The Way Cast up And the Stumbling-blockes removed from before the feet of those who are seeking the way to ZION with their faces thitherward CONTAINING An Answere to a POSTSCRIPT Printed at the end of SAMUEL RUTHERFORDS Letters third Edition by a namelesse Author indeed not without cause considering the many lyes and falshoods therein against the people called Quakers which are here disproved and refuted and the truth of what we hold touching those Particulars faithfully declared according to the SCRIPTVRES By GEORGE KEITH Prisoner in the Tolbooth of Aberdeen with many 〈…〉 have joyfully suffered the spoiling of our goods 〈…〉 sonement of our bodys for the precious Name 〈…〉 Lord JESUS CHRIST and for the 〈…〉 who hath said forsake not the assembling 〈…〉 together Written in the Spirit of love and 〈…〉 Soule traveling for the everlasting 〈…〉 Souls of all men but especially of them called 〈…〉 to whom this Answere is particularly directed Exodus 23 1. Thou shalt not raise a false report 〈…〉 wicked to be an unrighteous witnesse Prov. 14 25. A true witnesse delivereth souls 〈…〉 speaketh lyes Math. 5 11. Blessed are yee when men shall revile 〈…〉 shall say all manner of evil against 〈…〉 The PREFACE To the READER Having seen a Postscript added to the third edition of Samuel Rutherfords Letters upon occasion of a Letter wrot by him doubtlesse out of zeal to some persons in Aberdeen at the time when they were endeavouring to separat themselvs from the communion of profane and scandalous People reckoned commonly for Membeâ—s of the Chuâ—ch of Scotland and also withdrawing from under the yoak of imposâ—ing Presbyterial government for which he was a sufferer by confinement in Aberdeen in the time of the former Prelaâ—s from which Letter the Author of this Postscript hath taken occasion to vent and vomit forth more malice and bitter prejudice against the despised witnesses of the Lord called Quakers then ever the Scribes and Pharisees did against our Lord Jesus Christ when he was among them in his bodily appearance I have judged fit to desire all sober People that professe the name of Christians and have any knowledge of us or our principles that they would seriously consider if we or our principles deserve such characters as this man hath put upon us seing we are known to many to be an innocent harmlesse and blamelesse people in all our behaviour and conversation makeing conscience of our duty towards God in purity of worship and tenderness of owning the same notwithstanding any threats punishments fines or imprisonments for our faithfulness therein and our real endeavours to obey all his holy commands in which we shall never decline to be tryed by the testimony of the holy and precious Scripturs of Truth Nor are we less known to all neighbours relations and acquaintances to be just and righteous in our dealings towards men Next as to our principles they are so often and upon so many different occasions holden forth to the world in all places where we live that none can pretend ignorance thereof unless it be wilfull Wherefore I shall not enter upon this here being unsutable to a Preface and that so many of our Friends both in our own Nation and in England have performed this task in clearing them from all the malicious and grosse misrepresentations which opposers have laboured to asperse them with so that none needs remaine ignorant of them but such as love to continue so through wilfull prejudice or lazyness at least Wherefore when I perceive from what a height of malice and spleen this Author has vented himself against us by which any may see that the Iewes Turks and Heathens had never more against Christians nor the malice and cruelty of the Papists and Popish Inquisitors in Spain or Italy was ever greater against dissenters from them whom they judged Hereticks I cannot in the least doubt but if this man had power to influence the Civil Magistrate to exercise his power against us he would not onely parallel the cruelty of Heathens and Turks but equal if not exceed the inquisition of Spaine yea those cruel and bloody persecuters in New England who cutt off the ears scourged and tormented severall of our Friends till their flesh was like a Gelly banished divers and hanged three men and a woman 1659 â—660 for no other cause but this very thing that they owned the Testimony of that Truth which we profess and for which we are sufferers this day which may serve abundantly to scare any sober people that profess to owne the meek and lowly Spirit of Jesus yea to cause them to abhorre to keep company or converse with men of such spirits And if any have not yet seen the prejudice to all Civil Interests that flowes from persecution for Conscience I shall referr them to the severall books that have been published thereanent in this age But when I consider the great rage that appears in this man and many of his brethren against us I can not impute it to any thing like zeal for the interest of the Gospel as they would willingly have people believe it being to me most cleare that their chief quarrel is becaus we of all the people that ever appeared are they that have most discovered their pride ambition greedynesse and coveâ—ousness malice and the rest of their deceits we asserting and they denying Immediaâ— Revelation or that God by his Spirit hath any immediat converse with the Souls and hearts of his people by which he doth most clearely make known his will to them and gives the most effectuall call to the Ministry which they have put mostly into the hands of men and made to depend upon an humane ordination Yea some of them derive a succession from the Pope of Rome and hence practically claime a power to be Lords over the faith of Gods people imposing their glosses on the Scripture to be no lesse believed then the Scripture it self and so all that are not of their perswasion must be hereticall and heterodoxe though they lay no claime to be led by an infallible Spirit themselves Again The Lord hath brought us to witnesse the spirituality of worship in preaching praying and praising knowing that God will accept of none but what flowes immediately from the Life of his own Spirit moving in the heart whereas this man and his brethren are for performing all those dutys whether they have this immediate assistance of Gods holy Spirit or not For they have learned by art to supply that defect with their natural and acquired parts else many times they would sit silent in their pulpits whereas now they have layd and do lay a necessity upon themselves and their followers to goe about those dutys at their appoynted times whatever be their temper or condition at the present And according to our principle other besides them may performe these dutys in publick as they find themselves moved and furnished by the Lord whereby their trade and traffick
eyes are trueâ— opened to leave her and come out of her 6. And though she pretend to be more for a spâ—ritual way of preaching and worship then eitheâ— Papists or these called the Episcopal yet reallâ— upon the matter she is not one jot more for thâ— same then they are but doth fully aggre witâ— them in those principls that in their very naturâ—â— oppose all spirituall preaching and praying For 〈◊〉 they say that true Grace or ptety is not essential to 〈◊〉 Minister of Christ She saith the same Do theâ— say that men may preach and pray without the speâ—cial and immediat movings of the Spiâ—it of God anâ— while they thus preach and pray they ought to bâ— heard if having an outward call from the Church She saith the same Do they say that immediat calls are not needfull to Preachers She saith the same And in a word I know not in the least wherein she is any more a friend to the Spirit of Christ and to preaching and praying by the same or wherein she is not fully as great an enemy yea rather upon the matter she is greater for I believe there shall hardly be found any Council Provincial or General among the Papists themselvs that have so expressly and directly denyed and judged out all new revelations and immediat teachings of the Spirit as the Presbyterian Church have done in their assembly at Westminster and indeed all praying by the real movings of the Spirit of Christ being once denyed and a Worship without the Spirit being set up it is a meer circumâ—tance whether it be in a set forme of words yea 〈◊〉 or nay onely that which is for a set forme of words and a stinted Liturgy the Spirit being once excludâ—ed by both partys seemeth to be less sinfull and alâ—o less scandalous for he that prayeth by his set â—orme is out of all hazard to use words of non-sense â—nd blasphemy providing the set forme contain â—othing but sound words whereas he that prayâ—th onely out of his imagination for out of what else â—oth he pray seing he doth not so much as pretend to â—eceive his words from the Spirit is really in this 〈◊〉 And it is wel known how oft some have really spok non-sense and blasphemy who had no 〈…〉 better guid then their own roaving imagination when they said their prayers and many times the people in stead of being moved to seriousness by such prayers were moved to laugh at the ignoranâ—â— and folly of such Speakers and certainly of two evils it is the lesser to have a Liturgy or stinteâ— forme then to suffer such abuses as have beeâ— committed by some both Presbyterian and Episcopal Preachers in their Pulpits in their Prayâ—ers 7. And indeed there are two Questions I coulâ— never get resolved by any Presbyterian 1. Wâ—â— their Preachers study their Sermons before hand left they should speak non-sense to the People aâ—â— yet study not their Prayers before hand but 〈◊〉 them forth ex tempore 2. Why they think Lawfull to sing by a book and yet think it unlavfull to pray by a book And these two questiâ—â— I leave with this Author of the Postscript to answeâ— and shall proceed to take notice of his other 〈◊〉 wherein I intend to be more brief haâ—ing no arguments to answer and the Author haviâ—â— brought none against us nor indeed any Testimoâ—nys to prove the Quakers guilty of any such 〈◊〉 as he accuseth them of but spendeth most of all 〈◊〉 paper in most horrible bitter revilings and 〈◊〉 accusations Some of which I shall here insert 〈◊〉 give the Reader a trial of the bitterness of this mans spirit and that he has not the least true ground for any such revilings in the next place I intend to shew 8. Let us then stand still a little aâ—nd heare his raiâ—ings and raiâ—ing revilings and uncharitable speeches he soameth out against us even as a troubled Sea casteth out foam and dirt this abyss of all abominations deâ—perat Quakerism root of bitâ—erness this ditch and deep pit pernicious ways Soul-murthering delusions spreading contagion â—equally loathsome and hatefull to their Soules with 〈◊〉 bell Sathans slime botch of hell pure Devilism 〈◊〉 the dung of all these desperat soul-destroying heresys â— videliceÌ„t of Popery Arminianism Erastiamsm â—Socinianism Arianism Petagianism Familism â—Antinomianism Heathenism and Atheism 〈◊〉 â—having a speciall power and influence over and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the bodys and spirits of not a few of that monstrous 〈◊〉 dung of hell dished up with a piece of the black â—Art peculiar to that Tribe the very stink of hell which cometh forth at their impure and poâ—â—uâ—ed â—mouths in blasphemys against God his Christ his â—Spirit his Word his precious and pure Ordinances 〈◊〉 purchase of the blood of Christ and the means 〈◊〉 fellowship with the Father and with his Son Iesus â—hrist most odious vermin and black locusts that 〈◊〉 crawled out of the infernal lake or croked upon the face of the Earth blasphemous belchings 〈◊〉 the very sibilation of the Old Serpent What name or notion can be faln upon or found fit to unfold the nature of that doctrin comprehensive of all these doctrins of Devils whereby the Gospel hath been from the beginning opposed through Satans black art and utmost malice as if this one shape and size of enemyâ— to the Gospel were gathered together and cemeâ—ed all the severall partys that ever Abaddon anâ— Apollyon commanded in his severall expeditionâ— against the Prince Michaël And thus Reader I have set before thee somâ— part of this Presbyterian mans Rhetorick forâ—â—trial and if thou hast the least measure of true diâ—cerning so that thy ear can try words as 〈◊〉 mouth tasteth meat it will be easy for thee to judgâ— whence such bitter and unchristian revilings proâ—ceed and what spirit hath taught him to utter 〈◊〉 many gross lyes and slaunders against an innoceâ— People and none can expect that I will be at thâ— pains to refuâ—e such stuff it containing nothing 〈◊〉 argument nor proof that we are guilty of 〈◊〉 things but onely bare affirmations 9. And though in former times the Presbytâ—rian Teachers had such great esteeme througâ— the great blindness that was over the Nation 〈◊〉 the minds of most people that their bare saying 〈◊〉 were like Divine Oracles yet the times are now 〈◊〉 a great measure changed that what they say will not be believed so easily nay will not at all be believed by thousands unless they bring good and sufficient proof for the truth of what they say for there is an eye opening in many in this Nation that is seeing clearly how these deceitfull men had too great power over them to impose upon their faith and they are now resolved not to be so abused by them as formerly and therefore I am perswaded such bare affirmations without the least shaddow of a proof will have weight with none but such as yet give up themselvs blindly and implicitly to be led by these blind
Sacrament of the Altar becaus for good reasons it is judged not to be his but a spurious birth of some other Writer and it is not to be found in some of the most ancient coppys This little book of Thomas a Kempis hath had an exceeding great reception among Protestants of all sorts onely some peevish narrow-spirited Presbyterians can not endure to hear it commended becaus writ by one that lived in the Church of Rome in a dark time and yet the doctrin of it excellâ—th that of their most spirituall Preachers It is a most unreasonable thing to cry up a faction or party or particular Church becaus of some excellent men that have been among them and perhaps zealous for that way 3. For indeed few Professions or Sects in Christianity but have had some excellent men in them The Baptists in Holland have had some also they had faithfull and zealous men that dyed Martyrs and were put to death by Papists And both Independents and Baptists in England had some excellent men among them whose labours no doubt the Lord did bless with his presence Few hills so barren but some excâ—llent medicinal herbs grow upon them and in their bowells there are some mines of gold and silver and some deserts yeeld Diamonds and precious stones So I shall most willingly grant there have been holy and spirituall men in the Presbyterian Church that have known â—ommunion with God in spirit in a blessed measure and were faithfull in the talents given them of God And I believe their soules are entered into everlasting rest and their memory is as a box of precious oyntment among others of the Lordâ— Witnesses in other professions and places of the world And though they have been hâ—noured by receiving signal testimonys of â—he Great Bridegroomes love towards them as his spouse in reâ—oycing over them with singing and frequently helped to givâ— him testimonys of their endeared affection to him â— Head Husband Supreme Lord and Governour yet I altogether deny that such high commendation doth belong to the National Presbyterian Church in the heap or indeed to any considerable part oâ— her for they who had any measure of true pietâ— among them did certainly beare as small proportion unto the body of the Nation as the white of the eyes and teeth in an Ethiopian or Black mor doth unto the rest of his body 4. But alas The Presbyterians in our days both Teachers and People are shâ—mefully declined from the footsteps and spirit of those antient good men and this generation now living is no more of the true faith and spirit of these Worthy men then the Iewes that put Christ to death were of the faith and spirit of Abraham 5. But that the Presbyterian Church deserveth â—o such commendation as this Author gives her as â—eing so frequently helped to give him testimonys of â—er endeared affection to him as her head husband â—upream Lord and Governour we need goe no â—urther to bring witnesses to confute this then 〈◊〉 own treacherous practices upon every occasion 〈◊〉 had to shew her infidelity For although she â—â—yed up the Presbyterian goverenment as being 〈◊〉 a Divine right and the onely government estaâ—â—â—shed by Christ in the Church yet at two seveâ—ll times the National Presbyterian Church when â—â—elacy was imposed by the supreame Magistrat 〈◊〉 received it and at lest in outward appearance â—â—atever she was in her heart turned Prelatical 〈◊〉 most shamefully conformed to that which 〈◊〉 hath often called Anti-Christian The first time was when King Iames the Sixth â—ught in Prelacy which lasted about 28 years And the second time when it was again introduced of late years and is at this present day remaining And I can not think that the Author of the Postscript thinketh the National Church of Scotland at this present time Presbyterian otherwise she is a great Hypocrit seing she doth outwardlâ— conforme to Episcopacy so that whereas there arâ— reckoned to be in this Nation about a thousanâ— Parishes yet so farr as I can understand or learnâ— there is not One parish in all the Nation that 〈◊〉 kâ—ept it self intirely free from conformity And it 〈◊〉 welknown that the body of the Nation is conformed to Episcopacy and the farr greatest numberâ— the Presbyterian Teachers conformed also 〈◊〉 some of them who were zealous for presbyteriâ—â— government are become Bishops And indeâ—â— they who have not conformed beare little or 〈◊〉 proportion considerable to them who have 〈◊〉 the Presbyterian Non conformist Teachers have gâ—â—nerally manifested base and unchristian cowardiâ—â— in running away from their flocks through fear suffering and exposing them to those they 〈◊〉 to be Wolves and some of them are fled beyoâ—â— Sea Others lurk in corners here and there 〈◊〉 keep privat conventicles where many times 〈◊〉 preach Sedition against their Lâ—wfull Prince instigation of whom that insurrection happâ—â—ed 1666. 6. And some of them have printed books in defence of the lawfulness of making waâ—r against the Suprem Magistrat in order to reestablish the Presbyterian Government a way flat contradictory to the nature of the Gospel to the express commands of Christ and also to the practice of the primitive Christians to make any carnal or military resistence so much as in their own defence which lasted for hundreds of years so that it is but of later times that any professing the Name of Christianity did offer to defend themselvs by carnal weapons against their Lawfull Magistrats During the ten persecutions not so much as a shaddow of any such thing is to be found in Church history And yet as Tertullian gives an account who lived in the heart of those persecutions it was not for want of number or strength that they did not oppose themselves in their own defence but onely becaus they were Christians 7. And although suffering be a thing greatly commended and also commanded under the Gospell and is as S. R. calles it in one of his Epistles a great part of the Ministry yet I know not if the Presbyterians can instance one single person of them all since the late revolution that have suffered or do at present suffer for Conscience sake in a pure and cleanly way I mean for matters purely Evangelical and out of pure Conscience for such of them who did suffer had not keept their hands clean from too much incroaching upon affairs of the Stat and power of the Magistrat so that they had little cause to glory in those sufferings 8. And if the Presbyterians think they have had any Martyrs for Presbyterian government yet this will not commend their Church above the Episcopal which hath had its Sufferers also who have suffered unto death and whose Sufferings were as much matters of Conscience unto them as the Presbyterians was unto them Yea the Episcopal Church gloryeth that she had one of the most religious Kings that either then was or had been in the world for many ages a Martyr for her whose life was worth many
