not own that the Wrath of God was upon Christ O repent John p. 29. c. Crook I know not what a great Cross it is for a Debtor that knows his Creditor to be fully satisfied and paid his Debt by another in his stead to believe it to be so But indeed it is a Cross to be stumbled at and a strange thing for a poor Debtor to be told he must believe his Debts are paid and his Creditor is satisfied while his Creditor keeps him still in Prison and calls to him every Day for full Payment this is cross to sound Judgment and good Understanding But if this be all the Acquaintance thou hast with the Cross of Christ I will assure thee thou art far enough from being his Disciple c. But why dost thou dare me William am I all of a suddain changed in thy Opinion from a Knave and a jugling Mountebank as thou callest me unto such a tender-conscienced Man that I dare not speak otherwise then I believe who playes Tricks now William making me believe that if I will own what thou would'st have me then thou wilt believe me yet when I have given Testimony to the Blood of Christ and many other Things even as thy self in Words professest to believe yet for so doing thou callest my Person a Knave and a Mountebank and my Belief a Juggle But thy Speech bewrayes thee for these Words viz. If thou darest c. is their Hectoring Language thou comparest me to But if the Reader please to examine his daring Challenge he will find it to be this viz. to own that the Wrath of God was upon Christ and that God poured out all his Wrath upon his Son and that these Words prove it Gal. 3. He was made a Curse for us for it 's written cursed is every one that hangeth on a Tree this is that he so dares me to and if I will not be convinced by this Proof I must repent of the Thoughts of my Heart though never so right in this Matter viz. I believe that Christ bore our Sins in his Body on the Tree that we being dead to Sin should live in Righteousness by whose Stripes we are healed 1 Pet. 2.24 I dare and do own that what Christ suffered it was for us and that the weighty Sense of the Misery due to Mankind for Sin fell upon him as the squeezing of Grapes in a Wine-press which caused him to sweat like Drops of Blood in his Agony Luke 22.44 all this we believe according to holy Scripture But let us now consider William Haworth's Belief and we shall find this to be one Article of his Faith viz. That Christ when he suffered was not innocent and as guilty God poured out all his Wrath upon him c. Christ had the Guilt of Sin really charged upon him what else is to be understood by these Words viz. he was made Sin for us Epist c. which is more then I dare affirm for what Job said of his own Integrity may much more be testified of Christ's Innocency to wit That he did not let that go till he dyed neither was Guile found in his Mouth And whatever thine and others Conceivings are of the Sufferings of Christ I dare say that no Man can conceive much less express what they were in the deep Travail of his Soul when he poured it out an Offering for Sin and the heavy Sense of Mans Misery fell upon him c. only those that have had Fellowship with him in his Sufferings and been made conformable to his Death in their Mealure are his Witnesses of what he suffer'd by the good Experience he hath given them through the Revelation of his holy Spirit in their Hearts such know something of the Sufferings of Christ and the Benefit of them to their own Souls c. Yet is not the Freeness of Forgiveness nor the free Grace and Mercy of God to Sinners destroyed thereby that truly believe in the Light of Christ Jesus and repent of the Evils that are made manifest to them by the same neither is the Work of Sanctification and Regeneration by all that Christ hath done or suffered made less necessary to the inheriting the Kingdom of God and everlasting Salvation nor are the Exhortations to Men and Women to follow Holiness and to work out their own Salvation with Fear and Trembling either weakened in themselves or made indifferent to Believers nor is the inward Work of redeeming the Heart and Mind out of the World to be fully set upon things above by the Spirit and Power of Christ within to be neglected or disesteemed by laying all the Stress upon what Christ hath done and suffered without us c. For though Christ be both a general and particular Saviour yet the Benefit accruing to Men by him as the general Saviour is known and received only where he is witnessed a particular Saviour for Christ in man becoming the Hope of Glory and Man being changed into the same Image from Glory to Glory even as by the Spirit of the Lord is the Salvation and the Perfection of every true Christian I have been the larger now upon this Subject that I may be excused from writing any more about it in this Reply Haworth What wouldst thou John have more then Faith page 29. c. Crook My Words are these viz. I find thee like the Pharisees of old flying from the Wrath to come by casting all God's Vengeance upon Christ an easie Way if thou couldst so escape it by imagining his doing God's Pleasure and suffering God's Displeasure to be reckoned thine by a bare Belief of it wholely without thee To all which he returns this Answer viz. What wouldst thou John have more then Faith Of which let the Reader judge if this be not his Hope and Belief viz. that he shall escape God's Wrath and Vengeance and consequently be saved by a bare Belief that Christ hath done God's Will and suffered his Displeasure wholely without him in his stead as if we were to understand no more by all Exhortations to Holiness and perfect Obedience to God's Holy Will and Commandments then that Christ and not we is to be only the Subject of all those Exhortations and Commands If it be asked whether a man may escape God's Wrath and Vengeance by a bare Believing that Christ hath done and suffered God's Pleasure wholely without him William Haworth answers What wouldst thou man have more then Faith But the Apostle James answers Wilt thou know O vain man that Faith without Works is dead Haworth He that works not but believes Rom. 4. There it Faith only a bare Belief John what sayest thou to that though that Faith that is justifying will work by Love yet it receives no Efficacy from its being accompanied with Works as to our Justification but from the Object without p. 29. c. Crook I say thou hast answered thy self that it is not a bare Belief without Works for thou
