begging of the question who himself had once acquitted us and that even from the Errors he would now fasten upon us yea and out of some of the same Books he then cited in our Vindication and we still continue to defend as unjustly imputed to us whereas his own let him call them Errors or some more diminutive name if he please he hath assigned as needing both Explication Emendation and Correction His second Assigning his own to be Motes ours Beams is too idle for me to take notice of as thinking his Testimony on his own behalf not valid His Thirdly alledging our Excommunicating him is as shallow For had not that drawn him to be Vindictive it would rather have stirred him up by a free and open Retraction to have approved himself to have exceeded us in Confessing and Forsaking And his lastly is all of a piece with his second That what he hath retracted or renounced was never judged by him an Article of Faith and that we have not proved him contradicting in his latter Books any Article of Faith asserted in his former Books To which I reply Had he not done his work by halves he would have found cause to have retracted his doctrinal Errors Errors which every body else that knows what Errors are will acknowledge to relate to Articles of Faith and which as suc◠we have exhibited and argued upon which must be left to the indifferent Reader 's Judgment who hath read his and our Books In the mean time I enter upon examining those before me which he hath here pretended to explain or correct which I also submit to the Judicious whether they relate not to Articles of Faith and also whether G. K. hath at length done his Work Well Sincerely and Conscientiously or on the contrary Sect. I. § 1 Beginning then with his first Section Containing as he saith divers Explanations and Emendations of Passages out of his Book of Immediate Revelation not ceased Printed Anno 1668 and reprinted with an Appendix Anno 1676 in his § 1. he saith Some but who he saith not are offended at the Term Immediate Revelation and mis-construe it to a wrong Sence never intended by him as if he thereby did signifie 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 which I answer The People called Quakers are not concerned in this Charge at least with respect to the Term Immediate Revelation for they allow the thing and dispute not against the Term. And what himself hath said on behalf of the Necessity and Usefulness of Immediate Revelation the Book it self will plainly evidence Yet lest this Reference may seem too general a way I dislike in my Antagonist let the Reader consult the Preface and he will find G. K. there represents this Doctrine of Immediate Revelation a great and weighty Matter which it hath been in his Heart once and again from the Lord to write of saying that It REMAINETH and is of necessary continuance in the true Church Not only for the Preservation Safety and comfortable Walking of the Saints with God but also in order to Men and Womens becoming Saints And that there is no Immediate Revelation now-a-days as the common Priviledge of the Saints he accounts such a Fundamental Error in Men that the greatest part of their other Errors are built on it as 1. That the Scriptures outward Testimony is most necessary and that no true and saving Knowledge of God is to be attained but by the Scriptures being read or heard See Preface p. 1 2. Now hence I argue If it be an Error according to G. K. to assert that the Scriptures outward Testimony is most necessary and that no true and saving Knowledge of God is to be attained but by the Scriptures being read or heard Then it is G. K. his Sense and not a Mis-construction thereof that a Saving Knowledge of God may be attained by Immediate Revelation without the help of the Scriptures and that the Scriptures outward Testimony is not most necessary in his Judgment And this Saving Knowledge must be a Knowledge of the Christian Religion except he be prepared to retract his Retraction But to obviate this Offence and Mistake as he terms it he recommends the Reader to what he hath said from p. 38. to p. 42. of that Book but cites no passage out of it where I distinguish saith he of means intermitting and transmitting and shew that it is the intermitting means that hinders the Revelation to be Immediate but not the transmitting Answ Here he Shuffles the Debate here is not whether Revelation be Immediate or no when transmitted through organized Instruments either the Holy Scriptures or Men divinely inspired but whether he hath asserted such an Immediate Revelation is not ceased as is received with either the one or the other That the Reader may inform himself of even in p. 40 within the compass of G. K. his Reference for he there saith We find that he sometimes useth outward means and sometimes he useth them not but conveigheth unto us from and through his own Seed and Birth in us the living Manifestations and Communications of his Life Will and Council many yea MOST TIMES without all Means or Instruments from without for most times we are left alone as to Instruments or Means without us I would advise him therefore in his next either to retract this Passage which is within the Pages he hath so lately recommended to us or his referring us thereto to obviate the pretended Mistake and Offence for this Passage will hamper him else Now let us see whether he mends the matter by his other Book called Divine Immediate Revelation for he tells us that in p. 44. thereof as an instance He did own the Holy Scriptures to be a necessary means to give us the true Knowledge and Faith of Christian Doctrines and Principles But that his own Citation saith not but only that all other Doctrine and Heads of the Christian Religion which he calls special the other general Religion are made known to us by the Scripture means the Holy Spirit inwardly inlightning and inspiring c. Which doth not prove that they are a necessary means a sine quâ non that without which the Knowledge cannot be conveighed but that they are profitable and useful means when attended with Divine Illumination and Inspiration and therefore not ad rem What he would have noted that twelve Years ago he distinguished between Gentile and Christian Religion saith he between special and general Religion say I though some call this a new Doctrine in him so to distinguish I think hath little of weight in it except he had told us who his Accusers were For my part I do not account it a New Doctrine in him to distinguish between special and general Religion yet I do esteem it a Contradiction to say as in p. 63. of
need of them That many called Vniversity Men have had among whom he reckons Wickliff Luther Cranmer c. and may now have a good measure of true Spiritual Knowledge he pretends he dares not be so Vncharitable as to deny Answ What his Sentiments may have been or yet are of particular Men I do not enquire what they have been of the Order of the Degree is manifest out of the same p. 137. where he goes on thus Then down should all the proud lording lofty Clergy with their many Degrees of Doctorships Lordships and Masterships pass who being Strangers to the true Knowledge are vainly puffed up in their Fleshly Minds by the Form of Knowledge in the Letter c. This is it which I laid before him once before in my Keith against Keith p. 143. and which he hath not yet retracted nay nor took notice of here though he gave us a Passage even now out of the same Page which shews the Man had rather slide over it than either defend it and so displease the Clergy he would now fawn on or renounce and disclaim it as an Error in him formerly and so be reputed a Man changed in his Judgment by those few who hold with him and would still be reputed Quakers viz. His Flock at Turners-hall which yet recommends him not as sincere to either Nor will an excepting some out of a general Rule while this Hand-writing is upon the Wall against him satisfie any Men of Judgment that are of that Order and Degree he hath thus reflected on and who are not willing to be imposed upon that this is a reasonable and adequate Compensation for those Epithets so lavishly bestowed upon them both in the place above and elsewhere § 18 In this § 18. he gives us a new Exposition I never heard of from him before of what he did understand by the Historical Knowledge and Faith viz. That Knowledge and Faith that respects the History of Christ's Birth Life Death Resurrection Ascension c. with all the Circumstances of Times Places and Names of Persons c. as related by the four Evangelists which elsewhere but he doth not say where he hath called the express or explicit Knowledge and Faith which many of the Faithful never had But the Doctrine of Christ simply considered he saith is one thing and the History or Historical Revelation of the many Circumstances of Times Places and Persons c. â—dâ—lating to that Doctrine is another thing Answ That this is a meer Shift the Objection raised Imm. Rev. p. 228. which he gives not and his answer will fully declare and evince The Objection was That G. K. did not mention any thing of the History or Historical Parts of Christ's Birth Life Miracles c. mark he did not say of the Circumstance of Time Place or Persons but of the History c. as being any Essential part of this new Revelation whereupon his Adversary brands him with Familism G. K. answers p 229. by distinguishing the parts of Religion into those necessary to the Being of it and those not necessary to the Being of it which he thus summeth up The Knowledge and Belief of the History of Christ his outward Coming Birth Life c. and of the other Historical parts oâ— the Scriptures are such parts of our Religion and Faith as are to make up the Intiredness or Fullness of it But that the Historical Knowledge and Faith is not an essential part of true Religion he instanceth in Cornelius whose Prayers God heard and yet he knew not the History of Christ nor of his Death and Sufferings till it was preached unto him by Peter p. 230. By all which it appears what he then meanâ— by Historical Knowledge and Faith viz. Not the Circumstances of Times Places and Persons only but that Relation which Cornelius wanted and for want whereoâ— he denies in his late Book stiled Truth Advanced p. 45 and 70. him to have received the Holy Ghost in his Gentile State Who sure must be very uncharitable to Cornelius and the many Faithful who never knew alâ— the Circumstances of Times Places and Persons c. as alledged even now if they having the Essentials oâ— Religion and being destitute only of the Circumstanceâ— of the History not of the History it self must thereupon miss of having the Holy Ghost which is the natural Consequence of this new Interpretation of Historicaâ— Knowledge and Faith Yet to make it yet more fully appear hear him further p. 232. where he saith In them who have not the Scriptures the Spirit and Light sufficiently teacheth them the parts of Religion absolutely necessary without the Scripture to which parts the History of the Scripture doth not belong What parts are those say I For the Spirit doth not teach the Knowledge of Christ's Birth Life Death Resurrection Ascension c. without the Scripture omitting Circumstances of Time Place c. therefore he could not formerly mean as he now saith but his saying so now is a false Pretence See also p. 243. where he saith True Religion and Christianity may subsist without the