Antichrist's strongest Hold overturned OR The Foundation of the Religion of the People called QUAKERS Bared and Razed In a DEBATE had with some of them in the Castle at Lancaster AND IN An Additional Account of the Light within Wherein is shewed 1. That their first Principle is a Lye 2. That their Christ is not the true Jesus 3. That their Idolatry is worse and more dangerous then Jeroboam's or the Papists 4. That their Principle denies the great mystery of godliness departs from the Faith and leads to give attendance to the doctrine of Daemons Here also is shewed the occasion of their Rise and Growth together with the right way of discovering their secret delusions Lastly the best things that the best of this people pretend to own are here mentioned and allowed Hereunto is annexed an APPENDIX Wherein their evil language is discovered and compared with the language of the false Prophets All which is published at the desire of certain friends some of whose Letters are prefixt for common benefit By J. W. 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 Ioh. 5. 21. Little children keep your selves from idols 2 Joh. 7. For many deceivers are entred into the world who confess not that Christ is come in the flesh this is a deceiver and an Antichrist London Printed for the Author in the year 1665. An ADVERTISEMENT To all the faithful followers of the Lamb in Lancashire in and about Manchester Warrington and Lancaster And to all in every place that love the Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity to whose view the following Discourse may come AS it was my desire and disposition during the time of my imprisonment amongst the people called Quakers to live peaceably and to avoid contests with them So when I was forced for truths sake to a debate with them and afterwards to give forth a relation thereof together with an account of the light within man there was not the least intention or inclination in me to commit my papers to the Press until many friends having perused them did as appears by the first letters prefixed to the following discourse with many arguments urge me to make them more publick Which thereupon I resolved speedily to do and to that end did review and transcribe them with some enlargement as they are hereafter in this book presented Afterwards it being suggested by some that it was not a season to print against this people being great sufferers lest it should adde affliction to their bonds I did thereupon lay aside my papers for divers months And was the more easily inclined thereto not simply because they are sufferers But 1. For that they which is much more the duty of others who owne the truth as it is in Jesus and that worship which is prescribed by himself do stand fast in the defence of their liberty publickly owning that worship which they judge though erroneously agreeable to truth notwithstanding any humane Law to the contrary And 2. That in respect of the powers imposing upon them without warrant from the Lord though in respect of the wrong they do to the man Christ Jesus to his Gospel and to their own souls they be far from innocencie they suffer as Innocents as if thus understood they do often truly call themselves And hence it is that in greatest probability the Laws made against them and their prosecutors have not hitherto had nor will hereafter have any better success then the persecutors of the Innocent in all ages have had whose violence was never blest to convert any from the errour of his way but hath always been an effectual means as to confirm and strengthen the persecuted in his way yea though a mistaken and erroneous way as is evident in this people at this day so to bring swift and inevitable destruction upon themselves Yet notwithstanding being again called upon and desired by divers to go on with this work I had these following Considerations encouraging thereto 1. Many judicious and sober persons who judge the work may be for common benefit do call for its publication 2. The discourse is not level'd against their persons nor against any appearance that is commendable in them but onely against their Errors and miscarriages Nor are those in power stir'd up against them but on the contrarie their violence is witnessed against 3. An endeavour to recover some out of the snare of the devil and to prevent the apostacy of others which are aymed at in this undertaking is such an absolute duty as may not be suspended out of fear that some who have the sword in their hand should take advantage thereby to abuse their power 4. By how much this people are carried out to suffer above many others and by this fair shew in the flesh are apt to glory in their way as the only way to life and that many unable or negligent in the tryal of spirits and principles are liable to be snared and taken by them by so much it seems more necessarie at this time to discover the sandie foundation upon which their whole building stands and how pernitious it will prove to their souls who build thereon that Sathans deep designe in drawing men thereto being unveiled poor weak and unstable souls may better discerne that their glorying in their sufferings yea in giving their bodies to be burned upon the account of such a foundation is vain 5. Lastly and especially in as much as the principle contended against doth not only deny the man Christ Jesus and make void his sufferings death and blood with their effects but that Satan hereby would dethrone him and by this most subtil way of changing himself into an Angel of light would get into the Temple of God and shew himself as God that he may be worshipped as God I account it my dutie what ever the effect may be to be found faithfull to my dear Head the Lord Jesus Christ in discovering according to the measure of light received from him this secret and last designe of his and his peoples grand adversarie to the end that he may through the blessing of the blessed and only Potentate upon these weak endeavours receive such a blow that neither he nor his ministers who be transformed as the ministers of righteousness may proceed any further Thus dear friends you have an account of the principal motives which after some delay have prevailed with me to present these Papers to publike view It 's probable the old enemy whose strong-hold is here undermined will rage yet more against me and be active in the spirits of some to follow me with such language as you may read in the Appendix but I matter not the judgement of mans day the Lord who searcheth the heart knows that the honour of his Name and the undeceiving and saving of precious souls is more to me then a name
