with thy carnal minde to maintain thee and to hold up thy carnal gift and these things which Christ forbids his to do so who said Freely you have received freely give but here thou art not and it shews that thou hast not received it freely therefore thou sellest that which thou callest thy gift which the Apostles never did 1 Cor. 9. 18. Paul was not hired when he was refreshed with the necessaries of the Barbarians O thou Enemy why dost thou accuse Paul and would make him like thy self let him alone for thou knowest him not nor his Ministery for he was a prisoner of the Lord a traveller of the sea when the Barbarians lodged him what is that to thee to maintain thee to bear rule by thy means which Ieremy cryed against Ier. 23. 14. holdest up the horrible filthy thing that is committed in the Land to justifie thee to be a hierling and to receive thy gift and here thou hast openly shewed thy self to be an accuser of the Apostle and wouldst make him like Balaam like thy self and would have the woman to help thee and those are thy nursing fathers Kings and Queens which hold up thy gift which the Prophet cryed wo against but it is that fools may utter forth their folly and be taken in their own snare Prov. 13. 16. here thou art answered the Beast that hath held up the false Prophet and the false Prophet shall both into the fier And thou sayst thou dost not take gifts of the world but if any Prophet of the Lord come among you son or daughter you shew your selves to be of the world you shew your selves to be strikers and of the Devil halling them out of the Synagogues Matth. 10. 17. and to be no Saints nor no Church of God nor no Ministers of Christ and here thou shewest thou takest of the world and thy self to be a Lyar for thou never readest of any of the Churches of God if any of the world came in among them that they halled them out and beat them but it shews the effect of thy ministery and blasphemy which sayth ye are Iews and are not but are Synagogues of Satan Rev. 2. 9. 3. 9. we have found thee out and tryed thee Query 5. Whether the Plagues be not added to him that adds to the Prophecy of the things written in this Book Priests Answer 'T is tru the Spirit of God sayth so Rev. 22. 18 19. I do believe it yet again the expounding and opening of it by the Light of the Spirit of God given in comparing it with other Scriptures is not that which brings the curse for then the Apostle himself would have been under it 1 Cor. 9. 9 10. Rom. 4. 3 6. Rom. 11. 3 4 5. For expounding it wherein I have added or taken away is not yet discovered by any of you and that is the waight of the business when thou didst write to me or any other the Lord judg and let all the Lords people judg whether he be not more apt by far to add to the Prophecy of this Book who by his doctrine begetsiâ— slight esteem of the Prophecy of this Book and perswades his hearers that his words are as true as any Scripture and he cannot err and therefore all is to be believed that he speaks and not to be questioned though many things are contrary to this Prophecy than they that are so much blamed by them and reproached dayly A Reply to the Priests Answer Thou sayst it is tru that the Spirit of God sayth that the Plagues are added to him that adds to the prophece of this Book here thou speakest a Lye thou sayst it is tru the Spirit of God sayth He that adds or diminishes to the prophecy of the Book which hadst thou not seen the Letter then hadst known no spirit and because the Letter sayth so that is thy spirit but as I finde thee adding wresting and lying I do see that the plagues are added to thee by the same Spirit that gave forth the Scriptures and of them thou knowest nothing in that thou speakest a Lye in that thou sayst thou dost know it for thou knowest it not to be a truth though the Letter speak it as they swore the Lord lived and swore falsly Jer. 3. â— if thou didst thou durst not add nor diminish thou sayst comparing one Scripture with another is not that which brings the curse for then the Apostle would have been under it and so with thy corrupt minde dost accuse the Apostle falsly and wouldst make him like thy self and who speaks of the Scriptures fulfilling which thou canst not witness but makest a trade of them without thee and wouldst have Points and Reasons of them as thou wouldst have made a poynt of the Resurrection in thy former writing and here the plague of God is due to thee and here I charge thee again and here the Fool is out of the truth and the Rod is for the back of the Fool Prov. 10. 13. Prov. 18. 28. and here is the Scripture fulfilled upon thee and thou sayst it is not discovered by any of us whether thou addest or diminishest here thou hast shewed thy self to be a Lyar thou hast been told both publickly and privately of it and of thy deceit and now seeing thou hast openly shewed thy self to be a Lyar here openly do I make thee manifest as a Lyar who wouldst justifie thy self in thy deceit but thou harlot art made bare and discovered Nah. 3. 