First, Concerning the fall of man.

ANd in this thou tels of the sum of things spoken by me, but sums up thy own lies amongst it, not having matter from my words to accuse me with.

[Page 3] Doth my words say, that Gods own Wisdom and Spirit re­mains in faln man, but as a captive? and that that was his fall? or do I say, that by looking and turning not to any thing without, but to that of God lying under and covered within him, and that that is the bloud of the Cross, and his redemption? Art not thou ashamed, instead of answering to my words, to become an accuser openly? had it not been thy wisdom rather to have been silent, if thou durst not have entred upon my words as they stand, then to have made thy self way with lies? and then to dis­prove thy lies thy self? And not any thing that I have said dost thou appear against; onely in thy seeming answer or mist which thou casts, thou adds more lies, saying, that I say, that there is that in the natural man, which being turned into, and followed, can redeem and make attonement, a thing never spoken by me, nor never entred into my heart, for it is in the spiritual man that the attonement is made, and not in the natural.

Thou further sayes, That the obedience of Christ was not the righteousness of one; which is as false concerning Christ, as the other concerning me, as whoever reads Rom. 5. 18, 19, shall read there in plain words.

Other things thou sayes, As that we are not made righteous by looking back and turning to the first Adam, &c. A thing never spoken by me nor intended, onely thou dost disprove thy own deceitful slander cast on my words, and so in the most places of thy book, which I shall not much mention, seeing they touch not my words, as he that reads my words may see, not one sentence of mine hast thou disproved in this answer.

Thou adds a piece of false doctrine, which I shall discover; Thou sayes, by looking out of everything in man to the second Adam, I say, he whose eyes is without and not within, cannot see the second Adam, for he cannot be seen but by revelation, and in spirit he is known and seen since his ascention, and hath been to all his, as these Scriptures will plainly prove, Galat. 1. 16. Col. 1. 27.

And I demand of thee and all thy generation, to make it ap­pear, how the second Adam is now seen, but in the spirit by faith within; till then blame me not for saying this of thine is false [Page 4] doctrine. I know there is a sort of you, who have conceited a carnal sight, and have run in your carnal expectations from year to year therein, till you are become spiritually blind, but if that be it thou here intends, thou must reckon thy self for the pre­sent amongst those who have neither seen him, nor known him, who denies his revelation in spirit; and so being intruding in­to that which the eye hath not seen, no marvel though thou speak so darkly of him as thou dost in this thy book, and would lead men from the spirit to seek Christ the Lord, who is that Spirit, 2 Cor. 3. 17, 18. and would lead without to seek him whom none of you can find, but within.

Concerning Light and Life.

ANd this also thou dare not enter on as it stands, but that thou may be seen to say somewhat as though thou opposed me: Thou makes a lie of thy own, saying, that I say, that the light shi­ning in every man is Christ; a thing never written nor intended by me. And when thou hast set up this lie, thou fals in hand to con­fute it, to make people believe thou was confuting my words, when thou art but declaring in print what deceit hath long been hid in thy own bosome, and that the lyar and deceiver is one in thee, so having laid thee open, I have no more to do in that quar­rel, having denied the lie and its founder, what I have writ stands as it was.

Onely another error I shall reprove thee of, that is, thou sayes, That all false Religions and errors are bottomed upon the law in the Conscience; And this is false and contrary to Scripture, for the great mystery of faith, that discovers all errors and false Religions, is held in the Conscience, 1 Tim. 3. 9. And the Apostles rejoycing was the testimony of their Conscience, and they did not rejoyce in the ground of errors; and by the an­swer of a good Conscience the Saints are saved by the resurrecti­on of Jesus, 1 Pet. 3. 21. and they are not saved by the ground of errors. And the law that is written in the Conscience is that which God hath written, and the law of the new Covenant of life and light which discovers all errors, and which leads to know God, as is plain, Heb. 8. 10, 11. And thou that teaches [Page 5] people, that the Law which God hath written within man is the ground of errors, teachest blasphemy. And this law in spirit is that perfect law of liberty, that whosoever looks unto and con­tinueth therein, he being a doer of the work, that man shall be blessed in his deed, Jam. 1. 25. And by this spiritual law of life was the Saints made free from the law of sin and death; and the righteousness of this law it was that Christ fulfilled in the Saints, who walked after the law of the Spirit, and not after the letter of the Law, Rom. 8. 1, 2, 3, 4. And this Righteousness which the Saints beleived and waited for to be fulfilled in them, is that which thou art preaching against, and would have all to shut it out, and then the devil might dwell safe within; and they that did wait for this righteousness of the law fulfilling in them, did not deny the bloud of Christ, as thou falsly would ac­cuse us, who witness the same Righteousness of saith within, and not of the letter without, for we know (and so did they) that none can have this righteousness of faith fulfilled in them, but who beleives that one offering once for all, and by his blood we have access to that faith; by which is declared that everlasting Righteousness of God for Justification, to which till then we was strangers and could not come, but now have an inheritance therein.

And as we know, that none can come to have this Righteous­ness wrought in them, unless they beleive in his bloud and sacri­sice once offered, so also we know, That none by taking of what was done at Jerusalem, and say, they beleive in it, without this work, can be saved, as the Scripture saith in plain words, James 2. 14. to the end of the chapter, which Scriptures may serve to shew thy spirit, and what nature thy work is of, and thy faith that denies Gods righteousness within, to be meer imagination, and such a faith none of Gods people ever preached or pro­fessed.

Another peice of confusion I shall mind thee on, here in this thou confesseth Christ to be the same word as the Spirit of re­velation in us, and that so he is the light within us: And in thy last thou denyed any to look to the glory of the Godhead shi­nng forth on man, but they must look off from every thing in man; so by thy own doctrine, we must not look to the glory of [Page 6] the God head shining forth on us, nor to the Spirit of revelation, nor to Christ the light within us, these thou hast forbidden, and yet thou would make people beleive thou was a Minister for God and Christ. A blind way hast thou made for such as will follow thee, who must neither look to glory of the Godhead shining on them, nor to Christ in them, but they that are wise may compare thy doctrine with Christs and his Apostles in these Scriptures, Luke 17. 21. 2 Cor. 4. 6, 7. Rom. 8. 9, 10, 11, 12, 14. where you may see to what the Saints looked, and when it was, and where their hope and faith was, and whether without or within, Col. 1. 27. and where their faith and hope was, there was their righteousness, wherein they walked, and to which they became servants, and whereby they became free from sin, Rom. 4 but Gods righteousness in man the devil likes not, but to talk on and let him keep possession, that likes him well and his servants, for he that serves Gods Righteousness in his heart, can be no servant of sin, for his servants you are to whom you obey, whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness, Rom 6. 16. And as out of the heart of the wicked proceeds that which defiles, because of the blindess of their hearts, Ephes. 4. So he that keeps his heart with all diligence, from thence are the issues of life, Prov. 4. 23. and he that hath not righte­ousness in his heart, hath none at all, but where the word of faith is known in the heart, that mans righteousness is not at a di­stance, nor his salvation to seek, for with the heart man beleives unto righteousness; but is not that a blind doctrine, which preaches God and Christ within, but that Righteousness that justifies not in them? It seems thou imagines, that God, when he comes to dwell in man, leaves his Righteousness behind him, or that righteousness, that then is in him, is not able to justifie him, but the Saints that knew justification, knew the gift of righ­teousness for it, Rom. 5. And justification by the Spirit, 1 Cor. 6. 11. And everlasting Righteousness brought in, whereby transgression is finished, Dan. 9. 24. but a generation there is, who turn judgement into gall, and the fruit of righteousness into bemlock, Amos 6. 12. Hearken you stout. hearted who are far from righteousness, I will bring neer my righteousness, and it shall not be far off, Isai. 46. 12, 13. And what I have said may answer to the next also.

Concerning Righteousness.

ANd in this, like the rest, thou first makes a lie of thy own to confute, but my words thou canst not enter, Thou sayes, the sum of our faith is, that the imputed Righteousness that justifies is the I ght within; a thing by me never spoken or written. Se­condly, thou sayes, That nothing is said by me of Christ manifest in flesh, or his crucified body, or righteousness that way: Poor man, how hath wickedness over-run thee to add lie to lie? Are not these my words, That Righteousness that God accepteth is but one, which is his own, perfectly fulsilled and manifest in the world in Jesus Christ, the Light and Savi ur thereof, and that none inherits it sur­ther than they receive the Son of righteousness: And is this nothing of Christ? but it is no new thing to me, to see the refuge of lies, with that spirit which now opposeth; nor for me to be called a Railer, because I will not either say they are truths, or find out some finer name to call them than lies. But to leave them and go on to thy doctrine: thou sayes, We are justified without works onely through faith; which is as false as the Scripture is true, for faith the Apostle, Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith onely, James 2. 24. And Christ faith, By thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned, Math. 12. 37. And not the hearers of the Law, but the doers are just before God, Rom. 2. 13. Now if these Scriptures be true; then thine is false, but such is thy blindness, that because the Scriptures doth exclude the works of the Law for justification, therefore thou wilt exclude the works of faith which are wrought in God also. A fine easie way to salvation, and well pleasing to you that love your lusts, but that neither God nor Scripture knows it, nor the Saints practise.

Further thou sayes, He that can but beleive this is perfectly pur­ged, and there is no more conscience of sin, though yet the feeling of sin: I say, what is thou now intends? feeling of sin but make no conscience: Is not this plain Ranting, to commit sin and feel it, and make no conscience of it, this indeed is the ready way to murther the Witness, to stop the ear at his reproof, and to make shipwrack of a tender conscience, and so in time to get it seared, [Page 8] and so no more conscience of sin, do what you will do, but ima­gine all is pardoned, past, present and to come, let the light in the conscience say what it can, hope against hope, sayest thou, The Righteousness of Christ is a covering upon sin, &c. I say, I know who repents and turns to him he doth. But doth Christs Righ­teousness cover sin to come, and whilst men are committing it? one day thou wilt find, that it is not covered, but thou that hast seared thy conscience, it will appear when thou shalt cease to deal treacherously with the witness that would have dealt truly with thee, but how is Christs Righteousness a covering on thy sin, when thy sin is in thy heart, and thy cover no nearer than above the Stars: If ever God look down upon the earth thou wilt be found naked, and the day is upon thee, look to it, thy Ranting faith hath not long to last, and thy cover will be but deceit, wo to thee that art covered, and not with the Spirit.

Concerning the word.

IN this, like the rest, thou enters with a lie, saying, That we say the light within all men is the word, not minding at all to speak truth; thou tels of sin being covered, but the liar is openly seen, and shames not: And when thou hast made one lie, thou infers another from it, If the Light within every man be the Word, then all ages have had the Gospel in equality, &c. Then thou adds ano­ther as false as the rest, saying, That Truth sayes, the Light is the remaining sparkles of the Law, and represents God onely under a vail; When Truth saith, the Life is the Light of men, and this is that true Light that lighteth every man that comes into the world, John 1. And Christ saith, I am the Light of the world, he that follows me shall not abide in darkness, but shall have the light of life, John 8. 12. And the Saints came to the knowledge of God in the face of Jesus, by the light within, and this was not onely un­der the vail which was in the face of Jesus, 2 Cor. 4. 6. though vailed to thee, who denies the light of the Spirit, and sayeth, truth sayes it, when truth denies thee therein, nor hast thou one Scripture that saith so.

