burnt down most part of the Houses at the Bridge but we desire in our Hearts if it be his Will That his Wrath may pass from them And yet I cannot nor do not see how well they should escape and go Unpunished since people give themselves up to such Debaucht Talk and Wicked and Slanderous Speeches which manifests the Wickedness of their Hearts For an Evil Man out of the Evil Treasure of his Heart brings forth that which is Evil out of the abundance of his Heart his Mouth speaks Luke 6.45 Now therefore O Barbadians I Warn you to take heed and Repent lest the Judgments and Wrath of the Lord break out like Fire suddainly upon you and as a Thief in the Night in an Hour when you little Dream of it For alas I do see that that makes my Heart even ready to Tremble almost to speak of the Judgments and Plagues that this Corrupt Nature brings upon a Land Where alas is Vertue to be found among you where is Sobriety where is Moderation as the Apostle saith let your Moderation be known to all men the Lord is at hand Phil. 4. where is Modesty where is Love Unfeigned where is Holiness and Righteousness the Blessed Fruit of the Spirit of Life and Holiness to be found but rather the Fruits of the Flesh O! what a Great Crop may be gather'd of these And so that Birth of the Flesh judgeth of others to be like it self Know this If you Priests were the Ministers of Christ then such things would be Reproved by you and you and your People would receive us gladly when we come among you in the Name and Fear of the Lord and Visit you in Love and not have raised such false Report and Wicked Slanders of us and cast so much Dirt Filth upon our Faces to mar us so that it is much to be feared that you have lost the Day of your Visitation you having Rejected those whom the Lord hath sent in Love to Visit you here And 't is no Wonder considering that this has been the Practice of the False Prophets and Shepherds and Priests of Old to raise Lying Slanders upon the Truth and so do you as you may see all along in the Scriptures of Truth O! what Rage and Malice what Envy and Cruelty did the Priests and Jews who profest themselves to be the Children and People of God and Children of Abraham the Faithful act against the Prophets of the Lord against Christ his Apostles see Joh. 8.39 40 c. But withal mark their End what became of them all its said The Name of the Wicked shall Rot but the Name of the Righteous shall never be blotted out and Psal 37.35 c. And thus you Priests and others of your Gang who they are you may guess have broacht publisht these Lyes and Slanders whose Minds and Tongues seem wholy bent to do Mischief and to speak Evil of the Righteous But a Lying Tongue God abhors Psal 119.163 And Tophet is prepar'd of Old for such as you may read in Rev. 21.8 Now we may say What Christianity is amongst the People here and what Religion have they been taught And truly this is not Civil nor Neighbourly done of such as have raised up these Slanders and Lyes whereof G.F. was not guilty nor ever heard of them before so that it seems the Father Mother of these Lyes are here in this Island and therefore query whether you Priests Baptists have not been the Men-Mid-Wives to forward the birth of them O! where is Modesty and where is Vertue that should be in your Minds and Mouthes where is Truth in your Inward Parts Yea some of these filthy things have been in the Minds Mouthes of some who have been of some Repute amongst you yea and of the Teachers too which is a very strange thing had it been only the rude rabble of people it had not been worth the taking notice of but for such as look upon themselves as Men of Repute amongst you to have such things in your minds and mouthes it is very strange had they any regard to their own Credit and Reputation though I shall name none but you all know your selves who you be therefore it is good for you all to Repent of these things and seek after Vertue and after Peace Truth and Holiness without which no man shall see God and after the Lord Jesus who teaches no such Lyes nor Slanders but destroyes the Lyar and Author of Lyes Another Slander they have got up here That G.F. should Hang Ribbons upon peoples Arms by which means they were Bewitcht Which was first forg'd by an Independent Priest one of Oliver Cromwell's News-Mongers who put it into his Weekly-News-Book and when he was question'd where he had the Information first he said it was a Woman and then afterwards said it was a Man that told him of it but never could we get from him the Name of that Man or Woman or of the Town and Country where he or she lived to this day And this Lye and Slander went for credit it being printed in the Dyurnal and the Priests likewise publisht it in their Pulpits and others would Swear that their Brother Independant Priest