4 5 6. who hast sitten long under a colour and here is the Scripture is fulfilled upon thee and the Prophets words tru we finde them fulfilled Prayses prayses be to the Lord God of Heaven and Earth for ever who gives his servants victory over the Beast and the false Prophet Rev. 15. 2 3 4. such as thou art who have been ensnared by thee therefore we see that Plagues are thy porcion thou sayst that plagues are the waight that we give thee it is so 't is thy due and porcion thou sayst the Lord judg and let all the Lords people judg 1 Cor. 6. 2. the Lord doth judg and the Lord hath judged and the Lords people doth judg all such as thou art Him that thou dost accuse as to add to the prophecy in the Book he doth not but witnesses it thou having not the same witness canst not believe and neither sees him nor the prophecy of the Book thou seest the outside of the Letter with thy visible eye as they did which saw the outside of the Vision of Daniel Dan. 10. 7. But we that do believe him do believe his Doctrine not an outward testimony but we have the witness in our selves which are one with him and it doth witness that he hath the Spirit of truth which cannot err but we do know thy spirit by the same Spirit to be the spirit of error and here thou wouldst not have the Spirit of God to be believed on but here
so it is not another meaning to the Scripture but their own meaning though covered and veyled till cleared and opened and yet thou goest on and sayst we give another meaning to them which if thou canst charge me with and make it good spare me not if not this in the paper is of no validity for it was given to me but that the Apostle's meaning was often dark to a weak eye before expounded thou must needs confess if thou shalt but view two or three for a trial and clear up the meaning of the Apostle in Rom. 5. 14. A Reply to the Priests Answer Thou sayest what a man can doe is one thing and what hee doth or desires to doe is another thing here thou shewest thy selfe to bee compleat in thy selfe And thou sayest that no man can give an exposicion besides the meaning of the Scriptures and thou thinkest we should be quiet we cannot let thee be quiet who livest in thy thinkings and deceivest peeple with thy imaginacions whom God is come to scatter and God is against thee who art giving exposicions upon the Scriptures and wouldst have them who live in the power of the Scriptures to let thee alone but thou art hee who wrests the Scriptures 2 Pet. 3. 16. who ever was denyed therefore thou art discovered to them who live in the power of them all Scripture is vayled and covered from thee and so thou wouldst give a meaning to them and so under a colour make peeple beleeve it is the same meaning but thou art discovered who sayst I charge thee I can dost thou not say the Scriptures are dark I charge thee to have spoken a Ly and art a lyar and dost not see the Scriptures at all and all thy imaginacions of them are lies thou sayst the Scriptures are dark to a weak ey here I charge thee to be a Lyar before the Living God the darknesse is in thy selfe and not in the Scriptures Luke 11. 33. 34. therefore thou dost wrest the Scriptures and dost make a Ly upon them and turnest them into a Ly Ier. 5. 22. O thou enemy of God tremble before him thou hast nothing to doe with the Scriptures Friend thou wouldst have mee to vieu one Scripture or two for a tryall the Scriptures we know but thou sayst they are dark thou art full of darknesse and they are as they speak he that can receive it let him he that hath an ear may heare what the Spirit sayth thou wouldest have me to give Exposicions upon the Scriptures as thou dost whom the plagues are aded to for as it is written the plagues are added to â—hâ—m that addeth to the Prophecy of this Book Rev. 22. 18. and there is thy porcion but wee know the Scriptures and own them as they speak but all thy Expositions of them wee do deny for with them thou dost bewitch the peeple but the plagues of God will be poured upon thee for thou dost neither know the Scripture nor God but art a lyar and of thy father the Devil Iohn 8. 