And when thou hast shewed thy Spirit by thy works, then thou art forced to confess him to be within his in spirit the word [Page 9] of revelation, yet would make two words, a word of Reconci­liation, and a word of Revelation, and in dividing this word in. to two, thou confounds thy self:

First, thou sayes, these two are not one without the other: then thou sayes, the one must finish his work before the other could come; and such blind muddy stuffe thou art bewing in, but what I write in my book stands as it was.

Yet thou adds two lies more; the first is, That we beleive not the word of Reconciliation, which thou cals thy first word, which is false, for though we beleive not two words, yet we beleive that one word, which is the word of Reconciliation and Revelation, and there is not another: Thy second lie is of the Light, in say­ing, it knows Christ in neither.

Concerning worship.

IN this thou sayes, that I affirm, that the Spirit of Life from God, wherein is the mind, will and love of God, the name, power and wisdom of Christ, wherewith alone God can be acceptably worshipped, is in every man: A thing that never entred into my heart, but surely friend, thou matters not what thou sayes, thus to add thy wickedness and false accusations, because I say none must follow the traditions of others, but as every creature is moved by the presence of the living God; do I therefore say, that the spirit of God is in every man, this conclusion is more wickedness than weakness. But to thy doctrine.

Thou sayes, The word of faith sayes, that the Law without, or Spirit in every man, that sayes, do this and live, are the vail, &c. I say, where doth the word of faith say, that the Spirit within is a vail? or where doth it call the Spirit within the Law without? thou must find a new word for this, for the true everlasting Word saith not so, but faith, There is a spirit in man, and the in­spiration of the Almighty giveth them understanding, Job. 32. 8. but doth, not say, that that Spirit of God is the vail of which Spi­rit I am speaking, whatever thou pervert it to; but is all thy spi­ritual teaching come to this, that the Spirit, in which God will be worshipped, becomes a vail, and that to abide in any law or light whatsoever, either from within or without, and to be exer­cised [Page 10] therein, as to be redeemed or perfected thereby, this, they say, is to worship God as in the flesh; hast thou not here whol­ly excluded the light of Christ, as to be exercised therein for freedom and perfection? before thou did but deny it Within, but now thou hast denied all light whatsoever, both from within and without, for bringing to freedom or perfection, so that henceforth all that will own thy doctrine, must beleive to be per­fected in the dark, for all light whatsoever thou hast excluded, so that a Christ without light must now be beleived by all that own thy faith or doctrine, and indeed it suits well with thy pra­ctise, witness thy many lie, in thy book, which are not works of the day.

Further thou sayes, That the light within every man is not the way to the Spirit of Christ; which I need not think strange, seeing thou hast denied all light.

Also thou sayest, That the works of the Law and the waiting of the Light within, are all one, if any man will beleive thy blind te­stimony.

Thou sayest, That principle may lead to a spirit of activity for God, in the contemplations of him, as a pure and holy God, but it is a far other principle, that is, Christ crucified for us, and the faith of him that leads unto that Spirit of peace: And so by thy doctrine there are two principles that leads to God, the one far off the other. But must we beleive this because thou sayest it? when not one of the holy men of God thou canst instance, who ever said, that that Spirit that led to contemplations of the pure God, was a far other principle than that of Christ that leads to peace: Christ saith, No man knoweth the Father, but he to whom the Son reveals him, Math. 11. 27. But thou sayes, Its a far other principle that brings to contemplations of a pure God: That blind spirit of thine clearly showes, what thou knows of contempla­tions with God, who denies the principle of Christ to lead there­to, but it is like the rest of thy blind stuffe, who would make peo­ple beleive, that the light of Christ leads to blot out the the heal­ing in the person of Christ, surely a blinder peice of work hath not been seen, but it must needs be so with thee, who hath denied all light, and art fighting against it.

Concerning error, heresie, &c.

HEre thou tels us thy former lie over again, saying, that I say, That the light within every man is the spirit of truth: and then thou tels how thou hast disproved it before: and so flaidly fals into another discourse, not at all to the purpose as to my words yet adds another lie, saying, That we beleive in God, as by the light in men, redeeming from sin; but not as in the man Jesus, having done it already: and that we deny the witness of the Son; and that we have neither Son nor Father; which is but thy three­fold cord of wickedness: Thou adds another in thy conclusion, and sayes, It is not an errour to divide from the light within; so by thy doctrine, we may divide from the spiritual light of Christ and not erre; but how shouldest thou count it an error to di­vide from the light within, who hast excluded all manner of light within, and without also whatever, to be exercised in as the way to perfection: If it be not an error to divide from the light, then it must be an error to divide from the darkness, for there is but these two, and the one must needs be an error: But it is easi­ly seen whose word thou drives; who art set to oppose the light, such a work as none of Gods was ever found in, wert thou not blind thou might suspect thy self, who cannot produce one of thy faith in the Scripture.

Concerning Faith.

IN this accusation also is two lies, first, that I say, that the light in every man is Gods righteousness, perfection. Secondly, thou sayes, I say not a word of the faith in the person of Christ, or the ope­ration of God in him for us: The first never spoken of by me. To the second, my words are these, That the living faith is in Christ Jesus, and that true faith layes hold on Gods Righteousness, and by it comes to be created in Christ Jesus unto good works, Gods workmanship. Is this not a word of the person of Christ, nor the operation of God in him? Can one own Christ Jesus, and deny faith in the person of Christ? Or can one witness Gods workmanship in him, and not one word of the operation of God [Page 12] in him? Oh shameless man, how doest thou bend thy tongue for lies and slanders.

Further thou sayest, that the scope of our doctrine, in the height and depth of it seems plainly this, that a measure of the eternal divinity is in every man, by turning where unto out of all sayings, operations, Scriptures, or Christ without, the same doth purge away sin and redeems unto God. All which is no more but thine own wickedness heaped up, from thy foregoing lies.

Then thou comest to thy doctrine: And that is, to look away from all voice; of conscience within, and from all things in the heart, whether good or evil, and to look to Jesus with out though we be in bondage: and this, thou sayes, is to receive the righte­ousness of Christ by faith: But where doest thou receive this righteousness, or with what is it seen, or what effect hath it, seeing thou hast denied all voices in the conscience, all things in the heart, and conclude the creature in bondage? they are blind indeed who cannot see this righteousness of thine thou lookest too (without any thing in the heart or conscience) to be but meer imagination, a talk of righteousness which thou hast not in thee.

And in thy next, having forgot thy doctrine, sayes, That by him all that beleive are justified from all things, by the Law of the Spirit, according to the Conscience from which they could not be justi­fied by the Law of Moses: And also saves, That the answer of a good Conscience in the resurrection of Jesus, will be found to be that which saves before God, and brings forth the true glory within. What confusion is here? Must all voices of the conscience be denied, and yet justified by the Law of the Spirit, according to the Conscience, and saved by the answer of a good Conscience? and must we be justified by the law of the Spirit, and the works of the Law written within be denied, and called the flesh? and must we be set free and justified from all these things, by the Law of the Spirit, and the answer of a good Conscience, and yet in bondage? And after thou hast said, We must be justified by the Law of the Spirit, according to the Conscience, and saved by a good Conscience; then thou confutes that again, and saith, The Law in the Conscience, which is holy, just and pure, is the same with the Covenant of works; and sayes, how holy and pure soever it be, it [Page 13] shall not preserve blameless. Was there ever such a heap of confu­sion and contradictions gathered together? Are these thy bal­lance, with which thou art weighing us, which thou tels of? Or is this a standing measure, which staggereth to and fro like a drun­ken man, contradicting and confounding thy self? till there be not a word thou sayes will stand, which is unconfounded from thy own mouth: Is not here Babels foundation discovered to the weakest eye opened in any heart? But this is brought to pass by the Lord, for the Nations must not long be deceived with your witchcrafts, whoredoms, he is laying open to the peo­ple, with what you have fed them, and where with all you have covered them, and how you have made them to trust in confusi­on, and brought forth a lie for their salvation, wherein you have made them to rejoyce over the slain, and to trust in emptiness, putting the Lord afar off, and casting the Law of his Covenant behind your backs: but now your skirts is laying open, and your filthiness appears, your hearts void of righteousness, your tongues must needs utter confusion.

One thing more of thy false doctrine, before I pass from this particular, and that is, That men are justified and sin washed away before either faith or works; and this thou affirms in plain words, which is a strange doctrine, and indeed a doctrine of devils, which denies the faith, and sets up an imagination in its stead; for if we be justified; and sin washed away, before either faith or works, then are we not justified by faith; for we cannot be ju­stified by that which is not: And if this doctrine be true, that men are justified before either faith or work, then is not faith of absolute necessity, a man may be saved without it, for he that is justified and his sin washed away, cannot be damned: he that will beleive this doctrine of thine, need not matter much what he do, this faith is that with which you lead people without faith of God to make no conscience of sin, but beleive that they are purged, though they feel themselves servants of sin, and in bon­dage thereto.

Concerning Hope.

ANd the thing thou charges me with in this is, That I say, to hope that that of God in every man, or a Christ, may be revealed [Page 14] to take away sin, to give freedom from sin in this life, is the pure, the reasonable hope, that makes not ashamed. In this thou hast mixed a truth and a lie together; and they must be severed, that the truth may be owned, and the lie returned to the founder, That of God in every man can take away sin, that is thine own, take it again; but that Christ may be revealed in this to take away sin, that hope I own, and am not ashamed thereof, which thou seems to oppose.

Another charge thou layes upon me is, that I say, To hope sal­vation, while the Witness in the conscience condemns of sin, is the Devils hope: Which accusation is utterly false, and the words not so spoken by me, for I own a hope before the Conscience be wholly purified, which hope leads to the purifying, and that is holden forth by me several times, and therefore am far off from calling that the devils hope. But my words are these, But the Devil hath begot another hope, as like this as may be in his ser­vants, which stands in another ground, and brings forth another fruit, and that is, though they be servants of sin yet there is hopes of salvation, and such hopes as may not be judged nor questi­oned, although the witnese of God in the Conscience doth te­stifie the contrary; yet it must not be heeded, least they be de­luded; so where the Devil is become a teacher, a tender Con­science must be resisted; and such a hope set up as holds, that to hope in Christ within, is to deny the presence of Christ, &c. and many such expressions there is, which clearly shews how thou hast perverted my words, contrary to all reason and ho­nesty to slander withal, that because I condemn that hope to be of the Devil, which hopes not freedom from sin, as well as free­dom from hell, that therefore I condemn him that hopes for salvation, while yet the Conscience is not wholly purged.

But to come to thy doctrine, thou sayest, To rest in hope that thou art saved already from sin and wrath in Christ the Head, whilest Conscience condemns thee of sin, this is the hope of faith a­gainst the hope of the Law and Conscience. I say, to hope for free­dom from sin, whilest yet the Conscience condemns for sin, this hope I own, which is not against the Conscience, but leads to a pure Conscience. But thou that hopes, that thou art already saved from sin and wrath, whilest thou art a servant of sin, and [Page 15] the wrath of God appears to condemn thee for sin in thy Con­science, thou art he that hopes in a lie, for he that is the servant of sin is not already freed from sin; thou may well say this hope is against the Conscience, and against the Law of God also, such a hope as none of the Children of God never hoped in, whose rejoycing was the testimony of their Conscience, and their hope was according to a good Conscience, but never hoped against their Conscience, 2 Cor. 1. 12.

