faith and such as lived in the faith and such as quenched the spirit and despised prophesie and such as despised the holy One and slaughtered the seed of God and such cast the law of God behinde their backs this was the spirit and the Word of God which was the rule that led them to discern and savour to try and taste and handle this was the touch-stone and this was the rule and this brought them to the knowledge of God and they that had the Scriptures had not the knowledge of God without this nor the prophesie as the Pharisees that had Scriptures yet knew not Christ Pr. To the Law and to the Testmony Answ Yea as we say to the Law and to the testimony the Law is the light the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy but it is tryed in this our day the Letter is the Light amongst the Ministers of the Letter against the light and they say prophesie is ceased and so puts the Old and New Testament for it and brings Isai 8. for the Law and testimony which was before Matthew Mark Luke and John but this is that their ignorance may appear Prin. And likewise he saith There is not a just man upon the earth and sinneth not Answ Read the words above in the 12. verse be not just over much neither make thy self overwise now mark this just this wise man upon the earth which doth good and sinneth not that was the estate of the Law which Christ is the end of who is a greater then Solomon who is the just and righteousness it self and makes men free from sin Pr. I do not affirm that any man can have salvation by vertue of his obedience and thus you put out the eye of poor souls and bids them hearken to a light within them Answ The eye of the soul is the Light which cometh from Christ the Bishop of it and he that believeth is saved and there is his obedience and he that doth not is condemned already and he hath the promise of life and salvation that believes in the Light Pr. He saith the Commission of Christ holds to the end of the world who gave some Prophets some Evangelists and some Pastors for the perfecting of the Saints and the edifying of the body of Christ till all come to the faith and knowledge of the Son of God and to a perfect man in measure and Stature and fulness of Christ Answ Have you not all denyed this work Pastures Teachers Prophets perfecting of the Saints and bringing to a perfect man saying that none must be perfect while they be upon earth and to the unity of the faith which both you and your teachers be all of heapes about it and that none must witness the measure and stature and fulnesse of Christ and the knowledge of the Son of God that none must have him revealed have you not denyed Revelation how have you been in this work tossing people to and fro like chaff and carrying them about with every wind of Doctrine and that is your wind that is not perfect that is not in the spirit that gave forth Scriptures and there lodgeth all mens subtility cunning and craft within lying and waiting to deceive this doctrine was coming up before the Apostles decease which since in the world hath reigned which all the heapes of Profession in all Christendom discovers it how people are tossed to and fro and changed about and every one stands against perfection and overcoming sin while they be upon earth so throwing themselves out of the work that the Ministers of Christ were in so from it Apostated and hath denyed the Ministers work which is the perfecting and you cry no perfection Pr. He saith They call breaking of bread carnal faith comes by hearing of the Scriptures and it is the way to teach men to Christ to convince and convert souls how should we know sin to be sin or righteousness to be righteousness but by Scripture Scripture hath been a fit rule to walk by and guide into truth and peace Answ Breaking of outward bread is not spiritual for the Papists they say it is spiritual and you say it is not carnal what differs Priests and Baptists from Papists and you say it is not as other bread is and thus you deceive people and make them believe a lie and the Pharisees had Scriptures and knew not the way of truth and peace nor was not guided in it neither any upon the earth Except they be in the life that gave it forth and the Pharisees had Scriptures read every day among them and hearing not the word that they heard that was in them that gave forth Scriptures they heard not the word of faith and the word of faith they have not neither hath any upon the earth for faith comes by hearing the word the word Preached not by hearing the Letter he that hath the Word of God may speak it dayly for they were Ministers of the Letter which begot people into a form and they were more ten fold the children of the Devil then they were before there was any Profession after they were got into Profession and all upon the earth do not know righteousness to be righteousness but as they have the life that gave forth Scriptures for the Pharisees chief Priests and Jewes had the Scriptures and read them every Sabbath day among them and they knew not righteousness to be righteousness Jesus Christ the righteousness of God neither did they know sin to be sin for they crucified the Lord of life they denyed the light the Covenant of God the Covenant of light the Jewes whicâ— had Scriptures so none doth know sin to be sin but as they do by the light which comes from the Lord Jesus Christ that makes it manifest and Abraham and Enoch knew sin before Scripture was Pr. Again he saith Try their own hearts by Scriptures Ansâ— They that tryed their hearts it was by the spirit of the Lord that searcheth them which led them to speak forth scriptures for before Scriptures were given forth there was that in the heart to try it which led all holy men of God to speake forth scriptures if all men upon earth had the scriptures and have not that which gave it forth they have not that which will try the heart for the Pharisees had the scriptures and they could not try their own hearts and so they turned against the light as the world do now that have the scriptures for that is it which brings to stand approved of God and tries their hearts with it Pr. He saith the overseers of the Church are visible An. That which doth oversee and maketh to be overseers was the holy Ghost before the Apostles deceased which was invisible but since the dayes of the Apostles men have made officers by the letter such are visible therefore have all men come into divers formes out of the unity and have lost the bond of peace Pr.
your blind zeal the mouth of iniquity hath been open in you with all the world against the truth but with it in a great measure it is stopped Pr. The evils hath been so strong that they have wrestled all weapons out of the hands of Saints and Ministers that have been formed against them Answ These have been pitiful weapons that you Ministers and Saints have had in your hands that the evil wrestled them out they have been carnal not spiritual for the spiritual weapons the evil cannot wrest out of the hands of Saints and Ministers of God but with them they are plucked down his holds and high places and spiritual wickednesses the evil dares not come nigh the Saints weapons which are spiritual Pr. You say We desire no longer to rest in a testimony of words but take an effectual course that sin and sinners may be purged out of the house of God we desire the Church would set some days apart wherein they may bewail iniquity and pollution that Ministering Brethren would without respect of persons from house to house night and day bear their testimony to flie from those abominations Answ The Church of God you cannot which is the Pillar and ground of truth which Christ purchased with his blood without spot or wrinkle or blemish and the house of God you know not who talkes of purging of it who is established a top of all the mountains and all your abominations and pollutions and respecting of persons is out of the Church and the Law both transgressors of it and it is time to begin to stir up your selves and turn from the evil of your wayes and turn to Christ the Light who hath enlightened you that you may bear testimony against your selves and your Ministers and lightness and abominations in your own families and do not say it is the house of God and the Church of God but amongst your selves and we do believe it is but the testimony of words who have denyed the light and so denyed the power Pr. They may deliver themselves from the blood of souls having declared the whole counsel of God Answ Can dust and ashes declare the whole Counsel of God and cankered ones and pollutions and abominations can such declare the whole Counsel of God such be out of it for they that come into the counsel of God declares that and come out of pollutions and cankered with the world to him by whom the world is made who is perfect and makes them perfect who declares his perfect will and counsel Pr. Another evil we thought to have spread before you but wanting opportunitie shall now omit and that from Chard we have laboured in vain that which hath been brought forth hath been to little purpose Answ This you may speak to your shame and shew forth your own nakedness that you have laboured in vain and that which you have brought forth hath been to little purpose in this the Church of Christ believes you who hath been them that hath beaten the air and why do you Print abroad that there is another evil among you which you have not laid open had you not been better have held your tongues except you had mentioned it is not this Hams spirit who lays open one anothers nakednes to the world in Print but how can you do otherwayes who hath denyed the light that hath enlightened every man that comes into the world which comes from Christ Jesus and so wants the covering and as for all your dirt and drosse and dung which is not worth mentioning in your Epistle and confused words which you set forth thinking to your glory but it is to your shame had you been in the life that gave forth Scripture which the Saints was in that was of the Church you would have covered your nakedness and would not have said pollution was in the Church and in the house of God but for all these things you are judged and you and your Epistle and your words to be unsavory and is judged with the life of God that gave forth Scripture and them that be of the house of God and the Church of God where no pollution is nor comes nor canker the witness in your conscience shall answer it in the day of the Lord. By us Richard Baxter c. Pastor of the Church at Kederminster In their Paper called the Judgement and advice of the Assembly of the Assosciated Ministers In it their Principles as followeth Pr. THat ever there should be so much to do among Christians yea the leaders of Christs flock and to bring them to so clear a duty that after all there labour there is no more done Answ Ye have been them that God never sent and found to be such as Christ cryed wo against and so you have not profited the people at all And you have not been the leaders of Christs flock but been such as turned against them that hath been your duty so therefore be all the people on heapes Pr. That all men must know that we are Christs followers if we love one another for he that saith he loves God and hates his brother is a liar Answ In this poor men you have judged your own selves for is not debate and strife and vain glory and persecution and prisoning found among you Cain turning against his brother Abel and slaying and killing him whose blood cryes for vengeance upon you so it is a proof that you are out of the faith that works by love in which is the communitie and Love with God and one with another And so in stead of making up breaches you are wounding and bringing confusion being out of the faith and life that Christ and the Apostles were in so in heapes about their words Pr. It is not our business to change mens minds from infidels and heresie to the faith but to bring the Churches of Christ to understand each other to be true Churches which take the holy Scriptures for our Rule of your faith and lives and believe it to be the infallible word of God and this Rule is Divine so our faith is Divine had we but a humane Rule we could have but a humane faith proud men thrust their opinions into the Churches Creed Ans Your businesse it is true is not to change men form infidels and heresie and to bring them to the faith so not into the unity for you bring no people into that nor to the Faith and you bring no Church to know one another in the faith and the Churches of Christ knowes each other to be a true Church and you whose businesse is not to bring men off heresie to Faith know not the Church of Christ which is the pillar and ground of truth built upon Christ who is the faiths author and the scriptures which signifies writings as you say outward writings paper and ink is not infallable nor is not divine but is humane and a humane knowledge from it men get and so writings
judge of Doctrine and manners c. Ans The Jewes had not infallible judgement that had Scriptures but stood against Christ the Light and judged him to be a Devill that judgment was not infallible and that doctrine and manners of theirs was not right which stood against Christ the light Pr. He saith the conclusion is that the Scriptures is the foundation of an infallible judgment concerning things contained in them and not the spirit page 10. Ans So he hath thrown out God and Christ and the spiritual man who was before the Scripture was who was the cause of the giving them forth and the inspiring them through the Saints which the Scripture saith shall judge the world yea Angels And he may say upon this conclusion that the world and the Devill hath the Judge for they will get Scripture Pr. He saith He that can bridle his tongue is not a perfect man Ans Which is contrary to the Apostle James who saith he is and so thou art out of James doctrine Pr. But the Saints have not Christ in the flesh page 12. Ans Contrary to Christ and the Apostles Doctrine who said they were of his flâ—sh and of his bone and should eat his flesh and they that eate his flesh have it in them Pr. He saith Christ within sufficient for all things to teach them and to make them perfect as he is and as God is Now saith he such an having of Christ as this is we assume not nor dare not assume And we declare against it as a Satanicall delusion and the Quakers are the poor creatures that confesseth this in them page 13. Ans And you that are not made perfect by Christ the truth you remain out of truth in the delusion and so you be out of the Apostles doctrine Pr. The Pastor saith That such a voyce as comes immediately from God we have not heard and such an immediate inspiration as this from God we have not received nor do we wait for it page 13. Ans So shewing himselfe to be of them that God never sent So you are as the Jewes that could say Moses heard the voyce of God and the Prophets heard the Lords voyce But their own eares stopt to the voyce For Christ said Ye have not heard the voyce of God at any time And ye say ye look not for it and you that deny immediate inspiration have denyed the powers and the spirit for that 's immediate and the Ministers of Christ witnesse it Pr. All that prayes by the spirit and speaks by the spirit and doth not shew a miracle these the Pastor saith are Impostors page 14. Ans Which many prayed by the spirit and spake by the spirit did not shew miracles at the Tempters command though among believers there be miracles in the spirit which be signes and wonders to the world as Isa saith But these are the Impostors that prayes and speaks but not by the spirit of God Pr. Because the Quakers say that such as preach and speak but not by the Spirit of God are the false Prophets which the Lord never sent this the Priest saith is an evill designe wherein lyes venome and poyson Ans Which they were and are in the evill designe that spoke not nor preacht not from the spirit of God and lyes in the venome and poyson Pr. He saith though Christ was then in heaven and spake not page 15. Ans Contrary to the Apostle who said he had spoken to him and hath spoken to us by his Son as Acts and Hebrews Pr. He saith all that are brought to the faith of Christ are not built upon an immediate voyce that comes from God to themselves nor to any others who are their Teachers See page 15. Ans Who shews he never received faith from God which from him is given which faith is immediate through which faith they have accesse to God who is immediate and he goes about to overthrow all Teachers made by the will of God and by Christ and the Revelation of Jesus for how can they be Ministers if they have not the Ministry revealed to them So he doth not know the Son that denies revelation nor the Father and denies themselves to be any true Ministers but by mans will which is not immediate which is the spirit which ministers of the spirit and are immediate in the spirit which thou art no. P. He saith That there may be much fallacy and delusion in Revelation The Pastor saith That God did not intend immediate teaching nor to give out an immediate voyce in after ages which should direct and guide men in the ways of salvation page 16. Ans Which is contrary to the Scripture which saith All the people of the Lord shall be taught of the Lord and he that is of God heareth Gods word and that is immediate and lives and doth endure for ever And there is no fallacy nor delusion in the Revâ—lation of God but all fallacy and delusion is out of it Pr. And he saith Timothy had not his knowledge immediately and yet he was in the faith And he saith there again the faith which was once delivered immediately from heaven to the Saints cuts off all from having any faith more delivered from heaven and of all other immediate voyces from thence Ans So he hath shut out Christ who is the Author of every mans faith which every one is to look at Christ which was before Scripture was That which was once delivered to the Saints and given to the Saints the Saints now must know their giver and deliverer and must know from whence the faith comes in this age as well as in the other age For if they have but words that speaks of the Saints faith how they had their faith delivered from God If that the Saints now have not their faith delivered to them from God as they in ages past they have but words And as the Devil had and stood against the author of the faith Christ the light and the truth as the Jewes had of the Saints but out of their faith and stands against them that be in it And Timothy had immediate teaching for he had the testimony of the Lord 1 Tim. and thou saist he had not immediate teaching Pr. He saith there must not be waiting for an immediate word but that word which hath been already to the Prophets and Apostles which none have the word spoken as it was to the Prophets and Apostles they must have it immediately c. pag. 17. Answ The word that was spoken to Isaiah the Apostle felt immediately which the Pastor saith he did not for there was no Scripture but came by immediate inspiration And the Word is immediate and all the Ministers of Christ preach the immediate word and wait for it and the outward written words with inke and paper are mediate Pr. He saith but an overcoming of the body of sin such as delivers from all sin in this world is expresly against the
Christ and the Apostles and the Scriptures are owned by them in scorn called Quakers and the light it speaks of who out of the apostacy are come and so from among the apostates And as for the lyes and slanders in his Book that are not worth mentioning but they shall turn upon his own head whose immodesty hath discovered them Pr. In his Preface to the Reader He saith It is an expression of a darke deluded minde to say that God is not distinguished from the Saints Ans But God and Christ is in the Saints and dwell in them and walk in them and he is a Reprobate and out of the Apostles doctrine Pr He saith We have broken the everlasting Covenant of God Answ Because we own the teaching of God by his spirit and the light which doth enlighten every one that that cometh into the world which is the covenant of God Pr. He saith The Scriptures is the rule of life See page 4. Answ Contrary to Christ who said the spirit should lead them into all truth And they that are the sons of God are led by the spirit of God And the Churches was to hear what the spirit saith for the spirit led them to speak forth Scripture Pr. Again he saith It is a contradiction and a confused sencelesse thing to preach the word of faith in the mouth and in the heart see page 6. Again he saith Most senseless is this profession of Christ in the mouth and believing in him with the heart God that made all things These are his words page 8. Ans It is not a senselesse profession to preach the word of Faith in the heart and in the mouth and to say God will dwell in you and the word is in the heart and in the mouth The word is God and thou art senselesse and fallen in confusion in the contradiction out of the Apostles doctrine and the Apostle saith Christ in you and with the mouth confession is made to salvation Pr. And he calls it a Notion to say that Christ lighteth all and therefore the light is Christ. Ans So here he is kicking and spurning against the light Christ that lighteth every man that cometh into the world which is the Rock the foundation of God the corner-stone which is fallen upon thy head and all be in the notion that be out of it Pr. He scoffs at the Quakers because they say they have the word of God in them Ans Christ his name is called the word of God Pr. He saith God blessing or blasting his owne Word to some according to the different ends intended by himselfe see page 9. Ans Now the Word of God is not blasted God never blasts his own Word but it is they that are blasted that disobey the Word For the Word of God doth its service and accomplisheth the end which it goeth forth for and doth not return in vain And it is the sword of the spirit and that is not blasted It is a hammer and a fire and it lives and doth endure for ever So thou art blasted who saith the Word of God he blasts and art to be cut down by the word of God for thy blasphemy Pr. He saith the Quakers are deceivers because we say that Christ is not in outward observations and formes And John Bunyan saith that he is distinct from the Saints and would have him in the forms c. see page 13. Ans And we say he hath triumphed over the Ordinances and blotted them out and they are not to be touched and the Saints have Christ in them who is the end of outward forms and thou art deceived who thinks to finde the living among the dead and Bunyan is deceived who said he is distinct from the Saints and so you are a company of pittiful Teachers Pr. He saith Every true Christian doth believe that the holy Scriptures alone is to be the object of faith c. page 17. Ans So he hath thrown out God the giver of it and Christ the Author of it for many have the Scriptures and deny Christ the Author of faith and object Pr. He asketh Did you ever read of law and testimony in the heart c see page 18. Ans Yea God saith I will write my law in their hearts The law was in Davids heart the law was in the Apostles heart The testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy and that is in the heart See Heb. 8. Rev. Pr. He saith The covenant of God is not to all in the Church of Christ see page 19. Ans Which is contrary to the Scriptures for where the Church is there is the Covenant the head Christ Jesus And God saith I will give him for a covenant to the Gentiles those are the heathen And I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah and these are called the people of God And therefore thou art in the fall in ignorance and a man without understanding and affirms thou dost not know what and silence would become thee better then to publish thy shame in print for they are not in the Church of God that be not in the covenant of God Pr. And he saith The Scriptures is the sure and perfect rule page 20. Ans And the Scripture saith Christ is the Bishop of the soule and God hath all souls in his hand And many have Scriptures but their soules the Bishop of them they know not but they remain in death and the life they want that gave it forth and so are all on heaps about the Scripture one with another and calling them the rule and the spirit And the spirit of God that led them forth to speak forth the Scripture was the rule to the Saints and holy men of God but they that be in the transgression will kill one another about their words and the spirit leads to see them again and brings them into unity with them and God Pr. He saith It is blasphemy to say that Christ is in them as God and man c. see page 23. Ans How are they of his flesh and bone And doth not the Scripture say Christ in you and God will dwell in you and walk in you And are not the Saints of his flesh and of his bone And are they not partakers of the divine nature Pr. He saith It is a fancy to say the eternall word of God is in them see page 26. Ans Thou art in the fancy that the eternal word is not in and witnessed and under the fire and sword and hammer to be hammered down And so art corrected by the Apostle who saith Let the word of God dwell in you richly The ingrafted word which is able to save your souls and immortal word which is immortal Pr. He saith The Scriptures is the only rule of knowing God c. See page 26. Ans Christ saith none knoweth the father but the Son who spoke among them that had the Scripture and so he
