were enlightned and led by him they would make a Difference and separate the precious from the vile but they do not Distinguish between the Righteous and the Wicked but Condemn them together and so are Abomination to the Lord So that thereby it is plainly seen that they are not of God that they are not as his Mouth to the People as they pretend Jer. 9. It is the Seducing Spirit we may be sure that doth bely and Reproach the Lord's People and his Works and Operations in them By this and other Characters afore-mentioned we may be as sure who the Men are as if their Proper Names whereby the World knows them from other Men were Recorded in Scripture For as the Lords People may certainly know that their Names are in the Scriptures and are Written in Heaven in the Book of Life Gods Eternal Decree and Secret Counsell by Seeing and Reading their Natures Properties and Qualifications in the Scriptures to which Eternal Life is promised I say they may know thereby that they themselves are the Persons as certainly as if their Proper Names were there Recorded whereby they are known amongst Men So on the contrary of Wicked and Ungodly Men they are also known in like manner by their Natures Properties and Qualifications We know who hath said Births of the Spirit and of the Flesh That which is Born of the flesh is flesh and that which is Born of the spirit is spirit We may know of what it is Born by the Birth that is brought forth Satan he broods upon the Carnal Spirits of wicked Men and begets false Notions Opinions and Principles we may know they are of his begetting by their Form and shape when they are brought forth Principles of Pride self-love false Notions and other Deformed shapes when they are Conceived then after a while they are brought forth they are born they are Published and Declared in Discourse Preaching Writing or Printing the Births of Mens minds their Fleshly Carnal Minds are brought forth into the World and they are so like their Father the Devil that thereby they may be known who was the Father of them So on the contrary That which is Born of the spirit is spirit the spirit of God dwells in his People and he daily works and moves in them he Inspires them with Truths according to the Mind of God which the Spiritual Mind Conceives and brings forth in Prayer Preaching Discourse and Writings and these Conceptions are Born and brought forth into the World to the View and Knowledge of all And that which is thus born of the spirit is spirit or spiritual it is Truth According to the Mind of the spirit for he that is joyned to the Lord is one spirit one with him of his Mind The Saints are Unanimous of the same Mind with God as Wicked and Unregenerate Men are unanimous with the Devil they are of his Mind and he of theirs for he Ruleth in the Children of Disobedience The Devil speaks against Christ and so do they though they will own him in Words in Form in Shew and Pretence yet in Deed in Works really they deny him The Devil will own the Scriptures in words as he does Christ in words and say Thou art the Holy one of God so will those who are one spirit with him but will deny him really and according to Truth The Devil will own the Scriptures and Argue from them to attain his ends but never to prove a Necessary Truth So false Teachers are unanimous with him in these things for he that is joyned to the Devil is one Spirit even as he that is joyned to the Lord is one Spirit How great then is the sin of these Men Spiritual sins are greater than fleshly sins who Conceive in their Minds and bring forth the Births of the Devil as all Doctrines of Devils are Surely These Spiritual sins are greater than fleshly sins as Drunkenness Gluttony Adultery Murder c. If Robbery or Murder of a Man be so great a sin what is it to Rob God and to Crucifie and be guilty of the Blood of Christ Though for these and such like when Men will not be reclaimed from them God often gives them up to a Reprobate Mind Rom. 1. Even so he does also for these spiritual sins false Opinions Doctrines and Principles Concerning Christ his Natures Righteousness Merits and the things of God when they will not be Instructed but hate to be Reformed and change their Mind when they will not hearken to the Truth but still resist it disown it contradict and Blaspheme when the Truths of the Gospel have been often Offered and tendred to them yet they will not hear nor regard but rather believe Lyes than the Truth then God gives them up to strong delusion to believe Lyes and to hearken and give heed to seducing spirits this is a very dreadful state indeed they draw these spiritual Judgments upon themselves by these spiritual sins The Quakers setting up this Idol The Light within every Man and Woman is a greater sin in them than for Jezebels false Prophets to set up Baal and Pray unto it and trust in it instead of the God of Israel May it not Ironically be said to them as Elisha said to those false Prophets Cry aloud for he is a god as ye say but he is but a Blind god he hath Eyes indeed but he cannot see Ears but he cannot hear Hands and Feet but he cannot move to help or do any thing for those who Trust in him without help from another If these Men will not be pleaded nor perswaded out of their Vain Ignorant sottish Opinion of the Light within every Man and Woman being Christ let Men endeavour to Shame them out of it for it hath not so much as a shew or shadow of Truth in it but is