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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A47197	The way cast up, and the stumbling-blocks removed from before the feet of those who are seeking the way to Zion, with their faces thitherward containing an answere to a postcript, printed at the end of Sam Rutherford's letters, third edition, by a nameless author, indeed not without cause, considering the many lyes and falshoods therein, against the people, called Quakers, which are here disproved, and refuted / by George Keith ...	Keith, George, 1639?-1716.; Rutherford, Samuel, 1600?-1661.	1677 (1677)	Wing K233; ESTC R19568	115,272	246

been among them It is easily answered that they did not ow this piety to the Presbyterian Church but to the Grace of God which is Vniversall For the Grace of God that bringeth Salvation hath shined in All so Beza translates it Tit 2 10 11. and this Grace teacheth to deny ungodlyness and worldly lusts and to live righteously and soberly and godlily in this present world And whoever in any age or place of the world joyned their hearts unto this Grace and did believe and obey its teachings it made them good and pious men so that they did excell others in many good things although by reason of the darkness and corruption of the ages and places where they lived the prejudice of education and custom prevailed so farr that they also were dark and ignorant in many things Yet the Lord regarding their sincerity winked at their ignorance in those things And thus the Apostle Paul takes notice of some among the Gentils in the time of Heathenism who were a Law unto themselvs and did by Natur to wit the Divine Nature of the Word ingrafted in them Iames 1. or by their own nature restored and repaired by the Grace of God as Augustin expounded that place the things contained in the Law such was Socrates among the Gracians whom Iustin Martyr in one of his Apologys did expressly call a Christian and classeth him with Abraham c. 2. Also all along the dark times of popery the Lord raised up some even in the very heart of the popish Church that excelled others in vertue and piety and were as Lights shining in a dark place and witnesses to the truth some in some things and some in others and yet even these men lived still in the Popish Church and in too many things were carryed away and tinctured with divers corruptions and superstitions Of this Illyricus in his Catologus ●estium veritatis giveth an account And the Author of Fasciculus temporum with divers other Historians And particularly our country-man Alexander Petry in his Church History from the year 600 unto the year 1600 as in the seventh Century Gregory called the Great and Isidorus in the eighth Century Iohn Damascen and Aponius in the ninth century Claudius Turinensis Bishop of Turin and Rabanus Maurus in the tenth Century a very dark age Theophilact Arch-bishop of Bulgaria and Smaragdus a Benedictin Abbot in the eleventh Century Berno and Fulbert Bishop of Carnatum in the twelfth Century Hugo de S. Victore and Bernard of Clarevall in the thirteenth age Gulielmus Bishop of Paris and Ioachim Abbot of Calabria in the fourteenth age or Century Dante 's Aligerius and Robertus Gallus this Robertus Gallus was a Franciscan Frier and had propheticall visions which were interpreted to him by the Spirit of God there is a Treatise under his name printed together with the Prophecyes of Hildegardis a Woman prophetesse in the Church of Rome of both whose Prophecyes Fox takes speciall notice in his Martyrology And in the fifteenth Century Vincentius a Venetian who also prophecyed against the Clergy and Theodorick Vrias There was also another Theodorick Bishop of Croatia that prophecyed in this same age that the Church of Rome should be brought to nought and that Iustice which hath been shut up in darkness shall come into Light and the true Church shall flourish in Godlyness more then she hath done In this age also lived Iohn Huss a pious and vertuous man whom the Papists burnt as an heretick and yet the same good Man retained divers Popish opinions Now in the sixteenth century the reformation from the grossness of Popery began by Luther in Germany and the Lord raised up divers other instruments in other nations as in France in England and also in Scotland and many worthy men dyed martyrs and sea●ed to the truth with their blood before the Presbyterian Reformation yea some that were Bishops in England dyed martyrs for the truth as Cranmer Ridly Latim●r Therefor albeit I grant that ther hath been divers pious men among the Presbyterians some who enjoyed communion with God in Spirit and some also who had a Propheti●all Spirit and were accompanyed with the power of God in their ministry 40 years ago upwards and were made blessed instruments of God to many soules in that day to whom the Lord gave signall Testimonys of his love and of his admitting them at times unto near communion with him among whom were chiefly Iohn Welsh Robert Bruce Davidson and Patrick Simpson and divers others concerning