Truth and innocency defended against calumny and defamation, in a late report spread abroad concerning the revolution of humane souls, with a further clearing of the truth, by a plain explication of my sence, &c. / By George Keith.

Truth and innocency defended against calumny and defamation, in a late report spread abroad concerning the revolution of humane souls, with a further clearing of the truth, by a plain explication of my sence, &c. / By George Keith.

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Truth and Innocency DEFENDED AGAINST Calumny and Defamation, In a late Report spread abroad concerning the REVOLUTION OF Humane Souls, With a further Clearing of the Truth, by a plain Explication of my Sence, &c.

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Truth and Innocency DEFENDED AGAINST Calumny and Defamation, In a late Report spread abroad concerning the REVOLUTION OF Humane Souls, With a further Clearing of the Truth, by a plain Explication of my Sence, &c.

By George Keith.

To all Christian People, to whose homes this may come;

WHereas I have been lately accused by a certain Person, before divers Witnesses, for [...] the Author of a certain Book, called, The Two Hundred Queries, printed at London eight Years ago, his Proof being, That four or five Years ago he had it from my own Mouth; but being put to bring Evidence from Witnesses, he said, He could prove it by such Circumstances which I told him, that I could not deny. I answered him; It being so many Years ago, he might [Page] justly question his Memory, seeing when I called him to bear witness to things he had heard spoken but some few days or weeks past, he hath said, He could not remember them, his Memory being weak, and he had rather forget than remember such things. He did also further charge me, That he heard me say, I believed I should be moved of God to preach the Doctrine of the Revolutions, as he termed it; but what Revolutions I meant, he did not tell; for there are many Revolutions, and of many sorts; The which I do not remember I ever said to him; and as he may understand the Revolutions, his so charging me may be an utter Falshood and Slander; for there are some sorts of Revolutions relating to the Souls of men, that cannot be denyed, if we own the Resurrection of the dead, according to Scripture, and our conveyance and descent out of the loyns of our Ancestors up to Adam, according to the Scriptures; see Gen. 46. 26. Hosea 12.4. Heb. 7.9, 10. and the word Revolution, is the true English of the Hebrew word Gilgal, mentioned Josh. 5.9. Ezck. 10.13. and this with respect to men (see the Hebrew Text, and Margen of the English Bible; also, the Hebrew word Te [...]upha is translated three several times [Revolution] by the Translators of our English Bible, and set on the Margen by them; see Exod. 34. 22. 1 Sa [...]x. 1. 20. 2 Chron. 24.23. And whereas I declared, That I did not remember that ever I owned my self to be the Author of that Book, or that I said, I did believe, that I should be moved of God to preach the Revolutions; but on the contrary, seeing I do not remember it, and my Memory is as good as his, if not better, I did and do hold it to be rashly and foolishly [...]ged by him, and for which he may be accounted a false Accuser; [...] can I think that ever I said such a thing, because I never made the Opinion of the Revolutions, as delivered in that Book, or as vulgarly held by its Alserters, a matter of my Faith, or as any divine Opening; besides, his varying the Charge, as Witnesses can prove, saying first, I knew not but I might be moved, &c. and last saying, I believed I should be moved, &c. which differ widely, and make the whole justly incredible. But he did so earnestly assert them, that he said, As God was in Heaven it was true; which some of us that heard him, were greatly offended with, judging it to be an Oath, as that Oath or manner of Swearing under the Law, As the Lord liveth, Jer. 5. 2. And I said to him, this is more than Yea or Nay, which Christ hath commanded us to keep unto in all our Communications, for whatsoever is [Page] more than the [...], cometh of Evil; and many of us have suffered much in Old England for refusing to swear in any case, even before a Magistrate. However, let it be considered, whether it be not a Breach of all common Civility or Morality among men, to make Publick a thing secretly spoken (if the thing had been spoke by me, as he affirmeth) that he thought might tend to my Prejudice; nor doth it excuse him, to say, I lately told some-what he spoke to me in private; for that was such a thing he might have spoke to any, and did not tend to his, or any mans Prejudice, and was no secrecy. And whether his asserting a thing without any Proof, but what we take to be a very great Oath, will be any sufficient Witness or Evidence, in point of common Justice among men? for if this be allowed, not only mens Fame and Reputation, but Property, Liberty and Life itself lieth at stake to be taken away most unjustly.