44. Thou dost also bid me clear up the meaning of the Apostle in the fift chapter to the Romans verse 14. so heer I charge thee again that thou dost wrest this Scripture for men of corrupt mindes do wrest them and so thou art but the Scriptures are clear it is thy corrupt mind and heart that must be cleared Let the Scriptures alone thou hast nothing to do with them thou vayn man dost thou talk of clearing up the Scriptures who art full of filth and corrupcion woulst thou have that cleared which was spoken from the Spirit of the Lord thou blind hypocrit and Pharisy all peeple who walk in the light may see how thou hast uttered forth thy folly and record against thee 4 Query Shew me by the Scriptures where the Ministers of Christ ever took Tythes or Augmentacions of the world Pr. Answer I shall answer but for my selfe seeing the paper was sent to mee in particular and my Answer is that I take no Tythes no nor Augmentacions from the world and that thou knowest well enough but that thy Kainish nature in thee to use thy own expressions hath made thee blind it is not any Augmentacion unlesse it have somthing added to what I had before now thou knowst I have nothing besides it nor before it from any of you all All I have is a Gift from the State and why may not I take a Gift from the State call them the world or what thou wilt as well as George Fox and James Nayler take a Gift from the world among you I know not but I would willingly be resolved in this A Reply to the Priests Answer Thou sayst thou takest no Tythes nor Augmentations of the world but thou confessest thou takest a gift who goest in the way or Balaam for gifts and rewards Iude 11. and art in his generation so art one of these filthy dreamers which Iude speaks of therefore wo unto thee who shall perish in the gaynsaying of Core 1 Pet. 3. 16. O thou false accuser where canst accuse either George Fox or Iames Nailer of taking gifts of the world as thou dost here thou wouldst make them like thy self and a colour for thy own filthiness by accusing George Fox and Iames Nailer because they bear testimony unto the truth and testifie against thee and thy gift that thy deeds are evil and wouldst fetch up the Apostles to maintain thee in thy filthiness Acts 20. 33. he did eat no mans bread for nought and so coloured Beast wouldst colour thy self with the Apostles words to maintain thy self in the generation of Balaam which the Apostle cried wo against and wo is thy portion therefore own it and there is thy resolve Priests second Answer to the fourth Query Besides God hath said The Earth shall help the Woman and did the Woman reject that help because t is from the Earth Answer me He hath said Kings shall be nursing fathers and Queens nursing mothers to his people shall Gods people then refuse to take their fatherly and motherly kindness Answer me Are we not to be thankfull and take their refreshing as from Gods hands for he stirs up their hearts to it whosoever they be that do it Paul did not run away and refuse kindness when it was offered him by the Barbarians Acts 28. 7 10. neither did he refuse a lodging from them which no question was of some value A Reply to the Priests Answ Thou wouldst be answered whether the Earth helpeth the woman yea or no. Answ Yea the earth doth help the woman against all such Dragons as thou art the Scripture we do witness is fulfilled and Kings and Queens which are nursing fathers and mothers thou art an enemy to Isai 49. 23. and knowest not but as a Thief hast gotten the words of the Apostles and so with them wouldst maintain thy gift O thou blinde Pharisee are these thy meanings that thou wilt give to the Scripture
did not mencion any Water to his Disciples when he sent them forth but bade them teach the People all things whatsoever he had commanded them and sayd he was with them to the end of the world in this Query I see thy intent thou wouldst have a Cloak to hold up thy beastical Tradicions which never were commanded thou Eenemy of God and with thy carnal Tradicions and beggerly Rudiments thou art full of Earth pleading for the earthly Tradicions and Commandments and keepest poor People in ignorance and blindness in those things God never commanded and here the Plagues of God are added to thee who addest to the Prophecy written in this Book Rev. 2â— 19. 22 Query When Christ commanded his Apostles to baptize all Naciâ—â—s where do you finde Children excepted Answ In thy Query before thou askedst whether Christ did command his Disciples to baptize with Water now thou sayst in thy next Query when Christ commanded his Apostles to baptise all Nacions here thou full of all subtlety who layest Snares and art taken in thy Snare What hast thou to do to talk of Christs Baptism or the Apostles seeing thou walkest contrary to them all and with them wouldst make a Cloak to hold up another thing which Christ never commanded as to sprinkle Infants for sayth he Believe and be baptized to the washing away of sin which thou art full of and livest in first they were to be preached to and to come to repentance and to believe and be baptized but thou dark Sot what is this to thee in maintaining of the sprinkling of Infants with a little Water who understand nothing all thy Baptism I do utterly deny they are excepted thou and all are excepted but the seed and the Promise is to the seed not of seeds as of many but one Gal 3. 