for that Flesh he was made of as Man was his real Person or Body and not a Phantastick Body as some conceited and yet saith Whose Goings have been of Old from Everlasting is certainly spoke of Christ's Deity Was not this then the Goings forth of the Eternal Word the Alpha and Omega c Thy high Charge of Blasphemy is like to fall upon thy self for to say Christ is not at all in his People is contrary to the whole current of Scripture and is contradictory to thy self in many Pages of thy Book c. as may be seen in my Rejoynder Haworth The Spirit conveyed it self into the Hearts of the Hearers by this Doctrine and wrought Faith in them to receive it pag. 6 c. the Gospel declares Remission of Sins by the Sacrisice of Christ and that by the Obedience of this one we are made Righteous his Obedience without us p 7. c. Crook One while God is not at all in his People another while there is nothing good before Faith and now all is done by Christ's Obedience without us and again the Spirit was there before Faith to work Faith c. But hear thy own Author Richard Baxter in his Appeal to the Light p. 3. The Day of Judgment will not be to try Christ and his Righteousness but to honour it and try us and ours and all men shall be judged according to their own Works and to be judged is to be justified or condemned saith he and Salvation or Damnation will be adjudged us as we are found to be personally Righteous or Unrighteous c. Dr. Sâ—bbs Soul's Conflict cap. 15. pag. 224. The Happiness of man consists chiefly in a gracious Frame of Spirit and Actions suitable sweetly issuing therefrom But what will become of William Haworth who saith He dares not trust to the holy Ghost c Haworth We are converted from Darkness that imbred natural Darkness that we are in and all men unto Light which Light is Christ's Person and the Gospel which declares of him and so to all things the Gospel requires of us c. we are not perfect nor think we shall ever attain it in this Life pag. 8. c. Crook Thou seemst to allude to the Apostle's Words Acts 26.18 who was sent to the Gentiles to open their blind Eyes and to turn them from Darkness to Light and from the Power of Satan to God but why dost thou vary from Scripture Conversion Is it because yours is not Scripture Proof that thou wholely leaves out three Parts of five viz. 1 st The Opening their Blind Eyes 2 dly And from the Power of Satan 3 dly unto God so that your Conversion is without having your Blind Eyes opened or being turned from Satan or being turned to God only you believe that there is a natural inbred Darkness in you and all men which you ought to turn from but do not think to be so perfect as ever to attain it in this Life and you are turned to Light that is Christ's Person and the Gospel that is the Scriptures which declare of him and so to all things that Christ in the Gospel requires of you but ye do not think to be so perfect as to do them or everattain it in this Life but we are made righteous by his Obedience without us p. 7. But for the Holy Ghost we dare not trust to it p. 52. If the Members of thy Church at Hartford be no better Converts then their Pastor no marvel thy Proselite The Young Man p. 6. of his Book calls most of them a Loose Wanton and Proud People that adorn their Bodiâ—s more then their Souls Haworth What tends this to but Rantism indeed and Atheism viz. that the Law and Gospel are one in the End and Nature p. 13. c. The Law is spiritual i. e. requires that all the Thoughts of Man and Desires Motions of the Heart should be Holy and Spiritual continually therefore it is a fit Instrument for the Spirit to make use of by enlightning the Soul in the Knowledge of it to convince not of outward gross Evils only but of Heart-Polutions p. 14. c. Crook Thou wilt not deny that the Gospel doth require continual Heart-Spirituality and is also a fit In strument for the Spirit to make use of to the same End what Consusion is this then to affirm that that which requires all the Thoughts of man Desires and Motions of the Heart should be holy and spiritual continually tends to Rantism Atheism yet calls it a fit Instrument for the Spirit to make use of so that thy Argument runs thus That which tends to Rantism and Atheism is a fit Instrument for the Spirit to make use of or thus take thy choice That which is a fit Instrument for the Spirit to make use of rends to Rantism and Atheism but the Law which requires that all the Thoughts of Man should be Holy c. and the End and Nature of the Gospel being and requiring the same are fit Instruments for the Spirit to make use of Ergo the End and Nature of the Spiritual Law and Gospel tends to Rantism and Atheism Who is the Ranter and Atheist now William Haworth The Spirit that convinceth the Vnbelieving World of Sin John 16.8 is neither the Law nor Gospel p. 11. We preach the Law in Order to the Gospel to prepare the Spirit of man by convincing of sin c. p. 12. The Law doth but kill p. 14. The Law requires the Heart should be holy and spiritual continually c. The spirit makes use of the Doctrine of the Law to convince of sin and the Doctrine of the Gospel as an Instrument to turn the Soul to Christ c. Crook One while the Law doth convince of Sin another while it doth not one while it doth but kill another while it requireth continual Heart-Spirituallity and Holiness one while Law and Gospel are as different as Heaven and Earth p. 13. and another while they are both made use of by the Spirit to the same End viz. Inward Holiness and continual Heart-Spirituallity one while the Gospel doth all and the Law can do nothing but kill another while neither Law nor Gospel can do any thing but as the Spirit useth the Doctrine of both And this is great Babel that William Haworth hath built for the Honour of his Profession and Re establishing of his young Convort c. Haworth The Law is here taken for all the Writings of the Scripture viz. Psal 19.7 c. The whole Nation is called properly the Land is therefore every Piece of Ground in it good to bear Wheat because Ground or Land in general is c. Crook If the Law be taken in the Spirituallity of it as comforting the Soul c. then it is taken as I alledge it for I alledge it as it is written but this Psal 19.7 cannot be taken for all the Writings of the Scriptures in general because the
might not work Virtues in our hearts which we express in our Lives and yet these be but our own Righteousness yet he here saith none ever did or can shew forth Christ's Virtues in their Lives that were not first justified by imputed Righteousness Haworth The Spirit gives Wisdom in this Doctrine of Imputed Righteousness and hereupon comes Life and Peace Rom. 5. so that Life and Peace ariseth not by looking to this Wisdom and spirituallity for that is imperfect c. p. 40. c. Crook So then that which Christ works as thou speakst elsewhere and the Spirit gives is in thy Account imperfect whenas the Scripture saith Every Gift of God is perfect Haworth We are treating of Righteousness imputed to them that have Faith now can any have Faith and have the Gifts of the Spirit taken away c May not the Gifts and Virtues of the Spirit remain in us and we thereby be sanctified and yet not justified by that Righteousness within but by that without us which is the Cause of Sanctification p. 40. Crook Page 35. he acknowledgeth Christ to be the Author of all Righteousness and I shewed under Title Rejoynder how that himself proves the outward and inward Righteousness to be one before he said We must be as free from all good when this Righteousness is imputed as Christ was from all evil and now he saith we must have Faith and the Gifts and Virtues of the Spirit remain in us and we thereby be sanctified he saith it is imputed to them that are sanctified and yet affirms it is the Cause of Sanctification what is Faith the Gift of God and a part of Sanctification and must first be received before this Righteousness is imputed and yet calls it the Cause of Sanctification Why then dost thou not say in Plainness that this Righteousness