we are the Elders of the Church and we have the infallible Spirit and though we make Decrees contrary to what the Apostles made in their Day yet none are to question that the Church was but in its Infancy then as unwasht and unswadled and in Persecution but now she is grown up to a greater Statuâ—e and Power and endowed with greater Priviledge and that may be necessary now that was not necessary then and last of all called themselves the Clerâ—y which signifies the Heritage of God and so excluded all others but themselves And these things are true and certain and have been made good by many Sufferers for Christ and this kind of Clergy or Heritage made the Heritage of God indeed to fly into the Wilderness who had the infallible Spirit and the Witnesses to prophesie in Sack-cloth and then Mystery-Babylon began to sit as a Queen and to gild her Cup and to fill it full of Abomination and brought in Judaism and the Practice of the Apostles and their own Inventions and patched up an Endless kind of Worship and Service consisting of out-side things in a great Part in Postures and Gestures and Meats and Drinks and Days and times and Vestures and Bonnets and Caps and Coules and such other like Trumpery which they made the Nations drunk with and greedy after and if any scrupled at any of those things or any other the Holy Catholick Church hath decreed it and she cannot err for she is infallible though the Errors thereof cannot be numbred And this R. E. thou rests satisfied in as thy only Rule and Judge and Director and thou hangs all thy Faith herein and sayest Thou shalt not scruple to believe what Authority teacheth thee to be revealed by God no more then if thou heardst God himself speaking I say unto thee as the Apostle said The Serpent hath beguiled thee as it beguiled Eve and further say as the Prophet said Thou must arise and get thee hence for this is not the Rest for thou wilt see thy self plunged into such a Labyrinth of Uncertainties as thou never wast before if the Lord ever open thine Eye And R. E. gives an Account that after his reading of some controvertal Books hath made some Collections as to himself and also declares That all dissenting Judgements grant there must be a Way and a Rule appointed to teach us to deside all Doubts to judge of all Matters and to teach us the true Way to Heaven with Certainty but who this Rule or Judge is is not agreed upon by all which he hath collected into four Heads First Some set up the Spirit to direct them and to be this Means Secondly Another will have every Man 's own Natural Reason to be this Rule and Judge Thirdly Others will set up sole Scripture And the fourth assigns the Holy Catholick Church to be that Judge and Director Other then these he saith he never heard of any for he saith he alwayes esteemed the Quakers Light to be either the Spirit or Natural Reason but which R. E. doth not know and all the four before-mentioned he saith he hath examined and treateth largely upon them all wherein he goeth about and giveth Grounds and divers Reasons and divers Interpretations of Scriptures he layes waste all the former three and establisheth as he thinks the fourth as to be that Way and Rule and Judge and governing Power to decide all Doubts as that whereby all are oblieged to submit unto as to Christ himself and this was that Question which he was to gain Satisfaction in and therefore he saith He ceaâ—ed â—o enquire of their Doctrine or this or that Article of Faith and hang altogether upon this Point before-mentioned Answ. 'T is true it is granted by all that there must be a Way and a Rule as the Means appointed of God to answer all Doubts and to give Satisfaction to every Man of the Certainty of that which he believes and who this Way and Judge and Rule is every one ought to be satisfied and the four Heads into which thou hast collected the whole Controversie of all dissenting Judgments in Christianity take up the whole as to this Particular which have ordinarily been holden forth among Christians But I judge thou deal'st not wisely in thy Inquisition and Search for Satisfaction to hang all on this Pin but rather to have examined further as concerning Matters of Doctrine and Matters of Faith held forth most especially of this Party to whom thou wast so much inclined and see how thou could'st have swallowed down that Doctrine of Purgatory and Sacrifice for the Dead and Justification by a Man 's own Works and of Bread and Wine after the Words of Consecration by the Priest is transubstantiated into the very Body and Blood of Christ and becomes whole God their Saviour and Redeemer for these are principal things either greatly necessary to Salvation or greatly unnecessary and when thou had'st tryed and found these to be so repugnant unto the Doctrine and Faith once delivered among the Saints in the first Plantation of the Gospel this might have put a Stop unto thee that thou could'st not so easily close with their Judgment and pretended Infallibility who pretend to be only Guides and yet lead into the greatest Errors in Matters of greatest Moment But as to the four Particulars mentioned I shall not stand to trouble either my self or the Reader as to speak much what of that which is no Part of my Faith or Judgment but only to vindicate the Truth against the many false Conceptions of changeable Men And first of all R. E. begins to treat of the Spirit and perverts the Scripture at his first Onset and saith As touching the Spirit â—earing Witness in secret with our Spirits or he saith in plain Terms the priâ—ate Spirit this saith R. E. I considered could not be the Means to convey Faith unto the World nor the Rule Judge or Guide which I enquired after nor indeed the true Spirit of God which he promised to be Apostles Secondly Those who pretend this Guidance do not believe Godâ— but themselves only and their own Perswasions which tell them they have the Spirit of God but they can give no other Account but that they are verily perswaded so or no other Answer but I am sure it is the Spirit of God and I am a good Man and an honest Man and I believe my self but â—ther Reasons or Evidence can they give none Thirdly This pretending of a private Spirit is against 2 Pet. 1.20 That no Prophecy of Scripture is of private Interpretation Answ. This Man beats altogether beside the Anvil whatever the Matter is but that he is blinded and confounded in himself he sets but up a Shadow and then fights with it for instead of proving the Spirit of God not to be a competent Rule Judge and Guide and Instructor in all Matters of Faith necessary to Salvation he goes about to prove a private Spirit a pretended
but the Quakers see before thee and beyond thee and comprehend thee and have received Eye-salve whereby their Eyes are opened to see thy Deceit the deceit of the Treacherous Generation with whom thou art joyned and thy Rejoynder and Vindication of Samuel Smith whom thou calls Minister of the Word at Cressage in the County of Salop thy Vindication of him and thy pleading for him will not bring much Honour to neither him nor thee and though thou and he both joyn hand in hand in deceit yet you shall not go Unpunished Thou tels the Reader Of wandering Planets who have left their Station who have stepped upon the Stage in the County of Salop who are come forth in this Apostatizing time All who have a good understanding may clearly see not only in the County of Salop but also in every Corner of the Land many wandering Stars that have no habitation in the Firmament of God's Power but are Tossed up and down and are as waters Unstable Tossed to and fro with every wind and the change of one Magistrate or head Governour will make them all change their form and as thou callst it Metamorphize them into another shape witness the many publique Teachers and Parish-masters and Tything Priests in the dayes of Edward the sixth Henry the 8. Queen Mary and Queen Elizabeth's dayes and now of late in the Bishops dayes when the Magistrates voted down the Bishops all or most of the Priests denyed their Fathers and their Institution and though they ordained them Ministers yet they still seek after their seats and Benefices and there thy Reader may see the Metamorphosed changlings and the Apostates and I do believe the County of Salâ—p abounds with such like and they have been on the Stage long and have acted such a part in every Generation as would please the present Authority or Power whether they were Papists or Protestants Prelatical or whatsoever but E. D. the Exit will come and when the Day appears the Beasts must go into their Dens again and thou confessest you live in Apostatizing times thou that art among the Apostates and in the Apostatizing Age and time would accuse others Nay thou must hold thy Peace and leave pleading for Apostates and for the Fashions of the Heathen which have got up since the dayes of the Apostacy which the whole scope of thy Book is full of nothing else and we cannot permit or allow them who are in the time of Apostacy and who