plainly a most dreadful delusion of the Devil and a great Blasphemy against Christ This Opinion of theirs The false Opinions of the Quakers spring from Pride and Ignorance with other of their false Principles springs from Pride and Ignorance And this the Apostle Observes concerning such Men 1 Tim. 6.3 4. If any Man teach otherwise and consent not to wholsome words even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ and to the Doctrine which is according to Godliness Ver. 4. He is Proud knowing nothing but Doting about Questions and strife of words whereof cometh Envy Strife Railing Evil surmisings Ver. 5. Perverse Disputings of Men of Corrupt Minds and Destitute of the Truth c. Such kind of men were also in the Apostle Johns time as we see Rev. 3.17 They were Proud and Ignorant They thought themselves Rich and had need of Nothing whereas indeed they were poor and miserable and blind and naked It is our duty to discover these kind of people to try them and to make them manifest to the world as much as may be for their false Opinions of God of Themselves and of Others is
are come to Perfection to Perfection in Sin to the highest Degrees of sinning your Iniquities are even full or very near it for how can ye rise Higher what steps are there for you yet to ascend up unto above what ye have already attained Ye have already denied the Holy one and the Just our Lord Jesus Christ that bought us ye have Crucified the Son of God afresh and put him to an open shame yea ye have trodden him under foot and counted the blood of the Covenant as a common thing and done despight to the Spirit of Grace denying his true Operations in his People and also Blasphemously Attributing the Inspirations of the Devil unto the Spirit of God in your selves ye have despised the Word of God the Scriptures the Gospel of our Lord Jesus and therein the tenders of Rich and free Grace in the Covenant of Life and Peace and preferred your own vain Fancies yea the subtil insinuations and inspirations of seducing spirits before the clear truths of the Gospel of Christ and resting in your own Righteousness for Justification and what can ye do more or worse Ye have also Despised Rejected Disowned and Separated from the people of the Lord all the particular Churches Congregations and Assemblies of the Saints yea and Reproached them also and uttered many hard and bitter speeches against them and that for seeking to do you good in turning you from the ways of sin and Death And being lifted up in your selves in the height of your Pride and vain Minds ye have thought and said of your selves that ye are the most holy people upon Earth yea the onely people of God upon the Earth And what can ye say or do more or worse than these things Have ye not attained the highest degrees of sinning even to such a Perfection as the Nature of Man is capable of or that Satan can bring it unto and therefore we witness your perfection in these Respects But as to Perfection in Grace The Quakers Imperfection in Grace as ye vainly think of your selves and would have others to esteem of you also ye are at the remotest distance that may be 1. In Knowledge seeing that ye have not as yet laid the Foundation of the Knowledge of Christ Yea are Ignorant even your Teachers of the very first Principles of the Oracles of God ye know not the difference between Nature and Grace ye are not yet able to distinguish between Natural Light in the Conscience of every Man and Woman and the true Light Jesus Christ but mistake the one for the other Ye are not able to discern the workings of the Spirit of God and the seducing spirit but mistake the one for the other Ye are so Ignorant and Blind that ye think and say Men must be Justified by the works of the Law a Man 's own personal Obedience and not by the Imputed Righteousness of Christ by Faith quite contrary to the Gospel of Christ a deadly damning Doctrine Herein lies your Perfection in Knowledge And as for your Perfection in Faith and Hope 2. In Faith and Hope how can ye believe or in what or in whom do ye Believe seeing ye have denyed Christ the Object of Faith to all true believers denyed him in his Death Righteousness Merits and in all that he hath done and Suffered for his People these things are herein and by others made manifest against you by your own Writings 1 Cor. 13. And as for your Perfection in Love 3. In Love the chiefest of all Graces ye are far from Perfection in that also All the Love ye shew forth is but self-love to your selves and among your selves Every particular Person thinking and esteeming of himself more Highly than he ought to think and would that all others should esteem highly of him also And as for any Love to others it is but to your own party such as say as ye say and do as ye do And because they poor ignorant silly people are willing to hang upon your Lips the Teachers and to take all for granted that ye say as if your sayings were the Oracles of God for that ye Love them They esteem more of the sayings of their Teachers than of the sayings of God as one of them not long since expressing her desires to have some of her Friends Books one said to her she had the Scriptures she might employ her self there She Answered That the Bible indeed is a good honest thing but she had rather Read some of her Friends Books So we see That in all these things ye have Witnessed perfection as ye call it which indeed is at the furthest distance from