Diddest thou not in thy last say, That men must be justified by the law of the Spirit according to conscience, and saved by the answer of a good Conscience? And doest thou now tell them, That the hope of grace and faith is against Law and Conscience, or sense and feeling: Is not this to make the law void by that which thou cals grace? and to makesh pwrack of a pure Con­science, and so become past feeling? like those thou may read on, Ephes. 4. 18, 19.

Further thou goes on, and sayes, That hope that is begotten not by the letter, but by the inhabiting or abiding Spirit, there it is a hope beholding the glory of the Lord, and changing the creature into his Image, that hope sees the love of the Father shed forth upon us in the bloud of Atonement, &c. But how apt art thou to forget thy self! Diddest thou not in thy last forewarn all for looking to any thing, whether good or evil, in the heart and conscience within? And is it now by that inhabiting and abiding Spirit, that reveals the blood of Atonement and finishes all sin? So by thy doctrine, it is within in the inhabiting and abiding Spirit that sees the bloud of Attonement, but thou hast fore warned all not to look at it, nor at any thing within, good or evil. And yet sayes, We are saved through faith according to the inward man; and much such like confused stuffe, which is wea­riness to repeat after thee, were it not for the seeds sake, that they may be led out of thy deceit.

Is not this a strange doctrine, to say, that we are saved through faith, according to the inward man, and yet must not look to any thing in the heart or conscience (be it good or bad?) Is not that like to be a blind salvation, which is within and must not be looked at? But it seems thou hast followed thy doctrine in thy practise, for hadest thou looked to any thing of God in thy [Page 16] heart, or to the answer of a good Conscience, it would have put a stop to the numberless number of thy lies and confusion in thy book; but a large liberty the Devil hath, when nothing must be looked too in the heart or conscience (either good or bad) to beleive in or follow for salvation out of sin, and yet thou sayes, We must be saved according to the inward man, which inward man must onely be for you to talk on, but must not be looked at.

Thou further sayes, That to know Christ onely as within (is an error:) Yet doth not shew how a man might know him, other­wise than he is revealed within, nor is he known, as he ought to be, since his Ascention any other way, but onely as he revealeth himself in Spirit within, onely you imagine you know him, who never saw him, heard him, felt him, or understood him, other­wise than by his Spirit within; and what a knowledge that is, which is void of all these, is easily seen to them where he is re­vealed, though hear-say Teachers with their litteral knowledge was ever blind.

But seeing thou sayest, It is an error to know him onely within: What sayest thou of the A postle doctrine, who exhorts to know Christ no more after the flesh, 2 Cor. 5. 16? Must not their knowledge then be onely after the Spirit, which must be no more after the flesh? But however he be known, thou hast denied him, if he be light, either within or without; who sayes, To abide in any light what soever, either from within or without, and to be ex­ercised therein as to be perfected thereby, or redeemed from sin, is to worship God in the flesh.

Concerning Love.

ANd thy Charge in this is, that I say, It is the love of God to the world, whereby he hath given every man a light, to condemn sin in the flesh, and take it away through walking after the Spirit, and that this love of God in the creature doth not flatter sin in o­thers, &c.

This Charge is not altogether so false as the rest, though not wholly true: For I do not say, That the light in every man is Gods Son, though I own it to be the light of the Son, that light­eth [Page 17] every man that comes into the world; therefore my words are, That God so loved the world, that he gave his Son into the world a light to condemn sin in the flesh, that the righteousness of God might be fulfilled in the creature, and my witness for this is Christ and his Apostles, John 3 16. to the 22. Rom. 8. 1, 2, 3, 4 and this thou seems to oppose, but dare not plainly deny it, onely thou hast power over that of the Charge as far as thy own lie reacheth and no further: And to that, thou sayes, was this great and abounding love in sending his Son, no more but God giving a light in all men, as though I had said so, which is but thine own deceit, to set up a lie of thy own to fight with: But I say, Gods great love is more than the light, for he hath given his Son, who is not onely that light, but to all that beleive therein and follow it, he leads them out of darkness thereby, and gives them the light of life. John 8. 12. who doth not onely condemn sin in the flesh, but fulfils the righteousness of the Law, in them who walk after the Spirit, and this is my restimony of the love of God, which was Christs testimony and his A postles, and so thy lie be upon thy own head; and what I have written stands still unsha­ken; onely thou mutters that any body should be told of their sin; and would have us tell people their sins are forgiven, and that they are justified and saved, and that Christ is come down in your flesh, and therein hath quenched anger, enmity, sin and death, with all things that may separate from God: And this we may tell to such as thee, who openly denies Christ in thy flesh, yea, and in all other, row to do any such thing for salvation from sin; so how can we say that Christ is come in your flesh, and therein through death hath done all this (and not lie?) espe­cially seeing that you do not onely deny him within you in words, but also see the anger, enmity, sin and death unquenched, which hath so far separated thee from God, that thou denies God, Christ and his Righteousness, and all that may be called light in thee, for salvation; should not we be abominable liars, like thee, if we should say Christ had done all this in thy flesh, thou thy self would prove us liars, who denies it both in word and practise,

And when thou hast thus been teaching us to cry peace, even whilest sin is in them, to confound thy self in this as in the rest, [Page 18] thou sayest, There is a generation that flatters and spares in sin them whom the Lord condemns, this, thou sayes, is to justifie the wick­ed: To which I say, were thou not heart blind, and so knows not what thou speaks, thou would never set us on crying peace, where God cries wo, in the Conscience for living in sin, least we justifie the wicked, and be guilty of that abomina­tion thoutels of.

Concerning Judgement.

THy Charge in this is, That my words summoned up are, that the light in every man condemning sin is the ministration of judgement and condemnation and as it is received is salvation and re­demption from all uncleanness, &c.

To which I answer: Deceit hath summed them up, and hath thrust in it self amongst them as in the rest: Have I said, That the light in every man is salvation and redemption? Let them that reads what I have said, judge of thy dealing herein; for my words are, That true judgement, as it is known to men, is a gift from the Spirit of God, set in the heart of every one that dwels in the light of Christ, and this is far from thy sayings, who would make people beleive, that I say, That the light, as it is in every man, is salvation and redemption; for there be many that will not be led to the Redeemer therewith, nor to the Spirit of judgment, but deny all light within and without as thou doest, and to these it is condemnation, and not salvation: but to all that own the Spirit of judgment, which passeth upon that which is contrary to the Life of God, such come to be redeemed with judgment, and to such as abide therein doth light and salvation spring up, to the redeeming the heart from all uncleanness; as I have writ in my Book, which thou canst not contradict.

And in thy doctrine thou sayest, That as Christ in every age hath come forth more or less, so in this age he will come forth in righ­teousness and salvation, and that he will judge the works of the Law, as well as the lusts of the flesh, and that the spirit of Christ in his people shall judge both Angels and mens spiritual and fleshly wick­ness.

[Page 19] To which I say, Some of this is truth, and we shall try the rest.

First, What work of the Law is it that God will judge? doest thou intend that law, by which, thou confessed before, all that believe are justified, from that, from which they could not be justified by the Law of Moses? If thou intend that Law, I de­ny thy doctrine, for the works of that Law of the Spirit of life, by which we are justified, are the works of Christ, where with he fulfils the Law in his Saints, and so are works of the Spirit, and shall never come into judgement; and if thou mean not that Law, to me it matters not, I shall not contend with thee about a­ny other of thy imaginations.

And whereas thou tels of Christs coming forth in this age in righteousness and salvation, and to judge, and that it is the Spirit of Christ in his People that must be the Judge both of Angels and men in this his appearance: Hast not thou in the rest of thy Book, as much as in thee lies, done what thou canst to oppose this his appearance, who hast all along denied any thing within to be looked unto for righteousness, salvation and judgement? yea, and ere thou get out of the same thing, thou art contradicting it again, and sayes, Law or form, or light within are the principles of judgment with most: But sayest thou, It is a small thing for the spiritual man to be judged by any of these: What confusion is this of thine thou bringest forth in opposition to the light: Must the Spirit of Christ in his people judge both Angels and men spi­ritual and fleshly? and yet thou speaks scornfully of the light within, and thrusts it in with law and form to make it odious: It seems thou canst not endure, that the Spirit of Christ should be called light in his people, it must be darkness there (it seems) or else not owned by thee.

Another lie thoutels of John, saying, That he did not call to the light within every man; and sayest, no Prophet spake of him by the light, &c.

But it seems thou hast not much read the Prophets, or else art wickedly ignorant, for all that read them may find them prophe­sying of a Covenant of light, and John saith, who saw him, this is the true light that lighteth every man that cometh into the world.

Concerning Perfection.

ANd after thy usual manner, thy first work is a lie, saying, That my principal matter is, that perfection is that gift or light in every man: Another lie is, that I say, Imperfection came in by the ministry of Antichrist: When the matter of my words are, That God and Christ is perfection; and doth not say, the gift is perfection, yet I own that every gift of God is perfect, yet God himself the perfection of all: I also say, that imperfection came in by the Devil, and maintained by his Ministers, who uses all means to supplant truth where it is, and to keep up imperfe­ction in the world: And thy lies being taken away, the truth stands untouched, though many words thou usest, yet dare not de­ny what I have written in the least particular.

Onely thou asks some questions, which thou hast raised out of thy own brain, not at all what I say,

Thy Questions are, first, Was Christ in the flesh no more than a Preacher or example of perfection?

2. Was that fulness of the Godhead in him, no more than such a light as God hath set up in every man?

3. Or was his bearing of our sins, and the wounds for our iniquities, no more but to shew how we should bear them in our selves?

I say, Yes: He was more than all these three, for he in himself alone wrought redemption, broke through all difficulties, open­ed the way of life for all Creatures, became a Sacrifice acceptable to the Father, and triumphed openly over death, the grave and hell, and much more that may be spoken of him, which he did in his own person, and not onely so, but is now an everlasting of­fering, from generation to generation, an everlasting light preached in every Creature, whereby they may receive the faith, (which without it they cannot) whereby to see him in them­selves, appearing from heaven in Spirit, as Leader and Teacher, Judge and Law-giver, and in his light to lead, and his life to strengthen, all that beleive in the same way, wherein he walked in his own person, who left an example, when he ascended, for all to follow, which will be saved, which none can follow nor be [Page 21] saved, but who are led by his light and quickened by his Spirit within them, though they talk never so much of him at Jerusalem without them: And this is that which the Devil is an enemy to, to wit, that Christ should be owned in the hearts of any, as Lea­der, Teacher, King and Law-giver, and with his light to enligh­ten every dark part thereof, so that every motion of God is seen and received, and every motion of the Devil is seen and resisted even unto blood, here is little hope for the Devils Kingdom: where this light is received and followed, there the soul is re­deemed from the deeds of the devils darkness, therefore he sets on work all his instruments, wherein he hath any interest, to cry out against this light within, for if this light shine in the heart, then his seat must be discovered, and the knowledge of God seen in the face of Jesus; and as any come to know God in the light, they will be led out of his service; so you stand up from all Quarters, who wear his dark livory, crying out against the light of Christ within, charging all not to hearken to any voice with­in, nor mind any thing there good nor bad, that he may keep that place for his kingdom: And to him you are faithful to the ut­termost of your power, who are all gathered together in this day of battel to fight against the Light, of which thou art not the least, who cryest out against all light whatsoever, either from within or without, for any to be exercised in for freedom from sin.

