ignorance of the true manner of receiving either Piety or pious and Godly wifedome, which is by way of immediat Revelation, from the Father by Jefus Chrift, through the boly Spirit, this bath hindred and stopped the growth and encrease of bolines and piety, and the Wifedome and knowledge there unto appertaining as to the Intenfion, i.e. meafur or degree of it in the particular, which otherwife by this time, might have been like the waters of the Sanctuary, at a great height; and againe, the ignorance of that other bleffed teftimony of truth, (concerning the univerfality of the Light, word, Grace, and fpirit of God, towards, and upon all, in a day of vifitation, for the faving, and endueing them, with holines and holy knowlegd and wifedom) hath been a moft mifcheivous hindrance and lett, unto the Extenfion, or spreading of tru piety, and knowledg abroad among people in the world. The ignorance of the One I fay hath hindred the Intenfion of it, and the ignorance of the other, its Extenfion: as may be manifeft to any who will confider these things, wer it, but with halfe an eye. For what can tend fo much to the univerfall gathering of all the nations, Kingdoms, langnages and kinreds of the earth, as to hold forth this univerfall principle unto them all, the Light, which lighteth all and every one of them; and to informe them, that therby and thertbrough falvation is attainable by every one and peace & reconciliation with God, in their beleife of the light, and obedience ther unto? And what can more hinder this univerfall gathering, then that particular, narrow, Atraitning, limiting, principle, of men, of a pettish narrow heart, and Spirit, who fay, that salvation never was, is, nor shall be poffible unto the most part of men. That God by an eternall decree bath wholly paffed them by, and left them in darknes, without any light to fhine in their darknes, that can poffibly at any time, lead them out of it. Doth not this difcourage people, and rather lay a block in the way of their Faith, then to point, ordirect them, unto a pillar and ground of it? Yea doth not this Doctrine, that other being added to it, viz. that immediate Revelation is ceafed, lay a much more probable foundation, for any mans unbeleif, and diftruft in the Lords mercy and willingnes to fave him, then for his faith therupon? For when any man comes with a call unto them, to beleiv that they may be faved, and therwithall tells them, that God bath left moft men, without providing them any power, by which it is poffible for them to beleiv may not all begin to doubt, or question, with more ground, then to beleive, whether they be the perfons, that are thus paffed by, of the Lord, yea, or nay? When the Lord faid but to his difciples, one of you, fball betray me, they wer exceeding forrow full, all of them, and began te Question, Mafter is it,I. How much more then occafion have they to be forrowfull, and to question the very mercy of God,for their falvation,if it be told them, that this mercy is denyed not only to a few but most of men, and to many under the visible profession, of the Chriftian Religion. And forafmuch as they fay, immediate Revelation is ceafed, this fhuts out all, from receiving any knowledge from God himselfe, whether they belong to that number, that is abfolutely rejected, yea, or nay: Weigh, and confider thefe things: Ob all people, and be awakened and roused up, out of your flumberings, in which, your teachers, have lulled you, that you may once at last perceive these blind guides, who deny the Light, that is univerfaß, and whether they are leading you,

even

The Preface.

even into a very pitt of darknes, and impiety, while they tell you, God hath not given, to every one of you, nay, nor to any one of you, who may be in a naturall ftate, any thing through which it is poffible for you, to come out of that darknes, and death, in which you lye: fure when you fball come to any Nobility of understanding, you will find, that shough your teachers fay, the Quakers teach pernicions principles unto the Nation, that indeed wee bring glad tydings unto it. Whose principles in the twofold teftimony aforfaid, as they come to be received and beleived by the Nation, will make it a happy and bleffed Nation, which is now miferable, becaus of that ignorance and iniquity that abounds in it. By the true faith and beleif of these two principles, the nation that is now as abarren wildernes, as to fruits of righteousnes, would become as the garden and Paradice of God. The glory of Lebanon, and excellency of Carmell would be given unto it, and it would become a married land and nation unto the Lord, and fo would all other nations, through the true beleif and faith of this twofold teftimony, which bath long beene fuppreffed, and warred against, and the few witneßes there of, by the Dragon and his followers, fo that the two witneffes have been flain for three long dayes, and a half, in afmuch as (befide other accounts) that this twofold teftimony hath not lived and flourished in, and among them, but hath been always knocked down, and flain, through the deceit and violenc of earthly minded men, who have hated the tru life of Chrift, and yet for their earthly and felfish ends, have made ufe of the form and words of it, which without the life and spirit of Chrift is but a dead carcas, and as it wer the dead bodies of the flain witnesses, which have lain in the fireets. of Sodom and Egypt, fpiritually fo called, that is to fay, of the fals and Antichriftian Sinagogue, Babylon, the Mother of fornications with her daughters, as all thefe are, how much foever pretending to a Reformation, who are not yet come to witnes the true Light, Power and fpirit of the Gofpell to work in them, both the will, and the deed. Now thefe Marchants of Babylon, and bloody Butchers, and Murderers of the two witneffes, and teftimonies of God, have traded and made their merchandife of thefe dead bodies, viz. the words and forms of truth, after they had Alain the life that appeared therein (and murdered Gods faithfull Saints, who held forth the living teftimony of truth) and fold them, in the fireets, or market places, of the falfe Church, as ever the Butchers, doe their flesh in the fhambles, in the streets of market Towns, Cities and Villages. Well! the judgement of this great whore is com, and is truly begun. The fpirit of life from God is entred into the two flain witneffes, and fhall yet more abundantly enter, to the affrighting and allaruming all that dwell upon the earth: and truly in nothing more can wee reckon, upon the raifing of the witneffes, then in that the Lord God almighty hash raised this twofold teftimony (that hath been so much oppofed and refifted, even by them, who made a trade of the words, which witnesse ther unto.) and made it to appear, and Shine forth in great Glory, Power and Beauty, and raifed up many to witnes therefor, and thereunto, which no deceit, nor violence of men, or principalities and powers of darknes Shall ever any more be able to prevail againft. This twofold teftimony, and the witneffes theirof, fhall prophocy, and that not in fackcloth and weaknes, as formerly, but in their beautifull garments, in power, glory, and dominion, to the flaining the