16 he that hath an Ear to hear let him hear but thou art dead in thy sins and uncircumcised in heart and knowest no Baptism but the sprinkliug of Infants which Christ never commanded and livest in the lust of thy ignorance having thy understanding darkned being alienated from the life of God art a stranger from the covenant of Promise a child of disobedience who the wrath of God abides upon Eph. 2. 12 23 Query Whether was not Christ baptied with Water who was above both Faith and Repentance Answ Thou Hypocrite what is this to thee to the sprinkling of Infants with Water who are neither come to Faith nor Repentance who thirty or forty years after dost tell them of Faith and Repentance who knowest neither thy self and what hast thou to do to talk of Jesus who went out of the Water Matth. 3. 16. and so the Heavens were opened and he saw the Spirit of God Mark 1. 9 10. but this makes thee never the wiser in thy fleshly understanding for thy curious minde and fleshly understanding is to be destroyed before thou come to know this Baptism for thou art in the nature of Herod that queryed for the Childe to see him that he might worship him but would have destroyed him but for the simple ones sakes have I discovered thee and made thee bare and naked 24 Query Whether did not Christ institute his last Supper with Bread and Wine Answ Christ doth not speak of Bread and Wine but he took Bread and brake it and sayd it was his Body and he took the Cup when he had given thanks he gave it to them and they did drink all of it and he sayd unto them This is my Bloud of the New Testament which is shed for many Mark 14. â—3 and this I have witnessed and we witness the breaking of the Bread which is his Body and drinking the Cup which is his Bloud Luke 22. 17 20. for weare many Members and but one Body but the Cup which thou drinkest we do deny for thy Cup is the Cup of Devils and thy Table is the Table of Devils 1 Cor. 10. 16 17 21. which is an Idol and Imitacion and thy Sacrifice is to Devils and not to God and as the Apostle sayd I would not you have fellowship with Devils 1 Cor. 10. 20. for do not Drunkards meet at thy Table and Swearers cursed Speakers and Fighters and who follow all manner of filthy pleasures and Idolaters and Covetous who live in all manner of Pride and filthiness and these are thy Companions and thy fellowship at thy Table and what hast thou to do to talk of the Cup of Christ who sits at the Table of Devils and drinks the Cup of Devils 1 Cor. 10. 21. 25 Query Whether did not Paul administer the Lords Supper to the Corinthians with Bread and Wine Answ Thou carnal Sot where did the Apostle give to the Corinthians Bread and Wine did not the Apostle say The Cup of blessing which we bless is it not the Communion of the Bloud of Christ the Bread which we break is it not the Communion of the Body of Christ â— Cor. 10. 16 17. for we being many are one Bread and one Body for we are all Partakers of that one Bread we witness this who cannot drink the Cup of Devils nor sit at their Table where thou dost for it is forbidden 1 Cor. 10. 21. 26 Qu. Of what concernment is it to others and how long to continu in the Church seeing the Apostle sayth As oft as you eat of this Bread and drink of this Cup you shew forth the Lords death till he come Answ Thou desiâ—est to know of what concernment it is to others He that eateth and drinketh not discerning the Lords Body eateth and drinketh Domnacion to himself untill the Lord come 1 Cor 11. 29. Thou askest how long it shall continu in the Church this Bread and this Cup doth continu for ever in the Church it is so As oft as they eat of this Bread and drink of this Cup they shew forth the Lords Death till he come 1 Cor. 11. 26. but Friend what hast thou to do to talk of this who art in the generacion of them that were Enemies to Christ holding up the chief Priests which sought to put him to death who perswaded the multitude against him Matth 26 59 and who perswaded the Rulers against him Iohn 11 53 so do all thy Priests now where he is made manifest and in that Church thou art as thou callest it and of the same nature of them who ever sought to destroy the just This Cup thou never tastedst of nor of the Bread but they were them that were gathered off from the Priests and from the Temple whom this was spoken to for these were Figures of the substance but Friend all thy Imitacions and Priests and Suppers and Bread and Wine is an Imitacion an Image which is the likeness of a thing which the Lord forbids Thou shalt not make to thy self any graven Image nor the likeness of any thing and thou that eatest and drinkest not discerning the Lords Body eatest and drinkest Damnacion to thy self 1
