Inquisitions and this hath been held up by the same nature and the same weapons by which the Heathens held up their Idol gods and the apostate Jews as the apostate Christians from the true faith and from the true Christians of the true Church whose weapons were not carnall but spirituall by whose faith they overcame the world the kingdomes and subdued mountains and quenched the fiery darts of Satan So your overcoming and all other Apostates hath been with outward weapons Gaols Inquisitions and death bound with oaths out of the Covenant of God whose Religion is built upon that who are all the Wolves ravening devourers and so doubts the ground of them in your selves you feel not yet your pasture and fields hath been so large for the Beast to raven up and down in but now the Lord God Almighty with his power will hedg you up and bring you into a narrower compasse And anathematized and hereticks are ye all from the Apostles as the Gentiles from the Jewes but Jewes and Gentiles all come to be one out of the life which gave forth the Scriptures So Christians that be apostatized and anathematized from the life that the Apostles were in be as the Jewes and Gentiles from the life of God and with the life all comprehended amongst the Jewes and Gentiles from the life of the Apostles and true Christians and with the life of God are all judged who be out of the life of the Saints So it is not the professors of the words of the Saints but they that be in the life that are justified they are they who have unity with God and one with another 19 Prin. And this faith Catholique out of which any cannot be saved the which presently I professe of my good minde and hold truly I say promise vow and swear for to retain and confesse God helping most constantly intirely and inviolately untill the last teach and preach as much as shall be possible for me through them that shall be subject to me or shall be in my charge so God me help and these holy Evangelists of God Answ. All swearers are out of the faith of Christ Jesus who said swear not at all and the faith the Ministers of Christ and the Apostles were in who said swear not at all and the Ministers of Christ was not made by oaths nor sworn to preach but you are apostatized from their faith and life that gives victory And the Evangelists all of them was against swearing there is not one example among them all not among the Apostles that they broke the doctrine of Christ in swearing and was made Ministers by oaths but by the will of God which you all are apostatized from them and are held under with the Life and from their faith reprobated and your faith and Catholique is out of that which saves and Church and so come under the condemnation which was the false brethren went out from the Apostles and since the world have gone after them which have had the Scripture and your own traditions and ceremonies the sheeps cloathing which have been fain to binde one another and tye one another by oaths to uphold what you professe which is all out of the Covenant of God and the saving faith you are ignorant of and from it apostatized wch gives victory over the world and your teaching and preaching hath been out of the true faith who multitudes hath gathered after you and so deceived the souls of people telling of a Purgatory and your souls be in it and this is all judged with the true Judge of the world the Bishop of the soul 20 Prin. Ye say that ye ought to honour the Reliques of Saints and that God hath not forbidden Images and that ye ought to honour Images of Saints because their bodies hath been the organs and temple of the holy spirit and that God doth by vertue of their holy Reliques many miracles and because that the honour redounds to themselves that they represent unto us and when one worships the Crosse the honour of the worship redounds to Jesus Christ But the Idols ye say are forbidded which doth represent the false gods which the heathen worship Answ. God hath forbidden to make Representations and Images of Saints and Reliques and the Images of Christ and the Crosse is set up by you who are apostatized from the spirit of God in which spirit God is to be worshpiped and not the Images of Christ nor the Saints nor Crosses for those be all out of the power of God and the crosse of Christ which is the power of God which all must bend to and the Crosses and Images of Male and Female whatsoever they that worship and honour them are as the heathen for Reliques Images and Crosses are set up since the days of the Apostles by you who are inwardly ravened from the spirit of God by the same nature which went astray from the life in the Jews and Gentiles which whâ—n they went astray from the spirit of God they set up Images which displeased God as you that wâ—nt forth from the spirit of God since the dayes of the Apostles inwardly ravened from that who say that after bread and wine is consecrated iâ—'s Christ so are the Antichrist that hath set up the false Christ who cries Loe here loe there and so put him in your chambers deserts and secrets and yet you say he was crucified and rose again and at the right hand oâ— God and say he was before all time and that by him all things was made And yet ye likewise say after ye have consecrated bread and wine which you call Transubstantiation it is Christ and thus you confound your selves And the lying signes and wonders which ye call miracles which ye say are wrought by the Reliques of the Saints is that which John speaks of in his Revelation The beast shall deceive because of his miracles And the Apostle speaks of concerning the man of sin which shall deceive with his lying signes and wonders and to the Reliques ye have given the honour and worship and not to God and so lives in the outward Now Jannes and Jambres could do miracles by the power of witchcraft by the same power the Beast and the false Prophets the mother of harlots Babylon and man of Sin acted to deceive the Nations since the dayes of the Apostles with all which is the mystery of Iniquity she hath sate as a Queen Lady of Kingdomes and hath seen no sorrow but now she will come to lâ—sse of children for the Lord God of heaven and earth will be honoured and worshipped who will not give his glory to any other and not to Images Reliques nor Crosses And the Apostles you are all got up since from them apostatized for when they was adoring of Paul or adoring of Apollo the Corinthians came under rebuke by the Apostles who said Who is Paul or who is Apollo It 's Christ that dyed and was crucified and bid them prove
lives unto the death And sometimes they have been more visible and sometimes lesse yet two or three that know the name of Christ and live in the power of Christ Christ is in the midst of them and they may be truly said to be a Church of Christ and these God hath promised to be with who believeth in Christ the power of God to the end of the world and against these the gates of hell shall never prevail And whereas thou saist He gave some Apostles and some Evangelists Pastors and Teachers for the worke of the Ministry for the perfecting of the Saints This is granted and it did and doth effect the same end for which he gave it But when ordained he the Popes the Cardinals the Fryars the Monks the Jesuites the Nunâ— for the work of the Ministry or whether have any of all these effected the same things which the Apostles did by their gifts But rather on the contrary They have perverted the straight way of the Lord and have made the word of God of none effect by their traditions and hath introduced and brought in those things to be observed amongst people which God hath neither commanded nor commended but on the contrary forbidden and condemned 3 Prin. That all those people or Congregations or meetings or Churches which have not been constantly visible from Christs time till now are not nor cannot be the Church of Christ and then thou makes this conclusion that the Roman Church can shew its constant and successive visibility from Christs time till now therefore the Roman Church must needs be the Church of Christ Answ. By thy own words thou hast proved your Church to be no Church of Christ neither your officers and Ministers to be Ministers of Christ for Matthew Mark Luke and John Peter Paul and the rest of the Apostles makes no mention of any such officers as Poâ—es Cardinals Fryars Monks nor Jesuites neither of any such doctrine did they allow of as you preach to wit the doctâ—ine of Devils in forbidding to marry and commanding to abstain from meats wch God hath created and also teacâ—ing to make Images and set up Images and Idols and also teaching to burn and kill and destroy them whom you call Hereticks which Christ nor none of the Apostles ever did So that it is manifest from the Scripture of truth that your visible Church was not always since Christs day for Peter Paul and many of the Apostles lived after Christs day and they make no mention of any such ministry doctrine or practice as is found amongst you onely foretels of you and prophesies of you that Antichrist should come Deceivers should come and false prophets should come and Peter whose successors you say you are he foretold of you and hath left his testimony against you against them who preach for filthy lucre those things the Apostles taught not Amongst many things this is one in teaching and making people believe a purgatory after they be dead and this was invented by you to get filthy lucre and to get dishonest gain Another thing to give pardons that you may get money and filthy lucre so that it is manifest you are none of Peters successors but are apostatized from the faith from the doctrine from the practice of Christ of the Churches of Christ in the dayes of the Apostles and were not visible then nor counted the Church of Christ by any in many years aâ—ter the decease of the Apostles But the false Prophets that Christ spake should come which John and Paul and Peter saw creeping in then who erred from the faith and apostatized from the truth who subverted whole housholds from the faith there 's your originall they that did subvert and they that were subverted and held part of the form of godlinesse denyed the power there is the beginning of your visible Church Antichrists false Prophets Seducers and seduced you are their successors and from thence your visibility came to be seen in the world So in that which I have said doth clearly evidence that you have not constantly visibly had the name of a Church since Christs time although you call your selves the ancient Church And I say unto thee in thine owne words Except thou be bewitched and possessed with a spirit of blindnesse here is enough to convince thee and all thy visible members that your Roman Church is not so ancient as Christ nor the Apostles But you are quite another thing which hath sprung up since and are apostatized from the Doctrine and from the Faith which the Churches which were before you were in as the Church at Jerusalem at Antioch and the rest of the Churches which had received the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ without respect of persons from which faith you are now reprobated 4 Principle Thou saist that Luther Calvin Memno Beza and others were first popish Priests and those that followed them was first of the Church of Rome and these thou saist fell from the Faith and were accounted by you Hereticks and sayes they ought to produce more evidence for their faith which they professed being separated from you then you need to do from whom they separated Answ. They are Hereticks who denies the true foundation and who erre from the true faith which the Saints possessed and and lived in But your visible Church have left the true foundation and have erred from the faith which Christ and the Apostles declared and lived in therefore you are the Hereticks Therefore Luther Calvin Memno and Beza and the rest seeing your Doctrine Principles and Faith to be contrary to the Doctrine of Christ and the Primitive Churches God opening their eyes and let them see that you had innovated and brought in another Doctrine and other practices then had been taught or practised amongst the Apostles therefore they denyed yoâ— in many things although they were not clearly come off your principles nor did not see clearly thorow your deceit yet so far as they saw by the light of the Lord they bore testimony against you and gave a clearer demonstration that you were out of the faith then you ever did or can do that you were in the Faith But that is made manifest in this the day of the Lords power which sees over you and beyond you and comprehends your ground and all the body of your Religion which stands in imitations imaginations inventions and traditions And further thou saith that you can bring more Scripture for your Catholique doctrin then they that are separated from you and thou brings two Scriptures to prove some of your doctrine and sayest that the Church of Rome teaches that Christs body is reall in the Sacrament for which thou brings the 11 Cor. 23 24. verses which proves nothing to the purpose for the body of Christ is incorruptible and saw no corruption But bread corruptâ— and will corrupt notwithstandâ—ng all your consecration but as concerning this I shall refer the
Reader to that which is written in answer to the former papâ—r Again Thou saith that the Apostles and their successors had power to remit sins according to John 20.23 The Apostles who believed in the Son of God unto whom all power is committed and had received power from God could do nothing against the power which was their life and what they said and did from that power stâ—ndeth for the same power that Christ received of the Father the same he gave unto them and the same that they did remit was remitted But what is this to the Pope who is out of the power of God who follows his Successors the Antichrists Deceivers Apostates and vagabond Jewes and Exorsists who would have cast out Devils in the name that Paul preached but could not When did Christ or any of his Apostles say to the Pope or any of the Cardinals Fryars Monks Jesuites whose sins ever you remit are remitted Or when did he give the Pope or any of his Cardinals Fryars Jesuites Monks power to sell Pardons for money Is not this a doctrine of the Devill which Peter whose successors you say you are who declared against you and such as you who said concerning you that you taught those things for filthy lucre which you ought not to teach And further thou saiest thou confâ—sses that there are other points of Popish Doctrine which you teach that there is not such evident Scripture for as for those before mentioned if thou hadst said there had bin none at all thou had spoke truth this is the Popish doctrine which thou sayest you have not clear Scriptures for for Purgatory praying to Saints and baptizing of Infants c. I say there is no Scripture at all except it be your own devised Fables For the blood of Christ cleanseth from all sinne them that do believe and there is no need of any other thing to cleanse and so your Purgatory is a feigned fiction and a lying invented thing invented by the Pope to get money by And as for praying to the Saints there is no Scripture for but against it For it is written thâ—u shalt worship the Lord thy God and him ONLY shalt thou serve and cal upon me in the day of trouble It doth not say call upon the Saints And farthermore Christ said Whatsoever â—e aske in my name it shall be given you And farthermore Christ said to his Disciples Whatsoever you aske my father in my name it shall be granted unto you He exhorteth them not as the Pope doth to ask in the name of St. Mary and St. Peter and St. Dominick And as for baptizing of Infants that is an invention of your own framed and formed since the dayes of the Apostles For the Apostles were commanded to teach and preach before they baptized any but you baptize those that are untâ—ught and unlearned and these they call members of youâ— visible Church and so all this fâ—igned doctrine before mentioned is denyed and and condemned by the spirit oâ— the Lord which you are erred from 5 Prin. That the Scripture doth no where clearly teach that we must do nothing nor believe noâ—hing whiâ—h is not written in the Scripture so thou saith even by our own rule the whole foundation of all our nâ—w faith falls to pieces For if I am bound to believe nothing but what stands in Scripture then thou sayest thou art not bound to believe this maxime of Heretickes because it stands not in Scripture Answ. Paul was no Heretick and he said If I or an Angell from heaven preach any other Gospel let him be accurst And Moses he was no Hâ—retick and he said to the Church of the Jewes concerning the book of the Law given unto them Thou shall not adde thereto nor take therefrom And John he was no Hâ—retick and he said If any man shall add unto these things written in the book God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in the book And yet all these were Hâ—reticks in thy account their faith stood in the power of God and this the Scripture bears witness of and those things were written in the Scripture that they might be believed and from the spirit of truth they were written And so if thou professe thou have the spirit of truth thou art bound not to believe any thing contrary to the Scripture and here your foundation and doctrine is dashed to pieces by the spirit of God who spoke for the Scripture And farther thou goes on in thy blindness and ignorance and sayes thou art not bound to believe that the Bible is the word of God because it stands not in Scripture is not the Scripture that which is written in the Bible And dost thou not call the Scriptures the Word of God and yet foolishly saith the Bible stands not in the Scripture Thou goes on and says it is most clear that we are bound to believe and receive some things that are not written in the Scripture they who know the bond of the spirit are not bound by iâ— to beliâ—ve any thing which is contrary to the spirit which speak forth the Scripture Further thou brings 2 Thes. 2. and 15. 21 John 25. to prove that we are bound to believe something that is not â—ritten in the Scripture because the Apostle exhorts the Thessâ—lonians to stand fast and to hold the traditions which they had been taught whether by word or writing Now if thou can produce thou may the words that he taught to the Thessalonians which was spoken by the same spirit which he wrote the Epistleâ— by and that which he spake doubtlesse is not contrary to that which he wrote and so this proves nothing that every one is to believe your vain traditions which you have invented in your carnal minds being erred from the faith and having lost the spirit And although John say that there were many other things that Christ did which are not written Yet what doth this prove that your innovated stories and devised fables ought to be believed And I say unto thee and unto all you it is meer madnesse to aver or to believe that which is contrary to that which is written And then thou says if any man ask thee what those things be which Christ and the Apostles taught and have not written thou gives an answer thy selfe that they taught to baptize Infants and that we must sanctifie the Sundays and other holy days and to fast in Lent and acknowledge Sr. Peters successors for the governours of Christ-Church and to say Masse and with all other points of Catholique doctrine all which pack of lyes and foolish fopperies and invented imaginations which is all contrary to that which Christ spake and the Apostles wrote of him For these are all invented stuffe some from the Heathens you have by traditions and the rest has been invented both the words and the things themselves since the Apostles dayes wherein there hath been a great Apostacy and