But are you not blind above all that ever was before you, who have so many Scriptures declaring the Lambs war against all sorts of Spirits, yet never find them warring against the Spirit of light, but with that Spirit of light in them did they make warr against the Prince of darkness, and all his dark principles in his children. Foolish men, how long will it be before you look at your feet, and what way you are going, and try your selves whose message you carry, who are preaching that which none of you have seen for salvation: The Saints message was the light both for fellowship, and to lead to the bloud of cleansing, John 1. 6, 7. But thy message is not any thing which is called light whatsoever, either from within or without for redemption; and here thou art seen to be he that preaches another Gospel. They preached the Gospel of light, and thy Gospel is no light whatso­ever, [Page 22] so thou art accursed and they that follow thee in that faith, which denieth all light whatsoever.

Concerning Obedience.

IN this thou makes divers things of thine own, never spoken nor thought by me; thou sayes, They are the sum of things spoken by me; which indeed are but the foam of thy slanderous spirit.

As first, As to be guided in obedience to the spirit or light within us, as Christ was by the Spirit of the Father in him, that is the righte­ousness of Christ, that the Father cals for the same obedience of the beleiver as of Christ, and that, I say, we are perfectly justified by Christs obedience when we perform obedience in the same measure he did: And divers other untruths hast thou forged, thereby to slander the truth, as though I held forth two obediences, as one of Christs, and another of the Creatures: And that the Creature must come up as high in his obedience as Christ did in his, and such like wicked stuffe thou utters, as one having sold thy self thereto, bending thy tongue like a bow for lies, to shoot at the truth in secret, but thy arrows must peirce thy own bowels, and the Archer into the wilderness must be driven; but the truth shall stand for ever. And all that reads what I have written may see, that I have denied all sorts of obedience from Scriptures or others, wrought by man, or in mans will, and owns onely that everlasting obedience that is in Christ, to which every one must give up themselves, as is oftentimes repeated by me: That it is no more we that live, but Christ that liveth in us; and no further than we partake of his obedience in us, are we accepted with the Father, as Obedient children, which might have stopt the mouth of the Liar, hadst thou not done it wickedly.

And when thou hast done, thou pretendest to reprove thy lying slanders with the same spirit of slander, giving out filthy words of thine own, as though I had lifted up my self equal with the Person of Christ, to persorm the same obedience for the purging away of sin, &c. Oh thou full of all subtilty and wick­edness, where did I ever set up my self equal with Christ? or ever set up any obedience of mine distinct from his, or ever spoke [Page 23] of self obedience for the purging away of sin? canst thou be­hold this thy wickedness and not be ashamed? or didst thou think ever to account for thy words, thy heart could not but tremble at this wickedness; but the devil having set up an opi­nion in thee of being justified without faith, or repentance for all thy sins past, present and to come; like the Pope, hath given thee a dispensation to wickedness, so that there is now no stop to thy tongue, whatsoever he moves thee to say, for to advance his king­dom of darkness, thou art ready at his command.

Thou sayes, Thou art one of the least in thy Fathers house: But it seems by thy language thou hast been an apt Scholler, and ve­ry diligent in his service, and thou must look for thy wages, when thy work thou hast finished.

Thou cals them Pagans, who design not to know another way to divine glory than Christ did, and sayes, That way is but the depth of Satan. Oh thou blasphemer! Is it the depth of Satan to follow Christ in his way, and not to design another? Sure the other way thou hast designed is lying and deceit, for that way I find thee in; but the Way Christ Jesus I own, and so far as I am led therein by the same power, so I walk; and it is not I but Christ in me, who is the Way and the Life, whose way is not without a Mediator, as thou would make it, to cover thy blasphemy for calling it a depth of Sathan, for if that way he walked in was without a Mediator, then was there a time when he was not a Mediator.

Thou asks me, If I have not the fulness of the Godhead in my self? I say, In self it is not, but of Christ I receive of the same fulness. And many other Questions thou asks, which are all in him, wherein is my treasure, walking in the same way, who is the mystery to be beleived, and example to be followed, which is not two things, as thou falsly sayes, but one.

Thou sayes, He put an end to the enmity and all evils in himself: I say, That is true, but he hath not put an end to it in thee, there it lives and reigns, as thy lying and confusion may witness.

Thou sayes, As thou art in the second Adam, thou neither knows law, reason, nor sense: I say, It seems so by thy practise.

Thou sayes, Nothing brings forth Christ more as a Spirit of wis­dom power and holiness within thee unto good works, then when thou [Page 24] beholds him, as made righteousness and sanctification to thee without works. I say, stop thy mouth, and utter not thy confusion; Is Christ made righteousness and sanctification to some without works? And is he now become the spirit of holiness within thee unto good works, who hath so oft denied any thing within to be minded in heart or conscience?

Other lies thou tels, Of dyings and obedience in us, being made the way to justification in Christ, and that by my doctrine ne are ju­stified as much by the obedience of Paul, as by the man Christ: And such like fulthy things, which follow thy own brain, and not my doctrine, neither can any honesty gather any such thing there. from, but the unclean spirit is vexed, that I deny a justification before faith and with out righteousness.

Concerning good works.

ANd here thou charges me falsly also, As that I should hold out the creature obedience unto the light, which reproves of sin, and is bringing forth the fruits of it for good works, and for redemption: which is utterly false, for my account is that all should wait in the light of Christ, and abide in it until the living word they come to hear and receive in their hearts, whereby the dead comes to be raised to life, which was dead in trespasses and sins, and that spi­ritual man being quickened, the power of the Spirit brings forth in him the work of Gods righteousness, which was from everla­sting; and this is another thing, than the Creature working, onely from that light that reproves sin; so that my words doth exhort such to stand still till they see the salvation of God, and the word of his power revealed therein, by which he must be created or wrought into the good work, that he may walk there­in.

Another thing thou sayes, that I say, the obedience or righteous­ness in Christ for justification and good works in us are one thing: I say, That the works of God and righteousness in Christ are one thing from the beginning of the world, in Christ, in whom ever he is, according to its several measure and ends, but if thou in­tend Creature works (though the most refined that ever was) I utterly deny them, and thy accusation, as false like the rest, and [Page 25] so having cleared the truth from thy slanders, and set it where it was, I shall come to thy doctrine.

And thou speaks of the everlasting onely righteousness upon all that beleive, and that it is as a spiritual heaven, large enough to take in and cover the second creation: I say, that is true; But what is that to thee, that art in the first creation? It doth not cover thee, thy wickedness is seen, thy lies are laying open, thy nakedness appears, and thy folly to all men: Onely thou sayest, thou reckonest thy self to be so, though it be not so felt: I say, I know it, there were ever a generation that justified themselves, but were not just before God, and thine will be found no other, who reckons thy self justified by that which thou hast neither seen, felt nor handled.

And thou sayes, Thou thinks it necessary to give warning, that all approaches unto, or converses with the Majesty and glory of God, by any redemption or operation, of whatsoever spirit or light within, where the redemption in the person of Christ is excluded. To which I say, Thou shews thy dark busie mind, and what thou knows of approaches to God, or converses with his majesty and glory who imagines that that can be, where the redemption of Christ is excluded.

Thou sayes, But if any ask, how thou art redeemed while sin is in thee? thou sayest, the Father he laid your sins upon Christ to take them away, and the Spirit bears witness that all things are finished: I say, that is true where repentance and faith is, where by the creature denies himself and comes to Christ, there Christ takes the sins away: But thy sins are there yet, and thou a servant thereof, and the Spirit bears witness in the conscience against thee for it, and the best way thou hast to peace, is to stifle the witness of the Spirit in thy conscience, and exhort others not to heed it.

Thou sayes, Through faith thou receives Christ into thy self, and thou art received into him, and through this oneness art made righte­ousness, life and light: But how oft hast thou denied this, or any thing within to be looked unto? Art thou now become righ­teousness, life and light thy self, and was condemning it, as great error in me, in thy last to witness good works in Christ? Art thou become righteousness thy self, light and life, and wilt thou [Page 26] not allow another to testifie the works of Christ in him? Thy charity is either selfish, or thou knows not what thou sayes, and ere thou go out of that page, thou contradicts it thy self again, denies redemption by the operation of that Spirit that is within us, so that which makes thee righteousness, life and light, by thy doctrine cannot work redemption; and thus thou tottereth to and fro, having undertaken a business, and would seem to say something, and so being out of the light makes up a heap of confusion.

And as thou begins with a lie, so thou ends, saying, That I say, that all the works and measures performed by the Creature, in obedi­ence to the light within, do but all compleat the one work of the Crea­ture redemption: And when thou hast told this falshood, thou sets down a story of Luther, wherein he divides Abraham and his righteousness as far a sunder as between heaven and earth: So to answer thee and thy story, I shall produce one plain Scripture from James 2. from the 14. to the end of the Chapter. Was not thou even now telling of being made righteousness into thy self? and now brings a story to divide Abrahams righteousness as far from him as heaven from earth, and much such staggering thou makest, but the end of all is to keep righteousness out of the door, that thy master may have liberty within.

Concerning Election and Reprobation.

ANd this thou begins to lay a foundation with a lie, and what thy building is like to be may be easily judged; Thou say­eth I say, That the light in every man which reproves of sin is Christ: And when thou hast told that lie, and denied it again, then thou confessest what I say, that Christ is the elect seed; but dare not say, that any one is elected who is not in that seed, onely thou tels a blind story, that thou was redeemed before thou was born; but art yet a servant of the devil, who was a liar from the beginning, and his works thou art doing, onely thou conceits thou art re­deemed, and such a redemption the prophanest I know in the Nation claims it with thee (upon the same ground) and hath as good right as thou hast for any thing yet thou hast made mani­fest.

Concerning the new Birth.

HEre thou sets on work in thy old manner, as one that can­not cease from sin:

First, Thou chargeth me to say, That by abiding in the seed or light within every man, thereby the old man is put off with his deeds.

Secondly, That I call the light the eternal Spirit.

Thirdly, That I make the body and bloud of Christ no more but a figure of the body and bloud within, that is the light within all men.

Fourthly, And that my end is to press through unto God by an Atonement and mediation to be made in our bodies, that is, obedience to the light within.

And when thou hast told these four horrible lies on me, then thou goes on in thy doctrine, but dare not gain say one word of what I have written, but runs into thy old confusion, and sayes, The new Creature is not a Jew, seeking salvation in the letter or Conscience, nor a Gentile, worshipping God by the light; and sayes, the worlds light is a candle from the Lord, saying, do this and live: And divers more such confusions, which hath no truth in them, neither hast thou any proof for them; with sundry accusations and slanders thou goes on, which are nothing to the purpose as to the thing in hand; and having forme ly denied them, I shall not here rake in them, but let them not with thee.