in them for which I am ready to suffer as well as they If the whole seem too tedious for your perusal which indeed is much larger then was first intended by the Marginal notes you are directed to the several branches of the Discourse and so you may either read all or that part wherein you chiefly desire satisfaction â—o Wigan 3d M. 10. d. 1664. A true Relation of the occasion and manner of a debate held in the Castle at Lancaster the 17th day of the first Month vulgo March 1663-64 between J. W. and George Fox John Stubs and many others of the People called Quakers about the Light within Together with true Copies of divers Letters and other Writings which passed between them and me Also an Additional Account of the Light that is in every man shewing what it is what it can do and what it cannot do wherein Henry Wood and others may find that which answers their Queries HAving been Prisoner at the aforesaid place divers weeks upon the 23. of the 12 th Month commonly called February I was put into a Chamber near unto many of the aforesaid people being also prisoners their way and mine leading through a common Hall we passed by one another peaceably about 12. dayes viz. till the 5th day of the next Month upon which day one Thomas Curwen said unto me as I quietly passed through the Hall Friend leave off thy deceiving the people thou art a Deceiver My answer was mild to this purpose Saist thou so consider well what thou hast said and whether thou canst make good thy word and tell me as I come back whom I have deceived or wherewith I have deceived any or how thou canst prove me a Deceiver As I turned from him he further uttered these words Thou teachest the way and knowest it not thy self By which I supposed he would have made good his assertion viz. That I was a deceiver At my return I told him and some other of his Friends That I looked upon his censure to be very rash and gâ—oundless and that little of truth would be found in his saying That I taught the way and knew it not my self inasmuch as it is not possible for any man to teach that which he knoweth not But instead of proving what he had said he passed more censures upon me as That I was a stranger and that he knew my voiâ—e to be voice of a stranger Likewise William Wilson another of them used some harsh expressions towards me I having said They neglected some Ordinances of Christ as Baptism and breaking of bread He told me I upheld beggarly rudiments So I left them and went to my Chamber The same day towards evening a Letter was brought to me by one of these people subscribed with the Name of Tho. Câ—rwen a true Copy whereof followeth Friend John Wiggans whereas thou was offended because I called thee a Deceiver and said thou teached the way to others and knew'st it not thy self Although the words seem to be improper to thee yet thou maist read how the Apostle said Some preached Christ who was the way the truth and the life and yet such who so preached him knew him not but were alse Apostles transforming themselves as the Ministers of Righteousness And now I would have thee mind whether thou thy self be not in their footsteps who thus preached Christ and so a Decâ—iver And answer me these Queries as followeth 1. Whether thy way never fell 2. Where be all the daubers 3. Whether all the Ministers of Adams house in the fall daubed not with untempered morter 4. Whether or no while a man 's upon the earth he shall be made free from the body of sin and death while he is on this side the grave 5. And whether Christ doth enlighten every man that comes into the world with a saving Light 6. Whether is bread and wine Christ the substance 7. And how long hast thou taken bread and wine in remembrance of Christs death till he come 8. And whether or no when he is come thou wilt take it in remembrance of him 9. And which is the nearest to take a thing in remembrance of his deâ—th or to come into his death 10. And whether or no thou thinkest to come any nearer to Christ than to take bread and water in remembrance of him 11. And whether or no dost thou think to come any nearer to Christs death than to take bread and wine in remembrance of his death and so keep alive in the old nature And is not this the deceiver 12. Hast thou known the death the pangs and the sorrow And art thou become a fool for Christs sake And is the wisdom of the world foolishness to thee And in what place buriest thou thy own 13. And how comes thou to receive that which is foolishness to the world and how wast thou wakened out of sleep and when did the grave open and when did the Prisoner shew himself forth 14. And when did the tongue of the dumb sing 15. And when was the tongue of the first-born silent 16. And when wast thou come to thy wits end 17. And how often hast thou watered thy couch 18. And what is the tongue of the learned 19. And what is the gray hairs 20. And what is it that Antichrist and the false Prophets râ—vened from and where was it 21. And when did the keeper of the house tremble and the strong man bow himself 22. And hast thou the same power and spirit to baptize and give bread and wine as the Apostles had and hast thou heard the voice of Christ as they did 23. And seeing thou takest offence at me because I called thee a Deceiver what is the true way and where is it and whether all mankind be enlightened by it and whether it be in man or out 24. And whether or no thou hast seen it or heard it or heard the voice of God or seen his shape Answer me these Queries in a Scripture way in writing and bring forth thy deeds to the light or else I do intend to stick a Copy of them on the door to morrow From thy Friend Thomas Curwen 1. M. 5. d 1663 4. Directed For John Wiggans These Having perused this Letter and perceiving the advantage that was sought by limiting so short a time for the answering his queries and by threatning to stick a Copy of them upon the door the next day if they were not answered tho most of the queries were frivolous and matters of more weight were under my consideration yet lest my silence should occasion boasting to which they are very propense I presently drew up the answer following to that query which concerns the foundation of most of their mistakes viz. The Light within Thomas Curwen I received a Paper a few hours ago subscribed with thy Name wherein thou or some one for thee writes that I was offended because thou calledst me a deceiver and saidst I taught
