Light from Christ Jesus the Way out of the Fall the second Adam receiving the Light they receive Redemption and Sanctification whereby their Spirits Bodies and Souls are sanctified Great Mystery p. 91. Note here still that he plainly distinguisheth between the Soul and him that redeems and sanctifies it so that the Soul or Spirit of Man is neither God nor Christ but as much inferior in Subordination to God and Christ as the Creature Man is to the Creator or that which is saved and redeemed to him that saveth and redeemeth The sum of what 's said amounts to this candid Account about the Soul viz. That the Soul and Spirit of Man is not the very Being of God nor a part of God though the original Life of the Soul which came out from God is immutable and infinite there is a divine and infinite Life in the Soul of Man which we would have you be sensible of This is the Life of Lives the Soul of Souls the Being of Beings by which the Soul of man is made to subsist in its Being and Immortality whether in the Kingdom of Glory or Pit of Darkness although this original or divine Life in the Soul stands clear and free from both the Guilt Torment and Anguish that comes upon every Soul of Man that does Evil. Every Soul must appear before the Lord in its own proper Image and Nature which it hath born been under and received while in the Body having been subject either to the Spirit and Power of God or to the Spirit and Power of the wicked one wherein it s capable of either being a Vessel of Mercy and Love or a Vessel to hold Wrath and Anguish according to what it doth here love and effect and contract to it self whether Good or Evil. Therefore as it s commanded Take heed to thy self and keep thy Soul diligently c. love the Lord thy God with all thy Soul c. and then thou wilt know Christ to be the Salvation of it The Scripture speaks variously of the Soul and as in divers States and Conditions viz. 1. Of the Soul of God which is Immutable 2. Of the Soul of Man and that 1. Of the Righteous which really pertake of the divine Nature 2. Of the Wicked which pertake of the Nature of Enmity And these differ in their Affections the one being to Good and the other to Evil. Mention is made of the Soul as under the Power of Sin Death and the Grave by man's Disobedience and Fall and of the Soul as quickned raised up and delivered or saved by the Power of Christ the living ingrafted Word Sometimes the Soul is mentioned as including the whole man sometimes as distinguished from the Body sometimes it s esteemed as the Life and sometimes the Spirit or Breath of Life and an active Soul inspired and there is a State wherein the Word of the Lord is said to divide asunder betwixt the Soul and Spirit Now if you do not own a divine Seed or unchangeable Principle of Life in the Soul I query of you 1st Do you or did you ever know your own Souls 2ly What the Soul is in it self and distinct from the Body 3ly What and where is that to be known that is to change the Souls and so the whole man's Affections from Evil to Good while man remains in this Life 4ly Do you own the Souls Immortality that it doth not dye with the Body Do not some of you Baptists hold that the Soul dyeth with the Body and sleeps in the dust of the Earth untill both arise together 5ly Whether Man doth not subsist in his spiritual Being and Parts with a spiritual Capacity and spiritual Sences having a Sense of perpetual Gain or Loss when his Earthly Tabernacle is put off 6ly Whether the Spirit of Man doth not return unto God that gave it to receive its Judgment and Reward 7ly Whether Man must not be born again here of an Immortal and Incorruptible Seed in him if ever he enter into God's Kingdâ—…m or enjoy Glory hereafter 8thly Whether it be not more necessary for you to wait in humilily to know this immortal Seed in you and to be born thereof then to puzzle your Brains and to busie your Thoughts either about the Questâ—…on how and with what Body are the Dead raised Or how your Souls shall be invested hereafter If you remain here in the Enmity slighting and contemning the Light within or the immortal Principle or incorruptible Seed within as T. H. doth scoff and ridiculously droll at our Testimony for it you 'll be clothed with perpetual shame and Contempt hereafter God knows how to reserve the Unjust to the Judgement of his great Day to be punished as both Divels fallen Angels and wicked men are reserved You need not question in what Bodies or Vessels for that you shall be vessels fit to hold inevitable Wrath if here in time you repent not But if you repent and return to the Lord God and love and serve him with all your Souls it will be well with you hereafter God will provide well for you And the Glory wherewith his sanctified Ones shall be invested And of that House wherewith Righteous Souls shall be cloathed upon is beyond the reach of humane Capacities Thoughts or Imaginations of men And you who are contending and quarrelling about your carnal Bodies have not had so much as a Vision of the Glory of the Saints hereafter nor of the Gloriousness and Spirituality of their Body who are as the Angels of God in Heaven Sect. XII The Neck of the Baptist's Cause broken by his own Concession to the Light within in which Christ and his Testimonies are effectually received T. H. HOw could you call the Light within Christ if some Scriptures had not mentioned Christ in you that he is the Life and Light of Men Give me an Instance of any Person in the World that never had Acquaintance of the Scriptures that ever called the Light in every Man by this Name If none can be produced then the Scriptures must be your Rule for this p. 22. Answ. Thou hast said enough in not only granting the Light within to be Christ but also in confessing that he is the Life and Light of men which while he is really so to men this is sufficient for them to call him as he is and appears to them Is it not therefore great Ignorance to imply him an insufficient Rule for men to give Testimony of him while he is a sufficient Rule and Light to them for their Supply and Life in him And what if they cannot call him by all those Names by which he is called in Scripture while they feel him in Vertue and Power to be really what he is called according to their Enjoyment of him It s true we having the Knowledge of him as our Life and Light we must needs reverently own and make use of those Testimonies in Scripture which concur with our Knowledge of him
Seed in any or Christ's Arising who doth appear reveal himself and arise in the Souls that believe in him to raise them also up with him yea and that which the Father hath given him he will loose nothing oâ—… it but raise it up at the last Day And if you do not come to know a Righteous Seed raised up in you and Truth to spring up out of the Earth and to witness Christ to be your Resurrection and Life you remain dead in your Sins and short of the Glory of this Resurrection But in witnessing Christ to be the Resurrection and the Life unto us we do not assert that it is only the Seed or Christ in us that doth arise as is vainly imagined but we are revived and do arise in and with him as those that have believed in his Name as he said I am the Resurrection and the Life he that believeth in me though he were dead yet shall he live and he that liveth and believeth in me shall never dye wherein he doth not take notice of the putting off of the earthly Body or Cloathing as his dying or Death And as in Adam all dye even so in Christ shall all be made alive but every man in his own order Christ the first Fruits afterward they that are Christ's at his Coming and this is not to exempt Man from the Benefit of the Resurrection nor to say That Christ and the Light within is sown Natural Mortal and Corruptible as T. H. most malitiously and falsly accuseth us by way of Question as asserting Blasphemy To which he farther adds that we intend the Resurrection of something past and witness in our selves What is Falsehood and Deceipt if this be not p. 61. And further saith Thus do you undermine the very Foundation of Faith Hope and Holiness of Life like Hymneas and Philotus 2 Tim. 2. 17. who said the Resurrection is past already To which I answer first What we witness in ourselves of the Resurrection it is this Man 's horrible Blasphemy to call it Falsehood and Deceipt for that we do witness to Christ as being the Resurrection and the Life revealed in us so far as we have a living Knowledge of him and Experience of being by him raised up from Sin and Death that came by it in order to attain to a future Glory 2dly 'T is a Gross Slander that we either intend or say like Hymneas and Philotus that the Resurrection is past already for that it is not yet as to Man compleatly we are not yet raised to what we shall be as namely to that Fulness of Glory and absolute Joy and Tryumph which shall be incessantly possest after our Labours and Sufferings are ended and our Earthly House dissolved for the more we are drawn up into absolute Spirituality the more capable we are of that full Fruition of an eternal Weight of Glory in the Heavens in order to which let us be Spiritually minded and walk in Holiness of Life while here in our earthly House As also we cannot hold that the Resurrection is past already while we or any of us are suffering with Christ and travailing in order to attain unto the Resurrection of the Dead that is perfectly to be raised up with Christ who is the Resurrection and Life in some Degree at least of all that truly believe in his Name and Power Neither is this to undermine the Foundation of true Faith Hope or Holiness of Life while we confess Christ to be that Foundation But to argue for Sin and Imperfection term of Life and so to put off being Perfect till in Heaven as this Opposer hath done this is repugnant to the Foundation of living and purifying Faith and Hope and so excludes Holiness of Life howbeit he thinks to arrive at Heaven with the same Carnal Carcass or Corruptible Cask he now beats about with him only he thinks it will be new drest up and polisht after it is turned to Dust But the greatest Miracle is that it must not be Created a new nor a new Created Body and unless we grant him this he reckons our Religion a meer Cheat calculated only to the Service of the Devil and our own Lusts and that it denies any Eternal Advantage and therefore be opposeth the Christian to the Quaker p. 62. And what is the Marrow of his Matter for this severe Conclusion upon us But First he accuseth us of a palpable Denyal of all future and distinct Beings and Existences after Death pag. 62. which is a palpable and notorious Untruth for as we confess to the distinct Beings of Angels in Heaven so we confess the future distinct Beings and Existences of the Saints and Children of the Resurrection that in the World to come they shall be AS the Angels of God yea They which shall be accounted worthy to obtain that World and the Resurrection c. They shall be equal unto the Angels and are the Children of God being the Children of the Resurrection Luk. 20. 36. And what Bodies have these Angels of God Terrestrial or Celestial Carnal or Spiritual let that be considered 2dly The Man 's other Pretence is If the Soul be a Part of God Divine Infinite as before and returns into God being God it cannot miscarry he saith His Abuse concerning this hath been answer'd before both in this Treatise and in my Book of the Nature of Christianity And it was never asserted by us either of the Soul of Man or of the Spirit or Existence of Man or the Creature which may vary in its Affections to Good or Evil according to the Power that acts Man Neither can it be conceived in Reason but Envie that any of us should look upon the Infinite God to be Divisible into so many Parts or Particles as there are Entities or Existences of Men yet that there is an Infinite Life Principle or Seed in the Soul of every Man This we confess as that by which the Soul immortally subsists in its being and therefore this may be counted the Soul or Life of the Soul for without this the Soul of man could not subsist in an Immortal Capacity And this I and divers others can testifie that G. F. did not intend or asscribe either Immutability Infiniteness or Divinity to the meer formed or created Spirit Soul or Being of Man but to the divine immediate Inspiration or Breath of Life flowing from God himself who inspired into him an active Soul and breathed in a living Spirit Wisd. 15. 11. whereby Man became both a living and reasonable Soul indued with Rational Intellectual and Spiritual Parts 3dly I know no other Reason he can pretend for his Charge against us and our Religion as a Cheat and as denying an eternal Advantage but that we do not own his gross and carnal Sense of the Resurrection though it be none of our Phrase to say in these general words That the Body perisheth forever but hereby he plainly implies man's Incapacity of an
Epistles to Hermodorus his Friend he thus seemeth after a while to address himself to Eutycles and the rest of his Enemies that Impeacht him for being an Enemy to their Stony Gods Thus I shall be condemned of Impiety by the Impious What thinkest thou Shall I seem Impious to them for Dissenting from their Gods If Blind Men were to Judge of Sight they would say that Blindness were Sight But O ye Ignorant Men teach us first what God is that when ye declare us to be Impious you may be believed Where is God shut up in Temples O Pious Men he speaks Ironically or by Contraries WHO PLACE GOD IN THE DARK You Ignorant People KNOW YOU NOT THAT GOD IS NOT MADE WITH HANDS This is a most Clear and Ample Testimony against their Idols mixt with a Religious Derision yet qualified by a kind of Lamentation Surely Heraclitus believed in God yea and that he was Light too and such a one as should never set by whom he else-where says He had overcome the Enemies of his Soul VII ANAXAGORAS esteemed Noble by Birth but more Noble for his Knowledge and Vertue who was Master to Socrates taught thus concerning God That God is an Infinite Selfmoving Mind that this Divine Infinite Mind is the Efficient Cause of all things every thing beingmade according to its Species by the Divine Mind who when all things were confusedly mingled together CAME AND REDUCED THEM TO ORDER Which doubtless is so true that Anaxagoras had no small Share of true Light to give this Account of both God and the Creation And indeed his Memory was Celebrated by the Greeks for having very much improved that Discovery they had concerning God and Immortality VIII SOCRATES that Good Heathen if without Plat. phaed. Offence to the Professors of Christianity I may say it not only confesseth to ONE God but I am of Opinion they will think he gives good Reason why he doth so He first layes down That the Mind which they frequently call God by is the Disposer and Cause of all things Or in other words of his thus God To these Notable Arguments urged for the Proof of a Divine Super-intelligent Being and his Creation and Providence may well agree those Pathetical Expressions of Job the Psalmist and several Prophets Evangelists and Apostles concerning God's Creating the World and upholding it to this day his laying the Foundations thereof his Providence over the Lillies and the Sparrows his bringing forth Fruits in due season his Lights by Day and by Night that the Disciples should take no Thought what they shall Eat and Drink or put on That there is a Spirit in Man and the Inspiration of the Almighty gives Understanding and lastly Can any hide himself in secret Places and I not see him saith the Lord Jer. 23. 24 No If I take the Wings of the Morning and flee to the uttermost Part of the Earth thou art there Psal. 139. 9. And by me Kings Raign and Princes Decree Justice saith God Prov. 8. 15 And is every-where Josh. 2. 11 And orders all Wisd. 11. 20. 12. 15 There is but One God and none else besides him Eph. 4. 6 In the beginning God Created the Heaven and Earth Gen. 1. 1 2 3 In him we Live Move and have our Being Acts 17. 21 Thus he Sees and Hears all and is Every-where Psal. 34. 9 10 11. is ONE 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 PERFECT in Him-self giving the Being and Well-being of every Creature And this he giveth his Reasons for * Xen. memor 1. That GOD Not CHANCE made the World and all Creatures is Demonstrable from the Reasonable Disposition of their Parts as well for Use as Defence from their Care to preserve themselves and continue their Species that he particularly regards Man in his Body from the Excellent Upright Form thereof from the Gift of Speech from Allowance 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in his Soul from the Excellency thereof above others both for Divinations and Praedicting Dangers that he regards Particulars from his Care of the whole Species that he will Reward such as Please him and Punish such as Displease him from his Power to do it AND FROM THE BELIEF HE HATH IMPRINTED IN A MAN THAT HE WILL DO IT professed by the most Wise and Civilized Cities and Ages THAT HE AT ONCE SEETH ALL THINGS from the Instances of his Eye which at once over-runs many Miles and of the Mind which at once considereth things done in the most distant Places * Id. eod That God knoweth all things whether they be SAID DONE or SECRETLY DESIRED * Id. 4. That God takes Care of all Creatures is demonstrable from the Benefits he gives them of Light Water and Fire Seasonable Production of Fruits of the Earth That he hath particular Care of Man from the Nourishment of all Plants and Creatures for Man's Service from their Subjection to Man though they Exceeded him never so much in Strength from the Variety of Man's Sense accommodated to the Variety of Objects for Necessity Use and Pleasure from Reason whereby he discoursed through Reminiscence from sensible Objects from Speech whereby he communicates all that he knows gives Laws and governs States That God notwithstanding he is Invisible hath a Being from the Instances of his Ministers invisible also as Thunder and Wind AND FROM THE SOUL OF MAN WHICH HATH SOMETHING WITH OR PARTAKES OF THE DIVINE NATURE in Governing those that cannot see it Finally THAT HE IS SUCH AND SO GREAT AS THAT HE AT ONCE SEES ALL HEARS ALL IS EVERY-WHERE AND ORDERS ALL. So that here is both Socrates his Faith in God and his Reasons for it drawn from the outward Creation and the inward Divine Sence that from the Divine Instinct or Nature he receiv'd in which he lived and for which he willingly dy'd as afterwards may be related IX TIMAEUS Locrus in his Work of Nature thus Argumentatively expresseth himself in One Principle of all is Unbegotten for In the Beginning was the Word and the Word was with God the Word was God all things were made by him c. John 1. 1 2 3 4 if it was Begotten then were it no more that Principle but that of which it were Begotten would be the Principle Suitable to this saith CLEMENS ALEXANDRINUS Clem. Alex. * TIMAEUS affirms namely Hear O Strom. L. 5. 2 King 19. 19. Mark 12. 32. 1 Tim. 2. 5. Israel the Lord thy God is One and him only shalt thou Serve Thus did he endeavour to Refute the Gentiles and prove the Scriptures out of their own Writings But again That God is and that he is a Spirit De Anim. and that he is the AUTHOR Mund. God is a Spirit John 4. 24. God said Let there be Light and there was Light Gen 1. 3 He is the Father of Lights Jam. 1. 17. of all Light Which how Sober and True it is let the Scriptures
as that which raiseth up the Soul into a Sensible Communion with God above the World which the Mind of Man is prone to slug or bemire it self withal And adds PLOTIN a Famous Platonist God is the very Root or Life of the Soul Again Man hath a Divine Principle in him which maketh the true and good Man And the Platonists in general held Three Principles to be in Man the first they called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mind Intellect Spirit or Divine Light The Second 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Soul of Man The Third they called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Soul's Image which say they is her vital Energy upon the Body and the Feminine Faculty of the Soul By all which it is evident though I could more abundantly prove from their many Writings that they believ'd and held Divine Illumination and Inspiration and that such a Principle resided in Man even the Eternal 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Mind which is to say in proper English God Himself by which alone the Soul could become what it ought to be to God VII CLEANTHES the Stoick alloweth not Mankind to be govern'd of right by the Dictates of their own Nature which barely renders them Men but by that Divine Infinite and Eternal Nature which is God universally defus'd or sown through the whole Race of Man as the most sure and infallible Guide and Rule To live saith he according to this Knowledge and Direction is truly to live according to Vertue not doing any thing that is forbidden The Vertue and Happiness of a Man depends upon the close Correspondence of his Mind with the Divine Will of him who governeth the Universe Again saith the same Cleanthes THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD IS IMPRINTED UPON THE MINDS OF MEN. VIII MENANDER signifying God to be Good saith Every Man hath a good Daemon as soon as he is born an Holy Instructor in governing of the Life as that I may confess him to be an Evil Daemon who hurts the Life of a Good Man Then subjoyns he That a Good God is in all that God is perfectly Good and that he is Good in all Again on another Occasion saith he God who is alwayes near sees this for God is not a God afar off IX PHILO though a Jew born yet a very Serious and Refin'd Philosopher gives us his Judgment in this Particular very positively and to purpose How should the Soul of Man saith he know God IF HE DID NOT INSPIRE HER AND TAKE HOLD OF HER BY HIS DIVINE POWER Again That the Divine Reason we have from God is an Infallible Law not a Mortal Rule given by this or that Mortal NO LIFELESS PRECEPTS WRITTEN IN PAPERS OR UPON PILLARS BUT IMMORTAL being ingraven by the Eternal Nature IN THE MINDS OF MEN. This is an undeniable Testimony to the Law written in the Heart as a more Excellent Dispensation then that which is written in Paper or engraved on Pillars But further X. Nor is PLUTARCH wanting to the Proof of this Assertion on the behalf of the Gentiles Divinity who thus delivers himself speaking of the Principle of God in the Conscience It is a Law saith he not written in Tables or Books but dwelling in the Mind ALWAYS AS A LIVING RULE which never permits the Soul to be destitute of an interiour Cuide Again To debase this Ancient Faith of Mankind and Natural Belief which is planted in all Reasonable Souls is to Overthrow the Strong and Everlasting Foundation of Vertue Doubtless very Peremptory Zealous and Sensible doth Plutarch show himself on the behalf of an Internal Divine Principle XI But be pleased to hear what * EPICTETUS says in this Matter whose Vertue was admirable in its time and whose Memory is preserv'd in great Respect among many who would think themselves much wrong'd if they should not be accounted Christians When you have shut your Gates saith he and made it all Dark Within that is to say are retired to your own Dwelling as alone do not say that you are alone for you are not alone but GOD IS WITHIN What need then is there of outward Light to discover what is done or to light to good Actions who have God or that Genius or Divine Principle for your Light as the following words do further import But above all the Gentiles that have been mention'd I mean in Point of plain and Positive Expression for I will prefer the Life of none before that Self-denying Martyr Socrates let us hear with great Attention what kind of Lecture SENEC A will read us upon the Subject handled truly something very weighty XII The Multitude saith SENECA is the worst Argument Let us inquire what is best to be done not what most usually is done and that may settle us in the Possession of Everlasting Happiness not what is allotted by the Vulgar the worst Interpreters of Truth I have saith he a clearer and more certain Light by which I may judge the Truth from Falshood that which appertains to the Felicity of the Soul the Eternal Mind will direct to that was the Light doubtless Seneca meant Again It is a foolish thing for thee to wish what by thee cannot be obtained God is near thee and HE IS IN THEE The Holy Spirit SITS OR RESIDES WITHIN US the Observer of our Good and Evil Actions as he is dealt with by us HE DEALS WITH US But yet further we have this great Gift saith Seneâ—… That Vertue meaning the Principle or God hath sent her Light before into the Minds of all for even they that follow her not SEE HER. Where observe Reader how he confesseth to the Universality of the Light yet lays the Fault of Rebellion against it not as T. Hicks doth upon the Light but such as refuse to follow it implying their voluntary Rejection of its Heavenly Discoveries Again Wonderest thou that Men go to God God comes UNTO Men nay which is more near he cometh INTO MAN and he makes the Heart of every good Man his Habitation Yet again hear him Nothing is closed from God he is within our Souls and he Cometh INTO THE MIDST OF OUR THOUGHTS And lastly Every Man saith he has God indued with that which if he forsake it not HE SHALL ARISE LIKE GOD. How much more weighty O Sober and Impartial Reader are these inward Doctrines of the Vertuous Gentiles then the Vehement Clamours and Uncharitable Exclamations of Empty Christians against them Men that seem as if they were aâ—…raid of nothing more then inherent Holiness though of Christ's working reputing it a kind of Undervalue of his Blood to feel the Only I mean the Inward Benefit of it accounting us the greatest Hereticks for assenting to the greatest Truth to wit The Sufficiency of his Universal Light in the Hearts of Men to Salvation challenging us to prove it by Scripture or any Credible History objecting the Heathens
Careful Mariners steering the Course of their Lives by the Direction of that Heavenly Star which in the Gentile-Night rise in their Consciences to guide them unto a Blessed Immortality which will be the Last Point of their Divinity and then we close this Discourse with respect to them CHAP. XIV That the Last Point of Gentile-Divinity to wit Immortality and Eternal Rewards is also very clearly and positively held forth by the Ancient Heathens Six Testimonies from them to prove it Socrates's Great Faith in particular and the Lofty Strain of the Pythagoreans THat the Gentiles believed there was an IMMORTALITY and that all Men should hereafter be Accountable for the Deeds done in the Body a Point but obscurely lay'd down among the Jews themselves be pleased to take these few insuing Authorities as a Proof of what is asserted I. PYTHAGORAS and the Pythagoreans that they all held the Immortality of the Soul Consider his and their Doctrine in the Point First he said That the Soul is Immortal Next That the Soul is Incorruptible it never Dyeth for when it goes out of the Body it goes into the other World THE PURE TO GOD THE IMPURE BOUND BY FURIES IN INDISSOLVABLE CHAINS Here IMMORTALITY and REWARDS are asserted But when a Man who has lived Justly dyeth his Soul ASCENDETH TO THE PURE AETHER or Heaven and lives in the Happy Aevum or Everlasting Age with the Blessed II. HERACLITUS If my Body be over-press'd it must descend to the destinate Place Nevertheless MY SOUL SHALL NOT DESCEND BUT BEING A THING IMMORTAL SHALL FLY UP ON HIGH TO HEAVEN III. EURIPIDES a grave Tragedian whose Work was to undo what Wanton Comedians had done to undo the People speaks thus Who knoweth whether to Dye be not to Live and to Live to Dye Surely he said so not out of any Distrust of Immortality but in Belief of it and that Reward which would attend Good Men. IV. SOCRATES The Body being Compounded is Dissolved by Death The SOUL being Simple PASSETH INTO ANOTHER LIFE INCAPABLE OF CORRUPTION THE SOUL OF THE GOOD AFTER DEATH ARE IN A HAPPY ESTATE UNITED TO GOD IN A BLESSED IN ACCESSIBLE PLACE THE BAD IN CONVENIENT PLACES SUFFER CONDIGN PUNISHMENT This puts the Case of the Sufficiency of the Light to discover Immortality to the very Heathen out of all doubt and not only so but Rewards too since we have them here believing THE RIGHTEOUS SHALL BE SAVED AND THE WICKED DAMNED This made Socrates so chearful at his Death something of which I think fit here to insert Truly did I not believe I should go to the Just God and to Men better then any Living I were inexcusable â—…or contemning Death BUT I AM SURE TO GO TO GOD A VERY GOOD MASTER and hope to meet with Good Men AND AM OF GOOD COURAGE hoping that SOMETHING OF MAN SUBSISTS AFTER DEATH AND THAT IT IS THEN MUCH BETTER WITH THE GOOD THEN WITH THE BAD When he had made an end of Speaking CRITO one of his Followers ask'd him what Directions he would leave concerning his Sons and other Affairs and if they could do any thing that might be acceptable to him I desire no more saith he then what I have often told you If you take Care of Your selves whatsoever you do will be acceptable to me and mine though you promise nothing if you Neglect Your selves and VERTUE you can do nothing acceptable to us THOUGH YOU PROMISE NEVER SO MUCH That answer'd CRITO we shall observe But how wilt thou be Buried As you think good saith he IF YOU CAN CATCH ME and that I give you not the slip Then with a Smile applying himself unto us I cannot perswade CRITO saith he that I am any thing more then the Carkase you will anon behold and therefore he takes this Care â—…or my Enterment It seems that what even now I told him that as soon as I have taken the Poyson I SHALL GO TO THE JOYES OF THE BLESSED hath been to little purpose He was my Bail bound to the Judges â—…or my Appearance you must now be SURETIES to him that I am DEPARTED Let him not say THAT SOCRATES IS CARRIED TO THE CRAVE OR LAID UNDER GROUND for know dear CRITO such a Mistake WERE A WRONG TO MY SOUL be not dejected Tell the World MY BODY ONLY IS BURIED and that after what manner thou pleasest Yet saith SOCRATES I may pray to God and will That my Passage hence may be Happy which I beseech him to grant and in the same instant drank it off easily without any Disturbance This saith Plato was the End of the Best the Wisest and most Just Men. A Story which Cicero professeth he never read without Tears This ends Socrates upon the present Subject and Happy Man was he to make so happy an End as to Dye for the only true God he had great Reason to believe maugre the Envious Uncharitableness of T. H. that he would Reward him when it shall be said to many Bawling pretended Christians Depart from me I know you not for as Men Sow so shall they Reap in the Day of God I need not to tell the World that Plato and other Heathens have written accurately upon that Subject when it is so Notorious Wherefore to close up my Testimonies upon this Head and whole Discourse of Gentile-Divinity I will present the Reader with two short Passages one of the Pythagoreans the other from Virgil thus tranâ—…lated to my hand only a little varied by an Ingenious Author V. Donec long a Dies perfecto temporis Orbe Concretam exemit Labem purumque reliquit Aethereum Sensum atque aur ai simplicis ignem In English thus Till that long Day at last be come about That wasted has all Filth and Foul Desire And leaves the Soul CELESTIAL THROUGHOUT Bathing her Senses in pure liquid Fire To which agrees that Golden Distick of the Pythagoreans as it hath been called VI. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 To this purpose Who after Death once reach the Heavenly Plain BECOME LIKE GOD and never Dye again The Greek has it as Immortal Gods Which Hierocles interprets thus Herein shall Good Men resemble the Deity that they shall be Immortal like God himself Thus Reader have I given thee a very true Account of the Gentile-Divinity what was the Faith what the Practice and what the Prophecy and Hope of many Gentiles through this Light Within each of which had numerous Followers Observe They began where Jews and Christians begin that is WITH GOD and they end with what they confess to be theirs namely a State of Immortality in which every one is Rewarded according to their Works Only they are thus far to be Commended before either of them if we consider many of our Times That they were more Certain Plain and True in their Acknowledgment of a Divine Light Law or Principle in
