Quest. WHat have been talked of in times past to be Ori­ginal sin?

Answ. The Pelagians talk, Original sin standeth in following of Adam, as it is noted in the Ninth Article of the Church of England; but the Church of England, in that Article saith, that it is the fault and con­ruption of the nature of every man, that is ingendred of the off-spring of Adam: This have been talked of to be Original sin. Mark, according unto holy Scriptures, that which moves in man, to move man to sin, is not the corruption of our na­ture, [for that is passive] but the power or motion of Sathan in our flesh, which is active: This is the Original of Sin, for as 'tis written, sin is of the Devil, 1 Joh. 3.8.

Quest. Is the motion of Sathan, which is in our members, sin?

Answ. Yea, for it wars against the Law of God, which is in our minds, to wit, the Light; to war against the Law of God, is sin, and to move to man, or to tempt man to do contrary unto the beeing of God in man, is sin; whose being in us is as a Law to us, by which cometh to us the knowledge of sin.

Quest. Shall not. the motion of Sathan, which is sin, be imputed to man, if man obey not?

Answ. Nay, to him that tempteth it's a sin to be imputed, but to man that is tempted, it's no sin to be imputed, if he fall not into it; because man is not the author of the motion of sin, that is of the Devil, the motion of Sathan which is sin, we have, when we do not commit sin; mark, it's one thing to have sin, it's another thing to commit sin; he that committeth sin is of the Devil, 1 Joh. 3.8 Joh. 8.44.

Quest. Is the motion of Sathan in the Flesh of innocent man­kind; if so, then may it not be in the flesh of little children?

Answ. Yea, it may be in the flesh of little Children; that it [Page 3]was in the flesh of innocent man kinde, Paul the Apostle saith, When I would do good, evil is present with me; Again, he saith, I finde a Law in my members warring against the Law in my mind: Again, In me, that is, in my flesh, saith he, dwel­leth no good thing, Rom. 7. James saith, Know ye not, that the spirit that dwelleth in us, lusteth to envy, James 4.5. that it is, I am a witness; for I finde by the Law, as it is written, that when I would do good, evil is present with me, Rom 7.21.

Quest. If the motion of sin be in the flesh of innocent man­kinde, is not that Adam's transgression?

Answ. Nay, Mans sin is no substance, but an act or accident, a transgressing against the Law of God: mark, that which moves in us, to move us to sin, is a substance, not Adam's sin, but the Serpent, that moved them to sin.

Quest. Are not little children conceived and born in sin, as it have been conceived, declared, and believed?

Answ. It's written, the Lord is the Former of all things, Jer. 10.16. and that in wisdom (which is contrary to sin) hath he made them all, Psal. 104.24. and his work is perfect, Deut. 32.4. Christ Jesus saith, touching little Children, of such is the Kingdom of Heaven. Luke 18.16. Math. 19.14. Again, he saith, Verily, verily, I say unto you, except ye be converted, and become as little Children, ye shall not enter into the Kingdom of Heaven, Mat. 18.9. Again, it's noted in the com­mon prayer Book, in publick Baptisme, that little Children are innocent; and in the Collect for Innocents Day, see then, ac­cording to Moses, the Prophets, and Christ's sayings, little Chil­dren are innocent, and not born in sin.

Quest. What is Innocency, and what is degeneration?

Answ. Innocency is uprightness; Adam was in it, the Lord made man upright, Eccl. 7.29. Degeneration is transgression, the Lord made it not, nor man in it, Wisd. 1.13.

Quest. Have not Christ by his death destroyed the power of sin, and satisfied the wrath of God for all transgressions? there are many that do believe that Christ, by his death, hath satisfied the wrath of God for all sins present, past, and to come, and hath by his death destroyed the power of sin?

Answ. To believe that Christ by his Death hath satisfied [Page 4]God's wrath for all sins, and hath by his death destroyed the power of sin: Is to believe against Holy Scripture and know­ledge, because we finde in our flesh the power of sin unde­stroyed: Again, when we were the servants of sin, then as it's written, Rom. 2.8, 9. Upon our souls was tribulation, anguish and wrath: Again, if all sins present, past, and to come, was satisfied for, by the death of Christ; then there remains no place for preaching his name, for repentance and remission of sins, nor for Christ's Intercession. Mark, according to Holy Scripture, the ministry of the Gospel of God is to be preached among all Nations for obedience of faith; that they may come to repentance, and receive remission of sins, Luke 24.27. Except sinners repent, they shall all perish, Luke 13.4. Christ tasted Death for every man, for the redemption of the trans­gressions that was under the first Testament, Heb. 2.9. & 9.15. But for the sin of not believing the second Testament or Cove­nant of God, of that men must repent, or else for that they shall perish, and dye in their sins, as the Lord hath said, John 8.24. Luke 13.3.

Quest. What is the first Testament?

Answ. Precepts of God gave forth, contained in Scripture without us.

Quest. What is the second Covenant of the Lord, and where is it to be witnessed?

