shews the Nâ—mness of thy Spirit and thy Error from the command of Christ and the Apostle who forbid Swearing So it is not a Foâ—m of our making but it s a Form or Command of Christ Jesus and calling God to witness in speaking the Truth is not Swearing by Jesus Christ the Truth and the Oath of God And as for kissing the Book there is no Example for that not in the Old Testament when there was Swearing And its false to say that G. P. or we when we call God to Record for the Truth which we declare own that to be Swearing and this is not straining a Gnat and swallowing a Cammel as thou scoffingly sayst And hadst thou distinguished between Ceremony and Substance thou wouldst not have called it our Form not to â—wear and where dost thou prove Verity Verily a kind of an Oath And how dost thou prove by Paul calling God to Record upon his Soul to be Swearing and the Son comes to fulfill the Oaths that were in the Old time and Genesis Exodos Psalms Acts 2. and Heb. 3. do not prove swearing in the New Covenant no more than outward Offerings of Beasts and Circumcision c. And we have the Son which is more then the Letter that doth fulfil Swearing in the Old time and we are come to Christ who gives us Life and he is come who hath given us an understanding and we are in him that is true So all Swearing hath been since Man sell from Gods Image but Christ is come who renews us up into the Image of God who ends Swearing and sets up Yea and Nay in the lieu of it And R. R. saith We have our appointed dayes and set-set-times for our Meetings to worship God and this thou scoffingly calls New-Moons and saith Are not these Formal and Customary and rather more to set up some distinction from other Sects then from any clear Testimony the Lord at all times loads them into These Observations and these Traditions are become Idols thou sayest as Papists c. Answ And why is R. R. angry at our Set Dayes and maliciously calls them Traditions and Idols as the Papists R. R. would become Judge of all but himself but he had better have judged himself and seen himself whether he had not been without all Form confused and empty And did not the Apostles and the Church meet together the First day of the Week and commanded them not to forsake the Assembling of themselves together as the manner of some did But it is like thy Evil Spirit hath no Peace in such Meetings and as for grievously Persecuting these are Slandrous words in applying them to us thou who art in Cains fear And the true Light and Life of Christ Jesus and his Spirit hath led us to meet together and to praise the Lord and worship him and in which Light we do hold Christ the Head who bruiseth the Serpents Head though thou one of Hagars Children dost Scoff at us and the true Light which is the Life in the Word by which all things were made makes us greatly to differ both from the Papists and thee And whereas R. R. saith We often scourge J. N. by casting him out of our Synagogues and by false Reports and sold him into Egypt and that our Strife and Contention is about Ceremonies and that our Holiness and Righteousness is of the outside of the Cup and Platter and not in the inward Circumcision of the Heart c. And then R. R. when he hath forged all these Lyes cries Hallelujah Answ The Lord knows that all this is Envy that comes from R. R's malicious Heart and his own evil Surmisings and from an uncircumcised Heart and our Holiness and Righteousness comes from Christ Jesus and J. N. in the worst of his time would not so Revile us as R. R. doth and as for false Reports evil Surmisings and outside Cup and Platter this R. R. might have kept at home with his Strife and Contention and doth R.R. think to sell us to his Brethren AEgyptians with his false Reports and evil Surmisings that he hath Printed against us The Son of God had a place in AEgypt when Herod did seek to kill him And what is this but Envy against our Form which was the Form of the Apostles and them that walk in the fear of God and what we claim to our selves in the Light of Christ we would have all to walk in who are taught of God though we Exhort one another and Edifie one another and Build up one another in our most Holy Faith and we cast out none but if they go from the Light and Spirit of Christ they cast themselves out of the fellowship in it And as for the Spirit of Vsurpation and causes the Creation to groan and breeds the Famine c. Let R. R look to that and we know that the Stone which the Builders rejected is become the Head of the Corner and is marvelous in our Eyes who gives us plenty of Bread and Milk and Wine without Money And if R. R. and they that printed this Book had known this we should not have had so many foul Expressions from his Mouth and Uncircumcised Lips as here may be seen in pag. 35. And G. F. and we know that Christ lighteth every man that cometh into the World and they that hate it have not the same measure and God doth send his Labourers into his Vineyard some at one Hour and some at another and art not