all the world hath wondred after the Beast And thou saith If any ask thee upon what ground thou believes that Christ and the Apostlâ—s taught all these things before mentioned Thy answer is upon the same ground thou believes they wrote the New Testament even the testimony of all Christians in all ages Here thou hast shewed thy faith that it is but reprobate is but by hearsay and is builded upon hear-say and tradition And for your testimony of Christians in all ages let us have your testimony from the Christians of Jerusalem from Antioch from Thessalonica Colossia and Corinth Philippia and the rest of the Churches and Christians which lived in the age of the Apostles And likewise let us have the testimony of the Churches of Asia which if thou dost bring to prove these fore-mentioned things then thou brings a testimony against Christ and the Apostles to make them transgressors to build those things which they have destroyed And thou saith by that which thou hast written we may see the firmnesse of the Roman faith By that which thou hast written I see the blindnesse and the ignorance and the rottennesse and the foundation of the Roman Church to be but rubbish and sandy for it stands upon inventions mens traditions and devised fables and lying stories and is not founded upon the Rock of ages and stands in the waters which are moveable and unstable upon which the whore sits which has made all Nations drunk which the great Kings thou speaks of which hath been converted have drunk of and so came to be Protectors of the Pope defenders of your Religion by carnall Swords by Fires Murthers and Inquisitions and killing them who keep the word of Gods patience and deny all your Idolatry and this has been acted amongst you since the Apostles dayes in the Apostacy But the Lord in his power hath appeared and hath dryed up some of the waters out of which the Bâ—ast had his rise and hath broken some of his horns with which he hath pushed and all the Kings which have given their power to the Beast have made war against the Lamb and his followers But the time is coming when the Beast and the Whore and the false Prophets and Antichrists shall be taken and cast into the Lake and the Lamb and the Saints shall have the victory 6 Prin. Your Church thou sayest is proved to be the true Church by the great sanctity and power of godlinesse and mortification as hath appeared in the Roman Church in all ages and how they have lived in pure and perfect chastity and how they have left their pride and thou challenges to shew thee such among all those thou calls Hereticks Answ. More ungodliness hath not appeared neither hath been acted by any heathens in the world then hath been acted amongst you as blood shed murther killing burning destroying them that would not worship your Idol and you have made the name of Christ which you professe in words and christianity to stink among Heathens by your barbarous cruelâ—y and your unhumane usage of them in many places of the world and as for sanctity and holinesse you are altogether strangers unto Is there not tolleration for whoredome in the principal Cities of the Popes Dominions and cruelty the like is not to be found in the whole world Witnesse your devillâ—sh Inquisition and hellish devices to torture and kill and destroy them which will not submit and follow your foolish imaginations and deny the living God and for pride he which you call your holy Father hath exceeded many Kings hath been made to kisse his feet and in most of the Nations where the Roman faith is professed no such pride appears in any Nation except them And furthermore thou saith the mighty power of God hath appeared in converting whole Kingdomes into the Christian faith your conversion we know and your converts have been made manifest by their fruits that they are two-fold more the children of the Devil and have but only turned them from one sort of Images to set up another and that which you call conversion more hath been turned for fear of your swords faggots and fires being afraid of death then hath been by any of your doctrine which hath been taught And as for your fasting thou boasts of we know what it is denying one sort of meat and taking another and fasting one day and riotous another And as for your voluntary humility and poverty which stands in your own wills which is onely to deceive people that thereby your Cloysters and your Cels might be enriched that your Fryars and your Monks might live in pride and idlenâ—sse and thou saith by this doctrine which Austin the Monk taught that is to say to fast from lawful meats and to confess their odious and secret sins unto him have converted whole Nations by this Doctrine from the vanities and pleasures of the world as I said before they are but turned to outward shews and Images and the pleasures and vanities of the world are still standing in their hearts and shews themselves forth in their actions And as for thy Saints Boniface Wilâ—road and Saint Patrick their work is yet to be seen they which professe the same Doctrine in Ireland the fruits hath made Patricks Doctrine and their conversion manifest which was Rebellion Treachery Murther and Blood-shed and many thousand men women and children have been destroyed in that Nation within lesse then this twenty yeares which is manifested that Patrick and his Converts was Cains successors and not the successors of the Apostles of Christ And as for the lying Wonders and Miracles thou speaks of and of a Jesuite raising twenty dead bodies to life again It is like thou will prove this as well as thou proved that Christ taught to say Masse and to fast in Lent and keep holy days But all thy lyes are seen and your deceit found out and with the life of God you are all judged And though you have deceived the Nations long and kept people in ignorance and blindnesse and have maintained your deceit by Cains weapons and have upholden the kingdome of Antichrist by your bloody cruelty yet he is come and coming to be revealed in the Nations whose Dominion is everlasting who will subdue all his enemies under his feet take the wicked in their own craftiness and he himselfe alone rule whose right it is who will confound you with all your Idols for ever that his glory over all may be advanced F. H. THis is the word of the Lord God to you that fast and afflict your selves and observe days meats which the Kingdom of God stands not in You that fast you want the Bridegroom you want Christ and the bond of iniquity is amongst you and this fasting and afflicting of your selves for a day days is not the Fast that the Lord requires which breaks the bond of iniquity which fast being known that the Lord requires the foundation
like they that have a horn to call their hounds together or the Swine-heard for people to put forth Swine or hower-glasses to preach by the hower prove it by scripture else acknowledge your are in the Apostacy and have set up â—hese things by your own inventions and are them that limit the spirit 62. Where did ever the Apostles consecrate any thing or the scripture speak of Sacraments or where did the Apostles use that which you call holy Water to sprinkle people withal if you cannot shew it by scripture where the Apostles or Christ diâ— practise any such thing acknowledge your selves that you be in the Apostacy that have set up such things since the dayes of the Apostles and erred from the true Church in your inventions 63. Where did the Apostles when they went to preach or to pray put on white Hoods Copes Tippets white Surplisses and cornered Caps are not all these things got up since the dayes of the Apostles amongst such as are apostatâ—zâ—d from them 64. Who are the inwardly Raveners that Christ said should come which was the false Prophets which should have the Sheeps clothing but inwardly ravening Wolves an inwardly ravening Wolf worse then a dog which got the sheeps clothing is not this it that has made war against the Saints that kept the testimony of Jesus the Spirit of prophesy and has not the wolf been covered with the sheeps clothing long such as ravined from the spirit such as has inwardly ravened and would ravine and destroy all that be contrary minded 65. Have not men fallen into the flesh since the dayes of the Apostacy and ravined from the spirit that went forth from the Apostles are not they them that has set up all these outward things as Temples Tythes Priests crosses crucifixes Schooles Colledges to make them Ministers Images Idols Abbies Nunneries Candels Altars Holy waters Praying by Beads sprinkling children with the sign of the crosse and have not you gone back who are ravened from the spirit and so lost the substance and so imitating Aaron and his Sons and imitating Altars and outward things that stood in Moses which the Apostle sayes while Moses was read the veil was over their hearts 66. Was not the first Priest-hood a true tipe and the Temple a true tipe of the inward and the Sanctuary and Altar a tipe and the outward things in the Law shadowing forth the good things that were to come which were but to have their times and seasons and did not the Apostle witnesse the substance of all tipes figures and shadows and signs and similitudes and likenesses and witnessed that which gave him to see where there was no shadow nor changing Now are not all your tythes Temples Priests Altars Crosses Crucifixes Images Similitudes Beads Cloysters Abbies Nunneries set up by your own inventions which men and people has been compelled to worship are not all these lying signs and wonders and the worship of the beast that which they that inwardly ravened set up and is not this to give worship to them that inwardly ravined from the spirit of God who are the Wolves that â—an make a profession of Christs and the Apostles words the Beast and false Prophets which the world has wondred after and should deceive them with their lying signes and wonders Did not the Apostles give hints of such things before their decease did not John see such come as the whole world went after and all that dwelt upon the earth worshipped the Beast Now answer me these things and clear me them by Scripture where the Apostles did practise or act any such things before mentioned and if ye be not such that John and the Apostles speaks of and Christ that should be the inward ravening wolves and go forth from the Apostles which John saw all that dwelt upon the earth worshipped and went after and all that dwelt upon the earth drunk the cup of fornication and should deceive them that dwell upon the earth with their lying signes and wonders and miracles and if you be not them tell me who they are 67 What is the Beast and the number of his names and what are his names and what is his marke that they that would not receive should be persecuted And what is his image and what are his heads and what are his crowns and what is the mother of the harlots and what is the great whore which hath corrupted the earth and what is the cup of fornication that all Nations has drunk of and who are the Beast and false Prophets what are they that are come up since the dayes of the Apostles How to say you believe as the Church believes and you will not trouble your selves about the Scriptures because they are hard to â—e understood you are to see that you be of the Church that the Apostles were of which was the pillar and ground of truth which was without spot or wrinkle or blemish and so their belief stood in Christ and God And when any did wrong yea Peter Peter was withstood and not believed as he believed And as for saying the Scriptures are hard to be understood that is to shew you want the spiâ—it as was in them that gave them forth in which is the unity and the bond of peace And none comes to be a member of the Church in God the pillar and ground of truth without spot or wrinkle or blemish but who comes into the spirit that they were in that gave forth the Scriptures with which spirit every one in particular hath his particular satisfaction in the Scripture it opens it to them with which spirit he hath unity with God unity with the Scriptures of whom they learned that gave them forth and there is the bond of peace Now to tye up men to believe as others believe and to compell them by a law or a prison or an inquisition this was not in the true Church but this is a marke of the apostacy from it and is a marke that they that do so are the wresters of the Scriptures and err'd ravened from the spirit that they were in that gave them forth For it was not their worke to compell people by a Law by a prison by an Inquisition to obey their faith and to bring them into their worship and doctrine that was not the worke of them that had the spirit that gave forth the Scriptures but this shews and signifies and declares it selfe forth that you would have power over mens faith which saith the Apostles we have not but bade them look at Jesus the author of the faith And again to believe as others believe which do call themselves a Church Is not this different from the Apostles doctrine who saith he that believes hath the witnesse in himself and hast thou faith have it to thy self 68 Is your Church the body of Christ and is your bread the body of Christ after consecration and is that bread after you have consecrated it the Church
THE PAPISTS STRENGTH Principles and Doctrines which they are sworn to Preach from the Councel of TRENT by the Popes Authority and after confirmed by the last General Assembly at ROVEN 1571. All which they have sworn to perform Answered and confuted Furthermore their Principles and Doctrines Answered and Confuted as they were laid down in two or three severall Papers by R. W. Papist lately sent from HOLLAND Also a challenge to the Pope and all his Adherents to choose out of all his Dominions some Cardinals Fryers or Jesuits to try their Bread and Wine after Consecration by watching on their side and on our side to prove that if afterward they have consecrated it whether the Bread and Wine doth not loose its taste and savour and so not the Body and Blood of CHRIST Also a paper to all them that fast and afflict themselves who are in the will-worship and voluntary humility Also some Quaeries to all the Papists upon Earth to be answered in writing and sent to them which all Sects upon the Earth call QUAKERS By GEORGE FOX LONDON Printed for Thomas Simmons at the Bull and Mouth neer Aldersgate 1658. The Papists Principles as followeth whose name subscribed thereunto is R. W. Priest HE saith He cannot but admire to see what a power Satan hath over the sons of Adam and especially â—ver Schismaticks and Apostates from the union of the Roman Catholique Church Answ. Theâ— that be in the true Light Chrâ—â—â— Jesus that fathoms the world 〈◊〉 not admire to see the great power of Satan over the sons of Adam in the fall and over all the Schismaticks and Apostates for Schismaticks and Apostates and the sons of Adam in the transgression be all â—n the Devils power where he is in the transgression out of the truth in one power murderers for the Devil a murtheâ—er sons of Adam mâ—râ—herers in the fall out of the truth Schismaticks and Apostates out of the truth murtherers and will all murther and noâ—â—dmired at with the children of Light who has tryed their spirits So Devil sons of Adam in the fall and Papists and Protestants that will all murther for Religion and worship be all in the Devils power Murtherers out of the truth that Christ and the Apostles was in so the Roman Catholique Church which will murther is Satans synagogue for he is the murtherer and there he hath his seat And all the Protestants that be murtherers about Religion and worship are Satans synagogue are Apostates and Schismatâ—cks as well as you they were the first great synagogue of Satan and the first Apostates and Schismaticks from the life of the Apostles and Christ though since the dayes of the Apostles you have apostatized from the life others has professed against you and so are broken into heaps and names Satan has got up many synagogues in many parts of the world and gotten the sheeps cloathing and cryed up himself to be the name of Châ—â—stian which is meer Antichrist quite against him compelling all by sword or faggot or prison or stocks or whips or houses of Correction or Gaols or Inquisitions to worship him This is quite against Christ the Apostles spirit in the apostasie from them apostatized So you may strange to see the Devils power over the sons of Adam Apostates and Schismaticks and not see your selves swallowed up in the Devils power doing his work Thus judging others not seeing your selves for the Devill sons of Adam in the fall from the truth and you who are apostatized from Christ and the Apostles Doctrine and the Schismaticks that be from you in words and sects and names that be called Protestants that will murther for Religion and Worship they be all in the same power which the Devil is in for the Devil is out of the truth the sons