every man that cometh into the world is to bring them from the Mediator and to draw men from eying his death resurrection and intercession c. as these men say see page 7. Ans Here they are corrected for none knows these things but who come to the light Christ who hath enlightned them for with the light they see their Mediator and see his death and resurrection And they that come not to the light which lighteth every man that cometh into the world may speak of these things but cannot know them the witnesse in the conscience shall answer in all men for the light that shines in the heart gives them the knowledge of them of the Mediator death and resurrection of Christ And they say not every man in the world is enlightned and John saith every man is and so here their spirits are corrected again And I will give him for a covenant to the Gentiles and for a new covenant to the house of Israel and to the house of Judah And they bring these words Christ in you the hope of glory to oppose Johns words Pr. You say none comes to God but by Christ and yet doth not own him that doth enlighten every one that cometh into the world Ans And so are not like ever to come to him though you may talk of him in words as the Pharisees and Devils did as all the apostate Christians doth now and yet not own his light with it you are all to be condemned Ministers of Satan which are out of the light Pr. And you say Far be it from you to say that Christ is equally God c. See page 8. Ans And the Scriptures saith He is the everlasting Father and his name is called the Emanuel God with us and his name is called the word which is God John 1. Pr. And ye say Whereby man sees the God-head of God but nothing of the mystery of the Father and Christ as Mediator See page 9. Ans Can man see the god-head of God and nothing of the mystery of the Father and Christ the Mediator Doth not he that knows the Son know the Father also And hath not he that hath seen God seen the Son Is not the Son in the Father Here your spirits are corrected For the light that enlightens every man that comes into the world le ts see the one le ts see the other Pr. You say For a man to say the light Christ which doth enlighten every man that comes into the world is pure and justifies them that obey it he justifies that which God condemns c. See page 9. Ans As you say who are with it condemned for the light is that which doth condemn and justifie both and God doth not condemn it for it brings into unity with him and peace and all be condemn'd that be out of it and none be justified but them that be in it Christ that doth enlighten every man that cometh into the world which is the justification of life to every one that believeth in it and every man receiving the light receives his justification and hating of it receives his condemnation to death Pr. Again Ye conclude the light of Christ is not pure before faith See page 9. Ans So have concluded you seven Joseph Kellet John Pomroy Paul Glisson Christopher Feak John Simpson George Cocken Lawrence Wise that ye never knew Law nor Gospel nor Faith from Christ nor God For the law is light saith Solomon Prov. 6. and that is the Schoolmaster untill faith And the Law of God is pure and the Law is just holy and good and perfect and what is just holy and good is pure And this ye seven have concluded not pure the light in the conscience before faith And the Law is the Light and Schoolmaster untill faith And the Light is given to every man to believe and while ye have the light believe in it And so men have this light before they believe in it and are children And this ye conclude is not pure so goes about to take away that men should believe in they having the Light and then afterwards to believe in it and with that they see the Author of their faith Christ Jesus from whence it comes and so would destroy the foundation of God the Prophets and Apostles which standeth sure and so are yee found in the spirit of errour and corrected knowing neither law nor faith Pr. Again they say the Light which is Christ with which every man is enlightned that cometh into the world withall they say doth not discover the sinne of unbeliefe See page 10. Ans And did not Christ marvell at their unbelief and see and discovered the unbelief of the Jewes of whose Father are ye And doth not Christ the Light which doth enlighten every man withal discover unbelief And doth not the unbelievers hate the light and know the light will reprove them which they should believe in that manifests their sin and yet you say doth not discover unbelief which is their condemnation not believing in it because their deeds be evill hating it Pr. And further ye say That the light that lighteth every man that cometh into the world bringeth in a legal righteousnesse c. Ans Doth not the light that doth enlighten every man that cometh into the world bring in the righteousnesse of God and is it not the righteousness of God So it corrects you that be in the legall righteousness and out of Christ which enlightneth nevery man that cometh into the world Pr. Again you say The righteousnesse performed by the grace of Christ the Gospel teacheth to deny it See page 10. Ans Now is there any righteousnesse wrought by the grace of Christ but what is by Christ who is the covenant of grace and the power of God which is the Gospel which lighteth every man that comes into the world Pr. They call it conscience or a natural light c. page 11. Answ Which light was before the word conscience was or a naturall light the Sun Moon and Stars either for all things that was made was made by it The natural light or made light are created lights He made the Sun the Moon and the Stars they were made And here is the naturall lights to the natural eye And the light that every man is enlightned with that cometh into the word was before these were made glorified with the Father before the world began and before the name Conscience was or things was made and then they was named and the light doth exercise the conscience towards God and towards man which light cometh from Christ the Author of faith which is held in the pure conscience who before the world began was glorified with the Father Pr. Again the light which cometh from Christ doth enlighten every man that cometh into the world which discovers the evill which will give thee power against it man walking in it and yet brings to the rest to the Father this they
call free will c. see page 12. Ans Which light brings out of the will of man into the will of God to him that is not born by the will of man from whence it comes in which light men do his will and know his doctrine So here they are corrected again for the free-will and will-worship is out of the light which is Christ which John speaks of And they that hate the light are out of Christ and are not made free from the wrath to come but they that be in the light are made free from the wrath to come in covenant with God So you that would set up another light then Christ are Antichrist in your own wils for all wil-worship and fained humility is out of the light in the transgression Pr. Here they say that God made a difference where there was none see page 13. Ans And the Apostle said they were all gone astray And God puts a difference between the precious and the vile judgeth righteously and respects no mans person and makes a difference in judgement And they say God checks and chides the wanderings of his people and yet they say God makes a difference where there is none and you are to be checked and chidden Pr. Again they say The children of God are all their life-time found groaning under sin c. page 14. Ans The Apostle tells you plainly He that is borne of God doth not commit sin neither can he because the seed of God remains in him and he keepeth himselfe that the wicked one toucheth him not and they are made free from sin And here the Apostle corrects ye again for those are not groaning under when the wicked one toucheth them not but these reigneth over it Pr. Here they say Who puts men to the light of the eternall word with which they are enlightned withall puts men besides the way of life and puts men besides the way of salvation See page 16. Ans None knows salvation but by the light which comes from the eternall Word nor the way of life which is Christ which every man that cometh into the world is enlightned withall and so the salvation to the ends of the earth Pr. Here again they say That the light that lighteth every man that cometh into the world shuts up the Kingdome of heaven against men and takes away the ministration of the Gospel and dâ—stroys the ministries of man c. See page 17. Ans None comes into the Kingdom of heaven but who comes into the light which doth enlighten every man that cometh into the world It opens the Kingdom of heaven but it destroys mans ministration and brings in the ministration of God and the Gospell And this light ye call law or works that doth enlighten every man that cometh into the world which he that believeth in it hath ceased from his owne works as God did from his and comes to the end of the Law Pr. Again they say the Scriptures are the means of faith Answ And so have thrown out Christ the author of it and God the giver and the Scripture is but the declaration of the Saints faith and it saith men had faith before Scripture was as instance Abraham and Enoch Pr. Again they say As for the expected dictating the Scriptures by the spirit to us as to the writers thereof it is groundlesse c. see page 18. Answ So shewing of what spirit you are who with the true spirit are corrected that have the Scriptures dictated to you but not by the same spirit as the Prophets and Apostles had Pr. They say Instruction in the Scriptures is the way of sowing the seed in Children c. Ans And the Scripture saith the seed is the Word and Christ is the seeds-man which was before Scripture was and yet it doth no good except they eat the book and so confute themselves And many had the Scriptures which stood against the seeds-man as you do now and the Devill out of the truth makes a cloak of those things who will not feed upon the Word Pr. So the light which lighteth every man that cometh into the world which we say is the Covenant of God they say that is to break down the inclosed Garden see page 20. Ans This is that which confounds Babylon the great and brings it into remembrance with God and brings the great Whore into judgement The Light which is the way into the garden of God breaks down their inclosed garden that from the Apostles have apostatized Pr. They say that the power to justle out the forme is an errour c. see page 24. Answ Which was the Apostles work to bring off the form into the power the substance Christ which was not an errour But you being in the errour keep people into forms out of the power and so not in the Apostles work Pr. Again they here say It is blasphemy to say God is in all c. See page 30. Ans And the Apostle saith God over all and in you all blessed for ever and through all Ephes 4. Pr. They say It is not a transgression though men pray not nor preach not for many dayes weeks and moneths together though necessity is laid upon them c. page 32. Answ Contrary to Christs command who bid them watch and pray And contrary to the Apostles doctrine who said woe be unto him if he did not preach the Gospel So where there comes a woe there is a transgression so likewise where Christs doctrine is denyed and the Apostle which said pray alwayes but without wrath and doubtings and lifting up holy hands and pray for enemies But you pray in the wrath and hands full of blood and persecute friends as your Gaols may witnesse so as Pastor Eaton saith you never heard the voyce of God And Micah said Night is upon Priest and Prophets that divine for money and preach peace to the people if they put into their mouths if not they prepare war against them Such have no answer from God Pr. They say That apparell is for distinction of qualities of persons c. See page 36. Ans That is but in the world for that which distinguisheth persons is the Word the person of Christ from the persons of Adam in the fall and who be in the transgression and who be out of it and who be vessels of honour and dishonour and your wearing of gold and costly apparell it distinguisheth you from the Apostles doctrine And the holy women of old which was honourable it was not the apparell that made them so to be but the hidden man of the heart which was of great price to the Lord which were brought to do the command of God That honour which is in the world for cloaths and respect God will stain which stands in the lust of the eye and the pride of life and the lust of the flesh and there stands the worlds honour in transgression Pr. They say It is most true
from me to imagine that the spirit of God moved the Apostles to preach when they did onely and not at other times and that they always waited in silence till then c. See same page Answ So he would make it that the Apostles preached when the spirit moved them not and run without the moving of the spirit and so would make them like himselfe And Peter said they spake as they were moved by the holy Ghost And they that are the sons of God are led by the spirit of God And the spirit shall lead them into all truth And the spirit should tell them what they should speak and shew them things to come and that was their guide and rule and thou who speaks and not the spirit moves thee art no Minister of the spirit and sayes far be it from thee to imagine the Apostles preached onely when they were moved and so doth not own the Apostles were the Ministers of the spirit with thy imaginations Pr. And the singing of the Saints in the spirit and grace is not like the ungodly singing without the spirit Ans And saying the grace of God hath not appeared unto all men and all have not the spirit which is contrary to Scripture It saith the grace hath appeared unto all men and I 'le powr out my spirit upon all flesh And the spirit that reproves the world leads the Saints and you that sing Davids quakings and prayers is not in the understanding nor grace but distinct from the Saints which must be turned into howling How can ye give them the Psalms to sing then that have no grace Pr. And the Priests of Scotland say Cursed is he that sayes grace is free These are the Scottish principles c. Answ And yet ye give the Psalms to all to sing and yet ye say all have not grace and all have not the spirit of God and then can they not sing in the grace and sing in the spirit Is there any prudent reason or good understanding without the spirit Pr. He saith We deny the Scripture to be the Word of God Answ The Scriptures are the words of God and Christ is the word in which the words end Pr. And he speaks these detestable words and sayes Is not our tongues oyled with a spirit of confused delusion which is his own c. See page 5. Ans Because we say such as pray or preach it must be by the moving of the spirit of God which they be not in that are in the spirit of delusion Pr. And he is opposing the commands of Christ who said be not of men called Master for ye have one Master even Christ who conquers death and hell And he saith Why may they not be called Master Ans It is his Master that teacheth him to be called of men Master that is gone out of the truth but Christ said be not of men called Master and wo be to them that are Matth. 23. And you are them that are made by the will of man that breaks his commands George Willington's Booke called The Gadding Tribe Reproved A right Title to his condition in his Book who like a wilde Beast is gadding up and down but the Lord rebuke such spirits His PRINCIPLES follow c. Pr. HE himselfe falls a judging others and then he cries Oh man who art thou that judgeth another c. page 9. Answ And doth not see the worke that he is doing himselfe But bids others they should not judge and falls a judging himselfe which is like all the rest of his gadding Tribe and how they run with their horns at the righteous and push at the upright in heart But the Lamb is above them all and the wrath of the Lamb is kindled therefore the Beasts rage who against the Lamb makes war And where judgement is come through into victory he may judge and the hidden things of darkness is brought to light and the counsel of the heart made manifest and the Lord is come and the spirituall man judgeth all things which shews the counsell of his heart is not made manifest nor his hidden things of darknesse brought to light and the Lord is not come to him and so cannot judge And George Willington hath judged before his time with which he is charging others therefore his words shall be his burthen Pr. And his principle is That he is justified by faith alone without good works c. See page 10. Answ What without the faith that works by love hast thou concluded those works the works of Popery which are the works of faith that works by love that gives the victory How dost thou gad now whether art thou gadding now Know faith that works by love is owned and he that believes is ceased from his works as God did from his and hath entered into his rest And faith gives victory overall the Popish murthering spirits and thine both and your works which gives to have accesse to God and their works is wrought in him Pr. He saith Whilst the upstart sect of Quakers do looke after the light within he saith we have a more sure word of prophesie c. and so would make the sure word of prophesie not the lihgt within See page 12. Answ Whose spirit he hath made manifest where it is amongst them that are gone from the Apostle who stands against the light within For they that draw from the anointing within are the seducers and they went forth from the Apostles that went from the anointing within Art not thou and you all gadded and the world from the anointing within you and so seducing one another therefore have you so many heaps of Teachers and arming your selves and making lies your refuge against them that are come to the anointing which you are all gadded from given judgement against your selves who will not have people to own the light Christ Jesus who doth enlighten every man that cometh into the world and none owns the anointing within who owns not the light which you deny which have apostatized from the Apostles and the Quakers are risen up in the night of apostacy and discovers you all what you are in and what you went from and what hath been lost since the dayes of the Apostles and an Earth-quake is coming upon you that hath not been since the foundation of the world out of which Earth-quake we are come into that which cannot be shaken As the Quakers are not the Gadding tribe but they have the anointing in them and as it shall teach them they shall abide in the Son of God and the Father But it is manifest that thou and the whole world is gadded from the anointing within you which should teach you and so are turned against the Saints and the Lamb And have been the Harlots the mouths of the false Prophets blaspheming God in his Tabernacle and drunk the blood of the Saints and the Martyrs and the Prophets and made war against the Saints to overcome them
and have overcome them but the Lamb and the Saints shall get the victory Pr. And thou tels us of a Creed and Catholique Faith commonly called the Apostles Creed which except a man believe this Creed and Catholique Faith he cannot be saved c. See page 16. Ans Who taught thee all this language Where did the Apostles teach thee any such things as the Catholique Creed The Apostle teacheth us no such things as a Catholique Creed didst thou not learn this of the Pope who apostatized from the Apostles And the twelve Apostles taught thee no such Doctrine as the Catholique Creed and thou saith they signed it Nay the Pope signs thee that Creed and the Sacraments the Pope signes thee that And we are come to the foundation of God which was before the Pope was and we gad not Thou shouldst not tell lies to say they gad that come unto God the Elect of God Gods Elect and Christ the light is the salvation before thee and the Pope was Pr. And thou saith Doth any forsake the Ministry to follow a new light c See page 17. Ans That Ministry that doth deny the Light that doth enlighten every man that cometh into the world as this gadding Tribe of Ministers and Professors have done since the dayes of the Apostle and do so by denying the Light they deny the foundation of God The Light we own which every man that cometh into the world is enlightened withall which is the foundation of God and them deny to be any Ministers of Christ that denies the Light that enlighteneth every man that cometh into the world and his Ministers we own Pr. And thou saith do not forsake the Temple and truth of God to follow the bleating of Jeroboams calves in Dan and Bethel c. Ans Now whither art thou gadded Art not thou gadded in this from the Apostles Doctrine to the Temple which the Apostles brought the people off from where is thy light now How ownes thou Christ who keepes people to the Temple and tels them of Jeroboams Calves in Dan and Bethel where is there any people gadding thither whether hast thou not lost thy reason and sobrietie to publish thy madness to the Nation And did not Christ say the Temple should be thrown down Mat. 24. And Stephen witnessed against it and was stoned to death and thou art calling people to it and your Popish Masse house which you call your Temple you have set up since the dayes of the Apostles is like unto the Idol set up at Dan and Bethel Pr. And he saith your Ancient Divines are them that have entered in at the door c. See pag. 20. Ans How can you and your Ancient Divines enter in at the door when you deny the Light that doth enlighten every man that comes into the world which is Christ the Door Therefore it makes you to gad up and down without light in the dark Now is the stone fallen upon you and the rock you are splitting your selves against it Now shall the Saints know the Song of the Lamb rejoycing over the Beast and the false Prophets Pr. He saith the written word the ingrafted is able to save the soul c. See pag. 21. Ans The Ingrafted word is able to save the soul but the letter the written words are not The Pharisees had the written words but stood against the Saviour of the Soul And how art thou gadded here in thy Judgement how art thou like to own the word that saves the Soul when thou denies the Light Pr. He is stirring up the Magistrate to persecute his own mouth condemns him who pretends love c. Ans And thou that gads abroad in thy mind to stir up the Magistrate to prosecute art not in the life of the Apostles nor Christ but in the Spirit of the false Prophets and Antichrists and one in that which all persecutors come from out of the truth Pr. Again thou saith we ought not to Judge c. See pag. 23. Ans Let all people that read thy Gadding tribe see if thou doth not Judge and so comes under Judgement by thy own words And the time was come to the Apostles when they went on to the eternall Judgement which we own But this is not for such as are crying up Temples and Persecutors nor stumbling at the Light your measures are all too short of your whole gadding tribe that be from the light that every man is enlightened withall that comes into the world Pr. Again thou saith the Apostles was to call the Ministers of Christ mediately and the Immediate call from God is not enough c. See pag. 24. Ans So thou hath set up the Mediate before the immediate and judgeth the immediate and not sufficient But thou art corrected by the Scriptures and the Apostle corrects thee who saith I have not received it of man nor by man and bad others look at Jesus the Author of their faith And the Apostle doth not say that they was to call men mediately he doth not teach such Doctrine that their Ministers was called mediatly nor send them forth so but it is thou that art gaded from the Counsel of God and the Apostle confutes thee who said he was not of men nor by men and all that went forth from the Apostles went forth by the immediate power of God who was the Church of God and by the power of that But you are the mediate fallen from the Apostle and made by the will of men But now with the immediate you are all comprehended Pr. And thou brings many Scriptures to oppose Christs commands and the Apostles Doctrine which saith be ye not of men called master c. See pag. 28. For thâ—â—â— saith Christ doth not mean as he speaks for thou saith the meaning is not that it is unlawful to be called master Ans Here thou shewes whither thou art gadded one that teacheth to break Christs commands But the wo that is denounced in the same Chapter where the command is belonges to thee So an Antichrist that teacheth to deny Christs commands and dispiseth his Authority And one that calls him Lord but doth not the thing that he commands but it is not such that enters into the Kingdom of God and this thou shalt witness at last when thy words falls heavy upon thee Joshua Millers Booke called Antichrist in man the greatest Idol Which is a fit Title for himself who cals that Antichrist and Mistery of Babylon that justifies within Contrary to the Apostles Doctrine who saith we are Justified by faith in Christ Jesus which is in the heart As for the rest of his slanders and Lies in his book they are not worth mentioning but these that follows Pr. ANd he cals them devout men that denyed the light that hath enlightened every man that cometh into the word c. He saith the Quakers are the most saddest and deplorable Spectacles of revolted Professors that ever I heard or read of since
my knowledge of them c. See Pag. 2. Ans The Quakers are revolted from you Apostates that are inwardly ravened as the converted Jewes did that were turned to Christ for the Jewes revolted from the Temple and the Priests and turned to Christ from the other Jews and owned the Light which lighteth every man that cometh into the world which you Revolters deny that have reigned since the dayes of the Apostles and so are ignorant what we are come to and the Apostles were in and that which was before you and they was Pr. He saith the Angels of Light which are holy and without sin may be devils c. See pag. 3. Ans Which the devill fell from the Light from the holiness and so he cannot tansform into that And all holiness intended which is not in the light is as the Pharisees was in and the whole world and is condemned with the Light He saith salvation by the Light within is cursed c. See pag. 6. Ans Contrary to the Apostle who saith the light that shineth in the heart gives the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ Jesus And contrary to John who saith every man that cometh into the world is enlightened And as many as received him to them he gave power to become the Sons of God and the power of God is the Gospel of salvation to every one that beleeves in the light And he that beleeveth in the Light hath the witness in himself and the Apostle turned them from the Darknss to the Light And the word was in their hearts of Faith that saves the soul and there was the glad tidingâ— the Gospel And Priest Shaw saith the Gospel is the four bookes of Matthew Mark Luke and John And the Apostle saith it is the power of God and saith many have the form but deny the power So now here himself he hath cursed So this same man is a curser as the Papists are Both he and them are found out of the doctrine of Christ and the Apostles who saith bless and curse not And the Scotch Priests likewise are cursers as in the Scotch Principles ye may see and no one knows salvation but by the Light within which doth enlighten every man that cometh into the world who is the salvation to the ends of the earth Pr. And he calls his Steeple-house St. Andrews See page 7. Answ Which never did Prophets nor Apostles give such names to houses but the Pope who is his teacher Pr. He saith It is an errour to say that the light which every one hath that cometh into the world is sufficient to salvation without the help of any other meanes or discovery c. See page 9. Answ Contrary to Christ who brought the Jewes off of all others helps to himself who said Believe in the light while ye have the light and they that believed in the light should not abide in darknesse And no man cometh to the Father but by me saith Christ For he was the way the truth the light in men and the life and there is no salvation by any other name but by him And there is none knows the blood of Christ which cleanseth and the offering for the sins of the whole world but with the light which cometh from Christ Jesus who is sufficient who is the salvation to the ends of the earth so he is the only means without any other help And as the anointing in people doth teach people they shall continue in Christ and as they walke in the light as he is in the light they shall have fellowship with the Father from whence all helps comes and Christ will dwell in man and walk in man and what need they have any more helps Pr. He saith It is an errour to say we are justified by that which Christ doth in us c. See page 9. Ans Contrary to the Apostle who saith we are justified by faith in his blood and the faith is in the heart and the blood is in the heart that purifies it and held in a pure conscience And the word of faith is within Rom. 10. And faith gives victory over the world and that which gives victory justifies and Christ is within who is justifi-fication and sanctification and condemnation either of them is found within and thou art in the errour and not fit to talk of these things which thou understands not Pr. Again he saith It is an errour if not damnable to say Christ is the means and that there is no other means of salvation c. see page 13. Ans And Christ saith No man cometh unto the Father but by me and he is able to the utmost to save And he shall be my salvation to the ends of the earth saith the Lord. And saith the Apostle God is in Christ reconciling the world unto himself And he that hath the Son of God hath life and the Father and the Son are one and there is no salvation in any other Pr. He saith That Christ gives light to no man under that name but believers c. See page 13. Ans Contrary to John who saith he doth enlighten every man that comes into the world that all might believe through the light And contrary to Christs own words such as hated it and would not come to it and bids them believe in the light while they had it and he that did not believe was condemned already and he that did believe had the witness in himself Pr. He saith It flatly contradicts the whole Scripture to say that the light wherewith Christ hath enlightned every man c. will save c. See page 14. Answ Which God saith I will give him for a covenant for a light to the Gentiles new covenant to the house of Israel and Judah and he shall be my salvation to the ends of the earth and believing in it are saved and not believing are condemned Pr. The wise heathen Philosophers had a greater measure of light in them which is the first Adam then I can thinke any men have now c. See page 15. Answ Which shews that he knows none of Christ the second Adam the quickning spirit And he knows no new creature For who are in Christ are new creatures Nor none of Christ the Covenant of God of light of life of peace who was glorified with the Father before the world began which is beyond the first Adam and hath shut himself forth not to be as high as his Heathen Philosophers and many witnesse Christ in them in this age as in the dayes of the Apostles which is above the Heathen Philosophers Pr. The light which every man that cometh into the world is enlightned withall is Christ he saith this is the light of nature and of reason And saith It is a damnable doctrine to deny all externall means of salvation c. See page 16. Ans When as the Apostle saith We looke not at things which are seen