But to answer directly to his Charge; I do say, after the best Recollection of my Memory that I can make, after so many Years past, I do not remember that I said to him, I was the Author of that Book, and I know not how he can justly think, considering these very Circustances he alledgeth, and some other Circumstances whereof he cannot be ignorant, unless he hath forgotten the whole; for I told him, that divers Persons were concerned in that Book, called, The Two Hundred Queries, and after what manner. Besides, another Person hath in Print divers Years ago owned that Book; and why then should he charge me with that which another hath owned. The most he can justly alledge, Is, That I said a considerable part of the Matter of that Book, which I had from another, I put into Writing; which will not prove me to be the Author; for I oft put into writing other mens words, even such as are Adversaries; and many do write for others that whereof they are not the Authors. But I further say, I never justly could, nor do own my self to be the Author of that Book (how far I might be concerned otherwise in it, in any part or in the writing of a great part of the Matter of it, is not material nor necessary for me to determine, for others were concerned; and he who accuseth me of a thing which he cannot prove by outward Evidence, by so doing rather proveth himself a false Accuser, and showeth both his own Folly and Prejudice against me: And I say yet further, as no man living can prove me to be the Author of that Book, so I had not the least hand in the Printing it; for it was printed altogether without [Page] my Consent and Approbation. And the Defaults (whether in the Transcribing, or in the Printing it,) are so many, that it hath quite altered the sence of the Queries in many places, and made others of them Non-sensical; and there are things in it for which I am no wise accountable, and which I never did own, or do own to be mine; yet I cannot disown or blame the whole, but make a distinction; for there are things queried in that Book, that are no wise unbecoming the best Christians, and which mention nothing of the Revolutions, so called nor doth imply them, except by such remote seeming Consequences, which one may as readily deny, as another may affirm, and they have no more necessary connexion with the Revolutions, than the Scriptures have, that are cited in them; and I am not convinced, that it is a Trespass to query things that call not into Question any one Article of the Christian Faith. But further, to clear the matter, I do affirm, that I never said to any, nor did I ever conclude in my thoughts, that the Doctrine of the Revolutions, as they are commonly understood, or as delivered in that Book, was the matter of my Faith, or were things inwardly revealed or opened to me by the Spirit of Truth, as I am free to say concerning all things of my Christian Faith, which I both believe and profess; nor have I ever had any Controversie, Strife or Contention with any man about the Revolutions, so called, and I have been very shy and backward, either to lend or recommend the said Book. But it is one thing what a man may suppose to be a probable Opinion, or rational Hypothesis (either as touching the Doctrine of the Revolutions, of which there are many [...] asserted by Authors, or as touching any other Doctrine in Astronomy or Physick) and it is far another thing what a man asserts to be his Christian Faith, grounded upon the inward Evidence and Testimony of Gods Spirit in the Heart.

But as to my real sence of the Opinion of that called the Revolutions, which do generally relate to Times past (and not with the least certainty to any one perticular Person to the time to come) ever since the Death of Christ. If any hold any such Opinion or Doctrine of them (as I know none that do,) that doth teach, That men may delay their Repentance, or living a good Life, in hope that they shall live again after Death▪ I do sincerely declare, I have always abhorred any such Doctrine, and judged it Wicked and Abominable, and still I do so judge, and hope so to do while I live; and I have upon many [Page] occasions born my Zealous Testimony, both in publick and in private to the contrary, viz. That to entertain any such hope, to live again in order to Repent, and live a good Life, after a man has neglected the present Opportunity wherein to Repent, &c. in this present Life, is as Wicked as it is vain; for The Grace of God that bringeth Salvation teacheth us to deny Ungodliness and Worlaly Lusts, and [...] live soberly, righteously and godly in this present World, Tit. 2. 11, 12. But it teacheth no man to delay his good living to any time after Death, either in hope of a Purgatory, [...] the Soul is out of the Body, or in hope to live again in a mortal Body; for NOW is the accepted Time, NOW is the Day of Salvation, 2 Cor. 6. 2. And it is the last Time, as John hath declared, 1 John 2. 18. And also Paul, saying, Rom. 13.11. And that knowing the Time, that NOW it is high Time to awake out of sleep, &c. let us therefore east off the Works of Darkness, and put on the Armour of Light, for the Times of Ignorance God wincked at, but NOW commandeth all men every where to Repent, Acts 17. 30. And as John said, Mat. 3. 10. And NOW also the Ax is laid to the Root of the Trees, therefore every Tree that bringeth not forth good Fruit, is hewn down, and cast into the Fire. And therefore if any hold such Doctrine of Revolutions, that putteth men upon delaying their Repentance, or neglecting to live a good Life, in hope to live again after Death, to Repent and Amend, as I have alwayes abhorred it, so I hope I shall alwayes do, and bear my faithful Testimony against it.

