Moones and sacrifices that the Actions Baptisme and breaking of bread are the signes of a Christian Sabbath its high presumption to alter the word of God in calling every day the Lords Sabbath and honouring any other day as the Sabbath So if we be followers of God as dear children and take the spirit to be our guide we must honour the Sabbath withall holy devotion Answ The Sabbath is mentioned with new Moons and sacrifices but the Apostle sayes they were shadowes of good things to come when this is come which was before the shadowes was which is the body Christ which was before dayes new Moons or sacrifices was the body who be in that ends them all and to that the Apostle brought people and not to the dayes now there was some brought them to observe dayes and he was afraid of them that did observe them and he brought them to the body Christ to whom all the Angels did bow for they as did observe the dayes new Moons and Sabbathes are worshipping of Angels neglect the body which is Christ and this was for the satisfying of the flesh and now what art thou satisfying which art teaching to observe dayes signes and shadowes which the Apostle brought people off to the body and to the head Christ Jesus and to worship God in spirit and brought them into that that ended all shadowes for the devil will lurk in a shadow or a type or a sign or figure and creeps into those things after the substance is come to keep people from the body and they will persecute such as will not bend to the shadow and come from the substance and breaking bread and baptisme is no sign of the Sabbath day of the Jewish Sabbath day the Sabbath was a figure of the rest and sanctification of the Creation and breaking of bread among the Saints was a figure of the bread Christ which the Saints eat and live for ever and the word of God cannot be altered and the word of God cannot change man may alter but the word of God cannot be altered but abides and lives for ever And the Saints which comes to the body Christ comes to honour him who ends the Sabbath which is a sign and a shadow and such honors God the Redeemer and Creator and Christ by whom all things was created and made and which are the dear children of God the Apostle speaks of he did not bring them into dayes and to observe Sabbaths and signes but brings them to the body Christ the Lord of the Sabbath and doth not set up that which thou cals devotion in holding up the Jewish Sabbath which was a sign on which they should rest the rest of the creation and the rest of all man kinde cattel and beasts that God would restore and redeem all things by Christ who is the word and gives rest and is the sanctification and gives rest to the whole creation Prin. Thou sayes this is the time of Gods worship observing the seventh day Christian look well to thy walkings see that thou make all things according to the pattern in the mount Answ They that worshipps God they come into Christ the truth the body which ends the sign and the shadow and the end of Moses who made a pattern which was a figure of that which was to come and he made it at the command of God and the Christians are not to make the pattern which was shewed to Moses in the mount for while Moses is read the vail is upon the hearts of Christians and all people whatsoever and the sign shadowes and figures the body is not seen nor come to which is Christ And Paul and the Saints the true Christians worshipped God in the spirit and in the truth who witnessed they was in the body that ended the shadowes and types and Moses the Law and the Prophets Christ Jesus him by whom the world was made before it was made and a pattern is not the thing there is the thing the pattern is of and that ends the pattern and lives in the thing and they need not have the pattern for the pattern was made of a thing that was to come Pr. Thou sayes if the Apostle of the Gentiles who was the rejecter of the ceremonies did constantly celebrate the seventh day Sabbath then much more them Apostles among the Jewes there 's not a plainer precept in all the Scripture then Pauls practice herein for the seventh day Sabbath if we tread in the steps of Paul he was but a man and sometimes a very angry man and he strictly requires all believers to follow his example as he followed Christ and certainly in observing the Sabbath and Paul reasoned with the Jewes on the Sabbath day and Christs custome and Pauls was to go into the Synagogue on the Sabbath day and was there difference betwixt Christs preaching and Pauls and where is the difference between Christs observing the Sabbath and Pauls Answ The Apostle never taught the Christians Neither Jewes nor Gentiles to celebrate the seventh day nor never mentions it to them to keep it not in all the Epistles there 's not such a thing but tels them they were shadowes the body was Christ and Christs and the Apostles going into the Synagogues and temple on the Sabbath dayes was to fulfill and shew the fulfilling of the types and figures of him and brings to the substance of the signes types and shadowes not to hold up dayes times offerings but to bring them to the body Christ as Colos 2. and so Paul and Christ doth not disagree for he Preached Christ the end of the Law and the substance and though Paul went among the Jewes and circumcised and did several things went into the Temple yet thaâ— was not to hold up the Temple or to hold up the offerings types and shadowes but to bring them to the substance And mind what the anger was as Paul was in and Paul followed the substance and was more then a man there was more in him then a man Paul nor the Apostles no where commands the Saints to observe the Jewes Sabbath day though he went into the Jewes and consented to many things to the intent to bring them out of them not to keep them in them but to bring them to the substance and that was the end of Pauls going into the Jewes Synagogues and Temple to bring them out of the shadowes types and signes to the substance and the end of Christs going thither was to bring them to the substance of which was typed forth that people might believe in him who was the body which was before heaven or earth was who fulfils every jot and tittle of the Law and to him did the Apostle bring the people to this body which types signes and shadowes signed shadowed and typed forth which the body of them all is Christ and in thy principles thou art confused and so who followes the Apostle comes to the body out of the sign and the
sacrifices did type out Christ but the Sabbath did never type out Christ and therefore never to be abolished nor changed Answ Ezekiel saith the Sabbath should be for a sign which is spoken of among the Statutes Cha. 20. and the Apostle sayes let no man Judge you in meats or in drinks or in respect of an holy-day or of the new Moon or of the Sabbath day which are all shadowes mark of good things to come but the body is Christ Colos 2.16 17. Now they are called shadowes here the Sabbath called â— shadow the body is Christ and Ezekiel calls them signes and such as rest in those things in the shadow may beguile people in a voluntary humilitie and worshipâ—ing of Angels intruding themselves into those things that they never saw not holding the head and neglecting the body to the satisfying the flesh which would live in the signes and the shadowes for the Sabbath in the beginning it was not a command to men to keep it as to Adam and Evah you do not read it was a command given to them but in the transgression and fall when the children of Israel came out of Egypt then to them the Lord gave the Sabbath as a sign the Lord said unto Moses speak to the children of Israel and say nevertheless keep ye my Sabbath for a sign between me and you in all your generations Now in all the generations of the Jewes in the first Covenant here was a sign between them and the Lord and he that defiled it was to die the death Now the body is Christ the end of the sign and the shadow Christ the sanctification so he that goes from Christ goes from the rest from the sanctification and he dies for he that hath not him hath not life he shall die the death and shall be cut off from the people so when the children of Israel came out of Egypt then was the Sabbath given to them as a sign not commanded to Adam and Evah the Scripture doth not declare it before the fall but given to the children of Israel after they came out of Egypt who received the Law added because of transgression upon the transgressors to such was given the Sabbath as a sign amongst them that had the offerings and such was to keep it and to sanctâ—fie it but before the fall when the Law and power was in man before the transgression there was no mention of a Sabbath to keep it Now Christ came which was the end of these offerings and the end of these Sabbaths which are the shaddowes for the Apostle sayes except any will dare tell him he lies he sayes the body is Christ and who are not Judged concerning such things in respect of Sabbaths and meats and drinks but are come to the body Christ which ends all those things and before those things were to him by whom all things was created and made Christ the sanctification and are come to him in whom there 's rest as the Jewes was to rest upon the seventh day is come into Christ the body the head the substance they are come into the rest the sanctification and the glorification who was glorified with the Father before the world began where no changing nor shadow nor variableness is need not have a shadow nor a sign or change who is come to the body Christ the substance now if thou sayes Christ was a sign yes but he ends the sign and shadowes to the unbelievers he was a sign as the people of God was signs formerly to such as stood in outward things so Christ the body the end of the shadow the head known and felt him that is Lord of the Sabbath Christ which is a mystery so they that be out of him be out of the life and dies as they died that went from the Sabbath so do they that turn from Christ the souls rest and peace and life and this Sabbath was to be observed in the Jews generation for an everlasting Covenant and he that did any work upon the Sabbath day was to dye the death now this Covenant which stood in shadows and types Christ came to take away The End and he that believes in Christ hath entered into his rest and ceased from his own works as God did from his And the Apostle said the first Covenant was to decay as in Heb. Pr. Thou saith Such as obstruct the Gospel-priviledge of Gods Sabbath rectified by the Son and observed by the Saints Answ But did ever Christ or the Apostles give a command to the Jewes that they should observe it strictly as it had been in the Law before the substance was come the body which was Christ Nay you read no where that among them the Apostles preached the Gospel that they laid any command upon the Saints that they should keep the Jewes Sabbath day but tâ—ld them they were shadows and the body was Christ and said Let no man judge one another in such things Now are you not come under the judgement of such things and so the Lord of the Sabbath that ends the types in him and in the Saints and so are come to him who is the substance the body and head Christ Jesus Read Colos 2. And so whereas thou speaks of changing of Lawes or Sabbaths this thou mightest have charged on the Apostles who told the Saints no where of keeping the Sabbath-day but told them they were shadows and told them such as was there was in their will-worships neglecting the body for the body and substance was Christ and such were intruders and so thou art comprehended to be one of the intruders into those things thou never saw which will puff up thy fleshly minde not holding the head and the Lord of the Sabbath The Son of man is come and the Saints go not about to blot out the name of the Sabbath for the pure Sabbath the sanctified day was a signe and a figure of the pure Christ the sanctification by whom the day was made and which day the people was to rest and the beasts which was to be sanctified the pure day the pure Christ who was before the day was the sanctification in which all the Lords people have rest who is Lord of the Sabbath before the day was made fulfills the type the shadow the signe the body is Christ the head is held So you that are running to observe dayes and times are them that the Apostle speaks of that he was afraid of that his labours he had bestowed in vain and so gone from the body into the shadow and the signe Neither do you keep it as you ought to do and professe a Sabbath your Horses and your Cattell is doing work drawing you to your worships your making fires through your Congregations your bearing burthens your gathering your meat on that day as you call your Sabbath Now to all people you are dissemblers to what you professe and pretenders to a thing to which you are not faithfull and so by
the Law according to your own judgement to be cut off and to dye as Sabbath-breakers for they were not to make a fire gather any meat beare any burthen Oxe or Asse man-servant or maid-servant or stranger but was to keep holy the Sabbath of the Lord if they did the Law took hold of them for sixe dayes they were to labour and do all they had to do Now the Law being received by the disposition of Angels So now the Law the first Covenant the shadows types and figures ye may run into those things from the body and so neglect the head and neglect the body and go into the Signes and so come into the will-worship and the worshipping of Angels intruding your selves into the things you never saw neglecting the body to satisfie the flesh by which your vain minds are puffed up Now the enemies of the Sabbath are such as neglect the body the substance he that 's Lord of the Sabbath Pr. And whereas thou sayst they had eaten the bread of Christ and they had turned the heel against Christ And thou sayes the Quakers some Notionists and others are against it Answ Our rest is in Christ â—he body that ends the shadow that ends the signes who is the substance of the shadows and signes and those Notionists are of thy selfe and so the Saints rest is in the substance Christ the end of the signes and shadows who was before the signe was the day was in him is rest Here all men rest from their works and every soule that believes hath entered into his rest and hath come from shadows signes and types into the body Christ that ends them and holds the head and out of the will-worship worshipping of Angels and satisfying the flesh for such are blinded as concerning the body and come to be judged about the dayes and they hold not the head But such as are come to the body and head Christ Jesus to whom all Angels bow for they that neglect the body will satisfie the flesh and live in signes and shadows and will-worship and intrude into those things they never saw and worshipping of Angels which come to be judged in respect of dayes which is but shadows and such as are in those things satisfie the flesh and keeps them from the body Christ and the head holds not and they that will rest in a shadow after the substance is come the Son of man the Lord of the Sabbath â—ill rest in that which decays and a false rest Pr. And whereas thou sayst A filthy shift of Gods Sabbath to say Christ is the Sabbath Answ This Sabbath was rest and they were to rest on that day and it was a signe and given as a signe and shadow and in the first Covenant But Christ the second Covenant the perpetuall and everlasting rest the soules rest of his people Come unto me and yee shall have rest and so he is the end the substance of the signe and the shadow who was as I said before before the day was in whom is a rest for the people of God for the Sabbath being given as a signe wherein all Strangers Servants Beasts Horses Oxen Asses and all Cattell whatsoever might rest upon the day it was given forth sanctified and given to be a signe for the whole Creation being burthened both horse man cattell servants and all things was burthened and man-kinde was oppressed by transgression So the Sabbath was a signe of rest yea to the stranger to all that was within the gates a figure of the restauration and the sanctifier Christ Jesus which destroys Death and the Devill and the power of Death and his works who is the cause and the Author of the burthen of the whole Creation and of mankind So the rest the Sabbath was a signe of its rest from their labours Christ the restorer and Redeemer and Deliverer of all the whole Creation and bringing it to unity and reconciliation again to God who is the rest both to man and beast and the Stranger should rest within the gates of the Sabbath within Christ And much more is to be said of these things which this is but a touch of that which is further in the words which might be declared Now as for the ten Commandements amongst which the Sabbath is spoken he that covets he that steals he that commits adultery and kills he that sets up graven Images he that covets his neighbours house wife or goods or any thing that is his or commits Adultery is from that principle of God in his own selfe so the Law was added upon him He that 's led with the spirit doth not transgresse nor doth not oppresse nor doth not covet nor steale nor beare false witnesse and so love fulfills the Law and his Commandements And he that believes comes to Christ the rest before the day was by whom they was made and so Christ telling them what was done in the old time for following the Oath the Lord he brings them now not to swear into himselfe the Covenant of God he brings them to the Covenant of God the oath of God and so into himselfe who is the Restorer before dayes was as I said before And the Apostle likewise brought them off from Circumcision without which was an everlasting Covenant as well as the Sabbath was a signe he brings them off of that to the Circumcision within and so to that that answers the power the life of God which hath been transgressed where love is felt in the heart that remains and so the thing comes inward for as it is said he that believes hath entered into his rest And so Christ came not to break the Law but to fulfill it every tittle who is the rest of his people yea and gives rest to to the Creation destroys the oppressor of it and the foundation of the oppressor and so he was the Lord of the Sabbath that fulfills it for the Sabbath was in the Law and Christ is the end of the Law to every one that believes he that is in Christ before dayes was profanes no day is in his rest and will give rest to his creatures will not oppresse any thing at all and comes in the wisdome of God by which they was created to order and use them to Gods glory And whereas thou sayes that Adam being in honour did not abide a night and brings Psalm for it which doth not mention Adam nor night nor day And I said before thou who art in the shadow art intruding into things thou never saw for thou never saw where Adam was before he fell and therefore art corrected and judged Pr. And thou sayes and confesses The Jewes Sabbath was given to the Jewes for a signe Answ The Apostle will tell thee that the body is Christ If the Sabbath be a signe to the children of Israel it was a signe of something to them for the other signes given were signes of something and so something those signes did signifie forth
which thing did end them Sabbath signifyeth rest for the earth shall enjoy her Sabbaths Pr. And thou saith That the inventions of mens hearts have blotted out the remembrance of the Sabbath day they first cast it out of Paradice and shut it out till Moses time And thou saith the Sabbath was not at all a type or ceremoniall Answ What is a shadow is a type and a shadow and type is ceremoniall when the substance comes it ends and in him is no shadow as in Iames the first who is the body before the dayes was and thou never read that the Sabbath was spoken of from Paradice untill Moses and then it was given unto him for a signe through the generations of the Congregations of the children of Israel not to gather meat make a fire bear burthens So who comes to Christ the body the end of the signe the rest who was before dayes was bears no burthens gathers not their meat makes not a fire Pr. Thou saith It 's an absurd confusion that we must offer sacrifices if we will keep a Sabbath Answ Thou shalt offer sacrifices made by fire of a sweet sacrifice unto the Lord on a Sabbath day Numb 28. Now offerings was a shadow of Christ the offering and the Sabbath was a shadow and so if yee will observe one you must observe the other and so deny the body the substance Christ the one Offering and so that is ceremonial And thou saith the Law justified the Disciples and brings Deut. 23. for plucking the ears of corn upon the Sabbath day which speaks nothing to the thing and doth not mention the Sabbath day And so Christ the end of the Law who comes to fulfill it who is the Lord of the Sabbath that the Disciples followed in whom they had rest saw over the day and the shadow to Christ the substance which forbade them not gathering the meat on that day the Sabbath the shadow that was the Law But Christ the end of the Law and shadows the substance the Disciples as was in him plucked the ears of corn on that day and so Christ did not break the Sabbath but came to fulfill the shadow and was the substance who was the end of it the Lord of it and therefore might do what he would being the Lord of the Sabbath what had any to do to question him Pr. And whereas thou saist the cripple carried his bed on the Sabbath day which the hypocrites speaks against our Saviour for Answ The Law sayes thou shalt not beare a burthen on the Sabbath day Now Christ the end of the Law and the end of the shadow that fulfills it and is rest often gives rest upon that day Yet not a breaker of the Sabbath but a fulfiller and convinces the gain-sayers with this Which of you having an Oxe or Asse fallen into a ditch would not pluck him out on that day And the Circumcision was to be on the eighth day on which Christ rose and on which the Saints met in the circumcision of the spirit in the spirit which circumcises which puts off the body of sinne which hath laden them in which spirit they have rest and are led withall up to God the Father of spirits and so comes to know the first day and him before it was made Pr. And thou sayes and brings the Apostles words Men esteeming one day above another and another esteeming every day alike Answ Now the Apostle here did not lay any burthen upon the Saints or tell the Saints of the Sabbath day nor burthen them concerning it that if they did not keep it they should dye as the Law sayes but that every man be fully perswaded in his owne minde and not to judge one another in such cases but that every man stand or fall to his own master Now these words were spoken among Saints who was leading from meats and drinks and dayes to the truth to the body Christ and so he judged that judgment as was judging one another about the dayes but brought every one to the truth in his own particular wherewith he should stand or fall to his own Master For about shadows and signes untill they come to see clearly there 's the weaknesse of the meats of the dayes before they come to see him which was before the dayes was the Lord of the Sabbath and the everlasting offering where ends the judgement in which they have peace Pr. Thou saith the Apostle sayes Ye observe meats and drinks and dayes and moneths and yeares And thou saith Will any be so bold as say hee doth reproach the Sabbath Answ The Apostle doth not tâ—ll the Galatians that was running into Circumcision and dayes that they was to keep the outward Sabbath for Circumcision was an everlasting Covenant as well as the Sabbath to the Jewes throughout all their generations So they that draw people to Circumcision without and to dayes they draw them from the body mark his judgement and the Apostle was not a reproacher and was out of the nature of a reproacher Pr. Thou saith Let no man judge you in meats and drinks and in respect of any Feast new Moons or Sabbaths which are shadows of things to come but the body is Christ But in this bold absurdity some will cast off the Sabbath the seventh day Answ The Apostle sayes the body was Christ and the Sabbath was a signe and a shadow of good things to come So then this fulfils Moses words the body is Christ the Sabbath a signe So the good things being come Christ it ends the shadow the the signe that is the substance and rose on the first day on which the Saints met and the Apostle doth not call that a Sabbath nor doth not establish the other Sabbath among the Christians nor bid them keep it that ye read of no where For if that had been observed as it was in the Law time the seventh which signifies perfection the Apostle would have spoken of it some where for those things that were observable was often spoken in Law and Gospell and this being no where spoken of nor to the Saints as that they should keep the seventh day as a Sabbath for offerings was on that day and offerings changed and the offerings being changed the Law also changed and the offering camâ— Christ Jesus and the Law came within and the Circumcision came within And Christ the rest who is the Lord of the Sabbath and the rest for the people of God and he that holds up Sabbaths Offerings holds up Circumcision and Works and so keeps people from the body and the head in the signes and shadows and so the works of the Law which the Law commands Pr. And thou saith Sixe dayes thou shalt labour and do all thy works of sin but the Sabbath day thou shalt not sin thou nor thy son thy daughter thy cattell and stranger within thy gates To keep thy Son Daughter and Stranger from sin as for the poor Cattell they are
from the body which is Christ and so brings them into dayes and shadows and types where the vaile is over their hearts and the false Christian may run into signes and dayes that be out of Christs life and the Apostles But who be in the life of Christ and the Apostles that be in the body out of the signes and shadows and offers up the spirituall sacrifices such be in the rest and have the High Priest the everlasting Priest Christ Now if ye have the Sabbath ye must have the offerings the Priest to offer and your Altars and to offer upon that day which the Christians that witnessed the body Christ Jesus the one offering comes in the volume of the Book to do the will of God this substance that the shadow and signes and figures gave forth ends them all and brings people to see to the end of the shadow to Perfection Christ Jesus Pr. Thou sayes We should not grudge to give God every first day as an addition to Gods seventh-day-sabbath Answ The Priests call it a Sabbath and you call it a first day and you would have a Sabbath besides Now this is your cover but the life takes away all your shadows 'T is true the Saints did meet together every first day on the week And the Saints do so though they do not say it was a command And so the Apostles that brought people off their observing of dayes and times and told them the body was Christ and the Sabbath was a shadow of good things to come Thou mayst say the Apostle was the little Horne that changed times we finde no where he commands the Saints to observe it but brings people as you may read in the Romans from the Law being justified by the Law for if they keep the Sabbath they were justified it not they were condemned So Christ the body the end of types figures signes and shadows is the Justification without the works of the Law and the Sanctification it selfe and sanctifies man to God and so the Christians no where as you may read through the Epistles did observe the dayes the shadowes that was believers in Christs that ownes the body Prin. Thou sayes since the blessed Creator celebrated the seventh day Man thinks to be wiser then his Maker in altering and disobeying pretending spiritual observances poor worm dust and ashes who in expounding his own Law sums up all in this be ye therefore perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect that is in quality not in quantitie Answ He that is perfect as his heavenly Father is perfect is perfect as he is perfect if thou or any have an ear to hear let them hear and lay away thy qualities and quantities and take the words as they are and all that are come into Christ are come into life from the dust and ashes and are the spiritual men But him that talkes of celebrating dayes and Sabbaths are celebrating signes and shadowes and be in their own works from the body of Christ and keeping others and such if they do not all the works contained in the Law are accursed Pr. And thou sayes Christ confirms the seventh day Sabbath and assures us it shall continue every jot and title and Paul sayes he established the Law which cannot be ceremonial therefore let such as slight the seventh day Sabbath take warning and make sure work that it be not broken in no point of the Law which every jot and title is established by Christ and his Apostles when the Lord of the Sabbath and the Saints endeavoured to observe every jot and title of it to the â—â—d of the world and our Redeemer particularly ownes the Sabbath above all other dayes by his works and Miracles and great wonders on that day and God forbid that Saints should side with evil seducers and reproach our Saviour for putting on his glory on that day but rather let that Sabbath be celebrated Answ Christ came not to break the Law the Apostle said the Law was good in its place and he established it yet the Apostle sayes that the Sabbath was shadowes and the body was Christ and he brings them to the Law in the heart in the mind and there he established it and Christ did not come to break one jot or title of it but Mark to fulfill it and he said not one jot or tittle of the Law should be broken until fulfilled and Christ which is the rest to the Jew which had the Sabbath day a sign of rest Christ the rest give the people rest on that day often that was bound that was burthened or that was wearied of that day and Christ that did give them rest on that day and the Apostle which establishes the Law which was good in its place neither of them doth bid keep the Sabbath day he doth not say the Sabbath day must be kept after him the Apostle no where commands it but sayes it was a shadow and the body was Christ and so them that came to the body Christ in the dayes of the Apostles was come to the end of the shadowes in that age in their dayes and for example thou may see it for some did observe a day and some did not and they was not to judge one another about those things and Christ giving rest on that which the people was to rest on was a figure of the everlasting rest and of the Restauration who did the work of God on that day and gave rest to the burthened on that day that signifies an inward rest that Christ was the rest and Lord of the Sabbath and of rest both to the people of God and them that celebrate the Sabbath day must celebrate a sign and live in the shadow and keep them from the body and so from the Church which Christ is the head of and who are celebrating Sabbaths must also bring their offerings and then they must have the first Priesthood to offer and deny the body that doth the will of God the everlasting Priesthood and the one offering and holds with the first Covenant that must decay in which those things stood and deny the everlasting Covenant and he that blotted out Ordinances and ends types and shadowes and so Christ is the end of the Law to every one that believes in every jot and title and print in it and signes and shadowes that was held up by the Law Christ is the end of that yet the life of the Law the power remaines though the outward changing shadowes and things end the body is that that ends them all Pr. Thou sayes the Sabbath was honoured with the conversion of souls on this day and the day before did they break bread together Ans Was that the Sabbath day that Christ and his Disciples brake bread together on did the Apostles and the Saints establish the Sabbath day when they said it was but a shadow and brought them to the body which is Christ Pr. Thou sayes the Sabbath is mentioned with new
types and figures and shadowes which as every believer followes comes to the body and from the observing of signes and shadowes Sabbath dayes to Christ the Son the end of them all Pr. Thou sayes fancy is no fewel for a Christian faith Answ Fancy and fewel is out of a Christian faith which thou art in that is got among the signes types and shadowes in the fancy and so from the body Christ Pr. And thou sayes if the Lord be thy God thou must observe the seventh day Sabbath And thou sayes its Antichrist that perswades to change the day And thou charges them to do no manner of work on that day And thou sayes it is not ceremonial but was before Jew or ceremony had a being Answ The Sabbath was not before Adam was and the Apostles served the Lord God that had the Law of God written in their hearts he was their God and they his people which witnessed the end of the first covenant which stood in ceremonies and so shadowes and signes are ceremonies and the Sabbath was spoken of before ceremonies was that 's true but not as a command then but when ceremonies came up in the dayes of Moses the Sabbath was given as a sign amongst the other signes and a shadow amongst the other shadowes and he tels you plainly if you will believâ— him the body of all is Christ and this Sabbath which was before ceremonies waâ— given among them that had the ceremonies a day of rest for cattel man and beast strangers and servants which the body of this shadow and sign is the rest that gives rest to all the Creation man and beast stranger and servant and so rest to the whole creation And the Apostle was not Antichrist that said the body was Christ the Sabbath was shadows and brought them off of days and off of signs types and ceremonies and the first Priest-hood first covenant and offerings and brought them to the body Christ that ended them all and takes off the vayl that 's upon the hearts of people while Moses was read Now they be the Antichrists that be setting up signes shadows and brings people from the body which is Christ the substance are keeping people in the observing of a day in which people should have rest for a day cattell rest for a day servants rest for a day not minding the substance the body of Christ who restores the creation into unity as it was in the beginning and gives rest to man and beast servant stranger and cattell and is rest to them all They that are come to the body knows the substance the end of the Sabbath days work But then again thou sayes in thy charge Ye may not do any worke on that day How is it then that ye make fires through all your congregations How is it you keep Markets on the Sabbath day which God commanded How is it that Oxe and Horse bear burthens on that day and you both How is it that you gather sticks and make fires on that day and gather your meat on that day in which meat was not to be gathered on that day and he that gathered sticks was stoned to death And how is it that ye professe a day and do not observe it according to the day are ye not all hypocrites in this professing that as ye do not practice for by thâ— Law ye should be stoned to death ye should dye all And how is it that you Professors likewise that professes the first day to be the Sabbath and yet will not go to your worships abundance of you except you be drawn with horses Why pollute you the Sabbath day ye are all polluters according to your own words And why gather ye your meat and make fires on that day Keep it according to the Law be not dissemblers and mockers of God and man If ye will keep a Sabbath go according to Scripture and the law of God And the poor creatures must bear a burthen to lug you to your worships and yet if a poor man be found but carrying a loaf of bread or a burden of sticks to make him a fire he shall it may be fined for it Now by the Law of God he should be stoned to death and your horses should do no work on that day And you will fine some for going to a Meeting of the Lords people yet you must have your Horses and Coaches and Coachmen and put them to labour to draw you to your worships and so here is your confusion And so are judging one another in dayes which was not the Saints work Nor the Apostles who witnessed the body was Christ and met together in him who was the end of dayes Prin. Whereas thou sayst The Sabbath is perpetuall and fenced above all other Lawes Answ If it had been perpetual the Apostle would not have said it was a signe and the body was Christ but the Jewes that had the types to them it was perpetuall it was highly to be observed but Christ that ends the Law ends that and the things that 's in the Law the shadow and signe that 's in the Law who was the body of it Pr. The Jewes received the lively Oracles from Mount-Sinai Whether was it given us to be broken or kept slighted or observed If to be kept and observed then we must either deny the seventh-day-sabbath to be one of Mount-Sinais lively Oracles or deny Stephens Doctrine delivered to the Jewes We must sanctifie this lively Oracle of the seventh-day-sabbath Answ Stephen he preaches Christ the end of the Law types figures and shadows the substance and shewed the Jewes that they had not kept the Law in which was the shadows of Christ and so Christ is the end of the Law and the Signes and the Similitudes and the Dayes And Stephen saw the end Hagar or Sinai is a Mount in Arabia and answers to Jerusalem which now is and is in bondage with her children Now read where you all are But Jerusalem above is free which is the mother of us all now mark us all who are come to the body Christ the end of the signes shadows and figures Jerusalem below had types had figures had shadows had signes when that resteth that is in bondage Hagar with her children and here you may come to know the Allegory of these two Covenants and so who is come to the Son to the body is come to the end of all shadows and before any shadows was And Stephen held not up the shadows but preached Christ the end of them onely he judged the Jewes that had not kept it which Christ is the end of it to every one that believes And Stephen was a believer and they accused him for speaking against the Law and Moses who witnessed the end of it Pr. Thou saith There is a conceit that the Disciples in assembling on the first day did celebrate the Sabbath And they were so far from believing as Christ was risen that it