foolish and groundless distinction that they have borrowed from the Popish School-men The Scriptur telleth us nothing of this nicity yet we do acknowledge the person of Christ. 10. And if by Person they understand his manhood or the man Christ Iesus we believe that Christ is man and a singular man that is to say he is not two or many men but one onely man as also he is singular for the excellency of his nature even as Man 11. So that whatever excellency any other man hath in his nature Christ hath the same and also far greater and more excellent in his who is the heavenly Man or Lord from heaven the second Adam that is a quickening Spirit whereas other men in comparison of him yea Adam the first Man is but of the Earth Earthly So that as farr as the most high heavens do excell the base and low Earth so farr doth Christ even as Man excell all other men and that not onely in accidents as the Popish school-men and the Presbyterian Teachers following them do teach but in nature and Substance And therefore as the Heavens do influence the Earth and make it fruitfull by the virtue that proceedeth therefrom so the heavenly Man Christ Iesus doth influence all other men by his Light and Life that they may be fruitfull in holiness and righteousuess and who remaine unfruitfull it is not for want of the Life and Spirit of the Heavenly Man as not influencing them but becaus that by unbeliefe they harden their hearts against his Heavenly breathings and influences And this distinction betwixt the very nature of the Soul and Spirit of Christ as man amd that of the soules of all other men is clearly held forth by Paul according to the wisdom given him of God that whereas the Soul of any other as namely the Soul of Adam was made a living Soul the second Adam is a quickening Spirit who quickens both the Souls and bodys of other men who in faith receive his quickening life and Spirit and whatever virtue the Souls of any other holy men have to quicken others they have it not of themselvs nor yet immediatly of God the Father but they derive it from the heavenly man or second Adam Christ Jesus who hath it immediatly of the Father who is the Mediator between God and Man even the Man Christ Iesuâ— 12. And this doth manifestly hold forth a substantial dignity and excellency in the nature of the Man Christ Jesus even as a man above the nature of all other men and Angels which the Papists and Presbyterian Teachers do both deny 13. And thus it may appear how much more we do esteeme of the Manhood of Christ Iesus then either Papists or Presbyterians SECTION VIII 1. The fourth accusation is false for we owne no other Iesus Christ but him who was born of the Virgin Mary 2. He was the true Christ of God before 3. That the man Christ Iesus was from the beginning 4. Some Scripturs brought and opened to prove this as Eph 3 9 Joh 6 38. 1 Cor 15 47 48. Joh 3 13. Eph 4 9. 1 Cor 10 3 4. the same proved from 1 Tim 2 5. and 1 Cor 11 3. 5. Christ was anointed from the beginning Prov 8 23. Psal 2 6. 6. The Man Christ before Abraham and John the Baptist. 7. Some more Scripturs opened as Psal. 110 34. Amos 2 13. Heb. 6 6. Rev 11 18. And some more Scripturs opened out of the Old Testament to prove that the Man Christ was from the beginning as Gen. 32 24. Gen. 19 24. 8. That the outward flesh and blood is not properly the Man but the Soul or inward man 9. More Scripturs opened out of the Old Testament as Ezek. 1 26 27. Dan. 7 9. 10. Christ his Soul and heavenly flesh and blood from the beginning 11. The Soul Life or Spirit of the Heavenly Man doth as far extend as his heavenly flesh and blood even to all the Saints 12. Though they have not the center or root of his Soul and Life in them but onely a measure ray or emanation of it 13. The Scripture no where saith that Christ did take his Soul but onely his outward flesh of the Virgin and so according to the flesh he was onely the Son of Mary David and Abraham by virtue of his outward conception and birth The fourth Particular whereof he accuseth us is that we deny Iesus the Son of Mary to be the alone true Christ. 1. This is a false accusation We own no other Jesus Christ but him that was born of the Virgin Mary who as concerning the flesh is the Son of Mary and the Son of David and the Seed of Abraham 2. And yet he was the true Christ of God before he took flesh and before he was the Son of Mary or David or of Abraham for his being born of the Virgin Mary made him not to be Christ as if he had not been Christ before But he was Christ before even from the beginning as I shall prove clearly out of Scripture Eph. 3 9. it is said expressly that God created all things by Iesus Christ. Now if all things were created by Jesus Christ then Jesus Christ was before all things for the cause is always before the effect at least in order of nature But to this they object that by Iesus Christ is meant the Word onely in this place whereas the Word onely is not properly the Christ but the Word as cloathed with the Manhood or the Man as united with the Word And so I answer that the Word onely is not properly the Christ without the Manhood but it is the Word made Flesh or made Man And therefore seing the Apostle by the Spirit of God hath declared that all things were created by Jesus Christ and that Jesus Christ signifieth properly the Word made Flesh or made Man it is clear that according unto the Apostle the Word was mad flesh or Man even from the beginning 3. And this will yet more appear by comparing this place with other places of Scripture as Ioh. 6 38. For I came down from heaven not to do mine own will but the will of him that sent me Now Christ spake this not simply as the Word or as God but as Man for as God he had no will of his own distinct from the will of the Father for the Father and the Word have but one onely will whereas the Man or Manhood of Christ hath indeed a distinct will which yet is always in union with the will of the Father And seing Christ spake this as Man it is clear from his own words that as Man he came down from heaven and was Man before he descended to take part of our flesh in the Virgins womb and therefore Paul calleth him the Second Adam the Lord from heaven and that heavenly Man 1 Cor 15 47 48. Also it is clear that Christ himself speaketh in the 6 of Iohn of his flesh and blood that did
committ himself unto them becaus he 〈◊〉 all men and needed not that any should testify 〈◊〉 Man for he knew what was in man And sureâ—â— John understood this of Christ as man for he 〈◊〉 here speaking of the Man Christ even Jesus 〈◊〉 was borne of Mary but to say that he knew 〈◊〉 thoughts not immediatly but by revelation 〈◊〉 to contradict the express words of this Scripturâ— which saith that he needed not that any should testifyâ—â— man so needed not divine revelation to know 〈◊〉 thoughts or hearts of men And Peter said unto 〈◊〉 Man Christ Jesus Lord thou that knowest all 〈◊〉 knowest that I love thee all which prove that 〈◊〉 Man Christ Iesus to wit his soul hath a reall 〈◊〉 and is really omnipercipient and 〈◊〉 of all things present and past if not of 〈◊〉 things to come for as things to come he may 〈◊〉 know them by divine revelation from his Father but he cannot properly be percipient of them 〈◊〉 sense perception require alwayes a present object 16. And if Christ as Man be omnipercipient he is also omnipresent not onely becaus omnipercipiency is as great or rather a greater propriety and priviledge but also becaus omnipercipiency doth really imply and involve in it omnipresence for how that which is so altogether absent from us can be sensible of our affairs and thoughts is altogether unconceiveable and puts our understanding as much upon the rack as the Popish doctrin of transubstantiation and the Lutheran of Consubstantiation whereas in the way as I have expressed it the thing â—s easy to be understood SECTION XI 1. An objection answered that I seeme to agree with the Lutheran doctrin of the ubiquity of the Man Christ. 2. That the externall Person and body of Christ is not every where nor his Soul wholly in every place by a certain multiplication of ubications as the Lutherans commonly but falsly teach 3. The Center Spring or Fountain of his Soul Life or Spirit as he is the Heavenly Man is onely in that body that was crucifyed outwardly at Jerusalem and is now glorifyed in the Heavens 4. And is extended unto us by way of emanation 5. Some examples given to illustrat this Truth 6. As we agree with Luther in the generall so we differ from him in the particular manner of the ubiquity of the Man Christ Iesus which in their way is inexplicable and repugnant to Scripture 〈◊〉 the certain instincts and dictats of Reason but 〈◊〉 our way most râ—tional and agreeable to Scripture 7. The great comfort of this Doctrin that we haâ—â— the Man Christ Iesus so near unto us in virtue of his Divine Life and Soul in his Divine Seed anâ— Body extended unto us 8. That the most glorâ—â—ous Angels can not see God but in the Man 〈◊〉 Iesus to wit in his Spirit Life and Light râ—vealed in them 9. How the words of Jameâ— concerning the Word Ingrafted are to be understood and the words of John concerning the Worâ— made Flesh. 10. That Scripture Heb. 9 1â— opened 11. A Saying of Hermes Trismegistâ—â— concerning God his being a Circle whose Center is every where and is no where circumâ—criâ—ed 12. The Man Christ Iesus a real aâ— proper middle betwixt God and us ANd if it be objected that I seeme to agreâ— with the Lutheran doctrin as concerninâ— the ubiquity of the Man Christ. 1. I answer that I do indeed agree witâ— them in the general but differ from them as to 〈◊〉 manner in great and weighty circumstances For they say the externall person body of Christ that suffered on the Cross is every where even the whole in every place 2. I say Nay his externall Person is arisen and ascended and is not here as the Angel said surâ—â—exit non est hîc he is risen he is not here meaning his outward body for that was it they were seeking and it is impossible that one and the same 〈◊〉 body can be in many places at once 2. They say the whole Soul of Christ is in every 〈◊〉 and in every thing not by an extention but a â—ertain multiplication of its ubication but this is as â—â—possible and unconceivable as the former 3. But I say The whole Soul or Spirit of Christ â—not in every place nor in every man for the â—enter and Spring or Fountain of it is onely in that â—ody that was crucified on the Cross at Jerusalem â—nd is now ascended and glorified in Heaven which â—emaineth the same in Substance that it was on â—arth although it be wonderfully changed as to the 〈◊〉 and manner of its being it being no more a â—ody of flesh blood and bones but a pure ethereal 〈◊〉 heavenly body like unto which the bodys of the â—aints are to be at the resurrection For Earthâ—â— and Heavenly are not so differing but that reâ—aining one in Substance they may be changed â—e into another so that as one and the same 〈◊〉 Soul may by the operation of the Mighty Power of God be changed so as to be made heavenly and pure even so one and the same Earthly body may by the same Power be made Heavenly and thus in different respects they are one and the same and yet not the same one in Substance and not one but another in the manner of being 4. And the Center or Spring of Christs Soul remaining in that glorifyed body it extends its precious Life Spirit and Light into the Saints and 〈◊〉 some manner into all men 5. Even as the Light of the Sun that is centraâ—â—â— in the body of the Sun and yet emanats and 〈◊〉 forth its Light in most abundant streams and raysâ—â— to all the world And as the Soul of any ordinâ—â—â— man hath its center in one principal part of the body as some think the Head but others the Heaâ— and sendeth forth its Life and vital Rays into 〈◊〉 whole body and therefore the Soul is sensibleâ— whatever affects any part or member in the whoâ—â— body Even thus our blessed Lord and Saviour â—â—sus Christ is sensible of whatever affects or moves 〈◊〉 Church which is also his body by the real 〈◊〉 of his Divine Life Soul and Spirit in the Diviâ—â— Seed extended into the same 6. And thus indeed as we agree with Luther anâ— his followers in the general so we differ from theâ— as to the particular manner and way of the real prâ—â—sence and ubiquity of the Manhood of Christ 〈◊〉 in their way is inexplicable and repugnant to the most certain instincts and dictats of Reason that God has indued us with as Rational creaturs Whereas the way as I have expressed it is most rational and will be found to be most true and solid by all that shall seriously ponder the matter and weigh the reasons and arguments I have given for it and may yet further give from Testimonys of Scripture and experience of the Saints that no reason can contradict but doth highly favour 7. And surely it is no lesse
aforesaid as he is the Heavenly Man 1. ANd thus it may appear how much more truely according to the Scripture and our own blessed experience agreeing most exactly with the experience of the Saints of old we own and esteeme of the Manhoâ—â— of Christ Iesus above whatever the Author of the Postscript or his Brethren did acknowledg who would exclude the Heavenly Man or Second Adam Iesus Christ altogether out of the very Saints whereas the Second Adam is the quickening Spirit that raiseth up both Soul and body into Life as Paul declared 2. And indeed Luther did conceive a most just indignation and zeal against them such as this Presbyterian is who exclude the Manhood of Christ out of the Saints and confine it to one place For thus he writeth in his Larger Confession of the Supper of the Lord. Absit autem ut ego talem Deum agnoscam aut colam ex his enim consequeretur quod locus spatium possent duas natur as separare personam Christi dividere quam tamen neque mors neque omnes diaboli dividere aut separare potuere Et quanti tandem obsecro pretii esset talis Christus qui unico tantum loco simul divina humanâ— personâ— esset in omnibus voro locis dunâ—axat quidem separatus Deus aut divina persona esset sine assumptâ suâ humanitate In English thus Far be it from me that I should acknowledg or worship such a God for hence it should follow that place and space could separat the two naturs and divide the person of Christ which neither death nor all the devils could ever doe And I pray of what worth were such a Christ who â—n one onely place should be both a divine and humane person together but in all other places should be God separat or a divine person without his assumed humanity 3. And also those who embraced the Augustan confession in that Treatise called Liber Concorâ—â—a where they give a new declaration of some articles in that confession upon the head concerning the person of Christ speak their mind very notably in these following words which expresse the very something upon the matter as to the generall that 〈◊〉 plead for Quare perniciosum error om esse judicamus quando Christo juxta humanitatem Majestas illa derogatur Christianis enim eâ ratione summa illa consolatio eripitur quam è promissionibus paulò antè commemoratis de presentiâ inhabitatione capitis Regis summi sui Pontificis haurire poterant Is enim promisiâ— non modò nudam suam divinitatem ipsis praesto futuram quae nobis miseris peccatoribus est tanquam ignis consumens arridissimas stipulas seâ— ille ipse homo ille qui cum discipulis loquutuâ— est qui omnis generis tribulationâ—s in assumptâ— suâ humanâ naturâ gustavit qui eâ de causâ nobis ut hominibus fratribus suis condâ—lere potest se in omnibus angustiis nostris nobiscum futurum promisit secundum eam eciam naturam juxta quam ille Frater noster esâ— â— nos caro de carne ejus sumus In English thus Wherefore say they we iudge it to be a hurtfulâ— error when that majesty is derogated from Christ according to his manhood for by that means thâ— most great consolation is robbed from Christians which they could have drawn from the promises a little before mentioned concerning the presence and â—ndwelling of their head King and high Priest For he promised that not onely his Godhead should be present with them which to us miserable sinners is as a fire consuming most dry stubble but the same that man who spake with his disciples who tasted all kind of tribulations in his assumed manhood who for that cause can be grieved with us being also men and his brethren did promise that he would be with us in all our afflictions also according to that nature by which he is our Brother and we are flesh of his flesh 4. But the Lutherans conceit that the externall person of Christ not onely virtually but formally is in every place yea the wole in the whole and the whole of it in every part is so absurd and repugnant unto rational perception that from this many have taken occasion unjustly to deny the Truth it self becaus they did not see how this manner of the Lutherans of the ubiquity of the man Christ could consist with Reason 5. Whereas the manner offered by me is most consonant both to Scripture and Reason yea and almost to Sense it self for there are sensible examples by which we may illustrate the manner of it as namely that of the stream of Light that floweth from the candle and filleth the whole house while as the body of the candle it selfe is but in one place 6. And what doth that firy streame or river signify that issued and came forth from the Ancient of days but the extension of the Life and Spirit of Christ as he is the Heavenly Man And as John Rev. 1. describeth him is a wonderfully Great man even that Son of man whom Iohn saw after his ascension in the midst of the golden candlsticks even he that liveth and was dead ver 18. to shew that it was the Man Christ and he had in his right hand seven starâ—â— which are expounded to be the seven Angels or Pastors of the seven churches This showeth it is not his externall person or outward body that is here described for it is impossible to conceive how he can hold a number of men in the right hand of his externall person Therefore by his right hand is signified his power as he is the great Heavenly Man which can wel hold all the men that ever were in the world 7. Also this wonderfull extension of the Spirit of Christ as Man in his Divine body and Seed is most clearly described hy Christ himself Iohn 1 51. Verily verily I say unto you hereafter ye shall see heaven opened and the Angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man This is the Great and Heavenly Man Christ Iesus who is that Ladder which Iacob saw in his vision the top whereof reached unto Heaven and the foot of it reached the Earth But this can not be the externall Person of Christ and therefore it is the Spirit of Christ as he is Man or his Soul that is extended into us here upon Earth in his Heavenly body that he giveth us to feed upon by means of this Heavenly Ladder 8. But when I say the Soul or Spirit of Christ â— Man is extended into us I do not understand the Nephesch of his Soul but the Neschamah or Nischâ—ah even that Divine Spirit of Life that God breathed into Adam and is that which Solomon calls the Candle of the Lord searching all the inward parts of the belly and Iames the Ingrafted Word and Iohn the Word mad flesh or Incarnate Word that dwelleth in us
