?£:< ^ 9/-:^: ri: LIBRA-RY ' OF THE Theological Seminary, Princeton/ N.J. Case, -DAyisJ.on„.^--A.^^S — - > _ Booh, N.!?-. -.-.,.... tfiC^ '~VL^ c/M^h — ^^-^t^se^-^i- V \ ' '^TV^ THE Original, and Pre/ent State O F MAN, BRIEFLY CONSIDEltED^ WHEREIN IS SHEWN, The Nature of his Fall, and the Neceffity, Means, and Manner of his Restoration, through the Sacri- fice of CHRIST, and the fenfible Operation of that Divine Principle of GRACE and TRUTHj held forth to the World BY THE People called Q^UAKERS, To WHICH ARE ADDr.D, Some REMARKS on the Arguments of SAMUEL NEWTON, of N o R w I c H. By JOSEPH P H I P P S. We both labour, and fuffer Reproach, becaufe we ti'uft in the living GOD, who is the S'aviour of all Men, 'fpeciaily of thofe that believe, i Tim. iv. ic. ^@ LONDON, Printed: PHILADELPHIA: Re-Printed And sold by JOSEPH CRUKSHANK, 2 Market-Street, between Second ^nd Tkird-Strbets. m dcc lxxxiii. H E P R E F A C E. li/f T chief Inducement to piibViJlo a fenv Oh^ ^ ^^ fervations upon S. NewtonV * Letter in the Tear 1767, nvas the Defence of that Dl" 'vine Principle vouchfafed by a gracious Creator^ through a beneficent Red^eemer to all Mankindy in order to their InfrtiFlion^ Help and Salvation, Its Operation and Extent appeared to me to be mifunderflood^ and miftakenly reprefented in that Difcourfe^ and finding it equally fo^ in a late "f Reply of the fame Author^ I think ynyfdf in jome Degree obliged to appear a fecond TimCy fill fur- ther tofJoeuj^ according to fny Underfianding^ the Necefftty^ Univerfahty and real Seifibility of the Work of God's Holy Spirit upon th^ ijnmortal Soul of Many as the vital Source^ and Support of true Religion in hitn ; and therefore the pri- mary Guide of his Life and Condutl. My Intention is not mere Controverfy^ but Ex- planation and DoHrine, I have therefore taken the Liberty to uje divers Expreffions from the Apocrypha^ * Letter to the Author cf a Letter to Dr. Formey, &c. ftgnedi No Matter who. t The leading Senthiients of the People called Quakers e>:^wJr.?dj, occ. by S. Newton of Ncrwicii. The preface, Apocrypha^ and other Writings^ ivhere their Per^^ tinence and Clearnefs entitled them to a Place. I take little Notice of the numerous declamato- ry Parts of my Oppojers Performance. It con- cerns not the ingenuous Reader^ ivho can be mofi keen or moft petulant^ but on ivhich Side of the ^lejlion the Truth lies^ and by ivhich DoBrine his Mind is mojl likely to be bejland mofl profitably in- formed. This he may better judge for himfelf than others for him; for be they ever fo ingeni- ous^ or otherivife learned^ they cannot be competent Judges in Things they have not experienced^ and- ivhich are not to be known but by Experience. I have no Animofity toiimrds my Antagoniji ; but his Work appears to me founded in Miftakes^ both concerning the Senje of Scripture^ and the Intention of our Writings, To proceed minutely to unravel and cl^^r^ vuhat he has been at Jb much Pains to perplex and confu/e^ ivouldbemore tedious than difficulty and could by no Means com- f en/ate either for the Reader sTime^ or myoivn. My firfl Endeavour therefore fholl be^ to fjjeiv the Verity of our true leading Principles^ from the original^ and prejent State of Mankind^ vuith the Affijlance requifite thereunto^ andaftervoards to add fome Remarks upon divers Parts of the Treatife before me. •^ THE THE Oriqinal and Present State O F M A N, &c. CHAP. I. I . Man ivas originally created in purity^ and in a State of due Order and Retlitude. 2. He ivas in/pired ivith a Senfe of his Duty ; and 3 and 4, impoivered to perform it. 5, Being tempted^ he lapfed fro?n his proper Guards the preferving Poiver of God^ into Sin, 6. He Jell from the Image of the He a- 'uenfyy into the Image of the Earth Ij. Hoiv unlanvful Self roje in him, 7. That he really fuffered Death in Spirit^ in the Day of his TranfgreJJion. What the Life and Death of the Soul are, I. TTN the Beginning iGod created all Things I good. Inherently and immutably good "*" himfelf, every Production of his muft neceffarily be fo, according to the feveral Kinds wherein he created them. As Man was wholly made by him, he muft have been made wholly good; { 2 ) good ; his Nature clear of all Impurity, and free from .ill Detect and Diforder. His Faculties were not imperteft, but limited to their proper Sphere, and every part of his Cofnpofition conftituted in its due Rectitude ; the Body placed in Subfer- Viciice to his rational Spirit, or Soul, as to the more noble and excellent, and therefore the fupe- nor Part, made for Immortality, and in Subjec- tion only to the Guidance of its Creator. 2. The human Faculties, or Powers of Capaci- ty, mull then be clear, unprejudiced, and fit to receive Impreilions, yet void of any but thofe of immediate Senfe. Man, merely as Man, could not originally bring any real Knowledge into the World with him. That mui either be immedi- ately communicated to him by his Maker, or af- terwar^-ls acqaired by himfel-, through Obferva- tion and Experience. The latter required Time toefFecl:; and as it was requilite to his Situation, that he Ihould be imtneciately enc^ued with fuch an Uiiderftanding ot himfelt, and his Creator, as related to his preient Duty, and afF ded his Feh- citv, he certainly was, by Divine Wifdom and Goodnefs, timely furniflied with it. 3. M^n muft not only then be fupplied with a due Degree O: Light and Underftan-ling, but he muft alfo be impowered to ad up to it, elfe his Xaowjedge would have been afforded him in vain. Yet, though he certainly was thus im- po^ve^ed5 the Sequel manifeifed he was placed in a State of Probation, otherwife, he could never have been guilty of the leak Failure ; for his Maker being effentially and uncPiangeably good, mutl have fixed him in a State of im uutable Vir- tue and Goodnefs, had he determined to fix hinj at all. 4. As the omnifcient Creator moll certainly fprefaw what a fubtle Adverfary Man would have to ' ( 3 y to encounter, he as furely turniflied him with Means fulBcient to diicover his Snares, and reiift his Af- faults. It Satan was iufFered to ule his Subtilty and Influence to deceive him. doubtlels he was not only warned, but aifo endued with a Suffici- ency of Divine Light and Influence to with- ftand his Attempts, as he kept du:y upon his Watch. Nothing but the Divine Nature can enable any intelligent Creature to refilt Temptation, and aft up to the Divine Will. If therefore any created Being :s required to keep up thereunto, it muft be aflifted by Divine Po^er i'o to do. God cre- ated Man for a Purpofe of his own Glory. To glorify God, and to partake of his Glory, Man muft walk in obedience to his Will. Man could neither infallibly know his Will, nor coiiftantly perform it, merely by the Strength of his owi> Faculties; he muft therefore, nectflarily have been affifted by the Spirit of God, to enable him to perform his Will, and 1o to obey him as tO glorify him, and enj(>y a blefled Inheritance in him ; otberwife, the hnd of Man's Creation could not be anfwered. Hence it is concluded, the firft Man /idam was made a living Soul by the In fpi ra- tion of the lecond^(^^;w, Chriftj who'is 2i qui ckning Spirit ; for " That was not firft which is Ipiritual, i Cor. xv. '' but that \^hich is natural; and afterward that '*^' '^^* " which is Ipiritual." That is, Adam was firft created a natural Man, and then rendered a fpi- ritual One by the quickning Power of the Spi- rit of Chrift, which is the true Life, and proper Element for immortal Spirits to live and move in. Thus the Parents of Mankind, in their original uncorrupted State, being fit lemples for the Holy Ghoft to dwell in, were, as well as the Sanctified in Chrift afterwards, Partakers of thetVai.^, Divine> ( 4 ) T)ivine Nature^ by the internal quickening of Divine Life. The Author of the Book of Wif- wiCi. xii. do?n obferves, that PVifdom in all Ages^ and cer- tainly in the firft and pureft, entreth Holy Souls ; ■which Wifdom he defcribes to be the Breath of the Power of God^ a pure Influence flowing from the Glory of the Almighty^ the Bri^htnefs of the everla fling Lights the unfpotted Mirrour of the Pow- er of God, and the Image of his Goodnefs. This clearly denotes the Spirit of the eternal Son of God himfelf, and evidently concurs with thofe Parts of the Ne^v Teftament which declare him to be, the Power of God, and the Wifdom of Gody CiAA.it^^^^ ^^^^ L^ghtt and Life of Men, the Btightnejs of jchDi4 9 the Father'' s Glory, and the Image of the inviftble a^ or. IV. Q^^^ It was undoubtedly in the Light of this pure Influence that Adam had fuch an intuitive Dif- cerning of the Creation, as enabled him to give Names to them according to their feveral Na- Gen.ii.rp. tures. For we readj *« The Lord God formed *' every Beaft of the Field, and every Fowl of " the Air, and brought them unto Adam, to fee ^^ what he would call them ; and whatfoever Adam " called every living Creature, that was the " Name thereof." Under this coeleftial Enduement, the facred Im- freffion of the Divine Image confpicuoufly ap- 0en.i.,y.peared in the firft of Mankind. " In the Image *^ of God created he them." 5. Had Man kept in faithful Obedience to his Heavenly Guide, and rejected the Efforts of the Tempter, he might undoubtedly, in due Time, have been advanced to a Degree of Eftabliftiment beyond all Pofllbility of falling ; but not conti- nuing ftridly upon his Watch, and, contrary to the Warning before given him, turning his At- tention towards the Temptation, when alluringly prefented ( 5 ) prcfented, he flipped from his proper Guard, leav^ ing hold of that Spirit wherein his Life and Strength lay, he fell from it, and all its Advan- tages, out of the Liberty of the Sons of God, into the Bondage of Corruption : A fure Intro- duction to Mifery. For as Holinefs and Happineis are infeparably united, fo Sin and Mifery are indi- vifibly connected. To fuppofe, that the Almighty Author of all Good, originally fubjeded Man under a moral Ne- . ceHity to tranfgrefs upon the Appearance of Temp- tation, is an Imagination too injurious to the Di- vine Character to be admitted. Our firft Parents were unqueftionably enabled by their Maker to abide in due Watchfulnefs, which would have en- titled them to Prefervation ; their Defedion from which, was certainly not of him, but of them- felves. Had their Lapfe been thro' his Will, or in- tentional Difpofition of Circumftances, fo that it muft inevitably follow, he could not coilfiftently have had fentenced them to Punifhment for it; be- caufe, in fo doing, they performed his Will, which could not be a Sin againft him. A dangerous Fondnefs to become knowing in Things hurtful, and no way neceflary, feems to have an early Entrance into the human Mind. " In the Day ye eat, your Eyes fliall be opened. Gen. 111.5. " and ye fliali be as Gods, knowing Good and " Evil.*' By the Suggeilion of this flattering Falf- hoQd, Eve was deceived. Knowing nothing but Good, flie might have remained happy ; but ex- periencing Evil, file became otherwite. This Knowledge is as oppolite to that of the Divine Wifdom, as Darknefs is to Light. It is certain the Omnifcient knows both Good and Evil, but he knows the firfl by immutable Pofleflion and perfect Enjoyment, and the lafl: he beholds with Abhor- rence, in eternal Oppofltion to, and infinite Di- B flance ( 6 > Ibnce from the Purity of his Nature. With fin- ful Man the Cafe is reverfe. Evil having immediate Poffeiiion of him, and Good being out of his Reach, without Divine Mercy, he muft be com- pletely wretched. This is the neceffary Confe- quence of that boafted Knowledge of the World, which Men acquire by tailing the pernicious and poifonous Sweets of Temptation. 6. The Confequences of this primary Lapfe were immediately affecling to the actual TraRf- greflbrs, and remotely to all their Poilerity. i. They loft the bright Impreflion of the Divine Image, and the FeUcity attending it. Forfeiting the immediate indwelling and pure Influence of God's Holy Spirit, they loft that Divine Simili- tude, wherein they had enjoyed internal Light, Life, Love, Goodnefs, Righteoufnefs, Holinefs, and Happinefs. That omniprefent Spirit of Power, Truth, and Virtue, which in their ori- ginal State had been their Comforter, difunited Irom them through Tranfgreffion, now became their Accufer and Convict or. 2. Lapling from under due and conftant Subjection to the Mind and Spirit of his Creator, the Will of Man fepa- rated from the Will of God, and became Self- will. Sell-love in Man was originally and pro- perly placed in Subfervience to the Love of his Miker, w^ho being in all Refpects juftly Supreme, had, whilft Man ftood in cheerful Obedience, the Supremacy in his Affection ; but by his undutiful Self-gratification, and letting in the Suggeftion of the Tempter, his chief Love turned from his Maker to himfelf. Thus probably inordinate Self-love and Self-will originated in Man, and they always ftand in a Will feparate from the Will of God, and a Spirit contrary to his Holy Spirit. This mental Separation opened an eafy Road of Accefs for the £vil Spirit to influence the ( 7 ) the human Mind towards exterior Objects, and rendered them the Subjeds of Temptation. By- giving way to carnal Inclinations, Man became carnally- minded, and " to be carnally-minded is Rom.\nu « DeathJ' ^* 7. When the Sovereign Legiflator firft added a politive Law to Adam, he predenotinced imine- diate Death upon him in cafe of his Tranfgreffion, *' In the Day that thou eateft thereof, thou ilialt Gen. H. «' furely die." This feems to imply a much deep- '^* er and more important Meaning than what relates to the Body ; a Meaning more immediately affect- ing to the rational Soul ; the Privation of a Life which before Tranfgreflion it happily enjoyed, and which^ by Difobedience, it mull certainly lofe. What then is the f roper Life of the Soul, and what is the Death of that which muft for ever exift ? Merely to he, cannot be the Life intended. It muft be, to Vive in that Life which immutably exijls only in the Divine Nature, and which is not to be enjoyed but by partaking of the Divine Nature, *Pet.i.4. the Spirit of him who is the Life, and our Life ; co\'-^\^^' that Life the Evangelift declares to be the /rw^N^^i-^. Light of Men, This Supernatural, Spiritual, Heavenly Power and Virtue of the great Illuminator, and Quick- ner, is the true Life of the immortal Spirit of Man ; and the total Want, or Deprivation there- of, is its Death, Turning from this to embrace Temptation, our firft Parents did furely, in the Day of Tranfgrefiion, deviate from, and die in Spirit to that Divine Life by which they had been quickned. For, // is the Spirit that qui ckeneth, John.vi 5^ or giveth Life; and when Life departs. Death J.^""^' '"* enfues of courfe. As the Body dies when deprived of its animal Life ; fo the Soul is left in a State of fpiritual Death, when that which is its proper Life departs from it j faving this Difference, that the ( 8 ) ehc deceafed Body remains wholly infenfible; but the Soul, in the full State of its Death, Hill exifts under the unavoidable fenfe of its Guilt and Mifery. Thus, according to Wifdom^ Man I!f,T '' M^^ ^^^^^ ^« ^^^ ^^^^ ^f ^^^ Life,—'' For God '^ made not Death, neither hath he Pleafwre in ibid.ii.a4. " theDeftrudion of the Living"^— But, " through " Envy of the Devil came Death into the World." CHAP. IL 77?^ Fall of Adam and Eve affe^ed all their Progeny y not ivith Guilty hut ^ith Infirmity. 2. Ho^iv this accrues,' 3. The State of Infants, 4. The common Afcend- ^nce of the fenfttive Poivers ouer the rational, 5. Ho'vu ^he Creature is faidy Rom. viii. to be fuhjeSled to Vanity by its Creator. 6. When arrived to Years of Underfiandingy ive add Sin to Infirmity, I T appears from holy "Writ, that previous to our own adual Offences, we arc all naturally affedled by the Tranfgreflion of our Rom.s.ii Primogenitors. " By one Man Sin entered into " the World, and Death by Sin, fo Death pafTed " upon all Men, for that all have finned." This is not to be underflood of the Death of the Body only; for all come into the World in the Image of the earthly, or, void of the quickning and fenfible Influence of Divine Life. -But this Difadvantage, through the Supreme Goodnefs, is amply provided for, and there appears no Ne- ceility ( 9 ) ceflity to conclude, that we all come into i World juftly obnoxious to Divine Vengeanc?^ for an Offence committed by our Primogenitors, before we came into the World. With what Propriety can an Infant incapable of committing any Crime, be treated as an Offender ? The Scripture pofitively affures us, God's M^^ays are Ezek.xviit. equal that the Soul that Jinneth it Jl?ail d'le^ and not the Son for the Fault of the Father — that whatever Adam'x Fo/Ierity loft through h'lm^ that Rom.v^ and more they gain in Chrift ; and undoubtedly, '°*°* his Mercy and Goodnefs, and the Extent of his Propitiation, are as applicable to Infants, who have not perfonally offended, as to Adults who have. 2. The immortal reafonable Soul of Man, in every Individual, appears to be the imm'.diate Production of its Creator; for the Prophet Ze- chariah^ fpeaking of the great Adls of God in, Creation, afferts, that '* he formeth the Spirit of zech. xn. *' Man within him." And in Ecclef xii. 7. we ^ read upon the Death of the Body,*" Then fhall " the Duft return to the Earth as it was, and the *' Spirit fliall return unto God who gave it." The Soul ther^efore, receiving its Exiftence imme- diately from the Perfection of unchangeable Pu- rity, can have no Original Impurity or Intempe- rature in its Nature ; but being immediately and intimately connected with a feniitive Body, and of itfelf, unable conftantly to withftand the Ea- gernefs of the animal Paflions after Gratifications of a carnal Nature, is liable to be fo influenced by them, as to partake with them in their fen- fual Induigencies. In this State the Defcendants of Adam come into the World, unendued with that Divine Life which Adara fell from. And who can fay, this might not be admitted in Mer- cy to all the future Generations (^ Mankind ? iff. That ( lO ) I ft. That each fucceeding Individual might be prevented from incurring the Guilt of repeating the Sin of our prime Anceftors, and falling from the fame Degree of InnoceRce, Purity and Divine Enjoyment. 2d. That, by feeling the infirmity of our own Nature, and the Want of Divine Af- liflance, we might become the more fenfiblefof our Danger, and neceflary Dependence on our Creator, and thence be continually excited to feek after, and cleave to him, in Watchfulnefs, Circumfpedion and Prayer, in order to obtain a State of Reftoration. 3d. That having in part attained fuch a State, our Prudeiace might be ufeful towards our Prefervation and Growth therein ; fince we Ihould certainly be more af- fiduoufly concerned, to fecure to ourfelves a good Condition obtained through Pains and Dif- ficulty, than one we might have been originally placed in without any Care or Trouble to our- felves. g. Whatever were the Peculiarities attending the Fall of the firft Man and Woman, or thofe confequent upon it, this is certain, that their Progeny do not come into the World in that fame State of Brightnels themfelves were confti- tuted in after their Creation. It cannot efcape the Notice of thofe who have bad the Care of Infants, that the earlieft Exertions obfervable in them, evidently arife from the Powers of animal Deiire, and animal Paflion ; how prone thefe are to increafe in them, and to predominate as they grow up, and the Solicitude it requires to keep Children out of Unrulinefs and Intempe- rature, as they advance to Youth's Eftate ; how much too potent their im^rdinate Propenfities are for the Government of the rational Faculty; what Pains are neceiTary to regulate, and often but to palliate them, by a virtuous Education, and ( " ) and Improving Converfe ; and the impoflibility they Siould ever be radically fubdued and ruled, without the Application of a fuperior Principle. 4. In the prefenc State of our Nature, the fenlitive Powers take the lead of the rational in the firft Stage of Life, as the Soul brings only a Capacity, without any real Knowledge, or Potency, into the World with it. It acquires its Knowledge by Degrees, enlarging alfo in Capacity to receive it gradually. Every one knows, it is not capable at five or ten Years of Age, to comprehend the fame Ideas in the fame Extent, as in riper and more advanced Years, It firft becomes imprelTed with the Images of external Things, prefented through the corpo- real Organs, and afterwards with thofe mental Ideas inculcated by its primary Inftruclors, whe- ther true or falfe. Hence the Byafs of Educa- tion becomes ftrong, either to Right or Wrong, according as the Inftru6lions received are agree- able to either, and the Paffions being inlifted in their Service, occafionally exercife their Warmth in Favour of the prevalent Idea, or Impreffion, however wrong it may be ; unlefs the Mind, through Divine Illumination, difcover its Error, and fubmit to its Rectification, 5. Previous to the Reception of Knowledge, the Soul is joined to the Body, by the Power of its Creator, who, in Confequeiice of the Fall, faw fit it fhould be fo. " For," faith the Apoflle, Rom.vui. " the Creature was made fubjed to Vanity, not *°' *^* " willingly, but by Reafon of him who hath fub- " jeded the fame in Hope ; becaufe the Creature " itfelf alfo fhall be delivered from the Bondage " of Corruption, into the glorious Liberty of the « Children of God." The rational Soul is here intended by the Creature i and properly denominates the Man. Herein ( 12 ) Herein the true Diftinaion lies, betwixt the hu-* man Species and Creatures of inferior Kinds. This defcends not with the Body, from Parents to Chil- dren ; the Soul being an indivifible immaterial Subftance, cannot be generated. The Soul of the Child never was in the Parent, and therefore could never fin in him, nor derive Guilt from his Tranfgreffion. Neither can Guilt accrue to it, merely from its being joined to a Body de- fcended from him, becaufe that Junction is the Acl: of the Creator. To account a Child guilty, or obnoxious to Punifhment, merely for an Offence committed by its Parents, before it could have any Con- fcioufnefs of Being, is inconfiftent both with Juftice and Mercy ; therefore no Infant can be born with Guile upon its Head. 6. Befides our natural Alienation from, and Eph.iv.i8. Ignorance of the internal Life of God, in our fallen State, it muft be acknowledged, that all who have arrived to fuch a Degree of Maturity as to be capable of receiving a right Under- ftanding, and of diftinguifhing the inward Mo- nitions of Truth in their Confcience, have alfa increafed and ftrengthened the Bonds of Cor- ruption upon themlelves, in different Degrees, by a repeated, and too frequently an habitual Indulgence of the carnal Part, againft the Senfe! of Duty received, and are more deeply entered into the dark Region of the Shadow of Death, ^''^'^- "•'• through their own Trejpajjes and Sins. Thus Kom. Hi." all have finned, and come fiiort of the Glory *3- « of God." CHAP. CHAP. III. I. The Sate of Man in the J alien Nature ^ and the Necejfity of his Renovation, 2. His Inability to accompliflo it for himfelf^ and the Neceffity of Divine Affifiance thereunto. 3, What moral Evil is that it both tnay^ and mufi be removed from Man in order to his Felicity, 4. V/ithout this^ Man is not . fully acquitted by the one Offering of our Saviour at Jerufalem. 5. The Spirit of God is abfoliitely neceffary to effect this great Work, 6. What perfeB Redemption from Sin confifs in The Term World ^ John iii. 16. is not to be confined to the Eleft — Chriji tafted Death for all Men ^without Excep- tion, I. •^"YTHATEVER we may have derived Y V from our Parents, we certainly accu- mulate to ourfelves additional Corruption " All Gcn.vi.r» " Fiefti hath corrupted his Way upon the Earth.** Every adult Perfon, in his common natural State, mull, upon ferious Introverfion, find in himfdf a Pronenefs to the Gratification of Self^ and the fen- fual Part, an eager Inclination at Times to forbid- den Pleafure, an Averfion to Piety and Holy Walk- ing, a Confcioufnefs of Guilt, and a fearful Ap- prehenfion of the Approach of Death. Men ge- nerally confefs they have erred and llrayed. like loft Sheep, from the falutary Paths of Virtue and Duty, and that, fuch is their Frailty, it is an eafy Thing for them to fall.in with Tem|Jtationf C but ( H ) but hard, if not impoffible, eiTeclually to refift it. Nay, even the high Rewards promifed to Virtue and a good Life, and the fore Punifh- ments annexed to Vice and Folly, are altogether infufficient to retain them in the Pradlice of the former, or to enable them to conquer the Force of their Inclination to the latter. This demon- flrates the Corruption of their Nature ; and^ as Mat. xii. " out of the Abundance of the Heart, the Mouth ^*" " fpeaketh;" fo from what lodges or prefides with- in, the exterior Practice arifes. The Corruption in the Heart corrupts the A6lions, Manners, and Language. Hence all the Irregularities in Con- duct, all the prophane and untrue Speeches, all the common complimental Faflioods, to gratify the Pride and Folly of vain Minds. As the Origin of Evil in Man, came by transferring his Attention and Defire from his Creator to the Creature, dividing his Will from the Will of God, and his Spirit from the Spirit of God; fo the Continuation of Evil in Man is by the Continuance of this Separation, and muil abide fo long as that remains. In this Situation, commonly called the State of Nature^ we are both unfit for, and unable to enter the Heavenly King- Eph. V. 5. dom, which admits of nothing finful^ ox: unclean. It is therefore abfolutely requilite that Man fhould be made Holy, in order to be happy. Holinefs cannot unite with Unholinefs ; nor can Ability arife from Infirmity. If Pollution can cleanfe itfelf, if Evil can produce Good, if Death can bring forth Life ; Man thus corrupted, debilita- ted, and deadned, maydifengage, reform, quicken, and reftore himfelf. But it is not in the Power of Man, as fuch, to extricate himfelf from the Bonds of Sin and Death. Yet, as Impurity is the Bar, ifa. lix. i. jj- niufi: be removed. As Sin fefarates Man jrom his Maker ^ Man mult be feparated from Sin, or he ( ^5 ) he cannot be reconciled, and united tohim. With- out Reftoration to a State of Holinefs, he cannot enjoy the Felicity pertaining to that State; for, " without Holinefs no Man fhall fee the Lord." Pieb.x*.i.i4. How then fhall corrupt Man becomje Holy ? How fliall he, in a State of utter Incapacity, enter into and maintain a Warfare againil his nnany and mighty Adverfaries, which befet him within and without ? What Ability has he to fight his Enemy who is already enchained by him? A Power too flrong for Man has got PoffefTion ; it rnuft be a fuperior Power to difpoffefs him, to refcue and reftore Man ; and who is fufficient for thefe Things? None but his Omnipotent Creator was able to unbind and extricate him. But his Will Adam had feparated from, his Law he had tranf- grelTed, his Command he had difobeyed, and againft him alone he had committed this high Of- fence. Yet, behold the aftonlfhing Compailion and Kindnefs of infinite Goodnefs ! An all-fulE- cient Means was flraightway provided, for the Redemption both of the actual Offenders and all their Progeny. The eternal Wotd, the Son, the Lamb of God Almighty, gave inftant De- monftration of the Greatnefs of Divine Love and Mercy, in then concurring with the Father, to yield himfelf up in due Time to take the Nature ibid.ii. is. of Man upon him, and, by refigning it to Suffer- ing and Death, to make it a Propitiation for the whole Species ; and alfo, in immediately, and all along, affording a Manifeflation of his Holy Spirit ^ ^^^' *"• to every Man to profit withal, in order to their prefent DeUverance from the Power of Sin, and their everlafting Salvation from the certain Effect of abiding therein to the laft, namely, the fecond Death. That Man fhould, of himfelf, empower »him- ielf to live in the conftant Practice of crofling his natural ( i6 ) natural Inclinations and Propenfities, is a wild Prelumption ; but that a Spirit infinitely good, and more powerful than all his Enemies, Ihould fo influence, incline, and enable him, is highly leafonable to believe, becaufe abfolutely neceffary. By the Help of God's Spirit, Man may, like the Apoftle, be allifted to keep his Body under, and bring it into Subjedion, before the Strength of its Paffions and Affections leffen by Decay of Na- ture; which the rational Faculty can never effeclu-^ ally accomplifh, even under that Decay, without fuperior AfiiRance. 3. Neither the Poffibility, nor Probability, of Man's Purification and Sanclification by the Holy Spirit, c^m reafonably be doubted, for, Fir/I, as phyfical Evil, or bodily Pain, has no fubflantial Exigence of its own, but is purely incidental to corporeal Nature ; fo moral Evil is to the Soul, a Dilorder which it has improperly lapfed into. It is no Part of God's Creation, nor has any real Exiftence by itfelf ; but is the fallen, defective, difiempered Condition of Beings, once created without Intemperature, or Defe61:. Evil there- fore, though it be in Man, is no conllituent Part of Man, but an Imperfection adventitious to his Nature, which by an all-powerful Principle, he may be recovered from, and his Nature reftored to a State of Fitnefs for Union w^ith his Maker. Secondly, uncreated Omnipotence is certainly more able to cleanfe, than the creaturely, corrupt, and fallen Powers of Darknefs are to defile ; and In- finite Goodnefs muft be as willing and ready to effect the firft, as limited Envy the laft. Did not the Sovereign Lord intend IVlan fhould be made Holy, he would not require it; nor would he require it without affording him the Afilfl;ance reqiiifite to accompliffi it, for he enjoins no Im- pollibilities. That he doth require it, the facred Writings { ^7 ) Writings fufficiently witnefs. "God/' faith an t Thef.m apoftolic Writer, *'• hath not called us unto Un- f h v ic " cleannefs, but unto Holinefi,^^ And, " C hriil &c. " aifo loved the Church, and gave himfelF for it, *' that he might fanclity and cieanfe it, with the " wafhins^ of Waier by the Word,'* (or the puri- fying Efficacy of the Holy Word, or Spirit, which cieanfeth the Soul as Water doth the Body) " that he might piefent it to himielf a glorious *' Churchy not having Spot or Wrinkle, or any " fuch Thing, but that it Jhould he Holy and with- " out Blemijhy In another Place, he gives this Exhortation, " Abllain from all Appearance of ' '^'^^^•^'* Evir* — then proceeds— " And the very God of '^'**'^' Vc2iCt Jandify you wholly^ and I pray God, that your whole Spirit, and Soul, and Body, be frtferved b'amelejs unto the coming of our Lord " Jelus Ghrill." And to encourage them to feek it and hope for it, he immediately aiTures them, " Faithiul is he that calleth you, who alfo uuill « do itr 4. Vain is that imaginary Pretence, that Cbrijl has paid the whole Frice jor us, by which we /land fully acquitted in the Sight of God; that we have compleat Redemption in him without Sanclif cation in cur [elves ; and that by the external offering up cf his Body^ he hath perfe&ed the Work for us, and we are already reconciled thereby. For, was this the real Truth, Chrift only paid the Price of Man's Redemption, that he might continue in a State of Pollution, and practice Evil with Se- curity ; or be juftified in breaking the known Commands of God, and ferving Satan during the "whole Term of this Life. Contrary to this, the apoliolic Dodrine is, " His own Self bore our » ?-*• "• " Sins io his own Body on the Tree, that W'e be- ^^' *' ing dead to Sin, fliould live unto Right eoajnefs^ — ^^ He died for all^ that they which live Ihouid not * c^^« ^* ^' ktncefcrth *^* Rom. vi. z 12. 21. 22 Heb. X. 14, (18 ) *^ henceforth live unto themfehes^ but unto him who " died for them." — '^ How Ihall we that are dead " to Sin live any longer therein f" — '' Let not Sin " therefore reign in your mortal Body, that ye " fhould obey it in the L.ulis thereof." — " What " Fruit had ye then in thofe Things whereof ye " are now aftiamed ? For the Endo^ thofe Things ** is Death, But now being made free from Hin^ *' and become Servants to God, ye have your Fruit " unto Holinefs, and the End everlafting Life.*' It is true, the Apoftle faith, " By one Offering " he hath perfeded for ever them that are fancli^ " fied." But this doth not imply, that his Sacrifice perfected thofe who never came to be fandified. Applying it to this Cafe, it can mean no more than, that fuch who have fo experienced the effec- tual Operation of Divine Grace, as to become fanctiiied, have Remiflion by that one Offering for Sins committed before their SanCtification, which perfeds their Redemption ; and alfo for Tranf^reflions after, upon Repentance. For Sin once committed cannot be undone ; prefent, and future Obedience is no more than Duty ; and pafl Offences mud fHil remain againd us without For- givenefs. Our Saviour therefore, by his Sacri- fice, manifefled the Mercy, Love, and Kindnefs Rom. iii. of God, " by whom," faith the Apoflle, " he was " fet forth to be a Propitiation through Faith in " his Blood, to declare his Righteoufuefs, for the " RemiiTion of Sins that are pafl, through the *' Forbearance of God.* Herein he fhewed, that a Door of Reconciliation' is opened to all Men ; but thofe who through Unbelief of, and Difobe- dience to Divine Grace, never experience the Work of Sandification, deprive themfelves of that unfpeakable Advantage 5 for it is through Sanclification that any come effedually to enjoy the Benefit of the Sacrifice of Chrift. That out- ward »s. ( 19 ) ward Offering for all, fliewed the Love of God towards all ; and that he Hands ready to pardon paft Tranfgreflion, in all who fincerely accept his Terms of true Repentance and Reformation ; but our Salvation is not compleated by that fingle Acl only, and the Work of Redemption finifhed for us without us. Though Chrift died for us, that we might be brought unto Glory, yet we are not aclually purified, fitted for, and introduced into the Kingdom merely by that one Offering. The "Way to Reconcihation was opened by the Death of Chrifl, but we are not Javed by his Life till we livingly experience the Work of Salvation in our own Particulars. 