Emendations of Passages in my Book called Immediate Revelation not ceased First Printed in the Year 1668. and Re-printed with an Appendix in the Year 1676. I. AS Concerning the Term Immediate Revelation in the Title Page of that Book at which some are offended and which some misconstrue to a wrong sense never intended by me as if thereby I did signify such a Revelation as did give us the Doctrinal knowledge and Faith of Christian Religion and Principles thereof without the Holy Scriptures or other outward means of Instruction to obviate this offence and mistake I recommend to the Reader what I have said from pag. 38. to pag. 42. of that Book Where I distinguish of means Intermitting and Transmitting and show that it is the Intermitting means that hinder the Revelation to be Immediate but not the Transmitting and the same distinction I use in my Book called Divine Immediate Revelation Printed in the Year 1684. But in other words as discontinued and continued Moreover how far I did own the Holy Scriptures to be a necessary means to give us the true Knowledge and Faith of Christian Doctrines and Principles I refer the Reader to my Book Divine Immediate Revelation p. 〈◊〉 Where I say And if we except these Doctrines and Heads of General Religion common to us with the Gentiles which are revealed both to them and us without Scripture of all which notwithstanding the Scripture doth abundantly testify all other Doctrines and Heads of the Christian Religion which is a special Religion more perfect and excellent than the General and perfecting the said General Religion in true Christians are made known to us by the Scripture-means the Holy Spirit inwardly inlightning and inspiring us that we may understand the Doctrines declared in the Scripture and may savingly apply them with true and sincere Faith to the salvation of our Souls And here Note that in the words above cited I did distinguish twelve years ago betwixt Gentile Religion and Christian Religion tho some call this a New Doctrine in me so to dislinguish And seeing the word Immediate Revelation is no Scripture Term tho Revelation is and that it is not well understood by many I can freely consent that the word Immediate be not pressed or imposed on any But I do constantly assert as I have formerly asserted that the inward sensible Communications and Enjoyments of God and Christ that the Saints have frequent Experience of are not only beyond all Demonstration of words but are oft received without all present use of words in a deep inward silence of the Soul II. That I blame them who say that the Scriptures are a filled up Canon and the only Rule of Faith and Obedience in all things and no more Scriptures or Writings to be given forth from the Spirit of the Lord. And pag. 4. That I said tho no NEW ESSENTIALS ARE to be added yet a New and fuller and clearer Testimony may be added concerning the same old essentials Here Note the words may be added as importing the possibility of such a thing But whether God shall be pleased to add to the Books of the Holy Scripture other Books of the same Authority in any time to come before the End of the World I Judge it is not safe for me to determine either in the Affirmative or Negative but that it is possible he may do it ought not to be questioned of But that any Mens Writings beside that of the Prophets and Apostles are of equal Authority with the Scriptures ought not to be granted and that all Doctrines of Men however so much Illuminated ought to be subjected to the Rule test and touchstone of the Holy Scripture and tryed by the same I do assert as formerly I have done still leaving Room to the Spirit to give particular Guidance to the Souls of the Faithful with respect to their inward State and directing them in Particular Cases and Affairs as to things in themselves Lawful and not forbidden nor Commanded in General by any positive Precept and that I said no New Essentials are to be added is sufficient Proof that I held the Scripture did contain all the Essential Doctrines of Christianity III. As to my blaming them who deny that there is an infallible way whereby to discern the true Ministers and Members of Christs Church from the false To this I say tho such a discerning of Spirits was given at times to the Prophets and Apostles and others extraordinarily endued whereby to know Mens inward States without regard had to their Fruits yet the general way that Christ has given us whereby to know Men is by their Fruits of words and works whether Good or Evil. And whatever inward sense or discerning any may pretend to have of another Mans Spirit being bad yet we find no warrant from Scripture to receive an Accusation against any far less a positive Judgment without plain evidence of matter of Fact against them by credible Witnesses 1 Tim. 5. 