And whereas the said Person hath accused me before divers Witnesses, That my manner of Preaching the Faith of Christ Crucified and Raised again, its being necessary to make men Christians and Sons of God of the Free Woman, and Children of the New-Covenant, doth infer my holding of the Revolutions, to wit, that all pious Gentiles, dying without all hearing Christ crucified and raised again preached to them, must of necessity live again in a mortal Body, in order to hear that Doctrine outwardly preached to them, or then be damned. The which Alternative I Possitively deny. And by this his Accusation, he hath shown what a Changeling he is, from better to worse, in so finding fault with my Doctrine for Preaching or Printing the necessity of this Faith to Salvation, which he hath so frequently hold forth himself & owned and approved in my books. And I propose it to the serious Consideration of all sincere Christians, Whether this Difficulty (how much so ever [Page] real or seeming) doth more [...] or [...], than all [...] that universally assert the necessity of Faith in Christ crucified and raised again, to make men true and sincere Christians, and that by this Faith men are justified, sanctified, and attain to eternal Life; and that therefore no Jew or Turk can be a true Christian, because they have not this Faith, however otherwise just and conscientious they may be? And whether, seeing the whole strain and current of the Scripture, both of the Old and New Testament, is such as doth demonstrate the necessity of this Faith and Gospel to be preached to all Nations, to wit, That Christ Jesus the Son of God dyed for our sins, and rose again for our Justification; and that it is plain from express Scripture, That this Justification is not obtained, nor Salvation (to wit) finally, fully and perfectly, without this Faith, I say, Whether in opposition to, and in prejudice of the Revolutions, and for avoiding that Doctrine, and laying it aside, we must and ought to lay aside the Preaching and Faith of Christ as he outwardly dyed for our sins on the Tree of the Cross, and rose again for our Justification, as a thing unnecessary and indifferent, as it must needs be, if men may be compleat and perfect Christians without this Faith, and perfectly overcome all sin, and attain to a perfect state of Sanctification without it, and may be Children of God, and Sons of the free Woman, and have the Spirit of Adoption without this Faith? And if so, then doth not this wholly render Pious Paganism or Gentilism to be perfect Christianity, and perfect Christianity to be nothing else than pious Gentilism? And doth not this make the Faith and Knowledge of Christ, both without us and within us, of none effect? for it cannot be proved, that ever any had the true Knowledge or Faith of Christ within them, but who had the true Knowledge and Faith of Christ within them; for though Christ was and is in Pious and Conscientious Gentiles, in their meer Gentile state, yet they did not know him, as such; nor did they believe in him, as Christ, as all sincere Christians did and do. And shall not this be of most evil tendency, thus to make void the Faith of Christ crucified without us, and raised again, (in prejudice of, and in opposition to that call'd the Revolutions, as my Accuser hath done, though he himself hath declared his favouring of the Revolutions as a probable Hypothesis, and hath frequently, and but very lately declared the necessity of the Faith of Christ, as he was crucified and raised from the dead without [Page] us, its being necessary to Salvation, bringing for it, Rom. 10.9. whereof many are Witnesses. And to say, This Faith is necessary to such to whom it is preached, to make them Christians, and perfectly to justifie, sanctifie and save them, but not to such Pious Gentiles to whom it is not preached, as if they could be perfectly Christians, and perfectly justified, perfectly sanctified, and perfectly, wholly and fully saved without it; this most evidently doth contradict the Scripture, that holdeth forth the necessity of its being preached, that it may be received, in Gods ordinary way of working; for which see [...]ke 24. 46, 47. Acts 4. 10, 11, 12. cap. 10. 43, 44. cap. 11. 14. cap. 13. 46. cap. 28. 28. compared with vers. 23. Rom. 3. 30. cap. 8. 2, 3, 4. cap. 16. 25, 26. Ephes. 3. 4, 5, 6. & 1. 13. Col. 1. 21, 22, 23, 26, 27, 28. And surely, if the Gospel and Faith of Christ, both outwardly and inwardly was not necessary to be preached to the Nations, to Salvation, then Christs Command to the Apostles to preach it, was a superfluous and unnecessary work, and in vain was it, that so many Thousands should suffer Martyrdom and Killing for that Faith, and the preaching of it. And at this rate the Gospel and Faith of Christ, both without us, and within us, is not only an unprofitable, but a burdensom Yoke of Bondage, laid on People, by having it preacht to them, seeing they could have been good and perfect Christians without it, if they had never had it preached to them, and could have been perfectly Justified, perfectly sanctified, and perfectly saved without it, in their meer Gentile state; which is a plain overturning and overthrowing the Christian Religion, Faith and Gospel, and an evident confirming what the Adversaries of Truth have cast upon us, the People called Quakers, That their Christianity is nothing else but refined Paganism or Gentilism; but I hope all the sincere hearted and true Lovers of Christ are and will be otherwise minded, and stand up with holy Zeal to assert their true Christianity, and Christian Faith and Religion to be altogether another thing than the most refined Picus Gentilism, and differing from it as much as Gold differs from Brass, or as the Light of the Day differs from the Light of the Night, and that principally because they have the true Knowledge and Faith of Christ as he dyed for them (without them) and rose again is gone into Heaven, there making intercession for them, &c. and also living and ruling in them, conforming them to his Death and Resurrection, which they could not have without the Faith of him, as he was outwardly crucified and raised again.

