Selected quad for the lemma: soul_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
soul_n	body_n	earth_n	live_v	4,806	5	5.4600	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A47193	The universall free grace of the Gospell asserted, or, The light of the glorious Gospell of Jesus Christ, shining forth universally, and enlightning every man that coms [sic] into the world, and therby giving unto every man, a day of visitation wherin it is possible for him to be saved, which is glad tydings unto all people, being witnessed and testifyed unto, by us the people called in derision Quakers : and in opposition to all denyers of it, of one sort and another proved by many infallible arguments, in the evidence and demonstration of the spirit of truth, according to Scripture testimonies and sound reason : with the objections of any seeming weight against it, answered it, answered / by George Keith.	Keith, George, 1639?-1716.; Furly, Benjamin, 1636-1714.	1671 (1671)	Wing K228; ESTC R13258	128,214	140

that are to come but we must not limit the Lord so as to have this accomplished in our time but patiently wait the Lords season Object 30. If that Light which was in the Gentiles had been of an Evangelicall nature as you say it is then it would have taught them Evangelicall precepts Viz. to love enemyes bear injuries without revenge overcome evill with good c. which are things which no humane light reason or naturall faculty of man can teach much less bring any man to the practice of Answ. It doth appeare that many of the Gentiles who had not the Scriptures did not onely teach these Doctrines but also in a large measure practise them patiently suffering injuries not onely without revenge but shewing love meekness and rendring good for evill Seing then that this objection ingenuously grants that no naturall power of man could teach or lead to these practises evident it is that that in them which taught and enabled them to obey the truth in these things was supernaturall and Evangelicall G. K. POSTSCRIPT AND because some through ignorance in History have presumed to affirm that none of the Heathens so called knew or practised such things for the conviction of them and a generall service to the truth we shall here alledge some remarkable examples to evince the truth of what is affirmed in those particulars which made Aristotle in his Ethicks lib. 10. chap. 4. 7. say they that did these things did them not as men but as having some thing divine or of God in them Not then to quote at large the Noble Testimony given by Palladius Ambrosius and others concerning Dindimus King of the Brachmans as they are at large published in Latine and Greek and printed in London by T. Raicroft 1668. intituled Palladius de Gentibus Indiae Bragmanibus S. Ambrosius de moribus Brachmanorum Anonymus de Brachmanibus As also another in the high Dutch language inittuled Historie von dem grossen Konig Alexander c. Yerzo auffs new aus der alten Ceutschen sprache in druck gebracht Printed anno 1642. All which do relate the excellent and Christian Evangelicall lessons given by the said Dindimus to Alexander who sent Ambassadors to him to require him to come to him promising him great rewards if he did losse of his head if he did not this in the Name of Alexander the King of all men Son of the great God Jupiter But Dindimus smiling at this Vapour and not moving his head from the leavs he lay upon answered God the great King never begot injury but light peace life the water body and soules which he also receivs when they have finished their course nor was he ever the author of lust This is my Lord and onely God who as he hates murther so he wageth not war c. And a little further he saith The things that I seek I easily attaine to those things which I regard not I am not to be driven to If therefore Alexander take my head he shall not destroy my soule which will return to the Lord while the body which was taken out of the earth shall therunto return For I being made a Spirit shall ascend unto my God who included us in the flesh and placed us upon this earth to try us whether we being gone forth from him would live unto him as he hath commanded who demands an account of those that depart for he is a judge of all injuries and the sighs of those that are injuriously treated become the pains of those that injure them Let Alexander then threaten those that love silver and gold and feare death neither of which hath place among the Brachmans who do neither feare the one nor love the other Go therefore and tell Alexander Dindimus wants him not and if he wants Dindimus let him come to him Which being reported to Alexander he was the more desirous to see that single old man that could conquer him after he had conquered so many Nations And so coming to him said I come to heare a word of wisedome from thee whom I hear dost converse with God To whom Dindimus replyed Very willingly would I administer to thee the words of the wisedom of God hadst thou but place in thy mind to receive the gift of god administred But thy mind being filled with various lusts insatiable avarice and a devilish desire to rule which fights against me and my designe of drawing thee off from destroying Nations and shedding humane blood is in all things contrary to the wisedome by which I and the Brachmans are led who worshipp God love men contemne gold despise death and slight pleasures whereas Alexander and his feare death love gold covet pleasure hate men and despise God adding how can I speak unto thee the words of the wisedome of God whose cogitations are so filled with pomp ostentation and inordinate lusts that a whole world is not able to satiate thee however he refused not to give him that councell which Alexander was as he confessed convinced in his heart was good but could not follow Viz. to cease warring against men without engage himself in another warfare against the enemies within himself his lusts his affections his desires if he desired to be rich indeed and to be a true Victor assuring him that all his power all his hosts all his Riches all his Pomp would at last not availe him any thing But saith he if thou wilt hearken to my words thou shalt possess of my goods who have God to my friend whose inspiration I injoy within me Thus thou shalt overcome lust the mother of penury which never obtains what it seeks Thus thou shalt with us honour thy self by becoming such as God had created thee Adding though thou slay me for telling thee these proffitable things I feare not For saith he I shall return to my God which created all things who knows my cause and before whom nothing is hidden I know not saith he whether thou shalt be so happy as to find thy self perswaded by my words but I assure thee if thou be not when thou art departed hence I shall see thee punished for thy actions heare thee lament with deep and sharp sighs the misery thou hast put many to c. Viz. when thou shalt have no other companion then the memory of the evills thou hast heaped up upon thy self For saith he I know the pains justly inflicted by God upon unjust men Then thou shalt say unto me Dandamis how good a counseller wert thou to me c. These things Alexander heard as t is said of Herod concerning John the Baptist not onely without wroth but with a placid countenance replyed O Dandamis thou true teacher of the Brachmans I have found thee the most excellent amongst men by reason of the Spirit that is in thee I know all that thou hast spoken is true God hath brought thee forth and sent thee into this place

