God in his Saints breathing nothing but bloud persecution and blasphemy against the Tabernacle of God and them that dwell in Heaven And so the false and formal Church and Christian are the great vvhore who denies the Lord to be her husband and being married to her own fleshly reason and wisdom she wholly bends the same against every beloved appearance of God by persecution and blasphemy This is the woman upon the Scarlet coloured beast full of names of blasphemy Quest Whether any come to the opening and fulfilling of Scripture and to see those things which Iohn saw but onely those who have the same spirit which Iohn and the holy men of God had yea or nay And whether he be Christ that hath not the same spirit yea or nay Answ As all Scripture was given by inspiration so onely truely understood and known by inspiration The Letter may be understood by the help of tongues and sciences of study and learning and other mens interpretations so far as these are lights to open the Letter but the spirit and truth of Scripture cannot be seen and known but by the breathings and operations of the same spirit which the holy man of God had And this is the Key of the Lord which hath opened the Scriptures in some measure unto me and through this power of the spirit of the Lord I have seen the Scriptures in some measure fulfilled And this is the power I wait upon to make good and fulfill all that is written within and without he that hath not this spirit to rule over him in love light and life is no true Christian no true Christ or anointed one of God Quest Whether as well he that payes Tythes as he that takes Tythes be not Antichrist holding up the first priest-hood which took Tythe by a Law and denying Christ the unchangeable Priest who put an end to Tythe to the first priest-hood and to the Law Answ If any take Tythes as a Priest of the Tribe of Levi in a way of holding up shadows and figures and carnall ordinances in room of the substance and truth of these and lookes more to his own gain than the things of Iesus Christ this man is an Antichrist that denies Christs coming in the flesh and is a thief and robber that comes not in by the door into the sheepfold but some other way But if a man take Tythes as a Tribute and portion of the earth which the Lord hath reserved and given to him to nourish himself and his family and the Church of God for a Minister must be Hospitable if a man take Tythes though it be for preaching and his waiting upon the Ministery of the Gospel to declare what he hath seen and heard of God aiming onely at the advancement of the Kingdome of Christ in the hearts of the people and take onely for his livelihood in the flesh this man is no Antichrist that denies Christs coming in the flesh for the Gospel holds clearly forth a maintenance and double honour due to the preachers of it And if but a tenth of old were to be given for the nourishing of them that hold forth the shadow surely not a tenth onely but much more ought to be given for the nourishing of them that hold forth the substance And whereas it may be said that Ministers preach up themselves and shadows still not Christ the Lord and themselves the peoples servants for Christs sake and many thrust themselves into the office of the Ministery for a piece of bread and take unto themselves this honour before they are called of God for filthy lucres sake I answer those that are found in this posture I know there is a sad viall of wrath to be poured out upon them as for mine own part I finde all sorts of people rayling on me and speaking all manner of evil of me and though the pretence be Tythes and other grievous things that their hearts have imagined yet the truth is 't is not my Tythes nor infirmities so much as my light and freedom and enlargement that makes my being an eye-sore unto the world For my taking of Tythes I know it is with so much moderation and respect unto all mens conditions with whom I deal that no wise man or honest man can ever say I dealt harshly or unbeseeming a Christian with him in this busines of Tythes But thou takest Tythes Answer Wel I do and for the present I finde the Lord giving me this maintenance as an incouragement from himself and so long as I finde it made clean or sanctified to my use and my spirit not defiled nor divided from God by it and God maintaining my liberty of conscience to serve him in my generation and place so long I shall be free to take it with thankfullnesse well knowing that nothing is unclean of it self but to him who esteemeth any thing to be unclean to him it is uncleaness The scornfull QUAKERS railing Reply refuted Tho Lawson I Have read thy papers and in them art thou seen to be full of lying railing accusing condemning according to the spirit of thy Father who was a Murderer and a lyar from the beginning The truth thou canst not own in another no more than the Jews could in Christ The pride and hautines of thine heart hath deceived thee through hopes to Lord it in thy dark forme where thy folly is manifest to all I call it thy dark form where God is veiled crucified dead and neither scripture nor light within is made any more than a Ladder to helpe thee up into Gods throne and here Lucifer-like thou must needs be in Heaven and there thou seest all the wayes and works that are done under the Sun and here thou canst call all but thine own party flesh Devils Sorcerers and damnest all that wear not thy mark and form and from thy presence they must go into the lake that burns with fire and brim-stone among the Drunkards and Whoremongers Dogs and Murderers and Idolaters and Ranters and Atheists and whosoever loves and makes a lye This is the language that flowes from thy proud pen See read consider thy papers let the light that is in thee be judge and the light that is in all men And yet like the Harlot thou criest out aloud such an one is an Whore I am none The Priest rails scoffes jeers but my tongue is a wonderfull stranger to all this Thus a dark Whorish heart knows no shame Michael durst not bring railing accusation against the Devil but said The Lord rebuke thee He durst not rail against the very Devil knowing that as he is a creature he hath his life and being in God but as hé lives in himself in his own will and pride so he becomes a Devil But this truth thou knowest not through thy darknesse and so art found railing and that not at the Devil onely but men who are made after the similitude of God and yet it may be the Lord