perfection so far as not yet Witnessing the first beginnings of Grace in you But as for the other kind of Perfection that is Perfection in sin in the highest degrees of sinning ye do Witness it and have given many clear and manifold Proofs and Evidences of your perfection in that Respect and we all that fear God who know your deadly Principles do joyn with you in this Testimony and do Witness also that ye have Witnessed Perfection O how have ye Despised the Free Grace of God and Neglected great Salvation tendred in the Gosspel which all the Saints so highly prize and value seeing God in Christ doth vouchsafe to condescend so low to poor sinful Dust and Ashes in the sweet terms of the Gospel Offering Peace and Reconciliation Happiness and Glory to all those who will Accept thereof yea even Intreating and Beseeching of Miserable sinners to come in and be Reconciled to him 2 Cor. 5.20 We as Ambassadors for Christ as if Christ did beseech you by us be ye Reconciled to God How then shall they escape who Neglect so great Salvation Surely such as are deeply wounded and under the sight and sense of sin death and hell the Wrath of God the Curse of the Law they highly prize the Terms of the Gospel the Covenant of Grace the sweet and precious promises of Life Rest and Peace But those that are whole see no need of the Physitian as it appears ye do not that can make so light of the terms of Free-Grace and Love through Christ as we find ye do by many passages in your Books Where shall we find in all your Books and Pamphlets such Doctrine as the Apostle Paul Preached Paul Preacheth Christ and not the Light in every Man and Woman and wrote in all his Epistles by the Inspiration of God he set forth Christ crucified in all places where he came and instructed the people in that Fundamental Doctrine 1 Cor. 2.2 I determined not to know any thing among you save Jesus Christ and him Crucified Paul lays aside and slights all things for Christ Phil. 3.8 Yea doubtless and I count all things but loss for the Excellency of the Knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord for whom I have suffered the loss of all things and do count them but dung that I may
have rejected the word of the Lord and what wisdome is in them So then here we see plainly they that speak not and write not according to the Scriptures they have neither wisdome nor Light in them Consider this ye deluded People among the Quakers that give more heed to a dim natural light within darkned also by deluding spirits than to the Light of the Scriptures though the Sun of Righteousness shine Bright and Gloriously in them The Apostle John hath marked out such men for wicked men 1 John 4.6 We are of God he that knoweth God heareth us he that is not of God heareth not us hereby know we the Spirit of truth and the Spirit of Error What can be more plain hereby then it is Evident what sort of men these are in this Generation who will not hear the Prophets and Apostles speaking by the Spirit in the Scriptures he that will not hear Vs is not of God but on the contrary he that heareth us that is obeyeth us and is ruled and guided by that which we have spoken and written he is of God and is guided and taught by the Spirit of God which God hath also given to them that believe And farther This truth is also spoken by our blessed Lord and Savionr Christ himself even from his own mouth Joh. 8.47 when the Proud unbelieving Jewes such another proud self-conceited People as are now in our dayes would not receive his doctrine he tells them plainly what they are ver 47. he that is of God heareth Gods words ye therefore heard them not because ye are not of God Tremble and Quake at this Dreadful word ye seduced People of the Quakers who will not hear nor be guided by the Scriptures the written and declared word of God Ye are here pronounced by Christs own mouth his Prophets and Apostles that ye are not of God That is ye are not born of God ye are not born of the Spirit for that which is born of the Spirit is Spirit ye are not regenerate ye are not believers ye are no members of Christ ye are not taught of God nor led by his Spirit but by a false Spirit When Paul wrote to Timothy he commended him for that he had known the Scriptures from a child which were able to make him wise unto salvation 2 Tim. 3.15 And sayes that all Scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for Doctrine for Reproof for Correction for Instruction in Righteousness ver 17. That the man of God may be perfect throughly furnished unto all good workes But these men are so farr from being furnished to all good workes that they are reprobate to every good work they having cast-aside the Scriptures they can never be furnished any other way to any good Work Let us consider how great a favour it is from God that we have the Scriptures The Scriptures are Gods Love-letters to Mankind which are Gods Love-letters to Mankind indited by his own Spirit and written by his own servants to woo them and win them to accept of his own and only beloved Son in marriage that there may be a Contract and an everlasting Vnion between them and so they may become the Spouse of Christ the Lambs Wife And that although they have no Beauty nor Comeliness upon them yet that he will accept of them notwithstanding their Deformity if they will but but consent to the motion And Oh who would not consent to such a wonderfull condiscension in the Great and Holy God