is imputed and we justified thereby before Faith or Sanctification while in Sin and Rebellion against God Which is the thing thou believest but art afraid to tell the World so Haworth God himself is the Author of them viz. the Gifts and Virtues that the Spirit works in our Minds c. I cannot say that the Righteousness which the Spirit works in us is the same but different from the Righteousness that was personally wrought out by Christ c. Crook Is God himself and his Spirit the Author of our own Righteousness which the Scripture calls filthy Rags I deny that and that the Gifts and Virtues which God himself works in our Minds are in Scripture called ours as man's own Righteousness and it is Confusion in thee to call them so how come they now to be so different thou saidst before they were contradistinguished and are they now different being the same God and Spirit works them all as thy self confesseth and not the same in Nature or is different and distinguished all one with thee Haworth Now the Righteousness of Christ is not in our Minds at all but in his own Person c. p. 6. Crook False Doctrine and Confusion and quite contrary to what thou saidst p 34. viz. But indeed this Righteousness is not at a Distance from us but put upon us by the Father's Gift as Jacob's Mother put Esau 's Garment upon him c. and now it is not in our Minds at all but in Christ's own Person and yet affirmest in thy Book that Christ's Person is in Heaven afar off as the Tendency of thy Words are at the End of page 34. Is not this thy unhappy Attempt to be so unsuccesful in all thy Designs Haworth Paul calls them viz. The Gifts and Virtues Christ and the Spirit works in our Minds his own Rigteousness Phil. 3.5 Not having my own Righteousness which is of the Law p. 47. c. Crook Is there no Difference between the Gifts and Virtues which Christ and the Spirit works in our Minds and the Righteousness of the Law that Paul there speaks of let the Reader judge what a Preacher thou art But let us hear Augustine viz. lib. de Gratia libere arbitrio Quid est non habens meam justitiam quae ex lege est cum sua non esset lex ipsa sed Dei nisi suam dicit just itiam quamvis ex lege esset quia sua voluntate legem se posse putabat implere sine adjutorio gratiae quae est per fidem Christi i.e. What is it saith he not having my Righteousness which is of the Law whereas the Law was not his but God's but that he calls it his Righteousness although it was of the Law because he thought that by his own will he could fulfil the Law without the Help of Grace which is by the Faith of Christ Haworth Only they prepare the Soul for Blessedness viz. Purity of Heart Poverty of Spirit c. p 47. Crook Before he said We must be as much without or as free from all Good when Christ imputes his Righteousness to justifie us as Christ was without or free from all Evil and now there must be Poverty of Spirit and Purity of Heart c to prepare the Soul for Blessedness Oh Unhappy Man and Unstable Haworth Thou still concludes that there is no Possession of Christ's Righteousness that none have any Enjoyments that are veal c. p. 48. Crook I may well conclude so when in pag 26. thou fayest The Righteousness of Christ is not in our Minds at all but in his own Person in Heaven afar off Haworth Let me add this as an Antidote still that the reality of our inherent Righteousness will not make it perfect p. 48 c. Crook This he calls an Antidote as if he had given some Poyson before and yet he confesseth over and over That it s wrought by God himself by Christ and by the Spirit and is Reality in the abstract yet now it is not perfect and all the Fault is because it is so near us if it were but far enough off he would like it better as I suppose but I never that I remember read of any before that called the real Work of God himself of Christ and of the Spirit imperfect Is this thy Antidote I dare say the true-experienced Christian will never drink it down though thou sayest we may be comforted by it Haworth We ought not to trust to our Repentings Believings c. for they are imperfect p. 49. c. Crook Is there no more difference between trusting to our Repentings and trusting in our Repentings if I do not trust to it in some sense how can I be assured its right If he that hath true Faith must not trust to it viz. that it is true then he must be distrustful of it and so continue in Un belief What Confusion is this Is the Gift of God imperfect Why then doth the Apostle say Every good and perfect Gift is from above and cometh down from the Father of Lights James 1.17 Haworth The Phrase in Isa 64.6 which thou in Scorn often
heavenly things themselves is this thy Fixedness and Consistency that they must be something but what thou dost not know and yet sayest I must understand what they are but surely it must not be by thy doubtful Teaching But tell me what purisying needed either Christ himself or Heaven it self and by what better Sacrifices Heb. 9.23 we read Ver. 9. 14. that the Conscience was to be purged by the Blood of Christ and this must needs be known in the Church and People of God whom thou confesseth are the heavenly Jerusalem which is the City of the living God where both God and Jesus the Mediator and the Blood of Sprinkling c. are come to by the Saints viz. Heb. 12.22,23,24 Haworth I ask now whether the Scriptures or our Imaginations and Thoughts be the Rule whereby we are to measure God and true Righteousness p. 21. c. Crook Is thy Memory so bad or thy Ignorance so great to ask such a Question which thy self resolvest in the same Page or art thou still in thy skiptical Mind as thou speakest of thy self seeing thou sayd'st but just before that it must be by the same Spirit that gave forth the Scripture that we can understand them and not without have thy Thoughts and Imaginations so great and the Spirit of God so little a Share in what thou dost which makes thee so soon forget its Usefulness to measure divine Things but I even tremble at thy ignorant Confidence to talk at this rate of measuring the unmeasurable God and that by the Scriptures or our own Thoughts without naming his Spirit Haworth The Scripture no where condemns Man's Conceivings of God by the Scripture and according to them p. 22. c. Crook Thou art condemned here out of thy own Mouth who sayest it must be Man enlightned by the same Spirit that gave them forth and not otherwise Haworth If John Crook consents to the Truth of this Principle viz. That such is the Purity of God that nothing is accepted by him but what is every Way or entirely compleat and perfect if so p. 23. c. Crook I grant this as also himself hath done in p. 26. Haworth Then he believes that the Righteousness within which consists in the Vertues and Gifts of the Spirit in every Quaker is every way perfect and compleat c. Crook Let the Reader judge if the latter be a necessary Consequence from the former but because some whole pages following in his Book are stuffed with Arguments and Consequents of the like nature about the same Subject to prevent his Boasting if possible I shall here once for all return a sober Answer viz. I believe that the Holiness and Righteousness in the Hearts of God's people which purely consists in the Virtues