persecuted outwardly knowing that it is judgement and misery enough for God to send such strong delusions as that men should believe a lye Repl. But my heart is in the earth thou sayest Answ In the earth is not my treasure I finde all here vanity and vexation of spirit But in the Lord have I righteousnesse and strength and so my treasure being above mine heart and affections are also above Repl. But my compleatnesse is in darknesse Answ Here indeed is the compleatnesse of the world but the Lord is arising to discover this delusion and in him his light and grace is my compleatnesse fulnesse and glory Repl. But to the light which comes from the corner-stone I act contrary and fall not upon it so upon me shall it fall and grinde me to powder Answ Had thy building been upon the corner-stone thou wouldst not in disobedience have denied him to be thy foundation but wouldst by this falling upon him have been broken all to pieces and never thus weakly been sodered up again to act and work for life in thine own power and merits and so to be a Christ a Saviour unto thy self making thy self whole without the bloud of the Lamb which takes away the sins of the world But be sure for this thy disallowing of the stone which is elect and precious thou shalt stumble and fall and be ground to powder for thy disobedience whereunto also thou art appointed As for me let me alone to live and walk in the light of the Lord to be all I am in the grace and righteousnesse of Christ Jesus In my self I am broken indeed my glory is gone and I am nothing But in Christ I am whole and well and need none of mine own power and merits to save me In him I feed upon that which is good upon substance upon the best upon fatnesse and he being my foundation without and within I have an everlasting covenant of grace even the sure mercies of David This I know because he is faithfull Repl. But thou tellest me I am out of the Vnity in the one spirit in the number of the beast the number of a man who professe the Letter declared from the life which life knits the Saints in one peace and thee shall eternally torment who livest in vanity and deniest the way of peace Answ Once more look home to thy self that thou even thou be not found in this number of a beast of a man that art compleat in thy form in thy observations drawn sometimes from the Letter and sometimes from thy fancie in the mystery and yet neither Letter or meaning is any more direction to thee than will stand with thy dark minde and form Therefore see and know that the life the Scripture the Christ the peace which thou art in is not the life out of the original in the one spirit but the life and Christ and peace of form of fansie of man and so notwithstanding all thy pretended Unity and holinesse thou regardest lying vanity and art in a weary land without water As for me my endeavour is to keep the Unity of the spirit in the bond of peace with all lowlinesse and meeknesse and long-suffering forbearing all my brethren in love I know the body the spirit the calling is one the Lord the faith the baptisme is one and that there is one God and Father of all who is above all and through all and in us all A sense of all these constrains me to love the Saints in all this onenesse though in their wayes and walkings without they are divers yet in the substances of things they are all one and of one And upon this account could I freely and faithfully have communion with them preach and pray and enter into fellowship with them though by reason of their too much indulgence to their bodily exercise and outward wayes of walking they are for the most part against communion with any out of their own modell and way and so too much spirit of God I own it as a witnesse and Declaration of the Lords will and mind to man This I professe not out of the life and light of the spirit knowing that that is the living word the kernel the substance which quickens all the body and knits the Saints altogether in that one peace of God And this spirit declared in the Letter is that which keeps me from vanity and frees me from the Law of sin death and condemnation And now to the businesse of Tythes Thou sayes Repl. In my corrupt reason I am scraping up reasons to maintain Tythes but shew no Scripture Answ Here thou art at thine old trade prating and slighting but shewing little reason and yet thou goest on to teach and say Repl. To the Sons of Levi was Tyth paid for their service and the relieving the fatherlesse widdows and strangers Ans And why must not the Ministers of the Gospel have maintenance too for their service Doth the Gospel afford lesse than the Law But to let that passe Thou hast spoken a piece of truth to which I add Thou mayest finde even Levi himself paid Tythes in Abraham Heb. 7. 9. and so Tythes were paid before the Law and Levi were in being as to the Letter so that the payment of Tythes extended further than to the litteral Tribe of Levi And if Abraham and Jacob payed Tythes as it appears they did before the Law Gen. 14. 18 19 20. and Gen. 18. 22. surely they did it by a light within and this light was their Law and this is thine too sometimes though very seldom especially when to part with something from thy self and therefore art thou covetous to rob others of all their glory in inward things to advance thy self and of their property too in outward things and so thou art greedy to keep the tenth of all But to proceed Repl. Thou sayest When Christ came he put an end to that service and to the wages due to that service and that he continued Tythes to the Ministers of the Gospel by a Law that thou bid'st me prove by Scripture command or example Answ That Christ put an end to the Levitical priest-hood that I deny not But that Christ put an end to the priest-hood so as to set up no teaching in the room thereof that I deny But what or who hath he set up Answer Ministers not of the Letter but of the spirit But are your Ministers such Answer those whom Christ anoints and ordains are such for the rest I plead not But where have you Ministers that are such if the thing should be granted any command example or practice for Tythes Answer we have the light within written in the hearts of all Nations which teacheth them to pay Tythes or maintenance unto their Priests at this day this is the light of our Nation to pay Tythe unto their Ministers And this is of as much force still where it guides and rules to teach men what to do as it
not made flesh to dwell among us there men and the way form and vvorship that men are in though outwardly never so decked and adorned in shew is but like an house forsaken and left to strangers or like a poor empty cottage left alone where nothing inhabits but the Owl and the Satyr and creeping things but where the word dwells in us with us and the Lord comes down to sit at Table and to keep us company there the men and the way form and vvorship they are under though outwardly never so contemptible are an house filled with glory and kept by the Lord for his friends his mother sister brother and this is an house I desire to dwell in all the dayes of my life to behold the fair beauty of the Lord This house is one in the spirit and the way to it one and the vvorship in it one as being built by the Lord onely for his Saints and set up by his Spirit that where he is they may be also Yet in this house are many mansions higher and lower rooms and Tables spread with meat for Children fathers young men God in every corner of his house condescending to visit all his family and to feed them with food sutable to that measure they are under Friend the whole creation is an house made for the great King to dwell in and all the creatures in this great variety according to their several capacities have the King dwelling in them and with them even so the Church of God which is a new Creation is a Tabernacle pitched by the Lord for himself and every Member of this new building in the midst of this great variety of them has the presence of the Lord in him and with him according to his capacity to receive