the Scribes and Pharisees that these things ye ought to have done Nay that the morality ceased and a grieving part of our substance according to Gods ordination unto those that attend upon the preaching of the Gospel this thou findest to the contrary too 1 Cor. 9. 7. to 15. here then is an approbation and an ordination and yet both not sufficient to satisfie men unreasonable Further after a little more prattle thou criest out thou dark minde in the time of the first Priest-hood Tyth was not payed nor received as by any command from Caesar or from any man whatsoever but by commandment from the Lord and in this time who payed not Tythes robbed God Mal. 3. 8 9 10. here is no telling of Caesar nor any man but God himself whose the earth is and the fulnesse thereof Repl. Here thou seekest to perswade the Magistrate not to meddle with Tythes intimating he had no finger in it under the Law indeed I know that the most high ruleth in the Kingdom of men and giveth it to whomsoever he pleaseth but by whom do's he give out Laws rule and govern the world but by his own will in Magistrates and so in all ages there has been polity and government in all Nations and Magistrates chosen by men according to Gods secret instinct and direction in the hearts of men and this choice cloathed with Majesty and Authority from the Lord to maintain Laws and peace in the earth and this power under the Law was for the punishment of all offenders of the Law and so surely for the punishment of those who robbed God in any thing but what this robbing is thou canst not tell and that the Magistrate had no hand in requiring obedience to and observance of the Laws statutes and judgements of God this lies upon thee to prove which because thou canst not do therefore thou must deny the Scripture and say all the complaint was to be made to God in case of injury and oppression under the Law and so none at all unto the Magistrate yet in case of injury the Magistrate is set up thou seest for a refuge to fly unto in the earth and whereas thou sayest he who payed not Tythes robbed God the same may be said of every other command he who kept it not robbed God and the Magistrate was to require recompence or to punish for all this robbery but thy drift is fain thou wouldst have the Magistrates stand for a Cypher and take no eognizance of all the robbery that is done unto God in the Nation of all the blasphemies and unrighteousnesses of men men are not to complain to men but God and so the powers of the Nation must stand still and let all the Laws of God and man be levelled and every one ride upon the Throne of his own will this is the worlds desire indeed because they love not to be governed but all must be governours and the rule and Law must be their own will and power see here where thou art friend in the midst of the vilest and worst of the sons of men fain thou wouldst have none but God to meddle with men and with their actions dreaming though foolishly that if thou couldst escape the authority and punishment of the Laws and of the Magistrates thou couldst easily escape the authority and punishment of God but God sees what every one do's in the dark in the Chamber of his imagery and what are we or what are the Magistrates your murmurings are not against us but against the Lord he sees all the pining and fretting of every one in all this untoward generation and how 't is his goverment they shake of and a King they must have to govern them like all other Nations which is their own dream and will see where thou art and remember thou owe no man any thing but love no Rent no Custome no Tribute no Tythes love will teach thee these things are due therefore cover not anothers portion owe him nothing but love for the earth is the Lords and the fulnesse thereof Quest 4. What is that double honour which is due unto the Elder that rules well and what is the Elder and his ruling well 1 Tim. 5. 17. Answ The Elder that rules well is he that rules in the authority of God over his own will in that spirit which is contrary unto the will of the flesh and that spirit is honoured of God and all good men to whom its due and double Repl. Here 's a Christian Elder a spiritual Elder and I like him and his ruling well as one who begins in the spirit and ends in the spirit and thus the Saints are called Elders Rev. 4. 4. and 5. 5. 8 and these I finde resigning up themselves and all they have unto the Lord falling down and vvorshipping him that lives for ever casting their Crowns and all their choicest Jewels at his feet saying thou art worthy to receive glory honour and power but besides these there is a preaching Elder one anointed to be an officer and servant of the vvord of God in the Lords house and unto this Elder all both high and low that will not rebell against Christ the master must yield obedience and this Elder is mentioned and what his ruling ought to be 1 Pet. 5. 1. 2 3. and 1 Tim. 5. 17 19. and such Titus was to ordain in every City Tit. 1. 5. and this Elder is called a Bishop or Overseer Tit. 1. 7 8. how he must be qualified we there read 1 Tim. 3. 