but at things which are not seen For the things that are seen are temporall but the things that are not seen are eternall and that which is to savation is eternall and is not external Pr. He saith Whâ—t word did Paul and Barnabas preach in the synagogues but the Prophets c See page 19. Ans Nay they preached Christ the end of the Prophets Pr. He calls that a monstrous opinion for to compare them to the Heathen who had not known there had been a God but by the Scriptures and have no more knowledge but by it c. page 20. Ans For the Pharisees had Scriptures and here heathen men may get Scriptures but know not the true God for none knows the true God but by the spirit of God and the Son of God reveals the Father though they may have all the Scriptures and the light that shines in the heart gives the knowledge of him and this the Apostle spoke to them that had the Scriptures and who are of faith are of Abraham and in the knowledge of him that knew God before the Scripture was written Pr. And he saith That the Law and the Testimony is Moses and the Prophets c. See page 21. Ans Contrary to the rest of the Priests which say it is the Old and New Testament and he and the rest of the Priests are contrary to the Apostle which saith The law and testimony is the light and spirit of prophecy which many may have the Old and New Testament yet deny the light and spirit of prophecy as Priests and professors do now who say prophecy is ceased There they deny the practice of the Church where edification learning and comforting is prophecying all one by one such they prison and persecute and they are not like to own prophesie when they deny the light which doth enlighten every man that comes into the world who is the end of prophesie and none owns Christ who owns not prophesie A Prophet is a Seer and them that deny Prophets are all blinde and in the dark and are such as have ravened from the spirit of God and have killed the Prophets Prin. He saith The Prophets are more certaine then any other Revelation See page 21. Answ Was not the Son of God revealed the end of the Prophets Did not God reveal him which came in the volume of the Book to do the will of God And so the Prophets and the Law and types and shadows which they that had the Prophets and the Law and types and shadows knew not the Son of God that was revealed that was their end spoken of in the Prophets and Epistles who is now revealed Pr. He saith The Patriarks and Prophets were justified by conceiving Christ without c. See page 24. Ans Now the Patriarks and Prophets had the spirit that did give them an evidence of him and by faith they saw him which is beyond a conceiving by which they were justified Pr. He saith Justification by works and inherent grace we call Christ c. See page 25. Ans We say Christ is the end the substance and who believes in him hath ceased from his own works he is the end of gifts and graces and mans own inherenting and no one knows justification but who receives the grace that brings salvation Pr. He saith This justification by a righteousnesse within us is mans grand Idoll and Christs arch enemy c. See page 25. Ans We are justified by faith in Christ Jesus and that is in us in the heart this he calls an Idoll and Christs enemy which he is the author of So what doctrine this man teacheth contrary to the Apostle erred from the Apostles and faith it is that purifies the heart by which we are justified by faith and not by works which throws down all Idols and the enemies of Christ which thou art one and none owneth justification but who witnesseth justification within faith in the heart and Christ being within there is justification Pr. He saith We miserably wrest the Scripture because we say he that respecteth persons commits sin c. Ans Now let all read that in James the Apostle how that he that respects persons commits sin and is convinced by the Law as a transgressor so teaching men to transgresse the commands of God contrary to the Apostles who teach men to keep them Pr. He saith Popery and vain philosophy is the foundation of the Quakers Religion c. See page 30. Ans Whose foundation is the light of Christ which lighteth every man that cometh into the world which was before Popery or Philosophy was which you are in as your books naming of days and Colledges and Steeple-houses makes it appear Pr. He saith And to believe or thinke our Justification is by something wrought in us is that Antichrist whose name is mystery Babylon the great the mother of Harlots c. See page 32. Ans And the Apostle saith we are justified by the faith of Christ Jesus Gal. 2. And faith purifies the heart and is a mystery held in a pure conscience This Justification is by the faith of Christ within and this thou calls Antichrist and the mystery of Babylon who art there thy selfe that be out of this faith that purifies the heart For all the holy men of God were justified by their faith and the faith is in the heart And thy belief that is without thee and faith in Christ is like unto the Jewes who stood against him when he was come True faith gives victory over Mysticall Babylon and the world in which men please God in which is unity Ralph Halls Booke called The Quakers Principles Quaking In it his Principles follows and lies upon himselfe turned whose works are for the Fire and to be burned Pr. HE saith It is delusion to give up to the light within to be the Judge c. which is Christ and calls it an obscure kinde of chymistry c. Answ Which the Apostle commands to judge themselves which they cannot judge themselves but with the Light by which they may see themselves Pr. He saith doth the Light of nature as he calls it give liberty to women to teach And so that he concludes and calls grosse and palpable darkness c. Ans Contrary to the Apostles Doctrine and the mind of God and the Prophets who said God will pour out his Spirit upon all flesh and his sons and daughters should prophesie So he is a limitter of the holy one and a quencher of the Spirit and in the darkness and this is above the Light of nature Pr. He saith the Quakers blame every thing and convinceth of nothing c. Ans Are ye not all convinced of your hirelings of your covetousness of your respecting mens persons for advantage and your teaching for filthy Lucre and your gain from your quarters and your love of money Are not ye all convinced Have not the Quakers convinced you all of those things and of your pride and
without spot before any work done or good whatsoever c. page 3. Ans There is none doth the work of God but who believes and he that believes overcomes the world and his works are wrought in God and he hath the word oâ— reconciliation in him And by this means of thine all the world is presented perfect to God for he is the offering for the whole world But them that believe are partakers and them that do not believe are condemned Yet I say the Lord helps the unbelief of many who is the Saviour of all men especially of them that believe and men are not presented to God while they do evill and afore they are sanctified and holy Pr. He saith The invisible things of God and the eternall power and glory of God may be known by that of God in every man but not his good pleasure or purpose of grace c. See page 4. Ans Is the glory seen and that known the God-head known the invisible things of God and the eternall power and not the good pleasure of God nor his purpose of grace Doth not the God-head dwell in Christ and his fulnesse bodily And is not Christ the power of God And he that knows God and his glory and eternall power and God-head Doth not he know the Son Consider that For he that hath known the Son hath known the Father also and grace and the purpose of God Pr. He saith Man may know God and his eternall power and God-head and glory and yet know nothing of the mystery of Christ nor can that which thou saith shews these things lead unto the mystery of the knowledge of Christ c. See page 4. Answ Where the eternall power and God-head is known his power his glory and the invisible things of God there is something of Christ known the mystery For there is none knows the Father but the Son and he to whom the Son reveals him And he that knows the Father knows the Son Pr. He saith To say that Christ is within man is to worship Angels and not to hold the head Christ c. See page 5. Answ Which none comes to witnesse Christ the head but who witness him in them that the Angels must worship that dyed and suffered at Jerusalem and they that worship him in them worships not the Angels and they that are not worshipping him in them are worshipping Men Devils or Angels Pr. He saith It is a bewitching of the mindes to preach Christ within the Saints c. Answ Did not the Apostle say to the same Colossians of worshipping of Angels not holding the head Did not he preach Christ in them the same Colossians And he told them of intruding into things they never saw Did not he say Christ in you the hope of glory whom we preach warning every man that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus How dost thou devide the word contrary to the Apostles and Christ Jesus and calls this Doctrine bewitching and thou that preacheth another doctrine contrary to his art accurst Pr. He saith To say the light in every one wherewith Christ Jesus hath enlightned them withall that comes into the world is the way to Christ and the Father and is the sure word of prophesie which people are to take heed unto He saith this is to deny the person of Christ as the object of faith and the Scriptures as the rule of faith and faith it selfe c. See page 8. Answ In this thou hast shewed thy ignorance for none knows the person of Christ but with the light that comes from him None knows the Mediator none knows the Author of their faith but with the light that comes from Christ And none knows the Scriptures of truth but with the light And Christ is the rule of faith and author of it and giver And many may have Scriptures and not saith so in this thou devides not the word aright uncapable of dividing the word and that is the sure word of prophesie that shines in a dark place which people are to take heed unto till the day dawn and the day-star arise in their hearts Pr. He saith To say that redemption righteousness is wrought within is to bring Christ down from above out of heaven or raise him from the dead and to make the blood of Christ as another mans c. See page 9. Answ Now Christ is not known to be the justification but as he is known within and redemption out of Adams state in the fall For he that believes hath the witnesse in himselfe and ceaseth from his own works and enters into his rest as God did from his For the world may professe Christ without them but if he be not within them they are reprobates and shall fall short of the justification and redemption if he be not within them And if they have not the Son of God they have not life and many will say Lord but doth not the thing that he commands And one of thy generation of Professors that writ against the Quakers and said That the blood of Christ was corruptible and so it was like the blood of another man and thou saith it is not Now we say that blood which cleanseth from all sin is incorruptible and they that witnesse Christ in them and justification and redemption and need not say who shall raise Christ from the dead or fetch him from above as thou says Pr. He saith Obedience to the spirit within and Christ a worker and a Law-giver in their conscience and a worker of it in their persons but not as a Saviour and what of God is felt or wrought in them that they believe While the unspeakable righteousness opperation of life in Christ reserved with faith liberty joy and peace c. is hid from their eyes c. See page 10. Ans Now can any be obedient to the spirit within and to Christ a worker and a Law-giver and feel the work of God in themselves and believe it and yet the unspeakable righteousness and the operation of life hid in Christ and faith and liberty joy and peace to be hid from their eyes Can a man know all these things and yet not know Christ to be a Saviour here thou art judged and thy knowledg for he that knows these things knows a Saviour and let the righteous judge whose eyes are open how thou divides the word Pr. He saith Faith holds things as true in Christ though hid from sense and feeling c. See page 11. Answ How cometh the just to live then if there be not a feeling in his faith And how cometh he to have the victory then over the world And how doth faith purifie if there be not a feeling And how is it holden then in a pure conscience if there be not a feeling And how cometh he to have accesse to God through faith And doth not the Scripture speak of them that was in the faith felt and handled the
See pag. 16. Ans Contrary to the Apostle who said the Light that shined in their hearts should give the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ Jesus and the Light within comes from the mystery and is of the mystery it self and le ts see the precious mystery which none knowes but with the Light within and so the God of the world hath blinded thy mind and hath shewed thy self that thou art of them that hates the Light and shewes that thou comes not to it for he that comes to it comes to the mystery for the least Light of Christ in man is of the mystery and comes from the mystery Pr. He saith to say Christ came to Redeem the Israel from the Law without to establish the work within and law in the conscience in obedience unto which men come to be Redeemed and the Law in the heart thus to say he saith is an errour c. See page 16. Ans Contrary to the Apostle who Preached the redemption established the Law in the heart and Christ within who redeemes men from under the Law who is the end of it and the word of Faith in the heart and they that have not this be in the errour though they may talk of Christ Pr. He saith it is the Divinity of Sophisters and a blotting out of the glory of the grace of Christ to set forth Christ as a law-giver and worker in us c. See page 17. Ans Which I say none knowes him as a Mediator and a law-giver nor an offering nor his blood that cleanseth them but as they know him working in them and they be in the Sophistery of their Divinity that knowes not the glory of the grace of Christ working in them Pr. He saith a man shall not see himself dead and buried with Christ and raised up with Christ by any work or obedience to Christ within c. See page 18. Ans He that believes hath the witness in himself and there is the work within and that is the work of God and Faith is wrought within And this is contrary to self for over it it gives victory and teacheth to deny himself So see how thou confounds thy self and he that believes is past from death to life and they that are dead with Christ seekes those things that are from above Pr. He saith again the Light within is the spirit of the world c. See page 18. Ans Contrary to Johns doctrine who saith he was in the world and the world knew him not neither doth your spirits of the world know him now and the worlds Spirit knew him not and the world hates the Light and darkness cannot comprehend it though it shines in darkness And here thou art medling with things that are too heavy for thee and the corner stone falls a top of thee and the Light that enlighteneth every one that cometh into the world was before the spirit of the world was Pr. He saith that they that affirm the light in every man that condemnes for sin to he Christ the Redeemer have set up an Idol c. See page 19. Ans Doth not Christ say I am the Light of the world which is the true Light that lighteth every man that cometh into the world who is the Redeemer and the Salvation to the ends of the earth and he that receiveth it receiveth Christ And is not this it that brings off of all Idols And are not they setting up Idols that are from the Light And doth not Christ the Light come to condemn sin in the flesh and is that the Idoll How dare thou say so he was manifest in the flesh to condemn sin in the flesh and he saith I am the light and that is not an Idoll Pr. He saith Christ comes not down in spirit into our persons to redeem but to manifest the redemption and saith he cometh the second time without sinne unto salvation c. See page 21. Answ The Apostle bids them worke out their salvation with fear and trembling And Christ brings not peace on earth but a sword and judgment and comes to make blind who is the redemption and makes it manifest by his spirit and whose light doth condemn him that hates it for he will not have that which manifests salvation And whosoever knoweth redemption knoweth it to be manifest in him from Christ Pr. He saith They who had the light within and pierced into the invisible things and eternall power and God-head had but the wisdome of this world c. page 23. Ans And so he would make the light of Christ the wisdome of this world which light cometh from Christ the wisdome of God the wisdome of the world cannot pierce into the eternall power and God-head Pr. He saith The light within denies all things that God hath done for us in Christ which hath no glory but spreads a veil over c. page 25. Ans Which none knows what God hath done for us nor sees the glory in Christ but by the light which comes from him who works all both in us and for us according to his good will and pleasure and brings not to deny what God worketh in us and they nullifie it that are against his light and are against his glorious person for the light that 's within le ts see his glory Pr. He saith Obedience to the light within is another atonement and a denying the atonement of Christ and calls it a mystery of iniquity See page 28. Answ VVhich none knows the attonement of Christ but by the light within and all be in the mystery of iniquity that be out of the Light which cometh from Christ the covenant of God to Jewes and Gentiles and that gives them the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ Jesus Mark he saith the light is that which gives the knowledge and the Light within doth not set up another atonement but they do that do deny the light within set up another atonement then Christ Pr. He saith To obey the Law within which we say is the law of the spirit of life which makes free from sin and death in this he saith we agree with the Papists and Pagans See page 30. Answ Now in this thou may see where thou art out of the Apostles doctrine And neither thee nor the Papists nor Pagans own us in this that we should be made free from the Law of sin and death while we be upon the earth And here the blood of Jesus is witnessed and the attonement and the Father and the Son and this is all seen with the Light within Pr. He saiâ—h He began by faith to behold the love joy and redemption prepared for him before any evill or good was done by him c. page 37. Answ Dost not thou say thou beheld it by faith And now is not the work good to behold by faith And doth not that give victory over the evill And doth not
before the Apostles decease they saw them that were false accusers and fierce despisers of them that were good They that had the forme of godlinesse but denyed the power that should be lovers of themselves and covetous and these were crept up before the Apostles decease and since the dayes of the Apostles the world have been after them That both covetous and heady and fierce despisers have rul'd they have been like Jannes and Jambres who withstood Moses when the children of Israel were to come out of Aegypt And so do you that crept up since the Apostles decease who are covetous and high-minded heady fierce despisers of them that are good have a forme of godlinesse but deny the power thereof which are to be turned away from and so keeps people in spirituall Aegypt and Sodome Are ye not all covetous and lovers of your selves And do not you all deny the light that lighteth every man that cometh into the world Christ the power of God and so keeps people under your teachings all their life time laden with their sins divers lusts while they be upon the earth and the body of it and telling them that there is no perfection here That Ministry that tosseth people up and down with your slights and wiles and windy doctrine and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth which truth is the light that doth enlighten every man that cometh into the world Are not ye fierce despisers of them that are good Hath not all the blood which hath been shed since the days of the Apostles of the Martyrs and Saints been by the stock that you are in who are the false spirits erred from the true spirit that the Prophets and Apostles were in and gone out into the world from them as ye confesse ye have not the same infallible spirit as the Prophets Christ and the Apostles had and Eaton the Pastor saith And the Indians will not deny the Light nor Turks neither that convinceth them of sin for to the Turks and Indians was the Covenant promised as well as to the Jewes for they are Heathen and thus your ignorance appears of the Scripture of truth and Ministers of God and with them you are judged Pr. Priest Coale saith The light which he is justified by is a created light Page 56. Answ The Scriptures of Truth which the Saints declared and Christ never held forth such a light as was created as justified them for the Saints are justified by Christ the light by whom all things were created Light was not created that was the Saints justification Pr. He saith Who are washed from their sins by the blood of Christ and made Priests unto God and in this sense if they themselves do not once become Priests they will become companions of Devils for ever See page 56. Answ They that become Priests to God and are washed by the blood of Jesus Christ are come out of the Devils power and overcome him by the blood of the Lamb and owns the light to be their justification which thou denies Pr. He tells us of Pauls mediate call and his extraordinary call of it selfe had not been sufficient Answ The Scripture tells us no such thing of Pauls mediate call and Paul declares himselfe take Pauls owne words not of man nor by man but by the will of God and that was sufficient which call you are out of since his dayes by men are ye called Pr. He saith Christ doth not forbid not simply to be called of men Master c. page 62. Ans It was Christs command plainly to his Disciples Be not ye of men called Master for ye have one master even Christ And thus thou stands against Christs doctrine and commands and so a transgressor and an Antichrist Pr. He saith Christs humane nature c. Ans Where doth the Scripture speak of humane the word humane where is it written tell us that we may search for it Now we do not deny that Christ according to the flesh was of Abraham but not the word humane And Christs nature is not humane which is earthly for that is the first Adam Pr. Priest Coals principle He saith His justification is not done within him but without him in the Court of heaven Answ Reprobates may talk of Justification Did not Christ work Justification without them upon the earth for man kinde and brought righteousnesse And where there is Christ made manifest within is not their Justification wrought there from heaven within Where faith is witnessed within doth not that justifie and none knows Justification in truth but where it is wrought within See page 77 78. Pr. Again Priest Coal saith The life that he lives is a created life Ans So thou hast shewed thy selfe a naturall man not spirituall nor a son of God led by the spirit of God nor in the faith and dost not live by faith nor a living in the spirit so hast manifested vain glory Pr. He calls trembling and quaking the shaking of the soule Answ The power of the Lord God cometh to shake down that nature which prisons the soul c. and sets it free And as for all thy other Complaints Reviles Railings and Lies will turn upon thy selfe and they will be hard for thee to bear and thou shalt cry out with Cain when thou and you feel the burthen who are cut of Christs steps who is the light that lighteth every man that cometh into the world In the day of thy judgement thou shalt witnesse and the witnesse in thy conscience shall answer Francis Fullwood His Booke called A True Relation of a DISPVTE His Principles follows Pr. HE saith The Scriptures are able to make wise unto salvation Again the Son in whom eternall life is is onely found in Scripture and they are they that testifie of him and therefore eternall life is found in Scripture Ans Many had the Scriptures but stood against the Son of God and many may have the Scriptures and not the Son of God The Son of God is not Writings Scriptures signifies writings And many may have the Scriptures and not have the Son of God and so not eternall life For the Devill hath Scripture but hath not eternall life for he that envyeth his brother hath not eternall life abiding in him So who have eternal life they have that which the Scripture speaks of testifies of it testifies of Christ the life of the spirit and so they are the words given forth by the spirit of God and so are to be fulfilled by the same spirit again And the Scriptures are able to make wise unto salvation through faith in Christ Jesus For they were not wise unto salvation who had the spirit without the faith Pr. He saith We attain our Gospell another way then Paul did And it is blasphemy to tell us that what ye deliver is by revelation from heaven c. Answ You have received your Gospell another way then Paul did I do believe who are apostates