Knowledge of Christ in the Letter to wit In the Mystery of the Life of Christ in the Spirit and yet even here where the History is wanting he doth not say the Circumstance of Time Place c. the Mystery or in-side of Christianity is not without its skin or out-side namely an outward Confession unto God c. This I doubt not but he would now account Deism in us but I observe he did not then oppose Mystery to Mystery but Letter to Mystery out-side to in-side yea that he admitted of an outside viz. an outward Confession unto God which might subsist without the Knowledge of Christ in the Letter which is more than bare Circumstances of Time Place or Persons even where the History is wanting And that in the Mystery of the Life of Christ in the Spirit So that then true Religion and Christianity with him might subsist in the Mystery without the History Nor was it the Debate between him and his Antagonist whether all the Circumstances were Essential to true Religion but whether the literal and historical Knowledge was so which G. K. denied as hath been already instanced Now upon his thus Expounding Explicit and Implicit Knowledge he tells us He knows not any thing to be found in all his former Writings to the contrary notwithstanding the Attempts of his Ignorant Adversaries who affirm it and whom he hath sufficiently Answered as he pretends in diverse of his late Books particularly that called Ant. and Sadd. detected Answ This is a very nimble way of Purgation to say he doth not know it is to be found in his Books yet confesseth we have affirmed it but where he saith not and alledgeth he hath sufficiently Answered us but for that he names but one of his Books particularly and in that assigns neither Page nor Passage that the Reader might be forced to take all upon Trust
that Book Cornelius received the Spirit immediately and yet obtained it further by means of Peter's Preaching And again to assert It is an Error to say Cornelius had the Holy Ghost in his Gentile State but the Holy Ghost was promised PARTICULARLY to Believers in him to such ONLY who believe in Christ crucified and raised again c. Truth Advanced p. 70. neither of which he hath yet retracted He goes on Seeing the word Immediate Revelation is no Scripture Term though Revelation is I can freely consent that the word Immediate be not pressed or imposed on any Answ This is idle all over We are not entring into a Strife of words with him but will he retract the things will he say Revelation is not Immediate now a days which in two former Books he hath asserted that it is and entitled one of them Immediate Revelation not ceased the other Divine Immediate Revelation continued in the True Church and told us the ill Consequences of denying it assigning it as such a Fundamental Error that the greatest part of their other Errors are built on it and indeed the whole Superstructure of their Church and Ministry as to its outward Constitution see Preface to Imm. Rev. p. 1. This were he sincere he would either retract or fairly maintain but instead of that he playeth upon words and acts the Sophister to his great Shame were he not past it For whereas even in p. 42. of Imm. Rev. a Page he recommends us to even now he could then say These who minister not immediately from the immediate Communications of Life in their own Hearts can do us no good for they cannot Minister and transmit the Communications of Life who have it not in themselves such are Wells without Water and Clouds without Rain said he then Now such Ministers who he knows still oppose Immediate Revelation and deny an immediate Call are by him reputed Pious which is far from being Wells without Water and Clouds without Rain for to such was reserved the Blackness of Darkness for ever Jude 12.13 and perhaps given with a design to lick their Fingers as well as that he hath laboured to irritate them against us for to suppress our Books and disturb our Meetings that he might be eased of that Task he is so uneasie under and hath hitherto so unsuccessfully wearied himself with § 2 To sweeten them and make Friends to himself of what he might as well account the Mammon of Unrighteousness as Wells without Water and Clouds without Rain he in § 2. mincingly gives part of what he had said in the Preface to Imm. Rev. viz. His blaming them who say the Scriptures are a filled-up Canon c. And p. 4. of the Book it self Though no new Essentials are to be added yet a new and fuller and clearer Testimony may be added concerning the same old Essentials This last passage he clips egregiously for he there said Now though we say That the Scriptures are a full and perfect Testimony of all the Essentials of the Christian Religion yet we believe contrary to these of the National way that they are not a Canon so filled up as no more is to be added unto them from the same immediate Inspiration of the Spirit of God through his Servants of the SAME AUTHORITY with them for though no new Essentials are to be added yet a new and fuller and clearer Testimony may be added concerning the same old-Essentials Now as it is not his present Interest to give his Belief contrary to those of the National way for he craves their help against us so instead of being so sincere as to retract it he slips it over in silence And that his Belief now and his Belief then may not seem to interfere he puts a Trick upon his Reader concealing those words where he had said the Scriptures are not a Canon so filled up as no more is to be added to and from the conclusiv◠words drawn from the Premises he bids us note th◠words may be added as importing the Possibility of such◠thing as if he had delivered nothing positive had no◠asserted they were not a Canon so filled up as no mor◠is to be added to but had been only proposing an Addition as a thing not impossible A plain downrigh◠Retraction even of an Error had been more to hi◠Credit than this false and deceitful Subterfuge whereby the Man shews he rather labours to put a false Gloss upon his Cause than ingeniously to Recant what now he is unwilling to defend To this he adds 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 not safe for me to determine either in the Affirmative or the Negative Answ If he had not by with holding that part of the Citation I have given and a perusing the Sence of that which he hath given which he could never have done unespied had he cited the whole as he ought cast a Mist before his Readers Eyes it would have been obvious that G. K. formerly was so far from not judging it safe for him to determine the Matter Negatively or Affirmatively that he hath given his own Sence in the Affirmative that Books of the same Authority with the Scriptures may be added Who were he now otherwise minded and of an honest Mind not to mis-guide and abuse his Reader would rather have retracted and given this as the Fruit of his second Thoughts than to have offered this as his then Sentiments which were not so and would have been evident not to have been so had the Citation been fairly given I am perswaded that as the Learned among the Church of England will readily see so the Pious will abhor his palpable Deceit and Prevarication § 3 In his § 3. He labours to excuse his blaming them who deny that there is an Infallible way whereby to discern the True Ministers and Members of Christ's Church from the False he had added in that Preface to Imm. Rev. Whence proceeds that promiscuous mixt Number of Teachers and People whereof their Church is composed who are GENERALLY void of any Experience of a gracious Work in their Hearts but this he slily drops as not ingenious enough to retract it nor daring to defend it by telling us Though such a discerning 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 hath given whereby to know Men is by their Fruits of Words and Works whether Good or Evil. Answ Surely he makes meer Babies of Men of other Perswasions if they may not be supposed to know as well as himself that at times extraordinary Men have been extraordinarily qualified Nor was it in debate then between him and his Antagonists whether the Prophets and Apostles had the Gift of discerning
would yet be thought to adhere to Who if he stiâ— account that Advice good he then gave to his Country-men must still think That Prelacy is a Limb of Antichrist that his Country-men ought to have kept their Voâ— against it as in p. 37. 39. of which I shall give morâ— in § 13. which if he still dare defend as he hath comâ—mended his Advice then given to be good Counsel stiâ— those of the Church of England may consider what 〈◊〉 kind of Proselyte he is like to prove if they shouâ— take him in and if the Counsel were not good Whâ— did he not rather revoke recall and retract that Advicâ— given in that Book than applaud it as good Bâ— the Man seems willing to keep in with both if he caâ— not knowing perphaps whom he may need a Proâ— from most § 12 In his next he gives a Citation out of Help p. 63. where he had said Now we need not say Whâ— will go down into the Grave and bring up Christ 〈◊〉 us or who will ascend to Heaven to bring hiâ— down to us or who will go over the Seas and briâ— us Tidings of him from Jerusalem him whose Naâ— is the Word of God we of a Truth witness near 〈◊〉 even in our Hearts so that we need not either aâ—â—cend descend or go forth c. Upon this he telleâ— us what T. E. hath brought against him out of 〈◊〉 Book called Truth Defended p. 110 111. for this is the only time he hath cited any Book and Page of all that he hath alledged against us which I wave taking notice of for two Reasons First For that G. K. is still Debtor to that Book of T. E's and the Answer to G. K. his Narrative and I design not so farr to gratifie him in picking out a single Passage in a Book while he overlooks the rest to which long since he made a shew as if he would emit an Answer 2ly As my design is not Controversial but the detecting the Man's insincere Explications and Retractations of his former Books so the doing that here and exposing G. K's false Gloss will of it self make void what is alledged by him out of T. E. relating to this Quotation The Importance then and signification of his words above he thus gives p. 40. We need not say who will go over the Seas and bring us Tidings of him from Jerusalem where 〈◊〉 suffered in the Flesh for all sincere Christians are well satisfied with the Faith they have already of Christ by the â—â—tward Testimony c. So that they neither seek nor need â—y other ground of Confirmation to their Faith either of an â—tward Voice from Heaven or from beyond the Sea from â—erusalem c. Answ Ground of Confirmation to their â—aith were not the Tearms mentioned in that Book â—herefore would he have kept to his own Logical Rule â—ould not have been added here Again as he calls 〈◊〉 a little below The word of Faith which Paul preached and Moses before him which was able to Save them that turned their Minds thereto c. â—o in Imm. Rev. p. 77. he had said He reveals the whole Council of his Will by the word of his Mouth the Light reveals the whole Will of God he need not go forth to seek a Law without him or a Teacher without him the Word is near to which Moses â—pointed the Jews and Paul the Romans Now if â—y both spake of one word and both said Men need not ascend descend or go beyond the Sea to fetch it and G. K. hath cited them both as concurring in the one and the same Testimony then G. K. his Allegation whereby he would restrict it to Christians already satisfied who needed no Voice from Heaven oâ— Jerusalem as a Confirmation of their Faith falls to thâ— Ground in course seing it was good Doctrine before seasonable Doctrine before and the Cause alledged thâ— holds now even by G. K. his own Confession viz. Thâ— the Light reveals the whole Will of God and wâ— able to Save them even in Moses's day who gave 〈◊〉 to be taught and led thereby Had he indeed urgâ— that the word nigh in Moses his day and the woâ— nigh in Paul's day was not the same and that there wâ— need of ascending descending and going beyond tâ— Sea in Moses's time which then ceased when Chriâ— was offered up how Unscriptural soever this hâ— been yet there had been some colour for his preseâ— Exposition whereas it being the same now as theâ— and attainable not by ascending descending c. 