1. to 8. and thus its usual with the Apostle to call such who were to rule over the spirits of men by the power of the Word Bishops Overseers Preachers Elders those were the rulers well that laboured and took pains in the Word and Doctrine not giving heed to fables and Genealogies which minister questions doting much upon their questions and answers to their doubtfull questions whereof comes envy strife railings and evil surmisings the Elders of the Lord must be of another spirit than this questioning generation sober grave wise apt to teach nourished up in the words of faith and of good Doctrine and of good life the Elder that thus rules well though the world own him not love him not rob him accuse him condemne him yet he 's worthy of all due respect and maintenance this Elder thou art willingly ignorant of and no such thing canst thou finde in Scripture because against him and his maintenance thou art filled with indignation as being some stop to thy Kingdom and reign in the dark world Answ The rest of the answer unto this query is like the former all overspread with accusations telling me I am none of the Elders he has mentioned who am covetous conforming to the world its wayes fashions customes inventions abusing my body with cuffs ribbons unnecessaries at which my high big ranting minde may scorn c. Repl. But stay friend whence comes all this from the
not made flesh to dwell among us there men and the way form and vvorship that men are in though outwardly never so decked and adorned in shew is but like an house forsaken and left to strangers or like a poor empty cottage left alone where nothing inhabits but the Owl and the Satyr and creeping things but where the word dwells in us with us and the Lord comes down to sit at Table and to keep us company there the men and the way form and vvorship they are under though outwardly never so contemptible are an house filled with glory and kept by the Lord for his friends his mother sister brother and this is an house I desire to dwell in all the dayes of my life to behold the fair beauty of the Lord This house is one in the spirit and the way to it one and the vvorship in it one as being built by the Lord onely for his Saints and set up by his Spirit that where he is they may be also Yet in this house are many mansions higher and lower rooms and Tables spread with meat for Children fathers young men God in every corner of his house condescending to visit all his family and to feed them with food sutable to that measure they are under Friend the whole creation is an house made for the great King to dwell in and all the creatures in this great variety according to their several capacities have the King dwelling in them and with them even so the Church of God which is a new Creation is a Tabernacle pitched by the Lord for himself and every Member of this new building in the midst of this great variety of them has the presence of the Lord in him and with him according to his capacity to receive Now the way hither is one and the light one and the vvorship one as all are brought hither by regeneration and have the Lord to be their light to teach them all that vvorship which is one in spirit and truth But how then comes the variety and diversity I ananswer it flows from the several workings operations and manifestations of the same Lord so that in the original things are one but in their comings sorth to us and in us they are multiplied Grace in the Soul is one one with what it is in Christ but in the coming of it forth in us is various and cloathed with divers names as faith hope love meeknesse patience c. even so light in the Souls of men is one but in the breaking of it forth its manifold and so there is the manifold wisdom of God and hence the actings walkings of the Saints are in a variety as they are more or lesse in a manifestation of the Original and yet this variety leads up into the Unity and teaches all to walk and live and follow Christ in the regeneration This is all the variety I plead for which flowes from the various manifestation of the same Christ and leads up into him as into its root and Center But thou sayest I plead for the Leopards spots in pleading for several forms ways of vvorship Answ I plead for no form tradition or invention of men new or old neither would I have Christians make any form a vvall of separation to divide between them others that are under any manifestation of grace and love all that I say is there are diversities of gifts administrations and operations but the same spirit Lord and God who worketh all in all and is all in all to band and free and let every one that differs from another endeavour to be fully perswaded that 't is light not darknesse the Lord not the flesh that makes the difference though the difference be still in fleshly or outward things and so having nothing but what we have received let every one think soberly of himself according as God has given to every one a measure and what men observe let them do it as unto the Lord not man in honour preferring one another waiting with patience and they shall see all the Towers that men have made fall to the ground and broken in pieces by the stone cut out of the mountain Quest 3. Whether we ought to give Tribute Custome Tythes Rent to those who have an interest in them by the Laws of the Land where we live seeing Christ said render unto Caesar the things that are Caesars Matth. 