beware of thy spirit who art not guided by the spirit of Christ Jesus nor of the Father but a worker of darkness a revâ—ler of the light of Christ calling it false Prophet-like as being led with the spirit of the Dragon the Beast Perverse Principle We have measured thy spirit to be as I have said and he that speaks otherwise speaks as a lye and if the Protector and his Councel believes oâ—herwise they believe a lye and cannot obtain a blessing though thou with thy lying spirit pray for them whom God the Father of blessings hears not but is against thee and this is my prayer the Lord rebuke thee thy wicked tongue and give the Protector and his Councel a better understanding than to believe thee else will the Lord make them cursed to themselves and to the Nations of them my heart hopes better things and this might serve for a full Answer to thy whole Book and by this little of thy work that I have viewed and turned unto the sigh of all art thou discovered to be an enemy to God and a secret envier of his people and by what thou hast said it appeares what the rest of the whole matter can be an evil spirit cannot bring forth good works but yet a little further is my matter unvayled for the sake of the upright And further J. S. after his wicked Presentation to the Rulers of this Nation with lyes and evill Speeches proceeding out of his old heart he writes an Epistle out of the same heart to the Church as he calls them wherein is many words uttered but altogether tasted with that leaven of his malice against Quakers and Quakerism who seemes to be the greatest burthen upon his evil heart because truth is among them if truth go on his deceit wil be more made manifest wither and perish and so as subtilly as may be he would defend himself in the sight of his Church that his shame may not appear before them it may be least his Hire should be abated and he seems to cast a cloak upon them but whether out of pure love to their Soules or for his owne Gain such a sum of Money God knowes how ever the least Child in the truth dwelling in the light sees his length and can measure his state knows that good cannot come from an old lying heart he speaks something of wondering after the beast and false Prophet but hath not described what the Beast is and the false Prophet And I refer the Reader to a Book called The Measure of the Times wherein the Priests of England such as J. S. is reproved according to the Scripture to be the very branches of the same Root of false Prophets which all the World wondered after in Johns time though he speak much to his Church of Christ without and of his birth blood and his righteousness and justification thereby c. but to all that I say All are Reprobates but such in whom Christ is within them and none are justified but such nor hath any part in the inheritance of God though they may profess never so much of Christ without and what he hath done for others yet except he be within them too to change and renew them and give them power over all their sins their profession of him is vain I am no picker of Quarrels else many of his words might be searched which I run over hastily knowing his voice to be the voice of a stranger and not of Christ who never made use of an old sinful heart to pen Epistles to Churches But into this lets search he saith Christ blesseth Infants-Baptism Where or when I aske proof of this and till then I say J.S. hath belyed Christ and the generation of the just Wel may he bely us when he hath bely'd Christ who could not bleâ—s that which there was not there was no Infants baptism that ever we read of in his dayes sure people will be more wise than to be established through Lyes else their sin be upon them if through hardnesse of heart they be given up to believe Lyes that they may perish He speakes of a well ordered Conversation Inded this seems Hypocrisie to exhort others their Churches to that which many of the Independent Teachers have not thmselves who are Hirelings and takes Guifts and Rewards for Preaching and is in the way of all the Deceivers of old and they that do these things have not a wel ordered Conversation but a Conversing with the generation of ungodly when we read the plain words of Christ Luke 17. The Kingdom of Heaven is within you he saith we madly wrest the reading of the words when we neither add nor diminish now he seems to say It is the Kingdom of Heaven among you and not the Kingdom of heaven within you and so blames the Scripture and confoundâ— the doctrine of many of the Independents who say the Scripture is believers Rule but he seems to charge ths Scripture with false translations and therefore is subject to alteration and so cannot be the Rule of Believers according to his own account thus by wicked men are we blam'd when we do not speak according to Scripture language and now as wickedly charged by I. S. for speaking just in the Scripture-expressions with madly wresting the words but thus it was before whatsoever we do now by enemies must be reviled and our words abused contrary to our innocent intents Then in the end of his Epistle he desires the Prayers of his Church that his Reply may be accompanyed with power according to the truth of it Indeed so it shall and no more according to the truth of it which is very falshoods and deceits so shall the power of the Lord confound it and turne it into folly and confusion as may he seen by a sober man who this following doth with patience read and weigh Then many things is uttered by him in his Epistle to the Reader he seems to shew he saith how R. F. and his Associates have made up A Litter and Fardel of Erroneous Divinity and secretly charging us with making up of what we professe from some Writers before us But to this I answer His reproachfull words Litter and Fardel and Erroneous we beare with patience rather rejoycing that we are accounted worthy of the reproach for the truth sake from an envious man then to be angry with our reproaches But however let him and all our enemies know what we professe and bear witness of we receive not from man but from God even the Gospel which we testify of by the revelation of Jesus Christ in us we received it informs others to the same door which is by our Ministry that they may receive the same and this is but his poor shift to undervalue the power and truth of Jesus in the sight of men who would falsly make men believe That our Doctrines are but the spawn of