5. It is always requifite that the Means be ade- quate to the End, the Caufe fuflicient to the Effect ; therefore as all Men throughout all Na-. tions, and every Generation, originally fland in equal Relation to their Creator, have been, and inufl naturally be, in abfolute Need of his Help, in order to Purification and Salvation, the Means afforded for this Purpofe muft be univer/al to reach all. It muft be a Principle of real and powerful Holinefs and Goodnefs, to change the Condition of Man from Evil to Good. It muft be Omnipotent, to enable him to overcome his Adverfaries, the World, the Flefh, and the De- vil. Nothing but a Spirit fuperior to all thefe can effeclually cleanfe the Soul, and operate to the Expulfion, and Exclufion of thofe fubtil and powerful Enemies which continually feek to hold Men in the Bondage of Corruption ; therefore nothing but God's Holy, Univerfal, Almighty- Spirit can effect this neceffary Alteration in Man, rectify the Diforder Sin has introduced into his Nature, and raife him up from a State of fpi- ritual Death, by producing a new and Heavenly Birth of Divine Life in him, by which he may be i6 ( 20 ) be created anew in Chrill: jefus unto good Works, and reftored to the Image of God in Righteoufnefs and true Holinefs, 6. Perfect Redemption conQfts, firft, in pay- ing the Price of- Ranfom ; and fecond, in bring- ing out of Bondage, and fettino: the Prifoner at Liberty. Oar Saviour paid the firft by his Suf- fermg and Sacrifice ; and he performs the laft by the eftlclual Operation of his Spirit, in the Hearts of thofe who receive him, and refign v/holly to him. None have Caufe to murmur at, or complain againll the Difpenfations of their benevolent Crea- tor, for in Chrill he hach rendered to every Child of Adam a full Equivalent for the Lofs fuAained John iii. through his unhappy Fall. " God io loved the " World, that he gave his only begotten Son, " that whofoever believeth in him' fhould not " perifh, but have everlafting Life." I know fome alledge, that the World here intends not all Men, but the Ele6l only. But we find the Term World, when confined to Men in the New Teftament, is ufed either for all Mankind in general, for the Majority of Mankind, or for the unbelieving Part of it ; and where it intends a Part of the Species, it. is often ufed to fignify Unbelievers^ and to diRinguifh them from Btlievers, but is never fpoken of Believers only, Befides, inch an Acceptation would turn the Text into Nonfenfe, for then it mail be thus underflood, " God fo loved the Eleft that he gave his only be- '^ gotten Son, that whofoever df the Eled believeth " in him, fhould not perilh, but have everlailing " Life." This would imply, that fome of the Eled would not believe in hi?n, and all the confe- quent Abfurdities of that Pofition. But read the Text a'S it flands, and the Particle whojoever pro- perly diiUnguiihes the World into Believers, and Unbelievers, ( 21 ) Unbelievers, or Faithful and Unfaithful, and fhews that God fo loved the ivhole of his rational Creation, that he gave all an Opportunity of be- ing faved through believing ; and if any did not fo embrace it, tbeir Reftifai vjd,s the Caufe of their Condemnation, and not the want of God's Love, nor of an Opportunity of doling in with, and receiving the Benefit of it. This the four fucceed- ing Verfes plainly declare. " For dod fent not'john iii. " his Son into the World to condemn the World, ^7. 5cc. " but that the World through him might be faved. " He that believeth on him is not condemned ; " but he that believeth not is condemned already, *' becaufe he hath not believed in the Name of the " only begotten Son of God. And this is the '' Condemnation, that Light is come into the " World, and Men loved Darkncfs rather than " Lights becaufe their Deeds' were evil. For every " one that doth Evil, hateth the Lieht, neither *' Cometh to the Light, left his Deeds fhould " be reproved.''' It is not reafonable to conclude, the whole World can mean lefs than the whole human species. The Apoftle Teter faith, " The Prophecy came a Pet. i.xi. *' not in old Time,' or rather at any Time, by the "Will of Man, but Holy Men of God fpake as " they were moved by the Holy Ghoft. But there " were falfe Prophets alfo, among the People, " even as there fhall be falfe Teachers among you, " who privily fhall bring in damnable Herefies, " even denying the Lord that bought them, and " bring upon them/elves fwift Deftruclion." This indicates that Chrift died not only for thofe who come to be faved, but alfo for thofe who bri?7g DeflruHion upon them/elves ; othervvife it cannot be undertlood that, by his Sacrifice, he bought, or paid the Price of Redemption, conditionally for them as well as others. But if he thus bought thofe D %uho J ii, X. ( 22 ) tvho denied bm, who yet occ a/tone d their own De^ Jlruflion^ ifc is truly aflerted in the full Extent of the Words, that " He by the Grace of God fhould " tafle Death for every Man-y' and that " He is '' the Propitiation for our Sins, and not for ours '' only^ but alfo for the Sins of the whole World.'^ C H A P. IV. • I . The Progeny of Adam not condemnahle for his Tranfgreffion^ hut their oivn, 2. 7 he 'vital Part of Religion is internal^ and may be experienced by People under every religious Denomination^ and in every Part of the World — Pagans not neceffarily excluded frmi all Share in Chrifi^ and Chrifianity ; vuhich^ 3, confifls not effentially in Exteriors^ or an unagery of Religion^ but in being endued ivith a nevu Nature, 4 and 5, This IS certainly and fenfthly to he knoivny through the Operation of Divine Grace. 6. Chriji ivaits to be gracious at the Door of every Mans Hearty caifeth the Dead to hear his Voice^ quickens the Obfervant^ and renders them Partakers of his Heavenly Commu- nion. I. TJOWEVER publick a Perfon Adam may be Jfj^ accounted, and however his Pofterity might, without a Redeemer, have been by any thought chargeable with his Sin (though I am unable to conceive how any Man fliould deferve Condemnation ( 23 ) Condemnation for what he could not help) yet our Saviour having paid the Price of our Re- demption, by tajling Death for every Man, there ^eb. ii. p. cannot be any thing chargeable to Adam's De- fcendants merely on Account of bis Tranfgrejfion^ exclulive of their own. Original Sin therefore, in that Senfe which implies Guilt in them for his Offence, I apprehend, has no Foundation in Truth. Nor, was it really fo, could any cere- monious Performance of Men, or even all the Water of Jordan wafli it away. All exterior Forms, however miftakenly exalted, or cele- brated amongft Mankind, are but outward and vifible Signs, and altogether ineffedual towards any real Change or Reformation of the Subject. And refpecling little Children who are taken away before they have perfonally offended, they cannot in Equity be chargeable, but may with juft confidence be refigned, as perfectly fafe in the Arms of their Saviour, who declared, " Of Mat. xix- '' fuch is the Kingdom of Heaven;" and alfo '"*' told his Followers, '' except ye be converted, and i^id. xviii. " become as little Children, ye fhall not enter ^' " into the Kingdom of Heaven." 2. The vital Part of Man's Religion and Duty Hands, principally, in a right Attention to, and a faithful Obedience of the Manifefta- tion of the Spirit of Chrift in the Heart and Confcience. He who pays due and conftant Regard to this, is in his Meafure a Follower of Chrift, and has, iii fome Degree, the Reality of Chriftianity in him, live under what Mode of Profeffion, or in what Part of the World foever he may. For who is a Servant of Chrill; but he that willingly obeys him ? Is he who willingly acts according to his verbal Precepts, a Follower of Chrift ; and is not he who, with- out the Knowledge of thefe^ wMth equal Willing- nefs ( 24 ) nefs follows the Leadings of his Spirit^ alfo his Servant ? Of this Spirit the truly Virtuous and Religious amongil the Gentiles were, in Degree, Partakers ; " For," faith Holy Writ, " when " the Gentiles which have not the Law, do by " Nature the Things contained in the Law, thefe, " having not the Law, are a Lawuntothemfelves ; *' which Ihew the Work of the Law written in their " Hearts, their Confcience alfo bearing Witnefs, and '' their Thoughts the mean while accufi»g or ^' elfe exculing one another." The Words by Nature here, I apprehend, are not to be underftood as if the Apoftle intended the Gentiles became virtuous by any Goodnefs in thsir fallen Nature^ which muft be the fame as all other Mens. The Context fhews, he was here diftinguifhing between thofe who enjoyed the Miniftration of the Mofaic Law, and thofe who had it not ; and he ufeth the Expreflion, by Nature^ in the fame Senfe as if he had faid, ivithout an Education under the Law^ and pro- ceeds to (hew, that though they had it not, yet they pra(51:ifed the Subttance intended by the LAw. This fJtiewed not-, that their own Hearts were their Law, but as the Apoftle explains it, that the Work of the Law was written in their Hearts^ and that they had a Part in the New Covenant, in Referei^ce to which it is faid, " I " will put my Law in their inward Parts, and " write it in their Hearts." Though they were without the Law of Mofes^ they were not with- out Law to God. For, by receiving and retain- ing the Divine Iinpreffions in their Confciences, they were under the Law to Chrift, or fubjecl to the Manifeftation of his Spirit in their Hearts, and in Proportion to their Obedience, Partakers ox the Nature of tie Divine Principle within them. By the internal Operation of this Nature it was that ( 25 ) that they became reformed in Heart, and redlfied in Life and Practice, fo far as they were fo ; or as the Text has it, enabled " to do the Things " contained in the Law." Originally difordered, and actually depraved, their own Nature^ as Men could never have led and empowered them to this ; for, lince the primary Lapfe, it is prone to Eviiy and true Reformation and Religion arife jj*"' ^ *' not from that difordered and corrupt Ground. They come not by Nature, but by Grace. They are the Fruit of that good Seed univerfally fown in every Heart, by the great and good Hufbandman for that End. Were it not for the Notices and Powers communicated by this internal Principle, Man muft have continued to proceed in the Increafe of Corruption, Irreligion and Mifery ; as appears too evidently by the Conduct of fuch as difregard it. Not by follow- ing their own Nature therefore, but by Obe- dience to the inward Law of the Divine Nature written in the Heart, the confcientioufly Virtu^ ous amongft the Gentiles, as well as others, were enabled to perform the Things, or jujl Morals^ contained in the Mofaic Law, and thereby to evidence in their Meafures, the effectual Ope- ration and Authority of the Divine Lawgiver within them. The Gentiles therefore partaking of the Law written in the Heart, cannot properly be faid to be excluded from all Share in the New Cove- nant, or Difpenfation of the Gofpel. The Gofpel, taken in its full Extent, is the Revelation of the Love and Mercy, and the Offer and Operation of the Grace of God, through Chrift, to fallen Man in his natural and corruptible State, in order to his Reftoration and Salvation. It is not wholly contracted into the mere Tidings ; but, including thefe, goes deeper, and ejjsritially confifts .( 26 ) Ibid. 1. 16. confifts in the Thing declared by them ; the Power of God adminijlred to the Salvation of the SouL By this the outward Coming of Chrift is rendered truly and fully effectual to each Individual. Thofe who believe in, and obey him in his inward and fpiritual Manifeftations, by which the Gofpel is preached in every rational Creature under Heaven, may come to be Par- takers of his Life, and be faved by him from the fecond ^eath of eternal Mifery, though providentially incapacitated to know the exterior Hiftory of his Incarnation, &c. That virtuous and devout Gentiles were ap- A&sK. a. proved of God, appears in the Cafe of Cornelius ^ 3. 4. for we find that before his Reception of hiftorical and verbal Chriflianity, his fincere Devotion, and Reverence towards his Creator, and chari- table A6ts to the Needy, " came up for a Me- *' morial before God,'' who alfo now taught Peter, Verfe 15, the Gentiles he had thus cleanfed were no more to be efteemed common or unclean than the believing Jews^ and gave him, of a Truth, i^5vl.34,2S' to perceive, " that God is no Refpetter of Perjons ; " but in every Nation, he that feareth him, " and worketh Righteoufnefs, is accepted with " him."' Hence it appears, thofe who confcientiouily obey the fpiritual Manifeftations of Chrill in them, are internally, though not by outward Profeflion, his Difciples and Followers, and truly believe in him fo far as he is revealed to them ; for Obedience is the certain Proof of a right Faith. And I make no C>ueftion, but th'ofe in any Part of the Globe, who, from invincible Obftacles, have not the Opportunity of hiftorical Chriftianity, in their Obedience to the fpiritual Appearance of Chrift in their Hearts, are accepted, and partake of the Benefits of his Death. ( ^7 ) Death. Why Ihould they not be as capable of receiving Advantage by the Sacrifice of Chrift, as Difad vantage by the Fall of Adam^ vvhilft they are equally Strangers to the Hiftory of both ? But certainly, thofe to whom the facred Writings are providentially communicated, are under double Obligation, fince they are favoured with that additional inftrumental Advantage; and it will tend to their greater Condemnation, if they believe not unto Obedience. For, how- ever high the Profeflion of fuch may be, they are but imperfect, fuperficial, ineffectual Be- lievers, who hold with the external Part, and experience not the internal : Chriftians in Name^ but not in Deed and in Truth, It is effential to us who have the Scriptures^ to believe both in the outward Coming, and inward Miqiftration of our Saviour, resigning to him, and trufting in him, with that Faith of the Operation of God, w^hich works by Love to the Purification of the Heart, and is the faving Faith of the Gofpel. Corapleat Chriftianity has both an Infide and an Outfide; a' Profeflion or bodily Appearance, and a Life and Virtue, which is as a Soul to that Body. Thofe who are in Pofleflion of both, are compleat Chriftians. Thole who have the inward Part without the outvvard, though incompleat in that RefpecT:, will, in the Sight of Perfect Equity, certainly be preferred to fuch as have the latter without the former ; and it would be well for all who have the Hiftory, and profefs the Chriltian Religion, yet walk contrary to its Requirings, could they change Conditions at lafl with fuch confcientious Gen- tiles. Let thofe who are fo deeply affected with Abfurdity, as to believe or imagine, that Infinite Wifdom, Goodnefs and Equity, has confined Salvation to fuch of his Creatures as happen, without ( 28 ) without any Choice of their own, to inhabit particular Spots of the Globe, are formalized after a peculiar Manner, or entertain one parti- cular Sett of Articles and Opinions, let fuch Mat. viii. duly confider the tollowing Texts. " Verily I «o, II, 3,, ^^ ^^^ unto you, I have not found fo great Faith, " no not in ljrael\ and 1 lay unto you. That many fhall come from the Eaft and Weft, and " fhall fit down with Abraham^ and Ifaac^ and " Jacobs in the Kingdom of Heaven ; but the " Children of the Kingdom" (by Education " merely) " fhall be cafl out into utter Darknefs ; *' there fhall be weeping and gnafhing of Teeth.*' Rev.vii.p, ' knock : If any Man hear my Voice, and " open the Door, I will come in to him, and " will fup with him, and he with me." This is Chrift in Spirit, who proclaimeth. He that hath an Ear^ let him hear. Query. But if Man in his fallen Eftate be dead, how ca,n the Dead hear ? johnxi.43. Anfw. When the Saviour called, " Lazarus " come forth I" The Dead was quickned, and immediately obeyed. The Voice of him who is a I Cor. XV. quickning Spirit is a quickning Power. " The John V.25. " Hour is coming, and now is, when the Dead Jlmll hear the Voice of the Son of God, and they " that hear Jhall live'' Query. What is meant by his Handing at the Door ? Anfw. His Wonderful Condefcenfion, Pa- tience and Long-forbearance, in waiting upon the ( 31 ) the Soul of Man, as for an Entrance; that as he is a rational Creature^ he may be prevailed with willingly to open his Heart to his Redeemer, and receive him. Query. How doth Chrlfl: in Spirit knock, or call ? Anfw. By influencing the Soul in its Seafons of Quietude, fo as to excite Inclinations and Deiires towards Good ; and alfo at other Times, by diftreffing it with the painful Senfations of Guile, and Remorfe, for its finful Purfuits and Practices. Query. How fliall Man open to him, and receive him ? Anfw. By refigning his Attachment to Self, and the Propenliries of Senfe, and humbly ad- hering to the Voice, or prefent Manifeflations of the Spirit. Query. How doth tbe Lord come in and fup with Man, and make him a Partaker of his Supper. Anfw. When the Spirit of Chrift is received by the Soul' in Faith, Love and due Submiffion, he proceeds by Degrees to fet it at Liberty from the Bondage and Influence of Corruption ; for, «' where the Spirit of the Lord is," {in Pojejion) \ ^°'"- ^"• *' there is Liberty ;" and when he hath brought the Soul into a proper Degree of Purification,, he flieds the Comfort of his Love into it, and makes it a Partaker of the Communion of Saints, which is inward and fpiritual. This is the true Supper of the Lord. He who participates of this, difcerns and taftes the Lord's fpiritual Body, and experienceth it to be hUat indeed^ and his J'^ ''^'•^^' Blood to he Drink indeed. CHAP. C H A p. V. I, God^ true and faithful Witnefs in the Confcience a Divine Monitor^ and daily Preacher to Man, 2. // produceth the Neiv-birth in the Obedient ; and^ 3, pro- fnoteth its Groivth in them, 4. This no Indignity^ to Man^ but the contrary^ and of abfoiute Necffftty to his Afcendence aboiie /nblunary Conft derations, 5. It is not be- neath the Dignity of the Creator to make Man fo far the SubjeB of his efpecial Re- gard^ as to enable him to anfiver the End he created him for. The fame Poiver that created^ reqinfite to. the Support of his Crea-- tion^ and his continual Siiperintendance ne- cejjary to Mankind, I. "m yi'ANKIND are not left to Satan, nor to JL T Jl t^^^r ow^ Lulls, nor to live without God in the World. A Way is caft up. A Means is provided. Belides the natural, and tra- ditional Confcioulnefs of mere moral Good and Evil in every Breaft, God hath a Divine Witnefs in the Heart of each Individual, which will truly rrianifeft Right and Wrong in the Confciences of thofe who faithfully attend thereunto, afford Light and Power to fet them free from the Mills of Prepoileilion and Prejudice, and become to them a fate Conductor, and an able Supporter in the Paths of Religion and Virtue. What Inftrudor can we have equal to this mod intimate Witnefs? A Monitor fo near, fo con- ftant. ( 33 ) ftant, fo faithful, fo infallible ! This is the great Gofpel-privilege of every Man : The Advantage of having it preached Day by Day in his own Heart, without Money, and without Price, yet with Certainty. Is it reafonable to conclude, this nice, true, and awful Difcerner, fhould be lefs than Divine? Can any Perfon, upon ferious Confideration, imagine it to be the Nature of the fallen Man himfelt? Is there the leaft Probability that any thing fo corrupted and clouded, lliould fo clearly and inflantly dilHnguilh, and would the Heart of Man, which is declared by Infpiration to be deceitful above all Things^ and defperately J^^' *^"* wicked^ lb faithfully reprove itfelf ? Would that which delights in its own Indulgence, and is im- patient of Refiraint, ad in daily Control to its own InclinaMons ? Is i': the Property of Evil to do Good? Here is a jufi: Criterion. That which is natur:*! leads accordii>g to Nature; that which is fpiritual according to the Spirit. Phej'' are diftinguiflied in Scripture by the Terms Fle/h and Rom,vii. Spirit^ and are truly faid to war ao^ainft each other *^'. in Man. As Sin wars againft the Spirit to deflroy the Soul, the Spirit wars againft Sin to fave the Soul. Let me query with you who, inftead of embra- cing in Humility, Love, and Thanktulnefs, this upright Principle as Divine are exerting your Abilities to depreciate and revile it. Whilft you confefs it diftinguiflies Right from Wrong in your own Breads, by its Approbation of the firff, and Rebuke of the hft ; can you thus acknowledge it to be infallibly Good, and at the fame Time at- tribute it to yourfelves ? " I know," laith P^^//, Rom.vii. " that in me, that is in my Flefli," (or belonging '*' to my Nature) " dwelleth no good Thing.'* Is your Nature in a better Condition than his was ? Is there any good Thing in yours, yet was there none ( 34 ) none in his ? He confeiTed he had none as Man*. I prelume yon have no more than he had. Whence ' then thlt> quick and righteous Difcriminator ap- pearing in your Confciences ? You will not fay, it is of Satan ; ir muft therefore either be of Man, or of God. For the Reafons above hinted, it cannot be of Man ; it muft therefore be of God. Wonderful is the Mercy, and Great the Advan- tage to every Man, that God himfelf, according andiiv 13. ^^ ^^^^ Scriptures, thus condefcends to be the jer. xxxi. Teacher cf his People^ by the Manifeftation of his johu ri 45, Spirit in every Heart ; and certainly i t ought co be andxvi.13 accepted and obferved with the greateft Reverence l]'^''^' ^"* and Thankfulnefs. z John ii, 2. The Increafe and Operation of this living *^* Principle becomes a new Life in and to the obe- dient Soul, quickning and refrefhing it with a Senfe of Divine Love, Strength, and Comfort. This Life being begot and brought forth by the Holy Spirit in the willing Mind, is called a Birth of the Spirit, and being its new Production there, it is ftiled the New-birth ; and feeing our firft Parents, immediately upon their Creation, were favoured with this fpititual Birth in them, and loft it by Difobedience, the Renewal of it, both in themfeives and in their Pofterity, has taken the Terms of Regeneration and Renovation^ or the Birth of Divine Life renewed in Man, Being Inheritors of fpiritual Death in Adam, or in the fallen State and Nature, we can only be born again to Life in Chrift, by the Power and Virtue John xi. of his Holy Spirit, who is the Pcefurredion and '^' the Life. 3. Every produ<51:ive Power brings forth its own Likenefs ; the evil Spirit an evil Birth, and the Good Spirit a Birth anfwerable to its Good- nefs ; and as every natural Birth admits of a Crowth, fo doth this fpiritual Birth in the Soul. Our ( 35 ) Our Saviour rcprefents its gradual Progreffion, in Lukexiii, thofe Similies of the Increafe of the MuRard-feed, loh^iv i the Procefs of Leaven, and the fpringing up of living Water into everlafting Life. The Apolfles Feter and John alfo fliew the feveral Gradations experienced amongfl the Believers, under the Simi- lies of new-born Babes, Children, young Men, ipet,ii.j,. and Fathers. There is likewife not only a Pro- greflion from the lowed of thefe States to the higheft, but even that of Fathers admits of con- tinual Advances, as P^z/ZwitnefTeth, who, though he truly alTerted, that the Law of the Spirit ^Rom, viH. Life in Chrift Jefiis had fet him free from the Law *' of Sin and Deaths yet he was fenfible of higher Degrees of Attainment ilill before him, and there- fore, after he had been near thirty Years in the Apoftlefhip, he makes this Acknowledgement ; " Not as though I had already attained, either were Fhii. lii. " already perfed, but I follow after, if that I '^' ^-' ''** " may apprehend that for which alfo I am appre- " hended of Chrift Jefus. Brethren, I count not " myfeiftohaveapprehended; but this one Thing " I do, forgetting thofe Things which are behind, " and reaching forth unto thofe Things which are " befoe, I prerfs toward the Mark, for the Prize « of the high Calling of God in Chrift Jefus.'^ 4. Thofe who treat this Dodrine, of the Neceflity of Man's being renewed, led, and guided by the Spirit of his Maker, as a Difpa- ragement to human Reafon, put the higheft In- dignity upon the fupreme Wifdom, Goodnefs, and Power. The Dignity of human Nature conlifts not in Self-fufficiency. The moft exalted of created Beings neither exift, nor acl indepen- dent of their Creator ; much lefs Man, who in his primitive Purity was made hwer than the Angels, Htb. k. 7 He ftands in continual need of Divine Help ; and his true Dignity conhfts in being, by his lleafon, above ( 36 ) above all inferior Creatures capable of confcioufiy receiving that Affillance, and of being thereby- preferred to, and preferved in a bleffed Union and Communion with his Maker. It cannot be any jeffening to an Inferior to be directed and guided by a fuperior Being ; efpecially by the Supreme Lord^ and fole Author of all Exiftence, Infinite in Excellency, Power and Wifdom, and Im- mutable in Glory. Indued with his Spirit, in any degree, the Creatui e is riiifed above the highefl Elevation of its own Nature ; and the morr it is clothed with it, the more it is dignified and exalted. No created Being, by its natural Powers, can rife above its natural Sphere. To reach a fub- limer Station, it muft be affifted by Strength fu- perior to its own ; a Power equal to the Height of its Afcent. It is only when the Sun of Righte- oufnefs fheds forth its quickning Beams upon the Spirit of Man, that the poor Worm is capacitated in Reality, to take Wing and mount above its fublunary Limits, towards the Regions coe^eftial. 5. Some Writers of the hpicurean Call, have imagined it beneath the Divine Greatnels, for the Sovereign Lord of all, to floop fo low as to make Man a peculiar Object of his Notice and 'Regard. To fuch as miliake thofe fure Marks of Degeneracy, Pride, and Haughtine/s, for Great- nefs of Soul, this may feem reafonable ; but in xvi. him to whom Pride is Abomination^ and as diftant from his Similitude as Darknefs is to Light, it cannot have any Place. What it is u&t below him to create, it cannot be beneath him to re- gard, proportionably to the End he made it xliii. for ; and feeing Man was created /or a Pur- pofe ef his Gory, and to partake of his Feiicity, it would derogate from his Wifdom and Good- nels, to fuppoie he Ihould look upon it as below him { 37 ) him to enable Man to anfwer the great Ends of his Creation ; which he could not by any Means do, without a competent Affiftance from his Maker. Pride was the Caufe of the Dege- neracy of Angels, and its natural Confequence is the Deftruclion oi Peace and Felicity to all that entertain it. By being ibmething in our own Conceit, attributing any Good to ourfelves, or afpiring above our Place and due Order, we center in Pride and Arrogance. Created Beings may be guilty of this; but it is impoflible to that All-perfecl Exiftence, who is Infinite, Om- nipotent, and Immutable. This vifible World demonftrates, it was made by an Omnipotent Power, and is preferved by the fame Power. Without Power it could not be made, and as Tho, Sherlock juftly obferves, " That which owes its very Being to Power Dir^^n -"-^ ** muft depend upon the Power that made it, ®"J''''' *' for it can have no Principle of Self-fub- *' fiftence independent on its Caufe.'* What ■doth not neceflarily exift, muft both be originally created, and continually upheld by the Power, that made it. It had no Being before its Crea-.- tion. It cannot retain its Being againft the Will of its Creator. Its Exiftence and Support ftand equally in the Power of its Maker, without whom it was nothing, could never have exifted, nor can continue in Exiftence. It v.'as made by his Power, is preferved by his Power, ar.d upon the Withdrawment of his Power would dilTolve and evanifti into its original nothing. There is no Medium between Self-exiftence and Dependence on its Caufe ; therefore a Ceflation from it of the Power that made it, is Annihilation to it. Thus as all created Things were made, and ftill fubfift folely by the Energy of the Creator's Wi]! and Power, he muft neceftarily, whilft thev ex- F ' ift. { 38 ) ill, be omniprefent with them, in them, and through them ; therefore cannot be ignorant of any Thing relating to them, nor unconcerned about them, or any Part of them. The continual Intcrpofition and Superintendence of the Spirit of God, was always requilite to Man, both to preferve him whilft in Innocence, and to recover him from under his fallen Eftate, by governing the EfFedls of natural Caufes ; and to counterad the Wiles, and oppofe the Influences of the evil Spirit. Therefore the great Media- tor for, and Redeemer of Men, was from the Beginning, not only incarnately and corporeally given for a Propitiation for the Sins of the whole World, to be tetlified, or verified, in due Time; but he was alfo as univerfally given, in a ifa. iv. 4. fpiritual Manner, to be a Witnefs^ a Leader^ and Commander, i. He is fpiritually given for a Witnefs^ to teitify againft Sin in every Breaff, by his Smitings there for Evil conceived or committed. 2, For a Leader and Commander^ to fuch as pay due Regard to his Conviclions, by turning from Iniquity to him that fmites them, and cleaving to him in that Faith and Love he produces in them. Thefe he leads in a Crofs to all the corrupt Nature, and impowers them to follow him in the Regeneration. Ihis is the true dodrinal Crofs of Chrifl. CHAP. CHAP. VI. I. Regeneration not only necejjary^ but really experienced by the primitive Chrijliaus. 2. Paul' J comprehenfive Defcription of this great Work, It anfwers to the original Work of Creation^ and is effected only by the Holy Spirit. 3. An OhjeSlion againfi the Senfibility of this Work anfwered. 4. The fame continued, 5. Who it is that di I believes it. The Renunciation of human Reafon not required^ but the yielding it to an infalliable Injtrufior^ in order to its RetVifcation and Improvement. I. TWJ O W, O Man ! What Is the great Bufi- X^ nefs of thy Life in this World, but to reg^ain thy Place io the Paradife of God; to fecure an everlafting EftabHfhmcnc in that Inhe- « Pe*. rltance which is incorruptible^ undefiled^ and fadeth not away? To accomplifli this, thou muft be ftripped of all that which unfits thee for an En- trance. Whatever has been the Caufe of Exclu- lion muft be removed. Whatever can have no Place nor Habitation there, muft be fepar^ted from thee, or thou canft not be admitted. That which lets will let till it be taken out of the Way, Whatever thou haft in thee or about thee, that thou art attached to in Confequence of the Fall, all feparate Self and the carnal Mind thou muft refign, or thou canft never know a Reftoration. The Gofpel-axe, the Power of the Spirit of God, muft 1. 4. ( 40 ) mufl be laid to the Root of the Tree of Cor- ruption in thee, that it may be extirpated, and the Vine of Life implanted in its Room, that in the Heart, where the finful Nature hath fpread its poifonous Produce, the engrafted "Word which is able to .regenerate and fave the Soul, may ilouriih, and bring forth its Heavenly Fruits ; from whence arif'eth Happinefs to the Creature, and Praife to the eternal Author of all Virtue and Felicity. The Neceffity of Regeneration was not only preached to the People in the primitive Times, but was actually experienced by the Believers. A clear and pregnant Inftance we have in i Cor, vi. 9, lo, II. '" Know ye not that the Unrighteous '- fhall not inherit the Kingdom of God? Be not ^' deceived, neither Fornicators, nor Idolaters, nor '' Adulterers, nor Effeminate, nor Abufersof them- ^' felves with Mankind, nor Thieves, norCovetous, *' ror Drunkards, nor Revilers, nor Extortioners, '' fhall inherit the Kingdom of God ; and fuch '^ were fome of you , but ye are wafhed, but ye "■'- are fanctiiied, but ye are juftified, in the Name '' of the Lord Jefus, and by the Spirit of our '« God." Here the Apoftle plainly teflifies, that fome of the Corintbian Brethren, who had been of polluted Hearts and vicious Lives, were be- come regenerated, made clean and holy, and ihews this great Change in them was wrought ?fi the Name, or Power, of the Lord Jefus^ which he explains to be, by the Spirit of our God. The Apoftle Feter concurs u;ith Paul in bearing the , like Teftimony. '' Seeing ye have purified your '' Souls in obeying the Truth, through the Spirit^ '• unto unfeigned Love of the Brethren ; fee that ^' ye love one another with a pure Heart fer- ^' vently ; being born ciain^ not of corruptible «^ Seed, but incorruptible, by the Word of God ^ *' 'UQhich ( 4t ) ** which I'tveth andabideth for Ever.^* To the like Purpofe might be added Eph. ii. 5, 6. Col, i. 13, ii. 10, II, 12, 13 iii. 9, 10. with the vi^'' Chapter of the Epiftle to the Romans^ and many other Texts. 2. The ApolHe particularly (hews the Nature and Manner of this Work in Romans the vii^** and viii'^ ; which, for want of a real Experience of, many have been led to imagine, were intended by him, as only defcriptive of his own Condition at the Time he wrote them 5 yet it is manifeft, they comprehend dherfe^ and even contrary Con- ditions, which himfelf and others had experienced in their Chriftian Progrefs, and which it was im- pofQble he fhould be in at one and the fame Time ; viz, a State of Darknefs, and a State of Light ; a State of Uncleannefs, and a State of Purity ; a State of Bondage, and a State of Liberty ; 3 State of Life, and a State of Death. Chap. vii. 5. he faith, " When we were in the " Flefh" (under the Dominion of the carnal Na- ture) " the Motions of Sins which were" (manifeft- ed) " by the Law, did work in our Members to " bring forth Fruit unto Death.'' Here he refers back to that State of Sin and Death, they had formerly been enthralled in, but were now paft, as fully appears by the fucceeding Verfe, which faith, " But now we are delivered from the Law, *' that being dead wherein we were held^ that we " fhould ferve in Newnefs of Spirit, and not in " the Oidnefs of the Letter." Verfe 7. he re- turns to the former State again, and becomes more particular. '' I had not known Sin," faith he, " but by theLaw." Before he became fenfibly convicled in his own Confcience, where the Senfe of the Law was opened to him ; he remained in his firfl State of natural Blindnefs, yet knew it not to befuch, notwithftanding his learned Educa- tion XX. ( 45 ) tion, and legal Stri£inefs, Though dead as to any Senfe of Divine Life, yet he was alive in the Rom,vii. Spirit of the World; " For/' faith he, " I was p' " alive without the Law once ; but when the " Commandment came, Sin revived, and I died," Oppofed by the internal Adminiftration of the fpiritual Law, which brought Conviction, the finful Nature vsras afrefh excited by the Powers of Evil, and fprung up as with new Life and vcrf. 8. Vigour, to obftruft his Efcape from it; " for " without the Law Sin was dead." That is, its Nature remained quret and undifturbed, enjoy- ing its Indulgence without Interruption, till the Law of Life was adminiftred againft it. Then verf TO, " the Commandment which was ordained to Life, « I found" (by the Refiftance of that Nature) " to " be unto Death. For Sin taking Occafion by "the Commandment, deceived me, and by it " flew me." Or, darkened me, and brought a Senfe of Death over me. It feems to have de- ceived him at firft into a Belief that the Law brought forth Death, bccaufe he found a Senfe of Death enfue upon the Convictions of this Law ; but Death is the Fruit of Sin, which is condemned Verf. xa, by the Law : For faith he, " the Law is Holy, '3- « and the Comnr.andment Holy, juil, and Good, "was then that which is Good made Death unto "me? God forbid." He found it was that which fo violently oppofed it that produced Death, and occafioned the Condemnation of the Law to come upon him, which difcovered this Death in him. This was permitted that Sin might appear Sin, and. that by the conviding Force of the Command- ment it might beco?ne exceeding finful in his View, or be held by him in Abhorrence. He then feel- ingly exprefTes the enthralled Situation of this cori- Rom.vii. vi^tcd, but unconverted State. " The La^v is 14. u ffintual^ but I am carnal^ fold under Sin.'J That is, i( ( 43 ) is, he found himfdf as really in Captivity under Sin, as thofe are to their Purchafers who are fold into Slavery. " For that which 1 do, I allow not.'