Quaker Heritage Press > Online Texts > Works of James Nayler > An Antidote Against the Spreading Infections of the Spirit of Antichrist
<323> [p.1]
Christian Reader,
The occasion of my offering what follows to thy view, with the reasons and end, take as follows. And first, To the occasion.
Myself and others being invited by Mr. John Wray to his house, to beget Christian acquaintance, to the end we might have fellowship and furtherance in the gospel and be strengthened to strive together for the faith of it; upon our meeting there, we understood that divers of those called Quakers that had been lately very busy thereabouts had notice of that our meeting. But that some of them had also signified their resolutions not to be at it, even some of the chief of them that yet did come to it. However, Mr. Wray desired that for the profit of those many people that were presently met together, and for the preparing their understandings for what discourse might afterwards happen between us and the Quakers, if they should come (as well as for the laying some foundation for discourse that it might be the more regular and profitable; that, I say, for these ends) some of us should first assert and open to the people some of those great things of God's law or doctrine that are fundamentals in the gospel of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ; and that we did conceive Satan especially to strike against in these latter days, and so which might be most profitable at this time to be discoursed.
This service falling upon me, I did first mind the people of those many warnings given us by the Holy Ghost of the perilousness of the last times, by reason of the abounding of iniquity, even spiritual wickedness, under glorious pretense and show of godliness and righteousness, yet under such a visor, denying the power, the root, and foundation of godliness, whence all motive and motion to all right worship of God comes, being the enemies to the cross of Christ, however in show zealous walkers, humble and mortified persons; yea, that iniquity should abound in such manner, chiefly at such times, as when there [p.2] should be some abatement to bodily persecution, that so there might be some equal proportion of persecutions or trials in all ages to be sustained by them that will live godly in Christ Jesus, and for the manifesting who are approved among the many professors of godliness, and that this last sort of trials and temptations are especially to abound in the last days and to continue till the time of the end (Dan. 11:34-35; 2 Tim. 3:12-13; with 1 Cor. 11:19; 2 Thess. 2:3-10; 2 Pet. 2:1-2); and that this sort of temptations and trials are everywhere signified to be the most dangerous for beguiling unstable souls, yea for corrupting and subverting even such <324> as were going right on their way, from the simplicity in Jesus. See the Epistle of Jude, 2 Pet. 2; 2 Cor. 11; 2 Tim. 3; Phil. 3:17-19, the consideration of which I told them should be of this use to us, to move us to give more earnest heed to the things that we had heard from the beginning, in the word of the beginning of Christ, as 1 Cor. 15; Heb. 2:1-3; 2 Pet. 1:12, to the end, with chap. 2:1. To receive and drink down his word into our hearts, with more greediness, and to let it dwell there, to be filled with the Spirit, to continue in the things that we had learned through the apostles' doctrine and been assured of by the evidence and demonstration of the Spirit therein, as Eph. 5:16-18, Col. 3:16; 2 Tim. 3:13-15. And thereupon I took occasion to open to them some of those great things of God's law or doctrine which are the summary and fundamental matter of God's teaching, and so to be earnestly heeded and continued in by us, and the main things secretly and intentionally, though under other pretenses struck at by Satan in these latter days. As concerning the person of Christ, of God, and of man, and that that very Jesus of Nazareth, the word that was then, and so made flesh, is the very Christ, and concerning the works done in and by that person for us, and the infinite and abiding virtues of those works, as remaining in that person in our nature, glorified in the heavens with the Father for us; and the infinite love and glory of the Father, as appearing in that face of Christ, as revealed in the glorious gospel of him who is the image of God, in whom God was manifested in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, &c., as 1 Tim. 3:16; 2 Cor. 4:4,6.
And concerning the second and glorious appearing of that person promised, and yet to be expected and waited for by all believers, with the glory then to be revealed (the sum of what I said to most of those things is occasionally inserted in the following discourse, chiefly in the answer to J.N.'s letter) after which I also added a word or two, to the way or manner of God's giving us the knowledge of these things of [p.3] himself in his Son, that so we might be instructed in the way of being assured of the truth and goodness of them, and of tasting the sweetness and efficacy of them, to the preparing and preserving us through faith unto the salvation ready to be revealed in the last time; to this I told them:
First, The way of God's learning, or giving the knowledge of the truth and goodness of these things, is not by working the same things over again in our persons that were wrought and finished for us in the person of Christ, not by making us bear our sins in our own souls and bodies that with our stripes we might be healed, not by giving his Son again to die in us for our sins, and in us to rise from the dead for our justification, to ascend into the heavens and sit on the right hand of God; for besides that, those were such works as could not be <325> accomplished in our persons, so also they were finished in his, not to be iterated. But the knowledge of the truth and goodness of them given in the testimony of Jesus, and of these works as wrought and finished in him, and the infinite and abiding virtue of them with the Father for us, that so in believing in him we might find the word or testimony of him through the Spirit, effectually working the works of God in us.
Neither, secondly, doth he give the revelation of these things now immediately as to the first apostles, nor in such manner as to the prophets of old; but now mediately through their word, and by the evidence and demonstration of the Spirit therein. So Timothy, and all secondary ministers then and since received their word, their knowledge, and furniturec in the things of Christ. In the conclusion of this discourse, I desired that if any would reason about the things they had heard, by way of opposition or otherwise, it might be without confusion, and in such order that the people might understand what was spoken to, what opposed or contended for, and what was said on both sides. And to this purpose I told them I thought it would be convenient to digest the sum of what had been into some few questions, to be discussed (viz.) what the essence of Christ is? whether something essentially in many persons, or one person distinct from all other persons; and if one person granted, then concerning his works, whether Christ did bear our sins in his own personal body only, as the propitiatory sacrifice or sin offering? or so also in the bodies or souls of others? And so whether in the works done in his own body, in his abasement and exaltation, there was and so remaineth in him in our nature with the Father in the heavens, by means thereof, the only and abiding virtue for the [p.4] taking away of sin, or is the virtue for that also chiefly, or at all originally, in some other work or works done in other persons? and about his second appearing, and the glory then to be revealed, whether that be to be waited for by all believers in this corruptible state of the world, all the time of their mortality, or made in or to any in this day? and concerning the manner of God's teaching these things and our learning them of him, whether it be by having the same things wrought or accomplished over again in us that was in Christ's person, as set forth to be the propitiation, or by receiving the testimony of him in the demonstration of the Spirit and of power? And if so, how that, whether mediately through the apostles' word, or immediately, as they?
The Quakers being come in soon after the beginning of this discourse, to this James Nayler answered that there were two things that I had uttered in discourse which he denied, which when I had made good, or if I could not, acknowledged myself a liar, they would proceed <326> to the questions; the two things were:
1. That God was not manifest in the flesh of the saints.
2. That Timothy had not the same testimony that Paul had. What answer I then gave may be seen in what follows in my answer to their charges, and to James's letter, but when I showed how he falsified my sayings he called me liar, &c.; such language was ordinary from them. And so pretending want of satisfaction, and doing what he could to hinder the people from receiving satisfaction as to these things, he kept off from the questions propounded, till one of them (viz. Rich. Farnworth) began a set speech concerning himself, which he continued about an hour, at the conclusion of which I was desirous to mind the people of the evil and contrariety to the gospel of some of the things spoken by him, that they might so mark as to eschew, as Rom. 16:17, but as soon as I began, for but (by the way) calling his discourse a witness of, or concerning himself, I had presently himself and two or three more upon me, bidding me stop my mouth. He abhorred self (which yet also was but his own witness concerning himself); one of them charged me with opposing or blaspheming the words of the eternal God spoken by that man; yet at last I got liberty to show his abuse of some scriptures (as in the following discourse); then it being after noon about an hour, and myself and some others having rid ten miles that morning before the meeting, Mr. Wray desired us to break off for an hour to refresh ourselves, and likewise that we might meet at the public place afterward for more conveniency of room, his house being too strait for the company; he likewise invited James Nayler and his [p.5] companions to stay dinner, which whether any of them accepted I know not, but divers of them grossly abused him for desiring an hour's respite, yet said nothing against meeting at the public place; whither soon after we went, and many people, but they came not at us, but sent us word, when we had been there some time, that they would not come there, and at our return from thence, that if we would meet them in some place in the street, or in a yard where they appointed, they would further reason with us; which we judged unreasonable and therefore refused; yet Mr. Wray invited them to come again to his house, either that night or next day, but they refused and returned a scornful answer. That night they sent me papers, as in the following relation, and with the last sent also a challenge by their messenger, to give them a meeting at a town a mile off next day, which though an unreasonable demand, considering what freedom they had and might have where we were and with what scorn they had refused it, and also that on their refusal of that Mr. Wray had proffered them that if they would appoint a place at such a distance next day we should meet them, and then they refused that also, saying they knew not whether the <327> Spirit might lead them that night (and it is very probable, they hoped we would not have come at their challenge), yet going that way, we did call on them next day; and then had a more full revelation of the spirit of antichrist in them, from J.N., than the day before, who in answer to some such questions as forementioned said that as Christ bore sins in that his own body that died at Jerusalem, so he had borne sins in his body too; and so that his first appearing to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself had been manifested and accomplished in him, yea that death in which it is appointed to men once to die was past in him; Christ's second appearing without sin to salvation, manifested and accomplished in him, with much of that nature; and that he that could not witness that with him was antichrist, and did deny Christ come in the flesh. In answer to which we oft-times offered and desired liberty to manifest and prove to the people, that the one offering of Christ to bear our sins and to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself, it was accomplished and finished in one person, not in many, and once at one time or age of the world, nor at divers times, and that the second appearing of Christ is not yet accomplished in or to any person, nor shall be in this day, nor till to all together; but we could get no liberty but were filled with railings, reproaches and revilings from divers of them together, in such manner as I never heard from any, so we left them; and what hath passed since, with the sum of what was then asserted and [p.6] maintained by us, I have published in the following discourse (with some queries I had from others of them and the answers to them annexed) for these reasons:
1. They did then (as we have showed here, and in the following discourse) grossly slander us almost in all we said, and would not suffer the people to hear what was said in answer to their slanders, and have still persisted in managing them against us, and the truth pleaded for by us, where they come, by word and writing, as may also be fully seen in J.N. his letter, with my answer to it, in which answer I have largely opened our principles as to the things discoursed of, that they that read may understand what they are and how falsely charged by them.
2. As also that it may appear how they stand in direct opposition to, and show the vanity, falseness and evil of the bottom principles of both Quakers and Ranters, in which they are both one. Which I have rather done to vindicate the doctrine of the grace of God in Christ that bringeth salvation to all men, from those foul aspersions cast on it by some (yea I have seen them in print) in which it is charged with laying or administering foundation for those filthy and ungodly principles, the falseness of which charge is manifest in the following discourse; yea it appears that which is in express terms fought against and reproached by them is the asserting the great benefits prepared for men in Christ and <328> redounding to them by Christ, while yet lying in their wickedness, and thence directing them to look to a Christ crucified for them while they were yet sinners and in their filthiness.
The truth is, they acknowledge not the grace of God in the death and resurrection of Christ, as accomplished in that his own body, as being the foundation of, or bringing salvation to men, all, or any, but would lay another foundation, or overthrow that (though they can do neither) by directing men to look into themselves and to what is witnessed or wrought in them, for all their consolation, rejoicing, direction, &c.; yea, it's their counsel to all men (I have often heard it and seen it in many of their papers, even to such as they then judged to be yet wallowing in their filthiness, turned out from the presence of God, murdering the Just One in them, nigh to cursing, &c., yet) to turn the eye inward, to look and take diligent heed to the light in them, to the book of their conscience, &c., and that in opposition to, and to take them off from looking unto Jesus and the works wrought in his body for them without them, and to such looking, or attention to him, in and through the testimony he hath given by the one mouth of his holy apostles and prophets and left on record for us.
