of false Prophets and saith the tryal of the spirit is the Word of God Rep. By the Word of God thou art tryed who are in the conceivings Again thou speakest of the High-Priests and Pharisees that councelled against Christ to put him to Death Rep. So do you now where he is made manifest shevving your selvet to be in the same generation Pr. It waas this spirrit also that stirred up Demetrius the Silver-smith with the rest of the Crafts-men against St. Paul and his companions because his Profit and gain which he got by making silver shrines for Diana was in danger to be lost pag. 116. Rep. The same spirit novv being made manifest it cryes against your Trades-men and Crafts-men and your Diana and your two great Schools where you learn your trade which are puddles of darkness and the same spirit being stirred up to cry against your profession it sets you in an uproar novv as in the Synagogues vve do vvitness Pr. And the earth opened her mouth and swallowed Corah and all his Company a fair warning for Lay-persons pag. 86. Rep. The judgement did not come upon Corah because they vvas Lay-persons but it vvas for gain-saying the truth as thou doest For many of them that gave forth the Scripture vvas plain men Paul a Tenâ—-mâ—ker and most of the Apostles Fishermen Moses a keeper of Sheep thou mayest call these Lay-men vvhich gave forth the Scripture vvho make a trade of their vvords And here thou hast shevved that thou hast not the knovvledge and understanding vvhich the Apostles had vvhich thou confessedst thou hadst not tberefore thou art as a bruit beast and there I leave thee to be condemned vvith the light vvhich thou callest Heresie The Mittimus answered by which R. H was sent Prisoner to Norwich Castle by Ralph Woolmer Justice of the Peace October 9 1654 WHereas I am committed to Prison by a Mittimus under the pretence of the breach of the Law in these things therein expressed and laid to my charge As first Openly to declare before all the people That he that preached viz. Mr. John Mony was a deluder of the people I answer This accusation was false for that word was not so spoken but to the Light of Christ in all your consciences I speak declare openly to all people that he that acts those things which Christ declared against is no Minister of Christ all who are hirelings as Christ saith John 10. who seek for their gain from their quarters as Isaiah saith Isa. 56.11 who bear rule by their means as Jeremiah saith Jer. 5.31 and who preach for hire as Micah saith Mic. 3.11 and all who are called of men Master stand praying in the Synagogues and have the chiefest places in the Assembly and lay heavy burthens upon the people which Christ cryed wo against Matt. 23. such are no Ministers of Christ who act such things for they who are the Ministers of Christ do abide in the Doctrine of Christ to the Light of Christ I speak that with it John Mony may see himself to be out of the Doctrine of Christ holding up those things that Christ cryed wo against Another thing charged against me is That the people in a great number gathered together about me which might have proved of evil consequence they being the under-sort of people I answer Where-ever the gospel was preached there were gatherings together and uproars and tumults as you may read in the Scriptures Acts 19. and the same gospel worketh the same effects now as in did then and those whom thou callest the under-sort of people were all quiet and were willing to hear the word of the Lord and did not offer any persecution or violence but you who profess your selves to be Saints have proved your selves to be the undersort of people as by your consequence have made it appear by your persecution by taking me out of the multitude who were willing to hear the Word of Truth sent me to Bridewell and then to prison for declaring the Word of the Lord freely as I have received it and so are persecutors and not Saints for the Saints were ever persecuted but never did persecute any Another thing charged against me is That being often asked my Name and Countrey would give no account I answer The Lord hath called me out of my own countrey and from my Fathers House to declare his Word as I have received it and I was freely declaring the Word of the Lord when opposingly thou camest and asked my Name and Countrey which when I ceased speaking I declared it unto thee before I went out of the yard and so there is no ground for this accusation but enmity Another thing charged against me That being brought before me he in contempt of Magistracy as I apprehended would not once move his hat off his head I answer O! for shame never profess to be a Magistrate and make such apprehendings the ground of thy Law as to call this contempt of Magistracy not to put off the hat Where was ever such a thing mentioned in all the Scriptures by any who were set to rule