Cor. 11. 29. and there thou art 27 Query Whether the Scripture beeing Carnall and the Letter Killing as you say wee may read them without danger Answ The Letter which killeth 2 Cor. 3. 6. is dangerous for thou takest it here to warr withall against the Saints with thy Carnall minde giving out thy Carnall Exposicions upon it and the Ministers of the Letter are the Ministers of Death which is to Condemnacion and you take it to make a Trade with it and with what the Prophets Christ and Apostles sayd and again you take it to make a Trade upon it so that some have 30 some 40 some 50 some 60 some a 100 pounds a year where was ever such things practised or heard of amongst all your Fathers the false Prophets you do exceed them all in wickedness and Paint your selves and are Hyerlings and get up in the room of Christ you seem like Christ in words having painted your selves with Christs words and the Apostles words but Christ cryed Wo unto such whited wals and here you read with danger who speak of them and speak a Lye Ier 5 2. because you speak not what is in you because you speak of your selves and it is dangerous to read that and to make a Trade of that which the Prophets Christ and the Apostles spoke forth freely and to give meanings to it contrary then it is and to raise Poynts Tryalls and Motives and Uses here is adding and the Curses and Plagues are added to him that adds to the Prophesie written in this Book and there you are for destruction is your Porcion Rev. 22. 18. But I say blessed is he that doth read and doth understand and he that doth neither add nor diminish for he walks in the Paths of the Prophets of Christ and the Apostles and in the Steps of Abraham and the Apostle said I charge you by the Lord that this Epistle be read among all the holy Brethren but you are Ignorant and unlearned 2 Pet 3 16 and you wrest the Scriptures to your own destruction Psal 56 5 and to you it is dangerous to read or speak of it who know not the Life of it even as the Pharises who were learned in the Letter but knew not Christ and some of the Apostles who were not learned men in the Letter did not wrest the Scriptures as the same Peter was learned in the Life though not in the Letter but you are in the state of the Hypocrits and Serpents which garnish the Sepulchers of the Righteous Fill yee up the measure of your Fathers yee Serpents yee generacion of Vipers how can you escape the Damnacion of Hell Matth 23 2â— 23 and the Letter is carnall and killeth and Dust is the Serpents meat Gen 3 14 and that is thy meat and Cursed is the Serpent which beguiles and thou art he look not for him without thee for he is in the Letter and you get the Letter into your mouths and come and say The Lord saith when he never spoke to you Wo is unto you and the Harlot which is dect with so many Colours and there you are read your own Porcion destruction he that hath the same Spirit that gave the Scriptures forth reads them without Conceivings or Imaginacions and witnesses them fulfilled but thou art Proud and livest in thy Imaginacions and Conceivings and thou Conceivest of the Letter and whatsoever thou buildest must be scattered Luke 1 51 52 so to thee it is dangerous 28 Query Whether they were written for our Instruction and are profitable that we may be throughly furnished Answ They are for the perfecting of the Man of God for the furnishing of him through Faith in Christ Jesus and they were written to instruct them whom they were written to which had an Eye to see them and an Eare to hear them and an heart to understand whom the Apostles spoke to for instruction till the ends of the world was come and they are for instruction to instruct to admonish but not to make a Trade of but Freind to thee I speak in this Query thou art a Tempter and that minde in thee knowes nothing of them that they were not spoken forth to instruct for that is for destruction for look within thy self and thou wilt see thou art full of Corrupcion and the man of Sin and he it is that talks and prattles of the Scripture who must be consumed but wee witness that they are for the perfecting of the man of God through Faith in Christ Iesus for to Convince and to Reprove and to Instruct but not thee thou man of Sin and Son of Perdicion who sitest in the Temple of God above all that is called God and gattest the form of words and deceivest the Simple as a coloured Beast and the Plagues of God are thy due and Porcion for thy instruction they were not written who walkest contrary to the Commands of God who art exalted above all that which is called God in thee in whom the Mystery of Iniquity lodgeth and the Son of Perdicion which shall be destroyed 2 Thess â— 29 Query Wherefore doth Christ command Iohn to write to the Angell of the Churches in the Revelacions and not teach Immediatly himself seeing you tell