seemed to them as idle tales The first day was finished before they believed and so they could not have faith to do any such thing Answ The Scriptures speaks no such thing and tells us no such conceit that the Disciples did celebrate the first day to be the Sabbath but this is thine and your imaginations got up among you that owns not the body Christ that ends all signes types and shadows Christ who was before dayes was and who lives in him doth not celebrate dayes Pr. Thou saith John intends a single day it 's much like it was the Sabbath day and he speaks of the Lords day judgement-Iudgement-day and this he calls the day and this day he must shew unto John in the vision The ancient Christians who call it the Lords day did never terme it the Sabbath But religiously celebrated the 7th day with it Answ Iohn doth not call it the Sabbath-day nor the Christians did not celebrate the Sabbath with it but said the old was signes and shadows the body of them was Christ But since the dayes of the Apostles and the Apostacy ye have wanted the body Christ and yee have fell into the dayes for Christ saw those as should come up and draw people into the dayes And the day of the Lord is light and in the day of the Lord was Iohn Pr. Thou saith Old things are passed away and all things are become new Answ Then the Sabbath was a thing and it must passe away and it was a rest and must have a new rest and the Sabbath was in the old time given as a signe and a command and given by God to be kept since the Fall Pr. Thou saith There remains therefore the celebrating the Sabbath to the people of God Answ But the Scripture the New Testament doth not say so The Apostle sayes there remains therefore a rest for the people of God such as come off the signes to Christ the body the soules rest there remains in him a rest for the people And such as celebrate the Sabbath rest in the shadow and doth not come to the body Christ and such are not the Believers that do enter into the rest Christ And such as rest in the signe and shadow and there remains celebrating the Sabbath come not into the body Christ the rest of Gods people Pr. Thou sayes Christ rested or ceased from his great worke and entered into his rest and this is laid down as a Gospel-reason why the Sabbath remains to the people of God And hee layes the Believer under a double engagement to sanctifie the seventh-day-sabbath Answ Christ speaks no such thing nor the Apostles neither that they should sanctifie the seventh day he speaks no such thing to the believers But the Apostle brings them off of the shadows off the signs and shews them the body of all and he doth not mention a double engagement and the Sabbath the Jewes was to rest on which was death if not kept was a figure of the redemption Christ Iesus the rest who was put to death on the sixth day Man was made on the sixth day and he was put to death on the sixth day and he was crucified through the means of them that had the shadows the outward day the outward rest from which day they should have come from the signes and shadows to the body Christ who was the rest and restauration of the Creation Pr. And thou saith To hold forth the passage over of that rest which prevented the women of the application of their spices that was the Sabbath and I am satisfied the seventh day is the Sabbath day Answ Now though the women did rest on the Sabbath-day and came with their Spices on the first day there was many of them did question whether this was the man that should redeem Israel and so that 's no ground at all to hold up the Jewes types and shadowes for Peter denyed him therefore that 's no ground But what did they do after the Holy Ghost was come to endue them with power from on high And what sayes Paul he brings them off from the signes and shadowes to Christ the body though there 's much more to be said to this for while the questioning stands the questioning part doth pertain to the shadow and types which the body ends and with that is felt and seen there 's no changing nor shadow nor variableness nor altering and that overthrows the questioner unbeliever stumbler The great stumbler was the Jewes that's resting in the shadows types and signes they stood against the body Christ Jesus Pr. Whereas thou saith The seventh-day-sabbath is one of the lively Oracles Israel received from Sinai given to us O Christian Remember it and love it in thy bosome A. Here thou wouldst bring the Children from her Mother above which is Jerusalem to Jerusalem below and Sinai and so to Hagar into the shadow and the Christians witnessed the end of the shadows and Sabbaths and witnessed the body Christ Jesus and Ierusalem that 's above and come to Christ the end of the Law and into God by him from whence the Law came and so Christians cannot put signes in their bosomes no type shadow or figure in their bosome that have Christ within them and cannot touch the Doctrine Commandements Ordinances of men which have a shew of wisdome in the Will-worship and that which the Jew the outward Jew had types shadows and figures the Jew inward witnessed the substance which is the true Christian the Law in their hearts and circumcision there and the end of the Law comes into and enters into the rest Christ Jesus that is not an outward seventh day but entered into his rest ceased from his works as God did from his which man enters into his rest and ceased from their own works the type the figure the seventh-day-Sabbath Do no worke thou nor strangers nor the Cattell and so the Sabbath was a rest from all This was a type and God gave them the Sabbath for a signe who hath ceased from his own works enters into his rest a figure of the restauration of the creation of Christ the rest the Restorer Redeemer and Saviour that brings peace on earth And so they that believe hath entered into him into the rest Christ the rest to all wearied soules and helps all creatures upon the earth man and beast and destroys the cause of all oppression and so many is come from Hagar And though the seventh day the Law was a rule among the Jewes a true type yet the Apostle that preaches Christ the end of the Law brings people to the body Christ Pr. Thou saith Circumcision nor Vncircumcision but keeping the commands of God viz. of sanctifying GODS Sabbath And thou saith The seventh Angel sounded forth the Ancient of glory the Lords Sabbath swearing that time should be no longer Answ Circumcision was a command of God and so was the Sabbath and they that love God keep his Commandements And did
not the Apostles but rebuked such And so you are corrected by the Scriptures and you are judged with the life of the Prophets Christ and the Apostles and both Church and Ministers are departed from it The agreement and resolution of severall of the associated Ministers in the County of CORKE for the ordination of MINISTERS Their principles in it as followeth Pr. TO minister the spirit it is not promised to teach any thing but what Christ hath spoken John makes it an infallible tryall of spirits to convince gainsayers and stop their mouths Answ Many may have Christs words all that ever he hath spoken and if he hath not the spirit of Christ he is none of his And gainsayers may have Christs words that gainsays the spirit and the light that comes from them So the spirit tries spirits that gave forth Scriptures and lets men see whether they pervert Christs words for Christ saith the false Prophets would get the sheeps cloathing therefore could Antichrist and the false Prophets try spirits Nay they put them to death that were in the spirit they did that had the sheeps cloathing and the spirit of Christ who hath it can tell who wrongs Christs words And why did not the Ministers of Ireland which had Christs words Prophets Apostles stop the mouth of Edward Burrough and Francis Howgill but suffered them to be banished out of the Nation or caused them You looked upon them to be gainsayers which be the servants ot the Lord and yet you were not able to stop their mouths though you had all the sheeps cloathing neither were able to resist their spirit which shews your spirit And that you are not fit to send forth Ministers nor make Ministers nor try Ministers and the Apostle doth not say that the Letter is the onely rule or tryall but if people have not the spirit of Christ they are none of his and have not Christ in them they are reprobates And we do witnesse the spirit is come whereby we are Ministers of that not of the Letter For the spirit that once established Circumcision the same spirit ended it again Now the Jewes that tryed by the Letter judged the Apostle to be a deceiver And those that have the sheeps cloathing and have not the spirit of Christ Jesus they are crying loe he is here and loe he is there Pr. You tell us of a Sacrament and that the world lies in wickedness in grosse Aegyptian darknesse and false Apostles and Jezebel making her selfe a Prophetess to teach and seduce and men loving preheminence and to be called Masters Answ In this state you are called of men Masters loving preheminence Jezebel-like usurpt authority setting up your selves to teach keeping your fasts persecuting and banishing the righteous in the steps of the false Apostles spirituall Aegypt in grosse thick darknesse rejoycing with the world that lyes in wickednesse telling people of your Sacraments which you had from your Father the Pope and the false Apostles your fore-fathers who were got up before the Apostles decease and so you are judged with the life of the Apostles and Christ and them that be in it which shall answer the witnesse of God in you all And the wickednesse of the world declares your fruits that you have not profitted the people at all And your Iezebels doings hath declared it selfe and your loving preheminence being called of men masters which the Apostle judged and Christ cryed woe against These marks are found in your fore-heads that all may read you to be out of the life of Christ and the Apostles that can read Scripture Pr. Vnlesse some Preacher of righteousnesse be then living to warne the sinfull world of their wickednesse Answ Such as warne you and the sinfull world of their wickednesse who are the Preachers of righteousnes you banish there is your fruits Pr. The purest grain hath its chaffe the best needs a fan to cleanse them the best needs a Nathan all flesh is liable to flie-blows To runne without office and power argues presumption Ans The wheat that is gotten out of the chaffe hath not its chaffe that comes into his Garner And such as are cleansed need not the Fan to cleanse them Them that are borne of God they do not commit sinne for the seed of God remains in them that they cannot And all need not a Nathan all are not adulterers and the flesh of Christ is not fly-blown which sees not corruption And the Saints of Christ are of his flesh and his bone and you run without the power that the Apostles were in so you judge your selves to be the presumptuous ones Pr. The keep are apt to wander ordinary Ministers receive their Ministery from the Lord. Paul chosen immediately by God Stephen mediately Answ In the cloudy dark day the sheep wandered who were made a prey of by you who seek for the fleece Ezek. 34. But the Lord will seek them and gather them and feed them a top of the mountains And the sheep of Christ heares his voyce and follows him so saith Christ so they do not wander And they that receive their Ministery from the Lord are above all you ordinary Ministers of the world made by men And Paul was made immediately and all the Ministers of Christ and God that be in the spirit it makes them immediately But all you since the dayes of the Apostles that have got the sheeps cloathing and ravened from the spirit of God are mediate Pr. Such be in the selfe-conceit that are against Ordinances and Sabbaths Answ Every one that is in the spirit of Christ sees him who hath blotted out the hand writing of Ordinances and triumphed over them cannot touch them and such as are come to the body of Christ sees the end of new Moons and Sabbaths And such as be out of the body and doth not see that are crying up their Ordinances and Sabbath which the body of Christ comes to end who is the substance and end of them and before they were Now Antichrist cries up that which the Apostle preached down who be blinde and sees not the body and sets up Sabbaths of their own making and keeps Markets and Fayrs on that day which the Lord commanded and call it Saturns day which was the Iewes Sabbath which was given to them as a signe but the body is Christ Pr. Vice may be nourished with the milke of vertue the Gospell Ministers and we finde that the harvest is great and the labourers are few We conclude with a few words to the readers of our principles and intended practices Ans The Readers have viewed your practices and principles both and tell you that they are corrupt the milke of vertue doth not nourish vice This was not the Ministers of Christs language the milke of vertue nourisheth the babes and the Labourers that have been sent amongst you from the Lord God you have banished out of your Nation But if one come in his own name him you will
one another in this Church Papists and Protestants Lutherans and Calvinists so called how is it they are not of one body broken into so many heads now the baptisme of the spirit brings all into one body in which spirit is the fellowship and the unity which spirit is the bond of peace and Circumcision outwardly was a figure of Circumcision within and that it typed forth and baptisme without typed forth baptisme within and many may run into the outward water that doth decrease and doth not come to the body of Christ the light as you may read in the fifth of John for none are grafted into Christ the body but who comes to the light John bare witness of Pr. You say though Christ he in Heaven you on Earth and you are flesh of his flesh and bone of his bone Answ And yet before you said your consciences accused you and your best works in this life were sinful imperfect and you could not keep the commands of God now this is confusion who are of the flesh and bone of Christ are with him and fits with him in Heavenly places for their conversation is in Heaven Pr. We are grafted into Christ by the Holy-Ghost now according to his humane nature on earth Answ Humane nature is from the ground this is old Adam but Christ who according to the flesh was of Abraham and of David the Scripture doth not tell us of humane nature for humane is from the ground but Christ is from above and though he were a Lamb slain from the foundation of the world yet his nature was not corrupted nor his flesh saw no corruption he that is made of the dust is humane he that is the Lord from heaven is not humane so you erre in your understandings that doth not distinguish Pr. Teaching the Gospel and Ecclesiastical discipline by which the heaven is opened to believers and shut against the unbelievers Ans Christ hath the key which opens to believers which doth enlighten every man that comes into the world that through it they might believe and they that do not believe in the light which Christ hath enlightned them withal heaven is shut to them light condemns them and they neglect the Gospel upon whom the wrath comes which Gospel is the power of God and as for the Ecclesiastical discipline it is got up since the dayes of the Apostles in the apostasie which shuts up the Kingdom of Heaven against men that which they should have believed in that is the light Christ hath enlightned them withall which is the key Pr. And such you say that be wicked men the Sacrament is to them forbidden and shut out of the Congregation Answ Do you not call baptisme Sacrament and hath he given them it and did not you say they are grafted into the Church by baptisme and cannot Judas take the sop but for the word Sacrament that you may look in the old Canon Book the Masse-Book and such as you like you give your Sacrament as covetous and proud and lovers of gold and surfetted with the cares of this life and drunk with it and such as are in superfluitie and yet such you will give it to and common outward drunkards you will keep it from now are not all those forbidden and out of the Church of God read and judge your selves and amend your lives and repent that you may come into the spirit that baptizeth into the body of Christ Pr. You say Christ hath redeemed you by his blood and renewed you by his spirit to his Image Ans And yet your works before were sinful and you brake the command of God now this shewes still that you have but the form and unrenewed in spirit unchanged unconverted and not in the Image of God and not in the thankfulness of God out of a pure heart Pr. To mortifie the old man is to be sorry for your sins Answ A man may be sorry for the sin he hath acted but that which puts off the body of sin is the spirit and purifies the heart is the faith and that that cleanseth from all sin is the blood of Jesus and that that blots out all sin and transgression is Christ the Covenant of God and Christ within manifest in the flesh condemns sin in the flesh so having him within the body is dead because of sin Pr. Thou shalt not make to thy self any graven image the likeness of any thing in Heaven above or in the earth beneath or worship them or bow down to them thou shalt not take the name of the Lord in vain c. and remember thou keep holy the Sabbath day for six dayes thou shalt labour and do all thou hast to do but on the Sabbath thou nor thy ox servant or stranger shall do no manner of work Answ Do you not make graven images and Pictures of things in Heaven and of things in the water and of things in the earth and so make similitudes and representations and adore them and set them up in your houses and is not this quite contrary to the commands of God and hath not the Papists been your examples for these things and not the Apostles and do ye not take the Lords name in vain dayly in your streets and markets in your buying and selling and take the Lords name in vain when you call upon him with your lips but your hearts be in your covetous practices and full of hatred envy pride voluptuousness ambition self-honour and deceit and this is taking the Lords Name in vain to call on God with your lips while your hearts be after this manner do your servants or strangers or cattel rest on the seventh day and do you not keep Markets and Fairs on that day the Lord gave to the children of Israel after the fall of Adam for a sign of the restoration of the Creation that neither man nor servant nor family nor ox nor Asse should work on that day but rest so it was a signe the Apostles saith the Sabbath day was a shadow of good things to come which was Christ the good thing who restores the Creation and giveth the liberty to Horse Asse Ox and all the Creation unto man and stranger and servant and Redeemes man up into the image of God and renewes it which hath been lost and so is restoring of the Creation and gives rest to his people and all the Creation and destroys the Devil death and all his works Christ who is the restorer gives rest to the Creation who was before dayes was by which all things was made Pr. You say Thou shalt not do no murther thou shalt not steal nor thou shalt not covet thy neighbours goods house or servant nor any thing that is his his wife or ox or Asse c. Ans Do you do no murther that was the Law without do you fulfill it in Christendom then you do not murther the just principle of God in your particulars do you not quench the spirit in
people and suffer it not to have liberty do you not do murther to the just of God in you in your own particulars and so then stop it in the general for opening its mouth with all your force and might and are you not murtherers there and do you not steal by Sea and Land and cozen and cheat and wrong one another nay do you not steal the words from your neighbour and the Prophets and the Apostles and Christ which you never came into the life of is not this called theft and robbery for you have not received it from the Lord God as Prophets as Apostles as his Son did and servants did so all your profession Church and Ministery stand in the robbery and have not received it as they did as the true Apostles and Prophets did and Ministers did ye all stand in the robbery and do not you covet your neighbours goods Oxen Cattel and servants and wife and one getting from another goods and getting servants one from another is not this out of the love in which the Commandment ends where there is serving one another in love and is not all covetous Idolaters out of the love shut in which the Commandment ends and hath not this been the practice in the whole Christendom coveting mens goods servants cattel and that which is not his is not that out of the Law and Gospel and out of a pure heart where the Commandment is done and known and that which it ends in is in Christ and love keepes the Commands of Christ they that love do not covet and they are not Idolaters Pr. We are not to make any images to be tollerated in the Churches and Chappels or figures of things made for it is not seemly for God will have his Church be taught by living Preaching Answ How is it that your Churches so called are so full of Pictures and images of Males and Females representing a figure of Adam and Eve the Apostles and Christ and your houses and signs of fish in the Sea and Lyons and others creatures upon the earth and of things as you imagine in heaven are not all these your inventions your works and inventions you have learned of the Papists and they from the heathen not from the Apostles and you have daubed your Churches and them flourished with your Pictures these things you call your Churches but the Church is in God which the gates of Hell cannot prevail against but a showre of rain or an earthquake or a great wind will prevail against your Church and the devil may come with his carnal weapons and throw it down but the Church of Christ the Pillar of truth is that the devil is out of Pr. You say a man may swear before a Magistrate and that this kind of swearing is ordained by Gods word therefore well used of the Saints and it is not lawful to swear by the Saints or other creatures Answ Here ye be out of the Doctrine of Christ who saith swear not at all and out of the Magistrates state the Apostle speaks of and out of Christs Doctrine and the Apostles and hath broken the commands of Christ and the Apostles Doctrine which saith swear not at all so you wrong Christ Jesus and the word of God you deny and though Abraham swear and Jacob and Joseph sware the Prophets and Moses swear David swore and the Angels swore and men in strife swear by the greater and the oath ended the strife and controversie amongst men yet Christ saith before Abraham was I am he reigns over the house of Joseph and Jacob he is the end of the Prophets he is the end of Moses he is the end of men of strife and brings peace on the earth the Angels must bow down to him that saith swear not at all who was before Abraham was and David called him Lord who was greater then Solomon and this is my beloved Son hear ye him now which of you hear him they said in the old time perform thy vows to the Lord this was the old time the day of Abraham David Prophets Moses Solomon but Christ who was before all time by whom all things was made the oath of God ends the time and saith swear not at all so doth his true Ministers and the Apostles above all things my brethren swear not at all neither by heaven nor by earth lest you fall into condemnation now here were true brethren that kept the doctrine of Christ and the Apostles and his commands which swearers break which are got up since the dayes of the Apostles which are the false brethren Apostatized from the true so now the fruits of false and true brethren are seen who keep the commands of Christ and walk in the Doctrine of the Apostles and who doth not Pr. You say That in the fourth Commandment God doth command that the Ministers of the Gospel and the Schools of Learning should be maintained and that on the Sabbath frequent studiously Divine Assembles hear the word diligently using the Sacraments Ans Your Schools your Sacraments your Sabbath your Studies by men you have made these since the Apostles your Ministers at your Schools and not by the Lord but among your selves Apostatized from his spirit for the Apostles had not Shools and the Apostles said let no man judge you in meats or drinks new Moons and Sabbath dayes c. for the body is Christ and he brought them off of these services to Christ the substance the body who ended the Sabbath days and the offerings upon them who was before dayes who is the rest for his people and did not bring people into dayes but into Christ by whom all things was made who was Lord of the Sabbath and such meet on the first day of the week and are taught of God and out-strip all your Teachers made in Schools and learnings of men and so not of man nor by man but the outward Schools are of men and by men Pr. You say The fifth Commandment injoyns you to yield obedience to the faithful commandments of them that be over you and the Catechisme Ans The fifth Commandment brings that men should obey the command of God not of men nor the Catechisme nor such stuff as is in this Catechisme but who are come to Christ the end of the Commandments the end of the Law him by whom the world was made and was before it was made is enjoyed Pr. You say The meaning of the seventh Commandment Is that you should live temperate modest and chaste and holy in Wedlock Answ Is this so have you not broken Wedlok both with God and man and lost the chaste Virgin state and so gotten up into intemperate immodest unchastness into uncleanness and filthiness and so shew by your fruits that you neither come to keep this Commandment nor to Christ the end of it Pr. You say The eighth Commandment doth not only forbid robbery but covetousness after other mens goods evil witchcraft devices to
THE GREAT MISTERY OF THE GREAT WHORE UNFOLDED AND ANTICHRISTS KINGDOM Revealed unto DESTRVCTION In Answer to many False Doctrines and Principles which Babylons Merchants have traded with being held forth by the professed Ministers and Teachers and Professors in England Ireland and Scotland taken under their owne Hands and from their owne Mouths sent forth by Them from time to time against the despised People of the LORD called QVAKERS who are of the Seed of that Woman who hath been long fled into the WILDERNES ALSO An Invasion upon the great City BABYLON with the spoling of Her golden Cup and delicate Merchandize whereby She hath deceived the World and Nations And herein is declared the spoyling of her prey in this Answer to the multitude of Doctrines held forth by the many false SECTS which have lost the key of Knowledge and been on foot since the Apostles dayes called Anabaptists Independents Presbyters Ranters and many others who out of their own Mouths have manifested themselves not to be of a true descent from the true Christian Churches But it 's discovered that they have been all made drunk with the Wine of Fornication received from the Whore which hath sitten upon the Beast after whom the World hath wondred By GEORGE FOX And the Merchants of the Earth shall weep and mourn over her for no man buyeth their merchandize any more Rev. 18.18 And they cryed when they saw the smoak of her burning saying what City is like unto this great City And they cast dust on their heads and cryed weeping and wailing saying Alas alas that great City wherein were made rich all that had Ships in the Sea by reason of her costliness for in one hour is she made desolate Rev. 18 18 19. LONDON Printed for Tho Simmons at the Ball and Mouth near Aldersgate 1659. THE EPISTLE TO THE READER TO all the world to whom this may come to be Read that they read with a good understanding and hereby they may come to the perfect knowledge of the ground of difference between the Priests and Professors and all Sects in these Nations and Us who are in scorn called Quakers shewing that the conversie on our paâ—â— is just and equal against them all and tâ—â—â— we have sufficient cause to cry against them and to deny their Mâ—â—â—stry their Church their worship and their whole Religion as being not in the Power and by the Spirit 〈…〉 â—â—â—ng God as commanded of him or ever practiced by his Sain◠〈◊〉 â—ut 〈◊〉 â—â—clareth the gâ—â—und and foundation thereof to be anotheâ—â—â—â—â—g aâ—â—â—ot the same on which the true Church and Ministry anâ—â—â—actice 〈◊〉 worship and true Religion was builded in the daye◠〈◊〉 Apoâ—â—â—es And also this is an Invitation to all Sects and professioâ— of People to come forth and try if what they hold and professe be according â—o the Scriptures of truth and to do this in tryall by evident and sound Arguments and by the best spiritual weapons they have and to laâ—â—â—â—e all this persecution and unrighteous dealing and stocking and wâ—â—pping and imprisoning of us for speaking against their Religion and that they come forth in fair dispute to contend in the Spirit of meekness for what they professe and practice and to prove according to the Scriptures their Ministry Church and whole Religion that it is in and by the spirit and power of God or otherwise to renounce and deny all their Religion and the profession and practices thereof that every man may be satisfied who it is that are in the true and right way and of the true worship and true Religion and who it is that are not and this is desired by us who are called Quakers and also a true account of our first beginning and coming forth in the world and of that great sufferings we have sustained and how we have been carryed on and are preserved to this day The Lord God everlasting who is true and faithful hath fulfilled his promise in us and unto us and we are gathered from the mouths of all dumb Shepherds and out of the mouths of all Hirelings who have made a prey upon us and fed themselves with the fat and devoured souls for dishonest gain And we are come to the fould of Eternal rest where Christ Jesus is the chief Shepherd and he is the Shepherd and Bishop of our souls that feedeth his Flock with living bread that nourisheth us unto life eternal he hath called us by his Name and put us forth and he feedeth us in green pastures and we are fed with hidden Manna and lies down at Noon with his gathered Flock and out of Nations kindreds multitudes and peoples are we Redeemed to God and are come out of the world and out of great Babylon and out of spiritual Sodom and Egypt where the Lord Christ was and is crucified and lyeth slain to this day and a top of the world hath the Lord set us on the mountain of his oâ—n house and dwelling where we behold and feel the life and glory Crown of the world that hath no end and the world that hath an end is seen over and its Crown and glory is his footstool that Reigns among us And as for all that which this perishing world brings forth which men seek after only It s reckoned our temptation though all the sons of Adam are seeking its glory its Riches its Crowns its contentments But of that birth are we which hath no Crown no glory nor rest under the Sun and a birth is brought forth amongst us which is heir of another Kingdom and possessor of anoâ—â—er Crown whose glorying is in the Lord all the day long and he is ouâ— Refuge our Rock and our fortresse against all our Enemies and what though the wicked arm themselves and the ungodly bend their bâ—w what though all sorts of people from the Prince upon his Tâ—â—◠〈◊〉 â—he Beggar upon the dunghill exalt themselves against thâ— dâ—â—piseâ—â—â—ople of Lords inheritance who for his Names sake are kiâ—â—â—d all the â—ay long what though the wisemen bring forth their Aâ—â—â—â—â—nts anâ— what though the Rulers bring forth unrighteous Judgemeâ—â—s again 〈◊〉 â—eed that God hath blessed what though the revilers and scorners open their mouthes and reproachers and revilers cast out their bitter words as a flood against the remnant of the womans seed that hath long been fled into the wilderness and what then if the Teachers the Prophets and the Elders and the heads and wise men of the world set themselves to pray and Preach and Print against the chosen seed of Jacob yet notwithstanding all this though this is come to passe and hell open her mouth and her floods break forth to overflow and be much more increased yet shall the King of righteousness rule among his people and his presence will not forsake his chosen ones But the Lord is with us a mighty and terrible one and the shout of a King is amongst us and the dread and terror of
and true ministers and equall and according to the false prophets and deceivers Secondly Againe you are not according but contrary to the true ministry and Ministers of Christ in practise for they were led by the spirit of the Father which dwelt in them and they preached the Gospel by the spirit and spake as the spirit gave them utterance and went up and down the world through Nations converting people to the knowledge of the truth and what they had handled tasted seen and felt of the word of life in them that they declared to others and preached the Gospell which they had not received from man nor by man but by the Revelation of Jesus Christ in them But your practise is not such but contrary for the spirit of this world leads you and it you follow in all your works in your preaching praying and in your whole worship in forme and tradition what you have studied for out of books and old Authors you preach to people and what ye have noted in a book that you preach by an hour-glasse and not as the spirit of God gives you utterance and you seek out and enquire after great benefits and much money by the yeare and where there is much Tithes and Gleab-lands and such like thither and to such a place you goe and seeke after to be Ministers there and there you remain 20. 40. more or fewer yeares as you can agree with the people and while they will give you so much as will content you and maintain you your wives and families as you say respect not whether any be converted to God by your preaching but people remaines alwaies in blindnesse and ignorance generally and without the knowledge of God for you preach other mens words and what you have collected in your imaginations from the Saints words an hour by a glasse leaning upon a soft cushion and for money and and hire preaching to the people and this is your manner of practise and Ministery in these Nations but thus did not the Apostles nor Christs Ministers but the contrary and by your fruits and works it appeares that you are not followers of that spirit that Christ and his Ministers were guided by neither are lawfull successors of the Apostles but by your fruits and practise you manifest that the Lord never sent you nor Christ never called you into his service to be his Ministers for in all your practises and in your whole performances of worship you differ and doth not agree but are contrarie to what the practise and worship of Christs Ministers and Churches were in the daies of the Apostles this I charge upon you in the Name and by the Authoritie of the Lord God and am able to prove it against you face to face or otherwise to shew that you are not of the same spirit but contrary to the Saints and Apostles of old and so not true succeeders of them nor lawfull Ministers of Christ as to all people it is and shall be made manifest Thirdly You disagree and are contrarie altogether to the true ministrie and to the Apostles in respect of your maintenance and wages for the wages which Christ allowed his Ministers was into whatsoever house they entered that was worthy they might eate such things as are set before them for the workeman saith he is worthy of his hire and the Apostles eat onlie of the fruit of the vineyard that they had planted and of the milk of the flock which they kept by a free gift of the people which they had begotten to the faith and to whom they sowed spirituall things it was but as a small matter if they reaped their carnall things yet as a free gift they would doe it and the Apostle said he would not make the Gospel of Christ chargeable And in this manner were Christs Ministers and Ministrie in wages and gifts upheld and maintained outwardly in the world But your practise and maintenance is not such but contrary as is fullie made manifest for you will have so much by the Yeare promised to you in Tythes money or Gleab-lands or stipends and of drunkards and swearers and prophane wordly people who are not sheep of Christs flock nor plants of his vine-yard you will have so much of each of them and of every man in such a compasse as you call your parish and if any either out of covetousnesse or good conscience cannot pay you you sue at Law and cast into prison for wages and spoile their goods and take treble nay some times 5. double damage and through violence and injustice and cruelty are you maintained in such a manner and not as the true Ministers and Apostles of Christ were but in a way and manner quite contrarie as it is manifest and so herein it is proved that you are not lawfull successors of the Apostles and Ministers of Christ Fourthly Againe you follow not the Apostles and true Ministers of Christ but are contrarie to them in doctrine as this following vollume will clearly manifest which for this very end is collected from your own mouths and pens that all men may see what you are and what you hold and professe and being truely laid down and answered let your selves and all sober men compare your doctrines and sayings with the doctrines of the Apostles and they may see you agree not with them but are contrary to them and now friends to all you that professe your selves to be Ministers of the Gospell I do hereby declare unto you in the name and authority of the Lord that we have controversie with you and a great charge against you in all these things in your call in your practice and in your maintenance and in your doctrines and our mouthes hath the Lord opened and they cannot be shut from declaring and crying against you as such whom the Lord never sent but are contrary to Christ his prophets and Apostles in all your waies and practices and the hand of the Lord is certainly against you and his power and dread wil come over you and lie upon your consciences Now Reader whosoever thou art that reades this following volume if thy mind be sober and thy heart right towards God thou may come to a good understanding of the ground and cause of this great controversie between the Priests and the professors of this Nation and us who are in scorne called Quakers for it is not unknown to Nations of this great debate and battel now for some yeares of continuance in this Nation no man can be ignorant what putting in prisons and what persecuting and what preaching and printing against us and what reports and same hath been through this Nation for some yeares past and the Quakers so called have written and spoken and printed against the Priests and their worships and waies and doctrines and declared against them as deceivers and false prophets and such as never were sent of God on the other hand thus have the Priests and more
