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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A90808	The holy scripture clearing it self of scandals: or, An answer to a book written by Richard Farnworth, who is commonly called a Quaker, bearing this title, Truth cleared of scandals. In this answer, you have the substance of a dispute at Harliston in Staffordshire, between Richard Faruworth [sic] and the author, in the yeer 1654. Written by Tho. Pollard, a member of the Church of Christ, gathered in, and about, Leichfield. Whereunto is added, Certain considerations and queries concerning those people called the Quakers; with desire of an answer. As also, a postscript, manifesting their folly in pretending a necessity of using the terms thee and thou to a single person. / By Henry Haggar, a servant of Jesus Christ, and of the congregation of his saints.	Pollard, Thomas, fl. 1655.; Haggar, Henry.	1655 (1655)	Wing P2775; Thomason E857_8; Thomason E842_10; ESTC R206619	43,888	64

the Gospel for their rule and direction in the worship of God as thou Farnworth dost say falsely that say you own the worship in the Spirit but by your denying the rules you are Pharisee-like that say and do not Secondly Thou sayest Thou ownest the Church of Christ. Answ But here thou lyest in thy saying Christ hath not a visible Church and so thou shuttest thy self out both of Church and Ministery of Christ by thy own grant as being a visible man Thirdly Thou sayest The teachings of Christ thou ownest And here thou speakest a lye also as is evident by thy calling the Ordinances carnal which Christ taught his Disciples Mat. 28. Mark 16. Fourthly Thou sayest Thou ownest the baptism of Christ Answ But here thou lyest also for believers to be baptized is by Christ's Commandment and he gave himself and example to us herein and this thou callest an image and idol Fifthly Thou sayest Prayer in the Spirit thou ownest And Reader minde for this man to pray for himself c is perfect and freed from all acts of sin and past the eternal judgment as he saith then I say by this we may see that prayer is useless as to himself and for his prayer for me I do not desire it neither do I beleive it is his judgment to pray for others by his wicked censuring all men that go not his way But this I further say That by his fruit he brings forth it is made evident that he is a stranger to the Spirit of Truth for this Spirit it leads into Truth then it doth not lead out of the Truth I demand of thee Farnworth where ever the Spirit of Truth did or doth contradict the written word But to ask thee such a Question who art as it is evident possest with a Spirit of error I do not look for satisfaction from thee And now Saints you having briefly a discovery of this man's folly let us labour to take Solomon's counsel Prov. 23.4 Cease from thy own wisdom with Prov. 3.1 My son forget not my law but let thy heart keep my commandments Vers 5. Trust in the Lord with all thy heart and lean not to thy own understanding It is high time for the Lords people to be continually upon their watch now Satan is thus transforming himself like an Angel of light that we be not overtaken with his devices but this I hope dear friends you well know that it becometh the Lord's people to speak the things which become sound doctrine that so we may stop the mouthes of all our adversaries for now is that day come that Paul speaks of 1 Tim. 4.3 For the time will come when they will not endure wholesome or sound doctrine but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers having itching ears and they shall turn away their ears from hearing the truth then minde what such come to they shall be turned unto fables And it is the Apostles counsel to the Hebrews chap. 3.1 2. Take heed brethren lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God and for your direction herein minde vers 13. But exhort one another dayly while it is called to day lest any of you be hardened through the deceit fulness of sin For vers 14. we are made partakers of Christ How if saith the Apostle we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end For as it is plainly laid down in this Chapter That the unbelieving Israelites came short of temporal Canaan so without question will it be with all those now that turn back from the holy Commandments delivered unto them For the just shall live How by faith but if any man draws back What follows my soul shall have no pleasure in him Heb. 10.38 And he that once puts his hand to the Lord's plow and looks back is not fit for the kingdom of God And it is worth the observing how Paul tells the Romans chap. 1. 