of Adam out of the truth and the church of Rome out of the truth apostatized Protestants and all others that be out of the spirit that gave forth the Scriptures be out of the truth such are murthering one another about words and are Satans synagogues wreâ—â—ling against flesh and blood Striking at creatures in stead of striking at the power that captivates creatures to the intent that creatures might come into the liberty of the Sons of God which was the work of the Apostles and Christ Pr. No man can discern head or foot of the Quakers method or order yet there is some shew of reason in their Quaeries Answ. Thus he confounds himself Babylon And we do believe that neither the Papists Apostates Protestants nor sons of Adam nor Dâ—vill out of the truth can know either head or foot of the Quakers principles with all their thinkings for the Quakers is come into that which the Devil is out of sons of Adam is out of the Papists are out of and the Protestants that which overwhelmes them all Devill sons of Adam Papists Protestants out of the life of God with it are they all judged which Life the Quakers are in Pr. He saith not one Papist that he knows doth call himselfe a defender of the Faith yet he saith in a sense in writing against our principles he might call himself a Defender of the Catholique Church and Faith and yet notwithstanding he could not defend himselfe from the Devill Answ. In this thou hast shewed thy faith and the faith of the Catholique Church which will not defend you from the Dâ—vill so ye are the reprobates from the faith of the Elect that quenches the fiery darts of the Devill and gives victory over the world and the Devill and is their shield and with that faith is his Kingdom subdued And we do believe that the faith will not defend you from the Devill and if thou knowest never a Papist that is a Defender of the Catholique Faith what have you done with all the fires and faggots and inquisitions and killings and slayings and writing of your great Volumns against them that have protested against you all this time but now your faith fails and your wheel is gone off and the confusion of Babylon is confounded and the faith of Gods Elect contended for witnessed amongst them called Quakers whose weapons are not carnall but spirituall And your wicked Priests and such as be in the reprobate sence like Judas betraying the just have been the Preachers and Teachers which has gotten the form of godlinesse but are out of the power and the life and these are them that have risen against the Saints and overcome them which are now warring against the Lamb and the Saints but the Lamb and the Saints shall have the victory Pr. And whereas you say you give the title of holinesse to the Pope after the same manner as was given to the high Priest in the Old Testament and wicked Magistrates was called gods and the Priests wear their titles upon their breasts and Jacob called his wicked brother Esau Lord and there is Scriptures enough to give honourable titles to wicked men Answ. These are
Spirit of God And are the wolves in sheeps clothing worrying the Lambs that comes to witness Christ in them the substance and hath proved and examined themselves and found him and so there people sticking in that they call the sign and keeping people from the substance receiving Christ Jesus in them for these things was to be done in remembrance of Christ until he came now if bread and wine be the body of Christ and his bloud then he is come how do you that in remembrance of him untill he come was they to eate his body and drink his bloud till he come did he go away in the Spirit and leave his body behind answer this whether or no his body did not rise and whether his body be elementary there was a Protestant against you that said the body of Christ was corruptible and you said the bread and wine is the body and bloud of Christ and that will corrupt and so we see you all in the error Pr. He saith the bare form of bread and wine doth change And though the light lead up to Christ they see nothing but that which doth change namely bread and wine Answ. Hear thou hast confounded thy self and all the Papists the whole body of them and confounded your own wisdom and knowledge and your own faith in things you do professe foâ— the body of Christ and his bloud doth not change and yet you say that bread and wine after consecration is the very body and bloud of Christ and hear you say doth change which is not comparable to the body and bloud of Christ that corrupts not nor changes not in this you have confounded your selves and blinded your souls in looking at things which are seen which the Divel and wicked ones out of the light do run into which you poor Creatures are captivated under his power things that are not seen are invisible but things that are seen as bread and wine are visible Pr. Our faith and doctrine is that Jesus Christ hath but one body and that the same body which is in that Sacrament shall come at last to judge us all Answ. The body of Christ which you call the bread after consecration which thou hast confessed is a changeable thing the â—orm of bread that which is changeable is not a judge Christ and his body is not changeable so therefore to judge and shall remain his body when bread and wine ceases So in this thou hast overthrown your own doctrine and faith and foundation and proved your selves to be stones of Babylon who with them builds up and throwes down again Pr. Whereas thou Queriest whether God is able to make one body to be in two or two thousand places at once Answ. The body of Christ is his flesh which he gives for the life of the world which they that eat it and feed upon it are of his flesh and lives for ever and are in more places then one comes to be of his flesh and of his bone and at this the Jewes stumbled that followed him for temporal bread and if temporal bread had been the body of Christ why would he bid them labour not for the meat that perisheth and that he said well in saying this is may body this is my bloud and except ye eat my flesh and drink my bâ—â—ud ye have no life in you but he did not tell the people after they had consecrated bread and wine that it was his body and bloud and he would drink with them in the Kingdom and did Christ eate his own body and drink his own bloud answer these Queries we see that the body of Christ is hid from you all Papists and Protestants and his flesh and his bloud and his wordâ— are spirit and life and that remains and bread and wine it is the elements did it come down from above from heaven after you have consecrated it is it not the wine that came of the grapes and the bread which was baked Christs body which is the bread is above the Manna which is given from heaven much more far above the bread of man Christ the true bread far above Angles-food is the body of Christ which who eates it lives for ever they that eated the Manna the Angels-food perished in the wildernesse many of them and far above mans bread that 's temporal and drink which they may eate and drink and hunger and thurst again and perish and which will perish Which they that decernes the Lords body decernes him that gives every creature its being the word of God by which all things was made and none of the figures nor shadowes nor types are the body of Christ but that which ends them all to you that is the word of the Lord which body was before they were which body is the Church the Piller and ground of truth and bread is not the Church after consecration for the Apostles never told us of that doctrine no vvhere in the Scriptures but you that of the body of Christ be ignorant the Top-stone is laid on your heads and the body of Christ makes us free from the Lavv Pr. We do not teach that bread after the consecration is the flesh of Christ but we say that after Christ had uttered these words this is my body or after the Priests according to Christs command do this in remembrance of me do utter the same words which we call consecration then the substance of bread vanisheth and is no more there but the body of Christ commeth in its place Answ. This again is confusion and you are confused and confounded in your own principles if the bread and wine which you say is not the flesh of Christ after consecration how is his body there and how can you say it is his body And thus you confound your selves Pr. Thou saist thou dost not find any expresse command of the Apostle in Scripture for observing of dayes nor meats nor none of these things as meats or crosses but what the Church shall command and saith but the Church hath commanded us to observe dayes and meats and that a crosse should be made in remembrance of Christs passion and the Images of Christ and his Saints may be set up and honored and that we should invoke the Saints c. and whatsoever the Church commandeth us And this is the sure and unmoveable ground upon which our Catholique faith even to the very least circumstance and ceremony is built c. And the contrary ground is the ground of all Hereticks Answ. We do believe you that all these observing of meats dayes and crosses is set up by your Churches command and all your Tythes Priests Pulpits and Temples amongst you and the Protestants which hath been set up by your Church command which is offended if they be not observed which is set up since the dayes of the Apostles which is Apostatized from the Apostles and the true Church in the Apostacy and are fallen into schisms and
was not the work of the Apostles nor of them that kept the faith of Gods elect that gives victory over the world and so those whom you call bad and those whom you call good are all found one here having drank the whores cup found in the fornication without husband out of the true humility which is Christ the seed that bears the sin and iniquity Pr. You take offence because the Roman faith doth teach it lawfull to punish Schismaticks and Hereticks with the sword but if you will be mad and say that those which seduce mens souls cause schisms and heresies in the Church and disturb the peace thereof must be let alone and may in no wise be punished who can help it Answ. The faith of the true Church did not teach any such doctrine to punish Schismaticks and Hereticks or Seducers with an outward sword but said on the contrary their weapons was not carnall but spirituall Now the carnall weapons who punish them you call Hereticks and Schismaticks whose Church is disturbed by such You shew you have not the power to convince gainsayers stop the mouths of them and make them to confess that God is in you of a truth and this doth shew that you are reprobated from the true faith which the Apostles were in and of Christ who said love your enemies and if any one smite thee on the one cheek turn the other novv the beast and false Prophets and the Anti-christs Mother of Harlots should drink the bloud of the Saints Martyrs and Prophets and kill them which the faith and patience of the Saints did not rise against now again the Lamb and the Saints should have the victory which should slay with the sword which are the words of his mouth not vvrestle against flesh and bloud killing creatures but over-comming with the bloud of the Lamb And here is the faith and patience of the Saints whose Kingdom is not of this world but you that are killing with the sword fire and fagots and inquisition bowing before Images Idols Pictures crosses these be all of this world and Kingdomes of it carnal weapons and carnal things held up by the carnal and not spiritual Now of your speaking of the Magistrates of the higher power which is higher then all Image-makers and Idols which gave them to see before transgression was which Transgresser set up Idols and Images which they in the higher power broke down that was the work of the Magistrates and they had the wisdom to make the true figure and shadow which Christ came to put an end to And they that set up Images Idols since the dayes of the Apostles and Pictures and crosses and holds them up by an outward power and Magistrates and compels others to bow down to them is the worship of the beast and not the worship of God and this I declare in the presence of the Lord God and all the Magistrates that be in Gods fear they will break down your Idols and Images and crossâ—s and crucifixes and masse-houses Schooles and Colledges which you make Priests and Ministers in which they that know the Ministers made by the will of God will do this and the exposition of the Scriptures by your Church we cannot own which is Apostatized from the true Church which bid the Saints keep from Idols which all that be of the true Church are so to do And your Church which is run into Idols Pictures and Likenesses is run into error and is not infallible and so you are gone from the life which gave forth the Scriptures which Peter was in and so run into Idols and must have Images and likenesses to put you in mind of Christ and the Saints And you are gon from the Spirit the holy Ghost which they was in which over-saw the Churches who watched for the Souls and had the rule over the Saints so from this Church are you apostatized its peace which Church is the Pillar and ground of truth the Divel is out of the Pillar and ground of truth he abode not in it and all schismes heresies they cannot disturb the peace of this Church here comes no sword-men here nor carnal weapons nor inquisitions fire nor fagget stockes and prisons nor Idols all such are wâ—thout that deceives Nations and tells them they are a Church which slayes the Sâ—ints Pâ—ophets and Martyrs the same nature slew Christ and his Aâ—ostles and Abel with their carnall weapons for all are one out of the life and power of God striking at creatures wrestling against flesh and bloud in stead of striking at the power that captivates the creatures to the intent that creatures might come to the liberty of the sons of God now you hâ—ving not continued in the Aposâ—lâ—s faith mind and spirit but Apostatized from them you have all lost the guide and rule as they were in both Protestants and your selves that be out of the life and faith that the Apostles was in that led them to give forth the Scriptures so you have been the wolves in the Sheeps clothing destroying one another about outward things and powers but with the power of God and life of God by them that are in the wisdom of God are you all judged to be out of the Kingdom of peace which is the Kingdom of Christ fighting with carnal weapons hailing to the Goals Inquisitions whips stocks houses of correction faggots fires either Protestants or Papists are you here like the Kingdom of Christ his subjects but like Pharisees Jewes and Cain apostatized from the Apostles lost the faith lost the unity lost the Spirit of God which the Saints was in which led them to give forth the Scriptures in which is the unity which is the bond of peace into which all that is called Christendome must come before they be one and all the names blotted out that is amongst them given to them in the apostacy since the dayes of the Apostles and all their prayers is abomination that be out of that unity and to you that is the word of the Lord and the Quaeries thou hast not answered and your prayers is denyed and your peace also for you have not abided in that which the Apostles and the Saints was in which did oversee the Churches but you are turned strikers which the Apostle saith they should not be so And the Apostle saw the comming in of the man of sin and Christ speaks of Anti-christ and the false Prophets coming in with their signs and lying wonders which if it were possible would deceive the very Elect which John saw was come and went forth from them and bid the Saints keep themselves from Idols for they were them that got up Idols which went forth from the Apostles which Apostles bid the Saints keep to the anointing in them and they need not that any man should teach them but as the same anointing teacheth them which is truth and no lye and even as it had taught them so
