§. XV.
Quest. 4.Fourthly, We do not hereby intend any ways to lessen or derogate from the Atonement and Sacrifice of Jesus Christ; but on the contrary do magnify and exalt it. For as we believe all those Things to have been certainly transacted which are recorded in the Holy Scriptures concerning the Birth, Life, Miracles, Sufferings, Resurrection and Ascension of Christ; so we do also believe that it is the Duty of every one to believe it to whom it pleases God to reveal the same, and to bring to them the Knowledge of it; yea, we believe it were damnable Unbelief not to believe it, when so declared; but to resist that holy Seed, which as minded would lead and incline every one to believe it as it is offered unto them, though it revealeth not in every one the outward and explicit Knowledge of it, nevertheless it always assenteth to it, ubi declaratur, where it is declared. Nevertheless as we firmly believe it was necessary that Christ should come, that by his Death and Sufferings he might offer up himself a Sacrifice to God for our Sins, who his own self bare our Sins in his own Body on the Tree; so we believe that the Remission of Sins which any partake of, is only in and by Virtue of that most satisfactory Sacrifice, and no otherwise. That Remission of Sins is only and alone by Christ.For it is by the Obedience of that One that the Free-gift is come upon all to Justification. For we affirm, that as all Men partake of the Fruit of Adam’s Fall, in that by Reason of that evil Seed, which through him is communicated unto them, they are prone and inclined unto Evil, though Thousands of Thousands be ignorant of Adam’s Fall, neither ever knew of the Eating of the Forbidden Fruit; so also many may come to feel the Influence of this Holy and Divine Seed and Light, and be turned from Evil to Good by it, though they knew nothing of Christ’s coming in the Flesh, through whose Obedience and Sufferings it is purchased unto them. And as we affirm it is absolutely needful that those do believe the History of Christ’s outward Appearance, whom it pleased God to bring to the Knowledge of it; so we do freely confess, that even that outward Knowledge is very comfortable to such as are subject to and led by the inward Seed and Light. For not only doth the Sense of Christ’s Love and Sufferings 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 suffered for us, as saith the Apostle 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 Sayings which proceed out of his Mouth. The History is profitable with the Mystery.The History then is profitable and comfortable with the Mystery, and never without it; but the Mystery is and may be profitable without the explicit and outward Knowledge of the History.
Quest. 5. How Christ is in all Men.But Fifthly, This brings us to another Question, to wit, Whether Christ be in all Men or no? Which sometimes hath been asked us, and Arguments brought against it; because indeed it is to be found in some of our Writings that Christ is in all Men; and we often are heard, in our publick Meetings and Declarations, to desire every Man to know and be acquainted with Christ in them, telling them that Christ is in them; it is fit therefore, for removing of all Mistakes, to say something in this Place concerning this Matter. We have said before, how that a divine, spiritual, and supernatural Light is in all Men; how that that divine supernatural Light or Seed is Vehiculum Dei; how that God and Christ dwelleth in it, and is never separated from it; also how that, as it is received and closed with in the Heart, Christ comes to be formed and brought forth: But we are far from ever having said, That Christ is thus formed in all Men, or in the Wicked: For that is a great Attainment, which the Apostle travailed that it might be brought forth in the Galatians. Neither is Christ in all Men by Way of Union, or indeed, to speak strictly, by Way of Inhabitation; because this Inhabitation, as it is generally taken, imports Union, or the Manner of Christ’s being in the Saints: As it is written, I will dwell in them, and walk in them, 2 Cor. vi. 16. But in regard, Christ is in all Men as in a Seed, yea, and that he never is nor can be separate from that holy pure Seed and Light which is in all Men; therefore may it be said in a larger Sense, that he is in all, even as we observed before. The Scripture saith, Amos ii. 13. God is pressed down as a Cart under Sheaves, and Christ crucified in the Ungodly; though to speak properly and strictly, neither can God be pressed down, nor Christ, as God, be crucified. In this Respect then, as he is in the Seed which is in all Men, we have said Christ is in all Men, and have preached and directed all Men to Christ in them, Christ crucified in Man by Iniquities.who lies crucified in them by their Sins and Iniquities, that they may look upon him whom they have pierced, and repent: Whereby he that now lies as it were slain and buried in them, may come to be raised, and have Dominion in their Hearts over all. And thus also the Apostle Paul preached to the Corinthians and Galatians, 1 Cor. ii. 2. Christ crucified in them, [Greek: en hymin: εν ὑμιν], as the Greek hath it. This Jesus Christ was that which the Apostle desired to know in them, and make known unto them, that they might come to be sensible how they had thus been crucifying Christ, that so they might repent and be saved. And forasmuch as Christ is called that Light that enlightens every Man, the Light of the World, therefore the Light is taken for Christ, who truly is the Fountain of Light, and hath his Habitation in it for ever. Thus the Light of Christ is sometimes called Christ, i. e. that in which Christ is, and from which he is never separated.