which since their dayes they have had the reign over the world But now to that which they ravened from and into the truth the Devill abode not in is the Saints comâ— and the Lamb reigns that is the substance of the Scriptures the end of the Scriptures that hath dominâ—â—â— Glory in the highest for ever And as for all the reviles lyes slanders vilifyings hard expressions in thy Book they will fall upon thy selfe and to thee they will be sad and thou shalt feel every one of thy owne words shall be thy burthen and they shall come home unto thee cramed into thee again for thou must eat thy own dung and drink thy own pisse that comes from thee for all that in thy book is but dung in the day of thy Judgement the witnesse in thee shall answer All along thou hast shewed thy ignorance of the spirit that is poured upon all flesh that 's infallible for whosoever prayes or hath a humility or sings and not by the infallible spirit they sing not with the understanding nor pray not with the understanding And under the Judgement of God thou hast brought thy self and all thy generation Thomas Collier his Booke called a Dialogue between a Minister of the Gospel and an Enquiring Christian In it his Principles are as Followeth Pr. HE saith that the Scriptures is the absolute rule of Saints that are endued with the spirit and faith page 7. Answ Such as were endued with the spirit and faith before the written Scripture was they had a rule and they knew the seed and they knew the promises and they knew Christ more then the Pharisees that had the Scriptures nay more the the Apostates since the dayes of the Apostles that have the Scriptures and the Epistles and Revelations For by faith they saw the glory they was in the Foundation they saw Christ the everlasting Covenant and that is the foundation still Christ Jesus him by whom the world was made before it was made and all that have the Scriptures and have not him they can do nothing And that which ruled the Saints before the Scriptures was written is the Saints rule after the Scriptures is written to know the Scriptures what is written and to know God of whom they learned that gave it forth or writ it with that they know to what state and condition it was spoken And the spirit is the record and he that hath all the Scriptures and wants the true record which is the spirit he cannot know all things Pr. And the Scripture is the New Testament of the Saints rule and the rule of Judgement page 10. Answ The Scriptures given forth from the Spirit of God people knowes not to what state they were spoken but as they come into the spirit that gave them forth And besides the Epistles was written to the Saints in several conditions according to their growth and some of them grew higher then others for some of them the day-star was not risen in their hearts and some of them was children of the Day So that still was the rule that led them to give forth the Epistles and revealed to them the states and conditions of the Saints and to ages and to generations and to Nations and the condition the world was in and should come upon it that was the rule and is the rule by which all these words are seen again and there is the record of the Spirit of God And he that hath found the true record the Spirit of God with that he shall know all the Scriptures and is come within the book where all things are written and which writes all things forth the spirit Pr. He saith the Scriptures is that word which makes the Devils to stand in aw and tremble The written word for after generations by which mens souls are brought to Christ pag. 14 15. again that the Scriptures is the sword of the spirit pag. 16. Answ The Pharisees had the Scriptures which Christ said was of the Devil and was swallowed up in his power and they stood against Christ the life the substance The Devil came with Scriptures who is out of the truth to tempt Christ the Word but the Word the substance of Scriptures hammerd down the devil and Pharisees that had got the Scriptures but were out of the life that gave them forth And they have the sword that have the word of God which was before the Scriptures was given forth and they be in that the Devils be out of So if the Devil and wicked men bring Scriptures they hammer them under and redeem the Scriptures out of their ungodly mouthes And the written word brings no soul to Christ the life but who comes to the life that the written words speak of and so it testifies of him the â—iâ—e that brings them to Christ that gave it forth Pr. God is willing that all should be saved but he worketh not all into a saving condition page 21. He saith it is true there is a spirit and life in the Scriptures pag. 22. Answ The spirit and life is not in the Scriptures but the spirit and life the Scriptures testifies of and the light Christ Jesus the salvation to the ends of the earth doth enlighten every man that cometh into the world with a saving light And the light which every man hath that cometh into the world is saving but many hating the light and not coming to it which hath enlightened them they neglect their salvation and slight their salvation and not believing in it they walk in darkness and come not to the light of life But they that believe in it come to the light of life and abide not in the darkness And the grace of God which brings salvation hath appeared to all men such as turns it into wantonness and walkes despitefully against the spirit of grace ownes it not for their teacher but sets up teachers according to their own lusts so turns against that which brings their salvation and walks despitefully against it and followes their own lusts and tramples upon the Covenant of grace and the blood of the new Covenant And all that see the Bishop of their souls Christ Jesus the Saviour of their souls it is with the light that cometh from him and God wils that all men should be saved Pr. He saith to use Christs name to catch souls when indeed it is but Jugling and to stab him and crucifie him a fresh pag. 42. If Christ doth enlighten every man that cometh into the world c. If this were truth then Christ died in vain and in vain hath Christ spoke of himself saying I am the way the truth the life the light c. pag. 45. Answ Such as do not believe that Christ doth enlighten every man that cometh into the world are such as mentions his name and haters of the light that cometh from him these be in the Jugling state deceivers of souls and people And none sees Christ the one offering but
with the light that cometh from him nor none knowes the Saviour Christ Jesus but with the light that cometh from him and that le ts see the body prepared Christ who was the seed of Abraham according to the flesh the one offering that ends all offerings and his blood that is the attonement which is the Saints drink which who drinks it shall live with which their consciences are purged from dead works to serve the living God And none knowes the foundation of God that standeth sure nor feels it nor sees it but with the light which cometh from Christ the foundation which breaks down all other foundations which light that every man is enlightened withall gives him the knowledge of the foundation of God Pr. He saith I do believe that there was never a Saint perfectly free from sin here but they shall have the body of sin and death which will be their burthen to keep them humble Page 52. And it doth not appear that they do attain purification or perfection before the change of the body Answ That which is the true humiliation bears the sin and iniquity which is Christ such as are not brought down with the Judgments for their sinful actings never knew the seed that puts off the body from which all the roots proceed in that is the true humility and the righteousness of Christ and the glory revealed And the Saints witnessed the body of sin and death put off while they were upon the earth and such as was in Christ was new creatures all things become new And the Apostles spoke wisdom among them that was perfect and that was before the change of the body as ye look upon And the work of the Ministery was for the perfecting of the the Saints until they all come into the unity of the faith that gives victory and to the knowledge of the Son of God unto a perfect man unto the measure and stature of the fulness of Christ This was the Ministers work Not as children tossed up and down with every slight and windy doctrine of men who lie in waite to deceive So ye have tryed the work of your Ministry and brought it to the Light Pr. He saith such a trembling as a way to perfection is to set it in the roome of Christ beside the truth and slight and undervalue the word of God and justifie trembling let all men beware of this trembling page 78. Answ Who ever ownes the word of God that reconciles to the Father and hammers down and brings out of the fall and cuts down and burns up they must know their salvation wrought out with fear and trembling And these ownes the word of God and the words of God the Scriptures and these owns this trembling there is a cloud of witnesses in the Scriptures and none will deny this trembling that ownes the salvation wrought out or to be wrought out but such as be out of the truth and that gets Scriptures being out of the truth and deny the power of God who are with it judged those that have the form but deny the power deny the trembling so they deny the salvation to be wrought out with fear and trembling and none knowes the salvation but them that know trembling And such may say that are the the Devils messengers beware of this power that makes to tremble Pr. He saith the Scripture is truly the Ministry of the spirit to us pag. 67. Answ Those were the Ministers of the spirit that gave forth the Scriptures And those are the Ministers of the Letter that be out of the spirit that gave forth the Scriptures and that cannot Minister the spirit Pr. He saith the Scriptures doth not speak of a general Redemption of all from the state of sin and freedom from sin pag. 75. Answ There is a general state and redemption of all and freedom from sin by believing in the one offering the blood of Jesus Christ and unbelief shuts out Pr. He saith mystical Babylon shall fall by the Kings of the earth And many precious Saints shall destroy Babylon with the sword pag. 84. And he saith I cannot apprehend that the Saints shall have the Government of the world pag. 86. And the beast when he ariseth shall give a mark in the right hand c. Answ Christ hath all power in heaven and earth given to him who believe in him and are in his power who hath all power in heaven and earth given to him have the government and are in the government the Lambs government but the unbelievers are out of it And that which slayes mystical Babylon is not the Kings of the earth and the Saints that be on the earth slay not with the carnal sword for they that kill with the sword must perish with the sword here is the faith and patience of the Saints Their weapons are not carnall but spiritual mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds And the Lamb slayes and kills with the sword and takes them the beast and the false prophet and the Devil and casts them alive into the Lake of fire where they shall be tormented for ever that burns with brimstone who kills and slayes with the sword which is the words of his mouth And the Beast hath been long up his marks and his heads and horns with his names but the Lamb and the Saints is trampling him to pieces under and over him getting the victory And the everlasting Gospel is Preaching and the witnesses you are ignorant of but are them that have been the slayers of them Pr. He saith I do not professe my self infallible but I shall freely give my apprehensions pag. 110. to contend earnestly for the faith which is the first unto Justification and services of faith pag. 111. he saith false Christs and false prophets shall come And to the Law and to the testimony c. Answ The Law is light and the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophesie and men may have all the Scriptures of the old and New Testament yet being from the light the spirit of prophesie from the Light and from the spirit they know not the Law and testimony And we do believe thee that thou art not infallible but art onely in the apprehensions and before thou come to contend for the faith and to know that by which the Saints are justified thou must come into the Light that doth enlighten every man c. which lets see Christ the Author of the Faith And false Prophets and Antichrists Christ said should come which should get the sheeps cloathing and say loe Christ is here and loe he is there These Christ said to the Apostles should come which before their decease did come which since their decease the world hath gone after them So every man that cometh into the world being enlightned and having a light from Christ the Saviour of the soule every man being in the Light Christ hath enlightned him withall Every man with the light
which cometh from Christ with it they shall see a Saviour Christ Jesus from whence it comes And the light shining from the East to the West and the coming of the Son of man and receive Christ and so come to the Rock And so people having been from the Light which every man is enlightned withall that cometh into the world they have been all brought on heaps But now they are coming to the Rock And thy words Thomas Collier shall be thy own burthen and for them thou shalt receive judgement And this is the word of the Lord God to thee and thy time is not yet past John Billingsley who calls himselfe Mr. of Arts Minister of the Gospell and Pastor of the Church at Chesterfield in his Booke called Strong COMFORTS for weake CHRISTIANS His Principles follows c. Pr. HE saith He would have the Mayor and Aldermen of Chesterfield to shew themselves to be really affected to the cause of Christ and his blessed Sabbaths c. Ans In this thou hast shewed thou art one that keeps people in darknesse and not a Minister of the Gospel of Christ and the new Covenant but of the Law and in the signes and shadows For the Sabbaths the Apostles did bring people off of them and they met together on the first day of the week and denyed the Jewes Sabbath and still it is your practice and yet thou cryest up to shew themselves for the cause of the blessed Sabbath what blind and dark stuffe is this For never did Pastor or Minister of Christ preach up such a Doctrine as to stir up Aldermen and Mayors and great men to shew themselves zealous for the Sabbath And thus thou hast shewed thy selfe to be one of them the Apostles was afraid of that observed the dayes which he brought the people off to the substance which they met together on the first day of the week which Christ rose on and so was a crosse to the Jewes who met together on the seventh day And Circumcision was on the 8th day on that day Christ rose Pr. He saith The Scripture and the Spirit are unseparable which he calls the Word Page 7. and that the spirit is alwayes in the Scriptures Again He is in the gall of bitternesse and bond of iniquity who calls the spirit a dead Letter page 9. Ans Every one that hath the Scriptures cannot say he hath the spirit that gave it forth for the Devill may have Scripture who is out of the spirit And the Apostle which said the Letter kills and was old was not in the gall of bitternesse and bond of iniquity And the spirit was in them that gave forth the Scriptures And the Scriptures are the words of God which ends in Christ the Word who fulfils them Pr. He saith Prize the holy Scriptures through which is all our hopes of eternall life communicated to us And I wonder what any soule hath to shew for eternal life but the Scriptures So I call it Gods warrant Page 13. And in the midst of thoughts prize the Covenant of free grace And if ye would have substantial comforts from the Covenant do not lay hold of Covenant comforts Page 12. Answ Thou cannot speak a word to the wearied who art in the presumption thy selfe and to be brought down who art applying the promises to the wrong nature And many may have the Scriptures and many have the Scriptures and all ignorant of eternall life untill they all come into the life as they was in that gave forth the Scriptures For the Scripture communicates not the life but God of whom they learned that gave forth Scripture it is it that testifies of eternall life And the souls comfort is Christ which it speaks of Pr. He saith The Apostle to the Philippians speaks of Saints as Citizens our trading is in heaven Now Citizens great trading is Mercandize as ships go from London to India c. So thousands of soules go towards heaven worth nothing a poore empty creature See page 15. Answ The merchandize is in the earth in Babylon and there thou and you are all The soule is worth more then all the world which goes to heaven it goes richly full of all attire and fruitfulnesse and not empty Is not an empty creature that which God breathed into man the breath of life whereby it became a living soule And he hath all soules in his hand and Christ is the Bishop of it the power of God and therefore it is not empty for the Saints had the heavenly treasure in earthen vessells Pr. He saith The Sacrament and Baptisme is a most refreshing cup for we walke by faith and not by sight page 18. I can say frequent mention is made of salvation by Christ without mentioning any act of faith in us c. page 19. Answ Sacraments and sprinkling Infants called Baptisme who walks after them walks after sight not by faith for these things are seen and they follow their owne traditions and not the Scriptures for them either sprinkling Infants or Sacrament And who walks by faith and not fight comes off the things that are seen For things that are seen are temporall but things that are not seen are eternall saith the Apoâ—â—le And he that believeth shall be saved he that believeth not shall be condemned this is the doctrine of Christ to the Apostles they are condemned already And where the belief is there is faith and salvation seen and known but where belief is not there is condemnation there salvation is not known and every one that is saved believes Pr. I do not say that there is perfect victory against every corruption But that grace will be eating out and curbing sin in the heart page 21. And there is no peace nor comfort that is miantained without warring and constant combating c. Yea peace and war against sin are alwayes inseparable companions page 22. All true comfort hath its foundation from the written Word they are fancies and flashes rather then comforts from pretended immediate revelations page 23. Answ None knows true comfort but who comes to the immediate Revelation that is to the spirit that reveals the things of God If men have all the Scriptures the written words and not the word in which they end they have not comfort neither can they do any thing without Christ neither have the wearyed rest neither is the Bishop of the soule known neither is the burthen and the old yoak gone off though they have all the Scriptures but as every one doth come to the life that gave forth the Scriptures with which they see Christ the end the substance of them him by whom the world was made before it was made these have comfort of the words And the Scriptures are words not the Word and such as are here comes to know peace and the end of war and the occasion of war taken away And sin and corruption is separated from the precious and contrary to the Just with it
this is of him and from him And all that be from this be in the foolishness and be in the drunken spirit drunkning And all that ever comes into Covenant with God to have Gods Law written in their hearts they must come into the light which Christ Jesus hath enlightned them withall which brings them into him who is the life and knowledge of Christ and there they shall finde their Teacher within them Pr. And he saith To the Law and to the Testimony Answ Many may have the Old and New Testament yet stand against the Law and the Testimony and put the Old and new Testament for it For the Law is light saith Solomon And the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy And many may have the Scriptures and stand against the Light and say prophecy is ceased as the world doth now who are inwardly ravened from the spirit of God and despiseth prophecy and so quencheth the spirit And the light within doth not deny Jesus And none knows him nor owns him but with the light that comes from him And the Pharisees and the Jewes were opposite to Christ that doth en-lighten every man that cometh into the world and was from that of God in their own particulars their eyes closed and their cares stopt as you are now Pr. He saith Take away the Word of the Lord as declared by the pen and then what wisdome is in them Epist He saith If a believer should turne his eye into himselfe to looke for counsell and direction be may be led to walke in the flesh as other Gentiles in the vanities of their minds and follow their abominations Answ There is none upon the earth hears the counsell of God or Christs teaching but who are come to the spirit of God within and to the Light within And all people upon the earth that are led from the vanities of their minds and walking in the flesh they are come to the spirit within and led with it which all the Jewes and Gentiles was astray from while they walked after the vanities of their minds and then crucified the Just And none hears the counsell of God or comes into the faith of Jesus nor the grace of God that brings their salvation but they come to feel it within the grace in their hearts and the word in their hearts and the faith in the heart there 's that which purifiâ—s And all that be from the light and spirit of God within them they are in the vanity of their own minds in the flesh out of the counsell of God and the wisdome of God which the Saints had and was in before the Scripture was penned or printed And the wisdome of God Christ Jesus them that had the Scriptures stood against the light that doth enlighten every man that cometh into the world as all you do now and never come into it But as ye come into it that doth enlighten every man c. the wisdome of God which none cometh out of the sin and the evill but who come into that And that is not opposite to the Scriptures without but owns it given forth from the life in the wisdome of God Pr. He calls Perfection a Devilish doctrine That the Scripture is the absolute rule and medium of our faith page 2. And Timothy did not receive his furniture and service of the Gospell immediately from the person of Christ And he saith If I had seen Christ as Paul did I might have received the Word in the same manner immediately from the person of Christ Answ Timothy had faith and the gift of God and Christ is the Author of Faith and so that is received immediately whereby hee was made wise unto salvation through faith with which he knew Scripture and so by that he was furnished And we do believe thee and you all that ye have not seen Christ as Paul did nor the Apostles So ye be out of the faith and shew he is not in you neither do you sit with him in heavenly places Who ever receives faith from Christ or knows Christ the power knows immediately which from God thou hast shewed thy selfe a reprobate and under the judgement of it thou art come And the Apostle preached Perfection and Christ bid them be perfect as their heavenly father is perfect and the Saints was to grow to perfection And the work of the Ministry was for the perfecting of the Saints till they all come unto a perfect man to the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ And thou in this hast denyed the work of the Ministery that calls the Doctrine of perfection a devillish Doctrine And the Scriptures is not the Author nor the meanes of it nor the rule but Christ who gives it and he increaseth it and Faith was before Scripture was given forth And all they that gave forth Scripture had faith from God and they are able to make wise unto salvation through the faith which is in Christ Jesus But them that have the Scripture and deny the light that doth enlighten every man c. and hate it have not faith as the Pharisees had not and so such as the Apostle spoke of which was reprobate concerning the faith before his decease that had got the form of godlinesse are them that say the Scripture is the Medium of Faith and absolute rule but that which rules it and increaseth iâ— is Christ Pr. He saith Christ his grace brings salvation but not by any such light or power dwelling in them Page 6. Answ The grace of God which brings salvation that teacheth the Saints is in their hearts and stablisheth it That dwels within them which brings salvation is their Teacher the grace of God which brings them every one to say this is the Lord which I have waited for where the everlaâ—ting life runs and flâ—ws Pr. He saith Such as cause divisions are to be marked that serves not the Lord Jesus Christ but their owne bellies their lusts will or light within them page 12. Answ The light which doth enlighten every man c. Christ Jesus the second Adam leadeth men from their lusts and wills and serving their own bellies to serve the Lord Jesus Christ from whence it comes For such as serves their own bellies are out of the light in the transgression in the first Adam in their own lusts and wills where thou art among the Apostates deceivablenesse mystery of Iniquity which the Apostle saw was coming in which since the dayes of the Apostles it hath reigned but now with the light discovered and made manifest And such as have served their bellies and serves their bellies which the Apostles saw coming in before their decease are now manifest such as deny the light that doth enlighten every man that cometh into the world which is the salvation to the ends of the earth Are not they casting into prisons and haling before Courts such as will not put into their mouths that they do no work
