from evil to good by it, though they knew nothing of Chrift's coming in the flesh, through whose obedience and fufferings it is purchased unto them. And as we affirm it is abfolutely needful that thofe do believe the hiftory of Chrift's outward appearance, whom it pleafed God to bring to the knowledge of it; fo we do freely confefs, that even that outward knowledge is very comfortable to fuch as are fubject to and led by the inward feed and light. For not only doth the fenfe of Chrift's love and fufferings tend to humble them, but they are thereby also strengthened in their faith, and encouraged to follow that excellent pattern which he hath left us, who fuffered for us, as faith the apoftle Peter, 1 Pet. ii. 21. leaving us an example that we Should follow his steps: and many times we are greatly edified and refreshed with the gracious fayThe history ings which proceed out of his mouth. The biftory is profitable then is profitable and comfortable with the mystery, and never without it; but the mystery is and may be profitable without the the explicit and outward knowledge of the biftory.

with the

mystery.

is in all

men.

Quef. 5. But Fifthly, This brings us to another queftion, How Chrift to wit, Whether Chrift be in all men or no? Which fometimes hath been asked us, and arguments brought against it; because indeed it is to be found in fome of our writings that Chrift is in all men ; and we often are heard, in our publiek meetings and declarations, to defire every man to know and be acquainted with Chrift in them, telling them that Chrift is in them; it is fit therefore, for removing of all mistakes, to fay fomething in this place concerning this matter. We have faid before how that a divine, fpiritual, and fupernatural light is in all men; how that that divine fupernatural light or feed is vehiculum Dei; how that God and Chrift dwelleth in it, and is never feparated from it; also how that as it is received and clofed with in the beart, Chrift comes to be formed and brought forth:

but

but we are far from ever having faid that Chrift is thus formed in all men, or in the wicked: for that is a great attainment, which the apoftle travailed that it might be brought forth in the Galatians. Neither is Chrift in all men by way of union, or indeed, to speak ftrictly, by way of inhabitation; because this inhabitation, as it is generally taken, imports union, or the manner of Christ's being in the faints: as it is written, I will dwell in them, and walk in them, 2 Cor. vi. 16. But in regard Chrift is in all men as in a feed, yea, and that he never is nor can be feparate from that holy pure feed, and light which is in all men; therefore may it be faid in a larger fenfe, that he is in all, even as we observed before. The fcripture faith, Amos ii. 13. God is pressed down as a cart under fheaves, and Christ crucified in the ungodly; though to fpeak properly and ftrictly, neither can God be preffed down, nor Chrift, as God, be crucified. In this refpect then, as he is in the feed which is in all men, we have faid Chrift is in all men, and have preached and directed all men to Chrift in them, who lies crucified in them by their fins and iniqui- Chrift cru ties, that they may look upon him whom they have cified in pierced, and repent: whereby he that now lies as quities. it were flain and buried in them, may come to be raised, and have dominion in their hearts over all. And thus alfo the apostle Paul preached to the Corinthians and Galatians, 1 Cor. ii. 2. Christ crucified in them, iv vuir, as the Greek hath it. This Jesus Christ was that which the apoftle defired to know in them, and make known unto them, that they might come to be fenfible how they had thus been crucifying Chrift, that fo they might repent and be faved. And forasmuch as Chrift is called that light that enlightens every man, the light of the world, therefore the light is taken for Chrift, who truly is the fountain of light, and hath his habitation in it for ever. Thus the light Thus the light of Chrift is fometimes

called

man by ini

called Chrift, i. e. that in which Christ is, and from which he is never separated.

