given to all others believe Not so some say They believe he died for all others they say They believe contrary to that And thus the one Faith which the Apostles had the Christians of this Generation have lost and they have lost the one Head Christ and have many Heads every Sect hath their Head Many Heads among the Protestants many Heads among the Papists but thus it was not in the beginning of Christianity therefore you Christians are subverted from the true Life of Christ. The Christians then were of one Faith but now of many The Christians then had one Head Christ but now the Christians so call'd have many Heads The Christians then could lay down their lives one for another and were written in the Hearts of one another by the Spirit of the Living God but the Christians now are in Envy one towards another and in Strife one with another the Great Men do oppress the Poor and they go to Law one with another for Earthly things and one Stealing from another and one Hanging another and Murdering one another and making Slaves one of another and Robbing one another and seeking utterly to destroy one another and yet such have the Name of Christians amongst whom all this is acted But consider How woful is your Fall and how wicked is your Degeneration from the Life of God and from the true Christian Life and Unity which was amongst them in their Beginning Then they were of one Heart and of one Way but now divided and in Strife and Contention about Religion and the Worship of God and also about Earthly things for which they destroy one another and seek so to do Then they could lay down their lives one for another but now they are taking the life one from another through wickedness a woful Apostacy and great night of darkness is upon you then none among them had lack of any thing nor none destroy'd through wasting any thing upon their Lusts but now Thousands perish for want while others have too much and are destroying it upon their Lusts Then had the Christians one Head Christ but now the Beast reigns that hath many Heads Then they were of one Faith but now the Christians profess many Faiths Then the Christians handled saw heard and felt of the Word of Life in them and they had Fellowship with the Father and with the Son but now Thousands of Thousands of Christians are without the sence and feeling and knowledge of the Word of Life in them and walk in Darkness and in Ignorance and have no Fellowship with the Father nor with the Son Behold behold ye Christians how ye are fallen and how great is your Fall A Mourning and Lamentation may be taken up for you The Garment of Righteousness is rent from you and the Beauty of the Son of God appears not upon you Alas alas What doth it advantage you to have the Name of Christians seeing you are thus wofully degenerate from that Love Unity and Life in the Fellowship of God which was among the Apostles who were the first Christians and from whom ye derived the Name but are without the Life as hereby is manifest to the World Again Herein doth the Apostacy of the Christians appear in respect of Holiness and Purity of Life for The Christians were of a holy Life and Conversation the Apostle said 1 Thes. 4. 7. God hath not called them unto Uncleanness but unto Holiness And as you may read Tit. 2. The aged Man were to be Sober Grave Temperate Sound in the Faith in Charity in Patience and the aged Women likewise their Behaviour was to be as became Holiness and the young Women were to be Discreet and Chaste and young Men were to be Sober minded and Servants were to be Obedient to their Masters and to shew good Fidelity For saith the Apostle unto the Christians The Grace of God had appeared teaching them to live Soberly Righteously and Godly in this present World for that end was Christ given that he might redeem them from all Iniquity and purifie unto himself a peculiar People zealous of Good Works Now here in short is a true Description of the true Christian Life and Conversation which was exhorted to and no doubt but practiced by the Christians in the dayes when Christ was manifest amongst them but from this Practice are the Christians degenerated For How are the aged Men and Women now given to Covetousness and Earthly-mindedness and are Peevish and Perverse and Immoderate and in the Works that are Evil shewing that they are not in the Apostles Doctrine and not in the Christian Life but to it are become dead bringing forth Fruits contrary to the Fruits that the aged Men and Women brought forth in the beginning of Christianity shewing they are not of a holy Life and Conversation as the Christians were and ought to be And also how are the young Men and the young Women degenerated from the true Christian Life and now are given to Wantonness and Pleasures of the World and the Lusts which are evil following Vanity and Pride and Vain-Glory And Masters and Servants being corrupt in their places serving themselves one of another and making a Prey one upon another And thus all sorts of Christians are fallen from the Christian Life and Holy Conversation and shew that they own not the Grace of God which hath appeared to all men to be their Teacher as the true Christians once did For it is manifest That the Christians now so called have not deny'd all Ungodliness and Worldly Lusts neither do live Soberly Righteously and Godly in this present World as the Christians did but on the contrary How are ye Christians fallen from the pure and Holy Life abounding in Wickedness and in all Ungodliness How doth Pride abound among Christians How doth Lying Swearing Drunkenness and Whoredom and all the works of the Flesh abound Dissimulation Back-biting Envy Wrath and all that ever can be called Evil is abounding amongst ye Christians so called This shews that your Apostacy is great from that Life and Conversation which the Apostles and Churches of Christians were in who had denied all Ungodliness and worldly Lusts but generally ye live in all Ungodliness and worldly Lust judge ye of this Backsliding into which ye are faln they were taught to live soberly righteously and godly in this present World but ye live unrighteously and ungodly and out of the Fear of God and the Grace of God is not your Teacher as it was theirs Also you may read how much the Apostles exhorted the Christians to a holy Life and Conversation the Apostle said 1 Cor. 3. 17. The Temple of God is holy which Temple ye are speaking to the Christians And he said Eph. 1. 4. They were chosen in Christ that they should be Holy and without Blame before him in Love And Col. 1. 22. They that had been sometimes Enemies to God in their minds were reconciled to present them Holy and Unblâ—meable in
