be onely visible things as a house of Wood and Stone and outward appearances as Forms and Rites and Customes that were observed therein Or the Idols Temple and the Worship that 's done therein be not also in mans Spirit and Mysticall Inward and Invisible as to sence according as it is begotten of the spirituall Prince of Darkness yea or no Answ Whereas thou wouldst be informed who art querying without in whom lodgeth the Mystery of iniquity which minde holds up the Forms and the Rites and the Customs and the Idols Temple of Lime and Stone which is the mysticall Spirit which thou speakst of for if thou own the Light which enlighteneth every one that comes into the world which is Christ it would bring thee into the Cross which is to thy carnall minde and let thee see the Prince of the Ayer rule in thee who art a Childe of disobedience where the Mystery of iniquity lodgeth and this light would let thee see the carnall minde in whom all the Images lodge and the Idols Temple and the carnall part being wrought out within and the Devils tremble and the Earth shaken Isay 2. 19. and thrown down there which is the foundacion of all images for that within holds up these without the carnal part within holds up the carnal Temple without and that looks at all these Rites Customs Forms and Tradicions thou speakst of and the minde that is perishing is that that holds up all these perishing things in whom the Mystery of Iniquity lodgeth 2 Thes 2. 7. but if thou wert obedient to the Light and loved it it would bring thee to know God and to escape the prince of the Ayer which holds up all these things without thee for Israel when he had forgotten his Maker builded Temples so thy carnal minde ruleing and disobeying the Light which would guide thee to God that carnal mind within brings thee to hold up Temples without thee and so thou art in the Pride and the Highness of minde for out of Pride whose Dominion is Satan came these Queries but who are made the Temples of God are holy and deny all your outward Temples of the Preists and and all your carnal Observances which you live in who profess the new-Covenant or the Gospel or Christ or the Word but I will deal plainly with you you are not come to know the old Covenant for from the inward doth all Idols and Images arise and there is many Idols and Images which thou bowest down to with out thee then look within thee and thou art full of Imaginacions and Images both within and without Pro. 6. 18. for as the spirituall Prince of Darkness as thou speakst they have their Idols and Images without as ever it was in all that Generacion which thou livest in and when thou hast denied the outward Idols all of them by the Light of God which thou hatest then thou shalt see them within thee thou that stumblest at the Light art he that holdst up all these Images Ezek. 7. 20. in whom the mystery of iniquity lodgeth for the Light of the body is the eye which shews all these things and that it is which I sayd to thee before thou knowest not for thou art full of Images within thou knowest it not born up in thy understanding to guide thee for it is the Light that enlightneth every one that cometh into the world Iohn 1. 9. which thou art an Enemy and a stranger to and stumblest at which Light shall be thy condemnacion Iohn 3. 19. 8 Query If the inward living invisible Word of God which is the Teacher in no way held forth under a Form as to outward appearance to men in earthen vessels why do I see thy Expressions and Exhortations come forth in Print Answ To the eighth Query Thou full of subtlety spuing forth thy Venom and askest in the Query before wheâ—her the word should be held forth or no and now thou dost hear something that is published abroad which is a cross to thee and which makes manifest you are stirred up and doth torment you therefore dost thou push with thy ten Horns nevertheless thou sendest not the Queryes to him whom thou dost accuse and sayst why see I thy Expressions in Print and sendest them to another but such is thy rage and fury and now it doth appear to all men though it hath layn close the eternal Word hath stirred him up but Friend I declare plainly to thee God Almighty of Heaven and Earth hath raised up a Light in the hearts of People 1 Pet. 2. 9. and he is coming to teach them himself whereby your abominacion and filthiness is discovered to the sons and daughters of the Lord God Almighty and according to his promise he hath poured forth his Spirit that his sons and daughters begin to prophecy Ioel 2. 28 29. Prayses be to the Lord God Almighty who now is setting up his Kingdom who sends his sons and Daughters abroad some to prophecy and some to preach and to declare his Name Freely ye have received freely give Matth. 10. 8. and some write and some speak face to face so you shall see it nearer you ere long and as the Prophets of the Lord who spake his Word somtimes spoke and when they were moved to write they writ â—nd published it abroad so do we the same being absent in body sending forth writings or Printed Books to declare to the simple mindes the deceits that ye who are blinde Guides have led them in but Iesus Christ the Light now shines by which ye are seen and discovered therefore stop your mouths be ashamed who have never had word from God Micah 3. 7. for the Lord God is coming to stop your mouths ye dumb Prophets and Dogs Thieves and Robbers who have stollen the words of others whom ye know not Jer. 23. 30. but the Earth hath got the Declaracion which is Earth and so speaks the Earth for the Earth but O Earth hear the Word of the Lord for wo is to ye that inhabit the Earth and now the Devil begins to rage because the Word of God is sounding abroad and the Trumpet is blowing which makes the Inhabitants of the Earth to tremble but all your Preaching we do deny and all your Blessings for as it is written as the Prophet sayd their blessings were cursed and their seed were corrupt Mal. 2. 2 3. and in their generacion you are the Light which is Christ is made manifest which lets me see you to be in that generacion which hath gathered us up to God and lets us see thee without God 9 Query Whether to exhort a man to attend to that Light which is within which his eye can see and which his ear can hear and which his understanding can comprehend and of which â—e can give a Reason be not to draw men to attend to visible things and to worship in the Idols Temple and to bow down to the Image of things which he hath
with thy carnal minde to maintain thee and to hold up thy carnal gift and these things which Christ forbids his to do so who said Freely you have received freely give but here thou art not and it shews that thou hast not received it freely therefore thou sellest that which thou callest thy gift which the Apostles never did 1 Cor. 9. 18. Paul was not hired when he was refreshed with the necessaries of the Barbarians O thou Enemy why dost thou accuse Paul and would make him like thy self let him alone for thou knowest him not nor his Ministery for he was a prisoner of the Lord a traveller of the sea when the Barbarians lodged him what is that to thee to maintain thee to bear rule by thy means which Ieremy cryed against Ier. 23. 14. holdest up the horrible filthy thing that is committed in the Land to justifie thee to be a hierling and to receive thy gift and here thou hast openly shewed thy self to be an accuser of the Apostle and wouldst make him like Balaam like thy self and would have the woman to help thee and those are thy nursing fathers Kings and Queens which hold up thy gift which the Prophet cryed wo against but it is that fools may utter forth their folly and be taken in their own snare Prov. 13. 16. here thou art answered the Beast that hath held up the false Prophet and the false Prophet shall both into the fier And thou sayst thou dost not take gifts of the world but if any Prophet of the Lord come among you son or daughter you shew your selves to be of the world you shew your selves to be strikers and of the Devil halling them out of the Synagogues Matth. 10. 17. and to be no Saints nor no Church of God nor no Ministers of Christ and here thou shewest thou takest of the world and thy self to be a Lyar for thou never readest of any of the Churches of God if any of the world came in among them that they halled them out and beat them but it shews the effect of thy ministery and blasphemy which sayth ye are Iews and are not but are Synagogues of Satan Rev. 2. 9. 3. 9. we have found thee out and tryed thee Query 5. Whether the Plagues be not added to him that adds to the Prophecy of the things written in this Book Priests Answer 'T is tru the Spirit of God sayth so Rev. 22. 18 19. I do believe it yet again the expounding and opening of it by the Light of the Spirit of God given in comparing it with other Scriptures is not that which brings the curse for then the Apostle himself would have been under it 1 Cor. 9. 9 10. Rom. 4. 3 6. Rom. 11. 3 4 5. For expounding it wherein I have added or taken away is not yet discovered by any of you and that is the waight of the business when thou didst write to me or any other the Lord judg and let all the Lords people judg whether he be not more apt by far to add to the Prophecy of this Book who by his doctrine begetsiâ— slight esteem of the Prophecy of this Book and perswades his hearers that his words are as true as any Scripture and he cannot err and therefore all is to be believed that he speaks and not to be questioned though many things are contrary to this Prophecy than they that are so much blamed by them and reproached dayly A Reply to the Priests Answer Thou sayst it is tru that the Spirit of God sayth that the Plagues are added to him that adds to the prophece of this Book here thou speakest a Lye thou sayst it is tru the Spirit of God sayth He that adds or diminishes to the prophecy of the Book which hadst thou not seen the Letter then hadst known no spirit and because the Letter sayth so that is thy spirit but as I finde thee adding wresting and lying I do see that the plagues are added to thee by the same Spirit that gave forth the Scriptures and of them thou knowest nothing in that thou speakest a Lye in that thou sayst thou dost know it for thou knowest it not to be a truth though the Letter speak it as they swore the Lord lived and swore falsly Jer. 3. â— if thou didst thou durst not add nor diminish thou sayst comparing one Scripture with another is not that which brings the curse for then the Apostle would have been under it and so with thy corrupt minde dost accuse the Apostle falsly and wouldst make him like thy self and who speaks of the Scriptures fulfilling which thou canst not witness but makest a trade of them without thee and wouldst have Points and Reasons of them as thou wouldst have made a poynt of the Resurrection in thy former writing and here the plague of God is due to thee and here I charge thee again and here the Fool is out of the truth and the Rod is for the back of the Fool Prov. 10. 13. Prov. 18. 28. and here is the Scripture fulfilled upon thee and thou sayst it is not discovered by any of us whether thou addest or diminishest here thou hast shewed thy self to be a Lyar thou hast been told both publickly and privately of it and of thy deceit and now seeing thou hast openly shewed thy self to be a Lyar here openly do I make thee manifest as a Lyar who wouldst justifie thy self in thy deceit but thou harlot art made bare and discovered Nah. 3. 4 5 6. who hast sitten long under a colour and here is the Scripture is fulfilled upon thee and the Prophets words tru we finde them fulfilled Prayses prayses be to the Lord God of Heaven and Earth for ever who gives his servants victory over the Beast and the false Prophet Rev. 15. 2 3 4. such as thou art who have been ensnared by thee therefore we see that Plagues are thy porcion thou sayst that plagues are the waight that we give thee it is so 't is thy due and porcion thou sayst the Lord judg and let all the Lords people judg 1 Cor. 6. 2. the Lord doth judg and the Lord hath judged and the Lords people doth judg all such as thou art Him that thou dost accuse as to add to the prophecy in the Book he doth not but witnesses it thou having not the same witness canst not believe and neither sees him nor the prophecy of the Book thou seest the outside of the Letter with thy visible eye as they did which saw the outside of the Vision of Daniel Dan. 10. 7. But we that do believe him do believe his Doctrine not an outward testimony but we have the witness in our selves which are one with him and it doth witness that he hath the Spirit of truth which cannot err but we do know thy spirit by the same Spirit to be the spirit of error and here thou wouldst not have the Spirit of God to be believed on but here
