—…dock a famous Independent Preacher preacht That the Scripture is a Speechless thing without the Spirit Ch. Goad an eminent Separatist's Works styl'd B. D. of K. Colledge in Cambridge and an Independent Pastor thus taâ—…ght There is no Knowledge of Christ nor of the Scripture but by Revelation D. J. Owen a man of greatest Fame among the present Independents saith The publick authentick and infallible Interpreter of the holy Scripture is HE who is the AUTHOR of them from the BREATHING OF WHOSE SPIRIT IT DERIVETH ALL ITS VERITY PERSPICUITY AND AUTHORITY So that we see upon the Judgment of many considerable Persons the Scripture is no Rule for our believing and understanding of it self therefore not The Rule of Faith and Practice coâ—…cerning the things therein declared I will give a short Instance in Christ's words about Regeneration He taught and strange it was no doubt to wise Nicodemus That unlâ—…ss a Man be born again he cannot see the Kingdom of God This is as plain a Proposition as can be laid down and may be credited Historically But what is that to any â—…s New Birth that they are never like to 〈◊〉 â—…formed of there Nor can that Scripture be my Rule in that Heavenly Travail respecting the many and wonderful Tryals and Exercises that are to be met with in it neither can any other Writing whatever This only is the Office of that Spirit Word immortal by which I am anew
Religion it self What Is he grown so hardy that he can handle Holy Things without Fear and make bold with tender Conscience so far as to abuse it self Is Singularity become so offensive in a Quaker as an Anabaptist must show his little Wit in Deriding it But certainly Reader it can be no small Advantage that both his Bitterness and Lightness give us against a Man of his high Pretences to Religion However our Conquest here will be our Patience Innocence and Truth Not that I will believe he thinks I want Words to whom he more then once makes the having of them Criminal and all that read him may see he hath furnisht me with Matter GROSS enough But I delight not to spend my time upon Invectives did I perhaps I might bestow a Tragick Comedy upon a Railing Anabaptist in return of that Ridiculons Dialogue he disingenuously would fasten on an unconcerned Quaker But my God forbid that I should Sport about Religion or make so much as any Man 's pretended Religious Dissent a Theam for my Railery or Abuse for I think it an ill way to Laugh men out of their Profession as well as I can never esteem that any sincere one which men are Jeer'd into and as Conviction is the most Serious Ground on which to receive Faith so to detract or deal disingenuously with any man may harden but can never Proselyte and this is our very Case with respect to T. H. Yet I would have him know That our so much reproached Light Within he so little concerns the Government of his Life withal incites us not to an Eye for an Eye but teacheth us that Forbearance and Forgiveness which we have some Reason to believe his Principles are wholly Strangers to else what can mean his greedy Endeavours To pluck out others Eyes that never yet assaulted so much as one of his either by Word or Writing Well may we take up the Complaint of God's Prophet of old We are had in Derision daily and almost every one Mocketh us But let the Carnal Christian-Mockers have a Care for though their Cruel Mockings be our Portion in this Life yet also for a Recompence shall their Bonds be made Strong and a Consumption from the Lord of Hosts is determined against them that persist therein Having now rendered with all convenient Brevity my just Exceptions against the manner of the Dialogue and spirit of the Man in general I shall proceed to offer something against the distinct Doctrines of it in my particular Vindication of the Truth viz. The Universality and Sufficiency of the Light Within and Demonstration of the General Rule of Faith CHAP. IV. That a Right Relish of the Manner of the Dialogue is a sufficient Antidote against the Matter of it His Questions stated His Feigned Answer A True Answer to the First What is Salvation To be saved from Sin and Wrath not Wrath without Sin WHat I have already said being duly weighed may be an apt Introduction to what follows For he that relishes the Unsavouriness and Rancour of His Spirit in the Mannagement of his pretended Christian-Dialogue surely can have but little Appetite to feed upon a Dish cook't up with such Poysonous Sauce Enmity and Truth were never Companions and where there appears so great a share of the one as hath been truly observed we may I hope without Offence conclude there can be but very little if any of the other However let us see with Reason and Sobriety whether the Matter of his Dialogue be more commendable then the Manner of it writ with so much Railing and Immoderation For Reader this know I writ not for Conquest but for Conscience sake and what I can grant I shall and what I must oppose I hope to do it with Truth and Meekness being only desirous to approve my self to God who will Reward all men according to their Works and to that Measure of Divine Light in every Conscience with which I shall begin and which as the Lord God shall enable me I will endeavour to maintain against the Angry and Undervaluing Reflections of its Adversaries To overlook then many unnecessary Queries that are set down either to Abuse us to fill up Corners or make the Dialogue glide the better no wayes true in themselves and wholly impertinent to the Matter I receive and prosecute the Main Questions which he propounds thus 1. What is that SALVATION which the Light leads to 2. What is this LIGHT that leads to It and 3. Who this HE or THEY are that Obey this Light and in Obeing attain Salvation Sober Questions I grant and as necessary to be known but I am willing first to set down the Answer he makes the Quaker to return before I give mine own that the Sober Reader may judge how different the Reason of a True Quaker is from T. Hicks's Phantastical one 〈◊〉 Thou runnest into many Words and Carnal Distinctions and wouldst have thy Fleshly Wisdom satisfied but I tell thee that Dust is the Serpent's Food Is this to act the Christian or the Scoffer towards the Quaker 'T is not to be doubted but T. H. knows better and that he hath not herein done to us as he would be done by For all his Pretences to Christianity he is thus far Debtor to and Criminal by the LIGHT he vilifieth But the Truth is he therefore maketh his Quaker to render him no better Reason whatever he knew because indeed it was inconsistent with his Design that he should But I will see if I can supply that voluntary Defect in Rebuk to his Disingenuous Practice on the behalf of the poor Abused Quaker I answer I. By SALVATION we understand as by Scripture is deliver'd to us A being saved from Sin here and the Wages of it which is Wrath to come Whereby we are taught utterly to renounce and reject the common Acceptation of it as the full and compleat Force of the Word viz. barely to be saved from Punishment hereafter In which Security through a vain Expectance of Salvation whilst not really actually sav'd from the Power of Sin and the Captivation of Lusts through the invisible Power of Christ Thousands dye and T. Hicks is one of those that not only is inthroal'd himself but earnestly contends for that Beggarly Faith and Religion to be the most Christian which is so unable to deliver both himself and others that believe in it In short We call Salvation Christ's making an End of Sin Destroying the Works of the Divel Finishing of Transgression Binding the Strong Man and Spoyling of his Goods in the Hearts and Consciences of Men and Women and bringing in his Everlasting Righteousness into the Soul whereby to Cleanse Wash Regenerate Renew and Refresh the Soul in one Scripture-Phrase to Save his People from their SINS These are the Times of Refreshment and this is the Day of Restitution and thus is HE King to Reign Prophet to give Vision and High Priest to Anoint with the
is Light 2. Who can have no Fellowship with him such as walk in Darkness that is Sin 3. Who have Fellowship with him such as walk in the Light as he is Light 4. the Reason why is given because such as walk in the Light are there sure experimentally to feel the Vertue of Christ's Blood to cleanse them from all Unrightcousness Where observe that the Light 's leading out of Darkness that is Unrighteousness is the same with the Blood of Jesus Christ cleansing from all Sin Sin and Darkness and to be cleansed from the one and to be translated from the other is equivalent otherwise a Man might be delivered from Darkness and walk in the Light and not be cleansed from Sin which is that Darkness a thing Absurd and Impossible In short they go together By this 't is evident that the Light being walkt in doth directly lead to God and Fellowship with him who is the Saving Light and Health of all Nations and consequently that the Light leads to Eternal Salvation Many are the Denominations that are given in Scripture to one and the same Being or Condition Christ is called The Word the Light the Saviour Emanuel a Rock a Door a Vine a Shepherd c. A State of Sin is sometimes called Darkness Death Disobedience Barrenness Rebellion Stiff-neckedness Eating of Sowr Grapes And Wicked Men Bryars Thorns Thistles Tares Dead Trees Wolves Goats c. On the contrary a State of Conversion is sometimes expressed by such words as Purged Refined Washed Cleansed Sanctified Justified Led by the Spirit Baptized by one Spirit into one Body Regenerated Redeemed Saved Bought with a Price c. And Persons so qualified The Children of God Children of Light Heirs of Glory Lambs Sheep Wheat And that by which they become or continue thus Light Spirit Fire Sword Hammer Power Grace Seed Truth Way Life Blood Water Bread Word Unction that leadeth into all Truth All which respectively is but one and the same in Nature That is Sin or a Sinful State is so variously denominated from the divers Operations and Discoveries of the Nature of it in Wicked Men. The like may be said of the several Vertues in Good and Holy Men and so of that one Divine Principle which so qualifies and preserves them For as the Primitive Saints felt the Operation of the One Holy Principle so they denominated it to men in Darkness they call'd it Light to such as believed and obeyed It became a Leader and those who witnessed their Sins conquer'd their Lusts cut down their Hearts broken and their Souls Washed Redeemed and daily Nourished they called that Divine Principle a Sword Fire Hammer Water Flesh Blood and Bread and Seed of Life In short The same Heavenly Principle became Light Wisdom Power Counsel Redemption Sanctification and Eternal Salvation unto those who believed in it So that the Variety of Expressions in the Scriptures must not be taken for so many distinct things in kind no nor sometimes in Operation And indeed notwithstanding that Light T. Hicks would have lodg'd in the bare Scriptures exclusive of the Spirit all the Men of the World met together would be confounded to give a true Account of the Matter therein contained if they were not Living Experimental Witnesses For as he is not an Evidence sufficient in Laws Humane that was not an Eye or Ear Witness neither are they Evidences for God and Christ who are not Eye and Ear Witnesses of the Light Spirit Grace and Word of God in the Heart And I boldly affirm the Scriptures speak no more for such as are not Inheritors of that Blessed Condition they declare of in some Measure or other then any Deed of Gift would do for a Person no wayes Nam'd or Interested therein It is time then for T. Hicks and his Partners to look about them lest the Midnight-Cry overtake them and their Professing Lamp be found without Oyl For I must needs tell him in the Beloved Disciple's Language He that saith he is in the Light and 〈◊〉 his Brother is in the Darkness even until now And in my own Language That I take that to be their State who shew so much Envious Displeasure against an Harmless People and those in particular that never yet Offended much less Justly provokt them But would they bring their Thoughts Words and Deeds to the Light in their own Consciences and let true Judgment pass upon them and patiently undergo the Heavenly Chastisements for their Disobedience to and Vilifying of the Light they would come to witness a turning from the Darkness to the Light and continuing therein as that Holy Way in which the Ransomed of the Lord alwayes did do and shall walk through all Generations they would know the Injoyment of Eternal Peace Yea such is the Excellency of Christ the true Light that as He was First so shall He be the Last when all Outward Performances Writings Worships yea the whole World shall be at an End the Use and Excellency of the Light will remain forever as saith John the Divine And they shall see his Face and his Name shall be written in their Fore-Heads and there shall be no Night there and they need no Candle neither Light of the Sun for the LORD GOD GIVETH THEM LIGHT and they shall Reign forever and ever Amen CHAP. VIII An Objection against the Light 's Antecedent Being to Christ's Coming It is prov'd to have been known to be a Saving Light from Adam's day through the Holy Patriarchs and Prophets time down to Christ's from the Scriptures of Truth HAving then plainly prov'd from Scripture 1. That the Light is Saving since the time of Christ beginning with its first Appearance as Manifesting Sin 2. Condemning of It. 3. Redeeming from It as obeyed And that the same Principle which is called Light is the Seed Grace Truth Word Spirit Power Unction Water Way Life Flesh and Blood and therefore not a Distinct Being from that which T. Hicks himself if he will own plain Scripture must confess doth Save I call it the LIGHT OF SALVATION OR THAT LEADS TO SALVATION But there remain yet several Objections to be Answered which done we shall immediately proceed to give Judgment upon the Question Who or What this Light is with respect to all our Adversaries Cavils Obj. Though you have thus far evinc'd the Universality of a Saving Light from the Scriptures since Christ's Life Death Resurrection and Ascension yet that which is the Pinch of the Controversie will be this Where was this before Light Had any this Saving Light they had a Light before it came in that Eminent Manner above One Thousand Six Hundred Years since It is generally believ'd that Christ's then coming benefitted the World with it in case the World universally hath such a Saving Light To which I shall give my Answer both from Scripture History and Reason The first Scripture I shall quote is in the first of Genesis So God created
Wiser then his Teachers in the hidden Life and Mystery of things whereby David had long seen beyond all Types and Shaddows of the good Things to come to the very Substance it self from whence came his excellent Prophecies agreeing with that passage The Path of the Just is as the shining Light that shines more and more unto the perfect Day said the wise Man This strongly implies that David and not he alone but the Just of all Ages were attended with the Discoveries and Leadings of a Divine Light which as obey'd did make Just and alwayes lead in the Way of Salvation unless the Just Way was not the Saving Way and if it was certainly it is still for it is the Lord himself whom in Samuel's History he is recorded also to have called a Lamp as he here doth the Word which Moses said was nigh in the Heart that Men should obey it and do it This was the Word of Reconciliation in every Generation whose Holy Water washed their Consciences from Sin who heard andobey'd it Again that this Light was not confin'd to David or such Good Men take these two Passages Thou givest thy Mouth to Evil and thy Tongue frameth Deceit Thou sittest and speakest against thy Brother thou Slanderest thine own Mothers Son These things hast thou done and I kept Silence thou thoughtest that I was altogether such an one as thy self but I WILL REPROVE THEE AND SET THEM IN ORDER BEFORE THINE EYES saith the Lord Again His Lightnings inlightned the World the Earth saw and trembled In which two places it will appear upon impartial Consideration that God hath inlightned the World and that as Light Difcovering the Works and Workers of Darkness he doth reprove the Inhabitants of the World set their Sins in order before them and cause such Guilty ones to Tremble at his so appearing which is expresly confirmed in that notable passage of the Prophet For Lo He that treadeth the Mountains and cleareth the Wind that makes the Morning Darkness and treadeth upon the High Places of the Earth and DECLARES UNTO MAN WHAT HIS THOUGHTS ARE THE LORD THE GOD OF HOSTS IS HIS NAME This the Psalmist was well acquainted with himself when he uttered these Words Whither shall I go from thy Spirit or whither shall I flee from thy Presence which plainly shows to us that the Spirit of the Lord and his Presence was every-where and that as Light discovering Darkness with respect to Mankind For the Question was not whether God by his Spirit was not every-where for that our Adversaries grant or he could not be God But whether it was possible for David to withdraw himself into any place where his Mind could not be sensible of the Eternal Spirit and Immediate Presence of God who is Light it self either as a Reprover Exhorter or Informer as the foregoing Words intimate O Lord thou hast searched me and known me Thou understandest my Thoughts afar off Thou art acquainted with all my Wayes Which however God might know them it stands firm that David could never have known God so as to see and behold them but from that Light and Spirit of which he sayes in the 7th vers following which I have already cited Whither shall I go from thy Spirit In short it must needs be evident to all unprejudic'd Readers that David had this Light within or Spirit of God present with him as a Reprover Informer or Comforter since it was impossible for him to be any-where without it Which may prove to us that however he lived above a thousand years before the Apostle Paul he very well knew the meaning of that Doctrine he preach'd to the Athenians God is not far away or at a Distance from every one of you Which truly known and experimentally witnessed not only as a Reprover but by an humble and holy reception of him into the Heart as King and Lord is the Glory of the Evangelical Dispensation where God dwells in his People as an Holy Temple and Tabernacles with them This is the blessed Emmanuel-state God with and God in Men. I might here to sub-joyn the Account we have of the great Illumination of Daniel and the Gentiles clear Acknowledgment of the same which they could never have done with that Seriousness and Conviction but from some glimps of the same Divine Light but that I shall pass over with several Passages of other of the lesser Prophets and conclude this Scripture Proof of the Gift of the Light and Spirit antecedent to Christ's coming in the Flesh and from Stephen's Testimony Howbeit the Most High dwelleth not in Temples made with hands as saith the Prophet Heaven is my Throne and Earth is my Footstool what House will you build me saith the Lord or what is the Place of my Rest Hath not my hands made all these things Ye Stiff-necked and Uncircumcised in Hearts and Ears ye do always resist the Holy Ghost as your Fathers did so do ye And lest it should be objected that it was only in Stephen then and the holy Prophets of Old that both they and their Fore-Fathers resisted the Holy Spirit Remember Reader that weighty Passage in Nehemiah Thou gavest also thy Good Spirit to Instruct them and withheldst not thy Manna from their Mouth by which it is most evident that the Light of God's Spirit or the Spirit of God was given as well to the Rebellious as Obedient that it might as well condemn for Sin as lead into all Righteousness And since we are to suppose God's Spirit and the Light thereof to be sufficient to Salvation for God's Gifts are perfect in themselves and are given to accomplish their Ends perfectly from that Sin and Iniquity which the contrary Spirit draws into we may without any offence I hope conclude that during those many Ages before the Coming of Christ in the Flesh he did Illuminate Mankind with a sufficient measure of his Divine Light and Spirit CHAP. IX Another Objection that though the Jews had it it will not follow that the Gentiles were so Illuminated It is Answerd by several Scriptures In this Chapter quoted to prove that they were not exempted But had a measure of Light some Divine Seed sown in their Hearts some Talent given and that it was Sufficient T. Hicks's Challenge to give an Instance of one that by the Light within was Reproved for not believing that Jesus was the Christ is Answer'd Such as believed in the Light and walkt up to it did receive Christ when he came The high Pretenders were they who to Scriptures Opposed and Crucified him The Light from Scripture concluded Universal and Saving Obj. BUt here I expect this Objection having run our Adversaries unavoidably to it Very well Taking it for granted that what you have said in reference to a Saving Light or Spirit universally bestow'd upon the Jews THAT WERE A DISTINCT PEOPLE from the rest of the World under very many peculiar Rights
yet cannot we think it good Arguing to infer the Gifts of God's Light and Spirit to the Gentiles that make far the greatest part thereof from these Scriptures that only seem to prove it the Priviledg of the Jews To which I Answer That I conceive I have urg'd those Scriptures already that afford a plain Conviction and Evincement of the Truth of that general Inference but because I am desirous from my very Soul in perfect Love to theirs that shall read this Discourse of removing what Objection I am able to fore-see it may meet with after it shall have past my hand I will endeavour to make appear first from SCRIPTURE and next from the Best Account we have of the DOCTRINES and LIVES of HEATHENS and lastly from REASON That God's Love in the Illumination of his Spirit or Gift of a Measure of his Divine and Saving Light was Universal or that Mankind was and consequently is antecedently to Christ's Coming in the Flesh enlightned with such a Measure of Light as was Saving in it self And to all such as received the Light and obeyed it in the Love of it In order to this I shall briefly insist on a few Scriptures some of which have been already quoted though not so directly to this Matter I. My Spirit shall not alwayes strive with Man Here observe That no one Nation was interested more then another but Man stands for the whole Adam or Mankind from whence I do very truly Conclude that Mankind was not destitute of the Spirit or Light of the Almighty though it might be known in no higher Degree then that of a Convincer and Reprover of Sin yet it follows not But if man had yielded to the Striving of it doubtless he had been thereby redeemed from that Spirit of Iniquity that was the ground of his grievous Resistance which I call Salvation from sin II. They are of those that Rebel against the Light they know not the Wayes thereof nor abide in the Path thereof Here is no mention made of the Jews in this Chapter nor in many foregoing or following it if at all in the whole Book For Job is here giving the Character of wicked Men in general that is not with respect to any particular Nation so that we may well infer neither did he understand the Light whereof he spoke should be limited as to its Illumination or any particular People In short I argue thus If such as pluck the Fatherless from the Breast and take a Pledge of the Poor as the Context relates are those that Rebel against the Light and walk not in its Way then because that Vice was never limited to the Jews but other Nations work'd that Wickedness as well as they it will plainly follow that the Light against which such Offenders Rebell'd also was not limited to the Jews but extended to the Gentiles also unless it should be said That what was Rebellion and Wickedness in the Jews was not so in the Gentiles But because Sin was and is Sin all the World over Light was and is Light all the World over whether Men bring their Deeds to it or not III. But again let us hear the same Book speak Is there any Number of his Armies and upon whom doth not his Light Arise This Question carries in it a strong Affirmative of the Universality of God's Light as much as to say Who is there among all the Sons and Daughters of Men that can say I am not Enlightned by Him If then none can it must needs follow That all are Enlightned as well Gentiles as Jews IV. Thus much these two Notable Parables teach us of the Sower and the Lord that gave his Servants Talents They who believe Scripture must acknowledge them to represent God's Dealings with Mankind in reference to Gift Duty and Reward Observe the first Parable The same Day went Jesus out of the House and sate by the Sea side And great Multitudes were gathered together unto him so that he went into a Ship and sate and the whole Multitude stood on the Shore And he spoke many things unto them in Parables saying Behold A SOWER WENT FORTH TO SOW and when he sowed some Seeds fell by the Way side and the Fowls came and devour'd them up Some fell upon Stony places where they had not much Earth and forthwith they sprung up because they had no Deepness on Earth and when the Sun was up they were scorched and because they had not Root they wither'd away and some fell among Thorns and the Thorns sprung up and choack'd them But other fell in Good Ground and brought forth Fruit some an Hundred-fold some Sixty-fold some Thirty-fold Who has Ears to hear let him hear It is granted by all that I know of that the Seeds-Man is God the Scripture saith the Seed is the Word of the Kingdom which must needs be the Spiritual Word nigh in the Heart suitable to the Heavenly Kingdom Christ said was within other-wise call'd Light that is said to be sown for the Righteous or the Grace that appeares unto all-Men and brings Salvation to them that are taught by it And lastly common Sense tells us that the several Grounds comprehend Mankind for they must either include the Bad with the Good or the Good only must be benefited But the very Scripture expresly distinguisheth betwixt the Good and Bad Ground yet affirms the one to have been sown with the Seed as well as the other Therefore Gods Gift is Universal however Men by Wicked Works may have render'd their Hearts Stony Thorny or otherwise defective and uncapable of bringing forth Fruit. The other Parable is also very weighty and much to our purpose For the Kingdom of Heaven is as a Man travelling into a far Country who called his own Servants and delivered unto them his Goods and unto one he gave Five Talents to another Two and to another One to every Man according to his several ability and straight-way took his Journey Then he that had received Five Talents went and traded with the same and made them other Five Talents and likewise he that had received Two he also gained other Two But he that had received One went and digged in the Earth and hid his Lord's Money After a long time the Lord of those Servants cometh and Reckoneth with them And so he that had received Five Talents came and brought other Five Talents saying Lord Thou deliveredst unto me Five Talents Behold I have gained besides them Five Talents more His Lord said unto him Well done thou Good and Faithful Servant thou hast been faithful over a few things I will make thee Ruler over many things Enter thou into the Joy of thy Lord. He also that received Two Talents came and said Lord Thou deliveredst unto me Two Talents Behold I have gain'd Two other Talents besides them His Lord said unto him Well done Good and Faithful Servant thou hast been faithful over a few things I will
and that to evince the Truth concerning his Light to them that pretend a Belief of the Scriptures while yet they are opposing his Light testified of therein As there are those that pretend to believe Moses and the Prophets and think to have Eternal Life in the Scriptures while yet they really oppose that Life and Light testified of in them And such profess the Scriptures to be their Rule while yet they are perverting them against the Life and Light from whence they came and this Hypocrisie many of you are guilty of and therefore with Abraham we refer you to the Scripture Testimony in this Case which if you believe not while you profess them you will not believe if one rise from the Dead The Scriptures are not our only Rule for our refusing to swear our not breaking Bread with you c. for which thou falsly accusest us of arguing against the Institutions of the Gospel p 23. for 1st We stand for the Reputation of Christianity and that Love which injures no man in our resâ—…sing to swear which the Prohibition without us did not bring us to but the Power of Christ when it begat us into that Love wherein we know the fulfilling of Christ's Command 2ly Oâ—…r Experience of Christ Jesus the Living Bread which comes down from Heaven hath shewed us the Uselesness of your breaking Bread as being but a Shadow while we are come to the Substance to wit Christ Jesus the Bread of Life come down from Heaven which if thou knowest him so come as that his Flesh and Blood were thy Meat and Drink thou wouldst not be doting about the Shadow We do not grant that Christ is so come and revealed in all men and yet own some degree of this Light to be in all Thou hast no Reason to accuse us for Lyars in this matter as in p. 23. But thy slanderous Tongue and Pen is at Liberty in this and many other things Thy Malice also plainly appears in charging us of denying the Person of Christ whereas we have fully confest the Man Christ according to the Scriptures both with respect to his Sufferings and Glory Sect. XIII The Baptist's Impious Forgery upon the Quakers about the Scriptures which are in Reality owned and used by them AFter thou hast erroniously accused that of God in us as not sufficient to direct thou proceedst in thy false fictitious Dialogue thus viz. Chr. Is it ingenuous and honest in you to deny the Scripture to be a Rule to others and at the same time you make it though by mis-interpreting it a Rule to your selves Are not you ashamed of this Deceit and self-condemned of plain Partiality And then he most falsly personates the Quaker Qua. Thou mistakest us for when we make Use of the Scriptures 't is only to quiet and stop their Clamors that plead for it as their Rule Reply Who but an Ungodly Man would have brought forth such a lying Forgery as this in the Sight of the Sun as the Quakers Words which is not the Speech of any real Quaker so called but one of thy own making to speak as thou pleasest for thy own wicked ends and thy Lye upon the Quakers is manifest herein Is this the Way thou proposest for our Conviction to make Lyes thy Refuge Was it not known unto the World that we have a better and more serious Esteem of the Holy Scriptures then here thou represents as knowing them to be profitable to the man of God who is come to know that eminent divine Rule of the Spirit which opens them and to make use of them in Subjection thereunto As also our denying that they are the Rule of Faith is no Proof that we deny them to be any Rule at all while in Subserviency to and Proof of the greater we make use of them as the Spirit of God teacheth and for the Information and Conviction of them that have a Belief concerning them for the End still that they may eye that Light and Spirit of Truth which gave them forth and come to know that Inspiration of the Almighty which giveth the Understanding As for Deceit Impudence and presumptuous Conceit which thou T. H. accusest us of thou art highly guilty thereof thy self or else thou couldst never forge such Lyes against us as thou hast done And we wish thou didst in Reality own the Scriptures as feigndly in Words thou pretend'st So far are we from strenuously endeavouring to take People off of the Scriptures as falsly thou accusest us that we desire all might come to know the Righteous Ends for which they were given forth by that divine Light which opens them Much of thy dirty stuff is gathered out of other dirty lying Pamphlets which have been long since answered Sect. XIV His impious Abuse about Revelation Light within Scriptures c. ANd why dost thou quarrel against us for owning Revelation or Perfection as attainable What hast thou against Immediate Revelation Instead of confuting the thing it self thou tellst us of some personal Mistakes or Weaknesses of some particulars as First Of one being mistaken by Paul Hobson's speaking through a Trunk though that was no Quaker who was thus cheated 2ly Of others being mistaken about the Persons to whom they should have declared some Message 3ly Of a notorious Falshood being taken for a Revelation 4ly Of the Opposition of some professing the Light and Revelation p. 26 27. together with several other Stories and Personal Reflections which I have very much Cause not to believe But suppose many of these Stories were true against private Persons Hast thou herein dealt ingenuously thus no inveigh against Principles from personal Failings of such as profest them Is there no such thing as divine Revelation or the Guidance of an Infallible Spirit to be known because some do err or are mistaken that profess them Or no such thing as an infallible Light because some have differed in some particular Cases that have profest it Wouldst thou thus be dealt by concerning thy Water-Baptism or pretended Gospel-Institutions If it should be argued that because the Dippers are greatly divided among themselves and that about Principles and Doctrines and some of them have been grosly corrupt and debaucht in their Lives therefore their dipping or Water-Baptism is no Institution of Christ wouldst thou look upon this as a good Argument Nay further Do you not much differ among your selves in several principal matters As about personal Election and general Redemption and so about the Death of Christ whether for all or some and about Free-Will the seventh Day Sabbath and laying on of Hands and about the manner of administring your pretended Lord's Supper and about the Immortality of the Soul as also some affirming Water-Baptism to be of Necessity to Salvation others not with several other things and yet most of you that thus differ profess the Scriptures to be your Rule If then I should from hence argue that therefore the Scriptures are not the Rule