Then thou speaks of persecution, thou sayest, They that follow­ed after the Spirit and teachings thereof, were alwayes persecuted by the children of the letter: Where thou might read thy self, were not thou blind, who art breathing out all these lies against us, for owning Christ & his light within us for our teacher & guide, for which thy mischeivous mind would make people believe we deny the person of Christ, because we own him in spirit, when in truth none can own his person but who sees him in the light, the rest are the children of the letter, and hath no ministration else to know Christ by; who can imagine from the History, but are void of the Mystery, which is held in a pure conscience, and not in a book without, which mystery thou that denies all in the con­science [Page 28] art void on, who falsly sayes, The light in the conscience is the same with the Law in the letter.

Concerning Baptism, &c.

ANd thou sayes, my profession herein is, That the baptism of Christ thou understands the light within all men. But from what dost thou understand it? for by me it was never spoken nor thought: so that its from thy dark spirit that cannot under­stand to speak true, and so given to lies; was there ever such a pack of lies heaped together? as though thou hadst resolved not to speak a true sentence, in whatever thou speaks of me; for this shall appear, that not one of thy Charges hitherto are truth, or what I spoke, but thou hast made lies, and then disproves them, shewing thy art and trading to be onely there, for the truth I write stands still untouched.

And notwithstanding all this filth, thou tels us of a mystery we know not, that is, That you were washed, sanctified and justified before you were: Which indeed is non sense and a lie, to say, that which is not can be washed, or sanctified, or justified; and in that sense it is a mystery indeed. But whatever was before thou were, thou art now a servant of Satan, and his work thou dost, and art not washed from thy wickedness. And if the washing and justifying of a thing that is not can justifie thee in thy wick­edness, this is a large faith; its no wonder though thou be so bold in thy wickedness. Yet this I say, its a late invented faith (to wit) that washing nothing will make thee clean. For the Saints washing, sanctifying and justifying was when they had forsaken their sins, and without washing from their sins which they had committed, they could not enter into the Kingdom of God, read 1 Cor. 6. 9, 10, 11. And their way to washing was to walk in the light, 1 John 1. 7. a thing the devil and his dark born brood loves not above all that can be named, any other conjurations or imaginations they will own, but away with the light, thats an error, that deserves not to live.

But the beleiving of this, thou sayes, sprinkles from your hearts an evil conscience; that is, indeed though you sin it troubles not your hearts, you beleive that you was washed and justified be­fore [Page 29] you was begotten or born, and once justified alwayes justifi­ed, and so you make no conscience what you do, that is the evil that troubles your conscience when you sin, but your faith hath sprinkled you from that evil conscience, and now you have no more conscience of sin, for that in the conscience, that is pure and testifies against sin, is but legal, and you are not under the Law, but under Grace; and this is a mystery that tender con­sciences knows not, and so are but weak and foolish, and under bondage; but you are grown Christians, grown in the faith above such folly; when indeed it is but the Ranter that is got up and joyned with the Devil, in a design to cast off the yoak, and get liberty for the beast that cannot endure the cross, and so hath devised away with the old Murtherer to slay the Witnesses, and then make merry over them. You have a mystery none know but your selves; other fools, that knows not your faith, stands to repent of their sins if they sin, and cannot be at peace till God speak peace in their conscience; but your sin was par­doned before you was born, and you are not so foolish to make conscience of it now; you will have no more of that consci­ence for sin, you was once purged from sin, when you were not, and can sin now under that which God once did in Christ; to think so, was to deny the person of the man Christ Jesus, who hath done all that belongs to you one thousand six hundred years since. And now to fear, that any thing you can do in your per­sons can make that ineffectual, were great unbelief, and legal, and bondage of spirit; and if this be not your faith and the effects of it let both thy judgment in thy book, and thy pra­ctise witness.

Concerning the Lords Supper.

ANd in this I must not escape thy tongue, charging me to say that I have not spoken; yet not so quite contrary to my intent as in the others; yet things that are utterly false hast thou cast on the truth; As that we esteem the eating the flesh of Christ but a moral thing: And that the Gospel-mystery is with us become a doctrine of bare morality, &c. Things devised in thy own heart. And thou sayes, To see God in all things, to discern him as the body [Page 30] and vertue of all Creatures, and to use all things in moderation, is no more than Pagan divinity. Is this all the effect and end of the bloud of Christ? I say, that is not all the end and effect of his bloud, but it is one good effect, and a great deal more than yet it hath wrought in thee; thou doest not yet see God in all things, unless thou wilt say thou sees him in lying slandering and cursed speaking. And that thou and thy Prosclites are not come to use all things in moderation, let your pride, covetousness and excess be witness against you, & he thou a vitness against thy self, and the rest of thy Ranting crew, who use the bloud of Christ for an occasion to the flesh, and a cloak for your liberty therein, that Pagan divintiy is better than yours; and if the Pagan divi­nity bring forth these fruits, which your divinity doth not, I shall say as Paul said concerning the Gentiles, They are the beleivers who bring forth the fruits of faith, and you are the [...]fidels, who justifie your selves before either faith or works, and without them. But did the Apostle teach Pagan divinity, when he said, Let your moderation be known to all men, the Lord is at hand, Phil. 4. 5? And did Christ teach Pagan divinity, when he said, Take heed least at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting and drunkenness and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares? Luke 21. 34 Was these Pagans that taught this, or are they Pagans who see God in all things? I shall rather chuse to be numbred amongst those Pagans, than to be one of thy Beleivers, self-justified without either faith or works.

Thou sayest, Whoeuer looks into the mystery of Christs death, may see the first Adam, with all his deeds, and the world, with all its works, & all old things done away I say, be witness against thy self, that thou never saw that mystery, in whom the first Adam, with the worlds works, and old things are yet alive

Thou sayest. The Lord ordained the Supper for a rudiment to all that should have need thereof. It seems thou judges some to have no need of it; but was not thou condemning me even now for saying, discerning him to be the body, and vertue of all Crea­tures, and to see God in all things, and looking at this as too base to be the the effects of that Supper? and is the Supper it self now become a rudiment with thee?

[Page 31] And thou goest on to tell what this rudiment must be, and that therein is not a bare speculation of Christ or the divinity, as filling all things, for the natural man may know so much, thou saies; but to descern the law and all perfection, to be already buried and abo­lished in his grave, and your selves raised up into liberty, &c. I say it is true, lawless liberty is the thing that thy Ministery prea­ches, and to bury perfection; but the end why Christ sent forth his Ministers, was for perfecting the Saints, not to bury perfecti­on, Ephes. 4 11, 12, 13. And the Saints Preached Christ for their Law-giver, and the Law for their hearers to look into and con­tinue therein, not to be hearers onely, but doers of the work; and said they should be blessed in that deed, and said the Law was Perfect and did endure for ever, these did not bury it but preach it and live in it, and was set free by it, James 1. 25. Rom 8. 2. But thy way is to bury it out of the sight, and all perfection with it, lest it trouble thy liberty, and this is the end of thy rudiment, and yet sayest, the natural man, may know the speculation of Christ or the divinity; I say, could he know that, (which is false as Scripture witnesses, 1 Cor. 2. 14.) I should chuse the na­turall mans estate, far before thine and thy liberty, for all thou hast got with thy rudiment, wherewith thou hast buried the Law and all perfection.

Another piece of thy doctrine, is, That Christ revealed in man, is not to reconcile the Creatures unto himself. I say, the Devil would have the creatures act his command, to spend upon his lust, and therefore would exclude Christ in man, to be but as some Cypher or something to take on, not to have any power in the heart, to take the creatures from their lust, and bring them into the place and Covenant wherein they were created, and that in the heart of every man particularly; (which is not done where he is not in the heart:) he would be content to allow him a name or a talk of reconciling people, before they be begotten or born, (as thy faith is) but after they come into the world and be able to do him any service, then must he have the ordering of all with­in, and to own Christ for a Redeemer in the heart, daily to free him from his sins, while the creature lives, that must go under the name of an error, if the Devil be teacher: and to affright simple people the more from it, he tells them, that to wait upon Christ [Page 32] in spirit every day, to redeem them from their present sins, and enlighten them, and let them see his present wiles, with which every day he besets them, this is to deny his person, and what he did at Jerusalem, and is but a spirit of fear, they need not trou­ble themselves withall; Its enough that Christ reconciled the world in himself, and ruled over the Devil in his own person, he need not do the same in him, that is but to do the work over a­gaine; and with such deceirs as these, he deceives the simplicity, and sets the beast at liberty, and having got up in one, and the false Prophet thereon, which hath told the lies, there Anti christ goeth out into the world, to oppose the word of reconciliation, or the government of Christ in the hearts of all the rest.

Thou sayest, That my saying Christ was not born in the Disci­ples when the Supper was appointed, is contrary to truth: But truth faith, that the Holy Ghost was not yet given, because that Jusus Christ was not yet glorified, John 7. 39. neither was Christ born in all in the Churches, for some was carnal, and they was but waiting for his appearance, and many of them knew not the Table of the Lord from the Table of Devils, and so was not come so far as those thou calls Pagans, to see God in every thing.

Concerning Redemption.

ANd here thou begins first to make a lie as formerly, to make thy self work, saying that I say, Redemption is not of sinners, but of the light within: which is but the falshood of thine owne heart, for I speak of that seed that lyeth slain in trespasses and sins, and in redemption of that is the sinner redeemed, who was cap­tivated into sin and condemnation with the other seed of the De­vill, which is not to be redeemed but destroyed.

And after this lie, thou tells of my darkness, and cries out, how are the abundant riches of grace, the fulness of the Mediator, and the power of the Crosse resolved at once into the light? I say, blind man, when was they out of it? yet doth none see them there but as they follow in the light, come to see the life, as saith Christ, John 8. 12. so that every one that sees the light, sees not them; but he that follows the light, sees and receaves them therein, which are not to be received in any thing else: But how [Page 33] shouldest thou know what is in the light, who denies all light, both within and without, whatsoever, to be exercised therein? Children of darkness could never judge what was in the light, who in thy blind mind art telling, that the seed needs no redemption: what was that that was redeemed in the Ephesians, which was dead in trespasses and sins, in which they walked before they received the Apostles doctrine, Ephes. 1. 1, 2. was they naturally dead, or the seed of God was slain in them? but when thou knows what that is that is dead in thee, whilest thou art alive in the Devills works, denying any thing in thee to save the therefrom, then thou shalt know what seed that is I speak of, which is not the seed of the evil doer, till then stop thy mouth from speaking thou knows not what, who hast denied all light whatsoever, what art thou like to know, but what darkness teacheth thee?

Thou goes on in thy confused mind, and tells of a greater law that came forth, Christ in flesh, and of an end put both to law and flesh by the body of Christ, and that you are joined to Christ alone according to the inward man; ye dwell in the curtains of Solomon, and liberty and rest of Christ, but according to the flesh, you are in the tents of Keder: And yet thy greatest work in thy book, is to deny christ according to the in ward man, and to set up the knowledge of him according to the flesh; and thus with thy drunken dark spirit thou confounds thy self, and staggers to and fro at noon day, vomiting out thy own shame and confusi­on.