us that God Immediatly teacheth his People and that all men have this Teacher within them Answ Thou Enemy of Christ and of all Righteousness what hast thou to do to question Christs commanding Iohn thou full of all subtlety and busie fellow what hast thou to do to question Christ who art exalted above all that is called God here thou shewest thou would not have him to reign the same that spoke to Iohn was immediate and that which Iohn spoke was immediate if thou hast an Ear thou mayst hear what Iohn spoke to the Church but I see thy intent in thy Query to me thou art discovered for in thy Query thou wouldst have a Cloak to keep up the Teachers of the World and your imitated Churches who walkest in the path contrary to Christ and all his Apostles God immediatly doth teach his People by his Spirit by which he draws them up to himself into the everlasting Covenant Heb. 8. 11 by which they need no man to teach them 1 Iohn 2. 27 and every one is enlightned with the Light which is Christ but all such blinde Guides as your Teachers are who draw People from this Light within them to hearken to their imaginacions of the Letter without you such I say do bewitch them and draw them into the uncleanness and into the flesh that the fruits of it shews it self Gal 5. 21 drunkenness fighting wrangling quarrelling railing disputing and slandering envying persecuting lying swearing and taking the Name of God in vain idle talking and foolish jesting scoffing scorning and mocking and all manner of filthiness and uncleaness and these are they that are led from their Teacher within them which is the Light by you blinde Watchmen Isai 56. 10 11 12 from the
thou shewest thy self that would question truth for there is nothing in thee born up in thy understanding to receive truth withall here thou shewest thy self to be an open Lyar to say he acts contrary to the Prophecy who is one with it and bears testimony to it and the truth of it against all such false accusers 2 Tim. 3. 3. as thou art for false accusers should arise Tit. 2. 3. and here thou shewest thy self to be one who accusest the Spirit of the living God to be more false than those that have the spirit of Antichrist who shall be consumed and turned into the Lake by the brightness of his coming 2 Thess 2. 8. the mouth of the Lord of Hosts hath spoken it Query 6. What Scripture have you that speaks of the word two Sacraments which you tell the people of and what Scripture have you to act such things Priests Answer Certainly Satan hath blinded your mindes you would never have put forth such a Question else for the substancial Word the Lord Iesus that we preach of him the Scripture speaks every where and for the Word as the Declaracion of the minde of God in and by Christ to poor sinners the Scriptures are plentifull take two or three Iohn 5. 24. Iohn 8. 31. Iohn 12. 48. Iohn 15. 3. Iohn 17. 20. Ephes 1. 13. Many more I might add but that I have a check on my spirit for gratifying your folly so far as I have done in this particular A Reply to the Priests Answer In thy Answer thou sayst that Christ is the substancial Word thou sayst so because the Letter declares he is the Word but no other knowledg hast thou but this is no answer to the word two Sacraments for Christ we know who is the Word but the word two Sacraments which there is no Scripture for which you tell people of which is an addicion to the Scripture and a thing that never was practised among the Saints as thou being one with thy fellows that holdest up those things the Query was what Scripture you have to act such things but Satan hath blinded your eys 2 Cor. 4. 4. 1 Iohn â— 11. which will not let you justifie those things which you act which shews that you serve but an ill Master that will not bear you out neither can you own the Scriptures as they are but you must give Exposicions upon them and poynts and your imaginacions and conceivings who would have the Scripture cleared but it is thy evil eye and minde that must be cleared Matth. 6. 23. for the Scriptures are as they speak thou sayst the Word you preach Alack for thee thou never knewst the Word if thou didst thou wouldst not speak of clearing up the Scriptures as in thy other Queryes thou speakest of Query 7. What Scripture hast thou to stand praying in the Synagogues before Sermon and after and where the Apostles did so or ever took a Text to treat upon Priests Answer Observe that place Matth. 6. 5. and thou shalt see that the thing Christ ayms at is not so much the posture nor the place but their end of praying in the Synagogue and that was to be seen of men for he did not before nor after condemn the dutyes of fasting praying alms-deeds but taught his Disciples how to do the same things though to avoyd the hypocrisie of others in doing of them and though another may be in the same place and posture as they were yet he may have other ends than they had which thou canst not lightly judg of as Christ did for Christians in prayer with upright hearts are not bound up to any place 1 Tim. 2. 