A Return to the Priests ABOUT BEVERLEY For Their ADVISEMENT I Having received a printed Book which is full of untruths and lyes come out of the generation of Lyars and Serpents and full of subtilty and treachery to deceive the simple with their Witchcraft and Sorcery But God hath discovered your design and he will gather his Sheep and Lambs from your mouths and you shall no more devour them The Lord is come and coming to teach his people by his Spirit and hath poured forth his Spirit and doth pour it forth that his Sons and Daughters begin to prophecy and do which makes the Teachers of the world to rage who never heard a word from the Lord but speak a divination of their own brain which the Lord is altogether against who have lived in the form of the letter and not in the Power men of corrupt minds to resist the truth as Iannes and Iambres did 2 Tim. 3.8 When the Children of Israel were to come out of Egypt they resisted as they did in the time of the Apostles who had the form but are reprobate concerning the faith So it is now with the worldly Teachers who are made Ministers by the will of man do resist the Truth now as they did having the Form denying the Power for the Power brings out of darkness out of Egypt out of Pride and Oppression and shakes the Earth and cleaves the Rocks and throws down the Mountains and makes the seed to come forth which is the marvellous Work of the Lord which makes the Heathen to rage and full of fury to see the wondrous Works of the Lord brought forth The Title of the Book is A faithful Discovery of a treacherous Design of mystical Antichrist displaying Christs Banners but attempting to lay waste Scriptures Churches Christ Faith Hope c. and establish Paganism in England containing an Examination of many Doctrines of the People called Quakers in York-shire together with a Censure of their Way and several Items concerning the design of God Satan and Man These things recommended to the consideration of them who are in good earnest for Christ Friends Your printed Papers are considered and weighed with them that love Christ and they are found false and you to be Lyars uttering forth your unfaithful Dâ—scovery for you are the mystical Antichrist which you speak of and your design is treacherous and found false and weighed in the Ballance and found too light And as touching laying waste Scriptures it is your own condition take it to your shame for the Scripture saith Thou shalt not lye there you lay waste Scripture and are blind and cannot see but are false Accusers and accuse men falsly and found Lyars and the Scriptures are fulfilled upon you The Scriptures we own are ours and stand for and own to be fulfilled and fulfilling in us but all you that make a Trade of the Scriptures which were spoken forth freely such are slanderers of Christ and his Church and lay waste Scriptures and both establish Paganism in England and have established it who know not God nor his Church but have called a Steeplehouse a Church and sprinkling Infants their Baptism which they baptize into their Faith into their Church which there is no Scripture for Now all people see if this be not laying waste Scripture and establishing Popery which God never commanded and to the establishing of this mystical Antichrist which hath long stood but now God is coming to throw it down and unestablish it Are not those Antichrists who walk contrary to Christs Commands and term themselves to be Ministers of Christ who walk out of his steps Christ Jesus when he spoke to the multitude and to his Disciples he said By their fruits ye shall know them They are called of men Masters and have the chiefest places in the Assemblies lay heavy burdens upon the people stand praying in the Synagogues devouring widows houses But Christ forbids these things and bids his Disciples not to be so but cryed Wo against them And such are established in the Land now who would dethrone Christ if they could And you are in that same generation which was ever against Christ and as the Scribes and Pharisees who would have dethroned him and never could own him in that nature you dwell in who gave forth these printed Papers And as touching Faith and Hope we do deny that which holds up such things as Christ doth forbid which is no faith nor no hope but of the hypocrites which shall perish and all such hope was ever denyed with the Elect Faithful And the worlds Church do we deny which is a house of stone but faith which is the gift of God we own which purifies the heart which faith is but one and who are of faith are of Abraham and this we witness to be fulfilled and not denyed And Hope that purifies the heart we own but the hope of the hypocrites we deny which saith He must live in sin so long as he is here and doth not purifie that we deny The Church of God we own which is the Pillar and Ground of Truth which Christ hath purchased with his own blood which is without spot or blemish But as to call a Steeplehouse a house of stone a Church is blasphemy and you that do so lay waste Scripture for the Church is in God 1 Thes 1.1 And Christ did not come to redeem a Steeplehouse nor to hold up such things but to redeem his people from such things that be carnal which you Pagans now establish And as touching that we deny Christ it is false it is your own conditions for read Matth. 