[Page]But if any say, The Gospel and Faith of Christ, as he dyed and rose again, tho' not absolutely necessary to perfect mens Salvation, yet is very profitable to facilitate, and make the Work the more easily and speedily to be done.—I Answ. If not necessary, it may be concluded not profitable, nor of service to make the Work more easie; for wherein is it more profitable, not being necessary? for in all other things that are not absolutely necessary, but profitable and serviceable, the profit & service is apparent, as when a man may labour the ground to raise Corn, with Hoe and other Instruments, without plowing, or a man may go from one place to another by walking, without riding or sailing; but no such thing is apparent in this case, as if the necessity of the true Knowledge and Faith of Christ, both without us, and within us, which cannot be divided, be once laid aside, that it cannot be supposed to be profitable, but rather it ought to be concluded both unprofitable and hurtful, as enjoyning more Precepts relating to God, to our Selves, and to our Neighbours, than the Gentile Dispensation did or doth; and for this cause it is, that Christianity excelleth Judaism, and is far more profitable and serviceable to perfect our Salvation, as containing fewer Precepts than the Law under Judaism did; and at this rate it would follow, because Gentilism containeth fewer Precepts than Christianity, therefore Gentilism is the more profitable, & doth more facilitate mens Perfection, who are under it, even as an Artist that can perfect his work with fewer and less chargeable Tools & Instruments, is the most perfect, and is worthy of most praise; but because all the Precepts of Christianity are spiritual, and given us by God and Christ, to bring us to that spiritual Perfection that the Law, either of Judaism or Gentilism simply considered, could not do, the Law being weak, through the Flesh, and so could not make perfect; therefore it is, that on that very account Christianity is the most excellent Dispensation, both for its Spirituality, and giving more plenty of Precepts than Gentilism did or doth; for as Christianity hath more plenty of Precepts that are highly spiritual, and tending to a more high and spiritual Perfection than Gentilism, so it hath more plenty of divine Grace and of Life, to enable them who are under it, to perform them, whereby they attain to the Perfection designed. But this Doctrine, That the Gospel & Faith of Christ, both outwardly and inwardly, is not necessary to perfect the work of mens Salvation, doth most manifestly contradict the whole current of holy Scripture, and is a most pernicious and pestiferous Principle, [Page] altogether tending to the dishonour of God and Christ, and contradicting his holy and divine Attributes of Mercy and Justice, Wisdom and Power, and to the deceiving the Souls of men, that credit it, to lead them into the Pit of Destruction, and therefore ought to be, [...] godly and servent Zeal, witnessed against, and reproved, notwithstanding of the foolish and Idle Clamours of the Ignorant, and Selfconceited, and Self-wised Men that oppose it, whatever their Pretences be, either in Prejudice of the Doctrine of the Revolutions, so called, or any other whatsoever; for the Faith and Gospel of Christ, as he is both without us, and within us, which cannot be divided, being one of the greatest of Truths, how can it infer any Error or dangerous and hurtful Consequence, either relating to the Revolutions or any things else; and if any either do not or cannot see, but that the necessity of the Faith and Gospel of Christ crucified and raised, &c. in order to perfect Salvation, must needs infer the Necessity of the Doctrine of the Revolutions, at least after some sort, but not as vulgarly understood, I do say, it is more tollerable to admit the Consequent, than to deny the Antecedent; for the Consequent, in respect to the Antecedent, is but a matter of small Moment (whether true of false, I meddle not at present to determine) and if an Error, is but of an inferiour degree, and is rather an Error in that call'd Philosophy, than in Divinity, and is rather a mistake in Opinion, grounded upon a pretence of Reason, than any Error in the Faith, unless it can be demonstrated that the said Doctrine doth expresly, & without any far-fetcht Consequences contradict some Article of the Christain Faith, the which remote and far-fetch't Consequences are not allowable among vulgar Christians, however sincere, because there may be a Fallacy, or at least a great uncertainty in them; but an Error in the Antecedent, to wit, That the Gospel and Faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, (as he was crucified for our sins, and rose agian for our Justification, and is our Elder Brother and high Priest in Heaven without us, making Intercession for us) is not necessary to be preached to the Nations for Remission of Sin, and eternal Salvation, to finish and perfect it, is a most vile and abominable Heresie, most worthily to be detested by all sincere Christians, and the Assertors and Abettors of it most worthily to be judged No Christians, yea, worse, than honest Heathens, who have never and Christ preached unto them.

[Page] A further clearing of the Truth, by a plain Explication of my Sence when I say, That Faith in Christ Jesus, not only as the Light in us, but [...] be [...] and is Man without us, and as he dyed for our sins, and rose again for our Justification, is necessary to perfect Justification, and finishing [...] work of mens Salvation universally; and by which I show and demonstrate, That my present Doctrine, concerning the Faith of Christ, is well consistent with all my former printed Books, and with R. Barclay's printed Books, and particularly his Apology, and with the Doctrine of our sound Friends and Brethren, both antient and lately raised, who have declared their Charity towards all Pious and Conscientious Gentiles to whom the Gospel was not outwardly preached by the Ministry of men. That they were not or are not excluded from Gods Mercy and Salvation, although they have not had the express Historical Knowledge and Faith of Christ, as Man without them, either outwardly preached, or inwardly revealed to them.

THe Explanation of my sence in this weighty matter, I deliver in the following particulars viz.

1st. By Faith in the Man Christ Jesus without us, which I assert to to be universally necessary to mens eternal Salvation, I do not understand an express distinct Faith in Christ, as being so necessary to all, whereby all that were or shall be saved, must necessarily have such a Knowledge and Faith of him, as to these great and weighty Passages and Cases delivered prophetically concerning him, in the Old Testament, and Historically in the New Testament, that were a fullfilling of the Prophecies of him, such as, 1. That he should come in the Flesh at such a precise Age or Time of the World; 2. That he should be born at Bethlem; 3. That he should be the Son of Abraham and David, according to the Flesh; 4. or That his Mothers Name [...] Mary, or his own Name Jesus; 5. That the place of his Death should be Golgotha, without the City of Jerusalem in Judea; 6. That the manner of his Death should be by being crucified, his Hands and Feet pierced, and his Side pierced with a Spear; 7. That he should be betrayed by Judas, and sold for thirty pieces of Silver, and sentenced to Death by Pontius Pilate, and accused and slain by the Jews, and crucified betwixt two [...], whereof the one should be penitent, and dye believing in him; 8. That he should be laid in a Sepulchre, where no man ever lay, that belonged to Joseph of Arimathea; [Page] 9. That he should rise on the third Day, and after forty days ascend into Heaven; 10. And lastly, That he should appear to the Women first of all, after his Resurrection. These, and many other very weighty and great Cases & Passages, belonging to his outward Coming, Death and Sufferings, Resurrection and Ascention, I do not say are necessary to be known and believed universally to mens eternal Salvation; and this I have called in my former printed Books, The Express, Clear and Distinct Knowledge or Faith of his outward Coming, see my Book called, The Universal free Grace of the Gospel asserted, pag. 117. printed in the Year 1671. and R. B. in his printed Apology and Theses, printed in the Year 1676. calleth it (as I do) the distinct outward absolute Knowledge, (i.e. the perfect) Knowledge of the outward History, see his Latine Apology, Thes. 6. (the which Doctrine, as laid down by him in his 6th Thesis, he calleth an Hypothesis in that very place) and others of our antient Friends, who have writ in defence of the People called Quakers, have called it the Historical Knowledge, viz. as containing the knowledge of the above-mentioned Historical Passages, and others the like; for as concerning these great and weighty Passages & Cases, fore-told by the Prophets, and Historically declared to be fullfilled by the Evangelists and Apostles concerning him; many of the faithful knew or believed few or none of them before Abraham's Time, and even after Abraham, to whom Christ was promised to be his Seed, and to come out of his Loyns; the Doctrine concerning the Time and Manner of his Coming, Death and Sufferings, Resurrection and Ascention, was gradually revealed to the Prophets, from Moses to Samuel, and from Samuel to David, and from David to these who followed after, as Isaiah, Jeremiah, and others, and still the nearer the Time approached of Christs coming in the Flesh, the Prophets did Prophecy the more clearly and expresly concerning him.