of Creation thrâ—…gh which his Light gives Men to consider and see God and his eternal Power Rom. 1. and to worship him And this Light and Works are and do preach forth the Power of God and his Wisdom where the Scriptures are not And therefore God affords a Sufficiency even to the Heathens both of Light inward and Evidence outward of his Power c. They that have the holy Scriptures in the Bible may thank God for those good Testimonies in them as his Light within opens their Understandings in them to the Right Use of them Aâ—…d they that have not the Bible have the Book of the Creation to read in and the Light within to open it and to read and understand a Deity and Divine Power through all and over all And they that are born Deaf and Blind shall not be therefore damned God having afforded an invisible sufficient Light to save being obeyed to leave them without excufe being disobeyed And if by the use of Reason the Spirit of God teacheth the Heathen moral Duties as in p. 54. which Duties as he explains are to love and worship God and to love our Neighbours as our selves then have the Heathen First A supernatural and Divine Light to wit that of the Spirit 2dly His Spirit with the Teaching and Reason of it in that degree it is in them is a Rule of Life to them that have not Scriptures who obey it And this confutes and overthrows the greater part of S. S. his Book or bundle of Confusion S. S. Most falsly obtruds upon R. Ludgater this Concession viz. That the Will of God as much of it as is revealed by the Light in every man without the help of Scripture is not the only Rule to Heaven p. 23. And this sayes S. S. fetcht out of the very Heart-Blood of Quakery Epist. This is a gross Abuse and Lye for R. L. hath a better Knowledge and Esteem of the Light of Christ in every man and its own Sufficiency to guide the Obedient to Heaven In him was Life the Life was the Light of Men Job 1. 4. This Life and Light of Christ being divine is therefore a sufficient Rule Also S. S. hath abused G. W. in several places perverting his Words and setting down words in G. W's Name which he never wrote nor spoak and in particular these words about Christ's Coming viz. He hath tarried above Sixteen Hundred Years p. 86. quoting Divin of Christ p. 49. and then to back this Abuse and to lay Judgment 〈◊〉 G. W. brings those Scriptures 2 Pet. 2. 3 4. and Mat. 4. 48. Whereas G. W's Words were quite contrary â—…nfessing both to Christ's Outward and Inward Coming which â—…is Disciples did not put afar off as you do it being above â—…ixteen Hundred Years since they both waited for and receiv'd â—…is Coming Here is no such Word as that He hath tarried so long we refer the Reader to the Book and Page before mentioned to see S. S's Abuse in this as also many more might be instanced where instead of answering he hath wronged and belyed our Words and Books S. S. in p. 32. saith though the Counsels of God's Spirit in Believers Hearts be IN themselves as certainly the Truth of God as are his Counsels in the Scriptures yet are they not to Believers so certainly the Truths of God Answ. What 's this but to tell us that the Scriptures can better ascertain us of the Truths therein then the Spirit that first gave forth those Truths or that the Spirit of Christ is Insufficient assuredly to manifest his own Counsels to Believers which is contrary to Christ's own Testimony He shall guide you into all Truth He shall abide with you forever and the Sons of God are led by his Spirit and hereby know we that we dwell in him and be in us because he hath given us of his Spirit 1 Joh. 4. 13. Chap. 3. 24. Therefore this Spirit is our certain and highest Rule And as to his pudder he makes about Water-Baptism 't is very confused and silly as at the Dispute not plainly asserting whom he would have the Subjects of it whether Infants or Believers yet brings some of the Anabaptists Arguments though we still suppose he intends Infants but durst not tell us whether it be his Practice now So see what a Laborynth and Loss his Work tends to bring People to neither plainly telling them the Subjects nor showing who are the Ministers of this imposed Water-Baptism whether himself or such as he or who and yet injoyns it as a Means of Sanctification a Means of Salvation which we do not believe As also he explains not his terms of the Lord's Supper what he means by the Lord's Supper whether the Shaddow or the Mystery and what is his own Practice therein whether he ministers Bread and Wine as a Figure or the Substance And whether the Mystery or thing signified be attained by any in this Life This is unanswer'd Nor whether Shaddows be essential to the Gospel Dispensation Concerning Justification He hath in some degree granted to truth that the word Justifie the Scripture sometimes useth it to signifie to make Just by inherent Holiness or to Sanctifie Tit. 3. 5 7. He saved us by the Washing of Regeneration that being justified c. Herein he hath assented more to Truth then many of his â—…rethren but 't is much contradicted again in his handling the matter of Imputation of Adam's Sin to those that are not Partakers of it and so of Christ's Obedience p. 96. As if Adam's Sin and Christ's Righteousness were so imputed to them who partake not of them This we cannot own and hath been often answered in our Books and much we have against this his Sense of Imputation as also against their Opinion about personal Election and Reprobation and the Cruelty Partiality and ill Consequence of the Presbyters Opinion therein And against S. S. his shallow and absurd managing the matter whose manifest Contradictions were long since published which we do not understand that he hath made any Publick Essay to reconcile also his work about the Scriptures Baptism and the Supper are more particularly and fully answered elsewhere which there hath not been for some time an oppoâ—…tunity to publish CHAP. II. About JUSTIFICATION and IMPUTATION S. S's Quest. WHether we are justified by the Righteousness of Christ imputed The Question would better reach the Controversie as thus stated viz. Whether Impure that is unsanctified Persons while 〈◊〉 be justified by the Imputation of Christ's Righteousness Thus I stated the Question at first which S. S. evaded with this viz. Whether Justification be by the Works of the Law 〈◊〉 by the Righteousness of Christ through Faith Noâ—…â—…enying the former and granting the latter this Question will not find out the Controversie but rather Whether Christ's Righteousness be imputed unto Persons in a disobedient unsanctisied or unconverted State Or Whether Christ's Righteousness be imputed of Coâ—… to Persons
within is not the Rule above the Scriptures as is implyed in his 57th page when I confess it to be that that gives the true Understanding of them and to be wise according to what is written And not to pretend the Scriptures for Proof of what they prove not As for Instance When I am called to answer an Unscriptural Question by such as profess Scripture to be their Rule I think it most meet to answer them in the Scripture-Language which while they are not satisfied with they inquire but to Cavil and for Advantage as my Opposer and some others of his Abettors did As for a more particular Instance when they query about the Resurrection of the Body as desiring I would inform them what Body that is that shall arise again which being the same with that which the Apostle reproves for 1 Cor. 15. 35. it deserves the same Reproof for Answer vers 36 37. Again Though I really confess the Universal Resurrection of the Body of Mankind or of the whole Adam which implieth First A general Fall and Death and that they shall come forth some to the Resurrection of Life and others to the Resurrection of Damnation yet for the very Phrase namely The Resurrection of the Body of Flesh c. I find not in Scripture But the Resurrection of the Dâ—…ad the raising and arising of the Dead c. 2dly Upon my Answer in the Apostle's very words 1 Cor. 15. 35. the feigned Christian saith This Answer Whitehead said is sufficient for such busie intruding Fools p. 57. By which he hath contradicted what he saith before Whitehead answered in p. 54. But then he adds The Apostle calls Fools not they that believed but they that deny the Resurrection of the Body Persons of the same Perswasion with the Quakers in this Point p. 57. That the Corinthians did positively deny the Resurrection he hath not proved But that some questioned like him How and with what Body are the â—…ead raised c. whose Folly the Apostle reproved And this is not Quakers Perswasion thus to question much less to deny the Resurrection in the true Sense and real Mystery of it For so to question With what Body are the Dead raised is not a Question necessary to Salvation nor essential to the being of a Christian who knows a part in Christ who is the Resurrection and the Life Now come we to examine T. H's Meaning upon the Text 1 Cor. 15. 37 38. wherein he proceeds thus Concerning this Mortal viz. That the Body given it is the same for Substance the same that was sown c. only called a Body given to it because it is so changed from its Accidents of Corruption and Mortality Thus far T. H. What reasonable man can make Sense of this piece of Oratory as to say that the Body given to it is the same for Substance Like as if he had said This same mortal Body is the same It which is given it or it is the same It that is sown that is given it self or the same Body for Substance is given to the mortal Body What rare Rhetorick is this And so his Brother Kiffin saith That the Seed that 's sown is the same Body of Flesh c. which shall arise though otherwise qualified If so what is that Body that God giveth to it as it pleaseth him For if it be lookt upon in the Nature of a Seed it must be supposed that it is another Body that 's given unto it as is to every Seed sown according to its kind For it is plain Non-sence to say That that which is sown is the same Body that is given to it Besides that which is not quickened except it dyes which may be spoken of every kind of Seed that hath Life in it first doth not dye beâ—…ore it is sown but after 't is sown as Christ saith Except a Grain of Wheat fall into the Ground and dye it abideth alone but if it dye it bringeth forth much Fruit Now the Fruit or Ear brought forth is the proper Body given to it which is not the very same which waâ—… sown in the Earth But I pray how holds this dying aftersown with these men's fleshly Opinion of the carnal Body in the Grave being the Seed for that being Dead before doth not dye after 't is buried neither do these men intend to be buried alive And seeing every Seed hath its own proper Body what Body can be proper to the Terrestrial Bodies which if every one of them must be lookt upon as the Seed to have each a proper Body given what a plurality of Bodies must there be besides what are And will it not amount to this That every man shall not only have these very Terrestrial Bodies but each a Body besides and so every man two Bodies and those of the same Substance that these are now to wit Terrestrial or Carnal He cites Phil. 3. 21. thus He shall change our vile Bodies Herein he mis-cites and perverts the Phrase For 't is not Bodies in the plural but Body in the singular And 't is to be read thus from the Greek He shall change the Body of our Lowness that it may be fashioned or trans-figured like unto his Glorious Body But doth not this evidently make against him considering that Christ's Glorious Body is not a Carnal Terrestrial or Earthly Body but a Spiritual Transcendent Glorious Body And the changing of our Low Body in fashion to be like his implieth not the same Terrestial or Carnal Bodies or to be of this Fashion and Substance as now they are For Celestial Spiritual and Glorious Bodies are much different from Terrestrial Carnal and Mean Corruptible Bodies Again T. H. addeth from Phil 3. 21. This cannot be meant of a new created Body because such a Body cannot be said to be either vile or changed If then this IT be not the Body which dyed but another how can that be called a Resurrection for that supposeth the same If another then it is more properly a Creation of a new Body then the Resurrection of the Body p. 58. Repl. Mark here 1. He is for a Resurrection of the very same Tâ—…rrestrial Bodies of all men but no new Creation for that opposeth his Thoughts of the Resurrection 2. What a strange Inconsistency is it that the self-same Earthly or Carnal Bodies of all should arise again after they are turned to Dust without any new Creation and yet rise compleat the same they were sor Substance What Sense or Congruity can be made of this Many Thousands being dissolved and turned to as real Dust of the Earth as man was at first formed of how should Living and Compleat Bodies be raised out of that Dust without Creating anew first But if it cannot be a new created Body it is not the same Natural Carnal or Terrestrial Body for Substance after dissolved It is not this very same corruptible Flesh Blood and Bones that is given to every Seed
proved of no Force The Type and Anti-type in some respect may be at one and the same Time This is proved by plenty of Scripture Our Adversaries Opposition and Cavil weak and insuccessful pag. 94. CHAP. XX. The fourth Part of the Objection stated and considered Christ ' s Death and Sufferings confossed to and respected They were Beneficial The Light of Christ within is the efficient Cause to Salvation pag. 99. CHAP. XXI A Confession in particular to Christ ' s Redemption Remission Justification and Salvation pag. 104. CHAP. XXII That Christ is the Light or the Light is Christ proved from Scripture and so concluded notwitstanding two Objections which are fully answer'd pag. 114. CHAP. XXIII The Universality of the Light proved by Reason pag. 120. CHAP. XXIV The Sufficiency of the Light proved by Reason pag. 122. CHAP. XXV The Question Who He or They are that obey the Light c consider'd and answered being a Character of 〈◊〉 true Quaker pag. 124. CHAP. XXVI The Discourse hithero summed up and concluded with an Exhortation to all Professors of Religion especially our Oppâ—…sers pag. 128. APPENDIX Of the Rule of Faith and Life pag. 135. Of the Judge of Controversie pag. 155. Thâ—… Conclusion pag. 160. THE CONTENTS OF THE Second Part Entituled The CHRISTIAN-QUAKER and his Divine Testimony Vindicated Which consists of several Treatises The Contents of the First Treatise To the Unprejudieâ—…d Reader an Epistle from pag. 3. to pag. 9. Some of the Doctrines and Contradictions of T. Hicks declared at a Discourse between him and some of the Quakers so 〈◊〉 in Aldermanbury London the 20th of the 3d Moneth 1672. p. 10 11. Christ's Light Within asserted as it is Divine and therefore a sufficient Rule of Life unto Salvation to all that truly obey it and vindicated from Tho. Hicks ' s dark Exceptions fallacious and Impious Arguments consisting of manifest Ignorance Confusion and Ranterism which are here inserted as they were exhibited in a Paper afterwards owned and signed by him from p. 13. to p. 23. Section 1. In Answer to his Dialogue The Light within proved Divine and Saving c. p. 24. § 2. The Life which is the Light of Men not a Creature or meer Effect c. p. 27. § 3. The Baptist ' s Quarrel grounded on his Mistakes about the Light and our Testimony of it p. 29. § 4. Christ guideth to Salvation by his Inward Light and the Baptist Confounded in his Opposing it p. 31. § 5. The Dipper proved a Blind Guidâ—… and in gross Confusion in undervaluing the Light Within p. 32. § 6. His Ignorance of the Divine Principle p. 34. § 7. His Madness and Self-Contradiction about the Light p. 35. § 8. Christ as the Rock of Ages and the Intent of his Coming in the Flesh not known to the Baptists while they Oppose his Light Within p. 37. § 9. The Dipper plunged in a Labyriâ—…th of Self-Contradictions and the Light within proved a Rule above the Scriptures p. 39. Sect. 10. The Subject Understanding and Obeying the Light Within unknown to the Cavilling Baptist pag. 41. § 11. Concerning the Soul of Man as under divers Considerations and States and G. Fox ' s words so considered with Eight Queries added from pag. 43. to pag. 47. § 12. The Neck of the Baptist ' s Cause broken by his own Concession to the Light Within in which Christ and his Testimonies are effectually received p. 47. § 13. The Baptist's impious Forgery upon the Quakers about the Scriptures which are in reallity owned and used by them p. 49. § 14. His impious Abuse about Revelation Light Within Scriptures c. from p. 50. to p. 56. § 15. His partial Relation against John Story p. 59. § 16. The Baptist ' s Dispargement of the Light within contrary to his own Pretence p. 61 62 63 64. § 17. His Slander about the Person Offices Sufferings and Blood of Christ and continued Abuse of the Light Within p. 65 66 67 68. § 18. The Baptist ' s Quarrel against S. Crisp removed p. 69 70 71 72. § 19. The End of Christ's Coming Example and Suffering more truly owned by the Quaker then the Dipper p. 73. § 20. The Baptist ' s Ignorance and Cavil about Redemption and the spiritual Discoveries of Christ and his Seed p. 74 75 76. § 21. The Baptist ' s imperfect Work against Perfection p. 77 78 79 80. § 22. Thomas Hicks ' s groundless Calumny and malicious Railing against George Whitehead p. 81 82 83 84. § 23. The Baptist ' s Abuse against G. W. about a Meeting with them at Devonshire-House London p. 85 86. The Contents of the Second Treatise entituled LIGHT SPRUNG UP in the Despised Quaker c. are inserted next after the Title before page 87. The Contents of the Third Treatise entituled THE ANGRY ANABAPTIST proved Babylonish follow after the Title before pag. 121. The Contents of a Bill of Excommunication exhibited by the Baptists at Chichester together with a brief Answer thereunto from pag. 159. to pag. 166. Some Confessions concerning the Baptized Churches made by their own Messengers in their Bewailing Epistle from Tiverton from p. 167. to p. 170. The Fourth Treatise THE PRESBYTER's ANTIDOTE TRYED in Answer to Stephen Scandret The Contents Chap. I. A comprehensive Account concerning the Rule the Light and Scripture explaining both Our Sense of the Terms and Stephen Scandrets Together with the Assembly ' s Confession about the Scriptures from p. 173 to p. 180. Stephen Scandret ' s Sense about the Points in Controversie examined p. 181 182 183 184 185. Chap. II. About JUSTIFICATION and IMPUTATION from p. 185. to p. 209. Chap. III. About Christ's Justifying Righteousness the best Robe the Necessity of its Inherence or being inwardly enjoyed not to invalidate but to fulfil the blessed Intents and Ends of his Suffering in Reply to S. S. from p. 210. to p. 224. Chap. IV. Of SATISFACTION some serious Considerations farther opening the Doctrine and Sense of our Opposers from p. 225. to p. 238. An Appendix wherein the Controversie is summ'd up and resolv'd partly by way of Question and Answer with a plain Intimation of my Sense thereof as relating to the second third and fourth Chapters before fromp 239 to p. 249. The Difference between our Opposer's Gospel and OUR's briefly stated p. 250 251. Chap. V. Concerning ELECTION and REPROBATION from p. 252. to p. 290. The Contents thereof follow A brief Introduction with the Assembly ' s Opinion and Stephen Scandret ' s uncertain Proposition for it p. 253. Section 1. His Abuse of divers Scriptures in his State of the Case sor a Personal Election answer'd the Way of Goa's Choosiag resolv'd p. 255. § 2. The Weakness of his two first Arguments touching Gods Decree and Promises p. 257. § 3. His gross Ignorance of those Names written in the Lamb's Book Arg. 3. His Impertinency and ignorant Allegation and Misunderstanding of divers Scriptures concerning God's Choice and Ordination
Holy Unction that leadeth into all Truth whose Lips alone preserve Knowledge and therefore is it the Unchangeable Gospel-Rule to Believers And those who are thus freed or saved here from the Power Nature and Defilement of Sin are the alone Persons that are or shall be hereafter saved from Eternal Wrath and Vengeance the heavy Recompenee of Sin All this we understand by that Word Salvation and in this center the Great Glorious Prophecies and Performances of Christ. CHAP. V. The Second Question stated Particularly what is meant by Light It is a Principle that discovers the State of Man and leads to Blessedness THE second Question runs thus What is that LIGHT which leadeth to Salvation and if he pleaseth to give me leave I will add to this Question How doth It Lead to Salvation By Light I understand not the frequent Metaphorical Use of the Word as when Christ said 〈◊〉 the Lights of the World or as the Apostle Speaks Now are you Light in the Lord neither the meer Spirit or Reason of Man but that Glorious Sun of Righteousness and Heavenly Luminary of the Intellectual or Invisible World represented of all Outward Resemblances most exactly by the Great Sun of this Sensible and Visible World that as his natural Light ariseth upon all and gives Light to all about the Affairs of this Life so that Divine Light arises upon all and gives Light to all that will receive it about the Concerns of the other Life Such a Light I mean by That Light which inlightneth every man coming into the World and that leadeth those that obey it to Eternal Salvation The Scripture sayes no less John 1. In the Word-God was Life and that very Life was the Light of Men that inlightneth every man c. But to demonstrate it the most obviously that I can to the lowest Capacities I shall evidence the Nature and Virtue of this Light by the Holy Effects of it which is the HOW or the WHICH WAY it leadeth to Salvation This is so necessary in order to explicate the other that as the Tree is known by his Fruits so the True Saviour by his Salvation If then I can make it appear that the Light as obey'd in all its Discoveries and Requirings is sufficient to Salvation the Debate wil end and T. Hicks must yield to the Efficacy of the Light within I shall then by the Properties of the Light prove it Saving In order to which I shall begin with the first Step towards Salvation namely A Sight of the Cause of Damnation and from whom this most necessary Beginning must be taken viz. The Light within which I thus prove by Scripture CHAP VI. That the Light Within manifests Sin yea all Sin That Apostacy or Sin in any is no Argument against the Light but rather for it That the Additional Services of the Jews show No Imperfection in the Light but the People whose Minds were abroad If Insufficiency against the Light should be admitted of because of Rebellion and Wickedness in Mâ—…n the same would be objected against the Scriptures which overthrows our Adversary's Assertion concerning their Sufficiency THE Light with which Christ inlightens all Men manifests Sin as these Words import for every one that doth Evil hateth the Light neither cometh to the Light lest his Deeds should be Reproved Implying That if they would have brought their Deeds to the Light the Light would have detected them and tryed them To which the Apostle Paul bears express Testimony in his Epistle to the Ephesians That whatsoever is Reproveable is made Manifest by the Light where the Universality of the Apostle's Assertion shows that nothing that is Reproveable is or can be excluded from the Search or Knowledge of this Light which takes in as well Thoughts as Words and Deeds So that nothing being Reproveable which the Light doth not first Manifest How obvious is it to every Understanding that if our Adversary believeth all Men to have committed Sin and so as that they know it which is Reproveable the Light must needs have been and be in all Men in order to such Manifestation and Conviction It is as much as if the Apostle had said Sin is that which Damns all Men now it could not Damn if it were not Reproveable and it could never be Reproveable if the Light did not Manifest and Condemn it as such So that our Adversaries affirming the Light not to be Sufficient to Discern all Sin is a flat Repugnancy and a down-right giving of the Lye to the Apostle For says the Apostle All things that are Reproveable are made Manifest by the Light But sayes Tho. Hicks All things that are Reproveable are not made Manifest by the Light Sober Reader dwell here a while and after a little paws tell me Who deals most Unworthily with the Apostle and the Holy Scriptures of Truth T. Hicks or the Quakers Obj. But T. Hicks objects with some others If there be that Light in all Men how comes it that all Men are not Convicted of their Disobedience and Duty as the Heathens of old and many Infidels at this day Did the Light in Saul reprove him for Persecuting the Church I Answer That this no way impugnes the Light although it greatly aggravates their Evil that so Rebell'd against it But that there were Heathens who became a Law unto themselves through that Light they had by which they did the things contained in the Law and were preferred far before the Circumcision that kept not the Law The Apostle Paul himself is very express in that known Passage to the Romans Nor are other Histories silent but loud in their acknowledgment of very Divine Attainments which by this Light several Famous Gentiles arrived at and for their Belief of One Eternal Being his Communication of Divine Light to Men and of an Immortality with their Strickt Conformity thereto are left upon Record by Credible Historians and their Praises not a little added to by after Ages even of those called Christians too Such are Reputed Pythagoras Timeus Solon Bias Chilon Anaxagoras Socrates Plato Antisthenes Xenocrates Zeno Antipater Seneca Epictetus and others But what if Jews and Gentiles at any time did Apostatize and particularly What if Saul persecuted the Church of God putting Disobedience for Duty Murder for Service Will it follow that the Light was Insufficient By no means but rather that Saul was Rebellious Stiff-necked Resisting the Holy Ghost as did his Fathers so did he and thus much the Words themselves show for he kickt against the Pricks Then it seems there were Pricks And where were they if not in his Conscience And what were they if not the Light of Christ within him which Manifests Evil and Reproves the Deeds thereof otherwise called that Son of God that to the Galatians he said It had pleased God to reveal in him though Paul knew him not nor his Voice of a long time his Eye being darkened and Ear stopt by the God of
them naturally unto the Rising of the Day-Star which though a more glorious manifestation yet not of another Light Life or Spirit then had ever been for there are not two Lights Lifes Natures or Spirits in God he is ONE for ever in himself and his Light one in kind how ever variously he may have declar'd himself or manifested it at sundry times of the World His Truth is one his Way is one and his Rest one forever But last of all that which greatly joyes is this that the Narrowness of some Mens Spirits in this World will not be found able to exclude vertuous Gentiles from their Reward in the other But maugre all the Heat Petulancy Conceitedness and Fleshly Boasting of Carnal Christians such as fear God and Work Righteousness and are Doers of the Law we are assured shall be accepted with and justified of God in the Day that he will judge the Secrets of all men by Jesus Christ according to Paul ' s Gospel and if any man bring another let It be accurst Amen I have here on purpose overlookt many very pregnant Instances both in the Old and New Testament so call'd for Brevities sake in which the Righteousness of the Gentiles hath in several Cases more evidently appeared then that of some of the Jews and which undeniably testifies to the Sufficiency of that Light they had both to manifest that which was Good from that which was Evil and give an Ability to such as truly minded its Illumination whereby they were enabled to do the one and to reject the other Such were Abimelech Cyrus Darius the Ruler that came to Christ and many others which I shall omit to mention more particularly the chief Bent of my Mind being to demonstrate the Truth of my Assertion from their own Writings CHAP. X. That the Gentiles Believed in One God That He inlightned All Men with a Saving Light That Men ought to live Piously That the Soul is Immortal That there is an Eternal Recompence The Whole call'd Gentile-Divinity The First Point prov'd by Sixteen Testimonies HAving prov'd briefly but truly from the Scriptures that the Gentiles in general were Illuminated with a Divine Light I shall now make it my Business to evidence the Truth thereof by most undeniable particular Instances out of their own Writings And because I am willing my Defence of both the Light within and Those of them who obey'd it should turn to the clearest and best Account I will endeavour to resolve the Whole into as plain a Method as the Matter and their Way of delivering it will allow me First then from their own Authorities I am taught to affirm that the Gentiles Believed in One Holy Infinite and Eternal God Secondly That they did therefore so believe because God had imprinted the Knowledge of himself in their Hearts or in our Language that he had Illuminated all Mankind with a Divine Light which as conversed with and obey'd would lead to Eternal Happiness Thirdly That they held and practised high Sanctity of Life Fourthly That they affirmed an Immortality of Souls and Eternal Rewards of Felicity or Misery according to Man's Obedience to or Rebellion against the Eternal God his Creator which Excellent Principles true and clear being the Result of their Discourse on those Subjects do worthily deserve in my esteem the Style of DIVINITY which shall be the Denomination I hope I may without Offence bestow upon them in this Discourse That the Gentiles did acknowledge and believe There was but One Supream God that made all things who is Infinite Almighty Omni-present Holy and Good forever I shall produce some of those many Authorities that aver the same and accommodate it to such Scripture as the Truth of them as well as Practice of very Ancient Fathers will bear me out in I. ORPHEUS as Old as more then One Thousand Two Hundred Years before Christ thus expresseth his Belief of God His Hand reaches to the End of the Sea his Right-hand is everywhere and the Earth is under his Feet He is only One begot of himself and of Him alone are all things begot and God is the First and the Last Hereby not only telling us there was a God but attributing that Almighty Power and Omni-presence which show he meant no Statuary Deity but the God that made the Heavens and the Earth II. HESIOD Of all which do not Dye thou art King and Lord none can Contend with Thee concerning Thy Power This Emphatically proves God to have been but One and Omni-potent in their Belief III. THALES a very Ancient Greek Phylosopher tells us That there is but One God that he is Glorious forever and ever And he openly confesseth That he is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 HE WHO KNOWS HEARTS Thales being demanded what God was That saith he which has NEITHER BEGINNING NOR END Another asking If a Man might do Ill and conceal it from God How saith he WHEN A MAN THAT THINKS IT CANNOT Men ought to believe saith Cicero in his Name that God sees all things IV. SIBYLLA There is One God who alone is Infinite and without Beginning Again Who can see with Fleshly Eyes the Heavenly True and Immortal God whose Seat is in the Highest of Heaven This Sibyll is Aged above Two Thousand Years The Question implies her Faith that God was a Spirit as Christ himself also testifies V. PYTHAGORAS a Modest but Diligent and Retired Man in his Search after Heavenly things saith That it is Man's Duty to believe of the Divinity that it is and that it is in such a manner as to Mankind that it overlooks them and neglects them not for we have need of such a Government as we ought not in any thing to Contradict such is that which proceeds from the Divinity For the Divinity is such that to it doth of Right belong the Dominion of all Again God resembleth LIGHT and TRUTH In another place God himself inhabits the Lowest and Highest and the Middlemost there is no Being nor Place without God God is One HE IS NOT as some conceive OUT OF THE WORLD but entire within himself as in a Compleat Circle surveying all Generations HE IS THE SALT OF ALL AGES the Agent of his own Powers and Works the Principle of all things One Heavenly Luminary or Light and Father of all things Only Wise Invisible yet Intelligible Which very Pathetical Account of the Divine Being so correspondent with Scripture yet he a Stranger to it I mean the Words only for the Matter in this Point he weightily hits deserves very Serious Consideration and Acknowledgment from all especially those who would not Narrow God's Mercies to their own Time or Party VI. To the same purpose speaks HERACLITUS that sensibly Afflicted Philosopher for the World's Impieties and Idolatrics whose very Sorrowful yet sound smart Expressions show they came from a Mind deeply touch'd In one of his
Law finished He that would be justified must first be condemned and who would be healed must first be wounded The Law is as the Sword the Gospel as Balm The one Duty the other Love And that which alone is needful to attain unto the highest Discovery is to be humbly subject and constantly obedient to the lowest Appearance of it The faithful Servant becomes a Son by Adoption Wouldst thou know the Word a Reconciler thou must first witness it an Hammer Sword Fire c. The Way to arrive at Evangelical Righteousness is first to perform the Righteousness of the Law By Law I mean not that of Ceremonies or the External Order of the Jews but that Moral Eternal Law which is said to have come by Moses and is accomplisht by Christ. And there is great Hopes that who Conscientiously keeps the Beginning will compass the End Such as have Conquer'd bad Doing if they be faithful in what they have received of God's Light and Spirit it will inable them against bad Saying till at last they overcome evil Thinking too and witness that Scripture fulfilled Judgment the Law is brought forth into Victory the Gospel He that follows me the Light of the World that inlightens all Men coming into the World shall not abide in Darkness but shall have the Light of Life I make not this Distinction of Law and Gospel to distinguish in Kind but Degree and for the sake of the Weak accustomed to it And if the Son make you free then are you free indeed For as it is a Condemner it may be called the Light that brings Death in that it slays by the Brightness of it's coming into the Conscience the transgressing Nature like unto that Expression the Day of the Lord is a Day of Darkness because of the Judgments and Terrors of the Lord for Sin But to the Obedient it is the Light of Life Thus is Christ as the Word-God and Light of the World through every Dispensation ONE in himself though to Mankind he has variously appeared not by Differing Lights but Manifestations only of one and the same Eternal Light of Life and Righteousness CHAP. XVIII The Second Part of the Objection that Christ was not anciently called the Light Answered And the Contrary proved from Scripture and Reason TO the Second Part of the Objection If the Light in every Man were Christ how comes it that the Jews and Greeks never called it so I answer We do not say that the Light in every Man is Christ but of Christ He is that Fulness from whence all receive a Measure of Divine Light and Knowledge but not that every Individual has the whole or compleat Christ in him such an Absurdity never fell from us nor our Doctrine though the Malice of our Adversaries hath charged it upon both But as the External Sun darts its Light upon the Organ of the Eye of the Body by which it conveyes true Discerning to act how in and about Visibles so doth the Internal Sun of Righteousness shine upon the Eye of the Soul giving it the Knowledge of those invisible Things which properly relate to the Nature of the Soul So that we are the less oblieged to give a Reason why others called not the Light in Man Christ since we renounce all Share in such Belief our selves Which is Answer enough to T. H's dis-ingenuous Inference that because G. W. affirmed the Light with which Mankind was inlightned was God therefore sayes T. H. Every Man his whole God in him or to that Purpose p. 5 6. Yet thus far I will tell those Men that Christ was called Light before ever he was in the World though not before he was Christ. I will give him for a Light to lighten the Gentiles c. Now if any will say that this Light was not Christ let them tell us so in plain words But if it will be allowed then T. Hicks had best ask why the Prophet by the Holy Ghost should call Christ Light even as soon if not before he was called Christ and why in that very State in which he was called Christ he should be called Light Certain it is then that by Him the Light we are to understand Christ which is one and the same thing as if he had said I will give Christ for a Light to enlighten the Gentiles or who is the Christ is the Light or the Light is Christ So that it will follow that the Gentiles were inlightened by Christ which is the Whole of what we understand by our Assertion as to the Light in Man Again John expresly calls that Light with which every Man is inlightned the Word and the Word is said to have taken Flesh If then he that took Flesh was Christ and consequently that Body Christ's Body only as none I think will dare deny but Muggleton and his Credulous Followers it will follow That Christ who took or appeared in that prepared Body is the Light with which every Man is inlightned Further Christ himself sayes I am the Light of the World which is as much as if he had said I have inlightned the World therefore the Light which shines in the Hearts of Mankind is Christ though not every particular Illumination the entire Christ for so there would be as many Christs which were Absurd and Blasphemous But Lastly the Apostle himself calls him Christ before his Coming in the Flesh or that Christ was Christ before his Appearance in that Body at Jerusalem which clears that Point in Controversie for the Stress of T. Hicks's Objection as to this Particular lies here Christ as Christ was not before he took Flesh therefore though I should grant might he say and he doth say as much that as the Word-God all are inlightened by him yet sayes he not as he is Christ before that visible Appearance One would think he were a very Socinian by his Arguing not that I write so in Slight Abuse or Reflection but if Christ was not before then the Manhood that was taken in time must be the Christ and what should materially hinder their Conjunction I know not But I would fain know his Reason for it if it be Lawful to expect what I fear he has not to give however if he darest he would give you his Interest in lieu of a Reason for his so holding but that I shall do for him and with Impartial Minds it will be a Reason against him The Dilemma in short is this If he denies Christ to have been Christ before that Coming he thwarts as plain a Text as the Scriptures have and if he should allow of it his whole Fabrick now a Fortification he thinks would fall like a rotten House about his Ears Well but I will tell him and all concern'd for his base Opposition That since Christ as the Word-God hath illuminated all Men antecedent to his Coming in the Flesh as confesses T.H. J.G. J.F. and many more of them that the Apostle says that the Word