thou shewest thy self that would question truth for there is nothing in thee born up in thy understanding to receive truth withall here thou shewest thy self to be an open Lyar to say he acts contrary to the Prophecy who is one with it and bears testimony to it and the truth of it against all such false accusers 2 Tim. 3. 3. as thou art for false accusers should arise Tit. 2. 3. and here thou shewest thy self to be one who accusest the Spirit of the living God to be more false than those that have the spirit of Antichrist who shall be consumed and turned into the Lake by the brightness of his coming 2 Thess 2. 8. the mouth of the Lord of Hosts hath spoken it Query 6. What Scripture have you that speaks of the word two Sacraments which you tell the people of and what Scripture have you to act such things Priests Answer Certainly Satan hath blinded your mindes you would never have put forth such a Question else for the substancial Word the Lord Iesus that we preach of him the Scripture speaks every where and for the Word as the Declaracion of the minde of God in and by Christ to poor sinners the Scriptures are plentifull take two or three Iohn 5. 24. Iohn 8. 31. Iohn 12. 48. Iohn 15. 3. Iohn 17. 20. Ephes 1. 13. Many more I might add but that I have a check on my spirit for gratifying your folly so far as I have done in this particular A Reply to the Priests Answer In thy Answer thou sayst that Christ is the substancial Word thou sayst so because the Letter declares he is the Word but no other knowledg hast thou but this is no answer to the word two Sacraments for Christ we know who is the Word but the word two Sacraments which there is no Scripture for which you tell people of which is an addicion to the Scripture and a thing that never was practised among the Saints as thou being one with thy fellows that holdest up those things the Query was what Scripture you have to act such things but Satan hath blinded your eys 2 Cor. 4. 4. 1 Iohn â— 11. which will not let you justifie those things which you act which shews that you serve but an ill Master that will not bear you out neither can you own the Scriptures as they are but you must give Exposicions upon them and poynts and your imaginacions and conceivings who would have the Scripture cleared but it is thy evil eye and minde that must be cleared Matth. 6. 23. for the Scriptures are as they speak thou sayst the Word you preach Alack for thee thou never knewst the Word if thou didst thou wouldst not speak of clearing up the Scriptures as in thy other Queryes thou speakest of Query 7. What Scripture hast thou to stand praying in the Synagogues before Sermon and after and where the Apostles did so or ever took a Text to treat upon Priests Answer Observe that place Matth. 6. 5. and thou shalt see that the thing Christ ayms at is not so much the posture nor the place but their end of praying in the Synagogue and that was to be seen of men for he did not before nor after condemn the dutyes of fasting praying alms-deeds but taught his Disciples how to do the same things though to avoyd the hypocrisie of others in doing of them and though another may be in the same place and posture as they were yet he may have other ends than they had which thou canst not lightly judg of as Christ did for Christians in prayer with upright hearts are not bound up to any place 1 Tim. 2. 8. And for praying in the publick meeting place and among the Assembly it was so common and usual that the place even had its name from it it was called the House of Prayer Matth. 21. 13. Isai 56. 7. and the hours of prayer were known by the Apostles Acts 3. 1. And that it was so in the times of the Gospel may be seen by Pauls Doctrine about it in the 1 Cor. 11. from the 9. to the 18. verse and in 1 Cor. 14. 13 14 15. For the times of prayer before Sermon and after the Apostle gives a general Rule 1 Cor. 14. 26. Let all things be done to edifying now what way is more edifying and building than for the servants of God to wayâ— on the great Builder God in Christ for help in the beginning of their work and in the close after mercyes received in speaking or hearing to speak good of the Name of our God in blessing and prayses the thankfull heart shall not want goodness from God but more fully the Apostle is clear in it 1 Tim. â— 1. That first of all prayers must be made to begin with that and that the thing is noâ— without example to conclude our speech with prayer see that in Acts 20. 36. This was likewise his manner in the close of his Epistles as may be seen in seven of his Epistles which I could never see in any of your Letters you like not prayer so well it seems And after that comes in thy frivolous and simple Question this is all I see thy hand to and therefore I call it thine Or ever took a Text to treat on I may well answer thee as Christ did the Saduces Thou errest not knowing the Scriptures for look Acts 8. 35. whether Philip took not a Text to treat on to the Eunuch out of Isai 53 7. Acts 10. 34. where Peter took a Text out of Deut. 10. 7. Acts 13. 17. out of Exâ—d 3. 14. and above all we have the example of Christ in this in his Sermon Luke 4. 17 18. who took his Text out of Isai 61. 1. in the Synagogue and he took a Book to reade it too though I believe he had the Scripture more in his heart than any of your Teachers thus having answered this Query I have one word to say to thee or the Inditer of it before I go on and that is this you have in this to me discovered a profane spirit that findes fault with our often seeking and calling on God and blessing his Name I am jealous that you are acted by the spirit of Satan amongst you you are so like those spoken of in the 3 of Mal. 7. 14 15. Reade and God give you to understand it well for to me it appears that the Spirit of God is quite of another nature that says Pray continually and without ceasing in every thing give thanks Ephes 6. 18. 1 Thess 5. 17 18. it calls and encourages to the thing Psal 50. 15. A Reply to the Priests Answer A Scripture thou wrests to maintain the Answer of it in Matth. 6. 5. Christ bids his Disciples pray not as the Pharises did for they prayed standing in the Synagogues but when thou prayest enter into thy Closet and shut the door and here thou art a Lyar of Jesus Christ and pervertst his words
did shew forth Christ which was the substance he finding him riding in his Chariot and thou Beast dost wrest this Scripture and pervert it and so takest a place of Scripture and raisâ—st Doctrines Poynts and Uses as thou callest them and what thou conceivest and imaginest of it and so sellest it for money and so makest an hours talk of it and art in one of these Text a moneth or more and speakest thine own inventions of it Did they do so O thou Blasphemer Philip had not a set wages of him but he was moved of the Lord to go to the Eunuch when he was going to Jerusalem to worship so if any were moved of the Lord to come unto any of you who are going to worship and reading of the Scripture and should shew you the substance of it such as thou art would fall a raging for it takes away your Trade we do witness that which Philip did but we deny thee to be in Philips place but onely Antichrist like hath gotten his form O thou Enemy of all Righteousness who hath wrested many Scriptures and perverted them to thine own way Acts 23. 6. to maintain thee in thy filthiness and to make a cover for thee but thou art discovered with all who are uncovered and stand naked before the Lord God Almighty Prayses be to him for him And above all thou sayst thou hast Christ for an example for taking a Text the words which Christ spoke he said it was fulfilled Luke 4. 17. Isai 61. 1. and if thou take his words for an example Is thy Text which thou speakest fulfilled then why dost thou ly so long in a Text Christ said his was fulfilled that day who said the Lord had anoynted him to preach Luke 4. 21. which thou art not nor â—anst witness and Christ did not take it and raise Doctrines Reasons Uses Tryals and Motives and have a set time and a set wages and preach out of it a moneth or more as thou dost but sayd it was fulfilled that day which thou couldst never witness nor yet say O thou impudent and brazen-faced how darest thou take Christ for an example to maintain thee in thy silthiness Christs words we own to be tru and to be fulfilled prayâ—ed be the Lord for ever which thou hast nothing to do with but wrests them with thy corrupt carnal minde to thy own destruction 2 Pet. 3. 16. but as the Prophet did speak of the Merchants of Babylon as thou art one of them in the mystery of Witchcraft and so with thy craft dost deceive simple ones and the Scriptures I know cannot err from that which gave it forth and thy spirit I know to be the spirit of errour which is the same that ever deceived the Nations and we witness the Scripture in our hearts as Christ did And as touching thy Belief we deny it for thou neither believest Christ nor us for if thou wert of God tou would own us as they sayd who needed no man to teach them but the anoynting 1 John 2. 27. but that thou art without and in the world an Antithrist and there I leave thee Whereas thou dost accuse us of a profane spirit it is the profane minde and spirit in thee which judgest the spirit of truth so because it doth shew that which the profane nature cannot bear and whereas thou dost accuse that we finde fault with your often calling and seeking to God that is false for we would have all to call upon the Lord while he is near and to seek him while he may be found Isai 55. 