they should continue in the Father and in the Son and they that went forth from the Apostles went forth from this and in the Revelations it is declared that all the world went after them who had the lying signes wonders and the miracles and deceived them that dwelt upon the earth and that has been the worship of the beast and this has been since the dayes of the Apostles who said some should depart from the faith which is the shield and so made war against the Saints which was in the faith and over-came them but now the Devill shall be taken and with him the beast and the false Prophets and cast alive into the lake of fire and Babylon the great whore confounded and the Lamb and the Saints shall have the victory and the everlasting Gospel shall be preached to them that dwell upon the face of the earth which is the power of God and strike down all those that has got the words but not the power and reach to the life and immortality that that may come to light through the Gospel which is the power of God and to you that is the word of God The Profession of the Catholique Faith of the last Councell of Roüen holden in the year 1571. according to the Councell of Trent holden the year 1360. which they have taken upon oath and sworn to perform Answ. WHich Faith and profession and Catholique which is held up and performed by an oath a company of swearers which are sworn to perform the Catholique Faith and Profession is got up since the dayes of the Apostles and since the dayes of Jesus Christ in the flesh and separate from them for Christ saith swear not at all though they had sworn in the old time Christ who was the oath of God and the Apostle saith above all things my brethren swear not who was in the covenant of God the oath of God not by heaven nor by earth nor any other oath least ye fall into condemnation so all swearers whatsoever Papists or other that are called Christians are fallen under the condemnation And the Apostles contended for the Faith and was in the Faith till death and true brethren vvhich vvas held up vvithout an oath so all that hold up or perform their Profession of Faith vvith an oath are apostatized from the true Church Faith and Profession from it reprobated and are under condemnation from the Apostles Saints and Christ vvhich vvas never svvorn to perform the Profession of their Church though the first Priest-hood svvore and the Angel and men in strife and Abraham and Solomon and Moses and the Prophets yet Christ the second Priest-hood the covenant of God and the oath of God is that vvhich ends all oâ—ths and denyed svvearing and the Apostlâ—s that vvere in the faith of him denyed swearing and these was of the true Church and pure Religion And though the Angell swore the Angels must bow down to the Son of God that saith Swear not at all who is the end of the Prophets greater then Solomon the end of Moses reigns over the houshold of Jacob and Joseph and before Abraham who said swear not Christ Jesus him by whom all things was made before it was made the Master of the family of Heaven and Earth who is the Author of the true faith which is held without an oath which Author of Faith denies oaths and swearing and ends them and they deny swearing that be in his faith 1. and 2. Prinâ—iples IN N. believe of firme faith and professe all and every of the things contained in the symball of the Faith which the holy Roman Church uses viz. 1 I believe in God the Father all powerful Creator of heaven and of the earth and of all things visible and invisible 2 And in one Lord Jesus Christ the onely Son of God and begotten of the Father before all the worlds God of God Light of Light true God of true God begotten and not made consubstantial with the Father by whom all things have been made who for all men for our salvation is descended from heaven and hath been incarnated by the holy spirit of the Virgin Mary and hath been made man hath been also crucified for us under Pontius Pilate hath suffered and hath been entombed and is risen again the third day according to the Scriptures and is ascended into heaven is set at the right hand of the Father and again shall come in his glory to judge the living and the dead the Kingdome of whom shall have no end Answ. You are not in the true faith of the Son of God nor know him not to be come in the flesh that be swearers and you that be not in the faith of the Son of God you know not God but swearers are under the condemnation and knows not him that was crucified that said swear not at all And knows not him that dyed and rose again and him that is the Light of the world and the Judge of the world Christ Jesus the Saviour by whom all things was made made of a woman born of a Virgin who is one with the Father him ye know not that be out of the faith of him and the Apostles who said Swear not at all whose profession Church Faith and Religion is held up by swearing and oaths with all your stuffe and invented words apostatized from Christ and the Apostles Church profession and faith and Religion under the condemnation and all professions besides upon the earth which is held up by oaths and swearing are under the condemnation in the reprobacy concerning the faith which is in Christ Jesus which gives the victory and is the shield and in which men please God without an oath you cannot please men nor worship without an oath 3 Prin. And in the holy Spirit Lord and quickning power who proceeds from the Father and the Son who with the Father and the Son is worshipped and glorified who hath spoken by the Prophets Ans. You talk of believing in the Spirit that proceeds from the Father and the Son or God that spoke by his Prophets which Christ is the end of the Prophets and you talk of true worship as speaks in spirit and truth which the Devil and enmity is out of you talk of these things who holds up your Church profession and Religion with oaths a company of Apostates from the true faith which the Apostles were in which Christ is the Author of which faith hearing the spirit is received which denies oaths and then in that spirit is God worshipped and the Scripture known given forth from it and the Son and the Father known the Spirit received and the spirit of the Prophets and the end of their words Christ Jesus these are all known by the hearing of faith wherein the spirit is received 4 Prin. And one holy Church Catholique and Apostolique 5 Prin. I confess one baptism for the remission of sins and wait for the resurrection of the dead and for
the life of the world to come 6 Prin. I admit and embrace most firmely the traditions Apostolique and Ecclesiastick and all the other observations and ordinances of the same Church Answ. Your traditions your word Catholique your sprinkling Infants which you call your baptisme does not remit your sins for there is no Scripture for it so Church traditions sprinkling Infants all have got up since the dayes of the Apostles and so the unholy Catholique and Apostolique Church traditions is got up since the dayes of the Apostles and your fruits declare it in the Apostacy from the true Church of the Saints and Apostles and the resurrection Christ you be ignorant of and the power of the world to come that be gone out of the faith that the Apostles were in 7 Prin. I admit also the holy Scripture according to the sense that hath been given by the holy mother Church to the which it appertaineth to judge of the true sense and interpretations of the holy Scripture and shall never take in hand to interpret them then according to the common consent of the Fathers Answ. Your mother which you call the holy Church which gives the sense is the whore from the spirit of God which the Apostles was in and Christ and the Prophets for that is it that knows the Scripture and that was in the Saints that gave it forth and all must have it in them before they know the words again and come into unity with God again of whom they learned that gave it forth and unity with the Scripture and one with another and this both Papists and Protestants are out of the spirit and falling out about the sense of Scripture and your Father and Mother sons which ravened from the spirit of God and so thou and you all teachers from others inventions and your teaching is traditions for Doctrine which are the commands of men but now to the Lord be glory ye are all discovered by his life 8 Prin. More I professe that there is seven truly and properly said Sacraments of the new Law instituted by our Lord Jesus Christ and necessary for the salvation of humane people but not all to every one viz. Baptism Confirmation Eucharist penitence the extream unction the Order and Marriage and that they confirme the grace and that among them the baptisme the confirmation and the order cannot be rejected without sacriledge Answ. In this you have shewed your Apostacy again from the Apostles and Christs doctrine which sayes Go preach the Gospell to all nations baptizing them without any limit and Marriage they that forbid that is the doctrine of Devils which is honourable the Bed undefiled in all And the Apostles doth not call them Sacraments neither Baptisme nor Marriage nor the visiting of the sick nor the Lords Supper Your confirmation and order and your penitence whipping and beating your selves for your sins is your own invention a sacrament of your owne making which the Apostle does not call repentance a sacrament or confessing of sin or sorrowing for sin the nature within should be afflicted and circumcised in the spirit which puts off the body of sin and that brought down and not to strike the creature and beat the creature that is as you wrestle with flesh and blood the power of darknesse causes you to do that which guides you within that strikes at the creature which power of darknesse should be struck at that the creature might come into the liberty of the sons of God 9 Prin. I receive also and admit the Ceremonies of the Church Catholique receive and approve in the administration solemnly of all the abovesaid sacraments 10 Prin. I embrace and receive all and every of the things which hath been defined and declared by the sacred holy Councel of Trent touching the sin originall and the justification 11 Prin. I protest likewise that in the masse is offered to God true proper and propitiatory sacrifice for the living and for the dead and that in the most holy Sacrament of the Eucharist is truly really and substantially the body the blood with the soule and the divinity of our Lord Jesus Christ and that there is made a conversion of all the substance of the bread into the body and of all the substance of the wine into the blood and the which conversion the Church Catholique calls Transubstantiation 12 Prin. I confess also that under one of these one receiveth Jesus Christ all entire and one true sacrament Answ. In these four Principles which ye teach for Doctrine is but your owne traditions and commandements which are learned of one another of men at the Council of Tâ—ent and at your Fathers which is your sin in the apostacy from the Apostles who was not of man nor by man And as concerning Justification ye are ignorant of for where that is known the sin is done away which came by the first Adam And they that believe are passed from death to life And there are some children of believers which is holy yet all by nature children of wrath in the unbelief and your Church is held up by tradition and traditions and vows and oaths which is all in the Apostacy from the spirit where it seems the root of the word protesting is come from your selves who are Apostates and not ftom the Scriptures but you have thrust it in your offering and mass it is but a dead thing it is neither good for the dead nor the living the living do not accept of it but as Cains sacrifice for are not you murtherers and destroyers of one another about Religion sacrifice and traditions as Cain did whom God did not accept his sacrifice And as the Jewes did without the life which gave forth the Scriptures turn against the just and all the Apostates since the dayes of the Apostles which are inwardly ravened from the spirit of God who set up all your lying signes and wonders and traditions and deceive people with them that dwell upon the earth who be from the spirit of God inwardly ravened from it in which spirit God is worshipped which spirit brings to offer living sacrifice And the bread and wine after they have consecrated it which you say is the very body and blood of Christ and soule and it 's divine and that ye call Transubstantiation and he that receives either bread or wine receives Christ Now seeing that this Doctrine and Principle is laid down by you the Council of Trent and tollerated by the great Bishop of Rome the Pope and taught by the Jesuites I shall demand one thing of you out of every Nation and from every Dominion and Island belonging to the Bishop of Rome the Pope Let there come forth a Bishop and a Jesuite and consecrate bread and wine and after consecration and conversion which you call transubstantiation which you say then is the very body blood and soul of Christ which is divine Let that then be set by and kept and let us take of
the same bread and the same wine of the which you have consecrated part and set them both together and let us have a watch over them seven of our side and seven of your side and see if that bread and wine do not corrupt and perish which ye have consecrated as well as the other which is not consecrated and prove not divine and prove not immortall but mortall as the other and if the bread and wine change not its taste then we will say it 's the body of Christ if it do not and ye will not prove deceivers But if it prove bread and wine and loose its taste and alter its property then acknowledg your selves to be deceivers but if it corrupt not but prove the body of Christ then the Protestants may acknowledge they have wronged you and be of your religion but if that prove to be bread and prove to be wine and mortall and not divine then shall you deny all your religion and acknowledge that you have wronged the Protestants and turn to the Truth So if you dare adventure to try your Christ openly and bring him out to the Light and see whether he will stand and whether he will not corrupt for the flesh of Christ which the Scripture speaks of saw no corruption So now if you will take a publique consideration and give a publique meeting after send to any of them in England called Quakers and let there be a publique tryall and his word that comes to passe shall be the true Prophet and his word that doth not shall be the false Prophet which ye are if the bread and wine corrupt and prove not divine and immortall These things have been taught for Doctrines about which there hath been fightings slaying and killing and much blood spilt so that your weapons are but carnall and not spiâ—ituall and there hath beene a great deale of profession of these things and a great denyall Now if you will try them publiquely if they stand you will come off with honour and give over fighting and killing one another about Religion but in patience and meeknesse let it be tryed and this will bring truth to light and honour to God If you dare not come to the light to a publique tryall and ye being so many Nations and Dominions acknowledge your selves to be Apostates and Deceivers and so fall under the truth and let the white horse go over you 13 Prin. I hold most constantly that there is one Purgatory and that the souls that are therein retained are helped by the supplications of the faithful 14 Prin. Likewise that one ought to honour and invoke or pray to the Saints which reigne with Jesus Christ and that they offer to God their supplication for us and that one ought to honour their Reliques Answ. The Scripture speaks of no purgatory and he that believes hath passed from death unto life and shall never dye nor come into condemnation And the wicked shall be turned into hell and all that forget God and death and hell must go into the lake of fire and God who breathed the breath of life into man by which man became a living soul he hath all souls in his hand and the honour which the Scripture speaks of it is owned but the honour which is given to the Saints from that are you apostatized and so your praying to Saints and for the dead is in the purgatory already your souls in the death so your soules are lean who feeds your fleshly minds with similitudes images Crosses Crucifixes old Reliques pieces of cloath or old bones which you call reliques of Saints so are full of dead mens bones a generation of murderers whose souls stands lean and bound and captivated and wants the vertue of the immortall food 15 Prin. I assure most firmely that one ought to have and to hold the Image of Jesus Christ and of the Mother of God alwayes Virgin and of the other Saints and render to them the honour and the veneration which appertains to them 16 Prin. I affirm yet that Jesus Christ hath left in the Church the power of Indulgences and that the use thereof is extreamly healing unto the people christian Answ. The power which ye have set up in your Church which gives the honour to the Image of Mary the Image of Christ and the other Saints that I do believe you that which you should give to Christ you give to Images but this doth but shew and make you manifest to be apostatizâ—d from the Apostles who had the minde of Christ and the image of the Son of God in them so this Church and its power is apostatized from the true Church and its power who are giving honour to the image of Christ Mary and the Saints which was not the work of the Apostles and Mary their saying ever a Virgin had not she children after to Joseph and when they said behold thy mother and thy brethren stand without desiring to speak with thee c. Is this the rise and ground of this word God-father and God-mother when your children are sprinkled Papists and Protestants 17 Prin. I know the holy Church Catholique Apostolique and Romane to be the Mother and Mistris of all the Churches and promise and swear true obedience to the Bishop of Rome successor of St. Peter Prince of the Apostles and Vicar of Jesus Christ Answ. I do believe you your Church as you call it Catholique is the Mistress and hath been the Mother of all Churches false of Babylon and the mother of the harlots from the true Church the Apostles and Saints was in in the Apostacy which hath been held up by the Sword Fires Faggots Inquisitions of the Popes and quite out of the faith of Peter who said render to no man evill for evill but if any man offend you ye will render evill again And for saying Peter was the Prince will ye give Paul the lye who said he came behinde none of the Apostles And Christ said He that would be greatest should be least and that there should be no Lordship exercised amongst them one over another And every man should have but his penny that went into the Vineyard 18 Prin. I receive also and professe without any doubt all other things which have been taught defined and declared by the sacred Canons and Councels universall and principally by the sacred holy Councel of Trent together all things contrary and all the heresies condemned rejected and anathematized by the Church I them condemn reject and anathematize likewise Answ. I do believe you who are bound up in the Apostacy from the true Church of the Apostles to that which your Councell hath set up without doubt but your tryall is not yet come and your selves you do not know as for that because your Councell Pope and Bishop their traditions of their own inventions and profession and Church and all things belonging to it hath been held up by an outward Sword Fires Faggots