in being I cannot see but the Type and the Thing typified might be at one and the same time not as to Degree but Nature for so I would be understood Before I conclude take this notable Saying of Christ to the Jews and what may be collected from it to our Purpose BEFORE ABRAHAM WAS I AM ABRAHAM SAW MY DAY AND REJOYCED which affords us briefly thus much That though he was not so visibly come yet it was the very same HE that came about One Thousand Six Hundred Years ago who was with the Fathers of Old and that Abraham who lived One Thousand Nine Hundred Years before that outward Appearance saw him and his Day If this be not the Import of the Place I know none For the Jews not believing him to be the Messiah thought it high Presumption sor him to compare with Abraham Art thou Greater then our Father Abraham who is dead and the Prophets are dead Whom makest thou thy self said that Unbelieving People Unto which he answered that he might prove himself to be the true Messiah the Christ of God ABRAHAM SAW MY DAY and rejoyced They still harping upon that Visible Body not Thirty Three Years old replyed Thou art not yet Fifty and hast thou seen Abraham Taking that to be the Messiah the Christ of God and Saviour of the World he meant which they saw with their Carnal Eyes To which he rejoyn'd with a Verily verily I say unto you before Abraham was I am then took they up Stones to cast at him c. By all which it is most clear that unless our Adversaries will deny him that so spoak which yet T. Hicks's Anti-scriptural Opinion doth imply to be Christ who singled and distinguisht himself as the Messiah the Christ of God and Saviour of the World from that Visible Body not Fifty Years old indeed both Christ that then spoak must needs have been long before Abraham's Time and that such Holy Ancients were not without a Sight and Prospect of him and the Day of his Glorious Appearance or that most Signal Manifestation of himself in that Body prepared for that Great and Holy Purpose witness the exceeding Clear and Heavenly Prophecyes that were as so many Fore-runners or Introducers of the Evangelical State And this is unquestionably confirm'd unto us by that known and very weighty Expression of the Apostle Paul to the Romans Whose are the Fathers and of whom as concerning the Flesh Christ came who is over all God blessed for ever Amen Since here both Christ is distinguisht from the Body he took and made one with that God who is over all blessed for ever Amen As much as to say of whose Flesh Christ took therefore Christ was before he took it or his taking it did not constitute him Christ which Christ is God And if God which cannot be said of meer Flesh or any Corporal Lineage then must he have been from all Everlasting To conclude As Abraham Outward and Natural was the great Father of the Jews Outward and Natural whose Seed God promis'd to bless with Earthly Blessings as Canaan c. that they were figurative of the one Seed Christ and such as he should beget unto a lively Hope through the Power of his Spiritual Resurrection it will consequently follow that this Seed must be Inward and Spiritual since one outward thing cannot be the proper Figure or Representation of an other Nor is it the Way of holy Scripture so to teach us The Outward Lamb shows forth the Inward Lamb The Jew Outward the Jew Inward As God attended the one with many singular outward Mercies to say no more above other Nations So the Jew in Spirit doth he benefit above all other People I have these two short Arguments to prove what I believe and assert as to the Spirituallity of the True Seed and a clearer Overthrow it is to the Opinion of our Adversaries to the True Christ. First Every thing begets its like What is simply Natural produces not a Spiritual Being Material Things bring not forth Things that are Immaterial Now because the Nature or Image begotten in the Hearts of True Believers is Spiritual it will follow that the Seed which so begets and brings forth that Birth must be the same in Nature with that which is begotten therefore Spiritual then Christ's Body or what he had from the Virgin strictly considered as such was not the Seed Secondly it is clear from hence The Serpent is a Spirit Now nothing can bruise the Head of the Serpent but something that is also Internal and Spiritual as the Serpent is But if that Body of Christ were the Seed then could he not bruise the Serpent's Head in all because the Body of Christ is not so much as in any one and consequently the Seed of the Promise is an Holy and Spiritual Principle of Light Life and Power that being receiv'd into the Heart bruiseth the Serpents Head And because the Seed which cannot be that Body is Christ as testify the Scriptures the Seed is one and that Seed Christ and Christ God over all blessed forever we do conclude and that most truly that Christ was and is the Divine Word of Light and Life that was in the beginning with God and was and is God over all blessed for ever And this may yet more evidently appear let it but be seriously weigh'd that before ever that visible Appearance the Seed bruised in good measure the Serpent's Head in the Holy Men and Women of all Generations otherwise they had not been Holy but Serpentine and Wicked And if the Seed was before and that Seed be Christ because there is but One Christ as well as but One only Seed it doth clearly follow that Christ was Christ before that Outward Appearance and consequently it could but be a more Excellent and free Manifestation of his Truth Righteousness Salvation Wisdom Power Glory and Dominion as indeed it was For notwithstanding that this Heavenly Seed was in some measure known and what was wrought of Inward Deliverance in that Day was by and through the Power and Vertue of it as the Minds of People were retired to that Word of God nigh in the Heart to cleanse and redeem And though particular Persons might arrive at great Attainments even to a Beholding the Day of the Seeds compleat Redemption and Conquest over all it's Oppressors when what was but in the Condition of a Seed or New-born Child should become the only Son the Wonderfull Counsellor the Mighty God the Everlasting Father and Prince of Peace of the Increase of whose Government there should be no End as speaks the Prophet Yet it is granted through that good Understanding the Lord has given us in these weighty Things that the Generallity were but Weak Dark and Imbondaged as saith the Apostle under Carnal and Beggarly Elements not clearly seeing through those outward Services which if I may so speak God held them in hand with condescending to
their Weakness that he might both keep them from gadding after the Pompous Invention and Idolatrous Worship of other Nations and point out unto them under their great Carnality that more Hidden Glory and Spiritual Dispensation which should-afterwards be revealed to wit The Compleat Redemption of the Soul and Raign of the Holy Seed from the Child born and the Son given to the Wonderful Counsellor the Mighty God the Everlasting Father and Prince of Peace of the Increase of whose Government there shall be no End So that then we ought and we do by absolute Force of Truth conclude 1. That the Seed which Seed is Christ was in all Ages with Abraham with the Israelites with the Prophets Therefore he was as well before he came in that prepared Body as then and since 2. Yet it is confest That He was not so clearly revealed perfectly brought forth and generally known before his so Coming as then and since but more darkly figured out by Types and Shaddowy Services which though they Cleans'd not Sav'd not Redeem'd not yet did show forth a more Hidden and Spiritual Substance that was able to Cleanse Save and Redeem and did all that received it and were truly subject to it 3. That it therefore is not at all Absurd that the more Excellent Manifestation of Truth should he Typified and Prophesied of under the Enjoyment of the Lesser since the Reason of the Thing and the Testimonies of the Scripture are so express for it which ends our Answer to this Particular CHAP. XX. The Fourth Part of the Objection stated and considered Christ's Death and Sufferings confessed to and respected they were beneficial The Light of Christ within is the Efficient Cause to Salvation HAving thus considered the Third Part of this great Objection I am now come to what chiefly stumbles People with respect to the Light within at least as I apprehend and that is this Fourth and Last Particular viz. But if the Light in every Man be Christ how doth it bear our Sins and are our Iniquities laid upon it and how can we be said to be Justified Redeemed or Saved by its Blood since all these things are spoken by the Holy Pen-men of the Man Christ or Jesus born at Nazareth Surely you wholy invalidate his Life Death Resurrection Ascension and Mediation by this Belief in the Light This I take to be the very Stress of the Matter collected out of the most Forceable Writings of our Adversaries To which I Answer and let him that reads understand It must be considered in this Last Part of the Objection how those Questions can be applicable to the Light and yet be reconciliable with those Scriptures that seem to attribute all to his Bodily Sufferings I hope to make appear that as we exalt the First so we dare not by any means to slight the Last The Light or rather He that is Light in Man for I have alwayes desired so to be understood Light being a Metaphor or word taken from the outward Day and chiefly so term'd because of Man's Darkness which is thereby discovered hath been as a Lamb slain since the Foundation of the World that is the World had not been long created before the good Order of it and every thing therein being envied by the Fallen Angels that Spirit of Iniquity betrayed Man of his Innocency and Sin by Disobedience prevailing the Light or Principle of Life under whose Holy Leadings Man was placed became Resisted Grieved and as it were Slain which word Slain is also Metaphorical that is to say the Innocent Pure Life was as Wounded unto Death through Man's Disobedience and Lamb-like Image in which Adam was created by him through Rebellion lost Thus that Holy Principle which God placed in the Heart of Adam in which was true Light Life and Power bore the Sin was prest under it as a Cart under Sheaves grieved exceedingly and as it were quencht with Iniquity This hath been the Condition of that Precious and Elect Seed Spirit Light Life Truth or whatever Name equivalent any may please to give it ever since that first Rebellion to this very Day And as in Wicked Men God's Holy Light and Spirit or that Principle which is so called hath been deeply Wounded yea as one Slain so in Good Men that have had a Sence of the World's Abomination hath it also born many Burdens and Weights for the Light and Life is One in All. And those who have been reformed by it and joyned to it have been as One Spirit and have not been without their Share of their Lord 's heavy Sufferings from the Ungodly World which was as well a filling up of Christ's Sufferings that were before his Outward Coming as what to this Generation are behind And as at any time Disobedient Men have harkened to the still Voice of the WORD that Messenger of God in their Hearts to be affected and convinced by it as it brings Reproof for Sin which is but a Fatherly Chastizement â—…o upon true Brokenness of Soul and Contrition of Spirit that very same Principle and Word of Life in Man has mediated and attoned and God has been propitious lifting up the Light of his Countenance and replenishing such humble 〈◊〉 with Divine Consolations So that still the same Christ Word-God who has enlightned all Men by Sin is grieved bearing the Iniquities of such as so sin and reject his Benefits but as any hear his Knocks and let him in he first Wounds and then Heals afterwards he attones mediates and re-instates in the holy Image Behold this is the State of Restitution And this in some Measure was witnessed by the Holy Patriarchs Prophets and Servants of God in old time to whom Christ was substantially the same Saviour and Seed bruising the Serpent's Head that he is now to us what Difference sâ—…ever there may be in Point oâ—… Manifestation But notwithstanding the same Light and Life with that which afterwards clothed it it self with that outward Body did in measure inwardly appear for the Salvation of the Souls of Men yet as have often said never did that Liâ—…â—…eminently put â—…orth it self for that End as in that 〈◊〉 and prepared Body so that what he then suffered and did in that transcendent Manisestation may by way of Eminency assume the whole Work unto it self that he ever did before or might do afterwards For doubtless that very Light Life and Power which dwelt in that Fleshâ—…y Tabernacle eminently was the Convincer Condemner Saviour and Redeemer yet not only as confined to that Body but as revealed in the Hearts of Men as he was in Paul who not consulting with Flesh and Blood against the Lord of Glory willingly receive him in to bind the strong Man spoil his Goods and cast him out that He might Reign And that the Divine Life Light Spirit Nature of Principle which resided in that Body was the efficient Cause of Salvation observe the Title that is given from the great Work he was to
counts all such Faith and Worship Imagination made of Men or a meer lifeless Imitation He prefers one Sight begotten from a Sence of God's Work in the Heart beyond the longest Prayers in that State He leaves them all walks as a Man alone fearing to offer God a Sacrifice that is not of His own Preparing He charges all other Faiths and Worships with Insufficiency and meer creaturely Power which are not held and performed from an holy Conviction and Preparation by the Angel of God the Light of his Presence in the Heart and Conscience therefore goes he forth in the Strength of his God against the Merchants of Babylon Woes and Plagues are Rightly in his Mouth against those Buyers and Sellers of the Souls of Men He is Jealous for the Name of the Lord And therefore dares not speak Peace unto them neither can be put into their Mouths but testifies against all such Wayes Freely he received freely he gives Thus is this Man Unravel'd Unreligion'd Unbottom'd as to his former State wherein he was Religious upon Letter Form Mens Traditions Education and his own Imagination He is as a Man quite undone that he may be made what he should be Thus is he convinced of Sin and of Righteousness too and the Joy he once had when he girded himself and went whether he would is now turned into Sorrow and his Rejoycing into Hoâ—…ling He has beheld God in the Light and abhors himself in Dust and Ashes Sin that was pleasant once in the Mouth he finds bitter in the Belly and that which the World esteems worthy their Care he flies as a Man would do a Bear robbed of her Whelps Sin is become exceeding Sinful to him insomuch that he cries out who shall deliver him He labours greatly and is very heavy loaden He is not willing to fly in the Winter but is resolved to stand the Tryal For this Man not only brings his former Deeds to the Light and there suffers Judgment to pass upon them but patiently takes part in that Judgment who was so great an Accessory to them Nor doth his Obedience conclude with the Sentence given against past Sins and himself that committed them but most patiently endures the Hand of the Lord till his Indignation be overpast and till that which condemned Sin the Fruit hath destroyed the very Root of it which hath taken so deep hold in his Heart and the same Spirit of Judgment that condemned Sin be brought forth into perfect Victory over the very Nature and Power of Sin This Judgment is found in the Light therefore do the Sons of the Night reject the Knowledge of its Wayes and the Children of the Day joy greatly in its Appearance But neither is this all that makes up that Good Man who obeys the Light For a compleat Son of Light is one that has conquer'd and expel'd the Darkness 'T is true he was once Darkness but now Light in the Lord because he hath been turned from Darkness to the Light and from Satan's Power unto God who is Light it self and with him is his Fellowship continually This is the Man who in the Way of the Light hath met with the Inward Cleansing for having been purged by the Spirit of Judgment and the Spirit of Burning otherwise called the severe Reproofs Stroaks and Terrors of the Light in the Conscience he has ever a Watch set up in his Heart A Thought must not pass which has not the Watch-Word but at every Appearance he cries Stand if a Friend and owned oâ—… the Light who is the great Leader given of God for that Purpose then he lets It pass otherwise he brings It to the Commander of the Conscience who is to sit in Judgment upon It. Thus is Christ the Light King Judge and Lawgiver And by this he grows strong increaseth with the Increases of God Yet he often reads the Scriptures and that with much Delight greatly admiring the exceeding Love of God to former Ages which he himself witnesseth to be true in this and many things are opened to his Refreshment So is the Light the Just Man's Path that in every Age still shined brighter and brighter in which the cleansing Blood of Jesus Christ is felt to cleanse from all Sin Thus doth he bridle his Thoughts so that his Words and Actions offend not Above all he is often retired to the Lord loves Fellowship with him waits for dayly Bread not in his own Words Strivings or Will but emty of Thoughts or the Peace or Comfort that is drawn or imagined from thence he silently waits to feel the Heavenly Substance brought into his Soul by the Immediate Hand of the Lord for it is not fetching in this Thought or remembring the other Passage in Scripture or calling to Mind what has been formerly known but every Immediate Word that proceeds from out of the Mouth of God that can satisfie him In short He that obeyes the Light is thereby taught to deny Ungodliness and Worldly Lusts and to be Sober Righteous Patient Humble Meek Upright Merciful Forbearing Forgiving Peaceable Gentle Self-denying Constant Faithful and Holy because the Lord his God is Holy Thus have I given a brief Account as well what HE is not as what HE is that is Obedient to the Light within which is Christ's Appearance in the Heart whose Holy Blood is felt to Cleanse Attone and Save all those who believe and abide therein CHAP. VI. The Discourse hithertoo 〈◊〉 up and concluded with an Exhortation to all Professors of Religion espâ—…cially our Opposers I Will sum up the whole of this Discourse into these few Heads I. That Salvation is to be saved from Sin first and Wrath consequentially He shall save them from their Sins II. That Christ the Word-God has enlightened all Mankind not only aâ—…ter his Coming in the Flesh but before And that the Light has ever been Sufficient as well as Universal to lead to God all such as have obeyed it as by its Properties and Effects is demonstrated III. That the Difference betwixt the Time of the Law and that of the Gospel as generally distinguisht was in Manifestation not in Nature God might be as much more propitiouâ—… and bouâ—…ti ui to the last Ages be it that they were better able 〈◊〉 receive such extraordinary Discoveries or that it waâ—… the alone good Pleasure of his Soveraign Will as he was to the former Ages yet that he gave them a Sufficiency of the same Divine Light to conduct them through the World to Eternal Blessedness IV. That Jews and Creeks Heathens and Christians agree in this V. That still the Preheminence is given to Christ's Manifestation in Flesh both generally and particularly that being both the Fulness of Time and Fulness of Discovery which put an end to the Types and Figures and Carâ—…al Coâ—…mandements by shewing forth an Abrogation and Consuâ—…tion of them all in the Substance it self In which State they are not needed but in Comparison thereof
In short If the holy Ancients had Faith before they had and wrote Scrâ—…pture they had a Rule before they had or wrote Scripture for where Faith is there is a Rule for that Faith And if the Faith be of one Nature the Rule is of one Nature And since the Faith is Inward Spiritual begotten of the Immortal Word in which is Life and that the Light of men and that this Word Life and Light was the Rule then no more Book Writing or ingraving on visible and perishable Matter can be the Rule now Again Such as the Faith is such must the Rule be But the Faith is as before Inward and Spirual therefore the Rule must be Inward and spiritual which no meer Book can be 2. If the Scriptures were the Rule they must have always been a perfect Rule ever since they were a Rule But this is impossible since they were many hundred years in writing and are now imperfect also as to Number How then the perfect Rule That they were not the Perfect Rule before they were written must be granted and that they were many hundred Years awriting must also be allowed and that they are imperfect now as to Number I prove First Enoch's Prophecy is mentioned by Jude but not extant in the Bible the Books of the Wars of the Lord Numb 21. 14. The Book of Jasher Josh. 10. 13. 2 Sam. 1. 18. The Book of Nathan 2 Chron. 9. 29. The Book of Shemaiah 2 Chron. 12. 15. The Book of Jehu The Epistle of Paul to the Laodiceans Collos. 4. 16. and several others mentioned in the Scriptures not now extant And lastly Luke sayes That many took in hand to relate from Eye-Witnesses the things most surely believed c. Now 't is taken for granted that John wrote many Years after Luke Some think Luke wrote before Mark However Matthew and Mark were not many and to this day we see no more then those four in our Bibles and therefore many such Writings lost and if lost then the Scriptures not perfect and if imperfect how can they be the Rule of Faith since the Rule of Faith must be perfect 3. My third Reason is this The Scriptures however useful to Edification and Comfort seem not in their own Nature and Frame to have been compil'd and delivered as the Rule and intire Body of Faith but rather upon particular Occasions and Emergencies The Doctrines are scattered throughout the Scriptures insomuch that those Societies who have given forth verbal Confessions of their Faith have been necessitated to toss them to and fro search here and search there to lay down this or the other Principle and then as like the original Text as their Apprehensions are whereas were it as plain and distinct as the Nature of a Rule requires they needed only to have given their Subscription for a Confession Besides here they are Proper there Metaphorical in one place Literally in another Mystically to be accepted Most times Points are to be prov'd by comparing and weighing Places coherent here to allude aptly and not wrong the Sense is difficult and requires infallible Discerning notwithstanding the Brawlers of our times against Infallibility Now from all this with abundance more that might be said plain it is that the Scriptures are not plain but to the spiritual man but as Peter said of Paul s Writings in many things hard to be understood therefore not the Rule which ought to be plain proper and intelligible 4. Again the Scripture cannot be the Rule of Faith because it cannot give Faith for Faith is the Gift of God which overcomes the World neither of Practice because it cannot distinguish of it self in all Cases what ought to be practised and what not it containing as well what ought not to be practised as what ought This was the Case of Christ's Disciples who had no particular Rule in the old Testament Writings for the abolishing of some part of the old Testament Religion on the contrary they might have pleaded for the Perpetuity of it because Christ said unto them Do as they say that sit in Moses ' s Chair more reasonably then many make that a Plea now adayes for their invented Worships What guided them in their declaring void and relinquishing those things For Instance God gave Circumcision as a Sign for ever And Paul tells the Galatians That if they be circumcised Christ should profit them nothing Was not this the Spirit of Truth that leads into all Truth that they made the Judge and Rule of their Doctrine and Practices So James and the Assembly of the Apostles when they said It seemâ—…th good to the Holy Ghost and to us c. 5. These very men that say it is the Rule of Faith and Life deviate in their Proof from their Assertion for the Scriptures no where say so of themselves He that flyes to Meanings and Interpretations The Question arises not about the Truth of the Text for that is agreed on on all hands but the Exposition of it If then I yield to that Man do I bow to the Letter of the Text or to his Interpretation If the Latter as manifestly I do is the Scripture or that Man's Sense of it my Rule Nay the Person so interpreting makes not the Scripture his Rule but his own Apprehension whatever he may say to gain Credit to his Conceptions in others then Mine it must needs be I consenting thereto 6. How shall I be assured that these Scriptures came from God I am bound to try all things If all things then Them amongst the rest I would fain know what I must try them with with the Scriptures Then the Scriptures must be the Rule of my Examination and Faith concerning themselves which is improper If with the Spirit that gave them forth that searcheth the deep things of God a measure of which is given to me to profit withal Then is it most congruous to call the Spirit and not the Scriptures the Rule 7. If the Scriptures are the Rule they are so either in their Original or Copies If in their Original that is not extant then no Rule in being for the last of it that was extant was John's History at Ephesus not seen these thousand Years If the Copies must be the Rule it were to be wished we knew which were the nighest to the Original there being above thirty in Number This is undetermined and for ought we see indeterminable And that which makes good what I say are the Variety of Readings among those Copies amounting to several thousands And if the Copies cannot how can the Translations be the Rule so differing from the true Sense of the Copies in many things and one from another Besides I would fain know of those of our present Age who thus contend for the Scriptures being the Rule c. in Opposition to the Spirit upon what foot they receive them into this Place and Authority Is it by Tradition or Revelation I mean
the Internal Testimony of the Spirit or the external Award and Avouchment of Men If the former they inavoidably come over to us for then the Spirit will and must be both Rule and Judge If the latter I ask how are they assured that they are not miserably abused by Carelesness or Design since we see that using utmost Diligence both Translation Transscription and Printing are subject to numerous Mistakes and those sometimes very material against which the Scripture can be no Fence But admit there were no Ground for any such Objection I further demand of our Adversaries if they are well assured of those men that first collected embodyed authenticated them by a Publique Canon which we read to have been in the Council of Laodicca 360. Years after Christ though not as they are now received during which time they had bin tossed tumbled some receiv'd some rejected doubtless many hundred times transscribed and it is not improbable that they were also abused If they miss in their Judgment here they are gone till they come to us I say how do they know that these men rightly discerned true from spâ—…rious Either their Judgment was infallible in the Matter or it was not â—…f it were then there was such a thing as Infallibility since the Apostles Dayes which is a Contradiction to your selves But be it so that they were infallible how came you to be assured they were so Not by Inspiration that is dangerous Doctrine with you Which way was it then Not by Tradition Was it by the Scripture That were to say that the Scripture tells you that those men that collected it for true were right in their Judgment but we are yet to finde any such place and that is to beg the Question I cannot see any other Ground besides your very great Kindness to their Choice which you call Popery and believing as the Church believes in other Folks But if these men were fallible as your own Principle makes them and their own Determinations prove them what then doubtless your Condition will be desperate Now certain it is that some of the Scriptures taken in by one Council for Canonical were rejected by another as Apocryphal and that which was left out by the former for Apocryphal was taken in by the latter for Canonical Now visible it is that they contradicted each other and as true that they both erred respecting the present Belief for your Canon and Catalogue varies from theirs and let me say without Offence from any Catalogue you can produce Behold the Labyrinth of Incertainties you run your selves into who go from that heavenly Gift in your selves by which the holy Scriptures are truly discerned relished and distinguished from the Inventions and Abuses of Men 8. Furthermore If the Scriptures were the Rule of Faith and Life c. then because they cannot be the Rule in their Translations suppose the ancient Copies were exact it cannot be the Rule to far the greatest part of Mankind indeed to none but Learned men which neither answers the Promise relating to Gospel times that is universal nor the Necessity of all Mankind for a Rule of Faith and Life 9. That the Scriptures are not the Rule of Faith and Life is proved from those voluminous Discourses of Cases of Conscience that are extant among us For had the Scriptures beâ—… as sufficient as the Nature of the Rule of Faith and Life requireth there had been no need of such Tracts every man might have read his own Condition laid down in Scripture without those numerous Supplements Doth not your own Language and Practice prove its Insufficiency to that End at what time you both exhort to and go in secret to seek the Mind of the Lord in this or that important Affair Why do not you turn to Chapter and Verse for Satisfaction if the Scripture be appointed of God for a Rule Strange That what is so common in the Mouths of all sorts viz. God direct you that implieth Inspiration and Revelation or immediate Council or Guiding from God should not be known much less acknowledged by you in our Writings but overrun with such scaring Epithetes as Enthusiasm Familism Fanaticism Quakerism c. In short there are a * thousand Cases and not a few occurring almost daily in which the Scripture cannot be our plain and distinct Rule and Guide yet has not God left himself without a Witness in every Boâ—…om for his Grace has appeared unto all Men teaching them that believe in it to deny Ungodliness and woâ—…ldly Lusts and to live sobâ—…rly righâ—…eously and godly in this present evil World And Christ Jesus the eternal Word has for that End enlightened every Man coming into the World viz. to discover reprove and instruct â—…or Faith and Life But it may be and is objected by some Obj. If this Law and Light in the Conscience had been enough what need had there been of Scripture Answ. The same Argument will hold against God Christ his Spirit and Grace all which are sufficient notwithstanding the Use and Benefit of Scripture The Case was this Man's Mind being estranged from the Light and Spirit through its wandrings after visible and perishing things and in as much as the Light became thereby vailed from him the Spirit as quenched and the Law as defac'd God in peculiar Mercy to the Jews according to his Covenant with faithful â—…braham super-added or repeated as Urâ—…n termes it the Law inward by a Declaration of it outwardly that both God might not be without an outward Witness as well as an inward they having so much lost the Feeling thereof And more deeply to strike their Minds by their Senses into which their Minds were gone and to meet them abroad whether they were roving and wandering from the Law and Light within As it is great Vanity and Weakness to infer Insufficiency to the Light from the Imbecillity and Darkness that are in Men occasion'd through their Rebellion to the Law and Light within so from God's superadding Scripture and other external Assistances to Men in that State What would such have God his Light and Spirit appear to and converse with Peoples outward Senses That can't be the one is too Spiritual the other too Carnal for any such thing Or are they Insufficient because they converse with Men through these exteriour things suited to that imbecil State Or tell me if the considerablest part of Scriptâ—…re be any more then the declared Knowledge and Experience oâ—… such as were come to a more improved State in the Teachings of that Light and Spirit which is therefore given forth that others loytering behind might be the more prevailed with to follow them as they had followed the Lord in the Light of his Spirit Certainly it can never be that Scripture should impeach the Light of insufficiency when it is but the Mind and Teachings of the Light in others declared or recorded Does the Declaration jarr or make weak that from
whence it came Or because of God s ondescension for a time to Externals shall they turn the Light and Spirit out of the Office of Rule and Judge by being perpetuated the Rule and Judge Or is it to lay down instituted Religion as some ignorantly talk to press after that which was beâ—…ore and ends those temporary things The Law outward as a Rule was but as Moses till the Son came The Servant abideth not in the House forever The written Law held its place but till the inward rise in more Glory and Brightness oâ—… rather till they became more capable of being turned to it and living with it In those Dayes I will write my Law in their Heart c. They who say otherwise of Scripture do pervert and abuse it for there is nothing more clearly laid down in it from Beginning to End then the Rule and Reign of the Spirit My Kingdom said Christ is not of this World Again The Kingdom of God is within I will write my Law in their Hearts and place my Fear in thâ—…ir inward parts All thy Children shall be taught of the â—…ord and in Righteousness shall they be established I will pour out my Spirit on all Flesh. The Grace of God that brings Salvation hath appeared to all Men teaching c. Obj. But if the â—…aw engraven and delivered to Moses was a Rule to the Jews why should not the Law deliverd by Christ and written by his Apostles be the Rule to Christians Answ. Christ left nothing in writing as the Rule that we hear of and it is not to be thought he was less faithful in his House then Moses And doubtless had he intended the Rule of his Followers to have been a written Rule he would have left it upon record with all Punctuality This must be believed and that done on Pain of eternal Death Nor did his Followers write in the Method of a Rule as the Law was written nor did they so call or recommend what they writ But this leads me to my 8th Reason why the Scriptures cannot be the Rule under the New Covenant c. For admitting the Law written by Moses were the Rule A Rule I grant it was to the Jew outward yet Christ the spiritual Leader of a spiritâ—…al Israel writeth his spiritual Law in the Heart as Moses the outward Israel's Leader writ the Law upon Tables of Stone This was God's Promise the Priviledge and Blessing of the new Covenant that as the outward Jew had an outward Law for a Directory the inward Jew should have an inward Law for his Directory And as the outward Jew had an outward Priest at whose Mouth he ought to seek the Law so the Jew inward and Circumcision in Spirit has an inward and Spiritual High-Priest whose Lips preserve Knowledge at whose Mouth he is to receive the Law of Life And this is his Rule who is the Ruler of his People Israel who reigneth in Righteousness and of the Increase of whose heavenly Government there shall be no End The King Ruler Judge Law-giver High-priest Law Rule Temple are all Spiritual so the Scriptures inform us My Kingdom said Christ is not of this World Again The Kingdom of God is within I will write my Law in their Hearts and place my Fear in their inward Parts They shall be all taught of me and in Righteousness shall they be established The Tabernacle of God is with Man He will dwell with them I will pour out my Spirit on all Flesh. The Grace hath appeared to all Mâ—…n teaching c. A Measure of the Spirit is given to all Men to profit withal The Inspiration of the Almighty giveth Understanding Whatsoever may be known of God is manifest within walk in the Spirit If ye walk in the Light c. Come let us walk in the Light of the Lord. And there needed neither Sun nor Moon to shine for the Glory of God did lighten it and the Lamb was the Light thereof As many as walk according to this Rule Peace be on them and the whole Israel of God c. What Rule Not that of the old legal Creation that passed away but the Rule of the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or new Creation as it may be rendred And as Drusius cites one to have interpreted it and Grotius also interprets it which is the Way of Life Isaiah spoak of An High-Way there shall be and it shall be called the Way of Holiness the Unclean shall not pass over it and wayfaring Men though Fools shall not eâ—…r therein There shall be no Lyon there nor ravenous Beast go thereon but the redeeâ—…d shall walk there which Way Teachâ—… Guide Rule Light Spirit andholy Unction that directs keepeth in steady Paths of Truth is Christ Jesus our Lord. Obj. But do you not turâ—… the Scriptures off sor an uncertain unâ—…rviceable Writing and as good as reject and deny them altogether Answ. There is a late Author or two who to depaint us as ugly as their Malice could invent have rendered themselves so ridiculous as so to infer But it is not my Business at this time to medle with particular Controversie that followeth in the second Part and shall therefore attend to answer the general Objection The Scriptures are uncertain upon your Foundation but not upon ours Doth our maniâ—…esting your Faith concerning them to be grounded upon your own Imaginations or human Traditions make void or render uncertain the Scriptures By no means but we would have you come to receive them upon the Spirit 's Testimony and Evidence that gave them forth And though we cannot allow them to be the Rule of Faith and Life under the Dispensation of the Gospel which is Power and Life it self yet are they to be read believed and fulfilled under the Gospel For notwithstanding the Law written upon Stone was not Paul's Rule after the Son of God was revealed in him yet the Son of God taught Paul to fulfil the Righteousness declared by that Law If it were to deny and reject as some Persons enviously say of us yea to vilifie the Scripture because we cannot allow it to be the Rule c. Paul must be said to deny reject and vilifie the Law written at what time the Law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus became his Rule There is a great Difference in asserting that the Spirit is the Rule and casting away vilifying of Scripture And indeed it is but an old Fetch of the Devil 's to pretend Honour to the Letter that he might the more unsuspectedly oppose the bringing in of the Dispensation of the Spirit which the Letter it self testifies to They that come to be led of the Spirit arrive at the End for which Scripture was given forth the Apostle John did as good as say the same thing when he told them to whom he wrote That the Anointing which they had
