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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A40216	A New-England-fire-brand quenched being something in answer unto a lying, slanderous book, entituled, George Fox digged out of his burrows, &c. printed at Boston in the year 1676, of one Roger Williams of Providence in New-England ... : of a dispute upon XIV, of his proposals held and debated betwixt him, the said Roger Williams, on the one part, and John Stubs, William Edmundson, and John Burnyeat on the other at Providence and Newport in Rode-Island, in the year 1672 where his proposals are turn'd upon his own head, and there and here he was and is sufficiently confuted : in two parts : as also, something in answer to R.W.'s Appendix, &c. with a post-script confuting his blasphemous assertions ... : also, the letters of W. Coddington of Rode-Island, and R. Scot of Providence in New-England concerning R.W. and lastly, some testimonies of ancient & modern authors concerning the light, Scriptures, rule & the soul of men / by George Fox and John Burnyeat.	Fox, George, 1624-1691.; Burnyeat, John, 1631-1690.	1678 (1678)	Wing F1864; ESTC R3637	449,863	526

the Ground of the Saints Faith and yet he saith The Scripture availeth nothing is of no value without the Spirit c Append. p. 94. And further we say If the Scripture was the Ground of the Saints Faith and the Scripture availeth nothing without the Spirit How was it that the Pharisees and the Papists whom thou mentionest so often had not Faith from that Ground for they all say they believe Scripture But what must we Observe from R. VV.'s Words here That the Scripture is the Ground of Christ's Faith and yet he will acknowledge Christ was before Scripture and Abraham Isaac and Jacob Abel Enoch and Noah had Faith before Scripture was written And now if Christ be the Author and Finisher of the Saints Faith and they are to look unto him I query Whether he be Scripture if it be the Ground of the Saints Faith And the Spirit of God which lead his Saints to give forth Scriptures leadeth into all Truth of them And the Spirit and the Scriptures are not at Odds one with another neither did we ever set them so as thou us in Effect chargest neither can the Children of God know the Scriptures given forth by the Spirit of God but by the Spirit of God within which thou scoffingly callest a Secret Whispering Voice within contrary to Scriptures And the Voice that owneth not the Scripture is not the Voice of the Spirit of God that gave them forth both before Christ's Coming in the Flesh and since And R. W. As to the Spirit 's Leading into all Truth the Sons of God thou answerest and say'st Is not Fox here in his Burrough not distinguishing betwixt the Extra-ordinary Leading of the Holy Apostles appointed to be the Eye-witnesses of Christ's Death and Resurrection c. Answ. What must we Infer from R. W's Words That because the Leading of the Apostles and Preaching the Resurrection of Christ Jesus by the Holy Ghost that others therefore were not reproved by the holy Ghost and must not every Son of God be led into all Truth to know Christ and his Resurrection but G. F. doth not say that all were Messengers and Apostles c. 1. Cor. 12. And thou ●urther sayst Yet all God's Children are Regenerated and Sanctified and dost thou not say in another place They must have a Combate all their Life and thou sayst That God's Children are Guided and Built up together an Habitation c. And then R. W. must not the Spirit of God be within and if so then thou ownest the Quakers Principle and confessest that which thou all this while hast been fighting against And as for what David said if he had been in thy Day thou wouldst have cried against him as thou dost against us who said I have hid thy Word in my Heart R. W. And this is the Devil's the Old Fox his Devilish Subtlety to make the Cloak of the Spirit 's extra-ordinary Assistance c. and the Angels Extra-ordinary Protection a Ground of Christ Jesus and his Servants flinging themselves down from the Pinnacle of the Temple and thou pretendest to tell us from God that this will be the Break-neck of the People called Quakers without Repentance every Soul of them Answ. How now R. W hast thou not here given rash Judgement against the Assistance and Protection and Sufficiency of the Spirit of Christ and his Grace which God saith is Sufficient to Paul in his Trouble And hast not thou broken thy own Neck here and falln down from the Pinnacle who dost not look at the Grace of God and his Light and Spirit to be Sufficient Is it sufficient to condemn them that Erre from the Spirit and turn the Grace of God into Wantonness And God sent an Angel and brought the Children of Israel out of Egypt and Exod. 23 20. Behold I send an Angel before thee to keep thee in