* y^^^ I am convinced it is Evil, and would gladly be delivered from it, but notwithftanding my Convictions, am under its Power, and unable to extricate myfelf. " For the Good that I ^"^- ^^* " would, I do not ; but the Evil which I would not, that I do." Yet, in patient Submiflion, and fervent cleaving to God, fome Confolation attends this awakened Condition ^ for, " If I do verf. lo, " that I would not, it is no more I that do it, 21,22,23, *' but Sin that dwelleth in me. For I delight in " the Law of God after the inward Man ; but " I/ee another Law'* (or Power) " in my Members, " warring againft the Law of my Mind, and bring- *' ing me into Captivity to the Law" (or Power) •* of Sin, which is in my Members." ^ Thus pre- vented of what I love, and enthralled by what I hate, what a miferable Slavery am I in ! " O, "^'erf. 24. " wretched Man that I am! Who fliall deliver " me from the Body of this Death ?" He then, dill peifonating One in this flrug- y f ^- gling Situation, thanks God through Jefus Chrilt, for having brought him thus far on his Chriftian Courfe and Warfare, that he could will to do Good, though yet unable actually to perform it. Hence he had a Ground of Thankfulnefs, in Hope that he who had wrought the Will in him, would alfo in due Time pertedt the Deed by him. In Conclufion, he proceeds to fhew, though this had Gnce been his Condition, he ;2^w experienced per- fed Deliverance, from all the perplexing and afflicting Circumftances of this, and the fcveral cxercifing States he had forme/ iy pafTed through, and had juft been giving fo hvely a Description of. " There is therefore," iaith ne, " now no Rom.viii. " Condemnation to them which are in C hrifl ^ *- " Jefus/' ( 44 ) *' Jefus," (as he then certainly was) " who walk " not after the Flefh, but after the Spirit : For " the Law of the Spirit of Life in Chrifl Jefus^ hath " fet me free from the Law of Sin and Death,^"* This again teftifies his Deliverance, and Anfwers to that €hap. vii. firft cited, " Now we are delivered from the Law,*' *• (which condemneth for Sin) " that," (finful Na- ture} " being dead wherein we were held, that we " fhould ferve in Newnefs of Spirit, and not in " the Oldnefs of the Letter." With thefe accords that of Colof i, 12, 13. " Giving Thanks unto " the Father, who hath made us meet to be Par- '' takers of the Inheritance of the Saints in Light : *' Who hath delivered lis from the Power of Dark- *' nefs^ and hath tranflated us into the Kingdom of *' his dear Son." Iq the Paffages above cited from Rom. vii. and viii. the experienced Apoltle evidently includes a* Reprefeatation of three very different Conditions, in their Courfe of Progreflion, and State of Dif- parit/ from each other. Firll, a natural blind unconvicted State ; which is that of Darknefs and €en.i.2. Death, anfwering to the original Chaos before Light was brought forth. Second, a State of Illumination and difcovery, of Conviclion and internal Warfare, in order to a conipleat Conver- fion ; which partakes of a Mixture, and fhews Light and Darknefs in the Acl of Separation, like that in Gefi. i, ,3, 4, 5. Third, a State of Re- demption from the Power ot Sin, through Purifi- cation, and a Tranflation into the fpiritual King- dom of Chrift; which is the State of the perfed Chriftian, and compleats the new Creation, where- in every Thing takes its due Place, and moves in its proper Order. I now refer it to the intelligent Reader, whether it is not an Abfurdity to imagine, that thefe three diverfe, and in fome Refpecfs contrary States fhould all fubfifi together, at the fame Time, in the fame Subjed. By ( 45 ) By this Reprefentation, ^hich contains a brief and comprehenfive Deiineativon of the Work of the New-birth, the Apollle ibews to fuch as are young in the Fa-ith, what different - States they have to pafs through in that preparatory Travef, and alfo reminds the Regenerate of what they have witneiTed, in the Lines of his own Experi- ence. He defcribes the various Steps, and prin- cipal Leadings of the Holy Spirit, till by its efleclual Operation, the Soul is rendered a new Creature, and introduced into the Kingdom of God ; which being inward and fpiritual, is entered by an inward and fpiritual Way. Hence it is clear, a Man may acquire all the Learnincr, and receive all the Degrees that Schools and Colleges can bellow, with all the Authority Men can afford him, and may be ftridl in the Pradice of ail the Forms and Exteriors of Religion ; and yet re- main the natural Man ftill. Thefe can bring him no nearer to true Regeneration, than he was the Moment of his Birth ; for the New-birth is the Work of the Holy Spirit only. Nothing but the Spirit of Holinefs can make a Man Holy ; for nothing can communicate what it hath not. Nothing can fet Men free from the Power of Sin, and its Wages, Death, but the Law, or Power, of the Spirit of Life in Chrift Jelus individually adminiftrcd. This, which turneth Sinners into Saints by a real Purgation, and renders them, as to their inward State, new Creatures, remains to be their Light and Leader, and the primary Guide of their Life and Conducl, by its imme- diate Manifeflat^ions in the Heart ; whereby it frequently brings Scripture-Truths to their Re- membrance, and opens the Senfe of them pro- fitably to their UnderR^^ndings, at the fame Time influcncinn; the Mind to a Pradice anfwer- able. 5. Evident ( 46 ) 3. Evident as it is, that the Apoftle in the foregoing Scriptures, defcribes divers Changes of Condition, which through the Operation and ElTed of the Holy Spirit, he had certainly known and ferifihly felt ; yet fome have appeared even amongil the Leaders of the People, who acknow- ledge, "^ " The Influence of God's Spirit enables ^* us to render him an acceptable Service," but afTert, that it is in a Way imperceptible to us ; that the Sacred Writings are utterly ftlent concerning any fenjtble Demonfl rations of its Workings luithin us,, that they cannot be diftinguifhed from the Efforts of our own Reajon ; that all Pretences to it are fug- gefted by an enthuftajlic or diflempered Fancy ; and that there never was a Chriftian with a cool Head^ and a found Judgment^ that in any Inflame of a Change of Life^ would prefume to fay^ which Fart of his Reformation was owing to Divine Help, The truly found reformed Chriftian knows and acknowledges, every Part of his Reformation is owing to Divine Help •, and whoever propagate the above-cited anri-fcriptural Doctrine, demon- flrate their Ignorance of true Regeneration, and that their Wifdom is but the fuperficial Wifdom' of Words, which can only enable them to make a Shew of Knowledge, by talking about the Things of God, without any right Underftanding of them. The Pomp of Science, and the Flourifli of Eloquence, have no more Alliance to Truth than the Pride of Life. They belong to the Wifdom of this World, by which God is I Cor. i. not to be known ; " For the World by Wifdom «« knew not God, nor the Things of God." All the Knowledge of the natural Man, the Man whofe Nature remains unchanged, whether called Pagan, Jew, * See a Qnotat'on from Sermons publillied under the lEdicrous Title ©f 2'unV's, in the Gentleman's Magazine for Aprils 1766, 21 ibid. ii. II. ( 47 ) Jew, or ChriJIian, and whether it be ftlled Phllo- fophy or Divinity, is but the inefieclual ideal Wifdom oF this World: The vaunting Heajd- knowledge. It is not the Wifdom from above, by which alone God and the Things of God are to be known ; that is, experienced, Thefe are out of the Reach of Arts, Languages, and Sciences, and are difcovered only by the Mani- fellacion of the Spirit of Chrijl in the Heart. " In whojn are hid all the Treafures of Wif- Col. ii. 3 " dom and Knowledge." Yet though the World by all its admired and celebrated Wifdom, knows not God, there is a Wifdom communicated by which he is known. *' For God," faith Holy Writ, 2 Cor. iv " who commanded the Light to fhine out of 6, 7- '• Darknefs, hath JJ/med in our Hearts^ to give the " Light of the Knowledge of the Glory of God in " the Face" (or inward Appearance) " of Jefus " Chrift." The ApoRle adds, " We have this *' Treafure in earthen Veflels, (we enjoy it now whilft in thefe Bodies of Clay) " that the Excel- " lency of the Power may be of God, and not of " us." This luminous and excellent Power operates upon the humble thankful Acceptor, fo as to open an Underftanding of what he reads, both inScriptureand olMer experimental Writings, often giving him to feel that concerning.which he reads, and rendering it of improving Effect to him. But he wh6 rejects the Means can never attain the End. He whorefufes or flies from the Light of Life, when it offers itfelf to him by Reproof and Conviction, not believing it to be of God, nor receiving it as fuch, flops its Operation, pre- vents itfrom opening itfelf to him, and enlarging in him. For the unbelieving Heart jJmts up its ^^^t.xm. own Way, and therefore remains infeniible of the Mark vi. internal Power of the Saviour. 5, 6- 4. What ( 48 ) 4- What Man upon Earth can fay, he has not had Convidions ? Or, that he has had them with- out any Senfe of them? Who could have a Senfe of thenu and not diftinguifh ft from the Efforts of his own Reafon ; not diftinguiih the Reprover from the Reproved ? Unf elt Convictions are Im- poiTibiiities. In what Manner is the Work of Renovation knovvn, without any Freception of it in its Progrefs ? Did the Apoille Paul fo patheti- cally defcribe the painful States he had travelled through, and the oppofite Powers engaged within him, without ever having a certain Senfe of them? Oris the Coolncis of his Head, and the Soundnefs of his Judgment now to be arraigned, and are his Chrillian Experiences to be treated, only as the liTues of an enthuiiaftic or diftempered Fancy ? How could any witnefs Repentance imto Life^ RemiJ/wj of Sins, and the Times of Refrefhing from the Prefence of the Lord, without an inward Senfe of them ? Were all the Cries, the Pantings and Thirflings after the Divine Prefence, uttered by the facred Writers without a Senfe of that Want ; and were all their triumphant Rejoicings in the Conlolation of his Prefence, expreifed un- der a total Infenfihiliiy of it ? Were the kindly Fruits of the Spirit, and the Comforts of the Holy Ghoft iinfelt by thofe who enjoyed them ? Who can aiHim thefe Abfurditics ? Where can fuch blind Leaders bring their blind Followers to ? Thofe w^ho turn their Backs on the Light, mufl walk in Darknefs. It is the fole Property of the Spirit of Chrift, the Light of Men, to make true Diicoveries to the Mind, both rcfpecling itfelf, and every Thing elfe that concerns it. Hence he is rightly filled the Sun of Righteoufnefs ; the fame Thing to the Soul of Man, that the Sun in the Firmament is to his Body. The one is ( 49 ) IS the Light without, the other the Light ivithin ; and therefore is properly fo denominated. 5. It is the unbeheving unrenewed Man, un- acquainted with the eff'eclual Operation of this Heavenly Principle, that unwittingly rejeds and difparages it, and thereby contributes to keep both himfelt and others in Blindne(s concerning it, and Prejudice againft it. " The natural Man,'"' j ^oii ii. faith the Apoflle, " receiveth not the Things of 14. " the Spirit of God, for they are Fooliflinefs unto " him, neither can he know them, becaufe they ^' are fpiritualiy difcerned." What! faith 'the mighty Man of Reafon, muft I put out my Eyes in order to fee? Muft I lay aiide and renounce my Reafon, to obtain a better Underflanding? It is impofiible, abfurd, and pre- pofterous. Very true; and it is equally true, that no fuch Abfurdity is required. It is neither right Reafon, nor the proper Ufe of Man's Rea- fon, that is objecled to and advifed againft. For right Reafon is Truth, and is ever correfpondent with the inward Motions of the Spirit of Truth ; and Man's rational Faculty is v/hat renders him capable of receiving Divine Influence and In- flruclion, without which it is impcfllble to conceive he could be a fit Subject for it; and was his Reafon in fuch a perfect State as to merit the Name of right Reafon, he would not ftand in fuch abfolute Need of it. But it evidently appears, from the various BiafTes and PrcpofUfTions Men are generally under, the Weaknefs and Mutability of their Underiiandings, and the innumerable and irreconcilable Differences amor.gff them, efpecially the learned and leading Part of Mankind, that human Reafon is far from being always agreeable to right Reafon, which is unchangeably true. What is cautioned againft therefore, is thefetting up human Reafon ab©ve its due Place in Religion, making { 50 ) making it the Leader inftead of the Follower of Revelation, the Teacher inftead ot the Learner; and eliceming it vefted with a kind of Self-juffici- e?icy^ independent of the Diredion and Help of God's Holy Spirit. We are not required to lay aftde our Under- ftandings, either in order to, or under the In- fluences of the Spirit; but, as prudent and docile Scholars, to fuLmic them to the neceflary Inftruc- tion and Inoprovement of that infallible Mailer of Infinite Wildom and Knowledge, who is the ■^ univei fal Teacher of his People ; that we may I Cor. XIV. [)g enabled rightly to obey and worihip han with the Spirit, and with the Under ft anding alfo. The Spirit of God, and a right Uuderftanding muft intailibly concur. As the Light of the Sun is fo agreeably dif- penfed by the Sovereign Wifdom, that it doth not put out or blind Men's Eyes, but ajjijls to the proper life of them ; fp the Divine Illumination and Influence is adminiilred by the fame Wifdom, in fuch due Degrees, that it neither banifhes Man's Reafon, nor deprives it of its Utility, but reftores it to its full and proper Life in Religion, by dif- pelling the Fogs of Prejudice and Paflion, giving it a clear Seiife of Duty, and furniiliing Ability to perform it. The Holy Men of God were not I Pet. i. deprived of their Underliandings, when they [poke ^^' and wrote as they were moved by the Holy Ghojl^ but found them illuminated and highly improved by it. They were not ufed by the Spirit as fenfe- lefs Machines, nor remained as Vegetables, im per- ceptive of the V-rtue ariiing in, and enlarging them. Their Faculties were brightened, and raifed to an higher Pitch of Ufefulnefs, than could * Ifa, liv. 13. Jer. xxxi. 34. John vi. 45. Heb. viii. 10, II. and X. 16. { 51 ) could ever have been reached by them whilfl un- afliiled by the Power of Divine Grace. With good Reaion therefore, hath one of the infpired Writers given this neceffary Exhortation, '^ Truft Prov. iii. " in the Lord with all thine Heart, and lean not ^• '' unto thine own Underftanding." And he fur- ther faith, " He that trufteth in his own Heart, ^^'^.'.. ^ cc - -n 1 i» xxviii. 20. " IS a Fool. CHAP. VII. I. Whence true Religion arifeth, 2. Hoiv God is to be knouun according to the Neiv Covenant, Of ivhom the Body or Church of Chrift is compofed^ and the Lije it enjoys^ 3. Whence this Life is recei'ued, 4. That nvhich brings forth the Nezu- birth mujl maintain it. 5. True Religion alzvays effent tally the fa?ne. Exterior Infitutions Qnly fuper-additions to lead the Darhied and Degenerate toivards it. 6. Man has no Fretenfion to Merits but through Faithful- nefs^ is gracioufly allou^ed a filial Claim. 7. The Nature of God's Coveiiants ivitb Man. 1. TVJOTWITHSTANDING too many arc J^^ taught to imagine Importance and hlii- cacy, in Mode, Ceremony, Sign and Shadow, the Mint, Anile and Cummin of the lega) Difpenfa- tion , yet it is certain, that " in Jelus Chrift, Gal. v. 6. *• neither Circumciiion availeth any thing, nor *' Uncircumcifion, but Faith which worketh by " Love." Neither the Practice, nor Dilufe of Forms and Rituals, are of any Avaiiance with God. ( 52 ) Cod* ^ But the firft may more than unprofitably bufy their Pradifers, if thev are fo dangeroufly deceived, as to place Confidence either in their own Performances, or thole of their Leaders. The lleligioa of the true Chriftian confiiieth not in Form, but Subilance, and^ arifeth not from the Activity of human Reafon, Imagination, or Opinion, but from an Heart-felt Senfation of Divine Love in the Light of Lile. Its Found- ation is no lefs than the immediate Adminiflration of God's Holy Spirit to the Spirit of Man. This Amosiv. ihevt's unto Man what his Thoughts are, what ^3- himfelf, and what the Lord is, fo far as properly concerns him. It opens the Underflanding, and Jer.x.23. directs the Duty of the Obedient; "for the " Way of Man is not in himjelf\ it is not in " Man that walketh to dired his Steps.'* It is the Light of the Lamb which fheweth the Way of Salvation ; the one great Light appointed to rule the DayorfpiritualDilpePifationof Chriltianify ;where- Rev.xxi. ]j^ f-jjQ Nations of them which are faved muft walk, 2. Men in their natural State may, by Read- ing and Study, collect Abundance of Notions concerning the Supreme Being; but as Light difcovers all Things, yet cannot be really known but by its own Apperance ; fo God ; who, in jJohn:.5. ^.j^^ j-j^^f^ perfect and fuperlative Senle, is Light, can only be truly kwown by his own immediate Manifellation. What is ordinarily called the John xvii. Knowledge of God, is but a Series of Appre- 3- heniions concerning his Eilence, his Attributes, and his Providence ; bat what our Saviour called fo, is the real experimental Sen-e ot his Life. " This is Life eternal, that they might know thee " the only true God, and Jefus Chrill whom ' " thou halt lent." Truly to know him, is to participate of the quickning Senfe of his Life, through the communicated Influence of his eter- nal ( 53 ) iial Spirit. Thus to know him, is to partake of the New Covenant^ or true Gofpel Dljpenfatmiy for therein it is declared, " They fhall alt know 'i^^-'^^^'^^^ ** 7ne from the leaft of them to the greateft of^"^* " them." Acordingly the living Chrillian has a certain Senfe of Divine Life in his own Breaft, which affords him Inftruclion, Strength and Comfort, in fuch a manner, as he waits in Faich- fulnefs upon it, that he is under no abfoiute Neceffity to lean upon the Teachings of other Men ; yet when they come in a degree of the fame Life, he accepts them as initrumentally from God. This Life of God in Chrift is the very Soul of Chriftianity ; without which the beft Forms and higheft Profeffions are but as Members of a dead Body, unavailable and unacceptable. " He that i John v, " hath the Son hath Life^ and he that hath not ^^' " the Son of Gbd hath not Life:' " Becaufe I Jo^n xWs " live," faith he, " ye Ihall live alfo. At that '^* ^""^ ^' Day^ ye fhall know^ that I am ih my Father, *' 2iTid you in me^ and / in you:* It is becaufe he lives in, and communicates of his Life to his fpiritual Followers, that they live alfo. Of thefe the true Church, the adopted Body of Chrift under all Denominations is compofed. Thefe alone are his peculiar Heritage, or Clergy. This Ecclefiaftical Body of Chrift, is a living Body, rendered fuch by the Infpiration of his Life. He is the Life common to all his truecoLiiL^j Members. By his vital Influence he communi- cates a living Senfe of Truth to them^ inclines them to himfelf, and infpires them both with the Defire and Power of Obedience, and as they advance in Faithfulnefs, he favours them with increafing Tailes of Divine Grace and Love, the Savour of the Holy Unclion, and the indwelling Virtue and Glory of his Heavenly Prelence, H " There ( 54 ) »ph.iv.4. " There Is one Body, and one Spirit." Was there not one and the fame Spirit throughout the whole Church, it could not be one Body, nor Trla 26 ^ living Body. " Non poteft vivere corpus Chrifti ' " niji de fpiritu Chrtfti^^ faith Augujtine ; The Body of Chrifl cannot live but by the Spirit of Chrifl. He who partakes not of the fame Spirit with the Head, is no true Member of the Body. His fpiritual Influence is the precious Blood, or Spring ^of Life which renders all his Members living, and what gives Life gives a Senfe of that Life ; but though their Life is moji furely known to Gol. iii.3. themfelves^ it is hid with Chrijl in God^ from the Kaowledge of thofe who remain unquickned by it ; and hence arifeth all their Oppolition to it. 3. We are all by Nature Strangers to this Divine Life, and we cannot by any Means ob- tain it for ourfelves. It is not of Man's Acquire- ment, but God's Communication ; and as far out of the Reach of the molt Learned, as of the moft Illiterate. It is hid from the Wife and Prudent (in their own Eyes) and revealed to thofe who are as Babes (to the World's Wifdom.) It is not the high Learned, but the Humble that God teaches, and the Meek that he guides in the Paths of lYuth and Judgment. Every one's Eye therefore ought to be humbly to God alone, and not to be fixed upon the Wife, the Scribe, the Difputer of this World ; for God hath^ f)y the powerful Simplicity and Purity of his Goipel I Coi. i. Difpenfation, made fooUfh the IVifdom of this *®* World, Yet fo fond is the World of its own Wifdom^ that it has in great Meafure detruded the Crofs of Chrift, and true fpiritual Religion, and ere6ted and fupported this Idol in its Room. After this Image the World has wondered, and indeed it hath been a Means wonderfully to blind, enfnare and deceive its Worfhippers, whflfe ( 55 ) whofe Faith (lands in the Wifdom of Men^ and iCor.ii.5. not in the Power of God^ and is therefore the Reverfeof the Faith of the Gofpel. 4. From a due C'tfidrration of the debaied and corrupt State of Mankind, fince the Fall, and of the great and g'od Lnd of their Creation, it mufl evidently appear, that Regeneration hath ever been the one ] hing needful \ a Work efTential for all to experience. And as the *Birth of the Spirit cannot be brought forth by any thing but the Spirit, fo it mu(t alfo be pre- ferved in its Growth and Accomplifliment by the Spirit. Hence the abiding, or indwelling of the Spirit, remains to be of abfolute NeceiTity to the Regenerate, that as their Souls are quickned into the Divine Life by it, they may continue to live, move, and have their Being as ChrilHans therein, and be fuftained in a fpiri* tual Union, and bleffed Communion with their Maker. 5. The EfTentiality of true Religion hath ever been the iame, primarily confifting in the Life of God being railed up, and the Love of God fhed abroad in the Heart, operating therein to its Renovation, and to every virtuous and benevolent End. Whatever of Externals or Ceremonials have, at fundry Times, been fuper- added by Divine Direction or Command, were not intended to alter, or unfettle Men from due and conftant Attention to vital fpiritual Religion ; but when they were become greatly degenerated from it, and darkned concerning it, the merciful Creator was pleafed. by Means fuited to their eftranged and carnal Condition, to point it out to them, and lead them by Signs and Symbols towards it. Thus the Mojaic Law was not meant to be the Whole of Religion to the Ifraelites^ or to fuperfede the internal Religion ^^^- i"« of Grace \ but only to be as a Schoolmafler to ^^* bring ( 56 ) bring them to Chnjl m Spirit, in whom a}l is iry eluded and fulfilled, and whofe Prefence was then with the Faithful araongft them, who had fplritual Communion with him ; for, according to Scripture, " They did all eat the fame fpiritual *' Meat, and did all drink the fame fpiritual *' Drink ; for they drank of that fpiritual Rock *' that followed them ; and that Rock was ChriJiJ" It is a vain Thing to imagine, that Religion ever wholly confiiled in Mode or Form "5 or that the All-perfed Lord at any Time difpenfed with, the Subftance for the Sake of the Shadow ; or ever made any Alteration therein, by diverlity of Inftituticms, from arbitrary Will and Plea? fure, merely to exercife his Sovereignty, as though Power was a darling Attribute, and more regarded by him than Wifdom, Rigli- teoufnefs, and" Goodnefs ; or as though his Attributes could be divided in him. No ; he is God and changeth not. His Law is his own Spirit @f eternal Rectitude^ and his Retribution according to every Man's State and Works. The different Modificatio^is that have appeared amongft Men in Point of Religion, have been* occafioned by the different Alterations in the Conditions of Mankind. The- All-wife God hath direded fome for a Time, in Condefcenlion, for the good End above-mentioned ; and divers Combinations of Men have invented and enjoined Abundance more, according to their own carnal Mifapprehenlions of fpiritual Things, or to ad- vance their own linifler Purpofes. Exterior Forms are but temporary Matters, They are no Effentials of true Chriflianity. The great Author of it reprefents it as a Well of Water in Man fpringing up into everlqjling Lije, It radically arifeth from a living, abiding, in- creafing Principle in Man, of a Pure, Spiritual and ( 57 ) iind Heavenly Nature. As this is cordially embraced, it enlarges in the Soul, expels the Works and Power of Darknefs, and produceth its own genuine Fruits of Humility, Self-denial, Patience, Refignation to God, and Truft rin him alone, Righteoufnefs, HoHnefs, Meekneis, Gentlenefs, Temperance, Goodnefs, Brotherly- kindnefs, Charity. It derives its Origin from Heaven, and leads to Heaven. It carries the Soul out of all Formalities and falfe Refts, up to the Supreme Govod himfelf. It breaks down all our own Seif-wilh and brings into perfeift . Re- fignation to the Divine Will. In this humbk: contrited Frame, and no other, can we iincerely and truly fay, Thy Kingdom come I Thy Will bt done! For whilft our VViils ftand in Separation from the Will of God, we cannot addrefs him in thefe Terms with Propriety ; or in Spirit and Truth. 6. The Pride of Man is naturally averfe to this abaled and broken Situation. It knows not how to lubmit to be, or to think itfelf, nothing-^ though it is worfe than nothing. It would fain erecl and piume" itfelf upon iome Impoftance, fome Eftimation, or deierving of its own ; yet all its Pretences to Merit , are falfe and vain. M^n being nothing as luch, but what God has made him, and poiTefling nothing but what he affords him, is whoily God's, and not his own, and is therefore in Duty bound to walk in Obe- dience to him, every Moment of his Life, which is given him for that End. And feeing Man has fallen fhort ..of his Duty, and hath finned againft his Sovereign by Difobedience, it is neither in his Power, by any thing he can per- form, to merit Heaven, nor to purchafe Remif- iion for himfeif. He can neither undo what he has mif^pne, npr render to his Maker an Enqui- valent ( 58 ) valent for the Trefpaffes he hath committed againft him. But fuch is the merciful Goodnefs, and Free Grace of God towards his helplefs Creatures, that he offers both Forgivenefs and Felicity upon the moft reafonable Terms of Repentance and Amendment. To the Willing and Obedient, to him who is faithful unto Death, to him that overcometh, through Divine Affift- ance, are the Promifes of eternal Life. Upon the Foundation of thefe free and voluntary Offers of the Divine Goodnefs, and Man's Compliance< Rev. xxii. with the Conditions, ftands his Title. " Bleffed -4' " are they that do his Commandments^ that they " may have Right to the Tree of Life, and may " enter in through the Gates into the City." 7. The Laws and Requifitions of God to Man are in Scripture often ftiled Covenants. Not meaning that Man has perfonally bound himfelf, on his Part to perform the Conditions, but that he is really in Duty as deeply obliged, and as firmly bound to do the Will of his Creator, as if he had voluntarily bound himfelf in the ftrongeft Obligations poffible. The Reafon is, Man ov/es his very Being, and all the Good he receives, fpiritual and temporal, to his Maker, to whom he ilands indebted for all, and who therefore hath an unqueflionable Right to claim all Affedion, Gratitude, and Obedience from him ; and more efpecially as it is all for his own everlafting Advantage. There is alfo an in- ternal fpiritual Covenant^ a Divine Connedion^ which the Heart of Man feels, in his Faithful- nefs, to his Creator : The Spirit of Life in Chrift Jefus, which fets free from the Bonds of Sin and Death, and unites the Soul to its Saviour in the powerful Covenant of Divine Love. By this, through Faith, it becomes engrafted into Chrift J and by Obedience it remains in him as a Branch ( 59 ) a Branch in the Vine; or is incorporated with him as its Head; for '? he that is joined unto iCor.vi. " the Lord ii one Spirit."; Of this vital Union ^7- regenerate Souls have a certain Senfe, in Pro- portion to their Progrefs. " Hereby know w^ijohniv, ** that we dwell in him, and he in us, becaufe ^^' " he hath given us of his Spirit"—" Hereby ibid. iiL " we know that he abideth in us, by the Spirit *4- " which he hath given us." Hence it is clear, that the Gift of the Spirit communicates this Intelligence. CHAP VIIL Religion the fame both to the Learned and Unlearned— ^he Holy Spirit requifite to every Man^ as the tiniverfal Reformer. 2. It ivasfuch to the Ifraelites, and 3. The beji Part of their Divine Legation. 4. Why Statutes of an outiuard and temporary Nature ivere added, 5. They are taught to look through them to Chrijly of %vhofe Spirit they partook, 6. But it ivas not difpenfed to them in that Degree of Purity and Splendor vuith ivhich it broke forth at the Chri/iian JEra, 7. Hovl) this ivas ivitnejfed to by the Laiv, 8. Hovu by the Prophets, 9. The Spirit ivas in all Ages adminiftred^ and the truly Humble favoured ijoith its indwelling, I. REUGION ( 6o ) i. T^ELIGION here, and Salvation hereafter/ ^^ are as nauch the Concern and Duty of the Bliterate and Ignorant, as of the Wife and Learn- ed. And as thofe are by mu>^h the greater Number, religious Duty mufl urfdoiibtedly con- iift in fomething equally attainable and practicable by all ; for God is no Refpecler of Perfons. It cannot He effentially in literal Knowledge, nor in any peculiar Mode of Education ; for thefe aire the Lot of few, in Comparifoq of the whole of Mankind. Happinefs being the End of Man'^ Creation, and the univerfal indifpenfable Concern of every Man, the effedive Means of Regenera- tion and Salvation mufi: be attainable by every Man. Nothing but the Omniprefent, and All- efre6(*ive Spirit of God can be this Means ; for nothing elfe is univerfal, nor any way adequate to the Work* The Spirit of God therefore, being necefl'ary to every Man^ is afforded to every Man, by him who with-holds nothing neceffary. This Holy operative Spirit, Solomon^ under its Influence, with great Propriety^ fliles fVifdom, and reprefents it, in familiar Language, 2S calling frov. i. upon Mankind, to turn at its Reproofs^ with a Pro- mife, to pour out its Spirit unto them. He alfa impleads thofe as Fools who reject or flight it^ Reproofs, or Convi6lions in their Confciences 5 Verf. 20, |3y which he fhews, it accompanies them even in the ^^' Streets and^ Places of Concourfe. Reco!^nting the great Works of this Spirit of Wifdom, he elfe- Wifd.x.1. where telHfies, '* She preferved the Hrft foxmed *« Father of the World, that was created alone, *« and brought him out of his Fall." She was not only his Preferver before his Fall, but his Re- quickner and Reftorer out of that Deaths he through Tranfgrellion fell into ; and feeing the whole rational Progeny of -^^^772 are naturally under the like Neceffity of being born of the >• - • ' Spirit, ( 6i ) Spirit, its Adminiflration is oiFered to all, in due Degrees, and every Individual in all Ages, who have experienced the New-birth, by which right Reformation is wrought, have known it to be effected by the Operation of the Spirit. This the wife Author above-cited witneiieth, in his Acknowledgment to Almighty Goodnefs, when he faith, " Thy Council who hath known, except wifd. ix. " thou give Wl/dcm, 2ind fend thy Holy Spirit from ^1^ ^S- " aho've f For jo the Ways of them who lived on " the Earth were reformed^ and Men were taught *' the Things that are pleafing unto thee, and " were faved through Wifdom,** 2. Evident Tokens of internal Religion, and the immediate Manifeftations of the Spirit for that End, appear throughout both the Old Teliament and the New. Before the Flood, the old World was favoured with the Manifeilation of the Holy- Spirit, as it is implied Gen, vi. 3. '• My Spirit *' fhall not always ftrive with,'* or rather m^ " Man.'' Forfo Hebreans fay it ought to be ren- dered. And indeed, where could the Spirit fo properly flrivc as in the Soul of Man, where the Seat of Corruption is, and to which the Suggef- tions of Evil are applied ? And to what End ihould it itrive with them, but to bring them to Repentance and Reformation, and to become, through their Obedience, the Kingdom, or ruling Power of God in them. Renovation of Heart by the Holy Spirit, and its genuine Fruits of Repentance towards God, Faith in him, and Obedience to him, was the principal and efTential Part of Religion alfo among tht I/raelites, Deut. xxx. 10. Mofes reprefents the Conditions on the Performance of which they fliould be entitled to the Promifes. " If thou *' (halt hearken unto the Voice of the Lord thy ^* God, to keep his Commandments and hri^ I '* bl:i:utr3. $3C. ( 62 ) " Statutes, which are written in this Book of " the Law, and if thou turn unto the Lord thy " God, with all thine Heart, and with all thy " Soul.'* Thefe are the Terms ; firft, that they ihou'd keep the Law ; this was the external and legal Part ot their Duty, Second, that theyjhould furn their ivhole Hearts and Souls to God \ this was the internal and evangelical Part. He leaveg them not here in a State of Uncertainty, but pro^ ceeds to lliew them ro v^^hat their in^^ard Attention ^'crfe. II. fhould be turned. '* For,'* faith he, " this Concj.., " mandment which I command thee this Day," (or this which I command thee to turn thine Heart unto) " is not hidden from thee, neither is it far off. *' it is not in Heaven that thou (houldll fay, who " ihall go up for us to Heaven, and bring it unto " us, that we may hear it and do it ? Neither is it " beyond the Sea, that thou jfhouldfl fay, who " Ihall go over the Sea for us, ?ind bring it unto '• us, that we may hear it and do it ? But the Word " is very nigh unto thee, in thy Mouth, and in thy " Heart, that thou mayft do it." The Apofilc affumes and explains this Paffage, Rem* x. 6, 7, 8. '* The Righteoufnefs 'le^/.^/VZ? zV(^F^///7 fpeaketh on this wife, '• Say not in thine Heart, who fliall " afcend into Fleaven ? (that is to bring Chrijl " dpv^-n from above.) Or, who Ihall defcend into " the Deep ? (that is to bring up Chrtfl again " from the Dead.) But what faith it ? The H'erd is " nigh thee, even in thy Mouth, and in thy " Heart. That is the Word of Faith which we- " preachy By this Explanation of the Apoflle it appears, ill:, that, belides the Law, Mojes then preached to Ifrael the fame Words of Faith, which himftlf and his evangelical Brethren did. 2d, That this Word is Chrijl in Spirit, calling for Attention snd Obedience in the Heart, or Confcience, of Man, in ( 63 ) in order to cfFj-cl his Reftoration and Salvation, ^d, Fhis is not a local, or temporary, but aa in Adrd Vificacion ot the Saviour of Mankind, by his Spirit in the Heart. The Word of Faith is the Word of Truth, the Word of the everlaliing Gofpe! ; and not a Compoficion of Letters. The Term IVord, like many other Words, is ufed in various SenTes ; as a Speech or Sayfng, an Lngageoient, a Report, a Command, an Exh »rtativ)n, an Inliruolion. &C. becnile thele are co{n poled of Words. And as Men ufe to convey their Senfe to one another by- Words, fo iiod conveys his to Men by Chrif^, who is peculiarly and emphatically ililed in Scrip- ture, the Word of God', and as t!ie Way Men john i. receive Words from the Mouths of one another and is by hearing, fo the Manner by which the Soul ^^y^^^' rece ves internal Inftruclion, Reproof, &c. from the Holy Spirit, is metaphorically called Hearing,^ Thus Faith, which h the Gift of God, is laid to come by hearing, and hearing by the IVordofGod. ^^^"- "• That is, I apprehend, the internal Senfe itfelf is opened in the Soul, as well as Suhjeds communi- cated, by the Spirit of Chnll. 