A LETTER TO THE Author of a Book, ENTITLED, An Answer to W. P's KEY, About the Quakers LIGHT WITHIN, etc.  By Edmund Elys, a Servant of Jesus Christ. 
SIR,  
I Consider that the Controversy that you and I are engaged in, is of infinitely greater concern to all Men than all the Contests of all the Kings, and other Potentates in the World about Temporal Power and Dominion: For the Nations are as a drop of a Bucket, and are counted as the small Dust of the Balance: But THE TRUE LIGHT, concerning whose Influence upon the Souls of Men, we are now to Dispute, is, The High, and Lofty One that inhabiteth Eternity, Lord of Lords, and King of Kings. I beseech you therefore to consider that you must give account at the Day of Judgement of every word you shall return in Answer, to what I shall here say in vindication of the Truth concerning The Light within, Asserted by W. P. in his small Treatise, Entitled, The Key, etc.  
You say, p. 12. Never was any Nation, or any Generation, or any one Man instructed by that Light that is in the Conscience of every Man, that there ever was such a one as Jesus of Nazareth, much less, that he was the Lord, and least of all what he required of his Servants and Attendants: Therefore no light within common to all Mankind, can be the Rule of the Christian Religion. So that the notorious Experience of all Men confutes the pretence of the Quakers, since it was never possible for any Man to learn, the least part of the Christian Religion by the Light within that is in every Man's Conscience. Answ. Whoever did not Rebel against the Light, which is in the Conscience of every Man, did believe that there was such a one as Jesus of Nazareth, as soon as this Truth was Declared unto him by Christ, or His Apostles, or any other that had received Authority from CHRIST to Preach the Gospel. In a sincere Conformity to the Law of GOD written in the Heart, is employed a Virtual Assent to all Truth. You say, (p. 26.) That, Our Conscience is an inward Sense perceiving immediately nothing but our own Thoughts, which thoughts are therefore its Notices; and the Minds perceptive, Power presenting these in itself, is the Light in the Conscience of every Man. Answ. CONSCIENCE is the KNOWLEDGE of the Law of God in Conjunction with the KNOWLEDGE of the Conformity, or Difformity of our own Actions, or Omissions thereunto: By Knowledge here I mean the Inward Man, or the Heart considered, as Knowing the Law of God, etc. The Truth of what I say is evident from these Texts of Scripture, Rom. 2.15. 1 John 3.20, 21. This is a gross Falsehood that Conscience perceives nothing immediately but our own Thoughts: For it immediately perceives the Law of God, viz. Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy Heart, and with all thy Soul, and thy Neighbour as thyself; after that it perceives the Conformity, or Difformity of our own Actions, or Omissions thereunto. In the Law of God written in the Heart, is manifestly employed the Idea of God; for we cannot have any Perception of the Law of God without some Perception, Notion, or Idea of His Existence. This Innate Idea, Notion, or Perception of the Divine Being, the one being absolutely infinite, is that peculiar Participation of Eternal REASON, The WORD, which was in the beginning with God, and which was God, with which our Blessed Creator, the Fountain of all Goodness has endued all Rational Souls. This I suppose is that which W. P. means by His own Light, viz. the immediate Emanation of the WORD, or REASON ESSENTIAL upon All Rational Souls. 'Tis excellently observed by W. P. Key. p. 2. that, This Light is something else than the bare Understanding Man hath as a Rational Creature: For as such, Man cannot be a Light to himself; but has only a capacity of seeing by means of the Light, with which Christ, the Word, enlighteneth him.  
The Humane Intellect, or Understanding is called Reason, because it is the power or faculty of perceiving the Emanations of the Essential Reason, the Fountain of all Truth, and Goodness. You tell us that The Mind's perceptive Power presenting these (our Thoughts) in itself is the Light in the Conscience of every Man. I suppose upon second thoughts you will retract this: What! is the Power, or Faculty perceptive of Light or Truth, the Light itself? I'll grant that the Humane Understanding, or Intellectual preceptive Faculty, being the Eye of the Soul, may be called the Light that is in us; not because we are conscious of our Thoughts, but because we are capable of perceiving the TRUE LIGHT in our own Souls.  
You say, This light is the Deity itself, and then the Soul of every Man will be Deified thereby. Answ. Not so but the Soul of every Man that Walks in this Light, that adheres to it, as the Principle of all his Actions, may truly be said to be made Partaker of the Divine Nature, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉.. It is a most horrid Error (if not plain Blasphemy,) to say as you do, that It was never possible to learn the least part of the Christian Religion by the Light within, that is in every Man's Conscience: For by the Light within we understand CHRIST himself, and that Light which immediately Flows from Him, the Fountain of Light, the Sun of Righteousness, which we are called to Reflect upon, and Conform our Will, and Affections thereunto, by all the Notices that GOD gives of himself by any of his WORDS, or WORKS. Whatever knowledge a Man can have of the sense or signification of any Texts of Scripture, without this Reflection or immediate Application of the Will and Understanding to Christ himself, the Fountain of Light in his own Soul, such Knowledge is rather the Picture, Form, or Image of Knowledge, than True Divine Knowledge: 'Tis that Knowledge which puffeth up, and renders Men more like the Devil, the Father of Lie. 'Tis only by obeying the Light within, or by our adherence to the Spirit of Truth in our own Hearts, that we can ever attain to the knowledge of the Truth, as it is in JESUS; that is, as it saves those that have any apprehension of it, from their Sins. p. 21. you have these words: God is Light, and God is within other things, as well as Men; is then God a Light within to every Tree, or Beast, or Star? Answ. GOD, being the ONE absolutely infinite, is in every Creature; but He is a Light only to those Creatures, which he has endued with a Capacity of having some sight, or perceivance of Him. I desire you would Peruse all those Papers which have been or shall be Published for Me, by Thomas Northcott, in George-Yard in Lumbard-street. If you shall attempt the Confutation of this Paper, or of any thing else that I have Published, I desire you would not write one Line without this Consideration▪ That we shall all appear before the Judgement Seat of Christ, and that our Life is but a Vapour, etc.  
Totness in Devon, July 12. ●●95. I am, Your Servant in the Love of the Truth. Edmund Elys.   

LONDON, Printed for Thomas Northcott, in George-Yard in Lombardstreet, MDCXCV.