this nature in the said book 10. And certainly this was an immediat sensible appearance and revelation of the power and presence of God accompanying the Ministry of that time which produced such effects and in truth the very same power and presence of God with the very same and the like effects is now again broken forth in our day among the despised people called Quakers and that in much greater clearness so that more sound principles are made known unto us and many things which were letts and snares unto them are discovered unto us from the Lord. 11. And yet is it not a most sad and lamentable thing that Professors who cry up the appearance of God in that time will not owne the same appearance of God in the nature and kind of it although more clear and glorious as to the measure among us now but joyn with the profane rabble to call those unusuall motions which are the reall effects of Gods power and Spirit powerfully seazing upon both souls and bodys of many among us in great trembling cryes and tears the signes of some Diabolicall Possession whereas the same persons by sobriety of life and conversation and by a walk as Christian-like as any of these a fore mentioned in many things exceeding them and also by the savor of the life of Christ in them have evidenced that they were led by the Spirit of God 12. Yea the Author of â—he Postscript is not affraid to impute these unusuall and extraordinary motions that some times appear in the bodyes of some of our friends to a possession of Sathan which if he did as knowingly as maliciously might truely be called a blaspheming against the Holy Ghost But they are judged here by some of their owne prophets for seing it was the Spirit of God that raised these unusuall motions in them abovementioned why should the like now be imputed to the Devill 13. O how like is this generation of hypocriticall professors to the Scribes and Pharisees and Iewes of old who professed to owne the Spirit of God in Moses and the prophets and yet rejected and resisted the same Spirit in Christ and the Apostles 14. And it is observable that this glory of God that appeared among them at that time which was a time of persecution although it continued for some years yet afterwards when the Presbyterians got into the sadle themselvs and turned persecuters of others that dissented from them this glory did disappear and in stead thereof great complaining of deadness as it is at this day among them who have most ingenuity This doth plainly show that they did not follow the Lord in his further leadings but rather went back otherwise this glory would not have departed bâ—t continued yea and increased among them And if some obiect that this glory appeareing unto that people at a communion to wit at that called the Sacrament of the Supper it seemeth to be no small argument to prove that God did owne that externall action as his ordinance although the people called Quakers deny it to be a standing ordinance to the world and doe not practise it 15. To this I answer that it is observable that by the Authors own account the greatest outleting of the Spirit was not on their communion day but on the day after but that God did at times of that externall action of breaking bread condescend unto them regarding their sincerity and gave manifestations of himself will not prove that he commanded that thing unto them or that their minds were not in an error in laying too great weight upon that externall action which was but a figure of the true communion for the same Author doth acknowledge that the Spirit of God did also wonderfully accompany Luther in his Ministry and yet Luther did most grossely erre as in other things so in the matter of the Sacrament teaching that the body of Christ was consubstantiat with the bread and that the oâ—â—ward mouth receiveth the body of Christ. And I believe such as are sober and ingenuous of the Presbyterians will not deny but that the Lord did pour out of his Spirit upon those Bishops in England that dyed martyrs that were both for Episcopacy and the Service-book yet this proveth not that God did owne these things as his ordinances It is the sincerity and earnest desires of mens souls after God that he regardeth although they be in error in some things which he winketh at but doth not owne Yea did not Christ wonderfully appear to Saul while he was going to Damascus to obtain an order to persecute the Saints a very unlâ—wfull action but this proveth not that God allowed 〈◊〉 in the same Many other instances could be given to shew the weakness of that objection and certainly in the darkest times of Popery God raised up some to be ministers of his Spirit that yet continued to hold many Popish errors as not only Bernard and Thauler but even Iohn Huss who disâ—ented little from the Papists in matter of doctrine but mostly blamed their ungodly life 16. A second instance I shall bring out of the afore-said Author is pag. 422. where he giveth as a sixt witness c. the convincing appearance of an extraordinary and Apostolick Spirit on some of these instruments whom the Lord raised up in these last times who as he saith had speciall revelations from the Lord of his mind anent things to come c. But how doth this agree with their confession of Faith that saith the former wayes of Gods revealing himself to his people are ceased since the Apostles dayes and that there are no new revelations of the Spirit but that God hath committed his counsell wholly to writing And of such speciall revelations he mentioneth divers which I refer the Reader to find in the said book 17. A Third instance shall be that which the Author mentioneth of Robert Bruce where I take notice of divers weighty particulars as 1. that his call was extraordinary pag. 429. to wit by an inward motion and pressing of the Spirit and such a call I confess is extraordinary as in respect of the greatest part of those called Teachers which yet is most ordinary yea and most necessary to every true teacher and minister of Christ. 18. 2. He tells pag. 431. that it was the manner of Robert Bruce for a considerable time to keep 〈◊〉 before he preached And yet how do the Professors now blame our silence when even such among us as the Lord hath given a true ministry unto do find it at times their place to be silent a considerable time before they speak and sometimes for a whole diet to be silent as Ezekiel was of old Now I besech them to consider what did this silence of R. B. mean or what was his intent in being siâ—ent so long was it not he waited to receive â—hat he was to speak from the Lord Or at least to 〈◊〉 the Spirit and power of the Lord to assist
in the matters of the Worship of God would readily be quite spoyled and they be necessitated to betake themselves to other callings to gaine a livelyhood to themselves and familys seing there would be no use for studyed sermons and their rhetoricall conn'd discourses by which they have laboured to tickle the ears and please the fancys of their hearers and have done all their art or eloquence could to reach the natural affections of people But now the Lords chosen people that are taught by the true Shepherd Jesus Christ have learned to know his voyce from the voyce of a stranger and to feel more of the true Life of Jesus Christ raised up in their hearts by a few words spoken from that Life though it be but in a homely way by a Trades-man or a poor handmaid then ever they sensibly felt by the most eloquent and meer artificial Preachers that are strangers to this Life and therefore it is but little wonder though these men stretch forth and employ the most of their Rhetorick and parts to declare against us both in pulpit and print For they homologate that word which Erasmus spake concerning Luther that it was a hardtask he had taken in hand seing the Popes miâ—re and the Monkâ— bellys stood in the way So it is with the Lords Witnesses in this day their work would be easier in promoting the true Reformation of Gods worship and people if the pride greedyness of the Clergy their esteeme with power over the people their stipends set rents were not concerned for they walk no further by Scripture rule though they call it their onely rule then the Scripturs do stand with their interests Hence though there be no warrand to admitt of any to be members of the Christian Church but true Believers that know upon what ground they owne the Christian Faith yet they will have all the Subjects of the Nation whether they have any evidence of Faith or not to be members of their Church that their power may be of as large extent as that of the Civil Magistrate yea without any Scripture warrant they take Infants to be members by sprinkling them though they have no better warrand for joyning men and women in marriage together then a Popish Canon yet such is their love to have a hand in all the concernments of the people that they must needs be the instruments against which with many more of this nature we beare our Testimony and therefore no wonder they rage so much against us Now there being no formall charge in all the said bitter postscript set down against us but that false one that we put a false Christ in stead of the true Iesus deny Christ to be the second Person of the Trinity Iesus the son of Mary to be the true Christ alone c. as he goes on in that pag 553. without any proof it shall here suffice to say those things being so fully answered in this following Treatise and also in other books of our Friends The Lord knoweth we are shamelesly traduced slaundered in this matter as in most of other things charged upon us by our adversarys and it can not be but strange to me that any who pretend to be Christians or Gospel-Ministers should be so impudent or otherwise so grossely ignorant if not malicious in their calumnys seing it hath so often been published both by word and writ and in print that we owne no other Saviour but Iesus Christ borne of the Virgin Mary and crucifyed at Ierusalem and that the Lords People never had have or ever shall have remission of sins but through the meriâ—s and vertue of that precious blood and sufferings which our Lord Iesus the Onely begotten Son of God did undergoe and shed at Jerusalem that He is true God and Man yea what ever the holy Scripturs of Truth do witness concerning him that we dearely owne with our souls and hearts avouching with a firme faith that the same Christ hath given a measure of Light to every man Joh. 1 9. Tit. 2 11. which is of a Divine Supernatural Substantial being a beame and ray of his Blessed Spirit to convince the world of sin and duty sufficient to bring all men to Salvation being joyned unto and rightly improven according to the testimony of many places of holy Scripture which call him the Light of the world and a Light to inlighten the Gentiles the true Light that enlightens every man that cometh into the world and that the Grace of God that brings Salvation hath appeared unto all men teaching us that denying ungodlynesse and worldly lusts c. This is the free Gift which Christ hath purchased Rom. 5 18. and therefore ought to be taken heed to and believed in as Iohn 12 36. For Christ is given to be a Leader to his people and hath promised to be with them to the end of the world and this is by his spirituall and inward appearance in the Hearts of men And becaus we beare our Testimony to this appearance of Christ in us shall we be therefore thus malitiously traduced by such prejudicated men I shall wish no worse to him or them but the Lord forgive them and open their eyes seing I know some that have been little inferiour to them in prejudice in a day to whom God hath shewed mercy and therefore my bowels are moved for such This man also chargeth us that we are greater enemys to none then to the faithfull Ministers and eminent labourers in the Gospel as he doth expatiate at large in the beginning of that page 556 in the Postscript To which I reply passing by his ungodly and unchristian expressions and Epithetes that we have ever had a reverent esteeme of all faithfull ministers that in simplicity and sincerity of Heart have endeavoured to preach the Gospel though in many things short of these blessed discoverys God hath manifested to us and we do remember them that were such with that due respect that becomes as having been faithfull according to their measure in their day and were blessed to be instruments in Gods hand to the good of many that in singlness and sincerity of heart did heare them But it is not the duty of any Christian to stand still and shut out any further discovery then they attained unto for as all the degrees of the Apostasy came not at once nor with the first or second trumpet Rev. 8. so neither is the Reformation to be compleated by the first or second vial Rev. 16. And therefore though they studyed Sermons yet many of them at times spake as the Lord gave it them witnesse Iohn Knox who told the Queen of Scotland when she was threatning him as Alexander Petry in his History of the Kirk sheweth Pag. 236. that in the preaching place he was not master of his own tongue but behoved to speak as God commmanded him c. So many good men after the Reformation from Popery could be
instanced who have born testimony against studyed sermons and leaning to their Notes and limiting the Holy Spirit I shall for this give but one clear instance amongst the first Reformers for all Franciscus Lambertus Avinionensis in his book de literâ Spiritu 5 Tractat. fol. 84. Printed 1526. His words are these Summè autem de vita ne sequaris morem hypocritarum qui ferme de verbo ad verbum quicquid dicturi sunt scripserunt quasi recitaturi aliquot versus in the atro cum tragoedis totam concionem didicerunt postea cùm sunt in prophetandi loco or ant Dominum ut linguam eorum dirigat sed interim claudentes viam Spiritui Sancto definiunt se nihildicturos praeter id quod scripserunt O infelix prophetarum genus imò vere maledictum quod à suis scriptis aut meditatione non à Dei Spiritu pendet Quid pseudo-propheta or as Dominium ut Spiritum det quo loquaris utilia interim Spiritum repellis Cur praefers tuam meditationem aut studium Spiritui Dei alioqui cur ipsi Spiritui non te committis Fol. 85. He adds Sed tu quisquis es si verè Propheta Dei es docebit te Spiritus Domini quod sanè prophetes Which Englished is thus But chiefly be thou aware that thoâ—u follow not the way of Hypocrits that have writen down almost word by word whatever they are to declare and even as stage-players that are to repeat some verses upon a theatre they have learned and got by heart their whole sermon and when they are in their pulpits pray that the Lord would order or direct their tongues but in the mean time shutting up the way to the Holy Spirit determine to say nothing but that which they have written O unhappy kind of Preachers yea really accursed that depend upon their own writings or meditation and not upon the Spirit of God Thou false prophet why prayest thou to the Lord that he would give thee his Spirit by whose assistance thou mayest preach profitably and yet in the mean time rejectest the Spirit why preferrest thou thy meditation or study to the Spirit of God Otherwise why dost thou not give up thy self to the Holy Spirit But thou whoever thou be if thou art a true Prophet of God the spirit of the Lord will teach thee what thou ought safely tò preach I have set down this at large that all sober people may observe whether the National Preachers or these callâ—d in derision Quakeâ—s are in greatest unity with the fiâ—st Reformers To this puâ—pose I might add that of Calvin against the Papists in his Iâ—stitut Lib. 3 cap. 2. sect 39. and severall other Godly men since his time which for brevity I omitt But seing God has promised a compleat deliverance from Babylon and all Anti-christian idolatry and superstition it is sad that they who profess to pray for it and expect it should oppose it because it comes not in that way and manner as they desiâ—e it Thus that in Isay 53 1 2 3. which was spoken of Christs coming in the flesh outwardly is fulfilled at this time in his inward appearance for it is said He shall grow up before him as a tender Plant and Root out of a dry ground having no forme nor comeliness when we shall see him there is no beauty that we should desire him He is despised and rejected of men c. Because the discoverys of the Truths of God which he hath revealed to these despised people called Quakers are not come out with the authority which a General Assembly c. had and they are a ridiculous people in the carnal eye therefore they are all stigmatized by the wisdom of this world as blasphemys and heresys and so can not be received by many who have been educated and brought up other wayes even as Christ said Luk 5 39. No man having