heady and high-minded men and covetous and Proud and went in the way of Balaam for Gifts and Rewards and that through Covetousness with feigned words made Merchandize of Souls And are not you like them that Iohn saw were coming in in his dayes That went out from them and that went into the world that were of the world and spoke of the world and the world heard them and which the World went after and are not you of them that have deceived the whole World that hath been of the Whore that hath caused all Nations to drink her Cup and of them that have made War against the Saints and against the Lamb of that stock of the false Prophets that wrought Miracles in the sight of the Beast and the World wonders after the Beast and the Beast hath carried the Whore and he hath compelled and caused all to worship him and the Whore caused all to drink of the Cup of her Fornication Are not these things so may not the Witness of God in all mens Consciences truly answer hereunto and condemn you to be such as were the false Prophets and the Hirelings and the Deceivers against whom the Prophets Christ and the Apostles gave witness Yea it is manifest that you are in the same way and of the same Generation and that you follow the same spirit because you shew forth the same works And are not you like the Papists and the Iesuits was it not by the Authority of the Pope of Rome that your very way of making Ministers was ordained at Schools and Colledges and was it not the Papists and in their dayes that the general part of your Church-Discipline and Government the Call of your Ministers and Practise of them and Maintenance of them was it not first set up by the Papists Was not this way of Tythes first established by the Church of Rome and do not you follow the Papists herein in receiving Tythes and Gleab-lands and Easter-Reckonings and Midsummer-Dues which you hold up and would destroy them that will not give you such things and therefore are not you like the Papists and Jesuits yea we know that the Church of England is but newly come out of the Womb of Popery and hath the Symptoms thereof upon her at this very day in many things yea the Testimony of God in all people may witness hereunto And so it is the very trick of the Whore to cry out against others and to charge others with that which she is guilty of her self but now it will not cover them to slander others that themselves may seem clear for the Lord is opening peoples Hearts and giving them a Spirit to discern all things And whereas the Author speaks against the Quakers for crying against Cuffs Caps and for using Thee and Thou and for crying against Pulpits and Hour-Glasses and for such things and for owning Revelation and for holding the free Grace of God to be given unto all and because of Trembling and Quaking and saying Our Writings are given forth by the same infallible Spirit that the Scriptures were given out by and for crying down the Ministers Maintenance and for calling some of them Vipers and Serpents To all this I answer It is your Generation that makes a great noise about thee and thou and Cuffs and Caps for we in plainness and simplicity do speak the proper Language thee and thou to a single Person and it is the proud and exalted Minds of Men that are offended hereat which Pride and Arrogancy hath eaten out the very Sincerity and the property of Speech also and you are offended at us because of it and for crying against your Cuffs and Boot-hose-tops and Ribbands and Points we cry against all these things as not becoming the Ministers of Christ but as being of the World in the Pride and Vanity and Superfluity abusing the Creation which the Lord will judge among you And as for having an hour-Glass and preaching thereby and as for your carnal Bells which you call people by we do disown these things and say They are old popish inventions for the Ministers of Christ never limitted their spirits to an hour-Glass neither had they a carnal Bell to call people to their Worship and as for Revelation we do own that the Spirit of God doth reveal Truth to us and God hath revealed Christ in us and none ever shall know God but by Revelation For none knows the Father but the Son and he to whom the Son will reveal him And as for Free Grace we say The Grace of God hath appeared to all men and it teacheth the Saints to deny Ungodliness but the Wicked turns it into wantonness and doth dispite unto the Spirit of Grace and we also say That who now speaks or are moved to write forth by the Spirit of God they speak and write by the same Spirit that is infallible that the Scriptures were given forth by And as for your Maintenance it is altogether Abominable and Oppression to the Nation and the Lord is against it your taking Peoples Goods and casting them into Prison that will not pay you Wages and give you Tythes against their Consciences And be not offended at being called Vipers and Serpents for these are the Works of venemous Vipers and stinging Serpents which persecute the Servants of God and cryes to the Magistrates for help against a poor People that useth no Weapons at all against you saving that of the Spirit of God and though we do thus to you to the false Ministers to cry against them and give our witness against them in the Name of the Lord yet we do not deny the true Ministers of Christ nor speak any thing against them which are the true Ministers that have received the Ministry of Righteousness by the Gift of the holy Spirit which all that are true Ministers do receive their Ministry thereby And whereas thou sayest we are bitter Enemies to the Doctrine of Iustification and agree with the Cavelierish Party and would silence godly Ministers and are Iâ—suitical and such like things thou falsly chargeth upon us and that we have a not able faculty to delude ignorant unstable Souls c. Answ. These are but the Author's Reproaches and his Slanders he hath filled his Mouth with against the Innocent and he hath set his Tongue on the Fire of Hell to slander the â—ust and the Innocent and all these things we bear in patience counting Reproaches for Christ our chiefest Riches and thus to the substance of this Paper I have given an answer whereby all that love the Lord and desire to be informed in the Truth may receive satisfaction for it is seen that that Generation of Priests are joyned with the prelatical Cavelierish Party and this is known at large in the Nation in the North especially and so as I said they would fain slander others that themselves might seem clear but the Lord will rebuke him and his lying Tongue and the Innocent shall be delivered
