reason with him which he would not receive but put it by under false pretences false Accusations which in Writing he sent unto me again then the boaster was got up and told me I stood spechless and was silent and had nothing to answer and seeing he would not be brought to any way by which his false accusations might come to light and his deceit discovered I was moved to return unto him in Writing some of his lyes and slanders with which he falsly accused the truth and the righteous generation whom his scornful spirit calls the generation of Quakâ—s whom he had also accused with many other things which I did not return unto him with the rest because he said I might ere long hear him make them manifest in print and in that Writing he sent me some queries to answer though he had plainly denied to answer mine therefore I laid it upon him That what he had in private papers written and charged upon the truth he might prove and print them and his queries also with the rest which he had said he would make manifest in Print but he not being willing to make all his lyes and deceit so publick as in Print he writes unto me again and therein offers Proof to what was Returned unto him and laid upon him to prove publickly and saith he had proved them all before as his Writings made manifest and it was but shifting and dissembling to call for new Proof yet he saith That both I and others may see his readiness to prove what he had said he had sent plain Proofs of the 20 Particulars which he said I might have drawn into 12 or 14 seeing 6 or 8 of them all concerned one and the same thing but he said The Quakers loves to be numerous Let the simple-minded here observe and the spiritual judge what thick darkness is upon him to say We love to be numerous when all the Particulars which I returned unto him were invented by him or some other for him and sent with his ovvn Name unto them vvhich novv he saith might have been dravvn into fevver did not he first make them numerous by multiplying of them vvithout need and I did but vvrite vvhat I received from him vvhich he novv condemns as numerous and so out of his ovvn mouth is judged to be a transgressor allovving that in himself vvhich he condemns in another And that some of his deceit may come to vievv and that it may be seen vvhat Proof he offers and of vvhat nature they are and thereby it may be judged hovv he proved his Lyes before vvhich he saith his Writings vvill make manifest I shall here therefore give forth the Particulars vvhich unto him I returned and the Proofs vvhich he hath offered vvith a short Reply unto them severally in vvhich he is unveiled Particular The first is That the quakers observes the Worlds Form Proof This Charge was to thy self in observing the Worlds Form in thy Title Page of thy Book in which thou hast laid down thy Weapons of Defence Reply That by vvhich every thing is proved to be truth is truth but no lye is of the truth therefore thou hast but added sin to sin offering one lye to prove another for in thy Writing these vvere thy vvords I do not say that writing Scripture phrases in a title page is against the truth but against your own Principle as you are Quakers who cry out against â—thers for following the Worlds Form and yet your selves do observe it therefore thou art found guilty of making Lyes thy Kefuge and would in thy ignorance perswade others that it is a proof of the matter Let the wise in heart consider and that of God in all Consciences judge if this be a proof of what thou hast falsely accused the Righteous with or if this Charge was only to my self or in general from thy own words be thou judged which I have here truly set down that all honest minds may be truly informed and thou may be convinced by that of God in thy own Conscience to be a false accuser and that is my Weapon in which I stand to defend the truth from thy lyes and it will cut thee down and there shall be none to hold thee up 2. Partic. That they maintain their device of formal quaking Proof That they labour to maintain their formal quaking is laid open in their Books and Writings Reply Such a Proof may shame a formal Professor to reproach the Saints Condition and call it formal when the Lord by his power makes the Earth to tremble and melt at his presence of which Condition Moses David Habakknk and many others were true VVitnesses which Condition we own and on the Lord do wait that by the power of his Spirit it may be wrought in the inner man and it is the work of the Lord who is unlimited in his power and what he doth who shall say unto him VVhat doest thou vvho VVorks vvhen and vvhere he pleaseth as the vvind blovveth vvhere it listeth vvhich is in no formal practice bound up or limitted neither do we so maintain it either in Book or Writing but thou hast added sin to sin again and manifested thy envie to all moderate Spirits and no way that thou canst find out to help thy self but by making Lyes thy Refuge for a Lyar thou art proved and therefore hast no cause to think why thy words should pass for proof in any matter against which thou contendest without thou canstbring plain Scripture to manifest that what thou contendest against is contrary to the Leadings and Guidings and Work of the Spirit of truth and the Doctrine of Christ and the Apostles in the Scriptures declared but what thou hast done doth manifest thy folly and enâ—ity against the truth and those who walk therein 3. Paâ—â—ic That their light within is a false Harlot Proof Their light within is their false Religion being against the light and teachings of the Scriptures and false Religion is known of all who knows any thing to be a false Harlot Reply Who comes to the knowledge of Gods glory comes to know him in the light which shines in their hearts which light shines within and brings to know God where the pure Religion is witnessed which the Scripture declares of but thouknowest nothing as thou ought to know and so puts the true light for darkness and calls pure Religion a false Harlot for the true light which lighteth every man that comes into the world is Christ Joh. 1. 