Gentiles together shewing that the Gentiles were not so cast off but that as to what was the maine and principall thing To wit the word of faith the Gentiles did share with the Iewes and that whoever among the Gentiles did beleeve and call upon the name of the Lord were saved no lesse then the Iewes for said he there is no difference betwixt the Iew and the Greek for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him and whoever beleeveth on him shall not be ashamed Now in the 3. and 4. Chapter hee giveth the Reason why the Iewes who sought after Righteousnes did not attaine it even becaus they sought it not in Christ but in the Law and the legall ministration wheras God had not appointed that for Righteousnes but to point unto Christ who is the end of it for Righteousnes unto every one that beleevs vers 5. And this hee proveth Viz. that Christ is the end of Law for Righteousnes from Moses words Deuter. 30. shewing that by that word of faith which Moses said was nigh unto the Iewes and in their heart so that they needed not say who shall ascend into heaven for it or descend into the deep is understood Christ. Otherwise hee could not have brought Moses words as the Reason or proof why Christ was the end of the Law as here hee doth Againe hee affirmeth for a man to say in his heart who shall ascend into heaven were to bring downe Christ from above or to say who shall descend into the deep were to bring him up from the grave which cannot be wherby it is manifest that by the word he understands Christ whom hee calls the word of faith which hee and his Brethren did preach And so they preached him nearer unto men then either Heaven or the grave The word is nigh unto thee even in thy heart and in thy mouth Some may say how is Christ to be understood to be in the mouth I answer It may be in Relation unto his being given unto men for the food of their soules according to what Christ said hee that cateth me shall live by me Now the food is put in the mouth that it may be nourishment unto the body so here is an allusion unto that as if Moses and Paul had said thou needs not perish for want of Christ the food and the life of thy soule for hee is as nigh unto thee as thou canst desire him as the very meat when it is in thy mouth yea hee is yet noarer Even in thy heart for now the meat may be put into the mouth and yet becaus of weaknes or some Impediment in the body the vertue strength of it may be hindred to goe unto the heart for the strengthning comforting or quickning of the same so though it wer in the mouth yet a man might die as being so weak that hee could not draw the vertue of it into his heart and indeed so it is with us men in the unconverted state wee are in such an impotent condition to doe any thing for our selvs that if life and vertue from God were not brought so near us as to be put in our very hearts wee could not live for wee are not only weak and sick but wee are dead in sins and trespasses and this is the wonderfull mercy of the Lord that hee hath brought this bread of life as near us as is possible for our quickning and salvation hee hath put it not only in our mouth but in our heart yet if the heart doth not kindly receive it nor suffer it to have its operation therein notwithstanding it is brought so near it will not give life unto the heart but be a savour of death unto death thereunto But wher the heart doth receive it so as to unite therwith it not only becometh life unto the heart soo as to fill it with pure Heavenly refreshment and joy and with most excellent and Heavenly breathings thoughts desires and meditations concerning the Mercy Goodnes Power and Love of the Lord and of his Wisdome Righteousnes Purity and Holines or whatever else it tasteth of and enjoyeth in him but also becometh a most abundant wellspring of life unto the mouth wherby it is opened after a marvelous manner to utter and expresse the thoughts and feellings and joyes of the heart in living words which are spirit and life having of the very vertue of the divine life in them which as they are a most sweet and acceptable favour unto God so are they of great use and service unto men both for quickning the dead and for refreshing and building up the living yet more abundantly in the power of that life which has quickned them And thus the word springeth up from the heart into the mouth but here it as it were descendeth from the mouth into the heart therfore it is first said to be in the mouth the word is near thee in thy mouth and in thy heart Now that this was the priviledge of the Gentiles no lesse then of the Iews to have this word so near unto them as to be in the mouth and in the heart The Apostle doth plainly affirme and so that the Gentiles who beleeved were saved no lesse then the Iewes for saith hee There is no difference betwixt Iew or Greeke but the same Lord is rich unto all that call on him And that these Gentiles who did call upon the name of the Lord and were saved were not under any outward administration of the Gospell is most evident from the Objection framed by the Apostle vers 14. 15. and his Answer thereunto The Objection is occasioned by Pauls saying that the Gentils who called upon the name of the Lord were saved Now it might be objected How shall the Gentiles call on him in whom they have not beleeved And if it should be replyed that some of them did beleeve The Objection is How shall they beleeve in him of whom they have not heard And if it be replyed they have heard the Objection remains How shall they hear without a Preacher and if it be replyed they have had a Preacher the Objection in the last place is who or what Preacher hath beene sent to them for how can they preach unlesse they be sent As it is written How beautifull are the feet c. Hereunto the Apostle doth not reply that Preachers have beene outwardly sent unto them for at this time The Gospell as to its outward administration had not gone over all the world but this hee givs for the direct and positive Answer But they have not all obeyed the Gospell c. So then faith come by hearing and hearing by the word of God So hee grants that they could not beleeve without hearing and that they could not hear without a Preacher which Preacher hee doth not say was any man sent unto them by whom they did hear but thus So then saith he Faith cometh by hearing and