the Light within unknown to the Cavilling Baptist. T. H. WHo or what is it that obeyeth this Light and in Obedience of it is saved Or if this Light be the Rule it doth suppose a subject capable of understanding it and of yielding Obedience to it p. 4. Answ. It s placed in the Heart and Conscience of man that he with his whole Soul Mind and Spirit may understand and obey it and come to Life and Salvation in Christ being guided by his Light in the Conscience T. H. What then is the Principle Either the Light must obey it self or Darkness must obey it Answ. Thy Darkness makes thee talk thus darkly and scribble thus nonsensically the Spirit of man is to obey every degree of this divine Light given of God that the whole man may be in Subjection for which End God hath given man a spiritual Capacity and Power to obey by the Vertue of Grace that the reasonable Soul in believeing in the Light and obeying it may find Relief and more Power from God comfortably to subsist in the Way of Life and Peace with him And though it be not a Scripture Phrase to tell of two such Lights in every man as thou mentions p. 14. Yet as the Light of the Body is the Eye which seeth the object of Light and there is a single Eye which causeth the whole Body to be full of Light So in man hath God placed the Eye of the Understanding and Mind and a Conscience in the reasonable Soul which is capable of receiving the divine Light as both the supream Rule and commanding Light and they that are translated out of Darkness into it are become Children of the Light And if thou wert come to this Estate thou needst not question who is the subject of Obedience to the Light whether the whole Person or only a part for the whole man ought to be the subject and where the Eye of the mind is single the whole Body is full of Light and no part dark But for the whole person to be subject to the Light is inconsistent with thine and thy Brethrens Doctrine for Sin and Imperfection during Life Why then dost thou now suppose the whole Person to be the Subject when thou art not real in what thou implyest of the whole Persons being obedient p. 15 16. And thou dost but play the Fool and Caveller whilst thou art drawing such a Conclusion upon us as that by our Principle the Light must obey it self and in so doing be saved this is only inferred from a Fiction of thy own Framing or a Quaker of thy own making to speak as thou pleasest for the Light is given for the Benefit of Mankind that they that truely follow it and throughly obey it with Subjection of both Soul Spirit and Body may know Salvation from Sin here and Wrath herâ—…after And so man in his spiritual being both in Soul and Body spiritual as changed or translated from a State of Mortality may forever enjoy a State of Immortality in Glory hereafter as they who are led by the Counsel of God shall afterwards be received into Glory for man as translated into that Celestial Spiritual State is most capable of the full Enjoyment of Glory with God hereafter Sect XI Concerning the Soul of man as under divers Considerations and States and G. Fox ' s VVords so considered with â—…ight Queries added COncerning the Soul of man thou vehemently accusest us with Fancies Conceits Absurdities Nonsence and Error p. 16. Thy Instance for this is viz. That G. F. mentions in his great Mystery c. p. 68. and 100. That the Soul is part of God and of his being and that it is without beginning p. 91. and also infinite p. 29. Whence thy Inference is viz. Which is as much as to say the Soul is God then God sets up a Light in himself which he himself is to obey and in so doing he shall be saved p. 16. Answ. We cannot expect any impartial or fair Dealing from thee while Prejudice and Envy do possess thee who hast both falsly and ignorantly represented G. F. and both curtayled and perverted his Words and the Sence of them And all these things mentioned by thee he does not speak of the Soul or Spirit of man as made or formed in him though composed of Spiritual Parts nor use these Expressions that the Soul or Spirit of the Creature Man is a part of God without beginning neither was the Phrase part of God originally G. F's but his Opposers only admitted of by him by Way of Question as plainly appears p. 100. with Relation to that which came out from God that immediate Spirit of Life which gives Being Life and Subsistance to the Soul and he doth distinguish between the Soul and Christ the Bishop of it between the Soul and the Saviour of it as plainly appears in many places of the said Book and the Soul could no otherwise be deemed infinite then as Man is said to be the Image and Glory of God namely by a Participation thereof so he speaks of the Soul in a two-fold Sense as First With reference to that which came out from God which is the Original Life or Soul of every Man's Soul Secondly With Respect to man as being made a living Soul by Vertue of the Spirit of Life proceeding from God And so with Relation to the first he questions Is not that of God which comes out from God Great Mystery p. 68. But with Relation to the latter viz. Man he speaks distinctly of the Soul as neither God nor Christ neither doth he confound the Being of man with the Infinite Being of his Creator as is implyed in our Opposers angry Charge for as every Spiritual Being or Existence is not divine so the Spirit or Spiritual Parts of Man are not God though a divine Light and Capacity is placed in them And G. F. doth not only speak of the Soul in a two-fold Sense viz. with Relation to its original Life and with Relation to man in his Spirituality but of the Soul of man as in several States as First Of the Souls being in Death in Transgression man's Spirit unsanctified the Soul being come into Death transgressing the Law c. Great Mystery p. 91. Therein he cannot intend the infinite Essence Being or Life of God or Christ which is immutable and unchangeably pure and holy though thereby the Soul is upheld in its Being and Immortality whether in Comfort or Misery Secondly Of the Soul and Spirit of Man as sanctified living to God in his Life through a diligent hearkening to the Counsel and Voice of God and feeling of his Hand which brings up out of Death and restores the Soul that it may live in Christ the Preserver and Overseer of it to praise God the Saviour being one Soul in that State as they that are joyned to the Lord are one Spirit As also G. F. adds viz. Every Man that cometh into the World having a
was further urged against him And he that abideth in Christ sinneth not doth not commit Sin in whose Spirit is no Guile To this he answer So far as Regenerate and acting from the Regenerate part they do no Iniquity This is such Tautologie or as good sense as to say they do no Iniquity so far as they do no Iniquity whereas the Words are positive and plain They are undefiled in the way they keep his Testimonies they walk in his wayes Whereas he still insers the Saints are not perfectly free from Sin for when Paul did NO Iniquity Sin dwelt in him and yet in that State Paul said The Evil that I do I would not Did he do Evil and yet no Iniquity or was Victory over and Freedom from that Evil not attainable by him in this Life What Evil did he live and dye in or what Sin must remain in him now being deceased till the End of the World S. S. Nor will G. W. say I suppose no Man is Regenerate but who is perfectly free from Sin To this I say according to his own words before As while the Saints are Persecting they are not perfected so there is a Regenerating and a Travailing in Birth before Regenerated and born again Of Rom. 8. 1. he saith This intimates there is Flesh in such though Guilt is Removed Herein is a two-fold Error couched 1st Implying the Guilt removed while the Sin it self remains as if a Man could commit Sin and not be Guilty of it 2dly He confounds Sin and Flesh and renders them Inseparable whereas he grants in the Scripture before there is no Condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus who walk not aâ—…ter the Flesh but after the Spirit He perverts Job 9. 19. and 1 Jâ—…h 3. saying If I sin as do the wicked with Allowance here he adds WITH ALLOWANCE for it is plain if I Sin then thou markest me whosoever is born of God doth not commit Sin It is not Doth not commit Sin with Allowance as do the Wicked And the Saints on Earth enjoying Communion with God and Saints in Heaven as he saith is not a Communion in Sin neither is the Being of Sin according to the Will of God in Heaven which is prayed for so to be done in Earth If he grant it our Duty to be Perfect or perfectly to obey while he denyes Power or Possession for that End his Work is Weakness it self and inconsistent with it self God is no such Hard Master as to enjoyn Impossibilities upon us or to require Obedience beyond the Power he gives Will he say None are Sanctified that have any Sin in them I say according to his Concession before There is a Time of Sanctifying as well as Perfecting before the Work be effected which ought to be throughout in Body Soul and Spirit If he cleanseth away all Guilt from Believers and the reigning Power of Sin in this Life Why should the Being of Sin remain till the next He hath waâ—…hed us from our Sins in his own Blood before which there is a time of having Sin 1 Joh. 1. 8. yet said he My little Children These Things write I unto you that ye sin not chap. 2. 1. Can the Work of Faith and Grace be sinful He answers Faith it self can be imperfect therefore the Work of Faith Lord I believe help my Unbelief Imperfection is Sin Perfection is Duty p. 67. Rep. By the same Reason Unbelief is Sin but Faith is Duty They ought not thus to be confounded nor Unbelief which is the Creatures Defect imputed to Faith which is the Gift of God a Fruit of his Spirit therefore pure as he confesseth to his own plain Confutation The Work or Thing wrought is alwayes perfect for its Part Nature or Kind the least Draghm of Grace true p. 68. From whence it follows that true Faith is pure in its kind and not sinful nor having Sin mixt with it though it doth grow and encrease Degrees of that which is of a pure or perfect Nature do not alter its Property And the saving Work of the Spirit is carried on by degrees His citing 1 Thes. 3. 10. praying that we might see your Face and perfect that which is lacking in your Faith p. 68. This proves not true Faith to have Sin in it but that in some there might be something lacking in it as to Growth and Increase of Effects and which some read thus FULFILL that which is lacking It is not that we might add more Purity to your Faith but more Joy Comfort Refreshment Edification c. unto you in the Faith for Imperfection where it imports only the Want of full Growth or Maturity of that which in its kind is pure is not Sin and Imperfection and Sin have not the same Signification for Imperfection as it relates to a Thing or Work not fulfilled or finished it implies a Work begun and they who have known the Work of God begun in them and Faith in his Power they dare not plead for Sin nor cast it upon God as his good Pleasure that the Being of Sin should not be removed in this Life but know that the good Pleasure and Will of God is their Sanctification and therefore wait upon him for the perfecting of it His accusing David with having Failings in the End of his Dayes and asserting the Perfection of his War-like Attempts not of his Graces p. 68. This Accusation against David he hath neither proved by Scripture nor shewed what Failings he had in the End of his Dayes nor yet that his Graces were imperfect for God was the Lise and Grace of all his Graces and he said God is my Strength and Power and he maketh my Way perfect 2 Sam. 22. 23. And were not his inward War-like Attempts against his Soul's Enemy both perfect and succesful as well as his outward Did he not confess to the Lord Thou hast also given me the Shield of Salvation and said He is the Tower of Salvation and in his last Words He hath made with me an Everlasting Covenant ordered in all things and sure for this is all my Salvation 〈◊〉 Sam. 23. The Means for a Man to have his Way made perâ—…ect is to know the Lord to be his Strength and Power a strong Tower and Salvation Thus he is known to them that truly wait upon him If in this Life our Work be not to let Sin reign not to obey it in the Lusts thereof p. 68. why should we either commit Sin or the Being of it remain in us when we have received Power so far to subdue it and bring it under And if the Lusts of it be not obeyed but watched against they will be subdued so far as Sin may neither be brought forth nor have a Being If the Operation or working of the Spirit â—…e alwayes perfect he working by infinite Wisdom and Power p. 68. though the saving Work thereof be not presently fulfilled in all those Degrees of Perfection it is to attain unto
eternal Advantage unless his Carnal or Terrestrial Body that now is partake thereof and how shall it partake thereof after it is dissolved and turned to Dust He tells us It cannot be a new Created Body but a Resurrection Of what he would have it of the self-same Body for Substance But if there must be no new Creation but a Resurrection of these Carnal Bodies opposed to Creation it must only be a raising of the Dust of these Bodies and then what a sad Garment would this invest the Souls of the Righteous with But if on second Thoughts he will admit of any new Creation of Bodies out of the Dust this cannot imply that they shall be the very self same that now they are in Matter and Form But if any of them shall yet say They shall be specifically the same Bodies That varies from their Principle of being the self-same that now they are What is now become of this Man's Religion and whereon do his Expectations of a future Advantage depend but upon his Ignorant and Carnal Conceptions and not upon any living Sence of Christ or any spiritual or divine Understanding of the Mystery of the Resurrection whose Work is gross Body and not Spirit He reckons our Religion and Suffering to be for a Carnal Interest while his empty Faith and Profession is for the same to be sure being so much for the Promotion of his Carnal Body in eternal Glory which 't is not capable of nor he in the Way to it Such is the course of some carnal Cavillers who while contending about Bodies and musing how they shall exist in Heaven they are now neglecting the Way thither more busying themselves about their carnal Bodies then regarding their poor Souls or minding the Spirit of Holiness thereby to become Sons of God and of the Resurrection or to be converted from Sin and Pollution to Holiness or turned from Satan's Power to God which is the Way to Glory And now in short to answer what we and our Religion are charged within the Conclusion of our Adversary's bitter reviling Dialogue First We testifie that the Resurrection is not past 2dly That the Soul of Man is not God nor Christ but God is the Saviour of it and so we alwayes since we knew our own Souls have distinguished between the Soul and the Saviour of it 3dly That we confess future and distinct Beings after Death as well of Men as of Angels and that the Children of God and of the Resurrection shall in the World to come be as the Angels yea equal to them 4thly Though it be said Thou sowest not that Body that shall be and Flesh and Blood shall not inherit the Kingdom of God 1 Cor. 15. It doth not therefore follow that our Religion denies any eternal Advantage that is to be reaped much less that it is a Cheat or Calculated to the Service of the Devil as most wickedly and malitiously T. H. hath reviled and blasphemed that Religion and Testimony which we know is given us of God for we have not by distinguishing between the Natural and Spiritual Bodies denyed the Saints their proper Existences Spiritual Body or House eternal in the Heavens when the Earthly Tabernacle is dissolved and unless the Man holds the Mortality of the Soul that it dyes with the Body or the extinguishing of the spiritual Being of Man I do not see how he can suppose a denying of any eternal Advantage on our parts unless he place it all upon the Earthly Body It is true that some of his Brethren do hold that the Soul dyes with the Body and sleeps in the Dust till both be raised and this also depriveth all the Saints deceased from having any eternal Advantage in the mean time at least But we are not of that Faith Hope or Religion that will expire or perish with the Carnal Body as our Opposers will who in his fruitless carnal Work and Discourse consists more of and for gross Body then Spirit he is too carnal gross in his Apprehensions to discern so much as a Vision of the future Beings and State of Saints But both they that think they shall reap no Eternal Advantage without their Terrestrial Bodies of Flesh and Blood as T. H. pag. 75. And they who hold the Mortality of the Soul are not of the Apostle's mind and Spirit who said We know that if our earthly House of this Tabernacle were dissolved we have a Building of God an House not made with Hands eternal in the Heavens 2 Cor. 5. 1. We are confident I say and willing rather to be absent from the Body and to be present with the Lord ver 8. For to me to live is Christ and to dye 〈◊〉 Gain but if I live in the Flesh this is the Fruit of my Labour Yet what I shall Chuse I wote not for I am in a straight betwixt two having a Desire to depart and to be with Christ which is far better Phil. 1. 21 22 23. Mark here First he expected a far better and more excellent House then the Earthly House after Dissolution 2dly If to dye was Gain to him and to depart from the Flesh desirable and so out of it to be with Christ far better he did not place his Felicity upon the Flesh or carnal Body as T. H. doth neither did the Apostle so indeavour to magnifie that fleshly outside Cloathing which is perishing and dissolvable but his earnest Expectation and Hope was on the behalf of Christ and his future Gain in him saying Christ shall be magnified in my Body whether by Life or by Death Phil. 1 20. But T. H. his carnal Contest is for magnifying his earthly carnal Body and not for magnifying Christ therein for he scornfully slights our witnessing Christ and his being risen in us though it is evident the Apostle did not place his eternal Felicity and Advantage upon the Earthly House Flesh or carnal Body that perishes and turns to Dust for if he set his Heart upon Man if he gather unto himself his Spirit his Breath all Flesh shall perish together and Man shall turn again unto Dust Job 34. 14 15. But T. H. sees no Eternal Advantage to be reapt by Persons after Death unless they confess the Resurrection of the very self-same Flesh Blood and Bones that dyes corrupts and turns to Dust If he intends any Blood in it he will admit of no new Creation of it and by this his Religion and Hope do expire and perish with his corrupt Body and must only be renewed when the Dust of that Body shall be raised without Creating it a new Body And if there be no eternal Advantage without this kind of Resurrection as described by him this doth either wholly deny the Original and Spiritual Being of Man and comprehends the whole Man only as consisting of a mortal and perishing Body or else admits not of the reasonable Soul really to injoy her self in any condition out of the outside
that Resurrection Quickening Reviving Changing Translation do not signifie Creation therefore they are not applicable to the Dust of Bodies after Dissolution though both Resurrection and new Creation be to Renewed man Behold I make All things new New Man New Creation New Heavens and New Earth c. but this is a Mystery hid from corrupt Flesh so much contended for by our Present Opposers The rest of his Arguments and Doctrines are mostly very weak and ignorant about this Point yet comprehensively answered in this Book Here follow some Passages out of a Manuscript by W. B. against me with a Reply detecting his Ignorance in consounding the Carnal Body and the Spiritual W. B. INdeed If G. Whitehead hath found out a Body for Christ that is not a Carnal Body which implies only a Fleshly It is such a Body that I never read oâ—… in the Scriptures I would know what in Scripture is called the Body but the Flesh Now take but away the Flesh and where is the Body Aye but saith G. W. It is a spiritual Body as if a Body of Flesh and a Spiritual could not stand together This is his Great mistake The Apostle could have born his Testimony to this Truth that it is the Body of Flesh that shall be raised spiritual 1 Cor. 15. 14 43. It is sown a natural Body 't is raised spiritual here the Apostle still keeps to the Word It c. Answ. The Non-sense and Contradiction that may be gathered from these Passages is that Christ's Body is a Carnal Spiritual Body as if Carnal and Spiritual were both one or that the Spiritual Body that 's raised or given to the Seed is Carnal Let these Passages be kept in Record as the Baptists Doctrine and Testimony whereas the Apostle's own Testimony proves the Contrary and that W. B. has belyed the Apostle For 't is sown a natural Body it is raised a spiritual and there is a Natural Body and there is a Spiritual Body Here the Apostle clearly makes a Distinction and a Difference between the natural Body and the spiritual He doth not say 't is sown a natural Body and raised a natural or Carnal Body also but a spiritual Body as he also distinguisheth between the Bodies Celestial and the Bodies Terrestrial as those of Sun Moon and Stars differ from those of Men Beasts and Fishes Now you would count him a very blind Philosopher that should make no Difference but say they are all one and consistent or that the Bodies of Sun Moon and Stars were all one with those Earthly Bodies of Men and other Creatures and so blind and such Ignorant Divines are these Baptist's He understands not the Difference between the Natural Body and the Spiritual any more then if a Person should be so ignorant as when he sees the Sun or Moon or Stars To ask if these were not Men or Birds or Beasts or Fishes in the Firmament or on the contrary if he should see Men Beasts and Fishes to ask if these are not the Sun Moon and Stars or rather to conclude that they are because he knows not which are Celestial and which Teriestrial no more then this Baptist doth discern between Bodies natural or carnal and Bodies spiritual But how should he do other or see better while his Mind is so much upon Flesh and so little upon Spirit or so much upon Flesh and Blood which cannot inherit the Kingdom of God and so little upon that spiritual Birth or Seed that doth inherit the Kingdom of Glory and Peace And as for the Baptists Argument That the Apostle still keeps to the Word IT as It is sown a natural Body It is raised a spiritual or God giveth it a Body as it pleaseth him and to every Seed his own Body Reply How evident is it that as the Particle It is used as a Relative to both the natural and spiritual Body 't is a mutable It for that there is a natural Body and there is a spiritual Body which therefore are not the self-same the very Parable or Instance of the Wheat and other Grain may confute his Opinion herein For is it the very self-same Grain of Wheat that is in the Eare that was sown in the Ground Let the Husband-Men judge him herein To him we may say as the Apostle did in the same Case to such O Fool thou sowest not that Body that shall be c. 1 Cor. 15. And now the words It 's sown imply a Seed sown in order to a sprouting and bringing forth Increase Upon which it may be queried if that Body of Man to wit that of Flesh Blood and Bones that 's laid in the Grave or drowned in the Sea or devoured by Fire and some by Beast's c. be the Seed that the Apostle intended to which God giveth a Body as it pleaseth him yea or nay If it be answered in the Affirmative then what Body is it that God giveth to it as it pleaseth him If it be answered in the Negative that overthrows the Baptists Doctrine of the same Flesh Blood and Bones c. which W. B. has not distinguished from a spiritual Body THE RESURRECTION Future Glory and Felicity of the SAINTS Further asserted according to the Holy Scriptures Discovering How far short of the true Vision Sight or Revelation thereof our present Opposers are in their gross Thoughts and Traditional Conjectures Being An Examination of Thomas Danson ' s Arguments and Doctrines about the Resurrection Future State and Glory of Believers in his Synopsis THe Resurrection as plentifully asserted in the Scriptures is not in the least question'd by us however we be unjustly censur'd for denying it Therefore there is no necessity of his Argument to evince that which as he saith the Scripture is so plentiful in asserting of nor doth he evince it according to the Scriptures but varies from them as will appear His Argument If the Bodies that have done Good or Evil must receive their Reward accordingly then the same Bodies that dye must rise again But the Antecedent is true therefore the Consequent Answ. This Argument both Antecedent and Consequent appears neither clear nor grounded upon Truth as it placeth an Eternal Reward upon the Body for its temporal Acts in putting the Body on this account for Man that hath acted therein who must receive the things done in the Body 2 Cor. 5. 10. The meer Terrestrial Body being neither the Subject reteining Perpetual Love or Enmity to God nor is it the Original Cause of Good or Evil Actions therefore not the Object of eternal Love or Wrath but Man in his Spiritual Existence or Being as spiritually and suitably organized as it pleaseth God to receive the things done in his Body according to what he hath done whether it be Good or Evil proper and natural to the Image he bears which the Soul carries along with it out of the Earthly Body or House that turns to Dust But see the Proof of his Antecedent That
the Bodies that have done Good or Evil must receive their Reward accordingly which Proposition is the Antecedent is evident by 2 Cor. 5. 10. and then the Consequence is firm c. Rep. He hath manifestly perverted the Text it doth not say The Bodies must receive their Reward accordingly though in some Sense it may be granted according to their temporal Actions But we must all appear before the Judgment-seat of Christ that every one may receive the Things done IN his Body according to that he hath done whether it be Good or Bad 2 Cor. 5. 10. And but a few words before he saith We are coâ—…fident I say and willing rather to be Absent from the Body and to be Present with the Lord ver 8. Wherefore he knew that they were Capable both of a Being and Reward with the Lord when absent from the Body and that as when in the Body they had found Acceptance with him they received the Deeds done in the Body when out of it to Dye being Gain unto them Every man's Works shall follow him the Nature of them shall remain in him whether it be Good or Evil that he Lives and Dies in The Soul spiritually hath its proper Organ Vessel or Body wherein either the Habit of Good or Evil Holiness or Filthiness cleaves to it and wherein accordingly it retains either Mercy or Wrath Love or Hatred from God when the earthly Mansion or House is destroyed turned to Dust as it was there being a House or Cloathing that cleaves more closely to the Soul then Dust can and it will come to pass that he that will be filthy must be filthy still and he that is Holy let him be Holy still Behold I come quickly and my Reward is with me to give every man according as his Work shall be Rev. 22. 11 12. Rom 2. 6. And therefore Wo will be to their Souls who reward Evil to themselves and whose Souls delight in their Abominations and Tribulation and Anguish upon every Soul of Man that doth Evil of the Jew first and also of the Gentile but Glory Honour and Peace to every man that Worketh Good to the Jew first and also to the Gentile Rom. 2. 8 9 10. But to procced to T. D's further Proof of his Antecedent and Consequent which to Ordinary Readers he saith may seem inconsequent by which then he must be more then an ordinary Writer The Place he cites is Mat. 22. 31 32. T. D. For the surther Proof of Antecedent and Consequent I shall first explain the Terms of Christ's Argument c. The Place is Mat. 22. 31 32. As touching their Resurrection from the Dead have ye not read that which was spoken unto you by God saying I am the God of Abraham and the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob God is not the God of the Dead but of the Living And it is added Luk. 20. 38. for all live unto him This Passage he thus explains viz. 1. To be a God to Abraham notes a Covenant-Relation Answ. True and then it follows that they who are in this Covenant-Relation are those that live to him whom he is the God of Wheresore Abraham Isaac Jacob and all Partakers of the same Covenant live unto God in Union of Spirit and with the Spirits of all Just Men though in a more full injoyment of Glory hereafter as Abraham c. is not dead because God is his God and he in Possession of Eternal Glory 2. Not the God of the Dead He saith that might be meant either of them who are Dead simply or of them that are so dead as that they shall never return to Life not in the former Sense therefore in the Latter Are we therefore as by this to read the Words thus viz. God is not the God of the Dead that are so Dead as that they shall never return to Life but of the Dead that shall return to Life And then what are those Dead that shall never return to Life Or those Dead that God is not the God of if the Living and Dead must all be applyed to the Outward or Earthly Bodies But had he been sensible of his Sense before that to be a God to Abraham and so of the Living notes a Covenant-Relation and that Christ speaks of such as shall be accounted worthy to obtain that World and the Resurrection Luk. 20. 35. he might have understood that the Dead whom he is not the God of are such as are Strangers to that Covenant-Relation and live not to God however their Souls be Immortal 3. But of the Living that is saith he of them whom God intends to restore to Life or whose Bodies live potentially not only of them whose Souls live actually for all Live to him c. If the Living must intend the terrestrial Bodies of Abraham Isaac and Jacob then that Denomination Living is given to those that are truly Dead as he saith and then I ask if it be good Doctrine or proper to say that all those dissolved Bodies do live unto God Whereas in Christ's words there is no mention of their Elementary Bodies but that the Dead are raised and that he is the God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob and these were they that Lived unto him who were counted worthy to obtain that World and the Resurrection And it is further evident that when the Saducees who said there is no Resurrection Angel nor Spirit asked Christ about the Wife whose of the Seven She should be in the Resurrection their Thoughts were carnal and upon the Carnal or Earthly Bodies which Christ's Answer did not gratifie in his asserting the Resurrection as to the State of the Righteous after this Life He said The Children of this World marry and are given in Marriage But they which shall be counted worthy to obtain that World and the Resurrection from the Dead neither Marry nor are given in Marriage Neither can they dye any more for they are equal unto the Angels and are the Children of God being the Children of the Resurrection Luk. 20. 35 36. 1. Note here first That he speaks of a Resurrection-state in the World to come wherein the Children of God so much excel in their Beings as that they are equal unto the Angels whose Bodies are not such as these Earthly ones of the Children of this World wherein they Marry but in that World they are in another Capacity more Sublime and Spiritual even Equal unto the Angels whereby Christ doth not only assert the Resurrection and an Immortal State but also the Spirituality and Glory thereof far Transcending this earthly State and Body 2. As thus considered it is plainly implied that there are but some that are counted worthy to obtain that World and the Resurrection that is the Children of God who live unto him as Paul saith if by any means I might attain unto the Resurrection of the Dead Phil. 3. 10 11. Now therefore to apply this Resurrection to the
good without the Earthly and perishing Organs T. D. 3. Nor were the Promise to Glorifie Abraham's Soul made good without glorifying his Body too for the Happiness of the Soul is not Perfect without the Body its dear and beloved Companion the Soul having a strong Desire * and Inclination to a Re-union to the Body as the Schools not without good Ground determine vid. Calvin Harm Evang. in Mat. 22. 31 32. Luk. 20. 38. Answ. It is evident that this Man doth give this account that the Happiness of the Soul is not perfect without the Body not from any spiritual Sight of the Souls Happiness or Glory for in Page 81. he confesseth that the different Disposal of the Spirits of Man and Beast is not visible to the Eye of Sence and but dimly to the Eye of Reason and Faith although he has taken upon him by Tradition from Calvin c. to assert that the Happiness of the Soul is not perfect without the Body It may be understood that they have neither clear Reason nor perfect Faith for this and to be sure while he and others assert it without either we have no Reason to believe them But to answer him closely Both Calvin T. D. the Schools and divers Anabaptists are mistaken in this very Matter and see not with the Eye of true Faith either that the Happiness of the Soul is not perfect without the Body Or that the Soul hath a strong Desire to a Re-union to the Body â—…hile they intend the Terrestrial Elementary Bodies for this implies the Soul to be in a kind of Purgatory or Disquietness till the supposed Resumption of the Body and their Assertion and Determination herein is Contraty to what the Apostle saith 2 Cor. 5. for we know that if our earthly House of this Tabernacle were dissolved we have a Building of God an House not made with Hands eternal in the Heavens ver 1. for we that are in this Tabernacle do groan being burdened c. ver 4. We are confident I say and willing rather to be absent from the Body and to be present with the Lord ver 8. And said he I am in a Strait betwixt two having a Desire to depart c. Phil. 1. 23. See now the Stress of the Controversie where it lieth and that it is not only between these our Opposers Us but also between them and the Apostle Paul Thus viz. Calvin the Schools 〈◊〉 and Anabaptists determine and conclude That the Happiness of the Soul is not perfect without the Body and that the Soul when separate hath a strong Desire and Inclination to a Re-union to the Body But The Apostle Paul as knowing that when their Earthly House was dissolved they had a far better namely a Building of God Eternal in the Heavens Therefore in the Earthly Tabernacle they groâ—…ned being burdened as willing rather to be absent from the Body By which it appears they expected a more full Fruition or Felicity in the Heavenly Tabernacle then in the Earthly Their Soul did not desire after the Flesh as these Opposers imply neither had they any such Delight therein as fleshly Minds and carnal Contenders have Moreover the Apostle from the Visions and Revelations of the Lord saith I knew a Man in Christ above fourteen Years ago whether IN the Body or OUT of the Body I cannot tell God knows Such an one caught up to the third Heaven caught up into Paradise and heard upspeakable Words c. 2 Cor. 12. From hence consider that being caught up to the 3d Heaven into Paradise he doth not place the Sight and Sence of this Condition upon the Body for that he knew not whether he was In the Body or Out of the Body yet knew that he was a Man in Christ and in the Revelation of the Lord But he did not concern himself about this Earthly Body being so glorified in Heaven or Paradise as these Men do and carnally think who have neither Visions nor Revelations of the Lord concerning any such State but Calvin and the Schoolmens Determination contrary to the Apostles But the presumptuous Confidence of our Opposers appears the more in undertaking to assert or demonstrate the future State of the Soul as not being in perfect Happiness without the Body and as having a strong Desire after it while yet they neither know the State of the Soul nor have had so much as a Vision of the Glory thereof or of the glorified spiritual State of the Saints hereafter for Visions and Revelations they deem to be ceased long since and a Disposal of the Spirits of men after Death is not visible to the Eye of Sence and he saith but dimly to the Eye of Reason and Faith However while these Men cannot but appear themselves so Dim in these Sublime Matters and that while their dim Reason cannot reach them they cannot demonstrate to others either that the Souls of the Just in Heaven are not yet perfectly Happy or that they have such a strong Desire to a Re-union with the Body dissolved the shew themselves imaginary Intruders puft up in their fleshly Minds exercising themselves in things too high for them and it were better for them to sit down in Silence and wait in the Light to have some Sence and Knowledge of the true immortal Life to quicken them to God and not thus to busie themselves with unprofitable Talk brought forth from Imaginations of men and not from any true Sight or Revelation of the Conditions of Saints either here or hereafter His telling of Abraham's Soul living actually is true and as true it is That his Soul is in perfect Felicity and Glory and the more being out of the Earthly Tabernacle But his saying that the Body of Abraham or Bodies of the deceased Believers liveth potentially for this we have his own Traditional Assertion but not any Scripture-Proof or Phrase that suits it nor rational Demonstration for it As to his saying That if any shall say that Christ's Argument and his Application of it proves but the Resurrection of the Good c. I say his Application thereof seems but to extend to the Good as in his saying They whose God God is shall rise yet he hath not proved the Rising of their Earthly Bodies after they are dissolv'd to Dust and reduc'd to their first Elements but that there is a Resurrection of the Good and who of us questions that The Resurrection of the Good or of the Just being Glorious and extending not only to Arising out of the Fall out of Death that came by it out of the Grave of Corruption which hath followed yea out of the Dust of that Earth and out of all Afflictions here but also unto an Inheritance of Eternal Glory hereafter as They that be Wise shall shine as the Brightness of the Firmament and they that turn many to Righteousness as the Stars forever and ever So that they shall be so Celestial and Glorious as that they shall