19. For if such a thing be given way to in any Society that Men shall be Judged to be of a wrong Spirit only by the pretended discerning of Spirits that some may claim without any real Proof or Evidence of words or works that are really evil the most innocent Men may happen to be Condemned and the most guilty justified And even to know Men by their Fruits is a gift of the Spirit and proceedeth from a true Spiritual discerning that is given Universally in some measure to all the Faithful tho they have not always such due use of it but they may be and are at times mistaken IV. This Seed groweth up into a perfect substantial Birth which is Christ formed within the Body of Christ his Flesh and Blood which cometh down from Heaven and giveth Life unto Man which eateth it and feedeth upon it and it is called the Body and Flesh and Blood of Christ because his Eternal Life and Spirit dwelleth in it immediately Here Note by this perfect substantial Birth I did not mean as I now do not any substance newly produced even as in the Generation of natural things as Plants and Animals no new substance is produced but only a vital Union of substantial Principles formerly existing so by Christ formed within I understood and do still understand that a measure of the pure Life of Christ cometh to be United to the Soul and the Soul to it after the Soul is duly purified and prepared for such an Union by which Union that Soul becometh a Member of Christ even as the Hand is a Member of a Man's Body by its having the Life of the Body in some measure united to it and by Virtue of that Union actuating that Member and making it living and sensible And whereas I did call that inward substantial Birth the Flesh and Blood of Christ I did so call it only by a Metaphor or Allegory for with such Metaphors Allegories and Figurative Speeches the Scripture aboundeth in treating
and 1 Cor. 11. 26. than I was sometime formerly only I think fit to give one Reason at present in particular as to each and another in general as to both My reason why Water-Baptism is to be understood Matth. 28. 19. as a thing commanded of the Lord to be done by the Apostles and not the Baptism with the Holy Ghost because we no where find in all the Scripture such a phrase or manner of Speech that ever any Man but Christ alone who is both God and Man did Baptize with the Holy Ghost or had power so to do it is peculiarly attributed to Christ whose Work it was and still is and to no other Man or Men as John declared He that cometh after me shall Baptize you he did not say They that come after me but he with Fire and with the Holy Ghost And as to that distinction formerly given by me and others that though the Apostles neither could nor did baptize with the Holy Ghost principally yet instrumentally or ministerially they might and did But in answer to this I say where the Scripture doth not distinguish nor give any ground of such a distinction we ought not to give it But the Scripture giveth no such ground and the Scripture phrase and manner of Speech is strictly to be observed in all such cases so that we ought not to put our private glosses on Christ's Commandments as it were a most absurd Distinction to say though God created the World principally yet Angels did create it instrumentally or to say Christ redeemed the World principally by his Death and Sufferings but the Martyrs redeemed the World by their Deaths instrumentally surely as these Distinctions are false and unwarrantable so is that other about Baptizing with the Spirit instrumentally and ministerially My reason why the comeing of the Lord mentioned 1 Cor. 11. 26. is his outward Comeing because the outward practise of Breaking Bread in the Supper was appointed as a commemoration in a solemn way of his Body that was broken for us on the Cross and of his Bodily Sufferings and Humiliation for he did not say Take eat this is my Spirit but This is my Body and it was the Man Christ Jesus that said this therefore as the practise of Breaking the Bread with Prayer and Thanksgiving and Eating it and Pouring out Wine into the Cup and Drinking it was a solemn Commemoration of his Body that was broken for us and his Blood that was shed for us so the believers being enjoyned to do it untill his comeing again that Comeing again must needs signifie his Bodily Comeing for he was Spiritually come both then and in all Ages to the Faithful that the living and faithful Remembrance of his last coming might be preserved by that solemn Practise and also the unspeakable benefit that the Faithful haveby his Sufferings for as Preaching by Words doth hold forth Christ Crucified by audible Signs to the Ears of the Faithful so do these outward things duly practised by visible and otherwise sensible Signs hold him forth to their Eyes Smelling Tast and Feeling that so the Remembrance of him by these so many doors as it were may the more effectually enter into their Hearts and make the deeper Impression upon them and it stands well with good reason that what is represented to Mens Hearts of our