turn away much people saying God is not worshipped in Temples made with hands but within onely in Spirit and Truth talking as if they would teach us as if they heard Gods voice and not we who search the Scriptures and expound the Law and have the Key of knowledge have been train'd up in the Scriptures in reading the holy letters but these we take notice of them that they are ignorant unlearned men yet they say we are unstable and unlearned and wrest Scriptures to own destruction but whence hath this man letters having never learnt at Universities as we have done away with them and their Scripture no more holy Scripture now the Canon is compleated the Standard sealed no immediate motion now no such mission as the Prophets had now no speaking by divine inspiration now no Divine authority in any mans writings now though they write not others but the same Divine truths as of old no extraordinary infallible â—uidance of men by the infallible Spirit of God now and suchlike Thus they said then and thus our wise Ignorants at Athens say now of the same Spirit that then spake in Paul pressing others now to write or speak to them of their woâ—shâ—pping an unknown God seeing their Universities given wholly to Idolatry and thus I.O. one of the sore men against the truth What will these Bablets say and in a manner so they say all But slay friend Gods arm is not shortned neither is the mouth of God more made up now then formerly from making out and manifesting his own mind immediately from himselfe in the minds and consciences of men and women so as that men may without manifest imprudence not to say impudence imagine so ignorantly as in effect I.O. doth that God spake his last to the Sons of men and all that ever he meant from his own mouth to make known of his will to any man when Iohn had at the command of Christ written that pretious Revelatio â—which God gave unto Christ to shew to his servants who was pleased to signifie it unto them by the hand of his servant Iohn and when once in after ages a Syned of some honest men who we know not upon some some mistakes and sailings which weâ— I.O. confesses Tr. 2. c 2. S. 4.5 They were lyable to establish so much as they could get together which was but little 't is like of that much that was written of the transcribed Copies of the holy mens Histories and Apostles Epistles and letters to particular Churches and private persons and canoniz'd it together with the writings of Moses and the Prophets into such a standing Rule of faith and manners for all ages to come that whatever should from thenceforth be found as not a little was even of the Apostles own and some of Christs own writings and whatever should be written after that with pretence as much hath been since then not in pretence onely but in truth of motion from the same holy spirit should be shut out for ever from standing in their Canon sith it came not in at that time to their hands and be ever of so low esteem as not to be own'd among the rest under so much as the name of holy Scriptures with them but as to all ends uses and purposes for which all holy Scripture is written be utterly raced out of the Record cancel'd made void and of none effect while those few they Authoriz'd because of their Stamp of the onely Standard upon them must be had in as high if not an higher Esteem Honour and Authority then the Light it selfe from which directing holy men in the writing thereof they had all the being they have at all as holy Scriptures Let not I.O. in any wise say so for there are yet though himselfe is none of them 7000 of the people of Christ in England that bow not the knee to Baal many of whom as they are under the new Testament i.e. the Spirit and not under the old i.e. the letter where thou yet art have even both men and women the promises thereof made good unto them concerning the gift of the holy Spirit of the Lord and power to prophecy which of old also the true had Mic. 2. and of judgment and of might to declare unto the rebellious house of Iacob and Israel even the Heads and Princes thereof if they abhor judgement and pervert all equity and the Priests and Prophets thereof that Preach for hire and Divine for money and build Sion with blood and Ierusalem with iniquity and yet leane on the Lord and say is not the Lord among us none evill shall come upon us their sins and their transgression And to use thy own words I.O. p. 331.332 to thy self who are much in the dark as thou utterest them to such as are further in the dark behind thy self much more to the same purpose will same of them be found to say when men of outward wisdome and learning who are as they think able to instruct them shall condescend personally so to do Yea of myself I will not speak who by the grace of God am what I am and if the least measure of that grace be imparted to me among other of his servants that I should Preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ it is to one that for ought I know is of all the rest least worthy or rather most unworthy of it but I am bold to say so much and no more then what will stand as truth against thine or any others gain sayings that there are some who do not more professe themselves to be then they are indeed inspired by the holy Spirit whose messages and ministrations whether by voice or writing are so immediate from the mouth of the Lord that your not receiving nor submitting to them on that account but rejecting and denyall thereof with such rigour as ye do doth justify your predecessors in all ages who rejected and slew those that spake to them in the name of the Lord and speakes out in plain terms your imagination to be this that you may with safety to your selves reject them whom God sends yea to go on yet for a while much what in thy own words Tr. 1. C. 3. S. 9 10.11 12 There are some whether they work miracles yea or nay as thou confessest most of the Prophets did not that 's nothing to thee who pretend not to this inspiration falsely but both can and do to youward insist upon this that being 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 divinely inspired their doctrine is to be recieved by you as from God and in their so doing it will be found in due time to be your sin even unbeliefe and rebellion against God not to submit to what they speake in his name as that of his word they receive from his mouth and this is not onely pleaded and insisted on by some but also whether their Testimony be received or not received by you preachers and the
of an Hour This is the manner of not a Few in their Writings I am therefore minded quoth â—he to Abstain from such Engagements Upon such Considerations was I enticed on the Enter â— and Trace further and farther After Him so that This may satisfie such as would haue had it shorter But to be short with such If the Authors Pains and Pay in Fenning and Printing be not worth the Readers Patience in Perusing and Purchasing who will may let it wholly alone for me He that likâ—s not the length of it hath enough of the same to make it shorter to himself however and may look upon as little of it as he lists Thirdly Now O ye Priests and Universally Erring University Leaders of All other People in Things of the Soul and its Salvation I shall say the lesse to you here by how much the whole following Fabrick Relates to you more Particularly then to any Though it harâ— noâ— only a General Respect to you All in Regard of your Brotherly Relation to those more Specially spoken to but a General Respect in some sort also unto All men Whether I am in more Opposition to your Principles or Pitty to your Persons I â—an scarcely say since I seek the Destruction of Nothing but what Destroyes you whose Souls I am sure I Love as much as I Loath those Light-lesse Laborinths of your Learning falsly so called in which you Loose you selves and Perish Marvel not that My Self and other man of more mean as count then your selves Meddle so much with the Maâ—ty Matters of your Ministry who have so long Excluded all Mechanicks and Plain Country Creatures from the Close Conclave of your Clerical and Collegian Counsells But know assuredly that the Day of God is Dawned upon the Earth Wherein from his Own Light which ye Labour against in the Firâ— of your Furious Minds Wearying your selves for very Vanity to Blow it Out It shall be Fill'd with the Knowledge of his Own Image and Glory as the Waters Cover the Sea Wherein as ye have Fought his Fear after your Own Precepts Traditions whereby ye have Turned his â—â—uth upside down so he is as he Threatned in that kind Isa. 29. bringing the Wisdom of you Wise Men and the Understanding of you Prudent Ones to nought so that your Turning of Things upside down shall be Esteemed as the Potters Clay Wherein as ye have Divided Jacob from his God and Scattered Gods Israel from their Dwelling which is the Light itself in the hearts of men in which God is and Dwells with Those who there Dwell with him which Light Christ and his Ministers seek to Draw All to and by it unto God and which it 's the Devils Work from the beginning to Seperate men from in your Anger which is Fierce and in your Wrath which is Cruel like that of Levi after whom you are called So he will â—iâ—iâ—e you in Jacob and scatter you in Israel Wherein as ye are become Bruitish Pastor's and have not Sought the Lord so ye shall not Prosper but All your Flocks shall be Scattered from you Wherein the Lord of Hosts is coming Down to Fight for Mount Sion to fetch his Flock froâ— between your 〈◊〉 and like as a Lyon Peâ—â—ring on his Prey when a Multitude of Shepheards is called forth against him he will not be affraid of your Voice nor Abase himself in the â—ost of his Holy Ones wherein he appears against you for the Noyses ye make against his Holy Truth But as ye have Provoked him to Wrath by your own Inventions and False Worships so he will Provoke you