Earth to give thee bread the water drink the Aire breath the fire warmth the heavens light and many other benign influences hath I say this bountifull God and Creator who hath given thee besides all this a soule immortall so carefully provided forthy body and the life and comfort thereof c. wholly neglected to provide for thy soule and the immortal life and good thereof hath he given nothing to feed it no food convenient for it appointed no bread for the mouth therof no water for thy inward as well as outward man to quench his thirst no aire to give it a comfortable breath no fire to warm it no light to lead it in its way in which it ought to walk nothing to refresh it in its path I say hath the same Lord provided so many so abundant remedies to cure the maladies and distempers of thy mortall body which is but dust and no remedy at all for the discrasy and distempers of thy soule of a more excellent and noble substance by which they may be removed and thy soule cured let the witness of God in every man answer and I am certain it will not faile to beare this Testimony unto the goodness of God That he hath as abundantly provided for the good of thy soul as of thy body And if he has provided for the good of the soul of every man that good must beare Analogy or proportion to the soule so as to answer unto the nature thereof which is immortall or eternall and without and. Therefore it must be an immortall and eternall good and consequently sufficient unto salvation and eternall bliss For it s said of the Lord that he openeth his hand and giveth unto everyliving thing its meat that is that which is good for it So to the Beasts of the field he hath appointed food convenient for them to the foules of the Aire their meat to the fishes of the sea theirs which is not one and the same to them all but distributeth to every one according as their nature requires what 's consonant thereunto Now is it in the least measure probable that this bountifull Creator who hath so abundantly provided for the Vegetable and animall life in plants and the beasts of the field as also in men food convenient therunto should have provided no food for the rationall soule of man which is an eternall and everlasting substance no food I say convenient for it by which it might live in comfort and joy as other creatures do Indeed had the soules of all men sinned personally as the Angels who fell God had as justly passed them by and deprived them of that which was good as he did the falne Angels But to conceive that the righteous God hath thus passed by and deprived most orindeed all the soules of mankind before their own Personall or actuall transgression is most injurious against both that abundant righteousness moderation and mercy unto which both the Scriptures in most ample manner and the inward Testimony of God in every man do bear witness But again if God were not a lover of the soule of every man and provided not for their good but on the contrary hated the souls of some yea of most men even before they had a being denying or depriving them of that which is for their eternall good then surely it could in no propriety of speech or Justice be said that God were good loving and merciful to all men though he did confer upon them never so many outward things good for the body or outward man For what advantageth it men to have all the good things of this life if they loose their soules they being past by and from all eternity irreversibly appointed to eternall wrath and misery yea are they not hereby but rendred the more miserable and unhappy and what can such a conceit beget in them but blasphemous and injurious thoughts of their maker so as to look upon his dealings with them which is horrid to be thought as as cruell as those of the inhumane Cannibals towards some whom poore miserable creatures they feed with good fare to fatten them that they may feed upon them with the more pleasure How is it now possible for any to imagine these Cannibals to beare any love to those whom they thus fairly feed that themselvs may with the greater pleasur feed upon them And yet doth not the Doctrine of these men who teach that God hath passed by the soules of most men without providing any food at all for them represent the mercyfull and just God as onely seding their bodies Canniball like or worse Oh dreadfull and astonishing to be thought with the abundance of the good things of this world onely in order to the making them more miserable in the condition of their soules devoted to the insatiable wrath of God to feed upon to eternity never giving them any sufficient occasion whereby they might be in a possibility of salvation Wheras the contrary doctrine which asserts that God hath provided that which is good for the soules of all men even sufficient for their salvation in a day or time of visitation allotted them wherein it was possible to have been though they never actually be saved but do perish eternally doth abundantly clear both the righteousness and mercy of God as not wanting on his part being willing to have saved them but they would not embrace it and so their condemnation is just and they can have no plea neither from the righteousness nor mercy of God which mercy it self doth most deservedly condemn them because they have finned against it and despised the riches therof which did lead unto repentance Thus shall they be judged by and left without all excuse from the very mercy of God Wheras had not the Lord visited them with what was good for their souls and sufficient to salvation They might have had this strong plea. Lord we desire to plead at the tribunall of thy mercy even at thy mercy seat though we cannot stand we acknowledge to plead at the throne of thy strict justice yet let us plead at the throne of thy mercy Lord thou hast indeed required us to serve thee with our souls but in all our life time thy mercy never visited our soules with any measure of light and life sufficient to enlighten quicken or inable them either to know the service thou requiredst of them or ability to perform it Therefore Lord how can they mercy condemn us we never having sinned against thy mercy thy healing thy saving thy enlightening thy quickening mercy to the salvation of the soule Therefore we put up our plea to thy mercy that we may at least be preserved from eternall wrath through thy abundant mercy Now let the witness of God in every man judge in this matter and it will certainly determine that because the mercy of the Lord shall condemn all that perish the same mercy must needs have visited them with some measure of

