these Revelations of the Spirit of God to the Saints, have proceeded the Scriptures of Truth, which contain, 1. A faithful historical Account of the Actings of God’s People in divers Ages, with many singular and remarkable Providences attending them. 2. A prophetical Account of several Things, whereof some are already past, and some yet to come. 3. A full and ample Account of all the chief Principles of the Doctrine of Christ, held forth in divers precious Declarations, Exhortations and Sentences, which, by the moving of God’s Spirit, were at several Times, and upon sundry Occasions, spoken and written unto some Churches and their Pastors: Nevertheless, because they are only a Declaration of the Fountain, and not the Fountain itself, therefore they are not to be esteemed the principal Ground of all Truth and Knowledge, nor yet the adequate primary Rule of Faith and Manners. Nevertheless, as that which giveth a true and faithful Testimony of the first Foundation, they are and may be esteemed a secondary Rule, subordinate to the Spirit, from which they have all their Excellency and Certainty; for as by the inward Testimony of the Spirit we do alone truly know them; so they testify, that [3]the Spirit is that Guide by which the Saints are led into all Truth: Therefore, according to the Scriptures, the Spirit is the first and principal Leader. And seeing we do therefore receive and believe the Scriptures, because they proceeded from the Spirit; therefore also the Spirit is more originally and principally the Rule, according to that received Maxim in the Schools, Propter quod unumquodque est tale, illud ipsum est magis tale. Englished thus: That for which a Thing is such, that Thing itself is more such.
[3] John 16. 13.; Rom. 8. 14.
The Fourth Proposition.
Concerning the Condition of Man in the Fall.
[4]All Adam’s Posterity (or Mankind) both Jews and Gentiles, as to the first Adam or earthly Man is fallen, degenerated, and dead, deprived of the Sensation or Feeling of this inward Testimony or Seed of God, and is subject unto the Power, Nature, and Seed of the Serpent, which he sows in Men’s Hearts, while they abide in this natural and corrupted State; from whence it comes, that not their Words and Deeds only, but all their Imaginations are evil perpetually in the Sight of God, as proceeding from this depraved and wicked Seed. Man therefore, as he is in this State, can know nothing aright; yea, his Thoughts and Conceptions concerning God and Things spiritual, until he be disjoined from this evil Seed, and united to the Divine Light, are unprofitable both to himself and others: Hence are rejected the Socinian and Pelagian Errors, in exalting a natural Light; as also of the Papists, and most Protestants, who affirm, That Man, without the true Grace of God, may be a true Minister of the Gospel. Nevertheless, this Seed is not imputed to Infants, until by Transgression they actually join themselves therewith; [5]for they are by Nature the Children of Wrath, who walk according to the Power of the Prince of the Air.
[4] Rom. 5. 12. 15.
[5] Eph. 2. 1.
The Fifth and Sixth Propositions.
Concerning the Universal Redemption by Christ, and also the Saving and Spiritual Light, wherewith every Man is enlightened.
The Fifth Proposition.
[6]God, out of his infinite Love, who delighteth not in the Death of a Sinner, but that all should live and be saved, hath so loved the World, that he hath given his only Son a Light, that whosoever believeth in him should be saved; who enlighteneth every Man that cometh into the World, and maketh manifest all Things that are reproveable, and teacheth all Temperance, Righteousness, and Godliness: And this Light enlighteneth the Hearts of all in a Day,[7] in order to Salvation, if not resisted: Nor is it less universal than the Seed of Sin; being the Purchase of his Death, who tasted Death for every Man; for [8]as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.
[6] Ezek. 18. 23.; Isa. 49. 6.; John 3. 16. & 1. 9.; Tit. 2. 11.; Eph. 5. 13.; Heb. 2. 9.
[7] Pro Tempore, for a Time.
[8] 1 Cor. 15. 22.
The Sixth Proposition.
According to which Principle (or Hypothesis) all the Objections against the Universality of Christ’s Death are easily solved; neither is it needful to recur to the Ministry of Angels, and those other miraculous Means, which, they say, God makes use of, to manifest the Doctrine and History of Christ’s Passion, unto such who (living in those Places of the World where the outward Preaching of the Gospel is unknown) have well improved the first and common Grace; for hence it well follows, that as some of the old Philosophers might have been saved, so also may now some (who by Providence are cast into those remote Parts of the World, where the Knowledge of the History is wanting) be made Partakers of the Divine Mystery, if they receive and resist not that Grace, [9]a Manifestation whereof is given to every Man to profit withal. This certain Doctrine then being received (to wit) that there is an Evangelical and Saving Light and Grace in all, the Universality of the Love and Mercy of God towards Mankind (both in the Death of his beloved Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, and in the Manifestation of the Light in the Heart) is established and confirmed against all the Objections of such as deny it. Therefore [10]Christ hath tasted Death for every Man; not only for all Kinds of Men, as some vainly talk, but for every one, of all Kinds; the Benefit of whose Offering is not only extended to such, who have the distinct outward Knowledge of his Death and Sufferings, as the same is declared in the Scriptures, but even unto those who are necessarily excluded from the Benefit of this Knowledge by some inevitable Accident; which Knowledge we willingly confess to be very profitable and comfortable, but not absolutely needful unto such, from whom God himself hath with-held it; yet they may be made Partakers of the Mystery of his Death (though ignorant of the History) if they suffer his Seed and Light (enlightening their Hearts) to take Place (in which Light, Communion with the Father and Son is enjoyed) so as of wicked Men to become holy, and Lovers of that Power, by whose inward and secret Touches they feel themselves turned from the Evil to the Good, and learn to do to others as they would be done by; in which Christ himself affirms all to be included. As they then have falsely and erroneously taught, who have denied Christ to have died for all Men; so neither have they sufficiently taught the Truth, who affirming him to have died for all, have added the absolute Necessity of the outward Knowledge thereof, in order to the obtaining its saving Effect; among whom the Remonstrants of Holland have been chiefly wanting, and many other Assertors of Universal Redemption, in that they have not placed the Extent of this Salvation in that Divine and Evangelical Principle of Light and Life, wherewith Christ hath enlightened every Man that comes into the World, which is excellently and evidently held forth in these Scriptures, Gen. vi. 3. Deut. xxx. 14. John i. 7, 8, 9. Rom. x. 8. Tit. ii. 11.
[9] 1 Cor. 12. 7.