to Iealousy by a Foolish Nation and Weary you by such as are no People in your eyes and by 〈◊〉 Mean Weak Foolish Nothings Confound your Mighty Things that Are So that it shall be 〈◊〉 of the Learned Linguists and Greeks that seeâ— after Wisdom whereâ— the Scribe where 's the Disputer of this World◠〈◊〉 not God made Foolish the Wisdom of this World who by â—s Wisdom knew not God this by that Foolishnesse of Preaching whereby he Saves thâ—â— that believeâ— How are the hidden things of Esau searched 〈…〉 no more in Tema◠〈…〉 is 〈◊〉 up Thy sonâ— O Sion against Thy Sons O Grâ—â—â—d and â—aking them against thee O Greece as the Sword of a Mighty Man in his Hand and 〈◊〉 the Foundations of thy Faâ—ed Faith and Shaking all thy Supertitious 〈◊〉 iâ— the Ground And as to the Eâ—postulations that are hold hereafter with you O Scholasticks Boâ—be iâ— iâ—â— in pave about the Body yet it s Principally about the preâ—ended Bottom of all your Babyloniâ—â— Buildings in which if your Basis were not so Brittle as it is and must be being by your own Confession but the outward Teâ—â— of that â—â—ward Truth which you Teâ—â— meâ— while you talk of it 〈◊〉 Toâ—â—ly out of must needs be by so much an Unstable Standard by how much by your selves by the Pens of your University Doctors in their Choicest Divinity Disputes undertakings and fencing for the Fumâ—ess of it it 's yielded to be as Alterable in the very Greek and Hebrew Copies of it as the Letters Vowells Accents and lotaes of it are Lyable to be Chang'd in Sound or Shape at the wills of Criticks Witnesse the Acknowledgements of J.O. that Lately Choice Oxoâ—ian Champion and Latine Labourer Pro Scripturis against the Quakers whose Scribling so much on behalf of the Scriptures and the Integrity of the outward Text and the Word of God against us who are Truer Friends to Both then himself which was the first Occasion of this Rescription and is very largly Replyed to in the 2d and 3d. of these 4. Ensuing Exercitations Concerning whose Work tosâ— many of you Rabbies whom he Reasons for and Represents I shall here Subject onely these Three things which Consideratis Considerandis will shew that by your own Concessions to Vs about the Outward Transcripts or Texts of the Scripture if they â—â— they are Pâ—ofess'd to be beâ—t â—e Onely Rule and Rooâ— of All that ye call your Religion ye grant your Rule to be not Infallibly Right and your Root which is but a Mouldring and Mouldred Writing to be but Rottenesse and so Consesequently that at last your Blossom must go up as the Dust. 1. Let it be â—eeded how J. O. as is aforesaid and hereafter 〈◊〉 at large Pleads the Absolute Necessity of the Integrity of the present Text to be in the Hebrew and Greek Transcriptions though Translations which are the Peoples Scriptural Rule himself proves to be most exceedingly Corrupted Entire to every Tittle as at 〈◊〉 giving out without any losse so Strictly that if it be not so but it appear to have been Altered by Ablation or Addition of the Points by the Tiberians 〈◊〉 Cessarum â—eft he utterly gives up for Gone All Gospel-Godliness Cryes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Where shall we Stand. And sees no way to be Delivered from utter Uncertainty in and about all
to that effect so not a little to the contrary and so I leave this your Tale of a Tub as I found it with the Bottom out to take place in such hearts as are given ore to strong delusion to beleive your lyes that they may be damned for no entertainment will it find among such as receive the â—â—ve of the Truth that they may be saved yea as thou sayst in p. 3. of thy half sheeâ— of that figment of your own viz. that I was sent for tâ— Dover by L.H. to the dispute with W. Russell That I came on other business will hardly be beleived on the word of a Qua. so say I in thy own words of both this and that non entity of your own Creating and of William Wingfields mâ—srepâ—â—sentation of L. Hs. words also viz. that those words were spoken by L.H. as W.W. sayes confdering the three Testimonies that his words were otherwise and those also by the dying Qua. as thou â—et'st them down upon the best evidence thou giv'st of it from either the Qua. fleshly Brother or thy Spirituall Brother I. D. will hardly be beleived upon the word of such an envious Quareller with the Qua. as thou art by them that know how little Conscience that sort of men among whom thou art not the least make of lying against them and against the truth T. D. Another story thou tellest of a Qua. that came into the Savoy Church and made such a dreadfull noyse as seemed to be of the Devill in him and so sadly afrighted the people that some ran one way some another to secure themselves from the danger they apprehended was near them and necessitated the Minister then Preaching whom thou callest Mr. Hook to hold his peace as Witnesses of which the said Mr. and Mrs. Hook are cited Rep. A palpable evidence if the Devill had been in him as truly as ye suppose it how little of God is in your Christian Congregations and in your Churches and Ministers that the Devils bellowing out of the mouth of one unarmed man could make the Minister hold his peace and affright and put to flight his whole Church before his face Who so hearkens unto Christ dwells safely and is quiet from feare of evill he is not afraid of evil tidings his heart is fixed trusting in the Lord he is kept in perfect peace his mind is staâ—d on the Lord he keepeth himself that the wicked one toucheth him not he resisteth the Devil and makes him flee and gives not place to the evill one but a token rather it is that the Power of God was of a truth in the man who ere he was in that the Dâ—vils trembled in the wicked whom he possesses were so astonished at his presence for hic murus Abaeneus nil conscire sibi nullapallescere culpa as this is the Brazen Bulwark and impregnable fort that true Saints have such Rejoycing in as all the Devills in Hell cannot impeach the Testimony of their Conscience that in simplicity and Godly sincerity they have their Conversation toward God and all men so the Sinners in Sion are afraid and fearfulnesâ— surprises the Hypocrites and being conscious to themselves that no good belongs to them they wax pale at the sence of their own iniquities as if the Devill were comming to fetch his own the name of the Lord is a Terrour to them a dreadfull sound of danger is alwayes in their eaâ—es and they are Magor-Misabib fear round about and a terrour eternally to themselves so that they are in great fear where no feare is as to any outward appearance or occasion of it much more when the Lord himself begins to roare out against them and thunder upon them out of Sion whoâ—e â—oâ—ce is as terrible among the Sinners as the Devills is contemptible among the Saints yea their own evills perâ—uing the wicked they flee someâ—imes when no man persues but God being in the midst of the Congregation of the Râ—ghteous they are ever as bold as a Lyn. T. D. Thou tellest of a woman one Mary Todde a Qua. that at the Bull and Mouth while her friends were speaking pulled up all her cloaths above her middle exposing her Nakedness to the view of all in the Room Rep. I see if thou canst not get it by Hook thou wilt get it by Crook if thou canst but thou gettest nothing against us by either for as the Tale that is testified by thy Master and Mistriss 〈◊〉 makes as little against us to thy purpose were it as perfectly true as it s probably false in some part of it at least for I cannot learn that there is at Lord. such a one as Wil◠〈◊〉 that is owned as a friend among the Qua. So this 〈…〉 thou 〈◊〉 the Qua. in above was done by one that was a Româ—â— and not a Qua. whose Râ—nting abominable practiâ—es the Qua. whom thou callest her friends are more at eâ—mity with then thy self nor will thy 〈◊〉 in the Margin thy Eye-witness T. Cresset Câ—â—rurgion Cure and Sâ—â—vâ— thee from the â—ust censure of a false Accuser of the Qua. to whose score thou wâ—â—nesâ— down all the Rudeness that by the Rabble of their and the Truths enemies is in absolute hatred of both them and it acted ever and 〈◊〉 in their Assemblies And albeit thou â—â—innest over this thy 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 business in thy last 〈◊〉 piece of work of half a 〈◊〉 by the Certificate of Iohn 〈◊〉 as thou didst bolster it up before by Th. Cressets Testimony in thy Narrative which I. Lagâ— as far as his envious assertion will assure assures thee who very conâ—â—dently â—akest on thee to assure the world thereupon that the Quak. at Lond. acknowledge the said M. 〈◊〉 to be one owned and 〈◊〉 by them I here contrariwise affirm whatsoever some certain Qua. that under that name shrowding themselves to do mischief to the truth as the false brethren did of old by whom Paul was in peril might say to I. L. that the Qua. in London do disown and deny both M. T. and her ill carriage in that particular so that instead of mending thy ill matter thou hast but made it worse and redoubled the lye thou wouldst have lickt the lyars whole of T. D. Thou tellest of a Qua. that at Alderman-Bury on a Lords day while the Psalm was singing gat up into the Pulpit with his Hat on his head and serting his breech upon the Cushion fell to sewing Rep. A great piece of business for a man to be so sharply censured for as he was who did that Our Princes and Priests in these dayes have forgot that the Lords Prophets of old were moved to do as strange matters as that or any other thing that is done in the Spirits motion in these dayes by the Qua. as a sign to a wicked and adulterous generation when the Lord being wearied with the multitude of their sins began once to loath their most solemn sacrifices and to defile all the
