means by the application of promises without, which is still to detract and diminish from the Spirit's sufficiency both in guiding and comforting, though it leads into all truth, and brings us to know the right use of the Scriptures, which we do own, in preferring the Spirit, and owning its guidance to lead into the knowledge of the truths in Scripture.

Baptist. "As to the essence or being of Christ, it is at the right hand of God in the Heavens, which must retain him, (nay which must receive him.) Acts iii. 21, 22. But this the Quakers scoff at, a Christ above the clouds, or at a distance from them."

Answer. What does this talk and reflection upon us tend to, but to exclude both the being of Christ, and the Heavenly state out of his people, and to confine both God, Christ, God's right hand of power, and being, all remote from his people, and then how is their conversation in Heaven? how are they in the Father's right hand, and what Heaven is it? And where are the heavenly places the saints were in, which Christ and the Son of man was in when upon earth; was it a natural Heaven or a spiritual? and is not that the Heaven of Heavens, or the chief Heaven, which is most near to God, most spiritual? But unto whom shall I speak wisdom, or utter knowledge? they that shut their eyes in prejudice will not be made to see or understand. We know and confess that Christ ascended far above all Heavens, and yet fills all things, and God's presence fills Heaven and earth. But in answer to the question: How then is Christ in his people ?"

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Baptist. 1, By the beams of his Light; 2dly, by his holy Spirit."

Reply. Then by this the holy Spirit in his people is Christ in his people. But then what nonsence is it to say, "that Christ, or the Spirit in his people, is but the beams of Christ, or his Light, out of his people, above the clouds, at a distance ?" where this man says his essence is, as if that the Spirit within were nothing of Christ's essence. What ignorance is this! Whereas the Apostle said, the Lord is that Spirit, and the last Adam was made a quickening Spirit. 1 Cor. xv. 45. 2 Cor. iii. 17. And I ask, if Spirit be not the essence of that which is spiritual, and if Christ in his people be the holy Spirit in them? Does not this contradict much of his book against us? For is not he often denied to be Christ, as he is the Spirit, the Word, the Anointing, &c. by such of you that know him not, but would exclude him out of his people, at a great distance, you know not where ?

And as touching those that were sensual, having not the Spirit, from which he seems to argue against us. Such were said to turn the grace of God into wantonness, denying the only Lord God; and acted despite against the Spirit of Grace, and there

fore their minds were turned from the Light and Spirit, which at sometimes appeared in them to convince them; or else how could they thus abuse and despise the Grace and Spirit of it, if it was never in them? They were said, not to have the Spirit, when they lived not in it. But their minds were turned from it, and they became sensual; that true feeling, sense, and understanding was lost, and yet whither could they go or flee from the Spirit, if it pursued them to their condemnation, seeing that if they digged down into hell, God was there to torment?

Baptist. "With the heart man believeth, by the help of the Spirit, through the Scriptures, and not by turning to the Light within. But saith the Quaker, thou must bear the checks of Christ in thy conscience, &c."

Answer. Here turning to the Light within, and the checks of Christ in the conscience, is made very light of, and shut out, and yet the help of the Spirit is granted; and is not the Spirit within, and the Light of it within? and must not people turn within for its help? What confusion and silly work has he here made against the Light within! Again, the Scriptures he calls "the Law and Testimony, the Word of God, the Gospel ;" his proof is, Deut. xxx. 11, 12, 13, 14. Whereas the Scriptures signify Writings, and much of them was then unwritten; and when the Law and the Testimony was spoken of, (Isa. 8,) the Scriptures of the New Testament were not then in being; but the commandment and word was nigh in the heart, and the Law is Light, and the testimony of Jesus the Spirit of Prophecy, and this was before the writings. But in contradiction to himself, this man says: "Tis true, Christ is called the Word." But then he adds: "So is the Scripture, and every text therein." So here is no distinction between Christ and the writing, as if they were all one: but then he further adds, "they may as well say, because Christ is called the Son of God, that therefore every believer is not a son of God." Now see how this instance holds with his assertion, "that every text is a Word of God;" but many texts are many words, and therefore those many words are the Word, which is but one; as if he should argue, that every believer is a son of God, and therefore all believers (which are many sons) are the son of God, which is but one son. Where learned he this logic? Surely he might have learned a difference between singular and plural in his accidence.

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But the Word of God is peculiarly spoken of: "His name is called the Word of God," (Rev. xix. 13,) and this lives and abides for ever; though we do own that words that God spake are contained in the Scriptures, so what they call the Word, we say the same; and what they call words, sayings, &c. we do also. And

Peter's preaching to Cornelius, and those with him, was not against the Light within, but did tend to establish them therein, contrary to what is implied. (Page 15.) How received they the Holy Ghost, and how and from what did they work righteousness, fear God, and receive acceptance with God? which Peter did not minister to draw them from, but rather to confirm them in. And did not he herein the more exalt that Light which led them to fear God, &c.? And to his saying:

Baptist. "That this Faith becometh God's evidence or witness, as to what Christ hath done for us." Heb. xi. 1.

Answer. To this, I say, that in that place it is said, "Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." Now things hoped for are to come; but were Christ's outward sufferings to come, and not seen? Yea, Faith does evidence the effects of Christ's obedience, and of his sufferings, in every one that is a partaker of a conformity to his death, and of the power of his resurrection.