for for their own bellies and these cause divisions among all people Do not these serve their bellies And are not people come to mark them what a division they have set among people yea for Tythes and maintenance and persecuting and prisoning for it and haling before Judges and Justices by Writs into Courts and at Assizes and Sessions Doth not these serve their bellies that makes all this division and not Christ but they deny the light which doth enlighten every man c. and so deny Christ the Lord that bought them And the light that every man hath that cometh into the world and the light that shines in the heart it gives the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ Jesus and brings all off from serving their bellies and leads out of the lusts in the fall which came by Adam in the transgression Pr. He saith To speak the Word of God immediately and that which I speak I speak it immediately I am strengthened against that and admonished by God to hold fast the form of sound words And that which is able to make men wise unto salvation through faith And Timothy was to stir up the gift of God that was in him mediately and the putting on of the hands and the neglecting not the gift that was in him And God hath published his last dispensation and nothing more to be added or altered page 15. Answ It thou art strengthened by God against speaking his Word immediately or if thou speaks immediately thou being strengthened by God against this as thou saith In this thou shews thou never knew him who ever is strengthened of God it is by his power and that is immediate who ever speaks his word that lives and endures for ever it is immediate In this thou and you all have shewed your selves to be Ministers of the Letter and not of the Word of God which is immediate which lives and abides and endures for ever and is immortall and fades not away and this thou and you speak not immediately and therefore have ye indeed put the Letter for it that be from the Word of God in your hearts not born again of the immortal seed the Word of God And whosoever stirs up the gift of God in them it is immediate and by the immediate And who ever holds fast the form of sound words the Scriptures they are made wise unto salvation by them through the faith they are in the immediate gift of God and gift which brought Timothy to lay on the hands upon the Presbytery and see and divide the word aright and kept him out of partiality it was immediate and the immediate Word of God that he was to preach in season and out of season And since the dayes of the Apostles from this have you all been apostatized and asleep in the night of apostacy in the great City though there hath been Pipers among you and sounding of Trumpets and the voyce of thâ— Bridâ—â—â—d the grinding of Mills and the light of Candles And the time is coming that Bâ—â—ylon shall fall and become the habitation of Devils and the Saints shall rejoyce and sing over her c. Pr. He saith It is not properly and absolute in a full sense that God is manifest or glorified in the flesh of his Saints page 29. Ans The Saints are the Temples of God and God dwels in them and walks in them and they come to witnesse the flesh of Christ and they glorifie him in their souls and bodies and the Lord is glorified in their bringing forth much fruit And they witnesse the seed the one offering for sin and transgression to be manifest within and such are not Reprobates yet witnesse the one offering Christ Jesus and them that have not him within they are Reprobates Pr. He saith The body is dead because of sin yea it is yet in it selfe is but a wretched vile body page 30. And Christ is in or among believers the hope of glory And that person Christ is personally absent from the believers And we do not possesse the glory of this glory Christ in us page 32. Answ I do believe you that are not come to the Light that doth enlighten every man that cometh into the world ye do not possesse the hope of glory in you ye are ab ent from Christ and do not feel him But the Saints in the light receive Christ the hope of glory and so he is not absent from them for they have unity with him and the Father and knows a change in them from glory to glory and witnesse Christ in them as believers in the light which walks not in darknesse that have the light of life And where the body of sin is destroyed and put off they glorifie God in their souls and bodies and spirit which is the Lords and those are not wretched Prin. He saith CHRIST is absent from us while wee are in the mortall body Answ Contrary to the Apostle who saith the life of Christ is manifest in their mortall flesh Pr. He saith Christ is in heaven with a spirituall body Answ And Priest Higginson saith he is in heaven with a carnall body And thus ye are confused and discerned who are from the Light and can speak of the body of Christ by the Letter and tell where he rose by the Letter as the Priests of old could tell Herod where he shâ—uld be born but Christs body is glorified Pr. He saith The first Resurrection we desire not to account our selves to have apprehended page 44. Such as magnifie their belly to be some eternall operation and making it withall deceivablenesse of unrighteousnesse in them that perish glorying in their shame minding sensuall earthly things All since the Apostle have not the Ministry of the Gospell immediately but mediately from the person of Christ in their believing through their word page 46. And the Text saith not the word of faith in the heart Answ Rom. 10. The word of Faith which they Preached was in their mouth and in their heart nigh them even in their heart And all since the dayes of the Apostles we do believe you have not received the Word immediately from Christ as the Apostles did who have erred and apostatized from them So none are Preachers of the Word in the Truth but who are Preachers of it immediately and such all are the false Apostles and such as serves not the Lord Jesus Christ but their own bellies which mind earthly things sensually and are in the deceivablenesse of unrighteousnesse deceiving the people with the good words forcing and taking maintenance of people they do no work for and keeping of them all from the immediate teachings of God they themselves being out of it and concluding all under their own dominion and shall all agree in one against the immediate teaching And they that be out of the immediate teaching is under the power of the Beast and Antichrist and the great whore the mother
of the light and so out of unity and seeth not the Saviour the Redeemer the substance of all types figures Parables the end of the Law that goes upon the man of strife And so being out of the light out of the unity out of the Covenant with God In the light is the Covenant of God Pr. He saith the whole soul and body of Saints and every faculty of the soul and member of the body there is some presence of sin in them all their dayes Page 113. Ans The Saints are sanctified and washed and cleansed body soul and spirit and they are made free from sin and then can live no longer therein and the body of sin is put off And they witnessed the darkness was past so then the works of the true light shined and the day was come and they was of one soul And they witnessed as he was so was they in this present world And he that is in Christ is a new creature And where Christ is within the body is dead because of sin And he that is born of God doth not commit sin And the Saints was upon the earth when they was made free from sin and not all their dayes sin in them as thou speakes of Prin. He saith sin dwells in the Saints if any Saint think otherwise he knowes not himself and if he be one really sanctified he is under a strong delusion and drousie dream Page 119. Answ He that is sanctified is sanctified from sin and washed and cleansed and he that is out of this sanctification is in the drowsie dream For who are in sanctification are in Christ the righteousness of God and they are awakened to righteousness out of the fall in the second Adam and drowsiness and dreames and delusions that come in the first Adam And sin and drowsie dreams and delusions dwells in them that pretend that they are sanctified ones and not really Pr. He saith it is a Popish Tennent that sanctification is wrought within men and Justification or a believers being justified from sin and ungodliness and not in it but the mystery of iniquity lies in this qualification pag. 120. And they that are justified by their sanctification it is a falshood And that none are justified but Saints perfect in holiness is a notorious contradiction Page 121. Answ He that is the sanctification is the justification and so by their sanctification are they justified it is one and the same that which sanctifies justifies And every man that cometh into the world having a light that cometh from Christ the sanctification redemption justification but them that be not in the light are with it condemned And such as be in the light they come into perfect holiness and their sins are not imputed to them But them that doth not believe in the light the spirit of truth that leads the believer into all truth reproves them for their unbelief and their righteousness and their judgement and so doth not justifie them but reprove them And the justification within roots out all Popery and all contradiction But to speak of justification and sanctification without and not manifest within ye are yet in the first Adam in the Popery where ye must have a Puratory to cleanse and not the righteousness of Christ within and sanctification within and Justification So such be reproved that can talk of it without sanctification without so there is the old Adam in the sin and transgression And all falshood is among them that can talk of justification without them and not witnesse it within them For who witnesse Christ within them they witnesse justification there and sanctification for Abraham believed and it was imâ—uted to him for righteousness and his belief was within and he saw Christ his glory And such as believe they come to witness the imputation But such as come again to witnesse that they are nearer then when they did believe and to witness that they have received Christ within is the end of their belief there they witness the righteousness it self without imputation which is the substance that which the promise ends in and all the fathers hoped for who stood in the imputation and all the believers in him But Christ being come the end of mans belief the righteousness it self here is a justification alone without the imputation Christ the righteousness of Gods blessing and glory for ever And a believer that is jâ—stified he is a new Creature and is past from the death which came by the sin comes to enter into his rest where sin is not And all the falshood and the contradiction is without the possession of justification and sanctification which reprobates talk of it in the mystery of iniquity and unbelievers in the mystery of iniquity which have the sheepes cloathing the outside the clothing of the Saints yet ravened from the spirit inwardly These have not been like to own justification within or sanctification there that inwardly ravened from the spirit of God which all must come to that which they ravened from and they themselves before they feel the justification sanctification Christ within them and have received the substance the thing the Scripture speakes of which not believing in the Light and going from it though they get all the sheeps cloathing yet are they not thereby justified though they get all the good words and the forme of godlinesse and obey not the Gospell the power of God for none obeys the Gospell but whâ— obeys the Light within And who are justified it is by the faith of Christ Jesus and without faith they cannot please him And who are in the Faith are the believers in the Light and so the Justification and the Faith doth qualifie from their old nature and mindes Pr. He saith They are not justified because they are new borne nor for their believing page 122. And I can say I am crucified with Christ and yet I have a corrupt rotten heart and an old lying heart as before he saith and Christ lives in him and there is a body of sin and death dwels in him And the life that he now lives in the flesh is by the faith of the Son of God Page 124. Answ Where Christ is within the body is dead because of sin and where the saith of the Son of God is lived in it gives victory over sin And the life of Christ is out of Adam in the Fall in sin and transgression And the Circumcision comes to be witnessed that puts off the body of sin And where the life of Christ is lived in the new Covenant is there the new heart rotten corrupt lying is put off the old man and his deeds with his deceitful lusts And he that believes is borne of God is justified and he comes into the faith by which he pleaseth God and he that doth not believe is out of the faith and it is impossible he should please God and is out of that which should justifie him Pr. He saith Christs
believing and receiving it they come into covenant with God they come to know the Law of God in their hearts that is the law of God in their hearts the light which doth enlighten every man c. And every man is in his first state in the transgression many are worse then Beasts and brutish and what they know they know naturally as bruit beasts And thee and all of you who are ravened from the spirit of God inwardly what ye have known it hath been naturall as bruit beasts for ye are gone from the Spirit that should give ye to know and understand and so that is no contradiction And we do believe thee who looks for the light in the letter of Scripture thou art brutish and saith the light of Scripture is higher in the least degree then the light which doth enlighten every man that cometh into the world Alack for thee the light which doth enlighten every man c. was before Scripture was given forth And the Saints that do receive the light that doth enlighten every one c. receives Christ the perfect light and doth receive God and Christ the substance the end of degrees And thou shalt never see the Saints light while thou art looking at the Letter from the life within which was in them that gave it forth and the light shined in the hearts of them that gave forth the Scriptures Pr. He saith The Scripture light that is a standing rule for our faith and there is present light in it to guide men to salvation and so are not immediate revelations and teachings And the knowledge of Christ and eternall life is given forth in the letter page 283. Answ They that had Scriptures knew not salvation and they knew not the rule being erred from the spirit of God And none knows salvation but by the immediate teaching and revelation of Christ Jesus the Son of God the salvation And if men have all the Scriptures given forth from God they themselves are not able to make men wise unto salvation without faith which Christ is the Author of who is the substance of what the Scripture speaks of and so they are not able of themselves to guide men to salvation Neither are they a rule of faith but Christ is the Author of Faith and the Spirit is the rule that gave them forth and all that have them and is not in the Immediate knows them not neither the Gospell And none knows eternall life nor Christ which is the Authoâ— of life and faith which was before Scripture was by the Scriptures but as they come into the life that they was in that gave them forth And there is the life found Christ found Christ seen him by whom the world was made before it was made for the life was in them that gave forth the Scriptures by which they knew God and eternall life and Christ the Saviour Abraham the Prophet and Moses So the life must be in all now before they know Scriptures or Christ or God Pr. He saith If the letter declares of Christs fulfilling then we should need to know no more of Christ then what for substance is in the Scriptures then there is no need of immediate teachings page 284. He saith new Apostles and doctrine discovered of a righteousnesse within them and that is their justification And this is as the ring-leaders of the Jewes among the Galatians page 286. And the salvation which is to be wrought out with fear and trembling is not the same as made Moses and David Habakkuk and Paul tremble page 287. Answ The power of God is one which threw down Paul shook Habakkuk and Moses and David whereby these all came to know Christ which power who cometh into it and into the infinitenesse of it which raiseth up the seed which is Christ whereby the salvation is known and wrought out with feare and trembling And when ye all come to know this power that works out the salvation with fear and trembling your reproaches will be laid aside for reproaching of such whose salvation is wrought out with feare and trembling And righteousnesse within and sanctification within is a new Doctrine to you that are inwardly ravened from the spirit of God since the dayes of the Apostles and so from the spirit of faith from the hearing of faith which they that drew the people to the Circumcision without went from the hearing of faith within by which they should be justified So they that are come to the hearing of faith they are come to the justification and sanctification within and looks not to the Circumcision and Baptisme without So this is an old doctrine and not new but to you Apostates And though the Scriptures declares of Christs fulnesse and if people have all the Scriptures that speaks and declares of his fulnesse which you say you need know then no more of Christ then what for substance is in the Scriptures and so no need of immediate teachings we believe you But none knows the fulness of Christ but who comes into the immediate teachings Your mouths may be full of Scripture and use your tongues about the â—aints words and running up and down and the Lord never sent you saying Thus saith the Lord in Chap. and Verse And it is sufficient that the Scripture speaks of his fulnesse yet I say you nor none upon the earth never knew his fulnesse but as ye come to the light wherewith Christ hath enlightned you withal in every one of your own particulars though ye may have all the Scriptures for they that knew the fulnesse of Christ and they that gave forth the Scriptures had the spirit of God in them So must every one that knows it and them again Pr. He saith If the Scriptures be a rule for thee and thou then it is a rule for respect to superiours And keeping on the hat shewes the pride of the heart and a lying spirit He saith they have not a growth of Perfection in this life but a pressing on page 290. And he saith the Prophets took Texts and raised motives And he saith he that believes not our poynts from Scripture shall be damned that hee must tell him from Christ page 299. Answ Who are standing up against thee and thou and the Hat shewes the pride of their hearts and be out of the humility looking for an earthly honour which before the honour is the humility Nay the Scripture is not a rule for the respecting of persons neither is the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ they that do are out of the faith and are convinced by the Law to be transgressors and committers of sin and so out of the Law and Faith that respects persons And David he saw the end of all that perfection so he was past the growth of it when he saw it end And the Scriptures and Christ you know not who are not come into the immediate teachings nor have no need of that who saith the Scripture it is
mouth goes the unclean spirit But that is stirr'd and stirring and rising in people which ye all ravened from and went from with which ye are all comprehended And the judgement of the great Whore is come and her garments shall be plucked off and that which ye all ravened from high and low shall answer the judgement and it is set a top of you all For such as ravened from the spirit of God inwardly got the sheeps cloathing but turned against the Saints and the woman fled into the wildernesse but now the Lamb and the Saints shall get the victory Though now the Beast and false Prophets and mother of Harlots and the Devill and the Kings of the Earthâ—â—ake war against him He that was dead is alive and lives for evermore The Lamb slain from the foundation of the world who rides on conquering and to conquer who slayes with the sword and kills with the sword which is the words of his mouth Now wo to the Dragon and false Prophets Beast and mother of Harlots and them that worship the Beast the unclean Spirits Woes Vials Thunders Plagues Earth-quakes is come and coming upon you And he is manifest and come that treads the Wine-presse alone without the City who is the Wonderfull Counseller the Prince of Peace whose name is called the Word of God With him are the Saints singing victory over the Beast and the false Prophets great Whore mother of Harlots Babylon Antichrists Babylon is fallen the Lamb and the Saints shall have the victory The body of witch-craft in it thou art found that all that reads thy Book that be in the spirit of discerning may see whose body is redeemed and reigns over thine in the glory and victory Ralph Farmer his Booke called The great mystery of Godlinesse and Vngodlinesse In which these PRINCIPLES are following c. Pr. HE saith The soule is of an immortall and spirituall nature And GOD hath made man to serve him in an outward and visible way of worship Answ Christ saith God is a spirit and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth and is the Spirit without and visible the Spirit that makes all that is contrary to bend in that is God worshipped And others that say they are Teachers as ye may see in this Book say that the soule is humane yea the soule of Christ and thou saith the soule of man is immortal and a spiritual nature Now the soule that gives the sense and feeling of all things is spiritual and immortal as it comes out from God which is in Gods hand whom Christ is the Bishop of the noble Principle that guides it is the light and life Prin. He saith the eternal word enlighteneth all men with the common light of nature Answ The light which every man that cometh into the world is enlightened withall is not natural For the light was before any thing was made and all things that was made was made by it which lighteth every man that cometh into the world though he be in the first Adam in the sin and transgression which light to him doth make it manifest which cometh from Christ the second Adam the way to the Father who was glorified with the Father before the world began to restore that which the first lost and this is the obedient Son and the other the disobedient one which brings the death upon him and all his posterity and all his house So the sons of Adam in the transgression may say and do say that the light which Christ the second Adam the Redeemer and the Restorer the salvation to the ends of the earth doth enlighten every one that cometh into the world withall say this is natural And so that is to deceive people to keep them from the light with which they might all see their salvation and come to receive Christ by which they might have power to become the Sons of God Pr. The measure and degree it must be without thee And it is a cheating to tell people of God within and Christ within and a word within and they are without which he calls a mystery of meer confusion and emptiness Page 27. Answ The degrees and measures was in the Saints which spoke forth Scriptures and knew the Scriptures But those that have the Scriptures and are from their degree and measure in themselves are without them And Jesus Christ is within except ye be reprobates And where Jesus Christ is within the word is there and God is there And this is the great mystery of godliness And where the power of God is set the Crosse of Christ is felt for the Crosse is the power of God And if it be not the same Christ as did ascend it is Antichrist it is against him and false which now many hundreds and thousands do witness Christ within him the Apostles preached who have their Joy and reward who do possesse that which they long looked for And all that stands against Christ within and God within and the word within and the Crosse within the power of God they be reprobates and in the mystery of confusion Pr. The Apostle bid Timothy to Preach the word in season and out of season c. not immediate Revelation pag. 32. And the time will come they will not endure sound Doctrine but after their own lusts they will heap up to themselves teachers having itching ears turning to fables immediate Revelations Page 35. Answ There is none can Preach the word in truth but who Preach it immediately and by the immediate spirit and knowes immediate Revelations And all that be in the Faith as Timothy was they be in the immediate Revelations the gift of God But the Apostle seeing such as would not endure sound doctrine would get up teachers after their own lusts as covetous and minded earthly things and evil beasts that serve not the Lord Jesus Christ but their own bellies Such the Apostle bid Timothy and Titus examine before they Ministred prove them and lay hands on no man suddainly and keep himself clear not preferring one before another And such as went into their own lusts got up heaps of teachers lost the immediate Revelation and the immediate word of God and erred from the faith that purifies the heart and gives victory in which people have unity And such now that are got into the lusts that cannot endure sound doctrine lost the Revelation and speaking the word immediately have ruled and reigned of whose generation thou Farmer art And people have heaped to themselves teachers after their own lusts and that is the cause of all the strife and wars amongst them and teachers denying the immediate Revelation and Preaching the word of God immediately have declared your selves to be the false prophets openly to the Nation that never heard the voyce of God nor Christs voyce nor the voyce of the spirit nor Ministry of the spirit which all sâ—eak immediately And the Apostle saw them come up before