over the people to execute the Law of God upon offendors When did Moses who was a Law-giver and a Judge over all Israel command any such thing of any that came before him to put off his hat or ever in all his Writings make mention of such a thing as contempt of Magistracy or imprison any that did not But it was the transgression of the Law of God to respect persons for he that respects persons commits sin but by your Law those who cannot respect persons and so fulfil the Law of God you say they contemn Magistracy and are not to subject to Authority Oh! for shame never make Laws upon such outward traditions for here you go from the life of God and from the law of God and from the practice of all the holy men of God which the Scripture speaks of When did ever Joshua or Japhat when the people came before them command any such thing or mention it to put off their hats and prison them if they would not or tell them they contemned Magistracy When did ever Solomon who was in the large Wisdom command any such thing of the people whom he was over to put off their hats or imprison them if they would not Shew me one example amongst all the Heathenish Emperors Kings Princes Dukes Rulers or other Officers which the Scripture speaks of that ever commanded any of their people to put off their hats and imprison them if they would not Did ever Pharoah King of Egypt whom Moses and Aaron went before command any such thing and imprison them if they would not Did ever Nebuchadnezzar or Darius command any such thing of any Did ever Herod command any such thing or imprison them that would not Did ever Agrippa or Festus command Paul to put off his hat vvhen he came before them Here you outscrip all the Heathenish
he hath gathered from Scripture or his own imaginations and let him chuse to say whether he will And in the next he will be proved a false Prophet and that E. B. compiled a Book out of Scripture Collections is false for having the same Spirit which gave forth the Scripture which brings the Scripture to remembrance is not compiling a Book out of Scriptures and J. S. is found a false Accuser and E.B. neither a self-Contradictor nor self-Curser and these are true words to this Generation and owned with the Spirit of God though J. S. in his scornfull spirit abuse them he that hath the Word of the Lord from the mouth of the Lord to declare he is reviled and mocked But he that speaks the imagination of his own heart from the Saints conditions he is heard and owned and this is neither Scripture contradiction nor self contradiction let J. S. judg out of his own heart what he will neither is this self-contradiction to ask Which of the Saints had the witnesse of their souls union to seek in the Letter and yet to affirm the Spirit opens and brings that which is spoken in Scripture to remembrance Let J. S. first answer the Query in plainnesse which is an honest query and not to imply from it his own conceptions to make appear self-Contradictâ—ons let the sober Reader judg where the contradiction lies and he saith the Spirit is in the leâ—ter and goes about to prove it if he could if the Spirit be in the letter then all must have the spirit that hath the letter and the Spirit is whereever the Bible is which I do deny for many have the Letter and profâ—sse it which knows not the spirit and many have the Bible in their pocket which have not the spirit there and this will be confessed by J. S. and all his fellows and so he must revoke who saith the Spirit is in the letter and the spirit gives life but the letter kills In his proof he saith The written Word viz. the Letter is of greater authority then the writer Mark here Christ was one of them which gave forth Scripture and he was a greater authority than what was written and I say as it is plain to all honest men who can believe truth that the holy men of God who had the spirit were of greater authority than the Scriptures since have been which they left behinde them But J. S. hath set Christ and all them that gave forth scripture to be lesse in authority than the scriptures Let wise men judg of this matter he saith They were imperfectly holy that wrote forth the Scriptures and this is an absolute lye for the scrâ—ptures give â—his testimony of many of them that wrote it that they were perfect men and he hath also slaundered Christ to be imperfectly holy and in his next let him prove what this imperfect holinesse is and till then we deny that there is any Holinesse imperfect Further he saith The promises of the scripture are his â—hariot to convey him spirit whither he pleases to go But where is his proof for such a Doctrine but all that he saith doth not prove that the spirit is in the letter though he say to make up the sum of his matter Daily experiences do demonstrate that the spirit is in the letter but where is the man let him answer that