[p.7] They in their foolish and vain imaginations, while professing to be wise, being so besotted as to imagine that one person of the Son of God, in the nature of man, and the works done in his own body, and the manifestation of God in him and therein testified, to be but some farther types and figures of the true light, the very Christ, and that to be something naturally in every man; naturally, I say, for so it must be if affirmed to be in every man, while yet none of them have received (nor are they ever directed by them to look to or for) any supernatural grace, whether they talk of first or second nature; yet both are natural to the man, and naturally in him and of him, according to their principles only the best or second nature which they direct to look to, that in the witness and operation of it as in them, they may have righteousness, strength, and direction, is something disappearing (they say) through the fall, yet not much disappearing it seems, when if they do but turn the eye inward they shall presently see and meet with it as the first mover and teacher, appearing, and yet such a thing too as no man hath benefit by till he can witness it in him; they are indeed foolish and inconsistent apprehensions, as well as most antichristian and ungodly; but their folly and evil is not so manifested and detected by any other spirit or doctrine as by the testimony of Jesus as the Son of God, the Savior of the world, and that doctrine of the grace of God in him bringing salvation to all men, when rightly held according to the Scriptures (Tit. 2:11-12). For as that holds forth that very Jesus, the only immediately begotten Son of God that was <329> before us all, even from everlasting with the Father, by whom and for whom all things were made, which in the fullness of times was sent forth, made of a woman, made under the law, for us in that one body, &c., and therein delivered to death, raised and exalted according to the Scriptures, to be indeed the very Christ, the Savior of the world, the true light that lightens every man that comes into the world, that with his virtues and influences fills all things, for the good and salvation of mankind; and so instructs and directs all the ends of the earth to look to him and the grace of God, in, by, & through him bringing salvation to all men, and be saved; so it therein in the same light of the Lord, cries concerning them, All flesh is grass, surely the people is grass (Isa. 40:6-7). Men are altogether strangers to that wisdom and strength by which they might be reconciled to God; the way of peace they know not, yea this wisdom is not to be found in the land of the living (Rom. 3:10-19; Job 28:12-13, &c.). They are without God in the world and strangers to the life of God (Eph. 4:18 and 2:12). They are dead in sins and trespasses; yea, the carnal mind is enmity to God, it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be, so [p.8] that they that are in the flesh cannot please God (Rom. 8:7-8). The mind or conscience of the unbeliever is so wholly defiled that while he looks into it and stubbornly follows the dictates of it against the light and power of God's grace coming to him and striving with him through Jesus Christ, he is to every good work reprobate (of no judgment, light or discerning) (Tit. 1:15-16). Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them because of the blindness of their heart, by the dictates of which being swayed walking in the vanity of their mind or conscience, they are more hardened and made insensible to the gracious and spiritual instructions and reproofs of God in the gospel of his Son; they are so wholly lost, dead, and darkness itself, yea so unclean and polluted in soul and body, that they are altogether uncapable of having any work wrought in or by them in which satisfaction may be made for their sin, or they may be rendered acceptable. This I say is plainly discovered in that doctrine that tells us of the grace of God bringing salvation to all men, as already wrought for them in and by Christ; for if men had not been wholly strangers to, or had not been utterly empty of all by which they might have been helped, or if there had been any help in man, God would have spared his own Son and not have delivered him up for us all; if righteousness could have been had any other way, then Christ died in vain; yea, this doctrine that tells us of the grace of God bringing this salvation in Christ unto all men in the discoveries and saving tendencies and operations of it, saith yet more, namely, that no man hath in him, as of him, that light, Spirit, or wisdom in the inward parts, by which he may get in <330> the knowledge of what is done for him in Christ or apply it to himself; it is true, there is a spirit in man, but it is as a candle wholly out (as to things pertaining to life and godliness), and it is the inspiration of the Almighty (not the stirring up something in it) that puts light to it, that giveth it understanding, and otherwise then as so lighted by the Lord, it doth not truly search or discover the hidden parts of the belly (compare Job 32:8 & Prov. 20:27 with Ps. 18:28; Job 35:10-11 & 38:36) nor while abiding in his natural state is there any such wisdom or capacity or spirit, so as received by or lodging in him, as are to be his teacher and rule (Rom. 1:19,21,28), neither is there in them any light, knowledge, or understanding to make them sensible of their idolatry and wickedness, they not liking to retain his knowledge inspired in their heart, their spirit is infatuated (Isa. 44:18-20 with Rom. 1:19-29), and so the light or spirit naturally in them, or while stubbornly abiding in [p.9] their natural state and condition, received by and lodging in them, to which if they be directed to turn the eye inward, to look to the light or spirit in them, they will and must needs immediately turn, it is by the judgment of the holy Spirit, darkness itself (John 1:5), the spirit of the world and of Satan (1 Cor. 2:12), and though it is true that the true light is in the testimony of Jesus or of God's goodness that is in and through him, through all means shining in and to the dark and darkened hearts of men, even of such men, while the day of God's grace and patience is toward them, and that so as it might be received it would in such coming enlighten the darkness and strengthen to receive it, yet the darkness receives it not, and so though the word be nigh them in their hearts that it might be, yet it is not received by them in their hearts, or dwelling there as a light or principle to direct them, while so abiding in their natural state and condition, or in their unbelief or rebellion against the word or testimony, in and with which the light, spirit, or power comes to them, which is no further received by or dwelling in any man, than that word in and with which it is, is received by or dwelling in him.
From which consideration, that grace of God that brings salvation to all men instructs them not to look into themselves or to any light or spirit in them for direction, but unto Jesus, in that demonstration of him, and strength to behold him, brought to them in God's lifting up the Son of Man before them, as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, now to seek the Lord while he may be found, and in the light and strength of the Lord in his reproofs, brought them to turn from and forsake their own ways and thoughts (Isa. 45:22 with John 3:14-15; Isa. 55:6-7 with Prov. 3:23), not to lean to their own understanding but to deny themselves and become fools, that they may learn wisdom, not of their own spirit but of him.
<331> This doctrine that so rightly discovers the weakness, emptiness, and corruption of man (as before) doth therein manifest their counseling every man to turn the eye inward, to look unto the light in them, &c., to be the same with or like unto the directing men to seek to them that peep and mutter and to them that have familiar spirits, and therefore of Satan and not of God, who directs us to seek to God, and that in his own light, power, and way, as given forth to us. To the law, to the testimony, if they speak not according to that word it is because there is no light in them; yea, even believers, in whom the testimony of Christ being received, the Spirit of Christ therein and therewith is so received and dwelling in them, and so Christ in that word or testimony [p.10] of him, dwelling in their hearts by faith, yet there is in them another law, mind, disposition, inclination or spirit, though in the mind, judgment or spirit of the believer, in a sense dethroned, yet not wholly outed, but remaining and warring in the members, where it is at hand and nearest (present with me, saith the apostle, Rom. 7:21,23), so as it may be first in advising or prompting in any case or matter, so that if the believer should indifferently turn his eye into himself for counsel and direction, he may also be led to walk in the flesh, in the carnal mind, and so as other Gentiles, in the vanity of their mind, whence those instructions and admonitions (Rom. 8:5-13; Eph. 4:17); surely that doctrine of the kindness and pity of God, our Savior, to manward, bringing salvation in and by Jesus Christ, is so far from administering foundation for such corrupt principles that it discovers the vanity and falseness of their foundation and overthrows it; doubtless were we more acquainted with it and skillful in it we should neither desire nor need any other weapons than that faithful word to stop the mouths of these as well as other gainsayers, as we have opportunity. But having this occasion, let me a little mind thee (good reader) what principles have indeed administered foundation and opened the gap for such spurious and ungodly apprehensions or imaginations as forementioned.
1. This principle, that the letter of the Scripture is not Scripture, or thus, that the mind or meaning of the Holy Ghost is not expressed in his words according to the natural import and signification of them, no not in things main and fundamental, and so in all other things, that it may be discerned in the words or records left, comparing spiritual things with spiritual, and things hard and circumstantial with things plain and fundamental, as we are therein directed, but that the mind or meaning of the Holy Ghost is to be found out and determined by some other spirit. This principle hath administered foundation, or opened the gap for popery, and also for men's denying the grace of God to manward, bringing salvation to all men in and by Jesus Christ; and it administers as good foundation, or opens the like gap for all other corrupt <332> principles: for take away the word of the Lord as declared by the pen of the scribe, and what wisdom is in them? yea they do all agree in this fixed great tradition and rudiment of the world. That the letter of the Scripture (as they call it) or the words as written and left on record are not the faithful expressions of the mind and meaning of the Holy Ghost, only they differ in determining what shall give the sense. The papists say, the pope, or council. The opposers of the good of all men (not much unlike them) say, the late fathers of the church (and they [p.11] must be such as they will account so too) or learned men of the times. And these that follow after differ not much; they say, it must be some spirit of or in them which they suppose to be infallible. As much ground for the one as for the other, and so for taking away one part of the word of the Lord by one, as there was for taking away another part by another; yea, their bottom principle is one.
