truth and uprightness of our way, so much villified and struck at by this Baptist, was justified, and he found to be unjust in upbraiding us with that which we never owned; and in that bath done, as neither he nor his brethren would be done by; neither is it reasonable to judge and condemn principles, either from the defect or abuse of any persons professing them.

But to the matter before, it is confessed from Rom. vii. that the commandment being brought home with authority, and accompanied with the Spirit; and he seeing himself a dead man, he was forced to fly from his legal obedience to the righteousness of Christ; therefore the Spirit is alive because of righteousness, &c.

By all which it is confessed, 1. That it is the Spirit of Christ manifested within makes the Law of force. 2. Which brings a man to see himself, and his own works. 3. Brings him to Christ's righteousness for refuge. And this Spirit is that which the Quakers direct to, that people may begin in it, and live in it, to see the work of regeneration, and of righteousness, thereby wrought in them; and this is that Spirit which reproves the world of sin, even the unbelieving world for their unbelief in Christ: so that here our opposer, to his own confutation, hath confessed to the Quakers' Christ, (as in scorn he often terms him) as he, without whom neither true conviction or regeneration is wrought, nor yet Christ's righteousness received for a refuge but what he means by that righteousness, will further appear.

And now this Baptist having undertaken to show what that Light is in every man that convinces of sin, unto which the Quakers exhort men to turn; by which he has confessed a convincing Light in every man; but says: "It is neither God, Christ, nor the Spirit ;" his proof is, Ephes. ii. 11, 12, touching the Gentiles being aliens, strangers, without God in the world, &c.

Reply. "He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not." John i. 10. These being aliens and strangers from the Covenant of Promise, and walking according to the course of this world, in that sense they were said to be without Christ, and without God in the world, their understandings being darkened, and their minds alienated; but it does not follow that they had none of Christ's Light in them, or that the Spirit did not reprove them, they being in the world, for the Spirit reproves the world of Sin. Surely it would be a blind inference, to say, "that neither God nor his Spirit were in the world, because they were without God in the world, and sometimes afar off;" whereas his presence fills Heaven and earth; and from his presence and Spirit, hell cannot hide, nor

the deeps cover, though God beholds all the wicked afar off, and they are without him as to any living sense, union or enjoyment; their minds being estranged from his Light in them, which in that state appears or shines in darkness, though it comprehends not the Light and these are those that rebel against the Light, that know not its ways, because they abide not in its paths, (Job xxiv. 13) and that say to the Almighty, " depart from us, we desire not the knowledge of thy ways." (Job xxi. 14.) Wherefore the Almighty is nigh unto them, convicting and striving with them by his Spirit, though it shall not always strive with man; so that they may be said to be both without God, and without Light, as to the true knowledge and possession, and yet have both nigh to them, even reaching their consciences.

Baptist. "Those were, (in Eph. ii.) without God and Christ in the world, what then can such turn to within for Life and salvation ?"

Answer. To the Light of Christ, wherewith every man is enlightened; and the reproofs of the Spirit of Truth, which reproves the world of sin, that they may know the true God, and his Son, which is life eternal.

Baptist. "The cause of acceptance is what God hath done for man; and not man's unspotted life that doth perform his obedience, but Christ becoming obedient to the Father for man."

Answer. The unspotted life is an effect of God's work in reconciling man in Christ; and this is acceptable to God, which the spotted corrupt life is not. Neither will your applying Christ's obedience, render you in your spotted lives and sins acceptable or justified; for he came in the likeness of sinful flesh, that he might condemn sin in the flesh, that the righteousness of the Law might be fulfilled in them that walk not after the flesh but after the Spirit. Mark! within is the fulfilling and effect of Christ's obedience. Rom. viii.

Again, for William Burnet: "To argue, that because the saints were in darkness in the time of their unregenerate state, that therefore no man can be said to have either God, Christ or the Spirit in him in that state." This argument is fallacious; for he might as well argue that the light cannot shine in darkness: whereas a man may have the Light in him when he is not in it, or walks not in the Spirit: and if he should say, that God or his presence is not in the world, because the world knows him not, but is in darkness, and in that sense without God; this were absurd and fallacious, of the nature of his argument.

Baptist. "To what then shall such turn within for La that have there nothing but darkness ?"

Answer. This contradicts his former confession, "that Light is in every man that doth convince of sin," which is something

besides darkness. But there are those that put darkness for light, and he has herein done no less to his own confutation; and surely that Light in every man that convinces of sin, is worth turning to, to lead the mind out of sin.

Baptist. The fourth proof, (Isa. viii. 20.) "From this may be gathered that those that are not principled with the knowledge of the Law of God, and testimony of Christ, but contrary thereto do exhort, are in the dark, and blind, without any light in them, they have no light in them if that be so: there is a people that have no light, such have neither Father, Son nor Spirit in them." Page 9.