and examine themselves if Christ were not in them Know ye not that Jesus Christ is in you except ye be reprobates And all these things are got up since the days of the Apostles Representations Images Crosses and Reliques amongst you that are apostatized frâ—m them that bid the Saints keep from Idols that had a sight of your coming up before their decease which you Papists and Professors hath since reigned and drunk the blood of the Saints and the Saints blood drunk and hath been Satans synagogue and out from the Saints This should be that the word of God might be fulfilled and are fulfilling But now the Lamb and the Saints the Top-stone is over your heads and Christ is come to reign Glory to the highest for ever who kils with the sword which are the words of his mouth conquering and to conquer And the seed is risen and rising in males and females the sons and daughters of men From them that be of the seed which the Beast makes war against The Answer to R.W. his Paper wherein he vindicates the doctrine and practise of the Romane Church so called to be the Church of Christ In the dark night of ignorance when men hath been as in a deep sleep their eyes closed in security a spirit of slumber hath seased upon many Nations the God of this World having blinded their eyes then the ravinous beasts have come out of their dens and hath ranged abroad in the earth seeking to destroy and to devour the sheep of the Lords pasture and to kill them that the shepherd hath fed and to lead them astray as into a great Wildernesse from the fold that they might worry them and destroy them and make a prey upon them and that which Christ prophesied of which Math. hath recorded Chapter the 7. vers. 15. and in the 24. of Math. 9.10 and the 11. the false Prophets the Wolves which should come and devour and to the intent that they may not be so easily descovered by the Sheep they shall come in the sheeps clothing but inwardly are ravining Wolves and these John and Peter and Paul saw come in their dayes and fortold that they should more increase after and should not spare to make havock of the Church of Christ this was long before the general apostacy and they fortold that there should be a departure from the faith and likewise that many should make ship wrack of faith and a good conscience and the spirit spoke expresly that in the latter time some should depart from the Faith and should give head to seducing spirits and doctrines of Devils that should speak lyes in hypocricy forbidding to mary and commanding to abstain from meats which God hath created 1 Tim. 4.1 2 3. and this doctrine of Devills is found in the Church of Rome with many more which hereafter may be mentioned which clearly demonstrates that the Wolves the false Prophets the deceivers the Anti-christs the Seducers them that taught the doctrines oâ— Devils them that were seduced believed this doctrine which was apostatized from the doctrine of Christ and the Apostles here is your beginning here is the corner-stone of your foundation the dead-stones of which your visible Church was made up of which is none of Gods Temple but the synagogue of Satan and a residence for the Devill from whence all these Devillish doctrines have proceeded that hath corrupted all nations hath unsetteled them that they are become like a sea casting out all this mire and dirt swelling raging tossing unstable the Nations are waters tongues languages kindred out of these waters rose the beast with his heads and hornes that hath prevailed and hath over-come the Saints and hath shed their blood and filled them and hath made war against the Lamb and yet doth his followers so that none hath escaped the rage of the beast who had not his mark and upon these waters kinreds tongues Nations and Peoples the whore sits which is none of the Lambs wife and she hath made all drunk with the wine of her fornication so that all Nations have been intoxicated and inflamed and have reeled and staggered and fallen from the faith vvhich stands in the power of God and so being erred from the faith that works by love you have set up another fained faith which works by wrath and envie murther and cruelty witness your bloodly masâ—acring torturing racking tearing rending burning destroying killing and murdering many thousands since the dayes of the Apostles so that your faith is manifest to be reprobate by the fruits you have brought forth before mentioned I challenge all the body of your visible Church so called to prove that ever Christ or his Apostles or the Churches which beleeved and received the everlasting Gospel and were in the faith that wrought by love where they taught or practised any such things as burning kiliing destroying racking them that were Hereticks or there was heresy at Jerusalem among the Jewish Church some that held that their was neither Angel nor Spirit nor resurrection which was heresy and yet their is no mention of burning or killing of such and their was heresy in the primitive times before ever your ruinous heap of visible dead stones were brought together of which now so great a Babell is builded or before you had the name of a Church and yet no mention is made of their burning or racking or killing of them for the faith which wrought by love endured all things in which the Apostle was in the charity that suffered long and endured all things but your fruits have made your reprobate faith manifest unto many blessed be the Lord But now the night is far spent and the day is at hand and is dawned upon many and the Anti-christs is seen and the Deceivers and false Prophets and the Wolves that hath the sheeps clothing the Saints words and now the table of Devills is seen and the doctrine of Devills and they will not be partaked of nor harkened unto as they have been in yeares past for now the heritage of God that hath laid wast is coming to be tilled and the threshing-instrument that hath teeth is put into the hands of the Lambs followers and now wo to the hills they shall be threshed to dust and shall be levelled and wo to the beast his hornes shall be broken which hath risen out of the Sea the Sea shâ—ll be dried up out of which he had his rise and the mother of Harlots shall become desolate and her Flesh burnt with fire and wo to her merchants that have traded by Sea for it will be dried the lamentation is heard which shall speedly come when they shall cry alas alas and wo to the Kings of the earth that have drunk of the whores cup and wo to them that have admired the beast and have said who is able to make war with the beast he is come who is able to make war in righteousness
and hath showed himself and hath put on strength who treads the wine press of the wrath who travels in the greatness of his strength out of whose mouth goes a sharp two-eged Sword which shall dash all to pieces Consuming fire is before him ten thousands of his Saints is vvith him and he in them they go on in his strength Conquering and to Conquer Arme your selves cast up your Batteries come all to the battel of the great day of God and see if you be able to stand against the Lord for he hath manifest his wisdome from above which will confound all your deceit For we esteem no more of your Arguments then straw nor of your devised Fables no more then rotten wood For you are all rounded as with a hoop and measured as with a line your beginning is in the Apostacy your rise in the night of darkness your strength lies in ignorance and your end will be utter darknâ—sse and this shall stand true when your place shall be no more found nor one stone left upon another which shall not be thrown down And now I come to the answer of the substance of thy Arguments and Principles First thou says This is good Catholique Doctrine that a man may have the true faith and yet lead a sinfull life And further that a wicked man and a godly hath true faith and it doth not differ a whit in matter or substance in the godly and ungodly Now to say one hath faith and not the other is against all sence and reason thou saith Answ. I do believe thee that this is thy Catholique doctrine but I cannot call it good for then I should erre like thy selfe for this Doctrine is contrary to the doctrine of the Gospel for true faith is that which the just lives by Hab. 2.4 And that which the just lives by is pure the matter of it by it he is cleansed and the faith of the godly stands in the power of God and that is a pure thing And he that hath the true faith hath the faith of Christ who is truth from whence it comes and it leads out of sin and a sinfull life gives victory over sin This is the victory even your faith By faith the godly stands 2 Cor. 1.24 And by faith the godly walks 2 Cor. 5.7 But on the contrary a wicked mans faith if thou call it faith is called a feigned faith and a dead faith and is centred in him who hath the power of death which is the Dâ—vill and this is another thing for matter and substance and is a distinct thing and by the fruits and effects the true faith is â—nown from the reprobates in the different operations and so this is a devillish doctrine thou hast laid down to wit that they are one in matter for this is contrary to Scripture sense and reason and is an unreasonable position laid downe and â—â—â—firmed from thy unreasonable minde which is erred from the true faith And again the faith of the godly and ungodly differs in effeâ—ts but not in regard of the faith it self thou saith and here is thy confusion manifest and thou saist all the five senses will teach you That a man may be chaste in his minde and yet be angry and he may be temperate and yet want patience Thou that hath no other thing to teach thee but the five Sâ—nses art sensual and knows not the spirit For a man to be chaste and yet angry is a false thing he that is angry and intemperate is not chast but joyned to that which adulterates for these are the Devils conceptions and works they and in whom these are brought forth is not chast but is in Cains way and in Dives way and thou saist if you can conceive this that a man may have true faith and yet want godlinesse of life and conversation thy conception is false For he that is temperate and chaste and lives in that which makes him so wants not charity nor patience for the true faith of Gods elect purges from all sin and that faith is reprobate where ungodlinesse is brought forth and contrariwise thou saith a man may be of an honest and godly conversation and yet want faith utter darknesse is thy dwelling place and thou speaks out of thick darknesse Is there a conversation godly or like God lived in where there is no faith or honesty where there is no faith that 's utterly false for these are the fruits of faith of a lively faith for honesty and a godly conversation is the works which proceeds from a true and living faith as the Scriptures witnesse and these things thou saith thou thought good to commend to consideration Thou that thought these things good cals evill good and good evill and art in blindnesse and I have considered of the things and I never heard of so much blindnesse uttered by one who would seem to be a teacher of others And now I come to that which follows 2 Pâ—â—n That the people or Church of Christ hath been alwayes visible not only in the beginning or in the Apostles dayes But also since the Apostles dayes even untill now and shall be to the end of the world And for this thou saist Christ hath promised that the gates 〈…〉 shall not prevail against it but that he will be with them till 〈◊〉 end of the world and for this end thou saist the Apostle said Ephes. 4. That he hath given some to be Apostles some Evangelists for the worke of the Ministry till we all come to the unity of faith and unto the stature and fulnesse of Christ Answ. The Church of God in the beginning in the Prophets dayes Christs dayes the Apostles dayes and since the Apostles hath always been in God and hath always been invisible as to the eye of the world which could never discern them nor wherein their communion stood with God yet notwithstanding there hath always been men and people who feared God and believed in the invisible God whom the world never knew to be such but always did persecute and they that did persecute have named themselves to be the Church of God Yet notwithstanding all this there hath been in all ages some that hath born a visible testimony against the world that lyes in wickedness and against the false Prophets Seducers Deceivers and Antichrists and these that bore their testimony against all these before mentioned they were in the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ and declared against their Idolatry in all ages and these Christ promised that the gates of hell should not prevail against them And although the gates of Hell did not prevail against their bodies or outward man yet never prevailed against the rock Christ upon which they were builded but hath always been with them in the deepest suffering and greatest ffliâ—ction and hath preserved them faithfull unto death so that they have not denyed his testimony nor the word of his patience for they have not loved their
that is contrary to the Light Then you must know a shame which is to be despised in the sight of all the world in breaking covenants who with them hath made covenants and bound your selves in vowes Therefore come to feel the witnesse of God in you which gives you to feel and see that all the covenants upon earth must be broken that is made from the light the minde that is from it which if you come into the light you will know the marriage of the Lamb your Fast shall cease for God doth not accept your extreams your passions your fast your afflicting your selves for a day while there is prejudice and envy seated among you the man-slâ—yer which shews that you be out of the light and life of the Prophets and of Christ and his Apostles both Magistrates and Ministers and Teachers And the Pope which sits now on high whose arms fingers legs and head is brancht out but with the power of the Lord is compassed and seen the end that he is in and all is but earth and the worshippers but earth and in the earthly things the threshing Instruments must thresh for you lie like a wildernesse for the Lord God of power is coming to plow up and so seed it and that the truth over may passe and Christ in power come to reign who is Law-giver and Judge and to break your wills and bow down your thoughts who will subdue all things to himself Who will reign and to exalt his kingdome whose dread and terror is gone out into the earth All what is done in mans will which he pretends to God he will be judged for it and all your observances and fasts and circumstances and worships who hath required this at your hands saith the Lord Come to truth and singlenesse and innocency then you will see Cain is a vagabond the envious man the man-slayer a murtherer from God a vagabond and fugitive though he built a City And he observed outward things but comes not to witness the spirituall Sacrifice but it shewed that you be in envy and slayes men concerning Religion being another spirit then Christ and the Apostles wherein as iâ— is declared in Scripture with it ye are judged and your reading over prayers cumbers and wearies the just with reading over prayers and praying to names your observing of Images and your earthly Crosses and this keeps you from the life and power of God which is the Crosse of Christ and the Spirit in which you should pray which the Lord knows the mind of G. F. This is to go abroad among the Papists in all the Earth Friend AS thou hast spoke of giving a reason which reason is fathomed and comprehended to be earthly Now there is a reason which flows from the faithful that makes reasonable and that gives dominion over the earthly but this reason is but earthly and stands in the earthly as hereafter will be made appear as thou art brought before the judgement and weighed in the ballance And as for the Church in the days of the Porphet that was in the days of Baal that would not bow to him nor serve him Now it seems there was some that did bow to Baal that had been of the Jewes and remained as in the outward name But those were of the Church that bowed not to Baal to the earthly mark that and those stood in the truth and bowed to the Lord and kissed not Baal and there 's a distinction between the holy kisse and the contrary Now that was invisible that kepâ— them from bowing to Baal and that was invisible that they were gone from viz. these Jews that did bow to Baal As for the seven Churches of Asia that 's agreeable to these words for many got the words of the Church but the Life they fell from Then as for the Church of Rome as for the dissolution of the Roman Catholique Faith which was before Luther and Calvin which is as a dark puddle the smoak of the bottomlesse pit that hath not a foundation but from the foundation Christ fled And Luther and Calvin something there was stirring in them Luther was true in his place but it was but a little but so much as comprehended you and as for their falling from you before Luther and Calvin they were but in your outward Ceremonies For neither you the Church of Rome nor those you beget nor Luther nor Calvin was in the very life that is infallible the Apostles were in and Christ that the Scriptures were given forth from Therefore kill you and slay you that be contrary to you in your Religion and it is the cause of all people running into Sects and heaps upon earth Calvinists and Lutherans because they are not in the Spirit that gave forth the Scriptures that hath been lost among you all since the dayes of the Apostles which is now found among them that are called Quakers whom all the Sects upon earth are against that are got up since the dayes of the Apostles and with the spirit that the Apostles were in you are all fathomed as a span You that are the Church of Rome came to be made up of all these rotten members that fell away from the Apostles before the Apostles deceased that got the forme of godlinesse but denied the power that forbid meats and marriage that minde earthly things So you have been the ancientest Apostates and all that have apostatized from you you call Sectaries which you Apostates was the mother of all And so I tell you you are the most ancient in the form of godlinesse and that have denyed the power as your Gaols and Inquisitions declares your fruits And you lye like a barren field unplowed up but now the plough of the Lord is going the servants of the Lord are driving on the horses which will tear your ground And the publique worship that the Apostles were in who were led by the Spirit of God hath been lost since the dayes of the Apostles amongst you for Christ said false prophets should come that were inwardly ravened that were wolves that had the sheeps cloathing which John saw was come and that the whole world were gone after them and so there you lost the infallible spirit and have held up part of the visible form and run into some inventions of your own making and so is become the Mother of Harlots and have brought them forth that are harlots Now that which Christ said should come which false Prophets John saw was come and the whole world was gone after them they made war with the Saints that kept the testimony of Jesus them that had the forme the sheeps cloathing and were ravened from the spirit and so overcame the Saints then power was given to the beast over all kindreds tongues and nations and all that dwell upon the earth should worship him Then the beast and his names and his images and his mark and horns then the Vials and Thunders should come again to