Lord's Sufferings by their Hearing Sight Smell Tasting and Feeling in the use of these signs instituted by himself will more effectually affect their Hearts and Souls than what is done alone by the Hearing or Reading as in other cases for Men to see a Tragedy of the real Sufferings of some noble Person acted before their Sight is more than to read it or hear a Report of it and on this account it was that some ancient Writers called these outward Institutions verbum visibile i. e the visible Word My reason in general for both is that it hath pleased God of late since I have found the great opposition to this great fundamental Truth of the Gospel that many among the People called Quakers have made viz. the Faith in Christ crucified and raised again c. as a necessary thing to our Christianity and Salvation let them pretend and profess what they will to the contrary to give me a further and clearer sight and a more deep inward sense and consideration of the great benefit and advantage the practise of these outward things when duly practised is to the preserving the Christian Doctrine and Faith in the World as well as to divers other great uses and ends they being as proper and effectual means in their kind and manner in conjunction with Preaching to preserve the Doctrine and Faith of Christ in the World as Preaching it self and where these outward things are practised the true Doctrine of them ought to be Preached but the Doctrine of them is like to be laid aside when the Practise of them is not only discontinued but opposed and reviled under the Names of beggarly Elements worldly Rudiments and carnal Ordinances And I do boldly and freely in the sincerity of my Heart further declare that it hath pleased God to give me to see that the spring and rise of thatgreat Opposition that hath been and is in many against these outward Practices has been and is a secret Prejudice against the Doctrine of Christ crucified and the mysterious working of an Antichristian and Diabolical spirit designing to draw men from Name and Thing of Christianity to Paganism and Deism and at the next step to Idolatry and Atheism Howbeit in many there is not this knowledge and sight of this Mystery of Iniquity But many simple-hearted and truly pious and well-meaning Souls have been led aside to disown and speak against the use of these outward Practices being stumbled and greatly offended with the beholding the great abuse of them and the undue and irregular way and manner of many their practising them as it was said that the Sons of Ely caused the Sacrifices of the Lord to be abhorred But as the abuse of things ought not to take away the due use of them so where they are not duly practised the simple want of them as neither the simple want of preaching where the Gospel is not outwardly preached I judge will not be imputed to them to be their Sin it being generally acknowledged among sober judicious Christians that it 's not the want of them but the wilful neglect of them where they can be duly had that is a man's Sin and hindrance to his Salvation I adhere to the general rule of Christian Communion in this case generally received and owned by all true Christians that we ought to join in all external acts of Christian Religion and Worship with all professed Christians holding the Fundamentals of the Christian Religion and maintaining nothing contrary thereunto against whose sincerity we have nothing justly to object If so in our joyning with them in these external acts of Worship nothing
Math Mark Luke and John the Gospel while they understand it not strictly and barely nor primarily but figuratively by way of Metonimy we should not contend with them as neither in their calling the Scriptures the word of God providing they call it not the only word of God as in opposition to any internal word and teaching of God in Mens hearts And certainly it has been not only an unprofitable but an hurtful and groundless Contention that many called Quakers have raised in denying that the Scriptures should be called the word of God or so much as the written word Clamouring unjustly where do ye read in Scripture of a VVritten word and to call the Scripture words which are many the word say they is a Lie or Nonsense But in Answere we read expressly that a sentence out of one of the Psalms of David recited by our Saviour John 15. 