Answer. What will become of such poor people, as are fed with such chaff and darkness as this? And what is the tendency of it, but to set people on, to work in their own wills, to set up their own righteousness, without the movings of the spirit of God? And what will that profit them, since without this spirit they are carnal and selfish in all their actions, and cannot truly obey. Nor can wicked men, who have sinned away its strivings, escape damnation, with all Stephen Scandret's pressing them to obey the scriptures, without the guidance of the spirit. For without him we can do nothing; but all things through him that strengthens us.

S. S. "Because a thing is written in the scripture, are we to do it? I will in God's assistance, roll myself, and act faith on God and Christ, because I see sweet words in the scriptures," &c. p. 38.

Answer. This is a faith of his own making, a will-acting, that is not grounded upon the spirit of God, and its persuasion within-an imperfect imitation of the letter without the spirit, For he hath not an infallible spirit" of discerning between the counsels of light and darkness in the heart; nor to discern those few truths it doth reveal," as he confesses, p. 27, and 31. So that this book of his against us, proceeded from his darkness and fallible spirit.

But if "God's spirit teach us by the works of creation, and the light in every man propound the creation to be considered, and help us thence to conclude a God, that he is to be worshipped, &c. for in him we live, move, and have our being," as is largely confessed, (p. 53,) then there is a twofold testimony afforded of God to mankind, viz. immediate and mediate, as namely,

1. His spirit or light. 2. His works of creation, through which bis light gives men to consider and see God and his eternal power, (Rom. i.) and to worship him. And this light and these works are, and preach forth the power of God and his wisdom, where the scriptures are not. And therefore God affords a sufficiency, even to the heathens, both of inward light, and outward evidence of his power, &c.

They that have the holy scriptures in the bible, may thank God for those good testimonies in them, as his light within opens their understandings in them to the right use of them. And they that have not the bible, have the book of the creation to read in, and the light within to open it, and to read and understand a Deity and Divine power through all, and over all. And they that are born deaf and blind shall not be therefore damned, God having afforded an invisible sufficient light to save, if obeyed-to leave them without excuse, if disobeyed.

And if by the use of reason, the spirit of God teacheth the heathen moral duties, as in p. 54, which duties as he explains, are to love and worship God, and to love our neighbours as ourselves; then have the heathen, First. A supernatural and DiVine light, to wit, that of the Spirit. Secondly. His spirit, with the teaching and reason of it, in that degree in which it is in them, is a rule of life to them that obey it and who have not the scriptures. And this confutes and overthrows the greater part of S. S.'s book, or bundle of confusion.

S. Scandret most falsely obtrudes upon R. Ludgater this concession, viz. "That the will of God, as much of it as is revealed by the light in every man, without the help of scripture, is not the only rule to Heaven." p. 23. "And this (says S. S., fetched out the very heart-blood of Quakery," Epist. This is a gross abuse and lye; for R. L. hath a better knowledge and esteem of the light of Christ in every man, and its sufficiency to guide the obedient to heaven. "In him was life, and the life was the light of men." John i. 4. This life and light of Christ being divine, is therefore a sufficient rule.

S. Scandret hath also abused G. W. in several places, perverting his words, and setting down words in G. W.'s name, which he never wrote nor spoke; and in particular these words about Christ's coming, viz. "He hath tarried above sixteen hundred years," (p. 86.) quoting Divin. of Christ, p. 49. And then to back this abuse, and to lay judgment upon G. W. he brings those scriptures, 2. Pet. ii. 3, 4, and Mat. xxiv. 48. Whereas G. W.'s words were quite contrary; "confessing both to Christ's outward and inward coming, which his disciples did not put afar off, as you do; it being above sixteen hundred years since they both waited for and received his coming." Here is no such word as that, "He bath tarried" so long. We refer the reader to the book and page before mentioned to see S. S.'s abuse in this. Many more might also be instanced, where, instead of answering, he hath wronged and belied our words and books.

S. Scandret in p. 32, saith, though the counsels of God's spirit in believers' hearts, be in themselves as certainly the truth of God as are his counsels in the scriptures, yet are they not to believers so certainly the truths of God."

Answer. What is this but to tell us that the scriptures can better ascertain us of the truths therein than the spirit that first gave forth those truths? or that the spirit of Christ is insufficient assuredly to manifest his own counsels to believers? which is contrary to Christ's own testimony, "He shall guide you into all truth." "He shall abide with you forever." And " the sons of God are led by his spirit;" "hereby know we that we

dwell in him and he in us, because he hath given us of his spirit." 1 John iv. 13. chap. iii. 24. Therefore this spirit is our certain and highest rule.

And as to the bustle he makes about water-baptism, it is very confused and silly, (as at the dispute,) not plainly asserting whom he would have the subjects of it, whether infants or believers; yet brings some of the Anabaptists' arguments, though we still suppose he intends infants, but durst not tell us whether it be his practice now.

So, into what a labyrinth his work tends to bring people; neither plainly telling them the subjects, nor showing who are the ministers of this imposed water-baptism, whether himself, or such as he, or who? And yet he enjoins it as a means of sanctification, a means of salvation," which we do not believe.

As also he explains not what he means by the Lord's supper; whether the shadow or the mystery, and what is his own practice therein? whether he ministers bread and wine as a figure, or the substance? and whether the mystery or thing signified, be attained by any in this life? This is unanswered. whether shadows be essential to the Gospel dispensation.