practised among the Papists we have no Command or Example for it in all the Scriptures only the Apostle exhorted to confess your faults one to another but no mention of distinction of persons as if there was an Order of men among the Saints Ordained for Confession to be made unto as is among the Papists practised But such kind of Inventions are among them and all that gain-say them in their Wayes must be burned as Hereticks and this is the way that the Papists do uphold their Religion not by sound Arguments and by the Spirit and Power of God but by killing such as will not Believe and Practise as they do Doct. 6. That it is not necessary or profitable to have any Church or Chappel to pray or perform Divine Service in Opposed by the Papists as a great Error Answ. As for the Church it is in God 1 Thes. 1. and the Body of Christ is the Church Ephes. 1. 23. the Saints of Christ that have Believed in the Church of Christ for the Church was in Aquilla's House as may be read and in this Church of Christ wheresoever come together is the Divine Holy Acceptable Service of God performed in the Spirit and in the Truth And as for Houses of Wood and Stone builded and called Churches and Chappels which Papists have builded to perform their Service in these are Idolatrous Places and not true Churches God dwells not in Temples made with Hands as it is written And though a man affirm That God may be worshipped and served as well in any Place as in your Churches and Chappels and that such Places are not necessary but God may be served in other Places This is no Error deserving Fire and Faggot as the Papists do affirm and Practice Doctrines 7. and 8. That burying in the Church-Yard is unprofitable and vain That Holy Dayes Instituted by the Church are not to be observed and kept in reverence in as much as all Dayes are alike Opposed by the Papists as Errors Answ. There is no respect of Places with God neither are the Dead more or less acceptable to him notwithstanding the Place of Burial whether it be on the Land or cast into the Sea if occasion so happen as some times it doth The Patriarchs of old had Places appointed and purchased for Burial of their Dead as it is at this day among the Lord's People but that the Church-yard so called is more Holy than another Place as the Papists do account This we believe not nor can it be proved to us by Scripture or sound Reason And as for Holy Dayes instituted and observed is but a meer Invention of the Romish Church without any ground from the Apostles and it is no sin against God not to observe them and all dayes are as to God alike holy in His sight without respect of one or another And for the Papists to invent Practices without Example in the Scriptures as Religious and then to impose them by force upon all People and to kill and burn such as Hereticks as cannot conform thereunto How Impious Oppressive and Antichristian this manner of work is let all sober People judge And this is but a mocking of God for the Papists to profess Holy Dayes and with a pretence of God's Worship to observe them as Holy when as more Rudeness Drunkenness Wantonness and Ungodliness is usually committed that Day which they profess to keep Holy than is on the other dayes beside And this is manifest to all People that thus the Papists do mock God in their exercise of keeping Holy Dayes Doctrines 9. and 10. That it is sufficient to Believe though a man do no good Works at all That no Humane Lawt or Constitutions do oblige a Christian Opposed by the Papists as Errors Answ. It is sufficient to believe in Iesus Christ and that Believing is a good Work and if a man truly believes he cannot but bring forth by that Faith good Works and it is impossible for a true Believer in Christ but to do good Works if a Man do no good Works he is not a Believer For Faith without Works is dead and that is no true Belief which is without good Works and a Christian one that is truly so is obliged and bound by the Law of God To do all Good and to forsake all Evil and the Laws of men they are subject to them all for Conscience sake by performing them or suffering under them And as for Humane Inventions of the Papists which they bind on the Consciences of Men upon loss of Life or Estate or Damnation These things we say do not oblige the Conscience nor any Laws or Constitutions of men do oblige Christians to Obedience which are not truly grounded upon the Law of God Doct. 11. That God never gave Grace or Knowledge to a great Person or Rich Man and that they in no wise follow the same Answ. This is a false Doctrine for God gave Grace to all The Grace of God which brings Salvation hath appeared unto all men as it is written which Grace teacheth the Saints to deny all Ungodliness and the Wicked turn the Grace of God into Wantonness but the true Knowledge of God is given but to a few and not many Wise men after the flesh are called but God chooseth the Poor and Contemptible as saith Paul to confound the Wise and Mighty of this World and yet God gives Knowledge to Rich and Poor without respect of Persons as it pleaseth Him Doct. 12. That any Lay-man may preach by his own Authority without Licence of the Ordinary Opposed by the Papists as a great Error Answ. All in the true Church and that are of the Church may Prophesie and Speak in the Church one by one as Paul saith without distinction of Titles such as the Papists use Clergy and Lay-men and such like Terms of their own Inventions without Example from the Churches of Christ in the Apostles dayes for the Apostle saith If any thing be revealed to another that standeth by let the first hold his Peace for ye may all Prophesie one by one that all may be edified And again Peter saith As every man hath received of the Gift of the Spirit let him administer the same one to another Thus it is manifest by the Scriptures That every Member of the true Church of Christ may Preach by the Authority of the Spirit of God as that moveth and leadeth and this was the Example of the holy men of God declared in Scriptures Elisha that was a Plow-man and Amos that was a Herds-man and Peter that was a Fisher-man these and such as these whom the Papists would have called Lay-men did Preach and Teach without any Licence from men but as the Lord Commanded them who said Ier. 23. He that hath my Word let him speak my Word faithfully and this without respect of Persons and without distinction of Names of Lay-men or otherwise though contrary to this the Papists would limit the Holy
