In the faith and obedience he juftifieth; in the unbelief and disobedience he condemns, without refpect of persons.

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And it is a precious thing in the gospel miniftration to come to God the judge of all, and to witness true judgment fet up by God in a man's own heart, that by the miniftration of the pure judgment there, the foul may come to learn righteousness, of the holy teacher and Shepherd, even the Lord Jefus Chrift, who is just and faithful under his Father, in the impartial ministration of the new covenant.

Hereupon several charges he brings against us, through his own mistakes and misapprehenfions of us.

As, First, That our doctrine implies free will and power in the creature.

Anfw. We have never experienced free will nor power, as of ourselves, but as we have been turned to God's power, and received it from him; nor did we ever testify to others, that they could receive and embrace truth in their own will, and by their own power. Oh! that this perfon had true difcerning of, and were fevered from, that spirit which thus chargeth us! For whoever receives this teftimony concerning the inward light of our Lord Jefus Chrift, fhall never find himself able to do any thing therein by his own will and power; but there witneffeth God's begetting him out of his own will, by the life and power of truth.

Secondly, He chargeth it, That it maketh the election of God altogether fruftraneous.

Anfw. Election of the feed, in the feed, it doth not at all make fruftraneous; but mens wrong apprehenfions concerning election out of the feed, the true doctrine of election doth not confift with. He bath chofen us in him. So that in him, to wit, in Chrift, the choice is; and he that will make bis election fure, muft make the feed fure to him; growing in the nature thereof, wherein the election is to the truly obedient.

He faith, Our righteousness with God is the foundation.

Anfw. But is there not fomewhat, which is the foundation of our righteousness with God? And can we be righteous with God, till we come to that foundation, and be made righteous by it? Muft we not first believe in him? And is not faith a gift which comes from the holy root, and maketh a change in them in whom this gift is found? Doth not faith make a difference between them that believe, and them that believe not? So that, so soon as ever there is true faith, and it thus works, the state is changed; and there is no juftification before faith. For in the unbelief is the condemnation for ever. He that believeth not, is condemned already. And what is he juftified there too, at the fame time? Was Abraham, our father, juftified in the unbelief and difobedience? Or in believing and obeying God? For what faith the fcripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him for righteousness. zun kaut Lar

That which I fpoke of, he faith, Is but the fruit and superstructure.

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Anfw. When Chrift directs men to the feed of the kingdom, doth he direct unto the fruit and fuperftructure? I spoke there of the feed, of the light, of the holy Spirit, of the quickening virtue, is that the fuperftructure? Or is that the fruit of mens being made righteous? Nay; muft they not turn to that, receive that, believe in that, even in the light of God's Spirit (for they are the true and right believers), before a man can come to be made righteous, or accounted righteous in the eyes of the Lord? For none are righteous, but in him; and all are out of him, till they be gathered into him.

He instanceth in one paffage of mine (in a book intituled, "The Sum or "Subftance of our Religion, who are called QUARERS,"), the words are thefe: This is the fum of all, even to know and experience what is to be brought down into death, and kept in death; what to be brought up out of the grave, to live to God, and reign in his dominion; and what to be kept in subjection and obedience to him, who is to reign. Now, to experience it thus done in the heart, the flesh brought down, the feed of life raised, and the foul subject to the pure heavenly power, whofe right it is to reign in the heart, in and by the feed, this is a bleed state indeed; for here the work is done, &c. Thefe were my words.

Now mind; God is the teacher in the new covenant. Now he that hath learned this of him, hath he not learned the true religion? And is not this a full fum and fubftance of religion? When the apoftle faith, Pure religion, and undefiled before God, is to visit the fatherless, &c. Alas! might this fpirit have faid against the bleffed apoftle, that is not the pure religion (not the fum or fubftance of pure and undefiled religion), that is but a fruit or fuperftructure! Oh! that men had true fenfe and understanding! That they might favour the words that come from God's Spirit, and the words that come from their own fpirit; and might not be offended at that which is true, pure, and living of him.

But having difliked this fum, he giveth one of his own, in these words following: I fay, the fum, and that which first and mainly imports us to know, as the Lord hath taught me, is; That the old man is crucified with Christ, and brought down into his grave, and that we are rifen together with him, by the faith of the operation of God; and from this faith to be working with God; to mortify our members that are on the earth.