him in his natural birth whereby he is enbabled to see himself quite thorow and to know all his own inward motions and outward actions and to look upon things that are made without and upon a Law of works within written in his heart and thereby we know something of his Creator and of his own dutie what is right to be done â—â—d not only so but by reflecting upon that Law he may see the regularitie or inregularitie of his own actions and according to their conformitie or non-conformitie thereto may have peace a legal peace or trouble in his conscience and this it may do where Christ as the way the truth and the life is not so much heard of thus it was with Adam the light and Law within him first convinceth him of sin troubles and torments him so that he runs to hide himself from the presence of God Gen. 3. 10. I was afraid and hid my self before the promise of grace was held forth in the seed of the woman ver 15. And thus having declared how much is to be acknowledged concerning the light within common to all men whereby it evidently appears to be a great an excellent and in many respects a very necessarie light I proceed to speak of the second branch namely What the remaining Light in every man cannot do But first by the way it ought to be remembred that the light whereof we speak whether we respect the Candle-Light of mans spirit or the Light of the Law written in his heart is a natural Light that is a Light that is in the nature of all men for though it be true that if this Light be considered abstractly and apart or with respect to its Author and efficient cause the Father of Lights and Spirits it is Spiritual in which sence not only the Law as the Apostle speaks Rom. 7. 14. but all Light whatsoever may be called Spiritual yet when this Light is considered as united to its subject and by the Law of Creation according to the good pleasure of the Creator put into the nature of man for the enabling him as a man to perform that obedience which God requires of him for his own glory thus it is a natural Light or a Light flowing from the principles of nature without which as was said before there could not be a man so that as there is a natural man 1 Cor. 2. 14. a natural mind a natural understanding a natural conscience so is there a natural Light in man This is evident from the Apostles words Rom. 2. 14. For when the Gentiles that is unconverted Gentiles which have not the Law do by nature the things contained in the Law these having not the Law are a Law to themselves Mark here they do the things contained in the Law but how the Apostle answers 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by nature that is by the Light of nature or by natural internal Light there being no other inward guide but Light so when the Apostle saith 1 Cor. 11. 14. Doth not nature it self teach c. It must be understood of inward Light which is natural and it remains that I shew what this Light cannot do Notwithstanding this Light of nature remaining in man since the fall be an excellent Light and very useful as hath been said yet in several respects it is â—o deficient and useless even in those things that concern his everlasting happiness that unless the help of a greater Light be given in for his reliefe he will perish everlastingly For first it is utterly unable to bring any man to life that doth most exactly obey and follow it its true the Law which is a Light in a natural mans heart was ordained to life that is to be a Rule which if man had obeyed he should have had life as a just and equal reward of his obedience according to that of the Apostle Rom. 7. 10. The Commandment which was ordained to life c. and Rom. 4 4. Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of Grace but of debt And this was the tenor of the Law Do and live as the Scripture testifies Rom. 10. 5. For Moses describeth the righteousness which is of the Law that the man which doth those things shall live by them But when sin entred into the world by Adam and death by sin and so passed upon all men for that all have sinned in him according to Rom. 5. 12. Wherefore as by one man sin entred into the world and death by sin and so death passed upon all men 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in whom all have sinned Now I say Adam is driven out of Paradice and a flaming sword that turns every way guards the way of the Tree of Life that neither he nor any of his posterity over whom the death reigned though they had not sinned after the similitude of Adamâ— transgression Rom. 5. 14. could enter into the Life by the Gate of doing or working as the Apostle teacheth Rom. 3. 20 Therefore by the deeds of the Law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight for now all being under sin Rom. 3. 9. and subject to the judgement of God Rom. 3. 19. the Law can only make known the transgression to the sinner Rom. 3. 20. for by the Law is the knowledge of sin but cannot offer the least help grace mercy compassion or life it wounds him and leaves him but pours in neither oyle nor wine that 's the work of Jesus Christ the good Samaritan by whom comes grace and truth John 1. 17. it knows nothing but pure Justice can speak nothing but wrath and the curse to the offender according to that Rom. 4. 15. Because the Law worketh wrath Gal. 3. 10. Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the Book of the Law to do them Nay though Adam after the first transgression had turned or any of his posterity should turn to the Candle-light of their own spirit within them and by the help thereof to the Light of the Law written in their hearts and should most exactly obey it as their Rule and never offend it more which neverthelesels since the fall it is imposble for any man to do yet so weak is the Law that it could not give them life as the holy Spirit testifieth Gal. 3 21. If there had been a Law given which could have given life verily righteousness should have been by the Law And Gal. 2. 21. If righteousness come by the Law then is Christ dead in vain I say such is the weakness of the Law that it cannot give life not in respect of it self for it is holy just and good Rom. 7. 12. and able to give life to the doers of it but in respect of its subjects who through the weakness of the flesh cannot fulfil it Rom. 8. 3. For what the Law could not do in that it was weak through