16. I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ for it is the power of God unto salvation to whom to every one that believeth minde that for therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith and saith Paul as many as walk according to this rule peace be unto them And let us minde Paul's counsel Rom. 14.19 Let us therefore follow after the things that make for peace and things where with one may edifie another And as Paul advises the Church Phil. 4.8 Whatsoever things are true whatsoever things are honest whatsoever things are just whatsoever things are pure whatsoever things are lovely whatsoever things are of good report if there be any vertue it there be any praise think on these things those things you have both learned and received and heard and seen in me do and the God of peace shall be with you And as Paul said to the Church at his departure Act. 20.32 so I say to you Brethren I commend you to God and to the word of his grace which is able to build you up and to give you an inheritance among all them that are sanctified And to thou Farnworth and the rest that walk up and down and live idly without a calling if you would observe the Scripture for your rule you would see what Paul saith 2 Thess 3.10 For even when we were with you this we commanded you that if any would not work he should not eat O see thy folly in going about to deceive which thou art not called to by God nor man according to the rule and what would be the condition of all people in our Nation if this were generally practised Certain CONSIDERATIONS and QUERIES Dear Brother in the Lord OUr neer relation that we have one to another in the bonds of the Gospel doth engage me to manifest my unfeigned love unto Christ and unto thee in answering thy desires in propounding some Queries by which we may examine and try the Spirits of these men who say they are Jews and are not that so they may be found liars and their falshood and folly may be made manifest and all that yet fear the Lord may beware of giving heed to their cunning-devised fables lest they be led away with the error of the wicked and so fall from their own stedfastness and to that end my desire is that they will consider their cunning craftiness wherewith they lie in wait to deceive by handling the word of God deceitfully sometimes denying it to be of any authority at all and sometimes confessing it to be indeed a declaration of the minde of God but nothing comparable to that light which is within them yet other times they will make use of it for their own ends that so they may as Paul saith by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple And therefore that their snares may be broken and poor souls delivered I shall commit certain things in the first place to their

Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ O then what will you do that speak reproachfully against the Gospel of Christ But let me tell you it is not all your sayings that can put off or defer the Lord's coming and at that time shall the wicked be turned into hell and all the people that forget God Psal 9.17 with Psal 11.6 Then thou Farnworth saidst I called the Bible a History Now let the Reader minde how this hangeth together first he said I set up the Letter and made it one with the Spirit and now saith I call it a History Now Reader I will declare what I spake when I proved what I said all along by Scripture He said unto me That is Letter and that I had nothing to do with it being ignorant of the mystery Then I said What will you call this a History yet this I say That if there be a mystery in the Scripture then there must be a History wherein it is kept which doth declare of it read Ephes 5.31 32. For this cause shall a man leave father and mother and cleave to his wife and they twain shall be one flesh This is a great mystery but I speak concerning Christ and his Church Compare this with Col. 1.21 And you who were sometimes alienated and enemies in your minde by wicked works yet now he hath reconciled in the body of his flesh through death to present you holy and unblamable and unreproveable in his sight vers 22. Whereof I am made a Minister according to the dispensation of God which is given to me for you to fulfil the word of God vers 23. Even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations but now is made manifest to his Saints to whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles which is Christ in you the hope of glory vers 26 27. Again God manifest in flesh is a mystery 1 Tim. 3.16 and the bringing in of the Gentiles into the Church to be of Christ's body is called a mystery read Ephes 3.3 4 5 6. and the word declares it Dear Friends minde the design of these men that do not onely destroy the Ordinances of Christ but Gospel-Order also as God is a God of order in all the Churches of the Saints and we finde that Christ came into all his Offices when he was on earth in an orderly way 1 John 5.6 This is he that came by water and bood even Jesus Christ not by water onely but by water and blood and it is the Spirit that beareth witness Now this must needs be the coming of Christ into his Offices for we know that his coming into the world was as a man and born of a Virgin but his coming into his Offices by water and blood is witnessed by the Spirit And first we will see how Christ came into his Prophetical Office and that is plain he came by Water and the Spirit bears witness to it see Matth. 