6. and that is the intent of all our writing and printing or coming to your Steeple-houses or coming abroad for your souls good which you shall eternally witness though your corrupt filthy mindes do reject it but thou Hypocrite and Pharise and Enemy of all Righteousness all thy prayers we utterly deny for they are abominacion to the Lord and all thy blessings are cursed as in Mal. 2. Your praying in the Synagogues as the Pharises did Christ did deny and we also do deny the same and so will every one where Christ is risen deny thee and such as thou art for he is but one the same to day yesterday and for ever whom thou art an Enemy to and in the Generacion of them that ever were so Friend thou sayst thou art jealous that we are acted by a spirit of Satan and dost accuse us to be like those spoken of in Mal. 3. these are thy companions eternally I witness it and there thou art present now among them in the same nature and one that walks out of the commands of God as I have proved before and out of the commands of Christ following thine imaginacions and therefore are we all witnesses against thee that thou art in the Sorcery in the Witchcraft and in the Adultery and in the corrupt seed whose blessings are cursed the same light sees it now and sees thee in the same Generation And whereas thou dost accuse us concerning Prayer thou gatherest many Scriptures in thine imaginacions the Saints prayed continually and from them Scriptures thou imitatest a Form and accusest us who live in the praying continually and to thee it cannot appear in thy carnal form neither dost thou know our spirit for it terrifies thee nor the spirit of the Apostle and we do witness the condicion that the Apostle speaks of praying continually and in every thing giving thanks 1 Thess 5. 17. 1 Tim. 2. 8. But this thou canst not witness to be fulfilled to that which should exercise thy conscience do I speak which shall eternally witness we for thou art dead and the dead cannot prayse God and that which should prayse God in thee is in the Grave and none in the Grave can prayse him Isai 38. 18. and thy carnal minde in thee is limiting God in thy carnal form and custom and with a pretence of thy Prayers Pharise like which is but mocking God and hatefull and abominacion to him and all who are of him thy Prayers and spirit will be denyed by them and thou accuser art without in the world among the false accusers 2 Tim. 3. 3. and thou must deny all thy prayers and all thy customs and all thy worship and all thy imitated Churches as thou callest them and all thy praysings and all the worlds ways before ever thou knowest God or us Qu. 8. Shew me by the Scriptures where the Apostles went into the world and gave the world David's Psalms to sing in Meeter these things that ye practisâ— answer them by the Scripture or the Apostles practise without consequence and imaginacions Priests Answer That the Apostles went into the world that is up and down in several parts of it is clear by all their Epistles That the Apostles Commission from Iesus Christ in their going forth to preach to all Nations was this Teaching them to observe all whatsoever I have commanded you is as clear Matth. 28. 20. That the
for its fruit it was Cain that despaired Achitophel and Iudas that went and hanged themselves Is that a good Tree that brings forth wrath strife sedicion heresie cursings and such like Is that a good Tree that brings forth fruits of disobedience and slighting of those whom God hath commanded us to honour Is that a good Tree that hath for his fruits a casting by of the Ordinances of God and a slighting of and reviling and reproaching the servants of God Is that a good Tree that hath apparant fruit on it of justifying themselves and condemning all that are not of their minde how precious soever in the eys of God Is that a good Tree whose fruit is brought forth in Satans dress very like him for if they once believe your opinions the thing they look for is to tremble Iames 2. 19. A Reply to the Priests Answer Here thou desirest to know whether a good Tree brings forth desperation as Iudas here thou accusest Christ for Iudas denyed Christ when he did despair and Christ found him out so he doth thee and all who deny the good Tree Christ findes out now and all who do despair deny the good â—ree as thou dost who accusest Christ now as they did then and Cain when he slew his brother Abel then he despaired when he slew the righteous seed Gen. 4. 5. and so are all you now in the generacion of Cain and God doth no more accept your Sacrifice than he did Cains who live in envy and you are in the same desperacion who slay the righteous as dayly may appear and in answer to this Query in that evil Tree thou art and bringst forth wrath and strife for in this very Answer thou hast shewed it and shewed forth Cain and malice and false accusacions and ignorance and in thy former Query thou canst not witness the overcoming of sin and is not sin of the Devil and is not sin the cause of despair and is this the good Tree and Christ sayth Be ye perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect Matth. 5. 48. and here thou shewest openly that thou art that evil Tree which cannot bring forth good fruit for he sayth An evil Tree cannot bring forth good fruit nor a good Tree bring forth evil fruit and this I witness fulfilled therefore I see thee and discover thee to be that fruitless Tree which art cursed and for the fier and again thou pleadest for the honor of man Jesus Christ sayth How can ye believe that receive honor one of another John 5. 44. And thou shewest thy self to be that evil Tree that casteth the Ordinances of Christ behinde thy back and shewest thy self to be the Reviler and the Reproacher of the servants of God for doth not Christ say They are called of men Master and have the chiefest places in the Assemblies Matth. â—3 and art not thou there and he bids his Ministers not to be as they were and here thou shewest thy self to disobey the commands of Christ and to be the evil Tree because we deal plainly with thee this thou callest reviling and reproaching we speak the words that Christ himself spoke which testifie against thee who livest in thy filthiness and with all thy might and main wouldst hold it up against Christ and his servants and wouldst pervert his words but the Lamb hath got the victory prayses prayses be to the Lord God Almighty for ever Rev. 17. 14. Thou askest if this be the good Tree that justifies it self thou hypocrite can a good Tree condemn it self here thou wouldst not own it to be a righteous Tree to bring forth good fruit wouldst thou make a good Tree to accuse it self here thou blasphemest and accusest Christ and he that doth witness this good Tree doth witness against all who are not of the same minde for all who are this good Tree are of one minde and of one soul and of one heart and here thou hast showd forth thy ignorance and thou art a false accuser that a good Tree can condemn that which is precious in the eys of God here thou art an accuser and an enemy of righteousness and knowest not what thou speakest did ever Christ condemn that which was precious in the eys of God but nourished and cherished it but such a false hypocrite as thou art he condemns and cryes wo against thee who art got up into the chiefest place of the Assemblyes standst praying in the Synagogues devouring widows houses and painting thy self with other mens words and so Serpent lâ—ke and here thou art a Serpent and the evil Tree blaspheming against Christ which is the good Tree here thou shewest thy self to stand in the same place which Christ cryed wo against which called him a Devil as thou dost now where he is made manifest thou believest there is a God and here thou shewest thou art not come to the saith of Devils for the Devils believe and tremble Iames 2. 19. and they condemn thee and thy faith and the power of God which makes to tremble thou knowest not as the Apostle when he came among the Corinthians he was with them in much trembling 1 Cor. 2. 3. and thou mightst say the Apostle was in the Devils dress when he trembled for the same poâ—er of God that made him to tremble the same power of God we witness now which makes us to tremble and here thou hast openly shewed thy self that thou dost not know the Scriptures but makest thy self manifest to be in the Devils dress and a blasphemer And as touching opinions they are thy own for opinions we do deny and here thou hast shewed that the power of God thou knowest not nor never heardst his voyce whose voyce shakes the earth Psalm 46. 6. and shewest that thy wisdom is of the earth and earthly and all thy Gospel notions to be earthly and all thy knowledg to be earthly and all thy manifestacions and gifts as thou calst them to be earthly for thou denyest the power of God which shakes the earth Psal 2. 18. and so hast here shewed thy self to be in the natural state and in the first birth and as a fool hast uttered forth thy folly shewing thy minde to be full of iniquity and being the Tree which beareth no fruit which is cursed Hebr. 6. 8. Query 12. Whether a man shall grow up to that condicion under your Ministry that he shall need none to teach him but the Lord yea or no Priests Answer Truly I do believe that God hath given so far many of his servants to grow up amongst us as they see God alone the onely Teacher of himself in all that is discovered by his servants they know him to be the worker of all their works in them that Christ is all and in all the Alpha and Omega the teacher of his Fathers minde to us and yet notwithstanding I believe few are grown up to that desperate folly and madness as when God hath afforded means of discovering his
will mind to cast them all by and ty God up to work immediatly without means to humor their fancy this is to tempt him Mat. 4. 6 7. to confine him which God cannot like he will not take it long from proud flesh I am perswaded the Scripture you bring in Isai 2. ult Cease from man will not serve your turn for many Prophets and Apostles and men of God taught after that even by the command of God and Christ besides you cry Cease from man but you practise quite contrary witness the running of many of you many miles to hear George Fox and you use writings and printings which are outward means of teaching A Reply to the Priests Answer Here thou hast shewed forth presumption and lying to say that many are grown up under your teaching to see God alone the onely Teacher and that Christ is all in all the Alpha and Omega and thou thy self not to know the first Principle nor they whom thou teachest Heb. 5. 12. for if it were so that they knew the second Covenant and the Law of God written in their hearts they would all deny thee for it teacheth them to know God and need not to say Know the Lord and needed not any man to teach them who witnessed the Anoynting and need not any of thy carnal means as thou talkest of for the means that God doth teach his people is by his Spirit Gal. 3. 5. for they that did draw them from the spirit within them bewitched them and so dost thou and they that drew them from the Anoynting within them bewitched them and so dost thou which tellest people of a carnal means so that Scripture which thou bringest Matth. 4. 6 7. it is for thy self for thou temptest Christ and wouldst have him to bow down to thy false worship to thy carnal means as the Devil did Christ then own it and witness it for it is thy condicion herein thou hast shewed thy self to be a false Prophet sowing pillows under the peoples arm-holes and flattering and keeping them in carnal security and tellest them that Christ is their Teacher when thou who art blinde and carnal art set up for a Teacher who makest a Trade with the Scriptures and neither knowest Christ nor the Spirit nor the teaching of Christ as thou speakest of and so keepest all people in blindness and ignorance from waiting upon Christ and friend whereas thou dost accuse us of tying God up to work immediately herein thou shewest that all that thou hast is but fancy and lying in thy carnal state who tempts God and draws all others to tempt him and shewest thy self void of all them that spoke forth the Scriptures for all Scriptures being given forth by the inspiracion of the Spirit and holy men spoke as they were moved by the Holy Ghost was not all this immediate and eternal and here thou hast openly shewed thy self to be carnal and not knowing them that gave forth the Scriptures and wouldst draw all others into the same carnal state with thee and it is thou that wouldst ty up and dost ty up with thy carnal minde and limit the holy One as may appear by thy blindness and ignorance and the people that thou teachest who drawest them under the carnal Form and here thou hast denyed the immediate teaching of God Isai 54. 