-Anfw. Doth not. Chrift fend, his apostles to preach the gospel, and give them this meffage, That God is lights and to turn their minds to the true light, that they might be enlightened by it? Doth it not import men first to know that, whereby they might be crucified, before they can know themfelves crucified thereby? So that Chrift did judge this as the first thing neceffary to be known in the preaching of the gofpel; and bid men preach the light, and turn men to the light, and to the inward appearance and voice of God's word in their hearts. And what are men rifen together with him, by the faith of the operation of God, while they are yet in their

fins, in their ungodly ftate? And how can any witnefs the faith of the opetation of God in this ftate? Now it had been better he had forborne affirming, that the Lord taught him thus; for truly the Lord never taught any thus. This is not truth from God, nor will it be owned by the Lord as his truth, when he comes to appear before him; and he fhould have took it to himself, and not have put the name of the Lord to it.

But against this his own doctrine, he raiseth an objection in these words; Shall we mortify that which is mortified already?

His answer is, The old man, which is crucified together with Chrift, is the State of the flesh, and of enmity. This is paft away, and in this is the concern of our righteoufnefs, and juftification properly.

That which remains to be mortified, are our members upon earth, which are the fruits of that evil ftate; and in the mortifying of thefe, is the concern of our fanctification. The will of God is done in heaven, &c.

Anfw. Paul fpeaks of the law of fin in his members; and he alfo fpeaks of the body of death, and cries out against that; Oh! wretched man that I am, faith he, who fhall deliver me from the body of this death? He felt fomewhat that nourished and gave ftrength to the law of fin in his members, and looked upon himself as wretched, till he could meet with deliverance therefrom. Now fome are of opinion that there is no being delivered from the body of fin, while in this life. Doft thou look upon it to be done in Chrift, for us, without us; but never to be done by Chrift in us? Let me tell thee, if ever thou come to witness the pure eternal light of the Lord Jefus Christ revealed in thee; that will not find out some members on earth only, but the very body thereof; and fhew thee the neceffity of the putting off that body from thee, and that circumcifion whereby it is to be done, which is the circumcifion of Chrift. Mark the promise of the new-covenant, I will circumcise thine heart, and the heart of thy feed, to love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, that thou mayeft live. Is not this the circumcifion of Chrift? Doth not this cut off the body of the fins of the flesh, in the particular, where this is witneffed? This is the truth, as it is in Jefus, even to put off the old man with his deeds. It doth not fay, The body is put of in Chrift without us, and men muft only put off the members or deeds; but, they must put off the body, and come to witness in themselves the very nature, fpirit, root, and principle from whence they proceed, cut down and deftroyed in them. They muft feel the axe laid to the root of the corrupt tree, and it cut down in them (not think it enough to say, it is done in Chrift for them); yea, they must alfo witness the Lord arifing to shake terribly the earth, in which the tree grew; that fo the place of dragons and ferpents (where each lay in times paft) may henceforward become the place of holiness; where grafs may grow, and the new plants and flowers of the paradife of God.

And how is the will of God done in heaven? Is it done in heaven after. this manner? Have mercy and righteousness the preheminence, the leading of the van? (they are his own words) and said to go before, and look

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down from heaven after this manner (the body of fin being put off in Chrift there)? Are there not thofe here on earth, who dwell in heaven? whose conversation is in heaven; even the witneffes to God's holy truth who are ascended up above the spirit of this world, and dwell in God's holy Spirit; and who walk in the light, as God is in the light. Hell is not far from the wicked; nor is heaven far from them who are renewed in the spirits of their minds, and who witnefs the paffing away of the old things, and the new creation in Chrift. Oh! that he could look back (in a true fenfe) and fee how he hath wrefted thofe fcriptures! Pfal. lxxxv. 9, 10, 11. Ifa. iv. 2. and Ephef. ii. 6. after his own imaginations: and, indeed, in this fpirit, men cannot but turn the precious truth of God into a lie; that is, as to themselves, as to their own knowledge of it. It is known how the branch of the Lord is beautiful and glorious, and the fruit of the earth excellent and comely, and in what day it is fo; which day is, When the Lord fhall have washed away the filth of the daughter of Sion, and shall have purged the blood, &c. by the fpirit of judgment, and by the Spirit of burning, Ifa. iv. 4. Then every one that is left fhall be called boly, and the branch of the Lord fhall be glorious in the midst of them, and the fruits of the earth excellent and comely for them. And then they that are thus purged, fhall fit with Chrift in the heavenly places; there being an abundant entrance ministered ta them into the everlafting kingdom, 2 Peter i. 11.

