Light when it is contracted or gathered together by the help of a burning Glass that it burneth or kindleth any ordinary combustible matter as any other fire doth But seeing such a debate is more proper for naturalists and belongeth to that called natural Phylosophy I shall not insist thereon only I inform the Reader who is not acquainted perhaps with such things that the opinion which holdeth light and heat to have no body is almost generally now rejected in the Schools as false and as a meer old fiction of some old Popish School men grounded upon some mistaken notions of Aristotle and upheld by the Jesuits to uphold their absur'd Doctrine of Transubstantiation when they teach That the colour and tast and smell of the bread wine being but meer accidents do remain without all Substance of the bread and wine after the consecration and as absur'd and ridiculous is their doctrine who say that light hath no body that is proper unto it but is a meer accident or quality in the Air For as well may the Jesuits say that the colour smell and tast of the Bread and Wine having no body or substance of the Bread and Wine are only accidents adhering in the Air. But why dost thou not answer to my other examples brought from Scripture as namely how the natural Life and Soul do principally reside in the head and heart and yet emanate into all the members of the body and how the Sap and Moisture residing principally in the root of the Tree goeth forth into all the branches even so the life and light of Christ as he is the Heavenly Adam residing principally in himself doth emanate and stream forth into all his members and in some respect into all things Is the Sap and Moisture a meer accident having no substance and is not the Soul of Man substantially in all the bodily Members although residing more principally in the heart head Pamphlet Animad 17. They believe this Heavenly man-hood to be a creature contrary to John Crooks Counterfeit convert p. 63. that true light which is called the Life of Christ John 1. 4 9. and lighteth every man that cometh into the World is not a creature Keith saith it is a creature Ans. To this I have answered sufficiently above upon Animad 8. that the Spirit or Life of Christ as he is the Heavenly man is not so properly or strictly a creature But men have not only the Spirit of Christ in them as he is Man but also as he is God and the Light Life and Spirit of Christ as he is God or the word simply considered in it self in no sense can be said to be Created But the word made Flesh may in that sense be said to be Created as it is said to be made for Made Created and Formed are commonly of one Signification And that the word was made Flesh from the beginning I have proved in my book because the Saints in all Ages did feed upon the Word made Flesh and the Word made Flesh dwelt in them Now in what sense I understand that the Heavenly man-hood and Soul of Christ is Created I explain in my book in these words p. 135. Therefore to the end that the word may be ingrafted into us and we again ingrafted into it the Word must be Incarnate or made Flesh as we are for all men are a sort of Flesh and so called in Scripture in comparison of God that is purely Spirit and though the Souls of Men are Spirits yet comparatively as unto God they are as it were Flesh and thus the Word is become Flesh that is to say hath advanced a Step or degree neerer unto us than it was in God before any thing was made and the Word was first of all made Flesh to be the root and soundation of all other Created beings and for which they are Created for it is a more noble Creation than all things else Here by my words quoted at large in my book it may be seen how and in what sense I understand the Heavenly man-hood of Christ to be Created namely as the word is made Flesh also Christ himself designed by Wisdome Pro. 8. 24. doth expresly say of himself when there were no Depths I was Formed and again v. 25. before the Hills I was Formed for so doth the Hebrew word Cholalti most properly signify and is used elsewhere in Scripture to signify the Creation of other things so that Made Formed Created do commonly signify one and the same Nevertheless I do acknowledge that Christ the Heavenly Man is not so properly or strictly to be called a Creature or Created Made or Formed but rather generated and he is the Son of God rather than a Creature of God even as a Man's Son is not called his Creature but his Son and yet he doth truly and properly partake with the Creatures otherwise he could not be a perfect Midle or Mediator betwixt God and Men who are Creatures But seeing this production or bringing forth of Christ from God the Father is so great a Mystery it is by no means to be curiously disputed about but simply to be acknowledged believed and admired and not to be expressed in words which mans wisdome teacheth but what the Holy Ghost Teacheth such as the Scripture words are which say The Word was made Flesh and Christ the Heavenly man is the only begotten of the Father full of Grace and Truth and the first-born of every Creature and concerning his wonderful Generation it is said Who can declare it and he is called the New Man who is Created after God c. and so to these Scripture Names I keep close where I am safe and where the malicious accusations of the adversaries of truth cannot reach unto me And by what is said the reader may easily understand that there is no real contradiction betwixt John Crook and me for whither J. C. mean by the true Light which is the Life of Christ the Light of the Word simply considered or the Word made Flesh I am at no contradiction with him for according to the first That Light can in no sense be called a Created Light and according to the second namely As the Word made Flesh or as the Spirit of Christ as man it is not properly Created nor in that strict and narrow sense is it to be so called as the other Creatures are Pamphlet Animad 17. That Scripture in Heb. 9. 