13 14. which all the Saints of God witnessed and followed the ways of and all that ever know the Lord and here thou hast shewed that thou dost not know the Lord but livest in high blasphemyes and in the state of the Scribes and Pharises who professed God and Abraham but were of their Father the Devil and there thou art in the same generacion doing the lusts of thy father the Devil who was ever an enemy to Christ as thou mayst reade thy self in the generacion of all them Teachers as thou hast openly shewed thy self Friend it is thy own proud fleshly minde that doth confine God but thou art discoverd and it shall not be long but thou shalt be more manifest to thy open shame thou hast walked long enough under a cover but now thy skirts are uncovered and thy nakedness appears and a Scripture thou bringst Isai 2. 22. Cease from man which thou sayst will not serve our turn but it doth serve our turn for we own it and witness it fulfilled therefore do we cease from all men which hold up the carnal means which thou speakest of and all hierlings and all them that bear rule by their means and all them that seek for their gain from their quarter and all them that are called of men Master and hath the chief place in Assemblyes and all they that paynt themselves with other mens words and all them that go in the way of Cain and Balaam for gifts and rewards Jude 11. and all those that have the form of godliness and not the power and all those that wrest Scripture to their own destruction and give meanings and carnal senses upon it and all such as lead â—illy women captive which thou hast sayd to be us ever learning and never able to come to the knowledg of the truth 2 Tim. 3. 7. for thou sayst they shall never overcome as long as they are here and thou believest here but thou art one that livest in thy lust here thou hast shewed that thou art one that the Prophets and servants of God cryed against who were taught immediately by the Spirit of God and this was not after man neither according to man the Apostle sayd the Gospel that he preached was not after men for he had not received it of man that taught it all such we own but all such as are in the way of man as thou art we utterly deny them which holds up these abominacions which all the Prophets of God cryed against and here thou hast raced thy self out from among them all those that God sent and commanded as thou sayst since the Prophet bade them cease from man Isai 2. 22. those were not made by the will of man neither was their teaching according to man but it was immediate eternal which thou knowst nothing of as thou makest it appear and such we own but thee we do deny for thou art blinde and knowst it not And as touching the Books and Writings and Printings which thou accusest us of and running so many miles the Queen of the South came to hear the wisdom of Solomon and the Prophets of the Lord somtimes they were moved to speak against such as thou art who livest in the abominacions and somtimes were moved to write as one of the Prophets did and here thou shewest thy self â—gnorant of the Scripture and envious against the same power and the same eternal Word which is now discovering your abominacions as the Word did then so the eternal Word doth now and thy minde being carnal and outward looking up at things outward and so thou shewest thou hast nothing eternal born up
in thy understanding and so thou lookest upon the same which we speak or give forth in writing to be the same carnal minde that thou art in and so thou judgest all the Prophets and Christ and the Apostles to be in the same carnal state as thou art judging Scripture according to thy carnal minde 2 Cor. 3. 6. 3. 4. and so to thee truth is a savour unto death as it was ever but wee are moved of the Lord to write forth or to speak it is not an outward means as thou lookest upon but it is to the conscience of every man from that which is eternal to that which shall eternally witness it but thou art high up in thy hypocrisie and hast mens persons in admiracion because of advantage for the gift therefore it grieves thee to see the immediate and eternal teaching of the Lord alone who is teaching of his people and guiding them up to himself by his Spirit whose Sacrifice God doth accept Gen. 4. 5 who are in the second birth but thou art Cain and because thou seest the works of God and God accepts not thy Sacrifice therefore thou shewest forth thy envy against the righteous Seed in all thy words Query 13. Whether they be not Antichrists and do disobey Christ that have the chiefest place in the Assemblyes stand praying in the Synagogues called of men Master which things Christ did forbid his to act and cryed wo against them that acted such things Priests Answer No question what is against Christ in the flesh is a part of Antichrist and to be destroyed but as yet none of you all that I know have proved that the uppermost seats in the Synagogues were Pulpits there seats were more for honor than for service that Christ forbids and reproves and these places were taken out of love to them and for the Title of Master I would to take off the offence if that would do it that all would agree to call me by my name I take not the Title in love of it nor to have dominion by it and the Wo is against this yet I know there were Masters of the Assemblyes so called by as wise a man as any amongst you for ought I know Eccles 12. 11. A Reply to the Priests Answer In thy Answer to this Query thou canst not justifie the chiefest place in the Assemblyes therefore thou must own the Wo upon thee and Friend thou bringst a Scripture in Eccles 12. 11. to cross Christs words herein thou shewest to be a fighter against â—hrist for to maintain thy Mastership that thou mayst be a Master of an Assembly and here openly thou shewest thy self to be a Pharise and in the Pharises state sayth Christ A greater than Solomon is here Now thou hast shewed forth thy venom and ignorance indeed and openly to act against Christ and openly to be an Antichrist and a Pleader for the state of the Pharises and to contradict Christ Thou sayst no question but that which is against Christ in the flesh is a part of Antichrist thou hast shewed thy self to be an actor against Christ in the flesh and an Antichrist and shewest that thou never knewst him in the flesh nor in the spirit for he that walks in the spirit doth not fulfill the lusts of the flesh but hath crucified them and all things are become new Rom. 8. 13. but as thou sayst and dost believe that a man shall never overcome as long as he is here so shewing forth the old Bottle and what is within thee Matth. 9. 17. here is poured out which neither knows God nor Christ in the flesh nor in the spirit but hast poured forth thy blasphemy against Christ and his Doctrine and all who hold up his Doctrine and live in it and love Christ Query 13. Whether those be not Antichrists and of the Devil and no Ministers of Christ which do not abide in the Doctrine of Christ yea or no and which hold up those things Christ forbad Priests Answer Thou strainest at a Gnat and swallowest a Camel thou takest great care of Mint and Annis and neglectest the weighty things of the Law who preachest up that which Crist for bad prove what thou speakest if thou darest trust God as I desire to do wait with me for the time that God shall discover who abides with him and in his Doctrine and who doth not so far as it is revealed and open A Reply to the Priests Answer In thy Answer to this Query thou sayst we strain at a Gnat and swallow a Camel because we deny that which Christ denyed who were called of men Masters as the Pharises were who strained at a Gnat and swallowed a Camel Matth. 23. 7. and thou mayst say that Christ did so for Christ spoke against them who were called of men Masters and taught his not to be so nor to call any man Master and here thou hast justified that which Christ forbids And thou dost accuse us that we do take care of Mint and Annis because we say Whosoever abides not in the Doctrine of Christ is a Devil and here thou hast shewed thy self that it is thou that takest care for those things that pass away which Christ did forbid thou bidst me prove thee to preach that which Christ did forbid here in thy very words thou preachest up that Christ forbids and cryes Wo against and here I chargethee in the presence of the living God who will render vengeance in flames of fieâ— Jer. 51. 6. Nah. 1. 2. and here thou hast shewed thy self to be in the Doctrine of the Pharises and of the Devil and accusest us with tything Mint and Annis who art a Lyar for all those things you hold up and we deny and it is thou that dost justifie them Dost thou not hold up these frivolous things the chiefest place in the Assembly and to be called of men Master laying heavy burdens upon the People and stand praying in the Synagogue this thou strivest to hold up which we deny the commands of Christ thou callest them Mint and Annis which is a Ly and here thou wrests the Scripture to thy own destruction I charge thee here and have proved thee to preach that which Christ forbad and shut thee forth to be any Minister of Jesus Christ eternally or knowing any thing of him thou wouldst have me to wait with thee if I dare trust God I waited with thee too long but thou art now revealed and discovered thou man of sin and son of perdicion 2 Thess 2. 3. who art exalted above all that called God and thy Doctrine is discovered and the end of it for it leades to perdicion for out of the bottomless Pit it came and thither it must go and in thy Queryes thou desirest to know which is most like Antichrist and here thou shewest that thou dost not know Antichrist but we know thee to be Antichrist 1 John 4. 3. and acting in those things which Christ never commanded contrary