Now the way hither is one and the light one and the vvorship one as all are brought hither by regeneration and have the Lord to be their light to teach them all that vvorship which is one in spirit and truth But how then comes the variety and diversity I ananswer it flows from the several workings operations and manifestations of the same Lord so that in the original things are one but in their comings sorth to us and in us they are multiplied Grace in the Soul is one one with what it is in Christ but in the coming of it forth in us is various and cloathed with divers names as faith hope love meeknesse patience c. even so light in the Souls of men is one but in the breaking of it forth its manifold and so there is the manifold wisdom of God and hence the actings walkings of the Saints are in a variety as they are more or lesse in a manifestation of the Original and yet this variety leads up into the Unity and teaches all to walk and live and follow Christ in the regeneration This is all the variety I plead for which flowes from the various manifestation of the same Christ and leads up into him as into its root and Center But thou sayest I plead for the Leopards spots in pleading for several forms ways of vvorship Answ I plead for no form tradition or invention of men new or old neither would I have Christians make any form a vvall of separation to divide between them others that are under any manifestation of grace and love all that I say is there are diversities of gifts administrations and operations but the same spirit Lord and God who worketh all in all and is all in all to band and free and let every one that differs from another endeavour to be fully perswaded that 't is light not darknesse the Lord not the flesh that makes the difference though the difference be still in fleshly or outward things and so having nothing but what we have received let every one think soberly of himself according as God has given to every one a measure and what men observe let them do it as unto the Lord not man in honour preferring one another waiting with patience and they shall see all the Towers that men have made fall to the ground and broken in pieces by the stone cut out of the mountain Quest 3. Whether we ought to give Tribute Custome Tythes Rent to those who have an interest in them by the Laws of the Land where we live seeing Christ said render unto Caesar the things that are Caesars Matth. 22. Answ Yea let man have the things that are his and God have the things that are his this said Christ and so say we and Paul sayes render unto all their dues Tribute to whom Tribute is due Custom to whom Custom is due Rom. 13. 7. and this say we Repl. If thine heart and thy tongue herein agree 't is well thou hast witnessed a good confession but doest thou witnesse this indeed Art thou willing to give Tribute Custom Rent to whom 't is due Art thou as Christ was and the Apostles were subject to the Magistrates that are for conscience sake Where then is thine honour where is thy fear to the powers that be ordained of God For there 's no power but of God but seeing thou hast yielded to a duty I 'le leave thee in the performance to stand or fall to thine own Master Answ Further here thou wouldst have a Cloak for thy Tythe in too Parishes which thou hast no due unto he that hath due unto nine sheaves hath due unto the tenth Repl. To this I say I and all I have are not so much mine own as Gods they are more his due than mine and when he calls for any thing I am willing to let it go and when he gives me any thing I am willing to make use of it and to him I must give account for all not to thee as for a Cloak to maintain my Tythes I desire no other then the will of God and what the Scripture allows and the Law commands Thou sayest he who has due unto nine sheaves has due unto the tenth Fy friend what a lying and to strengthen Robbery and oppression too men are prone enough to call anothers due their own and to destroy property which thou seekest by thy lying and murmuring to maintain And further thou sayest Christ is come who put an end to that Priesthood who was to have the tenth in Israel for their maintenance and the fatherlesse vviddows and strangers with the same they were to maintain Repl. That Christ came to put an end to the first Priest-hood and their carnal Ordinances I deny not but about the several Ordinances of Tythes of old I see thou art grossely ignorant Therefore there was a tenth for the poor in Israel and a tenth for the Priest and Levite too and so observe and thou shalt finde 1. That after a man had received the fruits of the earth he was to separate out of it the first fruits these were to be offered unto the Lord who gave them unto the Priest Numb
18. 12. Deut. 26. 2 3. 2. He was to separate a tenth of the remainder in the first and second year and this was to be given unto the Levites Numb 18. 21 24. this the Hebrews called the first Tythe 3. After this he was to separate out of the residue one in ten and this was for the owners themselves and they were to carry it up to Jerusalem and eat it there mentioned Deut. 14. 23. and 12. 18 19. this was called the second Tythe and was to be in the first and second year 4. In the third year there was after the first Tythe which was for the Levite not a second Tythe on that year for the owners but instead thereof a second Tyth for the poor and stranger and fatherlesse Deut. 14. 28. 29. and 26. 12. Here you see the owners were to separate a first fruit and a tenth for the Levite and Priest and a tenth to make merry with among themselves in token of thankfulnesse and rejoycing before the Lord and every third year a tenth for the fatherlesse widdows and strangers and whereas thou sayest that the Priest was to maintain the poor and fatherlesse and stranger out of his tenth here thou hast spoken more than thou art able to prove in saying the Priest was to maintain the poor and that he was to do it out of his tenths given to him prove thou this by Scripture or confesse thy darknesse and yet I deny not but the Ministers as well as the people both under the Law and Gospel ought to look to the poor â—nd to separate a part of their estates for the stranger and widdow and alâ—â—â—at variety of tenths offerings and first fruits under the Law were written for our instruction and should teach us all to be liberal and generous minded towards the furtherance of the Lords service and the maintenance of people in necessity Further Christ is come thou sayest who put an end to the first Priesthood and their wages This I deny not that Priest-hood being dead has no need of wages and yet thou canst not prove that Tythes were ceremonial figurative and abolished the coming of any substance which they did represent as for that place Heb. 7. 12. it proves onely the change of the Priest-hood and the ceremonial Law that which is moral is still in force whereof this is one that we ought to honour the Lord with our substance and with the first fruits of all our increase Prov. 3. 9. and he that in readinesse does not consecrate a first fruits Tythe or part of his increase to the Lords service as a token of willingnesse to consecrate all as well as a part if the Lord require it of him this man has robbed God in Tythes and offerings as 't is said of old Mal. 3. 