be poured upon him and his seat So the Author of all these sects and names hath been from you that first ravened from the spirit of God all Sects upon the earth would kill one another about their worship which shews the spirit of the Devil and not the spirit of the Apostles So when the Beast had overcome the Saints and killed them and got power over all Kindreds Tongues and Nations And the woman fled into the wildernesse and the man-childe caught up to God And the Dragon made war with the â—emnant of her seed that kept the commands of God and here by this you may see where the Church hath been And the great Whore which went forth from the Apostles and ravened from the spirit of God yet hath had the sheeps cloathing which all Nations hath drank her cup She hath corrupted the earth and made the Inhabitants of the earth drunk and the Kings of the earth hath committed fornication with her and all nations have drunk her cup of fornication She sits upon the waters and the waters are peoples not a people and the waters are nations where the Whore sits and multitudes and tongues Now mark if Nations be waters and Peoples be waters and Multitude waters and Tongues waters And the earth is corrupted and the Inhabitants of the earth drunke and all nations have drunk the cup of fornication and the Kings of the earth hath committed fornication with her Now where is the Church and the Rock all this time when nations peoples multitudes and tongues are waters and the Inhabitants of the earth drunk and the earth corrupted and all nations have drunk the whores cup And the whore cannot be said to be the heathen for the Whore goes from something and there is the ancient visible Church And the Kings of the earth have committed fornication with her and all nations have drank the cup of fornication and fornication is before you be married And these are them that have drank the blood of the Prophets Saints and Martyrs that have kept the testimony of Jesus But now again the Lamb is brought forth to rule the Nations with a rod of Iron though the Beast and false Prophet and Kings of the earth and the old Dragon make war against the Lamb and the Saints yet the Lamb and the Saints shall get the victory and the everlasting Gospel shall be preached to all nations kindreds tongues and people and life and immortality shall come to light through the Gospel which your old great Grand-father went from in the dayes of the Apostles and so to that that they went from is people now come and coming and the Lambs wife is making her selfe ready and the Saints do sing the Lord God omnipotent reigns and you are all too immoderate spirits you and all other Sects then to be like the Apostles and Christ or to be like the Church of Christ your fallibility and your Idols Inquisitions and Cruelties makes it appear Two Queries being propounded to thee In thy answer to the first Query thou saist That all Churches or meetings of all sorts of men which have not the spirit of God they may erre In thy answer to the second Query thou saist That the Church of Christ or the meetings of those Christians that follow the rule and law of Christ and are always guided by them cannot erre in any truth Reply Your Church the Church of Rome have erred from the spirit of truth and the truth in which there is no errour As instance you have set up Idols and the spirit of truth in the true Church said Keep your selves from Idols as in Johns Epistle And you have made Ministers by men and by the will of man and so gone into your own wills which the Scripture came not by nor which Christs Ministers were not made by and you and all Apostates since are of men and made by men and so you are erred â—rom the spirit of truth that leads into all truth You are erred from the Crosse of Christ the power of God and have set up outward Crosses and falls down to that instead of falling down to the power of God You have erred from the true Image of God the Saints were in and have set up outward Images of wood and stone You have erred from the Saints life and spirit and from the spirits of just men and so from the true Church and so set up the Reliques as pieces of Cloath and old bones So you know after the flesh which the Apostles did not And you are erred from the Rock and falln into the waters as in Revelations And your Idols Pictures and Images have corrupted the earth so you are erred from the true Church and the true Spirit which cryed against Idols in all ages as Moses said in his command to the people and the Apostles Your Church is commanded to make Images and Idols and the Church in Moses time and the Apostles Churches were commanded to keep from them So no true Church you are but apostates but fallible and erred in matter of faith and doctrine and praised be the Lord who hath brought you to the Light And multitudes of instances may be shewed who compares the Church with what the Churches of Christians were in the dayes of the Apostles And thou saist the difficulty is where the Church of Christ is to be found for Papists Lutherans Calvinists Anabaptists Arminians and all schismatical meetings they do claim the title of Christs Church to themselves c. Answ. All these the Roman Church being the mother of the Apostates and all these before-mentioned are started from her her sturdy sons and severall names still in the forme for the light within they are all against and Christ within to reigne and teach and the Law within in the heart and in the mind whereby all comes to know the Lord and the word in the heart and in the mouth to obey and do and the spirit of truth to lead into all truth whereby the Saints have unity one with another and with the Scriptures and with God This the Papâ—sts are run from into Images and Idols and this the Baptists Lutherans and all other Sects are run from into other Images within but with the spirit of truth which leads the Saints into all truth are these comprehended and out of all these sects and sorts are people coming I 'le break your names and marr your Images with the spirit of truth fence your selves never so wisely And so none of these nor you neither are of the true Church but the beast and his names but some of these you calâ— Sâ—cts are neerer the true Church then you for the world who lives in Images and Idols wonder after you who lives in Images and Idols who are apostatized from them keep your selves from Idols As for the Quakers who are risen in the Ancient of dayes in the end of the night of apostacy among whom that's appeared that cannot be shaken
against whom you and all the sects upon eaâ—th appears that are come up since the dayes of the Apostles whom they comprehend and will tread to dust and to powder The seed of God is risen and the top-stone is laid glory to God in tâ—e highest Come out all Sects and Sâ—ctaries to the battel and you are all in the vanity contenders and pretendeders got up since the days of the Apostles the marks are appeared not to be the marks oâ— the Sâ—ints who hath the Fathers name written in their foreheads but you have the mark of the Beast upon you and without the true ground and the true reason of the Apostlâ—s â—re you out of For instâ—nce the true Church taught not to persecute and the true reasonable men that was in the faith for faith gives victory over that nature in particular that would persecute and so doth not lead to kill the Creature for the sake of the nature in it in general And fafth teaches not this Dâ—ctâ—ine but denies it and brings to suffer all things through which mountains are subdued Thou further saist They that are of a wicked life may have a right faith and reproves others that cannot believe it Answ. A wicked man he hath not faith of the elâ—ct of God for faith gives victory over wickednesse and faith purifies and faith makes reasonable and who are of the faith are of Abraham and come out of all these adulterous generations the mystery of Faiâ—h is hâ—ld in a pure conscience Now here you are in the errour you Papists and all Apostates from the Apostles like the Jewes and the Devil that hath a belief but is out of the truth yet may get a belief in the Letter as the Jewes held a belief long in the Letter but kill'd the Son And you have had the Letter and form of godlinesse long but killed the Saints and Martyrs who are reprobated Devils Jewes Apostates Papists from the elect of God for who are of faith â—re of Abraham and who are of Abraham are of the elect of Christ which doth not pertain to Idols And here is the mystery of the Church known the body of Christ which is a top of your flesh and Idols both which is not of the flâ—sh of Abraham nor of the Church All you are but the pretenders of the Spirit of Christ in the apostacy from it since the dayes of the Apostles as your fruits declare your names and Images So I confesse to you it is the ancientest form that hath been since the dayes of the Apostles but had I never known the Papists nor none of these Sectaries we had knowâ— truth We came not through the Popes channels but are come to that which all Apostates ravened from and so you your selves must be put to silence and your mouths stopped which are the evill beasts that tears one another worse then the common beasts which the Apostles speak of which was coming up before his decease How are you learning one another about your meat and husks and worships and images and helps and Teachers and Scriptures which was not the work of them that gave it forth with your horns And how many Images have you upon you and names and marks and what are all these Images and marks but the marks and Images of the beast which is risen since the days of the Apostles Whereas thou Queriest what be all these but sect as Independents Anabaptists and other Sectaries which sayest thou was first of the Church of Rome and thou sâ—yest the Church of Rome cannot be said to be sectaries because it hath been constant since the dayes of the Apostles and all Sectaries springed from it and not you from them Answ. The Roman Church was the first made up of Hereticks Schismaticks and Apostates and Reprobates and Antichrists and false Prophets which Christ said should come Matth. 7. and John said was come and as you may read in Timothy and Titus Reprobate from the faith and erred from the faith and had the form of godlinesse and denyed the power and kept the form and as John said was come and they went after Idols before his decease and he writ to the little children to keep themselves from Idols And Jude saw them crept up before they were aware which went in Corah's Balaams and Cains way that were Murtherers And are not you Murtherers that murther one another as Cain about his sacrifice And Jude saw they turned the grace of God into wantonnesse which should be their teacher and salvation So all these self-separations Apostates Reprobates which went after the doctrine of Devils and forbid meats and marriages and the spirit spoke expresly should depart from the faith and â—ll these have made up the Church of Rome and there 's your visible Church held up by Cains weapons Then as for all these Sectaries springed from you you were like to beget no other children but bastards which is but a false conception brought forth by the will of man which is applyed that God got it and fathers it upon God And as for all these Sects which are sprung of you are like no other wayes but like to a Sea and burst into names which went from the spirit of God you are not like to be kept in unity who ravened from the spirit of God the life of Christ and the Apostles was in and to that which you ravened from are people come and coming which stands a-top of you all They that worship God must worship him in spirit which mortifies all sin and corruptions and they that worship God must worship him in truth in that the Devill abode not in To all the Papists upon the Earth TO come out and try their faith and strength without Cains weapons for there was two that did sacrifice and the one killed the other about the sacrifice and whether of these two was excepted can you read your selves and which was the vagabond It 's said that the Pope and the Church of Rome hath the Key and it 's left to them and ye are the keepers of the Key Now if you be keepers of the Key ye are to open to Nations about you and to render a reason of the hope that is in you if the Lord be sanctified in your hearts you will Are you according to the Scriptures Is the practice of your Church according to the Scriptures Is the spirit of the Lord powred upon you and all flesh Doth your sons and your daughters prophesie And if any thing be revealed to another that sits by you and bids another hold his peace that is speaking for you may all prophesie one by one Or are you not like others and the rest of the Sects that will put them in prison and say they have disturbed you and so shew your selves both Reprobates and Hereticks from the Church and the Spirit that the Apostles were in And can you say Christ is in you male and female Or are you not reprobates and say you
have no such speech among you Catholicks But is without which is your bread and wine and are not all Murtherers Persecutors Prisoners Whippers Burners Inquisitioners Sectaries and Apostates from the Apostles and sacrificers from that nature Cain was in and not from the divine natuâ—e and the faith of the Son of God and the Apostles and Abel Have you the spirit of Christ Is any of the Church but who are of Abraham Is any of the Church of Christ but who are of the flesh of Christ Is any of Faith but who are of Abraham And is not faith a mystâ—ry a perfect gift of God and is not this faith held in a pure conscience And can any ones conscience which is not pure hold this faith of Gods elect wch is the mystery and doth not this faith give victory over the nature in man and woman that doth pâ—rtain to Idols anâ— Images made with mans hands and in the wills of men in Jewes Gentiles Apostates from the Apostles since their dayes come up And doth not the faith give victory over all the Jewes changeable Types Offerings Temples Tythes Priests Covenant Hath the Lord put his law into your minds that you need not say unto your neighbour and writ it in your heart that you need not say unto one another Know the Lord For from the greatest of you to the least of you ye all know the Lord Hath God commanded the light to shine out of darknesse and doth it shine in your hearts And then mark dotâ— that liâ—ht that shines in your heart mark again give you the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ Cor. 2.4 Are you them that doth take heed to the light that shines in the dark place Is the day-star risen in your hearts that Peter speaks of Is the ingrafted word which is able to save the soule felt in you And the hidden man of the heart which is with the Lord a great price Are you them that are no wearers of gold or costly array Are you them that exercise Lordship one over another like unto the Gentiles or are you like unto the Apostles which Christ said it should not be so amongst them Are you like to the Pharisees called of men Mâ—ster laying heavy burdens upon the people and go in long Robes chiefest seats in the assemblies and loves salutations and uppermost rooms at Feasts which Christ said unto his be ye not so And where do you read Mr. Paul Mr. Titus and Mr. Timothy c. Are you the â—rue believers that are ceased from their own works as God did from his Are you come out of the law of works to the law of faith Is your consciences purged from dead works to serve the living God Are you those Children that needs no man to teach you but as the same anâ—inting abides in you and as it doth teach ye shall continue in the Son of God and the father Or are you the Seducers Sects and Hereticks that draws people from the anointing within and so men teachers Are you them that keep your selves from Idols that John speaks of Are you of the seed of the woman that keeps the commands of God Are you the children of the Lord that are taught of him that are farre from oppression Are you ceased from men whose breath is in their nostrils that the Prophet speaks of Are ye them that tremble at the Word of God Are you them that obey the word of faith in your hearts in your mouths and that saith the righteousnesse of faith speaks on this wise you need not say you need not fetch it from above or from beneath but what saith it The word is nigh thee in thy heart and in thy mouth to obey it and do it Is this a sectary or out of sectaries Are ye of them that make images or likenesses of Males and Females things in heaven above and earth beneath and bows down unto them wch corrupts themselves with them and corrupts the earth Are you of them that saith The kingdome of heaven is within you Have you found it in you Or are you like unto the Pharisees gazing for it abroad without you Is God the author of your faith and is it in your hearts and doth it purifie you Are the professors the greater persecutors that hath the form out of the faith out of the life of them that be of the faith and life then the Gentiles whether have been greater in all ages judge ye Have you found the pearl hid in the field Are you the Merchant man that hath made an exchange and purchased it Do you speak only as the Holy Ghost moves you as they that gave forth Scriptures Are you led by the same spirit and power that the Aâ—ostles were Do you speak but as the spirit gives you utterance and are you them that do not quench the spirit Are you them that owns prophesies immediately as the Apostles and Revelation and Inspiration from God as they had Have you heard Gods voyce and Christs voyce immediately from heaven as the Prophets and Aâ—ostles did What is the tree of Knowledge and what is the flaming Sword that keeps the tree of Life And what are the inwardly raveners and what is it they ravened from And what are the false Prophets and Antichrists that have got the sheeps cloathing which Christ said should come and John saw they were come And in the Revelation The world went after them And what is the Sea the Beast rose out of and what is the Beast and what is the second Beast that rose out of the earth and what is the earth he should deceive with his miracles and what are his miracles And all that dwell upon the earth should worship him because of his miracles And what are his names marks horns and heads crowns and images and what is the woman that fled into the wildernesse and what is the Whore that hath corrupted the Earth and what did she whore from which hath made the Inhabitants of the earth drunk And what are these Kings that have committed fornication with her And what is the cup of fornication that all Nations have drunk of And what is mystery-Babylon that reigns over the Kings of the earth and what is the Whore the false Prophets weapons Antichrists the Dragons that fight against the Saints withal And what are the Lambs weapons and the Saints that they fight withal and what Peoples Nations Multitudes Tongues are those that John says are waters that the Whore sits upon and what are those Saints that the Beast overcame and who are they which then the Beast had the power over all Kindreds Tongues and Nations and are not these things got up since the dayes of the Apostles And whether or no the Lamb and the Saints shall not have the victory over them all again and whether or no the Saints must not come to that which they ravened from before they have victory over all that which