caused it to be put into the News-Books when they perceived many of their Hearers to forsake them who would not put into their Mouthes any longer therefore they raised this Slander thinking thereby to cast a Stumbling-block before the people to stop them from coming to embrace the Truth but they were deceived in that for that manifested their Folly the more and their Lyes and Slanders and confirmed the people the more in the Truth And these Independants were the first that gave the Nick-name of Quakers as one Bennet at Darby 1650. And then likewise they rais'd Slanders That we deny'd God and Christ and the Scriptures which were all Lyes and then the Presbyterians Independants and Baptists set their people to Scoff and Mock us calling us Tremblers and Shakers and Quakers in that day what not when they had the day of it the Tythes and Pulpits and the Power in their Hands But the Lord God when he had brought the King into his Power then he shook't them out of their Pulpits their Tythes and Esther-Reckonnings and Midsummer-Dues c. and made such Shaking Quaking Quivering amongst them as Rock't and Shook't them out of their Great Benefices laid their Maintenance levil with the Earth insomuch as that they durst hardly Creep into a House to Meet so the Lord hath given them Shaking and Quaking and Trembling and Quivering enough who were the first Raisers of that Nick-name in calling the People of God Quakers So that they have had a Dreadful Day of Trembling since that And therefore let others take heed and mind the Example of all these Lyars and Slanderers that are gone before them And because that G. F. and some Masters of Families had some Meetings
Corner-Stone the Foundation of the Prophets Apostles and us as is said in John and we are those who have obeythe Commands of Christ who enlightens every Man that cometh into the World that all through it might believe who said Believe in the Light this is his Command that they may become Children of the Light John 12.36 So we know That as many as receives him to wit Christ the Light that enlighteneth every one that cometh into the World to them gives he Power to become the Sons of God John 1.12 And this we Witness and can say Behold what manner of Love is this that we should be called the Sons of God and Heirs of Christ who makes us sit together in the Heavenly Places in Christ Jesus who formerly were dead in Sins and Trespasses Eph. 2. And we have received the Unction from the Holy One through which we come to know all things The Anointing which we have received of him abides in us and we need not any ones Teaching us but as the same Anointing does teach us all thengs and is true and is no Lye and even as it hath taught you ye shall abide in him 1 John 2.27 It taught the Saints in the Apostles dayes and us in ours therefore we must abide in him as they did to wit in Jesus And the Light of Christ which shines in our Hearts which God hath commanded to shine out of Darkness doth give us the Light of the Knowledge of the Glory of God in the Face of Christ Jesus And this is the Heavenly Treasure we have in our Earthen Vessels that the Excellency of the Power may be of God and not of us 2 Cor. 4.6 7. So as we walk in the Light as he is in the Light we have Fellowship one with another and the Blood of Christ the Son of God which sprinkles our Hearts and Consciences cleanseth us from all Sin 1 Joh. 1.7 And whereas many Lyes and Scandals you have cast upon us to wit our Denying of God Christ and the Scriptures c. They are all False For Christ we know own and believe his Incarnation Passion Death Resurrection Ascension and Glorification And the Scriptures we own to be the Scriptures of Truth And Scriptures signifie Writings and we own the Scriptures to contain the Words of God which we learn of God and given forth by the Holy Men of God and are profitable for Doctrine for Reproof for Correction and Instruction in Righteousness 2 Tim. 3.16 17. And whereas we have been accused for Denying Original Sin and Owning Perfection here in this Life To which we answer That there is an Original of Sin we deny not but your Doctrine of Original Sin we do deny as you state it For doth not Original signifie the Beginning and the beginning of Sin was it not the Devil For we do affirm it was neither God nor Christ And did not Christ come to destroy the Devil and his Works and so destroy the Original So we must tell you we hold Christ and not the Devil who was and is the Original of Sin and Imperfection I say again Christ who was before the Devil was who was glorified with the Father before the World began who bruises the Serpents Head and the Heads of all Deceivers Lyars and Slanderers and False Prophets and Anti-Christs And in him we are to wit Christ Jesus who is our Salvation Mediator and