〈◊〉 an inward witnessing it then as now the limitingâ— to satisfied Christians who seek not a ground of Câ—â—firmation of their Faith is both an Abuse of the Teâ— and a false Gloss upon G. K. his Sentiments formerâ— which it had been more to his Credit to have retractâ— than thus to have sophisticated § 13 Herewith G. K. winds up his Citations 〈◊〉 of his former Books As for his other Books callâ— Way to City of God Way cast up and Light of Truth answer to R. Gordon or any others of the like Naâ— and Importance which is a pretty wide Reference saâ— he alledgeth he seeth no present need to vindicate tâ— from our Perversions and Wrestings as he calleth thâ— and that one not called a Quaker but of another Commâ— whom he names not perhaps that he might not 〈◊〉 â—over the Author of the Snake in the Grass said to him that instead of doing him a Diskindness they had done him a great Kindness Again p. 42. That in diverse printed Treatises of his whereof he names none but a printed Letter at the end of G. Croes his general History of the Quakers and his Anti. and Sadd. without assigning Page or Passage he hath given divers Explications of most he doth not say of all but of most of the Quotations brought by us against him The which I take to be so idle shifting and loose a way of Writing denoting Guilt and Insincerity that barely to repeat it is to answer it which when he shall think fit to descend into Particulars a particular Reply may perhaps be given to The next thing I observe is that he thus bespeaks his friendly and juditious Reader If any of my above-given Explications seem to him in any degree strained beyond what the genuin Sense of the words will bear though I know not any one such I am freely willing that what he thinks in any degree strained he may take it if not for a genuin and proper Explication if so be it is in the least inconsistent with the Truth of the Holy Scripture to be my plain and free Retractation For what I cannot fairly defend by Exâ—lication I am freely willing to correct and amend by Reâ—ractation p. 42. Answ This is Nonsence all over Can the Reader at the same time deem it strained not 〈◊〉 genuin and proper Explication and yet allow it to â—e a plain and free Retractation For
if it be an Exâ—lication then not a Retractation for they are not Synoâ—imous Tearms and if strained not genuin nor proâ—er then not plain and free much less fairly defended â—y Explication Besides that he that will strain an â—xplication beyond what it will bear cannot be supposed to be freely willing to retract it seing it was â—is Unwillingness to do that which drew him to strain â—is Explication So that this profound Scholar hath run himself a-ground miserably Yet surely had he not been conscious to himself of using strained Explications he need not have given this Caution to his friendly and judicious Reader for such are not apt to take things at the worst hand nor so to conceive without just Cause administred Had he given it as a Caution to the Captious and Inimical not to the Friendly and Judicious there had been less ground to suspect he knew he had deserved such a Censure And indeed he hath so managed his Work all along as will be obvious upon the reading of these that he could not expect but it would be excepted against even by the Friendly that do not give away their Judgment To mend the matter he now tells us he freely retracts all Passages in any of his Books in so far as they are inconsistent with the Holy Scriptures and submits them to the Test thereof Answ As this is general no particular passage assigned it is no Retractation at all For who even of them that are least conscious to themselves of having offered what is not perfectly consistent with Scripture may not say so and that theâ— submit theirs to the Test thereof which may be rather called a Purgation and Vindication than a Retractation Again when at one time he faith the Text saith thus in the Greek the proper and usual Significatioâ— must be kept to as Vni Gr. p. 43. another while reâ—tracts that alledgeth the Sense would be marred iâ— that Translation were admitted and all this upon thâ— same Scripture as hath been instanced above Sect. ◠§ 16. and Sect. II. § 7. what must be the Test then Who the Interpreter If G. K. himself It may be 〈◊〉 question how long he will keep of that Mind 〈◊〉 another Who is that other And what Assurancâ— will G. K. give that he will stand to his Arbitrement Yet upon this he gives his Reader very oily Words tells him how ready he would be to correct them for thaâ— possibly divers other particulars may have not been observed and p. 43. That he would receive an Information most kindly as a most friendly Office and judge himself greatly obliged to be thankful to him which I take as an artificial Cover that he might not be suspected to have slipt over so many without the least notice which he had received Information of As for ours he represents them to be without a right Vnderstanding from a Spirit of Prejudice or a Scoffing Taunting Airy Vnchristian Spirit which as it is no Encouragement to any Man to take the Pains to be Scavinger to his Books for what Security can the Reader have he shall be better treated so it denotes not a hearty Desire of Information for why then did he over-look them he was informed of but a design to hide and cover himself under specious Pretences and excuse himself from engaging where he cares neither to retract nor defend Who saith of T. E. C. P. and me That we have blamed and censured the soundest Passages for most part in his Books in relation to Doctrine though generally such as most need Correction we have past without the least Censure To which I answer In as much as he is thus conscious to himself of passages that need Correction why did he not clear his hands of what was depending before he called upon his Reader for more Work To the rest I say It is Contradictions not Doctrines that we have mostly alledged out of his Books And where they have offered themselves we have taken them the censuring his Doctrines any otherwise than by comparing the Contradictory Assertions being the least part of what we have been engaged in He begins p. 44. thus Finally with a free and willing Mind I make a general Retractation of all the hard Names and uncharitable Censures I have at any time past upon any differing from me in pâ—int of Judgment that have not deserved them But who have deserved them and what Censures such have deserved he that knows can tell For G. K's part the Determination he keeps in his own Breast Wherefore I appeal to the several sorts of Protestants in this Nation Doth this satisfie you whom he thus hath censured and given these hard Names unto Do ye look upon this as a sincere hearty Retractation springing from deep Regret as he gives out or that it is any thing but a meer Shift Is this sufficient Compensation to you the Members of the Church of England for his tearming Prelacy a Limb of Antichrist Help in Time of Need p. 37 That filthy thing set up in the Land p. 38. telling the Presbyterians They did well in departing from you who gave your selves forth to be the Lord's Ministers and Servants running and he sent you not and that your Covetousness and Ambition and seeking how to please Men and not any Zeal for God set you on lording it over the People and that what ye gave forth as his Ordinances c. were the meer Inventions of Men and Babylon's golden Cup of Fornication for whose Pride Pomp Covetousness Tyranny and Ambition God's Wrath was kindled against you and he poured Contempt and Desolation upon you ibid. p. 47 48. Or to you of the Presbyterian way for his alledging in the Title Page That ye have GENERALLY shrunk from what but of late ye so zealously asserted and maintained to be the Cause and Work of God Was not that your Covenant against Prelacy say I the MOST PART actively complying to the building up again and healing old Babylon like the Dog returning to the Vomit and the Sow to the Puddle after the being once washed others lying by and cowardly bowing under and giving up themselves to a detestable Neutrality And p. 50. That when ye got upon the Walls and Bulworks of your Enemies building and levelled it to the Ground when ye had rooted out Prelacy and the many Corruptions and Superstitions that accompanied the same and digged down a good part of Babylon's up-setting that then ye took your selves to build Whos 's Form of Church-Discipline Order and Government is nothing upon the Matter better than the Episcopal saith G. K. p. 52. Or to you Independents and Bapâ—ists for linking you with the former as ALL of you open and declared Enemies to the Holy Spirit its inward Revelation and Inspiration c. see Presb and Ind. Ch. p. 45. For these are not yet retracted by him and how know ye but he still esteems you as DESERVING these Epithets It is true indeed he pretends