3.13 Then cometh Jesus from Galilee to Jordan to John to be baptized of him And there you may further minde when John said I have need to be baptized of thee and comest thou to me Jesus answered and said Suffer it to be so now for it becometh us minde not he onely but us that is to say all that will be followers of him What is it that becomes us to do To fulfil all righteousness Then he suffered him And see how the Spirit witnesses this orderly coming of Christ into his Prophetical Office v. 16. And when he was baptized he straight way went up out of the water minde that no Font nor Bason for that could not contain him as is well known And to the heavens were opened unto him and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a Dove and lighting upon him And further see how the Father commendeth this righteous act in these words Thou art my well-beloved Son in whom I am well-pleased Here the Lord so fully declares him to be his Son in whom he is well-pleased as is not declared in the Scripture that ever he said so before though I grant that he were his beloved Son before though not so declared unto us till this obedience to this Ordinance And see Matth. 4.17 From that time Jesus began preach and to say Repent for the kingdom of God is nigh at hand See Christs second Office that is his Priestly Office and that he came into by his Blood Heb. 9.11 Christ is become an high Priest for ever of good things to come not by the blood of others but by his own blood vers 12. and this the Holy Ghost signified v. 8. And read Heb. 10.14 15. By one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified whereof the holy Ghost is witness to us And his third Office namely his Kingly Office he came into at his Resurrection Matth. 28.18 All power is given to me in heaven and in earth And by vertue of this Authority he sends out his Apostles to teach all Nations baptizing them But you Farnworth and all those with you that go about to destroy order that will not come into the Prophetical Office as Christ came into his I dare be bold to say you are no Ministers of Christ but of Antichrist for you are self-called and not by the Church of Christ and speak visions of your own heart instead of the wholesome words of Christ Surely you would call Christ and his Apostles Water-men and outside-Washers if they were now on earth But you say You have the baptism of the Spirit and therefore the other is nothing to you Methinks you should grant that Christ had more of the Spirit 's baptism then ever you had and yet we finde it kept him not from Water-baptism but he layes a necessity of it Suffer it to be so now for it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness And we see Peter speaking to Cornelius and his houshold whom the Spirit was fallen upon as on the Apostles at the beginning Act. 11.15 yet this did not hinder them from Water-baptism but rather fitted them for it for saith Peter Act. 10.47 Can any man for bid water minde that these should not be baptized which have received the Holy Ghost as well as we And he commanded them to be baptized Without question if Peter were now alive you would say he were an Hypocrite and one that rested in the Letter but indeed you shew your selves to be no Messengers of Christ no not qualified as the Priests under the Law for they were such as could have compassion of the ignorant and of them that are out of the way but where is your pity and tenderness towards any that are not so black-mouth'd as you to rail against the Scripture and Ordinances as you do O poor Creatures this I say of you That ye be objects of pity and not of punishment for I believe That Christ will never account such worty

here thou must needs judge very many that thou didst never know or hear of and so art guilty of this sin in speaking evil of them that thou knowest not And thirdly thou givest all men to understand that thou ownest not the word of God for thy rule in condemning all that follow the Ordinances as they were delivered by Christ equally with those that observe traditions of men in the worship of God as Pope Prelate and other sprinklers do And again thou sayest Where did any of us water-baptizers cast out devils and drink any deadly thing and it not hurt us And where did we shake the room when we assembled And where did we give the Holy Ghost All such unlearned questions as these I shall answer in a few words thus These things at the first namely Miracles were for the confirmation of the Gospel and so we may see the Law was at the first confirmed by Miracles read Exod. 20.18 with Heb. 12.18 to the 22. so we finde Baptism was confirmed by Miracles Mat. 3.16 17. with