nothing Thou deaf Adder and Serpent who art full of Cockatrices Psal 8. 4. for if thou couldst see but thou art blinde thou mightst see the same gift amongst us as was among the Apostles for we witness the same by the same spirit according to the operacion but the lying spirit in thee can judg no otherways of truth it self but to be a lying spirit for it is in the generacion of them that know nothing of the truth for that Spirit that we are led by thou knowest not for if thou wert led by the same Spirit we should be one with thee but Friend thy spirit is tryed and known to be the spirit of Error thou sayst the Prophets erred not in declaring the minde of God to you thou knowest not the Spirit that the Prophets were guided by nor thou knowest not the minde of God though thou hast the outside a declaracion which is to the visible eye without thee but art in the generacion of them that could tell by the Prophets words where Christ should be born yet they sought to put him to death Mark 14. 64. the chief Priests and so thou art one of them which is an Enemy to Christ where he is born now as they were them and as Iannes and Iambres witstood Moses so dost thou resist the truth out of a corrupt minde in the state of Iannes and Iambres out of the faith a Reprobate as thou hast openly shewed it but thou shalt proceed no farther for thy folly is and shall be made manifest 2 Tim. 3. 9. Thou sayst thou hast taken pains to answer these Queries thou hast wrested many Scriptures as it is made manifest to maintain thee in the state of the Pharises and to maintain thee an Enemy against Christ and to maintain thee to be one of Balaams Prophets and to maintain thee to be one of the hierlings and to justifie that which Christ forbids and to maintain thee to hold up that horrible filty thing that is committed in the Land and to bear rule by thy means Ier. 5. 30 31. which the Prophets cryed against and with the Prophets words and Christs words and with the Apostles words thou wouldst shelter thy self and make thy self a cover to maintain thee in thy filthiness but the Lord God of power is coming to uncover thee and lay thee more and more open and make thee bare that thy filthyness may appear to the end that the simple ones who are in captivity under thy subtlety and snare of iniquity may be delivered and peoples mindes directed unto God that â—e alone may be exalted to whom be all prayse honor and glory for ever And Friend thou sayst that thou desirest that the Lord would open our eys thou tempter of the Lord thy Lord we deny and thy Prayers we deny the Lord hath opened our eys Prayse and glory be to him for ever the Lord hath opened our eys without thy Prayers Matth. 20. 34. therefore we deny them they are abominacion and contrary to thy means hath the Lord opened our eys 1 Iohn 1. 1. neither is there any thing of God in thy Answers but thou and thy imaginacions are raced out for ever and all thy pains thou speakest of are the works of thy own hands which were ever cryed out against Thou desirest we may escape out of the snare of Satan where it is broken we have escaped out of thy snares where they are broken Psal â—24 7. and therefore out of thy dominion and from under thy power are we come and see thee to be one that the Devil ensnares who art one of his Souldiers and not of Christs fighting for the Devils Kingdom and fighting against the Saints with thy carnal weapons and against â—he Lamb but the Lamb hath got the victory over the Beast Prayses prayses be to the Lord God Almighty for every Amen FINIS QUERIES sent by Gabriel Camelford to the People who out of reproach and envy of the blinde and dark world are called Quakers Answered by the Spirit of the Lord which doth enlighten and shine in our hearts and those that live in the pure light of God and can reade with the Spirit may see him taken in his own Snare and condemned out of own mouth and his Deceits layd open Query 1. WHat is a Reprobate 2 Cor. 13. 5. Answer Whereas thou wouldst know what a Reprobate is thou art out of the truth hated of God a Childe of the Devil an Enemy of Righteousness the Son of Perdicion in whom Christ rules not but the works of the flesh who knows not the Light that enlightneth every one that cometh into world but denyes it and hates it Query 2. Whether Christ be in a Reprobate to lead him to God Answ Thou askest thou knowest not what Shall ever a Reprobate enter to God Jacob have I loved Esau have I hated and Christ condemns the Reprobate and the Reprobate hates the Light Iohn 3. 19 20. as thou dost which shews forth the works of darkness and there thou art a Reprobate and one that knows not the Light that enlightneth every one that comes into the world and this Light shall condemn thee who keepest others in the same nature with thy fair glosses and colours which thou settest upon the Scriptures which must go into the Lake and into perdicion who livest in thy filthy and fleshly imaginacions which ever was cursed from God Psal 101. 5. an Enemy of Righteousness whom the Lord according to his promise will scatter who livest in thy imaginacious and conceivings Rom. 1. 21. and there thou art Query 3. If so why are not all men brought to God Answ Because they hate the Light as thou dost and lovest the darkness tather than the Light because thy deeds are evil Dost thou profess thy self to be a Minister of Iesus Christ and queriest why all men are not brought to God here openly thou hast shewed thy self to be a Hater of the Light for shame give over and blush Christ sayth I am the Light which enlightneth every one which cometh into the world Ioh. 1. 9. which thou art ignorant of he that loves the Light and walks in the Light there is no occasion of stumbling but thou that hatest the Light thy deeds are evil and therefore thou stumblest Iohn 11. 9 10. and there is thy condemnacion which is the Light and with such blinde Guides as thou art are poor people lead from the Light within them which should guide them to God to hearken to thy imaginacions and to fall down to thy images but the Plagues of God will be poured down upon the Beast and the false Prophet Deut. 28. 59. and thou art one which keepest people from God Query 4. Whether any man hath power to resist in the day when he comes to draw the soul to himself Aâ—sw Here thou shewest that thou dost not know the power of God neither hast tasted of it but standst in the power of Satan and dost resist and deny but
Enemy to the life that gave it forth Mark 15. 1. therefore to such as thou and to thy generacion the Wo was ever preached for thou art one of them which was in the generacion of the Pharises who tempted Christ who were Enemyes to him though they professed the Prophets words and Moses words but thou art for destruction and misery will be thy end Query 2 Whether it be not an improper speech of Christ to say You will not come to me when he is in them and they in him before according to what you affirm Answ Thou blinde Hypocrite and Pharise here thou hast shewed thy self to be a blinde Guide indeed that neither knows Christ nor the drawing of Christ how darest thou say there is improperness in his speech but it is that thou being an Enemy of him mightst utter forth thy folly who art one of them that will not come to him that thou mightst have life Iohn 5. 40. but thou art seeking the outward Letter which is a testificacion of him standing up in thy own imaginacions and wouldst have the Scripture answer thee so thou Serpent wouldst have dust but with imaginacions I will not feed thee but with judgment as it is written but thy minde I do deny and to the Spirit that is in Prison I speak 1 Pet. 3. 19. whom thou art an Enemy to and to thee the Plagues of God are due Query 1. Whether the time of dark Natures power be not a night to the soul Iohn 11. 10. Answ This is thy own condicion thou needest not to have asked it for thy soul thou knowest not but the dark power reigns and rules in thee therefore thou stumblest because there is no Light in thy understanding John 12. 10. thou art in the night and there is stumbling and knowst not whither thou goost one that hates the Light a childe of disobedience Query 2. Whence it is that they that walk in the Light stumble if they have such a pure leading Light in them Answ Thou stumblest in these Queries because thou art disobedient to the Light and hatest it as others do and these are frivolous Queries that proceed from a frivolous minde who bringest Scriptures and art ignorant as a natural bruit Beast made to be taken and destroyed as Peter sayth now the evil nature in thee at this may rage but in that generacion thou art one that hateth the Light and stumbles and walks in darkness and knowest not whither thou goest John â— 11. and here again thou hast shewed thy self ignorant of the Letter and of Christs words Query â— Whether the Reason given by Christ be a tru and solid Reason yea or no Answ Thou with thy damnable Doctrine wouldst compare Christ like thy self with thy filthy Reason who art one of the false Prophets who denyest the Lord therefore thou art questioning Christs words which shews thee a Pharise who did question Christ thou Enemy of God where canst then accuse Christ that he spoke unsolidly or unsoundly or spoke a Ly O thou busiminded fellow what hast thou to do to question Christs words Mark â— â— but thou shewest forth thy busie filthy minde Luke 23. 2. that thou mightst accuse him where he is made manifest thou Pharise and Hypocrite Query 4. If so whether they that say Every man hath a sufficient Light be not Lyars and Deceivers of the People yea or no Ans Here thou shewest thy self to be a deceiver openly and all thou speakest is deceit from thy dark minde that comprehends not the Light that enlightens every one that comes into the world who hates it stumbles at noon-day John 5. and there thou art who hast put forth so many stumbling Queries and in that generacion thou art the same Spirit is made manifest as was in the Apostles which doth comprehend thee who shalt eternally witness me who cannot flatter thee and hast shewed thy self openly to be without the Light of God in darkness yet art pleading for it Therefore thou makest Christ a Lyar and a Deceiver and art in that generacion that ever called him so Iesus Christ sayd I am the Light of the world which enlightens every one that comes into the world Iohn â— 9. One he loves the Light and walks in it and there is no occasion of stumbling the other hates the Light because his deeds are evil and because it will reprove them and this is the condâ—mnacion of the world and of thee Query 1. Whether all men are lead by the Spirit of God Rom. 8 9 14. Answ No thou art not lead by the Spirit of God but art lead by the Prince of darkness who rules in the children of disobedience Ephes 2. â— so thou art one that hatest the Light and quenchest the Spirit 2 Thess 5. 19. crucifiest Christ and shewest thy self openly blinde Dost thou profess thy self to be a Minister of God and queriest whether all be lead by the Spirit here thou makest thy nakedness and foolishness appear Query 2. Whether all men without exceptions are the sons of God Answ No thou art not nor none of thy flock we know thee so to be Except ye be born again Iohn 3. 3. ye must first be born again but thou art a childe of wrath and disobedience and here thou hast shewed forth thy natural birth and as a bruit beast which Iude speaks of Iude 10. and this must thou own before thou knowst what it is to be a son or servant which yet thou art an Enemy to Query 1. Whether the preaching of the Gospel be not a spiritual husbandry and warfare 1 Cor. â— 9 13 14. Answ We do witness the preaching of the Gospel to be a spiritual warfare and husbandry to pluck up such fruitless Trees and Briars and Thorns as thou art which cumber the ground 1 Cor. 3. 9. and to war against such Pharises as thou art which hath long stood in the Vineyard cumbring the ground whose fruit stinks as it is written Every Tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewen down and cast into the fier Matth. 3. 10. which thou art one and the cursed Fig-tree so the warfare is against such as thou art who livest in spiritual wickedness which Christ cryed Wo against Matth. 11. 21. that had the chiefest places in the Assemblyes Matth. 23 and there is the war that wars against such as thou art Query 2. Whether men go to war at their own Cost 1 Cor. 7. 9 13 14. Answ A Query out of the Scripture thou bringest who goeth a warfare at his own Charge but the same Apostle sayd he did use none of these things neither have I written these things that it should be so done unto me I preach the Gospel I have nothing to glory of Wo is unto me if I preach not the Gospel Cor. 19. 15 61. Thou wrestest his words to maintain thy gifts and thou hast planted no Vineyard nor never wast in the Warfare and art not come to know it and the Flock the