abundantlie cried out against and printed against the Quakers as hereticks and deceivers and witches and all what they could say that 's evil and these things being not unknown but publiklie brought to passe therefore it will be good to discover unto every man the first ground and cause of this great strife and the matter of it and its beginning so that all may know the certaintie of these things and know they are not without good ground and sufficient reason on our part to wit that we have just cause to do and strive against that generation of Priests and Teachers and that we doe nothing rashly and without sufficient reason It is now about seaven years since the Lord raised us up in the North of England and opened our mouthes in this his spirit and what we were before in our Religion profession and practices is well known to that part of the countrie how generalie we were men of the strictest sect and of the greatest zeal in the performance of outward righteousnesse and went through and tried all sorts of Teachers and run from mountain to mountaine and from man to man and from one forme to an other as doe many to this very day who yet remaines ungathered to the Lord and such we were to say no more of us that sought the Lord and desired the knowledge of his waies more then any thing beside and for one I may speak who from a child even a few yeares old he set his face to seek and find the Saviour and more then Life and treasure or any mortal Crown sought after with all his heart the one thing that is needfull to wit the knowledge of God And after our long seeking the Lord appeared to us and revealed his glory in us and gave us of his spirit from heaven and poured it upon us and gave us of his wisdome to guid us whereby we saw all the world and the true state of all things and the true condition of the Church in her present estate first the Lord brought us by his power and wisdome and the word by which all things were made to know and understand see perfectly that God had given to us everie one of us in particular a Light from himselfe shining in our harts consciences which Light Christ his Son the Saviour of the world had lighted every man and all mankind withall which Light in us we found sufficient to reprove us and convince us of every evil deed word and thought and by it in us we come to know good from evil right from wrong and whatsoever is of God and according to him from what is of the Devil and what is contrary to God in motion word and work and this Light gave us to discerne between truth and error between every false and right way it perfectlie discovered to us the true state of all things and we thereby came to know man what he was in his creation before transgression how he was deceived overcome by the devil his estate in transgression in disobedience how he is drove banished from the presence of the Lord and the sorrow and anguish which he is in to undergo also by the Light in us we perfectlie came to know the way of Restauration and the meanes to be restored and the state of man being come out of transgression and restored these things to us were revealed by the Light within us which Christ had given us and lightened us withall what man was before transgression and what he is in transgression and what he is being redeemed out of transgression and also the Light which shined in every one of us as to it our mindes became turned and our hearts inclined the perfect estate of the Church we came to know her estate before the Apostles daies and in the Apostles daies and since the daies of the Apostles and her persent estate we found to be as a woman who had once been cloathed with the Sun and the Moon under her feet who brought forth him that was to Rule the Nations but she was fled in the Wildernesse and there sitting desolate in her place that was prepared of God for such a season which season in the very end thereof when the time of her sojorning was towards a full end then were we brought forth if any have an eare they may hear so that all these things concerning man and concerning the times and seasons and the changing and renewing of times and all things that pertaines to salvation and Redemption and eternal Life needfull for man to know all this was revealed discovered and made knowne to us by the Light which was in us which Christ had lighted us withall And we found this Light to be a sufficient teacher to lead us to Christ from whence this Light came and thereby it gave us to receive Christ and to witnesse him to dwel in us and through it the new covenant we came to enter into to be made heires of life and salvation and in all things we found the Light which we were inlightned withall and all mankind which is Christ to be alone and onelie sufficient to bring to Life and eternal salvation and that all who did own the Light in them which Christ hath enlightened every man withall they needed no man to teach them but the Lord was their Teacher by his Light in their own consciences and they received the holie anointing And so we ceased from the teachings of all men and their words and their worships and their Temples and all their baptismes and Churches and we ceased from our own words and professions and practises in Religion in times before zealously performed by us through divers formes and we became fooles for Christs sake that we might become truelie wise and by this Light of Christ in us were we led out of all false waies and false preachings and false Ministers and we met together often and waited upon the Lord in pure silence from our own words and all mens words and hearkned to the voice of the Lord and felt his word in our hearts to burn up and beat down all that was contrary to God and we obeyed the Light of Christ in us and followed the motions of the Lords pure spirit and took up the Crosse to all earthly glories Crowns and waies denied our selves our relations and all that stood in the way betwixt us and the Lord and we chose to suffer with and for the Name of Christ rather then all the pleasures upon earth or all our former zealous professions and practices in Religion without the power and spirit of God which the world yet lives in And while waiting upon the Lord in silence as often we did for many hours together with our mindes and hearts toward him being stayed in the Light of Christ within us from all thoughts fleshly motions and desires in our diligent waiting and feare of his Name and hearkning to
his word we received often the pouring down of the spirit upon us and the gift of Gods holy eternal Spirit as in the dayes of old and our hearts were made glad and our tongues loosed and our mouths opened and we spake with new tongues as the Lord gave us utterance and as his spirit led us which was poured down upon us on Sons and Daughters and to us hereby was the deep things of God revealed and things unutterable was known and made manifest and the glory of the Father was revealed and then began we to sing praises to the Lord God Almighty and to the Lamb for ever who had redeemed us to God and brought us out of the captivity and bondage of the world and put an end to sin and death and all this was by and through and in the light of Christ within us and much more might be declared hereof that which could not be believed if it were spoken of the several and particular operations and manifestations of the everlasting spirit that was given us and revealed in us but this is the sum life and immortality was brought to light power from on high and wisdom was made manifest and the day everlasting appeared unto us and the joyful Sun of Righteousness did arise and shine forth unto us and in us and the holy annoynting the everlasting Comforter we received and the Babe of glory was born and the heir of the promise brought forth to Reign over the earth and over Hell and death whereby we entered into everlasting union and fellowship and Covenant with the Lord God whose mercies are sure and infinite and his promise never fales and much might be spoken but this is the sum we were raised from death to life and are changed from Satans power to God and gathered from all the dumb Shepherds and off all the barren mountains into the fold of Eternal Peace and rest and mighty and wonderful things hath the Lord wrought for us and by us by his own outstretched Army And thus we became followers of the Lamb whither soever he goes and he hath called us to make War in righteousnes for his names sake against Hell and death and all the powers of darkness and against the beast and false Prophet which hath deceived the Nations and we are of the Royal seed elect chosen and faithful and we War in truth and just judgement not with weapons that are carnal but by the sword that goes out of his mouth which shall slay the wicked and cut them them to pieces and after this manner was our birth and bringing forth and thus hath the Lord chosen us and made us as an Army dreadful and terrible before whom the wicked do fear and tremble and our standard is truth justice righteousness and equity and all that comes unto us must cleave thereunto and fight under that banner without fear and without doubting and they shall never be ashamed nor put to flight neither shall ever they be conquered by Hell or death or by the powers of darkness but the Lord shall be their armour weapon and defence for evermore and they that follow the Lamb shall overcome and get the victory over the beast and over the Dragon and over the gates of Hell for the Lord is with us and who shall be able to make us afraid Then having thus armed us with power strength and wisdom and Dominion according to his mind and we having learned of him and being taught of him in all things and he having chosen us into his work and put his sword into our hand and given us perfect Commission to go forth in his Name and Authority having the word from his mouth what to cut down and what to preserve and having the everlasting Gospel to Preach to the inhabitants of the earth and being commanded in spirit to leave all and follow him and go forth in his work yea an absolute necessity was laid upon us and wo unto us if we Preached not the Gospel for when we looked abroad and beheld the world behold it was altogether darkness and even as a wilderness and desolate and barren of good fruit and death reigned over men and no good fruit was brought forth to God but leaves we beheld upon every soul and all men and peoples were made drunk with the wine of whoredoms and the Whores cup they had drunk and was committing fornication with the great Whore and she reigned over the Kings and peoples of the earth and the Antichrist was set up in the Temple of God ruling over all and having brought Nations under his power and set up his Government over all for many ages even since the dayes of the Apostles and true Churches hath he reigned while the woman hath been fled into the wilderness and the man child caught up to God Christ said Antichrist should come and put on the sheepes cloathing and be inwardly a ravening Wolfe and John saw that Antichrist was come in his dayes and he went forth then from the true Church and went into the world and deceived the world and ever since his Kingdom hath reigned over Nations for then he begun to exalt himself and it is sixteen hundred years since all which time Antichrist that hath had the sheepes cloathing but inwardly a ravener and hath ruled and reigned and this we saw and perceived in the very time of our birth and bringing forth and we beheld Nations as a wilderness untilled and mens hearts as the fallow ground unbroken up and not plowed nor sown with the good seed of Gods Kingdom so that we saw all states and orders of men corrupted and degenerated from what they ought to be and from what God had once ordained them As for the Ministry first we looking upon it with a single eye in the light of the Spirit of God which had annointed us we beheld it clearly which formerly we had been stumbling at and much doubting of that it was not the perfect Ministry of Christ for many years before not to be of Christ nor sent of him nor having the Commission power and Authority of Christ as his Ministry had in the dayes of the true Churches but in all things as in Call practice maintenance and in every thing else in fruits and effects we found it disagree and be wholly contrary to the true Minstry of Christ in the dayes of the Apostles and likewise we truely beheld it to be in Call practice and maintenance and all things the very same in fruits and effects with the false Ministry and false Prophets and false Apostles and deceivers of old and this I do testifie and am able to prove in the spirit and Authority of the Lord that the publike Ministry as now it stands generally is wholly degenerated from what the true Ministry of Christ once was and differeth and is contrary in all things to what Christs Ministers were and agreeth and is equal in all things with what the false prophets
imprisoned and many hard dealings against us the worst of tongues or hands could execute sparing life of this all the North countries may witnesse and all these things are sustained and suffered from people and Rulers because of our faithfulnesse to the Lord and for declaring against the false deceivers for nothing save onely the hand of the Lord and his power could have preserved us and carryed us through all this neither for any reward outward whatsoever or advantage to our selves would we have exposed our selves to that sufferings and violence and dangers which befell us dayly but the Lord was our exceeding great reward through all these things and kept us in the hollow of his hand and under the shadow of his wings and gave us dominion in spirit over all our enemies and subdued them before us and though Rulers and people were combined against us and executed their injustice and violence upon us yet the Lord made us to prosper and grow exceedingly in strength wisdom and number and the hearts of the people enclined unto us and the witnesse of God in many stired for us for to that in all consciences in our words and sufferings and waies we did commend our selves to be known and approved And in the beginning we were but few in number onely a few that thus were carried on and dealt with all and that had received the power from on high in such a measure and for such a work and no sooner did the Lord appear to us and with us but the Devil and his power rose up against us to destroy us and it wrought in Rulers Priests and people and all the waies and meanes invented by the Devil that could be executed by his servants were brought forth to quench the work of the Lord and to stop our passage in what we were called to did ye but perfectly know as we perfectly found the craftinesse and policie and wickednesse of the Devil how to overcome this new borne babe and how to root out for ever this plant that was newly sprang forth it would make you admire and wonder with admiration all the priests and Rulers were in an uproar the Priests they petitioned to the Magistrates and run up down from one sessions and Judicatory to another took wicked oathes and slandered the just with lies and reproaches on purpose to incense all people against us and the Magistrates gave forth warrants for the apprehending of some and made their orders to break our meetings and that we should not meet in the night season and such men might not passe abroad and such stirr and opposition vvas made against us it can hardly be expressed or declared there was uproars in steeple-houses and uproars in markets and often haling before Magistrates and abused and threatned and slandred and all manner of evil done and spoken against us and great injustice cruelty and oppression acted against us where ever we came and all through the meanes of the Priests who spared not to enact and conceive mischief against us and sought dayly to the Magistrates for persecution preaching in their Pulpits and praying against us and setting daies apart to seek their God against us crying with out ceasing in publike and private heresie heresie Error and blasphemy that we were deceivers witches and seducers such like the worst they could say and Imagine to stir up the hearts of people against us and running often to the Assize and Sessions and Counts to complain and in forme upon false oathes against us and through them were the whole countries in a rage and madnesse Rulers people often imprisoning and abusing and resisting us with violence banishing us out of towns and putting of us out of our Innes and often threatning to burne the houses over our heads the whole company of rude people in a town often gathering and besetting a house or Inne about where we were entred to lodge in our travels we were often exposed to dificult and hard travels and journies giving our selves to the Crosse to take it up against all earthly often drinking water and lying in straw in barnes after a hard daies journey and yet for all these things the power and presence of the Lord was with us and we were carried on in much boldnesse and faithfulnesse in courage and without fear or doubtings through the often hazard of our lives many waies in uproars by evil men and in markets and Steeple-houses and also in travels by robbers and every way were we exposed to dangers and perrils but through all over all were we carried and are preserved to this day And after this manner it came to passe concerning us and much more might be said but this is in short declared how we were intreated and dealt withall by Priests Rulers and People through all the Northern counties of England in our first going forth through which counties we first Journied out of Westmerland through Cumberland Northumberland and into some parts of Scotland and Durham York-shire Lancashire Chesshire c. and in all these counties much opposition we had and exceeing sufferings and cruell dealings from men of all sorts every Goal may witnesse in every county how any of them seldome were without some of us or our friends imprisoned in them this six yeares and scarce one steeple-house or market in all these counties but may witnesse what beating what bruisings strikings and halings and abusings and perils we have suffered and sustained and not one priest in all those counties can cleare himselfe from hatred and malice and from envying of us and doeing mischief in words and works or thoughts or desires against us nor scarce one Justice nor any officer of the peace can be excused in all them counties from plotting and acting injustice upon us and threating and enacting cruelty against us And I call Heaven and Earth to record and the Light in every mans conscience and do appeal to that in all sorts and places of people that by all sorts of people we suffered evil and unjust works and actions and words from them and let the witnesse of God in all mens consciences in all the North give testimony what dealings and cruelty we suffered and how we have been dealt withall and also of our patience and Innocency under all what they have done to us But notwithstanding all what was acted against us and spoken maâ—â— hundreds of the honest and sober people owned us and also many rude and ungodly persons were converted to the truth I say many hundreds in all these counties in two yeares time were brought to the knowledge of the Lord and to own us all which time we laboured and traveled in patience giving up our selves to live or to die and to all manner of sufferings and reproaches and hard trials that we might fulfill faithfully what we were called unto sufferings without from open enemies and from our own kindred and relations and sufferings within for the seeds sake
truth cometh to be reproached You are such as turn his grace into wantonnesse as cause the way of truth to be evill spoken of and such shall have a reward according to their works thee and you all Pr. They say The fashions of the world and the Complements are not sin to use them c. See page 45. Ans Which is contrary to the Scriptures which the Ceremonies commanded of God to use them after the substance was come was sin much more the fashions and customes of the world Yea but saith they this brings us in our living and by the other we lose our livelyhood so ye may see what minde is up in choosing And all the zeale in the wills which runs out before the Light guide that is that which the Priests catch at to make their defence withall against the truth But the Lord will reward them according to their works who hath shewed mercy to Toldervy and made him confess in another Book that which formerly the Priests and he had set forth and vilified the truth and so is published to the Nation after the Answer to this Book called The foot out of the Snare Such as deny the fashions of the world which the Priests are in points and ribbons double cuffs and boot-hose-tops and the honour of men which God will stain and be called of men Master Such things as these 8 great Priests justifies and insnares people under them and if any forsake them they will say they are snared and deluded and it is manifest who is their Master and whom they serve that the keeping Christs command is a snare to them and because we cannot call them Master and keep Christs commands therefore they rage who transgresseth his command and then say they are Ministers of him but your fruits are seen and works praysed be the Lord you eight Priests have discovered your selves who are the false spirits gone out into the world from the Apostles and out of Christs command Matth. 23. Where do you read Mr. Paul Mr. Peter and c. And where do you read that Paul and the messengers of Christ were hung about with poynts and double cuffs and boot-hose-tops and ribbons and made such a stir about doffing of hats and thee and thou as the novice Teachers do now that are found in the lusts and fashions of the world which the Apostle declares against and brought to sound words which could not be condemned and to obey the doctrine of Christ not to be called of men Master But you are the transgressors that abide not in Christs Doctrine but are the Antichrists 2 John which the Apostle speaks of that hath reigned from their dayes but now discovered by the spirit praised be the Lord God and they know in their Latine originall it is not proper to say you to a single person and they know to be called of men Master is against the command of Christs in the transgression and so usurping that authority which Christ forbids Thomas Collier his Booke called The Looking-glasse for Quakers His PRINCIPLES followes And as for all his Lies they will be heaped upon his own head and to his owne sorrow Pr. HE calls James Nayler a lyar because he said That by which the just lives is that by which the creature is justified See page 2. And he saith It is another righteousnesse because we witnesse the righteousnesse of faith which is in the heart which God is the Author of c. page 3. Answ Now that which we say God and Christ is not the Author of but gathered from the letter is a dead faith and righteousnesse and there is your justification that stands in the unbelieving state and is condemned onely speaking of the Letter as the Jews did of a Christ that is come as they did of a Christ that was to come have not heard his voice nor received faith from him who is the author of it through which men is justified and cometh to have peace with God and this faith is in their hearts Pr. He calls it a hearkning to the voice of Sathan to hearken to the voice within and saith they cry the light within the voice of Christ the true word which he saith is but their own lying fancies at the best c. See page 4. Ans Now to call the light within the word within Christ within the word of faith within which is to be obeyed and done lying fancies at the best here thou may see Collier how thou divides the word not aright and art ignorant of the Scriptures And Christ saith the Spirit of the Father speaks in you is not this all Scripture and if they hearken to this do they not hearken to Scripture and is not the Scripture fulfilled in this And is thy voice all without thee onely in the letter And judges all delusion that hath any speaking within them and so hath judged thy self from the holy men of God one of the dumb Prophets and so contrary to the true Prophets and Apostles Pr. He saith If the very Christ of God be within those that are called Quakers he cannot come down from Heaven c. See same page Ans Here he stands against the promise of Christ that he shall come and dwell in you and walk in you I will come again unto you And he hath revealed his Son in me saith the Apostle And this thou Thomas Collier and John Bunyan is ignorant of plain Scripture the Scripture it declares it and the Apostle said know ye not that Christ is in you except ye be reprobates and the Spirit of the Father speaks in you and see how contrary thou art to the Prophets Christ and the Apostles Pr. He saith The Heavenly bodies spoken of in Cor. 15. are the Sun Moon and Stars c. See page 6. Answ Let all people read that Scripture and see if it hold forth that Pr. Again he saith They abuse the Scriptures because they say he that is born of God doth not commit sin c. page 6. Answ When the Scripture is witnessed as it relates and speaks And he abuseth it when he gives private interpretations to it and owns it not as it speaks Pr. Again he saith He that saith he hath no sin deceiveth himself c. page 6. Ans But the Scripture saith If we say we have no sin c. So he perverts the Scripture for it is not he for if he say he he may put it upon Christ who is without sin and upon this account he may charge the Elect whom God lays no sin too and sees no iniquity in Jacob nor transgression in Israel And it is Colliers wicked eye that sees sin in the Elect they that are born of God and thus he abuseth the Scriptures and is not able to divide the word aright and therefore such Spirits is to be kept out of Scriptures with the Spirit that gave forth Scripture For he that is born of God doth not commit sin and there
doctrine It is not a strange thing to the Saints for these Priests and Teachers to question the light that doth enlighten every man that cometh into the world for the Jewes Priests and Levites stumbled at it in the dayes of John and it set them all up in an uproar as it does you and they examined John and questioned John and he said This is the true light that lighteth every man that cometh into the world that all men through him might believe Pr. He saith None were ever baptized into the name of the Father Son and holy Ghost that were not baptized with water c. page 52. Answ Where was Matthew or Mark or Luke or John baptized and many more which the Apostle said he thanked God he had not baptized c. which he had begotten many Baptizing is making disciples to the Lord Jesus and Baptizing them into his name that is his power and he telleth the Saints that they were Baptized with one spirit into one body such he tells that he thanks God he had Baptized but a few but he told of the spirits Baptisme and brought the Saints off from things that were seen and water is seen and its Baptisme And as for all thy rabble from thy contentious spirit and railings and unsavoury expressions they will turn home upon thy self and thy own words will be thy burthen and the witness in thy conscience will answer in the day of thy Judgement Francis Harris his Booke called his queries to the Quakers c. his Principles followes Pr. THou saith doth not these people that pretend to the light stumble at noon day as in the night and there be no Gospel Light we mean of the revealed and written Gospel Light in them c. page 9. Ans The Gospel Light is that which doth enlighten every man that cometh into world and who hates it neglects the Gospel Light and receives not the power from God which is the Gospel for that is the Gospel Light Christ Jesus that doth enlighten every man that cometh into the world The Light which every man that cometh into the world is enlightned withall is the Gospel light and they that walk in it stumble not They stumble that be out of the Light which every man that cometh into the world is lighted withall which Light is the way to the Father and many may have the written words yet out of the Gospel Light and the power of God which is the Gospel as Rom. 1. which brings people to where the sheep lies down at noon day Pr. He saith what did Christ mean when he bid people search the Scriptures or Peter when he called the Scriptures the sure word of prophesie the light shining in the dark place and yet Scripture without is a dead letter c. page 12. Ans And yet they call it the Light and the word which is a dead letter Christs bids the professors of Scriptures to search it that thought to have had life in it not that they should find life in it but that they should search it and see how it did testifie of him who was the life that was his end and those that was come to Christ the life they was come to him the Scriptures testified of as John 1. we have found him of whom Moses and the Prophets writ and those were them that was come from John the others were them that stuck in John and came not to the life but to the Scriptures to have had life in the Scriptures and came not to him the Scriptures testified of and persecuted that And Peter means as he speakes he tels them of the sure word of Prophesy and bids them take heed to it as unto a light that shines in a dark place until the day dawn and the day Star arise in their hearts He doth not say this is Scriptures without which thou saith it is a dead letter how can that shine Pr. He saith doth not this draw people to gross Idolatry to bid people to take heed to the light in you which you call the pure Light of God not the light of nature And whether you do not delude people by saying there is a pure Light of God and Christ in every man and woman by nature c. page 14. 17. Ans The light which doth enlighten every man c. leadeth from all Idolatry for all that be out of the Light that doth enlighten every man that cometh into the world they be in the Idolatry And every man that cometh into the light the light which they are enlightened withall be in that which was before any natural lights was and the the natural lights are the Sun the Moon and the Stars And they delude and deceive people that say the light which doth enlighten every man that cometh into the world is a natural light and they keep people in the Idolatry And so shut up the Kingdom against men and go not in themselves nor suffer others for all Idolatry is out of the Light Pr. He saith to be carryed up to the power and to the Spirit which resembles fire whether this be not Antichrist like a Lamb to call fire from heaven to come down in the sight of men And whether the power be from God or from Satan that brings people into a trembling and shaking like Belshazar c. See pag. 20. 21. Ans That power was not of Satan that broke down the head of gold the brests of silver neither was that power of Satan that made Belshazar to shake and quake and that power all must know before the most High rules in the Kingdoms of men and to be carryed up by the power and the Spirit of God is not Antichrist nor is not as the beast which with his lying wonders caused fire to come down from heaven for the power and the Spirit of God fathomes all such things and seeth those were the Spirits that were erred from the Apostles and the life they lived in that did so Pr. He saith the most righteous man falls seven times a day the Scripture tell us See page 22. Ans The Scripture doth not speak any such thing as seven times a day but it saith the Just man falleth seven times and riseth again but the wicked falls into mischief Pr. He saith such as have fasted till their neighbours who lived nigh them have not known them they have been as though they had been come out of the jawes of death whether this be not as the Pharisees and an occasion to Satan c. page 24. Ans What would ye have said to David in his dayes when that he fasted till he might number his bones and was a stranger to all his acquaintance was this an hypocrites fast and because some now by the same power are moved of the Lord so to do Is this now like unto the Pharisees that appears to do so Have not all Ministers and teachers shewed their ignorance of the Scriptures and the life that
decease and the false Apostles Devils messengers and Ministers of unrighteousnesse was got up before the Apostles decease and the false Prophets were gone out into the world and the false spirits before the Apostles decease as in John which since the dayes of the Apostles they have led the world after them they have been received into houses and corrupted the whole earth of whom you have been Therefore the Apostles brought the Saints then to the annointing within them and to the light that shines in their hearts which would give them the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ Jesus which light you bring from it And now since the dayes of the Apostles have ye been carried away swallowed up by such as have not the Father and the Son and the false spirits that went forth into the world and the false Prophets and Satan who hath transformed himself as an Angell of light and the Ministers of unrighteousnesse and false Apostles which do confesse they have not the same spirit as the Prophets Christ and Apostles had so are erred from the false spirits and false Prophets who hath been destroying since the dayes of the Apostles and gone out into the world and false Apostles for the false Apostles Satans Ministers transforming themselves as Angels of light the false spirits that went out into the world and the false Prophets these went all out from the spirit that the Prophets Christ and the Apostles was in So these were the spirits that was to be tryed by them that had the anointing in them you who now are seen and tryed by them that are come to the anointing in them to be gone out from the Apostles Pr. He saith You put out the eyes of poor soules by bidding them to hearken to the light within c. page 14. Ans The eye that sees the soule is the light which cometh from Christ the Bishop of it and no one knows the eye of the soule but who comes to the light within and opens it which cometh from Christ the Saviour of it which gives him the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ 2 Cor. 4. and lets him see his Saviour Pr. He saith I do affirme that no man can have salvation by vertue of his obedience c. page 17. Answ He that believes is saved he hath salvation he that doth not is condemned already and no man hath salvation but by believing and where believing is there obedience is to the Gospel They that obey it not are condemned and neglect their salvation Pr. He saith They lay in wait to deceive who call the breaking of bread carnall pag. 18. Ans We cannot say that the outward bread is spiritual the bread which perisheth the carnal and we say Christ is the bread which is spiritual and they deceive people which say outward bread is spiritual and not carnal Pr. He saith How should we have known sin to be sin and righteousness to be righteousness and a Christ that died at Jerusalem but by the Scriptures he saith nay we could not have known those things Page 21. Ans That which makes manifest sin is light and they that had Scriptures knew not Christ that died at Jerusalem but that they crucified him And David and Joshuah saw his sufferings and saw that Judas should betray him and they that had Scriptures knew not sin from righteousness they knew not the sin of unbelief they knew not Christs righteousness who had the Scriptures and knew not the way to the Father but turned against the light the truth as you do which makes manifest sin and as the Pharisees did Pr. To say The officers of the Church are invisible its plain of the Father the Devil Page 24. Answ The holy Ghost made the officers of the Church overseers and that made the officers the overseers to be invisible for they saw with an invisible eye and so they was in the spirit which is invisible and not in the flesh else they could not be overseers in the Church of God and you are the visible apostatized from them Pr. He saith that which is contained in the Bible is spirit and life Page 25. Answ That which the Bible declares of is spirit and life which is Christ which you are ignorant of that hath the letter and deny the Light and so saith life is contained in the letter Pr. He saith the Scripture is able to make men wise unto salvation c. page 25. Ans Through faith it is for the Pharisees and chief Priests had Scriptures yet were not wise unto salvation neither are you who deny the Light of Christ and they are seducers and evil men which the Apostle saw coming in which should wax worse and worse and have over grown the world with hardness and prejudice and wickedness that have the Scriptures but have not been made wise unto salvation without faith in Christ Jesus which have been since the dayes of the Apostles who have had the Scriptures without the faith and so out of unitie Pr. He saith Paul spake of some men that should be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and his glory that obey not the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ See pag. 36. Answ Who obey the Gospel obey the power of God and comes to the substance the end of all the Scriptures and obeyes the Light which Christ hath enlightned him withall And such as disobey the power disobey the Gospel and so you have brought judgement upon your selves who get all the form and put the form for the Gospel from the presence of the glorious God and his power doth the power punish them which they disobey which power is the Gospel And those was coming up before the Apostles decease which have led into disobedience since the Apostles decease but now by the power of the Lord manifest that discovers it Pr. He saith Christ left us an Example who is our example c. pag. 32. Ans And yet ye are offended at others who say he is their Example and would have none to own his light so he is not your example that deny the Light Christ but him that is out of the Light Pr. He saith for a perfection in glory to be attained to on this side the grave I utterly disown page 43. Ans Where glory is in the least degree it is in perfection and who have not glory and doth not attain to glory on this side the grave they are in a sad condition For the Saints rejoyced with Joy unspeakable and full of glory and they witnessed the hope of glory within them while they was upon earth and of that hope they was to give a reason that was in them and they saw the glory of God and the Father and so came to be changed from glory to glory till they were come into the Image of God And the Apostle saw before his decease such as