of Conscience and so consequently from Wrath which thou art yet highly guilty of and from which thy Water-Baptism has not washt thee T. H. You express your selves with great Varity sometimes you say 't is Christ another time its only a Measure of Christ anon its only of the Divine Essence this is a very uncertain Sound p. 3. Answ. Thou shewest thy self a dull cavilling Baptist must we be tied up to one Word to express a Principle by when the Scriptures allow of Varieties for Demonstration to divers Capacities which doth not alter the Matter This divine Light in man is exprest in the Scripture with as much Variety of Words as we do As it s called the Life the Light a Gift Manifestation Seed Kingdom of Heaven within a measure of the Gift of Christ the Grace of God c. yet one and the same spiritual and divine Life or Light T. H. Notwithstanding thy most diligent Attendance to the Light in thee that which thou callst the Light in thee hath in many things mis-guided thee p. 3. Answ. Now thou beginnest to be mad again the Light within that which I call the Light within is the very same that Christ and his Witnesses did witness to to wit In him was Life and the Life was the Light of men therefore thou hast blasphemously accounted this a misguiding Light And in thy 7th pag. hast plainly contradicted thy self herein where thou appealest to the Light in me and grantest it ought to be obeyed See how thou hast broke the neck of thy corrupt cause if it were a mis-guiding Light how dost thou for Proof appeal to it as Rule and grantest it ought to be obeyed ought that which is mis-guiding to be obeyed But the Light within ought therefore it will not mis-guide T. H. saith G. W. in his Discourse upon it urged that text Joh. 1. 4. In him was Life and the Life was the Light of men If the Life said he be the divine Essence my Words were If that Life be of the divine Being the Light must be so also Answ. This Argument thou didst never answer to purpose yet but cavillest and draws what Absurdities thou pleasest upon thy own Forgeries as will further appear only sillily thou argued against it thus viz. T. H. That the Life or Light spoken of Joh. 1. 4 9. is not supernatural because it is the Light of the Word as a Creator Answ. To which was answered that its false and inconsistent Doctrine For the Light of the Eternal Word is supernatural because the Light of the Eternal Word the Creator See here the Reason thou rendrest for its not being supernatural proves it super-natural for because it s of this divine Relation it must be divine And thou shifts but very sorrily to come off here when thou tellest me that the Life and Light commnuicated to every man from that Eternal Word is not supernatural Eternal and Divine But for this we have only thy Say-so contrary to what thou hast granted before to wit as being the Light of the Eternal Word Neither could thy other Shift serve thy turn viz. T. H. That the Life which is in God which is the Light of Men Joh. 1. 4. is divine as it is in God but natural as it is in man Answ. The Conclusion of this is Blasphemy for that divine Life is Immutable because divine it did not loose his Divinity by being given to man for being divine 't is no more subject to mutation than God is Remember here how thou wast nonplust and how thou art in a Laborinth and of this thou dost not clear thy self in all thy perverse cavilling against us Sect. II. The Life which is the Light of Men not a Creature or meer Effect c. WHereas on the Behalf of God's immediate Illumination or Shining in man's Heart for the Divinity thereof I alledged that the Cause thereof being divine this Effect thereof must needs be divine and supernatural as in my Narrative But instead of taking notice of the Words his Immediate Illumination or Shining thou art pleased to quarrel upon the Words such as is the Cause such the Effect must be and thus thou proceedest upon it viz. T. H. From this kind of Reasoning we may conclude not only the Light within but every Creature both Beasts and Trees are God these being the Effects of Infinite Wisdom dost thou not tremble at this Consequence p. 4. Answ. How causlesly dost thou quarrel Are both Beasts and Trees Immediate Effects of God's Power Did he not cause both Plants and Trees to grow out of the Earth 2ly Were these Immediate To be sure I never affirmed so many Gods as there are Effects of Infinite Wisdom But be it remembred that I never called the divine Life which is the Light of men a meer Effect but admitted of the Word Effect with reference to the Immediate Illumination or Shining of God in the Heart as being of a divine Nature because God is the Enlightener and Shiner And thou denying the Light to be of the divine Essence because communicated I urged this Argument That if the Life be divine or of the divine Being then the Light in man must be divine because the Life that was in God was that Light and such as is the Cause such is the Effect in some sence holds true in all the Effects of Infinite Wisdom true in all Creatures as they were made good God the Cause being the chiefest Good who beheld all that he had made that it was very good And God who is Light is the Fountain of Life and Light whose divine Life or Light it self which is the Light of men I never intended to be a meer Effect strictly taken as an Act of Power or thing made or created but as the Illumination or Immediate Shining in man immediately and naturally flowing from God the Fountain of Light its Envy makes thee carp and cavil and was not the Effect of the Law written in the Gentiles Hearts of the Nature of the Law Canst think thou art Ingenuous Dost think that I do not own Varieties of Effects from the Infinite Wisdom and Power of God as not only supernatural but natural both mediate providential and immediate Effects as well as Increated Immediate Products of Life Light and Vertue flowing naturally from him Yet though divine Illumination as manifested in man be an Immediate Act or Effect the Light or Life which doth illuminate is greater for it is the Cause which is more then the Effect though this Illumination hath a Living Vertue and Resemblance of the Cause in it and they are inseparable So that the Life which is the Light of Men Joh. 〈◊〉 4. being divine and of the Being of God himself who is Light it is not proper to call it a meer Effect as a thing made or a Creature as thou blindly calls it and would have it wherein thou dost meerly beg the Question and builds a false Structure thereupon Again thou
by thee in shunning those many Evils thou art checkt for and performing the good to which it excites thee thou wouldst both know and speak better of it then thou dost as that which both moves and leads in the Way to Salvation which is from Sin here and from Wrath hereafter and so unto Christ who is the Giver of it But it is probable thou thinkst thou art an elect Person and so in thy Presumption slites the Light within as not only Insufficient of it self to guide unto Salvation but also as a mis-guiding Light And this Doctrine herein opposeth thy Maker and his Universal good to Man-kind How then thinkest thou that the Rebellious can be left without Excuse or God be known to be clear when he judges Sect. V. The Dipper proved a Blind Guide and in gross Confusion in undervaluing the Light within T. H. DId the Light in Saul reprove him for persecuting the Church Doth not he himself confess that he verily thought he ought to do many things against the Name of Jesus Yea doth not Christ tell his Disciples that some would kill them and yet think they did God Service But how could they think so if this Light in them did reprove for it p. 8 9. Answ. Thou having asserted that there are some Sins which the Light reproves not among these thou instancest namely persecuting the Church doing many things against the Name of Jesus killing the Disciples and therefore concludes it no sufficient Rule O! thou blind Guide how darest thou thus accuse and undervalue the Light of Christ within contrary to thy many Concessions elsewhere Is Christ the Life and Light of men And yet does not his Light reprove Persecution and Murther If it reprove not these what are the Evils it checks for What rational Man cannot see thy manifest Folly herein thus to confound Persecutors evil Thoughts with the Light within and to conclude the Light within no sufficient Rule because of some mens Wickedness who have rebelled against the Light and therein thou hast put Darkness for Light And what were the Pricks that were hard for Saul to kick against And where was that Holy Ghost which the Persecutor alwayes resisted Act. 7 Their Envious and superstitious Minds and dark Thoughts were not the Light but such as clouded and obscured the Light in them yet the Kingdom of Heaven was in those Jews and so much divine Light in those Heathen as shewed them that there was a true and unknown God to be worshipped with sincere Hearts and pure minds and that in him we live and move and have our Being had they waited in that Light and listened to it they would both truely have known God his Way and Worship as some did If all things that are reproved are made manifest by the Light how dost thou exclude those gross Sins of Persecution and Murder from being reproved by the Light And why dost thou argue against it from mens persecuting and murtherous Thoughts which arise from their Enmity and Rebellion against the Light But further I argue against thee on the Behalf of the Light viz. That its manifesting all things that are reproved is in order to guide men out of all reprovable Wayes which if they be guided out of they are in their Duty For where man is not reproveable for any thing he is in his whole Duty and so in the right Way T. H. Did the Light in the Heathen-Philosophers check them for multiplying their Deityes and for not believing that Jesus is the Christ Or did it reprove them for their manifold Superstitions And were they thereby directed to the right Way of worshipping the true God I demand an Instance among the many Thousands of Man-kind c. p. 9. Answ. That which might be known of God which was manifest in the Heathen and which did open the Eyes of many clearly to see the eternal Power and God head Rom. 1. that was able to direct them into the right Way of worshipping the true God for the reason why many run into Superstition and to multiply Gods was because that when they knew God they Glorified him not as God but became vaine in their Imaginations Rom. 1. which was their Sin and not any Defect of the Light given them from above for that Light which gave them the Knowledge of the true God was therefore able to direct them into the right Way of worshipping him And whereas thou demandest an Instance among the many Thousands of Man-kind that hath been convinced or reproved for not believing Jesus to be the Christ by the meer Light within before any Light of Revelation was brought unto them p. 9. Thou still persists in thy dull course of begging the question while thou takest it for granted that the Light within is but a Creature or natural and so not any absolute revealing Light But this I cannot grant thee while it is revealing God and his eternal Power to man that waits in it However thou slites it under thy frequent Phrase Meer Light within though it be neither opposed to the Spirit nor Revelation as thou wouldst have it while it is Divine and Spiritual And that thousands of Man-kind are reproved for not believing in the Son of God is evident by the Spirit of Truth reproving the World of Sin because they believe not in the Son of God in that they do not believe in his Life or Light within they do not believe in him who is the Giver of it and therefore reproved by the Spirit and surely many Thousands are comprehended in this World of Unbelievers Sect. VI. His Ignorance of the Divine Principle T. H. I Grant that the Light in thee may reprove for those Sins the common Light in all Man-kind will not because thou hast borrowed much Light from the Scriptures p. 9. Answ. It s evident thou understands not the Principle of divine Light within from what thou hast borrowed from the Scriptures with thy Imaginations perverting them wherein is thy great Darkness thou egregiously mistakeest a litteral Notion and Historical Faith for the divine Light within which is given to all which is a pure Incorruptible and Unchangeable Principle of Life and Truth immediately given and shining from Christ the Eternal Word and not mens acquired Notions from the History of Christ's outward Manifestation in the Flesh. But in thy gross Ignorance thou exalts such Acquirements of men above the Principle of Light within And so mens Historical Profession of the Scriptures as their only Rule though they much differ in their meanings therein which they make their Rule many times above the Scriptures and above the Gift of God this is a great Error of you Litteral Professors Thou wouldst not be pleased should I alledge your various Opinions upon the Scriptures to prove them no sufficient Rule though thus thou art pleased contradictorily to deal with the Light within Had the Princes of this World obeyed the Light of Christ within they would not have crucified
throughout all the Generations of the Righteous since the World began being the Rock of Ages that spiritual Rock whereof all Israel drank 1 Cor. 10. 4. who said before Abraham was I am this great and most eminent Prophet God promised to raise up unto Israel of their Brethren which was in a more familiar Appearance even in the Flesh though his spiritual Out-goings were before from of old and he was called the faithful and true Witness the beginning of the Creation of God Rev. 3. 14. who faith behold I stand at the door and knock if any man hear my Voice and open the Door I will come in to him and will sup with him and he with me ver 20. Now I ask what and where is that Door that he so universally knocks at And is not this the true Christ that thus knocketh And was not his Light or Word in Israels Hearts and his Spirit in the Holy Prophets by which they fore-saw his Coming in the Flesh his Sufferings and Glory that should follow Now though the pure Light and Glory of the Father was more fully eminently and signally then ever before manifest and shining forth in him as coming in the fulness of time to consummate and end the Types and Shadows of the first Covenant whereby he gave a more eminent and signal Testimony of God's Universal Love and Power to man this is no Argument to prove that either the true Christ or his Universal Light was not in being and in some degree discovered before for without this no Soul could ever be saved it was his divine Light that could minister Life unto the Soul and not Shadows Sect. IX The Dipper plung'd in a Laborinth of self-Contradictions and the Light within proved a Rule above the Scriptures T. H. IT will be our Wisdom yea our Duty not only to attend the Light within but specially to those Revelations of God's Mind and Will in the Holy Scriptures p. 13. Answ. In thy granting its part of our Duty to attend to the Light within thou hast plainly contradicted thy Blasphemy in opposing it in other places as a mis-guiding Light and comparing it with the Man of Sin Mahomet c. and judging our following its Conduct as a subverting and anihilating the Covenant of Grace and that this Light doth directly oppose it and ought to be rejected as appears p. 38. Is it part of our Duty to attend upon that that subverteth and opposeth the Covenant of Grace O! that thou wouldst consider and see thy Blasphemy and what a Laborinth of Contradictions thou art fallen into as also in thy Concession of attending to the Light within thou art defective whilst thou dost not place the special Attention to be upon it but upon the Scriptures whereas the Light within is specially to be attended to as that which both opens the Understanding in the Scriptures and discovers the several Conditions which they relate to otherwise men are apt to pervert and mis-apply the Scriptures to their own Destruction turning the Truth of God into a Lye as they did who turned their Backs upon the Manifestation of God in them Rom. 1. 19 21 25. T. H. I conceive enough hath been said to evince that the Light in every man neither is the true Christ nor a sufficient Rule to guide us unto Salvation p. 13. Answ. While Thou are following thy own Conceptions thou dost not follow the Guidance of the Light of Christ within and therefore conceivest amiss of it for it is a true and perfect Rule unto which he that loveth doth truth cometh and bringeth his Deeds that they may be manifest that they are wrought in God Joh. 3. 21. it is a convincing Rule that pure and inward Law or Light which converts the Soul It doth not onely convict man of Sin but upon Repentance evidenceth unto him Remission And this doth not the Scriptures without to men particularly though they testify of the several Conditions which the Light guides the Soul through The Scriptures testifie against all Sin but do not shew unto men their particular Sins many read the Scriptures who over-look the Deceits of their own Hearts but if they Eye this Light of the Son of God within it will manifest unto them their particular Evils and shew them their Thoughts Motions and Actions and the Tendance of each so do not the Scriptures they cannot of themselves convince any as the divine Light can And this divine Light within discovers all the Temptations and mysterious Workings and Depths of Satan to that Soul that waits in it as they are met withall and as Satan attempts to insnare that the Soul may shun his Snares and Wiles upon all Occasions and in all Tryals and this does not the Letter without This Light within also as a perfect and immediate Rule of Faith directs the Soul in all the Operations of Faith against all the Innumerable Temptations and Tryals and Besetments of the Enemy and it opens an Inward Eye of Faith and is the Immediate Guide to see him who is Invisible through all but so is not the Scripture All which being seriously considered the Light within is the Rule of Faith and not the Scripture But if it be objected That the Scriptures being the Rule of Faith is not intended without the Help of the Spirit or divine Light in the Soul I answer This granteth that the Scriptures are not the Rule of Faith alone therefore that they are not to be taken as the Intire Rule of Faith they not being effectual without the Spirit whereas the Spirit is effectual without the Scriptutes and able of it self to lead into all Truth The Spirit or Heavenly Unction considered as a higher Degree Gift or Effusion of divine Life than that degree of Light that is given in common to all is attained unto only by those that faithfully improve the Life or Light in its less Appearance which in some degree appears in every man's Conscience T. H. I query whether all the Generations of Christians since Christ's time until within these very few Years be not eertainly lost and damned forasmuch as they acknowledged not this Light within as the true Christ p. 12. Answ. This shews thou hast very little Sense of all the Christians and their Acknowledgments who thus queriest of them Did not they acknowledge Christ in them the Immortal Word of Life and Light in them And was not Christ both their Life Light and Salvation And was not the Apostle Paul sent to turn the Gentiles from Darkness to Light And did not all the true Ministers preach Christ as God's Covenant given for a Light and Salvation to the Ends of the Earth But in thy dark Thoughts thou seest not the Drift of rheir Testimony but queriest whether all the Generations of Christians till within these few Years be not certainly lost and damned And yet thou wouldst be accounted a Christian in this thy Unchristian Work Sect. X. The Subject Understanding and Obeying
because you that profess them to be so are so repugnant one unto another thou wouldst readily reflect Absurdity upon me though to the undermining of thy own Cause Why dost thou so much slite the Light within and insinuate against Revelation or Perfection from personal mistakes Weaknesses or Failings of some particulars supposed Nay I may further except against thy Impertinency herein who durst not produce one Argument against the Principle upon this Occasion when thou wast desired for that an occasional Mistake Slip or circumstantial Difference is no general Argument to prove a man a false Prophet or Minister never called of God seeing that An Eli and a Samuel might be mistaken 1 Sam. 1. 13 14. and Ch. 3 4 5 6 7 8. and Ch. 16. Verse 6 7. A young Prophet seduced by an old 1 King 13 18 19 20 22 23 24. A Paul revoking his Reflection Acts 23. 5. A Paul and a Banabas in a Contest Acts 15. 39. A Peter withstood by Paul Gal. 2. 11 12 13 14. Yet these are no Arguments that therefore these men were never called of God nor had divine Revelation to prophesie or preach Neither on the other Hand does it argue that they fell short of Perfection or Infallibility when they came to see into the Depths of Satan and how any of them have been overtaken for through that which is perfect they out-grew Imperfections and Weaknesses I must yet take notice of what thou speaks of a Revelation that came from Paul Hobson who on Purpose to try them spake through a Trunk yet could they not distinguish his Voice from the Immediate Voice of God p. 27. Reply Thou hast herein grosly belyed the Quakers neither were they either thus tryed or cheated howbeit dost thou think that this adds to the Credit of thy Cause Was not Paul Hobson an eminent Dipper or Brother Baptist of yours who when he grew weary of a poor shattered whimsical man in his House who was no Quaker your Brother Paul did feign a Call as from God through a hollow Trunk to the poor man to get rid of him as I have also heard the Story credibly related in the County of Durham Now was not this a horrible Deceit and Cheat of your Brother Paul to presume such an Invention as in the Name of God whether was he the Deceiver or the poor man deceived most to be blamed Let the ingenuous Reader and thy own Conscience judge And so how dully and sorrily thou hast come off to bring this as an Instance either against the Quakers or Revelation How hast thou manifested thy Folly herein And wouldst thou and thy Brethren be thus dealt by to be all reflected upon or disparaged by the Miscarriage of any particular Persons supposed among you thou wouldst be ill pleased if I should speak in earnest behold what Deceivers the Baptist Preachers are seeing Paul Hobson their Brother did so impiously deceive and cheat the poor shattered man And so what Advantage hath thy envious Reflection upon us been to thee or thy Cause Again thou bring'st an Instance against the Light within thus T. H. Above all that eminent Difference may not be omitted between J. N. and G. F. at or after J. N's publick Entrance into Bristol when they called each other the Children of the Devil and departed from the Light A great Party adhered to both in this Opposition of their Lights and Revelations p. 27. Answ. First This is a false Relation the Words were not so between them nor was the Opposition at Bristol 2. Nor was the Opposition from the Light in both 3. It s true that J. N. was witnessed against by several for turning aside from the Light at that time and therefore it is most unjust in thee to cast his Failings upon the Light or instance it as an Argument against us 4. J. N. came by the Light to a Sence of his Loss and repented of it therefore unjustly imputed either to the Light to G. F. or us 5. Seeing there was Opposition between them it is a most malitious Conclusion of thine from hence to call us Cheats and Impostors p. 28. as also in thy 17. pag. thou calls our first fundamental Principle a meer Cheat. Thus thy wicked Design is not only against the Persons but against the Principles whereas our first fundamental Principle is the true Light against which thou hast thus blasphemed for which God will rebuke thee not only as an impertinent but a most malitious Opposer And to prove thy Lye that we endeavour to beget in the minds of men an ill Opinion of the Scriptures thou dost instance my Saying that which is spoken from the Spirit of Truth in any is of as great Authority as the Scriptures and greater p. 28. But leavest out my Explication viz. as received and immediately proceeding from the Spirit and spoken in the Sence thereof that is in the living Demonstration of the Spirit to the Conscience This I still testifie is of greater Authority then the meer Letter or Writing though containing the same Words so spoken as I did then instance and explain thus viz. As Christ's Words were of greater Authority when he spake then the Pharisees reading the Letter c. But do not you Baptists deem your Preaching of equal Authority with the Scriptures when you say what you preach is the Word of God however intermixt with your own uncertain Meanings In thy 35. pag. to prove thy calling me a Knave a false and deceitful Man thou sayst I give not the least hint of thy Explications of thy Positions whereas I writ thy Doctrines for thee to give thy own Explications least thou shouldst say I wronged thee yet to this Day I must confess that some of thy Positions were so absurd and incongruous that I could not hear thee give the least rational Explication upon them as those mentioned upon Joh. 1. 4. viz. First Of the Light being natural because the Light of the Eternal Word Secondly That 't is divine as in God but natural as in man for this thou didst not shew so much as the least Colour of Reason or rational Explication And must I be accounted a Knave guilty of Deceit a false deceitful Fellow for not writing all thy Impertinencies And yet thou takest the Liberty to leave out my Explication which was most material to my Position for the powerful Demonstration of the Spirit while it was set down in Print before thy Eye Oh! what gross Hyocrisie art thou guilty of thus to rail and revile such as wish thee no Harm when thou hast no Occasion given thee and yet art guilty of that which thou falsly accusest another for An other dark Accusation of thine is of a Servant Maid that should say the Bible is a good honest thing but she lik't our Friends Books better p. 29. If thou hadst mentioned the Name of this Maid and proved the Accusation what is this to the Body of the Quakers Though I suspect this
Accusation not true but if it were doth thy inference follow that our Proselites are thus taught O abominable Wickedness Where or when did we ever preach such Doctrine We utterly deny it and never heard any of our Friends held or owned it knowing in our Conscience the eminent and reverend Esteem we have of the Scriptures or Bible as the principle Book extant in the World though we may not slite but esteem all other Books dictated by the Spirit of Truth in their Places and for the good ends intended Another Accusation is that Fox and Hubberthorn said the Scriptures are no standing Rule and that it is dangerous for ignorant People to read them p. 29. Reply First As for being the only and standing Rule they no where call themselves so but refer us to God and Christ or Spirit within 2ly Thou hast wronged and mis-cited their Words in a more general terms then they are their Words not being 't is dangerous for ignorant People but to their Adversary they say The Letter which killeth is dangerous for thou takest it here to war withal against the Saints giving out thy carnal Expositions upon it you read with Danger who make a trade of Scripture but blessed is he that does read and understand c. as in the same page and Book cited by thee Entit Truth 's Defence Mark here they neither slite nor oppose the sincere reading and perusing of the Scriptures Now seeing thou abuses and mis-renders as hinted before such Passages as we find apparent in our Books to correct thee It s no Wonderment if thou dost abuse divers of our Friâ—…nds in thy Stories upon meer Reports and private Discourses as thy manifest Deceit in mis-citing our Words which renders thee very suspitious in many of those Stories Now let the ingenuous Reader take notice of thy Abuse herein Bâ—…t 3ly That it is dangerous for some ignorant or unlearned People to read them is evident while unstable and prejudiced in their Minds not regarding the Spirit or Light that gave them forth to learn by and give them the right Understanding for 't is such as are unlearned who wrest them to their own Destruction Is not this dangerous for any to pervert them to their own Destruction Is it therefore just in thee to compare them to Jesuites and Romanists who thus intend Yet 't is not dangerous but useful and profitable to read the Scriptures in Honesty and Simplicity of mind having regard to that divine Light and Inspiration of the Almighty that gives the true Understanding of them Another Story is of one Holbrow that should say that the Scriptures were no better to him then an old Almanack Answ. This verifies the old Saying that the Devil will play at a small game rather then stand out But we utterly deny any such gross Comparison concerning the Scriptures I am credibly informed of a Ranter that spake these Words above twenty Years ago what 's that to the Quakers And we have heard of some Ranters that have thus grosly slited the Scriptures but never any real Quaker Howbeit thou art not wanting in Envy to brand us with such Calumnies how utterly soever the things be disowned abhorred by us Some Baptists have turned Ranters and others have mantained Ranterism and others of them Poligamie others again eminent among them as namely of their Leaders have turned Papists Now wouldst thou take it well if I should endeavour to render you all odious upon their Account 'T is probable when they turned Ranters they had a very mean Esteem of the Scriptures And if I should take this Course of arguing against the whole Body of you Baptists and Dippers I might make a large Narrative of the gross Wickedness of many that have been eminent among you but that is not my Way of confuting mens corrupt Principles though sufficient to spoil the Credit of the guilty and to render them unmeet Guides to others Yet far be it from me to asperse all amongst you therewith believing many called Anabaptists to be far more honest and sincere then thy self or divers of thy Brethren Elizabeth Marshal saith in answer to the Dialogue pag. 27. THat about sixteen Years ago I was pressed in my Spirit to vâ—…sil the People called Baptists in Taunton and at their Meeting which was then in Taunton Castle I spake amongst them what was given me of God which the Meeting with Attention received and many of them came forth with me lovingly to a neighbouring House this is true but that I should ever say or pretend I had a Message from the Lord to deliver only to Thomas Mercer at Taunton this is utterly false And also that Thomas Mercer as an old Acquaintance hath been several times to visit me this is true but that I should say to him or any other person that it was revealed to me that he was come to deny his Principles this is also a false forged Lye and I think when I shall speak with Thomas Mercer he will not abuse me with such a Lye not did he ever reprehend me for such a Saying So it is a Lye proceeding from the Father of Lyes who through his Servants would suggest such things on purpose to render the Truth and those that profess it odious but the Pit the wicked hath digged for others they fall into themselves and the Truth is Clear and I am Innocent therein who am yet alive to give this my Testimony under my Hand Elizabeth Marshal Sect. XV. His partial Relation against John Story AGain thou givest a very scanty and partial Relation concerning John Story about the Sufficiency of the Light in every Man to guide to Salvation without any other Counceller upon their excepting against the Priest's Book out of which the Position was read and refusing to be catechised by thee c. p. 30. As for that Contest between thee and John Story I have heard a more full and impartial Account then thou givest and how thou wast sufficiently baffled at it and proved a false Accuser of the Principle of the Quakers as leading from Christianity to Heathenism which could not be supposed to relate to those Gentiles that walked up to the Light or Law of God in their Hearts for that was really pious and therefore Christian but to the impious idolatrous Part And though John Story and his Friends might justly except against the Priest's Book as being an Adversary to us perverting our Principles and representing them to our disadvantage yet John Story never receded from the sufficiency of that divine Light of Christ in every man to guide them to Salvation who believe in it and are obedient to it not excluding the Counsel of such faithful Ministers where they are sent so to direct and turn mens minds from Darkness to the Light wherein they still submit to the Light of Christ as the Ground of their Ministry and the sufficient chief Rule and Guide which implies no defect in Christs Light but on the