9. and he is the truth John 14. 6. and they that follow him comes to the light of life Joh. 8. 12. and they examine themselves and knows Christ to be in them according to the Scripture 2 Cor. 13. 5. and he is in them the hope of Glory Col. 1. 27. and this Christ we preach and this Grace of God we declare which we know to be in us and is truth in the inward parts which the Lord
THE Faithful Witness OR A HAND OF LOVE REACHED FORTH That the blind may be guided and the scattered gathered ALSO Mans Sinne and Rebellion declared and the long-suffering of the Lord shewed â—ith a true Call unto all People to meet the Lord by speedy repentance and vvait to yeild him ready obedience for here is the right Way of the Lord open'd Also the state of Professors plainly manifested wherein they may see how they are erred and hovv the Serpent hath deceived and betrayed them 〈◊〉 a Warning unto all the tender hearted amongst them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and receive the Hand of Love that they may no longer abide in 〈◊〉 but walk in the way of righteousness where true rest and peace 〈◊〉 â—â—joyed Truth defended and cleared from the Lyes and Slanâ—â—â—s declared by Ionathan Iohnson of Lincoln a Baptist in profession 〈◊〉 who bears no evil will to any man but wisheth well to all men and am 〈◊〉 to many by the Name of William Smith â—â—â—DON Printed for Thomas Simmons at the Bull and Mouth near Aldersgate 1659. THE Faithful VVitness GIve ear all ye Inhabitants of the Earth for these sayings are true and faithful be meek and lowly in your hearts and how your ears to Wisdoms voice and turn at her reproof for in your own Ways are you wandering where peace you know not the bowels of compassion is freely opened from the Fathers love and his good will is made known amongst you in that he is striving with you to turn you into the right way that you might walk therein for he hath not left himself without a Witness in all your consciences which doth not consent to your ungodly deeds but doth convince you thereof and bears testimony against your ways of vanity which your minds are exercised in and all your wicked practices which by you are brought forth from your vain minds where you are beset with sin and servants thereunto your carnal minds being at enmity against God and not subjected to his Law you are at liberty in the flesh and satisfying the lust thereof and though you all profess to know God yet in Works you deny him and your hearts are far off from him therefore is your Worship vain for Gods fear is not before your eyes therefore you run to do evil and rebels more and more against the Lord wallowing in the mire of defilements that pollutes and stains your own consciences your minds being in the earth and your faces downward thick Clouds of darkness doth compass you about and the Prince of darkness ruleth over you and leads you all out of the way vvhere none doth good you are a Cage of unclean Birds every one follovving the lust of his own heart that you multiply your transgressions with delightings and commits sin vvith greediness and strengthens your hands in vvickedness a sinful Nation you are and a seed of evil doers filling up the measure of iniquity and nourishing your hearts as in a day of slaughter from the crown of the head to the sole of the feet there is no whole part in you O! how long will you suffer the Lord to wait that he may shew mercy to you How often have you rejected his loving kindness and grieved his holy Spirit What a day of a patience and forbearance hath he exercised towards you that you might have turned unto him and received his mercy You are a stiff-necked people who sets your selves against the Lord and every visitation of his love refusing to return and hating to be reformed for when you have been called by that of God in your own conscience you have not hearkened and when it hath smiten you have refus'd correction have you not felt a Witness in your own conscience against you when you have been acting iniquity that it hath judged condemned you for your secret faults that fearfulness hath surprised you paleness of face hath come upon you when no man hath been near you nor no tongue accused you yet that hath been within that hath numbred up your transgressions set your sins in order before you and brought them all to light in your own conscience which the eye of man hath not seen nor for which the tongue of man could accuse you yet they have appeared fresh in your minds though many years before they had been committed by you O consider what it is all you that have so long outstood it and yeild obedience to the reproof of it that you may be acquainted with it and thereby know it to be Gods faithful Witness in your