thus hath experienced that alwayes when he hath seen the letter and handled the letter hath seen and handled the spirit the testimony of an honest man I will believe but not J. S. assertion out of his own heart In his 2 d Head of self-contradiction Concerning hearing the Word this is not contradiction to say they who are of God hear his Word and yet to deny the hearing of such as J. S. who is not a Minister of the Word but a Professor of the Letter for proud men and covetous men and false Accusers such as J. S. is we are exhorted to turn away from by Paul and this is not a denying our selves to be of God as J. S. would charge us withall because we deny to hear Hirelings for we hear Gods Word and his Voice and therefore do we deny to hear Dâ—ceivers and this is no self-contradiction nor saying nor unsaying let J.S. judge what he will the Saints shall be my witnâ—sse and though we say that the Saints Teacher cannot be removed into a corner as saith the scripture and that the saints will finde theiâ— teachers as they lie in their beds both these are true and not self-contradiction let a sober Reader judg whether he can find contradiction in those words but fain would J. S have his lies believed for truth that he might have praise of men for his works have gained no praise of God and he saith R F. hath not proved lyes yet against him if it were so let the Reader search whether there be none proved against him now but let him not say like a Pharisee I am no lyar but rather let him repent of his lyes and wickedness His 3 d. Head concerning the Light within Wherein much ado he makes as to prove the light of Christ spoken of Ioh. 1.9 to be a natural light and he saith the light given to all men even that light spoken of Ioh. 1.9 is a dim light and is cold and insufficient to Salvation and unable to make true discovery of the true Saviour such like contemptible undervaluing words of the pure light of Christ by whom the world was made who lighteth every man in the World by this it is known more evidently what Spirit J. S. is of but there is none of us who have received the knowledge of God by the very light of Christ which shines in our hearts can believe him and this is no contradiction to say that every man is lightned by Christ with the true light and yet to say some men are living in a natural condition both these are true for some hates the light of Christ and their deeds are evil and such are in a natural condition but this doth not prove that Christ hath not given them light though they be in a natural condition I leavit to spiritual men to judge though they say it seems strange that some should live a natural condition and yet have the light of Christ given them saith he as if every man brought a Saviour with him into the world This last is his false conception but he is mans saviour by whose power every man is brought in to the World and if J. S. did but understand as we do that some love the light and some hates it such as hate it denyes Christ he that loves it receives Christ who knows this stranges not I.S. wondring shews his Ignorance who would secretly charge us to be bewitched with a Notion of accounting nature grace which we do not and it is his own condition he that conceives Lyes believes them and tells them is the
as for William Jenkins Priest in Black Fryars in London who put forth his Epistle for the vindication of Clapham's Book building his hopes upon it that it would be of singular service to the establishing of those that were wandering and against us now â—t is turned to the contrary for it is of singular service unto us for making your deceit manifest unto the people from your own principles and so those who consider the things therein published the answer to them wâ—l labor to find a better foundation to build their faith upon they will see that they have long enough taken your words for a ground of their faith which now the truth hath destroyed that so every one may be brought to the true Foundation him that hath enlightened every man that cometh into the world this is my desire to the Lord for those that read it that with the measure of God in them which hath no end but that God may be glorified they may both read understand then they wil see what the wisdom of God is hid from what it is revealed unto the nature of the fruit of every plant will be known for the fruit of the righteous is a tree of life and he that winneth souls is wise For this end have I written to cut off the occasions of stumbling from the weak that the way of life may be kept clear to all who desire to walk in it and in all them that come to the way of life to walk in it answering that of God in them is my labour answered and my reward received R. H. MY Kingdom is not of this World neither do I receive honor from men saith the Son of God John 18.36 who treadeth the Wine-press