drunk old wine straightway desireth new for he saith the old is better And as upon this account many rejected Christ and his doctrine that were educated under the Mosaical ceremonys so many now adays reject us and our testimony because we are not a people in power and authority in this world and bring new things as to the worlds observation which agree not with their education and it is upon this account and the like that we have been misrepresented by many as the most odious and abominable people that ever appeared But God will vindicat his own truth in his own good time and wipe away our reproach and get us praise and fame in every land where we have been shamefully used Zeph. 3 19. and in the living hope and expectation of the Lords glorious and gracious appearance for us we are content to suffer and beare the most ignominious and disgracefull epithets and characters this Author with many of his brethren hath put upon us such as his calling Quakerism an abyss of all abominations Satans slime and the botch of bell pure devilism monstrous brood swallowing down the dung of all desperat and soul-destroying heresys hatched in hell by the Father of falshoods and â—yes and whatsoever is any of these heresys most dreadfull and damnable that is to them their darling a piece of the black art peculiar to that tribe dishing up the dung of hell the stink of hell blasphemys against God Christ his Spirit his VVord c. a most odious vermin of black locusts that ever croked upon the face of the earth the sound of their blasphemous belchings is to be fled as the very sibilation of the old serpent doctrins of devils as if in this one shape and size of enemies to the Gospel were gathered together and cemented all the severall partys that ever Abaddon and Apollyon comanded in his severall expeditions against the Prince Michaël matters void of the whole Gospel of the Grace of God and of all that blessed contrivance of salvation by the Son of God as a slain Saviour Satans sole trustees and his only janizarys with a multitud of such like characters which were tedious here to relat Against which I shall take up no railing accusation but as the Angel rebuked the devil The Lord rebuke thee Satan It was for the sake of some sober people in this City and Countrey that I wrot this upon the first sight of this Postscript which was in the 4 moneth called Iun last 1676. And now seing my dear Friend G. K. hath since answered it more largely and hath discovered the folly malice mistakes and partialitys of the Author I have yeelded to let it be set down as a Preface to the Reader as my testimony to the precious Truth which the Lord is manifesting in this day wherein he is about to discover the heels and make bare the skirts of all that have transgressed by their iniquitys Ier. 13 22. And if G. K. in this following Answer hath dealth more plainly then will be pleasing to the Author of this
his Spirit and by that also they were called Then they cryed out blasphemy and delusion There are no Prophets or men divinely inspired or immediatly taught and called since the Apostles days divine inspiration and immediat teaching and revelation ceased with the Apostles And yet now they are not ashamed to alledge as if some of themselves were great Prophets and Seers 6. But I remember a decâ—itfull distinction that Iames Durâ—am hath in his exposition on the Revelation that prophecy as it is taken for an immediat revealing of Gospell truths is now ceased but he acknowledgeth that God may in an extraordinary way indue some with a Spirit of Prophecy to foretell things to comeâ— and he mentioneth some of our Nation that had the Spirit of prophecy in former times This I say is a most decâ—itfull distinction and altogether without any reall ground from Scripture as if God would reveal himself to his Church by immediat revelation as to things of a lesser moment and not reveal himself theirunto as to things of greater yea of the greatest moment such as the truths of the Gospell areâ— but we plead not for any immediat revelation of new Gospell truths not formerly revealed to others or not declared sufficiently in the Scriptures but we say it cannot suffice unto us that the truths of the Gospell have been immediatly revealed unto others and from or by them at second hand declared or reported of unto us but we need to have the same truths of the Gospell especially such as belong to the inward testimony experiences and feelings of life as immediatly revealed unto us as they were unto them otherwise our faith and knowledge should be meerly humane traditionall historicall and but after the letter And although what belongs to the historicall part of the Scripture and particularly concerning Christ his outward comminginto the world his outward birth life sufferings miracles death return to Judgment be indeed made known unto us by the Scripturs Testimony yet it is the blessed â—â—fe and Spirit of Christ Iesus immediatly revealed in our hearts and the shining of his heavenly and divine Light in our inward parts that both enclines us to beleive the reports which the Scripturs give us of things to be true and also opens our understandings to know and see unto the great and blessed advantage of them and unto the Spirituall intent and signification of the things that belong unto the history itself SECTION II. 1. Presbyterian Teachers assume the title of Master and yet give it not to the Apostles 2. S. R. his alledged prophecy against those in Aberdeen who seperat from the Nationall Presbyterian Church of no Weight 3. Divers remarkable instances of S. R. his declining from that good condition he was once in and also from his own principles 4. S. R. His Prophecy inconsistent with the Presbyterian doctrin of once in grace and ever in grace 5. As also with his own judgment that some Independents were gracious men But whereas this Writer threatens us with a prophecy of this great Seer whom he cals master Rutherford but why should he call him Master Rutherford seing that I can not find that he or his Brethren gave this title of Master to any of the Prophets or Apostles I wonder wherefore they are so angry at the title of Lord Bishop and yet so allow the title of Mr. unto their own teachers seing Christ did as expressly forbid the one as the other 2. Let us examin what Weight is in that alledged prophecy he told them who had gone from the Presbyterian way towards the Independents they would not stand or remain there and this saith this Post-scribe is fullfilled for they are proceeding now to joyne with the people called Quakers But if this be any prophecy it may be such an one as to this particular as was that of Cajaphas the high priest who said it was expedient that one should dye for the people but he understood not his own prophecy so nor hath S. R. for he meant that they would goe into more errors whereas the truth is they onely were advanced further into more clear discoveryes of Truth supposed by him and his Brethren to be errors and that S. R. as to this particular was as blind and dark as Cajaphas was as touching Christ I have not the least question and indeed if we will consider the particular time wherein S. R. wrot this Epistle to these well meaning people in Aberdeen it will much help to clear it unto the impartial how much he was then in the dark himself Know therefor Reader that when S. R. wrot this Epistle to them in Aberdeen it was not in the time that he had these fresh and lively enjoyments of Gods presence and power which he had formerly in his more pure times wherein he both experienced and declared of Immediat Revelation and the Spirits immediat teachings as his Epistles abundantly witnesse and as I intend to show in its proper place but it was after he had in a manner altogether lost those blessed injoyments and was become exceeding dark and barren which thing â—ay plainly appear by the straine of his Epistles writt in his later years which to him that hath the true Spirituall discerning and can savour words as the mouth savours meat do as farr come short and faill as in respect of life of his Epistles he wrote in his best times as a dark night falls short of a bright day or as a cold Winter of a warm and fruitfull Summer But let us hear himself giving an account of his inward condition in his later times in the 2. part of his Epistles Ep. 49. he saith but I am at a low ebbe as to any sensible communion with Christ yea as low as any soule can be and do scarce know where I am and do now make it a question if any can goe to him who dwelleth in Light inaccessible through nothing but darknesse And a little after but what shall I say either this is the Lord making grace a new creation where there is pure nothing and sinfull nothing to work upon or I am gone I should count my soule ingaged to your self and others there with you if yee would but carry to Christ for me a letter of cyphers and non-sense for I know not how to make language of my condition onely showing that I have need of his love Againe in the 3. part Ep. 56. he saith but for me I neither know what he is nor his Sons name nor where he dwells I hear a report of Christ great enough and that is all O what is nearness to him And in this Epistle he not onely acknowledgeth his own great deadness and dryness but that it is a generall thing over professors O saith he where are the some times quickening breathings and influences from heaven that have refreshed his hidden ones The causes of his withdrawings are unknown to us Yet afterwards he pointeth truly at the causes
Saints are not Christ there is no misjudging in him there is much in us and a doubt it is if we shall have fully one heart till we have one heaven our star-light hideth us from our selves and hideth us one from another and Christ from us all but he will not be hiddâ—n from us It is no wonder to me that S. R. found it so dark a time to him when he wrot this for he was then at London carrying on that dark work the Westminster Confession and Catechism which crieth down all new revelations of the Spirit and crieth up sinn for terme of life and in that large description they give of GOD out of the Scripture and of CHRIST they altogether omitt these two most excellent and significative that God is Light and in him is no darkness at all and that Christ is the true Light that enlighteneth every man that cometh into the world It â—eemeth verily the true Light had small place in their hearts that they did so altogether forget it However it is wel that S. R. confesseth there is much misjudging in himself and his Bretbren It is possible then that he misjudged these sober people at Aberdeen as they wel know he did for whereas he threatned that if they did forsake the National Presbyterian Church Christ would forsake them but S. R. is not Christ nor are all his sayings Christ's these people have found more of Christ since that time then before and they may on good ground better believe their own experience then his rash uncharitable judgings I write not these things in the least out of prejudice to S. R. his memory or as if I did conclude that he has not found mercy with the Lord God forbid I should harbour any such uncharitable thought onely becaus the Author of the Postscript brings in his testimony against those people at Aberdeen and layeth such weight upon it I found my self more concerned in the love and zeal of God to take some pains to remove this stumbling block out of the way of the simple as becaus such a good man as S. R. judged so of such a people and of such a way therefor it is bad which yet will have no more weight with those that are truely judicious then when the Papists tell us of their eminent Saints who had such holy lives and witnessed so much of spirituall communion with God and yet opposed the Waldenses as great Hereticks and cried up the Church of Rome as the onely true Church will have weight with us either to believe the one or the other And I do not question it but Bernard who lived in the darkest times of Popery was as holy a man and had as much or rather more spirituall experience as S. R. as his writings do declare to any who have the true spirituall discerning and shall compare Bernard's with those of S. R. and yet the same Bernard was a most vehement opposer of the Waldenses who were a good people and bore a true and faithfull testimony in their day according to the discovery given them of God against the idolatry and superstition of the Church of Rome 4. But before I leave this particular I shall take notice of another thing that will serve not a little to discover how weak S. R. his authority is as to his peremptory conclusion he made concerning those few sober people at Aberdeen which was no less then this that if they did forsake the Nationall Church Christ would forsake them which threatning the Author of the Postscript looketh upon to be a divine prediction confirmed by their since turning to Quakeriâ—in which he calls the abyss of all abominations But I ask this Author of the Postscript Can any divine prediction contradict an article of Faith If he say nay then I query again Is it not an article of the Presbyterian faith that none truely gracious in the least measure can totally fall away from grace or be totally forsaken of God This is their express doctrine whereupon it will follow that none truely gracious can fall into Quakerism which he calls the abyss of all abominations the â—otch of hell yea pure hellism and devilism again seing their falling into Independency was the sinn that provoked God as this Author would have it to suffer them to fall thus it is clear that according to S. R. none truely gracious can turn Independent seing to turn Independent is to be forsaken of Christ as he doth positively threaten in his Letter and yet in the same Letter he telleth them of their work of faith and labour of love and patience of hopâ— in our Lord Iesus as also he tells them of their being sealed unto the day of redemption and having received the Spirit by the hearing of Faith All which plainly import their being in a state of Grace and if either he or the Author of the Postscript think that after all this they could fall away so as to be forsaken of Christ they contradict their own principle If he reply that S. R. judged them to be Saints onely in a judgment of charity I Answer by inquiring whether this his judgment of charity was true or false from his own spirit or from the Spirit of God for there is no midst If he say it was false and from his own spirit and not froâ— the Spirit of God then surely these People whom he so threatned had no cause to fear or look upon him as a Prophet or divinely inspired in the writing of this Letter seing he begins with a false judgment that is confessed to be from his own spirit and not from the Spirit of the Lord. And seing the Author of the Postscript will allow him to have been greatly mistaken in his judging them to be Saints we may with as much ground in all reason judg him to be mistaken when he did so threaten them that Christ would forsake them but if they never had Christ how could he forsake them 5. We need not feare such predictions as carry in their bosome flat contradictions but S. R. did not think Independency inconsistent with the Grace of God for Ep 53 part 3. he giveth an express testimony of some Independents particularly Thomas Godwyn Ieremiah Burroughs that they were gracious men so he telleth that he conceived of them which abundantly proves he thought men might be truly gracious and yet Independents and mighty opposits to Presbyteriall government as his words in that Epistle shew SECTION III. 1. The Presbyterian Reformation not a matter to make so great a boast of as the Author doth 2. That S. R. said in Presbytry the letter onely was reformed and scarce that and that God will not build his Zion on that skin of reformation 3. Many thousands of the Presbyterian Church not fit to be members of a wel ordered humane society 4. A precious life stirring among many Presbyterians especially in the West 40 years ago and upwards 5. The Presbyterians did not goe foreward
