that? why," how that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures; and that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the Scriptures, (there is his death and resurrection preached ;) and that he was seen of Cephas, then of the twelve: after that, he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once; of whom the greatest part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep. After that he was seen of James; then of all the apostles. And last of all he was seen of me, (saith Paul,) as of one born out of due time." This is it, I say, that the Spirit of truth doth hold forth to poor sinners, a Christ crucified without the gates of Jerusalem, (Luke, xxiii. 32, 33,) buried in Joseph's sepulchre, (verse 53,) risen again the third day, (Luke, xxiv. 6,) ascended away from his disciples in a cloud into heaven, as in Acts, i. 9-11; and there ever liveth, that very man, with that very body, to make intercession for all that receive him, Heb. vii. 24, 25; Col. i. 27. This is, I say, the doctrine of the Spirit of truth, whatsoever is the spirit of error.

QUEST.-But do not the Scriptures make mention of a Christ within? 2 Cor. xiii. 5.

ANSW.-Yes; "and he that hath not the Spirit of Christ is none of his," (Rom. viii. 9;) but he that hath it is led out of himself by it; and, as I said before, it shews the soul what the blessed Son of the Virgin Mary hath done and suffered, and is adoing for it. Therefore" hereby know we the Spirit of truth from the spirit of error. Every spirit that doth confess that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God"-that is, that spirit that doth confess that Jesus Christ took flesh upon him, and in that flesh did bear our sins, (1 Peter, ii. 24; iii. 18; iv. 1; Col. i. 20-22,) and after he was taken down from the cross and laid in a sepulchre, rose again from the dead, that very man, with that very body wherewith he was crucified; that spirit that doth believe and confess this is of God, and is the blessed Spirit of Christ, whereof he spake when he was yet with his disciples touching his bodily presence: "For he (saith the Son of Mary) shall glorify me, for he shall take of mine and shew it to you," John, xvi. 13, 14.

I have answered this already in my epistle to the first treatise. Therefore believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they be of God, for many false spirits and prophets are gone out into the world, therefore have a care how thou receivest the voice that speaks to thee, but try whether they are according to the truth of God's word, as it is written, "To the law and to the testimony, if it be not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them," Isa. viii. 20. Therefore, try a little. Do they slight God's Christ, which is the Son of the Virgin? That spirit is of the devil, 1 Cor. xii. 3.

2. Do they say that that blood of his which was shed without the gates of Jerusalem doth not wash away sin, yea, all sin from him that believes? That is a spirit of Antichrist, 1 John, i. 7. 3. Do they say that that man that was crucified without the gates of Jerusalem is not risen again, with that very body wherewith he was crucified, out of the sepulchre, Luke, xxiv. 38, 39. That is a spirit of Antichrist.

4. Do they say that that very man that was crucified with that very body is not now in the presence of his Father, absent from his people touching his bodily presence, though present in spirit? I say, whoever they be that say he is not there, they are of the devil; for the proof of this see Acts, v. 30, 31, and compare it with Heb. vii. 24, 25, The God of our fathers (saith the apostle) raised up Jesus"-but what Jesus?— whom ye slew, (saith he to the Jews; him, the very same whom ye slew,) hath God exalted with his right hand to be a prince and a Saviour, to give repentance unto Israel, and forgiveness of sins."

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And indeed, here is my life-namely, the birth of this man, the righteousness of this man, the blood of this man, the death and resurrection of this man, the ascension and intercession of this man for me, and "the second coming of this man to judge the world in righteousness," Acts, xvii. 31. I say, here is my life, if I see this by faith without me, through the operation of the Spirit within me, I am safe, I am at peace, I am comforted, I am encouraged, and I know that my comfort, peace, and encouragement is true, and given me from heaven by the Father of mercies, through the Son of the Virgin Mary, (Matt. i. 21,) who is the way to the Father of mercies, (John, xiv. 6,)" who is able to save to the uttermost all that come to the Father by him," (Heb. vii. 25 ;) because he, that very man, with that very body wherewith he was crucified, is ascended into heaven, (Acts, i. 9-11,) "and there ever lives to make intercession for them that come to God by him." This is the rock, sinner, upon which, if thou be built, the gates of hell, nor ranter, quaker, sin, law, death, no, nor the devil himself, shall ever be able to prevail against thee, Matt. xvi. 16-18. And here I leave thee to the wisdom of the great God, who if he hath chosen thee in his Son, and brought thee to him, and hath made thee by faith to lay hold on him, thou needest not fear the devil with his siftings, snares, wiles, and fiery darts, wherewith he doth destroy thousands, but mayst, with the apostle (if thou live in the power and life of the love of God towards thee), cry out, "I am persuaded that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate thee from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord," Rom. viii. 38, 39.

