Something By way of Testimony Concerning Clement Lake OF Crediton in Devonshire With Something he wrote in his Life time by way of Answer unto JOHN FLAVELL Independant Preacher of DARTMOUTH Blessed are the Dead which dye in the Lord from henceforth yea saiâ—h the Spirit that they may rest from their Labours and their Works do follow them Rev. 14. 13. London Printed and Sold by T. Sowle at the Crooked-Billet in Holywell Lane in Shoreditch 1692. Something by way of Testimony concerning Clement Lake THis is that we have to say concerning our Deceased Friend Clement Lake of Crediton He was a Man of an Innocent upright Life Conversation very Tender Heared and affectionate towards the Truth and them that walked in it He at first received Truth in the love of it and continued to the end Faithful to its Testimony through all the Exercises he met with for in the time of his Convincement he met with no small Opposition and Exercise from and by the Wife of his own Bosom and also suffered Imprisonment with Friends for the Testimony of Truth all which he bore with Patience and Meekness in a humble mind submited unto God's Will and in due time it pleased God through the Spirit of the Lamb to give him the Victory and Dominion over that which stood in his way he was diligent in frequenting Friends Meetings to wait upon God though outwardly a man attended with much weakness and infirmness of Body and many times being filled with a deep sence of the Love of God unto his Soul and his Heart tendered and broken thereby his Mouth was opened to Magnifie and Praise the Lord and tell by experience of the Goodness of God unto his Soul In short we are generally well Satisfied concerning him that he was a man that did truly Fear God loved Truth and Righteousness bore a Faithful Testimony until death his Conversation was a good savour to all in his day and now being removed from us we believe it s well with him and he hath his reward viz. The Crown of Life and Peace and is at rest in the Lord. John Colsworthy Robert Ellis Peter Richards Robert Ford. The Testimony of Phillip Dicker Concerning Clement Lake A True Testimony and Account concerning the Life and blessed End of that Faithful Servant of the Lord Clement Lake This I can truly say from a sence I had of him that I believe he was one whose Meditation was on the Lord Day and Night for since I have been concerned to bear a Testimony for the Lord I have had great Society with him I have considered his solemn Carriage and weighty behaviour when he was in the Body and I have heard him speak of the many straights and conditions he had been in since first he believed that God did expect Worship and Service from him And further I have this to say of our Friend Clement Lake Deceased that he was a Man wholly given up to answer the Mind and Will of the Lord for I can truly say from a certain sence I had of him that his Conversation was Heavenly and that the Lord hath made his promise good unto him as he did unto the Righteous in all Ages and through the Faithfulness of him that hath promised we are made as Witnesses of it that his promise is fulfiled in us by the Spirit of his dear Son Jesus Christ our Lord and Master for so he is And I being with C. L. and having had a certain knowledge that the Lord's Goodness lasted with him and he in it unto the end of his Dayes for which we can do no less then to return the Praise Glory and Honour that is due unto the Lord for his Mercy and Goodness bestowed upon his People So he dyed the Death of the Righteous and hath received the Reward of the Faithful Phillip Dicker The Testimony that I have to bare for my Dear Husband Clement Lake deceased is as followeth HE was a Man endued with much Faith and Patience tender of the Honour of the Name of the Lord and Zealous for his Truth and Worship and a good Patern and Example in his Family often exhorting me his Children and Servants in wighty sayings touching the good and wellfare of our Souls telling us that if we perished he was clear of our Blood and since his Death several of my Neighbours have born this Testimony of him to me that they never were in company with him but they received Benefit by it and farther I bare Testimony of him though often attended with much weakness of Body yet he was very chearful under it many times Declaring the Goodness and Love of God towards him from time to time in the many Exercises and Tryals he went through in baring his Testimony for the Truth in the Town of Crediton in Devonshire where he lived and elsewhere and further he was a man of a clean Conversation his very Enemies have since his Death spoken well of him and confessed they believed he is happy and further I cannot well be clear but must acknowledge that after my Husband was Convinced of the Blessed Truth through the many Instigations