believe and they that believe not that he is so shall die in their sins as Christ saith John 8.24 But J.S. going on in his own devised Fables would pervert the words of truth both in our writings and in the Apostles as it is manifest in his writings of this reviling Rebuke concerning R.F. and J.N. E.B. and F.H. and others which whosoever read their words and his they may discern truth from devised fables without much Reply upon it as in places he is mingling his own words with theirs joyning a lye to the truth that he may contradict it as false as every one that reades with understanding will see which when they have spoken plain truths which he himself hath often in his Book confessed unto to be truth will afterwards give his meaning to 〈◊〉 words as he hath done unto the Apostles words saying If they meane thus c. Then he goes about to contradict his own meaning and when he hath contradicted his owne meaning then he saith he hath contradicted their words though he have before confessed the truth of their words so he hath not contradicted the words as they were spoken but because they spoke not his meaning with the words therefore the true words must be false in his judgment and bear his rebuke as his Book doth make manifest and adding his lye to the words of truth these two things are his greatest proofs to resist the truth In page 77. he hath mingled his own words with the words of R.F. in wâ—ich page he acknowledgeth a former addition and yet reneweth another R.F. having been speaking of the light which hath enlightened every man which cometh into the World he adds which where it is and it is in every man it reneweth the judgment c he here adding his own and then rebuking it would make people believe lyes that all might be damned who believ not the truth But on the contrary for we never have said that every mans judgment is renewed with the ligbt though they be enlightened for they are enlightened who haâ—e it and who are void of true judgement because they hate the light which they be enlightened withal And also the Apostles words he perverts and gives meaning unto which if he did not they would be a plain testimony with that which he hath set himself to oppose so giving meanings both to their wordâ— and our words his meanings must be the ground of his Believers Faith and not the Scriptures as he said before The Apostle Peter speaking of a more sure Word of Prophesie wherein they did well to take heed as unto a light that shineth in a darke place till the day dawn and the day-star arise in their hearts 2 Pet 1.19 knowing this first that no Prophesie of the Scriptures is of any private interpretation for the Prophesie came not in old time by the will of man but holy men of God spake as they were moved of the holy Ghost To this J.S. adds not heart-prophesie no breast-prophesie but written down in Books c. which is contrary to the Apostls words for he doth not exclude heart-prophesie for there was never any prophesie but did proceed out of the heart before it was written in any Book And the Apostle saith Untill the day dawn and the day-star arise in your hearts and that holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the holy Ghost and that vvhich moved them to speak Prophesies was in their hearts and the Apostle did not bid them wait till the day star did arise in the Scriptuâ—es but till it did rise in their hearts and then he told them how the Prophesies of the Scriptures came Peter saying Untill the day dawn and the day-star arise in our hearts J.S. saith That is untill by the study of the Scriptures more light he cleered up c. Now let all them of understanding read and compare his words the Apostles and they may well conclude with his confession that he hath an old lying heart and flesh in which dwells no truth but the root of errour and gainsaying of the truth and as for many others of his devised fables and false meanings though I let them passe here unanswered yet they may be seen with the mind informed in the truth and all who are of God and of the truth may know that it is a small matter for us to be rebuked or judged to be in confusion who so evidently hath confounded both our words and the Apostles into his owne false meanings and so contradicts them both but that remaineth sure which gaves forth the Scriptures and abideth in us and we know that they cannot be broken but must be fulfilled as they were given forth by the Word which they were given forth from by taking heed unto which the young mans way is cleansed by which the old lying heart is reproved that which was given forth from that Spirit cannot be by it denyed but that which would darken words without knowledg is denyed that which would set up devised fables above Christ the Spirit and Scriptures that by the Spirit is denyed without contradiction and as we shall by the Spirit and by the Scriptures trye John Stelhams Doctrinâ— which if he deny them both then by his owne Argument we shall prove him and see whether he will own himself to be judged by that with which he would judge others whether they be Messengers sent by Gods Spirit His Assertion laid down Page 60. to try withall is this Such Messengers as speak more than is in the Scripture are not sent by GOD'S Spirit nor guided by him to what they say By this then is all that of him before mentioned cast out being both more and contrary to what is in the Scripture as also that which is to be declared as followeth in his second head as he calls it of Scripture Contradiction he is speaking concerning a Trinity and three Persons which words are not spoken in the Scriptures he meaning the Father Son and Spirit by such nameâ— as the Scripture never did so about words names which the Scripture doth not mention arsing out of the Divination of his heart doth he multiply words to hide the truth and shuâ— the Kingdom from men and so hath no ground for the word three persons from the Scripture but the Scripture in one translation speaking of Christ being the express Image of the Fathers Peâ—son and in another â—ranslation saith that he is the expresse Figure of the Fathers substance as he is witnessed to be by those that know him and so till he find the word three persons and Trinity in the Scriptures let him owne his own rule to judg him to be no Messenger sent by Godâ— Spirit because he speakes more than is in the Scripture who saith the holy Ghost is a Person and this person dwells in Saints though not personally mark this A Person dwell in the Saints not personally all this confusion is as