Creatures Part whose mind is alienated from the Light the Insufficiency is not in any degree of the Light it self as a Rule but they that are turned to it ought solely to depend upon it in it to know and receive the Light of Life and Power from Christ against Sin and the Devil As for John Story and our Friends refusing to be catechized by thee when thou hadst accused them they might very well while thy catechizing argued want of Proof for thy Charge and a Willingness to draw out some Occasion from them therefore they had the Advantage to discover thy foolish Rashness And thou hast made use of divers other lying Pamphlets to prove thy Falshoods against us in many things and hast raked up in thy Dialogue Slanders out of our Adversaries Writings which have been long since answered Reader be pleased to view over these two Accounts touching the Controversy between Tho. Hicks and John Story that It may be understood how Sillyly Tho. Hicks came off about his false Charge against the Quakers Devizes the 21st of the 11th Month 1672. THe Occasion and Substance as I remember of what past between John Story and T. Hicks at Bromham boâ—…se was as followeth viz. A Friend of ours visiting some of her Relations that were Baptists in the Vize some Discourse passed of the Fewness that was converted of late Years to which Tho. Hicks said it is not now a time for Conversion the Friend answered she believed otherwise for many had been converted within these few Years by the People called Quakers the Quakers said Hicks their Conversion is but from Christianism to Heathenism which the Friend said was not so but he pretended he would prove it and came to the Meeting where John Story layd his false Accusation hard upon him either to prove it or confess his Lye but he sought many Wayes to evade it at length Hicks and an outed Priest that came with him produced a Book a Priest's Book as was conceived in which as they said was contained many Errors collected out of our Friend's Books John Story replyed to this Purpose that we shall take no notice of what is printed or mis-represented of our Principles but we shall claim that Priviledge to state our Principles our selves and to present them as we understand them And in some Discourse about the Light John Story laid it down as our Principle that the true Light that lighteth every man that cometh into the World is sufficient for Salvation c. But Hicks not willing to be beat out of his own Road raised many Intergatories which some Friends of ours reproving said they needed not or did not come to be catechizâ—…d of him but pressed him to answer the matter in Controversie and not permitting their Arguments out of the Book they brought Hicks and his Company rose up and went away with a Lye in their Mouthes which was that our Friends did deny their Principles Samuel Noyes Chippenham the 15th of the 11th Month 1672. IT s known here that the matter to be disputed was Hicks ' s own Assertion under his Hand which he promised to pâ—…ve viz. that the Quakers converted from Christianism to Heathenism and John Story to make an Introduction into the Dispute after the People understood the matter to be disputed opened to the People what must be understood by Christianity according to the Saints Testimony and what by Heathenism according to holy Scripture as to both their Wayes and Worships by that Hicks found himself at a loss and surely felt his own Words his Burthen and strugled much to avoid the proving his Charge though given under his own Hand but Truth bruised his Head and held him fast God's Power and Wisdom was manifested above the Serpent then he pulled out a Priest's Book and read that which he called the Quakers Tenet which either the Priest had wronged in his Book or Hicks in reading or the Printer in printing viz. that the Light in every man is sufficient without any other Councellor to guide unto Salvation leaving out the two Words of Christ it should have been the Light of Christ or that true Light which lighteth every man that cometh into the World is sufficient So our Friends answered they came not there to be catechised by him but to hear him to prove if he could that the Quakers converted from Christianism to Heathenism and said that Book in his hand was a lying Book so the Weight of Judgment in the Truth came upon him These are the Heads of the matter and manner of the Dispute so far as Friends here at present remember Take this at present lest John Story 's Information come not in time Thomas Neate William Dyer Sect. XVI The Baptist's Disparagement of the Light within contrary to his own Pretence AFter thou hast pretended no Disparagement to the Light within to say that God makes any thing more known of his Will c. for each degree of Light is serviceable to its end p. 36. wherein though thou hast granted the Difference to be but in the degrees of Light and not in the kind yet mark what thou sayst afterwards in thy 38. pag. viz. T. H. What intollerable Pride and Arogancy have you arrived to And all this in following as you pretend the Conduct of the Light within improving it to the subverting and anihilating the Covenant of Grace which is the only Way God hath revealed since the Fall for the Salvation of Sinners Surely then this Light which instead of directing what you do in a Way of Subserviency to the Ends of this Covenant doth directly oppose it is in that so far from being a sufficient Rule that it ought to be rejected Answ. Are all these no disparagement to the Light within let the ingenuous Reader judge Hast thou not herein manifestly opposed and deny'd what thou sayst before for the Serviceableness of each degree of Light to its end But what Service if the following or Improvement of any degree of the Light doth either anihilate or oppose the Covenant of Grace What dark mad and blasphemous Work hast thou here made against the Light within which if it ought to be rejected what account will be given to God for it And he should he give a Light so repugnant to his own Covenant Hast thou not told us that man must be accountable to God for every Dispensation of Light But now thou sayst it ought to be rejected And hast thou not told us that Christ is the Light and Life of men How easie is it to see thy lamentable and blasphemous Contradiction which thou art fallen into as a Judgment upon thee for thy opposing the Light But let us understand how thou discribes this Covenant of Grace and way for the Salvation of Sinners since thou dost not own it to be obtain'd by following of the Light within but the â—…ight within to be Rejected where thy Christianity comes to be embraced We are sure that God hath
witnessed in order to bring forth this justified State If in the latter Sence as thy Words import then all must be in a justified State for whom Christ dyed If their Justification was wholy wrought without them in his Person and then all men must be in a justified State for Christ dyed for all men and then what hast thou to do to revile or condemn any as thou hast done those whom thou severely opposest must be in as justified Estate as thou canst think thy self But if men receive the Pardon of Sin through true Repentance and Justification through living Faith in the Name of the Son of God and by his Vertue and Blood then are not all men justified nor the Justification of any effected nor fulfilled wholy in his Person without them for First Men are not in a justified State while their Sins are unremitted 2. They are not in a justified State while the Wrath of God abides upon them And mens Sins are unremitted while they impenitently persist in Transgression and the Wrath of God abides upon them who bclieve not the Son Again we do not affront either the Grace or Wisdom of God in adding what more Light he pleases to any measure that he hath given while we are witnessing against mens affronting that measure of Light and Grace which he hath already given to Man-kind T. H. This Light within directs not our Actions to those Holy and Spiritual Ends which the Scripture does Alas whereto do the best of mens Actions naturally tend p. 37 and 38. Answ. Here like a dull and dark Opposer still thou endeavourest to confound the Light within with man's corrupt Nature whereas thou hast confest it to be not only such a Light as can discover God and that he is to be worshipped but also that Christ is the Life and Light of men and also that it can discover morality that its serviceable to its end and that God's Soveraignity over man and man's Inferiority to God ought to be acknowledged And doth not this extend to the same holy and spiritual Ends which the Scriptures direct to What more holy then God's Soveraignity over man and man's Subjection to and Adoration of God But according to Scripture is it not an holy and spiritual End truely to â—…ear God work Righteousness and do Good which in every Nation he that doth is accepted And this the Light teacheth and Glory Honour and Peace to every man that worketh good to the Jew first and also to the Gentile for there is no respect of Persons with God Rom. 2. 10 11. Besides 't is most natural and proper to a spiritual and divine Light to direct to sacred and spiritual Ends. And if thou didst not vary and waver in thy Confusion from thy Concession to the Divinity of the Life and Light of the eternal Word which is the Light of men thou wouldst have spared much of thy Babylonish Work to the contrary who in thy 39 pag. sayst that thou oppâ—…sest not the Scriptures to the holy Spirit but to the Light within And why dost thou oppose the Scriptures to the Light within Or imply such a Difference between the Spirit and the Light within while thou hast granted that the Light within is not only serviceable but ought to be improved as that which chccks for many Evils and excites to Good And does not this agree with the Testimonies of the Scriptures And will thy reviling of G. Whitehead as dealing deceitfully for but asking a sober Question excuse thee in thy Malice and Confusion The Question being By what Rule shall we be convinced that the Scripture is the Rule and hath Preheminnece above the Spirit Apology pag. 48. which instead of answering directly to thou revilest me as in pag. 39. not at all telling me by what Rule shall we be so convinced but asks this Question By what Rule shall we be convinced that the Light within is the Rule and hath Preheminence above the Scriptures pag. 39. Answ. Every one that doth Truth brings his Deeds unto the Light which Light within being divine is sufficient to evince it self as supream Rule in the Conscience And as it is so manifest where it is not withstood but obeyed it s own Brightness Vertue and Operation sufficiently discovers it self but where Enmity is lived in and Darkness loved rather than Light the Excellency of it cannot be known Concerning the Rule that the Patriarchs or Holy Men had before the Scriptures thou tellst us they were instructed by Dreams Visions and Angels pag. 40. But were these the standing Rule Had they these Dreams and Visions to instruct them in the sole Course of their Lives or rather on particular Occasions Surely these were neither the standing nor yet their chief Rule They had a Rule to know the Truth of those Visions and whether those Angels were good Angels or no a Rule of divine Light to discover whether they were good Angels or evil Angels transforming themselves into Angels of Light which nothing but that which is divine can discover for the Saints in this Light shall judge Angels And Peter James and John had both a Vision and Voice when in the Mount from Heaven yet Peter himself testifieth We have also a more sure Word of Prophecy â—…nto ye do well that you take heed as unto a Light that shineth in a dark Place until the Day dawn and the Day-Star arise in your Hearts 2 Pet. 1. 19. Though the former Vision and Voice were true yet not so universal and abiding as this shining Light was That Vision and Voice was only seen and heard by a few the other was seen and known by all who attained to the dawning of the Day and the arising of the Day Star in their Hearts for it did shine as in a dark Place for that end It s evident that this Light or Word so shining was a Light of the same holy Ghost which moved the holy men of God to speak forth Scriptures ver 21. and therefore the Apostle prefers it before the Scriptures as the Cause of their being given forth Sect. XVIII The Baptist's Quarrel against S. Crisp removed THou makest a great Pudder against S. C. about knowing the Beginning and Date of thy Christ whom to confute thou pleadst his Deity p. 44 45. having before told us of expecting to be saved by Jesus as being in a Person without what Scripture hast thou for this Creed Is Christ the Object of Faith only as a Person without But dost thou believe in thy Conscience that he could intend any such thing with reference to the Deity of Christ Why art thou so wilfully quarrelsom And though the Appearance of Christ in the Flesh or as man when upon Earth was within the Compass both of time and date that is as to his coming into the World and going out at his Ascension yet still the same man Christ is in being glorified with the Father in the same Glory that he had with him before the
World began But the true saving Knowledge of whom is spiritual and divine and inwardly received in his own Light and Life within and saving Faith is in his Name and divine Power as inwardly revealed Stephen Crisp's Answer to T. H. THomas Hicks I having seen thy Book called a Dialogue c. and finding my Name mentioned in page 44. and 45. have very seriously taken notice of thy manner of Rehersal of my Words and thy own spoken at that Conference which we once had at Bartholomew-Close and that I know of I never saw a Narrative of a thing past given forth with more Falshood and Hypocrisie then that is and with a known and witting Purpose to deceive the Reader and to abuse me and I am perswaded Thomas thou hast in thy self a Knowledge of it and surely except thou repent and obtain Forgiveness it will one Day be heavy to thee The Business or matter upon which we treated was about our holding and believing Christ to be the Light of the World or that the Light which lighteth the World and every one that cometh into the World was and is the true Christ which was then proved by plain Scripture and whereas I do not intend a Narrative of the Discourse but only to dis-abuse the Reader and to make known the Occasion of these Words of mine thou hast mentioned therefore I shall pass over most of our Discourse and come to the matter relating to Christ. And that thou didst say as thou mentions in thy Book that no Spirit nor Principle was capable of Suffering and being Crucified is true thou didst say so but how faise the matter it self is let the Scriptures be judge Do they not speak in many places of the Sufferings Pressures Vexings Burdenings Grievings and Quenchings of the Spirit and do they not speak of crucifying afresh killing and slaying the Lamb of God the Lord of Glory the 〈◊〉 One from the Foundation of the World in the Streets of Sodom and Aegypt c which Sayings cannot have Relation to that Body that hanged upon the Cross which was not from the Foundation of the World nor was â—…ot in Sodom nor never hanged upon a Cross in Egypt but he whom the Saints called our Lord and the Lord from Heaven a quickning Spirit was capable of suffering these things besides those great Sufferings which he suffered in that Body in which he conversed with men in the Form of a Servant in the â—…arts of Judea and Jerusalem whom the Jews took and hanged upon a Cross without the Gates of Jerusalem who I believe dyed for Sinners and is raised up again by the Power of God exalted therein above the Power which caused him to suffer and sitteth now at the right Hand of God and maketh 〈◊〉 for the Saints and is the Ruler over the true Israel of God who destroyes his Enemies with the Spirit of his Mouth and the Brightness of his coming New this Christ of God thus truely considered I neither said nor thought I knew the Date or Beginning of as thou dost wickedly suggest for I know he is without beginning of Dayes or end of Life and such an high Priest becometh us to have and blessed are they that believe in him and are faithful to him and now having answered what thou malitiously wouldst have the Reader believe which I am perswaded thou thy self dost not believe viz. That it is my Judgment and Belief that Christ hath a Beginning and Date I shall now declare the Occasion of such Words when I was about to prove to thee that this Principle of Light was that 〈◊〉 of Ages in which the Fathers and Prophets believed and that it was that Word which came unto the Prophets and which was known to Abraham to his rejoycing c. thou madest me this Answer That the Names Jesus and Christ were not proper unto any Spirit Word or 〈◊〉 whatsoever either in Heaven or in Earth but unto that Body or Person which was born of the Virgin to which I replyed I remember John Newman hath written so in his Book but I had thought you Baptists had not owned him in it but now I see you do and thou saidst yes thou didst for though thou grantedst that the Word and Spirit was from the beginning yet that was not nor could not properly be called Christ or Jesus but that Person that was born of the Virgin that only was Jesus and Christ where uppon I 〈◊〉 then I know the date and beginning of thy Christ upon which thou criedst out Blasphemy to which I replyed and asked thee if thou thoughtst I did not know how long it was 〈◊〉 he was born as well as thou or another man c. and after that did prove to thee by plain Scripture that the very Assertion was false to say there was no Jesus nor Christ before and did mention the Rock of which the Fathers did drink and which followed the Jews in the Wilderness which Rock saith the Apostle was Christ not is now become Christ but was Christ and the same Apostle saith that God made all things by Jesus Christ mark Thomas if this be so then he was before Mary was or besore he became Flesh or took that Body made of a Woman for the Prophet testified that he that should be born in Bethlehem his Out-goings was from of old I say the more concerning this because thou endeavour'st to cast the Socinian Leven of which thou didst appear that night too full upon me as if I looked upon Jesus Christ as a meer Creature whose beginning and date I knew when as those Words were only spoken with Detestation of and in Testimony against thy corrupt Socinianism that Night uttered who also made a great Stir with me for saying the Eternal Son of God Thy Foundation is manifest Thomas thou canst not hide it this Way and as concerning thy foolish pratling in page 45. that if I knew his beginning then he was not God and if I knew his date or when he ceased to be then he is not man this is not all worth the answering the pretended Foundation thereof being taken away and thou left naked in thy Folly and Perverseness having shewn thy self but as one who makes a Likeness of a man and sets it up and then beats it down again and goes away and boasts of Conquest But for a Conclusion I shall ask thee and thy Reader a Question Suppose that a man should affirm to me that all things come by Nature and that there is no universal Spirit of Life to quicken them and I should answer thereuppon and say Then there is no God I query were this sufficient Reason to charge me that I were an Atheist that I held there was no God or ought it not to be taken as detecting the Atheism of the first Assertor this is my case with thee which I refer to that of God in all Consciences and let that judge in and amongst men and thee I
according to the Scripture though 't is probable not in my Opposers Words and Terms for note that his Charge which I denyed was not that the Quakers deny the raising again of this very Body of Flesh c. but the Resurrection of the body in this general Phrase Is it therefore ingenuous that I should be thus accused in these general Terms And when I cannot in Reason or Conscience own T. H's manner of stating things as my Opinions in his own Words both besides and contrary to what my Words were or are must I therefore be called a Knave a deceitufl Fellow c Whereas my Conscience bears me witness that if he had stated either my Affirmations or Denials in any Case in my own Words Books or Writing I would not in the least have disowned or receded from them as mine but either have stood by them or upon plain Scripture Evidence to the contrary should have fallen â—…nder Conviction and Reprehension according to the nature of the Error or Mistake if truely detected or proved guilty thereof As concerning the Resurrection I am so far from bauking my Testimony or receding from what I have and do hold concerning it that I am intended if God permit to speak further thereof according to the Sence and Understanding given me and that before I have done with my present Opposers But whereas T. H. takes the Liberty to be the Quakers Mouth and to present them as speaking those impertinencies and Falshoods which are meerly his own Forgeries and â—…ever believed nor intended by them Let the unprejudiceâ—… Reaâ—…er judge whether he be not highly guilty of Falshood and Deceit herein as in divers things hath been signiâ—…ed in this Discourse And as for his second Accusation admitting that I did not write down all his Explications upon his Positions 't is no Proof that the Relation of what I gave was false as very sillily he accuses me Neither hath he proved that I have given a false Relation of any one Position of his Besides in some of his Positions the very Substance of his Reason or Argument is therewith inserted in my Paper others of his Positions are so absurd and gross that he could not make so much as the Colour of a reasonable Explication upon them and therefore I did endeavour to induce him upon more deliberate Conside rations to produce what Explications he could for his Doctrines for which these were my Words If our Opposer say we have not inserted his Explications upon his Assertions our Answer is that 's his Work he hath Liberty to do it himself Now if for this he must revile me in the open Street calling me Knave and shaking his Stick at me If the Baptists will prove men Knaves at this Rate about Principles or Opinions they will make all Knaves that oppose them who do not relate all Circumstances of Words as well as their Assertions how impertinent soever Though I am unwilling to reflect upon all of them for this outragious and uncivil Carriage and defaming Language of their Brother Hicks for his Brother W. Kiffin did somewhat ingenuously shew his Dislike thereof openly yet when he attempted to prove it adding thereto against me such Language as this viz. impudent Fellow audacious Fellow deceitful Fellow c. To excuse him herein some of his Companions said it was his Zeal but this Cover was too narrow such hypocritical and false Excuses will not hold up the Credit of T. Hicks and those his Adherents And be it reminded that in divers things he hath both curtail'd and wholy left out my Explications particularly of that Passage cited by him in his 28. pag. viz. That which is spoken from the Spirit of Truth in any is of as great Authority as the Scriptures and greater here he stops and leaves out As received and proceeding immediately from that Spirit and as Christ's Words were of greater Authority when he spoke then the Pharisees reading the Letter as before hinted See here he hath called me a Knave for that which he is more manifestly guilty of and so is condemned out of his own Mouth in that which he allows himself in And I desire that Tho. Hicks may look at home and examine his own Conscience whether he was not in himself detected for that his Passion and Fury towards me I would not have him go on wronging his own Conscience nor withstand that Light in him which in secret would shew him his Infirmity and Evil in this matter of Passion and calumnious Railing whereby he will never gain upon the Spirits of any who are tender and sincere to God But instead of repenting thereof he brings the same Language over again in his Postscript after he has had both reproof and deliberation to have learnt better but it appears he is disturbed and royl'd in his Spirit as a man guilty and therefore shuffles to ease himself by telling us again thus viz. I told G. W. he was a Knave wherefore I did then and do so still esteem him c. really false and dishonest p. 91. To which G. W's reply is the Lord forgive him howbeiâ—… I am at defiance of my Adversary's implacable Enmity and do challenge him and all the World justly to detect me of dishonesty or of acting against my Conscience or to the Injury of any one living knowing my own Peace in the Testimony of a good Conscience towards God and Man I do really defie the Envy of the Devil and all his Agents And T.H. cannot hide his Passion and 〈◊〉 by his begging the Question viz. Doth not that Quaker who wrote that Book called the lying Wonder p. 9. endeavour to fasten these terms of Fool and Knave upon J. G. Whereas his Case was not the same with mine nor is he positively so charged for his Brother J. G. attempting to attest the Anabaptist's lying Wonder out of Lincolnshire upon the meer Credit of his Brother Ralph James the Fomentor of it as having been an Elder of a Congregation many Years from whose Mouth J. G. had the Relation of a great Miracle done by the Prayers of their Church though contrary to their Faith who affirm that Miracles are ceased long since and yet in his Letter to his Elder R. J. to desire a Reason why this great handy Work of God hath been so long concealed from Publication when he himself knew of it some Months before as also Ben. Morley as J. G. affirms to which the Words are added by T. R. thus viz. Whether J. G. be not as much Fool as Knave by his own handy Work let his Brethren judge See here it s referred to his Brethren to judge in this Case which was 1st His deposing the lying Wonder under his Hand from the Credit of the Forger 2. His pretending to desire a Reason of its being so long concealed when he himself knew of it some months before though they have not judged his Folly at least in this but T. H. hath positively called
all John 3. 31. and the Flesh of the Son of man which he gave for the Life of the World is that Bread which came down from Heaven Joh. 6. 50 51. Except ye eat the Flesh of the Son of Man and drink his Blood ye have no Life in you ver 53. Yet that the Name Son of Man was applyed to him as a Sufferer and as he said so shall the Son of man be three Dayes and three Nights in the Heart of the Earth Math. 12. 40. I deny not but this doth not limit him from being called the Son of Man in a higher State also each of God's Prophets might be called as divers were a Son of Man but Christ the great Prophet the Son of Man the Apostle distinguisheth between the first man and the second man thus The first man is of the Earth earthly or human the second man is the Lord from Heaven 1 Cor. 15. 47. therefore the second man is not human in their Sence nor consisting of a human or earthly Body as the first man and Ephes. 4. 9 10. now that he ascended what is it but that he also descended first into the lower Parts of the Earth he that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all Heavens that he might fill all things and Phil. 3. 21 who shall change the Body of our Lowness that it may be fashoned like unto his glorious Body c. Now if it should be read according to these Baptists Sence it must be who shall change our vile Bodies that they may be fashoned like unto his human Body as if they were not such already and how disproportionable is it to say Christ consists of a human Body of flesh blood and bones in Heaven but the Saints must have a spiritual glorious Body in the State of Glory hereafter yet to prevent these mens Scruples concerning our owning the man Christ or the Son of man in Glory I tell them seriously that I do confess both to his miraculous Conception by the Power of the holy Spirit overshadowing the Virgin Mary and to his being born of her according to the Flesh and so that he took upon him a real Body and not a fantastical and that he was real Man come of the Seed of Abraham and that he in the Dayes of his Flesh preached Righteousness wrought Miracles was crucified and put to Death by wicked Hands that he was buried and rose again the third Day according to the Scriptures and after he rose he appeared diversly or in divers Forms and Manners he really appeared to many Brethren 1 Corinth 15. and afterwards ascended into Glory being translated according to the Wisdom and Power of the Heavenly Father and is glorified with the same Glory which he had with the Father before the World began being ascended far above all Heavens that he might fill all things whose Glory is Incomprehensible and beyond the Apprehension of Human Capacities VI. Of Jesus and his Body of Man and the Body of Man WHereas H. G. cavils at my speaking distinctly of the Body of Jesus in that Joseph of Arimathea begg'd the Body of Jesus and to confute me herein he instanceth that of the body of Saul and saith that the Case is the same and the body of Moses which the Devil disputed about p. 39 40 41. but in this I cannot see any valid Matter to his purpose nor wherein he can intend it unless he believes that the Soul or spiritual Existence of man dyes with the body and the Devil did appear wiser then he concerning this distinction in that his disputing about the body of Moses does imply a distinction between Moses as to his immortal Existence and the body of Moses and that he did not confound them as this man doth who concludes Jesus Christ to consist of a human Body of Flesh and Bone which the original Being of no man properly consists of though to prevent Cavils and for 〈◊〉 sake I 'll grant him thus much that the Name Jesus Christ is indifferently and mutually applyed both to his spiritual being and to the body he took upon him and that distinctly in Scripture although the Names Messiah Jesus Christ the Anointed the Image and Glory of the invisible God the Word the Light the Life c. do more eminently and more originally belong to him as he was before he took that body upon him which he called this Temple and it was called the body of Jesus Whereas H. G. sayes What a strange Epitath would this Man write upon a Tomb-stone he cannot write here lyes the Body of Thomas or William c. but rather thus here lies the Thomas of Thomas p. 41. Reply This more properly falls upon himself in not admitting that distinction touching Jesus and the body of Jesns but their concluding and confining Jesus Christ as to confist of the meer body of flesh and bone and that he could not be Jesus Christ the Saviour before he took upon him that body by which this man cannot write Here lies the body of Thomas or William c. which implies a belief of an Immortality of the man as to his Spirituality but rather here lies the whole man Thomas or William without admitting of any such Immortality and yet I will grant him as before that the Word Man is indifferently applyed to either the spiritual Being or Body of man as there is an inward man and an outward man 2 Cor. 4. 16. And as God created man in his own Image and yet it s said he formed man of the Dust of the Earth Gen. 1. 27. and Chap. 2. 7. and it s said That the rich Man dyed and was buried which was his Body and in Hell he lift up his Eyes c. which could not be that Part which dyed and was buried but the immortal part or Soul Luke 16. 22. 23. yet the Word Man most properly and originally as God created Man in his own Image belongs to his spiritual Existence or Being for the Earthly Body was not the Image of God But farther let the Reader observe how evidently H. G. has contradicted his foregoing Stuff for a human Christ consisting of a Body of meer Flesh and Bone against my distinction concerning Jesus and his Body that was put to Death and buried which was also raised as where he speaks distinctly of Jesus and his Body p. 33. and confesseth that Christ came in the Flesh p. 36. that he hath an outward glorisied Existence that he hath a body p. 46 47. Christ's crucified Body p. 50. the Body that was prepared for him p. 79. He did assume our Nature p. 80. He had the very Form Shape and Fashion of a Man p. 81. And what He or Him was this he speaks of Was it not Christ the Son of God the Anointed And to his arguing That if Jesus Christ continues a man for ever then he hath a Body of Flesh and Bone forever This doth not follow
4. 1 Tim. 1. 1. and 4. 10. Jude 25. But how doth H. G's Confession and these Scriptures agree with the Discription he gives of Jesus Christ as Saviour and as the only true Christ viz. That he consists of a Body of Flesh and Bone human Nature being finite weak subject to passion as we are saith he p. 94. Let the Reader judge how gross and confused he is in these matters and whether the true Christ and Saviour doth either consist of an earthly Nature or finite being or was subject to Passion as fallen men are The Truth of it is this Man hath confest more to the Deity and divine Power of Christ and so to save and beget men to himself as God alone more then most of the Baptists that I have met withall before for one of his Brethren to wit W. Burnet a Preacher saith That Christ as he was the Word which was God was not a Saviour as he was God he could not save Man in his Book stiled the Capital Principles p. 35. which denyes the Omnipotency of God but this Baptist H. G. grants that it is the Power and Spirit of God himself or God alone that doth regenerate and make men his Children whence it follows that then it was not meerly the outward Body of Jesus that was the Saviour though he was a Saviour in that Body but it was by the Divine Power or Holy Spirit of the Father in him XI His Erroneous Distinction about the Light BUt whereas H. G. accounts the Light and Knowledge of God as Creator that was given to the Gentiles Rom. 1. 19. and Chap. 2. 14 15. But the Light of the Moon to guide their Paths and so much inferior to that of a crucified Jesus as that it leaves them utterly void of the saving Knowledge of the Gospel and of a crucified Jesus p. 68 69. Mark here how he hath undervalued the Light and Knowledge of the glorious Creator whom before he has in Words exalted above all in the Work of Regeneration and Christ as man but as finite weak c. But now alass with him the Light and Knowledge of the glorious Creator is but the Light of the Moon in comparison of the Light and Knowledge of Christ as man though in that Weakness as crucified how egregiously he is involved in gross Consusion and self-Contradiction in these things he that runs may read and no such distinction nor contrariety between the Light of God and the Light of his Son is owned in Scripture â—…or I and my Father are one saith Christ and the Father Word and holy Spirit are one And the same Life which was in him was the Light of Men Joh. 1. 4. and this Life which in due time was manifested was the same eternal Life which was with the Father 1Joh 1. 1. 2. which Light or Life they that obey aâ—…d follow in its Appearance and Guidance it brings them to a Fellowship with the Father and with the Son and this is not the Light of the Moon as our Opposer blindly and unscripturally terms it But seeing he saith this Law or Light is given to guide their Paths by which the Gentiles are taught their Duty to God in Morals I ask him whether will this Light guide their Paths if not in the Way to Salvation And whether will they go and to what End if they obey and follow it Does not the Apostle for a Proof of a justified State instance it in the Gentiles shewing the Effects of the Law written in their Hearts Rom. 2. 13 14 15 16. And what Nature was that by which those Gentiles did those things contained in the Law surely it was not the corrupt Nature for that is inconsistent the Law being holy just and good and though these Gentiles had not the Law in the Letter of it as many now have not the litteral Discription or histotical Relation of Christ's outward Sufferings must they therefore be damned to Hell What Cruelty were this to condemn Nations for want of the Scriptures But as those Gentiles who had not the Law in the Letter and yet had and obeyed it in the Spirit were both therein a Law to themselves and excused in the Sight of God in the day when he judgeth the Secrets of Men by Jesus Christ according to the Gospel Rom. 2. 16. So those Gentiles and Peoples who obey the Light and Life of the Son of God in them though they have not the historical Knowledge and Profession of Christ as he was Man and suffered Death in the Flesh c. Yet they are truely accepted of God and more real Christians inwardly then many of you that have the Scriptures and an historical Faith and Profession of the Man Christ and of Christianity outwardly for in all Nations every one that fears God and worketh Righteousness is accepted of him Depart from Evil and do Good and dwell for evermore And this the Light of the Son of God implanted in the Hearts of all Nations teacheth and herein the Grace of God that bringeth Salvation hath appeared unto all Men Tit. 2. 11. But it is the Error and Mistake of these Men to put their historical Notions and Profession of the Man Christ for the Light of Christ in Man whereas their Notions and Professions are neither any real Knowledge of the Man Christ nor the Principle of his Light in Man for the one is traditional and acquired by Man and so but dark the other is the immediate and divine unchangeable Gift of Christ in Man which indeed is the Light of the Eternal Word the glorious Creator but as these men's pretended Light and Knowledge of the man Christ is what they get out of Scriptures with their own private Interpretations on them so they hereby render Christ and his Light as limitted only to such Places and People as have the Scriptures opposing his divine Omni-presence and denying him his Right which is the Heathen for his Inheritance and the uttermost Parts of the Earth for his Possession Psa. 2. Now as for that Morality as he calls it which the Law of the first Covenant and Light implanted in the Heaâ—…ts of all Man-kind teacheth in the true Nature and Intenâ—… thereof it falleth no more short of Christianity then Godliness doth for this Law and Light teacheth Man to love the Lord God with all his Heart and Soul c. and his Neighbour as himself this do saith Christ and thou shalt live in answer to the Question what shall I do to inherit Eternal Life Luke 10. 25 26 27 28. This is the highest Morality or Duty of Man-kind even this Love to God and one another which is the fulfilling of the Law And this is both taught by the Light within and Power given by the Grace of God to fulfil it which the Law without in the Letter cannot do Now if the Jews Way to inherit Eternal Life was through the Grace or Help of God to fulfil what was written as before then