formerly the Gospel is NOT the Words the Unbeliever hath that but the Gospel he knows not it is â—id from him Christ himself is the great Preacher of that and his now saying that neither the Scriptures nor the Spirit and Light is the Gospel barely and abstractly considered He then said Christ preached it immediately he now tells us a little below It cannot be conceived without some Form of Words and Propositions that consist of words inwardly conceived and cannot be outwardly preached without some Form of Words outwardly expressed whereby he confounds a Declaration of or concerning the Gospel with the Gospel it self quite beside his Sentiments formerly That it was spoken in Man by Christ by the powerful Breath of his Spirit which surely may be without a Form of words as outwardly The one the Unbelievers may read hear and know and yet noâ— know the Gospel But will he say the Gospel was never communicated by the Divine Breath without a Form of Words seeing he now makes the outward Preaching and the thing preached so inseparable to the Gospel that neither of them are Gospel in the abstract And whereas he tells Imm. Rev. p. 213. The Gospel was preached unto Abraham Abel Enoch Noah and to all Believers who lived before Scripture was writ in a Book and that it was spoken into their Hearts by the Spirit of Jesus Christ c. Will he now maintain that they had both the Scripture Words and the Spirit and Light in order to make it Gospel Could not Christ in speaking into their Hearts be conceived without some Form of Words or was it not Gospel till so conceived Nor will his Allegations from p. 55 to 71. and p. 69 stand him in any stead For the first Reference is wide no passage assigned and though I cannot find any thing there to help him off yet I find in p. 56. what makes against him viz. The best of words uttered from Christ himself in the days of his Flesh or from any oâ— the Apostles or Prophets and yet recorded in Scripture cannot reveal the Father nor the Son neither they point only at that which reveals and were spoken and writ for that end that People might come to the Principle of true Knowledge in themselves see also p. 59. Whence I Query Cannot the Gospel which is the Power of God unto Salvation reveal the Father or doth that Gospel point only at that which reveal Or is that which reveals the Father which he saith the best of words cannot do as it is opened in Man by the Son no Gospel till outwardly preached or written Thus for want of Sincerity to retract and by labouring to defend as Congruous what is so Contradictory is the Man entangled and the more he toils the more he is perplext His second Reference instead of doing him any good further lays him open For though he doth there assert the Light as the Principal thing yet not in ordine ad idem not with relation to the Gospel for which end he here adduceth it for there was no Dissertation thereof there His words are these One takes himself to read Commentators to furnish him for the Ministry another to read Hypocrates and Galen to become a Physician while their hands are out from the Light of Christ which gives true Knowledge and Ability to Minister either to the Soul or Body and is the principal thing Mark he doth not say it is the principal thing of the Gospel he was not defining Gospel here but what was the principal thing â—o make a good Minister or Physician nor did he say â—eading of Hypocrates or Galen was Gospel in the abâ—tract but the Light was the principal thing or that â—hey and the Light together make up the Gospel in the â—ull and adequate Sense thereof This I urge to shew â—he Man's Falshood and Deceit who offers so remote â—n Instance and wide from the subject we are treating â—f to prove that to which it had no coherence and all â—o cover himself that the Shame of his Nakedness â—ight not appear which now is so much the more viâ—ble by this fresh Demonstration thereof From hence he sallieth to a Discourse about the Scripâ—ures being called the Word of God That he may ratifie our Adversaries he represents it an unprofitable â—rtful and groundless Contention on our parts especially â—r Friend B. Cool having in a late Book of his said That as they declare the Mind of God with respect to us and are his Commands to us they may in that respect bâ— called the Word or Command of God to us And so saitâ— G. K. all other Professions in Christendom own them and nâ— otherwise Answ Till he be more steady to what himâ—self owns I deem him no fit Voucher for others mucâ— less for all other Professions in Christendom Yet foâ— the sake of such to whom he labours to traduce us 〈◊〉 reply We contend not meerly about Words but aâ— some Men have erred in denying the immediate Internaâ— Revelation is a continuing Gospel-Privilege so havâ— they also in mis-applying what hath been said in thâ— Scriptures concerning the Word of God whence iâ— hath come to pass that as the Jews of Old thought iâ— them to have Eternal Life while not coming to Chrisâ— John 5.39 so these not attending to nor coming tâ— Christ as inwardly revealed have set up the Scripture as their Rule in opposition to an inward Guidance by the Spirit of God in these days assigning to them whaâ— was spoken of the Divine Inshining Words Now tâ— undeceive these and direct them to an inward Prinâ—ciple in themselves our Friends have been led to thiâ— Distinction not in Derogation to the Holy Scriptures nor through an Itch of Contention but as a necessarâ— Medium to six Mens Minds upon that Word which iâ— able to save the Soul and enlighten the Eye which thâ— best of Words could not do without it Yet very unfâ— was G. K. to fling this stone who himself hath botâ— used and defended this very Distinction in his Help iâ— time of Need p. 65. a passage not yet retracted foâ— there he not only tells us Though the Holy Scripâ—tures declare of this Word yet they are not thaâ— Word more than a Map or Description of Rome oâ— London is Rome or London or the Image of Caesar iâ— Caesar or Bread and Wine is the Body and Blood oâ— Christ c. But also allows They may borroâ— the Name and sometimes be so called as the words or Prophecy of Isaiah is called by himself his Vision c. He should therefore have first retracted his own unprofitable hurtful and groundless Contention as he calls it in others before he had bestowed his Censures upon us But the Man's Malice hath run him a-ground who needed not by this repeated instance to have given fresh Evidence of his Instability we having enough to load him with besides and more than he can fairly get from under were he not judiciously infatuated
Death So foully hath he prevaricated in wresting his words to what they will not bear nor were not designed to bear when given He goes on This was never intended by me to lâ—ssen 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 and that Promised Seed of the Woman that should bruise the Serpents head Answ What he intended is best interpreted by what he said except he would perswade us that he said one thing meant another I shall not therefore think much to transcribe a Passage or two already given in our former Books and not yet retracted by him In his Way cast up p. 99. he saith Though the outward Coming of the Man Christ was deferred according to his outward Birth in the Flesh for many Ages yet from the Beginning this Heavenly Man the PROMISED SEED did inwardly come into the Hearts of those that believed in him and bruised the Head of the Serpent and destroyed him that had the Power of Death that is the Devil And in Way to the City of God p. 125. Even from the Beginning yea upon Man's Fall God was in Christ reconciling the World to himself and Christ was manifest in the HOLY SEED inwardly and stood in the way to ward off the Wrath of God from the Sinners and Unholy that it might not come upon them to the uttermost during the day of their Visitation For even at Man's Fall the Seed of the Woman was given not only to bruise the Serpent's Head but also to be a Lamb or Sacrifice to attone and pacifie the Wrath of God towards Men. And also p. 128. he Queries Why might not Christ suffer in Men before his outward Coming as he doth now suffer in them long after it Again The Seed hath been the SAME in all Ages and hath had its Sufferings under by and for the Sins of Men in them all for the removing and ABOLISHING of them This I bring not to entertain a strife about words but seeing he absolutely told us what he ever intended I demand the Intent hereof whether he did not then acknowledge Christ's Appearance as a Seed and the Effects thereof both to reconcile attone and pacifie the Wrath of God towards Men and also to bruise the Head of the Serpent was previous to that of his being born of the Blessed Virgin the which he knows to be that which we have all along pinched him with out of his former Writings and which to this day he hath neither retracted nor defended § 13 Whereas he had said Imm. Rev. p. 87. ' The Soul speaks to God in the Son Through him not at a distance but near He now § 13. saith His Sense was not at a discontinued distance but both near and afar off Answ This idle Shift will not help him he is positive he is not a distance but near and adds Where his living Drawings are felt his eternal Power is felt making way for the Soul unto God breaking through all the Powers of Darkness c. And is that Presence wherein the livings Drawings are felt c. at a distance absent not near even within say I Yea Christ is near as Mediator He is Man's Advocate unto God and there is none to intervene or come betwixt God and the Soul but Christ the alone Mediator to whom God speaks in his Son said G. K. but a little above and in p. 88. speaks of the Appearance of Jesus to mediate in Men which could not be spoke of the Body received of the Virgin and now glorified in Heaven for that is at a distance not near but of that Presence which is not at a distance but near even of him who is the high and holy one that inhabits Eternity with him also that is of a contrite and humble Spirit Isa 57.15 Nor will his Notion of a discontinued distance help him but rather shew he is a meer Shuffler First for that it is no Scripture Phrase Yet expresly delivered in the Scriptures in plain express Scripture-terms therefore by his own Rule Truths Defence p. 170 171. should not be required by one sort from another as an Article of Faith or Doctrine or Principle of the Christian Religion 2ly However it may hold in the Mathematical Science with respect to a direct Line which extends from the place near to another remote and afar off yet here Vbiquity being an Attribute not only of the Deity but even of the Man Christ according to his own Assertion Way Cast up p. 130 131. and not yet retracted so that God and Christ are every where not confined or circumscribed to a remoteness as in a direct Line where one part is near the other afar off this distinction will not hold 3ly What he alledges out of Acts 17.27 where Men are bid to seek the Lord if happily they may feel after him and find him reacheth not his purpose viz. That he is not at a discontinued distance It being spoken of the Vnfaithful and even to them God was not afar off however they might be far from him so as to feel and find him For that which may be inwardly felt and found is not far off But hear him again I did not intend in the least saith he by asserting the Mediation and Intercession of the Mediatory Spirit of Christ in the Saints to deny or derogate from Christ's Mediation and Intercession without us in Heaven Answ Neither do we But what doth he retract then if it be still good Doctrine that Christ is Mediator in his inward Appearance in Man as well as in Heaven What hath he been hitherto contending with us about in his several envious Pamphlets Will he give up the Cause at last and cry Peccavi for his fierce opposing and slandering us as denying Christ's Mediatorship upon this very foot rather than retract this Passage Or will he do neither but twist and twine and wriggle in constant Inconstancy and neither plainly renounce nor plainly defend what he hath so plainly asserted formerly § 14 He would perswade us if he could § 14. that by these words Imm. Rev. p. 99. Jesus Christ revealed in Man is the Foundation of the true Church He did not mean only and alone the Light Within but that the true Knowledge and Faith of Christ as he is both God and Man and who as Man died rose and ascended c. is grounded upon him as inwardly revealed c. Answ He was not speaking of Jesus Christ revealed TO Man but of his being revealed IN Man which is the Scope of his Argument from p. 99 to 129. Who in p. 101. saith Christ must be revealed by the Father before he became a Foundation this is that which buildeth which edifieth the effectual Working in every part the Revelation of the Arm of the Lord IN Man's Heart And p. 103. having told us that Whatsoever Church