of those whom we formerly were in fellowship with and others caused me to grieve him very much by ill demeaning my self towards him a considerable time but since the Lord was pleased to open my understanding and give me a sight and sence of the workings of the Enemy who is the sower of discord I have been much troubled and known sorrow for the same and further I add it was the great Love of God towards me in answering the desire of my Soul which was often with many a Cry and Tear that he would shew me the way of Life and Salvation and where he feeds his Flock and causeth them to rest at Noon day and since the Lord appeared and answered Blessed be his pure holy Name for evermore we lived in great Unity Love and Fellowship to the Comfort one of another Ah but at length he was visited with a strong Feaver whereof he lay near a Week and ended his Dayes here the 23d of the 12th Month 1689. And when the Lord was pleased to take him from me it was I must confess very heard to me considering my great loss of so dear and tender a Husband as he was to me but being throughly perswaded and satisfied in my Heart that he is at rest with the Lord I am satisfied in the Will of the Lord who is over all God blessed for evermore Amen saith my Soul Grace Lake A Letter sent by John Flavell an Independent Preacher at Dartmouth in Devenshire to Clement Lake of Crediton The Second day of the Fifth Month 1687. DEar Christian Friend the true Christian love I have born to you ever since I came acquainted with you and saw the Grace of God in you hath engaged me in real Tenderness to your Soul to give you this Paper if happily the Lord may thereby Confirm you in his
giveth in those sweet and blessed Comforts to his People And is it not there he poureth out his Wrath on the Wicked And is it not in the Heart that he is striving with the Children of Men to reclaim them by his motions And Mens Disobedience to it is a grieving of him and rebelling against him 1. Thes. 5. 19. And it seemeth to me that any man that hath Reason or Religion should be satisfied with this account unless those that will Unchristian others that they might be thought the best Christians themselves and bespatter others that themselves might shine And So I have answered the first four Charges and if I am besides the Truth I desire it may be manifested to me in a few Lines I look on it as a Just and Reasonable thing that before any Man Unchristian another that first they prove there own Position to be according to Truth And Secondly that they prove those Persons guilty of denying those Truths for which they Unchristian them which neither is done in thy Letter but by a bare say so as if it must be true because it is said and said by such a one but it is no new thing such there were in the dayes of old Rev. 2. 9. But he that hath the Key of David hath opened a Door to us that no man can shut and by this little strength we have kept his word and have not denyed his Name Rev. 3. 8 9. For which the People are angry that we do not as they have done And nothing less then to Unchristian us will serve But what if the day should come that you should acknowledge the Lord hath loved us sure it would be a great change I shall not inlarg any furher to speak of the five last things but may refer them until I have the answer from them from whom it is expected and as I have said formerly wherein I am beside the Truth in what I have written let it be signified to me in a few lines who am a well-wisher to the prosperity of Sion and desire the Good of all men Clement Lake We are not the People we are reported to be for we are falsely represented to the World by those who have made Lyes there refuge Esa. â—8 15. And under falshood have hid themseves But Judgment the Lord will lay to the Line and Righteousness to the Plumet and the Haile shall sweep away the refuge of Lyes verse 17. A Second Letter sent to me from John Flavell which is an Answer to my former Letter the seventh of the eight Month 1687. Clement Lake I Received lately an Answer to my Letter written many Years since to preserve you from Quakerism whether this Answer were made by you or others I examine not for it is nothing to the purpose our point is not what you believe But what is the known published Doctrine of the Quakers from which my care was to preserve you I told you that a Quaker owning the professed Principles of Quakerism cannot be a Christian and instanced in several Fundamental Points of Christian Doctrine denyed by them to all of which you gave me your own private Judgment in Scripture terms which seemeth generally sound as I hope you still remain in your own Principles But what is this to the Doctrine of that People with whom you now walk forsaking those Assemblies where first you found Christ if ever you found him I am only