own conscience placed against sin and the hand of Love reached forth to lead you out of sin and so come to have communion with it and walk in the light of it that you may not fall under the eternal condemnation thereof for though it be as a sign every where spoken against by those who are at enmity with it and that they call iâ—â—atural and a delusion yet if you turn at the reproof the of and yeild obedience to it you wil know it to be God â—ighty Power unto salvation and this vvill give you the eâ—â—â—ence in your selves that it is a manifestation of God which doth discover all that in you which is contrary to its own property which it hath no fellowship nor communion with and this can neither be natural nor a delusion which doth reprove the natural man in his natural state where he is an Enemy to God a fervant to sin and under the Devils power by whom he is tempted and deluded to consent to the motion of sin and to bring forth the Works of Iniquity vvhich the Faithful Witness doth not consent to but testifies against and shews it to be evil in the conscience of every man and reproveth thereof and calls every man to seperate from it as an unclean thing this you may all read in your selves in the light which you are enlightened withall Yea drunkards swearers lyars and all prophane persons you all have a manifestation of God in you which doth discover your sins unto you and brings them unto your remembrance and many times strikes you with fear and terror for the evil of your doings and brings you into sadness and mourning for your sins past which in the light is made manifest unto you in your own conscience and this is not a natural thing nor a delusion but it is Christ the light of the World who was before the World was and is the power of God made manifest to destroy sin and the Devils Works and this is he unto whom you are all to look and stand obedient unto whatsoever he doth command you that you may know salvation in him and redemption by him whose Hand of Love is reached forth in this his day of power that a willingness he might beget in you to follow him be guided by the Hand of Love out of darkness where the god of this World ruleth who is a deceiver unto whose
declared from the motion of the Spirit and sets them in opposition to the same light and spirit which now as truly moveth in the children of obedience as it did in them who were made Witnesses of the Grace of God and through the operation of the spirit did declare it Therefore be not so rash in your minds as to call good evil and Truth a delusion but sink down in Gods fear and know that which is near you to reprove you in your ignorance and then you wil know there is nothing so sure as that which was before the World or Man or Scriptures were which is that which changeth not but is to day as yesterday and abides the same for ever And this is the everlasting truth which from the beginning hath been made manifest through ages and generations according to the dispensation of Gods good pleasure which all the holy men of God have walked in and been obedient to and declared of whose sayings are all true and faithful and are owned to be a true Declaration of the living Word which from the beginning was novv is vvhich changeth not in vvhich they felt Gods loving kindness made manifest unto them as they vvalked in obedience unto him and likewise declared of Gods severity and displeasure revealed against the ungodly and unbelievers and thus was the truth known from the beginning to instruct and lead and guide the righteous in the holy Way wherein they erred not and to convince and condemn the World for sinne who walked with a froward heart against the Lord Be not deceived for all visible things must perish and that which hath a beginning hath an end howsoever it may appear in shew unto you there will be no help found in any created being in the needful time for your foundation which in your own Wisdom you have laid and in your own strength you are building upon one tempest will beat it all down and your labor will be lost after so many years spent Therefore be meek and lowly in your hearts and â—ink down to the Corner-stone and reject it no longer for it will not fail neither can the Gates of Hell prevail against it All wait for the Hand of Love to bring you thither that there your footsteps may be placed and your goings ordered that a spiritual House you may know raised up by the Arm of the Lord and here Christ is known who is true for evermore and leads into all truth those that believe in him and are guided by him the Alpha and Omega the beginning and the ending the first and the last there is none besides him nor any to be compared into him who baptizeth all that believe in him into one body by one spirit and there cleanseth them by the washing of Water through the Word where the regeneration comes to be witnessed and the answer of a good conscience received the pure Water flowing forth which washeth and cleanseth the body inwardly by which believers comes to be baptized into Christ and puts him on and this is the one baptism known and witnessed by all that follow the light of the Lord and walks in obedience to his commands and if you do not wilfully outstand Gods Witness you cannot but confess this is the baptism in which believers are baptized and is the one baptism the Scriptures declares of and that there is not another to be continued Therefore be