of Religion that Popery should be tolerated the blood of many thousands of the People of God having been barbarously shed by the Professors thereof or any person tolerated that worship a false God nor any that speak contemptuously and reproachfully of our Lord Jesus Christ nor any that deny the holy Scriptures contained in the Books of the Old and new-New-Testament to be the Word of God and yet we are not against tolerating of Episcopacy Presbyter or any stinted form provided they do not compel any others to a compliance therewith or a conformity thereunto For whatever Composers of any form of Worship may possibly err it is derogating from God and his holy Word and injurious to men to compel any to the practice thereof Ans. What confusion is here and contradiction both to your selves and to the exâ—mple of Christ As to Religion you wil not tolerate Popery because the blood of many of the people of God have been barbarously shed by the professors thereof neither wil you have any persons tolerated that worship a false God nor any that speak contempâ—uously and reproachfully of the Lord Jesus Christ nor any that deny the holy Scriptures contained in the Books of the Old new-New-Testament to be the Word of God And yet you are not against tolerating of Episcopacy Presbytery or any stinted form Why wil you not tolerate Popery as well as Episcopacy Have not the professors of Episcopacy murthered and slain and do labour to murther and slay the people of God as well as the Papists And why will you tolerate the Common-Prayer among the Episcopacy and not the Mass-Book among the Papists seeing that the Mass was the substance out of which the Common-prayer was extracted Here is nothing but partiality to tolerate one thing and not another of the same kind And why will you not tolerate the persons of those that worship a false God nor the persons of those that deny the Scriptures to be the Word of God nor the persons of those that speak contemptuously and reproachfully of the Lord Jesus Christ Ans. If you will not tolerate their persons then you will murther or destroy their persons and herein you have proved the accusation against you to be true that you have a design to murther and destroy those that differ from you in matters of Religion As for instance those that worship a false God they differ from you in matters of Religion and you will not have any of their persons tolerated and their persons must be destroyed for differing from you in matters of Religion And they that deny the Scriptures that is the Writings to be the Word of God that is to be Christ whose Name is called the Word of God you will not tolerate their persons then you will destroy them because they differ from you in matters of Religion And those that speak reproachfully of Jesus Christ you wil not tolerate their persons then you wil destroy their persons because they differ from you in matters of Religion and thus having contradicted your selves you have also contradicted the example of Christ for he came among those that worshipped false Gods even stocks and stones and graven Images the Works of mens hands and he was not against tolerating their persons neither came he to destroy mens lives because of such things but had a Gospel to preach unto them whereby they might learn to know the living God and turn from dumb Idols and those that speak reproachfully against him and said he had a Devil yet he was not against tolerating their persons but preached the Kingdom of God to them and did bid them seek it and the righteousness thereof and told them that the Kingdom of God was within them and he wâ—s among such as denied that there was a God or Christ or Resurrection Angel or Spirit and this is more than to deny the Scriptures to be the Word of God which indeed is words and not the Word And Christ was not against tolerating of any of the persons as you have expressed your selves to be and so shewed forth a murthering Spirit But seeing that you wil not have any person tolerated that worships a false God what must be done vvith their persons But what difference is there in the ground or cause of toleration between those that vvorship a false god or they vvhich vvorship the true God in a false vvay And if the persons of neither of those should be tolerated then the toleration vvould but reach a little compass But vvho must be Judge of that blasphemy contempt or reproach spoken against the Lord Jesus Christ Was it not blasphemy in the Apostles days for one to say he was a Jew and was not Rev. 2. v. 9 And is it not as great blasphemy now to say that he is a Christian or a Believer that is not And must not any person be tolerated that speak such vvords And must not such a person be tolerated that denies the Scriptures to be the Word of God Then it appears they must not be tolerated that say In the beginning was the Word as John 1.4 Nor that say that Christ is the Word and that the Scriptures are they which testifie of him as John 5. And if we search out your toleration to the bottom it will be reduced into this compass That none shall be tolerated but those that say as you say and profess what you profess and you among your selves are as a Kingdom divided that cannot stand and you are not they vvhich are fit to Rule in the Nation to prescribe Liberty nor give toleration but if you had been of Christ's Spirit you would have professed Toleration and not Destruction unto all persons in matters of Religion and then they that have the Gospel of Christ may minister it freely among those that vvorship a false god and among those that worship the true God ignorantly and minister it among the Papists â—piscopal and Presbyterie Heathens Turks and Pagans which are all out of the way and so to convince the gain-sayers so that all the wicked impositions cruelty persecution and killing one another about Religion would cease and then the Gospel of peace which is the power of God would rule over deceit and Truth and Righteousnesse would encrease and spread over the Nations but you have appeared to be of a spirit of Confusion and Contradiction for vvhen you have spoken against tolerating the persons before mentioned yet you say in contradiction to it you are not against tolerating Episcopacy Presbyterie or any stinted Form provided they do not compel any others to a compliance therewith or conformity thereunto c. Now consider and let even your own foolishness correct you Is not the Papists which ye have have excepted against a stinted Form And are not those that vvorship a false god a stinted Form And are not the Sadduces that deny that there is either God Christ Angel Resurrection or Spirit a stinted Form And is not the