would not endure sound Doctrine such as was given to fables and had the itching ears and heapes to themselves teachers and those forsook the faith which such have now since the dayes of the Apostles reigned whereby none among them comes to be out of all teaching that they need no man to teach them and that they need not say know the Lord and to see the glory of God None comes into the everlasting Covenant into the power out of the form and none cometh to know all things by the anointing in them but they are all on heapes about their heapes of teachers and itching ears and so cannot endure the sound Doctrin that any should come into the Covenant of God that they need not to say know the Lord. That is the sound Doctrine to come into the Covenant of God Christ Jesus the substance of all the Prophets glorified before the world began to learn of him who is the way to the Father the truth and the life and the heaps of teachers are all erred from him and the Apostles and so from the true teacher Christ Jesus who saith learn of me And there people would destroy one another about their teachers which Christ teacheth otherwise to love their enemies and so there is men following their imaginations and not the Lord and reprobates concerning the faith in which is the unity and there are you Pr. He saith Paul did not commit the Church to the light within them for he told them deceivers should come c. page 39. Answ Paul when that deceivers was come and false Apostles among the Church of the Corinthians he told the Corinthians that the light that shined in their hearts would give them the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ Jesus and so hear thou shewes thy ignorance of Scriptures and of the Church and of Pauls Doctrine whose work was to bring them to the light within them when the deceivers was got up and so committed the Church to the light within them and told them that that would give them the knowledge c. So they that draw people from the light within are the false spirits that the Apostle speaks of that went out into the world before the Apostles decease which led the world after them by whom the way of truth came to be evil spoken of for the Apostle told them that the Light that shined in their hearts would give them the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ Jesus and not their teachers without them as you do who bring them from the Light within them and so act contrary to the Apostles Pr. He saith to bring people to the Light within is dispising the word again he saith the Light that is in a man is not able to lead him to happiness c. page 50. Answ No man cometh to happiness but who cometh to the Light within which cometh from Christ the happiness of all man kinde the Redeemer the restorer of man kinde out of the fall out of the first Adams state to God into the second Adams state who is the Covenant of God with man in which they have peace So in this Light stands every mans happiness and he that hath the happiness hath Christ the light within him and the peace with God And the light within which cometh from Christ the word is not against the word nor Scriptures which are the words but it ownes them and with them hath unity and no one sees the word but with the Light within And as for all the rest of thy unsavoury expressions and childish speeches is not worth mentioning And thou hadst better have let silence have covered thee then to have published thy nakedness to the Nation for thy words will be thy burthen in the time of thy necessity the witness shall answer in thee Ralph Farmers Booke called Satan enthroaned in his Chair c. His Principles follows Ans Which is a Title sutable to himselfe discovered by the children of the day who is his Seeds-man as to the Nation he hath declared But them that be in the Truth Love and Peace he doth not touch Pr. HE saith We do not pretend to infallibility as you do which is lying and hypocriticall c. Ans We do believe you that in the infallible spirit of God you are not but in the false fallible spirit gone out into the world that went forth from the Apostles who had the spirit of Christ And so how can you be Ministers of the Spirit and not the Letter if ye be not infallible For who be in the spirit are in that which is infallible This I say none be Ministers of the spirit nor none be in the spirit nor none have the spirit of Christ nor the holy Ghost nor the spirit of the Father speaking in them but who have that which is infallible and in that which is infallible And they be in the lying spirit and hypocrisie that be out of it and all the false spirits that is gone out into the world So ye do well to confesse that ye have not the infallible spirit yee are not infallible and so no Ministers of the spirit And how can they but delude people that are not infallible and are none of Christs which have not the spirit which is infallible and are not Ministers of the Gospell which is the power of God which is infallible Pr. He saith We are foretold that false Teachers that shall bring upon themselves swift destruction and evill men and seducers which wax worse and worse deceiving and being deceived should come And there should come false Christs and seducing spirits and the doctrine of Devills speaking lyes in hypocrisie such as deceive the hearts of the simple with their feigned speeches c. See page 39 40. Answ Hast not thou here brought forth thy ignorance of the Scriptures which saith the seducers and the false Christs and the false Apostles the Doctrine of Devils and the feigned words and fair speeches which deceived the hearts of people came up before the Apostles decease and doth not thou in this shew thy spirit to be that spirit that went out into the world not able to divide the word aright but art telling people they are now come when as the Apostles saw they was come before their decease which since the dayes of the Apostles all the confusion hath been among them and you that deny the light are in distraction And yet ye that be not infallible in the infallible spirit but fallible are crying to people they are come but now and so grow until ye are worse and worse And thee and the Priests of Newcastle and many of the rest of you are crying against such as say Christ is their example And yet many of you have published to the Nation in print that Christ is an example and the men are respected who speak them and not the words simply as they are in
so are hardned from the spirit they was in which said Christ is all in all which doth enlighten every man that cometh into the world And none seeth the person of Christ in heaven but who be in the Light that he hath enlightned them withall yea the Covenant of Light to the Gentiles and Heathens as well as Jewes and so God is not a respecter of persons And all that be from this Light are now making war against the Lamb and the Saints and the accuser of the Brethren is cast out and the light which doth enlighten every man which comes into the world is Christ Pr. They say It is a delusion for them that are in the light to see what mens inward states are before God page 29. Ans Have ye given your selves a name of the Church of Christ and is there not a spirit of discerning among you Have ye not manifested here that ye are harlotted from the Church of Christ the Apostles was of And how can ye minister or teach people if that ye do not discern their states how they stand before God How can you commend your selves to every mans conscience in Gods sight How can ye present the soules of men to God and see not their states how they are in his sight How come ye to have fellowship in the Spirit How can you or any Minister to the state and condition that people be in and see where they are and doth not know how they stand in Gods sight in this how have you shewed your ignorance of the Scriptures and the Epistles written to the Saints which speaks to the state and conditions the Saints were in How have ye a name but declared your selves dead from the life How have ye stained your own glory and marred your own beauty and sets your selves out of the steps and paths of the Church of Christ Pr. Simpson he saith If my heart deceive me not I could wish that God would recover you out of the Devils snare page 40. And ye speak of breaking of bread and Ordinances and the Lords Supper and Baptisme page 35. Ans The prayers of the faithfull are acceptable that are in the spirit but he that doubts he knows not his own heart and prayes without discerning being out of that which purifies it And for Baptisme and Ordinances and the Lords Supper and the bread that the Saints broke ye have all been ignorant of in this night of apostacy since the dayes of the Apostles who had spoken to the Corinthians what he had received of the Lord he delivered unto them And as oft as they did eate that bread and drinke that cup they did shew forth the Lords death till he come and they were to do it in remembrance of him And afterwards the Apostle writ again to the said Corinthians tells them the light that shined in their hearts would give them the light of the knowledg of the glory of God in the face of Christ Jesus And said while we look not at things that are seen but at things that are not seen For the things that are seen are temporal Bread Wine and Water are seen but the things that are not seen are eternall And bids them examine themselves and prove their own selves and said Know ye not that Christ Jesus is in you except you be reprobates Pr. He saith He hath been a Preacher of the Gospell at Bristoll and Wells and he hath not need to seek a proof of any man page 43. And he saith I am no Preacher to bid every man turn to the light within him neither did I ever read or hear that any of the Apostles or holy men of God preached such a Gospell And they said Sarah Latchet who was excommunicated who had been one of them it was fittest to send her to Bridewell Answ This was not the Ministers of the Gospels work to wrestle with flesh and blood which is yours And they in the sight of God had witnesses and they could seek them which thou saith thou needs not And they turned people from the darknesse to the light and Christ bid them believe in the light while they had it that they might become the chilldren of the Light And the Apostles doctrine was that the light that shined in their hearts would give them that light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ Jesus and this thou never heardest of as thou saist And thy Gospel that is not this and agrees not to the Apostles is another and so accursed And the Saints was one anothers Epistles written in one anothers hearts read and seen of all men And thou hast been a bad Preacher at Wells and Bristoll that knows not the Light Prin. They say A man may be a Christian a believer a converted soule he may be in Christ and yet not not have received the spirit of sealing and establishing page 53. Ans This is like to the rest of thy Doctrine who are out of it themselves they are not able to judge of the state of babes believers converted soules which are in Christ For they that are in Christ have the spirit and they that are converted are converted by the spirit And he that believeth cometh to be sealed with the spirit of promise Prin. They say The light in every man is a notion and yet they seeke God by prayer solemnly And they shut up the Kingdome of heaven against men that bid all men turne to the light within them and from the believing on the person of Jesus Christ page 60. Answ None opens the Kingdom of heaven to all men but who turns people to the light which Christ Jesus hath enlightned every man withall that cometh into the world Nor none believes in Christ but who believes in the light which Christ the light hath enlightned them withall and such have the witnesse in themselves and can set to their seales that God is true And they see their Sanctification Justification and Redemption and none ever prays the acceptable prayer of the Lord but who be in the light that cometh from Christ and such calls not the light a Notion for all notions be among such that be out of the Light which Christ doth enlighten every man that cometh into the world withall They are from the Rock the Foundation and Sanctification and see not Christ And this is not to deny Christ but receive him and believe in him And all upon the earth be Antichrists that denies the light that doth enlighten every man that cometh into the world and be from it Pr. And as for your speaking of judging and not to judge before the time untill the Lord do come c. Answ That was spoken to the Corinthians who will bring to light the hidden things of darknesse and make manifest the counsels of the heart Now the same Apostle said to the same Corinthians that God would dwell in them and walk in them and they were not to judge before
edifies the body of Christ is infallible and immediate that which brings to the knowledge of the Son of God is infallible perfect and immediate that which brings to a perfect man to the unity of the faith is infallible and immediate and perfect that which brings to the measure of the stature of the fulnesse of Christ is perfect and infallible and immediate And the infallible and immediate you having denyed yee have shut your selves out of the worke of the Ministry in the Apostacy As for the rest of the lyes and slanders in thy Book will be thy own burden which uttereth forth thy own folly and it toucheth not the Saints but falls off like dust they are of no weight And the day is come that tries mens works infallibly what is for the fire and what not Jeremiah Ives His Booke called The Quakers Quaking His Principles follows c. Pr. HE saith Have a care of slighting your watchmen lest the Lord remove them into corners Answ Christ the Teacher is witnessed who is the end of Moses the Prophets the Covenant of God with his people in which people know God if all their Teachers were removed into corners And they that have their Teachers in corners their houses are left desolate from the Covenant of God they are strangers So in this thy ignorance appears of that Teacher that cannot be removed into a corner who is the salvation to the ends of the earâ—h Pr. He saith It is an errour to say the Light within is equall with Scripture and Gods Word Ans Christ within is the Light and he is above Scripture and Gods Word which was before Scriptures was given forth Pr. He saith Is it any more a Nick-name to call a man a Quaker that quakes by the power of God page 3. Answ Yes if the power of God doth make that to quake and tremble that must quake before the salvation be wrought out and man come out of the Fall of Adams state in the transgression in the earth and darknesse corruption and pollution and death he must know the power of God that shakes that which is to be shaken before he knows that raised up that cannot be shaken which the world is ignorant of though they have the form of it And the first nick-namer of the Quakers that ever I heard was a corrupt Justice in the year 1650 whose name was Gervase Bennet in Darby that ever named the people of God with the name of Quakers though the mighty power of the Lord God had been known years before Pr. He saith It is an errour in those men that will allow nothing to be called Gods Word but Christ page 6. Ans Christs name is called the Word of God his name is above every name and over all things he must have the preheminence words and names Yet I say the Scriptures of truth given forth from the spirit of truth are the words of God Gods words which Christ the Word fulfilled by him in whom they end who was before the words was spoken forth Pr. He saith It is an errour to say they are immediately sent of God and to have an immediate call from God to goe out of their Countries to preach the Gospell c. Page 9. Answ Thou and all you that speak or preach or go to people but not by the immediate spirit and a call from God are them that run and the Lord never sent you and you profit not the people at all as all the fruits in the Nation declares upon the house top Therefore are yee wrangling and envying such as are immediately sent from God and left their Callings as the Saints did and Prophets I say none can preach the Gospell upon the earth but who is in the immediate call for the Gospell is the power of God and that is immediate The Prophets Christ and the Apostles which gave forth the Scriptures they all spoke by the immediate spirit of God and all that be not in that they are not able to know the Scriptures as that unsavoury Pearsival saith he hath not the infallible spirit yet he will bawl of the Scripâ—urâ—â— that was given forth from the infallible spirit Though the Devill wandered from â—â—e trâ—th that compasseth the earth though the Pharisees compasse Sea and Land thâ—ugh the false Prophets and Antichrists have gone over Nations Now all these may get Scriptures but be out of the life of them Such makes Proselytes Devils Disciples and Messengers But such as be in the power of God and life that gave forth Scriptures that comprehends and fathoms the world they are in that which the Devils Antichrists false Prophets mother of Harlots and all their proselytes that have Scriptures out of the life they be in that which they are all out of Such are the Quakers therefore doth all the world rage against them who witnesse that which cannot be shaken Pr. He saith It is an Errour to say that every man hath a light within him that wil teach him to worship God aright page 18. Answ Christ the truth who hath preheminence doth enlighten every man that cometh into the world which shall make every tongue to confesse him to the glory of God which if they love the light which cometh from Christ the truth who is the life it will teach and direct every man to worship God in the truth in that which untruth is out of So every man having a light sufficient to salvation for it cometh from the salvation Christ the power of God the salvation to the ends of the earth And this light will let every one see the Son of God beyond all externall meanes wisdome knowledge whatsoever It is that which darknesse cannot comprehend this light which John bears witnesse of which is the true light which lighteth every man that cometh into the world which the Jewes and Levites stumbled at which set all Jerusalem up in an uproar as it doth the wisest Priests and Professors in this age And no one upon the earth shall ever know Christ but by the light which he hath enlightned him withall If he have all the Scriptures that speaks of him come already as the Pharisees had that spoke he was to come yet if they hate the light they shall all be snared and stumble and fall and split themselves upon the Rock And such as are now stumbling at the light which every man that cometh into the world is lighted withall are the builders with the words which saith Christ is come as the Pharisees did with the words that said he was to come And so both these builders reject the corner-stone and stumble at the elect stone laid in Sion and none seeth God but with the light they be enlightned withall And all the preaching of the Apostles the substance of it was to bring people to the Covenant of Light both Jewes and Gentiles to whom he was promised And all upon the earth that be from this light that doth enlighten every
man that cometh into the world they be in the errour out of the Covenant of God and strangers from the covenant of promise Prin. He saith It is an Errour to say the letter of Scripture is carnall page 22. Answ The letter of Scripture paper and inke we cannot say it is spiritual but that which it speaks of is spiritual Pr. He saith It is an errour to say they are perfect and without sin page 23. And another errour to say that none can come to God and Christ but they that come to perfection Ans Whoever comes to Christ and comes to God he comes in the one offering which hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified who ever comes to Christ comes to him that is perfect and without holinesse none can see him And they that pretend coming to God and Christ out of perfection they be in the errour and all sin is errour and who be in it be in the errour which the Apostle said that they were made free from sin and had put off the body of sin and by the blood of Christ was cleansed from all sin and by one offering he had perfected for ever them that are sanctified And so they that say men must have sin while they be upon the earth and that plead for it they are not the friends of Christ For who are the friends of Christ be in his power a top of the power of sin trample it under foot Pr. He saith That the Scripture is the Word And though Christ be the true light that lighteth every man that cometh into the world yet that light in every man doth not direct a man into the worship and service of God though it be the true light of Christ page 35. Answ Nothing can direct men into the worship and service of God but the true light for the light is that which doth let them see and is that which doth make manifest which every man that cometh into the world is enlightned withall which he hating it and not come to it because his deeds be evill that will be his condemnation And that thou shalt feel it heavy at the last though now thou mayst roar and rage for a time yet the bond is gone over thee the Chaine is set and the sentence is given Pr. He saith It is an errour of such as leave Water-Baptisme and breaking of Bread page 38. Ans Doth not the Apostle bring people off of those things that are seen And is not outward water and outward bread the things that are seen And are not these things temporall though these things in their places and service is owned But who comes into the baptisme of the spirit they come into the one in which all the other ends the greater For there was many come to John but when they should have come to receive Christ the Light which doth enlighten every man c. they stood against him as you do now And Christ told them they received honour one of another as you do now a mark of the unbeliever and the love of God was not in them and the Word of God was not abiding in them and they had never heard the voyce of God nor seen his shape at any time And there are you like unto the Jews whose Table is a trap sticking in the outward things standing against the light that doth enlighten every man that cometh into the world and so stumbling at the Corner-stone elect and precious But it is fallen upon your heads and will grinde you to powder fight bustle and do all all that ever you can do it is upon you and all your complements will do you no good And none seeks the honour that comes from above but who be in the light that doth enlighten every man c. And none honours the Son but who be in the light that comes from him though they have all the Scriptures as the Pharisees had in their age Pr. He saith Errour in life doth not prove errour in judgement page 46. Answ Who erres in the life erres in the judgement For all that erres in the judgment they are from the life from it erred And all the Pharisees that had Scriptures yet from the life being erred they all erred in their judgement and knew not Christ the substance of Scriptures So all you that be in errour in life you erre in your judgement you all stumble at the light with which Christ doth enlighten every man c. And none be out of the errour of life but who be in the light which doth enlighten every man that cometh into the world and out of the errour of conversation Pr. He saith That the Quakers foam at the mouth c. Ans It 's a shame that ever men should lose their sobernesse and come to be a shame to all modesty that so many that do call themselves Teachers in this Nation should publish such odious lyes and untruths to the Nation And how the Quakers have hung Ribbons upon one another and given Ribbons to one another as instance G. F. should have from M F. Oh! that ever modesty should be so lost and shamefastnesse quite gone which should have been a garment to have covered impudency That ever men and Teachers of people and professors should make lyes their refuge But I say the Lord forgive you for all these things shall be your owne burthen and a heavy burthen is come upon you and coming upon you all in the Nation that trusts in lyes But what if you should see every man with his hand on his thigh in paine to be delivered Pr. He saith The Prophet that shall presume to speak a word in my name and I have not commanded him to speak he shall dye See page 26. Ans Here thou hast brought thy selfe and you all under thy own judgement and given sentence upon your selves and all the rest of the Teachers that say they never heard the voyce of God immediately from heaven nor immediate inspiration nor revelation So ye all want the spirit of God and are out of it that the Prophets and Apostles were in and with it all judged Though ye may run in pretence of his name with the forme and say ye never heard his voyce but that Prophet shall dye thou saith So thou hast judged your selves and there be all you Teachers in the apostacy since the dayes of the Apostles Pr. And Christ said many deceivers should come in his name and deceive many and such as serve not the Lord Jesus Christ but their own bellies And with good words and faire speeches deceive the hearts of the simple See Title page Answ Christ said in Matth. 24. and in Matth. 7. that false Prophets should come and Antichrists which before the Apostles decease they saw them then come and such as served not the Lord Jesus Christ but their own bellies which went forth from the Apostles which in the Revelation John saw the whole world gone after them and
cometh into the world that gives him the knowledg of the Son of God of the author of his faith and the taste of his fulness and to become a perfect man Pr. He saith The Scriptures is the meanes whereby the righteousnesse is revealed from faith to faith page 82. Answ The Pharisees had the Scriptures read every Sabbath and the form of godlinesse denyed the power and was reprobate concerning the Faith and the righteousnesse of Christ Jesus And God it is that reveals the faith and gives the faith and the righteousnesse and many have the words and yet not it who hath it hath the word in their hearts and the spirit that gave forth the Scriptures and seeth God the original of all good and the Scriptures cannot reveal it but they testifie of it and all must come into the spirit before they know revelation or know the Scriptures either Pr. He saith New Jerusalem is not come down from heaven and be will make all things new not hath made page 83. He saith The body is dead because of sin yet there is a remainder of the old man in the members page 84. Answ Where the body is dead because of sin and that put off by the Circumcision of the spirit If the root be holy the branches are holy also and such comes to glorifie the Lord in their bodies and soules which are the Lords who hath redeemed them out of the sin So they that are Christs have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts and all things are become new And the new Jerusalem is witnessed come down from heaven among the Saints for who witnesseth Christ and know Christ knows the Tabernacle of God and knows the new Jerusalem and knows the place where there is no curse And many knows their Mother now and that which had led captive is gone and going into captivity Pr. He saith The Apostles gave the last and full revelation of the Gospell to all Nations And Timothy learned Doctrine mediately and since none may expect to receive so immediately as Paul did but all mediately page 88 89. Again God now gives and teacheth mediately and spiritually by the testimony of him mediately page 90. It is a little necessary to shew the vanity of their pretence of immediate revelation from Gods spirit page 91. Answ All them be in a pretence and in vanity that are from the immediate revelation of the spirit of God And if all people have all Pauls Declaration and if they have it not immediately revealed to them by the spirit of God as Paul had they have not the comfort of Pauls words neither have they the comfort of the revelations And John saith the everlasting Gospell must be preached to them that dwell upon the earth since the apostacy from the Apostles mark that And that which Timothy preached who was in the faith the gift of God and spoke his word and divided it aright it was immediate But since the dayes of the Apostles hath the immediate been lost and I know yee cannot expect it in the state ye all stand in inwardly ravened from the spirit of God and truth But now is the Saints come to that which ye ravened from and the Apostles were in who witnessed the immediate teachings of God and Gods teaching is immediate and the testimony of Jesus is immediate which is the spirit of prophecy but many have that which testifies of him and be from the immediate spirit as was in them that gave forth the Scriptures And all upon the earth that be from the immediate spirit of God as was in them as gave forth Scriptures and their Ministry be but mediate and they be but in the mediate they are all Ministers but of the Letter made by man and what they have it is but from man and not from God immediately Such have nothing but the sheeps cloathing and inwardly ravened from the spirit of God in them And here is Babylon the mother of Harlots and the Beast and his names but over all have they victory that be in the immediate in that which the Apostles was in and answer that in them all which they ravened from Pr. He saith Even now in the dayes of their adversity while the person of the Lord the fountaine of their teaching for whom they waite is personally absent from them Page 92. Answ All they that hate the light sees not Christ the fountain of teaching and these be them that inwardly ravened Such have their teachers in corners and are in the dayes of adversity and eate not the flesh of Christ nor drink his blood and are not of his flesh and bone and receives not his spirit But all who wait in the Light which Christ Jesus hath enlightened every man that cometh into the world withall Every man that cometh into the world with which light he hath enlightned them their eyes shall see their Teacher that cannot be removed into a corner Salvation they shall see and dayes of adversity shall end and his guiding they shall know and come to be in unity with Christ and eate his flesh and drink his blood and be of his flesh and bone which thousands do witnesse this and the Prophet raised up the end of the Prophets and they that heare him not are to be cut off And none lifts up the Son of God but who be in the Light which lighteth every man that cometh into the world and that brings him to understand the Scriptures and the substance of them Pr. He saith The grace of God that brings salvation it is a fancy to say it is stirred up in them but is a thing wrought in another for them And to say the Word of the Lord is within and the spirit within is mens following their own brain and visions of their own hearts And he saith whereas they imagine of a light within them all that knows God shewes the light in them to be darknesse it selfe See Post-script Answ All that knows God owns the Light within them to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ Jesus which light shines in their hearts And all that knows God owns the Light that doth â—â—lighten every man that cometh into the world Christ Jesus and believes in the Ligâ—â— and hath the witnesse in themselves And all that be from the Light within them be in the darknesse and stumbles which have been in this night of the apostacy from the Apostles Doctrine And all Gog and Magog and the Beast and false Prophets and the Kings of the Earth are making war against the Light that doth enlighten every man c. but the Light shall get the victory And all that be from the Word of God within in their hearts and their mouths though they speak of the Scriptures without yet they use their tongues and follow their own dreams and visions of their own hearts and brains and be from the Word of God that lives and abides
