so neither can it hold that the world into which man comes, is the new creation, since it is not said, "who believe," which is usually joined to things of that importance. "Believe and be saved." &c. Nor can such as do not believe, be totally excluded from being lighted, since the wicked could not rebel against it, if they had it not; neither men's evil actions be reproved without it. John iii. 19.—Eph. v. 13. So that all such notions are foreign both from scripture and reason.

We shall conclude then, that Christ, the Word-God, is the light of the world, and that all are enlightened by him, the Eternal Sun of righteousness; therefore the light of men is Christ. For to him, Christ, or the true light, John testified, who gives wicked men to see their unrighteousness, and who leads good men on in the way of holiness, which, persevered in, brings unquestionably to eternal happiness; and without which, all imputation of general acts of righteousness, performed by Christ without us, will avail nothing for salvation in the great and terrible day of God's inquest and judgment, when all shall be judged, not by the deeds any other hath done for them, (wholly without them,) but according to the deeds done in their own mortal bodies.

This subject I shall conclude, with a few reasons for the universality and sufficiency of the light within, that we may not only be seen to have the scriptures of truth, and other authorities, but reason also, which is more universal, on our side too.

CHAPTER XX.

The universality of the Light within, proved by reason.

That there is an universal light, the universality of all ages bath plentifully testified. There is nothing more constant now, that can plead either such antiquity, or general consent. Not a nation in the world ever knew an age, in which it was destitute of such a discovery of internal light, as gave them to discern evil from good; that virtue was not ever most commendable, and vice above all things pernicious and damnable. This is matter of fact, which I have already proved, and the most barbarous of nations now inhabited, are a clear demonstration of what I say. I conclude therefore since both wicked and good men in all ages, have confessed to well and ill doing, and that this depends upon the discovery of the divine light of Christ, which manifests every reprovable action; that none of mankind are exempted from this illumination.

But again, it is highly consistent with the goodness of God, and order of his creation, since it seems unreasonable that men should have the benefit of a natural sun, which shines on the just and unjust, by which to direct their steps, and securely transact all temporal affairs; and yet that their souls should be left destitute of a spiritual luminary, or Sun of righteousness, when in comparison of the salvation of a single soul, Christ counts the world of no value. The soul then hath eyes as well as the body; and as men may see, if they please, when the sun is in the outward firmament, unless they wilfully close their eyes, so may all rational souls see, if they will, by their eye of reason, that spiritual Sun, which gives as true discerning and direction to the mind, how to think and desire, as the natural sun doth to the body, how to act and walk aright.

Were not this true, men would miserably charge God with neglect to his creatures. For since it is to be supposed that God made nothing but with a design it should acknowledge a Creator, after its respective nature; and that man's duty was peculiar, namely divine homage and worship, expressed generally by a life corresponding with that Being who made him, it is just that we believe God hath indued mankind with something that is divine, in order to it; since otherwise, man would be destitute of that which should enable him to perform that duty, without which he could not please nor rightly acknowledge God. If then all mankind ought to worship, fear, and reverence God, certainly all mankind have an ability from God so to do, or else perfect impossibilities are expected, man of himself being a most impotent creature. But it can never stand certainly with the rectitude and justice of the eternal God, to expect from man what he never gave him power to do, or the improvement of a talent he never had. In short, if we ought to think that God is to be reverenced and worshipped, we must agree that God endued mankind with a Divine light and knowledge, in order to that end, or say with the man in Matthew, "God is an hard master, and austere lord, he reaps where he never sowed." But I am almost afraid that the principles and prejudice of some, incline them rather to think hardly of God, than favourably of the light. How ill doth it become those to object an impossibility of the light's bearing their iniquities, who are daily wounding it with their rebellions?

But they object, some deny they have it, and others by their dissolute lives show they are void of it. To which I say, it is not impossible for a life of worldly care and pleasures, and downright debauchery, to darken and quite blind that eye which only sees the light of truth, and being kept single, preserves the body full of light. But this makes no alteration in the light. If through repentance and contrition the scales

fall off, the light refuses not itself to the eye that can and will see it. The light remains unaltered, it is man that changes. Would the running mad of some men be a good argument to prove mankind irrational? Neither is it any demonstration against the universality of the light within, because some have, by the stupifyings of sin, rendered themselves insensible of it. Nor doth ill living disprove the sufficiency of the light, though it prove disobedience to it. Is it good logic, that because a wicked man will not receive good advice, therefore he never had it? And what better reason can it be to say, men disobey the light, therefore they never had it, whilst that proves they had it, at least as a condemner? A man may be said to be lighted, when he knows and does not his duty; but rather, I confess, when he becomes a better man by such illumination. In the first sense, all are illuminated; in the last, only such as follow to obey the light; for they will find their understandings illuminated, and their hearts mended, of which the disobedience of others deprives them. In short, all have light to reprove, unless they have quite put out their eyes; but such only have it beneficially, as their teacher and director, who receive it in the love of it.