prove what they did not directly and properly prove the which undue Application of both these places 1 Cor. 2.2 and Gal. 3.1 both here and where-ever they may be found in any other of his Books particularly Uni Gr. p. 42. he retracts and corrects as above-mentioned Answ Though he speaks of some other places of Scripture yet I perceive he retracts and corrects but two so that of Col. 1.26 c. lies still as a bar in his way And this Retractation being bounded by the word above-mentioned must relate to the rendring 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in you and Christ's being Crucified in Men which is the whole of what is there alledged So that it should seem it is not Doctrines but Explications of a Scripture or two that he pretends to retract or correct Nay he addeth in general terms as if he designed to hide himself from his Reader and play fast and loose that he remaineth in the same Testimony AS TO THE MAIN as to Christ's inward Appearance and in all other parts of it relating to Essentials of Christianity and spiritual Experiences c. But what those Essentials are and in what branch or lesser matter he relinquisheth his former Testimony the Reader may guess if he pleaseth for Information he gives none The Poor Man hath an ill Cause to defend and the least said the soonest amended which I take to be the reason he shuns descending into particulars Yet when he writes again I would gladly know from his own Pen 1st Whether he now dare assert that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 can no where throughout the New Testament be with good Sense as well as grammatically rendred in you and if any where in what place and how long he will stand to that Exposition 2ly Whether Paul did not preach Christ Crucified in Men even when he could not be supposed to mean his outward Crucifixion as when he saith Rom. 6.6 Our old Man is crucified with him and Gal. 2.20 I am crucified with Christ again Heb. 6.6 They crucifie to themselves the Son of God afresh 3ly What other places of Scripture hath he strained beyond what they directly and properly prove For according to my measure of Understanding he hath took time enough since he first gave out his purpose of explaining and amending his Books to have made these more Compleat and Intelligible had he designed it or were he a sincere Convert where hâ— now hovers for Protection and perhaps Promotion As dark is he in what follows for he remains in thâ— same Testimony if ye will believe him as to all openingâ— of Truth at any time given him of the Lord and delivereâ— in this or any other of his Books therefore let none judgâ— amiss saith he of my free and Christian Acknowledgmenâ— in this or any other Mistakes that upon a further Discovery I am made free to acknowledge retract or correct Answ What he accounts Openings given him of the Lord and how long he will so account them he iâ— wise that can tell For as he gives us no Catalogue oâ— them nay seems to expect as I find from a passage p. 42 l. last of these the Reader should cull them out for him and he will retract them if he see cause so what he forâ—merly gave as Divine Openings he now denies to bâ— such as particularly the Arguments drawn in his Booâ— of Vni Gr. he then ascribed to the Evidence and Demonâ—stration of the Spirit of Truth he now p. 16. confesseth hâ—â— Sin and Error in so doing Thus in him is verified thâ— Saying of the Apostle James Chap. 1. v. 8. A Double-minded Man is unstable in all his ways § 17 In the next place § 17. he gives us a piece of a passage out of Imm. Rev. p. 137. thus Then they would turn their Backs upon them and their Colledges would become like Abbacies at this day Upon which he bids us Note The great Rudeness and Vnmanâ—erliness he saw in many of the Collegiants and other Vnâ—hristian Behaviour in our Meetings and elsewhere drew â—his passage from him Answ Were this true as it is not it is a very rash Censure from the Misdemeanor although of many Collegiants to propose the laying wast of Colledges indefinitely especially if he then â—hought the Constitution was good and the Fault only â—n the irregular Lives of the Scholars But that this is not true but a false Pretence trumped up of late to â—helter himself under I shall appeal to the very Book â—t self He had said p. 136. That upon this Foundation of denying Immediate Revelation depends their Church Ministry and their WHOLE Clergy and their so called Theology and Philosophy Schools and Colledges Then he goes on For if once People were perswaded and convinced that God did teach and would teach them who wait on him then they would turn their Backs upon them and their Colledges would be like the Abbacies at this day which lodged that Prophane Rabble of Papist-Monks and Friars who pretended as great Spirituality as the National Priests do an Habitation for Owls and ravenous Beasts see p. 136 137. What Deceit was it â—hen in G. K. to assign the Scholars Rudeness and Unmannerliness as withdrew this passage from him when â—hat it was not it but he had assigned another viz. The â—enying Immediate Revelation or the Teachings of God's Spirit If G. K. can read this without Shame I am perswaded the considerate Reader cannot without Detestation that the Man should obtrude so gross an Untruth upon him And in so much as he adds That he neither then was nor now is against Schools of good Learning either of Divine or Natural things but the abuse and Irregularity of them I ask what he now calls Schools of good Learning of Divine things whether those Schools which he once would have had become an Habitation for Owls and ravenous Beasts those Theology and Philosophy Schools and Colledges which depend upon the denying Immediate Revelation Are they now become Schools of good Learning with him Or ought they now to be Suppressed For that is the Matter in Debate Whether these Schools be good in order to make Men Ministers of Christ ' Whither he says Help in Time of Need p. 35. Fathers and Relations send them to learn the Calling as ever the Shoe-maker or other Tradesman past his Apprenticeship and then becomes Free to use the Trade This let him fairly retract or defend it being the main hinge of the Controversie which he hath not dared hither to cope with perhaps for the same reason that the Chief Priests and Elders refused to answer Christ whether the Baptism of John were from Heaven or of Men For the Man is in a Dilemma he must please his Flock at Turners-hall at present who perhaps do not yet think such Schools to be good to make Men Ministers till he can settle better to his Advantage yet he must not displease the Clergy except he was sure he should never stand in
3.15 but on Mat. 12.50 and Rev. 12.1 5. Answ The tearm Seed of the Woman he must borrow from Gen. not from Mat. 12.50 and Rev. 12.1 5. and also that this Seed should bruise the Serpents Head in the instance above As well as that when he said Way to City of God p. 125. Even at Man's Fall the Seed of the Woman was given not only to bruise the Serâ—pent's Head but also c. he must refer to the Promise made Gen. 3.15 This he called Imm. Rev. p 12. as alledged above in 〈◊〉 § 4 and there Cited by him and observed â—y me to which I refer as himself doth to what himself said in that § which â— there Answered a perfect substantial Birth of an Heavenly and incorruptible Nature the Body Flesh and Blood of Christ and in his Way Cast up p. 96. saith the Saints in all Ages did feed on it And seeing Christ had Flesh and Blood from the beginning he afforteth that he was Man from the beginning for as God simply he cannot have Flesh and Blood for God is â— Spirit therefore it is the Flâ—sh and Blood of Christ as he is Man or the Son of Man for which he Ciâ—es Christ's words unless ye eat the Flesh of the Son of Man c. Again in his Way to the City of God p. 133. he calls it the Heavenly or Divine Substance or Essence of which the Divine Birth was both Conceived in Mary and is INWARDLY Conceived in the Saints And must all this be now turned off as an Allegorical Allusion as impâ—oper c O the inconsistency O the variableâ—ess and unsoundness of this wavering fickle Man Who having lost his Guide is perplext and entangled in Fetters of his own making while insincerely alledging and adducing false pretexts to cover himself with which are too narrow and too short Thus having gone through his first Section and touched the most material passages not designedly overlooking any although he hath omitted several of which I may chance to put him in mind of at the close I come to his second Section containing his Explanations and Emendâ—tions as he calls them of passages in his Book of Universal Free Grace Printed Anno 1671. which how Effectually done I now purpose to Examine Sect. II. § 1 Waving then his Preamble which respects the Title Page and hath been touched upon above § 5. of Sect. I. I begin with his § 1. where he pretends to remain in the same Testimony against that absurd Doctrine of absolute Reprobation rendring Salvation impossible to the greatest part or indeed to any part of Mankind and adds yet an Election even of Persons as well as of the Divine Seed I have owned c. I shall therefore examine whether what he now owns be correspondent to what he then owned seeing he here pretends not to retract any thing Beginning then with p. 107. of Vn Gr. which he widely refers to without giving any Citation thence I observe that to Mens objecting from that Scripture I will have Mercy on whom I will have Mercy that God hath not Mercy upon all but upon â—ome only he Answers These words relate not to Mens first coming into the World but unto a time after when they had despised the much Long-suffering of God extended unto them that after a time of Gracious Visitation though never so small he may have Mercy upon some to give them a longer time and yet not have Mercy upon others to give it them â—he which rather makes against a Personal Election â—an for it say I For if God have Mercy upon all â—ot upon some only it is in order that Election the â—uit of his Mercy should extend to all not to this or â—at Person only or as Persons but as adhering to â—d found in that Divine Seed wherein the Election â—ands So that this makes not for him but against â—n And whereas he now tells us that in p. 108. he â—ows the Common Translation of those words Acts â— 48. And as many as were ordained unto Eternal â—fe believed the Reader will find if he consult the place that he did not allow it for he rendred it who ever believed were ordained unto Eternal Life or ordered or placed into Eternal Life which is both a Transposition and varies the Sense i. e. they were not ordained to believe but the Believers were ordained or ordered into Eternal Life Whereto he there adds Although the Common Translation should be admitted he doth not say he doth admit it but although he should it proves not what they intend And thereupon he grants indeed that as whoever believâ— are ordained to Eternal Life so whoever are ordaineâ— unto Eternal Life do believe and so far G. K. giveâ— in these but what himself thence inferred he gives not viz. which hinders not but that others may havâ— had a Day of Visitation wherein it was possible foâ— them to have believed but God did fore know theâ— would not believe and so he did not predestinaâ— them to Life Which again spoils his late Notion 〈◊〉 Election of Persons as well as the Divine Seed for whicâ— end perhaps it was omitted by him seeing the Electiâ— was not Personal but in the Divine Seed All otheâ— having had as he saith a Day of Visitation whereâ— it was possible for them to have believed then sure 〈◊〉 was possible for them to have been Elected and tâ— Election was not limited to Persons say I To the he adds a third Reference out of p. 109. The objâ—â—ction which he gives not here was this that frâ— John 6.37 All that the Father giveth me shall coâ— some would infer that none but the Elect who are given Christ can come unto him and they all shall To whâ— he Answers There is a more general giving and a mâ— special giving which is only applicable to the Sainâ— who are his Children and cannot but come unto hâ— But what is this to prove an Election of Persons to 〈◊〉 the more special giving is only applicable to the Sainâ— Are Saints and Persons Synonymous tearms Or is â— Saints rather a Qualification Such cannot but come unto him but is that predicable of Persons indefinitely Or only of Persons found in the Divine Seed wherein the Election stands So little doth he help himself out in his vain Essays to Reconcile his late with his former Sentiments The inconsistency whereof I shall further make appear in an instance or two out of his Book of Truth Advanced compared with a passage or two out of Vn Grace Who in p. 105. of Vn Grace having in p. 104. Asigned his Understanding thereof to be given of the Lord by his Spirit thus delivereth himself There are two Seeds one Elect and of God the other Reprobate and of the Devil Who so now cleave to this Elect Seed in the true Faith and persevere so to do are chosen of him before the Foundation of the World as fore-knowing and fore-seeing them in Unity with this