Which truly when I have beheld it Grief has overwhelm'd my Soul and a Pitty for their sakes has risen in my Heart that all those Tryals which rightly understood and improv'd would have turned to great Advantage should be as water spil'd on the Ground Many Instances we have had of this since their Descending the Throne of Power Particularly in the Years 1668 1669. which time there being some respit from any violent Persecution of men upon the account of Conscience What preaching was almost in every Meeting against the Dangerous Errors of the Quakers as they pleas'd to traduce them and how were they slander'd upon Several Stationers Stalls we could scarcely walk the Street but our Ears must be disturb'd with the Cryes of the Antidote against Quakerisme the Synopsis of Quakerisme the Damnable Heresie of the Quakers with the like virulent Expressions bestow'd upon us in their Title-Pages to be-speak their Sale more easie with Persons Inquisitive or prejudic'd Nay whilst they commended the King's Indulgence to their own Parties and publickly render'd him their Acknowledgment of his Clemency they sedulous endeavour'd my Imprisonment in particular and did not stick both to character me the most wretched and enormious of Men for a Book they I may in a manner say extorted from me and at that time too when both my Body was straightly imprison'd and my Life greatly indanger'd and as the Completement of their Wickedness they maintain'd the Justness of my Confinement But to pass over this and observe the Consequence of succeeding Troubles The former Acts receiving New Life from one more sharp and Cruel what could we hope but that this Act executed were enough to make these Professors forever out of Love with Persecution who are yet too warm Abettors of it For though their Vain Boasts of Standing quickly vanisht at the Rattling of a few Musquets and that God by his Almighty Invisible Power upheld us through all those Hardships of Bruises Blood-shed broken Limbs tedious Imprisonments and Great Spoiâ—…ing of our Goods enough to melt the Hearts of Infidels And I cannot say but then they would Nicodemus-like give us their Night-Encouragements some Blessing God that we were set to blunt the Edge of Persecution and so be as a Bulwark for them yet so quickly did their Kindness coole upon a Relaxation of such Procedure against us that their Tenderness seem'd to Dye with the Hardness of our Persecutors For no sooner were we out of Prison but instead of Congratulations we were Saluted or Affronted rather with an Imposture from Lincoln and a Lye from Dover the Former stampt by R. James the Latter by T. Hobbs both Anabaptists as they are commonly call'd to their own Infamy and the great Disgrace of their Profession These Beginnings Reader were followed by the pressing Endeavours of Our Dissenters in general whether by Preaching Disputing Writing or other more secret Traducings both in Cities and Country but more especially in London where the greatness of our Sufferings from the Powers seems out-done by the Malicious Practices of Dissenters Nay so Restless are they in their Attempts against us that they will Disturb themselves rather then let us be Quiet and care not whom they molest if the poor Quakers may but be render'd Odious witness among others a Libel call'd The Spirit of the Quakers Tryed A Letter subscrib'd J. G. and a Dialogue T. H. the two Last of the same Fraternity with those before mention'd Behold what Use these Men make of Tolleration with which since Authority hath oblieg'd them their Gratitude or their Pâ—…licy has turn'd the torrent of their virulent Hammer against us whom they daily wreak under their ungodly Hate as if they were resolv'd to interrupt the King's Indulgence with their Persecution and by a kind of Revenge upon us for our Liberty suffer it to be a time of Calm with none but themselves But what makes the Matter worse some Emulous Spirits among them wisht as I heard for an other Storm that the Quakers might but be shipwrackt by it O strange Impiety that Men should lay our Prosperity so to Heart as therefore to wish our Ruin and rather then not effect it run the Bold Hazard of their Own Unless they resolve to keep their Old Haunt of Creeping into Garrats Cheese-loifts Coale-holes and such like Mice-walkes and using more Equivocation to hide a Meeting then a Romish Priest hath been wont to do to conceal his Function Well may we take up a Lamentation for these things that Men should so fearfully rend Religion from Charity and Faith from the good Works of Patience Mercy and Universal Love as if to Quarrel about Religion were to be Religious and to call Names and Jeer a Mark of Zeal and Witt. To Conclude and sum up what I have said This hath been the Misery of almost every Reformation that its Authors have Degenerated from their first Sense which plac'd Religion in a clean Conscience not in a full Head in Walking with God more then in Talking of Him to Self-Promotion and Persecution of all Dissenters from their Establishment and the Cause of it is briefly this a 〈◊〉 from that Heâ—…venly Illumination in themselves setting up their Own Contrivance before they had pull'd down all Contrivances of Men and their Covetousness to advance their own Inventions and Impatience to see them not assented to â—…ave promoted Crueâ—…ty and with this very Cup have the Nations been Drunk as well Refin'd as more Gross Professors of Religion That God therefore firâ—…t Appeared to and Impower'd and Sent forth Plain Men to declare the Plain Truth to turn Men from that Darkness which cover'd their Hearts notwithstanding their splendid Profession to the Light that hath shined therein uncomprehended which obeyed was sufficient to Salvation that they were first Slandered then Persecuted and that by most Sorts But their Persecution not always continuing from the Powers they have been and now are diligently followed by their old Adversaries the Separatists with their Cryes of Heresie Error Blasphemy and the like if possible to make them a Burden upon Earth witness their many printed Books and Impostures particularly The Spirit of the Quakers Tryed The Letter The Dialogue betwixt a Christian and a Quaker Qu kerism no Christianity and The Controversie Ended unto all which from Beginning to End so far as concerns CHRIST THE TRUE LIGHT ENLIGHTNING ALL MEN THAT EVER CAME AND DO OR SHALL COME INTO THE WORLD WITH A SAVING LIGHT WHAT IS THE GENERAL RULE OF FAITH TO CHRISTIANS I here present the World with our plain full Defence having throughly considerd them with what other Objections I thought to carry any weight against Us Which being our Fundamental Principle if prov'd the common Notion of Satisfaction for Sins past present and to come Justification in the strictest Sense without inherent Righteousness their fearful Tale of Predestination and their Pâ—…eas against Perfection will tumbleto the Ground And I earnestly beseech the Reader in the
So that a Sincere Faith in and Obedience to the Light of Christ as it shines in the Heart whereby to give the Living and Experimental Knowledge of the Glory of God unto the Creature is the Way to be Redeemed from Darkness and to be made a Child of Light or that there is Power and Vertue Sufficient in the Light to Ransom the Souls of such as diligently adhere to it from under the Power of Darkness For as the true Knowledge of God is Life Eternal so whatever may be known of God is manifested within which Manifestation cannot properly be without the Light whose peculiar Property it is to Discover Reveal or Manifest the Mind and Will of God to Mankind as saith the Apostle For whatsoever doth make Manifest is Light In him was Life and that Life was the Light of all Men But not therefore the Life of all Men Spiritually and Unitedly considered That was the peculiar Priviledge of those who Believ'd in it and walkt up to it There is a great Difference not in the Principle but in its Appearance to Man as Life and Light Such as believe in it IT What the Word-God who is that true Light as he appears to Discover or Illuminate the Heart and Conscience do really know and enjoy a new Nature Spirit and Life And in that Sense it may be said As the Life became the Light so the Light became the Life again Who so follows me shall not walk in Darkness but have the Light of Life Not that there is a Difference or so much as a Descent in Kind from Life to Light only in Operation with respect to Man For as it is the very Life of the Word in the Word it is the Light of Men and so much it is let them reject the Vertue of it if they will But as it is received and believed in It begets Life Motion Heat and every Divine Qualification suitable to the State of the New Birth And thus the Life of the Word which is in common the Light becomes the Life of every such Particular by communicating to or ingenerating Life in the Soul so that no more he lives but Christ the Word-God whom he hath now put on and who is become his very Life as well as Light that dwelleth in him Let not Men then in their Dark Imaginations with their Rob'd Knowledge from the Letter of the Scriptures themselves contend against the Sufficiency of what they obey not neither have seriously tryed the Power Vertue and Efficacy of it which brings Salvation to as many as are turned to it and abide in it And indeed so express are the Scriptures in Defence of the Sufficiency and Necessity of the Light to Salvation that it seems to have been the great Intendment of our Lord Jesus Christ in delegating his Disciples to preach his Everlasting Gospel viz. That they might open the Eyes of People and turn them from Darkness to the Light and from the Power of Satan unto God that they might receive Remission of Sins and an Inheritance among them that are Sanctified through Faith that is in Me who ME that am both the Light of the World and the Power of God unto Salvation Now certainly the Eyes that were then blind were not the Natural but Spiritual Eyes of Men and such must the Darkness and Light be also blinded by the God of this World who raigned in the Hearts of the Children of Disobedience No Wonder then if the Light was not comprehended of the Darkness and that blind People did not see the Light but it plainly proves That Light there was though not seen Now the Work of the Powerful Ministry of the Apostles was To open the Blind or Dark Eye which the God of the World had blinded and then to turn them from that Darkness to the Light the Darkness was within so must the Light have been since the Illumination was there necessary where the Darkness had been predominant Consequently The Way to be Translated from Satan's Power to God to have Remission of Sins and an Inheritance with them that are Sanctified is to be turned from the Darkness in the Heart unto the Marvelous Light that had long shined uncomprehended to wit the GOSPEL which is called both the Light and Power of God The same Apostle in his Epistle to the Romans is more express concerning the holy Nature and Efficacy of the Light to Salvation when he thus exhorts them The Night is far spent the Day is at hand Let us therefore cast off the Works of Darkness and put on the Armour of Light Let us walk honestly as in the Day not in Rioting and Drunkenness not in Chambring and Wantonness not in Strife and Envy but put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ and make no provision for the Flesh to fulfill the Lusts thereof From whence I shall briefly remark three Things greatly to our Purpose and the Truths Defence in this Matter 1. That there is an absolute Opposition betwixt Light and Darkness as Darkness can only Vail the Light from the Understandings of Men So Light only can Discover and Dispel that Darkness Or thus That the Light Manifests and Condemns the Works of Darkness for what Communion hath Light with Darkness 2. That in the Light there is ARMOUR which being put on is able to Conquer the Darkness and Secure the Soul from the evil of it otherwise it would be very strange that the Apostle should exhort the People to put it on 3. That putting on the Armour of the Light and putting on the Lord Jesus Christ the Light of the World are Synonimous or one and the same thing for it is for one and the same End as may be observed from the Words Let us put on the Armour of Light and walk Honestly as in the Day not in Rioting and Drunkenness not in Chambring and Wantonness not in Strife and Envying But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ and make no provision for the Flesh to fulfil the Lusts thereof I hope then Neither will it be disallow'd that Christ is that Light with which Men are Inlightned but more of that anon nor is that Light Men are exhorted to Obey a Naked and Insufficient but a Searching Expelling Powerful and Arming Light against Darkness and all its Unfruitful Works and consequently SAVING Thus the Beloved Disciple testifies very emphatically in his first Epistle where he gives us a Relation of the Apostolical Mission This then is the Message which we have heard of him and declare unto you That God is Light and in him is no Darkness at all if we say we have Fellowship with him and walk in Darkness we Lye and do not the Truth But if we walk in the Light as he is in the Light we have Fellowship one with another and the Blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all Sin Here is a brief Stating of the whole Great Case of Salvation 1. What God
is Light 2. Who can have no Fellowship with him such as walk in Darkness that is Sin 3. Who have Fellowship with him such as walk in the Light as he is Light 4. the Reason why is given because such as walk in the Light are there sure experimentally to feel the Vertue of Christ's Blood to cleanse them from all Unrightcousness Where observe that the Light 's leading out of Darkness that is Unrighteousness is the same with the Blood of Jesus Christ cleansing from all Sin Sin and Darkness and to be cleansed from the one and to be translated from the other is equivalent otherwise a Man might be delivered from Darkness and walk in the Light and not be cleansed from Sin which is that Darkness a thing Absurd and Impossible In short they go together By this 't is evident that the Light being walkt in doth directly lead to God and Fellowship with him who is the Saving Light and Health of all Nations and consequently that the Light leads to Eternal Salvation Many are the Denominations that are given in Scripture to one and the same Being or Condition Christ is called The Word the Light the Saviour Emanuel a Rock a Door a Vine a Shepherd c. A State of Sin is sometimes called Darkness Death Disobedience Barrenness Rebellion Stiff-neckedness Eating of Sowr Grapes And Wicked Men Bryars Thorns Thistles Tares Dead Trees Wolves Goats c. On the contrary a State of Conversion is sometimes expressed by such words as Purged Refined Washed Cleansed Sanctified Justified Led by the Spirit Baptized by one Spirit into one Body Regenerated Redeemed Saved Bought with a Price c. And Persons so qualified The Children of God Children of Light Heirs of Glory Lambs Sheep Wheat And that by which they become or continue thus Light Spirit Fire Sword Hammer Power Grace Seed Truth Way Life Blood Water Bread Word Unction that leadeth into all Truth All which respectively is but one and the same in Nature That is Sin or a Sinful State is so variously denominated from the divers Operations and Discoveries of the Nature of it in Wicked Men. The like may be said of the several Vertues in Good and Holy Men and so of that one Divine Principle which so qualifies and preserves them For as the Primitive Saints felt the Operation of the One Holy Principle so they denominated it to men in Darkness they call'd it Light to such as believed and obeyed It became a Leader and those who witnessed their Sins conquer'd their Lusts cut down their Hearts broken and their Souls Washed Redeemed and daily Nourished they called that Divine Principle a Sword Fire Hammer Water Flesh Blood and Bread and Seed of Life In short The same Heavenly Principle became Light Wisdom Power Counsel Redemption Sanctification and Eternal Salvation unto those who believed in it So that the Variety of Expressions in the Scriptures must not be taken for so many distinct things in kind no nor sometimes in Operation And indeed notwithstanding that Light T. Hicks would have lodg'd in the bare Scriptures exclusive of the Spirit all the Men of the World met together would be confounded to give a true Account of the Matter therein contained if they were not Living Experimental Witnesses For as he is not an Evidence sufficient in Laws Humane that was not an Eye or Ear Witness neither are they Evidences for God and Christ who are not Eye and Ear Witnesses of the Light Spirit Grace and Word of God in the Heart And I boldly affirm the Scriptures speak no more for such as are not Inheritors of that Blessed Condition they declare of in some Measure or other then any Deed of Gift would do for a Person no wayes Nam'd or Interested therein It is time then for T. Hicks and his Partners to look about them lest the Midnight-Cry overtake them and their Professing Lamp be found without Oyl For I must needs tell him in the Beloved Disciple's Language He that saith he is in the Light and 〈◊〉 his Brother is in the Darkness even until now And in my own Language That I take that to be their State who shew so much Envious Displeasure against an Harmless People and those in particular that never yet Offended much less Justly provokt them But would they bring their Thoughts Words and Deeds to the Light in their own Consciences and let true Judgment pass upon them and patiently undergo the Heavenly Chastisements for their Disobedience to and Vilifying of the Light they would come to witness a turning from the Darkness to the Light and continuing therein as that Holy Way in which the Ransomed of the Lord alwayes did do and shall walk through all Generations they would know the Injoyment of Eternal Peace Yea such is the Excellency of Christ the true Light that as He was First so shall He be the Last when all Outward Performances Writings Worships yea the whole World shall be at an End the Use and Excellency of the Light will remain forever as saith John the Divine And they shall see his Face and his Name shall be written in their Fore-Heads and there shall be no Night there and they need no Candle neither Light of the Sun for the LORD GOD GIVETH THEM LIGHT and they shall Reign forever and ever Amen CHAP. VIII An Objection against the Light 's Antecedent Being to Christ's Coming It is prov'd to have been known to be a Saving Light from Adam's day through the Holy Patriarchs and Prophets time down to Christ's from the Scriptures of Truth HAving then plainly prov'd from Scripture 1. That the Light is Saving since the time of Christ beginning with its first Appearance as Manifesting Sin 2. Condemning of It. 3. Redeeming from It as obeyed And that the same Principle which is called Light is the Seed Grace Truth Word Spirit Power Unction Water Way Life Flesh and Blood and therefore not a Distinct Being from that which T. Hicks himself if he will own plain Scripture must confess doth Save I call it the LIGHT OF SALVATION OR THAT LEADS TO SALVATION But there remain yet several Objections to be Answered which done we shall immediately proceed to give Judgment upon the Question Who or What this Light is with respect to all our Adversaries Cavils Obj. Though you have thus far evinc'd the Universality of a Saving Light from the Scriptures since Christ's Life Death Resurrection and Ascension yet that which is the Pinch of the Controversie will be this Where was this before Light Had any this Saving Light they had a Light before it came in that Eminent Manner above One Thousand Six Hundred Years since It is generally believ'd that Christ's then coming benefitted the World with it in case the World universally hath such a Saving Light To which I shall give my Answer both from Scripture History and Reason The first Scripture I shall quote is in the first of Genesis So God created
DUTY Again The Way to ascend up to the House of Truth IS TO BEHOLD WITHIN US THAT THERE IS ONE MOST HIGH GOD who made and governs all things that Christ is God's Ambassadour and Builder sent unto Men and as they receive him INTO THEIR HEARTS HE BUILDETH A DIVINE AND IMMORTAL TEMPLE IN THEM VI. But let us deliberately read what the so much admired ATHANASIUS says to the Gentiles who did frequently cast out that Vulgar Objection to the Christians How know you that yours is the Right Way The Way whereby to attain to the Knowledge of God IS WITHIN US which is proved from Moses who saith THE WORD OF GOD IS WITHIN THY HEART and from this Saying of Christ THE FAITH AND KINGDOM OF GOD IS WITHIN YOU If then says Athanasius the KINGDGM OF GOD BE WITHIN US likewise are we able to understand the WORD or VOICE OF THE FATHER Which Solid Ancient and Great Truth could not but highly aggravate the Blame of such as were Infidel to it because it was but the Doctrine of their Fam'd Philosophers more clearly and Scripturally exprest as it doth abundantly testifie to us upon which Ground it was the Primitive Christians believed and practised their Religion Not Tradition however Holy but Sound Internal Conviction and Revelation from no Words Without BUT THE ETERNAL WORD OF GOD IN THE HEART the great Discoverer of the Will and Way of God to Men He that knows this Word or Divine Principle to raign in his Heart knoweth the Kingdom of God come there and his Will done even the Sanctification of the Soul VII CHRYSOSTOME also is not wanting to ascribe some Honour to this Holy Light we contend for who not only confesseth the Light mention'd in the first of John to be Christ the Word-God who inlightneth all Mankind coming into the World but also avers it to be of a Saving Nature unto all who believe in it and follow it wherefore saith he Let none blame the Light they are not Saved but their own Rebellion who refuse to be saved by it This he very solemnly calls A TEACHER OR INSTRUCTOR DWELLING IN MAN's NATURE or that no Man is without a Teacher to Instruct Inspire Help and Assist him in what leads to Eternal Life I will conclude these Christian Testimonies with a Passage out of AUGUSTINE not unsuitable to the Business in hand VIII AUGUSTINE in his Discourse on John has this very notable Passage viz. THAT GOD IS PROPERLY KING OF MINDS OR SOULS because when he is receiv'd in he governeth by his Divine Power and Spirit in the Heart therefore is not his Kingdom after the Manner of this World BUT WITHIN and much to this purpose Again he Distinguisheth upon the Word REASON There is a Superior and Inferior Reason saith he the Inferior is a meer Rational Creature or that Understanding which distinguisheth a Man from a Beast but the Superior Reason is a LIGHT or as it were a POWER in Mankind DICTATING REVEALING and INJOYNING DIVINE ETERNAL and INTIRELY GOOD THINGS as for Example when it shall say This is Sin thou oughtest no to commit but AVOID it Why Because it offends God Thus far of Primitive Christian-Divinity from about 132. years after Christ to about 400. years after Christ by way of Confirmation of that Part of the Gentile-Divinity which might with least Credit be imbraced for to cite never so many Primitive Christian Authors to prove a God Holy Life and the Immortality of the Soul the other Points of Gentile-Divinity would look like Labour in vain since none that believes them to have been Christians ought to doubt of their holding these very things which in a great measure character'd them such but that which is though it should not be the Wonder is to quote them in the Language of the so much yet so undeservedly decri'd and abused Quakers viz. That not only the best Gentiles but most approved Christians of the Primitive Times Confess to a Divine Light Principle Word or Spirit in Man whose Inspiration gives infallible Understanding and as Man is guided by it he shall be Recovered out of that Mire Sin has stuck him in and it will Free him from the Snares of Pleasures Inlighten his Eyes Inspire his Soul and Lead him gently by the hand in the Way of Eternal Righteousness whose Reward from God will be Immortality and Eternal Life CHAP. XII The Third Part of the Gentile-Divinity viz. That they were Men of Vertuous Lives and taught the Indispensibleness thereof to Life Eternal Prov'd by Numerous Instances IT may be now time that I dispatch the other two Parts of the Gentile-Divinity which I shall endeavour with all convenient Brevity There are many Instances of their Pious Doctrine and singular Examples of their Vertue I will instance in a few to convince if I can such as scarcely believe any Good of them and the rather I fear that they may not charge the Bad upon the Light that their Doctrines and Practice with respect to Good Living were and are very Commendable and Approveable of all Good Christians I. PITTACUS Mitilenaeus one of the Seven Wise Men of Greece as they were called his Apophthegms were these What thou tak'st Ill in thy Neighbonr DO NOT THY SELF Reproach not the Unhappy for the Hand of GOD is on them Restore what is committed to thy Trust. Bear with thy Neighbour LOVE THY NEIGHBOUR Reproach not thy Friend though he recede from thee a little Acquire Honesty Seek Obsequiousness Love Discipline Temperance Prudence TRUTH FAITH Experience Dexterity Society Diligence Oeconomy and PIETY II. CHILON another of them he was so Just in all his Actions that in his old Age he professed He never had done any thing contrary to the Conscience of an Upright Man only that of one thing he was doubtful Having given Sentence against his Friend according to Law he advised his Friend to Appeal from him his Judge so to preserve both his Friend and the Law Agellius relates it thus When his Lise drew towards an End ready to be seized by Death he spoke thus to his Friends about him My Words and Actions in this Long Term of Years have been almost all such as I need not Repent of which perhaps you also know TRULY EVEN AT THIS TIME I AM CERTAIN I NEVER COMMITTED ANY THING THE REMEMBRANCE WHEREOF BEGETS ANY TROUBLE IN ME unless this one thing only which whether it were done amiss or not I am uncertain I sate with two others as Judge upon the Life of my Friend the Law was such as the Person must of necessity be condemned so that either my Friend must lose his Life or some Deceit be used towards the Law revolving many things in my Mind for a Relief of a Condition so desperate I conceived that which I put in Practice to be of all other the most easie to be born Silently I Condemned him and perswaded these others who judged
Law finished He that would be justified must first be condemned and who would be healed must first be wounded The Law is as the Sword the Gospel as Balm The one Duty the other Love And that which alone is needful to attain unto the highest Discovery is to be humbly subject and constantly obedient to the lowest Appearance of it The faithful Servant becomes a Son by Adoption Wouldst thou know the Word a Reconciler thou must first witness it an Hammer Sword Fire c. The Way to arrive at Evangelical Righteousness is first to perform the Righteousness of the Law By Law I mean not that of Ceremonies or the External Order of the Jews but that Moral Eternal Law which is said to have come by Moses and is accomplisht by Christ. And there is great Hopes that who Conscientiously keeps the Beginning will compass the End Such as have Conquer'd bad Doing if they be faithful in what they have received of God's Light and Spirit it will inable them against bad Saying till at last they overcome evil Thinking too and witness that Scripture fulfilled Judgment the Law is brought forth into Victory the Gospel He that follows me the Light of the World that inlightens all Men coming into the World shall not abide in Darkness but shall have the Light of Life I make not this Distinction of Law and Gospel to distinguish in Kind but Degree and for the sake of the Weak accustomed to it And if the Son make you free then are you free indeed For as it is a Condemner it may be called the Light that brings Death in that it slays by the Brightness of it's coming into the Conscience the transgressing Nature like unto that Expression the Day of the Lord is a Day of Darkness because of the Judgments and Terrors of the Lord for Sin But to the Obedient it is the Light of Life Thus is Christ as the Word-God and Light of the World through every Dispensation ONE in himself though to Mankind he has variously appeared not by Differing Lights but Manifestations only of one and the same Eternal Light of Life and Righteousness CHAP. XVIII The Second Part of the Objection that Christ was not anciently called the Light Answered And the Contrary proved from Scripture and Reason TO the Second Part of the Objection If the Light in every Man were Christ how comes it that the Jews and Greeks never called it so I answer We do not say that the Light in every Man is Christ but of Christ He is that Fulness from whence all receive a Measure of Divine Light and Knowledge but not that every Individual has the whole or compleat Christ in him such an Absurdity never fell from us nor our Doctrine though the Malice of our Adversaries hath charged it upon both But as the External Sun darts its Light upon the Organ of the Eye of the Body by which it conveyes true Discerning to act how in and about Visibles so doth the Internal Sun of Righteousness shine upon the Eye of the Soul giving it the Knowledge of those invisible Things which properly relate to the Nature of the Soul So that we are the less oblieged to give a Reason why others called not the Light in Man Christ since we renounce all Share in such Belief our selves Which is Answer enough to T. H's dis-ingenuous Inference that because G. W. affirmed the Light with which Mankind was inlightned was God therefore sayes T. H. Every Man his whole God in him or to that Purpose p. 5 6. Yet thus far I will tell those Men that Christ was called Light before ever he was in the World though not before he was Christ. I will give him for a Light to lighten the Gentiles c. Now if any will say that this Light was not Christ let them tell us so in plain words But if it will be allowed then T. Hicks had best ask why the Prophet by the Holy Ghost should call Christ Light even as soon if not before he was called Christ and why in that very State in which he was called Christ he should be called Light Certain it is then that by Him the Light we are to understand Christ which is one and the same thing as if he had said I will give Christ for a Light to enlighten the Gentiles or who is the Christ is the Light or the Light is Christ So that it will follow that the Gentiles were inlightened by Christ which is the Whole of what we understand by our Assertion as to the Light in Man Again John expresly calls that Light with which every Man is inlightned the Word and the Word is said to have taken Flesh If then he that took Flesh was Christ and consequently that Body Christ's Body only as none I think will dare deny but Muggleton and his Credulous Followers it will follow That Christ who took or appeared in that prepared Body is the Light with which every Man is inlightned Further Christ himself sayes I am the Light of the World which is as much as if he had said I have inlightned the World therefore the Light which shines in the Hearts of Mankind is Christ though not every particular Illumination the entire Christ for so there would be as many Christs which were Absurd and Blasphemous But Lastly the Apostle himself calls him Christ before his Coming in the Flesh or that Christ was Christ before his Appearance in that Body at Jerusalem which clears that Point in Controversie for the Stress of T. Hicks's Objection as to this Particular lies here Christ as Christ was not before he took Flesh therefore though I should grant might he say and he doth say as much that as the Word-God all are inlightened by him yet sayes he not as he is Christ before that visible Appearance One would think he were a very Socinian by his Arguing not that I write so in Slight Abuse or Reflection but if Christ was not before then the Manhood that was taken in time must be the Christ and what should materially hinder their Conjunction I know not But I would fain know his Reason for it if it be Lawful to expect what I fear he has not to give however if he darest he would give you his Interest in lieu of a Reason for his so holding but that I shall do for him and with Impartial Minds it will be a Reason against him The Dilemma in short is this If he denies Christ to have been Christ before that Coming he thwarts as plain a Text as the Scriptures have and if he should allow of it his whole Fabrick now a Fortification he thinks would fall like a rotten House about his Ears Well but I will tell him and all concern'd for his base Opposition That since Christ as the Word-God hath illuminated all Men antecedent to his Coming in the Flesh as confesses T.H. J.G. J.F. and many more of them that the Apostle says that the Word