concerned to prove my Assertions that Quakerism overthroweth Christianity and this is plain by what followeth which I take not up upon Reports at Random but give it you out of their own printed Discourses First He cannot be a Christian that rejects the Scripture as a Rule But so do the Quakers Toldervy in his Book page 6. saith That searching the Scriptures is not the way to find out the mind of Christ but the turning of the mind to within One Mason in his defence of Cravon page 12. saith Did Paul or any of the Apostles walk by any letteral rule or was not their rules a measure of the Spirit of God committed to every one of them Nayler in his Book against â—ohn Rayner speaks thus of us who differ from him Their Law is without their Light without their Church without all which we witness to be within Farwell then say I to the written word Secondly He cannot be a Christian that affirmeth Perfection and Freedom from Sin on this side Heaven 1 John 1. 8. This hath been often asserted in my hearing by the Quakers and is Printed by Mason in page 3. of his Book quoted from Ephes. 4. 12. Concluding thus Were England's Blind Watch-men Commissioned from Christ they would not thus prate against Perfection Thirdly He cannot be a Christian that maketh no distiction between the Godly and the Ungodly but doth affirm that Christ enlightens every man that cometh into the World with a saving Light but so did John Stubs George Fox and many others affirm it and defend it in a set dispute with Mr. Wiggon in the Printed dispute Page 13. Labouring to prove that every man in the World hath the Spirit of Christ savingly in him from 1 Cor. 12. 7. If so we must alter the whole frame of cripture and Christian Religion And as to Christ's imputed Righteousness how slighting doth Nayler speak of it as a Doctrine of ours Page 20. of his Book but I need go no farther I could instance in many great points more as that of the Resurrection of the Body which hath been once and again denyed by the Quakers to my Face and that with scorne and contempt of my ignorance for affirming it so that I speak not uncharitably or untruly when I said what I did of their Opinions It may be you will say these were But perticular Persons and you reject there mistakes I say they were the leading men of your party and how shall we know your Opinions but from there Books as for you I pray the Lord would preserve you sound in the faith and return you to your first Love to his Saints and Ordinances I am full of compassion for your Soul and remain your Friend John Flavell An Answer to John Flavell's Second Letter sent 1687 to him from Clement Lake of Crediton in Devonshire I Received thy Letter and by it understand that thou hast received mine which thou dost question whether made by me or others I assure thee that no other but my self did indite or write one Line or passage of that or this thou tellst me again that a man owning the professed Principles of Quakers can not be a Christian and that thou didst instance in several Fundamental Points denyed by them to which I replyed they were false Charges and to all of them I should give my reply as my own private Judgment which was seemingly sound This is another abuse seeing I said it was the Faith of those called Quakers also and the Faith of those with whom I walked But it seems
People of our days men can be content to have Drunkenness and Swearing Murder Theft and such like Goliah's slain this is possible to live without to some and cry they will enough against those that will not and well worthy But what Sin is it I would fain know that the Lord cannot yea will not destroy and keep us from as well as these if People did not hide them and will not let them go Is it possible men may have the greater and not the lesser slain by the Power of the Lord if they would bring them forth he would slay them before theâ—r faces There is something that is sweet to them like as to Saul goodly in their Eyes and that must be spared but that which is Wild Disgraceful and Reproachful that must be destroyed but sparing of the other was his Ruin Ah if People were but ingenious and bring forth that to the Sword that is for the Sword and that to the Fire that is for the Fire would not then this Sword and Fire of God's Spirit burn up and destroy those Fatlings and Lambs that they keep in their Bosom as well as that which is Wild and Refuge I shall desire thee to view what thy own Pen hath written pag. 7. of the Saint indeed thy definition of keeping the Heart it is to have the Heart set right It will be too tedious to transcribe all view it what thou sayest there what man was by Creation what man became by Degeneration and what man is by Regeneration where all is set right again and pag. 22. Had they kept their Hearts with God all had been well and what is