8. he has preferred his Mammon before his God and is guilty of the sin of Ananias in keeping back part of the price and thou who by way of scorn callest the Ministers of the Gospel Priests that so thou mightest have a Cloak to deny their maintenance because 't is called Tythes know that you are a robber of God and thou deniest his light written in all Nations which teaches them to pay Tythes or maintenance unto their Priests or Ministers thou seekest to weaken the hands of the Ministers here that thou mightest ride in triumph upon thy dark form so thou seekest to make void the Law of God and man in keeping those who preach the Gospel from maintenance for their attendance upon the Gospel contrary to the ordination of God 1 Cor. 9. 13 14. and that power which all teachers may make use of vers 12. and the unreasonablenesse of the thing in itself vers 11. and 2 Tim. 2. 4. But our maintenance ought to come freely not by way of Tythes not exacted Answer ' This is the hardnesse of mens hearts that it do's not freely come where 't is most deserved and so God in wisdom has required it by an outward Law in the absence of the inward Law which men willingly break out of love unto the world and whether the maintenance be by Tythes or otherwise 't is all one it ought to come from the people and they owe it as a tribute unto God and so where 's thy paying tribute custom to whom 't is due Further thou sayest Christ out of his fulnesse ministers out the heavenly treasâ—â—â—â—o the necessities of his Joh. 1. 16. as the first Priest-hood ministred out the earthly treasure to the necessities of the fatherlesse widdowes and strangers Repl. That Christ gives out of his fulnesse all grace to his to relieve them in all their inward wants this I acknowledge with thanks-giving but here thou seekest a Cloak to cover thy nakednesse in robbing others of Tythes and the more thou seekest to cover and hide thy self the more thy nakednesse still appears therefore be sober and see if thou canst see thy darknesse which may be felt thou sayest the first Priest-hood ministred out the earthly treasure to the necessities of the fatherlesse widdows and strangers here thou makest it the office and work of the Priest to distribute out the Tythes which thou callest earthly treasure indeed I read that the Priests lips should preserve knowledge and they should seek the Law at his mouth for he 's the messenger of the Lord of Hosts and so the Priest was anointed to teach the people to open and expound that Doctrine he had received from the Lord and to offer sacrifice for the people to blesse and pray for the people the Priest and Levite were to attend upon all the Tabernacle and Temple vvorship but that it was their businesse to distribute out the Tythes unto the poor this I never read of neither hast thou any shadow of Scripture for it neither is there any shadow of sense or light in it that they should leave the service of God to serve Tables but I see thy drift fain thou wouldest make Tythes the earthly treasure a figure of Christ and his grace the heavenly treasure but having neither Scripture nor reason for what thou sayest therefore thou art driven to say thou art infallible thou art Christ and what thou speakest is Scripture and so must be believed see how thine eye is out and so blinde thou art that thou canst see nothing in all the land of Canaan nothing in the offerings sacrifices and observations of the Law to hold forth Christ and the heavenly treasure by him but onely the earthly treasure of Tythes and so the envious one has filled thine envious minde and eye with strong infatuations Further thou sayest I am Antichrist who uphold that which Christ put an end unto Reply this is no news for Antichrist to call another Antichrist if they have called the master of the house Belzebub how much more shall they call them of his houshold that Christ put an end to Tythes in his time thou findest to the contrary for he tells
and misery and translated me into the Kingdom of his dear Son where I have righteousnesse peace and joy and that in power which makes these things in me unspeakable and full of glorie Quest Who baptized John the Baptist Answ Even he baptized him by his Spirit into his administration who sent him first forth to baptize with water he being the first who was called to that baptisme of water had no need of the baptisme of any other but of him who sent him Quest. Whether is Jesus Christ the end of all figures Answ Yea I look upon Jesus Christ as the end and fulfilling of all types and shadows he being the substance for whose sake all figures were ordained and when he is come the figure disappears or the shadow flies away Quest Whether Jesus Christ baptized any with outward water yea or nay Answ We read that Christ was baptized himself with water by John who was the Minister of water but Jesus Christ himself never baptized or administred water in his own person John 4. 1 2. Quest Whether John was a Prophet And whether Iesus Christ be the end of the Prophets and prophetical figures yea or nay Answ Iohn was a Prophet nearer the more clear Revelation of Iesus Christ than the rest and therefore more in the light for a greater Prophet than Iohn hath not risen and yet as other Prophets he was one rather upon the account of the Law than the Gospel For he who was least in the Kingdom of God or administration of the Gospel was greater than he Matt. 11. 11. Now Christ is the end or fulfilling of Iohn and the rest of the Prophets and their shadowish ministrations and all the Lords people under the ministration of Christs reign within are made Kings and Priests and Prophets unto God in their own persons Quest Whether he whose Commission is in Ink and Paper without him be not a Minister of the Letter and not of the Spirit one that walks by tradition and imitation and not by command and so shut out of the true ministerie Answ Such an one I look upon as a Thief and Robber because not entring in by the door of the Spirit within into the sheepfold And though these men speak the words of Moses of Christ and other holy men of God yet having no experience of the truth and enjoyment of what they speak within hence they can be but Lip-Ministers and make but Lip-Christians being rather mockers of Christ and his Spirit in the Saints than Ambassadours from Heaven to awaken Christ in mens consciences and to set him up to reign as King and Lord in mens Spirits which is the end of the Lord by the Ministery of those whom he sends Quest Whether Iesus Christ who sent forth Disciples sent them to spread abroad Iohn and his Ministery who was a Prophet or himself who was the end of the Prophets greater than Iohn who baptizeth with the holy Ghost in whom alone is salvation yea or nay yet who owns him sets every thing in its place time and season Answ The end of Christs sending out to preach was that thereby the Nations might be baptized not into the name of Iohn or Peter or Iames or Paul but into the name of God that they might understand and know God and Iesus Christ whom he hath sent that men might become the Lords Disciples and not the Disciples of men and so we finde the Apostles not preaching up themselves but Iesus Christ the