3. Hence we fee, the Divine Legation to the Jews^ conlifted not in the outward v\ritten La\7 only. Nor were they kept in Ignorance of in- ward fpiritual Religion, or of a future State of Rewards and Puniihrnents. For, if fo, to what Purpofedid Mofe! prefs the Confiderati(Mi of their latter End upon them, with fo much Fervency? *' O that they were vife, that they underdood Deut. " this, that they would confider their latfer End\'* ---ii-^;*- What material Confidera'ion fhould their latter End, or Time of Death, be of, to fuch as know no better but that it would be the Period of their Exiiience? Or, why fhould he co-nmand their Attention to the Hving Word of Faith, d^nfl in the ( 64 ) the Heart, as well as to the written Code ? He was an eminently infpired Prophet, and well knew that Salvation is by Chr'ijl alcne ; and that his in- ward fpiritual Law is as preferable to the exterior one, as the Subilance is to the Shadow. Obedi- ence to the outward temporal Law, had outward and temporal Promifes ; but Obedience to the inward fpiritual Law, hath Promifes of an inter- nal and eternal Nature. By the Works of the firft DO Man could be jullified ; but by the Operation of the lad, San£ Love and Fervour, they were now qualified to put in Practice the Commifiion before given, in a verbal Manner, by the great Lord and Law- giver. To divers of them were likewife added, the miraculoys Powers of healing all Manner of Difeafes^ ( 74 ) Difeafes ; the Dumb were made to fpeak, the Deaf to hear, the Lame to walk, the Bund to fee; Demoniacs were difpoileffed, and the Dead were raifed and reftored to Life. But thefe extraordinary Powers were neither conferred upon all, nor confined to the ApoiUes only ; yet a Meafure of the fame Spirit was com- municated to every one cf tbeni^ Women as well as Men ; otherwife Peter's Appiication of the Pro- phecy of Joel had not been true. 1 hey were all filled with the Holy Ghoft, but differently gifted, and qualified by it, for different Services, accord- ing to the Will and Wifdom of the great Dif- penfer. " To one is given by the Spirit the Word iCor. xii. " of Wifdom ; to another the Word of Know- 8, &c. cc ledge by the fame Spirit ; to another Faith by *' the fame Spirit ; to another the Gift of Healing " by the fame Spirit; to another the working of " Miracles by the fame Spirit ; to another Pro- " phecy ; to another difcerning of Spirits ; to ^' another divers Kinds of Tongues ; to another " the Interpretation of Tongues. But all thefe " worketh that one and the felf fame Spirit, dividing *' to every Man fever ally as he wiJl,^' Hence it appears, that what are commonly called Miracles are not neceffary or effential to Divine Infpiration, but only adjiindive Operations of the Spirit thereto, which have been occafion- ally fuper-added, and therefore may either totally ceafe, when the Occafions for which they were added are over, or continue to be ufed as it Hiall appear requifite to Divine Wifdom. When therefore the Gofpel was fo far fpread and efta- blifhed, in the Parts then intended, that the End for which thofe extraordinary Powers were afford- ed was anfwered, they were gradually withdrawn from the Church ; which was left, in the general, upon its proper and permanent Bottom, the imme- diate ( 75 ) diate Jnfpiration of the Holy Spirit. No Neccflity therefore can be pleaded for the conftant Continu- ance of miraculous Powers, or fuch a Spirit of Prophecy as fignifies a peculiar Gift of foretelling future Events ; but only of thofe (upernaturai Influences^ which are requilite to enlighten, quicken, regenerate, fandify, bring forth the Fruits of the Spirit in Man, enable him to fill up his Duty, and finally prepare him for a Coeleftial Manfion. Thefe are indifpenfably necefliiry to be continued. They are of moral Confideration, and immediate- ly influential to the Preparation and Salvation of every Man, which Miracle and Prediction are not, 3. Notwithftanding manifeft Appearances of extraordinary Power were added, both to the In- troduction of the Law, and that of the Gofpel, they are not to be conlidered as Parts of either, but as Sanclions requilite to their Infticution ; fo I believe, fome Divine Exertions of a miraculous Nature have been evidenced, at Times, under both Adminiftrations, as well as before them ; either for the Convincement of doubtful Perfons, or to give additional Weight and Authority to the Miniftry of fome infpired Servants of God, amongft thofe prefent with them, or to encourage and confirm them in their Service. Though I doubt not but this hath fometim.es been the Cafe lince the firft Century, and may remain to be fo to the End of Time, for neither the Power nor Goodnefs of the Almighty is ihortned ; yet I am alfo of Opinion, that miraculous Appearances have been lefs publick, and more fparingly sfFord- ed fince the firft Century than before it ; which may be in Part owing to the Decle^fion of the profeffing Churches. 1 alfo believe, according to the prophetic Declarations of the Apoftlcs, that under the declined and darkned State of both Teachers ( 76 ) iTeachers and Hearers, marty ftrange Signs, and lying Wonders h'ave been, and flili may be luf- fered to be ireipofed upon the Credulity of a diibbedient People, by falfe Pretenders, for the Support of a corrupt Intereft, and the Aggran- difement of the Conductors, Undoubtedly, thofe myfterious Delufions have been abundantly more numerous for many Centuries pait, than the Ex- ertions of Divine Power in an extraordinary Way. 4. The Continuation of exterior Miracles is noC elTential to the Minidration of the Gofpel ; for was it fo, Chriftianity could not fub/ill without them. Yet, though they are not of abfolute NeceiHty thereunto, they may be occafionally ufed, or not, as the Soverei^ija Wifdom fees meet. But that they are itiil conliantly, or periodically continued in any particular Church, as a peculiar Mark of its being the only true Church of Chrift, above all others, I find no Warrant to believe. Preteniions of this kind, naturally put thinking Minds upon looking for a iuperior Excellency in the Doctrines, and Prac- tices of fuch a Church; and when they find it abound in Saperftition and Pomp, coercive Im~ pofition, proud Hierarchy, Craft, Lucre, and Idolatry, even bordering upon Politheifm ; for what elfe is the Adoration of Saints, and Sinners under that Title, by attributing a kind of Omni- prefeace, and Influence in the Court of Heaven to them ? When they find thefe, and other mon- ifrous Abfurdities in the eftabliflied DoClrines of fuch a Church, inftead of the Simplicity, Purity, Humility, Love and Life of the Gofpei ; what can they' conclude of thofe Pretenfions, but that they are the deceitful Juggles of Impofture, and th-e' Legends of Folly ? The very Ends mofl of * them { 77 ) them are calculated to anfwer, fufficiently evidence their Fallhood, and fhew, whatever they are, that they are not Divine. It doth not appear, that in the primitive Age of Chriftianity, thofe who were fometimes attend- ed with miraculous Powers, were always (o ac- companied in their Miniitry ; nor that all infpired Minifters were ever enabled to work Miracles in the Sight of the People. Seeing therefore it is evident, that thefe extraordinary Powers are not eiTential to an infpired Miniftry, they are not the neceflary Proofs of it ; nor the Want of them an Argument that a Minifter is not infpired. But though thefe are not effential to Chriflianity, immediate Infpiration is conftitutionally fo. The Excellency of the Gofpel Difpehfation is, that it is not a Mixture of Sign and Subftance, as that of the Jews was, nor a temporary, but a Jlanding Minijlration of the Spirit. 5. Seeing no further Chatige of Difpenfations is ever to be made, nor any other Doclrine to be preached, but that of our Saviour and his ApoflleSj which upon its Commencement, received a mira- culous Confirmation fufficient for its lalting Eftablifliment, People are not now to expect, or call for Miracles from thofe who preach the Chriftian Doctrine ; but to turn to, and attend upon that Divine Principle pointed out in the Scriptures, as manifeited in the Bread of each In- dividual, the Miniflration of Chrift in Spirit. This will give the fmcere and humble Receiver more clear and particular Demonftration than outward Signs and Tokens could do; for the Powers whence thefe proceed may be difputed, but the internal Evidence of the Light of Chritf, the Life of Men, as rightly w^aited for, and adhered to, leaves no Doubt in the Mind concerning its Divine Nature and Authority. Hence R, Barclay L alTerts ( 78 -) afierts, in the Words of the primitive Proteftants, there is no Need now of outward Miracles to avouch the Do61:rines of the Gofpel ; yet acknow- ledges, that fome did appear upon its Revival in the laft Century. But to return. The Apoftle, 2 Cor. iii. ftiews that the Mini- flration of the Gofpel far excels that of the Law, and that its Excellency ftands in its Spiritu- iCor.iii. ality. Having fpoken of the L^lw, Verf. 7. he 8, 9, 10, f^^joins, *' How {hall not the Minijlration of the " Spirit be rather glorious ? For if the Miniftra- « tion of Condemnation be Glory, much more « doth the Miniftration of Ilighteoufnefs exceed <« in Glory. For even that which was made glori- " ous, had no Glory in this UefpeCt, by reafon <« of the Glory which excelleth. For if that " which was done away was glorious, much more *« that which remaineth is glorious." Why is the Gofpel thus fuper-eminent above the Law, feeing that was a Divine Inftitution ? Principally, be- 4Coi.iii. caufe it is not an outward Code as the Law was, ^* but an inward Law of Life, " written, not with " Ink, but with the Spirit of the living God, not " in Tables of Stone, but in fleflily Tables of Verf. 6. «6 the Heart ; and becauie it ?nakes able Miniflers^ " not of the Letter^ but of the Spirit ; for the Let- « ter killeth, but the Spirit giveth Life'* Rom.viii. No Man can be a true Chriftian without the 9* Spirit of Chrift ; for, " If any Man hath not the " Spirit of Chrift, he is none of his/' iCor.vi. Every Chriftian ought to experience the in- ^^* dwelling of the Spirit. " Know ye not that your «' Body is the Temple of the Holy Ghoft, which <« is in you^ which ye have of God, and ye are " not your own." It is requifite to every Chriftian, that he fhould Komviii. know the Spirit to be his Guide and Leader ; for, ^^' only " as many as are led by the Spirit of God, " are the Sons of God." No ( 79 ) No Man can be a Sheep of Chrift without a dlflinguijhing Senfe of the Spirit of Chrift. " I am Johnx.14, *' the ^ood Shepherd, and know my Sheep, and ^7- 45- *' am known of mine ^^ — " My Sheep hear my Voicey " and I know them, and they follow me." — " The " Sheep follow him, for they know his Voice^ *' and a Stranger they will not follow." The Voice of Chrift is the Manifeftation of his Spirit to the Soul. Without being born again of the Spirit, no John Hi, Man can enter the Kingdom of God, and with- out the Spirit, no Man can be born of it ; con- fequently the Spirit is altogether as requiftte to us ^ as it could be to the Primitives. It is no more in our Ability to regenerate and prepare ourfelves for the Kingdom, than it was in theirs. No Powers, natural or acquired, in our unregenerate State, are fufficient for fo great a Purpofe, and to en- able us truly to fay, with the People of God in former Times, " Lord, thou wilt ordain Peace ifa,xxvu '^ for us \ for thou haft wrought all our Works ^^' ^' in us." Without the Spirit, no Man can be a Minifter of the Spirit. The apoftolic Direction is, " As i Pet.iv. " every Man hath received the Gift, even fo '°' "* '' minifter the lame one ta another, as good " Stewards af the manifold Grace of God. If any " Man fpeak, let him fpeak as the Oracles of *' God ; if any Man minifter, let him do it as of " the Ability which God giveth \ that God in " all Things, may be glorified through Jefu3 « Chrift." 6. Every true Believer and faithful Follower of Chrift, in the apoftolic Age, received a Por- tion of the fame Holy Spirit which the Prophets and Apoftlesdid, though in lefs Degrees;, *' for," iCoit.xii, faith Paul^ " by one Spirit are we ail baptized into ^3* " one Body^ whether we be Jews or Gentiles^ whe- " thei: { So ) ^^ ther we be bond or free ; and have been all mad^ *' to drink into one Spirit .^'^ This one Spirit rendered them one Body, and joined them to the one living Head. " There is one Body and one Spirit, even " as ye are called in one Hope of your Calling ; " one Lord, one Faith, one Baptifm, one God j " and Father of all, who Js above all, and through ^ f all, and in you allJ* Thus, according to the feveral Meafures allotted them, they were all Partakers of the fame Holy Spirit, and as it was then, fo it is now, and ever mull: be in the true fpiritual univerfal Church ofChrift. 7. The Qofpel Sun arofe in great Splendorj yet it appeared not in its full Meridian at once, to any. The Openings of Truth in the Minds of the primitive Chrillians, Apoftles as well as V^) others, were gradual. As they advanced forward ^ in the new Nature they faw further and furthen * % For a Time, they occafionally circumciled, en- >jsj ter'd into Vows, anointed with Oil, baptized^ VJith John* s Baptifm; all which were of an ex-^x ternal and legal Nature. Nay, at firfl, they per-> ceived not the Holy Ghoft was to be given to ^ Qentiles as well as Jews^ though Joel had plainly ^ prophelied, it fhould be poured out upon all Flejh, But afterwards, as their Concern continued to prefs forward, they were led beyond the firfl: initi- atory Mixture of Things ; they faw clearly and declared, that the Holy Spirit fell upon the Gentiles, as well as Jews ; that neither Circumcifion nor Uncircumcifion anaileth ; that a good Confcience Heh.ix. g. a ri/eth not froj^ the Pradice of exterior Rites; ijohnii. that the Un6tjon from the Holy One is altogether *^> ^7' fufficient to give Inflruclion and true Judgment ; that the faving Baptifm is not that which can reach no deeper than the outfide of the Flefh, but that of the Spirit, which baptizes the Heart, and pro- duceth ( 81 ) duceth the Anfwer of a good Confcience to^3^^a^ds i Pet. iii. God, by the Refurredion of Chrijl^ or his fpiritual *'* arifing in or upon the Soul. 8. It is no uncommon Thing to hear the apo- ftolic Age ftiled the Infancy of Chriftianity ; and fo it was in Point of Time, and alfo in refpedt to the temporary Continuation of a few Exteriors, not immediately feen through, and afterwards retained for a Seafon, in Condefcention to thofe new Believers, who had been fo much attached to fymboiical Practices, they could not readily be brought to difufe them. And, in our Day, many of the prefent Leaders and Rulers, in divers of the mofl: numerous Churches profeffing the Chriftian Name, feem to imagine, that though the Afliftance of the Holy Ghoft wasneccfTuiy to the Introduction, and Support of the Chiiitiaa Religion in primitive Times, it has no Need of it now. It is become fo matured by Man's Wif- dom and Learning, which had no Share in its Origin, that it is fully capable to go alone. So that now it is, in great Meafure, become another Thing, and ftands upon another Foundation, than formerly. Though it ftill calls Chrift its Head, and accounts itfelf his Body, it receives no im- mediate Direction from him, nor feels the Circu- lation of his Blood, which is the Life and Virtue of true Religion. Thus defervedly incurring the Reproof of the Apoftle implied in this Query, ^' Having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made Gal. iii.3. *« perfect by theFlefh ?*' In Truth ,it too evidently appears, in a general View, the profefTed Chriftian Churches, initead of being in the Maturity of Chriftianity, are greatly in the Dechne from that State; or they could not be fo infenfible, nor durft appear fo oppofite to the Life of Reli- gion, as to rejed and decry the vital Part of it, and treat it as extinct ^ unnecejjary^ or at leafl Infen^ /My ( 82 ) ftbly to be now received ; as too many of their Leaders and Members do. Surely a Church in this Condition, is properly entitled to that Ad- drefs of the Spirit, to the degenerate Church of Rev.iii.i, ^^r^/jj « / know thy Works, that thou haft a " Name that thou livett, and art dead.'* Yet, notwithflanding this feems to be too generally the Cafe, and that the Religion of many high Pro- feffors is little elfe but real Deifm, covered with a fuperficial Kind of Chriftianity, I hope, and verily believe, there are many living and fen- fible Members of the Body of Chrift in thofe Churches. The Vitality and Glory of Chriftianity lies in the clear Adminiftration of the Holy Spirit, without any Veil of legal or ritual Adumbrations. School-learning is but an human Accompliftiment, and though very ufeful as a Servant, is no Part of Chriftianity. Neither the Acquirements of the College, nor the FormaUties of human Autho- rity, can furnifh that Humility which fitteth for God's Teaching. Poflefled of Arts and Lan- guages, weak People are puffed up with a Conceit of Superiority, which leads from Self-denial and the daily Crofs, into Pride and Self-fufEciency y and inftead of waiting for, and depending upon the Wifdom and Power of God, into a Confi- dence in the Wifdom of this World, and a devo- tional Satisfadion in the Rote of external Forms Phil.iii.3. and Ordinances. Whereas thofe that wor/Inp God in the Spirit, rejoice in Chrift Jefus, and have John vi. no Confidence in the Flejh. And why ? Becaufe ^* it is the Spirit that quickneth 5 the llejb frofiteth nothing, Whofoever deny that the Holy Spirit, and its internal Operations, are now to be feniibly experi- enced, only demonftrate their own lafenfibiUty thereof. The true People of God in all Ages, have ( 83 ) have declared their own undoubted Senfe of Divine Illumination and Help, and the Apoftle, in Rom. vii. and viii. before cited, teftifies he had a ftrong, clear, diftinsfuifhing Senfe of the Holy- Spirit throughout its Operations. As it was tnen, it now is, and muft remain to be, lo long as Men are upon Earth. The fame Work, in due Mea- fure, is abfolutely neceffary to every one, and the like Senfe of it proportionably clear and certain to all who experience Regeneration. No Man can obtain Felicity out of God's Kingdom, nor can any enter the Kingdom without being born of the Spirit, neither is the Work of the New-birth wrought infenfibly in any. Whatever Medium incognitum^ or unknown Means Men imagine, infenfible Operation is not Regeneration. It is a mere Deception. The Holy Ghoft, whether it operate by Words and Inftruments, or without them, always comes in Power ; a Power which gives an undeniable Senfe of it, perfectly diflindl from, and above all other Powers, and with a Perfpicuity, at Times, as far exceeding all natural Lights, as the radiant Sun does the faint Ghm- nier of the Glow-worm. This Holy Spirit ot Divine Light, and Power of«Life, is the great fundamental Principle of the reproached ^akers^ and the ©nly true faving Principle for all Mankind. It is Chrift in Spirit, a Light to lighten the Gentiles, and God*s Salvation Lukeii, to the Ends of the Earth -y who always became, ^^gxiii. and ftands always ready to become, the Author 0/^7- eternal Salvation to all them that obey him. ^^^' ^''^' CHA C H A 1^. X. , S. Newton's Mijlake^ in ajjerting the Dodrine of the Quakers centers in the reprobationary Scheme. 2. God frji Jets Man at Liberty^ often rc'vifits him by the Spirit of Grace^ feeks by all proper Mean^s to prevail ivith him^ ivithout violating the Liberty h^ affords him, till his continue^ Backjliding demonfirates he ivill not turn from his evil Ways^ and live. Then his Time of Vifttation ceafes^ and he is given up to his beloved Deluftons, 3. God is not the Author of EviL Obje^ions from Ifaiah and Amos anfix^ered. 4. Men jujlified in Evil-doings if God be its Author, F/hat Sin is. It is not the EffeSl^ but the Caufe of his Dijpleafure^ and to be placed to Mans Account. 5. 2'he Caufe of Mans Salva- tion. The Great Efficient of iti He operates tovuards it^ both immediate ly^ and by the Ufe of proper Means y all by Grace ^ through the Faith it communicates^ ivhich fiecejjarily produceth good Works^ not to be attributed to Man as meritorious . 6. What Calvinlfm teaches. 7. &c. The modern Fatalijis fomevuhat refne upon this^ but unavoidably center in the fame Abfurdity and FalfJoood. This largely Jhevun in Va- riety of Matter to the End of this Chap-- ter I. HAVING ( S5 ) I. T T A VING endeavoured plainly to fliew wliaC X JL the leading Principles of the People called fakers are, and that they are the genuine Doc- trines of true Chriilianity, I £hall now proceed to take more particular Notice of divers material Parts of my Opponent's Treatile. His infifting that the fakers Doclrine centers in the reprobationary Scheme, and that Barclay was as much a Predeftinarian as John Calvin^ is merely his own Miftake. He grounds it not up- on their Doclrine, but what he improperly ima- gines to be fo. Page 14, he fays, '* Barclay and '' his Friend [peak of no Divine Affijlance which ^' enables Ferfons to be pajjive, that the Light " within may operate and fave." Whereas, in my Obfervations, P. 82. I quote Barclay^ faying, *' As Man is wholly unable of himfelf to Vvork ^' with the Grace, neither can he move one Step ** out of the natural Condition, until the Grace of *' God lay hold upon hi?n, fo, it is poffible to him '^ to be pailive, and not refift it, as it is pof- " fible for him to refift it." That is, by the Power of Divine Grace laying held of cr influ- encing the Spirit of Man^ it fr/l becomes pojfible for him to be pajjive, and not refijl its Operation ; which is the frjl Step Man takes in the Way of Salvation. *' Without me," faith our Saviour, John xv.5. " ye can do nothing." I therefore added, ''Man *' cannot let one fmgle jlep towards his Salvation, " without the Aiiillance of the Grace of God, as '' the firfl moving^ and continually enabling Caufe^ " both of the Will and the Deed:' So that though Faffivenefe is the Beginning of the Work, he is previou/ly difpofed to it by Virtue of the Holy Spirit. This manifeds the Untruth of 5. A'.'s Aflertion, P. 212. and the Nullity of all his Realbnings from it, that " the Apologift will not " f^^ff^'" f he Honour of the firft Step of the Soul " towards Salvation to be afcribed to the Light M "or ( 86 ) " or Grace within." On the contrary we attribute the Whole of Man's Salvation to it, firft and laftj "without at all placing Man's Deftrudlion to the Account of his Maker j which John Calvin di- redly doth. What our Dodrine teacheth is, i. That Man has no Ability to fave himfelf, is not naturally in a State of equal Freedom to Good or Evil at his Pleafure, nor is in PofTeflion of that Faith which is neceffary to his Salvation. 2. That the Redeemer affords a Manifeftation of his Spirit to the Soul of every Man, by which, at Sealons, he checks his corrupt Inclinations, flops them in their Career, and puts it in his Power to reflect upon his prefent Condition, and become pajfive to the Operation of this inxvard Principle. If he refift it not, but (land in Submiffion, it takes further Hold of him, gives him fo to believe in it, as to fuffer it in fome degree to unite with, abide in, and operate upon him. In this Situation, he feels Strength and Comfort fpring up from it, which increafeth his Faith and Trufi therein, and gradually enables and engages him to become adive ; that is, to join heartily in Concurrence with its Operations, and to proceed from Faith to Faith, and from one Degree of Grace to ano- ther, till he attain to know the New-birth of the Spirit, and to participate in Degree of the glo- rious Light, Life, and Nature of the Heavenly Kingdom. 2. God hath made Man a reafonable Creature^ and therefore requires a willing Obedience of him^ in order to the high Reward of eternal Felicity ; and if he repeatedly vilits all with the Reaches of his Grace, and continues Time after Time to convicl, perfuade, and wooe, as the Scriptures declare, that he may prevail upon him to come to Repentance ^ doth he not go as far as reafonable Creatures ( 87 ) Creatures can claim, without violating the rational Liberty he affords ? Let Man but yield Obedience to his Conviclions, and fee if he can charge his Creator with Partiality, or hard Meafure. It is the unprofitable and unprofiting Servant that doth this. Education and Tradition do certainly prepoffefs, and give a Biafs to the Mind againft every Doc- trine different to thofe it hath been taught ; but the Divine Light, at Times, darts in upon the Soul unawares, as quick as Lightning, penetrates through all its Darknefs and every falfe Colour, difturbs it in its polluted Refts, and carnal Gra- tifications, fliews its Bondage under them, and infpires the fecret Wifh, and heaving Sigh to be delivered, attended with fome degree of Refolu- tion againft them. This being the opening of Divine Light upon the Mind, is called the Day of God's Vifttatjon^ the Time of Grace unto Man y wherein Life and Death are diftinguifhed in him, and Liberty is not only given him to chufe Life, which he could not do before, but alfo a fuitable Meafure of Ability to love and cleave to the Grace J he is vifitcd with, and thereby to come to Repentance, and be faved. For this Grace Tit. Hit, is the Spirit of the Saviour, and brings the Power of Salvation in it, Thefe merciful Vifitations of Divine Grace are often repeated, by Night as well as by Day. <' God,*' faith infpired Elihu^ " fpeaketb once, yea JobxxxUi. '' twice, yet Man perceivethit not, in a Dream, M,^c. " in a Vifion of the Night, Vv^hen deep Sleep fall- **^ eth upon Man, in Slumbrings upon the Bed. " Then he openeth the Ears of Men, and fealeth *' their InftruClion ; that he may withdraw Man " from his Furpofe, and hide Pride from Man." He then proceeds to fhew, how he operates upon the fubmiffive Soul, in the Work of Repentance and ( 88 ) and Mortification, and what fhall be its Iflue. Afterwards, he recapitulates the whole in thefe Tobxxxiii. comprehendve Terms. " He looketh upon Men, "s7, &c. " and if any fay, I have finned, and perverted " that which was right, and it profited me not ; " he will deliver his Soul from going into the Pit, " and his Life fhall fee the Light. Lo, all thefe *' Things worketb God oftentimes with Man^ to *' bring back his Soul from the Pit to be en- *• lightened with the Light of the Living'^ The great Father of Mercies, is pleafed to continue his gracious Vifitations from on high to backfiiding Men, liil they are become fo deter- mined in Wickednefs, and fo habitually united to its Servitude, that like the Servants in Exodus xxi. 5^ 6. they ivill ywt be freed from it. Then Night comes upon them, the Day of their Vifitation ce^jes ; for God will not always ftri've with thofe, who Prov. have been long and often reproved^ and fiill harden xxix. I. their ISecks^ to no Pufpole; but after long Forf. bearance, he withdraws the Pteaches of his mer- ciful Loving^kindnefs, and fufters them to incur Kev. xxii. that dreadful Sentence, '' He that is unjuft, let '^' *< him be unjufl ftill ; and he that is filthy, let « him be filthy ftill." When Perfons are thus judicially hardned, and given up to their own Hearts Lulls, and beloved Delufions, and left in a State of Infenfibihty of the Divine Principle, they may blindly miitake it for Peace and Security. To fuch Confcience becomes, for the prefent, obfcured, and as a Book fhut up, wherein they cannot read ; but in the Day of the righteous Retribution of the great Judge of Quick and Dead, this hidden Volume will again be unfolded, by him who openeth and none can fhut, and a jail Dillribution made to every one according to what is written therein (for it will prove either a Book of Life or of Death to ( 89 ) to every Man) to them who, by patient Con- tinuance in well-doing, have fought the Glory of God, their own Salvation, and the Good of others. Immortality and eternal Life ; but to thofe who have continued in Difobedience and Rebelhon againft God, Tribulation and Anguiih both inex- preffible and interminable. ^. Can any reafonable Creature think it poffi- ble, that the fame Spirit and Power of Goodnefs which condefcended to take our low Nature upon him, fuffer in, and facrifice that Nature whilft connedled with it, a Propitiation for the Sins of ijohnii the whole IVorld^ could ever intentionally confign ^• the Majority, or any Part of the fame World, to unavoidable unconditional Mifery ? It appears from his Attributes of Truth, Equity, \Vi(dom, Mercy, and Goodnefs, impoffible that he ihould either actually oblige any of his Creatures to fin, that they might be miferable; or, when he has created them^ to defert them to Sm and Mifery, by entirely with- holding from them that which is neceffary to their Help and Prefervation. We therefore rationally conclude, that he doth not only fet Good and Evil before Man in their juft Diftinclions, but at the fame Time, enables him to ^Z'^^ which he'll follow ; and further, that he ftirs up and aflifts Man to defire after true Felicity, and as he abides in this Deiire, he empowers him to llrive, prefs, and wrellle effedlually for Deli- verance and Prefervation. The primary Motions of Vohtion in the Mind being very nice and delicate, are not eafy, if poflible, for Men to form a precife Idea of, with- out the Light of God's Spirit ; whence fome have taken occafion to charge the different LMfpofitions of Men towards the Vifitations of Divine Grace, to God*s Account, by which they render him the primary Author of Evil who by the fpecial i^e- cuiiarity ( 9° ) cuHarity of his Effence, is too unchangeably per- fed: in all his Attributes, ever to warp from per- fect Red:itude. But is it not abfurd to fuppofe, that any intelligent Being can voluntarily produce what is contrary to its Nature; efpecially an Om- nipotent Exiftence, whole Power muft be irrefift- able by all Objects and Occurrences ? Is not Sin the Tranfgreflion of God's Will, and Vice con- trary to his Nature ? How then could thefe be produced by an Ad df his Will, or be the genuine Fruit of his Power, either mediately or immediately? Can a right Underftanding lead any Man to think, that the Will of God is poflible at any Time to be contrary to his Nature f From Purity, Goodnefs, and Virtue, no Im- purity, Vice, or Evil could naturally arife. But Luktxvii. that Text hath been objea;ed, " It is Impoffible ** " but that Offences will come/' True ; but whence come they ? Not from God, but from that Root of Corruption which hath entered and overfpread the World. Whilfl this corrupt Root remains, they .ill naturally fpring from it ; and the fame Text pronounces, *' Woe unto him " through whom they come." *' But God faith, " I create Evil." And the Prophet faith, " Shall " there be Evil in a City, and the Lord hath " not done it ?'* Moral Evil is not here intended, but the natural Evil of Pain and Diftrefs, through Hoftility, Sicknefs, Famine, &c. which are the Judgments of God upon Men for Difo- bedience and the Conamillion of moral Evil. 4. To lay, that God originally fo conjlituted and ordered Things ^ that Evil muft neceffarily enjue in confequence of fuch Conftitution, is to treat him both '2JS> the defigning and -potential Author ^of all Evil. Wherein then are the wickedeft Creatures, whether angelical or human, to blame ? If they cannot be otherwife than they are, nor a6t ocherwife than they do •, in Point of Equity, all their ( 9^ ) their Wkkednefs is juflified by the Neceflity they are originally fubjecled to by their Creator ^ whom this Doflrine renders the real Author of //, either immediately or remotely. If God himfelf laid the Ground-work of all Evil, he muft be the Author of all that follows by ne- ceflary Confequence upon it. According to my Apprehenfion, Sin conjijls in the Creature^ s -prefering the Indulgence of its depraved Nature^ to the Obedience of Divine Grace ; which Indulgence leads it to the abufe of that Grace, and to think, fpeak and a6t againft the manifefled Will of its Creator. Neither the Origin, nor Continuance of Sin in the World can be the Fruit of God's Will; for it always brings his Diffleafure upon the Creature. It is not the Effecl, but the caufe of his Difpleafure. A Being perfectly Holy, Juft and Good, caa neither do Evil, nor Delight in feeing his Crea- tures do it. It is contrary to his Nature, there- fore againft his Will, and what he could not fuffer to originate without offering Means to prevent it, and (hewing his Difpleafure with it ; nor can he conliftently be conceived to extend perfonal Approbation or Averfion to any, ex- clufive of the State of the Parties refpecling Good and Evil. That fome obey^ and others refufe Obedience to the Manifeftations of Divine Grace, is cer- tainly true ; and we believe, the Caufe of this Difference is not of God, but entirely owing to the Man. Let him that doubts it enquire in his own Confcience. The faithful Witnefs there, by its Condemnations for Evil, will plainly fhew him, that the Fault is his own. What Man is there upon Earth without thefe compunclive Strokes ? Who has not, alfo, felt at Times Inclinations and Difpofitions excited ici him towards ( 9^ ) towards Virtue and a good Life ; and who knows not, that when he followed them, he found Peace in his Obedience ; and when he turned from this falutary Purfuit to one of a contrary- Nature, he incurred Trouble and Condemnation ? Can a reafonable Creature need further Proofs, that both thofe convicting Keprehenfions and Comforts, are the internal immediate Adjudica- tions of a juft, good, powerful, omniprefent, all-intelligent Principle ? And what is this but God; and for what End doth he thus attend every Soul and Confcience^ but that all may come to Re^ fentance and experience Salvation f 5. The firft moving, true, and proper Caufe of Man's Salvation is the Goodnefs and Love of God to him. The effential Means by which he effeds it, is the Operation of his own Holy Spirit on the Soul of Man, often immediately, and fometimes inftrumentally, by making ufe of exterior and incidental Things, and working by theqi as fecondary Means *, fuch as Preaching, reading the Scriptures and other good Books, pious Converfation, Worfhip, Mercies, Dif- trefles, &c. After this Manner it pleafeth Di- vine Wifdom to exercife the Body in the Ser- vice of the Soul, whereby both are bettered divers Ways. It is God by his Holy Spirit w^ho w^orketh all Good in Man, both as to the Will and the Deed, It is by Grace we are faved, through Faith ; or in the Way of Faith. That Faith which worketh by the Love of God to the Purifying of the Heart, and the Production of good Works. Thefe are the genuine Fruits of it, and infeparable from it : Therefore without Works we cannot be faved. Yet it is not by the Works that we are faved, as the Caufe of Salvation to us, but by Grace, through the Root of them, the Faith, by which we believe in God, I 93 ) God, open to, and receive him, cleave to him, truft in him, and fo lay hold of eternal Life. This Faith is not our Faculty, but the Gift of God to us. It conies by Grace, the free Grace of God, who is " not ivillwg that any ihould 2 Pet. iii. " perifh, but that all ihould come to Repentance." ^* He whofe Works are Evil, hath not this faving Faith, believe what Propofitions he will ; for where it is, it neceiTarily produceth them. This Root is never without its Fruits. " Shew mejam.ii.i8. '' thy Faith without thy Works, and I will " fhew thee my Faith by my Works," faith the Apoftle James. Yet thefe Works do not render us meritorious of Salvation, for they are not to be attributed to us, but wholly to him who through his Grace, hath brought us into this blefled State of living Faith wherein they are produced. " For l?y Grace are ye faved, through Eph. ii. " Faithy and that not of your/elves. It is the * ^' ^^' " Gift of God. Not of Works, left any Man " fhould boaft : For we are his Workmanfhip^ *' created in Chrift Jefus unto good Works, " which God hath before ordained, that we *' fhould walk in them." 6. The Reprobationary Scheme demonftrates, to what a Pitch of Abfurdity, the Minds even of fenfible and pious Men may be carried, when they follow their own cloudy Reafonings inflead of the Illuminations of the Holy Spirit. Calvin ^^V- 3- alTerts that, by the Ordination and Will of God j inft. c. Adam fell. God would have Man to fall — and 18. that the highejl or remote Caufe of hardening is the j jb^'de Will of God. Beza faith, God hath predeftinated ?r3sd. not only unto Damnation, but alfo unto the Caufes p^Jj^/^^ of it, whomfoever he faw meet. Zanchius, that Lib. de God is the firfl Caufe of Ohduration, Zuinglius, ^^f^' that God moveth the Robber to kill. He killeth, Eccaut. God forcing hi?n thereunto. But thou wilt fay, he Q^ 5- N is ^ ' ^ ( 94 ) ^rovid. is forced to Sin ; I permit truly that he is forced^ Refp. ad Pifcator, that teprohate Perfons are abfolutely or- Verft. dained to this two-fold End 5 to undergo everlajling T.