Thirdly, He chargeth it with making the obedience and fuffering of Chrift fuperfluous, except only as a pattern.

Anfw. Chrift came to do the Father's will; to obey, to fuffer, to tafte death for every man; to fight with and overcome the Devil; to offer an holy, spotless facrifice for all mankind, that through him they might witness atonement and acceptance. And the Lord faw the ufe of this, and we witnefs the use of this, and find every thing in its proper place and service in him, who is God's covenant of life and peace in us, and to us. But the work of this day is not to preach up a notional knowledge of these things (the Chriftian world, fo called, hath been drowned and dead in them long enough), but to bring to that measure of the Spirit, to that fenfe of grace and truth, which is come by Jefus Chrift; wherein the benefit of these things is truly reaped and enjoyed; and, indeed, that is the work committed unto us from the Lord, who gave us this teftimony to bear, whatever men may think or speak of us.

And whereas he speaks of our laying hold of passages, in his printed sermons, to favour our caufe:

Anfw. That is his mistake as to me; it was for his fake I mentioned it. There was indeed, at that time, fomewhat ftirring in him, which would have gathered him, had he known and obeyed its voice, and not run out into lofty notions concerning it. He had fome fenfe then of a glory approaching, which he might have from the true prophet; though even then

he

ran out in his imaginations concerning it, and did not rightly apprehend, nor know how and when it appeared.

He hath further charges against us; Of crying up works against the workman; man's grace and righteousness against God's, conformity to Christ against Chrift; yea, to make a Chrift of our righteousness, a Saviour of our conformity.

Anfw. Oh! what will this man do, when the Lord fhall fhew unto him that he hath charged not fo much us, as the Spirit and power, and precious appearance of the Lord Jefus Chrift, with these things! We cry up works no otherwife than we are taught of God, and as the apoftles and prophets have cried them up. Faith is neceffary, and works are neceffary in their places; and the juftification of each follows them. And he that receiveth the Spirit of the Son, and therein doth righteousness, is therein esteemed of God righteous, as the Son is righteous, 1 John iii.. 7. God juftifieth us in his Son, and loveth his holy feed too therein, and the faith that comes from him, and all the works that are wrought in him; and out of this holy root of life and power is no man, nor his faith, nor his works justified.

Then for man's grace and righteoufnefs. Where doth he hear us fpeak of man's grace? Oh! what doth he mean! Will he mifrepresent the cause of his neighbour or brother, to make it bad? And for man's righteousness, we do not cry it up or put it on, but teftify men must be uncloathed of it; and we ourselves were fain to part with it, and put it off, before we could be cloathed with God's righteousness. But the works of life, the works of God's Spirit, the works of the new creature, the works of the new covenant; these are not man's works, nor unrighteous works, condemned by God; but juftified in and through him that works them. The works wrought in us are truly acceptable, and we in him who works them,. who is our righteoufnefs. And concerning this people (these children of the new covenant) which the Lord hath begotten and brought forth in this our day, that fcripture is fulfilled in them, and upon them: Their righteoufness is of me, faith the Lord, Ifai. liv. 17. Well! as long as the Lord faith fo, we matter not though others fay, that our righteousness is of ourselves, and that it is our own righteousness; being affured that God's teftimony in our hearts (as to this thing) will stand.

He aggravateth this charge thus: And this to be done by thofe that have been fo far enlightened, and that account all the religion and profeffion in the world below them as carnal.

Anfw. Indeed we magnify truth, life, the anointing, the fpiritual the inward appearance of our Lord Jefus Chrift, to which we have been turned, and in it made spiritual; and all other knowledge, faith, profeffion, religion (which hath not its rife here) we cannot but call carnal. For the enlightening Spirit of the Lord hath given us this testimony to bear, against all the dead notional profeffors of this age, who build from the letter (or rather their apprehenfions of the letter) out of the life; all which cry up names of the foundation and corner-ftone; but refufe, reject, deny, and

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