11. Not of this Building is grosly corrupted by the Author c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 here is rightly translated building or structure It is not always taken for the Act of God in framing something out of nothing nor the effect of Gods so Acting but it is taken in another sense in some places as 1 Pet. 2. 13. Ans. That Scripture Heb. 9. 11. Is not at all corrupted but truely translated and the sense of it truely given nor doth thy weak and frivolous reasoning prove the contrary for
In Answer to my Arguments from some places of Scripture in the old Testament thou sayest By the same way of arguing Christ did from the beginning really take upon him Angelical Nature as well as mans Nature Ans. That Nature which Christ did take from the beginning did and doth excel in its very being the Nature both of all men and also of all the most glorious Angels and yet according unto the same Nature he is somtimes called Angel and somtimes Man Angel there not signifying the common nature of Angels but only his High Office and Dignity thereof for Angel is as to say Messenger or one that is sent and therefore it doth not follow from this that Christ took on him the common Nature of Angels as he did the seed of Abraham when he was born the son of David according to the Flesh. And thy other instance concerning the man riding upon a red Horse is no less impertinent Zech. 1. 18 For although some places of Scripture have only an allegorical sense it followeth not that none have a proper and the proper sense is to be kept where nothing doth perswade unto the contrary as indeed nothing doth perswade to the contrary in the present case but many things concurr together to establish the true and proper sense Pamphlet Animad 10. Here he bringeth forth no matter of argument but onely some queries which I might altogether wave yet for the sake of others I shall say that which may suffice unto any sober enquirer And to the First I say this Life and Spirit of the man-hood of Christ is one with the Holy Ghost by an oneness of union even as the man Christ is one with God but as the Holy Ghost doth signify the Spirit of God simply considered the Spirit of Christ as man is distinct from the Holy Ghost as really as the man-hood of Christ is distinct from the God-head but not divided or separated there-from To the Second I answer that the Spirit of Christ as he is the Heavenly Man is not properly a creature but only as it is taken improperly largely for a Divine Production Emanation but properly it is rather an Emanation or Generation than a Creation To the Third I say a Spiritual Body can well enough penetrate another that is either not Spiritual or if Spiritual yet not in that degree as the other Now when I say according unto the Scripture that Christ had Spiritual Flesh and Blood from the beginning wherewith he fed the Saints by that Flesh and Blood I mean a Spiritual Body in the highest degree and how one Body more Spiritual can penetrate another in a less degree we have a Figure or shaddowy resemblance in the outward light that doth easily penetrate both christal and air To the Fourth I say it is very easiy to conceive how Christ is called the Second Adam although as man he was before Adam who is called the first man namely in respect of the outward birth in the flesh and also in some respect in the inward birth of Christ in us when we are regenerated and made new creatures in him for commonly the first birth which is of the nature of the first Adam as in the Fall hath place in men before Christ the second birth be formed in them and yet Christ himself and his Spirit Life and Soul as he is the Heavenly Man was and is before Adam and all Creatures the first and the last of whom John said there cometh a man after me which is preferred unto me for he was before me And thus according to Solomons advice in the Proverbs I have answered the Fool in his folly lest he should seem wise in his own Eyes Pamphlet Animad 11. Here he bringeth no argument but only querieth and seeketh to ensnare but I am aware of his serpentine cunning and can easily escape it by the grace of God which is given unto me and whereas he laboureth to bring G. F. younger and me into a contradiction his work is vain for according to G. F. I say the true Eternal God is Light and that Light is in us But God doth shine in us in Christ the Heavenly Man or Second Adam who is in us for God was and still is in Christ Reconciling the world unto himself Again whereas thou sayst by way of query Was the man that appeared frequently to the Patriarches without the spring of this Soul and life of Christ. I answer Nay for that man was Christ even the same that afterwards came in the flesh of the Virgin Mary And whereas thou sayst let them produce one Scripture and they shall carry it where it is said The man or Man-hood became flesh it saith The Word was made Flesh I answer these words The Word was made Flesh cannot be restricted or limited to the outward birth of Christ in the Flesh for the Word was made Flesh from the beginning which Flesh was the Saints food in all Ages and the Word made Flesh dwelt in them according to Joh. 1. 