that are not written Joh. 20. 30. and Joh. 21. 25. To this I say It s an easie matter for Intruders to ask unlearned and unnecessary Questions whereof this is one of those many other Signs and Things that Jesus did it s said If they should be written every one I suppose that even the World it self could not contain the Books Joh. 20. 25. how then should this Querist be capable to contain them I suppose he doth not think himself able to contain more then the World it self If he saith it is an hiperbolical Expression then is his Question hiperbolical to be sure And if we cannot give him Account of all those Signs and things in particular while we are not sollicitous to know them nor do we think it needful is that any valid Plea or Proof against the Sufficiency of the Light within or Spirits Teaching Would such an Argument against the Scriptures being the Rule please him because they contain not all that was done God gives us to know what 's sufficient and necessary for Life and Salvation by his Light within But if the Word contain 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 be taken for to understand as Mat. 19. 11. to comprehend Job 21 25. Then in that Sence there 's far more written in the Scriptures already then either our Opposer or his Brethren can either comprehend or understand and therefore it s a busie Intrusion and Cavil in them to query for more while they oppose the true Light within and will not believe in it nor depend upon the Immediate Teachings of the Spirit of Truth from whence the holy Scriptures proceeded but dark they are and more grosly dark and confused they are like to be who persist in that gain-saying Spirit of Prejudice and Enmity against the Light of Truth which I desire the Lord to give them a Sight and Sence of unto Repentance rather then they should perish in their perverse Gain-sayings THE Angry Anabaptist Proved BABYLONISH IN Answer to Henry Grigg's Pamphlet stiled The Baptist not Babylonish Wherein Whilst he endeavours to reconcile his Contradictions in his Book Entituled Light from the Sun c. Charged upon him in a Paper Entituled The Babylonish Baptist He is run into more Contradictions Absurdities and false Accusations against the People of God called Quakers and their Principles By G. W. Ex ore tuo te judicabo Printed in the Year 1673. The Heads of the following Treatise I. OF the Light of the Eternal Word in Man and the Anabaptist confounded about it II. The Sufficiency of the Light within to reveal God Christ c. III. The Effect of Christ's Sufferings only known in his Light within IV. The saving Work of the Spirit V. How the Light in Man is a Gift and H. G' s Distinction between the Meritorious and Instrumental Cause of Salvation examined VI. The Lord's Supper in the Type and in the Anti-Type the Shadow and Substance distinguished VII The Anabaptist's Imposition about their Shadowy Baptism VIII Their Definition of the true Saviour and his Being IX The Hypostatical Union X. His Charge against the Quakers Principles and Doctrines of the Light within proved impure vile and ignorant and the Spirituality Divinity and Sufficiency of the Light within further asserted XI His sad and impious Prayer against the Light in all which Light is proved of the same Nature or kind with the Witness in Believers XII His groundless Comparison and Distinction between the Light of God in man and the Light of Christ or Gospel further refuted XIII His belying us with denying the Man Christ Jesus to â—…loak his own Absurdity and Ignorance of Christ and his Being XIV That scriptural Distinction between the Eternal Son of God and the Body prepared for him further maintained and the Anabaptist's persecuting Spirit reviling and traducing the Inocent reproved XV. A Warning and Reproof to Hen. Grigg c. XVI The Baptist's nine Questions answered THE Angry Anabaptist Proved BABYLONISH IN Answer to H. G's Pamphlet stiled The Baptist not Babylonish WHereas H. G. pretends he hath set down my Animadversions upon his Contradictions in order exactly after my own Fashion pag. 1. I say this is not true he hath left out the latter part of five of them which it appears did pinch him Therefore I shall represent to the Reader his Contradictions with my Animadversions and the Stress of his Exceptions whereby he would endeavour to make People believe he hath not contradicted himself but that we must refer to the Impartial Readers to judge of in the Light of Truth I. Of the Light of the Eternal Word in Man and the Anabaptist confounded about it HEnry Grigg saith viz. I utterly deny that this Light which all Men have from the Glorious Creator is a saving Light pag. 8. of his Book called Light from the Sun of Righteousness H. G. in Contradiction saith I really believe that the Lord Jesus Christ AS the Eternal Word hath given Light or enlightneth all Men and Women that come into the World p. 8. G. W. his Animadversion The Light or Life of the Eternal Word which is the Light of Men Joh. 1. 4. is spiritual and divine as is that Word and therefore saving to all that truly obey it H. G. replyes It seems to me as if this Man had lost his Common Reason because I deny that the Light which is in all Men is a saving Light and yet say I really believe all have a Light in them from Christ considered as Creator This cannot be a Contradiction unless he can prove there is no Light proceeding from the Eternal Word as Creator but what is saving p. 2. G. W. answereth Whilst he would insinuate that the Light in every Man is created or a Creature he meerly beggs the Question and still remains in his self-Contradiction for he dare not say That AS the Eternal Word Jesus Christ is a Creature Neither is his Light that proceedeth from him as that Word created any more then that Life which was in him which Life was the Light of Men will they say this is either created or natural As the Eternal Word is divine so is the Light or immediate Shining thereof in Man's Conscience H. G. What though it be granted that the Light which all Men that come into the World are lighted which flows from the Eternal Word and so is spiritual must it needs therefore be a saving Light Was not the Law given forth on Mount Sinai a Light of or come from the Eternal Word and doth not Paul say that the Law is spiritual Rom. 7. 14. and yet a Ministration of Death 2 Cor. 3. 7. and that killed and in other places that there was no Justification by it G. W. Answer 1. If it be a spiritual Light in Man proceeding and flowing from the Eternal Word it must therefore be the Eternal Word that immediately shineth in Man's Heart which is not created nor natural for all have not
us as odious and as obnoxious as he can for if he can influence the Powers with his own and his Brethrens implacable Enmity and inveterate Spirit and possess them that the Quakers are horrible Hereticks and vile Imposters and that they deny the Man Christ Jesus and the Hypostatical Union we must be no objects of Mercy nor fit to live among Men but Subjects of Ruine Destruction we cannot herein but take notice of the persecuting Spirit implacable and deadly Envy that is in some of these Anabaptists tending to Persecution in the highest But to the Question Whether I do not deny his human Nature and glorious hypâ—…statical Union 1 â—…nswer 1. That if Hypostatical signifie Substantial from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Substance I do confess and own that the Father the Word and holy Spirit are one Substance or that the Oneness of Substance is applicable to all the three in Heaven â—…or they are not three Substances And that the Son of God is the Brightness of his Father's Glory and the express Character of his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Substance Heb. 1. 3. And that therefore the Father and the Son are one Substance 2. But that either the Son of God doth consist or is made up of human Flesh and Blood or that these and the divine Nature are one Substance I deny as contrary to the Son being the Brightness of his Glory the express Character or Image of his Substance Heb. 1. 3. for human Nature and divine are not both one though still the one Hypostacis or Substance is in all the three divine Witnesses in Heaven whose glorious hypostatical Union we never denyed this is further opened in our Books viz. The Divinity of Christ c. Serious Apollogy 1. Part Chap. 3. Howbeit if we cannot own these to be Scripture-Language viz. 1. That Jesus Christ consisteth of human Flesh and Bone 2. That the glorious hypostacical Union consists of a human and divine Nature or that they are hypostatically one he should bear with us till he produce us plain Scripture for those Positions and Words X. His Charge against the Quakers Principles and Doctrines of the Light within proved impure vile and ignorant and the Spirituality Divinity and Sufficiency of the Light within further asserted ANd again H. G. is very vile and impure in affirming the Quakers Principles and Doctrines of the Light within to be impure and vile p. 17. note that before he accused the Quakers Principle of the Light within now it s the Principles that is all our Principles about the Light within he accuseth to be impure and vile which is also still contradictory to his confessing that Christ as the Eternal Word enlightneth every Man that cometh into the World or that the Light in every man is the Light of the Eternal Word or a spiritual Light flowing thence This he hath granted and this is one of our Principles and Doctrines which he hath accused with Impurity and Vileness as before which must needs strike the Principle of Light it self though I would believe he might not intend so badly as his Words import while we assert it to be what it is as manifest in Man as 1. That Christ as the Eternal Word enlightneth every Man c. 2. That as the Eternal Word his Light is spiritual and divine as the Word it self is which is the true Light enlightning every Man 3. That therefore this Light in Man being sincerely obeyed and followed it will guide and direct man his Way out of Darkness and Sin to God and Christ the Giver of it and so to Life and Salvation 4. That men are not condemned nor can they be left without Excuse for want of Light sufficient given them but for their Disobedience and Rebellion against the Light that God hath given them which therefore is sufficient 5. By these we do deny their Predestinarian partial Principle that concludes That God hath not given a sufficient or saving Light or Grace to every Man but that he hath refused it to the greater part of Man-kind as having from all Eternity particularly designed their Damnation Destruction or Preterition This we cannot own though it be the Doctrine upon which much of these mens oppositition is grounded against God's affording Sufficient Light to every man the Sufficiency thereof and our Vindication of it as it is for which this Opposer and his Assisters in his work most blasphemously and outragiously cry out against us in this Language viz. The great Darkness of these Men who cry up Light and Power within This Wile of Satan and Cheat of Anti-christ the Vileness and Impurity of which Principle c. And all this in his pretended Light from the Sun of Righteousness p. 31. and 48. which he should rather have called Darkness from the Son of Perdition Howbeit H. G. is made to give us a little better Language concerning the Light within where he saith viz. I acknowleâ—…ge the Light which is in all and do esteem it and have a Regard to it in its place and do say it witnesses for God and serves for the End and Purpose when obeyed for which is was given unto Man p. 18. But for what end it serves and is given to Man if it be neither saving nor sufficient to lead from Sin he tells us not nor to what End it can guide men singly following it what Esteem or Regard soever he pretends he hath to this Light within it appears he hath made little Tryal or Proof of its Testimony for God by obeying its Directions and Guidance We may see what Esteem and Regard this Man hath to the Light within when he counts it great Darkness to cry up the Light and Power within and this a Wile of Sathan and 〈◊〉 of Anti-christ What horrible Atheistical Stuff is this thus to cry down the Light and Power of God within And then deceitfully to evade and say it was the Quakers Doctrine and Principles that which you Quakers speak of it is aboâ—…inable and to be detested by all good Christians p. 18. What 's now the Matter what do the Quakers speak of the Light within that 's given to every Man H. G. It was never bestowed upon man to be made an Idol of and set up in the 〈◊〉 of God Answ. The Light of the Eternal Word neither is nor can be made an â—…dol for that which is divine as is this Light cannot be too much loved esteemed set up or obeyed H. G. It is Blasphâ—… to say it is the divine Essence Answ. To what place wilt thou limit or confine the divine Essence In him was Life and the Life was the Light of Men is this divine yea or nay If divine is it not a Light of the divine Being Whereas H. G. to prove the Quakers Doctrine and Principles concerning the Light within impure and vile abominable and to be 〈◊〉 by all good Christians p. 18. He further adds these Positions by Way of Charge viz. 1.
Darkness wherein you walk is sufficiently manifest and therein you undertake to judge by the Scriptures without the Guidance of the Light that gave them forth though the Light be most sufficient to discover it self and to make manifest all things that differ for whatsoever things are reproved are made manifest by the Light Though Christ said take heed least the Light within thee be not Darkness Answ. There were those that put Light for Darkness and Darkness for Light as you do in which Sence Christ gives this Caution if the Light that is in thee be Darkness how great is that Darkness Therefore it could not be really Light neither can real Light be properly counted Darkness And for the Rule by which Christ saith we shall be tryed at the great and last Day is what he had spoken to the Sons of Men when in Person among them Joh. 12. 48 49. but now saith J. R. we must try the Scriptures by the Light within Answ. The Words should rather be We must make use of the Scriptures by the Light within but Christ doth not say that the Rule by which you shall be tryed at the last Day is the Scriptures you pervert his Sayings but he sayes he that rejecteth me and receiveth not my Words hath one that Judgeth him the Word c. Joh. 12. 48. For God will judge the secrets of Men by Christ Jesus and his living Word Christ being the universal Judge and by his Law in them their own Thoughts and Consciences bearing Witness in that day for or against them Howbe it the Jews that sinned in the Law were also Judged by the Law oâ—… Scriptures for rejecting Christ and so are you also for contemning his Light within Oh horrible Prophanness that ever any should dare to set up their own whimsical Imaginations above Christ's Sayings and not only so but condemn them where their erroneous Opinions cannot own them Answ. We perceive you have not one good Word for the Light within you have called it as bad as you can one while a diabolical Conceit another while Damnable Heresie another while their new conceived Christ another while scriptureless Notions another while Darkness and now tels of whimsical Imaginations but erroneous opinions and â—…phemous too are your own and you have most 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 us for Christ's Light within cannot lead us either to slight or condemn his sayings but to fulfil them For refusing to hear the Counsel of the Church wherein the Churches Endeavours have been to convince him of his Errors and to reclaim him Answ. It is easy to see what a Church you are that blasphemes against the Light within and do not admit of it in any Duty a sad Church thus to shut out and contemn the Light you are in thick Darkness until now your Envy greatly blinds you Therefore it is well not to hear your Counsel seeing that it is to perswade us not to harken to the Light within and we will never harken to your darkness nor be led blindfold by you blind Guides And for the Churches Authority to Excommunicate Persons guilty as aforesaid see 2 Thes. 3. 6. Rom. 16. 17. Mat. 18. 17 c. The Apostles Way was one and the same in Every Church 1 Cor. 4. 17. Written by me W. Flecher W. Claton Answ. The true Church's Authority was given her by Christ who is the true Light and this we own and reverence the Power the Apostles had but you falsly assume a Power and pretend their Authority to excommunicate Persons for professing and owning his Light within and it seems to cast out such as you needed not who with-draw themselves from you whereas the true Church never cast out nor excommunicated Persons sor owning the Light within but for running into the Deeds of Darkness theresore in the Name and Power of our Lord Jesus Christ we deny you who are called Baptists and Anabaptists to be the Church of Christ we deny your Authority we deny your Excommunication we deny your blasphemous and scornful Doctrine against the Light within and Exhort you to leave your Envy and turn from your Darkness and condemn your Blasphemy and imbrace the Light of Christ within lest you perish in your Darkness and Gainsaying Note that some of the Baptists and Apostates have upbraided us for Excommunicating persons out of our society but we never Excommunicated any for owning the Light within but for their unfruitful works of Darkness Hereafter follows a Rebuke to the Baptists and their Zion or Church from some of their Own Ministring Brethren given out when they were more tender and free from Prejudice then now they are and have confessed to those Truths viz the Immortal Seed the Light Trembling at God's Majesty Travil of Soul the Inward work and Perfection which now divers of them deride and oppose also their reigning Abominations are confessed which since are greatly increased against the Light which then made some of them 〈◊〉 of their Iniquities and to bewail them And this is recited for these Baptists and their Hearers to Remind them of the former Tenderness and Desires in some of their Brethren after an Amendment among them and that these our present Opposers may consider and see how greatly they are declined hardened and Apostatized from thâ—… good that formerly was stirring among them 〈◊〉 all which I desire their Return Repentance and Conversion to the true Light that they may have regard to the Inward Work of God to break their Hearts and work out their Abominations Pride and Envy c. Some Confessions concerning the baptized Churches made by their Messengers in their bewailing Epistle from Twerton dated the 18th Day of the 7th Month 1657. and signed in their Names and by their Appointments by Thomas Colliar Nathâ—…niel Strange and Thomas Glass and directed viz. TO all the Churches of Jesus Christ called to be Saints through the Immortal Seed which dwelleth in you and shall be with you forever A few poor Worms we would labour night and day warning every one of you striving with you and together with God for you that every one of you may be presented perfect in Christ Jesus The several Weights that lie upon you and us we have been ready to cry out we are cut off from before thine Eyes while we carryed the Yoakes and Burthens of Zion and have been as the Souls under the Altar crying how long Lord holy and true The Lord hath lightned us while we thus looked unto him we could not be satisfied with Life for our selves Some Revivings have attended our Souls and now as we have been faithful for you to God So we would now be faithful for God to you We have been arraigning the Abominations of Zion besore the Bar of the most high we have been crying for Justice from the Throne upon every Sin for Strength and Light to purge our every persisting impenitent Sinner as Enemies and Traitors to the Crown
Dignity of our Lord Jesus More particularly we have made Confession of those reigning Abominations in our own Souls and in the Churches of that light Spirit living short of the true Sight and Sense of God's Majesty in his Churches and among his Saints from whence proceeds that Vanity and Carelesnes which doth so much attend them We have bewailed that wretched worldly Spirit that plucks down the Saints from their Excellency and leaves such Blackness upon them which renders them so uncomely in the Eyes of Men. We have bewailed that Coldness and Deadness that is upon our selves and upon the Churches that Formality in holy Duties that Indifferency and that Laodicean Spirit that is fallen in upon us while we have been crying let him make Speed and hasten his Work that we may see it let the Counsel of the Lord come that we may know it and all this while we have been drawing Iniquity with Cords of Vanity having been in a great Measure as without the Sense of the Work so without the true Travil of Soul which this Work should put us into the Crown is fallen from Sion's Head by Reason of her Iniquity we have been bewailing personal Iniquity Congregational Iniquity National Iniquity Family Iniquity Closet Iniquity we have by Search found poor Sion as it were without Soundness from the Crown of the Head to the Sole of the Foot ful of Bruises and putrified Sores your own poor Souls are in Distress Heaven and Earth seem to frown Oh! come down sit in the Dust and weep bitterly before the Lord for all your Abominations you have but as it were played with God you have not trembled in his Presence you have been wanton before him having been without the Terrour of his Majesty therefore you have confessed and have delighted to word it out with the Lord Oh! how often have you mocked God It appears already how God takes it at your Hands We have begged him to save us yet this once more and truly we tremble the Hope that is in Israâ—…l lies in your putting from you that accursed Thing Oh! now if you would pursue this Worldliness this Coldness and Sloathfulness your personal Neglects your Family Neglects how doth the World as a Canker eat out your Affections to the Lord Jesus eat out your Time your Strength your Zeal while you have been asleep in the Lap of this Daâ—…ilah your Locks have been cut off and you are but as other Men whoever beholds you may say what singular thing do ye Now then lay to Heart these crying Abominations the World is too beautiful this hath bewitched you have fallen before your Enemies this Iniquity hath been apparently written upon your Fore-heads witness your Remissness in Meetings your Neglect or the poor Saints Ministers of Christ whose daily Complaints and Addresses are living Monuments of this reigning Abomination your Cruelty to Servants Children exacting all their Labours but take no Time to counsel them instruct them that are without Christ that miserable Estate wherein they are this hath made Professors Families so dry useless and unprofitable this Sin eats out all of that divine Sweetness of regenerating sanctifying Grace We have mourned in that we have had so great a hand in this Trespass in not bearing so faithful a Testimony against it in our Ministry but slavish Fear of being accounted selfish or the like hath stopt our Mouth until the Mouth of this Iniquity hath almost devoured the poor Churches of Christ That of Sloathfulness and Carelesness another reigning Evil They are Evils rooted deeply in the Heart it is hard to get them out They are Sermon-Proof and Epistle-Proof so strong that they have wrested all Weapons out of the hands of Saints and Ministers that have been formed against them Now we desire we may no longer rest in a Testimony of Words but proceed to take some effectual Course that Sin or Sinners may be purged out of the house of God in order to this we desire the Churches that they would set some day or dayes a part wherein they may bewail the Iniquities and Pollutions oâ—… Zion before the Lord also that the Ministring Brethren would without Respect of Persons bear their constant Testimony warning every one to fâ—…ee from these Abominations Another Evil we had Thought to have spread before you for want of Opportunity we shall now omit yet desire you to lay it to Heart THE Presbyter's Antidote TRYED Or Stephen Scandret with his Antidote against Quakerism Proved a PHYSICIAN of No Value AND The Truth plainly asserted and vindicated in divers Weighty Points against both the Imperfect and corrupt Work of S. S. and his Masters the Assembly of Divines so called who sat at Westminster in the long Parliament's Time and of the general Assembly of the Kirk of Scotland about their Confession of Faith which was first printed at Edenburg and after reprinted at London Anno 1651. G. W. Ye are all Physicians of no Value Job 13. 4. Printed in the Year 1673. THE Presbyter's Antidote TRYED c. CHAP. I. A Comprehensive Account concerning the Rule the Light and Scripture Explaining both â—…ur sense of the terms and S. Scandret's together with the Assemblies Confession about the Scriptures BY the word RULE we understand 1st The Power of Government and Authority to order and rule in the Sense that in the first Creation the greater Light was set to rule the Day Gen. 1. 16. or for the Rule and Order of the Day So in the new Creation the divine Light of Christ the Son of Righteousness doth govern and rule in the Order of his Everlasting Day in the Souls of the Righteous the Path of the Just being this shining Light which shineth more and more until this perfect Day 2ly So this divine Light is truly the only Rule for its being most eminent above all outward Rules and Prescriptions â—…or its Power Glory Virtue Order and Government as Rule of Life in all the Children of Light The only trying and discovering Rule for its manifesting whatsoever things are reproveable Ephes. 5. 13. whether they be Spirits Works or Words and he that doth Truth cometh to the Light that his Deeds may be made maniâ—…est that they are wrought in God Joh. 3. 21. 3dly By only Rule An universal manifest publick Standard â—…or Truth and Righteousness in the Consciences of all People and Nations and against all Sin Wickedness and Unrighteousness and so is the S piritual and Divine Light of the Son of God in whom was Life and the Life was the Light of Men Joh. 1. 4. whose Life is Supernatural Increated and Incorruptible Christ the divine Word being that true Light that inlightens every Man coming into the World vers 9. 4thly Concerning that heavenly Gift or divine Manifestation within which was the Saints Rule of Life the Apostle Paul thus speaketh 2 Cor. 10. 13. But
we will not boast of things without our Measure but according to the measure of the Rule which God hath distributed to us c. ver 15. not boasting of things without our Measure that is of other mens Labours but having Hope when your Faith is increased that we shall be enlarged by you according to our Rule abundantly vers 16. not to boast in another Mans Line of things made ready to our hand And Philip. 3. 16. whereto ye have already attained let us walk by the same Rule let us mind the same thing Gal. 5. 15. and 16. for in Christ Jesus neither Circumcision nor Uncircumcision availeth any thing but a new Creature and as Many as walk according to this Rule Peace be on them By all which note that there was an universal divine and spiritual Rule distâ—…ibuted of God to the true Believers and new Creatures in Christ in whom stood their several Attainments and Growths and this was not other mens Lines nor the Letter wherein they were mutually enlarged nor could the Letter be this Rule for that required Circumcision what then was Paul's Rule for denying it but the Spirit of Liâ—…e the new Covenant the Immediate Dictates of the holy Ghost see Act. 15. 24 28. Heb. 8 9 10. By the Word Scriptures we understand not only Writings in general but particularly all the holy Scriptures contained in the Bible not excluding those many Writings of Prophets and Apostles which are not inserted in the Bible which contain a Plurality of Words of Truth Commands Prescriptions Precepts c. and in that Sense Rules or Directions relating to both the old and new Covenant and to divers States Occasions and Dispensations many of which are abolisht with the old Covenant which therefore cannot properly in the Singular be called the Rule or one Intire full Rule much less the only Rule with Exclusion of all others as falfe as S. S. very blasphemously doth the Chiefest and highest Rule as he unscripturally and erroneously calls them for the Spirit or Light that first gave them forth with its Immediate Illumination Motions and Directions being both before and higher then the Scriptures or Writings how true soever they be So though we confess the holy Scriptures to contain true Words Commandments Precepts Directions and so Rules yet it 's no more proper to call them the only highest Rule and Guide to Heaven and Glory as S. S. doth then to call them the only highest Word Commandment and Light which they are not We can neither call the Scriptures God nor Christ nor the Light nor the Spirit nor the Power of God but Innocently and simply as they term or call themselves owning them in the true Light given us according to the true Intent Purpose and End for which they were first given out from divine Inspiration for which none that are Ingenuous will Blame us for the Word lives forever It 's setled in Heaven It 's also to be known and felt nigh in the Heart and it is the holy and living Commandment of Power which is called Life Everlasting and this is Immediate This Word was to David a Light and Lanthorn to his Paths and therefore his only Way and Rule to Felicity Yea for its Eminency it may be truly esteemed the Word of Words the Commandment of Commandments the Rule of Rules that divine Light wherein consists the Government Rule and Order of the Everlasting Day of Salvation Glory and Life to all the Children of the Day who in order to that Attainment have obeyed and followed the Degree and Measure of this true and divine Light in its Manifestation in them The Scriptures also or Bible contain many various Passages as well Historical as Doctrinal even of the Examples of Men in the fallen State of things done in the time of Ignorance and of the Failings and Weaknesses of divers of things transacted and doâ—…e in a Time and State not sutable to that of Man in the beginning nor to that of the Gospel or new Covenant As for any Man to have divers Wives or many Concubines at once it was not so in the Beginning nor ought to be so now yet such things are recorded in Scripture of divers Therefore 't is both Gross Impious and Contradictory for any to count the whole Bible the Rule of Life and Duty without Exemption according to our Opposer p. 61. Moreover for his Asserting the Scriptures Infallibility and as so being the highest Rule * He neither puts a Limitation of what part of the Scripture or Bible he intends nor yet tells us in what Language Copy or Translation they are infallible for every Rule whether moral or artificial ought to be infallible otherwise 't is nâ—… Rule but therein lyes obscure under Ambiguities Howbeit we may suppose he means according to his Masters the Assembly of pretended Divines Confes. Chap. 1. where having declared that the holy Scriptures are given by Inspiration of God to be the Rule of Faith and Life they add Artic. 8. The old Testament in Hebrew which was the Native Language of the People of God of old and the new Testament in Greek which at the time of the writing of it was most generally known to the Nations being immediately Inspired by God and by his singular Care and Providence kept pure in all Ages are therefore Authentical so as in all Controversies of Religion the Church is finally to appeal to them thus far the Assembly From hence it follows that when Steph. Scandret and these his Masters tell us that the Scriptures are the chief and highest Rule the only Infallible Rule to Heaven and Glory or the Rule of Faith and Life and to decide Controversies we are to understand it is as they are in Hebrew and Greek and as in the first Copies as given by Divine Inspiration by which these men still lead people in the dark and in Doubtfulness at a Distance from Life and Glory and Ignorant of the Rule and Way thereto implying this Difficulty that they must first learn Hebrew and Greek and be ascertained of the truth of the Copies as concurring with the first And this must be from their own knowledge not from the Priests Interpretations and various Meanings and yet the Assembly and S. S. still fall short of clearing the matter of the Greek not resolving which is the true infallible Copy there being divers Greek Lections or Copies of the new Testament But further if they could produce or evince the first Copy or that which most agrees with it while they prefer the Writing as the chief or only Rule of Faith and Life they leave people in Darkness and Death in not referring them to the Inward Divine Light or Inspiration of the Almighty as the chief and only Rule which gave forth the holy Scriptures and without which they cannot be truly understood in any Language Moreover concerning the Hebrew W. Tindal of whose Translation we have one ancient English Bible without Verses in