so weak and small being onely a very small remnant or Relict of what man had before the fall To this I reply and say Answ. That this very Answer then grants it to be still of a saving nature in so much that if it save not this or that man in whom it is it is not any defect in the nature but onely in the degree or quantity of it But others that foresee the consequence of this concession will not allow it For if it be saving in the nature of it though it be the least of all seeds yet it may save as Christ compared the tru seed of Regeneration unto a Very little thing even the least of all seeds But that they say this universall pricciple is only som relict of that supernaturall Light which Adam had before the fall and nothing de novo or of a new superadded is not to be granted For if by supernaturall Light they understand the image of God in man that image did wholly dye the light thereof become wholly extinguisht and so the image remayned indeed in man but as a dead body without life or as a candle whose light is blown out and extinguished for the Lamb was slain from the foundation of the world and by the fall Christ came to be crucifyed in man Viz. according to the life of the expressed word which being crucified he is said to be crucified though according to the life of the word as it is immanent or dwelling in God and not externally emanant or expressed in man he could never suffer or be crucified And thus as that supernaturall principle became crucified in man through the fall the light thereof came to be wholly extinguished for the light proceedeth from the life An example whereof we have in every naturall thing which liveth Which so soone as they are slain or mortified send forth no more vertu till quickened again And thus a live coale after it is killed giveth no more light till it be revived again by somewhat that is living administred and communicated de novo to it That supernaturall light then which is in all men since the fall is not any relict as aforesaid but some what given of a new to quicken and enlighten the dead body of the divine image and thereby and there through the soule of man which onely can live unto God be a partaker of his life through that life which he breaths into this slain image in which man onely hath fellowship with God according to which man was made in the beginning and because of which he excelled all the other visible creatures for that this divine image expressed or breathed into him whereby he became a living soule i. e. did partake of a life that in the very nature and kind of it excelled the life of all other Visible creaturs which did represent God and give the knowledg of him unto man so far as he was capable of it Now in the last place we have to doe with Arminians and Papists who deny this universall principle to be the grace Evangelicall and consequently that the true seed of Regeneration is sowne in every man which is sufficiently refuted from what hath been said For if this Light or principle be given a new to quicken and raise up the divine image which dyed and was slain by mans fall what can it be but the tru seed of Regeneration For any other principle would be altogether Heterogeneous and so could not serve to quicken or raise it up Let also the many excellent Scripture proofs adduced and opened in the 2 Section and elce where be but well weighed and considered and it will plainly appear that the grace they declare of is truly Evangelicall being called the word of faith and the Gospell Rom 10 8. v. 16. compared and Colossians 1. 23. 27. As also John 1. 9. 7. c. where it s called the tru light which lighteth every man that cometh into the world that all through him might beleeve c. SECTION III. The objections of any seeming weight answered Object 1. NAturall and unconverted men are said Ephes 5. 8. to be darkness how then can saving light be in them Answ. It may be in them notwithstanding in a seed as well as darkness by your own principles is said to be in the Saints so long as they are in this body who yet are in that place said to be Light in the Lord. Why may not then as well light be in them that are called darkness as darkness according to your principles be in them that are called Light in the Lord yea it must have been in them while darkness or they could never have been brought out of that state to be light in the Lord for t' is by the shining of the true light in such that those that resist not its operation come to be so changed Object 2. All men have not faith therefore all men have not saving light Answ. I deny the consequence For faith is the effect of this saving light onely in those that resist not its meek and gentle operation not in those that resist it for in them it produceth not faith but condemnation so we grant all men have not faith hope love nor any of those blessed effects and Vertues of the spirit mentiond Galat. 5. 22. 23. which the Saints alone or the converted onely have but this hinders not but that all might have them the seed which would bring forth these fruits in them did they not oppress it being in them Object 3. Some are said Jude 19. Not to have the spirit Therefore such have no saving light Answ. The word have hath various significations sometimes it signifyes possession enjoyment union and thus all have not the spirit Yea thus none but the Saints have it Other whiles it signifies the presence or in-being of the Spirit in men according to that influence of light and life which prepareth for union and enjoyment and thus all men have the spirit so long as the day of their Visitation remaineth Object 4. It 's said the World cannot receive the spirit of truth because it sees him not neither knows him Therefore c. Answ. The same answer servs For the word receive as well as have is of Various acceptations Thus the World can neither receive nor know the spirit of truth as to union possession and fruition of it But the world that is worldly naturall carnall men may receive the spirit according to that influence which prepareth for union c. for many a wordly and naturall man hath become a child of God But how could any man witness such a change but by receiving the word and spirit of truth while naturall and carnall as it s said as many as received him to them he gave power to become the Sons of God By which receiving here is understood beleeving but there is a more generall receiving of the Spirit by which unbeleevers may come to beleeve