the Way vers 23. For my Angel shall go before thee and bring thee c. and Chap. 22 24 And behold my Angel shall go before thee And was not this Angel sufficient to bring them into the Land of Canaan if they hearkened unto him and is not Christ Sufficient by his Light Power and Spirit to bring us out of Spiritual Egypt and Christ saith to his Sheep that hear his Voice I give unto them Eternal Life and they sha●l never perish neither shall any man pluck them out of my Hand John 10 28. But R. W. how canst thou say Thou passest thy false Judgement upon us from the God of Truth and yet sayst There is no Voice nor Motion within to be lissen'd or hearken'd unto in Heavenly Things in Matters that are Super natural pag. 83. R W. Thou say'st Our Principles and Practices are f●ll of Contradiction and Hypocrisy Answ. Our Principles and Professi●n are Holy and Pure and Contradictions and Hyppocrisy thou might'st have kept at Home for we Profess the Lord Jesus Christ and all the Prophecies and Things in the Law that Figured them forth and the Things in the Law as truly as the Prophets and the Apostles did Profess him and own all that is Written in the Scriptures from Genesis to Revelation And we own the Worship in the Spirit and Truth and are in it that Christ set up Sixteen-hundred Years since and the Religion that the Apostle describeth above Sixteen-hundred Years since which is Pure and Vndefiled before God And the One Faith which Chri●t is the Author of and the One Baptism and the One Spirit into One Body and One God and Father of All who is above All and through All and in you All as the Apostle speaketh And the Lord Jesus Christ who was Born of the Virgin Conceived by the Holy Ghost c. and Preach'd and Suffered under Pontius Pilate before whom he made a Good Confession and Died and Rose again and is at the Right Hand of God and remaineth in the Heavens till all things are Restored c. who will Judge the World in Righteousness and Reward every Man according to his Works and therefore no Salvation in any other Name but in the Name of Jesus c. And let New-England-Professors see if our Principles and Practice Life and Doctrine hath not Out-stript theirs let the Witness of God in them Answer And R. W. saith He told us of False Gods and Worships and Prophets c. but this is nothing to the Purpose to prove his False Charge for we are Not to Believe thee and the False Prophets but to Try them but thou say'st We must Try them with Fire it self Answ. Yea R. W. Ye and the New-England-Priests did Try us God's True Prophets with FIRE whom ye Tried with your HOT IRON when ye BRANDED them and your GALLOWS when you HANGED them And so ye are TRIED not to be in the true Principles and Profession of the Apostles and of Christ. And didst not thou say afore That the Scripture was to Try and what R. W is the Scripture now become a FIRE where

any such Proposals from the Deputy Governour or knew of any such thing when he went off the Island And yet R. W. says page 5 That G. F. knew he was furnisht with Artillery out of G. F.'s own writings and that he knew the Consequence that would follow and therefore the old Fox thought it was best to run for it and leave his Journey-Men c. An. This also is untrue for G. F. knew nothing of his Accusations or pretended proof which R. W. vainly calls his Artillery nor that he ever read much less objected any thing against G. F.'s Book Oh! how darest thou Roger Williams publish such false lyes to the World when thou knowest in thy Conscience that G. F. had never any Writing or Letter or Proposals from thee neither did he ever exchange a word with thee The Lord God of Heaven knowes it and the Deputy Governour knowes that I received none of thy Writings or Papers of Proposals by him Behold all sober people the foundation of this mans Attempt the beginning of his work and since the foundation of thy Book is a notorious lye the building upon such a foundation of lyes is not like to be otherwise which lyes thou hast made thy refuge as throughout thy Book may be evidently seen For except a man had sold himself to work falshood and make lyes he could not have done more wickedly and have uttered falser charges then thou hast done But the Lord God which knows them and sees thy evil design in them will sweep them away with the besom of Destruction and clear his people from thy manifest false tongue And I doubt not but the Deputy Governour will testifie for me that I am clear of this charge and that I never saw nor knew that which R. W. writ and sent to him But which is strange though G. F. was several weeks at Rode-Island and at Providence where it seems this old Priest R. W. dwells and in all that time he never spoke to G. F. nor writ to him of any such thing but sends its like these his Papers to the Deputy Governour