Since then the consent of mankind, the goodness and justice of God, and reason of the thing itself, plead so strongly for the universality of this light, I need say the less, and shall descend to consider its sufficiency.

CHAPTER XXI.

The sufficiency of the Light proved by reason.

Because, as well the sufficiency as universality of the light, is struck at by our adversaries, it shall not, I hope, seem amiss if I say something briefly to it, though much of what I have said about the other may be referred to this.

That the universal light is also sufficient, is a belief so reasonable and necessary, that the opposite opinion must needs impeach the justice of God. All grant that God has made man rational, and capable in some measure of the knowledge of his Creator; which his bare capacity would never have given him, unless God had pleased to have made some discovery of himself suitable to that created capacity in the creature. Certainly then, since God desires not that the creature should receive a wrong impression of him, while he requires universal fear and reverence, he must needs have given some certain and sufficient discovery and measure to the creature,

but

But as

in order to it, by those lively manifestations, and most sensible
touches of the light to and upon the soul, which cannot but be
true, clear, and, if minded, efficacious. For that God should
require men to serve him, and not give them what is sufficient,
is worse than not to give at all. Since man's not obeying such
discoveries, is not so great an aggravation of his neglect, as
the imperfection of them is, either of the insufficiency or un-
willingness of him that made them, to do otherwise. What is
this but to say, that God expects homage from men, as their
sovereign Lord, and that they live uprightly in the world, and
yet that he has not given them ability to do it? He pronounces
such miserable who conform not themselves to an holy life,
gives no power to avoid the curse? In short, though reason tell
us he made none purposely to destroy them, but rather that he
might be glorified in their salvation, which he is also said to
invite men to; yet that he designs nothing less, by leaving all
mankind under the faintings of an impossible success.
such dismal consequences belong not to the truth, so we are
well assured, the light of which we speak, has ever been suffi-
cient to the end for which it has been given, in every age, both
to manifest evil, condemn for it, and redeem from the power
and pollution of it, by the holy operation of its power, all those
who are the diligent disciples of it. For it seems most unrea-
sonable that the spirit of darkness should be sufficient to draw
into sin, and yet that the Spirit and Light of Christ should not
be sufficient to redeem and save from it. Since therefore we
cannot admit of any insufficiency in the light within, but at
the same time we must suppose-First, that whilst God would be
rightly worshipped, he has too darkly discovered the way how
to do it aright. And secondly, that his gift is impotent. And
thirdly, that man is required to do what he has no power to
perform. And fourthly, that whilst God requires man to serve
him, he hath not so much as shown him what way he ought to
do it; which are consequences most unworthy of God. We
rather choose to sit down contented with this belief, that God
who made man, and has given him a soul capable of knowing
and serving his Maker, hath also endued him with divine
knowledge, by a superadded light and power, and enabled him
thereby to live subservient to that knowledge. That God's
gift is perfect and sufficient for that work; and that such as
are led by it, must needs be led to God: unto whom the divine
Light naturally tends, and attracts as that from whom it came,
which is certainly a state of blessed immortality.

In short, accept reader of these few arguments, comprehensive of these two chapters, and indeed of most of what goes

before.

1. God requires no man to do any thing he has not given him first light to know, and then power to do. But God requires every man to fear him, and work righteousness: therefore he has given every man, both a discovery of his will, and power to do it.

2. No man ought to worship the true God ignorantly. But every man is commanded to worship God: therefore he is to do it knowingly.

3. No man can know God, but God must discover it to him, and that cannot be without light: therefore every man has light.

:

4. This light must be sufficient, or God's gifts are imperfeet, and answer not the end for which they were given. But God's gifts are perfect, and can perform what they are designed for therefore since the light is his gift, it must be sufficient. THE SUM IS THIS. Every man ought to fear, worship, and obey God. No man can do it aright, that knows him not. No man can know him, but by the discovery he makes of himself. No discovery can be made without light; nor can this light give that discovery, if imperfeet or insufficient in nature: therefore, all have a sufficient light to this great end and purpose, viz. to fear, worship, and obey God; and this Light is Christ.

CHAPTER XXII.

The question, who he is, or they are that obey this divine light, &c.? considered and answered; being the character of a true Quaker.

I am now come to my last question, viz. who this he is, or they are, that obey this light, and in obeying attain salvation? Ör, what are the qualifications of those that obey this light? Not what are their names, but what kind or manner of people are they? In short, what is it to obey the light?

I think I have so fully expressed myself already in this matter, that with an ingenuous reader, I might be saved the pains of further considering it. But that nothing may be thought to be shunned as unanswerable, which is so easy to be answered, I must tell him and all men, and that not without some experimental knowledge of what I say, that such obey the light, who refrain from all that the light manifests to be evil, and who incline to perform all that it requires to be done. For example, when the light shows that it is inconsistent with a man fearing God to be wanton, passionate, proud, covetous, backbiting, en