whom the Author of the fullfilling of the Scripturs gives an account And I do verily believe they were pious men and had precious feelings of the life and power of God which did at times accompany them in their ministry whereby many soules were reached and converted unto God And as touching some things related by the Author concerning these men I may afterwards in its due place take notice which will not a little make for the present testimony of the people called Quakers But all this will not in the least prove that the Presbyterian Natio●all Church was the true Church of Christ and needeth no further Reformation from many thing● then it will prove that the Popish Church was the true Church of Christ which as I have already mentioned had pious and vertuous men and some of them indued with the Propheticall Spirit Also the Episcopall English Church in the dayes of Q. Ma●● had very excellent men that were Bishops and some of them were burned for the truth yet thi● proveth not that the English Church was sufficiently reformed or that those called Puritans who would not conforme to her did sin or were guilty of Schisme And I suppose the Presbyterians will no● deny but Luther for piety and zeal may be compared with any of these in Scotland and yet Luther was no Presbyterian and the Lutherans have had since Luther divers excellent men of whom I ca● not forbear to mention Iohannes Arnd who hath writt a more Spirituall treatise of Spritual doctrin containing more spiritual and profitable Doctrin then any book that ever I could see writt by any Presbyterian and yet the Luther●ns differr fa●● from Presbyterians Nor should the Presbyterians in Scotland so exalt themselves above all other Churches becaus some in their Church were indued with a Prophetical Spirit for as I have already mentioned divers in the Popish Church had the Spirit of Prophecy as Fox in his Martyrology doth bear witness ● I must needs say that as for Spiritual doctrin some Mysticks among the Papists hav exceeded any P●esbyterian Writer that ever I could yet see And to speak freely that one little book De imitation● Christ● said to be written by Thomas a Kempis a Popish Monck is really to me a more usefull book for spirituall doctrin then all the Presbyterian books in the world that ever I saw and I believe hath fewer errors in it I except the last book concerning the

and sensible enjoyments of himself and blessing them more abundantly with the fruits of holyness righteousness and victory over corruption in that despised way then formerly they ever witnessed although their experience of any things that were true among them called presbyterians was not short of many if not of the most of them even in that day Pag. 1. l. 18. That which this great Seer much upon his Masters secrets because he had frequent access to lean his head upon his breast who come ou● of the Father's bosom foresaw would follow upon this turning aside and fall upon the head of such forsakers of a Church so often honoured by receiving signall testimonys of the great Bridgroom's love towards her as his Spouse c. Answer 3. I wonder how this man hath the confidence to call this Author a great Seer and to tell us of his being much upon his Master's secrets becaus he had frequent access to lean his head upon his breast who came out of the Father's bosom for these and such like expressions do plainly imply Immediat Revelation and that S. R. was a prophet and had the Spirit of Prophecy in the same sense as any of the Prophets who were Pen-men of the holy Scripturs for what higher elogies could be given to any of the most eminent Prophets then these here and elsewhere given by him to this Author And here I shall set down some other expressions parallel to these in the Postscript or rather surmounting them to be found in the Epistle to the Reader whether one man hath writ that Epist●e and the Postscript is not materiall to inquire seing doubtless they are both of one profession if differing persons and he that writes the Postscript ownes the Epistle to the Reader In the beginning of that Epistle he tells us Considering how little need Master Rutherford as he calls him his Letters have of any mans Epistle commendatory his great Master whom he served with his Spirit in the Gospell of his Son having given them one written by his own hand on the hearts of every one who is become his Epistle c. This is the very same commendation that the Spirit of God giveth to Paul who was not behind the chiefest of the Apostles as you may read 2. Cor. 3 1 2 verses And indeed this is the greatest ground why we believe the Scripturs to be divinely inspired becaus the inward Testimony of the Spirit of God which is the Epistle commendatory written by Gods own hand upon the hearts of believers is the Seal of confirmation unto the Scripturs as being divinely inspired And seing GOD doth give the same Seal as this writer plainly affirmeth to S. R. his Epistles that he doth to the Epistles of Paul will it not prove that S. R. his Epistles are as really divinely