\'zo. Fumjhment^ and necejjarily to ftn, and therefore to ftn^ that they may be juflly punijbed. It is a Myftery to me, how the poor Reprobates can be jujlly punijhed^ for Anions they are Divineiy obliged to commit y or how they can fin by ne- ceil?.rily doing the Will of God, 7. Our modern Writers of this Clafs, refine a little from the Barbarifm of their Predeceffors in Expreffion, but their Refinements ultimately center in the like Accufation of their Creator. S, Newton often edges about it, yet appears very fliy of fpeaking his Sentiments clearly upon this Point ; but J prefume, we have them in his favourite Author, Jonathan Edwards^ M. A. whom he fo particularly recommends in his Letter, Page 54. This Author, in his careful and flriil Enquiry into the modern prevailing Notions of that Freedom of Will, &c. has thefe ^'5S7-^' ExprefEons. " If by the Author of Sin be meant " the Sinner, the Agents or Actor of Sin, or the " Doer of a wicked Thing ; fo it would be a " Pveproach and Blafphemy to fuppofe God " to be the Author of Sin. But if by the " Author of Sin is meant the Permitter, or not '* a Hinderer of Sin ; and at the fame Time, a '• Difpofer of the State of Events in fuch a manner^ " for wife, holy, and moft excellent Ends and " Purpofes, that Sin, if it be permitted, or not '^ hindered, will moft certainly and infallibly fol- " low : I fay, if this be all that is meant by the " Author of Sin, / don^'t deny that God is the « Author of Sin'* «« It is no Reproach for the « Moft High to be thus the Author of Sin. " This is not to be the Adsr of Sin, but on the ^' contrary, of Holinefs, What God doth herein { 95 ) ** IS Holy, and a glorious Exercife of the Infinite «' Excellency of his Nature"-^*' That it is mofl *-' certainly / " the Almighty, that he fhould commit Iniquity. *' For the Work of a Man fhall he render unto « him, ( 100 ) ** him, and caufe every Man to find according to *' his Ways. — For he will not lay upon Man more " than right ; that he fhould enter into Judgment « with God." 12. I cannot perceive any Ground for a de- ftru<5live Partiality in Almighty Wifdom, and perfecl Equity. Can he who prefers Mercy to Sacrifice, exalt Cruelty above Mercy ? To fup- pofe, that the Supreme Excellence fhould create all the Millions of Mankind of one Nature, and for eternal Duration, and that he Ihould, either immediately or remotely, neceffitate a Minority of them to everlafting Happinefs, and at the fame 71me determine to give the major Part no other Opportunity, but to be inevitably and eter- nally miferable ; is to fuppofe, that there is more Cruelty than Goodnefs, more Rigour than Wif- dom, and more Inequality than Mercy in the Di- vine Nature. I therefore muft conclude, that the Suppofition is irrational, unjuft, and grofily injurious to the Divine Character. It is to be underftood, that he who is fuppofed to acl in this contrary Manner, towards his Crea- tures in the fame State and Nature, doth itfrom one and the fame Nature in himfelf\ or that he is differently determined towards them, from two different Natures of contrary Difpofitions in him- felf ? I am utterly unable to conceive how oppojtte Wills can fubfift in the fame Nature y and how two contrary Natures can exift in a Being of perfecl and immutable Simplicity and Purity ; or that fuch contrary Procedures concerning his rational Creatures, can arife from Unity, Equity, and Goodnefs, in the utmoft Perfection ? But no Dif- ficulty attends the Suppofition, that //^^ fame Na- ture fhoifld operate to different EffeB^^ upon Sub- jects in different Conditions. It is evident to every Man's Obfervation, that the moil glorious in- animate ( loi ) animate Objedt of Creation, the Sun, by its Beams will foften Pitch and harden Clay ; but thefe contrary Effects arifc not from different Na- tures in its own Rays, but are different Effects of the fame Beams, occafioned by the contrary Dif* pofitions of the Pitch and Clay to receive them. So, I apprehend, the Holy Spirit operates dif- ferently on different Perfons, by reafon of their different States and Difpofitions to receive its In- fluences. It is not a little affecting, to behold Allega- tions fo injurious to the great Difpenfer of all Good, fet forth with Subtlety of Sentiment, and Elegance of Language, which can hardly fail to operate to the Deception and Hurt of thofe who embrace and allow them a Place in their Minds. To affert, that God either originally, or after- wards, difpofed the Courfe Of Things^ and State of Events in fuch a Manner^ that Sin mujl certainly and infallibly follow^ is to render him the inten* tional and primary Author of all the Evil that enfues. For he that raifes a Building, cauieth it to be filled with Combuftibles, and fets Fire to it by a Fuze, or a Train of Powder of the greateft Extent, which muft infallibly burn it down, is as certainly the Deflroyer of the Edifice, as if he fired it immediately without fuch Means. I 3. It hath been alledgcd. If God had not given Man Liberty y he could not have abufed it. Very true. If the Artificer had not made, nor the Shop- keeper furnifhed the Suicide with the Knife he cut his Throat with, he could not have miluied it ; but is he who made or fold it him, for better Pur- fofes^ intitled to any Part of his Guilt ? Without Liberty Man could not have finned, and without the Knife the Suicide could not have made fuch a felf-injurious Ufe of it ; yet it is not the Kniie, nor thofe who furnifhed it j neither is it the Li- O berty, ( 102 ) berty, hot iit ^^ho afforded it ; but the ill-coh-» ceived Difpofitioh of the Perpetrator from whence the Default arifethj and to which it is in JufticCj wholly to be imputed^ 1 4.' All the Souls that God has made are equal- ly his j and he ivhofe Mercies are over all his Works ^ overlooks none of his Creatures in the ^Diftribution of his Mercies. He with-holds his Talents from none, but difpenfeth them in dif- ferent Portions to different Perfons ; that focial Communication and Connection may be preferved amongfl us in this Life. To One he gives five Talents ; to a Second, two ; to a Third, one 5 but to every one a Degree of Divine Manifefta- tion fufficient, if believed in and obeyed, to ope- rate to his Salvation. He juflly requires a Profit- ing anfwerable to the Meafure he affords; and as he perfectly knows to what Degree of Improve- ment each might have attained, he will finally •judge all according to their Increafe, their Neg- ligence, or their Rejection of the Talent received. 15. The rational immortal Soul, is principally and effentially the Man, This, as I have already fliewn, is the immediate Creation of (iod, and defcended not from Adam and Eve^ nor paffeth from Parents to Children, hke the mortal Body ; and feeing it never was in them, it never finned in them. The Doctrine of Preterition therefore, which fuppofes, that all finned when Adam tranf- greffed, and deferve Condemnation for the Sin he committed, and thence concludes, that God doth juflly with-h old his faving Grace from the Majo- rity of Mankind ; is a Conclufion drawn from untrue Fremifes^ and confequently a fatfe Dcdritse, Firft to create the rational Soul, and then to forfake it, is not Preterition^ but Derelidion, And this Doc- trine is not only falfe^ but dangerous. For when fome feel the comfortable Touches of Divine Vifitation ( 103 ) Vifitation, inftead of humbling themfelves under it^ th It the Work of Regeneration may go for- ward, this Opinion leads them to imagine it to be a Mark of their Election, and perhaps to add other Marks to themfelves from miflaken Scriptures ; by which they increafe their natural Pride, SeU- conceit, and Prefumption, which defeat the good Intention of God^s Grace towards them. Others, of a melancholy Turn, when convicled and dif- treffed in their Miiids for Sin, are led by this Opinion^ to think it a Mark of perfonal Repro- bation, and thence into Defpondence, with all its difmal Confequences, Thus, what the merci- ful Creator intends for Men's Benefit, they turn to their own great Difad vantage. 1 6. Whatever Dodrine contradicts the evident Sei)fe, of thofe clear and exprefs Portions of the Sacred Record, which, by Divine Commiilion, profelTedly and directly treat upon this Point ;, fuch Dodrine muft be falfe, and ought to be re- jec^led. It anfwers no good Purpofe to increafe Difputation about Things hidden, or Texts ob- fcure and ambiguous; but this is certain, and cer« tainly to be relied upon, that where the i^lmighty plainly declares his Will refpe^ting his Creatures, he who cannot be miftaken, is furely to be cre- dited in Preference to the Contra-politions of mif- taken Men, wiio prefume to interpret his Words fo as to contradict his moft clear, and mod folemn AfTeverationSo Through a Mif:ipprehen(ion of the fecond Com- mandment, the People of I/rael, in Ezekiel's Time, had efpoufed this reprohationary Notion^ that the Children were puniihed for the Sin of their Parents, fo that it was become a Maxim among them, " The Fathers have eaten four « Grapes, and the Childrens Teeth are fet on "• edge." The Prophet therefore, was efpecially commijftoned ( 104 ) commtjfioned to declare God's immutable Will and Determination, in Oppofition thereto. " As " I live, faith the Lord God, ye fhall not " have Occalion any more to ufe this Proverb a in IfraeL Behold, all Souls are mine, as " the Soul of the Father^ fo alfo the Soul of " the Son is mine : The Soul that Sinneth it fhall Ver, to, u ^^Q^ q^ijg ^qj^ JJ^all not hear the Iniquity of the " Father^ neither fhall the Father bear the Ini- " quity of the Son ; the Righteoufnefs of the " Righteous fhall be upon him, and the Wicked- Ver. 25 « nefs of the Wicked fhall be upon him.— Yet ^' ^' ye fay., the Way of the Lord is not equal. *^ Hear now, O Houfe of Ifrael ! Is not my Way *' equal? Are not your Ways unequal? When a " righteous Man turneth away from his Righteouf- *' nefs, and committeth Iniquity, and dicth in them, " for his Iniquity that he hath done, Ihall he die. ^' Again, v^hen the wicked Man turneth away " from his Wickednefs that he hath committed, *^ and doth that which is lawful and right, he *^ fhall fave his Soul alive. Becaufe he confider- '* eth, and lurneth away from his Tranfgref- " lions that he hath committed, he fhall furely Ver. 30, « live, he fhall not die.— I will judge you, O ^' Houfe of Ifrael^ every one according to his " Ways, faith the Lord God. Repent, and turn ^' yourfelves from all your Tranfgreflions ; fo Ini^ ^' quity fhall not be your Ruin," The Prophet re^ peats more to the like Purpofe, both in this Chap* (fhap. ter, and in the 33d. " As I live, faith the Lord xxxiii.ii. ,, Q^j^ J ^^^^ ^^ Pleafure in the Death of the " Wicked, but that the Wicked turn from his ^c jYay and live* Turn ye, turn ye from your ^' evil Ways; for why will ye die, O Houfe of Ver, 17, c< Jfraelf -^Yct the Children of thy People fay, io» 19' tc j.jjg Way of the Lord is not equal ; but as for *' them, their Way is not equal. When the Righ- ^' teous ( I05 ) « teoiis turneth from his Righteoufnefs, and com- " mitteth Iniquity, he fhall even die thereby. But " if the Wicked turn from his Wickednefs, and " do that which is lawful and right ; he Ihall live '' thereby:' It is manifeft, the Death denounced in thefe Scriptures, is not the common Death of the Body ; for in that Refpecl, one Event happeneth to the Righteous and the Wicked, but that State of everlafting InfeUcity peculiar to thofe who go out of Time into Eternity, without Repentance and Regeneration. From all thele exprefs Declarations, it evident- ly appears, that the Almighty "doth not alflicl Lam.iii. " willingly^ nor grieve the Children of Men ;" ^^* that he is not willing that any fhould perifti, but that ^// fhould come to Repentance. Thefe ^ I'et. iii. are all plain Manifeftations of the Mind of God ^' profefTedly on the Point, and to all who intend not to deny his Uprightnefs and Veracity they ought to be decifive. The Sins of Men arc placed to the Account of their own WilU and not to the Will of God, in that pathetic Expoflula- tion, Why will ye die? And indeed, it is impojjible he fhould will that which is a Tranfgreflion of his Will. It is clear, he doth all that can be done by fair Means to prevent it. By that prefling Repetition, Turn ye^ turn ye from your evil Ways^ it is manifeft, he puts it in the Power of Men to turn from them. Who then can juftify their Per- verfenefs, by any way charging their Sin, either immediately or remotely, to his Account ? Men are not deftroyed through any Malevolence in their Creator towards them ; but are faved by his Grace, which he difpenfeth to all from that unparalled Benevolence, which arifeth purely from his Infinite Goodnefs. Sinful Man hath nothing: to offer, God therefore, will have Mercy, becaufe he ( io6 ) he will have Mercy ; becaufe he is full of Mercy^ he will difpenfe it to his helplefs and unworthy Creatures. " I/' faith he to the repenting Sinner, " even I am he that bloj:teth out thy Tranfgref- *^ iions, for mine own Sake^ and will not remember «^ thy Sins." 17. Detachments of various Texts and Por- tions of Scripture, though indirect to the Sub- ject, and alluding to different Confiderations, have been prefled, and martialled under divers Colours, to fix a cruel Partiality on our common Creator and Benefactor. We are told, that he ordered the Obflinacy of Pharaoh^ the Sin and Folly of Sihon, and the Kings of Canaan, the treacherous Rebellion of Zedekiah againft the King of Babylon^ the Rapine and Ravages of Nebu- chadnezzar, &c. But properly confidered, this was ordering Punifliment for Sin, not Sin for Pu- nifhrnent. He hardeneth none till they have hardened themfelves paft all Probability of Repent- ance, and then he leaves them to the Mif-rule of their own beloved Lufts and Vices ; and what are treated as unrighteous Ravages, though really fuch in the Committers of them, are, refpeding the Almighty, the righteous Execution of his Juflice againft thofe vi'ho have filled up their Mea- fure of Iniquity, and abufed his gracious Good- nefs and long Iforbearance towards them, till he fees fit no longer to continue it to them. Thus he punilheth the fettled Wickednefs of fome, by the Wickednefs of their Enemies, which he per- mits to be turned upon them ; and afterwards proceeds in like Manner with their Chaftifers, when they alfo have filled up their Meafure. I fhall omit at prefent to proceed further with the Scriptures alledged againft the univerfal Ex- tenfion of Divine Goodnefs to the Souls of Men, and acknowledge my Inability to conceive, what wife^ ( 107 ) wife^ holy^ and mofi excellent Ends and Purpofes could be anfwered, by the Almighty^ s difpoftng the State of Events in fuch a Manner^ that Sin will mofi certainly and infallibly follow^ and eternal Mifery to innunierable Multitudes of his Creatures in Confequence ; and alfo what Glory can accrue to a Being infinite in Wifdom, Power and Goodnefs, from his continually creating imniortal and reafon- able Creatures, with no better Intention towards them but that moft barbarous one of irredeemabler Infelicity. I am alfo at a Lofs to difcover, what Comfort can arife to an humane, virtuous and charitable Mind from fuch a cruel Confideration. Thofe Hearts muft be very unfeeling for others, and their Conceit in their own Favour very ftrong, who, fancying to themfelves a perfonal Efeclion, can pride and confole themfelves in their own imagined Security, and the inequitable Deftruclion of the major Part of their Species. Milled Men, like the unprofitable Servant, may imagine fuch unjuft Severity in the unchangeable Perfection of Equity, but thofe who have the Love of God fhed abroad in their Hearts, by the Holy Gholl, find it to flow freely towards all Mankind without: Exception, and to engage them to wifh the Sal- vation of alL This is a flronger Proof to them of the Univerfality of God's Goodwill to Men, than- all the fophiftical Reafonings of thofe who^ remain inlenfible of it, to the contrary. 1 8. Before I leave this Subject, let me obferve^ that my Opponent, P. 198, after his ufual Man- ner of making Meanings for me, will have it, that according to fomeof my Expreffions ^ " Mankind " are by Nature, in fuch a State, that if God " does not afford them fufiicient Means of Salva- " tion, he is itnjujl ; lurely then, there can he no " Grace in his giving them thefe, for, whatfoever " he is hcund in Juftice and Equity to beftow, " cannot ( io8 ) ^'^ cannot be Grace. This is an Obfervation which " carries its own Evidence "with, it." Every Obfervation carries its own Evidence with it, but it may not be a true Evidence. What I affert is, that as it would be.an Adl of Injuftice and Cruelty, to create rational and fenfible Souls, with no better Purpofe towards theni, than to render thera inexpreffibly and eternally miferable, by continually fupporting them in Being, and as continually with-holding that from them without H'hich they never can be relieved j fo it is impojjible for God, who is moft eflentially and immutably Juf- tice and Goodnefs itfelF, to ad: otherwife by his Creatpres than according to Juftice and Goodnefs ; and therefore, that he certainly doth not with4iold, but affords his Creatures the Means neceffary to their Felicity. I beHeve his Mercies are over all, and to all, v/ith a juj} and gracious Intent towards them ; and that the univerfal Redeemer purchafed Gifts for thofe who prove rebellious, as well as others, and that all are vifited with a Manifefta- tion of his Spirit, that they may profit by it ; and though they do lapfe from the vifiting Power, and often lofe the difpoiing Afliftances afforded them, he ilill follows them, Time, after Time, in long Forbearance, and often revifits them, of his freely-abounding Grace and Mercy, that they may be prevailed upon to come to Repentance and be faved. Hence, according to common Phrafcolo- gy, we iiile his univerfal primary Affiftance an Acl of Equity, and his numerous Repetitions thereof Acls of Goodnefs ; yet neither is the Firft without Grace and Mercy, nor are the Latter void of Equity. As to that of God's being bound in Juftice and Equity, I do not fee the Propriety of that Language. I apprehend, he is not bound by any Thing, but that he always ads in the ferfed Freedom oj his own Nature j which is that of Equi- ( ^^9 ) (y, Trutlh and Goodnefs. For, {Iri^lly Ipeaking, I think it lefs proper to fay, that he has what we mean by thel'e Terms, than that he /j what we in- tend by them ; and as his Ellence can never admit of the lead Imperfection, it is impoflibie he Oiould ever be, or act otherwife. It is therefore by a ftrained and unjuft Innuendo, that S, N, would infer from my Words, that irrev^erent upbraiding Kind of ExprefHon, " If God does not afford them " fufEcient Means of Salvation, be is unjufij' Should I follow his Manner of Reafoniiig, I might as properly infer, that he holds Grace and Juftice are incompatible with each other, and cannot pofiibly concur in the fame Ad ; which, I think, he will hardly affirm. Doth not he, as well as I, alTert that God*s Ads are according to Juftice ? Will he allow me to fay, that he there- fore denies there is either Grace or Mercy in them ? Should I put fuch an Abufe upon his ExpreiHons, he would unqueftionably beftow the Severity of his Juftice upon me ; which I acknowledge he has often done with great Freedom, without anyjuft Merit on my Part. 19. We read Ifaiah I v. 8, 9. " My Thoughts *' are not your Thoughts^ neither are your Ways my " Ways, faith the Lord j for as the Heavens are *' higher than the Earth, fo are my IV ays than your " Ways^ and my Thoughts than your Thoughts.^* And Chap. xl. 28. the Prophet faith, " There is " no fearching of his Underftanding." Yet our Chriftian-Fatalifts appear to think themfeh-ss wife enough to difcover, the very precife Mode and Manner of God's Prefcience, and becaufe they can fee but one Way how Omnifcience Ihould foreknow, they feem to conclude, there can be no other in the unlimited Expanie of Infinite ADility. But, " who hath known the Mind of the Lord, Pom. xl.^ *' or who hath been his Counfeilor ?" To whom ^'^' ^ P hath ( "o ) tath he revealed thofe unfearchable, and ineoiil- prehenfible Secrets of the Divine EiTence which belong to himfelf only ? A due Degree of Mo^ defty would teach us, there is fomething in thd Mode and Manner of Infinite Comprehenlion^ as much beyond the Reach of our limited Capa- cities, as the Extent of Omnifcience itfelf ; and Attempts to unvail infcrutable Myfleries, are more evident Demonflrations of human Prefumption and Folly, than of Wifdom and Piety. Are thofe Men fure, there is no Way poilible for God to know, but what is open to the Perception of their imperfed Modicum of Reafon ? The Ar- guments they ground upon this imaginary Founda- tion, are fufficient to impeach their Bafis ; for they carry an evident Face of Falfhood. They ultimately and unvoidably render thfe undeniable Source of all Good, and Center of all Perfection, the real 6ind intentional Author of all Imperfec- tion, Vice and Wickednefs, and all the Mifery confequent thereupon; which it is imfoffible iov Job xL8. unchangeable Truth and Goodnefs to be. *' Wilt " thou,'* faith he, '' difannul my Judgment ? Wilt " thou condemn me, that thou maycft be righte- Rom. iii. '' ous ?"— " God forbid,'' faith the Apoftle," yea, ^' " let God be true, but every Man a liar." From the Certainty of the Premifes the Certain- ty of the Conclufion arifeth. From uncertain Pre- mifes no certain Conclufion can be drawn. There is fomething in the Divine Prefcience which always hath been, and is ever like to remain an impenetra- ble Secret to human Underftanding. What no Man knows, no Man can properly argue from. We know the Divine Being is but one Effence, perfectly pure and fimple. One eternal, immuta- ble, central Power, making and fupporting all other Beings, and operating variouily according to the Subjeds, and the State of the Subjeds of its Ope- ration \ ( '" ) ration ; but never contrarily towards Subjects in the fame Condition. As all Souls are equally his immediate Creation, no juft Reafon can be ad- vanced why he, who is righteous in all his Ways, Pfal. cxU% and holy (or merciful) in all his fVorks, fhould deal ^'^' io unequally with them, as to predetermine fome to eternal Happinefs, and others to inevitable Mi- fery. Mere Will and Pieafure, implies an un- accountable Severity, though under the Guife of Sovereignty, The Condemnation of Men, ac- cording to our Saviour, is neither the Fruit of God's previous Decree, nor his Preterition 5 for, <« this is the Condemnation, that Light is come J^^^'^^ «' into the World, but Men loved Darknefs rather «> {han Lights becaufe their Deed$ were ^vil.'^ CHAP. CHAP. XL , The Quakers cleared of the Charge of their holdhig Antt-Jcriptural Principles. 2. 5. Newton's reiterated Pretence to try their Doflrine by Right Reafon^ and the true Senfe of Scripture^ a prefu?nptuous Vanity, The Scripture not clearly and fully under- flood ivithout the Illumination of the Spirit that gave them forth. 3. Authors cited to this Ptirpofe. 4. Barclay's AJfertion de- fended. 5. No dif agreement or clajhing in the different Degrees of Divine Evidence, 6. The Infallibility of the Scriptures as given forth by the Spirit^ and the Fallibility of human U nderflanding concerning them., 7. None but the Divine Author able to af- certain his ovim Senfe in the Scriptures. 8.. The Scriptures rightly underfood^ a Rule ; but not the fole^ the primary .^ and univer- fal Rule. The Holy Spirit alone is fuch, 9. 77?^ Scriptures alloived to be the primary ^written Rule^ to vuhich^ in all Difputes^ voe therefore refer ^ as ivell as others ; but the immediate Illumination of God's Spirit^ is a more certain Criterion to each Indivi- dual in his ovun Breaft. I. MY ( "3 ) I. Ti^ yr Y Opponent, in his Introduction, P. 3. XVA ^"^ ^^ feveral other Places, infinuates, that the Quakers Syilem is founded upon a fup- fofed faving Influence of the Holy Spirit, without the InftrumeLtality of the Scriptures; and P. 4. ^* he charges it upon them as an Anti-fcriptural Prin- ciple. This he poflitively aflerts, from which I muft diflent, becaufe I underftand the Religion of the fakers Hands not in Syftem, nor is a fuppofed faving Influence of the Spirit any Part of their Dod:rine, but a real experimental one \ not always without^ but often with the Inflrumentality of the Scriptures. I'll own my felf oblig'd to him, if he'll fhew me where the Scripture either fays, or fairly implies, that the Spirit is not to be received without their Inflrumentality. How was the Spirit received by the Pen-men of the Scriptures, from Beginning to End, when they wrote and [fake ^Pet.i.zo. as they were moved by the Holy Ghofi f I look upon ^^* this Aflertion of S, N, as a fundamental Error ; for, it is not only true, that the Scriptures affert no fuch Thing, but alio that they plentifully in- culcate the contrary, as will appear anon. Chrifl is with his true Foliowers, and wmU be to the End of the World. To fay, he is always with them in the Scriptures, appears to me, too great a Strain of Language for Truth to accom- pany. If the Spirit of Chrifl be fo connected w^ith the Text, as always to attend it, I appre- hend, no fincere and fenflble Reader could mif- take the Senfe of it, nor any fuch differ to an Op- pofition of each other about it ; yet what is more common? We have frequently experienced, and always allowed, that the Spirit of Truth often ufeth, and opcneth Truth by the Scriptures, as an inftrumental Means ; and we alfo affert, that the fame Spirit often hath opened Truths, given a Senfe of their Conditions, and adminiflred Help, to ( 114 ) to fincere and attentive Minds, without the In- ftrumentality of the Scriptures. This is the uni- verfal Gofpel-privilege, foretold by Jeremiah jcr.xxxi. through Divine Infpiration. " I will put my Law * ' *' in their inward Parts, and write it in their ^^ Hearts, and will be their God, and they fhall " be my People. And they Ihall teach no more" (of Neceffity) *' every Man his Neighbour, and " every Man his Brother, faying, know ye the " Lord ; for they fhall all know me," (each Man *' for himfelf ) ^ ' from the leafl of them to the great eft « of them, faith the Lord." Is it rationally to be underftood, that this Divine Internal Teacher, is fo ahfolutely hound to the In- ftrumentality of Scripture, in his inimediate Lega- tion to the Soul of Man, that he never opens or inftruds without it ? The Text implies no fuch Matter. The Apoftle John (Anno Dom. 90) treats of this immediate Teacher under the Title ijohnii. o{ an Undion from the Holy one. " Ye have an so.z;. ^g Undion from the. Holy one, and ye know all *' ThingsJ*^ That is, I take it, ye have the Spirit^ which, as you attend to it, gives you aright Bifcerning cf all Things that concern you ; for, '' The Anoint- " ing which ye have received of him, abideth in *' yoUjdind ye need not that any Man teach youj brut '' 'Si'^the fame Anointing teacheth you of allThings, and " zV Trz////' (the Spirit of Truth) ^' and is no Lie ^r *' and even, zs it hath taught you, ye {h2L\\ abide in *^ him or //.'' This fhews the compleat Sufficiency of this inward, immediate Inftrudor, without any inflrumentality of an exterior Kind. The eter- nal Spirit of Truth cannot ftand in Need of any fuch Affiftance ; confequently, is not to be uhder- Hood as confined to any, but operates either by the Scriptures, or without them, at his Pleafure. God hath always afforded Inflrudion to his People ;; but his Teachings by the Law to the Jews^ ( "5 ) Jews^ were through inflrumental Means. The Prophet declares, this New Covenant of the Gof- Jer.xxxi. pel fhoald not be according to the Old Covenant 3'' 3'* of the Law j it fhould not confijl of inftrumen- tal Teaching, though that might be occaftonally ufed\ for God himfelf would put his Law in their inward Farts, This implies his own immediate Communication to the Soul, of that Law which is not according to the Htcral Nature of the Old Covenant, but is really and truly, the Law of the Spirit of Life in Chrift Jefus ; the illuminating quickning Law, immediately and mentally gi- ven to Man by the Spirit of Life itfelf\ which therefore is, and ever muft be, the conftitutional Ejlablifhment of the Gofpel-difpenfation. Ifaiah, in a prophetic Addrefs to the Gofpel Church, faith, '« All thy Children ihall be taught If1.iiv.13 " of the Lord." In Reference to this, and other like Prophecies, our Saviour faith, " It is written Jo^nvi. " in the Prophets, and they fhad be all taught of ^^* '• God. Every Man therefore that hath heard^ '• and hath learned of the Father^ cometh unto " me." And in the preceeding Verfe he faith, " No Man can" come to me except the Father v. 44, " who hath fent me, draw him." This drawing hearing and learning of the Father, and coming to Chrift^ are all fpiritually to be underftood ; as I have (hewn in the former Part of this Difcourfe. This Doctrine is witnefjed to iTht[f, iv. B, 9. Beginning with thofe who had {o littleUnderftand- ing of it, as to treat it with Contempt, the Apoftle declares, " He therefore that defpifeth, defpifeth ^' not Man, but God, who hath alfo given " unto us his Holy Spirit. But as touching ** Brotherly-love, ye need not that I write unto *' you ; for ye yourfehes are taught of God, to " love one another**' The Apoiiie was then wri- ting to them mediately from God-, by Divine In- fpiration. • ( "6 ) ipiration, and he makes a manifeft DiiFerence be- tween this mediate Manner of Teaching, and what he intended by their being taught of God ; the di- red and obvious Senfe of which is, God's own immediate Illumination and Inftrudion. By neceiTary Confequence from thefe PremifeSi and abundance more that might be added from the Scriptures, it appears to be both an experi- mental and a fcriptural Truth, that God teacheth im- mediately by his Spirit^ as well as Injirumentally by €.\lernal Means ; and that this is an indifpenfable Dodrine of the Gofpel, 2. S. N. fets out, in his Letter, P. 4. with a Profefiion to try the leading Principles of the fakers by Right Reafon^ and Scripture^ or as he afterwards expreffes it, the true Senje of Scripture* Upon this, 1 obferved, that without Divine Illu- mination, Man has not fufficient Ability to afcer- tain the genuine Senfe of doubtful and difputed Texts, which are very numerous, and mentioned in Proof, the Diverlity of Senfes wherein thofe Texts are underilood, by Perfons apparently of equal Sincerity, and of the beft natural and ac- quired Parts, under the fame, as well as different Denominations, as plain Indications, that the Af- liftance of the Divine Author himfelf is requilite to the right Underflanding of them, I alfo fliewed, that Man's Reafon is too much cloudedj and byaffed by his Paffioias and PrepofTelTions, to be juftly denominated Right Reafon^ and inrtanced its Diverfity concerning fpiritual Matters, and its MutabiUty in the fame Perfon ; alfo that Right Reafon is Iruth^ unchangeably the fame^ and inca- pable of Error^ and therefore Exifls only in the Divine Nature, which Men mufl, in Meafure, become Partakers of, in order to the Reclification of their fallen and fallible Keafon. Inftead ( "7 ) Inllead of either acknowledging, or difproving this, S, N, now profeiles to bring the leading Sentiments of the ^akers^ a fecond Time, to the Bar oi Right Keafon and the true Senje cf Scrips tiire\ but he forgot that he ought, in the firjl Flace^ to prove, that he hath thefe infallible Cri- tenons in PolTeiTion. " A Man," fays Sir William Temple^ " that tells me my Opinions are abfurd or *' ridiculous, impertinent or unreafonable, Z'^ri^z^ '' they differ from his, feems to intend a Quarrel " inftead of a Difpute, and calls me Fool or Mad- ^' man wath a little more Circumftance 5 though *' perhaps I pafs for One as well in my Senfes as; *' he ; as pertinent in Difcourfe, and as prudent " in Life. Yet thefe are the common Civihties ^^ in religious Argument, of fufficient and con- ^^ ceited Men, who talk much of Right Reafo?jy *' and mean always //'^?V cie/72, and make their pri- *' vate Imagination the Meafure of general Truth.'" Obfervations on the United Provinces^ Page 226. Refpecling the Scriptures, w^e are fo far from lefTening them, or oppofing the true Senfe of them, that we verily believe, and fincerely afTert^- that the Holy Spirit, in what Degie6 of Illumi- nation foever it appears, never can contradict them J for Difference in Degree makes no Con- trariety. It is the private^ or particular. Inter- pretation of Man ^without Divine Illumination^ that we object to, as iniufficient to aflure the Senfe of difputed Scriptures. Beiides Man's natural Inability, the various Prejudices, the prevailing Paffions, the different Intcrefts, and the diverfe Leaders of the People, all contribute to give dif- ferent, and fometimes oppoiite Senfes of the Sa- cred Text. Many have the Words of the Spirit in Scripture, who have not the Mind of the Spirit in their Hearts. 3, Neither ( "8 ) 3' Neither Nature nor Education can give a Man the Senfe of the Holy Ghoft, nor, of Cor- fequence, interpret its Expreflions with Certainty. It is therefore truly aflerted, not only by the fa- kers ^ butalfo by abundance of diftinguiihed Wri- ters of various Profeffions, ancient and modern, that the internal illumination of God's Holy Spirit is abfolutely neceffary to every Man, in order to his right Underftanding of the Scriptures. Let me advance a few out of many more now before me. " The Holy Scriptures opened by the Holy " Spirit, fhew Chrill unto us, the Holy Spirit " is therefore the Opener of the Scriptures." The- ophylad in Joan. lo. «' What Men fet forth from human Senfe, may *' be perceived by the Wit of Man ; but what is '' fet forth by the Infpiration of the Divine Spirit, *^ requires an Interpreter infpired with the like «' Spirit.'' Erafmus, Paraph, in 2 Pet, i. 20, 21. And Coll. in txthuophagia prope Finem, he fays, " They expound the Sacred Writings from the *^ Pulpit, which no Man can either rightly under- " ftand^ or profitably teach without the Inlpiration " of the Holy Spirit. " The Scriptures are of no private Interpreta- " tion ; i. e. not of every private Man's Interpre- ^« tation out of his own Brain, becaufethey were " dictated by the Holy Ghoft ; and by the Holy' « Ghoft, the Meaning of the Holy Ghoft in them " only can be expounded." Oh ad. Water's ^ Dilc. concerning the Spirit of M^rZ/wLw^/jy^r, P. 97. " The Scriptures are not to be underftood, but ^^ by the fame Spirit by which they were written." Luther, Oper. Tom. 2. P. 309. " The Spirit of God, from whom the Doctrine ** of the Gofpel proceeds, is the only true Interpre- " ter { "9 ) ^^ ter to open it to us." Calvin's Com. in i Cor^ ii. 14. " The Apoftle teacheth, i Cor. 2. that the ^' Scripture cannot be apprehended and under- " flood but by the Holy Spiriu*^ ZanchiiiSy De Sacra Scriptura, Tom. vlii. P. 430. '^ The Things of the Spirit of God, are under- " flood and perceived by the powerful Infpiration " of the Holy Spirit alone.