but backward and so provoked the Lord. 6. The body or generality of the Presbyterian Church full of ignorance and guilty of swearing drinking drunk and other gross sins 7. Some among the Presbyterians that belong to the true Church of God 8. A National Church as National can not be a Church of Christ. 9. The Presbyterian Church deeply tinctured with the great sins of persecution and hypocrisy 10. Other Churches beyond the Presbyterian since the primitive times Now let us proceed to hear further what this Author saith pag. 1. lin 22. Forsakers of a Church so often honoured by receiving signall testimonys of the Bridegrooms love towards her as his spouse in rejoycing over her with singing and so frequently helped to give him testimonys of her endeared affection to him as her Head Husband supreme Lord and-Governour In this we may through Grace humbly boast nay despise or envy who will we can not do less without being guilty of the basest ingratitude that we have not been inferior to O blessed be his Grace to whom we ow it and it is for the commendation of his glorious goodness we mention it whatever we were beyond any Church we know upon the Earth Answer 1. That this is not an humble boast through Grace as the Author would have it but a proud boast through flesh I hope by the Grace of God to make appear The Apostle saith 1 Tim. 3. That in the last days perilous times shall come for men shall be lovers of their own selves covetous boasters proud blasphemers c. having a forme of godlyness but denying the power thereof from such turn away That the reformation of the Church of Scotland was not a matter to make so great a boast of as this Author doth I need goe no further for a proof then to S. R. himself who was so great a Sâ—eâ— in this man's account 3. Let us then hear what S. R. saith of the Presbyâ—erian Reformation Ep. 32. part 2. and this in the year 1640. When Presbytery was up most over the whole Nation and the Bishops were all excommunicated and fled It is true saith he in his Epâ— to Iohn Fennick in a great part what ye write of this Kirk that the letter of Religion onely is reformed and scarce that I do not believe our Lord will build his Zion in this Land upon this skin of reformation so long as our scumm remaineth and our heart-idols are kept this work must be at a stand And therefor our Lord must yet sift this Land and search us with candles c. This is a notable testimony and it appears plainly unto me that this Iohn Fennick to whom he wrot had a true sight of the defectivness of the Presbyterian reformation of which he wrot in a letter to S. R. and which S. R. did as freely acknowledg In which Testimony note these particulars 1. That he saith it is true in great part that the Letter in Religion onely is reformed where take notice of the word onely 2. That even scarcely the Letter is reformed so that the Presbyterian reformation was but as the skin of a mans body wanting flesh bones and sinews 3. That the Presbyterian National Church was not come to the true fundation of a Gospell Church which his words clearly hold forth I do not believe said he our Lord will build his Zion upon this skin of reformation therefor not the skin but some better foundation not yet discovered to the Presbyterians must be that on which God will build his Church according to S. R. And indeed this abundantly proveth that the Presbyterians began too hastily to build their Church and did not follow Gods method so that the Presbyterian Church could not say unto the Lord as Iob said chap. 10 vers 10. Hast thou not poured me out as milk and curdled me like cheese thou hast cloathed me with skin and flesh and hast fenced me with bones and sinews thou hast granted me life and favour and thy visitation hath preserved my spirit But the National Presbyterian Church being onely letter and skin having neither flesh nor bones not sinews how can it be a true Church of Christ how can it have life and spirit And surely that 's a great defect for as the bare skin of a man can not be called a man so nor can the bare skin of a Church be called a Church But 4. he telleth them of the remaining of their scum and heart-idols this sheweth they were no true spouse of Christ for he will marry himself to none who keep idols in their hearts And 5. he tells that the Land must be sifted and searched with candles and surely that was very needfull for the Presbyterian reformation was but as a wide riddle that did let through much more chaâ—â— and straw then true corn I mean chaffy and strawy Professors to be members of the Church 3. Many thousands of them really not deserving to be members of a wel ordered humane society becaus of the grossness and scandalousness of their conversation farr less of such a Divine fellowship common wealth as the true Church of Christ is I do not in the least doubt of it but the Lord had in that day as I believe he now hath many that were precious untohim among them called Presbyterians and did and do belong to the Catholick and universall Church even as I believe God hath many such not onely among them called Independents and Baptists but also among Lutherans Episcopalians and Papists 4. Moreover that about 40 years ago and upwards there was a very precious life appearing and breaking forth among them called Presbyterians in some corners in this Nation especially in some places in the West I do not question yea it is abundantly sealed in my heart that it was truely so and happy had they been if they had kept faithfull unto that for a precious tenderness there was and a precious sense of life and feeling of Gods blessed power among them especially at their privat meetings And also this life and power did in a blessed measure attend some Preachers in those days in so much as divers particulars were wonderfully reached changed in some parts a good simplicity was in divers so that I am fully perswaded it was a time of love wherein the Lord allured them and led them into the wilderness and spake comfortably unto them or spake unto their hearts as the words of the Scriptur are Hosea 2. And God remembred their simplicity and tenderness and this first love and kindness of their youth was very dear unto him although even in that day there were many errors and weaknesses among them yet the Lord winked at these things pittying them for his Seeds sake and with a regard to that honest simplicity and love that was among them who had they continued faithfull to that manifestation which was as the dawning of the morning no doubt the day of the Lord would have arisen among
but onely a favourer of Bishops being then an Advocat becaus he would not bow to their wills was constrained to flee the Nation Not to mention the fineings and other oppressions that many endured on that account and the Papists also some of whom had almost their all swept away and many fled Besides some few scattered ones whom they called Sectarys they grievously persecuted and threatned as namely Iohn Garden of Tillifroskie a Baptist whom they imprisoned in Edinburgh for a long time and reduced to so great outward necessitys that no body durst wel minister to him what he wanted But was the Presbyterian National Church any more favourable to their lawfull Prince Did they not also extend their power to the utmost against him to compell him And what the sad effects were which this produced I am loath to mention so that none were spared but all Great and small must fall down and worship this beast as it was in the darkest times of Popery otherwise they knew what they were to expect And it would saden a mans heart to think to what perplexity many simple-hearted men were brought while things were carryed thus on the one hand the Kirk issued forth her acts that people should do so and so and on the other hand the Lawfull Magistrat issued forth acts to the contrary and so the body of the Nation was divided some following the one some the other untill they ceased not to make the three Nations a field of blood And all this happened by that persecuting and compelling spirit in the Presbyterian Church that is the very life of such a Church without which it can not subsist as such Next as to her Hypocrisy we need go no further then the various changes of the farr greatest number of her Church-members and especiaily her Teachers one while Episcopal again Presbyterian and to wheel round again Episcopal and these changes all falling within a short time even upon the self same persons they who were zealous for Episcopacy and cryed it up yesterday the next day zealous against it crying it as much down and then up again one while preaching against festivall days and set forms of Worship then for them then against them then lastly for them again All this bewrayes horrible and detestable Hypoorisy especially in the Teachers who pretend to preach the Word of GOD and the Truth of Christ. Whereas the Word of the Lord is One forever and the Truth is the same always and is not yea and nay And it is a thing as manifest as the light of the day that the Teachers even of the Presbyterian Church have been generally and for the most part Self-seeking worldly minded and covetous men who loved pleasures and riches more then God And this the Mâ—gistrat did wel know and saw the best way to prevail with them was to bribe them with augmentations and benefices as they did in the year 1649 and at divers other times as they saw occasion And in the time of great burdens upon the Land of Cesses and Taxations that many honest familys were redacted to great straits by reason of these publick burdens yet the Presbyterian Preachers table was as full as ever his cup did overflow with outward abundance he must bear no part of the publick burden but the burdens of the people must be augmented to give him augmentations But alas This Presbyterian kingdom is now faln and great is the fall of it especially it falleth heavy upon such as the Author of the Postscript who want those golden days of gathering up their stipends and augmentations but are fain to be at their purchase or conform which some have so much sense of shame still remaining in them as suffereth them not to do yet they fume and rage and the honest harmeless people called Quakers must be the main butt and object of their wrath but such paper bullets and darts that contain nothing â—olid as this Postscript being full of horrid lyes and false accusations will make little execution against us but certainly return upon their heads with shame and loss 10. All this sheweth that the Presbyterian Church was not so glorious a Church as she did take her self to be And many in the Island and elsewhere on the one hand did judg the Congregational Churches farr beyond her And those called Baptists I mean the more sober kind of them beyond both yea the Lutheran Church and the Church of England at lest as to divers particulars in doctrin is really beyond her But what shall I say concerning the Waldenses who had all what the Presbyterian Church had that was commendable and divers other thingsâ— that they want and wherein they do not imitat them although they boast to be their successors For the Preachers of the Waldenses were Lay-men most of them and wrought with their hands as the Teachers of the primitive Church did and had no sâ—t stipends or salarys but preached freely yea Peter Walâ—â— the first a most famous Preacher of that People was a meer Lay-man and had not Philosophy but was a Merchant in the Town of Lyons in France whose labour the Lord did wonderfully bless and the labour of such honest plain simple men as he was SECTION IV. 1. That some good men have been in the Presbyterian Church proves not that she was a true Church 2. In the darkest times of Popery God raised up some good men and Prophets in the Popish Church yet the Popish Church no true Church of Christ. 3. Few Sects but have had some good men among them 4. The Presbyterians in our days shamefully are declined from the footsteps and spirit of thâ—se antient good men that were among them 5. The Presbyterian Church guilty of treacherous practices 6. Christians should not make warr against the Magistrat 7. Presbyterians sufferings not pure and cleanly 8. The Episcopal Church had its Sufferers and Martyrs also 9. The Presbyterian Church especially their Teachers have much blood-guiltiness upon them 10. If the house of God under the Law was not to be built by men of blood farr less under the Gospell 11. GOD will not honour the Presbyterian party to build his Zion or Gospell-Church in this Land 12. Yet he will make use of many among them after he hath â—â—ashed them from such bloody Anti-christian and unsound principles and practices 13. Of this they were warned eleven years ago in my book called Help in time of need printed in the year 1665. 14. The Presbyterian Church of Scotland guilty of Apostasy and spirituall adultery proved fully out of S. R. his Epistles 15. S. R. his Faith uncertain and he doubtfull in his later days concerning the Covenant its being made an instrument of Reformation 16. Some other testimonys of Great Presbyterian Teachers that God had forsaken the Presbyterian Church of Scotland 1. But if the Author of the Postsâ—ript think to get a fame to the Presbyterian Church becaus of some noted men for piety that have
thousands of others 9. And in very truth the Presbyterian Church will never be able to purge her self of the iniquity of the killing of many thousands in the three Nations by the occasion of a most bloody warr raised up through the instigation of the Presbyterian Teachers I am fully perswaded of it that the Presbyterian Church hath as much blood-guiltiness lieing on her head unwashed off as any People called a Church that I know of in the world next unto the bloody Church of Rome And as she hath drunk the blood of many so blood hath been given her to drink and it is to be feared that more will be given to her as a just judgment from the hand of God except she repent and condemn that blood-thirsty spirit that hath too much led and influenced her And I am wel assâ—red of it that a bloody Church is noâ—rue Church of Christ for the true Church of Christ is washed by the blood of Christ fâ—om all lust or desire to shed blood Shâ— can suffer her blood to be shed for Christ but she is white and pure from the blood of others 10. The Lord would not have David to build his house becaus he had been a man of warr and had shed much blâ—â—d O! that the Presbyterians could read the spiritual signification of this If the house of God under the Law was not to be built by a man of blood although in the sheding of the blood of the Lords enemies he was allowed shall the house of God under the Gospel be built by men of blood And who have shed so much of the blood of their very Brethren of the same profession both as Christians and as Protestants onely differing from them as to some small circumstances and worldly matters Surely Nay 11. And if there were no more this one consideration might be enough to peswad any man that believes the Scripture testimony and hath the least â—rue understanding of the nature of a Gospel Church that God will never honour the Presbyteriâ—n party to build his Zion or Gospel Church in â—his Land nay from the Lord God I have seen and do see her rejected from having any part or portion in this honourable work 12. Although I do believe the L'ord will make use of many among that people but it will be after he has washed them and purged from them the spirit of blood and of much other filthyness by his Spirit of iudgment aâ—d of burning that he will make them as stones of his building But I know it from the Lord God by his Spirit in me and from the same I declare it that the Presbyterian Church as such and as holding such bloody and Anti-Christian and otherwayes unsound principles and doctrines shall never be honoured of the Lord to build his true Zion in this Land it is the Word of the Lord God in my heart and the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it and sealed it again and again in me and their labouring to doe such a thing shall be but as men labouring in the fire and like unto them who essayed again to build Ierâ—cho 13. And this I warned them of from the Lord about eleven years agoe in my book called Helâ— in time of Need printed in the year 1655 whicâ— was a year before their insurrection in the West Yet I most assuredly know that the Lord will builâ— unto himself a glorious Church in this Land and therein I aggree with S. R. What he writs in divers Epistles as Ep. 7. part 1. a dry wind upoâ— Scotland but neither to fan nor cleanse but out of all question when the Lord hath cut down his forrest the after-growth of Lebanon shall flourish they shall plant vines in our mountains and a cloud shall yet fill the Temple Again Ep. 55. part 1. there shall be a fair green young garden for Christ in this Land c. Again Ep. 70. I believe our Lord once again shall water with his dew the withered hill of mount Zion in Scotland and come down and make a new marriage again as he did long since he addes Remember our Covenant See also Ep. 34. and 2 part Ep. 56 and 57. and part 3 Ep. 13. 14. But what means the matter These words of S. R. hold forth a great back sliding and apostasy of the Presbyterian Church according to this great Seer S. R. Otherwise what neeâ—d of a new marriage but let us hear him express his mind more distinctly concerning this so highly commended Presbyterian Church part I Ep. 34. he saith We wo wo be to apostat Scotland there is wrath and a cup of the red wine of the wrath of God Almighty in the Lords hand that they shall drink and spue and fall aud not rise again and part 1. Ep. 43. But this Nation hath forsaken the fountain of living Waters And part 1. Ep. 54. This is a black day a day of clouds and darkness for the roof-tree of my Lord Iesus his fair temple is faln and Christ's back is towards Scotland and part 1. Ep 1. yet more distinctly My heart is 〈◊〉 indeed for my mother Church that hath played the barlot with many lovers her husband hath a mind to sell her for her horrible transgressions and heavy will the hand of the Lord he upon this back-sliding Nation All this and much more might be cited out of his Epistles do prove that S. R. had no such thoughts of the Presbyterian Châ—rch which he calleth his mother Church in the time he wrot those Epistles which was at Aberdeen the best time he ever knew and had great nearness unto the Lord. 15. And whatever faith S. R. had of the Lord his appearing again to reforme the Land by the Covenant yet we find that in his later days his faith was very wavering and uncertain touching the Covenant its being made an instrument of reformation for thus he writs Ep. 70. part 2. I believe he comes quickly who will remove our darkness and will shine gloriously in the Isle of Britan as a crowned King either in a formally sworn Covenant or in his own glorious way which I leave to the determination of his infinit Wisdom and Goodness It seemeth he had some other way in his view as possible if not probable which God would take to reforme the Church then the Covenant that instrument of so much blood Hower this is certain his faith was very uncertain about the matter now in his dyeing days and he speaks not at all as any true Prophet of the Lord in this matter Albeit the Presbyterians generally are still so blind and darke that they positively judg that the covenant will be a main thing that God will make use of to reforme the Land and that both Covenant and Presbytery will up again where as S. R. is unclear in the matter 16. And I could tell them of one of themselves whom they judge no lesse then a martyr for the cause that published his mind in
