The reviler rebuked: or, A re-inforcement of the charge against the Quakers, (so called) for their contradictions to the Scriptures of God, and to their own scriblings,: which Richard Farnworth attempted to answer in his pretended Vindication of the Scriptures; but is farther discovered, with his fellow-contradictors and revilers, and their doctrine, to be anti-Scriptural, anti-Christian, and anti-spiritual. By John Stalham, a servant of the great bishop and shepherd of souls, appointed to watch his little flock at Terling in Essex.

(9. Head of Contradiction to Scripture.) Concerning Christian Warfare.

Section 35.

HAving noted their denial of Saints to be always in the Warfare, R. F. * 1.1 returns me his justification of this Doctrine; If they do, they deny not the Scripture, but agree with it. How makes he it out? Why, Such as have overcome are more then con∣querors.

Rep. This is a truth in some sense, but proves not that* 1.2 Saints are past the warfare. Every Christian is an over∣comer as well as a warrior; but how? when, and in what measure?

1. In Christ his Head and Captain he hath overcome, 1 Cor. 15. 57.

2. When shall he have a perfect conquest over inherent corruption? when the warfare is at an end; when is that? when his wayfare is at an end, not before.

3. In what measure is it wrought here? In some more, in some less (as to the conquest of Sanctification, of which is the Question) in none absolutely and totally. A victory the Saint may have to day, in some particular combate, a foil to morrow. Shameful foils some of these men have had, who have thought themselves at an end of their warfare, if half that which is reported be true. That of Atkinson at Norwich, was true enough, one who cryed up Perfection as loud as his fellows, but became as unstable as water, and was easily captivated to the act of Fornication. I list not to rake in such kennels, but I abhor boasting before the final victory. That practice which violateth the seventh Com∣mandment, is as far from perfection, as that Doctrine which contradicteth the seventh Chapter to the Rom. 23.

R. F. tells me, Thou brings that of Paul in the warfare; but thou brings not his after experience, where he says,

The law of the spirit of life in Christ, hath made me free, Rom. 8.

Rep. I flatly deny that Pauls experience, Rom. 8. 2. was* 1.3 an after-experience, to what he speaks of himself, and re∣generate persons, Chap. 7. 14. to the end, as his, and their present state; which was no other then what he was in, Chap. 8. and so to the end of the Epistle. For Chap. 8. and ver. 2. is brought in as a consolation under the combate. The words are these to the full; For the Law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus, hath made me free from the Law of sin and death. What is that Law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus? but the power and authority of spiritual endless life in him; and particularly, that habitual frame of holiness in Christs humane nature, which from birth and conception he had; and which (being made meritorious by his Divine person, in which the humanity subsisteth) is imputed to Paul, and every true Believer; by reason of which imputa∣tion, he is made free from the law of sin and death. What is that Law of sin? The condemning power of sin (yet in∣herent and permanent:) As if Paul should have said, If sin that wars and fights in me, hath no power to condemn me, then there is no condemnation to me; (the sentence, that is cut off, and where no sentence passeth, there is no exe∣cution according to Law.) But sin hath no Law, no power to condemn me; for the Law of grace and holiness in Christs own flesh, condemned sin there, kept off filth from him, and condemned all my guilt charged upon him; so as sin is put out of office, and cannot so much as serve a Writ of condemnation upon me: nor can sin have a com∣manding power over me (while it dwelleth in me) seeing the Spirit which dwelleth in Christ, brings life and power from him, to quicken holiness and kill sin in me; and that grace which reigneth in Christ, reigneth in me, while sin is rebel∣ling. And concerning the Law of death, the sting of death, which is sin, being taken away by removal of guilt, bodily death can do me no hurt; sin may kill and pull down this earthly tabernacle, it shall never slay my soul; I am already free from the sentence of the second death, it shall never have power over me, though my present, as by-past sin de∣serves

it, yet Christ hath freed me from it. Thus Paul speaks his own and the Saints victories with their combates, at one and the same time; while they are warring, they are* 1.4 conquering, and have more then earthly conquerors ever attained to. How is that? for R. F. cannot conceive there can be any warfare continued, where there is more then a conquest already gotten. To clear this, let us take all the Apostles words before us, ver. 37. in all these things we are more then conquerors through him that loved us. He doth not say, after all these things, but in them, during the war∣fare, we have the better by many degrees; or as the * word* 1.5 signifieth, we have an overplus of conquest. It is enough for men after worldly encounters, to go out conquerors at the end of their Battels; but as we conquer while we fight, so we are sure of the victory (i. e. have sure grounds of ex∣pecting the last victory) when we strike the first stroke; which conquerors of the world are not assured of. To sense we may seem to be overcome, between times, but to faith the victory is sure on our side. This is a Paradox to R. F. but let him know, we are not beaten out of the field (by all his and other oppositions) but keep our ground, what's that? Gods love to us in Christ, which is the cause of the beginning and end of the conquest. It is that, and not inhe∣rent grace, or our love to Christ, onely, or chiefly, which strengthneth us to combate and conquer also: Our grace is weak, and gives back many times, but Christ our Captain never starteth, and the love of God to us abideth, and union with him who giveth the victory holdeth R. F. had best keep to that, lest his inherent perfection fail him altogether. It is granted by R. F. according to 1 John 4. 4. That greater* 1.6 is he that is in the Saints, then he that is in the world; which is brought in by the Apostle as another ground of their present victory over the seducing antichristian part of the world the strength is not ours, but the Lords, whereby we go on conquering, and to conquer; and are enabled to keep up our warfare, and assured we shall have the day, of whole troops of perfect and imperfect Quakers, because as the word of God abideth in them that have overcome (in the Apo∣stles sense, 1 John at 14.) so it doth not abide in them, who

say they have no sin abiding in them, and will not be known to abide in the warfare: such were either never in it, or are run from their colors. Let R. F.* 1.7 prate or print what he will; [carnally minded, as thou art] and speaking of his conquests, [which thou art ignorant of and knowest not that plead for sin, and so for the devil, therefore his servant thou art, expect his reward for doing his work] none of these fiery darts shall be able to separate me from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus, nor from the service of my gene∣ration in this or any other way which the Lord calls me unto.

Notes

• * 1.1

  page 18.
• * 1.2

  Saints in this life not out of their warfare.
• * 1.3

  Rom. 8. 2. vindicated.
• * 1.4

  Rom. 8. 37. cleared.
• * 1.5

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉
• * 1.6

  1 John 4. 4. vind••cated.
• * 1.7

  Page 18.