Apostle speaks of thou knowest not but art an enimy to it neither knowest thou the Milk that was given to the Flock but thou art one of them that fayl with thy Feet Ezek 34. 18. that hast nothing but the Husk which is fit for nothing but the Swine but as a Theif wouldst be up in the Apostles Condicion The Apostl spoke the Truth which thou art out of and to the flock he spoke of it and the Vineyard thou art an enimy to and that with all thy power and might wouldst wrest the Scripture but thou art thrust out and discovered with them who are within and seen by us and so I bid thee Farewell unto Perdicion thou must go Query 3. Whether the Apostles did not give a tru Exposicion of the 9 verse in the forecited â—hapter and in the 10 verse And if so then he that Plougheth and Thresheth may do it in hope and expectacion of outward preservacion in his labour not to have his mouth muzelled Answ Thou wouldst not have thy mouth muzeled the mouth of the false Prophets must be stopped as the Apostle saith Evil Beasts Slow-bâ—llies whose mouths must be stopped Tit. 1. 11 12. and thou art one of them who takes the Apostles words for thy carnal ends and wouldst have Exposicions upon his words who perverts his words and sayst he gave Exposicions who spoke plainly and thou showest thy self to be one of them that the Apostle spoke unto Query 4. Whether there be not the same equity that those that wait on the Gospell should have maintenance as well as those that wayted on the Temple and on the Altar Aensw They that waited on the Altar lived upon the Altar and they that preached the Gospel lived on the Gospel 1 Cor. 9 13. but repent thou knowest neither but art a deceiver and makest a Trade upon the Scripture but praised be the Lord God who hath given a Light to discover thee and to draw from under thy bands for thou neither waitest upon the Altar nor canst not witness the Gospel but only that Scripture thou bringest to maintain thy gift which thou confessest thou receivest worse then Balaam 2 Pet. 2. 15. Query 5. Whether the Ordinances of Christ in this be out of Date yea or no Answ Christ is the same he was where he is made manifest and his Ordinances the same but thou art one that dost deny them and disobey them Did not Christ command his whom he made Teachers Mat. 23. 8. 10. that they should not be called of men Masters and that they would not have the cheifest place in the Assemblies for they were all Brethren Come down thou painted Beast and proud Pharisy who ever wast an enimy of Christ Wo is thy Porcion for thou art out of date with them for thou dost not observe them Query 6. Whether simply taking of Wages make a Hierling yea â—r no Answ Thou robest the World whereas the Apostle saith he robed the Churches 2 Cor. 11 8. and thou robst the world for the Church of God is the ground and Pillar of Truth 1 Tim. 3. 15. Thou blind Sot and coloured Beast doth not wages make a Hyerling thou canst not deny but thou art an Hyerling thou receivest a gift Balaams wages of unrighteousness therefore Wo is thy Porcion VVhat hast thou to do with the Apostles who spoke against gifts Query 7 If so How could Paul be excused from being a Hierling he taking wages as well as others Answ Art thou as Paul was or wouldst thou make him like thy self who robest the world and he took of other Churches O thou filthy Beast who slanderest the Church of Christ and the Apostles with thy filthy minde who wouldst make the Apostle an Hyerling like thy self who hast nothing to do with the Apostle nor the Church of Christ but as a filthy fellow thou makest a trade upon the Letter and other mens Condicions to deceive withall but thou art discovered to be worse than Balaam who denyed the gift of Baalack though he loved it Num. 22. 18. but all thy Pleading and Querying is for the gift showing thy self to be worse than Balaam Query 8. Whether the worlds wages doth not imply some kinde of contract between them yea or no because he had wages of other Churches for preaching to those of Corinth Phil. 4. 17 18. Answ Thou askest whether Paul did well or no in receiving a gift of the Phillipians thou wrestest his words in saying he received a gift for saith he in the Scripture not because I desire a gift but I desire fruit that may abound to your account But I have all Phil. 4. 17 18. How fain wouldst thou make the Apostle like thy self an Offender so thy eye is blinded with a gift as it is written and here I charge thee to accuse the Apostle falsly Query 9. Whether if Paul received a gift why may not others supply their necessaries Answ Paul sayd not because I desire a gift in the same verse which words thou pervertest but that fruit might abound for he denyed Balaams gifts Thou enimy of Righteousness how darest thou slander the Apostle who was a tru Minister of God all thy end in thy Querying is for thy gift to maintain thee in Balaams Seat here I charge thee by the Lord to be a perverter of the Scripture who art in the way of Kain Iude 11. I can scarce compare thee to Balaam for he denyed the gift which thou pleadest for and wrestest the Scripture to maintain it and therefore Wo is to thee who lovest the wages of unrighteousness but thou art one who servest not the Lord Iesus Christ but thy own Belly and by good words and fayr speeches deceivest the hearts of the simple Rom 16 18. Phil 3 19. Query 10 Whether David was not in a heavenly condicion while on the Earth as well as any of you being a man after Gods own heart Acts 2 34. Answ He was in that heavenly Condicion which thou shalt never see David we witness and his Condicion whom thou art an enimy to and with thy aspiring mind wouldst know but it is the subtle Serpent which is shut forth which Christ cryed Wo unto you Serpents which paint your selves with the Prophets words Math 23 33 and so thou art painted and wouldst be painted and Wo is thy Porcion as t was theirs Math â—3 33. Query 11 What Heaven is this that he is not ascended into Answ â—hou wouldst know what Heaven David is not ascended into thou never knâ—west Davids Condicion that he was in that Minde of thine must first know Hell where the wicked are turned into Psal 9 17. Thou hast nothing to do to know where David is ascended for thou never knewest his first estate nor thou art not brought into his Condicion but he that knowes the Heaven of heavens knows what heaven it is he that hath an Eare let him hear but thou art in the generacion of them that hated David Query 3. If not
and is all the righteous bloud shed and in that nature which thou wouldst know these things in it was ever hid from who have the chiefest places in the Assemblyes and called of men Master Matth. 23. 7. and in that generacion thou art which the Wo was ever preached to try thy self for to that in thy conscience which should exercise it do I speak 2 Cor. 4. 2. and when it doth appear it will witness me 2 Cor. 5. 11. the time is coming and now is that not at Ierusalem in your highest profession of Christ nor your highest glorious nocions of him which you live in nor none of your Steeple-houses nor none of your Exercises as you call them nor the daintiest Dish you have will be meat for the tru worshipers of God for they have run to this Steeple-house and that Steeple-house and to this mountain and that mountain and here is a dainty Dish and there is a dainty Dish sayth the Harlot which hath long deceived the simple ones but now all you Harlots are discovered which have deceived the Nations and now Abraham shall arise who is the Friend of God whom thou knowest not but art in the generacion of them who professed Abraham and freedom and God to be their Father but were of their Father the Devil Iohn 8. 44 4â— doing his work who was a Murderer crucifying the just who are in the fall and not come to the beginning for thy Father was a Murderer since the beginning and Dives must be turned into Hell and the Dives with your dainty Dishes must be layd low and you who profess the New Ierusalem will be found to be in the old Ierusalem where the Lord Iesus Christ was and is crucified in your Ierusalem now in the highest place of Worship the tru worshipers of the Father in Spirit and Truth witness it to be so and the time is come that the Scripture is fulfilled and the words of Christ Iohn 4. 23. Praises Praises to the Eternall glorious God of Heaven and Earth for ever and ever who now hath made his Power known by which we see the Deceits of you all 6 Query Whether it be not Gods Ordinance that the inward living spiritual powerful word of God whereby all the Saints of God are taught and the tru inward spirituall Worship of the Saints should in the outward appearance of them be held forth in earthen vessels as under a form of Speech or word yea or no Ans Freind in this Query thou hast uttered forth thy weakness and thy ignorance in the form of the Letter doth appeare yet Serpent-like thou art full of Subtilty but thy nakedness doth appeare openly The word of God is as a Fire and cannot be limited no not with thy carnal Reason It is as a Hammer to beat thee to peices and as a Sword to cut thee asunder whensoever thou comest to know this powerfull word of God And this is the word which the Prophets spoke from who cryed Wo against all them that sayd the Lord sayth and he never spoke to them and cryed against all them that bear rule by their meanes Ier. 5 30 31. the horible filthy thing is committed in the Land which is and was held up with Preist and People but now the same living spirituall eternall Word is made manifest and is preached abroad against all you Hyerlings and greedy dumb Dogs which have not a word from the Lord but seek for your gain from your quarters and get up into the cheifest place of the Assemblies and are called of men Masters and stand praying in the Synagogues he that is the Word cryed Wo against all such and them that had this Word he bade them not to be as they were Math. 23. 8 9 10. And this Word is made manifest in the Saints which is declared abroad but thou who livest in Appearance and wouldst see things in Appearance in thy carnall wisdom and Reason â—hou art shut out from this knowledg for to thee it is death to thy carnall minde therefore freely do I publish the Eternall Truth abroad and as knowing you that you have not a word from the â—ord but are in that generacion of those that did shut up the kingdom of Heaven against men neither go in your selves nor suffer others laying heavy burthens upon the People and will not toutch them with one of your fingers but what you do you do it to be seen of men making broad your Philacteries and devouring Widdows houses Math. 23. 45. who art desolate from Christ who hast got the Form of Christs words but art in the steps of the Scribes and Pharises who had got the form of Moses and the Prophets and were enemies and strangers to the Life of God Moses and the Prophets and their Form you have got in your comprehension in the earthly vessel and that 's your heavenly Treasure but now you are tryed with what you hold forth in a Form of words but the word of God is powerfull and in him is no Form but thou art a Theif and a Robber who stealest the Prophets words Ier. 23. 30. who art without who knowest not the Word nor the Lord nor the tru Ministers of the Word shutting out thy self in the dark world and Querying whether the Word should be held forth in earthen vessels if thou hadst an Eye or if thou hadst an Eare thou mightst hear and see it preached dayly but as I said to thy first Query thou knowst not the Light whith enlightneth every one that commeth into the world but art ignorant deaf and blinde one that hates the Light that makes thee let forth so many stumbling Queries for hadst thou the Light thou wouldst not stumble but be as a Citty set upon a Hill but thou art without who hast shewed forth such a dark minde but that minde is for destrukcion for if thou didst walk in the Light and love it it would lead thee to the Day which would let thee see all things and there would be no ocasion of stumbling but thou art him that hates the Light so all thy Preaching as thou callest it leads from God being blinde and leads the blinde and must both go into the Ditch together but we who are Ministers of the Eternal Word see it and dwell in the Light and declare freely without a Bag or a Staffe without Brass and Silver or two Coats for the workman is worthy of his meat freely you have received freely give Math. 10. 8. therefore we do deny your preaching and for the simple ones sake who are in the Simplicity who have been ensnared by you who are in the Subtilty and such as you are who have let forth these Queries for we know your Spirits though you have not let forth your names so who are in the simplicity seeking after the Truth for their sakes have I let forth my self and shewed forth your folly Query 7. Whether the Idols Temple and the Worship that 's done therein