inspired as Paul's Epistles were and then why may not S. R. his Epistles be put into the Bible with Paul's Epistles This question is the more pertinently put to this man and these of his profession becaus they do so argue against us the People called Quakers that if any of our words or writings be divinley inspired then we equal our writings to the Scripturs For this cons●quence if it hath any weight at all doth as much fall upon their heads as upon ours and if they do still make a difference betwixt the one and the other although both divinely in●pired can not we do the same But he proceedeth in his admirable commendation of this book thus as being a piece the holy Scripturs being set aside equall to any the world hath yet seen or this day can shew in respect of the spiritualness of it A friendly testimony indeed I remember the Presbyterians had wont to commend Calvin's Institutions above any book in the world next to the Scripturs according to these Latine verses made on them Praeter Apostolicas post Christi tempor a chartas Huic peperere librum secula nulla parem And I have heard an eminent Presbyterian Preacher in his pulpit commend the Confession of Faith with the Larger and Shorter Catechism set out by them called the Assembly of Divines at Westminster above all books in the world except the Scriptur But now both Calvin's Institutions and the Confession of Faith must give place to S. R. his Epistles yea and most books in the world besides I write not this to lessen any due worth that belongs to S. R. his Epistles for I acknowledg having read them all over once and many of them severall times I find many savoury expressions in them that savour of that blessed life of Christ revealed of God in my heart yet I must needs say I find also very many unsound and unsavoury expressions in them that the life and Spirit of Christ doth not onely not beare witness for but against as I may afterwards shew 4. I do really believe that there are divers books in the world besids the Scripturs nor shall I bring into the compari●on our Friends books lest any say I am partial more sound and more spirituall then this book is and which are more profitable to direct the minds of them who are strangers to Christ where or how to find him little or nothing of which I can find in all this book of S. R. onely somewhat of his own experience but I can not find in him any certain and clear directions certainly and in●allibly directing strangers how to attain to the least true spirituall experience nor can I find the least hint or shaddow of a testimony in all his book to the saving power and efficacy of that universall Light of Christ wherewith Christ hath inlightened every man that cometh into the world which blessed heavenly divine testimony I find in many of the Ancients for which cause a few lines of them are of more value to me and all who love Gods Vniversall Gift then this whol book of S. Rs. And I question not but many having as much of a spirituall tast and discerning as any Presbyterian will affirme that the writings of not onely Augustin and the like Ancients but of later writers in darker times as of Bernard Thaulerus Thomas a Kempis and that little booke called The Dutch or German Theology are fully as ●pirituall though I am farr from justifying any errours in these books as neither do I the errours in S. R. his Epistles And although I know the Presbyterians some of them as have seen and read the Dutch Theology account it a most dangerous book and full of bla●phemyes as I. L. did call it expresly to I. S. whereof both B. F. I were witnesses in Holland yet Luther doth commend it as one of the best books he had met with next to the Scripturs and Augustin and teaching more sound Divinity then all the Divines in Germany or any where else in that time and he wrot an Epistle commendatory of it which is prefixed to it in some Editions a printed coppy

but onely a favourer of Bishops being then an Advocat becaus he would not bow to their wills was constrained to flee the Nation Not to mention the fineings and other oppressions that many endured on that account and the Papists also some of whom had almost their all swept away and many fled Besides some few scattered ones whom they called Sectarys they grievously persecuted and threatned as namely Iohn Garden of Tillifroskie a Baptist whom they imprisoned in Edinburgh for a long time and reduced to so great outward necessitys that no body durst wel minister to him what he wanted But was the Presbyterian National Church any more favourable to their lawfull Prince Did they not also extend their power to the utmost against him to compell him And what the sad effects were which this produced I am loath to mention so that none were spared but all Great and small must fall down and worship this beast as it was in the darkest times of Popery otherwise they knew what they were to expect And it would saden a mans heart to think to what perplexity many simple-hearted men were brought while things were carryed thus on the one hand the