any falsehood, as it is very ignorantly charged: for the Word in the heart is to be obeyed-it saves the soul; the Light shining in the heart, gives the Light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ: therefore it is helpful against sin. 1. It saves from it. 2. It leads such as be kept in it, to the glory which is immortal, and leaves them that rebel against the Light without excuse; which if it had not sufficiency, and a saving property in it, it could not; for otherwise its insufficiency therein would be ground of excuse.

And as touching the Word which is nigh in the heart; and wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way, (Psal. 119) William Burnet's persuasion is, "that neither of those Scriptures refer to Christ, but to the Scriptures of the Old and New Testament, which is called both the Word of God and of Christ." To which I reply this Baptist's ignorance and absurdity in this plainly appears, touching both the Word that cleanseth, and the Scriptures which are the writings that contain many words of truth, (in the plural,) whereas the Word which cleanseth and sanctifieth, (John xvii.) is but one, which also is both a discerner of the thoughts, and powerful in the operation. Also, when David directed to the Word which was a light unto his paths, much of the Old Testament was not given forth or written; and to be sure, not the New: and when the Apostle directed to the Word of faith, which was nigh in the heart, to obey it, this could not be the Scriptures or writings of the New Testament, for he was then but writing a part of them; and several other epistles were unwritten, neither were they bound up in one volume until many years after. Besides, many have corrupted the Scriptures: but the Word which sanctifies and redeems, is the incorruptible Seed which lives and abides for ever. And is not that Seed or Word, Christ? And how come any to know, and rightly to understand the Scriptures, but by the Spirit of God? for it is granted (page 4.) that the Law of God is made applicable to us by the Spirit of God." So then men are to be directed to the Spirit of God within, which convinceth the world; but in contradiction to himself, he says: "Paul's knowledge of sin eame by the Law, not by the Light within." Surely not by the Law, without the Light within, if by the Spirit of God it be applicable to us as before: for it was not the Law outward, as it was in the letter of it, that convinced Paul, for he had that before when a persecutor, but as he received the commandment within by the spirit and power of God, or his Light within, he saw sin exceeding sinful.

But further, in flat contradiction to his opposing the Light within, or the Quakers' Christ, as he scornfully styles it, he confesses "That the grace of God received in the work of rege

neration and reconciliation, doth so principle the heart with an enmity to sin, and begets an hatred to it, and love to righteousness, (1 Thess. i. 5, 6, 7.) so that it is from the principle within, together with the observation of the rule without, that the soul is made to gather sanctity and holiness."

Answer. Then the Grace within, which works such a good effect in the soul, must needs be saving, for that it removes the sin, which is the cause of condemnation, and works sanctity and holiness, through which is acceptance with the Lord; and why then is the Quakers' Christ within so much despised and scorned, in many places throughout his book? And as for the Word, together with the Spirit, cleansing and sanctifying :-The Word and Spirit are one, and he that hath the Word of God abiding in him, hath the Spirit of God in him; and this with its blessed effects we certainly know, and therefore cannot slight the Scriptures of truth, or words of God therein, which he calls the written words, because they proceeded from the Spirit.

And whereas he would "not give any ground of jealousy that he should judge that the written word and spirit in any man, as abstracted from Christ, in the tightest and most uniform obedience, doth cleanse, or that our obedience is any cause either of justification or sanctification."

Answer. If this our opposer deems that the Spirit in any is abstracted from Christ, and that any obey the Spirit without Christ; it is none of our belief, for they are not divided; and we know that there is no condemnation to them that walk after the Spirit, for they are in Christ, and have life in the Son of God.

2. Whereas our obedience to the Spirit is denied, as being any cause either of our justification or sanctification. This is a denying of the Apostle's doctrine, and is repugnant to the spiritual obedience, which is both acceptable to God; and through the Spirit, and the obedience of the Spirit, the true believers mortified the deeds of the flesh, and purified their souls. Rom. viii. 13. 1 Pet. i. 22. Besides, the obedience and works of the living faith, which is not a self-righteousness, are attended with justification, and some cause thereof; for was not Abraham justified by works when he offered up Isaac? Jam. ii. 21. And the saints were sanctified and justified by the Spirit of God. 1 Cor. vi. 11. But then if our obedience in this case must be wholly excluded, as not any cause either of justification or sanctification, how comes the suffering and blood of Christ so often to be tendered and applied upon believing? Is believing no part of the creature's obedience? What ignorance and contradiction is in William Burnet's religion? What says he to this? See how he comes off in the following words :

Baptist. "I do believe that our justification comes in by no other way or means, or name under Heaven, but by Jesus Christ," which is so far true; but further he adds: " and that by shedding of that blood, and offering of that sacrifice upon the cross, (Heb. ix. 22. 1 Pet. i. 19) and that our justification is the real cause of our sanctification."

Answer. If so, and that our obedience be not any cause thereof, then are all men in a justified state for whom he died; and he was offered and died for all, as is confessed by this our opposer, and others of them; from which state men's not obeying, or disobeying, can be no hinderance, if their obedience contribute nothing to it, or be no cause of either justification or sanctification; so their believing or not believing can neither further nor hinder by this account. But then if it should be denied that all men are justified by the sufferings and blood of Christ without, I ask, why are not all? It is answered readily, because all do not believe then it is because they do not obey. But what if they do not, if their obedience of the Spirit or Light within be no cause of their sanctification or justification, are they not therefore justified? But then whence is this power of believing and obedience derived, if not from the Light and Spirit of Christ within? But as to justification being laid one while upon the name of Jesus, another while upon the shedding of that blood without, another while by the offering or sacrifice upon the cross. What confusion is here! and how is this man put to it to patch up his own principles ! Christ's name is everlasting, it is called the Word of God, who by one offering hath for ever perfected them that are sanctified. Where does the Scripture say, that justification is the real cause of sanctification, or that men are justified in an unsanctified or disobedient state? and if some be justified in that state only by the offering and blood of Christ without, as is supposed, and not all that are in the same state, does not this render God partial and unjust, if he withhold that from men which is both merited and purchased for them? as these our opposers affirm, while their obedience is so little esteemed, that it is deemed no cause of either justification or sanctification.