Thou tells also, that thy Redemption, no law nor light of con­science can descern, but the light of Christ shining into the heart: So in thy opinion, the light of Christ in the heart is no law, nor light of conscience, what is the law of the spirit of life, if not the light of Christ in the heart? and what is that which is good in the conscience, the answer whereof saves, if not the light of Christ? And dost not thou say in thy 55. page, That all that be­lieve are justified from all things, by the law of the spirit accord­ing to the conscience, from which they could not be justified by the law of Moses? And is it now become, that no law nor light of conscience can descern it? so people must be justified by they do not know what; and much like according to thy doctrine, who affirms they are justified before they be begotten or born; then [Page 34] are not like to discern what their redemption is, nor what it is that is redeemed, from what nor by whom, further than by a talk from a drunken spirit.

Thou saies further, There is no mystery in the light within: I say, where was that mystery that was held in a pure conscience, which the Apostle speaks on, 1 Tim. 3. 9. was not that within? but thou hast found out a greater mystery, than the mystery of faith, that is, that the thing that is not, may be washed, sancti­fied and justified, thou may well say this is above all the mystery within, and indeed beyond all faith that is of God, onely thy imaginations hath no limit, whose foundation is in the air. Thou tells of a greater and better estate than Adam in his innocencie, which is no more but in thy imaginations; for thou that never knew the life of innocencie in thy self, as it was in Adam, art far unlike to know a greater, wherefore stop thy mouth vain bab­bler, out of which comes all this confusion, smoak and darkness, and with the light of thy conscience find thy own measure, and boast not above it, so will thou see thy self for all thy boasting, to be as dumb as those Isaiah speaks of, as to the state of innocen­cy, or any state above it witnessed in thee, or thou in it, further than an airie notion.

Concerning Justification, Sanctification, Mor­tification.

ANd this is not without a slander like the rest, but thy lies are so many, I am weary with raking in them; so to thy doctrine.

And thou tells of a justification, already prepared and wrought for sinners upon the Crosse, when he bare away your sins and death, and all the evils of this world, and thou sayest, He that can but truly believe this, according to his faith, so is it done. But art thou not now become partial, who hast assumed a privilege to thy self that thou wilt allow no body else? who sayest, thou thy self art justified, and sin washed away, before either faith or works, yea before thou thy self were, and now hast put others upon believing for justification, and saiest, so it is done, accord­ing [Page 35] to their faith, and thine done without faith, yea, before either faith or works.

And seeing thou limits the time of this work of justification onely to that time, when Christ was upon a carnal cross, and sayest, Thou wert justified before thou wast: Then when was all justified that died before the outward crucifying of Christ? If there was not justification in Christ before that time, then either must it follow, that the Saints that died before was justified since they died, or else are all condemned? But if every particular Saint was justified in their time, by that everlasting righteousness of God, by faith in Christ Jesus, and all that departed from that righteousness, was to perish, Ezek. 18. Then must it either fol­low so row, or justification is not the same that it was, which do thou shew if thou canst wherein it differs further then they (by faith) in him that was to come, whom they saw by faith, and we in faith of him that did come, whom we now see by faith in a clearer manifestation, but both in the same everlasting righte­ousness of God, without which righteousness by faith in them, and they in it, without which neither they nor we can enter into the Kingdom.

A Question thou asks, But can there be rest and liberty where there is a groaning for it?

Thy answer is, Yea, oh man, as well as Paul could be present in spirit where he was absent in body.

I say, Thy comparison will not hold, for Paul was really pre­sent in spirit, and he need not groan for it, but he that imagines a liberty, and yet is the servant of sin, is not so; and how be­ing at rest, and travelling and groaning to come to rest, can stand together, a little simplicity may judge thereof.

Thou sayest, The love of God, and righteousness of Christ, are not more or less for the beleiver.

I say, That is the ground of all the Ranters, and as they are in God himself, without relation to any particular, they are no more or less.

But in relation to mans salvation, he that believes not shall never have benefit by them, according to his faith so shall he receive, as thou thy self, but now, confessed, with whom its no [Page 36] new thing to say, and unsay, both with a wind.

Thou tels of thy being justified by Christ thy head, but the manifestation of it in thy self, therein, is thy sanctification, and before thou said, Thou was sanctified before thou was born, and before thou wert: Thus thy Potsheards are clashing one against another, who art lifting up thy self against the Iron Rod, and in opposition to the light of the world.

Concerning the Law.

THy Charge here is made up most of thy own words, and not mine, and so as thy own, and not mine, I shall pass it.

And thou begins thy doctrine with a deceit also, saying, Are the Law and Gospel the same? As though I had said they was, and thus with deceit and falshood thou carries on thy work, saying, that I say, They know not his Commands in Spirit, who say, that Christ fulfilled the Law for us in his own Person.

Another deceit is, That Whereas I say the bloud of Buls and Goats made nothing perfect, &c. This thou turns to the bloud of Christ, as though I denied it to make perfect; and so runs on from one false deceit to another, for if thy deceit fall, thy works is at an end, the whole body being little else.

And when thou hast cast out thy lies, then thou comes to thy faith, that is, That Christ hath sustained all the Law hath to charge upon you, &c.

But let me ask thee one question with thy large faith, Who was redeemed and justified before thou was born; Suppose thou commit adultery, or murther, will not the Law charge that sin upon thee, that Law God hath written in thy heart, Yea, and so as, without new washing, to condemn thee at the day of Judgment? If thou say yea, then thy justification and washing before thou wert born, may be disanulled, and stand in need of the bloud now: If thou say no, I say I should be loath to have to do with any one of thy opinion, I am sure no Ranter hath a larger.

[Page 37] Thou tels a story of being dead in Christ unto the first Adam, with all his deeds, and all the evils that came in by him; And as thou beholds Christ thou art changed into the same Image from glo­ry to glory. I say, if lying and deceit be a deed of the first Adam, then, I say, thou art alive to that, and it raigns in thee. And whereas thou sayes, As thou beholds him thou art changed into his Image. &c. I say, even so, for thou who hast denied him in thee never beheld him, and so art the same thou wast, and deceit is thy glory, and from one deceit to another is thy charge: And thou that was pure before thou wast born, and sayes, that is thy state thou stands in, what needs thou any more changing?

Another way thou would take to defraud the Scripture, that thereby thou mayest keep any from looking for washing or ju­stifying now; sayes thou, When it is said, we are justified by God and by Grace, by the name of Christ, by the Spirit of our God, we are to understand that these went out against our sins in the bloud of Christ: and so would make all these of no use now in our age, as to sanctifie now; but who reads the Saints testimony, 1 Cor. 6. 11. may find, that they was washed, sanctified and justified after they had sinned, and not before, as thou imagins thou wast before thou was born; and so thy washing so far before hand leaves thee filthy still, but they was washed from their filthiness, and knew no liar nor false accuser must enter into the Kingdom of Heaven, how clear soever they was before they was born, and before they were, a washing and justification thou so much boasts on; but its clear, they and thou art not of one justifica­tion, for theirs was present, thine before thou wast; theirs by faith, thine before faith; theirs by the spirit, thine by imagina­tions, without either spirit, faith, or knowledge.

Concerning Christ Jesus.

THis is the first Charge that is made up of truth.

And thou sayes my faith is, That Christ humbled himself and became obedient unto death, that he might become a living ex­ample, &c. And this thou opposes as an error, which are the words of Scripture. And though thou have said true in thy first charge, yet it must not pass without a lie in thy answer, that is, as though I had said, That the mystery of faith is become no more with us than a lofty imagination of reason: when there is not one word by me to that purpose, but thy own vomit cast out upon us to make the truth odious, which thou canst not otherwise disprove. So thou adds a confusion or two, and leaves what I have said as it was.

First, thou sayes, Not the light within is that which leads to Christ Jesus; and so would make Christ a liar like thy self, John 8. 12, And then thou sayes, It must be known by the Spirit; and so makes thy self a liar if the Spirit be light within, which none that ever knew it will say otherwise of it.

Thou sayes also, That the Scriptures are the Image of Christ: A thing they may beleive that will, for ought thou proves of it.

Thou asks, Would the light within have shewed you the Atone­ment, &c? I say, the true Atonement it will, and no other thing can shew it to every particular person; but thy atonement, that was before thou was born, and is yet in thy sin, it will not, it shews no such lies; but blind man, may not all that have any experi­ence of atonement see what thy atonement is, that is not seen within? hadst thou been reconciled to God in thy heart and spi­rit, the liars mouth had been stopt; but if thou should own such an atonement, thou would lose thy Masters service.

But didst thou know what atonement or unity with God is, thou could not feed thy self with lies, taking conceits for atone­ment, while that of God within in thy Conscience condemns thee, but thy atonement would be to see the light of his counte­nance, [Page 39] shining in thy heart, in the face of Jesus, and see him speak peace, who wounds.

Concerning the Ministry of Christ.

THis Charge is true also; That I say, The Ministers of Christ have the word in them, that they preach not for hire, that they are persecuted, &c. and this thou likes not for truth.

And to oppose it thou sayes, first, I say rightly; but Ministers of Righteousnesness are of Satan or of Christ, zealously to affect, to preach frecly, suffer labour, stripes, imprisonments, &c. I say, Are Ministers of Righteousness of Satan, and do the Ministers of Satan preach freely, &c? Then take notice, that thou liar and hireling never yet came so far as a Minister of Satan in thy own account; and thus instead of weighing us thou hast weighed thy self, and all thy brethren the Parish Masters with thee, and art found wanting of Ministers of Satan; for shame now cease calling your selves Ministers of Christ, if by your fruits you may be known, and Christ hath said you must, Math. 7. 16, 20. but this thou denies, and sayes, Nay, by their spirits they must be judged, and their spirit by their words; So the Devil would come in for a Minister, who can get words enough, but fruits he can­not, therefore he loves not that trial.

Thou further sayes, Thou art jealous that we are Ministers of darkness: Yet not so dark, but we can through the light of Christ see the Devils deceits, and thats thy punishment at pre­sent.

Concerning Free-Will.

THis Charge is falsly made up, not as I have spoken all the words in it, yet somewhat of truth there is in it.

First, The light within which reproves the evill deeds is the will of God, by which will we are sanctified: That in every man which [Page 40] shews sin, and reproves for it, is free grace: This light in every man is Free. Will: Which is utterly false, for I have not said, that every man that sees this light hath Free-will, but with the light he may see the will of God, which is free, from his own will, but none hath Free-will but who denies their own wils.

Thy answer is, That if the first be so, then is the death of Christ of none effect. So that by thy doctrine, if it be the will of God, that men should be reproved of sin by the light of Christ; and if it be by the will of God, that we are sanctified and saved (for that is the thing I affirm) then Christ died in vain, this is thy consequence; so I shall prove what I affirm, and then see all men what thy doctrine of consequence is.

That it is the will of God, that all men should be reproved for their evil deeds by the light, read Ephesians 5. 13. John 16. 8. And that by the will of God we are sanctified and saved, Hebrews 10. 9, 10. 1 Thes. 4. 3. 1 Tim. 2. 4. These with many other Scriptures will prove what I have said, prove thy conse­quence as thou canst.

Thou sayes also, If the second be so, then the Law and free grace is the same.