2. Another principle that hath laid, or is properly the foundation of such corrupt imaginations (as before) is that the eternal purpose and decree of God is the absolute cause of men's sin, reprobation and destruction. This properly makes sin no sin, or nothing sinful, but all men's actions and ends of God, and also takes away the equity of his judgment against them which commit such things, and so leads to vain and ungodly imaginations of no resurrection, or judgment to come. And
3. That which naturally flows from both the forementioned is that God dissembles with men, or pretends that which is not really in his heart, when he offers most men grace in the gospel and swears he hath no pleasure in their death but that they turn and live. This lays the foundation for men, even as they would be like God, to dissemble with others; and in pursuance of some worldly or antichristian design to pretend humility, mortification, zeal, holiness, &c., while in their hearts they judge no act or practice to be evil or sinful in itself (unless to him that judgeth it so) but as it may hinder that their design secretly pursued. Yea,
4. That which I conceive hath also done its part among the rest, in opening the gap to such unclean spirits, is an imagination that is secretly crept into the minds of, and pleaded for by some truly gracious (viz.): that men may while they are yet in this mortal body and accumbered with the law of sin, the carnal mind, yet warring in the members, and against the law of the believer's mind (though in the mind or spirit of the believer, in a sense dethroned, yet) so as it is leading them captive still, as Rom. 7:21,23. And also in the midst of so many subtle and powerful adversaries, that yet I say, in this time of their temptation and weakness, they may have already so attained, and be already so perfect, as that from such time, or degree of attainment it is forever impossible for them, in listening to any spirit, to be corrupted from the simplicity in Christ, or <333> so to be drawn away with any errors of the wicked, as to fall from their own steadfastness, or to fall away, as Heb. 6:6 & 4:11, which imagination not only exalteth itself against the plain import of these scriptures: Phil. 3:12-14; 2 Cor. 11:2; 2 Pet. 3:17, with Heb. 6:4-6, & chap. 4:11; Mark 13:35-37, with many others, [p.12] but as we have said, also opens the gap for any manner of ungodly and unclean spirit, by moving the entertainers of it (as soon as ever they can conclude themselves to have so attained) to forsake or let slip out of their hearts the fear of the Almighty, by which they should be kept from departing from him, and presumptuously venture upon the listening to, and parlaying with any evil spirit or way propounded (at least if under good pretenses); yea, this imagination, that (whether they hear his voice and follow him or do hear and follow a stranger) they cannot fall or perish. It hinders them from believing or discerning that they are backslidden, or fallen, when indeed they are so; and so from receiving timely admonition while (it being but in part) they might be recovered (Prov. 14:16 & 28:14); yea, this likewise further prepares them for such spirits as we have dealt with in the following discourse: it requiring but a little addition to make up their devilish doctrine of perfection. Yea,
5. And lastly, all those principles or apprehensions in which men are directed to have their rejoicing and consolation originally in some gracious frames or qualifications wrought in them, or some works of righteousness done by them, and not in the person or works of Christ in his own body for them, which principles are too much retained by many that in words acknowledge him (though in these their works they deny him); these principles I say have opened the gap for such spirits, which come very suitable to their proper lust and way, and seem not at first so to malign the person and works of Christ, but rather to hold the acknowledgment of them, though as of things not irrelative to the ground of their faith and hope, nor as being the matter of their rejoicing and fountain of their teaching, in which they agree well enough, so that people thus principled, as aforesaid, have little or nothing really to turn from, that they may join with what is first commended to them by such spirits: only some opinions that were relative to the foundation of their faith and rejoicing to be a little more slighted, and the rejoicing that was before placed in some works or imaginations of their own now to be placed in some other of the like kind. Yea, surely all that are so principled will and do presently close with them, on their coming to them, only such of them as are kept off by tradition, that are resolved to believe as the church believes, and hold the traditions of their elders and fathers (right or wrong). And the devil hath so sure possession for the present of them, he cares not for troubling them much with anything to their disturbance, <334> but if they be such as have been in any measure taken off from leaning on tradition, &c., and yet retain those principles, they easily close with such spirits [p.13] as forementioned, and that without any great turn or alteration. They are still but growing and going on upon the same bottom principles; whereas those that have been truly acquainted with the forementioned doctrine of the grace of God that brings salvation to all men, they cannot go out from their brethren in the acknowledgment of that grace to close with such spirits as forementioned; but they must first fundamentally recede from and renounce the fundamental principles that therein they have been instructed into (1 John 2:19) (as also hath appeared in some of them that I could mention) which they are not so rightly or easily persuaded to; yet through the retaining some lust or lusts, always reproved by that grace, too many even of such as have been going right on their way have been moved with distaste at the doctrine or instruments by which they are reproved, and then to listen to such as promise liberty or seem to close with them, or come in a way suitable to such lusts (whether more grossly worldly or more spiritually antichristian and ungodly) and yet pretend mortification too.
And truly, by such evil documents and principles, or by such divers lusts retained after the lifting up or magnifying something of self, this part of the Christian world, in my apprehension, is so prepared for such atheistical and antichristian principles, coming under forms of godliness, that there is very great likelihood of their spreading under one visor or another, especially considering the predictions concerning the latter days; therefore in the next place I have taken these pains.
3. Because I conceive the things discoursed of are very profitable and needful to be understood and diligently heeded by all Christians, especially in these days in which Satan with so much subtlety, and as an angel of light, and in his ministers as ministers of righteousness endeavors the undermining and subversion of the great things of God's law, in which are contained both the foundation and end of our faith and hope. And in such a case see the apostle's example (2 Cor. 11) and how he admonisheth Timothy (2 Tim. 2 & 3 total, & 4:1-6); yea, mind well how he propounds example, admonition and instruction to us (Phil. 3) when such as pretended circumcision, and so zeal, mortification, humility; and as Col. 2 yet endeavored to cut them off from Christ, to make faith in him void; he then beseecheth to be followers together of them, and mark them that walk so, as we have them for an example, who may be known and distinguished by the end of their conversation (which is, Jesus Christ yesterday, and today, and forever the same, Heb. 13:7-9), rather than by the particular acts simply, as [p.14] appears by what follows; therefore more need of a diligent and right consideration, that we <335> may know who we are to join and walk with as brethren, for there are many walk (then they are not sots, nor talkers only, but walkers also; zealous in conversation, as if they would not touch, taste or handle anything unclean) concerning whom the apostle had told them often, and did then tell them weeping (as intimating their hardness to receive his testimony and character of such spirits, which shows they were not such grossly appearing, and indeed if so, they had not been so dangerous to believers). They are, saith he, the enemies to the cross of Christ; their end (namely in their pretended walking or conversation) is destruction (even the marring the visage of the Son of Man, Isa. 52:14; the casting him down from his excellency, as in his testimony, and in the heart of the believer; and so the believer from his faith and hope in him, Ps. 62:3-4). Their design to overthrow the faith, to corrupt from the simplicity in Jesus, 2 Cor. 11; Gal. 1), and to that purpose serving and magnifying their belly, some light spirit or lust in them, some internal or external operations of them (as Col. 2, 1 Thess. 2:9-10) therein glorying in their shame, minding earthly things (as Jude 19) though under pretense of spirituality; but such as worship God in the Spirit and so are directed to walk as they have the apostles for an example, they think to have their rejoicing in Christ Jesus and have no confidence in the flesh; their conversation is in heaven, in Christ, their treasury there, from whence they look for him, the Savior, the Lord, who shall change their vile body, in that his appearing, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working of his mighty power, by which he is able even to subdue all things to himself. The Lord mercifully pardoning my unworthiness, afford his blessing with such weak endeavors that they may tend to his glory and the good of others, is the prayer of the most unworthy of all so favored of God.
From my house at Lynn, Aug. 15, 1655
Tho. Moore, junior
The charges framed by James Nayler, against Thomas Moore, after <336> the meeting at Mr. Wray's, the last of May 1655, and sent to the said Thomas Moore that evening, requiring answer to be returned in writing.
Charging the said Thomas Moore to have affirmed (in discourse with them that day) as follows:
That God is not manifest in the creature.
That none have their call to the ministry immediate, but mediate, only the apostles, but not Timothy,
That he had not the same testimony as the apostles had.
[p.2] That the Scriptures are the absolute rule and medium of faith.
That Paul saw Christ personally with his bodily eyes after his ascension.
That Nayler was a false witness, in saying that he had seen Christ.
That he (the said Moore) never saw Christ as Paul did.
That the benefit that drunkards have by Christ is that they enjoy that drink wherewith they are drunk.
That there is something which is not of God which teacheth the creature to deny sin.
1. That God is not manifest in the creature, I never said; but that God was not manifested in the flesh, in a full and absolute sense, in any natural son of Adam (in the time of this mortality) not so as he was manifested in that person, the only begotten Son of God, that is now received up into glory in the nature of man, in that one body.
2. To the next charge, that which I said was that Timothy did not receive his word, nor so his furniture to his service in the gospel, immediately from the person of Christ, as the first apostles, but mediately through their word, and by the evidence and demonstration of the Spirit therein (and for proof of this I brought that 2 Tim. 1:14-15 and 3:1-2, and 1 Tim. 4:14). And so all others for blessing on whose ministration our Savior prays, besides those first apostles that immediately received their word from him, are thus distinguished (John 17:10), "Them also which shall believe on me through their word."
3. That Timothy had not the same testimony as the apostles had, I said not, nor delivered anything in like expressions, nor do I understand by his expressions what he means, or would fasten upon me. If he mean that he had not the same that they had, I disown it; if he mean that he received it not in the same manner, it is spoken to and answered before.
4. That Paul was strengthened with his bodily eyes to behold the person of Christ after his ascension. To this I desire this be considered <337> (which I then propounded, though it could not be heard), Acts 9:7-8: "And the men which journeyed with him stood speechless, hearing a voice but seeing no man, and Saul arose from the earth, and when his eyes were opened he saw no man." Do not the verses together imply that immediately before his falling (at least) in that light shining about him he did see the [p.3] glorified body in the heavens (which might occasion his falling to the earth), even the man Christ Jesus, from whom the voice came, whom they saw not at all that were with him (though they heard a voice)? especially if we compare it with that 1 Cor. 15:8 where after he had said, "he was seen of James, then of all the apostles," he adds, "And last of all he was seen of me also, as of one born out of due time." I desire in the fear of God this may be considered: was he born out of due time to enjoy a spiritual appearance or discovery of him? or was he the last to whom he so appeared? Yea, is it not plain that he appeared to him last of all in the same manner as he had done to the other before? I stretch not my words, "in the same manner," further than to a personal appearance or visible demonstration of his person. And do they not say that their eyes had seen, that their hands had handled of that word of life, in such a sense as believers since had not seen? compare 1 John 1:1-2 with 1 Pet. 1:8, John 20:19. (Whence Paul to prove himself an apostle saith, "Have I not seen the Lord?"—1 Cor. 9:1.)
5. That Nayler was a false witness in saying that he had seen Christ. To this I answer:
That Nayler would not suffer me to speak out what I was about to say, as to that and other things, all will bear me witness; yet I suppose I at first said, and I am sure did after explicate my saying thus, that if he had said he had seen Christ as Paul did, in the same manner, or (I might say also) received the word in the same manner, immediately from the person of Christ, which was the thing reasoned about, then he was a false witness.
For they were the apostles last in that respect (1 Cor. 4:9), Paul the last of them, to whom he so appeared (as before), 1 Cor. 15:8.
That he might have seen Christ after another manner of demonstration (which in this immediate revelation was not wanting but more abundant to them also) I will not deny, yea, that he yet in some sense, and at this time might (through the Spirit's demonstration of him in his words), for many see and hate (as those John 15:24).
6. That I never saw Christ in the same manner that Paul and the rest of the apostles did with their bodily eyes, I own; yet not having so seen, I desire to love him, even that person, and to wait for his second appearing (as those 1 Pet. 1:3,7-8; 1 Thess. 1:9-10).
7. That the benefit drunkards have by Christ is that they enjoy that <338> drink with which they are drunk. That that is the benefit, I said not, but one of the benefits. And they enjoy many more, and all to a saving tendency, and not to abuse them, which is the thing that makes them benefits, and [p.4] their condemnation great in abusing such benefits, which (as then more fully explicated) was the answer given to their querying what benefits drunkards had by Christ.
8. That everything that teaches to deny sin is not the true light; many false principles and lights teach to deny many sins, as that which teaches to establish a righteousness of a man's own; yea, the wisdom of the flesh teacheth to deny many lusts of the flesh. And having thus fully answered, I desire him to answer and prove:
1) That God is manifested in his flesh, and how?
2) That no wicked man hath any benefit by Christ, nor any man till he can witness Christ in him?
3) Whether the writings of the prophets and apostles be a dead letter?
4) Whether Christ be anything that beareth our sins in us as the propitiation, yea or no? Which things, if he asserted not let others witness.
On review of their paper next day I find another charge, which truly I slipped over unawares in my answer to it the last night, viz.:
That the Scriptures are the absolute rule and medium of faith. To this I answer, viz.:
That which I said to this, I am sure was with this clause, "according to which it is begotten and regulated," which I suppose they wittingly leave out, for it was oft urged, on their cavilling at it. And for proof and demonstration of the sense of what I affirmed, as to that I propounded that John 7:38: "He that believeth on me as the Scripture hath said," and that Acts 10:43: "To him give all the prophets witness, that through his name whosoever believeth in him," &c. I had then spoken further to that, if I had not been taken off in the midst by Nayler, with a reproach for bringing those scriptures as parallel, and derision at the thing thereby signified, that the name of Christ, and so of God in him, through and according to which faith in him is begotten, is declared in the Scriptures.