are one with the Apostates which have wandered after the Beast since the Dayes of the Apostles I say we cannot allow such as you to be Judges for we are come out of the Apostacy and to before the Apostates and to before the wandering Stars and thou hast mist it much that tells the Quakers are they Edward I tell thee we are come to the everlasting Gospel again and have received it and it 's the Power of God which was to be and is to be preached again to the Nations after the Apostacy And as for the Book called Malice stript and whipt I have seen it and he Spirit of thy Mr. Smith whom thou callst Reverend thou hast elevated him as high as the Pope but E. D. what is the Reason thou reverencest him so much as thou dost to thy Reader And in the tenth page thou saist many Souls depend upon his Ministry and thou blessest God for the worâ— of God you enjoy in that Congregation Thou hast extoll'd him too highly or else he hath wronged thee grievously for thou saist thou hast profited much by him Thou mayest call to mind a certain time when he preached as you call it out of the 13 of Luke and when he spoke of the Parable of the mâ—n that planted a Vineyard and 3 Years looked for Fruit and Sam. Smith whom thou so adorest said he had sought for Fruit from your Congregation this 7 Years at Cressage and had found none he shall be an evidence for me against thee that thy glorying of him is Vain and it 's manifest he is one the Lord sent his Prophet to declare against who hath run and the Lord never sent him therefore he hath not profited you at Cressage at all lean Souls are they like to be that depend on him In the first Observation as thou callst it thou hast extracted the Heads of Samuel Smiths Book into five particulars which thou sayst we are ashamed to Answer or else know not what to say for our defences I say unto thee Boast not when thou purst on thy Armour but when putst it off for the Victory may be doutful THe first particular That the Nationall Ministers do maintain the true worship of God and the Doctrine of Christ according to the revealed will of God Answ. So saying and so doing were something the true Worship of God is in Spirit and in Truth which is not Lo here and lo there nor in outward Observations but in Life in Power and in Truth But to be brief both the Doctrine and Practice of the National Ministry in general is contrary to the Scripture which thou callst the Word of God as for Instance their sprinkling of Infants their teaching Men to Swear and calling it part of the Worship of God which is contrary to the Doctrine of Christ who said Swear not at all Their singing David's Psalms put into Meeter by Poets and Ballad-mongers singing them in their invented Tunes which pleaseth the carnal Mind their studied discourses which you call Sermons Invented from the strength of natural wit and not speaking as they are moved by the holy Ghost which the Ministers of Christ in all Ages did In these and many other things which I could instance they are out of the Doctrine of Christ And in a word your whole Worship differs both in matter and manner from the Saints Worship in the Primitive Times But seeing we have denyed the National Ministers divers Years ago and have laid down our Grounds and Reasons to the World wherein we have charged them that their practice is contrary to the Scripture unto which Grounds and Reasons not one Parish-master in England hath yet Vindicated themselves these six years And unto that Book called The Grounds and Reasons why we deny the Priests if the Reader be not satisfied concerning them there he may see how they err both in Doctrine and Practice contrary to Scriptures To the second and third Particulars That the present Government of the Nation is the Ordinance of God and that the Ministers bringing Offenders before the Magistrate is not Persecution As for the present Government of the Nation the lawfulness thereof is not to Question by us but many who are Governours and should be Executors of the Law have acted contrary to the Law being stirred 〈◊〉 by the Priests who bite with their Teeth if one put not into their Mouths and have caused the just to suffer by giving Judgment 〈◊〉 theâ— in their wills contrary to Law or
Cup of Fornication and have been inflamed therewith and all have partaken with her in her Whoredoms the Kings the Rulers the Noble Men the Captains and all both small and great who have drunk of her Cup have made War and hated the Free Woman and her Seed and all the Deceivers False Prophets and Seducers have traded with her Merchandize and have deceived the Nations with her Sorceries and they have the Sheeps Clothing the outside and are inwardly â—avened And in the ensuing Discourse thou wilt see great Professors whom many did judge had been come out of Mystery-Babylon many Years ago to wit the Churches of New-England who cryed up Reformation thou wilt see them making War for their Mother Mystery-Babylon for they are her Off-spring manifest in every Circumstance by their Visage and Countenance by their Doctrine and Discipline by their Practice and Fruit by their Spoil and Violence by their Cruelty and Blood-shed their Mother drunk the Blood of the Saints and so are they drinking of the same and the Beast roars in that Nation which rose out of the sea upon which the Whore rides and he is in great Majesty there as ever hath been since the Apostles Dayes and breathes out Threatnings that none must buy or sell who hath not his Mark in his Forehead or in his right Hand and who hath not some of his Names of Blasphemy they must be killed or tortured or banished robbed and spoiled censured with the Whore's Censures and then destroyed by the Beast who calls himself the Highest Power whenas his Authority is from the Dragon who was cast into the Earth and exerciseth his Rage and the Beast by his Authority would root out all and destroy all that keep the Testimony of Jesus and are obedient to his Will F. H. Reader In this Book F. H. gave a Relation of some of the great Sufferings of the Lord's People in New-England but the Relation being far short of what is since received which is intended to be shortly printed at large I have omitted the Account he gave in this Book referring the Reader for a fuller Satisfaction to the Book at large when it comes forth E. H. THE Popish Inquisition NEWLY ERECTED IN NEVV-ENGLAND THE Devil who was a Lyar and a Murderer from the Beginning who abode not in the Truth who spoak of himself and not from the Commandment of God or the Motion of Truth who is curst from the Presence of the Lord forever who hath alwayes made VVar since he went out of the Truth against God and all the Children of Truth and he is that Seed who hath made War with the Heir of all Things and against the Woman in all Generations which brought forth the Heir the Man-child and since he hath usurped Authority to wit the Serpent all the Earth hath been filled with Violence where he hath born Rule God did not appoint him to be Lord nor to be a Law-giver over man nor over any of God's Workmanship but he was to be ruled over by man who was made in the Image of God but when he came to usurp Authority of himself contrary to the Command of God he became curst and man also who became subject unto his usurped Authority which he should have ruled over by the higher Power in which he was made and had Power and Authority over all the contrary but being gone from the Power and joyned to him who moved without the Power they both became Enemies to the Power and so came to be cursed by the God of Power forever and then became at Enmity to the Power of the endless Life and fed upon Dust and that which is corruptible which shall have an End And now the Serpent and his Seed in the Transgression striveth and resisteth against him who is the higher Power with all their Strength and all the Weapons formed in the bottomless Pit by which Weapons he hath prevailed since the Lamb hath been slain and hath brought all the Creation into Bondage which hath been subject to his Authority which is out of the Truth and he doth not only make VVar against the Seed by whom Salvation is revealed to the Ends of the Earth in them that believe in him but also he labours to destroy God's VVorkmanship and to deface the Creatures which God made and formed by the VVord of his Power And thus all the Sons of Adam in the Transgression having shaken Hands with the Prince of Darkness do fulfil his unrighteous Decrees being gone from the Power of God although man sees that the Way of the Serpent is unequal yet he hath not Power to resist in that Nature and so all are in Captivity and Bondage and Slavery unto the noysome Lusts which the Devil instigateth and suggesteth into the Hearts of all the Children of Disobedience and so Fruits of the Flesh and of Darkness are brought forth to the Dishonour of the Lord of Heâ—ven and Earth and herein the Devil rejoyceth and the Seed of the Evil-doer taketh Delight and thereby his Strength encreases by drinking Iniquity as Water he is