§. XVI. Sixthly, It will manifeftly appear by what is above faid, that we understand not this divine principle to be any part of man's nature, nor yet to be any reliques of any good which Adam loft by his fall, in that we make it a distinct feparate thing from man's foul, and all the faculties of it: yet fuch is the malice of our adversaries, that they cease not fometimes to calumniate us, as if we preached up a natural light, or the light of man's natural confcience. Next there are that lean to the doctrine of Socinus and Pelagius, who perfuade themselves through mistake, and out of no ill defign to injure us, as if this which we preach up were fome natural power and faculty of the foul, and that we only differ in the wording of it, and not in the thing itself; whereas there can be no greater difference than is betwixt us in that matter: for we certainly know that this light of which we fpeak is not only diftinct, but of a different nature from the foul of man, The facul- and its faculties. Indeed that man, as he is a ties of man's rational creature, hath reafon as a natural faculty

reafon.

of his foul, by which he can difcern things that are rational, we deny not; for this is a property natural and effential to him, by which he can know and learn many arts and fciences, beyond what any other animal can do by the mere animal principle. Neither do we deny but by this rational principle man may apprehend in his brain, and in the notion, a knowledge of God and fpiritual things; yet that not being the right organ, as in the second propofition hath more at length been fignified, it cannot profit him towards falvation, but rather hindereth; and indeed the great cause of the apoftafy hath been, that man hath fought to fathom the things of God in and by this natural and rational principle, and to build

up

ple of God.

natural rea

up a religion in it, neglecting and overlooking this principle and feed of God in the heart; fo that herein, in the most univerfal and catholick fenfe, hath Anti-Chrift in every man fet up himself, Anti-Christ and fitteth in the temple of God as God, and above in the temevery thing that is called God. For men being the temple of the Holy Ghoft, as faith the apoftle, I Col. iii. 16. when the rational principle fets up itself there above the feed of God, to reign and prince in fpiritual things, while the holy feed is wounded and bruifed, there is AntiChrift in every man, or fomewhat exalted above and against Christ. Nevertheless we do not hereby affirm as if man had received his reason to no purpose, or to be of no fervice unto him; in no wife: we look upon reafon as fit to order and rule man in things natural. For as God The divine gave two great lights to rule the outward world, light and the fun and moon, the greater light to rule the fon diftinday, and the leffer light to rule the night; fo suished. hath he given man the light of his Son, a fpiritual divine light, to rule him in things fpiritual, and the light of reafon to rule him in things natural. And even as the moon borrows her light from the fun, fo ought men, if they would be rightly and comfortably ordered in natural things, to have their reafon enlightened by this divine and pure light. Which enlightened reafon, in those that obey and follow this true light, we confess may be useful to man even in fpiritual things, as it is ftill fubfervient and fubject to the other; even as the animal life in man, regulated and ordered by his reafon, helps him in going about things that are rational. We do further rightly The light diftinguish this from man's natural confcience; diftinguishfor confcience being that in man which arifeth man's nafrom the natural faculties of man's foul, may be tural con defiled and corrupted. It is faid exprefly of the impure, Tit. i. 15. That even their mind and con

Science

ed from

science.

fcience is defiled; but this light can never be corrupted nor defiled; neither did it ever confent to evil or wickedness in any for it is faid exprefly, that it makes all things manifeft that are reprovable, Eph. v. 13. and fo is a faithful witnefs for God Confcience against every unrighteousness in man. Now con

defined.

a Turk.

fcience, to define it truly, comes from [confcire,] and is that knowledge which arifeth in man's heart, from what agreeth, contradicteth, or is contrary to any thing believed by him, whereby be becomes confcious to himself that he tranfgrefleth by doing that which he is perfuaded he ought not to do. So that the mind being once blinded or defiled with a wrong belief, there arifeth a confcience from that belief, which troubles him when he goes against it. Example of As for example: A Turk who hath poffeffed himfelf with a falfe belief that it is unlawful for him to drink wine, if he do it, his confcience fimites him for it; but though he keep many concubines, his confcience troubles him not, because his judgment is already defiled with a falfe opinion that it is lawful for him to do the one, and unlawful to do the other. Whereas if the light of Chrift in him were minded, it would reprove him, not only for committing fornication, but also, as he became obedient thereunto, inform him that Mahomet was an impoftor; as well as Socrates was informed by it, in his day, of the falfity of the heathens gods.

Example of a Papift.

So if a Papift eat flesh in Lent, or be not diligent enough in adoration of faints and images, or if he should contemn images, his confcience would fimite him for it, because his judgment is already blinded with a falfe belief concerning these things: whereas the light of Chrift never confented to any of those abominations. Thus then man's natural confcience is fufficiently diftinguished from it; for confcience followeth the judgment, doth not inform it; but this light, as it is received,

removes