this doth all or any of this Minister to you Ministers who make so much of it that way any Just matter of crime whereupon to accuse me at all or any matter of probable proof of so high a crime as ye and your self-like people are ever charging me with of complying with and of being in orders and pay from the Pope Among many hundreds of Iews the Truth hath been Testified to openly in their Synagogues and streets of their Cities in Rome and elâ—ewhere and yet being in safety from them hath been witnessed the Truth hath been Testified in Turkie yea by the Power of God to some great Bashaws and to the very Grand Segâ—ior himself and his Councell by some of the Servants and Hand-maids of the Lord on whom in these dayes he pours out of his Spirit who by the same Power of God have with such reâ—pectful usage as will shame England Old and New especially if it look not to it in time been dismissed peaceably from their presence doth this prove the Qua. complyance in their several Superstitions with either the Iews or Turks Respectively I trow not yet Heu quam facile est invenire baculum ad caedendum canem when men have once an ill name as the Proverb is they are half hang'd so that evil shall be ever charged upon them for doing good when for being Christ friends they become enemies to the world who hates him and for his sake are hated as a dog how easie is it for the worlds own children not only to find a quarrel against them but a cudgel also to beat them at their pleasure For mark how matter of Accusation it self is made by our Priests of our having been at Rome and declaring there against Popery and under that Protection we went out in returning safe again into England which is now laid to me as a Crime witness thy words viz. T.D. As to the matter of which S.F. was accused part of it he denied not namely tha he had been at Rome Rep. Had I been executed there as I might have been if the Lord had not kept me it had satisfied some Parish Preachers and others here very well who though they seemed to congratulate my well coming home yet were more merry when they heard I was hang'd or hew'd to pieces but now I am as well as some smooth tongues seem to wish me t is hardly well with them while it s well with me so that if they had advantage would not be slack to make use thereof to have execution against me here so that I may safely say Lord where should the Witnesses of thy Truth be safe or have a quiet Being if not in thee who when they go into other Nations are in danger to lose their lives as Hereticks and Church-wasters and when they return if the malice of their own Counmen might be permitted to prevail are in perils of being hang'd nearer home as Iâ—suits or such as are in pay and orders from the Pope while 't was both heard and hoped I were never likely to come safe back again from out of the paw of that Romish Roâ—râ—ng Lyon 't was counted no crime by the Clergy even at Rome it self to bear Testimony against it but sith it s seen I had no harm there it must be thence granted that I did some and that a mans being there only is Crime enough to be accusâ—d on and not only so but some eminent evidence of such another high crime as by the Law as it yet stands were it made good against me cals for no less then handling with an English halter so in Summe say some of our English Seminaries whose voice is smooth as Iacobs but their hands ever rough as the hands of Esau. 2. But be it as high a Crime as it will for such as here protest against the Pope to visit Rome I can do so much good at least against their Evil as to excuse my cheif accusers and as candidly to clear our Clergy of it as several of them continually are charging me therewith yea I am perswaded that our English Clergy are as Clear in their consciences from the guilt of that Crime and as fearful of that fault and as free from the thoughts of Committing such a thing as travelling to Rome to tell the Truth as they are far from it in their Persons while they are preaching against it in their Parishes and as they are far from consenting to it and calling for it that the Iews may come into England in order to their coming to the Truth for whose coming to it they are always calling upon God There is little posting to preach abroad by these fixed Stars the stand stiff like Posts in their own places let those wandring Stars say they not considering that the Vagabonds and wandring Stars to whom the mist of darkness is reserved for ever are such as wander with Cain from the light of God and not to and fro to preach the Gospel let the Qua. gad about and gang to Rome or where they will wee 'l be none of their gang and as for money there 's little need for them to Run so far as Rome for pay to receive his pensions from the Pope himself having it nearer home It is enough for our Parochial Priesthood to Receive the Romish pay of Parsonages Vicaradges Curateships Glebe-lands Tithes add other of Romes Bonifaces Benefices and Benedictus's Blessings in their native Nation and have the Popes Pensions and their part of Peters Patrimony for preaching against the Pope and Peter too in the Popes old mouldy Mass-houses to his own Parochially moulded Churches It s enough for them to abide here praying down Antichrist and praying home the Iews and preaching against the Qua. while they go out against him as siders with and upholders of him as much as against Antichrist himself and cry out against those that go out as the Lord moves to cry in the Iews as one with the Iâ—ws for so I. O. saith the Qua. are in enmity to the Scripture and as worâ—e then the very Iews themselves O Lord God forgive cease this I bessech thee by whom shall Iacob arise for he is yet small by whom shall the Romane Antichrist fall for he is yet great when such as call themselves thy Messengers will neither go on thy errand or message themselves nor quietly suffer thoâ—e Messengers of thine that are made willing to it by thy power but are still-crying out to thee to bring down Antichrist and bring in the Iews and yet crying out against those that go out as from thee to bring in the one and bring down the other But by this time I suppose that as the true Israel and Clergy that is of God do little less then abhorre to see it so some of their own folds do smile more then they 'l seem to do to hear their Clergy calling and sounding out to God in their sundry Synagogues Lord discover the Skirts of that
hollow holes and cavernes throw the several Sections or lesser Rivelets thereof as throw so many dark Cells till driving downward still throw that least and last Head-lesse and Tail-lesse piece of Envy against the inner Light they issue out into the outer darknesse and at last all empty themselves headlong into the bottomlesse pit from whence those Exercitations for the most part were at first exerted and so downward still into the most dismal Lake of all even the Lake of fire that burns with brimstone which is the second death where the strong Warriour who is as â—oe and his work which is as a spark and every Lyar and his Lyes must lye and burn both together for ever and not be quenched And as for thy boasting thy self and glorying over the Quakers as learned no farther then their meer Mother tongue and such as understand not so much as the Latine tongue wherein thou cowardly enough encounterest them nor know how to speak sound sense to your understandings in their seeming bâ—bble to each other and to all others Alas poor man this is no newes to the Quakers to see Sanballats and Tobias's High Priests Scribes and Pharisees Doctors and reverend Rabbies superstitious Athenians University Philosophers Epicureans and Stoicks who worship an unknown God A generation of Arteficial Fools and Scholastick ignorant Ones that of old encountered Paul a better Schollar in Christs School a wiser builder then themselves Acts 17. count Gods Prophets Christ and his Apostles bringers of strange Matters and New Doctrines to their Ears medlers beyond their line measure Rule and Call doers and speakers of bald businesses no newes to hear the Opposers of Truth in their Science falsly so called say of the Quakers What will these feeble folk do Will they fortifie themselves Will they Sacrifice Will they make an end in a day Will they revive the stones out of the heaps of the Rubbish that are burnt That which they build if a Fox go up he shall even break down their stone wall Neh. 4.2 3. Oh thou Seer that confessest thou wast neither bred nor born a Prophet but an Herdsman com'st thou to Prophesie at Bethel at the Kings Chappel away hence to thy own Countrey eat Bread and Prophesie there if thou wilt Prophesie but come not here dropping thy word thou art not a fit man to minister here the Land will not bear thy words Amos 7. Whence hath this man these things he pretends too this boldness to teach us having never learn't at our Schooles being never brought up at our Nurseries of Learning and Religion and such like But miserably wretched and deluded men that ye are ye little consider though the old Priests and Scribes as bad as they were took knowledge of such a thing in Peter and Iohn Acts 4. that as outwardly unlearned and ignorant men as the Quakers seem to you to be yet they have been with Iesus from whom they have learned that by looking to him in his own Light which all your meer sublunary literature can never lead you into the knowledge of even that hidden Wisdom of God in a Mystery which the Princes of this world are not acquainted with that Crosse of Christ the Wisdom Power Righteousnesse Image and Glory of God which is foolishnesse to them that pâ—rish Ye glory in your Fencer-like Faculties of Disputing in Form and Mood and Figure over the Quakers as a sort of Rusticks and Russet-Coats disorderly Disputers unruly and vain Talkers because they are not Regulated as your own blinded People are in all things implicitly by the Rules and wordly Rudiments of you Renowned Rabbies but ye forget that the Lord hath rejected the Scribe and Disputer of this