nourished up in the Region of the Shadow of Death and strives to bring all thither to take up their Habitation and to be Servants to the Prince of the Air who was a Murderer from the Beginning And so Adam when he had lost the Image of God and when the Heritage of God was laid waste in himself he begat a Son in his own Image who was Cain a Murderer who was of that wicked One that went out of Truth and he rose up in Envy and slew Abel the Just who was of the Seed And here 's the Off-spring and the Fruit of the Seed of the Serpent for as God is Love and all that are begotten by him live in Love and all the Creatures that he did make were to serve one another in Love in the Covenant of Life and Love in which they were made so the Devil lives in Envy and all his Children and leads into Discord and perverteth all the Creatures from that End for which God made them to serve his End whose Life stands in Discord Envy VVrath and Unrighteousness and whatsoever is evil and herein are the Children of God made manifest and their Works and the Children of the Devil and their Works they that love God dove the workmanship of God and cannot hate his Brother but hath Eternal Life abiding in hâ—m but he that is of the Devil destroyes God's wormanship kills his Brother a Man-slayer and hath not the Love of God dwelling in him And this Sâ—ed of the Serpent hath spread it self forth over all the Earth since the Transgression both amongst Jews and Gentiles Professors and prophane them that had the Law and them that were without the Law them that have had the Scripture and them that had no Scripture and in that which is called Christendom as well as they which are called Heâ—thens as well amongst the highest Professors as amongst the gâ—â—ssest
you there is few will believe you But thou sayest In the mean time we have a sufficient Authority to expect a Maintenance from the 1 Cor. 9.7 11. and Tim. 5.17 And we ask nothing but our own and them that will not give it us are under the breach of a Commandment which saist thou shalt not Steal and thou sayest I have spoken once for all though I could have said ten Times more and that thy Soul Tremâ—les to think under what sad Judgments and Delusions we are but thou shalt Pray that God would deliver us out of the SNARES OF SATAN The first of the Corinthians 9. Tim. 5.17 is no Authority for thee as to receive Hire or Wages I ask thee how long hast thou been at St. Ives so called And were they not all counted Christians before thou camest thither except thou hast sprinkled some few Infants since thou comest there or else what hath been thy Work there and the People of St. Ives may consider where thou hast gone about to War since thou camest thither that thou requires Cost and Charges Dost thâ—u think that getting into an old Mass-house in a Town and sit Dreâ—ming over a company of People thirty or forty Years is going a War-fare or to require Maintenance of them who own thee not for a Shepherd and to bring Scriptures and say He that feedeth a Flock may eat the 〈◊〉 of a Flock But doth this give Toleration for thee to clip or Shear them that are none of thy Sheep Dost not thou come here under the breach of a Command Thou shalt not Steal Dost not thou count the Quakers Deluded and Hereticks And will it not be delusion in thee to require or take maintenance of them who are none of thy Sheep and to pull Grapes off them that are none of thy Vineyard And thou hast spoke enough except it had been to better purpose and thou mayest Tremble indeed to think if thou dost but consider what Ignoraâ—â—e and Delusion thou art under for this is the Sun of all thy Doctrine The Letter is the Light the Writings are the Gospel the Writings are the Word and the Words written are the Way and the Letter is the standing Rule and concerning Christ the true Light that enlighteneth every man thou hast cryed with the Pharisees Away away with it for it is a deluding Light and that every man hath received a Measure of the Spirit is the falsest thing in the World These and the like Doctrines thou hast declared which I hope the People of St. Ives will take notice of and turn away from such blind Guides as thou art who art truly in Balaam's Way and in the Way and Steps and Practices of the false Prophets and false Apostles and such as gain-sayed the Truth and held it in Unrighteousness but the Day is made manifest that hath discovered thine and all your Deceit and Hypocrisie and will rent your Covering that you may appear as you are that all that fear the Lord may depart from you and thou must repent of thy evil Deeds and condemn thy false Doctrines before thou canst pray acceptably either for thy self or others for thou canst not be heard of the living God whilest this Broth of Abominable Things is in the Vessel in which the Lord hath no Pleasure John VVells seeing thou say'st thou dost understand Scriptures much better then us answer these Queries concerning the Scripture as follow I. WHat was the Jezabel that did begin to teach Rev. 2.20 and called her self a Prophetess II. What was the Witnesses slain that prophesied in Sackcloth and Ashes and who slew them Rev. 11.3 7. III. What was the Woman that fled into the Wilderness Rev. 12.6 What was the Wilderness she fled into whether an outward Wood yea or nay and what was the Time Times and half a Time that she was nourished from the Face of the Serpent Rev. 12.14 IV. What was the Beast the Dragon gave his Power to that made War with the Saints and killed them and had Power over all Kindreds Tongues and Nations Rev. 13.2.7 V. Were not the Tongues ye Orthodox Men which the Beast in the Dragon's Power had Power over and is not this since the Apostles Dayes VI. What is the Whore that sits upon the Beast that all Nations have drunk of her Cup of Fornication and what is that Fornication and what are the Kings of the Earth that have committed Fornication with her Rev. 17.1 2 3. VII What and where is that Babylon which must fall and what is the Bride that prepares her self for her Husband Rev. 18.2 Rev. 19.7 VIII What are all the Beast's Names Marks Horns Images and Crowns Rev. 13.1 Rev. 14.8 9 11. IX What are those Tongues that John the Divine calls Waters whereon the Whore sits whether or no they are not ye Orthodox Men yea or nay whose Tongue is your original Rev. 17.15 X. What are those Tongues John saith People must be redeemed from Rev. 5.9 and was not Pilate an Orthodox who set up an Inscription over Christ's Head in Letters of Hebrew Greek and Latin Luke 23.38 XI Was not all the Earth of one Language and Speech before Babel and a Naturals make a Divine Gen. 11.6 XII Are nâ—t Tythes Gleab-Lands Easter-Reckonings Midsummer Dues Churching of Women for Money Sprinckling Infants and marrying for Money Burying for Money preaching over the Dead for Money and Preaching by the Hour-Glass and making Ministers at Schools got up since the Dayes of the Apostles the Popes Cup and have not ye drunk dâ—wn all they Things XIII And is not all this persecuting and prisoning People about Worship Church Religion Ministry and Maintenance the Popes Cup and have ye not all drunk it and hath it not got up since the Apostles Dayes XIV All ye carnal weaponed Men and apostatized from the Apostles 〈◊〉 said we wrestle not with Flesh and Blood who said our Weapons are not carnal but spiritual and art not thou one of them that seek Gain from the Quarter and bears Rule by thy Means divines for Money and teacheth for filthy Lucre teach for Hire and for the Fleece which the Prophets and Apostles cryed Wo against Mic. 3. Jer. 5. Isa. 56. Ex. 34. XV. Art not thou one of them that serves not our Lord Jesus Christ but thy own Belly that if People put into thy Mouth give thee Tythes and Means and Gain and filthy Lucre thou wilt serve them if not thou wilt not is not this for thy Belly and not for Christ who said Freely ye have received freely give and they that did so waâ—â—â—d nothing though Christ sent them amongst VVolves Mat. 10.8 16. XVI What was the Field the Merchant-Man looked his Pearl in and where is it Mat. 13.45 46. XVII And where is the bottomless Pit whose Smoak hath darkened the Air and where is the Air Rev. 9.2 XVIII What are the Tongues the Gospel is to be preached to whether it be not to you Orthodox Men who call