2dly, I do with great Assurance and Freedom affirm, as God hath perswaded me, and opened it out of the holy Scriptures to me, That the Faith of all the Faithful, from the beginning of the World, was in Christ, as he should be that Seed [...] the Woman that should bruise the Head of the Serpent, and whose Heel the Serpent should bruise; which was the first Gospel Promise that the Lord himself preached to our first Parents after the Fall; and though this Promise was not committed to writing (so far as we know) until Mose, who was the first [...]-man of holy Scripture, [Page] yet it was, without all doubt, faithfully delivered and preached by Adam to his Children, and by the faithful of their Children, such as Seth, to their succeeding Posterity, even until Noah; and if it was lost again, it was restored to Abraham; for we have good cause to believe, that the Church of God, from the beginning of the World, hath never failed in the Earth, universally, to this Day, nor will to the end of the World, however at times it hath been much obscured and hid, both under the Old and New Testament. And by this Seed of the Woman is to be understood the Man Christ, with the spiritual inward blessings of Grace, Light and Life flowing from him, (and though the outward Name Jesus and Christ is sweet and comfortable to every true Believer (by the Spirit of Christ) that knoweth it, yet it is no more simply necessary, than the other (above-mentioned) weighty Circumstances concerning him) the Saviour and Redeemer of the World, who should be born in Flesh, and offer up himself a Sacrifice in his Body of Flesh, for the sins of the World, and should dye and rise again, and by his Death and Resurrection should bruise the Serpents Head, that is, conquer and break his Power in all the faithful, so as perfectly to deliver them from Death, both Spiritual and Natural, the Spiritual here, and the Natural hereafter, at the Resurrection of the Dead: And by the bruising of his Heel, is understood his Sufferings and Death in the Flesh, occasioned by the Devil's Instigation, as all found Christians of all Professions generally acknowledge; and in Testimony of this Faith it was, that the Faithful before the Law, and under the Law, by Gods direction, offered up Sacrifices of clean Beasts, that were Types and Memorials of Christ, the Lamb of God, that was to be slain and offered up for the sins of the World, and the Faith of all the faithful, for the Remission of sin, and cleansing and sanctifying, was not in the Sacrifices which they offered, but in Christ, whom they represented, and of whom they were Types. And before Christ came in the flesh, not only the People of Israel offered Sacrifices, and practised Circumcision, all which were Typical of Christ in the Flesh, but many other Nations, as not only the Posterity of Ishmael and Esan, but other Nations that learned it of them. And that Circumcision was Typical of Christ, and had a special Relation to Christ, and Faith in him, as he was to come in the Flesh, and to his Death and sufferings, is clear from Rom. 4. 11. where it is called, A Seal of the Righteousness of Faith. And as the Church of God hath never failed [Page] in the Earth since the beginning of the World, nor will to the end of it, so nor hath the Doctrin of Gods Salvation concerning the Saviour of the World, and the Mediator betwixt God and Men, who should be both GOD and MAN, failed, or been wanting, as in respect of the essential parts of it, even from being outwardly preserved, delivered and conveyed from from Age to Age, in some measure and degree, for the benefit of Mankind in general; and therefore in all Ages, even in the Darkest, Christ, as he was to come in the Flesh, and be an offering for the Sins of the World, was sufficiently set forth for that time, to be the Object of mens Faith, in those Ages and Parts of the World, where these Types and Figures of Sacrifices, and Circumcision were extant; and even these who did not practise them, yet might hear of them by others, and it may be very probably defended by a rational Hypothesis, (and so doth R. B. call his Doctrine in his 6th Thesis, viz. an Hypothesis) that no Nation under Heaven was so left destitute of all outward means, but that partly by the Report of the Sacrifices of clean Beasts offered to the true God, and by Circumcision, and other Types, Figures and Shadows that had been used from the beginning, and partly from the Types and Figures given to Mankind in general, in the whole visible Creation, the Mediator betwixt God and Men, the Saviour and Redeemer of the World, who should be both God and Man, or God manifest in Flesh, and who, as Man, should dye for the sins of the World, and rise again, was proposed (in some sort, though obscurely, answering to that Dispensation, wherein Christ was the Mystery hid from Ages and Generations, that was in after Ages clearly to be revealed) according to Ephes. cap. 3. 5, 9. Col. cap. 1. 26. Rom. cap. 16. 26. and set forth to be the Object of mens Faith, and Hope of Salvation, and Remission of sin, and Reconciliation with God, the inward Light of the divine Word, that is the Light of men, that ever did in all Ages, and ever doth, and ever will enlighten every man that cometh into the World, acting or operating by its heavenly and divine Influence, upon their reasonable Faculties of Understanding, and all their national Powers, to cause them both know and believe, that God would be merciful to them, and forgive their sins, upon their Repentance and Amendment of Life, for the sake of the Mediator, Redeemer [...] of the World, who should be both God and Man; or if by [Page] an unavoidable case, (as R. B. wordeth it in his 6 [...] Thes.) some or many are excluded from this benefit of having it outwardly revealed to them, as others had, yet that defect may be supplied by inward divine Revelation in all extraordinary Cases, revealing at least the substance of that great Mystery of the Mediator, the Saviour of the World, by whose Death and Blood, men through Repentance and Faith in him, should be reconciled unto God, and have their sins both forgiven and purged or washed away.