to such poor miserable creatures as we are blind and deaf deformed foul and filthy poor and needy wanting all things that might make us acceptable in his eyes But though it be so yet he hath promised that he will make us Comely and Beautiful and Rich with Ornaments and a Crown of Glory and no good thing shall be wanting to them that love him Therefore all these things considered let us have the Scriptures in high esteem and walk by them for we shall be judged by them at the last day But what a sad case are they in then who deny them as a Rule to walk by and disown them And if so great a curse shall be the portion of those who take away any part of the Scriptures as that God will take away their part out of the Book of Life and out of the holy City and from the things that are written therein Rev. 22. what shall we think will be the Portion and Punishment of those who take away all the Scripture at once and make it as a void thing and deny them to be a perfect Rule to Christians of Faith and Obedience and do instead thereof direct men to a blind guide that had need of a guide it self for that it sees nothing of the true way the truth and the life without the Scriptures Now because the spirit of God who indited the Scriptures Characters of false Prophets whereby they are known and spake by the mouth of his holy Prophets and Apostles and Christ himself also in his own person hath told us That false Prophets and Teachers should be in the later dayes and should seduce and deceive many And so subtle shall their carriage and their Doctrine be like their Teacher that they shall deceive if it were possible the very Elect And because also we know that these are the last times the last daies even these dayes wherein we live in which dayes these false Teachers foretold should come it is our duty therefore and it highly concerns every Christian to try the Spirits because even Now many false Prophets are in the world among us Let us consider and examine than who these false Prophets and Teachers are how they may be known What Marks and Characters there are set down in the Scriptures whereby these men may be known for the Spirit of God hath marked them out whereby they may be discerned from other men even whereby they may be known to be the very men foretold that should come in these last dayes Our Lord Christ hath bid us take heed of them Luk. 13.23 Behold saith he I have foretold you of these things Let us therefore consider some particulars as marks of these men First then that in the Epistle of Paul to Tim. 1 Tim. 4.1 Now the spirit speaketh expresly that in the later times some shall depart from the faith giving heed to seducing Spirits and Doctrines of Devils 1. Some shall depart from the Faith 1. Departing from the Faith Now what kind of Faith is here meant it is not a true and justifying faith for that none can depart from but it is a Temporary Faith some shaddows and fancies resembling faith such a faith as our Lord Christ speakes of Mat. 10. They believed for a while but in time of Temptation fell away 2. They also cast off and departed from Historical Faith for they regard not what is written in the Scriptures either concerning Faith or Practice
left off to be a Parish Priest yea and after that hast left off from being a Teacher among the Independents and hast disowned and forsaken the Congregations and Assemblies of the Independents and art now come and joyned with the People called Quakers And thou tellest us That these are the onely Holy People of God upon Earth and that all other Churches Assemblies and Congregations Naming the Presbyterians Independents Baptists and others are out of the way and that though they differ in Forms or Perswasions yet they agree in the same Faith Foundation and Root Answ For Answer hereunto briefly I shall not speak to Reproach thee or rail upon thee or any of thy way as thou hast done against many of the Precious Saints in the Churches of Christ saying of the Independents whose Assemblies thou hast forsaken That there was sufficient ground for thee to separate from the Tents of those ungodly Men Strong Man Armed p. 8. their Teachers who are no better than Filthy Dreamers Blind Guids and Belly-gods which belch out nothing but Lies Slanders Blasphemies and evil speeches against Christ his Ways Truths and People and this thou sayest thou seest and declarest against them in the Light I say I will not bring against thee Railing Accusations as thou dost against others but the Lord Rebuke thee and that Lying Spirit in thee and Convince thy Spirit of the Truth Concerning thy leaving off to continue a Parish Priest thou didst well but thou hadst done better if thou hadst never undertaken it for there are too many such Priests like the Priests of Old the Sons of Eli who by reason of their wickedness made the Sacrifices of the Lord to be Abhorred There are many in these Days of the same Tribe who make the Gospel of Christ his Ways Truths and People to be evil spoken of yea they make the Name of Christ to be Blasphemed and his People Reproached even through them and by their means And making others who are the true and Faithful Ministers and Ambassadors of Christ to be evil spoken of Reviled and Disowned for their sakes and because of them yea more They Occasion Separations in all parts of the Land Wo unto them for they have gone in the way of Cain and run greedily after the Error of Balaam for a Reward and get