it self and thou may'st as well count the rule of the Sons of God Heterodox and Heretical and the Apostles Position who said as many as are the Sons of God are led by it and Christ promised unto Believers the Spirit of Truth to lead them into all Truth and to bring things to their remembrance and to guide them in the Path of Righteousness what has Envy and Madness eaten all the good out of your Hearts yet the Scripture is not so excluded by us as thou Judgest though we say the Spirit may lead and direct with it or without it yet not contrary to it for the Spirit doth will and may take up what thing it pleaseth to manifest it self and its mind unto the Creature and who art thou and what art thou any thing but an Egyptian who wouldst limit it and tie it to Paper and Ink to words and Syllables sounded and written in diverse Tongues Languages and Characters they that appointed thee for a Minister never knew God's Work and we know that there are several Ministrations and several Operations yet the same God and the same Spirit who manifested it self and formeth and Ordaineth things according to its Heavenly will to represent its Heavenly mind to the Creature and that which Christ hath Ordained and Instituted to be Worshipped in waited in and his presence seen in and the Operation of the Spirit of Grace in the work of the Ministry which is for Conversion and Edification is dearly owned by us as that whereby we have found the Lord and his pure Presence through this or that thing and without and beyond all Creatures or visible Appearances and this is not accounted Idolatry by us as thou falsly say'st which God will Judge thee for in the day when he appears to take Vengeance upon his Enemies in flames of Fire and thou that talkes of trying the Spirit by the Letter knowest no more of God then a Horse but what thou knowest naturally the Jews had it and they tryed and Condemned him for a Blasphemer and the Apostles for breakers of the Law and makers of it void and so condemned the Lord of Life and the Spirit by which the Prophets and Apostles were led even as thou dost with us and I never heard of any Political order of Church Ordinance or Officers or Ordinances not of the most dark and Sottishest Merchants of Babylon that ever spoke or wrote yet there was sundry Gifts given and sundry Institutions in the Primitive times which were single things of things of a more Heavenly and Coelestial Nature which were to be made manifest He gave some gifts to be Prophets some Evangelists some Apostles some Pastors some Teachers but these were Ministerial for the Work and Service which he had appointed but this was all by one and the same Spirit but I never heard of any Political order of the Officers or Political Ordinances ordained in the Primitive Churches but it seems you have got such in New-England in the Church of Rome so called I have heard of the order of Benedict of Francis and Austin and the like and of several Ordinances Instituted by their Mother to perform but I never heard of any such as a Political order of Officers and Ordinances before and this may be called an Image indeed and nothing in the world but deceit and is no Heâ—rodoxy that ever such a Blind fellow as thou should put Pen to Paper who hast crept so into the Mudd and Dirt that gross Ignorance and Darkness is in all thy words But the least of the Children of Light will see thy Ignorance so that I need not say much Concerning the Magistrate they own none are lawful Magistrates who are not of their Way their non-acknowledgement of the Magistrate as now established in all Christian States is more then manifest Answ. If thy Aspersion were full proof no more need be said but the Judicious will not easily believe thee that there is a State of Magistracy is granted by us and that a true Magistrate that Rules well and Rules in the Power of God and is a Terror to evil-doers and a Praise to them that do well and are as nursing Fathers who preserve mens Persons and Estates from devourers as a Father preserves a Child from injury these are Ordained of God and such we are subject unto for the Lord's sake and for Conscience sake and to every Ordinance of man which is consistent with the Honour of God and a pure Conscience but I believe you have few of them in New-England who are rather like Bears and Lyons tearing and rending their Estates and rend and Tear their Flesh and gnaw it like evening Wolves that the Prophet speaks of and wouldst thou have this counted as God's Authority and we tell thee and all the World in singleness of Heart and unfeignedness that our way is Christ the way to the Father the Truth and the Life the Power of God and the Wisdom of God and all that Rule not in his Power Rule in the Devil's Power in the Dragon's Power in the Beast's power who made War with the Lamb and killed the Saints and compelled them to Worship and herein they that Rule in the Power of God and for God are manifest and them that rule in the Dragon and Beast's power for they that Rule in the Power of God answer God's witness in every man and reach to that by his Act of Justice in the Transgressor and he restraineth the Evil-doer within and limiteth that and preserves the Creature as much as in him lies from harm and his Estate from destruction and also saveth the Innocent Meck and Harmless from the violence and from beating and fighting and from them that would Destroy their Persons and Estates and herein the Magistrate that Rules in the Dragon's Power and in the Beast's power he is also made manifest he reacheth not God's witness by his Governing he lets the Transgressor live and is not a Terror to evil Works and workers but a Terrour to them that do well exercise a pure Conscience towards God and man and it may be cannot go into the House of Rimmon neither can bow to Baal nor be subject to that which another may set up in his will and in his Pride then he afflicts the Body the Creature and mars God's workmanship and defaces it and doth Violence to the Creature and rends away his outward substance and saith for his Authority It was so ordered at our General Court I must tell the the false Church the Mother of Harlots has ridden long upon the Scarlet-coloured Beast which has been made drunk with the Blood of the Saints whose Garments have been red with Scarlet colour and I know no where in any Christian State so called where he reigns in more Power then in New-England and you ride upon the Beast which hath risen out of the Sea which is amongst you and the Beast carries you your Church on his back bears it
not believing but Hereticks turbulent Hereticks we believe belong unto him to punish and who must be Judge of turbulent Hereticks is not an Heretick an Unbeliever and if the Magistrate ought not to punish an Unbeliever then not a Heretick for a Heretick is an Unbeliever and they who are in the Power Authority of God can deny such a one and judge him out by the Power of God there is his Punishment according to that which thou callst Gospel-institution and beyond that or any further Act upon such a one we do not read of in all that which is call'd the New Testament neither that Christ his Apostles or any of the true Churches or Officers or Believers ever commanded or commended or exhorted any to stretch forth their Hand against the Person of any who were Hereticks really so and Blasphemers really so and therefore see there â—s neither Command Precept nor Example doest not thou wretchedly err in pressing on them which thou callest Believers to act such wretched Acts of Cruelty as you have done and thou vindicaâ—est them in tast â—ir Duty It 's true we read of the Beast and of the Dragon whâ— mâ—de Wâ—r against the Saints and killed them and of Mystery Bâ—bylon and of Sodom and Egypt where Christ was slain and the Witnesses slain now if thou wilt take these for Proofs and for a Ground thou mâ—yest and so all thy twisting and twining and vain Arguments fall to the Ground and doth not the Church of Rome account all you as Hereticks and is not their Judgement that they ought to punish you wiâ—h corporal Punishment and is not this your Judgement also page 78. that the Magistrate ought to proceed gradually That is to inflict Punishment by Degrees with lingring Tortures like their Inquisitions and wherein doth thy Doctrine differ from theirs in this take them to thee and thy Doctrine for thou art but a Stem sprung out of the same Root and actest from the same Principle and yet I tell thee and all the World I am not pleading for any matter of Fact or for Breakers of the Law that is righteous for the Law is good if a Man use it lawfully it is against Murderers Man-stealers and Stealers of the Creatures for Idolaters and Defrauders and Cheaters and every Act or Fact deserves punishment suitable to the Transgression now had it not been more reasonably done of thee to have produced the Fact of the Quakers in New-England which hath deserved all these bâ—rbarous Tortures then to declare them and publish them as Offenders in Matters of Fact and have none to lay to their charge and I challenge thee and the rest of thy Adherents to produce some matters of fact which the Quakers have done which is contrary to any righteous Law of God or else own your Condemnation and repent and thou must not think that this poor Tract of thine which is full of Deceit and Confusion Error Blasphemy and Madness though thou publish it by the Appointment of the General Court that it will cover your Wickedness or hide you from being discovered to moderate People neither will shelter you in the Day of the Lord. And thou say'st It concerneth New-England alwayes to remember that originally they are a Plantation Religious the Profession of Purity of Doctrine Worship and Discipline is written