and Gifts of the Spirit which is one with the Father and the Son it is intirely compleat and perfect as to Nature and Kind which is sufficiently demonstrated by those worthy men Dr. Preston and Dr. Sibbs See Preston's Title Man's Vprightness pag. 214. Because the New Adam otherwise should not be so effectual as the old the new Adam should not be so powerful to communicate Grace and Life as the old Adam is to instill Corruption and Sin for this Sin that hath been conveyed to us by the first Adam hath an Integrity in it it hath gone over the whole Soul there is a whole Body of Death that hath possessed us now should there not be in those redeeming Actions by Christ a contrary Integrity and Perfection a throughout Holiness as I may call it the Plaister then should be narrower then the Sore the Remedy should be inferiour to the Disease Beloved you know a Leprosie is gone all over except the Holiness went all over too from top to toe I say there would not be an Answerableness in the second Adam he should not be able to do as much Good as the first was able to do Hurt 2 dly The Work of Redemption should be done but by halves if the Lord should dispense with imperfect Holiness The Works of Creation you know were perfect God looked upon all his Works and saw that they were very Good Beloved Do you think the Works of Redemption should come short of the Works of Creation Are not they likewise Perfect When the Lord shall look on that Work shall he not say likewise It is very good Pag. 216. If the Heart of Man be not intire if the Work of Grace be not throughout if there be a Defect in the Principle and Constitution of it there should be a defect in the Work of Redemption that cannot be c. Pag. 219. Blessed are the Pure in Heart Now what is it to be pure That is pure which is full of it self and hath no other heteregenial thing mingled with it so that heart is pure which hath no Sin in it which is holy which hath a renewed quality of Grace which hath an inward regenerate Man that will mingle with no Sin that is full of it self and admits not the mixture of any Sin c. Pag 221. When thou hadst the Prophet that would have separated the Precious from the Vile in thy heart as well as to do it in the Companies of men c. Pag. 222. So my Beloved it is not the having of Impurities in the Heart that makes the Heart imperfect but it is the suffering of them to be mingled even with the inward Frame of the Heart The Doctor also affirms That without this Holiness and Righteousness none can be saved c. See Dr. Preston ibid. p. 243. I say Let any Man's Heart be of this Constitution that he neglects the smallest Commandment that he hath not a special Eye to the Observance of them a special Care to keep them he is unsound and rotten at the Heart he shall never be saved continuing such Prov. 19.16 He that keeps the Commandments keeps his own Soul but he that despiseth his Way shall dye for it Thus far Dr. Preston Now Dr. Sibbs's Soul-Conflicts pag. 224. The Happiness of Man consists chiefly in a gracious Frame of Spirit and Actions sutable sweetly ssuing therefrom Ibid. pag. 156. Christ will never give over till by his Spirit he hath made our Nature Holy and Pure as his own till he hath taken away not only the Reign but the very Life and Being of Sin out of our Hearts that to this End he leaves his Spirit and Truth in the Church to the End of the World that the Seed of the Spirit may subdue the seed of the Serpent in us and that the Spirit may be a never failing Spring of all Holy Thoughts Desires and Endeavours in us and dry up the contrary Issue and Spring of Corrupt Nature Grace is nothing else but that blessed Power whereby as spiritual we gain upon our selves as carnal pag. ibid. It is a good Tryal of a Man's Condition to know what he esteems to be himself A godly Man counts the inward man the
sanctified part to be himself whereby he stands in relation to Christ and a better Life pag. 101. Thus far Sibbs But if I should have writ half so much I should have been censured for idolizing and setting up Man's Own Righteousness as W. Haworth calls the Righteousness within that consists in the Virtues and Gifts of the Spirit but these serious Men speak no such Language c. Haworth And for this Compleatness is accepted and that it will hold the Test before God's Tribunal and so will justifie us and it is beyond the Righteousness of the Elect Angels ibid. c. Crook Such as are Witnesses of this blessed Work within are accepted of God but not barely for that Holiness and Righteousness sake as it is a Work within but for his sake that is both the Author and Finisher of the whole Work of Man's Redemption For as the Builder is more honourable then the House so is Christ then his Work Heb. 3.3 He hath made us accepted in the Beloved Ephes 1.6 And chosen us through Sanctification of the Spirit and Belief of the Truth 2 Thess 2.13 And this will hold the Test and these by this Faith are and shall be justified before God's Tribunal And that it is beyond the Righteousness of the Elect Angels is both an ignorant and needless Question Haworth I fly by Faith which the Spirit works in me by the hearing of the Gospel to Jesus Christ to deliver me from the Wrath to come 1 Thess 10. p. 28. Crook This flying in thy own Will is like to thy applying of him which I spake to before Christ saith No man can come to me except my Father which sent me draweth him Joh. 6.44 But this viz. I fly sounds like a customary word only gotten by rote while the true Believer depends upon God and Christ to receive the immediate Ability to use and exercise Grace and Virtue aright for the further Growth and Increase for Grace dorment will not save us saith Dr. Sibbs Soul's Conflict pag. 105. and further saith The first Justice begins within when there is a due Subjection of the Soul to the Spirit c. Now hadst thou born the Indignation c. and waited with David in the Way of God's Judgments then with Paul thou wouldst have said I thank God through Jesus Christ that is come unto me and made himself known in and unto me by his Spirit that takes of his Blood and Virtue and shews them unto me applys them as proper Remedies to cure my Malady and inriching Jewels to make me glorious But thy Speech bewrayes thee thou wantest the Shibboleth of a true regenerate Man Haworth I perceive this by what thou sayest here that thou hast tasted but very scantily of the Wrath of God in thy Conscience otherwise thou wouldst not have such sleighting Thoughts of it as to apprehend it to be attoned any other way then by Christ's bearing it who sweat drops of Blood under it and thy unacquaintedness with the Nature of Faith in that thou callest it an Easie Way p. 28. c. Crook I shall not make thee my Confessor of what I have tasted but if thou hadst not fled the Judgment it had been better for thee then to escape it to get Ease in the Flesh I know him in whom I have believed and received the Attonement as the true Christians did by having the Witness of it in my self And thou dost but flatter thy self and falsly accuse me in saying I apprehend Sin and Wrath to be attoned any other way then by Christ bearing it for I never said nor thought so But this I say knowingly That it is not the bare