Discourse Held in Axbridge

p. 1The heads and substance of the Discourse, are as followeth.

The particulars they swore to, are these following.

1. HE denied Jesus Christ to be the eternal Son of God.

2. He denyed a local heaven.

3. He denyed the equality of the Son with the Father.

4. He denyed that Jesus Christ by his death upon the Cross did satisfie divine Justice.

5. He denyed the Trinity.

6. He affirmed that the Saints are the Sons of God in the same manner as Christ himself.

7. He affirmed that the divine essence was communicated to the Saints.

8. He affirmed that the bodies of the Saints should be turned into Spirits.

9. he affirmed that the Moral Law was abrogated.

p. 2To four of these particulars they swore false, and after acknowledged it; taking up the argument as it was at first truly stated, thus,

1. He denyed Jesus Christ to be the Son of God by an eternal generation.

2. He denyed the equality of the Son with the Father as they hold it forth.

3. He denyed a Trinity of Persons in the Godhead.

4. He affirmed that the Moral Law, as a ministration in the hands of Moses, was abrogated and done away to believers.

p. 2But to the first in order.

1. He denyed Jesus Christ to be the Son of God by an eternal generation.

That which they undertook to maintain in this particular was, the eternal generation of the Son by the Father in the Godhead, which was and is by me denyed; the Scripture they had at first to prove it, was that in the Common-prayer book, in Athanasius Creed: That he was very God of very God, begotten before all worlds; I denyed that to be Scripture; they affirmed it to be in the Scripture; I told them I knew no such Scripture, and desired them to look it; they searched the Scripture, turned their Concordance, but could not find it; I then told them where they might find it; but in the p. 3second meeting they produced these Scriptures, John 3. 16. God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son; and John 1. 14. 1 John 4. 9. He sent his only begotten, that we might live, &c. and hence endeavoured to maintain this argument, that if Christ was the only begotten, then he was eternally begotten, &c. that I denyed; for he is not said to be begotten▪ but as in the womb of the Virgin, by the power of the most high. Luke 1. and upon this accouut he is said to be the only begotten Son of the Father, because there was never any son so begotten; they still pressed this argument▪ that this begetting must of necessity be a begetting before all time: I answered them out of Psal 2. 7. Thou art my son, this day have I begotten thee, which is a begetting in time: they then fell to that in Prov. 8. 25. Before the mountains were setled, before the hils was I brought forth; hence endeavouring to maintain an eternal begetting, which was denyed: bringing forth and begetting being not the same; although after the flesh begetting precedes bringing forth; yet in the Divine mystery there is a bringing forth without begetting; in conclusion I charged Person Smith with blasphemy and nonsence; blasphemy in holding forth a generation in the Godhead, which is proper only to the creature; and nonsence in holding forth a generation in p. 4the Godhead, the Father begetting the Son, and yet the Son to be coeternal, and that it was him that indeed denyed the eternity of the Son.

p. 4I shall further declare my understanding in this mystery.

Christ as the Son relating to the Divine being, was and is that wisdom which was before the mountains and hils, viz. that wisdom, power, light, love, &c. which lay hid in silence in the Father, and was the Father before the Creation, yet lay hid, viz. not made manifest to any creature; but in the Creation put forth and made manifest, as likewise in the preservation, but especially in the restauration and drawing up of souls into spiritual union & fellowship so manifest in the man Christ Jesus, John 1. 1, 2, 3. with verse 14. Here is a bringing forth of that excellency which was in the Father from eternity, into visible manifestation to the Creation; but last and specially to those made partakers of that birth from above, John 3. 3. so that that wisdom brought forth is not something begotten by the Father, but the bringing forth of that word of wisdom and power which was before all beginning with God, in God, and is God: so that to conclude this particular, I neither did nor do deny the eternity of the Son, but the generation as relating to the Divine being. To the second.

p. 52. He denyed a local heaven.

In this I denyed heaven to be a particular limited place, I acknowledged that heaven must have some place; for that which hath no place, hath no being; but that as far as I know its not a limited place; that is, some place of glory above the firmament, as is imagined; but that heaven relates rather to a condition of glory, then a place of glory; and its not the place but the condition which makes either heaven or hell. He viz. Parson Smith, proceeds to proof; produces that of Paul being in the third heaven, 2 Cor. 12. I asked him if he thought that Paul was taken up above the Starry firmament; he answered yea, for he knew no other heaven: I answered, I knew another heaven, which Christ speaks of, which is within, and doubtless this is the heaven the Apostle was in …