thou Persecuting Scoffing and Reproaching of them let thy Book speak thy Spirit and whether thou art subject to that Light or Spirit which God hath distributed to thy Mortification and Reformation or Condemnation Let the Book speak whether thy Language does not betray thee to be the Tongue of the AEgyptian Sea And thou sayst Why may not God enjoyn that as an Ordinance to day and give hit Power to it which also to morrow he may lay aside as useless Answ Prove that in the New Covenant where God and Christ did so in that which is Substantial that God with-drew his Power from any such thing and left it no better then a dead Idol And was the Bazen Serpent Temple Tabernacle Offerings Jews Ceremonies enjoyned by the Lord as an Ordinance one day and another as useless and a dead Idol or were they not to continue except the Brazâ—n Serpent till the Seed came the time of Reformation And R R. dost not thou say When thou hast been speaking of Jewish Ceremonies and Sacrifices such also aâ—e many things at this day both among the Quaker and other Sects which have been Shadows and Figures of good things to come which are beautified in their Season whilst the presence of God was in thâ—m but that being with-drawn they became as dead Idols c. Answ But what are these forms of good things to come among the People of God in the New Covenant called Quakers doth not R. R. Dote and not know what
his Hat in time of Prayer and at other times kept it on and this was his freedom pag. 33. Answ And in pag. 7. J P. saith The Lord required it on him to keep on his Hat in time of prayer and for him to do contrary to the Motion of the Spirit and thereby to Sin against his God So here R. R. and J. P. contradict one another And R. R. saith Even as his Light and freedom led him to shew that the thing was to him indifferent What R. R. a command of God and sin against God and yet a thing indifferent and father this upon the Light Oh father not such Imaginations of your own Brain upon the motion of the Light and Spirit of God! but dread and fear the living God And G. F. doth not by Subtilty and Craft endeavour to bless that which God hath cursed neither doth G. F. preach to the World that the Light is an uncertain thing But that R. R. might have kept at home Neither is G. F. an Enemy to the Leadings of the Light nor a Judge above it nor his Friends called Quakers the Lord knoweth this R. R. might have kept at home But R. R. saith Whether G. F. be clear from presecribing and imposing upon others what himself practices as his pretended Form c. this will be worth the pains to examine because it may tend to undeceive the minds of the simple Ones who are engaged to follow him as their Lord and Leader either for love of the Loaves or some Carnal Ends c. Answ Now let the sober Reader see whether this again be not the Spirit of Malice and Scoffing Expressions For it was never the practice of G. F. to direct People to follow him neither for Loaves nor Carnal ends but to follow Christ their Lord and Leader for such would soon fall off in the time of Sufferings and Tryals as follow for Carnal ends And as for Pastors spoiling Gods Heritage R. R. might have kept that at home with many more Reproachful words he hath in this pag. 33. And we and G. F. uncovering our Heads in time of Prayer in publick Assembies it hath been our practice in the Spirit and Power of God from the beginning before either J P. or R. R. came among us or the Ranters did oppose us and t was the practice of the Church in the Apostles day the Men to be uncovered and the Women covered And R. R. might as well find fault with the Apostle and call it his Set-Form and pretended Custom as ours For if it had been good for Males to have prayed covered the Spirit of God in the Apostle would not forbid it in which Spirit the worship of God is and if R. R. doth pray with his Head covered in an Assembly doth not he pray like a Woman covered and so Transgresses the Apostle's Doctrine and his Spirit And doth not the Apostle reprove such men as pray covered or would have the Women uncovered like the Men and so make no distinction in the Sexes And so G. F. preached the Apostles practice and in this he was no more an opposer then the Apostle So the Apostle nor G. F. were no opposers of the Faith first delivered to the Saints the wise in Heart can judge though the Ranters oppose it and thou and J. P. have kept Hats on in time or Prayer but R. R. can deceive none but such as himself and in this G. F. doth not judge his Innocent Brethren and we know that God doth not justifie you in keeping on your Hats in time of Prayer publick Assemblies no more then he did the Ranters And R. R. saith Why must Hat be kept on in common Civility and put Hat off in worshipping of God Answ And R. R. why must it be put off to Man and not to God in time of Prayer in which they shew forth the Image of God and why are men so offended if they have not that honour and is R. R. offended because he hath it not or the printers of his Book