are you not in the fornication and set up places for fornication among you and no fornicator or idolater must enter into the kingdome of God For are you not worshipping of Images and do you not trust in them and doth not the Lord say Cursed be all them that trust in graven Images Now the Apostle faith The mystery of iniquity doth already worke and there should be a falling away before the man of sin should be revealed who exalts himselfe above all that is called God or is worshipped and sits in the Temple of God and shews himselfe that he is God The Apostle bid remember that he told these things and that he might be revealed in due time and now he is revealed is not the man of sin a devourer and was the Apostles so and are not you devourers who worships the names of Saints and Images and Reliques and so contrary to John who was not to worship the Angell but God How are you fallen from the truth and from the state of John how are you revealed 2 Thes. 2. And this man of sin whose coming is after the workings of Satan destroying with his power Now have not you a great power and lying signes and wonders have you not your lying signes and great wonders among you and the deceiveableness of unrighteousness who have not believed the truth but are given up to believe the lying signs and wonders so God hath sent strong delusions among you And was it not the Apostles charge to Timothy that he should teach no other Doctrine neither give heed to fables Now are not you run into the fables run into Images and reliques and purgatory and idols beads and jewels and so puts them in your Inquisitions that denies your fables and witnesseth the contrary that which is the sound doctrine so are you not contrary to the sound Church here and given up to them that believe fables 1 Tim. 1. are not your Ministers made of men and by men so gone forth from the power the Apostles was in which was not of man nor by man so no true Ministers And did not the Apostle say in his charge Tim. 3. to prove Ministers and Bishops they might not be brawlers they must not be given to filthy lucre they must not be given to wine they must not be covetous they must not be strikers Are not you strikers killing and slaying in Cains way them that be contrary minded to you so not of the true faith not of the true Church not of the true stockâ— nor of the true Ministry This I have proved by the Apostles separated from them out of their way are not you covetous would you not sell pardons for money are you not ashamed of your christianity to the very heathen about you hath not God here brought the very man of sin to light and revealed him Now the Apostle said The spirit spoke expresly at the latter times some should depart from the faith giving heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of Devils speaking lyes in hypocrisie having their consciences seared with a hot iron forbidding to marry and commanding to abstain from meats Are you not departed from the faith that purifies and the word that sanctifies and so the Church made up of such as the spirit spoke should come that forbids to marry commands to abstain from meats and so your Church made up with the seducing spirits and doctrines of Devils Doth not the fruits declare this to all the Nations about you so are not you gone from the example of the Apostles who bids follow us as you have us for an example both Church and Ministers You have forsaken the example of the Apostle both your Church Ministers The Apostle commanded Timothy to keep his commandement without spot unrebukeable untill the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ And do not your fruits make you manifest that you are fallen into all these things that the Apostle saw should come and the Spirit said should come And moreover the Apostle said If you be dead with Christ from the rudiments of the world as living in the world why are you subject to ordinances And if you be risen with Christ seek those things which are above Set your affections on things that be above and not on things that be on the earth as your Images Reliques Idols Pictures Beads Jewels earthly Crosses Crucifixes are not all these things below and doth not these make up your Church and is not this the voluntary humility that beguiles people Such doth not hold the head which are in the outward shews which are not to be tasted and handled which things perish with the using after the commandements and doctrines oâ— men which shews you are not risen with Christ not seeking the things that are above but your affections are on things on the earth Col. 2. Again the Apostle saith In the last dayes perillous times should come that men should be lovers of themselves blasphemers covetous proud boasters heady traitors high minded despisers of them that are good of this sort are them that creep into houses leading silly women captive laden with divers sins and lusts always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth like Jannes and Jambres which with-stood the faith to keep people in Aegypt keeping people in bondage and spiritual Aegypt having the form but denying the power And hath not the Church been made up of such since the days of the Apostles and evill men seducers should wax worse and worse deceiving and being deceived And the time will come saith the Apostles that they would not endure sound doctrine they heap to themselves teachers that would not endure the truth running into fables Now these things being come up before the Apostles decease of which your Church is is made up of which are turned from the truth that have itching ears and seducers are reprobate concerning the faith that keep to the fables And this to the view of all people may be seen hath made up your Church for these things hath come up since the days of the Apostles which were coming up before their decease and the Apostle speaks to Titus of the unruly talkers whose mouths must be stopped who taught for filthy lucre which were evill beasts slow bellies which followed fables made by the will of men and of these your Church is made up of which to every good work are reprobates being reprobate to the good and disobedient Tit. 1. And the grace of God which brings salvation hath appeared to all men teaching us to live righteously sobâ—rly and godly Are not you run into the worlds lusts and from the soberness and from the grace of God which brings salvation by which people are saved into the foolish questions and strivings about the law unprofitable and vain which are the hereticks which went forth from among the Apostles Tit. 3. and so from the grace by which men are justified Are not you gone into the
lusts and so into the wars that brought forth sin and so death and fighting and wars that hath brought forth among you and so out of that which takes away the occasion of wars and out of the faith that works by love and so in the dead faith which is Cains which will murder and kill them that sacrifices that are contrary to you so are not you stepped into Cains way from the true Church Moreover are not you those that hold the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ with respect of persons and so are transgressors committers of sin who breaks in that point as respecting of persons is guilty of all and drawing before your judgment-seats and killing You great and rich men whose time of weeping and howling is come and so are turned to be the blasphemers your Church is made up of blasphemers respecters of persons transgressors committers of sin convicted by the Law that goes out of Sion Now the fruit of your faith is not the works of charity for you 'l kill and murther like Cain so that faith is without the true works and the true charity but the belief is like the Devils and Cains who is not justified by that faith though you pretend faith and works to people but the â—ruits thereof declares you to be wolves and so erred from the truth Are not you swearers which James saith Above all things my brethren swear not at all lest ye fall into condemnation So are not you the false brethren the false Church the false Ministers fallen into the condemnation contrary to James who taught in the true Church and the true brethren that above all things they should not swear neither by heaven nor by earth nor by any other oath So is not your Church made up of Hereticks apostates that are given to fables and rudiments of the world and things below forbidding meats and marriages and reprobates concerning the true faith and belief which are found in the dead without the works but in the works of Cain and the Devill murtherers doing his works as the Jews did against Christ and the Apostles and Prophets Again the Apostle Peter bids beware of false teachers who said there are false prophets among the people even so there shall be false teachers among you who should bring in the damnable heresies which should bring upon themselves swift destruction even denying the Lord Jesus that bought them which are like to Sodome which are in their filthiness fulness and like unto Core turning away from the truth and Balaam and Cain Now is not Corah's Cains and Balaams marks found among you and hâ—â—h not these made up your Church these which went forth from the Apostles Doth not your Inquisitions your Gaols and dens and persecutions and murthers of the Saints shew Cains marks before mentioned So let Corah's Cains and Balaams marks in your forheads testifiâ— which had the high words and spoke them in hypocrisie and beguiled the unstable souls who are the cursed children and contrary to the Apostles and just Lot and Noah the 8th person Who are the wells without the water trees without the fruit who having escaped the pollutions of the world by whom many is again overcome is brought inâ—o bondage by you so â—râ—th hath been lost troden under your feet who haâ—h born Corah's Cains Balaams image 2 Pet. 2. But your damnation slumbers not for you have denied the Lord in turning from the light which he hath lightned you withal going from the spirit as Cain Core Balaam did And then John wrote to little children said it was the last time whereof Antichrist should come even now there are many Antichrists come into the world whereby we know it is the last time which Christ said should come Matth. 7. And told them again Mat. 24. and said he had told them before concerning false Prophets and Antichrists should come inwardly ravening wolves devourers which John saw should come and went forth from them into the world and in the Revelation The whole world that dwelt upon the earth went after them So these that Christ said should come John saw was come inwardly ravening Wolves false Prophets false Teachers which the world is gone after hath made up your Church which went forth from the Apostles and Christ he said they should come bid them they should not goâ— after them and John who saw they was come bids them keep to the anointing in them They need no man to teach them but as the same anointing teacheth them and as they continue in this they continue in the Son and in the Father And from this are you all gone so that which Christ said should come John saw was come even the Antichrist and the false Prophets and how they should try the spirits that was gone forth into the world Again they should love one another and not as Cain slew his brother Why did he slay him because his sacrifice was accepted his was not Cains was not Now doth not the fruits of your Church shew you to be Cains your love which the Apostle saith not as Cains so are you not apostatized from the true Church the true love into Cains love so no true brethren and your love stands but in the word not in the deed and Iohn saith Little children keep your selves from Idols He saw the false Prophets Antichrists then come wch should run into those things Now here are not you apostatized again from the true Church and run into Idols who profess your selves to be men and teachers and so run in that that John bids the elect keep from 1 John So have proved your selves to be the false Apostles that run after Idols which Christ said should come and the Apostle saw was come that should if it weâ—e possible deceive the very elect with your Idols which the elect before the foundation of the world was made keeps from wch Idols your Church is full of Again Jude saw it crept up before his decease at unawares and he bids the Saints contend for the faith once delivered to them the common salvation So these that crept up in the days of Jude hath made up your Church again and separated themselves from the Apostleâ— sensual not having the spirit speaking the great high swelling words admiring the persons of men for advantage which are as Sodom and Gomorah and Corah offering strange fire you are offering the strange sacrifice who are like clouds winds raging waves of the Sea speaking great swelling words having mens persons in admiration going in the way of Cain Corah Balaam Now the marks of all these are found in your Church and found in your foreheads Cains sword is among you do not you rage do not you fome do not you kill do not you speak the high swelling words But Enochs prophecy is come to passe in ten thousands of his Saints is the Lord come to judgement and to convince you of your ungodly deeds and of
Woman fled into the Wilderness and the man-child caught up to God and the Dragon made war with the seed and the Beast hath power from the Dragon which kills the Saints now where is your Church where hath the true Church been now where is the faith and patience of the Saints He which kills with the sword must be killed with the sword him that hath an ear let him hear the Dragon the Beast out of the Sea out of the Earth these are Scriptures the Beast out of the Earth his miracles his Images now here is your Church apostatized from the Apostles from John from the Woman from the Saints from the man-child caught up to God so the Beast hath had his authority and power that killed the Saints from the Dragon and the man-child caught up to God the Woman fled into the Wilderness and hath had his power and authority over all tongues People and Nations who hath deceived the Nations because of your miracles and yet the tongues your Orthodox men wch you call the original which the Beast hath power over will tell the people that the false Prophets are come but now the 7. Mathew but now is the seven vials coming upon the Beast and his names and them that vvorship him for all these names in the vvhole Christendom is the Beasts names not the Saints but by reproach and now are the Reapers going forth vvith their sickle and are calling people from the vvorship of the Beast and his Image vvho had his seal to deceive them that dvvell upon the Earth the spirits of Devils vvorking miracles vvhich goes forth to the Kings of the Earth in the vvhole Earth to gather them to battel against the great day of the Lord God Almighty and blessed is he that keepeth his garment clean and the great Whore Mistery Babylon sits upon the Beast vvhose povver vvas from the Dragon vvhich all the World should vvorship but vvho hath their names vvritten in the Book of life and so she sits upon the beast in his several colours vvhich all Nations of the earth hath drunk of her cup committed fornication with her there the Woman is called the Church now here is your Church and she sits upon the waters and the waters are People Nations multitudes and tongues and she hath corrupted the Earth and made the inhabitants of the Earth drunk and the Kings of the Earth hath drunk of her cup and committed fornication with her but where hath been your Church all this time when the multitude are waters and Nations and tongues are waters and the Whore hath sat upon them all and the inhabitans of the Earth is drunk and she hath drunk the blood of the Martyrs and the blood of the Prophets and of the Saints now if Prophets blood be drunk and the Saints and Martyrs blood be drunk where is the true Church now and if the Prophets and Saints blood be drunk and the Woman fled into the Wilderness now where hath the true Church been Now again the Lamb and the Saints shall have victory the fall of Babylon shall be known the judgements of the great Whore is come and she shall be rewarded double as she hath rewarded The Beast the false Prophets the Kings of the earth shall make war with the Saints but again the Lamb and the Saints shall get victory who shall kill with the sword slay with the sword which is the words of his mouth the Beast shall be taken with him the false Prophet the old Dragon and be cast alive into the lake of fire Now here was the Lambs weapons and Saints killing and slaying with the sword which is the word of his mouth but their weapons is fire faggot inquisition torturing hanging drawing and quartering about your Religion about your worship that which your faith stands in which is proved to be Cains and not Abels the Keeper of Sheep for the Lamb and the Saints shall have the victory and the holy Prophets shall have power over you whom the beast hath had power over whom you have worshipped and the Whore hath set upon all tongues and kindreds and Nations and the everlasting Gospel shall be preached to them that dwell upon the earth to all tongues people and Nations that dwell upon the earth and so your Church hath been made up of false Prophets inwardly ravening Wolves and the grievous Wolves not sparing the flock and that come in after the Apostles departure that rose up among them that had the Sheeps clothing Math. 7. and 24. Acts 20. And your Church is made up of Hereticks which the Apostle speaks of that served not the Lord Jesus Christ but their own bellies which caused devisions which had the good words and fair speeches which deceived the hearts of the simple Romans 16. And your Church is made up of false Apostles Satans Ministers Satans messengers transforming themselves as the true messengers Ministers and Apostles your Church is made up of such who forbids marriages and meats which the Apostle said should come and so in the Devils doctrines as 1 Timoth. 4. and 2 Corinth 11. and so are not built upon the true foundation of the Prophets and Apostles and Christ Jesus who being past feeling who are gone after the vanities of your own minds like Gentiles into Idols Ephes. 5.4 who are the injurious Persons as Paul was in his first estate before conversion when he persecuted who never after conversion did persecute for then he came into the life and substance of what he professed in words before and so your fruits do shew your Church to be made up of injurious Persons persecuting like Saul not converted and yet you he doting about Law and Gosple which you do not know what you affirm and speak of so your Church many of them through Philosophie and rudements below are held up by the Commandments and doctrines of men and feigned and voluntary humility which is your own and usurped authority Jezabel-like so hath forsaken the command of the Lord Jesus Christ and the true Church who said keep from Idols you have made Idols and Images that can neither hear nor see nor go so your Church is to be confounded which trusteth in Idols and Images so not in the true Church of God and your Church is made up of them that kill the Lord Jesus Christ and kill the Prophets and kills the Saints and so fills up the wrath to the utmost which is to come upon you and your Church is made up of such who for the love of money hath erred from the faith and are covetous and will sell Pardons for money your Church is made up of such who be given to blaspheme and so hath lost the godliness in which the Saints increase but you have cankered the People with your images and pictures idols of things below so out of the sober state in the malice hatefull out of the fruits of the true Church but made up of