their Weakness that he might both keep them from gadding after the Pompous Invention and Idolatrous Worship of other Nations and point out unto them under their great Carnality that more Hidden Glory and Spiritual Dispensation which should-afterwards be revealed to wit The Compleat Redemption of the Soul and Raign of the Holy Seed from the Child born and the Son given to the Wonderful Counsellor the Mighty God the Everlasting Father and Prince of Peace of the Increase of whose Government there shall be no End So that then we ought and we do by absolute Force of Truth conclude 1. That the Seed which Seed is Christ was in all Ages with Abraham with the Israelites with the Prophets Therefore he was as well before he came in that prepared Body as then and since 2. Yet it is confest That He was not so clearly revealed perfectly brought forth and generally known before his so Coming as then and since but more darkly figured out by Types and Shaddowy Services which though they Cleans'd not Sav'd not Redeem'd not yet did show forth a more Hidden and Spiritual Substance that was able to Cleanse Save and Redeem and did all that received it and were truly subject to it 3. That it therefore is not at all Absurd that the more Excellent Manifestation of Truth should he Typified and Prophesied of under the Enjoyment of the Lesser since the Reason of the Thing and the Testimonies of the Scripture are so express for it which ends our Answer to this Particular CHAP. XX. The Fourth Part of the Objection stated and considered Christ's Death and Sufferings confessed to and respected they were beneficial The Light of Christ within is the Efficient Cause to Salvation HAving thus considered the Third Part of this great Objection I am now come to what chiefly stumbles People with respect to the Light within at least as I apprehend and that is this Fourth and Last Particular viz. But if the Light in every Man be Christ how doth it bear our Sins and are our Iniquities laid upon it and how can we be said to be Justified Redeemed or Saved by its Blood since all these things are spoken by the Holy Pen-men of the Man Christ or Jesus born at Nazareth Surely you wholy invalidate his Life Death Resurrection Ascension and Mediation by this Belief in the Light This I take to be the very Stress of the Matter collected out of the most Forceable Writings of our Adversaries To which I Answer and let him that reads understand It must be considered in this Last Part of the Objection how those Questions can be applicable to the Light and yet be reconciliable with those Scriptures that seem to attribute all to his Bodily Sufferings I hope to make appear that as we exalt the First so we dare not by any means to slight the Last The Light or rather He that is Light in Man for I have alwayes desired so to be understood Light being a Metaphor or word taken from the outward Day and chiefly so term'd because of Man's Darkness which is thereby discovered hath been as a Lamb slain since the Foundation of the World that is the World had not been long created before the good Order of it and every thing therein being envied by the Fallen Angels that Spirit of Iniquity betrayed Man of his Innocency and Sin by Disobedience prevailing the Light or Principle of Life under whose Holy Leadings Man was placed became Resisted Grieved and as it were Slain which word Slain is also Metaphorical that is to say the Innocent Pure Life was as Wounded unto Death through Man's Disobedience and Lamb-like Image in which Adam was created by him through Rebellion lost Thus that Holy Principle which God placed in the Heart of Adam in which was true Light Life and Power bore the Sin was prest under it as a Cart under Sheaves grieved exceedingly and as it were quencht with Iniquity This hath been the Condition of that Precious and Elect Seed Spirit Light Life Truth or whatever Name equivalent any may please to give it ever since that first Rebellion to this very Day And as in Wicked Men God's Holy Light and Spirit or that Principle which is so called hath been deeply Wounded yea as one Slain so in Good Men that have had a Sence of the World's Abomination hath it also born many Burdens and Weights for the Light and Life is One in All. And those who have been reformed by it and joyned to it have been as One Spirit and have not been without their Share of their Lord 's heavy Sufferings from the Ungodly World which was as well a filling up of Christ's Sufferings that were before his Outward Coming as what to this Generation are behind And as at any time Disobedient Men have harkened to the still Voice of the WORD that Messenger of God in their Hearts to be affected and convinced by it as it brings Reproof for Sin which is but a Fatherly Chastizement â—…o upon true Brokenness of Soul and Contrition of Spirit that very same Principle and Word of Life in Man has mediated and attoned and God has been propitious lifting up the Light of his Countenance and replenishing such humble 〈◊〉 with Divine Consolations So that still the same Christ Word-God who has enlightned all Men by Sin is grieved bearing the Iniquities of such as so sin and reject his Benefits but as any hear his Knocks and let him in he first Wounds and then Heals afterwards he attones mediates and re-instates in the holy Image Behold this is the State of Restitution And this in some Measure was witnessed by the Holy Patriarchs Prophets and Servants of God in old time to whom Christ was substantially the same Saviour and Seed bruising the Serpent's Head that he is now to us what Difference sâ—…ever there may be in Point oâ—… Manifestation But notwithstanding the same Light and Life with that which afterwards clothed it it self with that outward Body did in measure inwardly appear for the Salvation of the Souls of Men yet as have often said never did that Liâ—…â—…eminently put â—…orth it self for that End as in that 〈◊〉 and prepared Body so that what he then suffered and did in that transcendent Manisestation may by way of Eminency assume the whole Work unto it self that he ever did before or might do afterwards For doubtless that very Light Life and Power which dwelt in that Fleshâ—…y Tabernacle eminently was the Convincer Condemner Saviour and Redeemer yet not only as confined to that Body but as revealed in the Hearts of Men as he was in Paul who not consulting with Flesh and Blood against the Lord of Glory willingly receive him in to bind the strong Man spoil his Goods and cast him out that He might Reign And that the Divine Life Light Spirit Nature of Principle which resided in that Body was the efficient Cause of Salvation observe the Title that is given from the great Work he was to
that Illumination God has given me in Moderation the very Truth Weight and Tendency of the Outward Coming of Christ and his deep Sufferings by and for the World And also the Nature of his Inward Coming into the Souls of Men to expel the Darkness that lodgeth there In both which respects I confess him to be the Saviour of the World in general and the Saviour of each Man in particular But that the Benefit accruing to Men from Him as the general Saviour is known and received only where he is witnessed a particular Saviour and that I will abide by For Christ in Man becoming the Hope of Glory and Man's being changed into the same Image from Glory to Glory even as by the Spirit of the Lord is the Salvation and Perfection of every True Christian. CHAP. XXII That Christ is the Light or the Light is Christ. proved from Scripture and so concluded notwithstanding two Objections which are fully answered THat which remains to compleat our Scriptural Discourse of the Light is to pronounce it that which H. H. J. Faldo Tho. Hicks and a Multitude of other Barkers at it despise to call it and don 't a little undervalue both us and It because we do I mean CHRIST Not that the Manifestation of Light in every Conscience is the Intire Christ but that Christ the Word-God is that Light of Righteousness which inlightens all Men for which the Scripture is most express in that so well known but little believed Passage delivered to us by that beloved â—…isciple who best knew what his Lord was and stood in no need of any of their Information how to denominate or rightly character him although they and others implicitely accuse him of Weakness Obscurity nay Error if not Blasphemy too who make it all this and if it were possible more in a poor Quaker for only Believing on pure Gonviction this one weighty Passage THAT WAS THE TRUE LIGHT WHICH INLIGHTENS ALL MANKIND COMING INTO THE WORLD I have so throughly handled this Matter in a late Book intituled the Spirit of Truth Vindicated that I need the less to enlarge at this time to which I refer the Reader for Satisfaction concerning some Objections raised against the place However I will briefly consider it here that our Believing Christ to be an Universal and Sufficient Light and that to be Christ may stand in the View of the World upon so good Foundation as the Testimony of that Divine and well-beloved Apostle Two things are commonly urg'd against our Understanding of the first Nine Verses of John as they respect the Light 1. Some say that the Light here spoken of is not a Super natural and consequently no Saving Light but the Light of common Reason Others call it of Nature decay'd by the Fall and what Conviction ariseth thence is only the Imperfect Remains of that Natural Light which these Men who thus speak grant all to have as well before as after Christ's coming in the Flesh. 2. Others say that this is indeed an Universal and Saving Light but they restrain it to that Visible Appearance and make the ALL to be all those that will believe and the World to be that New Spiritual World Christ came to create by Saving Knowledge which Believers come into I will briefly answer both and therein as well all the pretended Anti-Socinians viz J. Owen R. Baxter T. Danson J. Clapham J. Bunnion S. Eaton J. Grig T. Imner T. Hicks and abundance more who hold the former as those who are reputed Socinians who hold the latter It is agreed by the First in the beginning of this Chapter that Christ's Eternal Divinity is declared by the Evangelist since some of them and particularly J. Owen tells us out of Eusebius that it was written on that very Occasion one Cerinthus then denying any such thing This Word which was with God and was and is God This God the same Person tells us in his first Epistle is Light By Him all things were made among the rest Mankind He then tells us that This Word had Life and from thence descends to inform us what the Word was with respect to Man In Him the Word was Life and the Life the Light of Men as such He was that True Light and not John who only came to bear Witness of that True Light which inlightens all Mankind coming into the World That this Light is Divine and no otherwise Natural then as it is Christ's Nature or Natural to the Word I shall thus prove Man is here supposed to be before he was inlightened therefore what ever was proper and connatural to Man as Man he had before he was inlightened that is he had a reasonable Soul indued with intelligent Faculties and that clothed with a Body fitted with sensible Organs The Latter differ'd him from Inanimate the Former from Irrational Creatures But still the Light with which this Soul is enlightened in reference to God and things appertaining to its Eternal Well being belongs not to Man as Man Surely then this Light must be superadded that is over and above Man's Composition as a meer Understanding Creature and consequently it must descend from above and in this Sense be Supernatural Thus the Word created all things and among them made Man enlightened Man with a Supernatural Light That this Light was not only over and above Man's Nature but is also of a Divine and Saving One in it self 〈◊〉 prove from its being the Life of the Word for if the Life of the Word be the Light of Men here is no such thing as descending to an Effect to prove the Light Divine a that the Life should bring forth a Light and therefore this Light is Divine because the Life of the Word that Product it is so I say without going to an Effect for a Proof of the Light 's Divinity I thus Undeniably prove it from the Life it self for that very Divine LIFE is the LIGHT not that it createth or brings forth a Light as a Cause doth an Effect but is that very Light it self so that unless they will make that Life Natural I mean as they do Created though very improperly for a Divine Life is Natural to Christ they cannot conclude the Light which is not the Product but that very same Life it felf to be a meer Natural Light If then the very LIFE of the Word be the LIGHT of Men unless the LIFE of the Word be NATURAL the LIGHT of Men must be SUPERNATURAL DIVINE and INFINITE as it becomes the LIFE of the WORD which is GOD to be And this roundly checks the dull Ignorance or base Malice of Tho. Hicks who either could not or would not understand G. Whitehead when he said The Light must needs be Divine because the Life from whence it came is so and the Effect is alwayes of the same Nature with the Cause in any other sense then this That because saith Tho. Hicks God is the Cause of Beasts
to the Deeds done in their own Mortal Bodies This Subject I shall conclude with a few Reasons for the Universality and Sufficiency of the Light within that we may not only be seen to have Scripture and other Authorities but Reason which is more universal of our side too CHAP XXIII The Universality of the Light proved by Reason THat there is an Universal Light the Universality of all Ages have plentifully restified unto There is nothing more constant now that can plead either such Antiquity or general Consent Not a Nation in the World ever knew an Age in which it was destitute of such a Discovery of Internal Light as gave to 〈◊〉 Evil from Good That Virtue was ever most commendable and Vics above all things pernicious and damnable This is matter of Fact which I have already proved and the most Barbarous of Nations now inhabited are a clear Demonstration of what I say conclude therefore that since both Wicked and Good in all Ages have acknowledged to Well and ill Doing and that this depends upon the Discovery of that Divine Light which manifests every Reproveable Action that none of Mankind are exempted from this Illumination But again it is highly consistent with the Goodness of God and Order of his Creation since it seems unreasonable that Men should have the Benefit of a Natural Sun which shines on the Just and Unjust by which to direct their Steps and securely transact all corporal Affairs and yet their Souls be leâ—…t destitute of a Spiritual Luminary or Sun of Righteousness when unto the Salvation of a single Soul Christ counts the World of no value The Soul then hath Eves as well as the Body and as Men may see if they please when the Sun is in the outward Firmament unless they on Purpose close their Eyes so may all rational Souls see if they will by their Eye of Reason that Spiritual Sun which gives as true Discerning and Direction to the Mind how to think and desire as the Natural Sun doth the Body how to act and walk aright Were not this true here would be a falling into a miserable Charging of God with Neglect to his Creatures For since it is to be supposed that God made nothing but with a Design it should acknowledge a Creator after its respective Nature and that Man's Duty was peculiar namely Divine Homage and Worship exprest generally by a 〈◊〉 correspondâ—…nt to that Being which made him it is just that we believe God hath indued Mankind with something that is Divine in order to it since othâ—… 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 be destitute of what only coâ—…ld enable him to 〈◊〉 that Duty without which he coâ—…ld not please nor acknowledge God If then all Mankind ought to Worship Fear and Reverence God Certainly all mankind have an Ability from God so to do or else perfect impossibilities are expected because otherwise a most impotent Creature But it can never stand certainly with the Rectitude or Righteousness of the Eternal God to expect that from Man he never gave him Power to do or the Improvement of a Talent he never had In short if we ought to think that God is to be reverenc'd and worship'd we must agree that he has 〈◊〉 Mankind with a Divine Light and Knowledge in order to that End or say with the Man in Matthew God is as hard Master an Austere Lord he reaps where he never sowed But I am almost of the Mind that the Principles and Preâ—…dice of some encline them rather to think hardly of God then favourably of the Light How ill doth it become thâ—…se to object an Impossibility of the Light 's bearing their 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 who are daily wounding it with their Rebellions But they object Some deny they have it and others by their 〈◊〉 Lives shew they are void of it To which I say It is not impossible for a Life of Worldly Care or Pleasures â—…right Debauchery to darken and quite blind that Eye which only sees the Light of Truth and being kept single preserves the Body full of Light but this makes no Aâ—…eration in the Light if through Repentance and Contrition the Scales fall off the Light refuses not it self to the Eye that can and will see it the Light remains unaltered 't is Man that changes Would the Running Mad of some Men be a good Argument to prove Mankind irrational neither is it any Demonstration against the Universality of the Light within because some have by the Stupifyings of Sin rendred themselves Iâ—…sensible of it Nor doth Ill-living disprove the Light enough improve Disobedience to it Is it good 〈◊〉 that 〈◊〉 Wicked Man will not receive good Advice therefore he never was well advised And what better Reason can it be to say Men disobey the Light therefore they never had it whilst that proves they had it at least as a Condemner A Man may be said to be enlightened when he knows and does not his Duty but rather I confess when he becomes embettered by such Illumination In the first Sense All are illuminated in the last only such as having the Light joyn to it and obey it for they will find their Understandings illuminated to that Degree which the Disobedience of others shuts them up from In short All have Light to Reprove unless they have quite put out their Eyes but such only have it beneficially as their Teacher and Director who receive it as well as have it in the Love of it Since then the Consent of Mankind the Goodness and Justice of God Reason of the thing it self plead so strongly for the Universality of this Light I need say the less and shall descend to consider its Sufficiency CHAP. XXIV The Sufficiency of the Light proved by Reason BEcause as well the Sufficiency as Universality of the Light is struck at by our Adversaries it shall not I hope seem amiss if I say something briefly to it though much of what I have said in the former is referrable to this That the Universal Light is also Sufficient is a Belief so Reasonable Necessary that the Opposite Opinion must needs impeach God of Want of Rectitude All grant that God has made Man Rational capable of a measurable Knowledge of his Creator which his bare Capacity will never give him unless God please to make some Discovery of himself suitable to that Created Capacity in the Creature Certainly then since God desires not that the Creature should receive a wrong Impression of him and yet he requires Universal due Fear and Reverence he must needs have given some Certain and Sufficient Discovery in order to it by those Lively Manifestations and most Sensible Touches of the Light to and upon the Soul which cannot but be true clear and if minded efficacious For that God should require Men to serve him and not give them what is sufficient is worse then not to give at all since Man 's not Obeying such Discoveries is not so great an Aggravation of his
Neglect as the Imperfection of them is either of his Insufficiency or Unwillingness that made them to do otherwise What is this but to say God expects Homage from Men as their Soveraign Lord and that they live uprightly in the World yet he has given them no Ability in order to do it He pronounces such Miserable who conform themselves not to an Holy Life but gives no Power to avoid the Curse In short though Reason tell us he made none purposely to Destroy them but rather that he might be glorified in their Salvation which he is also said to invite Men to yet that he designs nothing less by leaving any or all Mankind under the Faâ—…ntings of an Impossible Success But as such Dismal Consequences belong not to the Truth what ever share such kind of Calvinistical Predestinarians may have therein so we are well assured that the Light of which we speak has ever been Sufficient to the End for which it has been given in every Age both to Manifest Evil Condemn for it and Redeem by the Holy Inclinings and Operation of its Power those who are the Diligent Disciples of it For it seems most Unreasonable that the Spirit of Darkness should be sufficient to draw into and Destroy by Sin and yet the Spirit of Light not be sufficient to Redeem and Save from it Since therefore we cannot admit of any Insufficiency in the Light within but we must suppose that whilst God would be rightly worshipt he has too darkly discovered the Way how to do it aright that bis Gift is Impotent that Man is required to do what he has no Power to perform and that whilst God requires Man to serve him he hath not so much as shown him what way he ought to do it All which Consequences are most Unworthy of God We rather chuse to sit down contented with this Belief that God who made Man and has given him a Soul Capable of Knowing and Serving his Maker hath also endued him with Divine Knowledge by a SUPERADDED LIGHT AND POWER and enabled him thereby to live subservient to that Knowledge That God's Gift is perfect and sufficient for that Work and that such as are led by it must needs be led to God unto which that Divine Light naturally tends and attracts as that from whom it came which is certainly a State of blessed Immortality In short accept these few Arguments Comprehensive of these two Chapters and indeed most of what goes before 1. God requires no Man to do any thing he has nog given him first to Know and theâ—… Power to Do. But God requires every Man to fear him and work Righteousness Consequently He has given every Man both a Discovery of his Will and Power to do it 2. No Man ought to worship the true God Ignorantly But every Man is commanded to worship God therefore He is to do it Knowingly 3. No Man can know God but He must â—…over it to him and that cannot be without Light therefore every Man has Light 4. This Light must be Sufficient or God's Gifts are Imperfect and answer not the end for which they were given But God's Gifts are perfect and can perform what they are designed to therefore since the Light is his Gift it must be Sufficient The Sum is this Every Man ought to Fear Worship and Obey God No Man can do it aâ—…ight that knows him not No Man can know him but by the Discovery he makes of himself No Discovery can be made without Light Nor this Light give that Discovery if imperfect â—…r Insuffecient in Nature Therefore all have a Sufficient Light to this great End and Purpose viz. To Fear Worship and Obey God CHAP. XXV The 〈◊〉 Who He or They are that obey the Light c Considered and Answered being a Character of a true Quak r. AS I took Occasion to begin this Discourse from the late Dialogue so shall I end so much of it as immediately concerns the Light with my Answer to the third Query made by T. Hicks Wâ—…o this He or They are that obey this Light and in obeying attain Sâ—…lvation ' If I should take his Question as personally directed I mean what Man or Men they be I should decline to answer for the Controversy is not now of Person but Principles I rather take this to be his Meaning What are the Qualifications of those that obey this Light Not what are their Names but what kind or manner of People are they In short what is it to obey the Light I think I have so fully exprest my self already in this Matter that with an 〈◊〉 Adversary I might be saved the Pains of any further considering it But that nothing may be thought to be 〈◊〉 as Unanswerable which is so easy to be answered I tell him and all Men and that not without some Knowledge experimental of what I say That such 〈◊〉 the Light who 〈◊〉 all that it manifests to be Evil and inclines to perform all that it requires to be done For Example When the Light shows that it is Inconsistent with a Man fearing God to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Proud Covetous Backbiting Envious Wrathful Unmerciful Revengeful Prophane Drunken Voluptuoâ—… 〈◊〉 which with such like are called in Scripture the Fruits of the Flesh and Works of Darkness and Persons so qualified the Children of Wrath such as delight not to retain God in their Knowledge c. I say when the Light discovers these things to be Inconsistent with a Man fearing God He who truly Obeyes the Light denyes and forsakes them however Cress it be to Flesh and Blood and let it cost him never so dear Though Relations do both threaten and entreat the World mâ—…ck and he be sure to become the Song of the Drunckard and a Deâ—…ision to his Ancient Companions No he dare not conform himself any more to the Fashions of the World which pass away and that draw out the Mind into vain and unprofitable Delights by which the 〈◊〉 in him had been 〈◊〉 neither to gratifie the Lust of the Eye the Lust of the Flesh and the Pride of Life which are not of the Nature of his Father who has begotten better Desires in him He rejects the Conversation he once had in the World and in the Eye of its Children seems a Man Forlorn and Distracted he takes up the Cross despâ—…ses the Shame and willingly drinks oâ—… the Cup of bitter Mockings and yields to be baptized with the Baptism of deep Tryals Christ Jesus his Lord 〈◊〉 of and was baptized with He is as well taught to deny the Religions as Cares and Pleasures of the World Such as prosess Religion from what they have either been taught by others or read and gathered with their Carnal Minds in the Scriptures intruding into the Practices of either Prophets or Apostles as to External and Shadowy things not being led thereto by the same Power they had he can have no Fellowship with He
as many as are Children of God are led by the Spirit of God The Scripture much of it is but a Declaration of Faith and Experience therefore not the Rule or Judge For as Faith and Experience were before Scripture so the Rule and Judge before Scripture because as I said before there is a Rule and Judge as soon as there is Faith therefore the Scripture is not that Rule or Judge And before that Declaration be answered by any they must come to the Faith Rule and Judge of which that is a Declaration So that Faith is yielding up to the Requirings of God's Spirit in us in full Assurance of the Remission of Sins through the Son of his Love and Life Everlasting from whence daily flow Works of Holiness well-pleasing to God and not a meer Assent of the Understanding to a verbal though a true Proposition The Life of a true Christian stands not in Bodyly Exercise that sayes the Apostle profits little nor in an Imitation of the Ancients in temporary things which as well the Hypocrite as the Saint can do But in self-Denyal and walking in the Spirit to bring forth the Fruits thereof unto all Godliness which is the pure and spiritual Obedience resulting from the living spiritual Faith of God's Elect and the Rule Judge thereof is their Author or Begetter even the Spirit of Truth which alone gives saving Understanding and searcheth the deep things of God O you Professors of Religion that you would but seriously weigh these things and examine your selves in God's Sight who respects none for their fair Out-sides If this saving Faith be your Faith and this Heavenly Life be your Life and if the holy Spirit be your Ruler and Leader if not you are but legal formal in the Oldness of the Letter and Runnings in your own Will which obtains not in which State not the Wisdom from above but that which is from below of the old Creature is your Rule in it you read Scripture expound it pray preach sing perform all your Duties and this is not to walk according to the Rule of the New Creature but in a legal Spirit to make a Gospel-Profession the End of which from the Lord I am to tell you will be a Bed of Sorrow Therefore resist not the Light and Spirit within but turn at the Reproof thereof that you may come to walk in the Way of Life daily Life to your Souls that so you may be quickned and made alive to God and live to him in that Life which is hid with Christ in God that being thus born again and become renewed in your inner Man you may perform that pure and spiritual Worship which is of a sweet Savour with the Lord so shall he bless you with his Heavenly Blessings and daily replenish your Souls with the unspeakable Joyes of his glorious Salvation This I heartily desire and through all Difficulties incessantly travail for in Body Soul and Spirit that the al-wise omnipotent God may be known served obeyed to and by you to your Comfort and his Eternal Honour who alone is worthy to receive it now and forever Amen William Penn. Errata for the First Part. REader Several Errors have escaped the Press partly through the Author 's frequent Absence and the Printer's many other Occasions but the most considerable of them are here noted and thou art desired hereby to correct them Contents Chap. 9 line 3. dele after Scriptures Preface Page 1. Margent dele Milt p. 2. l. 1. read at last p. 5. l. 2 3. for Ab. rogation r. Abâ—…uration l. 25. for the read that p. 7. l 2 read in their Hopes l. 14. read that at page 9. l. 10. for disclaim'd read declam d. line 19. read faciunt page 10. line 32. for reduct read reduc'd page 19. line 8. for but read by line 31. read too irksom page 22. line 4. for Hammer read Humor pag. 24. line 19. begin a Parenthesis at And my and conclude it line 30. after Dominion Book Page 8. line 42. bâ—…ot out self p. 13 l. 38. for paws read pause p. 17. l. 12. for without read with our pag. 18. l. 25. read was to be l. 31 for it self read himself p. 20. l. 40 for these read those p. 21. l. 34. for Who Me read Who Me p. 23 l. 26. for is read are p 26. l. 7. for this before Light read this Light before page 28 l. 10. for at that time read at thiâ—… time p. 30. l. 2. read formeth createth l. 39. for here to read hereto pag 33. l. 2. read not with respect to any l 4. dele the whole line l. 9. for of read to l. 37. for heart he read hear the. p. 39. l 2. for bold read â—…eld p 40. l 20. read or be void p. 43. Margent l. 19. for tell read tells p. 44. l. 37. read bits pag. 45 l. 7. Marg. read Civ Dei 8. p. 47. Marg. read Id. p. 711. for Id. 4. read Id. mem 4 p 48. line 2. dele in line 22. read on that line 32. read of him page 50. line 32. read Idolatrous That line 33. Thought it let Margen dele Aruâ—…t de Xen. Maâ—…gent for Laert. de read Lactant. de pag. 51. line 12. for Accute read Acute Marg. Plat. Phaed dele p 53. l. 25. read of the. p. 54. l. 12. for Pireen read Prienc â—…in 14. and He deâ—…e l. 15. dele He at the end of the line pag 55. l. 13. for Good reâ—…d Goâ—…d p. 56. Marg. for Encaâ—… read Aenead p. 59. l. 6 7. dele p. 61. Marg. l 3. for 1543. 123. read 123. 1543. p. 62 l. 24. for accutely read acutely p. 65. l. 13 for no read noâ—… p. 66. read CHAP XIII l. 12. dele not 70. Marg. l. 3. dele o. l. 12. dele ibid. p. 71. Marg. l. 2. for 48. read 84. p. 73. l. 5. read and giveth p 78. l. 30. read of Men. p. 79. l. 24. dele Prophecy and. l. 35. for then read them p 80. l. 12. for End 〈◊〉 hand p. 81. l. 29 30. for what Virgil will add to read what Eusebius will have Virgli tâ—… have added in p. 82. l. 35. read Occidet serpens p 83. l. 22. for Iandix read â—…anilix page 84. 〈◊〉 32. read enough to p. 87. l. 4 read Hicks then he hath dealt l. 5. read Dialogue pag. 91. l. 11. add after him so as to be no where else l. 20. read the Manifestation of Light p. 92. l 34. for darâ—…st read durst page 94. l. 15. for Light read â—…llumination p. 79. l. 6 read not only p 98. l. 8. read And that pag. 101. l. 35. read 〈◊〉 willingly p. 103. l. 26. for when read whom p. 106. l. 33. for endanger'd read accessible l. 4â—… for guarnison'd read garrison'd p. 107. l. 2. for inbondag'd read â—…nbondag'd l 5. read clear and broken forth l. 15. read We say l. 17. for not instrumentally read instrumentally not p. 110.