into the Priests Office that they may eat a piece of Bread that they may get a Living by it Many of them more sit for the Cart or the Plough than the Pulpit having neither Gifts of Nature nor of Grace fit for the Ministry Men that never learned Christ were never taught of God and how then can they Teach others Nay instead of Instructing others in the ways of Life and Salvation they by their wicked Examples draw them down to Hell they are the worst of Men upon Earth I have Indignation against such and am greatly grieved for the Misery of those poor Ignorant Souls of their Parishes who are like to perish for lack of Knowledge the Blind leading the Blind both will fall into the Ditch The Lord Remove them or Reform them and give Pastors after his own heart according to his Promise And for this I Commend thee James Jackson that thou didst leave off thy Profaneness and also deceiving the People as a Parish Priest But now take heed The Strong Hold of Hypocrisie is stronger than that of Profaneness lest thou art not yet deceived in the state and condition thou art now in lest the false spirit be not too subtill for thee lest Satan that strong Man Armed having quit one strong hold be not got into another that is stronger than the former for certain it is the Devil's power and policy in a way of Gross wickedness and profaneness is not half so strong a hold as the strong hold of Hypocrisie Where Reason Natural Conscience all outward Occurrences Moral Civilized Persons all can readily Reprove and help to draw a Man out of such an Estate but the strong hold of Hypocrisie and Erroneous perswasions and Practices in a way of Religion is more Dangerous and a stronger Hold where nothing but the spirit of God and an enlightned Vnderstanding to discern the Truth of the word of the Gospel can Instruct a Man especially when a Man hath passed through many or divers States Forms Opinions and perswasions and at last hath pitched upon one that he Judges and Concludes doth Exceed all the former if yet this be false and he know it not he is then in greater Danger than ever seeing his own Natural Reason and his Ignorant dim-sighted Conscience confirmed by the strong delusions of Satan that spirit that worketh and Ruleth in the Children of Disobedience do all concurre and joyn together and hold the poor soul in Bondage under Darkness which is by many taken for the true Light of Christ I say Take heed of being deceived in these things thou and thy Friends for I say the strong hold of the Devil in a way of Profaneness is not so strong as his strong hold in a way of Hypocrisie or false Worship this is Evident both by Scripture and Experience Christ told the Pharisees who were Zealous in a way of Hypocrisie That Publicans and Haâ—lots great and gross sinners in a way of Profaneness should enter into the Kingdom of Heaven before them Mat. 21.31 And that I may shew my true Love to your souls whether you will Accept it or no I will Endeavour to shew unto thee and them things in a clearer Light than yet shines in you Thou sayest the strong Man Armed the Devil is cast out of thee and Christ a stronger than he is come in and now keeps the House How is this made manifest Thy saying so does not prove it but thy Sayings and thy Doings prove the contrary and this I shall make good both by positive Scripture and by Example If any Man be in Christ The New Creature doth Evidence it self where it is he is a New Creature 2 Cor. 5.17 He that is Converted and changed from the state of Nature to the state of Grace out of whom Satan is cast and Christ come in he is New in his Vnderstanding Will Affections yea New in his whole Life and Conversation But now it appears plainly that thy Vnderstanding is still Old the same Ignorance Blindness Darkness remains upon it as is in all Natural Men and this is seen and manifest by thy false Interpretations of Scriptures and Secondly by thy false applications of them in Applying those Scriptures to the Saints true Believers Members of Christ as do belong only to the unregenerate World such as are yet in the state of Nature neither art thou changed in thy Will and Affections they are not yet New but according to the Old Nature in all unregenerate Persons as plainly appears in that thou shewest forth no true Love to the Lords precious People Members of the Body of Christ but contrariwise disownest them and
separatest from them nay more thou dost Revile them and falsly speak evil of them as is plainly seen in many passages of thy Book And as for thy Love and affections towards Christ it is Love but onely in Tongue in Word and Profession onely not in Truth Thou professest that thou Knowest and Lovest him but indeed thou denyest him in denying of his People and disowning of them for he hath said He that Despiseth you Despiseth me nay more Thou and those of thy way Deny and dishonour Christ in that ye set up his Creature and Adore it and Worship it for Christ and call it Christ in you and so make the Creator and the Creature all one Now seeing thou art an Old Creature still both in thy inner Man and outward Man in thy Conversation How canst thou think thou art changed or that the Strong Man Armed is cast out but rather that he is Removed to a stronger hold Nay Paul's Example a Looking-Glass further Let us try by another Touch-stone whether thou art true Gold or no Paul we know was once in a Carnal state in a state of Nature in Darkness but was Called