World and will confound and make foolish and bring to nought all his strong and wise and mighty Matters that Are by the weak foolish base abject Contemptible things that Are not and by stammerring lips and another Tongue then they wot of and by Precept upon Precept line upon line here a little and there a little make the Drunkard of Ephraim stagger and stumble and go backward and fall and be broken and snared and taken and weary these vain wise wild-Asses out of their Academical Niceties and Punctilio's out of their Accute Astutenesse and Astute Accutenesse out of their witty Wiles and wicked wrestlings against the Truth by a foolish Nation that are even as no People in their eyes Ye tell the World that these People know not the Law and are accursed as your Fore-fathers did saying Do you see any of the Rulers of the Pharisees believe as they do they are un'earned and unstable a giddy headed People that wrest the Scriptures to their own destruction But ye heed not how Christ tells the Scribes that were as well skilled in searching into the Scripture as your selves that they Erred and knew not the Scriptures nor the power of God and how even ignorant and unlearned Peter himself as to that Science of yours falsely so called or Wisdome of the flesh which is ever enmity against God and is never subject to his Law nor can be speaks of another kind of un'earn'd and unstable Ones then those ye count so who are a thousand fold more spiritually discerning then your selves that being out of the Light and spirit in which Paul and holy men gave them forth wrest both Pauls Epistles that are hard to be understood by the learned'st of our Letter-lauders and also other Scriptures to their own ruine The Quakers Preach Christ his Light and Crosse the Power of God the Wisdom of God to the Iew outwardly a stumbling Block and foolishnesse to the Greek the Quakers know not the Originals say they How can they Expound and Open Scriptures They know not the language we here use quoth I.O. whose Lyes are most in Latine against the Quakers who busies himself about the back-side of the Book and tangles and turmoyls himself in tedious Tattle about the External Text about the integrity of the Hebrew the Greek But ye say I know not what is talked of in that Text it self ye so much talk of when it tells of a time wherein the Eyes of all Israel as of one man shall be toward the Lord who will bend Judah for himself and fill the Bow with Ephraim and raise up the sons of Sion against the sons of Greece and make them as the sword of a Mighty man in his hand Yea who so blind about the Scripture it self as well as about the things therein written as the great Scripture searching Scribes and Scholastick Scriblers thereupon who come not at all to Christ himself whom the Scriptures testifie of that they might have Light and Life who never at any time hear either his or the Fathers voice or see his shape so far are they from coming forth into his likenesse or Image which in their own imaginations these Spiritual men of God so called pretend to appear in more then any others Now as to
the many frivoulous flouting phrases and new fangled nick-Names wherewith thou who bearest Christs Name more then his Nature like the old Heathen Enemies to the Truth dost cover its true Christian Friends as it were with wild Beasts-skins that looking on them under that likenesse Name and Notion of Deceivers Destroyers Lyars Hypocrites horrid cursed Diabolical Blasphemers the Dogs of your Flocks may be hereby encouraged and set on to run the more greedily on to tear and worry them These will all Reflect upon thy self the envious Exerter of them and lye with no little load like a Talent of Lead upon thy Conscience and sink thee down among the rest of the uncircumcised in lips into sore Condemnation when thou awakest to behold him who now cometh in Myriads of his Saints to Convince and Iudge all ungodly Sinners for all the hard speeches they have ungodly spoken against him in his Saints and Servants whose Righteousness is of the Lord and whose Heritage it is to condemne every false Blasphemous and unruly Tongue that as thine doth riseth up in Judgement against them And as for us the Reproach of Christ is greater Riches to us then the Treasures of England which ye are glorying in and gaping after Nevertheless I shall here have a few words with thee about some few of them as well as about the Lyes that under them thou rellest of us Thou ventest thy venome against us under those Two now vulgar Names of Quakers and Fanaticks on this wise J. O. The second part of the Question concerning the proper Name of the Scripture relates to our Fanaticks who from that Trembling wherewith they fain themselves to be shaken in their holy Services or rather the power of that evil spirit by which in very deed they are shaken are commonly called Quakers Reply As for that holy duty it self of Quaking and Trembling at the Word of God which as blind a guide and bruit a Beast as thou art in speaking evil of what thou knowest as also of what thou knowest not thou both ownest and acknowledgest the holy men of God were taken with of old when moved to utter his Word as it came to them witness thy own words pag. 8. viz. the coming of the Word to them filled them with dread and reverence of God Hab. 3.16 and also greatly affected even their outward man though we dare not be so desperate as to damne it all for Diabolical as thou dost in these dayes in which God hath his Prophets and his People as well as then yet we own it as thou in word dost and indeed as they did Isa. 66.5 and are as they by their Brethren hated and cast out by you our Brother Christians in Name for so doing which meer fleshly Brotherhood who hate us and cast out our Name as evil for his Names sake shall be ashamed for it before him that appears to our joy and when Ierusalem hath first drunk her part as she is now a doing ye shall drink the dregs of the Cup of Trembling with the Devils whose Portion Trembling is for all ye believe the History as they also do and wring them out together with all the wicked of the Earth And as we own the thing so saving all your Ironical Tauntings of us therewith which we deny as that which ye even of God must be denied for we own the Name when used in his fear as that which is both Arbitrio Iure Divine imposed by God himself as their proper right on his own People whom himself from that holy Qualification of Trembling at his Word even thereby as by a peculiar Character denominates Isa. 66.5 and distinguishes from all other people that are found Quaking and Trembling mostly at the Word of man whom his Saints have ceased from whose breath is in his nostrils so that if the Word of man earthly powers Princes Parliaments go forth for such or such a kind of Christianity Religion Worship Order or Form of Ecclesiastical Doctrine or Discipline they all Priests and People and the Nations that fear not God by whole-sale strait stand stupified Quaking and Trembling and fall down Worshipping for fear of the Furnace the Quakers at Gods Word only excepted whatever Golden Image the King of Babilon pleases to set up and impose on them to how down to As to Name and Thing then we own that of Quaking and Trembling but dare not like thy self who ownest and yet defamest it corrupt our selves in what we know Nec tutum est ludere cum sacris neither is it a safe matter for such a high Professor as thou I.O. goest for to jeast and fleere so as thou dost about such holy matters as Quaking and Trembling at the Word of God which thou must come to know nearer home then ever yet when that Word nigh in the heart thou so sowlely fallest on comes once to be felt in thee as an Hammer breaking thy Rocky heart to pieces and to flame forth in thee as a fire and a spirit of burning under the Pot whose filthy scum boyls in it against the Truth and is not yet purged away When thou comest to know Moses of whom thou pratest so much a little better then yet thou dost thou shalt say I exceedingly Fear and Quake assâ—re they self as well as he with whom thou must Tremble on Mount Sinai Heb. 12.18 21 22 23 24 25 c. at that voice of the Trumpet and that Terrour of the Lord and that Blacknesse and Darknesse and Tempest which attends it before thou come near Mount Sion and to rest in the Hill thereof as much as in an empty sound of Words thou art mounting up thither afore thy time I.O. But this Dread and Terrour which Satan strove to imitate in his filthy Tripodes and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 was peculiar to the Old Testament and belonged to the Paedogogy thereof the Spirit in the Declaration of the New Testament gave out his mind and will in a way of more liberty and glory the manner of it related more to that glorious liberty in fellowship and Communion with the Father whereunto Believers had then an accesse provided them by Jesus Christ. Rep. That the Devil may and doth strive to imitate the things of God I deny not yea there 's scarse any outward Appearance or Form that the power of God puts it self forth in but the power of the evil One in man strives Apishly to imitate and make the meer likenesse and Image of it but these Images and Imitations are made among the Magicians and Wisemen of Egypt who are gone out from Gods Counsel the Light and Power of God in the Conscience into the meer Imaginations of their own vain minds and foolish hearts leaning to their own benighted understandings but not among these who leaving their own Wisdom learn only at the lips of Christ who leads even fools that love him into the Substance it self and that wisdom which makes wise to Salvation 'T is