Kirk issued forth her acts that people should do so and so and on the other hand the Lawfull Magistrat issued forth acts to the contrary and so the body of the Nation was divided some following the one some the other untill they ceased not to make the three Nations a field of blood And all this happened by that persecuting and compelling spirit in the Presbyterian Church that is the very life of such a Church without which it can not subsist as such Next as to her Hypocrisy we need go no further then the various changes of the farr greatest number of her Church-members and especiaily her Teachers one while Episcopal again Presbyterian and to wheel round again Episcopal and these changes all falling within a short time even upon the self same persons they who were zealous for Episcopacy and cryed it up yesterday the next day zealous against it crying it as much down and then up again one while preaching against festivall days and set forms of Worship then for them then against them then lastly for them again All this bewrayes horrible and detestable Hypoorisy especially in the Teachers who pretend to preach the Word of GOD and the Truth of Christ. Whereas the Word of the Lord is One forever and the Truth is the same always and is not yea and nay And it is a thing as manifest as the light of the day that the Teachers even of the Presbyterian Church have been generally and for the most part Self-seeking worldly minded and covetous men who loved pleasures and riches more then God And this the M●gistrat did wel know and saw the best way to prevail with them was to bribe them with augmentations and benefices as they did in the year 1649 and at divers other times as they saw occasion And in the time of great burdens upon the Land of Cesses and Taxations that many honest familys were redacted to great straits by reason of these publick burdens yet the Presbyterian Preachers table was as full as ever his cup did overflow with outward abundance he must bear no part of the publick burden but the burdens of the people must be augmented to give him augmentations But alas This Presbyterian kingdom is now faln and great is the fall of it especially it falleth heavy upon such as the Author of the Postscript who want those golden days of gathering up their stipends and augmentations but are fain to be at their purchase or conform which some have so much sense of shame still remaining in them as suffereth them not to do yet they fume and rage and the honest harmeless people called Quakers must be the main butt and object of their wrath but such paper bullets and darts that contain nothing ●olid as this Postscript being full of horrid lyes and false accusations will make little execution against us but certainly return upon their heads with shame and loss 10. All this sheweth that the Presbyterian Church was not so glorious a Church as she did take her self to be And many in the Island and elsewhere on the one hand did judg the Congregational Churches farr beyond her And those called Baptists I mean the more sober kind of them beyond both yea the Lutheran Church and the Church of England at lest as to divers particulars in doctrin is really beyond her But what shall I say concerning the Waldenses who had all what the Presbyterian Church had that was commendable and divers other things● that they want and wherein they do not imitat them although they boast to be their successors For the Preachers of the Waldenses were Lay-men most of them and wrought with their hands as the Teachers of the primitive Church did and had no s●t stipends or salarys but preached freely yea Peter Wal●● the first a most famous Preacher of that People was a meer Lay-man and had not Philosophy but was a Merchant in the Town of Lyons in France whose labour the Lord did wonderfully bless and the labour of such honest plain simple men as he was SECTION IV. 1. That some good men have been in the Presbyterian Church proves not that she was a true Church 2. In the darkest times of Popery God raised up some good men and Prophets in the Popish Church yet the Popish Church no true Church of Christ. 3. Few Sects but have had some good men among them 4. The Presbyterians in our days shamefully are declined from the footsteps and spirit of th●se antient good men that were among them 5. The Presbyterian Church guilty of treacherous practices 6. Christians should not make warr against the Magistrat 7. Presbyterians sufferings not pure and cleanly 8. The Episcopal Church had its Sufferers and Martyrs also 9. The Presbyterian Church especially their Teachers have much blood-guiltiness upon them 10. If the house of God under the Law was not to be built by men of blood farr less under the Gospell 11. GOD will not honour the Presbyterian party to build his Zion or gospell-Gospell-Church in this Land 12. Yet he will make use of many among them after he hath ●●ashed them from such bloody Anti-christian and unsound principles and practices 13. Of this they were warned eleven years ago in my book called Help in time of need printed in the year 1665. 14. The Presbyterian Church of Scotland guilty of Apostasy and spirituall adultery proved fully out of S. R. his Epistles 15. S. R. his Faith uncertain and he doubtfull in his later days concerning the Covenant its being made an instrument of Reformation 16. Some other testimonys of Great Presbyterian Teachers that God had forsaken the Presbyterian Church of Scotland 1. But if the Author of the Posts●ript think to get a fame to the Presbyterian Church becaus of some noted men for piety that have