no other way that we could be made Spiritual who were Natural but that Christ Jesus who was and is Spiritual should become so to speak Natural Hence he is called the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e the Word Innaturalized c. This I have given more largely than G. K. hath done in this § and leave it to the Reader to judge whether the Allegory be not stretched upon the Tenters Yet hence he bids uâ— note Though he deny not the Flesh of Christ in the inward in an Allegorical and Metaphorical Sense but he once owned it to be a perfect substantial Birth Imm. Rev p. 12. as I have observed already yet he freely acknowledgeth he hath unduly and improperly applied that place John 1.14 and 1 Tim. 3.16 to the Flesh of Christ in the inward both here and in Way cast up p. 133 134. And that though he might possibly excuse it to be only said by way of Allusion yet even in that respect he retracts it as improper he will not say unsound it seems Answ But doth he also remember that before he had pretended to retract it that he had blamed another though without a cause for what himself it seems by this Concession was culpable of Was he then rectus in Curiâ fit to impeach others if they had deserved it while himself an Offender in that which he charged others with Or is it not hence plain that he was more quick-sighted abroad than at home Fastning that as a Deduction from others allegorizing of Scripture viz. an allegorizing AWAY Christ's Birth Death c. which he would be loath should be imputed to him as the Consequence of his own So injurious a Detracter is he § 5 Now from his saying Vni Gr. p. 9. This is sown Natural to which he addeth in a Parenthesis viz. the Divine Seed while he omits what he had said of our being changed thereby both in Soul and BODY so as being sown Natural to be raised Spiritual but is raised Spiritual he bids us Note § 5. This is but an Allusion and was no wise intended in prejudice of the Resurrection of the Body for in this same Book p. 70. I plainly assert the Resurrection of the Body as a thing not yet attained by the deceased Saints Answ Although he hath been so far from granting it to us in the like case but branded us as Atheists Antichrists and Sadducees upon this very account yet I do allow that as there are Celestial Bodies and Bodies Terrestrial 1 Cor. 15 40. So that the asserting the raised Bodies to be Spiritual is not in prejudice of a bodily Resurrection Yet I find it is not enough for him to say in his own behalf that because Allusions in many cases are not safe he wisheth he had not used it in this case but he must tag a Slander at the end of it viz. That some great Preachers among a sort of Quakers that are turned his Adversaries do WHOLLY apply ALL that is said 1 Cor. 15. of the Resurrection to the inward rising of the Soul or Seed within And that one of their Ministers whom he names not could not be persuaded by him that it was meant of the Resurrection of the Body after Death To all which I say I less question his Malice than his Veracity a Story supported only by the Allegation of a professed Adversary Therefore if he would be believed he must both name the Persons and bring a better Voucher For I will assure him he having so often laid to our Charge what we never so much as thought of and that even after our denying it and putting him upon the Proof that I shrewdly suspect he hath done no better by them whom he would fasten this Accusation upon § 6 To what he had said Vni Gr. p. 20. That by that which may be known of God Rom. 1.19 is meant the Gospel he in § 6. tells us he still holds 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 he will not deny Answ A figurative way of Synecdoche Why what way of Synecdoche doth he know that is not Figurative as much as he pretends to Learning He would have paid us off I trow if we had committed such a Blunder Again he doth not here deny that the word Gospel may not be extended to a more general Signification than iâ— commonly used in Scripture So then the Debate iâ— not it seems whether by that which may be know 〈◊〉 of God be understood the Gospel but whether thaâ— Signification be not more than what is commonly maâ—â— he doth not say always but commonly used in Scripture And so it is the common Acceptation only of the word aâ— used in Scripture that this Legomachist or Word pecker is contending about who yet scorns to admit he is any way doctrinally unsound but only with respect an undue application of a Scripture or two now and then will afford to emit a Retractation or Correction And even of them he is very chary After the same manner he in what follows retracts his undue application of these places of Scripture viz. Rom. 1.16 Col. 1.23 1 Tim. 3.16 for he names no other here to the inward Principle as to what it did or doth discover and reveal universally in all Men and particularly in such of the Gentiles to whom the Gospel was not outwardly preached Which still relates to and is bounded by the words undue application but whether the Gospel hath not been preached to the Gentiles who have not been under any outward Administration of the Gospel which is a Doctrinal Point he resolves us not as if he designed nothing less than Plainness Therefore I shall give a touch of what he hath formerly delivered argumentatively upon this subject out of Vni Gr. p. 28 29. and not yet retracted Who having said it is evident that this inward Principle was the very Principle of the Gospel in them enforceth it thus If the Gentiles shall be judged according to the Gospel then the Gospel behoeved in some measure to be manifest unto them for no Man shall be judged according to that which is not made manifest This is solid Reasoning beyond an 〈◊〉 Application of a Scripture or two of which more I shall offer at the close of this § Now he tells us Vpon a diligent Search into the Holy Scriptures he finds that in all places in the New Testament where the word Gospel is used it signifieth the Doctrine of Salvation by the promised Messiah that was outwardly TO COME of which the inward Principle is but a part Answ Here he is out again for the New Testament being written not when Christ was outwardly TO COME but after he was outwardly come the word Gospel there when it signifieth the Doctrine of Salâ— by the plentiful 〈…〉 come not as 〈…〉 so positive that in 〈…〉 where the
word Gospel is used 〈…〉 the Doctrine of Salvation by the promised 〈…〉 in an instance or 〈…〉 hath over 〈…〉 when Paul speaks 2 Cor. 〈…〉 8 9 of them that preach another Gospel are 〈◊〉 some of the places which upon a diligent Search 〈◊〉 he finds speak of the Doctrine of Salvation by the promised 〈◊〉 Or will he confess that the word Gospel was here used to signifie something else Also when the everlasting Gospel was again to be preachedâ— after the 〈…〉 the word again it had been discontinued to be preached 〈…〉 History of Christs Birth Death c. had not doth that place Râ—â— 14.6 7 mention any thing of the Doctrine of Salvation by the promised Messiah There 〈◊〉 not a word of that 〈◊〉 there but saying with a loud 〈◊〉 Voice Fear God will give Glory unto him c. be in 〈◊〉 preached with Commission from on high is called preaching the everlasting Gospleâ— Did G. K. in his diligent Search â— over-look this 〈◊〉 how could he sayâ— IN ALL PLACES in the New Testament where the word Gospel is used it signifieth the Doctrine of Salvation by the promised Messiah I might also instance in Rom. 1.16 although he refuseth to allow it me now that the Gospel cannot be said to be the Power of God unto Salvation to the Believer in any other Sense than aâ—â— it a powerful energetical inward Principle for as it is barely Historical the Ungodly have that Belief though they went the Power So that as the Power oâ— God is not a Belief or Relation concerning the Power so neither in a strict genuin Sense is the Gospel which is the Power of God unto Salvation either the Relation 〈◊〉 it self or the Historical Belief of what is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he further asserts here That whatever Doctrine 〈…〉 or have at any that preached the great subject 〈…〉 not the promised Messiah to wit the crucified Jesus of the main Foundation c. it is not the Gospel in the proper full and adequate Sense and Signification of it as the Scripture useth it observe he doth not say it is not the proper full and adequate Sense and Signification of the â—ord in any wise but it is not the proper c. Sense and Signification of it as the Scripture useth it so loth is he yea to retract any further than an undue Application of a Scripture or two so he adde that Paul in that place Col. 1.23 meant the Doctrine of Salvation by Christ crucified and the Grace and Gift of the Holy Spirit given of God to Men through him and the other Apostles and Evangelists in that clear and bright Dispensation then given c. Answ Paul's words were not so restricted to that clear and bright Dispensation of the Gospel as to go no higher The Gospel he was speaking of was preached to or in every Creature under Heaven This relates to the time past but in the other Sense it was never so preached to all Men living whatever G. K. thinks it may have been to them after they were dead therefore it could not be meant of the Doctrine of Salvation by Christ crucified with respect to that clear and bright Dispensation the Apostles were under but of that Gospel which had been preached to or in EVERY Creature under Heaven This Objection G. K. foresaw therefore adds Though it was not 〈◊〉 that time actually preached to all Men yet it was began 〈◊〉 to be preached and that after the Prophetical Stile that which was to be done is said to be done Answ This will not help him for first where that Prophetical Phrase iâ— or how it is used he