and walks in darkness ignorance and blindness as you do turning the Grace of God into wantonness which same Grace is the Saints Teacher this is the free Grace of God which hath appeared to all men which in all Generations taught the Saints to deny ungodiness and worldly lusts and led them into purity and holiness This Grace do we witness praised praised be the Lord to be led by it which ever was the Saints Leader and through the teaching of this Grace do we deny your Hireling and all such Pharisees and Hypocrites who makes a prey upon the poor people and if you stop not into their mouths they even prepare War against you as the false Prophets of Israel did and daily are we taught by it in the Wayes of God to do his service praised be the only Lord of Glory for ever more who hath gathered us up to himself to be taught alone by his Grace out of the mouth of your Hireling who once made a prey upon us but Eternal Praise and Glory to our God who in his Light hath discovered unto us his nakedness and his shame his hypocrisie and deceit in the Eternal Light of God do we see him and all such to be blind Guides and leads the poor blind people in darkness and ignorance and none is able to come to the true Knowledg of the Eternal Truth in his Ministry for he is no Minister of God but an Antichrist denying Christ to be come in the flesh denying the Light to have enlightened every one as several times he hath done to me but my Father who is Light and Glory hath now made him manifest And in that Light Christ Jesus do I see him to be one who hath run whom God hath not sent therefore doth he not profit you at all nor puts no difference between the precious and the vile in you nor leads you to discern the clean from the unclean the pure from the impure in you but speaks the Divination of his own brain feeding your dark minds and from the Eternal Light made manifest in me from God the Father who is over all and above all do I declare against him and against all Hirelings and greedy dumb Dogs that seeks for their gain from their Quarter as he doth fâ—â—ely do I declare as knowing them to be Deceivers and blind Guids For the simple ones sake among you who are insnared and kept in ignorance by him under his dead dry barren sloathful Ministry Repent ye people who lies in the Captivity of Babylon under your Bahylonish Merchant now is the Lord leading his Sons and Daughters out of Egypt out of bondage and now he that hath led Captive is led into Captivity praised and honoured be the God of Saints for evermore who hath redeemed us out of the mouth of your Idol-shepherd who feeds himself with the fat and who hath enlightened our dead Consciences and hath shined in our hearts in his Eternal Light and of this have I received freely and from this do I let forth freely to the laying open the deceits of your Hireling Now is the Day of your visitation wherein the Saviour of the World stands at the door and knocketh if any open unto him he will come in therefore prize your time and hear the Word of the Lord and lay aside the works of darkness Lying and Swearing Mocking and Scorning and beating of your fellow Servants Wo unto you ye Strikers who hardens your hearts against the Lord and against those who declare to you the wickedness of your wayes the Lord will come when you are not aware and give you your Portion with Hypocrites and Unbeleevers and cast you into utter darkness Repent and turn to the Lord your God with mourning and lamentation and cease from all your former wayes and doings cease from Coveteousness and Opression ye aged people and cease from Lightness Vanity and Pride ye young people and from all your Priests and Steeple-houses for there your Lightness Pride and Vain minds are fed and nourished and the enemies of the Lord are strengthened Dear people there had I once fellowship with you in your Pride Lightness and Vanity and there was once my joy and delight but now am I chosen by the Lord out of all these things praised be him for ever to serve the Lord in declaring against all these abominations in whom they are standing For wo unto the proud and light vain minds who are tripping upon the mountains and whose hearts are not subject to the Lord against all these abominations do I Declare as from the Lord and do advise you as from him to depart out of these abominations for the day is coming when you must be separated from all your lovers a day of darkness and misery therefore prize your time and hearken unto the Light of God within you which reproves you for your filthy and ungodly deeds and words this Light will lead you to God out of all filthiness obeying it this will separate the clean from the unclean in you and will lead you to be taught of God and to have unity with God and with the Saints for it was in the Light that the Saints had unity this Light will lead you out of your hypocritical and deceitful carnal Worships to Worship in Spirit and Truth this Light will lead you to the true Baptism out of your deceitful imitation of a Baptism which your Hireling upholds among you this Light will lead you to the true Church in God out of your formal imagined Church and to the true Communion of Saints and true Singing to God out of your Heathenish Communion and Singing Therefore all ye people mind the Light for the Light hath enlightened every one which is the Saviour and Reedemer of him that loveth it and bringeth his deeds to it but is the Condemnation of him that hateth it and walks not in it therefore all people mind this Light which is of God this will lead you up to God this is the way to the Father and none comes to the Father but by me said he who was and is the Light this Light loving it and walking in it will free you from all the burdens which the Pharisee layes upon you and from all the taxes of Pharaoh's Tax-masters and will lead you into the Mysteries of the Kingdom of God to know him who is invisible and is present every where yet hidden from all dark minds who lives in the imaginations and imitations as you and your Hireling doth If you love this Light and walk in this Light it will bring you to be witnesses of the Scripture and of the Saints Conditions which you are but talkers of this is the Light from which they spoke that spoke the truth of God and from this Light did Isaiah cry who lived in the obedience of it against the greedy dumb dogs that sought for their gain from