print before his death some years that God had forsaken their Nationall Church and was not like to return to her again and he answereth all the common reasons from Sciptur or the Covenant that seemed to prove that the Lord would return unto them and plainly sheweth the weakness and invalidity of them The book is in the hands of many which I have read and I had it from the mouth of an honest faithfull man that he heard Iohn Livingston say in prayer Lord since Dumbar thou hast spit in our face and since that never looked over thy shoulder to us again This is he whom the Author of the Postscript calls that great man of God and this prayer he had in a certain family in Aberdeen And this is that Church that was such an apostat and whom the Lord had so forsaken by the confession of their chief Seers and who indeed was never a true Gospell Church that we the people called Quakers have forsaken and we are resolved by Gods grace never to return unto her for the Lord hath said unto us let them come unto you but goe not ye unto them the Lord hath added divers who were among them and under that profession unto us and will add many more yea thousands in due time for the Lord hath a precious seed to gather out from among them And there are many among them I know who have true breathings after the Lord and these in due time the Lord will regard and bring them to his Zion which he has begun to build in great glory even in and among the people called in Scorne Quakers SECTION V. 1. What is said against the Presbyterian Church in general as national and as being so guilty of persecution and blood is not understood of all that goe under that name many among them being free of such crimes and of a more sober Spirit and principles 2. An Apology why I frequently use the word Presbyterian 3. Presbytery too good a name for them unless with this addition Pseudo-Presbytery that is Prâ—sbytery falsely so called 4. The Presbyterian Church guilty of denying the true Christ who would exclud him out of the very Saints 5. The Presbyterian Church a foolish builder and guilty of very bad and Vnchristian Doctrins 6. The Presbyterian Church although she pretend to be more for a spritual way of preaching and worshiping then the Papal or Episcopal yet upon the matter she is not one jot more for the same then they are proved by divers Instances 7. Two Questions put to the Presbyterians 8. A list of the râ—viling false acousations and railing speeches of the Author of the Postscript against the people called Quakers 9. Presbyterian teachers have not that credit now with many people as to make them believe whatever they say with an implicit faith as formerly they too much had 1. ANd as to what I have said in generall against the Presbyterian Church as Nationall and as being so guilty of persecution and blood I understand it not of all that goe under that name for I doe believe many among them are altogether free of having a hand in such things and are of a more sober Spirit and of more sober principles but I understand it of a great faction and party of them that did most prevail and carryed away many simple wel-meaning people along with them what by deceitfull perswasions and what by fears And I know many that were so carryed away are now come to see the evil of these practices and are resolved never to concurre in or countenance the like of them again But especially the Presbyterian Clergy and priesthood had the main hand and stroak in these disorders and all to uphold their kingdom and gratify their lust and ambition 2. And that I have so frequently used the word Presbyterian or may afterwards use it is onely for distinction's sake becaus I know not how otherwise to designe them yet I am farr from judging them to be true Presbyterians or that their Classicall judicatorys were true Presbyterys such as were in the primitive times And therefore Presbytery is too good a name to give them unless with this addition Pseudo-Presbyterâ— that is to say Presbytery falsly so called seing they have so positively denyed that which gives the very life and being either to any true Church or Presbytery viz the immediat Revelation and 〈◊〉 teachings and leadings of the Spirit of Christ in every member so that as of old there were who called themselvs Iewes and Apostles and were not so these Presbyterians call themselves true Preâ—â—â—â—erys but are no more so then a dead image of a man is a true man And indeed who ever hath a true knowledge of either the Gospell or a true Gospell Church will see that with good reason and good ground we have forsaken the Presbyterian and Nationall Church and that not only becaus of her bad practices but also for her bad anti-Christian and unsound Doctrins in many things she denying the real in-being and reveâ—ation of Iesâ—â— Christ in any of her Members or indeed in any men in those days 4. And although she falsly accuse us as denying the true Christ yet I hope to make it apparent that she and not we are the denyers of him who would exclud him out of the very Saints and altogether confine him to some particular place but this I intend to reserve till afterwards 5. Also she discovereth her self to be a very foolish builder who maketh her foundation so narrow and her building so wide for no less then the whole Nation she would take into her building yea all Nations if she could And yet the true and saving Power and Grace of Christ Iesus which â—elongs to the very foundation of the Church she â—ill onely have it extended but to a small number of â—er members and that the greatest part have neither â—eceived this Grace nor ever shall but are excludâ—d inevitably from it without their own consent â—y Gods absolut decree that barreth them out from 〈◊〉 possibility of Salvation before they ever came 〈◊〉 the world Surely this is too narrow a foundaion for so wide a building and it is but a small â—avour to so many thousands of her members than â—hey are not so much as under any possibility of Salvation yea it seems they are rather the worse then the better for being her Church members seing to the boot they shall be more guilty of condemnation then the Heathen who never heard the Gospel outwardly preached and yet neveâ— a whit the more near unto Salvation These arâ— sad tidings she preacheth to her Church members Again her most eminent Saints she leaveth theâ— still in the dirt and mire of sin for term of life and tells them they can never be free from sin iâ— this life but sin and can not but sin daily in thoughâ— word and deed Surely such un-Christian Doctrins with many more could be named an ground enough for any man whose
Concerning Christ. 6. The second accusation a meere quible about the invented words of mans wisdom but the truth of the mystery is owned by the Quakers 7. Father Word or Sone and Hoâ—y Ghost are three otherwayes then in meere union operation or manifestion towards us onely but not three substances 8. Divers judged pious and learned men of the Ancients denyed and disputed against 3. hypostases and 3. persons as Jerom and Augustin 9. The third accusation a quible and false upon the matter 10. Christ is a singular man 11. Whatever excellency other men have the heavenly Man Christ Iesus hath the same and more also 12. The man Christ Iesus hath a substantiall dignity and excellency above all men in his manhood Nature 13. The Christian Quakers esteeme more highly of the man-hood of Christ Iesâ—â— then either Presbyterians or Papists PAg. 9. to wards the beginning And yet every Article of this that they may for ever destroy the foundations of salvation is by them oppugned and subverted They puting a false Christ in stead of the true Iesus the Son of David our onely saviour denying Christ to be the second person of the Trinity denying Christ to be a singular person denying Iesus the Sone of Mary to be the alone true Christ but affirming Christ to be a common sort of thing to be found in every man as it was in the Son of Mary even the common Light to be found in the mind of every man in the world affirming Iesus the true Christ the Sone of Mary to be onely an ordinary vessell which containeth this Light as the Spirit of eveâ—y other 〈◊〉 man doth and so not onely pulling down our exalted Prince from his throne of glory but putting their false Prophets in his place cloaâ—hing them with the glory of his proper titeles as being Christ as well as he becaus containing the some Light with his 1. Answer Because the Author of the Postscript layeth the whole streâ—s of all his accusations upon what he doth here lay down as the principls of the people called Quakers and for which as supposing all these to be truely alledged which yeâ— are extreamly false he goeth on at an high rate in divers whole pages both before and after these words of his already mentioned alledging that we deny all the Articles of the Christian â—aith strike at name thing of Christian religion thus robing us of the whole Gospell and turning us over into pure Heathenism shuts us out eternally from all access unto God and makes our salvation for ever simply impossible Therefore I have found it sit to sett down word by word these his particular charges which are the alone foundation of his whole discourse And allthough it may suffice to any sober man simply to deny these charges as applicable to us who are called Quakers and to informe the ignorant that they are a meere bundle of lyes and falshoods upon the matter and that this is enough 〈◊〉 overturn the foundation of his discourse and consequently the disâ—ours it self that is built on it seing he doth not bring the least proof for what he alledgeth against us from the words or writings of any of that people but meer blind suppositions and false consequences which doe no wayes follow from our principle yet for the further satisfaction of the sober inquirer â— intend God willing and assisting me by his grace to goe through every one of these particulars and in the simplicity and nakedness of truth to giveâ—â—â—ithfull accompt and declaration of our faith touching every particular which are eight in number The first whereof is that we put a false Christ in steâ—â— of the true Iesus the Sone of David one onely 〈◊〉 2. This is a false accusation for we acknowledâ— no other Christ but the one onely and true Chriâ—â— Iesus the Sone of David our onely saviour 3. And that the soundnes and truth of our faitâ— may appear in this particular let the reader knoâ— that we do most faithfully believe and acknowledâ— Jesus Christ to be true and perfect God and true and perfect man 4. And that the nature and substance of his Goâ—-hâ—ad is not the nature and substance of his Mâ—â—-hood his Man-hood is not his Godâ—head 〈◊〉 his God-head his Man-hood yet the Man 〈◊〉 God by reason oâ— that most wonderfull union 〈◊〉 the two naturs so that as the soule and body of a man are but one man by reason of 〈◊〉 union that is betwixt them although the soule be not the body nor the body the â—oule in like manner but in a more wonderfull sort the God-head and Man-hood of Christ are but one Christ without any confusion or transmutation of the God-head into the Man-hood or of the Man-hood into the God-head And the God-head of Christ is not any inferiour divinity or deity but the very same God-head of the Father so that Christ as God is equall with the Father and one and the same God with him of one nature and substance Again the Man-hood of Christ is a true and perfect Man-hood so that Christ as man hath a true and real soule distinct from the God-head yet forever united with the same in a most immediat and wonderfull manner of which union no other soul or Spirit of men or angels ever were or shall be partakers As also he hath a true and reall body so that whatever perâ—fection the Man-hood of any other man hath the Man Christ hath the same and that much greater and more excellent as may be afterwards shown 5. And thus the soundnes and truth of our faith may appear concerning the Lord Jesus Christ our â—lone faviour where wee agree with all that are 〈◊〉 and in the faith against the Socinians who deny 〈◊〉 true God-head of Christ and who also deny that Christ was before Mary whereas we believe that Christ was and is before all the First and the 〈◊〉 As also against them who deny the true and reall man-hood of Christ some denying him to have a true and real body of the Virgin Mary but onely â—antasticall as is said of the Manichees otâ—ers denying him to have a true reall soule affirming that the naked God-head tooke flesh and suffered in that flesh which is said to be the heresy of Apollinarius as also against them who affirme upon the matter thaâ— there are two Christs and two Sons of God as if the eternall Word or Logos were the one Christ and Son of God and the man Iesus borne of the Virgiâ— Mary the other Christ and Son of God which iâ— said to be the heresy of Nestorius whereas the eternall Word and Man Jesus are not two Christs noâ— two Sons of God but one and the same subsisting in two naturs as the soule and body are one man according to what is already said which example 〈◊〉 soule and body the Ancients have much used to explaine this great Mystery as also they have used another to wit of a red hot
iron the fire in the 〈◊〉 answering to the God-head or eternall Word anâ— the iron it self burning and shining by the vertue anâ— power of the fire in it answering to the Man-hood 〈◊〉 Christ both which examples I judge to be useful and pertinent yet falling exceeding short of thâ— Mystery it self which is so great that is passeth◠〈◊〉 understanding of men and Angels The second particular is that we deny Christ 〈◊〉 be the second person of the Trinity 6. This is a meer quible about the invented words of mans wisdom which we deny albeit the truth of the thing it self we deny not but faithfully believe to wit that Christ as God is the second of the Three that bear record in heaven which three are the Father the Word and the Spirit and these three are One as Iohn declared and we believe that these three that bear record in heaven are not three distinct natures and substances but the one in nature and substance not three Gods but One onely God not having three understadings three wills or three powers but one only understanding one only will and one only power 7. Yet they are three otherwise then in meer name operation or manifestation towards us onely being distinct in their relative modes or propertys so that the Father is not the Word nor is the Word or Son the Father allthough he be our Father nor is the Spirit that proceeds from the Father and the Son either the Father or the Son the Father is uncreated and unbegotten the Son or Word from everlasting is uncreated and yet begotten of the Father the Spirit is neither created nor begotten but proceedeth from the Father and the Son from everlasting the Father did not become flesh nor was born and crucified and rose but the Son or Word yet the Father is in the Son the Son in the Father the Spirit that proceedeth from them is was in them and with them from everlasting and is unto everlasting and whatever the Father doth the Word and Spirit do the same being one as in nature so in operation This Father doth all things by the Word and the Father and the word doe all things by the Spirit and yet as they are distinct in the manner or modes of being so also in the manner or modes of operation As the Father is first in the manner of his being so is he first in the manner of operation as the Son is second in the manner of his being so is he second in the manner of operation and as the Spirit is third in the manner of his being so is he third in the manner of operation Yet this priority is not a priority of time but of order for they were three before time even from everlasting and they all cooperat and work together And thus it may appear that we are sound in the faith as touching this great mystery and that we differr not in the matter or thing it self but onely as to the manner of expression which they themselvs grant is not by words divinely inspired as namely a Trinity of persons or three distinct persons Christ and the Apostles who declared of this mystery expressed it not in these termes of three distinct persons nor are these words recorded in Scriptures therefor we are not bound to expresse our faith in these unscripturall termes which the holy Ghost hath not taught nor indeed is there any need of those termes three distinct persons but rather they darken then explain the mystery which have occasioned not onely some of the vulgar but even some of them called the learned to erre grossely in their conceptions about the mystery it self as if the Father the Word and the Spirit were really three distinct substances each having a distinct understanding will and power and as if the word or Son were inferiour in nature to the Father and the Father greater then the Son as Origen is thought by some to have taught and as some do now teach and such although they affirme that the Word and the Spirit are diâ—tinct substances from the Father and that the Father is greater then they yet they do not acknowledg that the Word and Spirit are created or that they have their being from the Father by way of creation but only by way of emanation and they affirme that the Father is onely the most high God and the Word and Spirit inferiour unto him as being God onely by participation from and union with the Father and thus they think to defend themselvs as not being guilty of the Arian heresy whereas it was a branch of the Arian heresy to say that the Son or Word was not equall unto the Father But whither or not they be guilty of the Arian â—eresy sure I am they are in an error occasioned in great part by these unsound and unscriptural terms of three Persons in the Trinity for persons signify substances and not the modes or propertys of one Substance 8. And it is wel known that these words of Three Persons and 3 Hypostases have made great contention in former times and divers judged to be pious and learned men have denyed them and disputed against them as namely Ierome against three hypostases and Augustin disputeth solidely lib. 5. 7. de Trinitate that the words Three Persons are not properly applicable to the Mystery it self although he doth not know what other names to give them and surely it is too great presumption and curiosity in any men to dive further into this mystery then what God hath pleased to reveal or to give names unto it which the Lord hath not given And yet it is more presumption and smelleth rankly of a persecuting spirit to impose upon others these words which the Spirit of God hath not taught nor left upon record in the Scripture and yet becaus we do not own these words of mans wisdom and spirit to cry out against us as blasphemers and as denying the true Christ whereas we believe in and do own the true Christ according both to his God-head and Man-hood more according to the Truth and Testimony of the Scripture then our accusers do as I hope in its due place to shew The Third Particular whereof he accuseth us is that we deny Christ to be a singular Person 9. But this is another quible like unto the former for I ask him What doth he mean by the word Person whether the God-head or both united If he place the personality upon the Godhead it resolveth into the second particular already cleared but the Word or Godhead of Christ is not properly a person but an invisible Power and Life if he place it upon the Manhood as united with the Godhead this is contrary to their own doctrin who teach that the Word did assume the nature of Man but not the person otherwise he would be two persons and thus they distinguish the personality from the nature of man but this is a most