Lord and themselves servants Apostles men sent to minister as they had received And the main drift of their preaching we finde was to declare the Gospel glad tidings of grace and peace through Christ unto the Sons of men to open the mystery of Christ which was hidden from former ages and to entreat men through Christ to be reconciled unto God to bring to a receiving all from Christ and to a placing all in Christ who of God is made unto all his wisdom righteousnesse and redemption and that by way of Spirit and power working all these in their Souls In brief Christ sent out his Disciples to declare himself to preach salvation in his name and to perswade the vvorld to faith and meeknesse and love and self-denial c. through their taking in Christ to work all these in their Souls And yet they were to give every outward person and ordinance God was to make use of or had made use of before its due respect plate and season Quest Whether the baptisme unto Moses in the Cloud and in the Sea was outward yea or nay Answ The baptisme unto Moses in the Cloud and in the Sea I take not to be literal but metaphorical and a typical baptisme The Cloud typically holds forth the presence of God overshadowing protecting and defending them from their enemies And their passing through the Sea on dry ground when their enemies were overwhelmed and drowned holds forth the wonderfull power of God in their deliverance and defence These were two great Declarations of Gods power and providence towards that people by which they were baptized unto Moses that is confirmed in the truth of his administration and so taught to believe God and his servant Moses whom he had sent by a strong hand to bring them out of Egypt into Canaan Quest. Whether the one baptisme which Paul spake of who was not sent to baptize was with outward water or with the baptisme of Christ who is greater than John Answ The baptisme which Paul cals one is the baptisme of Christ upon all his whereby they are baptized spiritually into an onenesse of nature with himself as their faith is one so their baptisme one Quest Whether that baptisme which Peter witnesseth to have which was not the putting away this filth of the flesh but the answer of a good conscience towards God by the resurrection of Jesus Christ was with outward water yea or nay Answ This baptisme the Apostle here speaks of must needs be an inward thing wrought in the soul by the resurrection or appearing of Christ there in spirit through whose coming the conscience comes to be cleansed from guilt shame and fear and so the soul can go unto God cheerfully and safely as one saved through the baptisme or spiritual work of the Son of God within Quest Whether that cup of which Jesus Christ sayd that henceforth he would not drink of the fruit of the wine till he did drink it new with them in his Fathers kingdom was an outward cup yea or nay Answ This cup and drinking in the Fathers kingdom must needs be a spiritual cup and drinking for in the Kingdom of God there 's no eating and drinking of earthly fruit all is heavenly and Paradisicall there 's no eating and drinking of any thing but what flowes from the nature and spirit and fulnes of the Father Quest Whether any outward cup be drunk in the Kingdom of God yea or nay Answ There 's no carnal sensual cup
the fatâ—â—â—e and fulnesse of God who is it's center and rest of which Canaan was a figure Wert thou in this rest thou wouldst cease from tine own works from the best as well as the worst as they are thine own and so thou wouldst learn to justifie thy self in the Lord and make him and his works thy rest and joy Repl. Thou sayest Isaiah bare witnesse against such who sought gain from their quarters Isa 5. 10 11. as I do witnesse my taking Tythe of two Parishes Answ Know friend that Isaiah witnessed this when Tythes were commanded and taken so that it was not Tythes but the greedinesse after gain that Isaiah rebukes in the watchmen calling them greedy Dogs which can never have enough though they were blinde ignorant dumbe sleeping dreaming taking no care to feed the flock or instruct the people yet they were greedy after the wages and gain This is that Isaiah condemned of old not the taking of Tythes moderately for their maintenance And this is a thing I am as ready to speak against as thy self knowing full well that the blindnesse and dumbnesse and lazinesse and formalnesse and covetousnesse of many of Englands watchmen hath brought all this reproach upon the ministery at this day Yet all this is no ground for thee and others to destroy the righteous with the wicked and to make the righteous as the wicked which have been a light to thee formerly though thou lye and shamefully deny it now to maintain thy pride and scorne against the best as well as the worst of Englands watchmen When thou canst tax me justly of being greedy after gain and of being blinde dumbe lazie as those were that Isaiah complains of then tax me for taking Tythes as if that were the end of my ministerie I could tell thee of the dumbe meetings of Quakers who when they are assembled by scores and hundreds which they glory much in and are all Prophets Diviners and Teachers as they dream yet are for want of vision half a day together dumb mute and silent and so go all away as wise as they came having never a dream to tell or word to speak because they have seen nothing And are not these dumb meetings of yours silent discoveries of the hand of the Lord against your great professions of light and perfection When your eyes are opened you shall see it to be so and be ashamed for your envy at the people of God Repl. Thou sayest further Jeremiah cried out against such who bare rule by the peoples meanes Jer. 5. 30 31. Answ Here thou art found perverting the very letter putting in peoples instead of Priest surely this was out of thy great love to the Priests or else thy Father to spare none hath opened thy mouth against both people and Priests but this is one of thy moates or small ones therefore I 'le by it passe Repl Thou goest on to say Jeremiah cals it an horrible and filthy thing and none so filthy as I who take Tythe of two Parishes and Micah cried out against such as taught for hire Mic. 3. 10 11. Answ All this being in a time when Tythes were lawfull as thou hast said I wonder how thou canst bring it in against the lawfulnesse of Tythes The Priests taught for hire and the Prophets did divine for money this indeed concerns all those who teach for coveteous ends and hire not any that teach faithfully what they have received from the Lord though they go not to warfare at their own charge but take Tythes as maintenance for their labour But all this I see proceeds from the old root of bitternesse in thee which teacheth thee to apply Scriptures after the manner of the world against all such who reprove sin in the gate Repl. But Christ thou sayest bare witnesse against such who are called of men Masters Answ And so do I against all such Quakers or others that would faine be Masters or Fathers of all other mens faith and light neither did I ever desire another to be Master and Father over the conscience but Jesus Christ the Lord For who is Paul or Apollo or Cephas but Ministers of the faith of Saints not Fathers and Masters of their faith But thee I see loving the thing Master and the thing Father and therefore all are condemned by thee that pin not their faith upon thy weak imaginations this was the sin that Christ condemned in the Priests and Pharisees of old For further answer read Mr. Baxter who hath said enough in this matter to give full satisfaction to the wise Repl. Further thou sayest Paul called such evill beasts and lyars who taught things they ought not for filthy Lucre Tit. 1. 