believing of the Doctrine of Attonement from the Record of Scripture without though that be true that is the real Passification to the saving of the Soul in God's sight except the inward Testimony of it by the in dwelling Presence of Christ be witnessed in the Heart All Books were written to amend this One Book of our Hearts and Consâ—ence saith Dr. Sibbs ibid. pag. 61. and though we have not a Book to look on yet we may look with Comfort into the Book of our own hearts and read what God hath written there by the Finger of his Spirit c. I have the rather inserted this here that thou mayest not forget to search this Book or Record and to be well acquainted with what is written there for such to be sure can never undervalue the Drops of Blood that he sweat for them nor be ignorant of the Nature of true and living Faith nor call the daily looking unto and depending upon God as the Eye of the Maiden unto her Mistriss an easie Way Haworth Ah John what meanest thou to turn the Scoffer like Julian Do the Saints find it an Easie Way who cry out daily Lord help our Vnbelief p. 29 c. Crook My words are these viz. An Easie Way if thou couldst escape God's Vengeance by casting it all upon Christ by imagining his doing and suffering God's Pleasure to be reckoned thine by a bare Belief of it wholely without thee Thou wouldst tempt the Reader by leaving out these last words to believe me to be a Julian as the Devil tempted Christ to cast himself down abusing the Scripture But let the Reader judge by my words together what a scoffing Julian I am if we compare Mark 9.24 14 15 16 17. vers it will not appear that that Saint as thou callest him there spoken of knew much of thy Faith if he was like thee in any thing it was in that he joyned with the disputing Scribes against the Disciples of Christ But those that are Saints indeed find that no less Power then that which raised up Christ from the dead is able to make them believe is that Christ to the saving of the Soul and they had need of daily help against the springings of the bitter Root of Vnbelief in themselves But to be wise to dispute of Salvation is one thing and to be wise unto Salvation through Faith in Christ Jesus is another But I say still It s an Easie Way to Salvation if thou canst escape by casting all God's Vengeance on Christ by imagining his doing and suffering God's Pleasure to be reckened thine by a bare believing of it wholely without thee for do not all the Ungodly in England generally believe it But saith Dr. Sibbs Soul's Conflict It were an Easie Thing to be a Christian if Religion stood only in a few Outward Works and Duties but to take the Soul to taâ—k and to deal roundly with our own Hearts and to let Conscience have its full Work and to bring the Soul into Spiritual Subjection unto God this is not so easie a Matter p. 228. Haworth Ah John Crook here thou stumblest at the Cross of Christ and art leavened in thy Mind with hellish Socinianism the Dirt will out at last John here thou art plainly ashamed of the Cross of Christ dares
Chambering and Wantonness nor in Strife and Envy but put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ and take no thought for the Flesh to fulfil the Lust of it The Translators on the Margin say To put on Christ is to possess Christ to have him in us and us in him So that by his own Proof expounded by Men wiser then himself in this Point casts his Cause quite against him and makes him say That to possess Christ in us is the Real Imputed or reckoned Righteousness of Christ in which the True Believer is accepted of God and not by a Righteousness wholly without us no nearer to us then the Place where Christ personally lived and dyed which W. Haworth would maintain else why doth he so bend his Force against my words And if that be the best Robe put upon us as he speaks why doth he so violently contend for another to be imputed to us or if they be both one as he seems to make them why doth he quarrel with me for maintaining that they ought not to be put assunder Neither doth the Scripture call them Two Righteousnesses as W. H. doth in the next Page Haworth But it seems there is another Righteousness in which we may be saved and which is by the Quakers valued at a higher rate and that Righteousness may be and is brought nearer to you Quakers then this to us Christians p. 34 c. Crook It is thy Work to make two Righteousnesses of Christ We say that whoever hath Christ within in his Heart cannot undervalue the Righteousness that Christ wrought in his own Person without nor yet miss of the Acceptance with God through him nor can such a one be deprived of the Benefits and Priviledges thereof But Thousands called Christians believe the History of what Christ did and suffered and the Imputation of that Righteousness to Sinners that will perish for all that Belief because Christ is not formed in their Hearts But it is sad to see men professing Goristianity to be troubled and disquieted because Christ is come so near as to dwell in the Hearts of the faithful it s a great sign that that Man's Heart is not right But why is W. Haworth so angry that Christ is come so near the Quakers Did he not say even now That Christ was put upon us by the Father's Gift c Haworth Who of us ever denyed that we were to have a Real Righteousness in Sanctification but this is not to justifie us p. 35 c. Crook Thy words savour as if the Righteousness thou expectest to be saved and justified by is but historical or imaginary on thy part and is not attended with Reality Evidence and Certainty that the Righteousness of Sanctification is attended with And if I should infer from thy words that it is reallity thou sightest against thy words will more certainly justifie me then ever such a Faith in God's light will justifie thee by an Imagination of Righteousness without a real Injoyment of it we say God hath joyned what Christ did outwardly and what he doth inwardly together to compleat the Work of Man's Salvation and Redemption We say of Heart-Holiness wrought by the Spirit of God that it is such a causality as sine quâ non without it no man shall see the Lord to his Eternal Comfort But on the contrary the pure in Heart do and shall to their Joy behold him forever And we say with the Apostle viz. He that doth Righteousness is the justified Man or is righteous as Christ is righteous W. Haworth saith He that believes Christ's Righteousness to be imputed to him is justified or righteous as Christ is righteous by that bare Faith without Works c. The Difference I refer to the Ballance of the Sanctuary there to be weighed by the consciencious Reader Haworth We have Two Righteousnesses by Christ c. pag. 35. Crook This is an Unscriptural Saying not according to the wholsome Form of Sound Words which ought to be kept to But however they are one in Nature and Kind Haworth We must be without or free from all manner of Good as Christ was without or free from all manner of Evil in the Point of Justification p. 36 c. Crook Who ever before thee affirmed such Doctrine except the Ranters what our Hearts and Minds Bodies and Souls must be as much without Grace and the Spirit of God and as free from all manner of Good when we are justified as Christ was