A 3

glory

The Preface.

6 glory of all flesh, and bringing down the pride thereof, that the Lord alone, and his truth may be exalted.

Now unto the one of these two teftinonies, Viz. that of immediate Revelation, a large teftimony from the Lord, hath been given me to bear, and fomewhat is published on that Subject, for the generall fervice of truth. And also as to this other I find it with me eo give teftimony thereunto,and with others of my Dear Freinds in the truth, to leave a publick ftanding Record and teftimony unto the truth hereof, in opposition to all denyers of it.

And becaus that many of our adverfaries, fom through ignorance, and others through malice & prejudice alledge that this our principle concerning the Light, &c. its being univerfally faving, as to its nature, is the very fame, which the Papifts and Arminians hold who maintaine univerfall grace, therfor I find it fitt to clear this -matter for the undeceiving the fimple, for indeed, though the Arminians and Papifts alfo, fpeake of univerfall grace as given and offred unto all, yet the thing is felf, which is the univerfall grace, as to what it is indeed, and in truth, and in true manner and way of its operation, they both deny and oppofe it, for afmuch as they both deny, that the univerfall light, which is given unto all, is the light evangelicall, or a light for the faith of the Gofpell to reft in, therfor they doe not hold it forth, as the immediat object of the Chriftian faith. Secondly they deny the way and manner of its operation to be by immediate Revelation. Thirdly they fay, this light coms from Christ, but Chrift himselfe is not in man, in the true feed of Regeneration, yea and the tru and reall indwelling of Chrift in the divine feed,and birth in the very, Saints,they generally deny as alfo,that this divine feed and birth is a reall substance, or that the divine life is fubftantiall, or fubfifteth in any fubftantiall principle of owne nature, and fo Ifay truly that both Arminians and Papifts, deny the true univerfall grace, as to what it is indeed, and as to the true way of its operation, and therfor may be justly putt in the roll with others, as unfkilfull Physicians, through their ignorance of, and oppofition unto this univerfall medicine and cure, which hath truly the vertu to cure all men, and all difeafes of men, and is adminiftred of the Lord unto all,wherby it is pofible for them to be cured. But not withstanding thegreat cloud of darknes and ignorance, which hath been generally over the understandings of people, it is to be acknowledged that through the infinite mercy of God fom, among one and another both Papifts and Proteftants fa called, have received fom tafts therof, and been partakers of its vertu, wherby their fouls have lived unto God, in fom meafur, but under much weaknes and leannes, yet fosas who have been truly fingle towards him, have been accepted. For the times of this ignorance, God winked at, but now comman deth all men every where to repent. The night is far spent and the day is at band, yea it is already dawned, and the tru light fbineth out of the darknes, which shall run, and spread, and cover the face of the whole earth, with its glory, as an overflowing Stream. Amen.

its

1

A few

A few words concerning the fate of the controverfy, and the explication of the Terms.

1.

HEN wee fpeak of the Light, as given unto all men that they may be faved, and as being fufficient unto all for falvation: by Light wee doe not fimply understand a thing, that hath but this one Property or Quality of enlightning, or manifefting, as only to give a true underftanding of things, and to work out ignorance and error from out of the minds of men, but this light hath life in it, and an univerfall vertue and power to reach unto the whole man, not only to cure the blindnes of his understanding, but the perverfnes of his Will, and the depravednes of his affections, it hath not only an enlighting property, but it hath all thefe other properties as to quicken, to fanctify, to purify, to heal, to mortify,&c. For it being the image of God, it hath its perfections anfwerable unto thofe which are in God:fo that as in God, there is Light, Life, Lover Goodnés, Mercys Righteoufnes, Wisdome, Power, &c. So in this light, which cometh from him there are all these things, by way of participation, or communication.