10 11 12. so am I for filthy Lucres sake holding up the first Priest-hood and their wages c. Answ I know a necessity is laid upon me to preach the Gospell and this that I desire to teach in all meetings where I finde people met together and made free to heare and this I am ready to commend upon all occasions to every mans conscience in the sight of God And this Gospel I know itching ears cannot endure to heare And thou who criest out I teach for filthy Lucre I bring up the first Priest-hood and their wages none so filthy as I I take Tythe of two Parishes to thee I say thy wisdom hath made thee erre and hardened thy heart against the fear of God thine eye is put out by the God of this World and so like other dark forms thine envy is poured out chiefly against the Ministers and their Tythes and they are all Priests and Tythe-mongers all so and yet not all that 's but the old man in thee that saith so the lyar that never told truth nor loved any out of himself he hath taken from thee the understanding heart and so thou canst not see that here and there is a Minister that stands up in the gap that mourns for the Nations pride and beseecheth men to be reconciled to God though such an one be usually hated persecuted and that maintenance he hath be coveteously kept from him by the World And this is the man is most railed at by thy generation that stick in the Letter now and then when it seems to favour them though in other things they abhor the Letter and the meaning too What Scripture there is for Tythes and in what cases a Minister may take it as from God and man and yet oppresse none me thinks they might see who usually scoffe at the Letter for being called the word of God and pretend to the meaning to the spirit to be the chief thing in the word as indeed it is What Scripture there is for Tythes or maintenance thou shalt see afterwards and so for the present I 'le let thee alone to murmure and rail till the Lord rebuke thee Further in Canaan I said old things are passed away and all is become new and here thou criest out
against me Repl. Oh thou hard-hearted one how darest thou utter these things and not be pricked in thy heart who livest in the old and the new not known Is thy conscience seared with an hot iron Thou art he who calls evil good so the woe is upon thee Isa 5. 20. Answ Behold thou despiser and wonder and perish thou who deniest the Lord that bought thee and so art ordained for condemnation and learn if thou canst what this means I will have mercy saith the Lord and not sacrifice Salvation shall be of grace not of works lest man should boast David shall be a man after mine own heart notwithstandinding all his blemishes and errours which I see him bewailing I 'le accept of the will for the deed where I finde the will real and true And thou furious evil mind know that old things are passed away and all things become new there in Gods estimation where new and old are fighting one against another no sooner is this fight begun but the Soul presently begins to taste of Canaan or rest because it findes the house of David waxing stronger and strongerâ— and the house of Saul weaker and weaker and so the elder stoops to the younger Esau to Jacob flesh to spirit and though it rage furiously yet its head is broken its strength decaying and its spirit goes out more and more And here I am wrestling with the beast and false Prophet with all the powers of darknesse and Hell and so my conscience is not seared though I say old things are passed away and all things become new If thou look into thine own heart with a single eye thou wilt finde old things enough there to manifest thou art not yet at full rest in Canaan where thou must meet Gyants mighty enemies to fight with which will be as goads and pricks in thy side to keep thee humble sober and watchfull all thy life long and yet if thou wert in the good land thou wouldest have rest though not in fulnesse here And so this tedious war in Canaan is no bringing up an evil report of the good land because there the people of God have more with them than against them and so are more than Conquerours in the Lord which gives them some rest and peace and joy in the midst of all their warres and so cause of singing and triumphing in the God of their salvation All this I know is a riddle to thy fancie of perfection in thy self and actings and so the passing away of the old life and the springing up of the new is not truely known of thee Repl. Thou sayest I am ghessing what the veyl is between the holy and the holiest and tellest me neither in the holy nor the holiest am I found for who own the light that comes from Christ into the holy it leads them and in the holy who are that is bridled which leads into sin which in me is at liberty as thou sayest as my fruits and the fruits of my Ministery make it manifest Answ What I declared about the veyl thou neither understandest I see or art able to gain-say and therefore after thy wonted manner I finde thee scoffing But to thee I say the revelation of the Son in me by the Father hath led me into the holy place where I finde the Lord perfecting strength in weaknesse and sweetly delighting in me and in his own works wrought in me by himself in the midst of all mine infirmities And here I finde a dispensation of light and power from the new man which bridles the old and so Satan bound by a stronger than he that he is not at liberty in me as before though thou strongly take his part And as concerning my Ministery taxed by thee know that Paul may endeavour but it is God who gives the increase All that I can do is to commend the truth and grace of God to every mans conscience and he that hath an ear to hear let him hear And that my Ministery hath awakened some and shewed them their wounds and shame it matters not whether thou believe or not and that it hath been a faithfull witnesse against the many delusions and traditions of men it matters not whether thou believe or not and that it hath been a light to some that since are turned Atheists Quakers c. it matters not whether thou believe or not Onely this concerns thee and others that through your lying railing reviling and condemning one who loves you all dearly in the Lord by this as much as in you lies you have sought to make void my Ministery and to make it an offence to those who are setled upon their lees therefore woe unto thee from whom the offence comes Repl. But the light thou sayest which comes from Christs guides into the holy shews the veyl and in the patience rents it and lets into the holiest whither the High-priest alone enters even Jesus Christ and one High-priest over the house of God we witnesse in our measures come who put an end to Tythes c. Answ Your murmuring impatience and want of meeknesse and love to the weak ones of Christ is a strong witnesse that the light that is in you is turned into utter darknesse even darknesse that may be felt Hence your folly and nakednesse is seen of all and judged of all even those who have the least light appearing in them Further if the light have truely shined in you led you into the holy place rent the veyl and led you into the holiest whither the fore-runner is for us entred What mean ye then like other earthlings to be thus exalting and admiring one another seeking honour one of another though ye deny it to the world But your drift is fame you would be in the Heavens in the Holiest nay above all that is called God and Worshipped and this ye are led into by the light within and all must believe it not at all question it upon pain of being accursed by you But stay friends Hope indeed enters within the veil Heb. 6. 