14. The word was made Flesh and dwelt in us for so the Greek doth bear it and so was it Translated by divers of them called the Fathers But that Christ the Heavenly man took part of Flesh and Blood with the Children see Heb. 2. 14. And that this he who did so partake with men of Flesh and Blood was not God separately and abstractly considered but God in Union with the Heavenly Man-hood and Soul of Christ is clear from other Scriptures as 1 Cor. 15. 47. Joh. 3. 31. Joh. 6. 38. Now these words Joh. 6. 38. I came down from Heaven not to do mine own will most clearly signifie that the Soul of Christ came down from Heaven to take Flesh for God simply considered could not say I came down from Heaven not to do my own will for God always doth his own will which being most Holy is a Law both unto Christ the Heavenly man and also unto all others this Scripture with many others I did bring in my book The way cast up for proof of what I have affirmed whereof thou hast taken no notice so as to give any reply But lastly whereas thou sayst in this Twelve Animadversion In the next quotation Mark he saith As man he was the Son of God at which thou art offended it seemeth therefore that this is no part of thy Creed viz. That Christ as man was the Son of God even when born of the Virgin Mary But if thou denyest this I ask thee who was the Father of Christ as he was man but God For if he had another Father then he was not born of the Virgin which if this be not rampant blasphemy for any called a Christian to affirm I leave unto all true Christians for to Judge Or if thou denyest that Christ was the Son of God before he was born in the Flesh thou art Guilty of Gross Socinianisme and contradictest the Scriptures Testimony in many places Pamplet
Animad 12. They believe that Christ did not become man when the Virgin conceived by the over-shaddowing of the Holy Ghost but was man before Answ. He was man before but yet he was not man cloathed with Flesh and Blood in the likeness of our Flesh before the Virgin conceived by the over-shaddowing of the Holy Ghost and therefore we do saithfully believe that the Man Christ was born of the Virgin and conceived by the over-shaddowing of the Holy Ghost who was the Son of God both after he was so born and also before even from Everlasting Pamplet Animad 12. Thus Christ was never man had never a Humane Nature for as they have said before The Soul most properly is the man and Christ never had a Humane Soul according unto Keith Answ. That Christ was never man I altogether deny to follow by any true Consequence from what I have affirmed and as to his reason that Christ never had a Humane Soul according unto Keith as touching the words Humane Soul I do not remember that I have used that Term at all in my book The way cast up for because it is not a Scripture-Term and of a doubtfull and Equivocous signification I purposely did pass it by I say it is of a doubtfull or Equivocous signification because first it may signifie such a Soul as hath no substantial dignity or perfection in it above the Souls of other men and in this sense the Soul or Spirit of Christ as he is the Heavenly man is not a Humane Soul but Divine and Heavenly for it is more excellent even in the nature of it than the souls of other men Or Secondly it may signifie the true soul of man having all the Essential Properties of mans soul and it 's whole perfection and if in this sense any will say that Christ hath a Humane Soul and call the Man-Hood of Christ his Humanity there needeth no contention about it for in the Latine Tongue we have not a word so proper as Humanitas to signifie the Man-hood and if we may say Humanitas in Latine we may say in English Humanity that is to say Man-hood But then by the Humanity of Christ we understand not only the whole Essential perfection of the souls of Ordinary men but also some greater and more Excellent perfection as aforesaid and therefore it may be called his Heavenly and Divine Humanity or Man-hood which took part of Flesh like unto ours in the womb of the Virgin And not only the soul of Christ but also his body of Flesh in the outward as it had all the Essential properties and whole Essential perfection of our bodies so it had somewhat more as being conceived of a Heavenly and Divine seed that came down from Heaven and for this cause the Heavenly man Christ Jesus is truely Divine both in soul and body being divinely qualified in both And if this offend any that