true that as Iannes and Iambres withstood Moses by imitating what he did by the finger of God and acting outwardly so as he as far as they could till they were forced to confesse they could now fainedly follow no further and in a seeming shew did the same by their Enchantments So 't is now the Saints pray so do the Sinners the Saints fast so do the Sinners the Saints preach of a Gospel a Kingdom to come so do the Serpents the Saints meet so do the Hypocrites the Saints Worship so do the Idolaters the Saints in the Power and Spirit of God professe to be Godly and Holy so do the zealous Sorceters in words who bewitch the people that they cannot believe and obey the Truth and their several seduced Societies which have 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Form of Godlinesse denying the power thereof c. And as it is true that as the Quakers Tremble at Gods Word so that the power of Gods voice which shaketh the Cedars of Lebanon when heard as well as the lower shrubs ofâ—â—times greatly affecteth the outward man so the Devil may cause some of his deluded ones to seem only to do the like But what of all this Scillicet because there is something done in Deceit therefore nothing now done in Truth some Quaking is of the Devil therefore none of God himself This is the sum of I. O's sayings of all the Quakers in grosse if not learn henceforth I.O. to take forth the prelious from the vile as Gods Prophets do who are as his mouth Ier. and not to jumble these together in one as hitherto thou hast done till then I tell thee from the Quakers so called that faining and being driven by the Devil thou fatherest on us we are far from and deny it as one of the many Lyes the Devil drives thee to defame us with who are in the Truth which the Devil abode not in whose Works with himself and his Lyes and that Deceit which is of him and dwells in thee we deny and defie also for ever And now whereas thou talkest of only Liberty and Glory and Fellowship with the Father in these dayes of the New Testament and such Quaking Trembling Terrour Dread c. as greatly affects the outward man as a matter belonging to them of old only to the Iewish Paedagogy c. as if the Word must come to you now in a smoother manner then to Gods Servants and Prophets heretofore Herein thou talkest as if the time of all such Trouble Terrour Dread and Trembling at hearing of the Word of God as usually affected the outward man and was in the Prophets was all perfectly past and men should see no more of that in the world among the Servants of the Lord from that time and forward wherein Christ after the flesh was outwardly incarnated Crucified and Risen again from the dead and all the Appearances of the Lord to his Apostles Prophets Messengers Ministers and Servants whom he sends forth on his Errand into the world now a dayes are only in liberty glory dreaming pleasantly in thy dark mind of ease rest peace and familiarity with the dreadful God before thy time damning down the rough severe troublesome terrible trembling spirit doctrine and Ministry of the Quakers to thee ward and thy serpentine generation of Vipers that would fain flee the wrong way when ye are warned thereof from the newes of a wrath yet to come to your lifelesse Formes and fig-leaves and false biding-places sandy sickle foundations literal lurking-holes fained pretences bare Bible bulwarls selfish Fastings Prayers Praisings Preachings misty empty pithlesse and poor Professions as a Doctrine of Devils as a ministration wherein either fictitiously or rather really they are acted surpriz'd by the Devil with trembling in their holy services Ex. 1 S.I. as they said of Iohn that came Fasting and Reproving Iudging and Threatning laying an Axe to the root of their fair leafy tree and flourishing formal prosessings of the old Prophets Words and Writings and pretences to Abraham as his Children and Moses as his Disciples and the Scripture as the Scribes and Openers of it and telling of wrath to come upon them and unquenchable fire to burn them up as Chass this man hath a Devil away with him give us a Ministry that will speak comfortably to Ierusalem Seers that will see better things for Sion that shall answer the Messengers of the Nations that enquire of them the Lord hath founded Sion 't is Babylon that is to be confounded O ye Quakers ye Seers flee ye far away hence to Rome to Papists Iesuites Iewes Turks Heathens among whom many Quakers have been but few or none of our Chimney-corner Church-men that I know of but come not hence with your Plumb-line thundring words of Iudgement laid to the line and Righteousnesse to the Plummet and laying waste the High Places of Israel and the Sanctuaries of Israel with the Sword of the Lord this our Land of Israel ought not to bear these words 't is disturbance tumultuousnesse and Conspiracy against the Pious Magistracy and the Godly Ministry in the midst of it Prophesie no more such rough things at Bethel they are not right things here Prophesie to us Placentia Prophesie smooth things alias Deceits we are the Preists of Bethel the house of God Amos 7.7 c. we are the Ministry of the reformed Churches we are the Well heads and feed at the Fountains from whence Souls draw all their Refreshment we are the Doctors Deans Principals Provosts Presidents Wardens Masters of Magdalene Christ-Church Iesus Trinity Emmanuel and such like Christian Colledges and Halls the Religious Nursing Fathers to the Nursing Mothers themselves that are alias ought to be the very Nurseries of Learning and true Religion If ye come to us with a Word from the Lord come not in your wonted trembling postures and obstreperous horrible vociferation wherewith ye dreadfully found it out throw our Streets Cities and Temples know the Lord as if we were without God in the World Prophesie no more ye Fanaticks to us in your pretended movings by the Spirit if ye do ye must bear and take the shame of the Stocks or the Cage or the Whipping-Post and a Passe to the place from whence ye came or the pulling off your Robe with the Garment or the stopping of your Mouth with stones and the Pumps and Mire and Dirt or such like Mic. 2.6 7 8. But vers 11. if a man walk in a Spirit of Falshood do Lye will Prophesie to us of wine strong drink Ease Pleasure Peace with God in our sins impossibility of being purged from them till we die and of Salvation and Iustification of us by the Example of David while under the guilt of Murder and Adultery and of Profits and Preferments and more Maintenance for a Godly Ministry that suppose Gain to be Godliness let him come he is a Gospel Minister he shall even be the Prophet among our
present Seers gain-getting Priests false Prophets and foolish People But alas poor man thou art far enough from the New Testament or Covenant yet which is a Gospel a Covenant of Light which thou art so far from that thou fightest against it thou thinkest thy Judgement is over past and the Old Testament a thing that thou hast learned long ago but thou art not come so near to the sharp Paedagogy of it yet as thou must do so far art thou from the glorious Liberties of the New Thy words are true enough the Word under the New comes in a way of more Liberty and Glory but it s no newes to hear High Priests speak Truths which themselves know not thou art at best but an Old Testament Talker of the New and one that 's come truly yet under the Tuition of neither As for the New the Word comes under it in Liberty and Glory but not to Old Testament Spirits Doctors Scribes and Pharisees they see not clearly so much as Moses face much lesse the Glory of God in the face of Iesus Condemnation is yet to come from Christ himself first to such as these as well as from Moses Iohn yea Christ himsâ—lf whose friendliness to Publicans and Sinners as a Physitian was found fault with by such Friday fasting Pharisees as this Age is filled with as much as Iohns Austerenesse was found in Iohns rough Spirit Camels hair Garment and astonishing Appearance to them that went about to Murder him in his inward Ministry and Testimony within themselves and then they said of him too as of Iohn Thou hast a Devil Ioh 8. Ah poor Nursing Fathers and Mothers Vniversally Erring Vniversity Seducers poor seducing Priests and seduced People notwithstanding the Glorious Liberty and Gloriousnesse of the Gospel Times that ye are glorying in in a Dream that ye live under ye must most assuredly find a Condemning Iudging Terrifying fiery flaming Law laying hold on your Consciences and finding you out and the Sword of the Lord entering into your Souls and the Wrath of the Lord rending your very heart-strings a sunder and dread terrour and trembling surprizing you Hypocritical sinners in Sion before ever ye shall come to know the true Liberty or Glory of the Gospel which is the Image and Glory of God brought forth among you yea judgement is already laid to the line and Rigeteousnesse to the Plummet and the Hail is falling that will sweep away your Refuges of Lyes and the storm that will overflow your hiding places and break and disinable your supposed Covenant and Agreement with Death and Hell as if your judgement were passed over by the Lord and none of that could come near you and your Bed will be found too short for you to rest on and your Covering too narrow to wrap your selves in from the Wrath of God the power of whose wrathful displeasure shall make your Mount Sier shake like Sinai before ever ye come near to the sight of that glorious Rest that the Saints ly down in on Mount Sion Now as to that other new found Phrase of Fanaticks These Fanaticks the Fanaticks of this time our Fanaticks Fanatical Quakers Fanatical Souls Fanatical Enthusiasts Fanatical Knaves Fanatical Anti-scripturists and under which ever and anon yea so oft that I may say Ferè numquam non thou soamest out as thy fellows do that froth filth and falshood which floats about in thy foolish vain Spirit against the Quakers in gross as against a furious distracted mad crack-brain'd kind of men that for so those Terms signifie as used by thee pretend to