upon your Fore-heads that after New-England hath now shined Twenty Years should now go out in the Snuff of Moralianism Answ. There was something amongst some of you but you fled the Cross as I told you before and so that Spirit which persecuted you in the Bishops Time got up in your selves and that which once you had while you were under Affliction here you have lost not only the Pâ—wer of Godliness but the Form thereof and also of sound Words and now as to matter of Religion it is rather become a Place of Ostridges Owles and Satyrs and for Purity of Doctrine Worship and Discipline written in your Fore-heads if it must be tried by your Rule and if it be the same Twenty Years that it is now I have not heard more of Unsoundness in Doctrine Worship and Discipline which I have read on in many Ages but especially in the Scripture and truly your shining now is turned into Blackness and your Sun is set and your day is darkness and your Light is gone out as the Snuff of a Candle because this man boasts of their Doctrine Worship and Discipline take a few things out of many and behold them in the Light of the Lord and compare them with the Scripture and so I leave them to thy Judgment 1. First speaking of the Trinity he saith God is a distinct Subsistance from the Son and the Spirit and that the Son is distinct Subsistance from the Father and the Spirit in the nineth Page and because it is said The Father shall give you another Comforter this another he saith is intelligible of the Essence so then the Son is a distinct Subsistance and Essence from the Father and the Spirit is a distinct Subsistance and Essence from the Father and the Son so here are three distinct Essences 2. And that the Spirit of God without the Letter is no Spirit that which obligeth a Man to obey a Command of God is one Power and that which strengthens him and enables him to obey is aâ—othâ—r Power page 12. and that Christs Words in Joh. 17.22 give an uncertain Sound which are these That they may be one as we are one 3. That Scripture is a perfect Rule of Life but not without Consequences 4. That Thomas and Mary are no where mentioned in Scripture neither are commanded Obedience nor forbidden Disobedience contrary to Joh. 20.16 17.27 5. That that Light which teacheth a Man there is a God and to worship God and that Parents are to be honoured and that a Man shall not lye nor steal and that which discovers the Creator his Eternity and Omnipotency is to be construed in Opposition to spiritual Light and contra-distinct to the Light of the Spirit pag. 16. 6. That the Light which is in every Man hath much miscarried whilest that it is mannaged by the reigning Power of Darkness pag. 17. 7. That that which lets a Man see that he should not do to others what he would not have others do unto him and shews a Man ought not to steal nor to lye and that which discovers Eternity and Omâ—ipotency this iâ—deed saith he is Darkness it is worse then gross Darkness pag. 18. 8. Christ enlightens no Man wâ—th the Light of Life but them that are so and so qualified 9. That the Gospel is a Constitution or Effect tempered of the Grace of God and the Blood of Christ. 10. That the visible Political Churches Political Officers Political Worship and Administrations are Gospel-Institutions or appointed by Christ pag. 41. 11. That there is Policy in Heaven pag. 42. 12. Pastors and Teachers are Political Church-Officers 13. That the Lord's Supper is
Midsummer dues Mortuaries Money for Churching of Women Marriages nor for the Burials of the dead nor Money for funeral Sermons neither did they preach over the dead All these and abundance more of such like invented things was never practised nor found amongst the Churches before the Apostacy which things considered may cause R.I. to blush that ever he durst be so impudent as to say they differ not neither in the whole nor in part in matter nor in manner from the Primitive Churches and until such Time as R. I. and his Brethren contenders can clear themselves of these things let them not think any whose Eyes God hath opened can receive them for a Church of Christ nay most of the parish Ministers hold up those practices which the Papists did deny as money for Marriages and Burials Baptism the Sacrament or the Ground in which the dead were buried this was reprehended and condemned by the Council of Trent in the height of all popery 1547. Saith R. I. It seems these Tythes are a great matter to many or rather a great trouble for them to pay the Ministers though Abraham paid Tythes of all to Melchizedeck before the Law and this proves E. D. his Argument as saith R. I. That it is contrary to the Light and Law of God to with-hold them from the Ministers because they were given by Abraham before the Law Answ. Yea it is great matter with many to pay Tythes and a great trouble too because he that confesseth Christ is come in Flesh cannot uphold the shadows of the first Covenant which belonged to a changable Priesthood having no other Portion among their Brethren which was given unto them for the Service which they performed unto the Lord and likewise were a Twelfth Tribe and near a Twelfth Part of the People and now the Law being changed and the Priesthood changed and the Covenant ended and the Ordinance thereof abolished that such a Company of covetous Men as the Parochial Priests generally are that they should claim the Tythes that belonged to this Priesthood and not to do the Work that they did and yet have a Portion among their Brethren in this Land neither are they the Three Hundredth Part of the People that such a Company I say as these should claim the Tenth Part of all the Encrease in the Land this is a great matter and a thing not consistant with the Law of God neither Equity or Reason And it is but a poor and feeble Argument neither of E. D. or R. I. that because Abram gave the Tenth part of the Spoil to Melchizedeck before the Law that therefore it must be a binding thing to all Generations to pay the tenth part as due to such as are neither after that order of Aaron neither after the Order of Melâ—hizedeck Abram gave the tenth and that but once and freely and Melchizedeck brought forth Bread and Wine to Abram's Army and we may as justly and upon as good Ground demand Bread and Wine for our whole Families of the Priests as the Priests can demand the tenth part of our Substance from Abram's gift to Melchizedeck and say It is against the Law of God Nature and reason as E. D. and R. I. doth conclude by their feeble Arguments which they make upon Abram's giving the tenth's for if the Example of the one be binding then â—he example of the other is also as binding Abram gave the Tenth part of â—he Spoil and that but once and Melchizedeck demanded none then why do â—he Priests who are Usurpers claim it every Year and where they cannot get it freely as few will give it them who Witness Christ come in the Flesh then they take it by Force and constraint or would Melchizedeck have pleaded with Abram as this ignorant R. I. doth that the Spoil was none of his own as he saith Tythes are no Man's own or as I said before to E. D. would Melchizedeck have taken away Abram's Oxen Cowes or Horâ—â— Sheep or Camels if he had not given him the tenth part Or did any of the Ministers of Christ require or demand force or constrain any Maintenance whatsoever from any which this R. I. saith They differ nothing from neither in whole nor in part in matter or manner neither in Practice but saith R.I. This is nothing to the purpose unless it could be proved that the Apostles might have had Tythes which they could not being Persecuted Yet it is something to the purpose if you take them for an Example as you say you do and though it be granted the Apostles were Persecuted from place to place and sometimes went from place to place when they were not Perâ—ecuted which R. I. would have Condemned for runnagates if he had lived in that time But without all Controversie if it be a duty now to pay Tythes unto the Ministers of the Gospel then it was a duty in the Apostles time that though the Rulers were Persecutors yet the Apostles would have minded them whom they had begotten into the Faith of their duty but we find no mention neither by Commandment Reproof or Exhortation unto any of the Churches about any such thing and so thy Argument R. I. is foolish and Frivolous for it may be easily proved that Tythes were never demanded not for 7 or 8 hundred Years after the Ascension of Christ. And R. I. saith The Apostles took whatsoever was given them and thâ—â— satisfies the Ministers Conscience to take Tythes which the Magistrates give them so they may of such Maintenance live of the Gospel Answ. If the Apostles took nothing but what was given them then this shames your forcing and also you seek it of them who receive you not which manifests you are out of the Apostles example and though it satisfies your Consciences to take Tythes which thou sai'st the Magistrates give you both of them that own you and them that own you not yet I believe it would not have satisfied the Apostles of Christ if any Magistrates would have sent them back to the Jews who Believed not or the Gentiles who received them not this they would not accounted as a free Gift though this divers hundred Years many Rulers have Drunk of the Whore's cup and have given their Authority to the Beast and have forced and compelled to a Worship and also to give to the Whore's Merchants yet this is but bad proof that they ought to have done so and the Apostles never counted this living of the Gospel to live of Tythes forced Maintenance which none of the Ministers did receive or ever will And so for shame call in thy Ignis Fatuus again in which thou hast published so many Lyes among which is one which will stand as a record against thee viz. That ye differ not in Doctrine and Practice matter and manner neither in whole nor in part from the Apostles and Primitive Saints And this is another Lye that Timothy and Titus was settled in a parochial-like way