out all from receiving any knowledge from God himselfe whether they belong to that number that is absolutely rejected yea or nay Weigh and consider these things Oh all people and be awakened and roused up out of your slumberings in which your teachers have lulled you that you may once at last perceive these blind guides who deny the Light that is universall and whether they are leading you even into a very pitt of darknes and impiety while they tell you God hath not given to every one of you nay nor to any one of you who may be in a naturall state any thing through which it is possible for you to come out of that darknes and death in which you lye sure when you shall come to any Nobility of understanding you will find that though your teachers say the Quakers teach pernicions principles unto the Nation that indeed wee bring glad tydings unto it Whose principles in the twofold testimony aforsaid as they come to be received and beleived by the Nation will make it a happy and blessed Nation which is now miserable becaus of that ignorance and iniquity that abounds in it By the true faith and beleif of these two principles the nation that is now as a barren wildernes as to fruits of righteousnes would become as the garden and Paradice of God The glory of Lebanon and excellency of Carmell would be given unto it and it would become a married land and nation unto the Lord and so would all other nations through the true beleif and faith of this twofold testimony which hath long beene suppressed and warred against and the few witnesses there of by the Dragon and his followers so that the two witnesses have been slain for three long dayes and a half in asmuch as beside other accounts that this twofold testimony hath not lived and flourished in and among them but hath been always knocked down and slain through the deceit and violenc of earthly minded men who have hated the tru life of Christ and yet for their earthly and selfish ends have made use of the form and words of it which without the life and spirit of Christ is but a dead carcas and as it wer the dead bodies of the slain witnesses which have lain in the streets of Sodom and Egypt spiritually so called that is to say of the fals and Antichristian Sinagogue Babylon the Mother of fornications with her daughters as all th●…se are howmuch soever pretending to a Reformation who are not yet come to witnes the true Light Power and spirit of the Gospell to work in them both the will and the deed Now these Marchants of Babylon and bloody Butchers and Murderers of the two witnesses and testimonies of God have traded and made their merchandise of these dead bodies viz. the words and forms of truth after they had slain the life that appeared therein and murdered Gods faithfull Saints who held forth the living testimony of truth and sold them in the streets or market places of the false Church as ever the Butchers doe their flesh in the shambles in the streets of market Towns Cities and Villages Well! the judgement of this great whore is com and is truly begun The spirit of life from God is entred into the two slain witnesses and shall yet more abundantly enter to the affrighting and allaruming all that dwell upon the earth and truly in nothing more can wee rickon upon the raising of the witnesses then in that the Lord God almighty hath raised this twofold testimony that hath been so much opposed and resisted even by them who made a trade of the words which witnesse ther unto and made it to appear and shine forth in great Glory Power and Beauty and raised up many to witnes therefor and thereunto which no deceit nor violence of men or principalities and powers of darknes shall ever any more be able to prevail against This twofold testimony and the witnesses theirof shall prophocy and that not in sackcloth and weaknes as formerly but in their beautifull garments in power glory and dominion to the staining the glory of all flesh and bringing down the pride thereof that the Lord alone and his truth may be exalted Now unto the one of these two testimonies Viz. that of immediate Revelation a large testimony from the Lord hath been given me to bear and somewhat is published on that Subject for the generall service of truth And also as to this other I find it with me to give testimony thereunto and with others of my Dear Freinds in the truth to leave a publick standing Record and testimony unto the truth hereof in opposion to all denyers of it And becaus that many of our adversaries som through ignorance and others through malice prejudice alledge that this our principle concerning the Light c. it s being universally saving as to its nature is the very same which the Papists and Arminians hold who maintaine universall grace therfor I find it fitt to clear this matter for the undeceiving the simple for indeed though the Arminians and Papists also speake of universall grace as given and offred unto all yet the thing is self which is the universall grace as to what it is indeed and in truth and in true manner and way of its operation they both deny and oppose it for asmuch as they both deny that the universall light which is given unto all it the light evangelicall or a light for the faith of the Gospell to rest in therfor they doe not hold it forth as the immediat object of the Christian saith Secondly they deny the way and manner of its operation to be by immediate Revelation Thirdly they say this light coms from Christ but Christ himselfe is not in man in the true seed of Regeneration yea and the tru and reall indwelling of Christ in the divine seed and birth in the very Saints they generally deny as also that this divine seed and birth is a reall substance or that the divine life is substantiall or subsisteth in any substantiall principle of its owne nature and so I say truly that both Arminians and Papists deny the true universall grace as to what it is indeed and as to the true way of its operation and therfor may be justly putt in the roll with others as unskilfull Physicians through their ignorance of and opposition unto this universall medicine and cure which hath truly the vertu to cure all men and all diseases of men and is administred of the Lord unto all wherby it is possible for them to be cured But not withstanding the great cloud of darknes and ignorance which hath been generally over the understandings of people it is to be acknowledged that through the infinite mercy of God som among one and another both Papists and Protestants so called have received som tasts therof and been partakers of its vertu wherby their souls have lived unto God in som measur but under