Christ should be called a Divine man I desire them to consider how oft men are called Divines only for some profession of Divinity surely Christ Jesus as man hath incomparably more reason to be called Divine than any of them And what if I should call all their Divines Humanes Is this too mean and low a Terme whereby to call them But why is it too mean and low unto them and yet they give it unto Christ and call him Humane his soul a Humane soul and his body a Humane body Is not this to exalt themselves above Christ himself and to take to themselves a Title which they will scarce allow unto him and to give him a Title as namely Humane which they think too mean for themselves Pamplet Animad 12. So that he is so far from being like to us in all things that he is not like unto us in any thing for though he had a body like to ours yet that body is not informed as ours Answ. He is sufficiently like unto us in all things sin excepted that both his soul and his body had all the Essential properties and whole Essential perfection that the soul or body of any other men hath but that he had and still hath greater and more excellent perfections both of soul and body than all other men doth not hinder that he was made like unto us in those which both he and we also have for was not Adam made in the Similitude or likeness of God So that by reason of that Similitude man was like unto God and yet God is infinitely more excellent in nature and being than Man but yet according unto the reasoning of this Author either man hath no likeness unto God is not like unto him in any thing or then God hath no Substantial or Essential perfection above man both which are most absurd and contrary unto Scripture But again is not man like unto the Beasts in some things as also unto the Herbs Plants and Trees of the field So that as the Herbs Plants and Trees have a Vegitable soul or life and as beasts have a sensitive soul or life hath not man both the Vegitable and sensitive soul and is he not like unto them in those respects And yet hath he not a Substantial dignity and excellency of nature above them But yet again according unto this mans reasoning either man is not like unto the Beasts and Trees in any thing or else he hath no Essential dignity or perfection not so much as in his very soul above them and therefore it shall follow at last that as God is no more excellent in his nature than man and as man is no more excellent in his nature than any beast yea or Tree that God is no more excellent than any beast or Tree of the field which is most gross and blasphemous and yet the Natural and necessary Consequence of this mans Doctrine When I think upon these and such like gross absurdities that follow from this mans Doctrine together with his other absurd sayings and Malicious perversions I wonder not that he hath been either ashamed or afraid to put his Name to his Pamplet Pamplet Animad 12. A Son is not a Son if he have not the same nature with the Father and Mother Answ. I grant for Christ hath the same Nature both of Father and Mother seeing as I have declared in my book he is True and perfect God and True and perfect Man but that he hath the same Nature with Mary and all Mankind as to all the Essentials of soul and body hindereth not that he hath also a more excellent nature otherwise thou might as well say that Christ could not be the Son of Man and also the Son of God which is contrary to Scripture Pamplet Animad 12. Jesus increased in Wisdome his Soul was then subject to some kind of ignorance though not sinfull it did not know all present or past things Answ. Ey Jesus increasing in Wisdome may be very well understood the manifestation of the spirit of Wisdome that did
as the Greek word doth not always signify a strict Creation so no more doth the word Creation in English and that the word is sometimes applyed to an Humane work or constitution proveth not that it is so to be understood here For the Writer to the Hebrews is not comparing Heaven with the Tabernacle made by mens hands as thou alleadgest in that verse neither doth he call Heaven that greater and more perfect Tabernacle for he saith not so but thus Christ being come an high Priest of good things to come by a greater and more perfect Tabernacle c. entered in once into the holy place The greater and more perfect Tabernacle Therefore is Christ himself who hath gone into Heaven And this Tabernacle is more excellent than that outward figurative Tabernacle was because that Tabernacle could not remove it self from one place unto another but as it was carried by the hands of men neither could it go into Heaven because it was of a meer earthly creation but Christ Jesus by a greater and more perfect Tabernacle namely by himself did go into Heaven for he came down from Heaven and is Heavenly and not of such a mean and Earthly Creation as that outward Tabernacle was and therefore he doth compare Christ with the Figurative Tabernacle not so much as to its structure or building with mens hands for that were but a mean and low comparison seeing the beasts Skins that covered the Tabernacle and the blood that sprinkled it as also the substance of the wood and other materials were not made with mens hands but only the artificial structure or form of the Tabernable was the work of mens hands But Christ Jesus this greater and more perfect Tabernacle doth excel the Typical and figurative Tabernacle in regard of the very substance of which it is made as being of an Heavenly Nature and not of this creation with the outward Tabernacle as to the very substance although for our sakes he did partake with us of the Earthly creation yet he himself is wholly and altogether Heavenly if this be not the True and real sense of those words Heb. 9. 