what was in them as I said I knew not they being delivered to him after I was gone of the Island as he writes himself For his dating of his Letter what was that to G. F for J.T. tells R. W. of his misdating of his Letter as R. W. confesses himself in his 11 p. wherein he writes to J. T. Your second Letter I received misdated as well as mine But by this all may see the wickedness that is in the Bottle of this R. W. by what does flow out of it in his Book to wit A malitious spirit against G. F. who was never concerned with him by word or writing much less did G. F. ever do him wrong And yet he says G. F. well knew what Artillery he was furnisht with out of his own bald writings as he scoffingly calls them c. when never a word of this is true though he presumes to present it to the King for Truth concerning G. F. R. W. Again he says p. 4 5 that it was concluded and agreed in a Juncto at Newport that his Letter should not be delivered to the Deputy Governour until G. F. was gone Ans. This also is an abominable falshood the Lord knows it a groundless untrue imagination of his own for there was no such Agreement or Consultation Is this man fit to write of Religion that lyes a vain man What is he and his designs that they should require Consultations and Junctos So let the honest Reader Judge from whence R. W. had all these lyes if not from his Father the Devil who is out of Truth but with the Truth is both his Father and he Judged And this is R. W.'s Landskip as he calls it of the Battle fought betwixt him and the Quakers But G. F. never spoke with him nor received any Challenge from him and yet this man can boast saith G. F. slily withdrew and fled Which untruth is more then slily suggested for it is impudently asserted by R. W. But it 's well known by many in that Countrey that G. F. was long enough upon Rode-Island that if R. W. had any mind to have written to him or spoken to him he might have easily had an opportunity But it was R. W. that was slily in his burroughs then and kept in his Horns who had nothing to say to G. F. to his face whilst he was upon the Colony and Province of Rode-Island And it seems but reasonable that he should have written to G. F. as well as to the Deputy Governour if he had a mind that G. F. should have seen it but the Lord who is over all knows and sees his creeping and lying Spirit and from whence it doth proceed And though he may deceive some with these his lyes and very vain boasts as that G. F. knew what he had against him what Artillery he had gotten and what Consequences would rowl down the Mountains upon him these are R. W. his own expressions yet G. F. stands in his innocency in the power of God over it all nor can such Trash deceive any that are of a sober and temperate Spirit and make Conscience of what they believe But this lying Spirit would be seen to defend the Protestant Religion but it is his own Religion if he has any that is out of Truth that he would defend And this is like the persecuting Spirit of the professors of New-England as will be further manifested in time R. W. And all that read his Epistle may see how he goes about to flatter the King but the Lord knoweth his heart and the hearts of you New-England Professors were and are manifest And all that read his Epistle to the King may see what meer flattery it is who says That because he heard it affirmed that the King had one of most of the Quakers Books therefore says R. W. he will present the King the Protestant Truth more justly then his Popish Arminian Opposites did offend his Royal Eyes with smoak out of the deep Pit Ans. Doth not R. W. here abuse the King and yet hopes for Patronage under him But does R. W. think that the King will not see through his flatteries and vain applauses R W. And after this Roger thou tells the King The Pope and the Quakers pretend to Enthusiasme and Infallibilities and then thou boasts that thou hast detected much of their Impostures and then thou desirest His Royal Spirit may he preserved from both their cheats which is the Oracle of Hell in their mouths Ans. Ah! R. W. dost thou think the King will not see through thy words here again But for the Oracle of Hell thou shouldst have lookt at home for it as thy following words will manifest it But is New-England such a Glory to the Protestant Name as thou boasts of and wouldst have the King believe the King knows you better who have Hanged