that men should doe unto you doe yee also the same unto them For this said he is the Law and the Prophets So here is first Adam Secondly Moses Thirdly the Prophets unto Iohn who is a burning and shining light and a Voice crying in the wildernes prepare the way of the Lord. And Moses the Prophets and Iohn or Elias are the forerunners of the Lord in Spirit who cometh after them and yet is befor them all and in them all but as it wer vaild even as Moses outwardly put a vail befor his face becaus the people could not behold his Glory so Christ Iesus both when hee came outwardly into the World and now when hee cometh inwardly in mens hearts in his first appearance putteth on a vail and his Flesh is called that vail and as hee had his Flesh in the outward which was a vail so he hath his Flesh in the inward which is a vail also The Word became Flesh and dwelt in us said Iohn And this inward appearance of Christ in Flesh is his appearance in Weaknes as Naturall and yet Spirituall the Mystery hid within the vail of Flesh or naturall Spirit The Treasure hid in the field the least of all Seeds And this Christ doeth becaus of mens weaknes in the naturall state they are naturall their eye is naturall their ear naturall their understanding naturall And how can that which is naturall apprehend or receive that which is spirituall but as it appeareth in or clotheth it selfe with a naturall medium For Unum quodque quod recipitur ad modum recipientis i. e. Every thing that is received is received according to the manner of the Recipient And this is the body of Christ that is indeed spirituall but for our cause descendeth into a naturall forme or appearance and changing us by and with it selfe ascendeth againe into its spirituall appearance of glory Thus it is sowne naturall but is raised spirituall and thus also wee become changed therby both in the soul and body so as being sowne naturall we come to be raised spirituall And indeed ther was no other way that wee could be made spirituall who were naturall but that Christ Iesus who was and is spirituall should become so to speak naturall Hence hee is called the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. The word in-naturalised or become naturall in us which in it selfe is spirituall This is for our weaknes he must descend that wee may ascend And according to this acceptation of the word naturall wee should not contend with those who call this inward divine light naturall if they did not call judge it so naturall as if it were only a meer naturall humane thing as a property or quality of mans corrupt nature becaus of which their error our controversy is just with them The consideration of this twofold appearance of Christ even inwardly in men should stirre all up not to rest in the first but to presse forward into the second so as to know a dying through his first appearance unto our naturall which is the first Birth and a putting on the spirituall wherin the rising with Christ is witnessed and a 〈◊〉 downe in him in heavenly plases This first appearance or ministration of Christ in men is as a Law-giver answerable unto Moses which Law requireth of men obedience unto it without letting them see or propounding unto them the Seed wherin the ability is received to fulfill the Righteousnes of the Law And indeed at first Man hath no inclination to look after the Seed which is the Elect and promised Seed But he aspireth to doe what is required of him through the Seed and birth of his naturall being But after al that hee so doth or can doe the Law which is light discovers the emptynes and imperfection of it it being not only a shining but a burning light and here man is sore discouraged afflicted and grieved under the sence and sight of his weaknes vanity misery and unrighteousnes This divine and heavenly light in him doth not only discover his best Righteousnes to be imperfect and an unclean thing but it burneth as fire against it to consume and destroy it Therfor is a man to give up the first birth and all the Righteousnes wisdome and glory of it unto death and burning that this divine and heavenly fire may mortifie and burne it to the end that the second or new birth may be attained by which also that which dyed that was naturall and corrupt cometh to be quickned and raised up pure and spirituall And this Christ himselfe taught expressly that a man must deny himselfe and take up his crosse daily and follow him if hee wold be his Disciple And this Selfe that hee is to deny is his first birth whether of unrighteousnes or righteousnes the first birth even with all its Glory Wisdome Righteousnes hee must give up to the crosse which crosse is the very light or life of Christ in him even in its very first appearance which crosseth the naturall birth with its Righteousnes Will and Wisdome and is not given to cherish and strengthen it but indeed to weaken kill and mortifie it and then to raise it up againe not any more bearing the image of the naturall and earthly but of the spirituall and heavenly This denyall and giving up of a mans selfe and the righteousnes thereof unto death is attained by Faith in the Light Life and Spirit of God and Christ the Word and Spirit of Faith 4. And as concerning the sufficiency of this light unto salvation wee doe not understand it in opposition to either the necessity or usefulnes of the outward coming of Christ and his sufferings and death for our sins nor in opposition unto the service and use of any teachings in the outward that come from the Spirit of God or any outward things to be done or practised which his spirit leadeth unto all which is more largely shewed in the third Section which answereth the particular objections wher diverse others things serviceable for clearing the state of the controversy are treated of 5. Nor do we assert that by this light the will of all men nor of any man in his naturall state at all times is so posited liberated or freed from the Power and Captivity of the Devill whose Servant and Vassall man is become in the fall and degenerate state through a voluntary giving up of his members as servants to iniquity as that he can at all times at his owne will and pleasure avert himself from the service of the Devill rescue himself from under his Power and convert himself to and seek God so as to find him but onely then and at such speciall and particular times and seasons as it pleaseth the Lord in the riches of mercy to touch stir and move him by a visitation from on high upon in and through this light both enlightning his understanding inclining his will in the strength power and vertue of which