Luke 3.21 22. and so was Prayer Preaching and Laying on of Hands at the first confirmed to us by Miracles and that it was for this end to confirm the Gospel read Heb. 2.3 4. How shall we escape if we neglect so great salvation which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord and was confirmed to us by them that heard him God also bearing them witness both with signs and wonders and with divers miracles and gifts of the Holy Ghost according to his own will And this is such satisfaction to us that it is the word of God that we need not look for a new confirmation of it but we have recourse to all the Commandments and Ordinances of Christ as they are written and read Mark 16.17 18 19 20. and you will finde those signs were onely to confirm the word But it lies upon you Farnworth and all those that go about to destroy the holy Scripture and Ordinances thereof I say it lies upon you to shew us such a confirmation of that which you bring and then we may come to give more credit to your words But for many of these Questions I do not look upon them worth answering But one word to you of the Church of Christ I pray you let us minde what Israel did in the dayes of Hezekiah when liberty was proclaimed by the King that the Passeover should be kept at Jerusalem we finde that the people did not look for a new confirmation but they had a care to keep it in such sort as it was written And we finde that by reason of wicked Kings that was before the practise of it was lost in such sort as it is written from the dayes of Solomon to the reign of Hezekiah there was many yeers during the reign of about fourteen Kings was I say this practise lost as it is witnessed 2 Chron. 30.5 compared with vers 26. yet we finde notwithstanding what they had observed in the dayes of Tyranny yet I say when liberty was proclaimed they had then a care to keep it in such sort as it was written without looking for a new confirmation it being before confirmed unto them And see how this their practise pleased the Lord vers 27. Their voice was heard and their prayer came up to Heaven O! may not we in these dayes learn much from these words have not we lived in the dayes past under Tyrants and by their means the Ordinances of Christ as they were practised by him and his Apostles I say by reason of former Tyranny it hath not been of a long time observed in such sort as Christ hath commanded but now hath the Lord brought us to a day of liberty and that by establishment O then in the first place let us give the Lord praise who hath dealt so bountifully with us as to set us at liberty from so great Oppressors Secondly Let us learn to keep the Commandments and Ordinances of Christ according to his appointment Thirdly Let us be sure that we fight against false worships with spiritual weapons and no other wayes Fourthly Take heed of setting up your selves or your own practices in the worshiping of God to infringe the liberties of others and for thy help herein minde that sweet counsel of Christ Mat. 7.12 Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you do ye even so to them for this is the Law and the Prophets Fifthly Labour to walk humbly before God and thankfully to God continually speaking well of his Name it is the onely way to enjoy greater mercies from him We of this Nation have as great if not greater cause of returning praise to the Lord then Israel had O that we could in the fear of the Lord weigh our mercies with those spoken of by David Ps 107. And we may say that what the Lord then did for Israel he hath now done for England I desire the Reader to weigh those words well and we may plainly see that it is our duty to praise him for his goodness and declare his wonderful works done in our dayes to the sons of men O that we were wise to observe the dealings of God and his mercies bestowed upon us in this generation Sixthly You that profess to know God and Christ of what ranke or imployment soever ye be labour to be of a peaceable spirit as much as in you lies live peaceably with all men for let me tell you if any be otherwayes minded in thirsting after blood such I say will be very unfit to follow Christ at his coming who is the prince of peace And I pray you minde what Paul saith Tit. 3.1 2. Put them in minde to be subject to principalities and powers to obey Magistrates to be ready to every good work to speak evil of no man to be no brawlers but gentle shewing meekness to all men And again consider what Paul saith Rom. 13. When Rulers are for the punishing of evil doers and for the praise of them that do well then ought every one professing Christ to be subject not onely for wrath but also conscience sake O what cause of rejoycing have the Lords people to see how time after time there is a generation of men laying out themselves to deprive the Lord's people of this liberty that we at this day enjoy Consider how the Lord hath found out instruments all along to be as a wall between you and them O praise the Lord for such instruments Now in the next place I shall give an Answer briefly to that saying of Paul Christ sent me not to baptise but to preach 1 Cor. 1.17 I answer briefly first It is clear that Paul was an Apostle of Jesus Christ as is undeniable if so then he was as much concerned in the commission Mat. 28. 19. as any other then minde those words and you will finde preaching and baptizing joyned together And Paul commanded to preach the whole counsel