in that nature which is to be famished and glories in what hath been done by it as though it had not received power from the Lord and is exalted as though it bare the Root not knowing that it is born of the Root and that spirit spends its Treasure which it received in the Fathers house amongst Harlots and despises the poor and seeks occasion to glory over the weak that it may be renowned beware of that spirit I charge you all for it is not of the Father nor to be followed but to be condemned and resisted unto death Again believe not that spirit neither follow it which preacheth not from the measure of God received and to be manifest to it in you and approved by it only but speaks above the measure and reaches not to the measure of the Grace of God that spirit leads after words and outward shews and cries peace to the Rich and judgment to the Poor and the Word of God is not divided aright but heals up falsly and daubs with untempered morter and cries peace where God speaks war and cries war where God speaks peace and that Spirit is a Deceiver and a Betrayer and feeds but the Ear and not the Life and darkens the Counsel of God by words without knowledge and is not of the Father but of the World and to be denied and condemned Again Believe not that spirit neither follow it which is not subject to rule and order and is not meck and diligent and long suffering but heady and high and untoward seeking occasions against the Just and Watcheth for evil that spirit will not bear reproof but is idle sloathfull and careless and surmising evil and backbiting and conforms in appearance making a fair shew but is not unto God as appearing unto man and that would go and is not called and will not go when it is called and seeks for the praise of men more then God and that is fruitless ground and brings forth Bryars and Thorns in secret which choaks the Seed of God beware of that spirit it is a Lover of this World have no fellowship with it for it is not of the Father but a Deceiver and is to be a denied Again Believe not that spirit neither follow it which is tossed and unsetled and is given to change and is not established with Grace that is an Adulterer and hunâ—s for the precious Life and seeks by flattery to beguile the Innocent that spirit is zealous for a moment but is soon overcome and is stony ground and brings not forth fruit to perfection but withers and its latter end is worse then the beginning That spirit is exalted into presumption in peace and cast into desperation in trouble and the double minde lodgeth in it and it is unstable in all its wayes and is a ground for the Seed of Satan and to it there is no peace from God and beware of that spirit for it is not of the Father but to be condemned Again Believe not that Spirit neither follow it which is more zealous then knowing whose zeal is without true knowledge and stands in that which is corrupted that flourisheth for a moment but cannot endure for ever it hath no root in it self but is furious and passionate and not long-suffering that spirit knows not its self but would devour its Adversaries with bitterness and not gain by long-suffering that is not the spirit of the Father but must be denied in all Again Believe not that spirit which draws back into the World into its lusts and liberty and fashions which passe away that spirit forgets God and draws back for his Soul hath no pleasure in it but is vexed with it where the Cross is made of none effect and the false liberty is walked in which murders the Life that spirit is of the Devil and is to be condemned And now all Friends of God every where who knows him and are known of him whom he hath gathered out of this untoward Generation be diligent in your Callings and keep your Meetings in faithfulness waiting upon the Lord that you all may receive of his fulness to be filled with it and may be nourished up unto himself as trees of righteousness the planting of his own right hand to spread forth his Name and Glory as a people saved by him and to whoâ— there is none like besides And this know and understand that spirit is not of the Father which confesseth not the Son to be come in the Flesh who destroys the works of the Devil and takes away sin and that Spirit believe and follow whiâ—â— condemns sin and destroys it and takes it away and so gives peace with God iâ— your own Consciences and leads you into all Truth and keeps you from all evil and you that witness this the Son you know and the Father you know to dwell with you and in you and this is the first and the last believe in him and follow him and look not for any other and in this the Father of Life and Glory whose Dominion is without beginning and end establish you and preserve you Amen and Amen I a beloved Brother and a Companion unto all the Saints in suffering and in rejoyciâ—â— who have received this Testimony from the Father do with it in this Epistle salute tâ—â— whole Church in the Love of the Father as moved of him by his Eternal Spirit whiâ—â— beareth witness to me that we are of God and the whole World lieth in wickedness 〈◊〉 that all that are of God heareth us And this Testimony I give of the Father 〈◊〉 of the Son and of the Truth and of the Salvation of which I am made a Witness and against all that ever shall deny it or turn from it And this is thus far the 〈◊〉 of my Testimony by the Spirit of the Father not knowing when the time comes it 〈◊〉 be finished and the night may come when no man can work E. B. To all that suffer for the Testimony of Iesus and foâ— his Name sake THe glorious God of Truth hath appeared and made known his Way aâ—â— Truth perfectly in this our day and hath chosen unto himself faithfâ—… Witnesses to testifie of his Name and of his Truth before Rulers and People and hath brought forth a Seed which is not of this World which cannot boâ— to the Devil but is Heir of Gods Inheritance though a Sufferrer in this World under the Powers thereof and many in this Generation who are called and faithfull and chosen bear witness unto the Name of the Lord in Sufferings and Tribulations whom he will honour because they honour him who is exalting his Truth and his People through Sufferings And now all Friends who are called to suffer for the Testimony of Jesus and foâ— the exercise of a pure Conscience which you hold be valiant for the Truth upon Earth and faint not but finish your Testimony with joy for the Lord aâ—â— against all your Enemies and look