thou hast shewed forth thy ignorance not to discern the Lords Body and to be of them that would make a division in the Body that is spoken of in the Scripture for the Body of Christ is but one as it is written being many members yet one Body 1 Cor. 12. 20. and Christ is the Head and Members of this Body and liveth in it I in thee and thou in me that they may be one as thou Father art in me and I in thee Iohn 27. he that can receive it let him but thou art he who doth not discern the Lords Body therefore thou eatest and drinkest damnacion to thy self 1 Cor. 11. 29. and to thee it is a mystery and damnacion thou must know and with that Eye thou shalt never see it for it is evill as Herods was who sought after the Child to worship him but would have slain him Matth. 2. 13. he that raiseth the Body he is the judg of the world in flames of fier and in flaming fier and in vengeance shalt thou know and in judgment 2 Thes 1. 7. 8. who art without in the world querying about his body who is the Resurrection John 11. 25. and in this Query thou hast shewed forth thy dark mind which is full of Confusion and thy self to be ignorant of the Body of Christ and with thy fleshly understanding which is for destrukcion thou wouldst know it and this minde which hath asked this Question but the Righteousness of Faith speaks on this wise not to say to fetch Christ from above or descnd into the deep that is to bring up Christ again from the dead But what sayth it the word is nigh thee even in thy mouth and in thy heart that is the word of Faith which wee preach Rom. 10. 6. 7. 8. wherein thou hast showed thy self that gavest forth these Queries that you never heard this word of Faith preached to you and he is the Head and the Saints are the Body Eph. 4. 15. and in him we live who sit with Christ in heavenly places Eph. 2. 6. and his body is but one and he lives in it for ever whom the Heavens must receive untill the time of Restitucion of all things Acts 3. 21. but you dark Sots this is a mystery to you as Christ is who is the Head of the Body and this Body of Christ which thou desirest to know thou shalt never know nor see for thou art for judgment and condemnacion ordained of Old Iude 13. and in darkness thou livest who art dead in Sins and Trespasses Eph. 2. 1. and who art querying after Christ whether he be a particular Person showing forth the same minde that was in the Iewes who knew not Christ but queried whether he was the Carpenters Son or no Math. 13. 55. who was not born by the will of man and is born now but not by the will of man him you know not nor cannot se Iohn 1 13. nor believe where he is made manifest and he is but one in all his Saints who is their Head Rom. 7 4. and their Life who comes into the World from above and redeemes and makes free from Sin and the Law with the Body of Christ he that hath an Eare may hear to us it is plainness who are in the Gate and Fold but to you it is a mystery who live in the mystery aâ— Iniquity who are without the Gate and Christ is the Resurrection and the Judg Iohn 11. 25. that shalt thou finde when he comes upon thee to render vengance in flames of fier Iohn 5 22. who art a Childe of Disobedience 2 Query With what Bodies shall the Saints arise with and dwell and live in for ever shall there be given to every particular Saint a particular Body Answ Whereas thou wouldst know with what Body the Saints shall arise In that Body which Christ doth live in for he is the Saviour of the Body he is the Head of the Body he is the Resurrection and the Life of the Body and his Body is but one So wee are many members yet one Body Cor. 12. 20. and here thou hast showed thou dost not discern the Lords Body but art under the Damnacion Thou Fool whereas thou wouldst know whether there shall be given to every particular Saint a particular Body and with what Bodies they shall arise as they said in the Corinthians with what Bodies shall they come and how should the dead be raysed Paul makes answer Thou fool that which thou sowest is not quickened except it die and that which thou sowest thou sowest not that Body that shall be but bare grain it may chance of Whear or of some other grain but God giveth it a Body as it hath pleased him and to every seed his own Body All flesh is not the same flesh but there is one kind of flesh of Men another flesh of Beasts another of Fishes and another of Birds there are also Celestiall Bodyes and Bodies Terrestiall but the glory of the Celestial is one and the glory of the Terrestiall is another There is one glory of the Sun another glory of the Moon and another glory of the Stars for one Star differeth from another Star in glory So also is it in the Resurrection of the dead if thou hast an Eare thou mayst hear but thou Fool art never the wiser here but thou art a Conjurer and livest in Conjuracion Ier. 27. 9. Zach. 10. 2. 3 Query With what Bodies shall the wicked arise with natural or spirituall Answ With thy corrupt naturall spirituall wickedness to Condemnacion with that Body doth the wicked arise that thou livest in thou Enimy of God shalt finde it and the Eye in thee shall see destruction and eternall Condemnacion who queriest with what Bodies the wicked shall arise thou art risen high in thy spirituall wickedness Ephes 6. 12. who livest in the corrupt nature and high art thou risen in it whose Judgment is appearing and Judg stands at the door and lingers not whose damnacion slumbers not 2 Pet. â— 3. If thou hast an Eare thou mayst hear and there read thy Porcion and thy Answer to the Query 4 Query Whether is there or shall there be a Locall Place of Heaven and Hell to be inhabited and dwelt in for the Saints to enjoy and the Wicked to suffer in with their Bodyes And how shall they be tormented with materiall Fier and Brimston or how And if every Saint and Devil have a particular Body must there not be a particular Locall Place Can Bodies be no where Must they not rest and stand upon some place the Saints singing Hallelujah to the Highest for evermore Answ In thy Query thou hast uttered forth thy Confusion who hast joyned Heaven and Hell together and whereas thou wouldst know whether there is or there shall be a Locall Place of Heaven and Hell here thou shewest forth thy blindness in that thou knowest neither Heaven nor Hell and in the Locall Place as thou calst
God hast none who crucifiest Christ now who art he that frustratest and quenchest the Spirit who must be consumed with the breath of his mouth and destroyed by the brightness of his coming thou queryest whether there be a power in every man as to be saved if he will here thou subtlety who art ditted full of Eearth hast shewed forth thy ignorance of the power of God 2 Tim. 3. 4 5. Man in his will would be saved as thou wouldst but the power of God is contrary to thy will and destroys it which saves and as many as receives Christ to them he gives power to become the sons of God Iohn 1. 12. but here thou son of perdicion hast made manifest thy self not to love Christ nor receive him therefore thou wantst power and there thou hast shewed thy self to be that wicked and slothfull servant which hidest thy Talent in the Earth Matth. 25. 26. and there is that Light and Power in every man which if he take heed to it and wait within there he shall finde his Saviour 2 Pet. 1. 19. but if he hate this pure Eternal Light it shall condem him eternally whose deeds are evil Iohn 3. 19. as thine is and so all stumbling is by being disobedient to the Light as the Iews who stumbled at Christ who sayd he was the Light that enlightneth every one that cometh into world so thou dost now at the same Light which shall be thy condemnacion eternally thou shalt witness me it is the same Light as ever was to that which should exercise your consciences do I speak which will witness me and condemn you though God is greater than Conscience 7 Query Whether there shall be a general Resurrection of all flesh all summoned to one place and to what place to receive a tru and du Sentence of Iudgment yea or no Answ Christ Iesus is the Resurrection of the just and unjust some to salvacion and some to condemnacion the same that saves the same condemns Matth. 25. 31 32 33 34. And thou desirest to know the place it is the day that God will judg thee and the world in righteousness whom he hath ordained thou busie fellow who art querying of others condicions of the world without thee but it is that thou Fool mightst utter forth thy folly and here thou hast made it appear and in thy Queryes thou art little wiser and there is a place where thou shalt finde a Judg and his Trumpet is sounding but thou art deaf yet and canst not hear it and the Sumpter-horse is gone forth 8 Query Whether may the Scriptures by the Spirit of God be opened and unfolded and expounded to the People yea or no Ans Here thou Serpent art full of subtlety High-Priest like under a colour comest and wouldst be taught but in thy other Queryes thou art teaching and judging and thou didst shew thy selfe to be one that didst not know the Light which enlightneth every one that cometh into the world and what dost thou talk of opening the Scripture who hates the Light and stumblest at it and art disobedient to the Spirit Col. 3. 6. to it thou art an Enemy Ephes 5. 6. but it is that thou mayest be kept in the high place of wickedness Ephes 2. 2. but by them who dwell in the Light thou art comprehended and taken in the snare and art without the Truth of God and an Enemy to that which should guide thee and to be a Cloud without water Iude 12. and the same Spirit where it is made manifest and lived in and walked in and not the lusts of the flesh it opens the Scriptures in the People and fulfils them for it is the same that gave them forth and where this is witnessed it needs not be queryed whether it opens the Scripture to the People or no for it doth open them in the People and to the People but thou art without the Gate of Truth what is this to thee one that art without stumblest at the Light a Childe of Disobedience whom the wrath of God abides upon Iohn 3. 