So by thy doctrine and consequence, if that Comforter Christ speaks on, which reproves the world of sin, and the light of Christ, be free grace, then the law and free Grace are the same; a strange consequence, like the former. Is not the light of the world free grace? John 8. 12. John 16. 8. and the Spirit of God free grace? If that be not, then what is, seeing Christ and the Spirit is denied?

Further sayest thou, If the light God hath put into all men be the gift of grace, the gift of heavenly righteousness by Christ, wherein is the end of the law and sin heeded?

I say, what thou intends by thy consequence, & by sin heeded, let the Reader judge if he can; but that the light is the gift of grace, that I own and wert not thou blind, thou would not ima­gine any light of God given to man, which is not the gift of grace, it must either be of grace or of works; and what work hast thou done to obtain the gift of Christ light?

[Page 41] Thou sayes, If the third be so then there is that in the natural man, whereby he is able to know and receive the things of the Spirit.

I say, Thy Charge in this is a lie, not my words, and thy consequence is of the same vote, and so to thee I leave them, being thy own work, to say and gainesay; but that the light of Christ, who ever minds it and follow it, is able to lead to re­ceive the things of the Spirit, that I have proved, John 8. 12. and divers other places.

Another deceit to cast a mist over the light is; thou sayes, The deep things of God, his grace in Christ, sparkling in the old time now in one promise, now in another, and foretold by the Pro­phets (whereof the Righteousness of the Fews Philosophers and Grecks knew nothing) this cannot be discovered by the clearest light in the natural man.

I say, Here are two deceits covered in this, first, as though none of the Jews or Saints did discern this before Christ came at Jerusalem: the second, as though the clearest light, with which Christ enlightneth men within, could not lead to the discerning of him; which are both contrary to Christs words, who saith, Abraham saw my day, and to the Prophets he was born, Isaiah 9. 6. And saith Christ, I am the light of the world, he that follows me shall have the light of life, John 8. 12. And so with the words of truth thy mist is driven away, and the truth cleared from thy deceits.

And then as thou begun thy work with lies, so thou ends, with two lies more thou casts upon us. That we level the my­stery of the second Adam, and the restoring of all things in him, to be no other thing but Law and Reason. Secondly, That we make the death of Christ of none effect, and the whole mystery of grace in him.

But seeing thou dost falsly slander us herein, I shall state the case truly as it is in this Question; Whether they that believe Christ died at Jerusalem, and witness his bloud in them, whereby their hearts are sprinkled, and washed from lying, deceit, and pride, and uncleanness, by the in-dweiling of Christ in them, so kept according to the measure of Christ [Page 42] revealed in Spirit? Or they who say, that Christ died at Je­rusalem, but deny him in them to redeem and save them from the power of sin, or his bloud in them to sprinkle and wash them daily from dead works? Or any light of his whatsoe­ver, either within or without, to be exercised in, to freedom and perfection, but say, they were washed, sanctified and ju­stified before they came into the world, but in the world are found liars, and false accusers, and deceitful teachers: this being the true case between thee and us, I leave it to the wise to judge, who it is that denies Christ Jesus the everlasting Priest, which abideth for evermore, to every generation; and who it is that makes his bloud of none effect, as to wash away sin, and to restore all things to God; and whether the effect of the bloud of Christ be to take away sin, or to talk on, whereby to plead for sin against the present being and effect thereof (to wit) to keep out of the Devils works? Now who owns the bloud of Christ let the effect manifest to all men. And know thou, that the bloud of Christ is not words not imaginations, of what thou never see before thou was born, but a living substance, which is to be known, with its effect, to every particular Saint in every generation, and such, who say they are saved by the bloud of Christ before they were, but now are found in their sins, are such as deny the bloud of Christ, and to them they make it of none effect, who are not washed; and they who say, they was purged, sanctified and justified before they were, and now when they are, are unclean, boasts of that they never saw, and trusts in a lie, for talking what Christ was by the history is one thing, which all have and believe, and yet abide in condemnation, and without further may perish; but to learn Christ in the mystery, of faith, which is held in a pure Conscience, is ano­ther; and onely such know him aright, both what he did at Jerusalem, and the end of it, who follow him now in spirit, and have fellowship in his death and sufferings, and so at­tains to his resurrection in the spirit and life, and so follow in his life and righteousness, such onely confess him, and shall not therein be condemned.

[Page 43] Much more might be said to lay open thy deceits in thy other part of thy book, but my life is not to rifle in such heaps of confusion, were it not that I am forced to it, for clearing the truth from false Teachers, who are wholly igno­rant of the mystery of faith, which is held in a pure Consci­ence, and so know nought but in the natural comprehensions, as brute beasts, judging of the great mystery of God and his redemption to stand in visibles and carnal things, times and places, which things in their carnal wisdom they make use on, to fight against the spiritual appearance of Christ in the Creature, without which there can be neither life nor re­demption. No, Christ himself, onely known after the flesh, brings no man to God, but Christ revealed in spirit from hea­ven, that everlasting Light and Glory of the Father, the eter­nal Spirit, and Comforter, that could not come till he went away in the flesh. And if his presence was not the full ac­complishment of the great promise of the Father and the Son, but he must go away in the flesh, out of their carnal sight, no more to be in the world carnally, but in them spiri­tually, which is the Comforter, even the Spirit of truth, to guide them into all truth; and this Christ holds forth as their greater power and comfort. Yea, and when they had recei­ved him so, they said, though they had known Christ after the flesh, they knew him so no more: how much less is a talk of him whom you never see, neither with out nor within, with his presence in spirit, which is the main end why he came in the flesh in his own person, that through faith in him, who was the first begotten from the dead, he might appear in spirit in all his, and dwell in them, guide and govern in them for ever, as his dwelling place in this world from generation to gene­ration for evermore, in which body he is vailed from the worlds wisdom now as ever he was, and in whom he now suf­fers as he hath ever done: I say, how much short such are of the knowledge of a living Christ, his presence or redemption, these times may judge, and the fruits thereof, for where Christ is, the body is dead, because of sin, and the spirit is life be­cause of righteousness; but where a talk of Christ onely is [Page 44] the body of sin lives, such would murther him where he is come, under a pretence of their denying Christ at Jerusalem, when they do not onely believe what he did there, but also witness him in them their Saviour at present from sin and the power of Satan, which is the end why he came at Jerusalem, and with out which the other saves not.

And for this hast thou setup thy horn against it, and hast brought out this heap of confusion to shew thy self blind, with the rest of thy earth born brethren, who are at strife one with another, but now joyned together in open battel a­gainst the light of the Lamb, which is risen to reveal your dark foundation, and that your curious Babel may become a heap of rubbish, till there be not left a way in, nor our, nor a place to hide you.

And such a heap there of is in the other part of thy book as might fill a volume to repeat and answer; but the substance thereof being answered in this foregoing, or in other books, I shall say little, onely give thee and the world a veiw of some few of thy errors, and let the Scripture reprove them, such as these following.

• THat there are three way to know God, when as there is but one way, even Christ from the beginning, though in several Ministrations, John 14. 6.
• That the knowledge of God, according to the Law, is Ido­latry; whereas God hath said, I will write my Law in your hearts, and you shall know me, which is the new Covenant, nei­ther was it ever Idolatry to know God after the Law, Heb. 8. 8, 9, 10, 11. Jer. 31. 32, 34. Jam. 1. 25.
• That the Doctrine of Devils doth preach a Jesus, Gospel, and Spirit, 2 Cor. 3. 16, 17.
• That all men know God according to his Godhead, Mat. 11, 27. 1 Cor. 15. 34. 2 Thes. 1. 8.
• That a Man, while enclosed enclosed up in a body of sin and death, is at the same time raised up into the heavenly Righteousness, [Page 45] Immortality and freedom, above all sin or shadow of evil, Math. 6. 24. Rom. 6. 16. John 8. 34, 35, 36. Rom. 8. 12.
• That Christ cannot be seen, by the obedience of the Spirit, within us, 1 Cor. 12. 3. Rom. 8. 14.
• That those whose root and foundation is, what Christ is, and hath done in himself, but the way to partake of the benefit of it is their union with him; such do (by lust) crucifie his Spirit and Grace within, John 15 4, 5.
• That the Gospel, being a Mystery of things hid in Christ, is neither written, nor to be seen in the heart of man, 1 Tim. 3. 9. Rom. 10, 8, 9, 10.
• That the Gospel, as a Commandement and Peice of mora­lity, may be read and beleived by every man, and yet sayes in another place, the Gospel is hid from all principles of flesh, 2 Cor. 4. 3, 4.
• That the Mystery of God in Christ is not to be known by his enlightening within men, 2 Cor 4. 6, 7.
• That the Spirit set up asunder from the letter, brings forth a twofold error, both perilous and hurtful, 2 Cor. 3. 6. Rom. 7. 6.
• That affirming the Light in the Conscience the way or guide to Christ, is a darksom and fleshly principle, wherein Christ and his Redemption is forgotten for ever, 1 Tim. 1. 19. and 3. 9.
• That all just Laws of Nations are beams from Christ, as he is the Light and Word of God to the natural man, but not as he is a Redeemer, John 1. 9. and 5. 33.
• That the Light within for matter and substance is the same with the Law of Moses, and was not given for righteousness, nor can reveal life, Rom. 10 7, 8, 9, 10 2 Cor. 4. 6.
• That Christ came to deliver us from the light within, Luke 11. 34. 35, 36.
• That Christ is no giver of Laws, Isai. 33. 22. 1 Cor. 9. 21. Jam 4. 12. Rom 8. 2.
• That Christ set forth as the Word, the Light, the Truth, the Spirit, as a Man holy, spotless, separate from sinners, as a living example to the world, of perfect obedience to the Law [Page 46] of the Spirit, and life of God, so denies and blots out the glory of his grace, as being the end of the Law, Rev. 19. 13. John 8. 12 John 14. 6. Heb. 7. 26. 1 Pet. 2. 21. Rom. 8. 2.
• That a Man may see himself dead, and buried with Christ, and raised up together with him, and not by any obedience to Christ within, 1 Pet. 1. 2. 22.
• That the Light within is that spirit of this world, that hath formed all false resemblances of Christ, Luke 11. 34, 35. 36.
• That the true likeness and Image of Christ is not known to the light within, 1 Cor. 12. 3.
• That the conception of Christ, as a Law-giver and work, is an Idol, and the root of all idolatrous Religions, James 4. 12. Isay 33. 22.
• That the Law in the conscience arose against Christ, 1 Pet. 3. 21.
• That a Man is justified from sin, while the Light within con­demns of sins, 1 John 3. 19, 20, 21.
• That Jesus Christ came forth and took the work of the Law out of the heart, Rom. 2. 15, 16.
• That the Light within accusing for sin pertaineth onely to the flesh, John 16. 8, 13.
• That Christ comes not down into our persons as a light accusing for sin, John 16. 8, 13.
• That Light within which leads to know God as God, and glorifie him as God, and returns to God, obedience there to just and perfect, as God is just and perfect, this knows nothing of the Gospel-Ministry, God manifested in flesh, 2 Cor. 4. 6.
• That this Light was not given for righteousness, which will do all this before mentioned.
• These need no answering to any who have received and felt any thing of God, they can all witness, that not any thing of God did they ever see, feel, or know, but within, for it is the Spirit that searcheth and reveals all things, even the deep things of God: now is there any man that knows any thing as he ought to know, but by Christ enlightening his under­standing within; that work thou opposing shews thy blind­ness [Page 47] and opposition to Scripture, as may be seen.