his Prologue prefixt in some Bibles he saith thus viz. W. Tindal unto the Christian Reader If ought seem Changed or not altogether agreeing with the Greek let the Finder of the Fault consider the Hebrew Phrase or Manner of Speech left in the Greek Words whose Preterperfect Tense and Present Tense is oft both one and the Future Tense is the Optative Mood also and the Future Tense is oft the Imperative Mood in the Active Voyce and in the Passive evâ—…r likewise Person for Person Number for Number and Interrogation for a Conditional and such like is with the Hebrews and Common usage and he further adds if I shall perceive either by my self or by the Information of others that ought be escaped me or might be more plainly Translated I will shortly after cause it to be amended howbeit in many places me thinketh it better to put a Declaration in the Margâ—…nt then to run too far from the Text. Now from hence considering the Difficulty of truly translating the Scriptures from the Hebrew both as to Time Manner Voice Person Number and Condition c. how easily herein may the Sense be greatly changed and how this ingenuous Translator himself doth not place Infallibility upon his Work or Translation from the Hebrew but ingenuously proffereth Amendment of it if either by himself or an others Information he shall perceive a Deficiency in which he hath done and also considering what Irreconcileable Controversies have been among many counted Learned about the Translations in divers Places of Scriptures and how many Amendments have from Time to Time been made upon them and even how many various English Translations we have what Dubiousness and Uncertainty are both Priests and People in both as to Rule Faith and Foundation of their Religion who neither know nor own the Principle of true Knowledge and divine Understanding which is God's Gift while they have no regard to divine Illumination as the Rule of Faith before the Scriptures but do cry and set up one while a meer Translation or Reading which to them may be dubious as their only highest infallible Rule of Faith another while their own uncertain Meanings private Conceptions and fallible Interpretations upon the Scriptures they set up as the Rule and Judge over them as their Phrase hath been to Reconcile the Scriptuâ—…es which as given by divine Inspiration cannot be broken And while still their Work tends to divert peoples Minds from depending upon the Spirit of Truth and its Inlightning as the chief and only infallible Guide and Rule where will they center and what a Babylonish Structure do they erect upon their uncertain Conjectures and dubious Interpretations from their fallible Spirits and Judgments And to place Infallibility upon the Letter or Writing or English Translation whereas W. Tindal a Translator himself did not attribute this to his Translation nor divers others in their putting many marginal Notes upon some English Bibles as from the Hebrew and Greek and even their learned D. Ceâ—…l set forth a large Book in Folio entituled An Essay to the Amendment of the Last English Translation of the Bible whâ—… he finds fault with and corrects several noted Places and what less is signified in their ample Annotations and manifold Notes upon some Bibles And moreover when some of the Clergy have made that of Job 2. 9. their Texit viz. that Job's Wife said unto him Curse God 〈◊〉 dye they have told People that that Hebrew Text signifieth Bless God and dye and some take it so as to desire humbly of God that he might dye which arguing Impatiency was reproveable others that it was Curse God and dye which was much more reproveable not only as Foolishness but Wickedness And concerning that of Saul and the Witch of Endor his bidding her bring him up Samuel it 's said And when the Woman saw Samuel ver 12. and Saul know that it was Samuel vers 14. And Samuel said unto Saul why hast thou disquieted me c. ver 15. then said Samuel ver 16. So the matter runs in Samuel's name Whereas those of the Clergy have told us it was Satan and that Saul spake according to his gross Ignorance not considering the slate of the Saints after this Life and how Satan hath no Power over them it was Satan who to blind Saul's Eyes took upon him the Form of Samuel c. Now seeing this Interpretation is so plainly contrary to the Words themselves for which I blame them not in this though in many others I do I query how theâ—… agrees this with their placing Infallibility upon the Scriptures not only on the Doctrinal but on the Historical Part when they are minded to oppose the Sufficiency of the Light of Christ within Many more Instances might be brought to shew their vast Variations from the Letter of the Scriptures in their Interpretations By the Tenor of all which Discourse before of this Import it 's evident that their Confession at least of many of them is that aâ—…l the Scriptures are not Infallible but some Corrupted in the various Translations â—…hers not to be taken meerly as the Words import Howbeit for all this many Priests and Professors for their own Ends if they be about to oppose the Light within or divine Illumination and the Sufficiency of the holy Spirit 's Teaching denying it to be either the Rule of Faith or Life or sufficient to guide to Heaven without the Scriptures which argues their gross and carnal Diffidence and sinful Unbelief then in plain Contradiction they place all the Infallibility and sole Sufficiency therein upon the Scriptures as the only highest Rule of Faith and Life the only Rule and Way to Heaven and Glory the only Rule totry both Doctrines and Spirits by And here they most Idolatrously and in a most preâ—…sterous Manner prefer the Scriptures before Christ and set them up above the Spirit that gave them forth while they slight and cry down the Light of Christ within as not any Rule c. though it both manifests all things reproveable and be the Prover of Deeds whether they are wrought in God for which End he that doth Truth bringeth his Deeds to the Light Joh. 3. 19 20. But as Christ said to the unbelieving Jews so it may justly be said to these Opposers of his Light within now Ye search the Scriptures for in them ye think to have Eternal Life and they are they which testifie of me but ye will not come to me that you might have Life Joh. 5. 39 40. Mark ye will not come to Christ that ye might have Life and now the Scriptures do not direct Men to themselves for Life and Salvation but to the Son of God who is both the Life the Foundation the Way and so the only Rule Guide and Teacher and not the Scriptures But why do the Presbyters of our Times so often exalt their own divers Meanings and Interpretations as the Rule above the Scriptures contrary to the great
Stress which at other times they lay upon the Scriptures So that finally they deny both the Spirit the Scriptures to be the Rule setting up their own Meanings over both being ignorant of the Scriptures and the Power of God We may believe that the Truth of it is It is more consistent with their Gain and Trade of Preaching that their Meanings should be the Rule over or above the Scriptures then that the Scriptures should be the only or highest Rule to Heaven as sometimes they pretend for that Bibles are had at a great deal cheaper Rate then their Trade of Preaching can be had But then for their own Ends on the other Haâ—…d they can in plain self-Contradiction cry up the Scriptures as the only 〈◊〉 Rule to Heaven when their Design is to divert Peoples Minds from depending upon the DIVINE LIGHT and IMMEDIATE TEACHING OF GOD WITHIN for Life and Salvation Seeing that it 's evident they can more easily avoid the Scriptures Infallibility for their own Ends that they may be Masters both over the Scriptures and Mens Faith for their Lucre and Gain than they can get any of the Children of Light to assist their Trade or any to maintain them therein who are turned from Darkness to the LIGHT to wait upon the Immediate Teachings of God it 's easier for them to evade or dispense with the Scripture's Infallibility then to hinder the true LIGHT WITHIN from shining in Mens Hearts for that is impossible for them Again the Scriptures were not the Presbyterians sole Rule of Faith and Practice when they set forth their 〈◊〉 Confession of Faith and Scotch Covenant agreed upon by the Kirk of Scotland and the Assembly at Westminster which was of no small Charge It 's easie to see that their sole Rule as they have pretended the Scriptures to be they can easily dispense with add to or vary from for their own Ends at their Pleasure both in Doctrine Discipline and Practice as might be instanced not only for their unscriptural Sprinkling Infants but in many otheâ—… Traditions and Babylonish Reliques S. Scandret ' s Sense about the Points in Controversie examined S. S. BY the Light in every Man understand not the Light of the Gospel 2 Cor. 4. 4. lest the Light of the glorious Gospel should shine c. p. 1 2. Answ. The God of the World hath blinded the Minds of them that are lost lest the Light of the glorious Gospel should shine unto them 2 Cor. 4. 4. And this Man's Work is of the same Tendency viz. to blind Peoples Minds which implies that the Light of Christ Jesus which is Gospel-Light is given to all but the Minds blinded by Satan oppose it The Subject which Satan works upon and prevails with is their Minds not the Light S. S. Mark 't is not said the Light but God hath shined p. 7. Answ. A frivolous Exception Can there be such divine Shiâ—…ing without his divine Light God hath shined in our Hearts c. and God is Light S. S. Upon Phil. 3. 16. The Saints were to walk according to their several Attainments what they had got out of the Scriâ—…s by the same Rule c. p. 9. Answ. What Scriptures They were to walk in the Spirit which directed their Minds to God that he might reveal his Mind to them And here was the same Rule the same Thing the same Principle their several Attainments being according to their spiritual Growth in the Light Was the Rule mentioned in 2 Cor. 10. 13. and Gal. 6. 15 16. to be got out of the Bible See this Man's gross Ignorance S. S. Innocency man's perfect Light must not be the wholâ—… his Rule p. 11. Answ. A gross Error God was then his perfect Light and Rule in his Teachings and is not that Light which is perfect whole S. S. We need no infallible Spirit to help to discern the Counsels of Light and Darkness in Scripture for all there comes from God p. 27. Answ. He is not told this by an infallible Spirit for many Counsels of Darkness Serpent and wicked Men both against God Christ and his People are recorded in Scripture And it is the Spirit of Christ which is Infallible that truly opens and reveals the Truths in Scripture to the Understanding of the Children of Light S. S. The Spirit dwelling in all Believers is sometimes a sweet Moâ—…r to Duty though no indwelling Spirit p. 38. 〈◊〉 Gross Ignorance and Confusion What! no indwelling Spirit and yet dwelling in all Believers Did you ever hear such Doctrine before S. S. God's Commands cease not to be God's Commands either because the Spirit doth not within put Men on to obey them c. p. 38. Answ. A gross Inference against the Spirit for the Spirit of Truth leads true Believers into all Truth from which no true and necessary Commands can be excluded unless he will say some of them are no Truths S. S. We are to obey them though the Spirit 〈◊〉 puts not on otherwise some wicked men in living contrâ—…ry to the Scriptures do not sin cannot be damâ—…ed for so doing for sâ—…e have sinned away the Motions and Strivings of 〈◊〉 Spirit p. 8. Answ. What will become of such poor â—…eople that are fed with such Chaff and Darknes as this And what is the Tendency of it but to set 〈◊〉 on to work in their own Wills to set up their own 〈◊〉 without the Movings of the Spirit of God And what will that profit them though without this Spiriâ—… they are carnal and selfish in all their Actiâ—…gs and canâ—…t truly obey Nor can wicked Men who have 〈◊〉 away its Strivings escape Damnation withall S. S. â—…is pressing them to obey the Scriptures wiâ—…hout the Guidance of the Spirit for without him we can do 〈◊〉 but all things through him that strengthneth us S. S. Because a Thing is written in the Scripture are we to do it I will in God's Assistance rowl my self and act Faith on God and Christ because I see the sweet Words in the Scriptures c. p. 38. Answ. This is a Faith of his own making a Will acting that is not grounded upon the Spirit of God and its Perswasion within an imperfect Imitation of the â—…etter wiâ—…hout the Spirit for he hath not an infallible Spirit oâ—… discerning between the Counsels of Light and Darkness in the Heart nor to discern those few Truths it doth reveal as he confesseth p. 27. and 31 So that this Book of his against us prâ—…ceeded from his Darkness and fallible Spirit But if God s Spirit teach us by the Works of Creation and the Light in every Man propounding the Creation to be considered and he helps us to conclude a God thence that he is to be worshiped c. for in him we live move and have our being as is largely confessed p. 53. Then there is a twofold Testimony afforded of God to Mankind viz. Immediate and Mediate as namely First his Spirit or Light 2dly His Works
Iniquities But be not deceived God will not be mocked such as you sow such shall you reap Whereas S. S. accuseth G. W. with saying Satisfaction is not needfull Quoting Divin of Christ pag. 62. And then cryes Such Blasphemy is this Man not affraid to utter the Lord Convince and Humble him To thee S. S. I say Thou hast wronged me those are none of my Words the Lord humble thee for thy belying me thiâ—… is not the first time If thou or any Reader do but moderately view my Book and Page quoted by thee it will plainly appear that to say Satisfaction is not needfull are none oâ—… my Words for t is very plain that I have not denyed that Satisfaction that was in Christ but have objected aga nst the manner of their stating it and sinful tendence of their Notion about it as 1st Against their making Satisfaction the Effect of God's full Revenge or the Execution of Vindictive Justice as their Phrase is on his Innocent Son thereby to clear the Guilty 2dly I have distinguished between God's Chastisement and Revenge 3dly That the Intent and End of God's Peoples undergoing his Chastisements or Correction according to Jer. 10. 24. Heb. 12. 9 10 11. And their partaking of the Fellowship of Christ's Sufferings is that they might be Partakers of his Holiness live and reign with him 4thly I have plainly told my Opposers That if Man continue in Rebellion against Christ rejecting his Love and Grace his Sufferings and Satisfaction will not free them from the Severity of God nor from the Execution of his Judgment which is committed tâ—… Christ c. Divin of Christ p. 62 63. The Truth of what I have written in the said Book in the Plaineness and Simplicity of it stands over the Subtility of my Opposers and remains unanswered and instead of an honest or moderate Answer this Man does but pervert curtaile tautologize nibble and pick at my Words and abuse me He doth not so much as seriously take notice of the stress of my Objections but over and over imposeth his Opinion and brings a very unfit Instance for God's judging it meet to punish all Sin or that all our Sin is punished in his Son without Cruelty c. where he saith If God doth damn the Impenitent if he damns the fallen Angels he is cruel We say No he is Just But is this and his punishing your Sins in his Son to the full a fit Parallel Let the unprejudiced Reader judge And then he grosly imposeth and begs the Question again viz. And for that person who is God to suffer a temporal Death though in his human Nature only this is of infinite Value an infinite Abasement a stroke of Infinite Wrath for had not God's Wrath against Sin been Infinite he would not thus have struck a Person of infinite Worth and Dearness to him interposing as a Surety between him and us miserable Sinners for â—…od in our Nature to suffer what he did this is more then for Men or Devils to suffer God's Eternal Wrath or Revenge this Wrath more clearly shines in the Infinitude of it in thus smiting * the Brightness of his Glory and Express Image of his Person * then in the eternal Damnation of Men and Devils in the unquenchable Flames of Hell Rep. This strange Language against God and Christ I shall need to â—…ay little about let them that know the holy Scriptures see how unlike them it is only I may query and demand of him 1st Where do the Scriptures say That God suffered a Temporal Death as a Stroak of Infinite Wrath 2dly That in Infinite Wrath he struck a Person of Infinite Worth and Dearness to him 3dly That this Wrath more clearly shines in the Infinitude of it in thus smiting the Brightness of his own Glory c. then in the Eternal Damnation of Men and Devils c. If I should conclude this both Blasphemous and Unscriptural Language that thus sets God at variance with himself or as smiting and punishing himself c. S. S. perhaps would be ready to cry out Oh Blasphemy and charge it upon me though it be his own the very Tendence Nature of his own Doctrine The Matter is fully answered and refuted before Again Where do the Scriptures say that God punished the Surety Christ for our Sins and for a time poured forth his Wrath upon him for our Iniquities p. 108. I am sure the Scripture he cites sayes the contrary of him Isa. 42. 1. viz. Behold mine Elect in whom my Soul delighteth Could he then pour forth his Wrath upon him for your Iniquities Oh! be ashamed of such Doctrine Could either the Chastisement of our Peace on him his bearing the Sin of many or carrying our Griefs be the Father's pouring forth Infinite Wrath upon him That it is for Christ's sake that God doth pardon upon Repentance is very true 't is well he Grants this upon Repentance and it is for Christ's sake for all the Good that is revealed or wrought in us that is acceptable to God as true Faith Repentance Obedience real Righteousness c. is all of Christ and brought forth by him in that Soul that is pardoned and Justified in him or accepted in the Beloved But how God's Forgiveness of the â—…ebt or Pardon of the Offences agrees with the Surety's full Payment and Suffering the Punishment Wrath deserved I leave to the understanding Readeâ—… to judge Or how Christ should make Intercession for them that come unto God by him if all their Debt were payed and Punishment undergone appears not especially where the Surety's Payment and Suffering is supposed in this case to be Infinitely of more Value then if the Debtor himself had payed and suffered all because of the Surety's Infinite Dignity and when if the Payment and Satisfaction of Law were thus strictly and severely made neither Law nor Justice could admit that the Debtor should lye in Prison as many do under Satan's Chains of Darkness lyable to Wrath and Vengeance but he should be both discharged and delivered ipso facto But we see it otherwise Many are yet in the Prison-House in Satan's Chains who yet may be loosed and Christ ever lives to make Intercession for them that come unto God by him The Man mends not the matter in what follows Obj. Christ Having purchased Salvation for us at the Hands of Justice by his Intercession he Obtains the Purchase at the Hands of free Grace and so applies it to us Rep. Oh strange Justice or rather Revenge fully paid satisfied but Grace yet to be so much interceded or solicited to this renders Grace more Severe then the Condemnation of the Law and Inferiour to Revenge And what Division would this make in God and between Christ and Grace it renders him Inferiour to Earthly Princes and his Grace below Common Justice among Men For supposing a Subject had forfeited his Inheritance to his Prince by Rebellion
with the Assemblies Opinion and Stephen Scandret's uncertain Proposition for it His Abuse of divers Scriptures in his State of the Case for a personal Election answered and the Way of God's â—…hoosing resolved The Weakness of his two first Arguments touching God's Decree and Promises His gross Ignorance of those Names written in the Lamb's Book Arg. 3. His Impertinency and ignorant Allegation and mis-understanding of divers Scriptures concerning God's Choice and Ordination and the Cause of Mens Destruction opened against Argum. 4. Persons being chosen proves not their Eternal Election as Persons Concerning Jacob and Esau Christ's Sheep those that come are drawn and given unto him of the Father Arg. 5 6. Election explained God's loving Jacob and hating Esau their Posterities concerned therein And how far the two Births were figured in Jacob and Esau. Our Opposers blasphemously placing a partial Resolution upon God as creating Persons with Intention to leave them to Destruction contrary to his universal Call and Tenders of Salvation The Unchangeableness of God's Election in what State and our Opposers Ignorance and Error concerning God's Purpose My unanswered Objection of setting Life and Death before Men and warning them of Destruction The Cause of God's hardning Pharoah Judas and others not grounded upon meer Will and Pleasure but for their Rebellion Touching the Fall of particular Angels and Men the Tendence of God's long-Suffering towards the Wickeâ—… and my Opposer's Confession to Truth to the â—…tter Overthrow of his Opinion Presbyterians Mâ—…ckery in their Warnings setting Life Death conditional Promises and Threats before People contrary to their partial Opinion of an eternal personal Election and Reprobation The sad Consequence of their accusing God with decreeing to deny saving Grace to particular Persons yea to the greater Part of Mankind shewing that divine Justice it self hath not so decreed Grace differing from Debt The Reason why God finds Fault with Men. The Question Who hath resisted his Will resolved Their urging all to for sake Sin contradictory to their Opinion and not in true Eaith Their Flattering many with fair Pretences contrary to their own Intentions the poor Encouragement and cold Comfort that their Doctrine of a personal Reprobation yields to the greatest Part of Mankind The wise God the just Judge is the Ordeiner of the Punishment not of the Fact nor the Author of Sin or their Wickedness who persecuted Christ. Hypocritical Priests making and strengthning Hypocrites by deceitfully daubing them up in their Sins and flattering them with a You are not fallen from Grace while they are guilty of gross Wickedness Concerning God's Convenant with David and his Seed and the Mystery typified in him To all which is added a short Postscript A Brief Introduction TO The following Discourse concerning Election and Reprobation STephen Scandret begins with an absolute false Charge against me as Depraving God's Truth whenas according to plain Scripture without any Depravation thereof I examined their partial and graceless Opinion as their making God the Ordeiner of whatsoever comes to pass both as to the States and Ends of Men and their placing his Decree thereof from all Eternity upon particular Persons and noâ—… upon the two Seeds and Conditions wherein Election and Reprobation do originally consist which in time extends to Persons only as related to the good or evil Seed and not from a partial absolute and meer voluntary Decree and Design to particular Persons as their narrow and silly Opinion imports which I opposed and that from the Scriptures of Truth testifying 1. God's Good-Will and Grace to Mankind in general 2. The real Causes on their Parts of his Severity towards them and their Reprobation I â—…aid down the Presbyterian Principle and Opinion as it may be seen in their Confession and Catechism agreed upon by their Assembly of Divines so called at Westminster and approved by the general Assembly of the Kirk of Scotland as where they say in their 3d Chapter That God from all Eternity did by the most wise and holy Counsel of his own Will freely and unchangeably ordain whatsoever comes to pass And that by the Decree of God for the Manifestation of his Glory some Men and Angels are predestinated unto everlasting Life and others fore-ordained unto everlasting Death and that these Angels and Men thus predestinated and fore-ordeined are particularly and unchangeably designed their Number so certain and definite that it cannot be either encreased or diminished c. And also upon the same Principle they add in their tenth Chapter That all those whom God hath predestinated unto Life and those only he is pleased effectually to call by his Word and Spirit out of the State of Sin and Death in which they are by Nature to Grace and Salvation by Jesus Christ enlightning their Minds spiritually and savingly to understand the things of God c. And in their eleaventh Chapter God did from all Eternity decree to justifie all the Elected and Christ did in the Fulness of time dye for their Sins and rise again for their Justification The Consequence of this Doctrine with a plain and scriptural Answer and Confutation are laid down in the latter End of our Book entituled The Glory of Christ's Light within expelling Darkness which Book yet remains unanswered by S. S. both as to this and other Heads wherein he and his Brethren are concerned though now in order to vindicate this Doctrine he layes down the Proposition thus S. Scandret That God did most freely and unchangeably and from all Eternity choose some particular Persons to partake of saving Grace c. from whence it will necessarily follow That he hath reprobated or passed by others I must manifest this by Parts Answ. In Opposition to this Partiality unjustly charged upon God I must assert this Proposition That God's eternal Election stands originally in his own Seed of Promise and free Grace thereby freely tendered to all Mankind both Jews and Gentiles and all Men in the first place left free for a Share therein and none are reprobated but who first reject this Grace and like not to retain God in their Knowledge his words that he hath reprobated or passed by others are very doubtful being as much as to say that either God hath from all Eternity reprobated particular Persons or left them to Reprobate themselves It is then either God's Act or the Creatures which as appears this Man's Masters the pretended Divines could not resolve and we do not expect him to be a more proâ—…ound Divine then his Tutors However their Opinion at least reflects upon God as passiâ—…g by the greater part of Mankind without aâ—…ording them any Saving Grace or the least Spiritual Assistance of Divine Light or Life so as if he thus takes no notice of them at all but passeth by them they must inevitably be left to Destruction and eternal Misery by this Graceless and Uncharitable Opinion which tends greatly to â—…cclipse the Glory of
Lord and because thereof to be written in the Earth therefore it follows that if People abide with the Lord he will both abide with them and their Names shall not be blotted out of the Book of Life nor shall they be written in the Earth And this also evinceth that they are not by Name as particular Persons either absolutely elected to Salvation nor reprobated to Damnation but on Condition of abiding with or forsaking the Lord. Arg. 4. All that are chosen do infallibly believe in time and partake of Christ's Righteousness Acts 13. 48. As many as were ordeined to Eternal Life believed Rom. 11 7. The Elect have obtained it therefore some particular Persons were elecâ—…ed for if all were Elected all would infallibly believe c. Answ. This is also a very frivolous dull and impertinent Argument and wholy misseth the State of his Proposition and the Controversies between us In the first place he begs the Question while he intends it to particular Persons as eyed and absolutely designed particularly from all Eternity to Salvation c. whenas the Question is not Whether those that are chosen through Sanctification do infallibly believe nor Whether Election which iâ—… in the Seed doth not in due time extend to particular Persons For those Persons or People who are true Believers are come into the Elect Seed being ingrafted into the trâ—…e Root are in the Election which obtains the Inheritance And as true Belief Faith and Obedience are the Terms upon which Life Eternal is promised and received so on the same Conditions Life is freely teâ—…dered in the Son of God to all Man-Kind yea to the whole World God so loved the World that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting Liâ—…e for God sent not his Son into the World to condemn the World but that the World through him might be saved Joh. 3. 16 17. This plainly cuts off that Opinion of a secret Decree and absolute Design from Eternity against the greatest Part of Mankind for their Destruction for it cannot be consistent with him to have so decreed Damnation from all Eternity â—…or those he â—…roffereth in time to save by his Son upon Believing Obeying and therefore as to that of Acts 13. 48. some have it thus And they believed even as many as were ordeined or fitted for Eternal Life which may not oppose Christ's Testimony before Whosoever believeth on the Son shall have Eternal Life which is promised not as meerly respecting particular Persons but that Condition on which 't is universally tendered as namely to be accepted in a living Faith and sincere Obedience But some more Ingenuous and as much learned as this Man affirm that the Word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is translated Acts 13. 48. ordeined signifies well appointed set in good Order prepared or disposed So as many whose Hearts were prepared or well-disposed viz. in a Willingness of mind and right Order of Spirit having true Desires sor eternal Life believed as the good Ground or honest Heart that received the good Seed so as it took Root And as when Lydia heard the Aâ—…ostles God opened her Heart that she attended unto the things which were spoken of Paul Acts 16. 14. And as Barnabas exhorted the People that with Purpose of Heart they would cleave unto the Lord Acts 11. 23. Here was a true Preparation in them both for Believing and Eternal Life And further from that of Acts 13. 46. it is evident that both the Word of the Lord was preached and Life Eternal tendered to those Jews who rejected it or put the Word of God from them and judged themselves unworthy of Everlasting Life Wherefore surely God did not from all Eternity either absolutely design them as particular Persons to Damnation or to pass them by for that End for he did not pass them by without taking notice of them but gave them notice of the Way of Life and Salvation tendring it to them by his Spirit in his Messengers which had been a Contradiction to himself if he had from Eternity absolutely decreed the contrary But the envious Jews opposing and rejecting the Word of God judged themselves unworthy of Everlasting Life wherein they rejected their Hope which was of the Lord therefore their Destruction was of themselves whereupon Paul and Barnabas said Lo we turn to the Gentiles for so hath the Lord commanded us saying I have set thee for a Light of the Gentiles that thou shouldst be for Salvation unto the Ends of the Earth and thereupon the Gentiles were glad c. vers 47. So that here was universal Grace and Salvation preached and tendered to all as that which God had foretold and promised who did not exclude any from the Benefit thereof nor was any hindred from Life and Salvation but who excluded themselves being such as judged themselves unworthy of Everlasting Life Arg. 5. Jacob was a particular Person and loved before he sect 4 had done any Good according to God's Purpose of Election Answ. He hath herein wrested the Scripture for it doth not say that Jacob was then loved and Esau hated before they had done Good or Evil as he renders the Words for then it may be asked what he hated Esau for before he had done Good or Evil Did he hate him for nothing Surely no but what was said before they were born or had done Good or Evil was by Way of Prophecy The Elder shall serve the Younger what is this to their Eternal States Jacob had no need of Esau's Service in Hell And then to the following Words as it is written Jacob have I loved but Esau have I hated where was it written and how doth it relate to Jacob and Esau Doth it relate to them meerly as particular Persons under such a Limitation of Election and Reprobation from Eternity or rather to their Posterities as under such different Qualifications of Love and Hatred Could God absolutely determine to hate any particular Persons meerly as Persons without respect to either the good or evil Qualifications or Works as before they had done Good or Evil This were blasphemously to render him in Enmity against his own Works as if he had made Man or forced him into the World unavoidably to destroy aâ—…d damn him to all Eternity whereas the Mercies of God are over all his Works a great and principal Part whereof is Mankind And as for that which is written oâ—… his loving Jacob and hating Esau it is in Malchie 1. Their Posterities were called by their Names that People of the Edomites who succeded Esau who was called Edom * both in Name and Nature Gen. 36. 19. whom Men should call the Border of Wiâ—…kedness which could not be till they were wicked and haâ—… acted Wickedness These were they against whom because of tâ—…eir Wickedness God had and against such stâ—…ll 〈◊〉 Indignation forever and hereupon his Decree is abâ—…olute against the
cast out why doth he conclude they may not be kept out or that the keeping them out is not attainable in this Life unless he will charge a Want of Diligence upon all the Faithful or accuse them with neglecting their Watch for I affirm that to keep out evil Thoughts is attainable through Diligence and Watchfulness in the same Light and Power that discovers them prevails against thâ—…m and cast's them out To prove that such a State as to be wholy free from all evil Principles is not attainable in this Life 〈◊〉 cites John 15. 2. Every Branch in me that beareth Fruit he 〈◊〉 it from whence he argues If the Father purgeth him he hath evil Principles to be purged out p. 73. Rep. What I said to this doth not yet appear to be answerable by him which was because it is the Father's purging out Sin or evil Principles they must needs be perfectly purged out by Degrees though it is true a Man is not perfectly purged while he is a purging I did not conclude as he saith that Freedom from all Sin is instantly but in God's due time who is the Purger and who perfects his own Work In the same Scripture before cited Christ saith Now are you clean through the Word which I have spoken unto you abide in me and I in you Joh. 15. 3. 4. Without me or severed from me ye can do nothing ver 6. If ye abide in me and my Words abide in you ye shall ask what you will and it shall be done unto you ver 7. 16. From hence observe here is enough to confute S. S. his concluding that Evil Principles cannot be wholy purged out in this Life for in Christ there is both Power and Sufficiency and if his Followers ask in his Name to be throughly purged it shall be done or if they sincerely pray that the Will of God may be done in Earth as it is in Heaven It shall be answered Now I would ask S. S. if it be not a Duty of true Believers when they see any thing that is to be removed or purged out to pray to the Father in Christ's Name to remove it and throughly to be purged and their Hearts made clean in this Life And shall they not then be answered herein Did not Christ say What soever you ask in my Name believe that you shall have it and you shall receive it or it shall be given you And he that abidâ—…th in Christ sinneth not and is not the Branch of the Nature of the Vine He answers We are Partakers of the divine Nature and how do we partake thereof but by escaping the Corruptions of the World But as without Christ we can do nothing so it is not our Phrase to say I have made my Heart clean for it is he that worketh all our Works in us His concluding that no Man hath perfect Knowledge viz. either of the Will of God or of his own Errors and that this Ignorance remaineth during Life from Psal. 19. 12. 1 Cor. 13. 9 11. and therefore that there cannot be perfect Practice p. 74. We have Reason to conclude he is very imperfect and mistaken herein for 1st The Will of God with respect to our Duty to him is to be known It is revealed by his Spirit that it may be obeyed and he that will do the Will shall know the Doctrine 2dly Both secret Errors and Faults are discernable and to be known by the Light which makes manifest whatsoever Things are reproved and therefore secret Faults are not alwayes to remain in this Life if David and others when sensible thereof prayed not in vain when they prayed to be cleansed from secret Faults that secret Sins Errors are to be discovered known is evident that the Lord at his Appearance or Coming will bring to Light the hidden things of Darkness and will make manisest the Counsels of the Hearts and it is he that reproves the Wicked sets man's Sins in order before him he that telleth unto Man what his Thought is the Lord God of Hosts is his Name Therefore as he doth perfectly shew Man his Sin and by Degrees maniâ—…est his Duty and afford Light and Power sufficient to forsake Sin and obey fully both are attainable in this â—…ife though gradually Still his concludiâ—…g that the perfect Man if on Earth he sinneth â—…rom 1 Kings 8. 46. There is no man that sinneth not and Ecclesiast 7. 20. There is not a just Man upon the Earth that doth Good and sinneth not I ask him then If there be no higher Attainment in this Life then for the best of Men to sin in doing Good as some of his Brethren interpret those last Words But if he will please to read D. Gill's Essay to the Amendment of the last Translation of the Bible he will find that he doth not render the Words in the Indicative Mood That sinneth not but in the Potential That may not sin as there is no man that may not sin or but that he may sin there is no man just in the Earth that doth Good and may not sin which much differs from positively concluding that every just man sinneth in doing Good And he further intimates it to be but in a legal State of Justness wherein a legal just Man may sin and not in an Evangelical or Gospel-State in Christ. Neither do the Words as renâ—…ered in 1 King 8. 46. There is no Man that sineth not agree with the Words before If they sin against thee but rather there is no Man but that he may sin and then it is possible for them not to sin and for a good Man that is one in Christ beyond the State of the Law to act and speak and walk in Christ the true Light and not to sin in doing Good but as of Sincerity but as of God in the Sight of God so speak we in Christ Such are not sinning in their Preaching and Praying nor do they bring forth wandering Prayers or Dreams as you do who are pleading and diâ—…puting â—…or Sin Term of Life because it is said the Imagination of Man's Heart is Evil from his Youth S. S. saith This is not spoken of the Old Wicked 〈◊〉 bâ—…t of Noah and his Family p. 74. If he intend this according to the Tenour of his Discourse as the State of Noah and his Family and that all their Life time I must tell him that it is contrary to the Testimony given of Noah viz. That he was a Just Man and Perfect in his Generations and Noah walked with God which was not with an Evil Heart or evil Imaginations for that is not a State of walking with God His saying that this is not spoken of the old World but of Noah is a Mistake for God saw that the Wickedness oâ—… Man was great in the Earth and that every Imagination of the Thoughts of his Heart was only Evil continually This is as well mentioned in Genâ—…sis 6.