in their Quarters Nay the Parochial Quarters is all People Old and Young Believers and Unbelievers between such a Water and such a Wall or bewixt such a Hedge and such a Diâ—â—h And because thou saidst I had not named the Apostate that builded your Mass houses I shall take away the occasion of thy Clamouring this and tell thee who invented your Parishes and your Parochial way viz. The Pope Dyonâ—sius which it may be thou wilt calculate among the Bead-row of Saints for his great devotion as thou saidst Ambrose did with Seneca The next Thing that R. I. contends against is no less Thing then the Doctrine of Christ and yet it may be he reckons himself as one of his Ministers and yet he raises Arguments strongly against the Doctrine of Christ viz. Be not ye called Masters but it may thou wilt say as one of thy Generation said lately of some of the Doctrine of Christ that these Words give an uncertain Sound and therefore they must have an Exposition and it is this That Christ condemneth Ambition and Superiority over our Brother's Religion and Faith Answ. Then all your parochial Ministers by thy own Exposition fall under Condemnation for this is a Point of our Faith that if we be moved of the Lord and by his Spirit to come into your Assemblies to speak the Word of Truth that we ought to speak it and you ambitiously would arrogate unto your selves Superiority over our Faith and Religion like as we believe that we ought not to give flattering Titles to Men neither to give Maintenance unto them of whom we are perswaded and do believe are no Ministers of Christ And in these and many more Things that pertain to Religion Faith and Godliness you ambitiously and proudly have arrogated unto your selves Superiority over Religion Faith and Consciences Therefore repent of it and see you do so no more lest you fall into Condemnation And as for calling any man Master who is our Master we own and it is the Practice of such as are Servants but to call him Master who is not our Master is to speak an Untruth or else to give flattering Titles and we have not so learned Christ but enough of this hath been spoken by divers so that I shall pass on and touch a Word about Complements and doffing off Hats and bowing of Knees a Thing that R. I. and his Brethren so dearly love that they are loath to part with it and these things we believe we ought not to do and although R. I. doth confess that none ought to usurp Authority or Superiority over his Brother's Faith yet notwithstanding he hath forgotten his own Exposition in a Moment and falls a wrangling about Hats and Caps Knees and Complements which we cannot do for Conscience sake And saith R. I. If the Quakers will not put off their Hats because it is a Custom or bow the Knee because they are abused they must not eat or drinâ— because it is abused by Gluttons and Drunkards Answ. A pitiful lame Argument we eat not nor drink not because it is a Custom nor wear Apparel but because of their Service and of Necessity and yet I would have R. I. know that we have learned to distinguish betwixt a thing that may be customary and good in it self and a Custom which is vain and the Saints did not salute one another because it was a Custom but because their Hearts were joyned to one another in Love and in Truth but for doffing the Hat and bowing the Knee to a Fellow with a Feather or a Woman with a Fan or a Gold Ring or poudered Hair this is a vain Custom and the Antiquity of a thing doth not prove the Goodness of it neither Customariness the Worth of any thing not because a Multitude of Roysters and Ruffins do practise such things that therefore they are lawful for we know broad is the Way that leads to Destruction and many there that enter in and we have learned not to follow a Multitude to do evil though R. I. be untaught But saith R. I. When Salutations are observed with a good Decorum they are like a Hand-dial which shews what Order the Wheels observe within and the Abuse of any Thing doth not abolish the Use thereof Answ. Now what R.I. doth count a good Decorum Reader thou may'st judge by what he hath before pleaded for for doffing off Hats bowing the Knee and saying Your Servant Sir or if it please your Highness or if it like your Excellency with such feigned Practices and this is the Decorum which is counted civil and so Reader thou may'st observe how the Wheels run within It so came to pass that I was amongst a Company of these that would be called Ministers of the Gospel in Number no less then ten and in the Room I was when they all came in and they courted and bowed and scraped with their Feet with their Hats to the Ground many of them one to another and reeling up and down the House in this Manner and one striving to outstrip another in Complements and though they had all Intentions to sit down yet they strave among themselves who should be last and in this Posture they continued half an Hour together at the which I admired and indeed was ashamed that men who professed Godliness should be found in such Transgression and it is like R. I. will count these Civil Salutations with a good Decorum and now Reader observe again how the Wheels went within and what they did drive after but to gratifie one another in Deceit with these kind of Decorums like Stage-players and Fidlers and thou errest not knowing the Scriptures nor the Power of God when that which was commanded by God came to be abused they came utterly to be abolished as the brazen Serpent came to be idolized it was taken away though there was no Command for so doing but they might have pleaded the former against them likewise the Temple commanded to be built by God and was to have continued forever yet being abused and made an Idol of it was utterly abolished and was left unto them desolate and the Glory of God did not appear in it as before and because of the Iniquity of such a Company of Priests Sion became as a plowed Field and Jerusalem became Heaps and the daily Sacrifices ceased and not one Stone left upon another of the Temple that was not thrown down And so for thee or any other to plead Custom or Antiquity and Examples which were neither commanded nor commended as to be standing and a binding Rule to all Generations demonstrates thy great Ignorance and Blindness and manifests thee to be one who pleases the Spirit of the World in whom the Love of God dwells not The next thing that R. I. falsly accuseth and impudently affirmeth against the Quakers is That they deny honour to Superiours and to them to whom it is due and so blaspheme the Name of God and his
then how is it that R. I. would straiten or lessen the effusion thereof under the Gospel for there were Daughters that prophesied under the Law and many Sons that spoke by the Spirit of God but now all must be confined to the Letter and your Pastors now have far less of the Spirit if any at all who speak from the Strength of natural Parts and deny the unerring Spirit and so shut up the Kingdom of Heaven against Men. And R. I. is so grieved at this infallible Spirit or this Spirit of Prophecy that he cannot endure that a Daughter should prophesie or speak by the Spirit of God in the Assembly of the Saints and the main stress of his or their Argument is 1 Cor. 14.34 Let your Women keep Silence in the Church for it is not permitted for them to speak and if any Woman speaks in the Church it contradicts the Spirit and though they have a Gift they ought not to improve it in a disorderly Way Aosw That which hath been said in this particular unto E. D. is sufficient to them whose Eyes God hath opened but this R. I is one of the Evil Beasts that the Apostle speaks of whose Mouth must be stopt And so I further say that the Apostle writ to the Church of Corinth which were Believers which few will deny but that it consisted both of Men and Women and he expresly saith Ye may all prophesie one by one and furthermore if a Woman prophesie with her Head uncovered dishonoureth her Head so that it is manifest that there were Women did prophesie and also