without or free from all manner of Evil Then the greater Sinners the fitter Subjects for Justification And the Apostle must needs be quite out when he gives Thanks to God Col. 1.12 who hath made us meet to be Partakers of the Inheritance c. Was this Meetness a Freedom from all manner of Good c But let us trace this a little further viz. What becomes of the Light of Christ in Man that maketh manifest and reproveth in the Conscience for Sin is that so bad and free from all manner of Good that there is not one Good Property belongs to it Why then pag. 19. dost thou call it a Spark of that Light Adam had in Innocency Surely it is not so bad then as to be free from all manner of Good seeing God created Man in his own Image and it was Good What is that Faith which sees and layes hold of that Righteousness Is this as free from all manner of Good as Christ was from Evil But whence come all those Breathings and Pantings Hungrings and Thirstings after Righteousness were all such Persons then justified or were those Buddings as free from all manner of Good as Christ was from Evil Hear Dr. Sibbs The Bud of a Good Desire and the Blossom of a Good Resolution and the Fruit of a Good Action all comes from God Then not as free from all manner of Good as Christ was from Evil. Nay saith the Doctor The Light whereby we know and the Guidance whereby we choose that is from a higher agent then our selves cap. 15. Soul's-Conflict pag. 220. Then Man is not as free from all manner of Good when he is justified as Christ was from Evil. Haworth The Gifts and Vertues that God's Spirit works in us are our own Righteousness in Contra-distinction to the Righteousness whereby we are justified p. 36. c. Crook It 's well thou art so far informed since thy last Book that they are not divided but distinguished and that Christ is the Author of both Haworth The Gifts and Virtues of the Spirit are really in our Minds this is the Righteousness that sanctifies p. 36. c. Crook So then by thy Doctrine our own Righteousness sanctifies and Christ's Righteousness justifies But seeing by thy own Confession Christ is the Author of both why dost thou call the one ours and the other his is Christ divided Haworth Christ had the Guilt of Sin really charged on him p. 37. c. Crook This makes good my Charge against him viz that Christ
unto Mankind and received through Faith and Repentance Q. 9. Haworth Whether any Actions or Sufferings of any besides those of his have any Merit Worth Desert in them to purchase any thing at God's hand for any of Mankind An. Crook 1 st No man's Actions or Sufferings without Christ are of any Merit or Worth in God's Sight 2 dly Besides those that Christ did and suffered above 1600 Years since in Iudea his continued Mediation and Intercession have Worth and Desert in them to obtain Good at God's Hand for man 3 dly Besides a being then reconciled by the Death of his Son there is a MUCH MORE put upon A being saved by his Life Rom. 5.10 4 thly The Saints sincere Obedience and Perseverance in Christ have Reward from God for his Sake Q. 10. Haworth Whether Christ Iesus dyed in the Room Place Stead of any or only for their Benefit or Advantage An. Crook A silly Query for Christ dying for all men in their Room or Stead must needs be for their Benefit and Advantage Q. 11. Haworth Whether God's imputing Righteousness to any man be any thing else but his putting Righteousness into the Creature by Saictifying of it An. Crook Yea it is an Accepting of him in Christ the Beloved through Faith and Sanctification in him whom God hath sent and given unto us with whom the Benefit of his Sufferings and Death is so reckoned unto us as ours Q. 12. Haworth Whether Iustification be not an Act of God in absolving and acquitting a Sinner for Christ Sake in Opposition to condemning c. and accounting him Righteous for the Personal Righteousaess Sake of Christ that was wholely without the Sinner An. Crook To the first Part yea Which proves Immediate Revelation through Faith and Repentance c. To the last nay while it is wholely without the Sinner it is none of his for if Justification be God's Act in absolving a man in Opposition to Condemnation and all God's Actions are Real as thou sayest in thy Book then it is not wholely without him for those to whom there is no Condemnation are such as walk not after the Flesh but after the spirit Rom. 8.1 Q. 13. Haworth Whether God doth not find every one ungodly and in their Sins when he first gives Faith to them that justifies them c Answ Crook Yes they are both ungodly and in their Sins while in unbelief but God doth not justifie the ungodly therein but through Faith which purifies the Heart sanctifies c. But this is a most impertinent and silly Query for those must needs be found ungodly who are found without Faith Q. 14. Haworth Whether by the Blood of Christ thou meanest any thing that is not in thy Heart and Soul within thy self whether thou meanest that material Blood that was shed from that material Body of Iesus of Nazareth when he did hang upon the Tree at Mount Calvary without the Gates at Jerusalem with all his material real Sufferings both of Soul and Body Answ Crook I mean both the real and material Blood as thou callest it of Jesus of Nazareth and the Virtue Life and Mystery of it received into my Heart by Faith with all his real Sufferings both of Soul and Body Q. 15. Haworth Whether that Blood there shed was not the Blood of God according to Acts 20.28 he being God as well as Man Answ Crook The Blood there shed was properly and primitively the Blood of Christ mentioned before that by which God did purchase his Church according to Acts 20.28 quoted was properly Christ himself he gave himself for us a Ransom c. 1 Tim. 2.6 Tit. 2.14 which takes in his Blood and all that 's most Excellent in him both as God and Man Q. 16. Haworth Whether Remission of all Sins was not actually purchased by the Death of Christ above sixteen hundred years since for all that have been or shall be saved Answ Crook This in Substance is but the eighth Query over again and therefore is answered before Q. 17. Haworth Is any man any farther justified then sanctified any farther forgiven then according to that degree that Sin is mortified in him Answ Crook 1st If by farther thou meanest whether a man may be experimentally for so thou callst it in thy first Query both acquitted and condemned at the same moment of time and for the same Fact I say nay 2dly If thou askest whether a Defect or Failure in Sanctification causeth an Ecclipse of Justification I say Yea. 3dly If by farther thou intendest whether a man that was once justified wholely loseth the Benefit of his former Justification by every Failure in Sanctification I answer Nay because while the Sense of God's former Mercy abides in the Heart Man is sooner humbled and his Faith thereby greatly strengthned for his speedy Recovery 4thly Or if by this Query thou wouldst know whether a man that is not so fully and perfectly mortified and sanctified as he yet desires and endeavours to be may notwithstanding be justified by Faith and have Peace with God through Jesus Christ I say Yea. 5thly and lastly If by farther thou believest according to pag. 36. of thy Book that a