To this I further add (Prov. 22:19-20), "That thy trust may be in the Lord, I have made known to thee this day even to thee, have I not written to thee excellent things?" with Ps. 19:7-8, "The law, or doctrine of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul; the testimony of the [p.5] Lord is sure, making wise the simple," &c., with these compare 2 Tim. 3:15-17, "The holy Scriptures" (which he had known from a <339> child) "are able to make thee wise to salvation, through faith which is in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for all doctrine, reproof, instruction in righteousness," &c.
And if I had also said that they are, as left on record for us, a perfect and absolute means through which faith is begotten and nourished, I do not therein deny other means God useth for discovery of Christ or of his goodness that is in and through him, or the usefulness of them, or God's teaching by them, only say as that Ps. 19: the law, or doctrine of the Lord, as compared with all other means is perfect, or absolute. But that which I said was as before, and was thus expressed, and in this saying as follows:
Though the Scriptures be the absolute and perfect medium or rule, according to which faith is begotten and regulated, yet Jesus Christ himself as declared in them is made the foundation and bottom of it, as well as the object of it, in whom the Father is believed in, as John 12:44,46, with chap. 5:23-24; in him it centers and about him is exercised, even him that Jesus of Nazareth, &c., the same that was reproached by them as a figure, and one by whom many men have no benefit.
These answers to their charges are as they were, the first of them, sent to them, and the other left for them (as before) unless in the addition of a quotation or two, and of some words of the Scriptures quoted, and some little filling up of a phrase (then in haste omitted, now added) in some places to render the answers given the more understandable to them also, that were not at the meeting.
The things in these answers briefly spoken to are most of them more fully and largely spoken to in the following answers to James Nayler's letter, especially those about God's being manifested in the flesh and Paul's enjoyment of a visible demonstration of that person in which he was so manifested after his being received up into glory. That also about the Scriptures, and the difference between Paul's and Timothy's receipt of their word, and so their furniture to their ministry, is spoken to again in the said answer, but more fully in the answer to the queries I received from others of them, which are after that inserted; likewise what benefits or blessings are prepared for men in Christ, even in the just for the unjust, for such as are wicked or rebellious, that through him they might be brought back to God, as Ps. 68:18 with 1 Pet. 3:18. And how all his benefits with which he daily loads them in his forbearances, not presently cutting them off or executing judgment on them in their rebellions, but waiting [p.6] that he may be gracious, and in all the streams of his grace in continuing and renewing his mercies; adding also, sometimes favorable, sometimes more sharp chastisements or judgments, and in his vouchsafing in and with all the supernatural influences of the light and <340> power of his Spirit, and so bringing in all means, the testimony of Jesus, or of God's goodness, so as through him, nigh to them in their hearts, enlightening in the discovery of God's goodness and Christ's preciousness for sinners, and the necessity of being found in him and washed by him; and therein reproving of the vanity of these idols, the evil of their ways, &c., in such wise and to such end that therein these instructions and reproofs of instruction might be received, through such his grace bringing salvation to them (though not by any such light or power as they speak of, that is an indwelling principle in them). I say how all these benefits are salvation (as 2 Pet. 3:9,15; Isa. 30:18; Ps. 68:19-20), even springing out of the bowels and virtues of that salvation wrought in Christ for them; and themselves such salvations as in which Jesus Christ in the name of the Father, and as the ends and virtues of his cross, is saving men, not only from the poison and destructiveness of the first death (that is abolished by him), but also from those judgments being poured out in fury to their cutting off, that might daily bring forth, according to the rule of the gospel, involving under a second death; yea, they have all tendency and aptness in them to lead to farther and special salvation, by and through Christ. The grace of the truth comes forth to save men, and so as they may be saved by it, however men by observing lying vanities deprive themselves of their own mercies, and so their table, their welfare, becomes a snare and a trap to them (as John 3:17-19 and 12:47-48; 2 Thess. 2:10; Jonah 2:8; Ps. 69:22). This also I say is further spoken to in the following answers, and particularly in the conclusion of the answer to the queries forementioned, in answer to a like reproach of the grace of God in Christ to manward, in the conclusion of those queries. But more fully in that book entitled Mercies for Men.
To that, that many false principles or lights teach to deny many sins, there is nothing added directly to it in the following answers, though James gave some occasion for it in his letter, yet in the answer to that I waived it, partly because he corrupted and skewed my sayings, so as to render them absurd, in his renewing of his charge there, with reference to what was written in answer to that charge at first, as may be seen in comparing that charge to his letter following, with my said former answer forementioned (which is word for word as it was sent to him), so that he therein fights with his own shadow. And partly because I would not [p.7] draw out that answer to a greater length, having been large in it, to the opening of things more fundamental. But it being waived there, I shall here add a word or two to it (yet with brevity for like reasons as before).
1. In his said letter, himself fully signifies that even that spiritual wickedness which teacheth to deny God, &c., may yet teach and lead to <341> deny some lesser yet grosser evils, even so to deny as to leave or forsake such gross evils as drunkenness, swearing, &c. Surely therein, he acknowledgeth that such spiritual wickedness teacheth to deny some sins, unless he mean that those gross evils of drunkenness, swearing, &c., be no sins; I am indeed ready to suppose them to be of that number that judge no act or practice as drunkenness, swearing, adultery, &c., to be in itself sinful, but to him that judgeth it so, or not otherwise sinful in them than it is open, gross, and so scandalous, and striking against their being satisfied in their spiritual covetousness and adultery, in beguiling unstable souls (of which their minds are full, as 2 Pet. 2:14: "For it is a shame to speak of those things that are done and allowed by some of them in secret" (as Eph. 5:12). But if this be his meaning, that drunkenness, swearing, &c., are not in themselves sins or sinful (as is fully signified in his expressions in the said letter, where he saith, that which taught me to leave some gross evils without, &c., and after mentions drunkenness and swearing, yet doth it not therein teach to deny sin, but to deny God, &c.). I say, if this be his meaning, why doth he call them evils, and gross evils too, if not sins, or sinful? I leave him with his contradictions. But,
2. The Holy Ghost instructeth us, "That all evil or unrighteousness is sin" (1 John 5:17). "For sin is the transgression of the law" (1 John 3:4), so that by the law (which saith, "Thou shalt not lust," &c.) is the knowledge of sin (Rom. 7:7 and 3:19-20; 1 Tim. 1:9-10). And yet also that touching the righteousness which is in the law, Paul was blameless, while yet he had not received the true light but was a furious enemy to Jesus Christ (Phil. 3:6). As the Jews whose zeal was yet a zeal of God (though not according to knowledge, as Rom. 10:2), and against many sins (even such sins as for which "The wrath of God comes upon the children of disobedience"), as adultery, John 8:4-5, and abuse of the creatures in drunkenness and gluttony, as appears in their false charging our Savior with such things (Matt. 11:19), yea they were men much for fasting, mortification and holiness (Matt. 9:14; Luke 18:11; John 5:18). And so were the false apostles and teachers that came among the Christians after (Col. 2:16,18,21,23; 2 Cor. 11) and yet thereto moved and guided by that false light or principle and spirit in them, which indeed was darkness, and did therein pursue such ends as the establishing a righteousness of their own, and sometimes [p.8] also, that they might appear to men to be just, temperate, holy, &c., in pursuance of which end they were also more in appearance than in truth, and large in their boastings, proclaiming every man his own goodness, yea sometimes as in the last mentioned chiefly, they herein pursued this as the main end, in and with the former, that they might the more powerfully insinuate themselves into <342> the minds of such as were going right on their way to the corrupting them from the simplicity that is in Jesus, destroying their faith and hope in Christ, beguiling them of their reward, &c. This the end of their walking (Phil. 3:18-19; 2 Cor. 11) and of their voluntary humility and neglecting of the body, &c. (Col. 2:18,23), yet many of the things they denied and abstained from, from such principles and to such ends, were sins and sinful, and many of the works they did and pressed others to in themselves good. Whence our Savior saith to his disciples "All that they" (namely as sitting in Moses' seat, and urging the things required in the law, and admonishing of the evils reproved in it) "bid you observe, that observe and do, but after their works do not," for two reasons. First, "They say and do not"; secondly, "The works they do," in which is signified, they also do something good and commendable and abstain from some evils, though short of their sayings, but even that which they do is to an evil end, yet as to their apprehension and according to the judgment of others, that can judge but according to outward appearance, they many of them have attained perfection in the denying and mortifying of not some but all sins, some things they do from such false principles, deny and abstain from, that are indeed sins and sinful; and those may be done to many of them in their account and apprehensions, all sins, or at least they are not sensible of those greater sins they live in and glory off, as appears also in these spirits we have to do with.
Observe what follows:
Moved of the Lord to write this to the chiefest of those called by the name of Manifestarians, in and about Boston and Lynn, that if they will grant to this, which is hereafter laid down, we will try our God these ways, as the servant of the Lord tried Baal's prophets and their god by sacrifice, without fire, &c. So I am freely willing made by the Lord to try and prove your proud boasting spirit, [p.9] by these particulars, as is hereafter propounded and expressed.
First, that the chiefest of you grant to go abroad with me, where I shall be led to preach the word for two weeks together.
Secondly, that you and I eat no food, as outward bread and flesh, nor any outward victualling, provided by any man, or creature for that time, nor drink either beer, ale, or wine, nor partake of any other outward thing, except a little spring water; and that neither you nor I look upon any book all that time seen with a visible eye.
<343> Thirdly, that for two weeks time we have meetings every day (or every other day), one week for the first amongst those called Manifestarians (and others as the Lord shall please) and I be permitted amongst them to speak the word of the Lord, and each other day he that joins with me herein to speak also; and he shall permitted be, if he dare say and by the Spirit of truth affirm that he hath anything to speak immediately from the mouth of the Lord; he shall I say be then permitted to speak one day as I do another (or part of each) one week amongst those called Manifestarians and others, that the Lord shall lead unto (and no outward help, neither meat, drink nor book, as aforesaid) and another week amongst those that the world scornfully calleth by the nickname of Quakers.
And lastly, that for the two weeks time he part not from me day nor night, that he receive no more outward help than I do.
And this way of trial I have freely from the Lord expressed. And then it must be acknowledged after all this that the only true God upholds by his power in those things, by all that knows him and his power; and I dare trust him, and do in obedience to the Lord, upon this proffer, challenge any Manifestarians, so called, or the highest notionary priest, or other priest, or Baptist, Dipper, or Sprinkler with outward water, in Lincolnshire or in any part of England.
Do not call this a temptation nor a boasting (for it is not fleshly), but if you will try your spirit and God this way, try him, and whether Spirit and God doth thus uphold without the help of man, &c., let him be acknowledged to be the Lord, that Spirit (2 Cor. 3:17) and the only true God. And that which fails, let him be accounted the god of the world, that blinds the minds of people which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, which is the image of God, should shine unto them (2 Cor. 4 and 3rd and 4th verses). And for that spirit of darkness that puffs them up with vainglory, pride, and conceits.
And if the said Manifestarians, &c., so called, refuse to do according [p.10] to this which is here written from the Spirit of the Lord, let them cease their vain contentions and fleshly boasting and fleshly disputings also of other men's words, and let them cease their preaching in their wills, whereby they seek their own glory. And come down thou that in thy brain-knowledge art exalted, and sit in the dust and submit to that of God in thy conscience; I command and charge thee in the presence of the Lord, as thou wilt answer it before him, lest for thy disobedience and rebellion the Lord meet thee as a bear bereaved of her whelps and tear thee to pieces, and none be able to deliver thee out of his hands.