print before his death some years that God had forsaken their Nationall Church and was not like to return to her again and he answereth all the common reasons from Sciptur or the Covenant that seemed to prove that the Lord would return unto them and plainly sheweth the weakness and invalidity of them The book is in the hands of many which I have read and I had it from the mouth of an honest faithfull man that he heard Iohn Livingston say in prayer Lord since Dumbar thou hast spit in our face and since that never looked over thy shoulder to us again This is he whom the Author of the Postscript calls that great man of God and this prayer he had in a certain family in Aberdeen And this is that Church that was such an apostat and whom the Lord had so forsaken by the confession of their chief Seers and who indeed was never a true Gospell Church that we the people called Quakers have forsaken and we are resolved by Gods grace never to return unto her for the Lord hath said unto us let them come unto you but goe not ye unto them the Lord hath added divers who were among them and under that profession unto us and will add many more yea thousands in due time for the Lord hath a precious seed to gather out from among them And there are many among them I know who have true breathings after the Lord and these in due time the Lord will regard and bring them to his Zion which he has begun to build in great glory even in and among the people called in Scorne Quakers SECTION V. 1. What is said against the Presbyterian Church in general as national and as being so guilty of persecution and blood is not understood of all that goe under that name many among them being free of such crimes and of a more sober Spirit and principles 2. An Apology why I frequently use the word Presbyterian 3. Presbytery too good a name for them unless with this addition Pseudo-Presbytery that is Pr●sbytery falsely so called 4. The Presbyterian Church guilty of denying the true Christ who would exclud him out of the very Saints 5. The Presbyterian Church a foolish builder and guilty of very bad and Vnchristian Doctrins 6. The Presbyterian Church although she pretend to be more for a spritual way of preaching and worshiping then the Papal or Episcopal yet upon the matter she is not one jot more for the same then they are proved by divers Instances 7. Two Questions put to the Presbyterians 8. A list of the r●viling false acousations and railing speeches of the Author of the Postscript against the people called Quakers 9. Presbyterian teachers have not that credit now with many people as to make them believe whatever they say with an implicit faith as formerly they too much had 1. ANd as to what I have said in generall against the Presbyterian Church as Nationall and as being so guilty of persecution and blood I understand it not of all that goe under that name for I doe believe many among them are altogether free of having a hand in such things and are of a more sober Spirit and of more sober principles but I understand it of a great faction and party of them that did most prevail and carryed away many simple wel-meaning people along with them what by deceitfull perswasions and what by fears And I know many that were so carryed away are now come to see the evil of these practices and are resolved never to concurre in or countenance the like of them again But especially the Presbyterian Clergy and priesthood had the main hand and stroak in these disorders and all to uphold their kingdom and gratify their lust and ambition 2. And that I have so frequently used the word Presbyterian or may afterwards use it is onely for distinction's sake becaus I know not how otherwise to designe them yet I am farr from judging them to be true Presbyterians or that their Classicall judicatorys were true Presbyterys such as were in the primitive times And therefore Presbytery is too good a name to give them unless with this addition Pseudo-Presbyter● that is to say Presbytery falsly so called seing they have so positively denyed that which gives the very life and being either to any true Church or Presbytery viz the immediat Revelation and 〈◊〉 teachings and leadings of the Spirit of Christ in every member so that as of old there were who called themselvs Iewes and Apostles and were not so these Presbyterians call themselves true Pre●●●●erys but are no more so then a dead image of a man is a true man And indeed who ever hath a true knowledge of either the Gospell or a true Gospell Church will