silent before the Lord and yeild obedience to what he commands you by his spirit in the inner man and there know that one baptism which all believers are baptized with in which they are washed and cleansed to follow Christ in the regeneration and newness of life He that can receive it let him For you cannot prove by plain Scripture that Christ was a Minister of Water Baptism or that he did command it or preached it for Doctrine or pressed it as a duty but he sent his Disciples forth to preach the Gospel of the Kingdom and to give that which they had received freely and you cannot prove that when they were thus sent forth that they had received Water-baptism but what was made manifest in them and which they had received that they gave and declared thereof in Gods power and this reached the inward parts and pricked the hearts of those that heard it and brought them to enquire what they might do unto whom Peter said Repent and be baptized every one of you in the Name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins and ye shall receive the gift of the holy Ghost Acts 2. 38. This day is this Scripture fulfilled praises be unto the Lord God for ever and many are true Witnesses of this baptism whose hearts have been pricked by the eternal living Word in their own conscience that they have been brought to enquire what they might do and the living Word hath been obeyed and the reproof thereof which hath vvrought the godly sorrovv unto repentance never to be repented of and there the Fountain hath been opened which washeth avvay sin and uncleanness and baptizeth into the Name of Jesus Christ where sins are remitted and the gift of the Holy Ghost received And in this Scripture Water is not once named where the Apostle preaches the Doctrine of Baptism and was the first which vvas preached after the Holy Ghost fell upon them Therefore be not so envious against those who witness the truth as they know it in Jesus and are baptized with the Holy Ghost and Fire and hath felt him whose Fan is in his hand thoroughly purging his floor and cleansing the inward parts from all unrighteousness and this licks up the Water and consumes it as the fire did which fell from Elijah's Altar which was a true figure of the two Ministrations if you could read it for had you obeyed that which once did truly move in you and opened Gods love unto you and gave you a sight of many things which in your hearts were secretly lodged and let you see the Ways and Worship of the World to be vain if you had continued faithful unto this pure Guide it would not have left you on Jordans brinks nor in the midst thereof but would have opened it unto you and led you thorow it and over it and given you an inheritance in the true rest for ever Therefore be awakened and lift up your eyes and behold where you are for you are not come where â—ongs of deliverance are sung but are set down short of the pure rejoicing from whence you are all called to arise and join to the Hand of Love which is still reached forth unto you that thereby you might be gnided in the Way of peace that leadeth to eternal life and though many of you may swell in Wrath because the little stone is smiting your Image and that you know not how to uphold it but by contending for it and talking of the Scriptures yet this will not uphold it nor your Worship and
obedience to it for the Witness is true and the testimony thereof doth stand against you and over it you cannot prevail and this is my rejoicing in it that I have the answer of a good conscience and peace with God though many of you may be hardened and set your selves against the Word of Truth and hates to be reformed by it yet truth is the same and you cannot change it with all your inventions And let all the simple-minded who are yet seeking rest and are not satisfied with what you are feeding upon O return unto the Lord and come again to that of God in you who will heal your backslidings and open your understandings where the right Way of the Lord will be made known unto you for it is man that doth deceive you and leads you in many Wayes that they have imagined and in their Wills sets up their own inventions for the Way of God when the Lord hath not required it at their hands and whilst you are 〈◊〉 bewitched with the Inchanters and Southsayers and 〈◊〉 your delight in their crooked pathes you will not find that wherein satisfaction is which some of you are truly seâ—-king after Therefore unto you is this moved from the living God who are tender hearted and in whom there is yet a true breathing after God who cannot be satisfied with those things that will perish but are seeking after the enjoyment of something that will abide hearken to the light of Christ and feel the Hand of Love and join your selves unto it that you may be acquainted with it and know the leadings of it this will bring you to the life from whence it comes as you yeild obedience to it there will you feel living springs opened freely to you and plentifully to refresh you where you will know the Water that faileth not which yeildeth satisfaction and pure refreshment and though many be set down with their hearts hardened and denies every motion of the Spirit in them and instead of being filled with the Spirit according to the Apostles Doctrine they are filled with envy and fury against it and every appearance of it and opens their mouths in blasphemy against it but they