as obeyed Christs doctrine for he tells them the danger lest ye fall into condemnation Let all your communication be yea yea and nay nay what ever is more is evill Not by heaven nor by earth nor by any other oath Now there was true and false and prophane whatsoever was comprehended in these words Not by any but keep to yea and nay in all your communications Now tell the Apostle he doth not mean as he speaks give him the lye pervert his words and Christs words who sayes swear not at all and sayes he meanes profane oaths And Christ brought the people off the true Oath which was in the old time that was performed to the Lord a profane oath was not performed to the Lord that 's not meant of that but that as was sworn by him Christ sayes now Swear not at all and so they that break the oath break the covenant the true oath and so they that swear now do not own the new covenant which ends the true oath and covenant in the old time The profane oaths they were judged by them that lived in the first covenant and they did not type out any thing but a true oath did which ended controversies among men which the oath Christ ends which is the peace between God and man and reconciles them to God and one another These be true brethren true christians that 's come to yea and nay in their communications and cannot swear by heaven nor by earth nor by any other oath lest they come into the evill but yea and nay in all their communications lest they come into condemnation So you that teach men to swear have brought them into the evill and a great out-cry to break the commands of Christ and under condemnation He that teacheth them to swear any oath whatsoever cast behind your backs the commands of Christ and doctrine of the Apostles And the Apostle that bid the Saints keep to yea and nay in all their communications and swear not at all said if yee will have any more take two or three Witnesses And for all thy other confusion and thy perverting and wresting of Scriptures to bring people into the condemnation and evill to swear is not worthy the mentioning and will but come upon thy selfe in the day of thy condemnation and judgement thee and all upon the Earth that are departed from the Apostles shall witnesse how ye have transgressed the commands of Christ and teach people to transgresse them and to sin have hath brought them into the evill and condemnation So repent and while ye and time prize it Samuel Hammond In his Book called The Quakers House built on the Sands A very fit Title for himselfe and the rest of his PRIESTS These are some of his Principles following Pr. YOung men and women having some convictions and awakenings of the Law and have followed the light of an awakened conscience and sit down before they have closed with Christ and there be not a distinction between the righteousness imputed upon the account of the blood of Christ and the righteousness inherent wrought in us by his spirit and this inherent righteousness they confound the attainments brought forth by the Light in every man not being able to distinguish the working of Satan Answ Inherent righteousnesse is a word of thy own and the Papists inventing and thou art a man that cannot distinguish between the workings of Christ and the workings of Satan For the light which every man that cometh into the world is enlightned withall which brings men and women to know the Law and the convictions of it it brings them to the end of the Law Christ and to see that appear that cannot be shaken and the Righteousnesse imputed to a believer that is within felt For he that believes hath the witnesse in himselfe and feels it there and the blood of Christ is felt within justifying and cleansing the conscience from dead works And the righteousnesse of Faith is found within and that righteousnesse which is wrought within is found within and no man sees this but with the light which Christ hath enlightned every man that cometh into the world withall and this Light is that which confounds all thy attainments for Christs righteousness and his blood and spirit are all one which justifies and sanctifies Pr. They dream of a perfection to obey the light within and this is delusion they are not able to distinguish between justified freely by grace which is the favour of God upon the account of Christs satisfaction and the grace that wrought by Christs spirit in the soul that natural light within being improved they call grace the work of God upon the soul leads into Covenant of works then it is no other then to tread in the Papists steps so this is delusion and the ground of their delusion is their not distinguishing between saving light given forth by Christ in conversion and the light of conscience that every man hath Answ None come to the perfection out of the delusion but who comes to the light within and followes that it gives him the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ the Covenant of grace is one that which was wrought without is within in the soul for Christ in you c and he is the Covenant of grace of light of life and of peace and none knowes him without nor Justification by grace but who knowes it in the heart and it is the one and the same thing it is not another grace nor another Covenant nor another Christ but the the same Christ in you the Saints are in his spirit and in his mind and are of his flesh and of his bone And thou who art so full of thy delusions Art out of this and thou alwayes have been in the dreams and never knowes perfection till thou come to the light within And Gods work in the soul leads to the end of the Covenant of works who works all in us and for us as sayes the Apostle who works faith grace commands the light to shine out of darkness shines in the heart to give the knowledge of the Son and so thou art in the delusion and the Papists doctrine that knowes not this within but calls it the Covenant of works dost not thou tread in their steps and have crept up in their great Masse-houses and the light given forth by Christ in conversion and the light in the conscience is one and it is not natural it was before natural was it exerciseth the conscience towards God and towards man in them that love it but in them that hate it they are not converted but they live in the many wayes out of the one way to God for he that 's the Covenant of light is the Covenant of grace and thus thou art blinding people with many things Pr. The owning not the imputation of Christ as the matter and formal cause of Justifications is damnable doctrine
seemed to them as idle tales The first day was finished before they believed and so they could not have faith to do any such thing Answ The Scriptures speaks no such thing and tells us no such conceit that the Disciples did celebrate the first day to be the Sabbath but this is thine and your imaginations got up among you that owns not the body Christ that ends all signes types and shadows Christ who was before dayes was and who lives in him doth not celebrate dayes Pr. Thou saith John intends a single day it 's much like it was the Sabbath day and he speaks of the Lords day Iudgement-day and this he calls the day and this day he must shew unto John in the vision The ancient Christians who call it the Lords day did never terme it the Sabbath But religiously celebrated the 7th day with it Answ Iohn doth not call it the Sabbath-day nor the Christians did not celebrate the Sabbath with it but said the old was signes and shadows the body of them was Christ But since the dayes of the Apostles and the Apostacy ye have wanted the body Christ and yee have fell into the dayes for Christ saw those as should come up and draw people into the dayes And the day of the Lord is light and in the day of the Lord was Iohn Pr. Thou saith Old things are passed away and all things are become new Answ Then the Sabbath was a thing and it must passe away and it was a rest and must have a new rest and the Sabbath was in the old time given as a signe and a command and given by God to be kept since the Fall Pr. Thou saith There remains therefore the celebrating the Sabbath to the people of God Answ But the Scripture the New Testament doth not say so The Apostle sayes there remains therefore a rest for the people of God such as come off the signes to Christ the body the soules rest there remains in him a rest for the people And such as celebrate the Sabbath rest in the shadow and doth not come to the body Christ and such are not the Believers that do enter into the rest Christ And such as rest in the signe and shadow and there remains celebrating the Sabbath come not into the body Christ the rest of Gods people Pr. Thou sayes Christ rested or ceased from his great worke and entered into his rest and this is laid down as a Gospel-reason why the Sabbath remains to the people of God And hee layes the Believer under a double engagement to sanctifie the seventh-day-sabbath Answ Christ speaks no such thing nor the Apostles neither that they should sanctifie the seventh day he speaks no such thing to the believers But the Apostle brings them off of the shadows off the signs and shews them the body of all and he doth not mention a double engagement and the Sabbath the Jewes was to rest on which was death if not kept was a figure of the redemption Christ Iesus the rest who was put to death on the sixth day Man was made on the sixth day and he was put to death on the sixth day and he was crucified through the means of them that had the shadows the outward day the outward rest from which day they should have come from the signes and shadows to the body Christ who was the rest and restauration of the Creation Pr. And thou saith To hold forth the passage over of that rest which prevented the women of the application of their spices that was the Sabbath and I am satisfied the seventh day is the Sabbath day Answ Now though the women did rest on the Sabbath-day and came with their Spices on the first day there was many of them did question whether this was the man that should redeem Israel and so that 's no ground at all to hold up the Jewes types and shadowes for Peter denyed him therefore that 's no ground But what did they do after the Holy Ghost was come to endue them with power from on high And what sayes Paul he brings them off from the signes and shadowes to Christ the body though there 's much more to be said to this for while the questioning stands the questioning part doth pertain to the shadow and types which the body ends and with that is felt and seen there 's no changing nor shadow nor variableness nor altering and that overthrows the questioner unbeliever stumbler The great stumbler was the Jewes that's resting in the shadows types and signes they stood against the body Christ Jesus Pr. Whereas thou saith The seventh-day-sabbath is one of the lively Oracles Israel received from Sinai given to us O Christian Remember it and love it in thy bosome A. Here thou wouldst bring the Children from her Mother above which is Jerusalem to Jerusalem below and Sinai and so to Hagar into the shadow and the Christians witnessed the end of the shadows and Sabbaths and witnessed the body Christ Jesus and Ierusalem that 's above and come to Christ the end of the Law and into God by him from whence the Law came and so Christians cannot put signes in their bosomes no type shadow or figure in their bosome that have Christ within them and cannot touch the Doctrine Commandements Ordinances of men which have a shew of wisdome in the Will-worship and that which the Jew the outward Jew had types shadows and figures the Jew inward witnessed the substance which is the true Christian the Law in their hearts and circumcision there and the end of the Law comes into and enters into the rest Christ Jesus that is not an outward seventh day but entered into his rest ceased from his works as God did from his which man enters into his rest and ceased from their own works the type the figure the seventh-day-Sabbath Do no worke thou nor strangers nor the Cattell and so the Sabbath was a rest from all This was a type and God gave them the Sabbath for a signe who hath ceased from his own works enters into his rest a figure of the restauration of the creation of Christ the rest the Restorer Redeemer and Saviour that brings peace on earth And so they that believe hath entered into him into the rest Christ the rest to all wearied soules and helps all creatures upon the earth man and beast and destroys the cause of all oppression and so many is come from Hagar And though the seventh day the Law was a rule among the Jewes a true type yet the Apostle that preaches Christ the end of the Law brings people to the body Christ Pr. Thou saith Circumcision nor Vncircumcision but keeping the commands of God viz. of sanctifying GODS Sabbath And thou saith The seventh Angel sounded forth the Ancient of glory the Lords Sabbath swearing that time should be no longer Answ Circumcision was a command of God and so was the Sabbath and they that love God keep his Commandements And did
sight and he is in the Saints and they eate his flesh and sit with him in heavenly places Pr. They say They are deceived that thinke to obtain salvation by the conviction of the Law which they call Christ page 37. 39. Ans Christ is the end of the Law and who follow him are not deceived but comes to witnesse the Law of life and him revealed in them and they are deceived that calls the Law without by Christ that doth convict and gives it that name But who followes Christ the end of the Law hath the righteousness of God revealed in them from saith to faith which the just lives by and Christ revealed in them as the Apostle witnessed whereby they have eternal life Pr. And they say the Quakers would obtain salvation by the obedience of Christ the Law which gives the knowledge of sin Answ The Quakers obedience is Christ Gods righteousness the end of the Law which makes them free from the Law of sin and death Christ the seed the second Adam Pr. They say Now every man that cometh into the world receives a light from Christ as he is God which light is conscience and this will shew a man that there is a God and discover the eternal God which some falsly cals Christ Answ Christ saith I am the light of the world and doth enlighten every man that cometh into the world as saith John and doth not say that its conscience for the light was before conscience was which shewes thy ignorance Not knowing what conscience is for conscience was since the world but light was before the world was made and he that evil doth hates the light and so conscience is seared and so light condemnes and the light which every man that cometh into the world is enlightened with is Gods Covenant to Jewes and Gentiles and salvation to the ends of the earth so you have given Christ a new name that cals him conscience contrary to Scripture and is conscience eternal that may be seared and will that shew that which is eternal will conscience blot out sin and transgrâ—ssion Christ will Gods Covenant that doth enlighten every man that cometh into the world which light believing in it they serve Christ the Author of their faith which faith is a mystery held in a pure conscience Pr. And they say that every man hath not the spirit of Christ and he brings Jude to prove it Answ That proves that they had it but went from it and the spirit that leads the disciples reproves the world Pr. John Burton saith John Bunian is furnished with spiritual gifts which gifts the Ministers of Christ must have whether learned or unlearned as to humane and John Bunians preaching he saith is not by humane art yet he saith Christ is humane Ans The Scripture hath neâ—ther taught John Burton nor John Bunian this Language To say this knowledge is not humane and yet to affirm Christ is humane is to say thy knowledge is not from Christ but we shall try his gifts whether they be from God and whether or no he divids the word aright and whether they be agreeable to the Scripture which fils up his book with mentioning the word humane twenty times over which humane is from the earth to say Christ is humane thy knowledge is from the ground earthy and he hath no Scripture for it he saith that the soul is immortal Pr. And he saith it is the Devil to keep people to live and die in their sins and he that cryes free grace through the death of the man Christ Jesus that sinners doth attain to eternal life and deny his own righteousness this he saith is a notion and saith he is empty of sanctified grace Answ The grace that comes from Christ it seasons the heart and the words are sanctified and this is not a notion but all be in the notion that speak of the thing and be out of the grace and salvation and you that believe people must have sin whilst they are upon the earth are them that keepes people in their sins and so hath judged thy self to be the Minister of sin as thou maist read the fruits in thy own book Pr. John Bunian saith he that confesseth Christ come in the flesh and was crucified taken from the Crosse and risen he that believes this is not Antichrist Answ The Pope and all the prophane people in Christendom called Christians will confesse this in the form without them and they that denies the power for Christ is the power of God and that I say is Antichrist he that hath not Christ in him is a reprobate and so would make thy self and all Professors the Pope and all hirelings not to be Antichrist and are all on heapes one amongst another that 's a mark of Antichrist though they may have all in the form Christ and the Prophets words which denyes the power yet confesse Christ without he that denyes the power denyes Christ and so he is Antichrist who denyes the light which Christ hath enlightened him withall Prin. Man at his coming into the world he hath conscience but he hath not the spirit of Christ Answ Man at his coming into the world hath a light from Christ him by whom the world was made which is more then conscience but he that hates the light abids in darkness and so is not like to receive the spirit but is reproved with it Pr. They say them that are carried away by the convictions of conscience are misinformed by the devil Answ This light that doth enlighten every one that cometh into the world which he cals conscience teaching and misinforming by the devill is the light that doth enlighten every man that cometh into the world that through it they might believe and is not conscience and he that believes hath the witness in himself and that all might hear the Son and confesse him to the glory of God and therefore are enlightened who was glorified with the Father before the world began and Christ bids them believe in the light which believing in hath the light of life but he that believes not is condemned already and them that hate the light are them that are informed by the devil Pr. Now they say he converts a new birth perswading them it is wrought by following the light and this he sayes is like Baals Priests Answ That 's contrary to Christ who saith I am the light and he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness but shall have the light of life he that believes in the light shall become a childe of the light and this is far above Baals Priests and all that hates it hates Christ and these are Baals Priests that hate the light Pr. And they say that the spirit of Christ convinceth of sin and yet they say all hath it not and yet it shall convince and reprove the world Answ Now it s one thing to be reproved and another thing to receive that which doth reprove
not the Son of God him whom the Father hath sealed that doth enlighten every man that cometh into the world And whosoever believeth in him shall not perish but have eternall life and are sealed So every man in the light shall see the new Covenant and the Mediator before he hath power to become the Son of God and there is prophecy before the Son is born and openings from the Lord and those are things of God Pr. No man can ever see God who is invisible with the light by which all things were made and calls it a little light Answ This is contrary to John who saith he that walks in the light shall have fellowship with the Son and with the Father and so sees him and it is not a little light by which all things were made and created Pr. The unction in every man is not the light Answ It is far from the Apostle to say that the Unction in men is the light If the Unction be Christ in the man it is light and every man that comes into the world he must receive the light that Christ hath enlightned every man that comes into the world withall before he can receive the unction and he that hath the Unction hath the light of life Pr. The sure word of prophesie the Apostle speaks of is the prophesie of Scripture or Scriptures Ans Doth the Scripture shine in a dark place untill the day dawn Are they them that must be taken heed unto as unto a light Can any see the Scripture and know the Scripture but with the light within Cannot a Cain or a Balaam or Core bring Scripture that is gone from the spirit of prophecy within and then put the Letter for it Pr. They know not absolute perfection that are admitting of measures and degrees Nor come to the day nor the bright morning-star is not risen Answ Did not the Apostle speak that they were children of the day and night was over and knew the whole body and yet said he would not go beyond his measure And doth he not speak of the stature and measure and fulnesse of Christ And were not they come to perfection and spoke wisdome amongst them that was perfect Pr. He saith The evill done can never appear to be evill by the light Answ Doth not the light make it manifest and reprove the evill done and condemn it Pr. He saith It is not in the power of the light to call any thing that 's done good or evill Answ This is contrary to Scripture that saith whatsoever doth make manifest and reprove is light and there 's power in that that doth make manifest and reprove and call that which is evill to be evill and that which is good to be good Pr. He saith The light convinceth man not for not believing in Christ Answ It condemns him and convinceth him and reproves him Pr. He saith The light or law as he calls it will convince a man of sin and there leave him inexcusable before God Answ Christ is the end of the Law for righteousness sake to every one that believes in the light and so comes to witnesse the Law of faith and of life the hope and the promise of this brings from under the Schoolmaster to the Son-ship and to know and see his salvation which none doth but with the light Pr. He saith That Scripture in John is misapplyed which saith that Christ doth enlighten every man that cometh into the world And saith it meddles with none but the children of the new Covenant Answ This is contrary to Scripture that saith one loves the light that doth enlighten every one that cometh into the world the other hates it He that hates it it condemns him and he hath it to the other the light of life and he is a Covenant a light to the Gentiles and to the Jewes whether they own it or believe in it or receive it or not he is so neverthelesse according to the promise of God and it is the covenant of light which doth enlighten every man believing in it and he shall not need to say Know the Lord for he shall finde the Law in his minde and the Law in his heart and the Saints witnessed the light shining in their hearts and that gave them the knowledg of the glory of God and they are passed from death to life and from darknesse to light and the unbeliever abides in darknesse and in the death and the light shines in the darknesse and the darkness doth not comprehend it and there thou art and such know nothing as they ought to know but naturally as bruit beasts Pr. He saith The light in every man which cometh into the world will not open all Scripture nor lead men out of the fall to God the Father and to eternal life Answ The light which doth enlighten man that cometh into the world is the substance of all Scriptures and the way out of the Fall up to eternall life out of the first Adam and is the life and that opens all Scriptures and that all Scriptures ends in man being in the Fall in the first Adam drove from God in the sin and transgression Christ the second Adam which doth enlighten every one that cometh into the world who is the way again to God is he who bringeth in righteousnesse life and immortality and finisheth sin and transgression and ends the Prophets types figures shadows and opens and lets see all Scriptures Pr. He saith The light tumbles men into the grave and roules a stone upon them and tumbles them in transgression and he shall act against the annointed ones of God and against the Lord. Answ Nay the light leads men out of transgression and from wallowing in their blood whereby they have life and leads them out of the graves and from under their stony hearts and rocks whereby the new Covenant of light is known and the new heart which is pure with which God is seen and the light which every man that cometh into the world is enlightned withall will prick them that persecute the annoynted ones and act against the Lord though they kick against it Pr. He saith To what purpose should Christ be preacht dead and risen to be believed on for life if the light be in every one Answ Man-kinde being in the fall Christ being made manifest to witnesse that he shouâ—d come and made manifest to many witnesses when he was come and John came to bear witnesse to the true light which doth enlighten every man that cometh into the world Then these witnesses that did believe that Christ was come was to go into all the world all Nations Jewes and Gentiles and preach the everlasting Covenant of God to them which was promised and was witnesses of his Resurrection And to turn people from darknesse to light and the power of Satan to God and then told them the light that shined in their hearts would give them the light of the knowledge of
spirit of life The Devill may get Scripture and therefore hath he spirit and life who is out of it This is like the Pharisees that thought they had had life in the Scriptures but would not come to Christ the life which the Scripture testified of and the Scriptures are words of God but many have the words and deny the Word it selfe and none are justified that hath the Scriptures and out of the life that gave them forth Pr. He saith It 's a sottish Doctrine to direct people onely to the Light within and what an absurd thing it is to tell our children of the Light within their conscience and to bid them obey and follow it that light and word that 's in their hearts and mouths and so fully neglect the teaching of the Scriptures Answ Is not this Souls zeal kicking against the pricks who had Scripture And this is not the neglecting to teach the Scriptures nor the Apostles doctrine to bring people and children to the Light within and the word in their hearts and mouths to obey and do it which was the Apostles doctrine and they are sottish that be out of it and they were them that made Proselytes that brought not people to the word within nor to the light within but from it Pr. He saith The Apostle thought to do many things against the Church and thought he ought to do so and the light within did not inform his conscience Answ Did not Christ say it was hard for him to kick against that that prickt him and was not that within him that pricked him Pr. And thou sayst thou art too ignorant of the ways of God and witnessing the meaning of his spirit Ans We do believe thee therefore you had better have been silent and have hearkned to the Light within thee and the Word within thee and the word of faith and wisdome which none hears the word of faith but who comes to the light within Pr. Thou sayest thou art too much troubled with carnall thoughts and vain imaginations and addicted to the world Answ Those dictates are not like to own the light within word within It is not a strange thing that thy spirit should stand against the Apostles doctrine that is light within Cor. 2.4 Pr. Thou sayst It is a disparaging the Scriptures to direct people to the light within rather then the Scriptures to direct them to eternall life Ans The Scriptures many may have and be from the light and spirit of God that was in them that gave it forth which none hath eternall life but who comes to the light within and the spirit that was in them that gave forth the Scriptures and to you this is the word of the Lord. Pr. Thou sayst The light within is grosse darknesse and what darknesse and blindnesse is there where the Scriptures are not minded and known Ans The Apostle who did direct to the light within did not call that grosse darknesse nor blindnesse but turned people from darknesse to light from the power of Satan to God And Abraham and Enoch was not in grosse darknesse and ignorance who had not the Scripture to minde which was in the spirit and faith as they were in that gave forth the Scripture who comes to witnesse the same spirit as was in them that gave forth the Scriptures they shall come to witnesse the Covenant of God written in their hearts and shall not need say Know the Lord and cease from man whose breath is in his nostrils and they that comes into this owns the Scripture without and be in Abrahams faith Pr. He saith The elect may be deceived and fall from their own stedfastness for a time and come under the death and power of Satan Answ The elect seed is in the grave which it is not possible to deceive and the elect shall be brought from under all the deceivers and death and bonds and the gates of Hell they shall come over and on top of them although the seed hath been in captivity and it is not possible to deceive the Elect it is the world that is deceived that which hath led captive shall go into captivity Eve and the first Adam may be brought into transgression but Christ the second Adam the seed in you all you must know which is that which bruiseth the Serpents head and the ground of all deceiving and so the Elect may lye under for a time and suffer but the election shall obtain and not him that wills nor him that runs but come over to the crown of honour and glory Pr. He saith Satan deceives men into bringing them to a self-denying posture Answ It is not the Devill that brings men to be humble and to deny themselves that which teacheth self-denyall is Christ that which keeps out of self-denyall is the Devill for that he went into himselfe out of the truth Pr. He sayes They can never be clear of a degree of blasphemy that hath the spirit of God in them and speaks against Ministery Magistrates and Ordinances and bid people listen to the light within them and to the spirits teaching and that they are all taught of God Answ They that witnessed the spirit and light within were taught of God and were moved of the Lord to declare both against Ministers Magistrates and Ordinances that stood against Christ the power of God and these were called blasphemers which were not the Scripture declares it but owned the power that ended all changeable things which upon all the heads of the transgressors and blasphemers came which power was a praise to them that did well Pr. He saith That Scripture may be bought and sold they say and it doth not profit but the Light within is of an eternall nature an infallible guide So obeying it they shall be sure of perfection and eternall life Now he saith those that say so are the poor ignorant and unstable soules Answ Cannot yee buy and sell the Scriptures and your Sermons and Prayers And can any have the comfort of the Scriptures and an infallible guide perfection and eternall life and the soule established and come out of ignorance but who comes into the light and spirit of God within that gave forth the Scriptures with which they came to know God the Father of spirits of whom they learned that gave forth the Scriptures and so come into the spirit and the bond of peace and unity with the Scriptures with God and one with another And the spâ—rit of God doth not bring men to dislike of Scriptures nor Ministers of Christ But to see what estate and condition they were spoken forth too Pr. Thou sayest The measure of Christ must be so that you ought to lay downe your lives for the brethren and love one another much more to lay downe your estates Answ When was there a Priest in the Nation that did lay downe his estate for the love of Christ or his brethren but he had a selfish principle in another thing Or