see that with good reason and good ground we have forsaken the Presbyterian and Nationall Church and that not only becaus of her bad practices but also for her bad anti-Christian and unsound Doctrins in many things she denying the real in-being and reve●ation of Ies●● Christ in any of her Members or indeed in any men in those days 4. And although she falsly accuse us as denying the true Christ yet I hope to make it apparent that she and not we are the denyers of him who would exclud him out of the very Saints and altogether confine him to some particular place but this I intend to reserve till afterwards 5. Also she discovereth her self to be a very foolish builder who maketh her foundation so narrow and her building so wide for no less then the whole Nation she would take into her building yea all Nations if she could And yet the true and saving Power and Grace of Christ Iesus which ●elongs to the very foundation of the Church she ●ill onely have it extended but to a small number of ●er members and that the greatest part have neither ●eceived this Grace nor ever shall but are exclud●d inevitably from it without their own consent ●y Gods absolut decree that barreth them out from 〈◊〉 possibility of Salvation before they ever came 〈◊〉 the world Surely this is too narrow a foundaion for so wide a building and it is but a small ●avour to so many thousands of her members than ●hey are not so much as under any possibility of Salvation yea it seems they are rather the worse then the better for being her Church members seing to the boot they shall be more guilty of condemnation then the Heathen who never heard the Gospel outwardly preached and yet neve● a whit the more near unto Salvation These ar● sad tidings she preacheth to her Church members Again her most eminent Saints she leaveth the● still in the dirt and mire of sin for term of life and tells them they can never be free from sin i● this life but sin and can not but sin daily in though● word and deed Surely such un-Christian Doctrins with many more could be named an ground enough for any man whose

guids and for such there is no remedy untill it please the Lord to open their eyes which is my earnest desire SECTION VI. 1. The Scripturs no warrant for peopls refusing converse with the People called Quakers 2. They bring no doctrin contrary to the Scripturs 3. The Author and his Brethren guilty of horrid injustice against them in condemning them whom they neither know nor their principls 4. Many of them with a blind and mad zeal refuse all means of Information 5. The Presbyterian Teachers in labouring to perswad people not to converse with us nor read our books practise that usuall policy of the Popish Church that forbids to read Protestants books or converse with them 6. Many are the more moved to read them and seek occasion of their converse 7. Finding them grossly and falsly accused 8. John Livingston his unchristian carriage to some of their profession at Rotterdam 9. The people called Quakers not Here●icks nor their principls heretical but truely C●●●sstian and Apostolick 10. Presbyterians in great confusion and contradiction in comparing some of themselvs to the greatest Prophets and yet denying Immediat Revelation and Spirit of Prophecy 11. A cowardly Spirit in many of the Presbyterian Teachers A question put to the Author of the Postscript Pag 5. ad sinem And here by the way let me set before thee the practice of that Great man of GOD Master John Livingston of whom without vanity or being judged to hold mens p●nsons in admira●ion for advantage I fear not to say that in the day he was taken up from us I knew not so great an Ambassadour for Christ left behind upon the Earth O to see some on whom this Elijah's mantle is faln as a fit patt●rn for thy in●itation c. 1. Answer The Author of the Postscript hath been giving some perswasions why People should deny all converse with the People called Quakers from the exampls of the Apostles Paul and Iohn and lastly from the example of Master Iohn Livingston as he calls him behold the Presbyterians pride that will honour one another with the title of Master whereas when they speake of the Apostles they give them no such titles but bare Iohn Paul Peter But to say Iohn Livingston and Samuel Rutherford withholding the proud title of Master which Christ did expressly forbid doth greatly offend Presbyterian ears But first I must tell the Author of the Postscript As to the exampls of Paul and John the case doth no ways meet for the people called Quakers are of the same spirit and hold the same principls and have the same life and conversation which the Christians had whom Paul and John loved and were kindly affected unto even as parents unto children They are neither like seducing Elymas a title more aggreable to this Author nor like Hymeneus and Alexander whom Paul delivered unto Satan nor have they the least affinity with such as John forbad the Disciples to receive into their house or give them a friendly salutation for such were they who brought another doctrin unto them then John preached See 2 Ep Ioh ver 10. 