alone without the City Isa. 9.6 and of the people there is none to help him and the Government is upon his shoulders who is the Prince of the children of Light and none of the Rulers of the darkness of this World is any Officer in his Kingdom which stands in righteousness neither have they who be not guided with his Light any power from him eitâ—er to bind or loose in his Kingdom but they who be in his Light and in it walk who be the Saints of the most high God this honor have all they to bind their Kings in chains and their Nobles in fetters of Iron and they be in the power which is over the power of the Rulers of this World and such do witness Christ to be their Mediator between God and man even the man Christ Jesus 1 Tim. 2.5 who thought it no robbery to be equal with God Phil. 2.6 7. yet took upon him the form of a servant who said I and my Father are one and of him the Father gave record and the record that God gave of his Son is eternal life and this life is in his Son and this life is the Light of men with which all men are enlightened John 1.4 and he hath enlightened every man that cometh into the World He preached to the World with Authority that every man in him might believe and they that believe might not perish but have everlasting life in themselves and they that believed not in him who had enlightened them was condemned already and here was authority in his doctrine which the Pharisees had not in their doctrine Joh. 3.18 for they knew not the Light which Christ had enlightened every one withal which they that believed not in it were already condemned with it and so their doctrine stood not in that which did save and condemn and so it was not in the authority of the Spirit as the doctrine of the Teachers of the World is now out of the authority not turning people from darkness to light which if they do not believe is condemned already And a doctrine is crept into the World which is pernicious and damnable being against the Light and is with the Light condemned Of which sort is one Jonathan Clapham of Wramplingham in Norfolk whose violence and rage is such againâ—t the Truth that he hath not spared even the foundation of it having charged both the Father Son and Holy Ghost falsly as I shall make it appear And he hath also falsly accused the Apostle Peter and the Church of Corinth in his Book called A full discovery and confutation of the wicked and damnable doctrine of the Quakers But he haâ—h more discovered himsâ—lf than us and more confuted himself than us as will appear in that which followeth As first in his Epistle directed to the Protector the honor which God will not give to another than Christ hath he given to another from Christ and so denied the Power and Work of the Son of God as Mediator saying That the Magistrate is an Officer of Jesus Christ as Mediator in his Political Kingdom And he saith also in the same Epistle That the Magistrate must not be an Officer in the spiritual Kingdom of his Church To which I answer Christ hath not a Political and a Spiritual Kingdom for the Kingdom of Christ the Heir of God is but one which stands in righteousness My Kingdom is not of this World saith Christ John 18 36. Now Clapham confesseth That the Magistrate is no Officer of Christ's spiritual Kingdom of his Church Now to say that Christ hath a spiritual Kingdom and a Kingdom of Policy or Political Kingdom is blasphemy against the Son of God and wil be taken notice of by the higher Powers And to say That the Magistrate is an Officer of Jesus Christ as Mediator is blasphemy also for what Magistrate in this Nation or what Priest or people besides thee dare own any to be joined with Christ as Mediator Was there ever any such a thing heard from any that professe to know the Scripture to tell of Christ having a Political Kingdom in which the Magistrate must be an Officer but not in the spiritual Kingdom of his Church Then why dost thou so often in thy Book press the Magistrate to exercise his Power to defend the Church as thou callest it This thy confusion I lay open for the peoples sake that they may be wiser than their Teachers Again the Priest saith That Christ is the eternal Son of God distinct from the Father eternally c. And that the Spirit was distinguished from the Father and Son from eternity as in page 17. of his Book and that there is three Substances and but one Divine Being Ans. Here thou hast shewed thy self to be brutish in thy knowledge and to have no more understanding than a Beast which perisheth Therefore let all People take notice that Priest Clapham hath exhorted to try mens doctrines by the Scripture therefore by the Scriptures he is charged to prove any such thing as that the Son of God is distinct from the Father eternally or that the Spirit was distinguished eternally from both the Father and the Son Now this I also affirm that the Devil