Again, if the Spirit's reproving the world of sin, be understood of the doctrine of the saints, as is supposed, (page 15,) and that there be not a Light of the Spirit in the world, before they have that doctrine preached to them outwardly; what do the saints preach to in people? what is it that can receive and close with their doctrine in them? And what is it in the conscience that they are a good savour to? And if there be many of the heathen then that never heard their doctrine outwardly, nor read the Scriptures, (as in page 16,) what must become of them? Must they be condemned, and yet never have a spiritual Light in them? How then are they without excuse? But of this ignorance and narrow spirit we have seen sufficient among such opposers of the Light of Christ, in their denying its free extent to all.

"And now," the Baptist says, "having shown that the Light that is in every man, is neither God, Christ, nor the Spirit, he shall endeavour to make it his next work to show you what Light that is in every man that doth convince and reprove him for sin, or that a wicked man upon sins committing receiveth checks from; that is, conscience, there is a conscience in every man that is at work at one time or other, accusing or excusing." Rom. ii. 15.

Answer. By this he has evidently confuted and contradicted himself. 1. In confessing a Light in every man, convincing and reproving for sin, contrary to bis telling us of no Light, not any Light, nothing but darkness, in them that speak not according to the Word. 2. In his confessing to a conscience that doth convince, reprove, and check the wicked for sin; which conscience in that capacity surely is rightly and truly informed by a true

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principle or light, because it reproves for sin and evil, and stands against the wicked; which must needs be when conscience is convicted, awakened and quickened by a supernatural or divine principle of light; for conscience defiled, perverted, corrupted, scared, (for such there is in some,) will not manifest nor reprove sin, for sin is manifest by the contrary, as whatsoever makes manifest is light. 3. Those Gentiles, (Rom. ii. 15,) whose conscience also bear witness; it was to the work or effects of the law written in their hearts that it did bear witness, (see verse 15, 16,) and that law was spiritual, for they had it not in the letter. 4. This Baptist has confessed, that there is a principle or spirit that God hath placed in man, sometimes called the candle of the Lord, (Prov. xx. 27.) sometimes called the spirit of the understanding," (Job xx.) which contradicts his denying that the Spirit is in every man; for, 1. There is a Divine Light or Spirit, which lighteth, kindleth and quickeneth the spirit of man, which makes it capable of being the candle of the Lord, searching, &c. 2. There is a spirit in man, but the inspiration of the Almighty giveth understanding; and upon whom doth not his light arise?

But now he asks-"Upon what bottom doth conscience stand, or by what rule doth conscience act?" And then answers,

"The conscience doth act variously in the heathen, and such as have not read scriptures, nor had the true God and Christ preached to them."

Reply. But conscience did not act contrary to the law of God in them, (spoken of Rom. ii. 15.) neither does it act variously, when quickened, so as to reprove evil as before; how then does it act variously in the heathen?

Baptist. Answer. (Page 17, 18.) "Many there be that worship planets; many there be amongst the heathens, and others, that make great conscience of adoring that which they do attribute the title of a God to. If a man in God's worship never so much err, if he be serious in it, conscience is quiet, but if there be a faultering, conscience reflects."

Reply. This is in those things wherein they are deceived and captivated in their understandings, and their minds corrupted from the true Light in them, that men are become a law to themselves in those things wherein they are deceived and misled, which are as so many veils, and mists, and clouds cast over their understandings, and so their consciences are defiled; though conscience simply considered, whilst man's mind is not brought under those clouds, delusions and sorceries, is simply that composure of knowledge and understanding that God has placed in the mind and spirit of man, which is capable of the exercise and guidance of the Divine Light or Spirit; and as it reproves sin,

(as confessed before) and bears witness to the law of God within, which is Light, it doth not act variously as to prompt man in any thing that is sinful, either in things relating to man or worship. It does not act nor lead in any idolatrous way or worship, for that is sinful, which they that are led into, is commonly by men's traditions, that originally flow from the power of darkness, that corrupt the simple, and not by the Light within; as many are by corrupt doctrines and traditions perverted and drawn from the Light within, and kept from looking to it, and so in a dark ignorant state. And this is the tendency of your doctrine, who are warring against the Light within, as thou, W. Burnet, hast done; one while telling us, there is not any Light in those that are in the dark; another while, there is a convincing Light in every man, which is one while conscience that so convinceth and reproves; another while, it is the Light of nature; another while, the law written in the heart; and then it is creation Light. Another while it is, the candle of the Lord, the spirit of the understanding. Another while it is the substance or body of the ten commandments, (page 16, 17.) Alas! poor ignorant and scornful contender, how pitifully art thou put to it, and how art thou puzzled and confounded; surely the law of God in the heart, and the body of the ten commandments in the heathen, does neither lead nor prompt any of them in their idolatrous ways; so that in those ways they are perverted and turned from the law of God within, which law is unalterable.

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Baptist. The law written in the heart, in creation, is the principal ground of conscience conviction, (Rom. ii. 14, 15.)— God in the creation did so principle the heart of man with righteousness, and holiness, and justice, with the knowledge of himself, having the counsel or law of God in the heart; that though he lost himself by sin, he did not wholly lose his creation-light, there was still a knowledge left in man of God, but not abilities to do good."

Answer. And surely this counsel and law of God in the heart, and this knowledge of God left in man, is more than an erring conscience, or a deluded mind; for though man's mind may err, so cannot the law and knowledge of God left in him. Thus you may see how our opposer overthrows and confutes himself and his own cause, and not us nor our principle, but rather confesses to it, after he has rendered us and it as odious as he can.— Besides, as the law of God is the ground of conscience conviction, conscience in that capacity will not allow a man in any evil; and did not God leave abilities in man to do good, how then did he by his law in man require good to be done? And how could he then condemn man for not obeying him, if he hath not given him power to obey? Does he require impossibilities, and then