minded earthly things But how can ye reprove these things and live in the things your selves one to reprove another and be in the same thing himself this will stinck among all sober men and set you all on heapes among one another as ye are So how can ye or they know any thing of the foundamentals of Religion or salvation or your people either that deny the light that doth enlighten every man that cometh into the world Christ Jesus the foundation of God the wisdom of God the end of the Prophets and the Law types figures and shadowes ye have denyed the very key that opens to it Therefore ye all come short of the glory of God and Teachers and people are all fallen into ignorance since the dayes of the Apostles in the Apostacy but now Christ is come and coming to reign Pr. They say upon the sad experience of mens ignorance we have been brought to consideration of our neglect c. And our hearts have been brought low to think how we have wronged Christ least God should require your blood at our hands Pag. 19 Ans Repent repent for ye have long deceived the people and the blood will lie upon you and the blood of many that hath been shed in the Nation and have dyed in prison and whipt and stockt and beat through your means the blood lies upon you all Repent the Judgement of the great whore is come The Magistrates begin to see you and you shall not ride upon them And your ignorance and all your hearers you may well cry out of them Repent and come to the light which Christ Jesus hath enlightened every one withall that comes into the world to give you the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ Jesus out of the ignorance which none cometh to the light of the knowledge of the glory of God c. but who comes to the light that shines in their hearts yea in darkness Christ hath enlightened them withall Where it shineth out of darkness it gives them the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ Jesus And all are ignorant who are from the light and wrongs Christ and you have all wronged him that have denyed the light that doth enlighten every man that cometh into the world who are inwardly ravened from it and have had the sheepes cloathing and so have kept people in ignorance blindness and darkness But now the true light shines the day of glory is dawning Christ and the Saints is reigning and have the Kindom glory to the Lord for ever Pr. They say Alas that any reasonable soul should be so bruitish most of their lives is spent in ignorance and worldliness living in the flesh c. Page 24. Ans Here is the fruits of your Ministry Are not ye ashamed to manifest your fruits thus now to the whole Nation Is this like a vineyard that your people that you have taken maintenance of and the Magistrates that they should give you maintenance all this time and your people spend most of their lives in ignorance worldliness and the flesh Is this like the fruits of the Ministers of Christ or the fruits of the false prophets that have not profited the people at all Did not the Apostles keep them from them that bewitched them and would have brought them into the flesh And ministred to the spirit got out the wheat and the corn And are not you ashamed to publish such a thing to the Nation you 58. Ministers To say a reasonable soul should be so bruitish can that which is reasonable be brutish that which is bruitish Warrs against the soul But this is but to discover your Ministry and what ye minister to and that the soul ye are ignorant of it Pr. They say Is it not pity that God should have any reasonable Creature that knowes not his maker or his Lawes or his own happiness Is it not pity that after all that Christ hath done and suffered for the world that any that calls themselves Disciples should so little know him and the salvation and should set so light by him Pag. 26. Answ In this you all Pastors and Teachers have shewed your work what doth not the creatures yet know their Maker what are they heathen yet what do not the creature yet know Gods Lawes what worse then the Jewes heathen and them that call themselves the disciples of Christ and Christians so little know him after Christ hath suffered for them what hath been your work all this while what have ye been doing what have ye had wages for that they so little know him that hath suffered for them and their salvation and should set so light by him how can they prize him or see any light from Christ when ye keep them from the light which doth enlighten every man that cometh into the world which none seeth salvation but with it and by it and none seeth Christ that suffered but with it and by it and none cometh to see and know Christs end and the end of Gods Law and prize him and set much by him but by the light And doth not reasonable creatures know the Law of God Are not reasonable creatures in the faith are not the unreasonable out of the faith now that knowes not their Maker nor his Law nor little of the suffering of Christ or their own happiness and little know their salvation and set light by Christ Are not all these your fruits Are not all these your hearers that ye complain of to the Nation Have not ye now discovered your selves in this that have the form of godliness but denyes the power that keepes people alwayes learning but never able to come to the knowledge of the truth But such as be led away by with diverse lusts and laden with sins And now are ye complaining that your people serves the lust of the flesh and the earth not knowing their Maker nor knowing his Lawes nor their salvation and setting light by Christ this ye may complain of with shame who are such as crept into houses before the Apostles decease and since ye have gone over the world But now ye are discovered with that which gives to see the end of the Apostacy and Apostates which gives to see before the world was made Prin. They say if the Gospel be hid it is hid to them that are lost whom the God of this world hath blinded their minds of them that believe not least the light of the glorious Gospel should shine unto them who is the image of God And the people perish when visions fail c. Page 28. Answ Who believes not in the light which doth enlighten every man that cometh into the world the God of the World blinds their mindes Every one that cometh into the world is enlightned that through the light they might believe And every one that believeth in the light hath the witnesse in himselfe and abides
not in the darknesse but hath the light of life And you that keep people from the Light that doth enlighten every one c. are the messengers of Sathan out of the truth And the God of the world blindes the mindes of such as do not believe in the Light that every man that cometh into the world is enlightned withall that all through it might believe And who believes in it that doth enlighten every man c. the light of the glorious Gospell shines in them which is the mage of God Prin. And you say Visions are ceased and Revelations and immediate Inspirations Answ But I say Repent every one of you and come to the Light for the burthensome stone is fallen upon you and all that stands against the light that doth enlighten every man that cometh into the world shall split your selves against the Rock and be grownd to powder And every one that cometh into the world Teachers Professors whatsoever must come unto the light which Christ Jesus the salvation that saveth the souls hath enlightned them withall before they come to life or know the light of the glorious Gospell shining in their hearts or come to the end of the Law or end of the Prophets or end of the Revelation or out of the apostacy or out of the Jewes state whose ears was stopt and eyes blinded out of the Gentiles state that goes astray after the vanities of their mind So all you and all upon the earth Jewes Gentiles and Christians of what sort soever must come to the light which every one of you is enlightned withall before every particular comes to see their salvation or satisfaction yea the salvation to the ends of the earth the glory of Israel the light of the Gentiles which the apostate Christians have ravened from the spirit of God within them have got the forme but stands against the Light that doth enlighten every man c. such have caused the way of truth to be evill spoken of yea among other Nations of the Heathens They have been hot and broyled in their lusts having had the forme of godlinesse and sheeps cloathing but all standing against the Light that doth enlighten every man that cometh into the world smiting striking their fellow-servants Now the Lamb is come and the Saints to reign with him Such their portion must have with the hypocrites who to every one will give a reward according to their works And the Lamb and the Saints shall have victory him by whom the world was made before it was made glorified with the Father before the world began Now is the seed Christ come to reign and the Just have preheminence And I say to you all Subscribers to all these Books Priests Professors Teachers whatsoever your patience would have better covered your shame and folly then your hast extreams and rashnesse But your folly must come forth that to all men it might appear Abundance more of Stuffe is in it which is not worth mentioning whose words shall be your own burthen the witnesse in all your consciences in the day of your judgement when your works are all tryed with fire shall answer to a friend of your souls and your goods eternall but judges your fruits words and actions for the day of the Lord is come that will try every mans work John Stalham who calls himselfe a Servant of the great Bishop of Souls who watcheth over a Flock at Terling in Essex In his Booke called The Reviler rebuked These are some of his Principles following Pr. HE saith Immediate Ruptures and Revelations seduceth simple peoples mindes c. And the perverse Principles of their selfe-adorning light And the Quakers deny all externall worship of divine Authority as not to be found among us And let Learning be advanced among pious men for God hath his witty and learned ones And the life of their Religion is the rule of the holy Scriptures the glory of the blessed Trinity See his Epistle to the Protector Answ The life of Religion is the spirit that gave forth Scriptures for all that have the Scriptures and be out of that be in the feigned Râ—ligion And the Scripture no where speaks of a Trinity but the Papists who be apostatized from the life of the Scripture It speaks of Father Son and holy Ghost and the water spirit and blood and the learned ones upon earth never knew Christ with all their naturall learning And if one get all the Naturals upon the earth and the Scriptures in all the naturall Languages and one supream power of a Nation tollerate all these Languages to be the Originall and they have the Scriptures in all these Languages these are witty ones but these knows not God nor Christ by all this though they have all the Scriptures while they are from the spirit of God that gave forth Scriptures For that which brings to know God is by the revelation of the spirit of God the light which doth not deceive the minde but their mindes be deceived that be from the light And all worships that be in the spirit and in the truth that gave forth the Scriptures called the Old and New Testament that we own and is owned among the Quakers For God who is a Spirit who led his servants and Prophets and Son by his spirit to speak forth the Scriptures which Christ the Son is come to fulfill who saith they that worship God must worship him in spirit and in truth and that among the Quakers is owned And the light which cometh from Christ leadeth from perverse Principles and adorning selfe for it leads out of its righteousnesse But perverse men ever stood against it in all ages and so spurned against the foundation and overthrew themselves Pr. He saith The spirit speaking in the Scriptures And them that say they have no sin a gracious heart will slight and despise He saith the Kingdome of God is not within them Luke 4. And he saith The soule prepares it selfe for death See Epistle to the Church Answ Such as had gracious hearts never despised him that had no sin but the ungracious did As for example all the Pharisees against Christ and against the Apostles and Saints and the holy men And the Apostle which told the Romans they were made free from sin and they that were dead to sinne how could they live any longer therein he slighted them not but encouraged them So we finde thee not to be a Minister of Christ and have proved and tryed thy spirit to be of such as say they are Apostles and are not And the spirit spoke in them that gave forth the Scriptures so they were declared forth And men may have the Scriptures and not know the spirit that spoke in them that gave forth Scriptures So that is the cause that all people be on heaps about the words and saying the spirit speaks in the Scriptures which spoke in the holy men of God that spoke them forth and learned of God
are reprobates for Christ is the righteousness of God and the sanctification and the justification of man from the Law and its works who stands between God and man So he is the redemption who Redeemes man out of the fall which he fell into and he doth sanctifie him and he doth justifie him and this is all found within and this not being found within he is reprobate And so none are saved but who witnesseth this within They have the letter the wolves the sheepes cloathing the ravenors inwardly from the Spirit of God and those are them that denyes it within Pr. He saith The spirit speaketh expresly that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith giving heed to seducing spirits and Doctrines of Devils speaking lies in hypocrisie having their consciences seared as with a hot Iron forbidding to marry and abstaining from divers meats Page 73. Ans Before the Apostles decease he saw these things come up and the spirit speakes this mark it speakes exprestly Now since the Apostles decease the things have been fulfilled the faith hath been departed from the unity among all Christians hath been lost in all Christendom on heapes have they all run destroying one another about the Scriptures Churches Ministry yea for maintenance from the spirit ye have departed to speak so out of the unity of it which is the bond of peace which should have kept peace in all Christendom and all the Professors of Christ it should have kept them in peace and in it is the unity From that ye have ravened you and the Papists and all Sects upon the earth So some forbiding of meats and forbiding to marry whose consciences are feared as with a hot iron The Devils Doctrine speaking lies in hypocrisie and giving heed to seducing spirits you are the spirits that inwardly ravened from the Spirit of God that deny immediate Revelation and hearing the voice of God immediately these are the seducing spirits and keepes all people in the burning and heating lusts from the marriage of the Lamb all the seducing spirits doth that deny Revelation immediate inspiration hearing the voyce of God immediately from heaven now as ever And therefore their fruits declares they are burning one against another destroying one another about their Religion and Ministry their consciences seared as with a hot iron tenderness lost and gone destroying people and casting into prison for their bellies for maintenance for Tythes So ye have got up your Church which was a Mass-house and Tythes and sprinkling Infants who have had the time of compelling others to worship But the day is breaking the light is springing life is rising and glory is appearing your Torment is coming and you can be no longer hid Pr. He saith Beware of false prophets there shall be false prophets among the people which shall bring in damnable heresies denying the Lord that bought them bringing upon themselves swift destruction and many shall follow their pernicious wayes by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken As Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses so do these resist the Truth but they shall proceed no further for their folly shall be made manifest to all men as theirs was Answ Christ said Antichrist should come false prophets should arise to his Apostles before their decease they saw they was come as Peter and John declares already in the world whereby they knew it was the last time and they went forth from them the Apostles and in the Revelations the whole world went after them that the Nations come to be like waters and the peoples waters and their tongues waters and multitudes waters so many followed their pernicious wayes by whom the way of truth hath been evil spoken of by you and them both And they brought up the damnable Heresie and are as Jannes and Jambres being men of corrupt minds and are Reprobates concerning the faith But they shall proceed no further for now is their folly made manifest and shall be made manifest to all men Doth not the very heathens cry out against Christendom of the hardness of their hearts and of their unrighteous dealings of their actions and causeth the way of truth to be spoken of by you that are called Christians Is not the damnable Heresie among you Are not you run into all heathenish wayes to set up Temples and Tythes and Priests and Schooles and Colledges and never heard the voyce of God as ye confesse as may be seen in this book Is not all this trumpery and trash come up and fables among the Papists and you since the dayes of the Apostles And do not you deny the light that doth enlighten every man that cometh into the world The grace of God which brings salvation which hath appeared unto all men to bring every man to a teacher And doth any one know the Lord that bought them but who owns the light that doth enlighten every man that cometh into the world Doth not all deny the Lord that bought them that doth deny the light Doth any see the Lord and his blood that bought them and purchased them but with the light that cometh from him And are not you all as Jannes and Jambres that withstood Moses to have kept the people in Egypt Are not you all denying the light that doth enlighten every one that cometh into the world And was not all them that inwardly ravened got the sheeps cloathing which Christ said should come which the Apostles saw was come went forth from them the whole world went after are not all these in the witchcraft Sorcery Inchantment Negromancy wizards familiar spirits witches that doth deny the light that doth enlighten every one that cometh into the world Hath not Babylon the mother of Harlots Beast false Prophet unclean spirits Dragon and Antichrists and deceivers all these been up since the dayes of the Apostles And the great whore that deceives the Nations drest with the sheepes cloathing and hath not this been the mystery of Iniquity which hath ruled since the dayes of the Apostles That cryes prophesie is ceased and slayes the Prophets and none can keep the commands of God and made War against them that keep the commands of God and calls the Scriptures the testimony and the Law and makes War against them that have the Law in their hearts and the spirit of prophesie and hast not thou manifested thy self to be of this number and of the stock of the great whore that hath drunk the blood of the Saints and Martyrs and the Prophets Pr. Art not thou crying to Magistrates Help stop the mouths of Blasphemers In page 23. And stirring up the zeal of the Magistrates and shewing them the zeal of the Jewes Magistrates how they did tear their clothes off at blasphemers in thy page 31. And saith thou could rejoyce that they would breath such an ayre throughout all the English Quarters and wouldst not that the Quakers should have Countenance from the Magistrates Answ Now thou hast made
thy self manifest that thou hast not the spiritual weapons And thou maist well deny immediate Revelations was it not in all ages such as pretended themselves to be Ministers that had not the life that gave forth Scriptures that called to the Magistrates to stop the mouthes of Blasphemers was not the mouth of the Priests against Christ to the Rulers at the Counsell And against the Apostles and against the Prophets And is it your mouth now to your Magistrates in the Apostacy since the dayes of the Apostles But do you think that the Magistrates will let you get a top of their backs and gallop upon them to be their executioners If ye be Ministers that have the Spirit of God stop the mouthes of the gain-sayers for never did the Apostles nor the true Church wrestle against flesh and blood But they struck at the power that captivated the Creatures to the intent that the Creatures might come into the Libertie of the Sons of God But thy fruits hath stunck about thee and your fruits how Barbarously the Saints have been used among you and true Christians in the spirit and so them that make War against the Saints are such that inwardly ravened from the spirit and so got the sheepes cloathing and turned against them that had the Spirit of God ravened from the Spirit of God inwardly lost the spiritual weapons and had onely the sheepes cloathing and that would not carry them out in the time of need and so was fain to flie to Magistrates to the carnal weapons and so by this means in all ages the righteous have been slain by them that had the Scriptures but from the spirit that gave them forth and all the Saints upon the earth have been slain by them that have been from that of God in their own particulars which now that is awakened by which men come to be turned unto God And so you now that do deny the light that doth enlighten every one that cometh into the world that preach men should have sin while they be upon earth and the body of it and imperfection are such as have led people captive all their life times with the form of godliness without the power And keepes people in spiritual Egypt Sodom and Gomorah in filthyness and darkness where Christ was crucified by them whose ears were stopt to that of God in them and that was spiritual Egypt And so are all you that be inwardly ravened from the Spirit of God in your own particulars yet having a form of godliness denying the power you are from that of God ravened inwardly Ye are like to be reprobated concerning the faith ye are not like to lead people to the knowledge of the truth but like to keep them in the divers lusts laden with their sins and alwayes learning never able to come to the knowledge of truth there is all the witchcraft and sorcery and inchantments and familiar spirits and such doth deny the light which doth enlighten every one that cometh into the world And as for all thy lies and all thy slanders and reviles they will be thy own clothing and wear thy own garments thou must and they will cover thee in darkness in the day of thy judgement when thy works are tried with fire the witness in thy conscience shall answer I am a friend to thy soul And thy shame and folly and wickedness thou hast published to the Nation which all sober people see thy folly and thy silence had been better to have Preached thee a sober man But novices and fools must utter their folly And the Truth is gone over ye and thou shalt feel it one day when thou and thy works are tryed with the fire And Eternally shalt thou witnesse â—â—ey are Judged and condemned Edward Boules who calls himself a Teacher of the Gospel at Yorke in his Book he calls The duty and danger of Swearing opened as he saith in a Sermon preached at Yorke the day of swearing the LORD MAYOR This is the Title of his Book which he directs to Stephen Watson Lord Major the Aldermen and Common Councel of that Citie whose work is to teach them to break the commands of Christ throughout his Book in that which he calls a SERMON Pr. FIrst he sayes Christ brought down the rigteousnesse of the Scribes and Pharisees and how that the Pharisees wrests the Scriptures or made the Scriptures to bend to their own righteousnesse Answ This is your own condition and the Papists who cannot own the Scriptures as they speak but you will make the Scriptures bend to your own wills and wrests them as the Pharisees did and as you and the Papists do Christs words who sayes Swear not at all and you say swear How now Edward Bouls who makes the Scriptures bend now Thou teaches men should swear and Christ said Ye shall not swear at all and so art an Antichrist and against the Doctrine of Christ and teachest thy own tradition for doctrine and makes the commandement of Christ of none effect He that 's against the doctrine of Christ is an Antichrist and so the Papists and Protestants and Pharisees all are found swearers out of Christs Doctrine that sayes swear not at all and yet in your pride will make a trade of his words and a talking of his words to get money by Pr. Thou sayes Christ came not to destroy the Law and it hath deceived some to say Swear not at all The Scriptures must not be taken in generall termes for Paul said he became all things to all men And Christ and our Saviour his intent is this that we should not swear as we were wont to do for the word Generall not at all must be interpreted so that you see it is the scope and circumstance of this place that this Swear not at all be interpreted vain and unnecessary customes and abuse of swearing among the Jewes and it is not unlawfull to swear but to all men not onely a liberty but in just cases a duty of swearing and part of divine worship not Ceremoniall or Mutable there 's no shadow or type in it An Oath is for confirmation and the end of strife it gives the last peale to all differences and gives a great honour to God and is the proper end of worship and consequently a great honour Answ They are deceived that breaks Christs commands for when he says swear not at all He sayes in all your communication let your yea be yea and your nay nay for whatsoever is contrary is evill So he layeth down no other Doctrine that men should practice then not to swear at all but yea yea and nay nay them that goes any further go into the evill whatsoever is more is evill So minde these 3 things and the Apostle becoming all to all men yet not without the Law of Christ Mark the Law Christ which was Swear not at all so still that 's agreeable to Christs words the Scripture is taken generall and Christ
not capable of such a rest Answ In the sixe dayes thou was to do that which was just and that which the Law commanded which was justice and to do to all men as thou wouldst be done to Not to covet steale bear false witnesse nor kill the seventh day was the rest that signified Christ Jesus the end of the Law the rest If any man can receive this let him And the Sabbath-day that all servants strangers cattell son and daughter might rest upon it the seventh day the signe the shadow which Christ the body ends was a figure and a signe and a shadow of the restauration of the Creation to the rest whereby the Gospel might again be preached to every creature under heaven This is a touch of the thing more might be said in it The Sabbath was everlasting to the state wherein it was and Circumcision was everlasting to the state wherein it was through their generations and it was in the first covenant shadows types and figures but the body is Christ that came to do the will of God which ends them all and sanctifies man and brings him to rest and peace with God before dayes was Pr. And thou saith J. E. was instructed in the Old Testament which is able to make wise unto salvation through faith therefore be instant in season and out of season Now the onely morall season the Scriptures enjoynes us is the seventh-day sabbath never changed till the little horne arose And the holy spirit in the Apostles highly approves us in our fulfilling the Royall Law which as to the season of worship is none other then the seventh day-sabbath Answ They who are made able and wise to salvation they know the Scriptures through the faith they see the substance of them Christ Jesus and they see while Moses was read the vail was upon their hearts ' for the Sabbath was the signe type and circumcision and this was in Moses and this was the signe read the shadow was read the type was read and the figure read the vail over the heart Now as the seed Christ the body comes to be known the signe the shadow the type is ended the body is known that doth the will of God that brings people to the rest So who knows the Scripture that is able to make wise unto salvation mark that word through the faith that is in Christ Jesus they have salvation which are able to make wise unto salvation that testifies of it and so Christ the seed the body takes off the vaile of mens hearts that ends the types figures and shadows And such as come to know the fulfilling of the royall Law according to Scriptures he comes to the body Christ in which the Law ends to every one that believes and so they as be in dayes Sabbaths which Moses speaks of was a signe and Ezekiel and the Apostle said was a shadow they be not yet come to the body which is Christ that was before any dayes was who is the sanctification and rest of his people and who are in him that is the truth worships God in the truth and in the spirit which never changes but shadows signes of a thing is not the thing that 's signed too for signes and shadows will change but the spirit and truth doth not change in that is God worshipped Pr. And thou saith It cannot be that horne except he change your times also and that he had no time to change but the seventh-day-sabbath and the Sabbath is perpetuall a rule of righteousness Answ Christ made all things new he ends the Law and brings it in the heart he ends the Covenant and changes things as was in the old time changing circumcision offerings Priests and ends the Sabbath which was perpetuall to the Jewes in that generation among the types as the Covenant was and Circumcision and the Law was a rule of righteousnesse for them but Christ who is the end of the Law comes to redeem them that are under the Law and ends their covenant and ends their shadows and changes those times him by whom time was made and so thou that knows not the time in his hands shews thou art not in the time that are in his hands and so not of the body of Christ Pr. And vvhereas thou saith No other time but simply the seventh part must from week to week be devoted to Gods worship for whensoever the seventh part of time is altered the morality must be destroyed Answ They worshipped God that said the body vvas Christ and the Sabbath day vvas a shadovv of good things to come and so they that vvorship God must vvorship him in spirit and in truth and in that vvhich all figures and shadovvs and signes doth end in the spirit and truth before they vvas and not one day in seven a signification of rest sanctification the Lords signe he gave to the people in transgression Before transgression ye do not read it was to men given as a command to the first Adam but of the earth earthly But who comes to the second Adam the Lord from heaven he by whom the world was made comes into that that all types figures shadows ends and so doth not destroy nothing of the Law but comes to that which ends it Pr. And thou saves It 's a great stumbling block as to believers in Christ because Christians violated the Sabbath Answ Christ is the body that ends the shadows and the signes and fulfills the Law him who was before the world was made in him are the Christians the body that ends the shadows and the signes in whom the vayl is come off of their hearts and so Christ did not break the Law but fulfilled it and in him that fulfills it the Saints met who met together in him and gathers together in him Who is the body they are the members he is the head who is the Church in whom he is in the mids of Pr. And thou saith So that to produce the world of wonder manifest it is that night was the beginning of time Answ That 's false the beginning of time was God and Christ and times and seâ—sons are in his hands and God is Light read that who can Pr. And thou saith Thou supposest it will not be questioned in Moses time Answ This was while Moses was read while the body was not come Christ Jesus that ends the signe the shadow the type and blots out the Ordinances and Commandements that held them up from which vaile the Apostle brought the People to the body Christ Jesus where no shadow was nor changing Now dayes are changing but Christ doth not change which is the body And you that hold up the signe the shadow the type the figure you hold up the dead and come not to Christ the life the body the Sanctification it selfe before dayes was by whom they was made Pr. And thou sayst The unthankfull Christian ought to sanctifie the Sabbath Answ Here thou brings them into dayes
not the Apostle bring people off of circumcision and off of the signes and shadowes the Sabbath days and told them the body was Christ And was not Offerings and Sacrifices the commands of God Now they that love God keep his commands and those are believers that have passed from death to life and hath come to the end of the Law and the Prophets And the Angell in the Revelations makes no mention of a Sabbath there but many are come to witnesse him to whom the Angels must bow down to and saw the end of time and the beginning of time and the supper of the Lord and the Rest and the Temple of God with them and heavenly Jerusalem come down from above Pr. Thou saist It cannot be but Gods people must bethink themselves of this Doctrine delivered by Stephen to the sanctification of the Lord of the Sabbath Answ Stephen no where mentions the Sabbath day in his Examination though he judged the Jewes for not keeping the Law vvhich they had received but persecuted the Just one so he preached the substance Christ the end of the Lavv and said they had not kept the Lavv but turned against the Just and persecuted him he did not establish the Jewes in their Ceremonies signes and types But Stephen brings them to the substance and so God that gave forth the Law vvith types and figures and shadovvs in it to the vveak capacity of people in their transgression sent his Son to redeem them from it and to end the types figures and shadovvs in the first Covenant vvho is in the nevv and living vvay vvhich is no changing and shadovvs no variablenesse nor altering no turning Pr. And thou sayes Sin is double on the Sabbath-day And thou saith I conceive a Sabbath dayes journey is so farre as a person may ride to go without toyl to a meeting So where there 's no law there 's no transgression and the extent is left to the conscience Answ Hovv novv must the Beast bear a burthen Where doth the Scripture say that thou vvas to ride upon the Sabbath day Do the Beasts vvork then He sayes Thou shalt do no manner of work But sixe dayes shalt thou labour and do all thou hast to do And you that make Sabbaths and set the up old Sabbaths and do not keep it according to the Law of God with the Law of God are you judged and condemned if ye do not fulfill it in every point and they that believe Christ is the end of the Law to them he is the body which is the end of the shadow Pr. Thou sayes That the Jewes that were not to make a fire on the Sabbath day this was mentioned of the Ceremoniall Law and so concerns not Christians and so not in danger of stoning The revealed will of God that we should not turne our foot to the defiling the Sabbath When the sixe dayes is done be sure thou do not turne thy foote to pollute the Sabbath A. And dost not thee confound thy selfe in this and turne thy foot to pollute it and sayes it is the Ceremonial Law that commands it and they that gathered sticks and made a fire were stoned to death Did not they pollute it And doth not thou say it doth not concern the Christians they was not in danger of stoning And so hast not thou taught them to break the Law and the Sabbath both and pollute it and so hath overthrown all thy doctrine in thy Book and confounded thy selfe And doth not he that goes out and gathers sticks and makes a fire turn his foot from the Sabbath For he that went out to gather sticks broke the Sabbath day and was cursed and stoned to death For no fire no meâ—t no burthens was to be borne on that day of rest a figure of the everlasting rest wherein no meat is gathered no fire is made no burthen is born and there is no turning the foot but all walking in rest and peace and so I finde thee neither in Law nor Gospel Pr. Thou sayst But to be sure the Law was made for Christs Disciples Whosoever boasts of a Light within and speaks against this Law of the Sabbath hath no light in him And thou saith Quakers will not admit of this Royall Law as a rule of righteousnesse but perverts the Scriptures which sayes The Law was not made for a righteous man Answ The Disciples of Christ the Law was not made for them that came to witnesse Christ the end of the Law for they said plainly the Law was not made for the righteous And Christ is the end of the Law to them that believe for righteousnesse sake And the Quakers witnesse Christ the end of the Law for their rule of righteousness and do not pervert the Scriptures but are the believers in him who ends the Law and before it was and is the body which ends types shadowes and figures and they that draw people under the Law and the types and shadowes and figures from the light within doth not know Law nor Gospel for the Law is light and the Gospel is the power of God and such as witness Christ the end of the Law witness the end of the Sabbath Pr. Thou sayes among all Gods Lawes none sets the soul more at liberty then the fourth lively Oracle Answ And yet thou sayes men may make a fire and not be stoned and so thou teaches to break it and thy Horse may bear a burden and so dost not thou pollute it here and destroy thy own soul by thy own Judgement but I tell thee Christ is the Bishop of the soul who ends the Law and brings the Law within into the mind and heart so now the soul being subject to the Higher power the power by which all the changeable things is held up by that power remaines when all the changeable fails and decayes and ends and the soul witnesses that and the body of Christ the power stands Pr. The Sabbath was intended to righteous Stephen and all his followers and is designed to all persons to whom the Supper is joyned the Sabbath is a precept ancient and universal both for Adam a publike person and for all his posteritie but none can sanctifie the Sabbath saving Christs disciples Answ Stephen suffered death for witnessing against the shadowes and witnessing the substance and the Apostle no where joyns the Sabbath with the Supper but Stephen saw Christ the body in whom was the rest in whom he entered and the Saints that come to sup with the Lord and is supping with him comes into the body which is the end of all types and shadowes and signes which are Sabbaths and hath seen them flee away and are come to the beginning before the world was made him who was before signes shadowes and types was The Sabbath was not given to Adam in the beginning who had the dominion over all creatures living but given to Adams posteritie in the fall a sign when they came to receive