Letter and no Rule of faith and so do we The Papist cryâ—… down our Church and Ministers saith he The Iesuits cryes up free-will and sufficieâ—â— Grace to all and a common sufficient Light to all and so do we saith he The Papiâ—â— extenuate imputed righteousness in setting up inherent righteousness and the Papist plâ—…e most in external abstenances and observances and so do we saith he c. To all this I answer what is truth we hold and maintain in the power of God and may not deny it though the Papists may hold the same in words which seldom they do for we hold the truth for the truths sake and dare not deny the truth though the Devil confess it in words but he hath falsly compared us with the Papists and Jesuites for we do not hold free-will in the creature neither do we extenuate imputed righteousness neither do we place most in external â—bstenances and observances herein Richard Baxter hath belyed us But whâ—… I should measure him by his own rule and should say that the Jesuites and â—…yars are his Leaders Why because the Papists say Christ was born of Mary and did many Miracles and dyed being Crucified of the Iew and was buryed and rose again and so doth Richard Baxter say and all the Presâ—…t â—…ians in England and therefore may we conjecture they do buâ—…sts or open Infidels as he saith concerning us But furâ—… sprinkling Infants is baptizing into the faith of Châ—… be free from sin while they are upon Earth and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 agaâ—… error and thus doth Richard Baxter and his â—…ny and therefore by his own Arguments he may be judged that the Jesuitâ—…s and â—…yars are 〈◊〉 Leaders and that he prepares people to be Papists but I will not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 uncharâ—… 〈◊〉 judge him so by this rule as he hath falsly done us though 〈◊〉 do know in the Light of God there is a greater concurrence in Doctrine and â—…cticeâ—…sation between many of our Accusers and the Papists then there is between Papists and us and the Light of Christ in all Consciences shall answer me in the day of Gods righteous Judgements and the Papists and him we do deny and see them to be of one spirit though differing in appearances and what we are it is by Grace and not of our selves and what we do it is through Christ and not by our selves and to God we appeal for judgement and tramples upon all mens vain conceiving false judgements Lyes and Slanders and turns them back to them again where they were hatched 11. His eleventh Reason He saith Our Doctrine are self-contradictory and therefore they cannot be of God c. Ans. To this I answer This is false our Doctrines do agree in one and are not self-contradictory though falsly he may judge of this as he may judge of other things if he had been in Christs time likely he would have judged his words self-contradictory who said Except you eat my Flesh and drink my Blood you have no Life in you and yet at the same instant of time said The Flesh profiteth nothing with many other such instances as might be brought Why but Ric. Baxter tells you We say all men have a sufficient light within them and goes up down preaching it with great zeal This is no more then the Apostle Iohn did who told the Saints they needed no man to teach them but as the Anointing in them and yet preached unto them and wrote Epistles to them but bid Iohn contradict himself let wise men judge And Iohn said Christ lighteth every man that comes into the World with the true Light and no more then he did do we contradict our seves herein for we follow the same example and we say the Saints have the Anointing in them and needs no man to teach them and yet do we exhort them as the Apostle Iohn did And he asks what do we peach If darkness who would have such Teachers if light what needless labour is this when all men have sufficient light already c. To all this I answer We preach light that all should believe in it and thereby should be lead out of darkness and the light is sufficient being believed in by the Creature but all are not lead by it sufficiently neither doth receive Christ And we may ask him now and say If he preach darkness as it is likely he doth rather then the light because he smites at preaching the light that hath lighted every man that cometh into the World and so in effect denies the Lord that brought him then who would have such a Preacher but if he preach the light and not that Light which doth enlighten every one that cometh into the World which is Christ and is sufficient as it seems by his own words he doth not because he condemns us for it then is he a Minister of Antichrist according to his own confession But whatever he judges we are sent to turn people from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to the power of God and herein we do as the Ministers of Christ did but that we revile the Ministers of Christ as blind Guides as saith he this false is again but such we bear witness against who preacheth for Hire and oppresseth the Common-wealth and are in the steps of the proud Pharisees and all people that follows them are in darkness as the Pharisees were and in the way of Damnation because they are not in the truth who follows not Christ and yet such people are lightened with the light of Christ and that is their Condemnation because they believe not in it and it is sufficient to the Condmnation of all such 12. His twelfth Reason Saith he Consider also how sutable their Doctrine is 〈◊〉 the interest and pleasure both of the Papist and the Devil why saith he they damn all the Ministers and Churches of CHRIST c. To this I answer A lying Tongue is but for a moment though he makes Lyes his refuge yet they shall be sweept away Of the Ministers and Churches of Christ are we and such as are so they we own and are one with them though this man saith otherwise and it doth little appear that our Doctrine is sutable to the interest and pleasure of the Papists for we find them our Enemies and Gods Enemies and bears our witness against them as against the Devil and do say that they are his off-spring and that the Priests of England are their off-spring such as are open Lyars especially But if we should reckon we should find their Doctrine more agreeable to the Papists in many things then ours are as I have instanced concerning sprinkling of Infants and other things but doth it follow that the Papists and we agree because the Papists declare against them out of cruelty and wickednesse and out of a murderous mind to divert people into Idolatry and wicked superstition and we declare against them out of love to peoples souls