25. They hated me without a cause is called by him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The written word nor is it a Lye to call many words the word as it is not a Lye to call many Letters the Letter as the Scripture calleth it and so high did this Groundless contention arise betwixt some called Quakers and other professions that they made this one of the Causes why they did separate from them because they called the Scriptures the word of God and Matthew Mark Luke and John the Gospel whereas themselves commonly call the Books of Matthew Mark Luke and John the Acts with the other following Books and Epistles of the Apostles the New Testament For with such Figurative Speeches the Scripture aboundeth and to charge them to be a Lye or Nonsense is to charge a Lye or Nonsense upon Christ and the Holy Spirit But in a late Book Stiled the Quakers cleared c. By B. Coole given out by approbation of the second days Meeting of them called Quakers at Grace-Church-street they say as they viz. the Scriptures declare the mind of God with respect to us and are his Commands to us they may in that respect be called the word or Command of God and so the Quakers own and esteem them And so indeed do all other Professions in Christendom and not otherwise X. Pag. 64. We are not those Prophets Here Note it is a Typographical Error which should be Corrected thus we are not that Prophet And not only in this but in many or most of my former Books diverse Typographical Errors are to be found which yet are obvious enough to the judicious and unprejudiced Reader to be such as indeed are to be found in most Books and it is very unfairly done by my late Adversaries to charge me with such Typographical Errors as if they were mine as on the other hand to make that a Typographical Error in some of their own Books which is plainly obvious to be no such thing XI Pag. 74. Now the Bowels of the Fathers love stirred in Compassion to the work of his hands that of the pure Creation in Man which tho shut up in Death yet it remained and perished not as to its being it did not become a nothing but remained a being and this is the lost which God sent his Son into the World to seek and to save not to seek and to save the Old Adam that Birth of the Serpents begetting but to destroy it For it is not capable of Gods salvation Here Note that I said that which Christ came to save is the work of Gods hands that of the pure Creation in Man to wit the Soul of Man that is a Created being and that I called it That of the pure Creation I did not mean that it had not been defiled by Sin but because of its great worth in respect of its Original and Primitive State and its near capacity to be Cleansed and Purified And this is said not only agreeable to mystick Writers that have distinguished betwixt the Soul of Man and the impurity of the Serpent or Serpentine Seed and spawn that became mingled with the Soul of Man by Transgression and have called the true Soul of Man the nucleus i. e. The kernel but that of the Serpent or of the Devil in Man since the entrance of Sin the Cortex and Putamen i. e. the Shell and Husk and the Impurity of Belial but also in agreement with the Holy Scripture that plainly distinguisheth betwixt the Wheat and the Tares the good and the bad Seed good and bad Fish the Silver and the Dross the Sheep with other clean Animals that the Scripture calleth clean and Dogs Swine and other unclean Animals And as a Sheep how much soever defiled with dirt is called a clean Animal and a Dog or Swine how much soever washed is called an unclean Animal so the distinction holds good in a Mystical and Allegorial sense betwixt the true Soul of Man that may be said to be pure Comparatively tho defiled in respect of the Serpent impurity that cleaves to it the which when separated from it the Soul is simply and compleatly pure and after this manner the People of Israel in respect of the Heathen Nations are called in Scripture the Holy Seed tho even then they had great defilements also tho the Nations before Christs passion were called unclean yet afterwards by virtue of his Passion they are forbidden to be called common or unclean as the Lord said to Peter in the Vision Acts 11. VVhat Gods hath cleansed Note cleansed call not thou common This was only comparatively And briefly all Souls of Men that belong to Gods Election and shall be saved are called in Scripture the Good Seed the VVheat c. But these that shall not be saved are called the bad Seed the Chaff Tares Dross XII Pag. 75. That which Christ came to save is that of God which proceeded from him The Seed of God in Man the Seed of Abraham whereof Abrahams old decayed Body and Sarahs Barren womb was a Type Here Note that I call the elected Souls of Men that shall be saved and belong to Gods Election the Seed of God is to be understood only in a secondary sense according to diverse places of Scripture as Isaiah 53. 10. and 59. 21. and Rom. 4. 16. and 9. 8. Mal. 2. 15. The Hebrew hath it Seed of God See the Margin and that I call it the Seed of Abraham is only by an Allegorical Allusion to the Spiritual and Divine Birth in the Faithful signified by Isaac the Son of the free Woman which Allegorical Allusions is grounded on Gal. 4. 24. But this was never intended by me to lessen or obscure that great Truth of the Gospel That the Man-Christ is the promised Seed of Abraham in the true literal sense and without all Allegory as he was Born of the Blessed Virgin In whom all Nations of the Earth are Blessed And that promised Seed of the VVoman that should bruise the Head of the Serpent XIII Pag. 87. Through him viz. Christ not at a distance