assigns not 2ly Neither did the Apostle speak of it as what was then begun to be preached or of what was to be done but of what waâ— preached was done and that not only to a few thoâ—â— the Primitive Christians preached to but to or inâ— every Creature under Heaven It was an Vniversaâ— Gospel universally preached Paul was speaking of 〈◊〉 that G. K's Allegations are unsound One thing I shall take notice of here out of his p. 23 24. relative to this subject which may excuse my hanâ—dling it there where he takes notice that the Gospel oâ— the Kingdom shall be preached in all the World and that thâ— is not the inward Principle only but the Doctrine of Christ's Birth Death c. instancing those words of Christ Where-ever this Gospel of the Kingdom shall be preached 〈◊〉 also shall be told what this Woman hath done c. Answ This makes against him not for him For Christ did not say Where-ever THE Gospel of the Kingdom but where ever THIS Gospel of the Kingdom shalâ— be preached c. So that the Gospel may be preached where this Gospel giving a Historical Relation of Christ'â— Birth Death c. may not even without contradicting Christ's words And that the glad Tidings brought by them whose-Feet are beautiful upon the Mountains are Gospel in a secondary Sense we deny not Yet so that as the outward and visible things are the Figures oâ— the Inward and Spiritual as G. K. hath asserted Imm. Rev. p. 15. so the name Gospel is more immediately and properly applicable to the Inward Yet in as much as G. K. still shelters himself under the tearms undue Application of some Scriptures and acknowledgeth no Error in Doctrine I shall give a foâ—â— Instances of what he delivered formerly Doctrinally upon this subject in his Book of Vni Gr. who to an Objection that the Gentiles have not had the Gospel preached to them all this time by-past thus answers p. 20. Though the Gospel came not unto them outwardly by the Ministry of Man yet it came unto them inwardly by the Ministry of God himself Again Whereas our Adversaries denied this Manifestation of 〈◊〉 in the Gentiles is the Gospel or any Manifestation of a Saving Nature G. K. argueth thus p. 21. If it were not Evangelical and the VERY GOSPEL IT SELF in an inward Ministration it would quite â—ender the words of the Apostle Impertinent for Paul is here speaking what the Gospel was and what was revealed in it both to the Just and to the Unjust 〈◊〉 that it was not then delivered as a Figurative way of 〈◊〉 dothe according to his last Phrase but the VERY GOSPEL it self or the Apostle must speak Impertiâ—ntly What! Had he not then made a diligent Search â—â—to the Scriptures Or did they tell him one thing â—hen another since But he adds p. 22. By this Manifestation they did see the invisible things of God and his eternal Power and Godhead c. But had â—hey a Revelation of the Manhood of Christ so as to â—ave the Knowledge and Faith of Christ's Birth Death c. either explicitly or implicitly seing it is not the being the Eternal Power and Godhead that makes it â—ospel now with him without the other If he will 〈◊〉 it he must prove it If not Why did he not â—tract this as a
number 400 as 〈◊〉 adds p. 116. being produced of Four answering 〈◊〉 the Four Elemental Principles and Qualities of thâ— Body and the number Ten to the Ten Commandments which may be branched forth into other Teâ—â— And a little lower p. 116. that the Graves that shaâ— be opened at the Resurrection are not any visiblâ— places on the Globe of this Earth but certain invisible places to our Carnal Eyes where they are lodgeâ— until the time of the Resurrection And p. 117. Thus commonly Men have two Graves the first giveâ— them by Men till the Separation be made betwixt thâ— Kernel and the drossy part by Putrefaction as suppose after a Year more or less the second giveâ— them by God c. Now he having in the close of these thus summed up the Matter p. 118. viz. But against the Doctrine of the Resurrection as HERE delivered and opened by plain Evidence of Holy Scripture and in Scripture-words and tearms to whicâ— it is only safe to keep in this and all other things c. I in my Keith against Keith p. 46 47 and 141. pâ— him upon giving plain Evidence of Scripture and iâ— Scripture-words and tearms for these his Monstrouâ— Notions of the Resurrection Whereby the Readeâ— may perceive I give better Light into the Controversie as well as assign Page and Passage than G. K. hatâ— done who now dare leave it with the Judicious wheâ—ther G. K. hath not administred occasion to be reflected on as transgressing his own Rule He saith p. 34. The word without is easily understood when we speak of Earth Sun Moon Stars Judea Moses David that they were without us and that Christ was Born at Bethlehem and Bethlehem was without us and adds at the close it had been as little needful to have mentioned Christ without us as Heaven without us as Judea without us had not that wild Notion of many who own no Christ without nor Heaven Resurrection nor Day of Judgment without occasioned it Answ This is to Slander not prove nay he doth not so much as attempt to prove it wherefore as a false Charge I reject it To the rest I say whatever Exposition agreeable to the Scriptures may be allowed to another G. K. having precluded himself by that Passage Cited Truths Defence p. 170 171. ought not to Claim it For his saying ' Nothing should be required from one sort to another as an Article of Faith c. but what is expresly delivered in Scripture in plain EXPRESS Scripture-tearms signifieth either something or nothing If nothing what was it said for If something where 's the boundary We see how largely he hath ranged in what hath been given above by C. P. and my self Who while pretending to be of the same Mind still as formerly now interpreteth his meaning to be not that every word must be expressed in so many Letters and Syllables when there is no necessary occasion for it but in plain easie terms as are equivalent to Scripture terms But who shall be judge of the occasion say I or that the tearms are equivalent For this brings all into uncertainty again if G. K. may be his own judge It is as much as to say They must be delivered in plain Scripture-tearms which are obvious to every one that can read or in equivalent terms of which my self not the Reader shall be judge And upon this stock as he hath already grafted his Hydra of Absurdities and Contradictions enough to nauseate the Sober and Inâ—telligent so may he superfoetuate upon them at pleaâ—sure who had he kept to Scripture-words and expressions perhaps had found never a Stone to fling at Friendâ— in America § 9 The substance of what he gives out of Truth Defence p. 191 192. is that the Sacrifice of Christ's Death did truly extend for the Remission of Sins past from the beginning of the World that all the Believers that lived under the Law and Prophets and before the Law were saved by Faith in Christ and by Vertue of his Death and Offerings once for all all have had have or shall have a Day of Visitation and shall be accountable to the Man Christ on the score of his Dying for them Upon this he descants p. 35. not retracting but defending it as proving that he did not place our WHOLE Salvation upon an inward Principle excluding the Man Christ Jesus from being jointly concerned with his Light Grace and Spirit in Men as he falsly saith many called Quakers do And that he then held that all who were saved in any Age of the World were saved by Faith in Christ as well before he came in the Flesh as since All which is granted him as I have often told him but whether that Faith was ALWAYS attended with a Revelation that he came and suffered outwardly else NOT SAVING is the Matter in Controversie For whereas some had objected There can be no Justification without Faith in Christ but these Gentiles had not Faith in Christ G. K. answers by denying the second Proposition Vni Gr. p. 30. that they had not Faith in Christ And how did he prove that may some say Did he offer to prove that they had an Implicit Faith in Christ his late distinction or that they might have the History of what Christ did and suffered or was to do and suffer without Circumstances of Times Places or Persons a new-coined fetch he hath in Sect. I. § 18. of these nothing less But as he had said Imm. Rev. p. 243. that true Religion and Christianity may subsist without the History of Christ in the Letter to wit in the Mystery of the Life of Christ in the Spirit and yet even here where the History is wanting the Mystery or Inside of Christianity is not without its Skin or Outside namely an outward Confession to God c. So here Vni Gr. p. 30. he saith If they did cleave unto and believe in the Light they believed in Christ for he is the Light nor is the outward Name that which saveth but the inward Nature Vertue and Power signified thereby which was made manifest in them c. So that Faith in the inward Manifestation was Faith in Christ then with G. K. and also Saving This he calls ibid p. 34. the main and principal Thing the Word of Faith the Gentiles did share in with the Jews that whoever among the Gentiles did believe and call upon the Name of the Lord were saved no less than the Jews And ibid p. 56. he calls it Some Manifestation of him in and among the Gentiles sufficient to Salvation As well as that he had said ibid p. 36. The very Gospel hath been preached to ALL otherwise they should never have been charged with not having obeyed it All which I offer that G. K. may not couch himself under general tearms and thereby cast a Mist before his Reader 's Eyes as he endeavours to do in what follows where he saith That by Faith in Christ I meant the Man
Expressions might not be so much from his own Experience as his Master Plato 's Writings or allowing he might have some true Experience of a Divine Contact or Vnion it was in some transient way like a glance or slash of Lightning Answ If G. K. will allow Plato to have had the Divine Spiritual Contact Union c. himself must prove beyond probabilities and may-be's that Plato had Faith in Christ yea even in Christ Crucified and Raised again to wit such a degree of Faith as was accompanied with a Divine Union such an Union which in the Quotation given out of Ant. and Sadd above he denies to have been given to the Pious Gentiles or to Cornelius who had not that Faith And if that could be done and Plato could be proved to be more than a Speculative Philosopher is it not pretty fair that G. K. even when denying that Cornelius of whom the Holy Scripture give so large a Character as a Devout Man one that feared God whose Prayer and Alms were come up as a Memorial before God Acts 10.24 had the Holy Ghost in his Gentile state should admit Plato might have it and that by Union Was Plato a better Man than Cornelius Or is not G. K. worse than either A very Changeling in Religion And yet stiff in defending he is not so Nay Plotinus himself a Writer against Christians shall have so much of G. K's good word though Cornelius go without it as that he will not deny he had not this Union at least in a transient way A sign that they who write against Christians a Work himself hath lately taken in hand have more of his Favour than the Pious Gentiles But he hath not spun his Thread fine enough yet so that if the word Union will not fetch him off but he be hampered there in p. 36. he will riveit it with the words permanent