I and my Father are one and that John confounded the Father Son and Spirit when he said The Father the Word and the Spirit are one R. W. saith There it much Judaism in the Quakers Religion And then thou tellest of their Zeal as the Quakers in the works of Righteousness and to pacify God they put Dirt and Dung and Swines Blood and Dogs Necks upon God's Altar c. and Washing of Cups and Platters c. Answ. Where doth R. W. prove this that the Jew put Dung and Dirt and Swines-Blood and a Dog's Neck upon God's Altar let us see Scripture for it which is his Rule And where do the Quakers do so he should have quoted their Books those are false Charges without any Proofs And as for outward Washings of Cups and Platters c. truly he is not come so far as the Jews and Pharisees for his and his New-England-Priests Outside is not Washt they have not so much as a fair Outside For where did ever the Jews BANISH any of the Christians upon PAIN of DEATH and CVT OFF their EARS and SPOIL'D their GOODS as the New-England Priests have done Nay have not they Outstript the Jews in their WHIPPING and in these things where did ever the Jews BRAND any with an HOT IRON we challenge them to prove it by Scripture And how darest thou speak of the Father and the Son and Pardon of Sin and the Spotless Lamb when thou B●asphemously callest his Light an Idol and a Fancy And both yours and the Papists and the Jews Ceremonies we are come from who Worship God in Spirit and Truth And then thou fall'st a scoffing at Women-Ambassadors c. Thou might'st as well scoff at those Women that carried the Message and glad Tidings of the Resurrection of Christ. And then thou speakest of our Brutish Salutations of Strangers Acquaintance and Friends and then thou contradictest thy self and sayst Some of them will say How do ye do and Farewell and when did any of us say that we put Holiness in these Tw● Words this is thy own Application R. W. And thou tellest of a New Way of Feeling and Grabling the Hand instead of Kissing and callest it an Immodest Way Answ. Well! have not the New-England Men made a Law against Kissing And what doth our Taking one another by the HAND offend thee that thou callest this a New Way of Holiness And did not Christ Take the Damsel by the Hand Took the Blind by the Hand Mark 5.8.9 Jesus took him by the Hand Luke 8. Took her by the Hand And Act. 9. did not Peter take Dorcas by the Hand Did not the Captain take the Young-man by the Hand Act. 23. And what is this a Crime in R. W.'s Eye that we Take one another by the Hand And was not the Word FAREWELL commonly used in the Scriptures Doth not the Apostle say Farewell Acts 15 29. and 18 21 Bad them Fare-well and Act. 23 30. Farewell and 2 Cor. 13 11. Finally Brethren Farewell Thou art Offended when we say nothing and Offended when we say Farewell what a Discontented Doting Man art thou R. W. And thou sayst The Quakers dis-respect the Superiors and some of you have heard the Quakers Children said to their Father and Mother George thou liest and Mary thou liest a Language which deserveth little less than Death Answ. But thou hast not mentioned whose Children these were nor where they lived nor who gave thee this Report But R. W. saith It deserveth little less than Death But if R. W. and his Wife do tell their Children That Christ that died for our Sins and is our Mediator between us and God who hath Enlighted us and Christ saith Believe in the Light And so if R. W. telleth his Children that this Christ is a Fancy and a Whimsical Christ and his Light is an Idol and if his Children should say He spoke not true but it was a Lye of his Father the Devil then these Children for so saying must deserve Death for telling They Lye and speak not the Truth seeing it was a Lie and not the Truth that they held forth when such as R. W. are drawing them from the true Christ that died for their Sins But we do not own nor love any such thing that Children should give their Parents the Lie or be Uncivil or Irreverent to them And we have all Men in Esteem as they are God's Creatures and them that Rule Well we say they are worthy of Double Honor. But we ask R. W. and his New-England-Priests Whether all the Honor lieth in Bowing the Knee and putting of their Hats and saying You instead of Thou to a single Person if so make it good by Scripture and whether Superiors or Inferiors cannot be honoured without these Secondly What was the Honor that the Chief Priests and Pharisees did seek one from another and Christ told them How can ye believe while ye seek it And what is the Honor that cometh from God And R. W. Thou sayst of Their Crying down of Musicians and Musick so Excellent a Gift of God c. Answ. We do charge R. W. and his New-England-Priests to show us any Scripture in the New Testament from Christ and his Apostles where they said That outward Musick was an Excellent Gift of God For did not all the Outward Musick in the Time of the Law and Prophets type forth the Heavenly Musick and the Melody that the Saints had and have in Christ in his Grace and Spirit And further we charge R. W. and his New-England-Priests if that they had Musick and Musicians in the Church in the Primitive Times Tell us the Names of those