** Beza^ Anotat, in I Qr. ii. 14. ^' As the Scriptures were written by the Spirit *' of God, fo mufl they be expounded by the ^' fame. For, without that Spirit, we have nei- " ther Ears to hear, nor Eyes to fee. It is that " Spirit that openeth, and no Man fhutteth, the " fame fhutteth, and no Man openeth." Bifh. ^ Jewel's Defence of the Apology, P. 72. " The outward Reading of the Word, without ^' the inward Working of his Spirit, is nothings " The precife Pharifees, the learned Scribes, read " the Scriptures over and over again; they not ^' only read them in Books, but wore them oh " their Garments ; they were not only taught, ^^ but were able to teach Others. But becaufe this *' Heat^enly Teacher had not inJlruBed them, their " Underflanding was darkned ; their Knowledge '.' was but Vanity." Achbp. Sandys's Sermons, printed 1616, P. 48. " The Holy Men of God fpake as they were " moved by the Holy Ghofl ; it followeth, that "all the Scripture ought to be expounded by God, " becaufe it is infpired of God — We do acknow- " ledge, that all Means are vain, unlefs the Lord " give Eyes to fee ; to whom therefore, the Pro- *^ phet made his Prayer, Open mine Eyes, that^^^'^^^* " / may fee thy Wonders of thy Law^^ Rainolds's Conferrencc with H^/-^5 P. 81. *f The ( I20 ) *? The internal Light whereby we come to fee ?' the Senfe of the Scripture, is the Holy Spirit." Weemje*s Chriftian Synagogue, Lib. i. P. 31, " The Anointing of the Holy Spirit, teacheth f' the Faithful to underftand thofe Truths, which *' they have received from the Apoftles.'* Ameft- us^ Bellarm. eneryatus. Lib. i, C. v. N. 32. P. j5o. " It is not polTible that fuper-natural Kno^yledge " Ihould be 1 ightly received, without fuper-natUr *' ral Light." Fra, Rous Interiora regni Dei Coelefl. Academ. Chap. ii. P. 12. " God is the Author of all Diyine Truth, and " of the Difcovery c^ it made to us. An inward ^« enlightning and irradiating the Mind by the " Holy Spirit, is abfolutely neceffary .for the Ap- " prehending of the Divine Myfteries, which are «' contained in the Dodrines of the Gofpel." John Edwards's Free Difc. cpncernipg Truth and Error, P. 481. " In Regeneration the Underftanding is illumi- f nated by the Holy Spirit, that it may under- " Hand both the Myfteries and Will of God." The Helvetian Confeflion, and Expof, Fidei Chriftjanse, Chap. ix. " The Gift of increpreting Scripture, is not of •;' human Prudence, but of the Holy Ghoft." Wirtembergica ConfeffiOy de Sacra, Scriptura, in Corp. Confeff. " We acknowledge the inward Illumination of " the Spirit of God, to be neceffary for the faving «;' Underftanding of fuel: Things as are revealed in^ « the Word." Confeffion of Faith by the Affem- bly of Divines at Vieftminjler, fince approved by the Kirk of Scotland^ and the fame with that of the Independants^ and particular Baptifls* 4. Page 5. aS. iV. faith, in his Note, that / charge him with Ignorance and Defign. My Words ( 121 ) are. Ignorance or Defign. Ignorance; if he really thinks Barclay means, the internal Illumi- nation of the Spirit in one Man's Breaft, is an Evidence of it to others. Defign ; if he really underftands his Meaning, and wilfully perverts it. Barclay* s Aflertion, that neither the Scriptures, nor the natural Reafon of Man, are a more noble ^ or certain fyile or Touchflonc^ than the immediate Revelation of God's Koly Spirit, relates only to fuch as are fenfible of its immediate Revelations, and to the Evidence of thefe K.evelations in the Parties themfelves to whom they are immediate. To thefe he afTerts, they are more nohle^ becaufe Divine, and more certain, becaufe inunediate, than their own private Interpretation, of Scriptures, by Reading and Study, without the Illumination of the Holy Spirit, can be. The Spirit only can af- certain the Senfe it intends. Sometimes it com- municates a literal, fometiraes an allegorical Senfc, a direct, or an alluiive Senfe, a theoretical, or an experimental Senfe. Men are liable to miflake one for another, and without a Senfe of the Spirit, muft often mifs of the Mind of the Spirit, In the next Propofition, Barclay demonflrates the Truth of his AfTertion, by fhewing from I Cor, xii. 12, &c. that though the Body or Church of Chrift is one, it is compofed of many Members, who have each their feveral Services appointed, and directed by the Holy Spirit in that Body ; and each muft therefore attend to the Spirit for his own proper Direction. He after- wards inftances the fpecial Duties of Particulars in the Church. Barclay therefore gives frequent Advices, to a Waiting for, and due Attention to, the Holy Spirit ; which 5. iV. P. 5. feems fo out ojf Temper with, that he treats them as bold Dictates, ( 1" ) Dictates, terrible Irtipofitions, and enthufiaftic Delufions of fatal Tendency. 5. P. 7. He profelTes to untie what he calls the the Gcrdian Knot of Suakerifm^ by obferving, that the true Senfe of the Scriptures, is of equal Authority with Divine Manifeftations, and that, as the Scriptures were given forth by the Apoftles, whom we allow had the Spirit in a greater De- gree than any in this Age, therefore he concludes, upon our Principles, the true Senfe of the Scrip- tures is a nobler Rule of Judgment in Religion, than our c-c^Tz/^r^/^^t^^d/ in ward Divine Revelations. We are well apprized of, and have always af- ferted, greater and ieffer Degrees of Divine Illu- mination have been communicated to different Per fons ; but we alfo believe, there cannot be any Contrariety, Clafhing, orDiffonance inany of its Degrees; becaufe it is from one and the fame Spirit, and in what Degree foever it appears, it fpeaks one and the fame Thing in point of Con- gruity, and carries its own Divine Authority with it in every Degree. Hence, to fuppofe a Difa- gree?nent between one Degree of it and another, whilft it can differ in nothing but Degree, is un- true and abfurd. As to our own, or any Man's Gwn 'pretended, or any pretended Divine Revela- tions, we utterly and equally difclaim, as be- ing of any Authority, or Advantage whatfoever ; for fuch mere Pretenlions are altogether as une- qual to difcover and aflure the true Senfe of dubi- ous Parts of Scripture, as the unenlightened Rea- fon of the natural Man. It is a vain Thing in any Perfon to pretend he has the true Senfe of the Holy Scriptures, whilft his Performances demon- ftrate his Miftakes concerning it; which is evi- dently the Cafe with our prefent Oppofer, as I Ihall make more fully appear by and by. 6. WhiSA ( 1^3 ) 6> When any prefs their own particular Opi- nion of the Senfe of any Part of Scripture, as the true Senfe of the Holy Ghoft, yet deny all Senfe of the Holy Ghoft in their Hearts, who that ob- ferves a Diverfity of Senfes amongft thefe, can give Credit to their Aflertions ? But they alledge, the Scripture is infallible. I allow it ; but how is its true Senfe to be infallibly conveyed to every Reader ? By human Study and Inflrudion ? That has led into all the Differences and Difagreements about it. The plain Truth of the Matter is, nothing but the Spirit of Divine Wifdom, whence the Scripture came, can give the genuine Senfe of it. For, " The Things of God knoweth no J Conii, *' Man, but the Spirit of God." What is the In- ''* fallibility of Scripture to him, who has not the infallible Senfe of it ? If all had this, who have the Scriptures, none could miftake them, nor dif- fer with each other about them ; yet it is too ma- nifeft, by the Differences among Chriftians, they do miftake them. This is not to be imputed to any Defect in the Sacred Writings, but to the common Unfitnefs of Mens Underftandings to dif- cover the right Senfe of them. What then can open it to Man's Capacity but the Holy Spirit ? The Qiieftion is not, whether the Scriptures, as ' written by Divine Infpiration, are infallibly right, for fuch rauft be fo, but whether every one that reads them, is able infallibly to underftand them ? To pretend, if they are not clearly to be under- ftood without the Affiftance of the Spirit, they are given in vain, is to contradict the Scripture, which declares that, " the Manifeflation of the iCor.xii. " Spirit is given to every Man to profit withal." '* it may as truly be afferted, that the Divine Being, whilft he knows we are in Darknefs gives us a Chart to direct our Way, and at the fame Time with-holds the Light, by which alone we can dif- cover i iH ) cover its true Cofe tents ; which is merely to mock and tantalize us, and alfo to render oiir Situation worfe than that of the Jews ; for all the written Precepts of their Law were plain and evident, Neh.i^, Yet God gave them of his good Spirit to injlrud them ; all the written Doctrines of the Gofpel are not fo^ and is riot the Holy Spirit as requifite to \ us as it was to them ? 7. Scripture-do6trines are of divers ClaffeSo They exhibit jufl Morals, and benevolent Con- dud between Man and Man, in a manner fupe- - rior to the beii: Ethic Writers in all Ages and Na- tions. Thefe are generally and juftly allowed to be of natural, univerfal, and unalterable Obliga- tion, and are fufliciently plain and clear to the common Senfe of every Man. But Matters re- lating to Faith and Worihip, having admitted of many circumflantial Additions and Alterations., according to the different Difpenfations of Divine Wifdom, have not been fo level to Men's Under- llandings, nor have they been fo united in Judg- ment concerning them, as in the Cafe of moral Duties. Ever iince the colleded Publication of the New Teftament, Differences in Opinion about the true Senfe, efpecially in Matters of Faith, -^ have fubfifted and abounded ; and what can de- ' termine thefe Differences? The learned A. faith, fuch a Text means fo and fo. The learned B. af- ferts, it is to be accepted in a different, perhaps a contrary Senfe. They apply to the Context, and remain ftill as different in Opinion, and as pofitive of being in the Right. They recur from Text to Text, and from Critic to Commentator, till they have exhaufted every one they can find, or force to their Purpofe, and ffill remain equal- ly, if not more at a Diftance than at the Begin- ning. What is there left to determine the Mat- ' ter? Will Churches or Councils do it? Theyjjn- gle from Year to Year, or from Age to Age, and ( 125 ) and leave the difference as wide as they found lU The true Senfe ililj remains only with the Divine Author of the difpated Texts, and he alone is able to communicate it. Would it not be a wild Prefumption in either A, or B, to boaft that he'll try his Opponent's Opinion by the true Senfe of the Spirit, and at the fame Time deny, that either iiimfelf, or Man, can have any real Senfe of the Spirit? I have not here fuppofed a Nonentity, but a Cafe that has fubfifted for a great many Centuries, and which muft always continue, whiill Men prefer their own Prejudices, Imaginations, and Rcvaionings, to the internal Leadings of the Spirit of Truth. 8. We hold the Scriptures to be a Rule to all that have them, fo far as they have a right Under- ftanding of them, and alfo that they are adequate to the Purpofe intended by them ; but we cannot aver, they are the fole^ the primary^ and the univer- fal Direhor of Mankind in Matters of religious Duty. I. They are not the^/2?/ have operated upon the Hopes and Fears of many; but never appeared to have Ihaken, or weighed with him. Such was the Strength of his Faith, and the internal Support which attend- ed him. He was no Sed-mafter. He fought nei^ ther external Benefits, nor the Honour that is from below. He traded not in Religion. He truck- led not to the corrupt Humours or Difpofitions of any. He called the People out of that Apof- tacy from the Holy Spirit of God they were too generally funk int», and out of thofe carnal Or- dinances which could not truly profit them, nor contribute to Renovation of Heart, and Reforma- tion in Life and Pradcie. Neither did him- felf nor thofe who became connected with him, divide from others for Separation-fake, but to join together in following the One Everlafting Shep- herd of the true Sheep. To h'wi they gathered, and in the Life and Love of the Gofpel, became united to him in Spirit, as their only Head^ and one ( 149 ) tht to another as Brethren. They learnt to eatl no Man Ma/ler in a religious Senfe, and to know that the true Church is not the Church of Peler^ oi Paul, or of JpoIIos ; that it owns but one Head, the Lord Jefus Chrifl ; whofe Followers they profelled to be, and not the Followers of G. Fox, R. Barclay, W. Penn, or any othcr^ further than they followed him. Thefe they never looked upon as Heads of, but Brethren in the Society, never ftiled themfelves by their Names, nor al- lowed them any other Eftimation, than that fufEciently fhewn, no Man hath who reads with- out the infpiring Power. Every Reader hath only his own Conceptions about the Sentiments in- fpired of God, and not thofe real Sentiments^ with- out a Degree of Infplration from him ; v/hich the manifefl Miflakes and Con traditions of many de- monftrate they are Strangers to. By ( ^55 ) By all this, it mud: evidently appear that S. NJ^ Premifcs are fo many Perverfions, and his Tbou art the Man, a groundlefs Accufation. In his two next Paragraphs, S. N, demands an Expofure of fonie Matters relating to the in- ternal Management of the Society in its own pe- cuhar Affairs; and though I am not convinced of his Authority for it, I'll give him a jufl Anfwer to his Queries, without returning his Incivilities. 1. The Quakers neither read the Scriptures, nor any Thing elfe, during the Time of their Worfhip, or as a Part of it, but after that is over, they ufually once in the Year, take the Opportu- nity, before the Congregation feparate, to read thofe fhort Informations and Advices which are tranfmitted from the Yearly-meeting in London^ Thefe Advices always confifl of Scripture-quota- tions, and Doclrines agreeable to Scripture, ac- cording to the befl of their Knowledge ; but the reading of them is no more a Part of their Wor- fhip, than the reading Tcflimonies of Denial againft immoral Members, or the Subflance of Briefs recommended by the Crown, at fuch Op- portunities. 2. They give fuch Preference to the Scriptures above all other Writings, that they ftriclly prefs the frequent Pveading of them, and call for Anfvvers at every Quarterly-meeting throughout the So- ciety, and at the general Yearly-meeting in Lon- don from every particular Quarterly-meeting, whether the Holy Scriptures are conflantly read in their FamiUes, or not ; which they neither do, nor ever did, refpe<5ling any of their own Writings, or any others. 3. The Society doth occafionally prefent, or recommend fuch of their Books as they think pro- per to give Information concerning their Princi- ples, to obviate the Prejudices conceived, and in- duftrioufly ( i5<^ ) duftrioufiy propagated againfl: them ; which the^ apprehend, they have as much Right to do, as their Adverfaries have to mifreprefent and calumniate them ; and indeed, the Abufes of thofe are fuf- ficient to obhge them to this Practice. 4. They do recommend Silence and Stillnefs in their rehgious AlTemblies; and as our Manner of Worfhip is mifunderflood by many, and often treated with Ridicule, I fhall take this Opportu- nity to offer fome Explanation of it. We look upon Divine Worfhip to be the rnofl: folemn Ad the Mind of Man is capable of being engaged in; and in Conflderatioii of the high and inconceivable Majefty of Almighty God, think it our Duty to approach him with the greateft Reve- rence. Every thinking Perfon, who is in any Degree fenfible" of the Love and Fear of God, mult efteem it an awful Thing, to prefent him- feif to the efpecial Notice of the Inhnite Omni- prefent Eternal Being. Under a Senfe of this, Ecclef. V. the wife Man advifeth, '' Keep thy Foot when ^' " thou goeft to the Houfe of God'* (or enters up- on Worfhip) " and be more ready to hear, than to *' giye the' Sacrifice of Fools ; for they confider ** ftot that they do Evil. Be not rajh with thy *' Mouthy and let not thine Heart be hqfty to utter *' any Thing before God ; for God is in Heaven, *' and thou upon Earth, therefore let thy Words *' be few.'' lie well knew, as he expreffes it, Prov. xvi. that both " The Preparation of the Hearty and the ^' " Anfwer of the Tongue is from the Lord." This John XV. 5 accords with what our Saviour faith, " Without " me -ye can do nothing." We, therefore, can- not perform Divine Worfliip acceptably but by his Ailiftance. This mull be received in -pirit; Rom.viii. for, faith the Apoftle, " The Spirit alfo helpeth 26. fit Qm. Iniirmities; for we know not what we fhould '' pt-ayfor as we ought J'* This being as certainly our Gafe^ { 157 ) Cafe, as it was that of the Apoftles and primitivl Believers, it is incumbent on us to wait for that Spirit which is requifite to help our Infirmities, in order to pray as we ought. No Forms of De- votion of Mens Invention can fupply the Place of the Spirit. The fame Apoftle further faith, " Through him we both have an Accefs^hy one^v^-'^^'^'^ *' Spirit unto the Father." Seeing therefore, that both our Help arid Accefs is through the Spirit of Chrift, the Renewal of which is at his Pleafure, and not ours, we muft neeeflarily wait for it. This Waiting mtift be in Stillnefs of Mind from the common Courfe of our own Thoughts, from all wandering Imaginations, and alfo in Silence from the Expreffion of Words; for the Utterance of Words is not waiting, but ading. Words are requifite to convey the Senfe of one Perfon to another, but not to that Omnifcient Being who is an univerfal Spirit, and every where Almighty, who therefore ftands not in Need, ei- ther of the Ufe of corporeal Organs, Inftruments, or the Sound of Words, to communicate with the Spirit of Man. If, in order to Worfhip, the Mind do not fettle into Stillnefs, the Paflions will be at work, and may agitate it into enthufiaflic Heats, and vague Ima- ginations. But in true Stillnefs, and Singlenefs of Soul towards God, they are filenced and fubjeded* The ftill fmall Voice of the Infpirer of all Good then comes to be heard, and the Mind being clofely engaged in Attention thereunto, and anfwer- ing it in Faith and humble Submiffion, feels Divine Life and Love fpring up, and receives Ability therein, truly to worfhip the great Author of its Exiftence, and Heavenly Supplier of its Wants, with a Devotion no Forms can reach. This Worfhip is not entered upon by totally laying afide our Faculties, and falling into a fenfe-^ X kfs ( 158 ) lefs Stupor, as fuperficial Obfervers have imagin- ed, but by a real Introverfion of Mind, and an Attention fixed fingly upon the alone Objed of all Adoration, in patient yet fervent Defire after him. Thus, according to the Hebrew^ the ex- Rxxxvii. perienced Pfalmifl advifes, " Be filent to the Lord, 1' " and wait patiently for him;" and refpe^ling his Ibid. Ixii. own Pradice, he faith, " Truly my Soul is filent I- « upon God^^ adding this cogent Reafon, " from " him cometh my Salvation." Verfe 5, he apphes the Exhortation to himfelf. " My Soul, wait *' thou only upon God, for my Expectation is from *' him." Great Encouragement he had thus to wait, as appears Pfal. xl. where he faith, " I " waited patiently for the Lord, and he inclined <« unto me, and heard my Cry. He brought me *^ up alfo out of an horrible Pit, out of the " miry Clay, and fet my Feet upon a Rock, and *' eftabhlhed my Goings, and be hath put a new " Song into my Mouth, even Praife unto our *' God." This was no new Song in itfelf, but being fenfibly renewed to him in his acceptable Wait- ing, he, with fufficient Propriety, ftiles it fo. To the fame pra6i:ical and profitable Doftrine Lam. iii. Jerefjiiah bears teftimony. " It is good that a 36,27,28. « ]y[an fhould both hope, and quietly wait for the " Salvation" (or faving Help) " of the Lord. It *^ is good for a Man that he bear the Yoke in his " Youth. He fitteth alone, and keepeth Silence, *' becaufe he hath borne it upon him." Silent Waiting was in pra6tice among the Pro- phets, and thofe that attended them, as appears in the Prophecy of EzekieL We find the Spirit of the Prophet was engaged in Divine Vifion, whilft the Elders of Judah fate before him, as it is defcribed from the ift Verfe of the viiith Chap- ter, to the 4th of the xith Chapter. During ^he Time of which Vifion, it cannot be con- filleRtiy { 159 ) fiftently fuppofed, that he was either fpeaking to them, or they to him, or to each other. This was not a fingular Infta^ce of their meeting to- gether, for it was the Manner of God's People to congregate with the Prophets, as that clofe Re- prehenfion plainly indicates. " They come unto Ezexxxiii '* thee as the People cometh^ and they fit before thee 3i- *' as my People^ and they hear thy Words, but *^ they will not do them." In this folemn Practice, we have often been enabled thankfully to acknowledge, the Verity of that gracious Declaration of our Lord, " Where Mat. xviii " Two or Three are gathered together in my ^°* " Name, there am I in the Midft of them;" the fulfilling of that Promife, " They that v:ait upon ifa-xl.sr. " the Lord fiiall renew their Strength;*' the Cer- tainty of that Aifertion, " The Lord is good unto Lam. iii. " them that wait for him^ to the Soul \ki2X feeketh ^^' " him;" and the Neceffity and Authority of that juft Command, *' Be ftill, and know that I anx Pfai. xlvi, " God." '°V As filent Waiting appears to us, in. the firfl Place, requifite to the Worfhip of God in Spirit and Truth, it is always our Pradice, for we believe he ought to have the Diredlion of our Hearts therein ; and if he pleafe to influence any One under due Preparation, vocally to appear, either by way of Addrefs to himfelf in Prayer, or to us in Preaching, we never preclude fuch Appearances, but filently aflift according to our Meafures. If it prove that none are fo concerned to fpeak, we fit the Time through in Silence, wherein true mental Worflaip is often experienced ; but never appoint any Meeting with Intent, that it fhall be held throughout in Silence, as fome have miflakenly imagined; for we believe, that all ought to be led and guided by the good. Spirit of God, more efpecially ia the ( i6o ) the folemn Acls of Divine Worfhip. It would be an happy Thing, were all fo led, amongfl us as well as others, but the Cafe appears other- wife with too many, who fit unconcerned, iii Expedation of hearing the Miniftry, inftead of waiting upon God, and therefore often meet with Difappointment. The Apoftle faid in his EQUi.ix.6 Age, " they are not all Ifrael^ which are of *^ ifraeV^ So we mufl acknowledge, all whq have defccnded from faithful Anceftors, are not themfelves faithful; but the Defect is in them- felves, and not in the Principle. 5. We profefs, that the Spirit of Truth ought * to be ours, and every Man's Leader, and that this Spirit is an infallible Principle^ and that fq far as any faithfully follow it, they are infallibly led, and no further; but we never did^ nor do profefs, that all in Society with us are fo led^ or even fufficiently feek to be fo. Nor was it the; Cafe amongd the primitive Chriftians themfelves. We well know, and freely own, that we have all fmned, and come fhort of the Glory of God, and that without Repentance and Regeneration, w^e muft for ever fall Ihort of it. We are alfq fenfible, that upon due ConfefTion, Submiflion, and fmcere Obedience to the Manifeftations of xjohni.9. Chrift, the Light of Men, " he is faithful and " jufl to forgive us our Sins, and to cleanfe us yerfe;, " from all Unrighteoufnefs;" and if we " walk « in the Light, as he is in the Light, we have " Fellowfhip one with another, and the Blood " of Jefus Chrift cleanfeth us from all Sin." Could any Thing but either grofs Ignorance, captious Envy, or Malevolence infer from this, that we profefs, Ti;^ all are ^ ox that any of us always are infallible? Yet fo have our Do6lrines been difcoloured by our Adverfaries from the beginning, and in the fame Track our prefent Oppofer ( i6i ) pppofer follows his Predeceflbrs, repeatedly upbraiding us by Allegation, that there is fome Difference both in Sentiment and Pradlice among us; but is it poiTible to be otherwife with any Body of People, whether lefs or more, whillt different Degrees of Capacity and Experience remain amongfl them, as they ever mull, and whilft any are deficient in paying that due Re- gard to the Principles they profefs, which they ought to do? 3. S, N.'s fubfequent Query, P. 47, has Re- ference to an Expreffion of mine, in Anfwer to his common, though improper. Manner of Reafoning, that is, drawing general Conclufions from particular Premifes, and charging the Faults of particular Perfons upon the general Body, which never efpoufed nor countenanced them. This I fhewed to be a fallacious Pradice, and inftanced, that by this Manner of Arguing, the Theft and Treachery of Judas might be charged upon the whole twelve Apoltles, feeing he was one of them. Upon this my Opponent imper- tinently aiks. " Did our Lord, and his Apoftles *' countenance Theft or Treachery, as the ^U' *' kers do publicly and privately a Negle6t of a *^ primary and principal Attention to the Scrip- " tures, as the beji Standard of Faith and Prac- " ticer" This appears intended to deceive the unwary Reader into a Notion, that in the preceeding Remark, I have drawn a Reflexion injurious to the Chara£ler of the Apoftles, and to heighten the Prejudice, he irreverently foifts in our Lord alfo, who is jiot once mentioned in the Para- graph. With Regard to the Scriptures, I have declared our Senle concerning them, and fhall only add, that we hold them to be the hejl '■jcrit- ten Standard of Belief and Pradice that we know ' ' of ( l62 ) of in the World. We venerate them for the Sake of the great i\uthor they came from, and feek to him for the right Underflanding and proper Ufe of them ; believing him who alone can open the true Senfe of them, and accompany it with Power to enable us effedually to put it in Pradice, to be the primary Guide^ and there- fore ought always to have our principal Attention ; ever efteeming ourfelves in Duty bound, in the Uth.-sAuzfirJl Place, to look unto J ejus, the Author and Luke xii. Fimjher of our Faith, As *' the Life is more than -3- " Meat, and the Body than Raiment,^' fo is the immediate Influence of the Spirit of Chrift more than the Scriptures, or than any Man's, or People's private or partial Interpretation of them, from whence have arifen all the Difl:er^ ences that fubfift about them, and which mufl ever remain to be the Cafe, till the Holy Spirit iifelf is applied and attended to, as the right Inter- preter, •dXidi.fupreme Standard of Faith and Pra6lice. This is the original ejfential primary Guide, and that Revelation which comes immediately from the Spirit of God into a Man's Heart, is certainly the primary One, and that which he receives through inflrumental Means, is as certainly but a f-econdary One, 4. iS. JV. pretends, P. x^^, " It is fomewhat re- *' markable, that Mr. Fhipps Ihould refer us more *^ than one Hundred Years back, to prove to us, *' there had been a Spirit of Prophecy among *' them." Why fhould this be fo remarkable, when he demanded what Grounds Barclay had to affert fuch had appeared among them ? Would any Perfon rationally exped I fhould bring modern Inftanccs to prove an Aflertion made before they exiiled? Had I introduced any that arofe after the Date of the Apology, he might properly have daid they were impertinently alledged. 5. P, 64. ( i63 ) 5. P. 64. he cites this Paflage from rtiy Obfef- vations, " Barclay\ Dodrine is, that the Holy *' Spirit communicates not a natural Faculty, but " itfelf to the faithful Soul, and becomes to it a *' new Principle wherein, or as an Organ whereby, *' it is capacitated rightly to underftand religious *' Truth/' My Inadvertence in leaving an Ex- preffion fo fhort of my real Intention, perhaps may have led my Opponent to mifunderftand my Meaning. I mufl therefore requefl his Leave to explain my own Words; which Ihould have been, " The Holy Spirit communicates, not a natural ^' Faculty, but fomewhat from itfelf, to the faith- " ful Soul, which becomes to it, cirr." By ihh he might have gathered, that I intended not a Communication of its EJfence^ but its Injiuence; like as the Sun in the Firmament doth not fhed its Body^ but its Radiance upon the Earth ; by the unvaiUng Light and animating Warmth of which, the Faculties of Men receive a clearer and ftronger Perception, both of that glorious Luminary itfelf, and alfo of what it reveals and difcovers, than it is poiTible for them to do with- out its Afliflance, by all other Means whatfoever. As to the Word Organ here, 5. iV. knows it is only a Metaphor, a fhort Simile in one Word, often ufed in Difcourfe, not as Argument, but for Illuftration ; and as no Simile runs on all Four, it is not reafonable to exped: it in this. J meant to be underftood by the Words, as an Organ^ its operating to like Purpofe as a corporeal Organ, or a Means of conveying Intelligence from the Di- vine Effence to the Soul of Man ; as an Eye doth from the Objedl to the Underitanding. I hope this Explanation will fufficiently obviate all thef Inferences and Refledions occafioned by my Inad- vertence. 6. P. 6^ ( 164 j ^ 6. P. 69 and yd, S. N, infers, that the ^akefi Notion of Revelation feems to imply, that it mujl be a Revelation of fomething not iinderjiobd^ or a Communication of fomething to the Mind, of which the Soul has no Conception; and that it is a manifeft Contradiction— no Revelation at all, &c. Barclay diftinguifhes Revelation into objedive, and fubjeclive, and fometimes he fpeaks of the one, and fometimes of the other, in order to fliev^ the Propriety of this Difl;ind:ion, let me obr ferve, that the Soul of Man hath not only a Fa- culty of Cogitation, by which it ordinarily thinks, unites, divides, compares. Or forms Ideas, but alfo a latent Power of internal Senfation, or of perceiving Spiritual Objefts by an ijivi^ard and Spiritual Senjfe, when prefented through a proper Medium 5 which, till the Beams of Divine Light ihine upon it, it mull be as totally unacquainted with, as the Child in its Mother's Womb is with its Faculties of Sight and Hearing. For though in that Situation, it ma»/ be compleatly formed, and poffefs every Organ proper to corporeal Sen- fation, yet it is not empowered to exercife them, or really to know it hath them, till it be brought forth into the Medium neceflary to the Ufe of them, compofed of the Light and Air of this World. Then it firft finds the peculiar Senfe, and Exercife of thofe natural Powers which, be- fore its Birth, it could not have the leafl Under- {landing, or proper Ufe of. In like Manner, the natural Man muft be delivered out of his na- tural Darknefs, into the luminous and quickening Influence of that Divine Word, or Spirit, which is mod emphatically lliled the true Light and Life of Men, Thus born of the Spirit, into this pro- per Medium of Divine Knowledge, the Soul is made acquainted with that fpiritual Senfe it could neither difcorcr, nor believe pertained to it, whilfl m ( i65 ) m its natural State. This i| no new natural Fa-^ culty added, but its own mental Power newly opened, and brought into its due Place andUfe. Words are inadequate to the ExprelTion of this internal Senfe felt in the Soul under Divine In- fluence. It cannot be ideally conveyed to the Underflanding of the Unexperienced; for it is not an Image f but a Senfaiion^ inipoilible to be con- ceived but by its own Imprefiion. So true is that of the Apoftle, " Eye hath not feen, nor Ear i Cor. " heard, neither have entered into the Heart of 9> ^^' " Man, the Things which God hath prepared for " them that love him; but God hath revealed *' them unto us by his Spirit." It was upon this Confideration that I faid, Diyine Light is the Sub- je6l of inward Senfation, " and is not to be com- " municated from one to another by Reafoning, or *' verbal Defcription." For fhould any Perfon jgive the moil clear and lively Defcription poflible of the Light of the Siin, to a Man Blind from his Birth, it would only be communicating an ideal Notion of the Light, biit not the Light itfclf. It might be called a fubjecSllve Revelation concerning the Light to him, but not an objective one of the Light itfelf. This no Man can have but by his own immediate Senfation. Divine Revelation is a Difclofure of fomething to the rational Mind by the Holy Ghofl, not in the Mind's own Power to difcover. This the Holy Spirit doth, either by unvailing of itfelf by its Influence in fome Degree to the Soul, and giving it an internal Senfe of its Prefence; or by favour- ing it with the Vifion of other Objeds, real or re- prefentative, through the Com.muni cation of Di- vine Light and Power; or by giving the Soul a clear Senfe of its own State and Condition. All this being a Difcovery of Objeds^ is called objedive Ro'veiation, y Subjedit^e ( i66 ) ^ubje8ive Re-vslation is a Dlfclofure of SuhjecfSy or Things relative, through the Infpiration of the Holy Spirit; by which the Mind is opened into the Knowledge of the Divine Will concerning Perfons or Things, led into the true Senfe of Scriptures, or into a deeper Underftanding of Doc- trines than it could ever reach without Divine lU lumination. Of this Kind was the original Re- velation of the Scriptures to thofe who penned them. All this, both objeftive and fubjedive, is truly internal immediate Revelation. Vv^hat is now modifhly treated as the only Revelation ftill exift- ing, and to exift, is rather the Fruit of Revela- tion than the Thing itfelf, a fcriptural Record of Things revealed, for they certainly were fo to thofe to whom they were immediately difclofed ; but the different Senfes put upon the many difputed Parts of them, for many Generations pad, de- nionftrate thofe Parts are not truly a Revelation to thofe who miftake them j nor can they ever be* come fuch to them, till they know the Holy Au- lPet.i.20 ^^^^ ^^ ^^ their Interpreter. For, " No Prophecy %i, ' " of Scripture is of any private Interpretation, " For the Prophecy came not in old Time,'* or ra- ther, at any Time, " by the Will of Man, but " Holy Men of God fpake as they were moved by « the Holy Ghofl." P. 75 and 76 5. N. argues, that the immediate internal Revelation of the Holy Ghoft is not in all fufficient to fave^ becaufe Barclay allows, that fome who have once had it, may be, and have been damned; to which I anfwer, if all were faved, it would be a certain Proof that God is able to fave all; but are we therefore warranted to deny or dif- pute the Ability of Almighty Power to fave all, becaufe all are not faved ? A flowing Spring is certainly Jiifficient to quench my Thirft, if 1 drink fufficiently ( i67 ) fufficiently of it ; but if I refufe, the hifufficiency is not in the Spring, but entirely owing to my Re-* fufal. But Balaam is adduced as an Inllance quite in Point ; becaufe he had internal Revelation, yet taught Balak to feduce the Ifraelites to fin. That he fometimes had internal Revelation, is true, and ■whilft he adhered thereunto, it preferved him from teaching Sedudion. It was when he departed from it, or fuffered himfelf to be fo far overcome with a Love to the Wages of Unrighteoufnefs ^ that the aPet.ii.i^, Holy Spirit departed from him, as an Illumina- ^"dJud^ tor and Preferver, that he joined Balak in his evil Purpofes. This has been the Cafe of all Apoftates, the Grace of God is all-fufficient^ but they difobey, divide from, and thereby prevent it from operating fuffciently to their Salvation. cha1%. CHAP. XVj S. S. N.'^s Inconjijlency with, our Satnoiir s Ex- prejfion^ Mat. xvi. 2. The Poffibility and NeceJJlty of attaining a Jpintual Senfe of' the Spirit of God^ preached by Paul to the Pagans. 3. A falfe Inference from my Words obviated, 4. The Pagans not. void of God^s faving Grace^ ?wr led, by it into. Polythcifm^ &c. The rude Abfurdity of charging us nvith Pagan ifm, 5. Impious, Idolaters^ &c. not in Ghrifi\ but he appears^ in them as a. pwift F/itne/s, To vuhom he C07nmu7iicat.es faving Knovuledge, A piece^ of manifef Abuje repelled, 6. The Go/pd- comes not in Word only^ but in Poiver^ and; Chrifi not only came outivardly^ but alfo, appears inivardly^ and by. the povcerful Operation of his Spirit effects all our Works in us. He is the real Efficient of all Good in Man. 7. The Go I pel fenfibly preached in every Man, The Office of the Spirit of Truth, B. The Light not unintelligible^ though undefnable as to its intimate and peculiar Effence by the Wit of Man^ to mjhich natural Things are equally fo, 9. My Belief refpe fling S. N.'s Note, ' 10. His Mif information and Impertinence con- cerning our Terms of Admiffion, 11. A J)ay^ or Time of Viftation to Man demon- ftrqted. ( ^69 ) Jirated. 