This way which is before made known will not appear fleshly, but clear contrary to the flesh and the fleshly man, yet though it do, the <344> spiritual man, that witnesseth with (the Spirit's ministers, or) the ministers of Christ and of God, did approve themselves (in ways contrary to the world) both in much patience and also in afflictions, and in necessities, and in distresses, and in stripes, and imprisonments, in tumults, in labors, in watchings, and in fastings, &c. They therein approved themselves as the ministers of God (2 Cor. 6:4-5, &c.). And this way will be contrary to the world; for the world never did so, neither can the world's nature endure it now. Then it will be miraculous, and so a miracle of grace, and the gracious working of the divine power of God, to uphold and furnish therein.
To this expressed and expressly send me your answer with speed, either to Thomas Killams at Balby or to Edward Muglinstons at Swanington in Leicestershire, or else cease your boasting, lay down your crown of vainglory, and fall under the judgment of the Just and bend your necks under the yoke. Let that in the conscience me answer, and flesh be thou silent hereafter.
Written from the Spirit of the Lord, in (and by) the
servant of the Lord, and also witnessed with my
hand, who am known to the world by the name
Richard Farnworth
The latter end of the third month (55)
For the chiefest of those called Manifestarians, in or about Boston and Lynn, these are to be delivered with care.
[p.11]
Though I know not any called Manifestarians nor what manner of persons they apply that name to, nor take myself at all included in their challenge by any of those names inserted, yet the paper being sent to me, lest they be wise in their own conceit or take occasion from our silence to glory before the weak, and for others' good I shall give this brief answer.
1. In their expressions to try our Gods, whether spirit and God be the true one, &c, they intimately acknowledge that they do not own or worship the same God that I did confess before them, which indeed I believe, though they then endeavored to hide it from the people.
2. I thank God I am not wavering in my thoughts, whether that God, that Lord, that Spirit which I then confessed be the only true and living God, for though there be that are called gods, whether in heaven or in earth (as there be gods many, and lords many), yet to us (that through his grace have been helped in any measure truly to know him that is true, to behold him and enjoy union with him by faith in his Son) there is but one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by him, and one <345> Spirit of God proceeding from Father and Son. All others are idols, which we are to keep ourselves from (1 Cor. 8:5-6; 1 John 5:20-21) and not to listen to any spirit that shall move us to inquire after any other god save the Lord (Deut. 12:30, &c. and 13:1,3; Matt. 24:23,26; Luke 17:23-24 and chap. 21:8 with 1 John 5:20-21). That is the true God and eternal life that did appear and was manifested in that one person of God and man, which was a man approved of God among them that yet received him not (Acts 2:22), and so the kingdom of heaven was said to be among them while he was with them in person and personal ministration, and so also in them in the spiritual influences thereof, striving and working in and with them for acceptance, the word being made nigh them in the preaching of it (Luke 17:20-21; Rom. 10:6,8, &c.), which person in whom only the fullness of the Godhead dwells bodily, was after to be taken from them personally. And then even his disciples should desire to see one of his days (namely that of his second appearing) and should not see it until they, and we that look for him, shall enjoy it together (Luke 17:22-23, ult.): "Then shall he swallow up death in victory, and wipe away all tears, and take away the rebuke of his people. In that day it shall be said, Lo, this is our God, and we have waited for him; we will be glad and rejoice in his salvation." Isa, 25:7-9: "For who is God save the [p.12] Lord, and who is a rock, save our God?" (2 Sam. 22:32). Therefore I shall wholly refuse any challenge on these terms, "to try our gods," &c.
3. The things they require are contrary to what the Lord requireth of us, by which also I know they were not thereto moved of the Lord, as they pretend.
1) They require me to follow, or go with them, where they shall be led for two weeks together, &c. Whereas we are only to follow the Lamb whithersoever he goes, which cannot stand with such an engagement to follow any other spirit whether he may be led, &c; yea we are expressly admonished to "mark such as cause divisions contrary to the doctrine which we have learned in the word of the truth of the gospel" (compare Rom. 16:17 with Col. 1:5 and 1 Cor. 15:1,4) "and to avoid them, for they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ but their own belly," their lust, will, or spirit, or the light in them, which is darkness whatever it be if it spring not from the person of Christ as declared in the gospel, who is even so the true light; they magnify not Jesus but themselves, in the internal or external operations of their own spirits. "And by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple," under pretense and show of godliness; they deny the power and root of godliness, are the enemies to the cross of Christ, his personal sufferings, and the only virtuousness of them for the taking away our sin, <346> and the love and glory of God as appearing in that face of him. This they seek to undermine and slight under pretense of magnifying Christ in them, glorying therein, in that which is their shame, their internal proof of the mystery of iniquity, with power and signs, and with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish from the faith, for in them only it hath efficacy (Phil. 3:17-18; 2 Thess. 2:9-11); from such I say we are straitly admonished of the Lord to turn away; 2 Tim. 3:5: "If any man love not the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be anathema maranatha" (1 Cor. 16:22). If any pretend to acknowledge Christ and yet lift not up, praise not, magnify not above all, and unto and for all things pertaining to life and godliness, the Son of Man, Jesus Christ, as now already come in the flesh, and through sufferings entered into glory for us, as the only ground and foundation of our faith and matter of our rejoicing, and song to others, and fountain of our teaching, that is that spirit of antichrist not to be followed; it's indeed not only against Christ but his most pernicious enemy, being a contrary anointing from which we are to fly, at least as soon as we perceive it in any, as Prov. 14:7: "Go from the presence of a foolish man, when thou perceivest not in him the lips of knowledge" [p.13] which I oft after hearing some of their discourse declared, and as I could get liberty thus demonstrated, I perceived not to be in them, but the lip of a contrary anointing, and yet they are tempting me to follow after them, a company, and go with them night and day, though they know such are my apprehensions concerning them. "Now whether it be right in the sight of God that I shall obey God or them in this, let others judge"; yea, I will in the strength of God's grace observe the directions of the great Shepherd when any shall say, "Lo here, or lo there is Christ," either in this form of church or state government, or in this order, or as these in the secret chambers, in some internal operations, as found and accomplished in them (in such manner as we cannot discern it unless we lay aside all that knowledge of God in Christ we have received through and according to his word, as fleshly, to go after them) "appearing the second time without sin unto salvation," and accomplishing that rest and hope of glory and perfection now, in and upon them, which we through the Spirit wait for to be revealed in the resurrection of the dead, when we shall all be gathered together to it (which, and more to that purpose, was Nayler's and Farnworth's witness concerning themselves); we are, I say, expressly admonished then not to go after such, and that for this reason, in which we are fortified against their juggling. That the coming of the Son of Man, that day of his second appearing in the glory of his Father and with his holy angels, should certainly be as the lightning from the one end of the heaven to the other, at once accomplished to them altogether, and visible to every eye, even to those that shall <347> weep and wail because of it (Matt. 24:26-27; Luke 17:22-24; Rev. 1:7). "Therefore if a prophet or dreamer of dreams should tell us of a sign or a wonder, and that also should come to pass" (as we know antichrist shall come with signs and wonders in the latter days) to move us to turn aside from following the Lord, or to inquire after another God, or to take us off from our waiting for his Son from heaven, whom he hath raised from the dead, we will not hearken to them nor go in company with such wicked men, as Deut. 13:1-3 and 28:14; Ps. 1:1-3.
2) They require me to eat no food, &c. Whereas our Savior bids his disciples, even those great apostles who were to give forth the last and fullest revelation of the gospel, for obedience to the faith among all nations, which was in that first publication of it to be confirmed with miracles by them also, even then when he gives them power in his name to heal the sick, &c., yet then he bids them twice together, eat and drink such things as they give and set before them among whom they were preaching (Luke 10:7-8). And the apostle Paul tells Timothy, they are [p.14] "doctrines of devils," that command to "abstain from meats, which God hath created to be received, and that with thanksgiving, of them that believe and know the truth," &c. (1 Tim. 4:3). I shall therefore answer them as our Savior doth the devil in a like case, "It is written, thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God."
3. They require me to lay aside all books, &c., the holy Scriptures not excepted. Whereas the Holy Ghost tells us he hath therefore written to us excellent things that so our trust may be in the Lord; and we may have those words, as written and left in record for and to us, to answer all that are sent to us (Prov. 22:17,11), and commends to us the example of a better preacher than any of them, in this, that he sought out acceptable (safe, profitable, and plain) words for the people and in his search found that which was written was upright words of truth (Eccl. 12:10-11), and renders it as part of the character of a godly man, he exerciseth himself in the law (or doctrine of the Lord) both day and night (Ps. 1:2), yea the same Holy Spirit commands Timothy to give attendance to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine, to meditate on and give himself wholly to these things, and in so doing study to show himself approved, a workman that needs not be ashamed (1 Tim. 4 and 2:15). But these spirits lay their commands upon us, not so much as to look on them in the records left us in books neither night nor day. A notable piece of policy. For if they can but keep us from going to the law and to the testimony, with their internal light or power they boast of, we may the easilier be mistaken in it and led to follow those that peep and mutter, as Isa. 8:18,20, that tell a vision out of their own heart and not out of the mouth of the Lord (Jer. 23:16,31; Ezek. 13:2-3) and yet say, <348> He saith, that think to make God's people forget his name by their dreams which they tell every one to his brother or neighbor. But how do they say, "We are wise, and the law of the Lord is with us," or "in us," when as lo in this it appears the making of it is in vain to them, "The pen of the scribe is in vain" (Jer. 8:8).
4) They prohibit me to speak the word of God, unless I dare insolently boast that I have anything to speak immediately. I suppose he means, unless I have that thing immediately which I would speak, and doth not mean that I should so have it as to speak it immediately too, for they themselves speak not immediately but use their tongues, when they say "He saith," as Jer. 23:31, but against that their meaning I am strengthened and admonished by God in those instructions to Timothy, "Hold fast the form of sound words, which thou hast heard of me," &c. And yet been also assured of by the Holy Ghost mediately in that hearing of faith (2 Tim. 1:13-14 and 3:14-15). "The things thou hast heard of me [p.15] among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men who shall be able to teach others also" (chap. 2:2). And professeth to be filled with joy when he calls to remembrance the unfeigned faith in him which dwelt first in his grandmother, then in his mother, by whom he was educated from a child in the knowledge of the holy Scriptures, which are able to make him wise to salvation through faith, which is in Christ Jesus. And thereupon also puts him in remembrance to stir up the gift of God that was in him mediately, by the putting on of his hands, &c. (2 Tim. 1:5-8 with chap. 3:14-15, like to that 1 Tim. 4:14). Neglect not the gift that is in thee, which was given thee by prophecy with the laying on of the hands of the Presbytery; yea, our Savior prays for blessings on their ministration to the world's end, and only on theirs; besides the first apostles, that received their word immediately from himself, I say, besides them, only on theirs, that through their word or doctrine should believe on him.
And by these I know he was not moved to this challenge by the Spirit of the true God, God in Christ, not only the nature and end of the challenge being to try our gods, but also all the things required in it being so contrary to all his instructions and requirings, whose "kingdom is not divided against itself." God is one; but that one only true God that hath revealed himself in his Son, so that he that seeth the Son, in and according to the testimony God hath given of him, he therein and so far seeth the Father (John 12:44-46) in whose face God hath shined in our hearts, the light of the knowledge of his glory. He that is our God, and according to our weak measure hath been acknowledged by us, is not their God, or rock, themselves in this paper being witnesses (as Deut. 32:31).
Written from Bolingbrook, 7 June, 1655
Tho. Moore, Jr.