22. Answ Yea let man have the things that are his and God have the things that are his this said Christ and so say we and Paul sayes render unto all their dues Tribute to whom Tribute is due Custom to whom Custom is due Rom. 13. 7. and this say we Repl. If thine heart and thy tongue herein agree 't is well thou hast witnessed a good confession but doest thou witnesse this indeed Art thou willing to give Tribute Custom Rent to whom 't is due Art thou as Christ was and the Apostles were subject to the Magistrates that are for conscience sake Where then is thine honour where is thy fear to the powers that be ordained of God For there 's no power but of God but seeing thou hast yielded to a duty I 'le leave thee in the performance to stand or fall to thine own Master Answ Further here thou wouldst have a Cloak for thy Tythe in too Parishes which thou hast no due unto he that hath due unto nine sheaves hath due unto the tenth Repl. To this I say I and all I have are not so much mine own as Gods they are more his due than mine and when he calls for any thing I am willing to let it go and when he gives me any thing I am willing to make use of it and to him I must give account for all not to thee as for a Cloak to maintain my Tythes I desire no other then the will of God and what the Scripture allows and the Law commands Thou sayest he who has due unto nine sheaves has due unto the tenth Fy friend what a lying and to strengthen Robbery and oppression too men are prone enough to call anothers due their own and to destroy property which thou seekest by thy lying and murmuring to maintain And further thou sayest Christ is come who put an end to that Priesthood who was to have the tenth in Israel for their maintenance and the fatherlesse vviddows and strangers with the same they were to maintain Repl. That Christ came to put an end to the first Priest-hood and their carnal Ordinances I deny not but about the several Ordinances of Tythes of old I see thou art grossely ignorant Therefore there was a tenth for the poor in Israel and a tenth for the Priest and Levite too and so observe and thou shalt finde 1. That after a man had received the fruits of the earth he was to separate out of it the first fruits these were to be offered unto the Lord who gave them unto the Priest Numb
spirit of the Lord or from thine own private spirit doest thou in all this rule well and over thine own will What judging and condemning for thou knowest not what Where 's thy ruling well now what like the world observing and scraping up every thing which thine own fancie makes an abomination and then charging this upon the seed of God Surely thine heart is like a City broken down and without walls and therefore nothing almost comes from it but clamouring bitternesse and evil speaking and what 's thine end in all this but to make thy self righteous and another wicked thou sounding brasse that keepest a tinckling where 's thy charity in all this love covers a multitude of sins but thou makest a multitude of sins where they are covered by love and so thou condemnest thy self not to be the Elder that rules over thine own spirit and therefore fie upon all thy profession thou who pretendest to be a Lamb an holy man of God and yet still found in Ismaels generation Quest 5. What is that provision every one ought to make for his own family seeing he who provides not for them of his own house denies the faith and is worse than an infidel Answ That provision every one ought to make for his family is to fly idlenesse ranting and waiting the creatures of God upon his own lusts and not to live on the sweat of other mens brows which who denies denies the faith and is worse than an infidel Repl. Here the Quaker is seen and known and judged out of his own mouth as one who through his lightnesse denies the faith learning under a pretense of preaching to be like the wanton widdow idle wandring about from house to house and not onely so but a tatler also and a busie body speaking things he ought not neither understanding whence his spirit comes nor whither it goes not labouring at all in the thing that good is but creeping into silly peoples affections with his shew of wisdom and humility and will worship clamouring against Magistrates Ministers Tythes Customes damning men for wearing Ribbons Cuffs Lace Rings Pins Bands Hoods Veyls Points c. and for using the civil expressions of humanity in pulling off the Hat shewing some respect love honour duty unto fathers mothers masters superious friends comers and goers about these and the like ceremonies and toyes they make a great noise and win here and there an Athiest a Ranter or some discontented people to feed upon their dregs and then to feed their hungry bodies this is their great businesse thus to add unto their fathers Kingdom by railings lyings flatterings and all that come in are cried up for Saints and Children of the Kingdom but such as receive not their Doctrine and vanities and put not into their mouths must be ipso facto