THE Holy Scriptures Clearing it self of Scandals OR AN ANSWER To a BOOK written by Richard Farnworth who is commonly called a QUAKER bearing this Title Truth cleared of Scandals In this ANSWER You have the substance of a Dispute at Harliston in Staffordshire between Richard Farnworth and the Author in the yeer 1654. Written by Tho. Pollard a member of the Church of Christ gathered in and about Leichfield Prov. 18.17 He that is first in his own cause seemeth just but his neighbour cometh and searcheth him Whereunto is added Certain Considerations and Queries concerning those people called Quakers with desire of an Answer As also a POSTSCRIPT Manifesting their folly in pretending a necessity of using the terms Thee and Thou to a single person By Henry Haggar a servant of Jesus Christ and of the Congregations of his Saints Printed at London by J. C. for R. Moone at the seven Stars in Paul's Church-yard neer the great North-door 1655. THE EPISTLE TO THE READER Courteous Reader THe LORD hath been pleased to bring us into the World in such an Age that if we throughly weigh our Mercies they have been and are very great Surely we may say in this Nation That we are p●rtakers of such Blessings and high Favours that the Generations past have not enjoyed 〈…〉 If we call to minde the dayes past what Superstition instead of a pure Worship our eyes beheld and what Tyranny was then exercised in forcing Men's Consciences to such a Worship that was so exceeding contrary to the Word of GOD. O that we were so sensible as we should who it is that hath wrought such a deliverance for us surely we may say This is the LORD 's doing O that every Soul that partakes of this Mercy by being delivered from such Tyranny that I say this godly resolution were in us as was in the Prophet David Psalm 71.6 My praise shall be continually of thee And Psalm 145.2 Every day will I bless thee and I will praise thy Name for ever and ever O I say if we consider how many snares have been laid to insnare poor Creatures with but we may say Hitherto hath the LORD been with us and hath broken the snares and set us at liberty yet my dear Friends the great Enemy of our salvation will be working and if he cannot carry on his designe by Instruments that are openly profane or in a superstitious habit he can present himself in a shew of glory and pretend high things and surely that day is now come upon the earth that Paul speaks of 2 Cor. 11. of a subtil people that was endeavouring to beguile the Corinthians as the serpent beguiled Eve and from what minde the simplicity that is in Christ but saith Paul vers 13. For such are false Apostles deceitful workers transforming themselves into the Apostles of Christ and no marvel for Satan himself is tranformed into an Angel of light therefore it is no great thing if his Ministers also be transformed as the Ministers of Righteousness whose end shall be according to their work But as Paul saith to the Churches of Galatia so I say to you chap. 1.8 Though we or an Angel from heaven preach any other Gospel unto you then that which we have preached unto you let him be accursed and John saith in his 2 Epist. 10. If there come any unto you and bring not this Doctrine receive him not into your house neither bid him God-speed O I say with the Prophet If any speak not according to the Scripture it is because they have no light in them And Reader whosoever thou art that perusest this small Treatise labour for an impartial Spirit if any thing be to thy satisfaction herein let GOD alone be glorified I have desired plainness of Speech and to speak the words of Scripture to answer him whom thou wilt finde is an opposer of the Truth as it is in JESUS and the LORD give thee understanding Farewel Thine in the work of the Lord to my poor power Tho. Pollard The Method observed in this BOOK is as followeth 1. YOu have the unsoundness of Richard Farnworth's judgement laid down in six Particulars as he at the meeting stood by to make good and these I desire the Reader to observe 2. You have an Answer to those things he charges me with in his Book where the Reader may see that this poor man is full of lyes that instead of being free from sin he too much takes delight in it 3. You have that Scripture answered that they so dwell on against that Ordinance of Water-baptism 1 Cor. 1.17 4. To make their folly manifest you have that Cavil answered about the