12. My Int edition in Jliling the Relief he expreffes a notional one, 13, What Deifm is. The Quakers not Deijls^ norfuch Enthiiftafts as their Opponent ivould render them. I, 13 AGE 104. " We pafs over his new Dif- J^ " covery^ that the Rock on which Jefus ^' will build his Church, is the immediate Reve- ^* lation of Chrift by the Father." What he calls my new Difcovery^ is our Saviour's old Difcovery, as ancient as the New Teftament ; and what he ftiles faffing over it^ is Hopping to contradict it. The Anfwer of Chrift to Feter is, " Bleffed art ^' thou Simon Barjona^ for Flejh and Bloodbath not ^' revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in ^« Heaven." in Oppolition to this, 5. iV. faith, ^' It is at le.ajl highly probable, the Apoftle learnt «' the Truth he confeiTed from our Lord's Conver- ^' fation and Inftruclion, or from th,e Baptijl*s Tef- " timony, hov/eyer the Spirit of the Father in- *' iluenced him in receiving it." I take it, the Truth Peter confefTed was not the mere Truth of a Propofition, but a Senfe of the Reality of Jefus being the Chrift. This, our Lord faith, the Fa- ther revealed to Peter ; but S. N. faith, it is at leaf} highly picbable \\t did not, but that either Chrift himfelf or the Baptift did it, and intimates that the Father only aided towards the Apoftle's better receiving their Report. I do not fee, why this Truth is not as likely to have been fpiritually revealed to Feter by the Father, as it was to Faul, v/ho declares, that by Revelation the Myjlery ^P^'- cf Chrift was made known to him, and that it was ^'"^'^ iikewife revealed to his Holy Apcjlles and Prophets by the Spirit* 2. " Neither 111. ; ( '7° ) 2. " Neither Ihall we dwell upon his Rankings ^^ P. 41. the Feeling after God, and finding him^ *' mentioned by Faui to the Athenians, Ads xvii. " 27. as an equal Proof of his Point, with the *' Prophets being moved by the Holy Ghoft. " 2 Pet. u .21." The Point 1 brought this Scrip- ture in Proof of is, that ^ifpiritual internal Senfe cf God is not impojible to be known. I therefore firft obferved, thdt Paul told the Athenian-Pagans^ " God made of one Blood all Nations of Men, " not only to live upon the Face of the Earth, " but that they fhould feek the Lord, if haply *' they might feel after him and find him,^' Hence I inferred, " he then muft certainly be to be found *' znd felt by Man ; and as he is a Spirit, it muft *' be after a fpiritual Manner. We cannot con- " liftently fuppofe the Apoftle was bantering the " Athenians here, by putting them upon feeling *' after and finding what was not to be felt nor found *' by them^ To this Argument my Antagonift anfwers not, but recurs to Evafion, and charges me with invidious Refledions and defigning Per- veriions, for no better End that I can fee, but tQ cover his Imbecillity. 3. P. 106. he cites me as follows, Obfervations P. 44. " The Confidence of a true Chriftian is *' not in what he hears, or reads, but in wh^t he *' feels of the Holy Spirit." Hereupon he fays, *' Now this fets afide the real Ufe and Importance *' of a written Revelation, to all Intents and Pur- ^' pofes, for its Contents cannot now be known but " by either Reading or Hearing." The real Ufe of the Scriptures is to afFord In- flruclion and Comfort, and their chief Importance is to recommend to the Spirit of ChrilT; from whence they came, that his People may be en- aCor.v. abled rightly to put their Trufl in him. The Apo? 5> 6- file declares, God had given them the Earnefi of the ( ^71 ) the Spirit^ therefore they were always confident, "Was not their Confidence then grounded in th6 Earneft of the Spirit given them of God ? And, is a Truft in this Spirit, and a Belief of the Con- tents of Scripture, incompatible with each other ? Or, is a Chriftian to have no Confidence in the Spirit and Power of the Saviour himfelf, but all in his own Notions of what he reads in Scripture, true or falfe ; and will his own Efforts according to thefe Notions fave him ? Cannot he follow thofe fcriptural Exhortations and Doctrines which plainly teach us to pray for the Spirit, to be led by the Spirit, to live and walk in the Spirit, with- out fetting the Scriptures aftde, and treating them with Contempt ? Thofe who have experienced a living Senfe of the Spirit, inftead of dividing from the Scriptures, and depreciating their Ser- vice, are by the Diviae Influence, more clofely united to them, read them with a better Under- Handing, and more to their Comfort and Advan- tage than ever, are altogether as fervently con- cerned to prefs the frequent Perufal of them, as any of thofe who fo unjuftly accufe them, and who are fo inexperienced in the Trurh as it is in Jefus, as to place their whole Confidence in the Notions and Opinions they gather from reading the Scriptures, and remain Strangers to the necef- fary Knowledge of Chrifl within^ the Hope of Glcry, 4. P. 109. S. N, thus entities his 7th Article, '^ The religious Opinions and Pra(51:ices of Mr. " Phipps's Brethren, whom he has fekcted from " among the Heathens, recapitulated, that he may " fee what their fuppofed Divine Infpiration " taught them/' The Inftances I adduced from the Pagans were to fhew, that it was evident from fome of their own Expreilions, they had an internal Senfe of ( 172 ) of that Crace of God Which the Apoftle faitli, Tii/ii, It. brings Salvation^ and hath appeared to all Men. The Citations I made, appear to me Proofs of it. Our Opponent appearing prepoffefled with aii Opinion, that eternal Salvation is confined to the Knowledge of the Hiftory and Dodrines of our Saviour, is necelTarily led to think, that all who are not providentially furnifhed with this, are in- tentionally left under an Impoilibility of entering the Kingdoni of Heaven ; and thence concludes^ that the Generality of the Fagan World muft be void of any Share of the faving Grace of God j and that we muft be wrong in fuppofing other- wife concerning them. PoiTefled of thefe No- tions, he feems to infer^ that the fame Principle which taught them, they had at Times a Mani- feftation of fomething of a Divine Nacure within them, alio led them into their Polytheifm, Idola- try, falfe Theology, and Immoralities. But I apprehend, this is as far from being true of the Fagans^ as it is of thofe Partriarchs, Ifraelites^ and Chriftians, who have defaulted or degenera- ted. For I can no more believe, that Principle which fometimes gave Flato a Senfe that " the " Light and Spirit of God raifeth up the Soul " into a fenfible Communion with him," led him aUb to teach a Plurality of Deities, than I believe the Spirit which led 'Noah to preach RighteOuf- nefs, led him alfo to over-charge and difguife himfelf with Wine ; or that the Spirit which at Seafons infpired Aaron, led him al(6 to make a Golden Calf, for the Ifraelites to worfliip, or at all concurred with him in it. Nor do I think it reafonable to conclude, that becaufe Aaron 2.^i[\td in an idolatrous Pradlice, and offended the Spirit of God ia other Refpecls, as alfo M/>/^;«, David^ Solomon, and many other infpired Perfons didj thut ht never had a Senfe of Divine Influence. But ( 173 ) Bdt it feems, both myfelf, and the People I am reHgioufly connected with are Brother-Pa^a^iSy becaufe we hold one Hke Opinion with feme of the bed and mod intelligent Heathens. Is it either jufi or charitable, to fuppofe thofe Heathens held no found or feniible Truths ? li they did hold any fuch, how can any found or lenfible Mind do othefwife, than to acknowledge the fame Truths ? And, if fuch a One detefl their Polytheifm, Idolatry, and Immorality, as truly as S, N, himfelf can do, is he juftly to be ftig- matized with the reproachful Title of Brother- Pagan f What is it that conllitutes Paganifm f ^^^^'^^"^^ Is it a Behef, that " the Manifeflation of the Spi- ''* " rit is given to every Man to profit withal?'' Or, Aj3sx.34; to perceive of a Truth, *« that God is no ilefpecler ^^* " of Perfons, but in every Nation, he that feareth *' him, and worketh Righteoufnefs, is accepted *' with him ?" Then both Paul and Peter were Brother-Paga7is too. If we hold the fame Doc- trine with the Pagans where their Tenets are agreeable to Truth, is it equitably to be inferred, that we are one with them where they are not f Should I return my Antagonift his Compliment, by producing Points wherein he accords with Pa" pi/is ^ Del/is^ Ethujiafls^ Anttnomians^ and Pa- gans^ and charge their Errors and Extravagancies upon him, would he not tell me, it is treating him with haughty Contempt and virulent Inveflive^ as he doth without any fuch Reafon ? Let him look to the Beam in his own Eye. The Sentences I quoted from a few Pagan "Wri- ters demonftrate what I adduced them for; that they were feniible of a Divine Principle in their Confciences, and knew fomewhat of its Opera- tion. Their abiding ftill in fome Part of the I\)lytheifm, &c. they had been educated in, and the CuRoms they had been taught to hold as ficred and inviolable, only indicate, they had not come Z ' io' { m ) fo fully under the Guidance of this Principle, as to be led into all Truth by it j but not that they were void of all Senfe of it, P. 119, 120. S. N, afferts, when Paul was at Athens, he did not dire6i them to an immediate Revelation — nor appeal to a Divine faving Principle j or Spirit in them. But elf ewh ere Jays ^ Eph. ii. 12. they were without God \ i Cor. \, 21. and that they knew not God. The Text doth not peremptorily fay, they knew not God^ but that they knew him not by their own Rom.i.2o. Wifdcm ; and the fame Apoftle faith^ " They are sij22. tc Without Excufe ; becaufe that when they knew " God, they glorified him not as God, neither were " thankful, but became vain in their Imagina- ^' tions, and their foolijh Heart was darkned, Pro- " feffing themfelves Wife, they became Fools.** This fhews, they had Joine Time a Knowledge of him, but through Inattention and Difobedience loft that Knowledge; as is the Cafe with too ma- ny profelling Chriftians as well as they. And when the Apoftle was among the Athenians, he Aas xvii. acquainted them, that God made all Nations of ^^* Men, that they might feel after him and find him ; in- timating, for their Encouragement fo to do,, that he was not far from every one of thetn. If they might feei after and find him, it muft be by the immediate Revelation of his Spirit to their Spi- rits *, which when found and felt^ would, as ad- hered to in Obedience, become a Divine and faving Principle in them. As to that of Eph. ii. 12. it * does not appear to relate to the Gentile- World of all Ages and Qualities, but to the carnal State of thofe Gentile-BeUevers the Apoftle was then wri- ting to, before their Converfion to Chriftianicy, as the preceding Verfe evidences. Refpecfling I Cor, i. 21. it is particularly levelled againft all ^ho depend upon their carnal Wifdom, their na- tural ( ^75 ) tural or acquired Parts, for the Knowledge of God, For, the Words of the Apoftle are. The World by Wifdom knew not God ; which is equally true of carnal Jews and Chriftians, as of carna! Heathens. Both thefe Texts therefore are imper- tinently alledged. 5. In the following Paragraph, 5. A^. pretends, that / 7nay call Idolaters^ Abettors of Suicide^ Count enancers of fiocking Impieties and InmoraiitieSy Brethren in Chrijl^ and treat them as favingly in- fiuenced by the Sprit of the true God, I deny all fuch to be either Brethren, ot* any thing elfe, in Chrifl^ or favingly influenced by the Spirit of God. What I believe concerning them is, chat tney all have at Times felt the reproving Witacfs of God in their Confciences, which gives them a convicting Knowledge of him ; and if they continue to rebel againfl this Lights they become fo ^^^' ^'^^^ darkened towards it, that " they know not the '' IVays thereof nor abide in the Paths thereof.'' — Not liking to retain God in their Knowledge^ after ^0^1.1.2?^ long Forbearance, he gives them over to a reprobate Mind, Our Principle teaches, that the Grace of God that bringeth Salvation^ hath appeared to all Men, firft as a Convictor, or Convincer of Sin. Thus it ftands at the Door of Man's Heart and knocks for Entrance, and if the Heart opens to. it, and abides in the Ability it furnifhes, lincerely defiring, and feeking to obey its Motions, it will, by due Degrees, increafe that Ability therein, till it prove itfelf the Tower of God unto Salvation to it. Then, and not till then, the Mind isfeniible of the (avlng Knowledge of this Divine Principle ; yet, before this, whillt the Soul knew nothing more of it than merely its Conviclions, it could not be faid to be totally ignorant of an internal imme- diate Senfe of that Grace which is faving^ both iu iU ( 176 I iij Nature and Intention^ though it was not indued with the faving Knowledge of it. I appeal to that Senie of the Grace of God in every confcieotiousBreaft, whether thole uncandid Reflections, and the Infinuation of my Oppofer, that / may emdt in the relig'iQUs Spirit of impure im' moral Idolaters^ be doing Juftice to the fcriptural Doctrine I declare, and becoming his Preten- fions as a Minifter of the Gofpel ? 6. As to what follows under his next Head, wc have all along uniformly acknowledged, as fully as ?Thef.i. he can do, the Gofpel came in Word as well as in Poiver ; but 72ot in Word only, but alfo in Fewer , even in the Power of the H^ly Ghoft. And, we are fenfible, that this Divine Power, from whence the Words fprang, i? the very EJfence of the Gof- pel, and the Words but the outward Expreflion, or exterior Declaration by which it is preached and recommended. To this effential internal Grace, Power and Spirit of God, the Apoftles called and preiTed their Hearers, as well as to the Belief of the outward Advent and Procefs of the Meiliah Hel). ix. then paft. They taught them, that " Chrift was '' ones offered to bear the Sins of many, and unto '-'^ them that look for him, fhall he appear the fe- " cond Time, without Sin 74nto Salvation." This feco?id Jppearance of Chrijl, we do not underfland to intend his coming to Judgment at the great Day of general Decifion ; for then he will come both to determine the final State of the Righteous andUn righteous; not to Salvation only, but to Con- dem.natioh alfo. But this fecond Appearance is in order to the Salvation of tbofe who look for him to that End. Accordingly, the Apoftle thus prays |Tiief.iii. f-Qj. ^j,g Believers, " The Lord ^/V^^jV^z/r Hearts " into the Love of God, and into the patient V Waiting for Chrifl ;" and he defcribes the Co- rinthians. ( 177 ) rinthians as " waiting for the Commg^^ or renewed I'Cor.Ljf. Appearance, " of cur Lord J ef us Chrifiy Notwithflanding our Saviour empowers and employs his MefTengers to declare his Will, and to call People to the work of Repentance and Regeneration ; yet he conftitutes them not as Deputies to do the Work for him. It is not the Words they deliver, nor any Applicatioa Man, by his own Powers, can make of them, which can perform this great Buiinefs. '' Lord" faith the ^^^ xxvi. Prophet, " thou wilt ordain Peace for us ; for thou ^^' " al/o ba/I 'Wrought all our Works in us,'' The Spirit of the High and Holy One is the true Efficient of all the real Good that is done, all the Virtue that is wrought, either in the Church in general, or any of its Members. It is the Spirit thd.t fa J giveth Underflanding, and unvails the Knowledge of the things of God ; (b) quickneth and maketh alive, (c) mortifies, (d) circumcifes, (e) baptizes, {f)fanc. c " I faid, Days fhould fpeak, and Multitude of Years fhould ff teach Wifdom. But there is a Spirit in Man, and the Infpira- *' tiog of the Almighty giveth themUnderftanding." Joi xxxii.7. 8. " Eye hath not feen, nor Ear heard, neither have entered *' into the Heart of Man, the Things which God hath prepared f* for them that love him. But God hath revealed them unto us ** by his Spirit; for the Spirit fearcheth allThings, yea, the deep *' Things of God. For what Man knoweth the Things of a Man, ** fave the Spirit of Man which is in him? Even fa, the Things ^* of God knoweth no Man, but the Spirit of God." i Cor, ii. 9, 10, II. ■ /> " It is the Spirit that quickneth, the Flefli profiteth nothing." 'John vi. 63. ** The Letter killeth, but the Spirit giveth Life." 2 Cor, iii. 6. " If the Spirit of him that raifed up Jefus from the ** Dead, dwell in you, he that raifed up Chrift from the Dead, *' fhall alfo quicken your mortal Bodies, by his Spirit that dwell- *' eth in you." Ronu viii. 11. c *' If ye live after the Flefh, ye fhall die ; but if ye through " the Spirit do mortify the Deeds of the Body, ye ftiall live." Rom. viii. 13. '^ — " Circumcifion is that of the Heart in the Spirit, and not " in the Letter." Rom. ii. 29. e — ** By one Spirit we are all baptized into one Body." 2 Cor, xii. 13, { »78 ) (f) fanflifies^ (g) regenerates^ (h) fets free^ (t) ftrengthens^ and enables to Obedience* In the Spirit is (k) the true Light ^ (I) the Lij'e^ (m) the Love^ fnj the Waitings (o) the TValking^ (^p) the Fellow^ (htf^ and Communion of the GofpeL In the Spirit (^) is true Frayermade^ {f) Accejs to the Throne of Grace opened^ and acceptable Worfhip performed. The Spirit is (/) the Covering of God's People, (/) their Guide^ f — " But ye are wafiied, but ye are fanfiified, but ye are juf- ** tified in the Name of the Lord Jefus, and by i\iQ Spirit of ** our God." I Cor. vi. 1 1. g *' Except a Man be born of Water and the -Spirit, he cannot *' enter into the Kingdom of God. That which is born of the " FI,erti, is Flefli; and that which is born of the Spirit, is Spi- *' rit." John. iii. 5. 6. h^' The Law of the Spirit of Life in Chrifl Jefus, hath made ** me free from the Law of Sin and Death." Rom viii. ^.■ i ** That he would grant you, according to the Riches of his ^* Glory, to be ftrengthened with Might, by his Spirit, in the ^' inner Man." Eph. m. 16. * " In him was Life, and the Life was the Light of Men"-^ *^ That was the true Light which lighteth every Man that cometh *' into the World," John i. 4. 9. ** God, who commanded the " Light to rtiine out of Darknefs, hath Ibined in our Hearts, *' to give the Light of the Knowledge of the Glory of God, in '* the Face of Jefus Chrift." 2 Cor. iv. 6. / " The Spirit giveth Life." z Cor. iii. 6. tn — *' Who alfo declared unto us your Love in the Spirit.'* Col. i.8. n " We through the Spirit wait for the Hope of Righteoufnefs, ^« by Faith." Gal. v. 5. " If we live in the Spirit, let us alfo walk in the Spirit." GaU v. 25. p — " If any Fellowfliip of the Spirit." Phil. ii. i.-" Have *' been all made to drink into one Spirit." i Cor. xii. 13. q *' The Spirit alfo helpeth our Infirmities, for we know not *' what we fiiould pray for as we ought, but the Spirit itfelfma- ** keth Interceffion for us," &c. Rom. viii. 26. ** Praying always " with all Prayer and Supplication in the Spirit, and watching *' thereunto with all Perfeverance." Eph. vi. 18.--** Praying in *' the Holy Ghoft." Judc 20. r " Through him we both have an Accefs by one Spirit unto " the Father." Eph. ii. 18. / " Wo to the rebellious Children— that cover with a Cover*- ** ing, but not of my Spirit." Ifa. xxx. i. t ** When he the Spirit of Truth is come, he will guid^you " into ail Truth." jShn xvi. 3. ( 179 } Guide, (u) their Leader, (w) their Comforter, (x) their Sealy the infelt Earnejl of an everlaflin^ In- heritance to them ; and in fum, the all-effeCiive Power and Virtue of the GoJ-pel-minifl ration ; all which the Scriptures here-under cited undeniably evidence. 7. In all thefe Refpeds the Holy Spirit opera- ted in common amongfl the primitive Believers, For the Continuation of the fame fpirituai Opera- tions, it is that we plead, and not that of miracu- lous Gifts ; which were always extraordinary, and afforded but to few in comparifon of the whole Number of the Primitives. Yet our PLxaminer ail along chufes, that we ihall mean what he pleafes, and what may bed anfwer the End he fo artiii^ial- ly labours to accomplifh. Upon this Ground, P. 122, 5ic. he proceeds againfl us, as though we difputed the Convincement of the Chriftian Con- verts through the Preaching of the Apoflles ; which we are as far from denying as any People upon Earth. What I oppofed him in was, the Inference he appeared to make, that becaufe it pleafed God to teach them fometimes in/I rumer.t ally, he never taught them inunediately at any Time \ or, that none zvere ever converted or taught of God but through external Means ; which the very Convictions of God's Grace in every Man's Confcience difprove. He allows, all Men have the Spirit, but denies they have any more Senfe of it, than a Vegetable of u ** If ye be led by the Spirit ye are not under the Law." ** Gal. V. 18. *' As many as are led by the Spirit of God, they *' are the Sons of God." Rom. viii. 14. w '* I will pray the Father, and he fhall give you another *' Comfortsr that he may abide with you for ever; even the *' Spirit of Truth." John xiv. 16, 17. X — " God, who hath alfo Sealed us, and given the Earneft of *' the Spirit in our Hearts." zCor. i. 22.— *' In whom alfo, after '* that ye believed, ye were fealed with that Holy Spirit of Pro- " mife." Kph. \. 13.—" Grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, where- ** by ye arc fealed, unto the Day of Redeoiption." IbU, iv. yo. { i8o ) of the Sap that noiiriflies it. But his own repeat- ed Confeflion, that when he does Right Con- fcience approves, and when he does Wrong it tondemns him, (hews the Contrary. This is ge- nerally called Confcience, becaufe it is fomething of God appearing in the Mind, and giving it a confcious Senfe of Right and Wrong refpecling its own Acts. No Man could know it makes thefe juft Diftindious without a Setife of themo What is inward COnvidion for Evil, but a Senfe of Guilt ? And, what is the genuine EfFecl of Guilt, but Remorfe? What does Remorfe lead to, but Repentance ? And what is Repentance, but the Doclririe of the Gofpel ? Every rational Creature tinder Heaven, therefore, having this Senfation, hath the Gofpel preached in him or her by this righteous Principle, agreeable to Col. i. 3. Our Lord fhewed his Difciples, that the Spirit of Truth, the Comforter, fhould not only bring to their Remembrance what he had told them^ Jhew them Things to ccme^ and lead them into all Truth ; but it fhould likewife, reprove the World of Sin^ of Righteoiifnefs ^ and of Judgment, Whether this Divine Vifitor appears to the Mind of Man, in Words, or without Words, by the Senfations of Compuntlion and Remorfe ; whether in the Sharp- nefs of Reproof j or the healing Touches of Con- folation ; whether it manifefts itfelf as Light, or Ihcds its Life and Love into the Heart ; whether it darts upon it as Lightning, or fettles it in a Holy Serenity ; fills it with Faith, or inflatnes it ■wvith Zeal; in all thefe Ways, feeing it proceeds not by MeiTenger, but by its own immediate Communication to the rational Soul of Man, it is properly ililed internal immediate Revelation, This Diyine Principle is a living Source of Truth and Virtue in Man, without which exterior Laws and Precepts would little avail ; and when, through Faithfulnefs thereunto, it is enlarged and advanced ( i8i ) advanced over all in the Soul, it is found to be i fure Foundation, which neither the Wifdom of the Wife, the Reafonings of the Confident, the Jugglings of the Crafty, the Derifion of the Re- viler, the Rage of the Perfecutor, nor even the Gates of Hell can prevail againft. 8. S. N.'s repeated Allegations that this Prin- ciple is inexplicable and unintelligible, and calling for particular Definitions of its peculiar Effence, with his infulting Conclufions thereupon, amount to nothing more than this Argument. If you are really Jenjihle of this Principle^ you can clearly de- fine what it is ; but you are not able thus to define it ; therefore you have no Senfe of it. To fhew this Reafoning proves nothing, take the following Parallel. If you are really fenftble there is a magnetic Power iri the Loadflone, you can clearly define what that Power is ; but you are not able clearly to defne it ; therefore you have no Senfe of it. What experienced Navigator would prefer this Reafoning to the Fads he has had ocular De» monftration of; to the certain Experience he has daily profited by ? That a Man mull be able to define to others, the peculiar Effence of what- ever he feniibly knows to be true, is beyond the Power of Logic to prove. It is enough for us to know, thatic is God that worketh in us, and to yield Obedience to his Operations ; the Truth of which is not at all affected by a want of nice and effential Definitions of that which effects them. We plainly behold the aftonifhing natural Virtue of the Magnet, both refpeding its Attraction and polar Adhefion. It is an undeniable effective Power^ yet effentially undefinable by the Wit of Man. All the Attempts that have been, or can be made to difcover it, whether juft or erroneous, cannot in the leaft affect the Reality and Verity of it ; becaufe a Cloud of Witneffes have found it to be true by A a aienfible ( i82 ) a fenfible Evidence. So it is with the Work and Power of the Holy Spirit. All the painful Re* fearches of the moft ingenious and penetrating of Mankind, demonftrate that the intimate Effences, and intrinfic Differences of natural Things, are out of the Reach of human Difcovery ; muck inore fo are thofe of a fpiritual Nature. 9. In his Note P. 123. he fufpecls, I can't con- fcientioufly believe, vi^hat I cannot but confcienti- oufly believe; which is, that to ht fervent in Spi-. rit, relates to the Fervency of a Man's own Spirit ; Aasxviii. and that to he fervent in the Spirit^ as expreiled of ^^' ApoHos, intends a Fervency infpired by the Spirit. It is true, our Tranllators have rendered the like Phrafe, Rom. xil. 11. fervent in Spirit -j but pro- bably, what led them to that might be the <:on- trailing Expreffion preceding it, not flothful in Bujine/s ; yet I think unwarrantably. Ibid. 5. iV. faith, " Mr. Fhipps alfo is for ma- *^ king a Syllogifm for mc, that he might the more " eaiily refute it.'' The Syllogifm I made for him is founded upon his own Affertions ; that *' God had many People at Corinth^ but he did " not chufe to teach them the Gofpel by immedi- *' ate Revelation. No," &c. His new fubftituted Syllogifm is founded upon a different Pofition, to which I do not objed ; that is, " they were not " taught the Gofpel by internal immediate Reve- *' lation aloneJ' By his Addition of the Word alone^ he alters from his former Doclrine to ours. What the Apologift alTerts^ is fufliciently proved ; for I have fhcwn, Words, without Divine In- fluence, are not to be depended on for the true Senfe of ambiguous Expreffions, becaufe they are fo liable to be differently underilood by different Perfons. 10. What S. N. gives out as our Terms of Admiffion, P. 12 b*. are not our Terms of Ad- million a ( 1 83 ) miffion. We receive our Members upon a better Foundation than he appears to be acquainted with. Our Terms of Admiffion, are, a free and unforced confcientious Acquiefcence upon Principle, with the efTential Doctrines of Truth and real Chrifti- anity, and the Rules of the Society founded thereon, and not upon mere external Appearances. The Divine Principle itfelfis our Bond of Union, and the Holy Scriptures are our Articles. Chrift once in the Fleflij and always in Spirit, are Funda- mentals with us. We require no Subfcription to Articles of human Invention. As to Differences in Opinion amongfl: us ; whilft ProfelTors of the fame Fait,h differ in Years and Experience, in Capacity and Opportunity, in Education and Affociates, in Faithfulnefs or Unfaithfulnefs to their Principles, there muff be different Opinions and Practices. When the Be- lievers in the primitive Age of Chriflianity grew, numerous, it was the Cafe amongft them, and in all Societies ever fmce. What we affert is, that the One Holy Spirit leads all that faithfully fol- low it into Samenefs of Do6trine, and Unity o£ Love ; and that all who profefs to be Followers of Chrift, ought to be led by his Spirit ; but that all, either of: our own Society, or any other, are fo led^ v/e are far from afferting or believing. The Quotation made from Barclay^ P. 131. amounts to no more than this ; that the Spirit of God is fufficient of itfelf without any thing elfe ; but nothing elfe is fufficient without that. To infer from this undeniable Truth, that we mean every Thing but the Holy Spirit is ufelefs to Man's Sal- vation, whether the Spirit pleafe to ufe them or not, is a mere Perverfion. Whatever the Spirit is pleafed to ufe, it renders ufeful ; what it ufes not in the Work of Salvation, cannot be ufeful towards { i84 ) Pf.xxxvii. towards it; for Salvation is of Gody and there is ifa. ixiii. ^^ Saviour bejides him. To parallel this with fuch u, an Huddle of Fallhoods, as my Oppofer cites from the deiftical Author of Chrijlianity not founded on Argu?nenty is only a Repetition of one of his cuftomary Abufes. II. P. 135. He thinks " Barclay's Time or " Day of Vilitation, which does not always con- ^' tinue through a Man's Life/' a dangerous ar»d melancholy Opinion. '* For,'- fays he, " were a " Man properly affefted with his miferable Con- " dition by Sin, and once imagined his Day of " Grace to be over, neither the Light within him, *' nor the Gofpel without him, can give him any " Rdief.^' For this Keafon Men ought carefully to embrace the Day of their Vifitation, and fol- joim xii. low the Advice of oi4r Saviour, who faith, '' Whilq ^- " ye have the Light, believe in the Light, that f ye may be the Children of Light." This is the only Way to efcape the dreadful Confequences of continuing in Rebellion againft it: And, is it not a Comfort to all Men, that they are allowed this Opportunity ? If bethink fo unfavourably of this Doclrine, what does he teach others to think of his favourite Doctrine of Preteriticm, which al- lows of no Condition, or Time of Vifitation at ally nor even one fingle Chance for Salvation^ to the Majority of Mankind I That there is fuch a Time and Opportunity as Barclay inculcates, and that it may be loft to Apof- tatizers paft Redemption, is evident from that awful PaiTage, Heb, vi. 4, 5, 6. *' It is impoffi- *' h\e ior tho(ezvha were ofice enlightened^ and have *' t a/led of t^he Heavenly Gift, and were made ^« Partakers of the Holy Ghoft, and have tajied f' of the good Word of God, ana the Powers of i' the Woildtocome; xi they fh all fall away^ to \\ renew them again unto Repentance j feeing they crucify ( i85 ) " crucify to themfelves the Son of God afrefh, " and put him to an open Shame/* This Paffage evinces, ift. that Perfons may be- come fenfible Partakers of the Holy Ghoft, and tafte of that Divine Power which is the eternal Life of the Bleffed in the World to come. 2d. That they may apoftatize from this Condition to fuch a Degree, that Repentance, and confequently Sal- vation, Ihall become impoffible to them. 3d. That they bring this upon themfelves, becaufe they crucify to themfelves the Son of God afrefh, and put him to an open Shame; they rejed and rebel againft the Invitations of his Spirit in them- felves, till they occafion it to forfake them, where- by the Divine Witnefs is fpiritually crucified and flain as to its Life in them, and the Chriltian-name openly reproached through their evil Coudud and Example. This is further illuflrated by a Simile in the two lucceeding Verfes. " For the Earth which Heb.vi.7, " drinketh in the Rain that cometh oft upon it, ^"^^* " and bringeth forth Herbs meet for them by *' whom it is drefled, receiveth Bleffing from God. *' But that which beareth Thorns and Briars is re- *' jeded, and is nigh unto curfing, whofe End is " to be burned." Th^ Rain that cometh oft upon the Earthy denotes that the Divine Vifitation is fre- quently renewed to thp Soul of Man ; and the Earth which drinketh it up^ and bringeth forth Herbs, the Soul that afFedionately receives, and faithfully retains it, fo as to bring forth the Fruits of the Spirit; whereby it inherits the Bleifing of God's Salvation. By the Earth which beareth Thorns and Briars, is pointed out the Soul that fo repeatedly continues to refill, and backflide from the Divine Vifitor, as to bring forth, and abide in, wicked Works, which occafions him to reject and forfake it ; the Confeqiit^nce whereof muft be its final Condemnation and Deilrudion. This ( i86 ) This Portion of Scripture thus demonftrates, both the Certainty of a Day of Divine Vilitation to the Souls of Men, and the Poflibility of its be- ing difa^ntinued, whilft they remain in the Body, 12. 6\ N, in his Letter, P. 29. having faid, *' Whether God would pardon my Iniquities, ^' my Light could give me no Information ^" and afterwards expreffing, " I am relieved by a '* Notion, a Report, a Teftimony, Sentiments *' delivered by Jefus of Nazareth and his Apoftles *' in the New Teilament/' 1 queried P. 58. ** What does he read there that -particularly con-? '' cernshimfelf more than any other Perfon? Where *' doth the New Teftament declare, that * iVbi *' Matter who^ is in a State of Divine Acceptance '' and Approbation ?'* Herein 1 had no Intention to infinuate, that he meant to exclude all others, from an equal Share with him, nor will my Words bear fuch a Conftruclion. But apprehend- ing, upon his Predejlinarian Principles, that he flattered himlelf, he was one of the perfonally eled- ed, from fomething he had read in the New-Tef^ lament, and willing he fhould not deceive him- felf, I enquired where he found himftU parttcu- iarly pointed out as one of the E!e<51:. Inftead of a pertinent Anfwer, he cites only the firft Part of the Queftion, and in that leaves out the Word particularly ; which is unfair in both Refpecls, and renders all the religious Indignation he vents upon it for feveral Pages, entirely pointlefs. What I intended was to put him upon Confideration, that if what he read in the New Teftament was a true Relief to him, his Comfort muft: arife either from an Evidence that all Men univerfally have, or that himfelf in particular hath certainly a Share in the glad Tidings of the Gofpel \ and that, if he did no| * 5« Ne-wtori'i Signature iuftead of his proper Name. ( i87 ) not believe all Men therein comprehended, this comfortable Evidence to hinifelf muft fprln?^ either from the Holy Spirit bearing Witnefs with his Spirit, that he is the Lord's, qr from an efpe- cial Mention of him in the Scripture ; and as I found he denied the internal Evidence of the Spi- rit, I queried with him, where he found himfelf particularly pointed out in the New Teftament, as in a State of Divine Acceptance ; and I ftilJ think it worth his while to examine the Growids of his Beliefs that he may not be deceived by a mere Notion. 