them but onely an emanation or stream of it the Center and Spring it self was for most part in heaven untill it descended and cloathed it self with the likeness of our 〈◊〉 flesh in the Virgins womb 13. And â—herefore let all the Scripturs be searched and it shall not be found that Christ became Man and tooke to himself the Soul of Man at his conception in the womb of the Virgin Mary but onely that he took flesh and was the Son of Mary David and Abraham according to the flesh but according to his Heavenly Nature even as man he was the Son of God and was the Father and Lord of all the Faithfull in all Ages therefore David in spirit called him LORD whose Name is Wonderfull Counseller the Mighty God the Everlasting Father aud Prince of Peace SECTION IX 1. That Christ is in every man yea in every Creature in a true sense proved from Scripture 2. That it derogats no more from the honour of Christ then from the honour of God the Father that he is in all things 3. Christ in the saints proved from Scripture 4. Yea in all men even the wicked proved from Scripture 5. The God-head properly doth not suffer in men but the soule or life of Iesus Christ the heavenly man 6. More Scripture to prove that Christ suffers in the wicked as Heb. 6. 6. Rev. 11. 8. 7. Paul preached Christ in the Corinthians and Galatians when unbelievers proved from 1 Cor. 2. 2. Gal. 1. 3. Eph. 3. 8. 1. Tim. 3. 16. 8. If Christ be in the Saints he must be in all men proved from a most convincing reason that otherwayes he would be divided from himself and in discontinued places 9. Christ is otherwayes in all men then in the other inferior creaturs in regard of his operations 10. And otherwise in the Saints then in other men not only in regard of operation but also in regard of union and communion 11. How Christ is and yet is not in unbelievers in different respects cleared by two manifest examples 12. Christ is otherwise in the outward body and temple that suffered at Jerusalem then in the Saints 13. The Saints union with God is but mediat through the heavenly man Christ whereas the union of Christ with God is immediat 14. The Saints not Christ but Christians and receive all things from God by the Heavenly Man Christ Iesus 15. How Christ hath given eternall life to all flesh or all mankind according to John 17. 2. which place of Scripture is falsly translated in our English Bible THe fifth Particular whereof he accuseth us is that we affirme Christ to be a common sort of thing to be found in every man as it was in the Son of Mary even the common Light to be found in the mind of every man in the world 1. Answer That Christ is in every man yea in every creature we do boldly affirme conforme to the Scripture which saith all things were created by him even Iesus Christ the incarmate Word or Word made flesh and therefor he is in all things and as Iohn said he was in the world and the world was made by him for indeed it is impossible that the maker can be separated from the thing that is made I say according to the Scripture that seeing all creaturs were made by Iesus Christ therefore he is in them all even as God is in all giving them and upholding them their beings and ministring unto every thing what is needfull and fit for it 2. Doth it any more derogat from the honour and glory of Christ that he is in all then it derogats from the honour and glory of God the Father who is in all and through all blessed in himself for ever more For as God is a pure being and life that nothing can defile even so is Christ Jesus an incorruptible and incontaminable life and being as God is Light so Christ is Light a Light that shineth every where even in the darkness as Iohn declared but the darkness cannot comprehend it nor can the darkness obscure and darken it onely it can and doth obscure and darken the eyes of them who are in darkness that they cannot see nor behold the glory of the Light But more particularly to come to the matter in hand I shall first prove from Scripture that Christ is in the Saints and secondly both from Scripture and good reason that is grounded on Scripture that he is in all men in a true sense yea in all creatures And thirdly I shall shew that in regard of his operations he is otherwise in men then in the other creaturs of an inferior degree And fourthly that he is otherwise in the Saints then in other men and that not onely in regard of operation but also in regard of union and communion And fiftly that he is otherwise in the vessell or temple that suffered on the Crosse at Ierusalem and is now glorifyed in heaven then he is in any or in all of the Saints or in any other creaturs whatsoever howsoever excellent 3. As to the first that Christ is in the Saints see Ioh. 6 56. he that eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood dwelleth in me and I in him see also Iohn 17. 23. I in them and thou in me c. see again Rom. 8. 10. And if Christ be in you the body is dead Eph. 3. 17. That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith Collos. 1. 27. Christ in you the hope of glory 2 Cor. 13. 3. Seing that ye seek a proofe of Christ speaking in me and verse 5. know ye not your own sâ—lvâ—s how that Iesus Christ is in you unless ye be reprobates Many more Scriptures may be brought but these shall suffice to shew that Christ is in the Saints and Christ is Gods anointed King Priest and Prophet and therefor by Christ is not to be understood the Word simply considered as in God but the incarnate or ingrafted Word or the Word made flesh that dwelleth in the Saints Ioh. 1. 14. for the Word simply considered as in God is not the anointed but the annointer whereas Christ is Gods anointed 4. Secondly that Christ is in all men even in the wicked see Amos 2. 13. Behold I am pressed under you as a Cart is pressed that is full of sheaves This cannot be understood of God or the Word simply considered that cannot be pressed or suffer any grief but it is well understood of the incarnat or ingraftâ—d Word to wit the precious Seed of the life of Christ in us that is exceeding tender and is capable of grief and suffering by mens sins Psal. 95. 10. Fourty years long was I grieved in this generation Isajah 63. 9 10. In all their affliction he was affâ—icted and the Angel of his presence saved them in his love and in his pity he redeemed them and he bare them and caryed them all the days of old but they rebelled and vexed his holy Spirit c. 5.
This is the holy Spirit of the heavenly man Christ Iesus or the ingrafted or incarnat Word that is capable of grief and suffering whereas the Godhead is not capable of any suffering or grief for all suffering and grief is a finite and temporall thing whereas nothing can be in God but that which is infinit and eternall otherwise God would not be in all respects an infinite being which is absurd 6. See again Hebr. 6. 6. They who fall away from Christ are said to crucify to themselvs the Son of God afresh Now they could not crucify him if he were not in them because he was not outwardly present with them in his body of flesh so that they could not crucify him outwardly and Rev. 11. 8. our Lord is said to be crucified in Spirituall Sodom and Egypt that is the Apostat Church Babylon the Mother of fornications 7. And when Paul first preached to the Corinthians and Galathians in the time of their heathenism he preached Christ crucified in them see 1 Cor. 2. 1. Gal. 3. 1. The Words in both places according to the Greek are crucified in you And it was a great part of the mystery that Paul preached unto the Gentiles to wit Christ in the Gentiles which Sathan and his ministers laboured to hide and obscure as they do at this present but Christ and his Ministers labour to make known See Collos. 1. 27. To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this Mystery in the Gentiles And Eph. 1. 8. he preached the unsearchable riches of Christ in the Gentiles And 1 Tim. 3. 16. God manifest in the flesh preached in the Gentiles so the Greek in all these places but the Translaters of the Bible not understanding this so blessed comfortable a truth have translated these places among and not in whereas if Christ was among them he was also in them seeing he was not outwardly present among them in his body of flesh 8. And seeing that both they who are not Saints as well as they who are Saints are created by Jesus Christ he must needs be as really in the one as in the other Also seing the Saints the wicked in this world walk up and down together and are scattered among one another good and sound reason teacheth us that if Christ be in the Saints he must needs be in all men yea in all this world through which the Saints are scattered otherwise Christ would be divided from himself and be discontinued and in discontinued places which is impossible as all men of sound reason must needs acknowledge 9. Thirdly all though Christ be in all the creaturs yet he is otherwise in all men then in the others creaturs that are of an inferiour degree unto mankind in regard of operation because he exerteth or putteth forth more noble operations in and upon men then in other creaturs men having immortall souls that are more noble principles and subjects of operation then the inferiour creaturs have so that all men even the worst of men are capable of knowing and enjoying the blessed life of Christ which the inâ—erior creaturs are not and that which hinders them from this knowledge and enjoyment is not the want of capacity as it is in the other creaturs out sin and especially the sin of unbelief that they will not come unto him who is come unto them that they may have life as he complained against the Iewes 10. Fourthly Christ is otherwise in the Saints then in other men and that not only in regard of operation but also in regard of union and communion for the Saints are joyned unto him by living bonds as the branches are unto the vine and as the living members of the body are unto the head and they are one Spirit 1 Cor. 6. 17. Eph. 4. 15 16. Ioh. 15. 5. Ioh. 17. 23. Also they have communion both with the Father and the Son Christ Jesus 1 Joh. 1. 3. and one with another in him 1 Joh. 1. 7. and Christ dwelleth in the hearts of the Saints by Faith Eph. 3. 17. And he is formed in them Gal. 4. 19. So that they are his mother who bring him forth by a Spirituall and divine birth Matth. 12. 49. And thus the Church brought him forth long after he was outwardly born and crucified and rose and ascended Revel 12. 5. And she brought forth a man-child who was to rule all Nations with a rod of iron this is the hidden man of the heart 1. Pet. 3. 4. which 〈◊〉 the heavenly ornament not onely of all good Womâ—n but of all the Saints whom they doe put on Rom. 13. 14. who is the new man Eph 24. And the heavenly man or Lord from heaven 1 Cor. 15. 47 48. So that having eat his flesh and drunk his blood they are members of his body of his flesh and of his bones Eph. 5. 30. whereas all other men who are not Saints they have no union nor communion with Christ and he dwelleth not in them by faith he is not formed in them nor revealed as he is in the Saints as Paul declared he was in him at his conversion Gal. 1. 18. and then he preached him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Gentiles to the end that he might be revealed in them as he was in him and thus the being of Christ in the Saints is after a more speciall presence then he is in others whose understandings are darkened being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them becaus of the blindness of their heart Eph. 4. 18. And here observe that he doth not say becaus that the life of God is not in them but becaus of their blindness and ignorance they were alienated and estranged from it being past feeling so that once they had a feeling of this Life and therefore it was in them which Life is Câ—rist 11. Now becaus that Christ is not in Vnbelieverâ— according to that special presence and revelation as he is in the Saints and Believers but is hid and unrevealed in them therefore it is that sometimes Christ is said not to be in them even as we commonly say in a cloudy and dark night when no Starres appear in the aire or Firmament that they are not in it whereas they are in it even then but they do not appear in it as when the air is clear For Christ the Light shineth in the darkness although the darkness comprehends him not and this is the night state But when men believe he is said to rise â—n them and therefore he was in them before but 〈◊〉 arisen even as the Sun is in the Firmament at â—â—dnight as wel as at mid-day but the dark shadâ—ow of the Earth hinders us from its Light and â—hus the darkness of the Earthly mind hinders the â—oul of the Unbeliever to see the Sun of righteousâ—ess who reacheth through all and is in all Col. 〈◊〉 11. and is that true Light that
of watâ—r in a dry place as the shaddow of a great Rock in a weary land Surely this is a Great and Mighty Man so that we may justly say as these did of old what manner of Man is this whom the â—â—inds and sea obey For indeed he commands the winds and the sea and all the creaturs to whom all power is given in heaven and earth and though he hath his Deputys and Servants under him yet they can doe nothing without him 15. And therefore he himself is every where present and knoweth seeth and perceiveth all things He knoweth the most secret thoughts and actions of all men both good and he told the woman of Samaria who had been a bad and evil woman all that ever she did even the Man Christ Jesus as she her self did acknowledge and went and preached him to others Come said she and see a man that told me all that ever I did is not this the Christ But to say he told this as knowing it by revelation from the Father and not as the Man Christ Jesus is to equall other Prophets unto him who knew the thoughts of men by revelation and indeed to weaken the argument that she brought to prove that he was the Christ becaus this man told her all but seing this Man knew all her deeds and thoughts immediatly and needed not Divine revelation to know them therefore he was indeed the true Christ for no other man had such a priviledg and certainly he told her much more inwardly then outwardly and therefore he was in her to wit by his Life Light and Spirit And how could the woman that was cured of her bloody-issue by touching the hem of his garment have touched him Luk 8. if his Spirit and Soul or Life had not extended into her for her touch was not a bare outward touch nor did she touch his body but onely the hem of his garment and although many touched him beside in the great presse of people yet he felt her touch that was another sort then all the other touches even a spiritual touch so that her spirit reached unto his Spirit and drew from it out of his body and he feeling this said who touched me 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 albeit it was a woman that touched him and he did ask the question in the masculine article and indeed a masculine and vigorous touch it was her spirit being raised by faith into a masculine and Heavenly vigour touched his Spirit and drew vertue from him and therefore his Spirit reached unto her that did both so draw forth her Spirit towards him and also did convey unto her that healing vertue And surely many thousands have as really touched him as she did by the spiritual touch of faith who never had his outward body or external person present to touch it and have drawn virtue from him whereby their Souls have been cured and some also have found their bodys cured and restored to health SECTION XIII 1. If by common be understood that Christ is Gods free Gift we acknowledg him so common 2. The Life and Light otherwise in the Son of Mary then in us 3. Christ 〈◊〉 truely Mediator in the Saints as without them in heaven proved out of John 17 23. and Rom. 8. 4. The Seed of regeneration is sown by Christ the Son of Man 5. God the Father is greater then Christ as Mâ—n 6. The Omnipresence of the Manhood of Christ in all creaturs doth not confound his Godhead with his Manhood 7. That Scripture Luk 2 49. opened 8. The 6 7 and 8 charges utterly false 9. The Presbyterian Teachers make the Devil greater and of a larger extent then the Heavenly Manhood of Christ to the great dishonour of our Blessed Saviour 10. The Quakers put not their Prophets and Teachers in Christs roome but acknowledg him exalted above all creatures more then the Presbyterians 11. The blindness and darkness of the Author of the Postscript that denyeth the Saints to have any measure of that Light that was or is in Christ. 12. How furr the Author of the Postscript hath outshot himself in denying Christ to be in the Saints ANd thus having by many Scripture testimonys and arguments builded thereupon together also with the testimonys of others and some of the Presbyterians own Prophets so fully proved that Christ is in the Saints yea and in a true sense in all men and in all things as God is Before I close this particular head I shall a little more narrowly consider the Author of the Postscript his words in in the 5 charge He saith we affirme Christ to be a common sort of thing His designe is easily to be seen here as if we undervalued Christ but it is no undervaluing of him to call him a thing seing the Angel called him that holy thing Luk 1 35. That holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God And this holy thing we say is in all men 1. But if by common he mean either that it is of mens nature or that all men have the enjoyment of it in that sense I deny that it is common for it is not of men but it is in the nature of it a most rare divine and singular thing and though it be in all yet it can be enjoyed by none but them who are Saints But to understand by common that it is the free Gift of God unto all whereby all may be saved in that sense we do not deny it to be common nor doth its being common derogate any thing from its excellency for bonum quo communius co melius a good thing the more common it be the better it is Is not God a common Creator and yet he is not the less good or exceâ—lent so nor is Christ the less good or excellent that he is a common Saviour in so farr that he doth put Life and Salvation within the reach of every man in a day of visitation that they may be saved 2. But the summe or substance of this his 5 charge is false namely that we affirme that Christ is in every man as he was in the Son of Mary for we say The Son of Mary is Christ himself and though his Light and Life and Spirit or Soul be in â—s and in all men yet not so as in the Son of Mary for it is in him in the fulness and in us onely by emanation from him It is he the Son of Mary that giveth us this living water who is th Fountain and Spring of it whereas the stream of it is but in us and God who is Light is otherwise in the Son of Mary or Man-Christ then in us or any other men for he is in him by an immediate union and communion whereas he is in us but by the Man Christ as in regard of union and communion so that our union and communion with God is but mediat through him 3. And this wonderfull mystery Christ himself