l. 30. read Jews viz. p. 112. l. 23. for suffer'd read suffer p 115. l. 17 for Inâ—…ner read Jenner page 116. l. 11. for Saving One read saving one line 16. for Product read produc'd p. 1â—…7 l. 11. for better as read better at line 25. read true Light p 119. l 27. dele Omnious p. 122. l. 37. r. Aggravation 〈◊〉 126. l. 1 for Siâ—… read Sigh p. 28. read CHAP XXVI p. 131. l. 4. for Inability to see the read 〈◊〉 to see the. p. 136. l. 26. r. Scriptures p. 136. l. 34. for were 〈◊〉 waâ—… p. 137. l. 6. for Good read Goad l. 29 read such a thing p. 138. l. 27. for more read mâ—…er l. 39. Margeâ—…t for on read one pâ—…ge 140 l. 29. for He that flyes read They â—…at flye p. 148. l 〈◊〉 for 〈◊〉 read perâ—…eived p. 149. l. 24. read in his Works p. 54. l 34 afâ—…er Mâ—…unt deâ—… and put a before was p. 156. l. 30. r. but as the THE CHRISTIAN QUAKER AND HIS Divine Testimony VINDICATED Against the Adversaries of the True LIGHT BEING THE Second Part Containing A more particular Answer to the Baptists and others Arguments Exceptions Errors and Falasies herein specified By a Servant and Follower of Jesus Christ through Persecutions and Reproaches G. Whitehead The vile Person will speak Villany and his Heart will work Iniquity to practice Hypocrisie and to utter Error against the Lord Isa. 32. 6. Printed in the Year 1673. To the Unprejudiced READER IF it had not been the Lord who was on our side when Men rose up against us Now may we with Israel say then they had swallowed us up quick when their Wrath was kindled against us Had our Separation and Testimony been of Men or by Man's Will we haâ—… fallen long since as many of our Adversaries have falsly prophesied we had not been sustained through our many Tryals nor born up above the Floods of Enmity if the Lord hâ—…d not been with us but he who hath gathered and chosen us to witnesâ—… forth his Name and Truth in the Power and Spirit of it hâ—…th preserved and given us Strength to persevere therein blessed be his Name for ever And this I with my Brethren must give Testimony of that as God hath in these last Dayes been pleased to visit us by his Eternal Power and in his Love and Kindness to open the Eyes of our Understanding to see his Goodness both to our own particulars and to Man-kind in General in extending Saving Grace or Light to all So it is by his Power that he hath raised up and set forth Witnesses of the same the Sence we have of the Love of God and his Glorious Light revealed induceth and moveth us even in the Spirit of the Gospel to call others out of Darkness and to direct their Minds to the Appearance of the true Light in their Hearts and Consciences in what degree soever it sheweth it self which God in his Goodness hath universally afforded for Good to Mankind that they might both know him and their Duty to him God did stretch forth his Hand and reach unto us by his Power for this very end to gather us unto his divine Light or Shining in our Hearts that thereby we might receive the Knowledge of his Glory in the Face of Christ Jesus as his former Witnesses did And although we must still confess to the Love and Good-Will of God to Man in affording Divine Light universally throughout all Ages yet Transgression and Darkness hath been such in the Earth that hath in many Ages much vailed and obscured the Light that the Knowledge and Manifestation thereof hath beâ—… much wanting even because of Man's Transgrâ—…ssion and I 〈◊〉 Wherefore Light being now sprung up anâ—… Truth arisen out of Darkness and Obscurity we must faithfully testifie thereof aâ—…d own the least degrees and lowest Dispensations of divine Light 〈◊〉 Man as his Duty to observe and not to slight nor despiseâ—… 〈◊〉 any for we know that as Light hath risen and shined out of Obscurity and Truth hath risen up out of the Earth it hath been from a less Appearance and Degree to a greater 〈◊〉 â—…rom that Degree of shining in a dark Place unto the perfect Day And as all the Promises of God are yea and Amen in Christ so all his Glorious Dispensations and Promises do center in a Divine and Unchangeable Principle of Life and Light 〈◊〉 gradually discovered to and in Man Therefore the 〈◊〉 Appearance or Manifestation in any while 't is of the same Principle cannot be extinguished nor lessened by the greater in others in that the highest Attainments of Divine Knowledge were alwayes gradually obtained by the Holy Men of God Moreover This we assert that God that made Man for his own Glory whose Mcrcies are over all his Works and who willeth not the Death of Sinners but rather that they should return and live He hath not only throughout all Ages universally afforded an Unchangeable Principle of Divine Light which he hath placed in man to direct him his Way out of Darkness and Sin but also he signally visits him at times with Living Appearances Motions and Opperations of his Light and Spirit to his Reproof and Conviction thereby often warning and calling Man out of Iniquity as the Spirit of God did strive with the old World that had corrupted us Way before him and was destroyed by the Flood for its Flood of Iniquity and he gave his good Spirit unto the Rebellious Jews which they grieved and vexed until he became their Enemy and fought against them He by his Lightnings enlightened the World and the Earth trembled and sâ—…ke and upon whom doth not his Light arise although they that rebel against the Light know not the Wayes of it because they abide not in the Pathes thereof yea he that causeth his Sun to arise â—…n the Evil and on the Good and sendeth his Rain on the Just and the Unjust he hath not left himself without sufficient Witness in the Earth both inward outward as namely his Divine Immediate Light in man appearing to the Soul his Works of Creation which are obvious to the Light and Universally declaring his Wisdom Power and Greatness to be inwardly 〈◊〉 and â—…nderstood as his Inward Light opens Man's Understanding and the Eyes thereof Howbeit Man having transgressed this Divine Principle and his Mind being alienated from it and blinded by the God of this World God having Bowels of Pitty still remaining he hath been pleased so far to commiserate poor lost Man as to afford and extend those pretious Promises as the more eminently to declare shew forth and renew his Love Light and Power for man's Recovery out of his Lost and Dark Estate As that the Seed of the Woman should bruise the Serpents Head and this did Christ in general and doth in particular by the Power of the Father which can no wayes lessen nor detract from his Light within nor be any Inconsistency with
its directing Men to the same Power of God for the subduing and bruising Satan under their Feet which in their own particulars they must experience whoever attain to Deliverance or Salvation from the Power of Sin and Satan As also God hath promised to make a New-Covenant with his People It s new not as opposed to the Light within as implying its waxing old but new as that the old Covenant without which the Jews broke was to decay and vanish this New-Covenant being a Covenant of Light Life and Peace a Covenant whereby he takes away and forgives Sin This they only have a Part in who obey the Universal Light of the Son of God within which no Way differs in Nature from the Covenant it self nor can it oppose the Ends of it but is a Light of the same Life and Fulness that is enjoyed in the Covenant or Agreement with God moving and conducing to the very same End and Agreement as obâ—…ed and waited in and as the Jews outward had a Rule directory and Law in the Letter without though that alone could not give Life so the Jew inward hath his Rule directory and Law inward in Spirit which can give Life And this New-Covenant is the last Dispensation of God in Christ to Man wherein his Highest Spiritual and Saving Knowledge is to be received by all that truely obey his Light and though this be new as to his renewed glorious Discovery herein yet he who is the Life of this Covenant and given for a Covenant and Salvation is the first and the last the Rock of Ages whom God hath decreed to anoint or set up upon the Hill of his Holiness even the Holy Hill of Sion that he may subdue and rule the Nations and be the Salvation of God to the Ends of the Earth more abundantly to be manifest in these last Ages wherein his Church cometh out of the Wilderness and the Holy City New Jerusalem is discovered from Heaven as a Bride prepared for the Bridegroom and the Lord God and the Lamb as promised is the Light thereof and the Nations of them that are saved shall walk in the Light of this City and for this End is the Gospel made known and preached again after a long Night and Reign of Anti-Christ Beast false Prophet Dragon and Whore whose Judgment is revealed even against all the dark Whorish Spirits and Hypocritical Envieus Agents of Anti-Christ and Satan who do not only envy oppose and gain-say the Truth and undervalue the True Light as its an Universal Principle in man but also resist and strive against the Glorious Breaking forth and Discovery thereof in our Dayes for which the Lord will rebuke them and he that sits in Heaven hath them in Derision And all such Babylonish Builders and Envious Agents as divers of these Men called Anabaptists or Dippers now shew themselves to be whose Malice Madness and Folly shall be manifest to all Men why do they rage and fret and revile but because the Light is sprung up and the Over-spreading Day of God is broken forth who hath said as truely as I live all the Earth shall be filled with the Glory of the Lord Num. 14. 21. The Stone cut out without Hands that sâ—…ites the Image shall become a great Mountain and fill the Earth the God of Heaven is setting up his Kingdom which shall never be destroyed as is prophesied in Daniel Yea Truth is sprung out of the Earth which strikes at Satan's and Anti-christ's Kingdom and again bruiseth the Serpent's Head who hath lodged and covered himself under their empty Forms Shaddows and Liveless Professions as he did among the persecuting Jews of old The Lord hath lifted up a Standard against their Hypocrisie and Deceit who have been covering an Envious Spirit with a Pretence of Christianity And he is exalting his Gospel-Dispensation in setting up his Light above their Darkness his Power above their empty Forms the Substance above the Shaddow the Spirit above the Letter and his Worship in Spirit and Truth above Will-Worship in Hypocrisie At this Satan is offended and his Agents are angry These our present Opposers vent forth their Confusion Envy and Strife though it be against the Stream they are wearying themselves for very Vanity the Fire which they have kindled in their Envy against the Lord's Heritage wherein they are labouring shall devour them 1. These Anabaptists Babylonish Confusion greatly appears about the Light which is in every Man as Men whom Enmity hath blinded and whose Minds are alienated from it into gross Darkness Though the Controversie between us is not upon the Question Whether there be a Light or any Light in every man for thus far we both agree in the Affirmative but whether God hath given a Divine or Sufficient Light to every Man to shew and direct him out of Sin and Evil to God who is Light and the Giver of Light for Life and Salvation which we affirm but these Dippers deny especially such of them who are particular Electioners or Predestinarians whose partial Doctrine doth not really place the Cause of Men's Condemnation upon their Neglect or Disobedience of the Light given them but originally upon God's secret Decree against them and his with-holding saving Light or Grace from them as they both falsly and partially imagine however it s confest to be tendered to all in preaching the Gospel without Exception or Respect of Persons But under what Terms or Names do these our Opposers represent this Light which they confess is in every Man to prove it Insufficient either for a Rule or Guide to Salvation Sometime they call it a Creature sometime a Natural Light sometime the Substance of the Law or first Covenant which they grant ought to be improved Sometimes after a more gross manner they blasphemously represent it as a Mis-guiding Light directly opposing the Covenant of Grace and to be rejected but how well this agrees with its being a Light given of God to be improved surely sor a good End I leave to the Serious Impartial Reader to judge of which he may see further about in the following Answer to Thomas Hicks And as touching these Men's Envy against us called Quakers as being offended at our present Liberty and Prosperity H. Grigg endeavours to clear them in his Epistle to the Baptists not Babylonish by this Passage viz. I have not the least Enmity nor Hatred in my Heart against the Persons of any of these People called Quakers nor are we offended or troubled at their present Liberty as he seems to charge us though we cannot deny but their Principles and unsound Doctrines tend to the wounding and grieving of our Souls because we see daily more and more the dangerous and damnable Nature thereof Mark that while hypocritically they pretend to clear and quit themselves from having the least Enmity against our Persons or Offence at our present Liberty It appears they would be gratified or pleased if the Powers would do them
not planted a Light in man that opposeth the Covenant of Grace nor is the Light of Câ—…rist repugnant to 〈◊〉 Christianity neither can the least degree oppâ—…se the greater Thou proceeds thus T. H. How comes it to pass that Jesus Christ as to the great end of coming into the World is so much neglected and the Stress of many men's Hopes laid upon something in themselves Hence the Hope of the Hypocrite is compared to the Spiders Web being spun out of their own Bowels Do you not see this in your selves who are the greatest Admirers of the Light within p. 38. Answ. Still thou runs upon thy gross mistake of the Light within whereby thou falsely reflects upon us for relying on it for First Our Hope and Dependance upon the least degree of the Light of Christ in us which is the divine Life of him as the Eternal Word this can neither oppose nor neglect the great ends of Christ's coming into the World in the Flesh any more then John's bearing witness to the Life of the Word being the Light of men could oppose the Word becoming or taking Flesh. 2ly What were those great ends of Christ's so coming into the World but evidently to shew forth and exalt that divine Light and Salvation in a greater Fulness and Manifestation which in some degree did before universally shine throughout all Ages or otherwayes how could Christ be the Rock of Ages or his Outgoings from of old from everlasting And whence in the dayes of his Flesh shewed he Light through his innocent Life Ministry and Miracles but from that divine Power and Glory of the Father in him for God did work them by him 3ly After it s testified concerning God the Eternal Word that in him or in it was Life and the Life was the Light of men Joh. 1. 4. It s said that the Word was made Flesh and dwelt amongst us or tabernacled in us and we beheld his Glory as of the only begotten of the Father full of Grace and Truth ver 14. and of his Fulness have all we received Grace for Grace ver 16. Now mark this discovery of his Glory Grace and Fulness was a divine discovery being as of the only begotten of the Father of whom John said he that cometh after me is preferred before me for he was before me verse 15. The divine Light of the Word was that by which they had this discovery of Christ which was beyond that of the outward or fleshly Appearance which might be seen with a visible Eye but the other only seen by the Eye invisible and Spiritual So that this coming of Jesus Christ into the World was so far from lessening or destroying his spiritual Light of him as the eternal Word in men that it was to increase the Knowledge of it and in order to bring it forth in its Brightness and Glory for the Revelation of the perfect Day of Salvation And herein he came to render the Appearance and Testimony of his Light within the more valid and effectual men having erred and been estranged from it Now is it consistent with the Hope of the Hypocrite to obey the measure of the Light of Christ within in order to receive more Is it not rather consistent with the Hope of the Hypocrite to hope that their Sins are pardoned and they justified by the Righteousness and Obedience of Christ wholely without them while they are rebelling against sliting and rejecting his Light within them and so living in their Sins and Impurity And this is thy State and Hope as will further appear for who have received Power to become the Sons of God whom the World knoweth not because it knew not him they have that Hope and Expectation of being made like unto Christ through his Appearance and every man that hath this Hope in him purifieth himself even as he is pure 1 Joh. 3. therefore this Hope which they have in them is both living and effectual and to be fore it is not placed upon Darkness but upon the Light For it is the Inlightening of the Eyes of the Understanding whereby a Soul is capable of seeing what is the Hope of his calling and the Power that wrought in Christ when God raised him up from the dead Therefore thou who rejects the Light within thy Eye is blind thy Hope is the Hope of the Hypocrite thou neglects the great ends of Christ's coming into the World which was not only to condemn Sin in the Flesh as his Light within effectually doth but also to shew and increase Light and to manifest the day of God's Salvation by his divine Power in delivering man from Sin and Wrath. Sect. XVII His Slander about the Person Offices Sufferings and Blood of Christ and continued Abuse of the Light within T. H. WHat contemptible Thoughts you have of the Person Offices and Sufferings of Jesus Christ that you account his Blood no more than you do the Blood of a common Thief p. 38. Answ. 'T is no new thing for thee to slander us while by opposing and rejecting the Light within thou art become hardned and seared in Conscience These are such notorious Slanders that thousands can witness against thee therein When did ever any of us express such contemptible Thoughts of Christ his Offices or Sufferings If we had never exprest any such thing how comest thou to judge our Thoughts to be such And where did ever any of us express such an Account of his Blood that was shed as no more then that of a common â—…hief The Lord rebuke thee for this thy abominable Slander as I doubt not but he will T. H. And esteem Justification by that Righteousness which Christ wholy fulfilled in his own Person without us to be a Doctrine of Devils p. 38. Answ. Though these are not our Words we do not own the Doctrine viz. That men are justified wholy without them by what Christ fulfilled in his own Person only for this is not the Language of the Scriptures which thou pretendest to be thy Rule Christ fulfilled the Righteousness of the Law in his Person but here thou makest no Exception but that Justification is by that Righteousness which Christ wholy fulfilled in his own Person without us men will only believe this when they reject the Light within as thou hast taught them But we are not justified by the Righteousness of the Law nor by any Act of Christ meerly as done in his Person but by the Righteousness of Faith in which we are interested in Christ as we are Partakers of living Faith which are inseparable But what is this Justification thou wouldst advance as wholy wrought without thee Is it either in Reallity a making men just or an accepting of them as Just and Righteous who are so in Reallity or is it a reckoning of them so who are actually sinful If the former then 't is not wholy wrought without but the inward Effect of the Blood of Christ in cleansing from Sin is
all John 3. 31. and the Flesh of the Son of man which he gave for the Life of the World is that Bread which came down from Heaven Joh. 6. 50 51. Except ye eat the Flesh of the Son of Man and drink his Blood ye have no Life in you ver 53. Yet that the Name Son of Man was applyed to him as a Sufferer and as he said so shall the Son of man be three Dayes and three Nights in the Heart of the Earth Math. 12. 40. I deny not but this doth not limit him from being called the Son of Man in a higher State also each of God's Prophets might be called as divers were a Son of Man but Christ the great Prophet the Son of Man the Apostle distinguisheth between the first man and the second man thus The first man is of the Earth earthly or human the second man is the Lord from Heaven 1 Cor. 15. 47. therefore the second man is not human in their Sence nor consisting of a human or earthly Body as the first man and Ephes. 4. 9 10. now that he ascended what is it but that he also descended first into the lower Parts of the Earth he that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all Heavens that he might fill all things and Phil. 3. 21 who shall change the Body of our Lowness that it may be fashoned like unto his glorious Body c. Now if it should be read according to these Baptists Sence it must be who shall change our vile Bodies that they may be fashoned like unto his human Body as if they were not such already and how disproportionable is it to say Christ consists of a human Body of flesh blood and bones in Heaven but the Saints must have a spiritual glorious Body in the State of Glory hereafter yet to prevent these mens Scruples concerning our owning the man Christ or the Son of man in Glory I tell them seriously that I do confess both to his miraculous Conception by the Power of the holy Spirit overshadowing the Virgin Mary and to his being born of her according to the Flesh and so that he took upon him a real Body and not a fantastical and that he was real Man come of the Seed of Abraham and that he in the Dayes of his Flesh preached Righteousness wrought Miracles was crucified and put to Death by wicked Hands that he was buried and rose again the third Day according to the Scriptures and after he rose he appeared diversly or in divers Forms and Manners he really appeared to many Brethren 1 Corinth 15. and afterwards ascended into Glory being translated according to the Wisdom and Power of the Heavenly Father and is glorified with the same Glory which he had with the Father before the World began being ascended far above all Heavens that he might fill all things whose Glory is Incomprehensible and beyond the Apprehension of Human Capacities VI. Of Jesus and his Body of Man and the Body of Man WHereas H. G. cavils at my speaking distinctly of the Body of Jesus in that Joseph of Arimathea begg'd the Body of Jesus and to confute me herein he instanceth that of the body of Saul and saith that the Case is the same and the body of Moses which the Devil disputed about p. 39 40 41. but in this I cannot see any valid Matter to his purpose nor wherein he can intend it unless he believes that the Soul or spiritual Existence of man dyes with the body and the Devil did appear wiser then he concerning this distinction in that his disputing about the body of Moses does imply a distinction between Moses as to his immortal Existence and the body of Moses and that he did not confound them as this man doth who concludes Jesus Christ to consist of a human Body of Flesh and Bone which the original Being of no man properly consists of though to prevent Cavils and for 〈◊〉 sake I 'll grant him thus much that the Name Jesus Christ is indifferently and mutually applyed both to his spiritual being and to the body he took upon him and that distinctly in Scripture although the Names Messiah Jesus Christ the Anointed the Image and Glory of the invisible God the Word the Light the Life c. do more eminently and more originally belong to him as he was before he took that body upon him which he called this Temple and it was called the body of Jesus Whereas H. G. sayes What a strange Epitath would this Man write upon a Tomb-stone he cannot write here lyes the Body of Thomas or William c. but rather thus here lies the Thomas of Thomas p. 41. Reply This more properly falls upon himself in not admitting that distinction touching Jesus and the body of Jesns but their concluding and confining Jesus Christ as to confist of the meer body of flesh and bone and that he could not be Jesus Christ the Saviour before he took upon him that body by which this man cannot write Here lies the body of Thomas or William c. which implies a belief of an Immortality of the man as to his Spirituality but rather here lies the whole man Thomas or William without admitting of any such Immortality and yet I will grant him as before that the Word Man is indifferently applyed to either the spiritual Being or Body of man as there is an inward man and an outward man 2 Cor. 4. 16. And as God created man in his own Image and yet it s said he formed man of the Dust of the Earth Gen. 1. 27. and Chap. 2. 7. and it s said That the rich Man dyed and was buried which was his Body and in Hell he lift up his Eyes c. which could not be that Part which dyed and was buried but the immortal part or Soul Luke 16. 22. 23. yet the Word Man most properly and originally as God created Man in his own Image belongs to his spiritual Existence or Being for the Earthly Body was not the Image of God But farther let the Reader observe how evidently H. G. has contradicted his foregoing Stuff for a human Christ consisting of a Body of meer Flesh and Bone against my distinction concerning Jesus and his Body that was put to Death and buried which was also raised as where he speaks distinctly of Jesus and his Body p. 33. and confesseth that Christ came in the Flesh p. 36. that he hath an outward glorisied Existence that he hath a body p. 46 47. Christ's crucified Body p. 50. the Body that was prepared for him p. 79. He did assume our Nature p. 80. He had the very Form Shape and Fashion of a Man p. 81. And what He or Him was this he speaks of Was it not Christ the Son of God the Anointed And to his arguing That if Jesus Christ continues a man for ever then he hath a Body of Flesh and Bone forever This doth not follow
and thus to limit and circumscribe God and his Light or Shining to be so and in like manner as the Sun and its Beams doth maniâ—…est such gross Apprehensions of God as he did before in expecting to see him with bodily Eyes And this relates to the old Heresie of the Anthropomorphites or Monks in the desarts of Aegypt as also to that of the present Mugletonians who imagine God to be a personal or bodily Existence circumscribed as to place denying him to be an infinite Spirit yet thus far I will admit of his Simile by a Reason of the contrary that as the natural created Sun immediately sends forth its Beams or Rayes which are natural and do influence the Earth with the Vertue of the Sun so the eternal increated Spiâ—…itor Word doth shine and shew forth its own immediate increated divine Light and Vertue in the Hearts and Souls of Man-kind as the Sun is natural and created so is its Light or Shining and as God the eternal Word is increated and super-natural so is his immediate Shining or Light in the Hearts and Souls of Man-kind and as a man's Eye is directly set towards the Sun in the least Beam thereof shining through any Crevis into any Dungeon Cell or other oscure place it sees directly to the Sun it self so the Eye of the Soul being directe dtowards God by the least Appearance of his divine and immediate Shining or Illumination therein it hath a Sight of God and the Soul thereby comes to seel of his Vertue and Power in waiting upon him And for this man to conclude that this Light of the eternal Word cannot teach and reveal unto man the Lord Jesus Christ p. 50. is to deny Jesus Christ to be the Word or that true Light that enlightneth every Man whereas his Illumination directs man immediately to himself as its eyed and minded As also he is as narrow shallow and partial in concluding the Light will not reveal unto man his Saviour without the Help of the Scriptures p. 50. this is a strange undervaluing of the Light of Christ what then did the Scriptures proceed from Was it not the Light And what shall become of all those Nations and People that have not the Scriptures if this be true It is none of our Assertion that Christ in his Death and Sufferings was but only a Pattern or Example of that which must be wrought over again in us for though we own him to have left an Example yet he was more then an Example and he did not only end the Types but was a Sacrifice and Offering for Man-kind and opened the new and living Way giving Testimony of God's free Love towards all and making Way for the enforcing of the new Testament or Covenant of Life But yet that either all or any men are cleansed or justified or saved meerly by the outward Sufferings Crucifixion Death or Blood shed of Christ the Scripture proves not but by Christ himself and his Blood Life Spirit and Power nor yet that men are acquitted or saved by their outward Application thereof And this man to his own Confutation confesseth to the Power of Christ s Spirit being risen in us for our Sanctification and Renovation as well as Christ was raised from the dead for our Justification p. 54. then all is not fully doneby his Death without them but both the End and Mystery of the Cross Sufferings and Death of Christ without 〈◊〉 be known and fulfilled within see Philip. 3. 10. although this man seems not willing to hear of Christ's being a Pattern or Example of that which must be wrought over again in us p. 50 yet in Contradiction to this he saith The Lord Jesus Christ hath wrought Redâ—…mption and Salvation for me and revealed this by his Word and Spirit and 〈◊〉 it in me p. 52. it s well that in any Measure he is made to grant to this inward Work of Christ. IX Further about their Ordinances His pleading for their shadowy and carnal Ordinances to continue under this Notion viz. Under his Shadow I have with the Spouse sat down and his Fruit is and hath been sweet unto my tâ—…ste p. 53. This is a very impertinent Instance and altogether improper to reckon Bread Wine and Water-Baptisin that Shadow of the Souls Beloved to wit Christ that the Spouse sat under seeing the Lord himselâ—… saith I will be a Shadow from the Heat and a Refuge from the Storm And we are so far from believing these his carnal Ordinances to be the direct Shadow of the Souls Beloved in that neer Sence that we look upon him he is yet to prove them Appointments Institutions and Ordinances of Christ or of Necessity to continue in the Church notwithstanding his spiritual Coming and Revelation which he hath not much less that they are spiritual or of a Spiritualness as he saith p. 59. and 60. which he hath manifestly contradicted in granting They are but the Sign the Shadow the Shell and Christ the Substance p. 53 54. For my part I don't look upon either John's Baptism or the Supper of Christ and his Disciples at which they had the Passover to be Institutions and Ordinances originally appointed by Christ or enjoyned to all that should succeed in the Gospel and true Church but rather though they were not directly enjoyned by the Law of Moses as we say modo forma yet that they did more naturally relate to that former dispensation of Shadows then to that of the Gospel and new Covenant and that John's Baptism was rather for a Consummation of the Jews divers Sprinklings and Washings under the Law comprehending them in order to end them and Christ's eating of the Passover and drinking with his Disciples Luke 32. to be as a Consummation of the Jews Feasts under the Law viz. that of the Passover and others according to the Relation given at large concerning the Ecclesiastical Rites of the ancienâ—… Hebrews by T. Goodwin in his Antiquities of the â—…ews called Moses and Aaron p. 86 87 88 89 90 91. and 〈◊〉 and Christ saying As often as you do this is not a â—…ommand and This do in Remembrance of me and 〈◊〉 the Lord's Death till he come does limit a time for its Discontinuance for till he come must either respect his next Coming or render not only his coming after he was risen but his spiritual Coming and Revelation in his Saints no Comings which were absurd and Auti-Christian and there was a time to shew forth his Life as well as his Death Hiâ—… saying The Sign and thing signified God hath joyned together p. 54. is again contradicted by his granting a Personmay find a Shell and have no Kernel in it p. 54. To which I add That God hath so joyned the Sign or Shadow and the Substance together as so to continue I deny or that the Scripture any where so saith but as for these Baptists Shells Husks and Shadows they are both dry and empty and the Lord is