2. Whereas the Quakers bring no other Doctrin but the very same doctrin of Christ which Christ himself and both John and all the Apostles preached And this upon trial we are assured by the Grace of God that we can make good against this Author and all his Brethren as likewise that we can prove that he and his Brethren are the men that bring a contrary doctrin For whereas Christ preached himself to be the Light of the world and John preached him to be that true Light that lighteneth every man that cometh into the world that all through him might believe And the Apostle Iohn said This is the message that we have heard of him that God is Light and in him is no darkness at all● I● we walk in the Light as he is in the Light we ha● fellowship one with another c. The Presbyterian Teachers can not endure to hear the same doctrin preached by the Quakers and they are ready to g●ash with their very teeth at us when we preach GOD to be the LIGHT and CHRIST to be that TRUE LIGHT that inlighteneth EVERY Man that cometh into the World And both Christ and the Apostles preached God and Christ in men as wel as Christ his coming in the flesh or God made manifest in flesh in that prepared body which was crucified at Ierusalem and afterwards raised up again and glorified And this same doctrin the Quakers preach whereas the Presbyterians are no● for Christ his being in a true and real sense no not in the very Saints 3. Surely this Author and his brethren have committed an horrid injustice against the people called Quakers in condemning them whom neither he nor his brethren do know nor what principls they hold whereas they believe lyeing reports that malicious men have invented against that people and there is a mind in them that is too ready to give ear to such lyes and foment yea augment them 4. And yet I have really such charity to this man and many of his brethren that it is through ignorance that they thus condemn us and speake evil of us and therefor is their sin the more pardonable were it not that with a blind and mad zeall they refuse all means of information whereby to be instructed either what we are or what principles we hold otherwise it were impossible they could be so ignorant concerning us as really they are for thousands in this land know that we are not guilty of these horrid things which this man layeth to our charge 5. And certainly this is a great sin in them and near bordering with that sin that shall never be forgiven that they refuse to be informed of us and are willingly ignorant themselvs and seek by all means to keep people in ignorance concerning us that they may not converse with us nor read our books an usuall policy of the Popish Anti-Christian Church who cry out against all di●●enters from them as damnable Hereticks not to be conversed with nor their books to be read upon pain of the Popes curse and surely those groundless threa●● of these Presbyterian priests have as small weight with ingenuons people and their curses or excommunications we value as little as the Popes being both from one Spirit and we know the more the● curse the Lord will the more bless us as we are faithfull in our Testimony to him 6. And it is observable that the more these me● disswad people from reading our books and conversing with us many have been the more moved to read them and seek occasion of our converse who upon an impartial search have found that we have been most grossly abused and belyed by these men 7. Which hath raised in them a love to us and an indignation against those mens deceit who did so injuriously and basely traduce us and thus also by degrees their understandings have been opened

Light with his is such a grosse and manifest lye and forgery that a greater can not be invented for we do exalt him both with our hearts and mouths above not onely all men of our own profession but above all men and Angels and that beyond all comparison yea we exalt him more then this our acc●ser or any of his brethren even as Man as having a substantiall dignity and excellency belonging to him as Man above all men and Angels whatsomever nor will it in the least follow from our principles that becaus we have a measure of his Light and Life in us that therefore we put our selves in his place or roome as is already cleared for he has it in the fulnesse in whom the fulnesse of the Godhead dwelleth bodily and GOD gave not the Spirit unto him by measure whereas whatever Light or Life Vertue or excellency we or any Saints or Angels have is derived from him and is but a measure of his fulnesse and God the Father dwelleth in him immediately but in us ●mediately through him as is above declared and opened from Iohn 17 23. 