36. but it is the Serpent that would be wise and wouldst paint thy self with other mens words who pretendest to have the Spirit but art a Deceiver in the world in thy Fathers Kingdom and Dominion and this shalt thou see when thou ownest the Light which is thy condemnacion and witnessest me to speak the truth George Fox FINIS Certain QUERIES given forth from one Robert Lucas of Kellet in Lancashire who is wise in his own conceit professing in words that he knows something but iâ— here found out to know nothing but what he knows naturally as a bruit Beast and in those things hath corrupted himself as Iude 10 and that through his wrath bitterness envy and malice against the wonderfull and mighty power of God which he hath manifested in his People which now makes the Devil to rage persecute and blaspheme and to set all his Servants a work to tempt to minister Questions to despise falsly accuse and to slander and contemn all those who are redeemed from the Earth and are Servants to the living God and walk in the Truth judging and condemning and overturning all those who profess the Truth in words but walk contrary which Questions were propounded to one who is despised of the Despisers for the Truths sake whose name among men is Richard Hubberthorn but are answered by the Spirit of the Lord from the mouth of the Lord as followeth I Have here received a Paper whose name subscribed to it is Robert Lucas in which are many unlearned Queryes proceeding from the subtle minde Serpent-like which minde is full of mischief and dark about Questions and strife of words 2 Tim. 2. 23. being full of darkness and in them are many temptations yet because thou Fool shouldst not be exalted in thy pride and foolery a few things in Answer I have given forth to the uttering forth of thy foolery thou that hast been a Professor so long and art querying what Faith is and whether Faith be attained by hearing the Word preached and whether all men have not Faith and whether it is possible to please God without Faith and thou queryest how Christ is in man and whether any be elected to Salvacion and whether all men be conceived in sin and queryest how it is done away after thou hast shewed forth thy foolishness thy blindness and thy ignorance as not knowing any thing thou hast made a Profession of Christ and here thou shewest thou knowst him not for shame give over thy Profession and lay thy hand upon thy mouth and be silent but to us the uttering forth thy folly is serviceable as it is written Fools are uttering forth their folly and thou hast shewed thy self to be one Prov. 13. 16. 1 Query What Faith is Answ Faith is the Gift of God and that which asks the question is without and shall never know it for thou art a Reprobate concerning it the Faith
Light which is Christ which he hath enlightned them withall and he that loves the Light brings his works to the Light and there is no occasion of stumbling to him that walks in it and loves it and this Light is not a Chapter without which the Teachers of the World read Thou that hatest this Light thou hast it it lets thee see that all thy Deeds are evil if thou bringst thy works to it it will reprove thee Iohn 3. â—0 and this is the condemnacion of the World and here every one hath a Teacher whose mindes are informed Iohn 8. 12 to that in every mans conscience do I speak which should exercise it which shall eternally witness me and eternally condemn thee and you all who are haters of Light and what hast thou to do to talk of Iohn and of Christ and of the Churches and of the Angels and knowest not the first Principle yet Heb 5. 12 which should guide thee out of the World and bring thee to Repentance but to this thou art an Enemy to and among the Antichrists which say Lo here and Lo there Matthew 24. 23 30 Query Why do you teach exhort write Papers and print Books Answ In thy Query before thou askest whether the Scriptures were written for our instruction and now thou askest why do we exhort and teach here thou shewest forth that thou art tormented and thy terror begins for our giving forth Papers or Printed Books it is from the immediate eternal Spirit of God to the shewing forth the filthy practises of the Worlds Teachers and thine who with a pretence and fair colours and glosses and with a seeming Religion deceives the simple and thy own soul too we have bin long under captivity by you and such as you following your imaginacions but God hath raised up a Light within us by which we see you Deceivers without us and all the blinde Guides Matth 23 16. so for the simple ones sakes who are led by the blinde as we are moved by the immediat Spirit of Christ to write to teach or to exhort or to put in Print and this is it which doth torment thee but it is but the beginning of thy sorrow and this is from the immediat Spirit of Christ which thou art offended withall as ever the Pharises were but thou shalt see more Papers and more Printings and as the immediat Spirit grows there will be more abominacions and filthiness layd open and all Deceit will be discovered and the Truth spread abroad and cherished which will and doth trouble thee as Herod was when Christ was born Matth 2 3 31 Query What is Conscience where is it seated in man and what is its office and duty Answ Thou hard-hearted Pharaoh hast thou been a Professor so long and yet askest what is Conscience thou full of subtlety and Tempter it is that which thou makest shipwrack of 1 Tim 1 19 shut up from thy dark understanding and thy dark Reason it is seated below the hypocrisie in thee thou art a Tyrant to it and rulest over it yet in thy carnal knowledg thou wouldst know it to talk of it but Plagues and Curses are du to that nature which thou must know before thou know the office or duty of it as thou speakest for yet thou art in the hardness of thy heart and here thou hast overturned thy self thou hast before asked many Queryes but the intent is to maintain thy carnal state which seares the Conscience the tender part in man but Friend if thou hearken to the Light to that in thy Conscience do I speak 2 Cor. 5. 2. it will let thee see what Conscience is thou hard bea rt and it will exercise thy Conscience towards God and towards man Acts 24. 16 and here shalt thou see its duty and office and where it is seated and by it how thy understanding is enlightned and by it how thy heart is cleansed if thou hast an Ear thou mayst hear thou that wouldst be taught what Conscience is and where it is seated for shame lay away thy filthy Profession who wouldst know where Conscience is it is under thy hypocrisie who art comprehending Conscience with thy carnal Wisdom and Reason but thou must be confounded and condemned with that which should exercise thy Conscience 2 Cor 5 11 and here thou hast shewed forth thou dost not know the first Principle but art without and one of them whose Conscience is seared 1 Tim 4 2 32 Query If thou have the Spirit of Christ and in a large measure as some give out of thee taking upon thee to be a Teacher as also sending many Queryes to others I require of thee an Answer to these Queryes not in ambiguous and doubtfull terms as the Devil in his Oracles but in plain Language affirmatively or negatively full and clear according to the Spirit in the Gospel-times that he that runs may reade it or else confess thou art led with a spirit of deceit and darkness which would not willingly descover it self Answ Thou sayst if I have the Spirit of Christ which I have and witness it but as taking upon me in the will to be a Teacher as you are made Teachers that I do deny I do deny the will and you both 1 Cor 2 17 and all who are made Ministers by the will of man but the sending forth Queryes which grieve thee to others is that you may shew forth your folly as you have done in answering them by your dark minde which cannot comprehend the Light in which they are given forth but shews forth your darkness blindness ignorance and folly and despight against the Spirit of Grace being Enemies to Jesus Christ which is the Light in us and hath discovered and layd open your deceits and blindness and to all who have their Eys in their Head your folly is made manifest 2 Tim 3. 9 And thou hast here discovered thy ignorance and shewed forth thy folly in these Queryes thou dost require an Answer to these Queryes in plain Language which thou hast sent I have spoken plainly to thee and not flattered thee and as touching ambiguous terms they are thy own as the Devil in his Oracles thou art guarded with them I comprehend thee and see thy Cloathing and thy Affirmative and thy Negative proceeds from thy cursed minde but sound and clear I have answered thee according to the Spirit that is in the Gospel but to thy dark minde they will be dark for thou neither knowest the Spirit nor the Gospel for I have answered thee in the Gospel-time and he that hath the Spirit may run and reade it and reade thy spirit to be the spirit of Error erred from all them that did preach the Gospel which ever were we are not led by a spirit of Error but it we do deny therefore we do deny thee therefore openly and freely and nakedly do I declare my self to the discovering of the spirit of Error which is in thee and all thy blinde Guides who is led by the Spirit of Truth hath discovered you to be in the deceit and in darkness without God in the world the Plagues of God are to be poured upon the Beast and the false Prophet and the Beast and false Prophet are to be cast into the fier Rev 20. 10 there is thy porcion now do not call this railing and rash judgment for thou knowest the Letter thunders and speaks forth such words to such as thou art who livest in that nature Friend this is thy day of visitacion 2 Cor 5. 11 to that which is in thy Conscience I have spoken which shall eternally witness me and condemn thee 1 Cor 4. 2 The mouth of the Lord of Hosts hath spoken it The Preparacion of the Heart in Man and the Answer of the Tongue â—â— from the Lord Prov 16. 1 FINIS NOw all you who are doting about Questions and are Ministers of Questions and not Ministers of Grace nor Edificacion but are busi-bodyes tempting and laying Snares and digging Pits lye are now fallen into the Pits which ye have digged for others and you who are wise are taken in your own craftiness and you are now answered from the mouth of the Lord and discovered and to every one is rendred his du and porcion but you sollowing the steps of your fathers the Iews you as they did marvel at his Answers though he was the Son of God Luke 20. 26 now you are answered own your porcion for I have kept back nothing what I received freely from the Lord freely I have declared unto you without parciality or having mens persons in admiracion because of advantage not favouring deceit nor giving liberty to sin for the Lord hath given us a mouth and wisdom which all our Gain-sayers are not able to resist and we walk in the pure wisdom of God and wisely towards you that are without redeeming the time and our speech is with Grace seasoned with Salt and we know how to answer every man Col 4. 5 6 Prayses Prayses to the Lord for ever who takes the wise in their craftiness and confounds and brings to shame all his Enemyes and discovers all Serpents with their twistings and twinings and subtle and cunning temptacions and hath fulfilled his Apostles words in his Sons and Daughters in making their folly manifest to all men and they shall proceed no further 2 Tim 3. 9 and now the painted Serpents the well-favoured Harlots the divers coloured Beasts and the wily Foxes are discovered to his Sons and Daughters that they cannot spoyl the tender Plants which the Lord himself hath planted in his Peoples hearts the Plants of his Renoun grows and flourisheth Prayses Prayses to the eternal powerfull God for ever Let all the Sons and Daughter of the Lord prayse the Lord Let all the Fathers and young men Children and Servants bless and prayse the Lord for ever who reigns for evermore Richard Hubberthorn