shall all know a day of Tryal in which a recompence of reward will be given from the righteous God who will bring every secret thing into Judgement and make all his Enemies his Footstool let not their hard heartedness be an occcasion to make your tender hearts stumble at the Way of Truth neither give your minds to harken to their Inchantments who hath so long bewitched you from obeying the truth but all be diligent to hearken to the light which is truly moving in many of you and doth couvince you that you are not walking in the right Way you see something amiss amongst you which you cannot have communion with and something which you are not come to live in and which you cannot deny but to be truth as it is brought forth from the Spirit of Truth in others Therefore do you weigh and consider vvisely vvhere you are that you may be no longer deceived but may come and knovv the right Way of the Lord So all in the light keepe your mindes stayed and hasten not but lye dovvn and patiently vvait that you may see salvation brought unto you as you are brought to stand still and so will the Lord work his own Work for you by the Arm of his power and make known his secrets and reveal his Son in you that you may not confer with flesh and blood So unto the light of Christ with which you are enlightened all give up your selves in obedience that every motion thereof you may be willing to follow that it may be your Leader guide you out of your own Ways and Words and Works and Thoughts and bring you into subjection to do the Fathers Will in all things and to obey his Teachings which by his Spirit he requireth and it will bring you to know truth in the inner parts which the Lord loveth and as you obey the light and follows it you will feel every motion thereof to be precious and bringing you nearer unto the life from vvhence it comes vvhere the pure openings of Gods love you vvill feel to satisfie you So all in Gods fear stand and sink down to the Corner-stone which in you is placed and know that to be your foundation and this will be a sure Way to come to Christ when you feel his Vertue to stay your Issue and this is the Grace of God that brings salvation and appeareth to all Men teacheth what to deny and what to vvalk in which if you take heed unto you will need no other Teacher but as the anointing teacheth you which is in you and is truth and no lye which will open your understandings to know the things of God and let you see things that differ and bring you to a true discerning betwixt the precious and the vile where mans Way and Gods Way will be plainly opened unto you For the Seeds sake this is declared Reject not counsel ye tender hearts but be willing to receive instruction that your minds may be informed where to wait for Gods loving kindness that the Hand of Love may lead you in the new and living Way that brings to the Father where the true Rest you will find and perfect peace Truth defended and cleared from the Lyes and Slanders declared by JONATHAN JOHNSON HAving observed the Envious Spirit to rage for a long season in Jonathan Johnson against the Truth as it hath been declared and published in the motion of the Spirit of Life and that as Books hath come to his hand which hath been so published he hath been set on work in his busie mind to write in the leaves thereof against the truth which hath been therein declared for which cause I having unity through the love of God with that truth so declared and being made a Witness thereof it was laid upon me as my duty to write unto him and declare against his secret working in which I offered this unto him in the fear of the Lord That he would set out his own Work and make it publike in print and also sent him some Queries for to answer publikely and thereby did let him know that I should not receive him upon any other account but as he made his Work publike having heard much of his contentious spirit unto which offer and queries he sent me a plain denial in Writing back again in which were many Words and false Accusations against the truth which I did not find my duty to reply to in Writing having before let him know that I should not receive him upon that account therefore my duty was now to let him know that it was my desire that Truth might appear and be seen where it was so was ordered to write to him again wherein I then offered in the fear of the Lord to
speak evil of the way of truth is not this thy great business to speak evil of Christ the light of the world who is the way and the truth which thou art speaking against so act out of the doctrine of Redemption not knowing thy Redeemer to live having not obeyed from thy heart the form of Christ doctrine so art not come to the work of Redemption which worketh by his own mighty power in all that beleeve in him saving from fin redeeming from all iniquity and making perfect for ever through the sanctification of the spirit which is his work within and yet without all men these things thou canst not reach unto in thy wisdom below 15. Partic. That they make the Word of God of none Authority Proof Is proved by their Traditions against the teachings of the Word of God which tells men that they who are without Faith are without Christ the true light Eph. 2. 