Visions Revelations Illuminations Inspirations the Spirit of Prophesie and such like but are Reapse stark besides themselves and bereft of their very wits and senses As new a nick-Name as 't is to this Age this is no other then what all the Prophets of God were entertained with in the several seasons wherein God sent them out by the many false Prophets that were Coaetaneous with them and therefore nibil novi no new business to such as are not blind He is but meanly skill'd in the Scriptures who hath not yet learn'd from thence That the Prophets by whom God spake and by whose Ministry be muâ—tiplied Visions and used Similitudes as Hos. 12.10 were ever counted Deceivers as the snare of a Fowler in all their wayes that the true Prophet was a fool and the spiritual man or man of the spirit Mad Hos. 9.7 8. and hatred alwayes in the House of his God And that Gods People by meer profession rose up against them as against an Enemy and as now the same Generation of Holy Hypocrites do both in Old England and in New pull'd off their Robes and their Garments from them to whip and scourge them sometimes as Seditious and Disturbers that passe by securely as men most averse from War and streitned the spirit of the Lord saying Prophesie not so such as Prophesied in his Name and Power and putting them to shame if they did when if a man would walk in the wind of his own Invention and Lye falsly and Prophesie to them of â—elly Ohear of Wine and of strong Drink even he should be own'd a Prophet by that People Mic 2.8 9 10 11. And that Ioshua the true High Priest and his fellows even Christ and the Children that God had given him were as men wondred at were set as signes to be spoken against even to the house of Jacob from whom he hid his face and their peepers and mutterers out of their own familiar spirits to the unbelieving Despisers that wonder and perish for signes and for wonders from the Lord of Host that dwelleth in Mount Sion Isa. 8.17 18. Zach. 3.8 Luke 2.34 Act. 13.40 41. Yea I. O. hath read his own Book ore but by the halves if he do not learn this Lesson out of it himself pag. 58 59 61 62. that the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or divinely inspired men whose Doctrine was to have been received as from God who sent them and in whose Name they spake though but Herdsmen and of mean Occupation were yet generally rejected upon innumerable prejudices that attended the Truth they spake arising from the personal infirmities and supposed Interests of them that delivered it as Amos 7. Ier. 43.2 3. Ioh 9.29 Act. 24.5 and that what with these things and chiefly the Peoples being so eminently perplexed with false Prophets both as to their number and subtilty that they could not well discern aright between Gods Word and that which was only pretended so to be and so became guilty of unbelief and rebellion against God not submitting to what they spake in his Name it alwayes so sell out that scarce any Prophet that spake in the Name of God had any Approbation from the Church of dead stones in whose dayes he spake Matth. 5.12.21.33 to 38 Act. 7.52 Thus much I.O. may learn from these words which are mostly his own that it was alwayes so heretofore and
Inhabitants of that earthly Jerusalem which is from beneath the fleshly Church of Jews and Christians according to the meer Letter which is in bondage with her children Isa. 8.14 28.16 1 Pet. 2. And that it is Christ Iesus alone and not the Scriptures that is there call'd the Foundation is most evident not onely from the Text it self wherein Jesus Christ himself is instanced in as such for the same that is call'd the Foundation is there also call'd the Corner-stone but also from other Scriptures whereby the truth hereof is yet more illustrated viz. Isa. 28.18 where speaking both in the foregoing and following Verses of the false Foundations short beds narrow coverings and lying refuges that the Drunkards of Ephraim that erred from the simple plain truth thorow the Wine of their own Wisdom and were out of the way and stumbled in Wisdom and Iudgement thorow the strong Drink of their own devised Doctrines so that they could not discern nor learn the Lords Doctrine that was divined to them thorow the stammering lips of such as ministred Precept upon Precept Line upon Line here a little and there a little among them he summons all to fix their Faith on the one onely true and firm Foundation saying Behold I lay in Sion for a Foundation a Stone a tryed Stone a precious Corner-stone a sure Foundation he that believeth shall not make haste Where it 's very observable as it is in Eph. 2.20 That the self-same that is called the Corner-stone is also ca'led the sure Foundation Likewise 1 Cor 11. where it's expresly said That other Foundation can no man lay then that is laid which is JESUS CHRIST Now if no man can lay any other Foundation of the Church which is God's Building then Christ whom the Apostle sayes ver 10. He himself laid as a wise Master-Builder according to the Grace of God given unto him Then all things else besides Christ the Word of God the Light of the World and that measure of Light that shines from him which is not divided from him any more then that of the Sun from it but one with him whatsoever men go about to lay as the Foundation of the Church and her Faith Hope and Obedience are not truly really and properly so but imaginarily supposively fictitiously so and but falsly so called meerly seigned found out and founded onely in the Fancies of foolish blind Babel-builders which Founders and their fictitious Foundations must be confounded For the layers of a false Foundation and such are all they that with I.O. lay the Letter or Traditions with the Papists and Iesuits he justles with or any other then Christ the Light must come to confusion as wel as the meer Formalists their Wood Hey Stubble Trash Imitations empty forms and such like Superstitions and all sorts of Superstructions of the Babilonish Builders upon the true Whereupon as much as J.O. blesses himself in his holding the Foundation and feeds himself with hopes of salvation so long as he is found holding that though he build Hay and Stubble upon it and his Works come to be consumed saying p. 160. It will be well for us if we be found holding the Foundation if we build hay and stubble upon it though our Work perish we shall be saved Yet alas poor deluded man J.O. thou mistakest thy self exceedingly it would be well for thee indeed if thou held'st the Foundation Christ the Head the Light of men thy person might then be saved though thy Work of wood hay stubble will assuredly perish in the fire But thou art far from being found holding that Foundation then which there is no other and found laying another even thy uncertain Transcripts of the Greek and Hebrew Texts and an outward fallible Letter and its Points and Syllables and Tittles and Iota's one jot or tittle of which if it fail thou confessest all thy Faith and Fabrick of Religion falls to the ground confessing also that 't was not impossible for the chiefest Transcribers thereof to mistake in any thing yea that they did fail in their Work so rasing thy false feigned and fallible Foundation to the ground and pulling down thy House with thy own hands like the foolish woman And as for the true Foundation Christ the Light and Spirit which are infallible stable firm fixt sure and certain as every true laid Foundation ought to be and is though thy flexible Letter is not so which is of it self an Argument of its not being the Churches Foundation of Faith and Obedience This true one I say is by thee trampled on and flouted at under the Names of Nescio quod Lumen quem Deum seu 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Deo quopiam melius merae Tenebrae aecitas fines salutares quod attines non sufficiens ad salutem Christus Fanaticorum imaginarius fictitius qualitas nescio quae divina seu anima Mundi omnibus misia quae 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sit i.e. vere nihil Ex. 4. S. 15.17.21 Doctorem infallibilem nihil habens commune cum Scripturis Ex. 3. S. 22. I know not what Light what God or cornucopia better then any God infallible Doctor inconsonant utterly with the Scripture imaginary Christ of the Qua. I know not what Divine Quality or Soul of the World made up of all things that is all things and truly nothing Moreover if none can lay other Foundation then Christ then Paul himself by these words Ephes. 2.20 Ye are built on the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets cannot rationally be concluded as he is both senselesly and reasonlesly conceived by I.O. to intend any other Foundation then Christ himself neither can he be understood by any that have common understanding to intend himself and other Prophets and Apostles or his own and their meer outward Writings for then there are two whereof they must have one Foundation of Faith and Obedience and we another they Christ the Light and we them and their Letter which is an absurdity utterly unbecoming men call'd Christs Ministers to imagine seeing the Foundation quicquid id est of the Church and her faith hope and obedience from the beginning of the world to this day is but one and not many yea as the Faith is one and the Baptism one and the Temple and building one and the Body one and the Spirit one and the Lord and God and Father of all saints is one so the Foundation is but one what ever it is Eph. 4 5 6. Or else secondly if there be but one foundation for us and them to stand upon and that be the Apostles and Prophets themselves or thei Writings then Incidit in Scyllam c. the Apostles and Prophets must be supposed to be built not upon Christ but upon themselves their own Writings as to their faith and saving knowledge of the truth or at least on the Writings one of another which is an Imagination as if not more absolutely absurd than the former yet of the two I.O. having