excommunicated for Dogs Devils Beasts Swine Belly-Gods Bulls of Boshan Whores Antichrist Witches Sorcerers behold thy model and thy spirit friend and see thou thy self in this Looking-glasse of thine own making how wanton thou art waxed in the midst of all thy framed gravity refusing thy Saviour to be married unto a delusion in all which thou hast denied the faith and art worse than a Pagan and all that regard thy pride superstitions works of superarrogations instead of making provision make destruction for their own families forsaking usually Fathers Wives Children Families callings occupations and so cloath themselves with rags and ruine and woe But thou sayest robbery for provision the Lord hates and so say I all that use a deceitfull way to get provision by the Lord abhors but surely friends the Office of a Minister anointed and called of God is good for others they are thy forefathers strikers and railers I dare not plead their cause and the preaching of the Gospel by men sent of God is no idle imployment and maintenance from the people to whom we preach is no robbery for provision seeing it is a provision due to the Lord out of all mens substance and so no deceitfull way to provide for our families and yet the murmurer must still be wiser than God that made him Further thou sayest I run unsent to provide for my family aiming at lucre this is robbery to which I say he who sent me is the Lord by his will and power am I anointed to preach and that which he aimes at in me and by me is to catch men and to make his word a savour of life or death and what he has reserved and taken and kept for my use is no robbery to take though thou prate neither will the Lord lay this to my charge as dishonest gain as the accuser do's or tell me I sell his word for money which is not bread as thou who knowest not the word for the word is life and substance and though it take not such effect upon many as it ought they may thank thy father for it for he has stollen it away from their hearts all that I can do is to commend it to the conscience and he that has an ear to hear will hear Further thou sayest many infidels will labour painfully for their families but I live on the sweat of others mens brows and what do the Quakers then who run up and down without callings without labouring at all the thing that good is wandring up and down to foam out their own shame making it their work to sow discord among brethren living wholly upon the sweat and charge of other men deluding the people with their moderation in eating and drinking that they may the better insinuate their ceremonies and delusions and in all this they have denied the faith and are worse than infidels as for my part God has set me in my calling I act in commands me to keep in it to preach the Gospel to break his bread to the hungry and to give water to the thirsty and in this work of the Lord I finde abundance of recreation being never better satisfied than when I have occasion to preach the Gospel and this I shall do with cheerfulnesse still though many mad ignorant folk be offended at preaching and many offended at me that I live upon that allowance of Tythes which God has sanctified for my use and given me freedom to take with thanks-giving Quest 6. What is that Election and Reprobation the Scripture speaks of and whether they have relation to persons or things or both Answ That Election is Christ Jesus and all that receive him wherein the Election is in him are Elected and the rest abide under the power of darknesse where all are Reprobated who are out of the light in their own wills and know not Christ and to such persons they have Relation Repl. Christ indeed is the stone dis-allowed of men but chosen of God Elect and precious but Christ without his Church do's not comprehend all the Election the Scripture intimates but Christ together with his Church makes up the Election of God and so
given of God hence Peter honours the King Servants be subject to your Masters with all fear not onely to the good and gentle but also to the froward Let not a Christian therefore think it greivous that because he 's a Childe of God and a son of the Kingdom he ought not to be subject to the Princes of this world the Jews because they were the people of God took it grievously that sometimes the Babylonians reigned over them sometimes the Persians Grecians Romans and other Nations strangers unto God and many now adayes think it unworthy of a Christian to suffer a Magistrate over them and yet the Saints of old Christ and the Apostles you see yielded obedience unto the civil power if any thing indeed be commanded against the will of God then we are to obey God rather than men as the three Children Thine image O King we will not fall down and vvorship yet still the power must be acknowledged and honour and due respect given unto it when the Magistrates Soul indeed is subject to the power of God and so a terrour to evil doers and a praise to them that do well then the obedience from the Saints is usually most free yet remembring his sword is the sword of God still we ought not for conscience towards man yet for conscience towards God to be subject to the