Redeemer And as for your Accusing us for holding Perfection Answ What must we not hold God who is Perfect and must we not hold Christ who is Perfect and his Work and Worship which is Perfect and his Religion which is Perfect that comes from himself and the Gifts of his Spirit and Grace and Faith which are Perfect Are not all his Gifts Perfect and must we not receive them in this Life yea must not our Bodies be the Temple of God and of Christ and of his Holy Ghost And then must we not hold them who are Perfect and own Perfection And is not the Command of Christ to us to be Perfect as our Heavenly Father is Perfect And was it ever the work of the Prophets and Apostles to preach up Imperfection for Term of Life but always both the Prophets Christ and the Apostles pressed and presseth us to Perfection and what do they press us to that which is Impossible to be attain'd unto What will you say that their Words were of no Value What will you liken Christ and his Apostles words unto For were there any that ever denied the Doctrine of Perfection saving only Presbyterians Independants and Baptists and you who have got the Forme of Godliness but deny the Power thereof which brings out of Imperfection to the perfect Head Christ Jesus who is the way to God And therefore you do not only deny the perfect Power but also are short of having the Form of Godliness And will not Christ present his Church Perfect that is without Spot or Wrinkle unto God the Father who is the pure Head of it And how will you present your Church to God What will you present it to God with a Body of Death and a Body of Sin Do not you deny Circumcision in this namely the Circumcision of the Spirit that is made without Hands by putting off the Body of the Sins of the Flesh by the Circumcision of Christ And do not you deny Christ's Baptism who came with his Fan in his Hand to purge his Floor thoroughly whom We see is come and doth increase and do see the decrease of John I say He is come with his Fan in his Hand who will thoroughly purge his Floor and burn up the Chaff with unquenchable Fire and gather his Wheat into his Garner a safe place And this We witness and so must all People before they go to their Graves For this is the Baptism that the Devil would fain have People to deny and his Ministers and Messengers and then he fils them with Chaff For as the Apostle saith to the Church By one Spirit we are all baptised into one Body whether we be Jews or Gentiles Bond or Free He doth not say that by Water we were all baptised into one Body For we see many Bodies baptised with Elementary Water and yet do destroy one another Now mark the Words We are all baptised into one Body that is the Church of the First-born and Christ is the Head of this Body 1 Cor. 12.13 So this is the One Baptism spoken of Ephes 4.4 5. There is one Body and one Spirit even as you are called into one Hope of your Calling one Lord one Faith one Baptism one God and Father of all who is above all and through all and in you all Mark that Through all and in you all Unto every one of us is given Grace according to the measure of the Gift of Christ praised be his Name forever Grace and Truth is come by Jesus Christ yea that Grace which brings Salvation which hath appeared
unto all men without Exception Teaching us to deny all Ungodliness and Worldly Lusts and to live Soberly and Righteously and Godlily in this present Evil World Tit. 2.11 12. And this Grace seasons our Words and establishes our Hearts So we have a Teacher which brings us Salvation Glory be to God forever and forever And this Teacher is with us where-ever we are to wit the Grace of God by which we are saved and not of our selves And we can say this Grace is Sufficient which brings Salvation though you look not upon it to be Sufficient who keep People alwayes under your Teachings that they may be alwayes Learning of you and alwayes paying of you and yet never come to the Knowledge of the Truth in themselves nor their Talent in themselves to improve For have you not been like the Pharisees who stopt their Ears and closed their Eyes and like Saul who kickt against that that pricks him and then kickt against others and persecuted others And were they not them who shut up the Kingdom of Heaven against men who would not enter themselves nor suffer others to enter See that Blessed Doctrine of Christ in Luk. 17. who said to them The Kingdom of Heaven when they demanded when it should come Christ's Answer to them was comes not with Observation Lo Here Lo there But saith Christ The Kingdom of Heaven is within you And we have found his blessed Words to be true Blessed be his Name forever who hath stood at our Door and knocks as He doth at yours Yea I say at the Door of our Minds and at the Door of our Hearts and Souls and we