Truth and turned from it and were unfaithfull to the Lord. FOrasmuch as in these our dayes the God of Truth hath made manifest his Name and Truth in the hearts of his people and hath gathered the minds of thousands into it to worship him in the Spirit and in the Truth in which he is accepted and of this Truth which is but one and there is not another are we made Witnesses and Ministers of and hath the Testimony in our selves that we are of God and are a good savour unto him in them that believe and in them that perish and we have the Testimony that he that is of God heareth us and we know the whole World lies in wickedness and who are in the Truth in the Light and in the Life have followship one with another in Holiness and Righteousness in that which comprehends the World and condemns all the works thereof which are evil and this Truth and Worship and Fellowship stands in Christ Jesus the second Adam whose Kingdom and Rule is not of this World but from Heaven who according to his Promise in his Counsel hath made known his Power to the raising up a righteous Branch a royal Priesthood a peculiar People zealous of his Name to shew forth his Praise and Glory in Justness and Righteousness in Love Mercy and Peace and works of Purity having our Conversation in Heaven and since that Day of the Manifestation of this Truth of the Gospel of Peace and Salvation which is the same now as was in the beginning which is in Christ Jesus the Light of the World who is the same to day yesterday and forever and changeth not I say since that very day hath the Lord prospered his Truth to the renewing of many into his Image and Likeness and to the turning of many from Darkness to Light and from Satans power to God by the Mouthes of his Ministers and through great Sufferings and Tribulations and Afflictions and Labours hath the Lord honoured his Name and his Truth in Nations and given it a praise among all that fear him and hath honoured it and exalted it in the sight of the Heathen to the confounding of the Wise and Mighty and to the bringing out of the Captivity of Darkness Sin and Death wherein in times past all have walked while Strangers from the Life of God so that thousands who have received the Truth are established in it and cannot be moved nor shaken but are built upon the sure Foundation their Faith standing in the Power of God with whom the Arm and Presence of the Lord God is defending and preserving continually and unto such the Truth is precious and the Way of the Lord and his Name and Honour is dear yea more then life or liberty or any other thing which passeth away who for the Truth 's sake as is it in Christ Jesus do daily give up themselves to suffering and to reproach for well-doing and not for evil and loves not life unto death that the Lord God and his Name and Truth may be honoured so that in the Truth which is received and learned of the Father daily do we walk in all Purity and Holiness of Life answering the Mercy and Love of the Lord in the exercise of a good Conscience both towards God and man in Patience and Long suffering and Wisdom towards all to the putting to silence of Gainsayers rendring love and mercy toward our Persecutors and are set in our hearts to fulfil the will of God in all things And now whereas that the Scriptures may be fulfilled some may and have denied the Truth which once was received and loved to the making shipwrack of Faith and of a good Conscience abusing the Mercy and Grace of God which to them appeared and follow the counsel of their own hearts and not the Lord having lost the feeling of the Spirit of the Father and are and may be separated from us in the self-separation through an evil heart of unbelief that it may be made manifest they are not of us though they arise from among us and may by disorderly walking contrary to the Truth cause the Truth to be evil spoken of giving occasion thereby to the Enemies of God to blaspheme his Name and Truth in the Earth and may be a stumbling to the weak and an offence to the Way of the Lord before the Simple through their Disorders and Confusions raising the rage of the wicked against the Lambs of Christ being not led in the Wisdom of God but in the Confusions taking liberty to their own hearts desire ful filling the will thereof without the Fear of God above the Cross of Christ in the nature uncrucified and speaking high Words in the presumption and not in the Light and Power of God and acting in the vanity of the Mind in the pretence of Truth and moving of the Spirit such things as Truth and the Children of it who are guided with the Spirit cannot justifie but is judged and denied and cast out from among the Children of Light who walk in the Truth and do try the Spirits whether they be of God Therefore in the Fear of the Lord God this is written to go abroad among Friends and others to inform and shew unto all that the Truth and we that are in it and Ministers of it do stand clear from all such who act and speak out of the Truth and contrary to it in the Disorder and Confusion and not in the Fear and Counsel of God and with the Truth such are judged and denied and fellowship with them we have not nor of their works do approve though such once owned us and were convinced of the Truth and received the Seed of the Kingdom into the unprofitable Ground yet being separated from us and gone out from the Truth and are not subject to it and its Government but are unruly and disorderly we and the Truth do such deny and the spirit that rules them being not the Spirit of Christ Jesus and such have done evil against their own Souls and against God and are Troublers of the Righteous Seed and have and do dishonour the Lord and his Truth in the sight of the Heathen causing the right way to be reviled and reproached and evil spoken of through the offence by them to the making sad the hearts of some whom God hath not made sad and even more especially in that they pretend to the Truth in their words but in works deny it and profess to be in it yet secretly condemning and openly reviling the Ministers of Righteousness which God hath blessed and doth daily bless with his eternal Power to the turning many unto God and to the strengthning of the weak and feeble which we with many others do witness to be the Ministers of Life and Reconciliation and there is no other and are established in it and cannot be moved by the temptations of the Devil though the wicked one may revile for a moment to