Musicians and the Outward Instruments they Play'd upon And thou art offended at our Tuning and Singing and callest it Phantastical and it 's like 't is Vnprofitable to thee who callest Musick the Gift of God But hadst thou been in the Days of the Apostles their Singing with Grace and making Melody in their Hearts thou wouldst have called it Phantastical and Absurd as thou dost now R. W. And thou sayst We condemn Carving Embroidering and Painting and sayst It is commended by God himself in Scripture Answ. Here R. W. is one with the Papists and crieth against us as much as they and if it be not for Images it is for the Lust of the Eye and the Pride of Life And this R. W. crieth up as Commended of God and that Quakers condemn it Though there was Carving c. in the Old Covenant of Works But we charge R. W. and his New-England-Priests where God and Christ commended to his Apostles and Disciples Embroidering Carving and Painting in the New Testament and name the Names of those Carvers and Painters c. among the Church of the Primitive Times Here R. W. is one with the Papists both in his Musick and Carving and Painting in saying They are commended by God and a Gift of God And doth not Christ the Substance End all those Outward

Pen and Sword c. that the Inheritance may be theirs but even R. W. and his New-England-priests But let the Pharisees and the Jews Judgement Answer them And the True Lovers of the Lord Jesus Christ will shine forth more and more and the Lamb and his Followers will have the Victory but not with Carnal VVeapons R. W. Thou say'st That the Sufferings of the Quakers are no true Evidence of the Truth of their Religion Answ. R. W. hath marked himself and his New-England-Priests and Professors For did ever such as persecuted the Prophets Christ and his Apostles persecute them as true Men and as their Religion was True And have ye New-England-Priests and Professors persecuted us with Tongue Hand and Sword as True Men or looking upon our Religion to be True Now have not they clearly demonstrated themselves to be of the Lying Birth born of the Flesh in a blind Zeal And the Apostle saith It was not only given us to believe but to suffer for the Name of Jesus So this doth Evidence the True Belief which doth not persecute any for Religion R. W. And thou say'st Thou could'st find no Jews Papists or Protestants that did so magnifie and so exactly insist upon their Sufferings as the Quakers did And yet thou contradict'st thy self and say'st That Paul did more particularize his Sufferings then any other Saints in the Scripture Answ. Here thou hast contradicted thy self and wrongest us for we do not Magnifie our Sufferings we Magnifie the LORD that upholdeth us in our Sufferings But it 's like it troubleth thee and the New-England Men that our sufferings are drawn up and that ye are made manifest that ye are no True Christians nor True Followers of Christ Jesus And it 's like ye would not have had us to print our sufferings that it might not come to the Light which ye did in the Dark And we know the End of Paul's speaking of his sufferings was to manifest them that were not Real but they were not Persecutors as the New-England-Priests are But thou would'st have told the Prophets Christ and his Apostles Their sufferings for their Religion for the VVord of God and for Jesus sake were no true Evidence of the true Lord Jesus Christ of the Word of God and of the true faith or true belief R. W. And the Quakers Sufferings thou say'st are not to be compared with Paul's Answ. And why And yet we set down exactly every hour's Imprisonment every Stripe in VVhipping as thou say'st But this proveth that ye are the Birth of the Flesh and NO TRUE CHRISTIANS but persecute with an outward Sword according to thy own Judgement R. W. And thou say'st We publish our Sufferings to the VVorld in print as if they were a Sign hung out with this Inscription c. and then scoffest Answ. It is a Certain Evidence that thou and you are in a Persecuting Spirit and the Lord supported us over your Murthering Spirit AND thou art offended because G. Bishop hath printed so much Nay thou wilt have more as long as thou continuest in this Birth of Persecution and calling Christ's Light an Idol Frantick and a Fancy here ye not only do persecute but blaspheme And what G. Bishop hath writ it was not in a Childish Vapor Ostentation and Vain Glory as thou say'st but to manifest your Un-mercifulness and Cruelty which seemeth it troubleth thee and the New-England Persecutors that true Christians and the VVorld should know of your BLOODY Persecution But why doth R. W. write such a Catalogue against the Pope and yet would not have a Catalogue of their own BLOODY doings manifest who are ●ound in one Spirit drinking of Blood But read what the Apostle saith Even after