23. and there you may see your own conditions walking in their steps which Christ forbids Pharisee-like and such are Antichrists and there you shew your selves to be Antichrists in the mystery of iniquity being called of men Masters when Christ forbids to call any man Master or to be called of men Master But that Christ we own who cryed Wo unto them which were called of men Masters and had the chiefest places in the Assemblies and the uppermost rooms at Feasts and greetings and salutations in the Markets which the Lord Jesus Christ cryed Wo against and taught his Disciples not to be so But all such as hold up these things which Christ forbids we deny which he did deny Praised be the Lord God who hath given us the light to see your abominations and led us from your snares which causeth you mischievous men to vent forth your mischief against the Truth and utter forth your folly but as Solomon saith so are fools known who are at Beverley but God Almighty be praised who hath given us a sight to see your deceits and to comprehend you who are deceived and would deceive but your formal ways are layd open and your shame and nakedness doth appear and to us it is very serviceable that you have put your folly in print and do publish it abroad who are
not come yet so far as Balaam who the dumb Ass reproved and the Angel of the Lord is coming to stop your way though for a while you may rage and lye but I say the Lord will rebuke that lying spirit for a lying spirit the Lord doth abhor for it is an abomination to him it would make discord but the Spirit of Truth doth discover it and hath found you out to be of your father the Devil who was a Lyar from the beginning and for shame blush and never make a profession of Christ of Faith or of Hope who openly have shewed your selves to be Lyars and Slanderers of the only people of God who live in hope and faith and in the fear of God but it is that the Scripture may be fulfilled Lyars cursed children evil beasts and slow bellies who serve not the Lord Jesus Christ but their own bellies such are they who cause the Truth to be evil spoken of who are Enemies to the Cross of Christ glory in their shame and mind earthly things as ye may see England at this present time is full of such Teachers and Prophets which walk contrary to all the Commands of Christ and his Apostles which go after the ways of Cain to envy and run greedily after the error of Balaam for gifts and rewards who perished in the gain-saying of Corah And there is your portions and conditions of the English Church held up by you the English Teachers who gave forth this Book who are made by the will of man and those who are come to the Church of God which you call Quakers deny such Moses did fear and quake and the Apostle brought him as an Example to the Hebrews who were come to the general Assembly and the Church of the first born which is written in Heaven and to God the Iudg of all whose voyce shook the Earth whose voyce now shakes the Earth which makes you wonder and rage you earthly minded men who never heard the voyce of God Moses did tremble Habakkuk did tremble Iob did tremble David did tremble and quake and the Son of man was to eat his bread with quaking and Paul did tremble that their faith might stand in the power of God and not in the wisdom of words and Daniel did tremble and his strength and breath was gone and they who were with him did quake These Scriptures being fulfilled in the people of God now such you wonder at now as they in the former ages who spoke forth the Scriptures were wondered at And here you lay waste Scriptures and deny the fulfilling of the Scriptures making a scorn of them and a derision who are come to tremble as they did Friends you sit as Judges to censure of their way whom you call Quakers who are a people taught of God you who are making bonds and snares to limit the Power of the holy One in your own snares you are taken and God will burst them asunder for the Doctrine of Christ you know not which is the Doctrine of the Quakers which you scornfully nickname but that Word they own else they should lay waste Scripture as you do But Moses who did tremble fear and quake did account it great riches to be reproached and so do we with you in the same generation who witness quaking as Moses did and Paul did and so it is you that lay waste Scriptures and so you busie minded fellows are censuring of the doctrine of the Quakers shewing your selves to be those busie bodies who are spoken of in the Scripture