But then, as to the shedding of Christ's blood without, which so much stress is laid upon, whose work was that, but a wicked man's after he was put to death? and where is that blood, is it in being, yea or nay? or, did it sink into the ground and corrupt, as some of you have confessed; and in page 40: " that blood that was shed is not in being," says William Burnet. How then does it cleanse, sanctify, justify, redeem, save, &c. as he would have us believe? whereas in that (1 Pet. i.) cited by this our opposer, it is said, we are not redeemed by corruptible

things, but by the precious blood of Christ. Therefore that blood which redeems is in being and not corruptible no more than his flesh, that saw no corruption, but bears record with the Spirit. But this is a mystery veiled from all such carnal contenders, as carnally look upon things according to the outward appearance and no further. Nor can they in that state see through the veil unto the heavenly things themselves, nor unto the perfect tabernacle, of which Jesus Christ is the high priest and minister.

And another testimony upon which William Burnet scoffs and carps against the Light within, is Humphrey Smith's, viz. : That there is no other rule, or means, or name by which a man shall ever come to walk with God, but that which is manifest of God, even the Light of the Son of God, the Light of him who says, I am the Light," &c. But how does William Burnet assay to confute this? for it is a truth that he does not answer, but scornfully says, page 5, viz.: You may see the Quakers' Christ is manifest to be in the world, in the heart, in that sense; they preach that he is come in the flesh, but not that he was flesh, or that the flesh taken in the womb of the Virgin was Christ, but that Christ was in that body or in the world."

Reply 1. As to man's coming to walk with God, we know it is by the Light of Christ within; for, if we say we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth, (1 John i. 6.) therefore it is by walking in the Light that fellowship with God is attained to. And as to Christ's coming in the flesh, we do confess according to the Scriptures, and even in that particular body prepared for him in the womb of the Virgin; which we do not find that you Baptists do clearly confess to, whilst you oppose us, for confessing his coming in the flesh; or for not saying with you, that the flesh and body Christ took upon him was Christ; which is all one as to say that Christ took upon him Christ, which were to make two Christs; whereas every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh, is not of God, but is the spirit of Anti-christ. 1 John iv. It is not Jesus Christ come in Jesus Christ. Thus you make yourselves ridiculous by carping at the truth, and cavilling against Christ's Light, which the Quakers own.

And as to our laying the stress of salvation upon our obedience to the Light within.

Answer. Christ is the author of salvation to as many as obey him, who is the true Light that enlightens every man, and in his Light he is to be followed and obeyed; and therein we lay the stress of man's duty in obeying the Light of Christ within, and his salvation in the Light or Grace which appears to all

men.

And as to Christ's coming in the clouds of Heaven: his com

ing William Burnet represents as the lightning out of the east to the west," that he is sure a man may see, without turning his eye within himself."

Answer. His coming will be terrible to you that deny his Light within; yet we confess the coming of Christ is in the clouds, and is as the lightning, though he is yet clouded from many. As the cloud, at his ascension, received him out of their sight, who stood gazing; so all the gazers abroad from the Light within, may read their figure, even the cloud. But Stephen, when he was full of the Holy Ghost, saw Heaven open, and the Son of Man on the right hand of God. This Holy Ghost was the ground of his so seeing the Son of Man; surely he did not see God, nor his right hand, with carnal eyes. And Christ said, "There are those that stand by that shall not taste of death until they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom, or the kingdom of God come with power." Mat. xvi. 28. Mark ix. 1. Neither Christ, nor the holy men of God said, as this Baptist doth, that neither God, Christ, or the Spirit, or any thing capable to save, is to be found in any unregenerate man, to which he may turn for salvation." How false and gross is this! Is God to be confined, or the holy One to be limited, whose presence fills Heaven and earth, and who filleth all things? And did not Christ direct to the Kingdom of Heaven within, (Luke xvii.) and to believe in the Light, that they might be made the children of the Light? So that they had the Light before they were born of it, and it shone in their hearts; but if any unregenerate man has not any thing in him that is saving; by this, not any of God's children, until they were his children, had the Light in them. How came they then to be convinced and begotten to .God? Where was the Light in the order of God's work in the soul before it was effected, if not at work in them? But to his own contradiction, (page 8,) he confesses, that "the Law was accompanied with the Spirit in that regenerating work." Then it was in man.

And as to that story and accusation against James Naylor, we never understood that he professed himself to be Christ, neither in his examination before the magistrates, nor before; but that Christ was in him; so that he in the story is wronged therein, which savours of mere malice and envy in this Baptist, to render us odious and obnoxious in the sight of our enemies: however, wherein James Naylor's weakness was either in suffering, or not reproving the madness of those that were with him in prison, therein we never justified him nor them, but testified against them; and when he became sensible of his loss, it became matter of great trouble and sorrow to him, and he openly judged himself, and through repentance found mercy; by all which the

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