8. And for praying in the publick meeting place and among the Assembly it was so common and usual that the place even had its name from it it was called the House of Prayer Matth. 21. 13. Isai 56. 7. and the hours of prayer were known by the Apostles Acts 3. 1. And that it was so in the times of the Gospel may be seen by Pauls Doctrine about it in the 1 Cor. 11. from the 9. to the 18. verse and in 1 Cor. 14. 13 14 15. For the times of prayer before Sermon and after the Apostle gives a general Rule 1 Cor. 14. 26. Let all things be done to edifying now what way is more edifying and building than for the servants of God to wayâ— on the great Builder God in Christ for help in the beginning of their work and in the close after mercyes received in speaking or hearing to speak good of the Name of our God in blessing and prayses the thankfull heart shall not want goodness from God but more fully the Apostle is clear in it 1 Tim. â— 1. That first of all prayers must be made to begin with that and that the thing is noâ— without example to conclude our speech with prayer see that in Acts 20. 36. This was likewise his manner in the close of his Epistles as may be seen in seven of his Epistles which I could never see in any of your Letters you like not prayer so well it seems And after that comes in thy frivolous and simple Question this is all I see thy hand to and therefore I call it thine Or ever took a Text to treat on I may well answer thee as Christ did the Saduces Thou errest not knowing the Scriptures for look Acts 8. 35. whether Philip took not a Text to treat on to the Eunuch out of Isai 53 7. Acts 10. 34. where Peter took a Text out of Deut. 10. 7. Acts 13. 17. out of Exâ—d 3. 14. and above all we have the example of Christ in this in his Sermon Luke 4. 17 18. who took his Text out of Isai 61. 1. in the Synagogue and he took a Book to reade it too though I believe he had the Scripture more in his heart than any of your Teachers thus having answered this Query I have one word to say to thee or the Inditer of it before I go on and that is this you have in this to me discovered a profane spirit that findes fault with our often seeking and calling on God and blessing his Name I am jealous that you are acted by the spirit of Satan amongst you you are so like those spoken of in the 3 of Mal. 7. 14 15. Reade and God give you to understand it well for to me it appears that the Spirit of God is quite of another nature that says Pray continually and without ceasing in every thing give thanks Ephes 6. 18. 1 Thess 5. 17 18. it calls and encourages to the thing Psal 50. 15. A Reply to the Priests Answer A Scripture thou wrests to maintain the Answer of it in Matth. 6. 5. Christ bids his Disciples pray not as the Pharises did for they prayed standing in the Synagogues but when thou prayest enter into thy Closet and shut the door and here thou art a Lyar of Jesus Christ and pervertst his words
be onely visible things as a house of Wood and Stone and outward appearances as Forms and Rites and Customes that were observed therein Or the Idols Temple and the Worship that 's done therein be not also in mans Spirit and Mysticall Inward and Invisible as to sence according as it is begotten of the spirituall Prince of Darkness yea or no Answ Whereas thou wouldst be informed who art querying without in whom lodgeth the Mystery of iniquity which minde holds up the Forms and the Rites and the Customs and the Idols Temple of Lime and Stone which is the mysticall Spirit which thou speakst of for if thou own the Light which enlighteneth every one that comes into the world which is Christ it would bring thee into the Cross which is to thy carnall minde and let thee see the Prince of the Ayer rule in thee who art a Childe of disobedience where the Mystery of iniquity lodgeth and this light would let thee see the carnall minde in whom all the Images lodge and the Idols Temple and the carnall part being wrought out within and the Devils tremble and the Earth shaken Isay 2. 19. and thrown down there which is the foundacion of all images for that within holds up these without the carnal part within holds up the carnal Temple without and that looks at all these Rites Customs Forms and Tradicions thou speakst of and the minde that is perishing is that that holds up all these perishing things in whom the Mystery of Iniquity lodgeth 2 Thes 2. 