man without or as free from all manner of Good as Christ was without or free from all manner of Evil may yet in that state be justified that is indeed farther then I dare go Q. 18. Haworth Whether is Justification any thing else but an Act of the Light within every man upon Obedience to it giving Peace Answ Crook Yea it is more then an Act of the Light as in every man for its the Act of God and is called the Justification of Life Q. 19. Haworth Whether is there any Good Work done by any man before he is justified and forgiven all his Sins Answ Crook If man be not justified without Faith nor his Sins forgiven him without Repentance and if believing and repenting be good Works the Querist answers himself Yet I do say both Faith and Repentance do flow as Streams from a Fountain which Fountain is Christ Q 20. Haworth Whether Faith as a Habit in or Act of our Mind or any Good Work proceeding from the Spirit in us be any part of that Righteousness that justifies Answ Crook If by proceeding from the Spirit in us thou intendest the Spirit of Christ then Christ and his Spirit being one what he doth in Experimental Justification as thou speakest that his Spirit doth also 1 Cor. 6.11 Q 21. Haworth Whether there is any such thing in the Nature of God as Vindictive Justice so that Sin must be punished upon all them that accept not of the Attonement of Christ Jesus by the Sacrifice of himself Answ Crook Shall not the God of all the Earth do justly yea surely and Sin must be punished upon all them that accept not of the Attonement of Christ Jesus that one Offering that perfects forever them that are sanctified by whom we have now received the Attonement Rom. 5.11
Eternity who calls thy own Work Push-Pin but thou hadst better been at that Child's Play then to have been blaspheming God and his Tabernacle and them that dwell in Heaven And how thou vaunts in page 82. to prove the Light within to be a Natural Light c. VV.H. thou canst not nor any man upon Earth prove it to be any other then of a Divine Nature do what ye can forasmuch as it manifesteth Sin and convinceth reproveth and condemneth man for Sin and is of the true Light that lighteth every man coming into the world John 1.9 which the Evil-doers hate John 3.20 as thou dost scoffing and vilifying of it but it will prove a Stone too heavy for thee at last then shalt thou remember me Thy seeming to honour Christ's Person with thy Lips will not excuse thee for thy abusing his pure Light in the Consciences of People when he comes to reckon with thee which time is at hand then it will be known who divides Christ you or the Quakers for we deny no part of him but are well assured he is altogether lovely though envious blind men have belied us long about these things whose Innocency the Lord will clear in his due time and then your Mouthes will be stopt which now cry Gross and Damnable Errors of the Quakers and that they deny the Resurrection as thou in thy 3d page sayest and in thy 4th page that we despise the Scripture which are all false Accusations and Slanders And page 10. thou sayest J. C. is got a Degree above the Apostles and page 13. that J. C. said the Apostle was out in his Chronology and that the Spirit and Letter are one and in thy 19th page sayest That the Quakers believe there is no Manhood of Christ now which are all Slanders and false Accusations for we own all according to the Scriptures of Truth the Lord is our Witness and dare not divide him as I have said and in page 25. sayest They never do confess Sin and in page 29. sayest J. C. stumbles at the Cross counts the Blood of Christ no more worth then any other common Blood and then among other Lyes and reproachful Terms sayest He hath discovered himself to be a Papist what a Contradiction is here do not the Papists confess Sins W. H what People more but it is thy Envy that blinds thee and will more and more as thou goest on in it And in page 48. sayest J.C. concludes that Righteousness of Christ but a Fancy and in page 51. That thou hast seen some Title pages of their Books filled with such Blasphemies viz. given forth by the Spirit through the Trunk of the Body of Fox or such a one and that they account their Writings beyond the Writings of the Apostles These are all thy made Lies which the Lord will judge thee for and for such a Title Through the Trunk c. I never heard of nor I believe no Body else but thy Envy is so great it is hard for thee to leave thy Lying and Slandering And as for the Scriptures of Christ and his Apostles and Prophets we own and esteem above all other Writings in the World And in page 54. how dost thou revile and belye J. Crook as in the page before to render him and the Quakers odious and sayest Thou beginnest to be weary of playing at Push-Pin with him who never plaid so with thee but wrote to thee in tender Love to thy Immortal Soul which is of more concern then Push-pin-Play as thy Scorner's Eye shall one Day see but I leave him to answer for himself only touch a little on these things to manifest thy VVickedness that thou mightst be weary of that which will be thy Load in the End And in page 55. sayest How many turn Quakers whose hearts are not turned to God! a Change in their Carriage and Garb but not in their Souls How knowst thou W. H. what Change is wrought in their Souls and how darest thou say their hearts are not turned to God VVere not they who were turned from Darkness to Light turned to God Acts 26.18 Beware of Blasphemy among thy plentiful Lying and Slandering thy Unrighteous Judgement shall turn upon thy own head And in page 56. tells of some going three Miles on their Knees Surely William thou wilt tell such Lyes ere long that few but such as thy self given up will believe thee I never heard of such a thing but this sounds like that through the Trunk c. hadst thou said upon their Feet we might have believed thee but thou canst not stoop so low as to speak Truth of the Quakers of whom thou sayest They have got the Popish Knack to tell their People that Concupiscence is no Sin which is false Evil Motions not consented to is no Sin whenas thou thy self grants page 59. that in Case we yield not to Satan we are not guilty his Temptations not consented to are our Afflictions not our Sins These are thy very VVords and yet in the same page cryest out again VVe say you plead for Sin in saying the Evil Motions in the heart not consented to are not Sin we see by this now your Perfection boasted of is no other then that which every Babe in Christ hath viz. not to consent to those Evil Motions c. Now let the Reader see this blind man's Confusion and what People he is most grosly abusing reproaching and slandering who confesseth our Perfection is the same which every Babe in Christ hath what will Christ say to such a one who said It were better a Mill. Stone were hanged about his Neck and he drowned in the Depth of the Sea then to offend one such little one that believes in him Shouldst not thou be more tender toward us as unto Babes in Christ now who are the same in Growth with every such Babe as thou hast granted But let us see what pity thou hast to these Babes and let the true Mother judge as in p. 60. where thou sayest again viz. No wonder you your selves and your Followers prize not Christ's Sufferings and Attonement but are proud and Pharisaical Christ's Blood is despised by you and after several more false Accusations cryest O poor deceived People And so goes on in his old rode of Railing Lying and Slandering as the Reader of his Book might see What! our Perfection the same which every Babe in Christ hath and yet proud Pharisaical despising Christ's Blood not prizing his Sufferings and Attonement and a deceived People how can this be W. H surely thou hast greatly belied and abused the Babes in Christ as thou wilt remember one Day for we do highly prize the Blood Sufferings and Attonement of Christ Jesus beyond expression though such as thou speak all manner of Evil against us falsly as God is our Witness who shall surely judge and condemn thee for thy slanderous Tongue who calls the Light of his dear Son A Robber's Light that goes down to