and Converted And we see he shews forth and manifests to all that his state was changed for he soon after prayed earnestly to God and he Preached the Gospel he stood up Zealously to Preach that Jesus which lately before he persecuted in his Members He Banished them and Imprisoned them and did many mischiefs to them yea and thought verily he did well and that he ought to do many things against Jesus of Nazareth and this was from the Light within which thou and thy Friends say is in every Man and Woman and which ye adore for God and Christ But when he was Converted this Light was known to be but Darkness by the true Light Jesus Christ when he shined into his soul when this Sun of Righteousness arose it scattered his Darkness Now Compare thy Change and Conversion as thou callest it with Paul's Conversion for his was true and see how like thine looks to his or how unlike it and thereby thou and others may gain Instruction Thou and others may plainly see how much thou art Deceived in that thou thinkest and say'st The strong Man armed is cast out of thee Do but look thy self in this glass of the Example of Paul and thou wilt see thy self like him as he was before his Conversion as like him as one Man can be like another But if thou lookest thy self in the Example of Paul after his Conversion then thou art no more like him than an Ape is like a Man perhaps some dark shadows and simple Resemblances some seeming likeness but nothing of Truth or Reality in any Spiritual Respects Paul before his Conversion Raged against the Saints and was very bitter against them but afterwards when he was enlightned and Converted he joyns himself to them is one with them and counts it a great and precious Priviledge so to be He Preached to them that Jesus whom before he knew not but Persecuted him yea he is tender of them and Nourisheth them and Cherisheth them as a Nurse Cherisheth her Children Now consider with thy self James Jackson dost thou do so dost thou shew forth these clear Evidences of Conversion and a New state as Paul did if so then thou hast good grounds to believe that the strong Man is indeed cast out if thou say it is so then tell me what meaneth this Bleating of the Sheep and Lowing of the Oxen which I hear What meaneth thy loud out-crys and Clamours against the Lords People thy Railing Accusations against all the Churches and Congregations that are not just of thy Mind Is this Cherishing them as a Nurse cherisheth her Children as Paul did Paul Fed the Young ones and the Weak with Milk and tenderly dealt with them untill they were able to Digest stronger Meat Thou regardest not the Weak nor the Young no nor the Strong but Cryest them down all as Deceived Persons in Darkness in Babylon as Paul did before his Conversion So this proves thee to be like him before hÃs Change and consequently that the strong Man armed is not yet cast out of thee but removed to a stronger hold If thou say Nay but I Own and Love and Cherish the Holy People of the Lord unto whom I am now joyned which is a good Evidence of my Conversion and Change It is Answered That if it were supposed and granted that those People with whom thou walkest were indeed the People of the Lord as I hope many of them are who know not their false Doctrines for I will not be severe as the manner of some is to Condemn all for the Errors of some amongst them yet art thou far short of Paul's Spirit who owned all the Saints though under Different Forms To the Jews he became as a Jew to the Greeks as they to those under the Law as under the Law to those without Law as without Law he became all things to all in such Indifferent Un-commanded things as Forms are that so he might gain them to Christ But thou cleavest to a few and many of them under strong Delusions and there thou helpest to strengthen their Deceived Minds in Errors Deâ—eiving and being Deceived Why art thou not a Follower of Paul herein as he beseeches all to be as he is a Follower of Christ Now Christ Owns Loves and Accepts all his People under all Forms being United to him as Members of his Body Worshipping of him in Spirit and in Truth So the Apostle tells us In every Nation though they are not one in their Forms there being several in this Nation he that feareth God and worketh Righteousness is accepted with him Now how are we Followers of Christ or of Paul herein if they are not Accepted of us also The Apostle Paul was Exercised with such proud Proud Professors in Paul's Time Reproved self-conceited troublesome persons in his time as are now in ours and he deals with them and Reproves them even for this very thing that I am now speaking of that is Highly esteeming of themselves and Despising others as we see 2 Cor. 10.7 some High Proud Persons that Commended themselves and valued themselves above Paul and those that were of his Assemblies they thought that they themselves were the onely people of the Lord but as for Paul and his Followers they had no such perswasion of them But the Apostle Reproves them and tells them they have as good grounds and Reason to think as well of him and those with him as of themselves 1 Cor. 10.7 If any Man think that he is Christs let him think this again that as he is Christ's even so are we Christ's let them have as good an Opinion of us as they have of themselves for they have as good grounds for it But saith he they are a People that look upon some things in Themselves but take no Notice of any