12. But the Quakers tells men who are without faith that they have must look to Christ the true light within a flat contradiction to the divâ—nâ— Authority of the Word of God Reply All that knows the Word of God the teachings thereof do see thee to be in that state as they were who were without Christ the Apostle doth not say that Christ was not within them but that they were without Christ without God in the world therfore he calls them to awake arise from the dead 〈…〉 Christ might give them light which was not a light without â—nem for that they had whilst they were dead but to the light within them did he mind them which when they had received they were made light in the Lord knew him to be the Author of their Faith which he wrought in their â—eaâ—â—s by the Word of his power which is the Word of Faith preached stands in the divine authority of God that so it is the true doctrin which the Word of God teacheth without any contradiction that they who are without faith are without Christ yet who are without faith are to look unto Christ within them obey him there that he may work faith in their hearts which those who are at enmity with him doth not come to know so abides without him in the unbelief in the world having no comunion with his life though such be without him yet he is within them a faithful witness to reprove them in their own conscience for their transgression disobedience but the Book unto thee is sealed thou art unlearn'd thy heart hardened that thou wilt not beleeve truth though from the living Word of God it be declared 16. Partic. That they set their hearts against the Lords Teachings in the Scriptures Proof Is proved in their setting themselves in array against the teachings of Christ his Apostles in the scriptures which is the open manifestation of the true light calling men into the desart and secret place to look for light in the house of darkness Reply Christ said false Christs false Prophets should arise shew great figns and wonders insomuch that if it were possible they should deceive the very elect but saith he Behold I have told you before wherefore if they shall say unto you Behold he is in the desart go not forth Mat. 24. If thy understanding was opened to know the scriptures Christs own words declares theâ— plainly what thou art what signs wonders thou art shewing to deceive by saying Christ is without behold him there Christ saith Go not forth this is his own doctrine all believers obeys it that which they were not to go forth from was within them and when those false Prophets came vvhich Christ said should come John savv their deceit their seducing spirit in the same light in vvhich thou art novv made manifest he exhorted to bevvare of that vvhich did seduce to look unto that vvhich vvas vvithin them which is the anointing saith he that ye have received of him abideth in you you need not that any man teach you but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things and is truth and no lye Joh. 2 27. And thus the Scriptures comes to be known and witnessed in the unity of that Spirit which is but one in all Christ said false prophets should come Go 〈◊〉 forth John saw them when they did come and he said Abide in the anointing which is in 〈◊〉 and here is the pure Doctrine of Christ the Apostle declared in the unity of the Spirit which thou art at enmity with and so teacheth another Doctrine as all false Prophets deceivers do 17. Partic. That they set up their own traditions Proof Is proved in setting up their pretended light which is quite contrary to the light and teachings of Scripture Rep. Thou being in the state of darkness calls good evil and so falsly accuses the truth by thy lying spirit which to make way for thy lyes to be brought in cryes out against the truth to be contrary to the Scripture-teaching and under this Vail of thick darkness was the Lord of glory crucified by the wise Scripture-learned who cried out against him to teach contrary to what was written in the Law and the Prophets and so enviously set themselves against him who was the end of the Law and Prophets and falsly accused him as thou in that Wisdom art doing who is the light of the world 18. Partic. That they pull down the Oracle of God in the Scriptures Proof Is proved in their calling the Scriptures dead and lifeless and pulling their teachings from mens hearts and minds that they might receive their false Voice which is quite contrary to them Rep. Christ's sheep hear his voice and follows him and his voice they know from strangers and it is the true Voice which is uttered from Gods holy habitation which is sweet to all that love it and a terror to all that hate it unto which we mind all people to give diligence that with a ready performance they may obey and do whatsoever it doth command and this is the still voice which is behinde thee from which thou starts aside and will not abide the reproof thereof 19. Partic. That they set up their own Idol-Books as a living voice Proof Is proved in their setting up their Books for Teachers and calling the Scriptures dead and lifelefs which books compared with their denyal of the Scriptures teaching are set forth with blâ—sphemous Tities Rep. The Lord God who lives for ever pleads the cause of the innocent against thy false tongue and he that searcheth all hearts and judgeth right in every conscience knows that thou dost falsly accuse the righteous generation and that there is no guilt upon them as to what thou hast charged against them for they do not deny the Scriptures nor sets up their Books for Teachers neither are the