laboured in the Gospel but saith R. I. That was but in a private Way or amongst some few this had been lawful or orderly in R. I. his account and if she might speak to two or three or twice two or three it may be as there is in many houses is not this called a Church and doth not Christ say Where two or three are gathered together in my Name I will be in the midst of them Moreover was not that a Church which was in Aquilla and Priscilla's House 1 Cor. 16.19 and was not Priscilla a Daughter that did prophesie What must Priscilla go out of her House in which was the Church if she had any thing to speak by the Spirit was it lawful to speak without doors and not in the House and if she might speak in her House then she spoke in the Church and R. I. would have said she contradicted the Spirit of God and is not Christ one in the Male and in the Female and is not male and female both one in Christ Jesus is Christ's Power the Spirit 's Authority any whit less efficacious or powerful when he speaks in the female or is it the Sex only that addeth or diminisheth from the authority of the Spirit thou ignorant man who art void of the Knowledge of God was not Mary a Woman and did not she preach Christ's Resurrection to the Disciples and were not they the church but this it is like will not satisfie R. I. his unreasonable mind who doth not believe that a woman may prophesie or speak in the church for this would contradict Paul's saying not at all I grant Paul's words to be true this was spoke occasionally to one church concerning them that were unlearn'd untaught of the Spirit that usurped Authority over the man and such as were disorderly whose Spirit was not subject to the Prophet and what must this be a binding Example as to quench the Spirit and limit the Lord from Generation to Generation as to bind or limit them who are in subjection to their Husband and who usurped not Authority for it is one thing to have Authority and another thing to usurp Authority now they that are come to feel the Power of God and thereby be moved to speak the Power gives her Authority to speak but she that is not in the Power neither doth feel the Motion of the Spirit such a one Usurps Authority and is unlearned and such and they only were prohibited by Paul and no other for if it had been extended unto all then the Women before mentioned had been Transgressors and likewise further for the satisfaction of all Anna a Prophetess the Daughter of Phanuel of the Tribe of 〈…〉 coming into the Temple gave thanks unto the Lord and spake of Christ unto all them that looked for Redemption in Jerusalem and that was in a publick Place and in a publick Congregation Luke 2.36 37 38. And last of all if E. D. and R. I. will not confess that the Meeting near Cond in which the Women spake was a Church which F. H. justifies then E. D. and R. I. have lost their Cause and wrangled about nothing and the thing proved against them both viz. That a Woman declaring speaking or prophesying by the Spirit of the Lord and in the Authority of God is a lawful and a commendable and a justifiable Act in the Sight of God and all the Children of Light and therefore cease your foolish clamour and let no such ignorant stuff come in Print again lest your Folly be more and more made manifest and the Stone fall upon you which will grind you to Powder The next thing which R. I. quarrels about is a Lye which Ed. Dod asserted that some of the Quakers should say they were equal with God unto which F. H. replied and said he that hath the Spirit of God is in that which is equal and he that is joyned to the Lord is one Spirit there is Unity and that Unity stands in Equality and these Expressions saith R. I. offer Violence to God and his Glory Answ. This R. I. is so in Love with the Spirit of Error for he hath denyed the infallible Spirit and is in such Love with an unequal Spirit that he cannot endure to hear that any should be joyned to the Lord in an equal Spirit and so quarrels with plain Scripture and saith it doth Violence to the Majesty of God the Spirit of the Father and the Spirit of Truth is an equal Spirit and they that are led by it and are in it are in that which is Equal and so are joyned to the Lord and are nearly related to him but that I said or any other that the Creature is Equal to the Creator in Power or in Glory is false and a Lye and let E. D. and R. I. know that Lyars are for the Lake R I. saith Chrâ—st is glorified in 〈◊〉 human Nature and human Nature and Flesh may be understood â—f the regenerate Part and human Nature may be understood both of Soul and Body and this may confute F. H. that doth contend against human Nature and goes and tells another lye as every pâ—ge is filled with some and saith F. H. saith Christ hath no real Body Answ. This man speaks out of thick Darkness and intrudes into those things he hath not seen being vainly puft up in his fleshly mind
Man and all Men and every Church is fallible and subject to Error and with these and the like Words R.E. was extreamly troubled as he saith and knew not how to answer without shuffing Answ. The true Christian Religion stands not only in Name nor in Words nor in conforming or Transforming to this or that outward Practice which the Disciples of Christ were exercised in which divers in the latter days in their old corrupt minds not having their Hearts renewed have taken on the outside and have got the Form and want the Life and the Power and are not partakers of the Divine Nature of Christ and such a bare Profession as this has no certainty nor infallibility in it neither the assurance but that they may be mistaken and may be subject to Err as well as Turks or Jews or any other but the true Christians Religion indeed whom Christ will own as true Worshippers of him stands in Power in Life and in being obedient unto his living commands and precepts which he giveth forth unto his Disciples and manifesteth by his Spirit his Sheep hear his Voice and know it from the Voice of a stranger And he giveth the Knowledge of his will to all that believe in the measure of his eternal Spirit which he hath given every one a Measure of to profit withal and by it to be guided into all Truth out of all Error and this Spirit is infallible and gives certain assurance to all that receive it that they are in that way which is acceptable to God and they feel Comfort unto their Souls coming daily from the presence of Christ who is the Rock of Ages and the sure Foundation upon which his holy Church is founded which is the Pillar and Ground of Truth and they that are living Members are not Grounded upon a fallible certainty or upon a conâ—ectural supposition or a vain hope which is without bottom but upon that which is sure and stedfast lasting everlasting and all men in the unregenerate Estate are Lyars but they that are Born from above are of the Truth and Lye not and are not subject to mistakes because the Seed remains in them and walk in the pure Religion which keeps unspoted of the World and they that have no other Ground for their Religion but only without them and from the report of others are short of the true Foundation for that may be Truth in it self indeed which is not true to another nor he truly partakes of it and here is all the supposing conjectures and mistakes and fallible certainties which it seems R. E. and his lay Gentlemen too when the Axe is laid to the Root of the Tree indeed and notwithstanding all the laying claim to infallibility and certainty its but grounded upon a report without and the Traditions of men from Generation to Generation For them that believe but only because of the true report without and cometh not to Witness the thing assured in their own Hearts by the Spirit of the Lord these will not be long of that Faith 't is true many did believe because of the Apostles â—eclaration and report but at last came to feel the Witness of God in their own Hearts testifying the same in somuch that they could say and truly too though we have believed through your Words at the first yet now we have heard him our selves that which giveth perfect assurance which admits of no doubts nor fallibleness for such evidence all true Members of Christ's Church have in themselves which carries divine Authority and satisfaction in it to every particular Believer and so I say with P. E. in this it seems unreasonable to perswade any to receive this or that for a Truth when they that so perswade are uncertain in themselves neither dare say their Judgment is infallible which is that old Protestant Principle indeed and also the Principle of many Sects who differ from the pretended Catholick Church of Rome who Persecuted one another about outward things even as the Heathen about their Idols and yet will needs sit as Judge in Mens Consciences with their fallible Spirit though I speak not of every individual Person neither can I justifie the Roman Catholick Church so called who lays claim to infallibility and whatsoever they Judge to be Heresie must be reckoned as such