1 Concerning justification.

Nor

He has in some degree granted to truth," that the word justify, the scripture sometimes useth, to signify to make just by inherent holiness, or to sanctify. Tit. iii. 5, 7. He saved us by the washing of regeneration, that being justified,'" &c.

Here he has assented more to truth, than many of his brethren. But it is much contradicted again in his handling the matter of imputation of Adam's sin to those that are not partakers of it, and so of Christ's obedience. p. 96. As if Adam's sin and Christ's righteousness, were imputed to them who partake not of them. This we cannot own, and hath been often answered in our books. And much we have against this sense of imputation, as also against their opinion about personal election and reprobation, and the cruelty, partiality, and ill consequence of the Presbyters' opinion therein; and against S. S.'s shallow and absurd managing the matter, whose manifest contradictions were long since published, which we do not understand that he hath made any public essay to reconcile. Also his work about the scriptures, baptism, and the supper, is more particularly and fully answered elsewhere, which there hath not been, for some time, an opportunity to publish.

CHAPTER II.

About justification and imputation.

S. S.'s question. Whether we are justified by the righteousness of Christ imputed?"

The question would better reach the controversy, stated thus, viz.

"Whether impure, that is, unsanctified persons, while such, be justified by the imputation of Christ's righteousness:" Thus I stated the question at first, which S. S. evaded with this, viz. "Whether justification be by the works of the law, or by the righteousness of Christ through faith?" Now denying the former, and granting the latter, this question will not find out the controversy; but rather, whether Christ's righteousness be imputed to persons in a disobedient, unsanctified, or unconverted state? Or, whether Christ's righteousness be imputed of God to persons who are not in some degree really and inwardly partakers thereof, by the inward work of Christ, through faith and sanctification ?

I am for the real participation of Christ's righteousness, and against a false imputation of it. But I confess the true imputation of Christ's everlasting righteousness to true believers, who inwardly are partakers of his work, nature, and image, which the true seed of Abraham in all ages were partakers of, whose faith was reckoned to him-as the faith of all his seed is to them for righteousness, which was and is both real and inward.

By the righteousness of Christ, I understand his everlasting righteousness, holiness, faith, nature, and image, from whence his active and passive obedience, (as in his own person,) sprung; and that true believers, as partakers thereof, are accounted or esteemed of in the sight of God, being partakers of his holiness, divine nature, and renewed therein to God; in this they are presented unto God in an absolute justified state. S. S. proceeds thus, viz.

Respecting the word justify, "The scriptures sometimes, but very rarely, useth it to signify, to make just by inherent holiness, or to sanctify, (Tit. iii. 5, 7,) He hath saved us by the washing of regeneration, that being justified," &c. p. 89.

Reader, be pleased to take notice here, how far he concedes to a real justification as springing from the inherent holiness or image of Christ in the soul; and that this is effected through sanctification, (and it must be from hence that the real imputation ariseth,) and note, how he hath granted herein to the truth of our principle, (in the first part,) though much of his following work be contradictory to this, as will appear. For this is "to make just by inherent holiness, or to sanctify;" the other

is," to impute, or reckon, guilty or fallen creatures just." So that this man's imputation of Christ's obedience, must be opposed to the real and inward participation thereof.

S. S. [justify,]" it is used in contradiction to sanctification. 1 Cor. vi. 11. But ye are sanctified, but ye are justified,' &c. and thus mostly; we are therefore to take it in this latter sense." p. 89.

Though justify be often in scripture taken to declare just or righteous, or to accept of as such, as well as to make just, in which sense there is a distinction, not a contradiction nor severation, between sanctification and justification. Yet God never declares, accounts, or accepts any as just and righteous, but such as are really, in some degree, partakers of his righteousness in themselves, by a living faith and subjection to him, there being also a time of justifying before men are justified. For it is they who are of the faith of Abraham that are children of Abraham, whose faith, or believing God, wherein was obedience, was imputed or reckoned to him for righteousness. And true and living faith is of the same nature still; and so is the real imputation, which comes from God, and is evidenced to the soul by his spirit. And the truth of this is further confirmed by the very proof which he hath cited before, which proves that sanctification is previous to, and joined with, justification; and that it is such as are washed and sanctified that are justified, and that in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God." 1 Cor. vi. 11. It was not the unrighteous, unconverted, or unsanctified, that were justified, but the sanctified. And therefore it is not the guilty and unsanctified persons, applying or imputing to themselves Christ's active and passive obedience, as performed in his person, that will justify, make or declare them just in the sight of God, but the inward operation of his Spirit, sanctifying, renewing, and changing them from sin and impurity, into the image, name, and nature of Christ Jesus; that as they have borne the image of the earthly, so they must bear the image of the heavenly, which must be in reality.

S. S. "Justify, signifies, to declare just. Luke vii. 35. Wisdom is justified,' &c. Psal. li. 4. That thou mayst be justified,' &c. To absolve, acquit, or discharge. Rom. xvii. 15. It is God that justifieth,' &c. Proverbs viii. 3s. He that justifieth the wicked, and he that condemneth the just, are both abomination to the Lord."" p. 89.

He says true in the definition of the term justify, but whether his after application or imputation of it, (as to the creature,) agree therewith, or not, will further appear. However, his definitions, being compared, intimate thus much to us, that

*This contradistinction is his own or tutor's inventing.