not that a little degree of the Light Vertue and Knowledge thereof is not saving or sanctifying A small Stream can wash and a little Fire kindle and increase to more and a little convenient Food nourish and satisfie and a little Water quench one's Thirst or a small Seed grow and bring forth great Increase and so a little Light from Christ can increase and shine more and more till it discover the Glory of God in the Face of Jesus Christ the anointed these things are truely known in the Mystery through true Obedience to so much Light or Illumination as God hath given man for he the Glorious Creator hath given a Light to all men sufficient to save or else they could not be left without Excuse but it would reflect upon him for condemning them for Sin if he did not afford them a Light sufficient to guide out of Sin unto Salvation But for our asserting the Light of Christ that is in every Man to be convincing sanctifying and saving H. G. concludes as followeth p. 5. III. The Effect of Christ's Sufferings only known in his Light within H. G. IN this appears your great Darkness and herein you are beguiled and cheated by the Devil to the invalidating of the Meritorious Death and Sufferings of our Lord as if there were no need of his Blood to be poured forth nor of his Intercession p. 5. Answ. Can either Christ's Light within or our following of it invalidate or make void his Sufferings without Or deprive us of the End thereof or of the Vertue of his Blood When they that crucified murthered Christ were turned from his Light within Or can any receive the Benefit of Christ's Sufferings and Blood without or out of his Light within Or are the Sufferings and Death of Christ absolutely meritorious for Man's Justification without any Dependance upon his Light within If so how can any be deprived of Justification for whom Christ dyed Which was for all Men but what Proof hath he from Scripture That the shedding Christ's Blood was the Meritorious Cause of Justification Seeing it was shed by wicked Hands and surely had the Jews and Gentiles obeyed and walked in that holy and just Light that was in them they had not crucified nor murthered the just One the Son of God whose giving up to the Death of the Cross though of Necessity yet it was occasioned because of Sin and Death that was come over all which man must only be convinced and truely sensible of by the Light of Christ within and it s such only as walk in his Light who come to know the Blood of Christ to cleanse them from all Sin And there is a certain Congruity and Oneness in being sanctified redeemed and saved by his Life Light Blood Power Arm Ingrafted Word Spirit Fire Water or by Grace these do not oppose Christ as Saviour he being in all the great Workman of God through whom God hath saved us by the washing of Regeneration and renewing of the holy Ghost Titus 3. 4 5. These being one in Substance with him and of himself as the Spirit the Water and the Blood agree in one And as his offering up himself being a Propitiation for the Sins of the whole World pouring out his Soul to Death and making Intercession for the Transgressors was by the Eternal Spirit so the blessed Effects thereof are spiritually and inwardly received by them that obey and walk in the Light of his Spirit wherein his Life and Vertue of the Blood of the Covenant is received unto Cleansing Sanctification and Reconciliation with God The great Sufferings Burthens and Afflictions of Christ were occasioned by man's Sin Disobedience and turning from his Life and Light within and this brought Darkness and Death over Man-kind and therefore Christ deeply travelled in the Spirit of Prayer and Intercession through all his Sufferings to bring forth his own Life and Light for man's Deliverance out of Death and Darkness that he might see his Seed and the Travel of his Soul and be satisfied And this is the Seed that shall serve him throughout all Ages which shall be counted unto the Lord for a Generation and this serves him in his Light and worships him in Spirit therefore they that oppose this Light of Christ to the End of Christ's Coming Death Sufferings Blood or Intercession as if his Light in Man did invalidate these they are darkned and cheated by the Devil and not these who obey Christ's Light within for Life and Savation in him IV. The saving Work of the Spirit HEnry Grigg observes from John 16. 7. That the Spirit or blessed Comforter cannot be the Saviour pag. 46. H. G. Contradiction Till the Coming of his Spirit and Grace with Power in my Heart for the binding of the strong man Satan and killing my Corruptions my Soul was not brought out of the horrible Pit p. 16. having wrought this glorious Work of Regeneration p. 17. G. W. his Animadversion Then it s the Spirit and Power of Christ that effects Salvation through the Work of Regeneration Tit. 3. 5. which is not meerly by Christ's outward Sufferings though we cannot believe that Satan is bound in this Man while he is in Satan's Work blaspheming Christ's Light within and belying us H. G. replyes What sober Christian Man can find any Contradiction here against H. G Is not G. W. the Lyar and false Accuser I say the Spirit or blessed Comforter cannot be the Saviour or Mediator p. 6. G. W. Answer The Contradiction is very obvious to say the Spirit cannot be the Saviour when it can save the Soul out of the horrible Pit can it save and not be a Saviour Or can it bind the strong Man or kill man's Corruptions and yet not save him And if the Father the Word and the holy Spirit be God cannot God be the Saviour When as Christ's being the Author of Faith giving Power to others to become the Sons of God is a Proof of his being God Light from the Sun p. 91. And Christ said The Son can do nothing of himself c. The Father that dwelleth in me he doth the Works Joh. 5. 19. 30. and 8. 28. and 14. 10. And the holy Spirit where received also maketh Intercession according to the Will of God and by this Spirit Christ prayed unto the Father but to say the Spirit or blessed Comforter cannot be the Saviour is also to deny Christ in his spiritual Appearance to be a Saviour and so to confine the saving Work to him only as man or in the Flesh without or separate from us whereas he said I will not leave you comfortless I will come to you John 14. 18. which plainly denotes him to be the Comforter in that Spiritual Appearance wherein he that was with them promised to be in them and as revealed in them his Appearance was another or diverse to his outward Appearance in the Flesh whereas H. G. saith Are there not three that bear Record in
Dignity of our Lord Jesus More particularly we have made Confession of those reigning Abominations in our own Souls and in the Churches of that light Spirit living short of the true Sight and Sense of God's Majesty in his Churches and among his Saints from whence proceeds that Vanity and Carelesnes which doth so much attend them We have bewailed that wretched worldly Spirit that plucks down the Saints from their Excellency and leaves such Blackness upon them which renders them so uncomely in the Eyes of Men. We have bewailed that Coldness and Deadness that is upon our selves and upon the Churches that Formality in holy Duties that Indifferency and that Laodicean Spirit that is fallen in upon us while we have been crying let him make Speed and hasten his Work that we may see it let the Counsel of the Lord come that we may know it and all this while we have been drawing Iniquity with Cords of Vanity having been in a great Measure as without the Sense of the Work so without the true Travil of Soul which this Work should put us into the Crown is fallen from Sion's Head by Reason of her Iniquity we have been bewailing personal Iniquity Congregational Iniquity National Iniquity Family Iniquity Closet Iniquity we have by Search found poor Sion as it were without Soundness from the Crown of the Head to the Sole of the Foot ful of Bruises and putrified Sores your own poor Souls are in Distress Heaven and Earth seem to frown Oh! come down sit in the Dust and weep bitterly before the Lord for all your Abominations you have but as it were played with God you have not trembled in his Presence you have been wanton before him having been without the Terrour of his Majesty therefore you have confessed and have delighted to word it out with the Lord Oh! how often have you mocked God It appears already how God takes it at your Hands We have begged him to save us yet this once more and truly we tremble the Hope that is in Israâ—…l lies in your putting from you that accursed Thing Oh! now if you would pursue this Worldliness this Coldness and Sloathfulness your personal Neglects your Family Neglects how doth the World as a Canker eat out your Affections to the Lord Jesus eat out your Time your Strength your Zeal while you have been asleep in the Lap of this Daâ—…ilah your Locks have been cut off and you are but as other Men whoever beholds you may say what singular thing do ye Now then lay to Heart these crying Abominations the World is too beautiful this hath bewitched you have fallen before your Enemies this Iniquity hath been apparently written upon your Fore-heads witness your Remissness in Meetings your Neglect or the poor Saints Ministers of Christ whose daily Complaints and Addresses are living Monuments of this reigning Abomination your Cruelty to Servants Children exacting all their Labours but take no Time to counsel them instruct them that are without Christ that miserable Estate wherein they are this hath made Professors Families so dry useless and unprofitable this Sin eats out all of that divine Sweetness of regenerating sanctifying Grace We have mourned in that we have had so great a hand in this Trespass in not bearing so faithful a Testimony against it in our Ministry but slavish Fear of being accounted selfish or the like hath stopt our Mouth until the Mouth of this Iniquity hath almost devoured the poor Churches of Christ That of Sloathfulness and Carelesness another reigning Evil They are Evils rooted deeply in the Heart it is hard to get them out They are Sermon-Proof and Epistle-Proof so strong that they have wrested all Weapons out of the hands of Saints and Ministers that have been formed against them Now we desire we may no longer rest in a Testimony of Words but proceed to take some effectual Course that Sin or Sinners may be purged out of the house of God in order to this we desire the Churches that they would set some day or dayes a part wherein they may bewail the Iniquities and Pollutions oâ—… Zion before the Lord also that the Ministring Brethren would without Respect of Persons bear their constant Testimony warning every one to fâ—…ee from these Abominations Another Evil we had Thought to have spread before you for want of Opportunity we shall now omit yet desire you to lay it to Heart THE Presbyter's Antidote TRYED Or Stephen Scandret with his Antidote against Quakerism Proved a PHYSICIAN of No Value AND The Truth plainly asserted and vindicated in divers Weighty Points against both the Imperfect and corrupt Work of S. S. and his Masters the Assembly of Divines so called who sat at Westminster in the long Parliament's Time and of the general Assembly of the Kirk of Scotland about their Confession of Faith which was first printed at Edenburg and after reprinted at London Anno 1651. G. W. Ye are all Physicians of no Value Job 13. 4. Printed in the Year 1673. THE Presbyter's Antidote TRYED c. CHAP. I. A Comprehensive Account concerning the Rule the Light and Scripture Explaining both â—…ur sense of the terms and S. Scandret's together with the Assemblies Confession about the Scriptures BY the word RULE we understand 1st The Power of Government and Authority to order and rule in the Sense that in the first Creation the greater Light was set to rule the Day Gen. 1. 16. or for the Rule and Order of the Day So in the new Creation the divine Light of Christ the Son of Righteousness doth govern and rule in the Order of his Everlasting Day in the Souls of the Righteous the Path of the Just being this shining Light which shineth more and more until this perfect Day 2ly So this divine Light is truly the only Rule for its being most eminent above all outward Rules and Prescriptions â—…or its Power Glory Virtue Order and Government as Rule of Life in all the Children of Light The only trying and discovering Rule for its manifesting whatsoever things are reproveable Ephes. 5. 13. whether they be Spirits Works or Words and he that doth Truth cometh to the Light that his Deeds may be made maniâ—…est that they are wrought in God Joh. 3. 21. 3dly By only Rule An universal manifest publick Standard â—…or Truth and Righteousness in the Consciences of all People and Nations and against all Sin Wickedness and Unrighteousness and so is the S piritual and Divine Light of the Son of God in whom was Life and the Life was the Light of Men Joh. 1. 4. whose Life is Supernatural Increated and Incorruptible Christ the divine Word being that true Light that inlightens every Man coming into the World vers 9. 4thly Concerning that heavenly Gift or divine Manifestation within which was the Saints Rule of Life the Apostle Paul thus speaketh 2 Cor. 10. 13. But
Sins past and that through Faith in the Name and Blood of Christ which hath a secret Influence upon the Soul and sprinkleth the Conscience from dead Works in order both to Pardon and Justification upon the Act of living and true Faith in Christ yea Christ as the one Offâ—…ing Sacrifice and Propitiation for the Sins of the whole World which puts away Sin consecrates makes true Believers holy and declares God's Coming near to Man in Kindness I say Christ as thus considered hath an inward Influence and Effect upon the believing and penitent Soul to bring it near to God and render it capable of receiving Mercy and Forgiveness and of seeling the Pardon and Peace upon true Conversion from Sin and Evil yea I further testifie that God looks upon and hath a regard to every Appearance and Effect of his Grace and Spirit in the Heart Soul even from the very first Act of Faith springing up and budding of Grace to the highest Growth thereof even from Davids Repentance to his Songs of Deliverance from Niniveh's believing God and repenting to his Peoples walking in Newness of Life from the Prodigal's Return to his Father's House to his abiding therein yea the first Appearance of true Tenderness Remiss and Brokeness of Heart or godly Sorrow for Sin the Lord hath Regard to the Creature for the sake thereof still from the Respect he naturally hath to his Grace and Spirit that works these in Man To this Man will I look saith the Lord that is poor and of a contrite Spirit and trembleth at my Word The Work of Christ or Grace in the Heart from the Beginning to the Accomplishment thereof is acceptable to God because of the Dignity of him that worketh it and not from any Dignity or Worth of the Creatures own but only the Creature is accepted as in Christ we are accepted in the Beloved and it is for Christ's sake that God forgiveth us and not meerly for our own Howbeit it is so far as we are related to Christ and have an Interest in him and his Righteousness by a living Faith that God owns and looks upon us in a Way of Acceptance he respects his own Image in us and doth not justifie acquit or accept Men only upon the Account of Christ's Sufferings and Acts of Obedience as done in his Person for if he did then were all Men justified for whom Christ dyed and that was the whole World all Men in general he tasted Death for every Man yet his Obedience and Sufferings in the Flesh had a good End and Effect be being through all both acceptable and prevailing with God for the good of Mankind we must needs partake of the Benefit and Effects thereof in our Souls so far as they have an Influence upon us by the Life and Power of Christ considering the Travel of his Soul through all his Sufferings which were inward as well as outward his Soul being made an Offering for Sin and his making Intercession â—…or the Transgressors was that Men might be influenced with a real Sence and Sorrow under their own Sin and be made sensible of Christ's Sufferings and Travil of Soul and know the Fellowship thereof and so be made conformable to his Death through the Operation of his Spirit and Life in them as that they may be raised up in the Likeness of Christ's Resurrection in Dominion and Triumph over Sin and Death and not plead Christ's Satisfaction and Righteousness only as in himself in their â—…ead to absolve or justifie the Guilty whom God will not clear nor acquit the Wicked Christ's Righteousness will not excuse any in Unrighteousness for he was a holy Example as well as a Sacrifice and Propitiation and he that saith he hath an Interest in Christ's Rightcousness or that he abideth in Christ ought to walk as he walked Now the Question is not Whether Christ was a most Satisfactory Sacrifice or well-pleasing to the Father for that is undeniable He was the Delight of the Father's Soul who gave himself for us an Offering and a Sacrifice to God for a sweet smelling Savour Ephes. 5. 1 2. But In what State and Condition are we acquitted pardoned and justified of God and in what Nature whether as fallen sinful guilty Persons in our selves and that meerly by the Sufferings of Christ in his own Person which were finite without respect to his Work in us Or as Converted Believers Sanctified Obedient new Creatures in Christ accepted and so justified in his own Righteousness as real Partakers thereof The latter is the Justification and Imputation which I plead for and not the former I would not have Men flatter themselves nor one another in Sin and Darkness with Christ having done all paid all satisfied God for all Sins past present and to come and that in their stead nor to think themselves thereby absolved acquitted and justified in their Sins and fallen Estate for such Doctrine hath streâ—…gthned the Hands of many Evil-Doers and made many Hypocrites who are yet to undergoe a Sence of the Judgments and Terrors of the Lord and to know Repentance from deadWorks before they receive Forgiveness of Sins past or Jesus Christ as the Attonement or their Peace for he came in the Likeness of sinful Flesh that he might condemn Sin in the Flesh before Man be justified from it If the Question be What is it that gives us Interest in Christ's Righteousness Or upon which it is imputed or reckoned to us He answers Our Faith Rom. 10. 10. If the Question be What will evidence our Faith to be living and sound Faith He answers Our sincere Obedience to the Law Jam. 2. 24. You see then how that by Works a man is Justified and not by Faith only we are Justified by Works as Evidencing our Faith living by Faith as giving Interest in Christ's Righteousness by Christ's Righteousness as constituting â—…s Righteous c. p. 91. The Reader may see I take the better part of his Confession as well as the worse He hath truly confest here 1st That it is our living and sound Faith that gives us Interest in Christ's Righteousness and upon which it is imputed or reckoned to us 2dly That our sincere Obedience to the Law or Works of Faith doth evidence our Faith to be living and sound from whence it follows that none are Justified but who are in a living and sound Faith in Christ and sincere Obedience to his Law Therefore Justification was not effected or compleated without us by Christ's Sufferings or Death in his Person for he dyed for our Sins but rose again for our Justification which is effected even in bringing forth in us the Answer of a Good Conscience nor art thou either Justified or pronounced Righteous in the Sight of God whoever thou art who art a guilty Person a fallen Creature accused by Moses unsanctified unregenerate Impure see how manifestly the Man hath contradicted himself in these Passages one while in Justifying the guilty or
Debtor in Prison if his Debts be all paid by the Surety or to suffeâ—… the Surety to wait long soliciting or interceeding for his Pardon or Deliverance Q. 3. Doth not your Doctrine of such Rigid or Severe Satisfaction oppose Christ's Intercession Howbeit we still confess the Man Christ was greatly acceptable and most eminently satisfactory considered as a Sacrifice of a sweet smelling Savour to God and as the first Fruits Quest. 13. What did the Blood of Christ that was shed bespeak and what is our Sense of Christ's Blood and for what End owned Ans. 1st It did bespeak Remission of Sin past to all that truly repent and believe in him 2dly Our Sense of the Blood of Christ is a living and spiritual Sense of the Virtue and Efficacy of it as through it we receive Redemption even the Forgiveness of Sins 3dly We really own and confess to the Blood of Christ both in the History and in the Mystery as most significant to express his Life which he gave a Ransom and the Value of the one Offering we do in the sight of God confess and own the Blood of Christ both as shed for us and as sprinkling and purging our Consciences from dead Works And this We are come to know by his Light shining in our Hearts which as we walk in the Light we have Fellowship one with another and the Blood of Jesus Christ cleanseth us from all Sin 1 Joh. 1. 7. Heb. 9. 14. To come to the Blood of Sprinkling which speaketh better things then that of Abel is an Attainment and Mystery only obtained by true Believers in and through his divine Light and Eternal Spirit by which Christ offered himself without Spot to God and by One Offering God hath perfected sorever them that are sanctified whereof the holy Ghost is a Witness to us Heb. 10. 14 15. For if a Literal Knowledge and Application of the Blood could either Sanctifie or Justifie without having the Conscience sprinkled with it then how could it be as the AntiType answering and ending the Type or Pattern under the Law where all the People were sprinkled with the Blood of the Offerings see Heb. 9. and 10. Chap. And the Leaper was cleansed by seven times sprinkling upon hâ—…m the Blood of the Bird that was killed Lev. 14. 6 7. but the Blood of Christ which sprinkles and purgeth the Conscience far excels all those under the Law and therefore as it redeems from the vain Conversation 't is called the Pretious Blood of Christ as opposed to and beyond all Corruptible things 1 Pâ—…t 1. 18 19. Thus in the Blood of Christ there is a Mystery and a spiritual Consideration and Application absolutely necessary beyond the Historical Profession and Faith thereof as well as in the Cross c. as Christ said Except ye eat my Flesh and drink my Blood ye have no Life in you Joh. 6. It is the Spirit that quickneth c. The holy Ghost is Witness to us of the Virtue and blessed Effect of the One Offering Blessed be the Name of the Lord our God forever who by his divine Light hath opened our Understandings in the Mystery of Christ Jesus and the saving Knowledge of him which is after the Spirit All these Scriptures relating to Christ's Sufferings as Isaiah 53. Zach. 13. 17. Rom. 8. 32. Phil. 28. 2 Cor. 5. 14 15 21. Gal. 3. 13. and 4. 5. Heb. 2. 9. do all intimate God's great Kindness and Condescension in Christ Jesus and his Humiliation and deep Suffering under the Weight and Burthen oâ—… Sin and as by the Grace of God he tasted Death for every Man all which fall greatly short of proving our Adversary's â—…harge against him viz. That God poured down his Wrath or Revenge upon his Innocent Son for Satisfaction to divine Justice in Man's stead that had done the Injury I say all the Scriptures alleged by them can never prove this but rather 1. That Christ's Sufferings were of another kind both as he was delivered up by the Father in his Patience to suffer and bear the Burthen Sorrows and inward Griefs by reason of man's Sin for which his Soul also was made an Offering 2. And as the Reproaches Suffering and Death of the Cross that he sustained from the Wicked Murtherers were temporal or had an End and not as infinite Wrath and Revenge from God due to wicked Men. 3. Yet Christ was rendred a Curse and as made to be Sin This he could not properly be a in his own being for Sin and a Curse in this abstract Sense couldnot strictly relate to his pure and sinless being but so made or reputed with respect to his bearing the Reproach and Sin of many the outward Punishment Crucifying Death and Blood-sheding And all that was in him which in any sense might be said to Suffer was offered and given for the Advantage and Good of Mankind and that which he so gave and offered was called his Life Himself a Ransom and all some times in Scripture comprehended and expressed under the Phrase The Blood the pretious Blood of Christ that redeems from the vain Conversation purgeth the Conscience c. and even the outward part of his Suffering most Innocent Example his Cross Death Blood of his Cross his reviving again were so far from yielding either an Indulgence or justification to men as in Sin and Disobedience that they did very eminently preach and openly proclaim to Mankind both the Condemnation of Sin in the Flesh Repentance Mortification Remission and Man's reviving again to real Righteousness and Justification therein and all to be experienced through Faith in the Name and Power of Jesus Christ the Son of the living God in sending of whom the Father's Love was manifest that we might live through him And as Christ's Travil of Soul was inward and so his Suffering inward as well as outward what is more obvious to the spiritual Eye and Mind then that his Travil and Sufferings and his holy Design therein were to have an inward Effect and inwardly to be fulfilled by his Word and Power even in them who receive and believe in the same as that Instance of the holy Evangelist is very plain and pertinent where 't is said They brought unto him many that were possessed with Divels and he Cast out the Spirits with his Word and healed all that were Sick that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the Prophet saying Himself took our Infirmities and bare our Sicknesses see Maâ—… 8. 17. Isaiah 53. 4. And moreover as to Christ's being the Lamb of God that taketh away the Sins of the World This taking away the Sins was not only fulfilled by that general Expiation or purging which he made by Way of Sacrifice but also inwardly by his real Cleansing purging the Conscieâ—…ce and purifying the Soul from the Nature and Being of Sin And God's Reconciling us by the Death of his Son whose putting away Sin is said to be by the Sacrifice of
as it pleaseth God or that shall inherit God's Kingdom Howbeit As to be Quickened implieth a Death first and Resurrection a Fall before and to be Changed that there was either a vile corruptible Suffering or low Estate before So all that come to know Christ in them and the Body dead because of Sin know the Spirit to be Life because of Righteousness And if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the Dead dwell in you he that raised up Jesus from the Dead shall also quicken your mortal Bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you Rom. 8. 10 11 12 13. And this plainly is a quickening unto Righteousness by the Spirit dwelling within which is far from being a Proof of T. H's Opinion though cited by him And as in the first Adam is both the Fall and Death come over all men so in the second Adam who is the Resurrection and the Life all are made alive and that unto Righteousness who first come to see the Body dead because of Sin and the Deeds of the Body mortified Rom. 8. 13. or who come to know Christ and the Power of his Resurrection and the Fellowship of his Sufferings being made conformable unto his Death these attain unto the Resurrection of the Dead Phil. 3. 10 11. Such do not strive for a Notion thereof but to attain to it As to the manner of Existences or Beings of all men in the World to come there is no Necessity for any to be taking thought or busying their Minds about them it being in the Pleasure and Wisdom of God to reserve all to their due and deserved Ends in an immortal Capacity Our present Concernment is so to know and esteem of Christ as that we may be found in him not only mortified to the Corruptions of this World through the Fellowship of his Suffering and Conformity unto his Death But also interessed in that blessed Resurrection which is only attained to in Christ who is the Resurrection and the Life that he may be magnified in our Body whether by Life or Death To what he saith in his 59. pag. about the Bâ—…dy that was dead about that It which is raised about the Soâ—…l and the Seed of God the Matter is answered else where yet First All that know the Body dead because of Sin having mortified the Deeds of the Flesh and being conformable to the Death of Christ as dead with him shall alfo be quickned and raised up by his Spirit that dwells in them which is Life because of Righteousness and such only can speak experimentally of the Seed of God and the Soul 2dly That there is a Seed of God and a Seed of the Serpent in Mankind according to G. F. Junior's relation he further tells you that they that discern the Body of each Seed are not the Fools which are questioning how the dead should be raised and with what Body for they know that all Mankind will be found in one of these two Seeds By which it is plain he doth not exclude men from a future Being or Immortality nor confound them with the very Being of God though it is by his invisible Power that all are upheld in their respective Existences in Immortality whether they be found in the Nature and Image of the good Seed or of the evil T. H. And since he calls them Fools that is the Apostles and all true Christians that say This Body of Flesh and Bones shall arise pag. 59. Rep. He should have produced his plain Scripture for the Apostles so saying where are these Words to be found in all the Scriptures of the new Testament that this Body of Flesh and Bones shall arise again Doth not the Apostle say the contrary Thou sowest not that Body that shall be And Flesh and Blood cannot inherit the Kingdom of God But must we then suppose as some Professors do That these Bodies of Flesh and Bones shall inherit the Kingdom of God without any Blood in them Or that after they are returned to Dust they shall arise again the self same as they are without any new Creation I confess this is such kind of new Philosophy as I have not read of before The man has run himself into such strange Confusion and wholy misses the Sense of the Resurrection and the Life and over looks the true Seed and Root of the Matter while in his vain mind he is imagining muddling and Devil-like disputing about the Body which in Comparison of the immortal Existence and being of Man is but an outside Case earthly Shell or Husk that disolveth Again he saith If this Seed of the Serpent be only Sin and the Seed of Christ only Grace it is only Sin and Grace which shall arise again p. 60. Oh the gross Darkness and Ignorance of this Man He knows not the Seed of the Serpent from whence Sin springs nor the Seed of God from whence Grace and Life flows But falsly supposes that our Principle extinguishes the future distinct beings of Men though it hath been plainly told him that all Mankind will be found in one of these two Seeds As also we testifie from that Sence of Life and Immortality that is brought to Light in us through the Gospel That the Soul whole spiritual Man and spiritual Body shall exist in Immortality yea though our outward Man perish yet the inward Man is renewed day by day and in order to possess an eternal Weight of Glory 2 Cor. 4. This inward Man is neither extinguish'd by the perishing of the outward Man nor thereby deprived of that Advantage which is an eternal Weight of Glory And that God giveth it a Body as it pleaseth him and to every Seed his own Body or his proper Body The Man would know what this It is shewing his Dubiousness of his own Assertion before viz. That it is a mortal Body of Flesh and Bones whether it shall be raised and go to Heaven with any Blood in it he tells us not and that the Body given it is the same for Substance that is as good Sense as to say the Body of Flesh and Bones shall when it is raised have the same Body of Flesh and Bones given to it whereas it is to every Seed his proper Body which is comprehensive both of the Seed of the Righteous and the Seed of the Wicked of the Seed of God and the Seed of the Serpent and so comprehends and takes in the whole Body of Mankind under those two Relations and Natures not to dissolve or extinguish their Rational Intelligible Beings with the perishing and dissolvable Earthly Outside or Case but that all shall be reserved for their due and proper Ends according to the Seed Nature and Image which their Soul carries with it when it parts with the Earthly Cloathing And whereas it is said that It is sown a Natural Body it is raised a Spiritual Body the great Stress is laid on the particle IT which may as well be applyed to Wheat or