find that I have used that very distinction and largely insisted on it in several pages of that book And in p. 29. I say giving the sense of Paul 's words By the works of the Law shall no flesh be justified Rom. 3. 20 By Law there is understood the Law of the first Covenant which came by Moses and it 's true no justification is by that Law whether it be understood of Moses his outward ministration Or of the same Ministration of Moses in the Spirit where the Law is Writ but in Tables of Stone till the Seed be raised by which the Law is fulfilled But in diverse of the Gentiles the Seed was raised which is that divine nature or birth by which they did the things contained in the Law and so were Justified by him who gave them power to fulfil it And whereas they strongly alledge out of this Book and some other of my former Books That I had formerly Asserted Men might be Justified and Saved without all knowledge and faith of Christ without us as he was Crucified c. But upon a diligent search into my Books and an Impartial Examination of all the places cited by them to prove it I can find no such thing and my so frequently cautioning the Matter all along wherever I had occasion That the express knowledge and faith of Christ's death is not universally necessary to Mens Salvation so that as I have noted in my Book called The Antichrists and Sadducees detected some of my Adversaries ten several times at least in the Words and Passages they have quoted out of my Books bring me in using the word Express still saying the express knowledge and faith of Christ's death is not universally necessary c. is sufficient to clear me with all intelligent and impartial Men that I still held some knowledge and faith of Christ though not express yet implicit was universally necessary to Mens Salvation IV. Pag. 9. And as he viz. Christ had his Flesh in the outward which was a Vail so he hath his Flesh in the inward which is a Vail also the Word became Flesh and dwelt in us said John Here Note Though I deny not the Flesh of Christ in the inward in an Allegorical and Metaphorical Sense as above Explained § 4. Sect. 10. yet I freely acknowledge I have unduly and improperly applied that place Joh. 1. 14. 1 Tim. 3. 16. to the Flesh of Christ in the inward as likewise I have made the same undue Application of that place in my Book called The Way cast up as in Page 133 134. and possibly in divers other Places and Books which undue Application wherever it is in any of my Books I do Retract judging it to be improper And though I might possibly excuse it to be only said by way of Allusion yet even in that respect I Retract it having found by too great Experience that too frequently Allusions do great hurt and are an occasion to ignorant People to draw them from the true Sense of that place of Scripture really intended by the Spirit of God to which the Allusion is made And though I am not against Allegorical Expositions of some places of Scripture warranted by Scripture or such as cannot be truly understood without an Allegory nor do I condemn universally Allusions to some places of Scripture yet for the sake of the Ignorant that may be hurt thereby I judge they had better be not used in many cases and when used in any case it should be told that it is but an Allusion V. Pag. 9. Thus it is sown natural viz. the Divine Seed but is raised Spiritual Here Note This is but an Allusion and was no wise intended in prejudice of the Resurrection of the Body for in this san Book Pag. 70. I plainly Assert the Resurrection of the Body as thing not yet attained by the deceased Saints But because as is a ready said Allusions in many cases are not safe I wish I had in used it in this case and therefore let it be as unsaid and the rathe because to my certain knowledge some great Preachers among that sort of Quakers that are turned my Adversaries do wholly apply all that is said in 1 Cor. 15. of the Resurrection to the inward rising of the Soul or the Seed within And I have more than once heard some Preachers among the Quakers wholly Expound that place 1 Cor. 15. 14. If Christ be not risen then is our preaching vain and your faith is also vain of the inward rising of the Life in the Hearers when the Ministers speak And one of their Ministers did so strongly Assert it that in a private Conference with him I could not by the best Reasons I could bring persuade him that it was meant of a Resurrection of the Body after death VI. Pag. 20. So that it is manifest by this Expression That which may be known of God Rom. 1. 19. And as it is in the Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is understood the Gospel And a little after I say aggreeable unto this is that the same Apostle writeth unto the Colossians 1. 