And whereas thou askest me whether any thing doth convince of sin contrary to, or besides the Spirit of Christ.
I answer. There is conscience, and the law, yea, and nature itself that doth convince of son; as before I have proved at large. Yet neither is conscience, that law; or nature itself the Spirit of Christ; no, but are much inferior to it, as being things of no glory in respect of it.
And again, that something doth convince of sin besides the Spirit of Christ, it is evident, for the law saith, "Cursed is every on e that continueth not in all things which are written in it to do them" (Gal 3:10). But the Spirit convinceth men of their unbelief, together with other sins. Now mark, The law also convinceth to work for life, the Spirit convinceth to believe for life; the law saith, He that doth not fulfil me, shall be damned. The Spirit saith, He that believeth in Christ shall be saved. Now observe the terms of the law and of the gospel, are different one from another as to justification. If men seek for life by the law; then the law saith, Fulfil me perfectly, and thou shalt live. The spirit saith, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save those that by transgression had broken the law. For, for this cause saith the Spirit "He (Jesus the Son of Mary, the Man Christ between God and us 1Tim 2:5) is the mediator of the New Testament." For what? "that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first testament, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance" (Heb 9:15). Now I would not be mistaken; I do not say, that the Spirit of Christ doth give the least liberty to sin; God forbid. But its convictions are of a more saving and refreshing nature than the convictions of the law, and do more constrain the soul to holiness than that.
The law saying, work for life; the Spirit saying, "Now to him that worketh not, (for life) but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness" (Rom 4:5), as thus, if I should owe to two creditors ten thousand talents; the one should say unto me, thou owest me five thousand talents, pay that thou owest; the other should say, thou owest me five thousand talents, and I frankly and freely forgive thee all. Now these expressions are contrary one to another: even so is the end of the convictions of the law, not according to the end of the convictions of the Spirit of Christ; the one saying, pay me that thou owest, the other saying, thou art frankly and freely forgiven all.
The next thing thou utterest is, where I say, "Those that are alive unto sins, have not the Spirit of Christ." But sayst thou, it is given to every man. Mark, thou sayest, It is given to every man. The apostle saith, some are sensual, having not the Spirit (Jude 19). Who must we now believe, the Apostle or you? Certainly your doctrine is not according to truth, but a lie; as is clear, in the you will affirm, that which the Apostle doth deny.
Then thou sayest, I bring other vain arguments to prove that every one hath not the Spirit of Christ. This one is enough to prove it, that the Apostle saith, Some men have it not. But that which thou callest vain, I am sure neither thou nor any of they fellows, are able to answer. One is to this purpose; the devils are so convinced of son, that they did fear the torment that was to come upon them for their sins; and did fear also that the son of Man was come to torment them for their sins, and yet the devils have not the spirit of Christ. so that it is evident, that we may be convinced of sin, and yet not by the Spirit of Christ. A second argument which thou callest vain, is this, Man in his coming into the world, hath his conscience given him, which doth convince of sin (John 8:9), yet man in his coming into the world, or as he cometh into the world, hath not the Spirit of Christ given him, for that must be received ordinarily afterward by the preaching of the word, which is preached by the ministers and servants of Jesus Christ (Acts 10:44). "while Peter yet spake" to the people, "the Holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the word."
But farther, thou sayest, "Until I prove the light of Christ contrary to the Spirit of Christ, thou wilt say, that every man hath that which is one in union, and like the Spirit of Christ, even as good as the Spirit of Christ in its measure."
Answer. Friend, I have proved already that every man hath not the Spirit of Christ, though they have that which thou dost call the Spirit of Christ, which is conscience and nature itself. And this I say again, that thou hast laid open thy weakness very much, to say that every man hath that which is as good as the Spirit of Christ, Friend, seeing the scriptures say, some have not the Spirit of Christ, how durst thou so blaspheme, as to say, then it is as good as the Spirit of Christ in its measure. Was there ever such a deal of ignorance discovered at one time by man, as to say, that every man hath the spirit, or that which is as good as the Spirit; though the Spirit saith plainly, that some have not the Spirit, as I have proved plainly (Jude 19). Friend, what is there besides the Spirit that is as good as the Spirit. Be silent, and say no more so, lest thou dost through ignorance, or presumption, set up thy conscience or nature, as high and as good as the Spirit of Christ, when indeed they are not worthy to be compared with it, being weak, and not able to do that which is and hath been done by the Spirit of Christ.
Then thou art offended, because I said the devil doth deceive poor souls by bidding them listen within, and see if there be not that which doth convince of sin. friend, all men have not the Spirit, though they have that conscience that doth convince of son (John 8:9). Now seeing all men have not the Spirit, is it not a great deceit of the devil to persuade poor souls, that because they are convinced for son by their own consciences, therefore they have the Spirit of Christ: surely it is from the devil. Because he would make thee believe that conscience, which is but a creature, is the Spirit of Christ, by whom the world was made. Again, because the soul, being persuaded that it hath the Spirit (when it hath it not) as all men naturally are without it (Eph 5:13,14), it is kept off from seeking and begging for it, being already persuaded (falsely) that it hath it.
And whereas thou sayest, the voice of the gospel is to bid listen within the heart, as Paul preacheth. I deny that Paul biddeth listen within. But the scripture that you would fain make shelter for your error is this, where he saith, "The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart" (Rom 10:8). That is, The word of faith which we preach. Now, Friend, faith is that which layeth hold of, or believeth the gospel. And that his is the meaning read the next verse: That (saith he) "If thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raise him from the dead, thou shalt be saved." so that it is clear that the word of faith, is to believe assuredly from the very heart, that God hath raised up Jesus from the dead, out of the grave into which he was laid by Joseph; and that he was raised again for my justification (Rom 4:25), as it is written (1Cor 15), "Moreover brethren (saith he,) I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you" at the first, "which also you have received, and wherein ye stand, by which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory, ( or assuredly believe,) what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain." but what was that gospel you preached? why, saith he (verse 3), "I delivered unto you first of all, that which I also received, 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: and that he was seen of—the brethren after his resurrection," &c. the word of the gospel, my friend, is, Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures, and that he rose again according to the scriptures, and that he is ascended from his disciples, to prepare a place for them according to the scripture.