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• Effects in us; who as he hath reconciled us, while we were Enemies, doth alfo in his Wifdom fave us, and juftify us after this manner, as faith the fame Apoftle elsewhere; According to his Mercy he faved us, by the washing of Regene•ration, and the renewing of the Holy Ghoft. Tit. • iii. 5.

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AND p. 215. I come then to the fecond Thing propofed by me, which is, That it is by • this inward Birth, or Chrift formed within, that we are (fo to fpeak) formally justified in the Sight · - of God. I fuppofe I have faid enough already to demonftrate, how much we afcribe to the Death and Sufferings of Chrift, as that, whereby Satisfaction is made to the Juftice of God, "Remiffion of Sins obtained, and this Grace and Seed purchased; by and from which this Birthproceeds. The Thing now to be proved is, That by Christ Jefus formed in us, we are justified, or made juft. Let it be marked, I use Justification in this Senfe upon this Occafion.' which Senfe he explains a few Lines lower, to be a being really made juft, and not a being merely imputed fuch. Had our Opponent mark'd this Senfe of the Word Juftification, fo exprefly infifted upon by R. B. he might have fav'd moft of his Remarks on this Question. Since 'tis plain, R. B. afcribes Juftification, viz. the Remiffion of Sins that are paft, only to the Death and Sufferings of Christ, and that he acknowledges the Grace by which Sanctification is wrought to be the Purchafe of the fame, Which is as much as our Adversary himself in other Words fays, p. 127. All the bleffed Influences and Operations of hisSpirit within us, working his Works in us, are the fole Fruit and Purchase of his outward. Birth, and Death and Sufferings without us.'

Pag

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Pag. 128. THE Vicar puts this Question, Is not the Knowledge and Faith of Christ after the Flesh, or of his outward Birth and Coming in the Flesh, and his outward Death and Sufferings on the Crofs, but as it were the Rudiments young Children learn, which after they become better Scholars, are of lefs Ufe to them, ⚫ because they have and poffefs the very Substance ⚫ of those first Precepts in their Minds. And fo fuch as come to know the new Birth, to be in Christ indeed, to be a new Creature, to have ⚫ old Things pafs away, and all Things become new, may fafely fay with the Apoftle, Though we have known Chrift after the Flesh, yet now • henceforth know we him no more. 2 Cor. v. 16.' This, he fays, is a moft unchristian Affertion,

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and fhews us the very Heart of Quakerifm? And for his Authority cites R. B's Apol. p. 175, 176.

OUR Opponent in this Place ufes a most unchristian Practice, and fhews us the very Heart of Prieftcraft,

1. By putting into the Queftion fome Terms not us'd by R. B.

2. By clipping and mangling his Words, and omitting feveral Lines explanatory of R. B's Senfe.

THIS will evidently appear, by producing at large, the Paflage referr'd to.

R. B. in his Apol. pag. 174, lays down this Pofition. That thofe that have the Gospel, and Christ outwardly preached unto them, are not faved, but by the working of the Grace and Light in

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their Hearts. Of which he fays, pag: 175I fhall prove it in few Words, and firft from the Words of Chrift to Nicodemus, John iii. 3. Verily, Verily, I fay unto thee, except a Man be born again, be cannot fee the Kingdom of God. Now this Birth cometh notby outward Preaching of the Gofpel, or Knowledge of Chrift, or Hiftorical Faith in him; feeing many have that, and firmly believe it, who are never thus renewed. The Apostle Paul alfo goes fo far, ⚫ while he commends the Neceffity and Excellency of this new Creation, as in a certain Refpect, to lay afide the outward Knowledge of Chrift, or the Knowledge of him after the Flesh in thefe Words, 2 Cor. v. 16, 17. Wherefore henceforth know we no Man after the Flefb, yea though we have known Christ after the Flefb, yet now henceforth know we bim no more. fore if any Man be in Christ, he is a new Creature, old Things are paffed away, behold all things • are become new. Whence it manifeftly appears, that he makes the Knowledge of Chrift after the Flefh, but, as it were, the Rudiments which young Children learn, which after they are become better Scholars are of lefs Ufe to them, because they have and poffefs the very Substance of thofe firft Precepts in their Minds. As all Comparisons halt in fome Part, fo fhall • I not affirm this to hold in every Respect; yet fo far will this hold, that as thofe that go. no • farther than the Rudiments, are never to be ac• counted learned; and as they grow beyond thefe Things, fo they have lefs Use of them even fo fuch, as go no farther than the outward Knowledge of Chrift, fhall never inherit the Kingdom of Heaven. But fuch as come to know this new Birth, to be in Chrift indeed, to be a New Creature, to bave old Things paft

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away, and all Things become new, may fafely fay with the Apoftle, Though we have known Christ after the Flesh, yet now henceforth know we him no more. Now this new Creature proceeds from the Work of this Light and Grace in • the Heart.

By this, 'tis plain, that what our Opponent calls, a most unchriftian Affertion, is only R. B's Deduction from the Words of the Apoftle; and the Comparison he makes, he does not infift on as holding in every Refpect; but that Part of his Words wherein he fhews how far it will hold, our Adverfary wholly leaves out: Let him difprove that Part of R. B's Simile, viz. even fo fuch, as go no farther than the outward Knowledge of Chrift, fhall never inherit the Kingdom of Heaven; 'tis probable the Confcioufnefs of his Inability to do that, led him to conceal the Paffage. The Purport of R. B's Difcourfe in thefe, and fome following Pages, is to fhew the Neceffity of the new Birth, of becoming new Creatures, of putting off the old Man with his Deeds, and putting on the new Man which is created after the Image of Chrift in Righteousness and true Holiness: And that unless this inward and fpitual Work of Regeneration be wrought in the Hearts of Men, all outward Knowledge and historical Faith will be infufficient for their Salvation. This is Chriftian and Scriptural Doctrine, and is not the less fo, for being, as he calls it, the very Heart of Quakerifm. Nor do they in the leaft undervalue the Death and Sufferings of Christ in the Flesh thereby, fince, 'tis by them. they acknowledge the Grace to be purchased, by and from which this new Birth proceeds, and the Work of Regeneration is accomplished.

BUT

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BUT our Opponent's Interpretation of the Text 2 Cor. v. 16. viz. that however it was with the Apostle before his Converfion to Christianity, he had then a more fpiritual Knowledge of Chrift, and of the Reason and End of his out⚫ward Coming and Sufferings in the Flesh, P. 130. feems very foreign, fince we do not perceive that he had any real Knowledge of Chrift before his Converfion, but was a blind and violent Perfecutor of him, and verily thought with himself, that he ought to do many Things contrary to the Name of Jefus of Nazareth, Acts. xxvi. 9.

SECT. X.

Of the Blood of Christ, and of Remiffion of Sins thereby.

OUR Adverfary begins his 10th Section with this

Quest. • Was it Jelus Chrift's outward Blood, fhed outwardly on the Crofs that was fo highly • meritorious in the Sight of God, as to be the • Atonement for our Sins, and to cleanse us ⚫ from all Sin? 1 John i. 7. Rom. v. 11.'

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To this he answers, Yes: Nor does he cite any Quaker oppofing him; for they readily acknowledge, as himself expreffes it, • That it was only by his [Chrift's] meritorious Sacrifice of himself upon the Crofs, of which all the Sacrifices under the Law were Types, that the Faithful before, as well as fince, were juftified,' or received Remiffion of Sins that are past, upon Repentance, and an holy Conformity to the Guidance

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