it shall never be found that any are simply condemned or made inexcusable for Adams sin but for their owne sins in the first place and for those of their Ancestors but consequentially This is the Condemnation of the World saith Christ that Light is come into it and they love darkness c. But no where is it said this is their condemnation simply that Adam sinned Argument 2. From the Mercy Love and Goodness of God extended in a day unto all men THat the Mercy Love and Goodnes of the Lord is extended unto al men in a day of visitation the Scriptures testimony is most ample Some few of the more significant of them I shall alledge Viz. Psal. 14. 5. 8. 9. The Lord is gratious and full of compassion slow to anger and of great mercy Good unto ALL and his TENDER MERCIES are over ALL his Works Psalm 107. 8. Oh that men would praise the Lord for his GOODNESS and for his wonderfull works to the CHILDREN OF MEN. And this is foure times repeated in that Psalme Psalm 81. 1. 4. O Lord our Lord how excellent is thy Name in ALL THE EARTH What is MAN that thou are mindfull of him and the SON OF MAN that thou visitest him Psalm 62. 12. Also unto thee O Lord belongeth MERCY for thou rendrest unto EVERY MAN according to his works Here observe the connexion which is very signall importing that the evill doers shal be condemned from the very mercy of the Lord which they have sinned against and out-sinned the visitation thereof Matth. 5. 44. Love your enemies blesse them that curse you do Good to them that hate you c. that you may be the children of your father which is in heaven for he maketh his sun to rise on the evill and on the Good and sendeth rain on the just and unjust Here again the connexion is very signall they are bid to love their enemies which must certainly be taken universally even all their enemies of mankind and why that therein they may be like their heavenly father who loveth them ALL and doth Good unto ALL just and unjust c. Actor 14 17. Nevertheless he left not himself without a witness doing GOOD and giving us raine from heaven and fruit full seasons filling OUR HEARTS WITH FOOD AND GLADNESS Rom. 2. 4. Despisest thou the RICHES of his GOODNESS forbearance and long sufferance not knowingthat the GOODNESS OF GOD leadeth THEE to repentance Which Scriptures do all plainly declare the mercy and Goodness of the Lord toward ALL MEN not onely no nor yet principally in relation to outward things but to the salvation and welfare of their soules For in that God loveth all men he loveth their soules which is the principall part of men Now if he love their soules then he hath provided somewhat for the welfare and happyness of them And in that it s said the Goodness of God leadeth them to repentance it manifestly followeth that repentance was once possible unto them For the Goodness of God leadeth no man to that which is impossible Ezekiel 33. 11. As I live saith the Lord God I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked but that the wicked turne from his way and live c. 1 Tim. 2. Verse 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. I exhort therefore that first of all supplications prayers c. be made for ALL MEN for Kings and for ALL that are in Authority c. For this is Good and acceptable in the Sight of God our savior who will that ALL MEN Shal be SAVED and come to the acknowledgment of the truth for there is One God and One Mediator between God and Man the Man Christ Iesus who gave HIMSELF a ransome for ALL to be testified in due time 1 Tim. 4. 10. Because we trust in the living God who is the saviour of ALL MEN especially of those that beleeve c. Joh. 4. 42. Christ is called the SAVIOUR of the WORLD and Joh. 1. 2. 2. The reconciliation not onely for the sins of the Saints or beleevers that were chosen out of the World not onely for our sins saith the Apostle but also for the sins of the WHOLE WORLD What more plain and evident can more emphaticall and significant expressions be used by men But besides these plain testimonies of Scripture which need no explication nor application of mine there is an universall testimony and witness of this truth in the heart of every man that cometh into the world For that very same thing that in his heart beares witness to the existence or being of God is also a witness that he is Good loving mercifull long-suffering gracious and favourable unto him till he by his wickedness hath out-sinned the day of Gods mercifull visitation And then the same which before witnessed unto him of the love and mercy of God doth now beare witness of his wrath unappeasable and fiery indignation against him This have divers felt sealed in their hearts as Cain after the murther of his Brother Judas after his betraying Christ and many Apostates But I say before this time in whichmens wickedness be come to the heighth and the cup of theiriniquity full there that is in all men that which certainly witnesseth unto them that God is mercifull good and favourable unto them even the same I say that Witnesseth that he is so that there is no man who can or dares to say the Lord is not nor ever was mercyfull and loving to me For in so saying he should ly against the inward Testimony of God in his conscience yea the daily mercies of the Lord dayly conferred upon him would also be as a thousand witnesses against him Object If it be now Objected 't is true there is such a witness in every man of the love and goodness of God to him in relation to things temporall and externall but not to things spirituall and eternall Answ. It is as easily answered that this distinction is frivolous ridiculous and absurd For the same that witnesseth that God is good to his body witnesseth also that he is good to his Soul much more because the soule is more worthy then the body and the more Principall part of man yea is rather the man then the body Therefore if God be good unto ALL men he is good urto the soules of all men and if he be good unto their soules then he hath certainly provided that which is sufficient for the health and wellfare of the soul and consequently that which is sufficient unto salvation O Man who ever thou art whether Iew or Gentile Scythian or Barbarian let the witness of God in thy conscience answer which tels thee there is a God who hath made the heavens and the Earth and created thee with all mankind to dwell upon the face thereof given thee a body and provided abundantly for the welfare and comfort of it and of the life thereof causing the sun to shine and raine to descend upon thee the