term Thee and Thou to single person Which say they is a sin to use any other but by the Scripture in all ages you will as it is plain finde it to be no such thing as is proved 5. You have a discovery of the Church of Christ how it cometh to Mount Sion Heb. 12.22 And what perfection I own and how attained 6. You have what he saith in his Book he owns proved to be lyes and not according to Truth 7. You have his folly manifested and the holy Scripture counselling you to shun the way of such men 8. Some Queries propounded with a desire of an Answer And Reader for your better satisfaction you have the testimony of three faithful Witnesses that these six things Farnworth did utter and also what is laid down in his Book that I here say he speaketh falsly of me they are my witnesses and upon what ground I then spoke you have it laid down and witnessed and for all the rest of the company there was out of Gospel-order Lawrence Spooner Vrsula Spooner Richard Clewly The Holy Scripture clearing it self of SCANDALS FIrst you have in this Book the unsoundness of Richard Farnworth's Judgement in fix Particulars laid down which being weighed will discover that those Principles in his Book that he saith He holds are not really according to the Rules of Truth owned by him but laid down on purpose to deceive First Richard Farnworth said He was a man wholly free from sin and not subject to any one temptation Now dear Friends let us first make search into the Scripture to see if any of the Lord's people have so boasted of themselves to be in such a condition while they carried about with them an earthly Tabernacle And first we will take notice of Job for it 's clear that he had more ground to have boasted of perfection then any of these men if we minde what the Lord said of him unto Satan Hast thou considered my servant Job how there is none like him in all the earth a perfect and an upright man one that feareth God and escheweth evil Job 2.3 Yet though the Lord had so said of him let us see what Job saith of himself read Job 9.20 If I justifie my self my own mouth shall condemn me If I say I am perfect it shall

also prove me perverse And Job 42.5 I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear but now my eyes see thee Wherefore I abhorre my self and repent in dust and ashes From whence it is plain That Job did see imperfection in himself and repented of it but if Job had been wholly perfect then there was no need of repentance for to abhorre that which is good and to repent of that must needs be wickedness Secondly See what the Lord saith of David Acts 13.22 I have found David a man after my own heart And yet we never finde this man boasting of perfection but goes humbly to the Lord and earnestly begs of him Psal 19.12 13. Lord keep thy servant from presumptuous sins lest they get the dominion over me so shall I be innocent from the great offence And see Psal 18.1 How the Lord is his rock his fortress his God in whom he will trust And ver 29. For by thee have I run through a troop and by my God I have leaped over a wall And vers 30. As for God his way is perfect the word of the Lord is tried he is a buckler to all them that trust in him This whole Psalm David speaks out much of the Lords goodness to him but I do not finde one word of boasting Thirdly See what the Lord saith of Paul to Ananias Acts 9.15 He is a chosen vessel to bear my name and I will shew him how great things he must suffer for my name's sake Yet see what Paul saith of himself Rom. 7.18 I know that in me that is in my flesh there dwels no good thing for to will is present with me but how to perform that which is good I finde not For vers 21. When I would do good evil is present with me And saith Paul 1 Tim. 1.15 This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation That Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners of whom I am chief By all which we may see that Paul hath not a word of such boasting but rather cryes out against the fleshly part how it attends him and oft-times keeps him from doing that which he would Fourthly we will see what is said of John who was an eminent Apostle who is called that Disciple whom Jesus loved and the Scripture saith He lay in Christ's bosome John 13.2 yet we finde that he and Peter Acts 3.12 to 17. said unto the people Ye men of Israel why marvel ye at this or why look ye so earnestly on us as though by our own power or holiness we had made this man to walk No he tells them It is the God of Abraham of Isaac and of Jacob the God of our fathers hath glorified his Son Jesus whom ye delivered up His Name saith Peter through faith in his Name hath made this man strong not any thing in them it 's plain doth he set up but saith It was the man's believing in Jesus that prevailed with Jesus who gave him this perfect soundness in the presence of you all And in Chap. 4.29 they pray to the Lord for strength that they may speak his word with boldness By all which it 's plain That they had no dependance on themselves by their looking to the Lord the Rock of their strength and their Deliverer in their trouble And further see what John saith in his 1 Epist. 