Pr. That God redeemes his church with his blood yet bleeds not Ans Here againe thou cavellest with the Apostles words and art a perverter of the Scriptures who art with it corrected the Apostle speak of the blood of God and the blood shed and the conscience sprinckled with the blood Pr. Justifying faith simply considered in it selfe as to justification of a sinner is but 〈◊〉 dark body till it hath received Christ and his righteousnesse Ans Where justification is justifying faith there is Christ and his righteousnesse felt for he is the justification and this is not a darke body neither justifying faith nor justification of a sinner but thou art the darke body that those hath so judged for it is all one Pr. It is but perfection of parts but not of degrees that people attain to beware you dream not that y u attain to perfection of degrees as the Quakers do for when you so think of your selves that is the hour and power of darkeness and fall into temptations and abominations Ans Where perfection is in parts there 's degrees and that which is perfect keeps out of darkenesse out of the temptation and abomination he that speakes of perfection of parts and not of degrees he doth not know what he speakes of but is in a dreame and the hour of tentation and the power of darkenesse and in the tentation and abomination and doth not know what he speakes of for perfection of parts is perfection of degrees Pr. The Saints inherent righteousnesse is but imperfection of parts as filthy rages Ans Where dost thou read of the word inherent righteousnesse but the righteousnesse of Christ wrought in us is not filthy rags but that which thou pretends to work in thy selfe by dreaming imaginations is filthy rags and not true righteousnesse of Christ which is without rags but where dost thou read of inherent righteousnesse but of thy father the Pope Pr. Job had too high esteem of his uprightnesse wrought by the spirit of Christ in him who also assisted him to perfect patience An◠A man cannot be too high esteemed in uprightnesse wrought by the spirit of Christ in him which will assist to perfect patience and thus thou confoundest thy selfe Pr. If Job had hanged himselfe he might have said in this case it is not I but my deep distemper which strangled me Ans Thou wicked lyer of thy Father the Devill the murtherer had Job consented to the wicked one with his mind to have done the thing then it had been Job and this is not comparable to Pauls state he saith it was no more he but sin that dwelt in him who did not consent with his mind so thou art no true measurer but a false measurer for to say it had been the infirmity of the members but not Job yet there is the eye which was before the word Job was which the Devill hath nought in so both thee and thy measure is judged according to Scriptures which came not by the will of man which is of no private interpretation Pr. That the written scripture is a more sure word of prophecy then the excellent speech from heaven to Jesus upon the Mount as your Quaking doctrins which is bottomed upon the Light within which neither you nor no man else knowes what it is Ans The voice that spake upon the Mount the excellent speech was the same and was to them that gave forth Scriptures now the written scriptures many may have and deny the spirit of prophesy and knew not the light shining in the dark place untill the day dawne and the day star arise in their hearts and the Quakers light within which thou nor no man else knowes what it is as thou saist then why doe you judg of things you do not know we do believe that your darkenesse cannot comprehend it though it shineth in the darkenesse but where light hath shined out of darkenesse shins in the heart it gives the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ Jesus but all that be in the light walks in it have followship one with another and knowes what light is and comes to life Christ from whence the light comes which you nor no man knowes what it is which are ravened from the spirit of God and so knowes not Christ the light Pr. The Scripture is the ground of Faith Ans The ground of faith was before written Scripture was God and Christ Jesus who were the givers of Faith and the authors of it as Abel Enoch Abraham had Faith before that which you call your ground of Faith was written but I say its able to make wise to salvation through the Faith in Christ Jesus who is the author of it thou goest about to lay an other ground then God and Christ Jesus that gave forth to them that spoke forth the scriptures of truth Pr. You call a light within and tell us it is Gods word and calls the thing everlasting word and spirituall King and Christ and this lye is the ground of your faith Ans The word is light and Christ is light and the everlasting word and King and he rules the hearts of the Saints and is in the midst of his Church and dwels in his people and in them he makes his aboad and all that be not in this be in the lye and be not in the true foundation Jesus Christ Pr. When Christ told the devil that man should not live by bread alone but by every word that procedeth out of the mouth of God that was believing the scriptures and this the word of God in the scriptures was the ground of Christs faith and so to all that were his Ans Many may have the Scriptures and never hear the voice of God as the Jews in the fift of Iohn they said they believed the scriptures though they were out of the true belief but receiving the word from God is as they that gave forth scriptuers which man lives by not by bread alone so knows him which was before scripture was given forth and for saying that the scripture is the ground of Christs Faith he was afore the scripture was writ and fulfills their words and is the author and finisher of the saints faith which was before the scripture was given forth him by whom the world was made and is the author of the Saints Faith that bruised the serpents head under his feet which was before scripture was Pr. For the Lord Jesus Christ himself who was personally God-man simply created nothing yet you would have your light called Christ to be a Creator Ans God was in Christ and they are one the Creator the Father in the Son and the Son in the Father and Christ in you and God in Christ the Creator the maker of all things and God will dwell in the saints the Creator he creates in them right mindes new hearts new spirits gives them understanding and
and Verse he can finde it again this is not like them which gave forth Scriptures which be learned of God and what they had received of God afterwards recorded which now you and the Priests fall out about and are in heaps and have no unity with it nor God nor one with another and would tear one anoâ—hers flesh to pieces about it and here your spirits are tryed William Greenhill Priest of Stepny who makes a trade of the Scripture his principle as followeth Pr. THe scripture is the Divine word and wisdome of God Ans Thou hast thrown out Christ in this and put scripture in his place and given the scripture his name who is the Word as in the Revelation Whose name is called the word of God who is the wisdome of God and this the scripture testifies of as in the Corinthians Iohn and the Revelations Pr. William Stanly a Tutor to children said That some had a priveledge to sin and yet were free from the condemnation of the Law by the sufferings of Jesus Ans But none have a priveledge to sin from God but from the devill for it is contrary to the Law of God for the Law doth not tolerate any such thing nor the Son of God who was made manifest to destroy the Devill and his works and to condemn sin in the flesh so no one hath a priveledge to commit sin but from the Devill and it is no priveledge to sin from God A book called the Relation of the Quakers shaking those whose names are at it are Iohn Gilpin Thomas Craster Thomas Sands Iohn Archer Edw. Turner Priest Walker WHo are like unto Jannes and Jambres who resist the truth being men of corrupt mindes who blaze abroad in the Nation to make truth odious and to posess the hearts of people by some that turne from truth first Iohn Gilpin who by truth was made to confesse his sin and had openings and then turned from it again and turned to the persecutors and this Gilpin was these mens convert which was most of them all the greatest persecuters in the North which after Iohn Gilpin had turned from these people called Quakers to these men whose names are to the book he turned drunkard being drunk a warrant was granted out for him by a justice of peace and yet these men whose names are at this book stiled this man one of their high converts but according to their works their reward will be Iohn Gilpin said While he was with the Quakers he never found such effects among the Ministers of England as he did amongst the Quakeres of the discovery of his sin in perticular of his Covetousnes which had a great long root in him And this all these men whose names are in the book tearms it to be of the Devill and this is their judgement because Iohn Gilpen run out in his imaginations therefore that which discovers to a man all his sins and his covetousnesse that is of the Devil too O! no my friends you have wrong judged and you will fail at last whom you have judged and what you have justified that which discovers your sin and filth and covetousnesse that which discovers the Devill which is the author of it that is the light and life of Jesus Christ and so in stead of saying the Quakers are shaking you are shaking yourselves and your foundation made knowne not to be the foundation of Jesus Christ And the light that discovers sin and when the true thing did convince and work in Iohn Gilpin then his imaginations run out and you and he calls it delusion to hearken to the voice within and yet you and Iohn Gilpin saith that he was in some measure raised to believe that God would deliver him and yet it is delusion to hearken to the voice within Ans What confusion is here amongst you and your convert doth any believe or come to deliverance or faith but who heares the light within and who heares the voice within and beares witnesse within doth not he that believes hearken to the witnesse in himselfe and hath he not it there and is not faith in the heart and any deliverance is it knowne but what is known from that within and thus you poor deluded creatures are glad to trust in lyes and make them your refuge Pr. He saith He began to consider how he had offended God by his neglect of the use of externall meanes reading hearing and prayer and rejecting the revealed will of God in his word and hearkening to the voice of God only within Ans Is reading and praying in the spirit externall meanes is this your judgement all you Priests and teachers and great professors found in this book can any pray but in the spirit and Read the scriptures and know them againe but in the spirit and is not that eternall can any man know the revealed will of God and his word but it must be by the spirit is not the word in God is not Christ the word his name is called the word of God and can any know these things but by the voice within which voice is the spirit the spirit of the Father speaking in believers the saints which led them to speak forth Scriptures so when that voice was neglected then was Iohn confused as you are all now that speak against it that whatsoever filth and durt you run into you will father it upon the voice within or the light and Christ within but you are comprehended and seen who are now flown to your external meanes you tell people of and your prayers and Reading are external we do believe you who be all out of the spirit but if ever any of you come to know God and true praying in the spirit you will deny your principle and we do believe your meanes is external and your prayers externall without the spirit of God and this Gilpin who had been thus covetous grievous sinner whom the Lord smote that he came to be almost a distracted man after he had got a little ease from under the judgement his flight being in the winter he goes to the Priests and professors which be here mentioned in this book enemies of all righteousnesse and presently turns a drunkard and a Justice of the peace granted a warrant to set him in the stocks and so he passed away about thirty miles off to Cacebie and this is Gilpins Lord who was convicted by the truth of his covetousnesse and his sin who run into his imaginations whose latter end is worse then his beginning And this is the convert of this many persecuting professors and teachers who to their shame have published it which comes a top of their own heads and truth is cleare and filth is wiped away and wiping and the refuge of lies is flying away that people shall not make them their refuge and those persecuting professors and Priests take occasion to speak of one James Miler in whom the Lord did open true prophesies and mighty
paper and ink that is not infallible nor the scripture is not the ground of Faith but Christ who was before scripture was written that the scripture tells you so and saith God is Divine and the scriptures are the words of God which Christ the word ends who is the author of the faith and Abraham and Enoch had a rule and had faith before scripture was written and the spirit is the rule that leads people into all truth so saith Christ and you that put the letter for the ground of your faith your rule paper and ink that will come to dust it is humane as you call it and give it that which the scripture doth not And as for your creed that you have learned of your Father the Pope the scriptures tells you not that nor doth not teach you the word humane neither so you and the Papists hath creeped into the Apostles words but be out of the life who are proud and covetouss Pr. That its Heresie to say there is an other Rule of Faith then the scripture if any are proved to teach any doctrine contrary to Scriptures the Ministers and pastors do their parts to correct and restrain them Ans You by your judgement have judged your selves to be corrected by the Ministers and pastors and are to be corrected by the true Pastors and to be restrained by your own judgement who hath taught contrary to the scriptures for the scriptures saith Christ is the author of Faith and Faith is the gift of God and you say scripture is the rule of it and Abraham and Enoch and Abell will tell you they had Faith before they had the scripture which you say is your rule so have you not thrown out the true rule of Faith and the giver of it and put up the words in the place so are ye not corrected here by the true pastor Christ the author of faith and Faith the gift of God did not say scriptures was the ground of it but bid looke to Jesus the author of it and the Apostles did not turn them to the ministers to correct them that did oppose them or did not believe them nor receive them as they spoke or as went from them And all they be in the heresie that have not Christ the author of their Faith which was before the the scripture was given forth though they have all the scriptures and be not in the life of them that gave it forth in which was the unity and therefore you being out of this faith and unity and from the author of it put the letter for the rule be all on heaps about the Saints words being out of the life that they had that spoke forth the scriptures and then after was written and printed and so ye Wolves in sheeps cloathing put that for your rule of your dead Faith and have no other and are killing and mangling one another about it and so death and destruction talks of the fame of the scriptures and knowes not the author of Faith nor that there had been a Faith had not the scripture declared it the Priests confesse it Pr. We deny not to teach people young ministers to stop the mouthes of slandrous adversaries to cure jealousies of distempred minds we all are ready in every Protestant Church to give men a full account of our faith in plaine confession but with this protestation that onely that the holy scriptures is the rule of faith if any thing in our confession be found disagreeable to that rule we are ready when we understand so much to disowne it and to Correct it Ans How do you stop their mouthes in haling them before Magistrates and casting them in prisons is this your stopping is not this your worke let the Goales witnesse the houses of correction witnesse how you have stopped their mouths and convinced gain-sayers now that which is truth and speakes plainly to you ye call that adversaries or slanderers Now it is not a slander to call a Lamb a Lamb a Dog a Dog or Swine Swine But to say a Lamb is a Swine a Dog is a Sheep that is a lye or a Wolfe is a Sheep though he hath got on a sheeps cloathing on him and is covered with them and therefore would be called a sheep that he may deceive and would not be called a Wolfe though his fruits declare it His reviling devouring having sheeps cloathing casting into Prison and yet is offended if ye call him not a sheep or a Minister of the Gospel of Christ Nay the truth the Lambs the Sheep cannot do so but they must speak the truth to you and though you do devour them and tear them they will not tear you again And though you Wolves have on the sheeps cloathing which cast into prison because they will not feed you Did ever the Lambs do so the Ministers of Christ Were not they fed in his pasture followed him and knew his voyce and did not want But how have you cured the jealousies and diseased mindes all this while Yee have wounded them made them sick and filled them full of jealousies therefore are the people broken into heaps and sects that 's the fruit of jealousies one of another And how have you been ready you called Teachers apostatized from the Apostles to render to every Protestant Church a full account of your faith in plain confession when many hundreds have been moved of the Lord God to come in those places called Churches and asked you a question cry take him away Mngistrate to prison with him he hath broken the Law neighbours and this hath shewed your faithlesnesse And many have been moved to come to the Steeple-house and look the Priest in the face and he hath cryed take him away I cannot go forward I cannot speak as long as he stands there and here you have shewed your faithlesness again wanting the weapons the shield of faith But you say again they must own the holy Scriptures to be the rule of faith So then not Christ not God the Author What rule might Abraham and Abel and Enoch own was not God the author of their faith And is he not the same now Had not the Pharisees the Scriptures had not they the rule that stood against Christ the Faiths Author and the rule which the Saints looked at Are not they that are of faith of the faith of Abraham which was before Scripture was written Is the Scripture the ground of these Nay the ground of this is that which was before Scripture was written and they were in the faith that stood in God that gave it forth and the Scriptures and so here you be corrected by the Scriptures and your Churches both For all may speak one by one in the true Church but this authority you have thrown down who are such as preach for the fleece and the filthy lucre and gain from their Quarters called of men Masters suing for Tythes going to Law about earthly things which did
free from the Law and Christ is the light that condemns him that hates it that will not come to it because his deeds are evil nor believe in it and that is the condemnation of the world that light is come into it and men love darkness rather then light because their deeds are evil And he that believes in the light is justified from all things that the law could not justifie him and comes not into condemnation but lives in that which doth condemn so these are one and not directly opposite that doth condemn the unbeliever and justifie the believer And people are saved through faith and justified and faith is the gift of God and there is an excellency in it and a worth because it comes from Christ and God who is the Author of it in which faith men please God and are justified and are saved through faith and by faith as the Scripture witnesseth Pr. Faith doth not save nor justifie by its vertue but of the gracious good pleasure of God which hath appointed faith Answ That which God hath given to men which is his gift in that faith there is vertue and the grace is known with which men are justified and saved and there is vertue in the gift of God and so through this faith he knowes the purpose of the Lord and his counsel and Christ is the Author of this faith and no man is justified but through faith that is received nor wise unto salvation but through faith in Christ Jesus Pr. The Ministers in England in many places are no better then Wolves in sheeps cloathing and the ministers taking what the States allowes them of particular persons this is not preaching for hire divining for money Ans The Ministers which are so called in England hath gotten the name but are found the Ministers of unrighteousnesse and are wolves indeed in sheeps cloathing out of the lives of the Apostles for how are they tearing the lambs before courts and into prisons for speaking to them whom they doe no work for what greedy dumb dogs are these how do they whorry the people and where is there any one of them if the people doth not put into his mouth that hath the sheeps cloathing but he will teare them into his courts and dens his prisons how unlike the Apostle are these who would not use his power oâ—ten times to eate and thy selfe is found in the number of them and doth not the States and particular men set you out so much a year for your preaching and is not this preaching for hire and divining for money doe you not know how much a year you must have and is not this preaching for hire and if they doe not give you money you will not divine so much a yeare and yet will you make people believe that you are not diviners for mony and preachers for hire alack for yee you cannot be hid and are not you here judged with the life of Christ and his Apostles to be the hirelings that will fly whose sheep are none of your owne that care not for the sheep except you make a prey upon them to all people who are in the feare of God your lives are discovered contrary to the Saints let the states and the great men take away your maintenance and we shall find but a few diggers threshers and planters among you a company of idle men so the judgement of the Apostle is come upon yon that those that would not work should not eate Pr. Christ made use of the Scriptures to resist the devill Ans In Christ the scripture ends and the Devill who was out of the scriptures left out of the scriptures so Christ bruised his head who was before scripture was and as for all the rest of thy stuff in thy book it is not worth mentioning and it will come upon thy own head the witnesse in thy conscience shall answer it Edward Skip Teacher who said that he is a servant in the Gospel services his book called the Worlds wonder in it his principles as followeth Pr. WHo saith there shall be false Christs and false Prophets and shall shew you great signes and wonders in so much if it were possible they should deceive the very Elect. Ans Christ saith false Prophets should come Mat. 7.24 and John saw they were come 1 Iohn 2 and 4. cap. they went forth from them in the Rev. all that dwelt upon the earth went after them and when they had gotten a heads they killed the Saints then power was given to the beast over all tongues Kindreds and Nations and that which whored from the spirit of God sat upon the beast and all Nations drunk of her cup and she hath corrupted the earth and made the inhabitants drunke and the Kings of the earth hath committed fornication with her and the woman fled into the wildernesse and the man-child caught up unto God and she sits upon the waters and the waters are people and nations and multitudes and tongues and there hath been the mystery of Babylon with all their merchandize which hath decayed the nations by their lying signes and wonders and again the Judgement of the great Whore â—â—ould come the man-child should be brought forth into the world to rule the nations with a rod of Iron and shee should be taken and cast into the fire who hath sat as a Queen and had seen no sorrow and the beast should be taken and with him the false prophets that sets up the lying signes and wonders and wiâ—â— him the devill that deceived the Nations the man of sin that the Apostles saw coming up before his disease in the Thessal These should be taken and cast alive into the fire and the lamb and the Saints shall have the victory that they should deceive the nations no more for the elect it is impossible they should deceive with all their lying signes and wonders which they have got up since the daies of the Apostles And Christ said they should come which the Disciples saw was come before their decease which signes the world hath been after them which hath not been possible to deceive the Elect for the Elâ—ct over all that Reignes for Christ said they should come to his Desciples which desciples before their deease did see he was come amongst whom thou art found and over thee and them now hath the lamb and Saints victory and the Tabernacle of God is with men Pr. I have presented to thee my New-yeares gift and desire thy judgement towards it to me And thou saist The Lord who hath delivered thy soul from under those observances that thou mights stay and direct an unstabled soule of those horrible delusions and mysterious deceits for false Apostles translating themselves into Apostles of Christ deceitfull workers and Satans Ministers transforming into the Ministers of Righteousnesse Answ In this thou art among the false Apostles and ministers of unrighteousness deceitful workers false Apostles transforming your selves into the