other Grain It is sown and It is raised when the Body or outside of that very Corn that is sown is dead though the innate Virtue or Life doth not in it self dye nor fruitlesly expire Thou sowest not that Body that shall be c. yet in these two relations It is used as relative both to that which is sown and to that Body that shall be while in the very next Words to those before cited it is said there is a Natural Body and there is a Spiritual Body 1 Cor. 15. 44. and these can no more be the self-same then Celestial and Terrestrial Bodies can or then the first Adam and the laft Adam or the Earthly and the Heavenly which the Apostle plaiuly distinguisheth between as he doth betwixt the Natural and the Spiritual But whereas T. H. and his Brethren so much argue from the word It as It is sown a Natural Body It is raised a Spiritual they take this It for Idem corpus the self-same Body in both Their Mistake is evident they have not this either from the Greek or Latin see 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 seminatur corpus animale surgit corpus spirituale i. e. a Natural or Animal Body is sown a Spiritual Body riseth it is not Idem surgit Nor would this agree with the next Words There is a Natural Body and there is a Spiritual Body This admits of no such Transubstantiation as that the self-same Natural Body should become Spiritual or be the Subject of such an Accident And it is sown 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an Animal Body or as having Life a Living Body which therefore cannot be the Body as dead and laid in the Graves for in that Condition they are not Corpus Animale for that relates to the Earthly Adam or Body of Mankind as having a natural Life â—…nd must not even the Animal or Natural Man dye before the Spiritual Man be risen or Immortality in Christ be put on And is not the Natural or Animal Man doposed to the Renewed Man 1 Cor. 2. 14. And the Seed which is sown in Weakness must needs have some Degree of Life in it when sown whether Natural or Spiritual and the Weakness and Corruption doth relate to the Subject in which it is sown if the Seed it self be incorruptible And as the First Man is of the Earth Earthly the second Man is the Lord from Heaven and As is the Earthly Such are they also that are Earthly and As is the Heavenly Such are they that are Heavenly ver 47 48. which if this be owned it must be granted that they that are Heavenly must have Bodies sutable viz. Heavenly or Spiritual Bodies this Heavenly being the second Man the Lord from Heaven ver 47. And mark As is the Heavenly Such are they that are Heavenly which cannot be the same with Earthly any more then the Image of the Heavenly can be the Image of the Earthly And as to our being asked what this Mortal is that must put on Immortality Though Mortal in this place implies a dying Condition of Man as the Effect of Sin as in Adam all dye yet it cannot as having put on Immortality be relative to Flesh and Blood but as admitted in a Heavenly and Spiritual Sense for the Apostle plainly tells us but a little before Now this I say Brethren that Flesh and Blood cannot inherit the Kingdom of God neither doth Corruption inherit Incorruption Behold I shew you a Mystery We shall not all Sleep but we shall all be Changed ver 50 51. And so by that Life and Immortality which is brought to Light we see beyond Death and Mortality and we though as in a dying State yet behold Immortality being quickned by the second Adam and renewed again into the Image of the Heavenly being made alive in Christ who redeems Man from Death ransoms the Soul from the Power of the Grave who swallows up Mortality and Death in Life and Victory and saith O Death I will be thy Plagues O Grave I will be thy Destruction Hos. 13 14. Isa. 25. 8. by whom also Death being so swallow'd up into Victory the Sting of it which is Sin taken away They who thus have their part in Christ who is the Resurrection and Life can truly say Thanks be to God who gives us the Victory through our Lord Jesus Christ 1 Cor. 15. â—…7 And to take off further Surmisings against us I tell my Opposer that this Resurrection or Change extends not only to a Raising of Man up from Sin to Righteousness but also to an Eternal Glory And 't is not only the Raising up of the Seed or Grace in Man as he supposes but the Raising up of Man from Sin Death Hell and the Grave even in the Seed and Life which is the Ransom and this answers his Cavils in his 6â—… and 61. Pages only where he fictitiously makes us speak thus viz. Qu. We believe the Resurrection of the Body though we know not what that Body is which shall rise And then he absurdly makes a Christian to answer thus viz. Chr. Thou saidst before the Light within was the divine Essence either then thy Light within thee is not God or God knows not all things c. Reply First he feigneth the Quacker though we will never own him to be our Mouth for the Words were not so spoken by me or us but that we ought not to be too Curious or Inquisitive in things beyond our Capacities as to the Manner of the Existences hereafter or how Men shall be reserved unto their several Ends and Rewards for God knows how to do it but we being sensible of the different Seeds we cannot be altogether ignorant of the Nature of each Body being proper to the Seed it belongs to Yet if with John we say it doth not yet appear what we shall be it is Satisfaction that we know what Manner of Love the Father hath bestowed upon us that we should be called the Sons of God for such are Sons of the Resurrection 2dly T. H. abuses the Christian by making him speak absurdly that which implies that if Man have a Divine Light in him he must needs know all that the Light knows or else either conclude that the Light is not Divine or else God is not Omniscient and then it follows from hence that none have either a Divine Light or God dwelling in them unless they know as much as God which was a Temptation to Man at first and by this he hath shut out all not only the fallen World but God's People also from having any Divine Light or Power of God in them He scoffs at some of our Friends saying We own the Resurrection that is We witness it and then adds But what is it you witness the Resurrection of the Seed 'T is Christ in you Ans. Is this a matter to be taunted or scoffed at Hath he truly acted the part of a Christian thus to slight the Arising of the Righteous
him may clear and quit your selves of his inveterate Spirit and gross Abuses against us who bear Love and Good-will towards you and all men believing that there are some among you that are more tender and honest and of a better Spirit then T. H. for whose sakes I have writ thus much and not for his for he hath shewn himself Dirty and Wicked who hath made no Conscience to forge and spread many notorious Lyes and Slanders against us And therefore however takenotice of this that it will not be reputable for you to allow or own him as a Teacher among you nor for you to sit under him who hath no Power either over his Tongue or Passion unless he Repent and as publickly Revoak Judge and Condemn his gross Errors Abuses Lyes Slanders and Forgeries as he hath broached and spread them and if you suffer him to go on a Preacher among you without a publick Reproof from you and his open Recantation it will lye upon you as Upholders of a persecuting Spirit and rendeâ—… you as uncharitable and unchristian Professors of Christiaâ—…ity for suffering such a notorious piece of Wickedness as this of T. Hicks's to proceed from among you unreproved But I really desire the Lord may open your Eyes so as you may clear your selves and that Envy and Prejudice may cease and dye among you that you may not dye and perish in it A Serious Reflection Upon some of Will Burnet's Chief Arguments about the Resurrection of the SAME FLESH In his Book stiled The Capital Principles of the People called Quakers W. B. IF Jesus Christ did rise again with that Body that went Arg. I. to the Crave then there is a Resurrection from the Grave of the same Body c. But Christ did leave the Grave empty c. Ergo. Arg. II. If Jesus Christ rose from the Dead with Flesh and Bones yea with the same Flesh as was nailed to the Cross Joh. 20. 27. then there is a Resurrection from the Grave of the same Flesh that goeth to the Grave But Christ did rise in the same Ergo. Answ. This Man's Work savours of Flesh and not Spirit The Consequence of both his Propositions is inconsistent and so his Argument is fallacious for Christ's Flesh saw no Corruption being raised the third Day it did not corrupt in the Sepulchre much less turn to Dust or Earth as others do therefore the Instance and Comparison is unequal in this case though it holds for a more Spiritual End and Advantage then this drives at for which the Apostle did instance the Resurrection of Christ by the Glory or Power of the Father that men might believe in that Power He did not say that Christ's Flesh was raised up the third day that you might believe that the same Flesh as gross part of yours that goeth to the Grave and turns to Dust shall be so Raised as this Man argues for Christ's Resurrection was preached that their Faith might be in God who raised him up that Men might in this Life receive and feel the Spiritual Benefit thereof to their Immortal Souls and so partake in this Life of the Power of his Resurrection to be raised up with Christ in order to reign with him in Glory hereafterâ—… as for â—…nstance Know ye not that so many of us as wâ—…re baptizeâ—… 〈◊〉 â—…esus Christ were baptized into his Dâ—…ath therefore we 〈◊〉 with him by Baptism into Death that like as Christ was raised up 〈◊〉 Dead by the Glory of the Father even so we also should 〈◊〉 in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of Life Rom. 6. 3 4 5 6 7 8. to the end And 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 him by Baptism wherein also you are risen with him throuâ—…h 〈◊〉 Fâ—…ith of the Operation of God who hath raised him from the 〈◊〉 Col. 〈◊〉 12 13. As also to the same Purpose and End read Rom. 8. 11. aâ—…d 10. 9. Eph. 2. 1. 1 Pet. 3. 18 19 21. 1 Cor. 15. 45. Phil. 3. 10 11. 1 Cor. 6. 14. 2 Cor. 4. 14. Joh. 6. â—…9 40 Col. 2. 20. and 3. 3 4. Eph. 1. 20. and 2. 6. Col. 2. 12. 1 Pet. 1. 3. 21. Heb. 11. 35. 1 Thes. 5. 10 11. By all which it is evident that Christ Death and Resurrection was not preached for a 〈◊〉 Eâ—…d but for a spiritual Benefit here and an eternal Advantage hereafter But whereas our Opposer carnally infers from Christ's arising a Resurrection of the same Flesh that goeth to thâ—… Grave His Shortness in this and the Shallowness oâ—… his fleshly Apprehension comes under this further Consideration As First That all Flesh and Earthly Bodies of Men do not go to the Grave in hiâ—… Sense It is said Thâ—… 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of thy Servants have they given to be Meat 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Fow's of Heaven the Flesh of thy Saints unto the 〈◊〉 of the 〈◊〉 Their Blood have they shed like Water round about Jeruâ—…alem and there was none to bury them Psal. 79. 2 3. Thereâ—…ore these were not laid in Graves of the Earth As also it is apparent that the Flesh of many is wasted away with Sickness before they dye or their Bones be laiâ—… in the Grave And likewise many undergo such great Sickâ—…esses and Calamities in their Life time as so oâ—…ten doth both corrupt and waste their Flesh and Blood that so often as they are restored to Health again they have new Fleth or reneâ—…ed Bodies thereof and then what a vast Bigness would 〈◊〉 Bodies amount to if raised with all the self 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that they had in their Life time Moreover through 〈◊〉 Judgment and sore Exercise David said My â—…ones â—…leave to my Skin Psal. 102. 5. And my Kâ—…ees are weak through 〈◊〉 and my Flesh faileth of Fatness Psal. 109. 24. And as 〈◊〉 signified when man is chastened with Pain upon his Bed and the multitude of his Bones with strong Pain so that his Life 〈◊〉 Bread his Flesh is consumed away that it cannot beseen and his Bones that were not seen stick out His Soul draweth near unto the Grave c. Job 33. 19 20 21 22. Through such Judgement and Chastisement they who have known the polluted Flesh consumed away are not so much concerned for the same Flesh as these our fleshly Opposers are whereby they shew they never experienced such Chastisements nor underwent such Judgment that God might hide Pride from them and keep back their Soul from the Pit Their proud Flesh would alwayes live and be reserved to eternal Glory Whereas he whose Flesh is consumed away through the Chastisements of the Lord and who comes to see that God is gracious therein unto him to deliver him from going down to the Pit who saith I have found a Ransom It is said of such a one His Flesh shall be fresher then a Child's he shall return to the Dayes of his Youth Job 33. This is not the old Flesh that was consumed away through Chastisements And as all Flesh is not the same Flesh so all Bodies are not of
Terrestrial Body of the Righteous and hence to argue for Immortalizing that Dust which that Body returns to it implieth thus much that Only the Bodies of the Children of God who are counted worthy shall rise and how agrees this with our Opposers Intention 3. Moreover while Christ intended by his Answer that those that were counted Worthy c. even the Children of God and such as lived unto God were the Children of the Resurrection and that they cannot dye any more c. This agrees with his Answer to Martha Joh. 11. 24 25 26. I am the Resurrection and the Life he that believeth in me though he were dead yet shall he Live and who soever liveth and believeth in me shall never dye Though this be a plain asserting of the Resurrection yea and that of the Dead yet it is as plain a Diversion as far remote from the carnal and gross Thoughts and Apprehension that the Jews in that Age had of the Resurrection as his Answer to the Saducees was from their gross Thoughts about it Concerning the Scope of these words of Christ before cited He saith There are different Apprehensions Some conceive that Christ hereby proves the Immortality of the Soul which the Saducees denyed as appears Act. 23. 8. for if there be no Soul of a Spiritual Nature in Man it must needs be Mortal as his Body and by Consequence the Resurrection of the Body The Saducees denying the Resurrection of the Body because they denied the Immortality of the Soul as these Interpreters conceive Others that Christ intends only to prove the Resurrection of the Body So Calvin Others that Christ intends both directly So Beza Diodati And from these Differences T. D. differently frames his Argument several times p. 76. From hence it is observable that this Man not seeing with his own Eyes proceeds to argue doubtfully from the different Apprehensions and Conceptions of others viz. Some Conceiving 1. That Christ hereby proves the Immortality of the Soul and by Consequence only the Resurrection of the Body 2. Others that Christ intends only to prove the Resurrection of the Body 3. Others that he intends both directly See how these Learned Men and Students differ and oppose each other in their Apprehensions and Conceivings and what Certainty can we expect from T. D. their Schollar And how came he to undertake such a Controversie about such a weighty and mysterious Point upon such dubious and uncertain Grounds as only mens different Apprehensions Conceivings and Consequences can produce or amount to which argues more Confidence then Knowledge in him And T. D. to vary his Arguments thereupon from his uncertain Conjectures and fallible Judgment as with him it is either thus or else thus or more plainly thus c. 1. They whos 's God God is shall rise from the Dead God is Abraham's Isaac's and Jacob's God Therefore they and all other Believers shall rise again Or else thus 2. They whos 's God God is after Death shall Rise again c. 3. Or the Argument may be framed more plainly thus viz. If God be under a Promise to Glorifie the Persons of Abraham Isaac and Jacob then their Bodies must rise again but God is under such a Promise Ergo pag. 77. Answ. 1. That God is the God of the Living both of Abraham and all Believers 2. They all live unto God in Righteousnes here and Glory hereafter 3. He that liveth and believeth in me saith Christ shall never dye These prove the blessed Resurrection of the Children of God who are Children of the Resurrection But what Proof hath he produced herein of the self-same Earthly numerical Body's rising His Assertion being the Resurrection of the Body in general his Proof is the Resurrection of those whom God is the God of viz. Believers and that their Body must be glorified which so far as Christ intends is granted That in the World to come they are equal unto the Angels what is this to the Earthly Elementary Bodies of all in general which Angels do far surmount and transcend in Glory Neither hath he by all that he hath said proved that the Promise of Eternal Glory he mentions extends to the same Earthly Body of Flesh and Blood that now is after dissolved to Dust or its first Elements or that it is capable of that Glory which is Eternal though the Believer be as in his Spirituality or spiritual Body glorified Now as touching the Promise of God to Abraham and his Seed it was not only of a Temporal Inheritance or outward Canaan but also of an eternal Inheritance of Life and Glory for the Injoyment whereof they had a two-fold Capacity an Outward and an Inward a Natural and a Spiritual and so far God was their God in each But that the Eternal Glory was promised to the Terrestrial or Natural Body of Abraham c. T. D. though he runs on with it and takes it for granted doth meerly beg the Question as if Abraham in his new Spiritual and Glorious State were but a Part of Abraham and consequently not fully Capable of absolute Felicity without the Dust of his dissolved Cloathing being immortalized I understand not that they 'l admit of any new Creation of it to make it a compleat Body who are of the Anabaptist's mind And after the same manner he may as well say that all the Saints who are said to be in Glory are not perfectly in Glory but only in Part as but part of Abraham part of Isaac part of Jacob part of Moses part of Elias part of Paul c. are in Heaven in Glory or in the Rest which is Glorious and so of all the other as if when Moses and Elias appeared with Christ in the Mount to Peter c. it were not proper or true to say Moses and Elias but Part of Moses Elâ—…as appeared And what Bodies appeared they in were they Human Earthly Bodies or Angelical and by this that they are not as yet absolutely Happy or at Rest without their little earthly Mansions or Tabernacles when they must needs enjoy far better viz. an Heavenly Cloathing and Mansion or House Eternal in the Heavens being the more Spiritualized and changed into Spirituality they are in a higher and more meet Capacity for that Enjoyment T. D. 2. God were not fully Abraham's God or did not fully make good his Promise if he Glorified one Part of Abraham and not another Answ. God in his Glorifying Abraham in a Spiritual Sate and Body that transcends all Earthly Bodies or that part as he calls it of Abraham which is Spiritual and therefore most capable of an Eternal Glory he shews himself to be 〈◊〉 God he being the God of the Spirits of all Flesh and most eminently of his Children and who hath all Souls in his Hand But in Answer to what he saith hereafter let us enquire whether the Promise of God to Abraham and his Sâ—…ed of eternal Glory and Happiness cannot be made
incomparably excell these Terrestrial Bodies And therefore where it is said That the Saducees and Quakers Proposition be that there is no Resurrection from the Dead This is a Falshood against the Quakers and their Sufferings testifie the Contrary If a Man should say that the Wheat or other Grain in the Eare is not the self-same that was sown in the Earth doth it therefore follow that he denies the Arising of Wheat or any Grain at all Or that when the Apostle in Answer to the Question that some foolishly put said Thou Fool thou sowest not that Body which shall be doth it therefore follow that his Proposition was that there is No Resurrection from the Dead And whereas T. D. upon Eccles. 3. 19 20 21. confesseth That Men are said to be Beasts in respect to the Mortality of the Body which being composed of the same Materials with brute Beasts c. By this the Reader may observe what kind of Body these men are contending for and without which they reckon the Souls are not perfectly Happy and which they say The Soul hath a strong Desire to a Re-union with And with what but with the self-same Body which is composed of the same Materials with brute Beasts What! Cannot the Soul be â—…erfectly Happy without this O the gross Conceits of these Men And what do they place their chief Happiness Glory in but in such a perishing Body as is composed of the same Materials with brute Beasts which being Dust returns to the Earth as it was and the Spirit unto God who gave it Eccles. 12. 7. as he saith true to be disposed of as Justice or Mercy shall see meet But where he saith As for Ver. 21. If they be the Atheists words personated by Solomon they note the Reason of his Opinion c. herein he appears doubtful whether they be the Atheist's words or Solomon's for he dubiously varies again and saith If they be Solomon ' s own words c. Judge Reader Is this man fit to discourse of the future States of Men or Saints in Glory who when Solomon speaks of the Spirit of Man that goeth upwards knows not whether he personates the 〈◊〉 's words or his own Whenas he further saith The Spirit shall return unto God who gave it chap. 12. 7. which is implied in his saying The Spirit of a Man goeth upward But for Men to follow their own Imaginations and Traditions of others concerning the future State of Man which they have no spiritual Sight of as also to determine that the Soul aâ—…ter Man's Decease hath such a strong Desire after the Terrestrial or Carnal Body that it is not perfectly happy without it this while they have neither Truth nor Reason to demonstrate it doth really tend to open a Gap to Atheism and to make People Atheists who are not come to know an Immortal Principle in themselves to depend upon whereby the true Knowledge of Life and Immortality is to be revealed without which men are 〈◊〉 in their Knowledge as this man grants the Difference betâ—…ixt Man and Beast as to their future State not being visible to the Eye of Sence as their Agreement in Dissolution is therefore the Difference is only truly to be seen by a Spiritual Eye opened by the Divine Light whereby the Spiritual and Immortal State of Man is seen and the Glory of the Righteous beheld in the Everlasting Kingdom of God which Flesh and Blood cannot inherit neither can the Carnal Eye see the invisible God And I must conclude that while T. D. from 1 Cor. 15. affirms the whole drift of the Apostle in a great part of the Chapter is to shew that the same Body shall rise c. he doth but herein impose and beg the Question and I cannot at all graâ—…t him his Assertion to be true while the Apostle plainly distinguisheth between the first Adam and the Second the Earthly and the â—…eavenly The Natural Body and the Spiritual the Celestial and the Terrestrial and saith Thou â—…ool Thou sowest not that Body that shall be and Flesh and Blood cannot inherit the Kingdom of God How plainly do these Passages contradict our Opposers As also is it not evident that the Man opposeth himself in granting That the Body shall rise with so differing Qualities that it shall be as unlike to what it was before as the standing Corn to the Seed put into the Earth or as one Sâ—…ar is to another in Brightness and Lustre how shall it then be the self-same Terrestrial Body For first Is the stâ—…nding Corn the self-same Seed that is put into the Earth Secondly Are the Bodies Celestial as those of Sun Moon and Stars one and the same with Terrestrial Bodies as those of Men Beasts and Fishes Verily I find nothing in this Man's Work about this Subject that has any real Weight in it and what he hath said of any seeming Stress it is answered here and in my Answer to the rest I desire the Lord may open all their Understandings and so quicken their spiritual Sences as that their Minds may be truly spiritualized that they may be more upon Spirit and less upon the Flesh so as to be morâ—…ified unto the Flesh that they may know a Life in the Spirit wherein they may live unto God in Righteousness here and Glory hereaâ—…ter to set down with 〈◊〉 Isaac and Jacob in the Kingdom of God Finally in these two Questions much of the Controversie is resâ—…lved about the â—…uture Rewâ—…rds of â—…ouls or of Men after Dissolution viz. 1. Whether the Righteous â—…e capable of perfect Happiness or the full Frustion of the 〈◊〉 Rest when separate from the Earthly 〈◊〉 or Terrestrial Body Yeâ—… or Naâ—… This may be considered and resolved in this Question viz. Whether the Angels of God in Heaven unto which the Children of God and the Resurrection are equal are in perfect Felicity and Glory who do not exist in Terresirial Bodies or whose Organs or Cloathing is not Earthly but Heavenly 2. Whether the Wicked be capable of absolute Misery when separate from the Earthly Tabernacle Yea or Nay Which on the other hand by the like Reason may be considered and resolved in this Question viz. Whether the Devil and his Angels be not capable of Everlasting Fire prepared for them without Terrestrial Bodies And then Whether the cursed Workers of Iniquity who live and dye in Sin are not to be sentenced into the same Everlasting Firâ—… But If it be supposed that the Wicked cannot be absolutely miserable without their Earthly and Elementary Body or Outside and therefore they must have it again to aggravate their Torment Doth not this then suppose that their Torment must be Worse then that of Devils that have not such Bodies supposed to aggravate their Torment Howbeâ—…t though the Judgment of the Wicked be many times figuratively expressed and set out in Scripture by Parables and Similes yet still there is a Reality of Judgment and Torment therein signified