<349>Elias' way of trying Baal, &c, we need not for trying and discovering them, because God, who in sundry manners spake in times past to the fathers by the prophets, hath now spoken to us in these last days by his Son, &c. And we ought to give earnest heed to the things we have heard, which have been spoken by the Lord himself, and confirmed by them that heard him, God having borne them witness with signs, miracles, &c., which were the first and full publishers of that last dispensation; nothing more is to be added or altered, therefore no sign to be looked for, for [p.16] the confirmation of that, so confirmed, only the sign of the prophet Jonah, the cross of Christ, and the demonstration of the Spirit in and with it left for continuance to the world's end; other signs and wonders for confirmation of what he speaks, only the spirit of antichrist shall come within these last days, but we are not to follow them; for if they have Moses and the prophets and will not hear them, neither will they believe if one should rise from the dead.
To that of the apostles approving themselves in necessities and fastings, &c., it appears they were not willful or voluntary fastings, or macerating of their bodies (as in those false spirits, Col. 2:18,23) in which they so approved themselves; for then they had been no necessities, but such as necessarily came on them for the gospel sake, or in following after the Spirit.
There is in this copy of the answer a little abbreviation in the relation of Nayler's witness concerning himself, as also in the explication of Luke 17:22,13, &c., of what was sent them, because the same things are more fully spoken to in the answer to James Nayler's letter, which follows.
By the indwelling of God, and in his presence, I do bear testimony against thy antichristian doctrine, preached by thee Thomas Moore before many people, which I did then bear witness against whilst I had liberty of the place, and do still before all men, that thou art out of the doctrine of Christ and his faith, who deniest God in his saints, which is the promise of God and of Christ, and that which the apostles preached and witnessed to, and exhorted to wait for, which thou pleadest against and wouldst bring Paul for thy proof, who never preached such a doctrine after he knew God, but said, "Know you not that your bodies are the temples of the living God? as he hath said I will dwell <350> in you and walk in you"; and "you are the temple of God, and the temple of God is holy, which temple you are, and if any defile this temple, him will God destroy" (2 Cor. 6:16; John 14:20; 1 Cor. 3:16-17, &c, and 6:19-20). And "Christ in us the hope of glory," and "Christ in you, except ye be reprobates." Which thou saidst was not God in us, plainly showing thou never knew him nor see him, for who [p.17] hath seen the Son hath seen the Father also; and he that hath them not hath not life; so death speak in thee, who deniest the living God and the Lord that bought thee, and that is the spirit of antichrist, who denies Christ to be come in the flesh, as thou didst, and many more of thy disciples, who, when I witnessed him come again (since his ascension) without sin to salvation, you could not receive it, but took it in writing as matter of accusation against me, showing what generation you are of, such as ever sought accusation against the Son of God where he is manifest to salvation, but who are ignorant of his salvation, could never bear the confession of his name.
And when I confessed the flesh of Christ your carnal reason stormed at it like the blind Jews, saying, "How could I have his flesh in me?" which one of you after confessed to, when he saw the letter declared of it, so that further than your carnal reason can read in the letter you will not believe. What a generation would you have been, had you lived in the times of the apostles? who preached down circumcision, temple, and sacrifices without, such things as the letter said should continue forever, yet they preached them down without, and confirmed them within in Spirit, which is the ground and bottom of all, and in which all must end. And that the word which became flesh, which is ascended, they knew to be the bread of life which they broke and fed on, who was their rule and mediator. But the ground of your faith is seen, and what testimony you bear, who say the Scripture is the absolute rule and medium of faith, as thou, Thomas Moore, didst before the people. And when I asked thee if God could not give faith without it, then thou wast forced to deny what thou hadst said. But such doctrine as this thou makest people believe, who are ignorant and not able to try thy spirit. Oh shame with thy preaching! If the Scripture be the absolute rule and medium, then Christ is not the absolute rule, unless thou say the Scripture is Christ. And thus thou not knowing Christ to rule thee, thou settest the letter in his stead for the rule of faith. But of Abraham's faith, thou art not, nor knows it, who had an absolute rule before the Scripture was. But this doctrine excludes all from faith who have not the letter; so thou that art a minister of the letter preachest another rule and faith than ever any of Christ's ministers preached, who preached the word and faith in the heart of them to <351> whom they preached, and Christ in them, who is the absolute rule and ground of faith; and the law written in their hearts, and the Spirit of Truth their rule and guide into all truth, and the light in their hearts, which gave them [p.18] the knowledge of God and his glory, which never was known by the letter without; and Christ saith, the kingdom of God is within you, which the Pharisees durst not deny (Rom. 10:8; Heb. 8:10-11; John 16:13; 2 Cor. 4:6; Luke 17:20-21). But thou art more brazened against the truth and wouldst exclude God out of his kingdom and persuade all thou canst not to look for him within, but without, lo here, lo there. But Christ saith, Go not forth to such teachers; and thou art found to be one of those he forewarned of, and in that work he foretold of, which is against him, and with the same Spirit thou art seen to be an enemy to his appearance, who is the eternal life of his people, which is not without the knowledge of God in his temple; for death reigns in the creature where God is not present, and this word of reconciliation thou withstands, and all that are led by thee will have cause to curse thee when it is too late, and time is spent to no purpose, and the day of visitation passed over.
And from the immediate call, which I witness, wherewith I am called, I do testify against thy false doctrine, who denies that any have been immediately called since Christ ascended, only those who saw him bodily upon earth; and when I instanced Paul, thou saidst, he saw Christ personally with his bodily eyes, when he was called. And when I said, then must he be come personally again since he ascended; then thou saidst, Paul was in heaven, and saw him there with bodily eyes, when the Scripture saith, he was fallen to the earth, and saw no man (with his bodily eyes), being blind three days; and such confused stuff thou utteredst forth to uphold thy lies, wherewith thou keepest blind people in Babylon, but with the light thou art comprehended, thy ground, root, offspring and end, praised be our Redeemer forever, and in thy paper thou tellest of his seeing Christ after the same manner the other apostles did. Then must it either be bodily upon earth, or the other went bodily into heaven to be called, both which are yet unproved by plain Scripture. And thy implying is no ground for me to believe that which I know is a lie; and here thou art found preaching another gospel, which no plain Scripture will warrant, and all that know God in them sees thee accursed, and thy antichristian doctrine, who denies the Father and the Son, and fellowship with them, who hath spoken to his people in all ages, and does at this day, where the ear is circumcised, but the serpent's seed could never hear him, whose ears are open to that wisdom, yet canst thou not be content to speak thy own condition, but in thy busy mind wouldst exclude others, and this is <352> thy work, to shut up the kingdom, and deceive the nations that are without; but we [p.19] are entered, and the Elect is witnessed which cannot be deceived; and we know him that is in us, and we in him; only they who will not own the light, such are made to be deceived, and over such only hast thou dominion for a season. But thy time is coming to an end, that makes thy rage great. And thou art forced to utter what testimony thou bearest, such as none of Christ's ever preached, that God is not known in his people: is this thy word of reconciliation? And to what must they be reconciled if not to God? And how must they all be taught of God, if they must never hear his voice more? But thy ministry begets not such children nor such sheep thou knows not, but opposes, who have seen him and heard him, such thou callest false witnesses, so thou appearest to be a witness to that which thou hast never seen, and many such witnesses there are in the nation, who preach up separation instead of reconciliation, which pains might be spared amongst them you preach to (all having that by nature) but that the devil fears his kingdom, which is only upholden by ignorance of God in his people, whose eyes are blinded; but whose eyes are open and have seen him, bear witness of him, and what we have seen and heard, we declare against all false witnesses, who have naught but by hearsay from others, who have eyes and see not, ears and hear not, a heart that doth not understand, who knows not the spiritual man, his eyes and ears, and so judge of God to be like themselves, as thy companion did say that God had neither eye, nor ear, nor heart, and thus with your carnal imaginations you will judge of the eternal God. A nest of blasphemers, who are blind and deaf, and would make God like you; read the Scriptures, ye blind guides, if ever any gave the like testimony of God as you do; against you do I bear testimony, who knows the eyes of the Lord to be over the righteous, and his ears open to their prayers, but the imaginations of the wicked grieve him at the heart (1 Pet. 3:12; Gen. 6:5-6). And thy false doctrine I deny, who said there is something which is not of God which teacheth to deny sin; and to prove it, thou saidst, something teacheth to deny sin and establish self-righteousness; where thou showest thy sottishness who wouldst make people believe that to set up a greater evil by denying a lesser is a denying of sin; this is thy own teaching and practice, but we know that which teacheth to deny one sin teacheth to deny all sin, and this is of God alone; but that which teacheth to set up self-righteousness denies not sin but establisheth it, as that which taught thee to leave some gross evils without, that thou the better mayest be believed when thou deniest the kingdom of God within, and the knowledge of God in his saints; for the devil knows [p.20] it's in vain <353> for drunkards, swearers, &c., to preach this doctrine, yet doth not this teach to deny sin, but to deny God and set up darkness in his seat, and this is spiritual wickedness in heavenly places, which is sin above all others. And thou that sayest thou hast not the same call the apostles had, nor the same testimony, hast thy call from another, whom thou never saw, and bears the testimony of antichrist, against such as have seen Christ, and withstands his appearance in his saints, and art of that spirit who denies Christ come in the flesh, and that is the spirit of antichrist, which ever withstood his appearance in his people, and would divide him from his body and shut God out of his kingdom. Now do not say this is railing, as you use to do, for it is truth, as many can witness, and much more of thy false tenets, which may be declared against in word or writing, which those two days thou uttered before many witnesses as opportunity served.
Also consider if thou dealt like a Christian in slandering us with burglary and breaking into the house, when we was sent for many miles to give you a meeting (as far as I know) at your desires, and I had free liberty to come into the house from the owner, with all other friends, nor did we resist his commands in departing (though we were unwilling to leave the work, so much desired by the people). And this can John Wray witness against thee, if he will, however the thing is true in the sight of God, and we are free from burglary, or breaking his house, but out of envy wouldst thou cast this upon us, as that in thy conscience shall one day witness, though now through subtlety and disobedience thou be seared and blinded, and wouldst blind others also. But blessed be Israel's light by which we see thee and all the blind leaders who undertake in their own wills, and for self-ends, to lead to him they never saw nor heard.
J. N.
James Nayler, I expected before this a direct answer in writing to the paper I sent thee, which also you told me and others you had finished, and when you had taken a copy of it, it should be sent, but by a letter received from thee since I perceive your mind is altered; it seems the spirit by which you are immediately guided sometimes puts you upon that which on better consideration you refuse to obey him in. Till I have your answer to that I might reasonably have waived this, yet lest I should not have such another occasion from you to deal plainly with you, I return this answer to thy [p.21] letter. Not he that commendeth himself is approved, but whom the Lord commendeth. And the Lord commendeth not but bears testimony against that man, and will in due <354> time cut him off (he so persisting) that loveth and maketh a lie (Rev. 22:15), either in openly or privily slandering his neighbor (Ps. 101:5,7-8 and 50:19,22 and 52), or in preaching another Jesus, which the apostles have not preached, moving us to listen to or receive another spirit, which we have not received in the hearing of faith, or another gospel, which we have not accepted, nor the apostles which have spoken to us in the name of the Lord delivered, whether they do this by word or spirit, or letter, as from them, perverting the gospel of Christ to introduce another doctrine (as 2 Cor. 11:1-4; Gal. 2; 2 Thess. 2:2). And wherein thou hast done both these in thy letter, I shall declare whether thou wilt hear or forbear, as I am admonished and strengthened of God (according to that Ezek, 2:4-7; Jer. 23:28-29, &c.; Rev. 22:10-12 to the end).