as it pleaseth God or that shall inherit God's Kingdom Howbeit As to be Quickened implieth a Death first and Resurrection a Fall before and to be Changed that there was either a vile corruptible Suffering or low Estate before So all that come to know Christ in them and the Body dead because of Sin know the Spirit to be Life because of Righteousness And if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the Dead dwell in you he that raised up Jesus from the Dead shall also quicken your mortal Bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you Rom. 8. 10 11 12 13. And this plainly is a quickening unto Righteousness by the Spirit dwelling within which is far from being a Proof of T. H's Opinion though cited by him And as in the first Adam is both the Fall and Death come over all men so in the second Adam who is the Resurrection and the Life all are made alive and that unto Righteousness who first come to see the Body dead because of Sin and the Deeds of the Body mortified Rom. 8. 13. or who come to know Christ and the Power of his Resurrection and the Fellowship of his Sufferings being made conformable unto his Death these attain unto the Resurrection of the Dead Phil. 3. 10 11. Such do not strive for a Notion thereof but to attain to it As to the manner of Existences or Beings of all men in the World to come there is no Necessity for any to be taking thought or busying their Minds about them it being in the Pleasure and Wisdom of God to reserve all to their due and deserved Ends in an immortal Capacity Our present Concernment is so to know and esteem of Christ as that we may be found in him not only mortified to the Corruptions of this World through the Fellowship of his Suffering and Conformity unto his Death But also interessed in that blessed Resurrection which is only attained to in Christ who is the Resurrection and the Life that he may be magnified in our Body whether by Life or Death To what he saith in his 59. pag. about the Bâ—…dy that was dead about that It which is raised about the Soâ—…l and the Seed of God the Matter is answered else where yet First All that know the Body dead because of Sin having mortified the Deeds of the Flesh and being conformable to the Death of Christ as dead with him shall alfo be quickned and raised up by his Spirit that dwells in them which is Life because of Righteousness and such only can speak experimentally of the Seed of God and the Soul 2dly That there is a Seed of God and a Seed of the Serpent in Mankind according to G. F. Junior's relation he further tells you that they that discern the Body of each Seed are not the Fools which are questioning how the dead should be raised and with what Body for they know that all Mankind will be found in one of these two Seeds By which it is plain he doth not exclude men from a future Being or Immortality nor confound them with the very Being of God though it is by his invisible Power that all are upheld in their respective Existences in Immortality whether they be found in the Nature and Image of the good Seed or of the evil T. H. And since he calls them Fools that is the Apostles and all true Christians that say This Body of Flesh and Bones shall arise pag. 59. Rep. He should have produced his plain Scripture for the Apostles so saying where are these Words to be found in all the Scriptures of the new Testament that this Body of Flesh and Bones shall arise again Doth not the Apostle say the contrary Thou sowest not that Body that shall be And Flesh and Blood cannot inherit the Kingdom of God But must we then suppose as some Professors do That these Bodies of Flesh and Bones shall inherit the Kingdom of God without any Blood in them Or that after they are returned to Dust they shall arise again the self same as they are without any new Creation I confess this is such kind of new Philosophy as I have not read of before The man has run himself into such strange Confusion and wholy misses the Sense of the Resurrection and the Life and over looks the true Seed and Root of the Matter while in his vain mind he is imagining muddling and Devil-like disputing about the Body which in Comparison of the immortal Existence and being of Man is but an outside Case earthly Shell or Husk that disolveth Again he saith If this Seed of the Serpent be only Sin and the Seed of Christ only Grace it is only Sin and Grace which shall arise again p. 60. Oh the gross Darkness and Ignorance of this Man He knows not the Seed of the Serpent from whence Sin springs nor the Seed of God from whence Grace and Life flows But falsly supposes that our Principle extinguishes the future distinct beings of Men though it hath been plainly told him that all Mankind will be found in one of these two Seeds As also we testifie from that Sence of Life and Immortality that is brought to Light in us through the Gospel That the Soul whole spiritual Man and spiritual Body shall exist in Immortality yea though our outward Man perish yet the inward Man is renewed day by day and in order to possess an eternal Weight of Glory 2 Cor. 4. This inward Man is neither extinguish'd by the perishing of the outward Man nor thereby deprived of that Advantage which is an eternal Weight of Glory And that God giveth it a Body as it pleaseth him and to every Seed his own Body or his proper Body The Man would know what this It is shewing his Dubiousness of his own Assertion before viz. That it is a mortal Body of Flesh and Bones whether it shall be raised and go to Heaven with any Blood in it he tells us not and that the Body given it is the same for Substance that is as good Sense as to say the Body of Flesh and Bones shall when it is raised have the same Body of Flesh and Bones given to it whereas it is to every Seed his proper Body which is comprehensive both of the Seed of the Righteous and the Seed of the Wicked of the Seed of God and the Seed of the Serpent and so comprehends and takes in the whole Body of Mankind under those two Relations and Natures not to dissolve or extinguish their Rational Intelligible Beings with the perishing and dissolvable Earthly Outside or Case but that all shall be reserved for their due and proper Ends according to the Seed Nature and Image which their Soul carries with it when it parts with the Earthly Cloathing And whereas it is said that It is sown a Natural Body it is raised a Spiritual Body the great Stress is laid on the particle IT which may as well be applyed to Wheat or
that Resurrection Quickening Reviving Changing Translation do not signifie Creation therefore they are not applicable to the Dust of Bodies after Dissolution though both Resurrection and new Creation be to Renewed man Behold I make All things new New Man New Creation New Heavens and New Earth c. but this is a Mystery hid from corrupt Flesh so much contended for by our Present Opposers The rest of his Arguments and Doctrines are mostly very weak and ignorant about this Point yet comprehensively answered in this Book Here follow some Passages out of a Manuscript by W. B. against me with a Reply detecting his Ignorance in consounding the Carnal Body and the Spiritual W. B. INdeed If G. Whitehead hath found out a Body for Christ that is not a Carnal Body which implies only a Fleshly It is such a Body that I never read oâ—… in the Scriptures I would know what in Scripture is called the Body but the Flesh Now take but away the Flesh and where is the Body Aye but saith G. W. It is a spiritual Body as if a Body of Flesh and a Spiritual could not stand together This is his Great mistake The Apostle could have born his Testimony to this Truth that it is the Body of Flesh that shall be raised spiritual 1 Cor. 15. 14 43. It is sown a natural Body 't is raised spiritual here the Apostle still keeps to the Word It c. Answ. The Non-sense and Contradiction that may be gathered from these Passages is that Christ's Body is a Carnal Spiritual Body as if Carnal and Spiritual were both one or that the Spiritual Body that 's raised or given to the Seed is Carnal Let these Passages be kept in Record as the Baptists Doctrine and Testimony whereas the Apostle's own Testimony proves the Contrary and that W. B. has belyed the Apostle For 't is sown a natural Body it is raised a spiritual and there is a Natural Body and there is a Spiritual Body Here the Apostle clearly makes a Distinction and a Difference between the natural Body and the spiritual He doth not say 't is sown a natural Body and raised a natural or Carnal Body also but a spiritual Body as he also distinguisheth between the Bodies Celestial and the Bodies Terrestrial as those of Sun Moon and Stars differ from those of Men Beasts and Fishes Now you would count him a very blind Philosopher that should make no Difference but say they are all one and consistent or that the Bodies of Sun Moon and Stars were all one with those Earthly Bodies of Men and other Creatures and so blind and such Ignorant Divines are these Baptist's He understands not the Difference between the Natural Body and the Spiritual any more then if a Person should be so ignorant as when he sees the Sun or Moon or Stars To ask if these were not Men or Birds or Beasts or Fishes in the Firmament or on the contrary if he should see Men Beasts and Fishes to ask if these are not the Sun Moon and Stars or rather to conclude that they are because he knows not which are Celestial and which Teriestrial no more then this Baptist doth discern between Bodies natural or carnal and Bodies spiritual But how should he do other or see better while his Mind is so much upon Flesh and so little upon Spirit or so much upon Flesh and Blood which cannot inherit the Kingdom of God and so little upon that spiritual Birth or Seed that doth inherit the Kingdom of Glory and Peace And as for the Baptists Argument That the Apostle still keeps to the Word IT as It is sown a natural Body It is raised a spiritual or God giveth it a Body as it pleaseth him and to every Seed his own Body Reply How evident is it that as the Particle It is used as a Relative to both the natural and spiritual Body 't is a mutable It for that there is a natural Body and there is a spiritual Body which therefore are not the self-same the very Parable or Instance of the Wheat and other Grain may confute his Opinion herein For is it the very self-same Grain of Wheat that is in the Eare that was sown in the Ground Let the Husband-Men judge him herein To him we may say as the Apostle did in the same Case to such O Fool thou sowest not that Body that shall be c. 1 Cor. 15. And now the words It 's sown imply a Seed sown in order to a sprouting and bringing forth Increase Upon which it may be queried if that Body of Man to wit that of Flesh Blood and Bones that 's laid in the Grave or drowned in the Sea or devoured by Fire and some by Beast's c. be the Seed that the Apostle intended to which God giveth a Body as it pleaseth him yea or nay If it be answered in the Affirmative then what Body is it that God giveth to it as it pleaseth him If it be answered in the Negative that overthrows the Baptists Doctrine of the same Flesh Blood and Bones c. which W. B. has not distinguished from a spiritual Body THE RESURRECTION Future Glory and Felicity of the SAINTS Further asserted according to the Holy Scriptures Discovering How far short of the true Vision Sight or Revelation thereof our present Opposers are in their gross Thoughts and Traditional Conjectures Being An Examination of Thomas Danson ' s Arguments and Doctrines about the Resurrection Future State and Glory of Believers in his Synopsis THe Resurrection as plentifully asserted in the Scriptures is not in the least question'd by us however we be unjustly censur'd for denying it Therefore there is no necessity of his Argument to evince that which as he saith the Scripture is so plentiful in asserting of nor doth he evince it according to the Scriptures but varies from them as will appear His Argument If the Bodies that have done Good or Evil must receive their Reward accordingly then the same Bodies that dye must rise again But the Antecedent is true therefore the Consequent Answ. This Argument both Antecedent and Consequent appears neither clear nor grounded upon Truth as it placeth an Eternal Reward upon the Body for its temporal Acts in putting the Body on this account for Man that hath acted therein who must receive the things done in the Body 2 Cor. 5. 10. The meer Terrestrial Body being neither the Subject reteining Perpetual Love or Enmity to God nor is it the Original Cause of Good or Evil Actions therefore not the Object of eternal Love or Wrath but Man in his Spiritual Existence or Being as spiritually and suitably organized as it pleaseth God to receive the things done in his Body according to what he hath done whether it be Good or Evil proper and natural to the Image he bears which the Soul carries along with it out of the Earthly Body or House that turns to Dust But see the Proof of his Antecedent That
consider the Angelicalness Spirituality or Heavenliness of the Body at the Resurrection there is all Reason to conclude that it will be of a Bright and Lucid Nature which is not only agreeable to Reason and the Scripture but also to the Sayings of the Fathers themselves as S. Hâ—…rom S. Macariuâ—… S. Ephrem S. Austin as you may see in Vossius in his Theses de corpore glorioso But nothing more express for our Purpose then that of S. Ephrem in his Discourse of the Resurrection viz. Justorum corpora septuplum supra solis 〈◊〉 radios How Angelical how Spiritual how Heavenly or Celestial how refulgently Bright and Glorious the Bodies of the Blessed are c. and more particularly the Body of our Saviour that shone about Saint Paul and Saint John as the Sun in his Strength c The first Man is of the Earth Earthly the second Man that is the Lord Jesus the Heavenly Man from Heaven And who should be intirely Heavenly if not He And what has Earth to do to either descend from Heaven or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or what Body more radient or refulgent then the Sun in his greatest Brightness can be vitally Organized but it must be of an Heavenly Nature indeed We have all Reason in the World to conclude the Body of our Saviour intirely Cele ial Tâ—…e Terrestrial Modifications of his Body were changed all cloggings thereof were quel'd and abolish'd 〈◊〉 and Blood cannot i 〈◊〉 the Kingdom of God and I think there is the ame Reason of Flesh and Bones viz. I understand natural Flesh and Bones not glorified I demand by what Creed tâ—…at hath the â—…ssent of the Universal Church are we required to believe that the Glorified Body of Christ consisteth of Flesh Blood and Bones It â—…eming so contradictious to the exprestwords of the Apostle as well as uniuitable to the Nature of the Peavens which the Philosophers new adayes conclude to be universally flâ—…d He admits of a Body of Flesh and 〈◊〉 provided they be Celestial and Spiritual Flesh and Bones p. 503. If any mortal could get within this so refulgent Orb of Glory and Brightâ—…ss and approach so near as to see the Fraim and Feature of â—…o Divine a Body no Heart could escape from being struck into a 〈◊〉 at the Sight of so over-coming a Beauty and Majesty nor the Soul of the Beholder from being carried quite away in an extatick Fit of Love and Joy and transporting Admiration p. 503. Touching the Sameness of the Body The Atheist makes a fresh Assault from the sense of the word Resurrectio as it is imply'd the rising again of the very same numerical Body in the strictest Scholastick Sense To which is answered first That 〈◊〉 in Latin implies no such thing necessarily but that as a City or Temple suppose being razed to the Ground and from the very Foundations is truly laid to be Rebuilt and so is both deemed called the same Temple and City again though nâ—…t a Stone were used of the former Structure provided only that they be rebuilt upon the same Ground though the â—…ame numerical Matter were not congested together to make the same Body at the Resurrection the stable Perâ—…onality being in the Soul c. He placeth the Sameneâ—…s of the Body that shall be upon its vital Union with the Soul and faith Tâ—…at Resurrectio is to be interpreted according to the Latitude of the Original to which it answers namely 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 â—…is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifie only Vivification or Erection into Life but then considering it is spoken of them that have in some sense ceased to be alive that in that sense it signifies Revivification whence the Atheists Objection from the word Resurrectio is utterly defeated p. 506. The Scholastick State of the Resurrection is described namely That we shall have the same Numerical Bodies 〈◊〉 which we lived here on Earth and that these very Bodâ—…es the Moulds being turned aside shall start out of the Grave To which I presently subjoyn This Dâ—…ctrine the Atheist very dearly hugs as a Pledge in his bold Conceâ—… of the Falsness and Vanity of all the other Articles of Religion But for those that take any Pleasure or find any Ease or Satisfaction of Mind in the Conclusions or Pâ—…raseologies of the School-Divines touching this Point they are left free to enjoy their own Apprehensions and may if they please either fancy it necessary that all Bodies should rise out of the Ground the Moulds being cast aside or else conceive only that God will by his Omnipotency gather all the Particles of our Bodies whether flying in the Air or sâ—…ting in the Water and frame them together on the Surface of the Earth c concerning such things they may vary their Fancies as they pleaâ—…e 〈◊〉 p 508. To the second Objection he saith I answer farther as concerning the Scripture it self That I dare challenge him o produce any place of Scripture out of which he can make it appear that the Mystery of the Resurrection implies a Resuscitation of the same Numerical Body The most pregnant of all is Job 19. which later Interpreters are now so wise as not to understand at all of the Resurrection The 1 Cor. 15. that Chapter is so far from asserting this Curiosity that it plainly sayes it is not the same Body but that as God gives to the Blades of Corn Grains quite distinct from that which waâ—… sown so at the Resurrection he will give the Soul a Body quite different from that which was buried as different as a Spiritual Body is from a Natural Body or an Heavenly from an Earthly p. 508 509. A POST SCRIPT By way of Animad version and Counsel SErious and impartial Reader I have collected these Passages that thou mayst not only see how some of these learned Men differ about this mysterious and 〈◊〉 Point but also how unreasonable it is for any of them to be 〈◊〉 this or the like unlearned 〈◊〉 upon us viz. How and with what Body are the Dead raised c or to seek Occasions to vilifie us about this Point which 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are not only confounded but liable to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Question is not only unlearned but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 unnecessary unto Salvation it is not necessary that 〈◊〉 should imagine 〈◊〉 they shall be cloathed or 〈◊〉 with Bodies in Heaven but to enquire the Way 〈◊〉 that they may walk in it and be solicitous to know that Power and inward Operation whereby they may be made Sons of God and attain to the Resurrection of the Dead as being Children of God and of the Resurrection If men walk in the True Light and so truly serve and please God on Earth they shall not need to 〈◊〉 or dispute about their future Beings in Heaven Their Business is to get thither and 〈◊〉 will well accommodate them there Men ought not to be too curious and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Matters beyond their reach as to the Manner
Neighbour as thy self I am the Lord Levit. 19. 18. Finally Brethren whatsoever things are True whatsoever things are Honest Just Pure Lovely and of Good Report think on these things Phil. 4. 8. Stob. 28. * That 's more then Tho. Hicks seems to do Liv'd at the same time Laert. Lib. 1. c. 3. * Reader this Reflection was not without Light nor this Man void of a very Tender Conscience The Gentiles who had not a Law became a Law unto themselves doing the Things contained in the Law their Consciences bearing Witness and their Thoughts the mean while Accusing or Excusing Rom. 2. 14 15. To Depart from Iniquity is a good Understanding Job 28. 28. And the Hypocrites Hope shall Perish Job 8. 13. Why do you not rather take Wrong 1 Cor. 6. 7. Stob. 28. Reader these weighty Sayings are very Scripture it self and that as well of the New as Old Testament so called especially where Christ saith SWEAR NOT AT ALL though spoke about 700 years before he came into the World * As Tho. Hicks John Bunion J. Grigg and other Railing â—…eparatists do the Quakers * Which T. Hicks can't do neither to his Wife Family at home nor his Friends much less other People abroad Stob. Serm. 80. Jamblich Let us hear the Conclusion of the whole Matter Fear God and keep his Commandments for this is the whole Duty of Man Eccles. 12. 13. Pure Religion and Undefiled is to keep himself Unspotted from the World Jam. 1. 27. In this sense I fear we may say that Thomas Hicks has no Light in him Who when he was Reviled Reviled not again 1 Pet. 2. 23. Laert. Plat. Phaed. The Fear of the Lord is the Beginning of Wisdom Psalm 111. 10. He that will deny himself let him take up his Cross and follow me Luk. 9. 23. Xen. Mem. 3. p. 780. Clem. Alex. Strom. L. 5. Stob. 218. Reader These sententious Expressions to have every one of them a Scripture would be tedious and superfluous for they are almost Word for Word Scripture it self as who knoweth Scripture may plainly see Xen. Mem. 4. p. 803. Id. Mem. 1. 722. 4. 804. Id. Mem. 3. So saith Christ Mat. 7. 2. 62. 7. Ibid. Apolog. Libanius saith Socrates considered The Pure in Heart shall see God Mat. 5. 8. Clem. Alex. Str. 2. 417. Laert. Stob. 46. The Fruit of the Spirit is Peace Gal. 5. 22. Acts 24. 16. But Godliness with Content is great Gain 1 Tim. 6. 6. Stob. 48. Stob. 114. This answers T. Hicks's Challenge about the Light 's showing that State if Christ had not said so Liban Ap p. 644. Nothing they could do was able to draw him out of his Endeavours to detect the loose Comedians that sought therefore his Ruin 1 Pet. 3. 14. * The word Philosophy hath been otherwise appropriated since those days as many other words have been for it then signified a Love of Wisdom given by Pythagoras which Wisdom was the Way of Holy Living not Vain and Untoward Contests about Inpracticable Things Laert. Suid. in vit Antish Ye are an Holy Nation a Royal Priesthood 1 Pet. 2. 9. And you shall be Kings and Raign c. Rev. 1. 6. Blessed are they who hear the Word of God and keep it Luke 11. 28. Where is the Wise where is the Scribe where is the Disputer of this World 1 Cor. 1. 20. Put on the Brest Plate of Righteousness Eph. 6 14. Stob. The Just shall live by Faith Hab. 24. Without Holiness no man shall see the Lord Heb. 12. 14. They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their Strength Isa. 40. 31. The Secrets of the Lord are with them that fear him Psal. 25. 14. Valer. Max. 2. 10. Cic. pro Bal. Laert. Mat. 5. 34. Cic. de Fin. 2. Rom. 2. 14 15. Laert. Ibid. Stob. The Fear of the Lord is the Beginning of Wisdom Job 28. 28. Laert. The Rulers take Counsel together against the Lord Psal. 2. 2. Stob. The Wisdom which is from above is first Pure then Peaceable Jam. 3. 17. Laert. Id. Psal. 111. 9 10. Cic. Parad. Stob. Id. Theatr. cap. 3. 10. Be ye Holy for I the Lord your God am Holy Levit. 11. 44 45. Plut. plac 4. 7. Stob. Phys. Rev. 20. 12 13 14. Chap. 21. 7 8. Plat. phaed. 2 Cor. 5 8. * Ad Amph. Clem. Alex. Strom. l. 3. 2 Cor. 5. 8. Philip. 1. 21. Plat. Phaed. Eccles. 12. 7. Idem The Sheep on the Right Hand and the Goâ—…tes on the Lest Mat. 25. 31 32 33. 1 Cor. 15. 28 29 30 31. Observe Socrates his Distinction betwixt being Dead Departed Acts 7. 60. H. Mor. Des. Phil. Cab. c. 3. Revel Rev. 22. 5. See Const. Orat. in Eus. Isa. 2. 2 3 4 5. Isa. 7. vers 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25. Chap. 9 10. 1 John 4. 5 6. Chap. 11. 6 7 8 9 10 11. Jer. 23. Isa. 1. 12 13 14 15. Ezek. 18. 31 32. Objection Mat. 5. 27. 28. Joh. 8. 56 57 58. Helv. Chron. Rom. 5. 9. Gal. 3. 16. Joh. 14. 17. Hos. 13. 4. Hebr. 10. John 6. 51 52. 53 54 62 63. Rom. 3. 25. Ephes 1. 7. Hebr. 9. 14. Rom. 3 25. Hebr. 10. 5 7. 2 Cor. 3. 18. Joh. 1. 9. Joh. 1. 1 2 3 4 9. See Dial. pag. 3. 4. See Origen Chrysostom Greg Erasm Drus. Zeger Cam. Grot. B. Sand. Dr. Ham. John 〈◊〉 Dial. pag. 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 5. Rom. 〈◊〉 Jam. 5. 6. 1 John 2. 15. 16. 1. Pet. 1. 18. Ephes. 5. 1 Joh. 1. 5 6. Jam. 3. 1 2 3. T. Jenner T. Tayler J. Faldo T. Hicks H. Grigg c. Mat. 11. 27. 1 Cor. 2. 11. Ephes. 5. 13. Rom. 1. 19. Mic. 5. 8. Jren. l. 2. c. 30. Tertul. con Jud. p. 184. Quakerism a new nickname for old Christianity p. 54. 55. Rom. 2. 14 15. Justin Martyr saith That all are Christians who live with Christ as Abraham and Elias and amongst the Greeks as Sâ—…crates Hâ—…raclitus c. See Scultâ—…tus on him â—…ho also saith That some at this day are of his Judgment who have taught that Melchizedecâ—… Abimelâ—…ch Ruth Rachab the Queen of Sheba Hiram of Tyre Naaman tâ—…e Syrian and the City oâ—… Ninive are in the Catalogue of Christians Eusebius Pamph. in his Ecclesiastical History saith That Abraham and the ancient Fathers were Christians And defines a Christian to be one that by the Knowledge and Doctrine of Christ â—…xcels in Moderation of Mind in Righteousness and Continency of Life and Strength of Vertue Godliness towards one only God see Scultetus on him Clemens Alexandrinus saith The Law of Nature and of Discipline is one And Moses seems to call the Lord the Covenant For he had said before the Covenant was not to be sought in Scripture for that is the Covenant which God the Cause of all setteth whence his Name in Greek is derived And in the Preaching of Peter thou mayest find the Lord called the Word or Reason and the Law See