Further Discovery of the Quakers, Reply · Position 11
Poſition 11. That every man in the world hath a light within him ſufficient to guide him to ſalvation, without the help of any outward light or diſcovery.
In his anſwer to this Poſition, he denyes none of our proofs; but addes his further profeſſion of the ſame Principle, in theſe words; All the World ſhall witneſſe againſt you, that they have a light that lets them ſee when they ſinne, which if they did minde, and obey would leade out of ſinne unto Chriſt &c.
Except. The maine part of his anſwer is by way of rayling; all that he ſpeaks to make good this Poſition is, that Chriſt is the true light, and that he enlightneth every man, and that where he is, there need no outward diſcovery.
Reply. For the firſt, that Chriſt is the true light, is confeſſed on all hands; but that Ieſus Chriſt is in every man, or gives a ſaving light to every man, we utterly deny: and we have plentifully proved in our anſwer to the fourth Poſition. The firſt Text he proves it by, is, Iohn 1.9. He is the true light that lightneth every one. We have fully opened this Text in our anſwer to the fourth Poſition, and convincingly ſhewed, it is not meant at all of any Goſpel ſaving light, where we deſire the Reader to ſatisfie himſelfe at large.Io. 8.12. opened. For his ſecond, Iohn 8.12. I am the light of the World, he that followes me ſhall not walke in darkeneſſe. This proves not that Chriſt doth give a ſaving light to the whole world; no more then that Text, 1 Iohn 2.2 doth prove that the whole world ſhall have the benefit of Chriſts propitiation. Secondly, the words immediately following, might ſatisfie Nayler, that he is thus a ſaving light onelyonly to them that follow him, who are Beleevers, drawne by the power of the ſpirit of God. Cant. 1.4. No man comes to me except the Father draw me. Iohn 6.44.45. Every man that hath heard and learned of the Father commeth to me: So that Chriſt is onelyonly the light of thoſe that have learned of the Father, and have been drawne by the Father, and follow him. Here is a cleare reſtriction of Chriſts being a light, onelyonly to Beleevers, to them that follow him &c.Io. 1.4.5 opened. The third Scripture, Iohn 1.4 5. the light ſhined in darkeneſſe, and the darkeneſſe comprehended it not; is cleare againſt him. For the Phraſe of the light ſhined in darkeneſſe, imports onelyonly, that Jeſus Chriſt was Preached to them, Chriſt came amongſt them, and Iohn Preached him to them. Ver. 29. Behold the Lambe of God, &c. yet they were in darkeneſſe, for want of light they could not ſo much as diſcover him, nor receive him; ſo farre were they from knowing Chriſt, or the world from having Chriſt a light in them all, that they could not apprehend him, when he was Preached openly to them. His fourth Text is, Iohn 3.19. this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, is as full againſt Nayler, as the former: for it ſpeaks this, that Jeſus Chriſt is the true light, was Preached to the World and diſcovered to them, when he had before been a miſtery, hid from Ages and Generations, Col. 1, 28. yet they would not beleeve him, but loved to continue in that darkeneſſe, or ignorance of Chriſt, which is in all by nature.
Now for the third branch of his anſwer, that where this light of Chriſt is, there need no outward diſcovery. We anſwer, 1. We have abundantly proved, that Jeſus Chriſt is not in all, in out anſwer to his reply to the fourth Poſition. 2. We have alſo proved, That Ieſus Chriſt neither is in all, nor doth he enlighten all, by giving every man a knowledge of the Goſpel; this we have done at large in the ſame place. 3. We have fully proved, that all men in the world doe need an outward light or diſcovery, and that it is the way of Chriſt his making knowne himſelfe by outward diſcovery, and Preaching the Goſpel, in the Perfect Phariſee, pag. 18.19, in ſix arguments, to which Nayler anſwer nothing.Neceſſity of outward reaching, further proved. All that he brings for it de novo, in his anſwer, is onelyonly his bare word, without either argument or text; ſo that we need to ſay no more. Yet, ex abundanti, we ſhal adde. Firſt, It was the wiſedome of the Father to have the Goſpel Preached to every creature, and therefore did he ſend men forth to publiſh it, Marke 16.15. Mat. 28.19.30.
2. It pleaſed the Father to owne Preaching of the Goſpel, with the converſion of ſoules. Acts 2.41. 1 Cor. 1.21. I… pleaſed God by the fooliſhneſſe of Preaching, to ſave them that beleeve
3. It pleaſed the Lord Ieſus, when he was aſcended up to Heaven, to give officers for the perfecting of the Saints. Epheſ, 4.11.12. for the edifying of the body of Chriſt.
4. It pleaſed him alſo to eſtabliſh this as an everlaſting Ordinance to continue till the end of all things, Mat. 28 laſt. Epheſ. 4, 15. He that hath any ſenſe of the wiſedome of God, and ſubmiſſion to it, will not dare to ſay with Nayler, that every man hath a light within him, ſufficient without the help of any outward diſcovery, or to charge folly in doing all this upon him, whoſe wiſedome is admired, infinite, and acteth nothing needleſſely, and in vaine? But what dare not theſe men doe, who dare lift up themſelves in their blaſphemous pride, to be as pure as God,
2 Pet. 1.19. opence & vindicated.There is one Scripture, 2 Peter 1.19. which is not brought by Nayler by way of proofe, but is moſt ignorantly wreſted by him, to this their Idoll, of light within. We hinted how little the man had of any knowledge of Scripture, by his ſo blinde, and pittifull abuſing this Text, in that former Booke, Perfect Phariſee, p. 19. We ſee he is yet as confident as he was; we ſhall onelyonly ſay, that which is there called, the ſure Word of Propheſie, 2 Peter 1.19. is that word of Propheſie, which in old time holy men of God ſpake, &c, v. 21. and to this he bids them take heed, viz. to the Doctrine of the Prophets; where Peter doth not ſend them to the light within them, but to the Bookes and Words of the Prophets, as Chriſt ſends the Iewes to the ſame Scriptures, Iohn 3.39, Nay, the Text is ſo farre from hinting any light within, that the Apoſtle tells you, theſe words of the Prophets were foreign, a more ſure Word then the voyce that came from Heaven, ver, 17. Thus the man hath ſtill the weakeneſſe to produce Scripture, that fully deſtroyes his owne Principle.
We ſhall adde no more, but from theſe words of Naylers, Where this light of Chriſt is, there needs no outward diſcovery, wiſh the Reader to obſerve, That it is not onelyonly the Publiſhing of the Goſpel, by the Miniſtry that Nayler cryes downe in this as uſeleſſe, but alſo the very Scriptures, the written word it ſelfe (being an outward diſcovery) muſt by the ſame reaſon be aſſerted needleſſe. Here is the Religion of theſe men that pretend ſo much to perfection, and yet will not heare God in his Word.