23. That the Gospel has been preached to every Creature which is under Heaven but according to the Greek it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in every creature i. e. in every man as when Christ said to his Disciples Preach the Gospel to every creature Here Note that by the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Paul meant an inward divine supernatural Principle in the Gentiles who had not the Gospel outwardly preached unto them which he saith was manifest in them and which God had shewed unto them and which he calls the Truth that many held in unrighteousness v. 18. I still hold and that in a figurative way of Synecdoche it may be called Gospel or as the word Gospel may be extended to a more general signification than is commonly used in Scripture I will not deny for taken at large it may signifie any Intimation of God's Love Goodness and Mercy to sinful men and in this sense it may be said that the Gospel hath been preached in every Creature i. e. in every Man And as the Divine Principle Word and Light within preacheth in some sort the Love Goodness and Mercy of God to sinful men in order to their salvation so every creature without or so to speak the whole Creation both without Man and in Man himself doth preach it as it is said Ps 19. 1. The Heavens declare the glory of God c. Not only the glory of his Power Justice and Wisdom but also the glory of his Mercy Love and Goodness towards men Yet I must needs acknowledg that I am fully convinced that it is not a due application to apply this to the word Gospel as it is generally used in Scripture and particularly by Paul in these places quoted by me Ro. 1. 16. and Col. 1. 23. and 1 T. 3. 16. therefore I do freely retract and correct my undue
that it was my principal Aim and Design in that Book to prove and demonstrate the Truth of that Principle which I am well satisfied as to the main I have truly done by divers effectual and solid Arguments and therefore I adhere to what I have delivered in that Book as to the main yet I freely acknowledge that divers of the Arguments I have used to prove the Truth of that Principle are not so proper and demonstrative nor are several places of Scripture from which I argued so duly applyed to that effect as Rom. 10. 7 8 9 10. and the several Parables brought in Arg. 10. from p. 60. to 65. Titus 2. 11 12. 1 Cor. 12. 7. Therefore the undue Application of these places of Scripture or any others that can be found in my Book to that effect I freely Retract which though they necessarily respect the inward Principle of God's Grace Word Spirit Light c. yet these places are not to be understood only and alone of that but respect that bright Gospel Dispensation that had then appeared in the World by the Apostles preaching which was accompanied with new superadded Illuminations in the Souls and Hearts of Believers tho' all coming from one Fountain one God one Christ and one Spirit as much differing from and as much excelling and surmounting any inward Illumination given to all that part of Mankind where the Apostles Doctrine concerning Christ Crucified and Raised again did not come as the Light of the Sun after he is risen excells that which shineth in the Night time which is a Scripture Comparison that compareth the state that the Gentiles generally were in before God visited them by the Preaching of the Gospel in the Ministry of the Apostles and their Successors to the Night but the State of the Believing Gentiles who had received the Holy Ghost by their Ministry to the Day which very Distinction I had noticed in the stating of the Question p. 8. of that Book And that bright Dispensation of the Gospel that did visit the World by means of the Apostles Ministry and their true Successors was like the rising of the Sun that may be said to be truly Universal and the Grace of God that bringing Salvation did appear unto all as the Sun is truly said to rise unto all and to bring day unto all tho not at one and the same time and Christs Prophecy which then began to be fulfilled and was in great part fulfilled in the very time of the Apostles must be fully and compleatly fulfilled that the Gospel of the Kingdom shall be Preached in all the VVorld which is to say not the Inward Principle only and alone but the Doctrine of Christs Birth Death Burial Resurrection Ascension c. As is plain from his own words wherever this Gospel of the Kingdom shall be Preached this also shall be told what this VVom an hath done for she hath done it for my Burial But that many were saved by Christ through Faith in him before that time and before his coming in the Flesh as well among Gentiles as Jews Inothing question as I never did IX Pag. 72. But let the Scriptures be searched throughout and it shall never be found that any are simply Condemned or made Inexcuseable for Adam's Sin but for their own Sins in the first place and for those of their Ancestors but consequentially this is the Condemnation of the World