and if he be wiser men then he and they are not And all this that R. R. hath said concerning J. P of wearing Hat in time of Prayer and himself he hath not undeceived any neither will he please any that is sincere and sober except it be the Ranters and was there not a time that R. R. could not bow and is there now a time that he can put off Hat to Men and Women and bow and scrape hath R. R. in this followed the Light that convinced the Saints and him if ever he was and now come to be seared as with an hot Iron Let him examine whether that was the true Faith and Light the Apostles were in that led him from such things which now he is gone into again and if so whether hath he not made himself a Transgressor according to the Apostles Doctrine And R. R. Queries What is the Name Quaker which thou givest to thy self c. was this done that it might be known who thou ownests and who are thy men of War to fight under the Number of thy Name c. Answ Let all People see if R. R. and the Printer of this Book be not in the same Nature as the persecuting Independant Justices who Scoffingly called us Quakers in the Year 1650. because we did Tremble at the Word of God And as for Men of War and Fighters R. R. and J. P. might have applyed that at home with their Guns and Carnal Swords for we are men of Peace and the believing in the Light of Christ Jesus doth distinguish us from the Haters of the Light So its Malice in thee to say that either G. F. or we gave the Name Quaker to himself And R. R. saith What is thy form of Words in Thee and Thou but a customary Singular Speech another Node of speaking then is commonly used which no way respects the Truth of what is spoken c Answ Was it not the Language of God and the Language of Moses and the Prophets and the Language of Christ and the Apostles in the Declarations of Truth Plural and Singular And was not that the true form of words that they declared the Truth in and so acceptable and is it not Confusion to speak Plural when they should speak Singular contrary to the Bible and all teaching Books and didst not thou once speak it thy selâ— and what art thou now so far degenerated from it that thou fight st against us in and like the Spirit of the World and though the Disciples declared the Truth to every man in their own Language did they not declare it Singular and Plural Read the Acts. And R. R. saith What is the refusing to Swear after the manner as the Magistrates command while in the m an time you will call God to witness to what you affirm for Truth Is this any more then to oppose the Magistrates Form by your own c Answ Nay R. R. this
and then he would not have brought forth such forged Lyes as these So thou art raising the Dead that is condemned and not the Living And R. R. saith Did not G. F. and his Friends continue Enemies to J. N. till for Love and Peace-sake he bowed down to thee yea and made himself of no Reputation yea Sin that knew none rather then you to continue in Enmity against him should destroy your Souls Answ This is false the Lord knoweth it thou callst our Love to him Enmity and that is false to say he bowed to G. F. and if he had not known that he had gone into Sin he would not have condemned it and this was for saving his own Soul and not ours that we should continue in Enmity against him to the destroying our own Souls this also is false and J. N. never said so who continued long with us after his Repentance and thy quoting Philippians Corinthians and Romans is nothing to the purpose but it seems thou hast not followed J. N's steps to make thy self of no Reputation and the Paper G. F. gave forth at J. N's Tryal at Westminster why didst thou not Print it and Friends were not judged for judging that in him which he judged himself and so its manifest that was not the Spirit of Corah and Abiram that gave forth that Paper but that which opposed it And if Judas's Spirit according to R. R's saying be the ground of separation then let R. R. see if he be not betraying the innocent Brethren And R. R. goes over again in p. 38. with the same matter that he did in pag. 33. to fill up his Book which is answered before And G. F. doth not say all will Snarl like Dogs and bite that he is not Master of their Faith and Spirit this is false and malicious for Christ is the Author of Faith and so the Master of it But dost not thou as J. P. then bite else why art thou not quiet Dost not thou â—o about to set others to Bite in printing thy Lyes to the World which is not Love but Enmity Nay we and G F. have out-lived the Enmity and are in the Heavenly Seed which will out last all and bruises the Head of Enmity And as for Persecution Pride Hypocrisie and Excrements and subtile Endeavours and Snares of Craft and Cruelty under whose Skirts the Blood of the Innocent is seen c. These things thou mightst have applyed at home to thy own Spirit and G. F. is not Guilty of those things wherein he hath condemned J. N. and J. P. because thou sayest so And as for R. R's saying Into which Snare