that we had suffered before and were shamefully entreated as ye know at Philippi we were bold in our God to speak unto you 1 Thes. 2. So that we our selves glory in you in the Churches of God for your Patience and Faith in all your Persecutions and Tribulations 2. Thes 1. And did not Jeremiah and all the Prophets Record their Sufferings and the Apostles Record the Sufferings of John and Christ and their own as ye may see in Acts though I say not all and we have not Recorded all our sufferings in New-England AND Act 5 40. when such as your Spirit in New-England had called the Apostles and beaten them they commanded that they should speak no more in the Name of Jesus Christ And they departed rejoicing that they were counted worthy to Suffer for the Name of Jesus Christ And yet they ceased not to teach and preach Jesus Christ. R. W. would have said They glory in their Sufferings Nay they are Blessed that Suffer for Christ for theirs is the Kingdom of God We know it but they that persecute have not this Blessing nor the Kingdom And all these Sufferings We have suffered both for Christ within Christ without Neither are our sufferings like either to Papists nor you in New-England for all ye I know will persecute others though ye Suffer your selves And it 's known by many that our sufferings are as the Primitive Church's sufferings who do persecute none and make none to suffer but only we suffer as Lambs And it 's known that never a Lamb worried or tore a Dog or a VVolf or a Fox and therefore they are VVolves and Foxes that may suffer and yet make others to suffer and this is nothing Yet in all our Sufferings we have Love still to our Enemies as the Disciples of Christ and true Christians and do pray for our Enemies who persecute us And here in this we differ from all the Persecutors or Suffe●ers in the World And though we do give our Bodies to be burnt and our Goods so the Poor yet still we retain the Love which is the Supreme over all or else our sufferings are nothing But this doth not clear R. W. and the New-England-Priests and Professors but that they are the Birth born of the Flesh and that they are no true Christians no true Protestants no true Followers of Christ as R. W. confesseth but Hypocrites and Makers of Hypocrites p. 173. And R. W. bringeth E. B.'s Epistle G. F. Fol. Epist. to the Reader p. 12. which speaketh of the Cruel Persecutors and Professors Priests and Magistrates in Oliver's Days whom the LORD hath over-turned according to our Prophecies to them And Going NAKED As VV. S. went Three Years Naked sometimes in Sack-cloth and Ashes and his Face all Black and so Black should be the Persecutors and so should they be stript as he was which came to pass And Paul Number'd his Stripes as 2 Cor. 11. but it would be hard to Number ours that we received in New-England And the Mayor of Cambridge received him in and Several Persons of Quality took him in and put his Gown upon him and did see there was more in the thing then the blind dark Spirit in R. W. that prints it over and

and other Blasphemers and the Devils themselves may have the Scripture the Word of God in their Hands and Mouths For may not a true Sword a choice Sword be in a Mad-Man's Hand whereby he may mischief and wound and kill himself and others hence Men make Merchandize of it Sophisticate and Adulterate and turn it into a Lie c. Answ. The Strength of this Argument is That as a Mad-Man may have a Sure and Choice Sword in his Hand so may a Bad or Wicked Man have the Sword of God's Spirit in his Hand O Blindness O thick Darkness how art thou be nighted that thou shouldst thus grosly write When did the Word of God come to Wicked Men how often did Wicked Men receive God's Word for the one is a Fire the other is Stubble the one a Sword or Ax and the other an Old Rotten Tree But Roger is it not a saying of Wonder amongst Mens What! put a Sword in a Mad-Man's Hand and doth God put his Sword into Mad or Bad Mens Hands what dost thou make of the Lord one like unto thy self tremble at thy Presumption and Wickedness What! can Wicked Carnal and Devilish Men handle God's Heavenly Spiritual and New-Covenant-Weapons But Roger can Wicked Men handle the Fire and wound and kill with this Spiritual Sword what do they kill not the Good for God's Sword will wound and kill nothing but Wickedness so this is no Mischief And when did Wicked Men war against and kill Wickedness with God's Sword whil'st they remained wicked themselves A Kingdom divided against it self cannot stand So that though Mad-Men may do Mischief with a Sword yet Bad Men cannot with the Word of God wherefore Bad Men are as good Servants and Souldiers as Good Men for they Fight with the same Weapon it seems against the same Wickedness But Roger when did the Scriptures kill any Body or do any Mischief