for the believer in the light is led with the spirit of truth into all truth and he that believes not in the Light is with the spirit of truth reproved Pr. They say for one to be convinced of his sins against the Law and have some power against them these they call miserable blind Pharisees Ans Them that was blind Pharisees transgressed the Law of God lived out of the power and that which convinced of the transgression of the Law so they said and did not and wo was pronounced against them and so judgement came to be neglected and the doers of the Law was justified and not called blind Pharisees and that was in its place but Christ is the end of the Law for righteousness sake to them that believes and those was not called blind Pharisees which followed that which shewed them the transgression of the Law for those was the doers Pr. They say the spirit shall convince all men and women sufficiently of that righteousness which Christ fulfilled Ans That which doth convince of righteousness all men and women as thou coâ—fesseth if they believe in the light which Christ hath enlightened them withall it will lead them from their own righteousness and be their teacher and come to be taught of God Pr. They say the light convinceth of sin against the Law but will not shew a soul a Saviour or a deliverer Answ That 's contrary to the Apostle who saith the light that shined in their hearts will give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ who is the Saviour and he shall be my salvation to the ends of the earth covenant to Jewes and Gentiles Pr. They say the light will not shew a man his lost condition righteousness blood death resurrection and intercession of Jesus Christ. Answ There 's nothing makes manifest but light Nor none knowes the blood death righteousness and resurrection of Jesus Christ but with the light which comes from Jesus Christ who hath enlightened every man that cometh into the world and that 's it shall give all men assurance that he is raised from the dead the light of the body is the eye that lets see salvation Pr. They say Christ went away into heaven from his Disciples and so not within them Answ Did not he say he would come again to them did he not say he was in them I in you and did not the Apostle say Christ was in them except they were reprobates the hope of glory was not he revealed in the Apostle and so in him and did not the Apostle Preach Christ within and you Preach Christ with out Prin. They say that those believers that are in the body now at this day are absent from the Lord. Answ Doth not the Apostle say that Christ is in them except they be reprobates and he is in them the hope of glory and they have fellowship with God and God will dwell in them and walk in them and he that believes believes in him in Christ so not absent Pr. And they say he is absent from them as touching his flesh Answ Doth not the Apostle say that they are of his flesh and of his bone and he that eats not his flesh hath no life in him and they fit in heavenly places with him and he that eats his flesh hath it within him Pr. They say that there is not any heaven within into which the man Christ is ascended for can any man contain a man four foot long Answ Christ is a mystery and is not he to be revealed within who is a mystery he who did ascend to be revealed and made manifest in his Saints in flesh and spirit that did descend which is now manifested that the world wonders at that is ascended far above the heavens who is the Saints life living bread and drink and where ever used the Ministers of Christ any such expressions as thou doth which shews that Christ is yet to thee a mystery Prin. They say Stars falling from heaven is professors falling from the faith to the earth Answ This is fulfilled upon you all who have given Judgement upon your selves and so from the faith in which is the unitie in which men please God and hath victory over the world and this you may read since the dayes of the Apostle who are fallen all down into the earth for mony and stipends Pr. They say that God hath given assurance to all men and commands all to repent every where in that he will Judge the world in righteousnesse by the man Christ Jesus Answ That every man that cometh into the world is enlightened by Christ the light of the world him by whom it was made who will give them a reward according to their works that denyes his Light and are found in the works of daâ—kness â—r They say That the end of Christs coming is that the people of God should shine as the sun and the cause that hinders them for shining is the body of death Answ The righteous and the Saints comes to witnesse the body of sin put off and thanks God who hath given them victory and comes into the second Adam the Lord from heaven out of the first Adam where the shining state is witnessed the holy mount of God the city that cannot be hid Pr. They say If a mans obedience flow not from the faith it is but sin in the sight of the great God Ans And yet they say faith is not perfect in the measure and degree Pr. And they say Four times that Christ ascended away from his Disciples and was not in them Ans And Christ said I in you you in me and he would come and dwell in them and make his abode with them which the Apostles came to witness and sate with him in heavenly places Pr. They say that the man Christ that was crucified his body is now in the presence of his Father absent from his people as touching his bodily presence Answ Doth not the Apostle say he is the head of the Church And doth not the Apostle say they are of his flesh and bone and sit with him in heavenly places with Christ And Christ saith they must eat his flesh and he is in them Pr. And they say that Christ is absent from the Saints in the world its clear Answ When the Apostle saith Christ was in the Saints and Christ in you the hope of glory And the Apostle saith he hath revealed the Son in him And he that hath not the Son of God hath not life And after the same Christ which was crucified and risen came to be manifest in his Saints and not another And so the Saints come to feed upon his flesh and drink his blood which is their life which body Christ gives for the the life of the world and which blood appeaseth the wrath of the Almighty And as for the rest of John Burton and John Bunians lyes and slanders they are
but hear you have laid aside the Holy Ghost how knew they before they gave it forth hear thou hast denyed Revelation of the spirit for though a man has all the writings yet he knowes nothing of God but by the the Spirit of God nor sanctification nor justification which is Christ and the light which comes from him Pr. You say You are fallen into the last times prophesied of by Christ and you are to contend earnestly for the faith once delivered to the Saints Answ The faith delivered once to the Saints ye are out of in respecting persons and are Apostates from it and the last times which Christ spoke of should come which John saw was come when the false prophets which Christ prophesied of was come which went forth from the Apostles which since their days the world went after them and now from them is the Lord God bringing his people to the rock of ages into the faith they are out of Pr. Foolish man would have his righteousness in himself Answ Every one that hath Christ hath the righteousness of God wrought in him and none owneth the righteousness of Christ but who owneth the light that enlighteneth every man that cometh into the world and they are foolish that know not this and the righteousness of faith in them Pr. It is blasphemy they say and colourable pretences to witness an infallible spirit in them Answ The spirit that leads the Saints into all truth is infalliable and that shall reprove the world and he that hath the spirit of Christ hath that which is infalible and he that hath not the Spirit of Christ is none of his but are in the colourable pretences Pr. They say The Scriptures is the quick and powerful word Answ Many may have the Scriptures and the form and deny the power and the Scriptures are words of God and the word is God and this word is in the heart which led them to speak forth Scripture And many Scriptures they bring to oppose the Doctrine of Christ who saith be not ye called of men Master for ye have one Master even Christ to whom every knee shall bow and every tongue confesse to the glory of God will men receive worship when Angels would not receive it but bad them worship God Pr. They say They rail and cavil at the lawful maintenance that God hath ordained for them Answ God hath suffered the beast to make havock and spoil the Saints goods but where doth God ordain that you should take Tythes and treble damages Easter reckonings and Mid-summer dues and that you should sue men at the Law and cast them in prison till death where did God command this they that Preach the Gospel should live on the Gospel and they bring glad tidings to people and this is not glad tidings to cast into prison till death and hale up and down to Courts and Sessions for outward maintenance if these men bring glad tidings let the spiritual judge or whether they do not make their folly manifest to all men that can but read the Scripture Pr. They say Such as trust in their own inherent righteousness compasse Sea and Land to make prosolytes Answ It was so in the dayes of the Pharisees it hath been so since the dayes of the Apostles since the beast and the false prophet got up who deny the light that doth enlighten every one that cometh into the world Gods righteousness Christ and such as denyed the light had the form and such gather people into the form of Moses the Prophets Christ and the Apostles words establishing their own righteousness and denying the righteousness of God the light that doth enlighten every one that cometh into the world and all you that doth deny the light that doth enlighten every man that cometh into the world hath troden the blood of the Covenant under foot and you tell us of humane and inherent righteousness which the Scripture tels us no such words and as for all the rest of the lies in the book we let them go home again upon their own heads and every word shal be their own burthen and that in your conscience shall witness and the Scriptures are owned by the Quakers and denyed by you but owned for your own ends that deny the light A BOOK Entitled The Quakers Cause But no name is found in it but is a Book of darkness railing and lies is come to light and because some who leave father and mother and wife therefore he rages who is out of the Light and Doctrine of Christ And the Principles are as followeth Pr. SUch as forsakes husband and wife to do the will of God this he cals a breaking of relations Ans And thus ignorantly speaks evil of those things he knowes not Thus ignorant of the command of Christ and the Scriptures but hath shewed himself to be a member of the world and not of Christ who saith he that doth not forsake father and mother wife and children is not worthy of me Pr. He saith Because he saith thou to God it doth not follow that he should say thou to his earthly father to speak to God as he doth to man Answ Now minde what proud flesh would have of whom thou hast learnt to speak you to an earthly man or to a particular person which the Scripture hath taught no such Language nor the accidence that which teacheth thee to give more to man then to God is the spirit of the world but the Spirit of God teaches to speak righteously and when there is but one not to say as of many and so there is thou to one and you to many And so here is the form of sound words that cannot be condemned now you may see where your Original stands which cannot endure the form of sound words Prin. He saith To be justified by grace which is Christ in them this is a kind of Popery Answ Contrary to Scripture and the Apostles Doctrine Before the Pope was and them either which saith Christ was in them who are justified by faith and faith was in the heart and justified in the spirit and who witnesse the spirit the spirit of grace and by grace ye are saved and that which saves justifies and being justified by grace and thou that art of the Pope and in the Apostacy denies this Pr. To say Christ is within is never to mention Christ without Answ There 's none knowes Christ within but he knowes him without the same yesterday to day and for ever and there 's none knowes him but they know him within revealed of the Father which is beyond flesh and blood Pr. And he sayes To run upon new birth self-denial light within Christ within man if this be not a kinde of Popery and a fair gate for Rome he is deceived Answ Light within Christ within new birth self denial is out of your works and Romes which was the Doctrine that the Apostles held forth and the Saints witnessed Christ within
your order and Gospel since the dayes of the Apostles who are such as Christ said should come inwardly ravening forth from the Spirit of God and have got sheepes cloathing which since the dayes of the Apostles they have walked after you who have deceived the world and Nations But we see that the false Ministers the worshippers of the Beast Antichrist and the deceivers among whom is the Devil to deceive is now taken with the false prophets the Beast and Antichrist the Mother of Harlots and confounded and cast into the lake of fire and the Lamb and the Saints shall have the victory And the Gospel is immediate and he is cursed that Preacheth another the word I say is immediate it lives abides and endures for ever and the Ministers that are in the spirit are immediate and these are furnished with the mysteries of the Gospel and their calling is immediate and the Overseers of the Church which the Holy-Ghost makes are immediate and all that be in the life that gave forth Scripture which nones knowes the Scriptures but by it they are all immediate that which doth convince of sin is immediate But now your mediate Calls your mediate Ministry and Overseers knowledge Word Gospel and people Church are mediate we do believe you all this is so amongst you since the dayes of the Apostasie from the Apostles Doctrine power life and spirit which they were in with which ye are judged and who are in the life they are in that gave forth Scriptures which you are ravened from and are not like to talk of immediate Pr. The Scripture is the Word and the Rule Answ The Scriptures are the Words of God and Christ is the Word in whom they end and the Word of God is the end which fulfills all Scriptures which came to the Prophets which the Apostles Preached which they discerned and spoke forth the words and the fulfilling of the words which the Scriptures of truth cannot be broken but fulfilled by Christ the word and the spirit is the rule that gave forth Scriptures and that led the Saints into all â—ruth Pr. Thomas Castel went naked in the streets of Kendal and Thomas Holmes of Kirkby Steven Answ This hath been a figure of your nakedness who are Egypt spiritual and the Ethiopian black and the Prophet Esaiah did not put off all his clothes say they conrary to the Prophets words and he was to go among all the transgressors in Ethiopia and Egypt a figure of their nakednesse so since the dayes of the Apostles and the Apostasie ye have gone from the spirit of God inwardly ravening from that ye have wanted the cloathing with the spirit ye have had only the outside the sheepes cloathing but have been naked of the life such the Lord hath moved his servants to give a true sign amongst you and not a lying who have their cloathing of the spirit which ye want which ye shall witness the truth of the Lord God in the signe if ever ye come into the true cloathing of the spirit of God Pr. And ye say Christ did not mean as he speak when he said be not ye called of men Masters Answ Which shewes they are none of his Ministers which trample upon his Commandments and teach people that it is lawful to break them shewing the lawfulness of them to be called of men Masters so as for their calling of men Masters standing praying in the Synagogues their long robes salutations their Tythes and their Pulpits these are the works of the perfect Pharisees which all people may look upon their fruits their works and practices and see the very image and that they have their very garments and places according to their condition fruits and works and as for all the rest of their hard speeches lies slanders villifyings and railings which they have poisoned people withall will be their own burthen and fall heavy upon them and turn upon their own heads Their way is compassed their bounds is set and their limits and in this the day of their accompt every one shall feel his words to be his burthen And their patience had been better then to have uttered forth their folly and published it to the Nation But the day is come that tries every mans work and a witness is rising in people the morning is broak the Sun is rising the day-Star is risen that lies people do not make their refuge neither do feed upon them nor upon any thing but what comes from God but the living bread that comes from God above which who eats of it lives for ever Many have their bread and their water that hunger no more nor thirst no more The Worcestershire Petition to the PARLIAMENT which are said to be six thousand Pr. HE hath made a Law commanding all people to whom we Preach the Gospel to allow us a sufficient maintenance that we may not be hindered from or in his work Answ The Scriptures and the Apostles did not speak of any such thing that Christ did make a Law for them commanding all the world to whom they Preached to allow them a sufficient maintenance that they might not be hindred from or in their work What! will maintenance hinder them if they have it not was not this the command of Christ to give freely as they from him had received freely and then if any set meat before them they might eat it But if this Law commanding all the world a sufficient maintenance and allowance to the Apostles and Disciples had been first which they might have been sure of maintenance this had been the way to have clogged the the peoples minds have brought them into trouble which the Gospel was otherways glad tidings but if the Apostles had not Preached to the world without this law which ye speak of wâ—ich commands all the world to give them sufficient maintenance what a condition would all people have been in But they that had received freely was to give freely so you have manifested your spirits to be the deceivers of the people for means That ever 6000 people should say he made a Law commanding all the world to whom they Preach the Gospel to allow them sufficient maintenance When Christ saith they were to Preach as they went as the disciples went and they were to Preach if they did not receive them and they were to go into all Nations yet the Apostles did not plead a Law where they came that they were all to maintain them no they were in fasting often and would not use their power to eat among many people though they had power yet they would not use it and so the maintenance did not hinder the Apostles from their work for they Preached often in fastings and sometimes their own friends communicated to them when they were up and down among the heathen in other Nations Preaching the Apostles did not plead a Law to the Nations whom they Preached to and thus they brought glad tidings keeping
Ministers The power would open the hearts of people if ye were in that and make them to give you that there would be no want And then the Gospel would be Preached and you live in that and glad tidings be known to all Nations and men would not be combered about Courts and put in prison by you whom you do no work for Pâ— Ye say shall men have leave to Preach railing against Christs Ministers and Church reproaches to the world and hath Gyles Calvert owned his name at them and ye speak of yâ—ur liberty of the Pulpit But that the Pulpit should be Satans Oracle as Apthecaries shop keeps open poisonâ— so Gyles Calvert doth for soul-poison Answ This is not the way by railing to stop poison but your Pulpits have been like shops of poison even to poison Nations for have you not poisoned many people and made their minds envious and most of your stuff hath been railing one against another which had ye been Ministers or spoken the truth in the love of it it would have preserved people in peace and unity and not have sought your selves And Gyles Calvert as you call an Apothecaries shop hath been a place whereby many of your actions and fruits have been discovered and made manifest not against the Church of God not against the Ministers of God and Christ not against the Magistrates that live in the fear and life and power of God but against the injustice and the persecution and the apostates gotten up since the dayes of the Apostles as ye confesse if your maintenance be taken away the Ministery will fall Now the power is that that causeth people to minister to any that ministreth to them not by compulsion but freely and this is acceptable and pleasing to God which the Lord loves And so all your poyson of your Pulpits as Satans oracles hath been like such a thing for the Pulpiters are them which have caused the great persecution and imprisoning for speaking to them and because they will not give them maintenance and so quenching the spirit and that which quenches the spirit is not of God for in the true Church all may prophesie one by one and if any thing be revealed to him that sits by the other must hold his peace that all may learn and be comforted The spirits of the Prophets are subject to the Prophets And this was the order in the Churches of God before the Apostles decease But since their decease amongst you that are apostatized from them this is disorder and sets you all on an uproar and confusion So your Church and Pulpit is more like Satans oracle then the Church of God and you have been in your Pulpits more like womens scolding to the Cuck-stool which you speak of then men that preach the Gospel as the Parishes may witnesse how they have been burthened with your rayling against other people which have not been present with you And when any of them have come to you you have cryed take them away they disturb you Is not this worse then womens scolding for women will stand and scold one with another but ye will scold behind their backs and cannot endure to speak to their faces but cry to prison with them But the Rod is gone over you and you are come under the scourge the whip and the lash for your evill words which have corrupted your manners when ye should have been preaching the peaceable way to the Kingdome of God ye have been bringing people to strife throwing them into prison for speaking a word to you that cannot give you maintenance which you do no work for But the sentence spoken in Matth. is coming upon you ye cast into Prison to death because they cannot give you maintenance therefore ye are far short of visiting them which be in Prison And these covers will not cover you and all your hard speeches which you have vented forth in your Book which is not worth mentioning but they will come upon your selves for every one of your words shall be your burthen Now fools may subscribe their hands to things they know not and go with a multitude to do evill but wise men consider and ponder the things before-hand So all your Petitions the holy Scriptures of the Prophets Christ and the Apostles read and try them whether ye have ever an example amongst any of the Ministers of the Gospel that ever put up a Petition to any supream of a Nation or that Christ ever gave them any such command that his Disciples should go and beg with a Petition to the supream powers of the Nation for maintenance Have not you in this dishonoured the Gospell and Christianity and shewed that you are not of the royall Priest-hood nor of the royall seed nor everlasting Covenant nor you Ministers to them that do freely give which have freely received but to be such whose spirits be in the earth And you Petitioners are not able to maintain them which all Magistrates that stand in the fear of the Lord God will judge and so see that you have shamed your selves your Ministry and Church and that you are not a Vineyard that you have not a Flock to give you milke to give you fruit but they must be fain to give you fruit And the Magistrates must be fain to give your Ministers milke and so shewed the sloathfulnesse of them that have plowed and are not made partakers of their hope but have lost it In vain have they plowed and threshed and not got out the Corn. And in all this have not you shewed your idleness that ye have not laboured got a Vineyard and thresht and got no corne and have not plowed and sowed the seed And will not the Magistrates see you in this and have not they wronged you in maintaining you in idlenesse Will not the Magistrates see that they have done so to you in this and become pack-horses no longer and executioners who hath executed your malice upon them you do no work for neither have hired you and cast them into prison when they have spoken to you to repent and fear God and so it 's time for the Magistrates to do justice and execute the Law upon you idle vagabonds William Thomas a Minister of the Gospel at Vbley called in his Book called Railing rebuked or a defence of the Ministers His Principles are as Followeth Pr. HE saith His Epistle reflects upon two sorts of persons and how many false Prophets have risen Ans The work of the Ministers of the Gospel was not to reflect upon persons or strike at creatures as thou sayest two sorts of persons but they struck at the power which captivated the creature to the intent that the creature might come into the liberty of the sons of God And so thou that art reflecting upon persons dost shew a marke of thy selfe to be a false Prophet in stead of speaking of the power thou art reflecting upon persons and this reflecting upon persons
The Apostles were eye witnesses and understood by immediate Revelation from God inspired with the gift of the spirit more then any man could hope for since and he saith they do not pretend any such gift nor depend upon any such immediate miraculous Revelation from Heaven Answ Then all may see now in this what ye have received that hath been from man which is not from Heaven immediate nor the gifts of the spirit nor received the Gospel by the same means the Apostles did who are not the eye witnesses as the Apostles were neither have ye attained to the same knowledge and understanding as the Apostles did nor received it from heaven now let all people question whether it is the same Gospel which is not received from Heaven nor immediately nor by Revelation for the Gospel is immediate which is the power of God Rom. 1. they are in the same power understanding knowledge and immediate Revelation from Heaven that the Apostles were in that understand the Gospel and they that be in another cannot understand that Gospel so he confesseth to the Nation in his answer to some Queries and in his discourse upon the holy spirit that they have not the same knowledge gift nor immediate Revelation as the Apostles had so he hath made himself manifest and the rest of the Priests that he is in the Apostacy not to have the Gospel the Apostles had Pr. He saith page 11. An external means enables them to open the meaning of the Gospel Answ An external opens not the eternal this all may judge that is in the fear of God and that is it which keepes them from being deceived and seduce the external which opens the eternal he saith so which is false for the eternal opens the external and the Gospel is eternal and that which reacheth to the soul which is immortal and all they are seduced and seducers that thinks and saith the external must open the eternal Prin. He saith Learned men are them which must give the sence of the Scripture Answ Pilate was a learned man and had Hebrew Greek and Latine and knew not the sence of the Scripture which crucified Christ And the learning of God is that which knowes the Scriptures by the spirit that gave them forth and not the confounded natural Languages and the Querie to him was whether any was to be called Master his Answer is Master is a Title of civil honour a Pharisee a transgressor of Christs commands Mat. 23. that tramples upon Christs command and his doctrine and makes the doctrine of Christ uncivil and this is your Lordship and your usurped Authority who would lord it over Gods heritage but he is throwing you out as dung upon the face of the earth Pr. He saith The Pharisees paid Tythes when they neglected the Law of God Answ Do not all you so Is not this your condition that takes Tythes whose fruits in the Nation make it manifest and the Apostle said the Priesthood was changed that took Tythes and the Apostles denyed the Pharisees that took them but you take them by compulsion and carry to prison till death if you cannot get them and in this you are worse then the Pharisees and first Priesthood that took Tythes which denyed Christ was come in the flesh Pr. He saith That children are of the Kingdom of God and yet they must be born again before they can enter into the Kingdom of God page 17. and sprinkling of Infants is Baptisme Answ Which there is no Scripture for he saith Christ commanded both his disciples and them to take and eat this and yet they never heard his voyce Pr. He saith To give an answer without imagination or consequence is without reason or Judgement Answ There is a reason and a Judgement out of imaginations and consequences to be given which is in truth and out of the doubtful dispute Prin. He saith While men be upon the earth the body of sin is not wholly subdued Answ Contrary to the Apostles doctrine who saith they were made free from sin and this is to deny the Circumcision which puts off the body of sin this is to keep out of Christ the second Adam in the first Adam in the fall Pr. He saith The contents of the Gospel are things of the spirit of God attained by an external means and the Apostles was called of God immediately which he saith no man must hope for since Answ Then you have all followed your own spirits and are found amongst the number of the false Prophets and them that ran and the Lord never spake to them and the things of the Gospel and of the spirit are not attained by an external means Pr. He saith We must not look for an immediate extraordinary miraculous teaching from the Lord. Answ Yet he saith all men are taught of God what confusion is here the grace of God which brings salvation hath appeared unto all men and teacheth us and this he calls an outward teaching by the Lord Jesus Christ Is that which brings salvation outward all in the truth may Judge this and try thy spirit and the teachings of the Lord is not mediate but extraordinary above all yours which are men got up since the dayes of the Apostles Pr. He saith They shall teach no more every man his neighbour saying know the Lord but they shall all know me from the least to the greatest and he saith again the most knowing man hath not attained such a perfection of knowledge in his gift as not to need teaching Answ So he is one that believes not in the promise they that love are of God and they that loveth knoweth God and they that loveth not God knoweth not God here are the spirits of the world made manifest and the spirit of God in his Saints from thy confusion so them that know God are taught of him Pr. He saith The anointing within people is a measure of spiritual wisdom Answ And yet they attain to the Gospel by an external means and it is onely all they that give heed to such spirits as these that go from the anointing within them that did not take heed to the anointing so going from the eternal means to the external means and from the immediate to the mediate with which they are now tryed which the Apostle saw come in which hath been since over the world but now made manifest Pr. He saith Sprinkling of Infants is Gods Ordinance Answ For which they have no Scripture but a tradition which hath been taught men for a doctrine by them who cannot shew where God commanded it Pr. He saith pag. 31. For the spirit within we are not so blind folded to follow the dictates thereof and we draw men from the spirit within It is humane learning that distinguishes the naked Truth whereby it is clearly seen and calls them blind that saith otherwise and cannot distinguish persons from houses he confesseth it is contentions to go to Law Answ Here he hath given
faith and such as lived in the faith and such as quenched the spirit and despised prophesie and such as despised the holy One and slaughtered the seed of God and such cast the law of God behinde their backs this was the spirit and the Word of God which was the rule that led them to discern and savour to try and taste and handle this was the touch-stone and this was the rule and this brought them to the knowledge of God and they that had the Scriptures had not the knowledge of God without this nor the prophesie as the Pharisees that had Scriptures yet knew not Christ Pr. To the Law and to the Testmony Answ Yea as we say to the Law and to the testimony the Law is the light the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy but it is tryed in this our day the Letter is the Light amongst the Ministers of the Letter against the light and they say prophesie is ceased and so puts the Old and New Testament for it and brings Isai 8. for the Law and testimony which was before Matthew Mark Luke and John but this is that their ignorance may appear Prin. And likewise he saith There is not a just man upon the earth and sinneth not Answ Read the words above in the 12. verse be not just over much neither make thy self overwise now mark this just this wise man upon the earth which doth good and sinneth not that was the estate of the Law which Christ is the end of who is a greater then Solomon who is the just and righteousness it self and makes men free from sin Pr. I do not affirm that any man can have salvation by vertue of his obedience and thus you put out the eye of poor souls and bids them hearken to a light within them Answ The eye of the soul is the Light which cometh from Christ the Bishop of it and he that believeth is saved and there is his obedience and he that doth not is condemned already and he hath the promise of life and salvation that believes in the Light Pr. He saith the Commission of Christ holds to the end of the world who gave some Prophets some Evangelists and some Pastors for the perfecting of the Saints and the edifying of the body of Christ till all come to the faith and knowledge of the Son of God and to a perfect man in measure and Stature and fulness of Christ Answ Have you not all denyed this work Pastures Teachers Prophets perfecting of the Saints and bringing to a perfect man saying that none must be perfect while they be upon earth and to the unity of the faith which both you and your teachers be all of heapes about it and that none must witness the measure and stature and fulnesse of Christ and the knowledge of the Son of God that none must have him revealed have you not denyed Revelation how have you been in this work tossing people to and fro like chaff and carrying them about with every wind of Doctrine and that is your wind that is not perfect that is not in the spirit that gave forth Scriptures and there lodgeth all mens subtility cunning and craft within lying and waiting to deceive this doctrine was coming up before the Apostles decease which since in the world hath reigned which all the heapes of Profession in all Christendom discovers it how people are tossed to and fro and changed about and every one stands against perfection and overcoming sin while they be upon earth so throwing themselves out of the work that the Ministers of Christ were in so from it Apostated and hath denyed the Ministers work which is the perfecting and you cry no perfection Pr. He saith They call breaking of bread carnal faith comes by hearing of the Scriptures and it is the way to teach men to Christ to convince and convert souls how should we know sin to be sin or righteousness to be righteousness but by Scripture Scripture hath been a fit rule to walk by and guide into truth and peace Answ Breaking of outward bread is not spiritual for the Papists they say it is spiritual and you say it is not carnal what differs Priests and Baptists from Papists and you say it is not as other bread is and thus you deceive people and make them believe a lie and the Pharisees had Scriptures and knew not the way of truth and peace nor was not guided in it neither any upon the earth Except they be in the life that gave it forth and the Pharisees had Scriptures read every day among them and hearing not the word that they heard that was in them that gave forth Scriptures they heard not the word of faith and the word of faith they have not neither hath any upon the earth for faith comes by hearing the word the word Preached not by hearing the Letter he that hath the Word of God may speak it dayly for they were Ministers of the Letter which begot people into a form and they were more ten fold the children of the Devil then they were before there was any Profession after they were got into Profession and all upon the earth do not know righteousness to be righteousness but as they have the life that gave forth Scriptures for the Pharisees chief Priests and Jewes had the Scriptures and read them every Sabbath day among them and they knew not righteousness to be righteousness Jesus Christ the righteousness of God neither did they know sin to be sin for they crucified the Lord of life they denyed the light the Covenant of God the Covenant of light the Jewes whicâ— had Scriptures so none doth know sin to be sin but as they do by the light which comes from the Lord Jesus Christ that makes it manifest and Abraham and Enoch knew sin before Scripture was Pr. Again he saith Try their own hearts by Scriptures Ansâ— They that tryed their hearts it was by the spirit of the Lord that searcheth them which led them to speak forth scriptures for before Scriptures were given forth there was that in the heart to try it which led all holy men of God to speake forth scriptures if all men upon earth had the scriptures and have not that which gave it forth they have not that which will try the heart for the Pharisees had the scriptures and they could not try their own hearts and so they turned against the light as the world do now that have the scriptures for that is it which brings to stand approved of God and tries their hearts with it Pr. He saith the overseers of the Church are visible An. That which doth oversee and maketh to be overseers was the holy Ghost before the Apostles deceased which was invisible but since the dayes of the Apostles men have made officers by the letter such are visible therefore have all men come into divers formes out of the unity and have lost the bond of peace Pr.