thou art fallen as a wild Bull into thy own Net laid for others where all thy striving and strugling to evade Truth shall the more intangle thee R. R. had better applyed all this at home to his striving and strugling Spirit and G. F. and we are out of that Spirit that rends and tears one another but thou art in that Spirit thou speakst of and the Quakers are ceased from men and stand fixed upon the Rock and Foundation of the Prophets and Apostles and thy scoffing at G. F. will not bring them off And R. R. saith Wherein that which hath a long time been hidden in secret must now by the witness of Truth be declared upon the House top of thy Tabernacle and some there prepared for such an Hour a Day a Moneth and a Year Answ So here R. R. is appointing Times and Dayes Moneths and Years and yet was finding fault in p. 35. for our Times Dayes and Moneths for Worshipping of God but may be he will say this is not for Worshipping of God And we do not fear what R. R. and his some prepared can bring forth against Christ Jesus the Lamb and his Followers And G F. did not plead J. N's cause in those things he condemned by those Papers he gave to the Parliament but it was on behalf of the Seed of God in him and not approving those things to be lawful and good which he condemned though they had been done in a publick or private Chamber and if J. N. had acted in the Seed he would never have been against the Seed in others nor have been led away by that Spirit that led him then And R. R. saith If those very things had been openly acted to the Seed of Exaltation Pride and Self-love in G. F as they were to J. N. all had been well approved both by G. F. and all that owned him though he judged J. N to be fallen and lost his Authority c. with whom they had no Vnity Answ These be R. R's Forgeries the Lord knoweth and we can leave him to him to judge of his Words and Spirit and as for Exaltation Pride and Sâ—lf-love he had better have kept at home For that which G. F. did write to the Parliament was for the Seed of God in J. N. and in all as the Papers themselves declare And we had no Unity with that Spirit which led J. N. from the Seed nor he when he condemned it though thou seemst to justifie his condemned stuff Neither is G.F. an opposer of Truth an exalted Capernaum or as one of the Generation Guilty of the Innocent Blood shed from Abel This R. R. might have applyed to himself neither is he fallen nor Head and Member of a false Church Can a Member be Head and Member too R R. as thou sayst art thou taken in thy own Craft and Subtilty as thou callst it But G. F. and we are Members of the true Church of which Christ is Head God hath given his Spirit to his People to distinguish between Cattel and Cattel and the poor in Spirit that thirst after his Springs of Life and Christ is the Shepherd and thousands are come into his Pastures of Life and the Fat and the Full and the Airy Raging Waves of the Sea God will feed with Judgment And that wherein G. F. did judge J. N. he is not judged for J. N. hath condemned the same and owned G. F's Judgment and G F. hath remembred the Affliction of Joseph and doth not Lord himself over the Light of God in others this is false and R. R. might have applyed it at home for Christ is Lord of his Light and true Guide of his People And as for carrying any out of the sure way into the Wilderness of Strife and Contention and lose the true Guide of Rest and Safety this R. R. might apply at home as the Spirit of Strife and not Love as thou manifests in thy Book And R. R. saith Therefore shalt thou fall unlamented and poor Worms that have enthroned thee as Lord and King over their Consciences and have been estranged from their true Guide shall in Gods due time cease from Man and ascribe unto God only as the Light and Life of their Souls yea Curse their God and King Answ All these Railing words like raging Waves of the Sea will
waâ— dead But the Lord knoweth all that was done by Word or Writing was for his good and admonition And he speaks in pag. 20. That Patience and Forgiveness of Spirit might flourish And had he been in it and practised it he would not have been of such a fretting discontended Spirit against them that wished him well And many J. P. called his Lambs and Children which did not shew forth the Nature of the Lambs of Christ nor Children of God And J. P. saith He judgeth no man for I am not willing to know the Good from the Evil speaking of persons c. Answ Then let the Reader see in his papers before whether he doth not contradict himself and his Abettors are of a contrary mind But Words cannot deceive doth not his and their practice speak contrary in his judging before and this is not true speaking And he saith He will not know Good from Evil and yet makes that Evil which was Good to him and care for him And further J. P. saith That be would rather cease to Preach the Gospel of Peace c. then to Preach it without the Life in him So how could this Letter be given forth a little before his Death For had