11. I leave unto the spiritual for to Judge Pamphlet Animad 17. Let the Quakers remember that this creation of which he saith this Man-Hood is not but of another was not by hands Answ. That it was not the work of mens hands I confess but this giveth thee no advantage nor doth it in the least weaken my Argument for this Earthly and corruptible creation although it is not the work of mens hands yet by a Metaphorical and figurative speech it is said to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 made with hands to signifie the weakness and corruptibility of it and for a clear proof of this see 2 Cor. 5. 1 2. Where the Apostle compareth the earthly house of this Tabernacle of our Mortal Flesh with our house from Heaven and calleth this last by way of Antithesis an house not made with hands as if the Mortal body which is our earthly house were made with hands although not with the hands of men which is a figurative expression as holding forth the meanness and weakness of all that which is earthly and Mortal which the Learned among the Hebrews on that account call in Hebrew Asiah as to say in English manufaction or a making with hands but besides this visible and corruptible world of Heaven and earth which they call Asiah or faction they understand that there is another more excellent world or creation invisible unto our outward eyes and this they call Jezirah as to say in English formation and besides this yet a more excellent which they call Briah in English creation namely that which is strictly and properly so called the other two although commonly named Creations yet not so properly or strictly for which distinction of three Worlds they Alledge Isaiah 43. 7. where all these three Hebrew words are used and besides all these yet one most excellent of all and which doth in the Nature thereof approach nearest unto God himself and this highest and most Noble production above all things Created Visible or Invisible they call Aziluth which is to say in English Emanation Nor are these distinctions of Worlds and Creations idle fictions of latter Jews but real things the Truth whereof is warranted by clear and express Testimonies of Scripture both of the old and new Testament for doth not the Scripture speak of Heavens in the Plural number and of Heavens of Heavens Also doth it not say that God made all things both visible and invisible by Jesus Christ and certainly these invisible things are a more excellent Creation as God created them than the visible also it is said That God by his Son made the Worlds or Ages which cannot meerly relate unto the times but also and more especially unto the things themselves made in those times Pamphlet Animad 17. Some of them think fit to call this man-hood an Emanation rather than a creation you see they are at a losse what name to give this child of their own begetting and breeding in the imagination Answ. This is another gross abuse and perversion of my words as if by these some who think fit rather to call the Heavenly man an Emanation than a Creation I did understand some of my friends called in scorn Quakers and as if we were at variance among our selves how to name it which is a grosse untruth and false hood for by that same I did understand some Hebrew Doctors or Teachers who call this Heavenly Man Aziluth which is to say in English Emanation as also they do call him the Heavenly Adam the great High-priest the Bridegroom and Husband of the Church and they say plainly if this man were not the world could not confist and who is this but Christ Jesus although they do not express these names And certainly it might be a great help whereby to convince the Jews and to gain them to believe in Christ Jesus as he was born and suffered in the Flesh and Rose and Ascended into Heaven to make use of those Testimonies which are in their own books unto Christ although under other names some whereof are very proper and according unto Scripture in our reasoning with them in order to their conversion which way if used in the Wisdom of God and direction of his Holy Spirit I doubt not but the Lord would bless for even Paul when he preached unto the Gentiles at times made use of some Testimonies out of their writers whereby to bring them to acknowledge the Truth But whereas thou art not affraid nor ashamed to call this Heavenly Man Christ Jesus a Child of our own Begetting and Breeding in the Imagination thou openly shewest thy gross Ignorance of the Scriptures and thy great Unbelief and want of True Faith in Christ and that thou art a greater Infidel in some Respect than many of the Jews are Some whereof in words do Acknowledge him as