in apt Resemblances obvious to the Sences as Tophet is ordained of old yea for the King it is prepared he hath made it deep and large the Pile thereof is Fire and much Wood the Breath of the Lord like a Stream of Brimstone doth kindle it Isa. 30. 33. and Bind him Hand and Foot and cast him into ulter Darkness there shall be Weeping and Gnaâ—…hing of Teeth Mat. 22. 13. As also If thy right Eye Hand or Foot offend pluck it out or cut it off and cast it from thee as being better that one Member should perish then the whole Body should be cast into Hell where the Worm dyeth not and the Fire shall never be quenched Mat. 〈◊〉 29. Mark 9. 49. to the end Which still argues that the Impenitent and Wicked are liable to meet with real â—…orment and that he hath spiritually his proper Being and Habit consisting of such spiritual Parts and Sences having an evil Eye a polluted Mind and defiled Conscience covered with Guilt pressed down with the Body of Sin and perplexed with Horror wherein he both receiveth the Deeds 〈◊〉 in the Body and is capable of absolute Misery in the Fire which shall never be quenched where the Worm dyeth not As also it is said The Rich Man also dyed and was buried and in Hell he lift up his Eyes being in Torments and seeth Abraham afar off and Lazarus in his Bosom and he cried said Father Abraham have Mercy on me and send Lazarus that he may dip the Tip of his Finger in Water and cool my Tongue for I am tormented in this Flame Luk. 16. 23 24. When his Body was buried yet he had the Sence of Torments that seized upon him and a Sight of the other's Felicity which he himself had lost Therefore as Christ said I say unto you my Friends be not afraid of them that can kill the Body and after that have no more that they can do but I will fore-warn you whom ye shall fear fear him which after he hath killed hath Power to cast into Hell I say unto you fear him Luk. 12. 4 5. A Summary of the Difficulties in the Point in Controversie FInally The Controversie is run up to these Difficulties which I object upon our Opposers Doctrines and Conceptions 1st How the self same Bodies should arise compleat after dissolved to Dust without a New Creation appears not nor is it demonstrated by them 2. If a New Creation of compleat Bodies of the same Dust and Elements should be conceived or admitted it is Incredible that God should create any corrupt sinful or polluted Bodies thereof for perpetual Torments seeing his Works are pure And as Incredible that he should make a pure Body to be invested with the former Evil Habit of Sin and Corruption for perpetual Torment in Hell-Fire and to be sure the first Elements or Dust of dissolved â—…odies is as pure as at the first 3. If Infants be supposed to arise at the Stature of Men how can theirs be the self-same Bodies they were 4. How the Body of the Saints and Children of the Resurrection should be either a Celestial Spiritual Glorious or Angelical Body and they Equal unto the Angels in Heaven and yet the self-same Earthly Elementary Body that dissolveth to Dust c. such a strange Transubstantiation appears not unless that the Natural Body and the Spiritual the Terrestrial and the Celestial the Human and Angelical be both One and the Self-same 5. That the Soul should not enjoy her self in absolute Felicity or Misery in perfect Glory or Contempt in her proper Vessel or Cloathing spiritually without the Earthly Cloathing which is Dust appears not while the Children of the Resurrection are equal unto the Angels of God in Heaven which are absolutely Happy and the Devil and his Angels absolutely Miserable 6. We cannot believe that the Invisible Infinite God should be seen with the Bodily or fleshly Eyes after Dissolution not that Job intended he should see God with his Flesh or bodily Eyes It being in consistent both with his being an Invisible Eternal or Infinite Spirit and with the true spiritual Sight of him which Job received Job 42. 5. 7. That the Seed to which God giveth a Body as it pleaseth him 1 Cor. 15. and the Body given to it should be one and the self same Earthly Body is a non-sensical Doctrine and an apparent Incongruity 8. That the Terrestrial Bodies should be so desirable to the Souls of the Righteous after Dissolution for the compleating their Felicity and perfecting their Glory appears plainly inconsistent with their desiring here to be dissolved and to be absent from the Body to enjoy and possess a Building of God au House eternal in the Heavens Or that the Souls of the Righteous should be so variable as to desire to be absent from the Body and presently after Dissolution to desire the Resuming of the same Earthly Body or a Re-union to it This implicitely accuseth the Souls of deceased Saints with being in their Affections both Earthly Variable and Unquiet as in a kind of Purgatory Which we can never assent to Thomas Vincent's Illustrations ABOUT THE RESURRECTION Which we may look upon as the Sense of the Rest and as the Explication of their Doctrines and Opinions who are Opposing the Spirituality of our Testimony about the Resurrection Among which some Truths are intermixt though his gross and carnal Conceptions about the Point we cannot close with His Illustrations are in his Book entituled Christ's Certain and Suddain Appearance to Judgment Collected and Placed in his own Words as followeth for the Serious and Spiritual-minded Readers to judge of T. V. GIve me leave to illustrate the Resurrection a little further and here I shall endeavour to set it forth by an Allusion to that notable place Ezek. 37. and ten first Verses pag. 16. some thing like this will the Resurrection be at the Last Day Now the Bones and Bodies of all former Generations are scattered up and down in the Valley of the Shadow of Death some are sunk into the Deep others are buried in the Earth the Flesh is consumed and resolved into its first Elements and the Bones of some remain of others are mouldred into Earth Now when the Lord Jesus Christ the Son of God shall come down from Mount Sion which is above into the Valley of this inferiour World he will Prophesie over all the Bodies and Bones of all the Children of Men that are dead and speak unto them to Live he will say unto them whilft they lie rotting in their Graves Live he will say Awake ye that sleep in the Dust And Oh what a Noise and Shaking will there be then in the Ground What a clattering of Bones together in the coming of Bone to his Bone If the Body hath been quartered and buried part in one place and part in another as the Levite's Concubine who was divided into Twelve Parts and sent to the Twelve Tribes of
Israel and it is likely buried in twelve distinct places the Bones will fly through the Air out of all those places and meet together in one Body Oh! what a great part of the Air Water and Earth will there run into Conjunction by the Command of Christ and be turned into those very Bodies which were resolved into them by Death and the Corruption of the Pit But with the Addition of such new Qualities as shall sublimate spiritualize and refine them from all that Dreggishness and ill humour that shall be the Foundation of any Sickness or Death forever then the Bones will come together be made like Stones for Strength then the Sinnews will be as it were Iron Sinnews and the Flesh Brass such Strength will be put into them as I conceive is not to be found in the strongest Creatures which hitherto God hath made that they might be fitted the Bodies of the Righteous for an Eternal Life of Happiness and bearing the Glory of Heaven The Bodies of the Wicked for an Eternal Life of Misery and bearing the Torments of Hell pag. 17 18. But what a Stirring will there be in the Earth Those which are alive will wonder to see such a strange Metamorphâ—… of the Ground to seel Men and Women stirring and moving under their Feet arising and crouding for Room amongst them Then will the Lord bring down all the Souls of the Righteous which have been in Paradise with him many Years and they shall find out their own Bodies And he will open the Prison of Hell and let out the Souls of the Wicked for a while that they also may find out their own Bodies pag. 19. The Book of God's Remembrance will be opened This we are to understand in a Spiritual Sense not as if there were a real Book which God did make use of for his Remembrance of things as Men do who have Frail and Weak Memories pag. 22. The Spirits of all the just Men and Women made persect shall then come down and enter again into their Old Habitations pag. 31. when the Soul left the Body vile to putrifie and corrupt in the Grave and shall finde it come forth more Bright and Glorious then Gold after it hath been resined in a Furnace If the Love between the Soul and the Body were so great when the Body was so vile and the Soul so Sinful what will it be when both are glorified If the Conjunction between the Soul and Body were so sweet when the Body was so Frail and subject to Death and the Soul a Spiritual and Never-dying Subscance what will it be when the Body shall be made immortal and in some sort spiritual pag. 32. No sooner are they awakened and risen out of their Graves but they are entertained by Angels those Holy and Excellent Creatures when before in the Body they were too low and unfit for their Acquaintance but they will then know them and be able to discern the Beauty of those lovely Spirits pag. 33. They will arise like so many shining Suns out of the Earth pag. 34. They admired to see the Saints and to see themselves so transformed pag. 36. He will bring the Keys of Death and Hell along with him and open both these Prison Doors not to give Liberty and Release to the Prisoners But as prisons are opened at Assizes to bring them sorth unto Judgment he will open the Prison of Hell and all the Souls of the Wicked shall come forth like so many 〈◊〉 cut of the bottomless Fit and he will open the Prison of the Grave and all their Bodies shall creep Like so many ugly Toads out of the Earth and then Soul and Body shall be joyned together again and this Meeting will be sad beyond Expression Then the Meeting of the Souls and Bodies of the Wicked will be dolesul pag. 46 47. It is said that the vile Bodies of the Righteous shall be made like unto Christ's Body in Beauty and Glory but the Bodies of the Wicked will have another Hew and Fashion if it were possible to fashion Bodies like Devils those impure and foul Spirits such spiritual Bodies the Wicked should have Be sure their Bodies shall have no Glory put upon them but as they lay down Vile Bodies they shall rise up far more Vile The Bodies of the Wicked most probably will be Swarthy Black Ugly Monstrous Bodies p. 48. The Blackness and Dread of the Soul would quickly appear in their Countenance besides the Impressions which the Fire of Hell will have upon them if the Body be black how black will the Soul be after so long abode with foul Devils in the lower Regions of Darkness And when such foul Souls and such vile Bodies meet what a Meeting what a Greeting will there be We may fancy a kind of Language to be between them at that Day The Soul to the Body Come out of thy Hole thou filthy Dunghil Flesh for the Pampering and Pleasing of whom I have lost my self forever who hast stolen away my Time and Thoughts and Heart from God and Christ and Heavenly Things to feed and cloathe and cherish thee and make Provision to satisfie thy base deceitful Lusts when I should have been making Provision for thine and mine Everlasting Happiness Awake and come forth of the Dust thou Bewitching Dirty Flesh who didst lull me asleep so long in thy pleasing Chains until thou didst suddenly open thy Doors and thrust me out where I was awakened in Torments before I was aware Now I must come into thy Doors again that thou mayst share and taste the Bitter Issue of sinful Pleasures and Delights And O how will the Body be affrighted so soon as the Soul is entered p. 49. The Body to the Soul And hast thou found me out O my Enemy Couldst not thou have let me alone to lie still at rest in this sweet Sleep Hast thou used me as a Slave and employed all my Members as Servants of Iniquity and Unrighteousness and 〈◊〉 thou come now to Torment me and is this the Fruit of all the Pleasures we have taken together Shouldst not thou have been more VVise and provided better for thy self and me O! what Cryes and Shreeks will the Tongue give forth so soon as it hath recovered its Use p. 50. 2. The second Antecedent to the Judgment of the Wicked will be their Meeting with Devils to entertain them at their Resurrection and then they will not appear unto them like Angels of Light as sometimes here they have done p. 50. but they will spit forth their Venom and Malice then in their Faces possibly they may buffet their Bodies and lay painful Stroaks upon them surely they will terrifie their Souls for those Sins they have drawn them unto the Commission of p. 51. How will they be affrighted at the Apparition of so many Devils about them when they shall lash their Spirits with Horrible Scourges when
this time when you should be delivered into their Powers TAKE THEM DEVILS BIND THEM HAND AND FOOT 3. Come forth all that have neglected Family-VVorship and never sought after God in your closets p. 90. If you had not Ability to Pray at first with others might not you have attained it had you used to Pray by your selves VVas it Curiosity and Elegancy of VVords that God so much looked for Would not Sighs and Groans have been understood p. 91. TAKE THEM DEVILS BIND THEM HAND AND FOOT 4. Come forth all ye Sabbath-Breakers you that have spent the Day in Sleeping in Eating and Drinking to Excess who instead of Holy Meditations have been thinking and contriving your worldly Business instead of Religious Conferences p. 93. TAKE THEM DEVILS BIND THEM HAND AND FOOT 5. Come forth all ye Swearers and Prophaners of the Name of God p. 94. TAKE THEM DEVILS BIND THEM HAND AND FOOT 6. Come forth all ye Scoffers at Religion and the zealous Professors thereof pag. 95. TAKE THEM DEVILS BIND THEM HAND AND FOOT 7. Come forth all ye Persecutors of my Disciples pag. 96. TAKE THEM DEVILS BIND THEM HAND AND FOOT 8. Come forth all ye Intemperate and Liscentious Persons p. 97. Come forth all ye 〈◊〉 pag. 98. Come forth ye Drunkards pag. 99. TAKE THEM DEVILS BIND THEM HAND AND FOOT 9. Come forth all ye Adulterers Come forth all Covetous Persons whose Treasure and Heart and Hope and Confidence hath been in Earthly things who have made the VVorld your God p. 100. TAKE THEM DEVILS BIND THEM HAND AND FOOT 10. Come forth all ye Unmerciful Persons p. 101. TAKE THEM DEVILS BIND THEM HAND AND FOOT 11. Come forth all ye Unrighteous Persons who have wronged Widdows and Orphants who have over-reached your Neighbours in your Dealings who have heaped an Estate together by Unrighteous Practices who have squeezed and oppressed the Poor TAKE THEM DLVILS BIND THEM HAND AND FOOT 12. Come forth ye Lyars you who have taught and accustomed your selves to this Sin pag. 103. TAKE THEM DEVILS BIND THEM HAND AND FOOT 13. Come forth all ye Slanderers and Backbiters p. 104. TAKE THEM DEVILS BIND THEM HAND AND FOOT 14. Come forth all ye Proud and Ambitious Persons pag. 105. Take them Devils Bind them Hand and Foot 15. Come forth all ye Envious and Malicious Persons p. 106. Take them Devils 16. Come forth all ye Wrathful and Contentious Persons Take them Devils 17. Come forth all ye Civil and Moral Persons p. 108. Take them Devils 18. Come forth all ye Hypocrites p. 110. Take them Devils 19. Come forth all ye Backsliders and Apostates from me and my Wayes You that turned back to Wayes of Prophaneness and open Wickedness after some time of Profession p. 111. Take them Devils 20. Come forth all ye Impenitent Persons and Unbelievers p. 114. Take them Devils pag. 115. And when the Sentence is pronounced by the Judge upon the Wicked O what direful Shreeks will they give forth With what Horror will they cry out How shall we be able to endure the Devouring Flames and Everlasting Burnings of Hell p. 117. The Torment of the Bodies of the VVicked will be dreadful through the Sence of the Fire which will be kindled about them and burn more horribly then London's Fire did when it had got into the Heart of the City Their Torment will be greater then if scalding Lead p. 135. were poured into their Bowels then if they were torn in pieces with wild Horses then if their Breasts were ripâ—…up and their Hearts were pluckt out with Burning Pincers it will be worse then if they were cast into a Caldron of Boiling Pitch or Lead or put into Phalaris Bull or Nebuchadnezar's Fiery Furnace p. 136. and every Member of the Bodies of the Wicked will be Tormented O how will their Eyes glaze their Tongues roar their Hands and Feet fry their Flesh roast No Part will be free from the Devouring Flames of this Horrible Burning Fire p. 137. Something for the SPIRITUALITY OF THE RESURRECTION Being some Passages touching the NATURE of the BODY OF CHRIST After his RESURRECTION and ASCENSION Whose Glorious Body ours shall Resemble Out of H. Moor's Search into the Nature of a Glorified Body Apol. Chap. 3. pag. 494. of his Modest Enquiry into the Mystery of Iniquity The CONTENTS That it is a Heavenly Body of an Angelical Property a Spiritual Body a Celestial Body That the Heavenliness of the Glorified Body imports the Brightness and Splendor thereof That the Lucidity of these Bodies is also testified by Ancient Fathers he forbears to affirm it to consist of Terrestrial Flesh and Bones but admits of Celestial and Spiritual Flesh and Bones confessing to Paul's Enarration of the Mystery of the Resurrection 1 Cor. 15. IN his Answer touching the Lucidity of Christ's Body after his Ascension he saith The Soul may even enjoy her self out of her Terrestrial Body That the Glorified Body is Organized which he calleth Organized Light That if the Objecter understand Terrestrial Flesh and Bones is it a Fault to deny it That the Body of Christ in Heaven is not Terrestrial Flesh and Bones but of a more refined Nature for the Apostle saith expresly That Flesh and Blood cannot inherit the Kingdom of God 1 Cor. 15. 50. That according to Testimony in Scripture we shall find that a Glorified Body or that Body wherewith they shall be rewarded who shall attain to that blessed Resurrection which is the most precious Hope of all true Christians may be dignified with these three Titles Angelical Spiritual and Celestial It is an Angelical Body because the Sons of the Resurrection are said to be in every actual Respect that tends to any real Perfection or Happiness equal unto Angels Lukâ—… 20. 36. viz. not only in that thing of Immortality but the Sons of the Resurrection are absolutely in all such actual Respects as above intimated equal to the Angels nor can the Condition of the Bodies be left out as touching the Nature and Glory of them but a Son of the Resurrection and an Angel must be in every such Regard all one our Saviour seems plainly to assert so much That those that are once the Sons of the Resurrection plainly become Angels thereby for they were Sons of God in a moral or spiritual Sense before It will conduce something to the better understanding of the Nature of a Glorified Body if we make search into Scripture what the Nature of the Angelical Bodies is it is said Psal. 104. Who maketh his 〈◊〉 Spirus and 〈◊〉 Ministers a Flame of Fire Upon which Text Grotâ—…s doth freely and truly I think not unscilfuly comment after this manner Esse Angelis corpora sed subtilissima non Pythagorae tantum Platonis schola sensit sed Judaei veteres Christians c. That the Fathers were of this Opinion Agrippa in his Occulta Philosophia hath also noted That there are many Instances how Igneous and
Lucid they namely the Bodies of the Angels are with which the best of them are invested as truly that of Exod. 3. 2. Acts 7. 30. which answers well to that of Hebr. 1. 7. The Bodies of the more Glorious Angels are Igneous and Lacid That also is a remarkable Example of the Lucidity of the Bodies of Angels which we have Acts 12. where while Peter was sleeping betwixt two Souldiers in the Prison bound in Chains the Angel of the Lord is said to come upon him and a Light to shine in the Prison c. I will add one Instance more which is Dan. 10. 5. where the Angel that instructed Daniel is thus described Then I lifted up mine Eyes and looked and behold a certain Man cloathed in Linnen whose Loins were girded with fine Gold of Ophaz his Body was also like Beryl and his Face as the Appearance of Lightening and his Eyes as Lamps of Fire c. This Appearance certainly of this Angelical Shape is Fiery Lucid and Glorious It is manifest that they are very Luminous and Glorious Whoever is invested with such a Body as is reserved for the Sons of the Resurrection will be if he please to shew himself thus Lucid and Glorious of which I shall want no more Examples then that one of our Saviour Christ's Body for all ours at the Resurrection are to be made like to his Glorious Body and how Lucid and Angelical his Body was after his Ascension into Heaven may appear from Apocal. 1. 13. where one like unto the Son of Man is said to be cloathed with a Garment down to the Foot and girt about the Paps with a Colden Girdle his Head and his Fair to be white like Wool as white as Snow that his Eyes as a Flame of Fire and his Feet like unto fine Brass as if they were burning in a Furnace and his Voice as the Sound of many VVaters a sharp Two-edged Sword came out of his Mouth and his Countenance was as the Sun shining in his strength This Body I think is sufficiently Lucid and expresly and almost exactly conformable to that of the Angel which appeared to Daniel as any one may observe that listeth to compare them The like Appearance of our Saviour seâ—…meth to be also Apocal. 10. where an Angel is said to be cloathed with a Cloud with a Rain-Bow on his Head and his Face to be as the Sun c. I will add his Appearing to an out of the Heavens as he was going to Damascus Acts 9. that suddenly there shined round about him a Light from Heaven c. above the Brightness of the Sun Chap. 22. 6. 26. 13. Which again doth not only assure the Reality but the exceeding great Splendor of the Corporeal Presence of Christ which is also agreeable to that in Apocal. And his Countenance was as the Sun shining in his Strength Out of all which I hope it is plain enough that as our Saviour hath said That the Sons of the Resurrection do become iâ—…so facto Angels in Condition as well for the Splendour and Constitution of their Body as their Immortality The Body of our Saviour after his Refurrection being so accurately answerable in Light and Glory to the most illustrious Appearances of Angels in either the Old or New Testament and this alone one would think might be sufficient to assure us of the Lucidity or Luminosity of the Body of Christ as also of all our Resurrection-Bodies For the Spirituality of this Body see 1 Cor. 15. 44. It is sown a natural Body it is raised a spiritual Body there is a natural Body and there is a spiritual Body c. I think it is most reasonable to understand the resurrection-Resurrection-Body to be called Spiritual not for that it is actuated by a Spirit for the Soul is a Spirit that actuates the natural Body but for that the Body it self is become spiritual which I must confess Calvin seems abhorrent from but meerly out of his Ignorance in Philosophy for he reprehends those qui substantiam corporis putant fore spiritualem c. Calvin seems to be afraid of the Opinion of the Body being spiritual as implying a substantial Change c. There is not any Inconvenience to admit that the Resurrectionâ—… Body is a spiritual Body that is to say that the Contexture of it is of more subtil Parts then those that constitute the Earthly Bodies pag. 498. And so he distinguishes between that Terrestrial Statue or Body that Adam had and the Spiritual Bodies of those that are made conformable to the last Adam and to his Glorious Condition Such as are not of a stupid and Statue-like Condition of themselves but of such a Nature as hath an Activity in it self and doth most wonderfully contribute to the most lively and most divine and enlarged vitall Operations of the Soul â—… In this Manner hath he gâ—…ven his Distinction upon the Words It is sown a Natural or Animal Body it is raised a Spiritual Body The Resurrection Body is Heavenly or Celestial as the first Man is of the Earth Earthly the second Man is the Lord from Heaven as is the Earthly such are they that are Earthly and as is the Heavenly such are they also that are Heavenly and as we have born the Image of the Earthly we shall also bear the Image of the Heavenly And then it follows But this I must tell you Brethren That Flesh and Blood cannot inherit the Kingdom of God not that they shall only have Heavenly Bodies in a moral Sense or spiritual Meaning Bodies in which they shall be Heavenly-minded For such Slips as these and dilute Sences are very Dangerous c. but that they shall have an Heavenly Body in that Sense that Adam had an Earthly which was not called an Earthly Body for that he was Earthly-minded in it but because his Body was of an Earthly Substance Really and Physically Heavenly not only Morally we shall be such in our Corporeal Constitution as our Celestial Lord is in his we shall bear his Image of Heavenly Glory and Brightness not only in a Moral but Natural Sense nor can I imagine how Interpreters could be carried so forcibly off from so obvious and true a Sense had it not been by reason of some false Pre-conceptions in Philosophy that had corrupted their Minds and perverted their Judgments namely the Hypothesis of Ptoloâ—…e and Aristotle By an Heavenly Body I would understand an Angelical Body That the Heavens are fluid according to the most ancient and divinest Philosophy as the very Notation of the Hebrew word intimates Our Resurrection-Bodies will be furnished with the Seeds and Principles of Light and Splendour and be more Beautiful and more full of Lustre and Glory then the Heavenly Matter it self as that part of the Earth which becomes an humane Body is more precious and beautiful then the Earth it self before it be modified into a Frame fit for the Functions of Life So that whether we
consider the Angelicalness Spirituality or Heavenliness of the Body at the Resurrection there is all Reason to conclude that it will be of a Bright and Lucid Nature which is not only agreeable to Reason and the Scripture but also to the Sayings of the Fathers themselves as S. Hâ—…rom S. Macariuâ—… S. Ephrem S. Austin as you may see in Vossius in his Theses de corpore glorioso But nothing more express for our Purpose then that of S. Ephrem in his Discourse of the Resurrection viz. Justorum corpora septuplum supra solis 〈◊〉 radios How Angelical how Spiritual how Heavenly or Celestial how refulgently Bright and Glorious the Bodies of the Blessed are c. and more particularly the Body of our Saviour that shone about Saint Paul and Saint John as the Sun in his Strength c The first Man is of the Earth Earthly the second Man that is the Lord Jesus the Heavenly Man from Heaven And who should be intirely Heavenly if not He And what has Earth to do to either descend from Heaven or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or what Body more radient or refulgent then the Sun in his greatest Brightness can be vitally Organized but it must be of an Heavenly Nature indeed We have all Reason in the World to conclude the Body of our Saviour intirely Cele ial Tâ—…e Terrestrial Modifications of his Body were changed all cloggings thereof were quel'd and abolish'd 〈◊〉 and Blood cannot i 〈◊〉 the Kingdom of God and I think there is the ame Reason of Flesh and Bones viz. I understand natural Flesh and Bones not glorified I demand by what Creed tâ—…at hath the â—…ssent of the Universal Church are we required to believe that the Glorified Body of Christ consisteth of Flesh Blood and Bones It â—…eming so contradictious to the exprestwords of the Apostle as well as uniuitable to the Nature of the Peavens which the Philosophers new adayes conclude to be universally flâ—…d He admits of a Body of Flesh and 〈◊〉 provided they be Celestial and Spiritual Flesh and Bones p. 503. If any mortal could get within this so refulgent Orb of Glory and Brightâ—…ss and approach so near as to see the Fraim and Feature of â—…o Divine a Body no Heart could escape from being struck into a 〈◊〉 at the Sight of so over-coming a Beauty and Majesty nor the Soul of the Beholder from being carried quite away in an extatick Fit of Love and Joy and transporting Admiration p. 503. Touching the Sameness of the Body The Atheist makes a fresh Assault from the sense of the word Resurrectio as it is imply'd the rising again of the very same numerical Body in the strictest Scholastick Sense To which is answered first That 〈◊〉 in Latin implies no such thing necessarily but that as a City or Temple suppose being razed to the Ground and from the very Foundations is truly laid to be Rebuilt and so is both deemed called the same Temple and City again though nâ—…t a Stone were used of the former Structure provided only that they be rebuilt upon the same Ground though the â—…ame numerical Matter were not congested together to make the same Body at the Resurrection the stable Perâ—…onality being in the Soul c. He placeth the Sameneâ—…s of the Body that shall be upon its vital Union with the Soul and faith Tâ—…at Resurrectio is to be interpreted according to the Latitude of the Original to which it answers namely 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 â—…is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifie only Vivification or Erection into Life but then considering it is spoken of them that have in some sense ceased to be alive that in that sense it signifies Revivification whence the Atheists Objection from the word Resurrectio is utterly defeated p. 506. The Scholastick State of the Resurrection is described namely That we shall have the same Numerical Bodies 〈◊〉 which we lived here on Earth and that these very Bodâ—…es the Moulds being turned aside shall start out of the Grave To which I presently subjoyn This Dâ—…ctrine the Atheist very dearly hugs as a Pledge in his bold Conceâ—… of the Falsness and Vanity of all the other Articles of Religion But for those that take any Pleasure or find any Ease or Satisfaction of Mind in the Conclusions or Pâ—…raseologies of the School-Divines touching this Point they are left free to enjoy their own Apprehensions and may if they please either fancy it necessary that all Bodies should rise out of the Ground the Moulds being cast aside or else conceive only that God will by his Omnipotency gather all the Particles of our Bodies whether flying in the Air or sâ—…ting in the Water and frame them together on the Surface of the Earth c concerning such things they may vary their Fancies as they pleaâ—…e 〈◊〉 p 508. To the second Objection he saith I answer farther as concerning the Scripture it self That I dare challenge him o produce any place of Scripture out of which he can make it appear that the Mystery of the Resurrection implies a Resuscitation of the same Numerical Body The most pregnant of all is Job 19. which later Interpreters are now so wise as not to understand at all of the Resurrection The 1 Cor. 15. that Chapter is so far from asserting this Curiosity that it plainly sayes it is not the same Body but that as God gives to the Blades of Corn Grains quite distinct from that which waâ—… sown so at the Resurrection he will give the Soul a Body quite different from that which was buried as different as a Spiritual Body is from a Natural Body or an Heavenly from an Earthly p. 508 509. A POST SCRIPT By way of Animad version and Counsel SErious and impartial Reader I have collected these Passages that thou mayst not only see how some of these learned Men differ about this mysterious and 〈◊〉 Point but also how unreasonable it is for any of them to be 〈◊〉 this or the like unlearned 〈◊〉 upon us viz. How and with what Body are the Dead raised c or to seek Occasions to vilifie us about this Point which 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are not only confounded but liable to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Question is not only unlearned but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 unnecessary unto Salvation it is not necessary that 〈◊〉 should imagine 〈◊〉 they shall be cloathed or 〈◊〉 with Bodies in Heaven but to enquire the Way 〈◊〉 that they may walk in it and be solicitous to know that Power and inward Operation whereby they may be made Sons of God and attain to the Resurrection of the Dead as being Children of God and of the Resurrection If men walk in the True Light and so truly serve and please God on Earth they shall not need to 〈◊〉 or dispute about their future Beings in Heaven Their Business is to get thither and 〈◊〉 will well accommodate them there Men ought not to be too curious and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Matters beyond their reach as to the Manner