who comes to the Kingdom of heaven in them comes to be perfect yea to a perfect man and that is above any degree and thus thou art blind and ignorant of that wich the Scriptures declare Pr. Thou wouldst have it proved that they are false prophets that declare the true Prophets words Answ They that make Merchandice of the true Prophets words were the beast false prophets and great Whore but they that speak freely as they had received was the true Prophets and true Apostles and such in all ages was distinct each from other known by the spirit of the Lord who had received from the Lord what they spoke and declared freely and who had got the Saints words and had not received them from the Lord but spake them forth for money these were distinct one from another A Paper I have received the Title of it is A form of sound words containing the first Principles of the Oracles of God framed for the use and benefit of the Inhabitants of two adjacent Parishes in the County of NOTTINGHAM Their principles in it as followeth Pr. WHen for the time you ought to be Teachers you have need that one teach you again which be the first Principles Answ How can you teach the first Principle of pure Religion when you deny the light that Christ hath enlighten every man that comes into the world withall And this may whole England witness and so your Doctrines that you have taught them and commandments are such as perisheth being not men sent of God so have not profited the people at all Pr. And you say False teachers this age is too full of and that you may henceforth be no more children tossed two and fro and you intreat to except a word from us your Ministers for what profiteth a man to gain the whole world and lose his own soul Answ Who hath tossed people more up and down then you and carried them about with your windy doctrines and so the multitudes of the false teachers the world have been too full of you since the dayes of the Apostles who is more for gaining the whole world then you that calls your selves Ministers hath not and doth not your fruits declare it to the whole Nation in prisons there lies your fruits for where may people see the Priests fruits but in prisons And how your Congregations be all on heapes when any comes in the Name of the Lord amongst them and hath shewed that your Exhortation hath not profited the People at all Pr. We intreat you to take heed of that dangerous deceit in hoping to be saved by your own works or in any thing in our selves Answ He that believes hath ceased from his own works so not sayed by them and he that believes is saved and this belief is within him in Christ And the ingrafted word is able to save the soul and Christ the Saviour revealed and manifested within Pr. Out of the holy Scriptures Old and New Testament which it the word of God we may learn the true knowledge of God Answ The Jewes had Scriptures and did not know God nor Christ nor did not know themselves And the Scriptures is not the word but the words of God and so you teach Parishes and your children to lie as you may read in Exodus God spake all these words and said And whosoever shall add to these words Revelations and Christ saith my words And would you make people believe the Scriptures were but a word when they say they are words And Christ is the word as in the Revelation And so that which brings to the knowledge of God is the spirit And the Son reveals him Christ Jesus who is the light which doth enlighten every man that comes into the world and every man that comes into the world receiving the light Christ will reveal the Father to him Pr. There is three persons Father Son and Holy Ghost And we intreat you to take heed of the natural Popish conceit Answ The word three persons is the natural Popish conceit which is out of thy Father the Popes Canon-books where thou hast learned it but Father Son and Holy Ghost that is sound Scripture but thou canst not take it as it speakes but thou must add three persons to it so brings the plague upon thee Pr. There is many that have share in that salvation purchased by Christ Answ Christ was the offering for the sin of the whole world And he gave his body for the life of the whole world And he came a light into the world and doth enlighten every man that comes into the world he that dyed for the sin of the whole world was an offering for the sin of the world that all through this light might believe And so many are condemned for not believing that which they should believe in condemns them Pr. God works faith in us inwardly by his spirit and outwardly by his word Answ Here thou goest about to make the spirit and the word not one is not the word spiritual and Christ called the word who is the Author of the faith which mystery of it is held in a pure conscience and is not this word of faith in the heart Pr. The whole word of God in general is summed up in the Apostles Creed Answ Where hast thou been for the word Creed but out of the Masse-book and Popes Canon-book not out of the Apostles Epistles And the Apostles Epistles declares of the word and the Saints writings and saith it was in the beginning and saith the Letter kills for the Jewes had Letter and did not find the word in it but stood against it and you have the Letter the Apostles words but you do not find the word in it it speakes of the word the word was in the beginning and in the heart before the words Pr. Brethren be perfect be of good comfort no man can be made free from sin in this life Gods children have sin in them Answ The Devils doctrine is that men shall not be perfect while they are upon earth and all his Ministers but you that say they must be perfect and yet must have sin that makes them unperfect And the children of God that was born of God did not commit sin neither could they because the seed of God remained in them and they were made free from sin and had put off the body of sin as in Romans the 6. and John the 3. Pr. No man is able to keep the commands of God perfectly we break them dayly in thought word and deed And in all our best duties we are unprofitable servants Ans Here you shew that you do not love God for who loves God keepes his Commandments and love fulfills them and all your best duties and deeds be but unprofitable servants in that we do believe you So your Preaching is unprofitable praying unprofitable so you judge your selves out of your own mouths singing instructing praying all is unprofitable and they are
types and figures and shadowes which as every believer followes comes to the body and from the observing of signes and shadowes Sabbath dayes to Christ the Son the end of them all Pr. Thou sayes fancy is no fewel for a Christian faith Answ Fancy and fewel is out of a Christian faith which thou art in that is got among the signes types and shadowes in the fancy and so from the body Christ Pr. And thou sayes if the Lord be thy God thou must observe the seventh day Sabbath And thou sayes its Antichrist that perswades to change the day And thou charges them to do no manner of work on that day And thou sayes it is not ceremonial but was before Jew or ceremony had a being Answ The Sabbath was not before Adam was and the Apostles served the Lord God that had the Law of God written in their hearts he was their God and they his people which witnessed the end of the first covenant which stood in ceremonies and so shadowes and signes are ceremonies and the Sabbath was spoken of before ceremonies was that 's true but not as a command then but when ceremonies came up in the dayes of Moses the Sabbath was given as a sign amongst the other signes and a shadow amongst the other shadowes and he tels you plainly if you will believâ— him the body of all is Christ and this Sabbath which was before ceremonies waâ— given among them that had the ceremonies a day of rest for cattel man and beast strangers and servants which the body of this shadow and sign is the rest that gives rest to all the Creation man and beast stranger and servant and so rest to the whole creation And the Apostle was not Antichrist that said the body was Christ the Sabbath was shadows and brought them off of days and off of signs types and ceremonies and the first Priest-hood first covenant and offerings and brought them to the body Christ that ended them all and takes off the vayl that 's upon the hearts of people while Moses was read Now they be the Antichrists that be setting up signes shadows and brings people from the body which is Christ the substance are keeping people in the observing of a day in which people should have rest for a day cattell rest for a day servants rest for a day not minding the substance the body of Christ who restores the creation into unity as it was in the beginning and gives rest to man and beast servant stranger and cattell and is rest to them all They that are come to the body knows the substance the end of the Sabbath days work But then again thou sayes in thy charge Ye may not do any worke on that day How is it then that ye make fires through all your congregations How is it you keep Markets on the Sabbath day which God commanded How is it that Oxe and Horse bear burthens on that day and you both How is it that you gather sticks and make fires on that day and gather your meat on that day in which meat was not to be gathered on that day and he that gathered sticks was stoned to death And how is it that ye professe a day and do not observe it according to the day are ye not all hypocrites in this professing that as ye do not practice for by thâ— Law ye should be stoned to death ye should dye all And how is it that you Professors likewise that professes the first day to be the Sabbath and yet will not go to your worships abundance of you except you be drawn with horses Why pollute you the Sabbath day ye are all polluters according to your own words And why gather ye your meat and make fires on that day Keep it according to the Law be not dissemblers and mockers of God and man If ye will keep a Sabbath go according to Scripture and the law of God And the poor creatures must bear a burthen to lug you to your worships and yet if a poor man be found but carrying a loaf of bread or a burden of sticks to make him a fire he shall it may be fined for it Now by the Law of God he should be stoned to death and your horses should do no work on that day And you will fine some for going to a Meeting of the Lords people yet you must have your Horses and Coaches and Coachmen and put them to labour to draw you to your worships and so here is your confusion And so are judging one another in dayes which was not the Saints work Nor the Apostles who witnessed the body was Christ and met together in him who was the end of dayes Prin. Whereas thou sayst The Sabbath is perpetuall and fenced above all other Lawes Answ If it had been perpetual the Apostle would not have said it was a signe and the body was Christ but the Jewes that had the types to them it was perpetuall it was highly to be observed but Christ that ends the Law ends that and the things that 's in the Law the shadow and signe that 's in the Law who was the body of it Pr. The Jewes received the lively Oracles from Mount-Sinai Whether was it given us to be broken or kept slighted or observed If to be kept and observed then we must either deny the seventh-day-sabbath to be one of Mount-Sinais lively Oracles or deny Stephens Doctrine delivered to the Jewes We must sanctifie this lively Oracle of the seventh-day-sabbath Answ Stephen he preaches Christ the end of the Law types figures and shadows the substance and shewed the Jewes that they had not kept the Law in which was the shadows of Christ and so Christ is the end of the Law and the Signes and the Similitudes and the Dayes And Stephen saw the end Hagar or Sinai is a Mount in Arabia and answers to Jerusalem which now is and is in bondage with her children Now read where you all are But Jerusalem above is free which is the mother of us all now mark us all who are come to the body Christ the end of the signes shadows and figures Jerusalem below had types had figures had shadows had signes when that resteth that is in bondage Hagar with her children and here you may come to know the Allegory of these two Covenants and so who is come to the Son to the body is come to the end of all shadows and before any shadows was And Stephen held not up the shadows but preached Christ the end of them onely he judged the Jewes that had not kept it which Christ is the end of it to every one that believes And Stephen was a believer and they accused him for speaking against the Law and Moses who witnessed the end of it Pr. Thou saith There is a conceit that the Disciples in assembling on the first day did celebrate the Sabbath And they were so far from believing as Christ was risen that it
Christ within them here is two for if it be not the same Christ that ended all types and figures and shadowes If it be not him that is within they have not the possession the substance nor the comfort of the true Christ but who hath not Christ the end of the tipes shadowes figures in them they are among Ante-christs and false Christs and they that have the forme of godlinesse can confesse a Christ without them and notwithin them Pr. Again he saith The Saints have a glorious light within them but imperfect and it is an error to say they have an infallable light within them that they must follow which wil shew them all things and to Judge of Scripture that it must be fulfilled in them and these are them that are brought up in darke places of the earth that are as Sauls that goe to the witch and not to the Law and testomeny Ans None comes to the Law and to the testimony though they have the old and new Testament but who comes to the light in them for the Law is the light and who comes to the spirit within them which is the spirit of prophesy all that goe from this they goe into darke places of the earth and such are they that goe into the pathes of Sau l to such spirits that goe from the light within them and the spirit that is the testimony of Jesus and the light and the glorious light of the Saints which they are inlightened withall is Christ which is perfect and they are changed from glory to glory and so the light which thou saist the saints are in and yet not perfect and yet glorious minde thy words consider thy measure thy Judgement the infallible light which every one that comes into the world is inlightened withall is the leader of the people and the light they are to follow and it is the way to the Father out of the way from the Father that is in the first Adam in the transgression which light is Christ the second Adam that every man that comes into the world is inlightned withall and they who follow this and believe in it and walketh in it abideth not in darkenesse but have the light of life and the light within and the spirit of God within that gave forth the scripture is the tryall of the scripture of truth for men without that may wrest the words and wrong translate them so the light within the spirit of God is the Judge of the scriptures and knowes scripture which gave it forth and is the rule and ruled and led them to speak them forth and is the rule that leades them again to open them again and to lead into all truth as saith Christ Pr. He saith That which they set up above the scriptures is heathenish and the scriptures is the ground of Faith without it faith cannot act and faith hath no bottom to rest upon but scripture and scripture is more then faith the sure word of Prophesy the balme of the conscience it satisfies doubts heales wounds discerns the thoughts Ans The Pharisees and the chief Priests they were not healed except they came to Christ they found no rest for their soules though they had the scripture yet they came not to Christ the light which was before the scripture was given forth The Pharisees had the scriptures they had not faith stood against the author and the ground of it Christ so they had not faith the Pharisees had the scriptures but it was Christ and God that shewed them their thoughts so the scripture knew not their thoughts but who are in the spirit that gave forth the scriptures it is that which shewes mens thoughts Enock Abraham had faith and had not scripture all are heathens that are not in the light which was before scripture was written though they have all the scripture and the holy men of God acted in the faith in obedience to it before the scripture was given forth and they were all in the faith that gave forth the scripture and they did not act as from the scripture but from the spirit of whom they had learned who is the author of faith which the Just lives by and God and Christ the substance of the scripture Pr. And the scripture is an infallible rule of worship Ans The Jews and Pharisees they had the scripture and the Apostates since the daies of the Apostles they have had the scriptures been out of the life that gave it forth they want the rule which is the spirit in which God the father of spirits is worshipped that was the rule which all the holy men of God was led by to give forth scripture in which they worshipped God for the Pharisees had the scriptures not the spirit which gave them forth that worshipped they did not know what they wanted the rule the spirit of God that was in them that gave forth the scriptures in which they should have worshipped God so saw not the substance the ground of faith and author of faith Christ Jesus Pr. They will not put off their hatâ— they write thee and thou one to another they will not say master Ans The honour of the hat the putting of it off is an earthy honour of the earthly Adam in the fall in the transgression which Christ the second Adam the Lord from heaven not of the earthly comes to redeem man out of the sin and transgreâ—sion receives it not he will none of it but have the honour that comes from above cometh to stain that honour below and sees it a marke of an earthly honour of Adam in the transgression and not of the second the heavenly and as for thee and Thou you to a number and Thou to a singular who stumbles at this shews they have neither learned Accidence nor Bible so short of the spirit that spoke the sound words that connot be condemned and speaks proper which is the plant of renown and as for being called of men Master which Christ saith be not you ye have one master even Christ you are all brethren they be in the error that slight his commands and tramples them underfeet and hypocrits that after they have trampled his commands under foot and after makes a profession of his words Thomas Leadger thou professeth thou esteemes the scripture highly above ordinances above Angels and is not this scripture which saith be ye not called of men Master and Christs command yet thou denyes scripture and tramplest them under thy feet Pr. The scripture is the lanthorne of obedience and it directs men to Jesus and he cals the scripture the word of God the sum of truth and they could not have knowne there had been a Christ or a mediator or grace or glory or worship or father or spirit or light but as it is declared in scripture Ans I do believe you who are got up since the daies of the Apostles in the Apostacie inwardly ravening
from the spirit of God you had not known there had been a father or spirit or grace or worshâ—p if the scripture had not declared it but they that had not scripture had faith had the Hoâ—y Ghost had the Father knew the Father knew Christ knew the spirit they that had the scripture the Pharisees knew not the father knew not the holy Ghost nor the Redeemer but resisted as it was in Steven knew not father nor Christ the author of it knew not him that was borne of the spirit Now they that had the scriptures knew all these things that had the spirit that gave them forth they that had the scriptures and not the spirit knew not these things they that had the spirit of error that were in heaps about the saints words now they had the scriptures the Pharisees walked in darkenesse had not Davids Lanthorne to their feet and so could not see Christ as David did saith the Apostle their table was their trap there they struck David that had the life that gave forth the scriptures who had the lanthorne to his feet and had not they a lanthorne before the scripture was written Abraham Enoch what led them all to give forth scripture are not all they that have the scripture and out of that that they was in that gave them forth out of the light and out of the Lant-horne and they had a rule of obedience before the scripture was given forth the word of God that lives and abides and endures for ever that is the word of faith in which the scripture the words of God ends And man had the scripture and knew not Christ that was from the life that they were in that gave forth the scripture Pr. The Gospell is the scripture Answ Many may have the Scripture and deny the power of God which is the Gospel many had the Scripture and the form and stood against the Son of truth Christ Jesus the power of God the Gospel And as for thy other lies and slanders which are not worth mentioning which comes from thy drunken spirit when the spirit is awakened that suffers by it thou shalt feel every word of thy own thy burthen and thou that doth set the Scriptures above Christ and God and the spirit art a heathen THOMAS LEADGERS Antiquakers Assertions His Principles in it as followeth Pr. HE saith The Divine nature is without mixture of sin but it doth not destroy wholly the sinful nature that is in us and the being of sin dieth not until the body die and sin hath been in us to humble us Answ Sin is that which doth not humble but lifts up That which humbles people which brings down the sin Is the humilitie which bears the sin and iniquity which is Christ And the Saints were made free from sin while they were upon the earth and had the body of sin put off And the Divine nature they which have received it knoweth it and have escaped the pollutions that is in the world and the lust of it and so the Divine nature destroyes sin in its being Prin. Again he saith The Scripture is a quickening spirit the wisdom of God the power of God unto salvation the words of the blessed Scriptures every Line of it I have had saith he the righteousness of God revealed in my soul I have had the love of God the grace of Christ the Communion of the Holy Ghost manifest in me but I trample upon all attainments the highest as dung Answ Many had the Scriptures and stood against the wisdom of God and stood against the power of God yea killed and persecuted the Lord of glory of life They that had the dead Letter without the life and many got the form and denyed the power and denyed the quickening spirit and the Spirit of Christ doth not bring to trample upon attainments not the love of Christ nor the righteousness of Christ the love of Christ the grace of Christ the righteousness of Christ this was never esteemed on as the dung trampled upon as the dung such as was transgressors was as dung and they trampled upon the love of Christ the righteousness of Christ but who comes into this tramples upon their own notion Pr. He saith again that perfection is a golden dream and the Scriptures is the word of God Answ Perfection is over all dreams be they never so golden and it ends them all and is above them all and Christs name is called the word of God and the Scriptures are the words of God which Christ the word of God by which all things were made came to fulfill A Book called A serious review of some PRINCLES of the QUAKERS Pr. NO man hath reason to say that the spiritual substance is in the creature the Divine Essence is subject to change as is the soul of man and every one is enlightened that comes into the world by the light of Christ and this he cals a natural light and that some persons are come up out of the fall is an errour I do not own a perfection without sin and it is an errour to say there is any perfection without sin Answ All erring is in the fall and that which is come up out of the fall is come out of the errour into the second Adam where no errour is which many witness for all errour is in the first Adam in the fall and in him that tempted And the light which doth enlighten every man that cometh into the world by which the world was made which was before the world was made by which all things was made and created in whom is life and this life is the light of men which men being in the light which they be enlightened withall they coming by the light to him from whence the light doth come they come into the perfection out of sin for all sin and imperfection is in the first Adam in the earth And perfection is in the second Adam Christ Jesus who bruiiseth the Serpents head the Author of imperfection And who be in him are in a perfection without sin and there is no sin in the perfection nor any errour in the perfection of Christ and all who be in the unreasonableness are â—gnorant of the spiritual suâ—stance and power of God and Holy Ghost the spirit of truth the Spirit of Christ the nature that dwels in the Saints which all this is substance and not shadow and the Divine power and the power of the Lord God and Gâ—d doth not change nor his spirit nor the soul nor his power so read thy self God doth not change in his being neither doth that which comes from him that which he hath in his hand and in his power Pr. Hâ— saith That which is imperfect can be reconciled to God and that they are poor blind creatures that say the light doth enlighten every man that cometh into the world and needeth no light and discovery to help and the Scripture doth no where call Christ