spoils them Souls and Bodies and nought to be deceived of but deceit and darkness it self yet they are ever noysing it out Deceit Deceit by means of which unanimous out-cryes and simultaneous sounds of these Heterogeneous multaneous multanimous false Prophets drowning the still voice of Wâ—sdome which yet cryes aloud too and uttereth her voice to these simple scorners in their streets Pro. 1. It is not heard nor heeded though the Wisdome of God send them now as of old he did to the like Generation of evil doers Matth. 23.34 Luke 11.49.50 Prophets and Apostles and wise mâ—n and Scribes yet some of them they even kill and some of them they imprison and persecute out of their Synagogues and some they stone dirt and bemire not only with their belying lips and pens but also their merciless hands the dark places of the earth Cathedrals Monasteries Abbeys Academies Colledges being ever full of the habitations of cruelty Ps. and some they sorely whip and scourge supposing they do God service in all this Iohn 16.2 that the righteous blood of all the Prophets which was shed from the foundation of the world may come upon them which verily is to be required both of this and in this present evil Generation For the Lord is now in earnest bending Iudah for himself and filling the bow with Ephraim and raising up the Academically-unlearned sons of Sion against those sons of Greek and making them as the Sword of a mighty man in his own hand to do vengeance on those heathenish nursing Mothers and to punish not only all others but more especially their Pope-like Priests and people to bind their Kings in chains and their Nobles with fetters of iron to execute on them the Iudgement written in the Scripture itself they scribble about far more then they are skill'd in it to speak to those Drunkards with the wine of their own wisdome with stammering lips and another Tongue then any they can talk in or understand by precept upon precept line upon line here a little and there a little that they may go backward and stumble and fall and be broken and snared and taken and to reject those Greeks that seek so much after mans wisdome in the promulgation of the things of God to whom the Cross of Christ is foolishness and to reject those Scribes and Disputers of this world and by that preaching which to them is foolishness itself to make their wisdome foolish and to chuse out foolish weak base things and persons even Laicks Mechanicks Rusticks Russet-Rabbies as they term them even Babes Bablers and such as Are not in their eyes to confound and bring to naught these mighty wise and prudent ones that Are and to draw the night and darkness over those dreaming Diviners that they shall no more divine what things and strange acts are transacting in this time and to cause the Sun to set upon their learned Seers that scoffingly call to the Qua. out of their Mount Seir Watchman What of the night So that the Vision of all both to them and their unlearned people that live upon their lips shall be as a book seaâ—ed and to search out the hidden things of those Lord Esau's that hunt abroad for their learning and to supplant them by his plain honest-hearted Iacobs that dwell and learn truth at home in their own Tents and to cover Aegypt with a Cloud and to mingle a perverse spirit among her Ministers and to manifest the folly of these Iannes and Iambres that resist the truth men of corrupt minds reprobate concerning the Faith as he did theirs that withstood Moses of old and to leave the Princes of Zoan to become fools and the counsel of these wise Councellors of Pharoah to become bruitish so that it shall be said of them as of old Iâ—a 19. Where are they Where are the wise men Let them tell now let them know what the Lord of Hosts hath purposed upon AEgypt yea surely these Princes of Zoan are already become fools the Princes of Nâ—pâ— are deceived They have also seduced AEgypt even they that Tribe that is the stay of the Tribes thereof and to divide in Iacob that Tripâ—Lâ— Tribe of Levi whose anger and wrath is cursed for it hath been cruel and as they have scattered the Israel of God so to scatter them in his Israel and to set these â—oâ—sheards of the earth to drive with each other about their own foundation and to râ—ze their own Babel to the ground and to break themselves to pieces one against another like a Potters Vesselâ— so that in the bursting thereof there shall not be left at last so much as a sheard fit to use to take fire from the hearth or water withall from the piâ— and to render all the works and voluminous Tomes of these Turners of his things upside down of no better esteem among men then the Potters claâ— and to take all these subtil foxes in their own craftiness both the great and the little oneâ— that Spoil his Vine which bath tender Grapes and hurt the cluster or gatherings of the Saints together in which is the New Wine and the Blessing and to unhoâ—se this Tripple-crown'd Harlot that hath so long rode and at upon both Powers and their people her nursing Mothers of lâ—arning true Religion and piety in pretence but in truth of all ignorance superstition and abomination and to call to account the whole Ct Clergy upon which a Consumption is determined throughout the earth and to summon both the Pope and his Cardinals Mount Seigniors Iesuites Monks Fâ—yers and also all Arch-bishops Bishops Arch-deacons Deans and their Officials also all Parsons Vicars Curates and all Spiritual Persons whatsoever also all learned Linguists Scribes Text-men Translators Commentators Tâ—eaters Tythe-Teachers Talkers of Truth for their own turns and Tradâ—râ— out of the Scriptures profit-seeking Prophets and Pastors that for pay have made a prey of his people and to plead with them for his flock and to come down to fight for Mount Sion and for the hill thereof and to Roar through the mouths of his Prophets against these many sorts of Shepherds that are now so loud and full of noyses and clamours to keep their flocks from fleeing from them crying out Heresie beresie Schism Quakeâ—ism Fanaticism c. and to scatter their people from them and to gather his own sheep into his Fold whom they have driven to and fro from mountain to hill in the dark and gloomy day and to take their prey from the midst of them and like a Lion roaring on his prey when a multitude of Shepherds is call'd forth against him he will not be afraid of their â—ice nor abase himself for the noyse of them In a word to stretch out his hand so strongly against them all that those powers and people that helpe them shall fall and those Priests Universities Doctors Schollars and other Students there that are holpen by the earthly powers shall fall and they all
what they will let earthly Kings set themselves Rulers take counsel together as they will it s in vain if against the Lord and his anointed Christ Jesus his Son in his Saints whom he will set as his King in the Conscience and in his holy hill of Sion But rather kisse the Son lest he be angry and ye perish for ever from the way of your own peace for if his wrath be kindled yea but a little blessed are all they only that trust and hope in him Psal. 2. Contradictions and Rounds about the modern infallible teachings of Gods infallible Spirit III. As to our doctrine of the present guidance of Christs Church and Ministry by his own infallible spirit They tell us sometimes or at least yeeld to us when we tell them that at this day they only that are led by the Spirit of God are the Sons of God that if any have not Christs Spirit and the guidance thereof which is an infallible Spirit and guidance for we know no fallible Spirit that he hath nor fallible guidance that that Spirit hath which leads undoubtedly all men and Ministers that follow it and not the lustings of the flesh against it into no sin out of all errour into all truth being truth it selfe and no lye and that some there are now that are led of that Spirit and walk after it and not after the flesh as then there were Rom 8. Gal 5. By and by they finding themselves erring and contradicting one another and no betier guided in things of God then by their own thoughts uncertain conjectures crooked conceits whereby they crosse one another in their several senses meanings about the one mind of Christ in that one writing which they call their Rule because they follow their own flashy fancies and not the Spirit and measuring all others by themselves To go round again they tell us another thing and make it no lesse then a matter of meer pretence and high presumption not so much as safely to be supposed that a man should be now Theopnuestos divinely inspired or infallibly guided by Gods Spirit in these dayes as it that Spirit did not continue his infallible but afforded only some kind of fallible guidance to his Church Ministry now and led them as R.B.I.T. also say the Light within did the Heathen p. 68. in somethings well in most into crooked and dangerous wayes and that makes these men sometimes bid men Attend and sake heed to it sometimes again cane pejus et angue reject detest and take heed of it as I shall shew more by and by Witnesse I.O. in the places above talkt with where he talks down all Divine inspiration and guidance now a dayes by the infallible spirit as matters but falsely pretended to p. 5 6. 63. 