and lasting inward residence abiding and then he vaunts saying It is great Ignorance in his late Opposers not to understand how the Spirit of God who is holy may work in the Hearts of the Gentiles and Vnbelievers but we were speaking not of Gentiles and Unbelievers indefinitely but of Cornelius and the Pious Gentiles yet hath no inward residence or abiding Vnion or Communion with them but such only who have Faith in Christ Answ The words fore-cited viz. MOST INWARD UNION AND COMMUNION cut the Nerves of this New Exposition for what can be so if not that which is a permanent lasting abiding Residence and that in the Pious Gentiles But to mislead his Reader as he adds so also he substracts at pleasure yet gives it as our Inference For besides the word Pious which he left out as if the Debate had been only of the Vnbelieving Gentiles he here speaks of Faith in Christ not of Faith in Christ Crucified his own tearms when he denied Cornelius to have had that Holy Ghost as if there had been two Holy Ghosts which was a peculiar Gift to Believers in Christ Crucified and Raised again and not to every Believer in Christ indefinitely to whom the History thereof had not been revealed All which shews the Man is a meer Shuffler seeking to reconcile his former with his latter Sentiments instead of retracting either by indirect means adding to and taking from the Premises at pleasure and yet giving them as if they were even so stated what we had alledged to him A Work ill becoming a Scholar to such Illiterate Antagonists as â—e would render us But his Cause and Management are a kin § 10 Waving then any Doctrinal Discussing of the Point for the Matter before me is a Consideration of the Incongruity and Incoherence of his Contradictory Assertions and the Defectiveness of his false Covers instead of shewing wherein the Scriptures alledged by him do not answer his purpose I come to consider the next trifling Objection as he also calls it we have made but where he saith not I had in my Keith against Keith p. 107 108. quoting him out of Presb and Ind. Chur. p. 111 112. shewed this Notion there that Men who had not the express Knowledge and Faith of Christ Crucified WHEN LIVING might have it at or after Death to wit in their passing through the Valley of shadow of Death favoured that of Purgatory as in my People called Quakers Cleared c. p. 31 to 33. and else where I proved what he held with respect to that of the Transmigration of Souls Now to obviate both these he alledgeth a passage out of his Pretended Antidote p. 115 116. which Book I know not how to come by That all that go to Christ in Heaven after Death must have an express Knowledge of Christ in Heaven Whence he Queries both whether the Souls now in Heaven can be without all Knowledge of Christ and whether the Souls of Plato and Socrates whom farr be it from him he saith to suppose they are not in Heaven are still without all express Knowledge of Christ Answ If the Faith the Gentiles have will carry them to Christ in Heaven they are well enough We doubt not but their Knowledge there will be compleat nor do we think when they are once there they will be sent back again for want of an express Knowledge before they came thither However I thought before this great Philosopher arose that the Faith and Knowledge that carried me to Christ in Heaven was Saving Knowledge and that if I had not my Saving Faith and Knowledge here I should never come thither Thus to extricate himself from an Imputation of holding the Notion of a Purgatory on which he was like to be stranded he alledgeth another as unsound i. e. They shall have their express Knowledge of Christ in Heaven the tendency of which as it is a Procrastination a putting off the day of Salvation so it contradicts the Scriptures which say TO DAY if ye will hear his voice harden not yâ—â— hearts Heb. 3.7 8. NOW is the day of Salvation 2 Cor 6.2 Thus he shews his unsoundness in what follows his Malice by insinuating if some of his Opposers whom he names not think there is no Christ in Heaven having any bodily Existence it 's no wonder they think the Saints in Heaven have no knowledge of him In which he is both Injurious and Detractive as well as Self-inconsistent in his malitious Charge once vented by his Brother Apostate Chr. Lodowick who then defended that it was not true and quoted a Book of G. W's called Malice of Ind. Agent p. 17. and another written by some Friends called Testimony for the Man Christ Jesus which p. 4. cited W. P. on that behalf wherein both G. W. W. P. and those Friends assert the Man Christ's Existence in his glorified Body in Heaven see G. K. his Christ Faith p. 12 13. as he is also in suggesting we think the Saints have no knowledge of Christ in Heaven which I remember not to have heard from him before and is
a little below He was never so uncharitable as to judge that few or none were truly Pious or of a true Christian Spirit but such as were of the same Profession with him So that he was charitable it seems when he gave this Character of you in the Lump And I do not find he clears you yet except by such a particular Exception out of a general Rule which leaves you in the dark as to the Exemption to â—he Indemnification not to the Charge Whose Sense of you now if we may gather from his Judgment upon others in his Way cast up p. 35 36. where acknowâ—edging that the Lord had some among the Presbyteâ—ians who belonged to his true Church he saith Far the greatest Number of their Church-Members were of Gross and Scandalous Lives utterly Inconsistent with true Piety is not a very charitable one And â—re the rest of you sure he thinks better of you What he widely and without shew of proof alledgâ—th against us as oppugning the great Fundamentals of the Christian Religion and of nasty tearms and words used by â—me Preachers among us worse than Bill insgate which he â—lso assigns in general Tearms without specifying what â—hey were and who gave them while he applauds himself as never having that Faculty deserves not my notice except to reject as an unproved Slander The Man is gauled and fretted his Work being too heavy for him either to clear himself or make out his Charge against others whom if he cannot overturn with Arguments he would fain over-run with Noise But no Weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper and every Tongue that shall rise against thee in Judgment thou shalt condemn said the Lord of his Heritage of old Isa 54.17 who is the same to his to day yesterday and for ever § 14 Thus having gone through G. K. his Explications and Retractations the Fruit of 18 Months Toil and shewed what poor silly shâ—fting deceitful and evasive Allegations he hath used all along more like 〈◊〉 Pedantick Trister and Quibbler his Charge upon others than a Man of sound Knowledge and Expression his owâ— Character of himself and also reflected upon his insincere and mincing Retractation of those few he pretendâ— to Correct as if in nothing Doctrinal he had erred buâ— only in an undue application of a Scripture or two noâ— unsound but unsafely worded and that many times delivered in ambiguous tearms I had once thought to havâ— Collected those Passages he hath wholly pretermitted and we have exposed in ours to which these are pretended as an Answer But considering this would adâ— too much to the Bulk of these which hath alreadâ— swelled beyond my desire and that it will necessarilâ— fall in in course if ever he reply to ours Five where of lye upon his Hands unanswered I forbear at presenâ— waiting to see whether the next 18 Months will producâ— a more mature Birth than the preceeding have done Yet not so but that I shall direct where they may 〈◊〉 found and what Subjâ—cts they Treat of I shall then premise that had he really designed tâ— purge himself satisfie his Reader and reclaim what hâ— could not defend or wherein his Judgment was altered he would have been so far from overlooking whole Books as he hath done his Light of Truth Way Cast up Way to City of God Presb. and Ind. Churches Christian Faith and Serious Appeal to which I may add his Postscript to G. W 's Nature of Christianity that he would rather have erred on the other hand by repeating them over and over as he insinuates in his Preface that we have done Nor would he have excused himself by a silly pretence depending upon his own Veracity without Demonstration that ours needed them not that we had perverted and wrested his words c. as hath been observed already And had he been really and conscienciously concerned or to use his own words p. 44. Did he with deep Regret acknowledge and blame his too great rashness in giving hard Names and passing uncharitable Censures on such as deserved it not he would have descended to a more particular Retractation and Explanation what the undeserved Names and Censures were and who deserved them not whereas now this limitation and reserve opens a way to him to make a Nose of Wax of his Recantation at pleasure as they please him or his future Circumstances put him in a condition either to stand in need of them or the contrary And whereas over-passing his more early Books he had Vindicated us so lately as in the Year 1692. even since he began to be litigious in America as sound with respect to most of if not all the Doctrines he now pretends we are unsound in and that from 28 Years converse both in publick Meetings and private Discourses even with the most noted and esteemed among us as he alledged Serious Appeal p. 7. and that this hath been objected to him both in my Apostate Exposed a Book G. K. is still Debtor to and elsewhere it is not sufficient for him now to heap up unproved Accusations against us without taking notice of what we have said in our Defence but to have offered had he designed a thorow Retractation even thereof something at least as an Evidence that his Opinion then was ill grounded and now leans upon a surer and faster bottom than that of Prejudice or a Personal Pique which every Judicious Reader knows is apt to miss-way the Judgment Thus far in general Now to be more particular 〈◊〉 come to recapitulate some of the Quotations G. K. hath wholly leapt over wherein what I give out of him in one Book I shall not offer again when brought by us in another as not designing more shew than substance The first I shall observe is what T. E. hath offered in his Truth Defended p. 47 to 50. out of G. K. his Imm. Rev. p. 179 188 190. relating to a knowing a Tree by its Fruits proceeding from an inward relish taste and discerning which G. K. hath not touched upon to Explain or Correct The next Treating concerning the Man Christ as being Man from the beginning before outwardly Born and Conceived of the Virgin that as inwardly revealed he was a Lamb or Sacrifice to attone and pacifie God's Wrath to Man the promised Seed the Seed of the Woman that did actually bruise the Serpent's Head ever since the Fall had inward Flesh which thâ— Holy Men fed on in ALL AGES and that more thaâ— visible Flesh is the Ransom out of G. K. his Imm. Rev p. 226. Way cast up p. 93 to 99 and p. 102 103 104 111 141 142. Way to City of God p. 125 and Rect. Corr. p. 20 21 27 28. may be seen in T. E's Truth Defended p. 117 119 91 94 104 142 150 and in his Answ to Narr p. 36 46 86 87 100. opâ—posed there to G. K. his late Sentiments For whaâ— he gives but even a transient touch at the Page how little soever