Answ. The new and second Covenant of the Lord is the Law, which is spiritual, the true Light, gave and put by God in the mindes of his People, according to his promise, Jer. 31.33. Heb. 8.10. That lighteth every man that cometh into the World. John 1 9. It's perfect converting the Soul, making wise the simple, Psal. 19.7. The same to day as it was yester­day, and for ever; under differing names or sounds declared to us, he that doth believe have the witness in himself; 1 John 5.10.

Quest. Is the Gospel of the Kingdom of God the matter or sub­stance of preaching, to beget faith in all men or man-kinde, to wit the World?

Answ. If it was not in all the World, to wit man-kinde, then it could not be preached in all the World for a witness: mark, [Page 5]Christ saith, this Gospel of the Kingdom shall be preached for a witness in all the World, Math. 24.14. Again, he saith, behold the Kingdom of God is within you, Luke 17.21. It's written, the Word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth and in thy heart; this is the word of faith we preach, Deut. 30.14. Rom. 10.8.

Quest. Is that holy thing in man, by which cometh the know­ledge of sin, the Word of God that liveth and abideth for ever, the substance or matter of preaching to beget the lively faith? Martin Pereas, and many others saith; the matter or substance of preach­ing to beget faith, must be the written Word, or Scriptures of the old and new Testament, which by faith, [...] indeed the lively seed and firm foundation of faith: Wilson's Dictionary, pag. 378.

Answ. The Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testa­ment, are God's witness, that faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God, Rom. 10.17. and that God was the Word, John 1.1. As it's written, nigh thee, in thy mouth, and in thy heart, the word of faith the holy men preached, was in man, not Scriptures without man for a foundation of faith; no other foundation do the holy Scrip­tures witness unto, but to that which is already laid in thy heart, to wit, the Lord, who is as a Law to man, by whom cometh the knowledge of sin, to him gives all the Prophets witness, that whosoever believeth in him should receive re­mission of sins, Acts 10.43. and not perish, but have ever­lasting life. John 3.15.

Quest. What might be the cause that devout and great learned Men, pitched upon the Holy Scriptures for the matter or substance of preaching to beget faith?

Answ. The light in them, made manifest to them, things that are reprovable, and brought as it do to us the Holy Scriptures to witness to it; they minded the things that are reprovable, and the Scriptures that was brought that testi­fied to it, but not the wisdom that brought them, which is greater than all the Scriptures: this was the cause that they pitched upon the Holy Scriptures for a foundation of mi­nistry: Is written, there was a little City, and few men [Page 6]within it; and there came a great King against it, and be­sieged it, and built great bul-works against it; now there was found in it a poor wise man, and he by his wisdome delivered the City: mark, yet no man remembred that poor man; the poor man's wisdom is despised, and his words are not heard, Eccles. 9.14.16. Thus forme was set above the Life; which was the cause of so much strife.

Quest. May the wisdome of God, which maketh manifest things to man, be despised, and yet the things that are re­provable, retained in knowledge, and the Scriptures that do witness to them: If so, then may not a forme of godliness be held by such that denyeth the power, and preached, and yet they perish in their sins?

Answ. Yea, they that received the Law, it's written, perished, because they kept not the thing that was sown in them; 2 Esdr. 9.33. A man may in his knowledge re­tain the work of the spirit of God, and the Scriptures that do witness to it, and preach upon it the conceiving of his own brain: mark, and yet not retain God in his knowledge, but despise his wisdome, as before is writ­ten: mark that, ye Teachers, for ye that do so, the wrath of God is to be revealed against you from Hea­ven: Rom. 1.18. You are them that are not sent of God, neither shall your ministry profit the people at all: your ministry is considered perfectly, as the Lord hath said, it should be in the latter days; Jeremy 23.20. The an­ger of the Lord is gone forth against you, and it shall not return, untill he have executed, and till he have per­formed the thoughts of his heart: mark, by that we know false ministry, we know the latter days is come.

Quest. If all things, when they are rebuked, are made manifest by the Light, and that Light is the Lord. Why then was the Holy Scriptures written, and whereunto do they serve?

Answ. The Holy Scriptures was written for our learn­ing, Rom. 15.4. and are God's witnesses to men, that [Page 7]they may believe, that he which tryeth the Reines, and searcheth the heart, is the Lord, that so men might come to him and be saved; hereunto serveth the Holy Scriptures, 1 Chro. 28.9. Psal. 7.10. Jer. 11.20. Rev. 2.23.

Quest. It the spirit of God, and the grace of God, and the righteousness of God, and the word of God, and the Son of God, one?

Answ. Yea, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost are one, and the Righteousness, and the Grace of God is of the same Essence, and they are one in property, quality and vertue: 1 John 5.7. Joh. 10.30. Hos. 13.4.

Quest. Why doth the Apostle Peter say, Acts 4. that there is no other name given among men, whereby they might be saved, but by the name of Jesus Christ, if Grace and Christ are one?

Answ. The same Apostle saith, Acts 15. we believe through the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, we shall be saved; Paul the Apostle saith, ye are saved by grace, through faith; not of your selves, it is the gift of God, Eph. 5.8. Names or Sounds gives not a beeing unto Substances, but demonstrates them according to their nature, offices, operations and vertues: there are differences of admini­stration, and diversities of operations, but it is the self same Lord: 1 Cor. 12.5. besides him there is no Saviour Hosea 13.4. Esa. 44.6. Rom. 1.17. The sound Jesus and Saviour is one.