have let Him in who now Sups with us and we with Him the Heavenly Supper with the Heavenly Man the Second Adam the Lord from Heaven our Blessed Lord Jesus Christ and our Alone Saviour O! Glory be to Him forever and for evermore Rev. 3. And you say There is no Overcoming of Sin and Death on this side the Grave but must have alwayes a Warfare Ans But did not Paul say that He had fought c. then surely he was not then fighting he was not then warring though 't is true Time was that He had been in the War and led Captive to do those things he would not have done But if there be no Overcoming on this side the Grave then there is no Eating of the hidden Manna on this side the Grave nor no Getting of the White Stone on this side the Grave nor of that New Name written in the Stone which no man knoweth saving He that receiveth it Rev. 2.17 The Reason there rendred because it is a Gift only to Him that Overcometh that is on this side the Grave And Rev. 3.12 13. Him that Overcometh will I make a Pillar in the Temple of my God and He shall go no more out and I will write upon Him the Name of my God and the Name of the City of my God New Jerusalem which cometh down out of Heaven from my God So that mark this Promise will not be made good unless we Overcome on this side the Grave But it may be you have not the Ears to Hear what the Spirit saith to the Churches And in the 21. Vers To Him that Overcometh will I grant to Sit with me in my Throne even as I also overcame and am Set down with my Father in his Throne He that hath an Ear let Him hear what the Spirit saith to the Churches But I fear you have none of these Ears open that the Spirit speaks to here namely The Church of the Living God whereof Christ is the Head Again Rev. 3 5. He that Overcometh the same shall be Clothed in White Rayment and I will not blot out his Name out of the Book of Life But I will confess his Name before my Father and before his Angels He that hath an Ear let him hear c. But as I said before I question your Ears of hearing what the Spirit saith that there must first be an Overcoming Now this was the Spirit 's speaking to the Church that did Overcome But it may be you will say That the Spirit doth not speak to you in your Church and therefore you may question your Church and your selves too And Rev. 2.26 He that Overcometh and keepeth my Works unto the End to him will I give Power and I will give him the Morning Star He that hath an Ear let him hear what the Spirit saith to the Churches Now we can and do witness that Spiritual Ear to hear what the Spirit saith unto the Churches Glory to God forever and we do heartily desire that you had the same And as for the LIGHT which you call Natural and Created and a Made Light that really and truly is the Light of Christ Jesus the Heavenly and Spiritual Man and it is a Heavenly Light and a Spiritual Light wherewithal He Enlightens every one that comes into the World which he commands us to believe in through which we become Children of Light as was said before For in Him was Life to wit Christ by whom the World was made and this Life that is in Christ is the Light of Men. And so as men are turned to the Light and believe in the Light they are ingrafted into Christ who is the Root or Stock and they the Branches So that this Light is neither Natural nor Created nor Made for it is the Heavenly Light which is the Life in Christ by which we coming into Christ the Light we receive Life And as Peter speaks of the Light which was a more Sure Word of Prophesie whereunto you do well that you take heed as unto a Light that shines in a dark Place until the Day dawn and the Day-Star arise in your Hearts signifying that this Light was sufficient to bring them unto the Day-dawning and unto the Day-Star arising in their Hearts yea this Light that shines in a dark Place And what dark Place was this and where was it was it not in their Hearts which they did well to take heed unto signifying thereby that they do not well that do not take heed unto it and so they do well that do take heed unto it in the Light they see more Light and it shines more and more to the perfect Day So this Light that comes from Christ Christians waiting in it they receive Christ the Bright Morning-Star which Thousands do witness and have received Him Glory to God for evermore and with their Hearts they do believe and with their Mouthes Confession is made unto Salvation and that their Salvation is their Wall and Bulwork against all Persecutors And so we follow Him to wit Christ Jesus the Captain of our Salvation and the Lamb of God that taketh away the Sins of the World against whom the Dragon Beast and Whore and their Followers are Fighting but the Lamb will have the Victory For He is King of Kings and Lord of Lords who is the First and Last