he not left the Gospel preaching both in Word and Life as he pretended when he had gotten a Ship and shor off his Guns and feasted the Governour who had been Whipping two Servants of the Lord a few dayes before And at Jamaica who turned a Clark and after a Trooper this is not like a Gospel preacher But this is boasting and not discharging an honest Conscience among the people of God in Jamaica And let Jo. Taylor speak the cause why he and others there turned from him ask them and let them speak And as for J. N's Letter in pag. 21 22. but is no date to it and That J. N. and J. P. did receive greater Wounds from their Friends then from their Enemies But J. N. doth not say so in his Repentance and Condemnation of his going forth neither would J. P. if he had Repented And its abusing of J. N. to print such things so long after his Repentance and Death and doth shew forth much Malice and Envy to sober people in R. R. And as for Robert Riches Animadversions and his Abettors upon G. F's paper he hath but manifested his own Folly and Malice And as for Jo. Harwoods Book he hath sufficiently manifested himself to all that knew him And as for spiritual Wickedness in high places R. R. might better have applyed that at home And R. R's saying That G. F. sent Papers to Reproach Innocent John and Jane Stoaks by his Servants Joseph Nicholson and Henry Fell. That is false G. F. did not send them to reproach them but that they might have Repented which Jane Stoaks hath and hath given forth a good paper of Condemnation and why did not R. R. print that And as for R. R's Scoffs in calling J. Nicholson and H. Fell G. F's Servants in this R. R. manifestâ— his Spirit of Envy Bitterness and Lying And why did not R. R. print those four Letters he speaks of concerning J. P. as well as one of G. F's Letters that they might have been seen And R. R. saith Whether these be not the Floods of the Dragon cast out of his Mouth to devour the Man-child that must Rule though G. F. be angry at that c. Answ And what is J. P. this Man-child that must rule We say it is Christ that must rule who was the Man-child And as for the Dragon-Flood R. R. might better have applyed this at home And G. F. did not hinder the Testimony of Truth neither in J. P. nor J. Harwood they run quite out of it as their Fruits and Ends declared it And as for R. R's railing Language for saying G. F. hath shot many Bitter and Venomous Arrows and thrown his Javelin against J. P's Amity and Vnity These railing Expressions R. R. might have kept at home they sute his own Spirit best and the end of his Amity and Unity hath manifested it self But the Light Grace and Truth and the Spirit of God that is poured upon all that is owned in all there is no seperation in it but the seperation is among them that talk of it and do not walk in it and there the Amity and Unity is wanting And such as walk of what people soever according to the Grace and believe in the Light of Christ Jesus we own But there are few Sects but they call the Light which is the Life in Christ the Word Natural And such as make a Profession of the Light and do not walk according to it as J. H. and J. P. and others have done as their End did manifest such the Light doth Testifie against as well they that were call'd Quakers as others And if J. P. and J. H. had stoopt to all Sects to bring them out of Evil they would not have run into it themselves But it is not Words but the Fruits and the End and the Day declares every mans work as it hath done and will do R. R's And when did Seekers Presbyterians Independants Baptists and others say they believe in the Light which lighteth every man that cometh into the World withall have they not called it a Natural Conscience which Light Grace and Truth we own in all men by which God doth gather people to himself as it is written The gathering of all Nations shall be to Shiloh But they that talk of these things and turn the Grace of God unto Wantonness and hate the Light are by it condemned And G. F. and we have not condemned any appearance of God but such as make their Imaginations the motion and appearance of God as J. P. one while kept on his Hat in time of Prayer and another while put it off and one while against Swearing and another while run into it And whereas R. R. saith That G. F's Name and Authority shall Rot and Stink as the Dung then ye shall know that a Prophet hath been awong you whom ye have rejected even Elias Answ It seems J. P. is this Elias that came in the Name of the Lord as R. R. saith But these are his presumptious Imaginations as you may see in pag. 24. And G. F. and we have Authority to judge and condemn such Imaginations and Sin and Evil and that is it that will Rot and Stink as Dung which thou might have applied at home And its false G F. doth not Revile that which was first given to the Saints or that which he first preached Neither is he nor we fallen from it and become Persecutors of it to wit the Light in every mans Conslience c. by which every man is to be led and if not he is admonished to it and if he hate it he is condemned by it and this is not persecution as R. R. falsly accuseth And it is not well for thee to apply those