Quest. Is this the Testimony of God and his Prophets, and of wise men, to wit, that the Lord is in men, and searcheth all hearts?

Answ. Yea, This is the Testimony of God, and his Prophets, and wise men, to wit, that the Lord is in their hearts, in the midst of them, searching all hearts, Hos. 11.9. 1 Chro. 28.9.

Quest. What then is the saying of the Fool, and of them that are in the Tire of an Harlot?

Answ. The Fool saith in his heart, there is no God: Psalme 14.1. and them that are in the Tire of an Har­lot [Page 8]saith, the good man is not at home, he is gone a long Journey. Prev. 7.19.

Quest. Are there three spirits in man, to wit, the spirit of God, Man's spirit, and the spirit of the wicked one; if so, what is their natures, properties, or qualities, and their workings in man?

Answ. Yea, there are three spirits in man; first, the nature of God's spirit in man, is, the Light, powerfull in its operations, immutable in his Essence, admitting no sin to joyn to it, the property and quality of it; briefly, it is meek, wise, searching all hearts, and ma­king manifest unto men their thoughts, and the motion of Sathan in their flesh. 2ly. The nature of the spirit of man singly considered, is mutable, the quality or pro­perty of ill in its working, is, its simple, fierce, furious; they that follow their own spirits, as its written, have seen nothing: Ezek. 13.3. 3ly. The nature of the spirit of the wicked one is irreconcilable to any good, the property or quality of it in its working, is, Its subtile, envious and mischievous always in his working in man: he moves to man to do things contrary unto the beeing of God in man; whose being, to wit, God's in us, is, as a Law, by which Law, we know, that when we would do good, evil is present in and with us, according as its noted in Scriptures of truth without us, Rom. 7.21. mark, the spirit of man is not begotten by man, or gendered of man, as some in Print have affirmed, then it would be mortal; neither is it that breath which God breathed in man, by which man became a living soul, as others in Print have affirmed; but mans spirit is gi­ven him of God, and is of the same substance that the created Angels are of; and its that feeling sensible spi­ritual part in man by which we receiveth the things of the spirit, or breath of God: That man's spirit is not the breath of God, it may appear thus, by the breath of the Lord was the Heavens made, and all the Host of them, Psal. 33.6. and by the breath of his mouth, he [Page 9]will slay the wicked. Esa. 11.4. 2 Thes. 2.8.

Quest. If there be three spirits in man, Is not there also three estates of man?

Answ. Yea, the Son of God, Christ Jesus, is the righteousness of God; when man is in him, then man is in his first estate, in which he was formed, out of which the Devil is, and into it he cannot come; but when man is between righteousness and unrighteous­ness, then man is as when he was born, which is man's second state: To man in that state the Serpent can come, as he did to the Woman; when Man trans­gresseth, then man is in that which God created not, nor man in it, which is man's third estate. In it the Devil is, and moveth, and it's under the wrath of God: He that hath an ear to hear, let him hear; and awake to righteousness, and as it's written, sin no more. Joh. 5.14.

Quest. Seeing that there is a three-fold state of man, in which may a man abide and walk, and not commit Sin?

Answ. In the righteousness of God, Christ Jesus, the way of holiness, may a way-faring man, though a fool, walk, and not erre therein, Isa. 35.8. Who­soever abideth in him, sinneth not, 1 John 3.6. Righ­teousness exalts a Nation, sin is a shame to any Peo­ple, Pro. 14.34.

Quest. What is the ministry of them that walk, and abide in Christ, and wherein do their worship consist, and in what do they worship, and what is the effects that fol­lows of their ministry to them?

Answ. Our ministry is that true Light that lighteth every man that cometh into the World, our worship doth consist in answering the Lord's requirings; we worship the Father, who is God over all, in him, in whom we walk and abide, the effects of the ministry unto us is, It makes the comers thereunto perfect, our upright, and satisfies our souls, and gives us the [Page 10]knowledge of God, which is life eternal, John. 17.3. which no changable ministry can do, and by it in our hearts, as its written, Math. 5.8. we have seen God, to whom be glory for ever.

Quest. Why have, and do not God's People worship, and walk with sinners in their worships?

Answ. Because sinners ministry is changable, and after the Law of a carnal Commandement, and their worships consists in teaching, and worshipping after the precepts of men, which is not bread, Isa. 55.2. Now Christ have forewarned his people to beware of men, that teach for Doctrine, the Precepts of men, Mat. 16.12. But in vain, saith he, do they worship me, teaching for Doctrine the Commandements of men, Mat. 15.9. Mark 7.7. Again, by his Apostles, we are forewarned to turn from them that have a forme of godliness, and do deny the power, 2 Tim. 3.5. Again, we are forewarned by the Wise man, Prov. 19.27. to cease to hear the instruction that cau­seth to erre from the words of Knowledge: so like­wise by the Lord of Hosts, in Jeremy 23.16. Now blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, Psal. 1.1.