17. and this hope keeps the Soul groaning and longing and waiting all the while we are in this earthly Tabernacle after a full possession of our inheritance Rom. 8. 23 24 25. If thou art in the highest possession of God now thine hope is out for that which is seen and enjoyed is not hoped for But stay let the light of Jesus first enter thee into the holy place and there make thee a Priest which name thou so deridest before thou fondly conceit to be in the holiest and in this holy place thou wilt learn to despise thy self and all thine own righteousnesse Till Job came hither he had a great conceit of his own goodnesse and worth but now he abhorres himself and so will ye I know ye put your selves into a posture of suffering and reviling yet all this ye may suffer not for conscience towards God but in reference unto the idoll that ye have made
teacheth me to plead for gifts Answ God and the Magistrate are one in work that which the Lord gives he leaves to the Magistrate to give under him and that which the Magistrate disposes of confirms maintains and gives in outward things that is of the Lord or according to the wisdom and providing of God who hath the heart of the Magistrate in his hand and turnes it which way he pleaseth so that the Magistrate as a figure of God is to imitate God in Justice and righteousnesse to look to the Lord and observe his carriage and heed his minde and will and to carry himself as the Lord doth towards men in wisdom justice and righteousnesse seeking to maintain peace liberty freedom property in this unruly world and so Tythes being a peculiar property which the wisdom of God hath directed the Magistrate to dispose of partly to the Ministers partly to others when the Magistrate doth this God doth it which the envious one cannot see but cries out blasphemy And no wonder though ye deny the lawfulnesse of this Act of the Magistrate who is but the Lords Steward seeing ye deny the Master of the house and would be wiser than Christ or man to have all at your disposing As for gifts or rewards out of the will of God I desire them not I know he is my shepheard I shall not want and though thou pray for nothing from him it seems as though thou stoodst in no need of his bread gifts and providence yet be sure if God should withdraw his gifts and favours never so little thy subsistance beauty strength life body and spirit too would soon mourn languish and wither away for want of the Lords mercies Repl. But Christ thou sayest put an end unto Tythes and is not changeable Answ If Christ put an end unto Tythes more than to any other outward property then Tythes must be a peculiar figure of something which was to come and yet in all thy wisdom thou couldest not tell what Tythes was a figure of when I put this to thee thou wast silent and thy companion with thee yet afterwards thy friend opened his mouth and said that Tythes was a figure of spiritual good things to be given out by Christ and when I demanded a Scripture to maintain that he pawsed a little and said he was Christ and what he said was Scripture Lo what your wretched blindnesse and envy hath brought you unto but to let that alone Let me demand of thee to shew a Scripture which hath put an end unto Tythes in the Letter Nay that hath either forbidden or commanded any property to all to be enjoyed or not enjoyed of a Christian in outward things It speaks indeed of forsaking Houses Lands and the like for Christ of being as the Lillies and the Sparrows And we read Act. 2. 44 45. of a Community of possessions and goods among the Saints which thy companion denied and said he was for his property and why not another as well as he Further the Apostle speaks of using the world as if we used it not so that the Gospel is rather against all property than commands any at all And yet the Saints of God surely may have possessions in the world but the Gospel no where commands or forbids this or that in outward things onely we ought to sit loose to the world to all things as well as some and in what state we are in therewith to be content And when you are in this frame your hearts will be levelled more than they are to all outward things and you 'l plainly see that God hath forbidden rent as much as he hath forbidden Tythes And if you have any command for your rent or any other property shew it and I will shew you the same command is as much for Tythes and if God hath put an end to Tythes he hath put the same end to rent and hath taught us all in the midst of all outward things to be as having nothing and yet possessing all things But thou sayest Repl. God gave not Tythes to his Disciples and Apostles who laboured painfully in the Word Doctrine and so surely he hath given it to swarm of locusts who live in ungodlinesse Answ The same say I God gives nothing to the wicked as a blessing but as a curse to them and yet he hath given Tythes to maintain the Ministers of his in this Nation as much as he gave his Disciples and Apostles any possessions in the world all being at the disposing of the Son the Heir to give to whom he pleaseth Further thou sayest Repl. A Minister must be Hospitable But here thou fallest fowl upon the charity of the Priests of England who Judas-like must have their bags filled and their barnes with that which others have painfully laboured for Answ But what if the Lay-man as they are called take Tythes must he be a Judas a Thief an Hireling too because he takes his property of Tythes where it is and from others who have laboured to till the ground for him But yet this man who doth nothing for his Tythes and yet takes it as due by Law is not cried out upon usually onely the Minister is reviled for Tythes or maintenance though he labour and take pains diligently in the Office and place he is called unto But why doest thou speak of Judas Did Judas take Tythes And fill his bag with Tythes that Ministers are like Judas in their Tythes By this thou wilt unawares give us an argument for Tythes But the Judas and his bag take unto thy self who wanderest up and down to sell thy Master for a piece of bread and betrayest his Gospel truth and bloud into the hands of sinners to get thy self a name and fame in the world And therefore thou biddest all others stand by I am holier and wiser than thou thou art a Traitor a Judas a Thief and sinner But I have no sin I am a Prophet Apostle Minister of the Gospel Nay I am Christ the Lord who am come to judge the world And so with thy light wanton Spirit which runs a whoring after thy flesh and self thou allurest with swelling words of vanity those who were escaped from them who live in errour again to come and live in errour And so taking no notice of thine own pride doing all to be seen of men and praised of men and accounted a Christ and God though a dark enemy to God and Christ I say taking no notice of thine own pride thou criest out against others for cuffs gaudinesse rings-hoods vails which Christ forbad thou sayest 1 Tim. 2. 9. And friend where thou seest these things used without modesty shamefacednesse and sobrietie which becomes women professing godlinesse there thou mayest vaunt and cry out aloud in thy boasting spirit that thou art not like other women and as the Priest of England are in outward pride though inwardly thou exceedest them all But to end this prattle of Judas