that but to keep from Sin pag. 13. holy Job durst not suffer his Heart to yield to an impure Thought surely then to no wicked Action and so in a Sinless State as long as he kept there I would fain know of thee if thou dost please whether it be possible for a Christian to observe those directions laid down in thy Book If possible whether that Soul will not then be kept from Sin and if possible why are we then Unchristian'd for believing of it If impossible why thou dost press People then to Impossibilities and take Money for it to view thy own Book well and practice it also and I dare to say thou wilt come to that blessed state Look to the 191 pag. read it at large where thou cryest out Away with bold Censuring But it was but a little way for in the 194 pag. thou canst Censure the Quakers that they never knew what belong to Practical Godliness and study of their own Hearts I beseech thee in the bowels of Love do not be found in the number of them that say and do not by what Scripture-Rule dost thou thus judge the Secrets of thousands of Hearts Persons whom thou never knewest nor sawest View 198 and 199 pag. where thou complainest of the Lives of Professors and how can it be otherwise What is the Reason of it they are told it is impossible to get themselves free of Sin and so one sets down Captivated with one Sin and another with another Sin I tell thee in the Bowels of Love that if ever the Lord did send thee to Preach the Gospel it was for the Perfecting of the Saints and turning men from the Power of Satan to the Power of God and from Darkness to Light and not to tell them the strong man cannot be cast out and all his Goods spoiled But say you there is something that cannot be destroyed Where then is the Purgatory to cleanse Souls You say and it is true That as the Tree falleth so it lieth and if men dye in their Sins where Christ is gone they cannot come and no unclean thing can enter the Kingdom of Heaven and yet poor People cannot be cleansed Ah the Souls that split on this Rock 3dly The Scripture holdeth forth there have been Perfections I shall quote the Scriptures Psal. 64. 4. Gen. 6. 9. Job 1. 1. Prov. 2. 21. 1. Cor. 2. 6. 2 Cor. 13. 9. 11. where the Apostle Prayeth for it and Exhorteth to it Rom. 6. 1. How shall we that are dead to Sin live any longer therein Men must know a Death to Sin or I will be bold to say shall know a Death for Sin Vers. 6. They must know the Old man Crucified that the Body of Sin may be destroyed that henceforth they should not serve Sin Vers. 7. He that is dead is freed from sin men will not know a Freedom from Sin until they know a Death to Sin Vers. 18. Being then made Free from sin they became Servants of Righteousness Vers. 22. When dead to sin then servants to Righteousness and then men have their Fruits to Holiness and their End is Everlasting Life This is the Doctrine of Christ. But the Doctrine of Devils is to say that men may Sin and not dye he was the first that preached it Gen. 3. 3. Ye shall not dye here is the great Lyar And what are those men that say men cannot be free from Sin till they come to Heaven cannot cease from Sin till come to Heaven that Sin cannot be destroyed What is this but to make Christ's coming void who came to destroy the Works of the Devil to save his People from their Sins Is not this a departing from the Faith that overcometh the World the Flesh and the Devil and a giving heed to the seducing Spirit and Doctrine of Devils to speak Lyes to uphold the Devil's Kingdom 1 Tim. 4. 1. and unchristian all that believe as the Scripture hath said that Christ saveth from Sin not in Sin from the Power and Practice from the Filth as well as the Guilt all that he will save from Hell and its Damnation and who are those that cry out against it but those that will make Christ Scripture and all bow down to their sinful condition Is there not some little one in them that they will not give up to God's Sword and Fire some Fatlings in their Bosom goodly in their Eyes like Saul and yet think their Souls shall live for all this that gather up the Failings of the Saints to feed upon that because Noah David and Peter and others failed they may yea must sin all their days I beseech thee in the tender love of the Lord to perswade the Children of men to a thorow Work of Sanctification in Body Soul and Spirit and a perfecting Holiness in the Fear of God and a Cleansing from all Unrighteousness and a casting out of the Heart all that offend him not only some things but all things that offend him all which is to be done by the Power of the Lord and so come to know a Perfection in Christ and so come to be one with Christ as he is with the Father and the strong man cast out and all his Goods spoiled and so come to be a Habitation for God through the Spirit My Heart is here enlarged and my