saith Christ that Light is come into it and they Love Darkness c. But no where it is said this is their Condemnation simply that Adam Sinned Here Note That whereas in my Book above-said I did draw one of my Arguments from the Righteousness of God to prove an inward Principle of Light given to all Men in order to salvation let it be considered that I did Argue from the Righteousness of God not simply considered but with respect to a New Dispensation of God towards Mankind since the Fall for in the same p. 72. I say If God hath De novo or of a New given unto all Men a sufficient Principle of Light and Life to do his will then he may say as in Isaiah and now O Men of Judah and Inhabitants of Jerusalem what could have been done more to my Vineyard that I have not done in it Viz. In point of Righteousness he hath done all that was needful to clear his Justice c. In my way of managing this Argument tho effectual and solid in the main and as to the substance of it yet as with respect to diverse weighty Circumstances in Answering Objections against it I am dissatisfied with the method I there used from pag. 67. to pag. 72. Therefore what is there generally said by way of Answer to some Objections there made let it be as unsaid for the Coments of these 5 pages in diverse things not being clear I retract yet still adhering to the substance of the Argument there brought and to the main Answer that may suffice to all these Objections I did give p. 72. Viz. That none are simply Condemned and sem to Hell for Adams Sin for I cannot agree to that uncharitable opinion that any dying Infants Perish or suffer the Fire of Hell Fire simply and only for Adams Sin what God in strict Justice might do is one thing and what he will do is another Moreover as I have formerly in that Book affirmed p. 69. That there is a Seed of Sin Transmitted from Adam into all his Posterity in the Natural Birth which becomes the Original Sourse and Spring or Root of all Actual Transgressions wherever it Springs up in which all Sin is Committed I still affirm But to Answer all these Objections and Questions that are raised about the manner of its Conveyance and being Transmitted as it pusled the worthy Ancients Augustine and Hierome and others to Answer Pelagius and his followers who used to ask Per quas rimas by what chinks that Seed of Sin and Defilement entred Adams Posterity and is Transmitted through the most Holy Parents that ever Lived in some Degree to their Children so I confess it pusseth me especially upon the common Principle that the Soul of the Infant is instantly Created in the Mothers Womb and that other Principle that the Soul is by Carnal Generation is most absurd But what my reason cannot comprehend my Faith teacheth me to believe and so I believe that their is a Principle Seed or Leaven of Sinful Defilement conveyed generally through all Adams Posterity in the Natural Birth because I find many places of Scripture that sufficiently prove it by means whereof Infants on the Breasts and in the VVomb are not clean but defiled and therefore need the New Birth and washing of Regeneration as really as adult persons And they do all need that God be merciful to them for Christ's sake that died for all men they being a part of mankind and that the vertue efficacy and merit of Christ's Sacrifice of himself upon the Cross
that would take up too much time and be improper in this place it sufficeth at present that I retract that sense formerly given and that I declare my sense of that place of Scripture to be conconcerning his coming without us to Judgment which is I think the more general sense of Christian Expositors But let none from hence infer that I deny the inward coming of Christ in mens hearts to destroy Sin for that I own but I say it is not the true sense of that place of Scripture and whereas it is said in that place He will appear the Second time without Sin unto Salvation doth not infer being understood of his coming without us to Judgment that Sin remains in the deceased Saints until his coming But that at his coming he will not charge Sin upon them but will solemnly acquit and discharge them of all their Sins however great they have been who have sincerely repented of them and believed in him whereas upon all others he will charge their Sins upon them as is clear from Matth. 