2. Wee doe not understand this Light and Grace, or Gift of God, and Jesus. Christ as feparate from God,or Chrift,for that it is as impoffible as to feparate the, beams from the Sun, for God and Christ are one with the light that coms from them forever. Yea as the Father, and the Son are infeparable, fo is the light which cometh from them, infeparable from both. And accordingly as wee. fay, there is a faving light from the Father of lights and from Jefus Chrift communicated unto all men, and which is in all men fo God and Christ are together with this light in all men, prefent with it, and in it cooperating therewith; for as Chrift faid, I can doe nothing of my felfe, and my Father worketh hitherto, and I work, fo the light which cometh from the Father and the Son, cannot doe the work alone, but the Father and the Son,doe cooperate therwith, and therein, hence in Scripture every good thing or Motion in any man, is afcribed unto God himselfe, as immediatly prefent, the immediat Author and Worker of it. It is God that worketh in you, faid Paul, and no man can come unto me faid Chrift, unleffe the Father draw him, and faid Chrift concerning himselfe, without me yee can doe nothing, I am the way, the truth, and the life, no man cometh unto the Father, but by me, and alfo the whole work of mans falvation is afcribed unto the Holy Ghoft, the quickner and Comforter. So that this heavenly feed of grace, needeth the continuall influence and prefence of God and Chrift, together with the Holy Spirit to raise it and forme it, and concurre with it, in the renewing and regenerating of man. But befides this prefence and inbeing of God and Chrift, which is in all men, unto falvation, in a day of the gracious vifitation

of

of God unto them. There is a more fpeeciall way of the inbeing of God and Chrift in men, which is proper only unto the Saints and children of God, who both have God in them, and are again in God by Union, and Chrift is formed in them, and fo they have Chrift in them, and they are in Chrift, through a heavenly and fpirituall birth in which they are one with God and Chrift. And of this fort, or manner of in-being, which is by Union, and Chrift formed within, the fcripture speaketh frequently. And doth hold it forth as only belonging unto the Saints, but as concerning this particular, how God and Chrift is in all men unto falvation, within a day of the vifitation of the love of God unto them, and alfo how God and Chrift is not in all, but only in the Saints and children of God according to a Spirituall birth and Union, the third part of this treatise following, in which the objections are answered, doth more fully and largely give an account.

3. And for the better understanding of the matter in hand, how that the faving and Evangelicall light of Jefus Chrift hath been communicated unto all men, in all ages and generations of the world, wee are to confider the words of the Apoftle to this purpofe, There are diverfity of adminiftrations faid he, but one fpirit, and diverfity of adminiftrations, but one Lord, which diverfity of operations and adminiftrations are reduceable unto these two, the law, and the Gospell, or the firft covenant, and the fecond. Which two as they were very diftinguishable among the fewes fo were they alfo among the Gentiles. As concerning the Fewes, they had firft, the law, which came by Mofes, and fecondly they had the grace and truth which came by Jefus Chrift. The Righteoufnes of the law, and the Righteoufnes of faith, and thefe two,though they were diftinguishable yet as they were adminiftred of God, they were not feparated, nor divided, but the Gospell lay hid within the law, as within a vail, which the outward Tabernacle did plainly figure, and hold forth. For what did the Holy of Holyes fignify, within the outward court, and holy place, but the Gospell, and the administration therof within the law, and its administration? And thus Chrift Jefus was in the LAID, and under it, but as within and under the vail and here the light shined in darknes, but the darknes did not comprehend it. The difpenfation of the law was as darknes, in refpect of the clear difpenfation of the Gospell, yet even in this darknes, did Chrift Jefus the true light fhine. And alfo in, or among the Gentils univerfally, there was and is fomewhat which by way of proportion, doth anfwer unto the law, and Gofpell, firft covenant and fecond, which was fo diftinctly held forth among the fewes; and,as among the Jewes, therwas Mofes and the Prophets, in the letter, fo univerfally in all men, both fewes and Gentiles, there hath beene Mofes and the Prophets in the fpirit, and alfo Chrift: elfe what can bee understood by these words, Death reigned over all from Adam unto Mofes here is an Adam, which related unto all men, both fewes and Gentiles, and here is also a Mofes that related unto all, which certainly cannot be that individuall, or particular man Mofes, but a difpenfation of God unto men, anfwerable unto Mofes, according to which, Christ said, as concerning men

then