â—e saith For in the New Covenant Christ is come to fulfiâ—l those Forms and Figures that were in the Old and a for other Sects let them answer for themselves And where did ever the Apostâ—es tâ—at preached the New Covenant tell them that God wouâ—d beautifie some Forms with his presence to day and then he would with-draw himself out of them to morrow and leave them as Idols And R. R. doth advise That all Men walk as they see and have received from the Lord and none to look out at others Then we must not look at R. R. nor his Book nor his Teaching Again R. R. saith Not call any Man Father or Master of their Spirits but God only See that R. R practise what he saith And hath not R. R. Traditions and Forms of his own who cries so much against Forms see his prescriptions and advice in his Book And we have forsaken our Fathers and Mothers Traditions which we were brought up in and do obey God rather then Man And thou that â—akest such work about Siâ—gular and Plural and Hat and Swearing to Magistrates Is not this thy Fathers Traditions and old Customs And G F and we it was alwayes our Principle that all should follow the Light of Christ to be their Guide to Christ from whence it comes and this not as thou scoffingly sayst to leave the Guide and follow thee and this Light leads out of the Apostacy and doth not lead into Vsurpation as thou scoffingly savst it led first out the Church of Rome but it leads into Humility And G. F. is not offended as thou scoffingly sayest at him that makes Conscience or no Conscience of an Idol But G.F. cannot encourage any Consciences to an Idol but to the Light of Christ that turns from Idols to him in which the true Love Liberty and Unity is in the Light of Christ who reconciles to God and all things in Heaven and in Earth And R. R. speaks of Leaving each other to the guiding of the holy Spirit of God in that Form that they are brought up in Answ Then why doth R. R. cry out so much against Forms in the Quakers doth he not here condemn himself and Gods Spirit and Grace and Truth the Apostles preached and brought both Jews and Gentiles out of the old Forms they were in into the New Covenant where they were all taught of God And if R. R. had minded Love Mercy and Truth and brought forth Fruits of true Christianity in Humility Harmlesness and Meekness and the Spirit of Christ he would not have made so much strife about outward Traditions and there would not have been such a Noise as he hath made in his Book about his Brass and Tinklin Simballs and if thou wouldst cease thy Envy and Disputing Back-biting and Surmising and Slandring with thy Tongue if thou and others would learn thi Lesson at home it would do well And R. R. thou sayst With Innocent Harmless Tender Loving Spirit of Crace I commend thee and all men c. And yet didst not thou say before in pag. 33. That G. F. was turned to the Witch of his Mand and in pag. 37. saith that He hath exercised Cruelty against J P. and hunted him as Saul did David by Papers of an Evil Spirit which thou hast begotten and raised in others against him c. Answ R R. this Languaâ—e comes not from a Loving Sober Tender Spirit a the Râ—ader may see which thou often goest over to swell up thy book with thy bitter Railing Language which is the old Liquor that comes out of the old Bottle and not from the new And as for Exercising Cruelty Eâ—mity and Hunting as Saul did David by Papers and an Evil spirit all this R. R. might have applyed to his own Spirit which he thinks to beget in others against the Innocent but one day the Lord will Reward him and them that promote his Work according to their Deeds For the Lord knoweth our tender Care and Love was for the preserving of J. P. though all was slighted And thou sayest That G. F. Accused Threatned and Condâ—mned J. N. as one departed from Truth c. and that he had lost his Authority Answ J N. did confess it when that he came to see himself and Repented But Threatned and Condemning these are thy own aggravating Words For J N diâ— conâ—ess G. F's and others Tenderness to him when he saw himselâ— anâ— Repented And R. R. saith That G. F tempted J N. with fair Speeches and Premises if he would bow down and be obedient to him to which Threats and Promises J. N. heâ—â— siâ—â—nt c. G. F. thereby thinking he was cast under Subjection and head forth his Hand to J. N. to Kiss as a Testimony of his Favoâ—â—â—o him and his Obedience to thee and J. N. refusing then G F â—ffered him his Foot and said He was mistaken And R.R. appeals to G. F's own Conscience for the Truth of this who saith He received it from J. N's own Mouth when he went to Bristol to receive his Crucifixion Therefore R R. concludes That G. F. hath lost his Guide and is led by the Spirit of Diotrephos Answ In all this R. R. hath manifested himself to be of a malicious Spirit and a Forger