who have but a Censure and no infallible Judgment and so those who have an infallible Judgment will cry out against you to see your folly and slander Whereas concerning the Designs of God Satan and Men and the dominion of Satan There you are who gave forth these Papers for Lyars you are of them which are of God As you have uttered it forth shamefully as in saying they lay waste Scripture Christ Church Faith Hope and in your conclusion you have but a Censure of the way and doctrine Now all friends who have a love to Christ may discern and see your censorious ways and give Judgment upon you who have no infalliable Judgment neither have Faith Church Christ nor Hope which the Saints do enjoy but are without God in the world in their imitations and likeness blaspheming God and his Temple and those tender Lambs and harmless ones in York-shire who have been imprisoned and persecuted to death who witness the fulfilling of the Scripture as they did who gave forth the Scripture but the true God you know nothing of nor the men who are of God for you shew your selves forth to be Lyars of them who worship the true and living God And this is to the stile of your Book which is all false and comes out of a false mind and a false heart whose throats are an open sepulchre drinking up iniquity as the Ox drinks up water who are of them who are the Deceivers of the Nation But the witness of the Lord is gone out against you and you are taken and to Judgment you must come for the Judgment of the great Whore is come and you Lyars must into the fire and lake that burns eternally you shall witness what I speak to be the Word of the Lord And here I charge you in the presence of the Lord to be no Ministers of the Gospel who are not able to give an infallbile Judgment but only a Censure which the Apostles had Whereas you say If in any age the Devil hath transformed himself into an Angel of light or his Apostles and Ministers have transformed themselves into the Apostles and Ministers of Christ they have done so in this Apostatizing age in which we live yea they have been more cunning subtil and seemingly spiritual in transforming themselves in this age then ever they were in any foregoing Generation Satan is now acting his part upon the Stage with all deceivableness of unrighteousness and shall continue to act like unto himself and beyond his former actings until the Angel cast him into the bottomless pit and shut him up and set a seal upon him that he may deceive the Nations no more for by how much he shall perceive his Kingdom neerer unto a period by so much more every day he and his factors will shew themselves politickly active for the supporting and exalting his hellish and tottering Kingdom And as God hath doth and will enlighten his Saints and witnesses more towards the end of Antichrists reign and the beginning of the calling of the Jews to Christ so the Dragon that old Serpent hath doth and will more and more fill his Agents and Instruments with a Diabolical spirit of madness and delusions This shall stand for your selves who have but a censure of their ways who are called Quakers and not an infallible Judgment as the Apostles had and it 's true Satans Ministers you are who have transformed your selves to
be like the Apostles and Ministers of Christ but into their life you never came nor never shall but destruction you must know first Have you not had the form long and made a trade of the Apostles words and Christs words and the Prophets words and would be like them transforming your selves like unto the Apostles but walk in the steps of the Scribes and Phrisees who were enemies to Christ which Jesus Christ cryed wo against Mat. 23. and 1 Tim. 3. who have been they who have crept into houses leading filly women captive ever learning and never coming to the knowledg of the truth some Twenty some Thirty some Forty some Fifty and some Sixty years and in the end never the better The time hath been among you Shepherds and Watchmen as Isaiah speaks on The Watchmen are blind they are all ignorant they are all dumb dogs cannot bark lying down loving to slumber yea they are all greedy dogs which can never have enough and they are Shepherds which cannot understand every one looking for his gain from his Quarter And here you are Shepherds of England about Beverley But God hath raised up a light in his People as was in Isaiah who cryed against the false Shepherds then which light doth the same against you now you dumb dogs who have but the letter and not the word of the Lord and do blaspheme the Light of God where it is made manifest and dwels which testifies against your deceits And this is your Apostatizing age in which you live Whereas you say they have been more cunning it is your selves who are so subtil and seemingly spiritual in transforming your selves in this age whereas you say themselves it is your selves then ever they were in any foregoing Generation