for so thy Folly has driven thee to say Again is God's Sword so common hath he no more Care of his Weapons than to arm his Enemies with them But every Sword must have an Edge God's hath Two which be they And since a Sword can do no Execution without a Hand the Scripture is unable unless it hath a Hand to use it what Hand is this not the Spirit R. W. affirms who then Wicked Men as well as Good Men. This is the Doctrine of R. W. Dedicated to the King R. Baxter and J. Owen as the New-England-Priests Oratour against the People of God called Quakers But what is his Reason for this b●cause saith he Men make Merchandize of it Sophisticate and Adulterate and turn it into a Lie Roger These are the truest Words thou hast said yet you New-England-Priests have made Merchandize of the Scripture we know very well you have Sophisticated and Adulterated them with your Inventions and turned them into a Lie and made them to speak or mean what they do not mean and yet call this the Mind and Sense of Scripture being dark in your Imaginations and rebelling against the Light that should enlighten you But none can sell the Lord's Sword nor Sophisticate nor Adulterate nor turn a Sword into a Lie Nor can God's Sword be lost broken torn burnt drown'd moulder'd or any otherwise perish as the Scriptures have by Carelesness Age in Fires in Ship-wracks or on purpose by some Wicked Men. And hadst thou known that Word that is a Fire an Ax a Sword c. thou wouldst not have writ such Blind Stuff as thou hast done which shall be thy Burthen one day Nor is this to slight the Holy Scriptures but such unholy ones as thou art that war against God's Spirit under pretence of standing for the Scripture that came from it which thou understandest not but we dearly own and love and honour them and they are good for Instruction Doctrine and Reproof that the Man of God may be Perfect through the Faith that is in Jesus But do not you New-England-Priests make Merchandize both of Scripture that you call the Word and Christ and his Blood and Miracles Death Resurrection and Ascension that have so much a Year for telling Stories and your Imaginations of him did the Apostles so And R. W. as Nathan said to David Thou art the Man as they that read thy Former and Latter Writings may see for thou hast Sophisticated Corrupted and Adulterated the Scriptures of Truth which thou callst the Word of God by mixing and adding of thy Imaginations with God's Openings and Discoveries which thou mightest have formerly had in thy younger Years when there was some Simplicity in thee and thou werest under Sufferings for thy Conscience But now thou say'st There is neither Motion nor Voice within to hearken to to turn to to listen to in Heavenly things in matter of Super-natural Light Though again thou say'st pag. 28. I find in all Mankind a Conviction that God is Again I find there is generally in all Mankind in the World a Conviction of an Invisible Omnipotent and Eternal Power and God-head And Roger is not this in all Mankind to be lissen'd unto R. W. Thou bringest Henry Hagger G. F. Fol. 253. saying You call all Men Dead and Carnal in the Serpent's Nature in what Form soever if they differ from you G. F. Answ. All that be not in the Light that enlightneth every Man that cometh into the World which is the Way to the Father differ from us such be Dead such be Carnal in the Serpent's Nature for none cometh to the Life but who cometh to the Light in what Form soever they be And such as differ from us differ from Christ for none cometh from under the Serpent's Head and Nature but who cometh to the Light R. W. replyeth and saith The Quakers and Papists are of a Damning and Damned Spirit as David saith of some whose Teeth were as Swords and Solomon saith There is a Generation whose Teeth are as Swords Answ. And these are R. W.'s and the New-England-Priests Teeth as they have sufficiently manifested to the World for they have out-stript many of the Papists And as for Damning and Damn'd Spirit this is thy own Portion R. W. and God's Elect thou canst not charge whom he justifieth nor Damn R. W. And thou say'st If ever there were a Generation of such in the World the Papists and We are the Generations intended Answ. This is thine and your own Condition For did we ever desire that any should be punisht in matter of Conscionce as thou dost although formerly thou hast writ largely against Persecution for Conscience-sake Did we ever WHIP BANISH or HANG or SPOIL the Goods of any for Religion as your New-England-Professors have done unto which thou hast joined thy self And thou say'st It is in vain to tell us of Christ the Foundation and of Building Hay Wood and Stubble That is thy own Condition R. W. who hatest the Light which cometh from Christ in which the Saints Build upon Christ the Foundation