Answer. That of Isa. viii. 20: “No light," should be no morn, ing, as in the Hebrew, w, Shachar, i. e. Aurora: but there is a light shining in darkness; "before the day dawn, and daystar arise," or the morning appear in them. But how has this man flatly contradicted himself! while in other places he has confessed to a convincing Light in every man that does reprove him for sin, and by which a wicked man, upon sins committing, receiveth checks from; (see pages 8, 16,) "and tells us of the Light of Nature, Creation-Light, Spirit, that God hath placed in man, every man by nature having the Law placed in his heart, viz. the ten commandments, that is to say, in the substance of them." Thus far he has in plain words confessed to a Light in every man, though at other times he affirms they have no Light, no not any Light in them; who know not, but act contrary to the Law of God. And thus the reader may see how he has given a deadly blow to his own evil cause, against the Light for might not I as well argue against him, that if some have not any Light in them, then no convincing Light? and how then is the Law and substance of the ten commandments in every man? But then on the other hand, if the substance of that Law, or those commandments, be in every man, then this is not natural, but spiritual; the Law is spiritual, as written in the heart, and the substance of this Law enjoins to love the Lord God with all the heart and soul, and thy neighbour as thy-self;" which Christ said to the lawyer, this do, and thou shalt live," after he had asked him, what he should do to inherit eternal life. Luke x. 25, 26, 27. 28. Now that Light which leads to eternal life, must needs be the saving Light of Christ; and this is in every man, which teaches so to love God, as is confessed, that life eternal may be inherited, which to say is the light of nature, an uncertain guide (as the titles of his pages) and to blin it as the Quakers' Christ, shows the great ignorance and Tolly of our opposer, and his gross and apparent contradictions; and it is not his scornfully saying over and over: "thus you may see the Quakers' Christ," that can confute us, or destroy our Christ, who is God's Christ,

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Baptist. "It would be a vain and fond saying, to say, when the natural sun is hid under a cloud, or the darkness of the night, therefore there is no sun there; but these have none neither shining nor hid in them: to what should such turn to within then for Life and salvation ?"

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Answer. Yes there is some Light hid in men who are dark. By the same reason as before, the Light of Christ may be where it is clouded and veiled with darkness, and it does for a time shine in darkness, and is there to be turned to within and taken heed unto till the day dawn. So to say they have none shining not hid in them, is a contradiction to the former saying, that every man hath "a Light convincing of sin, and the substance or body of the moral Law in him," which enjoins truly to love the Lord God, &c. and the Law within is Light.

Again, to that of John xiv. 17. The world not receiving the Comforter, or their rejecting the Spirit, is no reason to prove they are not enlightened by it, but rather the contrary; for the Spirit reproves the world of sin; and to them that resisted and acted despite against the holy Spirit, it was given, and did check them, or else how could they be said to resist it? and that the Spirit shall not always strive with man?

Again, in answer to that of John i. 9. "That was the true Light that lightens every man that cometh into the world," the Baptist gives this meaning, viz. " that it was the Word before he took flesh, which was God, and this Word, co-Creator with the Father, so he was the Light of the world, and lighteth every man; for the Light of reason and the Light of Nature." Page 10.

Answer. First, it is to be noted, that a Light of reason, &c. is hence confessed to be in every man, which still contradicts bis saying before, of some "having not any Light in them, and nothing but darkness in them." 2. If, as God, he lighteth every man, this Light is spiritual, for he is a Spirit who doth enlighten every man "in him was Life, and the Life was the Light of men," (John i. 4.) so it is as absurd to say, that God's Light that immediately shines from him is natural or created, as to say the Light of the natural sun is spiritual and increated for it is said of the Word, that was the true Light that enlightens every man coming into the world, which he might as well say is natural in the fountain as in the stream. 3. To tell of the Word • God, coCreator with the Father," is all one as to tell of God being coCreator with God, if the Father be God; and this is to make two Gods, two Creators, &c. for God, "co-Creator with the Father," plainly implies two. Thus nonsence, confusion, and blasphemy, is heaped up against the Light within, to lessen, misrepresent and undervalue it, and the doctrine of it, so truly held

forth by us. How greatly are the Baptists herein repugnant to the testimony of John the Baptist, and the Apostle John, touching Christ the Light!

Baptist. "The Spirit in man, and obedience to it, is not the cause of man's union with God; but the reception of the Spirit and obedience, the effects of man's union."

Answer, Which is all one as to say, that a man hath union with God before he either receives or obeys his Spirit, which is while he walks in darkness, which he that so says doth lie. 1 John i. 6. And then what is the ground and cause of man's union with God? if obedience and reception of the Spirit be not the cause but the effect of that union, is not the true beginning in the Spirit, and is there not obedience to it, in believing in it before man's new creation in Christ be effected? The spiritually minded do know.

Again, If the kingdom of God was in the Pharisees, (Luke xvii.) as is granted, they being wicked, it is in every man in some degree, contrary to his assertion, page 12.

But he tells us these words: " within you," may be read, " in the midst of you," in the margin of the Bible. So here we must be accused from the margin, as being in error, for holding what is in the chapter, which is truth according to other Scriptures.

Besides his telling of "Christ and the Gospel being taken out of them," implieth they were sometimes in them, and as to "receiving the kingdom as a little child," from whence he denies it to be in every man; that is no good consequence for the Pharisees were neither converted, nor yet in the state of a little child, when Christ said: "the kingdom of God is within you," (Luke xvii. 21,) for it may be in men, though but as a grain of mustard seed, when they are not in it.

Baptist. Though Christ be in his saints, he is not there as a Saviour."

Answer. That is false doctrine: for he saves them from sin, and is manifest in them for that end, to destroy the Devil's work. And elsewhere it is confessed, that if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin. But farther he adds as follows:

Baptist. "Or a Light to be turned to, for to guide them in their obedience God-wards without the Scriptures; but as a Comforter by the application of his promise."

Answer. Herein is the sufficiency of Christ and his Light to guide, opposed and denied, without the Scriptures, by our opposer; as if the Scriptures must needs help Christ the Light or Spirit; and as if the guidance of the Spirit now were not to be esteemed of as Scripture, inspired as well as the Scriptures were, when given by inspiration to the men of God of old: or when it is confessed that Christ within is the Comforter, he