of most of these Words For these are Lyes to say that G. F. did tempt with Promises or Threats or he thinking to have brought him under Subjection by it these Words are from R. R's Imaginary Spirit and not from Love And after J. N. had given G. F. many hard words wâ—en the poor maâ— was out and dark G. F. would have taken him by the Hand and J. N. would not and G. F. was many time moved to pray for him and oner on his Knees and J. N's Spirit was so stupified with Darkness that he slighted it as them that were with G.F. then can test fie and alter he had given G. F. many hard words J N. said He would Kiss G. F. But what if G. F. said it was his Fâ—oâ— as a Testimony against that lofty Spirit which â—oor man after he condemned And as for the Spirit of Diotrephos R. R might have kept at home And G. F. did not fall from his Guide because he did not follow J. N. nor J. P. nor R. R. as R. R. would have it be And why could not J. N. R. R. have told G. F. of these things while J. N. was living but R. R. tells it to the World so many Years after J.N. was dead and after J.N. had given forth a Paper of Condemnation of that Spirit that led him others forth but it s like such condemned stuss is Food for R. R. to rake up and to feed on and also to feed the Prejudiced People and the World withal but this is not the Spirit of Christ Jesus nor Love that R. R. talks so much of in Words and we could have wished that R. R. had condemned himself and his Work as J. N. did
seen the Locusts and Smoke at home in thy own Pit which now is come out And then thou tellst of thy Dream and hunting the Fox with Hounds which thou didst much affect and art thou turned into this same loose Nature again and thou applies thy filthy Dream to G. F. one of the Lambs of Christ thou wast hunting him in Esau and Nimrod's Nature But when thou art Confounded and thy Mount on Fire then remember the Journal of thy Life And G. F. hath not been hid the Prisons and Goals manifested that neither hath he hid himself under smooth Words For hast not thou been finding fault with his Words calling them Rabshekas and Reproaches all along thy Book see in pag. 32. Now to say they are smooth what Contradictions are these and said He Reproached J. P. in speaking plainly to him And thou sayest That G. F. loves none but who calls him Master or to receive his Mark or Number of his Name This is false in R. R. who is given up to forge Lyes and three times thou goest over to fill up thy â—ook withal in the Enmity that G. F. gave J. N. his Hand to Kiss which is false For G. F. would have taken him by the Hand and he reâ—used it and then thou fallst a Railing at G. F. and one day thou wilt know that it was not the Spirit of the Dragon nor Words without Life that G. F. spake to thee neither doth he bear any Enmity to the Innocent but is out of the Enmity the Lord knoweth it and if thou wert in the Love thou wouldst see it And then thou manifests thy Envy against E. B. and saith that He spoke great things and spoke many Mysteries and then scoffingly sayst So did Balaam that erred from the Spirit Doth not R. R. here manifest his Spirit like Ishmael his Hand against every man who thus compares E. B. that Innocent Servant of the Lord with Balaam and if thou hadst laid down thy Crown and denyed thy self as did others thou wouldst not have brought forth such as is in thy Book And thou tellst Of the Beast that hath yet a Golden Head standing and the Dragon tearing and rendring But if thou hadst seen this tearing Spirit in thy self thou wouldst have stopt thy Mouth And R. R. saith He sees the People are weary of the Manna that comes down from Heaven Gods Spirit and Life in them This is thy own condition with other of thy railing Expressions in this page and these Words thou hast not spoken by the moving of the Spirit of Grace for thou art not seasoned with it as may be seen in pag. 41. and 42. And as for the Flesh-Pots of Aegypt thou speakst of see if thou be not seeding in them And R. R. saith He had rather speak five Words from the Spirit of Grace moving then ten Thousand Words from hit Vnderstanding though never so true c. Answ R. R. need not Praise himself in this whose Words proceeds neither from the Spirit of Grace nor from a good Understanding as sober People that read his Book may see and judge and thou that condemnest the Innocent and justifiest the Wicked mayst read thy Portion And R. R. saith O Jerusalem how oft have I sought to find Love in thee towards thy Brethren c. how oft have I pursued after it bearing all Sins and Evils on my Body that he might gain the Love of his Brethren Answ R. R. these are but boasting Words without Life as thy Fruits declare it in thy Book and the Fruits of thy Spirit doth not manifest Love And R.R. saith He believes he might have been received into Fellow ship amongst us But then he saith he must first have turned the Truth of God unto a Lye and speak Evil of things that he knew to be good and denyed his Testimony and betrayed Jesus Answ Nay