1.8 If we say We have no sin we deceive our selves and the truth is not in us Minde It is such a deceit that they that say so the Truth is not in them And James saith Chap. 3.2 In many things we offend all And now dear Friends we see what the Scripture saith of these men how high in the Lord's favour they were yet we do not finde that any of these holy men of God did so justifie themselves as this man Now consider Reader and the Lord give thee understanding If these men Job David Paul and John whose whole work it was as I may say to keep close to the Commandments of God to see how humbly they walked with God and how sweetly the Lord appeared to them in this their heavenly progress as the Scripture is full of Witnesses and that they did not boast of perfection This then we may learn that for these men in our days who boast of perfection and say they are free from sin and yet make it their whole work to turn away poor souls from the Truth I mean the holy Scripture and Ordinances that it's pride in them for they presume above what is written as to call the Scripture carnal and a dead Letter and say It will never bring a man to the knowledge of God Now that these are proud and presumptuous and self-willed see what Paul saith of the Scripture 2 Tim. 3.13 14 15 16 17. Evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse deceiving and being deceived but to keep thee from these saith he continue thou in the things thou hast learned and hast been assured of knowing of whom thou hast learned them and that from a child thou hast known the holy Scriptures which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus And he further saith All Scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine for reproof for correction for instruction in righteousness that the man of God may be perfect throughly furnished unto all good works By all which it 's plain That these men are of another mind then the Apostle Paul for he vindicates the Scripture and Ordinances in all his Epistles then I say it is wickedness in these men to speak against the Scripture and Ordinances as they do calling it a dead Letter and carnal and say That all that is gotten from the Scripture is but brain-knowledge Now dear Friends may we not see plainly how they strike at Jesus Christ in his Ordinances which do so lively represent him and which he hath born witness to himself and confirmed it to us to be a sure Word of Prophesie by many Signs and Wonders and Gifts of the Holy Ghost And further dear Friends let us not forget how wonderfully the Lord hath preserved this Word from the rage of Enemies not onely in the Generations past but our days have spoken out much to us If we look back to those days of profanation wicked toleration when nothing but superstition had countenance and many for conscience-sake were sore oppressed now for us to consider what we then did see instead of pure Ordinances and to take notice of what we now through mercy injoy we may say the Lord hath wrought for us wonderfully which being laid to heart it may encourage us to follow the holy Commandments of Christ Jesus though we be reproached and called Pharisees by these men for observing the Primitive Patern for do but try them by their Works and you will finde that they carry on a design for Satan as it appears by the

take heed of such an opinion that will be judge himself in his own cause and will not be tried by the Scripture accounting it dead and carnal and of no use to bring men to Christ As when I asked Farnworth how he would witness the truth of what he affirmed in that he denied the Scripture he laid his hand on his heart and said I witness this Now minde this delusion as I said before what Jeremiah saith Chap. 17.9 1. The heart of man is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked who can know it 2. He that trusteth in his own heart is a fool Prov. 28.26 And now dear friends let us take counsel of the Lord to try the spirits whether they be of God for many false prophets are gone out into the world 1 Joh. 4.1 And vers 6. We are of God he that knoweth God heareth us and he that is not of God heareth not us Hereby know we the spirit of truth and the spirit of error From whence we may honestly argue that if they and they onely be the friends of God that walk in obedience to the commands of God then they must needs be enemies that oppose But the first is clear Joh. 15.14 Ye are my friends if ye do whatsoever I command you with Joh. 14.23 If any man love me he will keep my words and my Father will love him And 1 Joh. 5.2 3. For this is the love of God that we keep his commandments and his commandments are not grievous And further dear friends