unless saith he I have more then an ordinary Art of hiding my self c. To which I answer Iesuites I deny and all of that Fraternity and whatsoever savours of Popery yet am I hidden from people and what I am he knows not neither the World for from that Wisdom am I hid neither can I manifest my self to that Wisdom that is devilish and knows not God nor the least of his Sons and Servants for in all those things of which we then discoursed the depth thereof could hardly be spoken of because of the darkness of peoples understandings And especially concerning Justification I was very sparing and could hardly freely declare my self yet what I spoke was a great satisfaction to many then present though the one half that I spoke is not truely related though so much as is related shall stand a sufficient Witness for me and against them that oppose me and that my words and meanings were honest This was the thing charged upon me That no man was further justified then he was sanctified Now my intent and meaning in this was honest and as about this Particular much was spoken which now I do not recollect to repeat onely P. T. hath hinted in short at things how they passed and my words shall be for ever witnessed That Sanctification is a Witness of Iustification and no man can further know himself to be justified then he is sanctified nor justified then he is restored And had P. T. but laid down my full answers as I spoke them at that Dispute there would have been no need to have written any thing in answer onely I do remember I did stand to manifest that the New Birth Sanctification and Justification were all agreeing in one and not one without another and that Christ wrought Righteousness perfectly without us and also fulfilled Righteousness in all that believe and no man is justified by the one of these without the other and that hath not the other and they hold the contrary and R. G. did publickly affirm that a man was justified by Christ excluding the New Birth and the work of Sanctification which I denyed and must always deny that any man who is not born again but is in the old nature and not sanctified but is in the Pollutions of the World is justified by Christ's Righteousness neither can he in that State till he be born again and Sanctified have any benefit or manifestation of Justification by Christ and this all men shall witness though because of this I now may be falsly judged And though R. G. did openly testifie that Christ justified Sinners as Sinners yet say I all that are justified are justified through Faith and Faith doth purifie the Heart as was largely spoken by divers of us at that Meeting which is not particularly related which definition of our Justification they could not except against for we never were nor are ashamed to declare what we hold concerning Justification which is through Faith in the Blood of Christ the Seed of the Covenant and though at that time they made much jangling yet to no purpose as to convince us of any Error or any sober men there present of any Error in us as concerning that thing And whereas it is related as if I should say We are men brought up at Plow-tayle and understand not Schollar-like terms my words were not thus spoken but upon the occasion of their speaking words which is not in Scripture Language as inherent Righteousness or the like Whereupon I desired them to keep to the Form of sound words and of Scripture Language that people might understand what they spoke for said I ye are Schollars as you profess and some of us were brought up at Plow or Cart and may be do not understand Schollar-like terms though I did not mean all of us and what some of us do understand as to that I shall not now speak yet this I say the least of us do understand betwixt Truth and Error and betwixt that which is Righteous and that which is Unrighteous and in that is more peace then in the knowledge of Arts or Tongues and our knowledge in that is as Dung and Dross in comparison of the other And as to Justification upon which Subject we contended a long time though they foolishly charged us with it we do deny utterly the works of man and the works of man's righteousness as in relation to our Justification and that it is only and wholly by the Grace and Gift of God and the Righteousness of Christ who is revealed in all that believe in him by which Justification comes yet say we That Faith without works is dead and will not justifie a man but by that Faith which brings forth works even the works of God in us and through us by that Faith are we justified and according to the Apostle's words so we believe not by works of Righteousness which we have done nor by a dead Faith without Works but by a living Faith which worketh in us are we justified let vain men deduct what they may this is truth in the sight of the Lord and all men These indeed are the Particulars upon which the Controversie depended and having been some hours together they were willing to depart and R. G. would give little hearing to me when I charged him with something uttered by him at divers times in my hearing which I should have proved to be unsound Doctrine and Error had he had that patience to have stayed and whereas P. T. doth speak of having a Pope in our Bellies with such like scornful words which a discreet man would not have defiled his Mouth withal but that he must shew himself to be of that Generation of Priests who persecuted the Innocent in every Age and for his telling of our Error and recovering of our feet out of the Snare and delivering us from the Delusion its true his words stand but upon a supposition and that supposition stands upon the Report of others as he seems to intimate which is but a thing far off true credit for what Error and Snares and Delusion did P. T. convince us of in five hours discourse not any at all but the rather was forced to confess to the most part of what we delivered then what need was there to utter these his words in writing as if he had heard some great Matter of Delusion or Error but all these his words I do bear and if he hath harboured such thoughts of us as it appears too much by his words let him cleanse his Heart by Repentance lest his intended evil bruise his own head And whereas he hath commented upon a Book called A Standard lifted up which Book I own and that which is therein written and himself is forced to own what himself objects against and comments upon If saith he E. B. means so and so then his words are truth but if so and so then it is Pope-like or such like Alas