the word but the Scripture is the word and so these poor creatures erre not knowing the Scripture to speak in the singular number is non-sence and they that translated the words thee and thou might have translâ—ted them you Answ The spirit gave to speak the proper Language singular and plural and spake such words as cannot be condemned And if translators that be out of that translate the words given forth from the spirit into what form soever they will yet the spirit will finde it out and the light which doth enlighten every man that cometh into the world by which all things were made made lights and created lights Christ Jesus the light whiâ—h doth enlighten every one that cometh into the world need not have these outward lights or discoveries they were all made by the light which light was before these were made and they which are come into the reconciliation with God are in perfection out of the imperfection from under the wrath and the Word reconciles hammers down cuts down and burns up that which is contrary and sanctifies and makes clean and Christ Jesuâ— his name is called the word of God the Scripture saith so and they say that the Scriptures are the words of God which in Christ the word which was before they were given forth comes to fulfill them and that which is imperfect is done away Pr. To say that God is substantially in man as Essentially one with him can be no other but the man of sin the Devil himself having transformed himself into an Angel of Light and if it were possihle would â—â—â—â—â—ve the very Elect. Answ The Scripture saith that God will dwell in man and walk in him and the Saints had unitie with the Father and the Son and all that hates the Light which Christ the Light hath enlightened them withall hath not the Father and the Son in such the man of sin reigns and in such the Devil may transform but the Elect he cannot deceive the Elect hath the victory and Dominion which were elected in him before the foundation of the world glory for ever and as for all the other words in thy book they are not worth mentioning they will be thy own burthen they will fall heavy upon thee in this day when thou shalt shalt give an accompt to God James Brown His Book called Antichrist in spirit His expressions and Principles as followeth Pr. THat the light in every man is a certain guide and rule in all things this is the means whereby Scriptures are slighted Answ No one knows nor owns the Scriptures but as the light of Christ that doth enlighten every man that cometh into the world doth guide and teach them the light of Christ within which gives them the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ Jesus and Scriptures and to see the Scriptures and doth not slight them Pr. To witnesse God and Christs glorious resurrection and heaven and the happinesse of new Jerusalem this is lookt upon as an errour Answ Christ within who is the resurrection the glory the kingdome of heaven is there and David who witnessed him was in hell he was upon the earth too and he that witnessed the new Jerusalem and that happinesse was upon the earth And they that have all these words not possessing the life they have no comfort in what they speak nor in what they professe and the babes and the children that are free knows their mother that is from above Pr. If there be no outward meanes but light within what need of the Scriptures Answ The light Christ within was in the Saints before the Scriptures was given forth and that was it which was their guide to give forth the Scriptures wherein they walked and did not stumble and that is it which gives to see the Scriptures again to what condition they are spoken and the use of them Pr. The day is not yet dawned nor the day-star the bright and morning Answ The Apostle tells the Saints of the Day-star and they were children of the day and the night was over the true light shined and the darknesse past Though some indeed were not come to the day-star and the light shined in darknesse and the darknesse comprehended it not Where darknesse rules there be the works that are out of the light and among such as have apostatized since the dayes of the Apostles the day-star is not risen to them they see it not but amongst the children of light it is seen and they that see it not are comprehended The day-star is risen and they are children of the day Pr. And them that bring people to looke at the light within them are as Corah Dathan and Abiram Ans All that go from the light within them are as Corah Dathan and Abiram amongst the Lords Prophets exalting themselves and persecuting Pr. All men are not so taught of God as they shall be at Israels return Answ All men are taught of God that be in the Covenant whether Israel heare or not Pr. I know that many of the Quakers are temperate sober self-denying people but this is but the tything of hearbs Answ It was the Doctrine of the Apostle who preached Christ the end of tything and hearbs and self-denyall sobernesse temperance was not called the tything of hearbs for the spirit that gave forth the Scriptures brought to this Pr. And the light within is darkness and I never read of the Churches of the Saints that spoke by two Answ The Apostles doctrine to the Corinthians was that they might speak by two or three And the light within which is the light of Christ which doth enlighten every man that cometh into the world the darknesse cannot comprehend it though it shine in it till it shine forth in the heart to give the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ Pr. And that the Kingdome that is in the Saints is in the Pharisees I deny Answ The same that is in the Saints is in the Pharisees in the measure though it be but as a grain of mustard-seed which is like to the leaven little Pr. The state of arising from sin to grace is never called a resurrection Answ They that arise from sin to grace out of the first Adam into the second Adam comes into the resurrection the second death shall have no power over them and the Saints comes to judge the world Pr. Such as trust to a light within them forsake the holy oyle the Lords spirit that speaks in the Scriptures Answ The Lords spirit spoke in them that gave forth the Scriptures who had the holy oyle the light within them And the spirit speaks not from the Scripture but by that which gave it forth which is the Author of it Pr. I deny that any have a light within them to attain to the measure of God and Christ as they that have the writings Ans None attains to the mystery of God but by the light
houses but the papists have taught you it The Papists were persecutors so are you they haled out of Synagogues so do you they took tithes so do you they preached by the hour-glasse quenched the spirit so do you They preached for means gleab-lands so doe you They had the cross on the top of steeple houses so have you in many places they had Trinity Colledge Emanuel Colledge and Christs Colledge so have you They named the Saints daies so you follow them they called their houses by the name of Trinity Jesus Emanuel and their Masse-houses by Peter and Paul and Mary and so do you Is not this the papists game do not they called Quakers deny this game and you both and Christ thou art ignorant of who is come to reigne and rule and teach his people himselfe Pr. Ministers are spurring on the Magistrates to cast out the bad and scandalous Ministers Have not Lawyers and Phisitians an easier life and more honourable in the world then the Ministers and have not the ministers been the principall instruments to pluck downe Deanes and Chapters Bishops c We ministers breake our health and all our wordly interests for you And I had rather be a ploughman or the meanest tradesman but for the greatest necessity and the truths sake Ans Have not all you Ministers in this manifested your selves did ever the Apostles fly to the Magistrates or spur up them to cast out scandalous Ministers had not the Apostles authority and the spirit and power to cast out reprove and rebuke in the Church Had they not denyed their power if they had gone to the Magistrates and falen on the mountaines which is the papists game and not the Apostles was it not the soldiers that were the cause of pulling down your Railes and Surplices and your Deanes and Chapters and Bishops was it not the Magistrates work but have you had a hand in it have you killed and taken possession have you put out Bishops and got into their places who are in the Bishops Deanes and Chapters maintenance will you needs make your selves so foul and odious to all people were not many of you tradesmen and ploughmens sons poor men and yet now gotten up into great interests and takeing great sums of people of many whom you doe no worke for How can you for shame say you leave your wordly interest when you are but running into them when you come to be Priests and ministers who are the proudest people in the parish in the glories and vanities of the world and honor of it but the priest and his wife and his children Are not you worse then Lawyers and Phisitians taking the peoples money yet cannot make them perfect men but say they must not be perfect The Phisitian is to make one perfect doe they take money of people they do naught for are they not ashamed to doe so but you take money of them you doe no worke for are you not worse then the Lawyers who are bad doe you not take money of such people you do not worke for and sue them and cast them into prison Are you not the unreasonablest men upon the earth and this is the Devils game you are playing and doe you not live in more honour in the world greater gain and no worke done for it then any people in the Nation againe as the Goals in the Nation may witnesse your fruits Pr. All nations that are of the Christan world are for the ministers to this day and they that are not are the dry branches that are out from the Church Oh how have I besought the Lord that he would convert you to remember them that hath the rule over you they that hath spoken the word of God and rules well are worthy of double honour Ans You are apostatized from those Elders among the Apostles and from the Apostles in an usurped authority Ministers made by the will of men at schools and Colledges not by the will of God as the Apostles were so your honour must be defaced and you are the dry branches cut off from the true Church your Church and Ministery both wanting the vertue and life of God among you so broken into heapes and sects and names among your selves wanting the unity and bond of peace the nations have gotten the names of Christians but are dead are from the life and your prayers are as the Pharisees you being found in their steps as Matth. 23. read you all You say none must be perfect upon earth how then converted who are converted are converted into Christ who is perfect out of the first which is not perfect Pr. The enemies of the Ministers are the fore-runners of the heavy wrath of God and the Jewes were quite cut off from the Church and made vagabond upon the earth they mockt the the Messengers of God untill wrath came upon the people Ministers are either their Fathers or Nurses in the Lord their sins killed and grace is quickned by the ministers meanes Ans It was the forerunner of the wrath of God upon the Jews that they had Temples and Tithes and stood against the Ministers of Christ it is so to you as it was with them that saw not the substance that now stands against the light and fight against it And was not Railers envious men and persecutors alwaies the vagabonds and are not all you vagabonds from the life of the Apostles as the Jews were from the Law of God and are not you all on heaps about words and scriptures shewing you are without life and is not the wrath and plagues of God and over flowing scourge come upon you who are thus standing against his Ministers in this his day that are sent among you cages of unclean birds who the people comforts not their sins kills not their grace quickens not keeping the people in their sins telling them they must have the body of sin while they are upon Earth they are crept into houses before and since the Apostles decease dispersed over the Nations of the world Are not you mocking the messengers and ministers of Christ hath not the wrath come upon you many of the people stricken dead for so doing you that are out of Apostatized from the Church of the Apostles that are persecuting and mocking the Ministers of Christ which in scorn are called Quakers who are sent freely amongst you not for Gleab-lands Tithes Easter reckonings nor Midsomer dues nor like unto you that puts the Papists out of Gleab-land Tithes Easter recoknings and Midsumer dues and gets into them your selves that puts Papists out of their Masse-houses run into them your selves so in this you are not like the Ministers of Christ the Apostles who seeks not these but them but you are seeking these not them but are putting them out this causeth plagues to come upon you and so it is Papists and drunkards and them that are now called ministers which are
seeking the peoples means not the people which makes the true Ministers of Christ odious which are in scorne called Quakers who seekes not theirs but them and you are neither the true Fathers nor the true Nurses but in the Apostacy from them and kicking against that which pricks you going in Sauls steps who went with Priests that had Tithes who were strayed from the life saw not the substance as you Raveners from the spirit of God have set up Tithes who see not the substance you harden your selves not hearing the voice from whose eyes repentance is hid posting on for your earthly interests and meanes posting to Courts Sessions Assizes Benches and this is the work you are doing and posting on in the Nation as the Courts Sessions and Assizes declares your hurrying the people thither seeking theirs not them your spirits are tryed at Courts Sessions and Assizes to be the false spirits that went forth into the world which Peter Jude and John speakes of which went forth from them and seperated themselves which since the world went after you who have been in Caines Cores and Balaams way Pr. Tradesmen and princes labours preserves health but mine consumes it Ans Here thou hast shewed that thy labour work and ministry is not of God that preserves health and strength for the work of the ministry is to bring into the saving health and preserve it and not consume it as thy worke doth that they may honour God with their substance and serve him with all their strength Pr. The law gives Tithes say the priests and allowes We may forbare working and we are content with food and rayment and to give away our tithes if the people will allow us food and raymet for us and our children as is fit to make them servicablâ— yet the Qâ—akers call the ministers covetous Ans The Jews priests who were made obedient to the faith which had a commandement while they were under the Priesthood to take Tithes according to to the Law but the ministers now turne again from the faith to the Law and saies the Law of God gives it them and saies the Tythes are not the people 's but the Lords Did not the Apostles cut off tithes afore the Law and in the Law the priest-hood and law both and have not you here shewed your selves Apostatized from the Apostles so in the Apostacy who have set up a Law the first author whereof was the Pope and say the Law gives it us and you would not leave tithes unlesse the people would make a bargain with you to maintain you your wives and children was this the work of the Apostles Ministery what shamelesse words are these what set your selves thus that all people may view your folly what the Apostles did give was it upon this condition the people should give them food and rayment for it Dâ—d not the Apostles say he that wil not worke let him not eate but from the whole practice of the Apostles you are apostatized and is not your covetous practises discovered through all the Courts Sessions and Assizes in the Nations you posting up thither and suing and causing them to go thither you doe not worke for what is this but covetousnesse and unrighteousnesse Pr. That the Quakers say that the priests are persecutors like the priests and phari sees of old but they shall be taught one day to know that if the Magistrats stop their mouthes he does no more persecute them then a thiefe when he is hanged c you say you wish all the Lords people were prophets Answ This is a lye found in your mouths for you say prophecying is ceased this you sound abroad all the world over as farre as you can This shews that you are not able to stop their mouths nor resist the spirits of them whom you say it will be no more persecution for the Magistrate to stop their mouths then to hang a thief And thus to all Magistrates that feare God you appear with shame and all may see what you crouch for under the mountains for blood Jezebe like and makes the Magistrates your pack-horses and executioners of your malice but the Lord God of heaven and earth in his wisdome is opening the eyes of many that moderation appeares in such in whose hearts the feare of the Lord is placed that tries many of you and turns many of you to your own weapons to see what weapons you have and they finde you but wrestlers against flesh and blood striking at the creatures not at the power which captivates them to bring them out of it into the liberty of the sons of God The true Ministers work was to beat down blasphemers errours false Prophets and stop the mouths of gain-sayers Rebuke exhort teach instruct with all authority cut off occasions with spirituall weapons And this power had they in the Church and cryed not to the Magistrate take them away they disturb me Oh shameless shame thy selfe before all the people in the Congregation This was not the work of the Ministers of Christ to do so And this authority in the Church before mentioned had the Ministers of Christ to stop the mouths of Gain-sayers silence false Prophets and blasphemers This power and authority they had from God and looked not at men to help them but they which apostatized from the Apostles the Beast the false Prophet the mother of Harlots that deceived the Nations that be out of the power of the Apostles and Christ have their power from men all the false Ministers upon earth are seeking to them to stop blasphemers as they imagine being but contrary to their mindes while they themselves are the blasphemers as weighed and judged by the Scriptures and spirit of Truth And the Magistrates work the power which he receives from God is to punish prophane open sins and the Ministers work is to bring people from under that occasion Pr. The Magistrates sets their guards at our doors and lets in none but who they please Let the Kings of the earth shew an uninterrupted succession giving them right to their Crown and I will shew a more undoubted succession to the Ministery All the Christians in our Parishes are our Flock we undertake to prove the truth oâ— such Churches Answ Your â—hurch is guarded with carnall weapons and the succession of your ministery is like unto the succession of earthly Kings Crowns which are all made by the will of men And the Magistrates have been but your servants and through ignorance have quenched the spirit and your work hath been to destroy the order concerning edification practice and doctrine of the Apostles in the true Church which said let all speak one by ne If any thing be revealed to another that sits by let the first hold his peace The spirit of the Prophets are subject to the Prophets From this you are apostatized and have gotten a law to stop the practice of this in your Church-apostacy whose doors many of
them you keep with clubs and staves lest any should be moved from the spirit of the Lord to speak amongst you from the Lord. And your Parishes and Flock which you undertake to prove to be a true Church alack for you that people should be so impudent to say these are pillars and ground of truth or the Steeple-houses be the pillars and ground of truth A company of Drunkards Swearers covetous proud persons given to pleasures you are like them that said they were Jewes and were not but the synagogue of Sathan a nest of unclean birds Pr. We expect not perfect unity till we have perfect knowledge and holiness Ans Have you cryed up your selves to be the ministers of Christ all this while and have not perfect knowledge perfect holinesse perfect unity The least unity is perfect in the spirit and the least knowledge and the least holinesse in the spirit and this you acknowledge you have not perfect unity perfect knowledge perfect holinesse and this hath been the cause you have kept all people since the Apostles in blindnesse out of the unity in that which is unholy who say you have not the perfect knowledge for the least of holinesse is perfect and in the holinesse is the unity in whith is the perfect knowledge though in the least degree and this thou hast confessed you have not and we doe believe you and so out of thy own words thou and you are proved unsanctified for who are sanctified have perfect unity perfect knowledge perfect holinesse Pr. I use notes as much as any man when I am laâ—y or busy c. Ans This is it which holds up your lazy minds which you gather out of books selling it again by the hour-glasse and make that day you call sabbath your market day selling both prayers and preaching who have not the spirit of the Lord to lead you to speak as it moves and to lead you to all truth as it did the Disciples so it is lazynesse indeed that hath set up your notes and reads them by the glasse for money and who have learnd seven years out of books Colledges and then gather up out of your authors books in notes and thus make a trade of them and then teâ—ls the people you are sent and it is the word of the Lord which it is but the reading of books and yet you tell people you never heard the voice of God if any aske you thus deluders are judged out of their own mouths who have a law if any are moved of the spirit of the Lord while they are reading their notes or speaking before or after none to speake against what they have gathered out of their books and studies which was not the works of the true ministry but the worke of those who were out from the true spirit and so were ministers of the letter and old authors and notes Pr. He saith They are unmercifull men that say more glorious dayes are appearing and that the Saints shall rule the world Answ In this thou hast judged thy selfe and there need no more words be spoken to it And the rest of thy lyes and slanders in thy Book which are not worth mentioning they will fall upon thy own head John Cole His Book printed 1658. His Principles in it as followeth Pr. IT 's a common thing for the young Harlot to say minde the Light within Answ The light which doth enlighten every man which cometh into the world all Harlots draws from and be out of it and such may beget proselytes and father them upon God which are not in the Truth but the day is come that all things are made manifest and by it doth appear and the light which every man which cometh into the world is enlightned withall is the offence to all the evill doers who be out of salvation and the Covenant of God and none sees salvation but by it Pr. The young Harlot can but mend evill old Adam by her exhortations and instructions and doings and threatnings and she doth fright some to her obedience Ans The Harlot is in that which evill old Adam is in in the transgression and so they which be harlotted from the spirit of God cannot mend and instruct the transgressor they themselves being in the transgression They may tell them of the Saints words and speak them as the Devill doth who is out of the Truth but thou John Cole art fallen into the earth and there art quarrelling And as for the rest of the stuffe in thy Book which is not worth mentioning but when thou feels the root and tree burn and fall into a fire about thee and thee in it then remember thou hast not that which doth not savour withal as thy confused childish workâ— do appear which in print thou hast published to the world Alexander Rosse his Booke which he calls A view of all RELIGIONS His Lies and Principles Pr. GOd is not in the quaking of the body Ans Was it not God that made the body of David to quake and Daniel and Habakkuk and Job and the mountains quake at the giving forth of his Law And doth not God say He doth not shake the earth but heaven also Now dost not thou manifest thy selfe to be one of them that cast them out that tremble at the Word and tells them that God is not among them And as for Alexander Rosse his lies and slanders in saying the Quakers said Christ had failings and distrusted God which thousands of thousands that can witnesse to thy face thou art a liar it is a sufficient proof to them that thy book is made up of such stuffe of lyes which is thy view from the Creation And the rest of thy Book is much like unto that and the false prophets studying a divination of their owne brain to get money by we deny but such as divide the word aright we own and all that pray and preach and sing for money and make a trade of the Scripture to get money by we disown but such as pray and sing by the spirit we own and all your Readings for money we deny but who reads freely we own and all your Seremonies we do deny and are come to the substance Christ Jesus before the world was made Pr. The leaves of a tree are not the fruits thereof and yet without them the fruit would not prosper Answ Art thou a fit man to give a view from the Creation of the World who erres thus in Naturals For pluck off the leaves of the Vines and see if the grapes will not prosper Art thou a fit man to give a view of Religion and blasphemy and errour from the Creation who art not able to give a true view of the Naturalls Pr. Thou sayest It is horrid blasphemy to say the Scripture is not the Word of God and to say the soule is a part of God Answ The Scriptures are the words of God in Exodus and the four Books of the
knowledge to know him which is eternal life and wisdom to walk in his waies which are perfect where Gods dwelling is in Saints there is light and they have fellowship one with an other in it and with the Son and the Father Pr That although the essence of God be within yet it no way conducts to the happinesse of man Ans Man feels not the happinesse but as he is in the power of God in which he hath communion with him and thou speaks thou dost not know what Pr. Iohn said he had heard and handled Christ and looked upon him but your Idoll Christ your light and everlasting word you say is within so that you nor any man else can say what it is except whimsies Ans Thou that hast not handled seen nor heard Christ nor felt him within art in the Idols whimsies and blasphemy for we witnesse that Christ and hath handled him and seen him and heard him and knowes the everlasting word and him within which torments thee and thy ground and thy seed because he cannot reign but Christ is come to take possession to dostroy him and his works and reigne and none sees this buâ— they that own the light within which comes from Christ the King Pr. By letters and witnesse without we will oppose your lying light within there to maintaine against the best men whatsoever your light within is a lye for you say the light within is Christ I deny the scriptures are a witnesse to beare to your light within which is your Idol and this word of God within to be no more nor less then a lye Ans The scripture beares witnesse to the light within for I know that 's thy work and the devils which is out of the light which is the truth to oppose it who rules in the Children of disobedience but cannot rule in the children of light and the scriptures saith Christ in you and God will dwell in you he is light and they are light the light that shines in your hearts to give you the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ Jesus and this the Scripture bears witness to as in Cor. 2.4.2.13 and the word is nigh thee in thy hâ—â—rt and in thy mouth Rom. 10. and as for all the rest of thy stuff confused parsell of ignorance in thy book as this before mentioned which is not worth setting pen to paper but for the simple ones sake it is given forth for the day is appeared that all your works are seen and come to light praises and glory to the Lord God the Highest for ever in the day of thy fulness thou hast been in the mischief of iniquity but in the day of thy poverty when the witness of God stirs and rises in thee and judgement enters upon thee then remember when thy works burn and thou in the fire what thou didst in the world in thy life time against the Saints and the elect and spoke of things thou couldst not know nor weigh but were too heavy for thee and how thou actest against the light of Christ within which would have led thee to salvation Enoch Howet of Lincolne His Principles in his Book as followeth as he cals the Doctrine of the Light within Pr. I Have taken upon me as my duty to forewarn all men of the Doctrine that teach men to look at the Light within them Answ We do believe thee here thou art not only Ante-Christ but Anti-Apostle that 's against him who taught people to look to the light within them and told them that the light that shined in their hearts to give them the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ Jesus and this is the Doctrine which thou forwarnest all men of and said it is thy duty so thou mayest see whom thou servest that turns men from light and warns people of the Apostles Doctrine in that all may Judge what thou turns them to and whose duty thou art doing and whose messenger and Minister thou art them that be in the fear of God see thee Pr. To look to the light within is to look at his deceitful heart and it will offer thee darkness for light and its evident if thou look to that which thou cals the light within he brings thee to take councel of a corrupt heart the prince of the Aire the prince of darkness Answ The light that shines in the heart that thy darkness cannot comprehend it is not the Prince of darkness nor the Prince of the air nor the deceitful corrupt heart but by the light within is all discovered and made manifest for its the light within that discovers a mans thoughts a mans councels of his heart And Christ within is light and that the Apostle bid the Corinthians examine themselves and prove themselves and know not they their own selves how that Jesus Christ was in them except they were Reprobates Now where Christ is within there is light now Reprobates cannot endure to hear it talkt of within but cals it blasphemy corrupt heart and deceitful heart and so forth and the Apostle told the Saints that God would write his Law in their hearts and put them in their minds the law is light and God would dwell in them and walk in them and where God is there is light and in him is no darkness and the Saints are his Temple and this Doctrine the light within it s thy work and Ministry to teach and warn all men against Pr. To look at the light within leads men to look at a judgement here in this life and to take off men from eternal judgement Answ There 's none sees the judgement in this life nor the eternal judgement but with the light within for the light makes manifest what must be judged and what must not O that thou shouldst be so blind and who judge themselves shall not be judged Pr. The people which depended upon light within fell into shameful enormities and when they pretended the light within they pretended an Angel of light which cozens us which at the best is but a broken cistern the Ephesians were sometimes darkness Answ They are the broken Cisterns that cannot hold the water of life and they are under the pretended Angel of light that deny the light of Christ within and shameful enormities that be from the light which makes manifest all those things and though the Ephesians were darkness yet the light shined in the darkness and the darkness could not comprehend it John 1. Pr. The light within drawes from the expecting of the assurance of Christ by working in our hearts the children of disobedience so that we wait not upon God for assurance but to trust to the light within Answ None comes to assurance of Christ Jesus but who comes to the light that shines in his heart which Christ Jesus hath enlightened him withall who is the way to him none comes from under the power
your blind zeal the mouth of iniquity hath been open in you with all the world against the truth but with it in a great measure it is stopped Pr. The evils hath been so strong that they have wrestled all weapons out of the hands of Saints and Ministers that have been formed against them Answ These have been pitiful weapons that you Ministers and Saints have had in your hands that the evil wrestled them out they have been carnal not spiritual for the spiritual weapons the evil cannot wrest out of the hands of Saints and Ministers of God but with them they are plucked down his holds and high places and spiritual wickednesses the evil dares not come nigh the Saints weapons which are spiritual Pr. You say We desire no longer to rest in a testimony of words but take an effectual course that sin and sinners may be purged out of the house of God we desire the Church would set some days apart wherein they may bewail iniquity and pollution that Ministering Brethren would without respect of persons from house to house night and day bear their testimony to flie from those abominations Answ The Church of God you cannot which is the Pillar and ground of truth which Christ purchased with his blood without spot or wrinkle or blemish and the house of God you know not who talkes of purging of it who is established a top of all the mountains and all your abominations and pollutions and respecting of persons is out of the Church and the Law both transgressors of it and it is time to begin to stir up your selves and turn from the evil of your wayes and turn to Christ the Light who hath enlightened you that you may bear testimony against your selves and your Ministers and lightness and abominations in your own families and do not say it is the house of God and the Church of God but amongst your selves and we do believe it is but the testimony of words who have denyed the light and so denyed the power Pr. They may deliver themselves from the blood of souls having declared the whole counsel of God Answ Can dust and ashes declare the whole Counsel of God and cankered ones and pollutions and abominations can such declare the whole Counsel of God such be out of it for they that come into the counsel of God declares that and come out of pollutions and cankered with the world to him by whom the world is made who is perfect and makes them perfect who declares his perfect will and counsel Pr. Another evil we thought to have spread before you but wanting opportunitie shall now omit and that from Chard we have laboured in vain that which hath been brought forth hath been to little purpose Answ This you may speak to your shame and shew forth your own nakedness that you have laboured in vain and that which you have brought forth hath been to little purpose in this the Church of Christ believes you who hath been them that hath beaten the air and why do you Print abroad that there is another evil among you which you have not laid open had you not been better have held your tongues except you had mentioned it is not this Hams spirit who lays open one anothers nakednes to the world in Print but how can you do otherwayes who hath denyed the light that hath enlightened every man that comes into the world which comes from Christ Jesus and so wants the covering and as for all your dirt and drosse and dung which is not worth mentioning in your Epistle and confused words which you set forth thinking to your glory but it is to your shame had you been in the life that gave forth Scripture which the Saints was in that was of the Church you would have covered your nakedness and would not have said pollution was in the Church and in the house of God but for all these things you are judged and you and your Epistle and your words to be unsavory and is judged with the life of God that gave forth Scripture and them that be of the house of God and the Church of God where no pollution is nor comes nor canker the witness in your conscience shall answer it in the day of the Lord. By us Richard Baxter c. Pastor of the Church at Kederminster In their Paper called the Judgement and advice of the Assembly of the Assosciated Ministers In it their Principles as followeth Pr. THat ever there should be so much to do among Christians yea the leaders of Christs flock and to bring them to so clear a duty that after all there labour there is no more done Answ Ye have been them that God never sent and found to be such as Christ cryed wo against and so you have not profited the people at all And you have not been the leaders of Christs flock but been such as turned against them that hath been your duty so therefore be all the people on heapes Pr. That all men must know that we are Christs followers if we love one another for he that saith he loves God and hates his brother is a liar Answ In this poor men you have judged your own selves for is not debate and strife and vain glory and persecution and prisoning found among you Cain turning against his brother Abel and slaying and killing him whose blood cryes for vengeance upon you so it is a proof that you are out of the faith that works by love in which is the communitie and Love with God and one with another And so in stead of making up breaches you are wounding and bringing confusion being out of the faith and life that Christ and the Apostles were in so in heapes about their words Pr. It is not our business to change mens minds from infidels and heresie to the faith but to bring the Churches of Christ to understand each other to be true Churches which take the holy Scriptures for our Rule of your faith and lives and believe it to be the infallible word of God and this Rule is Divine so our faith is Divine had we but a humane Rule we could have but a humane faith proud men thrust their opinions into the Churches Creed Ans Your businesse it is true is not to change men form infidels and heresie and to bring them to the faith so not into the unity for you bring no people into that nor to the Faith and you bring no Church to know one another in the faith and the Churches of Christ knowes each other to be a true Church and you whose businesse is not to bring men off heresie to Faith know not the Church of Christ which is the pillar and ground of truth built upon Christ who is the faiths author and the scriptures which signifies writings as you say outward writings paper and ink is not infallable nor is not divine but is humane and a humane knowledge from it men get and so writings