7. but if thou wert obedient to the Light and loved it it would bring thee to know God and to escape the prince of the Ayer which holds up all these things without thee for Israel when he had forgotten his Maker builded Temples so thy carnal minde ruleing and disobeying the Light which would guide thee to God that carnal mind within brings thee to hold up Temples without thee and so thou art in the Pride and the Highness of minde for out of Pride whose Dominion is Satan came these Queries but who are made the Temples of God are holy and deny all your outward Temples of the Preists and and all your carnal Observances which you live in who profess the new-Covenant or the Gospel or Christ or the Word but I will deal plainly with you you are not come to know the old Covenant for from the inward doth all Idols and Images arise and there is many Idols and Images which thou bowest down to with out thee then look within thee and thou art full of Imaginacions and Images both within and without Pro. 6. 18. for as the spirituall Prince of Darkness as thou speakst they have their Idols and Images without as ever it was in all that Generacion which thou livest in and when thou hast denied the outward Idols all of them by the Light of God which thou hatest then thou shalt see them within thee thou that stumblest at the Light art he that holdst up all these Images Ezek. 7. 20. in whom the mystery of iniquity lodgeth for the Light of the body is the eye which shews all these things and that it is which I sayd to thee before thou knowest not for thou art full of Images within thou knowest it not born up in thy understanding to guide thee for it is the Light that enlightneth every one that cometh into the world Iohn 1. 9. which thou art an Enemy and a stranger to and stumblest at which Light shall be thy condemnacion Iohn 3. 19. 8 Query If the inward living invisible Word of God which is the Teacher in no way held forth under a Form as to outward appearance to men in earthen vessels why do I see thy Expressions and Exhortations come forth in Print Answ To the eighth Query Thou full of subtlety spuing forth thy Venom and askest in the Query before wheâ—her the word should be held forth or no and now thou dost hear something that is published abroad which is a cross to thee and which makes manifest you are stirred up and doth torment you therefore dost thou push with thy ten Horns nevertheless thou sendest not the Queryes to him whom thou dost accuse and sayst why see I thy Expressions in Print and sendest them to another but such is thy rage and fury and now it doth appear to all men though it hath layn close the eternal Word hath stirred him up but Friend I declare plainly to thee God Almighty of Heaven and Earth hath raised up a Light in the hearts of People 1 Pet. 2. 9. and he is coming to teach them himself whereby your abominacion and filthiness is discovered to the sons and daughters of the Lord God Almighty and according to his promise he hath poured forth his Spirit that his sons and daughters begin to prophecy Ioel 2. 28 29. Prayses be to the Lord God Almighty who now is setting up his Kingdom who sends his sons and Daughters abroad some to prophecy and some to preach and to declare his Name Freely ye have received freely give Matth. 10. 8. and some write and some speak face to face so you shall see it nearer you ere long and as the Prophets of the Lord who spake his Word somtimes spoke and when they were moved to write they writ â—nd published it abroad so do we the same being absent in body sending forth writings or Printed Books to declare to the simple mindes the deceits that ye who are blinde Guides have led them in but Iesus Christ the Light now shines by which ye are seen and discovered therefore stop your mouths be ashamed who have never had word from God Micah 3. 7. for the Lord God is coming to stop your mouths ye dumb Prophets and Dogs Thieves and Robbers who have stollen the words of others whom ye know not Jer. 23. 30. but the Earth hath got the Declaracion which is Earth and so speaks the Earth for the Earth but O Earth hear the Word of the Lord for wo is to ye that inhabit the Earth and now the Devil begins to rage because the Word of God is sounding abroad and the Trumpet is blowing which makes the Inhabitants of the Earth to tremble but all your Preaching we do deny and all your Blessings for as it is written as the Prophet sayd their blessings were cursed and their seed were corrupt Mal. 2. 2 3. and in their generacion you are the Light which is Christ is made manifest which lets me see you to be in that generacion which hath gathered us up to God and lets us see thee without God 9 Query Whether to exhort a man to attend to that Light which is within which his eye can see and which his ear can hear and which his understanding can comprehend and of which â—e can give a Reason be not to draw men to attend to visible things and to worship in the Idols Temple and to bow down to the Image of things which he hath