13. He cites ^^rc/^// Definition of Confcience in the Abftracl, and then improperly treats it as in the Concrete, to make it fuit with the deiftical Notions of Tindaly and prove the fakers Deifis: A Point he as arduoully as ineffectually labours. We always underftand the natural Confcience, and the Light of God's Spirit appearing in the Con- fcience, as different Principles. The very Ef- fence of Deifm confifts in a Denial of Revelation, A Denial of all Divine Revelation is perfect Deifm. A Denial of it in Part is partial Deifm. The fakers deny no Part of Divine Revelation ; therefore are in no Refpecls to be Riled Deiffs. They believe both in the Infpiration of the Scrip- tures, and that of the Holy Spirit. Thofe who difbelieve either the one or the other, are fo far deiftical. He who beheves the Sacred Writings were penned by Men infpired for that Purpofe, and yet holds that all immediate Infpiration is now totally vv'ith-held, doth, in perufing the Scriptures, -xeft upon his own private Interpretations, or thac of his Party, as the true Senfe intended by the Holy Ghoft, and is at beft a Semi-Deift. Such a One has no right to reproach thofe with the Name of Deifts, who beheve the Penmen of Scripture to have been Infpired as well as he, and alfo ac- knowledge ( 188 ) knowledge the Continuance of Infpiration, which he doth not. To pretend, that the infpired Re- cords muft be needlefs to, and therefore fet aiide by, thofe who believe the Continuance of inter- nal Inlpiration, is falfley inferred j for, the Scrip- tures of the Old Teflament were ufeful to, and tifed by the infpired Apoftles ; and thofe who have at Times experienced the Renewals of In- fpiration, know that the Scriptures are often thereby brought to their Remembrance, more clearly opened, and rendered more ufeful and comfortable to them, than it is poflible for them to be without it. This is not the vain Imagina- tion of ^ /)r/W/^ Spirit, nor that wild Enthuftafm fo indilcriminately and untruly call as an Oppro* brium, upon all who profefs the Neceility of knowing the infpiring Spirit of Truth to lead into all Truth to the End of the World. CHAP, G H A P XVI. E, S. N.'j pretended flotation from G. FoxV great Myjiery n falfe one, G. FoxV true Intention, 2. T16^ ejfential Go/pel^ and S. N.'j- fuppofed Cafes anfivered, Barclay cleared of his Charge^ and himfelf Jloeivn to oppofe the Senje of the , Apofle, 3. Chr'ifl the Light and Life of Men before his Incarnation, Thefe Terjns not to be con- fined to his corporeal Appearance upon Earth, 4. Nor to the Scriptures, What their proper Ufe is. 5 a7id 6. 77?^ Greek Word Erchomenon^ John i. ix. 7nore proper- ly applicable to Many than either to Lights or Chriji, 7. A ?naterial Differe7ice be- tiveen Light afforded in order to Salvation^ and a real embracing of it fo as to be faved by it, Chrifl as truly the Light of the Souls of Alen, as the Sun is to their Bodies^ ^whether they keep tbeir Eyes open to it^ or fhut them againft it, 8, Chrifl as the Di- 'vine Wordy the creating^ upholdingy and faving Poiver of God to Mankind ^ the Eleily the gracious Adminifrator of Life and Salvation^ through his external Sacri- ficCy and by the Communication of his Spi- rit, The true Senfe of unlearned Writers, not to be afcertained by the Rules of Gram- B b mary ( »90 ) mar<^ or Criticifm, 9. Rom. x. 14, 15, equally concerns Jews and Gentiles. The Improhability of the Primitives preaching throughout the habitable World, 10. Not every individual Man^ but every regenerate Per/on^ is the Temple of God, 1 1 . 77?^ Kingdoyn of God is vuithin^ Luke xvii. S. N/i" Falfif cation of the original Texty to make it appear othervuife. The true Chriftian is the Tcfnple oj Chrifl^ nvherein he manifefls himfelf by his Spirit, 12. What the Kingdom of God is. The Conchifion. i. TTTH AT S, N. pretends to cite, P. 144. W from G, Foxh great Myftery, is not there. It is nothing better than a Perverfion of Expreffions of a different Meaning, made for- merly by 'Tho?nas Hicks^ from whom he has taken it at fecond Hand, and who was one of the many unjufl and violent Adverfaries of the fakers in the lad Century ; confuted by George Whitehead^ in the fecond Part of the Chriftian' ^laker^ and by William Fenn^ in his Reafon agairft Railing, and his Counterfeit Chrifiian defeded. What G. Fox faith in his great Myflery, P. 6^. is, " Chrift is in you except ye be Reprobates," faith the Apoftle; and again, " God breathed into " Man the Breath of Ltfe^ and he became a living *' Soul; for that which came out from God, was *' the Caufe that Man became alive, a living Soul, " and is not this of God? — Is not that of God ** which came out from Godf" This he did not in- tend of the Soul itfelf, but of the inbreathing of Divine Life in the Soul. Of this Life it is that he faith, " It brings the Soul that is faithful to it, up f * into God, from whence it came, w^hereby they " come ( '91 ) ** come to be one Soul;" meaning in Unity ^ not Identity, What he means, P. 29 and 91. by the SouFs being infinite^ is only immortal^ or of inji'* nite Duration^ not Expanfion. Thefe Terms he fo'iietimes ufed one for another, as is common amongft unlettered Perfons. It is evident from his own "\¥ords5 P* 91- ^^^^t he did not mean, the Soul was a Part of the Divine Eifence ; for he there fpeaks of its being in a State of Death whilil in Tranfgreflion, which is not polfible to the Divine Eifence, and afterwards adds, " Every " Man that cometh into the World, having a. '' Light from Chriil Jefus (the Way out of the *^ Fall, the fecond Adam) receiving the Light, " they receive Redemption and Sandification, ^' v/hereby their Spirits, Bodies, and Souls are *' fanftified." Here he plainly diilinguifhes be- tween the Soul, and that which it receives of the. Divine Nature which fandifies it. G. Fox\ Treatife was printed in 1659, and con- tains curfory Anfwers to above an Hundred dif- ferent Oppofers, who in a Manner mobbed hini from the Prefs at that contentious Period; and as he had full Employment for his Time otherwife, and had not the Benefit of that Literature which is now common, infamous Advantages then were, and have often fmce been taken by defigning An- tagonifts, of the Inaccuracy of his Expreifions. But I fhould think it beneath any Perfon of a liberal Education, and Character, to copy from thofe IlUintenders, or to follow them in fuch a difmgenuous Line. Neither the Witticifm of 6'. iV.'j fenfthle Writer^ nor his own Refledion upon it, has any Foundation in our Do6lrine. 2. In anfwer to his Efforts concerning the Gof- pel, P. 147, &c, without troubling myfelf with the unnecelfary Pedantry of Etymologies, I fliall fay, we allow the Word Gofpel^ in an extended Senfe^ ( 192 ) Senfe, may include both the Myftery and the Hif- tory, the inward and outward Procefs of our Sa- j Thef. i, viour; for the Goffel comes not in Word onlj^ hut 5- alfo hi Fower^ and in the Holy Ghoji, We believe, this Power of the Holy Gholl to be the internal eiTential Part, and the Words the exterier decla- rative, and occafional Expreffion of it. We ad- mit the Hiftory, metonymically to a Share in the Tide, but not to engrofs it ; left the Power, which is the Life and Reality of it, fhould be ex- cluded, and People be deceived into a Belief, that the Gofpel elTentiaiiy confifts of nothing but Words. The Paflages 5. N. cites, P. 148 and 150. from I Cor, xv, and Ads x. prove not that the Gofpel is totally comprehended in the hiftorical Part only. We are far from denyinp^, that Paul^ Peter, or any other true Minifter or MeiTenger of Chrift, preached the Gofpel, when, by Infpira- tion, they preached concerning the hiftorical Pro- cefs of Chrift; but we cannot allow, that this comprehends the Whole of the Gofpel they preach- ed. For we read in their Writings, that the Gof- pel is the Fozver of God unto Salvation^ and that s Cor. 4. i^ jhines as a Light in the Heart, to give the Know- 6- ledge of the Glory of God, The Dodrines of the Gof- pel, are alio called the Gofpel, and the Preaching of them, is termed preaching the Gofpel; but it is evident, neither the llifiory nor the Dodrines^ are the effential Gofpel intended in Gal, \, For, Gal. i. p. we find, after the Apoftle had faid, " If any Man *' preach any other Gofpel unto you, than that ye " have received, let him be accurfed," he fliews what he meant by the Gofpel they had received, in II, 12, 15, and i6th Verfes. " I certify you *' Brethren, that the Gofpel which was preached of " me, is not after Man. Y or I neither received it t' of Man, neither was I taught it, but by the Re- ^' V el at ion ( 193 ) " velation of Jefus Chriji,^^ — But when it pleafed " God, who feparated me from my Mother's " Womb, and called by his Grace, to reveal " his Son in me^ that I might preach him among the " Heathen^ immediately, I conferred not with " Flelh and Blood." The Gofpel here intended is plainly, the immediate Revelation of the Son of God within him^ and neither an hillorical nor dodrinal Relation of Things without him. It is againfl the Oppugners of this internal ej^ential Gofpel which is not of Man^ nor by Man^ but by the Revelation of Jefus Chrifi within Man^ that the Apoflle twice pronounces A?iathe?na. S, N. un- truly charges us with a Difregard of the Con- text, though here he manifeflly rejedls it, and runs to I Cor. and Jc^s for an Explanation, ra- ther than ufe the real and true One of the Apollle himfelf, in its due and proper Place. «S. N. allows, P. 153. that the Gofpel was at- tended by the Power of the Holy Ghoft, but alferts, it was not that Power. The Apoflle faith, it is the Power. Thus not we, but himfelf con- Rom. i. 16 tradicts the Apoftle. In De??ionJl ration of this i Cor. xii, Gofpel Spirit aizd Power Paul preached, that the 4, 5* Faith of his Hearers might be fixed in this Power of Godj, and not in the private Interpretations of Mens Wifdom. His Fellow-labourers preached under the Influence of the fame Divine Power, which pricked their Hearers in their Heart ; and fo Aasii.37 mufl all that ever truly preach the Gofpel. The A- poftle declares, he would know not the Speech of them r Cor. ir. that are puffed up^ but the Power. For the King- ^^' ^'^• do?n of God is not in IVord, but in Power. This everlalling Power is the Spirit of the Gofpel, wherein it mainly and moft elTentially confifts; as the Eifentiality of the Man doth of the rational % Soul; and the Words and Matters preached or written, are as the Body, or prcfcnt Outfide. z Tun, ( 194 ) f. 'Tim, iu. The Apoftle defcribes what Kmds of Men thofe would be who, " having a Form of " Godhnefs, v^o\x\(i deny the Fower ;^^ and dire^ls ^^ from fuch turn away." P. 155. 5. N, fuppofes two Cafes, which are briefly thefe. Firil, if I and fome of my Brethren were confined for RebelUon, without any Frofpedt but that of Death before us, and a royal Melfen- ger brought a Proclamation to the Gate for our Pardon and Enlargement. Or, Secondj if we were adually brought to the Place of Executionj and the King's Son, in his Father's Name, there declared a free and full Pardon to us, on pradical Conditions. Upon thefe Suppofitions he queries, whether thefe Declarations would not be Gofpely or glad Tidings to us ? I anfwer . Yes^ ' if the real Fulfihncnt of them certainly enfue; but if not, they would foon prove fad Tidings^ and deprefs us the more upon a Difappointment. Will he fay, that the Whole is done only by reading the Pro- clamation? Is not the material Part to follow ?- Are we delivered by Hearing? Is it not neceffary that we fhould fulfil the Terms reqtdred, and then be unfettered and unbound^ or the Prifon Doors fet open to us f* And is not this the epntial Part ? The Words declare the kind Offer and the good Intent, but the executive Power fets at Liberty ; and which is preferable if confidered apart. Which would jiny Man chufe, to hear of Liberty, or to enjoy it ? To refolve the Whole of the Gofpel into mere Tidings, and to reduce it into bare Report, is to exclude the powerful Reality which gives De- liveraiice^ from any Share in the Title; as though the Report was the Saviour, and the Notion the Sal- vation. This is what we cannot admit as an Arti- cle in our Creed. We know no Saviour but Chrifi, nor any Salvation without his Power, S. N, ( ^95 ) 5. N, was too fanguine in afferting in his Let- ter, P. 34. and repeating it in his preient PubU- cation, P. 149. that Barclay's treating the Gofpel in hke manner, was a Dijiindion of his oivn dc^ 'uifing, I fhewed him the Contrary, from William Thorpe the Froteftant Martyr, Joh?i Sinith of Cambridge, and Dr. S?nith ; and V\\ now ihew him further, that TertuKian wrote to the fame Purpofe fifteen Hundred Years ago. In his Apo- logy, Cap. xvii. he faith, " furely the Soul was '' before the Letter, and the Word was before ihe " Book.'* And, in his Carminwn Adverf. Mar- rion. Lib. ii. he faith, " — non Verba Libri, fed miffus in Orbem *' Ipfe Chriftus Evangehum eft, fi cernere vuhis* In EngHlh thus : *^ If you are difpofed to underftand ; not the *' Words of the Book, but Chri/i himfelf, who is " fent into the World, is the Gofpel'" We like- wife read, 2 Cor. iv. 3. ?2 the Evangehft afferts, the Logos, or Word, was God, the Creator of all Things, the Life, and Light of Men; to which he adds, " It was the " Source of all the true Knowledge of God, and *' a future State, that had ever been^ or was then- " revealed to any of his People, for the Life and '^ Happinefs of their Souls." All this, underftood of the Eternal Word^ we readily acquiefce in ; as it accords with the Nature of Truth, and the Prophecy of the Gofpel-covenant. Jer. xxxi. «' I will put my Law in their inward Parts, and 33i34. cc ^rite it in their Hearts.^'— «' For they fhall all " know me from the lead of them, to the great- " eft of them." This could not intend the Know- ledge of Chrift incarnate ; for that Appearance w^as too exterior, and of too fhort Duration. Nor could it mean the Knowledge of the Scriptures; for a Man may know them from Beginning to End, believe them to be true, and fraitie his Pradice according to his Apprehenfions of the Senfe of them, and yet not know the Lord. The Jews had the Law, the Prophets, and the Scrip- tures extant in their Time; yet the Almighty by lbid.iv.s2 the Mouth of the fame l^rophet, declares, " My " People are foolifh, they have not known me^^* Nor was it poflible they fliould without Divine Jer. xxiv. Affiftance ; therefore he faith, " I will give them a g^'ek. " Heart to know meJ^ And in Ezekiel^ " A new xxxvi. 26, " Heart alfo will I give you, and a new Spirit ^7- <« will I put Within you.^* — " / will put my Spirit " within you.'' ^ Thus the true Knowledge of God h to be received, by the internal Writing of the Divine Word in the Heart, which puts the Law of Light and m ) ^nd Life within Man, and thereby light cth ei)ery Man comings or that cometh into the World, 4. To imagine the univerfal Light and Life of the immortal Word, is at all meant of the Scrip- tures, is abfurd. For it appears to have been, at leafl, two Thoufand four Hundred Years after the Creation, before any Part of the Scriptures were written, and the feveral Pieces that compofe them were occafionally written at divers Times, and by different Penmen, taking up about fixteen Hun- dred and thirty Years more, from the Publication of the firft: of them by Mofes, to the lad by John the Divine; confidering alfo, that the abundant- ly greater Part of Mankind in thefe latter Ages, fmce they have appeared in Chriilendom, have never yet had them, and how many Millions there- in, have been wickedly debarred from the Ufe of them in their own Language, by an interefted and defigning Prieflhood ; it undeniably appears, that a vafl Majority of Mankind never had the Benefit of them. And, amongfl thofe who are favoured with them, the Variety, and even Contra- riety of Opinions and Praftices which have all along fubfifted, efpecially among the high Pretenders to, and PoffefTors of Literature, all contribute to de- monftrate, that though the Sacred Records, open- ed by the fpiritual Key of David, are profitable and excellent above all other Writings, yet a more adequate univerfal Guide than themfeives, ever hath been, and now is, abfolutely necelTary to the Salvation of Mankind. 5. P. 164. 5. K underflands the Word Ercho- menon rendered coming, or that cometh, as refer- John i. 9. ring to the Light, rather than to Man* But, as Maldonatus obferves, Man being the next Noun, may more properly challenge the Participle com- ing to itfelf. Thus it is in the Syriac, Arabic, and Ethiopia Vcrfions ; in the Latin^ by Luther, Era/- C c mus. fiuis^ Beza, Dri/Jtus, and others ; alio in tb6 Fr£ncb, SpaniJJ^^ Italian^ German^ Low-Dutch^ and Anglofaxonic Tranflations. In the fame Senfe it was underftood by Nazian-zen^ ChryfoJh?n^ Lad- aniius^ &c. Of all which Inllances are produced in William Penns Spirit of Truth vindicated, pub- lijfhed about a Century ago, in anfwer to a learned Sccinian. But apart from other Authorities, the Context appears fufficient to clear the Point. Jobn I. I. The Evangehft fliews firfl:, what the. Wordy Chrifiy was in himfelfy and alTerts he ivas God', and next what he was in and lo the World, Firfl, he was the Creator of all Thlrgs ; and fecond, the Light of Men; and both ihefe he was in the Beginnings or early Part of Time to this Creation, four Thoufand Years before his coming in the Flefh. As he then began to be the Light of Men, he hath all along continued to be fo. As he made the Sun to be the Light of our ex- ternal World, whether People keep their Eyes open, or fliut them againft its fliining; fo is the true Light of the Spirit of Men, whether they open to him, or not. This he is by the inv/ard Manifeflation of his Spirit in every Man's Con- fcience. " In him was Life, and the Life ivas '' the Light of Men." This was in the Begin- ning, and hath been from the Beginning. It is the One living Eternal Word, or energetic Spirit, appearing in both Modes, when truly believed in and properly received. 6. " The Light fliineth in Darknefs, and the " Darknefs comprehended it not." '' This" faith 5. iV. P. 163. " may more particularly, as fome " think, refer to the Jews,^' But, why fo? Were the Gentiles lefs dark than the Jew^f Or doth the Term World include the Jews only, who v»^ere but a Handful compared with the Gentiles f How does that comport w^ith Vcrfe 10. " He was in the " World, ( 199 ) " World, and the World was made by him, and " the World knew him not.'* Are not the Gentiles included in the World that was made by him, as well, and as much as the Jewsf Or, is he the God Rom. iii* of the Jews only^ and not of the Gentiles alfof I ^^' take the Darhiefs to be the corrupt State of Man- kind ; Gentiles as well as Jews, He fays, P. 164. " The Phrafe comijzg into the " World, feems plainly to denote a pre-exiftent ^' State; but neither Scripture, nor Reafon, fup- " port any fuch Notion concerning Mankind in " general." I agree with him in the latter Part, but differ from him in the form.er; i. e. that com^ . ing into the World feems plainly to denote a pre-exif- tent State, in any other Senfe than the Pre-exiftence of all Men in their Mothers Womb, before they may properly be faid to come forth into, or to jer.xx. iS make tlieir Appearance in the vifible World. I apprehend the Phrafe no more denotes any other Pre-exiftence of Mankind, than the coming of the great Day, implies the Pre-exiftence of that Day. Nor do I fee, with what Propriety this ExprefTion can be applied to Chrift, more than to any one of the Species. For he was always in the World, john.i. 10 which was made, and continually fubfifts by his Power; hence all that can be meant by his coming thereinto, is that he alfumed a different Manner of Appearance, or Mode of Manifeftation in it than he had done before. 7. P. 166. " Thofe who did not receive him, ^' and were not born of him, could not therefore . " be defcribed as enlightened unto Salvation.^* Thofe who did not receive him, could never be born of him: for he that is born of him, is both enlightened and quickncd by his Spirit. The Sa- viour as the Light of the World, difpenfeth of his Light to every Man that cometh into the World, to give him a Sight of his captive Con- dition ; ( 200 ) 2Cor. vii. dition ; this Sight producing that godly Sorrow io- which worketh Repentance^ Salvation enfues. So, though the Light of the Saviour arifeth upon all, in order that all may come to Repentance and be faved, yet thofe who are fo attached to their evil Courfes, that they love Darknefs rather than Light, fhut it out from them? and therefore do not come to the faving Knovi^ledge of him, who Hcb, V. 9. is the Author of Eternal Salvation to all that obey hinu If my Oppofer intends by the Phrafes favingly enlightened^ enlightened unto Salvation; and fuch like, that we mean the faving Power is nothing in the Work but a 7nere Illuminator^ and that lllujni^ nation is Salvation; I mud tell him, we, entertain no fuch Ideas, for they are void of Truth and Reality. When we fpeak of the Light's being of a faving Nature, we do not intend, that Sal- vation is effeded merely by Light ahjiraclively confidered, though it is the Light of Life, The Eternal Word operates both as Light, and as Life. It gives true Difcovery and Difcrimina- tion, as Light; and empowers to live and a6l fuitably, as Life. This Light and Life^ being the *ijery Nature of the Saviour^ are properly faid to be ^ ^ faving Nature. Men may be fo en^ lightened as to fee the Way of Salvation, and yet refufe to walk in it; yea, they may be led into the Way, yet not abide in it. Will their Refufal, or Defedion alter the Nature of the Light, or prove // is not faving f Would any {hutting out the Light, be a Proof that it would not ihine upon me; or of the contrary? Food is not fuch to him who refufes to eat it; but is it not Food in its Nature, becaufe he refufes it? And might it not be Food to him, if he would be wife enough to take it? 8. " In ( 201 ) 8. " In the Beginning was the WordJ* This John i. i. Divine Word had no Beginning. It was no Part of the Creation. All created Things were made by him, and called trom Inexiftence into Being ; but the Word is without Beginning or End of Days. The Word inexpreffible by Words^ and incomprehenfible by Thoughts and Imagina- tions. The Qrthos Logos ^ or Right Reafon^ infinite in Wifdom, Goodnefs and Power; from the Be- ginning ifluing forth, and ading in the Work of Creation and Providence, and alfo from the Time of the Fall, in Mediation and Regeneration. As Man was the only Part of this lower Crea- tion defigned for Immortality, the Favours he then received were anfwerable to the high Purpofe of his Maker in creating him. The creating and conferving Word, immediately became his Illu- minator, and Quickaer. " All Things were made Verfe3,4. •* by him, and without him was not any Thing *' made that was made. In him was Life, and " the Life was the Light of Men." After Man's TranfgrelTion, and Defedlion from this Divine Light and Life, this gracious Word aftonifhingly condefcended to offer himfelf to re- pair the Breach, by determining, in due Time, to take the Nature of Man upon him, and to give it up to excruciating Pains and the Death of the Crofs, as a Propitiation for the Sins of the ivhole World. Hereby he ihewed the Greatnefs of Divine Love and Mercy to poor helplefs Man, and alfo, by then immediately renewing, and thence-forward continuing, to alFord a Manifefta- tion of his Light to Man in his fallen Eftate. For, before his Incarnation, " He was in thejohni. lo. '' World, and the World was made by him, and " the World knew him not." The Generality, though they felt his inward Convidions, the Re- proofs of Inftru^lion, they diftinguiflied them not to ( 202 ) to be his, but might flatter themfelres, they were only the EfFeds of Tradition early inftilled into their Minds; and not having their Habitation in the Light, were become as Darknefs ; yet the Verfe5. Light ihined in their Darknefs, though their D^ry^- nefs comprehended it not. They thought too mean- ly of this Light, had no juft Conception of it, knew it not to be the Vifitation of the Son of God, and though they were his own^ Gentiks as well as Jews^ by Creation^ and intentional Redemptiony Verfe ii, ihey received him not* " But as v.iany as received 12. " bim^ to them gave he Power to.^^become the " Sons of God/: The Evangelifl having fpoken of him as the univerfal, illuminating, effedive Word^ Verfe 14, he comes to fpeak of his Incarnation, faying, " And the Word was made Flejh^ and dwelt " among us.'' We are not here to underftand, that the fovereign Word, or Spirit, was tranfub-. Jiantiated into Flefh, but that for Man's Iledemp.. tion, he took the Nature of Man upon him, and appeared amongft Men, as a Man, and un^ doubtedly in the Eyes of moft feemed not more than Man ; but faith his enlightened Follower, *^ and ive beheld his Glory ^ (had a Senfe of his Di- vinity, as well as a Sight of his Humanity) " the '* Glory as of the only Begotten of the Father^' (the only One of his own EfTence and Eternity) ''full of joim i. 16" Grace and Truth and of his Fidnefs have " all we received, and Grace for Grace,"* When Perfons read, and prefume to expound,, the Scriptures with School and College-methods uppermoft in their Heads, it is no wonder they miftake them. The infpired VsTriters obferved no. fuch * S. N. might tell ths Evangelifl here, in like Manner as he »ioth us, that he attributes not this faving Soniliip to the Grace or Gift of God, but to a certain virtuous Opennejs iu themfelves. which renders their Salvation owing to themfelves. (203 ) fuch Rules, even tbofe of them who might have a competent Share of Literature; which moft of them had not. Learned, or unlearned, the Light and Motion of the Holy Spirit was their Guide; not the Rules of Rhetoric, Logic, or Grammar. Is not the Apoflle Jolm^^ Greek as ordinary as G. Fox*s Englijh ; yet who had a deeper Under- flanding given him in Divine Things than John? Not School-learning, but the Light of the Holy GhoiL gave them a right Underftanding, and the fame is requifite to the right Underftanding of their Writings, ney /pake not the Wifdom of this JVorld; therefore are not to be underftood by its Wifdom, yet nothing is more bufy to explain them. They often treat of Things promifcuouf- ly; even as our Saviour himfelf fpoke, intermix- ing the internal fpiritual Senfe with the external, both refpeding himfelf, and the Matters he touched upon. This John doth in his firft Chap- ter, fom.etimes fpeaking of Chrifl as the Word, which refpeds his Divinity, fometimes as Man, or as in the Flel^i, and fometimes comprehending both Senfcs in the fame Words. For want of a right Underftanding properly to diftinguifh them. Men are apt to jumble, and miftake one for ano- ther. Hence arife Difagreement, Clafhing, and Jangling about the true Senfe of Scripture; and trying it by the Notions of Syjicms they have efpoufed, inftead of trying them by the Truth, it is no wonder there is fo much Controverfy. The only Way to put an End to it, is for all to come to the Spirit of Truth in their own Hearts, that they may be led into all Truth; which till they do, they never can be. 9. P. 171. 5. iV. by a Perverfion, charges Bar- day with Perverfion. He afferts, '' Pa:d^* (in Rojii, X. 14, 15.) " is only fpeaking of the Ifrael- " ites^ as the Scope of the Chapter demonftrates.'^ This iCor.ii./5 ( ^o4 ) This appears to me a Miftake. For though thd Apoille had been fpeaking particularly of them in divers of the preceeding Verfes, in thefe he manifeftly includes both Jews and Gentiles. His Words are, " There is no Difference between the *' Jew and the Greek ; for the fame Lord over all^ ^' is rich unto all that call upon him. For whofoever " fhall call upon the Name of the Lord fhall be *' faved. How then fhall they call on him in whom *' they have not believed?'* &c. The Pronoun, they hath evidently an equal Reference to both Jews and Gentiles; as the preceding Context de- monftrates. Accepting thefe Words, " their Sound went *' into all the Earth, and their Words unto the *' Ends of the World," as intended only of the Preaching of the Apoftles, and their Companions in Travel, and as being literally true when Paul wrote his Epiflle to the Romans^ S. N» P. 172. aflerts, " It is 7noJi likely, it was by them, and *' their Adherents, propagated throughout the *' greatefl Part of the then habitable World/' Upon which I afk, What Probability is there, that any of them ever preached the Gofpel in China, Per/ia, Tartary, India, Riiffia, America, the numerous oriental and occidental Illands, or fet legendary Tales afide, in Britain, or in fliort, ■throughout the far greateft Part of the then habita- ble World? The Alfertion appears grounded upon a vulgar Error, though too current, and what is built upon it, is improbable Conjecture. 10. P. 175. 6~Y. S, N» having cited i Cor, iii. 18. and xii. 7. faith, " Thefe and fuch like Paffages " are afcribed jndifcriminately to Mankind uni- *' verfally, and every individual Man is declared " to he the 'Temple of God, and to have a Mayn- " fejiation of the Spirit to profit withal'' That the Manifellation of the Spirit is given to every Man to ( 2^5 ) io profit zvithal, we verily believe, and do not only depend upon this particular Text for it. We alfo believe, that if every Man feeketh rightly to profit with it, every Man may fo grow in Grace as in Time to become the Temple of God. But that every Man fo profits with it, as really to become God's Temple, we no more l^elieve than our Ac- cufer. Great Part of what follows, and indeed a large Portion of his Volume, is made up of Repeti- tions from his Letter, with additional Suppofi- tions, which are untruly fathered upon us ; and which lay fcattered in the confuted Publications of Hicks ^ Faldo^ Bugg^ Lejly^ Fickworth, and other party Writers in the laft Century. Thefe have become as Magazines of Sophiflry and Abufe, to furnifh their warm SuccelTors in Oppofition, who to this Day keep retailing them out againft us. II. P. 1 80. Our Examiner prefufiies entirely to refute every thing Barclay 'j Defender has advanced upon Luke xvii. 20, 21. The PaiTage is, " The *' Kingdom of God cometh not with Obferva- *^ tion, neither (hall they fay, lo here, or lo there; *' for behold the Kingdom of God is within you." To fuit his Purpofe, «S. N. chofe to read thefe lafl Words, is among you. To this I replied , Obfervations, P. 74. " Ihis reading deflroys the ^' Antithefis evidently intended by our Saviour, ^* who was here anfwering a Queftion put to him *' by the Fharifces^ concerning the coming of an *' outward l^mgdom^ by informing them, that the ^' Kingdom of God is an inward Kingc om; and ** (hewing the Difference between an outward and ^* vifible Form^ which Men are capable to point *' out by their lo here, and lo there, and his own <' internal fpiritual Dominion.'* To accomplifh my entire Refutation, he takes the Word entos, out of the original Greek,- D d the ( ^o6 ) the proper Signification of which is within^ as it (lands in our Tranflation. It is alfo rendered in Latin intus by Beza^ and intra by Caftalio^ both which fignify within. Inflead of this my Op- ponent fubftitutes en, which is ufually render- ed in or a7nong. By the like Pradice the Scripture may be made to teach any Dodrine whatfoever. But to common Underflandings, the taking away an original Word from the Text,, and putting another in its Place different in Signification, is a dired FaJJification of Scripture ; which is the more notorious, as there does not appear to be any various Reading in the Greek Text to afford a Pretence for it.* The Caufe of Truth flands in Need of no fuch Artifices; nor can that'Syflem be according to Truth, which is obliged to Falfiiood for its Support* When a Writer who profefTes fo high an Efteem for the Holy Scriptures, takes fuch unw^arrantable Freedoms with them, as openly to falfify them to ferve his Purpofe; his Eflbrts, inftead of accom- plifhing the Refutation of others, muft terminate in Self confufion. For this, I refer to P. 239. where he vents himfelf in thefe opprobrious Terms, " To adopt a religious Scheme which is *^ contrary to them (the Scriptures) though we '^ may borrow the Phrafeology and Terms of " Scripture to .exprefs it, mull be i??ipious daring " Infolence, and atrocious Rebellion againfl the Di- " vine Government. Were the mojl dreadful Curfes " pronounced, by the Spirit, upon " any who *' fcall add to, or diminifh from the Prophecy " of one Book." i?f?i;. xxii. 18, 19. " how un- *' fpcakably deplorable mufl their Doom be, if " they =* See the Grf(?^ Teflament, printed at Oxford i'j6$; to which are added various . eadings, collated from above one Hundred Manr.iVripts, and from the ancient Verlions. itjee alfo Mill's Greek Teftament. ( 207 ) «^ they die without an Alteration of Mind, who *' pervert the main Senfe of the whole New *' Teftament, and introduce another Gofpel." If this heavy Charge and Denunciation belong to thofe who add to, d'm'mijh from, or pervert the Senfe of Scripture, it behoves our Opponent to look to himfelf j for he appears to be notorioufly guilty. P. 184. He teaches, that the apoftolic Expref- fion, Chr'ift in you the Hope of Glory, only in- coL i. if, tends, " that Chrifl fhould be freely proclaimed ** among the Gentiles, to give them the Hope of *' eternal Glory.*' Which is very much like af- ferting, that the Proclamation concerning Chrifl; without them, is Chrifl: in them, or at leafl:, all that is meant by it. But prefentiy after he ac- knowledges the Truth in part, where he fays, — *' Chrifl:, no doubt, dzvelt and reigned in their ^^ Hearts, by his Spirit, through its purifying In- *^ fluence.'V He afterwards expreifes an Appre- henfion, that / cannot think Paul meant, Chrifl fo dwelt in the Hearts of all Mankind univerfally. Certainly I cannot; but at the fame Time I mufl: think, he appeared by his Spirit in the Minds of all, either as a Comforter, a Purifier, or a Con- vidor and Reprover, in order that they might be- lieve in, and obey him under this Appearance, through which they would find him to become the Hope of Glory in them. In Matters of fuch high Concern as relate to our eternal State, it is incumbent upon all, to be more cautious than confident about the Exclufwn of their Fellow -creatures from the Grace and Salvation of God; lefl: by alTerting the Non-exiftence of that Experience in others, themfelves have not yet known, they become of thofe to whom our Sa- viour declares, '* Ye fhut up the Kingdom ofMat. xxii. *^ Heaven againfl Men ; for ye neither go in ^^' *' your-. ( 208 ) f« yourfelves, neither fufFer ye them that are en? P tring^ to go in.'' 1%. If any afk. What is the Kingdom of Hea- yen, or of God? I anfwer; Notwithflanding he is the Ahnighty Sovereign of the Univerfe, yet that is more pecuUarly ftiled bis Kingdom, wherein he fo completely governs as to be always cheer- fully and perfectly obeyed; where he is the fole Mover of all that is done, where he is glorified in all that is done, and whese he communicates of his Glory and Fehcity without Mixture. This Kingdom can neither be entred, nor at all feen into by Man, but through the New-birth of the Holy Spirit, whereby the Soul experienceth a be- jphn ill. % ing born into it; a being delivered frofn the Power CcfJ. i» 13- of Darknefs, and tranjldted into the Kingdom of the dear Son of God, Hereby alone the Spirit of Man enters it, and through Faithfulnefs, is en- abled to make Advances therein whilft in the Body. This Kingdom flands not in Locality, not in any here, or there; therefore it is in vain to direct it by io here, or lo there. It ftands in an Infinite and Heavenly Spirit, Life, and Nature, wherein no^ thing impiire can live or enter. It is the internal Dominion, or ruling Power of the Holy Ghoft in Men and Angels; that pure Influence fo beauti- fully and fublimely defcribed in Wifdom vii. floiv» ing from the Glory of the Almighty, which in all Ages entering into Holy Souls, maketh them Friends of God, and Prophets, In fine, this Kingdom of God, is the Dominion of the Light and Life of the Spirit of God. Whoever hves under the fen- fible Influence and Government of it, lives in this Kingdom. This is the Kingdom of the Saints militant on Earth, and of the Saints triumphant in Heaven, it being experienced by the Sandlified in Chrifi Jefus, in Part whilft in this World, and enjoyed in its Fulnefs in the World to come, ( 209 ) What follows is chiefly a Repetition of what our Opponent pnblifhed before in his Letter, the Tenour of which is already obviated in divers Parts of this Work, and therefore I fhall now take my Leave of him, pafling by abundance of his IlUberaUties, and fmcerely wifhing, that himfelf, and all Men, may come really to know the only joha vnu true God, and Jefus Chrift whom he hath fent, 2" t\\U they may experience Life eternal. r / N I S. / \