would not I finde a Law that when I would do good evill is present with me I finde a Law warring in my members contrary unto the Law of my minde and bringing me into captivity unto the Law of sin which is in my members O undone man that I am c. Wilt thou imagine that this was all warfare with sin without witnessing no peace but a sword to the earth or if thou mean by earth for thy words have alwayes a double meaning the earth within in the time of his warfare how canst thou see in him a freedom from this earth or a freedom from all remnants of sin the like may be said of that Thorn in the flesh mentioned in the Corinthians in with is this remarkable that it was after his abundance of visions and Revelations being caught up into the third heaven and into Paradise where he heard unspeakable words even after all these enioyments he felt a messenger of Satan buffeting 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he was sent to strike me on the face with his fist as it were to upbraid me with mine inward pride and pronenesse to be exalted above measure did Paul witnesse this and canst thou see no pronenesse in thy self to sin and pride Surely thou art joyned to thine idoll and God lets thee alone to perish for want of vision Answ Further did Paul cry and groane all the dayes of his life and witnesse no deliverance did he alwayes fight and never overcome Repl. Paul never fought but was still more than a conqueror by the grace of God he had deliverance and victory still through grace and greatest deliverance when he was most sensible of his infirmities and therefore in the Lord he could Triumph and sing though in himself he was still nothing Rom 8. 2. 32. c. Col. 1. 11 12 13. And so may every Saint who lives in the light say in the Lord have I righteousnesse and strength in him I have all things and so in him will I glory and though there be a fleshly minde and will sometimes stirring in me yet greater is he that is in me than he that is in the world and so he can run his race with patience wrestle with boldnesse fight with courage and when he comes to die cry out with Paul I am now ready to be offered the time of my departure is at hand I have fought a good fight I have finished my course I have kept the faith henceforth there is layed up for me a Crown of righteousnesse which the Lord the righteous Judge shall give me at that day Answer Further its true James sayes in many things we offend all Jam. 3. 3. here James speaks winningly for the seeds sake for the raising up of the simplicity Repl. Here 's a simplicity raised up in thee indeed by thine own evil heart and this thou lovest and this hides thy sin and folly and makes thee wrest and play with Scripture and so James must speak winningly for the seeds fake what wilt thou have James a lyar or an Hypocrite in telling the people that he and all did in many things offend and yet have no experience of this in his own Soul surely thine eye is out and darkned by the smoak and so neither Paul nor Iames nor the raising of one up from the dead will ever perswade thee to be humbled for thy sottishnesse and so Scriptures are of no force at all with thee But thou goest on and sayest that Iames in the 9. vers sayes with the tongue we curse men was Iames a curser or was he an offender in many things But to reply Iames was under the powerof no evil and yet he declares a pronenesse in himself and all flesh to run into sin and when thine eye is opened thou wilt see in thy tongue a fire a world of iniquity and how it defiles thy whole body and wipes away the glory of all thy profession and that this tongue of thine is set on fire of Hell and therefore thou goest on to hide thy nakednesse say Iames was writing to such who were getting the mastery in the flesh which is for condemnation Iam. 3. 1 2. Repl. And what thinkest thou of thy self Art not thou getting to be master and a great potent Lord in the flesh damning and judging all that wear not thy mark and so art to be judged and condemned thy self Math. 7. 1 2. But Christ thou sayest is the end of condemnation so of sin which is for ccondemnation to which I say Christ was the end of the Law for righteousnesse and he 's said to be made sin for us and to come into the world not to condemne the world but that the world through him might be saved but I never read that Christ was the end of condemnation and the end of sin though these things I know are overcome when he comes but thy phrase is new even like thy form which yet must be no form and in almost all thou sayest I see that Scripture sadly fulfilled in thee that evil men and seducers was worse and worse deceiving and being deceived Answ Further 1 Ioh. 1. 8 9. here Iohn wrote to such who were not come through the confession but to such as confesse he saith Christ cleanseth from all unrighteousnesse 1 Ioh. 1. 9. and the bloud of Iesus Christ cleansed from all sin Repl. Even before and after the confession thou mayest read there 's sin still to be confessed before if we say we have no sin we deceive our selves after if we say we have not sinned we make him a lyar and his word is not in us here 's sin still to be looked upon otherwise we deceive our selves we make him a lyar the truth is not in us his word is not in us and so he who covers his sins shall not prosper but who so confesseth and forsaketh shall have mercy and if we confesse our sins God is faithfull to forgive our sins not to impute but cover them and cleanse us from them by the pardoning and healing vertue of the bloud and spirit of Jesus this confession must be real if we look the cleansing should be real and this forgivenesse cleansing is an encouragement to us to make our confession and our resolution to sin no more which resolution being like the confession in truth God accepts of it as 't is written if there be a willing minde 't is accepted according to that a man has not according to that he hath not and so that Soul sins no more who do's not love sin peccatum facere make it to delight in it but it sins unwillingly it lusteth against lust would not for a world be under the dominion of sin this the Apostle speaks of Rom. 6. 11 12. reckon your selves sayes he to be dead indeed unto sin but alive unto God let not sin reign c. and so this is the reasoning of a gracious heart shall I continue in sin that grace may