doth clearly hold forth Ioh. 17. verse 23. I in them and thou in me that they may be made perfect in one Observe here an excellent order Christ in the Saints and God in Christ So that as in respect of union God is not immediately in us nor immediatly united with us nor we with him but God is in Christ and Christ is in us And so God through Christ is in us and thus Christ doth declare himself to be the Mediator betwixt God and Man as he is in them Thou in me and I in them here Christ is the midle-man or Mediator as being in the Saints which confuts the gross and most comfortless doctrin of the Prebyterians and others who affirme that Christ as Mediator is only without us in heaven and is not Mediator in us whereas he himself in this place hath declared the contrary thou in me and I in them that they may be made perfect in one So that of all things visible and invisible Christ is next unto God and most near unto him as in regard of union and communion and then the Saints by their union with Christ are united also unto God and he unto them And if Christ be mediator in the Saints then he is Man or the Word incarnate in them for the Word or Logos simply considered is not mediator becaushe is of a nature as remote from us as the Father being one essence or substance with him and indeed it is the Man Christ that spoke these words in prayer unto his Father for the Logos simply considered is God himself and cannot be supposed to pray unto God for that to which one prayeth is greater then he that doth pray and it is the Man Christ or Word incarnate who said my Father is greater then I so that Christ as Man is inferiour to God this is the same Spirit of Christ as Man that prayeth and maketh intercession unto God in the Saints Rom 8. and hath done so from the beginning and by whom the children of men in all ages have received grace from God 4. For the seed of Gods Grace which is the true â—â—â—d of regeneration that hath been sowne in all ages of the world as well before as since Christ did outwardly come in the flesh was sown by the Son of Man to wit the Man Christ Jesus as he hath expressly taught himself Math. 13. 37. He that soweth the good seed is the Son of Man who is the good and friendly Man and therefore he hath been in all ages and places of the world becaus he hath sown his seed in the world and not in some corner of it onely and the seed which he hath sowen is the iâ—grafted Word even a measure of the same divine and Heavenly Nature Light Life that is in himself as he is the Heavenly Man or Lord from Heaven 5. Whose nature as Man is Heavenly and Divine all though it be inferiour to the God head for he said my Father is greater then I nor will his â—mnipresence and omnipercipiency prove that as Man he is as great as the Father for the whole universe of created beings of Heaven and Earth visible and invisible are as the dust of the ballance and drop of the bucket in comparison of God 6. And therefore that the Heavenly Man Christ Jesus his Spirit Light and Life doth every where extend it self into all things will not prove that Christ as Man is equall unto God nor yet confound his God-head and Man-hood it only proveth that the Man Christ Jesus is a great and mighty and most excellent being farre above all and excelling all men and Angells and all other angelicall and heavenly powers and principallitys which is a most certain truth and therefore do all the Angels worship him as they are commanded 7. And this universall presence of his in all things he declared himself when Mary his Mother according to the flesh with her husband Ioseph did seek him among the multitude why did yee seek me said he did yee not know that I must be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the things of my Father Luk 2. 49. and verse 50. They understood not that saing which he spake unto them and indeed many at this day do not understand it which place of Scripture Dionysius of Alexandria brought against Paulus Samosatenus to prove that Christ was before Mary and if Christ was before Mary he was not only God but Man for it is the Man or Word incarnate that is the Christ or Anointed of the Father and not the Word or God-head simply considered His 6 7 and 8 charges are that we affirme Iesus the true Christ the Son of Mary to be onley an ordinary vessell which containeth â—his Light as the Spirit of every other Holy Man doth and so not only pulling down our exalted Prince from his Throne of Glory but putting our false Prophets as he calls them in his place cloathing them with the glory of his proper titles as being Christ as wel as he becaus containing the same Light with his 8. Answ. That these charges are exceeding false and unjustly layd upon us will abundantly appear from what is already said in answer to the former and therefore I need say the lesse onely to let the Reader know that we are so farre from affirming Jesus the true Christ the Son of Mary to be onely an ordinary vessell c. that we both believe and affirme him to be a most Wonderfull and extraordinary Vessel and that both in respect of his Soul and body as having the Center and Spring of that Divine Light Life and Nature whereof we have but the ray and streame And though the Vessels of other men have the Light in them yet they contain it not but it rather contains them for the greater is not contained in the lesser but the lesser in the greatâ—r And thus we do not pull down our exalted Prince from his Throne of glory but acknowledge â—im more exalted then our adversarys do who â—ould confine and limit him to one place and â—â—ltogether exclude him as Man from having any â—â—rone in the hearts of his people whereas they do â—â—knowledge that the Devil is in all wicked men 〈◊〉 and good men also and yet they will not acâ—nowledge Christ to be in all nay not in any good â—en upon Earth 6. And thus they make the Devil greater then 〈◊〉 which is no small dishonour to our Blessed Saâ—iour and they who deny him to be in men even 〈◊〉 the Saints seing he is really in them conforme 〈◊〉 to the testimony of Scripture and the experience of them who know and witness him revealed in them are denyers of him as really as they who denyed him when he came in the flesh 10. Again that we put our Prophets whom he falsly calleth false Prophets in the place of Christ cloathing them with the glory of his proper titles as being Christ as wel as he becaus containing the same
great enemys to the immediate teachings of Christ in the hearts of people but that they feare that if people come to receive the teachings of Christ in their hearts they will deny them as false Teachers and so their trade and gain will down 5. But all true Preachers they preach not themselvs but Christ Jesus as the Apostles did and they preach him not onely ascended into Heaven and as being in heaven but they preach him also as being in the hearts of people saying The Word is near thee in thy mouth and in thy heart Rom. 10 Deut. 30. And all true Preachers are glad that people come to know Christ and learn of him in their hearts and they are assured that they who are come to learne of Christ immediately will never despise or reject the ministry of those whom Christ doth send and in whom he speaks for the sheep of Christ hear his voyce wherever it soundeth and they who love to heare Christ in themselvs love also to heare him in others and receive the Word not as the Word of Men but as it is indeed the Word of God And thus I have gone through the eight particular Charges wherewith he hath so falsly charged us and in plainness and simplicity of heart declared our beliefe concerning them and how that we owne the true Christ as true and perfect God and as true and perfect Man who as concerning the flesh was the Son of David and of Mary but yet was before Mary and David and all men who is the Son of God blessed for evermore 6. And seing these 8 false charges are the onely foundation on which the Author of the Postscript builds all his other calumnys and his whole discourse his sandy foundation being removed his building falls with shame upon his own head and I wish his eyes may be opened by that Light he hath so maliciously reproached that he may see what that Spirit is that hath led him so to blaspheme the true Christ of God in mens hearts for certainly it is not the Spirit of Christ but of Satan seing no man speaking by the Spirit of God calleth Iesus accursed as Paul declared O that he may be made to looke upon him whom he hath pierced in his tender Life and Seed in his own heart by such malitious and envious speeches and mourn bitterly for so doing and doe so no more that he may find mercy of the Lord 7. It were a needless labour to follow him in all the rest of his discourse or to give a particular reply to every sentence the whole containing no arguments to prove us guilty of such things he had done more as a man and as a Christian to have charged us with some things that we did truely hold and if he did suppose them to be errours to have endeavoured to refute them with solid arguments brought from Scripture and sound Reason nothing of which he hath done but raileth on from the beginning to the end It seemeth verily that he is better skilled in the art of railing which is a black art to be sure too familiar to the tribe of black-coats then in the way of disputing But I shall take notice of one thing before I leave him as where he saith Pag. 12. from line 15. As the ministers of Iesus Christ are the men in the world against whom they have the most pure and perfect hatred so it is against those ministers more particularâ—y who are most tender and â—difying and by whose labouring among the people their Lord and Master who sent them sees of the travel of his Soul and is satisfied that they as the ministers of Satan set themselvs very fit messengers are they if any were caught up to the third heaven to bâ—ffeâ— him I appeall in this matter to the experience and observation of all who take notice of their way and how little they trouble others their Master fearing little or finding little dammage to his dominion and kingdom by these lazy lie-byes and idle loyterers 8 Answ. This is like the rest of his false accusations we hate no mens persons but their vices and farre be it from us to oppose any of the true ministers of Iesus Christ nay we love them and honour them for their works sake and we judge ourselvs bound in conscience at all occasions to heare them and countenance them but such men as call themselvs the ministers of Christ and after triall are found not to be his ministers or sent of him we find ourselvs called of God to deny them and witness against them as Christ did against the Pharisees of old and as the Prophets did against the false prophets who taught for gain and rewards 9. This hath been an old policy of Satan which many have used in former times to call themselvs with such splendid names as Ministers of Christ and of the Gospel when they have been rather ministers of Satan and of Anti-Christ The Popish priests and bishops doe the same and the Pope calleth himself Servus servorum Dei a servant of the servants of God And indeed this is one of the great stumbling-blocks that the Popish Clergy and priests lay in the way of the people to keep them in blindness and superstition and beget a prejudice in them against the Protestants and dissenters from the Popish Church Oh! say they these men are abominable hereticks who deny our holy mother Church and her holy priests and bishops and our holy father the Pope whom Christ hath appoynted and set up as his Vicar upon Earth And then they reckon up so many holy priests and bishops and so many holy Fathers as have been and are in their Church And thus they seek to deceive the people and to speake freely I do not question it but there have been some in the Popish Church who had as great pretences to holyness and looked as like holy men as any to be found of the Presbyterian Teachers And I judge the Presbyterians themselvs will not generally conclude that for these many hundreds of years there have been no holy men in the Church of Rome which yet hath been an Apostate Church for many hundred years and yet all this will not prove that we ought to joyne to the Church of Rome becaus of some men that have lived in it or may as yet be in it that may be really as holy and of as good a life and conversation as any the Presbyterians can name among themselvs And the like may be said of the Lutheran Church and Church of England which is Episcopal I suppose this Author and his brethren will not be so uncharitable as to conclude there are no holy men in the Episcopal Church or that no Bishop is a holy man and I question not but they can instance some among Lutherans and Papists also that have taken and do take as great pains to preach as any Presbyterian Preacher ever did and greater also Some of the Popish priests have
15. 22. If I had not come and spoken unto them they had not had sin but now they have nocloake for their sin But may expect to be numbred amongst the enemys of Gods Work It was the commendation of good Men in all ages that they walked sutably to the dispensation of the Lord in their day and this is the great duty the Lord calls for from his people to follow the Lamb whâ—thersoever he 〈◊〉 this will be their commendation before the Lord as Rev. 14. 4. When the life Light and power of God removeth from one dispensation to another to be alwayes a follower of that which is our duty for it is not to be expected that Moses or David if they were alive now would looke to find that life in their sacrifices and externall rites which they found when they were upon Earth no this is only to be waited for in the spirituall way of the Gospell worship And to come nearer if Cranmer Hooker and Ridly who were Martyrs for the Protestant faith in beareing witness against the Idolatry of the Masse thought it no small mercy to have the use of a common prayer booke in English no doubt in that day might feel life in it yet when the Light of reformation encreased it discovered that to be a limiting of the Spirit of God in Prayer and consequently had in it self a tendency to deaden the heart by remaining in that formality If they were living now the Lord would require of them to seek after a more Spirituall Way of worship where the pure life of Christ was more to be found and felt then in read prayers Even so now when the Lord is poynting forth a more spirituall way which is by following the pure motions of the Spirit of life in an immediat way upon the heart in all religious dutys the Lord will have all his people to owne that way both in practice and profession and they that will reject this or refuse or oppose it He will no less reckon them as his enemys now then these that have been refusers or opposers of his work in former generations A 3 Obstruction is Truth hath been for most part loaded by its opposers with many heavy slaunders calumnys and lyes and traduced with the nick-names of errour Heresy blasphemy and delusion yea called devilisme and what else malice can invent so Pauls religion was called heresy Acts. 24. 14. and Christians were a sect every where spoken against Acts 23. 22. Yea Christ himself was said to have a Devil Ioh. 8. 48 53. And what wonder then that the opposers of Truth in this day speake so of Truth as it is now manifested The Professors thereof are said to deny Jesus Christ that was borne of the virgin Mary where as they have often testifyed they owne no other Christ but him to be the Saviour of the world that was crucifyed at Ierusalem and this we can say in the uprightness of our hearts as in his sight that searches hearts Our opposers say wee deny the Scriptures of Truth whereas we owne all things therein being rightly translated to be the dictate of the Holy Spirit and that they containe all the substantialls of true religion and whatsoever is contrary to them to be but delusion yea we are content to have all poynts of controversy betwixt us and our opposers to be determined by the Scriptures of Truth We are said to deny the Ministry and ordinances of the Gospell whereas we owne all the true and faithfull Ministers that are called of God and that function and are not meerely men-made Ministers that are made to be Ministers in the meere will of men only endued with some measure of natural and acquired parts and feel not the power and vertue of the life of Jesus Christ dwelling in their hearts without any sense of which power and life they can pray and preach But we owne all Spirituall and living preaching and prayer As for the ordinances called Sacraments we own them only according to Scripture sense viz. that Baptisme which is by the Holy Ghost for Iohn Baptised with water but Christs Baptisme is with the Holy Ghost and with fire Math. 3. 11. Act. 1. 4. This is that one baptisme Eph. 4. 5. The Bread and Wine that is Elementary we deny as being but a carnal ordinance which are all repealed at the time of reformation under the Gospell Heb. 9. 10. as all rites are which stand in meats and drinks washings or Baptismes as the Greek hath it But we owne the Communion of Christs body and blood according to Luk. 6. 53. compared with verse 63. Our opposers say we lay the whole stresse of justification and remission of sins upon our own righteousness and we declare we owne no meritorious cause of the remission of sins but the righteousness blood and sufferings of Jesus Christ that was crucified at Ierusalem and as it was done and performed by the Man Christ born of the virgin Mary and yet we profess none are justified but such as are in a measure sanctified and actually cleansed from sin so as none are justified in their sins These and many more of the like slaunders asserted with boldness and impudence by malicious opposers are no small obstruction to many simple-hearted people who are but too ready to take things of this nature upon trust without tryall and proofe especially if the assertors be in any repute for a piece of seriousness as the Scribes and Pharisees high Priests who were in great authority and esteem with the people and thereby did influence their slender followers to preferre Barrabas a murderer and a robber to Christ Iesus A 4 Obstruction is that Truth when it comes first abroad is at severall great disadvantages in the eyes of the world as first it seldom hath the countenance of Civil authority but mostly is persecuted and laws and statutes made in opposition to it this is universally known in all ages and throughout these Nations where it first appeared Secondly it hath the opposition of the Nationall Clergy so called and of the most learned of that sort of men who have the greatest advantages of authority to influence the body of the Nation see Ioh. 9. 22. For the Iews had agreed already that if any men did confess that he was Christ he should he put out of the Synagogue Thirdly Truth being a witness against the abuse and superstitions which have through length of time and long custome been rooted and strengthned so in a Nation that it needs no less the the power of God to extirpate people can hardly admit to hearken to any testimony against these things whether they be personal or national customes see Mark 7. 9. and he said unto them full wel ye reject the commandement of God that ye may keepe your own tradition It 's not an easie thing to forsake old Customes this hath been a cause why men in all ages have stumbled at the simplicity of truth