167. c. And T.D. who denys his own Ministry to be infallible and thereby proclaming those to be but fools who follow it accuses the Qua of falsehood with a witnesse for once offering to affirm this truth that theirs which yet is truly Christs Ministry is infallible As quoth he to the infallibillity of their Ministry 3 Jurates of Sandwich will testifie that they did affirm their Ministry to be infallible Which if it were not say I I would yeeld our selves to be as very fools who suffer for it as those would be who also suffer for attending to it Contradictions Confusions Rounds concerning the large love and rich mercy of God to all mankind IV. As to the doctrine of Gods great grace universal love and rich mercy to all men they extoll it in their Proclamations of it one while as an infinite boundlesse bottomlesse Bounty matchlesse Mercy endlesse Large love exceeding rich grace lifting up their voyces among all people to this or the like tune O the rich infinite unexpressible unconceiveable incomprehensible love of God in Christ Iesus to all mankind to the whole world so hath he loved the world a sic without a sicut that he gave his only begotten son that whosoever beleeves in him might not perish but have everlasting life God sent not be Son into the world to condemn the world but that the world through him might be saved he is not willing any one of you should perish but that all should come to repentance and be saved in the acknowledgement of his truth Therefore Ho every one that thirsteth come ye to the waters come and buy Wine Milke but without mony without price God is free of what he hath onely the Priests that have freely received and should as freely give give them their Fees let them have Money and Price and Pay and Augmentations and Maintenance enough God looks for nothing Come unto Christ all ye that labour and are heavy laden here 's rest for all your souls The Spirit and the Bride say come and who ever will let him come and take of the water of life freely Obje Oh but we are sinners will God own us Answ Art thou a sinner then who ere thou art thou art one of those Christ came to save become to save that which was lost to take away the sins of the world Obj Oh but we are great sinners wicked wretches such as never were the like multiplying sins transgressions is there any hope for us Answ If we confesse our sins he is faithful and just to forgive them pardoning iniquity transgression and sin Christ hath received gifts for the rebellious he tasted death for every man he is a propitiation not for some only but also for the sins of the whole world He opens the door of salvation to all His tender mercies are over all his works he delights to magnifie his mercy above all it rejoyceth against judgement Come all and welcome none shall be cast off in any wise that come to him he would have all to come he is not willing that any should perish Behold I bring you glad tydings of great joy to all people a Saviour is borne unto them from God there 's peace proclaimed good 〈◊〉 towards men Though they are enemies to him by wicked works yet God is in Christ reconciling the world to himselfe not imputing trespasses to any that will be reconciled unto him He swears that he hath no pleasure in the death of him that dyeth but had much rather that the wicked should turn from his wickednesse and live and therefore he hath sent his Son a Light to the Nations and so to be his Salvation even to the ends of the earth and this he also declares to men as his good will to them all and calling to all to look to him and be saved universally freely truly without mockage tendering peace to all offering salvation to all men intending no otherwayes then he sayes that every individual that turns to him shall have it and hath wrought in them to will and to do and now would have them will do hath given every one a Talent in which Trading he shall
Answer yet is Answered by Richard Hubberthorn that what Swearing was then allowed of as before a Ruler it then was to end a Strife among men who are yet in Strife is now unlawful among his Saints who are Redeemed out of Strife and the rest of those fleshly works which it is one of Gal. 5. Nor doth John Tombs's insisting on the Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Thes. 5.27 adde a jot to his proof for howbeit it is Ordinarily us'd to signifie to Adjure or bind one by Oath yet being as some suppose of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to confine or as some of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a bound or limit it Originally signifies to bind limit confine oblige any way by Word or Promise as well as Oath And J. T. confessing Pauls Charge in that place and those 1 Tim 6.13 2 Tim. 4.1 to be alike therein confuses himself however For the words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 there used are no more then to Engage before some Witness God or Man or solemnly to Command or Charge and not to Swear one and cannot be taken so strictly as to Adjure though 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 may be taken in the moderate sense i.e. any way to oblige as well as in that rigid way of Swearing And as for his saying 〈◊〉 is a Particile of Swearing I say it is not necessarily so but oft of Affirming onely as Quidem Profecto Truly Verily c. And however where Paul uses it 1 Cor. 15.31 he does not Swear as J.T. divines he did for sith he and all confesse none are to Swear by any but God alone Pauls swearing there had it been an Oath had been unlawfull it being not by God but by his and the Corinthians rejoycing * What Works Wagings of War and Fallings out have formerly been between R. B. and J. T. may be seen no farther off then in that self same foresaid Book of R. B's own putting forth to the slashing of his own Back soundly in that particular with that Rod of hiâ— own making wherein these Two Foes Fall into such Fraternall Fellowship as to knit themselves into One Foe-ship against us to the Contents of which Book after all those Denominations of Reverend Brother that passe between them in the Epistles of it is 〈◊〉 not only a Catalogue of J. T 's Books against that foresaid Tradition which R. B. Bâ—angles For but among the rest that of Felo de se being J. T 's Collection of 20. Arguments Against Infant Baptism out of R. B's own disputations For it * Witnesse Blomes Book of Sundry Slanders and Calumnies against the Qua. Stoln out of T. D's Story Books and some others Answered already by R. H. Dedicated by Blome to the King with as Strong Desires of our Suppression as there are in it long False Tales of our Transgression * Who is not Inferiour in Flouting as it to that their Creature of the Clergyes Creating into those Course Conceits and Scurâ—ilous Scoffings at it viz. Francis Duke Master of that Ordinary or House Ordinarily called Hell Next to West-Minster Hall in the Pallace Yard who in his very dately Extant Plâ—ce of Prate against the Quakers Stiles the Light within An Antichrist in Villanies Surmounting All Antichrists that have done Villanously p. 40. A Lousie Christ A Vermin Bread of an Addle Brain p. 19. and the Quakers being Led by the Light into the Lords Rest so as not so much as to think their own Thoughts nor Speak their Own Words A Stinking Idoll Forsooth p 62. and Store more of such Sordid Stuff as Stinks among Sober Men which I fâ—bear to Name Geo. Whiteheâ—â— having allready so Soberly Answered it * Fanatici sunt erroribus stultitia hisce diebus notissimi quos in primis hic aggredimur J.O. ad lectorem The Qua. are in thâ—se daies most notoriously known by their errours and foolishness whom we here that is in his Latine Labours do principaâ—ly encounter * Non quaerit angulos premi haud supprimi potest * So thou stilest them thy self in this Epistle and that as fitly as may be for howbeit thou barest as broad sails as thou couldst yet thy Tackling was so lax and loosed that thou couldst not well strengthen thy Mast nor arrive at the Cape of thy vain hope without shrewd shipwrack as to that false Faith thou dâ—fendest or else the Qua. would not have so encreas'd there ever since * Witness one juncture more notable then the rest in the second daies work wherein G.W. had the Serpents Head in such a string as would have led him away captive but that the whole Seed and Generation of Vipers then present with one joynt consent would have violently broke up the Meeting rather then G.W. should proceed to utter a word more and so rescued T.D. at that time from his hands * Which as brief as 't was was tâ—o long by one loud lye that was told in it viz. that I was engaged for by L.H. to be there which was not so for L.H. only did me word of it and laid it before me but laid nothing on me so much as by way of desire of me to be there nor did I ingage any way at all to him that I would * The more 〈◊〉 for thee that thou art no more ashamed at them considering the whole score of dirty rank ones ranked and reckoned up and laid at thy door as Brats of thy own Patronizing at the end of G.Ws. book * Cum turpis inhonesta sit hominum sententia dubiae ac incertae significationis vocibus ludere strophis ac fucis impâ—sturam facere ipsam non palam verbis consutis consareloqui eam mangonizare â—â—nâ—scicinatis silium sermonitus obtente connihil magis cavere quamebrare telligant necâ—intelligant ne inuâ— * That God offers Salvation to those he intends it not That David was not in a condemned but justified Estaâ—e when guilty of Adultery and Murder c. * Hear hear hear the Word of the Lord O ye mountains and inhabitants of the earth The day even the day of his Visitation is upon your heads for ye have chosen the way which is not good Wherefore Assemble your selves together O ye strong Oakes that the Lord might pour upon your heads his indignation for deceit and hypocrisie the Lords Soul abhors As sure as the Lord overturned them that went before you so sure will the Lord overturn you * For de te fabuâ—a thou art the said unkind Kinsman thou tel'st this Remarkable Tale on Mr. Tho. Foxton Iurate â— Tho. Barber Cooper Mr. Tho. Foxton Iurate Tho. Barber Cooper Iohn Boys Esq Mr. Ch. Nichols Mr. Th. Foxton c. * Where also other Qu. have been in the service of Truth as J. Lough who died in Prison there J. Parrot who is in Prison therestill and John Stubs with whom I went thither * And so I said to T.F. and T.B. if any who