have a licence to marry for money as it hath been by them who be of you 75 Where did the Apostles bear about candles for the purification of Mary as you do where was this practice in the Church or how do you as the Church did or believe as the Church believes when you fordid to marry Did not the Church say it was the doctrine of Devils and how do you as the Church did when you forbid the eating of meats when the Church said it was the doctrine of Devils 76 Where did the Apostles consecrate swords and send them to one another to fight with their enemies how do you here believe as the Church believes who said we wrestle not against flesh and blood and their weapons were not carnall but spiritual 77 Where did the Apostles sell Pardons and Indulgences for money who said they were not redeemed with corruptible things and how do you believe as the Church believes when you are redeeming one another with corruptible things 78 How do you forgive one another freely as Christ hath forgiven when by your Pardons Indulgencies and Buls you get great sums of money of poor ignorant people are not you in this the covetous that makes merchandize of the people that Peter saw coming in who has the wages of unrighteousnesse whose reward must be according to your works for every man must receive a reward according to his deeds And the Apostles said they were not redeemed with corruptible things as silver and gold And how are you apostatized from the Apostles doctrine that are selling pardons for silver and gold corruptible how do you here undervalue the blood of Christ which does cleanse from all sin and believe as the Church believes who said By no other name under heaven shall we be saved but by him And how is it that yee have set up another name to pardon the Pope and sell pardons Do not you in this shew and discover you to be in the apostacy from the Apostles and true Church and not to do as they did 79 Where did the Apostles set up Stews amongst them the Christians before their decease give your example but bade them flee fornication and said no unrighteousnesse must enter into the kingdome of God and he that defiled the Temple of God God would destroy And do not you in this set up that which is naught and tollerate that which is wicked 80 Where did ever the Apostles or the Saints say prayers by beads to the Saints or to Saint Mary as you do or compell any so to do or set forth such an order that should be after them Where was any such things practised among the Apostles before their decease that they must say so many prayers numbred by so many beads before they had a pardon 81 Where did the Apostles or Saints run up and down for Reliques or Bones of dead men as you do and why do you gather up the chips of Wood and Stone and dust that flyes from the door that you break open after you have chosen a Pope and keep them as precious Reliques where did ever any of the Saints do such things and has not all these things come up since the dayes of the Apostles amongst you who from them are apostatized The Protestant and Papist are fighting and striving about Works Now because the Apostle said They were justified by faith without the works of the Law And James saith that faith without works is dead And these are the Scriptures they fight about being both Protestant and Papist found out of the faith the Apostle spoke of and are found out of the works of the Law both so neither in the works of the faith nor in the works of the Law nor in seeing the intent of the Apostles Paul and James when they was speaking of justifying by faith without the works of the Law and Faith without the works was dead Now the Apostle when he speaks to the Romans of being justified by the faith without the works of the Law for the Faith in the heart takes away the nature that hath the shadowes and tipes and figures which causeth the obedience of the Law and which the fruits goes from that the Law takes hold upon and through this Faith and by it that 's removed whereby man hath access to God now the Law the works of the Law and the obedience to that made such a provision for a command being according to the Law for the tenth to be offered up for the widdows fatherlesse and Levite that there might not be a begger among them Now who comes into the faith of Christ Jesus in which the Law ends the nature is removed that pertaines to the shadows and figures which the fruits goes from which the occasion of the law comes upon them which the faith purifies and gives power and victory over the world which hath access to God which is justified in the sight of God and pleaseth him Now who are of this Faith are of Abraham over all the Idolatrous Nations Adulterers and Fornicators and all such Now this faith nourisheth and cherisheth and saves which works doth not but follows this and they are wrought in God and such cease from their own as God did from his so if a brother or a sister be naked and destitute of dayly food he feeds him and cloaths him so this Faith is in the Wisedome of God preserver of the Creation which is the Son of Gods Faith and the faith of the Elect but then the Devils faith that believes there is a God and trembles but are out of truth that cloathes not the naked brethren and doth not give them victory and sees them destitute of dayly food and doth not feed them but lets them cry up and down for bread cloaâ—hes about the streets this is like the Papist and Protestant and Sectaries faith and they are not the Preservers of the Creation but out of the living faith and in the dead and when they have done all this cloathed and fed and not a beggar among them it is not by their works that they are saved but by their faith which these works followes which works by love which is a preserver of the creation for it was a great work of the Apostle to bring them to the faith and to be justified by that alone without the deeds of the Law that the seed of God might come up in them the wisdome of the creation with it to be ordered and spread over it for who are of faith are of Abraham Christ according to the flesh was of Abraham so who are of Abraham are of the flesh of Christ Now when many had gotten the faith in a form being justified by it without the deeds of the Law so they which had gotten the form of the law without the life saw not Christ the substance and there rested but when these had gotten the form of being justified without the works and their brothers and their sisters were destitute of dayly food and was naked These were like unto your Christians and Papists that hath the name and talkes of a faith but it is dead therefore so many of their brethren and Sisters goes beging up and down the streets destitute of dayly food for mark they all say they are Christians and that they are baptized into the Church and into the faith and so then they are all Brethren and yet here is their Brethren up and down the streets destitute and naked and yet they will say depart in peace and be you warmed and filled and yet give them not these things which is good for them but may be make houses of correction to whip them and beat them is this like unto Christians that was amongst the Apostles or like unto the Law who had the Tythes for the service that there need not be a begger among them is not this the faith which James rebukes which is dead and all these are the Christians that hath a name but are dead from the life and doth not this dead faith carry you to beleeve that there is a God and a Christ and so the Devil doth that is the murderer and you will murder one another about Religion and faith Church and Profession and Idols and Ministery like the Heathen who will destroy one another about their Images often envied the Jews because they broke down their Images and that Faith which leads to murther the creatures about Religion Ministry and Church the same Faith will noâ— preserve the creation as to cloath the naked feed the hungry Now though the Apostle brought them out of the works of the Law being justified by them into the faith of Christ Jesus who brought them into the wisdome of the creation and the love of the creation the love of God which faith works by which faith God is the Author of it and this faith leads people to be preservers of the Creation feed the hungry and cloath the naked and these be the least things ye can do for these are but things that pertain to this life who are of faith as I said before are of Abraham Christ according to the flesh heirs of salvation of the world that hath no end He that believes hath entered into his rest and ceased from his owne works as God did from his and shall not come into condemnation but is passed from death to life and so loves the brethren And he it is that abides in the house of God for ever the Son of God the Son of God abides in the house for ever Cains faith and Cains sacrifice is now made manifest out of the faith of Abraham and Abel and Gods elect and the Son of God THE END ERRORS PAge 5. l. 20. for mortall r. immortall p. 14. l. 10. for then that r. then you that p. 34. l. 20. for filled r. killed p. 38. l. 20. for did not r did p. 43. l. 19. for for r. forth p. 50. l. 20. for a God r. and God p. 57. l. 33. for learning r. worrying p. 62. l. 27 r. from that p. 65. l. 18. for them r. then p. 82. l. 34. for cut r. out p. 85 l. 28. for our r. your p. 87. l. 10. for that r. what p. 91. l. 21. for toe r. to be
heresies and lying signes which is your crosse who are gone from the power of God which is the cross of Christ who are them which the Spirit spoke of expresly before the Apostles decease that should depart from the faith forbidding eating of meats and marriage which is the Divels doctrin who has given heed to seducing spirits now you may see it is your Mother which you call the Church which is the Mother of Harlots which your Mother harlotted from the true Church the Apostles doctrin for the true Church of the Apostles did never command that men should abstayn from meats or set up a crosse of wood or stone or worship Images or Saints or names or bow down to them but worship God and worship not the Angels Now these things hath been sett up since the dayes of the Apostles in the Apostacy from the true Church which has made war against the Saints and over-come them but now is the Saints and the Lamb come to have victory and now the Lamb and Saints will have victory who is come to reign and the holy Prophets and the Saints shall rejoyce over you sing and rejoyce ye heavens and rejoyce ye Saints and holy Prophets over her That 's your Church which is inwardly ravened from the spirit of God and has reigned over the Kings of the earth and all other that hath had the name of Christianity out of the life of Christ found in your skirts the Lamb will tread you together in the press without the City of the living God the Church which is the Pillar and ground of truth against which the gates of hell cannot prevail though they may fall all on heaps one among another about their worships And we say that your Mother the Church so called hath commanded and laid the foundation of tythes amongst the Protestants and all their observing of Saints dayes holy dayes and you have been them that has taught them to give the names yea to their Schooles Colleges Steeple-houses which were your mass-houses which the Protestants has made their Churches of them you were the first root and layer of the ground and Author of them you and they are all judged with the Spirit which is not Apostacy which was before Apostacy was Pr. I say again that Christ is not without a body and the same body which is in the Sacrament is that which was born of the Virgin Mary which dyed for us and now sitteth at the right hand of God and none other Answ. Heaven is above and earth is beneath there is an earthly body and there is a heavenly body a naturall and a spirituall and if that which was born of the Virgin Mary be your bread after consecration which body saw no corruption though put in the grave Now see if your bread which you call the body of Christ will not corrupt after it lye a while though you have consecrated it then how can you say that is the body of Christ at the right hand of God and outward bread which will corrupt which the body of Christ saw none which was born of the Virgin the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world yet he did not corrupt nor saw no corruption Pr. And to say is Christ to be looked for in the Saints is so profound that he cannot reach the depth of the meaning the Roman Catholiques use no such manner of speech Answ. I do believe you Since the dayes of the Apostles amongst you that are got up in your likenesses and Images that sayes its so profound you cannot reach the meaning of it to ask you whether Christ be in the Saints and amongst the Roman Catholiques you have no such manner of speech I do believe you And so you put him in the Sacrament without you and call the bread and wine his body and blood so this is to prove your selves to be reprobates so are judged by the Apostles doctrine and the Scripture Know you not in your own selves how that Jesus Christ is in you except ye be reprobates Priest The more honour we give to Saints the more honour we give to Christ Indeed to give godly honour to Saints is to commit idolatry Answ. If that you do not give godly honour to the Saints it is ungodly and here in this you have again confounded your selves and that honour which belongs to the Saints is of God and godly and not idolatry but that honour which you give which is not godly is given to such which are not Saints which is idolatry and so that honour which you should give to God you give to Images in kneeling to them and so in that you are as the heathen and are found idolaters which never did any of the Apostles kneel before an Image but you that inwardly ravened from the Spirit of God and so lost the image of God and fallen down to Images Pr. A Crosse a Crucifix or an Image of Christ or any Saint whether they be made of silver stone or wood are according to our doctrine but dead creatures neverthelesse are profitable and honourable memorials of them and do much help our devotion and demonstrate our love and affection to them and they are not Idols but they represent unto us Christ and his Saints Answ. So then they being but dead things and you bowing to dead things is to Idols for bowing to a dead stock or a stone is a bowing to Idols as saith the Prophet and dead images Now you having them as you say to represent unto you Christ and to put you in minde of him and the Saints shews that you have not Christs spirit in you nor him in you nor his mind in you so are reprobates and are none of his for those that have Christ in them and his minde in them need no such representations as to put them in minde of Christ or to fall down before Crosses Crucifixes Images dead things to stir up the love towards Châ—ist which the blood of Christ purgeth the conscience from dead workes and not to bow down to dead Images but thiâ— shews the love of God is not in you Dead things do not stirre up the love of God in people but the faith which works by love this stirs up the love towards Christ who is the Author of it and the Saints to make Images of the Saints and observing of dayes shews that you are not come to just mens spirits which who are need no other thing to put them in mind nor observe dayes for they see over dayes and so in these principles I see ye are reprobates concerning the faith which works by love for the love of God is not in you you are not come to the jâ—st mens spirits so not to the Church of the living God the mind of Christ you have not his spirit ye have not and Christ is not in you and so in the reprobation in the apostacy and are fain to have dead Images and pictures and crosses dead