let us embrace that advice that Peter gives 2 Epist 3.17 18. Beware lest you being led away with the errour of the wicked fall from your own stedfastness And to prevent you from falling his counsel is But grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ Now is the hour of temptation for if these be not wicked errours I know not what is I mean these which are laid down to your view which Farnworth did stand by to vindicate if his own testimony may stand O then what need have all the Lords people to be upon their watch now Satan by his instruments is sifting poor souls out of the Truth if he can It is high time to look to our foundation that we be built on the Rock Christ that you be firmly knit to him and made one with him and then the gates of hell shall not prevail against you And you strong Christians help the weak Lambs of Jesus Christ that they may grow in that good way of Christs commandments that the Saints of old have walked in O be stirring up one another by way of remembrance of the good path of Christ which discovers fully all the by-paths of iniquity Oh I say let there not be a want of care among you in your several Societies to watch over one another lest any be entangled by these seducing spirits and overcome I say by these that throw aside all the Laws and Ordinances of the Lord Jesus as they were delivered to the Saints and ought now by us to be observed for you know what the Scripture saith of them that turn from the way of Truth It had been better for them that they had never known it then after they have known it to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them 2 Pet. 2.20 21. O then I say to all you that are employed in the Lords work whether by Office or Gift that are faithful Stewards diligent in feeding the flock of Christ remember what the Lord saith to such When the chief Shepherd shall appear ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away 1 Pet. 5.4 And saith Daniel Chap. 12.3 They that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever And if these men be so forward in pulling down the Ordinances of Christ you have greater encouragement to follow Christ in his way 1. You have his own presence promised Matth. 2820. in the work 2. See your reward after the work Joh. 10.27 28. Fourthly Farnworth affirmed that Christ had not a visible Church in the world and scornfully said to me What a Church in the world I answered Yea in the world though not of the world but gathered out of the world And 1. See what Paul saith 1 Cor. 1.2 Vnto the Church of God which is at Corinth sanctified in Christ Jesus called to be Saints with all that in every place call on the Name of Jesus Christ Reader pray you minde this must needs be a visible Church 1. Because this Epistle is directed to a visible place Corinth 2. It is as clear that here were men and that under this general term brethren vers 10. I beseech you brethren by our Lord Jesus that you all speak the same thing and that there be no division among you but that you be perfectly joyned together in the same minde and in the same judgment 3. Paul makes mention of housholds vers 11. the house of Cloe and Stephanas vers 16. 4. He speaks of persons by name as Crispus and Gaius and others By all which it is clear this poor man is much beside the Rule of Truth Again see what Paul saith unto the Churches of Galatia Chap. 1.1 Vnto the Churches of Galatia And mind Rom. 16.1 Commend unto you Phebe our sister which is a servant of the Church at Cenchrea Minde how full the Scripture is to prove this thing and makes manifest the blindness of this mans understanding that will thus oppose the Truth that is so full of wintnesses And how doth the holy Ghost write to the seven Churches in Asia And how I pray you Farnworth will you answer that place in Acts 8. when Steven was stoned and the Church at Jerusalem all scattered 1. This must needs be a visible company because they were visibly scattered 2. They were at Jerusalem which was a visible place the Scripture is full for 3. See whither they were scattered some into Judea and some into Samaria And Saul he made havock of the Church vers 3 But here we may see your subtilty and cunning craftiness whereby you lie in wait to deceive for if you can bring poor souls to this That God hath not a visible Church in the world then you may easily perswade them to throw aside all the visible Rule of Scripture and so make all Doctrine and Church-Discipline of none effect and thus you would put out the eyes of poor souls and then bring them to see with your eyes and then your words they may quickly learn which are onely thus to say they must hearken to a light within but if the light in thee be darkness how great is that darkness And here thy darkness doth appear in denying a visible Church which is so plainly proved But Reader by these men the Rule of tryal to try the Spirits withal is thrown away and become of no