breast-prophesie and yet thou sayest the Apostle doth not exclude heart-prophesie And thus thou with new names and thy words darkens counsell and knowledge but the children of light with truth sees thee Pr. The Father Word and spirit is to justifie the word Trinity not to make the holy Spirit and the Saints one person Answ The word Trinity is not in the scripture but in your old Fathers book the Canon book the Pope and the Father Son and Spirit are one and the Saints are in the spirit and who are joyned to the Lord are one spirit And the Scripture doth not tell us of three persons but as I said before the old Cannon book of thy Fathers the great Apostate the Pope Pr. The light that Adam was qualified with before the Fall which every man hath a sparke of since the fall was and is given from the Creation by things that are made Answ The light Adam had before the Fall did not come by the Creation nor by the things that are made If it were given from the Creation it comes by nature This word is contrary to Scripture for God made man in his image and placed him over all the creatures and gave him an understanding capable of his Law and to know dominion but when man lost his dommion he transgressed his Law and that light that he had before the fall was of God from him that made all things Pr. The Scripture is the meanes of regeneration If the blinde lead the blinde what will follow it is proof sufficient against absolute perfection in this life as Adam and the Angels Answ The Scriptures them that had them and out of the life that gave them forth were the blinde and what followed then And though Adam and the Angels fell who is in Christ the perfection of God he shall never fall as also saith the Apostle Pr. He saith It is ignorance that saith the light that makes manifest sinne condemns sin Answ That which makes manifest a mans sinne and he hates it that condemns him And he is ignorant that sees not Christs doctrine and believes not in it Pr. To deny that sinne dwelleth or remaineth in all the Saints upon earth hath been the Quakers doctrine the consequence whereof is to disclaim all godly sorrow for sin dwelling in them Answ It is the Quakers Doctrine to deny all sinne dwelling in the Saints upon the earth and to know Christ who destroys the Devill the author of all sin and the Saints comes to witnesse their joy and pleasures for evermore over their sin and the body of it put off and a Kingdome which stands in joy and peace in the holy Ghost and the godly sorrow before they come to this and they do know victory over their sin and Christ he had the godly sorrow who had no sin and that many of the Saints knows Pr. His Word is not his spirit Ans The Word and the Spirit are one which was before the written words were declared forth in which word they all end given forth by the spirit of God and the Word lives and abides and endures for ever and that is spirituall And so the mystery of Iniquity is found in thy Doctrine who art blinde and reads blindly not with the spirit which was in them that gave gave forth Scriptures And so thou art found a false Prophet in the steps of the Pharisees one of the Masters that Christ sets the woe on their heads who art ravening with the sheeps cloathing upon thy back to deceive but now the Lambs and the Sheep have discovered thee who is got up since the dayes of the Apostles into their words not into their life with that judged And whereas thou art offended because Edward Burrough speaks Chapter and Verse the spirit that gave forth Scriptures will lead to speak it all over again without offence but to the evill doers Pr. And if your teacher cannot but be publique how will you finde him in so private a place as your beds Answ The spirit that leads to speake forth publiquely or to minister to themselves and others the same is a private Teacher to them on their beds as he did David whom the Lord instructed in the night season And that which the Minister of the Spirit doth minister unto is a private Teacher to every particular in his owne particular And the annoynting which abideth in people John saith was their Teacher and they need no man to teach them but as it did teach them and they should continue in the Son of God and the Father And here was publique teaching and private which thou blind canst not see And as for all thy lyes and heap of confusion shall upon thy head stand which thou wouldst blinde people withall For the Son is risen and the mist is gone and going in the day of thy judgement the witnesse in thy conscience shall answer Philip Taverner of West Drayton in the County of Middlesex his Principles as follows in a Reply to to a Book to Edward Burrough whom he in scorn calls QVAKER Pr. WHo art thou that judgest another mans servant such who Lord it over the faith and consciences of their brethren a spirit wholly disowned by the Apostle Not that we have dominion over your faith and in this sin is that of Christ to be understood Call no man your Father upon earth neither be you called of men Master that is have no mens persons in admiration as to count them your Oracles in the things of faith Ans Such as serve the man of sin are to be judged that are the servants of sin that hath been servant to the man of sin We judge that man servant both and such as are spoken of in the Romans to judge another mans servant in the truth standing and falling to his Master every one in his measure such we do not judge but every one shall stand or fall to his Master who are scrupling about meates and drinkes and dayes that the life is leading them through such things and you that be called of men Master it s a great Oracle amongst the people so counted and you do both Lord it over mens faiths and consciences both therefore hath so much blood been shed through you and so many cast into prison by you who are Lording it over mens faiths and consciences Pharisee-like called of men Master who would have dominion over the Apostles faith as you who are called of men Master would have dominion over the Saints faith who are admiring mens persons because of advantage to help you And this people see since the dayes of the Apostles how you and the Papist have Lorded it over mens faiths your Jayles inquisition and prisons may witnes it how you would Lord it over mens faith and conscience that cannot give you Tythes you will cast them into prison are you not here Lording it over mens faiths doth not your practices shew it and so another spirit then the Apostles that
of those who calls themselves ministers of Christ That would have you to slay to stone to stock to prison and to put to death them that be contrary to them Those be murtherers in Cains way man-slayers wrastlers against flesh and blood and not Ministers of the Gospell which saith love enemies and render to no man evil for evil Mat. 5.44 and this differs from the Scribes and Pharisees who loved their owne and persecuted others and stoned others and drew the Magistrates to doe it which saith the Ministers of Christ we wrestle not with flesh and blood but against principalities and powers and spiritual wickednesses in high places Eph. 6.12 Now those Ministers that would have the persons of men slain are like Cain and Jezabel the beast and false Prophets that slew Abel Gen. 4. 1 Kings 21. the persons of men stoned imprisoned and put to death are as the Jewes Priests and those Magistrates that executes their malice are as the Jewes Magistrates unchristian Magistrates And so those are they that are wrestling stoning striking and imprisoning against flesh and blood And in the mean time spirituall wickednesse rules among them And rulers of darkenesse in high places where flesh and blood are wrestled against so in this state both Ministry and Magistracy are blind that be out of the feare of God They turn their sword backward whilst they are executing the Priests malice and the Priests will strengthen the hands of evil doers and provoking to slay and against flesh and blood wrestling and doe not profit the people at all and stires up the multitude against the just That he may keep himselfe in his place for his own ends and admiring the Magistrates persons and mens because of advantage Iude 16. and respects their persons which shewes they be out of the faith Iam. 2. which gives victory over the world 1 Iohn 5.4 and out of the doctrine of Christ and the Apostles now the Magistrates is for the punishment of evill doers and for the praise of them that doe well which walkes in the life which he that doth evill goes from where the rulers of darknesse and spirituall wickednesses are and this Magistrate he can see he turnes not the sword backward he answeres that of God in every one and is for a praise to them that doe well 1 Pet. 2.14 so every evill doer acts contrary to that of God in them now a Minister of Christ wrestles not against flesh and blood but against spirituall wickednesses in high place so every one that doth evil acts contrary to that of God in him so the higher power goes above him Rom. 13.1 So the higher power is above him and before he was all power in heaven and in Earth is given to the Son of God Io. 5.22 above all the powers of the earth that lighteth every man that cometh into the world Io. 1.9 but they who does evill goes from the light and so the higher power goes against him The Magistrates that be in the power is a terror to the evil doers that acts contrary to the light wherewith every one that cometh into the world be enlightned The Magistrates be in that power which goes over him and is a prâ—ise to them that be in the light and the Ministers of God is to bring from under the occasion of the Magistrates sword George Weare being with his friend standing in the field neer Foord meeting house as they call it he neither speaking nor acting any thing against any man but standing in the fear of the Lord with his friend Wlliam Lowry and Iohn Hambleton called justices commited him to prison where they lay twenty and three daies and here is his innocency preached The originall righteousness was before the fall The originall of selfe righteousnesse was that which fell and is in the fall that transgressed And in the Catechism which is tollerated by the generall Assembly and in the Catechise of Scotland called a short Catechism They say that the word of God is contained in the scriptures Ans And the scriptures are writings and it saith God is the word Io. 1.1 1. Kings 8.27 Solomon saith the heaven of heavens cannot containe him you say he is containned in the scriptures with his writings you say there is three persons the scripture doth not speak of three persons the Jews had the scriptures knew not Christ the word of God Then ye tell people of an outward ordinary meanes by which Christ communicates the benefit of Redemption The word Sacraments the scripture doth not speak of three persons Sacraments they are Papists words of them ye have learned them the means of salvation is not ordinary or outward but Christ is the salvation who is eternall Heb. 5.9 and they that come to him come to the end of the outward Col. 1.27 ye say the Sacraments are the Effectuall meanes to salvation and ye say againe they are not as they are themselves so here is confusion but onely by the blessing of Christ his spirit in them How doe ye differ from the Papists for they say he is in them and ye say his spirit is in them and where his spirit is is not he Oh blind are ye found out goe ye home to your Mother the Papist where Christs Spirit is he is And ye say your two sacraments is Baptisme and the Lords Supper The scripture doth not call Baptism and the Lords supper two sacraments which names you and the Papists adore and worship which you have given to them againe you in your Catechize call the first day in the weeke the Sabbath day where did ever any of the Ministers of Christ or the Christians unapostatized call it so are not you come unto the breach and guilty of your own judgement of the third commandement when ye give another name to the scriptures then they give themselves in calling them the word calling Baptism and the Supper the Sacraments Exo. 20. Moses saith God spake all these words when he gave forth the commandements marke words and the words of Christ are spirit and life Io. 6.63 God is the word Jo. 1.1 and Christ is the word Rev. 19.13 and the word became flesh and dwelt among us Io. 1.14 And them that had the words of the scriptures which cannot be broken Io. 10.35 the Law and the prophets they knew not Christ the word before they be brought to the light that Christ hath inlightned them with and they be brought to the spirit Io 5 37. Io. 8.19 Can the whole world say the Lords prayer in truth or was it taught his Disciples or to the world doth not people draw nigh to God with their lips that say it Isai 20.13 and are not in the light which every man is lighted that cometh into the world withall can ye say the Lords prayer which is forgive us our trespasses as we forgive them that trespasse against us without hypocrisy how do ye for give them when ye
mercy to all but onely a mercy in manifestation and opperation to them that doe receive it whether Jews or Gentiles and it is a judgement and a condemnation to all that do not receive it both Jewes and Gentiles But as for you fifteen Priests you have included your selves among the sinners shewing that you are yet unconverted to the pretious faith which brings out of all sin and gives victory over it and who are converted are changed and renewed from being sinners to be righteous and these are not sinners of the Gentiles as is manifest you yet are but they are believers of the Gentiles who are made righteous in the righteousnesse of the second Adam who hath quickned them from death to life and from sin to God but upon such that do remaine sinner of the Gentiles and receives not the Gospell which is the power of God the dispensation of it is judgement and condemnation and this shall the testimony of God in every man give witnesse to Pr. Darke we are since the cloud of sin overshadowed our minds our brightest notions are stained our light eclipsed by nature we are Chained up into a Cave of darkness taking meere notions to be things substantial and substance to be shadowes and as our eyes are dim and can not see much so our sloath is great and heedlessnes inexcusable our ignorance of God may be charged on the want of meditation in all men the sinnes of teachers being teachers sinns Admit the Minister be sinfull shal the people despise his doctrine Scripture is Scripture though uttered by Sathan Ans The Ministers of Christ Jesus who were called and sent of him were light in the Lord and were translated from darknesse to the light and from Satans power to God and the cloud of sin was not over them for that was removed and they were as a City set on a hill and were the light of the world and their mindes were spirituall and inlightned and not over-shadowed with the darknesse nor with the cloud of sin as it is with these 15. Priests whose brightest notions are stained and their light eclipsed by nature as they confesse but thus it was not with Christs Ministers for their knowledge was in the spirit and what they knew was in and through the spirit and they were changed in nature and their light which was Christ was above nature and beyond nature and not eclipsed thereby neither were they chained up in a cave of darknesse but were as candles lighted and as a city set on a hill that could not be hid and they delivered forth to the world the pure truthes of the Gospell of Christ which were not stained nor polluted but pure and holy And in that you take notions to be substance substance to be shadowes this is your great ignorance and blindnesse but thus doe not the true ministers of Christ neither are their eyes dim but the Lord is the light and this promise is fulfilled to his ministers whom he hath sent the Lord is become their everlasting light but to you his promise is not fulfilled whose eyes are dim and sloth great and heedlessnes inexcusable as it was with the false Prophets and Dreamers of old whom the Lord never sent and thus it is with these 15 Priests according to their own confession but the Ministers of Christ were not so neither were they in sin nor in ignorance but had received the knowledge of God and were known of him and if the Minister be sinfull he is not sent of God but hath run and never was sent and his doctrine is dispised and not profitable for scripture in the mouth of the Devil is but a temptation no more is the doctrine of sinfull men as taught by them for if the minister be sinfull he cannot convert sinners to God nor turne them from darkenesse to light nor from Satans power to God which is the work of the true minister that have received the gift of the Holy ghost as its manifest these men have not by their own confession Pr. We are presented with a necessity of acknowledging that the Light of the moon with us is as the Light of the Sun and the Light of the Sun as the Light of seven daies Ans How doth this confession of yours answer to your last let all wise sober people judge how confusion hath uttered forth it self what your light eclipsed you chaind up in a Cave of darknesse and your eyes dim and yet the light of the Son with you as he light of seven daies is there any thing in both these confessions except ignorance and a heape of confusion and plain contradictions that all may see your owne confusions out of your own mouthes But who are come to the fulfilling of the promises of God where the light of the Sun is as the light of seven daies sin and iniquity is blotted out and transgression is done away and life and immortality is brought to to light and the glory of the Lord is revealed and they that are in this promise are come out of the Apostasie and out of the beasts kingdome of darkenesse where you yet remaine as its manifest for you be such as Christ said should come and as Iohn saw were come who went into the world and deceived nations but now the nations are gathering from you againe into the fellowship of the mystery of the Gospel which Gospel that hath been lost I meane the receiving of it by the Holy Ghost and the preaching of it as the spirit of God gave utterance for many generations but that gospell againe is to be preached and it is going forth to nations tongues and people and great Babylon shall be confounded and all her merchants shall weep and lament for her fall Pr. We the unworthy Ministers of Christ whose names are under written having waited upon God in a way of earnest prayer have jointly agreed to communicate our thoughts c. Ans They that are true ministers of Christ are not unworthily so nor in the unworthinesse and being unworthy to what purpose do ye waite upon the Lord for who are in the unworthynesse God doth not heare nor regard nor give his answer to such and ye having no answer from God you must needs agree in your thoughts but have you nothing to communicate to your people but your thoughts which are vaine how shall thoughts convert any to God or establish any in him and your prayers that are in darkness are not accepted of him for who are heard of the Father are in Christ Jesus and are new creatures being changed from death to life Pr. Our deep sence of the ignorance of our hearers puts us upon your prayers to God and Counsell one to another what further course to take Ans Indeed a sad complaint may be taken up concerning this matter for ignorance abounds and many other grievous evils in your Church and amongst your hearers shewing that your Church is not the true
Church of Christ nor you Christs faithful Ministers but where or what is the ground of this ignorance that is amongst your hearers is not the Ministry in a great measure the cause thereof and doth not the blind lead the blind and have not you been unjust and unrighteous in taking money and wages of People for teaching of them and yet they have not received knowledge but continues in ignorance and as for your prayers and councel the Lord takes no notice thereof till you purge your selves of your iniquities and how should you profit the people and bring them to the knowledge of God while as yet your selves are shut up in a cave of darkness as you do confesse Pr. Speaking of your children you say do not they come into the woâ—ld with souls naked as their bodies nothing but filth upon the one and nothing but sin upon the other Answ It is manifest then that you are unbelievers and have not received the faith of Christ but are your selves in an unconverted estate for the Apostle saith concerning the believers children that they were holy If you can receive it you may but as for the soul that is immortal for God breathed into man the breath of life and made man a living soul and sin came by disobedience and that separates between man and God who is pure and hath all souls in his hand but as for you who are in a Cave of darkneâ—s the mystery of the soul is from you hidden but you confess it is by your means that sin is conveyed to your children yea take it to your selves it is your work and the Lord hath no hand in it not in sin nor in making sinners and it is manifest you are out of the power of God remaining in iniquity and are our of the Covenant of reconciliation Pr. For sending children to us we shall briefly offer the duty of it in these particulars we are to feed the Lambs of Christ as well as the sheep they are part of our charge who are to watch over souls Answ What are children now the Lambs of Christ and were they in the last having nothing but sin upon their souls being begotten and born in sin sinners are not the Lambs of Christ but children of wrath the Lambes of Christ are such as are regenerated and born again and as for feeding the Lambs how can ye do it who are taking substance to be shadowes and shadowes to be substance the bread of life ye know not which feeds the Lambs and the sheep but how many sheep and Lambs is found in your flocks do not they by their fruits the rather appear to be in the nature of of wolves and swine let their fruits witness against them and as for your charge who committed any charge to you and as for watching over the soul the soul is immortal which you watch not for but for money and hire and casting People into prison if they will not give it you and causing the servants of the Lord to be persecuted these and such like are the fruits of the Priests of England which if you watched for the soul It would be otherwise with you but who can gather grapes on thorns or figgs on thistles Pr. We should be full of affection to our selves if we desired to work upon our hearers and our Authority in Preaching is marred by unholy living Answ We do believe you and it is manifest to the whole nation that your unholy living marrs your Preaching for unholy men have not received commission from the Lord to Preach his word so you have run and not been sent and there is no possibility of working upon your hearers by words who gives them so evil examples by your practices by your unholy lives and no Authority of Gods presence can be in your Preaching to convert sinners till you repent and come to live holily and like God and this confession of yours hath shamed you for Christs Ministers never made such a confession but they witnessed the Authority of Gods presence in their Preaching whereby they wrought upon their hearers and they answered their Preaching by a holy conversation and did not marr their Preaching by unholy living as ye confesse ye do Pr. Sad one day will be the account of sleepy watchmen blind seers and dumb dogs that cannot bark to fright the wolves or warn the sheep Ans Then look to your selves for blind seers are such as doth not convert the People who speak imaginations of their own hearts and not from the mouth of the Lord and useth their tongues when the Lord hath not spoken unto them and Preaching for hire and devining for money and seeking for gain from their Quarter and that cryes peace to them that puts into their mouthes and prepares war against them which doth not such are blind seers sleepy watchmen and dumb doggs of whom you speak whose account indeed will be sad one day and these are the wolves that must be frighted that do put on the sheepes clothing but inwardly are Raveners and devourers which went out from the Apostles in the dayes of John and which Christ prophesied should come of whose generation you are and not of the generation of the sheep who ever were persecuted and the Lord is beginning to affright you and to gather his sheep and this is the Lord fulfilling in his day Pr. Many Congregations still continue waste none compassionate to tell them of the fire and brimstone from heaven for their sins how many shot off a few Pot-guns against their gross sins and then lick them whole with ill applyed promises but the blood of the People shall be required at their hands Answ Many Congregations are waste and ten thousands of People are as a wilness untilled or unploughed or unplanted in the way of Righteousness and the guilt of this will be laid upon the Teachers who have long been teaching and well paid for the work and yet left whole Congregations waste but it was not so in the Apostles days nor among their Churches who were in the faith of Christ Jesus but when the wolves in sheeps cloathing entred then began Congregations to lie waste which has continued for many generations even while the Beast and the Whore hath ruled over the Nations all Nations hath laid waste and been void of truth to the Lord and who is it except your selves that doth shoot Potguns against their grosse sins and then lick them whole is it not common to cry Peace to them that puts into your mouthes and to prepare War against them that does not and is it not common amongst you to apply Justification by Christ to People that are unconverted and unrenewed and you apply the promises to that birth that is not heire of the Kingdom and this is ill applyed and though you may cry against their unholy lives yet your selves being unholy this is but hypocrisie and sewing Pillowes under Arm-holes and the blood of People will God
it any other except such as the Pope gave to his ministers having your degrees in your schools and attaining from one art and office to another till at last you professe to be attained to the ministry but this is not Gods way of Commissionating but antichrists way and the Lord God is risen who will confound it for the Lord hath not spoken to you neither hath he revealed his glory to you you have neither seen his shape nor heard his voice neither is the tidings you bring effectual to convert sinners for you are climed up another way and enters not in at the door and the Ape is truly your figure for your deformity appeares to the saints and all the children of light does see you and your originall which came up in the falling away of the true Churches when anti-christ took the Throne and the man of sin got up into the temple which for many generations amongst you hath shewn himselfe to be God and hath been worshipped as God Pr. The complices of Corah Dathan and Abiram who usurps the Priests office were destroyed a warning-peece for such as usurp the ministerial function uncalled and unordained let them take heed when they persume to vent their illiterat rude incoherence and blasphemous stuff Ans This belongs to your selves ye men of unholy lives who hath usurped to the ministry uncalled and unordained of the Lord by his spirit and you may take warning at Chorahs destruction whom the Lord shall as surely destroy with the fire of his jealousie for while the beast hath had power over nations and the whore made Nations drunk all this time hath your authority been exalted by which you have been set up and your ministers without the life that the true ministers were in and without that call and ordination which they had for you are of man and by man and your effects not the worke of the true ministrie of Christ but are left desolate and are desolate of the presence of God being your selves unlearned in the doctrine of Christ venting your imaginations out of the truth and out of the power of God and there stands your ministrie Pr. Vnsanctified ministers may possibly convert to God Ans No he that is unsanctified is out of the power of God and the word of God abides not in him and he runs and is not sent and it is not possible that such can convert sinners who are themselves unconverted from their iniquities Pr. That some learned Christians have been able to squees the greatest mysteries of our Religion out of the writings of some Heathens Ans This is the sum of your principles you 15. Priests and here is the sum of your ignorance and wretchednesse discovered and the vanity of your Religion whose foundation is the writings of heathens and the heathens that knew not God out of their writings is your religion made up as you confesse this is the whores Religion that sits upon the beast that the world hath long wondred after and not the true religion which the Apostles and true Churches were in and they are no Christians no Saints nor true Christians that goes to the writings of Heathens to squees out mysteries they that do so are the Christians in the Apostacie who are falne from the life of righteousnesse such as you and thousands are at this day being without the spirit and without Christ therefore you run to the Heathen for knowledge and shames true Christianity and true Christians in reputing the heathen wiser then your selves who are faine to run to their writings to make up your mysteries and such is your religion deceit and vanity and the mysterie thereof studyed for out of the heathens writings this is Christianity in the Apostacie and the Religion apostatized from the life of true Christianity for the true Christian Religion the foundation thereof is Christ who is the mysterie of God and of life and salvation and the mysteries of our true Christian Religion which we live in that are come out of the Apostacie are revealed to us by the spirit of the father that dwells in us is in all that are in the true Christian Religion who denies the Heathens and your Apostatized Christians and are come into the mysteries of eternall salvation which is not squeesed by imaginations of men but revealed by the spirit of God the great mysterie Christ in us and the mysterie of the Kingdome all this is made manifest to us and to true Christians whose Religion stands in the power of God and not in the tradition of men nor fetched from the Heathens writings and this Religion will stand for ever but your Religion and mynistries and Church will the Lord confound the author of whom is the heathens writings and how then shall it stand it is out of the bottomlesse pit and ariseth out of that your Religion and mysteries and thither shall it be turned into the pit that hath no bottome oh how have you blinde leaders led the blind that have been professing to teach Christ this many years and faith in him and have you taken so much money of the Nations and do you now tell us that the greatest mysteries of your Religion are squeesed out of the heathens writings oh ye unrighteous men blind leaders the Lord God Almighty is now risen and the Nations can no longer be satisfied with this Religion but the Lord is a gathering out of your mouths and you must howl and lament all the Idols dumb shepherds and they shall be confounded and the soules delivered of which they have made a prey for the soules of men have been the merchandize of Babylons merchants they have bought and sold the souls of men they have blinded the eye of it and troden it downe and the immortall soule hath not been respected otherwise then to make merchandize thereof to get gaine thereby there has been many traffickers since the daies of the Apostles that have made merchandizes of souls but the judgement of the great Whore is come and of Babylon the Mother of Harlots and the Lord God and the Lamb will plead against her and the jawes of the wicked shall be broken and their hearts shall utterly faile in the midst of them and the Lord will reveal his righteousness from heaven and by his judgements shall he be known in the earth a mighty God and a dreadfull and his dread and terror shall take hold upon your consciences come down and sit in the dust for the Lords controversie is against you he will bruise you with an Iron rod hee 'l break you as a potters vessel and his hand ye shall not escape for ye are but like Bryers and thorns in battel before him and like the stubble in which the fire is kindled and you will be as the dross in time of purging and at reprobate silver the Lord God hath said it W. S. His Book called A Parsons guide concerning of Tythes and the Law of Tythes
freedome thou speakest of one sitting and an other standing to serve at meat and put yonr selves among the Pharisees and doth not Christ serve the children at the table who is the Master but in the world there is the Lord-ship and exercising authority and doth not know their own brethren as Paul to Philmon but Masters and servants as the Scriptures declares is owned thou speaks of Cains and Abels offerings you who are the persecuters and slayers and prisoners of the just offerers up of the Earth and are the City got up since the true woman went into the wildernesse but the City of the living God is known againe and you are judged and your false Church Thou speakest of salutations and saluting enemies how do you salute those that you imprison till death for your Tithes what a salutation is that and cause them to be whipped and imprisoned for speaking to you this is like Judas salutation to Christ when he betrayed him and not the salutation of the saints Thou speaks of calling daies by other names then the first second c. yes you and your mother the Papists Church and the heathens contrary to the Jewes and true Apostles and true Christians call them Moonsday and Sunsday and Friday after the name of the great Idol in England and Wensday and Saturnsday and this is contrary to the scripture and the form of sound words and contrary to the Law of God which Judges the heathen and every day is the Lords and many names you give to your Moneths which the heathen is fain teach you thou speaks of Interpreting the word and giving sence and meanings and thus with your Interpretations and sences and meanings you have brought whole Christendom in heapes your fâ—uits declare it to be out of the Scriptures to be out of the Spirit that gave it forth so your own spirits give the meaning in which lodges the Envy and serve your own bellies but it is the spirit that leads into all truth and not you thou speakest of singular and plural as though thou neither knew Scripture nor accidence thou speakest of the Ministers going without gold and silver brasse or purse or scrip c. yet you will not go without augmentations tythes and gleab-lands amongst them you call brethren your baptized People and thou speakest of taking a purse and scrip and sword and selling his garment to buy one Christ did so to fulfill the Law and bids them put it up again and said it was enough who ends it so are out of the faith and patience of the Saints thou speakest of good men and calling them good yes I say such as be full of the Holy Ghost and of faith but wicked men wolves and beasts would have this title persecutors warriers and devourers in sheepes cloathing therefore is that angry which is exalted above all that is called God who sits in the Temple of God that man of sin in you all who cannot have that given to him which is given to God by them that is in the deserning Thou goest about to prove the word Land-Lord and would thrust that in the Scripture which the Scripture speaks no such word but the Law of righteousness which comes from God which is equall and just and the Prophets to do as you would be done by thou art speaking of the Angels that said nay they would tarry all night in the street and yet went in the Angels are servants and their time is not come and they may say nay and yet after see their time they must go in thou speakest of perfect and yet in your Doctrine say none shall be perfect while they are upon the earth and hath denyed the work of the Ministry so Profits People not at all and thou sayst who can understand the error of his wayes and that which thou dost thou allowest not and sin remains in a man then there the Devil hath a habitation and there is death but he that believes is passed from death and so from the sin and that which gives a man to understand his error turns him from his sin such as comes to know the annointing within them that teaches them that continues in the Son of God and in the Father these knowes all things but such as be in the transgression not denying themselves know not the error of their wayes as you may see your selves what you have run into whose fruits are come to Publike view Pr. Thou speaks of Christ speaking in the Synagogue and false Christs and false teachers in corners and chambers and Ministers must prove by Scripture for with that they convince the Jewes Ans Christ went into the Synagogues and the Apostles to shew the fulfilling and he who was come to fulfill that which they had in the Synagogues and the Apostles shewed them out of the Prophets and the Law that Jesus was the Christ and the Apostle was not a false Christ nor a false Teacher who Preached in his own hired house nor the Saints that met in several houses which were come off of the Jewes and Synagogue but they are the false Teachers and false Christs that deny the light that doth enlighten every man that is come into the world which Christ hath enlightned them withall and they are them that draw People into corners and Chambers and deserts and say lo Christ is here lo Christ is there that are gone and ravened from the light in their own selves that Christ hath enlightned them withall and such are the corrupt trees that cumbers the earth whose fruits hath sufficiently declared themselves who are to be thrown down into the fire who will be condemned with the light which they have ravened from in their own particulars and to you that is the word of the Lord in the day of thy visitation the witness in thy conscience shall answer it and as for all the rest of thy stuff to the Papists who would make People believe thou wast not found among them and their errors in this book first come out of the Papists work before thou find fault with them and cry against them art not thou one of them that kills and takes possession but the time is come you are all comprehended you and the Papists found in one bond one cord one City against the elect but he is over you all set and the Judgement of the great whore is come which is got up since the true women fled into the wilderness and the man-childe caught up to God but now is the man childe come again to rule the Nations with a rod of Iron and the Lamb the bride the Lambs wife is known and the mystery of iniquity is discovered and the mystery of godliness is revealed and the Saints shall have victory the beast and the false Prophet shall be taken and cast alive into the lake of fire and the old Dragon and the everlasting Gospel shall be Preached to them that dwell upon the earth to all Nations and