Satan is now acting his part upon the Stage Are not you them who pretend your selves to stand up for Christ who hold up Baal and run after the error of Balaam which all the Ministers of Christ spoke against which Generation you are of Who are they that are got up into the chiefest place in the Assemblies and act as in a Stage-play and have a glass to act their hour and make a trade of Christs words the Prophets words and the Apostles words and acts in the chiefest places of the Assemblies taking a verse and raising motives tryals uses reasons and points from it And then say the people he hath handled his text well and made good matter of it and give unto the people Davids quakings tremblings weepings prophecyings and prayers and these are turned into meeter and given to the ignorant to sing O Lord I am not puft in mind I have no scornful eye Here you are upon the Stage teaching people lyes more subtil then in the foregoing generation Satan acting his part upon his Stage with all deceivableness of unrighteousness and shall continue to act beyond his former actings so you may see who pretend and have pretended to be the Ministers of Christ have gone beyond all the false Prophets in the former ages for Balaam who loved the wages of unrighteousness durst not take it but these take it you take it and so you go beyond Balaam he durst not take it to curse the people of God but you take it which rail upon the people of God and if they will not give it they sue men at the Law And is not Satan here acting his part upon the Stage contrary to Christ Jesus and his Ministers who preach freely the Gospel who was beat and halled forth of your Synagogue And as you say Vntil the Angel cast him into the bottomless and shut him up and set a Seal upon him that he may deceive the Nations no more This Prophecy is upon your selves and the Angel is coming to fulfil it and long have the Nations been deceived by him that rules you which is the Devil into the bottomless pit he must go which you prophecy of who are false Prophets and will be shut up that he may deceive the Nations no more for now your Kingdom you are fearing and you the Devils factors will shew your selves publikely active for the supporting of his hellish and tottering Kingdom for by how much he shall perceive his Kingdom neerer unto a period he and his factors will shew themselves more politickly active as you declare it but all your actings are discovered and all your preachings are comprehended and what they lead to for take away your gifts and rewards and then you will not act your part upon the Stage as you call it And as God hath and doth and will enlighten his Saints as you say and witness more and more towards the end of your Antichristian Reign God hath enlightened his Saints and doth more and more towards the end of your Antichrists reign And see which light is their eye to see you the Antichrist who hath long reigned and as God hath doth and will enlighten the Saints and witness you more and more you will all be found to be the Antichrist and blind Guides who have long reigned upon the Earth and brought nothing to perfection towards the end of Antichrists reign little children boys and girls will cry out against you and the Scripture shall be fulfilled Out of the mouths of babes and sucklings the Lord will ordain strength and perfect his praise And such the Priests were against and were not the Priests against Christ and did incense all the rude multitude against him and were not the Priests against Stephen when he was stoned to death and were not the Priests against Paul who was a Tent-maker and many to the Apostles fishermen And so the Pharisees then Enemies to Christ stood up for their own Kingdom when they saw it begin to totter and Christ come to reign The Pharisees and Priests had the form of Christ in words from the Prophets but not the power Mat. 2. When he was come they were the greatest Enemies to him So are you Antichrist now who have got the form of the Apostles and Christ but not the power Now your Kingdom is tottering and the Lord Jesus Christ is coming to reign and be admired in his Saints Happy day happy day doth the Reighteous cry freedom from Antichrist freedom from all Baals Priests alone by Christ And as touching the Calling of the Jews to Christ so the Dragon that old Serpent hath and doth and will more and more fill his Agents and Instruments with your diabolical spirit of madness and delusion This shall stand for your own portion for your Agents and Instruments with your diabolical spirit of madness and delusions you have shewed forth against the Truth which is now rising so that old Dragon the old Serpent hath and doth more and more fill you who are his and so you fill the ignorant and would fill the Magistrate but God be thanked who hath raised a light up in many of his which sees your abominations which you have committed And the beginning of the