Magistrates because cloathed with Gods power and so to pay tribute custom fear honour to all the higher powers whether ye do this or not let all that know ye judge Answ Further our carriage to the present Magistrates is not unmannerly nor uncivil Repl. But why then do ye shew no more respect to them than to other men though cloathed with the power of God Answ But thou sayest our carriage was the carriage of the Saints formerly to Magistrates which the Heathen could bear Repl. The Saints formerly have bowed to the higher powers but ye no more than to a beast or post and the Saints have owned their names given them their Titles acknowledged their Authority by their appeals to them given them all due respect and reverence though not Divine vvorship for that must not be given no not to an Angel Rev. 19. 10. I fell at his feet to vvorship him sayes John but see thou do it not sayes the Angel I am thy fellow servant worship Jesus but none of all these things are witnessed by ye ye bow not ye neither give them their names nor their Titles as Lawcock said by the Lord Protector some say he calls himself Protector he owned him not ye scorn to appeal to them or give them any respect at all and so your carriage is still unmannerly and uncivil contrary to the carriage of the Saints of old Answ Further some would have that given unto them which belongs unto God and persecute if they have it not this I own not neither an having of mens persons in admiration because of advantage neither a bowing of the seed of God to mens persons no friends worship God set him up in the top yet despise not his image in the power of Magistrates lest you sin against your own consciences and draw down this wrath dreaming of a dispensation by being the seed of God for all your railing accusations Michael durst not thus use the Devil but said the Lord rebuke thee but ye can call them at your pleasure corrupt Magistrates men that have lost the fear of God and all that own them must needs be Balaam-like runners after him for rewards in all this ye murmur and complain of God himself and so every way despise dominion and speak evil of Dignities feeding your selves with fancies without fear drawing down the sword of those upon your own heads who under God have given ye liberty to serve in your own land and so are the dreamers Jude speaks of Quest 14. Whether your railing and evil speaking be the way of God and the Gospel who seeks to win and overcome by love and what this your light is Answ Our light is the light of Christ who is the way of God and the Gospel who seeks to win and overcome by love which love whosoever receives not with the light are condemned and from him are cursed though mans cursing we deny Repl. Yet how contrary was he who was the light of the world unto all your carriage he did not break a bruised reed nor quench the smoaking flax he did not lift up his voice nor cry in the streets he did not presently cry out to Publicans and sinners thou art a Publican thou art a sinner but he did eat and drink with them he did not tell the Master of the feast in Canaan of Galilee thou art a Dog a Devil shall I eat with Dogs and Devils he went about seeking and saving that which was lost and alwayes doing good and so prevailed by love and though he called the Pharisees Serpents Vipers the Devils children because of their railing envying murmuring and continuall blaspheming of him and his doctrine yet this is no warrant for thee to apply these names to the Saints and Disciples of Christ Christ called Judas a Devil did he therefore call the other eleven so surely not and so your way in this is still contrary unto the way of the Lord and his Gospel Quest 15. What is the Soul of man and the preciousnesse of it seeing Christ sayes it's more worth than all the world Answ The Ministers of Jesus who come by the will of God such know the Soul and watch for the Soul Heb. 13. 17. But thy watching is for the fliece and art querying what the Soul is which lies in death and state of condemnation so long as it lives and the false accuser lives and it the first born knows not nor the preciousnesse of it who prefers the world obeyes it before the light of Christ so sels the Soul for the world as thou doest who professest him in thy lip-talk but denies him in practise wayes conversation thou Christ saith the Soul is more worth than all the world Repl. In all this answer there 's not a tittle unto the question here it appears thy perfect knowledge failes thee and thou hast no eye open to see that which is most near thee and so art able to make no answer at all unto the Soul saving a little to discover thine ignorance in calling the Soul the first born here thou guessest that the soul is Christ for he 's the first-born the Scripture mentions and so according to thy blasphemy Christ it seemes may be damned and cast into Hell for so it 's said of the Soul fear him who is able to cast body and Soul into Hell and the Glutton in Hell lift up his eyes in torment this must be in Soul for it 's said he was dead to wit in body See how dark thou art in making no difference between the Soul and Christ the Soul indeed is a precious high thing