3dly, But yet we ought not universally to confine this Faith of Christ (as without us or within us) to the narrow bounds of outward Preaching it, either by the Prophets in their Day, or to the Evangelists and Apostles in their Day, or to the hearing or reading of the holy Scriptures, or to the outward Ministry of Angels of Men, well knowing and believing, That as God gave it to our first Parents without all Ministry of Men, and as he gave it to Abraham, to J [...], & to the three Wise Men, that came from the East, to worship Jesus in Bethlehem, so he hath given it to many others, and can or may give it to as many as he pleaseth without all outward Ministry; yet I say, in Gods ordinary way he is pleased to give it by the Ministry of Preaching, and for this cause he revealed it to the holy Prophets and Apostles, that by their Ministry and Writings, it might be made known to all Nations, for the Obedience of Faith, Rom. 16. 26. and the said Doctrine, as outwardly delivered by their Ministry, and as delivered by the Ministry of faithful men succeding them in the same Faith, God is pleased to bless with a New divine Visitation and Illumination of more Light and Grace, than was or is given to such where this Doctrine is not outwardly preached, to bring them to the Obedience of that Faith. And to declare my Mind with all Plainness, As I can find no Faith in Christ in all the Scripture, but what hath always a respect to Christ as that great Offering and Sacrifice for sin without us, as well as to his inward and spiritual Presence and Appearance in us, according to measure, teaching us and enabling us, to apply to us the benefit of his Death and Sufferings, Resurrection and Ascention, and Mediation for the Remission of our sins, and [...] Eternal Salvation, as the [...] of all Grace and Truth dwelt and still dwelleth in the Man Christ Jesus without us, and of whose Fullness we [...] more and more partake, who believe in him, and in God the Father through [Page] him, and who pray to God in his Name, and Worship and Obey him, so I can own no other Faith but this, to be the true Christian Faith, that hath for its Object the Man Christ Jesus, our alone Mediator without us, in whom the Fullness dwelleth, as well as the measure of him inwardly revealed in us; and without this Faith in God the Father, and in the Man Christ Jesus without us, and in the Fullness that is in him, as the greatest and most principal Object of our Faith, I can own none to be true Christians, or Believers in Christ Jesus, who are the Children of God by the Free-woman, Jerusalem from above, let their Pretentions be ever so great to Christ, as the Light in them. As for Justin Martyr his calling Socrates a Christian, Socrates might have had the Faith of Christ, according to the Substance of it, then but obscurely revealed, and so might Pythagoras and Hate, who conversed with Jews; for the least measure of the Light of Christ, in every true Christian, to whom the Gospel Day of Christ is dawned, doth most necessarily draw and lead the Soul's Faith, Love and Devotion to the Man Christ without them, and to God the Father, as dwelling in him most abundantly and gloriously, that so God out of Christ, our alone Mediator, may continually supply us, as out of a most rich Treasury and Store-house, with all new and fresh Supplies, Aids, and Assistances of his divine Grace, Light, Life and Spirit, to serve him acceptably, and to enjoy the indwelling of God the Father, and of the Son, and of the holy Spirit in our own Hearts and Vessels, daily more and more abundantly, as our Faith, Love and Devotion is thus daily and continually exercised upon him. Nor is there any real-danger, by so believing, or by so preaching, to draw the Minds of People from the Gift of Christ in them (this at most is but the Abuse or evil Use of this Doctrine, as the best of Doctrines have been and may be abused, which all ought to watch against) but indeed, the real, proper and necessary direct tendency of such Doctrine, rightly improved, is to bring People still more and more to the Gift of Christ in themselves, and to the more abundant enjoyment of him, as the Scripture Testimony, and the Experience of Thousands and ten Thousands do sufficiently confirm. But such who preach Faith only in the Light within, calling that Light Christ, as they have learned by hear-say or reading, and yet are ignorant of that great Mystery of Christ without us, they neither know Christ within, nor believe in him, as such; for though Christ the true Light, be in all [Page] men, both Believers and Unbelievers, yet only true Believers in [...] who believe in him as he dyed for us, and rose again, and is ascended, &c. truly know him, the Light and Life in them, and have the true Comfort and Enjoyment of him every way, and of all his Blessings and Benefits; and such Preachers and Ministers, who have this Faith of Christ wholly and Fully, it is no indifferent thing to them, to have it or preach it; for as they daily live by it, so they daily labour in Word and Doctrine to preach it, for the Hearers Salvation, and for bringing them to know Christ in them, as Thousands can witness with me, that had we not believed in Christ without us, as he dyed and rose again; and had we not been perswaded that Christ dyed for us, and rose again, that God and Christ might dwell in us, and that we might receive the inward and spiritual blessing and Benefit of him in our hearts, we had not believed in him, nor known him, as in us. And such Preachers who say, (as some do, whom I have heard, to my [...] and sorrow) That men may be saved in Gods ordinary way, (as for Example, the Indians here in America, or any else-where) without the Faith of Christ, as he dyed for us, and rose again, by their honest and sober Living, according to the Requirings or Dictates of the Light in them, and that not only so as to witness a beginning, but a perfecting the work of Christianity and Salvation in them: They are not like to be at great pains, to preach Faith in Christ crucified and raised from the Dead, either to Indians or any others, or to encourage others to do it; for this Faith not being necessary, where or to whom it is not preached, the effectual way to make the Faith of it wholly an indifferent and unnecessary thing, is not at all to preach it, but bury it in Oblivion, as some would do, and so to bring our Posterity to be Indians or Heathexs, and as it was almost quite buried and forgot by too many high Pretenders to the Light within. And if God in his infinite Mercy in these American Parts, (where we have but few Bibles, and very few other Books perused by many among us, that teach the necessity of this Faith) had not raised a Godly Zeal in some to revive and raise up this most precious and necessary Doctrine, concerning the Faith in Christ, both Without us, and Within us, the Faith and Rememembrance of it would have been (in probability) lost, in many Families, in a little time, especially it being rarely preached by many high Pretenders to the Light within; and if at any times mentioned by them, not held forth as the necessary Object of Faith, but rather [Page] [...] occasioned, as other Historical Things of Scripture; [...] the Conceit that some have, that the Scriptures are not Instrumental to our Faith and Knowledge; the Light or Spirit being the only means, &c. as some say, and to preach Christ without us, is to lead People to know Christ after the Flesh, and to bring them from the Spirit to the Letter; but the great and indispensible Necessity of Preaching it, is, that it may be believed to Eternal Salvation; for it is not only necessary to be believed, because preached, but because it is necessary to be believed universally in some measure, therefore it is necessary to be Preached; so that the very cause of its Preaching, is the Necessity of the Faith it self, in order to finish the Work of mens Salvation universally; even as men gather Materials of Stone and Timber to build, and the Building is not necessary for Materials, but the Materials are necessary for the Building: This [...] the necessary Effect, That as a necessary Antecedent, in an ordinary way.