though never so manfiest a Truth and to place infallibility in men that may Err and have erred from the Spirit I like not neither for this is to give that to men that belongs to God and to make the Judgment of fallible men above the Judgment of the infâ—llible Spirit of God and this I look to be great Ambition and Pride in any to lay claim to the greatest things as infallibility and certainty of assurance and the most free of Error and yet fall the shortest of it of any as hath been made appear by many Learned and Grave Men of former Ages and also if a necessity were might be made appear that the Church of Rome who saith she cannot err have been as uncertain both in their Doctrine and Worship as any yea more one Pope contradicting and throwing down that which another did establish and one Council Decreeing and another disanulling as I could easily make appear but that I would not be Tedious to the Reader in things that have been so manifest neither do I desire to wade out into diversity of matters in so short a Discourse But that which R. E. and his Catholick instructer calleth late wild and loosâ— Opinions that men of different Faiths may be saved and this countenanceth schism and breeds Rebellion as it is said 't is true Faith is but one which is saving and there is no difference in that for the difference is among Men where that is wanting and only have words and Name of Faith and want the Life and Power Neither am I so narrow Spirited as R. E. and his Catholick as to exclude all out of the Faith who may differ in their perswasions in some Circumstantial things if yet they hold Christ the Head and what makes R. E. so virilent as to judge all in Errour and to be out of the true Faith seeing the Protestants and all sorts of separates profess Justification and Salvation only through Faith in Christ Jesus as well as the Church of Rome and it were unreasonably judged in me if I should conclude a man to be no man because he is not so tall as another but I see R E. and his Catholick would have all Shoes made by their Last though they will not fit every mans Feet Faith is the gift of God there are divers Decrees and measures accoding to the mind and good pleasure of the giver so that he that hath received any measure or degree must not be excluded as having no Faith though he attain not to that degree that some do enjoy and the Apostle's Doctrine was That 〈◊〉 one should be perswaded in his own mind and if
before-mentioned and see if thou canst receive them because the Church of Rome saith they are true and must not be questioned for if thou do thou art like to come under a hard censure by the verdict of R. E. and his Catholick Church first to be reckoned as an Unbeliever secondly to be a Hater of God and thirdly in not believing these Miracles or whatsoever else shall be declared unto thee by the said Church or else thou comest under no less Penalty then Eternal Damnation as R. E. saith in the 80th page of his Epistle but it is a small thing to be judged by man and especially such a man who hath gadded abroad and changed his way so oft so that he hath forgotten the true Path of Righteousness to walk in or else never knew it and hath turned and wheeled about and now at last doth as the poor Indian doth with his Deer-skin hangs it upon one Shoulder and so upon the other shoulder to shelter him from the Wind and Tempest that comes of that side But the day is dawned and mens Spirits are discovered beyond their Words and all the turnings and wheelings of things upside down is but as the Potter's Clay for God measures every man not by his Words but by his Heart and Spirit and Works and will judge every one in Righteousness according to their deeds And R. E. goes on as confident that his Arguments and Reasons laid down have prevailed and almost takes its for granted that it must needs be evident to all that the Roman Church is the true Church and saith He knows but one single Point between the Catholicks and them that stand divided from them and that is saith he That we follow a several Rule to Guide and Judge in the great affairs of Faith for all sides are bound to believe all Truth sufficiently propounded to them to be revealed of God and therefore if the presence of Christ in the Sacrament Purgatory Worshipping of Images Invocation of Saints and Prayer to the Dead and for the Dead If these or any other Point of Faith be sufficiently propounded by denying them God's Veracity is denyed and God thereby made a Lyar. The difference stands betwixt you and them that are divided from you in more particulars then thou art aware of or ever wilt be able sufficiently to propound them to be revealed of God though it is true some are divided from you in Circumstantials and Ceremonies and some others in some points of Faith and Worship yet some deny you in the very ground though 't is true the different Rule by which each party are directed is a great and a main thing Thou sayest This Cathâ—lick Church is the Rule but I say and am not alone that Christ is the Way to the Father and the Way to the Kingdom and the Rule and Means by which his Church is Governed and he is the Law giver and the Judge and all Judgment is committed to the Son and it is he alone that propounds Truth sufficiently and they that are in him are new Creatures and that which is the New-Creature Rule Guide and Judge is the Rule Guide and Judge of the Church of God and Christ is the Author of Faith and it is nothing that avails any thing with God but the New-Creature and as many as walk according to this Rule Peace is to them Gal. 3.16 And Christ hath not left his People without a Guide for he said Lo I am with you to the End of the World so as to commit the guidance thereof to fallible men who may assume Authority without his Power and to fasten those things upon God as to be revealed from him when the Lord hath spoken nothing and we are so far from looking that the main grounds that thou lâ—yest down to prove your Church to be this Rule Guide the many Doctrines propounded by you are not sufficiently propounded to be revealed of God but rather they are the Imaginations of your own Brain and things packt up since the Apostles dayes by different Popes and different Mutations and Alterations in your Church â—or filthy Lucres sake and so to deny them is not to deny God's Veracity neither to make God a Lyar as thou falsely sayest but thou and you are the Lyars as to propound those things to be revealed from God and to be received by all under pain of Damnation when God hath revealed no such thing but the contrary and so thy own Words at last shall turn to be thy burden because thou sayest the Lord saith and hath revealed and sufficiently proposed the real presence of Christ in your Sacrament of the Altar as a divine Revelation Worshipping of Images Prayer to the dead and for the dead and all â—hese foolish Imaginations which you have brought in and introduced and thrust upon People by force and these are sufficiently propounded as thou sayest as divine Revelations and the Father Son and Holy Ghost or the incarnation of Christ Silence deceit and for shame blush so to say the Prophets who spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost and Prophesied of things to come they declared of the Father Son and Holy Ghost all and prophesied long before that a Virgin should bring forth a Son whose Name should be called Emanuel God with us and the Government should be upon his Shoulders This the Pope hath usurped and you put it upon his Shoulders but your invented Doctrines aforesaid are meerly the Imaginations of your own Brain which neither the Prophets nor Apostles bore Witness unto but against And therefore it is thy and your great Presumption to make God Christ and Apostles the Foundation of all this Rubbish Straw and Stubble which thou would'st put off as divine Revelation and as sufficiently proposed as the doctrine of Christ and his Apostles was nay blush for shame they brought in the Prophets for the Peoples sake to prove that they had testified of the same before and had declared the coming of the Just One besides they commended themselves to the Witness of God in every man's Conscience and upon waiting upon the Lord and in the measure of his Spirit they found the things even so and by searching the Scriptures as the Bereans did found the things even so as had been declared of but upon due consideration we find not these foresaid doctrines so propounded as to have the Testimony of the Prophets and Apostles neither doth your Doctrine and Worship answer the Witness of God in every mans Conscience and so to deny you is not to make God a Lyar but God true the Prophets and Apostles and the Witness of God true and you Lyâ—rs who contradict them and their Testimony and the Power of God and would assume it to your selves though you be erred from the Spirit and would put all under the Name of Infallibility and by such Heavenly Arguments as R. E. calls them to wit the Miracles aforesaid by which you have deceived