And now, reader, if thou be a true Christian, I am sure that these be the things that appear to be the glorious substantial truths to thy soul, and thou dost not care for that comfort that doth not make man, the Son of the Virgin, precious to thy soul, (1 Pet. ii. 7;) for thou knowest that it is he that hath delivered thee from the wrath to come, 1 Thess. i. 10. But as for you that are disobedient, except you mend your manners, you will stumble and fall backwards, and be broken, and snared and taken, (Isaiah, xxviii. 13,) and wonder and perish, because you believe not, Acts, xvii. 21.

A few words more, and so I shall have done, and they are words of counsel to thee: Have a care thou receive not every Christ that is proffered to thee, though it may appear very excellent to thy foolish heart; for under the name

Christ are men deceived, as it is written, "Many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ, and shall deceive many," (Matt. xxiv. 5;) but have a care that thou receive that Christ that was born without thee, fulfilled the law in his human nature without thee, spilt his blood without thee, is risen again and ascended without thee, and maketh intercession without thee, and that he that very man that was born of the Virgin will come again in the clouds without thee; and this truth must thou receive by that Spirit that he hath promised to send and give to them

that ask him; and that shall dwell in thy heart, and shall shew thee what the Son of Mary the Virgin, the Son of man, the Son of God, the true God, hath in his body done for thy soul, John, xvi. 13, 14. And if thou receive him in truth, then though thou do not boast nor brag of thy holiness, as those painted hypocrites called quakers do, yet thou wilt do more work for God in one hour than they, even all of them, can do in all their lifetime.

Take my counsel, and the Lord Jesus Christ have mercy upon thy soul and body. Farewell.

1. IF thou sayest that every one hath a measure of the Spirit of Jesus Christ within him, why say the Scriptures that some "are sensual, having not the Spirit?" Jude, 19. And when Christ tells his disciples of sending them the Spirit, he also saith, "The world cannot receive it," John, xiv. 17.

2. What is the church of God redeemed by from the curse of the law; is it by something that is done within them, or by something done without them? If thou answer, it is redeemed from the curse of the law by something that worketh in them; then I ask, why did the man Christ Jesus hang upon the cross on Mount Calvary, without the gates of Jerusalem, for the sins of the people? And why do the Scriptures say, that "through this man is preached to us the forgiveness of sins"? Gal. iii. 3; Acts, xiii. 38; 1 Pet. ii. 24; Col. i. 20, &c.-that is, through his blood, (Eph. i. 7,) which was shed without the gates of Jerusalem, Heb. xiii. 12.

3. What scripture have you to prove that Christ is or was crucified within you, dead within you, risen within you, and ascended within you? 4. Is that very man that was crucified on Mount Calvary between two thieves, whose name is Jesus the Son of Mary; I say, is he the very Christ of God; yea or no?

5. Is that very man, with that very body, within you; yea or no?

6. Was that Jesus that was born of the Virgin Mary a real man of flesh and bones after his resurrection from the dead out of Joseph's sepulchre; yea or no? for the scripture saith he was, as in Luke, xxiv. 39. If so, then did that man that said, "Handle me and see, for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have;" I say, did that man go away from his disciples (and not into them, in his body) as these scriptures

declare, (Luke, xxiv. 39, 40, compared with ver. 50, 51; also Acts, i. 9-11,) or did he with that body of flesh go into his disciples, as some fond dreamers think?

7. Hath that Christ that was with God the Father before the world was no other body but his church? If you say, No, as it is your wonted course; then again I ask you, what that was in which he did bear the sins of his children? If you answer, "It was in his own body on the tree," for so saith the scripture, (1 Pet. ii. 24;) then I ask you further, whether that body in which he did bear our sins (which is also called his own body) was or is the church of God; yea or no? Again; if you say he hath no body but the church, the saints, then I ask, what that was that was taken down from the cross and laid into Joseph's sepulchre? Luke, xxiii. 51, 52.

Now, I know that as Christ is the head of his church, so the church is the body of the head, which is Christ. But as Christ is the Mediator between God and man, I say, as he is Mediator, so he is a man, (1 Tim. ii. 5,) and absent from his saints in the world, as is clear, 2 Cor. v. 6. Therefore as he is a mediator and a man, so he hath a body that is absent from his church, which body is ascended from his disciples, above the clouds, into heaven. If you say, No; then I ask you, Did he leave the body behind him which was born of the Virgin Mary, which walked up and down with his disciples in the world, was afterwards hanged upon the cross, buried, rose again from the dead, with which body he did eat, drink, and likewise walk with his disciples after his resurrection from the dead, and did bid his disciples see if he were not flesh and bones; yea or no? Luke, xxiii. 26, 33, 53; xxiv. 61; Matt. xxiv. 3, 6, 15, 39, 41-50; Acts, i. 9-11; x. 41.