as a father c. then certainly he doth reveal himself in such a way in some measure For how can they beleev in him of whom they have not heard and how can they hear without a preacher and who is this Preacher that all nations must hear but the word of God seeing all never heard any outward Preacher And seing its the duty of all to call upon the Lord what should they call upon him for if not for saving-mercy healing and quickning mercy if not for salvation and for that which is sufficient to save them should the soule when it s to seek the Lord onely seek him for the things pertaining to the body and neglect to petition for its self that it may be saved from sin and wrath from death and evill Now if the soule may yea ought to pray for these things must it not pray in faith beleeving it's possible to attain them if the soule in its seeking must so beleev then are they attainable at least Elce the Lord should require men to beleev a lye and that which is false even to beleev that to be attainable which is not so if salvation be not at least possible to every soule in a day of visitation but to say that God requireth any man to beleev a lye is injurious unto the veracity and righteousness of God which his witness in every Conscience declareth Some may say Arminius argued thus for universall grace having just such an Argument To which I answer if it were so I have not received it from him but from the Spirit of truth wich hath let me see the truth of the thing in my owne heart and any that are acquainted with Arminius his writings can not but see that I prosecute it not in his way But in another more convincing and which hath a deeper reach to the inferring of grace universall Evangelicall de primo given unto all wich Arminius never pleaded for nor affirmed But it may again be objected that this seems to contradict another principle which we hold Uiz. that wicked men should not pray To which I answer No such matter for we onely say that wicked men abiding in wickedness impenitence and unbeleef ought not to pray but first to repent and beleeve and then pray Argument 4. From the very Nature and intent of the Gospell THe very Nature summe and import of the Gospell is glad tydings of salvation unto all people holding forth the Good will of God towards them pointing at and directing them to a principle by closing with which peace and reconciliation with God is obtained and the forgiveness of sin received And thus did the Angel of the Lord publish the Gospell unto the shepheards at the nativity of Christ according to the flesh Behold said he I bring you Good tydings of great Ioy which shal be unto all people Luc. 2 20 19. And suddenly there was with the Angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace Good will towards men According to what the Lord said unto Abraham in his day in thy seed which is Christ shall all the Nations of the earth be blessed Object But our Adversaries according to their old corrupt glosse say that by all people is to be understood not all particulars but some of all sorts Answ. This is manifestly contradicted by another principle of their owne Viz. that immediate Revelation is ceased From which and their concession that the Gospell is really glad tydings and holds forth the reall love and good will of God unto some I thus argue ad hominem as they speak If the Gospell be no otherways glad tydings to any but as it is to all and every particular then it is glad tydings to all and every particular But the first is true Therefore the latter The connexion of the first proposition is so cleare that nothing needs to be said to it The second proposition Viz. that the Gospell is no otherwise glad tydings to any then to all and every one in particular is thus proved The knowledge that any particular among you can have of the Gospels being glad tydings unto them and holding forth the love and good will of God towards them is either because they know the Gospell to be so universally to all and every one or elce because of some speciall immediate Revelation from God assuring them that though the Gospell be not glad tydings unto all men but that many are yea the far greater part of mankind excepted yet it is so to them in speciall God having revealed it unto them by name that they are included in that particular small number to whom the Gospell is glad tydings But this way you wave as denying immediat Revelation Therefore must run to the former there being no third way conceivable And indeed upon that ground it is clearly deducible for if the Gospell be glad tydings to all particulars then any particular may without hesitation conclude it so to him For from the universall to the particular or particulars is a most certain and infallible consequence As for example I or any man may conclude our selvs as descended from Adam because all men universally are so And on the contrary from never so many particulars if there be any exception of but any one it doth not follow unto any particular whatsoever So no man can conclude himself descended from Abraham because 't is most certain many are so Just thus if the Gospell be onely glad tydings unto many and not unto all and every particular it follows not that it is just so to me or thee For that it is as probable that we may be among the secluded as included if the Lord hath not particularly revealed it to us Now before any man can beleeve the Gospell it must be held forth as a thing certaine and as such must be made knowne unto him For what is a mans faith but the particular application of the Gospell or thing therein held forth unto a mans self or mans laying hold on the Grace offered and beleeving that it belongs to him Which he can never doe untill it be so made knowne to him and that certainly not by faint or rash conjecture For true divine faith relys not cannot leane upon meer conjecture but onely upon certainty And herein faith differs from Opinion which always relyes upon conjecture and therefore is but faint and fluctuating weak and feeble as is the foundation upon which it relyes Wheras that certainty which is the right basis and foundation of true faith is strong and can never faile Again the Gospell can not be glad tydings to any further then it is certainly known to belong to them because uncertain tydings can never be glad tydings the uncertainty thereof so hindring the heart in closing there with that it cannot come to have joy therein but is rather kept in an anxious sadness till it knows the certainty of