Many more such like errors hast thou, which are directly opposite to the Spirit of God and plain Scripture, such as in­deed give Christ a name to have lived and died in his own person at Jerusalem, but doth wholly strike at his eternal life, and the everlasting offering, his long suffering, his death, and the fellowship of it, and his resurrection, his enlightening, lea­ding and salvation in Spirit within, without which no man can be saved, nor know Christ, but as the Devil may know him; and in plain truth strikes at his everlasting Name, as he is an everlasting King and Saviourin his people, to wash, to order, to judge, to give laws and statutes, to save and redeem from every particular sin, in every one of his, from one gene­ration to another, by his present in-dwelling, who is the same yesterday, to day and for ever, where he is marifest inflesh to take away sin.

And by talking of his bloud at Jerusalem makes his bloud of none effect, as he is an everlasting Priest, by an everlasting Priesthood, not as in one generation, but for ever, stands of­fered up to the Father, with his bloud in the everlasting Co­venant an atonement making, and besprinkling the hearts and consciences of every one of his by the bloud of his everla sting Covenant, which not being done by faith within, makes that at Jerusalem of none effect as to that person.

And this is the same Spirit that in the Law cryed, the Tem­ple, the Temple, but to withstand him, who was the everla­sting Temple, and substance of the visible, which now cries, the body and bloud at Jerusalem, but to withstand the end of that blood, which is to wash and cleanse from all sin, and to purge every Conscience from dead works, without which that at Jerusalem is made void, and without its effect, and as the Devil could keep then them blind in the Temple worship, but he in their hearts, and they doing his work, so doth he now by crying the death at Jerusalem, and keeping from the fellow­ship of it within, he keeps sin alive, and the creature captiva­ted therein at his will, and makes them believe they were cleansed before they were born, but still in the same iniquity [Page 41] the Jews was in (if not worse) and cries up a great benefit they have by Christs coming, and that they are under grace, but still in the power of Satan, and his works done in the body where Christ should dwell; so that in truth this is all the be­nefit that is found in such, more than the Jews had, but a talk of Christ at Jerusalem, as the other did of the Temple at Jeru­salem, but both without that in them, which is the life of all visibles, and invisibles, even the in-dwelling of Christ to re­deem them from the power of sin, and the world; but these cry, we are redeemed by the bloud of Christ before we were, though we commit sin, that cannot hinder our redemption, we are delivered, though we be inclosed up in a body of sin, yet are we in Christ at the very same time in the heavenly Righteousness, far above all sin (as thou sayes) which in­deed is no more but an imagined freedom, and a lie, and is found no more in substance, nor before God is there any differenceat all between a servant of sin the Jews time, and a servant of sin now, but onely that you cause the Name of Jesus to be evil spoken on through the world, and sin against his light and grace more than they did; and make the suffer­ings of Christ at Jerusalem a cloak for the Devil to carry his works under, and bring them forth.

Neither did ever any Child of light profess such a faith (to wit) that they were washed and justified when they were not, which is a meer fixion of the brain, and no faith, but a peice of non-sense, to say we were justified, sanctified and washed be­fore we were; as though that which is filthy may be made clean, by washing a thing that is not, and by justifying a thing that is not, you are just before God, in all manner of filthiness, and so in an airy conceit of justifying of nought, you imagine you are saved.

Neither did ever any of the children of light say, that they was justified before faith, as thou dost; produce thy brother amongst all the Saints that was of this faith, thou talks of Papists, and false Opinions; I say, none like this, not a Ranter in England hath a larger faith, nor hath the Devil such a way in all the works to keep people out of the fear of God, re­pentance [Page 49] for sin, or being guided by the Light and Spirit of Christ, out of the Devils work, and so redeemed out of con­demnation.

Was there ever such a deceit as the Devil hath blinded you withal, to live in your sin and bondage to Satan, denying the Light of Christ in you, and when he lets you see your bon­dage and his enemy, and what way you should escape the pol­lutions of the world, and his wrath that is against you, by his light in your consciences: Then you call that a spirit of bon­dage, and say you are not under that, you are redeemed from minding any thing within in the conscience: and thus at once make shipwrack of a pure conscience, and the mystery of faith therein, and run in hand with the Devil to believelies; That you was clean before you was born, & shall be clean when you are dead; and your sins now cannot change Gods purpose, nor make his love more or less to you; and so with a brazen­ed face setup a way, and faith, and preach it, that though you be closed up in sin, and wicked in your life, soul, and body, and all you are, yet you are righteous before God, and that which you now love and live in, must not be charged upon you.

And when the enemy hath got you into this deceit, and thereby slain the witness of God in you, which should re­prove you of sin, and keep you in his fear, and your hearts ten­der, then are you fit instruments for his work, to withstand the spiritual appearance of the Lord Jesus Christ in his Saints; and for that purpose hath he fill'd your hearts with lies and deceits, to cast in the way of the truth, and upon them that profess it, as thou hast done in this thy book, slandering us to deny the Person of Christ, for no other thing, but because we witness the end of his appearance in person, which is his in­dwelling for ever in our hearts by faith, there to sit as King and Priest to all generations, taking dominion over whate­ver in the heart is contrary to him, which is his Seat and King­dom in this world, wherein alone he is known, onely in the hearts of his people; without which none knows him, nor are reconciled to God by him, and this is not to deny his Per­son, [Page 50] but to exalt him as King in the heart and conscience for ever, for he is worthy, whose Kindom is righteousness

I know what Christ did in his own person, and do own and believe it, and that righteousness he therein wrought, and how therein he became the onely way to the Father, the Truth, and the Life, and the Light of all the world, set up for ever to lead to God, and that therein he is the first and the last, and there is none besides him with the Father, an Advocate, Mediator, and Intercessor, given of the Father into the world, to that end, that all men through him might be believe and be saved, this I own and know, and much more: But that any can be saved by him, without faith and obedience to him, and walking in him, who is the Way, Light and Life onely by thinking they believed what he did at Jerusalem, that I deny, and that faith which is without works, is no more than what the Devils hath, which will not save them nor any else; but in him is the Re­demption not in a talk of him; and he that is in sin is not in him; for he that abides in him sins not; nor hath any the benefit of what he is to a believer, but as they receive his light that shews them sin, and so turn to him by repentance, till then what he is in his own person, or hath done, is so far from sa­ving any, that it is their condemnation that he is come a light into the world, and they still walk in darkness, and not in him.

And also whatever the Scripture doth declare of him I own, and so do all who in the light dwell, from which the letter was given forth; and therefore be ashamed of thy lies that thou hast cast upon us in this part of thy book also, which are not worth answering, being most of them answered, and denied in my answer to the other part of thy book, to which also thou hast added in this such things as never entred into our hearts to do, nor speak, which thou most falsly accusest us withal, as that we say:

• That the Light which enlightens every man, accusing of sin, is Christ and God, the Eternal and Just One, and so the Redeemer and Saviour, and the all to be known and believed.
• That the returning into the Light again, Man is restored and redeemed as at the beginning. When we say, Its the Light that [Page 51] leads to the bloud of cleansing, &c. 1 John 1. 6, 7.
• That this Light, as condemning of sin is the bloud and death of the cross, the resurrection and second coming of the Son of God.
• That the Law and Gospel, Faith and Obedience, Death, Re­surrection, Redemption, Justification and Sanctification are not things distinct, but one and the same within us.
• That we deny the Person of Christ as the object of Faith.
• That we deny Faith it self as the evidence of things not seen.
• That we affirm, in effect that Christ is divided.
• That we affirm, that Paul and every Christian are crucified, and made an offering for himself.
• That we say the Light in every man is Christ the Redeemer.
• That the Law, from which Christ came to deliver us, is called and worshipped by us as the Redeemer and Spirit.
• That the Quakers say, that Christ took on him our nature, but not our judgment and sin.
• That Christ died at Jerusalem but as an example, but not as a Sacrifice.
• That he did not the work by himself at once, but onely shewed the way.
• That we reckon Christ to be such a one as was the Priest and Levite that passed by the wounded man.
• That we deny the dead body and flesh of Christ to be the onely way into the inward life.
• That nothing will serve us, but to tear out of your faith, and knowledge, and profession, the bloud of atonement, redemption and reconciliation by that our sacrifice once for ever.
• That we deny that Christ in the body of his flesh, through that obedience to death, be crucified our old man, purged away sin, made reconciliation for iniquity, and perfected for ever all that are san­ctified. Which thing we do not deny to all that are sanctified, but to you, who are yet in your sins, we do, else we should lie as you do.
• That we agree with the Papists in this, that works or obedience to some Law or Rule is the way to redemption, perfection and God.
• [Page 52] That we deny the Jesus that died, and therein by bloud and spi­rit perfected us for ever by himself.
• That we affirm, that God requires the same obedience of our selves as he did of Christ, and so we conclude we must be justified by the works of the Law: slandering us that we teach Christ one­ly as an Allegory.
• That we make faith void and the bloud of Christ of none effect.

And divers more deceits out of thy own blind heart hast thou made up into lies, and laid upon us, as though we said them, when they are but thy own blindness of heart and wil­ful wickedness; in all which it is clearly seen, that thou dost not mind any thing of God in thee to guide thy tongue, or to lead thee to do as thou wouldest be done by, And there­fore because thou hast rejected the light of Christ and set thy self by thy lies to oppose it, therefore art thou given over to blindness of heart, and to make lies thy covering, and as thou hast chosen them against the light, so shalt thou be filled therewith, and covered with thick darkness, so into thy bow­els be they returned and the truth cleared.

And as for thy whole work, it is judged by all who have the knowledge of the life of God, and its workings in them, and who hath a love to Righteousness, such as know his work, and who it is as works it, will not change that faith that re­veals the workings of redemption and freedom from every particular sin, in their measures daily, and peace thereby from condemnation, by the presence of him that works all their works in them, such will not change their faith for a fancy of what thou imagines was done for thee, thou knows not when where, nor doth the effects thereof appear further than a talk with all the world.

Onely thy doctrine will be acceptable to such as would be saved, but the way of God is too strait, who likes not to bear the Cross by which living Redemption is now wrought, a Redemption in a talk is very pleasing to such, that they may live with the world while they live, and be separated from them when they die.

[Page 53] Also such as have got a wound from the Lord in their hearts and consciences for their selfish wicked wayes, to such thy salve of justification from sin before they commit it, will serve to heal the heart deceitfully, as the false Prophets ever did, who cried peace where God cried not peace, but that peace will break out again when you stand in most need, it will onely serve you while you can please your selves in the things of this world, and forget your later end, but if ever you remember Christs justification, spoken on Math: 12. 36, 37. it will marr yours; to wit, that for every idle word you must answer for at the day of judgement, and then by your words you must be justified, and by your words condemned, you that live and die in your sins will find it in vain at that day to plead your justification before you was born, or had com­mitted sin, so to that day I leave you, who will not be recon­ciled to God, but chuse your own delusions.