25. And though the deceased Saints need no Salvation from Sin yet from some of the effects and consequences of it they do until the Resurrection with respect to which Paul said We are saved by Hope and Hope that is seen is not Hope c. For seeing Death is the last enemy that is to be destroyed which is not destroyed but by the Resurrection from the Dead therefore the Resurrection from the Dead is that Salvation which all the Saints both living and deceased wait for which will be at Christ's coming without us And that this was my Belief when I did write that Book as well as formerly I shall for proof recite two plain passages out of that Book the first is pag. 42. where I say We believe with all our Hearts and in believing the same we rejoice with Joy unspeakable and full of Glory in all our Sufferings Tryals and Temptations even that He whom we look for will come again at the Last Day and raise us up to live with him for ever in an immortal and incorruptible Body and then shall we be saved as well from all the consequences of Sin of all kinds as now from Sin it self in the being and nature of it For then and not till then fully and in all respects shall Death be swallowed up in Victory and that full Salvation and enjoyment be attained which all true Christians do yet wait for The second passage is pag. 45. And I hope it will satisfie any sober Reader that we acknowledge the Coming of Christ in the Clouds or in the Air in a Literal Sense Pag. 65. That Christ will come in the End of the World we do faithfully believe according to that 1 Cor. 15. and other Scriptures But that his coming mentioned 1 Cor. 11. is that last coming of his is not yet proved but is a meer begging of the Question Here Note That this passage contains another plain proof that I believed that Christ would come in the End of the World in his Glorified Person without us to judge the World and I judged that the People called Quakers generally so believed until my late experience hath given me sufficient ground to think otherwise and that from the Words of divers among them plainly denying and ridiculing any such thing telling me the End of the World is already come and there is no other coming of Christ to be expected but his inward coming in the Hearts of People and into this foul Error the Printed Books of G. W. and other Leading Men among their Teachers had led them although now he and some others seem to own it that Christ will outwardly come again But if a Scrutiny were made among them one by one few among them in comparison would be found to own it in respect of many that would deny it But whereas in that passage above-quoted I had affirmed That our Lord's coming mentioned 1 Cor. 11. 26. is that last coming of his is not yet proved but is a meer begging of the Question This whole Passage I fully and freely retract with all the other passages either in this Book or in my Book called Truth Defended where I have denyed his coming mentioned 1 Cor. 11. 26. to be his outward coming or in any other of my Books where any such like passage is to be found I fully and freely Retract them all And on the Contrary I do freely and with great Satisfaction declare That I am sufficiently convinced and perswaded in my Conscience that the Coming of the Lord mentioned 1 Cor. 11 is His Last Coming which is to be without us which will be accompanyed with his more abundant inward coming and Revelation in us As also whatever is said in this Book called the Rector Corrected concerning the Command that our Lord gave to his Apostles Matth. 28. 19. That it was not Water-Baptism there commanded I fully and freely Retract that also and all the like passages either in Truth Defended or in any of my other Books whatsoever conconcerning the sense of that place of Scripture Matth. 28. 19. And on the contrary I do declare that I am fully and clearly perswaded in my Conscience that Water-Baptism was there commanded by Christ And here I think fit to Transcribe what I have already said in my late Book called The Antichrists and Sadduces detected c. to this effect pag. 34 35. I am not ashamed to own my general Mistakes I have been under concerning divers places of Scripture particularly relative to Water-Baptism and the Supper as Matth. 28. 19. and 1 Cor. 11. 26. And I am so far from being ashamed to publish this Confession that I have great Peace and Joy in it Amd I also declare that I am justly ashamed that I have been so long deceived and byassed with such weak Arguments as both they called Friends and I have used being too much influenced and byassed by their pretended Authority to perswade and draw away the Minds of People from the true sense of these places of Scripture and the Arguments that we have used against these two things are so weak that they have the some force against the Bible it self and all Books and outward Testimonies and outward Acts of Worship and therefore are void in themselves for seeing they have no force against the latter they have as little against the former However I continue in my faithful Testimony against the abuse of these things and the dead empty and formal may that too many practise them and except the Lord be found to bless and accompany them who use them with his Power and Spirit they are but as empty Shadows and Shells but who find the Lord to bless them with his Presence I judge them not It is not proper for me in this place to give any large account of the Reasons why I am otherwise minded as to the Sense of those two places of Scripture Matth. 28. 19.