11. And what a blind and dark man is this that will not acknowledge that the Saints have any thing of that Light in them which Christ hath in himself Let him tell us and prove it from Scripture if he can that Christ putteth any other Light or Spirit in his people then that which is in himself But the contrary is manifest from Scripture that it is one and the same Spirit Light and Life both in him and in them But if some more sober then this Author will acknowledge that Christ is really in the Saints albeit they do not understand how he is in all men to such I say viz who affirme Christ to be in the Saints that by this mans argument to ●it the Author of the Postscript they deny the true Christ the Son of David and Mary and set up the Saints in the place of Christ as being Christ as well as he becaus as he saith containing the same Light 12. Let them consider how farre the Author of the Postscript hath outshot himself in this particular and in stead of pleading for the true Christ hath in effect denyed him and robbed all the Saints of God of having him in them expresse contrary to the Scripturs And I have often wondered how ●hese men will so freely acknowledge and plead for ●he devil his being in all wicked men and yet de●y that Christ is in all good men yea seing they ●lead that all good men while they live on earth have sin and sin daily in thought word and deed yea continually they must also acknowledg that in so farre as sin is in them the devil is in them who is the father of all sin and yet they will not have Christ to be in all no not in the Saints which sheweth them to be extreamely blind and inconsiderate And I would ask them this one question Do they think that the Devil is a Spirit of a larger and greater extension then the Soul or Spirit of Christ as Man If they say nay then Christ is in all men If they say that the Devil is a greater Spirit then the Spirit of Christ as Man then they plainly declare that the Devil is greater then Christ which is horrid and detestable blasphemy SECTION XIV 1. That the Presbyterian Teachers set themselvs in the place of Christ. 2. They goe back to the church of Rome and her Popes to prove their call 3. They labour to turn people from Christ in th●mselv●s 4. T●at they may keep up their trade and gain 5. Who love to hear Christ in themselves love to hear him in others 6. The Author of the Postscript his blasphemy against the true Christ of God in mens hearts 7. He is better skilled in the art of railing then in the way of disputing 8. The Christian Quakers love and honour all true Ministers of Christ Iesus 9. An old policy of Satan to call the ministers of Anti-Christ ministers of Christ as among Papists and Presbyterians 10. Why we cannot joyn with Presbyterian Teachers 1. ANd whereas he falsly accuseth us as puting any of our Prophets in the place of Christ This may be justly retorted back upon him and his brethren who deny the immediate presence and immediate revelation and teachings of Christ in his people and so they set themselves indeed in the place of Christ crying up the necessity of mens teachings and crying down the necessity of the teachings of Christ in peoples ●earts And they tell the people that they must heare them and learn of them else they can not be saved and if any refuse to heare them and learn of them they accurse them 2. And yet they can not give any sufficient account of their call from Christ to preach but do generally in these days goe back to the Apostate Church of Rome and her Popes and Bishops whom they have so often called Babylon and Anti-Christ to derive their call as even Iames Durham a great Presbyterian Teacher hath done in his book on the Revelation But if people come to hearken to the t●achings of Christ in them and believe in the same hey turne desperate enemys against them and do all they can to stirre up the Magistrate to persecute them as indeed it is the Presbyterian Teachers especially the mongrell sort of them that are the great occasion of our present persecution And in effect this is their language upon the matter heare us and learn of us but heare not Christ within you learn not of him as he teaches you in your hear●s as the Quakers tell you ye ought to do for there is no true Christ in you at all that which reproves you for sin in your hearts is not the true Christ but a false nor is it the least measure of that Light which was in him that shineth in your hearts and lets you see your sins this Light in you can not teach you the saving knowledg of God nor lead you unto God although ye should follow it never so faithfully but we can teach you the true and saving knowledge of God and if ye doe what we ●id you doe ye shall certainly be saved we can pawn our soules for you therefore heare us and ye shall be saved 3. But if ye heare not us ye can not expect Salvation we are the alone Ambassadours that God hath sent unto you to teach you and lead you into the Kingdom of GOD you need no other immediate Teacher or Preacher nay ye need not that Christ should be in you at all you need no immediate teachings of Christ or of God at all immediate revelations are ceased since the Apostles dayes and there is no use of them means are so plentifull I appeal to all sober and impartial men if this be not to set up themselvs in the place of Christ. 4. And what 's the cause that these men are so