4thly. And thus it manifestly appeareth, how there is no Contradiction nor Contrariety betwixt the present Doctrine I Preach or Print, and any of my former printed [...]ools; nor betwixt my dear and worthy Brother and Friend R. Barclay, nor any of my dear and worthy Friends and Brethren, who have said, That Pious and Conscientious Gentiles are not excluded from Gods Mercy or Salvation, who have not had the express Historical Knowledge and Faith of Christ revealed to them, by distinguishing, first, betwixt the Express Knowledge and Faith of that great Mystery, and the Implicit Faith and Knowledge of it (for, to deny the Necessity of the express Faith, &c is to affirm the necessity of the Implicit or Implyed Faith) The Express Knowledge and Faith, respecting those particular Cases, Passages and Circumstances above-mentioned, or any others recorded in the Scriptures, Historically related in them, This Express Knowledge and Faith, I say, neither was nor is indispensibly necessary to all men, but such only to whom it is revealed or preached, yet is most profitable and comfortable to all to whom it cometh: The Implicit Knowledge and Faith of it respecting Christ as he was to come in the Flesh, [...] Death for the Sins of the World, and be a Sacrifice [...] God for them Reconciliation, and rise again for their Justification; [...] that the Substance of the Doctrine [...] in that Promise, That [Page]the Seed of the Woman should bruise the Head of the Serpent, &c. and in the Sacrifices and other Figures of the Law, and in the Figures and Types of the outward Creation, as inwardly opened to mens reasonable Understanding by the divine Light of the Word in them, might suffice to such who had no more given them; or by what other means and helps, whether both outward and inward, or only inward, as at the instant of Death, according to Job. 33. 22, 23. God was or is pleased to afford beyond our reach; for we know but part of his ways, which are most equal, and yet are far above our thoughts, and much more, as the Heavens are above the Earth. 2dly, By distinguishing Salvation begun, and Salvation finished and perfected, and the two-fold inward States, Ministrations and Births, which are both of God and Christ, the first making men at best Servants of God, or Sons by the Bond-woman, or the Law of the first Ministration; and this may be had without all Faith of Christ, as come in the Flesh, and this beginneth a good Work of God in men, and may be called Salvation begun, and may be compared to Corn or Fruit in the Blossom; the second making men Sons of God by the Free-woman, and receiving the Spirit of God and Christ, as it is a Spirit of Adoption, and may be compar'd to Corn or Fruit in the Kirnel▪ and this is never had, nor never was had without the Faith of Christ, and the Faith of Christs Doctrine, as to the substance of it, to wit, that God was to save men by a Saviour, who should be both God and Man, and as Man should dye for our sins, and rise from the dead, and thereby overcome the Power of Death, first in his own Person, and last in his Members; this is the substance of the Gospel-Promise and Doctrine, comprehending in it an inward enjoyment of God and Christ to all who have the true Faith of him, as to the Substance of it, from the beginning of the World, implyed and folded up in that first Gospel-Promise concerning the Seed of the Woman, and that the promised Seed of the Woman should be both God and Man, as the Faith of all the faithful from the beginning of the World, is demonstrated from Eve's words, expressing her Faith at the Birth of Cain, Gen. 4. 1. I have got the Man the Lord; the Hebrew word is [...] which is one of the greatest Names of God, so doth Luther in his High-Dutch Translation of the Bible translate that place, and so doth the English Cann, and so doth the Hebrew bear it, which yet hath not this sence, as if Eve had been so for mistaken, as to imagine, that Cain should be the Messiah or Saviour [Page] of the World, as some have thought, she did so miserably Mistake but as was common to faithful Men and Women to do, to give Names to their Children, signifying their Faith of some great blessing that they expected afterwards to come, or some great Benefit formerly received; thus Rachel called her first born Joseph, i.e. joyned, with respect to Benjamin that was born divers years afterwards; and Joseph named his two Sons Names that did not relate to them, but to himself; and Eve named Abel, that signifieth Vanity, not with respect to Abel, who was the first Martyr for the Faith of Christ, but with respect to the Vanity of Mans miserable [...] by sin.