First, thou hast loved and made these lies and slanders of me and others, and after conviction of the most of them to be such yet persistest to manage them.
1. That I deny God in his saints.
2. That I deny Christ being in them, mentioned Col. 1:27, 2 Cor. 13:5, to be God's being in them.
3. That I said Paul was in heaven when he saw the person of Christ.
4. That God is not known in his people.
5. That I said I had not the same testimony the apostles had.
6. That I charged you with burglary and breaking into the house.
7. That any of my companions should say that God had neither eyes, nor ears, nor heart.
8. That Mr. Wray commanded you to depart his house, with divers more, as that I was forced by thee to deny what I had said about the Scriptures and other such slanders almost in every mention of anything as my sayings, in thy letter; and that thou mayest acknowledge these to be falsities and slanders of thy own loving and making. If thy conscience be not wholly seared, which I almost fear it is, I shall revive something to remembrance that will so manifest it.
First, to the first and fourth of these slanders, I shall speak together. Thou well knowest, if thou knowest anything, as to this: that there was nothing said by me of that nature or to that purpose, that God is not in his saints, or not known in his people, but the contrary, even in that part of the discourse thou didst take the occasion of thy slander from, as in the opening of that scripture, 1 Tim. 3:16, that which I said, was this, or to [p.22] this purpose, that Scripture did speak concerning Christ, and of these things as done and true in his person only. In him, that word made flesh, in that one personal body prepared for him (the only immediately begotten Son of God in the womb of a virgin) as in that his own body in our nature he was delivered to death for <355> our offenses and raised again for our justification. In him, as so considered, "God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached to the Gentiles, believed on in the world and received up into glory." And that this scripture speaks of these great things of the mystery of godliness as done only in that one person, I propounded this consideration for one: that the word that is immediately prefixed, and especially applicable to the first clause, is in the preterperfect tense (or in the time past), God was (not God is), he was manifest in the flesh; yea the phrase of the last clause renders that as a thing also done and finished in the person spoken of. He is received up into glory. And surely, in that person, and in him only, this is absolutely true; God is in the nature of man, even in the flesh, in which he descended, received up into glory, not now receiving or to be received, but now already received up into glory, set down on the right hand of Majesty on the throne of glory in the heavens.
Consider, I pray you, how suitable to this understanding of the last and first clauses is that which is affirmed of this person (Heb. 9:24-26). Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us, nor yet that he should offer himself often, as the former high priests entered into the holy place every year with blood of others, he needeth not daily to offer up sacrifice (for this he did once, Heb. 7:27), for then also must he often have suffered since the foundation of the world, but now once in the last ages of the world he hath appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. Even as it's appointed unto men once to die, so Christ was once offered, not in many ages, or divers times, but once in the last ages, when men were multiplied into many; whereas they were but one when the ordinance of death passed on them, yet in that one it passed on the whole kind; so Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many, even of all of that kind, all men, every of the nature he took, then when they and their offenses were multiplied into many, he saith not, to bear sins in many, for then indeed he must often have suffered. But now once he was offered, in his own body, even that, so and then prepared him (chap. 10:5-10) to bear the sins of many. Then was God in Christ condemning sin in the flesh, yea then and therein, when one died (not in, but) for all, and rose again, then was God in Christ reconciling the world, not imputing [p.23] their trespasses to them but causing them to meet together on him (2 Cor. 5:14-15,19 with Isa. 53:6; Rom. 8:3; 1 Pet. 2:24). And raising him, and giving him glory as the public man, that by and through him our faith and hope might be in God (1 Pet. 3:18 and 1:21) with these, and that 1 Tim. 3:16, compare that John 13:31-32). See how our Savior <356> there directs us to the person in whom the time and works in which God was so manifested and glorified in the flesh and did straightway after the finishing of these works glorify it in that person, even then, saith our Savior, when Judas was gone out to betray him, when he was presently to finish those works the Father gave him to do on earth (yea, his soul was already in trouble, John 12:27), "now," saith he, "even in that his being made an offering for sin, is the Son of Man glorified, and the Father is glorified in him. If God be glorified in him, God shall also glorify him in himself, and shall straightway glorify him."
Then and therein was the Son of Man glorified in his being appointed and set as the surety in that public place, that by the grace of God he should taste death for every man, he was therein said to be crowned with glory and honor above all other persons among men or angels, for no man could redeem his brother nor give to God a ransom for his soul; the redemption of the soul is more precious, neither was there any other thing or person in heaven or earth that was counted worthy but this Holy One. "Herein was the Son of Man glorified." And so in God's supporting him and carrying him through so great sufferings, when all our sins met together on him (Ps. 40:11-12,16-17; Heb. 5:7,9). Likewise in God's giving so glorious a testimony to him at his death (Matt. 26:50-54). And in his resurrection from the dead, "This Jesus who was made of the seed of David according to the flesh, was declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the Spirit of holiness" (Rom. 1:3-4).
In these things the Son of Man was glorified, and so the Father glorified in him, in the exercise and agreement of all his holy and glorious attributes, his wisdom, holiness, truth, mercy, goodness, power, &c., for man's salvation; God was manifested in the flesh, condemning sin, and yet therein preparing atonement and propitiation for sinners, and straightway after the finishing of these works in his own body, the Father—who glorified him in himself in his own power, name and glory (declaring himself satisfied in, and for what he delivered him), raising him from the dead, in which he was justified in the Spirit or according to the Spirit of holiness—did further, and fully, and perfectly glorify him in the same body, in receiving him up to glory and setting him on his own right hand in the heavens, far above all principality and power, might and dominion, and every [p.24] name that is named, not only in this world, but in that to come, and hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church, which is his body, the fullness of him (then distinct from him, in his personal body, now raised and glorified, yet they in that to be done in and upon them are the filling up or completing of him in the <357> ends and virtues of his cross) who (as so considered, namely in the ends and virtues of his cross) filleth all things, as Eph. 3:8,10, but he gave himself for his church, for all that through his grace to manward come in to him, that he might wash them with the washing of water by the word, that so he might in the issue present it to himself (as he now presents it in himself before the Father) a glorious church without spot or wrinkle (Eph. 5:25-27 and ch. 1:20-23; 1 Pet. 3:22; Phil. 2:6-11; John 17:1-5; Col. 2:9). Read these scriptures and compare them, and see how they explicate and agree with the explication given of that 1 Tim. 3:16. And after some little discourse to this purpose, demonstrating that scripture to speak of the manifestation of God in that one person, and not in divers, in and through whom only the Father's goodness and glory is preached, and the preaching of it in the gospel now fully made known from the Jews to the Gentiles, in and through whom truly, and only, the Father is believed on in the world (John 12:44-46; Rom. 1:16-19 and 2:4 with Acts 4:10-12 and 17:24-31).
I say after this I added that indeed it could not properly be said that in a full or absolute sense God was or is manifested in the flesh of any natural son of Adam in the time of this mortality, nor so as he was in that person, who was not naturally of us, but made so by a work of new creation, and now through sufferings for us entered into his glory; to this purpose were my words, to which also I then added, as follows, or to this purpose (contrary to what thou hast falsely charged me with) that it is true, God hath said, he will dwell and walk in his people, that through grace believe in him, according to the testimony given of his son; but that the spirit of the believer primely and chiefly is the subject of his indwelling or habitation, which is said to be "made alive for righteousness sake," while yet "the body is dead because of sin," and to serve the law of God, while yet the flesh is much enslaved by the law of sin, remaining and warring in the members, and the body of death remaining on them, even in the best of believers while here, in those in whom Christ dwells in his Spirit, and by faith (Rom. 8:10 and 7:23-25), whence the apostle saith, "he knows that in him [that is, in his flesh] dwells no good thing" (Rom. 7:18); yet the fountain of all goodness being received into the mind, spirit, or inner man by faith (as Eph. 3:16-17), that also springs up and acts [p.25] forth through the mortal body moving and strengthening it to all its service and suffering, whence also the body is said to be the temple of the Lord, it being the tabernacle of that mind, spirit, or inner man in which God primely and chiefly dwelleth and manifesteth himself in and through the testimony of Jesus, there received (2 Cor. 5:1-5,8,14-15 and chap. 4:6-7), as well as also more generally, because that also is bought with a price to be his (as in <358> that 1 Cor. 6:20); yea, the bodies of believers are so the temples of the Lord as not only bought with a price but taken possession of, owned, and accepted in his Son, with whom they are united by faith. That God will also manifest himself fully and gloriously in these bodies, when he that raised up the Lord shall also raise us up by his own power, as in that 1 Cor. 6:14: "Then shall he change our vile bodies that they may be fashioned like unto his glorious body by that mighty working by which he is able to subdue even all things to himself."
[p.25] Surely James, hadst thou any fear of God before thy eyes, thou wouldst be ashamed of thy gross ignorance, that can see no difference or distinction between the body being the temple of the Lord and so being also holy, as being redeemed, called, accepted, devoted to be his, and for him; and the Lord being fully and gloriously manifested in his holy temple. Hast thou not read? indeed I fear thou dost give very little attendance to reading the Scriptures, because I find in thy discourse and papers they are slighted as a dead letter, and most of them, as quoted by thee, have a false reading put upon them. But I say, hast thou never read? that then was the time, once in the last ages of the world, when Christ appeared in that body, then, and so prepared for him, as before, and was once offered to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself, even then was the Son of Man glorified, and God was glorified in him, and he did then straightway glorify him, carrying him through sufferings into glory, in a full and absolute sense (as in the Scriptures forementioned). But that the day of the manifestation of all the residue of the sons of God of mankind, even the day of the redemption of their bodies, when the glory of God shall be revealed in the saints fully, and so be glorified and admired in all them that now through grace believe, because the apostles' testimony was received by them in that day; that this is yet to be waited for till the end of this world, in this corruptible state of it, till the Lord himself personally come again, and in the glory of his Father and with his holy angels, and bring all those that sleep in Jesus with him, and so till they shall all be gathered together unto him to the enjoyment of it, till that day in which their enemies shall be all trodden down as mire in the streets, who shall be punished with everlasting destruction [p.26] from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power, when he shall come to be glorified in his saints, &c. "Then shall the righteous shine as the sun in the kingdom of their Father," when all the tares are plucked up and cast into the fire, which cannot be done by any of the servants in the world that now is, nor shall be done by the angels till the end of it, and while they remain among them, they, as well as this body of death upon them, do hinder the glorious manifestation of the sons of God. Surely then, even we, saith the apostle (as well <359> as our expectation of the whole creation to be then restored or renewed, we also) "that have the first fruits of the Spirit, do wait," or tarry, "for the adoption, that is the redemption of our bodies, and so for the manifestation of the sons of God." If thou hast not read this or hast forgotten, having too much I fear suffered the knowledge, faith and hope of it to slip out of thy heart: or however, I pray thee for thy own good (if it may be) read, consider and compare these scriptures (comparing them with that forecited concerning that manifestation of God in the flesh, in the person of Christ, John 13:31-32): Rom. 8:18-19,23-25, with 2 Thess. 1:5-10 and ch. 2:1-2; Matt. 13:28-30, with vv. 37-40,42-43; Ps. 37:6-7; Mal. 4:1-3; 1 Thess. 4:14-17; Tit. 2:12-13; 2 Tim. 4:8.