such a Spirit as this we could not have received into Unity but let R. R. look at home and see if he hath not done this already and if that be Good which J. N. hath condemned and if that be R. R's Testimony and a betraying of Jesus that the Light of Christ condemns R. R. may keep his Testimony to himself And we cannot believe that R. R. did bear all Sin and Evil on his own Body as he saith in pag. 44. Then R. R. tells us Of he that loves his Enemies speaks Evil of no man rewards Evil with Good and doth not salute his Brother only this it he that is Heir of all things and must Reign Answ But where is the Life of this Love in R. R Let the Reader see if he hath shewed forth the Fruits thereof in his Book and if not then he cannot Reign with Christ according to his own Judgment Doth he speak Evil of no man Doth he love Enemies hath not he rewarded Evil for Good And wast not thou before in thy Book contending more for Tradition then the Command of Christ who saith Swear not at all read pag. 35. and 44. And thou speakst of the Son of the Bond Woman called of Men Master c. which wilt not let his Brother go free c. Answ Art not thou called of men Master and callst others Master Read thy self and come down from thy Mount to the Witness of God in thee and see if thou canst put a difference between the two Seeds in thy self And thou sayst thou hast seen many mighty Men fall But it were better that thou didst see thy self in the fall And thou sayst Abide thou in that which thinks no ill and thou wilt be safe Answ R. R. had better have taken this Counsel to himself And R. R. saith When others Hearts shall fail them for fear that have begotten Children in Adultry that have imagined Mischief in their Hearts against the Innocent and have climbed up into their Fathers Bed But R. R. might very well have applyed this at home and kept it there and not have let it gone out into the World For we the Believers in the Light of Christ Jesus do own every appearance of him whether it be in Groaning or Sighing Hymn or Song and those are manifest that do betray the simple Ones whose Blood lies under Skirts and R. R. might have kept these last sayings at home And R. R. writes to his Dear Heart and saith Enter thou not into their Secrets nor say a Confederacy with the Blood-thirsty man c. Answ Is not this R. R's condition who would make G. F. a Blasphemer and what must Blasphemers be done withal and whose Bloody Hands must first be upon his Head Is not thy Nakedness here seen that hath long lain hid in secret and hast thou not Preached it now atop of the House of the Worlds Spirit And thou would see the dear Lamb once more under the Fig-tree not opposing Gods Spirits leading c. nor lending an Ear to Reports Answ But why hath not R. R. applyed this at home and practised it then he would not have Printed so many false Reports and Lyes of twenty Years standing as have been before instanced and if he had not followed his own understanding and his passionate angry Spirit and fathered the Fruit of it upon the motion of God as in pag. 40. it might have been better with him and not to have plucked up the Wheat with the Tares And thou sayst We should be in one Love and the Lord rebuke him that seeks occasion c. Answ Now let all tender sober Christians judge whether R. R. is not come under this Rebuke by his own Judgment hath not he sought occasion and made occasion in matters of Strife which has been twenty Years standing some more and some less and which were dead and buried and forgiven by us long ago which dead thing thy Spirit hath raised up which every Spirit raises its own but thy Spirit hath manifested not to bear the Fruits of the true love of God in Christ Jesus but the Spirit of the World that lusts to Envy Height Pride and Arrogancy and Turbulent and Revengeful as you may see in pag. 40. and throughout his Book Of what thou sayst thou hast returned to G. F. in this thou hast manifested thy self to be void of the Lamb-like Spirit of Jesus and the true Humility Learning of him nor one of his Disciples thou dost not bear that Badge or Mark by which they are known neither hast thou shewed forth the Nature of Grace which should Salt and Season thy Words let the Reader see whether the words in thy Book are not Unsavoury And many more Scoffing things there are in thy Book which indeed are not worth mentioning but this which is written it is for the sake of the Simple For our Lives are out of Strife in Christ Jesus our High-Priest who is over his Houshold of Faith in whose House there is Bread enough Praised be the Lord. And they that be out of this Light be out of his House then they may Mummur because of the Famine From them who love God and his Son and all that he hath Created who Worship God in the Spirit and Truth which the Devil is out of whose Fellowship stands in the Gospel and Power of God in which the Devil cannot come who desire R. R's Repentance that he might become a new Man and put off the old if it be the Will of the Lord. THE END