of Christ or the Blood that cleanseth as in the 139th page of thy Book let the Reader see that 43d page of my Book thou quotest where my words are these But the precious Blood of Jesus Christ as of Lamb without Spot and Blemish 1 Pet. 1.18,19 c. And where did I call the Light that every man hath the New Jerusalem the Holy City W. H. as thou sayest in the lower end of page 139. Are not my very plain words these p. 45. viz. And God is confounding this great City Babylon and setting up his Holy City upon a Hill which cannot be hid whose Light is like a Jasper clear as Chrystal c. Is not here sufficient Distinction between the City and the Light of the City let the Reader judge But what is it thou wilt not do to render us odious But thy Refuge of Lyes must fall upon thy own head Who would but have thought even now when thou began'st thy Prayer for me but that thou hadst been almost weary of belying me perverting my words but I doubt thou art so accustomed to it that it will be hard for thee to leave it however I must mind thee of thy Portion from the Hand of the just pure God if thou goest on and Repentest not speedily it will be to be shut out of the Holy City as thou mayest read Rev. 22.15 21.8 among them that love and make Lyes Therefore be warned in time before the Trumpet sounds He that is filthy let him he filthy still and he that is holy let him be holy still for Time shall be no longer This is in Love to thy Soul whether thou hear or forbear This in short I return thee as an Answer to thy full Reply William Bayly Now a few Words in Reply to Thee William Dimsdale I Beginning to view thy part of the Book find thee soon complaining of hard Titles given thee by us which we desire the moderate Readers to judge of for in what thou dost ignorantly against the Truth and us we can say The Lord forgive thee but what thou dost wilfully and perversly its Rebellion for which the Lord will rebuke thee How do you one while Commend the Light and by and by Revile it as for instance p. 109. compared with pag. 113. and 135. where W. H. calls it fallen blind Nature and pag. 109. saith Many that live not up to this Light will be very inexcusably condemned and yet condemns and reviles them that endeavour to live up or according to it and blasphemously calls the true Light that is in Man that Christ Jesus hath given which lighteth every man that cometh into the World John 1.9 Corrupt Nature Flesh and Fallen Blind Nature These hard Speeches will come heavier upon you then the Titles ye complain of in the Day of your Account And in pag. 143. thou sayest It checks for Sin as in Adam after the Fall Gen. 3.10 which is the Voice of God to him as the Reader may see in that place And should not the Voice of God be obeyed by all the Children of men which causeth Fear and Dread and Sense of Shame to seize upon a man because of Punishment that he hath not Power to go on in Sin as thou acknowledgest through the Reproof of this Light p. 143. which in the page before thou callest the Covenant of Works and in pag. 146. thou sayst Christ giveth Light to all So it s Christ's Gift God's Voice which keeps from going on in Sin by which a man may know some Divine things a Spark remaining in fallen man in every mar of that Light that Adam had in a full Flame before his Transgression in his time of Innocency c. Mark this Reader this is these mens Confession of the Light that lighteth every man and say It s true in its kind And then again of the self-same say It s but Flesh corrupt Nature fallen blind Nature Impure an unsound Thing c. So then this follows That full Flame that was in Adam before Transgression in his time of Innocency of which there is a Spark in every fallen man that Voice of God that reproveth for Sin and keeps from going on in Sin by which some Divine Things may be known the Gift of Christ c. which worketh a Change in the Life and Conversation p. 150. is but Corrupt Nature Impure Unsound Flesh Fallen Blind Nature Oh! gross Now putting their blind Contradictions nearer together ye may read them thus viz. That Light in every man is true in its Kind NO it s an Unsound Thing It s the Voice of God to Adam Gen. 3.10 NO it s but Corrupt Nature It s that Adam had in a full Flame in his time of Innocency before Transgression IT IS but Flesh and impure Flesh too But it teacheth the things contained in the Law and works a Change in the Life and Conversation It s but Fallen Blind Nature doth all this It sheweth some Divine Things and reproves for Sin and Christ giveth Light to all c. That which sheweth Divine Things and reproveth for Sin is but Blind Fallen Nature Impure Corrupt and Unsound Flesh which Adam had in a full Flame in his time of Innocency before Transgression W. H. The last time I laid your Contradictions and Confusions before you thou calledst it A Wild-Goose-Chase such as thou hadst not seen a more strange c. Truly it s you two that I am now again tracing as I did then and if you will call your selves Wild-Geese I cannot help that but I never saw such a heap of Confusion and Contradictions from any that were Tame or well in their Wits which will I believe seem strange to some that think thee a wiser man The Wildness is your own in running over and under and round about in the Dark not being able to comprehend the true Light which lighteth every man c. but give strange Names to it like Distracted Blind Men about Colours What wouldst thou say if a piece of White Cloth should be laid down on a Table and two Men should come into the House and one should say its Black and the other its Green and then change their Minds and both say its Blue and Red what wouldst thou think of these Men seeing the Piece is as unchangeably white as the Light Wouldst thou not think or believe they were either Fools Blind Mad or Distracted or given up to believe and tell Lyes Judge thee I have not parallel'd you with Papists as you have the Quakers but I leave the Reader with the Light of Christ in his Conscience to read you and compare you Again pag. 147. after thy blind Constructions about the Light sayest thou W. D. That Light that shewed Adam that he had broke the Law of God Gen. 3. did not shew unto him the way of Deliverance but God shewed it unto him by Revelation How wilt thou prove that seeing its already acknowledged it was the Voice of God