Again, dost thou not remember that when at first thou didst charge me with denying God to be manifest in the flesh of the saints (which were the expressions of thy charge on its first appearance, though much altered, and higher after in thy paper, and since in thy letter) that then I denied thy charge, and told the people over again what I said, suitable to what I have now and before written, as much as I could get liberty, and what I would stand to. It is true, thou toldst me then I was a liar, in disowning what thou wouldst charge on me; but thou wast a single witness to that, and when I left that to the people, thou hadst from one of them (viz., Mr. Wray) a sober and Christian answer (to this purpose as I remember), that the end of that meeting, he thought, was not to catch at and strive about words; and although to his remembrance, what I had said about God's being manifested in the flesh was to that purpose, and in like expressions, in which I had then again repeated and delivered it; yet if some could not be satisfied but that some expressions did fall from me that might in their apprehensions carry more in them than I would stand to or own, as my sense of them, yet then he thought it reasonable that I should have that Christian liberty myself to explicate my sense of them and meaning in them, that I would stand to, and no more charged on me as my saying. And this liberty likewise he desired you should have; and I think you needed it and had it when you said "the judgment after [p.27] death was past in you," and yet after explicated your meaning, "that you was past the danger of it," though the last nothing near comes up to the first.
But James, thou hast in thy jangling about this, and in such other catching at and strife about words, and in thy slanders, clearly manifested to them that will not shut their eyes that thy intention in that discourse was to endeavor any way thou couldst to subvert the people from understanding what we had propounded to be reasoned about, concerning the essence of Christ, what it is; whether something essentially in many persons, or one person distinct from all other persons; and if <360> one person granted, then whether in the works done in his own body, in his incarnation, death, resurrection and ascension, there was, and so remaineth in him in our nature, in that his own body, by virtue of those works so finished in it, the only and abiding virtue for the taking away of sin; or is the virtue for that also, chiefly, or at all, in some other work or works done in other persons. And about his second appearing and the glory then to be revealed, whether that be to be waited for by all believers, all the time of this mortality, or made in or to any in this day. I perceive it did not please thee, that "hath pleased the Father, that in all things he should have the pre-eminence, in whom only dwells the fullness of the Godhead bodily," and so communicably in its influences.
Thou hadst surely done more fairly if thou hadst let the people know that thy intention was to make a nullity, or a type, shadow or figure of that person Jesus of Nazareth, and of those works done and finished in his own body, in which himself bore our sins to the tree and was raised and glorified; or at least, to make thyself and others his equals, in all those manifestations of God in him, as Korah, Dathan and Abiram would have dealt with Moses and Aaron, in those things in which they were eminent types of him, and did they not endeavor it with thy pretense? "All the congregation is holy, and the Lord is among them" (Num. 16:3), and as those foretold of Jude 11.
2. To thy second slander, That I denied Christ's being in them, mentioned Col. 1:27 and 2 Cor. 13:5 to be God's being in them.
Surely, James, either the spirit by which thou art immediately guided is very forgetful, or else thou art very confident of my forgetfulness, and presuming on that, art not afraid to alter thy own charges as oft as thy thoughts alter, about the advantageousness of the manner of laying them? I remember thou didst charge me before with something of this nature, but then in these expressions, "That I denied Christ to be God, and the [p.28] life of Christ being manifested in the flesh to be God's being manifested in the flesh. And this thou saidst I did in giving this answer to that scripture, 2 Cor.:10-11, "That the life of Jesus might be manifest in our mortal flesh" (viz.) "that that was not God"; this was thy charge, and now it is thus much altered, "That in answer to those two other scriptures, Col. 1:27, 2 Cor. 13:5, I said, that was not God in us."
To thy charge in both forms I shall answer so far as to discover thy falsity.
First, to the first, my answer to that 2 Cor. 4:10-11 was this (though I well remember I was cut off by thee in the midst of it, and thou wouldst not let the people hear it) that that scripture saith not "that God was manifested in their mortal flesh," but that he might be. In which answer is fully granted, that in the life of Jesus being manifested <361> in their mortal flesh, God is, or may be said therein to be truly manifested. But that which is denied in that answer is that that scripture speaks of that as a thing now done in them. That which was now done and manifest in their body was death, unto which they were daily and always delivered, that the other might be, "That the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body," in our mortal flesh; he doth not say it now was in the time of this mortality, but that it might be so in this flesh that now was mortal. "For if in it we suffer with him," even in the same body, "we shall also reign with him" and be glorified together. And when thou didst charge me with this, next day, I began to give thee this answer forementioned; it is true, thou wouldst not suffer me to speak out my answer, nor the people to hear what was spoken either day. But I almost think thou didst perceive what my answer was and would have been, and that it would have been too many for thee to overthrow, and therefore was angry with it in its first appearance and would not let the people understand what it was, but presently stopped my mouth, and their ears, with reproaches and slanders.
I had in my thoughts this twofold answer to have given to your abuse of that scripture, if I could have obtained but human civility from you:
1. That already mentioned, viz., that the text saith not "that the life of Jesus was manifested in their mortal flesh, now while mortal," but that they was delivered to death now always, that that might be, and when and wherein they expected that should be fully accomplished is clear in that which follows (vv. 13-14): "We also believe and therefore speak, knowing," saith he, "that he which raised up the Lord Jesus [p.29] shall also raise us up by Jesus and shall present us with you" (that shall not one prevent another in that).
And that phrase, "that the life of Jesus might be manifested in our mortal flesh," doth no more signify that the life of Jesus shall be fully manifested in it, in the sense spoken of, while yet it is mortal, than that equivalent scripture, Rom. 8:11, doth signify that the body shall be mortal when raised, or that the resurrection shall be made in any in the time of this mortality, where he saith, "He that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal body by that Spirit that now dwelt in them." But that he speaks there of such a quickening or raising from the dead, as in which their mortal bodies shall be made immortal, is plain, in that he compares it with the raising Christ from the dead, having also affirmed before that now "the body is dead because of sin," while yet "the spirit is made alive for righteousness sake." And to that death that is now or still upon the body, even after we have the first fruits of the Spirit, he opposeth that quickening of the <362> mortal body spoken of, all which plainly shows that he speaks there of the blessed and first resurrection, which more properly than the other is called a quickening, because it is a resurrection to life, of which they in their bodies, that sleep in Jesus, shall all be made partakers together at his second appearing; speaking of that he saith, "He shall quicken your mortal bodies, yet this mortal shall [then and therein] put on immortality."
2. This further answer: that if it should be granted you, that the life of Jesus might be in some sense truly said to be manifested in the mortal flesh, now while mortal, yet it makes nothing against what was said about God's being manifest in the flesh; for this we had then at first laid down, that the Spirit of life in Jesus being received into and dwelling in the mind or spirit of the believer, in that word or testimony of Christ received and abiding there, doth also show forth itself, and act in and through the mortal body, moving and strengthening it to such service, and suffering as the renewing of the mind leads to. Yet all this saith not that properly and in a full and absolute sense, God is manifested or glorified in the flesh of his saints in the time of this mortality; much less that he is so manifested either in such manner, or in, or to the accomplishing of such works as he was manifested in the flesh in that one person, that now in man's nature is received up into glory, which were the things denied.
Secondly, to your charge, in its last form, with reference to those two scriptures, Col. 1:27, 2 Cor. 13:5: truly, I do not remember that those two scriptures were at all mentioned in any discourse, by way of [p.30] conference that was between us, at least not so mentioned as you might have any answer to what you would have made them say. I remember, indeed, Rich. Farnworth in continued speech abused them; but there was nothing said to him until he had finished his large witness concerning himself, after which, the time being short, there was but little said by me, though more than could all bear without storming that we did not rather fall down and worship him, and admire his words, as some of your company did, as the words of the eternal God and not of a man (more highly blasphemous than that Acts 12:22), but that which was said was not with reference to his abuse of those scriptures but to his abuse of those two other scriptures, Rom. 7:23 and 8:10, which occasionally falling upon, we shall briefly mention.
He witnessed that he was delivered from the law of sin in his members, that it was not remaining or warring there, and from that body of death there mentioned, with allusion to those expressions, as signifying that Paul witnessed the like concerning himself, whereas Paul complains of both as yet accumbering him, speaking in the present time, not in the <363> time past, "I find then a law in my members warring...Oh wretched man that I am, who shall deliver me from the body of this death!" He was not yet delivered, but wretched by reason of it remaining, though yet he could thank God through Jesus in whom he had perfect deliverance, which he enjoyed by faith, and therein also freedom from under the condemnation of that holy law of God, which discovers sin and sentenceth the sinner to death, and daily victory in the combat over the dominion of sin and fear or horror of death, yet still it remained and warred in him, and so in all believers, while here, as to that purpose was then told the people.
Again, he witnessed largely of his body being wholly mortified and dead to sin, as the fruit of Christ being in him, and therein, and so God manifested in his flesh. And this he said also with allusion to those expressions (Rom. 8:10), "If Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin," &c., which expressions he changed thus, "The body is dead unto sin." To that also I told the people that the bodies being dead unto sin, as it was not therein the expressions, so neither could it there be meant, because he saith, the body is dead because of sin; now it's being crucified, or dead unto sin, is no part of the fruit of sin, nor happens it to any because of sin, but because of, and as the fruit and virtue of Christ's righteousness, where in any sense or measure it's truly found. But that here spoken of is something of misery still remaining on the believer because of, or as the fruit of sin, though Christ be in them, and so the spirit alive for righteousness sake, yet the body is dead because of sin; yea, it is yet in itself a wretched vile body, as Rom. [p.31] 7:23, Phil. 3:21, though redeemed and taken to be the Lord's, yet not in itself while here wholly subdued to him, nor conformed or made like to his glorious body until the resurrection, and then it shall certainly so be: we wait for the adoption, that is the redemption of the body.
You did indeed discover yourselves in these and the like passages to be of no judgment concerning the faith, and of the same spirit with those (2 Tim. 2:18) that say the resurrection is already made or past in them, and so overthrow the faith of some that did not cleave so close to the foundation of God, in giving earnest heed to the things they had heard in the doctrine of the death and resurrection of Christ, which foundation yet standeth sure against all your batteries, having this seal for its confirmation, "The Lord knoweth them that are his," he owneth, approveth, standeth by, to the saving, preserving, and strengthening in all service and suffering, all them that having received the Spirit in that hearing of faith do keep that in believing remembrance and abide in it as the fundamental doctrine, they therein abide in union and fellowship with and protection of the Son, and so of the Father in him (2 Tim. 2:19; 1 John <364> 2:24-27; 2 John 7-9; John 10:27-29 and 14:21,23 and 15:1-5,7, &c.), though such as were never firmed in that foundation, especially being kept from firmness therein through retaining divers lusts, and such as after knowledge of the truth received do willfully slight, reject and turn away from that preaching of the cross as foolishness, having itching ears, to listen or inquire after anything that may be plausible and also suitable to some lust of their own, yet secretly retained and pursued, though such, I say, may be and are turned aside to fables and led captive by such spirits, therefore let everyone that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity (2 Tim. 2:19-22; 3:6-7; 4:1-4; John 15:6).
But to return to our present business, in that which was said to the discovery of his abuse of these scriptures, and against his witness concerning himself, yet there was no mention of his abuse of those two scriptures forementioned, nor at any other time in our discourse with you, that I know of, but being in this false accusation thus propounded, as those in which so great strength lies for you, that you have thought fit for them to waive that in 2 Cor. 4:10-11 as more inconsiderable to your purpose, we shall a little consider what they say.
That Col. 1:27 saith that Christ is in or amongst the believers, "the hope of glory." And indeed he is so amongst them all, and in, or unto all of them, "for they are all called in one hope of their calling," both in respect of the ground and foundation of their hope, and in respect of the end of it, the things hoped for. And truly Jesus Christ, and so the Father in him, is [p.32] the original summary, a