5thly. And that the Faith in Christ, as he dyed for us, and rose again, to reconcile us unto God, is altogether necessary to mens perfect Justification and Salvation, is evident from this, that as Paul reasoneth and proveth most clearly, both in his Epistle to the Romans and Galatians, By the Works of the Law no Flesh is justified, but by the Faith of Christ; for the Law worketh Wrath; and by the Law is the Knowledge of Sin; and the Law saith, Cursed is every one that abideth not in every thing to do it, that the Law [...]: And this was not only the outward Law among the Jews, but the inward Law, or first Ministration of Light, both in Jews and Gentiles; for as Paul said, He had proved both Jews and Gentiles to be all under Sin, so that every Mouth is stopped, and the whole World is guilty before God; for none but have sinned at one time or another, and one sin bringeth Wrath, and the Curse on him that hath sinned, and no Obedience can remove this Wrath or Curse, without Christ, [...] became a Curse for us, and gave himself a Ransom for us, and [...] the [...] of [...] for us, the Just suffering for the Unjust; And none are justified by Christ but through Faith in him, as he dyed for them, and rose again, &c. for he that believeth not is Condemned already; and therefore the Ministration of the Law, whether outwardly writ on Tables of Stone, or inwardly writ on stoney Hearts, is the Ministration of Condemnation, preparing for Christ, and leading unto Christ; and such who are under the Law, ( [...] them be ever so Obedient, just and Conscientious, because they have sinned, and are not Perfect) are held under it, shut up, as in a Custody or [...] as the Man-slayer in the City of Refuge, and are not perfectly instified, but are under fear, their Thoughts [Page] Accusing and Excusing; for though they are Excused or Accused, or to say, justified in some good things done by them, yet that can be no perfect Justification, because their state is imperfect; and therefore, for that all have sinned, all have absolute Necessity to [...] to Christ, and lay hold on him by Faith, as he dyed for us, and rose again, and hath, by his Obedience unto Death, purchased for us Remission of sin, and eternal Redemption and Salvation, and Life Eternal, without which Faith (as to the Substance of it) there it no Remission of Sin, nor perfect Justification, nor Salvation; and to say otherwise, is to contradict the whole current of Scripture, and to preach another Faith and Gospel than Christ and the Prophets and Apostles Preached, and therefore is not to be received, but [...], if an Angel from Heaven should preach it.

FINIS

Information about this book

Title statement

Truth and innocency defended against calumny and defamation, in a late report spread abroad concerning the revolution of humane souls, with a further clearing of the truth, by a plain explication of my sence, &c. / By George Keith.

Keith, George, 1639?-1716.

Publication

Publisher

Text Creation Partnership,

Place of publication

Ann Arbor, MI :

Date

2005-03.

ID [DLPS]

N00484

ID [TCP]

N00484

ID [STC]

Evans 609

ID [STC]

Wing K224

ID [NOTIS]

APY1160

ID [IMAGE-SET]

609

ID [EVANS-CITATION]

99028224

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Early American Imprints, 1639-1800 ; no. 609.

Notes

(Evans-TCP ; no. N00484)

Transcribed from: (Readex Archive of Americana ; Early American Imprints, series I ; image set 609)

Images scanned from Readex microprint and microform: (Early American imprints. First series ; no. 609)

Source

— Truth and innocency defended against calumny and defamation, in a late report spread abroad concerning the revolution of humane souls, with a further clearing of the truth, by a plain explication of my sence, &c. / By George Keith., Keith, George, 1639?-1716..

Extent

20 p. ; 20 cm. (4to)

Printed by William Bradford,. [Philadelphia :: 1692]. (In reply to: Helmont, Francis Mercurius van. Two hundred queries ...) (Caption title.) (Imprint suggested by Evans and Hildeburn.)

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